Starlow

"HELLO YELLO!"

- Starlow

Starlow (known as Chippy by Bowser) is a character who has appeared in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. She is a Star Sprite who helps Mario and Luigi by giving hints and holding items. She has a similar role to Stuffwell from the previous game. Her name is a portmanteau of the words "star" and "yellow".

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Starlow is sent to Princess Peach's meeting as a representative of the star sprites. Starlow believes that the cause from the Blorbs was from Blorb Mushrooms sold by a man in a gray cloak. Later, she is inhaled into Bowser, along with Mario, Luigi, and other citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. She has the same purpose as Stuffwell does in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time: helping Mario and Luigi. Also like Stuffwell, she holds the Mario Bros. items and equipment. However, the difference between Stuffwell and Starlow is that she has a demo version of all the abilities learned throughout the game. She can combine her powers with Princess Peach to levitate people, such as Bowser, and also help Mario and Luigi to perform certain action commands. Starlow often talks to Bowser from inside of him to give him information. Starlow uses Chippy as her name for Bowser, not wanting him to know that she is helping the Mario Bros. She also helps Mario and Luigi in their encounter with Bowser. She can also save the player from nearly unavoidable attacks from bosses like Bowser, the Dark Star and the Dark Star Core, by having Mario and Luigi grab her feet so she can fly up to the top screen.

Starlow appears to have negative feelings towards Luigi, and this negativity towards him sometimes generates humorous results, such as when Starlow angrily knocks Luigi into Alpha Kretin after Luigi suggests that Starlow fight it alongside Mario rather than him. The reason Starlow feels this way about Luigi is unclear, but it may have something to do with the boss battle with Scutlet inside Bowser's body, where one of Scutlet's attacks was throwing Starlow at one of the brothers to cause damage, which had to be countered with the brothers' Hammers, after which Starlow would jump in anger while facing either the brother that countered the attack, or Scutlet itself if the attack was not countered. Assuming the player made successful counters to this attack with only Luigi, Starlow may resent Luigi for this reason.

At the end of the game, when Bowser hears Starlow's voice, he easily recognizes her as Chippy and gets furious, deciding to pick a fight with the Mario Bros. and her. When Bowser and Peach's Castle were remodelled, Starlow and Birdley deliver a present to Bowser from Peach as a thanks for all he did, and they have a small chat, ending with Starlow teasing him and him yelling at her to leave his castle, which she does.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Starlow is confirmed to return in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Her full role has yet to be confirmed, but she was shown to be the one who causes Luigi's in-dream reactions by pulling his mustache or pushing his hat down.

Trivia

 * Starlow's shape and color is similar to the Soul Bubble enemies from Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.
 * When Starlow teases Luigi by saying he defeated the Shroobs with fierce crying, Mario said that Luigi actually defeated the Shroobs. Ironically, Luigi's crying was the reason the Shroobs were destroyed.
 * Starlow's real name is only mentioned three times in the whole game:
 * At the beginning when she is introduced to the members of the conference.
 * When Mario and Luigi find Peach inside the Flab Zone.
 * In the ending cutscene after Bowser regurgitates everyone from his body.