Unsurprisingly for such along-running and far-reaching video game franchise, theMarioseries has accumulated an enormous character roster over the years. There are several mainstays such as Luigi, Princess Peach, and Bowser, of course, but many other characters have stuck around long after their initial debuts. As a result, it’s hard to imagine a newMario Kartgame without Yoshi or Rosalina being part of the cast.
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However, there are those who don’t have as long a shelf life. ManyMariosequels and spin-offs, the RPGs in particular, introduce one-and-done characters who serve their purpose and then never return, even when they prove to be fan favorites. Then there are characters who seem like they ought to have been more important, but for whatever reason simply don’t catch on. TheMarioseries is rife with these friends and foes who vanished just as quickly as they appeared.
10Tatanga
The Mysterious Spaceman Tatanga was the main antagonist ofSuper Mario Landon Game Boy, having taken over the kingdom of Sarasaland and kidnaped Princess Daisy. While Daisy has gone on to make numerous appearances in the series since then, her extraterrestrial captor has been MIA.
His only other major appearance was inSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, where he was demoted to being one of Wario’s lackeys. Other than a cameo appearance as aspirit inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario’s alien enemy appears to have slipped into obscurity.
9Kiddy Kong
Rare made countlesspositive contributions to theDonkey Kongseries, revamping the character’s look and giving him a whole host of new enemies and allies. Diddy and Dixie Kong became fan favorites, but the same can’t be said of Kiddy Kong, Dixie’s infant sidekick fromDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble!
Kiddy already had big shoes to fill, and his off-putting and juvenile design did very little to help. His role was taken over by his older brother Chunky inDonkey Kong 64, who is somewhat more well-remembered, if only for being “one hell of a guy” according to the infamous DK Rap.
8Wart
Many characters and enemies fromSuper Mario Bros. 2, including Birdo, Shy Guys, and Bob-ombs, have become mainstays of the series. Others haven’t been as fortunate, particularly the boss characters like Mouser and Fryguy. Their amphibious leader Wart, the vegetable-hatingtyrant of the dream world Subcon, has likewise made few appearances since then.
Oddly enough, Wart did make an important appearance in a later Nintendo game, but it wasn’t aMarioone. He returns as an ally inThe Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakeningusing his Japanese name Mamu.Link’s Awakeningwas full of references to theMariogames and dreams figured heavily into its story, so it actually makes sense for it to feature a character who represents both.
7Timber
Rare’sDiddy Kong Racingwasn’t always going to feature Donkey Kong’s little buddy in the starring role. The concept featured a cutesy tiger called Timber as the protagonist but, on the suggestion of Shigeru Miyamoto and to increase the game’s brand recognition, his spot was usurped by Diddy.
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It would explain why, despite Diddy’s name being front and center, Timber has the most relevance to the game’s plot. It’s his island that is attacked by the villainous Wizpig and he’s the one who gathers the rest of the racers to oppose him. He was going to get a second chance asthe star ofDinosaur Planet, before getting pushed aside for Sabre, who also got the boot when that game finally turned intoStar Fox Adventures.
6Toadsworth
This elderly mushroom retainer was first introduced inSuper Mario Sunshine, accompanying Mario and Peach on their vacation. Since then, he continued to play supporting roles in variousMariotitles, typically as a close assistant to Peach. He has a larger claim to fame than most of the other obscureMariocharacters, so what’s the problem?
Well, for about ten years' worth ofMariogames, Toadsworth has seemingly dropped off the face of the planet. His last major role was in 2013’sMario & Luigi: Dream Team, and since then he has been relegated to the smallest of cameos. His role as close confidante to the Princess is much more likely to be filled by some other nondescript Toad instead.
5Wanda
Wanda made her sole major appearance in theJapan-only Super Famicom gameMario & Wario. ALemmings-style puzzle game,Mario & Wariohas the player using a mouse to guide Mario and friends out of harm’s way, all while their vision is obscured by objects that Wario has dropped on their heads. This involves clicking on blocks, switches, and enemies to give the blinded heroes safe passage.
Wanda essentially acts like a glorified mouse pointer, making interacting with objects somewhat more interesting than just clicking on them with a regular cursor. While some aspects ofMario & Warioare still referenced in later Nintendo games, primarily Wario’s M/W bucket, Wanda herself rarely gets much attention. It must be rough getting upstaged so often by a bucket.
4The Tiki Tak Tribe
When Retro Studios revived theDonkey Kong Countryseries, they decided to introduce some new enemies for the Kongs. The result wasDonkey Kong Country Returns’Tiki Tak Tribe, a clan of living Tiki mask/musical instrument hybrids. Most of the standard minions resemble bongos, while the boss characters are based on various other instruments such as maracas and xylophones.
Donkey Kongfans did not seem so enthused about them, finding them more generic than the Kongs' long-running foes the Kremlings. Retro Studios would not bring back the Tiki Taks for the sequelTropical Freeze, instead replacing them with the Snowmads, who also had a somewhat mixed reception.
3The Broodals
Super Mario Odysseyintroduced a new set of henchmen for Bowser in the Broodals, a crew of lagomorphwedding planners. They hail from the Dark Side of the Moon, a reference to ancient folklore which claims that an image of a rabbit can be seen on the surface of the Moon. Like Mario does with Cappy, they primarily defend themselves with their dangerous headgear.
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Apparently, the Broodals did not prove particularly popular, as they have yet to appear in anyMariogames post-Odyssey. They haven’t joined the rest of the cast in karting, golfing, or any other of their various activities. They don’t even have a spirit inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. While it might not be fair to count them out just yet, the future prospects for these bunnies look rather grim.
2Jimmy P
For many of theWarioWaregames, the family of disco-dancing Jimmy T has been in charge of the “mix” levels, where microgames from previous levels are all jumbled together.WarioWare: TwistedandTouchedintroduced his parents and siblings respectively, but forSmooth Moves,Jimmy T hosted the first of the “mix” levels himself. The second introduced a suspiciously familiar character: Jimmy P.
Sporting a yellow afro, a Hawaiian shirt, and a tan, Jimmy P otherwise looks exactly the same as his blue-haired counterpart. TheMarioseries is no stranger to recolors or clone characters (that’s howLuigi started off, after all), but Jimmy P was maybe a bridge too far.
1Stanley the Bugman
After enjoying success in 1983’sMario Bros., carpenter-turned-plumber Mario did not return for the third outing in theDonkey Kongseries. Instead,Donkey Kong 3stars a different tradesman: an exterminator called Stanley, who’d previously starred in theGame & WatchtitleGreen House. Donkey Kong is disturbing the vermin inside Stanley’s greenhouse (far fromthe strangest thing he’s done), forcing the bugman to grab his spray to repel the horde.
Donkey Kong 3was a departure from the previous games in the series, being more of a shoot-‘em-up likeGalaxianwith some light platforming. Stanley wasn’t exactly a charismatic hero either, essentially resembling Mario without his iconic hat or mustache. The game didn’t sell as well as its predecessors and effectively put theDKfranchise on ice until its revival in 1994 withDonkey Kongon Game Boy andDonkey Kong Country. The ape himself may have got a second wind, but Stanley wasn’t so lucky.
