Photo Courtesy of Vox
10. Rosalina
To start off this list, let’s mention a character that is on the rise in the Mario Kart community. Rosalina, unlike many of the other female characters, is the most intimidating character in the franchise. She was the first female character to ride large karts and bikes. She also has a cool aura around her. Her personality and character design are top tier.
9. Koopa Troopa
Koopa Troopa is a fun character that can also be annoying. However, that’s essentially the point of his character. He’s an evil turtle who tries to help Bowser stand up to Mario in the quest to get Princess Peach, but he always chickens out and gets scared in confronting the titular character. Koopa Troopa is a character that doesn’t get old and is always fun to use in the games.
8. King Boo
Continuing with underrated characters of the franchise, King Boo must be at the top of that list. First and foremost, King Boo is a unique character. He’s sneaky, fun to use in games with his ability to excel at tight turns and despite his creepy personality, he still holds a sense of humor and charm.
7. Mario
Look, Mario is great. However, despite being the titular character, Mario is one of the most overrated of them all. The love story between him and Princess Peach is great, though. Overall, Mario has a lot of quality traits, most notably his character design. He’s fun to use in the games, and without Mario, there is no “Mario Kart.” I mean, there’s a reason he’s the only character in every “Mario Kart” installment.
6. Princess Peach
While on the topic of Mario, let’s talk about Princess Peach. Peach is a likeable element in the “Mario Kart” franchise. When creating a list of Mario Kart characters, Princess Peach must be among the ones mentioned, simply because she is so integral to the story of the game. Character-wise, she is your stereotypical nice but strong racer, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
5. Donkey Kong
He’s just fun (and funny). Donkey Kong is a great secondary character and has the third-most racecourses named after him. He’s a fun character to play with as well and is surprisingly fast despite his build. Donkey Kong must be in the top five, simply because of DK Mountain.
4. Bowser
Bowser is the best possible evil character. Not only does he excel at tormenting Mario and Princess Peach, but he is also the patriarch of an iconic family tree. He is a heavyweight but extremely fast, which makes him even more intimidating. The design of his character is fantastic as well, and like Donkey Kong, he also has awesome racecourses named after him throughout the franchise.
3. Yoshi
The hype surrounding Yoshi is real. He’s such a fun character to use. Yoshi isn’t annoying. He is just an overwhelming, loveable piece in the franchise. The friendship with Mario is also top tier, and due to this partnership, Yoshi is one of six characters to appear in every main series “Mario Kart” game.
2. Luigi
Luigi separates himself from Mario because of his uniqueness in character. Despite the mustache and the L replacing the M on the signature hat, he comes off as mischievous but likeable in many regards. Luigi’s signature catchphrase, “It’s-a me, Luigi,” is singlehandedly the best line from any of the characters in “Mario Kart.” Luigi is a perfect addition to the game and is a great secondary character. Not to mention, Luigi’s Mansion is one of the coolest and most challenging courses in the game.
1. Toad
Duh. Not even talking about the gameplay, Toad is adorable. Everyone wants to choose Toad to use as their racer just because of that reason alone. He’s funny, a loyal helper to Princess Peach, and has created a massive following amongst the video game community due to many, many memes that feature him. His rides are also rad and unique. Using Toad always leads to success and is nothing but a surefire victory in your races.
