For a series with a history as rich as Super Mario, it is no surprise that there is a plentiful amount of characters, with some standing above the rest. Even with characters everybody knows and loves, there are many who have unfortunately been pushed to the side for one reason or another.
While they may not be the leading cast members, they’re still important to the series and deserve more chances to shine. These are the Mario characters we wish Nintendo would give a little more love to.
8 Kamek
It’s no secret that Bowser is a force to be reckoned with, but he can’t do it alone — and that is where his trusty sidekicks come in. While he has a variety of troopers and assistants to aid him, few are as trusty as Kamek. Through many of Mario’s journeys, it is often Kamek who gets in the way of Mario interfering with Bowser.
Whether he is manipulating the environment, giving Bowser superpowers, or fighting Mario head-on, if you’re on your way to fight Bowser, you're likely to run into Kamek first. For his undying dedication to Bowser, as well as his fun wizardry aesthetic, Kamek earns a spot on this list.
7 Toadsworth
Toad and Toadette are no strangers to the Mario universe, but Toadsworth is a little less frequently seen. Acting as Princess Peach’s steward, as well as the care keeper of the Toads, he has a very important role in the Mushroom Kingdom.
His most prevalent role has to come from Super Mario Sunshine, where he and Peach help defend Mario after the plumber is wrongfully accused of vandalizing Delfino Island. He also makes appearances in some spin-offs. The most notable of these is the Mario Sluggers series, where he is a playable character — showcasing the surprising athletic ability of Toads even in their elderly age.
6 Lakitu
Mario’s enemy-turned-ally is a staple character of the series. In his early appearances, Lakitu was most known for hovering in the skies and throwing Spinies at Mario. While he does this in a handful of games, his greatest appearances are in Super Mario 64 and the Mario Kart games.
In Super Mario 64, Lakitu acts as the cameraman of the game, trailing behind Mario and moving at the player’s will to give them better angles of the levels. There are even a few parts of the game where you can see him pointing his camera at Mario, such as in the mirror room.
In Mario Kart, Lakitu is the officiator of the races, marking the start of the race, counting the laps, and rescuing racers who go off track. While he may not be the star of the show, he plays an important role in many Mario games and deserves recognition for his hard work.
5 Mallow
Super Mario RPG has plenty of characters that made few appearances since, the most notable being Geno and Mallow. While Geno has amassed a following over the years, Mallow seems to have been pushed to the side by fans. Mallow’s first impressions are a little offputting, as he’s very emotional and has little confidence in himself. However, as the game progresses and he spends time with Mario and his friends, his attitude changes for the better, and he even steps up to help the team on a number of occasions.
He also has an obsession with jumping, as any tadpole would, making him a great companion to Mario. While we don’t get to see Super Mario RPG characters too often due to licensing issues, Mallow, as well as the others, shouldn’t be forgotten as some of Mario's original RPG companions.
4 Professor E. Gadd
It’s no secret that Luigi, as lovable as he is, is quite the coward. When he is tasked with saving Mario from his haunted mansion, his chances of saving him seemed hopeless, but thankfully Professor Elvin Gadd stepped in to save the day. Professor E. Gadd is a scientist with a particular fascination with ghosts, and upon learning Mario is trapped in the mansion, he offers his assistance to Luigi.
With E. Gadd’s help, as well as his signature invention the Poltergust 3000, Luigi gains the confidence to take the haunted mansion head-on. While the two may be complete opposites, they make a great duo and help each other accomplish their goals.
3 Fawful
While most Mario games feature Bowser as the antagonist, there are a select few where someone is evil enough to make Bowser work alongside Mario, and that is the case with Fawful. Appearing in the Mario and Luigi games, Fawful is an unhinged villain whose mood goes all over the place.
His most prolific appearance is in Bowser’s Inside Story, in which he takes over Bowser’s Kingdom, brainwashes his troops, and casts a plague upon the Mushroom Kingdom with the goal to overtake it. This series of events, alongside tricking Bowser into eating a vacuum mushroom, forces Bowser to work alongside his arch enemies, the Mario Bros. For his aggressively evil behavior and his over-the-top attitude, he is one of the Mario series' most memorable villains, who has sadly only been seen in a few titles.
2 Plessie
Everyone knows about Mario’s adorable dinosaur buddy Yoshi, but he does have another reptilian pal who is far less commonly known. Introduced in Super Mario 3D World, Plessie accompanies Mario and his friends through a variety of auto-moving water levels.
While 3D World was the first game featuring Plessie, they got their chance to shine in Bowser’s Fury — helping Mario travel across the open world, and having a handful of cat shines to collect with Mario. Plessie is one of the cutest Mario characters with lots of potential in the future, and hopefully we can see more of them later down the line.
1 Pauline
Before Mario was saving Princess Peach from Bowser, he was busy rescuing Pauline in the first Mario game, Donkey Kong. As one of the first characters in the Mario series, as well as the first damsel in distress, you would think she would be one of the most iconic characters in the series, but Peach took her spot pretty early on as Mario's love interest, leaving Pauline out of the spotlight for decades.
While she made a few appearances in smaller games, she didn’t make her major return until Super Mario Odyssey. She is the mayor of New Donk City and the singer of the game's main theme, Jump Up Superstar. While characters like Peach and Daisy may have stolen her thunder, she has undeniably left an impact on the Mario series.