Mario is the main character in the Mario Bros Franchise, which was created by the creative director and video game designer at Nintendo of Japan, Shigeru Miyamoto. Mario has appeared in almost every Mario Game, including spinoff series, as a playable character, with few exceptions including New Super Luigi U, Luigi's Mansion Games, Yoshi's Island Games, and similar counterparts.

He is Nintendo's mascot and the most iconic character in video game history. His franchise has become the most successful franchise in history. In some parts of the world, he is more well-known than Mickey Mouse. Over 200 video games have featured this short and pudgy gentleman. Mario can do it all, from tennis to racing to practice medicine.

First appearance: Donkey Kong (1981)

Link refers to several different incarnations of Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda series' protagonist. On a daily basis, Link would probably prefer to relax and sleep late into the day, as seen at the start of most games, including Ocarina of Time. Nonetheless, he is always quick to respond to the call of duty. And he'll risk everything to protect Hyrule and his beloved Zelda.

Link, despite being a silent protagonist, has a lot of personalities. Every one of his incarnations shares his confidence. After all, he is the Triforce of Courage's vessel. He has his own plot and gets to handle all sorts of cool items and weapons. When Mario eats a mushroom, he gains a temporary extra life; however, if he falls off a cliff, he dies and you must restart from a checkpoint. When Link bottles a fairy, it is used automatically after he dies.

First appearance: The Legend of Zelda (1986)

Kirby is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Kirby series of video games owned by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory. His first game was created in 1992, and the pink puffball has made its way into the hearts of fans of all ages. Not only is he one of the cutest Nintendo characters of all time, but he is also one of the most powerful.

Kirby is the type of character who makes you remember not to judge a book by its cover. He may appear to be a cute pink blob, but he's actually one of the most powerful beings in the universe, thanks to his ability to absorb the powers and abilities of anyone he swallows. Kirby uses this ability to protect the galaxy, specifically his home planet of Planet Popstar. Kirby: Right Back at Ya! is an anime starring this cheerful and energetic round ball. Kirby has become an extremely popular character, particularly in Japan, where he consistently tops Nintendo character popularity polls.

First appearance: Kirby’s Dream Land (1992)

Samus Aran is the protagonist of Nintendo's Metroid science fiction action-adventure game series. She was one of the first independent, powerful, and inspiring women in gaming, and she continues to be a role model for strong women in the industry. She's also one of the few characters in a first-person shooter who isn't a robot or a buff dude. Her character is so well developed that you can almost always predict what she'll do next, but then she'll do something completely unexpected.

While she is undeniably attractive, that is not her main selling point. Samus is resourceful, intelligent, and outfitted in a full suite of high-tech armor like no other. She must also be quite skilled at yoga because turning into a ball as she does in most games would be impossible. Despite having the job of a bounty hunter, this badass lady is the de facto Protector of the Galaxy. Samus has saved the galaxy on multiple occasions on her own. She collaborated with the military in Prime 3, but even then she was bailing them out of hot water.

First appearance: Metroid (1986)

Pikachu is a Pokémon, which are fictional creatures that appear in a variety of video games, animated television shows and movies, trading card games, and comic books that are licensed by The Pokémon Company, a Japanese corporation. The Pokémon franchise's poster child has become a global icon of Japanese pop culture. He is cute and famous and Pikachu is the mascot for Pokemon and makes an appearance in every single game.

This Electric-type rat is one of the most recognizable video game characters ever created, and he only became more famous after the release of Pokémon Detective Pikachu, in which Ryan Reynolds plays an amnesiac talking Pikachu. The most well-known Pikachu, however, belongs to Ash Ketchum in the Pokémon anime.

First appearance: Pokémon Red & Blue (1996)

Luigi is a Nintendo character who appears in video games and related media. Luigi is portrayed as the slightly younger but taller fraternal twin brother of Nintendo's mascot Mario and appears in many games throughout the Mario franchise, often as a sidekick to his brother. He was created by prominent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto.

Mario's green-coded brother was previously an unremarkable sidekick. However, Nintendo has done an excellent job fleshing out the character. Luigi, who is scared and a little eccentric, is pretty content just following his brother around, but when it comes down to it, he always overcomes his fears to protect what he loves. This includes occasionally rescuing Mario, as seen in Luigi's Mansion for the GameCube. With the passage of time, he has emerged from his brother's shadow and received a slew of solo games, including the Luigi's Mansion series, New Super Luigi U, and even Dr. Luigi.

First appearance: Mario Bros (1983)

Princess Zelda is a fictional character in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda video game series, created by Shigeru Miyamoto and first introduced in 1986. Zelda is a formidable opponent who should not be trifled with. Unlike Peach, Zelda has fire, arrows, mind powers, love spells, teleportation, light powers, and the ability to transform into her ego, Sheik. In Ocarina of Time, she disguises herself as the ninja-like Sheik to assist Link from the shadows. She is a resourceful pirate who is well-liked by her crew in Wind Waker.

The true ruler of Hyrule is the reincarnation of the goddess Hylia, who wields the Triforce of Wisdom. This endows her with powerful magical abilities such as teleportation, telepathy, and precognition. These abilities come in handy in Super Smash Bros., where she has been a returning character since Melee.

First appearance: The Legend of Zelda (1986)

Wario is a character in Nintendo's Mario series. His motives are driven by greed and he will take the side of whoever will give him the most pay. Although he may seem like just a mean man with no heart, he does have a very tragic past. When it comes to anti-heroes, none are as iconic as Wario. Wario is hated because he's fat. But he also has a backstory. Wario is amazing and is out shadowed by bland characters like Yoshi.

The big, bad Italian man is essentially bizarro Mario, a caricature of Nintendo's poster boy designed to elicit feelings of humorous disgust through his crass and rude personality and ridiculous appearance. Wario, on the other hand, is much more than just comic relief. He's a remarkably resourceful and dynamic individual who has led a number of businesses. He even has his own video game series, Wario Land and WarioWare. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, his inhumane strength and aggressive demeanor made him a fearsome fighter, and he's returned for every game since.

First appearance: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (1992)

Princess Peach is a pivotal figure in the Mario Bros. series. She is the protagonist of the Mario franchise. The Mushroom Kingdom's ruler is a sophisticated and elegant lady. But don't let that fool you; this monarch isn't afraid to get her hands dirty when the occasion calls for it. There had been other damsels to save before Peach, but she was the one who stuck. She's charming and cheerful, and she's always up for a slumber party with her servants in Mario Party, Mario Kart, and even Super Smash Bros. While Mario is usually nearby to assist her, she is perfectly capable of rescuing herself. In fact, she even rescues the Mario Bros in Super Princess Peach on the Nintendo DS.

She is usually the one who needs to be saved in most Mario games, but she has also appeared as a playable character in Main-Series Mario games such as Super Mario 3D World, Super Mario Bros 2, Super Mario Run, and even starred in her own game, Super Princess Peach for the Nintendo DS. She has also appeared in a number of spinoff series, including Mario and Sonic Olympic Games, the Mario Kart series, the Mario Party series, Mario Sports Games, the Super Smash Bros series, and many others.

First appearance: Super Mario Bros (1985)

Waluigi is a lanky, self-centered, brusque young man who is considered evil and Luigi's main rival. In most games, Waluigi and his partner Wario are shown wreaking havoc on the locals. Waluigi is not inherently evil or the antagonist (with the exception of DDR); rather, he demonstrates great compassion for his peers, most notably Daisy and Wario. Due to his relationship with the Super Smash Bros. franchise and people outside of Nintendo consistently rejecting him, Waluigi has been described as lonely, rejected, sad, or depressed.

People have come to Waluigi's defense in recent years, supporting him and even starting a cult following. To summarize, Waluigi is the most enigmatic, complex, and emotional character in the Mario universe. Waluigi is a Super Mario franchise character created by CamelotTM, who first appeared in the game Mario Tennis on the N64 and GBC. The name "Waluigi" is a combination of the Japanese term "warui", which means "bad", and the other Mario character "Luigi". After his debut in Mario Tennis, Waluigi has appeared in every Mario sport, Mario Party, and nearly every Mario Kart game. Except for Paper Mario: TTD, Mario Odyssey, and Mario + Rabbids, where he is briefly mentioned or depicted, Waluigi has never appeared in a mainline Mario game.

First appearance: Mario Tennis (2000)