Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope - All Heroes, Ranked

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope marks the return of our beloved Mario characters and their chattering Rabbid counterparts, along with the introduction of some new faces. Whether it's the Rabbid Warrior Edge or Princess Rosalina herself, the cast is quite extensive. Each of these brave heroes must collaborate to prevent Cursa from absorbing the energy of the Sparks, a newly emerged species of Luma-Rabbid hybrids.

The core lineup of the game Sparks of Hope consists of four Mario characters and five Rabbids. Each hero possesses a unique fighting style, a distinct personality, and a special weapon they wield. This leads to remarkable strategic combinations when selecting three heroes for each turn-based, tactical combat situation. However, unlike the first game, Nintendo has not mandated that Mario himself must always be among them. Nevertheless, some heroes prove to be more helpful than others.

Updated on September 5, 2023, by Bobby Mills: Since the initial release of this list, Ubisoft and Nintendo have unlocked a generous amount of DLC for Sparks of Hope. These three additional campaigns transport the heroes to various new locations and, in one instance, bring a familiar friend, Rayman, to the table. The fresh and unique challenges arising from these supplementary adventures provide a reason to slightly adjust our rankings and include the popular and legendary limbless character.

10 Rabbid Rosalina

Rabbid Rosalina was indeed a highly requested addition by fans. Unfortunately, this hype does her no favors. While it is wonderful to see a Rabbid version of Rosalina, they inexplicably decided to attribute her with the trait of "sleepy," which is as far removed from the original Rosalina as one can imagine. Perhaps that was the intention? Nevertheless, her laziness and indifference quickly become bothersome.

Apart from her personality, Rabbid Rosalina's combat abilities are quite solid. Her special ability, "Ennui," freezes enemies in place for a round, providing a unique passive defensive maneuver. Her weapon, the "Kaboomer" (a stuffed Luma armed with a cannon), is remarkably powerful in dire situations, but its range and inflicted damage are somewhat limited.

9 Rabbid Luigi

While Rabbid Luigi's style is undeniably unique - and he seems to have picked up some lessons in street smarts since the first game - he is not the best support on the battlefield. His weapon, the "Discruptor," is a frisbee that hits three different enemies in succession. Although it showcases a distinctive attacking style, the damage inflicted is minimal compared to other heroes. It is a weapon that is most effective against low-health enemies in close proximity, a rare scenario that you must actively prepare for in most cases.

What Rabbid Luigi lacks in combat prowess, he compensates for with his spirit. He exudes confidence and a casual demeanor that sets him apart from Luigi himself. Additionally, his special ability, "Exhaust," proves to be highly useful as it reduces the damage enemies can inflict during their turn. This move proves particularly advantageous in the Tower of Doom DLC, where surviving each floor becomes a close call on higher difficulty levels.

8 Princess Peach

It is always delightful to witness Peach in action-packed combat. The princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, perhaps the most beleaguered monarch in all of fiction, never lets her spirits dampen and shines among the roster of heroes in Sparks of Hope. Adorned in a lovely shade of pink, Peach fearlessly embraces getting her gloves dirty.

Peach wields a Rabbid version of her signature parasol, the Boom-Brella, which obliterates everything within its medium range. (An often forgotten fun fact: Her parasol has a consciousness of its own and is named Perry.) Furthermore, she excels as a defensive hero for your team, capable of shielding herself and her allies with her special move, Team Barrier. However, certain Sparks can partially replicate her defensive abilities, making Peach somewhat less essential in your group, although her shields remain among the strongest.

7 Rabbid Peach

While Princess Peach is poised and proper, Rabbid Peach exudes energy and attitude. Though her obsession with her phone, her "hip" modern slang, and her tendency to not take danger seriously can be somewhat annoying, her cheeky personality grows on you throughout the game. Ubisoft has clearly recognized this; she is the one present in all marketing campaigns and also receives the most popular action figures.

On the battlefield, Rabbid Peach proves to be a great support for the team. Her special ability is healing, making her one of the few means to restore health outside of using items. And using those items consumes an action point, which could likely be better utilized to decimate significant portions of your enemies, you know, simple math.

Her weapon is another one of her strengths. She wields the Triple-Troll, which attacks an enemy three times and can pierce through barriers that other weapons cannot penetrate.

6 Edge

Edge is the only playable Rabbid who is not a variation of one of the classic Mario characters. Essentially, she is a walking parody of DeviantArt OCs, from her fluorescent hair to her deliberately snobby dialogue, right down to the fact that her name is literally "Edge." She is the first non-standard character you unlock, and she is a formidable force right from the start. With her Flying Blade, she deals high damage at an acceptable range. Additionally, her special ability, Stormblade, allows her to counterattack, so woe betide the enemy who gets too close to her.

Apart from her impressive combat abilities, Edge is a fascinating character with her own background story. As you progress in the game, the mystery of her past is revealed, expanding her seemingly one-dimensional portrayal and enriching the overall gaming experience. You will also find great utility for Edge in the DLC campaign mode, "The Last Spark Hunter"; her wide-area attacks make it a breeze to defeat King Bob-omb and his minions.

5 Mario

Although it's always fun to play as characters other than the main protagonist themselves, Mario is a fantastic hero in Sparks of Hope and a strong part of your combat team. In the story, he is quick to spring into action to aid the intergalactic Rabbids, proving once again that he is a worthy defender of the Mushroom Kingdom.

In Sparks of Hope, he wields the Dual Slinger, two pistols that allow you to shoot at two different enemies (or the same enemy twice). This makes him a great ranged fighter, which is most effective in the majority of combat situations in the game. Additionally, with Hero Sight, he can land an additional hit or even two or three by attacking anything that moves within his field of vision. He is a versatile character, and if you can use him correctly, he will effortlessly dominate the game.

4 Rabbid Mario

Rabbid Mario is hilariously aggressive, just as heroic as Mario, but with a greater passion for the art of combat. And with the remarkable addition of a sleazy accent. As such, his weapons are The Dukes, a pair of gloves that pack a punch. This weapon is one of the few that allows you to hit multiple enemies at once, although its range is limited, and you need to be up close and personal, so be mindful of your approach.

Rabbid Mario's special ability is the Counterattack, which allows him to immediately strike back when an enemy dares to attack him. His blows deal significant damage, making him one of the strongest heroes if you prefer raw brute force. He is also one of the funnier playable Rabbids in the game, although humor is, of course, subjective.

3 Luigi

Sparks of Hope shines a long-overdue spotlight on Luigi, presenting Mario's brother as cool, calm, and collected in the face of battle. This more epic portrayal of Luigi is beautiful as it gives him the respect he deserves. What is it about the Mario RPG titles and the significant improvement of Luigi's image? In Super Paper Mario, he was the prophesied key to the fate of the entire reality!

Luigi uses a bow and arrow called the Sharpshooter as his weapon. Although he can only fire once per round, it has tremendous range, and his single shot deals considerable damage. The farther away you are, the greater the damage he inflicts. So feel free to keep good old Luigi stationed at the other end of the map. Like Mario, Luigi can also land an additional hit with the Steel Gaze (fresh from the hot Mario Kart meme of 2014!) by firing at any moving enemy.

2 Bowser

Although technically a villain, Bowser proves more than enough in Sparks of Hope that he belongs among the good guys. He is unlocked as the last of the three new characters and only appears several worlds later, but it's worth reaching him. Plus, it's always fun to play as Mario's most notorious enemy. This is yet another highlight of the Mario RPGs.

Bowser is primarily great due to his powerful ranged weapon, the Bowzooka (ha, good joke), which not only directly hits a single enemy but also affects the other enemies around the target. In Tower of Doom and Last Spark Hunter, this versatility is of crucial importance.

His special attack summons three kamikaze Mechakoopas that automatically seek out the nearest enemy and blast them into the air. These Mechakoopas can also be picked up and thrown at enemies, effectively turning them into portable Bob-ombs. With this array of options and his robust arsenal, Bowser is a force to be reckoned with. Fortunately, he is on our side, isn't he?

1 Rayman

Honestly, he is a strong contender for the top spot due to his coolness factor. This seasoned platforming hero is absolutely worth his salt in the actual gameplay. Fans around the world erupted in cheers when it was confirmed that the third DLC campaign, The Phantom Show, would bring back Rayman himself. And while Rabbids Mario and Peach accompany him in the story, there is no doubt that Rayman takes the spotlight.

As he stumbles into an intergalactic television network, Rayman finds himself forced to team up with the species he once despised (understandably, as they were responsible for franchise theft). It's strangely heartwarming to see him bury the hatchet and work together with the little ones to uncover the network's conspiracy.

Rayman is armed with a regular blaster and also has the ability to hover over battlefields and swing along them, giving him great mobility. But it's his costumes that matter. Not only does wearing a costume give you an extra blaster shot, but each of the two costumes also has its own special ability. Particularly overpowering is the Rocket Ride move, which allows you to surf on a rocket, going wherever you want and wreaking havoc in the process. The wait has been worth it; Rayman is the best of them all.