Top 10 Unconfirmed Mario Characters Most Likely Return in Mario Party Superstars

A couple of weeks ago, as of this list's release, I not only predicted which boards and characters I thought would make an appearance in the newly announced Mario Party Superstars, but I also ranked the likelihood of all unconfirmed N64 Mario Party boards returning in the game.

Now, I've decided to take it a step further and rank the likelihood of characters being playable in this upcoming game. However, this ranking will have to be a bit different.

Because the roster of Mario characters is much larger than that of N64 boards, I'm only going to rank the ten most likely characters to be playable. No more, no less.

With that being said, let's get started!

The voting period for this list has ended.
The Top Ten

  1. Daisy

    Princess Daisy is a fictional character in the Mario video game series and the princess of the fictional region of Sarasaland. She first appeared in the 1989 game Super Mario Land. Daisy has since become a recurring character in various Mario spin-off games, particularly sports and party titles.

    And the most likely character to return is..., *drum roll* Actually, cut that. You already know what the #1 character spot goes to: it's Daisy, obviously. She might not have been confirmed in the announcement trailer, but can you actually imagine a Mario Party game without her as a playable character?

    While Diddy Kong is likely too, he's only been playable in two Mario Party games so far. Daisy, on the other hand, has been a staple in the Mario Party franchise ever since the third entry. Daisy wins this ranking, no contest. There's nothing else that needs to be said.

    High chance of returning because she has been in every Mario Party except 1 and 2.

  2. Diddy Kong

    Diddy Kong is a fictional character in the Donkey Kong Country video game series. He first appeared in the 1994 game Donkey Kong Country, developed by Rare and published by Nintendo. Diddy Kong is known as Donkey Kong's sidekick and is a playable character in several games.

    Honestly, who doubts the return of a playable Diddy Kong? He's only been playable in two of the most recent Mario Party games, yet he feels just as classic as playables like Donkey Kong or Wario. The fact that he didn't make his debut as a playable character until Mario Party: Star Rush boggles my mind. Donkey Kong is the most blatant example of a Mario Party playable who hasn't had a natural partner until this game.

    Not much else to say. I see literally no reason why Diddy Kong wouldn't be playable. He's not only a natural partner to DK, but he's also a good guy, and as we all know, Mario Party rosters have traditionally always been very homogenous with good guys. That gives him an edge even over characters like Dry Bones or Spike. Diddy Kong will certainly be a playable character in this game.

  3. Dry Bones

    Dry Bones is a recurring enemy species in the Super Mario series of video games, first appearing in Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988). Dry Bones made its debut as a playable character in Mario Superstar Baseball (2005).

    Since then, Dry Bones has become a fan favorite and has appeared as a playable character... read more

    If there is a Mario character with one of the largest fanbases of all time, it has to be Dry Bones. Looking over the internet, it's surprising what a huge following he has earned throughout the years. Or maybe not so surprising. But I think it's safe to say that the love for this character has contributed to how much he has been playable in Mario spin-off games like Mario Party.

    So far, he's been playable in Mario Parties 7, 8, and Super, and is NOT one of the confirmed non-playable characters in Superstars. Now, it might just be because there aren't many non-playable roles he can fill, like Goomba or Koopa Troopa can, but come on, who was one of the three Mario characters added to the Switch port of Mario Kart 8? It was Dry Bones, and I don't think it was a random choice.

    Dry Bones is loved by the Mario community and has made several appearances in the Mario spin-offs. I would be surprised at the lack of him in the roster.

  4. Pauline

    Pauline is a fictional character who first appeared in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong. She was originally introduced as a 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, in which she serves as... read more

    Pauline was the original damsel in distress of the Mario franchise, debuting as the princess that needed to be saved in the original Donkey Kong game. But after Super Mario Bros., she's been largely obscure and unknown, only appearing in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series.

    However, since the release of Super Mario Odyssey, she's made a relevant return in the Mario series. First, she appeared as the mayor of New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey, and later as a playable character in Mario Tennis Aces and Mario Golf: Super Rush. So I think it's about time she makes a debut in Mario Party as well.

    You might think she's not very likely to appear, as she didn't appear in Super Mario Party. However, Rosalina didn't appear in Mario Party 9, but she is still playable in Mario Party. Overall, I think Pauline has a decent chance of making a debut in Mario Party.

  5. Spike

    In my opinion, one of the most positive surprises in the Mario Party Superstars announcement trailer was the return of a playable Birdo. While she existed in Super Mario Party as well, she was merely an NPC whose only purpose was letting you unlock the gold oar and a few stickers. A pretty lame waste, if you ask me. If you have the model, why not make it useful? So I'm glad they did so in Superstars.

    This makes me believe that NDcube will go a step further and make Spike playable as well. Like Birdo, he was also a throwaway character in Super Mario Party, only serving as an NPC. After all, they already have the model for him, and it would be unwise not to use it to expand the playable roster. He was playable in Mario Party 10, so it's not like he's completely new to the series. Overall, Spike is very likely to return as a playable character.

  6. Kamek

    Kamek is a recurring enemy character in the Mario Bros. franchise. He frequently appears in titles such as the New Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. series, often casting spells to hinder the player's progress. He is a Magikoopa who typically serves as an assistant to Bowser.... read more

    Kamek is a character I would most certainly be surprised if he made it into the final game. In the Mario series as a whole, Kamek is typically the overarching villain, as he raised Bowser into what he is today. Even in the Mario Party series, this role isn't completely thrown off track. While he was playable in Mario Party 9, Super Mario Party saw him debut as the host of bad events, similar to Bowser in previous installments, as Bowser was playable there. The good hosts included Toad and Toadette, and they retain their roles in Mario Party Superstars.

    However, Mario Party Superstars, being a game mainly about bringing back the old days, will most likely see the return of Bowser being the big bad guy. So where does that leave Kamek? Why not make him playable? He was in Mario Party 9, so why can't he be again?

  7. Mii

    If you've been a Nintendo fan before the release of the Nintendo Switch, one thing you are most certainly familiar with is Miis. They were customizable people you could create and then use as avatars in a game, or if lucky, even play as them. Mario games are no strangers to Miis. They've been playable here and there, from Mario Kart Wii to Mario Golf World Tour and even Mario Party 8!

    Now as we know, Mario Party rosters have always traditionally been very homogenous. No non-Mario characters have ever been playable, and even bad guys need to be lucky to land in the roster. So the fact that Miis were playable in Mario Party 8 is quite a feat. Sure, it was only for Extras minigames, but it's something.

    Miis could've been higher on the list if not for two reasons. One, they haven't been heard of since Mario Party 8, and two, the Nintendo Switch has largely made Miis obscure. Sure, you can still create them, but they have no real value anymore and are hidden away in the options menu. So maybe not..., but we can always hope. They were playable once. They can be again!

  8. Nabbit

    One of the most interesting Mario characters for me would be Nabbit. This little fellow was originally introduced as a minor antagonist in New Super Mario Bros. U, from whom you could win items if you beat him. I definitely wouldn't bet that he'd be debuting as a playable character in Mario Party from that, though.

    However, since then, he's actually made a few relevant returns in Mario games. For example, he was a playable character in Mario Golf: World Tour, a supporting NPC in Mario Party 10, and an enemy in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. That's quite a lot of appearances for what was originally just a random rabbit with a bandana.

    I definitely don't think that we WILL be seeing him, but there is a possibility. He was playable once and even made a minor appearance in Mario Party. He has potential, in my opinion.

  9. Koopa Kid

    Let's start off by discussing what is probably the most iconic character to be spawned out of Mario Party, the Koopa Kids. The name is self-explanatory. They served as Bowser's henchmen in the Mario Party series, filling the roles that Goombas and Koopas do in the platformer series. That was typically their purpose. Later on, Koopa Kid was playable in Mario Parties 5 and 6, before being replaced by the much more developed Bowser Jr. and Kamek.

    This is why he's last on this list. Koopa Kid is a character whose sole purpose was to fill the role of a minion in a spin-off franchise when no other character could do the job. Now that Bowser Jr. exists, a character whose existence isn't solely dependent on a party game, it is very unlikely we'll see the much more obscure Koopa Kid.

    This doesn't even include the fact that Bowser Jr. has already been confirmed as a non-playable character in this game, so why would Koopa Kid have any better chance? In the end, Koopa Kid is the least likely of my ten choices here (but he's still more likely than something largely irrelevant to Mario Party like Nabbit or Petey Piranha).

  10. Pom Pom

    Next up is Pom Pom. Please note that just because a character is on this top list, it does not mean I think they're likely to return. There are just so few Mario characters that I feel even have a chance in this game, and Pom Pom is one of those characters

    that just has a slightly higher chance than the rest. Frankly, I have a hard time thinking we'll see her. The fact that she was playable in Super Mario Party was something I did not expect, especially not without Boom Boom.

    She was one of those characters that just appeared once, kind of like Kamek and Blooper in previous installments. The reason this character is above Koopa Kid, though, is because in the event of the developers running out of time but still needing to expand the roster, they could just bring back Pom Pom. This is because Mario Party Superstars uses the same engine as Super Mario Party, and because they already have the character model for her playable, they could just use it.

    I don't think it's likely because of how obscure she is, but it is a tiny possibility.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    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

  12. ?

    Chain Chomp

    Chain Chomps, known as Wanwan in Japan, are metal, barking ball-and-chain-like creatures that are restrained by chains and are a main enemy in the Mario franchise. They first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3 and have since become a recurring enemy in various Mario games. Their design was inspired by... read more

    13. The Contenders

  13. Dixie Kong

    Dixie Kong is a character from the Donkey Kong series. She is Diddy Kong's girlfriend and Tiny Kong's older sister. She first appeared as a playable character in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.

    I would love to see another Kong represented in a Mario Party game outside of Donkey and Diddy. Dixie is the perfect choice. Plus, it gives more female representation to the Mario Party series, and she would be a great newcomer.

  14. Bowser Jr.

    Bowser Jr., sometimes simply called Junior, 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

    I don't think he will be playable. He will likely take the role that Baby Bowser did in the old Mario Party games, as his evil sidekick.

  15. 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.

  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

  17. Boshi

  18. Goomba

    Goombas, known in Japan as Kuribō, are a species of sentient, mushroom-like creatures in Nintendo's Mario franchise. They first appeared in the game Super Mario Bros., released in 1985. Goombas are among the most common enemies in the series and are usually defeated by being jumped on.

PSearch List