Toad (species)

Toads, also known as the Mushroom People or simply Mushrooms, are a peaceful race of mushroom-like humanoid characters and the dominant species of the Mushroom Kingdom. Toads reside in many towns and cities throughout the entire kingdom, and have a capital named after them called Toad Town. Most Toads are citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom, and many also work as loyal servants of the kingdom's ruler Princess Peach.

First appearing in Super Mario Bros., the Toads have continued to make appearances throughout the Mario franchise. Typically, they play the role as supporting characters who assist Mario and/or Luigi on their adventures. However, several Toads have also played starring roles on some titles, such as being playable heroes alongside Mario and Luigi in New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U. Captain Toad from Super Mario Galaxy stars in his own title in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, initially released for Wii U in 2014 and later released for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS in 2018.

The most recognizable member of the species is the character known as Toad, who is typically depicted as Peach's loyal servant; regardless, Toad has also adventured directly alongside Mario on several adventures since his debut in Super Mario Bros. 2. The character continues to appear as a playable representative for the species in various spin-offs in addition to his own starring role in 1994's Wario's Woods. Other Toads such as Toadette, Toadsworth, and the Toad Brigade organization also make prominent appearances throughout the series.

Super Mario Bros.
In Super Mario Bros., the Mushroom People (later known as Toads) live peacefully in the Mushroom Kingdom until King Bowser and his minions, the Koopa, appear to take over the kingdom and turn the Mushroom People into various items such as power boost bricks and horsetail plants. With Princess Toadstool being the only person who can reverse the effects of Bowser's magic over the Mushroom People, Bowser soon kidnaps her, prompting Mario and Luigi to arrive and stop the Koopa.

The only Mushroom People left in their original forms are Princess Toadstool's seven remaining servants, also called the mushroom retainers or simply Retainers, who are found in the first seven of the game's eight castles. While the English instruction booklet claims that they are under Bowser's spell, the Japanese version correctly states that they were merely captured. Additionally, an official guide describes them as female maids, but is missing the part mentioning seven of them, implying that they are instead a single character. When rescued, the mushroom retainer informs Mario or Luigi that their princess is in another castle.

The mushroom retainers reprise their role in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels and Super Mario Bros. Special. In Super Mario All-Stars, there are as many mushroom retainers in the castle as the castle's world number (one in World 1-4, two in World 2-4, etc.). In the Super Mario All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Worlds A, B, and C have five, six, and seven of them respectively. In the ending cutsene of the original version of Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels and Super Mario Bros. Special (and to a lesser extent, VS. Super Mario Bros. and All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.), all seven of the mushroom retainers Mario/Luigi rescued throughout the game can be seen circling Mario/Luigi and the princess, exclaiming "Thank you Mario/Luigi!" in the former.

Super Mario Bros. 2
Super Mario Bros. 2 is the first game to feature a specific mushroom retainer as a playable character. This character is named Toad, and he continues to appear as a representative for the species in subsequent games of the Mario series. In Super Mario Bros. 2, Toad is known for his high strength and speed stats; however, his jumps are considerably lower in comparison to the other characters.

Super Mario Bros. 3
In Super Mario Bros. 3, there is a Toad in every castle owned by the kings of the Mushroom World. When Mario or Luigi enter the castle, the Toad asks them to get the magic wand back from the Koopalings to transform the King back to his original form.

Toads are also found in a Toad House on the map of most worlds (excluding Dark Land and the Warp Zone). They allow Mario and Luigi get extra lives, coins, and items. The Toad Houses let Mario take the contents of one of three chests, containing a power-up. They also run the Spade Panels which allow players to play a scrolling type game, where they must match three parts of either a Mushroom, Fire Flower, or Starman. Depending whether or not the player matches the three correctly, and which image formed, two to five extra lives can be gained. N-Mark Spade Panels are also run by Toads, and they allow players to play a matching card game, where they can earn lives, power-ups, and a max amount of thirty coins.

Super Mario 64
Many Toads are found inside the rooms of Princess Peach's Castle in Super Mario 64. It is implied that these Toads are sealed behind the Castle's walls so that they could not escape to seek out for help. Upon Mario's arrival to the castle, the imprisoned Toads inform Mario about Bowser's takeover of the castle, and give him various hints about the Power Stars. A number of Toads even manage to hold onto a few Power Stars and later give them to Mario. Two Toads are also seen (alongside Princess Peach) in the ending of the game after Mario defeats Bowser for the final time.

In the remake Super Mario 64 DS, the Toads presume the same role of providing tips while being sealed behind the castle walls; however, their messages are slightly altered for each of the playable characters that talk to them. Additionally, a Toad also tells Mario to find the various keys needed to unlock the drawers of Peach's dresser. Every time Mario brings a key to this Toad, a new minigame appears and becomes available to play in the Rec Room. Toads also make cameo appearances as background characters in the various minigames. Some are even dressed up as waiters in the Luigi minigames.

Super Mario Sunshine
An entourage of Toads and Toadsworth accompany Mario and Peach to Isle Delfino in Super Mario Sunshine. They are usually found around Delfino Plaza, often worrying about Peach after her capture by Shadow Mario. The Toads offer Mario various hints, such as ground pounding crates to receive coins. The Toads also fix F.L.U.D.D. at the end of the game.

In the ending credits, the five Toads can be seen enjoying themselves along with Mario, Peach (who is rescued by Mario) and Toadsworth.

The game removes multiple blue-vested-red-spotted Toads and replaces them with the different colored Toads.

New Super Mario Bros.
Toads make a minor appearance in New Super Mario Bros., appearing in the intro where they are seen panicking after the castle was attacked. In this game, Toadsworth takes the role of hosting the Toad Houses instead. Toads, however, make cameo appearances in the minigames available in this game, since most of them are the same minigames from Super Mario 64 DS.

The Toads in the opening in fact use Toadsworth's model, but due to the screen size and resolution of the original Nintendo DS, this cannot be easily seen without outside-game tools. However, due to later systems with which the game can be played having larger screens, the brown caps can be noticed by sharp eyes when playing the game on those.

Super Mario Galaxy
Many Toads can be seen celebrating the Star Festival in the introduction sequence of Super Mario Galaxy as well as the end of the game in Grand Finale Galaxy. However, during the beginning of the game, many Toads are trapped in Crystals at the time of Bowser's attack over Toad Town.

Five Toads resembling the Toads from Super Mario Sunshine appear as major supporting characters. They call themselves the Toad Brigade, and help Mario in his adventures across the universe, often using their ship, the Starshroom, to travel to various galaxies. The Toad Brigade comprises the following members: Captain Toad, the self proclaimed captain); Banktoad, the digger; Blue Toad, an intelligent Toad who wears glasses; Mailtoad, a Toad who delivers helpful mail; and Yellow Toad, a Toad often found sleeping.

A species of Toad called Cosmic Toad was going to appear. They were distinguished from other Toads by the star-shaped spots on their caps.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Toads take on a much more prominent role in New Super Mario Bros.'s successor, New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Additionally, Blue and Yellow Toad appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii as playable characters in the multiplayer modes.

During the introduction cutscene, two Toads help Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad, and Yellow Toad by firing Propeller Mushrooms and Penguin Suits out of a cannon. In the game, Toads also have to be saved in some levels, indicated by a bubble with a scared Toad in the middle. In single player mode, the player has to search for the Toads that are imprisoned inside the ? Blocks and carry them to the end of the level. If players save a Toad without him being damaged by an enemy, they are rewarded with 3 extra lives. If the Toad is damaged, players are given one extra life. Regardless of the situation, an extra Toad House opens up after players save a Toad. If playing multiplayer, the Toads do not appear in levels, and appear inside a locked chest only within an Enemy Course. Players have to pop all the Toad balloons in the area to make the chest appear, while avoiding or defeating the enemies, which vary depending of the world. Mario is then be rewarded with three Super Mushrooms.

Toads also appear in the Toad Houses where they host minigames for the players to provide them with opportunities to win extra lives and power-ups. In Princess Peach's Castle, the player has the option to visit Toad and pay him Star Coins to watch secret hint videos.

Super Mario Galaxy 2
Likewise in Super Mario Galaxy, the Toads can be seen celebrating the Star Festival while collecting Star Bits in Super Mario Galaxy 2 in the introduction. The Star Festival is then disrupted by a large Bowser, who has used the Grand Stars to make himself larger.

The Toad Brigade also make a returning appearance in this game and like in the first game, they attempt to assist Mario. They reveal that they had escaped the Mushroom Kingdom via the Starshroom that the Lumas had made for them. The reason for this is that the five Toads had told the Lumas that they would try to stop Bowser and bring peace to the kingdom, though this job is eventually given to Mario once the Toads find him. Throughout the game, the five Toads help in a variety of different ways. Banktoad, a Green Toad member of the Toad Brigade, helps Mario save Star Bits.

Super Mario 3D Land
In Super Mario 3D Land, Toads continue to help Mario on his journey on rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser and his forces. However, the Toads help Mario through a variety of different ways throughout the game.

In the beginning of the game after Peach is kidnapped, three Toads (Red, Blue, and Yellow) are seen to accompany Mario on his journey to check where Peach is. Yellow Toad then spots a letter, which was written by Bowser, illustrating the kidnapping of Peach. The three Toads then run ahead in front of Mario to attempt to save her. Throughout the game, Mario can spot these three Toads through the use of binoculars. If spotted, one of these three Toads occasionally helps him through a variety of ways, such as tossing a Star Medal or a power-up. Occasionally, the Toads lead Mario to secret passageways. In Bowser's Castle, the three Toads are found in front of the cannon which leads to the castle. Near the end of the level, the Red Toad throws Mario a 1-Up Mushroom. In the ending of the game, the three Toads had managed to reach Bowser's lair and had obtained several Super Leaves to transform Mario, Peach, and the Toads into Tanooki forms and fly back to Princess Peach's Castle.

After Special 8-Bowser is beaten, the three Toads, wearing Tanooki Suits make a reappearance. A letter gets sent to them, where they discover that Peach had been kidnapped once again by Bowser. The three Toads then venture with Mario or Luigi in this mission.

Aside from the three Toads that accompany Mario on his journey, other Toads are also met. A few Toads are seen to be kidnapped by fake Bowsers throughout the game. Toads are also seen in the final level where they are seen cheering on for Mario or Luigi beside the flagpole. Toad is present with occasional appearances through running the Red Toad Houses. Toad also operates the cannons that grant Mario access to the Airship levels. Toad also makes occasional appearances in the levels, and he can be seen throwing Power-Ups or Star Medals to Mario when spotted through the binoculars. Unlike the other Red Toads in this game, Toad is distinguished to being the only Red Toad with a blue vest in this game.

New Super Mario Bros. 2
Toad reprises his host as the owner of the Toad Houses in New Super Mario Bros. 2. He also operates the cannons that Mario or Luigi must use to reach the airship levels. Toads with other mushroom cap colors also appear in the final bonus levels.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U
Both Blue Toad and Yellow Toad return as primary protagonists and playable characters in the Wii U launch title New Super Mario Bros. U. Blue Toad and Yellow Toad can use new Power-Ups, such as the Super Acorn to turn them into Flying Squirrel Toads, and in addition wield the Baby Yoshis similar to the Mario Bros..

Toad also appears throughout the game by hosting Toad Houses to assist them, appear at the end of the level when the player catches a rabbit, and appear past the end of level Fortress to give Mario and co. a power-up if they complete a stage with the last two digits of the Time Limit being the same. (i.e finishing the stage with 211 time remaining).

Blue Toad and Yellow Toad return in New Super Luigi U, reprising their roles. However, they are now able to jump higher and flutter in the air similar to Luigi. The non-playable Toads also return to play supporting roles akin to the previous title.

Super Mario 3D World
All five colored Toads appear in Super Mario 3D World, with Toad (who is now colored blue as a tribute to his appearance in Super Mario Bros. 2) as a playable character once again boasting the highest speed of the playable characters. Toad is also capable of using the many power-ups found in the Sprixie Kingdom such as the new Super Bell to become Cat Toad. Additionally, the red-spotted Captain Toad (making a reappearance from his debut in the Super Mario Galaxy games) returns in an updated look while also being playable in his own levels throughout the game.

Yellow, Green, and Purple Toads act as the hosts for Toad Houses. However, at the start of Champion's Road, another Red Toad can be seen with a red jacket that sets him apart from Captain Toad and his new explorer outfit. The Toads that are hosting the Toad Houses tend to change color between worlds, with Yellow Toads as the host in World 1 and World 2, while Green Toads are the host in World 3 and World 4 and Purple Toads in World 5, World 6, World Castle, and World Bowser. These Toads also appear alongside Captain Toad in the credits as Toad and the other three heroes travel through the clear pipes to reach back to the Mushroom Kingdom. The last appearance of the Toads is in Champion's Road which support the player along with the rest of the cast throughout the level.

Super Mario Odyssey
Toads reappear in Super Mario Odyssey, where they are mostly found in the Mushroom Kingdom, with some being in the Lost Kingdom as well. In this game they are sometimes seen wearing hats on their caps. The Toad Brigade also appears, and includes Captain Toad, Archivist Toadette, and Hint Toad. There is also a Toad called Jammin' Toad.

Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen!
In the animated film Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen!, the mushroom citizens are peaceful inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom. They are mentioned to having lived in peace until King Koopa of the Turtle Tribe arrives and kidnaps Peach. Like in Super Mario Bros., they are turned into various inanimate objects. Mario and Luigi save a group of mushroom people that were transformed into coins, and later on a lone mushroom person (identified as "Toad 2" in the credits). To thank them, "Toad 1" and "Toad 2" (as they are credited) reward Mario with a mushroom and flower power-up, respectively.

In the film, all of the voices of the mushroom people are feminine, and they generally use very polite language. Most of these Toads are presented with pinkish/red mushroom caps and had a similar appearance to the later created character Toadette.

Super Mario Shirayuki-hime
In the retelling of the classic fairy tale story of Snow White and Seven Dwarves featuring Mario characters in Super Mario Shirayuki-hime, seven Toads play the roles of the seven dwarves. The seven featured Toads acted very much in a child-like manner; however, they are close to Princess Peach and sworn to protect her. Sometime later, the seven Toads decide to head out of the cabin and go exploring. After the Toads leave, Bowser (disguised as an old woman) arrives and causes Peach to fall asleep, which the seven Toads eventually discover. The Toads assume she died, and they place her in an outdoor coffin in order to preserve her beauty.

Mario arrives to the scene and finds the seven Toads crying around the presumed dead Peach. Mario uses a magic potion to break the spell Bowser has put on her, which in turn make the Toads rejoice. Mario along with the Toads and the Princess then run off to Queen Bowser's castle. After Mario beats various Goombas, the Toads protect Peach while they watch Mario take on Bowser. The Toads then assist Mario to defeat an adversary, the Koopalings; soon after they are soon stopped when Bowser threatens to kill Peach by holding a knife to her neck.

Luigi then arrives to attack Queen Bowser. Bowser then drops Peach, who is saved by Mario and the seven Toads. After celebrating, Mario, Luigi, Peach, and the seven Toads can be seen walking out of Bowser's castle in a joyous manner and heading to another location.

DIC cartoons
In the The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Toads played a minor role by being background characters throughout the show. The most prominent Toad was Toad himself who is featured as a main character. Many Toads do not appear the same as their game counterparts and often appear with humanistic characteristics and proportions. They reappear with a similar role in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. As with Toad's case, no members of the Toad species appear in the Super Mario World series as a result of their absence in the Super Mario World game.

Wario's Woods
Wario's Woods is the first Nintendo video game that starred a Toad as the main and central hero (specifically the character Toad himself). In this game, Toad has to defeat Wario and his minions from taking over the Mushroom Kingdom. A green colored Toad also appears as a playable character for the second player in the VS mode. They are featured as the playable characters for both the NES and SNES versions of the game.

Mario Kart series
Aside from Toad who is featured as a playable character throughout all of the installments and Toadette in some installments, other Toads are sometimes seen as a part of the audience. In Mario Kart Wii, many Toads can be seen cheering for the winners in the celebration ceremony. Toads are also a frequent sight in Toad's home course Toad's Factory. Large balloons of various Toads (red, blue, and yellow colored) can be seen as a form of decoration throughout the Mario Kart 7 course Toad Circuit. In Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Toads are common spectators in many courses.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Toads live in various towns, such as Mushroom Kingdom, Rose Town and Seaside Town. Many Toads are shopkeepers or inn owners. In Rose Town, Mario has to help the Toads, who are paralyzed by Bowyer's Aeros. In Seaside Town, the inhabitants, including many Toads, are imprisoned in a shed by Yaridovich. A few Toads also appear in remote areas such as Monstro Town and even inside Barrel Volcano. Many Toads in this game have different patterns on their hats than normally found on Toads. The inhabitants of Rose Town have target shapes, Hinopio in Barrel Volcano has a flame pattern.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is the first game to clearly feature female Toads, before Paper Mario introduced other female Toads and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! featured the official debut of Toadette.

Mario Party series
Toads also make recurring appearances throughout the Mario Party series. The most prominent Toad is Toad himself who initially serves as the main host for the first two Mario Party titles and as well as the fourth installment. In the later titles, he becomes a playable character starting from Mario Party 4 while his female counterpart Toadette makes her playable debut in Mario Party 6. Aside from the two playable Toads, other Toads play the roles as assistants that aid the playable characters throughout the game, as well as being NPCs in various minigames. Toads also serve as shop keepers in Toad's own board Toad's Midway Madness in Mario Party 4. In Mario Party Advance, several Toads appear in Shroom City, including Shroomlock, Mrs. Shroomlock, Mr. E, and Mushbert, Toad and Toadette appear as hosts of some of the game modes, and generic Toads appear on portraits in Splatterball (shooting them causes the player to permanently lose one of their ammo slots). Toadsworth makes an appearance in Mario Party 7 as the main host of the game though he does not make any later appearances in the Mario Party series. In Mario Party 9, Yellow Toad serves as the main host while several other Toads play assisting roles and Toad himself maintains his role as a default playable character. Members of the Toad species corresponding to the player's color (Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green) are the characters players start out in the Toad Scramble mode of Mario Party: Star Rush while Toad himself is playable in other modes. Also in Mario Party: Star Rush, Toads serve as customers in the minigame One-Stop Toad Shop.

Mario Tennis series
Members of the Toad species typically appear as NPCs serving as spectators, line judges, camera operators, or referees on the court in their appearances in the Mario Tennis series. In Mario Tennis Open, several colored Toads run the options menu in this game, with Toad guiding players in the records, shop, and outfitter, while blue, yellow, green, and purple Toads handle other areas of the records. In Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash, a Toad always waves the second player's flag when playing in Doubles. Additionally, the Toad sitting on the chair wears a black outfit to distinguish himself from the playable Toad character in the game. In Mario Tennis Aces, a red and a blue Toad serve as commentators in the start and beginning of Adventure Mode, and a Toad follows the player making comments and remarks about what is currently happening in the story. There is also an option to allow a blue Toad to commentate during multiplayer matches. A green Toad, blue Toad, and yellow Toad accompany the playable Toad in his entry to the court, and two purple Toads hand Peach her racket when she steps into the court.

Paper Mario
Toads appear in Paper Mario as the main residents of Toad Town. There is also one in each Toad House in all towns of the game, except for the one in Star Haven. According to Goombario, these Toads had been sent to man the Toad Houses by Princess Peach in order to help the denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom's towns. The Toad inhabitants of Dry Dry Outpost, known as Dryites, wear turbans over their mushroom caps. Also, a Toad martial artist, known as The Master, can be fought as an optional boss. The Master's sister, Tayce T. can also cook items for Mario.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
The species reappear in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. They live in many of the game's towns and are also owners of almost every shop found in Rogueport and the surrounding areas. A large group of orange Toads are stranded in the Pirate's Grotto on Keelhaul Key, along with the Piantas Francesca and Frankie. Mario has to use Admiral Bobbery's Bomb ability to help them escape the Pirate's Grotto.

Super Paper Mario
In Super Paper Mario, Toads do not make a major appearance. Toad himself is present at the beginning of the game, telling Mario and Luigi that Princess Peach had been captured, and several Toads appear as part of the audience when Mario performs a Stylish Move. Toads also appear in the minigame, Mansion Patrol. The player has to aim the Wii Remote cursor at Boos to defeat them to free the Toads. They also are mentioned in Toad's Caught Card which is the last of the card collection.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Toads appear as supporting characters in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. Many Toads are first to be seen in Decalburg, a town similar to Toad Town, where they are celebrating the Sticker Fest, which are soon disrupted by Bowser. After the disruption, Toads are scattered through Decalburg either stuck within the debris or in need of assistance, which Mario then helps then clean up.

Toads appear in more various areas and help out Mario in a variety of ways. One such case is a group of Toads that act as a ladder for Mario to climb upon so that he could retrieve a missing bridge sticker.

A Green Toad who first appears standing on the burritoed town square of Decalburg seems to be in-charge of restoring the town square. If Mario use Paperize mode near the fountain and remove it, Green Toad will come out and shows Mario the Sticker Museum he made in his basement.

Additionally, ancient Toad species are revealed in murals of Drybake Stadium, alongside Koopa Troopas. These Toads have human-like proportions, and are much taller than normal Toads, with longer limbs and smaller heads.

After the folded Toad on the roof of a structure in Decalburg has been saved, the Toad states that he was folded 256 times, a reference to the storage capacity of older consoles.

Paper Mario: Color Splash
In Paper Mario: Color Splash, Toads appear throughout Prism Island, where most of them have their colors drained by Slurp Guys. The Toads can also be seen at the Roshambo Temples to watch Mario play Super Roshambo. Some Toads in Toad Trainworks can attack Mario via yelling at him, doing 1 damage each. They cannot be attacked however, as after their one cycle of attacking Mario, the battle ends.

Super Smash Bros. series
In the Super Smash Bros. series, Toad appears as Princess Peach's neutral special move, attacking any opponents. If he gets attacked, he will release spores. Other Toads also appear as trophies which can be unlocked if the players finish the All-Star mode. The Toads also appear as Stickers in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and as spirits in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Daisy now uses a Blue Toad as her neutral special side move, which is identical to Peach's Toad move.

Luigi's Mansion
In Luigi's Mansion, multiple Toads appear throughout the mansion and save the player's progress when Luigi interacts with them. One Toad followed Mario in from orders of Princess Peach, where both end up lost. The same Toad is found crying in the Foyer, and after talking to Luigi acts as the first save point in the game. The Toads also offer hints to Luigi depending on what part of the story the player has reached. A Toad can be found in the second floor balcony, first floor washroom, and the Courtyard.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
In Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Toads have a bigger role than in the first game, serving as assistants for Professor E. Gadd by inspecting the different mansions in Evershade Valley: a red Toad inspects Haunted Towers, a yellow Toad inspects Old Clockworks, a blue Toad inspects Secret Mine, and green and purple Toad both inspect Treacherous Mansion. E. Gadd tends to occasionally forget about them, and even states how "terrible it must be to work for him". In the game, the Toads are trapped in paintings by King Boo and his henchmen after the Dark Moon shattered. When a Toad assistant returns to the Bunker, he provides a snapshot from E. Gadd's tridimensional security-camera which can be used for clues in later missions. Throughout the game, Luigi must locate the Toad assistants by finding the paintings they're trapped in and using the Dark-Light Device to set them free, then returning them to a Pixelator Screen in the mansion as the Pixelator from the Bunker cannot pixelate both the Toads and Luigi at once. The Toads will follow Luigi through the mansions, but if left alone, they sit idly, crying until Luigi goes near them. They are used to assist Luigi to get through missions: using the Poltergust 5000, he can latch on a Toad's head with to carry him or by firing the Toad from the nozzle with, the latter which is used for weighing down platforms or accessing alcoves that Luigi can't reach. The Toads can also retrieve treasure and key items for Luigi if they touch it and retrieve it for him.

Each Toad has his own fear, and a Toad does not cross an area that he fears so Luigi must carry him with the Poltergust 5000 to circumvent this. As long as Luigi is escorting a Toad, Luigi cannot enter another room unless the Toad is with him. The Toad assistants also panic if ghosts suddenly appear or from sudden noises, frantically running around a room until the source is dealt with or they are flashed with the Strobulb; they otherwise cheer for Luigi if he is sucking up ghosts. When dealing with Sneakers, the ghosts may capture a Toad if Luigi is capturing another ghost; the plumber must use the Power Gauge to grab the Toad from the Sneaker to release him, but sometimes it will let him go on its own.

In the ending of the game, the Toad assistants teleport to the Treacherous Mansion's Terrace with the pieces of the Dark Moon to reassemble it. In the ending and the credits, the Toads, as well as the heroes, are shown playing and having good times with the ghosts.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions
Toads appear at the beginning of the game in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and its remake Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions in Toad Town and at Peach's Castle. They are seen escaping the castle after Peach is attacked by Cackletta and Fawful. Toad himself can be controlled in the beginning to warn Mario and Luigi of Princess Peach's capture. Various Toads give Mario mushrooms if he assists them with various tasks before he leaves for the Beanbean Kingdom. Toads also have their own immigrant community called Little Fungitown in the Beanbean Kingdom.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Toads appear in Princess Peach's Castle in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time giving information to Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi. In Vim Factory, the Toad's life force, vim, is extracted by the Shroobs to be used as fuel for their UFOs during their invasion of the Mushroom Kingdom; once the extraction is finished, they turn into Shroob Mushrooms. Toads with red caps and white spots inhabit Thwomp Volcano. Two Toads at Princess Peach's Castle run a shop called the Shroom Shop while two Toads named Gramma Red and Gramma Green run their shop Gramma's Place at the Toad Town of the past. Toadiko and Toadbert both accompany Peach in her tour of the past but, like Peach, both ended up being attacked by the Shroobs.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Fawful infects Toads with the blorbs which causes them to bloat to extreme sizes. Princess Peach requests the aid of Mario and Luigi in finding a cure. As well, singular and recognizable Toads appear in the game such as Toadsworth and Toadbert. A new character named Dr. Toadley appears later in the game to help Mario and Luigi find the Star Cures, he also fuses them into the Miracle Cure. This manages to cure the case of the blorbs and allowed the Toads to regain their original shapes once again.

Toads who escaped the blorbs are also found in Bowser's body after he swallowed them up. They are mostly found in the market place like area in his abdomen called Toad Square. In the ending of the game, the Toads along with the Mario Bros. and Peach are released from Bowser's body and can be seen to be rejoicing until Bowser begins his attack on Mario and Luigi after gaining consciousness.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Several Toads are scattered about Pi'illo Island in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. In Mushrise Park, one Toad is bullied by some Thorbs and Mario and Luigi save him and this Toad gives them Attack Pieces and teaches the brothers about them.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Toads in this game have Toad Villages which are located in various places in the game. This is where the trio can buy and sell items in their respective shops. Like in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, some Toads let the trio embark on various tasks (missions) like catching Nabbit, which can reward the trio with new Bros. Attacks or gear, instead of the usual Mushrooms. A Toad who delivers mushrooms also appears in this game, though he is known to be sometimes clumsy.

Paper Toads from the Paper Mario series also appear in this game, however they are very afraid of their real-life counterparts, causing them to flee and hide in many parts of the Mushroom Kingdom. They made their way into the real world after flying out of the Paper Mario book as a result of an accident involving Luigi in the beginning of the game. As the story progresses, many Paper Toads befriended their real-life counterparts, as well as Toadette, who uses them to create Papercraft. They are also seen helping Mario and Luigi make their way up to Neo Bowser Castle.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong
In Mario vs. Donkey Kong, three Toads appear as employees of the Mario Toy Company who have been captured by Donkey Kong, as well as the Mini-Mario toys. They are eventually rescued in the final battle by Mario. During the battle, the Toads play a supporting role for Mario by carrying the large DK Barrels that Donkey Kong had thrown previously back to the stage.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
In Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, many Toads attend the grand opening of Super Mini Mario World theme park. They take the position as interviewers who watch the opening until Donkey Kong disrupts the event.

Additionally, one of the new playable characters is the then new Mini Toad toy, which is created along with a few other new Minis due to the success of the Mini Mario company. These toys are directly based off Toad's current design.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
In the sequel Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!, many Toads are seen in the introduction where they receive Mini Pauline toy, but are soon disrupted by Donkey Kong, who wishes to receive one of the Mini Pauline toys. Likewise in the first game, the Mini Toads reappear in this game as playable characters (though their cap spots are recolored as blue instead of red to fit in with the game's color scheme).

Mario Superstar Baseball
In Mario Superstar Baseball, there are five playable Toads in the game: red, blue, yellow, green, and purple. They all have different stats but they are generally balanced characters. Additionally, Toadsworth and Toadette are also playable in this game and many more Toads appear as audience members. The regular Toads share good chemistry with both Toad characters and Peach, and bad chemistry with Wario and Bowser.

Mario Super Sluggers
In Mario Super Sluggers, each Toad has good running abilities, but their fielding skills are rather weak. In fact, the Purple Toad has the weakest fielding abilities in the game (tied with King K. Rool). In Challenge Mode, all Toads (even Toadsworth and Toadette) are on either Princess Peach or Daisy's team. The Toads share good chemistry with Peach, Toadette, and Toadsworth, Piantas, Baby Peach, and certain Mii characters, and bad chemistry with Bowser, Bowser Jr., Goomba and Paragoomba. Like the first game, many Toads appear in the audience.

Super Princess Peach
Several Toads are captured by Bowser (along with Mario, Luigi and even Toad himself) in Super Princess Peach. During the game, Princess Peach has to rescue them to enter the final boss battles. Three captured Toads can be found in every level, and one is guarded by each world's boss (except in Giddy Sky and Bowser's Villa, where Luigi and Mario, respectively, are rescued instead); the bosses' captives are replaced by coins when their levels are replayed.

Toads also appear in the minigames. Toad Jump puts the player in control of the character Toad who must jump over foes trying to attack him. By blowing into the DS Microphone, Toad can jump over his enemies to reach safety. If the player blows longer, he will jump longer by using a type of Flutter Jump. Toad also appears in the minigame Toad Tote, where he is in the middle of a burning Toad Town and must be guided to the exit. Lastly, there were blue, yellow and red Toads in Toad Shot, which had the player shooting various enemy targets to gain points, while avoiding any misses and any Mario or Luigi targets, which take points away.

Super Mario Strikers
In Super Mario Strikers, Toads appear as team players who can be chosen on to any team. The color of their caps is determined by what team they are on (example, red Toads are on Mario's team while green Toads are on Luigi's team). Additionally, Toads also make up as a part of the audience in this game as well.

Mario Strikers Charged
In the sequel Mario Strikers Charged, Toads return as selectable sidekicks. They belong in the playmaker category of players, where they are speedy and they have strong passes, but they lack in tackling and shooting skills. Their skillshot is the Fire Meteor, which burns the Kritter goalie's hands, making him unable to catch the ball. Like in the previous game, the color of their head spots change depending on the team that the Toads are on. Also in this game, additional Toads are part of the audience.

Mario and Sonic series
Toads appears as referees in all instalments of the Mario & Sonic series, along with various other Toads in the crowd and background. A green, yellow and purple Toad all appear on Toad's team for the 4x100m Relay in Mario and Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games when he challenges the player.

Mario Golf: World Tour
Toads are abundant in Mario Golf: World Tour. They are seen all around the Castle Club, manning the desks in the lobby, basement, and boutique, and one looks after the trophy hall. There are lots more Toads outside, supervising the entrances to the Castle Club courses and gates to the tutorial and practice areas, and one more is in charge of the Handicap Tournament booth. Several other Toads hang around the Royal Garden, waiting to give the players tips and encouragement on their game. A yellow Toad and a purple Toad host the tournament awarding ceremonies. A blue Toad holds up the OB sign when the ball goes out of bounds, and hosts a "booth" that can be accessed from the menu after the title screen. In this booth, the player can purchase downloadable content, view records for each game mode, check out how many eagles, albatrosses, and holes in one were scored, learn how to play the game, and see a glossary of golf terminologies. Toads also appear in the post-hole animations of Toad and Toadette.

Mario Sports Mix
In Mario Sports Mix, Toad, along with three other Toad colors can be used; the colors being blue, yellow, and green. The alternate colors can be unlocked by playing as Toad 15, 20, and 25 times. Alternatively, the blue and yellow Toads can also be unlocked by clearing certain Mushroom Cup missions. The green Toad on the other hand is found at certain Star Cup routes. Also the Toads appears as NPC seen in several courts in the game. The Toads even have a home court for Hockey and Dodgeball at Toad Park.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
For the first time since Wario's Woods, a Toad is placed into the starring role in the Wii U title Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. This title is notably the first game to be named after a Toad within the series. Playing similarly to The Adventures of Captain Toad, Captain Toad explores new areas in search of hidden treasures. Toadette additionally co-stars as a playable character in certain levels throughout the game as well. While both playable Toads are unable to jump due to their heavy backpacks, they are capable of using various tools to take out enemies such as using a Super Pickax or tossing turnips in a similar fashion to Super Mario Bros. 2. The story revolves around the two Toads exploring box-like levels in a puzzle/platformer-based adventure for treasure while seeking out the giant bird Wingo that continues to steal the Power Stars from the heroes throughout the game.

Three members of the Toad Brigade can be occasionally seen in some levels, with some members helping Captain Toad out such as giving him Super Mushrooms or Super Gems. All have been updated to wearing explorer suits similar to their captain. Additionally, some later bonus levels include Captain Toad searching and later leading his fellow brigade members on an expedition to finding the Power Star with their help.

Mario Sports Superstars
Toads appear as selectable sidekicks in the baseball and soccer modes of Mario Sports Superstars. In baseball, Toads of four colors (red, blue, yellow, and green) can be chosen, while in soccer select colors can be chosen as well. They are classified as balance characters. Additionally, Flying Squirrel Toads and Penguin Toads also appear as sidekicks. They are speed characters, and appear in baseball in yellow and blue varieties. In soccer, one can instead choose between Yellow Flying Squirrel Toads or Blue Penguin Toads. Toads can also be seen as part of the audience in baseball and soccer. In tennis, Toads are NPCs that watch over the match, in addition to Toad acting as one of the main referees. Toad also appears to give the tutorials for tennis and golf.

Personalities
Toads, in general, are very loyal to Princess Peach and the Mushroom Kingdom, but tend to panic in dangerous situations. For example, during Bowser's attack on Peach's Castle in Super Mario Galaxy, many Toads begin to panic, mindlessly running around in circles and occasionally tripping, only to resume mindlessly running around in circles. Also, during the events of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, in the conference held by Princess Peach, a Toad suggests that the entire kingdom should "panic".

It is often due to their cowardice that many Toads are relatively non-violent; that notwithstanding, they may fight if it is by all means for self defense. However, they seem to prefer running away and cowering before their foes. There are other Toads who develop tough natures, such as those who live in Rogueport, or adventurous natures, such as the Toad Brigade.

However, at most times, they are generally peaceful characters who are happy to assist the heroes. The Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy for Toad even mentions the aspect of Toads "giving off a strong sense of peace". They are usually characters who remain on the good side in the games as well. At the more peaceful of times, Toads are generally seen as cheerful characters who often have almost childish personalities.

Physical appearance
Toads are fairly short humanoids with human skin tones. Possessing the appearance of young human children, Toads are among the smaller races of Mushroom Kingdom. They have dark, beady eyes while they also possess stubby feet and typically possess almost no visible legs, although occasionally, some Toads may be depicted with visible legs, including in Super Mario Bros 3, Excitebike: Bun Bun Mario Battle Stadium, and the Save Data Toad in Mario Party's village. Their most recognizable trait is their large mushroom caps and small bodies. It is never clarified if the mushroom is a cap or part of their physiology as occasionally Toads have pulled it over their face like a hat. Typically, Toads either have white caps with red, blue, green, yellow or purple spots. However, some games also introduced Toads with caps of inverse colors such as red, blue or pink caps with white spots or light brown caps with dark brown spots (in the case of Toadsworth). Although the Toad species resemble humanoid fungi, they may or may not actually be mushrooms.

Toads generally wear simplistic clothing in the case of males wearing vests that typically reflect off the color of the spots on their mushroom caps. Some female Toads are shown to also sport vests (such as Toadette); however, they also wear long dresses. Toads also sport pants of a white color that resemble the base of a mushroom or toadstool stalk. Most Toads also sport common brown colored footwear. Dryites from Paper Mario prove that some Toads possess different wardrobes based off the area they're from. These Toads wore tagelmusts and desert clothing while also possessing tanned skin. However, in some games, such as Super Princess Peach they are depicted wearing red spots and blue vests. However, some games, such as Mario Tennis Aces have made attempts to differentiate the Toads from the playable Toad by making the only Toads with purple/blue/yellow/red/green spots with the matching vests.

According to a 2014 interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, Toads were initially designed without specific genders in mind. Many typical male Toads do not appear to have hair. However, many female Toads appear to grow hair under their caps as do some male Toads. Male Toads are shown to be able to grow facial hair. Toads generally have no noses; however, the Super Mario Super Show proved to be an exception with some Toads appearing even more human-like by appearance. The Starshade Bros. are also Toads which have prominent noses and visible ears.

Mushroom caps


All Toads have special mushroom caps on the top of their heads, just like actual mushrooms. Whether the mushroom cap is a hat or part of Toad physiology was never explicitly revealed in the games and is usually left somewhat ambiguous. However, according to Yoshiaki Koizumi, the director of Super Mario Odyssey, a Toad's mushroom cap is in fact not a hat but a part of the Toad's head. The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 shows that the cap is simply a type of hat (or at least that it can be safely removed). When Toad took off his mushroom cap in that cartoon, he revealed his round head with a few strands of hair. Paper Mario depicts the Toad conductor's hat (which itself is too small to house a mushroom cap) briefly coming off revealing a bald head without a mushroom cap. In Mario Strikers Charged, a Toad's skeleton is briefly seen when they are shocked, and the cap does not appear to be a part of it. On the other hand, Shinya Hiratake, the director of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, made a reference to Toad caps by mentioning "Captain Toad's mushroom head". Various Toads are also shown to have hair hanging down from underneath their caps, such as Toadofsky and Jolene.

When Toads are hit, they seem to drop spores (as seen in Mario Tennis and the Super Smash Bros. series). Indeed, the Chancellor of the Mushroom Kingdom claims to have "almost dropped [his] spores" after hearing Exor crash into Bowser's Keep in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

While most Toads wear white mushroom caps with different colored spots, there are exceptions. Toadette wears a pink colored mushroom cap with white spots (another example being Toadiko), and Toadsworth wears a yellowish colored mushroom cap with brown spots. Some Toads even have caps that are an inverted version of the regular caps, like Toadbert, who has a blue cap with white spots. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the color of a Toad's cap can change via power-ups such as the Fire Flower, where Fire Yellow Toad's cap turns yellow with red spots, resembling that of a Mega Mushroom, and Fire Blue Toad's turns blue with red spots. Furthermore, some Toads have other shapes on their caps, such as the yellow stars on Dr. Toadley's cap and the Excess Express waitress and Vanna T. have hearts on their caps, while the Excess Express engineer has a much smaller cap without a mushroom shape at all.

Abilities
While the Toads are often shown to be fleeing at the first sign of danger during the games, some situations prove that the mushroom people are more than capable of protecting themselves during battle. In Super Mario Bros. 2 (the first game that has a Toad as a playable character), Toad is revealed to be even stronger than the Mario brothers themselves and he is also shown to be very speedy as well. The Mario baseball games also prove the strength of the playable mushroom people as they are shown to be considerably powerful, despite their size. The Mario soccer games also have the Toads being able to use powerful head butts as an offensive attack. Additionally, the Toads are capable of performing a fiery and powerful skillshot known as the Fire Meteor in Mario Strikers Charged. In Mario Sports Mix, Toad's strongest stat was his speed while his power and technique stats were slightly below average. Additionally, Toad is capable of using his spores to creating a reflective shield as well as gargantuan mushrooms that Toad is capable of controlling to attack opponents for his special move. These attributes are also present for Toad's alternate colorations. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the two playable Toads are shown to have stats that rival Mario and Luigi's own powers and abilities. The Toads are also capable of using the same power ups (such as the Fire Flower) that are available to be used by the Mario brothers in order to gain new forms. The Toads are also shown to be skilled in riding Yoshis in this game as well. In Super Mario 3D Land, the three Toads that help Mario on his journey are shown to be just as capable as Mario himself when it comes to adventuring around the Mushroom Kingdom. They are also shown to be very speedy as they were capable of easily outrunning Mario throughout the game since the introduction. The three Toads and Toad himself are also capable of using various Power-Ups in this game such as the Propeller Box (which serves the same purpose as the block from New Super Mario Bros. Wii) and the Super Leaf (to become Tanooki Toads and fly alongside Mario during the ending of the game).

In the anime Super Mario Shirayuki-hime, the seven Toads are able to function similarly as Super Mushrooms as they are able to power up Mario after he has been weakened. However, this ability has not been shown in the actual games or any other portion of the Mario series after this OVA.

Toad guards
Toad guards serve as the protectors of the Mushroom Kingdom and Princess Peach. They typically wield spears and shields, their uniforms is a classic mantle. In Super Mario Galaxy these shields have Peach's symbol, her crown, emblazoned on the front. Like normal Toad citizens, Toad guards are not particularly brave, often asking Mario or other heroes to complete dangerous missions instead of doing so themselves. For example, when Bowser launches an attack on Peach's Castle during the centennial Star Festival, the Toad guards request Mario to protect the Princess, although that is the Toads' official duty as royal guards. One of Peach's bodyguards even hides behind Peach when Bowser hovers in front of her balcony.

Initially, the Toads' original names are referred to as mushroom retainers, which can mean that they are a specific group of Toad characters that help guard Princess Peach. They have appeared at the end of each world in Super Mario Bros., thanking Mario for saving them while informing him that Peach is still missing. Despite this early name, the term "mushroom retainer" has rarely been used since the original NES game, having only recurred in the video game series with the enhanced Game Boy Color port Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. "Mushroom retainer" is intended to be an early localized name for the Toads as a species, along with mushroom people, which has been inserted in the digital manuals of Virtual Console re-releases. The name and role that goes with it does make an appearance in other early media; for example, the Nintendo Adventure Books and the Nintendo Comics System introductory story The Legend describes Toad as the royal mushroom retainer. The more reserved Wooster holds a similar position in the series, but is instead called the "royal mushroom assistant" and (somewhat regretfully) directly serves the Mushroom King rather than the princess.

Mario Superstar Baseball information

 * Type: Balanced
 * Starting Team Captain: Princess Peach
 * Status: Player
 * Stats:
 * Red Toad Stats:'''
 * Batting: 5/10
 * Pitching: 4/10
 * Fielding: 4/10
 * Running: 6/10
 * Blue Toad Stats:'''
 * Batting: 4/10
 * Pitching: 3/10
 * Fielding: 4/10
 * Running: 8/10
 * Yellow Toad Stats:'''
 * Batting: 4/10
 * Pitching: 4/10
 * Fielding: 4/10
 * Running: 8/10
 * Green Toad Stats:'''
 * Batting: 5/10
 * Pitching: 3/10
 * Fielding: 4/10
 * Running: 6/10
 * Purple Toad Stats:'''
 * Batting: 5/10
 * Pitching: 5/10
 * Fielding: 4/10
 * Running: 5/10
 * Player Profile:
 * Strong Point: Running
 * Special Talents: Body Check
 * Trajectory:
 * Field: Center
 * Height: Normal
 * Star Pitch: Slowball
 * Star Swing: Center
 * Default Batting Position: Right
 * Default Throwing Arm: Right
 * Sweet Spot: The Toad face on the bat
 * Compatible Relationships: Princess Peach, Toadsworth, Toadette
 * Bio: "Princess Peach's subject. Though he tries to protect the princess from the evil Bowser, she gets kidnapped with disturbing regularity. There are many Toads who look just alike, and though they are generally small and look cute, they are actually quite powerful."

Mario Strikers Charged

 * Type: Playmaker
 * Skillshot: Fire Meteor
 * Bio: Speed and king-sized passing skills makes Toad one of the top play-makers on the circuit. Just don't call him 'Little Guy'.

Stats

 * Movement: 10
 * Shooting: 3
 * Passing: 10
 * Defense: 3

Super Mario 3D Land profile

 * Official American Website Bio:"Your friendly neighborhood Toads are hanging out all over the place, waiting at home to give you items should you stop by, or hiding in certain stages to toss you a power-up."

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon profile

 * Site Bios:
 * Flag of USA.png "Before the Dark Moon shattered into pieces, a crew of Toads were assisting Professor E.Gadd from within the mansions. Since then, all communication with the Toads has been lost. Do you think they're in trouble?"
 * Flag of Europe.png "These Toads were helping E. Gadd with his research, but after the purple mist descended on Evershade Valley they were kidnapped by ghosts and haven’t been seen since. Where could they be..?"

Gallery


Trivia

 * In the code of Super Mario Bros. 3, there is what seems to be a "Toad Suit" similar to the Tanooki Suit and Hammer Suit. However, this is only a Hammer Suit with palette errors that appears out of the Giant ? Block in World 7-8.
 * In Super Mario Chess, Toads appear as rooks on Mario's team. Their rivals are Goombas, who appear as rooks on the opposing Bowser's team.