Summary
Mario Kart 8 Deluxewas released shortly after the Switch launched and was a remaster of the original Wii U game. With it came improvements, such as DLC included in the bundle, featuring characters from other games, including Link fromThe Legend of Zeldaand Isabelle fromAnimal Crossing.Mario Kart Worldoutdoes its predecessor, in part by coming out on launch day for the Switch 2.
Although it may not feature crossover characters from other beloved Nintendo franchises, it does introduce a plethora of new characters that have never been seen in aMario Kartgame before. They all basically play the same,so let’s rankthe best characters inMario Kart Worldbased on personality, designs, and what costumes they get instead.
8Baby Mario
Just Look At That Nose
Baby Mariofirst appeared inSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Islandon the SNES before becoming a staple inMario’s sporting spinoffs. He’s a great character inMario Kart Worldbecause of his small size, giving players a better view of the race.
Baby Mario is also adorable alongside his brother, Baby Luigi, because of their giant bulbous noses. Among the few costumes Baby Mario has, his Swimwear is the best, and hopefully, one of these other racers will take him to the beach after a match.
7Luigi
A Brother Full Of Whimsy
First appearing alongside Mario inSuper Mario Bros.,Luigi’sindividuality was better showcased inSuper Mario Bros. 2thanks to his high jumps. When it comes to spinoffs and most mainline games, Luigi was eventually given a fearful personality, except in the racing games.
From his character window inMario Kart World, Luigi couldn’t be jollier with his little dances, which makes him fun to drive with as well. He has quite a few costumes, but his Gondolier one is pretty funny, and Luigi would make a good boat driver on the weekends for romantic couples.
6Toad
Order Up!
Toadwas a red herring inSuper Mario Bros., always telling Mario or Luigi that the Princess was in another castle, but he got a big break, like Luigi, inSuper Mario Bros. 2. He’s an iconic character in the series, along withhis Toad kin, and he was one of the earliest members to join this spinoff racing series.
Toad’s little squawks are always fun to hear while cruising around tracks inMario Kart World.He has a lot of good costumes, too, like Burger Bud, because that hat looks delicious, and Explorer, which is a fun nod toCaptain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
5Yoshi
More Than Color Variants
Yoshifirst appearedinSuper Mario Worldas a mount for Mario and Luigi and quickly got his own spinoffs, from platformers to puzzle games.Nintendo could have easily just given Yoshi pallet swaps inMario Kart Worldfor his costumes, like blue, yellow, or red, which were three variants seen inSuper Mario World.
Thankfully, they gave Yoshi more than a few color changes as they added accessories to his costumes, like Touring, which is like a glacier blue, or Soft Server, which is bright pink.
4Wario
The Pirate King
Wariohas one of the most infectious laughs in the entire series. He first appeared inSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coinsas a villain, and then quickly took over that series as the playable character, and the rest is history.TheWario Landgamestypically have Wario hunting after mounds of treasure, which makes his Pirate costume inMario Kart Worldsuit him perfectly.
Wario is not the easiest character to control in the game because of his mass, but he’s such an iconic villain that his laughs and antics even put Bowser to shame, which is why he is worth playing.
3Donkey Kong
The Dab King
Donkey Kongis one of the few characters inMario Kart Worldthat got a redesign, and it seems like this will be his new look going forward into other games. Donkey Kong first appeared inDonkey Kongas the villain to Jump Man, a prototype of Mario, but most remember playing him and his fellowKongs fondly in theDonkey Kong Countryseries.
Strangely, Nintendo didn’t give Donkey Kong a lot of costumes inMario Kart World,but that’s fine, as his normal look is still great. Let this great ape dab all day long with his tie and furry body proudly displayed on the track.
2Waluigi
Best Puns In The Biz
Waluigifirst appearedinMario Tennison the N64. Wario is more fun to play as in most games, but Waluigi is a step above him inMario Kart Worldand the other racing spinoffs because of how goofy he looks.
Because he is a tall, lanky individual, Waluigi looks incredibly awkward driving a kart. Despite his body not fitting properly in his vehicle, Waluigi makes do and refuses to give up, because winning is in his blood. Speaking of blood, the punny costume Wampire is Waluigi’s best. No notes.
1Daisy
A Great Redesign Full Of Life
Daisyalso gota redesigninMario Kart World,both physically and in terms of her personality. She first appeared inSuper Mario Landas another Princess, and in most games, she was essentially a clone of Peach with just a slight tinge of youth.
This youthful glow was increased 100-fold inMario Kart World,as Daisy’s new design makes her look younger and more vibrant. She embodies the very idea of fun in this series, which is why players can easily vibe with her. She has the best fashion sense among the female characters in the game, as evidenced in her Oasis, Swimwear, and Touring outfits. It’s just so hard to choose!
