Crash Bandicoot is one of my most beloved and favorite franchises of all time. What makes a series stand out? The characters and the world they inhabit. Crash has no shortage of quirky, funny, and outlandish friends and foes he has encountered over the past 30 years. In no particular order, here are the top 10 Best Crash Bandicoot characters.
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Top 10 best Crash Bandicoot characters
10. The Evil Twins
Twinsanity has its fair share of shortcomings, but its villains are not one of them. Victor and Maurice are some of the best-written characters in any Crash game. Originally Cortex’s pets, they were accidentally sent to the 10th dimension. There they mutated into evil geniuses with a vendetta against Cortex and a hunger for world domination. Their endless supply of henchmen, sky-high IQ, and epic final boss fight make for a great finale in an otherwise okay game.
9. Madam Amberly
The headmistress of the Academy of Evil, where the worst of the worst go to become the best of the best villains. Cortex’s former schoolteacher, she always told him he would never amount to anything. After infiltrating the Academy of Evil, she ambushes him in an attempt to finish off her least-favorite student once and for all. A delightfully cliché evil accent and cartoonish design make her one of the better characters in the post–Naughty Dog years. There’s a huge opportunity for lore expansion with her and the school—she’s a character who needs to make a return for sure.
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8. Koala Kong
One of the first experiments with Cortex’s Evolve-o-Ray. An adorable little koala is turned into a muscular monstrosity with an urge to crush Crash Bandicoot flat. This guy left a lasting impression on players back in ’96 for his Herculean strength and vanity (always doing those vanity poses). Able to throw boulders like they’re made of Styrofoam, this is one marsupial you wouldn’t want to arm wrestle.
7. N. Brio
Cortex’s former right-hand man, Dr. N. Brio is the most delightfully cliché mad scientist this series has to offer. A Frankenstein-like doctor with bolts, a stuttering problem, and more chemicals than you can shake a stick at, Brio always has something up his sleeve when it comes to stopping Crash Bandicoot. Be especially careful when he takes his “medicine”—the side effects are monstrous.
6. N. Gin
Another crazed scientist with the goal of ending Crash. A stubby little madman with an Austrian accent, Peter Lorre–esque characteristics, and a very fashionable headpiece. He packs serious firepower and stands out as one of the few genuinely challenging bosses throughout the series. I dare say his fight in Warped might just be the best in the whole series.
5. Crunch
A former foe turned ally. Crunch was at one point Cortex’s ultimate creation, meant to be Crash’s definitive downfall. What made Crunch an interesting boss in Wrath of Cortex is that he is actually the only boss. Each time you face him, he’s powered by a different elemental mask with unique abilities—covering himself in a rock ball, becoming pure water, wielding the power of fire and lava, and my personal favorite: a giant cloud monstrosity. After defeating him and Cortex, the mind control that had been controlling Crunch ceases, and he immediately turns on Cortex. Afterwards, he joins Crash and Coco and becomes a beloved, cherished member of the Bandicoot family.
4. Ripper Roo
My personal favorite villain from Crash 1. A blue menace in a straitjacket, manic laugh, and a penchant for blowing himself up in the most hilarious way possible. Despite his madness, this is a man of culture and sophistication. He eventually goes through therapy, gets his PhD, and becomes a bestselling author. True story, bro.
3. Dr. Neo Cortex
The big baddie himself—Crash’s creator and archnemesis. Cortex invented the Evolve-o-Ray intending to create an army of super animals, with a certain Bandicoot as his general. Needless to say, it didn’t work—and the biggest mistake of Cortex’s life was made. Ever since, he and our favorite marsupial have been duking it out for the fate of the world. This, of course, hasn’t stopped him from working with Crash when it suits his interests. Cortex is one of the quintessential ’90s villains and the perfect yin to Crash’s yang.
2. Coco
The brains behind the good guys’ operations. Making her debut in Crash 2, Coco Bandicoot is Crash’s younger sister with an IQ north of the stratosphere. Whenever the villains rear their ugly head and Crash needs backup, you can always count on her to use her wits and inventing skills to help save the day. Don’t let her intelligence fool you—she is a fighter as well as a thinker and will spin you out of the picture if you give her attitude.
1. Crash
I mean, how could he not be? Crash was one of the OG mascots on the original PlayStation—he really had a CRASH landing. This wasn’t just another cute and cuddly animal character. He was wild, chaotic, clumsy, dimwitted, and almost completely clueless. Crash, as stated above, was intended to be the general and lead Cortex’s army to world domination. Thankfully this experiment failed—and our hero was born. Time and time again, this orange furball has proven his skill as a hero who will always put his neck on the line to save the world. With his wacky ’90s cool attitude, Crash has withstood the test of time as one of the most cherished and beloved icons of his era. Hopefully we can see this wacky marsupial back in action sooner rather than later.
These are the best of the best in the world of Crash Bandicoot,
