List of Mario franchise characters facts for kids
The Mario franchise is a famous video game series made by Nintendo. Nintendo usually develops and publishes these games. However, some games are made by other companies like Hudson Soft and Intelligent Systems.
The Mario games mostly follow the main hero, Mario. Often, the bad guy, Bowser, kidnaps Princess Peach. Then, Mario has to rescue her. Many characters have their own stories. For example, the Luigi's Mansion games are about Luigi getting rid of ghosts called Boos from a haunted house. Also, Wario stars in games where he chases after money and treasure.
The franchise started with Donkey Kong in 1981. This game introduced Mario, Donkey Kong, and Pauline. Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto created them. He wanted to use characters from Popeye, but couldn't get the rights. So, Miyamoto changed their looks and personalities. He made them more lighthearted.
Donkey Kong was a huge success. Because of this, Mario appeared again in Mario Bros. in 1983. This game brought in Mario's twin brother, Luigi. Then, Super Mario Bros. came out in 1985. It introduced Toad and many enemies. Bowser and Princess Peach took the places of Donkey Kong and Pauline in this game.
Each game series has added many characters. A lot of them appear again and again. Some characters have even starred in their own games. All the games usually share common enemies.
Main Heroes
Mario
Mario (voiced by Kevin Afghani) is the main character of the Mario games. He is also the mascot for all of Nintendo. He first appeared in 1981's Donkey Kong. Back then, he was called "Jumpman" and was a carpenter. Later, he became a plumber.
In most of his adventures, Mario saves a damsel in distress (usually Princess Peach). He saves her from a bad guy (usually Bowser). Mario's younger brother is Luigi. His greedy rival is Wario. Yoshi is Mario's dinosaur friend in many games, like Super Mario World.
Since he first appeared, Mario has been known for his jumping skills. He can jump on enemies' heads to attack them. Mario also uses special power-ups. The Super Mushroom makes him bigger and helps him take an extra hit. The Super Star makes him temporarily invincible. The Fire Flower lets him throw fireballs. Some power-ups, like the Super Leaf from Super Mario Bros. 3, even let Mario fly.
Mario is very famous. According to Guinness World Records, he is the second most recognized video game character. Only Pac-Man is more famous. Mario has appeared in many real-world events. For example, at the 2016 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, the Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe dressed up as Mario.
Luigi
Luigi (voiced by Kevin Afghani) is Mario's younger twin brother. Luigi looks up to Mario but also feels a bit jealous. He was introduced in the 1983 game Mario Bros. as the second player character. He was very similar to Mario at first.
In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986), Luigi started to become different. He could jump higher and farther, but it was harder to control him precisely. In the North American version of Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988), Luigi became taller and thinner than Mario. This look helped shape his modern appearance.
Luigi's first main role was in 1993's Mario Is Missing!. But he had only small roles after that until 2001. That's when Luigi's Mansion came out. In this game, Luigi is a scared but funny hero trying to save his brother. In 2013, Nintendo celebrated the Year of Luigi. Many Luigi games were released to celebrate his 30th anniversary.
Princess Peach
Princess Peach Toadstool (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is the princess of the Mario franchise's Mushroom Kingdom. In the main games, she is usually the one who needs to be rescued by Mario. When you can play as her, she can often float in the air. She is also taller than Mario.
Her first time being playable in a main Mario game was in 1988's Super Mario Bros. 2. Her second was in 2013's Super Mario 3D World. Peach was the main character in Super Princess Peach (2005). In that game, she had to rescue Mario, Luigi, and Toad. She was helped by a parasol named Perry and could use powers based on her emotions.
She appears often in other Mario games, like the Mario Kart series and the Mario sports games. In Super Mario Odyssey (2017), Bowser captures her and tries to force her to marry him. Mario rescues her, but she rejects both of them. Instead, she decides to travel the world, and Mario joins her later.
Toad
Toad (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is a mushroom-like character who acts like a person. He first appeared in Super Mario Bros. (1985). His first main role was in Wario's Woods (1994), where players could control him to solve puzzles.
Toad became a playable character in a main Mario game in 1988 with Super Mario Bros. 2. He often appears as a character you can't play as (non-playable character) in Mario role-playing games. Toad is part of the Toad species. This group includes characters like Captain Toad, Toadette, and Toadsworth. Keegan-Michael Key voices Toad in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023).
Yoshi
Yoshi (voiced by Kazumi Totaka) is a green dinosaur character who acts like a person. He has a long tongue that he uses to eat enemies. When he eats enemies, he can turn them into eggs. These eggs can release power-ups or be thrown. Yoshi can be ridden by heroes or played as a character in most Mario spin-off games. He also has his own series of games.
Other Supporting Characters
Pauline
Pauline (voiced by Kate Higgins) first appeared in Donkey Kong (1981) as Lady. She also appears in Donkey Kong (1994) for Game Boy. She is also in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. Shigeru Miyamoto created her. She is known as one of the first female characters in a video game who could speak. She is also a famous example of a damsel in distress in stories. In Super Mario Odyssey, she is the mayor of New Donk City.
Birdo
Birdo, also known as Birdette, (voiced by Kazumi Totaka) is a pink dinosaur-like character. She wears a red bow on her head. She has a round mouth that can shoot eggs. Birdo first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2 as a recurring boss character. Since then, she has often been a playable character in various Mario spin-off games. While first described in a confusing way, Birdo is now seen as a girl in the games.
Princess Daisy
Princess Daisy (voiced by Giselle Fernandez) is the princess of Sarasaland. This is where Super Mario Land (1989) takes place. Since then, she has mainly appeared as a playable character in spin-off Mario games. She is especially common in Mario sports games.
Super Mario Run (2016) was Daisy's first time as a playable character in a main series game. In that game, she can do a double jump. She acts more like a tomboy than Princess Peach. You can see this in her appearances in the Mario sports games. Some people think she and Luigi are a couple. She is also a playable character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Poochy
Poochy is Yoshi's helper dog. He first appeared in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. He has been in other Yoshi games, like Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World. In the games, Poochy can do things Yoshi can't. He can sniff out hidden items, cross dangerous areas, and jump over walls to help Yoshi. In 2023, Poochy became a playable character in Mario Kart Tour.
Professor Elvin Gadd
Professor Elvin Gadd, often called Professor E. Gadd, (voiced by Kazumi Totaka) is a scientist and inventor. He mostly appears in the Luigi's Mansion series. He invented many things, like Luigi's Poltergust 3000 and Gooigi from Luigi's Mansion 3. He is mentioned in Super Mario Sunshine as the inventor of Mario's F.L.U.D.D. This device lets Mario spray water. Professor E. Gadd has also made small appearances in series like Mario Party and Mario & Luigi.
Toadette
Toadette (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is a pink Toad character. She first appeared in Mario Kart: Double Dash (2003) as a playable driver. Toadette has two long, round pigtails with white spots and wears a dress. This helps tell her apart from Toad. Since Super Mario Odyssey, Toadette is part of the Toad Brigade and works as an archivist.
She can be a supporting character or a main character, and you can play as her in most Mario spin-off games. In New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, a power-up called the Super Crown lets Toadette turn into Peachette. This form looks a lot like Princess Peach. As Peachette, she can use Peach's floating jump to hover and can double jump. She is also a playable character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Rosalina
Rosalina (voiced by Laura Faye Smith) is a princess character. She was introduced in 2007's Super Mario Galaxy. As a child, she went into space after her mother died. She then became the adoptive mother of the Lumas. These are mysterious, friendly star-like creatures that live in space in the Mario games. She lives in the Comet Observatory, a starship she uses to travel the Mario universe.
In later games, she is usually a supporting character. She mostly appears in spin-off games like the Mario sports games, Mario Kart series, and Super Smash Bros. series. In Super Mario 3D World (2013), she is a playable character that you unlock by playing the game.
Lumas
The Lumas are friendly star-like creatures. They first appeared in Super Mario Galaxy. They can change into different game objects, small planets, and even whole levels. Lumas come in many colors, but they are most often yellow.
One special Luma, called Baby Luma, is important in the Super Mario Galaxy games. It gives Mario or Luigi the power to do a Star Spin. In The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), Juliet Jelenic voices a blue Luma named Lumalee. This character first appeared in Super Mario Galaxy as a salesman. Bowser holds Lumalee prisoner. Lumalee happily talks about the pain and suffering waiting for all prisoners, which makes the other prisoners very sad.
Captain Toad
Captain Toad (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is an explorer and the leader of the Toad Brigade. He first appeared in Super Mario Galaxy. He then appeared in Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario Odyssey. He is also known as a "treasure tracker". He makes small appearances in Super Smash Bros. and became a playable racer in the Mario Kart series in Mario Kart Tour. He is the main hero in special levels in Super Mario 3D World called Captain Toad's Adventures. He also stars in his own game, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker.
Nabbit
Nabbit (voiced by Dawn M. Bennett) is a rabbit-like creature who steals items from Toad. He was introduced in New Super Mario Bros. U (2012). In New Super Luigi U, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, and Super Mario Bros. Wonder, he is a playable character.
Kong Family
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong (voiced by Takashi Nagasako) is a gorilla who acts like a person. He stars in the Donkey Kong franchise. He is the leader of the Kong Family, a group of different apes. He is shown as the grandson of Cranky Kong, who appeared in the 1981 arcade game, Donkey Kong. However, Donkey Kong appears as a bad guy in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. He is shown as a happy and strong character.
Diddy Kong
Diddy Kong (voiced by Katsumi Suzuki) is a monkey who acts like a person. He is Donkey Kong's nephew, helper, and best friend. He appears in both the Donkey Kong and Mario games. He is the main hero of Diddy Kong Racing and its DS remake. He is shown as a happy and kind character. The name Diddy means "little" in British English.
Cranky Kong
Cranky Kong (voiced by Takashi Nagasako) is an older Kong. He first appeared in 1981's Donkey Kong. In that game, he was the bad guy who kidnapped Pauline. Mario stopped him.
Bad Guys
Bowser
Bowser or King Koopa (voiced by Kenneth W. James) is the king of the turtle-like Koopa race. He is a selfish troublemaker who wants to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. He is shown as Mario's main enemy. He is the final boss in most Mario games. You can play as him in most Mario spin-off games.
Dry Bowser is a bad guy who appears often in the Mario series. He first appeared as a form of Bowser after he lost his flesh in New Super Mario Bros.. The character has appeared as his own being starting with Mario Kart Wii. He often acts as the final antagonist in the main games. Dry Bowser appears in Mario Party: Island Tour, Mario Party 10, and is a playable character in several Mario spin-off games.
Koopalings
The Koopalings are seven siblings. They first appeared as boss characters in the 1988 game Super Mario Bros. 3. Their names are Ludwig, Lemmy, Roy, Iggy, Wendy, Morton, and Larry. The Koopalings were first said to be Bowser's children. Older Mario games still mention them as his children in updated manuals.
However, in games after New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009), they are shown as Bowser's helpers. In 2012, Shigeru Miyamoto said that "our current story is that the seven Koopalings are not Bowser's children. Bowser's only child is Bowser Jr." The Koopalings have also been playable characters in spin-off Mario games and the Super Smash Bros. series. They have also appeared in Mario cartoons like Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World.
Wario
Wario (voiced by Kevin Afghani) is a large, strong, hot-tempered, and greedy man. He is Mario's yellow-and-purple clad main rival. He started as a bad guy. But over the years, he has become an anti-hero, and you can even play as him in some games. Wario is the main character of the Wario series. You can play as him in most Mario spin-off games, where he is Waluigi's partner. His name comes from "warui", the Japanese word for "bad", and "Mario". Wario's favorite food is garlic. He often uses garlic in games to get his health back.
Kamek
Kamek the Magikoopa (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson in the movie) is a member of the Magikoopa species. He was Bowser's caretaker when Bowser was a child. Later, he became one of Bowser's high-ranking helpers. Kamek is the main bad guy of the Yoshi series.
In his games, his magic includes making copies of himself, teleporting, shooting magic blasts, and changing the size of other creatures. He is often recognized by the broom he rides. Kamek appears in New Super Mario Bros. Wii (2009) and its 2012 Wii U sequel as a recurring bad guy and boss. Kamek also appears as a character you can't play as in the Mario Party and Paper Mario series. He became a playable character in Mario Party 9 (2012) and Mario Golf: World Tour (2014). He was added to Mario Kart Tour in 2021 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in 2023.
Mini Bowser
Mini Bowser, also called Koopa Kid, describes both an individual and a group of Bowser's helpers. They look similar to Bowser. They appear only in the Mario Party video games. Their job is usually to stop players from moving forward. They do this by stealing coins or fighting players in minigames.
Mini Bowser became more important in the series. He was the main bad guy and a playable character by Mario Party 5. He even had his own game mode in Mario Party Advance. However, Nintendo has replaced him with Bowser Jr. in newer games. This has made him known as "another classic Nintendo character who was forgotten." Fans wonder why he disappeared and what his real connection to Bowser is. This is because different game versions have different texts that suggest Mini Bowser is either a child, a younger version, or just a helper of Bowser.
Waluigi
Waluigi is a tall, thin, and mischievous man. He was introduced in Mario Tennis as Wario's partner. He is Luigi's black-and-purple clad main rival. Waluigi is often a bad guy who teams up with Wario to do their plans. You can play as him in most Mario spin-off games. He also makes small appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series. Like Wario, his name comes from "warui" (bad) and "Luigi".
King Boo
King Boo is the king of the Boos. He is the main antagonist of the Luigi's Mansion series. He plays smaller roles, sometimes playable, in other Mario games. These include the Mario Kart and Mario Party series. King Boo's first big role was as the final boss of Luigi's Mansion, where he pretended to be Bowser. He is much larger than the regular Boos that appear in games after Luigi's Mansion. He wears a crown with a large ruby and has glowing, deep-set eyes in the Luigi's Mansion games.
Bowser Jr.
Bowser Jr. (voiced by Caety Sagoian) is the son of Bowser. He first appeared in the 2002 game Super Mario Sunshine. He is often shown as the second main bad guy in the Mario series. In the games, Bowser Jr. looks up to his dad. He also shares his dad's goal to defeat Mario and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. You can play as Bowser Jr. in most spin-off Mario games and in Super Smash Bros.. He is the main hero of Bowser Jr.'s Journey (2018). This game was included in the remake of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
Petey Piranha
Petey Piranha is a large, strong Piranha Plant character. Normal Piranha Plants usually grow from pipes. But Petey has leaves and roots that act like feet and arms. This lets him use things like tennis rackets and golf clubs when you can play as him in the various Mario sports games. He can sometimes use his leaves to fly. He first appeared as the main boss of Bianco Hills in Super Mario Sunshine. He returned as a smaller boss in New Super Mario Bros.. Similar Piranha Plant bosses later appear in Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel. Petey Piranha made his Mario Kart debut in Mario Kart: Double Dash as a playable driver. He also returns in Mario Kart Tour and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Fawful
Fawful is a bad guy who appears often in the Mario & Luigi series. The character is considered "insane" and speaks in a very strange way. He was the second bad guy in Superstar Saga. He was the main bad guy in Bowser's Inside Story. He was also the main antagonist of Bowser’s Minions. In that game, he brainwashed all of Bowser’s helpers.
Fawful is known for his funny and strange quotes, like "I have fury!" and "I am the mustard of your doom!" Fans and critics often praise him as a favorite villain because of his unique personality and memorable lines.
Enemy Characters
- Blooper – A squid-like enemy that chases the player. It first appeared in Super Mario Bros.. Blooper Nannies are a type of Blooper that shoot smaller versions of themselves (Blooper Babies) at the player.
- Bob-omb – A bomb enemy with a wind-up key and a fuse. It explodes after a certain time or when thrown. It was introduced in Super Mario Bros. 2. King Bob-omb was introduced in Super Mario 64 as a boss character.
- Boo – A round ghost enemy introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3. It sneaks up on the player from behind when they are not looking. Boos are very popular Mario enemies.
- Bullet Bill – A bullet with angry eyes and clenched fists. It is shot from a cannon called a "Bill Blaster". Larger ones with a shark-like face are called Banzai Bills.
- Chain Chomp – A metal ball-and-chain creature that lunges at the player when they get close. Shigeru Miyamoto was inspired by a violent dog he saw as a child.
- Cheep Cheep – A round, usually red, fish that first appeared in Super Mario Bros.. Cheep Cheeps are mostly found in water. Some can jump or fly a short distance.
- Dry Bones – A walking Koopa Troopa skeleton. It puts itself back together after being hit, unless defeated by certain power-ups.
- Goomba – A living mushroom-like creature. It is usually the first enemy players meet in the games. Some Goombas have wings and are called Paragoombas. The Goombas have their own king, King Goomba, introduced in Paper Mario.
- Hammer Bro – A type of Koopa wearing a helmet that throws hammers at the player. There are variations that throw other things, like the Boomerang Bro and the Fire Bro.
- Koopa Troopa – A soldier for Bowser. It hides in its shell when stomped on. Then, it can be used to attack other enemies. Koopas with wings are called Paratroopas or Koopa Paratroopas.
- Buzzy Beetle – A black or blue beetle-like creature with a hard, fireproof shell. It can crawl on ceilings and drop down.
- Chargin' Chuck – A Koopa wearing football gear. It mostly charges at the player and can use items like baseballs.
- Spiny – A red beetle-like creature that hurts the player if touched from above. They are often thrown by Lakitus.
- Lakitu – A cloud-riding Koopa with goggles. It drops an endless supply of Spinies. Lakitu also appears in Mario spin-off games. For example, it acts as a track marshal in Mario Kart and a camera operator in Super Mario 64.
- Magikoopa – A wizard Koopa that can cast magic spells. It can turn blocks into enemies, power-ups, or coins. Magikoopas first appeared in Super Mario World. Kamek is a famous Magikoopa.
- Monty Mole – A mole-like enemy that digs underground. It pops out when the player gets close.
- Piranha Plant – A leafy, plant-like creature with sharp teeth. It usually lives inside pipes. It has appeared in many games outside of Mario, even as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
- Shy Guy – A shy, masked creature wearing a robe. It comes in many colors and types. It was introduced in the international Super Mario Bros. 2. Some types include the Snifit, which shoots bullets, and the Fly Guy, which can fly with a propeller. The Bandit is a blue Shy Guy known for stealing things.
- Thwomp – A large stone block with an angry face. It is mostly found in castles. It tries to crush the player, usually from above. A smaller version is called a Thwimp.
- Wiggler – A caterpillar enemy introduced in Super Mario World. It changes color and charges at the player when stomped on. It is a playable character in Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Mario Kart Tour.
Images for kids
See also
- Bowsette – a character made by fans based on Bowser and Peachette
