Unluckiest Nintendo characters, ranked

Key takeaways

• Glass Joe is designed to be an easy opponent in Punch Out!! To encourage players to continue.
• Olimar's ill-fated vacation leads him to a planet of Pikmin on a test of survival.
• Princess Peach is constantly being targeted and kidnapped by Bowser.

No matter how hard they try, some Nintendo characters just can't catch a break. Whether it's a villain whose plans fail every time he tries to take over the world, or a hero's sidekick who always finds himself in dire scenarios, it can be obvious when a character is running low on luck.

Although having little or no luck is obviously bad for the characters, it can also make them endearing or even sympathetic in some ways, as it makes players want to root for them to succeed. Still, these folks below have had a rough time on their adventures, which could have been made easier if they had a piece of luck on their side.

8 Glass Joe

Glass Joe is a literal punching bag in Punch Out games

• First Appearance: Punch-Out!!

It is said that Glass Joe, the first opponent Little Mac faces in the first Punch-out!! The game was designed to be easy enough to encourage players to spend more on arcade machines to take on stronger opponents. This might be all well and good for the player, but Glass who has put himself in an unfortunate position, the weak and naive Frenchman doesn't want to fight in the first place.

It also doesn't help his case that every fighter has Punch-out!!Such as King Hippo and Von Keider, absurdly large and strong fighters who can knock Joe out with a single punch. Someone has to act as a tutorial opponent, so it's unfortunate for Glass Joe that he's assumed the position for several games.

7 Olimar

An unfortunate event sends Olimar on a wild adventure

All Olimar wants is to enjoy a nice relaxing intergalactic vacation, but his trip is cut short when a comet crashes into his ship and plunges him onto a mysterious planet full of tiny creatures known as Pikmin. The situation worsens when Olimar discovers that the planet's oxygen has been poisoned, meaning he has only 30 days to restore his ship and escape before giving up his oxygen tanks.

Although the Pikmin he runs into are willing to help him, Olimar's journey to becoming a hero wasn't because he wanted to be one, it was because of a holiday gone wrong. The same scenario manages to repeat itself again in 2015 Pikmin 4 Where Olimar is dropped on a mysterious planet that he must then try to escape from, as if the first time wasn't enough.

6 AZ

AZ's disheveled look and personality make even more sense when learning about his journey

• First appearance: Pokemon X and Y

When AZ appears near the end Pokemon X and YHe seems to be little more than a mysterious traveler looking for his next battle. In fact, this man was once the king of Kalos, but a series of unfortunate events turned him into a man the players meet in the game. After losing his parents at a young age, AZ confides in his Float, a Pokémon gifted to him by his mother.

After being forced to join the battle, the Pokémon were taken from him, causing AZ to create the ultimate weapon that would destroy both sides in a rage. Although already dealt a heavy hand, AZ then comes to find that Float rejects how he has been treated, turning him into a shell of his old self until he finally makes peace with his beloved Pokémon after years of misfortune.

5 Princess Zelda (Breath of the Wild)

Everything that could go wrong for the princess of Hyrule went wrong when Ganon attacked

• First Appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Each iteration of Zelda ends in some dire fate in their respective games, but seen in Princess. Breath of the Wild That might be the worst of them all. Before Link awoke from his slumber, he and several other guardians were assigned to act as guardians of the princess, who were busy trying to awaken the magic needed to stop the malevolent Ganon once and for all.

Unfortunately, though, Ganon not only destroyed the land of Hyrule but also possessed the divine beasts and killed Zelda's guardians, forcing her to seal the link and distance herself to avoid chaos. With a bit of luck, Ganon's “great disaster” might have been stopped if someone had managed to catch him off guard, or if the divine beasts had stopped his power, but it all came crashing down on Zelda's shoulders.

4 Luigi

Luigi has always been stuck in the unfortunate position of being second fiddle to his brother

• First Appearance: Mario Bros

throughout was killed games, Luigi is given the short straw in his adventures. One moment he's taken to a fancy hotel that's haunted and filled with terrifying ghosts, while the next, he's imprisoned in a mirror by King Boo.

It's ironic considering that Luigi is such a shy and timid character that he ends up in such random and scary scenarios, making him extremely unlucky. There's also the fact that Luigi is related to the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom, meaning he always plays second fiddle, no matter how hard he tries to prove himself.

3 grouse

Groose has no luck trying to win or humiliate his opponent in Zelda

• First appearance: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

Introduction to Groose is a character The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Joe is incredibly jealous of Link, and in particular, his relationship with Zelda. Despite going to extreme lengths to try and get Zelda's attention, Groose has no luck, and even by the end of the game, he still fails to get close to her.

Gross also accidentally manages to fall head first onto the surface where he is stuck with none other than Link, his arch rival. Even when Grosz tries to cheat his way to victory in the Wing Ceremony, where he can be seen throwing eggs at Link, he still fails to cramp the hero's style, just one display of bad luck among many.

2 Samus

Ever since she was young, Samus has been plagued by bad luck

• First appearance: Metroid

It's remarkable that Samus is still going strong as a galactic bounty hunter considering the sheer amount of bad luck she's experienced in her many escapades. Samus' parents took her in the blink of an eye when she was still a baby in the hands of the malicious Ridley. However, when Samus realizes that she has put Ridley away for good, he always appears differently, ensuring that Samus never gets a chance to make things right and forgive herself for her weakness all those years ago.

Although Samus manages to find some comfort in her bond with the Metroid Baby, the two are forced to separate after the baby is attacked by a laser beam, leaving Samus alone once again. Being a bounty hunter is no walk in the park, but to say that Samus has had a very hard time would be a huge understatement.

1 Princess Peach

Peach has had such bad luck avoiding Bowser that some fans think she secretly wants to take over.

• First appearance: Super Mario Bros

Most people assume that, years after being kidnapped by the fearsome Koopa known as Bowser, Peach either raised some bodyguards to protect herself or even learned some fighting skills. However, in almost every was killed In the game, Peach always becomes the main target of Bowser's plans and is taken to his airship, prompting Mario to come and rescue her.

Although Peach tries to stop Bowser, he always pops up with a new set of technology and a group of goons to change his plan of action, making it difficult for Peach to react. With a bit of luck on her side, maybe Peach would be able to escape Bowser's plans, but seeing as how often she gets taken, it's clear that lady luck isn't what Peach has. In fact, it's gotten to the point where some fans theorize that they might want to take a peach, considering the time it took place. However, it is possible that he has some rotten luck.