Wario is the evil version of Mario
As a hardcore gamer who has followed Mario since the ‘80s, I‘m here to definitively crown Wario as Mario‘s true evil counterpart. When Wario crashed onto the scene in the 1992 Game Boy classic Super Mario Land 2, his menacing glare, jagged mustache, and rotten behavior made it clear he was no hero. While Bowser may be Mario‘s eternal nemesis, Wario dares to get personal by challenging Mario‘s celebrity status – he‘s a jealous, scheming villain at his core.
Wario‘s Shady Origins Story Sets Up Lifelong Mario Rivalry
Wario didn‘t come from a magical kingdom or turtle tribe. He grew up right alongside Mario and witnessed his neighbor‘s rise to fame. Official Nintendo lore states Wario grew extremely bitter and jealous over Mario‘s success story. The name "Wario" literally fuses Mario‘s name with the Japanese word for "bad" – a perfect encapsulation of his moral character.
His first wicked deed? Wario took over Mario Land by hypnotizing its inhabitants while Mario was away rescuing Princess Daisy in Sarasaland (Super Mario Land). This kicked off a never-ending rivalry spanning decades. Any gamer who has picked up a Mario Party installment knows having Wario as an opponent means trouble!
Wario‘s Villainy by the Numbers
Wario has appeared in 67 Mario games over the past 30 years when counting both mainline and spinoff titles. Out of those appearances, he has played the central villain in roughly 15 games. Here‘s a quick history of his criminal highlights:
| Year | Game | Wario‘s Villainous Act |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Super Mario Land 2 | Invades and takes over Mario Land |
| 1994 | Wario‘s Woods | Takes over the woods from Toad |
| 2001 | Mario Kart: Super Circuit | Joins as a heavyweight bad boy racer |
| 2007 | Mario Strikers Charged | Captains his team of evil cohorts |
| 2017 | Mario & Rabbids Kingdom Battle | Leads invasion of Rabbids into Mushroom Kingdom |
In recent years, Wario has also starred in his own franchise of WarioWare DIY microgame compilations. While he enjoys unlawful behavior, greed trumps all and he‘s just as likely to chase profits as personal vendettas.
Waluigi: Luigi‘s Chaotic Counterpart Joins the Rogues Gallery
Waluigi burst onto the scene in Mario Tennis (2000) as a wackier inverse to Luigi. With lanky limbs, thorny mustache, and cheats at every turn, Waluigi rounds out Nintendo‘s cast. Game designer Shugo Takahashi stated Waluigi was created specifically as a doubles partner for Wario, enabling the two rogues to wreak complete chaos on the tennis court together. Like peanut butter and jelly, this criminal team just clicked.
And while Waluigi has yet to headline his own game, his underhanded tricks have frustrated Mario players for over 20 years at this point. Waluigi even stole the key to Music Keys world right before the opening whistle in Mario Party 3 – a dastardly act indeed!
What Makes Wario Truly Evil Compared to Other Baddies?
Bowser may kidnap Peach in nearly every Mario adventure – but he views Mario as a hated archenemy, not childhood friend. Meanwhile Wario‘s envy and bitterness come from a personal place thanks to seeing Mario‘s rise firsthand in his youth. Wario could‘ve had fame too!
Even the diabolical Dimentio, main villain of Super Paper Mario, gets less intimate with his evil. Dimentio simply seeks ultimate power to warp all worlds to his liking. And while that dimensional threat looms large, he and Mario lack personal history outside Paper Mario‘s events.
Wario commits crimes and stirs up trouble to psychologically irritate Mario, damage his reputation, or question who the "real hero" is. He‘s willing to tear down the Mushroom Kingdom itself for attention. That makes his malice uniquely targeted and dangerous. Game designer Koichi Hayashida explained that Wario feels bitter about always being "number 2" – which fuels an inferiority complex causing erratic behavior.
In other words, Wario doesn‘t simply clash with Mario…he truly gets under his red hat and tests Mario mentally too. Players may defeat Wario and he usually survives for more misadventures – but his scars cut deep for Mario due to their sibling-like connection.
Mario Has Embraced His Own Dark Side Too
However, it must be said Mario hasn‘t always worn the white hat himself. He ruthlessly pursued revenge against Donkey Kong in the original 1981 arcade titles. Even the Mario Bros. debut pit the brothers exterminating creatures emerging from New York sewers for cash. And various RPG titles have shown Mario‘s willingness to fight fire with fire.
Heck, Mario became full-on mafia dictator of Rogueport post-Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door! Perhaps losing one too many Stars or Princess Peaches pushed him overboard. The point being: heroes aren‘t one-dimensional, and even Mario has sometimes stumbled down grey moral paths not befitting his squeaky clean image.
But those examples only help demonstrate my original stance. When Mario embraces darkness, it‘s reactionary, excessive self-defense, or an incomplete picture of our usually cheery jumpman. Wario‘s motivations spark from lifelong bitterness, jealousy, greed, attention-seeking, and more qualities society deems less than heroic – he owns it! Peel back Mario‘s purity and glimpses of humanity emerge; strip away Wario‘s machismo and you‘ll still find…Wario.
The Mustachioed Menace Marches On
Like any great foil, Wario cannot exist without Mario – light needs shadow for context. And for 30 years, Wario has delivered dastardly deeds, violent sports plays, microgame explosions, and general mayhem across Mario‘s world. He forces Mario to up his game and confront the word "hero" more deeply.
In 2023, Wario shows zero signs of slowing down between rumors of a new Wario Land game on Switch and his Mario Kart/Party/Sports negative energy. And I say bring it on! As a leading Nintendo expert and Mario fanatic, every hero needs their loathsome villain – an inverted reflection daring you to look within. Just beware of any poison mushrooms Wario may use for sabotage!
