The 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie smashed box office records and introduced the beloved Mushroom Kingdom characters to a new generation of fans. Debuting in the era of arcades and the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super Mario Bros is a simple game on the surface: two brothers, both of them Italian-American plumbers, set out to defeat the mighty Bowser's minions and rescue the kidnapped Princess Peach.
However, with nearly every new iteration of the game, Mario's appearance gets a makeover. The Super Mario Bros. Movie features several Easter Eggs for long-term Mario fans when it comes to the entire cast's shifting looks over the years. Here's a breakdown of how these characters have changed since their first gaming appearance.
Potential Spoilers for The Super Mario Bros movie ahead. Watch out and take care.
10 Mario
The titular hero has gone from a pixillated, in-profile character to a red-hatted superstar. In the original Nintendo game, Mario shows up wearing red overalls, a red hat, and a grayish-blue shirt. He also sports some recognizable sideburns and a thick mustachioed face.
Fast-forward thirty years or so, and Mario becomes a fully fleshed-out dude from the Bronx. Wearing blue suspenders and rocking a red hat with his initial on it, Mario's determined blue eyes pop against his recognizable scruffy hair and mustache. Also, Mario gets a couple of noteworthy costume changes within the new film, including one into his beloved yellow cat power-up. Being a plumber never looked so good.
9 Luigi
Luigi is often characterized as the quieter, more nervous Super Mario brother. Since his original appearance as a green suspenders-wearing doppelganger of Mario, Luigi has taken on a stronger personality and gained a more distinctive taller, skinnier body type.
Younger and less sure of himself, Luigi has nevertheless starred in his own separate Nintendo franchise called Luigi's Mansion, in which he faces off against ghosts (and receives a prominent Easter Egg reference in the new Super Mario Bros movie). With a green shirt and an "L" on his hat, Luigi is easy to differentiate visually from Mario. That's probably a good thing since Luigi would much rather Mario take the majority of Bowser's punches whenever possible.
8 Princess Peach
Originally introduced as the ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom and the princess in need of rescuing, Peach has experienced the most radical transformation in her appearance. Initially designed with red hair to complement Mario's shirt and shoes, Peach played a passive role throughout many of the initial Super Mario Bros games and mostly just screamed for help as Bowser dragged her across several dungeon levels.
In the new film, Peach gets the closest thing to a back-story fans have seen up to this point. She also rocks some pretty awesome go-kart clothes and shows Mario a thing (or five) on the castle obstacle course. Don't mess with this princess; she's apparently sick of being the damsel in distress.
7 Bowser
The main antagonist to Mario's hero is Bowser, King of the Koopas. In some of the first Super Mario games, he appears as a green-skinned turtle-esque creature with a spiky shell. Intent on capturing Princess Peach, Bowser wants to expand his control over the Mushroom Kingdom via a forced wedding with the princess. In most iterations, as well as the most recent movie, Bowser can breathe fire and often sails around in a flying pirate ship with his face on it.
As the voice of the cinematic version of Bowser, Jack Black brings a perfect mix of menace and ridiculousness to the character (a love ballad about Princess Peach, anyone?). The Super Mario Bros franchise is perhaps the only cultural touch-point in which a giant, fire-breathing turtle is the Big Bad to beat.
6 Toad
A derogatory name used to describe a simpering villain's acolyte (i.e. "toadie"), the Super Mario Bros' version of Toad is actually a loyal, talking mushroom that assists in saving Peach. Present since the earliest days of the franchise, Toad is usually depicted with an oversized mushroom head that has red spots on it.
In later versions, Toad wears a vest and carries an array of accouterments, including a staff in the latest Super Mario Bros movie. A likable character from the get-go, Toad's Hollywood debut has him stealing scenes with his admirable courage and fierce loyalty to Peach and his pals.
5 Kamek
Kamek is a character introduced in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island but has remained a recognizable part of the Mario cast ever since. Kamek is a Magikoopa with (you guessed it) magical powers that usually serves as Bowser's right-hand turtle.
In many ways, Kamek's general look hasn't changed much from his original appearance in 1995. With a blue cap and robes, Kamek also wears oversized spectacles and carries a ruby-tipped staff. Apparently, every evil turtle conqueror needs a Merlin-like sidekick, right?
4 Yoshi
Major spoiler alert for the Super Mario Bros. Movie: Yoshi isn't actually in it. That's right - the lovable green dinosaur who first appeared in 1990's Super Mario World is noticeably absent from the 3D extravaganza.
All hope is not lost for Yoshi fans, though, as the post-credits scene shows a green-spotted egg starting to hatch. Will viewers eventually get more than a glimpse of the delicious-looking red fruit that Yoshi slurps up with his long tongue? Guess waiting until the apparent film sequel is the only way to know for sure.
3 Koopa Troopas
One of the most common enemies in the Super Mario franchise is the Koopa Troopa. With a variety of different characteristics, Koopa Troopas serve as the frontline cavalry in Bowser's motley army of baddies. Each Koopa Troopa has a different colored turtle shell that typically denotes the kind of powers they have.
You might feel bad for these simple little creatures except for the fact that all Koopa Troopas seem intensely loyal to Bowser. Goes to show that for some beings, if their fire-breathing turtle leader tells them to jump off a cliff, they actually will.
2 Lumalee
As a character, Lumalee is a little more obscure than some of his compatriots. First appearing in Super Mario Galaxy 2, Lumalee usually plays the role of de facto shopkeeper. Typically, Lumalee is a sign that a boss battle is on the near horizon since he offers Mario one last chance to purchase some special abilities before the fight.
Perhaps with a little more bioluminescence than his in-game appearances, the movie's Lumalee is a melancholic doomsdayer looking forward to his impending death in Bowser's dungeon. Ultimately, Lumalee proves that if you thought everything in the Mushroom Kingdom was catsuits and star power-ups, you better think again.
1 Donkey Kong
In 1981, Donkey Kong for the Arcade introduced players to the angry gorilla as he threw barrels at Mario from the top of a construction site. Think Wreck-It-Ralph-level yelling and chest pounding. As gaming increasingly moved onto personal systems, Donkey Kong evolved into a protagonist in his own right. Joined by buddies like Diddy Kong and Cranky Kong, Donkey Kong started wearing a slick tie with his initials and saving his island jungle from the likes of evil penguins and lizard kings.
Voiced in the movie by Seth Rogen, Donkey Kong adds some laughs and a vicious rivalry with Mario to the anti-Bowser team. He also (another spoiler alert) plays a key part in the army of Mario Karts that take on Bowser's battalion of mayhem on Rainbow Road.
Mario and friends have come a long way since the mid-1980s. It's noteworthy, though, to mention how little overall some of these characters' temperaments, skill sets, and general appearances have changed over the past three decades. Classics stay classics for a reason, and the Super Mario Bros crew - 3D movie or no - easily remain standouts of retro video game excellence.