Nintendo’s games are full of royal families and, for the most part, they’re far less controversial than any real-world rulers. You won’t catch HRH Princess Zelda yawning during a Hylian military parade, or King Boo claiming to be physically incapable of sweating (although that might make sense in his case).
The Nintendo Land tabloids also seem to be a lot more respectful and polite compared to the paparazzi hiding in the bushes with six-foot lenses to capture how much sugar Lady Patricia Bourgetout Heffington-Heffington is taking in her Darjeeling.
With so many sovereigns to choose from across the Mushroom Kingdom, Hyrule and beyond, we thought it was the perfect time to round up just a few of our favorite sovereigns from Nintendo games. Here you’ll find some big cheeses mixed in with smaller royal cheeses from kingdoms across the Nintenoverse.
It’s far from a comprehensive list (we could have turned this into Smash and filled the whole thing with lords and ladies from the Fire Emblem series), but you’re sure to find a selection of the best blue-blooded video games below. There is also a survey at the end, so let us know your personal choice.
So, on this day, for no particular reason and in some order, let’s remember the 24 rulers who really rule…
King Boo
King Boo, ruler of all Boo in the Mario world. Debuting in Luigi’s Castle and wearing a rather elegant bejeweled crown (slightly toned down for his appearance in Super Mario), King Boo is a rather mischievous monarch with a penchant for lavish decor and imagery. But despite his distaste for his green brother, he always finds time for golf, go-kart racing and baseball. Watch out for that sneaky laugh, because if you hear it, you could be in trouble.
Queen Ambi
What do you mean, Queen Ambi (permanent ruler from Oracle of Ages / Seasons) wasn’t the first royalty that came to mind when you thought of The Legend of Zelda series?? Surely at the top of every ‘Zelda royalty’ list, right?
Well, no. This queen could spend a little more time in Verano’s possession than we’d like, but hey, at least she dedicates some nice statues to Link at the end of the day.
Bowser, King of the Koopas
We’re not sure how blue Bowser’s blood is. Maybe he rounded up a bunch of random Koops and declared himself ruler. Hey, that’s how all dynasties start, right?
Regardless of the legitimacy of the Koopa King’s claim to the throne, we can’t help but love him. He’s a caring father and a loyal enemy, and you can’t call him a quitter, even when he should probably stop kidnapping princesses.
Parasite queen
When it comes to gender equality among gaming royalty, it’s arguably skewed in favor of male rulers, unfortunately, and it’s 50/50 whether those who appear evil or somehow insectoid. This queen certainly has the latter, and the jury is out on the former. The experimentation of the Space Pirates will be safe anyone bad mood, such as having all your subjects destroyed by a bounty hunter.
Impressive, all the same.
King Dedede
We’re pretty sure King Dedede, the self-proclaimed ruler of Dreamland, is supposed to be scary, but he’s actually pretty cute. Fans may love Kirby’s “frenemy”, but he is lazy, selfish and a bit greedy, jealous of Kirby’s powers and strength. Still, despite this, the two worked together many times. You’ll never see Dedede without his trusty hammer, and he’s a pretty tough opponent in Smash Bros.
Princess Peach
Princess Toadstool first appeared in Super Mario Bros. and has been captivating us ever since with her easygoing charm and disarming benevolence. Over the years, she became increasingly involved with her subjects, rolling up her sleeves and storming around the kingdom, usually with a few plumbers not far behind. She also maintains a tidy castle, although there are valid questions to be answered about the lax security measures at her various lavish properties. Toads are adorable and all, but after this many kidnappings, it sure is time to get Secret Service protection.
King Bob-omb
Featured only as subjects in Super Mario 64, King Bob-omb is a grand old Bob-omb who watches over the game’s first world, Bob-omb Battlefield, from atop his polygonal mountain.
His massive mustache has become more lush and less spiky over the years, but as the reigning monarch of one of Mario’s most beloved world 1-1s, the bomb king commands respect. A nice cameo role in the movie Super Mario Bros. emphasizes how much the population values him.
Princess Zelda
Ahh, here it is. Princess Zelda is either the ruler of Hyrule or next in line to its throne, depending on the game you play *waves fist at Zelda timeline*, but she has to be one of Nintendo’s most legendary royal families. We’re still keeping our fingers crossed that this folk princess is playable in Tears of the Kingdom, although that’s becoming less likely by the day…
King K. Rool
Everyone loves a story about losers, and the story of a young crocodile pirate from the Kremling Galleon who makes his way to the monarch is the real thing. Sure, repeatedly kidnapping members of the Kong family in an attempt to get hold of a large pile of bananas might seem like a step too far, but you can definitely tell that he’s, um, guided…we guess…
Whether you know him from Donkey Kong or Smash, K. Rool’s methods are definitely R’nt Kool.
Princess Daisy
Peach’s cheeky boy-like counterpart has one of the most devoted fan bases in the Mario series, and rightfully so. Daisy, Princess of Sarasaland, may not have appeared on the main lines often aside from her debut in Super Mario Land, but whether it was on the tennis courts, golf fairway or on the party board, her bubbly personality made her a hit with many. We adore Princess Daisy (as does lovely ONM veteran, VGC features editor and NL contributor Chris Scullion, we understand — a big Daisy fan), and wish she had more time in the spotlight outside of the sports editions. .
Ganondorf/Ganon the Gerudo King/King of Thieves/King of Evil/King of Demons/Prince of Darkness/King of Darkness
The internet thirsting for you is hardly a prerequisite to becoming king, but in Ganondorf’s case, it certainly hasn’t hurt his image lately. Just look at all the different things the Zelda antagonist is ‘king’ of! A man has as many titles as abs…
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