Our dear regent has been kidnapped, quick, call a plumber! For about 35 years now, our moustachioed hero in red has jumped over cliffs, eaten shrooms, smashed turtles, broken bricks, and gone down sewage pipes in the sole purpose to save Princess Toadstool (Peach if you're more modern, Pauline if you're more retro). He is the hero we always need, the bread to our butter, our one and true saviour of the Mushroom Kingdom. But does that make him the most interesting character of his universe?

With the number of cooky cast members in the Mario Bros. franchise, we're sure to find someone a little more interesting than Mario. Already, I find that Luigi doesn't take enough credit as it is, so why should our red plumber get all the fame? Luigi is SO much more interesting.

However, as you could probably see by the title of this list, and more likely by the picture jumping out at you, we are here to talk about a much more underrated character. Our little mushroom friend often goes under the radar (except in Mario Kart 64, as he's the second most popular character picked after Yoshi) but always seems to keep his head up for a guy who's named after his entire race. After all, he does say "I'm the best!" over and over.

Is he really the cute little optimistic guy we all know and love, though? Can the internet help us figure out who exactly Toad is or who the Toads are? Will fan theories clarify the story for us? Most likely not, but it's still fun to see how insane they are!

15 Girls Toads And Boy Toads

Toads are usually assumed to be male, but looking at it now, there isn't a shred of evidence suggesting that Toad is actually a boy-mushroom-person. Possibly a more recent, and more verified theory, is that Toads don't actually have a gender to begin with.

According to Koichi Hayashida, producer of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Nintendo never really settled on Toad's gender. This isn't even a crazy fan fiction, this is REAL.

"What about Toadette? THAT Toad definitely looks like a girl!" you might think. However, Hayashida says, and I quote, “we never really went out of our way to decide on the sex of these characters, even though they have somewhat gendered appearances.”

For all we know, Toadette is a dude and Toadsworth, the moustached Chancellor of the Mushroom Kingdom, is a girl! Or both are gender fluid, we'll never know. Hayashida adds, “That’s one of the great mysteries of the Mario universe.”

14 Toads Don't Reproduce In A Typical Manner

This theory, suggested by multiple online geeks, pushes the previous one a little more beyond its borders. Let us discard the fact that Toads might actually be human for a moment and imagine how Toads reproduce as whatever they are, shall we?

If Toads aren't human, we might just assume that they're mushrooms like Goombas. How do mushrooms reproduce? Asexually of course! Not only are Toads possibly devoid of gender, they may be devoid of sex altogether!

As we can see in Super Smash Bros., Peach uses a Toad as a shield because of his ability to spit out spores when hit. Now I'm not saying that these spores are the very same spores that Toads use to reproduce but... are they?

13 Toads Are... Human?

*insert Spongebob meme* "BuT ThEiR MuShRoOm Is PaRt oF tHeiR hEad." According to Reddit user Marhiin, that might not be the case. With all the humans in the kingdom (like Peach, Mario, Luigi, Doctor E-gad... etc), it would make sense!

Firstly, in Super Mario Bros. Wii, Blue and Yellow Toad's mushrooms change colour when a power-up is picked up, while Mario and Luigi have their caps change colour. Why would Toad's body change colour when eating a fire flower and not Mario or Luigi? You don't see Mario going ginger or Luigi's skin becoming Trump-like when picking up that power-up now, do you? That's because the Toads' HATS are changing colour!

I'm not going to develop too much on the different proofs, but just know that Toads have hair under their hat as revealed in the Paper Mario series, and the anime, though non-canonical, still reveals Toad actually taking off his mushroom cap revealing three strands of hair! This is no coincidence!

12 When Toads Go Rogue

Marhiin didn't stop there though (seriously, there's at least one other theory that came out from their Reddit post).

As we know, not ALL enemies in the Mario Bros. series are mean. Just look at Kooper in Paper Mario (#NotAllKoopas). If it's possible to find nice "bad" guys, isn't it logical that bad "good" guys exist as well?

Hold on to your seats people, because I'm about to drop an unverified and definitely subjective truth bomb on you: Shy Guys are actually Toads hiding behind a mask. Think about it, they're the same build, about the same size, and have about the same skill level.

If Goombas betrayed the Mushroom Kingdom to join the Koopa Troop as written in the American Super Mario Bros. booklet, would it be that much of a stretch to claim that some Toads joined the rebellion as well and were handed Shy Guy costumes to hide their identity by the Koopas?

11 The Tragic Goomba Origin Story

Speaking of Goombas, have you ever wondered why they revolted against the Mushroom Kingdom? They're clearly not the smartest species, seeing as though their only attack tactic is to walk side to side and get stomped on. So why make such a definite decision to join the Koopas? Have they been manipulated?

Possibly. Another theory suggests however that Toads kicked them off their native land and claimed it as their own, parading as the "nice, gentle citizens" of a kingdom that isn't theirs (sound familiar to certain real world events?). YouTube's The Game Theorists sure believe it.

What if the Toads and their silly hats were not the reason why the Mushroom Kingdom is called like that? What if the Goombas were there in the first place, as the true, ambulant shiitake mushrooms that named their empire after their species? After all, if Toads are human, it wouldn't be improbable for them to wear mushroom hats as Goomba cultural appropriation.

10 Who Toadette Really Is

This isn't exactly a fan theory, but one of the Mushroom Kingdom's mysteries that fans online have pondered about.

What is the DEAL with Toadette? Who is she (or it)? Our friend Koichi Hayashida, producer of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker mentioned previously, had this to say: "I think what I can say is that Toadette and Toad are not siblings—perhaps it would be more accurate to say they are adventure pals."

Adventure pals. How innocuous of him to say so, but we geeks aren't fooled. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Toadette is introduced as Toad's partner, yet the official guide from Prima for Mario Kart Wii states that Toad and Toadette are actually siblings. What now Nintendo? Why the contradictions?

9 Toads And Somewhat Renewable Energy

Now to get creepy with our theories. Want renewable energy? Harvest a few mushrooms and put them in vats and voilà! Enough power to fuel a spaceship! Alternatively, you can use the blood of innocent mushroom people for pretty much the same effect.

According to YouTuber Dr. Wily, that's basically what happened in Mario & Luigi, Partners in Time. Evil aliens called the Shroobs would abduct Toads to plunge them in green vats and...harvest their life force through trees. You read that right, the game showed Toads getting drained from their vim, which after being mixed with chemicals in the "Vim Factory", becomes fuel for the Shroobs' space ships.

Dr. Wily assumes that vim is the Toad equivalent to human blood, as to not scare children with crazy vampire aliens (aliens AND vampires? Billy, go play with legos or something while we adults deal with those scary beasts).

8 Toads Are Supposed To Be Taller

Toads are pretty small when you think about it. Picture this: you're the ruler of a proud kingdom and one of the only people that are your size are the plumber and his brother. Peach basically has an army of Oompa-Loompas to serve her. Ever wonder why that is? After all, anyone could just eat mushrooms to grow!

Redditor Marhiin strikes again with a depressing theory: the Toads are small because their ancestors were under-nourished. Marhiin suggests that before the somewhat peaceful rule of the caring princess Peach, Toads had to give away their mushroom produce to their to their king. Tough monarchy, eh?

What about Mario's bloodline you say? Simple: Mario isn't a Toad peasant. His parents live in Big City, he's obviously too upper class to be affected. Some hero...

7 Step Aside Mario, Blue Toad Is Here

Man redditors love their fan theories. This time, Redditor wsw82 creates a parallel between The Legend of Zelda and the Mario Bros. series.

wsw82 points out that throughout the Mario games in which Toad is a playable character, there is a recurring Toad, Blue Toad, that steals the spotlight. In Mario Bros. 2, NSMB Wii and U, and Mario 3D World, we get to play with likely an important figure in the Toad kingdom.

So where's the Zelda parallel? wsw82 suggests that Blue Toad (as he's officially referred to in a few games) is actually the Mushroom Kingdom's hero of legend, and gets to wear the traditional blue clothing of an ancient Mushroom Kingdom legendary hero when embarking on a heroic quest. Now does it sound familiar?

Step aside, Mario, Blue Toad will save the princess!

6 Mario's Crimes Against Toads...

In the very first Super Mario Bros. game booklet, there is a small piece of information that went by unnoticed for years: Bowser's original plan. The manual states that "The quiet, peace-loving Mushroom People were turned into mere stones, bricks and even field horse-hair plants." Bowser was pretty cool back then.

According to many people online, including the website TheTopTens, Mario breaking bricks means...that he's effectively killing innocent transformed Toads. Surely not ALL bricks are Toads (#Notallbricks), but imagine being Mario, breaking an inanimate brick and not knowing if you killed someone or not.

Well, he sure doesn't hesitate to break all the bricks he finds though. The "Toads transformed into bricks" theory pushes it to the next level and suggests that Mario is a cold blooded killer who doesn't care whether a Toad lives or dies (after playing Super Mario Bros. Wii with my friends, I can confirm that he doesn't give a flying crap about his Toad teammates). Yet there's even more unsettling information about Mario...

5 And His Curious Diet

Curious might be an understatement. METAL would be more like it!

Destructoid.com points out some pretty unsettling news about our friend Mario that would correlate well with the previous theory. Think about it: Toads were transformed into bricks. Mario destroys bricks. Some bricks deliver a mushroom for Mario to consume.

What you're thinking is exactly what I'm getting at: MARIO EATS DECAPITATED TOADS' HEADS. If Toads were in fact transformed into bricks, there are chances that some body parts didn't undergo the full transformation, which is why there aren't that many bricks giving you Super Mushrooms.

What's that? Toads eat super mushrooms as they're part of their diet? Blue and Yellow Toad also eat mushrooms in Super Mario Bros. Wii? Then there's only one explanation: Cannibalism. Although Destructoid didn't suggest that one, internet comments on random forums can definitely do wonders.

4 Peach's Relation To Toads

I KNEW IT... ahem. This theory is suggested by The Game Theorists on YouTube, and reveals that Peach, or formerly known as Princess Toadstool, doesn't care for her citizens AT ALL. I mean did you see how she uses a poor Toad in Super Smash Bros. as a shield? You could've used your magic umbrella Peach, but nooooo you would much rather use a LIVING BEING to protect yourself.

That's not all however. In the Mario Bros. series, any Toad servant (besides for a few notable ones) is just referred to as, well, "Toad". Heck even THE Toad, the one with red spots and a blue jacket, is referred to as Toad. In a similar way, green Yoshi is referred to as Yoshi. Then why isn't Mario referred to as Italian Plumber or Man with Moustache?

According to CollegeHumor writer Willie Muse, the way green Yoshi and blue-coat-red-spotted Toad are treated is the result of an oppressive hierarchy. Toad is referred to as the name of  his entire specie just like a worker would be called "boy". Toads aren't just "serving" the abusive Princess Peach, they're grovelling at her feet!

3 The Great Toad Genocide

At this point, there's some pretty dark stuff going on in the Mushroom Kingdom. We know that Mario is killing Toads and eating their heads, and that the Toads are ruled by a tyrant who hates them. Well, according to Dorkly writer Andrew Bridgman, Peach's hate for the Toads doesn't stop there. Her feelings towards them might be psychopathic.

Bridgman points out the fact that the princess in the first Mario Bros. games awaits Mario behind Bowser, or King Koopa. However, Mario doesn't even have to break her out of a cage or untie her or anything: Peach was entirely free to sneak up near Bowser, touch the axe and make him fall into the lava pit herself. What does that mean?

Bridgman explains that Peach gets captured on purpose and enjoys the feeling of being rescued, disregarding the fact that Mario had to bust through a bunch of Toad-bricks to get to her. The worst part is, she gets captured again, and again, and again. Essentially, the Mushroom Kingdom regent triggers Toad genocides thanks to her murderous boyfriend just for her own, sick, personal pleasure. Dark.

2 But Our Princess Is In Another Castle!

Redittor Voiceinthefan suggests that Toads mess with Mario and make him go through all the 8 worlds on purpose. The famous frustrating phrase "But our Princess is in another castle!" was according to them a ruse employed by the Toads to confuse Mario into going to the castles in world 2, 3, 4... etc.

Why would the gentle Toads do such a thing? Their ruler is in danger! Toads are well aware of that, but they're also aware that their friends have been kidnapped and locked into various castles across the kingdom.

Toads know how much they're worth to Mario and Princess Peach. They know they're simple subjects to the princess and have no value to the kingdom next to princess Toadstool. Logically speaking, they know that the minute Mario saves the princess, he won't revisit any other castle to save all the other Toads, hence why Toads confuse Mario into saving the Toads before saving the princess. Hello sadness.

1 When Evil Fungi Take Over...

YouTube's The Game Theorists theorize that Toads were once humans minding their own business until parasitic mushrooms infected their brains, clinging to their heads to control their minds. That's some Dead Space stuff right there!

Unfortunately not. The Game Theorists pointed out that such a mushroom exists on earth. It's called the Corticeps, and infects its prey and forces it to move somewhere that is beneficial to its growth, somewhere that's dark, cool, moist, and with enough wind to spread its spores. Luckily for us, these mushrooms only infect insects such as ants (for now).

The Game Theorists go as far as stating that Princess Toadstool invaded the kingdom in the first place with that parasitic mushroom to manipulate the Toads into serving her, and Bowser wanted to transform Toads into horsetail plants and bricks to stop the evil growth of the Mushroom Kingdom.

I'd rather believe that Toads are just nice, peaceful mushroom people, thank you very much.