Animation
Scar
The Lion King · 1994
Fratricide, a musical number, and a lifetime of resentment
Threat index 76
Tyrant · Video games
Bowser
The most recognizable villain in the history of interactive media
Attribute scores
Power88
Intellect62
Menace74
Fear factor52
Cultural impact98
Charisma88
Editorial estimates on a 0–100 scale, calibrated against every other character in the index. Not official canon.
Who they are
Bowser has been kidnapping the same princess for forty years, and the remarkable thing is how much personality the character has accumulated along the way. He is a genuine tyrant with an army and a lava fortress, and he is also a devoted father who takes his kids go-karting. That combination is why he has survived long past every one of his 1980s contemporaries.
Defining traits
Fire breathEnormous physical strengthKoopa armyAirships and castlesGenuine affection for his family
What makes them dangerous
He commands an army, an air fleet, and enough magic to reshape an entire kingdom.
And what undoes them
Bridges over lava with an axe conveniently placed at the far end.
Things you might not know
- Early Western materials called him King Koopa, and the two names coexisted for years.
- His design was originally intended to be an ox before being redrawn as a turtle-like creature.
- He has appeared as a playable ally in dozens of spinoffs while remaining the main antagonist of the core series.
Why number 10 in Most Iconic
Forty years as the antagonist of the best-selling game franchise ever made. He is recognizable to small children and their grandparents alike.
Why number 10 in Video Games
Forty years as the antagonist of the best-selling franchise ever made, with more accumulated personality than most protagonists.
If you like this villain
Animation
Judge Claude Frollo
The Hunchback of Notre Dame · 1996
The darkest antagonist a major animation studio has ever released
Threat index 77
Animation
Mother Gothel
Tangled · 2010
The villain whose weapon is a compliment with a knife in it
Threat index 73