Top 10 Best Nintendo Heroes

You've seen them leap across platforms, blast through alien monsters, suck up enemies like a vacuum with attitude, and save kingdoms, galaxies, and sometimes the very fabric of existence. All before lunch. These are the heroes built by Nintendo. They aren't just characters with a jump button, but icons that have fueled decades of boss fights, heartbreak, and the occasional banana peel mishap.

This isn't about who can swing a sword the flashiest or who's got the fanciest suit. It's about who's earned your loyalty. Who made you scream at the screen in frustration one minute and fist-pump in triumph the next? Who made you care enough to hit "Continue" instead of rage-quitting?

So now it's your turn to weigh in. Who stands tallest among Nintendo's legendary lineup? Cast your vote for the ones you think actually deserve it, not just the ones you've seen plastered across merchandise.

The Top Ten

Link - The Legend of Zelda

Link refers to several different incarnations of the same protagonist in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series. Each incarnation of Link is typically chosen by the gods to protect the land of Hyrule from evil forces, often wielding the Master Sword and bearing the Triforce of Courage. His main goal is... read more

Dude, why is Link not first? He's the only true hero. His entire existence in each timeline is based on the fact that he is the hero destined to save the whole world! Hero of Time, Hero of Winds, Hero Chosen by the Goddesses, Hylia's Chosen Hero - the list is endless!
Link has the true heart of a hero and almost always risks his life for others, while other characters might have personal motivations. It's ridiculous that Link isn't even second or third.

How is Link beaten by Yoshi, Kirby, and Donkey Kong? I really don't understand. Link is the hero of Nintendo, an honest-to-goddesses hero. He is completely selfless, doesn't speak a word, and never expects anything in return.
Honestly, when you picture a knight in shining armor, do you see a cartoony dinosaur, a pink ball with a face, or a banana-obsessed gorilla with a tie? Personally, I can only imagine Link.
Kirby - Kirby

Kirby is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Kirby series of video games, owned by Nintendo and developed by HAL Laboratory. His first appearance was in Kirby's Dream Land, released in 1992 for the Game Boy. The pink, spherical hero is known for his ability to inhale enemies and copy their... read more

He's so cute and good-hearted. He always wants to help everyone he meets.
He's also the super-tough pink puff.

Kirby is a badass. He can suck up giant blocks of stone, swallow enemies, and gain their powers. Overall, Kirby is awesome.
Yoshi - Super Mario

Yoshi, once romanized as Yossy, is a fictional anthropomorphic dinosaur featured in video games published by Nintendo. He often appears as a sidekick and helper to Mario, playing key roles in many of Nintendo's most popular titles. Yoshi is especially well known for his appearances in the Yoshi's Island... read more

In his own series, his background was fully developed. He was a young dinosaur who found a baby that would later become a hero. He and his clan were determined to find the baby's brother and return them to their rightful parents while fighting their archenemies Bowser and Kamek.
Yoshi saved two iconic babies. He deserves to be the number one hero.

Yoshi is my favorite Mario character in the franchise.
He's got a wicked long tongue that can reach great distances to grab food and other things. He can breathe fire, grow wings that let him fly, flutter mid-air, pound the ground, and do other cool stuff.
There are other colored Yoshi species, and Yoshi has his own video games starring him as the hero. Yoshi is my special childhood hero and friend.
Mario - Super Mario

Mario, originally named Jumpman, is the main character of the Super Mario Bros. franchise and was created by Nintendo of Japan's game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Mario appears in nearly every game in the series, including many spin-off titles, with a few exceptions such as New Super Luigi U, the Luigi's... read more

By far the best!
Who always rescues Peach? Mario! Who always saves the Mushroom Kingdom? Mario! Who always defeats the bad guys? Mario! Who is the best? Mario! Who is the main character? Mario!
All threads are like, "Who are the best Mario characters?" Mario is in the title! So, stop posting things like "Luigi is our favorite man in green." Mario is the best!
Luigi and Yoshi are cool, but Mario is the best!

How the heck is Mario fourth on this list? He saved not only Princess Peach but the entire gaming industry! If it weren't for Mario, nobody on this list would even be here.
He is a hero to both the fictional and real worlds!
Donkey Kong - Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong is an arcade game released by Nintendo in 1981. It is an early example of the platform game genre, as the gameplay focuses on maneuvering the main character across a series of platforms while dodging and jumping over obstacles. The game marked the debut of both Donkey Kong and Mario (originally... read more
Samus Aran - Metroid

Samus Aran is the protagonist of the science fiction action-adventure video game series Metroid, developed by Nintendo. She is a galactic bounty hunter who typically wears the Power Suit, a piece of advanced armor that provides her with enhanced abilities and access to a variety of weapons. Samus made... read more

She's a super-hot bounty hunter who is totally awesome and destroys space pirate dragons. She also has a power suit that lets her fire her lasers!
Luigi - Super Mario

Luigi is a major character in video games and related media produced by Nintendo. He was originally introduced as a green-colored palette swap of Mario and is portrayed as Mario's younger, taller fraternal twin brother.
Created by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi appears in many... read more

Although Luigi is classified as a sidekick, he can be considered a hero as well. He is my favorite and always will be.
Fox McCloud - Star Fox

Fox McCloud is an anthropomorphic fox and the main character in the Star Fox video game series. He made his debut in Star Fox for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1993. Fox is the son of James McCloud, who was presumed lost during a mission.... read more

Fox is my favorite guy when he says his best quotes from Star Fox 64.
Pikachu - Pokémon

Pikachu (Japanese: ピカチュウ) is a species of Pokémon that appears in video games, animated television shows and movies, trading card games, and comic books licensed by The Pokémon Company. It is the mascot of the Pokémon franchise and is widely considered the most iconic Pokémon. Pikachu... read more
Meta Knight - Kirby

Meta Knight is a fictional character from the Kirby series of video games created by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. He is often portrayed as one of Kirby's rivals, although he sometimes allies with Kirby to battle common enemies.... read more

The Newcomers

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Starfy - The Legendary Starfy
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Pokémon Trainer - Pokémon

The Contenders

Diddy Kong - Donkey Kong

Diddy Kong is a fictional character in the Donkey Kong Country video game series. He first appeared in the 1994 game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo. Diddy Kong is known as Donkey Kong's sidekick and is a playable character in several games.
Princess Peach - Super Mario

Princess Peach is a major character in the Mario Bros. franchise. She is the lead female character in the series. She is usually the character who needs to be rescued in most Mario games, but she has also appeared as a playable character in main-series Mario games, including Super Mario 3D World, Super... read more

Good hero, in my opinion! But not as good as Mario and Yoshi.

She may not be a great hero in the games, but she'll always be my hero.
Toad - Super Mario

Toad, known in Japan as Kinopio, is a major character in the Mario Bros. franchise. He assists Princess Peach in the Mushroom Kingdom and first appeared in Super Mario Bros. (1985). Toad is a recurring character in many Mario games, including New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario 3D World, Captain Toad... read more
Pit - Kid Icarus

Pit is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Kid Icarus video game series developed by Nintendo. He made his first appearance in Kid Icarus for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986, followed by Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters for the Game Boy in 1991. Pit also appears as a playable... read more

Pit can be so humorous during Kid Icarus: Uprising.
Tiff - Kirby: Right Back at Ya!

Tiff is a character from the Kirby franchise, appearing in all 100 episodes of the anime Kirby: Right Back at Ya!. She is friends with Kirby and lives in Cappytown.
Tiff is voiced by Kerry Williams, who has also voiced characters such as Nami in the 4Kids dub of One Piece and Casey from Pokémon
Lucas - Mother

If anyone knows his backstory, they understand.
As a child, his mother was brutally killed by Porky Minch. His brother (I assume) went insane and tried to kill the Drago that murdered their mom. This happens in the first 15 minutes of the game.
Mother 3 isn't a game. It's a test to see how long you can last without crying.
Zelda - The Legend of Zelda

Princess Zelda is a fictional character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game series, created by Shigeru Miyamoto and introduced in its original entry in 1986. She is typically portrayed as a member of the Hyrule royal family and often possesses magical abilities or wisdom. Zelda plays a central... read more
Ness - Mother

Ness is a male video game character who made his first appearance in the 1995 Super Nintendo Entertainment System game EarthBound, known in Japan as Mother 2. He is the main protagonist of the game and uses psychic abilities in battle. Ness later became a recurring playable character in the Super Smash... read more
Olimar - Pikmin

Olimar is a fictional character from Nintendo's Pikmin video game series, created by Shigeru Miyamoto. He is a small astronaut who crash-lands on a mysterious planet and relies on the help of the native Pikmin creatures to survive. Olimar first appeared in the 2001 game Pikmin for the Nintendo GameCube... read more
Inkling - Splatoon

Inkling Girl is a character from the Splatoon video game series developed by Nintendo. She serves as one of the customizable avatars for players in both Splatoon (2015) and Splatoon 2 (2017), with various gear and appearance options. Inkling Girl also appears in other Nintendo titles, including Super... read more
Ike - Fire Emblem

Ike is the protagonist of the video game Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance for the Nintendo GameCube and one of the central characters in its sequel Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn for the Wii. He is the leader of the Greil Mercenaries and is notable as the first main character in the series who is not of noble... read more
Shulk - Xenoblade

Shulk is a fictional character and the protagonist from Monolith Soft's 2010 role-playing video game Xenoblade Chronicles, part of their overarching Xeno series of video games. He is known for wielding the Monado, a powerful weapon that grants him visions of the future. Shulk has also appeared as a playable... read more
Rosalina - Super Mario

Rosalina, known as Rosetta in Japan, is a major character in the Mario franchise created by Nintendo. She first appeared in the 2007 game Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii and later returned in its sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2, in 2010. Since then, she has been featured in many main-series Mario... read more
Tuff - Kirby
Flint - Mother