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{{about|the titular main protagonist of the [[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]] franchise|other uses|[[Mario (disambiguation)]]}}
{{redirect|"Jumpman" and "Jump Man"|other uses|[[Jumpman (disambiguation)]]}}
{{distinguish|Mari}}
{{character infobox
|image=[[File:MarioAlternateJamboreeRender.png|180px]]<br>Artwork from ''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong (Nintendo Switch)|Mario vs. Donkey Kong]]'' for the [[Nintendo Switch]]
|full_name=Mario Mario<ref name="full name">{{cite|author=Brian|date=September 14, 2015|url=nintendoeverything.com/miyamoto-says-marios-full-name-is-mario-mario|title=Miyamoto says Mario’s full name is “Mario Mario|publisher=Nintendo Everything|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref>
|species=Human
|first_appearance=''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' ([[1981]])
|latest_appearance=''[[The Super Mario Galaxy Movie]]'' ([[2026]])
|latest_portrayal=[[Kevin Afghani]] ([[2023]]–present)<br>[[Chris Pratt]] (2023, 2026)
}}
{{quote|It's-a me, Mario!|Mario|Super Mario 64}}

'''Mario''' is the main character and titular protagonist of the long-running and highly successful ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' franchise. He was created by Japanese video game designer [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] and serves as the main mascot of [[Nintendo]]. Mario made his first appearance as the protagonist of the arcade game ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'', released in [[1981]] (which used the names "'''Jumpman'''" and "'''little Mario'''" in associated paratext). Since ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', his trademark abilities have been his [[jump]]ing and [[stomp]]ing powers, with which he defeats most of his enemies, and his ability to gain even more powers with a plethora of items, such as the [[Super Mushroom]], the [[Fire Flower]], and the [[Super Star]]. Games have usually portrayed Mario as a silent, straightforward character. According to Nintendo's philosophy, this allows Mario to fit in many different genres and roles. In the [[Super Mario (series)|mainline games]], he is mostly the hero who goes on an adventure to save [[Princess Peach]] from his arch-nemesis, [[Bowser]]. However, Mario has been shown doing many other activities besides adventuring, such as [[Mario Kart|racing]] and sporting with his younger but taller twin brother, [[Luigi]]; his friends such as [[Yoshi]] and [[Toad]]; and many other characters.

==Creation==
[[File:Jumpmanconcept.jpg|thumb|left|Concept art for Mario]]
Following the failure of ''[[nwiki:Radar Scope|Radar Scope]]'' in North America, Nintendo's then-president, [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]], requested designer Shigeru Miyamoto's aid in converting unsold ''Radar Scope'' units into something that would sell well. Miyamoto conceived the concept of a love triangle and decided to make a game based on ''{{wp|Popeye}}''. This was abandoned due to technical reasons, so he decided to come up with a new idea using his own characters.<ref>{{cite|author=Gaming Historian|date=January 22, 2020|url=x.com/GamingHistorian/status/1220101899455692801|title=In a deposition of Gunpei Yokoi, Yokoi states the reason Nintendo's Popeye game was abandoned was due to technical limitations. Because of this, Miyamoto came up with Mario, Pauline, and Donkey Kong.|publisher=Twitter|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref>

For use in his arcade game ''Donkey Kong'', Miyamoto created a player character originally known during development as '''''Ossan''''' (おっさん, the Japanese term for "middle-aged man", which coincidentally would be the name given to a Mario look-alike in the game ''[[Golf]]''), then '''Mr. Video Game''' or '''Mr. Video''' (ミスター・ビデオ) and Jumpman.<ref>{{cite|url=iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/mario25th/1/3|title=Iwata Asks: Super Mario 25th Anniversary Vol. 2 Ch. 4|accessdate=April 30, 2023|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=MrVideoGame>{{cite|author=Totilo, Stephen|date=August 17, 2012|url=kotaku.com/nintendo-chief-mario-is-part-of-gamers-dna-5935721|title=Nintendo Chief: Mario Is Part Of Gamers' DNA|publisher=Kotaku|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/n10/interview/mario25th/vol2/index4.html|title=社長が訊く「スーパーマリオ２５周年」 - ファミコンとマリオ：4. ファミコンカセットの集大成|publisher=Nintendo|language=ja|accessdate=February 1, 2026}}</ref> This character was given red overalls and a blue shirt in order to make the arms more visible as well as [[Mario Cap|a cap]] and mustache, as hair and a mouth were impossible to animate on the arcade system.<ref>{{cite|url=iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/nsmb/0/1|title=Iwata Asks: New Super Mario Bros. Wii Vol. 1 Ch. 2|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us|accessdate=April 30, 2023}}</ref> When the game was released in Japan, he was simply a nameless "player" (プレイヤー) in the Japanese arcade instructions and flyer. In the American arcade instructions, he was called Jumpman, but Nintendo of Japan asked Nintendo of America if it wanted to rename him during the {{wp|Western world|Western}} localization. President [[Minoru Arakawa]] and warehouse manager {{wp|Don James (executive)|Don James}} thought it would be funny to call the character Mario after the reclusive American landlord of storage and company housing, [[Mario Segale]].<ref>{{cite|author=Kohler, Chris|date=February 17, 2012|url=www.wired.com/2012/02/gamelife-podcast-episode-18/|title=Game{{!}}Life Podcast: When Jay Mohr Met Tomonobu Itagaki|timestamp=51:16|publisher={{wp|Wired (magazine)|Wired}}|accessdate=April 21, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite|author=Nintendo of America|date=June 15, 2018|url=https://youtu.be/nnu-EqVGRow&t=135|title=Arcade Archives Gameplay - Nintendo Treehouse: Live {{!}} E3 2018|timestamp=02:15|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite|author=The Strong Museum|date=March 21, 2018|url=https://youtu.be/nSuHPEOopN0|title=Donkey Kong Thank You by Don James|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}.</ref><ref>{{cite|quote=You might say I'm still waiting for my royalty checks," Segale told The Seattle Times in 1993. He didn't confirm widely circulated stories that "Super Mario" got his name after Segale stormed into Nintendo's office, angrily demanding overdue rent. But many business associates say those tales fit the Mario they know — a hard-driving businessman who can be warm and generous, but also can display a temper when he doesn't get what he wants.|author=Pryne, Eric|date=March 27, 2010|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/20100329135932/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2011460764_segale28.html|title=Powerful Segale family has massive vision for Tukwila expanse|publisher=The Seattle Times|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> It was too late to replace the Jumpman name from the instructions, but the "Mario" name appeared on {{file link|DK English Flyer.jpg|the flyer}} that was published a few weeks after the game's debut.<ref>[https://publicrecords.copyright.gov/detailed-record/voyager_18669836 Donkey Kong /Cabarga [i.e. Leslie Cabarga]. United States Copyright Office - Public Records System. Retrieved February 23, 2026.</ref> He was called "Mario" in the American instruction manuals of the Atari 2600 and ColecoVision ports of ''Donkey Kong'' released in July 1982, predating his appearance in ''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (game)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]'' in August 1982.<ref>{{Cite|url=https://archive.org/details/Atari2600Manuals_201812/Donkey%20Kong%20%28USA%29/page/n1/mode/2up|title=''Donkey Kong'' (Atari 2600) instruction manual|page=2}}</ref><ref>{{Cite|url=https://archive.org/details/donkey-kong-game-manual-coleco-vision-1982_202105/page/2/mode/2up|title=''Donkey Kong'' (ColecoVision) instruction manual|page=2}}</ref> In Japan, he became known as Mario with the release of ''Donkey Kong Jr.'' Prior to this, the Japanese instructions for the [[Game & Watch]] version of ''[[Donkey Kong (Game & Watch)|Donkey Kong]]'' called him ''Kyūjo Man'' (救助マン, lit. "rescue man").

While Mario was initially described as a carpenter, ''[[Mario Bros.]]'' subsequently changed his occupation to a plumber because "the scenario dictates his role".<ref name=Snider>{{cite|author=Snider, Mike|date=November 08, 2010|url=content.usatoday.com/communities/gamehunters/post/2010/11/qa-mario-creator-shigeru-miyamoto/1|title=Q&A: 'Mario' creator Shigeru Miyamoto|publisher=USA Today|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> In a 2009 radio interview, Miyamoto stated that he wanted to create a hero resembling an "ordinary odd-job man"; he did not like the idea of a perfect hero, preferring the idea of "ordinary citizens doing something really good for society", and would be "embarrassed" for making a perfect hero. He stated, "I like the idea of a middle-aged ordinary man doing something nice for other people".<ref name="2009 radio interview">{{cite|author=GoNintendoRMC|date=December 8, 2009|url=https://youtu.be/tfgUiS6aXqY|title=Shigeru Miyamoto discusses all things Mario|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=October 14, 2022}}</ref>
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==Cultural impact==
{{main|Super Mario (franchise)#Reception and legacy}}
[[File:WaxMario.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|left|The wax statue of Mario in 2002]]
{{quote|He's the icon. He's the [[wiktionary:GOAT#English|GOAT]].|A child talking about Mario in a [[Play Nintendo]] video<ref>{{cite|author=Play Nintendo|date=October 11, 2024|url=https://youtu.be/X2djgEHvWgs&t=5|title=What do YOU love about Mario? #nintendo #playnintendo #mario|timestamp=0:05|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=October 15, 2024}}</ref>}}
Mario is often said to be the most famous video game character in history. A Q Score survey made in the early 1990s showed Mario was even more popular than {{wp|Mickey Mouse}},<ref>{{cite|author=Stuart, Keith|date=September 13, 2010|url=www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2010/sep/13/games-gameculture|title=Super Mario Bros: 25 Mario facts for the 25th anniversary|publisher=The Guardian|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> and Mario has the only wax statue of a video game character, which stands in the {{wp|Hollywood Wax Museum}}.

[[File:Bergsala Mario statue event 2016.jpg|thumb|upright=0.85|A Mario statue in Sweden]]
The ''Super Mario'' franchise is the best-selling video game franchise in history. Even with spinoff series excluded, the main ''Super Mario'' franchise has sold 311.46 million games (as of September 2015).<ref>{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/20160408190741/http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/vy8mvC_LJPHnlpBFTR5w-BYV1FP_m7hN|title=Super Mario Maker has sold 1 Million units around the world|publisher=Nintendo Official Site|accessdate=February 21, 2026|language=en-us}}</ref> Furthermore, ''Super Mario'' is the flagship franchise of Nintendo, and Mario is the company's mascot, furthering his publicity even more. According to ''[[Guinness World Records|Guinness World Records 2008: Gamer's Edition]]'', Mario has appeared in a total of 116 separate games, which is more than any other video game character,<ref>{{cite|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918074003/http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/groundbreaking-hit-super-mario-bros-celebrates-25th-birthday/1410955|author=Mike Smith|publisher=videogames.yahoo.com|date=September 15, 2010|accessdate=January 14, 2026|quote=Not only is Mario the best-selling video game character of all time, he’s also its most prolific: according to Guinness World Records’s 2008 edition, he’s appeared in 116 separate games.}}</ref> and more recent sources such as the Game On 2.0 traveling exhibit place the number at over 200.<ref>Game On 2.0 traveling exhibition. [[Media:Mario history Game On exhibit.jpg|The history of ''Super Mario'' feature]] discusses the origins of Mario's design, name, and occupation as a plumber. Photo taken July 21, 2013.</ref>
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==General information==
===Physical description===
[[File:Mario New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe.png|thumb|150px|Round shapes characterize various parts of Mario's body including his nose, eyes, face shape, abdomen, shoes, mustache, ears, cap, and hairstyle (especially the back of his hair).]]

{{multiframe
|[[File:Donkey Kong Mario Artwork.png|100px]][[File:MarioInDKArtwork.jpg|100px]]
|Mario's original design, as seen in the cabinet marquee by Miyamoto (left) and in the American flyer art by Cabarga (right) for ''Donkey Kong''
|size=200
|align=left
}}
Mario's distinctive look is due to technology limitations in the mid-1980s, as well as Nintendo's inability to depict Popeye. With a limited number of pixels and colors, the game developers, including Mario's creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, could not animate Mario's movement without making his arms "disappear" if his shirt was a solid color, so they gave Mario overalls. The developers additionally did not have the space to give him a mouth, the result of Mario's mustache. Mario has a big nose to have his face read better in the limited pixel space. Mario was made stocky so he covers best in the space he was allocated in. Finally, the developers used a cap to bypass the problem of animating and drawing hair. [[Mario's Glove|Mario's gloves]] were a later addition by the illustrator Zavier Leslie Cabarga for the North American flyer for ''Donkey Kong''.<ref>{{cite|author=J.J. McCullough|date=March 19, 2023|url=https://youtu.be/yJ8dblOC8Ho&t=374|title=Who created Mario? A global history ([[:File:Zavier Leslie Cabarga Facebook post.png|Screenshot]])|timestamp=06:14|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=September 8, 2023}}</ref> Miyamoto and Cabarga both drew him with having just four fingers per hand, which was carried over to ''[[Saturday Supercade]]''.<ref>{{File link|Saturday Supercade Donkey Kong concept art.jpg|Concept art for ''Saturday Supercade''.}}</ref>

Mario had undergone major changes from his initial appearance in ''Donkey Kong'' up until ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''. In ''Donkey Kong'', Mario initially appears lankier with a more realistic-looking red nose and a cleft chin. In some portrayals in ''Donkey Kong Jr.'', however, he appears stouter with a round nose, which more closely resembles his current design, although some promotional art retains his original ''Donkey Kong'' design. The stubbier design is retained in ''Mario Bros.'', with a few changes. ''Super Mario Bros.'' marks the first time he has blue eyes, full hair, a red cap with an insignia, a distinct mustache, a large round nose, large hands, and other features. It would not be until ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' where his modern design would debut; he would become taller and skinnier, and his overalls and shirt would be reversed in color. However, his in-game design did not fully match artwork, such as having black hair like his mustache instead of brown, white overall buttons instead of yellow ones in ''[[Super Mario World]]'', and hair that had a more reddish-brown color and was not very defined in shape below his hat in ''[[Super Mario 64]]''. Before ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', the colors of his shirt and overalls were reversed until ''Super Mario World'' and the remade sprites of ''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]'', and he also did not wear his gloves. His neck is very short and barely visible due to his round and slightly disproportionate head compared to the rest of his body and the position of his chin.

While Mario is consistently portrayed as a short character, his precise height and proportions vary across media, without a specified height from most video game material, with ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'' even stating that his height is unknown and his weight is a secret.<ref name=fludd>{{file link|SMS FLUDD Scans Mario.png|On-screen Japanese text when FLUDD scans Mario in ''Super Mario Sunshine''}}</ref> A life-size figure of Mario sold by online retailers has a height of 150 cm (4 ft 11 in.),<ref>{{cite|url=https://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/dream-f/nn001.html|title=Yahoo! Japan listing for a life-size figure of Mario}}</ref> with another variation standing 155 cm (5 ft 1 in.) tall.<ref>{{file link|Mario life size figure ad.jpg}}</ref> The pamphlet for ''[[Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!]]'' gives his height as 150 cm and weight as 70 kg (154 lbs), while the ''Super Mario Daishūgō [[4koma Gag Battle]]'' manga states that his height is 165 cm (5 ft 4 in.).<ref> https://x.com/_kairy_draws_/status/1318956180065144832</ref> In a ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' commercial, he is 5 ft (152 cm) tall, while his eye level is 4 ft (122 cm) tall.<ref>Cyberworld 9000 (March 22, 2023). [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/eBYnmzz23L0 Smash Bros 64 Commercial Behind the Scenes #shorts]. ''YouTube''. Retrieved July 30, 2025.</ref> Crossover artwork featuring Mario and [[Sonic|Sonic the Hedgehog]] (who stands at 1 m [3 ft 3 in.] tall)<ref>https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10159031574766633&id=59685491632&set=a.119104781632</ref> shows Mario at around the same height as the latter, if not five to seven centimeters (two or three inches) shorter due to Sonic's quills. Mario's height relationship with other humans has been varied. Some media, such as ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]'' and ''[[Mario's Time Machine (PC)|Mario's Time Machine]]'', show Mario as much shorter than a realistic human. Despite this, by cross-referencing the measuring units displayed in [[Balloon World]] with the environment, it is possible to determine Mario is still around 155 cm (5 ft 1 in) tall.<ref>{{cite|author=Cartographer's Office|date=July 25, 2024|title=Post detailing the measurement of Mario in ''Super Mario Odyssey''|url=https://cartographers-office.tumblr.com/post/757031455633309696/marios-height-in-odyssey|publisher=Tumblr|language=en|accessdate=January 12, 2025}}</ref> Other media, including ''Mario Golf'' and the [[DIC Entertainment|DIC]] cartoons, show Mario's height as being closer relative to other humans. The director of ''Super Mario Odyssey'', [[Kenta Motokura]], stated in an interview that [[New Donk City]] was realistic to showcase the extent of Mario's abilities in a realistic environment for a scale that is easy to understand,<ref>{{cite|author=rawmeatcowboy|date=October 22, 2017|url=gonintendo.com/stories/293589-super-mario-odyssey-director-explains-why-new-donk-city-takes-a-r|title=Super Mario Odyssey director explains why New Donk City takes a realistic approach with its visuals|publisher=GoNintendo|accessdate=November 28, 2020}}</ref> while Miyamoto referred to the humans of New Donk City as "normal people".<ref>{{cite|author=Sinha, Ravi|date=June 28, 2017|url=gamingbolt.com/super-mario-odyssey-miyamoto-was-worried-about-initial-reaction|title=Super Mario Odyssey: Miyamoto Was "Worried" About Initial Reaction|publisher=GamingBolt|accessdate=November 28, 2020}}</ref> Miyamoto deliberately designed Mario to be shorter than his enemies and damsels-in-distress.<ref>{{cite|title=''[[Mario Mania]]''|page=30|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us|date=August 1991}}</ref>

Merchandise for the original ''Donkey Kong'' shows Mario as balding, although most media depict Mario with a full set of hair. He has short chocolate brown hair with three front locks, four back locks, and a sprout-shaped cowlick on the top of his head. Over the years since ''Super Mario Bros.'' (omitting stylistic variations such as depictions in ''[[Paper Mario]]''), Mario has received a change in stature; he is shown to be much stubbier in his earlier appearances compared to his more recent appearances, starting with ''Super Mario 64''. Mario's legs and arms have grown longer over the years, giving him a slimmer look. This may have been the result of Miyamoto's response to Mario's and Luigi's "cute" appearances, and he considered redesigning the Mario Bros. to "become a bit more grown-up" in the [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]] era—for instance, by removing their trademark {{wp|V sign}}.<ref>{{cite|author=IGN Staff|date=August 2, 1999|url=www.ign.com/articles/1999/08/03/mario-swims-with-dolphin|title=Mario Swims with Dolphin|publisher=IGN|language=en|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref>

{{multiframe
|[[File:MariojumpsSM64.png|150px]][[File:HoM Mario jumping artwork 2 2025.png|175px]]
|Mario's appearance from the Nintendo 64 era (left) and his current appearance as of 2025 (right).
|size=340
|align=left
}}
Mario's most prolific early 3D iteration is from ''Super Mario 64'', where he and other characters were created from {{wp|Silicon Graphics}} workstations. Mario is depicted with darker blue overalls and bigger eyes than in his current appearance based on the one in ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]''. He has slightly darker skin, his ears are also rounder, his overall straps are longer, and his cap is less round. Ever since ''Luigi's Mansion'', however, Mario has received only minor proportion changes to his general appearance, becoming taller and slimmer, though still chubby, and with brighter colors on his clothes, skin, and hair; pockets on his overalls; and added detail in his shoes, eyes, hat, and clothes in 3D artwork since ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]''. While he always has a fair complexion, the tone of his skin has become inconsistent over the course of the more recent games, sometimes taking on a peach tone like in the more recent artwork, including the updated versions of the existing ones, and at times not. The detail on his hair and mustache is sometimes depicted inconsistently across games and media in recent appearances; ''Super Mario Odyssey'', official renders of ''[[Mario Golf: Super Rush]]'', and a few promotional renders<ref>Attributed to multiple images: [https://www.mariowiki.com/File:Nintendo_JP_Careers_Site_Mario_Artwork.png][https://www.mariowiki.com/File:American_Nintendo_Summer_2019.jpg][https://www.mariowiki.com/File:Mario_Beach_Twitter_Artwork.jpg][https://www.mariowiki.com/File:Mario_Santa_Full_Artwork.png][https://www.mariowiki.com/File:Holiday_Mario_Yoshi.png]</ref> depict his hair as individual strands; most other games and media depicted them as singular meshes with simpler detail instead. Rivets have also been added to Mario's overalls starting in renders for ''Super Mario Odyssey'', and they can be seen in his in-game model for Nintendo Switch 2 installments.

Mario has a few stylistic variations across some games, sometimes within a series. One variation is Mario's overall appearance in the ''[[Paper Mario (series)|Paper Mario]]'' games: It is generally the same, with black dots for eyes and no eyebrows, although he has a shorter stature. Since ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', however, Mario's body is more simplistic, with legless feet, a rounder face, and a full outline around the arms, while his mustache is a lighter brown. In addition, starting with ''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam]]'', all of Mario's paper appearances have depicted him with a white outline around his entire body. Another variation is Mario's depiction in the ''[[Mario & Luigi]]'' games, although it is more subtle, where Mario is given black eyes rather than blue. The artwork for the series, including the box art of the games, shows Mario with a serious or neutral expression that never leaves his mouth visible underneath his mustache, unlike with Luigi, who is shown with a larger variety of expressions depending on the situation. In ''[[Mario & Luigi: Brothership]]'', Mario's appearance has a cartoonish cel-shading style with shades of purple around his hat and shirt, matching the shading in the series' artwork.

The ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' series also has Mario's appearance change between games. In the original ''Super Smash Bros.'', Mario's appearance is derived from ''Super Mario 64'' but with minor alterations, such as a slimmer appearance. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', Mario's design incorporates elements from ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'' and ''Super Mario World'', as well as official artwork from the [[Nintendo 64]] era. Mario's hair and clothing are darker and have more detail in them, with his overalls particularly sporting back pockets and having denim textures, similar to his sprite in ''Super Mario World'', and his skin having a more original tan complexion. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', Mario's back pockets return, but his overall design is updated to resemble his appearances in ''Super Mario Sunshine'' and later games. Compared to his mainline counterparts, however, Mario has smaller hands, longer limbs, and a longer neck, lending to a slimmer appearance. Mario's color scheme is also darker than before, while his hair and clothing have more realistic detailing. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'' / ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U|Wii U]]'', Mario's design, while retaining the proportions from ''Brawl'', is vibrant and his overalls no longer have back pockets, matching his mainline counterparts somewhat more closely. As an accompaniment, Mario's hair and clothing have much less detailing. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', Mario's design is mostly the same as before, aside from a more subdued color scheme and simple detailing in his hair and clothing, but not to the same extent as ''Melee'' and ''Brawl''. ''Super Mario Odyssey'' has realistic details on his hair and overalls, and some other games also retain the realistic details to an extent.
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====Clothing====
[[File:Mario - MyNintendo.png|thumb|175px|upright=1.2|Mario tipping his hat and revealing his hair]]
Mario is typically shown wearing his trademark outfit wherever he goes. He has a long-sleeved red shirt, which is tucked under a pair of white gloves and has a noticeable collar at the neck. He also wears blue overalls with yellow (which is usually rendered gold in certain games and renders) buttons layered over his shirt. His light-brown work shoes are referred to as boots in the ''Paper Mario'' series, and they are shown to have a rim on the top, although Mario's shoes in most media do not have this rim.

Originally, Mario wore red overalls on top of a blue shirt—nearly the opposite colors of what he wears now. The Famicom version of ''[[Mario Bros.]]'' is the first game to depict Mario with blue overalls and a red undershirt (although on the box art, he is depicted entirely in blue), but ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' standardized Mario's current colors, with the exception of the box art. However, Mario still wears red overalls and a blue shirt in the DIC cartoons.

Mario's trademark is [[Mario Cap|his red cap]] with his red "M" insignia. Mario's cap is sometimes an important and even mandatory accessory in some games, such as ''Super Mario 64'', where he takes more damage without his cap. In ''Super Mario Sunshine'', if Mario loses his cap, he acquires damage over time from the heat of the sun. In most media, however, Mario's cap is treated as a mere accessory, and Mario can go capless in some games without any additional effect, such as in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' after obtaining 99 lives. In some games, such as ''Super Mario 3D Land'' and ''Super Mario 3D World'', if Mario is in [[Small Mario|Small form]], he is seen without his cap, although it is no different from the other incarnations of the Small form. In ''Super Mario Odyssey'', Mario's default cap is replaced with [[Cappy]], which can be replaced with other hats in the [[Crazy Cap]] stores as well. Additionally, Mario has over 40 outfits available to wear, which can range from recolors to resemble [[Luigi]], [[Wario]], or [[Waluigi]] to unique outfits that see Mario dressed as a pirate, as an astronaut, as a knight, as a musician, in swim attire, or even as [[Princess Peach]] in her wedding gown. 

Although mostly seen with his default plumber attire, Mario has also worn several alternate outfits in the spinoff games, including but not limited to ''[[Mario Party (series)|Mario Party]]'' games, ''[[Dr. Mario (game)|Dr. Mario]]'', ''[[NES Open Tournament Golf]]'', ''[[Mario's Picross]]'', the ''[[Mario Strikers]]'' games, ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020]]'', and ''[[Mario Golf: Super Rush]]''. In ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020'', Mario wears different outfits depending on the sport or activity being played. In some sports, Mario wears the same red sneakers he originally wore in ''[[Mario Tennis Aces]]''.

Mario has seen some variations to his outfit in the games. In ''Super Mario Sunshine'', for instance, Mario has shorter sleeves. In addition, Mario can wear a tropical shirt over his normal shirt, along with sunglasses that darken the screen, if he talks to the [[Sunglasses vendor]]. Mario also usually gains alternate outfits when using power-ups, from simple recolors to covering his whole body, such as [[Fire Mario]], [[Tanooki Mario]], [[Propeller Mario]], [[Flying Squirrel Mario]], and [[Cat Mario]]. Finally, Mario can resemble different characters, even outside the ''[[Super Mario (franchise)|Super Mario]]'' franchise, by using a [[Mystery Mushroom]] to change into one of the various forms of Costume Mario in ''[[Super Mario Maker]]''.

Within the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, Mario has several [[smashwiki:Alternate costume|alternate colors]] to use, with two costumes in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', most referencing existing characters throughout the ''Super Mario'' franchise.
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===Age===
[[File:MarioBrosMovieHeightChart.jpg|thumb|left|''Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!'' pamphlet]]
Mario was originally imagined as middle-aged since his debut in ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'',<ref>{{cite|deadlink=y|archive=web.archive.org/web/20101009201546/http://us.wii.com/iwata_asks/mario25th/vol2_page4.jsp|title=Iwata Asks: The Grand Culmination of Famicom Cartridges|publisher=Nintendo.com|language=en-us|accessdate=June 1, 2024}}</ref> and ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'' and ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions]]'' also depict him as middle-aged.<ref>''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions]]'' (2017) ''"Im-Impossible, Master! Washed-up middle-aged men such as these could never get the Neon Eggs!"'' – [[Tuki]]</ref> In an interview about ''Super Mario 64'', [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] said Mario was a "weird old dude".<ref>https://shmuplations.com/mario64/</ref> However, ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' approximates Mario's age to be about 26 years old,<ref>''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' Japanese trophy description</ref> while Miyamoto later placed it at either 24 or 25.<ref>{{cite|author=Griffin, A.|date=September 30, 2016|url=www.independent.co.uk/games/mario-super-age-24-25-nintendo-shigeru-miyamoto-game-character-a7338911.html|title=Mario is only 24 years old, creator Shigeru Miyamoto says in unearthed interview|publisher=Independent|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> The pamphlet for ''Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!'' also estimates Mario's age at around 25. The comic ''[[Mario vs. Wario]]'' also implies Mario (and Wario) is roughly in his late 20s or early 30s, as he recalls his childhood 20 years ago.

===Name===
{{quote|JUMPMAN! Wait, who?|[[Glitz Pit]] audience|Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door}}
Mario's family name is given as "Mario" in the live-action segments "[[Dance]]", "[[Home Radio]]", and "[[Treasure of the Sierra Brooklyn]]" of ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!]]'' and made popular in the live-action movie ''[[Super Mario Bros. (film)|Super Mario Bros.]]'' This occasionally occurs in other media—for instance, the [[Prima Games|Prima]] guidebook for ''[[Mario Party 2]]'' lists his name as Mario Mario in a note section,<ref>{{cite|author=Barton, Jeff, Mario De Govia, Tri Pham, and Donato Tica|title=''Mario Party 2'' Prima Official Strategy Guide|date=January 27, 2000|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|language=en-us|isbn=0-7615-2767-2|page=5}}</ref> and the Prima guide for ''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga'' similarly shows Mario's full name as Mario Mario in the list of major characters.<ref>{{cite|author=Stratton, Stephen, and Levi Buchanan|title=''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga'' Prima Official Strategy Guide|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|language=en-us|isbn=0-7615-4423-2|page=21}}</ref> [[:File:DonkeyKong Junior MarioBros RatedFlyer.jpg|The arcade flyers]] for ''[[Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Junior/Mario Bros]]'' use the full name as well. Also, when people asked Mario (voiced by [[Charles Martinet]]) on [[Mario in Real Time|MIRT]] what his last name was at {{wp|San Diego Comic-Con}} 2012, he responded with this: ''"What's my last name? Ah, that's a very good question! ... That's right! It's-a Mario. My name-a Mario Mario. Of course, my brother name, a-Luigi Mario. And of course, my mama's-a Mama Mia Mario; my papa Papa Pio Mario. Of course, my grandmama Grandmama Mia Mario, and my grandpapa Grandpa—et cetera, et cetera. Yeah, first name Mario, last name-a Mario. Yahoo!"''<ref name="Mario Mario">{{cite|author=Patterson, Patrick Scott|date=July 16, 2012|url=https://youtu.be/AAjhjLuWbC8|title=Mario reveals his last name & other tales - San Diego Comic Con 2012|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> However, [[Nintendo]] of America earlier claimed that "there are no last names".<ref>{{cite|author=Japancommercials4U2|date=February 9, 2009|url=https://youtu.be/IS713fNTJ8c&t=120|title=Inside Edition News Report With Super Mario Bros.|publisher=YouTube|timestamp=02:00|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> This was later stated by then-Nintendo president [[Satoru Iwata]].<ref name=MrVideoGame/> Additionally, Shigeru Miyamoto previously stated that Mario and Luigi do not have last names, contrary to their depiction in the movie, although he later redacted that stance, confirming at the [[Super Mario Bros. 30th Anniversary]] festival in September 2015 that Mario's and Luigi's last names are indeed "Mario".<ref name="full name"/>

===Personality===
[[File:SuperMarioKun MariovsLuigi 36.jpg|thumb|left|Mario rescues Luigi after a badly ending sibling rivalry, until he is distracted in ''[[Super Mario-kun]]''.]]
{{quote|One of the things that's interesting about Mario is that there's very little character to him. You know very little about him. So despite the fact that he's incredibly well-known, incredibly visible and recognized, we know very little about his backstory, his history, or his motivations, so he's not much of a character in the traditional film or TV sense.|'''James Newman''', senior lecturer of cultural studies of Bath Spa University|source=2009 radio interview<ref name="2009 radio interview"/>}}
Mario is a heroic Italian plumber, with media outside the games depicting him from Brooklyn. Mario is known for being kind, cheerful, playful, encouraging, courageous, and headstrong, and he is also eager and cocky on certain occasions, usually during competitions. Officially, however, Nintendo producers have stated that Mario's biography is kept simple in order to make him versatile and reusable in many different games and situations.<ref>{{cite|url=shmuplations.com/mario20th|title=Shigeru Miyamoto – Mario 20th Anniversary Interview|publisher=shmuplations|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> Although competitive, Mario has good sportsmanship such as from ''Mario Kart 8'' (there is a chance he says, "''Good play!''" when he is in second to sixth place) and ''Fortune Street'' ([[List of Fortune Street quotes#Opponents close to victory 13|see his various losing quotes]]). When he loses, he does exhibit some frustration, but reactions are typically disappointment and resignation versus the more over-the-top cartoonish reactions by other characters.

Mario has occasionally shown assertive tendencies throughout his appearances, especially in contrast to Luigi's and Princess Peach's more cautious approaches, albeit in a lighthearted and comic-relief manner. In ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'', [[Mallow]] has to physically restrain Mario from charging in, such as before the battle with [[Bowyer]], so that the heroes can figure out what is happening to their surroundings. In the beginning of ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'', when Mario hears that Princess Peach is in distress, he sprints out to get dressed and accidentally drags Luigi behind him.

[[File:SMS Mario refuses to pay attention.png|thumb|Mario fantasizes about delicious seafood while he fails to listen to Peach, who notices a suspicious shadow in the advertisement in ''Super Mario Sunshine''.]]
Mario loves food, especially Italian food, which is mostly seen in the DIC cartoon trilogy but is also shown in the games such as in ''Super Mario 64'' and ''Super Mario Odyssey'', where he dreams about Italian food; ''Super Mario Sunshine'', where he is attracted to the promise of seafood, remarks sadly that the disturbed [[Delfino Airstrip]] resembles a "giant, empty plate", and frets that he is going to miss dinner.<ref>{{cite|author=@MarioBrothBlog|date=April 13, 2024|url=x.com/MarioBrothBlog/status/1779212979633783260|title=The Japanese version of Super Mario Sunshine contains a conversation between Toadsworth and Mario in the intro that was cut from all other versions despite being in clear English. Here is the dialogue, isolated from the background music.|publisher=X|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> ''Super Mario Sunshine'' also states that spaghetti is Mario's favorite food.<ref name=fludd/> In ''[[Luigi's Mansion 3]]'', Mario is drawn to a food display in the [[Grand Lobby]], and in ''[[Fortune Street]]'', he offers [[Yoshi]] to help look for cookies before suggesting that he has already eaten the cookies ("''just give me a second to brush these cookie crumbs out of my mustache!''"). Mario is pickier in ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'', however, showing his disgust at mushrooms. Characters also occasionally suggest he pay attention to his diet, such as [[Hoot]] from ''Super Mario 64'' and the [[Star Temple gate]] from ''Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time''.

===Speech===
Mario did not speak in any games from the 1980s to the early 1990s due to each system not having the required storage to fit voice clips without compromising graphical fidelity. Despite the increase of storage, Mario was still not given voice acting on the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]. The MS-DOS version of ''[[Mario Teaches Typing]]'' was the first game to introduce voice acting for Mario, where he was voiced by Ronald B. Ruben, while the [[Mario Teaches Typing Enhanced CD-ROM|CD-ROM version]] was the first to feature voice acting by Charles Martinet.

Since then, like many other protagonists of Nintendo games, Mario has rarely spoken in full sentences in most of the mainline video games, usually making him a semi-silent protagonist. In early games, however, Mario fully speaks for long periods of time, such as in ''[[Mario's FUNdamentals|Mario's Game Gallery]]'' and ''[[Mario Teaches Typing 2]]''. In the Japanese version of ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'', which retains the English voice acting, Mario (Charles Martinet) speaks full sentences and holds a full conversation with [[Toadsworth]] ([[Scott Burns]]) in the cutscenes.<ref>{{cite|author=sunn|date=August 17, 2023|title=Opening cutscene but you can hear Mario & Toadsworth's dialogue|publisher=YouTube|language=en|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> Mario's voice in the video games (by Martinet and [[Kevin Afghani]]) is characterized by broken English with a heavy Italian accent and in a soft, tenor voice, with him often referring to himself in the third person as {{wp|illeism}}. When he screams or is happy or excited, his voice tends to go falsetto. According to Martinet, the high-pitched voice was chosen as a deliberate contrast from the gruff Brooklynite dialect typically associated with Italian-American characters, as he considered the rougher voice inappropriate for a child audience.<ref>{{cite|author=Joshua Lapin-Bertone|date=December 20, 2024|url=https://www.thepopverse.com/movies-super-mario-bros-charles-martinet-cameo-papa-mario|title=Charles Martinet reveals a secret about the voice he used for Mario’s dad in the Super Mario Bros. movie|publisher=Popverse|language=en|accessdate=January 24, 2025|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20241230232136/https://www.thepopverse.com/movies-super-mario-bros-charles-martinet-cameo-papa-mario}}</ref> There are some games where Mario has also been given complete dialogue bubbles, such as ''[[Itadaki Street DS]]'' and ''Fortune Street''. Mario has also spoken in full sentences in various promotional events, such as the 2006 interview for ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'',<ref>{{cite|author=Inkydog|date=November 8, 2007|url=https://youtu.be/sxy2D8kXdHk|title=Mario Interview - New Super Mario Bros.|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> a [[Mario Press Conference|press conference released for ''Mario Sports Mix'']], the [[Nintendo 3DS]] system demonstration,<ref>{{cite|author=mattwu64|date=November 3, 2011|url=https://youtu.be/KYa7G467_Yo|title=Super Mario's Nintendo 3DS Tour|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=July 16, 2022}}</ref> and [[Play Nintendo]]'s series ''[[Mario Reads Your Letters]]''. In promotional venues with MIRT, people can communicate with Mario by asking various questions; there, too, Mario speaks for long periods of time.<ref name="Mario Mario"/><ref>{{cite|author=Replay the past|date=November 7, 2007|url=https://youtu.be/9ihWsOcbS_E|title=mario diss to sony at e3 and also does impressions|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite|author=Sly Peach|date=October 13, 2014|url=https://youtu.be/BXyJwvhrNCY|title=Mario In Real Time at New York Comic Con 2013|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=April 23, 2023}}</ref> On ''[[The Cat Mario Show]]'', Mario can speak fully, but he has an entirely different voice that is pitch-shifted higher. After the [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]] era, Martinet made a slight change to the way he voices Mario, using his tenor voice more consistently and taking on a slightly lower pitch to make him more expressive, while in the ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' games from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' onwards, Mario's voice became deeper and raspier than usual, similarly to ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''. In ''Super Mario 3D World'', as well as various games from the [[Nintendo Switch]] era (including ''Super Mario Odyssey'' and ''Luigi's Mansion 3''), Mario's voice has become noticeably deeper and slightly weaker in energy due to Martinet aging. In ''Super Mario Bros. Wonder'', after Martinet stopped voicing Mario, Afghani succeeded him and gave Mario a similar but slightly higher-pitched voice.

Most non-game media, such as comics, manga, anime films, and cartoons, also show Mario speaking. In the cartoons and ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'', Mario is usually associated with a Brooklyn accent, the former with a gruff voice, though his non-English voices in the latter vary, with some imitating his high-pitched voice in the games and others having a generic young adult-like voice. Mario speaks in the various anime films and shorts such as in ''Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!'', though his voice is not as gruff as in the cartoons. 

Likewise, in some cases, Mario is a true silent protagonist, or he does not speak in English. In ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'', Mario is completely silent, communicating solely through pantomime. In the ''[[Paper Mario (series)|Paper Mario]]'' titles, he mainly communicates through simple nodding and hand gestures; while he is completely silent in ''Paper Mario'', however, he is given his usual voice in ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' and ''Super Paper Mario''. Mario is also silent during dialogue scenes in the ''[[Super Mario Stadium]]'' series, ''[[Mario Tennis Aces]]'', the ''[[Mario Golf (series)|Mario Golf]]'' series, and the ''[[Mario & Sonic]]'' series, although he does say the usual catchphrases in a game session. In these games, other characters speak for him, mainly [[Lakitu]] and [[Toad]]. In the ''[[Mario & Luigi]]'' titles, Mario and Luigi speak in unintelligible Italian-sounding gibberish that the other characters can understand.
{{media table
|file1=MTT2 - Mario Thanks the Player.oga
|title1=''[[Mario Teaches Typing 2]]''
|description1=Mario's voice
|length1=0:11
}}

===Powers and abilities===
[[File:MarioGoomba.png|thumb|left]]
Mario's primary ability is his [[jump]], which he relies on to navigate [[platform]]s, defeat enemies, avoid hazards, and activate helpful items, such as [[? Block]]s and [[P Switch]]es. This ability is a result of Nintendo's game design philosophy, especially during development of earlier ''Super Mario''–franchise games, to allow a very simple ability to accomplish a great variety of tasks. Although [[Luigi]] jumps higher in some games, Mario is also agile, capable of several acrobatic maneuvers, including the [[Long Jump]], [[Backward Somersault]], [[Spin Jump]], and [[Wall Jump]], with the Wall Jump being one of his most recurring abilities. Several of these abilities are later shared with other ''Super Mario'' characters. Some games depict Mario as immune to fall damage, such as in ''Super Mario Galaxy'' and ''Super Mario Odyssey'', though landing still impacts him, while other games such as ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' have him taking damage; Mario can be instantly defeated by falling great heights in the ''Donkey Kong'' games. While Mario usually jumps for his attack, he can [[punch]] and [[kick]] in a few other games such as ''Super Mario 64'', games in the ''Mario Party'' series, and games in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series.

With power-ups, Mario can transform in a number of different ways to augment his abilities or even gain entirely new ones. His most iconic power-up is [[Super Mushroom]], which makes him the larger, stronger, and more resilient [[Super Mario (form)|Super Mario]]. [[Mega Mushroom]]s further increase Mario's size, making him the nearly invincible [[Mega Mario]]. This size power is referenced in other games without relying on items, such as with [[Enlarge]] in ''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]'', [[Super Mario!]] in ''[[Mario Strikers Charged]]'', and Mario's [[taunt]] in ''Super Smash Bros.'' installments prior to ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''. Other common items Mario can acquire are those that grant invincibility, the most recognizable being the [[Super Star]], but other examples include the aforementioned Mega Mushroom and the [[Metal Cap]]. The [[Fire Flower]] makes Mario become [[Fire Mario]], and allows him to throw [[Fireball]]s to attack  from a distance. Mario can also use similar items that grant access to different kinds of projectiles, such as the [[Ice Flower]] and its [[Ice Ball]]s and the [[Boomerang Flower]] and its [[boomerang]]s. Some items, such as the [[Frog Suit]] in ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' and the [[Spring Mushroom]] in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'', allow him to jump or bounce even higher than normal.  A great number of items grant Mario the ability to [[fly]], such as the [[Super Leaf]], [[Cape Feather]], [[Wing Cap]], [[Propeller Mushroom]], [[Bee Mushroom]], and [[Red Star]]. 

Mario's main weapon is the [[hammer]] in ''Donkey Kong''; Mario often also uses the hammer as a weapon in ''Super Mario'' RPGs.
{{multiframe
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|Mario is associated with fire in some spinoffs, usually in sports games and the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series.
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Mario is associated with fire in some spinoff games, likely in reference to Fire Mario. It is not until the 2000s, however, where Mario uses fire to augment his moveset. The spinoff series that regularly affix Mario fire abilities include ''[[Mario Golf (series)|Mario Golf]]'' (after ''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]'' where his [[List of golfing terms|Nice Shot]] encases the golf ball in flames), ''[[Super Mario Stadium]]'' (Mario's team name in both ''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]'' and ''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]'' is [[Mario Fireballs]]), and ''[[Mario Strikers]]''. Other games include ''[[Mario Hoops 3-on-3]]'', ''[[Mario Sports Mix]]'', and ''[[Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition]]''. While not a regular occurrence throughout the rest of the ''[[Mario & Luigi]]'' series, Mario can use [[Firebrand]] in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'' and has fire-based special moves in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Brothership]]''. Mario has the fireball as his special item in some games such as in ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'' (along with a kart named [[Red Fire]]), [[Mario Kart#Arcade games|''Mario Kart Arcade GP'' installments]], ''[[Mario Party 7]]'', and ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'', although these are also not common in the rest of the series for these installments.

The ''Super Smash Bros.'' series includes Mario's ability to shoot a fireball in the first game, although this is likely simply a reference to Fire Mario. Starting with ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', Mario's side smash attack is a powerful palm thrust with a burst of fire. It replaced a strong punch from the first game. ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' later expands on Mario's fire powers by giving him a fire-based [[Mario Finale]] as a [[Final Smash]]. Although most of Mario's moves do not involve fire, promotional art and [[amiibo]] for ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' show him shooting large flames or having his fist encased in flames. Additionally, one of Mario's victory animations, from ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', has him sweep fire before striking a pose.

[[File:SM64 Mario Swings Bowser.png|thumb|left|Despite his small size, in ''Super Mario 64'', Mario can pick up large enemies, including Bowser.]]
Mario can carry objects much larger than himself in some games. In ''Super Mario 64'', he can carry and throw the [[King Bob-omb|Big Bob-omb]], although with some difficulty. During the battles with [[Bowser]], Mario can grab him by the tail, spin him, and throw him. His strength is also shown in ''Super Mario Galaxy'', where he can easily stun a [[Big Goomba|Grand Goomba]] with a [[spin|Star Spin]] despite its great size and can knock Bowser around during battles with him. In ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'', although Mario is visibly straining, he is able to lift and throw a swollen Luigi when using the [[Snack Basket]] move. In the spinoffs, Mario, although usually balanced, boasts generally slightly above-average power, and in golf, he has one of the strongest drives. 

Mario has been designed to be a versatile character. As a result, his abilities reflect a balanced playstyle, allowing him to participate and perform well in many situations. Indeed, his bios have frequently and consistently described him as a "jack of all trades". Another result of his versatility is the number of occupations he holds. 
{{br}}

===Occupations===
[[File:Singingm.gif|thumb|upright=0.55|Mario in a one-off occupation as a rapper, as seen in the Japanese and French commercials for ''[[Mario Pinball Land|Super Mario Ball]]'']]
Despite starting as a carpenter in ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'', Mario is best known for being a plumber since ''Mario Bros.'' However, though he still frequently traversed through pipes, subsequent games rarely portray Mario as being directly involved in plumbing. Exceptions include him and Luigi repairing the plumbing of [[Beanbean Castle Sewer]] in ''Superstar Saga'' and repairing a [[Clear Pipe]] in the intro to ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]''.

Other media, such as ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'' and ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'', put a much bigger emphasis on Mario's job. According to the live-action segments in ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'', Mario works a menial job at [[Super Mario Bros. Plumbing|Mario Brothers Plumbing]] in Brooklyn, just barely able to make enough money, and sometimes complains about a dull life. Despite this, he and Luigi seem to excel at their jobs, as it is stated that they have one of the best plumbing in [[New York City]]. Also, according to the show, Mario received his plumber training from the [[Brooklyn Plumbers Academy]], founded by [[Salvador Drainotto]], to whom Mario holds great respect. Mario is also skilled with various plumbing tools throughout the show's episodes, such as the [[All Purpose Portable Plumber's Helper]] and [[Plumber's Putty]], which he uses to assist him and his friends in some hazardous situations. In 2016, a bio on the Kids section of the Nintendo Co., Ltd. site indicates that plumbing was Mario's former occupation; the bio on Mario Portal reconfirmed this.<ref>{{cite|author=Ashcraft, Brian|date=September 4, 2017|url=kotaku.com/mario-is-officially-no-longer-a-plumber-1799118840|title=Mario Is Officially No Longer A Plumber|publisher=Kotaku|language=en|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> However, as of March 2018, the Japanese profile was updated to state that Mario is still a plumber,<ref>{{cite|author=Schreier, Jason|date=March 6, 2018|url=kotaku.com/mario-is-officially-a-plumber-again-1823545849|title=Mario Is Officially A Plumber Again|publisher=Kotaku|language=en|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> and that statement is further confirmed by ''[[Super Mario Bros. Wonder]]''.<ref>{{cite|quote=Mario works as a plumber with his little brother Luigi.|author=Loading screen tip|title=''Super Mario Bros. Wonder''}}</ref>

In addition to plumbing, Mario has dabbled in various other occupations. One of his most particular recurring alternate careers is in medicine, as his alter-ego [[Dr. Mario]], who stars in [[Dr. Mario (series)|an entire spinoff series]] and is even a separate character in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' games (even though Mario and Dr. Mario are the same person). Mario is also known for his participation in a wide variety of spinoff sports games, including but not limited to golf, tennis, basketball, hockey, soccer, and both kart and motocross racing. He also participates in a wide array of Olympic events and has even made a cameo as a referee in ''[[nwiki:Punch-Out!! (NES)|Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!]]'' Another series-specific recurring role Mario takes is as the president of the [[Mario Toy Company]] in the [[Mario vs. Donkey Kong (series)|''Mario vs. Donkey Kong'' games]].

In addition to these, Mario has also had numerous one-off jobs, again including but not limited to a demolition worker in ''[[Wrecking Crew]]'', an archaeologist in ''[[Mario's Picross]]'', a baker in ''[[Yoshi's Cookie]]'', a factory worker in ''[[Mario's Cement Factory]]'' and ''[[Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)|Mario Bros.]]'' for the [[Game & Watch]], a soldier who delivers [[bomb]]s in ''[[Mario's Bombs Away]]'', a [[grocery]] worker in ''[[Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!]]'', a psychotherapist in ''[[Super Mario Adventures]]'' (albeit as a gag), and potentially a {{wp|sensei}} in ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars''. Finally, ''[[Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up]]'' depicts Mario in various occupations, intending to educate children on several careers they can explore.

===Relationships===
====Family====
{{main|Mario and Luigi's family}}
[[File:Tanooki Mario and Luigi reunite - TSMBM.png|thumb|250px|upright=1.1|left|Mario and Luigi embrace each other in ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'', with Mario reminding Luigi in his promise to protect him.]]
{{quote|I'm telling you, nothing can hurt us as long as we're together!|Mario before he and Luigi get separated|''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]''}}
Luigi is Mario's younger but taller twin brother. Luigi often joins Mario on his adventures, and the two are normally paired in sports titles and spinoffs. They share a strong brotherly bond ever since they were babies, and Mario has always shown protective instincts towards Luigi, as in the ''[[Yoshi (series)|Yoshi]]'' series, he can sense Luigi's location and leads the [[Yoshi (species)|Yoshi]]s to rescue him. Even after they became adults, they still live together and remain very close and committed to each other, such as in ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'', the ''[[Mario & Luigi]]'' series, and ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'', and in both the RPGs and the movie, they share a bedroom. Mario also is shown to be proud of Luigi when he faces his fears for him, such as when Luigi fights [[King Boo]] on three different occasions to rescue Mario, and when Mario is saved in ''[[Luigi's Mansion 3]]'', he is very happy that Luigi came to free him, and congratulates him before jumping in his arms and giving him a big hug. The 1993 official Nintendo Character Manual states that Mario, when he retires, plans to give his plumbing business to Luigi (while also implying a distinct age contrast, which conflicts with the idea that they are twins).<ref name="1993 Nintendo Character Manual">{{cite|author=Green, Matthew|date=December 30, 2014|url=www.pressthebuttons.com/2014/12/mario-kirby-and-samus-aran-shine-in-the-nintendo-character-manual.html|title=Mario, Kirby, And Samus Aran Shine In The Nintendo Character Manual|publisher=Press The Buttons|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> 

While Mario and Luigi love each other, in ''Paper Mario'', Luigi admits that he also feels jealousy towards Mario at times and has also expressed that he is "tired of being Player 2", for, despite being a hero in his own right, he is often overshadowed by Mario. While Mario teases that Luigi's quote of being Player 2 is taken out of context, adding that "Luigi loves being [his] sidekick" in the ''[[Mario Sports Mix]]'' press conference, in ''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story'', he is quick to give Luigi proper credit for defeating the [[Shroob]]s in the previous game. At times, Mario does compete with Luigi, such as when he intentionally steps and squirms on Luigi's foot when Luigi receives a trophy in ''[[Mario Power Tennis]]'', making him uneasy and embarrassed. Despite this and his tendency not to receive the same credit as Mario, Luigi has always admired him and shown a strong loyalty to him that pushes him to face his fears if he needs his help. ''[[Mario & Luigi: Dream Team]]'' also shows his subconscious, known as [[Dream's Deep]], where he has nothing but positive feelings and thoughts about Mario. Several pieces of artwork also show them posing together, with a few more and [[:File:Mario and Luigi high-five - Super Mario Sticker.gif|an animated sticker]] showing them giving each other a high-five.

[[File:Marioparents.PNG|thumb|Mario and Luigi's supposed parents]]
The rest of Mario's family has not been extensively explored, though more often outside the games. Mario and Luigi's supposed parents make a cameo at the end of ''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island'', although their faces are not seen and their names are not given, same as in their appearances in "[[Family Album "The Early Years"|Family Album 'The Early Years']]" and ''[[Super Mario Issun-bōshi]]''. Furthermore, ''[[Yoshi's New Island]]'' has stated that those two are not Mario and Luigi's parents. ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'', on the other hand, mentioned or featured [[Mario's mom|Mama Mario]] in a number of episodes, depicting her as a strict woman who loves her boys very much. [[Mario's dad|Their father]] did not appear on the show, and very little is known about him. ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'' and the comics also make references or depict various other relatives of Mario, including aunts, uncles, and cousins, although none have appeared in any games.

''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' depicts Mario and Luigi as living with their parents and several other extended family members, including two paternal uncles, an aunt, a grandfather, and a niece, in a small apartment in [[Brooklyn]].<ref name=Polygon>{{cite|author=McWhertor, Michael|date=April 8, 2023|url=www.polygon.com/23673074/mario-movie-family-members-dad-mom-uncles-aunt|title=The Super Mario Bros. Movie drew on unused Nintendo designs to build out Mario’s family|publisher=Polygon|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> However, at the end of the movie, Mario and Luigi are seen living by themselves in the Mushroom Kingdom.

====Friends and love interests====
One of Mario's earliest friends is [[Yoshi]], who, along with other [[Yoshi (species)|Yoshi]]s, saved him and Luigi from [[Bowser's Minions]] when they were still babies. In ''Yoshi's New Island'', Mario has also reciprocated by traveling to the past to help [[Baby Mario]] and Yoshi save [[Baby Luigi]]. In the present day, Yoshi continues to help Mario against Bowser, usually serving as his steed. Overall, Mario and Yoshi get along well, and they always support each other through tough times. 

Another of Mario's closest friends is Toad, who occasionally goes on adventures with him, as in ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'', ''[[Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix]]'', ''[[Mario Tennis Aces]]'', various ''Super Mario'' cartoons, and the ''[[Super Mario Bros. (Valiant Comics)|Super Mario Bros.]]'' comics. Toad trusts that Mario always saves the day and, even when not fighting alongside him, is quick to offer advice and encouragement. 

[[File:Mario and Peach (trophy cutscene) - Mario Power Tennis.png|thumb|left|Peach rewards Mario with a kiss after he wins a trophy in ''Mario Power Tennis''.]]
Many sources portray Mario and Peach as having an ongoing romantic relationship as well as a friendship.<ref>{{cite|quote=How much do you know about Princess Peach? Well, you might have guessed she lives in a big castle, that Mario is one of her good friends, and that she's very kind-hearted, […]|author=[[Jordan]], Play Nintendo channel|date=February 4, 2023|url=https://youtu.be/r-3Exp6pr20|title=Meet Princess Peach: Ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom 👑 <nowiki>| Guessing Game! |</nowiki> @PlayNintendo|timestamp=0:00|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=October 4, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite|quote=I want to put Mario and Peach, 'cause they're friends just like me and my hamster.|author=Jordan, Play Nintendo channel|date=February 11, 2023|url=https://youtu.be/KD2GUHxME5c&t=102|title=DIY Nintendo Cards! 🤭 {{!}} Craft with Mario, Peach & Bowser {{!}} @PlayNintendo|timestamp=1:42|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=February 16, 2023}}</ref> In many games, Mario saves Peach, and she usually rewards him with a kiss on the cheek or nose, a [[cake]], or even both. When Mario gets kissed by Peach, he often becomes flustered before celebrating. The official European ''Super Mario'' website lists Peach as Mario's girlfriend, and ''[[Mario Party 5]]'' calls Peach and Mario's team "Cutest Couple". The German ''[[Club Nintendo (German magazine)|Club Nintendo]]'' comic "[[Warios Weihnachtsmärchen]]" shows their graduation ball in school together, and in the official guide of ''[[Yoshi's Island DS]]'', the description for the level [[Baby Mario and Baby Peach: Dynamic Duo]] states they have teamed up as babies to stop evil before the "romantic entanglements" of their adult lives. [[Rosalina]] refers to Peach as Mario's "special one" in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'', with the two seen holding hands toward the end of the game. Details about their relationship, however, are left vague and ambiguous. In ''Super Paper Mario'', for instance, while both Mario and Luigi deny a relationship when [[Luvbi]] asks if Peach was Mario's "lady friend", Luvbi also comments that the princess "looms large in his regard" and then wonders if Mario had a "one-sided crush". ''Super Smash Bros.'' additionally has a bio for Mario stating that "their true relationship remains a mystery."

Peach has not been Mario's only romantic interest, however. In the original ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'', [[Pauline]] was Mario's first girlfriend and damsel-in-distress, but while he still has to occasionally rescue her in the ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong'' series, the two are considered just friends now. In addition, when Mario saved [[Daisy|Princess Daisy]] in her debut appearance in ''[[Super Mario Land]]'', a heart appeared overhead, implying a romantic connection. This was never explored further, however, and while ''[[Mario Party 4]]'' gave them the team name "Nice Couple", most games link Daisy with Luigi instead, with her and Mario simply being friends, sharing a positive but unnoticeable player [[chemistry]] in the ''[[Super Mario Stadium]]'' series.

In ''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]]'', Mario is also shown to be a caring parental figure over Baby Mario, but he also steps in if any of his teammates misbehave. Mario appears to enjoy the babies' company. Before Baby Mario returns to his own time period, he gives Mario his hammer as a parting gift, showing his pleasure to be with his adult self.

Mario appears to be friendly rivals with [[Sonic|Sonic the Hedgehog]], extremely competitive in sports and events. Though rivals, they have a good friendship and partnership as the two have teamed up several times to stop their respective archenemies, Bowser and [[Dr. Eggman]]. According to an informal conversation with Mario, he [[List of Mario quotes#Miscellaneous|stated in response]] that he likes Sonic and views him as a friendly archrival rather than an enemy. This is further supported in recent installments of the ''[[Mario & Sonic]]'' series, where they often share a high-five.

====Foes and rivals====
[[File:Club Nintendo Characters Poster.png|thumb|upright=1.66|Mario with his many friends and foes]]
Bowser is Mario's nemesis. Bowser constantly tries to take over the [[Mushroom Kingdom]], harm Mario's brother and his friends, and/or kidnap Peach, while Mario usually defeats him. While Bowser resents Mario, he is often more than happy to forgive Bowser, such as in ''[[Mario Party DS]]'', where they enjoy playing [[Triangle Twisters]] together. Even so, the resentment appears mutual, given their victory animations in ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games]]'' and ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games]]''. Bowser often calls Mario a variety of disparaging nicknames, especially in the cartoons. Mario sometimes returns the insults, but such retorts are usually restricted to cartoons and other non-game media. When Mario does lose to Bowser, generally in spinoffs, he acknowledges it in good nature, such as in ''[[Fortune Street]]'', although he expects himself to be a competent adversary for Bowser. Occasionally the two team up to defeat greater evils, such as in ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'', ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'', ''Super Paper Mario'', and ''[[Paper Mario: The Origami King]]''.

Mario's first enemy, however, was [[Donkey Kong]] (later known as [[Cranky Kong]]), who kidnapped Mario's girlfriend and whom Mario had to defeat. The current Donkey Kong and Mario are on much better terms and often participate in sports and spinoffs together. Although they do maintain a friendly and somewhat competitive rivalry, Mario must defeat Donkey Kong a couple of times in the ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong'' series because Donkey Kong went into mischief, stemming from his passion and frustration for [[Mini-Mario]]s and Pauline. Even after his victory, after noticing Donkey Kong upset, Mario reconciles by offering his toys.

Mario's archrival is [[Wario]], with various comics depicting their antagonistic relationship starting in childhood, and it is a major theme in ''[[Super Mario-kun]]''. In Wario's first appearance, in ''[[Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins]]'', he stole [[Mario's castle]], and in ''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]'', he tried to destroy Mario, although for the most part, their rivalry is far more mild in nature, and the two even team up to defeat Bowser in ''[[Super Mario 64 DS]]''. Finally, according to Wario in [[Wario's Warehouse]], both Wario and [[Waluigi]] hang out with him, although Mario frequently peeks at Wario's Warehouse. Wario has shown mostly contempt for Mario, but he does not have the same level of dislike as Bowser, whereas Mario, although he has been initially bitter and even called Wario an "evil creep",<ref>{{cite|quote=While I was away crusading against the mystery alien Tatanga in Sarasa Land, an evil creep took over my castle and put the people of Mario Land under his control with a magic spell. The intruder goes by the name of Wario. He has been jealous of my popularity ever since we were boys, and has tried to steal my castle many times. It seems he has succeeded this time. Wario has scattered the 6 Golden Coins from my castle all over Mario Land. These Golden Coins are guarded by those under Wario's spell. Without these coins, we can't get into the castle to deal with Wario. We must collect the six coins, attack Wario in the castle, and save everybody!|title=''Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins'' instruction booklet|page=3–4}}</ref> maintains his cheerful and positive attitude as he does with most of his enemies.

===Theme===
{{main|Ground BGM (Super Mario Bros.)}}
Though "Ground BGM" from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' is commonly associated with the ''Super Mario'' franchise as a whole, it has also been used in association with Mario himself on multiple occasions, such as the theme being quoted in Mario's results theme from ''[[Super Mario Kart]]'' and an arrangement of the theme playing whenever Mario's [[amiibo]] is being controlled in ''[[Mario Party 10]]''{{'}}s [[Mario Party 10#amiibo Party|amiibo Party]] mode.
{{media table
|file1=SMK Mario Ranks.oga
|title1=Race Results (Mario)
|description1=The arrangement of "Ground BGM" heard in ''Super Mario Kart''
|length1=0:11
|file2=MP10 Mario's Theme.oga
|title2=Mario's Theme
|description2=The arrangement of "Ground BGM" heard in ''Mario Party 10''
|length2=0:30
}}

===Miscellaneous information===
*In 1993, a Nintendo character guide stated that Mario is classified under the scientific name ''Homo nintendonus''.<ref>https://www.resetera.com/threads/so-apparently-in-1993-nintendo-confirmed-that-mario-isnt-human-but-rather-homo-nintendonus.154095</ref>
*According to the Insiders' Calendar included in ''[[Nintendo Power issue 2]]'', Mario's birthday is October 11.<ref>{{cite|title=''Nintendo Power Volume 2''|date=September/October 1988|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{cite|quote=Check your Insider's{{sic}} Calendar and you'll see that Mario's birthday is October 11.|date=November/December 1988|title=''Nintendo Power Volume 3''|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us|page=96}}</ref>
*The 1993 Nintendo Character Manual has stated that Mario loves animals, especially the most unusual ones,<ref name="1993 Nintendo Character Manual"/> and he also enjoys music, particularly opera or new-wave Europop,<ref name="1993 Nintendo Character Manual"/> although there is no further comment for these statements.
*''Mario Strikers Charged'' gives Mario a rock-'n'-roll theme for his entrance and scoring animations and an orchestrated theme for his Super Ability.
*Mario is said to be an avid ''{{wp|All Night Nippon}}'' listener.<ref>{{cite|date=1986|title=''All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.'' instruction booklet|publisher=Nintendo|language=ja|page=6-7}}</ref>
*Mario has on occasion been illustrated playing the saxophone<ref>[[:File:MarioplaySaxophone.png]]</ref><ref>[[:File:SM3DW Art.jpg]]</ref><ref>[[:File:8bitMario Bigband.png]]</ref> and the guitar.<ref>[[:File:SMO E3 2017 screenshot 6.png]]</ref>
*In an answer to a question sent by ''[[Famitsu]]'' to Nintendo, Mario's favorite foods are stated to be mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and leaves from {{wp|Glebionis coronaria|spring chrysanthemum}} (a common vegetable in East Asian cuisine).<ref>{{cite|author=@MarioBrothBlog|date=April 4, 2026|url=https://x.com/mariobrothblog/status/2040447290779791662|title=In 1993, the Japanese Famitsu magazine inquired Nintendo about Mario's favorite foods. Nintendo replied that Mario's favorite foods are mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, and surprisingly, edible chrysanthemums.|publisher=X|accessdate=April 4, 2026|archive=https://megalodon.jp/2026-0405-0055-38/https://x.com:443/mariobrothblog/status/2040447290779791662}}</ref>
*''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'' reveals that Mario wears a short-sleeved red pajama shirt with the word "[[Brooklyn]]" in white text and blue pajama pants when he goes to sleep.

==History==
{{main|History of Mario}}
[[File:SuperMarioBros35thAnniversary - Game Collection.jpg|thumb|Promotional image celebrating Mario's history in the ''[[Super Mario (series)|Super Mario]]'' series of platformers]]

Due to being the main protagonist of a long-running video game series, Mario has an extensive history spanning decades and across various media from video games to TV shows to comics and even to full-length featured films. Mario starts from his arcade roots in ''Donkey Kong'' and eventually establishes himself in ''Super Mario Bros.'', the beginning of the ''[[Super Mario (series)|Super Mario]]'' series of platformers, as the hero of the [[Mushroom Kingdom]] who rescues Princess Peach from Bowser and relies on power-ups. Mario's established role as a hero in the platformers is eventually expanded to other recognizable roles in various spinoffs, including but not limited to ''[[Mario Kart]]'', the ''[[Mario Party (series)|Mario Party]]'' series, the ''[[Paper Mario (series)|Paper Mario]]'' series, and sports games. Although his history does not follow a clearly established canon, some of Mario's earliest games chronologically are in the ''[[Yoshi (series)|Yoshi]]'' series, depicting Mario's birth as part of a twin delivery, with Luigi, by a [[stork]]. Sometimes, Mario has even interacted with [[Baby Mario|his baby self]], especially in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]]''.

While most of Mario's adventures are told in straightforward narratives that involve rescuing Peach from Bowser, various RPGs (including some games of the ''Paper Mario'' series and ''[[Mario & Luigi]]'' series), comics, and animated films involve a more extensive plot, sometimes with Mario even allying with Bowser to defeat a greater villain. Mario has also been involved in some crossovers, including with other Nintendo properties in the ''[[Super Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' series,  ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' in the ''[[Mario & Sonic]]'' series, ''Dragon Quest'' in ''[[Itadaki Street DS]]'' and ''[[Fortune Street]]'', and [[Rabbid]]s in the ''[[Mario + Rabbids]]'' series. Mario's history also includes some appearances outside his own series, usually cameos.
{{br}}

==Profiles and statistics==
{{main|List of Mario profiles and statistics}}
[[File:Mario stats.png|thumb|upright=1.66|An example of Mario's balanced characteristics]]
{{multiframe
|[[File:MK8 Mario Emblem.png|100px]][[File:MK8 Mario Car Horn Emblem.png|100px]]
|Mario's [[emblem]]s from ''[[Mario Kart 8]]''
|size=200
|align=right
}}
Mario has consistently and frequently appeared in every game as a balanced player designed to be mastered easily. The only exceptions are the ''Mario Golf'' games, where he has a high drive, higher than most of the cast, including known power characters such as Wario and Donkey Kong (in ''Mario Golf: World Tour'', for instance, his drive is surpassed only by Bowser, Rosalina, and Donkey Kong). Additionally, in ''[[Mario Strikers: Battle League]]'', Mario is classified as a technique character (albeit his bio mentions his balanced stats); Shy Guy, later added in an update, is later classified as an all-around character. Otherwise, since Mario is designed as a versatile character, his stats reflect the "jack of all trades" quality. In games where Mario's stats are not equally balanced, he generally leans slightly toward power and agility. While Mario is fairly nimble in games such as ''Super Smash Bros.'', ''Mario Super Sluggers'', the ''Mario & Luigi'' series, and the ''Mario & Sonic'' series, he is sometimes portrayed with average or even below-average mobility in other games, including ''Mario Superstar Baseball'', ''Mario Tennis'' games, and ''Mario Strikers Charged''.

Most bios have described Mario as a well-known icon in the Mushroom Kingdom, in Nintendo, and in video gaming in general. They may also celebrate his numerous accomplishments or his previous forays.

Mario's most frequent associated color scheme has been red, although his scheme may sport blue or white motifs. His [[emblem]] is the letter ''M'' as seen on [[Mario Cap|his cap]].
{{br}}

==Gallery==
{{main-gallery}}
<gallery perrow=5>
DKNESMarioArt.png|''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]''
Mario and mushroom SMB1 artwork.png|''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''
RaccoonMario GreenShell SMB3.png|''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''
MarioSuperShowClipart.png|''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!]]''
Mario Solo SuperMarioKun.png|''[[Super Mario-kun]]''
Mario holding flag SMK artwork.jpg|''[[Super Mario Kart]]''
Mario Victory Pose Artwork - Super Mario 64.png|''[[Super Mario 64]]''
Mario Artwork - Mario Party 4.png|''[[Mario Party 4]]''
PMTTYD Mario Waving Artwork.png|''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''
Mario PartnersinTime.png|''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]]''
Mario - Mario Party 10.png|''[[Mario Party 10]]''
SMO Art - Mario.png|''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]''
Mario - TennisAces.png|''[[Mario Tennis Aces]]''
Mario Artwork TSMBM.png|''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]''
PN Mario Holding Mushroom Artwork.png|2025 promotional art
</gallery>

==Portrayals==
Mario has been portrayed by the following people, though his most recognizable portrayal is by [[Charles Martinet]]:
*[[Harris Shore]] – ''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (game)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]'' commercials
*[[Larry Moran]] – [[Donkey Kong (cereal)|Donkey Kong cereal]] commercials
*[[Pat McBride]] – ''[[Donkey Kong Goes Home]]''<ref>{{cite|author=Colantonio, Giovanni|date=July 24, 2023|url=www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/donkey-kong-goes-home-retrospective|title=This forgotten 1983 vinyl made Mario history, but it could never be created today|publisher=Digital Trends|accessdate=July 24, 2023}}</ref>
*[[Peter Cullen]] – ''[[Saturday Supercade]]''
*[[Toru Furuya|Tōru Furuya]] – ''[[Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!]]'', ''[[Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros.]]'', ''[[Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land]]'', [[Satellaview]] games
*[[Jean-Claude Donda]] – ''[[Les Trésors de Super Mario]]'', ''[[Super Mario Bros.: Trapped in the Perilous Pit]]'' (French dub)
*[[Lou Albano]] – ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!]]''
**[[Bernardo Ezeta]] (Latin American Spanish)
**[[Jacques Dynam]] (French)
*[[Walker Boone]] – ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', ''[[Super Mario World (television series)|Super Mario World]]'' television series
**[[Víctor Mares]] (Latin American Spanish)
**[[Gwen Lebret]] (French)
*[[Tony Fuochi]] – [[DIC Entertainment]] cartoons (Italian dub)
*{{wp|John Lenahan}} – ''[[The Super Mario Challenge]]''
*[[Ronald B. Ruben]] – ''[[Mario Teaches Typing]]'' (MS-DOS)
*[[Craig Brolley]] – [[Super Mario Bros. (pinball)|''Super Mario Bros.'' pinball machine]]<ref>{{file link|Zabriskie_pinball.jpg|Dave Zabriskie email correspondence}}</ref>
*{{wp|Takeshi Aono}} – ''[[Mario Paint]]'' commercial
*[[Lennart Johannessen]] – Live-action segments for the Danish dub of ''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3''
*[[Bob Hoskins]] – [[Super Mario Bros. (film)|''Super Mario Bros.'' film]]
**[[Víctor Delgado]] (Latin American Spanish)
**[[Daniel Russo]] (French)
**[[Michael Chevalier]] (German)
**[[Michele Gammino]] (Italian)
**[[Kōsei Tomita]] (Japanese)
*[[Nicholas Glaeser]] – ''[[Mario is Missing! (PC)|Mario is Missing!]]'' (Macintosh, ''CD-ROM Deluxe'')
*[[Marc Graue]] – ''[[Hotel Mario]]''
*[[David Platshon]] – ''[[Mario's Time Machine Deluxe]]''
*[[Charles Martinet]] – [[Mario in Real Time]], all games from ''[[Mario Teaches Typing Enhanced CD-ROM]]'' to ''[[Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope]]''
*[[Stevie Coyle]] – Mario in Real Time
*{{wp|Hiroyuki Takahashi (game producer)|Hiroyuki Takahashi}} – ''[[Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)|Mario Golf]]'' (whistle)<ref>{{cite|quote=マリオがパーであがると口笛を吹く。じつは、この口笛、タカハシ・ブラザーズ兄の宏之さんのものであることが判明。じっさいのコースでも吹いているらしいよ。(When Mario goes up on par, he whistles. It turns out that this whistle belongs to Hiroyuki, the older brother of the Takahashi brothers. He also whistles on the actual course.)|date=July 27, 1999|url=https://www.1101.com/nintendo/nin6/nin6-4.htm|title=『マリオゴルフ６４』（第６回の４）|publisher=1101.com|language=ja|accessdate=May 29, 2024|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/20240123083425/https://www.1101.com/nintendo/nin6/nin6-4.htm}}</ref>
*[[Jorge Fink]] – 1999 "Mario Party" commercial (Latin American Spanish)
*{{wp|Goro Inagaki}} – 2003 "Hot Mario" commercial
*[[Takashi Okamura]] – 2005–2006 "Hot Mario Bros." commercials
*{{wp|Kazunari Ninomiya}} – 2011 ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart 7]]'' commercials
*[[Brandon White]] – ''[[Mario Kart 8]]'' Mercedes-Benz GLA commercials
*{{wp|Seth Green}} – Nintendo Digital Event – {{wp|E3 2014}} (''{{wp|Robot Chicken}}'' segments)
*[[Chris Pratt]] – ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'' and ''[[The Super Mario Galaxy Movie]]''
**[[Tyson Chak]] (Cantonese)
**[[Lander Severins]] (Flemish Dutch)
**[[Florus van Rooijen]] (Hollandic Dutch)
**[[Riku Nieminen]] (Finnish)
**[[Philippe Martin]] (Canadian French)
**[[Pierre Tessier]] (European French)
**[[Leonhard Mahlich]] (German)
**[[Claudio Santamaria]] (Italian)
**[[Mamoru Miyano]] (Japanese)
**[[Hwang Chang-yeong]] (Korean)
**[[Zhao Yi]] (Chinese Mandarin)
**[[Chang Teng]] (Taiwanese Mandarin)
**[[Kamil Pruban]] (Polish)
**[[Raphael Rossatto]] (Brazilian Portuguese)
**[[Luís Barros]] (European Portuguese)
**[[Alexander Naparin]] (Russian, official dub)
**[[Raúl Anaya]] (Latin American Spanish)
**[[Guillermo Romero]] (European Spanish)
*[[Kevin Afghani]] – ''[[Super Mario Bros. Wonder]]''–present<ref>{{cite|author=KevinAfghani|date=October 13, 2023|url=x.com/KevinAfghani/status/1712900880218181648|title=Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Thanks to Nintendo for inviting me into the Flower Kingdom!|publisher=X|accessdate=October 13, 2023|archive=web.archive.org/web/20231013224658/https://twitter.com/KevinAfghani/status/1712900880218181648}}</ref>

==Quotes==
{{main|List of Mario quotes}}
===Games===
*"''Let's-a play!''" – ''[[Mario Power Tennis]]'' / ''[[Mario Tennis: Power Tour]]'' / ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' / ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'' / ''[[Mario Tennis Open]]'' / ''[[Mario Golf: World Tour]]'' / ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]''
*"''It's-a me, Mario!''" – ''[[Super Mario 64]]''
*"''Press Start to play.''" – ''Super Mario 64''
*"''Let's-a go!''" – Various games
*"''Here we go!''" – Various games
*"''Thank you so much for playing my game!''" – ''Super Mario 64'' / ''[[Super Mario 64 DS]]'' / ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' / ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'' / ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]''
*Variations of ''"Mario time!''" – Various games
*"''Here I go!''" – ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]''
*"''That's-a so nice!''" – ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]''
*"''Mamma mia!''" – Various games (usually for losing)
*"''Yahoo!''" – Various games
*"''Oh/Oh no, I lost!''" – ''[[Mario Party 3]]'' / ''[[Mario Party 4]]'' / ''[[Mario Party 5]]'' / ''[[Mario Party 6]]'' / ''[[Mario Party 7]]'' / ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games]]'' / ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]'' / ''[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]''
*"''Hey, come back here, [[Donkey Kong|you big-a monkey!]]''" – ''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong]]''
*"''Oh, mama!''" – ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'' / ''[[Super Mario Party Jamboree]]''
*"''Oh yeah, don't forget to thank [[Shigeru Miyamoto|Mr. Miyamoto]].''" – ''Mario vs. Donkey Kong''
*"''Wowie zowie!''" – ''[[Super Mario Bros. Wonder]]''
*"''Arrivederci!''" – ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]''

===Animation===
;''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!''
{{main|List of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! quotes#Mario}}
;''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3''
{{main|List of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 quotes#Mario}}
;''Super Mario World''
{{main|List of Super Mario World (television series) quotes#Mario}}
;''The Super Mario Bros. Movie''
{{main|List of The Super Mario Bros. Movie quotes}}

===Comics===
{{main|List of quotes from Super Mario comics#Mario}}

===Voice samples===
{{main-media}}
{{media table
|file1=SM64 Mario It's-a me Mario.oga
|title1=''[[Super Mario 64]]''
|description1="''It's-a me, Mario!''" ([[Charles Martinet]], 1996)
|file2=SuperMarioAdvance1-let'sgo.wav
|title2=''[[Super Mario Advance]]''
|description2="''Let's-a go!''" (Charles Martinet, 2001)
|file3=MKDD Mario That's-a So Nice Voice Clip.oga
|title3=''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]''
|description3="''That's so nice!''" (Charles Martinet, 2003)
|file4=SMG Mario Thank You So Much.oga
|title4=''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''
|description4="''Thank you so much for playing my game!''" (Charles Martinet, 2007)
|file5=Mario SM3DW.oga
|title5=''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'' / ''[[Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury]]''
|description5="''Ah, princess-a, what a beautiful evening.''" (Charles Martinet, 2013)
|file6=Mario - MarioNumberOne - SMBW.oga
|title6=''[[Super Mario Bros. Wonder]]''
|description6="''Mario number one!''" ([[Kevin Afghani]], 2023)
}}

==List of appearances==
This is a list of game appearances for Mario.
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Title!!Year!!System!!Role
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong (game)|Donkey Kong]]''||1981||Arcade||Playable character
|-
|''[[Crazy Kong]]''||1981||Arcade||Playable character
|-
|''[[Crazy Kong Part II]]''||1981||Arcade||Playable character
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong (Game & Watch)|Donkey Kong]]''||1982||[[Game & Watch]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong (tabletop arcade game)|Donkey Kong]]''||1982||Coleco tabletop arcade game||Playable character
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (game)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]''||1982||Arcade||Antagonist
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (New Wide Screen)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]''||1982||Game & Watch||Antagonist
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong II]]''||1983||Game & Watch||Antagonist
|-
|''[[Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)|Mario Bros.]]''||1983||Game & Watch||Playable character
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Jr. (Table Top)|Donkey Kong Jr.]]''||1983||Game & Watch||Antagonist
|-
|''[[Mario's Cement Factory]]''||1983||Game & Watch||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Bros.]]''||1983||Arcade||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario's Bombs Away]]''||1983||Game & Watch||Playable character
|-
|''[[Pinball]]''||1984||[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable cameo
|-
|''[[Golf]]''||1984||[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Cameo
|-
|''[[Stroke & Match Golf]]''||1984||[[VS. System]]||Cameo
|-
|-
|''[[VS. Pinball]]''||1984||[[VS. System]]||Playable cameo
|-
|''[[VS. Wrecking Crew]]''||1984||[[VS. System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Bros. Special]]''||1984||Home computers||Playable character
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Circus]]''||1984||Game & Watch||Non-playable character
|-
|''[[Punch Ball Mario Bros.]]''||1984||Home computers||Playable character
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Hockey]]''||1984||Game & Watch||Playable character
|-
|''[[Wrecking Crew]]''||1985||[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''||1985||[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[VS. Super Mario Bros.]]''||1986||[[VS. System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]''||1986||[[Family Computer Disk System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)|Super Mario Bros.]]''||1986||Game & Watch||Playable character
|-
|''[[I am a teacher: Super Mario Sweater]]''||1986||[[Family Computer Disk System]]||Cameo
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros. Special]]''||1986||{{wp|PC-8800 series|NEC PC-88}}, X1||Playable character
|-
|''[[All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.]]''||1986||[[Family Computer Disk System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Golf: Japan Course]]''||1987||[[Family Computer Disk System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Golf: US Course]]''||1987||[[Family Computer Disk System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Famicom Grand Prix: F1 Race]]''||1987||[[Family Computer Disk System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally]]''||1988||[[Family Computer Disk System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Classics]]''||1988||[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character (''Donkey Kong''), Antagonist (''Donkey Kong Jr.'')
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]''||1988||[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''||1988||[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Bros. Returns]]''||1988||[[Family Computer Disk System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Wrecking Crew]]''||1989||[[Family Computer Disk System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Land]]''||1989||[[Game Boy]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Alleyway]]''||1989||[[Game Boy]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Pinball]]''||1989||[[Family Computer Disk System]]||Playable cameo
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros. (Nelsonic Game Watch)|Super Mario Bros.]]''||1989||[[Nelsonic Game Watch]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Tetris]]''||1989||[[Game Boy]]||Cameo
|-
|''[[Famicom Mukashibanashi: Yūyūki]]''||1989||[[Family Computer Disk System]]||Cameo
|-
|''[[Dr. Mario (game)|Dr. Mario]]''||1990||[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Dr. Mario (game)|Dr. Mario]]''||1990||[[Game Boy]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[VS. Dr. Mario]]''||1990||[[VS. System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario World]]''||1990||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros. 3 (Nelsonic Game Watch)|Super Mario Bros. 3]]''||1990||[[Nelsonic Game Watch]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario's Egg Catch]]''||1990||[[Super Mario Bros. Watch]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[NES Open Tournament Golf]]''||1991||[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario the Juggler]]''||1991||[[Game & Watch]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Yoshi (game)|Yoshi]]''||1991||[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Yoshi (game)|Yoshi]]''||1991||[[Game Boy]]||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Super Mario World (Nelsonic Game Watch)|Super Mario World]]''||1991||[[Nelsonic Game Watch]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Roulette]]''||1991||Arcade||Cameo
|- 
|''[[Mario Teaches Typing]]''||1992||Personal computer||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros. & Friends: When I Grow Up]]''||1992||Personal computer||Cameo
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros. (pinball)|Super Mario Bros.]]''||1992||Arcade||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros. Mushroom World]]''||1992||Arcade||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Mario Paint]]''||1992||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Kart]]''||1992||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins]]''||1992||[[Game Boy]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Yoshi's Cookie]]''||1992||[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Yoshi's Cookie]]''||1992||[[Game Boy]]||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Race]]''||1992||[[Gamewatch Boy]]||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Terebi Denwa: Super Mario World]]''||1992||Arcade||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Mario is Missing! (PC)|Mario is Missing!]]''||1993||Personal computer||Side character
|-
|''[[Mario is Missing! (Super Nintendo Entertainment System)|Mario is Missing!]]''||1993||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Side character
|-
|''[[Mario is Missing! (Nintendo Entertainment System)|Mario is Missing!]]''||1993||[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Yoshi's Cookie]]''||1993||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Yoshi's Safari]]''||1993||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]''||1993||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario & Wario]]''||1993||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario's Time Machine (Super Nintendo Entertainment System)|Mario's Time Machine]]''||1993||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario's Early Years! Fun with Letters]]''||1993||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario's Early Years! Fun with Numbers]]''||1993||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario's Early Years! Preschool Fun]]''||1993||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Būbū Mario]]''||1993||Arcade||Cameo
|-
|''[[Dr. Mario (Gamewatch Boy)|Dr. Mario]]''||1993||[[Gamewatch Boy]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario's Time Machine (PC)|Mario's Time Machine]]''||1993||Personal computer||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Undōkai]]''||1993||Arcade||Cameo
|-
|''[[Super Mario World (arcade)|Super Mario World]]''||1993||Arcade||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3]]''||1994||[[Game Boy]]||Cameo
|-
|''[[Mario's Time Machine (Nintendo Entertainment System)|Mario's Time Machine]]''||1994||[[Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong (Game Boy)|Donkey Kong]]''||1994||[[Game Boy]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Hotel Mario]]''||1994||[[Philips CD-i|CD-i]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong (Nelsonic Game Watch)|Donkey Kong]]''||1994||[[Nelsonic Game Watch]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World]]''||1994||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Tetris & Dr. Mario]]''||1994||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character (Dr Mario)
|-
|''[[Super Mario Kart: Doki Doki Race]]''||1994||Arcade||Supporting character
|-
|''[[UNDAKE30 Same Game]]''||1995||[[Satellaview]]||One of the game's icons as [[Mario's face|Mario's head]]
|-
|''[[Mario's FUNdamentals|Mario's Game Gallery]]''||1995||Personal computer||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Mario's Picross]]''||1995||[[Game Boy]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario's Tennis]]''||1995||[[Virtual Boy]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]''||1995||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Supporting character (as Baby Mario)
|-
|''[[Mario's Super Picross]]''||1995||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Clash]]''||1995||[[Virtual Boy]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest]]''||1995||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Cameo
|-
|''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]''||1996||[[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[BS Super Mario USA]]''||1996||[[Satellaview]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario 64]]''||1996||[[Nintendo 64]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Teaches Typing 2]]''||1996||Personal computer||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Kart 64]]''||1996||[[Nintendo 64]]||Playable character
|-
|[[Donkey Kong (slot machine)|''Donkey Kong'' (slot machine)]]||1996||Arcade||Cameo
|-
|''[[Super Mario Attack]]''||1996||Arcade||Playable character
|-
|[[Mario Kart 64 (slot machine)|''Mario Kart 64'' (slot machine)]]||1996||Arcade||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Game & Watch Gallery]]''||1997||[[Game Boy]]||Playable character (''Fire'', ''Octopus'', ''Oil Panic''); supporting character (''Manhole'')
|-
|''[[Mario Net Quest]]''||1997||Browser||Playable character
|-
|''[[Dr. Mario BS Ban|Dr. Mario BS Version]]''||1997||[[Satellaview]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium]]''||1997||[[Satellaview]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Game & Watch Gallery 2]]''||1997||[[Game Boy]]||Playable character (''Parachute'', ''Helmet'', ''Donkey Kong'', ''Ball''); supporting character (''Chef'')
|-
|''[[Mario Paint#Satellaview Versions|Mario Paint: BS Ban]]''||1997||[[Satellaview]]||Supporting character
|-	
|''[[Mario Paint#Satellaview Versions|BS Mario Paint: Yuushou Naizou Ban]]''||1997||[[Satellaview]]||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Wrecking Crew '98]]''||1998||[[Satellaview]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario no Photopi]]''||1998||[[Nintendo 64]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Party]]''||1998||[[Nintendo 64]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Smash Bros.]]''||1999||[[Nintendo 64]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Game & Watch Gallery 3]]''||1999||[[Game Boy Color]]||Playable character (''Mario Bros.''); supporting character (''Egg'', ''Turtle Bridge''); antagonist (''Donkey Kong Jr.'')
|-
|''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]''||1999||[[Game Boy Color]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Golf (Nintendo 64)|Mario Golf]]''||1999||[[Nintendo 64]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Golf (Game Boy Color)|Mario Golf]]''||1999||[[Game Boy Color]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Artist: Paint Studio]]''||1999||[[64DD]]||Cameo
|-
|''[[Mario Party 2]]''||1999||[[Nintendo 64]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Artist: Talent Studio]]''||2000||[[64DD]]||Cameo
|-
|''[[Mario Artist: Communication Kit]]''||2000||[[64DD]]||Cameo
|-
|''[[Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)|Mario Tennis]]''||2000||[[Nintendo 64]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Paper Mario]]''||2000||[[Nintendo 64]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Artist: Polygon Studio]]''||2000||[[64DD]]||Cameo
|-
|''[[Mario Tennis (Game Boy Color)|Mario Tennis]]''||2000||[[Game Boy Color]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Party 3]]''||2000||[[Nintendo 64]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Advance]]''||2001||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Dr. Mario 64]]''||2001||[[Nintendo 64]]||Playable character (as Dr. Mario)
|-
|''[[Mobile Golf]]''||2001||[[Game Boy Color]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]''||2001||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Family]]''||2001||[[Game Boy Color]]||Cameo
|-
|''[[Luigi's Mansion]]''||2001||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Supporting  character
|-
|''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''||2001||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2]]''||2001||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]''||2002||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3]]''||2002||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Cameo (as adult); supporting character (as Baby Mario)
|-
|''[[Game & Watch Gallery 4]]''||2002||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character (''Fire'', ''Donkey Kong 3'', ''Mario's Cement Factory'', ''Rain Shower'', ''Mario Bros.'', ''Donkey Kong'', ''Octopus''); supporting character (''Chef''); antagonist (''Donkey Kong Jr.'')
|-
|''[[Mario Party 4]]''||2002||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Nintendo Puzzle Collection]]''||2003||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character (''Dr Mario'')
|-
|''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]''||2003||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]''||2003||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]''||2003||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Party 5]]''||2003||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]''||2003||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Classic NES Series|Classic NES Series: Super Mario Bros.]]''||2004||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Fushigi no Janjan Land]]''||2004||Arcade||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Golf: Advance Tour]]''||2004||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Classic NES Series|Classic NES Series: Dr. Mario]]''||2004||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong]]''||2004||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''||2004||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Pinball Land]]''||2004||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Fushigi no Korokoro Party]]''||2004||Arcade||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Power Tennis]]''||2004||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Junior/Mario Bros]]''||2004||Arcade||Playable character (''Donkey Kong'' and ''Mario Bros.''), Antagonist (''Donkey Kong Junior'')
|-
|''[[Mario Party 6]]''||2004||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario 64 DS]]''||2004||[[Nintendo DS]]||Playable character (unlockable)
|-
|''[[WarioWare: Touched!]]''||2004||[[Nintendo DS]]||Cameo
|-
|''[[Mario Party Advance]]''||2005||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Yoshi Touch & Go]]''||2005||[[Nintendo DS]]||Supporting character (as Baby Mario)
|-
|''[[NBA Street V3]]''||2005||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Yakuman DS]]''||2005||[[Nintendo DS]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix]]''||2005||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]''||2005||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Tennis: Power Tour]]''||2005||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Dr. Mario & Puzzle League]]''||2005||[[Game Boy Advance]]||Playable character (''Dr Mario'')
|-
|''[[Super Mario Fushigi no Korokoro Party 2]]''||2005||Arcade||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP]]''||2005||Arcade||Playable character
|-
|''[[SSX on Tour]]''||2005||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Princess Peach]]''||2005||[[Nintendo DS]]||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Mario Party 7]]''||2005||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Kart DS]]''||2005||[[Nintendo DS]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Strikers]]''||2005||[[Nintendo GameCube]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]]''||2005||[[Nintendo DS]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Tetris DS]]''||2006||[[Nintendo DS]]||Supporting character
|-
|''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]''||2006||[[Nintendo DS]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Hoops 3-on-3]]''||2006||[[Nintendo DS]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Game & Watch Collection]]''||2006||[[Nintendo DS]]||Playable character in select minigames
|-
|''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis]]''||2006||[[Nintendo DS]]||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Yoshi's Island DS]]''||2006||[[Nintendo DS]]||Supporting character (as Baby Mario)
|-
|''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP 2]]''||2007||Arcade||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Paper Mario]]''||2007||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Strikers Charged]]''||2007||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Party 8]]''||2007||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Itadaki Street DS]]''||2007||[[Nintendo DS]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''||2007||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)|Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games]]''||2007||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Party DS]]''||2007||[[Nintendo DS]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Nintendo DS)|Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games]]''||2008||[[Nintendo DS]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''||2008||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Dr. Mario Online Rx]]''||2008||[[WiiWare]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''||2008||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]''||2008||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Dr. Mario Express]]''||2008||[[DSiWare]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis]]''||2009||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]''||2009||[[Nintendo DS]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)|Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]''||2009||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Nintendo DS)|Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]''||2009||[[Nintendo DS]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]''||2009||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Party Fushigi no Korokoro Catcher]]''||2009||Arcade||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]''||2010||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition]]''||2010||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!]]''||2010||[[Nintendo DS]]||Supporting character
|-
|''[[Mario Sports Mix]]''||2010||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii Coin World]]''||2011||Arcade||Playable character
|-
|''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''||2011||[[Nintendo 3DS]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Wii)|Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]''||2011||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Kart 7]]''||2011||[[Nintendo 3DS]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Fortune Street]]''||2011||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)|Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]''||2012||[[Nintendo 3DS]]||Playable character in select minigames
|-
|''[[Mario Party 9]]''||2012||[[Wii]]||Playable character
|-
|''[[Mario Tennis Open]