Video game characters are as varied as those in any other form of media, but some traits come up repeatedly. In the conflict-focused medium of gaming, certain personality traits are useful in video game storylines, especially those in which people are often pitted against each other.
One of these traits is arrogance. Many video game characters believe in themselves to the point that it transcends mere confidence and becomes downright selfish. This is a useful trait in an antagonist, but it sometimes shows up in protagonists. Nintendo games in particular are full of characters who think they are simply the best.
10 Bowser has all the arrogance of royalty (Mario)
A high position and a high opinion of yourself often go hand in hand. An important demonstration of this is Bowser of the Mario series. Bowser is not only a villain, he is also the king of the Koopas, and he is fully convinced that he deserves that position. Especially in the Mario RPG games Bowser shows his personality in great detail, often with a lot of self-aggrandizement.
Bowser is happy to brag, brag and rub his successes in other people’s faces. Although several games show him as a very skilled and powerful character, he still never fully succeeds despite his belief in himself. At the very least, his ego forces him to keep kidnapping Princess Peach, even though it never helped him before.
9 Ashnard believes he is the greatest warrior in the world (fire decal)
The villains of fire emblem games are often tragic or despicable, and Ashnard or Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance falls heavily on the latter. With nothing but a distant connection to royalty and his own immense abilities, Ashnard believes he deserves to be in charge of the world.
More than that, Ashnard believes in a social Darwinist world where the strong rule and thrive. He doesn’t even seem to consider that anyone could supplant him as ruler. He bolsters his confidence with some skill, with only a well-built Ike and the Laguz Monarchs claiming to match him.
8 Admiral Greyfield Believes He’s The Best (Advance Wars: Days Of Ruin)
Many Nintendo characters can support their egos, despite their inflated self-concept. However, many lack even basic competence, such as Admiral Greyfield of Advance Wars: Days of Ruin. Greyfield takes control of the remnants of the New Rubinelle Army because of his rank, and almost immediately makes things worse.
Even before the apocalypse, Greyfield was an over-ranked and under-skilled officer, who had faked his exam scores and taken credit for someone else’s work. After the disaster he is even worse. He calls himself King Greyfield the Mighty, when he is nothing more than an obligation, supported by more capable commanders such as Brenner (for a time) and Waylon.
7 Lord Zanza is selfish even for a god (Xenoblade Chronicles)
The high power of a god lends itself to ego, but Lord Zanza in Xenoblade Chronicles goes further than many. Despite his efforts to portray himself as a cold arbiter of fate who is heartlessly superior to all else, Zanza’s true personality is pompous and vain. He enjoys being able to abuse his powers as a god.
Zanza was initially a human named Klaus and was obsessed with gaining power. Now that he has it, he is not content to be a god. Instead, his ego drives him into conflict with everyone else. He is not satisfied until he is the god of everyone, and Mechonis is the dominant power in the world.
6 Bayonetta is an incredibly confident protagonist (Bayonetta)
Usually a big ego is a mean trait, but it is also seen in some heroes. It can be treated as a dramatic flaw or it can be used more for comedy, which is the case for the titular character of bayonetta. Despite her many positive qualities, there is no denying that Bayonetta looks down on others and considers herself highly.
Contrary to some examples, Bayonetta’s confidence is completely justified. While her ego can make her appear aloof or arrogant, Bayonetta is stronger than most of the creatures she opposes. With so many things she has accomplished, Bayonetta has more right than most characters to mock her enemies.
5 Giovanni’s Ego Can’t Handle Defeat (Pokémon Red And Blue)
The pokemon franchise has had many villains, but few are more iconic or better known than Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket in pokémon red and blue, and their remakes. As a Gym Leader and head of a criminal racket with Pokémon, Giovanni considers himself very highly.
Giovanni considers himself one of the best Pokémon trainers and sees no reason why he won’t rule the world if his plan succeeds. However, he has a surprising depth regarding his ego. He is a genuinely pleasant leader to his subordinates, and he will be emotionally shattered if the main character defeats him. He can’t handle the blow to his confidence.
4 Franziska Von Karma treats everyone like a fool (Ace Attorney – Justice For All)
The prosecutors in the ace lawyer franchise deals with a lot of courtroom behavior that would be frowned upon in real life, but little more than Franziska von Karma from Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Justice for All. Even aside from her use of a real whip to attack people in court, she also has a disdainful attitude towards other people.
Franziska’s most used world is “foolish”, judging others for everything they do, while considering her own behavior to be perfect. However, later entries in the series go further into Franziska’s personality, revealing that it is largely an act. She acts selfishly in an attempt to hide her insecurities and her desire to stand out in a talented family.
3 Waluigi can never admit his mistakes (Mario)
As an evil character who mainly appears in the ensemble spin-off Mario games, Waluigi has not shown many personality traits. One that he does show, however, is his confidence and inability to admit when he’s wrong. In almost all of his appearances, Waluigi pretends to be better than the rest of the cast, except for Wario, who seems to be his only friend.
In particular, despite being a rampant cheater himself, Waluigi has a tendency to accuse others of cheating when they outperform him. At no point when he loses does he ever think that it could be due to the fact that he’s actually being outperformed, and doesn’t seem to realize it’s possible.
2 Lash enjoys her own genius (Advance Wars)
The evil black hole in the Advance Wars franchises have a surprising variety in their personalities, from the cold-hearted professional to the passionately violent, but a big ego is a recurring trend. Few show this more than Lash, a prominent character in Advance Wars 2 and Advance Wars: Dual Strike.
Lash is a genius, both strategically and in engineering, and makes no bones about it. Most of her appearances show her bragging about her latest invention and how she intends to render the Allied armies helpless with it. Even her frequent defeats don’t knock her down, nor does she face betrayal and defection to her former enemies.
1 Malos is quietly but undeniably confident in himself (Xenoblade Chronicles 2)
The mark of a big ego in a Nintendo game is usually incessant bragging, with the character using every line of dialogue to remind others of how superior they are. In Xenoblade Chronicles 2However, Malos is a more realistic and subdued version of an intensely selfish character.
Despite some uncertainties, Malos believes he is the superior form of life on Alrest and better than humanity. As sure as he is about this, Malos doesn’t bring it up all the time or brag about it. Instead, he just continues to advance his plans, using them as a testament to how much better he is than in the other life.
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