Cunning and creepy, robotic and raging, here's a look at the greatest Crash Bandicoot villains and characters to ever grace PlayStation
So you want to know about the best Crash Bandicoot villains and characters? When it comes to charismatic stars and goofy bad guys, there are none better than in the Crash Bandicoot series. The mix of eccentric heroes and incredible villains results in one of the most charming and unique senses of humor in all of video games.
With the mind-controlling mask, the evil monkey, the nefarious ne’er-do-wells, and so on, Crash Bandicoot villains are instantly recognizable and uniquely iconic. With that in mind, here are some of the most hilariously memorable and downright best characters in the series.
Best Crash Bandicoot villains
While there are a number of characters from the series that could easily be called iconic, there are very few villains in the series that can compare to Nina’s ruthlessness, Tiny Tiger’s massive presence, or Aku Aku’s dad-like demeanor.
Nina, Dr. Cortex’s niece with bionic hands, hands that she illustrates through mercilessly punching her opponents, is completely underrated as a villain, in my humble opinion. Sure, her boss fight in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back didn’t really make sense at the time, but the incredible Cortex Strikes Back credits sequence in which she brutally pounds on Crash only strengthened her character.
What makes Nina such an interesting villain is her relationship to the initially evil Dr. Cortex. Well, as evil as a person with a gas-huffing monkey as their sidekick can be. Nina is not a strange, random character just thrown into the mix for a boss fight; she is a fundamental part of the series who has a shorter and much less evil-looking haircut in the N. Sane Trilogy. No matter the change in her character or design, we all know that when push comes to shove, she will get the job done.
Tiny Tiger is perhaps one of the most memorable, recurring, and hilarious villains in the series. Technically, he isn’t an evil scientist, a minion of Cortex’s, or a supervillain of any sort. He’s just a giant ball of rage who happens to live on N. Sanity Island. Similar to Tiny Tiger’s threatening presence is his other major appearance – as one of the butts of Coco’s “All Tribes Welcome” sign in the N. Sane Trilogy.
This giant ball of angry energy continuously screams in pain despite an enormous lack of physical injuries, providing consistent comic relief as a recurring character with a highly memorable design. Tiny Tiger isn’t a villain, but he definitely steals the show whenever he appears in the games. Most of the time, he’s just standing outside of Mutt & Fly’s sandwich shop, but eventually he appears as a playable character in Crash Bandicoot 2 and The Cortex Conspiracy. Oh, and I should mention the time he literally punched Cortex into space. That was pretty funny.
Handing out secret levels in the form of floating masks since 1996, a floating mask that acts as a parental figure definitely belongs as one of the best Crash Bandicoot characters. With the exception of The Wrath of Cortex vocalized by Carlos Alazraqui, Aku Aku has almost always been voiced by Brendan O’Brien in New Zealand English. The consistency of Aku Aku’s voice adds an endearing charm to the most frequent power-up in the series, allowing Crash’s charm to shine through beyond his movements, facial expressions, and death animations.
Whether Aku Aku is teaching the bandicoot to do the Aku Slide, or having a heartfelt talk about family when Crash asks for advice or help, watching Crash playfully interact with Aku Aku is one of the most consistently enjoyable parts of the series. This parental relationship leads to some of the most memorable scenes in Gaming, as fans will never forget when Aku Aku gave Crash a back rub in Crash 3.
What is a Crash Bandicoot villain without crazy, often humiliating, inventive and always amusing boss battles? The Crash series, of course, has some of the best boss fights in the history of video games, giving one or more of the greatest villains in history.
N. Gin, you could say, is a combination of a cyborg and weapons expert. He consistently invents creative, unique, and just plain weird entertaining inventions for his boss battles that match his personality. N. Gin, despite a lack of overall screen time in the series, has earned a special place in N. Sane Trilogy players’
