Let's be real for a second. We all know the red hat, the mustache, and the "It's-a me" catchphrase that has been drilled into our collective skulls since 1985. But when you actually sit down and look at characters in Mario games, things get bizarre quickly. We aren't just talking about a plumber saving a princess anymore. We are talking about a multi-generational soap opera involving sentient mushrooms, an existential dinosaur that gets dumped into pits for a double jump, and a villain who is somehow both a genocidal tyrant and a doting single father.
It’s easy to dismiss these icons as corporate mascots. They aren't. Not really. Shigeru Miyamoto originally envisioned them as a "troupe of actors," which explains why they can be go-karting together on a Saturday after Bowser tried to melt Mario in a lava pit on Friday. This flexibility is exactly why they have stayed relevant for forty years while other 90s mascots are rotting in the bargain bin of history.
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The Mario and Luigi dynamic is actually kind of dark
Mario is the face of the franchise. Obviously. But if you look at the actual text of the games—especially the RPGs like Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga—the relationship between the brothers is surprisingly layered. Mario is the hero, sure, but he’s also a bit of a glory hog.
Then there’s Luigi.
Poor Luigi. He’s taller, can jump higher, and has a much more interesting personality because he’s actually allowed to be afraid. In Luigi’s Mansion, we see a character who is fundamentally terrified of his environment but pushes forward anyway. That’s actual bravery. Mario just runs into fire because he’s a frictionless engine of optimism. There is a specific moment in Mario Power Tennis where Mario congratulates Luigi on a trophy win but proceeds to accidentally-on-purpose grind his heel into Luigi’s foot. It’s a tiny, pixelated moment of sibling rivalry that makes them feel human.
Luigi represents the player who isn't the "chosen one." He’s the backup. And yet, the fandom for the younger brother often eclipses the main man because relatability will always trump perfection. Honestly, who among us hasn't felt like the "Player 2" in our own lives?
Peach, Daisy, and the evolution of the Mushroom Kingdom's hierarchy
For decades, Princess Peach was the ultimate MacGuffin. She wasn't a character; she was a finish line. However, the modern era of characters in Mario games has finally started to let her do something other than bake cakes and get kidnapped.
In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, she’s right there in the thick of it, transforming into an elephant just like everyone else. But let’s talk about Princess Daisy. Daisy is the wild card. Originating in Super Mario Land on the Game Boy, she was relegated to the "spin-off" dungeon for years. She’s loud. She’s energetic. She has a "Hi, I’m Daisy!" voice line in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! that still haunts the dreams of competitive players.
The contrast between them is important for the brand's longevity.
- Peach is the traditional, poised ruler.
- Daisy is the tomboy who probably owns a dirt bike.
- Rosalina added a layer of cosmic melancholy that the series desperately needed.
Rosalina is perhaps the most complex character Nintendo ever created for this universe. Her backstory in Super Mario Galaxy—hidden away in a literal storybook in the Library—is genuinely heartbreaking. It deals with loss, the heat death of the universe, and finding a new family among the stars. It’s a sharp left turn from "the princess is in another castle."
Bowser is the best-written character in the franchise
It’s not even close. Bowser is a masterpiece of character design and writing. He’s a giant turtle-ox-dragon thing that breathes fire, but he’s also a massive dork.
In the mainline platformers, he’s a threat. In the RPGs, like Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door or Bowser’s Inside Story, he is a comedic goldmine. He has an ego the size of a planet, but he is also incredibly insecure. He wants to conquer the world, but he also wants his son, Bowser Jr., to have a good upbringing. The parenting dynamic between those two is unironically one of the most consistent emotional beats in the series. Bowser isn't "evil" in the way a Sephiroth or a Ganondorf is. He’s more like a neighborhood bully who actually just wants to be invited to the party.
The "Lower Class" of the Mushroom Kingdom
We have to talk about the Toads. And the Yoshis. And the Koopas.
Are they species? Are they individuals? It depends on the day. Toad (the specific one with the blue vest) has been Mario’s right-hand man since the beginning, but in Super Mario Odyssey, we see an entire civilization of these guys. They are the backbone of the economy. They run the shops, they build the castles, and they occasionally provide power stars.
Wario and Waluigi are the antithesis of this order. Wario was created by Hiroji Kiyotake as a reflection of the "evil Mario," but he’s evolved into a gross, greedy, garlic-eating entrepreneur. He doesn't want to rule the world; he just wants to be rich. Waluigi is even stranger. He wasn't even created by Nintendo’s core team—he was made by Camelot for Mario Tennis because Wario needed a doubles partner. He is a character defined entirely by his lack of a purpose, which has made him a cult icon for the internet age. He is the ultimate outsider.
Why we keep coming back to these designs
Nintendo understands silhouette. You can see a 10-pixel outline of any of these characters and know exactly who they are. That is the secret sauce. Whether it’s the hunched-over greed of Wario or the elegant, floating stature of Rosalina, the visual storytelling does the heavy lifting that the dialogue-light games don't.
There’s a reason the Super Mario Bros. Movie broke records. It wasn't just nostalgia. It was the fact that these characters have become a modern mythology. They are archetypes. We know how they will react to things. We know that Donkey Kong is going to be a bit of a vainglorious jerk, and we know that Toadette is going to be over-prepared for every situation.
Actionable insights for fans and creators:
If you are looking to dive deeper into the lore of these characters, or if you are a creator trying to understand why they work so well, keep these points in mind:
- Study the "Silent Narrative": Play Super Mario Odyssey and watch the idle animations. Mario shivers in the cold; he chases birds. Character isn't just in what they say, but how they move.
- The RPGs are the Key: If you want actual character development, play the Paper Mario or Mario & Luigi series. This is where the "troupe of actors" is allowed to have actual conversations and motivations.
- Consistency in Chaos: Notice how Bowser’s motivation never changes (he wants power/the girl), but his method changes to fit the genre. That is how you maintain a brand for 40 years without it getting stale.
- Look at the Spinoffs: Characters like Daisy and Waluigi only exist because of the sports and kart games. Don't ignore the "non-canon" entries; that’s where the personality lives.
The world of characters in Mario games is a weird, psychedelic, and surprisingly emotional landscape. It's a place where a giant gorilla can be your worst enemy in 1981 and your best friend on a Go-Kart track in 2026. Understanding that flexibility is the only way to truly appreciate what Nintendo has built.