Cappy

Cappy is a major character in Super Mario Odyssey. He is Mario's main ally throughout the game, and assists him in various ways, similar to F.L.U.D.D. from Super Mario Sunshine. Along with his little sister Tiara, Cappy is a Bonneter originally from the Cap Kingdom and joins Mario in order to rescue her after she is kidnapped by Bowser.

Concept and creation
Cappy's final design was colored white as he was meant to transform into various hats, and white was deemed a color able to fit all the different colors of the hats. Furthermore, his eyes while smiling were made to resemble the "M" of Mario's cap.

Super Mario Run
Although Super Mario Odyssey is the first game in which Cappy is physically present, his first appearance in a game is in Super Mario Run. To promote Super Mario Odyssey's appearance at E3 2017, a statue of Cappy in the form of the Mario Cap was made available as one of the objects in Kingdom Builder on June 14, 2017, and costs 2,000 coins. When tapped after it is placed on the field, it will change to his original top hat form for a few seconds, while his voice can be heard exclaiming, "Cappy!"

In-game description
"Straight from Super Mario Odyssey! This statue is of Mario's new partner Cappy."

Super Mario Odyssey
Cappy's first true physical appearance is Super Mario Odyssey, where he is Mario's main partner throughout the game. Cappy joins Mario in order to rescue his little sister Tiara, who had been kidnapped by Bowser along with Princess Peach. He is "energetic but a bit timid." Cappy is also controlled by the second player when playing in co-op mode.

Mario can throw Cappy in various ways; a straight up/down shot that can roll across the surfaces, a circular throw, boomerang-like shot, and a homing shot which can also be used to extend Cappy's reach. Cappy can also be held in place once thrown.

Cappy has a variety of uses. He serves as an attack and defensive measure, allowing Mario to defeat enemies at a distance. In addition, it can destroy or reflect various projectiles.

When thrown at certain enemies or objects, Cappy captures them, allowing Mario to control them to get across stages. The behavior of captured enemies and objects vary depending on creature or object.

Cappy can also interact with the environment. For example, he can pull levers, remove wooden poles, destroy some of the objects such as crates and small cacti. Cappy can remove some poisonous hazards off of the ground in areas where some toxins may block Mario's path (such as the Wooded Kingdom). When thrown at spark pylons, Cappy allows Mario to transform into a ball of electricity and ride along the line; this is a major mode of transportation within the game.

Cappy also acts to complement Mario's moveset. Throwing Cappy in the air gives Mario a vertical boost while killing horizontal momentum, allowing Mario to adjust his jumping and landing trajectory. Mario can also bounce off Cappy once per jump, significantly extending Mario's jumping reach. After bouncing, Mario can throw Cappy again to further extend his movement although he cannot bounce off Cappy that time.

Cappy can help collect most of the items for Mario such as coins and hearts. Exceptions include Power Moons and keys. In addition to Coin Blocks, Cappy can also collect items from certain environmental objects such as bushes.

Cappy also informs the player of various details of the game and of the surrounding world, such as the regional coins that can only be used in that world.

Cappy also provides details to the player with tips and hints in different kingdoms, as well as information on regional coins and Power Moons in special areas.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Cappy is set to appear in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as Mario's Cap, Mario's Top Hat and the Builder Helmet, appearing during some moves and a taunt alongside Mario. However, he does not seem to have any effect on Mario's moveset. He also appears in his Bonneter form as a Spirit in the Spirits mode.

Physical description
Cappy's normal form is a white top hat with blue wisps of hair and large eyes with red irises. Under the hat is his main body, which somewhat resembles an Eerie. When transformed into different hats, such as the Mario Cap, Cappy's eyes will appear on the hat. Cappy also comes in a variety of outfits, which can be purchased from the kingdoms' Crazy Cap stores, including a chef hat, top hat, builder hat, and a fedora.

Personality
Cappy is a helpful, selfless, confident, and heroic character who would always be there for those he cares about. He is a little timid and startles easily at times. He never backs down from a fight, as if the player chooses to move Mario away from the Bowser Castle after he visits it for the first time, Cappy would refuse to go away in order to rescue Peach and Tiara from Bowser's wedding. When his little sister Tiara was captured, he immediately chose to join Mario and to assist him in the journey no matter where they'd go. He is talkative, as during the cutscenes he always speaks when he checks what is interesting about other worlds such as Tostarena and New Donk City.

Trivia

 * A headgear item based off Cappy was released in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp on October 27, 2018 to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of Super Mario Odyssey.