Characters in the Mario franchise
The Mario franchise is a series of video games developed and published by Nintendo that features an extensive cast of characters.
For the main characters that appear in Mario-adjacent franchises Donkey Kong and Wario, please refer to list of Donkey Kong characters and list of Wario characters.
Lead characters
Mario
is an Italian-American plumber and the lead character of the series who was introduced in 1981. Depicted as the hero of the franchise, Mario remains playable in most of the games and also appears in every Mario spin-off game including sports and kart racing. He is heroic, brave, polite, smart, and kind.Bowser
or King Koopa is the king and leader of the turtle-like race named Koopas. Bowser is depicted as a powerful and evil Koopa who wants to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. He is Mario's nemesis and is the final boss of most Mario games. Bowser is playable in all Mario spin-off games.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 also appears in , and is a playable character in several of the Mario spin-off games.
Princess Peach
, is the princess and the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom and the lead female character from the Mario series since her introduction in 1985. Peach is playable in most of the Mario games. She is sweet, kind, optimistic, cheery, and elegant.Peach is the main protagonist of Princess Toadstool's Castle Run and Super Princess Peach.
Peach is the interpret of the song "Go Go Mario!!", the lyrical version of the Super Mario Bros. theme released in 1986, which also appears in the vinyl album Mario No Daibouken
Luigi
is an Italian-American plumber who is Mario's taller brother. He is playable in most of the Mario games. Unlike Mario, Luigi is optimistic, fun-loving, emotional, ambiverted, a bit clumsy, kind and sweet but is a bit cowardly and childish. However, he tries to stay brave in intense situations.Luigi is the main protagonist of the Luigi series.
Toad
is a small mushroom-like humanoid character who is Princess Peach's attendant and a longtime protector of the Mushroom Kingdom. Toad can be a protagonist, a supporting character or a character in distress. He remains playable in most of the Mario games.Toad is the protagonist of Wario's Woods.
Yoshi
once romanized as Yossy, is a green and anthropomorphic dinosaur. He has a long tongue which can be used to eat various enemies, and can turn the enemies he eats into eggs that can be thrown. Yoshi helps his friends during various adventures by acting as a rideable character for the heroes, though he can also be playable. He is a playable character in most of the Mario spin-offs and stars in his own series.Yoshi is the main protagonist of the Yoshi series
Protagonists
Princess Daisy
is the princess and the ruler of Sarasaland who first appeared in Super Mario Land. Depending on the game, she is depicted as a protagonist, a supporting character and on occasions as a lady in distress. Daisy is playable in most of the Mario spin-off games. Unlike Peach, Daisy is a tomboy and is spunky, sassy, feisty, and more energetic.Daisy is the interpret of the song "Save Me " from the Super Mario Compact Disco album by the band Ambassadors of Funk.
Rosalina
is a mysterious lady from an unknown location who is the adoptive mother of the Lumas. She resides in the Comet Observatory and also the watcher of the cosmos in the Super Mario Galaxy games. Rosalina can be depicted as a supporting character or a protagonist. She is playable in most of the Mario spin-off games.Donkey Kong
is an anthropomorphic gorilla from the franchise with the same name appearing in the Donkey Kong and Mario video game franchises. He is the leader of the DK crew. Donkey Kong first appears in the arcade game Donkey Kong, in 1981 however, the modern incarnation of the character introduced in Donkey Kong Country is revealed to be the grandson of the arcade original character.Diddy Kong
is an anthropomorphic monkey from the Donkey Kong franchise, as well as Donkey Kong's nephew, sidekick and best friend appearing in the Donkey Kong and Mario video game franchises. Diddy is a British term meaning "little".Diddy Kong is the main protagonist of Diddy Kong Racing.
Toadette
is a pink Toad girl who first appeared in the 2003 video game as a playable driver. Toadette has two long round pigtails and a dress to distinguish herself from Toad. Since Super Mario Odyssey, Toadette is a member of the Toad Brigade and has the role of an archivist. In New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Toadette can transform into Peachette, a form that highly resembles Princess Peach, with a power-up called the Super Crown. Depending on the game, Toadette is depicted as a supporting character or a protagonist and remains playable in most of the Mario spin-off games.Birdo
Birdo, known in Japan as, is 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 is playable in several Mario spin-offs.Toadsworth
is an elderly Toad and Princess Peach's longtime steward and caretaker, first appearing in Super Mario Sunshine, when he comes along with Princess Peach and Mario to Isle Delfino. He makes a brief appearance in ' at the beginning and end of the game.Paper Toadsworth accompanies Paper Princess Peach on her trip to Rogueport during ', keeping Paper Peach very close to him, but ends up losing her.
In ', he is with Mario and Luigi when Princess Peach takes an experimental trip back in time. He is also included in Super Princess Peach where he gives Peach a parasol named Perry in the cinema and is seen as a lead guitarist of the band called Peach Hit Five in the music room.
He also appears in ' and its 3DS remake where he was inhaled by Bowser. In ', Toadsworth appeared as the gang went on a vacation in Pi'illo Island.
Toadsworth makes a brief appearance in ' when the player wins a cup in Grand Prix mode. He acts as an umpire in Mario Power Tennis for the GameCube as well as in the remake for the Wii, in which Toadsworth reprimands the player when a foul shot is made. In Mario Party 7, he is a host of the boards. He finally becomes playable in both Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers.
Captain Toad
is an explorer and the leader of the Toad Brigade who first appears in Super Mario Galaxy. He makes several apparitions within the Mario series, like in Super Mario Galaxy 2 or Super Mario Odyssey, where he can be seen traveling in the galaxy. Captain Toad is depicted as a treasure tracker who loves finding treasures. He makes several cameos within Super Smash Bros. and made his Mario Kart debut in Mario Kart Tour as a playable racer.Captain Toad is the main protagonist in the series of levels in Super Mario 3D World called Captain Toad's Adventures and in the game .
Pauline
is the damsel in distress from the original Donkey Kong, as well as the 1994 Game Boy game of the same name. She also appeared in ' and '. Pauline was created by Shigeru Miyamoto and other developers for the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong. She 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.In the original Donkey Kong, she is held captive by Donkey Kong and it is Mario's objective to climb up the construction site and rescue her. Along the way, the player can collect feminine articles belonging to Pauline for bonus points. Originally, Pauline was known as and the game introduced her as Mario's girlfriend. The name Pauline was given after the then-girlfriend of Nintendo of America's warehouse manager, Don James. Then it was used in licensed products after the game's release, and was eventually used for the NES version of the game, although print ads for the Game & Watch version of the game referred to her as Louise.
After Donkey Kong, Pauline made cameo appearances in two other NES games, Pinball and Famicom BASIC. Princess Peach, introduced in Super Mario Bros., supplanted Pauline's original role as damsel in distress in the Mario games.
In the 1994 Game Boy version of Donkey Kong, Pauline was given a radically different design. While the original Pauline was portrayed as a blonde in a pink gown, this new version of the character was a brunette who wears a red dress. Because of her different design, the Pauline in the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong was initially considered in certain Mario media a separate character from the original incarnation of the character featured in the arcade and Famicom versions, with the two versions of the character being given separate profiles in Shogakukan's 1994 Mario Character Encyclopedia book. However, later games and sources acknowledge that Pauline and Lady are meant to be the same character.
She then officially returns in ', using the same character design as in the remake. She is a guest VIP at the grand opening of the "Super Mini Mario World", a theme park based on Mini-Mario toys, where she is kidnapped by Donkey Kong. She also appears in ' for the DSiWare, and for the DS, where she is once again kidnapped by Donkey Kong.
Pauline returns in Super Mario Odyssey on the Nintendo Switch voiced by Kate Higgins. She serves as the mayor of New Donk City and is a supporting character, helping Mario with his quest. Yoshiaki Koizumi, the producer for the game, told Polygon that she was the one singing the game's theme song, "Jump Up, Super Star!", noting "As we were developing Pauline more as a character, we know that she was going to be interested in jazz...It was interesting for us to have the first song in a Mario game with vocals."
Kate Higgins performed the song "Jump Up, Super Star" during the 2017 Game Awards ceremony.
Pauline is the singer of the band "The Super Mario Players" which interprets "Jump Up, Super Star" and "Break Free ", both performed by her voice actress: Kate Higgins.
In March 2019, Pauline made her first playable debut in Mario Tennis Aces, and is unlocked by participating in an Online Tournament. In September 2019, Pauline made her playable debut in the Mario Kart series in Mario Kart Tour, and was unlocked by trading in the in-game currency “Rubies” for “Pipe Pulls” during the New York Tour.
Antagonists
Wario
is an obese, muscular, hot-tempered, and greedy man. He is Mario's yellow-and-purple clad arch-rival. Depending on the game, Wario can be a protagonist but is mostly depicted as an antagonist. Wario is playable in most of the Mario spin-off games where he can be seen as Waluigi's partner. His favorite food is garlic and loves money. His name is portmanteau of "warui", the Japanese word for "bad", and "Mario".Wario is the protagonist of the Wario series of games. He even is the president of WarioWare Inc.
Waluigi
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. Waluigi is often depicted as 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.Bowser Jr.
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. He is often depicted as the secondary antagonist throughout the Mario series. 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 titles as well as Super Smash Bros..Bowser Jr. is the main protagonist of included in the remake of .
Koopalings
The are seven siblings who first appeared as boss characters in the 1988 game Super Mario Bros. 3. Their individual names are Iggy, Larry, Lemmy, Ludwig, Morton, Roy, and Wendy. They were originally depicted as the children of the series antagonist Bowser and later to be referred as his minions. They have since appeared in subsequent Super Mario games, spin-off Mario titles and the Super Smash Bros. series.Kamek
is a Magikoopa who acts as Bowser's caretaker during his childhood and one of his high-ranking minions afterwards. He is from the Yoshi series. He can perform various feats of magic, such as self-duplication, teleportation, shooting magical blasts, and changing the size of other creatures. In Japan, the character shares his name with his species, Kamek, which can lead to confusion surrounding his appearances. 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.Boom Boom
is Pom Pom's partner, male counterpart and faithful minion of Bowser. He first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3 where he often fights with Mario or Luigi by chasing him flailing his arms, jumping high and flying at them. In Super Mario 3D World, he would attack by swinging his arms toward your character and turned invisible often. Since then, Boom Boom is playable in several Mario spin-off games.Pom Pom
is Boom Boom's partner, female counterpart, and faithful minion of Bowser. She first appeared in Super Mario 3D Land. where she serves as an Airship boss and flips around the arena, throwing boomerangs with pink bows on them at Mario or Luigi. In the game's seventh world, she fights alongside her partner Boom Boom. Pom Pom is depicted as malicious towards the player, though she is seen winking in a flirty way before every battle. She returned in Super Mario 3D World, though her boomerang appears to be replaced by some sort of shuriken.Since then, Pom Pom is playable in several Mario spin-off games.
King Boo
is the king of the Boos in the Luigi's Mansion series. He plays minor roles in various other Mario games, including the Mario Kart and Mario Party series. King Boo's first major role was as the final boss of Luigi's Mansion, where he disguised himself as Bowser; the character was originally written as being the ghost of Bowser. King Boo is a member of the Boo species.He is much larger than the average Boos that appear in games after Luigi's Mansion. He dons a crown with a large ruby in his appearances in the Luigi's Mansion franchise, as well as an appearance as a playable character in Mario Kart Tour, but he wears a regular crown and has the eyes and face of a regular Boo in all other appearances. Previously, a similar character named Big Boo appeared as an enemy in Super Mario World and as a boss in and Super Mario 64 DS. King Boo is a playable character in several of the Mario spin-off games including Mario Kart.
Supporting protagonists
Baby Luma/Lumas
is Mario's main companion in Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel Super Mario Galaxy 2. He is among a group of star-shaped beings known as Lumas, who appear in both games.In Super Mario Galaxy, Baby Luma first finds Mario sleeping in the planet that houses the Gateway to the Starry Sky after he has been blasted out of the Mushroom World, and joins him at the request of Rosalina, aiding him in his quest to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser by allowing him to use the "Spin" move, which he can use to break crystals, attack enemies and further his jumps, among other things. In the ending of the game, Baby Luma sacrifices his life along his brethren to save the universe from a black hole. There are other Lumas called hungry Lumas that requires the player to feed them star bits or coins. Once you feed them the required amount they will turn into launch stars.
In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Baby Luma is found by Mario while he was on his way to Princess Peach's Castle and they join forces to rescue the town from a new attack by Bowser, only to be sent out in a new adventure. In this game Baby Luma often receives messages from Rosalina, who remains anonymous for most of the game. He is also called Young Master Luma by other Lumas.
Cappy
is the secondary protagonist in Super Mario Odyssey. Cappy is a Bonneter who meets Mario in the Cap Kingdom, when he pleas for Mario to assist him in rescuing his little sister Tiara. Cappy has the ability to possess enemies and other creatures, allowing Mario to take control of them for periods of time.Cappy appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as Mario's side taunt and a Spirit. He quickly throws Cappy and returns it to his head similar to in Super Mario Odyssey.
Tiara
is the secondary damsel in distress in Super Mario Odyssey. She is the sister of Cappy, who is kidnapped by Bowser as a gift to Princess Peach to wear on their wedding day. Afterwards, she and Princess Peach travel together to kingdoms.Perry
is a magical talking parasol who appears in the game Super Princess Peach. With his magical abilities, he helps Princess Peach to save her friends from Bowser. Erstwhile, Perry was a young boy with magical powers who lived with an old man who adopted and took care of him. During a walk with his adoptive parent, he was turned into an umbrella by a mysterious stranger and the two were separated. He was later found by Toadsworth.Perry appears as a sticker and a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and as a spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He makes a cameo in Densetsu no Stafy 4.
Honey Queen
is the queen of all the Honeybees. She is an extremely large bee and always speaks using nosism. She appears in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 where she rules over all the Honeybees in the Honeyhive, Honeybloom, and Honeyhop Galaxies, and as a heavyweight unlockable driver in Mario Kart 7.She also appeared in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a spirit.
Dorrie
is a large, friendly swimming blue reptile who debuted in Super Mario 64. He helps Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Yoshi ride across water or reach higher areas. Super Mario Odyssey explicitly refers to Dorries as a species and it features two additional Dorries, one violet, and one yellow. In terms of design, Dorrie has a few elements in common with Yoshis, such as the white area of soft tissue spanning the whole lower part of the body and a similar round face that, since Super Mario 64 DS, even features a placement of the eyes and nostrils akin to that seen in Yoshis.Dorrie returns in New Super Mario Bros. and appears in two sizes. Mario can ride on his back to cross large bodies of poison in World 4-1 and World 4-6. If Mario does a Ground Pound on Dorrie, he moves faster through the water.
Plessie
is a friendly character resembling a dinosaur that appeared in Super Mario 3D World. In the game, it allows the playable characters to ride him through certain levels.Plessie appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a support spirit.
Poochy
is Yoshi's pet dog. Poochy does not have any ears or a nose, and he has big lips. Poochy is a good swimmer and can sniff out hidden items for Yoshi. Poochy can also do things that Yoshi cannot, such as crossing over dangerous terrain, and jumping over walls to give Yoshi a boost out of his wall jumps. Poochy's first appearance was in .Professor E. Gadd
Professor Elvin Gadd, more commonly known as E. Gadd, is a scientist who, with his various inventions, helps Luigi save his brother Mario and the mansion. His name is a pun on the Japanese interjection , 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"! His first appearance was in Luigi's Mansion for Nintendo 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. He lends it to Luigi and helps him on his quest.Gadd reprises his supporting role in ' in a remodeled lab to assist Luigi again with his "Poltergust 5000" and a "Dual Scream", which replaces the Game Boy Horror. The Nintendo 3DS remake of the original Luigi’s Mansion introduces a new invention: a lime-green doppelgänger of Luigi, called "Gooigi", which can be brought along as a partner in local co-op play.
In the third installment, Luigi's Mansion 3, E. Gadd provides Luigi with a new Poltergust model, the "Poltergust G-00", which has Gooigi stored inside it, as well as a "Virtual Boo", which replaces both the Game Boy Horror and Dual Scream. Luigi rescues him at the time when his friends were captured by Hellen Gravely at a hotel called The Last Resort.
He is mentioned in Super Mario Sunshine but not seen, but his inventions: a Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device or "F.L.U.D.D." and Magic Brush were used by Mario and Bowser Jr. respectively. E. Gadd also creates a Time Machine in ' and various inventions as rewards for making bean coffees at the Starbeans Cafe in and its. In Mario Party 6, E. Gadd is featured on a party board called E. Gadd's Garage.
Super Mario Maker features E. Gadd as an unlockable Mystery Mushroom costume, made available through an update.
Nabbit
is a purple rabbit-like thief with round eyes, long ears, and black limbs. He also wears a white handkerchief with a drawing of a large mouth with sharpened teeth, similar to Bowser Jr.'s mask, as well as orange shoes and white gloves.who first appears in New Super Mario Bros. U, where he steals items from Toad Houses and the Mario Bros. have to chase him through various levels to capture him and get them back. He's the main source of P-Acorn power-ups, making it worth the player's time to catch him. In New Super Luigi U, he's promoted to Playable as the fourth character available for multiplayer. He returned to New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe as a fifth playable character along with Toadette, Luigi, Toad and Mario. He is also playable in . Nabbit also appeared as a stage hazard in the Mushroom Kingdom U stage throughout the Super Smash Bros. series.Sprixie Princesses
The are the rulers of the Sprixie Kingdom and the Sprixies, a race of fairies. They appear in Super Mario 3D World. The green Sprixie Princess is the sole Sprixie Princess and refers to the others as her followers. The green Sprixie Princess first appears when Mario and Luigi find and repair a Clear Pipe. The pipe promptly ejects a large number of items before the princess emerges. The green Sprixie Princess tells the group that the Sprixie Kingdom is in danger, as Bowser had managed to capture the other six princesses and that she had only narrowly escaped his grasp. Moments after she emerges, however, Bowser comes up through the same pipe, leaving her dazed, captures the green Sprixie Princess in a bottle, and retreats down the pipe. The group quickly follows after Bowser in order to rescue the kingdom, and they soon find that each Sprixie Princess is guarded in one of the first seven worlds' castles. Defeating the boss of the castle will reveal a Warp Box that takes the group to a room containing both the Goal Pole and the imprisoned Sprixie.Each time a Sprixie Princess is saved, she will build a Clear Pipe to the next world with either a hammer or a wrench. It is possible for the player to skip saving the first and fourth Sprixie Princesses if they take the secret exits found in World 1 and World 4, respectively, although as a result they will be entirely absent during the ending and when Bowser recaptures them.
The group eventually manages to rescue the last of the seven Sprixie Princesses after defeating Bowser in his car for the second time in World Castle, seemingly the last stage of the game. However, Bowser promptly reappears, stuffs all seven princesses into a larger bottle, and flees to World Bowser, a Bowser-themed carnival area that serves as the true final world of the main game. Here, Bowser confronts the heroes after transforming into Meowser and is defeated, dropping the Sprixie Princesses in the process. The princesses then use their powers to undo all the harm done to their land before waving goodbye to the heroes as they return to the Mushroom Kingdom via a Clear Pipe.
After the ending credits, the Sprixie Princesses build a rocket ship in World 1 for the player to use in order to travel to the four secret bonus worlds in outer space.
The green Sprixie Princess is also playable in .
Toad Brigade
The is a group of five Toads that aid Mario through some games, starting with Super Mario Galaxy. They are led by Captain Toad. Later the group would expand to include Toadette, bringing the membership up to six. The members consist of Captain Toad, Toadette, Hint Toad, Yellow Toad, Banktoad, and Mailtoad.Supporting antagonists
Broodals
The are a group of villainous anthropomorphic rabbits who double as wedding planners in Super Mario Odyssey. Their boss is Madame Broode. They were hired by Bowser in order to stop Mario from reaching him. The members consist of Topper, Hariet, Rango and Spewart.Madame Broode
is the leader of the Broodals in Super Mario Odyssey. In the fight, she attacks Mario with her golden pet Chain Chomp.Draggadon
are dragons first appearing in the game . Although in said game only Draggadon, the king of an isolated volcano called Pyropuff Peak, and Gold Draggadon, the king of the Golden Realm.The first, named Draggadon, is fought in Episode 1-10: The King of Pyropuff Peak, Episode 2-9: Draggadon's Revenge, and Bonus Episode-11: Mummy-Me at Pyropuff Peak. When Captain Toad is chasing Wingo who kidnapped Toadette, he accidentally comes across Pyropuff Peak. Draggadon attacks him, thinking him to be an intruder, but after the fight realizes that he was innocent, and allows him to ride on his head as the two conquer hordes of enemies. Toadette in her pursuit of Wingo also ends up at Pyropuff Peak, which results in the same situation playing. Once again, Toadette befriends him, and they conquer even more enemies.
Unlike Wingo, Draggadon is not battled directly. Captain Toad and Toadette must avoid his attacks to the end of the level by hiding behind walls, and at the end, knock a pillar on his head. He is then knocked unconscious, and the Toads collect the Power Star. Another Draggadon, named Gold Draggadon, also appears in a later episode, as the king of the Golden Realm. Like Draggadon, Captain Toad must also fight Gold Draggadon as boss, although fireballs will move faster and the lava will rise quicker, and after defeating him, he lets Captain Toad and Toadette ride him.
Cackletta
is the main antagonist in and its 3DS remake. She is an evil sorceress who takes the Beanstar and Peach's voice in the Beanbean Kingdom. After sustaining heavy injuries, she controls Bowser’s body and dies after the explosion of Bowser’s castle.Fawful
, is a recurring antagonist in the Mario & Luigi series. The character is considered to be "insane," often serving as or the sidekick to the main antagonist in the games.Petey Piranha
Petey Piranha, known as in Japan, is a large, powerful Piranha Plant, and the result of a mutation. Whereas normal Piranha Plants usually grow from pipes, Petey's leaves and roots have grown into foot-like and arm-like appendages, which allows him to use objects such as tennis rackets and golf clubs. He can also 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. He has since appeared as a boss or a playable character in several Mario games and spin-off games.Foreman Spike
is the angry foreman of the construction site where Mario and Luigi worked in Wrecking Crew. Rather than help them, Spike continuously tried to hinder the brothers from doing their job. He is a bearded villain who always wears sunglasses, although in Wrecking Crew '98, he did not have a beard.Kammy Koopa
is an elderly Magikoopa who acts as an adviser and babysitter for Bowser in the first two Paper Mario games. She possesses 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 ', she acted as Bowser's second-in-command. Generally, her position is very similar with Kamek who appeared earlier than her, which possibly means why she is replaced by him in '. IGN rated her as one of the weirdest Mario characters.King Bob-omb
is the king of the Bob-ombs. He is mostly recognized for being the first boss fought in the game Super Mario 64 and its remake. Guarding the Power Star, which Bowser entrusted him with, he does not give it up without fighting the player. After his debut, King Bob-omb became a recurring boss in later games, specifically spin-off games such as Mario Party 9 and . King Bob-omb, like other certain bosses, takes pride in his royal status.Koopa Kids
are the minions of Bowser who have only appeared in the Mario Party series. They appeared in the first seven installments as major antagonists in the story modes. In the first three games, they are known as Baby Bowsers. A playable Koopa Kid appears in Mario Party 5 and 6.Reznor
are four fire-breathing dinosaurs that made their debut in Super Mario World. According to the game's instruction manual, they were cursed by Bowser. They are mid-bosses that Mario and Luigi fight in fortresses found everywhere on Dinosaur Land. They are now found in the Mushroom Kingdom since their appearance in New Super Mario Bros. 2. Similar to how the Koopalings are named after various musicians, Reznor are named after Trent Reznor of the industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails.Tatanga
is an alien villain. His first appearance is in Super Mario Land on the Game Boy. In the game, he invades Sarasaland and kidnaps Princess Daisy in his spaceship.Wart
is an anthropomorphic frog king who debuted in 1987's '. The game was converted into 1988's Super Mario Bros. 2 for its North American release. In both versions, Wart creates his own monsters with a device known as the "Dream Machine," appoints himself ruler of the land of Subcon, and enslaves its inhabitants. He has a severe weakness to vegetables. Wart also made a cameo appearance in ' under his original Japanese name.Wingo
is the main antagonist in . According to game director Shinya Hiratake, Wingo was based upon both crows, a species of bird stereotypically depicted as interested in shiny objects. He is first seen stealing a Power Star from Captain Toad and Toadette, and flies away while Toadette holds on to the star, thus capturing her.Recurring enemies
Throughout their adventures, Mario and his friends face a number of enemies that commonly make attempts to hinder their progress.Some of these recurring enemies include:
- Angry Sun - A sentient Sun which tries to burn Mario by swooping down at him. In Super Mario Maker 2, there is a moon variant of this enemy which turns the level into night and defeats all enemies when Mario touches it.
- Blargg - A lava monster that pops out of lava to try and eat Mario.
- Blooper - A sentry-like squid that tries to corner and close in on its prey. Some Bloopers, known as Blooper Nannies, have smaller versions of themselves and will thrust them toward Mario.
- Bob-omb - A bomb enemy introduced in Super Mario Bros. 2 with a wind-up key and a fuse, which explodes after a set amount of time or when thrown.
- 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.
- 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.
- Buzzy Beetle - A black or blue beetle-like creature with a hard, fireproof shell that renders it immune to fire attacks.
- Chain Chomp - A metallic ball-and-chain creature that lunges at Mario when he approaches it. Inspired by a childhood experience of Shigeru Miyamoto's with a violent dog.
- Cheep Cheep - A red, circular fish that made their first appearance in Super Mario Bros.. They are found primarily in the water, but some can jump in an arc and fly within a limited range. There are many different species of Cheep-Cheeps, and they come in different colors, such as green, yellow, and purple. The giant variety of Cheep Cheep who leaps out of the water is known as Boss Bass, while the giant variety who swims underwater is known as Big Bertha.
- Dry Bones - A walking Koopa Troopa skeleton that reassembles itself after being hit. It can be only defeated by a Super Star, a Cape Feather, Super Leaf, and an Ice Flower.
- Fish Bone - A skeletal fish who charges at Mario when he gets close. It will break into parts if it collides with a wall.
- Goomba - A sentient mushroom creature which is the first enemy that Mario typically encounters on his adventures. 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 Mario. 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 Mario.
- 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 Koopa Paratroopa. There are many other varieties of the Koopa Troopa such as yellow, blue, and red.
- Lakitu - A cloud-riding Koopa with aviator goggles that drops an endless supply of creatures called "Spinies".
- Lava Bubble - A fireball which jumps out of lava and can bounce off walls. It is also referred to as a Podoboo.
- Magikoopa - A sorcerer Koopa capable of casting magic spells, turning blocks into foes, power-ups, and coins. She first appeared in Super Mario World. Often portrayed as underlings to Kamek.
- Mechakoopa - A robot with a wind-up key that becomes disabled and can be thrown when Mario stomps on it. A variant introduced in Super Mario Galaxy is capable of breathing fire.
- Monty Mole - A mole-like enemy that burrows underground and springs out of the ground when the player gets close. A similar enemy known as the Rocky Wrench pops out of airship manholes and throws wrenches at the player.
- Piranha Plant - A leafy, stalk-topped Venus flytrap with sharp teeth, that typically lives within pipes and tries to bite the player. This enemy has made a cameo outside the franchise, and in 2019, it became a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate via downloadable content. It was listed first in 1UP.com's list of the "Top 5 Enemy Plants" in video games. It is occasionally referred to as a Packun Flower after the Japanese name. A Fire Piranha Plant, or a "Venus Fire Trap", behaves like a normal Piranha Plant, however it breathes fire. A type of Piranha Plant that appears in Super Mario Bros. 3 called Ptooie, a walking Piranha Plant that exhales air to lift a spiked ball.
- Pokey - A spiked cactus with detachable green or yellow body segments which first appeared in the international Super Mario Bros. 2.
- 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, and the Fly Guy, a Shy Guy with a propeller on its head that can fly. Voiced by Nintendo of America localization manager Nate Bihldorff.
- 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 spinned- 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.
- 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 Twomp called a Thwimp.
- Wiggler - A caterpillar enemy introduced in Super Mario World, which changes color and charges at the player when stomped on. Some Wigglers, known as Flutters, have butterfly wings.