Starlow

"HELLO YELLO!"

- Starlow

Starlow (known as Chippy by Bowser) is a character who first appears in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and returns in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. She is a Star Sprite who helps Mario and Luigi by giving hints and holding items. She has a similar role to Stuffwell from the previous game. Her name is a portmanteau of the words "star" and "yellow".

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Starlow is sent to Princess Peach's meeting as a representative of the star sprites. Starlow believes that the cause of the Blorbs was from Blorb Mushrooms sold by a man in a gray cloak. Later, she is inhaled into Bowser, along with Mario, Luigi, and other citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. When Mario finds her, she is trapped by an amoeba who is holding her inside him. She remarks on how the amoeba is tickling her with rage. She has the same purpose as Stuffwell does in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time: helping Mario and Luigi. Also like Stuffwell, she holds the Mario Bros. items and equipment. However, the difference between Stuffwell and Starlow is that she has a demo version of all the abilities learned throughout the game. She can combine her powers with Princess Peach to telekinetically control people, such as Bowser, and also help Mario and Luigi to perform certain action commands. Starlow often talks to Bowser from inside of him to give him information. Starlow uses Chippy as her name for Bowser, not wanting him to know that she is helping the Mario Bros. She also helps Mario and Luigi in their encounter with Bowser. She can also save the player from nearly unavoidable attacks from bosses like Bowser, the Dark Star and the Dark Star Core, by having Mario and Luigi grab her feet so she can fly up to the top screen.

Starlow appears to have negative feelings towards Luigi, and this negativity towards him sometimes generates humorous results, such as when Starlow angrily knocks Luigi into Alpha Kretin after Luigi suggests that Starlow fight it alongside Mario rather than him. She only demonstrates this when Luigi is acting particularly cowardly. Also at the cyrogenic chamber at Bowser's Castle, she teases him by saying that he supported his older brother by crying.

At the end of the game, when Bowser hears Starlow's voice, he easily recognizes her as Chippy and gets furious, deciding to pick a fight with the Mario Bros. and her. When Bowser and Peach's Castle were remodelled, Starlow and Birdley deliver a present to Bowser from Peach as a thanks for all he did, and they have a small chat, ending with Starlow teasing him and him yelling at her to leave his castle, which she does.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
"First the stache, now the nose?! What're you, five years old?!"

- Starlow

Starlow returns in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. She was invited to Pi'illo Island to represent the Star Sprites. Like Bowser's Inside Story, she acts as Mario and Luigi's partner and guide. She also causes Luigi's in-dream reactions by pulling his mustache, spinning his nose, and pushing his hat down. Her looking down on Luigi remains, though it appears chemistry will develop between the two as the game progresses.

Mario
Starlow usually interacts with Mario more often than Luigi because she admires his bravery and courage, and she also recognizes his heroic status. She also acts more openly and kindly towards Mario, but she doesn't hesitate to speak her mind if she needs to.

Luigi
Starlow acts with a cold heart towards Luigi for the most part. Although the two are on relatively good terms, she is often annoyed by his cowardliness, but in the end she still recognizes his potential as a hero. In Dream Team, Starlow acts more openly towards Luigi, and she shows general concern when he looks nervous in his sleep. She even mentions that he looks cute when he is sleeping.

Bowser
Starlow and Bowser do not get along well. Originally, she saw him as a hotheaded monster and did not want to get involved with him. However, once she was accidentally inhaled by Bowser, she took on the alias "Chippy" to speak with Bowser from within his body, telling him what to do and getting him out of various predicaments with help from the Mario Bros. However, she only does this as it will benefit finding the Star Cure, but she does express concern or sympathy for him when the time comes. Bowser eventually came to think of "Chippy" as an honorary member of the Koopa Troop, but became enraged when he discovered her true identity. In Dream Team she is extremely disgusted with Bowser and feels that he should give up while he can.

Prince Dreambert
Starlow gets along well with Prince Dreambert, although she becomes really frustrated with him when he isn't able to remember important facts that could help the group out.

Princess Peach
Starlow shares a very good friendship with Peach. The two never argue and are almost like-minded, as seen when she and Peach throw Bowser out of Peach's Castle. She holds a high amount of respect for the Princess, and she puts her safety before anything else. The two can also perform a powerful attack together.

Quotes

 * "YELLO GOODBYE!" - Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
 * "I'll stay here and guard the princess." - Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
 * "VERY FUNNY!" - Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Trivia

 * Starlow's shape and color is similar to the Soul Bubble enemies from Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.
 * When Starlow teases Luigi by saying he defeated the Shroobs with fierce crying, Mario said that Luigi actually defeated the Shroobs. Coincidentally, Luigi's crying was the reason the Shroobs were destroyed.
 * Starlow's real name is only mentioned three times in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story:
 * At the beginning when she is introduced to the members of the conference.
 * When Mario and Luigi find Peach inside the Flab Zone.
 * In the ending cutscene after Bowser regurgitates everyone from his body.
 * In Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Starlow is often erroneously given Britta's dialogue sound effects.