Super Mario (franchise)/Characters/Mario and Friends

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


A list of characters that describes Mario and his various allies from across the Mushroom Kingdom.



Super Mario Bros

The Super Mario Bros are the protagonists of the series, as the name implies. Mario is the everyman, all-around hero, while Luigi is the quirky, cowardly, and much more developed sidekick. Together, they fight Bowser (or whatever threat comes their way), utilizing power-up items and their own natural abilities.

Tropes that apply to both of the Mario Brothers:


Mario

It's-a me, Mario!

"Life is a game, kid! It all depends on how you play!"
Debut: Donkey Kong

The Hero; a short, pudgy Italian plumber and inhabitant of the Mushroom Kingdom. He is primarily charged with saving the perpetual Damsel in Distress, Princess Peach Toadstool, from the clutches of King Bowser Koopa and his minions. Since his debut in Donkey Kong in 1981, he's gone on to take many different professions, including golfer, tennis player, doctor, and go-kart racer.

Mario has a rather simple personality. Aside from his cheerful get-up-and-go attitude, bravery and occasionally being quick to anger; he's primarily a silent protagonist through which the player gets to experience the game.

Tropes associated with Mario:

  • Acrofatic: Shigeru Miyamoto recently explained that his chubbiness is the result of games back in the 80's only being able to register collisions with squares. Doesn't stop him from pulling off all sorts of acrobatic feats.
  • And I Must Scream: In both of the Luigi’s Mansion games, Mario was turned into a painting by King Boo, desperately trying to escape.
  • Arch Enemy: Bowser, replacing Donkey Kong
  • Badass in Distress: Four times: Mario Is Missing (which is safely forgettable), Luigis Mansion, Super Mario 64 DS, and Super Princess Peach. Not to mention several minor incidents in the Mario & Luigi series.
  • Berserk Button: Just... Don't threaten to hurt his friends. Especially his brother. He REALLY doesn't take it well.
  • Big Bad: Of Donkey Kong Jr. It's likely the only time he'll ever portray a villainous role, as this was before he developed more characterization.
  • Big Good: He's became one of the most famous heroes in his franchise, as well in video game history. Within the games, he forms a Big Good duumvirate with Peach. As The Hero, he is acknowledged as the key to victory against Bowser. In each of his adventures, especially the RPGs, he is always the most responsible for the good guys' victories.
  • Blood Knight: Sorta. Just listening to him in the 3D games makes it obvious he's enjoying himself as he traverses dangerous terrain, dodges obstacles, and battles all sorts of monsters, in comparison to Luigi's more serious tone while doing so. He's also known to be rather competitive.
  • Celibate Hero
  • Characterization Marches On: In his very early days, Mario wasn't exactly the morally upright hero he's become famous for today. He was the highly questionable circus owner of a large ape, who taunted and laughed at the ape during performances, and also captured the ape once more and tried to kill his son for trying to save him in the direct sequel for revenge. It was the first and so-far only game where Mario was actually a villain. Needless to say, several video games and world-saving adventures later, Mario's early grey phase has long since faded away, and he has truly become The Hero.
  • Chick Magnet: Mario seems to be the most eligible man in the Mushroom Kingdom, especially in the Paper Mario series. Any female character who has something to say about him that isn't a villain is mostly likely to regard him as handsome, charming or both. In fact, every female [1] playable character in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door kisses him at least once. Even outside Paper Mario, Peach is his Implied Love Interest, Pauline was formerly his girlfriend, and Daisy took a shine to him post-rescue before she then became Luigi's love interest. Toadette is sometimes shown to have a crush on him. Even Wendy O. Koopa thinks he's cute. Just about the only main female character who hasn't shown any real interest in him is Rosalina.
  • Chrome Champion: Metal Mario.
  • Dance Sensation: "Do the Mario!"
  • Deadpan Snarker: In his few official fully-voiced appearances, Mario isn't above making wisecracks or poking fun at things -- sometimes at others' expense (such as Sony's).

Mario: Boy, that Sony. It's fantastic... (his nose stretches out like Pinocchio)

  • Elemental Powers: See the folder for both brothers for powers shared with Luigi.
  • The Everyman: The producers say that they have intentionally kept his characterization minimal to make him versatile and able to be put in many situations.
  • Famed in Story: From Super Mario RPG onwards, the RPGs he stars in all give him this. In the DS remake of Super Mario 64, there is a sign in the courtyard describing him as a superhero. Less so in Lavalava Island and Rogueport, which are not in the Mushroom Kingdom.
  • Fun Personified: He always seems to be having a blast, even in the most dire of circumstances.
  • Go-Karting with Bowser: Sure, Mario and Bowser are mortal enemies, but that doesn't stop them from playing games together every once in a while.
  • The Hero: The central character and protagonist of the series and the most blatant example of the classical hero archetype.
  • Hope Bringer: He is considered to be a symbol of hope and liberty for the Mushroom Kingdom. Especially prevalent in the RPGs like Paper Mario and Mario and Luigi; talking to NPCs early on will have them confident that Mario is going to save the world.
  • Ideal Hero: In every game he is in, he is always an ideal hero, which comes with being The Everyman. Therefore, Mario's heroism is his most notable trait.
  • I Have-a Many Names: Some call him Jumpman, or The Great Gonzales, or Butterball, or New Bee, or Hero of Legend.
  • Implied Love Interest: Princess Peach.
  • Informed Flaw: Mario is sometimes described as being impulsive, the sort of guy who dives into things without thinking. However, because he's usually a silent protagonist type, this almost never comes across, outside of the implication that he dives head first into saving people without much of a plan. However, in Super Mario Odyssey, his tendency to do things without thinking manages to get the better of him, for once, when he gets caught up in trying to one-up Bowser's affections for Peach, after Bowser butts in on his proposal to her. This, in turn, causes Peach to get annoyed with both of them, and she puts her foot down.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: If Mario Sports Mix's promotional press conference and some dialogue options from Fortune Street are anything to believe, Mario can be a bit of a dick with his popularity. He sees no problem with stealing Yoshi's cookies and nonchalantly telling him he did so while pretending to help him find them, and his big brother teasing towards Luigi can get rather cruel sometimes (in the aforementioned press conference, Mario dismisses Luigi's pleas to be in the spotlight by telling the interviewer that this was just being taken out of context and that Luigi loves being his sidekick). However, Mario still manages to be a heroic and friendly individual who goes out of his way to help anyone he meets, even Bowser.
  • Keet: In modern games, he happily whoops and squeals with every step. Even if he's jumping across boiling lava pits. Contrast with Luigi, who has a more serious tone.
  • Let's Get Dangerous: Mario's a goofy, happy-go-lucky, friendly guy. He doesn't seem very threatening, but if you dare to hurt an innocent person, you'll see just what a force of nature a good and serious Mario can be.
  • Magnetic Hero: In the Paper Mario series.
  • Man Child: He's a boundless fount of happy-go-lucky energy, that takes on challenges with a whoop of excitement. He also engages in any fun activity, no matter how juvenile.
  • Pint-Sized Powerhouse: He's actually pretty short, the second shortest human member of the cast after E. Gadd. If the people of the Metro Kingdom in Odyssey are the size of an average human, he only comes up to their waists. Despite that, he's performed some incredible feats over his career and taken down foes who would dwarf any man in the real world. [2]
  • Playing with Fire: Perhaps because the Fire Flower was the first power-up with a unique ability, Mario is strongly associated with fire abilities. He gets Firebrand in Superstar Saga, the Fire Orb series of spells in Super Mario RPG, and many of his various special moves in sports spinoffs are fire themed.
  • Required Spinoff Crossover: Has made cameo appearances in both Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.
  • Showy Invincible Hero: We all know he will win, but dear God, it's fun to watch him win.
  • Static Character: Mario only has a handful of constants throughout the series in terms of character traits. He's optimistic, energetic, headstrong, kind, and competitive. That's dating back as far as the early N64 releases, and he has not budged an inch since; though this is intentional so as to let him fit into any role as needed.
  • Stout Strength: Not as much as Wario, but this guy can spin around Bowser by the tail.
  • Suddenly Voiced: in Mario vs. Donkey Kong. Also gives a ten minute long press conference for Mario Sports Mix.
  • Title Scream: He does it in many games.
  • Trademark Favorite Food: Pasta. To be precise, Spaghetti Bolognese with alfredo sauce and meatballs. Also, toast in YouTube Poop, thanks to Hotel Mario.
  • Vocal Dissonance:
    • Mario has gone through this during Charles Martinet's voicework as him. His original voice was deeper and gruffer, with the occasional high-pitched squeal for when he's happy or a scream for when he's falling into a pit. Starting from Mario Kart 64, the high-pitched voice also became Charles Martinet's normal voice for him, so until Super Mario Galaxy when they were finally retired, whenever Nintendo decided to reuse the old Super Mario 64 clips it always sounded a bit...off. Just compare his Voice Grunting from Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Galaxy.
    • In Nintendo 64 era games, Mario's various Title Screams were fairly low key, but as time went on, and he became more of an obvious Keet in personality, they became more energetic and excited. Just compare his "Welcome to Mario Kart!" to "MARIO KART EIIIIIIGHT!"
  • Working Class Hero: Mario remains highly original as a video-game hero. Despite being the first major video game star, and living in a fantasy world, he stands out as a stocky, mustached plumber in working overalls whose real powers are his ability to move with his hands and legs, as opposed to video-game heroes who are elites — soldiers, warriors, super-soldiers. Super Smash Bros. demonstrates this best, in that Mario, despite his stature, is one of the very few Working Class Heroes in a roster full of warriors and creatures of various kinds.

Luigi

Yay for me, Luigi!

"I wanna be a great plumber like my brother Mario."
Debut: Mario Bros.

Mario's taller, marginally younger, and not-quite-as-famous twin brother. Eventually got his own proper game in Luigis Mansion. Unlike Mario, Luigi is more of a reluctant (read: cowardly) hero who would rather stay at home than save the world, but he still always pulls through in the end. Luigi is often paired off with Princess Daisy (especially by Shippers).

Tropes associated with Luigi that aren't shared with Mario:


Princess Peach Toadstool

Oh, did I win?


"Listen, everybody, let's bake a delicious cake... ...for Mario..."
Debut: Super Mario Bros

Originally named Princess Toadstool in America, she is the crown princess of the Mushroom Kingdom and Mario's main love interest. She gets kidnapped frequently by Bowser in the main Super Mario Bros. games, but proves herself to be very skilled in sports. Though she's often the Damsel in Distress, there are times she will get up and do something herself (such as in Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario RPG, and her own game, Super Princess Peach).

Tropes associated with Peach:

The Toads

Mario! Is the princess OK?

Peach's many loyal subjects; the primary inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom. "Toad" is both the name of this race of people, and of a single character within this race. Toads in general are peaceful but steadfast, with a jolly demeanor. Notable Toads include:

  • Toad: One of Peach's advisors called the "Mushroom Retainers". Confirmed to be the leader of the Toad Brigade. Debut: Super Mario Bros.
  • Toadette: Either Toad's friend or sister, treated as a star among the Toads. Debut: Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
  • Toadsworth: Peach's aged steward and right-hand fungus. Debut: Super Mario Sunshine
  • The Toad Brigade: Red, Blue, Purple, Green, and Yellow; five adventurous Toads who help out Mario; possibly the same Toads from Super Mario Sunshine. The tie-in trading cards for Super Mario Galaxy 2 confirm that the Red Toad is the Toad. Debut: Super Mario Galaxy
  • Blue Toad and Yellow Toad: A pair of brave Toads who leap to Mario and Luigi's side to save the Princess. Debut: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Tropes associated with the Toads:


Yoshi

Yoshi!


"I know! We should team up! Come on! Hop on my back!"
Debut: Super Mario World

A reptile-like creature who hails from Yoshi's Island. Like Toad above, there is "Yoshi" (singular), and the race of Yoshis (plural). They often serve as mounts for Mario and his friends.

Tropes associated with Yoshi:


Princess Daisy

Hi, I'm Daisy!

"Yo, this is Princess Daisy. You're listening to Super Mario Compact Disco. Kick it!"
Debut: Super Mario Land

Daisy made her first appearance in the Game Boy game Super Mario Land as Princess Peach's analogue in Sarasaland. Though she hasn't appeared in a main, storyline game since her debut, Daisy pops up frequently in the Mario Sports and Mario Party titles. She is friends with Princess Peach and has been believed to be romantically involved with Luigi.

Tropes associated with Daisy:


Professor Elvin Gadd

"Tonight I'll make an old family recipe. Pickled dandelions with barnacles in a diesel marinade!"
Debut: Luigis Mansion

Elvin Gadd is a friendly, absentminded scientist who helps the Mario Bros. with his many inventions, including the FLUDD pack (Super Mario Sunshine) and Luigi's Poltergust 3000 Ghost vacuum (Luigis Mansion). He also has smaller roles in a lot of the RPG titles, providing backup with even more inventions. His name in the Japanese version of the games is "Oya Ma" ("Oh my!").

Tropes associated with the Professor:


Princess Rosalina

"These star people are my family... They mean so much to me."
Debut: Super Mario Galaxy

Once, Rosalina was a young girl living on the Mushroom World, but she found an old spaceship with a Luma (a living star-person) inside. Together, they traveled across the universe, and as she grew older, to fill the void left by the loss of her mother, Rosalina adopted the Lumas as her own children. She built the Comet Observatory to travel the space lanes and keep them safe, and returns to check up on her planet of birth once a century. She aided Mario during Bowser's ill-fated attempt at conquering space. In Japan, her name is Rosetta.

Tropes associated with Rosalina:


The Lumas

These star-shaped childlike creatures are found throughout the universe, but mainly reside in the Comet Observatory, where they acknowledge Rosalina as their "mama". They are eventually destined to transform into various objects, from Power Stars to small planetoids to entire galaxies.

Notable Lumas:

  • Luma: A silver-peach colored Luma who gives Mario the ability to Star Spin. He is the first Luma that Mario meets
  • Polari: A Black Luma who acts as Rosalina's main assistant in caring for the Lumas.
  • Lubba: A large purple Luma who builds Starship Mario and acts as the Lumas' leader in Super Mario Galaxy 2.
  • Lumalee: A light blue Luma who runs the Luma Shop, where Mario can buy a Life Mushroom or a 1-Up. She transforms into whatever Mario chooses for him to eat, but she continuously improves.
  • Co-star Luma: In Super Mario Galaxy 2, a second player could take control of an orange Luma that follows Mario around and can attack enemies and deliver items to him.

Tropes applying to the Lumas:


Pauline

Debut: Donkey Kong

Mario's first girlfriend and a celebrity of some sort. Many years ago, Pauline was kidnapped by Donkey Kong, but Mario rescued her in his very first adventure. Her current relationship with Mario is unclear, though they remain good friends. Although Donkey Kong still causes trouble for her from time to time, she holds no hard feelings for the big ape.

Tropes associated with Pauline:


Mini Marios

Debut: Mario vs. Donkey Kong

A group of friendly little Mario-shaped robots created by the Mario Toy Company. The Mini Marios are popular toys that Mario has also used to help him in some of his adventures. There are also Mini Peaches, Mini Toads, Mini Donkey Kongs, and Mini Paulines.

Tropes associated with the Mini Marios:


Non-Player Characters (debuting in Super Mario 64)

Bob-omb Buddy

These friendly pink bombs are not as hotheaded as the "normal" Bob-ombs and will help Mario with cannons and locating red coins.

Tropes associated with Bob-omb Buddies:

Dorrie

A large sea monster who helps Mario reach otherwise difficult areas.

Tropes associated with Dorrie:

Headless Snowman

"I need a good head on my shoulders."

A snowman without a head. If you help him, he will gratefully give you a star.

Hoot

An tired owl who will give Mario a ride around whatever areas he can be found in. Handy for getting places quickly.

Tropes associated with Hoot:

Koopa the Quick

An outgoing Koopa Troopa who lives to race. If Mario defeats him, the Koopa will reward the hero with a star.

Tropes associated with Koopa the Quick:

Lakitu Bros.

"For now, reporting live, this has been the Lakitu Bros. "

The cameramen (cameraturtles?) who film the whole adventure.

Tropes associated with the Lakitu Bros:

Penguins

Several penguins are featured in the game---a baby named Tuxie, his mother, a penguin that races you (for a star, of course), and another baby. If Mario finds the lost Tuxie, he receives (you guessed it!) a star. Another Penguin appears in Snowman's Land, who may or may not be one of the aforementioned characters.

Tropes associated with the penguins:


Non-Player Characters (debuting in Super Mario Sunshine

Piantas

A race of large, fruitlike natives to Isle Delfino.

Tropes associated with the Piantas:

Nokis

A smaller, gentler race of shellike people.

  • Foil: While the Piantas are big, stupid and lazy, the Nokis are small, smart and active.

Il Piantissamo

A mysterious man who is disguised as a Pianta who challenges Mario to races across the island.

Tropes associated with Il Piantissamo:

  • Expy: He provides the same function as Koopa the Quick.
    • When looked underneath his mask, Piantissamo looks identical to the Running Man, but with darker skin.
  • Racing Mini Game

Sunflowers

A group of friendly flowers who were briefly plagued by Snooze-a-Koopas until Mario saved them. They are naturally cheerful and will provide coins if watered.

  1. If you don't believe the Japanese stuff about Vivian being male
  2. Even if you subscribe to the fanon idea that Mario is 5'1" (155cm), that still puts him at well below the average height for a man his age.