Summary
Mario Kartis, by its very nature, a series with prime friendship-ending material. A stray lightning bolt or lucky blue shell at just the right moment can catapult you into victory as they launch their target into therapy, and that’s even before you get into the mirror races.
But later entries in the eminent kart racing series have inadvertently made the sting of defeat even sharper by adding stunts: little emotes your racer can do if you time a hop right as you go over a jump, giving a nice speed boost.Mario Kart 8 Deluxearguably perfected that art, but which ones are the best to pull off as you careen towards first place and an uncomfortable ride home from game night?
12Luigi
A Terrified Win Is Still A Win
Keeping with his extremely relatable trend of never quite holding it together in any given moment, Luigi’s main stunt involves him holding on for dear life in a rather hilarious contrast with his infamous evil eye. Plus, it’s arguably an even worse insult.
Sure, the evil eye is basically Luigi saying “yeah, of course I’m passing you.” But if you see him flailing around like one of thoseewoks from Star Warswho hijacked a speeder bike as he overtakes you, it just feels downright shameful.
11Wiggler
All Those Legs Deserve A Rest
It’s worth noting that stunts aren’t meant as taunts in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Their main purpose is the little speed boost you get when landing after successfully executing one. But as Wiggler demonstrates, they’re also just fun to watch.
While some racers are content with waving at the camera or doing an athletic move, Wiggler hefts their substantial segmented body out of their kart and lounges luxuriously for that half-second of airtime. That’s dedication to the craft.
10Inklings
You’re A Kid Now, You’re A Squid Now, Which Must Be Frustrating For The DMV
The addition of the Inkling Girl and Inkling Boy fromSplatoonto Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was a game changer. Maybe not in terms of the gameplay itself, but itopened the door for non-Mario charactersto finally join the series roster. You know what that means. We need Mother Brain, darn it.
As ambassadors between Mario Kart and the rest of Nintendo, the Inklings had to pull out all the stops, and it’s only natural that this would include a stunt where they shift into their squid forms. Thankfully, their instant water solubility is overlooked in this game.
9Petey Piranha
His Breath Can’t Smell Worse Than Exhaust
Picture this, you’re driving along, about to pass this bizarre-looking plant driving a kart in front of you. Ignoring the scientific implications of such a phenomenon, you speed up, but maybe you don’t want to get so close.
Petey Piranha doesn’t care. Petey Piranha just wants to bite. One of his stunts involves him simply turning around and chomping in your general direction. The road ahead be darned, psyching you out is the real priority here.
8Isabelle
She Doesn’t Care About Winning, But She Did Just Win
Mario Kart doesn’t always have to be a storm of competitive bile. Sometimes it can just be a friendly competition. If you’re playing asAnimal Crossing’s adorable and wholesome Isabelle, that’s basically the vibe.
Isabelle’s most impactful stunt isn’t a boast or fancy trick. It’s just her clapping, expressing her enjoyment and appreciation for the other racers. Take that to heart. Or immediately follow it up with a ruthless barrage of lightning. Up to you.
7Peachette
A Photo Finish With Peach Would Make The Camera Explode
Peach herself will pull off some pretty sick moves like vaulting around the handlebars of a bike or swinging out of her kart. But ironically, it wasn’t until Peachette joined the roster that fans could see a cool throwback to Peach’s iconic floating move from Super Mario Bros. 2.
It kind of feels like identity theft to see Peachette, who is literally just Toadette with a magic crown, steal Peach’s classic floating skirt feat. But Peachette’s own rather sassy little sideways stunt kicking her legs off her bike almost makes up for it. Still, we’ve got our eye on you, poser.
6Bowser Jr.
Sore Winner, In More Ways Than One
Sure, most stunts are just fun tricks to pull off. But others are very much in the taunt territory, which is extremely on brand forcharacters like Bowser Jr.He takes that ball and runs with it.
His stunts range from smacking his bottom at you to laughing like every schoolyard bully you’ve definitely gotten over. At the very least, he leaves no ambiguity regarding what he’s trying to convey. What a considerate mean person.
5Tanooki Mario
Think About The Good Old Days As You Eat His Dust
A little nostalgia can go a long way. Nintendo has basically nailed that vibe in the same way Ubisoft nailed towers. Those of you who’ve been chilling with games since the 80s, or who can appreciate the crunchy pixel classics of yesteryear, will enjoy this instance.
Tanooki Mario is a clear throwback toSuper Mario Bros. 3, so Nintendo would have missed a huge opportunity if it didn’t bring back some classic moves. His stunts involve a clearly recognizable tail-out pose and Mario’s flutter jump also seen in Super Mario 3D Land.
4Funky Kong
Don’t Ask Where He Keeps The Surfboard
Funky Kong is something special. In Donkey Kong Country and its sequels, he would fly and ferry you around the map. In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, he was basically the game’s easy mode. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, he yells a lot.
But despite Funky’s assorted incoherent wails counting amongMario Kart’s most iconic quotes, it’s his cool factor that comes into play with his stunt. His teeth shine as he hops out of his kart to lounge on his surfboard, making you seriously wonder about his pilot’s license.
3Pauline
Might As Well Have A Soundtrack For Your Trash-Talking
As one of the last few racers added to the game, Pauline had many years of fan hopes to live up to. Luckily, she did just that, bringing her beloved musical stylings along for the ride.
Her stunts largely involve some impressive poses, but her most notable busts out a microphone stand in a stance fit for the cover of Rolling Stone. It pairs especially well with a line fromSuper Mario Odyssey’s Jump Up, Super Star! which she sings when gliding.
