You think you know Mario. Red hat, mustache, likes mushrooms. Simple, right? But once you actually look at the sheer volume of Mario characters and names that have piled up since 1981, it’s honestly a bit overwhelming. We aren’t just talking about a plumber and a turtle anymore. The roster has ballooned into a chaotic, delightful family tree of dinosaurs, space goddesses, and sentient fungi that makes most soap operas look straightforward.
Did you know Mario’s full name is actually Mario Mario? Shigeru Miyamoto confirmed it, though it sounds like a joke. It basically means his brother is Luigi Mario. It's weird, kind of goofy, and perfectly sums up the logic of this universe.
If you’re trying to keep track of everyone—from the icons to the weirdos nobody remembers—you’ve come to the right place.
The A-List: The Names Everyone Knows
Let's get the big ones out of the way. Mario started as "Jumpman" in the original Donkey Kong arcade game. He was a carpenter then, not a plumber. He only got the name Mario because the landlord of Nintendo’s American warehouse, Mario Segale, barged in during a meeting to demand late rent. The team decided to name their hero after him.
Then you’ve got Luigi. He’s the younger twin. For years, he was just a "palette swap," but he’s developed this hilarious, cowardly personality that people actually relate to more than Mario’s relentless optimism.
🔗 Read more: Jigsaw Would Like Play Game: Why We’re Still Obsessed With Digital Puzzles
Princess Peach (who used to be Princess Toadstool in the West) is the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. She’s not just a damsel anymore; in games like Super Mario Bros. Wonder or Princess Peach: Showtime!, she’s the one doing the heavy lifting.
And of course, Bowser. The King of the Koopas. He breathes fire, kidnaps royalty, and apparently spends his off-time playing kart races and golf with the very guy who drops him into lava every week. It’s a strange relationship, honestly.
The "Middle Class" of Mushroom Kingdom Residents
Beyond the core four, the cast gets specialized. You have Yoshi, who debuted in Super Mario World on the SNES. Fun fact: Yoshi is actually the name of the entire species, but "Yoshi" (the green one) is Mario’s specific buddy.
Then there’s Toad. Much like Yoshi, "Toad" refers to a specific character—the one with the blue vest and red spots—but also the entire race of mushroom-headed people. Toadette joined later, and Toadsworth usually acts as the elderly, worried steward to the Princess.
💡 You might also like: Siegfried Persona 3 Reload: Why This Strength Persona Still Trivializes the Game
Wait, we can't forget the rivals.
Wario is the "anti-Mario." He’s greedy, loves garlic, and first showed up in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins as a villain. Waluigi was created later, specifically for Mario Tennis on the N64, because Wario needed a doubles partner and Luigi needed a rival. He’s been a fan favorite ever since, despite never appearing in a "main" 2D or 3D Mario platformer.
Hidden Gems and Obscure Names You Probably Forgot
This is where the Mario characters and names list gets really interesting. Most people forget about Pauline. Long before Peach, she was the girl Mario was saving from Donkey Kong. She made a massive comeback in Super Mario Odyssey as the Mayor of New Donk City.
Have you ever heard of Tatanga? He was the main villain of Super Mario Land on the original Game Boy. He’s an alien. He kidnapped Princess Daisy, who rules Sarasaland, not the Mushroom Kingdom. Daisy eventually became a staple in the sports and kart games, but Tatanga just... vanished into the void of gaming history.
Then there are the RPG characters.
📖 Related: The Hunt: Mega Edition - Why This Roblox Event Changed Everything
- Geno and Mallow from Super Mario RPG. Fans have been begging for them to return for decades.
- Fawful, the eccentric villain from the Mario & Luigi series who "has fury."
- Rosalina, the mother of the Lumas who lives in the Comet Observatory. She’s arguably the most powerful character in the lore, literally resetting the universe at the end of Super Mario Galaxy.
The Enemies Who Became Icons
It’s not just about the heroes. The "mook" characters have names that are now part of the cultural lexicon. Goombas were the last enemies added to the original Super Mario Bros. because the developers realized the game was too hard without a basic "starter" enemy.
Koopa Troopas are the backbone of Bowser’s army. But did you know there are specific ones? Kamek is the high-ranking Magikoopa who basically raised Bowser. The Koopalings—Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy, and Ludwig—were originally thought to be Bowser’s kids, but Nintendo later clarified they’re just his high-ranking minions. Only Bowser Jr. is his actual son.
How to Keep All These Names Straight
If you're trying to master the lore, start by grouping them. You have the Humans (Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Wario, Waluigi, Pauline), the Species (Toads, Yoshis, Kongs), and the Bosses (Bowser, Bowser Jr., King Boo, Petey Piranha).
The best way to see these characters in action is to jump into the recent titles. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has one of the best "who's who" rosters ever assembled. If you want to see the weirder side, check out the Paper Mario or Mario & Luigi series, where even the random NPCs have distinct names and hilarious backstories.
Next time you're playing, look closer at the background. You might see a Shy Guy or a Lakitu and realize that every single one of these Mario characters and names has a history going back forty years.
To really get a handle on the deep lore, your next move should be exploring the digital manuals of the older games. Many of the most interesting character traits were actually hidden in the physical booklets that came with the NES and SNES cartridges, details that often get lost in the modern, digital-only era. Go find a scan of the Super Mario World manual; the descriptions of the dinosaurs there are gold.