Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door/Characters

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Characters from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door include:

Mario's Partners


Goombella

"Never, ever give up! That's the most important thing I've learned from you, Mario."

Like in the first game, Mario's first partner is an intellectual Goomba who provides information about the world (and enemies). This time around, it's a college-aged gal named Goombella. Although she sounds like a bit of a Valley Girl, she's sharp as a tack.

Koops

"Listen Mario! Traveling with you has taught me bravery... I will fight to the end!"

Mario's second partner is a Koopa once again, this time wearing a hoodie. Koops, however, is a diffident and awkward fellow who's unsure on his feet. He joins Mario in order to help save his father, but stays around so that he can become stronger for his girlfriend, Koopie Koo.

Madame Flurrie

"Here we go, darling! Time to shine!"

Mario's third partner, a wind spirit of a kind not seen before or since in the series (though she might actually be a modified Puff). She's a former star who decided to quit early for the sake of her health. She lives peacefully in the Boggly Woods until joining Mario to help the Punis. She can blow things away with her powerful wind-breath.

  • Blow You Away: Her Gale Force blows enemies out of the battle when it works.
  • Big Beautiful Cloud Woman
  • Expy: Averted, which is worth mentioning because almost all of your other party members are expies of the first game's partners. Her personality is unique and her abilities are only slightly similar to Lakilester's, although her field ability is unique.
    • Played straight with her hair to another Mario character. It's Ludwig von Koopa's 'do.
  • Gainaxing: Of all the characters in the game to have it... though some may not mind.
    • Her breasts have their own sound effect as well.
  • Large Ham: Comes with being a former actress!
  • Life Drain/Kiss of Death: Her Lip Lock ability.
  • Smooch of Victory: She tries to give one to Mario. He's... not very receptive.
  • Spoony Bard: Not terrible, but her attacks are less powerful than those of other partners, and she has few advantages apart from hitting enemies at the top of the battlefield, which is later replaced by Vivian. She does become a goodStone Wall due to her higher HP and her Life Drain ability, but in other areas she's outclassed by other partners.
  • Stone Wall: When used properly, she can be a very good tank.
  • Super Breath
  • White Dwarf Starlet: Apparently, she used to, erm, have less stage presence. Nevertheless, she remains popular, and even returns to the stage at the end.

Yoshi

"Lemme at 'em! Yeah! Bring it! You ready for a beating?"

Mario first meets this baby Yoshi in the Glitz Pit, where he hatches from a strange egg. "Yoshi" isn't his real name, though—his name is whatever the player decides to name him! He can carry Mario across gaps, functionally equivalent to Parakarry's ability, and Mario moves much more quickly while riding him.

Vivian

"Mario! I'm fighting by your side from now on! I've made my choice… and I'm not turning back!"

This shadowy witch first shows up as a mini-boss in the "care" of her older sisters. However, she eventually decides that she's had enough of it and becomes Mario's ally because he showed her kindness. She can pull him into the shadows to hide, and attack with fire.

  • Aborted Declaration of Love: Appears to be ready to make a love confession to Mario in the ending, but stops herself.
  • Action Girl
  • Anti-Villain: Type II.
  • Because You Were Nice to Me: Why she joins Mario in the end.
  • Cute Witch: She is absolutely adorable.
  • Dark Action Girl: Subverted. She ends up joining Mario's team, and isn't cut out to being evil—plus, she can't stand being picked on by Beldam.
  • The Dark Chick: When on the side of the villains.
  • Expy: She's an expy of Bow in terms of her shadow-evasion field ability, though her fire abilities are unique to her.
  • Heel Face Turn
  • The Hecate Sisters: She was the Maiden in the Shadow Sirens.
  • Living Shadow
  • Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: The last straw is finding out that the grenade Beldam tasked her with finding is broken.
  • Playing with Fire: Some of her attacks can ignite your enemies.
  • Redemption Promotion: She can end up much stronger when she was when she first fought you. The only element of Redemption Demotion is her not having Fiery Jinx until you upgrade her (and when she uses it, it's much stronger).
  • She's A Friend: Mario has to explain this to the party even after they realize that Doopliss has tricked them. Her being with Mario is seen as evidence against him being the real one.
  • She's a Man In Japan: Vivian's gender is a biologically male while she is a transwoman in the Japanese version, but just plain female in the English release.
  • Shipper on Deck: Ships Mario/Peach in the ending.
  • Ship Tease: Doopliss taunts Mario, suggesting that he's having a "fight with (his) girlfriend," when she becomes hesitant to fight alongside him after learning his identity.
  • The Dog Bites Back: If the player has her as Mario's partner when facing the Shadow Sirens again.

Vivian: I'm with Mario all the way! Today, Sis, I am going to punish YOU, do you hear me?

Admiral Bobbery

"I suggest you try a bit harder against the likes of us, hm?"

A Bob-Omb sailor with an explosive personality and a killer mustache. He used to sail the high seas freely, until his wife died while he was away. Like Bombette, he can explode at will. However, he has some additional abilities, including defense and time-release bombs.

Ms. Mowz

"Who is this handsome piece of cheese?"

This thief has a tendency to keep popping up wherever Mario is. She hunts down rare badges and other treasures. But is it possible to win her over to your side...? (Yes, it is.) Her nose can literally sniff out treasure, and in battle, she can steal items, which becomes an excellent source of income.

  • Action Girl: As a thief/treasure hunter, she's quite proactive even before joining Mario, and being able to steal items and pierce through enemy defenses with her attacks doesn't hurt either.
  • Armor-Piercing Slap: Quite literally. One of her attacks is a slap that bypasses defense.
  • Classy Mouse Burglar
  • Dating Catwoman: In the first few dungeons, she shows up as a rival treasure hunter who is indeed competing with Mario for certain treasures. Nonetheless, she openly flirts with him.
  • Expy: In terms of combat and field abilities, she's somewhat like a Nerfed Watt. She has attacks that are somewhat similar to Watt's from the first game: Out of battle, she reveals secrets, and in it, she can bypass defense. However, since Watt's defense-piercing abilities were a total Game Breaker, her damage is cut, making her the physically weakest party member with a maximum of 4 damage done by her base attack.
  • Intimate Healing: Her final skill is a kiss that restores HP to Mario.
  • Paper-Thin Disguise:[1] The mouse running the badge shop may be lacking the most obvious parts of the costume, but her color and tail are a giveaway.
  • Recurring Traveler: In the first few dungeons, anyway. She stops appearing when she becomes an...
  • Optional Party Member
  • The Nose Knows: She can sniff out treasure.
  • Video Game Stealing: She can steal items (and badges!) off enemies. She apparently does this by, um, "distracting" them while she rifles through their pockets.

Baddies

Grodus

"Once you fools are gone, no one will stand in my way! Grodus will rule the world!"

Leader of the shadowy X-Naut group, Grodus already has one Crystal Star in his possession and plans to gather the rest, preferably by gaining the magical map. To this end, he employs armies of X-nauts and the Shadow Sirens.

Lord Crump

"I've got some ammo to spare! How's THAT for boom–bassa–boom?!?"

A high-ranking agent of the X-Nauts, Lord Crump is a rather weird fellow who is your first fight in the game. He eventually develops a grudge against Mario for his repeated defeats.

Beldam

"We would've won if you two lumps had pulled your weight! Both of you, prepare for a world–class punishment session when we get home!"

The bossy eldest sister of the Shadow Sirens. She has a tendency to make errors and blame her sisters—generally Vivian—for them. She seems to be in Grodus's employ.

Marilyn

""GUUUUUUHH!""

One of the shadow sirens. The biggest and quietest of the three, who is unintelligible when she does try to speak.

?????/Doopliss

"Well, all right then, Slick. Fine. Yes. I turned the villagers into pigs. Big deal."

A prankster Duplighost who lives in Creepy Steeple. He cursed the residents of Twilight Town so that whenever its bell tolls, someone becomes a pig! He "becomes" Mario and intends to erase him, but is foiled. He later joins the Shadow Sirens.

The Shadow Queen

"You are foolish to oppose me. Yesss... and that foolishness... will have to be punished..."

A being that was sealed away by the Crystal Stars a thousand years ago. Grodus is trying to revive her in order to use her power to take over the world. It doesn't quite go as he planned...

Bosses

Hooktail

"Snack time, my little appetizers! But which one of you morsels should I taste first?"

A huge dragon residing in a castle named for her, Hooktail is one of few remaining vestiges of the age in which the Shadow Queen ruled, and continues to guard a Crystal Star until Mario puts an end to her once and for all. As her gender is not mentioned when she is faced, Hooktail is mistakenly assumed by the party to be male. With her queen gone, Hooktail has taken to terrorising the nearby village of Petalburg, the skeletal remains of many former Koopa inhabitants of which may be found in her castle.

  • Big Eater: Is capable of devouring a huge portion of the audience during her fight.
  • Evil Is Burning Hot: Capable of powerful fire breath.
  • I Surrender, Suckers: Pretends to give in to the party when her HP is reduced, but if you agree, she'll attack you.
    • Interface Screw: Whether or not you fall for the ruse, she proceeds to eat the audience members to recover HP.
  • Really 700 Years Old: She's been around since the Shadow Queen's time as one of her pet dragons. This puts her around at least 1000 years old.
  • Samus Is a Girl: What a shocker.
  • Warmup Boss: The first proper boss in the game.
  • Weaksauce Weakness: Cricket sounds, of all things.
    • Self-Imposed Challenge: Defeating her without this weakness. It can be done, but you'll need to go in well-equipped, as she is quite the hard-hitting Stone Wall normally.

Grubba

"One day, you'll look back on all them small–dreamers 'n LAUGH!"

A sixty year-old Clubba and fight promoter that is secretly sapping strength from his fighters to remain looking young and in shape.

  • Blood Knight: He is heavily implied to have enjoyed fighting in the ring when he was younger. Confirmed when he goes toe-to-toe with Mario and co.
  • Cool Shades
  • Damage Sponge Boss: His One-Winged Angel form has a lot of HP compared to the bosses that come before and after him.
  • Faux Affably Evil: He comes off as incredibly friendly and outgoing, but it's just a cover for his evil narcissistic self.
  • Jerkass Isn't above taunting his first victim's sister regarding her brother's "death".
  • Nice Guy: He's incredibly friendly and genial to just about everyone he meets, and takes a special liking to Mario. Of course, this is just a façade for the twisted, self-centered madman underneath the surface.
  • Older Than They Look: Can you believe he's sixty?! Draining the life away from young and energetic fighters can really help a guy age well, it seems
  • The Reveal: A shocking one, too.
  • Southern-Fried Genius: For someone who likely hails from the south, he's definitely a hell of a technical master as Mush, King K, Bandy Andy, the rest of his unnamed victims can attest to.
  • Status Buff: In battle and out, he likes to bulk up his own attributes. He almost does it more often than he actually attacks.
  • Walking Spoiler: There is a LOT more to this guy than meets the eye.

Rawk Hawk

"Feel the horror of a world–class RAAAAAWWWKING!"

A giant, yellow bird and champion of the Glitz Pit, a fighting arena. He's loud, brash, obnoxious, and thinks he's the best fighter around. He uses some dirty tricks during fights, but insists that he'll fight clean once Mario finds the Crystal Star.

  • Combat Pragmatist: Launches himself from the walls of the arena, and even grabs onto the ceiling beam at one point (putting him beyond the reach of most attacks) and shakes it to drop objects down on Mario.
  • Defeat Means Friendship: Well, not so much friendship, but Rawk Hawk garners a begrudging respect for Mario after losing to him.
  • Large Ham
  • Shout-Out: Obviously a parody of professional wrestlers, but likely a parody of Hulk Hogan and The Rock in particular.
    • In fact, for the Spanish dub, Rawk Hawk is actually called Hawk Hogan.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: In spite of all of his bragging, his boss fight is quite easy. (And he doesn't get any tougher for rematches.) In addition, when he later challenges Bowser to a fight, Bowser curb stomps him. (Literally!)

Cortez

"Hear my voice, spirits! Take their ship and show them the meaning of fear!"

An old pirate that has long since died. All that remains of Cortez is a giant, floating skull wearing a pirate hat, although he can possess a pile of bones to get some form of a body again. Upon defeat, Cortez befriends the heroes and provides travel to a deserted island.

The Smorg

Strange creatures inhabiting an abandoned train station. When Mario chases them off to throw a switch, the creatures stow away on the train he is riding and take all of the passengers hostage, growing into a multi-tentacled monster. The Smorg flee the train when defeated.

Other Characters

Punio

A member of a race called Punis. A headstrong little guy that is apparently intended to lead the tribe one day. He doubts himself and, when the X-Nauts invade his home, he enlists Mario's help to get rid of them.

  • Big Brother Instinct: He is very concerned about his little sister Petuni's safety when the Great Tree gets taken over.
  • Unlikely Hero: A lot of conversations imply that the other Punis generally don't think the world of him, or at least think he's a little dimwitted.

Jolene

A Toad woman and secretary of Grubba in the Glitz Pit. Mysteries surround her, and it's apparent that there's more to her than meets the eye. It's eventually revealed that Jolene's little brother, a former Glitz Pit champ, vanished, and Jolene got the secretary's job to get answers. The two are happily reunited after Grubba's defeat.

  • Cool Big Sis
  • Reverse Mole
  • Sugar and Ice Personality: Is all business while on the job, but shows a warmer side around her younger brother and in her email response to Mario after he finishes her Trouble Center request. It's also implied that she's the woman at the juice bar when she's off the clock.

Flavio

A flamboyant, eccentric, rich adventurer that lives in Rogueport for reasons unknown. He claims to be a fearless sailor, but in reality, is a complete coward that makes Mario do all the dangerous things.

  • Dirty Coward: Yes, he's a complete coward, but in the end, he still risks his neck to save his crew by going to reason with Cortez.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: He insists that he's responsible for everything good that's happened in chapter 5 and also seems to assume that everybody in the group loves him.

Pennington

"Rudimentary, my dear Luigi!"

A penguin that resides in a town for the rich. He runs a museum, but secretly pines to be a detective, which he isn't really that good at.

  • Expy: Of the various penguins that were involved in the murder mystery in the first game.
  • Thoroughly Mistaken Identity: He spends the entire game believing that he is talking to Luigi, and there's no telling him otherwise.
    • He does overhear somebody referring to Mario as Mario at the end of the game, at which point he seems to realize his mistake.

TEC-XX

"Princess Peach, teach me this feeling you call... "love.""

The world's best computer, designed to be absolutely perfect, which runs the X-Naut Fortress. After Princess Peach was kidnapped and placed in her holding cell, TEC observes her and begins to fall in love with her. TEC tries to understand this feeling, and in exchange TEC allows her to contact Mario. Sir Grodus finds out about this soon enough, however...

  1. ↑ Literally.
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