Characters in the Mario franchise

For the main characters that appear in Mario-adjacent franchise Donkey Kong, see List of Donkey Kong characters.

File:Mario characters.jpg

A handful of characters in the Mario franchise: Wario, Donkey Kong, Luigi, Peach, Mario, Toad, Daisy, Bowser, Yoshi, Boo, and Waluigi.

The Mario franchise is a video game series by Nintendo. While Nintendo is usually the developer and publisher of games in the franchise, various series are developed by third-party companies, such as Hudson Soft and Intelligent Systems. Games in the Mario franchise primarily revolve around the protagonist Super 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 from series to series; for example, the Luigi's Mansion games focus on Luigi ridding a haunted building of ghosts, while Wario stars in games that center around his greed and desire for money and treasure.

Character roots begin with Donkey Kong where Mario, Donkey Kong, and Pauline originate. Designed by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto; they were built off the base of characters from Popeye. Unable to obtain licensing rights for the characters, Miyamoto made later changes to their appearances and personalities, such as making them more lighthearted in tone. Due to the critical and commercial success of Donkey Kong when it was released in July 1981, Mario reappeared in Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. in 1983 and 1985, respectively. Mario Bros. introduced Mario's fraternal twin Luigi, and Super Mario Bros. introduced Toad alongside numerous enemies, with Bowser and Princess Peach replacing Donkey Kong and Pauline.

Throughout each series of games, numerous characters have been introduced, and have since become recurring. Some games, such as the Super Mario series, have supporting protagonists that aid the main character, such as Cappy from Super Mario Odyssey, and Professor E. Gadd from the Luigi's Mansion series. Other main and supporting antagonists appear as an additional hindrance to the main character, such as the Koopalings. The games all typically share common enemies.

Main characters

Mario

Main article: Mario

Mario (English /ˈmɑːrioʊ, ˈmær-/, Italian: [ˈmaːrjo]) is the main playable character of many games across the Mario franchise, mainly the Super Mario series, and is the face of others, such as the Mario Kart and Mario Party series. Additionally, other branches of games Mario appears in have expanded beyond the platforming genre, such as racing games with Mario Kart, role-playing games with Paper Mario, puzzle games with Dr. Mario, and educational games with Mario Teaches Typing. Depicted as a brave and heroic Italian plumber, he is often tasked with rescuing the kidnapped Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom from King Bowser and his army of henchmen.

Mario was portrayed by Bob Hoskins in the Super Mario Bros. movie, and will be portrayed by Chris Pratt in the upcoming animated reboot.

Luigi

Main article: Luigi

Luigi (English /luˈiːdʒi/, Italian: [luˈiːdʒi]; voiced by Charles Martinet) is an Italian plumber character who is portrayed as Mario's younger brother. He is playable in most of the Mario games. He is the main protagonist of the Luigi series, in which he is depicted as clumsy and frightful, confronting fears in order to help.

Luigi was portrayed by John Leguizamo in the Super Mario Bros. movie, and will be portrayed by Charlie Day in the upcoming animated reboot.

Professor Elvin Gadd (Professor Oya Mā in Japan; voiced by Kazumi Totaka), more commonly known as E. Gadd, is a scientist character who uses inventions to help Luigi save his brother Mario and the mansion. His name is a pun on the Japanese interjection Oyamā!, meaning "Good heavens!" His name is also inspired by Nintendo game designer Yoshiyuki Oyama. The English translations accordingly adapted the name to a pun on the expression "Egad!" He debuted in Luigi's Mansion for GameCube, in which he investigates a haunted mansion that mysteriously appeared by his laboratory. To help him study the ghosts in the mansion, he uses the "Poltergust 3000", a high-powered vacuum cleaner that can suck in and capture ghosts, and the "Game Boy Horror", an invention for tracking and detecting objects such as Boos. His inventions are key items in other games like Super Mario Sunshine.

King Boo (voiced by Toru Asakawa) is portrayed as the king of the Boos, and is the main antagonist in the Luigi's Mansion series. He plays minor roles, occasionally playable, in various other Mario games, including the Mario Kart and Mario Party series. King Boo's first major debuted role was as the final boss of Luigi's Mansion, where he disguised himself as Bowser. He is depicted as much larger than the average Boos that appear in games after Luigi's Mansion. He dons a crown with a large ruby, and has glowing, sunken eyes in the Luigi's Mansion franchise. He is a playable character in Mario Kart Tour. A similar character named Big Boo is an enemy in Super Mario World, and a boss in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Super Mario 64 DS.

Princess Peach

Main article: Princess Peach

Princess Peach (formerly known as Princess Toadstool outside Japan; voiced by Samantha Kelly), is portrayed as the princess and the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, depicted as sweet and optimistic. She is the lead female character from the Mario series since her introduction in 1985, and is the main protagonist of Princess Toadstool's Castle Run (1990) and Super Princess Peach (2006).

She will appear in the upcoming Mario movie, being played by Anya Taylor-Joy.

Princess Daisy

Main article: Princess Daisy

Princess Daisy (voiced by Deanna Mustard) is an energetic tomboyish princess character portrayed as the ruler of Sarasaland who debuted in Super Mario Land. Playable in most of the Mario spin-off games, she is depicted as either a protagonist, a supporting character, or a damsel in distress.

Princess Daisy was portrayed by Samantha Mathis in the Super Mario Bros. movie.

Donkey Kong

Main article: Donkey Kong (character)

Donkey Kong (DK) (voiced by Takashi Nagasako) is an anthropomorphic gorilla character from the franchise with the same name, appearing in the Donkey Kong and Mario video game franchises. Donkey Kong first appears in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, but the modern incarnation introduced in Donkey Kong Country is revealed to be the grandson of the original arcade version, which was later renamed Cranky Kong. He is playable in several Mario spin-off games, as a cheerful and powerful character.

He will be portrayed by Seth Rogen in the upcoming Mario movie.

Diddy Kong

Main article: Diddy Kong

Diddy Kong (Diddy) (voiced by Katsumi Suzuki) is an anthropomorphic monkey character who is portrayed as Donkey Kong's nephew, sidekick, and best friend, appearing in the Donkey Kong and Mario franchises. He is the main protagonist of Diddy Kong Racing and its DS remake. He is depicted as a cheerful and kind character. Created by Rare, the name Diddy is a British term meaning "little".

Rosalina

Main article: Rosalina (Mario)

Rosalina (voiced by Laura Faye Smith) is portrayed as a mysterious woman from an unknown location, who is the adoptive mother of the Lumas. In the games, she resides in the Comet Observatory, and is also the watcher of the cosmos in the Super Mario Galaxy series. Rosalina is usually either a supporting character, or a protagonist, playable in most of the Mario spin-off games. The Lumas are depicted as friendly star-like creatures. In the games, Lumas have the ability to transform from planets to entire galaxies (and according to their "mama" Rosalina, some of them can even transform into Power Stars) and they come in a variety of different colors, such as yellow (the most common ones), green, pink, blue, cyan, red, apricot, purple, orange, and black. One particular Luma, also referred to as Baby Luma, or Young Master Luma, is also a major character in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2. Like many Mario characters, he is named after his species. In both games, his power grants Mario or Luigi the power to Star Spin.

Toad

Main article: Toad (Nintendo)

Toad (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is a small mushroom-like humanoid character, who is depicted as Princess Peach's attendant or retainer, and a longtime protector of the Mushroom Kingdom. He remains playable in most of the Mario games, and is the protagonist of Wario's Woods.

Toad will appear in the upcoming Mario movie, being played by Keegan-Michael Key.

Toadette (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is a pink Toad girl character who first appeared in the 2003 video game Mario Kart: Double Dash as a playable driver. Toadette is depicted with two long round pigtails braids and a dress to distinguish herself from Toad. Since Super Mario Odyssey, Toadette is portrayed as a member of the Toad Brigade and has the role of an archivist. Depending on the game, she is either a supporting character or a protagonist, playable in most of the Mario spin-off games. In New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, gameplay allows Toadette to transform into Peachette, a form that highly resembles Princess Peach, with her power-up called the Super Crown. As Peachette, she can use Peach's floating jump to hover, and can perform a double jump.

Toadsworth (voiced by Scott Burns) is an elderly Toad character who is portrayed as Princess Peach's steward. He is depicted showing concern for the princess' safety and acts as a prime caretaker for the Toads. He debuted in Super Mario Sunshine for GameCube, in which he goes on vacation with Mario, Peach and the other Toads. In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, he is revealed to have cared for the princess since she was a baby.

Captain Toad (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is portrayed as an explorer, and the leader of the Toad Brigade who first appears in Super Mario Galaxy. He makes several appearances within the Mario series, like in Super Mario Galaxy 2 or Super Mario Odyssey, and as a "treasure tracker". He makes several cameos within Super Smash Bros. and made his Mario Kart debut in Mario Kart Tour as a playable racer. He is the main protagonist in the subset of levels in Super Mario 3D World called Captain Toad's Adventures, and in the game Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.

Yoshi

Main article: Yoshi

Yoshi (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 can be thrown. Yoshi is a rideable character for the heroes or a playable character in most of the Mario spin-offs including his own series.

Poochy 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. In the games, he can do things that Yoshi cannot, such as sniffing hidden items, crossing over dangerous terrain, and jumping over walls to give Yoshi a boost out of his wall jumps.

Birdo

Main article: Birdo

Birdo, also known as Birdette, and known in Japan as Catherine, (voiced by Kazumi Totaka) is depicted as a pink, anthropomorphic creature who wears a red bow on her head, and has a round mouth that can fire eggs as projectiles. Birdo first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2. Since then, she has been a recurring character in various franchise spin-offs and becomes Yoshi's partner. Birdo has evolved from an antagonist into a protagonist, playable in several Mario 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 was considered to be one of the first ever transgender video game characters.

Pauline

Main article: Pauline (Nintendo)

Pauline (voiced by Kate Higgins) debuted in Donkey Kong (1981), and is further featured in Donkey Kong (1994) for Game Boy, and the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and other developers for the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong, is the earliest example of a female with a speaking role in a video game, and is cited as a famous example of a damsel in distress in fiction. She is portrayed as the mayor of New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey.

Antagonists

Bowser

Main article: Bowser

Bowser or King Koopa (voiced by Kenneth W. James) is portrayed as the king of the turtle-like Koopa race, a selfish troublemaker who wants to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. He is depicted as Mario's nemesis, and is the final boss of most Mario games. He is playable in all Mario spin-off games.

Dry Bowser is a recurring antagonist in the Mario series. Debuting as a form of Bowser after losing his flesh in New Super Mario Bros., the character has appeared as his own being starting with Mario Kart Wii, often serving as the final antagonist in the main games. Dry Bowser appears in Mario Party: Island Tour, and is a playable character in several of the Mario spin-off games.

Bowser was portrayed by Dennis Hopper in the Super Mario Bros. movie, and will be portrayed by Jack Black in the upcoming Mario movie.

Kamek

"Kamek" redirects here. For places in Iran, see Kamek, Iran (disambiguation).

Kamek (English /kəˈmɛk, ˈkæmɪk/; voiced by Atsushi Masaki) is portrayed as a member of the fictional Magikoopa species who is Bowser's childhood caretaker, and then one of his high-ranking minions. Kamek is the main antagonist of the Yoshi series. In the games, his magic includes self-duplication, teleportation, shooting magical blasts, and changing the size of other creatures. In Japan, his species is also named Kamek, but outside Japan they are called Magikoopas. This will sometimes lead to a literal translation, as in Super Princess Peach where a boss is described as "A Kamek made huge by magic". Some Japanese sources such as the guide for Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island call him "Fang" to distinguish him from regular Magikoopas.

Kamek will appear in the upcoming Mario film, voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.

Kammy Koopa

Kammy Koopa is an elderly Magikoopa character who acts as an advisor and babysitter for Bowser in the first two Paper Mario games. She is depicted possessing the usual Magikoopa powers, and is primarily distinguished by her ability to summon yellow blocks, which she has used to both impede and combat Mario. She first appeared in Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64, helping Bowser by leaving enemies in Mario's way, transporting Bowser into the Star Spirit Sanctuary, and augmenting his size and power in the final battle. After being defeated by the Star Kid, Twink, she continued to work for him. In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, she is portrayed as Bowser's second-in-command. Generally, her position is very similar with Kamek who appeared earlier than her, though her role is again replaced by him in Paper Mario: Sticker Star.

Bowser Jr.

Main article: Bowser Jr.

Bowser Jr. (known as Koopa Jr. in Japan; voiced by Caety Sagoian), or sometimes simply Jr. or Junior, is portrayed as the son of Bowser, who first appeared in the 2002 game Super Mario Sunshine. 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.

Wario

Main article: Wario

Wario (English /ˈwɑːrioʊ, ˈwær-/; voiced by Charles Martinet) is portrayed as an obese yet muscular, hot-tempered, and greedy man. He is depicted as Mario's yellow-and-purple clad arch-rival. He initially debuted as an antagonist, but over the years has become an anti-hero, even being playable in a few titles. 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. His name is portmanteau of "warui", the Japanese word for "bad", and "Mario". Wario's favorite food is garlic, often used in gameplay to restore health when he gets defeated.

Waluigi

Main article: Waluigi

Waluigi (English /ˌwɑːluˈiːdʒi/; voiced by Charles Martinet) is portrayed as 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. 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. Like with Wario, his name is a portmanteau of "warui" and "Luigi".

Koopalings

Main article: Koopalings

The Koopalings are portrayed as seven siblings who first appeared as boss characters in the 1988 game Super Mario Bros. 3. Their individual names are Ludwig, Lemmy, Roy, Iggy, Wendy, Morton, and Larry. They were originally depicted as the children of the series antagonist Bowser, and later referred to as his minions. They have since appeared in subsequent Super Mario games, spin-off Mario games, and the Super Smash Bros. series.

Fawful

Main article: Fawful

Fawful (voiced by Nami Funashima), known in Japan as Gerakobits, is a recurring antagonist in the Mario & Luigi series. The character is considered to be "insane," and speaks in a "schizophasic" manner. He served as the secondary antagonist of Superstar Saga, and the main antagonist of Bowser's Inside Story.

Enemy characters

• Boo - A spherical ghost enemy introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3, 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.
• Chain Chomp - A metallic ball-and-chain creature that lunges at the player when he approaches it. Inspired by a childhood experience of Shigeru Miyamoto's with a violent dog.
• Goomba - A sentient mushroom creature, which 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-to-defeat enemy. 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.
• Hammer Bro - A type of helmet-wearing Koopa who throws hammers at the player. 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.
• 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. 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 yellow, blue, and red.
  • 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.
  • Chargin' Chuck - A Koopa wearing football gear that mostly charges at the player, but can also use items such as baseballs and shovels.
  • Dry Bones - A walking Koopa Troopa skeleton that reassembles itself after being hit. It can only be defeated by a Super Star, a Cape Feather, Super Leaf, or an Ice Flower.
    • Fish Bone - A skeletal fish who charges at the player when they get close. It will break into parts if it collides with a wall.
  • 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.
  • Spike - A green Koopa creature that attacks with spiked balls, which it throws out of its mouth. First appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3.
  • 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.
  • Spiny - A red beetle-like creature that damages the player if touched from above. They are often thrown by Lakitus in unlimited supplies, but can also be found individually.
• Lakitu - A cloud-riding Koopa with aviator goggles that drops an endless supply of Spinies. It also appears in the Mario Kart series as a friendly referee.
• Magikoopa - A wizard Koopa capable of casting magic spells, turning blocks into foes, power-ups, or coins. It first appeared in Super Mario World. Often portrayed as underlings to Kamek.
• Piranha Plant - A leafy, stalk-topped carnivorous plant with sharp teeth that typically lives within pipes. 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.
  • Petey Piranha, known as Boss Pakkun in Japan, (voiced by Toru Minegishi) is a large, powerful Piranha Plant character. Whereas normal Piranha Plants are usually depicted growing from pipes, Petey's leaves and roots are portrayed as 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. He has also been shown to be able to use his leaves to fly around in the air. He first appeared as the primary boss of Bianco Hills in the game Super Mario Sunshine. Similar Piranha Plant boss characters later appear in Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel.

External links

• Characters of the Mario series at Super Mario Wiki