This Is The Most Popular Mario Kart Character, According To A New Study

Every seasoned Mario Kart player has their go-to characters and karts, whether it be for speed, control, or simple favoritism. Since the racing series' creation in 1992, multiple characters have been added from Nintendo's other popular franchises, like Animal Crossing and Splatoon, in addition to classic Mario characters. Now there are 41 playable characters in the latest installment, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Redex, a company that provides fuel additives for cars, published a survey about the most popular Mario Kart characters, and the winner may surprise you. Redex asked 2,000 people about their favorite racing characters, as well as their favorite Mario Kart courses, items, and games in the series. Overall, the survey found that Rainbow Road, despite being notoriously difficult, is actually the most popular course. Let's take a look at who took first place for the most popular character.

Since Mario is the titular character, it may not be surprising to see that he is the most popular character with 11 percent of votes. However, he tied percentage-wise with Peach, and only led the race by two votes. Yoshi and Toad took third and fourth place with eight percent each, while Baby Peach came in fifth place with five percent. Game of the Year contender Animal Crossing: New Horizons' "Villager" character also made the top 10 list, which Redex noted could be due to the popular life simulation game's release this year.

Redex also asked survey participants about what influenced their character choices. According to the responses, speed was the most important factor with 42 percent of votes. 36 percent of participants said that they choose characters based on appearance and "cuteness." A character's ability to corner accounted for only 22 percent of votes.

No matter who players choose as their racers, a 2020 financial summary from Nintendo revealed that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe remains one of the company's most popular games, with more than 4.21 million units sold. The racing series is likely to be a hit among families and friends for years to come.