Gathering a huge list of contenders for the Strongest Console Game Characters Ever wasn’t the hard part. Whittling that down to a palatable 30, however, was rather tricky. What constitutes strength? Is it the will the persevere, strength of mind, or just plain muscle mass? What of godlike eldritch creatures with powers beyond this mortal coil, and like... Mario? Can they stack evenly up against each other?
Well, if Super Smash Bros. and it’s many mashup brawler followers has taught us anything it is, “YES, they can!”
Below is a list of the strongest video game characters to ever grace the digital stage baring their powers within the context of their game up against one another ranked! It is the ultimate crossover showdown and only one can reign the victoriously strongest. Keeping in mind these universes do not always match one for one gracefully, we did our best to ensure that each of the characters were given their proper due with regards to strength in context of their situation and overall gaming vibe.
Is this a good way to go about this? Yes. Is this a PERFECT system? Also, yes.
Each entry below will have their name and which series they are from. The details of each character will illustrate their power with relation to one another. Get ready to track power levels for thirty entries of hardcore console breaking titans.
30 Shadow The Hedgehog (Sonic The Hedgehog Series)
The Sonic The Hedgehog series slowly introduced stronger and stronger characters over the years that would brutally challenge Sonic. These would include robots the size of buildings and other worldly alien beings. However, none would come close to the proposed powers/intended use of Shadow. He was originally designed by Dr. Eggman's grandfather to end the literal world. That’s pretty strong. He’s faster than Sonic, meaner than Sonic, and far more “damaged” than Sonic. Given that he has all of the edge-lord cred you could possibly bestow upon a furry little animal, this makes him one of the absolute strongest beings in the video game kingdom.
29 Bowser (Super Mario Bros. Series)
This big old fire-breathing dinosaur has been terrorizing the Mushroom Kingdom since the mid-'80s. He is synonymous with “bad-guys in video games” and with the amount of times he has snatched away the same woman, should be put in Koopa jail for the rest of his Koopa life.
Bowser is dragon-esque, making him very hard to fight. Mario has to resort to using all kinds of unconventional methods to even contend. This would include using bombs, rockets, and his own tail to toss Bowser into launch-ables.
28 Galeem (Super Smash Bros. Series)
Galeem is a very recent addition into the Nintendo canon, but what exactly is it? Described as “The Lord Of Light” it arrives before the Smash-family and in one foul swoop turns all of our heroes into stone. It’s physical shape is more akin to a big ball of power itself, and it commands a fleet of very powerful Master Hands (which are incredibly powerful on their own). What gives Galeem such an edge is the mystery. We don’t know where Galeem came from, or what it is exactly.
27 Dante (Devil May Cry Series)
Devil May Cry is a series about starting powerful and getting progressively more powerful. It is a loud game full of explosive, gross-out, finely tuned battle mechanics. Dante is at the helm of this demon-hunting ship. He is the Son Of Sparda, making him one of the two most powerful beings in the universe (heaven/hell included.) The other is his twin brother Vergil, who is ultimately defeated by Dante as seen in Devil May Cry 3 Dante's Awakening. Whether you are of this world or of the nether-world, Dante is a substantial foe.
26 Wander (Shadow Of The Colossus)
Wander is a tragic figure in video gaming, but wields a power unlike any other for the duration of his short-lived existence in the PS2 classic Shadow Of The Colossus. The sheer scale of his enemies (not implied scale) takes your breath away.
As Wander, you systematically take down 12 of the biggest enemies seen in video games up to now. Unfortunately, Wander is ultimately undone by his own darkness and, without spoiling too much, is rendered incapable of taking down anything anymore. However, the character is never actually destroyed, making him a unique entry on this list.
25 Loot Boxes (Many Video Games)
Perhaps, one of the toughest and most evil characters in all of console gaming is the value proposition of a paid mystery box full of promise, and ultimately worthless. These little baddies are bring with them Joker-levels of mischief and will break your bank way before they break your spine. You might be wondering, “does this really count as a character?” Absolutely, in the way that the New York is a character in Taxi Driver and “love” is a character in Romeo And Juliet. So... actually maybe not?
24 Ryu Street Fighter Series
You normally wouldn’t think of a simple karate boy capable of Thanos-levels of strength. But, Ryu just so happens to be quite an exceptional karate boy. Charged-up with Goku-esque demonic powers he is able to take down the entire Bison regime with almost no difficulty whatsoever (especially when he is in his dark-form.) Ryu’s abilities are wildly over-powered as he is completely dedicated to his craft, unlike his best friend Ken, who tends to get too distracted with the ladies.
23 Kratos (God Of War Series)
You can’t even mention strength without immediately picture Kratos. If he had a social media brand, it would be sheer unadulterated strength. Whether he is battling Greek gods or Norse gods, Kratos mows through them with ease. He would easily be our number one pick, if not for his emotional weakness which continually drives Kratos to his demise. It begs the question, what is the point of being the strongest if you have no friends? Perhaps the new trilogy will set Kratos down a better path.
22 Ridley (Metroid Series)
Bowser is to Mario, as Ridley is to Samus; the difference being that the stakes are all outer space. Ridley is a pterodactyl who consistently poses a savage threat to the entire galaxy. It’s mere ability to exist poses such a devastating question to the nature of “being” that it’s strength relies on its ability to make you afraid. Ridley is fear itself screeching towards you at lightning speed, rendering you unable to react. No matter how many times Samus defeats Ridley, it will always find a way to return and torment her.
21 Ganondorf (The Legend Of Zelda Series)
We all know that the existing timeline for The Legend of Zelda series is wild-at-best, but as it stands today Ganondorf has been posing a threat to all of Hyrule-kind for MILLIONS of years. He simply cannot stop going after Hyrule and fighting Link. His size allows him to tower over Link, and if that wasn’t scary enough, he can shape shift into various heck-beasts. But, it’s truly his ability to return again and again forever that makes him unfathomably strong.
20 Dracula (Castlevania Series)
Another dark being capable of returning again and again is Dracula from the Castlevania series. What makes him stronger than Ganondorf is the whole "immortal being" thing. Yeah, that tends to overshadow your average evil-doer.
Though it does take about 100 years Dracula will inevitably return to face off against the Belmonts. It's not secret that Dracula is one of the strongest characters in all of video games, or literature for that matter. He can be put down though, which makes him fall short of our number one.
19 Mario (Super Mario Bros. Series)
Did you think we weren't going to put Mario on this list? He's the best! This little guy has been warding off baddies twice his size since the mid '80s. Be it ape or dinosaur, you can't keep this Italian plumber down at all. Sure, he might not look like much compared to Dracula (his immediate competition in this list.) But, in the context of the Mario-verse he is just a hat above Dracula and leagues beyond Bowser. Simply. Unstoppable.
18 Kirby (Kirby Series)
Just slightly out-powering our dear friend Mario is Kirby, a ball of pink. Swallowing the competition whole, Kirby proved him/her-self to be quite a capable warrior at the beginning of Super Smash Ultimate. As the sole survivor to one heck of a wailing, Kirby continues to surprise us as the years go by. Being that there is really nothing that can defeat Kirby other than downright baby-negligence you can easily breeze through most Kirby games as if you were some kind of god. Is Kirby a god? A question for the ages.
17 Madeline (Celeste)
Physical strength is obviously key to this list, but it can only take you so far. Emotional intelligence as strength is almost as important, and Madeline has both in spades. Seeing her journey through to the end as she endures the perilous mountain in Celeste is one of the most rewarding experiences in gaming. Honestly, how tough can any final boss be when you've been battling with DEPRESSION? There's no contest here, Madeline is tough as nails; tougher than you could ever imagine.
16 Mr. X (Resident Evil Series)
Garnering the attraction of the entire internet, Mr. X has become quite a smoldering sensation. That being said, he has made many a Leon S. Kennedy fill their police pants by surprising us again and again. Watching him man-handle a burning helicopter like it's nothing at all inspired "quittin' time" for a number of scared boys and girls. Mr. X is strong. How strong? Strong enough to withstand a rocket launcher beating and still keep going. He was scary enough in the original, but the remake ups the ante.
15 Sephiroth (Final Fantasy Series)
Sephiroth also seems like an obvious choice for this list. But, why?
Well, for starters he lives in our memories as being the ultimate bad to one of the greatest JRPGs of all time. His arc in that 3 disc PS1 classic is breathtaking. He is strong in terms of raw power, but he is also strong in his determination to get ahead. This leads the character to perform some gnarly acts before the credits roll on Final Fantasy VII. For those who don't know what I am referring to, just wait until the end of disc 1.
14 Akuma (Street Fighter Series)
As powerful as Ryu might be, Akuma makes him look like a child. This powerhouse of rip-roaring demon strength is a mighty welcome addition to the Stree Fighter cannon starting with Street Fighter II Turbo. His reach might not be as far as Ryu's, but if he lands those attacks they stay with you harder than anything Ryu can do. Plus, just look at him. He just looks powerful, and sure looks aren't everything but Akuma pays off that vicious exterior with some powerful wallops.
13 Atreus (God Of War Series)
If you have not played God Of War to completion ,you might want to skip this entry. While Kratos might be the God Of War, Atreus has him beat two-fold. For starters, it's his son Kratos would be hard pressed to even fight back with Atreus (especially considering what happened to his last family.) Secondly, it is prophesied at the end of God Of War that Atreus will one day end his father. There you have it, Atreus beats Kratos in that version of Rock, Paper, Scissors.
12 Samus (Metroid Series)
Samus, the original space marine, is but a poor human underneath that space suit. However, if pressed into no other alternative she exemplifies nothing but the heights of strength of will. Whether being stranded on a dessert planet, or hunted by the worst scum the galaxy has to throw at her, she will over come and stand victorious over her assailants. Samus is who we all want to be and fall short of constantly. To put it lightly, she is Human Prime.
11 Link (The Legend Of Zelda Series)
Link has triumphed over 25 years of gaming's most unique and challenging puzzle systems, boss battles, and sword play. He has been labeled the Hero of Time, and in a meta-way they're not too far off. What makes Link so strong is his unassuming nature, and stoic personality. It doesn't sound all that useful but it is. You can put any personality onto him and it usually works. This also creates situations where he is constantly underestimated. Link uses this to his advantage and hasn't been stopped yet.