It's-a Mario Day! Lets Rank Mario Enemies
Mar 10, 2023
By Mike Szymanski
Yep it's March 10th, Mar-10, Mario Day! Meaning there's no better time to rank Mario's most famous foes in a definitive (not really) tier list. These are my personal rankings as a longtime Mario fan. I'm going off my gut reaction based on character design and any other arbitrary factors I'll decide on the spot.
This is not a complete list by any means, there have been a ton of Mario enemies over the years, but it covers most of the iconic enemies Mario has to contend with on his adventures through the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond. I opted to not include Bowser since he's much more than just a Mario enemy. These are the classic fodder enemies Mario has to contend with on a level by level basis.
Who ends up as an S-Tier? Who ends up as D-Tier? I don't know yet so lets-a go!
Piranha Plant: A-Tier
Starting off with a banger, the Piranha Plant rules. It's a chompy plant with no eyes that grows out of pipes. Soulless and iconic, perfect as an early obstacle for the adventuring plumber.
Blooper: C-Tier
Cool little squid guy. Kinda plain but still interesting as an aquatic enemy. It's annoying to deal with and swim around in the main Mario games. And if we are talking Mario Kart it's one of the worse items in the game. Get that ink out of here!
Bob-omb: S-Tier
I Love this little guy. Such a simple and cute design. It's a wind-up toy bomb that marches around without a care in the world.
Bullet Bill: A-Tier
Watch out for Bullet Bill because he's coming for you. With those terrifying determined eyes following your every move and arms ready to just punch something, this is one formidable foe for Mr. Mario.
Cheep Cheep: C-Tier
It's got a great name and I like that it has a mohawk. But those weird protruding fish lips just aren't doing it for me. However, it is very fun to swim around as one of them in Mario Odyssey.
Fire Piranha Plant: S-Tier
Our first enemy variant! If the original Piranha Plant is an A-Tier, then a fire breathing one is an S-Tier. Done and done.
Goomba: S-Tier
Can't go wrong with the Goomba. It's a sentient mushroom with attitude. Just look at those angry brows! With most players encountering them early on in the Mario games, it's easy to see why this little guy is so iconic.
Magikoopa: A-Tier
You know something bad is about to happen when you see this guy. Most often confused as the famous Kamek, the Magikoopa uses its wand to wreck Mario's day and I'm all for it.
Buzzy Beetle: C-Tier
Eh, whenever I see this one I just think it's a worse version of a Koopa. Mostly they are a pain to deal with in all the games given their superior defense to Mario's fireballs. Easy C-Tier material I say.
Hammer Bro: B-Tier
Great design and huge hassle to deal with in the games. They just love throwing those hammers...non-stop. Just look at the determination on its face! You run into this guy and there's hammer coming your way!
Lakitu: S-Tier
Man I love Lakitu. Flying around on that doofy looking little cloud, dropping Spiny Eggs to get on your nerves, and then getting to be the camera guy in Mario 64. There's a lot to love about Lakitu.
Spiny Cheep Cheep: D-Tier
Uh oh we've entered Cheep Cheep's emo phase. We're just going to let him stay in his room and listen to MCR rather than deal with his spiny 'tude.
Thwomp: A-Tier
This is one pissed off spiky block you don't want to mess with! I can hear the "Err!" sound in my head whenever I look at this guy's ugly mug. This could have very well been just a block, but it has a face and personality. I love it.
Rocky Wrench: S-Tier
Watch out for that wrench because this man-holed master thrower is looking to knee-cap Mario. I love everything about this one. The goggles, the sneaky wrench throwing, that little snaggle-tooth. Just a perfect Mario enemy design.
Shy Guy: A-Tier
You can't go wrong with the Shy Guy. He's creepy but kind of cute. That soulless mask makes for a masterful character design. I'm very happy this Super Mario Bros. 2 enemy has endured for as long as he has in the Mario canon.
Koopa Troopa: B-Tier
This guy is a classic. I always thought his design to be fairly standard, but he makes up for it with what he brings to the gameplay. Getting to steal his shell and use it on other enemies is a ton of fun and I love the little noise they make.
I hope you had fun reading through my Mario enemy tier list. If not that's ok, there are some really great Mario themed books and toys you can order now at your local comic shop to make up for it. Happy Mario Day!
For all ages.
