There aren’t manyNintendofranchises where the characters have a middling position on the scale from good to evil. In series likeSuper Mario Bros.,The Legend of Zelda, andKirby, the line between heroes and villains is a very solid one. However, there are few characters who walk the line between protagonist and antagonist in Nintendo’s biggest properties.
From playable characters to NPCs, these characters test the limits of what it means to do good on their own terms. Some of these characters even started out as full-fledged villains, before they redeemed themselves in the eyes of Nintendo audiences. That is to say, it must be exhausting always rooting for these Nintendo anti-heroes.
Given the wayFire Emblem: Three Housesis structured, Edelgard can either be an ally or an antagonist. In the Nintendo Switch title, players choose to be the instructor for one of three royal houses in the Garreg Mach Monastery. Edelgard is the heir to the Adrestian Empire and leader of the Black Eagles house. Her leadership skills and formality make her a role model to her fellow students.
After a significant time skip in the story, Edelgard inherits the role of Flame Emperor and plans to take over the other two royal houses. While players can choose to oppose her conquest, they can also help her ascend the throne for the sake of creating a more just world. Some may view Edelgard as a dictator, but others might support her dubious cause.
WhileMother 3hasn’t yet made it to the west, its characters are just as complex as the franchise titles that have been translated. Claus is the twin brother of Lucas, the game’s protagonist, and he goes missing early in the game. As it turns out, Claus has been captured by the Pigmask Army and turned into the mysterious Masked Man, one of the game’s antagonists.
Although Lucas and his party must fight the Masked Man in his brainwashed form, Claus eventually regains consciousness and seemingly sacrifices himself out of guilt. However, Claus does show up again during the game’s end credit sequence, indicating that he survived and has returned to his more innocent self.
Wolf O’Donnell first appeared inStar Fox 64as the leader of Star Wolf, a rival mercenary team to the titular foursome of Fox, Slippy, Falco, and Peppy. Wolf and his Star Wolf crew members battle Star Foxat several points inStar Fox 64, hired by the evil Andross to antagonize the game’s heroes. However, futureStar Foxgames reveal more about Fox’s nefarious counterpart.
InStar Fox Assault, Star Wolf saw a shake-up, removing the greedy Pigma and Andross' nephew Andrew, replacing them with the smooth-talking Panther. In that game, Wolf comes to the rescue numerous times, aiding the Star Fox team in their battle against the Aparoid Queen’s army. He may dislike Fox, but at least he’ll fight for the good of the galaxy when it benefits him.
Pit doesn’t have a bad bone in his body, as a captain of Lady Palutena’s Army. However,in the 3DS titleKid Icarus Uprising, Pit accidentally lets an evil clone of himself be created through Pandora’s Mirror of Truth. As a result, Dark Pit becomes a chaotic presence, disrupting Pit’s missions throughout the game, eventually siding with Viridi’s Forces of Nature.
However, Dark Pit has a change of heart after Pit sacrifices his wings to save Pit from the Chaos Kin. Dark Pit, to return the favor, carries Pit to the Rewind Spring to bring him back to full health. Later, he rescues Pit from Hades with the Lightning Chariot. He may be have been to antagonize Pit, but at the very least, he has some heart to do the right thing, albeit begrudgingly.
MainlinePokemongames often feature rivals who antagonize players on their journey, but few of them are actually villainous in their motives. One exception to this is N,who appears inPokemon Black & Whiteand its sequels as a mysterious figure who challenges the player. As it’s later revealed, N is the leader of Team Plasma, with plans to separate people and their Pokemon.
Based on N’s arguments, he has some noble motivations for wanting to create a new world, believing that Pokemon’s subjection to battles is inhumane. However, he’s also being manipulated by his father, Ghetsis. He eventually realizes that maybe the world isn’t so (pardon the pun) black and white. He gets pretty close to naming himself the new king of Unova, though.
Tetra seems like a classic anti-hero when she’s first introduced. She’s a pirate who begrudgingly agrees to take Link to the Forbidden Fortress to rescue his sister, though she often displays cold-hearted tendencies. As it turns out,Tetra’s true identity is Princess Zelda herself, disguised by the king to hide her from Ganondorf’s minions.
However, at the end ofWind Waker, Zelda becomes Tetra again, a role that she reprises in the DS sequelPhantom Hourglass. She’s still up to her swashbuckling ways in that game, and even rejects her royal status despite the reverence of her pirate crew. It’s implied inSpirit Tracksthat Tetra later founds the new kingdom of Hyrule, so at least she still had good left in her.
It’s surprising that a series as cute and cuddly asKirbyhas one of Nintendo’s best anti-heroes in Meta Knight. The character, with his signature mask, cape, and sword, debuted in 1993’sKirby’s Adventure, and has since remained a significant character in games likeKirby Super Star,Kirby’s Nightmare in Dream Land, andKirby’s Return to Dream Land.
In some games, Meta Knight appears as a boss character, often seen antagonizing Kirby on his ship, Halberd. However, in other games, Meta Knight is a playable ally of Kirby against a greater foe. The character’s origins are unknown, but given that he’s the same species as Kirby, maybe the connection between the two characters is more than meets the eye.
Wario might be one of the most infamous anti-heroes in video game history. The character originally debuted as the antagonist ofSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coinsfor the Game Boy. However, the character hasmore notably starred in his own series of games, from the microgame-centricWarioWareto the platformerWario Land.
However, Wario is clearly far from heroic or noble. His main motivations are greed for money and hunger for garlic, though these selfish traits often lead him to do heroic things, such as opposing Captain Syrup’s sugar pirates or the mischievous Black Jewel. At least once, inSuper Mario 64 DS, Wario aided Mario’s rescue of Princess Peach from Bowser’s clutches.
