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Top 10 Darkest Nintendo Characters

Despite most Nintendo games being rather cheerful, the darkest Nintendo characters have most tragic backstories.

By WatchMojoPublished 5 years ago 5 min read
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For a family-friendly company, Nintendo knows how to make some morbid stories. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today, we’re counting down our picks for the "Top 10 Darkest Nintendo Characters."

For this list, we’re taking a look at some Nintendo’s darkest characters, considering their backstories and actions.

If Arceus is the “God of Pokémon” (you know, being the creator of the Pokémon universe and all), then what exactly does that make Giratina? Well, Giratina is a legendary Pokémon tasked by Arceus to create anti-matter. Due to Giratina’s immense power and violent behaviour, Arceus felt it was necessary to banish it into a realm known as “The Distortion World.” This story has caused speculation that Giratina is a malevolent and evil Pokémon trapped by Arceus because of the potential havoc it could wreak. Either way, there’s no denying Giratina is one scary Pokémon with a dark past.

#9: Mother Brain, “Metroid” Series (1986-)

One of the scariest things about today’s world is how quickly artificial intelligence is advancing, patiently preparing to conquer the Earth. With this mind, Mother Brain could not be more terrifying! Mother Brain was an artificial intelligence created by the ancient Chozos, who seem to have a hand in almost everything we know about the Metroid universe. She would eventually betray her creators when they were attacked by space pirates, realizing that an alliance with them would be more beneficial to her goals. Little did she know that during her time with the Chozo, the girl she helped train would become her greatest threat.

Kirby has garnered a fairly sizable gallery of villains, from the devilish and sinister to the troublesome and mischievous. Yet, the one we’ve seen in nearly every game is Meta Knight, and to this day, we’re still not sure what his story is. In every encounter, he just shows up, Kirby fights him, and then he’s suddenly our ally. What’s your game, Meta Knight? Do you only fight us for the thrill of it? Why must you hide behind the mask? Are you Kirby’s long-lost brother? Are you an anti-Kirby? Dang it, Nintendo, give us answers!

These little dudes may look adorable, but their life stories are much more tragic. We’re not kidding! Think about it—Olimar feeds Onion nests to create more Pikmin, right? He starts with a couple, has them generate more Pikmin, clear some obstacles, the whole shi-bang! What does he do when trouble arises? Olimar throws the Pikmin into the danger! Basically, this means the life of a Pikmin is to wait until they’re plucked out of the ground, make more seeds of their brethren, and protect their master, even when their only defense is to repeatedly headbutt their enemies! Just think of the hundreds of Pikmin lost to a few Bulborbs and Snagrets.

We could go on about how the Star Fox team needs amputated legs in order to withstand their intense flights and dogfighting, but series antagonist Andross has a much more demented backstory. Once a brilliant scientist for Corneria, Andross conducted experiments in biotechnology. As time went on, his sense of morality was warped, and his experiments were soon deemed unethical by the Cornerian army. This resulted in General Pepper banishing Andross to the barren planet, Venom. It is here where Andross would continue his experiments, using himself as a test subject while consequently worsening his mental condition. And to think he once used his intelligence for good. What went wrong?

#5: Porky Minch, “Mother” Series (1989-2006)

Poor Porky Minch… The kid was nothing more than a simple nuisance at first, but we never realized how bad of a life he’s really had. From playing through the Mother games, we’ve learned a lot about the troubled life he’s gone through. He lived in an abusive home, fell into the sinister Happy Happyist cult, and eventually became a follower of another maniacal character on this list. That was all in Earthbound! In Mother 3, Porky falls victim to the Absolutely Safe Capsule, protecting him from all harm while also imprisoning him for all eternity. Rough life, huh, kids?

Does Nintendo have a thing for characters that have been experimented on or something? In the world of Pokémon, most of our favorite monsters have been created in some natural way, be it a form of energy or a natural force. Mewtwo, however, is the most unnatural of the bunch! Using the DNA of Mew, a team of scientists performed numerous genetic experiments to create Mewtwo. (See what they did there?) It may be one of the most powerful Pokémon in existence, but how could you comprehend the fact that you were made completely by science? That must be one troubling past to deal with!

#3: Giygas, “Mother” Series (1989-2006)

As evident by Porky Minch’s story, the Mother series are intensely dark games, and it only gets darker with Giygas. This is the alien responsible for turning Porky into the power-hungry deviant he would become. His mere presence can cause animals and people to turn violent. What’s more disturbing is how he seems fueled on his hatred for humanity, plotting to imprison the world in eternal darkness. He has been called the embodiment of evil, and regards all humans and life on earth as beneath him, stating they are nothing more than insects.

She may be a badass bounty hunter, but we cannot imagine the trauma Samus has been through, living as a victim of unbridled vengeance. After her home was invaded and her parents were murdered, Samus was taken in by the Chozo, who would train her in combat and give her the iconic Power Suit. Samus would eventually join the Galactic Federation where she would meet Ridley, the space pirate who murdered her parents. Samus now leads the lonely life of a bounty hunter, constantly on a high alert. Knowing how Ridley always seems to come back from the dead, Samus may never find peace and avenge her parents.

#1: Skull Kid, “The Legend of Zelda” Series (1986-)

Like every other character in Majora’s Mask, Skull Kid’s story is a tragic one. At one point in his life, the Skull Kid had become friends with the guardians of Termina known as the Four Giants. However, when Termina divided into four separate regions, the Giants left to watch over each area. Feeling abandoned, Skull Kid would invoke his rage upon Termina. When called by the public, the Four Giants threatened to kill Skull Kid if he refused to leave the land. During his exile, he meets Tatl and Tael, and he would soon steal Majora’s Mask from the Happy Mask Salesman, thus setting forth the events of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.

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WatchMojo

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