5 Nintendo Villains Who Deserve Their Own Playable Game

Nintendo has created some of gaming’s most recognizable heroes, but its villains are just as entertaining. Nintendo’s gallery of villains includes everything from ambitious conquerors to rival pilots and mischievous monarchs. Their personalities, history, and abilities have given them a special place in the hearts of fans. Yet Nintendo rarely gives its antagonists the opportunity to lead their own adventures. They are often relegated to being playable in spin-off games like Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros., and this feels like such a missed opportunity. With how memorable each of Nintendo’s villains are, they deserve a chance in the spotlight.

There is already a perfect example of how well this idea can work. Wario World gave Mario’s greedy rival his own 3D action-platformer, and fans loved it. It showed how a side character can take the lead and offer a completely different experience than fans are used to. Nintendo could apply that same idea to its other villains, either through games that use the same mechanics or completely new genres. Rather than simply making players defeat these five villains again, Nintendo could finally let them take center stage.

5) Star Wolf

If there is one series that desperately needs some experimentation, it is Star Fox. Nintendo recently remade Star Fox from the Nintendo 64 again, showing how stale the series has become. An easy way to subvert this is by allowing Wolf O’Donnell to take the lead. He is a mercenary famous for taking dangerous jobs and opposing Fox McCloud’s team. This offers plenty of options for Nintendo to create a completely different and unique game in the series.

A Star Wolf game could retain the series’ signature on-rails shooting while expanding into more open-ended space combat. Players might accept contracts, hunt rival pilots, upgrade their Wolfen, and choose how to approach missions. Wolf’s crew could also provide distinct abilities and personalities, making team composition part of the experience. Instead of always protecting the galaxy, players could pursue bounties, sabotage military installations, and compete against other mercenary groups.

The real appeal would be exploring Wolf’s rivalry with Fox without making him a one-dimensional villain. A campaign could examine Wolf’s character when he isn’t just an obstacle for Fox. The tension of managing money, loyalty, and personal grudges would be an interesting twist while keeping the core of the series’ gameplay. It could even learn a lot from Ubisoft’s most underrated game, Starlink: Battle for Atlas. This is the fresh direction that Nintendo needs to stop giving fans the same N64 game time and time again.

4) King K. Rool

King K. Rool has spent decades trying to steal Donkey Kong’s banana hoard, making him one of Nintendo’s most recognizable platforming antagonists. He is probably one of the most comically theatrical villains in Nintendo’s roster, making him the perfect choice for a solo game where he is the playable character. The Kremlings also provide him with an established army of enemies, giving Nintendo plenty of familiar characters and settings to draw upon.

A playable King K. Rool game could turn the traditional Donkey Kong formula on its head. Instead of protecting a banana hoard, players could lead Kremling expeditions to collect treasure, conquer islands, and outsmart rival factions. K. Rool’s size and strength would make him a natural fit for a brawler-platformer, with heavy attacks, environmental destruction, and elaborate boss encounters. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate made him playable, and this is a great example of how his gameplay could be.

There is also room for the humor that makes K. Rool memorable. He could be an incompetent commander whose schemes repeatedly unravel, forcing players to improvise when plans go wrong. Perhaps Donkey Kong shows up to ruin his plans, or his own minions sabotage things unintentionally. Either approach would offer a different perspective on the Donkey Kong universe, and a new adventure could finally give the Kremlings something to do beyond losing to the Kongs.

3) King Dedede

King Dedede is a particularly interesting candidate because his relationship with Kirby is more complicated than a straightforward hero-versus-villain rivalry. He is Kirby’s arch-frenemy, sometimes coming into conflict with the pink ball and other times actually helping him. Armed with his enormous hammer and backed by loyal Waddle Dees, Dedede already has the personality and abilities needed to carry a game of his own without Kirby.

A King Dedede platformer could borrow the colorful environments and accessible action of the main Kirby games while introducing mechanics built around his strength. Rather than inhaling enemies and copying their abilities, Dedede could use his hammer to smash obstacles, launch projectiles, and interact with the environment. Players could find upgrades that change the abilities of his hammer throughout the adventure. The Waddle Dees could also provide interesting mechanics as well.

The story could be just as entertaining as the gameplay. Dedede might attempt to prove that he is Dream Land’s greatest hero, only to discover that protecting his kingdom requires more than boasting and swinging a hammer. A smaller, character-driven adventure would let Dedede develop beyond his familiar role while preserving the humor that has made him a recurring favorite. With Kirby getting a true 3D adventure, Nintendo could easily pivot to a spin-off game starring everyone’s favorite penguin king.

2) Bowser

Bowser is one of Nintendo’s most recognizable antagonists, yet he rarely gets to lead an adventure. He has already demonstrated his potential as a playable character in games such as Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story and more, but he has never truly been the lead. Every generation of Nintendo games gives him more character, especially with the films and Jack Black embodying the character. Bowser has so much potential that it is a shame he has occupied the villain role for so long.

A dedicated Bowser game could take several directions. Nintendo could create a 3D action-platformer built around his fire breath, claws, and immense strength, allowing players to destroy obstacles that would stop Mario. Alternatively, a strategy adventure could put players in command of Bowser’s army, with players recruiting minions, defending fortresses, and conquering the Mushroom Kingdom and other kingdoms. Differing from Mario’s typical gameplay is probably the best option, but Nintendo could do anything with him.

But the best opportunity would be to tell a story entirely from Bowser’s perspective. His obsession with defeating Mario and winning Princess Peach’s affection often drives his schemes, but a solo adventure could explore his responsibilities as a father and ruler, too. Bowser’s relationship with Bowser Jr. already provides material for a story with humor and heart. Bowser has the potential to give Nintendo fans one of the most unique games while relying on the Mushroom Kingdom’s familiar elements.

1) Ganondorf

Ganondorf is easily one of Nintendo’s greatest villains, and he could easily lead his own action-adventure game. As Link’s recurring nemesis in The Legend of Zelda, he has appeared in different incarnations, usually seeking power over Hyrule. His combination of physical strength, magical abilities, and ambition makes him more than a typical final boss. He is playable in Hyrule Warriors and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but other than this, he is stuck as the villain in the series.

A standalone Ganondorf game could explore his rise to power, his relationship with the Gerudo, or his efforts to conquer Hyrule. Rather than following Link through dungeons designed around exploration and puzzle-solving, players could experience a darker action-adventure centered on powerful magic, sword combat, and commanding armies. A game starring Ganondorf that plays like God of War could just write itself and would be an ambitious title on the Nintendo Switch 2.

The key would be allowing Ganondorf to remain a compelling antagonist rather than simply turning him into another hero. It should be clear that he is the villain thanks to his ambition, pride, and pursuit of power. Making Link a final boss and showing Link’s true capabilities, even forcing the player to lose, would be an incredible twist to one of Nintendo’s oldest series. A game with Ganondorf as its lead would let players experience one of Nintendo’s villains from a completely different perspective.

Ganondorf Is Great, But Zelda Games Need to Introduce New Villains