Template:Rescue

This article displays the characters from the Paper Mario series, which consists of Paper Mario, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and Super Paper Mario. Paper Mario featured "distinctive retro-style 2-D-looking paper-cutout characters",^[1] which GameAxis Unwired praised as "colorful".^[2]

As Jim Adams explains, "All the characters are drawn in 2-D and then texture-mapped onto polygons."^[3]

These are the four playable characters from the Paper Mario series: Mario, Princess Peach, Bowser, and Luigi.^[4] Matt Casamassina of IGN notes, "You begin the game with Mario, but later pick up more party members, including Peach and Bowser, all of whom possess unique strengths and weaknesses. Mario is the quickest on his feet, can jump the highest, and is the only character able to switch between the second and third dimension. Peach, on the other hand, can float effortlessly across chasms that nobody else can traverse and Bowser can breathe fire at enemies for easy take-downs. They're all fun to play for different reasons and you can easily rotate between the mascots at any point simply by pressing the 1 and 2 buttons together and accessing the character menu, which is a plus since there are some well-designed puzzles that require you to use two or more of the heroes to continue forward."^[5]

In his adventures, Mario is assisted by various partners.

• Goombario, the Goomba, takes his father's advice and accompanies Mario to save the Star Spirits. He is a big fan of Mario and even wears a blue hat similar to Mario's (his name is even a combination of Goomba and Mario). Goombario can use his tattle to find out where Mario is and tell him about the people they meet.

• Kooper, the Koopa Troopa, joins Mario's party to follow in the footsteps of his childhood hero, the archaeologist Kolorado. He can retreat into his shell and Mario can shoot him out short distances, allowing him to flip switches, grab items and attack enemies.

• Bombette, the Bob-omb, is an unwilling minion of the Koopa Bros.; when her temper got the better of her, she literally exploded on them, resulting in her being sent to the dungeon. She joins Mario to rebel against her captors. She can explode, allowing Mario to destroy cracked walls, destroy boulders, flip switches and attack enemies.

• Parakarry is a Paratroopa mailman. Parakarry joins Mario's party after they help him recover the letters he's lost in Dry Dry Desert as well as other parts of the Mushroom Kingdom. He can carry Mario for a short amount of time, flying over gaps Mario cannot jump over.

• Lady Bow is a member of Boo royalty; she holds the Star Spirit Skolar as part of a bargain until Mario takes down the Boo-eating Tubba Blubba and save her subjects. She can makes Mario invisible from enemy attacks and not get attacked by an enemy.

• Watt is a baby electric spark. She was imprisoned in a lantern by the Big Lantern Ghost of Shy Guy's Toybox, and joins Mario after he frees her. Mario can hold her like a lantern to light up dark areas and allowing him to find invisible blocks and items.

• Sushie is a Cheep-Cheep and the babysitter of five Yoshi children on Lavalava Island. Her name is a pun on sushi. She joins Mario to find the missing Yoshis. After Mario reaches a dock, he can hop on Sushie and swim on the surface of water and dive.

• Lakilester, the Lakitu, introduces himself as "Michael", before settling on his nickname "Spike", then attacks. After he is defeated, his girlfriend asks Mario not to finish him. Lakilester then joins his party. Mario can hop on his cloud and hover over certain surfaces, such as spikes and lava, without getting hurt.

• Goombella is an aspiring archaeologist. She was one of Prof. Frankly's students and she is the first to join Mario to find the Crystal Stars after he saves her from Lord Crump.

• Koops is a timid Koopa. He lives in Petal Meadows, which is being besieged by the dragon Hooktail. He joins Mario to save his town, avenge his father, and prove himself to his girlfriend, Koopie Koo.

• Madame Flurrie is a cloud spirit actress; disillusioned with the world, she retires to the secluded Boggly Woods. When the Punis of the Great Tree are in danger, she joins Mario to save them.

• Yoshi is a baby Yoshi that the player can name in the game. Mario rescues his egg from a hotdog vendor in the Glitz Pit, and he follows Mario after he hatches. His colors vary depending on how long it takes for the egg to hatch.

• Vivian is the youngest of the Shadow Siren sisters. Vivian is constantly put down by her oldest sister, Beldam, and blamed for anything that goes wrong. Mario helps her recover her sisters' missing Superbobomb, although Vivian is unaware of who he is. When she discovers his true identity, she is at first hurt, but then joins him.

• Admiral Bobbery is an old Bob-Bomb sailor. Bobbery retired from the seas after his wife, Scarlette, died, blaming himself for her death. When Mario shows him an old letter written on Scarlette's deathbed, he once again sets out towards Keelhaul Key.

• Ms. Mowz is the only optional partner. A Squeek mouse, she helps run the Lovely Howz of Badges; in actuality, she is a world-famous badge thief. When Mario completes her quest by finding the secret badge in Hooktail Castle, she joins the team.

In Super Paper Mario, Mario is assisted by digital fairy-like beings known as Pixls. These include Tippi, a main character, as well as others, including Thoreau, Boomer, Slim, Thudley, Carrie, Fleep, Cudge, Dottie, Barry, Dashell, Piccolo, and Tiptron.

Tippi can reveal hidden doors, stairways, and other objects and examine enemies to discover their weaknesses. She was originally a human girl named Timpani, Blumiere's lover. Because he did not approve of his son's relationship with Timpani, Blumiere's father banished Timpani to another dimension, forced to drift through dimensions till she died. This caused Blumiere's villainous transformation into Count Bleck. Timpani was rescued by Merlon and turned into a Pixl, however she suffered amnesia and lost her memories of her former life. When she encounters Count Bleck, her memories start to resurface and at the end of the game, she sealed her vows with Blumiere, bringing about the destruction of the Chaos Heart (and seemingly the two lovers). At the end of the credits, it is revealed that Blumiere and Timpani survived, sitting on a grassy hill, under a tree. Only the silhouettes are seen. Her name is based on the word 'tip', as she gives tips on what to do at certain times. A timpani is a type of musical instrument.

• Twink is young Star Kid. At the beginning of Paper Mario, he is a newly risen Star Kid and is summoned by Peach when she wishes for help against Bowser. He helps Peach sneak out of her room to deliver the Lucky Star (a medallion allowing Mario and his partners to use action commands) and information to Mario, along with giving him the ability to perform special battle moves. He tries to save Peach from being tied up by Bowser but Bowser simply swipes him away. He returns in the final confrontation and defeats Kammy Koopa while contributing his power to the Star Beam.

• Goombario's Family: Goombario has a family that lives in Goomba village. His mother is Goomama, his father is Goompapa, his grandmother is Gooma, his grandfather is Goompa, and his sister is Goombaria. Goombaria discovered Mario after he was beaten up by Bowser in their first battle in Paper Mario and the family help nurse him back to health.

• Tayce T. is a female toad that lives in Toad Town. Her name is a pun on the word "Tasty". She is renowned for her culinary skills and will make various food items for Mario. Later on in the game her frying pan is stolen by the Shy Guys, rendering her unable to cook, Mario retrieves her frying pan and returns it. Also, after Mario gives her the cookbook that Gourmet Guy left behind, she is able to combine two items to make more complex dishes.

• Professor Kolorado: Kolorado is a Koopa archaeologist from Koopa Village. Kooper idolizes him and his wife constantly worries for his safety, since he rarely stays home for very long. Mario and his friends first meet him in Dry Dry Desert, where Kolorado and his team are in search for Dry Dry Ruins. Later, Mario meets Kolorado in his journey to Lavalava Island. During this part of the adventure, Kolorado is obsessed with finding a "treasure" that he believes to be hidden in Mt. Lavalava, so much that he puts his own life in danger and gets himself hurt or in trouble. He finally finds the "treasure" after Mario defeats the Lava Pirahna, but is unable to retrieve it before the volcano erupts. Even though Misstar was able to rescue Mario and Kolorado, Kolorado is saddened that he did not get the "treasure". Later, Mario obtains the treasure from the island and exchanges it for a Magical Seed Kolorado got from a Bub-ulb on the island. He briefly returns home to Koopa Village, but at the end of the game he, Kooper, and his team are in the process of exploring the Crystal Palace when Parakarry arrives to deliver Princess Peach's invitation to Kooper and Kolorado's wife's message to come home. He is last seen in Toad Town with his wife to attend the party at Princess Peach's castle. He is also mentioned in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, his father was a victim of Hooktail and his remains can be found in Hooktail's Castle with a note revealing Hooktail's weakness.

• Koopa Koot: An elder Koopa Troopa that lives in Koopa Village. He is very demanding and controlling, often getting others to do things for him. In Paper Mario he asks Mario to do various favors for him such as giving him common items, to getting items back from friends and getting Luigi's and Merluvlee's autographs. He is last seen at the end of Paper Mario in Toad Town to attend Princess Peach's party.

• Moustafa is a mouse who lives in Dry Dry Outpost. He is a descendent of the beings who built the Dry Dry Ruins and it is his duty to see to it that no evil enters. He disguises himself as a mouse name Sheeks. He tests Mario to see if he is trustworthy and gives him the Pulse Stone in order to find and unearth the Dry Dry Ruins.

• Bootler: A Boo butler and loyal servant of Lady Bow. He constantly frets over Bow's safety. He requests to go with Bow to help Mario fight Tubba Blubba but she denies him this wish. He makes a cameo in Thousand-Year Door, accompanying Bow to Poshley Heights.

• Yoshi Kids: The Yoshi kids are the children of the Yoshi's of Lavalava Island. They are looked after by Sushie but they often disobey her and explore the jungle. During Mario's visit to Lavalava Island, Sushie asks him for help after the Yoshi Kids disobey her and go off into the jungle. Mario, with Sushie's help, is able to find and rescue all of the children.

• Raphael the Raven is the guardian of Lavalava Island and the Yoshis sometimes visit him for advice. After Mario finds the Yoshi Kids, the Yoshi Chief suggests Mario to find Raphael for help into Mt. Lavalava. Raphael then leads Mario and Kolorado to the volcano and he commands his squadron of ravens to build a pully into the volcano.

• Wise Wisterwood: The Wise Wisterwood is a talking tree that lives in Flower Fields. He watches over the other flowers and plant creatures that live in the fields. He also serves as a door that connecs from Flower Fields to the Door in the flower garden in Toad Town.

• Lakilulu: Lakilester's girlfriend that he tries to impress. When Mario defeats Lakilester, Lakilulu begs for Mario to forgive him. After Lakilester joins Mario's group, Lakilulu promises to wait for his return.

The Star Spirits are a group of deity-like beings that reside in Star Haven in the heavens and watch over the Mushroom Kingdom, granting the wishes of the good people using the Star Rod. They also possess the power to neutralize the Star Rod's power should it fall into the wrong hands. In Paper Mario, Bowser stole the Star Rod and captured the Star Spirits, turning them into cards and placing his most powerful followers to guard them. These characters also appear in Mario Party 5.

• Eldstar: The revered elder of Star Haven. His move, Refresh, restores Mario's HP and FP by 5. He plays a more active role in guiding Mario, he is the one who delivers the message of the Star Spirits' imprisonment to Mario while he is resting in the Toad House in Goomba Village. Eldstar was the first to be rescued by Mario and was being guarded by the Koopa Bros.

• Mamar: The kindhearted, maternal Star Spirit. She can use her move, Lullaby, to put all enemies to sleep. Mamar was the second Star Spirit to be rescued and was guarded by Tutankoopa in the Dry Dry Ruins.

• Skolar: The studious Star Spirit. His move, Star Storm, causes 7 HP damage to all enemies. He was the third Star Spirit to be rescued and was at first guarded by Tubba Blubba until he managed to escape his clutches, but then he got lost in the Forever Forest and was nabbed by the Boos. Lady Bow, the leader of the boos, offers to hand Skolar over to Mario if he helped defeat Tubba Blubba.

• Muskular: The young, muscular Star Spirit that is full of energy. His move, Chill Out, lowers all enemies' attack power by 3. Muskular was the fourth Star Spirit to be rescued and was guarded by General Guy and his Shy Guy army in their Toy Box. He was also the first Star Spirit Twink met in person and Muskular was familiar with Twink, saying that the Star Spirits are familiar with all Star Kids, saying that they were all like one big family.

• Misstar: The flirtatious, sweet Star Spirit. She has a kind, but strong heart. Her move, Smooch, restores Mario's HP by 20. She was the fifth Star Spirit to be rescued and was being guarded by the Lava Pirahna in Mt. Lavalava. After Mario defeated the Lava Piranha and rescued her, Misstar helped Mario and Kolorado escape Mt. Lavalava while it was erupting. She also scolded Kolorado when he was saddened to not get the "treasure" saying that life is more important than treasure.

• Klevar: The sharp, young Star Spirit that is always seen carrying a book. He freezes enemies with Time Out. He is the sixth Star Spirit to be rescued and was being held by Huff N. Puff.

• Kalmar: A warm-hearted Star Spirit, he dislikes fighting and arguing. His move, Up and Away, turns enemies into stars. He was the seventh and final Star Spirit to be rescued and was being held by the Crystal King in the Crystal Palace.

• Toadsworth is Princess Peach's attendant. He almost always stays by her side. At the beginning of Thousand-Year Door he and Princess Peach were on vacation but then Peach wandered off while Toadsworth wasn't looking. After he loses her he meets Mario in Rogueport and asks that he find her quickly. It is revealed in this game that he is 55 years old and had a brief romantic relationship with Zess T.

• Professor Frankly is a Goomba professor and Goombella's archaeology teacher at the University of Goom. During Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Frankly was researching the legend of the Thousand-Year Door. He helps Mario find the Crystal Stars. Near the end of the game, he is kidnapped by the Shadow Sirens and locked in a room in the Palace of Shadow while Doopliss mimicks his appearance in order to trick Mario to open the Thousand-Year Door. Later, Frankly follows Mario and the X-Nauts into the Palace of Shadow and discovers a treasure chest containing a Dried Shroom.

• The Black Chest Spirits: Throughout Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Mario finds large Black Chests with voices coming from them. The speakers of the ones inside the chest tried to trick Mario into opening the chests, claiming that he is a great hero with a pure heart and he is the only one who can hear them. Upon being freed the spirits "curse" Mario with new abilities. These spirits are in fact the four heroes who fought and defeated the Shadow Queen 1000 years previously, but just as they were sealing her away behind the Thousand-Year Door, the queen cursed them, so that when they let go of all the Crystal Stars they would be trapped in the Black Chests. The four heroes included a brave Toad, a Koopa Troopa, a wise Goomba and a Boo girl.

• Zess T. is a rude toad that lives in Rogueport. Her role in Thousand-Year Door mirrors Tayce T.'s role in the first Paper Mario games. She is an excellent chef. Before Mario meets Don Pianta, Zess T. lost her contact lens near the entrance to the West side and Mario accidentally steps on it. Until Mario compensates for it, Zess T. blocks the entrance to the West side. Mario is then forced to buy a replacement contact lens for her. She later posts a "trouble" at the Trouble Center to find a cookbook found in Creepy Steeple that helps her cook better dishes. She also has a brief romantic relationship with Toadsworth.

• Koopie Koo: Koopie Koo is Koops' girlfriend. Despite that Koops is timid and she wishes he could be more "manly", Koopie Koo still loves him, but she gains a new respect for him when he leaves Petalburg and joins Mario.

• Koopley: Koopley is Koops' father that went to challenge Hooktail ten years prior to the events in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Koopley managed to defeat Hooktail, but as he was abaout to finish her off, Hooktail tricked him into being merciful and devoured him. Fortunately Koopley survived by curling into his shell. During his time in Hooktail's stomach he found the Crystal Star she was guarding and took it as a souvenir. When Mario and his friends defeated Hooktail, she regurgitated Koopley, who became reunited with his son and gave the Crystal Star to Mario.

• The Punis: The Punis are a species of small gray creatures that live in the Great Boggely Tree. A long time ago, the Punis were preyed on by the monsters in Boggely Woods. One of the four heroes that defeated the Shadow Queen, the Wise Goomba, took pity on the Punis and carved out the Great Tree for the Punis to live in. In return the Punis promised the Goomba to guard one of the Crystal Stars. The Punis are often in conflict with other creatures in the tree, such as the Piders (whom they have a great fear of) and the mosquito-like Jabbi Tribe. Flurrie befriended the Punis when she moved to Boggely Woods. After Mario gets the first Crystal Star, he meets one of the Punis, Punio, in Rogueport Sewers. Punio reveals to Mario that the X-Nauts had intruded in the tree and captured the other Punis and he had left to find help. When they get to the tree, they find it sealed closed, so Punio suggests having Flurrie use her wind powers to find the secret entrance. Mario helps Punio rescue the Puni Elder as well as his little sister Petuni and the other Punis. They also learn from one of the other Punis, Puniper, that the Jabbi Tribe allied with the X-Nauts in hopes of taking over the tree in return for helping the X-Nauts find the Crystal Star. Mario and his friends lead the Punis on a journey to find the Crystal Star, along the way the meet Jabble, a Jabbi that Punio befriended and despite being a Jabbi, Jabble helps Mario and the Punis in their adventure. Through their help, Mario and his friends defeat the X-Nautd and drive them from the tree. Afterwards it seems the Punis have made peace with the Jabbis. Another Puni named Mover is found in the Pit of 100 Trials and can move Mario and his friends 2 or 5 floors lower or be taken to the entrance.

• Don Pianta: Also known as The Don of Untimely Death, Don Pianta is the head of the Pianta Syndicate (a mafia-like group) in Rogueport. The Don has connections with transportation (such as the blimp to Glitzville and the Excess Express) in Rogueport. He is also a loving father to his daughter, Francesca, and a mentor to Franky. When Mario and his friends need to get to Glitzville, Prof. Frankly suggests asking Don Pianta for help. Don Pianta agrees to give Mario tickets if he helps find his lost daughter and Franky when they eloped. Eventually Francesca and Franky turn themselves in to the Don but he dismisses them, telling them that he didn't care what they did or where they went as long as they never return. For finding his daughter and Franky, Don Pianta gives Mario and his friends tickets. Later on when Mario and his friends need to get to Poshley Heights, Frankly agains suggests seeing Don Pianta. Mario and his friends find the Don ill, desperately missing his daughter, so his cohorts agree to give Mario tickets to the Excess Express if they find Francesca and Franky again. When they go to see the Don, Don Pianta retires from being the head of the Syndicate and asks Franky to take his place.

• Franky and Francessca: Don Pianta's daughter Francessca and her boyfriend, Franky, play a role in the plot of Thousand-Year Door. Francessca is a free-spirited, energetic and passionate woman while Franky is loyal to her and has a bad habit of giving her food-related pet names. Prior to meeting Don Pianta, Francessca and Franky eloped because they felt that the don would not approve of their relationship. Don Pianta sends Mario to find them in exchange for tickets to the blimp to Glitzville. Mario finds them at the docks and because of his meeting with them, they return to see the don, who then dismisses them and tells them to leave, even if it means that they would get married. Later their boat drifts too close to Keelhaul Key and they get stranded there by Cortez and his ghosts. Mario helps rescue everyone on the stranded island by defeating Cortez. Soon after Mario tells Francessca and Frankie about Don Pianta being ill and help find Francessca's lost wedding ring. When they all return to Rogueport to see the don, Don Pianta retires and appoints Franky to be his successor.

• Flavio is a wealthy merchant that lives in Rogueport. His name is derived from "Flavius", which means "Yellow", a reference to his cowardly demeanor and his skin color. His ancestors stole the Skull Gem from Cortez the Pirate a long time ago. When Mario and his friends needed to get to Keelhaul Key, they ask Flavio for help and he agrees to let them aboard his ship, the S.S. Flavion and wanting to go on a journey for "wealth," "romance," and "adventure." He acts incredibly arrogant and claims to be brave when in fact he truly isn't. He did however show some backbone and his diplomatic skills when convincing Cortez to allow Flavio, Mario and the rest of the stranded passengers on Keelhaul Key to use his ship to combat Lord Crump.

• Podley runs the Chuckola Cola cafe in Rogueport. His appearance is identical to the cafe-owner in Glitzville and Podley reveals he was once friends with the cafe-owner. Because of his occupation Podley knows much about the inhabitants of Rogueport. He was once friends with both General White and Admiral Bobbery. Before Scarlette, Bobbery's wife, died she wrote a letter and asked Podley to deliver it to Bobbery if she were to succumb to her illness. However seeing Bobbery mourn for Scarlette Podley could not get the courage to face him. When Mario asks for Podley help concerning Bobbery, Podley asks Mario to deliver it in his place. Podley also had a romantic relationship with a Twilight Town woman named Eve and were in an acting-career together. Podley left Eve when she was cast for the lead-lady in a play, thinking that she should live out her dreams without him believing that he would hold her back. Eve places a request in the Trouble Center and if Mario accepts, Eve asks him to meet with Podley. Podley refuses to admit he knows Eve but tells Mario to tell Eve that she should "live in the moment".

• The Goldbob Family is a family of wealthy Bob-ombs, they include Goldbob (a gold Bob-omb) himself, Sylvia, a silver female Bob-omb and Goldbob's wife, and Bub, their son, a bronze Bob-omb. A long time ago Goldbob funded the operations of the giant cannon in Fahr Outpost but decided to quit when his wife complained that she "didn't like the noise". Mario and his companions first meet the Goldbobs in Glitzville where they go to watch the fights in the Glitzpit. Later Mario encounters them again on the Excess Express, heading home to Poshley Heights. Goldbob and Sylvia argue over what they should get Bub first his birthday but all Bub wants is an autograph from the train's conducter. He asks Mario for this favor and gives him a star piece as a reward. Later Mario confronts Goldbob for his permission to use Fahr Outpost's cannon and demands all of Mario's coins for exchange (of course, this was actually just a test for Goldbob to see how devoted Mario is). Both Goldbob and Bub put up troubles in the Trouble Center (Bub asks for help to make up with his mom while Goldbob asks for someone to deliver a package to General White).

• Pennington is a penguin who lives in Poshley Heights and is the Poshley Sanctum's caretaker. He also works as a detective as a hobby, though in truth he is less competent than he claims to be. He first meets Mario while riding the Excess Express and mistakes him for Luigi. Pennington helped Mario solve various cases aboard the train, even finding the renegade Doopliss posing as a celebrity. Once Mario and his companions reach Poshley Sanctum, they arrive just in time to see the Shadow Sirens steal a fake version of the Crystal Star that Pennington placed to avoid having the real one being stolne. He tells Mario to keep looking deeper within the Sanctum for the real Crystal Star. Pennington is last seen cheering for Mario in his battle against the Shadow Queen.

• General White is a white-colored Bob-omb. He was once friends with Podley, who describes him as having "wanderlust" and being nearly impossible to wake up. The general is the operator of the giant cannon in Fahr Outpost, when Goldbob quit the operation, White fell into a slump and took the key to the cannon and left. Mario first meets General White in Petalburg where he laments not being any use and that he cannot continue his life's purpose. Later on Mario must enlist the aid of General White with the cannon in Fahr Outpost and searches all over the land for him until he finally finds him in Fahr Outpost and after many attempts, awakens him. White tells Mario that he met Merlon in Rogueport, who told him that his dreams would come true if he met a man with Mario's description. Because Mario needed General White's help his dream of operating the giant cannon was fulfilled and he fired Mario and his friends to the Moon. Later on Mario is asked by Goldbob to deliver a package to General White and ends up on another wild goose chase for the general and once again needed to awaken him from his deep sleep in Fahr Outpost.

• Bestovius: A wizard living in Lineland, Bestovius gives Mario the power to flip into 3D to bypass various obstacles and partake of secrets that could not be seen in 2D. Also, he helps later on, with a side-quest to obtain Piccolo.

• Francis

• Squirps

• Flint Cragley

• King Sammer

• Queen Jaydes

• Luvbi

• Nolrem

In all three of the Paper Mario games, Mario and his friends are assisted by a character named Merlon, as well as his similarly named family. Whether these characters in each game are the same or different people entirely, it is never actually stated. Their names are probably derived from Merlin, King Arthur's famed advisor.

• Merlon: Merlon has had various roles throughout the series. In Paper Mario, he was a fortune teller who would tell the player's forture for the mere price of 5 coins. In Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Merlon ran a shop where the player would bring collectible items in exchange for powering up the player's party. In Super Paper Mario, Merlon is central to the plot. He resides in Flipside and possesses the Light Prognosticus, which was made to counter the Dark Prognosticus. He was the one who found the wounded Timpani and transformed her into a Pixl, Tippi, to save her life at the cost of her memories. Merlon owned the first Pure Heart that was needed to open the first door, to Lineland. He has a parallel version of himself, Nolrem, who resides in Flopside.

• Merlee: Merlee has similar roles throughout the series. She gives the player bonuses in Paper Mario, running a backstreet shop in Dry Dry Outpost. In Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door and Super Paper Mario, she did the same, but in the latter, she was also part of the plot (owning a house).

• Merlow: A one-time character in Paper Mario, he exchanged Star Pieces, found across the land, for badges, which powered up the player.

• Merluvlee: Merluvlee tells fortunes throughout the game. In Paper Mario, she told of bonuses. In Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, she told of bonuses and the player's next path. In Super Paper Mario, she told only of the next path.

• Merlumina: Only appearing in Super Paper Mario, she is a ghost of "The Ancients", a tribe that lived 1,500 years ago.

Jr. Troopa is a young Koopa Troopa. Mario and Goompa stumble into his playground while searching for Goompa's hammer. Mario fights and defeats him. To this Jr. Troopa vows revenge. He continually trains for battle and follows Mario and his friends on their journey. They encounter and defeat him on Pleasant Path and Forever Forest and he even swam across the ocean to Lavalava Island to fight Mario, only to force himself to swim all the way back.

Kent C. Koopa is an enormous Koopa Troopa that used to live in Koopa Village. He is quite greedy and uses Pleasent Path as a toll road for anyone who wishes to get to Koopa Village from Toad Town and vice versa. His name is a pun on "Can't See". According to the Koopas in Koopa Village, he sleeps a lot and his tail is his weakness, should he be flipped over.

Kammy Koopa is an old female Magikoopa, and head advisor to Bowser. In the first game, she assists Bowser in the theft of the Star Rod, and creates a machine to increase Bowser's power tenfold. In the second, she merely helps Bowser find the Crystal Stars so he can kidnap Peach. She doesn't appear at all in Super Paper Mario.

Guardians of the Star Spirits: After Bowser and Kammy Koopa raided Star Haven, stole the Star Rod and captured the Star Spirits, Bowser placed several of his highest ranking and strongest minions in charge of guarding the Star Spirits all across the Mushroom Kingdom.

• The Koopa Brothers: The Koopa Brothers are four Ninja Koopa brothers. They come in the colors of red, yellow, black and green. They speak in the stereotypical surfer slang just like the Ninja Turtles they are based on. They are loyal to King Bowser and are placed in charge of guarding the first Star Spirit, Eldestar. Their fortress was originally the home of Bob-ombs, who they enslaved until the Bob-ombs attempted a rebellion, forcing the brothers to lock them up. They also attempt to hinder Mario's progress by blocking the exit out of Toad Town to Pleasent Path by disguising as four oddly colored Toads until Merlon uncovers their disguise. They also set up a trap in their fortress to make Mario fall into the same jail they made for the Bob-ombs. Mario defeats the Koopas and rescues Eldstar. They reappear in Bowser's Castle when one of the Guard Doors summons the Koopa Bros. to fight Mario, but are beaten up at the last second by Jr. Troopa.

• Tutankoopa: Tutankoopa is a Koopa Pharoah that Mario encountered in Dry Dry Ruins. He was placed in charge by Bowser to guard Mamar, the second Star Spirit. He keeps Chain Chomps as pets that he overworks. He is able to use magical powers as well.

• The "Invincible" Tubba Blubba: Tubba Blubba is a reluctant ally of Bowser. He seems to be a giant species of Clubba that lives on Gusty Gulch. In the past Tubba Blubba was scared day and night by the Boos that live on Gusty Gulch and in the nearby Boo's Mansion because he had a timid and sensitive personality. Bowser was able to make him strong and invincible by separating his Heart from his body, in return Tubba Blubba was assigned to guard Skolar, the third Star Spirit. Tubba's Heart is the true Tubba Blubba while his body is merely an empty shell that the heart controlled. Bowser commented that Tubba Blubba was the second most powerful creature he knew (second only to himself). Tubba exacted revenge on the Boos that tormented him by eating them. However, Skolar was able to escape Tubba's clutches. Bow and Mario were able to sneak into Tubba's Mansion and found the key to the Windmill at the bottom of the hill where Tubba's Heart was concealed. Mario defeated his heart, which then retreated to unite with his body, weakening Tubba enough for Mario to defeat him. Tubba resolved that he no longer wanted to be invincible if it meant that he had to fight all the time so he released all of the Boos he had eaten and ran away. Bow then decided that it was best the Boos stopped bothering Tubba Blubba.

• General Guy: The General Guy is the general of the Shy Guy army. Bowser puts him and the Shy Guy army in charge of guarding Muskular, the fourth Star Spirit. After Mario rescues Skolar, he and his friends return to Toad Town to find it overrun by Shy Guys. who go on a thieving spree, stealing various important items from the inhabitants. Mario finds their hideout in the Toy Box and gets back the items the Shy Guys stole from the Townspeople and rescues Watt from one of General Guy's minions. Mario is eventually victorious over General Guy and rescues Muskular.

• Lava Piranha: The Lava Piranha is a giant species of Piranha plant that is able to survive in lava. It commands the Piranha plants in Mt. Lavalava and possibly all of Lavalava Island. Bowser places it in charge of guarding Misstar. Mario defeats it and rescues Misstar.

• Master Huff N. Puff: Huff N. Puff is a giant cloud monster that commands Puffs and squads of Lakitus, including Lakilester before he decides to join Mario instead. He invented a device to turn Flower Fields into a cloudy place making it unsuitable for the plants that live there. Bowser put Huff N. Puff in charge of guarding Klevar, the sixth Star Spirit. In the end Mario defeated him and got back the Star Spirit.

• The Crystal King: The Crystal King is a monster made of crystal ice that took over the Crystal Palace in the Shiver Region. He commands several Duplighosts. Bowser places him in charge of guarding Kalmar, the seventh and final Star Spirit. He sought to defeat Mario and present him as a frozen gift to Bowser but he himself was defeated and thus Mario was able to rescue all seven of the Star Spirits.

Gus is a bird-like character that is part of the Robos gang and guards the gate to the East Side of Rogueport and does not let anyone pass unless they pay a toll, making his role similar to Kent C. Koopa from Paper Mario. If Mario defeats him, Gus leaves for the Robos' hideout.

Cortez was a skilled pirate captain that lived over a thousand years ago. Even after his death, his spirit (now reduced to a skeleton) was still bound to his massive hoard of treasure that he amassed in his life. He stole the Sapphire Star from the Koopa that was one of the four heroes that defeated the Shadow Queen a thousand years ago. Flavio's ancestors stole a valuable piece of his treasure, the Skull Gem, which was used to power his ghost ship. Mario and his friends journey with Flavio to Keelhaul Key to find the Crystal Star. Mario discovers Cortez's treasure and fights him, but since he is an immortal ghost, he cannot be destroyed. Since Mario was only interested in the Crystal Star, Cortez gladly parted with it (he says he never liked the Crystal Star anyways). When Lord Crump and his X-Nauts crew attacked the stranded sailors on Keelhaul Key, Flavio made a deal with Cortez: if he returned the Skull Gem that powered Cortez's ship, Cortez and his crew would help defeat the X-Nauts. Afterwards, he helps transport everyone back to Rogueport and allowed Mario and his companions to sail back and forth between Rogueport and Keelhaul Key.

Smorg: The Smorg are a swarm of creatures that can come together and form a giant creature. They stow away on the Excess Express and entangle the passengers in its tendrils. Mario and his friends are forced to fight it to save the passengers.

The X-Nauts: The X-Nauts are a group of Extraterrestrial beings that seek to conquer the world in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. They are lead by Sir Grodus and their headquarters is stationed on the moon. There are several classes as X-Nauts, including the basic footsoldiers, the X-Naut PhDs which are the scientists of the group and the high-ranking Elite X-Nauts. They also developed a life form known as a Yux in their laboratory. At the end of the game they are seen regrouping and retiring from doing evil. They are mentioned in Super Paper Mario as being the stars of a science-fiction show that Francis is interested in.

• Sir Grodus: The leader of the X-Nauts, the invading aliens who seek to conquer the world; he uses a potent mixture of magic and technology to achieve his dark desires. Grodus kidnaps Peach from Rogueport and sends his minions to steal the Crystal Stars from Mario. He ultimately offers Peach as a host for the Shadow Queen, but the newly reborn demon simply blasts him to pieces with her dark magic. It is later revealed that he survived as his disembodied head. Sir Grodus is presented as a serious, short-tempered, and emotionless villain bent on nothing, but total world conquest. Grodus is 100% devoted to taking control of the world and every action he performs is aimed at that goal. Taking his plans and operations extremely seriously, Grodus will stop at nothing to obtain his desires. Despite being outwardly calm on most occasions, Grodus's desires often drive him to appear insane, almost psychotic on some occasions. Whenever discussing the prospect of his plans, he goes off into a maddened laughter that becomes more and more frequent as the story unfolds. This can be seen as a true reflection of his obsession and just how desperate he is to rule the world and remake it into a "perfect world."

• Lord Crump: One of the higher-ranking X-Nauts (he is also known as X-Naut Black). Crump is an evil but buffoonish figure, often bungling his missions through sheer stupidity and incompetence. Like Grodus, he has an odd laugh, and his catchphrase is "And with that, POW I'm gone!" and is one of the few characters that breaks the fourth wall. He is sent by Grouds to find the Crystal Stars and any info about them. He briefly interrogates Goombella in Rogueport before being rescued by Mario. Later he is sent by Grodus to the Great Boggely Tree to find the Emerald Crystal Star. He manages to steal the Star and attempts to blow up the tree with a bomb but is stopped by Mario when he and his friends defeated Lord Crump in his first robot, Magnus Von Grapple. He later poses as a sailor named Four Eyes on Flavio's ship in order to get the Crystal Star on Keelhaul Key. His plans are thwarted when Mario and friends team up with Cortez. His last mission was to lure Mario to the moon with the single Crystal Star the X-Nauts had in their possession while battling in his second, more competent robot, Magnus Von Grapple 2.0 but is defeated and flung into space. At the end of the game it is revealed he survived and regrouped with Sir Grodus and retired from evil-doing.

• TEC: A highly-advanced computer created by the X-Nauts. At first, TEC is blindly devoted to Sir Grodus, but begins to doubt his alliances after developing feelings for Peach. During her captivity, TEC allows her to escape her room and enter his terminal; in exchange for teaching him about the X-Nauts true motives, as well as love and emotion, TEC sends her messages to Mario. Grodus eventually discovers his treachery and has him shut down, although TEC uses the last remaining vestiges of his power to teleport Mario to Rogueport and destroy the base. In the end, it is revealed he somehow survived the blast, supposedly through the bond he shared with Peach.

The Shadow Queen was an ancient demon who conquered the world years ago. She commanded many monstrous forces, including the three dragon siblings: Hooktail, Gloomtail and Bonetail, and created the Pit of 100 Trials as a dungeon for those she punished. She also created the Crystal Stars to increase her power and to command the power of the heavens, but was later sealed by their power thanks to the endeavors of four brave heroes. Locked in her Palace of Shadows behind the Thousand-Year Door, the only way to call the Shadow Queen back to the world was through the use of the Crystal Stars and a new physical form. Grodus offered her Peach for this purpose. Mario fought the Shadow Queen, but she proved to strong when she assumed her true form. But Peach broke free of her influence; the power of people's wishes through the Crystal Stars weakened her, allowing Mario to triumph. It's interesting to note that the Shadow Queen talks in a bit more down to earth manor in the Japanese version (an example is when the wishes through Crystal Stars come, in the Japanese version she calls them "annoying" and the English version she calls them "vile").

• The Shadow Sirens: The Shadow Sirens are a trio of shadowy sisters that have allied themselves with the X-Nauts. Like the Axem Rangers in Super Mario RPG and the Koopa Brothers in Paper Mario, they seem to be parodies of characters from popular culture, this time the Weird Sisters from Macbeth. Vivian was once part of this group until she went with Mario, after she left Doopliss joined. As it turns out, the Shadow Sirens were serving the Shadow Queen and spread the rumor that a great treasure lay behind the Thousand-Year Door underneath Rogueport.
  • Beldam: The oldest of the three sisters, she resembles a stereotypical witch with a long nose and pointed hat. Her element is ice. She often mistreats her sisters, especially Vivian, and threatens to punish them when their plans go awry. She also often blames Vivian for her own mistakes, such as losing the wanted portrait of Mario and a bomb. When she first sees Mario's picture, Beldam comments on how handsome Mario is. When Doopliss joins the Shadow Sirens, she begins to disrespect him as well, calling him "Freaksheet".
  • Marilyn: Beldam's younger sister, she is actually the strongest of the three, her element is electricity. Goombella describes her as being the "strong silent type", she rarely speaks, mostly she says "guh" or variants of that, however she did say "the Three" when the Shadow Sirens were first introducing themselves to Mario and his companions.
  • Doopliss: A duplighost that lives in Creepy Steeple and was also in possession of a Crystal Star. He cast a curse on the people of Twilight Town, every time the bell in the steeple rang, one of the villagers would turn into a pig. Mario and his friends went to Creepy Steeple to put an end to the curse and to get the Crystal Star and fought Doopliss. During their battle with him, Goombella was unable to identify him since his name at the time was unknown. During the battle Doopliss mimicked Mario's appearance and stole his name and body causing Mario to become a shadow of his former self. Doopliss, as Mario, attempted to get rid of Mario for good by challenging him to guess his name. Vivian helped Mario find the identity of his enemy by sneaking underneath Creepy Steeple to find a parrot that knew his name and was being held there. When Mario guessed Doopliss' name, he lost his power and Mario was able to regain his body and name back. Later, Doopliss impersonated a famous celebrity toad to board the Excess Express while stealing ingredients for a special bomb. He teams up with Beldam and Marilyn to stop Mario in the Palace of Shadows and flees after the Shadow Queen is defeated. At the end of the game, Goombella reveals that Doopliss turned to the side of good and joined a theater troupe with Flurrie.

• The Dragon Siblings: During her reign, the Shadow Queen had three dragons as pets that spread terror throughout the world, they were Hooktail, Gloomtail and Bonetail. Hooktail was a red dragon and the youngest of the three and was also the only girl (although some of the other characters refer her as a "he". Her gender was revealed when Gloomtail referred to her as his sister). Hooktail was gluttonous in nature and resided in Hooktail Castle where she would sometimes leave and feast on the friendly Koopas in Petalburg. She ate the first Crystal Star as well as Koops' father, for this Koops vowed revenge (Kolorado's father is also revealed to be one of her victims as his remains are found in the Castle with a note revealing her weakness (however that's only in the English version, in the Japanese version the victim is somebody's else's farther)). Hooktail was also renowned to have pleasant smelling feet and claimed that many would pay to smell them. Also when Hooktail is on the verge of defeat, she will try to trick her opponents to be merciful. Mario and his allies storm Hooktail Castle and defeat her, forcing her to regurgitate Koops' father (who managed to survive being eaten by curling into his shell) and the Crystal Star. Later when Mario and his friends open the Thousand-Year Door and enter the Palace of Shadow, they encounter Gloomtail, Hooktail's older brother. He is a black and purple dragon who, after hearing that Hooktail was defeated, vows revenge, but he himself is defeated and regurgitates a key to another part of the palace. The last dragon, Bonetail, is found in the lowest part of the Pit of 100 Trials. He is the oldest of the three, so old in fact that he was reduced to a skeleton. He is also the strongest, said to be the strongest boss in the game, even more so than the final boss (the Shadow Queen). After Mario defeats him, he regurgitates a rare badge. Unlike his younger siblings, Bonetail does not appear to speak.

Jolene: A female toad that works for Grubba in Glitzville. Although not a true villain, she is, at first, antagonistic towards Mario and some of the other fighters. Prince Mush, the former champion of the Glitz Pit, is Jolene's younger brother who left home to fight in the arena for money to provide for his poor family. One day Mush found out about Grubba's plans and was "disappeared". Jolene applied for the job so that she could find out what happened to her younger brother and discovered Grubba's energy-draining machine. She had nearly lost hope until Mario and his companions arrived looking for the Crystal Star and she secretly guided them (sending l33t style e-mails to Mario under the guise of "X") to find out secrets about the Glitz Pit and ultimately Grubba's plans. At first Jolene comes off as strict and impatient, but in truth, she only acted that way to cover up her real intentions and out of worry for her brother. After Mario defeated Macho Grubba, Jolene confronted her former boss and asked about the whereabouts of Mush. When Grubba revealed Mush's fate, the Crystal Star somehow brought him back (from where it is unknown) and Jolene reunited with her brother. After that she took over as the head of the Glitz Pit in Grubba's place.

Oddly enough, the "stunnin' babe" (as King K put it) at the juice shop is, in fact, Jolene, who says she likes to "shed her other personality" when she's outside the Glitz Pit.

Bany Andy and the Hand-it-Overs: Bandy Andy is a friendly Bandit that Mario befriends in the Minor Leagues of the Glitz Pit. Andy often snuck out of the locker room to investigate strange happenings in the Glitz Pit, which gets him on Jolene's bad side, and gives Mario some advice concerning unusual phenomenon that go on in the Glitz Pit, foreshadowing some events Mario goes through in the future. Later on when Mario investigates the attic in the storage room, they find Bandy Andy and King K. completely drained of energy (courtesy of Grubba's "disappearing" device) and Andy warns Mario to not go into the arena when no one is there.

The Armored Harriers, also known as the Iron Adonis Twins, are a pair of Iron Clefts that participate in the fights in the Glitz Pit. Iron Clefts are rare and their bodies are so hard that their defense is off the charts and impossible to damage with conventional means. When Mario and his companions first compete they are Ranked #10 and in the Major Leagues, however Mario and Yoshi defeat them using their own durability against them when Yoshi used his "Gulp" technique to smash one Iron Cleft with the other. Later on, for revenge for sending them back to the Minor League the Armored Harriers try to battle Mario again after another one of his fights but they are defeated once again.

Rawk Hawk was the previous champion fighter of the Glitz Pit. Mario and his friends at first believed that he had the Crystal Star they were searching for in Glitzville but as it turns out, the Crystal Star he had was a fake one grafted onto the championship belt. When Mario and his friends make it into the top 10, Rawk Hawk attempts to use underhanded ways of making sure Mario doesn't rise in the ranks such as delivering a poisoned piece of cake and having the guards lock him in a minor league locker room right before their title match, both of which he admits to doing, but denies sending the hate mail about the crystal star. At last Mario and his companions face and defeat him in the Glitz Pit, taking his place as champion. After getting the third Crystal Star, Rawk Hawk gains a new respect for Mario and Mario can rechallenge Rawk Hawk for the championship. Rawk Hawk also swears to win his fights cleanly for then on.

"Macho" Grubba is a character similar to Tubba Blubba. He is in charge of the Glitz Pit, an arena for fighters. He built a machine, powered by a Crystal Star, to sap the energy from fighters and transfer it into his own body to make him stay strong, healthy and youthful. He used it to make the former Glitzville champion, Prince Mush, disappear when he finds out about Grubba's machine. He hires Mario to be a new fighter, naming him "The Great Gonzales." Jolene, Grubba's assistant, comes to Glitzville to find out what happened to her brother, Mush, and he hires her without suspecting she was spying on him. While working up the ranks, he sends hate mail to Mario as he gets closer to discovering his secret. Mario finds out about Grubba's use of the Crystal Star and faced him. Grubba uses the machine to become a supercharged monster, calling himself "Macho Grubba" and fights Mario. Despite his supercharged strength, he is defeated and reverts back to his normal self. Jolene confronts the defeated Grubba, demanding to know what happened to Mush. He reveals how he made him disappear using the machine, and Mush is returned with the power of the Crystal Star. Jolene takes Grubba's place as promoter.

Count Bleck: The presumed main antagonist of Super Paper Mario. His name is a pun on the words "Blech" and "Black" and his face strongly resembles the faces of the Black Chest spirits which were featured in Paper Mario:TTYD. He, by marrying Bowser and Peach to bring it into existence, tried to use the Chaos Heart to devour everything in existence. He was later revealed to be Blumiere, the former lover of Tippi's true form, Timpani. He later realizes the error of his ways after being defeated by Mario Peach Luigi and Bowser. Although he asks them to finish him off, Dimentio takes the Chaos Heart. Count Bleck helps restore the Pure Hearts which are then used to defeat Dimentio, and destroys the Chaos Heart by marrying Timpani. He is last seen with the restored Timpani after the credits have rolled, sitting on a grassy hill under a tree.

• Nastasia: Count Bleck's loyal assistant. She brainwashes people into obeying Count Bleck, and does successfully with Princess Peach, forcing her to marry Bowser, and Luigi, turning him into Mr. L. She is shown as having romantic feelings for Count Bleck, but knows she will never be loved by him the way she loves him. The cafe man in Flopside speculates that she was once a bat that was trapped, but after Count Bleck came to free her, she assumed his race and devoted her life to serving him, no matter what he chooses to do.

• Mimi: One of Count Bleck's minions. She has the ability to shapeshift, and she uses it to confuse and defeat Mario on a number of occasions before finally being defeated some time later. Her name is a play on the word "mimic", meaning, "to copy". She is equally adept at impersonating another person's speech and mannerisms as she is at copying their body.

• O'Chunks: A former general who lost his world and army after being stabbed in the back by his adviser. O'Chunks is a powerful but lack-witted warrior who, despite being aligned with Count Bleck, follows a code of honor and follows Bleck loyally. He speaks with a heavy Scottish accent.

• Dimentio: The true villain of Super Paper Mario, Dimentio dresses in the clothes of a jester, with the classic comedy mask for a face. He makes many similes, which causes some people to compare him to the comic-relief character Fawful from Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. This misleads one into thinking Dimentio is a playful being. In reality, Dimentio is very cunning and manipulative, albeit in a very sinister and psychotic way. This has led many fans to call Dimentio the "Kefka of the Mario franchise" which judging by the similar personalities and facades both of them possess, isn't entirely untrue. Dimentio's name itself is a combination of the words "demented" and "dimension". Dimentio calls himself a "master of dimensions" and "pleaser of crowds", and is skilled at dimensional travel. He often fights the heroes just to test their strength, feigning defeat after the battle is over. He claims his dimension, "Dimension D", makes him "256 times more powerful". When questioned by Peach, however, this just turns out to be a trick to motivate his opponents to fight him harder. Although he appeared to serve Count Bleck, he was really just manipulating Mario and the others throughout the entire adventure (even at one point when he killed them and they came back) so that they could use the Pure Hearts to defeat Count Bleck, allowing him to take the Chaos Heart, intent on using it to destroy all the worlds so that he could recreate them with himself as ruler. He possessed Luigi and combined with Chaos Heart and almost defeat everyone because the Pure Hearts were used against Count Bleck, but Count Bleck and Timpani re-energized the Pure Hearts, allowing Mario Peach and Bowser to defeat Dimentio.

• "Super Paper Mario: Characters and History Interview," GameTrailers.com (Apr 16, 2007).

• Paper Mario
• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
• Super Paper Mario