Over the years, Mario has gathered his greatest friends and foes together to play various sports, ranging from golf to football to kart racing and even basketball, making for exhilarating competition each time. Mario Strikers: Battle League sees the cast you're all familiar with making a return to the football field after fifteen years removed from the sport.

RELATED: Things You Didn't Know About The Super Mario Strikers Series

However, even with the decade-plus long hiatus, Mario and company are back and better than ever, laying it all on the field once more. Everything from ridiculously powerful Hyper Strikes to brutal tackles to strategy and teamwork is essential to reign victorious, proving they still have what it takes. Some characters, unfortunately, may have accumulated rust over the years, making some stick out in the pack.

10 Toad

Toad in Mario Strikers Battle League Football

Depending on your playstyle, Toad can honestly prove to be one of Battle Leagues' best characters due to his unmatchable speed and excellent passing ability. However, Toad's lack of strength makes him vulnerable on defense. He also struggles when trying to make a common goal, making him only useful in specific situations and team compositions.

Ultimately, Toad has his uses and can help a team tremendously if the rest of the roster is stacked with exceptional scorers, defenders, and playmakers. Still, he cannot carry a team the extra mile or be relied on to make clutch shots or saves. This, unfortunately, places him dead last amongst his peers.

9 Yoshi

Yoshi in Mario Strikers Battle League Football

Yoshi finds himself in a similar boat as Toad and excels in several key situations while lacking the ability to take control of a game and dominate the scoreboards. But, overall, Yoshi is an overall better player and teammate to have in your squad than Toad for various reasons.

RELATED: Sports The Mario Crew Haven't Tried Yet

For starters, Yoshi possesses one of the highest technique stats in the game, making him an excellent Hyper Strike shooter. Additionally, he's also one of the fastest players and best passers you can choose from, which makes it challenging for the opposing team to keep up. Lastly, Yoshi has slightly higher strength than Toad, making him a bit better on the defensive end of things, propelling him one spot higher.

8 Donkey Kong

DonkeyKong

Switching gears from passing speedsters, we find ourselves with the one and only Donkey Kong, who is a defensive juggernaut in Mario Strikers: Battle League. While Donkey Kong can hang with the best of them in terms of passing and shooting, his lack of speed and low technique keep him from pushing to the front of the roster.

In order for DK to shine, he will need to rely heavily on those around him and have quick and deadly playmakers at his side. For the most part, this isn't a bad thing as football is a team game requiring tons of communication. But Donkey Kong (like the other lower-tier players) struggles quite severely if his team lacks speed, technique, and shooting ability.

7 Wario

Wario in Mario Strikers Battle League Football

What Yoshi is to Toad, Wario is to Donkey Kong, meaning he is a slightly better version of the archetype Donkey Kong is shooting for, making Wario one of the best defensive options in the game. Unfortunately, as covered with DK, there are much better defensive options out there that can perform decently on the other side of the ball if the situation calls for it.

Aside from passing, all of Wario's stats are higher or on par with Donkey Kong's, placing him higher in the rankings by a small margin. Still, as mentioned with the other characters, Wario is still an excellent defensive option for your team, so long as you place reliable playmakers around him to help him out.

6 Luigi

Luigi in Mario Strikers Battle League Football

Barely missing the top five is the fan-favorite, Luigi, who has one of the more balanced stat sheets in the game. While Luigi only really excels at Hyper Strikes, he has decent speed and strength and can also be a pretty reliable shooter, especially with the right gear. Furthermore, Luigi is an excellent passer, making him a crucial playmaker if you have playmakers on your team.

RELATED: Mario Golf Super Rush: Every Playable Character In The Game, Ranked

Luigi's a rarity in Battle League. He doesn't do any one thing exceptionally well but does everything decent enough to make him a safe and reliable option for your team. Unfortunately, like the other bottom five crew, Luigi lacks the ability to carry a team and take control of a match if the situation calls for it, which is the only reason he falls short of making the top five.

5 Waluigi

Waluigi in Mario Strikers: Battle League Football

Shocking as it may seem, Waluigi makes his mark in the top five, passing his rival Luigi based purely on his ability to play well on both sides of the ball. While Waluigi's technique, passing, and shooting stats are slightly lower than Luigi's, he blows him away in strength and speed, which gives him the extra push to soar to greater heights.

Furthermore, Waluigi has one of the best Hyper Strikes in the game and can still hit it consistently despite having a lower technique stat than Luigi. His Hyper Strike, defensive prowess, and dominant offensive performance comfortably place him in the top five without any doubts.

4 Bowser

Bowser in Mario Strikers Battle League Football

The big bad bullies his way into the top five with the highest strength and shooting stat line in the game, making Bowser one of the only significant threats on both sides of the ball. However, this comes with some clear-cut drawbacks, with his poor technique and speed being great examples.

Bowser's inability to consistently and confidently hit Hyper Strikes, mixed with his sluggish speed, keep him out of the top three, but everything else works in his favor and propels him near the top of the rankings. You never want to get on his bad side, but Bowser is on a whole other level in Battle League.

3 Mario

Mario in Mario Strikers Battle League Football

Similar in many ways to his brother, Mario's stats are relatively modest and more balanced than most of the other characters on the roster. However, Mario's excellent shooting ability and greater speed set him apart and ahead of Luigi, and having a well-balanced spread of attributes makes him a threat on both sides of the field.

RELATED: Every Sport In Nintendo Switch Sports, Ranked

Whether you're gathering items, launching Hyper Strikes, playing lockdown defense, or need to make consistent and smart shots, Mario has you covered and can carry most team compositions to victory. Though expected, Mario is one of the best choices in his own game, and you should absolutely include him in your squad.

2 Peach

Peach in Mario Strikers Battle League Football

After casually watching Mario get drilled in the face with a soccer ball and doing nothing to prevent it, fans knew that Princess Peach wasn't messing around, and that seems to be the case as she's one of the best players in the game. What Peach lacks in strength and raw shooting prowess, she makes up for in spades with her speed, passing, and technique.

Peach is an offensive powerhouse that can set up plays, intercept passes, and pick up items and Hyper Strike Orbs without breaking a sweat. While it may seem like Peach is a slightly above-average character, her ability to effortlessly hit Hyper Strikes while gathering items for the team and keep up with everyone on the field make her one of the best in the game.

1 Rosalina

Rosalina in Mario Strikers Battle League Football

From the moment Rosalina was introduced as part of the roster, fans knew she would be trouble, but they didn't think it would be to this extent. While her speed can be underwhelming, Rosalina has incredibly high strength, shooting, and technique stat lines, with more than serviceable passing on top of that.

If Peach is an offensive powerhouse, Rosalina is the queen of both offense and defense, owning her opponents on both sides of the field with style, passion, and ease. Once Rosalina gets rolling, there's no stopping her, and the opponent may as well throw in the towel while they still have some dignity left.

NEXT: Games To Play If You Like Mario Strikers: Battle League Football