Nintendo may have one of the most iconic rosters of villains in entertainment. These bad guys might not be as evil as Final Fantasy 7's Sephiroth or as evil as Mr. X from Resident Evil 2, but each of Nintendo's antagonists is willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish their wicked goals, even if it means destroying entire planets to do so.
Fortunately, heroes like Mario, Link, and more always step in at the right moment to foil their foe's plots and save the day. Sometimes, the protagonist does such a great job defeating their enemies that it convinces them to switch sides and help their rival on the next adventure. Whether it's a genuine friendship or a temporary alliance, these Nintendo villains might not be as bad as they claim to be.
Possible Spoilers Ahead!
8 Marx
Marx may seem like a friendly little clown creature at first sight, but he's actually one of the most frightening bosses in the Kirby series. Making his debut in Kirby Super Star for the SNES, this devious monster convinces Kirby to summon a comet that grants wishes, only to steal it at the last second, and use its power to take control of Planet Popstar.
Despite tricking Kirby and attempting to take over the world, Marx is one of many playable characters in Kirby Star Allies for the Nintendo Switch. It's a lot of fun to play as this powerful being, but it feels incredibly fishy that Marx is suddenly one of Kirby's best friends. The pink protagonist has a reputation for befriending his enemies, so Marx either fell under his spell or is just afraid of being on Kirby's bad side.
7 Count Bleck
Super Paper Mario was the first entry in the series to begin changing the formula established by its JRPG predecessors, but the one thing it maintained was a compelling narrative full of fascinating characters and villains. Count Bleck is the main antagonist and he seeks to destroy every known dimension using the power of the Dark Prognosticus.
In one of the most surprising moments in the game, it's revealed that Count Bleck and Tippi - Mario's trusted ally - are long-lost lovers that have been searching for each other across time and space. Bleck's evil motivations stemmed from the hole in his heart, and eventually, the couple decides to sacrifice themselves to stop the dimension-eating void. It's implied that the two live happily ever after in Super Paper Mario's post-credits, and it's hard not to feel joy for the guy's happy ending despite how much trouble he caused you.
6 Dragaux
Ring Fit Adventure is one of the Nintendo Switch's most surprising success stories. Its sales spiked during the peak of the pandemic when everyone was looking for a cost-friendly way to exercise from home, and Ring Fit provided a stellar way to stay in shape while also playing through a riveting and underrated RPG campaign.
Dragaux was at one point a kind and ambitious fitness trainer with dreams of opening up Dragaux Stadiums for everyone in the world to exercise in. His reckless pursuit of pure strength draws the attention of a dark influence that results in him becoming evil. After chasing him across the land and defeating Dragaux in a final showdown, he goes back to his normal self and continues his quest to make sure everyone is in the best shape they can be.
5 DJ Octavio
Splatoon is one of Nintendo's freshest franchises and made its debut on the Wii U back in 2015. These incredibly popular shooters have a plethora of multiplayer modes like Turf Wars or Salmon Run, but they also include short but incredible campaigns that expand the lore of the series and feature some amazing boss fights.
DJ Octavio is the main antagonist in the first two Splatoon games, but Splatoon 3 brings a new villain to the table. Octavio is actually the first boss you take on in the story, but it doesn't take long for you to realize that he's not the guy causing trouble this time. In your final battle against Mr. Grizz, DJ Octavio flies in to help you take down the corporate bear and bring you back home safely to celebrate your hard-earned victory.
4 Bowser Jr.
Bowser Jr. has always felt like a character that only acts evil to impress his father. The father-son duo has worked together in New Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Galaxy, but Bowser Jr. always seems to be following Bowser's instructions without question and rarely does anything menacing on his own.
This is why it makes perfect sense for him to ask Mario for help in Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury when his dad is no longer able to guide him. It's endearing to see how much Bowser Jr. cares for his dad, and is willing to do whatever it takes - including working with the enemy - to save him and bring peace to Lake Lapcat.
3 King Dedede
Like Bowser Jr., King Dedede is not quite as antagonistic as he appears to be. Kirby has to fight the selfish penguin from time to time, but it's usually over a misunderstanding or because King Dedede is being possessed by an evil spirit or entity. It happens more often than it should, but the self-proclaimed King of Dream Land is usually willing to help Kirby if his own life is in jeopardy.
King Dedede has been an essential ally for the pink hero on multiple occasions, from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards to the magnificent Kirby and the Forgotten Land. His greedy ambitions and narcissism may get him into trouble from time to time, but King Dedede has proven himself to be more of a lazy hero than an actual villain.
2 Metroid
Being in the bounty-hunting business is guaranteed to make you a few enemies, and Samus Aran may have one of the most intimidating and terrifying line-ups of rivals out of every Nintendo protagonist. While Ridley and Kraid feel like the embodiment of evil, a certain species known as Metroids might not be as bad as they appear to be.
In Metroid 2: Return of Samus, it's your mission to infiltrate the Metroid's home planet and wipe out the species before they are weaponized by Space Pirates. Near the end of her journey, Samus stumbles upon a baby Metroid that confuses her for its mother. While every other thing in the galaxy tries to kill Samus, this tiny alien eventually sacrifices itself to save her from Mother Brain in Super Metroid's epic finale.
1 Bowser
Bowser is easily one of the most iconic villains in video games and was one of the first bad guys Nintendo introduced to take on their mustachioed mascot. Despite attempting to rule the Mushroom Kingdom multiple times, ruining parties, and more heinous crimes, he has shown his good side on more than one occasion.
The first time Bowser decided to join the good guys was in Super Mario RPG for the SNES after a giant sentient sword crashes through his castle. He must have enjoyed being a hero enough to want to join the plumber in other games like Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, and many more. Bowser is proof that even the biggest villains have a bit of good in them, it just takes some time to see it.