When players think of Nintendo, Mario is likely one of the first franchises that come to mind. As the main antagonist of the Mario series, Bowser is easily one of the most iconic villains from Nintendo games. However, Bowser isn't the only iconic villain that the company has created.

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Nintendo has several popular game series, each with its own iconic villains that are just as recognizable as Bowser. Other Mario villains have made just as big of an impact as King Koopa, and it's important to give props where they are due.

10 Donkey Kong Had A Villainous Origin

collage image of original Donkey Kong game with new Donkey and Diddy Kong

Younger players might be surprised to see Donkey Kong on a list of villains. He has been the hero of the Donkey Kong Country games and appeared as a friendly face in the Mario Party series. In contrast, Donkey Kong's original appearance was a lot less heroic.

Donkey Kong appeared as the main antagonist of the arcade game Donkey Kong. The game pitted him against Mario after DK kidnaps Pauline, Mario's original girlfriend. Hardcore Nintendo fans will know that this is actually an entirely different Donkey Kong than the one that appears in later Mario games; it's his grandpa who now goes as Cranky Kong.

9 Ganondorf Is An Integral Part Of Zelda Lore

 Ganondorf from the Legend of Zelda series clenching his fist and looking menacing.

The Legend of Zelda is one of Nintendo's most well-known franchises. Though he hasn't appeared in every Zelda game, Ganondorf and his monstrous form Ganon are the series' most iconic villains. According to Zelda lore, fans have not seen the last of him.

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The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword revealed that Ganondorf is actually the reincarnation of the evil entity Demise. Just like Princess Zelda and Link, Ganondorf is destined to return over and over again. His connection to the series' central heroes helps Ganondorf earn his iconic status.

8 Luigi's Mansion Made King Boo A Major Villain

King Boo from Luigi's Mansion with purple eyes and Toads trapped in portraits.

Many Mario games have two main heroes, Mario and his twin brother Luigi. Mario took center stage as the series moved from 2D to 3D platformers, making his and Bowser's rivalry more of a one-on-one affair. Unfortunately, this left Luigi without a main antagonist of his own. Enter King Boo.

King Boo is the ruler of ghosts in Mario games. In Luigi's first solo outing, Luigi's Mansion, King Boo served as the main antagonist. His brother may overshadow Luigi, but he is still a Nintendo icon. Thanks to his rivalry with the younger Mario brother, now King Boo is too.

7 Ridley Is The Most Personal Of Metroid's Villains

Ridley from Metroid Other M

Ridley is the draconic space pirate from the Metroid series. He is named after Alien director Ridley Scott due to the movie's influence on the Metroid games. While he is just as monstrous as other Metroid bosses, he has one major difference.

Unlike the various space monsters that Samus Aran fights, Ridley actually has a personal connection to her. Ridley killed Samus's parents during a raid on her home planet, giving her and the players more incentive to take Ridley down than many other Metroid foes. Ridley is one of Nintendo's most iconic villains since he is the archnemesis of one of its most famous heroes.

6 King K. Rool Was Made As Donkey Kong's Bowser

King K. Rool Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Kirby Stage Rainbow

Once Donkey Kong pivoted from villain to hero, he needed a villain of his own to face off against. King K. Rool was introduced in Donkey Kong Country and continued to be the main antagonist of Rare's Donkey Kong games.

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Even after Rare stopped making Donkey Kong games with Nintendo, King K. Rool stuck around. He has even crossed over into other Nintendo properties like Mario Super Sluggers and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The Kremlin King is very much the Bowser of Donkey Kong games.

5 Team Rocket Is Pokémon's Most Recognizable Villain

Team Rocket members from Pokemon Masters

Team Rocket is a criminal organization from the Pokémon series, led originally by a man named Giovanni. Though different generations of Pokémon games have introduced other organizations with "Team" in the name, Team Rocket has persisted as the most iconic.

Team Rocket's popularity is boosted by the Pokémon anime, where they are represented by the comical villains Jesse and James. Also, because Team Rocket came first, all the other Teams feel derivative and remind players of the original. Thanks to the massive popularity of the Pokémon franchise, Team Rocket is easily one of the most recognizable Nintendo villains.

4 King Dedede Switches Between Friend And Foe

King Dedede from Kirby

King Dedede is the big blue penguin king from the Kirby games. He has appeared in all but one of the Kirby games, sometimes as the main villain, and other times as what his Amiibo description calls Kirby's "arch frenemy."

King Dedede is a more comical villain. He proclaims himself king of Dreamland, though his "subjects" rarely listen to what he says. He is perfectly suited for the lighthearted world of Kirby, and has likely endured thanks to his cute design and funny personality.

3 Dracula Was An Icon Before He Was In A Nintendo Game

dracula from castlevania artwork

Unlike other video game villains, Castlevania did not make Dracula into an icon; he already was one. Vlad Tepes, also known as Vlad the Impaler or Vlad Dracula, has long been a figure of fascination. Thanks to Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula has become a horror icon, much like Frankenstein's monster.

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This villainous vampire made his video game debut in 1986's Castlevania as the game's main villain. As a villain, Dracula has continued to appear in the Castlevania games and the Netflix series. He is easily one of the most iconic villains of all time, not just in Nintendo games.

2 Master Hand Is The Big Bad Of A Big Franchise

Masterhand from Super Smash Bros. flies through the air

The Super Smash Bros. series features characters from all sorts of Nintendo games, but when it came time to choose a principal villain for the series, Smash introduced a new character. Master Hand is a disembodied white glove players face at the end of the single-player mode.

Master Hand, sometimes replaced or accompanied by Crazy Hand, has been present in every Super Smash Bros. game. The hand is a staple in one of Nintendo's most popular franchises, making it one of the company's most iconic villains.

1 Majora Made A Huge Impact With One Appearance

Majora from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask staring.

Majora is an interesting case when it comes to Nintendo villains. Little is known about Majora, and they only appeared in two games, The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask and Hyrule Warriors. Despite this, Majora has persisted as an iconic Zelda villain.

Majora's Mask has continued to fascinate Nintendo fans for years due to its dark tone and many mysteries. Majora's origins are one of the biggest mysteries in the game and have spawned plenty of theories. Majora proves that it isn't the number of appearances that makes a villain iconic, but their legacy.

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