(Note: This was originally posted on the Mario sub-Reddit, but it's automatically deleted and I can't tell why. No word from the moderators, where at a glance, most of them are inactive for years, except for one or two)
The Mario series has a lot of characters, but let's say we narrow down the choice to 8 primary characters, which is sort of a nice round number, then who would they be? Based on the series history, the following seven characters can be considered the primary Mario characters: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Bowser, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong. If there is an 8th character, the choice for it might not be agreed on. The possible choices in the poll and their reasonings include:
Bowser Jr.: He basically rounds up the cast in modern times. Bowser Jr. may be a newer character, but he's also quickly become prominent as a main character despite not appearing all the time, like not appearing in every 3D Super Mario game.
Wario: In the older days, Wario was a primary character where he were selectable in the iconic Mario Kart 64 character selection. However, sometime during mid 2000's for the Mario series, Wario stopped being treated like a primary Mario character and he's more or less treated with the same importance as Daisy and Waluigi. That is, except where the Wario series is concerned, since he's the main character and he still gets WarioWare to flaunt his rambunctious character.
Kamek: While the species appeared earlier, Kamek became the key figure in mainly the Yoshi games and in some Mario games, where he's usually being treated as the second-in-command to Bowser. In fact, the wider Magikoopa species as depicted in Super Mario World seems to be phased out to make Kamek more unique. Notably, he appeared in the The Super Mario Bros. Movie before every other character in this list did.
Rosalina: The most recent major recurring Mario character of the lot, she gained fans quickly in part due to her major role and having a very developed character, the latter notably being something more common with RPG characters. She got a unique playable spot in Super Smash Bros., and unique playable fighters are treated as major characters even though they may not be the biggest stars (like Ice Climbers and Min Min). Unlike most Mario characters though, her background is more or less strongly connected to a specific set of games (Super Mario Galaxy) that provided more limited avenues for reappearances.
Toadette: The only one who first appeared in a spinoff series, Toadette is slowly being brought up as a playable character in several Mario games, and she is also treated as Toad's equal when they both appear, such as in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker or Super Mario Maker 2.
Of course, if you feel that none of the choices apply, feel free to sound off who you think is the 8th primary Mario character in the comments! Of course, it helps to justify your choice because not everybody might understand their importance.
Thank you for reading.
The Mario series has a lot of characters, but let's say we narrow down the choice to 8 primary characters, which is sort of a nice round number, then who would they be? Based on the series history, the following seven characters can be considered the primary Mario characters: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, Bowser, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong. If there is an 8th character, the choice for it might not be agreed on. The possible choices in the poll and their reasonings include:
Bowser Jr.: He basically rounds up the cast in modern times. Bowser Jr. may be a newer character, but he's also quickly become prominent as a main character despite not appearing all the time, like not appearing in every 3D Super Mario game.
Wario: In the older days, Wario was a primary character where he were selectable in the iconic Mario Kart 64 character selection. However, sometime during mid 2000's for the Mario series, Wario stopped being treated like a primary Mario character and he's more or less treated with the same importance as Daisy and Waluigi. That is, except where the Wario series is concerned, since he's the main character and he still gets WarioWare to flaunt his rambunctious character.
Kamek: While the species appeared earlier, Kamek became the key figure in mainly the Yoshi games and in some Mario games, where he's usually being treated as the second-in-command to Bowser. In fact, the wider Magikoopa species as depicted in Super Mario World seems to be phased out to make Kamek more unique. Notably, he appeared in the The Super Mario Bros. Movie before every other character in this list did.
Rosalina: The most recent major recurring Mario character of the lot, she gained fans quickly in part due to her major role and having a very developed character, the latter notably being something more common with RPG characters. She got a unique playable spot in Super Smash Bros., and unique playable fighters are treated as major characters even though they may not be the biggest stars (like Ice Climbers and Min Min). Unlike most Mario characters though, her background is more or less strongly connected to a specific set of games (Super Mario Galaxy) that provided more limited avenues for reappearances.
Toadette: The only one who first appeared in a spinoff series, Toadette is slowly being brought up as a playable character in several Mario games, and she is also treated as Toad's equal when they both appear, such as in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker or Super Mario Maker 2.
Of course, if you feel that none of the choices apply, feel free to sound off who you think is the 8th primary Mario character in the comments! Of course, it helps to justify your choice because not everybody might understand their importance.
Thank you for reading.
