Il Piantissimo

Il Piantissimo is a dark-skinned man disguised as a Pianta that the player must race in Super Mario Sunshine, similar to the Koopa the Quick races in Super Mario 64. He could be raced in Gelato Beach, Noki Bay, and Pianta Village.

Piantissimo is very overconfident, and finds himself superior to others. According to various locals at Pianta Village, he is considered a rogue, a creep, and not related to the Piantas. This could show that due to his attitude, he is left alone and barely challenged, adding to his superior personality with no one to go against it.

Once the game is beaten with one hundred and nineteen Shine Sprites or less, the ending screen will show Il Piantissimo finding Bowser Jr.'s Magic Paintbrush. This alludes to the possibility that he took it. In Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Shadow Mario is playable. A likely possibility is that this is Il Piantissimo wearing the disguise, as Bowser Jr. is also playable in the game. I is suspected that Il Piantissimo became Cosmic Mario/Luigi since they are both racers.

Trivia

 * When looking from under Il Piantissimo's mask's chin or through his eye holes, Il Piantissimo resembles The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Marathon Man.
 * His name in Italian translates to "The Most Plant" or "The Greatest Plant". It may also be "The Most Pianta" or "The Greatest Pianta", due to the fact that Piantas are also a species.
 * Melody Pianissima, a Portrait Ghost, has a last name almost identical to Il's.