Ah, Princess Peach… one of the classic princesses in the Nintendoverse and the most iconic damsel in distress next to Zelda herself. With her pretty pink dress and golden locks, her sketch of being captured by Bowser and having to be rescued by Mario only to end up being in another castle is well-known. But couldn’t she be more?
Oh sure, there are the other Mario game installations where she takes part in sports games and she even has her own game, Super Princess Peach. But even then, having the ability to shake the ground by stomping when mad or growing plants faster when crying doesn’t seem to be all that terrifying, in retrospect. When looking at the bigger picture, her image as the pretty, sweet princess is pretty strong.
The fun thing about game fandoms, however, is that they can be either really weird, fun, or something in between. From cute and colorful sketches to weird digital fanart of Peach as a Fat Princess (from Fat Princess), fanart of the Princess is a mixed bag, but for the most part, shows Peach as either cute, attractive, or just plain weird. There are, however, a few good artists who take a step outside the box and have Peach take on a new role, presenting a Princess Peach that would be in no way a damsel in distress.
19 A New Look For Super Princess Peach
It can be said that Super Princess Peach could have been much more than what it was. Estivador has drawn the princess facing off all the enemies of the series, along with the backdrop of Bowser having Mario and Luigi trapped, and it makes for a pretty interesting poster for the game. If this had been a part of the promotional work for the game, there may have been more interest in the game. From the way her frown looks, she is ready to stomp away the monsters, or maybe even charge them. Either way, the artwork makes the concept of the game actually more interesting than it is sounds on paper. Or maybe this could be something of an inspiration for a new game?
18 The Princess And The Mech
Anybody here like robots? We’ve seen Peach in many different human roles, but what about the role of a mecha? This brings in AutomaticGiraffe who created this piece. In the Marioverse there’s a silver Mario, a gold Mario, and even a fire throwing Mario, but Peach always pretty much remains the same. Still, with the way her arms are drawn, this mecha version of Peach could easily mess up Bowser something awful, and probably do some damage to his castle as well. Basically, looking at the big picture it seems this is a somewhat overpowered character that could easily cause some serious damage, drawn in a really well-done design.
17 This Peach Has Gone Dark
Many know Princess Peach as the sweet and kind princess of the Nintendoverse, but what if there was another side to this pretty pink princess that we don’t know about? With this piece done by Seikoru, you can’t help but wonder if there’s something there we’re not seeing. This smirking look right here? It looks a little too good on her. What does that heart symbolize? This is the exact type of piece that could set off a million fanboys (and fangirls) and drive them to create conspiracy theories. But then again, it could also be some overthinking on this writer’s part and the art piece is just what it is, presenting a different look to the princess.
16 A Tale Of Two Princesses
Princess Peach might be the most well-known video game princess out there, but Princess Zelda isn’t that far behind. Hailing from the Legend of Zelda series, she might actually have been arguably more well-known if so many people didn’t think that Zelda was the name of the male hero in the game! It kind of makes sense that both of these princesses would be, at the very least, friends… it’s got to be hard running a kingdom, and who better to be a confidant than another princess who definitely understands exactly what you’re going through? This piece shows a softer, more vulnerable side to each of these girls.
15 Taking A Trip To The East
From the West to the East we go as artist Jay-Phenrix once again brings a whole new look for Princess Peach, yet manages to still maintain her iconic pink outfit. While she may not be ready for battle, she is clearly ready for a new look. This simple design change to Peach’s dress is new and delicate, with extra details that not only give it more of an Eastern flavor. It’s not often that you see a Nintendo character in this type of outfit, especially a kimono.
14 A Thief After Our Hearts
We’re so used to seeing Princess Peach in her pink gown and little crown that it’s a little shocking, to say the least, to see her out of it. Ever wonder what Peach would look like as a thief? Here’s pretty much what it would be, courtesy of artist Rush–it. While still having her usual crown and signature pink color, mixed with the brown cloak and boots along with her turnip sword, she looks rather fit for the role. And with the way her thighs are drawn, she may as well be able to smash a watermelon with them.
13 A Peachy Mash-Up
This is a Peach that shows many different elements of Mario games, created by CoronoDiTempesta. According to the artist’s description of this work, this Peach is designed with the influences of both the Mario and Final Fantasy games that has her set in an RPG fantasy setting. Decked out in her gown and armor, she packs quite a punch though her gown tends to constrict. It doesn’t stop her from being the primary healer of her team and helping who she can. In order to stick to the idea of her being set in a medieval world, the artist even has Peach’s weapons stem from items that she has used before, such as the golf club turned mallet.
12 A Ruler Worthy Of The Best Of Them
Most often than not when you look for a Princess Peach fanart, you tend to find cute, attractive, or weird images of the character… but either way, they mostly follow the typical art style of the game while others take on a more anime approach. This piece done by lucasblahblah managed to find an in-between with his Photoshop-painted work of the princess. Not only does it make her look rather shiny, but it also gives a new visual concept to her in terms of character art. Added to the fact this uses a more darker tone in comparison to the other brightly colored art, this is a nice change.
11 This Girl Is On Fire
If the dress and ponytail didn’t give it away, then the fireball that she seems ready to throw should. This little piece of art is something the clearly takes from the fireball aspect of Super Mario 3D World. Peach seems to have gotten the fire flower, giving her the same powers as we’re used to seeing Mario use in the games. As she holds on to her fireball and and just stares at the viewer, it is as if she is testing them. Using her game design to bring out the other aspects, BlueAngel97 was able to create a sweet looking Peach with a subtle yet dangerous edge to her.
10 She’s A Rough And Tough Kind Of Girl
So far, we’ve seen Princess Peaches ready for battle, as well as some who are actually fighting monsters. Now here we see a Peach who seems to not only be ready for battle and fighting against monsters, but is fearlessly engaged against this scary beast. This work of art is created by Trickster of Thieves. With the cute vegetable items as part of her equipment, this is a rough and tough kind of Peach that seems to have an interesting story to tell. To tie it all together, she looks street smart with her tattoos and an outfit to match, though the shoes do give a princess feel to her in the end. Now if only there was a Super Smash Bros. game that incorporated this type of Peach!
9 Even Princesses Need A Day Off, Sometimes
What does a hardworking, happy-go-lucky princess do on her day off? According to artist Zolaida, she goes to the beach, of course! This Peach is taking a much needed vacation, after being stuck fighting off Bowser and all the hazards of the Mushroom Kingdom day in and day out. Even the squids and the Chain Chomp seem to be having a good day with her! This could even be what happens when Mario is off fighting Bowser; the princess just lets loose with some of her pals! The art style used on this one is as fun and bright and colorful as the princess herself, and we love it all the more for it.
8 When Mario Meets Fire Emblem
It’s Mario meets Fire Emblem; on paper, the idea sounds like a car crash waiting to happen. But with the way that Layeyes has drawn our fearless Princess Peach, she looks more like a knight in a princess disguise, equally ready for either a tea party or the call to battle, as she hides armor under her gown. Looking at the image as a whole, however, it is clear that the artist at took at least some inspiration from a certain posh but kind character. From the hidden armor and how it is incorporated to her main outfit to the pink plates meshing with the cloth of the gown and the transparent and hooked up bottom to show the armoured legs, it’s like two worlds melding together and creating something great.
7 All Dressed Up And Ready For Battle
Move over boys, it’s time for the girls to ride into battle… while still being traditionally stylish, of course. This is a Princess Peach who’s decided to take a step out her damsel in distress role and take on sword. With the way Jay-Phenrix has designed her, she looks ready and geared up for a fight. Gone is the sweet princess who would find herself kidnapped by a big monster. Instead, we have a princess who looks battle-hardened, which we can tell thanks to her eyes. Add to that the fact that she’s holding both a sword and an umbrella as weapons, and it’s pretty telling of what she could do to an enemy. As an added bonus, the artist also thought to add two of the not-so-popular princesses of the Marioverse and deck them out in with own personalized weapons.
6 She’s Got Guns And She’s Not Afraid To Use Them
Here is a combination of a pretty but deadly princess, done by Ramonn90 with what seems to be a mercenary type of Princess Peach. With a ruffled skirt reminiscent of her poofy gown and her signature pink gown turned into a top and skirt with matching boots to finish the outfit, she just has a look that screams, “I may look pretty, but mess with me and I’ll shoot you down.” Still, as deadly as she may look, the artist was still able to keep her iconic image, from her crown to her pendant, even keeping her gloves in some form. With the way she looks here, Bowser may as well run and hide.
5 Taking A Ride On Bullet Bill
The Bullet Bills are highly known as both weapons to avoid in certain Mario games, or fast boosts that might make you place better in a game of Mario Kart. But the idea of having this speedy guy as a sweet ride with personalized decorations and gear is an appealing one, especially if you end up as last place in a final lap in Mario. The way that MindCloud78 laid out this idea of Peach riding at high speeds on her own personal Bullet Bill as an escape method sounds like something right of an action movie. We’d love to see what kinds of personalized Bullet Bills other characters would have.
4 The Princess Is Ready For Battle
This version of Peach, much like some of the others we’ve seen, is totally ready to step into battle and defeat Bowser on her own! Fighting with a cool sword with a boo on the handle, this Peach not only taunts her enemies by wearing them on her clothes and armor (showing that she’s not afraid of them) but looks completely unbothered by the carnage that she’s surely leaving behind her. This is one girl we’d want on our side in a fight! We kind of imagine this one as a role reversal; Mario has probably been captured by Bowser (or Bowser Jr., because let’s be real, Bowser needs a break sometimes) and our girl has to go and save him!
3 Role Reversal Done Right
We’ve already seen Peach try to come into her own in the game Super Princess Peach, but it fell a bit flat and didn’t give our heroine the portrayal (and cool adventure) she could have had. This piece, done by ArtofCelle, shows a role reversal for our heroine. Here we see the princess in her own version of Mario’s iconic outfit, and from the looks of things, she’s calm and has stuff under control. We see Mario asking if she’s okay… but of course she is, this is Princess Peach and she has it covered! We wish this were a real game, because we think that it’d be hugely popular.
2 A Girl’s Gotta Do What A Girl’s Gotta Do
How about a mafia leader type of Princess Peach? Seeing as this one has an actual setting, with a background, this looks almost like concept art for some unreleased game. In addition to this, artist Flan!~ decides to further cement this Peach’s concept by including a variety of other Nintendo characters in the scene, presented in a way that has Peach up front and center as the boss as everyone else seems to be ready to do her bidding. There have been a number of artists that tried to take on a darker side to the sweet pink princess, and Flan!~ definitely succeeded.
1 What A Peach
This Peach, done by Sakimichan, shows the very best of what Peach fan art can have to offer. This Peach is the perfect amount of innocent without seeming naive, and her outfit is true to character and absolutely fit for a princess. You’ll see Sakimichan often on lists like this one, because this artist has over 1,000 pieces on DeviantArt, all of them done in a similar style. This almost seems like character art for one of the games; it’s that cool. What’s for sure is that no matter what style of art Peach is drawn in, she’s our favorite mushroom princess!
