Have you ever had a rival in real life? Probably not. It tends to be a thing that only happens in fiction, particularly in video games. A rival gives the main character someone to compete with and a goal to strive for (being better than said rival), so it’s easy to see why they’re used.
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Some video game rivals are simple and straightforward; they’re all business and that’s that. But the great ones, the ones with a rivalry that stays in your mind a long while after you’ve beaten the game, are much more than that. They have powerful chemistry. They have a mysterious history that keeps pulling them together. You might even ship them. These are those rivals.
8 Sonic And Shadow
Sonic The Hedgehog
I know pretty much nothing about Sonic the Hedgehog (aside from watching the iconic Sonic Underground cartoon as a child), but I know Sonic and Shadow are rivals. That’s how powerful their connection is – it transcends mediums and everyone knows they’re destined to clash with one another.
Their blue and red colour palettes are total opposites to each other, which already screams rival material. Sonic is a goofy guy, where Shadow is all dark, brooding, and edgy. They’re just textbook rivals with a lot of chemistry. What else can I say?
7 Sora And Riku
Kingdom Hearts
I hesitate to call Sora and Riku rivals because they’ve grown so far past that now. But if we’re just talking about the original Kingdom Hearts? I can concede, though it’s less of a rivalry and more of a Riku-doesn’t-talk-about-his-feelings situation. We’ve all been there.
Just like Sonic and Shadow, though, their designs are made to complement each other, which is just the mark of a good rival pairing. Nomura even said that was his intention when designing Riku: “His design was born from balancing with Sora.” While their ‘rivalry’ is still up for debate in my opinion, their chemistry is way off the charts, so they get a spot.
6 Phoenix Wright And Miles Edgeworth
Ace Attorney
When playing Ace Attorney: Phoenix Wright, and Phoenix and Edgeworth were facing off in the courtroom, I found myself thinking, “Is it hot in here, or is it just me?” And that’s the sign of an excellent rivalry. As soon as these two are in the same room as each other, the air tightens. You know there’s something hidden here, deep under the surface.
Poor Maya having to navigate all this as a third wheel, huh?
Then you learn about the history between Phoenix and Edgeworth. Phoenix went to law school just so he could become a lawyer and potentially see Edgeworth again? And now they’re enemies in the courtroom, while Edgeworth slowly but surely reveals his true self and what he’s been hiding all this time? Wow. This is a masterclass in rivalry writing, guys. We better take notes.
5 Cloud And Sephiroth
Final Fantasy 7
Cloud and Sephiroth have a relationship unlike one I have ever seen in fiction. The closest word to describe it is a rivalry, technically, but I still don’t feel like that encompasses exactly what they are to each other.
Sephiroth would follow Cloud to the ends of the Earth just to torture him mentally, physically, and emotionally. Cloud is plagued by thoughts and hallucinations of Sephiroth at all times. This is possibly the weirdest situationship we’ll ever see in video games. Even if it’s indescribable, you can’t deny the sheer chemistry that radiates off them.
4 Mario And Bowser
Super Mario
The only Mario games I’ve ever really played are Mario Kart and Mario Party, and even in these spin-offs, I know Mario and Bowser have one of those strange rivalry relationships that you never have with anyone else.
Everything Bowser does seems to be just to tick Mario off. Surely there are other princesses in this world, and you have to go for Peach? There’s an ulterior motive here that hasn’t been revealed yet. And it might be that Bowser just secretly wants to be besties with Mario.
3 My Farmer Vs. Marnie When Her Store Is Closed And I Need To Buy Animal Feed
Stardew Valley
We’ve all been there. We’ve run out of animal feed for our farm animals in Stardew Valley, and waltzed on down to Marnie’s farm to buy some more. Then, tragedy strikes. You didn’t realise it was Monday. Marnie is not at the counter.
Whenever this happened to me, the anger I felt towards Marnie could only rival a jilted lover. Who closes on Mondays? And how do you know to always be closed when I need you open the most?! Mayor Lewis needs to watch out, because the intensity of these feelings could turn into something more than rivalry.
2 Me Vs. The Traitor Lord In Hollow Knight God I Hate That Thing
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight is a hard game. I knew this going into it. What I didn’t know is how much grief the Traitor Lord would give me. That thing took me days. I have never felt rage like it. Even now, I can feel it stirring up again.
It is my number one rival not just in video games, but in life. I can only imagine this is how it feels to be a JRPG protagonist with a childhood friend or hero who turned out to be a villain. That is to say, the Traitor Lord is my Sephiroth, and I am Cloud.
1 Red And Blue
Pokemon
Red and Blue feel like the origin of all video game rivalries, made even deeper by the fact you can nickname Blue anything you want. You can go the classic route and name him after your sibling, or you can call him something stupid and rude. Really, Blue has all the rights to be mad at Red, when you think about it.
The best part of Red and Blue’s rivalry, however, is how it evolved and matured. No longer are Red and Blue young trainers running around the Kanto region with each other. Now they’re older, they’re chill with each other, and even visited Alola together in Sun & Moon. They’re a true example of how even rivals can grow, evolve (get it?), and be even closer on the other side.
I really wanted to include a rivalry between women that fit the ‘too much chemistry’ description, but I couldn’t find a single pairing in a game. Where are our weird and toxic video game women who might actually be in love, please? I don’t think I’m asking for too much here.
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