There’s a bounty of characters in the Super Mario franchise. Each character has an interesting design, personality, and place in the Super Mario world. Thankfully for fans of the franchise, Nintendo and Illumination’s first entry into a Super Mario Bros. Movie shows fans that this is a love letter to them, as many characters feature in the latest Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer.
These characters can feature as mainline characters, obscure background characters, or even enemies to Mario and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom. By featuring these characters in the Super Mario Bros. Movie, Illumination and Nintendo are assuring fans of their care for their craft.
9 Donkey Kong
One of the more famed characters of the Mario franchise received a redesign for the Super Mario Bros. Movie. Donkey Kong is a legendary character, iconic for his red tie, and the fact that he’s been in video games for the same amount of time as Mario himself.
His design is altered to look more comical for his personality and to be reminiscent of the original character of his first appearance in Jumpman. Little is known about Donkey Kong’s role in the film, but considering the trailer has Donkey Kong beat up Mario, it can’t be too friendly.
8 Cranky Kong
As the grandfather to Donkey Kong, it’s great to see a representation of the DK Crew in the Super Mario Bros. Movie. The fact that Cranky Kong appears opens up a giant universe out there for potential stories and characters in the Mario Universe. No character is left on the sidelines from the appearance of this icon.
What’s interesting about this iteration of Cranky Kong, is instead of waving a stick in the air and rocking in a wooden chair, he seems to be of royalty, seated on a throne with a smug expression. It’s unknown if this Cranky Kong will be the original Donkey Kong that Mario faced years ago.
7 Funky Kong
The funkiest member of the DK Crew appears in the Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer. This character is an unexpected addition, considering the somewhat obscure appearance of his being. Nevertheless, Funky Kong loves surfing and is a very skilled mechanic that has created vehicles from a variety of materials.
It’s no surprise that Funky Kong appears in the Mario Kart segment of the trailer, considering he might have had a hand in creating these vehicles. It just once again shows the attention to detail that Illumination is putting in for the Super Mario Bros. Movie.
6 Shy Guys
One of the more common enemies in the Mario games appears briefly in the Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer. These little red characters are running around the background of Bowser’s floating castle. They are distinct for their white masks and red hoodies, which they use to hide their faces.
Perhaps the appearance of the Shy Guys in the Super Mario Bros. Movie will be the first time audiences see their faces, or perhaps they can be used as a disguise by Mario as he ventures to Bowser’s castle to save his brother, Luigi.
5 Piranha Plants
These carnivorous plants surely pack a real snappy bite and can be found emerging and lurking in pots and green pipes. They are a true pest throughout the Mario franchise and are based on Venus flytraps, but with the taste for plumbers being a creative decision by Nintendo.
The fact that the Piranha Plants can be seen in Bowser’s castle in the Super Mario Bros. Movie indicates that their biting personality is not natural, and they are evil alongside Bowser. These plants can be somewhat sentient, and can even grow into giant versions of Piranha Plants.
4 Bob-ombs
The appearance of the bomb-ombs in the Super Mario Bros. Movie indicates the impending arrival of King Bob-omb. These characters have quite the tendency to explode, which is neither good for the person near them, nor the bomb itself. Their design is rather adorable, if not explosive.
They are yet another enemy type from the Mario games that appear in the Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer. It is unknown how the bob-ombs will sound, but they are known to speak, as they communicate to the player, even without mouths.
3 Goombas
One of the oldest characters in the Mario franchise is the extremely stompable Goombas. These little creatures like to walk back and forth between levels and act as a force for Mario to jump on. Jumping on their heads makes them flatten and disappear, but Goombas are also known to stand on each other.
Goombas can be seen in the Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer standing on each other, forming a tower of Goombas that eventually falls over. It is unknown why Goombas stack themselves so high. Perhaps it’s a game or a way to gain height.
2 Yoshi
Although the famed green dinosaur of Yoshi is seen in a lot of the Mario franchise, the trailer shows the species of Yoshi, running freely amongst the wildlife. These characters are often utilized by Mario, as he will hatch an egg, and jump on their backs to ride them through the levels.
Yoshi is a great companion, as they can jump high and run fast. The inclusion of Yoshi in the Super Mario Bros. Movie is to be expected, as the green dinosaur is an iconic character in the franchise, as are the rest of their species.
1 Princess Peach
A character that was notably absent from the Super Mario Bros. Movie teaser trailer was Princess Peach. As the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, and the romantic interest to Mario, it seems that Princess Peach is far from the damsel in distress she was seen as in the original Mario games. She’s far more independent and shows Mario the ropes of these strange new lands.
Princess Peach is already looking like a lot of fun in the Super Mario Bros. Movie thanks to her appearance in the trailer. Princess Peach certainly won’t be found in another castle in this movie and seems to be integral to the main cast, and not just as Bowser’s prisoner.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is scheduled to release on April 7, 2023.