History of Luigi
Luigi is a major protagonist in the Super Mario franchise, and as such, he has appeared in several forms of media, including video games, comic books, and animation. Often serving as a secondary protagonist alongside his brother Mario, he has also appeared as the main character of games focused on him (like the Luigi's Mansion and Mario & Luigi series, and Mario is Missing!) or a non-playable supporting character (like in most of the Paper Mario series and Super Mario Odyssey).
Background[edit]
- Main article: Baby Luigi
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island depicts Luigi's beginnings by delivery of a stork at nearly the same time as Mario, suggesting a twin birth. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is usually considered as one of the first media chronologically in Luigi's history, but a few other sources, usually older than Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, depict different beginnings. The Nintendo Comics System comic entitled "Family Album 'The Early Years'" is another early medium that depicts Luigi's childhood; according to it, Luigi is several years younger than Mario, whereas he is depicted as Mario's younger twin in the video games.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a later portrayal of Luigi's childhood from Brooklyn. Family portraits and dialogue (such as Luigi's recollection of a friend from high school) indicate that they attended high school and graduated. Before working as plumbers, Mario and Luigi worked in a construction company with Spike as their boss. They left their job to pursue their interests, though at an apparent cost, with Luigi claiming that they spent their life savings on their commercial and their father's criticizing their risky choices.
Super Mario franchise[edit]
Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)[edit]
Luigi first appeared in Mario Bros. for the Game & Watch, where he loads cases of bottles in a bottling plant[1] onto trucks with Mario. Luigi is placed on the left,[2] while Mario is on the right. Luigi is the one who loads the truck, as well. Other than position, Luigi is identical to Mario in this game. However, in the box art and ads, he is shown wearing green overalls.
Mario Bros. series[edit]
Luigi next appears in Mario Bros., where he is simply a palette swap of Mario, having the same actions and abilities as Mario. This appearance is often incorrectly attributed as his first. Aside from his green and black color scheme, there are no other differences in physical appearance. In the game, Luigi and Mario are portrayed as plumbers, who are trying to rid the sewers where they are working from Shellcreepers, Slipices, and many other monstrous creatures. In the remakes of this game, such as the Battle Game in Super Mario All-Stars, Luigi's color scheme changes to his current color scheme, which is based on the game, though his attributes remain unchanged. Luigi was played by an unknown actor in a live-action commercial for the Atari 2600 version of Mario Bros.[3][4] The commercial portrays Luigi as a coward, though it is unknown if this had any influence on Luigi's current personality or not.
Luigi reprises his role as the second player in Mario Bros. Special and Punch Ball Mario Bros. Like the original arcade game, the brothers have to clear each phase of pests.
Aside from a cameo appearance, Luigi is absent from Mario Clash.
Family BASIC[edit]
Family BASIC is an accessory for the Family Computer allowing players to make their own programs. While Luigi is not included as one of the usable sprites, the manual gives instructions on how to create him by palette-swapping Mario.
Wrecking Crew series[edit]
Luigi is once again the second player in VS. Wrecking Crew and its successor, Wrecking Crew. Luigi's sprite is a palette swap of Mario's, having him dressed in bright red and having dark blue eyes and hair with a dark blue hammer, and paler skin than Mario's. Luigi has the same controls and role as Mario. However, in the former game's single-player mode, the computer-controlled Luigi will act as an opponent to Mario, reminiscent of Foreman Spike in the latter game. This is one of Luigi's only non-monochrome appearance where he does not wear his signature green color, most likely due to his color scheme not being fully established at the time.
In Wrecking Crew '98, Luigi can be unlocked for multiplayer mode after beating single player mode.
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros.[edit]
Luigi is a playable character in Super Mario Bros. He can be played by the second player in two-player mode only. Luigi has the same jumping powers, same traction, and the same running speed as Mario. Luigi's color scheme depicts him with a green shirt with white overalls and cap, along with having green hair and a green mustache, while the Super Mario All-Stars remake of the game show him in a blue shirt with green overalls and cap, along with having black hair and a black mustache. In Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, he looks like Mario but with green overalls and cap, and he and Mario can be freely switched between on the map between levels.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[edit]
Luigi is a playable character in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. This was the first game to give Luigi a higher and farther jumping ability than Mario, though he has less traction, causing Luigi to slide slightly after moving. The game lacks a two-player mode, and as such, players could select him as their character for the entire single player adventure. His sprites from this game are reused from Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 2 / Super Mario Advance[edit]
Luigi is a playable character in the Western Super Mario Bros. 2. He replaces Mama from the game's original iteration, Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic. Luigi can jump higher than anyone else, though he is the second weakest in the group behind Princess Toadstool. This is the first game where Luigi is not a recolor of Mario's sprite; instead, he is portrayed as taller than his brother.
Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Luigi is a playable character in Super Mario Bros. 3. His role was recycled from Super Mario Bros., being a palette swap who can be played only by the second player in two-player mode. Luigi's only discernible differences with Luigi are his green shirt, shoes, and cap. In the remake included in Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Luigi is made taller than Mario. In World-e, Luigi has his scuttle from Super Mario Bros. 2 and fireball physics from Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, both of which can be applied to the main game by scanning the yellow switch card. Outside of World-e, the player can play as Luigi only by selecting the "Mario & Luigi" mode, wherein one alternates between playing as the two characters.
Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
Luigi is a playable character in Super Mario World again as a palette swap of Mario, having his brother's abilities and properties, and can only be played by the second player in a 2-player game. While his appearance was updated in the version included in Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World, his attributes stayed the same, though his actions differed from Mario's. In the remake, Luigi regained his high jump and low traction attributes and can be switched out with Mario during the single player adventure, while his appearance borrowed elements from his design in Super Mario Bros. 2.
Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
While he was originally supposed to appear in the final version of Super Mario 64,[5] Nintendo Power theorized on one of the cards included with volume 94 that Luigi missed the original game because he was busy preparing for Mario Kart 64.
Luigi is an unlockable playable character in the remake Super Mario 64 DS. He was one of the characters accompanying Mario to the Mushroom Castle, along with Wario. However, Bowser trapped everyone inside the castle walls and paintings, with Luigi and the other heroes being locked behind a door with the key to his door being guarded by Big Boo. Luigi can be unlocked by defeating Big Boo in the Big Boo Battle course, and unlocking his door in Peach's Room with Luigi Key. Following this, green caps resembling Luigi's own cap can be found on every course, and collecting one transforms the player character into Luigi, granting access to his abilites but leaving their voice unchanged. Luigi has the highest agility,[6] and Luigi does have great midair acceleration, letting him change his momentum easily after jumping. Luigi is slower at running than Mario, and he cannot Wall Jump. Luigi can swim faster than the other characters. Luigi can jump higher than Mario by performing a backward somersault, causing him to perform a Spin Jump. Luigi's attacks damage the enemies the same amount as Mario's, but Luigi moves a little slower while carrying enemies and objects. Luigi can scuttle for a short period of time after performing a jump or double jump, and he can run on water for a few seconds. Collecting a Power Flower turns Luigi transparent, replacing the Vanish Cap from the original game. Being transparent allows Luigi to run through enemies and certain interfaces such as steel grates, though Vanish Luigi cannot go through ice, unlike Vanish Mario in the original version. Luigi is the only character who can enter Chief Chilly Challenge and obtain the Wario Key from Chief Chilly. All of Luigi's minigames from the Rec Room revolve around gambling games, and all of the card roles give him the role of the dealer and change his outfit to wearing a white shirt with a black vest and a green bowtie.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
- “Yay for me, Luigi!”
- —Luigi, New Super Mario Bros.
Luigi is a playable character in New Super Mario Bros. Luigi controls identically to Mario, like in some earlier appearances. The player can play as Luigi by holding down both 
and 
when selecting a file, with Luigi's voice playing afterward. The code is revealed after the credits roll, but it is usable at any point of the game. The multiplayer mode, Mario vs. Luigi, involves Luigi competing with Mario to collect the most Big Stars; in DS Multi-Card play, the player who selects Mario is the host and the player who selects Luigi is the guest, while in DS Download Play, the player with the cartridge is the host regardless of whom they choose. Three of Luigi's minigames from Super Mario 64 DS return under the category "Table": Memory Match, Picture Poker, and Pair-a-Gone. Luigi also appears in the Whack-a-Monty and Wanted! minigames.
Super Mario Galaxy[edit]
- “I knew I could rely on you, bro!”
- —Luigi, Super Mario Galaxy
Luigi is both a non-playable character and later an unlockable character in Super Mario Galaxy and its Nintendo Switch port. When Bowser abducts Peach's Castle, Luigi and the Toad Brigade are apparently inside, though they all soon escape and end up getting lost in space. Luigi is found imprisoned in the Ghostly Galaxy as the goal of the first star. After being rescued, Luigi can be found in the Garage of the Comet Observatory. During Mario's adventure, he searches for Power Stars appearing in three different galaxies: the Good Egg Galaxy, the Honeyhive Galaxy, and the Battlerock Galaxy. Rescuing him in his respective missions rewards the player with a Power Star or, in the Battlerock Galaxy's case, a Green Star. After collecting all 120 Power Stars and defeating Bowser again, the entire game has to be replayed as Luigi. Luigi has different mobility than Mario: Luigi can run faster, but takes longer to build speed and his traction is more slippery. Luigi can jump higher and farther, and the air meter depletes faster when spinning underwater. While playing as Luigi, the names of the stars with "Mario" in their title are all changed to "Luigi".
The non-playable Luigi remains even while playing as Luigi. While the playable Luigi is adjusted to fit Mario's build for gameplay purposes, the non-playable Luigi is slightly taller and colored darker, matching Luigi's actual proportions. When the playable Luigi first rescues the trapped Luigi in the Ghostly Galaxy, the non-playable Luigi dismisses the player as someone who happens to look like him. When the player rescues the non-playable Luigi in three rescue missions, the non-playable Luigi refers to the player as "me" (for example, "I knew I could rely on... me!"). When the non-playable Luigi is in the Garage and the player talks to Rosalina, she refers to both Luigis as "twins". When the Mailtoad has mail, the letters are addressed to Mario as usual instead of Luigi, causing the Mailtoad to feel bad for Luigi.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Luigi is a playable character in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. He is playable only in multiplayer by players two through four, who can choose between him as well as Yellow Toad and Blue Toad. An exception to this is the Super Guide, where the game controls Luigi through the level, though the player can press 
to take control of him. Though Luigi is slightly taller than the other characters, he and the two Toads all control identically to Mario. In the ending, he arrives alongside the Blue and Yellow Toads in Hot Air Balloons and has Mario and a newly-rescued Princess Peach enter his hot air balloon. However, he accidentally locked himself out of his hot air balloon while distracted waving goodbye to the Toads, having it take off without him.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
- “Hey, Bro! I'm all over the place these days, exploring the universe!”
- —Luigi, Super Mario Galaxy 2
Luigi is an unlockable playable character in Super Mario Galaxy 2 and its Nintendo Switch port. His attributes and controls are retained from the first Super Mario Galaxy. After the player completes Bowser's Big Lava Power Party and collects three Power Stars from World 3, Luigi can appear at the start of some missions. If talked to, Luigi offers Mario to get the Power Star instead, and accepting Luigi's offer allows the player to play as Luigi until completing or exiting the mission. Completing a mission as Luigi unlocks a staff ghost in his likeness that begin moving to a particular spot in the stage once the player touches them. Luigi can release several Star Bits if Co-Star Luma spins into him. The option of playing as either Mario or Luigi is unlocked by Bowser's Galaxy Generator, they can alternate between using Mario or Luigi by way of entering the large door behind where the player starts on Starship Mario. The Mailtoad receives a letter from Luigi telling the player about the option, signifying when the option becomes available. Also, while the player is playing as Luigi, the Tip Network signs and the Cosmic Guide do not appear.
Super Mario 3D Land[edit]
Luigi is an unlockable playable character in Super Mario 3D Land. He is unlocked after rescuing him on Special 1-Castle. The player can switch between Mario and Luigi by tapping either the "M" or "L" icon on the bottom screen during the level select map screens. Luigi has a higher jump than Mario, but lower traction, causing him to slide. Luigi can use all of the same power-ups as Mario, though when collecting a Super Leaf, instead of turning into Tanooki Luigi like in Super Mario Bros. 3, he gains a suit that looks like a kitsune, turning him into Kitsune Luigi. As Statue Luigi, he is depicted with his left hand raised instead of his right like Statue Mario.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
Luigi is a playable character in New Super Mario Bros. 2. He is unlockable in single-player mode and is the player character of player 2 in Co-Op Mode. He is not playable in Coin Rush mode. Luigi is unlocked in single-player mode after clearing World 6-Bowser's Castle. Following this, 
+ 
has to be held when selecting a file on the main menu to play as Luigi instead, just as in New Super Mario Bros. Luigi has the same physics and controls as Mario, like in the game's predecessors. Luigi's Raccoon form resembles his Kitsune form in Super Mario 3D Land, taking on the ears and tail of the fox, and Luigi turns silver instead of gold when under the effects of the Gold Flower. Both forms are to differentiate him from Mario and both appearances are purely cosmetic; they do not affect the power-ups' properties at all.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
Luigi is a playable character in New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and their enhanced port. Like with New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Luigi is usually restricted to only players two through four, but he can also be played in single-player mode by activating the Super Guide and pressing . The enhanced port removed this restriction, allowing the first player to play as Luigi in the New Super Mario Bros. U mode.
Luigi is the starring character in New Super Luigi U. Mario does not make an appearance. Unlike New Super Mario Bros. U, Luigi has higher and farther jumping abilities than Mario as well as worse traction; consequently, this change applies to the other playable characters as well. To acknowledge its release during the Year of Luigi, every level in New Super Luigi U has Luigi sightings, which are images, statues, and 8-bit sprites of Luigi.
In the opening title sequence of New Super Mario Bros. U, Luigi moves along with the other characters, though in some rare cases, Luigi ends up tripping instead, causing him to mess up his Ground Pound action.[7]
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
Luigi is a playable character in Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. Luigi retains his attributes from Super Mario Bros. 2, being able to jump higher and farther, while having low traction. Luigi to be played by player one, unlike previous games of the series with spontaneous multiplayer. The power-ups Luigi uses also change to his color scheme accordingly, such as the Boomerang Suit and Cat Suit becoming green, and his Kitsune Luigi form returns when he gets a Super Leaf. In his Lucky Cat form, Luigi appears identically to the other characters in their Lucky Cat forms, but is shown with his left paw raised rather than his right one, much like with his Statue form. Like in New Super Luigi U, sightings of Pixel Luigis appear in most of the levels, acknowledging the game's release as part of the Year of Luigi. Luigi is additionally playable in Luigi Bros., an alteration of Mario Bros. that replaces Mario with Luigi as the starring character. Player one's Luigi is colored similarly to his modern appearance, whilst player two's Luigi has the colors from the original game.
Although Luigi does not physically appear in Bowser's Fury, the Fury Shadow resembles him. Additionally, the kittens' colors other than the calico kitten match those of the playable characters' Cat Suits in Super Mario 3D World other than Mario, with the green one matching Luigi's. In addition, all of the Luigi stamps from the Super Mario 3D World mode appear and can be used in Snapshot Mode.
Super Mario Maker[edit]
Luigi is an unlockable Mystery Mushroom costume in Super Mario Maker. The costume can be unlocked either at random upon completion of the 100 Mario Challenge, or by scanning a compatible Luigi amiibo. His appearance is based on that of Super Mario Bros., except with his modern colors. The costume replaces some of the usual Super Mario Bros. sounds with sounds from Luigi's Mansion. Fire Luigi in his Super Mario Bros. sprite (though with a green shirt rather than a red) also appears on the splash screen of the game on Sundays and shoots a fireball at Mario, knocking him off-screen. When Big Mario is active, some of the enemies, such as Bowser Jr., tend to have Luigi ride on or replace them.
Super Mario Run[edit]
Luigi is an unlockable playable character in Super Mario Run. To unlock Luigi, the player has to recruit 150 Green Toads and 150 Purple Toads through Toad Rally to unlock Luigi's house, spend 1000 coins to purchase it, than place the house. Luigi has his higher jump and scuttle in this game.[8] Luigi has a small form, like Mario, allowing him to be hit once before dying. However, both of the Mario brothers start courses in small form, unlike the other characters. The version 3.0.4 update changed this, with all other characters gaining small forms but still starting as tall characters.
A number of buildings and decorations are themed after Luigi aside from the house. This includes a topiary, a statue, a 8-bit statue with a voxel version of his sprite from Super Mario Bros., another statue with the same sprite but using modern coloration, a golden statue, and a Goal Pole.
Events have added Luigi statues based on games released after Super Mario Run. such as two based on Luigi's Mansion 3. The first simply depicts Luigi with the Poltergust G-00, while the latter depicts Luigi chasing Polterpup. A Mario & Luigi: Brothership event added a statue pairing Luigi with Snoutlet and another with both Luigi and Mario.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
- “Get this, Bro. I came up with a new game. I call it Balloon World.”
- —Luigi, Super Mario Odyssey
Luigi was only referenced in initial releases of Super Mario Odyssey. His cap and outfit can be purchased and worn by Mario in any of the Crazy Cap shops. His cap costs 100 coins while his suit costs 200. The aforementioned outfit and cap are also unlockable via the Luigi amiibo or by completing the game with a certain number of moons. The description for his hat reads, "The standard cap in vivid green. The L stands for "winner", while the description for his suit reads, "A bright, green version of an established classic. Green means 'lets-a-go!'"
Luigi would become a non-playable character ever since the update on February 21, 2018, where he hosts the new Balloon World minigame. He appears with a green polka dotted bow tie and a luggage hanging on his back with balloons attached to it, allowing him to float. On the luggage are various stickers from the Mushroom Kingdom and a sticker with his emblem on it. Luigi's dialogue changes depending on the clothes Mario is wearing upon talking to him.
As of March 14, 2018, Nintendo began posting extra Hint Art on social media leading to locations of hidden Pixel Luigis. If Mario ground pounds on the exact spot as depicted in the Hint Art for the first time, a Pixel Luigi from Super Mario Bros. (albeit recolored to match his modern design) pops out of the ground and grants him 200 coins. Upon emerging (or if ground pounded), Luigi lets out a distorted cry, and if Mario throws Cappy at him, he spins into the air.
The way Luigi and his red, blue, and yellow balloons are positioned corresponds to the layout of the 
, 
, 
and 
buttons on the Japanese and PAL versions of the SNES Controller when viewed sideways.
Depending on what Mario is wearing when talking to him, Luigi will comment on it:
- Black Tuxedo / Explorer Outfit / Builder Outfit / Golf Outfit / Chef Suit / Painter Outfit / Mario 64 Suit / Mechanic Outfit / Classic Suit / Doctor Outfit / Waluigi Suit / Diddy Kong Suit / Wario Suit / Metal Mario Suit / Sunshine Outfit / Topper Suit / Rango Suit / Hariet Suit / Spewart Suit: "Hey... Have I seen that outfit somewhere before...? Anyway, lookin' good, Bro!"
- Boxer Shorts / Clown Outfit / Skeleton Suit / Gold Mario Suit / Zombie Outfit / 8-Bit Mario Cap: "Bro! You startled me! That outfit is kinda, ummm... How can I put this? I mean, it looks good on you! It looks good, but uhh... Yeah..."
- Luigi Suit: "Huh? What? Another... me?! No, wait. Is that you, Bro? Whoa, you really threw me for a loop there!"
- Bowser's Tuxedo / Bridal Gown / Mario's Tuxedo: "Whoa, Bro, you're getting married?! AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?! Oh, you're just wearing the outfit? For, like, fun? Huh."
- Invisibility Hat: "Bro, are you there?! I can't see you! You're scaring me! ...Are you still there? I'm just going to keep talking..."
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
- “You gonna try again, Big Bro? If you're having trouble, you can press
to use assist parts. ...Or you can always ask me to do it for you.” - —Luigi, Super Mario Maker 2
Luigi is a playable character in Super Mario Maker 2. He has a builder outfit like's Mario's but with dark green overalls. In the Story Mode, whenever the player fails a course twice, Luigi offers to either complete the course on their behalf or to use parts to make the stage easier. Luigi's Super Mario Bros. Small form sprite can appear if a Warp Door is knocked in the Super Mario 3D World style, akin to that game's Luigi sightings.
Luigi appears in first opening, where he, Mario, Toad, and Toadette walk towards the game's logo, notice the "2" is missing, and when they hit it together, Luigi falls (with the number "2" landing on the logo) and they proceed to leave