Rainbow Mario

Rainbow Mario is a special form of Mario that appears in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2. Mario can reach this form by obtaining a Rainbow Star. It makes Mario invincible, much like the Super Star, but the effects of the Rainbow Star are more extensive and longer-lasting than those of a Super Star, and Mario cannot earn extra lives by defeating enemies. As Rainbow Mario runs, he leaves a light trail behind him and breaks through certain objects. Meanwhile, Mario's entire body changes color, but in Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mario's entire body is just red but still leaves a rainbow trail. Mario cannot combine this power-up with any other power-up; if Mario touches one while invincible, the other item will be kicked off-screen.

Rainbow Mario's theme is a re-orchestration of the classic invincibility theme, with the same melody heard from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Super Mario 64. The music as well as Mario himself will increase in speed while in use, making Mario harder to control until it runs out.

The artwork for Rainbow Mario's artwork is similar to Invincible Mario's artwork; Mario's poses in both artworks are identical, though he faces a different direction in each artwork.