Mario

For fighter info, see Mario (SSB), Mario (SSBM), Mario (SSBB), Mario (SSB4), and Mario (SSBU).

Mario
Official artwork of Mario in his standard outfit with Cappy from Super Mario Odyssey, Builder Mario from Super Mario Maker, and his wedding outfit from Super Mario Odyssey.
Universe	Mario
Debut	Donkey Kong (1981)
Smash Bros. appearances	SSB Melee Brawl SSB4 Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance	Mario & Luigi: Brothership (2024)
Console/platform of origin	Arcade
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Place of origin	Mushroom Kingdom
Created by	Shigeru Miyamoto
Designed by	Shigeru Miyamoto (Donkey Kong) Yoichi Kotabe (Super Mario Bros. series) Shigefumi Hino (Super Mario World)
Voice actor	Charles Martinet
Article on Super Mario Wiki	Mario

Mario (マリオ, Mario) is the eponymous protagonist of the Mario series. Unanimously viewed as the mascot of Nintendo, Mario is said to be the most well-known and most popular video game character in the world, having appeared in over 200 video games.

As a member of the "perfect-attendance crew", Mario has been featured as a playable character in every installment of the Super Smash Bros. series.

Origin

Official artwork of Mario from Super Mario 64. This appearance inspired his design for Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee.

In 1981, years before video games exploded into mainstream popularity, prominent game designer Shigeru Miyamoto designed the original arcade game Donkey Kong, debuting Mario as the main playable character and Donkey Kong as his in-game nemesis. Mario's character design was heavily influenced by the extreme technical limitations of video games at the time; as a small batch of pixels, Mario was given a mustache under his big nose to show he had a face. Red overalls and a blue shirt — the reverse of Mario's current red shirt and blue overalls — were also added to contrast against each other and the background, while a red cap was added to let Miyamoto avoid drawing the character's hairstyle, forehead, and eyebrows, as well as to circumvent the issue of animating his hair as he jumped. Although unnamed in the Japanese release of Donkey Kong, the character was named Jumpman in the game's English instructions. However, during the localization of Donkey Kong for American audiences, Nintendo of America's warehouse landlord at the time, the late Mario Segale, confronted then-president Minoru Arakawa, demanding back rent. Following a heated argument in which the Nintendo employees eventually convinced Segale he would be paid, they opted to officially rename Jumpman to Mario after Segale; this name would also be carried over into the game's sales brochure.

In Donkey Kong, Mario is portrayed as a carpenter whose girlfriend Pauline (originally "Lady" in Japan) is held captive by the gorilla Donkey Kong at a construction site. Mario must jump his way over the barrels and flames Donkey Kong throws at him in order to climb the scaffolding of the construction site and rescue Pauline. After his initial appearance in this pioneering game, Mario, under his proper name for the first time in Japan, was introduced in the sequel Donkey Kong Junior — in which he was portrayed as the antagonist — and identified as being of Italian ethnicity by Nintendo's then-president Hiroshi Yamauchi. Then Mario and his newly introduced brother Luigi starred in the 1983 arcade game Mario Bros. as plumbers. Miyamoto's next game was the world-famous Super Mario Bros. for the Famicom/NES, the game that single-handedly brought video gaming into the mainstream and made Nintendo a major company in a now-major industry. Many iconic aspects of Mario and his franchise were established: Mario and Luigi now live in the magical Mushroom Kingdom ruled by Princess "Peach" Toadstool with her mushroom-like servants known as Toads, while the Koopa King, Bowser, kidnaps the princess, provoking Mario to rescue her. In Super Mario Bros., Mario bounds across side-scrolling platform stages, jumping on the heads of common enemies like Goombas and Koopa Troopas to defeat them. He starts out small but can grow to double his size if he grabs a Super Mushroom, gain the ability to shoot out fireballs by grabbing a Fire Flower, and become invincible for a short period of time by grabbing a Super Star. Super Mario Bros. became a franchise with these elements lasered into video game iconography, consistent in most future games in the Mario series.

For over 30 years afterward, Mario would star in many games for various Nintendo systems. Mario and his accompanying franchise can be viewed as Nintendo's thematic tileset with which to create games of a whimsical, colorful, and light-hearted nature. Mario himself is meant to be a character anyone can enjoy playing as and can fit well as a protagonist figure and/or main balanced character in many genres of games. To this end, he is not portrayed as a character that undergoes development like what players would see from a character within an expansive story, but rather a character defined by the player's actions with a few defining traits of his own, such as his cheerfulness, whimsy, desire to help others, and humorous high-pitched Italian accent provided by Charles Martinet. As such, Mario is a semi-silent protagonist, who is sporadically depicted speaking coherent English sentences. In contemporary Mario games, most of his vocalizations are grunts, yells, and the occasional catchphrase, such as "Mama Mia!", "It's-a me, Mario!" and "Let's-a-go!", although he is shown to speak at length in some spin-off games and official interviews. Likewise, while Mario largely serves as a "everyman" protagonist to fulfill any role as needed to be, he has shown plenty of characterization; for instance, the ending of Super Mario Odyssey has Mario comfort his longtime nemesis, Bowser, after Peach rejects both of their marriage proposals, showing him to be a selfless person who sees the best qualities in others. As an everyman character, the optimistic protagonist and the flagship character for both his series and company, Mario is inherently easy for players of his various games to appreciate, and he is usually the most balanced playable character in any game he appears in. While Mario's definitive, Martinet-voiced depiction was codified by Super Mario 64, to the extent that Martinet's successor Kevin Afghani would effectively perform impressions of Martinet's voices for Mario (and Luigi), most auxiliary media prior to that game (such as a trio of animated series produced by the now-defunct DIC Entertainment and the 1993 live-action film) provided different portrayals of the iconic plumber, typically as a mild caricature of a working-class Italian-American with a gruff Brooklyn accent, some elements of which were portrayed in the 2023 animated film.

Genres of games in which Mario appears in a playable role include the traditional 2D side-scrolling platformer Super Mario Bros. and its various sequels; the famed Super NES launch platformer Super Mario World, which introduced Yoshi as a trustworthy mount of sorts for Mario; and New Super Mario Bros. and its respective sequels, which are revivals of the Super Mario Bros. series' gameplay. Mario has also had various 3D platforming adventures, such as the seminal Super Mario 64 adventure game launched for the Nintendo 64, followed up by Super Mario Sunshine for the Nintendo GameCube, Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii, Super Mario 3D World for the Wii U, and Super Mario Odyssey for the Nintendo Switch. In addition to each of these games being critical successes, 64, the Galaxy duology and Odyssey in particular are considered among the greatest and most influential games of all time. Spin-off titles include the Mario Kart series of power-up and obstacle course-based racing games, a long-running series of multiplayer-based party games named Mario Party, and various series of Mario-themed sports titles, such as Mario Golf and Mario Tennis. There have even been RPG spinoffs, namely Super Mario RPG, the Paper Mario series, and the Mario & Luigi series. Finally, there is the puzzle-based spin-off game Dr. Mario, which sees Mario use Megavitamins, a medicine of his own creation, to combat viruses. In addition to being the debut of its own spin-off series, this game also saw the eponymous Dr. Mario become a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series.

In Super Smash Bros.

As a playable character

Official artwork of Mario from Super Smash Bros.

Mario makes his first appearance in a fighting game in Super Smash Bros. as a starter character. His design is based on his appearances in Super Mario 64 and Mario Party. Like in many Mario spin-off games, he is touted as the most balanced character with no real strengths or weaknesses; therefore, new players of the game are encouraged to play as Mario in order to learn the game's fundamentals. In addition, his younger twin brother Luigi appears as a clone, albeit with a few different attributes.

Mario's neutral special move is Fire Ball, which is moderately fast but deals minor damage. His up special move is Super Jump Punch, which hits multiple times and is used as his recovery move. Lastly, Mario's down special move is Mario Tornado, in which he whirls his body akin to a Spin Jump in order to damage foes around him with a series of discus clotheslines and spinning backfists.

Mario boasts a potent combo game, thanks primarily to his spammable up tilt and versatile down aerial. His edge-guarding potential is also respectable: down smash, forward aerial and back aerial possess respectable power, while down aerial can meteor smash. Mario also sports two powerful KOing options in his up smash and back throw, while his forward smash and forward throw also sport KO potential, albeit to a lesser degree in comparison. Lastly, Mario's recovery is fairly good, thanks to Super Jump Punch's traveling distance and Mario Tornado's ability to cover more distance via button mashing.

However, Mario's overall range is sub-par, even in spite of having Fireball as a projectile. On a related note, he has difficulty dealing with projectiles and pressure. Mario also has poor mobility, which can hinder his combos and recovery, in addition to further compounding his aforementioned issues with projectiles and pressure. Lastly, the majority of Mario's frame data is laggy.

Due to his lack of both outstanding strengths and weaknesses, Mario is currently ranked 7th out of 12 on the tier list. This places him at the bottom of the B tier, and posits him as a mid tier character.

Mario's in-game character description reads as follows:

Mario

Although best known as the mustachioed plumber who battles the Turtle Tribe with his distinct jumping action, this internationally-famous hero has also acted as a referee, a driver, and even a doctor! He's been linked to Princess Peach of Mushroom Kingdom for years, but to this day their true relationship remains a mystery.

Works:

• Super Mario Bros. (NES)
• Super Mario Kart (SNES)
• Mario Kart 64 (Nintendo 64)

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

As a playable character

Mario, as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Mario returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Unlike in SSB, his design has been updated to appear almost exactly like his Nintendo 64 render artwork, instead of his in-game appearances in Super Mario 64 and Mario Party. Like his fellow veterans, Mario has now received a side special move. In his case, it is Cape, which can reverse the direction an opponent is facing upon contact, reflect projectiles, and even assist with his recovery. Although Luigi has been de-cloned to semi-clone status, Mario nevertheless received another full clone in Melee. In this case, his doctor persona from the Dr. Mario series appears as a playable character with a few different attributes.

In addition to retaining a useful projectile in Fireball and a potent combo game, Mario's overall frame data has become faster, while his edge-guarding potential, grab game and mobility have each improved in certain ways. Cape's reversal property can gimp recoveries, while his new forward aerial is capable of meteor smashing. Like the rest of the cast, Mario has received a pummel, up throw and down throw; in addition to expanding his grab game's options, the latter two are useful for chain grabbing. Lastly, the implementation of wavedashing improves Mario's approach.

However, Mario continues to lack a reliably safe and/or particularly strong finisher: his new forward smash consists of a sweet spot and sour spot, the back throw is burdened by his overall short grab range, and up smash is much weaker. In addition, Mario's overall range remains poor, which impairs his ability to fight against characters with disjointed ranges, such as Marth.

Due to his continued lack of outstanding strengths or weaknesses, Mario is currently ranked 15th out of 26 on the 13th official tier list. This places him in the C+ tier (notably two spots lower than his doctor persona and three spots lower than Luigi), and reaffirms his status as a mid tier character.

Trophies

In addition to the standard three trophies which playable characters in Melee get - a standard trophy won by defeating Classic Mode, and "Smash Red" and "Smash Blue" trophies won by beating the Adventure and All-Star modes, respectively - Mario, as Nintendo's mascot, also features on a number of other trophies as Dr. Mario (see Dr. Mario (SSBM)), Raccoon Mario, Metal Mario, Paper Mario, and Mario & Yoshi. The last trophy, in particular, is especially notable for being one of three trophies (the other two being Samus Unmasked and (in Western versions only) Tamagon) that cannot be found during normal play: it can only be acquired in the NTSC and PAL versions via hacking device, whereas it could only be acquired in the Japanese version via a special Japanese events or by using a hacking device. There is also a trophy for Baby Mario, a baby version of Mario that mostly appears in Yoshi games.

Mario's Classic Mode trophy in Melee

Mario

Known worldwide as Mr. Nintendo, Mario uses his incredible jumping ability to thwart the evil Bowser time after time. While he's best known as a hero, Mario has played many roles, including racer, doctor, golfer, and villain. His tastes have changed over 20 years of gaming; he long ago swapped the colors of his shirt and overalls.

Donkey Kong (Arcade 1981)

Mario's Adventure Mode trophy in Melee

Mario SMASH

Mario is a character without any glaring weaknesses and plenty of strong attacks: he's even equipped with a Meteor Smash. He's a straightforward character who'll reflect the actual skills of the player. Mario's Cape will turn other characters in the opposite direction and can also reflect missile weapons.

B: Fireball

Smash B: Cape

Mario's All-Star Mode trophy in Melee

Mario SMASH

Mass determines how easily a character can be sent flying, as well as a character's physical strength: Mario's mass is the standard upon which other Smash fighters are measured. His Super Jump Punch sends foes skyward in a shower of coins, while the Mario Tornado pulls in nearby foes, spins them silly, and scatters them every which way.

Up & B: Super Jump Punch

Down & B: Mario Tornado

Raccoon Mario's trophy in Melee

Raccoon Mario

In Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Leafs caused Mario to grow raccoon ears and a tail. By sprinting and rapidly wagging the tail, Mario gained the ability to fly for short periods. Like the Cape in Super Mario World, the tail also reduced the speed at which he fell, making midair moves easier. Needless to say, real raccoons were jealous.

Super Mario Bros. 3 (2/90)

Metal Mario's trophy in Melee

Metal Mario

Mario was in for a surprise the first time he hit a Metal Box in Super Mario 64. The metal cap that popped out transformed Mario into living metal, giving him great stamina, a heavy tread, and the ability to walk underwater. In Super Smash Bros., Metal Mario showed up as an incredibly stubborn midlevel boss.

Super Mario 64 (9/96)

Paper Mario's trophy in Melee

Paper Mario

The Star Rod: Bowser stole it, and Mario wants it back. Bowser vs. Mario is familiar for Mario afficionados, but Paper Mario is novel. What this game brings to the 3D polygon-filled gaming world is its art style: everything is wafer thin! What the visuals lack in realism, they more than make up for in unique artistry.

Paper Mario (2/01)

Mario & Yoshi's trophy in Melee

Mario & Yoshi

Yoshi was first introduced in Super Mario World, and the sight of Mario riding the helpful character soon became an enduring image. Despite his Cape, Mario can't fly while astride Yoshi. The pair can make huge jumps and drift slowly back to earth, though. As a last resort, Mario could leap off Yoshi's back to safety.

Super Mario World (9/91)

Baby Mario's trophy in Melee

Baby Mario

Long ago, when the stork was carrying Baby Mario and Baby Luigi to the Mario household, the stork was ambushed, causing Baby Mario to tumble onto Yoshi's Island. This marked the beginning of the Yoshies' adventure to deliver Baby Mario to his parents. Since then, Baby Mario's been spotted on golf courses and tennis courts.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (10/95)

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

As a playable character

Mario, as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Mario returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, although his doctor persona has been cut as a playable character. Mario's design has been updated, as it is now based on his appearance in Luigi's Mansion, Super Mario Sunshine and Mario Party 4, albeit with a realistic aesthetic and subdued color scheme. In addition to gaining his Fire Mario attire as an alternate costume, Mario has gained F.L.U.D.D. from Super Mario Sunshine as his down special move, while Mario Tornado is now his down aerial attack.

Like his fellow veterans, Mario now has a Final Smash; in his case, it is Mario Finale, which consists of him firing a pair of colossal, intertwining Fireballs to engulf all opponents in the direction he is facing. In addition to retaining overall quick frame data and a useful projectile in Fireball, Mario now boasts improved KO potential: forward smash's sourspot is much stronger, down smash's back hit now deals consistent damage, and both Mario Tornado and Super Jump Punch have gained KO potential thanks to their much stronger final hitboxes.

Mario's already respectable edge-guarding potential has also improved. The universal decrease to falling speeds makes forward aerial easier to meteor smash with. Cape is even more potent for gimping, thanks to it now reversing the opponent's momentum and controls upon contact. Lastly, F.L.U.D.D. is a chargeable move that possesses push boxes and, when fully charged, decent range as well.

However, Mario has received significant nerfs as well, largely from changes to gameplay mechanics. In particular, the introduction of hitstun canceling severely harmed Mario's once-useful combo game: up tilt can now only combo into itself at low percentages, while up and down throws have lost both their chain grabbing and combo potentials entirely. The removal of both wavedashing and L-canceling also hinder Mario: the former results in his approach being unimpressive like in SSB, while the latter results in his aerials' landing lag not being fully compensated.

Due to his nerfs outweighing his buffs, as well as his balanced motif being drastically outclassed by noticeable strengths displayed by various characters, Mario is currently ranked 31st out of 38 on the tier list. This places him in the F tier, and posits him as a bottom tier character.

Trophies

Mario has a trophy that is awarded each time Classic Mode is completed with him on any difficulty.

Mario's trophy in Brawl

Mario

A familiar overall-clad figure who is Nintendo's flagship character. His courage and jumping ability have seen him through countless adventures. He's a multitalented plumber with the knowledge of a physician, a top-notch golfer, and a veteran tennis umpire. Is his jumping prowess a boon from his girder-climbing days?

: Donkey Kong

: Super Mario Bros.

Baby Mario's trophy in Brawl

Baby Mario

Mario as a baby...a crybaby at that. Although he lacks overalls, we can see the trademark red hat even at this young age. Everyone's favorite hero was riding Yoshi and adventuring from his youngest days, and even as a baby, it's clear that Mario had quite the nose.

Mario as a baby...a crybaby at that. Even then he wore overalls, and we can see the trademark red hat at this young age. Everyone's favorite hero was riding Yoshi and adventuring from his youngest days, and even as a baby, it's clear that Mario had quite the nose.

: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

: Yoshi's Island DS

Paper Mario's trophy in Brawl

Paper Mario

A legendary hero whose adventure unfolds when he sets out to rescue Princess Peach from the nefarious clutches of Count Bleck. He has the ability to flip the world from 2-D to 3-D and back again. If he grabs a Mega Star, he'll transform into a pixelated giant Mario. In this state, he's invulnerable and capable of stomping through enemies and obstacles with ease.

A legendary hero whose adventure unfolds when he sets out to rescue Princess Peach from the nefarious clutches of Count Bleck. He has the ability to flip the world from 2D to 3D and back again. If he grabs a Mega Star, he'll transform into a pixelated giant Mario. In this state, he's invulnerable and capable of stomping through enemies and obstacles with ease.

: Super Paper Mario

Stickers

Name	Game	Effect	Fighter(s)
Baby Mario	Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island	AttackFlame+005 Attack +5	All characters
Bubble Baby Mario	Yoshi's Island	AttackBite+006 Attack +6	Yoshi Wario Pokémon Trainer Wolf
Mario & Luigi	Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga	DefenseFlame+019 Resistance +19	Mario Yoshi Luigi Bowser Peach
Mario & Yoshi	Super Mario Sunshine	AttackSpecialsIndirect+013 Attack +13	Mario Yoshi Luigi Bowser Peach
Mario	Mario Kart DS	AttackLeg+022 Attack +22	Mario Yoshi Luigi Bowser Peach
Mario	Super Mario Baseball	SpecialCarryHomeRunBatCarry Home-Run Bat	All characters
Mario	Super Paper Mario	AttackElectric+020 Attack +20	All characters
Raccoon Mario	Super Mario Bros. 3	SpecialFlinchResistance+112 +112	All characters
Super Mario Bros.	Super Mario Bros.	AttackArmLeg+015 Attack +15	Mario Yoshi Luigi Bowser Peach

Baby Mario (Yoshi's Island)

Bubble Baby Mario (Yoshi's Island)

Mario & Luigi (Mario & Luigi: SS)

Mario & Yoshi (Super Mario Sunshine)

Mario (Mario Kart DS)

Mario (Mario Superstar Baseball)

Mario (Super Paper Mario)

Raccoon Mario (Super Mario Bros. 3)

Super Mario Bros.

In Super Smash Bros. 4

As a playable character

Mario, as he appears in Super Smash Bros. 4.

Mario appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4, with his return being announced on June 11th, 2013 during the E3 2013 Nintendo Direct. Mario's design has been updated, as it is now based on his appearances as of Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World. Mario's blue and yellow alternate costumes have also been updated, while he has gained two new costumes: the first is from his appearance in Family Computer Golf: U.S. Course and NES Open Tournament Golf, while the second is based on Waluigi. On a related note, his doctor persona also returns as a playable character for the first time since Melee.

Mario is once again touted as a balanced character, but the plethora of significant buffs he received in several areas actually allow him to function effectively as a pressure-oriented character as well. Most notably, direct and indirect changes have not only rejuvenated Mario's once-lost combo game, but also resulted in it becoming the most effective it has ever been.

Down throw, in particular, benefits tremendously from both the changes to hitstun canceling and the alterations to its knockback and launching angle: in addition to its infamous damage racking potential alongside several consecutive up tilts at low percentages, it can be followed up with aerials at medium to high percentages, including forward aerial for a potential KO combo while near the edge. Although down tilt is not as potent in comparison, its much lower ending lag and hitstun canceling's aforementioned changes nevertheless grant it various follow-ups at low to medium percentages.

Unlike in previous installments, Mario's mobility and power are no longer unimpressive and adequate, respectively. His dashing and air speeds have become noticeably faster, while his jump is higher as well. When coupled with the retention of his overall quick frame data, Mario now boasts a surprisingly threatening neutral game, and is an even more potent edge-guarder. On a related note, Mario's recovery has also improved: in addition to his aforementioned aerial attributes, Super Jump Punch now covers slightly more vertical distance and, more importantly, no longer sharply drops him right before its conclusion.

However, Mario did receive some nerfs. Most noticeably, his overall damage output has decreased: while this actually helped in the restoration of his combo game, it nevertheless weakened three of his strongest attacks (down smash, back throw, and clean back aerial). On a related note, Mario's KO potential is very inconsistent because of his very small number of guaranteed KO set-ups, all of which are hard to confirm.

Although two of Mario's special moves were buffed, they also received nerfs which outweigh said buffs. Fireball has increased knockback and range, but is overall laggier and can no longer auto-cancel with a short hop. In comparison, Cape can now instantly sweetspot edges, but grants less of a boost in midair and has lost the advanced techniques it gained in Brawl.

Aside from his nerfs, Mario retains a few noticeable weaknesses. His unimpressive overall range makes him susceptible to disjointed hitboxes, and thus forces him to typically use his all-rounder playstyle instead of his newfound pressure-oriented one when fighting characters with such hitboxes. In addition, Mario's now-serviceable recovery is still burdened with linearity.

Overall, Mario's impressive strengths, negligible weaknesses, and minimal learning curve have collectively allowed him to be very successful in tournament play, earning strong representation and results throughout SSB4's lifespan. As a result, Mario is ranked 9th out of 54 on the tier list; in addition to placing him in the A tier, this posits him as a top tier character.

As a costume

Mario's Cap in Super Smash Bros. 4.

Mario's cap is available as headwear for Mii Fighters.

Trophies

Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Mario

As iconic as iconic gets, this gaming celebrity is known for saving the world from Bowser. He's got amazing jumping skills and makes use of a wide range of transformations. In his free time, he plays too many sports to count. In Smash Bros., he's a well-rounded fighter you can rely on. Say it with me: "It's-a me, Mario!"

: Donkey Kong Classics (09/1988)

: Super Mario Bros. (10/1985)

It's-a him! Maaario! Whether he's wearing one of his special outfits or just his normal blue dungarees, this running, jumping, Bowser-bashing, princess-saving hero is an all-round superstar. And in this game, he's got enough tricks up his sleeve to deal with anything. If you don't know which fighter to pick, Mario's a solid choice.

Arcade: Donkey Kong (1981 (JP))

: Super Mario Bros. (05/1987)

Mario (Alt.)'s trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Mario (Alt.)'s trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Mario (Alt.)

Super Jump Punch is an up-special move that lets you leap high into the air, carrying any fighters you strike along with you. You'll be invincible for a moment after you launch this attack. The default side-special move, Cape, will flip a fighter around. Keep a foe from returning with this move!

Super Jump Punch is an up-special move that lets you leap high into the air, carrying any fighters you strike along with you. You'll be invincible for a moment after you launch this attack. The default side-special move, Cape, will flip a fighter around, making it easy to send a foe who's trying to grab the edge of the stage to their doom!

: Donkey Kong Classics (09/1988)

: Super Mario Bros. (10/1985)

Mario's Super Jump Punch takes you high into the air, and if you catch an opponent with it, they'll go up with you. Try to hit them at the very start of the move to do the most damage. His default side special, Cape, can flip fighters around. If you're really crafty, you can even use it to keep someone from getting back on the stage!

Arcade: Donkey Kong (1981 (JP))

: Super Mario Bros. (05/1987)

Tanooki Mario & Kitsune Luigi's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Tanooki Mario & Kitsune Luigi

If you find a Super Leaf, Mario transforms into Tanooki Mario! His newfound tail works as a weapon and as a propeller to slow his fall. His brother, Luigi, won't turn into a Tanooki, though—he becomes Kitsune Luigi. Wouldn't want to have trouble telling the two apart, would we?

When Mario uses a Super Leaf, he grows a tail and turns into Tanooki Mario, a very handy form indeed. Likewise, Luigi turns into Kitsune Luigi. Both of them can swing their tails to attack enemies, or wag their tails to slowly float down after a jump, almost like they're walking on air.

Statue Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Statue Mario

Statue Mario is invincible and will be ignored by his enemies. If he transforms in midair, he'll do a nice Thwomp impression but he can't move! Well, unless a moving platform carries him into unlucky enemies. Give it a try in Super Mario 3D Land!

Statue Mario's not just invincible – he's invisible to enemies. If Mario turns into Statue Mario in mid-air, he'll slam down and be stuck to the spot. Moving platforms will still carry him, though, and he'll knock down anyone in his way. Try it next time you play Super Mario 3D Land!

Baby Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Baby Mario

A baby version of Mario, sans mustache, who first appeared in Yoshi's Island. Still in diapers, he mostly leaves the adventuring to Yoshi unless a Super Star is involved. If that happens, he becomes invincible and runs around with a cape—a little smooth-faced Super Mario!

A baby version of Mario (sans moustache) who first appeared in Yoshi's Island. Since he's still in nappies, it's up to Yoshi to keep him safe. Give him a Super Star, though, and he'll turn invincible, just like grown-up Mario! If only it gave him a moustache too... That would be awesome.

Boomerang Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Boomerang Mario

If you know how the Boomerang Bros. like to fight, they really aren't that tough. But if Mario BECOMES a Boomerang Bro—Boomerang Mario—what then? Will his opponents be stunned by his new moves? At the least, throwing a boomerang makes things more fun!

"Before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes." Mario's taken that to the next level with the Boomerang Bros. – he's put on the whole outfit! As Boomerang Mario, he'll not just have more attack power – he'll have a big dollop of fun flinging that boomerang around. Great times!

Mario (With Propeller Box)'s trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Mario (With Propeller Box)

Mario with his head in a Propeller Box. He looks like something you'd see in a parade. But wait! That propeller isn't just for show—Mario can use it in the middle of a jump to go even higher. And it'll slow his fall back to the ground too!

It's Mario, but with a Propeller Box on his head. It looks like some kind of weird parade costume... Unlike a parade costume, though, the propeller isn't just for show – Mario can use it mid-jump to send himself soaring into the air, and then float gently back down to the ground afterwards!

Mario + Standard Kart's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Mario + Standard Kart

Customizing your ride is part of the fun of Mario Kart 7. Choose the best frame, tires, and glider to make your own dream machine! You can come up with some outlandish combinations, but I think Mario looks best when you keep things simple.

Customising your kart in Mario Kart 7 is a lot of fun. Pick your favourite frame, tyres and glider, and make your mark out on the track! Maybe your favourites are the basic ones. Nothing wrong with that! Flashy is all well and good, but there's something to be said for "simple-but-effective".

Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Mario (Gold Block)

Mario (With Gold Block)

Oh no! Has the karma for smashing all those blocks finally caught up with Mario, and now he's doomed to wear a block on his head forever? Not at all! This Gold Block gives Mario coins whenever he runs and jumps. Cha-ching! Everyone loves getting more coins!

Uh-oh! Is this payback for all the blocks Mario's smashed over the years?! Oh, wait. It's actually an awesome bonus! With the Gold Block on his head, running and jumping make that familiar sound: Da-ding! Da-ding! Da-di-di-di-di-ding! That's right – you get coins! Coins galore!

Paper Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Paper Mario

The paper-thin Mario from the Paper Mario series recently quested for the wish-granting Royal Stickers. These magic stickers are for more than just collecting, though. Mario can use them to change his paper world, and nothing helps him in battle more than a sticker!

A paper-thin version of Mario from the Paper Mario series. Most recently, he set off on a sticker-packed adventure to find the wish-granting Royal Stickers. Stickers aren't just for collecting, though – they're for making bridges, opening ancient doors, and even for taking on foes in battle!

Mario Golf: World Tour's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Mario Golf: World Tour

Looks like Mario is really on his game today! Or he just sent his ball off the course and into the trees—it's hard to tell. Getting a ball out of the rough is part of golf! It adds a bit of adventure to the game, though the undersea course in this world tour probably adds more.

Mario looks like he's having a good game here! Or maybe he's just whacked his ball out of sight and into the trees. It's anyone's guess, really. Well, getting a ball out of the rough can still be fun. Things like that give the game a touch of adventure, which is something this world tour is just full of – especially the underwater course!

Bee Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Bee Mario

Do you hear that buzzing? Whatever could it...bee? Bee Mario! Finding a Bee Mushroom allows Mario to buzz around in the air, land on flowers, and stick to walls covered in honey. Oh, this is the bee's knees! However, Bee Mario can't sting his foes. But that's fine—you don't really want to be that kind of bee, do you?

: Super Mario Galaxy (11/2007)

: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (05/2010)

If you don't want to be Mario any more, be Bee Mario instead! Just find a Bee Mushroom, and you can buzz around in the air, land on flowers and stick to walls covered in honey. See? It'll be the bee's knees! The only bee thing you won't be doing is stinging. But that's not the kind of bee you want to be anyway, now is it?

: Super Mario Galaxy (11/2007)

: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (06/2010)

Boo Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Boo Mario

Are you afraid of ghosts? Maybe it will help to see the world as they do. Become Boo Mario with a Boo Mushroom, and then explore their world! Shake your Wii Remote to make Boo Mario go through walls. Boo Mario blends in OK, but even as a ghost he keeps his trademark hat. The other Boos don't seem to mind, thankfully.

: Super Mario Galaxy (11/2007)

: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (05/2010)

Boos are always tricky to deal with, so if you can't beat 'em, join 'em! All you need to do is grab a Boo Mushroom, and you'll become a Boo, letting you turn invisible, slip straight through walls and even speak Booish! You'd think Boos wouldn't fall for it, what with that trademark cap still firmly on top of your head...but luckily, they do.

: Super Mario Galaxy (11/2007)

: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (06/2010)

Spring Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Spring Mario

Boingee boingee boingee... It's Spring Mario, bouncing along and having a grand time! Just get a Spring Mushroom, and then press the A Button right when you land for a super-high jump! If you have a fear of heights, though, there's nothing wrong with staying in place and just bouncing a little.

: Super Mario Galaxy (11/2007)

: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (05/2010)

Boing! Sproing! Mario's turned into a spring! One touch of a Spring Mushroom and he becomes Spring Mario. He'll bounce SUPER high if you press the A Button right when he lands. Doesn't it make you feel like just bouncing on the spot? Boing, boing, boing...

: Super Mario Galaxy (11/2007)

: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (06/2010)

Rainbow Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Rainbow Mario

What would you get if you combined Mario with a bouncing, rainbow-colored star? An amazing, invincible Rainbow Mario, of course! Plus, Mario will glow with twinkling stars and have an energetic song play for the duration. Doesn't that make you want to run out and grab a Rainbow Star right now?

: Super Mario Galaxy (11/2007)

: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (05/2010)

What would you do if you found a star that glowed in seven colours? "Grab it quick"? Well, that would be the smart thing to do, because it'd probably be a Rainbow Star! It turns everyone's favourite moustachioed man into a...well, a rainbow-coloured moustachioed man. Not only does he become invincible, but he looks fab!

: Super Mario Galaxy (11/2007)

: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (06/2010)

Mario + Standard Bike's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Mario + Standard Bike

In Mario Kart Wii, bikes were the big, new thing. This Standard Bike M is, as you'd expect, a very standard bike—its speed, weight, acceleration, handling, off-road, drift, and mini-turbo stats are all decidedly middle of the road. This makes it a great choice for Mario Kart beginners or for series veterans trying out bikes for the first time.

In Mario Kart Wii, bikes were the big new thing. This Standard Bike M is, as you'd expect, a very standard bike – its speed, weight, acceleration, handling, off-road, drift and mini-turbo stats are all decidedly middle-of-the-road. This makes it a great choice for Mario Kart beginners, or series veterans trying out bikes for the first time.

: Mario Kart Wii (04/2008)

Propeller Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Propeller Mario

You can tell just by the sound that there's something different about the propeller on Mario's head. It must be because it's made of rubber! In any case, Propeller Mushrooms transform Mario into Propeller Mario. Shake the Wii Remote to send Mario zooming up into the air!

The propeller on Propeller Mario's head makes such an awesome sound. Not like an engine or a motor – it's more like it's powered by an elastic band. Grabbing a Propeller Mushroom turns Mario into this form, letting you send him whirling waaaaay up into the air, making that awesome sound as he goes!

: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (11/2009)

: New Super Mario Bros. U (11/2012)

Penguin Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Penguin Mario

Ahh, the life of a penguin... So carefree. At last, Mario too can enjoy the feeling of gliding across the ice by donning the Penguin Suit. Not only that, but this suit unlocks other penguin abilities too! Mario can swim gracefully and, just like a penguin, dream of a day when he can fly.

What sort of penguin-y activities do you think Mario can get up to while wearing a Penguin Suit? Sliding around on his belly? Swimming gracefully through water? Tragically looking to the skies, reflecting on unfulfilled dreams of using his penguin wings to fly? Well, the truth is...he can do all of these things, just like a real penguin!

: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (11/2009)

: New Super Mario Bros. U (11/2012)

Cloud Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Cloud Mario

Guess what happens when Mario collects a Cloud Flower! Oh, wait. You can already see exactly what happens... That's right, Mario dons a fluffy hat, overalls, and a scarf and gets a whole lot lighter. He can jump farther, stay in the air longer, walk on clouds, and even make cloud platforms. This outfit is all silver lining!

: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (05/2010)

Guess what happens when Mario collects a Cloud Flower! Oh, wait. You can already see exactly what happens... Yes, Mario dons a fluffy hat, dungarees and scarf, and gets a whole lot lighter. He can jump further, stay in the air longer, walk on clouds and even create cloud platforms. It seems Cloud Mario is all "silver lining"!

: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (06/2010)

Rock Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Rock Mario

If you're a fan of rock and roll, try picking up a Rock Mushroom. When Mario's transformed into Rock Mario, a simple shake of the Wii Remote can turn him into a big, rolling boulder, allowing him to plow through crystals and tough foes. The most amazing thing about Rock Mario, though, is that he can still jump.

: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (05/2010)

If you're a fan of rock and roll, try picking up a Rock Mushroom. When Mario's transformed into Rock Mario, a simple shake of the Wii Remote can turn him into a big, rolling boulder, allowing him to plough through crystals and tough foes. The most amazing thing about Rock Mario, though, is that he can still jump.

: Super Mario Galaxy 2 (06/2010)

Flying Squirrel Mario's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Flying Squirrel Mario

When Mario grabs a Super Acorn, he turns into Flying Squirrel Mario! Like a real flying squirrel, he can hold out his arms and glide through the air. That must feel really, really awesome! This power isn't just for fun, though—it has practical uses, too, like helping him grab the coins floating in midair. Da-ding! Da-ding! Da-ding! Da-ding!

When Mario grabs a Super Acorn, he turns into Flying Squirrel Mario! Like a real flying squirrel, he can hold out his arms and glide through the air, which probably feels really awesome. This power isn't just for fun, though – it has practical uses too, like helping him grab coins floating in mid-air. Da-ding! Da-ding! Da-ding! Da-ding!

: New Super Mario Bros. U (11/2012)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

As a playable character

Mario, as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Mario appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Initially teased alongside Link and the Inklings during the then-unnamed Super Smash Bros. trailer at the end of the March 8th, 2018 Nintendo Direct, he was formally announced alongside the rest of the cast via Ultimate's E3 2018 trailer on June 12th, 2018.

Mario's design has once again been updated: it is now based on his appearance in Super Mario Odyssey, complete with Cappy in place of his usual hat, and having his wedding attire as a new alternate costume. In addition, Builder Mario from Super Mario Maker appears as an alternate costume, with that form and the wedding attire replacing the Wario-themed and Fire Mario costumes.

Compared to his fellow veterans, Mario has received very few major direct changes in his transition to Ultimate, possibly less than any other veteran. However, changes to game mechanics brought about by Ultimate have impacted Mario to a higher degree, as they slightly heightened his learning curve, yet made his playstyle more rewarding.

Despite the slight nerfs he received in his transition to Ultimate, Mario has maintained his status as a competitively viable character and continues to achieve respectable tournament results. Currently, he is ranked 22nd out of 82 on the tier list, rendering him in the A tier. In addition to this, this also renders Mario as a high tier character.

As a costume

Mario's Cap in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Mario's cap is available once again as headwear for Mii Fighters. Additionally, a costume based on Builder Mario is available for Mii Brawlers.

Spirits

Fighter spirits

• 

  1. Mario

• 

  2. Builder Mario

• 

  3. Mario (Wedding)

Primary spirits

No.	Image	Name	Type	Class	Slots	Base	Max	Base	Max	Base	Max	Ability	Series
21		Metal Mario		★★★	1	2,705	8,156	510	1539	2,042	6,156	Weight ↑	Super Mario Series
81		Goo-Goo Buggy		★★	2	1,721	6,928	902	3,631	753	3,031	Weight ↓	Mario Kart Series
94		Paper Mario		★★★	3	3,225	9,724	1,673	5,042	1,314	3,962	Water Weakness	Paper Mario Series
112		Papercraft Mario		★	3	1,036	5,187	613	3,068	384	1,920	Fire Weakness	Mario & Luigi Series
299		Baby Mario		★★★	3	2,398	7,214	1,367	4,112	1,031	3,102	Can Be Enhanced at Lv. 99	Yoshi Series
300		Baby Mario (Superstar Mario)		★★★★	3	4,555	11,388	2,076	5,190	1,955	4,888	First-Strike Advantage	Yoshi Series
1,472		Giga Cat Mario		★★	2	1,922	7,694	1,007	4,029	807	3,230	Jump ↑	Super Mario Series
1,491		Mario (Mario Golf: Super Rush)		★★★	⬡⬡	3,042	9,152	1,521	4,576	1,404	4,224	Speed ↑	Mario Golf: Super Rush

Support spirits

No.	Image	Name	Class	Cost	Ability	Series
22		Boo Mario	★	1	Lightweight	Super Mario Series
23		Rock Mario	★★	1	Physical Attack ↑	Super Mario Series
24		Gold Mario	★★★★	3	Super Armor	Super Mario Series
75		Starship Mario	★★	1	Jump ↑	Super Mario Series
77		Plessie	★	1	Swimmer	Super Mario Series
132		Mario (Mario Tennis Aces)	★★★	1	Critical Hit ↑	Mario Tennis Aces
302		Stork	★★★	2	Strong-Wind Immunity	Yoshi Series
319		Mega Eggdozer	★★	1	Strong Throw	Yoshi Series
1,133		MONSTER	★	1	Braking Ability ↑	Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally Series
1,526		Elephant Mario	★★★	2	Slow Super Armor	Super Mario Series

Gallery

• 

  Builder Mario, as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

• 

  Mario in his Wedding costume, as it appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

In other languages

Language	Name
Japanese	マリオ, Mario
English	Mario
French	Mario
German	Mario
Spanish	Mario
Italian	Mario
Chinese (Simplified)	马力欧, Mario
Chinese (Traditional)	瑪利歐, Mario
Korean	마리오, Mario
Dutch	Mario
Russian	Марио
Portuguese	Mario

Trivia

• Due to the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario's voice actor at the time, Charles Martinet, received a Guinness World Record for most video game voiceover performances as the same character, performing the role 100 times.
• Despite being a character primarily known for his jumping abilities outside the Super Smash Bros. series, Mario has below-average jumping abilities in SSB, Melee, and Brawl.
• Despite being able to crawl in their respective home series, Mario is unable to do so in the Super Smash Bros. series, a trait he shares with Donkey Kong, Pit, Young Link, and Toon Link.
• Mario and Marth are the only characters to have two characters as full clones. In Mario's case, his clones are Luigi in SSB, and Dr. Mario in Melee, SSB4 and Ultimate.
  • As of SSB4, Mario is the only character whose clone is actually himself instead of an entirely different character.
    • In Melee, however, he shares this distinction with Link.
  • In SSB4, Mario and Marth each have one clone (Dr. Mario and Lucina, respectively) and one semi-clone (Luigi and Roy, respectively).
• As of Melee, Mario has typically been one of the first characters, if not the very first character, to be confirmed as a playable character for each Super Smash Bros. game.
• When not counting Mario sub-series characters Yoshi, Donkey Kong and Wario, Mario is the only Mario protagonist to not debut in a game from his own universe.
  • However, the arcade version of Donkey Kong can also count as a Mario series game, owing to Mario being the game's sole playable character, as well as effectively being the debut of the Mario universe.
• Before any characters are unlocked in 64 and Melee, Mario is always the first character to be listed in every roster for the Super Smash Bros. series. From Brawl onwards he is always the first character listed. This is seemingly an affirmation of his status as Nintendo's mascot, and the earliest introduced character among the "Original 12" (tied with Donkey Kong).
  • Both him and Donkey Kong are the earliest introduced characters at the time of SSB's release.
  • In Ultimate, while Mario's fighter number (01) would otherwise suggest him even more strongly to be the game's definitive main character, his status as the Super Smash Bros. series' mascot has been shared with Link to a noticeable degree such as with advertising Ultimate, presumably due to the latter's popularity expanding thanks to the Super Smash Bros. series and his own home series' continued critical and commercial success. However, Mario still has noticeably more prominence as evidence with him appearing front & center on the Home Menu icon for Ultimate, appearing as the main fighter on the How to Play video, controls menu, & the Techniques section of the Help menu, where he appears on almost all of the common techniques clips.
• Mario and Pikachu are the only members of the "Original 8" to never have been the sole fighters from their respective series.