Nintendo’s franchises have always been known for their family-friendly approach, and together they’ve helped build a video game empire that has lasted over 35 years. These iconic characters have become so ingrained in pop culture that one would need a tractor to yank them out.
The fan art community has always been inspired by the characters that populate these franchises, but every once in a while a trend makes waves that inspires creative new design choices. One such wave is the zombie trend, and here’s 10 pieces of fan art showcasing Nintendo characters that have fallen victim to it!
10 Zombie ‘Shroom
The little mushroom that grants big powers seems to have undergone quite a transformation in this quirky zombie-inspired re-imagining. It’s part of a zombie line of character drawings from Black Booze Illustrations, all of which blend a hip art style with some nice coloring work.
The soulless, sickly yellow eyes and less-than-enthusiastic facial expression is a zombie-lite take in comparison to some of the more grisly fan art depictions out there, and it’s a humorous alternative that even the kids can enjoy.
9 Zombie Yoshi
Yoshi is one of the most adorable mascots in Nintendo’s lineup, if not all of gaming. Unfortunately, his zombie persona is anything but cuddly!
State Of The Art Tattoo inked this killer (literally) tattoo of Yoshi, complete with exposed internal organs and bones. It’s a cutesy attempt to zombify the character, but no less intimidating for those who get too close!
8 Zombie Mario
We may never look at our favorite plumber the same way again after this grisly take by dlincoln83. Here, Mario is far from the charming, happy-go-lucky Italian fellow who gleefully stomps on turtle shells and breaks the fourth wall while flashing the peace sign.
Instead, he’s a raving, possessed monster with entrails spilling out of his abdomen, and gore seeping from his withered, bony jawline. It’s a sinister zombification of a beloved video game hero, and one more childhood memory ruined!
7 Zombie Samus
agentscarlet brings Samus Aran to life…er, death with this zombified rendition. The oil painting style is especially artistic, and the use of drab blues and muted yellows sells the idea that her Power Suit has fallen off, leaving a rotting corpse underneath.
The inclusion of a single shoulder pauldron on the right shoulder is flanked by a decayed bicep to the left, and the pose suggests a classic zombie shuffle as established in George Romero’s Living Dead films.
6 Zombie Link
oshikuma forces gamers to abandon all hope with this chilling portrait of Link, who appears to have seen better days. His right arm has been lopped off at the blow, and his legs look ready to buckle at the calf muscles.
His gore-stained Master Sword is a nice nod to the Zelda franchise, and quite chilling when one realizes that even Ganon himself would run for the hills at the sight of it.
5 Zombie Bowser
Bowser is a menacing antagonist on a normal day, but imagine a zombified version of the character wreaking havoc across the Mushroom Kingdom! DragonSpirit469 brings him to life with this interpretation that looks like traditional Bowser crossed with a Death Claw from the Fallout franchise.
It’s a beefier, much more aggressive take on the character that eschews the cute cartoon aesthetic in favor of a much more wicked style, complete with sharp lines and accented features.
4 Zombie Peach
Amanda Dockery somehow manages to blend horror and beauty into this zombie take on Princess Peach, and it’s a fascinating work because of it. Here, Peach doesn’t look particularly malevolent or threatening. She simply looks undead.
The use of bright blond hair and a sparkling crown offsets Peach’s torn dress and fleshy parts, complete with exposed internals. Giving her a kiss might be too much to ask, but at least she doesn’t look like she wants to devour any brains - for now.
3 Zombie Bluebear
Ricky Romero took his artistic style to Animal Crossing and struck down the entire furry populace with the zombie virus. This disjointed and freaky take on Bluebear is no less grisly to behold, despite the traditional children’s art style.
Here, Bluebear seems to be dancing gleefully on top of his own grave, and his single eye seems far more malevolent than friendly! What does this mean for the rest of the village? If they had any sense, they’d run!
2 Zombie Pikachu
Daryl Hobson managed to do the impossible - make viewers loathe the sight of Pikachu. This ultra-cute creature has been a staple of Pokémon for years at this point, and its appearances in various media have always tried to portray it as adorable.
Here, Pikachu is a half-rotted mess with a missing eyeball, severed arm and boils all over its body. There’s one saving grace - that adorable smile which seems to never go away. Could it be used for evil purposes? It’s possible.
1 Zombie Kirby
Rob Sacchetto destroys the cute nature of Kirby with this wicked interpretation of the character as a rotting blob of round flesh that seems to be decaying right down to the bone!
Kirby’s once perky and adorable eyes are now full of shallow malevolence, and it appears he’s spotted potential prey by the expression on his face. It leaves one to wonder if Kirby’s appetite would ever truly be sated.
NEXT: 10 of the Greatest NES Games on All Time
