lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Bowser Jr. Is Not Baby Bowser

So one Bowser Jr. aka Bowser's only son, looks almost identical to Bowser when he was young. This has lead to many people to believe Bowser Junior is actually Baby Bowser who was kidnapped from the past by his adult self. This is not the case.

Now Bowser Junior does look nearly identical to Baby Bowser, and this design choice is intentional. This is made clear in his Nintendo Kids Space of The Nintendo Co. Ltd. website description. "Apparently he looks just like Bowser when he was little.".... Basic Google Translation....... This description also further confirms Bowser Junior and Baby Bowser are 2 separate characters.

Now how does one tell them apart? Well Bowser Jr. wears a bandana with markings on it such as teeth or a moustache, and so far has only been seen in the present. Baby Bowser on the other hand doesn't wear a bandana usually, and the one time he did it was a blank bandana. Baby Bowser only ever is seen in games that take place in the past as well so far.

Also a bonus, the Mini Bowsers/Kuppas is not Bowser Junior or Baby Bowser, but rather a clones of Bowser. Written by Eris the Lorekeeper

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

The Center Of The Earth, And It's Connection To The Power Of The Stars Hypothesis

Spoilers For Donkey Kong Banaza Below

So this is a post I wasn't sure of what to call the title, but after I eventually found what I should call it to avoid spoilers in the title.

So as you should know the core of the Mushroom World is the Banadium, and can grant people's wishes. This all seems to be connected to the Power of the Stars aka Star/Wish Magic. So as established in previous posts, the Stars hold the Power in the Mario World with their Star Magic which they use to grant wishes. But also how Power Stars and Power Moons are the same thing in different forms.

But one thing is it always starts off with a Star Kid or Luma, and here's something interesting. As established in Super Mario Galaxy one of the transformations a Luma can undergo is the transformation into a planet. This would mean the Mushroom World would have been a Luma itself at one point. So my hypothesis is the Banadium Root is basically the core that represents the Luma, and it's wish granting powers is Star Magic. This is would also explain why it responds to a character's wishes. The Banandium Root itself is just taking on a specific form in this case, similarly to what we see with Power Stars.

This would also explain the golden appearance of the Banandium Root, it's golden just like a Power Star. So yeah, I think the Banandium Root has major connections to the Star Magic that makes up the Mario universe. Written by Eris

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

The Odyssey Tyrannosaurus Rex Is Inaccurate

The Tyrannosaurus Rex from Super Mario Odyssey is a scientifically inaccurate Tyrannosaurus Rex, and I wanted to ramble about why.

So I would like to establish that this creature is meant to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex, and not a creature resembling a Rex. This is made clear in things like the brochure, and it's Japanese name Tiranosaurusu. The second thing I would like to establish while Mario world does use real world creatures like gorillas, it doesn't abide by our world's rules. I think this is a different case because they clearly opted to try to make the Tyrannosaurus Rex look realistic, as opposed to giving it a cartoony look. So I think it's fair game to criticize it's accuracy.

So first off the the Rex's wrists are clearly pronated as their palms are facing downward. This is one of the most common mistakes made in media given how often people depict theropods with pronated wrists. Theropods such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex would have had supinated wrists, with their palms facing inwards. A way to remember it is to remember the phrase clappers not slappers.

The next bit is a surprising detail they seemed to have overlooked, and that's the Tyrannosaurus Rex's hornlets and flat nasal horn. This is because most inaccurate Rex designs base their design off of the Jurassic Park Tyrannosaurus Rex, which has extremely obvious hornlets. The flat nasal horn is a little hard to tell if they forgot it, but it does seem like they overlooked it as well.

Another obvious detail is they skin wrapped the Tyrannosaurus Rex, an often criticized choice in dinosaur design because it ignores things like body fat. This is primarily seen in the face.

Another detail they forgot which is often overlooked, is they didn't make sure the lower claw on the Tyrannosaurus Rex's arm was longer than the one on the top. This is a detail many people often overlook when designing a Rex, but it is there.

Another thing is while the Odyssey's Rex does seem to have forward facing eyes. They do seem more like they intended for them to be more on the sides, and they could have made them a bit more forward facing.

One finale inaccuracy, but this one isn't a mark against the design given when the research about this came out. But Tyrannosaurus Rex due to carotenoids, likely had facial coloration on the face and legs. This would have given these locations either a red, yellow, orange, pink, or purple coloration. Texas Geosciences, Dinosaur Faces and Feet May Have Popped with Color Tyrannosaurus Rex Reconstruction with coloring was made by Sarah Davis.

So yeah, that's my assessment of this Rex design. Most of the information I used here I have discussed more in-depth on my blog post, How To Draw Tyrannosaurus Rex. This is on my Paleo Media Blog where I just post about paleo media in general. Written by Eris the Lorekeeper

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Grand, Power, And Silver Stars Lore

So as I established in a previous post, the Stars from Mario Party are Super Stars. Super Stars are not the same thing as Power Stars. This is because Power Stars can provide energy and give the user the ability to wield Star Magic. While Super Stars grant invincibility or Super Strength.

So as seen in Super Mario 64 DS and Super Mario Galaxy 1 & 2, collecting 5 Silver Stars will result in all 5 stars combining to make a Power Star. This is because the Power Star was likely broken up into pieces, something we see can be done with other stars such as the Cobalt Star.

Power Stars themselves are created when a Luma transforms into one at a certain point. Lumas overall seem to become everything, from Star Spirits to Power-Ups. Showing just how much power and influence the Stars have in the Mario world. This also make sense because Power-Ups overall, in particularly Super Stars show signs they are sentient.

Also, as established at the beginning of Super Mario Galaxy, Grand Stars are the result of combining several Power Stars together. "The Toads brought the shooting stars to the castle, where they became the great Power Star.".....

Also, something else that is important is we know for a fact Power Stars and Power Moons are the same thing just in different shapes. Shine Sprites and Cat Shines are also likely the same thing in a different shape as well. I have also hypothesized that Super Stars similarly to Power Stars, can also come in different shapes as well.

So yeah, that Silver, Power, and Grand Stars in a nutshell. Written by Eris the Lorekeeper

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Fake King Boo

So in Super Mario Sunshine many of the enemies you fight are fake copies of the originals. All of them are made of paint and were created by Bowser Junior using is magic paintbrush. One of these paint creations is the King Boo found in Hotel Delfino.

Once you beat the King Boo in the mission King Boo Down Below, he explodes into paint revealing he was a fake all along. This explain his odd appearance, as junior tried to paint the King Boo but couldn't get it quite right. Written by Eris the Lorekeeper

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Ingot Isle's Location

Spoilers For Donkey Kong Banaza Below

So you may be wondering where Ingot Island is in regards to other locations in the Mario World, we well have an answer.

So at the beginning of the game in the opening cutscene there is some dialogue that says "far off the shores of DK Island." This means Ingot Isle is likely part of the Kong Archipelago.

Also at the beginning of the game if you look off into the distance you can see the mainland with a visible city. This is likely the Metro Kingdom, though not New Donk City Specifically.

So yeah, that's where Ingot Isle is located. Written by Eris the Lorekeeper

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

The Stars In Mario Party Are Super Stars

So many people have question what the Stars are in Mario Party, whether they are Super Stars or Power Stars. Well they are Super Stars, and here's why.

So as you should know by now, a Power Star when broken down is comprised of 5 Silver Stars. While the Stars in Mario Party as shown in Mario Party 9, are all the result of 5 Mini Stars combining together. A major difference between the 2.

The second thing is if you combine 7 of the Mario Party Stars they form one Mega Star. It's appearance does not really resemble the Grand Star's appearance, which is the result of several Power Stars being combined.

The finale thing is in one of the games in Mario Party Jamboree, one of the Mario Party Stars which is simply called Star is used. This Star grants everyone invincibility, which is a trait of the Super Star and not the Power Star. So the Mario Party Stars are Super Stars. Written by Eris the Lorekeeper

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Luigi And Daisy Are Probably Dating

So similar to Peach and Mario, through details we have gotten in the games. Luigi and Daisy are heavily implied to be a couple, and by extension likely dating.

It all seemed to have started with NES Open Tournament Golf where Daisy would be first seen paired up with Luigi in official art and in-game. From here various game would pair them up and heavily imply they are a couple. In Mario Kart Wii in Daisy Circuit a statue can be seen of specifically Daisy and Luigi dancing together, making their partnership quite evident.

Meanwhile in Mario Power Tennis in Daisy's victory animation, Daisy uses a pet name and calls Luigi, sweetie in it. This outright confirms are they are indeed a couple. We would see their pairing name as Steady Sweeties in Mario Party 5, further cementing this fact. Written by Eris the Lorekeepr

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

The Japanese DKC Manual Has More References To Mario

So as I established in a previous post, Cranky Kong is the original Donkey Kong who rivaled Mario back in Donkey Kong Arcade. In said post I brought of the Donkey Kong Country Manual and how it straight calls him the original Donkey Kong. Well what if I were to tell you there is more information in the Japanese Manual.

Well on page 5 of the Japanese Manual we get this line of dialogue from Cranky. "There's no way the Kremlings would be defeated by a fool like you. When I was young, I knew Mario, he was a tough guy..."...... Basic Google Translation..... So yeah, this was a thing that even way back when, was the intentions of the creates on the Japanese side of things. To add on to that the Japanese manual does also mention the original Donkey Kong bit.

Another thing that might be noteworthy is Cranky says "it's not like he'll save the princess, but I'm sure he'll do something."....... Now this line is in the English version but says a princess. Now if this manual so trying to say the princess and not a princess, Cranky is likely referring to Princess Peach. This would make sense because Cranky Kong did kidnap Peach a few times himself in the Game & Watch Gallery games. Written by Eris the Lorekeeper

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Is Splatoon Canon To MK8?

So something some people have wondered is if Splatoon is canon to the Mario world, since Inklings show up in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

The answer is no. So first off the Inklings cannot share a world with Mario, as both the Mushroom World and Splatoon World are vastly different. One might question, well what about a dimensional travel crossover like with Sonic and Bomberman? This is also unlikely for one primary reason.....

As we know Inklings die in water, and if they go into the water they almost immediately dissolve and respawn. The Inklings in MK8 can go into water, and will not dissolve. So unless the Inklings have a special way to prevent themselves from dying in water for a karting event, these Inklings cannot be the ones from Splatoon. So what is likely going is these Inklings are likely from another continuity in which Inklings can survive in water. Written by Eris the Lorekeeper

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

The following is several posts about the Theory Crafting and Lore Hunting Communities.

A Proposal For Fan Theory Etiquette My Thoughts On Game Theory Why I Don't Like Game Theory A Problem With Theorizing Part 1, 2, 3, 4 What Parallels Are And Aren't A Problem With Mario Theories And Lore Hunting

Related Posts A Rant About The Treatment Of Spin-Offs In Video Games How Retcons Are Supposed To Work

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Star Spirits & Wish Magic

So in the Mario world there are the beings know as Star Spirits, Star spirits of Baby Star or Star Kids which are now known as Lumas, growing up to become a star spirit. But their power which is Star Magic is almost always connected in some way to wishing.

So first off I would like to establish, Lumas can become many things, whether it be Launch Stars, planets, a galaxies, stars, comets, power-ups, and of course Power Stars. "The Luma that's been traveling with you may also grow up to become a star someday." "Some Lumas become planets...some become comets...and a few become Power Stars." "Ask the Green Lumas about them. After all, they will transform into Green Power Stars someday!" Now something that has been established before is the Power Of The Stars which that power that comes from Power Stars is a type of magic. "He stole our Power Stars and is using their magic to create an evil land of monsters in the castle walls and paintings." This fact is also made clear when Wingo and Kamella Koopa quite clearly are just Power Stars to perform magic. As I discussed in my posts hypothesizing that Magikoopa magic is stolen Star Magic. Anyways, all this to say is the magic this called the Power Of The Stars is likely Star Magic which is the magic wielded by Star Spirits.

So the Star Magic which is used by the Star Spirts and their variants the Star Spirit appears to be granted to others through a means dubbed Wish Magic. This magic requires wishing for such wishes to be granted, and characters such as Peach can wield such magic. By extension Rosalina can as well and it seems to be a common trend with princesses overall that they can use such magic. But not everyone is granted such magic case in point Bowser. So Bowser and Magikoopas likely steal this magic from Power Stars and Mini Stars so they perform such magic.

The wishing bit is a common theme overall all, with it being part of the main plot of Super Mario RPG for starters. The Star Rod being able to grant wishes, and the 7 Star Spritis association with wishes as well. You have young stars like Twink hoping to one day be able to grant big wishes. Other Star Spirits like that of the Bean Star are also know for their ability to grant wishes. Other stars like the Cobalt Star also seem to have a Star Spirit inhabiting them, as Mario and Co. weren't surprised when they saw what they thought was the spirit of the Cobalt Star. It was actually the Elder Princess Shroob in disguise.

Overall, all forms of wishing and wish granting all seems to tie back to the Stars and the magical powers they possess. But there is something else that is intresting.

So if you remember my post about Birdo's sisters, you might remember me bringing up an intresting bit about the plot of BS Super Mario USA. Well in Ameba's Satellaview Library's BS Super Mario USA Power Challenge which has the plot of the game, we get some mention of the Power Of The Stars. 家臣「王様、星の力を使ってサブコンを守りましょう」 王様「よし、マリオ君たちにお願いしよう」 "Vassal: 'King, let's use the power of the stars to protect Subkon.' "King: 'Okay, I'll ask Mario and the others.'" And しかし、星の力を使おうとしているのは、王様たちだけではありませんでした。 "However, the kings aren't the only ones trying to use the power of the stars." This is one of the earliest mentions of the Power Of The Stars and seems to be tied into the dreams worlds known as Subcons. This is interesting because the 7 Star Spirits is watch over the Dream Depot and the land of various dream worlds. Written by Eris the Lorekeeper

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Dr. Mario Is A Legitimate Doctor

So many people have wondered if Mario is a legitimate doctor, and many people believe he isn't. A good portion of people believe this to be the case because Miyamoto said he wasn't. But I'm going to push back on this.

But first..... In an IGN interview titled Shigeru Miyamoto Says We Shouldn't Trust Dr. Mario By Ryan Dinsdale, Miyamoto claimed Mario is a shady guy you can't trust as a Doctor. "Mario’s a blue-collar, he’s a regular person," Miyamoto said. "So, even when he becomes Dr. Mario, there’s a sort of, like, shadiness, like 'can I trust this person?'" So Miyamoto in this quote does seem to imply Mario isn't a legitimate doctor, though he never says it outright. But here's the thing. As I have brought up before, Miyamoto's word isn't the end all be all of Mario lore, and official media should take priority always. So if say his claims the Koopalings are not Bowser's kids, and the games corroborate this; then we can take his word. But if he is claiming Mario isn't legitimate doctor, then the official text should corroborate this.

Well in official game media and elsewhere, Mario is only ever treated as simply a doctor, and not a illegitimate doctor. Looking to Dr. Mario Nes' manual, we get this line of dialogue from Mario. "Hi everybody! I'm Mario. How's it going? Over the last few years, I've been involved in some pretty wild adventures. Now believe it or not, I work in the virus research lab at the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital. Today I'm about to begin my research as usual." So by the time this game happens, Mario has already been jumping around the Mushroom Kingdom for years, and is doing research as a doctor at the Mushroom Kingdom Hospital. So he has had some time to become a doctor. Note, it doesn't need to be as long as it is in the real world, given the people of this world don't go by our rules.

Meanwhile Mario's description in Mario Superstar Baseball's Exhibitions Record in the MVP, it just straight says Mario is a doctor. "A kart racer, tennis player, golf enthusiast, doctor... The list goes on and on, showing he's a jack-of-all trades." He is just simply called a doctor.

The you have the doctor outfit from Super Mario Odyssey. "Headwear worn by a doctor famous for extremely colorful prescriptions." "White coat worn by a doctor famous for fighting our most colorful viruses." Again. simply treating him as a doctor.

So in-universe, Mario whose primary profession is plumbing, is a jack of all trades and occasionally will do other jobs top help people out. One of these jobs is being a doctor who does research, and in-universe is treated as a legitimate doctor. Him being a doctor just is in the Mario world, that's just how things work. It isn't playing by our world's rules. So with that said, if Miyamoto is indeed implying Mario is a illegitimate doctor. Then the official work would override his claim. Written by Eris the Lorekeeper

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

The DKB Devs Acknowledge The Existence Of The Mario Timeline

So in a previous post where I talked about why Pauline is 13 in Donkey Kong Banaza I brought a interview done by IGN. But when going back over that interview I noticed something intresting.

So in the interview IGN Nintendo Won't Say Why Donkey Kong Bananza's Pauline Is 13-Years-Old Specifically, Wants Players to 'Puzzle Out' the Answer Themselves by Rebekah Valentine, we got the following interaction. "Okay, fine, it was admittedly a bit of a joke question. But here’s a real one: does this mean there’s an official Donkey Kong series canon timeline? Is this a Super Mario Odyssey prequel?" "' Certainly because a lot of team members also worked on Super Mario Odyssey, there are some similarities in terms of how they think about the setting of the characters for both games, but it's something we really can't explain all of for now because we need to leave something for people to consider as they're playing the game,' Takahashi cryptically replied."

Sooo... Takahashi just straight up answered this by referring to the fact there are similarities in how the setting and games on how they think about the setting for the characters. Odyssey as you know acknowledges a lot about the past of Mario. But they can't explain it for obvious reasons, because say the answer if it's a prequel or not lies in the game itself. This response alongside the mention how they are going about shows they are indeed acknowledging the timeline's existence, just simply not elaborating on it. This is something we've seen mentioned in passing from other dev interviews and whatnot, on related topics such as canon. For example, the casual mention of the existence of the canon and games that are canon.

As for the placement and how they went about acknowledging the canon, that will be both in my post about DKB's placement and the following.

Spoilers for Donkey Kong Banaza Below

So some more things is the fossil of the various enemies and allies showing up as fossil that reference past events, many of which in their description details. Note these fossils are likely not fossils of the actual characters, but cast reference fossils for lore sake. Except for the Zinger. These include the Spider, Frog, Swordfish, Anglerfish, Preserved Bug, Beaver, and Armadillo fossils. You also have the Challenge Course Nostalgia Country referencing the first stage in DKC.

The Banana Bird Fossil's description says. "Small birds that had the coloration (and possibly texture) of a banana. They were trapped in crystals long ago." This is referencing how they were trapped in crystals in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, and were released by Dixie and Kiddy Kong.

The Pig Fossil's description says. "It's unclear why this polite porker lived in the jungle, but he always had the chops to help a Kong in need." This is referencing how Professor Chops aided the Kongs in Donkey Kong Country: Returns and Tropical Freeze.

One of the most important fossils in the Robot Fossil which says. "A chaotic robot that spoke and acted independently. Created by a maverick scientist…using his wife's pots and pans." This is referencing the robot Kaos which K. rool had built in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

Also, the 8-Bit DK and the 8-Bit Items reference the events of Donkey Kong Arcade. "A fancy hat, purse, and parasol from days gone by. They may have been left behind by an elegant lady." "A certain Kong in the prime of his youth. His amazing skill at handling barrels has been passed down to his descendants."

One more thing is the updated look of New Donk City places this game after Super Mario Odyssey. Written by Eris the Lorekeeper

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Bob-omb Can Explode More Than Once

So a little detail about Bob-ombs in the Mario world is they can explode more than once.

So as seen in the Paper Mario games with the various Bob-ombs such as the partner Bob-ombs like Bombette and Admiral Bobbery, Bob-ombs are capable of blowing up multiple times without dying.

This is something we see in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser. Bob-ombs in this game are shown to be able to blow up more than once, and in Minion Quest specifically they are seen wearing little bandages afterwards.

This also extends out to King Bob-omb as well, this alongside the Bomb Major Constellation description means there is only one King Bob-omb. "A constellation inspired by the king of all bombs. His explosion is every bit as big as his size indicates. Approach with extreme caution." This like means the Mario Party 5 second King Bob-omb is a duplicate and not necessarily another King Bob-omb. Since it is Mario Party 5 the Defuse or Lose minigame second King Bob-omb could be a dream creation. As for King Bob-omb blowing up more than once, we see this in Super Mario Party and Mario Golf: Super Rush.

Now there is one Bob-omb that is out of the ordinary which is Bobby from Paper Mario: Origami King, as he blows up once and dies. Now there is many hypotheses on why this is, but there are only 2 that I think seem plausible. The first and most likely one is the explosion Bobby made was so massive it completely destroyed him, and it's not like a normal Bob-omb's explosion. The second one is less likely but still plausible, and it's one I came up with. He was out of lives.... So as established in a previous post, extra lives are an actual thing in the Mario world, so it is very possible Bobby simple had no extra lives. So it is still possible this could be why, just less likely. Written by Eris the Lorekeeper

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Dixie And Kiddy Kong Are Not Cousins

So something me and some others have notice is while Kiddy Kong is called Dixie's cousin in the English manual of Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble as seen on page 3, it seems they aren't supposed to be related.

One Spoiler Goblin in their video Donkey Kong Country 3: The Curse of K. Roolenstein (The Deepest Lore of Super Mario Bros.), brought up that the cousin line doesn't seem to ever appear in the Japanese in-game dialogue. See 0:41. He noted that the Japanese fan wikis called Kiddy Funky Kong's cousin, but then he did use a likely non-canon manga to help bolster his argument. The reason mention this is because the mangas do change things, and in the case of KC Mario they made DK Cranky's son which is not the case for the games. That being said I do agree with him on the fact that Kiddy is Funky's relative, and not Dixie's.

So in my own research of things from Nintendo Magazine Online, I had noticed Dixie's description had an interesting detail. Instead of calling Kiddy her cousin, it calls him one of her best friends alongside Diddy Kong. "She is a lively female Kong who is best friends with Diddy and Dinky." Basic Google Translation Btw, Kiddy's Japanese name is Dinky Kong. So this is some evidence, but there is actually more.

On page 5 of the Japanese manual of Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble, it appears to have Funky telling Dixie to take his relative Dinky Kong with her. "As Dixie was about to leave, Funky told her to take relative, Dinky Kong, who happened to be playing with them." Basic Google Translation So yeah, it appears Dinky is indeed meant to be Funky's relative and not Dixie. Written by Eris The Lorekeeper

[lore-of-the-mushroom-kingdom]

Cataquacks Are Aliens

Cataquacks are a rather weird duck-like creature in the Mario world, but did you know they are supposed to be aliens?

So in Super Mario Galaxy if you go to the Gold Leaf Galaxy and talk to one of the Alien Bees, they will tell you that Cataquacks are native to a specific planet in that galaxy. "This strange life-form is actually native to that planet." This reveals to us Cataquacks are native to a specific planet in the Gold Leaf Galaxy. This means every Cataquack that isn't on that planet is an alien.

This means through the process of panspermia, Cataquacks had spread out throughout the Gold Leaf Galaxy, then to other galaxies, and eventually to the Mushroom World. Of course the ones on the Mushroom World that aren't fakes. So yeah Cataquacks are aliens. Written by Eris The Lorekeeper