Best Nintendo Villain
Over its five-decade history -- and multiple generations of gaming systems -- Nintendo has been home to some of the most notable bad guys in video-game history. Some are original creations who only torment the heroes on Nintendo-owned titles. Some are third-party nemeses who have also appeared on other systems. And some are video-game adaptions of bad guys from other existing IPs. What they all have in common is that they are all so good at being so bad. And now the Great Pop Culture Debate wants to determine the best Best Nintendo Villain of all time. Bad guys discussed include Bowser, Ridley, Ganondorf, Dracula, Kefka, King Dedede, King K. Rool, Master Hand, Dr. Wily, Mewtwo, Goro, M. Bison, and more!
Join Host Eric Rezsnyak, Patreon sponsor Dr. Chad Rezsnyak, and special guests Harry Loizides as they discuss 16 of the most iconic bad guys from Nintendo's history.
Want to play along at home? Click here for the listener bracket. Fill it out and see if your picks match up with ours!
Did your favorite not make the bracket? Become a Patreon supporter of the podcast and see if we discussed it in our warm-up devoted to our favorite bad guys that just missed out on the competition.
Round 1 Match-Ups:
Match-Up 1: Bowser ("Super Mario" Franchise) (1) vs. Master Hand ("Smash Bros." Franchise) (4)
Match-Up 3: Wario ("Wario" Franchise) (1) vs. King Boo ("Luigi's Mansion" Franchise) (4)
Match-Up 4: Goro ("Mortal Kombat" Franchise) (3) vs. Donkey Kong ("Donkey Kong") (2)
Match-Up 5: Ganondorf ("Legend of Zelda" Series) (1) vs. M. Bison ("Street Fighter" Series) (4)
Match-Up 6: Dracula ("Castlevania" Series) (3) vs. King Dedede ("Kirby" Franchise) (2)
Match-Up 7: Kefka ("Final Fantasy 6") (1) vs. King K. Rool ("Donkey Kong Country") (4)
Match-Up 8: Wart ("Super Mario Bros. 2") (3) vs. Dr. Wily ("Mega Man" Series) (2)
Want to play along at home?
Download the Listener Bracket and see if your picks match up with ours!
Sign up for our weekly newsletter!
Subscribe to find out what’s new in pop culture each week right in your inbox!
Vote in more pop culture polls!
Check out our Open Polls. Your votes determine our future debates!
Then, vote in our Future Topic Polls to have a say in what episodes we tackle next.
EPISODE CREDITS
Host: Eric Rezsnyak
Patreon Sponsor: Dr. Chad Rezsnyak
Special Guests: Dr. Ryan Androsiglio, Harry Loizides
Producer: Bob Erlenback
Editor: Eric Rezsnyak
