is a
fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
featured in
video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...
and related media released by
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
. Created by Japanese video game designer
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer, producer and game director at Nintendo, where he serves as one of its representative directors. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential designers in the history of video games, he is ...
, Luigi is portrayed as the younger fraternal twin brother and
sidekick
A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany.
Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...
of
Mario
is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
, Nintendo's
mascot
A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...
. Luigi appears in many games throughout the
''Mario'' franchise, oftentimes accompanying his brother.
Luigi first appeared in the 1983
Game & Watch
The Game & Watch brand ( ''Gēmu & Uotchi''; called ''Tricotronic'' in West Germany and Austria, abbreviated as ''G&W'') is a series of handheld electronic games developed, manufactured, released, and marketed by Nintendo from 1980 in video gam ...
game ''
Mario Bros.
is a 1983 arcade game developed and published for arcades by Nintendo. It was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, Nintendo's chief engineer. Italian twin brother plumbers Mario and Luigi exterminate creatures emerging from the ...
'', where he is the character controlled by the second player. He would retain this role in many future games, including ''
Mario Bros.
is a 1983 arcade game developed and published for arcades by Nintendo. It was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, Nintendo's chief engineer. Italian twin brother plumbers Mario and Luigi exterminate creatures emerging from the ...
'', ''
Super Mario Bros.
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series, it was first released in 1985 for th ...
'', ''
Super Mario Bros. 3'', ''
Super Mario World
''Super Mario World,'' known in Japan as is a platform game, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in Japan in 1990, North America in 1991 and Europe and A ...
'', among other titles. He was first available as a primary character in ''
Super Mario Bros. 2
''Super Mario Bros. 2'' is a platform game, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was first released in North America in October 1988, and in the PAL region in 1989.
After the smash hi ...
''. In more recent appearances, Luigi's role became increasingly restricted to spinoffs, such as the ''
Mario Party
is a party video game series featuring characters from the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or computer-controlled characters (called "CPU (gaming), CPUs") compete in a board game interspersed with mi ...
'' and ''
Mario Kart
is a series of racing games developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up items. It features characters and courses from the ''Mario'' series as well as other gaming franchises such as ''T ...
'' series; however, he has been featured in a starring role in ''
Luigi's Hammer Toss'', ''
Mario is Missing
''Mario Is Missing!'' is a 1993 educational game developed and published by The Software Toolworks for MS-DOS, Nintendo Entertainment System, and Super Nintendo Entertainment System, later released on Macintosh in 1994. The player controls Luigi, ...
'', ''
Luigi's Mansion
is a 2001 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. The game was a launch title for the GameCube and was the first game in the ''Mario'' franchise to be released for the console; it was released in Japan on September 14, 20 ...
'', ''
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon'', ''
Dr. Luigi
''Dr. Luigi'' is a 2013 puzzle video game developed by Arika and Nintendo SPD, and published by Nintendo for the Wii U console. It is the sixth game in the ''Dr. Mario'' series and is part of the larger ''Mario'' franchise. The player must cl ...
'', ''
New Super Luigi U'', ''
Luigi's Mansion Arcade
''Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon'' (known in Japan, Australia and Europe as is a 2013 action-adventure video game developed by Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS. It is the sequel to the 2001 Nintendo GameCube game '' ...
'', and ''
Luigi's Mansion 3
is a 2019 action-adventure video game developed by Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the third main installment in the ''Luigi's Mansion'' series following '' Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon''. The game sees ...
''. In most of said games, he is called upon to act as the hero because Mario is in need of rescue. Luigi has also appeared in every episode of the three
DiC TV series based on the
NES
The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console produced by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan in 1983 as the commonly known as the The NES, a redesigned version, was released in American ...
and
Super NES
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in E ...
games.
Originally developed as a
palette swap
This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players.
0–9
A
...
of Mario with a
green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
color scheme
In color theory, a color scheme is the choice of colors used in various artistic and design contexts. For example, the "Achromatic" use of a white background with black text is an example of a basic and commonly default color scheme in web de ...
instead of
red
Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondar ...
, Luigi has since developed a personality and style of his own. As his role in the ''Mario'' series progressed, Luigi evolved into a physically distinct character, and was made taller and thinner than his brother. Nintendo called the period of March 2013 to March 2014 the
Year of Luigi
The Year of Luigi was the 30th-anniversary celebration of the fictional character Luigi. He was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for the 1983 arcade game '' Mario Bros.'' and has appeared frequently as a minor or suppor ...
to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the character's existence. Correspondingly, games released in 2013 emphasized Luigi. An unlockable Luigi-themed version of ''
Mario Bros.
is a 1983 arcade game developed and published for arcades by Nintendo. It was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, Nintendo's chief engineer. Italian twin brother plumbers Mario and Luigi exterminate creatures emerging from the ...
'', titled ''Luigi Bros.'', was also included with ''
Super Mario 3D World
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U in 2013. It is the sixth original 3D platform game in the ''Super Mario'' series and the sequel to ''Super Mario 3D Land'' (2011) for the Nintendo 3DS.
Players control Mar ...
''.
Concept and creation
![Luigi emblem](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Luigi_emblem.svg)
The events leading to Luigi's creation began in 1982, during the development of ''
Donkey Kong
is a video game franchise created by Shigeru Miyamoto and owned by Nintendo. It follows the adventures of a gorilla named Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong and his clan of other Ape, apes and monkeys. The franchise primarily consists of plat ...
'', where Shigeru Miyamoto had created Mario (then known as "
Jumpman"), hoping that he would be able to recast the character in a variety of roles in future games.
[Demaria, R: "High Score! The Illustrated History of Electronic Games", page 238. McGraw Hill-Osbourne, 2002] Miyamoto was inspired by ''
Joust
Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horse riders wielding lances with blunted tips, often as part of a tournament. The primary aim was to replicate a clash of heavy cavalry, with each participant trying to strike the opponent w ...
'' to create a game with a simultaneous two-player mode, which led to his development of the game ''
Mario Bros.
is a 1983 arcade game developed and published for arcades by Nintendo. It was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, Nintendo's chief engineer. Italian twin brother plumbers Mario and Luigi exterminate creatures emerging from the ...
'' in 1983. In that game, Luigi was given the role of Mario's brother as the second playable character. Miyamoto observed that the Japanese word ''ruiji'' means "similar", thus explaining the similarities in size, shape, and gameplay of Luigi to Mario.
While Miyamoto originally portrayed Mario as a carpenter in ''Donkey Kong'', both Mario and Luigi were styled as
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
plumbers in ''Mario Bros.'', on the suggestion of a colleague.
Software constraints at the time of the respective game's origins meant that Luigi's first appearance was restricted to a simple palette swap. In terms of graphics and gameplay, the characters were completely identical;
the green color scheme adopted for Luigi remained one of his defining physical characteristics in subsequent releases.
After the success of ''Mario Bros.'', Luigi was introduced to a wider audience in 1985 with the release of the console game ''
Super Mario Bros.
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series, it was first released in 1985 for th ...
'' Once again, his role was restricted to a palette swap and could only be used by the second player. The Japanese version of ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' in 1986, later released in the west as ''
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels'', marked the beginning of Luigi's development toward becoming a more distinguished character. Luigi's movement was no longer identical; he could now jump higher and farther than his brother, at the expense of movement response and precision.
While this version of ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' was released in Japan, it was deemed to be too difficult for American audiences at the time.
Consequently, In 1988, an alternative release was developed to serve as ''
Super Mario Bros. 2
''Super Mario Bros. 2'' is a platform game, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was first released in North America in October 1988, and in the PAL region in 1989.
After the smash hi ...
'' for Western players (and later released in Japan as ''Super Mario USA''); this version played a key role in shaping Luigi's current appearance.
The game was a conversion of ''
Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic'', with the graphics altered to represent characters and scenes from the ''Mario'' franchise. In this release, the character of "Mama", who had the highest jump among the original cast, served as the template for Luigi, resulting in his taller, thinner look, combined with his Mario-esque outfit and boasting green color scheme. There were earlier appearances of Luigi being taller than Mario: in ''
Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally'' and in ''
Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!''; in the previously mentioned anime he wore a yellow shirt, a blue hat, and blue overalls. Promotional artwork for ''
Super Mario Bros. 3'' and ''
Super Mario World
''Super Mario World,'' known in Japan as is a platform game, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in Japan in 1990, North America in 1991 and Europe and A ...
'' depict Luigi with this new look, but the actual games did not adapt this different character design until the 1992 game ''
Super Mario Kart
''Super Mario Kart'' is a Kart racing game, kart racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The first game in the Mario Kart, ''Mario Kart'' series, it was released in Japan and North Ameri ...
''. Luigi's distinctive appearance from ''Super Mario USA'' has been used ever since, even for remakes of older games.
Actor portrayal
Much like his appearance, Luigi's vocal portrayal has fluctuated over the years. ''
Mario Kart 64
is a kart racing video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was also released for the iQue Player in China in 2003. The game is the second main entry in the ''Mario Kart'' series and is the successor to ''Super Mari ...
'', in which many characters were voiced for the first time, some characters, including Luigi, had two different voices; the North American and European versions of the game feature a low-pitched voice for Luigi, provided by
Charles Martinet
Charles Martinet (, ; born September 17, 1955) is an American actor and voice actor, known for his portrayal of both Mario and Luigi in the ''Super Mario'' video game series since 1992. He is also the voice of other characters in the series such ...
, who also voices
Mario
is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
,
Wario
is a fictional character in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' series, designed as an Arch rival, arch-rival to Mario. He first appeared in the 1992 Game Boy game ''Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins'' as the main antagonist and final Bos ...
, and
Waluigi
is a fictional character in the ''Mario'' franchise. He plays the role of Luigi's arch-rival and accompanies Wario in spin-offs from the main ''Mario'' series, often for the sake of causing mischief and problems. He was created by Camelot em ...
. The Japanese version uses a high-pitched,
falsetto
''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave.
It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...
voice, provided by the then French translator at Nintendo Julien Bardakoff. Inconsistent voice acting continued with many
Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and Au ...
games; all versions of ''
Mario Party
is a party video game series featuring characters from the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or computer-controlled characters (called "CPU (gaming), CPUs") compete in a board game interspersed with mi ...
'' feature Bardakoff's high-pitched clips from ''Mario Kart 64''. Luigi retained this higher voice in ''
Mario Party 2
is a 1999 party video game developed by Hudson Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. The second game in the ''Mario Party'' series, it was released in Japan in December and worldwide in 2000. The game received mostly positive revi ...
''. In ''
Mario Golf
There have been numerous sports games in the ''Mario'' franchise. Although originally a branch of the Mario sports games, the ''Mario Kart'' series is not included in this list, as it has since become a stand-alone series in the Mario franchise.
...
'', ''
Mario Tennis
''Mario Tennis'' is a 2000 sports video game developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. Following ''Mario's Tennis'', it is the second game in the List of Mario sports games#Mario Tennis series, ''Mari ...
'', and ''
Mario Party 3'', his voice returned to a lower state. Since then, with the exceptions of ''
Mario Kart: Super Circuit'' and ''
Super Smash Bros. Melee
''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' is a 2001 Fictional crossover, crossover fighting game, fighting video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the second installment in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series. I ...
'', Luigi has consistently had a medium-pitched voice, performed by Martinet. In ''Mario Kart: Super Circuit'', Luigi's voice was the same high pitched voice from the Japanese version of ''Mario Kart 64''. In ''
Super Smash Bros.
''Super Smash Bros.'' is a Crossover (fiction), crossover fighting game series published by Nintendo. The series was created by Masahiro Sakurai, who has directed every game in the series. The series is known for its unique gameplay objectiv ...
'' and ''
Super Smash Bros. Melee
''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' is a 2001 Fictional crossover, crossover fighting game, fighting video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the second installment in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series. I ...
'', Luigi's voice is made up of clips from Mario's voice taken from ''
Super Mario 64
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in 1996 and PAL regions in 1997. It is the first ''Super Mario'' game to feature 3D gameplay, combining traditional ''Su ...
'', with raised pitches. In ''
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'' is a 2008 List of crossovers in video games, crossover fighting game, fighting video game developed by Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Wii. The third installment in the Super Smash Bros., ''Super Smash ...
'', ''
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
and (colloquially and collectively referred to as ''Super Smash Bros. 4'' or ''Smash 4'') is a group of two 2014 crossover fighting video games developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 3DS a ...
'', and ''
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is a 2018 crossover fighting video game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and Sora Ltd. and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the fifth installment in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, succeeding ...
'', he has his own voice (which is medium-pitched) instead of a pitched-up version of Mario's. Luigi will be voiced by
Charlie Day
Charles Peckham Day (born February 9, 1976) is an American actor, writer, producer and podcaster. He is best known for playing Charlie Kelly on the FX comedy ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (2005–present), which he co-created with Rob M ...
in the
upcoming 2023 film adaptation.
Characteristics
Luigi is portrayed as the taller, younger brother of Mario, and is usually seen dressed in a
green
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
shirt,
dark blue overalls, and a green hat with a green "L"
insignia
An insignia () is a sign or mark distinguishing a group, grade, rank, or function. It can be a symbol of personal power or that of an official group or governing body.
On its own, an insignia is a sign of a specific or general authority and is ...
. Although Luigi is a plumber like Mario,
other facets of his personality vary from game to game; Luigi always seems nervous and timid, but is good-natured and can keep his temper better than his brother. A baby version of the character named Baby Luigi debuted in ''
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island'', who is held captive by Kamek. He also appeared in ''
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time'' as a playable character along with Baby Mario. He is voiced by
Charles Martinet
Charles Martinet (, ; born September 17, 1955) is an American actor and voice actor, known for his portrayal of both Mario and Luigi in the ''Super Mario'' video game series since 1992. He is also the voice of other characters in the series such ...
, just like his adult self. Being the younger twin of Mario, Luigi is presumed to be also 24 years old.
While it has not been made official,
Daisy may be Luigi's romantic interest. They were a romantic couple in the
''Super Mario Bros.'' film and in ''
Mario Kart Wii
is a kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the sixth installment in the ''Mario Kart'' series, and was released in April 2008. Like its previous installments, ''Mario Kart Wii'' incorporates player character, pl ...
'' they are seen in statue dancing together. She was his caddy in ''
NES Open Tournament Golf
''NES Open Tournament Golf'', known in Japan as is a sports video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. ''NES Open Tournament Golf'' is the second Nintendo published golf-based video game released for t ...
'' as
Peach
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...
was to
Mario
is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
. Also on Daisy's trophy in ''
Super Smash Bros. Melee
''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' is a 2001 Fictional crossover, crossover fighting game, fighting video game developed by HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the second installment in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series. I ...
'', it says that she is possibly Luigi's answer to Mario's Peach.
Surname
Nintendo did not initially give Luigi a surname. The first notable use of "Luigi Mario" was in the
1993 live-action film adaptation. In September 2015, at the ''Super Mario Bros.'' 30th Anniversary festival, Miyamoto stated that Mario's full name was Mario Mario. As a result, this indirectly confirms Luigi's full name to be Luigi Mario.
Appearances
Luigi's first appearance was in the 1983 arcade game ''
Mario Bros.
is a 1983 arcade game developed and published for arcades by Nintendo. It was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto and Gunpei Yokoi, Nintendo's chief engineer. Italian twin brother plumbers Mario and Luigi exterminate creatures emerging from the ...
''
as the character controlled by the second player. He retained this role in ''
Wrecking Crew''. He later appeared in ''
Super Mario Bros.
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series, it was first released in 1985 for th ...
''
for the NES, and again in ''
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels'', ''
Super Mario Bros. 2
''Super Mario Bros. 2'' is a platform game, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was first released in North America in October 1988, and in the PAL region in 1989.
After the smash hi ...
'', ''
Super Mario Bros. 3'', and ''
Super Mario World
''Super Mario World,'' known in Japan as is a platform game, platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in Japan in 1990, North America in 1991 and Europe and A ...
''. ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' introduced Luigi as the taller of the two brothers, as well as the better jumper. ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', and ''Super Mario World'' returned to featuring Luigi as a reskinned Mario. He made a minor appearance in his baby form in ''
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island''. Luigi was conspicuously absent in ''
Super Mario 64
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in 1996 and PAL regions in 1997. It is the first ''Super Mario'' game to feature 3D gameplay, combining traditional ''Su ...
'' and ''
Super Mario Sunshine
is a 2002 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the second 3D game in the ''Super Mario'' series, following ''Super Mario 64'' (1996). The game was directed by Yoshiaki Koizumi and Kenta Usui, produced by ...
''. However, the
Nintendo DS remake of ''Super Mario 64'' features him as a playable character alongside Mario,
Yoshi
Yoshi is a fictional dinosaur who appears in video games published by Nintendo. Yoshi debuted in ''Super Mario World'' (1990) on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as Mario and Luigi's sidekick. Yoshi is the title character of the List of Y ...
, and
Wario
is a fictional character in Nintendo's Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' series, designed as an Arch rival, arch-rival to Mario. He first appeared in the 1992 Game Boy game ''Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins'' as the main antagonist and final Bos ...
. He received his own starring role in the
GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
game ''
Luigi's Mansion
is a 2001 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. The game was a launch title for the GameCube and was the first game in the ''Mario'' franchise to be released for the console; it was released in Japan on September 14, 20 ...
'', where he wins a mansion from a contest he never entered, and saves Mario from
King Boo
Boos, known in Japan as are fictional ghosts from the ''Mario'' and ''Yoshi'' series of video games. They first appeared as a common enemy in 1988's '' Super Mario Bros. 3'', in which they were called Boo Diddleys (a reference to the American b ...
. ''Luigi's Mansion'' has cultivated such a cult following that
Nintendo
is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles.
Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produce ...
made a sequel to the game nearly a decade after the original game's release date. The sequel is called ''
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon'' and is playable on the
Nintendo 3DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...
. He reprised his role in the third game, ''
Luigi's Mansion 3
is a 2019 action-adventure video game developed by Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the third main installment in the ''Luigi's Mansion'' series following '' Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon''. The game sees ...
'', on
Nintendo Switch
The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a Tablet computer#Gaming tablet, tablet that can either be docking station, docked for use as a home video ...
.
Luigi has been associated with the more difficult second acts of multiple ''Super Mario'' games. These include ''The Lost Levels'', ''
Super Mario Galaxy 2
is a 2010 platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It was first announced at E3 2009 and is the sequel to 2007's ''Super Mario Galaxy''. It was released worldwide in 2010. Much like the first game, the story follow ...
'', ''
New Super Luigi U'' and the
new game plus
A New Game Plus, also New Game+ (NG+), is an unlockable video game mode available in some video games that allows the player to start a new game after they finish it at least once, where certain features in NG+ not normally available in a first ...
in ''
Super Mario 3D Land
is a platform video game in the ''Super Mario'' series developed and published by Nintendo for their Nintendo 3DS handheld game console. It was released worldwide in November 2011, beginning in Japan. It was the first ''Mario'' game to be rel ...
'', which offer more challenging elaborations on their respective predecessors and allow the player to use Luigi as the main character, with whom reduced friction and higher jumping is consistent in all of these games. Luigi became playable in the
Nintendo DS
The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
game ''
New Super Mario Bros.
is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. It was first released in May 2006 in North America and Japan, and in PAL regions on June 2006. It is the first installment in the '' New Super Mario Bros.'' sub ...
'' as a hidden character, and as a hidden character in the Wii game ''
Super Mario Galaxy
is a 2007 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third 3D game in the '' Super Mario'' series. As Mario, the player embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Peach, save the universe from Bowser, and collect 120 ...
''. In its sequel, ''Super Mario Galaxy 2'', the player can switch out for Luigi throughout the game. He also appears as a playable character in ''
New Super Mario Bros. Wii'', where four players can play at once cooperatively as Mario, Luigi, and two
Toad
Toad is a common name for certain frogs, especially of the family Bufonidae, that are characterized by dry, leathery skin, short legs, and large bumps covering the parotoid glands.
A distinction between frogs and toads is not made in scientif ...
s. He also appears in ''Super Mario 3D Land'' as a playable character as well as ''
New Super Mario Bros. 2
is a 2D side-scrolling platform video game in the Super Mario#New Super Mario Bros. games, ''New Super Mario Bros.'' series developed by Nintendo EAD Group No. 4 and published by Nintendo for its Nintendo 3DS handheld video game console, being r ...
'' and ''
New Super Mario Bros. U
is a 2D computer graphics, 2D side-scrolling video game, side-scrolling platform video game developed and published in 2012 by Nintendo as a launch game for the Wii U. It is the fourth entry in the New Super Mario Bros. (series), ''New Super Mar ...
'', the latter having a DLC mode, where he is the main character, called ''New Super Luigi U''. It has levels altered to his specific play abilities, including higher jumping. The DLC is also available as a standalone retail version. Luigi also appeared in ''
Super Mario 3D World
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U in 2013. It is the sixth original 3D platform game in the ''Super Mario'' series and the sequel to ''Super Mario 3D Land'' (2011) for the Nintendo 3DS.
Players control Mar ...
'' along with his brother, Peach, Rosalina and Toad.
Luigi appears in many of the ''Mario'' spin-offs, including ''
Mario Kart
is a series of racing games developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up items. It features characters and courses from the ''Mario'' series as well as other gaming franchises such as ''T ...
'', ''
Mario Party
is a party video game series featuring characters from the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or computer-controlled characters (called "CPU (gaming), CPUs") compete in a board game interspersed with mi ...
'', and all of the
''Mario'' sports titles. He also appears in all five installments of the ''
Super Smash Bros.
''Super Smash Bros.'' is a Crossover (fiction), crossover fighting game series published by Nintendo. The series was created by Masahiro Sakurai, who has directed every game in the series. The series is known for its unique gameplay objectiv ...
'' series; in the first three installments and ''
Ultimate
Ultimate or Ultimates may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums
* ''Ultimate'' (Jolin Tsai album)
* ''Ultimate'' (Pet Shop Boys album)
*''Ultimate!'', an album by The Yardbirds
*''The Ultimate (Bryan Adams Album)'', a compilatio ...
'', he is an unlockable character.
Luigi has appeared in every
''Mario'' role-playing game. While he originally made a cameo appearance in the end credits of ''
Super Mario RPG
''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'' is a role-playing video game developed by Square (video game company), Square and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1996. It was the final ''Mario (franchise), Ma ...
'', he appears more prominently in the ''Paper Mario'' series. He is a non-playable character in the original ''
Paper Mario
''Paper Mario'' is a video game series and part of the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise, developed by Intelligent Systems and produced by Nintendo. It combines elements from the role-playing video game, role-playing, action-adventure, a ...
''. In the sequel ''
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'', he appears yet again as a
non-player character
A non-player character (NPC), or non-playable character, is any character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster o ...
, going on a separate adventure from Mario's. ''
Super Paper Mario
is a 2007 action role-playing game (RPG) developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third installment in the ''Paper Mario'' series and the first Mario (franchise), Mario game to be released on the Wii. T ...
'' features him as a playable character after he is initially brainwashed into working for the antagonist under the name "Mr. L." In ''
Paper Mario: Sticker Star'' and ''
Paper Mario: Color Splash'', Luigi plays a minor role and can be found in the background of certain levels for a coin reward. In ''Color Splash'', Luigi appears at the end of the game driving a kart and helps Mario reach Bowser's Castle. In ''
Paper Mario: The Origami King'', he once again helps Mario by retrieving the keys of Peach's Castle himself. The ''
Mario & Luigi
''Mario & Luigi'' is a series of role-playing video games developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the latter's various video game handheld consoles. The series is a spin-off from Nintendo's trademark ''Super Mario'' series, and stars ...
'' series features Luigi as a main protagonist; the events of the games focus on him and his brother Mario. He has appeared in all seven ''Mario & Luigi'' games.
Other media
Luigi made his animated debut in the 1986 film ''
Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Save Princess Peach!''. In the film, where he was voiced by
Yū Mizushima
is a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator. He is the Japanese voice-over for Sammo Hung, and is the Japanese voice of Wakko.
In the 1980s, He proved to be a popular choice for many Japanese animation studios for the roles of male heart-thr ...
, he was not yet given a consistent color scheme, sporting a yellow shirt and a blue hat and overalls. In the film, Luigi was a greedy character, and even left Mario at one point to look for coins. He was also a little more serious, but less courageous, than his brother Mario, who constantly daydreamed about Princess Peach.
Luigi later made an appearance in the third of a trilogy of OVA's entitled ''
Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros.'' released in 1989, in which the Mario characters acted out the story of
Snow White
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as Ta ...
. He appears at the end of the video to save Mario and Peach from the Wicked Queen, portrayed by
Koopa
Koopa Troopas, known in Japan as , are fictional footsoldiers of the turtle-like Koopa race from the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' media franchise. They are commonly referred to generically as Koopas, a race that includes Bowser, Bowser, King of ...
.
Luigi regularly appeared in ''
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!
''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'' is an American live-action/animated television series airing from September 4 to November 30, 1989, on syndication. The series is based on the video games ''Super Mario Bros.'' and '' Super Mario Bros. 2'' by ...
'', airing from 1989 to 1990, which cast
Danny Wells
Jack Westelman (April 7, 1941 – November 28, 2013), known as Danny Wells, was a Canadian actor. He was best known for his role as Charlie, the bartender on ''The Jeffersons'', as well as his role as Luigi in the live-action/animated series ''T ...
as both his live-action portrayal and voice. Like his brother, Luigi's voice actor changed in later cartoons, in his case to
Tony Rosato
Antonio Rosato (26 December 1954 – 10 January 2017) was an Italian-Canadian actor and comedian, who appeared in television and films. He was best known as a cast member on both '' SCTV'' and ''Saturday Night Live'', and for voicing Luigi in '' ...
. Even though he was not the starring character in the show, Luigi appeared in all 91 episodes of the three
DiC Mario cartoons, in one of which his brother himself did not appear ("Life's Ruff" from ''
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'' is an animated television series. It premiered on September 8, 1990, on NBC. It is the second animated series to be based on Nintendo's ''Mario'' video game series and is loosely based on the video game ' ...
'').
Luigi played a different role in the
''Super Mario Bros.'' film, where he was portrayed by
John Leguizamo
John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez (; ; born July 22, 196013:04) is an American actor, comedian, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced ...
.
He is depicted as a more easy-going character in contrast to the cynical Mario, portrayed by
Bob Hoskins
Robert William Hoskins (26 October 1942 – 29 April 2014) was an English actor. His work included lead roles in films and television series such as '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Long Good Friday'' (1980), ''Mona Lisa'' (1986), ''Who ...
.
In the film, Luigi is not Mario's twin, but is much younger to the point that Mario is said to have been like a surrogate father to him since their parents' deaths, and his romantic relationship with Daisy is one of the film's main plot elements. He will be voiced by
Charlie Day
Charles Peckham Day (born February 9, 1976) is an American actor, writer, producer and podcaster. He is best known for playing Charlie Kelly on the FX comedy ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' (2005–present), which he co-created with Rob M ...
in the
upcoming 2023 film adaptation.
Luigi has also appeared in several ''
Robot Chicken
''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animated stop motion sketch comedy television series, created and executive produced for Adult Swim by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. The writers, ...
'' sketches, always alongside Mario. In one sketch, he and Mario accidentally appear in
Vice City
''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City'' is a 2002 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the fourth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2001's ''Grand Theft Auto III'', and the s ...
, from the ''
Grand Theft Auto
''Grand Theft Auto'' (''GTA'') is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones (video game developer), David Jones and Mike Dailly (game designer), Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan Hous ...
'' series, while another features them competing in a ''
Cannonball Run''-styled car race.
In 2015, game designer Josh Millard released ''
Ennuigi
''Ennuigi'' (or ''Ennuigi 1.0'') is an art, browser and fangame created using Pico-8 that combines '' Super Mario Bros.'' and boredom. ''Ennuigi'' is a portmanteau of the French word "ennui" and the name of Mario's fraternal twin brother Luig ...
'' which relates the story of Luigi's inability to come to terms with the lack of narrative in the original ''Super Mario Bros''.
Reception regarding Luigi's character in ''Ennuigi'' ranged from "depressed",
"laconic",
"perpetually miserable",
to "an angsty teenager who just finished writing a book report about
Albert Camus
Albert Camus ( , ; ; 7 November 1913 – 4 January 1960) was a French philosopher, author, dramatist, and journalist. He was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Literature at the age of 44, the second-youngest recipient in history. His work ...
' ''
The Stranger''."
In a
Reddit
Reddit (; stylized in all lowercase as reddit) is an American social news aggregation, content rating, and discussion website. Registered users (commonly referred to as "Redditors") submit content to the site such as links, text posts, images ...
thread, Millard commented "I
..think it's a pretty weird implied narrative once you step back and look at it, and enjoyed funneling some thoughts about all that into a recharacterization of Luigi as a guy who's as legitimately confused and distressed by his strange life as you'd expect a person to be once removed from the bubble of cartoony context of the franchise."
Year of Luigi
On March 19, 2013, Nintendo began the "Year of Luigi". This included a year of Luigi-themed games like ''
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon'', ''
Dr. Luigi
''Dr. Luigi'' is a 2013 puzzle video game developed by Arika and Nintendo SPD, and published by Nintendo for the Wii U console. It is the sixth game in the ''Dr. Mario'' series and is part of the larger ''Mario'' franchise. The player must cl ...
'', ''
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team'', and ''
New Super Luigi U''. A ''
Luigi's Mansion
is a 2001 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. The game was a launch title for the GameCube and was the first game in the ''Mario'' franchise to be released for the console; it was released in Japan on September 14, 20 ...
'' statue was released on
Club Nintendo
Club Nintendo was a customer loyalty program provided by Nintendo. The loyalty program was free to join and provided rewards in exchange for consumer feedback and loyalty to purchasing official Nintendo products. Members of Club Nintendo earned c ...
. On March 19, 2014, the Year of Luigi ended.
Month of Luigi
On October 4, 2019, Nintendo declared that the entire month of October would be the Month of Luigi. This was done to celebrate ''
Luigi's Mansion 3
is a 2019 action-adventure video game developed by Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the third main installment in the ''Luigi's Mansion'' series following '' Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon''. The game sees ...
'', which was released on October 31, 2019. The Month of Luigi ended on November 1, 2019.
Reception
Since his appearance in ''
Super Mario Bros.
is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series, it was first released in 1985 for th ...
'', Luigi has received highly positive reception.
Nintendo Power
''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninten ...
listed Luigi as their fifth favourite hero, citing his dependability while describing him as being an underdog. They also listed him as having one of the best mustaches.
GameDaily
GameDaily (GD) was a video game journalism website based in the United States.
It was launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads. The site changed its business model from a flat fee ...
listed the "neglected guy" as one of their top 25 video game archetypes, citing Luigi as an example and stating that he lacks the charisma of his older brother
Mario
is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
and that he should get another starring role. They also listed Luigi's Poltergust 3000 from ''
Luigi's Mansion
is a 2001 action-adventure game developed and published by Nintendo. The game was a launch title for the GameCube and was the first game in the ''Mario'' franchise to be released for the console; it was released in Japan on September 14, 20 ...
'' as one of the top 25 Nintendo gimmicks.
UGO Networks
UGO Entertainment, Inc. was a website that provided coverage of online media in entertainment, targeting males aged 18–34. The company was based in New York, New York, United States.
History
The company started in 1997 as Unified Gamers Online ...
ranked Luigi at No. 16 on their "25 Most Memorable Italians in Video Games" list, ranking him over Mario himself.
Luigi has been featured in many "Top Sidekicks" lists.
Machinima
Machinima, originally machinema () is the use of real-time computer graphics engines to create a cinematic production. Most often, video games are used to generate the computer animation. The word "machinima" is a portmanteau of the words ''ma ...
placed Luigi on their "Top 10 Sidekicks in Gaming" list. He was also listed as the best sidekick in video games by Maximum PC.
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
ranked him second on their top 10 list, commenting "No pair illustrates brotherly love like Mario and Luigi".
Maxim
Maxim or Maksim may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine
** ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition
** ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition
*Maxim Radio, ''Maxim'' magazine's radio channel on Sir ...
listed Luigi as the second most underrated sidekick, behind
Waylon Smithers
Waylon Joseph Smithers Jr., usually referred to as Mr. Smithers or simply Smithers, is a recurring fictional character in the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'', voiced by Harry Shearer. He first appeared in "Homer's Odyssey", although his voice co ...
of the television series "The Simpsons".
References
External links
*
Luigion Super Mario Wiki
{{Super Smash Bros.
Luigi
Fictional American people in video games
Fictional characters from New York City
Fictional ghost hunters
Fictional hammer fighters
Fictional Italian American people
Fictional Italian people in video games
Fictional plumbers
Fictional male sportspeople
Twin characters in video games
Male characters in video games
Mario (franchise) characters
Nintendo protagonists
Super Smash Bros. fighters
Video game characters introduced in 1983
Video game characters with fire or heat abilities
Video game sidekicks