Tanooki Mario
| Tanooki Mario | |
|---|---|
 Artwork from Super Mario 3D World | |
| Applies to | Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Toads, Rosalina Yoshi (Super Mario-kun), Bowser (Super Mario-kun) |
| Item needed | Tanooki Suit (Super Mario Bros. 3) Super Leaf (Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World) Statue Leaf (Super Mario 3D Land) |
| Power(s) given | Glide, fly (Super Mario Bros. 3 and The Super Mario Bros. Movie), tail whip, turn into Statue Mario (Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario 3D Land with Statue Leaf) |
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) |
| Latest appearance | Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition (2024) |
- “Thank you, kind raccoon. Please tell me your name.”
- —Kings, Super Mario Bros. 3
Tanooki Mario is a form of Mario or Luigi that first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3. In its debut, it was attained by donning a Tanooki Suit, and gave the abilities of Raccoon Mario (which it is often confused with) and an added statue transformation. Starting from Super Mario 3D Land, it is attained through a Super Leaf. It is the only form that has needed different items depending on the game it is in.
This form's name comes from the tanuki, a type of raccoon dog found in Japan and often depicted in folklore. Despite this, the ringed tail more resembles that of an actual raccoon than that of a tanuki, which lacks stripes. As of Super Mario 3D Land, Luigi's version of the form is mostly called Kitsune Luigi, referring to the kitsune. Additionally, in Super Mario Bros. 3, Statue Mario resembles Kṣitigarbha, the protector of travelers and the guardian of souls, who is known as Daigan Jizō Bosatsu in Japan.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
The first appearance of Tanooki Mario is in Super Mario Bros. 3, when Mario obtains a Tanooki Suit. In this form, he can turn into an invulnerable statue by holding 
and pressing 
at the same time, in addition to using Raccoon Mario's moves, making it an improved version of Raccoon Mario. Additionally, if Mario dons a Tanooki Suit while using a Magic Wing, he will retain the infinite flight and gain the Statue ability.
As a statue, Tanooki Mario cannot be hurt, and if he uses this ability in the air, he can slam down like a Thwomp. This can destroy many enemies, instantly destroying every Goomba and enemy with throwable shells (like Koopa Troopas, Buzzy Beetles, and Spinies). It can also stomp previously unstompable enemies like Piranha Plants, Piranhacus Giganticuses, Venus Fire Traps, Spiny Eggs, Thwomps, Podoboos, Firesnakes, and Chain Chomps.
The Statue form is also the only way to destroy Roto-Discs and Rocket Engine flames. Statue Mario will sink rapidly underwater, and can even oppose some pipes' upward currents. This allows Mario to stomp Lava Lotuses, Bloobers and fish enemies underwater. Boss Bass is the only fish that Mario cannot stomp on, and the only enemy that can defeat him in that form by eating him. In Super Mario All-Stars, the tornado can turn Statue Mario back into Tanooki Mario on contact. He can still turn into the statue while in the tornado, but it will not free him or have any desirable effect. Statue Mario will also automatically revert to Tanooki form in five seconds.
In the NES version's ending, a Koopa Troopa can be seen comically praying before Statue Mario as if he was a religious idol.
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 adds new utilities to this form that are seen in several World-e levels: its Statue form can reveal Vanishing Blocks (found in A Sky-High Adventure) and break Rock Blocks (found in A Sky-High Adventure and Puzzling Pipe Maze). This version of the game also makes Luigi's Statue form as tall as he usually is, rather than copying Mario's.
Super Mario 64[edit]
The Nintendo Power player's guide for Super Mario 64 mentions the Tanooki Suit in the guide section on Snowman's Land, suggesting that it could keep Mario warm in the frigid climate if it was still available.[1]
Super Mario 3D Land[edit]
Tanooki Mario makes a reappearance in Super Mario 3D Land for the Nintendo 3DS as the main form. In this game, Mario becomes Tanooki Mario when he obtains a Super Leaf (since neither Raccoon Mario nor the Tanooki Suit appear in the game); the form is also slightly redesigned, as its ears, the fronts and insides of which are lighter-colored, are rounded and on the front of the hood, facing forward (rather than on the sides facing outward), and a brim was added. However, the form's mechanics are different from Super Mario Bros. 3, as while Mario can still tail whip (by pressing 
or 
) and glide (now done by holding 
or 
, as with Caped Mario, rather than tapping the buttons), he cannot fly during gameplay. His slow descent also speeds up back to normal as or is held, rather than his acceleration decreasing only when those buttons are pressed, though it cannot be used when wearing a Propeller Box with its slow decent ability taking priority, though the animation of the Tanooki Suit's slow decent will still play should perform a Leap before the Propeller Box's inital flight. The tail whip is usable underwater, and able to hit more enemies; it can also collect coins and power-ups. Mario also gains a new Tail Spin move[2] in this form (done by pressing or while crouching) which replaces the Roll and Rolling Leap, letting him tail whip continuously, even while moving; this move can also be used to spin Tail Wheels, which can help him ascend quickly.
Statue Mario also reappears in this game (making this form closer to its original depiction), but it can only be used once a Statue Leaf is found in the Special Worlds, or in a Deluxe StreetPass Gift. Tanooki Mario gains a red scarf to show he can use the form; the statue also wears a red scarf and now depicts Tanooki Mario raising his right hand. It replaces the Ground Pound, and lasts for twelve seconds upon landing, unlike in Super Mario Bros. 3. A new variation of Tanooki Mario also appears in this game, called White Tanooki Mario. Mario or Luigi can only obtain this form by collecting an Invincibility Leaf after losing five lives in a (skipped) normal world level, and it makes him completely invincible for the duration of the level.
Luigi's Tanooki Suit and Statue form are now Kitsune-themed, rather than Tanooki-themed, unlike in Super Mario Bros. 3, and most languages (including the original Japanese) call his Tanooki form Kitsune Luigi. Additionally, Statue Luigi has a green scarf and is shown holding out his left hand, as opposed to his right like his brother.
In the game's ending, Mario and the three Toads that had joined him on his journey become Tanooki Mario and Tanooki Toads by using Super Leaves. Mario carries Princess Peach and the Toads flutter around as they fly all the way back to Peach's Castle during the credits (despite the lack of flight in-game). Despite using Super Leaves, the Toads are seen sporting scarves that match their vest and cap colors, much like Statue Mario.
In the Special Worlds, Toad himself sports a Tanooki Suit in the Toad Houses and pre-airship level cutscenes; in the former, he often gives a Super Leaf to either Mario or Luigi in representation of his get-up. Tanooki Toad (much like the other Toads sporting Tanooki Suits) also wears a colored scarf (red in Toad's instance) around his neck.
When the player completes all the levels, a picture appears after the credits are finished. It shows two Tanooki Toads and Tanooki Peach (wearing a Tanooki Suit version of her normal dress).
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
The normal and White Tanooki forms also appear in Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, functioning just as they do in Super Mario 3D Land. Toad and Peach's Tanooki Suits look almost the same: Peach's is darker-colored and has puffy shorts and darker legs, rather than its Super Mario 3D Land design, and Toad's has darker feet and lacks a scarf. Mario and Luigi's suits remain the same. Rosalina's Tanooki Suit in this game is the same as Peach's, though with darker arms and shorter gloves. When Peach is wearing the suit, she will float before using the suit's scuttle, and can gain even more horizontal distance this way.
Super Mario Maker series[edit]
In Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, and Super Mario Maker 2, knocking on a Warp Door in the Super Mario Bros. 3 theme may cause Weird Mario to appear in this form.
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Although it never appeared on the actual show, concept artwork of Tanooki Mario can be seen on the bonus disc of Shout! Factory's The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 DVD set.[3]
Super Mario Bros. (Valiant Comics)[edit]
Tanooki Mario appears in the Super Mario Bros. comic "Tanooki Suits Me." In the comic, Mario is forced to wear the Tanooki Suit due to Luigi accidentally ordering a single tuxedo, and the Tanooki Suit was the only one available at the rental shop. An old man informs Mario that the suit is a genuine one created by Mushroomland's first tailor, Tanooki, who sewed a tail on the back of every suit he created as his trademark; he also informs Mario that Tanooki's suits possess magical powers and that genuine suits are very rare. Mario transforms himself into Statue Mario by curiously pressing a button on the front of the suit, and it is not until he wishes that he could turn back to normal that he turns back into Tanooki Mario.
Super Paper Mario[edit]
In Super Paper Mario, the Sammer Guy Cloak of Tanooki refers to this form, as well as Francis mentioning that he would like a Tanooki Suit made with real tanooki fur.
Mario Tennis Open[edit]
In Mario Tennis Open, Tanooki Mario is a costume for the player's Mii. It is unlocked by turning 15 characters into star characters. The racket for this costume costs 1550 coins to buy at the Clubhouse for Miis to be able to use.
Mario Golf: World Tour[edit]
In Mario Golf: World Tour, Tanooki Mario and Fox Luigi costumes are awarded to the Mii upon completion of 50 and 100 Moon Coin challenges, respectively. A golf ball and club set made with the theme of this costume are available as well for the Mii to buy and use.
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX[edit]
Tanooki Mario reappears in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX as a second downloadable alternate color scheme for Mario. Tanooki Mario has an exclusive item, which appears to function similarly to the Super Leaf from Mario Kart 7.
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
- “Tanooki!”
- —Tanooki Mario, Mario Kart 8
Tanooki Mario makes his mainline Mario Kart series debut in Mario Kart 8, where he appears as a character separate from Mario, available in the first downloadable content pack, The Legend of Zelda × Mario Kart 8. Tanooki Mario has a different set of animations and quotes from Mario, as well as having different vehicle colors (for instance, the Sport Bike he rides has the orange/yellow coloration rather than Mario's red and blue one). Tanooki Mario's signature vehicle is the Tanooki Kart.
Although Tanooki Mario is a middleweight character like Mario, he has slightly more acceleration at the cost of his weight stat; a trait that he shares with the male Villager. Tanooki Mario's anti-gravity-specific trick animation involves him briefly turning into Statue Mario. One of his trick animations is a reference to one of Raccoon Mario's artworks from Super Mario Bros. 3, and, if he is on a bike or an ATV, one of his trick animations replicates his ability to fall slowly. Also, the sound his horn makes is Caped Mario's spinning sound from Super Mario World.
Tanooki Mario is the staff ghost for Ice Ice Outpost.
Tanooki Mario uses various voice clips taken from other games, with several voice file prefixes seemingly indicating the source game. Reused voice clips include those from Mario Golf: Advance Tour, Super Mario Sunshine, Mario Power Tennis, Super Mario Advance, and Mario Super Sluggers.
Like with every character playable in Mario Kart 8, Tanooki Mario appears as a playable character in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch. Unlike the Wii U game, he is included within the base game and is available from the start. He shares stats with the male Villager as well as the Inkling Boy. As of version 2.3.0, Tanooki Mario won't appear as a CPU character if either Mario or Metal Mario are in the race.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
Tanooki Mario returns as a playable character in Mario Kart Tour beginning in the 2021 Autumn Tour. Tanooki Rosalina also makes her debut in the Mario Kart series in the same tour. Their special items are the Super Leaf, which also debuts in the Autumn Tour. Kitsune Luigi makes his series debut in the Animal Tour, also using the Super Leaf. Starting from the Battle Tour, both Tanooki Mario and Tanooki Rosalina are available in regular tour pipes, including the All-Clear Pipe. Starting with the 2023 Mario Tour, Tanooki Mario has his own self-named cup.
Unlike Tanooki Mario and Kitsune Luigi, Tanooki Rosalina does not have her own separate emblem, instead sharing the same one as her normal counterpart.
Minecraft[edit]
In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft, Tanooki Mario and Kitsune Luigi appear as playable skins. Foxes are retextured to resemble Kitsune Luigi's suit. Chainmail Armor is replaced by the Tanooki Suit.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]
- “Mario, why do you look like a bear? What is this?”
- —Luigi, The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Tanooki Mario appears in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, as revealed in the film's second trailer.[4]
When Mario and Donkey Kong fight off Bowser's forces near the end of the movie, Mario punches a ? Block containing a Super Leaf. When grabbed, he becomes Tanooki Mario. After fighting a few enemies, Mario flies down and saves Luigi's life. The two hug, and Luigi mistakes Mario's suit for a bear costume, causing Mario to twitch his tail in embarrassment. Peach also plays with the fur on Mario's head when they reunite. Later in the scene, Mario uses the Tanooki Suit to redirect a Bomber Bill homed in on Peach's Castle by using the suit's tail swipe ability to attack its left eye. The Bomber Bill then homes in on Mario, chasing him through the Mushroom Kingdom while he flies through the air with the Tanooki Suit. Mario then leads the Bomber Bill into the green Warp Pipe from which he entered the Mushroom Kingdom at the beginning of the film. Both Luigi's comment about the suit and Donkey Kong earlier thinking it is a raccoon reference two common assumptions about the suit. Excluding the credits to Super Mario 3D Land, this is the first time since Super Mario Bros. 3 where Tanooki Mario can fly.
Other appearances[edit]
In Nintendo Monopoly, Tanooki Mario appears on the artwork of a Brick Block/Coin Block card that charges the player $50 for the purchase of a new suit.
Tanooki Mario is also a playable Character in Monopoly Gamer. He is sold separately as a "Power Pack" expansion figure.
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Tanooki Mario.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Kitsune Luigi from Super Mario 3D Land
Tanooki Rosalina from Mario Kart Tour
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario 3D Land[edit]
- Electronic manual bio: Grab a Super Leaf to turn into Tanooki Mario. Press (or ) to do a tail attack, and hold (or ) when in midair to float down gently.
- Website description:
- English (United Kingdom):
Picking up a Super Leaf turns Mario into Tanooki Mario! Tanooki Mario can use his tail to attack enemies and float down gently through the air.[5] - Other languages:
- Dutch:
Door een superblaadje te pakken, verandert Mario in Tanuki-Mario! Tanuki-Mario kan met zijn staart vijanden aanvallen en door de lucht zachtjes naar beneden zweven.[6] - French (Europe):
Attrapez une super feuille pour transformer Mario en Mario tanuki ! Mario tanuki peut utiliser sa queue pour attaquer des ennemis et flotter dans les airs.[7] - German:
Wenn man ein Superblatt aufhebt, verwandelt sich Mario in Tanuki-Mario! Tanuki-Mario kann seinen Schweif benutzen, um Gegner anzugreifen und elfengleich durch die Luft zu segeln.[8] - Italian:
Quando Mario raccoglie una Superfoglia si trasforma in Mario Tanuki! Mario Tanuki può usare la coda per attaccare i nemici e fluttuare dolcemente nell'aria.[9] - Portuguese (Europe):
Se Mario apanhar uma Superfolha transformar-se-á em Mario Tanuki, que poderá usar a sua cauda para atacar inimigos e flutuar suavemente pelo ar.[10] - Spanish (Europe):
Si coge la superhoja, Mario se convierte en Mario Tanuki. Mario Tanuki puede utilizar su cola para atacar a los enemigos y flotar por el aire.[11]
- Dutch:
- English (United Kingdom):
Super Mario 3D World[edit]
- Digital instruction manual bio: Attack enemies with your tail, and float down gently when in midair.
- Prima Games guide: When Mario collects a Super Leaf, he transforms into Tanooki Mario. In this form, Mario can perform gravity-defying floats and devastating tail attacks! Floating slows Mario's descent to such an extreme he practically walks on air. Tanooki Mario can use his tail attack to hit enemies and smash blocks. When combined with Mario's acrobatic skill, the rare Tanooki Power-Up provides one of his most versatile forms. Float by holding
(or 
) while in the air. This not only extends the duration of your jump, it also allows you to make midair adjustments for precision landings. To perform a tail attack, tap 
(or 
). Finally, to perform a tail spin that can be done continuously and while mobile, hold 
(or 
) and press (or ).[12]
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart 8[edit]
- Weight Class: Medium
- Stats
- Speed: 6
- Acceleration: 3
- Weight: 5
- Handling: 4
- Traction: 2
- Mini-Turbo: 3
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
- Weight Class: Medium
- Stats
- Speed: 6
- Acceleration: 3
- Weight: 5
- Handling: 5
- Traction: 1
- Mini-Turbo: 4
- Invincibility: 1
Tanooki Mario shares identical stats with Inkling Boy and male Villager.
