Mario Characters Who Should Be In The Next Game

A brief teaser for a new Mario Kart game was featured as part of the initial trailer for the Switch 2. This game appeared to utilize a style more reminiscent of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, signaling an effort to take the greater Mario franchise in this new direction. Mario Kart 8 (and to a lesser extent, Mario Kart DS before it) introduced the idea of non-Mario characters being available in the series.

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Due to how popular the series is, its use as a sort of cross-promotional tool seems inevitable. That said, at its core, it should maintain a level of loyalty to the title, and add more characters from the greater Mario series, including some who weren’t present in Mario Kart 8 and its DLC. Although some of these characters have made other playable appearances prior, others would be entirely new to the franchise.

10

Donkey Kong Jr.

A Mario Kart Veteran

Donkey Kong Jr saving Donkey Kong from Mario's cage

  • Previous Playable Appearances: Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart Tour

More casual fans may not realize that Donkey Kong Jr. is actually an inaugural member of the Mario Kart series, predating even Donkey Kong himself. He is one of the eight original racers, and was largely phased out, likely due to the soft-reboot of the Donkey Kong character and his relationship with Mario. The Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong Country and the eponymous game for the character are two separate Kongs. The Donkey Kong from Country is presumed to be the one presently active in the series, while Cranky Kong is presumed to be the original, previously more villainous Donkey Kong. As Cranky is the grandfather of the current Donkey Kong, this likely means Jr. is likely the present DK’s father rather than his son, and it may be weird to communicate this whilst also faithfully portraying the character.

Additionally, a new smaller Kong character currently acts as Donkey Kong’s sidekick, and in Double Dash, Kong Jr., who originally was supposed to appear, was definitively replaced by Diddy Kong as DK’s designated partner. Nonetheless, Mario Kart Tour added back the fleeting racer, by faithfully restoring him to 16-bit form. This jarring portrayal managed to be both hilarious whilst genuinely acting as a tribute to the Mario Kart game that started it all, and it may be entertaining to see it once more.

9

Professor E. Gadd

A Tinkering Inventor

Professor E Gadd in a cutscene

  • Previous Playable Appearances: None

Professor Elvin Gadd is a supporting character in multiple iterations of the series, originating from the Luigi’s Mansion franchise. He typically assists Luigi in ghost-hunting affairs, saddling him with the inventions needed to succeed in this field. He also appeared in two of the Mario and Luigi games, having a fairly memorable role in Partners in Time. Otherwise, he is typically mentioned in passing as an inventor of various machinery, such as the F.L.U.D.D in Super Mario Sunshine. He will also make small appearances in various other Mario games himself.

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Some of his inventions have even snuck their way into the Mario Kart series. The Poltergust 4000, an upgraded version of the Poltergust 3000 from Luigi’s Mansion, is a fully functional kart, unlike the other models in the series which merely hunt ghosts. The CPU opponent, Robo Mario, from the Mario Kart GP series, is also an E. Gadd creation. Gadd’s appearance in the series proper would be something of a full circle moment, when one considers his contributions.

8

King Bob-Omb

A Beloved Boss

King Bob-omb - Mario

  • Previous Playable Appearances: Mario Kart Tour

King Bob-Omb, also sometimes known as Big Bob-omb, is a memorable character from Super Mario 64, where he debuted as the game’s first boss. As a gigantic living explosive with a memorable design, he has variably appeared as an enemy, hazard, or sometimes merely a background character in the greater Mario series. He debuted as a playable character for the first time in Mario Kart Tour. In a vein reminiscent of characters like Petey Pirahna and King Boo, King Bob-omb serves as a more memorable, bigger, and playable iteration of a longtime Mario enemy.

Like Pirahna Plants and Boos, Bob-ombs are also notable, not only within the greater Mario series, but also that of Mario Kart itself. That said, they debuted in such a way that maintaining their status as an item/stage hazard makes sense. As a sort of compromise, the beloved Bob-omb monarch making a return to the proper Mario Kart series would be an interesting choice.

7

Prince Florian

An Usher of the New Era

Official cover art of Super Mario Bros Wonder.

  • Previous Playable Appearances: None

Prince Florian is a caterpillar who serves as a supporting character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Atop his crown are beneficial badges that aid the player in their many adventures throughout the game, with him riding atop their back. As there appears to be a looser, more cartoony style associated with the tentatively titled Mario Kart 9, it makes sense to have a character from the Mario game that debuted this style present as well.

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Florian’s small size and frame could make him an interesting choice as well, allowing him to pair well with certain builds one might otherwise think of as unconventional.

6

Mallow

A Magical Cloud Child

Mario, Peach, Bowser, Mallow and Geno find a star in Super Mario RPG Remake

  • Previous Playable Appearances: None

Debuting in Super Mario RPG: Legend of Seven Stars as one of its two playable characters exclusive to the game, Mallow is a unique character. Having previously been the prince of Nimbus Land, he was lost and recovered by the Frog Sage, who raised him as a surrogate grandchild, causing him to be confused about his origin. Mallow later teams up with Mario, becoming his first ally in the game. Eventually, he discovers the truth about himself and, much later, is implied to have resumed being the prince of Nimbus Land.

His memorable character and the recent remaster of Super Mario RPG make Mallow (and by extension, Geno) potentially interesting candidates for a new Mario Kart. That being said, if the game’s complex ownership makes it unforeseeable, the series should make an effort to integrate characters from other iterations of Mario games (such as the various RPGs) into the series.

5

King K. Rool

An Iconic Enemy

King K. Rool in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

  • Previous Playable Appearances: None

The main antagonist of the earlier iterations of Donkey Kong Country, King K. Rool, is still considered by many to be the series’ best villain, despite not being present as such in newer games. Nonetheless, his reach extends a bit beyond his point of origin, with him most recently appearing as a playable character in Super Smash Bros Ultimate. Like a handful of other characters from Donkey Kong Country, he also has a rogue appearance in one Mario game, namely Mario Super Sluggers.

Here, him and his underlings, the Kremlings, are technically considered to be a part of the DK Wilds, a team led by his nemesis, Donkey Kong. K. Rool would not only be an iconic character but draw from the extended Mario universe in a somewhat interesting way. When one considers the extent of the characters added, some even from other series, it might be interesting to have characters that are technically a part of the Mario series, but not directly connected to the titular character, a fascinating choice.

4

Strawlow

Star Sprite Ambassador

Bowser, alongside Mario, Luigi & Starlow.

  • Previous Playable Appearances: None

This star sprite is a supporting character in the later Mario and Luigi installments. She is a supporting character in three games, and across her various appearances, has aided the likes of Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and even Bowser. She was notably the only character from the greater series to reprise her role in Paper Jam, and is generally classified as an ambassador for the star sprites.

With the revival of the series in Brothership (which she also appears in), it may be interesting to showcase a character who can hearken back to Mario and Luigi and partially represent the series in Mario Kart.

3

The Broodals

Bowser’s Wedding Planners

The Broodals

  • Previous Playable Appearances: None

These evil lunar rabbits were in charge of coordinating Bowser’s wedding. They stole the various treasures from the worlds present in Super Mario Odyssey, in an effort to enhance his wedding experience. They also clashed with Mario, who fought them every step of the way. While far from the only bosses present in the game, the Broodals nonetheless make quite an impression with their repeated appearances.

Although Mario Odyssey is not exactly a current game, with its window of time more closely associated with the reign of terror that was Mario Kart 8 and its extensions, it would be interesting to see a piece of this unique game preserved in the greater series, similar to how Rosalina from Super Mario Galaxy arguably outlived her own series.

2

Nabbit

A Robbing Rabbit

New Super Mario Bros. U Nabbit

  • Previous Playable Appearances: Mario Kart Tour

Nabbit is something of a breakout character, originating from New Super Mario Bros. U. In this installment, he is exclusively an enemy robber, who pilfers toad houses, and has to be caught, in exchange for rewards. He was promoted to playable in New Super Luigi U, replacing Mario in the original game. He has since outlived the U iteration of the series, remaining playable in Wonder, and appearing in many spinoff and crossover games.

Despite this, he was not even playable in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Despite this fact, 8 Deluxe and 9 contain references to the character. It may be possible that he will finally be playable in a mainline Mario Kart game, especially considering he is already a playable character in multiple other Mario games. Should Florian not appear, Nabbit would also double as representation for the new era ushered in by Wonder.

1

Toadsworth

A Long-Lost Ally

Toadsworth at the head of the line with  two yellow Goompas behind him, Birdo, Peach and Daisy

  • Previous Playable Appearances: None

Toadsworth was an advisor to Princess Peach, who was a fixture in multiple iterations of Mario games, starting with Super Mario Sunshine. He even acted as the chaffeur to the winning racers in Double Dash. For someone so closely tied to an important character of the series, he mysteriously stopped making appearances without explanation after Mario and Luigi: Dream Team.

With the inclusion of many other, typically interchangeable toads in the series, it may be worth including one of a few who is distinctive from the rest of them, and has had a relatively more significant role in the series.

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