Kat & Ana (WarioWare)
For a series all about ridiculous microgames, WarioWare sure does know how to pull off a good sibling pairing. Your resident ninjas Kat & Ana (which has literally just dawned on us as a pun on Katana) show a good amount of variety across their mainline appearances, be it sky diving, hosting TV shows or saving dojos, these guys have got it all — including an intimidatingly strong LinkedIn profile, we'd imagine.
Sibling Score: 9 - Best pals and good colleagues, you've gotta love these guys.
Goron Blood Brothers (Breath of the Wild)
You have to respect this Goron trio's dedication to training. Like a British dad preparing for the heat of an all-inclusive holiday abroad, Breath of the Wild's Blood Brothers can be found testing their mettle in a duo of temperature endurance challenges before tacking Death Mountain. Completing these even grants Link an honorary spot in the family unit, which is sweet.
Sibling Score: 8 - Welcoming and caring, it is difficult to knock these Gorons' spirits. Let's all remember though, dear reader, not everyone is cut out for the heat, and that's okay.
Sonny & Don Resetti (Animal Crossing series)
Oh, you thought that Animal Crossing only did cute siblings? Think again. We love the grumpy Sonny Resetti and his more mellow brother Don. Yes, this is the mole that shouts at you whenever you reset your game and constantly bangs on about manual saves, but isn't that kind of hilarious? New Horizons' autosave put this pair out of a job, but we're pleased with the knowledge that they are still manning the Rescue Service lines instead — hey, you've got to earn those Bells somehow.
Sibling Score: 9 - You can get a little frustrated with Sonny and Don's constant nagging, sure, but you can't fault their dedication to the cause of lost saves. No amount of anger is going to stop us hitting that reset button every now and again, mind...
Fiora & Dunban (Xenoblade Chronicles)
We like Fiora and Dunban, we really do, but do they like each other? These are two perfectly good characters individually but they interact so infrequently that the 'sibling bond' level is hardly off the charts. Christmas Day with these two? Better make sure that you bring a good book...
Sibling Score: 6 - As characters, we're sold, but a little bit of family therapy wouldn't go amiss here to at least convince us that they are mildly interested in each other.
Willi & Obli (Wind Waker)
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's just two dudes who love birds and have no problem with throwing themselves from platforms in an attempt to prove it. These are hardly Wind Waker's most developed duo, but it's a sweet reminder that you can achieve anything that you put your mind to. Apart from flying. You can't do that.
Sibling Score: 6 - These two are totally harmless, though they do have very little going for them. In the grand scheme of weird and wonderful Zelda NPCs, you don't want to be stuck as the Rito-wannabees.
Dixie & Tiny Kong (Donkey Kong series)
And so we enter the confusing DK family tree. Dixie was the first playable female Kong (Candy Kong takes the credit for the first appearance) whereas Tiny Kong... uhh... has pigtails. Each has their own claim to a seat in the DK Hall of Fame, we guess.
Sibling Score: 7 - They might not be the gold standard for Nintendo siblings, but we do enjoy playing as each of them whenever we get the opportunity to — yes, that is our way of saying that we want to see Diddy Kong Racing get remade for Switch.
Link & Aryll (Wind Waker)
For a game dominantly about Link and Zelda, we're always surprised at just how much screen time Link's sister, Aryll, gets. Remember, it is Aryll who starts the whole journey by suggesting that Link goes to investigate Tetra and if she didn't go on to get captured by the Helmaroc King herself, we wouldn't have any adventure at all. What we're saying is, no Aryll = no Wind Waker. Yes, our math may be a little off, but you get the gist.
Sibling Score: 9 - It's a shame that following the reception of Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks, it seems unlikely that Nintendo is ever going to revisit this section of the Zelda timeline again, because we would really like to see Link and Aryll back together. That pain would be slightly lessened if Nintendo did something like, we don't know, put Wind Waker on Switch? Of course, we're just spitballing here, but it sure would be nice, wouldn't it...
Chunky & Kiddy Kong (Donkey Kong series)
Chunky and Kiddy aren't going to be on anyone's 'Top Kongs' list, but their great strength (in Donkey Kong 64 and Donkey Kong Country 3 respectively) at least makes them somewhat memorable. Do they have any distinguishing features as brothers though? No way. Now that we think about it, these guys are hardly ever together — talk about family ties... sheesh...
Sibling Score: 5 - They are reasonably fun to play alongside, sure, but nobody is going to be picking them out as a top-tier sibling in a hurry, are they?
Cotera, Kaysa, Mija & Tera (Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom)
Perhaps the most flirtatious group on this list (who are we kidding, they are definitely the most flirtatious), Cotera, Kaysa, Mija & Tera, better known as the Great Fairies, are always on hand to pimp Link's armour and make him blush in the process. It's all well and good running around in your swankiest gear, but it's nothing until you have taken it to these guys.
Sibling Score: 9 - On the list of Zelda's most useful NPCs, these siblings have to be way up there, even if those upgrade prices are looking a little steep in the new, Rupee-sparce Hyrule.
Cappy & Tiara (Super Mario Odyssey)
What can we say? They are hats. Okay, yes, they are technically Bonneters, not hats. But with names like "Cappy" and "Tiara" their parents were always setting them up to sit atop someone's head when they grow up, right?
Sibling Score: 8 - This pairing has a lot more personality than you would expect from your average hat — sorry, Bonneter — and you've got to respect Cappy's dedication to getting his sister back from the clutches of Bowser. Cappy and Tiara will be added to Smash Bros. when, exactly?
Jimmy T., James T. & Jamie T. (WarioWare)
If this was a ranking of best sibling hairstyles (add to game ideas: a Mario re-skin with the T. family called Super Mario 'Fros.) then you know that Jimmy, James and Jamie would be right up at the top. With parents that epitomise the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mantra of child naming, this trio has to be the funkiest on the list and we love their passion for the art of disco. Hey, a family that grooves together, stays together.
Sibling Score: 8 - The only thing bringing this groovy trio down is how little we have seen them (WarioWare Touched! remains their only appearance as a group). Show us a little more, and we'll have no choice but to lift that rating higher.
Mipha & Sidon (Breath of the Wild, Age of Calamity, Tears of the Kingdom)
There's not all that much to go on when it comes to the familial relationship between Mipha and Sidon in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom (one of them having been dead for the past 100 years, and all), but we love these characters all the same. It seems only fitting that one of the most useful Sage Abilities in BOTW, Mipha's Grace, would be replaced by one of the worst in TOTK, but you can't win them all, we suppose.
Sibling Score: 7 - We would really love to have seen a little more of the relationship between Mipha and Sidon outside of a brief cutscene in Age of Calamity and some passing references here and there. But the Mipha statue in TOTK's Zora's Domain shows that there was at least a good level of respect between them, and we can be happy of that.
Cremia & Romani (Majora's Mask)
Throughout Majora's Mask, Cremia and Romani have to deal with grieving the death of their father, the weight of running the family farm, constant pestering by the aforementioned Gorman brothers, oh, and the impending doom of the literal end of the world. How tough are these guys?! It's true, Cremia belittles her younger sister a fair amount at first, but with everything going on, we think it's fair to let that one slide.
Sibling Score: 10 - With one of the most heart-wrenching stories in Majora's Mask (and remember, there's a boatload of them) and an overall message of carrying on in the face of adversity, Cremia and Romani are some of the toughest siblings out there.
Which sibling set is your favourite? Let us know in the poll below, and give us a shout in the comments if we've missed your besties.
Comments 52
Shouldn't Bowser be on this list? He supposedly has a mysterious brother who's blue.
There seems to be a strong animal crossing bias here. 🤔 Two 10/10s?? Though speaking of animal crossing, Francine and Chrissy deserve some love too as villager sisters.
This was an entertaining read, thanks. I think that Mipha and Sidon deserved a better score though. They had more interactions that some brothers on the list and they were really good.
can't believe you guys didn't include the best sibling duo of the lot smh
I've always had a very big soft spot for sibling dynamics in media myself. Maybe it's because I grew up in a household full of them but there's something so wholesome about seeing relatives interacting together, you know?
As for my pick here, I'm going to go the basic route of Mario & Luigi; they got an entire sub-series based off of how good they are as siblings for crying out loud!
What about Wario and Waluigi? I can only assume they're brothers being the dark reflections of the Mario Bros that they are.
What about the siblings Gladion and Lillie from Pokemon Sun and Moon 1 and 2. He protected her and Type: Null from their own mother and Lillie protected Cosmog from her mother also. In the amine Lusamine was more normal and nice and found their father near the ending of Ash's saga.
P.S. Blue and Daisy too!
I'd say Cremia & Romani are the best of those whose relationship as siblings is shown more than just telling us that they're siblings but who are distinct characters whose personalities can't simply be summed up as "Romani's sister" and "Cremia's sister."
I'd also have included Ryota & Akari Hayami from Wave Race and 1080 respectively, though I concede their only interaction is competing in Blue Storm (but if we're going to include the Twin Jugglers...).
Hop & Leon from Pokémon Sword and Shield might also be worth a mention.
Mario and Luigi are NOT a 10? What are you guys on about?
@mlt Right? Right? They are THE sibling of video games, surely!
Speaking of Xenoblade siblings, I was always kinda fond of Praxis and Theory, too.
So, Bowser Jnr IS Bowser's son though? Or not? Did they change that? Or....am I getting confused?
Nintendo family relationships are surprisingly complex. Don't even get me started on Donkey Kong.
Regarding the genesis of the Koopalings’ English names, that’s actually the origin of their Japanese names, too. In Japanese SMB3, they didn’t have unique names, but by the time SMW released in Japan, they had decided to give each of them the same names that NoA had created.
@Mana_Knight Yes, Bowser Jr. is Bowser’s son (and Miyamoto’s, apparently).
Willi and Obli? I played Wind Waker many times and don't recognize these guys at all
Personally I just had to vote for the “T” family, as Jimmy T is one of my all-time faves!
Ashamedly, I had no idea he had siblings! When I first saw his entry, I assumed he would be paired with Jimmy P. (Whom I now assume is no relation.)
Love your game idea for the “T” family tho. I’d buy that in a heartbeat! 😂
Pyra, Mythra, Malos, and Alvis (and kinda A) feel like big exclusions.
@EaglyBird You mean Dirk
@Lizuka Was totally gonna comment this, you beat me to it! I know they all aren't siblings in the traditional sense but when this list includes the juggler bros from Majora's Mask, I'm pretty sure you can at least make the argument for Pyra & Mytha.
@luckyseven True or not, the idea had caused a mini civil war in the Xeno fandom. Personally I don't think we'll see the 3rd sibling until a future Xeno game or a Warriors spinoff.
@Axecon I like it for the sillies but I wouldn’t mind it if it was true or not lol
Also I voted for Fiora and Dunban, the scene where they reunite on the Fallen Arm and Dunban hugs her with his single arm made me cry a little
Some tough contenders to be sure, though the Animal Crossing bias seems strong lol. I almost voted for Mario & Luigi, but that would've been WAAAAY too obvious. I went with Link & Aryll instead. She more or less helps kickstart Link's quest in The Wind Waker, though I do acknowledge crazy stuff was happening before either sibling became involved with the Helmaroc King.
PS - Am I the only one who missed the Goron Blood Brothers in TotK?!
Are the Twin Jugglers the two guys who are locked in fits of hysterical laughter at one point? I loved their animation in that scene... I just sat and watched it for ages. My memory of it is a little hazy now, though.
Tatl and Tael - one works to end the world, the other to save it. Completely opposed, yet they get a seven!? Three, maximum!
Obviously Mario and Luigi are the best siblings, there's a reason, they've been doing this for so long.
I'm disappointed the entry on Cotera, Kaysa, Mija & Tera didn't mention you can actually play as them in Age of Calamity. Since you control all four of them and their floating flower fountain at the same time, the Great Fairies are among the most ridiculous player characters in Nintendo history, but they're still awesome!
Gotta go with the Mario Bros. For me I can't think of a more iconic sibling duo in video games. As for Nintendo siblings there's a few that didn't make the list like Jenna & Felix from the forgotten Golden Sun.
For Fire Emblem I would have picked Erika & Ephraim as my favourite sibling duo. It's hard to pick though since FE has such a huge cast of characters. Other great siblings in FE would be the White Wing Sisters, Sigurd & Ethlyn, Marth & Elice, Ninian & Nils.
If the article includes characters like the jugglers from Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask, there's really no excuse not to include Rauru and Mineru from Tears of the Kingdom too. They're both awesome and have a lot more importance in the game than some of the other Zelda characters listed here.
@Markiemania95 Haha! Thanks
I'd say Tethu/Tethi and Nour from Ever Oasis could work on this list but... one of them isn't alive anymore. Oh well
@EaglyBird
STOP POSTING ABOUT DIRK! I'M TIRED OF SEEING IT! My friends on Tiktok send me D, on Discord it's snuffing D. I was in a colony, right? And AAAAALLLL of the soldiers were just talking Mythra's child theories. I-I showed my Grim Rush to my girlfriend and went "Hey babe! It's a wild ride, this passage of fate" HAHAHAH DING DING. DING DING. DINGDING DING DING.
DING DING. DING! I sparking looked at a trash can and I said "DON'T GO STOPPING ON MY ACCOUNT?!" | looked at the family photo and I said LET'S SHOW 'EM A THING OR THREE???? MORE LIKE A THING OR D!! AAAAAA!!!!!
Mario & Luigi, no others come even close.
@EaglyBird I don’t have anymore Dirk copypastas but I literally cried when Mr. Wild Ride said “it’s WILD RIDIN’ AND DIRKIN’ time” then wild rided and Dirked all over the Xeno series timeline 😭
And to any non Xenoblade fans reading these, I’m sorry lol
Koopalings are my favorite siblings. True siblings are chaotic, often with the same ambitions but all take different means to get there, which describes the Koopalings very well. I see a bit of the Koopalings in myself and each of my siblings.
Do Fiora and Duncan like each other?! Avenging Fiora’s “death” is literally Dunban’s main character motivation.
Also, Edelgard and Dimitri have a great dynamic on Three House’s Azure Moon route.
The best siblings in gaming will always be Mario and Luigi for me. There have been a few other stand out siblings in my time gaming, but none were more, and still are more impactful.
@EaglyBird is that Blackblaze Dirk?! Son of Mythra?!?!
WHERE ARE JESSIE AND JAMES???
The most iconic siblings in Nintendo history are the septuplets in Pokémon Black 2 & White 2 who dance for no reason and subsequently disappear for no reason. Change my mind.
Y'all missing the real brothers
Oh.
Bub and Bob from Bobble Bubble! Arguably the pair with the most games after Mario and Luigi?
One of my favorite Features in a long time, great read! I suggest adding a voting space next to each, so we could have a community-approved version, but it’s quite fun nonetheless! The Squid Sisters one had me gasping when I first saw the headline, so it’s a good thing I read the paragraph before storming down here to comment on your lack of lore-savviness! And I agree, AC’s hedgehog sisters backstory is the best part of the series!
come on, its MARIO and LUIGI! Cant not give my vote to them.
@Chibi
Same here. I imagine Jimmy P would have to be somewhere in there though. Even if he is not relative. Generally speaking I would love for intelligent system to develop the Wario ware characters in eshop arcade games for example. We got a glimpse of that in game and Wario but it would be great if they could develop that idea and go crazy with side stories.
@Munchlax yeah I don't know where the whole Fiora and Duncan comment came from either.
I had to vote for the flower faeries from BotW. Nice to see some proper big girls in a game. And they're so naughty. 😍
@Mana_Knight The list is for the best siblings in games by Nintendo. Bubble Bobble is not a Nintendo game, so Bub and Bob are not eligible.
@Polvasti Oh, fair enough.
@EaglyBird No way, real 😱
Also I’m not obsessed with the Mythra’s child stuff asides from joking about it since people get wayy too upset about it, but if he somehow is her child the Xenoblade fandom’s reaction will be priceless. It’s unlikely but it’s already funny as it is, we’re in the endless now
I’m voting for Mipha & Sidon, but props to the Wright Bros reference I totally missed in WW!
@Kyloctopus I just wish they’d distinguish them a bit more. I can’t keep track of which is which except for Ludwig and Wendy
@EaglyBird oh, you’re right😅😂
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