The Mario franchise is a video game series created by Nintendo. Nintendo is usually the developer and publisher of the franchise's games, but various games are developed by third-party companies, such as Hudson Soft and Intelligent Systems. Games in the Mario franchise primarily revolve around the protagonist Mario and often involve the trope of Bowser as the antagonist kidnapping Princess Peach, with Mario then rescuing her. Many characters have goals or plot arcs that vary between series; for example, the Luigi's Mansion games focus on Luigi ridding a haunted building of ghost-like creatures known as Boos, and Wario stars in games that center around his greed and desire for money and treasure.
The franchise began with Donkey Kong in 1981, where Mario, Donkey Kong, and Pauline originated. Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto built them off the base of characters from Popeye. Unable to license the characters, Miyamoto made later changes to their appearances and personalities, such as a more lighthearted tone. Due to the breakthrough critical and commercial success of Donkey Kong, Mario reappeared in Mario Bros. in 1983, which introduced Mario's twin brother Luigi, and Super Mario Bros. in 1985, which introduced Toad alongside numerous enemies, with Bowser and Princess Peach replacing Donkey Kong and Pauline, respectively.
Each series has introduced numerous characters, many of them recurring. Some have starred in their own games or in supporting roles. The games all typically share common enemies.
Luigi[b] (voiced by Kevin Afghani) is the younger twin brother of Mario,[5] who Luigi feels a sense of envy and reverence towards.[11] In the 1983 game Mario Bros., Luigi was introduced as the second player character, with many similarities to Mario.[12] While he was initially identical to Mario, he began developing differences in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986), which gave him a higher and further jump at the expense of responsiveness and precision.[13] In the North American version of Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988), Luigi was given a taller and thinner appearance than Mario, which played a key role in shaping his modern appearance.[1][11] Luigi's first starring role was in 1993's Mario Is Missing!, though he played only minor roles in subsequent games until 2001 with Luigi's Mansion, where he plays the role of a frightened, unsure, and goofy protagonist attempting to save his brother.[11] The Year of Luigi was celebrated in 2013, which saw many Luigi games released to commemorate the character's 30th anniversary.[14]
Princess Peach Toadstool[c] (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is the princess of the Mario franchise's Mushroom Kingdom. In the main series games, she typically plays the role of a damsel in distress who needs to be rescued by Mario.[15][16] When playable, she typically has the ability to float in the air, and is physically taller than Mario.[16] Her first playable appearance in a main series Mario game was 1988's Super Mario Bros. 2, while her second was 2013's Super Mario 3D World.[17] Peach played a starring role in Super Princess Peach (2005), where she aims to rescue Mario, Luigi, and Toad,[15] aided by a parasol named Perry and several abilities based on her emotions–or "vibes".[18] She makes frequent appearances in spin-off Mario games, such as the Mario Kart series and the Mario sports games. In the 2017 game Super Mario Odyssey, after being captured by and forced to marry Bowser, and subsequently rescued by Mario, she rejects both of them and instead takes a trip around the world, though Mario rejoins her.[16]
Yoshi[e] (English: /ˈjoʊʃi,ˈjɒʃi/, once Romanized as Yossy; voiced by Kazumi Totaka) is a green anthropomorphic dinosaur character. He is depicted with a long tongue that can be used to eat enemies, and can turn the enemies he eats into eggs that release power-ups or can be thrown.[23] Yoshi is a rideable character for the heroes or a playable character in most of the Mario spin-offs, including his own series.[24]
Birdo, also known as Birdette, and known in Japan as Catherine[g], (voiced by Kazumi Totaka) is depicted as a pink, anthropomorphic dinosaur who wears a red bow on her head, and has a round mouth that can fire eggs as projectiles.[31] Birdo first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2 as a recurring boss character.[32] Since then, she has been a recurring playable character in various franchise spin-offs. Birdo has been referred to as a "man who thinks of himself as female" in earlier depictions, such as in the Japanese manual for the early prototype game Doki Doki Panic, and was considered female in later games. It is heavily speculated that Birdo is transgender; she is considered to be one of the first ever transgender video game characters.[33][34][35]
Poochy[i] is portrayed as Yoshi's helper dog. He debuted in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and continued through the Yoshi series such as in Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World.[40] In the games, he can do things that Yoshi cannot, such as sniff out hidden items, cross over dangerous terrain, and jump over walls to give Yoshi a boost out of his wall jumps.[41] In 2023, Poochy was added to Mario Kart Tour as a playable character.[40]
Professor Elvin Gadd
Professor Elvin Gadd[j] (voiced by Kazumi Totaka), more commonly known as Professor E. Gadd, is a scientist and inventor. He primarily appears in the Luigi's Mansion series, in which he invented several objects, such as Luigi's Poltergust 3000 and Gooigi from Luigi's Mansion 3.[42] He is referenced in Super Mario Sunshine as the inventor of Mario's F.L.U.D.D., a device that allows him to spray water.[43] The character has made cameo appearances in series such as Mario Party and Mario & Luigi.[43]
Toadette[l] (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is a pink Toad character who debuted in Mario Kart: Double Dash (2003) as a playable driver. Toadette is depicted with two long round pigtails with white spots and a dress, to distinguish her from Toad. Since Super Mario Odyssey, Toadette is a member of the Toad Brigade and has the role of an archivist.[46] Depending on the game, she is either a supporting character or a protagonist, playable in most of the Mario spin-off games.[47] In New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, a power-up called the Super Crown allows Toadette to transform into Peachette, a form that highly resembles Princess Peach.[48] As Peachette, she can use Peach's floating jump to hover, and can perform a double jump. She also returns as a playable character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.[49]
Rosalina[m] (voiced by Laura Faye Smith) is a princess character introduced in 2007's Super Mario Galaxy. As a child who fled into space after her mother's death, she becomes the adoptive mother of the Lumas — mysterious and friendly star-like creatures that inhabit space in the Mario franchise.[16] She resides in the Comet Observatory, a starship used to traverse the Mario universe.[50] In later appearances, she typically takes the role of a supporting character, and primarily appears in spin-off games such as the Mario sports games, Mario Kart series, and Super Smash Bros. series. In Super Mario 3D World (2013), she is a playable character, and is unlocked through gameplay.[16]
Lumas
The Lumas are depicted as friendly star-like creatures. They first appear in Super Mario Galaxy, where they have the ability to transform into various game objects, explorable planetoids, and entire levels.[51] Lumas come in a variety of colors, though are most commonly yellow. One particular Luma, known as Baby Luma, or Young Master Luma, is a major character in the Super Mario Galaxy games, granting Mario or Luigi the power to Star Spin. In the Illumination animated film The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), Juliet Jelenic voices a nihilistic blue Luma named Lumalee, that first appeared in Super Mario Galaxy as a salesman. Held prisoner by Bowser, Lumalee cheerfully laments the pain and suffering awaiting all those held prisoner, greatly depressing his fellow prisoners.[52]
Donkey Kong[o] (voiced by Takashi Nagasako) is an anthropomorphic gorilla that stars in the Donkey Kong franchise. He is the leader of the Kong Family, a group of various primates and is depicted as the grandson of Cranky Kong who appeared in the 1981 arcade game, Donkey Kong, though, he appears as an antagonist in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. He is depicted as cheerful and powerful character.[59]
Diddy Kong[p] (Diddy) (voiced by Katsumi Suzuki) is an anthropomorphic monkey who is Donkey Kong's nephew, sidekick, and best friend, appearing in the Donkey Kong and Mario franchises.[60] He is the main protagonist of Diddy Kong Racing and its DS remake.[61] He is depicted as a cheerful and kind character. Created by Rare, the name Diddy is a British term meaning "little".[62]
Cranky Kong[q] (voiced by Takashi Nagasako) is an older Kong. His first appearance was in 1981's Donkey Kong, where, as the game's antagonist, he kidnapped Pauline, though he was stopped by Mario.[63]
Bowser[r] or King Koopa (voiced by Kenneth W. James) is the king of the turtle-like Koopa race,[64] a selfish troublemaker who wants to take over the Mushroom Kingdom.[65] He is depicted as Mario's nemesis, and is the final boss of most Mario games. He is playable in most Mario spin-off games.[66]
The Koopalings[t] are seven siblings who first appeared as boss characters in the 1988 game Super Mario Bros. 3.[67] Their individual names are Ludwig, Lemmy, Roy, Iggy, Wendy, Morton, and Larry.[67] The Koopalings were originally established as Bowser's children.[68][67][69][70] Older Mario games maintain reference to them as such in updated manuals and re-releases.[71][72] They have since been depicted as Bowser's minions in games following the release of New Super Mario Bros. Wii in 2009,[73] with Shigeru Miyamoto stating in 2012 that "our current story is that the seven Koopalings are not Bowser's children. Bowser's only child is Bowser Jr."[74] The Koopalings have additionally appeared as playable characters in spin-off Mario games and the Super Smash Bros. series, and have been featured in non-video game Mario media including the animated Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World.[citation needed]
Wario[u] (voiced by Kevin Afghani)[75] is an obese yet muscular, hot-tempered, and greedy man. He is Mario's yellow-and-purple clad arch-rival.[76] He initially debuted as an antagonist, but over the years has become an anti-hero, even being playable in a few games.[77][78] Wario is the protagonist of the Wario series and is playable in most of the Mario spin-off games where he is shown to be Waluigi's partner.[79] His name is portmanteau of "warui", the Japanese word for "bad", and "Mario".[80] Wario's favorite food is garlic, often used in gameplay to restore health when he gets defeated.[81]
Kamek the Magikoopa[v] (English: /kəˈmɛk,ˈkæmɪk/) is a member of the fictional Magikoopa species who is Bowser's childhood caretaker, and later in life one of his high-ranking minions.[citation needed] Kamek is the main antagonist of the Yoshi series.[citation needed] In his various game appearances, his magic includes self-duplication, teleportation, shooting magical blasts, and changing the size of other creatures.[citation needed] He is often distinguished from other Magikoopas by the broom he rides on.[citation needed] In Japan, his species is also named Kamek, but outside Japan they are called Magikoopas.[citation needed]
Mini Bowser[w], also referred to exclusively in North America as Koopa Kid and initially mistranslated as Baby Bowser, describes both an individual and a group of Bowser's minions bearing similar design elements to the latter. They appear exclusively in the Mario Party sub-series of video games,[89] where their role is generally to hinder player's progress by stealing coins needed for progression or confronting the player in minigames.[90][91]
While Mini Bowser would initially continue to rise in relevance throughout the series, becoming the plot's main antagonistic force[92] as well as a playable character by Mario Party 5[93] and being the subject of a dedicated mode in Mario Party Advance,[94] he has also become an example of Nintendo phasing out certain characters from the Super Mario franchise, with him having been replaced by the more recently introduced Bowser Jr. in newer games of the series,[95] netting him the reputation of being "another neglected classic Nintendo character".[96] Both the reason for this disappearance as well as his actual relation to Bowser is a subject of fan speculation, due to regional differences concerning in-game texts and manuals implying Mini Bowser to either be a child, younger version or simple henchman of Bowser.[97]
Waluigi[x] (English: /ˌwɑːluˈiːdʒi/) is a tall, thin, and mischievous man who was introduced in Mario Tennis as Wario's partner. He is Luigi's black-and-purple clad arch-rival.[98] Waluigi is often an antagonist who teams up with Wario to accomplish their schemes. He is playable in most of the Mario spin-off games, and makes several cameos within the Super Smash Bros. series.[99] Like with Wario, his name is a portmanteau of "warui" and "Luigi".[100]
Bowser Jr. (known as Koopa Jr.[z] in Japan; voiced by Caety Sagoian), or sometimes simply Jr. or Junior, is the son of Bowser, who first appeared in the 2002 game Super Mario Sunshine.[66] He is often depicted as the secondary antagonist throughout the Mario series. In the games, Bowser Jr. looks up to his dad, and shares his ambition to defeat Mario, and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser Jr. is playable in most of the spin-off Mario games, and in Super Smash Bros. He is the main protagonist of Bowser Jr.'s Journey (2018) included in the remake of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.[101]
Petey Piranha
Petey Piranha, known as Boss Pakkun[aa] in Japan,[102] is a large, powerful Piranha Plant character. Whereas normal Piranha Plants are usually depicted growing from pipes, Petey's leaves and roots are foot-like and arm-like appendages, allowing the character to use objects such as tennis rackets and golf clubs when playable in the various Mario sports games.[citation needed] He can sometimes use his leaves to fly around. He debuted as the primary boss of Bianco Hills in the game Super Mario Sunshine, returning as a minor boss in New Super Mario Bros..[citation needed] Similar Piranha Plant boss characters later appear in Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel.[103] Petey Piranha made his Mario Kart debut in Mario Kart: Double Dash as a playable driver, and returns in Mario Kart Tour and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.[citation needed]
He was created by Masanori Sato, who worked as the illustrator for Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, the first game in the Mario & Luigi series. Fawful's localized Japanese name, Gerakobits, is derived from geragera, the Japanese onomatopoeia for a scornful laugh,[108] while his English name is a pun combining the words "awful" and "guffaw." Because Fawful was not based on any existing characters in the Mario series, the Nintendo Treehouse, which is responsible for localizing games for North American audiences, had more creative freedom in writing for the character.[105]Bill Trinen and Nate Bihldorff, both employees of the Treehouse, wrote the English dialogue for Fawful through the exchange of notes.[105] Rather than sticking close to the Japanese script, where Fawful simply adds "Fururururu!" to the end of every line,[109] Trinen and Bihldorff intended to make Fawful as "wacky" and "zainy" as possible in the Western release.[105][106] Thus, in English versions of the games, all of Fawful's dialogue consists of broken English and word salads and his catchphrase, "I have fury!".[110]
Fawful has received critical acclaim from both critics and fans, regarded as a favorite villain.[110][111][112] He is also regarded for his quotes and humor, nominated for the "Most Quotable Character" award in 2009, but losing to Ellis from Left 4 Dead 2.[113]1UP.com's Jeremy Parish attributing the quality of Superstar Saga's comedy to him.[114][115] His "I have fury!" quote was included in Nintendo Power's collection of classic quotes from Nintendo games.[110] Another quotation, "I am the mustard of your doom!" was regarded by MTV Multiplayer writer Steven Totilo as one of the most famous lines in video games of recent years and was quoted with "uncommon frequency."[116]GamesRadar ranked Fawful as one of the best video game villains, arguing that he was a dominant aspect of the Mario & Luigi series partly due to his quotes.[117]
Enemy characters
Blooper – A sentry-like squid that chases after the player, debuting in Super Mario Bros.. Blooper Nannies, a variation of the Blooper, thrust smaller versions of themselves (Blooper Babies) toward the player as a form of attack.[118]
Boo, known in Japan as Teresa[ac] – A spherical ghost enemy introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3 as "Boo Diddleys" (a pun on the name of American musician Bo Diddley),[120] which sneaks up on the player from behind while they are facing away from it. Inspired by a rage that Takashi Tezuka's wife went into after he came home from work late.[121] With Boo being one of the more popular Mario enemies, their image has been used in official Nintendo merchandise, such as plush dolls,[122] as well as cookie cutters.[123] Boo is considered one of the best enemies in the Mario series.[124][125]
Bullet Bill – A bullet with angry eyes and clenched fists that is shot out of a cannon called a "Bill Blaster". They have a larger counterpart with a shark-like face, known as Banzai Bills.[118]
Chain Chomp – A metallic ball-and-chain creature that lunges at the player when they approach it. Inspired by a childhood experience of Shigeru Miyamoto's with a violent dog.[126]
Cheep Cheep – This circular, usually red, fish debuted in Super Mario Bros. Cheep Cheeps are found primarily in the water, but some can jump in an arc, or fly within a limited range.[citation needed] Giant varieties attempt to swallow the player, such as Boss Bass and Big Bertha. Porcupuffers are giant variants with spiked backs.[citation needed]Fish Bones are skeletons that charge at the player and break apart upon a wall collision.[citation needed]
Dry Bones – A walking Koopa Troopa skeleton that reassembles itself after being hit, unless defeated by a Super Star, a Cape Feather, Super Leaf, or an Ice Flower.[118]
Fuzzy – A spiked creature which hangs in the air, and sometimes moves on rails. It debuted in Super Mario World.[citation needed]
Goomba – A sentient creature that resembles a mushroom, it is the first enemy that the player typically encounters in the games' first levels. Implemented late in the development of Super Mario Bros as a basic, easy enemy.[127] Variants of the Goomba may have wings, known as the Paragoomba, and similar creatures include the Galoomba, which flips over and can be thrown when stomped on, and the Goombrat, which turns at edges.[128] The Goombas have their own king, King Goomba (also called Goomboss), introduced as the first boss in Paper Mario.[citation needed]
Hammer Bro – A type of helmet-wearing Koopa who throws hammers at the player.[129] It has several variations that throw other projectiles, such as the Boomerang Bro and the Fire Bro, and a bigger variant known as a Sledge Bro which can stun the player.[118]
Koopa Troopa – A foot soldier of Bowser. It retracts in its shell when stomped on, after which it can be used to attack other foes.[118] Variants of the Koopa may have wings, where it is known as the Paratroopa or the Koopa Paratroopa. There are many other varieties of the Koopa Troopa such as red, yellow, and blue. Several other subspecies appear throughout the Mario games.[130]
Buzzy Beetle – A black or blue beetle-like creature with a hard, fireproof shell that renders it immune to fire attacks. It can crawl on ceilings and drop down when the player gets too close.[130]
Chargin' Chuck – A Koopa wearing football gear that mostly charges at the player, and can use items such as baseballs and shovels.[130]
Mechakoopa – A robot with a wind-up key that becomes disabled and can be thrown after being stomped on. A variant introduced in Super Mario Galaxy is capable of breathing fire.[130]
Spike Top – A red wall-crawling beetle-like creature which combines the Buzzy Beetle's immunity to fire and the Spiny's immunity to being jumped on, although it can be spin-jumped on.[130]
Spiny – A red beetle-like creature that damages the player if touched from above. They are often thrown by Lakitus in unlimited supplies.[130]
Lakitu[ad] – Official pronunciation: /ˈlækiːtuː/ (la-KEE-too). A cloud-riding Koopa with aviator goggles that drops an endless supply of Spinies.[118][131] It also appears in Mario spin-off games with various roles, including a track marshal on Mario Kart and a camera operator on Super Mario 64.[132]
Magikoopa – A wizard Koopa capable of casting magic spells, turning blocks into foes, power-ups, or coins. Magikoopas first appeared in Super Mario World.[118]Kamek and Kammy Koopa are recurring individuals of this species, appearing in the Yoshi and Paper Mario series, respectively.[citation needed]
Monty Mole – A mole-like enemy that burrows underground, and springs out of the ground when the player gets close.[citation needed] A similar enemy known as the Rocky Wrench pops out of airshipmanholes and throws wrenches at the player.[citation needed]
Piranha Plant – A leafy, stalk-topped carnivorous plant with sharp teeth that typically lives within pipes.[118] Known as Pakkun Flower in Japan, it has made numerous appearances outside of the Mario franchise, including as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate via downloadable content.[133]
Podoboo[134][135] – A fireball that jumps out of lava and can bounce off walls.[citation needed] It is also referred to as a Lava Bubble (a name shared with other lava based enemies).[citation needed] A Blue Podoboo homes in on the player and jumps out of blue lava and is found in Super Princess Peach, and a variant of the Lava Bubble that chases after the player and spits fireballs appears mainly in the Paper Mario games.[citation needed]
Pokey – A spiked cactus with detachable green or yellow body segments, which first appeared in the international Super Mario Bros. 2.[118]
Shy Guy – A timid masked creature wearing a robe, which comes in many different colors and variations. Introduced in the international Super Mario Bros. 2, but more commonly portrayed as an enemy to Yoshi since Yoshi's Island. Some variants include the Snifit, a Shy Guy with a cannon on its mask which it uses to fire bullets, the Fly Guy, a Shy Guy with a propeller on its head that can fly, and the Bandit, a blue Shy Guy that is known for stealing things from the player such as coins and other items.[118] Voiced by Nintendo of America localization manager Nate Bihldorff.[136]
Spike – A green Koopa creature that attacks with spiked balls, which it throws out of its mouth. First appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3.[118]
Thwomp – A large stone block with an angry face that is mainly encountered in castles. It attempts to crush the player, usually from above. There is a smaller variation of the Thwomp called a Thwimp.[citation needed]
Whomp – An anthropomorphic stone slab that slams its face on the ground when the player gets near. It can only be defeated by ground pounding its back. Inspired by the Japanese mythical wall monster, the nurikabe.[citation needed]
^Robbins, M. Brandon (September 15, 2017), "Diversity in Gaming", Library Journal, vol. 142, p. 51
^Owens, Cassie (September 25, 2018), "Temple prof co-curates first exhibit on LGBTQ video game history", Philadelphia Inquirer
^Shaw, Adrienne; Friesem, Elizaveta (2016), "Where is the Queerness in Games? Types of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Content in Digital Games", International Journal of Communication, vol. 10, pp. 3877–3889
^ abMcWhertor, Michael (August 7, 2018). "Where Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker came from". Polygon. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2020. "I really just want to make him someone that loves treasure and you can feel that from him", Hiratake said. "I think honestly Captain Toad is someone that doesn't really care what's going on, but when he sees treasure he's like, 'I want it!'. "You know, I do question his loyalty to the Mushroom Kingdom a little bit. I think of him like a crow that loves shiny things or a moth to a flame. He just loves treasure so much that he can't think about anything else — he's just so happy finding treasure."—Game director Shinya Hiratake
^ abam, Rus McLaughlinUpdated: 18 September 2015 1:15 amPosted: 14 September 2010 12:00 (September 14, 2010). "IGN Presents: The History of Super Mario Bros. – IGN". Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2021 – via www.ign.com.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^Nintendo. Yoshi's Safari (Super Nintendo Entertainment System). Nintendo of America. Bowser, King of the Koopas, and his evil offspring have invaded yet another kingdom. The Koopalings have seized the Kingdom's precious crystals. It's up to you, armed with your trusty Nintendo Scope, to ride Yoshi to the rescue! (back of the box of the North American and PAL versions)
^Knight, Rich (August 21, 2012). "7. Magikoopa". The 10 Greatest Wizards In Video Games. Complex Gaming. Archived from the original on February 9, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
^AlphaDream (November 17, 2003). Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (Game Boy Advance). Nintendo. Level/area: Beanbean Castle. The Beanstar is the protector of this land, and it has the power to grant any and all desires... to prevent such a power from being used for evil, the Beanstar was cast into a deep sleep... It is said that a voice of great beauty is required to wake the Beanstar from its slumber. It must be the voice of a pure and noble soul... In this day and age, Princess Peach is the only one who possesses such a voice. So... the reason Cackletta stole Princess Peach's voice... Aha! She must plan to awaken the Beanstar and fulfill all of her desires!
