This article contains Super Mario RPG spoilers.

Highlights

  • Super Mario RPG features original characters Mallow and Geno, who provide support to Mario as he takes on the Smithy Gang to save the Mushroom Kingdom.
  • Geno, a popular fan-favorite character, is a vessel for a star warrior from Star Road and possesses powerful moves such as Geno Beam.
  • While Geno's story may be limited, his strength and versatility make him a valuable asset in the game and a memorable character for players.

Super Mario RPG has a clear protagonist when one looks at the title, but for it to be a proper role-playing game, naturally, the jumping plumber is going to need a bit of help. This is where the classic cast members of Bowser and Peach come in, but so do Mallow and Geno, brand-new characters introduced in Super Mario RPG. With Bowser and Geno acting as heavy hitters and Mallow and Peach serving as the best magic users players could ask for, Mario has a fair bit of support as they take on the Smithy Gang to save the Mushroom Kingdom.

When it comes to Super Mario RPG, though, many players think of Geno above any other character in the game apart from Mario himself. Even though there are two original characters that are iconic to SMRPG, Mallow goes without much mention as Geno is a popular fan-favorite by a considerable margin, but there are plenty of reasons as to why.

Geno is the second party member players obtain during their playthrough, but in order to get him, players not only need to go through the Forest Maze, but also defeat the boss Bowyer. Luckily, with Geno's Geno Beam and Geno Boost abilities, Bowyer shouldn't be too tough, and the Switch remake aims to make the Forest Maze easier on players compared to the SNES version.

RELATED: Nintendo is Offering a Cool Throwback Super Mario RPG Reward

Super Mario RPG Lets Geno Shine in More Ways Than One

Truthfully, the character known as "Geno" is far more complex than just a wooden man with guns in his hands. The version of the character fans typically know is actually only a vessel for the real thing that lurks within the wooden doll: a star warrior from Star Road. The Switch remake makes the moment in which the light that's meant to be "Geno" possesses the doll even more memorable, as now it's given a full CGI cutscene for players to watch rather than just a few sprites moving on the screen. Once players team up with Geno to stop Bowyer, they're able to see the power of the Star Road for themselves as all of Geno's Flower Point moves are very powerful for the early game.

Why Geno is an Important Part of the Team in Super Mario RPG

Geno's strength in-game is one of the reasons why he's such a popular character. Not only does he enter the team with plenty of strength behind him, but his stats are rather well-rounded, making it that players can boost Geno's Level Up stats however they like. With this, and his moves such as Geno Whirl which can inflict 9,999 points of damage if timed correctly, make him into a character that will easily be switched out at important opportunities, if not a frequent member.

Strength and handiness in Super Mario RPG may very well be all Geno needs in order to remain as memorable to players as he did. After all, if he proves to be a valuable asset in SMRPG, players will use him, which leads players to get attached to him. With Geno being known as a reliable jack-of-all-trades in the classic game, that's plenty enough reason for players to want to see Geno in Super Smash Bros. and other adventures.

In terms of story, there sadly isn't too much when it comes to the star warrior. Where Peach, Bowser, and Mallow all have sizable character arcs, Geno only serves as a voice of reason and direction on the bigger picture of the adventure. Once all the Star Pieces are gathered, Geno leaves the doll behind and heads back to the stars, tugging at players' heartstrings as the character leaves the party even if he implies he might not want to.

While he is without a doubt one of the reasons why Super Mario RPG is so special to fans, his part in the game may come off as a bit of a let-down for newcomers who hadn't played the game before the Switch version. Nevertheless, once Geno heads back to the stars and players get to the post-game storyline, they may be a bit more attached to the friend from the stars, as they have plenty of content to get through after defeating Smithy for the first time.