Editing Valentina

{{character infobox
|image=[[File:Valentina.gif|Artwork|200px]]<br>Artwork of Valentina
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'' ([[List of games by date#1996|1996]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Super Mario RPG (Nintendo Switch)|Super Mario RPG]]'' ([[Nintendo Switch]]) ([[List of games by date#2023|2023]])
}}
{{quote|My beauty simply shines forth like the sun!|Valentina|Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars}}
'''Valentina''', transliterated as '''Margarita''' on one occasion,<ref>''Nintendo Magazine System'' (UK) issue 38, page 70.</ref> is a major boss who appears in ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'' and [[Super Mario RPG (Nintendo Switch)|the 2023 remake]]. Valentina was an aide to the royal court in [[Nimbus Land]] prior to the game's beginning. After Prince [[Mallow]] disappeared, Valentina locked [[King Nimbus]] and [[Queen Nimbus]] in a room in the palace. Valentina then lied to the townsfolk, saying that the king is sick and may die soon. She also sent her minions to guard the palace as well as the beanstalks leading up to the clouds where Nimbus Land lies, and fired much of the royal staff. As a final precaution, Valentina instructed [[Beezo]] to block the [[Warp Pipe|pipe]] leading to Nimbus Land by causing [[Megasmilax]] to grow in it.
==History==
===''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars''===
[[File:SMRPG False Prince.png|thumb|left|Valentina presenting Dodo as the lost prince]]
Valentina's next plan is in motion as [[Mario]], Mallow and their friends arrive in Nimbus Land, having overwhelmed Megasmilax and its [[Smilax]]s as well as the enemies guarding the beanstalks. Valentina passes her assistant [[Dodo]] as the lost Prince Mallow. Dodo then "proposes" to Valentina, which would legally make her queen. The two then return to the palace. Having learned the truth about Mallow's heritage from [[Garro]], Garro disguises Mario as a [[In Search of Lost Brother|statue]] to sneak him into the palace. Valentina then enters the room they are in to praise the golden statues made in her likeness, only to notice Mario and question Garro about it. He describes Mario as his latest masterpiece, making her display Mario within the palace. As Mario is about to explore the rest of Nimbus Castle, Valentina commands Dodo to polish her statues. Beezo eventually informs Valentina that Mario is within the palace. After being told what Mario looks like, Valentina realizes the statue Garro brought shares the same description. Once she realizes Mario is in the room with her, she escapes the castle. She circles around back to Nimbus Land's plaza, but she gets surrounded by [[Nimbus]] who all ask her questions. She voices her frustrations as Mario arrives to battle her.

At the beginning of the battle, Valentina calls Dodo to carry away the middle [[party member]]. That member must then fight Dodo alone. When Dodo is damaged enough, he retreats, the ally gives chase, and the battle returns to Valentina. Valentina can cast nine spells, the most out of any boss, and has a large amount of health, but has low defense. After a few turns, Dodo and the kidnapped party member return to join their respective side. The duo then retreats once Valentina receives enough damage, leaving behind the key required to rescue Mallow's parents. After this, her minions disappear from the castle, as well as several statues of her being replaced with King Nimbus ones.

If Mario returns to the top of [[Booster Tower]] and goes to the balcony where [[Princess Peach]] was held captive, he finds Valentina questioning why she should marry [[Booster]]. He then whispers something into Valentina's ear, causing her to fall in love with him. When Valentina approaches him, Booster tries to distance himself from her, but she approaches him once more. Viewing the scene afterwards show them standing together. During the ending, the pair are wed in [[Marrymore]] with Dodo presiding over. When Valentina tries to get closer to Booster, he flees from the chapel, prompting Valentina to pursue him. During the credits, Valentina is carried by Dodo.

===''Super Mario-kun''===
[[File:Valentina_SMKun.png|thumb|right|Valentina in the ''Super Mario-kun'' manga]]
Valentina appears in ''[[Super Mario-kun]]'' as the main antagonist of chapter 13 of [[Super Mario-kun Volume 51|volume 51]]. Instead of plotting for the Nimbus Land throne, she now runs an illegal toll for the [[royal bus]] stop, asking for 100 quadrillion coins per passenger. Outraged by it, Mario and his group protest, and [[Princess Peach|Peach]] insults Valentina by calling her "old lady" (おばさん, ''oba-san''). This angers Valentina and she starts attacking the heroes: first she uses [[Diamond Saw]], almost decapitating Mario with it; denies a [[Chain Chomp]] attack from Bowser and puts him to [[sleep]] with [[Light Bubble|Light Beam]]; and turns Mallow into a [[Scarecrow (status effect)|Scarecrow]].

Mario attempts to stomp on her, but she uses Dodo to parry the attack. She then uses [[Water Blast]] to send Mario flying into a [[treasure chest]] containing a [[Lazy Shell]] that helps Mario land a hit on Valentina, but due to its weight, he ends up sinking and getting stuck into the cloud terrain. Valentina approaches with murderous intent, but hearing Peach calling her "old lady" again, she directs her rage towards her, but Peach equips the [[Super Slap]] and smacks her hard in the face. The blow is so powerful that her personality changes to become kinder and more emotional, hugging Bowser and constantly asking him if she is beautiful even with all those bruises. The group then takes the royal bus, leaving Bowser behind.

==Characteristics==
===Physical appearance===
Valentina appears as a pink-skinned woman who wears an iridescent cream-colored dress, which moves during her battle, red stilettos, teal eyeshadow, thick mascara, and bright red lipstick. She has a somewhat amphibian-like face (most closely resembling that of a captive leucistic {{wp|axolotl}}) and a parrot on her head in place of hair; according to the game's monster designer, Kazuyuki Kurashima, the parrot is a homage to [[Squawks]] from ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]''.<ref>@kurashimakaz (June 23, 2023). "[https://twitter.com/kurashimakaz/status/1672059029865263104 This is a homage.]" ''Twitter''. Retrieved June 23, 2023. ([https://web.archive.org/web/20230623084403/https://twitter.com/kurashimakaz/status/1672059029865263104 Archived] June 23, 2023, 08:44:03 UTC via Wayback Machine.)</ref> During her battle, she carries a martini glass which has no effect on the gameplay.

Many elements of Valentina's design are based on conventional western beauty standards, humorously exaggerating these to highlight her vanity. In addition to her apparel, she is considerably taller than other characters and possesses large breasts (which shake during her hurt animation, an effect which is toned down in the remake), large hips, and an extremely skinny waist, parodying the "hourglass figure" seen in idealized depictions of women. The shape of her torso additionally resembles a martini glass, tying in with her Japanese name of "Margarita".

===Personality===
Valentina is shown to be an extremely bossy and domineering person who seems to treat her henchmen and just about everyone else around her with as little respect as possible. Despite the blatant disrespect she shows toward her underlings (especially towards Dodo), as well as the apparent hatred they have toward her (as shown in [[Birdy]]'s [[Thought Peek|thought]]), they still remain loyal to her regardless. Valentina is also vain and cruel. The former is shown when she thinks highly of herself, believing herself to be beautiful beyond compare, as well as a refined "art buff", while the latter is illustrated by her harsh treatment of her subordinates, who consequently regard her with contempt. In the Nintendo Switch remake, Valentina's abusiveness is most prominently illustrated in Dodo's [[Monster List]] entries, which indicate that she took advantage of him imprinting on her and uses the fact that she raised him to keep him servile.

While Valentina is still in the palace, her loud laughter can be heard as part of the background music. The particular laugh (an "oh-ho-ho-ho-ho") is commonly associated with royal or otherwise high-status women in Japanese media.

==Profiles and statistics==
===''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars''===
*'''Player's Guide (Who's Who):''' ''Swaggering around in a high-fashion dress with a cocktail in hand, Valentina sure looks like she might be a birdbrain. Don't be deceived by appearances, though. Behind that pretty face lurks a cunning master of palace politics. Valentina has tossed the king and queen in prison and hornswoggled the trusting folk of Nimbus Land into believing that Dodo is really Prince Mallow. Valentina is an unusual tyrant in that she fancies herself something of an art buff. She's ordered the castle guards to admit no one except the renowned sculptor Garro when he's bringing statues. Hmmm. Valentina's refined taste might offer Mario a chance to sneak into the palace, but he'll have to keep a stiff upper lip!''<ref name=NP/>
{{:Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars bestiary|transcludesection=Valentina|image=[[File:SMRPG Valentina idle.gif]]|align=horizontal}}

===''Super Mario RPG'' (Nintendo Switch)===
{{:Monster List|transcludesection=Valentina}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
SMRPG Valentina Concept Artwork.jpg|Concept artwork
SMRPG NS Valentina Field.png|[[Super Mario RPG (Nintendo Switch)|''Super Mario RPG'']] ([[Nintendo Switch]])
SMRPG NS Valentina battle.png|''Super Mario RPG'' (Nintendo Switch)
SMRPG Valentina field.png|Field sprite
SMRPG Valentina Laugh.gif|Valentina laughing
Valen Tina.png|Battle sprite
CombatEngagement.png|Mario engaging Valentina in combat
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=マルガリータ
|JapR=Marugarīta
|JapM=Literally means "{{wp|Margarita}}" (a type of cocktail, most likely because of the martini glass she holds, as well as a Spanish feminine name)
|Jap2=マルガリ・マルガリータ<ref>From ''[[Super Mario RPG Original Sound Version]]'' track.</ref>
|Jap2R=Marugari Marugarīta
|Jap2M=Margari Margarita (full name),<ref name=skinhead>@JiroMifune (November 12, 2023). "[https://twitter.com/JiroMifune/status/1723739926074691695 Her full name is Margari Margarita. This comes from the fact that under the head bird is a skinhead. (In Japan, skinheads are referred to as 'margari/丸刈り.')]" ''Twitter''. Retrieved November 13, 2023.</ref> from「丸刈り」(''marugari'', buzzcut, lit. "round cut") because she is hairless under the parrot on her head
|ChiS=玛格丽特
|ChiSR=Mǎgélìtè
|ChiSM=Margarita; from the Japanese name
|ChiT=瑪格麗特
|ChiTR=Mǎgélìtè
|ChiTM=Margarita; from the Japanese name
|Dut=Valentina
|Fre=Valentina
|Ger=Valentina
|Ita=Valentina
|Kor=마르가리타
|KorR=Mareugarita
|KorM=Margarita; from the Japanese name
|Spa=Valentina
}}

==Trivia==
*The [[Nintendo Power|Player's Guide]] of ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'' misspells Valentina's name as "Valentia" at one point.<ref name=NP>Pelland, Scott, and Kent Miller. ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'' Player's Guide. Page 85.</ref>
*Although Valentina is named Margarita in the Japanese version, in her official artwork her martini glass appears to have a cherry inside. In [[Super_Mario_RPG_(Nintendo_Switch)|the Nintendo Switch remake]], it is replaced with a slice of lime, making it resemble an actual margarita.<ref>[https://twitter.com/MarioBrothBlog/status/1671544855984578560 Supper Mario Broth]</ref>
*Valentina's Japanese thought, "He's just a show-off. He's a small man," quotes a line from Ritsuko Akagi in ''{{wp|Neon Genesis Evangelion}}''.<ref>Clyde Mandelin (June 29, 2020). [https://legendsoflocalization.com/the-pop-culture-obsessed-monsters-in-japanese-super-mario-rpg/ The Pop Culture-Obsessed Monsters in Japanese Super Mario RPG]. ''Legends of Localization''. Retrieved July 31, 2021.</ref> This reference is retained in the Switch remake.
*In the SNES version, Valentina's breasts jiggle and the parrot flinches when she is attacked. This was changed in the Switch remake to make her chest's movement less exaggerated and have the parrot remain still.

==References==
<references/>

{{SMRPG}}
[[Category:Married characters]]
[[Category:Third-party characters]]
[[Category:Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars bosses]]
[[it:Valentina]]