Top Ten Mario Characters that Need More Development

The Top Ten

  1. Princess Daisy

    Princess Daisy is a fictional character in the Mario series of video games, where she is the princess of the fictional region of Sarasaland.

    Daisy debuted in Super Mario Land in 1989. After a few other appearances, she disappeared for nine years until she was brought back in Mario Tennis (2000).... read more

    She's a tomboy who is sporty and sassy... even though Peach is also sporty and sassy just as often. Her only real character trait is being a tomboy and loud. Mario Strikers 3 could probably help, as that was when she had her most defined characterization.

    They should kill her off in Luigi's Mansion 3 so she can finally develop into something different than Peach 2.0, and so they can finally stop forcing her into everything.

    Now, I know that being a tomboy is rare for a princess. Tomboy princesses like Daisy, Alena, and Lucina aren't very common in video games. Still, we need to learn more about Daisy's life in Sarasaland.

  2. Pauline

    Pauline is a fictional character who first appeared in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong. She was originally introduced as the damsel in distress who must be rescued by Mario from the giant ape. Pauline has since reappeared in several Nintendo titles, including Super Mario Odyssey, where she serves as... read more

    Pauline was the first lady not only of Mario games but for Nintendo in general. Despite this, today she's too bland and unoriginal. Originally, she was called the Lady and represented a real lady without any particular traits. She was only kidnapped over and over by Donkey Kong and never really shown a personality.

    Yup. We know nothing about her because Peach, Daisy, and Rosalina are all in the spotlight more.

  3. Princess Peach

    Princess Peach is a major character in the Mario Bros. franchise. She is the lead female character in the series. She is usually the character who needs to be rescued in most Mario games, but she has also appeared as a playable character in main-series Mario games, including Super Mario 3D World, Super... read more

    I wish there were more games where she's playable and has a major part in the story that isn't centered around being saved by Mario. Thousand-Year Door, Super Paper Mario, and Super Princess Peach (all of these games are considered spin-offs) showed that Princess Peach has potential. However, we don't see this in the main Mario titles, which is kind of disappointing.

    Despite being the main girl, Peach is almost a bland character. The only thing we typically see is the classic princess who gets kidnapped by a monster and is saved by a plumber. Nintendo should focus on other things, like exploring her powers or creating another game like Super Princess Peach.

  4. Toad

    Toad, known in Japan as Kinopio, is a major character in the Mario Bros. franchise. He assists Princess Peach in the Mushroom Kingdom and first appeared in Super Mario Bros. (1985). Toad is a recurring character in many Mario games, including New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario 3D World, Captain Toad... read more

    Maybe different-colored Toads could at least have distinct strengths and personalities. Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and Bowser's Inside Story featured a few more interesting examples, but they were only present for a fairly short time. There's no reason not to expand such individual traits to other Mario games as well.

    I really love Toad, but I'll admit that he barely has any reason to be in every Mario RPG. Make each color a bit more varied in style. Green Toads could be faster, Blue Toads stronger, Red Toads smarter, etc. Or simply give him different clothes.

  5. Toadette

    Toadette is a character in the Mario series. She is a female Toad who first appeared in the Nintendo GameCube game Mario Kart: Double Dash!! in 2003. Since then, she has appeared in multiple Mario titles, often as a playable character.

    Replace half of the Toads with Toadette. Toadette specifically could benefit from having her own game. Maybe Mario could rescue her for Toad, as Bowser learns of the Super Crown's powers and thinks Toadette would be an easier target. She could send letters for help.

    It's sad that she's becoming the new Rosalina. At least Rosalina wasn't a damsel in distress and had a huge backstory. Toadette is bland, and she's often portrayed as a damsel.

    Like Toad, Toadette hasn't shown anything that stands out from the other characters, despite becoming a part of the main cast.

  6. Waluigi

    Waluigi is a tall, self-centered, and rough-around-the-edges character who is often portrayed as Luigi's rival. He frequently causes chaos in various Mario spinoff games, usually paired with Wario. While he acts antagonistically, Waluigi is not truly evil and often shows loyalty and affection, especially... read more

    Put him at #1 now. This guy needs a story behind him. Why is he here, what does he want, and what is he even capable of?

    He's part of the main cast, but we don't know anything about him - probably because he was created to be Wario's tennis partner.

    Duh! He's been in nothing other than spinoffs, and he's basically a poor man's version of Wario.

  7. Mario

    Mario, originally named Jumpman, is the main character of the Super Mario Bros. franchise and was created by Nintendo of Japan's game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Mario appears in nearly every game in the series, including many spin-off titles, with a few exceptions such as New Super Luigi U, the Luigi's... read more

    Mario's character is in the same vein as most of Nintendo's protagonists. He's heroic, bland, and wants to stop the evil person. He's just the same as Link and Kirby.

    Give him an anger streak or make him a bit more nonchalant. In Bowser's Fury, he didn't want to help Jr. and wasn't fazed by Bowser's yelling.

    Ironically, Mario is probably the most underdeveloped character, because all I know about him is that he likes to jump... a lot.

  8. Bowser Jr.

    Bowser Jr., sometimes simply called Jr., is a video game character in Nintendo's Mario franchise. He is depicted as the son of Bowser, the primary antagonist of the series. Bowser Jr. first appeared in Super Mario Sunshine in 2002 and has since become a recurring character in both mainline and spin-off... read more

    Bowser Jr. did get a lot of character development in Super Mario Sunshine, and we know his character motivation, so he doesn't really need to be on this list.

    I thought Bowser Jr. was cool, but I just realized Nintendo is making him the 8th Koopaling. We need to see more unique things from him.

    Bowser's Fury is on the right track to making him a more enjoyable character to talk about.

  9. Yoshi

    Yoshi, once romanized as Yossy, is a fictional anthropomorphic dinosaur featured in video games published by Nintendo. He often appears as a sidekick and helper to Mario, playing key roles in many of Nintendo's most popular titles. Yoshi is especially well known for his appearances in the Yoshi's Island... read more

    We know a lot about his background, but can he just get a unique personality or something?

  10. Birdo

    Birdo is a dinosaur-like character from the Mario franchise who is known for her ambiguous gender identity. In the North American manual for Super Mario Bros. 2, Birdo is described as a male who believes he is female and prefers to be called Birdetta. In later appearances, this backstory was largely... read more

    Nintendo didn't even fully confirm the gender. Enough said.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Noki

  12. ?

    Chief Chilly

    A weird example, but he hasn't appeared since the DS era and deserves to be a Wario antagonist sometime, considering he captured him.

    13. The Contenders

  13. Rosalina

    Rosalina, known as Rosetta in Japan, is a major character in the Mario franchise created by Nintendo. She first appeared in the 2007 game Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii and later returned in its sequel, Super Mario Galaxy 2, in 2010. Since then, she has been featured in many main-series Mario... read more

    Why do so many people on this site hate Rosalina so much?

    I knew those Rosalina haters would come here. Idiots.

  14. Pink Gold Peach

    Pink Gold Peach is a character who debuted in Mario Kart 8 as an unlockable playable character. She is a metallic variant of Princess Peach, similar to how Metal Mario is a variant of Mario. Pink Gold Peach has appeared in several subsequent Mario Kart titles.

    She was just thrown into Mario Kart 8 without any background or buildup. If Nintendo made another game where Peach was playable and she could use this form, then we might be able to see what potential it actually has.

    Make her an evil Peach. I don't know.

  15. Candy Kong

    I hate Diddy Kong. They should give Candy Kong a chance - he always gets in the games, and it's not fair.

  16. Bowser

    Bowser is the main antagonist of the Mario Bros. franchise. From kidnapping Princess Peach to disrupting games in the Mario Party spinoff series, this king of the Koopas has become a recurring enemy in the series. He first appeared in the 1985 video game Super Mario Bros., in which he kidnapped Princess... read more

    Make him a goofy villain who will still crush you if you underestimate him. He'd be similar to how he was characterized in the Mario & Luigi series.

  17. Baby Daisy

    Baby Daisy is the infant version of Princess Daisy, a major character in the Mario franchise. She is known for her appearances as a playable character in Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 8. She is also a playable character in Super Mario Sluggers for the Wii.

    Here's why: Baby Daisy was created as filler, just like Baby Rosalina, and this isn't helpful for character development. However, unlike Baby Rosalina, she doesn't damage Daisy's character. In fact, she basically confirms that Daisy knew Luigi and Peach since they were babies (as hinted in Mario Super Sluggers), so we can definitely expand on that.

  18. Toadstool

  19. Goomba King

  20. King Boo

    In the Super Mario series, King Boo is the leader of the Boos and serves as a recurring antagonist. He is a ghostly figure depicted as a large white Boo wearing a crown, resembling the one worn by Princess Peach. King Boo often allies with King Bowser in attempts to thwart Mario and his friends... read more

  21. Baby Luigi

    Baby Luigi is the infant version of the iconic character Luigi from the Super Mario franchise. He appears as a playable character in several Mario games, including the Yoshi's Island series and Mario Kart series. Baby Luigi frequently appears with Baby Mario in various spin-off titles.

  22. Luigi

    Luigi is a major character in video games and related media produced by Nintendo. He was originally introduced as a green-colored palette swap of Mario and is portrayed as Mario's younger, taller fraternal twin brother.

    Created by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Luigi appears in many... read more

  23. Wiggler

    Wigglers are a species of caterpillar in the Mario franchise. They have segmented bodies and comically large noses. Typically yellow and slow-moving when calm, they become red and charge aggressively when provoked, such as when jumped on by the player.

  24. Shy Guy

    Shy Guys are recurring enemies in the Mario and Yoshi video game series. They are known for wearing masks that hide their faces. These characters have appeared in various games, often acting in different roles such as enemies, racers, and sports players.

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