List of Common Misconceptions about the Mario Universe

The Mario series has its fair share of misconceptions by fans. The sheer amount of games make it difficult for any one person to get a full picture of the characters and lore. This page will correct some of the most common misconceptions and misinterpretations.

Era of Peace

The Era of Peace theory suggests that non-RPG spin-off games such as the Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Mario Sports titles are set at the end of the timeline, after Bowser decided to "give up" on kidnapping Princess Peach. However, there is evidence to prove that Mario and Bowser are still at odds with each other in these games.

1. Some of these titles still feature Bowser as the main villain, most notably the Mario Party series, where he is the main villain of every game except Super Mario Party.

2. Mario and Bowser aren't exactly working together in these games. Some of them clearly state that Bowser only joined to compete against Mario.

Jumpman is Mario’s father

After Nintendo confirmed that the Donkey Kong in the original arcade game is a younger Cranky Kong, this led people to theorize that Jumpman is not actually Mario himself, but rather his father. This theory is incorrect for several reasons. Firstly, the theory is implying that Pauline is a generation older than Mario, but she really doesn't look any older than most other adult characters in the Mario universe. Secondly, Mario has been referred to as Jumpman several times since the original Donkey Kong. The most recent example of this is in Super Mario Odyssey's Darker Side, where Pauline says "Go, Mario! Jump, Man!", referencing his old nickname. Additionally, the Classic Outfit from Super Mario Odyssey reads: “This outfit is still loved by longtime fans. DK has never been a fan though.” This is a clear reference to the original Donkey Kong, where Mario wore this exact outfit. Kongs are also shown to age much faster than humans. This is most notably seen with Donkey Kong Jr and Tiny Kong, who both made their debut as babies, but aged into adults within the span of a game or two. And lastly, in the Game Informer video "51 Rapid-Fire Questions About The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”, Miyamoto was asked, “So there are multiple Links, but is it always the same Mario?” and he replied with a simple “yes”.

Mario abuses Yoshi

In Super Mario World, the in-game sprite of Yoshi sticking out his tongue makes it seem like Mario is punching Yoshi's face to get his tongue to stick out. In the official artwork, however, it is clearly shown that Mario is pointing his finger at the things he wants Yoshi to eat.

Mario destroyed the Sun

The Angry Sun in SMB3 is not the actual Sun

Mario kills Toads

The instruction manual of the original Super Mario Bros states that “the quiet, peace-loving Mushroom People were turned into mere stones, bricks and even field horse-hair plants”. This has led many people to believe that Mario is killing Toads whenever he breaks Brick Blocks. But in a later page of the manual, it states that “If you come across Mushrooms who have been turned into bricks or made invisible, they reward you by giving you a power boost". This means that all of the Toads transformed into Brick Blocks or Invisible Blocks that turn into Empty Blocks after they are hit. Empty Blocks cannot be destroyed in Super Mario Bros, which means Mario is not killing Toads. Even though Empty Blocks can be destroyed in later games, there is no mention of the Toads being transformed by Bowser, meaning Mario still isn't killing Toads.

Peach wears a Super Crown

Peach is seen without her crown in Super Mario Odyssey. There is also a LINE gif of her without her crown. She is human.

(Doesn’t the Game Theory video also mention her controlling the toads or something? Watched it years ago lol) - if so the Toads just respect her as a leader, they’re not under control

Peach is Bowser Jr’s mother

Did you finish Super Mario Sunshine?

Peach secretly loves Bowser

Why she keeps getting kidnapped

Odyssey ending - more like Mario chose the worst possible time to propose

Rosalina is the daughter of Peach and Luigi

If anything, it’s the opposite, with Peach being descended from Rosalina (well, her brother).

Spin-offs aren’t canon

Mario & Luigi

This likely stems from the different tone in the Mario & Luigi series, as well as the series' greater focus on story and nature as a spin-off. Many people also think the series was never referenced elsewhere.

Evidence Mario & Luigi is canon

• The Ice Flower featured in Super Mario Galaxy and future games originated in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.
• In Luigi's Mansion 3, Gooigi's backstory links E. Gadd to both coffee and time travel, aspects of his character established in the Mario & Luigi series.
• In Yoshi's Crafted World, Starbeans brand packaging appears alongside brands from Mario Kart 8. Starbeans is otherwise exclusive to the Mario & Luigi series.

The Koopalings are Bowser’s children

In the instruction manuals for Super Mario Bros 3 and Super Mario World, the seven Koopalings are referred to as Bowser's children. Super Mario Sunshine, however, introduces Bowser Jr, who is Bowser's son. In an interview with Game Informer, Miyamoto affirmed that the Koopalings are not Bowser's children and that Bowser Jr is his only child.

There are two King Boos

This misconception stems from the fact that King Boo's appearance in the Luigi's Mansion games is significantly different from his appearances in other games. This design change can easily be explained by the fact that Boos' faces often change color when they experience certain emotions (i.e. turning red whenever Mario is looking at them). King Boo also has bad chemistry with Luigi in the Mario Baseball games, further proving that he is the same King Boo from Luigi's Mansion.