Capes

M. Bison was obviously inspired by a character named Washizaki from the Riki-Oh manga who was noteworthy for wearing a military uniform and a cape. Like Washizaki before him, Bison’s square jaw, pronounced shoulder pads, and iconic visor cap make him look like an imposing figure of authority. This is even more pronounced when he’s wearing a cape, since it gives him the approximate proportions of a brick shithouse. Bison technically takes his cape off before he fights in Street Fighter II, but he does so in a dramatic fashion and he’s noteworthy for being the first character in the series to have a unique intro animation. He opts to keep the cape on during battle in the Street Fighter Alpha games, and the would-be dictator has never looked more powerful or indestructible.

Capes are commonplace in the Fire Emblem universe. They are especially popular with mages and lords, and seemingly every character in Radiant Dawn wore one after they were promoted. They don’t serve a practical purpose as far as gameplay is concerned, but they can make almost anyone look noble and majestic. Many Fire Emblem capes were considered for this list, but none stood out more than Sanaki’s. The young empress is only 10-years-old when we meet her, but her cape looks like it was meant for a full-grown adult. This is oddly appropriate when you consider that her position was also intended for grown-ups. Sanaki acts impulsively and is captivated by candy, but she was expected to grow into her role as empress. Perhaps the dutiful ruler will also grow into her elaborate cape one day.

There’s no valid reason why a robot would need to wear a cape, but much in the same way that Proto Man’s scarf helped him stand out in the original Mega Man series, Sigma’s cape gives him a commanding presence in the Mega Man X games. Sigma was created to protect humans from hostile robots called Mavericks, but he switched his allegiance after being infected by a virus. It was around this point that Sigma started wearing a cape, so it’s safe to assume that it’s supposed to make him look more menacing. Sigma is technically destroyed on multiple occasions, but he’s able to build himself a new body since his programming always manages to survive. He’d frequently change his colors, his weapons, and even his size, so the fact that he kept going back to the cape speaks volumes.

There is no shortage of Final Fantasy characters who wear capes, but none stand out in my mind more than the dark sorcerer, Golbez. Capes are commonly worn by wizards, rulers, and super villains, and Golbez could be classified as all three. An imposing figure in black armor, Golbez comes across as cruel and heartless. It’s eventually revealed that he had been corrupted by darkness and wasn’t quite as evil as his appearance suggested. He’s basically the Final Fantasy equivalent of Darth Vader, and it would be hard to imagine either figure without a cape. The horns on his helmet and shoulders paint a picture of a merciless warrior, but his cape infers authority. Golbez appears to be the source of all conflict in Final Fantasy IV, and his dark cape is a perfect fit for his dark personality.

The true antagonist of Kirby’s Adventure, Nightmare takes control of the Fountain of Dreams in a bid to spread nightmares to the inhabitants of Dream Land. The dark figure could be likened to a wizard or a vampire, and his appearance is almost entirely defined by his cape. (His outfit also includes silver pauldrons, a small medallion, and radical sunglasses, but the guy’s 80% cape.) Nightmare attacks with star-shaped energy blasts and his spinning tornado-like body, but he’s invincible whenever he cocoons himself in his cape. It basically allows him to hide in pure darkness. If he were smart, he’d just wrap himself up in his cape and let Kirby tire himself out. Nightmare was the last boss in one of the greatest NES games of all-time, but he would have been a complete pushover if it wasn’t for his cape.

One of the advantages of wearing a cape is that it can make you look bigger than you actually are. This seems like overkill when you’re 144 feet tall and weigh 130 tons, but the Vysaga’s billowing red cape makes it look even more intimidating. The cape not only accentuates its size, but it also makes it easier to track its movement. This is especially important, as the Vysaga can move faster than the human eye can follow. As an added bonus, the cape also serves as a functional shield and protects the giant robot from enemy fire. The Vysaga isn’t the only figure from Super Robot Wars that wears a cape, of course. The Aussenseiter and the JinRai were both considered for this list as well. Ultimately, I decided to recognize the Vysaga simply because it pre-dates them both. You can’t talk about fashion without acknowledging the trendsetters.

Loosely based on the legendary 16th-century Japanese warlord, Oda Nobunaga is the main villain of the Sengoku BASARA series. A single-minded tyrant who aims to rule the entire world, the so-called “Devil King of the Sixth Heaven” is armed with swords, shotguns, and the souls of his fallen enemies. His cape is also used as a weapon from time to time, which speaks to Nobunaga’s resourcefulness. The cape can even be used for defensive purposes when it’s not being used for cruel attacks! (This might explain why it looks so tattered.) As an added bonus, the cape looks amazing on the battlefield. It makes him the focal point of any conflict, and the vivid red fabric provides a nice contrast to his dark armor. The cape looks especially regal whenever Nobunaga is on horseback or moving at high speeds.

Alucard’s capes could have made it onto this list based on style alone, and it’s pretty mesmerizing to watch them trail behind him as he runs and leaps through the halls of Castlevania. The reason why Alucard is ranked so highly, however, is because his capes are both fashionable and functional. While performing a double-jump, his cape takes on the form of falcon wings to give him an extra boost. When held open, his cape can conjure multiple fireballs and launch them at his enemies. The cape also changes its shape to become bat wings when Alucard transforms, and the color of the bat’s wings are even determined by the color of his cape’s lining. Shooting fireballs is optional, but Alucard would have hit a number of impassable roadblocks without the ability to double-jump or turn into a bat.

I usually avoid mentioning customizable avatars or self-insert characters on this site since their character traits aren’t well-defined. This list is more about clothing than the person wearing it, so there was no way I could overlook RuneScape. There are a number of special capes to obtain in the game, but none are more exclusive than the trimmed completionist cape. True to its name, the cape is only available to players who have finished the game. It has the best stats of any cape in the game, but it’s kind of pointless since players are required to max out their skills and complete all the quests before they unlock it. Still, anyone who wears the cape will be granted bragging rights. Over 200 million RuneScape accounts have been created since 2001, but fewer than 1,500 players are confirmed to have unlocked the cape.

The raccoon leaf from Super Mario Bros. 3 was a big act to follow, but the magic cape from Super Mario World is even more useful. Wearing the cape allows Mario (or Luigi) to perform a spinning attack that can destroy most enemies or projectiles. It also grants the power of flight, and a skilled player will be able to stay in the air indefinitely. Mario can fly over entire stages without encountering any enemies, but he always has the option of descending from the skies with a thunderous dive-bomb attack. When you consider how easy it is to obtain, it’s within reason to described the cape as the most over-powered item in the entire Mario series. The cape also appears in the Super Smash Bros. games – where it allows Mario to deflect projectiles or spin his opponents around.