Nintendo games are filled with royals and, for the most part, they are significantly less controversial than any real-world monarchs. You won’t catch HRH Princess Zelda yawning during a Hylian military parade, or King Boo claiming he’s physically incapable of perspiring (although that might make sense in his case).
Nintendo Land tabloids seem to be a great deal more respectful and courteous, too, compared to paparazzi hiding in bushes with six-foot lenses to catch how many sugars Lady Patricia Bourgetout Heffington-Heffington takes in her Darjeeling.
With so much royalty to choose from across the Mushroom Kingdom, Hyrule, and beyond, we thought it the perfect time to round up just some of our favourite sovereigns from Nintendo games. Here you’ll find some big cheeses mixing with lesser royals from realms throughout the Nintenoverse.
It’s far from a comprehensive list (we could have turned this into Smash and filled the entire thing with lord and ladies from the Fire Emblem series), but you’re sure to find a selection of video gaming’s finest blue-bloods below. There’s a poll at the end, too, so let us know your personal pick.
So, on this day, for no particular reason, and in no particular order, let’s remind ourselves of 24 rulers that really rule…
King Boo
King Boo, the monarch of all things Boo in the Mario world. Making his debut in Luigi’s Mansion and sporting a rather stylish jewelled crown (toned down a bit more for his Super Mario appearances), King Boo is a rather mischievous monarch who loves lavish decor and paintings. But despite his distaste for the green brother, he always makes time for a spot of golf, kart racing, and baseball. Watch out for that sneaky little laugh, as if you hear it, you could be in trouble.
Queen Ambi
What do you mean Queen Ambi (the resident ruler from Oracle of Ages / Seasons) wasn’t the first royal to pop into your mind when you thought of The Legend of Zelda series?? Surely she tops any ‘Zelda royalty’ list, right?
Well… no. This queen might spend a little more time under the possession of Veran than we would have liked, but hey, at least she dedicates some pretty statues to Link at the end of the day.
Bowser, King of the Koopas
We’re not sure exactly how blue Bowser’s blood is. He may well have assembled a bunch of random Koopas and declared himself the ruler. Hey, that’s how all dynasties start out, right?
Regardless of the legitimacy of the Koopa King’s claim to the throne, we can’t help but like him. He’s a caring father and a devoted nemesis, and you can’t call him a quitter, even when he probably should call it quits on kidnapping princesses.
Parasite Queen
When it comes to gender equality among the royals in games, it’s undeniably lop-sided in the favour of male monarchs, unfortunately, and it’s 50/50 whether those that do appear are evil or somehow insectoid. This queen certainly has the latter covered, and the jury’s out on the former. Being experimented on by Space Pirates is going to put anyone in a bad mood, as is having all your subjects blasted by a bounty hunter.
Impressive, nonetheless.
King Dedede
We’re pretty sure King Dedede, the self-proclaimed ruler of Dream Land, is supposed to be intimidating, but he’s actually pretty cute. Kirby’s “frenemy” might be beloved by fans, but he’s lazy, selfish, and a little bit greedy, jealous of Kirby’s powers and strength. Yet despite this, the two have worked together many a time. You’ll never spot Dedede without his trusty hammer, and he makes for a pretty tough opponent in Smash Bros., too
Princess Peach
Princess Toadstool first appeared in Super Mario Bros. and has been enchanting us ever since with her easy charm and disarming benevolence. She’s gotten more involved with her subjects over the years, rolling her sleeves up and charging about the kingdom, usually with a couple of plumbers not far behind. She keeps a tidy castle, too, although there are valid questions to be answered about lax security measures at her various palatial properties. Toads are adorable and all, but after this many kidnappings, surely it’s time to get some Secret Service protection.
King Bob-omb
Introduced to us mere subjects in Super Mario 64, King Bob-omb is a big ol’ Bob-omb who surveys the first world in the game, Bob-omb Battlefield, from the top of his polygonal mountain.
His massive moustache has gotten lusher and less pointy over the years, but as the reigning monarch of one of Mario’s most beloved World 1-1s, the bomb king demands respect. A neat cameo in the Super Mario Bros. Movie highlights the populace’s high regard for him.
Princess Zelda
Ahh, there she is. Princess Zelda is either the ruler of Hyrule or next in line to its throne depending on which game you play *shakes fist at the Zelda timeline*, but she has to be one of Nintendo’s most iconic royals. Our fingers are still crossed that this people’s princess will be playable in Tears of the Kingdom, even if it is looking less likely by the day…
King K. Rool
Everybody loves an underdog story, and the tale of a young pirate croc from a Kremling Galleon working his way up to become a monarch is quite something. Sure, repeatedly kidnapping members of the Kong family all in an attempt to lay his hands on a big pile of bananas might seem like a step too far, but you can certainly say that he’s, erm, driven… we guess…
Whether you know him from Donkey Kong or from Smash, K. Rool’s methods certainly R’nt Kool.
Princess Daisy
Peach’s sassy, tomboy-ish counterpart has one of the most dedicated fanbases across the Mario series, and rightly so. Daisy, the princess of Sarasaland, might not have made many mainline appearances outside of her debut in Super Mario Land, but whether it be on the tennis courts, the golf fairway, or on the party board, her exuberant personality has made her a hit with many. We adore Princess Daisy (as does the lovely ONM veteran, VGC features editor, and NL contributor Chris Scullion, we understand — huge Daisy fan), and we wish she’d get some more time in the spotlight outside of the sports spin-offs.
Ganondorf/Ganon, King of the Gerudo/King of Thieves/King of Evil/Demon King/Prince of Darkness/King of Darkness
Having the internet thirsting over you is hardly a prerequisite for being a king, but in the case of Ganondorf, it certainly hasn’t hurt his image as of late. Just look at all of those different things that the Zelda antagonist is ‘King’ of! The man has as many titles as he does abs…
Nintendo games are filled with royals and, for the most part, they are significantly less controversial than any real-world monarchs. You won’t catch HRH Princess Zelda yawning during a Hylian military parade, or King Boo claiming he’s physically incapable of perspiring (although that might make sense in his case).
Nintendo Land tabloids seem to be a great deal more respectful and courteous, too, compared to paparazzi hiding in bushes with six-foot lenses to catch how many sugars Lady Patricia Bourgetout Heffington-Heffington takes in her Darjeeling.
With so much royalty to choose from across the Mushroom Kingdom, Hyrule, and beyond, we thought it the perfect time to round up just some of our favourite sovereigns from Nintendo games. Here you’ll find some big cheeses mixing with lesser royals from realms throughout the Nintenoverse.
It’s far from a comprehensive list (we could have turned this into Smash and filled the entire thing with lord and ladies from the Fire Emblem series), but you’re sure to find a selection of video gaming’s finest blue-bloods below. There’s a poll at the end, too, so let us know your personal pick.
So, on this day, for no particular reason, and in no particular order, let’s remind ourselves of 24 rulers that really rule…
King Boo
King Boo, the monarch of all things Boo in the Mario world. Making his debut in Luigi’s Mansion and sporting a rather stylish jewelled crown (toned down a bit more for his Super Mario appearances), King Boo is a rather mischievous monarch who loves lavish decor and paintings. But despite his distaste for the green brother, he always makes time for a spot of golf, kart racing, and baseball. Watch out for that sneaky little laugh, as if you hear it, you could be in trouble.
Queen Ambi
What do you mean Queen Ambi (the resident ruler from Oracle of Ages / Seasons) wasn’t the first royal to pop into your mind when you thought of The Legend of Zelda series?? Surely she tops any ‘Zelda royalty’ list, right?
Well… no. This queen might spend a little more time under the possession of Veran than we would have liked, but hey, at least she dedicates some pretty statues to Link at the end of the day.
Bowser, King of the Koopas
We’re not sure exactly how blue Bowser’s blood is. He may well have assembled a bunch of random Koopas and declared himself the ruler. Hey, that’s how all dynasties start out, right?
Regardless of the legitimacy of the Koopa King’s claim to the throne, we can’t help but like him. He’s a caring father and a devoted nemesis, and you can’t call him a quitter, even when he probably should call it quits on kidnapping princesses.
Parasite Queen
When it comes to gender equality among the royals in games, it’s undeniably lop-sided in the favour of male monarchs, unfortunately, and it’s 50/50 whether those that do appear are evil or somehow insectoid. This queen certainly has the latter covered, and the jury’s out on the former. Being experimented on by Space Pirates is going to put anyone in a bad mood, as is having all your subjects blasted by a bounty hunter.
Impressive, nonetheless.
King Dedede
We’re pretty sure King Dedede, the self-proclaimed ruler of Dream Land, is supposed to be intimidating, but he’s actually pretty cute. Kirby’s “frenemy” might be beloved by fans, but he’s lazy, selfish, and a little bit greedy, jealous of Kirby’s powers and strength. Yet despite this, the two have worked together many a time. You’ll never spot Dedede without his trusty hammer, and he makes for a pretty tough opponent in Smash Bros., too
Princess Peach
Princess Toadstool first appeared in Super Mario Bros. and has been enchanting us ever since with her easy charm and disarming benevolence. She’s gotten more involved with her subjects over the years, rolling her sleeves up and charging about the kingdom, usually with a couple of plumbers not far behind. She keeps a tidy castle, too, although there are valid questions to be answered about lax security measures at her various palatial properties. Toads are adorable and all, but after this many kidnappings, surely it’s time to get some Secret Service protection.
King Bob-omb
Introduced to us mere subjects in Super Mario 64, King Bob-omb is a big ol’ Bob-omb who surveys the first world in the game, Bob-omb Battlefield, from the top of his polygonal mountain.
His massive moustache has gotten lusher and less pointy over the years, but as the reigning monarch of one of Mario’s most beloved World 1-1s, the bomb king demands respect. A neat cameo in the Super Mario Bros. Movie highlights the populace’s high regard for him.
Princess Zelda
Ahh, there she is. Princess Zelda is either the ruler of Hyrule or next in line to its throne depending on which game you play *shakes fist at the Zelda timeline*, but she has to be one of Nintendo’s most iconic royals. Our fingers are still crossed that this people’s princess will be playable in Tears of the Kingdom, even if it is looking less likely by the day…
King K. Rool
Everybody loves an underdog story, and the tale of a young pirate croc from a Kremling Galleon working his way up to become a monarch is quite something. Sure, repeatedly kidnapping members of the Kong family all in an attempt to lay his hands on a big pile of bananas might seem like a step too far, but you can certainly say that he’s, erm, driven… we guess…
Whether you know him from Donkey Kong or from Smash, K. Rool’s methods certainly R’nt Kool.
Princess Daisy
Peach’s sassy, tomboy-ish counterpart has one of the most dedicated fanbases across the Mario series, and rightly so. Daisy, the princess of Sarasaland, might not have made many mainline appearances outside of her debut in Super Mario Land, but whether it be on the tennis courts, the golf fairway, or on the party board, her exuberant personality has made her a hit with many. We adore Princess Daisy (as does the lovely ONM veteran, VGC features editor, and NL contributor Chris Scullion, we understand — huge Daisy fan), and we wish she’d get some more time in the spotlight outside of the sports spin-offs.
Ganondorf/Ganon, King of the Gerudo/King of Thieves/King of Evil/Demon King/Prince of Darkness/King of Darkness
Having the internet thirsting over you is hardly a prerequisite for being a king, but in the case of Ganondorf, it certainly hasn’t hurt his image as of late. Just look at all of those different things that the Zelda antagonist is ‘King’ of! The man has as many titles as he does abs…
