Wario

"So admit it... Don't I look cool in the game screens? Those long, muscular legs on my sturdy, toned frame... I'm the perfect specimen of a man! ...What!?!? You say I look fat and my quadruple chin looks like a waterfall of flab? Shut up! That's just because you have your television set up for widescreen display!"

- Wario

Wario is a recurring character in the Mario franchise. He is an obese, muscular, hot-tempered, and greedy man, and Mario's yellow-and-purple clad arch-rival. He usually appears as an anti-hero, or in some cases an antagonist. His name is a combination of Mario's name and the Japanese word warui (悪い), meaning "bad".

Wario's greed pushes him to commit malevolent acts, such as the seizing of Mario's castle. Wario has also proven to be very cunning as he has tricked Mario on many occasions. He often goes out on his own adventures, from stealing treasure to running a microgame making company. Wario has helped heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom on a few separate occasions as well.

Wario is a creation of Hiroji Kiyotake. Some sources have speculated that Wario was created to represent Nintendo Research & Development 1's frustration with having to work on another developer's series.

Creation
The idea to introduce Wario as a new character originated during development of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. The staff team aimed for a "change of pace", and to not be bound by the ideas which were continuously used in Mario games leading up to that time; they desired to provide Mario with a new objective. Rather than having Mario fight for the benefit of someone else (such as Princess Daisy in Super Mario Land 2 ' s precursor, and Princess Peach throughout other games), the staff wanted Mario to fight to win back something of his own. It was initially director Hiroji Kiyotake's idea to introduce Wario as a new character that fits this change in objective, although several rejected characters were presented earlier which no one took a liking to. Before any actual character development, Wario's name was the first thing that was decided on, being derived from the Japanese word "warui", meaning "bad". Wario's physical design and personality was based on the idea that a protagonist should have an arch-rival and nemesis. Kiyotake stated that Wario's relationship to Mario was inspired by the American comic book characters Popeye and Bluto. Bluto is physically well-built, motivated by self-interests, and more cunning than his counterpart, Popeye.

Kiyotake subsequently discussed his idea with his assistant character designer and co-director Takehiko Hosokawa, with whom Kiyotake normally sought approval from before presenting an idea to the rest of the game's staff. To Kiyotake's surprise, the idea to flip the "M" seen on Mario's Cap to create a "W" received extremely enthusiastic support by the rest of the staff. Wario went on to become the game's main antagonist by taking over Mario's castle, which met the staff team's initial vision of diverting from the conventional objecives established by previous Mario games.

Background
Chronologically, Wario's first appearance is Yoshi's Island DS. As a child, Baby Wario is prone to tantrums, and already has a penchant for riches. Like all of the other children of the Mushroom Kingdom, in this game he is kidnapped by Kamek and a time-traveling Bowser from the future, who are in search of the star children: seven legendary babies of unknown power, of which Baby Wario is, in fact, a member. However, he escapes the Koopas' clutches and instead joins Yoshi and friends, helping them for a brief amount of time by using his oversized magnet to attract coins and other metal objects. He eventually parts ways with the Yoshis to join a coven of Bandits, only to reemerge in the game's final hours. Baby Wario is then last shown in the ending, arguing with Baby Bowser over a barge full of coins. It is uncertain if he ever returned to his parents.

Later on in life, Mario and Wario become rivals. Since childhood, Wario was jealous of the more popular Mario. The exact nature of their childhood relationship is briefly shown in Mario vs. Wario, which reveals young Wario's bullying at the hands of a well-intentioned child Mario, who did not realize the lasting effect of his games.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Driven by a lifetime of jealousy, the adult Wario sought to take over Mario's Castle in the country of Mario Land. He attempted to do so many times, but was always defeated until he stumbled upon a proper distraction: while Mario is away saving Princess Daisy from the clutches of Tatanga in Sarasaland during the events of Super Mario Land, Wario takes over. He hypnotizes the citizens of Mario Land with a magic spell and scatters the six Golden Coins, the keys to the castle, across Mario Land. Wario awaits Mario at the top of the newly-minted Wario's Castle until the plumber arrives for a showdown in his former throne room.

The final battle with Wario consists of three stages. The first stage consists of Wario charging across the room and stomping the ground, which causes the lights moving across the ceiling above to fall. During the second stage, Wario uses a Carrot and transforms into. In this form, Wario leaps up and flutters across the screen before finally slamming the ground, again causing lights to fall from above. Finally, during the final stage of the battle, Wario uses a Fire Flower and turns into. At this point, Wario leaps across the screen and shoots fireballs after he lands.

When Wario is defeated, he shrinks down to a diminutive size and punts a shoe at Mario before running off the castle's balcony, crying. With Wario gone, the spell is lifted, and Mario's Castle returns to normal.

Mario vs. Wario
Wario makes his first, full non-game appearance in North America in Mario vs. Wario, a comic published by Nintendo Power.

In Mario vs. Wario, Wario sends Mario a letter saying "he wants to catch-up on old times". Actually, Wario has prepared a trap for Mario, wanting to get revenge on him for Mario constantly "bullying" Wario in their youth; Wario especially hated playing cowboys with Mario, as he was always the rustler who was captured by "Sheriff Mario" and locked away.

As Mario makes his way to Wario's fortress, he defeats all of Wario's minions, oblivious to the fact they are trying to kill him. Meanwhile, an angered Wario watches Mario. Eventually, Mario reaches Wario's home and is confronted by a giant-sized Wario. As Wario begins trying to pummel Mario, the plumber notices a plug on Wario and pulls it, deflating Wario's giant look-a-like costume.

After listening to Wario calling him a bully, Mario says that he didn't mean to "bully" Wario 20 years ago and apologizes. Wario, after hearing this apology, turns over a new leaf, unfortunately, Mario suddenly pulls out a cowboy costume and "convinces" Wario to play cowboys again, with Mario as the sheriff once again.

Wario also appeared in a second Mario vs. Wario comic, Mario vs. Wario: The Birthday Bash, in which he receives an invitation to Princess Toadstool's birthday party. Wanting to get the Princess the perfect gift, Wario rushes-off to buy her a Samus Doll that he remembers that she wants.

Unfortunately, when Wario arrives at the store, he learns from the Koopa Troopa shopkeeper that a guy with a "big black mustache" had already bought the doll. Wario, enraged, believes Mario to have been the one who bought the doll and begins to leave, until he notices a nearby creepy jack-in-the-box. Grabbing the jack-in-the-box, Wario pays for it and wraps it.

Later on, while at Princess Toadstool's party, Wario makes several unsuccessful attempts to switch the jack-in-the-box with Mario's present. After a lot of effort, Wario does so, only to be shocked when the Princess opens his present and the sinister jack-in-the-box pops out. As the Princess throws the jack-in-the-box away in horror, Wario accuses Mario of setting him up and starts fighting with him.

During this scuffle, it is revealed that Mario's present is also a creepy jack-in-the-box and both Mario and Wario can only look on in surprise and dismay as Luigi gives his present to the Princess, the Samus Doll.

Club Nintendo
Wario makes several appearances in the comics of the German Club Nintendo magazine. He first appears in the comic "Super Mario: Die Verwandlung". Wario is accidentally created by a machine of Dr. Light who actually wanted to cure Mario's pixelated look. The newly-created man goes on a rampage, but the doctor, Mario, and Mega Man manage to catch him and make him disappear again. Other comics in the Club Nintendo magazine don't support this creation of Wario.

Wario is the main character in the comic "Warios Weihnachtsmärchen", an adaptation of Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Wario, who is the owner of a bomb shop, coldheartedly fires his clerk. In the following night, several ghosts visit him to tell him what he has done wrong. In the end, Wario decides to become a better man and spends the holidays together with Mario and his friends.

During the events of the comic "Super Mario in Die Nacht des Grauens", Wario is the caretaker of the Nintendo Skyscraper. He is willing to sign a contract with the demonic Abigor, pledging to hand over all the apartment keys to him. In return, Abigor promises to put a spell on Princess Peach, with the effect that she falls in love with Wario and forgets about Mario. As a result, Abigor and his fellows take over the skyscraper, but soon get stopped by Mario and his allies. Peach is never seen being in love with Wario; instead, Abigor turned her into a zombie.

Super Mario-Kun
Wario is a recurring character in the Japanese-published Super Mario-Kun comic book series by Yukio Sawada. He first appears in the chapters based on Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. The Super Mario-Kun series also cover Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, where Wario travels Kitchen Island along with Mario and Yoshi.

Mario & Wario
In Mario & Wario, Wario puts a bucket on Mario's head while he, Princess Peach, and Yoshi are separated in a mythical forest, making them lost and unable to find Luigi. Fortunately, the fairy of the forest, Wanda, exists, and she guides the wandering hero to Luigi, who has the strength to take off the headgear for them.

Wanda and Wario duels after every world of this game; Wanda has to slowly but surely damage Wario's plane, the Bulldog, with a hammer. During the final round, his plane can't take anymore and Wanda blasts Wario out of the sky. Wario crash-lands near his manor, losing a fight with the heroes once more.

Wario's Woods
Wario is also the villain in Wario's Woods. Wario, for some reason, wants to take over the woods and sends an army to do it. This time he is stopped by Toad, Birdo and the forest sprites. Toad battles Wario's evil creatures in a Tetris Attack-esque game, stacking and matching creatures to destroy them. Wario constantly appears in the box in the corner of the screen, making the ceiling fall down on Toad, and sending in more animals. He also appears between levels, telling Toad to give it up and go home. At the end, he uses a dummy of himself to fight Toad before he finally steps out and fights him himself. In the end, the heroic Toad defeats Wario and saves the woods.

Upon defeating Wario in the NES version, Toad is seen chasing the helpless Wario out of the woods. However the SNES version took it even further with Toad having thrown a large bomb at the castle, causing it and Wario himself to go crashing down (thus allowing peace to return back to the woods).

Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman
In Wario Blast: Featuring Bomberman!, Wario stumbles upon the extra-dimensional portal to Bomberman's home world. Seeing it as an opportunity to make a quick buck and earn some minions, he loots Bomberland. Bomberman and Wario must fight each other's Madbombers for the fate of Bomberland.

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3
Following his defeat at the hands of Mario in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Wario does not give up on his aspiration to one day have a castle of his own. Instead, his defeat leaves him yearning for a castle harder than ever, leading to a whole new treasure-hunting career.

During the events of Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, Wario learns that the Brown Sugar Pirates led by the fearsome Captain Syrup, operating out of Kitchen Island, stole a massive golden statue of Princess Toadstool. With Mario already hunting for the statue, Wario sees an irresistible opportunity to show up his old rival: if he could find the statue before the plumber, then Princess Toadstool's ransom combined with the plunder of the Brown Sugar Pirates gives him enough money to buy a castle even bigger and better than Mario's.

When he gets to the island, he has a full-out battle with the pirate crew, finally reaching Captain Syrup. After a long fight with the captain and her Genie, Wario escapes the collapsing castle with the pirate queen's loot. However, Wario's main objective, the golden statue of Princess Peach, gets reclaimed by Mario (whom it was stolen from originally by Captain Syrup). Fortunately for Wario, the genie is so grateful for being freed from Syrup that he gives Wario his own pad, which materializes as anything from a birdhouse to a planet, based on how much treasure Wario has collected throughout the game.

Virtual Boy Wario Land
During his vacation in Virtual Boy Wario Land, Wario lands his plane, the Bulldog, next to the Aldegara Waterfall. Wario then spots some Mask Guys entering the falls. Discovering a huge amount of treasure behind the falls, Wario is about to steal it all, but the treasures are swallowed up by the Earth. Wario vows to get his revenge on the creatures and steal their treasure, and he does.

Wario Land II
Soon after the events of Virtual Boy Wario Land, Wario returns in Wario Land II. In this game, Wario is indestructible, having no shortage of lives. Wario's nemesis, Captain Syrup and a few of her soldiers, the Pirate Gooms, steal Wario's treasure and flood his entire castle. Wario quickly rises to the challenge, pursuing his enemies through a multitude of diverse locales to recover his riches and avenge his lost slumber. This particular adventure is unique to the franchise, as it incorporates many different endings and scenarios, resulting in a small choice during a particular level altering the outcome of the entire adventure. By defeating one of many final bosses, Wario corners Captain Syrup, exacts his revenge and reclaims his treasure. However, upon uncovering every possible treasure and defeating every final boss, Wario has the option to raid Captain Syrup's treasure horde and steal her treasure in a special Time Attack challenge.

Wario Land 3
In Wario Land 3, Wario stumbles upon an enchanted Music Box and is whisked away to the mysterious world within. Upon his arrival, Wario is greeted by a mysterious oracle, who promises Wario his freedom and an ample supply of treasure for his compliance in recovering the five sacred music boxes located in the vast world within the enchanted box. True to his nature, Wario agrees, under the impression that his efforts may prove lucrative.

After collecting the music boxes, Wario returns to the oracle's temple, where the monstrous figure reveals its true form as the horrific Rudy the Clown. Rudy reveals that he used Wario to collect the Music Boxes so that his powers could be restored, and that the "enemies" encountered throughout the game were actually the enchanted citizens of the Music Box World. In a climactic battle, Wario defeats the stubborn boss, resulting in his cavern collapsing around him. After narrowly escaping, Wario is greeted by the grateful citizens of the enchanted world, who thank him immensely for inadvertently saving their land. Their gratitude proves fruitful for Wario, as they allow him to keep any treasures he found in his adventure.

Wario Land 4
After reading about a Legendary Pyramid filled with treasure in the newspaper, Wario takes to the Pyramid in his Wario Car. There, he stumbles upon a Black Cat, who leads him into a chasm in the ground. Wario soon discovers that he is deep within the Pyramid walls, and proceeds to steal its treasures as he searches for a way out. After battling through five agonizing worlds, 20 levels, and six bosses, Wario gets to challenge the goddess of the pyramid, the Golden Diva. After defeating her, Wario discovers that the Black Cat was actually Princess Shokora, the true goddess of the pyramid, whom the Golden Diva had cursed into a feline form. Her human appearance depends on how many Treasure Chests have been collected; if he doesn't have enough riches, Wario's princess may turn out to be a child or a fat lady, something Wario is not pleased about, however upon collecting vast amounts of treasure, the princess reveals herself to be a beautiful, ethereal maiden. After successfully raiding the pyramid and pilfering a monstrous load of treasure, Wario returns home and treats himself to an all-you-can-eat steak buffet, which ironically costs a mere ten dollars.

Wario Land: Shake It!
In Wario Land: Shake It!, it is discovered that within an Ancient Globe on exhibition at a museum, there is another world called the Shake Dimension. The locale's peace is shattered by the Shake King, who imprisons Queen Merelda and her loyal subjects (called Merfles), and steals the legendary Bottomless Coin Sack, which spits out coins whenever it is shaken.

Captain Syrup observes the Shake Dimension's crisis from the outside world. Setting her sights on the legendary treasure, but with no desire of doing the dirty work herself, she steals the Ancient Globe and sends it to Wario. True to form, Wario prepares to raid the beleaguered kingdom when a Merfle escapes to the outside world in hopes of finding help. When Wario hears of the Bottomless Coin Sack, he sets out to defeat the Shake King and thereby acquire that legendary treasure. However, as soon as he returns victorious from the Shake Dimension, Captain Syrup appears and steals the Bottomless Coin Sack from the bewildered Wario.

Super Mario 64 DS
Wario is a playable character and one of the main protagonists of Super Mario 64 DS, making his only playable appearance in the Super Mario series to date. He (along with Luigi) comes to "crash the party" after Mario is invited to see Princess Peach. After the three enter the castle, they are captured by Bowser's minions and locked behind doors that can only be opened with special keys. Wario is the last character that the player can unlock. His portrait is located in the mirror room on the second floor of the castle, on the other side of the mirror; the player must use Luigi's Invisibility Power to enter it. Once there, Luigi must get through a small icy stage and fight Chief Chilly in order to obtain the key.

Wario is the strongest of the four characters, but is also the slowest at both running and swimming and has the lowest jump. He can break black bricks and can cause more damage to enemies with his attacks. Wario's Power Flower ability is Metal Power, which replaces Metal Mario from the original game. Wario can grab signs and ground pound objects (such as pillars) with twice as much strength as the others. Also, he moves faster than Mario and Luigi when carrying enemies, including King Bob-omb; he also carries them on his back and throws them the farthest. In the VS. Mode, Wario is able to stun opponents with his punches and kicks. He's able to lift stunned opponents, spin, and throw them as well.

Wario also makes appearances in two of his minigames: Coincentration and Intense Coincentration.

On the official Nintendo DS site, it states that he is allying with Mario to get Princess Peach's treasure. A Toad in the castle also makes notice of this.

New Super Mario Bros.
Wario, along with the rest of the protagonists of Super Mario 64 DS, makes an appearance in New Super Mario Bros. in Vs. Battle of the game's minigame mode, where he represents the third player. Wario also appears in Coincentration from Super Mario 64 DS.

Mario's Picross series
While Wario was absent from the first game in the Mario's Picross series, he is prominently featured in its sequels Mario's Super Picross and Picross 2, where he acts as the host of the more difficult puzzles. In Picross 2, Wario is seen with the topee from the early Wario Land games again, being comparable to Mario's archaeologist outfit.

Mario Kirby Meisaku Video
In the Mario segment of the educational video Mario Kirby Meisaku Video, Wario has stolen the treasure of a certain school. Mario, being informed by Princess Peach about this, searches for the thief, becomes Bunny Mario and manages to beat Wario and returns the treasure.

Mario Kart series
"I hate losing! Nyaaah..."

- Wario

In the Mario Kart series, Wario debuts in Mario Kart 64. In this game, Wario has low speed and acceleration, but his heavy weight can push nearly anyone off the road. For his racing debut, Wario has converted a motocross racing venue into a self-styled go-carting course, Wario Stadium. This long and dangerous course began a trend in the Mario Kart series of Wario having incredibly long and technique heavy tracks bearing his likeness.

Wario also appears in Mario Kart: Super Circuit as a heavy character, capable of ramming most other drivers off of the road. This is the only mainstream Mario Kart title that features Wario where he does not receive a track bearing his likeness.

In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Wario's partner is Waluigi. Wario can only ride the heavy karts, so his choices are limited. His default kart is the Wario Car, and the Bob-omb is his special item. This game introduces Wario Colosseum; a 2-lap, roller coaster themed track bearing Wario's tastes. This track is known for being incredibly technical and is notable for being the longest track in the game. This marks the final game that Wario wears long sleeves.

In Mario Kart DS, Wario appears as a starter character, and is the third heaviest character in the game; beating Donkey Kong, while coming behind Bowser and R.O.B.. Wario's personal karts are the Brute, a car reminiscent of the Wario Car, the Standard WR, and the Dragonfly, a red tractor (possibly a reference to Wario's farming roots in Wario Land 2). As players progress, they can later use Wario on any kart, whether it is standard, or special. Wario Stadium returns as a playable track, however rather than being a replica of the stadium found in Mario Kart 64, this particular track is a completely new track, although it shares the motocross theme of the previous iteration, bearing dirt roads and death-defying jumps. This is also the first game where Wario wears his current short-sleeved shirt.

Wario later appears in Mario Kart Wii, where he is classified as a large character. In this game, Wario features a small weight bonus and a small off-road bonus. He gets a strong mini-turbo bonus as well. The Wario Bike from the WarioWare series is a selectable vehicle in this game. Wario's track in this game is an incredibly technical course called Wario's Gold Mine, featuring winding railroad tracks, low-flying Swoopers and many gold-filled mine carts that serve as obstacles.

Wario is also a playable character in Mario Kart 7 and for the first time in the series, he is an unlockable character. Wario is a heavy character, and as a result, he gets one of the best speed and weight boosts among all the playable racers, balanced by having nearly all other stats poor. He is unlocked by winning the Flower Cup on 150cc. Wario also gets another new track, Wario Shipyard. This track takes place underwater and has some small platformed-areas and ramps above water. This track appears to be inspired by Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, as Bull Wario can be seen adorning a banner and the shipwreck theme is reminiscent of the pirate theme present the Wario Land series. In fact, the music played on this track is a cover version of the overworld theme present in the aforementioned game. The computer Wario is most likely to be seen driving on the Standard Kart, the Egg 1, and the Bumble V.

Wario returns as a heavyweight racer in Mario Kart 8, where he returns as a default character. In addition to his appearance, he receives a new track called Mount Wario, a single-lap race down a snowy mountain. DS Wario Stadium returns as a retro course, albeit with anti-gravity features to enhance it. Wario's Gold Mine from Mario Kart Wii also returns as a downloadable racetrack. This leaves Mario Kart 8 with the most Wario themed tracks in the history of the franchise. Much like in Mario Kart 7, Wario is one of the heaviest racers in the game, rivaling Bowser, Morton Koopa Jr., Dry Bowser, and the Large Mii in stats as a result; his weight also rivals that of Metal Mario and Pink Gold Peach. This in return means that Wario can potentially have the best possible speed and weight, but at the same time, have the worst possible acceleration, handling, and grip. His kart emblem is a purple "W" on a yellow background.

Wario reappears in the Nintendo Switch port Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. This time, he only shares stats with Dry Bowser.

Wario is also a playable character in the Mario Kart Arcade series, being a playable character in Mario Kart Arcade GP, Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, and Mario Kart Arcade GP DX. In these games, Wario is once again a heavy character, rivaling the entire cast in weight and speed. Wario has several of his own tracks in the first two installments with the introduction of the Wario Cup. Wario's hometown of Diamond City appears as a racetrack in both installments, as well as a snow-themed version of the track named Snow Panic. Wario appears as a default character in the first two arcade games, but is unlockable in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX.

Densetsu no Stafy 3


Wario appears throughout Stage 8 (Undersea Ruins) in Densetsu no Stafy 3, after getting warped there via a large portal. In each level, Wario is affected by one of his three more common status effects - Puffy Wario, Flaming Wario, and Bubble Wario, all of which Wario uses to help Starfy complete the level. Throughout the stage, Wario assists Starfy with completing the levels, giving the player four different treasures - a Wario Cap, a Wario nose/mustache set, a copy of WarioWare, Inc. with a Game Boy Advance, and a pile of gold. Wario teaches Starfy how to use his Shooting Star ability, after Starfy watches him Ground Pound.

Wario's role is somewhat based upon the events of Wario Land 4. Wario must locate a switch before escaping the area and four gems to enter the boss room and battle Gachatakkoru. At the end of the first level, Wario uses his Dash Attack to get rid of Starly and Moe, leaving just Starfy with Wario until the middle of Stage 8-4. When Starly and Moe reunite with Wario, Kyorozo confiscates the four gems off Wario, so Wario has to throw Starfy at Kyorozo to get them back. When Wario enters the boss room, he only gets kicked out of the room as if he failed the battle, but Starfy later uses his Shooting Star ability to defeat Gachatakkoru.

Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium
In the motocross game Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium, Wario is a playable character in all versions of the game but the first one. He rides a yellow bike.

Game & Watch Gallery series
Wario is featured in all games of the Game & Watch Gallery series but the first game, and appears in some of the modern versions of Game & Watch titles. In Game & Watch Gallery 2, he is the alternate playable character in Helmet, and has to avoid falling objects. Wario is also an unlockable playable character in Ball. Game & Watch Gallery 3 includes Mario Bros. where Wario drives the delivery truck. Wario finally appears as the solely playable character in the game Fire Attack, in Game & Watch Gallery 4, and has to defend a giant statue of himself from Bullet Bills and Bob-ombs with a Hammer. Mario Bros. is included again as well.

Mario Party series
Wario has been in the Mario Party series since the first game and has played a large role in the series, except for Mario Party Advance. He has his own level in Mario Party which stands as one of its hardest. Wario's color is purple, and in early Mario Party games his sleeves are long, while in the rest, they are short. In Mario Party 2, Wario is one of the causes of the storyline, as he wants Mario Land to be named Wario Land. This starts the argument that develops the party. Wario's special Orb in Mario Party 7 is the Vacuum Orb. When used it lets Wario spin a roulette to steal an amount of coins from each of his opponents, either 1 coin, 5 coins, or 10 coins. Only he and Waluigi can use it.

In Mario Party 4-7, Wario has two losing animations while every other character has only one.

In Mario Party, Mario Party 2, and Mario Party 3, Wario's voice sounded slightly deeper than in other games.

Mario Golf series
Wario appears as a playable character in the Mario Golf series. He has a shorter drive than Mario in these games, but is still one of the stronger golfers to choose from. In Mario Golf, Wario must be unlocked through the "Get Character" mode in single-player modes, but he is available from the start in multiplayer modes and in Toadstool Tour. He also appears in the portable iterations of the series as a playable character. He returns as a playable character in Mario Golf: World Tour, and is seen eating burgers in the Castle Club's Royal Room. When the Mii talks to him, he will claim that he was there only for the food. His golf clubs and ball can be used by Miis, and his costume can be unlocked by collecting all the Star Coins in the Seaside Course.

Mario Tennis series
Wario appears as a playable character in most games of the Mario Tennis series since its Nintendo 64 installment, where his sidekick Waluigi made his very first appearance. Wario is generally portrayed as a power player. He was absent from Mario Tennis: Power Tour for the Game Boy Advance, despite Waluigi being featured in this game.

Mario Power Tennis
In the intro movie in Mario Power Tennis, Wario and Waluigi have the starring role. In the beginning of the intro they are facing the Mario Bros. in the first round of a tennis tournament. They are easily defeated in the end. While viewing the tournament board, they notice that they have been eliminated, and decide to vandalize the picture of the Mario Bros. as revenge. They are found and chased by a group of police for vandalism. On the run from the police, Wario and Waluigi stumble across Bowser's workout room, where the three form an alliance. Bowser then forces the two to undergo extreme training while the tournament continues.

The duo hijack the final match of the tournament; the Mario Bros. against Yoshi and Donkey Kong, turning it into a rematch. They are booed, and decide to fire Bob-ombs at the Mario Bros. Bowser helps them in a giant balloon full of Bob-ombs. However, the Bros. and the other characters hit the Bob-ombs back at Wario and Waluigi with their tennis rackets, blowing up parts of the Peach Dome. Mario then hits a Bullet Bill fired by Bowser, which hits the Bob-omb machine, which topples over and launches a Bob-omb at Bowser's balloon. Full of Bob-ombs, the balloon crashes into the ground near Wario and Waluigi, causing a huge explosion. The three villains faint as a result.

In the blooper reel, Wario's mother calls him on his cell phone, revealing that his ringtone is the 8-bit Mario theme.

Like in most Mario Tennis games, Wario is a power character. His serving and hitting power are strong, although weaker than Bowser's and Donkey Kong's. He also has less reach than the two. The advantages he has include being able to run faster and control the ball better. His lunge, which involves his tumbling or doing a cartwheel, is also much longer. Wario's offensive power shot, the Thunder Cast Shot has him get bonked by a training machine in the opening, so when he hits the ball, the ball is encased in electricity. Any character that hits the shot without using a defensive power shot gets electrocuted. Any action is halted twice. For his defensive power shot, the Ultra-Hand Return, Wario uses a stretcher with a glove to return the ball. If the ball is far enough, Wario may have to hop once or twice.

Mario Power Tennis also marks the last appearance of his original long-sleeved shirt.

Mario Tennis Open
Wario makes a return in Mario Tennis Open. He is relatively unchanged from Mario Power Tennis, except he now wears his current short-sleeved shirt. Tennis gear designed based on him can be used by Miis, and his costume can be unlocked by collecting 800 coins in Super Mario Tennis Level 1-4.

Mario Tennis Aces
Wario is once again playable in Mario Tennis Aces, where he now has a new tennis outfit. He also serves as an antagonist in the game's Adventure Mode, where he and Waluigi hear about a legendary tennis racket named Lucien and opt to steal it for themselves. However, it possesses them, along with Luigi, forcing Mario to search for the five Power Stones to stop Lucien. Mario finds three, while Wario and Waluigi find two, so they challenge Mario, Peach, and Daisy to a tournament for ownership of the Power Stones. Wario and Waluigi face Peach and Daisy in a doubles match, in which they are defeated, while the possessed Luigi is defeated by Mario. Lucien and the Power Stones are then stolen by Bowser, who uses them to become Bowcien. After Mario defeats Bowser and breaks Lucien, Wario and Waluigi are returned to normal. They express disappointment at Lucien's destruction, believing that such a powerful racket could have made them the best tennis players in the world, causing Daisy to remind them of how that was what started the mess in the first place.

Dr. Mario 64
In Dr. Mario 64, Rudy the Clown fulfills the role of the villain again. He sends out his minion Mad Scienstein to steal the Megavitamins from Dr. Mario, since Rudy wants them for curing his cold. Wario attempts to get the Megavitamins as well in order to sell them for money, but fails. However, Mad Scienstein manages to steal the medicine and escapes. The rivals Dr. Mario and Wario go after him and meet many creatures known from Wario Land 3 on their way. Finally, either Dr. Mario or Wario is able to defeat Rudy and the doctor takes back his Megavitamins.

Wario World
"Welcome to Wario World!"

- Wario

Wario makes a mistake when he steals a large black jewel in his first 3D adventure, Wario World. It turns out that the black jewel is actually alive and evil, as it proceeds to turn all of Wario's treasure into monsters, and kick him out of his own castle. To regain his castle, Wario must traverse huge worlds, collecting his treasures, crushing huge monsters, and overcoming gigantic challenges as he goes. Along the way, he meets small forest pixies called Spritelings, who aid him in his adventure.

After making his way through the transformed forests, castles, and deserts, Wario challenges the Jewel to a fight. The Jewel agrees, never dreaming that Wario had managed to free the Spritelings, which the Jewel had sealed away. It turns out the pixies are the only way to destroy the Jewel, and after a long battle, the Jewel shatters, and its spell dissipates. The Spritelings then offer to rebuild the castle; how well and how fancy it turns out depends on the amount of Spritelings the player has rescued.

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
In WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, Wario realizes the boom of the video game industry and takes it upon himself to found his own video game company, WarioWare, Inc. Wario hires his friends Mona, Jimmy T., Kat & Ana, Dr. Crygor, 9-Volt, Dribble & Spitz, and Orbulon to create a series of lightning fast mingames, dubbed microgames. Wario's efforts prove to be fruitful and the game becomes a best-seller. While Wario initially tries to pocket all of the profits for himself, he is eventually forced to spread the wealth amongst his workers.

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$!
In WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$!, Wario and his friends return for another round of lightning fast microgame action, albeit with a multiplayer twist. In this game, each of the microgames found in WarioWare, Inc,: Mega Microgame$ return as challenges for up to four players.

WarioWare: Twisted!
In WarioWare: Twisted!, Wario and friends are immersed in the world of tilt-sensitive gaming after Wario's Game Boy Advance was altered to incorporate gyroscopic motion control. Fueled by greed, Wario again recruits his friends to create a series of seconds-long microgames that capitalize on the revolutionary motion control rather than the control pad. Twisted also introduces Wario's superhuman alter-ego, Wario-Man to the franchise.

WarioWare: Touched!
In WarioWare: Touched!, Wario steals a mysterious dual screened handheld gaming device from the Sewer Guru. Eventually, Wario discovers that the system is touch-sensitive, and that this gimmick is an extremely drawing tactic for game sales. Wario promptly decides to cash in on the new system by having his friends and employees cobble up some brand new microgames that incorporate touch screen controls and microphone-centric activities.

WarioWare: Smooth Moves
In WarioWare: Smooth Moves, Wario is gorging himself on cakes when he is interrupted by a small creature called a Splunk. The creature steals Wario's cakes, and he chases it all the way to the Temple of Form, where he discovers the Form Baton. Wario takes it, and gets chased out of the temple by a giant boulder. He soon incorporates the Form Baton into his video game empire, and as always his latest development is a huge hit.

In the Tiny Wario level, Penny gives Wario a new motorbike. He seems to enjoy riding it despite it being much too small for him, but he then suddenly gets sucked inside the contraption and is fired out the exhaust as several Tiny Warios. After they eventually recombine back into normal Wario, he is approached by a hoard of Splunks. They want the Form Baton back, and chase Wario to the Form Temple, where he trips and drops the baton back in its place, receiving the creatures' gratitude.

WarioWare: Snapped!
In the Nintendo DSiWare game WarioWare: Snapped!, Wario opens a theme park called Wario Park and runs it along with Mona, Jimmy T., and Kat and Ana. Here, Wario and company push many microgames that make use of the Nintendo DSi camera. This game is notable for being one of the few games where Wario wears neither his WarioWare biker jacket, nor his classic overalls for the duration of the plot.

WarioWare: D.I.Y.
Wario also appears in the game WarioWare: D.I.Y. Along with the title is a WiiWare title called WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase. In this game, half of Wario's employees quit working for him in favor of working for Diamond Software. Thinking quickly, Wario hires the owner of a local video game store to help finish some of his games and create new ones. Here, the player is in charge of creating microgames that incorporate touch screen controls. As the player progresses, Wario and Penny Crygor offer new lessons and tutorials that enhance the player's understanding about the creation of microgames.

Game & Wario
In Game & Wario, Wario ceases production on seconds-long microgames in favor of lengthier mini games that incorporate the use of the Wii U gamepad. True to form, Wario hires the lot of his friends to do some dirty work for him, and the colorful cast creates a myriad of mini games for the new system. In classic WarioWare fashion, Wario eventually dons the garb of a costumed alter-ego and ends the game with a bang as Captain Wario in the minigame, Pirates.

WarioWare Gold
In WarioWare Gold, Wario steals a spherical gold object from Luxeville, but otherwise subsequently runs out of money. When he heard that a new entry in the Pyoro franchise is the next bestseller in the video game industry, Wario comes up with the idea of the "Wario Bowl". In this contest, contestants must each chip in ten thousand coins for the chance of ten million coins being awarded to the victor.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Wario makes a minor cameo appearance in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. In the Yoshi Theater, a poster can be seen that shows his facial features under a "Wario" sign. Posters of Kirby and Stafy can be seen next to the Wario poster as well. This cameo does not return in the remake.

Wario was also meant to appear in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga at the Starbeans Cafe. He tries one of the drinks that Mario and Luigi got and reward them with an item called Wario's Greed. However, all the planned cameos, including Wario, were replaced by E. Gadd in the final version.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Though Wario himself doesn't appear in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, a badge called the W Emblem appears. It changes Mario's clothes into Wario's and he is briefly mentioned on the description of the badge.

Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix
In Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, Mario (or Luigi) confronts Wario atop the Ferris Wheel in his carnival with a Music Key, supposedly given to him by Waluigi. Mario needs the Music Keys to stop Waluigi, but Wario refuses to give his up without a fight, and he challenges Mario to a dance-off for possession of the Key. In the end, Mario beats Wario manages to claim the Music Key and continue on his quest. Wario even talks about making his own dancing game for people built like him.

Mario Baseball series
Wario has appeared as a playable character in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers. He was available as one of the team captains, and had good batting skills. However, most of his other stats were at low levels. In Mario Super Sluggers, his pitching and running skills were slightly improved.

Regarding star skills, in Mario Superstar Baseball, Wario's star pitches and star swings involved garlic. While pitching, Wario throws a baseball and some garlic in an attempt to throw off the batter. While batting, Wario bats the baseball and some garlic in an attempt to mess up the fielders.

In Mario Super Sluggers, Wario's star pitches and star swings were not affiliated with garlic. While pitching, Wario throws two baseballs, with only one of them being real. While batting, Wario hits a bomb, along with the baseball. While this move is impossible to counter with only one fielder, if two fielders are near the bomb, while one takes the blow, the other catches the baseball, which gets Wario "out".

Mario Strikers series
Wario is a captain that sports a yellow and purple uniform in Super Mario Strikers. He is an aggressive captain in this game. His Super Strike is the Belly Blast.

In Mario Strikers Charged, Wario is an offensive player. As an offensive player, he is a very powerful shooter, and he is great at passing. However, he lacks speed and defensive abilities. Wario's deke is a ground-pound, which can avoid attacking players and possibly smash them through the ground or push them to an electric fence. Wario's Super Ability is Gas Mask, where Wario emits flatulence. There is a meter for this Super Ability, which means Wario can use this until the meter is depleted or if either team makes a goal. Players, including Wario's teammates, that walk in the poisonous gas have their controls reversed.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Wario appeared as a playable character in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. Wario's character-type is Powerful and his stage court is the Wario Factory which has Bob-ombs that can be picked up and thrown as a weapon. Wario's Special Shot is the Move-It Dunk which can be done if the player taps the letter "W" twice.

Mario Sports Mix
Wario appears in Mario Sports Mix, where he is classified as a Powerful type character. His court is once again the Wario Factory. Mario stated during his Press Conference to promote the game that it was difficult to convince Wario into participating. Once he mentioned the four sports to him, Wario finally decided to take part in Sports Mix.

Being a Powerful-type character, Wario's shots often pack a lot of power, and can push back weaker characters pretty easily. In Dodgeball, instead of evading attacks, Wario attempts to repel dodgeball attacks with his rear end. However, this maneuver is rendered useless if the dodgeball is equipped with an item.

Wario's special shot involves him throwing a yellow bomb, which covers an area with gas. He then aims the ball/puck at the goal. In Basketball, the gas has an added effect, in which players caught in it is stunned. In Volleyball and Dodgeball, the gas merely covers the field. While the move does make it harder for opposing players to block or avoid Wario's shots, it also hinders Wario in that he has a harder time aiming for his target. As a result, this special shot is sort of like a double-edged sword.

Yoshi's Island DS


Yoshi's Island DS marked Wario's first chronological appearance. In Yoshi's Island DS, Wario appeared in his baby form for the first time. Yoshi first finds Wario crying in an undersea cave, most likely abandoned by Kamek after throwing a tantrum. With only Baby Wario at his side, as all the other babies and the stork were swept away by a giant tsunami, Yoshi carries on with his journey and discovers many of Wario's abilities.

With his huge magnet, Wario can attract coins and other metal objects to him with ease. Not surprisingly, Wario is one of the heaviest babies, making it hard for the Yoshis to cross wide gaps with him. Wario and Yoshi eventually find the other babies safe and sound, and he decided to join the babies' team for good.

After going through five levels, Wario saw a line of Bandits, each carrying a coin. As he was a very greedy baby, Wario jumped on the only Bandit with no coin, in the back of the line, hoping to snag some riches. It is unknown if he succeeded in getting the coins, or what the Bandits did to him. Just at the last level, Wario came back to help the Yoshis defeat Bowser. With Wario's help, Bowser was defeated, and all the babies of the world were saved. Although Baby Wario appeared in the game, it was not disclosed where he was born. At the end of the game, it is seen he was homeless, and a stork adopted him. He got Bowser's treasure, but Baby Bowser plopped in, and again, they started to argue.

Wario: Master of Disguise
In Wario: Master of Disguise, Wario sees a TV show called The Silver Zephyr, which is about the famous thief, Count Cannoli. Wario becomes jealous of the Count's skill, and comes up with a "brilliant idea"; he then invents the Telmet to get into the television show.

Wario's invention works and he lands on Count Cannoli, who drops his talking wand, Goodstyle. Wario steals the wand, which grants him unique form-changing abilities. Wario comes up with his own thief name: Purple Wind, and uses his new powers to collect pieces of an ancient artifact called the Wishstone, in hopes of having his wish of supreme wealth granted. Along the way, he's confronted by world class thieves Count Cannoli and Carpaccio, who are also after the Wishstone.

Unfortunately, The Wishstone actually unleashes the ancient demon Terrormisu once it's assembled. Terrormisu has the power to devour everything's souls, but Wario and Goodstyle manage to stop her rampage and trap her in an alternate dimension. Unfortunately for Wario, due to the technical limitations of the Telmet, he can't take the treasure he gathered during his adventure out of the TV.

Ore Dayo! Wario Dayo!!
Wario is the main character of a spin-off of the Super Mario-Kun series titled Ore Dayo! Wario Dayo!! by the same author. This comic book series is based on the Wario games Wario World, Wario: Master of Disguise and Wario Land: Shake It!

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Wario and his partner, Waluigi are playable characters in the crossover title, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games; Wario's character type is Power.

His six missions in Mission Mode are:
 * 100m - Cross the finish line while lunging forward and come in 2nd place!
 * 100m Freestyle - Get a 3 note (♪♪♪) rating 5 times when restoring stamina!
 * Shooting - Hit 2 targets at the same time twice!
 * Dream Long Jump - Pass through 10 rings!
 * Dream Race - Collect all item boxes!
 * Final - (Pursuit) Beat Knuckles when he's in top condition!

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Wario makes a return in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games once again as a Power-type character.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Wario is once again a playable character in Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games as a Power-type character.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
Wario is playable in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Super Smash Bros.
Although Wario himself does not appear in Super Smash Bros., one of Mario's alternate colorations uses Wario's colors.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Wario appears as a collectible trophy, obtainable by clearing All-Star without continuing. Mario can also once again use an alternate costume based on Wario's colors.

According to Masahiro Sakurai, when expanding the roster, Wario was considered as being a slower but more powerful "model swap" of Mario, but this was rejected and the idea was ultimately applied to Dr. Mario instead.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl


Wario finally appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, available from the start. His standard costume design is his outfit that he is seen in during the WarioWare series. However, unlike any of the other characters, Wario has a full alternate costume in the form of his standard overalls; the player can only play as Wario in his WarioWare outfit in the Subspace Emissary, however. Like Donkey Kong and Yoshi, Wario has his own distinct emblem (the W on his cap) as opposed to being classified under the Mario characters.

Wario is one of the heavier characters in the game, but has an unusually high aerial speed and small size given his weight. Wario's standard special is Chomp, which has Wario bite down on any opponents nearby and allows him to eat items. His side special is Wario Bike, which has Wario ride forward on the Wario Bike. His up special is Corkscrew, which sends him into the air in a spinning motion. Finally, his down special is Wario Waft, in which Wario farts to deal damage; the amount of damage depends on how much the move has been charged. His Final Smash is Wario-Man, which transforms Wario and gives him increased attack power and speed.

Despite his playable status, Wario's colors are still available as alternate colors for Mario.

The Subspace Emissary
In the Subspace Emissary, he apparently joins the Subspace Army; however, he is never seen with Bowser or Ganondorf or even the Ancient Minister. The official website confirms that he is indeed working for the army, although he takes his orders for granted and does whatever he wants. Early in the game, he shoots the princess that Kirby wasn't able to save from Petey Piranha with his large Dark Cannon. He escapes from the explosion of the Subspace Bomb, taking the trophy with him. Later, at the Ruined Zoo, he attempts to shoot Ness, but Ness dodges every shot. He then aims for Lucas, and Ness jumps in front of him, taking the shot and becoming a trophy. Wario then grabs the trophy as Lucas runs away.

Later, he is traveling with a Cargo with the two trophies he currently has. In the middle of the road, he finds a Luigi trophy which he decides to take. However, as soon as he touches it, Waddle Dees come from everywhere and attack him. They take the Luigi trophy from him, and King Dedede steals Wario's Cargo, revealing that Dedede had planned this out to distract Wario. Later, Wario fights the Pokémon Trainer and Lucas in a desert. However, this time, Lucas beats Wario and turns him into a trophy, which the two leave lying on the ground. After Galleom's Subspace Bomb explodes, the explosion sucks the Wario trophy inside. Wario is later found in Subspace, where he is turned back to life by Kirby. He finds King Dedede and starts threatening vengeance, but Luigi and Ness rush to Dedede's aid, and Wario becomes shocked at his former captives defending who he perceived to be an enemy of theirs. Wario learns that Tabuu is the real leader of the Subspace Army and decides to join in the final battle against Tabuu.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Wario returns in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, where he appears as an unlockable character in both versions. To unlock him in the Nintendo 3DS version, the player has to clear 100-Man Smash or play 30 matches, then defeat Wario in a 1-stock match on the WarioWare, Inc. stage. In the Wii U version, the player must either complete 100-Man Smash or play 20 matches, then defeat Wario in a 1-stock match on the Gamer stage to unlock him. Unlike in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, however, Wario only has eight palette swaps; four for his WarioWare outfit, and four for his normal outfit. Mario also still has his Wario coloration.

On a side note, in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, players can actually see Wario before unlocking him if they clear All-Star mode as Luigi, who is a starting character in this game; Luigi's Final Smash trophy has Wario present in it.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate


Wario will return as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, retaining both his WarioWare and Wario Land appearances. A few of his normal attacks have changed, including his dash attack, which is now his main attack from the Wario Land series instead of a dive, and his side tilt has been altered from a straight punch to a backhand slap. For his Final Smash, Wario once again transforms into Wario-Man; however, instead of fighting as him, Wario dashes into his opponents, traps them and lands a flurry of punches before finishing them off with a Wario Waft attack.

Mario Sports Superstars
Wario appears as a playable captain type character in Mario Sports Superstars. In most sports he is classified as a Power type character, meaning his shots have more power (and speed), as well as giving him increased stamina in horse racing. In golf, his default drive is 214 yards, and his shots travel very low in a fade trajectory.

Other appearances and references
Wario appears as a property in Nintendo Monopoly. He takes the place of Baltic Avenue and costs $60.

Wario is also a playable Character in Monopoly Gamer. He is sold separately as a "Power Pack" expansion figure, or as an included figure in the Walmart-exclusive "Value Pack" version of the Standard Edition.

If Mario wears the W Emblem badge in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, his cap and overalls resemble Wario's. The description even says "Changes Mario's clothes into Wario's clothes". Similarly, in New Super Mario Bros. U, the coloration for player 3's overalls (if they're a Mii) is the same as Wario's.

In Kirby Super Star, during Kirby's first fight with King Dedede, Wario can be seen in the audience along with Princess Peach, Mario, Luigi and some Toads.

In Pilotwings 64, one level allows the player to explore an island with a Mount Rushmore-like monument. One of the faces displayed on this monument is Mario's, which changes into Wario's when shot or crashed into.

In Super Mario Maker, Wario appears as a Mystery Mushroom costume for Costume Mario, exclusively for the Super Mario Bros. style. Additionally, if the player touches the "M" of "MARIO" from the title screen, it turns into a "W", and some Wario voice clips are played.

In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft, Wario appears as a playable skin.

The game Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle features a character known as Bwario, a Rabbid dressed as Wario.

Nationality
In the Japanese version of Mario Kart 64 as well as in all versions of Mario Party and Mario Party 2, Wario is voiced by German translator Thomas Spindler and speaks two lines in German, most notably "So ein Mist" (German for "oh crap"). According to a comment left by Spindler, Wario was envisioned to be German by Nintendo staff and he was directed to voice Wario accordingly. Although this aspect of Wario's character has been ignored since the release of these games and Charles Martinet taking over the role, with Martinet's portrayal adopting a thick Italian accent identical to Mario and Luigi's, Wario's theme song in Mario Strikers Charged is done in a style reminiscent of Germanic folk songs.

Speech
Compared to other Mario characters, as well as Nintendo protagonists and anti-heroes in general, Wario is known for speaking a lot. In SNES and Game Boy games, Wario didn't have any voice acting, but he spoke through in-game text to express himself. He also spoke in some game manuals, as well as comic strips. In Mario Kart 64, Wario finally received voice acting, where he was voiced by Thomas Spindler and Charles Martinet in the Japanese and overseas versions respectively. Mr. Martinet, his prominent voice actor, portrays Wario with a deep, gruff voice to give him a "tough" demeanor, whereas Mario and Luigi are given higher-pitched, softer voices. Wario speaks with a strong Italian accent, save for a few differences. Firstly, Wario is less likely to refer to himself in the third person, as evidenced by quotes like "I lost! To a buncha losers!" . Additionally, Wario doesn't add an "-a" after contractions all the time, such as when he says "It should've been called Wario Golf! You're gonna love it!" after the intro for the N64 version of Mario Golf. There are some exceptions, such as Mario Kart Wii, where he says "It's-a me, Wario!" or "I'm-a gonna win!" . Wario frequently speaks in full sentences, as he is heard saying "What, are you my caddy?" and "What is this dump?!" in the opening cutscenes of Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Power Tennis, "Have a rotten day!" to his enemies in Wario World, or "Ha ha! Wario wins! Take that, losers!" in Mario Kart Wii. In the Super Smash Bros. series, the inverse occurs. Wario's speech in these games primarily consist of grunts and yells, with only three real words to say: "Yes!" , "Wah!" , and "Oooh..." . In WarioWare Gold, Wario receives full voice acting, meaning that his speech isn't limited to grunts and numerous quotes. Overall, Wario has a lot of dialogue in the Mario franchise.

Personality
Wario is extremely greedy and does anything to get money, as shown especially in the Wario Land series and in Wario World. He is also a miser, as he never lets anyone else touch his treasure. Sometimes, his greedy nature even overtakes him and he goes out of control occasionally, even going as far as to double-cross his friends. Wario is also known to be gluttonous and addicted to sweets, having even problems due to that, as shown in WarioWare: Touched!.

Wario is often portrayed as unintelligent, however he can make microgames (which are always a sales success) and can fly a plane. In fact, he may actually be very skilled at electronics, as he made a dimensional teleporter in a few seconds. He also constructed the Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart DS race track Wario Stadium. The reason why many assume he is stupid is because of his hot-headed and clumsy personality.

In the Mario Party series, Wario abandons his greedy personality and plays fair. In sports games, Wario generally have his personality mirrored on his abilities and powers.

Wario is also known for his poor hygiene; he often picks his own nose and forgets to clean his teeth, which is a problem, due to his addiction for sweets. Wario also is shown, mainly in Japanese media, to enjoy jokes of nasty and bizarre nature, an example being discussing the color and size of his waste. This aspect of his personality was not initially included until around Wario Land 4. Wario's fondness for crude humor is generally removed during the localization, although it is prominent in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Strikers Charged.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wario's down special is Wario Waft, which has him hold his fart in to unleash a -esque explosion. Wario also scratches his butt in one of his idle poses, in addition to wiggling it towards the screen in one of his taunts, alluding to his fondness for crude humor. Wario's back throw also involves him hitting the opponent with his posterior while posing. Wario can be apathetic at times, which is shown when he laughs after turning Ness into a trophy and making Lucas run away from him in the Subspace Emissary story mode, as well as lying on the ground and laughing at his defeated opponents. Wario's Super Ability, Gas Mask!, has him fart loudly and daze the opposing team captain (as well as his/her teammates). Wario's opponents negatively react to this, and make humorous wheezing or choking noises (while saying things such as "Oh, Wario!" or " Excuse you!"); Wario himself responds, saying nasty lines such as "Juicy!" , "Spicy!" , or "Excellent vintage!" . Wario's slightly deranged, psychotic behavior also appears here, where his "Away" entrance animation has him make a slicing motion with his hand under his neck, signifying death for his opponent. One of Wario's animations for scoring a goal shows him being thrown up by his teammates, while he laughs wildly. One of Wario's animations for enduring an opponent's goal has him violently grab the metallic Soccer Ball and mutter "I hate you, you stupid ball!" . However, the ball explodes on Wario, thus leaving him speechless.

Wario has been used by Nintendo to make him a lighthearted comic relief character. This is evident in a handful of Mario and Wario games, where he humorously emotes, goes into long rants, or childishly rages in sports and kart races. Wario's double-sided humor comes into play in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, as shown in his animations and moves as well as cutscenes involving him in the Subspace Emissary.

According to the official website for Wario Land 4, Wario exercises during his free time, and according to the  book Wario Land 4, Wario hates sand.

Wario is considered scary to most of the Toads and even King Boo (though not as scary as Bowser), as revealed in Super Mario 64 DS.

Physical appearance
According to the Wario World instruction manual, Wario weighs 308 pounds (140 kilograms), although he declares it's just his clothes. He has broad, muscular arms, a large belly, and his excess fat overlaps the openings of his overalls; it is shown his arms and legs are pure muscle meaning the rest of his fat must be stored elsewhere.

His skin ranges from a fair to tan complexion. His nose is pink, large, slightly pointed down, and he has large nostrils. Wario's mouth is square-shaped, as is his head, with blocky teeth and a fixed grin. He also has a round, thick, cleft chin. He has round black-eyes, which were initially wonky, shaped by his cheeks and arched brows. They are outlined with a light blue, baggy, ring similar to Waluigi's. He has very constricted pupils and his iris is of a very dark shade.

Wario is actually not as short as he appears. He appears much wider than others and he's noticeably taller than Mario. In fact, Wario is as tall as Luigi regardless of his stout appearance, but he is still shorter than others such as Peach and Waluigi. His athletic abilities tend to make him a powerhouse character, as is expected with his body type.

Wario has light brown hair, the same color as Waluigi's. His hairstyle is similar to that of Waluigi's, having small flips at the back, swooped up bangs, and styled sideburns. He also has a black, large, zigzag shaped mustache.

Clothing
Wario wears a plumber outfit similar to that of Mario, Luigi, and Waluigi. Unlike them, however, his outfit has some details not shared with his counterpart, Waluigi. He wears a yellow cap with a white streak on the rim, a yellow T-shirt and a purple overall with white buttons, and green pointed shoes. His cap has a blue "W" that exceeds the white spot space it is inside. He also wears white gloves with his blue "W" printed on it. Wario's primary color, yellow, is an opposite color of purple, Waluigi's primary color, on the.

Wario's outfit on older games however was slightly different. Originally his overalls were pink and he wore a long sleeved yellow shirt.

In the WarioWare series, Wario dresses in a biker style outfit which consists of a yellow helmet with red stripes and goggles and a blue W similar to that on his cap, a dark blue undershirt, a short-sleeved denim jacket, yellow fingerless gloves, pink jeans, and his elf-like shoes. This outfit is only used in the WarioWare series and the Super Smash Bros series. In both Super Mario Land 3 and the Virtual Boy adaptation of Wario Land, Wario abandoned the hat for an explorer's hard-hat, although he otherwise has a similar outfit to his standard outfit.

In the Mario Strikers series, Wario wears a pair of shorts and a yellow T-shirt with a numbered jersey, as well as cleats. Specifically in Mario Strikers Charged, Wario wears armor over his T-shirt and fist guards to protect himself.

In Mario Party 2, Wario's clothing would change depending on the board he was playing on, which would see him in his former regular outfit, a Western-themed cowboy outfit, a medieval-themed wizard outfit, or an explorer's outfit. In Mario Tennis Aces, Wario now wears a tennis outfit (just like Mario, Luigi, and Waluigi), consisting of a yellow cap with a white visor, a yellow T-shirt with purple collars, purple shorts with white linings, and two sneakers instead of his usual elf shoes.

Development
When Wario first appeared in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, he had bigger shoes, a more cartoon look than Mario, and was noticeably lazy-eyed. Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 made him look less like a caricature and briefly exchanged his cap for an explorer hat with a "W" on the front, although he returned to his normal attire for the subsequent three Wario Land games and all his appearances in the various Mario spinoffs. After Wario World, however, he started wearing short-sleeves instead. The WarioWare series introduced Wario's biker outfit, which subsequently appears in the Super Smash Bros. series alongside his original attire.

Powers and abilities


Despite his obesity, Wario is quite athletic and wields superhuman strength that both exceeds that of Mario's and almost rivals that of Bowser and Donkey Kong. Wario's trademark move is the Dash Attack which involves charging with his shoulder out. Wario is shown to have a wide variety of grappling moves, in Wario World Wario could use his strength to punish his enemies in a variety of ways, including the Piledriver, Corkscrew Conk, and Wild Swing-Ding.

Wario consistently has the ability to use his body weight to his advantage. Since his first appearance in Mario Land 2, Wario has shown the ability to Ground Pound causing small earthquakes to stun his foes. In Wario Land: Shake it, Wario is able to cause tremors by using the Earthquake Punch.

Wario is commonly associated with explosives, including Bob-ombs, and ways of stealing coins, such as a magnet or even a large vacuum of sorts.

Wario's obesity is attributed to his unique eating abilities and superhuman gluttony. Wario can eat inanimate objects and has used his oversized bites to injure foes. Some of his transformations are related to him eating something like apples for Fat Wario or stale garlic for Wario-Man. Wario also has the power of farting to stun or injure his opponents as seen in Mario Strikers Charged and the Super Smash Bros. series.

Wario's greatest strength, though, is with items, such as the Power Up Pots which give him unique transformations. He also shares some transformations with Mario such as Fire Wario and Metal Wario. Wario has other transformations associated with self injury, such as Flaming Wario, Crazy Wario, Flat Wario, Frozen Wario, Electric Wario, and many more. Surprisingly, Wario is not injured by these transformations despite appearing to be so.

Pastimes
While Wario is a predominant adventurer and thief, there have been many hints towards his other jobs and hobbies. Wario Land II seems to depict Wario as a farmer. He keeps several chickens outside his castle, including his notable pet Hen. It is unknown if Wario uses these Chickens for agricultural purposes, though, as he refers to his Hen as his "beloved pet" in the game's manual. He is also seen doing some farm work in Game & Watch Gallery 4 in the cutscene for Fire Attack. On another note, his third vehicle in Mario Kart DS, Dragonfly, is a tractor.

Wario owns a pharmacy, or so it may seem. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!! there is a building in Mushroom City saying "Wario Pharmacy".

The commercials for Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins and Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 actually consistently establish Wario as a hypnotist, although he only put hypnotism to use in the former game.

Of all the occupations and pastimes Wario has had throughout the years, the most consistent one is a microgame-maker, as evident as the WarioWare games.

Relationships
Wario's greatest rival is Mario, stemming back to childhood according to various comics and the Super Mario-Kun manga, where their rivalry is a major theme. According to Mario in the instruction booklet of Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Wario has been jealous of Mario because of his fame, ever since they were children. While Wario occasionally teams up with Mario (for example, in Super Mario 64 DS), the relationship between them is mostly hostile, though Wario feels more contempt toward Mario rather than actual malice. The official website for Wario Land 4 reveals that Wario enjoys tying Luigi's shoelaces together, and he is antagonistic towards Mario's other friends as well. He fought Toad directly in Wario's Woods, where he often called him names such as "'Shroom"; Wario and Toads also share bad chemistry in Mario Superstar Baseball (but not its sequel). Toads show fear towards Wario in Super Mario 64 DS, though they try their best to be polite. One remarks on Wario's lack of hygiene and advises him to wash his cap more often. A few, however, admit to changing their opinion on Wario after realizing how many Power Stars Wario has retrieved.

In Mario vs. Wario: The Birthday Bash, Wario was depicted as having a crush on Peach and tried to one-up Mario by buying her a Samus Doll she wanted for her birthday before Mario could. Wario also had a golden statue of Peach that Mario stole at the end of Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, but other than that, the games do not portray Peach as a love interest for Wario. Instead, Mona fills that role, with various WarioWare games and supplementary material revealing that she harbors romantic feelings for her friend and employer, Wario, who is occasionally hinted to return the interest.

Captain Syrup surpasses Mario as Wario's greatest nemesis, appearing in various Wario Land games where she measures up to him in terms of both wit and greed. Captain Syrup has called him "handsome" in her latest appearance in Wario Land: Shake It!, although it is most likely sarcastic. Wario is also on bad terms with Bowser, mercilessly taunting each other in Mario Superstar Baseball and possibly sharing some rivalry, as shown in the opening movie of Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. While they teamed up in Mario Power Tennis against the Mario Bros., this is the exception rather than the norm, with Wario helping to defeat Bowser in Super Mario 64 DS, and Bowser stopping Wario from taking Mario down in Mario Super Sluggers out of a desire to finish their mutual foe off himself.

While Wario and Waluigi sometimes bicker, their relationship overall seems to be a positive one, with them sharing good chemistry in the baseball games and often teaming up in sports events and spinoff titles. The two share many aspects of their personalities and even looks, although the exact relationship between Wario and Waluigi is somewhat ambiguous. Certain Nintendo of Europe sources such as Wario's Warehouse or the Mario Kart DS website suggest that they are siblings, but the DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games contradicts this idea by stating that they are instead cousins under trivia notes. Waluigi's trophies in both Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl indicate that their relationship is intended to be unclear; Wario merely calls Waluigi his "traitor friend" when the two were briefly in opposition in Mario Super Sluggers, and Charles Martinet, who voices both characters, has stated his belief that they are simply "two evil guys who found each other".

In Super Mario 64 DS, both King Bob-omb and Chief Chilly view Wario's mustache as "worthy" to challenge theirs, while insulting Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi about their mustaches (despite the last not having one). Throughout both battles, the two characters do not berate Wario as much as they did to the other heroes, but still treat him as an enemy of Bowser.

Wario also has had acquaintance with Donkey Kong. In Mario Party, they are shown doing poses and both specialize in strength. In Mario Superstar Baseball, they are on the same team. DK even tries to give Wario a fist bump for the latter's home run, only to unintentionally pound Wario into the ground. Often, Wario has the same demeanor with Donkey Kong as he does with everyone else, but to some degree sees him as a powerful asset on his side.

WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$! information

 * Occupation: CEO; Adventurer
 * Skills: Stupid Strength; Gluttony
 * Words to Live By: Get Rich Quick!
 * A treasure-hungry adventurer, Wario dreams of making a fortune off video games. He's even formed his own company. So far, its not working out very well.

Mario Party 7

 * Partner: Waluigi
 * Special Orb: Coin Vacuum

Mario Party 8

 * Website Bio: If anyone has a healthy appetite for candy, it's Wario, and he's greedy enough to do anything to get it.
 * Team Names:
 * Mario: Big Sarrios
 * Luigi: Green 'n' Greedy
 * Peach: Sugar 'n' Spies
 * Yoshi: Poached Eggs
 * Daisy: Mischief-Makers
 * Waluigi: Double-Crossers
 * Toad: Crazy Allies
 * Boo: Double-Dealers
 * Toadette: Double Agents
 * Birdo: Rotten Eggs
 * Dry Bones: Dumb Skulls
 * Blooper: Drenched Stench
 * Hammer Bro: Scammer Hammer

Quotes

 * "I'm-a Wario! I'm-a gonna win!" - Mario Kart 64
 * "Fire!" - Mario Kart 64
 * "Obey Wario, destroy Mario!" - Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins advertisement
 * "Should've been called WARIO Golf! Still, you gonna love it!" - Mario Golf
 * "Nintendo! Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!" - Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour / Mario Power Tennis
 * "Who do you think you are, buster?" - Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
 * "What, are you my caddy?" - Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
 * "Yeah, oh yeah Wario wins!!!" - Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
 * "I lost! To a buncha' losers!" - Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
 * "I pounded down a healthy cup of sugar (with just a dash of coffee) for breakfast." - WarioWare, Inc. Mega Party Game$
 * "Hurry up!" - ''Wario Land 4/WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
 * "Excellent!" - Wario Land 4/WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
 * "I'm-a number 1" - Wario World
 * "Have a rotten day!" - Wario World
 * "Eccellente!" - Wario World
 * "Good luck!" - Wario World
 * "Get outta here!" - Wario World
 * "Oh no! Somebody cheated. I CAN'T LOSE!!!" - Mario Power Tennis
 * "It's-a Wii! Wario!" - WarioWare: Smooth Moves
 * "Wario is great!" - Mario Hoops 3-on-3
 * "Behold the Telmet! Television! Teleportin'! And, uh, it's a helmet." - Wario: Master of Disguise
 * "See that big sturdy man on the Touch Screen? That's me...WARIO! Now get me some treasure!" - Wario: Master of Disguise instruction booklet
 * "Rock'n'roll!" - Wario Land: Shake It!
 * "Ha! I'm amazing!" - Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
 * "Pull my finger" - Mario Strikers Charged
 * "A Treasure Chest! Outta the way! This one's mine!, I just turn here... and tweak here... aaaaaaand... whaaaaaaaa!" - Mario Super Sluggers
 * "It's-a me, Wario!" - Mario Kart Wii
 * "Wario's great!" - Mario Kart Wii
 * "So long!" - Mario Kart Wii
 * "Wario wins!" - Mario Kart Wii
 * "Yeah take that losers!" - Mario Kart Wii
 * "Bah!, I let you win!" - ''Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
 * "Right Here hehe haha!" - ''Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
 * "So ein mist!" - Mario Party
 * "Oh, my God!" - Mario Party (Japanese version only)
 * "Which job do you wanna take? They're all pretty great!" - WarioWare: D.I.Y.
 * "I HATE YOU!" - Mario Kart 7
 * "Ha Ha! Take that losers!" - Mario Kart 7

Trivia

 * Wario is the only Mario character at the time of release with an amiibo that does not have a corresponding Mini Toy in Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge, as using Wario's amiibo only leads to the player simply receiving a Mini Spek.
 * In the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Plummers Academy", an unnamed, overweight plumber wearing yellow and purple can be seen as a classmate of Mario and Luigi. This character's similarity to Wario is probably coincidental, as Wario's debut came three years after The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! was produced.
 * Hiroji Kiyotake originally envisioned Wario as having for his favorite food, but current official bios and various games have established his favorite food as being garlic.