The 10 Best Rivalries in Video Game History, Ranked

Image via Nintendo Published Sep 27, 2026, 5:26 AM EDT Writing from the Chicagoland area in Illinois, Robert is an avid movie watcher and will take just about any excuse to find time to go to his local movie theaters. Robert graduated from Bradley University with degrees in Journalism and Game Design with a minor in Film Studies. Robert tries his best to keep up with all the latest movie releases, from those released in theaters to those released on streaming. While he doesn't always keep up with the latest TV shows, he makes it a goal to watch nearly every major new release possible. He has been honing his craft and following any and all movie news all his life, leading up to now, where he has a vast knowledge of film and film history. He also logs every movie that he watches on his Letterboxd page, and has hosted a weekly online movie night with his closest friends for over 6 years. Sign in to your Collider account A classic rivalry between two distinct, memorable characters has been a staple of narrative storytelling long before the advent of video games, yet something about the medium of gaming has made it perfect for the concept and longevity of many memorable rivalries. From an iconic hero constantly going toe-to-toe with an equally iconic villain to the rivalries that eventually form a sense of camaraderie and respect, actively playing as one or both of the characters in these rivalries makes them that much more impactful and memorable. It further helps that these rivalries don't just stand out for one amazing game, but have evolved and grown across generations of gaming in some of the biggest franchises in gaming history. Gaming as an art form simply wouldn't be the same without these rivalries, whether they be fan favorites of hardcore gamers or instantly recognizable to even those not as familiar with video games. Even as new games and effective rivalries are released, it's difficult to imagine any of them coming close to the strength of these iconic rivalries. 10 Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth 'Ace Attorney' Games (2001–Present) For a game series all about defending clients in the court of law, it only makes sense that there would be a consistent rivalry between Ace Attorney series protagonist Phoenix Wright and the leading prosecutor, Miles Edgeworth. However, their actions and battles in court only scratch the surface of the dynamic between these two, as they have grown up as childhood friends and see their rivalry as a way to further drive and invigorate their work. Their rivalry and friendship grow especially deeper as the games go on, bringing out the best in one another both in terms of their work and character. This rivalry and duo work so effectively thanks to how initially stark their personalities seem to be, with Phoenix being always joyous and optimistic about his clients' innocence, while Edgeworth is more jaded and quick to see the ruthlessness of the world around him. It makes for a lot of great banter between the two throughout the series, as even when Phoenix goes up against other prosecutors, none have left quite the impact that Edgeworth has. 9 Dante and Virgil 'Devil May Cry' Games (2001–Present) The bonds of blood and brotherhood are a quick and easy way to make for a powerful and emotionally striking rivalry, with one of the very best being the half-human, half-demon twin brothers of Dante and Vergil from Devil May Cry. While Vergil didn't have a major appearance in the series until the prequel game Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening, his rivalry and parallels with Dante quickly made him a fan-favorite character in the franchise. This was further amplified when the character made a prominent return in Devil May Cry 5, where he and Dante continued their rivalry and even decided to team up in the game's ending. The massive similarities prove to make their divides and differences that much more polarizing, with Dante embracing his human side and fighting demons while Vergil has embraced his demonic side to follow in his father's footsteps. Like many of the best attributes of the series, their rivalry thrives on the rule of cool, where giant swords and spectacle make their battles that much more impactful. Their rivalry even continues outside the series, with both of them being playable characters in fighting video games like Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. 8 Solid Snake and Liquid Snake 'Metal Gear' Games (1987–Present) Snake has faced off against many powerful villains throughout the Metal Gear series, yet the deeper connections and lasting impact of his rivalry with Liquid Snake in Metal Gear Solid are easily a step above the rest. Acting as the primary antagonist of Metal Gear Solid, Liquid stands at the forefront of some of the game's most iconic moments, including his reveal as the true identity of Master Miller and their shirtless battle on top of the wreckage of Metal Gear Rex. What really makes Liquid the premier rival for Solid Snake is how they both share origins as soldiers created by cloning the legendary Big Boss. Even after Liquid dies at the end of the first Metal Gear Solid, his influence stretches throughout the rest of the games, including his arm being transplanted to Liquid Ocelot in Metal Gear Solid 2, his consciousness taking over Ocelot's body in Metal Gear Solid 4, and even appearing as a 12-year-old child in the prequel Metal Gear Solid V. 7 Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima 'Yakuza' Games (2005–Present) The rivalry between Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima from the Yakuza series is one that initially began with the classic carnage and ruthlessness of underground crime, yet both sides of this rivalry grew to respect and honor one another as the series goes on. Both having history as members of respective Yakuza clans, the duo grow an unlikely bond initially brought on by frequent battles, only to foster respect as Majima respects Kiryu's stature as the perfect rival. In a series where the main characters partake in wild minigames just as often as they do the grounded emotional storytelling, the rivalry between Kiryu and Majima almost acts like a microcosm of the series as a whole. The rivalry has its silly and over-the-top moments, but at its center there is a level of respect and honor as these characters amass strength not just physically, but in their character and actions. 6 Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Eggman 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Games (1991–Present) With Sonic the Hedgehog being one of the most recognizable video game characters of all time, it would only make sense that the villain of the franchise, Dr. Eggman (or Dr. Robotnik), would be equally iconic. Even as various other villains have appeared in the series, the rivalry and frequent battles between Sonic and Eggman are a constant in the series from the first game up until the latest entry. The rivalry takes many different forms and tones, able to work both seriously and comedically. From the very beginning, it's been a rivalry defined by freedom fighting against the evils of technological progression, with Eggman's forcing of woodland creatures to control his robots making him a constant enemy of the freedom-loving Sonic. Even as later entries of the series have minimized this, their rivalry has continued strong for decades as one of the most iconic in video game history. Collider Exclusive · 8 Questions · 2 Minutes Which Iconic Fandom Should You Join? Harry Potter · Lord of the Rings · Star Wars · Star Trek Eight honest questions about how you actually are: what you put on when you need cheering up, how deep you go into the things you love, what you argue about, what you keep on your shelf. Answer them and we will tell you where you belong. Four of the biggest fandoms on earth are taking new members, and they could not be more different from one another. ⚡Harry Potter(Wizarding World) 💍Lord of the Rings(Middle-earth) ⚔️Star Wars(A Galaxy Far Away) 🖖Star Trek(The Final Frontier) FIND YOUR PEOPLE → 01 What do you put on when you need cheering up? Nobody is brave about this one. AThe same thing I have watched a hundred times. BSomething long, slow and beautiful. CSomething big and loud with a great score. DOne clever episode of something hopeful. NEXT QUESTION → 02 How deep do you go into something you love? There is no shallow end here, only different deep ends. AI know every character and all the gossip. BI have read the appendices and studied the maps. CI have a ranked opinion on every instalment. DI want to know how the world actually works. NEXT QUESTION → 03 What do you and your friends actually argue about? Every fandom has one argument it has been having for years. AWhich one of us is which type. BWhether the adaptation got it right. CWhether the new stuff ruined the old stuff. DWhether the right thing was actually done. NEXT QUESTION → 04 How do you feel about a room full of strangers? Every one of these comes with a very big room. AGreat, and I will know everybody by the end. BFine, as long as they take it seriously. CBrilliant, especially if there is something to dress up for. DHappy, provided the conversation is interesting. NEXT QUESTION → 05 Where would you rather spend a week? Pick on instinct rather than on budget. AAn old castle somewhere rainy. BMountains, long walks, no phone signal. CA desert with an unbelievable night sky. DA city built around a university. NEXT QUESTION → 06 What do you believe about people, mostly? All four of these stories have an answer, and they disagree. AMost of them turn out better than expected. BThe smallest ones decide the biggest things. CAnybody can change, even very late on. DWe work it out if we keep talking. NEXT QUESTION → 07 What is actually on your shelf? Look over at it before you answer. AEverything I owned when I was twelve. BHardbacks, in order, read more than once. CFigures, posters, and a few things still boxed. DBooks about how things work, plus a model or two. NEXT QUESTION → 08 What do you actually want from a story? Eight questions in, this is the one that picks your fandom. AA place I can go back to whenever I need it. BA world complete enough to get lost in. CSomething huge I can share with everybody. DAn idea that changes how I think. REVEAL MY FANDOM → Membership Confirmed Your Fandom Is…Four of the largest communities on the planet, and four completely different reasons to belong to one. Here is yours, what it would give you, and the argument you would be having within a week. Harry PotterYou belong to the fandom that is really about comfort. Hogwarts works on people because it is a place rather than a plot, and the pull is not the wizard war so much as the corridors, the food, the weather and the sense that somebody is expecting you. You are drawn to belonging, which is why this fandom sorted itself into houses within about five minutes and has never stopped. This is the most social of the four, and the one most likely to know which type every single person in your life would be. The books are built to be reread rather than analysed, and rereading is exactly what you do with things you love. The new HBO series is bringing the whole thing back one book at a time, which means the arguments are about to start all over again. Lord of the RingsYou belong to the deepest fandom on this list, the one where somebody has always read further than you and is quietly delighted to say so. Middle-earth rewards patience more than any other world in popular culture. You like the sense that the story you are reading is only the visible part of something enormous, which is precisely how Tolkien built it. This fandom takes adaptation seriously to a degree that other fandoms find slightly alarming, and it has good reasons for that. Your favourite thing about the books is probably the bit that is not action at all, which is the walking, the songs and the long goodbyes. Nobody here thinks heroism belongs to the powerful, and the whole story exists to make that argument. Star WarsYou belong to the loudest and largest tent of the four, the one where three generations are all watching the same thing and none of them agree about any of it. That disagreement is not a flaw in this fandom, it is the main activity. You want something you can share with absolutely everybody, from a six year old to a grandparent, and this is the only one on the list that really does that. Nobody argues like Star Wars fans argue, and the argument has been running since roughly 1980 with no sign of resolution. The pull here is sensory before it is narrative, since it is the sound design, the score and the look of a used and dented galaxy. You would be first in the queue, in costume, with strong opinions and a genuinely good time. Star TrekYou belong to the thinking fandom, the one that turns up for the argument rather than the explosion. Trek has always been a series of ethical problems in space, and the people who love it love being asked what they would have done. You are an optimist in a way that is currently unfashionable, and this is the only major franchise still willing to say the future might be better. The best episodes are the ones where nobody fires anything, which is a sentence that makes perfect sense to this fandom and to nobody else. Starfleet Academy brought the franchise back to a classroom in 2026, which is appropriate, because Trek has always been a bit of a seminar. You would want the conversation afterwards more than the episode itself, and here you will always find somebody willing to have it. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ 5 Link and Ganon 'The Legend of Zelda' Games (1986–Present) While many other video game rivalries are of a singular version of two characters, the rivalry between Link and Ganon spans across multiple timelines, reincarnations, and universes. For as long as there is an entity that seeks to abuse the Triforce of Power, there will always be one who utilizes the Triforce of Courage, standing up for what is right. This timeless rivalry of good and evil is at the heart of almost every game in The Legend of Zelda series, no matter what form Ganon takes. While Link has a relatively similar look in most of the games, Ganon has taken on many different forms and styles, whether he be a boar wizard, the Gerudo warrior Ganondorf, or a manifestation of hatred and anger itself. From the first game in the series on NES to the latest games on Nintendo Switch, this rivalry has waged on in many different forms, each symbolic of the timeless plight for righteousness and good triumphing over evil. 4 Scorpion and Sub-Zero 'Mortal Kombat' Games (1992–Present) Interestingly enough, Scorpion and Sub-Zero didn't start off as direct rivals, as they both just happened to be the most memorable and iconic characters in the original Mortal Kombat, with many parallels of being color-palette swaps and using converging elements of fire and ice. This status of becoming series icons placed them in the position to constantly be battling against one another, given greater lore connecting the two in a battle of revenge. However, as multiple different characters have taken on the mantle of Scorpion and Sub-Zero respectively, some versions of this rivalry have had the duo grow into unlikely companions. However, no matter what reason these two have for facing off against one another, their ruthlessly gory battles have stood at the forefront of Mortal Kombat as it evolved and grew more and more with each additional entry. By the time that the Mortal Kombat games became at the forefront of narrative storytelling in fighting games, this rivalry was given the justice it deserves and grew alongside the series itself. 3 Cloud Strife and Sephiroth 'Final Fantasy VII' Games (1997–Present) With so many different moving pieces and symbolic flourishes in the story and mythos of Final Fantasy VII, the battles between Cloud Strife and Sephiroth stand as the core that brings everything together for a rivalry that defines the fate of the world. With the duo sharing a psychological bond and trauma thanks to their time as former soldiers, they soon foster a deep-rooted hatred for one another. This hatred only grows worse as the game goes on, with Cloud learning more about his past and Sephiroth committing more evil deeds, most infamously his murder of Aerith Gainsborough. This grows to massive stakes as Sephiroth attempts to bring about the end of the world in the climax of Final Fantasy VII, with Cloud and his allies fighting to stop him once and for all. While the rivalry itself is relatively muted in the original game, it has been massively explored and delved into more in spinoffs and especially the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. 2 Ryu and Ken 'Street Fighter' Games (1987–Present) Fighting games as a genre lend themselves to rivalries more than any other genre, as even outside of the game's world, facing off against another player inherently creates a rivalry between the two players, whether it be seriously competitive or easygoing fun. In the world of fighting games, no singular rivalry symbolizes this inherent strength, like Ryu and Ken from Street Fighter, two best friends who trained under the same master to be the greatest fighters in the world. Ryu and Ken's rivalry does not come from a place of hatred, but instead from constant friendship and respect for one another as they fight their hardest against one another to bring out the best in each other. It's a beautiful rivalry that cuts to the heart of fighting games as a genre and has only grown more prominent with each additional entry. More impactful is that Ryu and Ken have the same gameplay archetype, sharing special moves but having enough distinguishing differences to set them apart. 1 Mario and Bowser 'Super Mario' Games (1985–Present) Image via Nintendo In terms of the iconic status of a video game rivalry, it's difficult for anything to compete with the most iconic video game character of all time facing off against the most iconic video game villain of all time. While Bowser wasn't the first villain to cross Mario's path, since Mario's origins trace back to the arcades with Donkey Kong, it cannot be denied that the constant battles against the king of koopas and this plucky plumber have made their rivalry legendary. It's a rivalry that has been explored in many different ways across the over 100 different Mario games, although often it takes the form of Bowser being a vengeful final boss responsible for Mario's journey in the first place. Even in games where Bowser isn't the main villain, his presence and hatred of Mario are always known and apparent. It simply isn't a Mario game without Bowser, and Bowser wouldn't be nearly as impactful a villain without his exceptional contrast with Mario. Super Mario Bros. 3 Released October 23, 1988 ESRB E For Everyone Developer(s) Nintendo R&D4 Publisher(s) Nintendo Multiplayer Local Multiplayer Franchise Super Mario