List of Mario franchise characters

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Mario series characters, as they appear in Mario Party 8, from left to right: Waluigi, Shy Guys, Blooper, Birdo, Chain Chomp, Bob-omb, Dry Bones, Toadette, Hammer Bros., Donkey Kong, MC Ballyhoo, Big Top, Bowser, Wario, Princess Peach, Boo, Princess Daisy, Yoshi, Toad, Luigi and Mario

This is a list of fictional characters who appear in the Mario series of video games developed by Nintendo, as well as spin-off media, such as books, comics and animated series.

Characters

Protagonists

Daisy

Princess Daisy (デイジー姫, Deijī-hime) is the princess of Sarasaland. Her first appearance was in 1989 in Super Mario Land, in which she is kidnapped by the tyrannical alien Tatanga, who plans to marry her and rule her kingdom. Daisy later appeared in NES Open Tournament Golf as Luigi's caddy. She then appeared in Mario Tennis, after which she started appearing in Mario sports and party games. She also appears in the Mario Kart series; most recently in Mario Kart Wii as an unlockable character. She has been a playable character in every Mario Party game except for the first two and Mario Party Advance. The infant version of herself, Baby Daisy, debuted in Mario Kart Wii as an unlockable character, and also appears in Mario Super Sluggers.

Daisy's first voice actress was Kate Fleming in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64. Daisy's next voice actress was Jen Taylor, who provided her voice in Mario Party 3, Mario Party 4 and Mario Party 5. In every other game, Daisy has been and is currently voiced by Deanna Mustard. Outside video games, Daisy appears as a main character in the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film, played by Samantha Mathis. She also appears in the comic books. Peach has palette swaps in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl which borrow the colors of Daisy's design. In Brawl, she also has multiple stickers and a trophy.

Daisy ranked in the ninth slot on Game Daily's top 10 Nintendo characters that deserve their own games list.

Donkey Kong

Main article: Donkey Kong (character)

Luigi

Main article: Luigi

Mario

Main article: Mario

Peach

Main article: Princess Peach

Rosalina

Rosalina, known as Rosetta (ロゼッタ, Rozetta) in Japan, is the adoptive mother of the Luma race and overseer of the Comet Observatory, voiced by Mercedes Rose. She first appeared in Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii, and has also appeared in Mario Kart Wii as an unlockable character in the Large Class.

Rosalina wears a silver crown, has pale blonde hair with a side-fringe, a frilly light blue dress , star earrings, a star pendant, and purple nail polish, and she carries a star wand. The player may optionally view Rosalina's shrouded past in the Comet Observatory's Library through unlocking chapters of Rosalina's storybook, while progressing through the game. The mysterious storybook read by Rosalina herself details how she came to meet the Lumas and build the observatory, as well as her childhood struggle to overcome her mother's death.

Yoshi

Main article: Yoshi

Antagonists

Bowser

Main article: Bowser (character)

Bowser Jr.

Bowser Jr. (クッパJr., Kuppa Junia, Koopa Jr.) is the eighth and youngest child of Bowser. He debuted in Super Mario Sunshine. He acts as the main antagonist of both Super Mario Sunshine and New Super Mario Bros., with his father only playing a minor role in each. In Super Mario Sunshine, he uses a magic paintbrush, invented by Professor E. Gadd, and a special kerchief to transform into a translucent blue doppelgänger of Mario, Shadow Mario, who vandalizes Isle Delfino with graffiti, tricking the native people into believing that Mario himself is to blame. In New Super Mario Bros., he kidnaps Princess Peach, taking her to a new castle each time his old one is defeated. He also appears in Super Mario Galaxy, acting as his father's right hand and challenging Mario at several points of the game to impede him. He has also appeared in Mario sports games as a playable character ever since Super Mario Sunshine. Bowser Jr. is voiced by Dolores Rogers in most of his appearances; however, in Mario Strikers Charged, Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Party DS, Mario Kart Wii, Mario Super Sluggers, and Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (rumor), he is voiced by Caety Sagoian.

Bowser Jr. ranked in the sixth slot on Game Daily's top 10 Nintendo characters that deserve their own games list.

Fawful

Fawful is a recurring character in the Mario & Luigi series. Fawful is a follower of Cackletta in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and the owner of a shop called "Fawful's Bean 'n' Badge" in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. He is the primary antagonist of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Starting in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, he is characterized by his pronunciations of several different phrases, namely, "fink-rat", a parody on the usual term "rat-fink". He is considered only a minor pest throughout the course of the game, only performing minor tasks to impede the Mario Bros., or being pushed to the side altogether, until he is super-charged at the end of the game, becoming a boss-battle in himself. In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, he runs the "Fawful's Bean 'n' Badge" where the player can trade beans collected in game for helpful badges. The shop is only accessible by the younger versions of the Mario Bros., so he is unable to recognize them. He does, however, allude to his defeat in the previous game, and explains his hidden contempt for the Mario Bros. and his defeat, thus alluding to his role in the third installment of the series.

Sir Grodus

Sir Grodus (or just simply Grodus) is the main antagonist of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. He is the supreme leader of the "Secret Society of X-Nauts", an extraterrestrial organization that's bent on world conquest. Prior to the start of the game, Grodus learned of the legendary treasure behind the Thousand-Year Door (which was the spirit of an ancient demon, called the "Shadow Queen), and wanted to reawaken it so that he could use her powers to aid him in his quest for world domination. And so, he kidnaps Princess Peach (which, of course, gets Mario involved) so that he could use her as a vessel for the Shadow Queen's spirit. In the end, however, his robotic body was blasted to pieces after he attempted to command the Shadow Queen to destroy Mario and his partners, nearly killing him in the process. Although he's still alive (but barely), he has not appeared in any other Mario games ever since. He was, however, given a reference in Super Paper Mario. He now stars in a sci-fi TV show by the name of The Grodus Chronicles.

Waluigi

Waluigi (ワルイージ, Waruīji) was created by Fumihide Aoki and is voiced by Charles Martinet. He is more or less an underground character, as opposed to the main platformer games, but his costume is wearable in one of the Paper Mario games. He is the same age as Luigi. and he wears black (though sometimes dark purple) overalls, a dark purple shirt, and a dark purple hat with a yellow upside-down L. His nose, like Wario's, is a different color than his face, sporting a dark pink color, and a sharp, large shape. His smile, also like Wario's, is a psychotic grin with huge white teeth. He has elf-like shoes that are colored a dark orange and his body type is strangely lanky and tall. His mustache, has a Snidley Whiplash look to it, forming upside-down L-shapes just as Wario's form W's.

Waluigi's first appearance was in the Mario Tennis games for the Game Boy Color and Nintendo 64, as Wario's doubles partner (Wario and Waluigi have been paired in all pair sports since). Later, along with Princess Daisy, he joined the Mario Party series' roster in Mario Party 3, in which he owns an island full of explosives. He has been a playable character in many entries in the series since, as well as various Mario sports games and the Mario Kart series. He acts as an antagonist in Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix, in which he wreaks havoc in the Mushroom Kingdom by pilfering special objects called the Music Keys to hypnotize the world with his dancing, thus enabling him to conquer it. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Waluigi is one of the characters who can be summoned using the Assist Trophy item and as an alternate costume for Luigi (although this is only Luigi in Waluigi's palette). When summoned, Waluigi attacks opponents by striking them with a tennis racket and by angrily stomping on them until they become temporarily stuck in the ground.

Waluigi ranked in the 10th slot on Game Daily's top 10 Nintendo characters that deserve their own games list, explaining that he gets the shaft worse than Luigi, and should at least get his own puzzle game.

Wario

Main article: Wario

Supporting

Birdo

Birdo, known in Japan as Catherine (キャサリン, Kyasarin), is a pink anthropomorphic dinosaur with a tube-like mouth and a bow on its head. It first appeared in the Japanese game Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic and the Westernized remake Super Mario Bros. 2 as a recurring mini-boss who shoots eggs. It later appeared in Wario's Woods as an ally of Toad, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars as a boss character, and in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, as a boss paired with the thief Popple. It was first playable in the Nintendo 64 installment of Mario Tennis, as Yoshi's partner. Since then, Birdo appears as a playable character in several Mario sports games and the Mario Party and Mario Kart series.

The credits sequence for Super Mario Bros. 2 misidentifies Birdo as "Ostro" (the ostrich enemy) and vice versa. This error is corrected in the credits sequence of Super Mario Advance. The manual for Super Mario Bros. 2 correctly identifies Birdo but raises it own issues (see below).

Birdo's gender has changed throughout various American game versions, but has always been male in Japan. In the original manual for Super Mario Bros. 2, Birdo is referred to as male that believes he is female, and would rather be called "Birdetta." The Japanese manual says its name is "Catherine", but it would rather be known as "Cassie." Most later American-localized games, such as the Mario sports titles, have usually listed Birdo as a female. Recent localizations have carefully avoided the use of any gender pronouns when describing Birdo. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it is said that Birdo is of "indeterminate gender" in its trophy. Birdo appears in the Wii Japan-only video game Captain Rainbow, which delves into Birdo's gender.

Kamek

Kamek (カメック, Kamekku) is a Magikoopa who acts as Bowser's caretaker during Bowser's childhood and one of his high-ranking minions afterwards. Kamek can perform various feats of magic, such as self-duplication, teleportation, shooting magical blasts and changing the size of other creatures. He first appears as the main antagonist of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, which has him trying to abduct Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, who he foresees as causing trouble for the Koopas in the future. Succeeding in only capturing Baby Luigi, Kamek and his minions, the Toadies, try to steal Baby Mario from the Yoshis throughout the game; before every boss battle, Kamek will appear and change an enemy creature into a giant, or perform some magical feat, and make them fight a Yoshi.

After his appearance in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Kamek appears in several other games, such as Tetris Attack, which features him as the penultimate boss and the one who brainwashed the inhabitants of Yoshi's Island; Super Princess Peach as a boss character; Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time as Baby Bowser's sidekick; Yoshi Touch & Go, where he kidnaps the babies once again; and as a main antagonist in Yoshi's Island DS. Kamek also appears throughout the Mario Party series.

King Boo

King Boo (キングテレサ, Kingu Teresa, King Teresa) is the primary antagonist of Luigi's Mansion and plays minor roles in various other Mario games, including the Mario Kart and Mario Party series. King Boo's only major role is as the final boss of Luigi's Mansion (first appearance with a crown). King Boo is a member of the Boo species, though he is larger than the average Boo (in games after "Luigi's Mansion") and dons a crown, with a large ruby in Luigi's Mansion, and a regular crown in all other appearances, on his head. As well as appearing as the main antagonist of Luigi's Mansion, King Boo also appears as a boss in Super Mario 64 DS, "Super Mario Sunshine" and Super Princess Peach. He is also an unlockable playable character in several sports games in the series and in the Mario Kart series as well.

Koopalings

File:Koopalings.png

The Koopalings and Bowser, as seen in the credits for Super Mario World

"Koopaling" (コクッパ, Ko Kuppa) (or sometimes "Koopa Kids") is the generic title given to all of Bowser's children (except for Bowser Jr.) who help him in various games. They first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3. Each Koopaling is a boss at the end of one of the game's seven kingdoms. The Koopalings are also world bosses in Super Mario World, Mario is Missing!, Yoshi's Safari and Hotel Mario. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, however, they are mini-bosses in Bowser's Castle. The Koopalings will also appear in the upcoming New Super Mario Bros. Wii. They are Larry Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr., Wendy O. Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Roy Koopa, Lemmy Koopa and Ludwig von Koopa. Most of the Koopalings have wild punk hairstyles and are named after musicians. It is said that each Koopaling was personally designed by a different member of the production staff of Super Mario Bros. 3, which Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto explains is a way to honor the creators of the games personally.

In the animated cartoon series The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 by DiC, the original seven Koopalings are given different names based on their given personalities. They are Cheatsy Koopa, Big Mouth Koopa Jr., Cutie Pie Koopa, Hop Koopa, Bully Koopa, Hip Koopa and Kooky von Koopa. Aside from their names and personalities, they look slightly different and serve their father King Koopa (as Bowser was called in the series) differently compared to their video game counterparts. Instead of acting as minions, they act directly as his children, and do things such as seek his attention, and even plot against him. They also appear in a 1989 Mario anime OVA, Nintendo Adventure Books and comic books.

Pauline

Pauline (ポリーン, Porīn) is the damsel-in-distress and heroine of the original Donkey Kong, as well as the 1994 Game Boy game of the same name. She also appeared in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis and Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again.

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 (a hat, purse and parasol) that Pauline drops for bonus points. In the same way that Mario was originally called Jumpman in Japan, Pauline was originally known as Lady (レディー, Redī). The name Pauline was chosen for the character during the game's distribution in North America after Polly James, the wife of Nintendo of America's warehouse manager, Don James.

After Donkey Kong, Pauline made cameo appearances in two 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.

She returned several years later in the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong. While previous depictions of Pauline (such as in the arcade game's cabinet artwork) portrayed her as a blonde, Pauline was redesigned as a brunette in the new version. As in the original game, she is taken captive by Donkey Kong.

She appears again in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, using the same 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.

Petey Piranha

Petey Piranha, known as Boss Packun (ボスパックン, Bosu Pakkun) in Japan, first appears as the primary boss of Bianco Hills in Super Mario Sunshine. He has since appeared as a boss in games such as Super Princess Peach, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, New Super Mario Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He is also a playable character in spin-off Mario games, such as Mario sports games and Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Petey is a large, powerful Piranha Plant, and the result of mutation. Whereas normal Piranha Plants usually grow from pipes, Petey's leaves and roots have grown into foot-like and arm-like appendages. He can also use his leaves to fly around in the air. Furthermore, Petey sports a pair of white-spotted red briefs. Although Petey does not speak, he does make some growling, drooling and licking noises, which translate into actual speech.

Professor E. Gadd

Professor Elvin Gadd (Professor Oya Mā (オヤ・マー博士, Oya Mā Hakase) in Japan), more commonly known as E. Gadd, is a scientist who, with his various inventions, helps Mario and his friends. In Japan, he is named after Nintendo game designer Yoshiyuki Oyama. He first appears in Luigi's Mansion, in which he investigates the mansion that mysteriously appeared by his house. 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. Other major inventions include his "F.L.U.D.D."—a Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device—and Magic Brush used in Super Mario Sunshine. In Mario Party 6, E. Gadd is featured on a party board called E. Gadd's Garage. He also briefly appears in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga with various inventions as rewards for making bean coffees at the Starbeans Cafe. He later appears in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, where he creates a time-traveling machine.

Toad

Toad (キノピオ, Kinopio) is a human voiced by Isaac Marshall, Jen Taylor and in 2005 by Kelsey Hutchison and Samantha Kelly. Toad plays a minimal role in Super Mario Bros.. He appears at the end of every fourth stage after Mario or Luigi defeats Bowser, rewarding the heroes with the famous message: "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!" In Super Mario Bros. 2, he was one of four playable characters. Toad appears in Super Paper Mario in four aspects of the game. He appears in the intro, telling Mario and Luigi that Princess Peach has been kidnapped, later appearing in the Arcade mini-game Mansion Patrol. Additionally, Toad is one of the 256 Catch Cards in the game, as well as a member of the audience.

In Luigi's Mansion, Toad appears in various parts of the mansion as a save point. In "Super Mario 64", Toad gives information about various things in the castle, while some will even give the player a star. In Super Mario Galaxy, many Toads appear at the beginning of the game, and later on, several Toads appear as the Toad Brigade, helping Mario. Toad is the main protagonist of Wario's Woods, trying to prevent Wario from taking over the woods. Toad was a playable character in Mario Tennis 64, and a playable racer in every Mario Kart. In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games he is a referee along with Cream the Rabbit, among others. He appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a sticker, trophy and as an attack for Princess Peach. Toad is a counter attack which releases spores if hit by another character.

Toad starred in the animated series The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! in 1989. Although he usually tagged along with Mario and Luigi in cases where King Koopa had kidnapped Princess Toadstool, he sometimes got captured as well. He remained on the show when it spun off into The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, allowing them to live in his house. Toad also appeared in the Super Mario Bros. comic books published by Valiant. In these comics, Toad often followed Mario on some of his adventures, seemingly replacing Luigi as the hero's sidekick. He was also a regular companion for King Toadstool, and even indulged in some of the King's activities.

Played by Mojo Nixon, Toad appeared as a street musician in the non-canon Super Mario Bros. film. In the film, Toad is arrested for singing a song that badmouths Koopa, who punishes him by having him turned into a Goomba. Despite this, the Goomba-fied Toad (portrayed by John Fifer) still manages to help Princess Daisy escape and distract the other Goombas by playing his harmonica.

Black Pear Tree, an EP by The Mountain Goats and Kaki King, features a song titled "Thank You Mario But Our Princess is in Another Castle," sung from the perspective of Toad.

Toad ranked in the seventh slot on Game Daily's top 10 Nintendo characters that deserve their own games list, explaining that he has a strong appeal that Nintendo has yet to tap into.

Toadette

Toadette (キノピコ, Kinopiko) is a female Toad who appears as a playable character in various Mario spin-off games, such as those in the Mario Party and Mario Kart series. She first appeared as Toad's partner in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! as a hidden character, and later appeared in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door as an instructor when Mario receives upgraded boots and hammers. Since Mario Party 6, she has regularly appeared in the Mario Party series as a playable character, with the exception of the handheld games, where she acts as a non-player character. The official Mario Kart Wii guide names her as Toad's sister.

Other playable appearances include Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Kart Wii; in both games, she must be unlocked. She appeared in Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix as the owner of a hotel Mario and Toad must rebuild. She also made a cameo appearance in the introduction of Super Mario Galaxy. She is voiced by Jen Taylor in most of her appearances; however, in Mario Party 8, Mario Kart Wii and Mario Super Sluggers, she is voiced by Samantha Kelly.

Toadsworth

Toadsworth (キノじい, Kinojii), is an elderly Toad and Princess Peach's longtime steward, first appearing in Super Mario Sunshine, when he comes along with Princess Peach and Mario to Isle Delfino. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, makes a brief appearance in the beginning of the game where he presents Mario and Luigi with a suitcase, he accompanies Princess Peach on her trip to Rogueport during Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, he keeps Princess Peach very close to him, but ends up losing her. In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, 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.

Toadsworth appears in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! when the player wins a cup. He acts as an umpire in Mario Power Tennis for the Nintendo GameCube as well as in the remake for the Wii, in which Toadsworth reprehends the player when a foul shot is made. In Mario Party 7, he is a host of the boards. He finally becomes playable in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers on Peach's team. Toadsworth is voiced by Charles Martinet, the same voice of Mario and Luigi.

Enemies

Blooper

Bloopers (Gessō (ゲッソー) in Japanese, originally known in English as Bloobers) are white, squid-like creatures that first appear in Super Mario Bros.. In some Mario sports games and the Mario Kart series, they are items that can be used by players; in the latter, they temporarily reduce drivers' visibilities by spraying ink on them. Blooper is also an unlockable playable character in Mario Party 8.

Bob-omb

Bob-ombs, known as Bomuhei (ボム兵) in Japan, are living, circular, walking bombs. They first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2. They wander around aimlessly and eventually explode. They appear as items in other games, including the Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. series. Bob-ombs are common enemies in Super Mario 64 (and Super Mario 64 DS). They first appeared in Bob-omb Battlefield, a level that is ruled by the Big Bob-omb. A pink version of Bob-ombs called Bob-omb Buddies, assist Mario in Super Mario 64; these pink Bob-omb Buddies also appear in Super Mario 64 DS; and Paper Mario as Bombette, a party member. Bob-ombs appear both as allies and enemies in Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. A co-existing type of Bob-omb called a Kab-omb plays a minor role in the New Super Mario Bros and will wildly run around before exploding.

Boo

Boos, known as Teresa (テレサ) in Japan, are spectral beings with beady eyes, long tongues, and sharp fangs. The first appearance of Boos was in Super Mario Bros. 3, where they appear under the name Boo Diddly. In the Super Mario World version of the game there are much larger variations of the boo under the name of Big Boo. Like ghosts, they are able to pass through solid matter. However, they are shy, and will cover their face with their arms if they are looked at. In Luigi's Mansion, Boos, led by King Boo, act as the main antagonists. Boos appear as playable characters in various Mario spin-off games. In Super Mario Galaxy, Mario can transform into Boo Mario, where he can float and become transparent. Also in Galaxy is a variation of a Boo called a Bomb Boo that latches onto Mario when he spins and will revolve around him until it comes into contact with an object, where it will explode. Although Boo is considered shy, it has made appearances as a playable character in games such as Mario Party 8 and Mario Tennis.

Takashi Tezuka's wife was the inspiration for the Boos featured in Super Mario 64; like Boos, she is often shy, but once became very angry at him for spending too much time at work.08/05/92

Boo ranked in the fifth slot on Game Daily's top 10 Nintendo characters that deserve their own games list.

Bullet Bill

Bullet Bills, known as Killers (キラー, Kirā) in Japan, are black, missile-like enemies, commonly depicted as having small arms and fanged frowns on their faces. Bullet Bills are fired by cannons known as Bill Blasters, although they are sometimes fired from other sources, such as Snifits and generic cannons. In Super Mario World they can sometimes just fly in from the edge of the screen, including the top and the bottom. Bullet Bills commonly appear as enemies or obstacles, attacking by either flying forward after being shot or actively seeking a target, either smashing into them then continuing movement or exploding on contact. In Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii, the Bullet Bill is one of the usable weapons, turning any character into a Bullet Bill for a brief while, speeding them ahead and knocking away any drivers in their path. Bullet Bills also make cameo appearances in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl as enemies.

Some games include a much larger variation of Bullet Bill called the Banzai Bill, known as Magnum Killers (マグナムキラー, Magunamu Kirā) in Japan. Though having the same purpose as the Bullet Bill, the Banzai Bill is significantly larger and has fanged teeth. In Super Mario World, Super Princess Peach, and Super Mario Galaxy, Torpedo Ted is an underwater version of Bullet Bill. Torpedo Teds are similar to Bullet Bills, but have propellers and shake their arms while swimming.

Chain Chomp

Chain Chomps, known as Wanwan (ワンワン) in Japanese, are black, spherical creatures that are restrained by chains. When not restrained by chains, they are sometimes referred to as just Chomps. Chain Chomps constantly strain against the chain holding them, attempting to break free and bite anything that passes close by. They first appear in Super Mario Bros. 3.

Chain Chomps also appear without chains, such as in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where they are seen at first from afar, then lunge high into the air and drop down suddenly, creating a huge crater in the ground. Chomps also chase the player, by "eating" the platform Yoshi is running on, until it hits a solid surface.

Outside the Mario games, Chain Chomps appear in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 animated series. They also appear in various installments of The Legend of Zelda series of games.

The inspiration for Chain Chomps comes from a childhood experience of the Mario series' creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, where a dog tried to attack him. The dog lunged at him, but was jerked back by its leash just as the canine snapped at Miyamoto inches in front of his face.

Cheep-Cheep

Cheep-Cheeps, known as Pukupuku (プクプク) in Japanese, are fish that made their first appearance in Super Mario Bros. in the water levels. They are common recurring enemies throughout the Mario series.

There are many different species of Cheep-Cheeps. Cheep-Cheeps come in different colors, such as gray and green. In Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Cheep-Cheeps are found swimming in the underwater levels, where they can only be defeated with a fireball, or jumping out of the water in large arcs, where they can be defeated more normally.

In Super Mario Bros. 3, Cheep-Cheeps act the same, although they can also jump out of lava. They are mainly seen in World 3. Also, around this time, Cheep-Cheep's tail fin color change from white to yellow, and the slow-moving Cheep-Cheeps were recolored green (instead of gray).

They appear briefly in Super Mario Galaxy.

Dry Bones

Dry Bones, known as Karon (カロン) in Japanese, are skeletal Koopa Troopas reanimated by the Koopa Troopa's spirit inhabiting its bones. Dry Bones first appear in Super Mario Bros. 3. They collapse after being attacked, but then reassemble themselves after a little while. Dry Bones appear as playable characters in various spin-off Mario games such as Mario Kart DS and other games in the Mario Kart series, as well as Mario Party games.

Goomba

Goombas, known as Kuribō (クリボー) in Japanese, are brown mushroom-like creatures. The Goombas once lived in peace in the Mushroom Kingdom but betrayed their homeland to side with Bowser. In Super Mario World, they appear orange and white and are not mushroom-shaped. Some Goombas act as friendly characters in the Paper Mario series; two join Mario on his journey. Goombas also make cameo appearances as enemies in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Many variants of the Goomba have appeared throughout the years. One of these variations is called a Gloomba. They first appeared in underground stages in Super Mario Bros., though they were first given the name in Paper Mario. Another variant of a Goomba is the paragoomba. This flying Goomba is seldom seen except in the Paper Mario series.

Goombas appear in the 1989 television series The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. They also appear in the Super Mario Bros. live-action film, which depicts them as humanoid lizard creatures.

Hammer Bros.

Hammer Bros. (ハンマーブロス, Hanmā Burosu) are turtles that walk upright, throwing hammers and wearing a helmet. They first appeared in Super Mario Bros.. Other variations, such as Boomerang Bros. and Fire Bros. (denoted by the projectiles that they use) have appeared, beginning in Super Mario Bros. 3. Hammer Bros. sometimes appear as playable characters in sports games in the series and also are unlockable playable characters in Mario Party 8. They also make cameos in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an Assist Trophy and as enemies.

Hammer Bros. appear in the The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 television series, as well as in printed media such as Nintendo Comics System and Nintendo Adventure Books.

Koopa Troopa

Koopa Troopas (Nokonoko (ノコノコ) in Japan) are turtle-like creatures. They are the most common classification of Koopa. They come in multiple colors, including, green, red, blue and yellow. They first walked on four legs, but in later games they have both hands and feet. Their shells may be used as projectiles, which have become a fixture in all Mario Kart games. Both Super Mario 64 and the Paper Mario series include friendly Koopa Troopas, whose names include Koopa the Quick (SM64) and Kooper (Paper Mario). Flying versions with wings, first introduced in Super Mario Bros., are called Koopa Paratroopas. Both Koopa Troopas and Koopa Paratroopas make cameo appearances in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl as enemies.

In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, they were voiced by John Stocker.

Lakitu

Lakitus, known as Jugems (ジュゲム, Jugemu) in the Japanese versions, are Koopas. Lakitus are usually seen flying in a cloud bearing a smiling face. Primarily, Lakitus pursue Mario and throw spiked eggs at him which hatch into enemies with spiked shells called Spinies. Lakitus first appeared in Super Mario Bros., and went on to be enemies in various platform and role-playing games. In some games, after defeating a Lakitu, it is possible to hijack his cloud and fly around the level on it. A Lakitu appears in all games in the Mario Kart series as the race host, starting each kart race and providing information to racers. Lakitu makes a cameo in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an assist trophy, where he throws Spinies on the battlefield like he did in Super Mario Bros. (They even used the sprites from Super Mario Bros.). Also, in Super Mario 64, Lakitu is the cameraman (and thus is "controlled" by the player when using the camera controls); this can be seen in a room with mirrors, when the character films himself.

Their creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, said that Lakitus would represent his personality best out of all the Mario characters, as he "seems to be very free, floating in the air, going anywhere", a type of personality that Miyamoto can apparently relate to.

Magikoopa

Magikoopas (カメック, Kamekku) are creatures who wear a blue hat, robes, and spectacles and use a magic rod to cast spells. They first appeared in Super Mario World. A member of the species, Kamek, babysat Bowser when Bowser was a baby. Kamek made an appearance in Mario and Luigi: Parteners in time as a boss on Yoshi's island.

Monty Mole

Monty Moles are moles that have appeared in several Mario games, including side-scrollers such as Super Mario World. They later reappeared in Super Mario 64 and Paper Mario. In these games, Monty Moles throw rocks at Mario and then burrow underground before he can counter-attack. Monty Moles are minibosses in Super Mario Sunshine and Super Mario Galaxy.

Piranha Plant

A Piranha Plant, known as Packun Flower (パックン フラワー, Pakkun Furawā) in Japan, is an enemy almost always portrayed as a leafy, green stalk topped with a white-spotted red globe and sharp teeth. Piranha Plants either come up from pipes or just simply stick up from the ground. Some Piranha Plants spit fireballs. Piranha Plants appear in the television series. They have made cameos in the The Legend of Zelda series and the Super Smash Bros. series

Pokey

Pokey, known as Sanbo (サンボ) in Japan, is a cactus enemy that first appears in Super Mario Bros. 2. Pokey consists of four green or yellow segments that may be detached from him.

Pokeys make several cameo appearances in The Legend of Zelda series.

Shy Guy

A Shy Guy, known as Hey-Ho (ヘイホー, Heihō) in Japan, is a masked enemy that appears in several variations. They appear in the non-Japanese version of Super Mario Bros. 2, the Mario Party series, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis and several sports games in the Mario series, among other games, though they play a large role as the standard enemies in many Yoshi games. A Snifit is a variation of the Shy Guy, with a cannon for a mouth.

Thwomp

Thwomps, known as Dossun (ドッスン) in Japan, are large stone blocks, depicted as having angry-looking faces and clenched teeth. First appearing in Super Mario Bros. 3, they drop onto people as they walk under them. Thwomps have also appeared in other games, including the Mario Kart series.

Thwomps have appeared in both The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World animated series.

In the 1993 motion picture, "Thwomp Stompers" are a pair of boots which grant wearers the ability to jump incredible heights.

Wiggler

Wigglers, known as Hanachan (ハナチャン) in Japan, are caterpillar-like creatures with a segmented body and large nose. They are typically yellow, but turn red when angered. They first appear in Super Mario World, and have appeared in several other games in the series. Wigglers do not appear frequently as playable characters, but have appeared in some sports games in the Mario series. In Super Mario 64, Wiggler is the boss of Tiny-huge Island. In Yoshi's Story, large, fluffy versions of wigglers appear often. The smaller squigglers are a type of Wiggler much smaller than the average Wiggler and will only appear a in pipe worlds in The New Super Mario Bros.

In the Super Mario World animated series, they are referred to as "Caterpillars".

External links

• Characters of the Mario series at Super Mario Wiki
• Super Mario World Koopa Kids at PimpMyNintendo