Pure Heart
- “Pure Hearts are the very feelings of our souls. As long as we feel love, they live on!”
- —Tippi, Super Paper Mario
The Pure Hearts are powerful artifacts created by the Tribe of Ancients in Super Paper Mario. All eight Pure Hearts are pieces of the Purity Heart, and they were created by the Ancients using the power of love, which was believed to be the only force powerful enough to save all worlds from destruction.
The Pure Hearts were created as part of the prophecies detailed in the Light Prognosticus, which state that four Heroes of Light must gather all eight of them in order to counteract the Chaos Heart and defeat the one who wields it. When placed in a Heart Pillar, each Pure Heart leads to a dimension where the next one is located, through a series of doors at the top of Flipside Tower. The Pure Hearts are eight pieces of the whole Purity Heart, which was divided into the Pure Hearts by the Ancients so it could be hidden across different dimensions.
The first Pure Heart is held by a descendant of the Ancients named Merlon, who gives it to Mario, the first of the four heroes, with the task of traveling through dimensions in order to gather the other seven and stop Count Bleck from destroying all worlds using The Void. (If Mario refuses to accept this Pure Heart, this results in a Game Over.) During his journey, Mario eventually comes to reunite with Princess Peach, Bowser, and Luigi, all of whom are proven to be the remaining three Heroes of Light, and together, the four of them manage to collect all eight Pure Hearts and travel to Castle Bleck to battle against Count Bleck, the holder of the Chaos Heart.
Despite the immense power of the Pure Hearts, they are not indestructible, and can be weakened--for example, the Violet Pure Heart was turned to stone upon being consumed by The Void along with the rest of Sammer's Kingdom. It was revitalized by Queen Jaydes of The Underwhere, using her power over life and death. In addition, the power of the Pure Hearts is depleted after they are used to break through the Chaos Heart's protection over Count Bleck, though they are all revitalized by Bleck's minions.
At the end of the game, Dimentio, having stolen the Chaos Heart for himself, uses the last of his power to sustain the Chaos Heart long enough to ensure the destruction of every world. In their final moments, Count Bleck and Tippi--now revealed to be long-lost lovers Lord Blumiere and Lady Timpani--reaffirm their love for each other, sacrificing themselves in order to save all worlds; their vows manage to unite the Pure Hearts into the whole Purity Heart, destroying the Chaos Heart and reversing the prophecy of destruction.
The eight Pure Hearts, as well as their locations and keepers, are listed below.
| Pure Heart | Color | Kept by |
|---|---|---|
 |
Red | Merlon in Flipside, gifted to Mario at the start of the game. |
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Orange | Merlumina in the Yold Ruins, who was guarded by Fracktail. |
 |
Yellow | Merlee and her ancestors inside their mansion, given after Mario and co. defeat Mimi. |
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Green | Was hidden by the Ancients inside a dwelling that would later become Fort Francis, revealing itself after Tippi was rescued from Francis. |
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Blue | Hidden by Squirpina XIV within the Whoa Zone, given to the heroes by Squirps on behalf of Squirpina following the defeat of Mr. L. |
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Indigo | Passed down by Floro Sapien kings and queens in the Land of the Cragnons, given by the Floro Sapiens on the behalf of King Croacus IV after his defeat. |
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Violet | Initially guarded by King Sammer in Sammer's Kingdom. Is damaged, but is restored in The Underwhere by Queen Jaydes and given to the heroes afterwards. |
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White | Guarded by Grambi of The Overthere and his wife, Queen Jaydes of The Underwhere, by disguising it as a Nimbi girl named Luvbi. Following the defeat of Bonechill, Luvbi assumes her true form in order to save all worlds. After all worlds are saved, Luvbi is recreated as a true Nimbi girl independent of the white Pure Heart. |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ピュアハート[?] Pyua hāto |
Pure Heart | |
| French | Cœur Pur[?] | Pure Heart | |
| German | Reines Herz[?] | Pure Heart | |
| Italian | Cuore Puro[?] | Pure Heart | |
| Korean | 퓨어하트[?] Pyueo hateu |
Pure Heart | |
| Portuguese | Coração Puro[?] | Pure Heart | |
| Russian | Чистое сердце[?] Chistoye serdtse |
Pure Heart | |
| Spanish | Corazón Puro[?] | Pure Heart |
Trivia[edit]
- The Pure Heart Mario obtains from Sammer's Kingdom is meant to be purple; however, after it is restored by Queen Jaydes, it is erroneously shown as being indigo.
- When a Pure Heart is obtained, smaller hearts based on the number of Pure Hearts obtained appear and move in time with the Pixls dancing.
- In the Japanese version of the script, the Purity Heart is simply called the Pure Heart, creating ambiguity between the whole Purity Heart and its fragments.
