This Little Piggie

The aptly-named Midbus is a recurring mid boss in Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story. The brawny pig-like creature isn’t especially intelligent and his sentences seldom make sense, but he’s quick to point out that sense is for the weak. Although he’s physically imposing and extremely dangerous, Midbus is content to follow the orders of the eccentric wizard, Fawful. Midbus is tasked with guarding Bowser’s castle and squares off against the King of the Koopas on three separate occasions. There aren’t many individuals who would stand up to Bowser like that, so you know Midbus is the real deal. After facing defeat at the hands of Bowser, he re-emerges as Blizzard Midbus and uses ice-based techniques to counter Bowser’s fiery breath. Without question, Midbus is one of the most dangerous opponents Bowser has ever encountered.

Pig” has been used as a derogatory term since the 16th century and has been specifically used to insult police officers since the early 1800s. Duke Nukem took the insult to a literal place by modeling its police officers in the likeness of swine. The Pig Cops were members of the L.A.P.D. who were mutated by aliens during an invasion. Driven by a desire to kill the remaining humans in Los Angeles, the Pig Cops arm themselves with large shotguns and occasionally use tanks or other specialized vehicles. Somewhere along the line, they traded in their L.A.P.D. uniforms for ones that read L.A.R.D. instead. At least they have a sense of humor. The Pig Cops exhibit a blind rage when they detect the scent of a human, but they do not attack women. That’s probably why feminists are so fond of the series.

Pigs are the primary enemies in both Tomba! games. There are a total of 14 magical Evil Pigs who act as bosses in the series, but I’m choosing to recognize the subordinative Koma Pigs for a few reasons. They are the most common enemies encountered in the games, they are prominently featured in marketing materials, and they are front and center on the cover of Tomba!. Simply put, the Koma Pigs are more visible than any of the Evil Pig bosses and they are the enemies most closely associated with the Tomba! franchise. They have no special powers, their attacks are limited, and they are somewhat lacking in common sense, but it’s a lot of fun to jump on their backs and throw them across the screen. The Evil Pig bosses each have their own unique personalities, but the Koma Pigs are lovable pranksters in their own right.

Pigs are often defined by their ravenous hunger. In Hoggmeiser’s case, his appetite is for money rather than food. Hoggmeiser was once employed as a butler to the King of the Netherworld. Following the king’s death, Hoggmeiser claimed the entirety of the estate for himself. With his newfound wealth, Hoggmeiser built himself a castle and erected a wall to keep others out. Hoggmeiser became known as the richest demon around, but his obsession with money made him a lot of enemies. His son, Porkmeiser, was saddened by his father’s insatiable greed, and just wanted his father back. Ultimately, Porkmeiser’s bravery and kindness helped Hoggmeiser see the error of his ways. Hoggmeiser relinquished the wealth that he had taken from the king, but he stayed in the money game and opened up his own financial firm later in life.

Angry Birds is one of the most successful video games ever released, and the Bad Piggies deserve a lot of the credit. If it wasn’t for the pigs, the birds wouldn’t have been angry in the first place! Nobody would play the game if the birds were happy. King Pig is the leader of the Bad Piggies and the primary antagonist of the Angry Bird series. With the help of his minions, he devises several plans to steal unhatched eggs from the birds to use as a food source. His subjects believe that King Pig has an entire stockpile of eggs, but the truth of the matter is that his stash is empty. In spite of all of his scheming, he has never actually tasted an egg. King Pig is known for his strength and is nearly invincible, but he’s terrified that his subjects would force him from his throne if they ever learned the truth. Heavy is the head the wears the crown.

For thousands of years, mankind has wondered what would happen if a pig could somehow be a wizard too. Wizpig is the answer to this age-old question. The giant alien pig decided to conquer his home planet out of sheer boredom. He succeeded in his goal, and his planet was transformed into a high-tech amusement park in the process. Unfortunately, he got bored (again) and decided to look for excitement on other planets. It was at this point that Wizpig discovered the thrill of racing. To fulfill his need for speed, Wizpig decided to race against various woodland creatures for some reason. His motives are never fully explained, but the mystery is what makes him so compelling. As far as villains go, most media scholars rank Wizpig alongside the likes of Darth Vader and Count Dracula as one of the all-time greats.

Pigma was a member of the original StarFox team, headed by James McCloud. During a mission on a hostile planet, Pigma betrayed his teammates and lead them into a deadly trap set by the enemy. Delighted by the downfall of the StarFox team, Wolf O’Donnell invited Pigma to fly as part of the StarWolf team. Shortly thereafter, StarWolf was hired to eliminate the new StarFox team which was helmed by James McCloud’s son, Fox. Pigma took great pleasure in mocking Fox about his father’s death, and his sadistic nature was on display as he recounted how James screamed before he died. StarWolf was unsuccessful in their bid to eliminate StarFox, and Pigma was later expelled from the team due to his distrustful nature. Pigma took his dismissal in stride, however, and continued to satisfy his greed as a freelance criminal.

One of three starter Pokémon available at the beginning of Pokémon Black and White, Tepigs are charming creatures who spend most of their time wandering around aimlessly and eating berries. They are among the most adorable Pokémon in existence, and it’s hard not to be endeared by their curly tails and clumsy movements. In contrast to pretty much everyone else on this list, Tegigs actually move around on all fours like real pigs do. Unlike real pigs, they can blow fire out of their snouts. This ability helps them in battle and also comes in handy when they want to roast their food. Tepigs evolve into bulky Pignites and mighty Emboars, but I’m partial to their original form. They gain strength through evolution, but they lose much of their charm. Despite their small size, Tepigs have big dreams and even bigger hearts.

Uncle Pey’j is an engineer, a handyman, and the co-owner of the Lighthouse shelter that houses orphans. A dedicated inventor who spends a lot of time in his workshop, Pey’j is renowned for his mechanical know-how. His potbellied figure limits his mobility and combat options, but he can fix anything as long as he has the right tools and parts. Pey’j is grumpy at times and has trouble trusting anyone, but this is due to his past experiences. As the leader of an underground rebel organization, Pey’j has seen and done it all. His network operates in over a dozen systems across the galaxy, but Pey’j manages to keep his true identity a secret in order to protect those who are closest to him. Pigs are often depicted to be lazy and selfish beasts, but Pey’j dedicates his entire life to helping those in need.

Before taking on his familiar pig form, Ganondorf was born into a human race known as the Gerudo. As the only male Gerudo born in 100 years, Ganondorf was king by birthright. His political position helped him to earn the trust of surrounding nations, and Ganondorf used his power of manipulation and his knowledge of dark arts to gain entrance to the Sacred Realm where the Triforce was kept. The Triforce had been left behind by the goddesses who created the land of Hyrule and was said to grant the wish of anyone who could obtain it. The relic made Ganondorf unimaginably strong, and his insatiable lust for power caused darkness to fall over the entire Sacred Realm. The ugliness within Ganondorf’s heart also caused him to physically transform into a monstrous, boar-like creature that would eternally be known as Ganon.