Summary
Mario Karthas become one of Nintendo’s staple franchises over the years, first launching on the Super Nintendo in 1992. The chaotic, friendship-destroying racing game has spawned some of the industry’s best games thanks to its flawless driving mechanics and sense of disastrous fun. But one thing that appears to be in constant flux throughout the franchise is the roster, which haschanged significantly over timeto incorporate more of Nintendo’s growing roster of characters.
Nintendo has shown a willingness to step out into the weird when adding characters, as Link fromThe Legend of Zeldaand the Inklings fromSplatoonall made their debut inMario Kart 8. But asMK8was originally a Wii U title and appears to be having its swan song, it’s time to start thinking about the next mainline title and what that could mean in terms of characters.
1Princess Zelda
The Famous Nintendo Princess Deserves Her Time To Shine
Having Link as a racer inMK8was fantastic, but it’s time for Princess Zelda to get her due. Though she still isn’tplayable in the Zelda games, there’s no reason for her not to be one of the nextMario Kart’s main attractions.
AsMario Kartis already home to other Nintendo royalty in the form of Peach and Daisy, Zelda needs to take her rightful place with them. And since theMKseries has also started to dig deeper into aesthetics and alternate costumes, giving Zelda some older outfits to race in is also a must.
2Samus Aran
Samus Aran has been known to step outside the bounds of theMetroidfranchise before, appearing as afighter inSuper Smash Bros., a cameo appearance inSuper Mario RPG, and even appearing inDead or Alive: Dimensions. As far as Nintendo characters go, Samus tends to pop up in strange and random places.
That said, it’s long overdue for Samus to trade in her gunship for a kart and start shooting red shells. In addition to potentially having a new course themed afterMetroid, Nintendo could also pack in a few alternate outfits for Samus such as the Zero Suit or the Dark Suit fromMetroid Prime 2: Echoes.
3Ryuji
Fan-Favorite Persona 5 Character Should Take A Lap Next
The inclusion of Joker fromPersona 5in the first Fighters Pass forSuper Smash Bros. Ultimateshowed that Atlus and Nintendo are keen to share characters. So while any member ofPersona 5’sstellar castwould make sense, it has to be Ryuji to be the one to get behind the wheel.
As it’s always fun to think about a potential course themed after a character or the franchise they come from, aPersona 5-themed course could be fabulous. Basing it on one of the more popular palaces, such as Kamoshida or Futaba, seems like it would be a perfect way to bring the Phantom Thieves toMario Kart.
4Wolf O’Donnell
Star Fox Villain Deserves A Spot On The Course
Despite rumors ofaStar Foxracing game, no characters from Nintendo’s roster of anthropomorphic, space-faring sci-fi games have ever appeared inMario Kart. While Fox McCloud himself has appeared in everySuper Smash Bros.game, fans have sadly yet to see aStar Foxcharacter trade their Arwing in for a kart.
And while it would be enticing to add Fox or someone like Falco,Mario Kartneeds good villain racers. Seeing the snarling leader of the Star Wolf mercenary group hurling shells at the likes of Mario and Peach would make for a great time, as he would add a sense of real danger to the proceedings.
5Banjo-Kazooie
Former Nintendo Mascot Is A Perfect Addition
DespiteBanjo-Kazooiebeing purchased by Microsoft after they acquired Rare in 2003, this duo has still been linked with Nintendo in numerous ways. Banjo has appeared inSmashand his first game was re-releasedon the Switch in 2022. The two even have a history of appearing in racing games, as they appeared inSonic & Sega All-Stars Racing.
Despite being owned by the competition, Banjo-Kazooie still has a home at Nintendo. So it’s an absolute no-brainer to bring the wacky bear and his trusty breegul companion into the next title, as his cartoony energy and playful style are a flawless fit in theMario Kartworld.
6Bayonetta
The Umbra Witch Is Ready To Rev Her Engine
Despite how popular it was, the firstBayonettagame failed to reach sales expectations and the sequel was funded by Nintendo. As a result, Bayonetta hasbecome associated with Nintendoin many ways, as she appears as a fighter inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
So it makes quite a bit of sense for Nintendo to continue this tradition and insert Bayonetta into the opening night roster of the nextMario Kart, as she would be a perfect fit. Hearing her iconic quips and one-liners as she passes by racers and hits them with red shells would be an absolute delight.
