Luigi

Since 1983, Luigi has lived in Mario's shadow—the taller, greener, more anxious brother destined to be Player 2. Nintendo (Legal: we come in peace) named him after a pizza parlor near their American headquarters, which tells you everything about how much thought went into his existence.

But the internet saw something in Luigi that Nintendo didn't intend. First came Weegee, that horrifying DOS sprite from Mario Is Missing! whose dead-eyed stare launched a thousand nightmares. Then Luigi's Death Stare went viral in 2014, revealing a cold killer lurking behind those cowardly eyes. The "Mario Bros. Views" format gave him a voice—always the unhinged take, always rhyming, always correct.

Luigi wins by doing absolutely nothing. Luigi gets the mansion. Luigi outlasts every trend because he was never trying to be cool in the first place. The Year of Luigi (2013) made it official: the eternal understudy had become the star.

Mario saves princesses. Luigi tends the pipes and collects memes. We know who's really winning.