Summary
While Mario will always be the star ofSuper Mario Bros.games, his little brother Luigi continues to be at his side inMario & Luigi: Brothership, just as in their debut in theMario Bros.arcade game. Luigi is the taller, fearful brother in green who began as the sidekick for the second player to control but has since become an icon just as beloved as Mario, to the point of starring in his own games.
With over forty years of history, Luigi has seen many revisions, with some better than others across generations of Nintendo consoles. Some versions of Luigi are better purely because of how he is portrayed as a character, while others stand out due to Luigi’s gameplay, whether it is in his own games or when starring alongside his older brother.
10The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
Luigi’s Timid Personality Started On Saturday Morning Cartoons
Not enough people giveThe Super Mario Bros. Super Show!and its two sequel series are enough credit when it comes to characterization. Nintendo had zero involvement with the show’s writing, yet it was the first time most people heard Mario and Luigi speak, and they were Italian brothers from Brooklyn. The show’s theme song would even return in Illumination’sThe Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Long before games like Luigi’s Mansion and the Mario & Luigi games, the animated shows were the first to depict Luigi as a character afraid of everything. He was always the reluctant hero, trying to convince his brother to try another way, but always shined when it mattered. Later on, Nintendo would make this Luigi’s defining character trait later on.
The franchise wouldn’t be what it is today without the originalSuper Mario Bros.on the NES, which changed from an arcade game tothe epitome of a 2D platformer. Luigi was nothing more than a palette swap of Mario for the second player to control, but it was the seed that would blossom into Luigi as an iconic video game character.
For four decades, Mario and Luigi have been entertaining children and adults alike, with the original game still loved by all generations. The originalSuper Mario Bros.has made several returns with remakes and ports, including fan-made levels in theSuper Mario Makerfranchise.
Despite it beginning asDoki Doki Panicbefore becomingSuper Mario Bros. 2, it established many things that would become commonplace in the Mario universe. Enemies such as Shy Guys and Biro made their first appearance before becoming recurring charactersin games such asMario Party, but it was the first to give other characters unique abilities.
Super Mario Bros. 2was the first time Luigi was gifted with a high jump, able to leap almost double the amount Mario can. This, alongside Peach’s ability to hover, became a signature trait for the characters for years in multiple Nintendo games, includingSuper Mario 3D World.
Rather than simply portingSuper Mario 64to the Nintendo DS, the game was remade from the ground up asSuper Mario 64 DSand featured four playable characters: Mario, Wario, Yoshi, and Luigi. Each had its pros and cons, with Luigi featuring his high jump combined with faster movement and swimming for a more agility-based character.
Never before had Luigi been playable in the open-ended 3D Mario games, which makesSuper Mario 64 DSa gem on the Nintendo DS. Certain puzzles and challenges can only be completed with Luigi, and it’s fun to experiment and see if it’s harder or easier to acquire certain stars throughout the levels.
Nintendo is known for experimenting andSuper Mario 3D Worldis an example of that because rather than the massive worlds like inSuper Mario Odysseyor a typical level-by-level Mario game,Super Mario 3D Worldis something in the middle. Instead, the levels are intricate 3D worlds with an isometric perspective for up to four players to enjoy at once.
Super Mario 3D Worldis also the closest thing to a follow-up toSuper Mario Bros. 2since it features Luigi, Mario, Peach, and Toad with their respective abilities from that game. Luigi has his high jump, which makes newer power-ups like the cat transformation and multiplying a treat to experiment with and how it can help other players.
Voiced by Charlie Day, Luigi is a loyal brother inThe Super Mario Bros. Movieand his relationship with Mario is a wholesome one to show how much the two care for each other. Mario is protective of his little brother, while Luigi is scared of his own shadow as usual, but he never gives up on Mario and as long as Mario’s happy, he’s happy.
Even when his own father and other members of their family mock Mario, Luigi is always there to support him as both a partner and a brother inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie. Charlie Day not only made the movie version his own, but he made Luigi feel relatable and lovable with his performance, making him a standout character, even though he is sidelined through most of the story.
Luigi is almost always an NPC in thePaper MarioRPG games, but that never stops him from being a stand-out character. He’s smart and loyal, and he can actually talk, unlike his brother, for reasons unknown. However, there are always nuggets of information to find about him, such as a note that suggests that Luigi is tired of always being the sidekick to Mario.
In the more divisiveSuper Paper Mariofor the Nintendo Wii, Luigi ends up becoming a secondary villain for Mario to fight after being corrupted by the main villain and has to fight his inner demons. Even when Luigi is merely a cameo like he was in other games, he shows more depth to his personality.
Visuals can alter a game and its characters, becauseSuper Mario Bros. Wonderintroduceda brand-new colorful art style, multiple new power-ups, and gave the many playable characters more personality. Luigi is no different, as he has so much more expression than in most recent games, and gamers can give him any ability they want thanks to the badge mechanic.
Super Mario Bros. Wonderwas also the first time Luigi and Mario were voiced by Kevin Afghani and he debuted strongly. Mario and Luigi’s voices are different, but in a good way, as Kevin Afghani delivers the characters as what fans expect, while still adding his own flavor that makes the characters sound so cute and lovable.
When it comes to letting Luigi shine and display more personality, theLuigi’s Mansiontrilogy is what to thank. Luigi’s cowardly persona really took off with these games, but he is never a coward. Despite being afraid of everything, Luigi is always willing to power through, fight ghosts, and save his brother from the clutches of King Boo.
In all three games, Luigi is presented similarly while still adding to his character, including his own pet ghost puppy who he loves. In terms of gameplay,Luigi’s Mansiongave Luigi a signature style that presentedsatisfying exploration and ghostbusting, even beforeGhostbustersgames pulled it off and each subsequent game upgraded the gameplay.
While the idea of Mario RPGs is nothing new, theMario & Luigiseries that began withMario & Luigi: Superstar Sagamade the brothers into an iconic RPG duo. Rather than one or the other, the player is always controlling both Mario and Luigi at once as they go on action-packed romps across many worlds, including the newMario & Luigi: Brothership.
The two never speak, yet so much personality and story is portrayed through the two thanks to the unique visuals that helpthe manyMario & Luigigamesstand out from most Mario games. Whether it’s comedy or adventure, the two are not only fun to play but also witness, with Luigi often being the sillier one who gets up to all sorts of wacky antics that make it impossible not to smile at him.
