Nintendo has done amazing work to cement its position in the video game industry and it has been amazing to witness the company’s evolution since its inception. The concept of mascots has become increasingly important with video games and even though every major company has created some memorable characters, no one has done as well in this department as Nintendo.

RELATED: Mario's Transition Over The Years (In Pictures)

Nintendo has established lots of lovable characters, but none are more important than their hero, Super Mario. Mario has been a crucial character for Nintendo, but there are a lot of unusual details about everyone’s favorite plumber that often don’t get talked about.

10 He’s Under Five-Feet Tall

Mario running next to a regular human in Super Mario Odyssey

Mario's height is an inconsistent detail over the many Super Mario games, but these titles also feature worlds of drastically different scales. Super Mario Odyssey seems to have Mario with normal humans and he's considerably shorter than them. This is consistent with Super Smash Bros. and the Mario Golf series, too.

For those that want specifics, the "life-size" Mario figure measures in at 4’ 11”, but other Mario merchandise lists his height at a shorter four-feet tall. It's safe to say that Mario clocks in at under five feet.

9 His Original Name Was Jumpman

Nintendo Donkey Kong Arcade Jumpman Mario
Donkey Kong Arcade Jumpman Mario

Mario's name now seems so perfect for the character that it's difficult to imagine that he was ever known as anything else. However, the character only got this new title after his first game, Donkey Kong, was being localized for Western audiences.

Mario was known as Jumpman in Japan and prior to that, he was also referred to as Ossan (Japanese for "middle-aged man") during development. Nintendo president, Minoru Arakawa, along with employee Don James came up with the name Mario since the character's outfit actually resembled that of a landlord they knew named Mario Segale.

8 He Was A Carpenter Before He Was A Plumber

Anime Super Mario Rusted Warp Pipe
Super Mario Rusted Warp Pipe

One of the earlier details about Mario that helped define the character is that he's apparently a plumber. This character trait is largely inconsequential to the Super Mario series other than the fact that pipes are often prevalent in the titles.

RELATED: 7 Crazy Super Mario Rumors That Actually Turned Out To Be True

However, Mario was first envisioned as a carpenter and it's not until one of the character’s first games, Mario Bros., that his occupation shifts towards plumber, which is considered to be a better fit for the character's look. His carpenter roots give the Hammer Brothers a whole new meaning.

7 He Does Have Parents

Nintendo Yoshi's New Island Baby Mario Luigi Parents
Yoshi's New Island Baby Mario Luigi Parents

It may seem a little silly to overanalyze Mario's childhood and how he's come into existence, but Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island makes it the game's focus with the introduction of Baby Mario. Both Baby Mario and Baby Luigi are transported by storks, but they are eventually dropped off to their parents in a lavish castle.

The end of the game reveals that these aren't the proper parents, but the game's remake and its sequel, Yoshi's New Island, unites them with their real parents. They don't become important characters, but it's interesting that they exist.

6 He Has A PhD

Nintendo Dr Mario World Megavitamins
Dr Mario World Megavitamins

The character of Mario has been around for over three decades and he’s been pushed into different genres by Nintendo. Dr. Mario is an earlier experiment, but the character has come back in a big way over the years, whether it’s in the Super Smash Bros. games or even the revival of the Dr. Mario series.

Some may view Dr. Mario as just a costume change, but the games indicate that Mario has put in his time and earned a degree so he’s able to practice medicine at Mushroom Kingdom Hospital alongside Nurse Toadstool.

5 He’s Technically Married To Bowser

Nintendo Super Mario RPG Mario Bowser Booster Kiss
Super Mario RPG Mario Bowser Booster Kiss

Many of the Super Mario games feature Bowser’s villainous attempts to marry Princess Peach against her will. It’s an old trope, but it’s Super Mario RPG that features an interesting twist on forced nuptials. Booster is a villain that’s contained to Super Mario RPG, but he indulges in the whole evil wedding idea.

RELATED: Super Mario: The 10 Best Mario Designs In The Franchise, Ranked

Mario is able to prevent the deed from going down; however, at the last minute, a series of misunderstandings leads to Mario getting kissed by Bowser and Booster at the ceremony. It’s murky territory, but they may be considered to be married in Booster’s land.

4 He Was Raised By Creatures

Nintendo Super Mario World 2 Baby Mario With Yoshi Group
Super Mario World 2 Baby Mario With Yoshi Group

It's a unique change of pace when the Super Mario games introduce Baby Mario and other baby characters, but it finds a way to turn Mario into a more passive protagonist due to his helpless nature. Baby Mario is eventually brought to other humans, but for a good stretch of time during the events of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, it's actually a team of Yoshis that look after Mario and make sure he's safe.

To go one step further, the comedic Super Mario Momotaro anime posits that two Hammer Brothers actually find and raise Mario and Luigi, which is an even more unusual turn of events.

3 He’s Older Than Luigi

Nintendo Super Mario World 2 Yoshi's Island Baby Luigi Stork
Super Mario World 2 Yoshi's Island Baby Luigi Stork

Everyone knows that Mario and Luigi are brothers, but there’s still a lot of dissent over the specifics between these two and the sibling rivalries that stem from them. Some games seem to imply that Mario and Luigi are twins and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island entertains this idea.

However, many more resources indicate that Mario is actually a few years older than Luigi. This makes more sense based on the narrative that the games have created for these characters over time where Luigi is often in Mario’s shadow.

2 He Can Break The Laws Of Space And Time

Nintendo Mario And Luigi Partners In Time Mario Baby Mario
Mario And Luigi Partners In Time Mario Baby Mario

While Nintendo expanded on the Super Mario series with the creation of Baby Mario, the company has strangely allowed adult Mario to intermingle with his younger self. This happens in plenty of the Mario Kart titles, but this anomaly also occurs in several games that are more story-driven.

It's a major component of some of the Mario & Luigi RPG series of games and Yoshi's New Island even features an adult Mario, albeit in disguise, as a helpful character throughout the adventure. Mario can mess around with timelines to zero consequences.

1 He Has Competed In The Olympics Multiple Times

Nintendo Mario Sonic Olympics Running Track

Mario's roots connect to the platforming genre, but over the years, the character has been introduced to basically every form of sports and athletic activity. The culmination of this experiment came with Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, which did not just cross the character over with Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog, but put them in the Olympics together.

This franchise has exploded and Mario has now competed in five separate Olympic Games, which shows that he's easily one of the best athletes in all of the Mushroom Kingdom.

NEXT: 10 Super Mario Spin-Offs That Are Nothing Like The Main Games