Yoshi

"Golf is perfect for me 'cause I love to roam! Why don't we square off?"

- Yoshi

Yoshi is one of the heroes of Mushroom World and an ally of Mario. He is a member of the Yoshi race and has aided his brethren in saving their homeland on multiple occasions. Yoshi has also saved other kingdoms from the villain Bowser as well. In his youth, Yoshi managed to rescue and protect Baby Mario and Baby Luigi from the wrath of Kamek and the Koopa Troop.

The Beginning
Yoshi, like most of his kind, spent the early part of his life living on Yoshi's Island, the homeland of the Yoshis and the entrance to Dinosaur Land. The island was a relatively peaceful place filled with relaxed and laid-back Yoshis. However, this was all to change the day the legendary Mario Bros. were born, a day that would not only change Yoshi's life, but the entire course of history.

One morning, during the events of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi decided to take a stroll through the jungles of Yoshi's Island. The day started out like any other day until a strange, white bundle and a map landed on his back. Inside the bundle, Yoshi discovered a small baby with a red cap called Baby Mario. Prior to this, Kamek, a powerful Magikoopa, had attempted to capture both Baby Mario and Baby Luigi as the Stork carried the babies to their parents in the Mushroom Kingdom. Kamek had divined that the two babies born that morning would bring ruin to the Koopas. As such, the powerful sorcerer knew he had to eliminate the babies before they matured. Regardless of his intent, Kamek's abduction attempt failed as he only snagged one of the babies. The other, Baby Mario, fell to the ground and wound up on Yoshi's back.

Yoshi decided to take Baby Mario back to his clan. The arrival of Baby Mario caused a state of panic to take hold in the normally stress-free Yoshi society. As the Yoshis argued and yelled about what to do with the infant, Baby Mario pointed to the horizon. Eventually, Yoshi recognized that Baby Mario could detect where his brother was, as their brotherly bond was so strong, even at such a young age. Yoshi decided that the Yoshi clan should find Baby Mario's brother and help both of them find their parents. The other Yoshis agreed. Taking the initiative, Yoshi said they should use a relay system between eight Yoshis to transport Baby Mario. Each Yoshi would travel some distance, then hand Baby Mario to the next young dinosaur. Of course, Yoshi took the lead and set out in the direction Baby Mario was pointing. Yoshi helped Baby Mario through the preliminary level, then through World 1-1. Unfortunately, the task would not be easy, as Kamek's forces had invaded the island and were searching for Baby Mario.

To battle against the agents of Kamek, Yoshi used his amazing egg-making abilities to transform enemies and other objects into Yoshi Eggs. Yoshi used these eggs as projectile weapons against enemies, fending off the forces of Kamek. The green dinosaur also used a variety of Morph Bubbles to transform himself into various vehicles to better avoid or battle agents of the Koopa Troop. With these abilities, Yoshi managed to help Baby Mario through the dangers of the first level of each of the six worlds, allowing the green dinosaur to pass the infant to Pink Yoshi after each completed level.

Besides bringing Baby Mario through the first level of each world, Yoshi also braved the dangers and traps of all the secret worlds discovered along the way. In fact, as a testament to his commitment and courage, Yoshi even braved the final challenge that awaited the Yoshis. After fighting through six worlds, the Yoshis finally reached Bowser's Castle, the site of an imprisoned Baby Luigi. Taking Blue Yoshi's place, Yoshi fought past powerful enemies and avoided the traps of the dangerous Koopa fortress. Yoshi even dodged a series of magical attacks by the sorcerer Kamek himself, allowing the green dinosaur to enter Baby Bowser's bedroom in search of Baby Luigi. In the bedroom, Yoshi confronted the young Koopa King and bested him in combat. Unfortunately, Kamek used his magic to transform the relatively small Baby Bowser into a gigantic, hulking monstrosity. Fortunately, Yoshi managed to fight off the giant menace, causing both Kamek and Baby Bowser to retreat. Ultimately, in the rubble of the castle, Yoshi discovered Baby Luigi and the Stork originally charged with delivering the babies. After untying the Stork, Yoshi said his goodbyes to the babies and allowed to bird to continue on his journey. In the end, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi returned home safe.



The Koopas Return
However, the peace would not last long. Kamek and Bowser suddenly interrupted the peace of the Mushroom Kingdom by stealing all of the babies they could find, hoping to get all of the Star Children in Yoshi's Island DS (the Star Children were Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, Baby Donkey Kong, Baby Wario, Baby Bowser, and Baby Yoshi; all but the last of these seven were captured by Bowser's forces). These seven children had special energy in their bodies that, if in his possession, would allow Bowser to take over the world. Toadies had kidnapped babies from across the Mushroom World, in hopes of finding the seven Star Children.

Eventually, the Star Children that were kidnapped all escaped one way or another. The Stork saw the Toadies carrying the babies away, and he managed to crash into some of them, freeing Baby Mario and Baby Peach. Baby Donkey Kong's escape was not specifically mentioned, but he eventually fell from the sky and helped Yoshi (presumably a Toady had unintentionally dropped him, as an unseen baby was carried off in Baby DK's cloth). Baby Wario caused the Toadies to forcibly abandon him when he had an outrageous tantrum. Baby Bowser got into an argument with his future self, to the point where Bowser finally threw him out of the castle to Yoshi's feet. Baby Luigi was rescued last, at the end of the adventure.

Upon reaching Bowser's Castle, Baby Bowser found no reason to further accompany Yoshi, so he immediately abandoned the group. Yoshi refused to continue without him, however, and so Baby Bowser began battling him. Yoshi quickly took the tyrannical toddler out, only for an enraged Bowser to emerge and engage in battle with Yoshi right after the young Bowser's defeat. After Yoshi managed to defeat the future Bowser, Kamek finally cut in and enlarged Bowser to an enormous size. Four Yoshis teamed up to defeat the gigantic carnation of Bowser, and he was finally defeated for good.

After the defeat of both versions of Bowser, Kamek and the Toadies quickly fled from the destroyed castle. The Yoshis rescued Baby Luigi, as well as the other kidnapped babies. But soon, the Yoshis realized that they only had six babies, when there were seven Star Children.

However, a Yoshi is born at the end of the game, a Baby Yoshi is born, and is the final Star Child. It is likely that this Yoshi is the current Yoshi. But, because it is thought that the Green Yoshi in this game is also "the" Yoshi, the Baby Yoshi may have been born before Yoshi's Island DS, and the birth was not shown until the game's ending.

In Search of the Super Happy Tree
Of course, Baby Bowser was not happy with such a loss. As such, the young Koopa king initiated an act of revenge during the events of Yoshi's Story. Baby Bowser and his forces returned to Yoshi's Island and stole the Super Happy Tree, the source of the island's happiness. The young Koopa then cast a spell on the island, transforming the vacation paradise into a storybook. Lastly, the Yoshi denizens were cursed. This last spell incapacitated the Yoshis, making them unable to do anything to stop Baby Bowser's attack.

Fortunately, Baby Bowser's spell did not affect every Yoshi. Six baby Yoshis were still in their eggs when the spell was cast, allowing them to avoid the curse. When they hatched, the six newborns sensed that the island was in disarray. Taking the lead, a new Green Yoshi decided the babies must find the Super Happy Tree to refill the island with happiness. The five other baby Yoshis agreed and together they set out to find the tree and restore peace to the island.

The Yoshis traveled across the island, eating fruits to boost their own happiness levels. Green Yoshi personally enjoyed watermelons the most. As their collective happiness increased, more and more worlds became available to the Yoshis. Eventually, Green Yoshi and his companions reached Baby Bowser's Castle. Together they confronted the young king, and ultimately defeated Baby Bowser in combat. The Yoshis reclaimed the Super Happy Tree and restored the island to its natural, peaceful, and joyful state.

Yoob and the Shroob Invasion
In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, a strange pink and green egg mysteriously appeared on the island. This egg was much larger than any Yoshi egg, and soon the mysterious object became a tourist destination. Unfortunately, the strange egg eventually hatched, and a gigantic Yoshi-like creature emerged. This creature was Yoob, a monster sent by the extraterrestrial invaders known as the Shroobs to cause havoc on the island. In fact, Yoob was programmed to eat any Yoshi it could find. Inside the hulking monster was a Yoob-making factory - Yoshis that were eaten would be transported to this factory then encased in pink and green eggs. Eventually, these eggs would transform the peaceful Yoshis into monstrous Yoobs, who would cause even more destruction when hatched.

Fortunately, Yoshi, apparently the same Green Yoshi that saved Baby Mario, organized his fellow Yoshis and helped them escape the wrath of Yoob. While in hiding, Yoshi encountered some old friends. Baby Mario and Baby Luigi had returned to Yoshi's Island to help eliminate the Shroob threat. However, the two babies were accompanied by none other than their future selves, the adult Mario and Luigi. The two adults had traveled from the future to the past to save Princess Peach, who had been transported to the Mushroom Kingdom of the past via a Time Machine. Unfortunately, this reunion was cut short, as Yoob managed to discover the secret hideout. The Yoshis attempted to flee, but Yoob swallowed them, one by one. Yoshi, in an act of courage, attempted to battle Yoob by himself. However, Yoob proved to be too powerful and the giant monster simply ate Yoshi with its long tongue.

Yoshi eventually ended up in Yoob's belly, the location of the Yoob-making factory. The green dinosaur knew he had to find some way out. Looking around, he discovered a Chomp Rock sitting in the monster's stomach. Yoshi determined that if he could push the massive rock through Yoob's intestines, he could widen the internal organs and thus allow the captured Yoshis to escape. Unfortunately, Yoshi was not strong enough to push the Chomp Rock by himself. Fortunately, the four Mario Bros. of past and present arrived to lend a hand. The brothers rescued the other Yoshis that were either imprisoned or being tortured by RC Shroobers, allowing them to lend Yoshi a hand. With their combined power, the Yoshis managed to force the Chomp Rock through Yoob's intestines, opening the way to the exit. Yoshi heroically led his fellow Yoshis through the dark intestines, and even rescued a few more imprisoned Yoshis along the way. Eventually, after the four Mario brothers defeated the guardian of the factory, Sunnycide, Yoshi and his companions exited through Yoob's digestive tract and returned to Yoshi's Island. With the factory ruined and the Yoshis freed, Yoob deactivated and became dormant. Yoshi's efforts, with some help from the Mario brothers of past and present, had saved the island and, ultimately, the entire world from destruction by an army of Yoobs.

The Fall of Dinosaur Land
Many years would pass before trouble would befall Yoshi's Island again, allowing Yoshi and his friends to finally rest. However, in time, an old nemesis of the Yoshi clan would strike again. Over the years that passed, Baby Bowser had grown up to become the wiser and more powerful King Bowser. After several unsuccessful attempts at capturing the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser set his sights on Dinosaur Land, the continent where Yoshi's Island is located. During the events of Super Mario World, Bowser launched his assault against Dinosaur Land. To eliminate the threat of Yoshi, Bowser magically encased the green dinosaur and his friends in Yoshi Eggs. Many of these eggs were given to Bowser's own children, the Koopalings, to be watched over. Fortunately, for some reason, Yoshi's egg escaped the confines of one of the Koopalings' castles. Instead, Yoshi's egg prison wound up in the open field of Yoshi's Island.

Eventually, Yoshi was freed by none other than Mario and Luigi, now grown up and stronger than ever. Coincidentally, the Mario Bros., along with Princess Peach were vacationing in Dinosaur Land when King Koopa's attack occurred. As Mario and Luigi were taking a nap on the beach, Bowser's forces kidnapped the princess on behalf of their master. The two plumbers searched for Peach for hours, eventually stumbling across Yoshi's egg and freeing their old friend. Once released, Yoshi told the Mario Bros. of Dinosaur Land's plight. Together, all three agreed to rescue the other imprisoned Yoshis and save Princess Toadstool from the forces of Bowser. Yoshi even gave the Mario Bros. a special item, a Magic Cape, to help them on their quest.



Yoshi proved to be an invaluable ally during this adventure, acting as a quick and powerful form of transportation for the heroic Mario Bros. The green dinosaur could use his long tongue to eat almost any type of enemy, including enemies even Mario and Luigi couldn't defeat on their own. If Yoshi was hit by an enemy, he would run away, leaving Mario or Luigi behind. However, the plumbers could simply jump back on their friend's saddle to calm the dinosaur down and continue the adventure. Unfortunately, Yoshi was unable to enter Ghost Houses (except The Sunken Ghost Ship), Fortresses, the castles of the Koopalings, and, ultimately, the castle of King Bowser. In these locations, the Mario Bros. had to go in alone, but Yoshi would patiently wait outside for the brothers to return.

Ultimately, the Mario Bros. manage to defeat the Koopalings and Bowser, thus rescuing the seven Yoshi Eggs and Princess Toadstool. Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi returned to Yoshi's House to celebrate their victory over the Koopa Troop. During the celebrations that followed, the seven liberated Yoshi eggs hatched and became Yoshi Babies. Thanks to the efforts of Mario and Luigi, with help from their friend Yoshi, peace was restored to not only Yoshi's Island, but the entire continent of Dinosaur Land.

Adventures in Jewelry Land
Yoshi would not have time to rest long, as the green dinosaur was soon called back into action. During the events of Yoshi's Safari, Princess Peach personally requested Yoshi's (as well as Mario's) aid in liberating yet another land, the peaceful kingdom of Jewelry Land. Bowser had recently conquered the nation of the twelve magical jewels. These national gems protected the kingdom from disaster and were the source of Jewelry Land's order and stability. However, Bowser and his Koopalings had stolen the magical jewels, and kidnapped King Fret and Prince Pine, Jewelry Land's royal family. As a result, a great earthquake broke the land apart into two distinct realms: the Dark Realm and the Light Realm.

Princess Peach was an old friend of Jewelry Land's Prince Pine, and when she heard of her friend's plight, she immediately sent for Mario and Yoshi. She entrusted the salvation of the fallen kingdom to these two heroes, but they weren't going in alone. To aid the two, Peach gave Mario a new weapon, the energy gun known as the Super Scope. With this new weapon in hand, Mario and Yoshi entered a Warp Pipe, sending them to the regions of Jewelry Land.

During their adventures in Jewelry Land, Mario rode on Yoshi's saddle armed with the Super Scope. As Yoshi navigated the terrain of Jewelry Land, it was Mario's responsibility to shoot down any enemies in Yoshi's way. Occasionally, Mario would shoot Yoshi in the back of the head, injuring the green dinosaur. Whether this "friendly fire" was accidental or intentional has yet to be confirmed. Regardless, in the end Mario and Yoshi made a great team. Even though Bowser and his Koopalings came into the possession of some advanced weaponry, Yoshi and Mario managed to defeat the royal Koopa family. After the Koopalings and Bowser surrendered, the two heroes rescued Prince Pine and King Fret and recovered all twelve magical gems. In the end, Prince Pine reunited the two divided realms of Jewelry Land using the power of the magical jewels. The royal family of Jewelry Land thanked Mario and Yoshi for their help, and yet another kingdom was saved by the heroic efforts of Mario and Yoshi.

Allying with Luigi
During the events of Mario is Missing!, Yoshi accompanied the Mario Bros. to Antarctica to stop Bowser from melting Antarctica and flooding Earth. After Mario gets captured, Luigi decides to stop Bowser himself. Using the Globulator, Luigi can determine where he is. After doing this, Luigi can summon Yoshi for a ride. Here, Yoshi's abilities proved once again to be of great use, as the exit pipe is occupied by a large Pokey that only Yoshi can defeat. With Yoshi's help, Luigi rescues Mario and defeats Bowser.

The Mushroom Derby
Yoshi would not meet up with Mario again until the events of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. In this adventure, Yoshi had traveled to Yo'ster Isle, a Yoshi-populated island that can be accessed from the mainland via the Pipe Vault, to participate in the various races held there. This racing competition was known as the Mushroom Derby. Unfortunately, the last winner of the Mushroom Derby was an arrogant Yoshi named Boshi. After winning the race, Boshi declared himself the boss of Yo'ster Isle. He suspended the races, allowing only one-on-one races between himself and a lesser competitor (and only when Yoshi Cookies were on the line). No one was able to beat Boshi, until Mario showed up to lend a hand.

Upon the plumber's arrival, Yoshi and Mario teamed up once again, this time to defeat Boshi and end his reign over the small isle. The plan called for Yoshi (with Mario riding on his saddle) to challenge Boshi to a race and beat him, thus usurping his authority as boss of Yo'ster Isle. To do this, the green dinosaur asked a friend of his to loan him a few Yoshi Cookies (one of Boshi's weaknesses). As such, Yoshi put his cookies on the line, and challenged the arrogant Yoshi champion to a race.

To win the competition, Yoshi had to race to the beat of the Mushroom Derby's music. As such, the player had to alternate between pressing the A and B buttons in sync with the music's tempo. If the player alternates too fast, Yoshi would stop moving. While the tempo of the derby music could stop or even change, the player had to press the A and B buttons to the original beat. Mario could also help in the race by tossing Yoshi a Yoshi Cookie to give the dinosaur a boost of speed.

After a difficult and grueling race, Mario and Yoshi inevitably crossed the finish line before Boshi. With Boshi defeated, the Yoshis declared Yoshi their new boss. However, Yoshi declined the offer to become the new boss. As humble as ever, Yoshi instead suggested that the races should be owned by everyone. No one was to have control over the races; everyone who wanted to participate could. The green dinosaur even managed to reform the former champion Boshi, convincing the blue Yoshi that an egalitarian approach to racing was superior to a totalitarian one.

As thanks for the plumber's help, Yoshi gave Mario a few Yoshi Cookies. Whenever Mario needed aid in battle, the red-clad hero could use one of these cookies to summon Yoshi to the battlefield. Yoshi would then attempt to eat an enemy and convert it into an item for Mario to use. If Yoshi failed, he would give the plumber a Yoshi Candy, an item that can heal a whopping one hundred HP.

Mario could also return to the island later in his adventure to catch up with his old friend. During these visits, Mario watched and even participated in subsequent Mushroom Derbies. The plumber could either jump back on Yoshi's saddle (and aid the green dinosaur with Yoshi Cookies) or simply encourage Yoshi from the sidelines as the Mushroom Derby championed raced on his own.

Yoshi is depicted in this game as bilingual, for he is able to both speak the Yoshi language and Mario's language. During the events of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Yoshi acted as Mario's interpreter as the Yoshis on Yo'ster Isle only spoke the Yoshi language.

Uniting with 3 Plumbers
Yoshi found himself to be the primary hero during his next journey, Super Mario 64 DS. During this adventure, Princess Peach decided to invite Mario, luigi and even Wario to her castle,. Coincidentally, Yoshi was sleeping on the roof of the castle when the trio of heroes arrived.

Unfortunately, Bowser had arrived at the castle before Mario, Luigi, and Wario. The Koopa King and his forces had stolen the castle's Power Stars, the magical artifacts that protect Peach's Castle. With the power of these stars, Bowser planned to take over the castle. To do this, Bowser intended to convert the denizens of the worlds accessed via the paintings in Peach's Castle into monsters. With these newfound forces, Bowser was then going to attack the castle, and, potentially, the entire Mushroom Kingdom. With the Power Stars under his control, Bowser captured not only Peach and Toad, but Mario, Luigi, and Wario as well. As such, it was up to Yoshi to free his imprisoned allies and rescue the Princess from Bowser's clutches.

In fact, while Mario himself is required to open Star Doors and, ultimately, face the final confrontation with Bowser, rescuing Luigi and Wario was entirely optional, as Yoshi could discover magical caps that would allow Yoshi to temporarily assume the form and abilities of the other three characters. He could also eat enemies and toss eggs to help him in his quest. Ultimately, with Mario's help (and that of Luigi and Wario, or without), Yoshi managed to defeat Bowser and acquire the castle's Power Stars. With stability returned to the castle, Peach rewarded the four heroes by baking them all cakes.

(Note: In the original game, Super Mario 64, Yoshi only played a supporting role. If Mario managed to acquire all one hundred twenty Power Stars, the plumber could use a cannon to shoot himself to the roof of Peach's castle. Once there, Yoshi would reward Mario with one hundred extra lives and an improved Triple Jump. The fact that Yoshi was sleeping on the roof in Super Mario 64 DS is probably a reference to his original role in Super Mario 64.)

The Second Storybook Crisis


After a period of peace, Yoshi's Island would once again become the target of Bowser's conquests. During the events of Yoshi Topsy-Turvy, the Koopa King and his forces attacked the island, causing chaos and disorder. In an ironic twist of fate, a spirit named Hongo encased the entire island in a storybook to contain Bowser and his armies (Bowser did the exact same thing to Yoshi's Island as a baby; however, he did so as revenge against the Yoshi clan.). Fortunately, Yoshi managed to convince the powerful spirit to restore Yoshi's Island if the green dinosaur could personally trap Bowser. If the threat of Bowser was contained, there would be no need to keep the island as an isolated storybook. As such, Yoshi set off through the chapters of the storybook version on Yoshi's Island.

During this adventure, Yoshi acquired a unique and powerful ability. Not only could Yoshi use his long tongue to defeat enemies, the green dinosaur could also manipulate gravity. As Yoshi changed the force of gravity, the green dinosaur could cause enemies to fall backwards, or even transform walls into hills. This unique ability helped Yoshi complete the various daunting stages before him.

However, Yoshi could not merely walk through a course to complete it. Each course was controlled by a different spirit, and each demanded that the green dinosaur fulfill a specific task before he or she would allow Yoshi to move on. These tasks included destroying a certain number of enemies or acquiring a certain number of coins. Ultimately, after satisfying the task of every spirit, Yoshi was allowed to confront King Bowser. Of course, the green dinosaur emerged victorious in the end, and Bowser was once again defeated. With the threat of Bowser eliminated, the spirit Hongo released Yoshi's Island, restoring it to its natural state. Yet again, Yoshi had saved his homeland from a terrible fate.

Mario Kart Races
Yoshi has been a competitor in the Mario Kart series since the very first Mario Kart game, Super Mario Kart. Yoshi typically is a lightweight driver (with the exception of Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart Wii), meaning he has high acceleration, but low top speed. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Yoshi was partners with Birdo, and his special item was the Yoshi Egg. While the relationship between Birdo and Yoshi was merely implied in English versions, the Japanese website of Mario Kart: Double Dash confirms it. On Birdo's profile, it says, "Yoshi no kanojyou ni mie te jitsuha kareshi?!" This means, "Appears to be Yoshi's girlfriend... or is that boyfriend?!"

Mario Sports Competitions
Yoshi is typically an agile sports player, allowing him to make quick maneuvers (this was especially prevalent in the Mario Tennis competitions). In Mario Golf, Yoshi had a straight golf shot that achieved average heights. In Mario Superstar Baseball, Yoshi could not only run at high speeds but could also use his long tongue to field baseballs. The green dinosaur appeared as a balanced and courageous captain in Super Mario Strikers, and again in the sequel, Mario Strikers Charged. Yoshi appears as a speed character in the game, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games.

Mario Party Contests
Yoshi has been a Mario Partier since the original Mario Party and has appeared in every Mario Party title since. The green dinosaur is described as being full of energy during these contests. Interestingly, Yoshi likes unpredictability, and as such his favorite items include the Warp Block and the Warp Pipe. The green dinosaur also likes all-or-nothing competitions, another facet of his chaotic partying behavior. In Mario Party 3, Yoshi's partner was Boo. In Mario Party 7 and Mario Party 8, Yoshi's partner was Birdo.

Yoshi Puzzle Adventures
Yoshi is the star of a number of puzzle games, including Yoshi and Yoshi's Cookie. Later, Yoshi appeared in a third puzzle game Tetris Attack. The challenges in this game revolved around the characters and enemies of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. In this adventure, Yoshi had to line up similarly colored tiles to earn points and move to the next stage. Yoshi's partner in this puzzle adventure was Little Yoshi.

Smash Bros. Battles
Yoshi is a playable character in all three Super Smash Bros. games. Yoshi is a fast and heavy fighter with strong smash attacks and amazing jumping ability. Unlike other fighters, Yoshi's shield is not an energy bubble but a green-spotted Yoshi Egg. Although Yoshi lacks a true special jump in the first two games in the series, he makes up for this handicap with an extremely long flutter jump. This second jump can help Yoshi reach platforms that would take some fighters three jumps to reach. When using the flutter jump, Yoshi can also resist being knocked away. Unfortunately, Yoshi's extended grab attack cannot grab onto edges (unlike Link's Hookshot technique). Most of Yoshi's special moves revolve around various uses of Yoshi Eggs.

Solid Snake Codec Conversation

 * Snake: Otacon! What's this lizard thing?
 * Otacon: That's a Yoshi. It's a dinosaur from Yoshi's Island. Watch out for its long, chameleon-like tongue. If it gets you, you'll be swallowed whole.
 * Snake: It lays eggs and throws them, right? ...Then it must be female.
 * Otacon: ...Actually, it's a "he." At least, that's what it says.
 * Snake: It talks!?
 * Otacon: Yes! It talks! Well, kind of...
 * Snake: Now you've got me curious. ...How about I capture one so we can see what they taste like?
 * Otacon: Uhh, Snake...

Egg Lay
Egg Lay is a move that Yoshi is able to perform in Super Smash Bros., Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Super Smash Bros Brawl. The player has to simply press the B Button to activate the move. Yoshi will go on to stick his tongue forward, and will eat anyone he hits. He will then lay an egg containing the player he just ate, causing him to become immobile. Yoshi can then proceed to attack the trapped player, while he can't retaliate. The player will hatch out of the egg eventually. It can also be used to run away from the opponent, in order to regroup.

The attack is based on Yoshi's ability in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where he is able to eat an enemy and turn it into an egg.

Egg Roll


Egg Roll was a move used by Yoshi in the game Super Smash Bros. Melee. Yoshi used it when the player pressed Side+B. The move allowed Yoshi to roll around the stage in an egg. When rolling, Yoshi could knock into players, causing damage. It is very similar to Jigglypuff's Rollout move. However, Egg Roll has better control. Despite this, Yoshi can still roll off the edge easily, if he's not careful. The attack is a very good run away move, and is also good at attacking multiple enemies at one time. Holding down B during the move increases the power, but makes it harder to control. It was actually the first time Yoshi could roll in an egg, and was carried on into later games, like Mario Power Tennis. Yoshi will keep this move in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Egg Throw


Egg Throw is also an attack that Yoshi can perform in the Super Smash Bros. Series. It is done by Pressing B and tilting the Control Stick up. Once done, Yoshi will proceed to hold the egg, aim it, and throw it, just like in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. However, In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Yoshi cannot aim it as well as he did in Yoshi's Island. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he has a much wider range of fire. Also, in the Smash Bros. Series, unlike the Yoshi's Island series, the eggs will form an arc and starting falling, rather than keep on going in a constant direction. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl (but not Super Smash Bros. or Super Smash Bros. Melee), Egg Throw somewhat acts as Yoshi's third jump, because he rises a little as he does the move.

Yoshi Bomb


Yoshi Bomb (originally known as Hip Drop) is a move that Yoshi can use in all three Super Smash Bros. games. It is done by pressing down on the Control Stick, then pressing the B Button. Although, basically a Ground Pound, once Yoshi lands, two stars appear at his side, hurting anyone who hopes to attack him while he's getting up. The attack is best used while Flutter Jumping over an opponent, to land a powerful hit. The attack can be easy to dodge, however, and can leave Yoshi open for a long-distance attack. A similar attack is the Bowser Bomb.

Final Smash: Super Dragon


Super Dragon is Yoshi's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The move reflects Yoshi's sporadic yet powerful fighting skills on the battlefield and greatly improves his ability to recover from a fall. Rather than a single, powerful attack, Super Dragon temporarily transforms Yoshi into Winged Yoshi and gives him the ability to breath fire. However, Yoshi must first break open a Smash Ball in order to charge himself up for the attack. Once this happens, Yoshi can activate the attack at any time. Yoshi can even save himself from an otherwise deadly fall.

While the attack has not specifically appeared in any other game, by eating Red or Blue Koopa Shells in Super Mario World, Yoshi could breathe fire or fly respectively. However, only one of these moves could be used at a time. By using a flashing shell he could become Super Dragon but he hasn't much aerial mobility like when he uses his Final Smash, and could only breathe out one set of three Fireballs, causing the transformation to end. However, in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi could spew multiple short streams of fire after eating a Red Watermelon. This ability is closer to that seen in the Super Dragon ability.

Transformation
When the stage turns dark and Yoshi gains an unearthly glow, his transformation has begun. He gains two attack advantages. First, Yoshi's new angel wings enable him to fly. Secondly, the dinosaur constantly spews a jet of flame from his mouth until the attack ends.

When Yoshi assumes his new form, his move set and fighting strategy change with him. While Yoshi is not invincible, his opponents constantly evade him due to his constant stream of fire from his mouth. If Yoshi chooses to, he can stop spewing fire and use the form's normal attack: spewing a large Fireball that travels in a horizontal direction. When he does this, his aura becomes red temporarily, possibly giving his foes forewarning. Because of his ability to fly Yoshi can focus solely on his attacks rather than stalking or evading his foes. The smaller the stage, the greater the advantage. Yoshi is also at a greater advantage if the central platforms of a given stage have empty space below them, such as in Battlefield.

Reverting to Normal
When the attack does end, Yoshi loses his new abilities, including his wings. Innocently looking at where his wings once were, Yoshi begins to fall downward. If he was to the sides of the stage when he lost his wings, he will fall out of the arena. Because of this, Yoshi is at an advantage if, towards the end of his attack, he avoids the edges of the stage.

Yoshi's enemies will likely swarm him as he returns unless their damage meters are high. In doing so before he regains his footing, they can attempt to balance out the damage caused to them by the dinosaur.

Role in the Subspace Emissary
Yoshi is sleeping on a tree stump in a forest. Link and Navi walk by him, without seeing him. Soon, the Halberd attacks the peaceful area sending Primids out to attack Link and Yoshi. Yoshi slowly wakes up and walks up to Link, who takes his Master Sword out ready to fight. Yoshi decides to join Link's team, and the two advance through the forest following the Halberd. Standing on the edge of a cliff, the two see the Halberd in the sky flying away. Link and Yoshi continue their quest following the Halberd.

If Peach is rescued from Petey Piranha: After reaching a grassland, Link and Yoshi see False Peach about to shoot a Dark Cannon at Mario and Pit, but before she could Link cuts the cannon in half and start to fight, after they win Mario stops to see Yoshi and Link standing over a dissolving trophy. Mario gets mad at Link, thinking that he is a member of the Subspace and that he defeated Peach. He runs to Link and Yoshi very fast and tries to hit Link. Mario and Pit then attack Link and Yoshi.

If Zelda is rescued from Petey Piranha: Link stops to see Mario and Pit standing over a dissolving trophy of False Zelda. Link gets mad at Mario, thinking that he is a member of the Subspace and that he defeated Zelda. He runs to Mario very fast and tries to hit Link. Yoshi then joins Link in fighting Mario and Pit.

Soon, the four understand each other and the four become a team. They see King Dedede, who had taken Luigi, Ness, and the other princess. He attempts to take Mario and Pit/Link and Yoshi as well, until Kirby comes and rescues them. Either Link or Pit blows out the engine of the Cargo depending on which fake princess was intinially fought (if Peach, it is Pit; if Zelda, it is Link). Along with Kirby, they follow Dedede to his castle, only to find that Bowser had taken the princess and got away.

Eventually, they reach a desert where the Ancient Minister is carrying a Subspace Bomb. Pit fires an arrow at the Ancient Minister, trying to stop him from placing the bomb. However, the Ancient Minister places the bomb and his R.O.B.s install it. Altough Mario and Pit try to stop them, the bomb is about to blow up. Ancient Minister leaves the area and the bomb explodes. Mario hops on Yoshi, while everyone else hops on Kirby's Warp Star and they all leave the area before the explosion of the Subspace Bomb reaches them.

After a battle at the Canyon, Yoshi and his teammates meet up with the other heroes and enter Subspace, only to to have Tabuu turn everyone into trophies. Yoshi was rescued by Kirby, who had been revived by one of Dedede's badges that he had eaten. Yoshi then joins everyone and eventually defeats Tabuu.

Cameos
Yoshi has made a number of cameos in games besides the ones listed above.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Yoshi was one of the many heroes who took on Cranky Kong's video game hero challenge in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. He placed in the top three (along with Mario and Link). If Diddy Kong gathered more DK Coins than Yoshi or Mario, the young monkey would steal second place from the dinosaur, moving Yoshi down to third, and knocking Link out of the top rankings.

The Legend of Zelda series
Yoshi seems to be very popular in the far away land of Hyrule. A Yoshi Doll could be found in Mabe Village on Koholint Island during the events of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Additionally, a portrait of Yoshi could be found hanging on a wall in Hyrule Castle (and could be seen from the castle's courtyard) during the events of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes
In the game, a figurine of Yoshi can be spotted on Otacon's desk. Shooting it causes a sound clip of Yoshi saying "YOSHI!" to play.

Super Mario Galaxy


Yoshi himself does not appear in Super Mario Galaxy – however, there are three Yoshi references.
 * When starting a file, the player is given the choice of what character head they want to resemble the "planet" that is their save file, and one of the heads is Yoshi's.
 * In the Good Egg Galaxy, there is a planet that resembles a Yoshi egg.
 * A wooden planet that is carved into the shape of Yoshi's head appears in the Space Junk Galaxy. The mission in which one retrieves a star on this planet is even titled "Yoshi's Unexpected Appearance."

Super Paper Mario
Although he did not appear in Super Paper Mario, a Yoshi-like rock can be found in Chapter 5-2 of the game.

Physical Description and Traits
Yoshi, like all other Yoshis, has a large nose region, a row of red spines along his back, and a long sticky tongue. The green dinosaur typically wears red or brown shoes, and always wears a saddle that others can use. Although Yoshi normally has green skin, he has been known to change his color. For example, in Super Mario World, Yoshi could become blue in color after collecting a pair of Yoshi's Wings (he would stay green in the GBA remake). In fact, Yoshi would become a literal Blue Yoshi, providing Yoshi with the same strengths and weaknesses as a Blue Yoshi. Yoshi would not return to his original color unless he ran off and became re-encased in a Yoshi Egg.

Powers and Abilities
Like other Yoshis, Yoshi has a long, sticky tongue that he uses to eat almost anything, even things much larger than himself. Yoshi can transform the enemies and other objects he eats into eggs, which he can then use as projectile weapons. The green dinosaur has pinpoint accuracy, allowing him to conserve his egg supply during heated battles. During the events of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi could keep up to six eggs at a time.

Interestingly, Yoshi can also transform things that he eats into other objects. For example, in Super Mario World, after Yoshi ate an enemy, one Coin would be added to Mario's coin total. The green dinosaur could also transform berries into eggs. However, instead of using them as projectiles, these eggs would break apart and reveal items, including Super Mushrooms and strange, smiling clouds that would drop coins. In Super Mario RPG, Yoshi could eat enemies to produce eggs that would break apart to reveal a variety of helpful (and often rare) items.

Yoshi has a hard time swallowing Koopa shells. In fact, in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, the green dinosaur simply had to spit out the Koopa shell before he could eat another enemy. In Super Mario World, Yoshi could eventually swallow a Koopa shell, but could also use Koopa shells to boost his own abilities. While Yoshi could only spit out a green shell, if Yoshi spit out a red shell, the green dinosaur would instead shoot three large fireballs. A yellow shell would allow Yoshi to create sand clouds whenever he jumped and hit the ground, destroying nearby enemies. A blue shell provided one of the two ways to turn Yoshi into his Winged Yoshi form, allowing him to fly for a limited amount of time. However, if a shell was left in Yoshi's mouth for too long, he would inevitably swallow the shell and as such lose any abilities he may have possessed.

Yoshi is very proficient with Jump and Ground Pound, abilities, rivaling the capabilities of world-renown jumper Mario. However, in Super Mario World, Yoshi's jump attacks were much more powerful than Mario's normal jump attacks. Yoshi could destroy most enemies in one hit (i.e. a Koopa would be completely destroyed, not sent flying out of its shell). As such, Yoshi's jump had the same power as Mario's special Spin Jump technique. The green dinosaur is also a master of the Flutter Jump technique, allowing him to jump with incredible horizontal distance.

Alternate Forms
Throughout his adventures, Yoshi has acquired a variety of alternate forms to help him combat the forces of evil. Most of these transformations are a result of special Morph Bubbles that could transform Yoshi into a helpful vehicle. Several canceled alternate forms have been found in the coding of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Their purpose is unknown, but one can assume the plane has a similar function to the helicopter.

''Super Mario World

 * Winged Yoshi

''Super Mario 64 DS

 * Mega Yoshi

''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

 * Yoshi Helicopter
 * Yoshi Mole Tank
 * Yoshi Submarine
 * Yoshi Car
 * Yoshi Train
 * Yoshi Plane (canceled)
 * Yoshi Tree (canceled)
 * Yoshi Mushroom (canceled)

Personality
Yoshi is an extremely friendly individual who always lends a helping hand to those in need. He is legendary hero and has more than once, saved his island, helped his friends, and defeated the evil King Bowser Koopa. Once Yoshi takes on a task, he stops at nothing until he completes it. Yoshi never backs down at defending his homeland and friends. He is also very courageous, allowing the green dinosaur to stand and fight enemies much larger than himself, including Yoob, a enlarged Bowser, Nep-Enuts, Tap-Tap the Golden, and the gigantic Baby Bowser. As a result of this courage, Yoshi often takes on a leadership position to the Yoshi clan, although Yoshi has no official political status (unlike the Village Leader from Lavalava Island). In fact, when Yoshi was offered a leadership position during the events of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, the humble dinosaur declined the position. Like Mario, Yoshi has a large appetite, although Yoshi mostly eats fruits (mainly melons), but Yoshi will eat most anything including enemies (except peppers and certain inedible enemies).

Character Development
Yoshi did not appear until Super Mario World, which was released in 1991. However, Shigeru Miyamoto has stated in interviews that he wanted Mario to ride an animal companion after the completion of Super Mario Bros. Apparently, technical restrictions kept Mario from being able to ride an animal. Of course, with the development of the advanced Super Famicom in 1991, Yoshi could finally be brought to life. The character of Yoshi was specifically created by Shigefumi Hino, a graphics designer.

Yoshi likely originated from another Nintendo character, Tamagon. Tamagon was the star of the game Devil World, a game released in Japan for the Famicom in 1984 and later in Europe for the NES. Like Yoshi, Tamagon was a green lizard that hatched from an egg and could eat enemies with his large mouth. Interestingly, Tamagon makes the exact same noise when he hatches as Yoshi does in Super Mario World.

Appearance Development
Yoshi's appearance has changed dramatically throughout his video game history. In Super Mario World, Yoshi's first appearance, the green dinosaur was very much created in the image of an actual dinosaur. Yoshi had a long neck, small (almost useless), strangely orange arms, and a long back. This design changed in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. In this game, Yoshi was made shorter and stouter. Additionally, his short, tyrannosaurus-like arms were replaced by much longer human-like arms, complete with large hands to manipulate objects. This design change was developed even more in Yoshi's Story. Instead of being hunched over, Yoshi stood up straight and swung his arms as he walked, much like a human. This design has stuck ever since. However, in the Super Smash Bros. series, Yoshi returned to the original hunched over, dinosaur-like design from Super Mario World (however, he appears to have his upright design in Brawl). In Yoshi's Island DS, the Yoshis use their newer design when their saddle is empty, and they use their older design when a baby is riding them.

Television
Yoshi was a regular character in the Super Mario World animated series. In the cartoon, Yoshi was depicted as being very young and childish. As such, he was afraid of many things, including ghosts and even water. Regardless, Yoshi regularly teamed up with Mario and Luigi to help save Princess Toadstool from the clutches of King Koopa. Of course, Yoshi used his long tongue to get the heroes out of many sticky situations. He spoke in the third-person, saying things like "Yoshi scared", and replacing "I" with "Yoshi". Yoshi called Luigi Mama Luigi because Luigi found Yoshi.

Publications
Yoshi did not appear in the Super Mario Bros. comic books published by Valiant. However, Yoshi did appear in the Nintendo Adventure Books. Strangely, in this publication, Yoshi's dialogue consisted of words that rhymed with "yoshi" (unlike the cartoon series, where Yoshi could speak English fluently).

Yoshi's most prominent role in a publication was in Nintendo Power's Super Mario Adventures comics. According to this version of the Mario series, Yoshi was the Chairman of the Dinosaur Chamber of Commerce, and as such, was one of the official leaders of Yoshi Village. In these comics, Yoshi joined Mario and Luigi in their search for Bowser, as the King of the Koopas had captured several Yoshis from the village. Incidentally, all of Yoshi's dialogue consisted of the word "Yoshi".

Yoshi's first meeting with Mario is depicted in the Club Nintendo comic "Super Mario: Die unheimliche Begegnung der Yoshi-Art". Again, Yoshi is able to speak Mario's language here.

He is later seen again in the comic "Super Mario: Im Rausch der Geschwindigkeit". Mario abets him to go faster than 80 dinosaur power, a fictional speed limit. As a result, Luigi, who works as a policeman in this story, demands 60 Coins from them.

Film


Yoshi's only film appearance was in the Super Mario Bros. movie. In this depiction, Yoshi resembled an actual dinosaur, although this Yoshi had brown skin (instead of green). Yoshi acted more like a pet than as a heroic partner in the film. However, Yoshi still possessed some of his trademark traits from the games, including a long sticky tongue, courageousness, and friendliness. In the movie, Yoshi was downsized from his video game version, making him impossible to ride (in fact, Mario would probably crush Yoshi if he attempted to jump on top of him).

Portrayals
Yoshi was voiced by Andrew Sabiston in the Super Mario World cartoons (Interestingly, Sabiston would later provide the voice of Diddy Kong in the Donkey Kong Country cartoon series.).

In the video games, Yoshi has been voiced by Kazumi Totaka since Yoshi's Story (who also composed the musical score to the game).

Trivia

 * In-universe, Yoshi is said to be named after Yoshi's Island, on which he was first discovered.
 * Yoshi appeared in Nintendo Monopoly, along with a large cast of Mario characters. Here, he took the role of Illinois Avenue, and cost $240.
 * Yoshi's emblem in various games is a Yoshi Egg.
 * Starting with his debut in Super Mario World, Yoshi made a whistling sound when he spoke, but starting around with Yoshi's Story, Yoshi spoke with noises such as "Yoshi!"

Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Info

 * Partner: Birdo
 * Personal Kart: Turbo Yoshi
 * Special Item: Yoshi Egg
 * Bio: "Taking a break from carrying Mario, Yoshi's ready to burn up the courses."
 * Bio 2: "You can't help but laugh when you see Yoshi. But when he bowls you over with his giant egg, he'll be the one laughing at you."

Mario Kart: Super Circuit Info

 * Speed: ****
 * Weight: **
 * Bio: Yoshi is a bit heavier than Toad and Peach, but slightly slower as well. If you're willing to sacrifice a little speed for increased stability, give the dino a go.

Mario Kart DS Info

 * Bio: "While Yoshi is usually ridden by Mario, this time he's ready to race. Yoshi's traction is excellent."

Mario Kart Wii Info

 * Size: Medium
 * Actual Bonuses
 * Weight: +1
 * Drift: +1
 * Off-Road: +2

Super Mario Strikers Info

 * Jersey Number: 8

Mario Strikers Charged Info

 * Type: Balanced
 * Super Ability: Egg Roll!
 * Deke: Normal

Stats

 * Movement: 6
 * Shooting: 6
 * Passing: 6
 * Defense: 6

Mario Party 7 Info

 * Partner: Birdo
 * Special Orb: Egg Orb

Mario Party DS Info

 * Bio: He's lean, he's green, and he's a party machine - he's Yoshi!

Mario Hoops 3 on 3 Info



 * Baller Name: Piranha Playa Hater
 * Type: All-Around
 * Special Shot: Flutter Dunk
 * Letter to Tap: M

''Mario Superstar Baseball

 * Team Captain: Yes
 * Teams: Yoshi Eggs, Yoshi Speed Stars, Yoshi Islanders, and Yoshi Flutters.
 * Player Type: Speed
 * Star Swing: Egg Ball
 * Star Pitch: Egg Ball
 * Special Skill: Clamber, Tongue Catch

Good Chemistry

 * Mario
 * Birdo
 * Baby Mario
 * Baby Luigi

Bad Chemistry

 * None

Stats

 * Batting: 5
 * Pitching: 4
 * Fielding: 6
 * Running: 9

Bio
"A denizen of Yoshi's Island. Mario's dependable buddy always helps him out of jams. Yoshis use their tongues to eat anything and everything. It is said that Yoshis can turn anything they swallow into eggs. On the diamond Yoshi's fast legs and accurate tongue make him a great fielder."

Super Smash Bros. Profile
''Yoshi is the friendly dinosaur of Yoshi's Island. He began as Mario's partner, but has since built his own identity, and now appears in many games. He uses his unique ability to turn whatever he swallows into an egg as his foremost attacks. Yoshis come in a rainbow of colors and are said to have a high IQ from a very early age.''