#Mario and Luigi adore each other

[idontevenremember5minutesago]

The Mario Movie may not be perfect, but it single-handedly squashed the ‘Bad big brother Mario’ narrative that has been prevalent in the fandom for years and for that reason alone it deserves to be nominated for an Oscar.

[elitadream]

what do you think the bros’ first words were? possibly each others names? (or an attempt at each others names with their limited speech skills anyways lol)

Yes, exactly this! 😄💯 I remember I had seen a few posts from @multicolour-ink discussing the idea a little while back, and I've adhered to this headcanon ever since. 🤭👌

I imagine that their very first babbles would be limited to short and muddled syllables like "mah" and "woo", which then eventually would progress into "mawho" and "weegee". As for actual words, I like to think that one that caught their attention and which they've learned very early on was "brother". 😌💞

[itsamenickname]

I don’t know about you guys, but I absolutely love the idea of Bowser being the most fearsome creature in the entire galaxy to the point where he can very easily scare anyone into giving him what he wants because he is just so scary and terrifying.

And yet, when it comes to Luigi, a shy and cowardly little plumber, it is actually Bowser who is the more nervous one.

[emile-hides]

I’m so obsessed with the Mario family and while I’m a very hard Uncle Tony stan I’m also insanely obsessed with Auntie Marie and her daughter. I want to know all about them.

[monnziedarling]

Watching the Mario movie....you'll never guess who has yet another incest ship

[spoilers in tags]

[chloecherrysip]

Goodness, just wanted to say WOW and thank you to everyone who had nice things to say about this idea!!! Was not expecting this to get so much traction in the least. I'm glad to see that so many other people are unabashed angst gremlins just like me. :)

And I WILL write it! It might take me a little while (right now, I'm working on a post-movie "Mario and Luigi get to talk/cry it out about everything that happened and then sleep 14 hours at minimum because they deserve it" fic first) but after that, I will come back to this, I swear.

Also, this made me laugh so hard:

THANK YOU, I AIM TO PLEASE

it has been days and i haven't seen ANYONE mention this so fine, FINE, i will be the one to do it

"We'll see how tough this Mario is when he watches me KILL HIS BROTHER!"

THIS LINE ALL BY ITSELF FELT VERY SCARY AND I FULLY UNDERSTAND WHY THERE WAS NEVER A MOMENT WHERE BOWSER COULD ACTUALLY TRY TO MAKE GOOD ON THIS THREAT, THAT'D BE TOO INTENSE FOR THE TONE THEY WERE GOING FOR, BUT...

WHAT IF...

(look, all i'm saying is the angst gremlin inside of me came ALIVE for a hot second and started imagining scenes playing out in different ways where Bowser DOES have this opportunity with both brothers together before the final battle and it is extremely heartwrenching stuff, OKAY)

I was originally gonna end this post here but welp, now I brainstormed a whole alternative scene under the cut

Imagine this: we're on the Rainbow Road. The blue shell hits! DK does still fall into the ocean (maybe yelling "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAUUUUULT" at Mario as he goes down) but Mario is thrown back by the explosion onto the side of Rainbow Road with Cranky Kong and the other Kongs (he is definitely injured, though) and lands there as they freak out about DK. Peach and Toad are still safely on the other side.

Mario is thus captured with all the other Kongs and taken to Bowser's airship (Peach and Mario call out to each other worriedly but there's nothing she can do and the flying Koopas are coming after her too so Mario yells for her to run and her and Toad have to flee, waaah)

(This would also let Bowser and Mario actually get to meet before the end, which I think would have been nice! Not absolutely necessary, I think the movie works fine without it, but it would have really driven home the threat/stakes a little harder and created a stronger Darkest Moment, I think)

Bowser, seeing that Mario is captured, is just FILLED with hateful glee and wants to break this little man down so badly after he DARED to get close to HIS princess, and he asks Kamek to bring out Luigi from the prison

Mario, now in the airship and restrained, gets to actually SEE Bowser and register how big/menacing he is and they have some banter where Bowser is FURIOUS and Mario is honestly just kind of confused, like, "dude, what is your problem with me??? I just came to this world two days ago???" (He's scared, of course, he's never seen anyone quite like Bowser before, but he also knows his type right away - he's a bully, and Mario's dealt with his fair share of bullies, that's for sure)

But then of course the conversation comes around to "WHERE IS MY BROTHER, LET MY BROTHER GO" and then Luigi is brought in, hands bound, and the brothers can't help but have big, teary smiles and call out happily for each other

But that happiness ends QUICKLY because Bowser advances on Luigi and Mario realizes all at once what's going to happen and he tries to run at him but Kamek drags him back with the magic

And like...I am not one for anything TOO excessive here, I wouldn't want it to be TOO far outside what a movie like this would include, but Bowser does start to hurt Luigi - picking him up and throwing him down, kicking him, scratching him up, and Mario is just in AGONY and desperately struggling to pull free from the magic and begging Bowser to stop, please, if he's mad at someone, hurt HIM, beat HIM up, whatever he wants, but please, don't take it out on his brother, PLEASE, he'll do ANYTHING

But of course, that just makes Bowser taunt Mario more, because he CAN'T do anything. He wants to see Mario broken down and a pathetic mess and begging HIM, the great Koopa King, for mercy because the princess would never be attracted to someone like THAT, how could she, how shameful! Bowser will be sure to tell her ALL about it when he proposes, he is delighted

(oh man, Bowser could even say something like that "whatever happens to him is YOUR fault, you brought your dear brother down with you when you dared to meddle in my fairytale wedding!!!" And it's a ~*~THEMATIC CALLBACK~*~ to Mario's dad, waaaah)

And finally, it looks like Bowser is going to strike a BIG blow but Kamek gets distracted or Mario just becomes desperate enough to pull free of the magic's influence with the power of BROTHERLY LOVE and he gets a punch in on Bowser that knocks him back!!!

And then Mario is helping Luigi up, holding his bruised face sweetly and reassuring him that it's gonna be okay, they're gonna get out of here and go home, and they try to run but they get dragged apart by guards/Kamek/etc again

Bowser is EXTREMELY MAD but manages to calm down and says that he actually appreciates Mario interrupting him with his pathetic little punch because he almost acted too rashly. After all, if he kills Luigi now, he'll be one prisoner short for his ritualistic sacrifice for him and Peach's wedding! Can't have that! Too bad Mario's gonna miss it! And then he grabs Mario and carries him out while Luigi is being carried/dragged back to prison and they're both horrified and crying out each other's names desperately as they're separated AGAIN

Mario gets thrown off the airship by Bowser into the ocean and left for dead (Mario probably gets one more defiant line where he swears he's gonna stop Bowser and Bowser tells Mario that'll never happen but not to worry, him and Peach are going to be very happy together and Mario and his brother will be reunited soon enough - in DEATH [evil laughter])

And then Mario gets swallowed by the eel and DK is already there and things start to play out the same way as the movie from there EXCEPT that when him and DK snipe at each other, Mario starts to break down a little and the line "Well, at least your brother's not gonna die because of you!" has a LOT more emotional weight to it and it's just a longer, more heartwrenching Darkest Moment scene in general, sob)

(and you could also have a scene with Luigi back in prison where he is obviously extremely shaken up and hurt and not knowing what happened to Mario, what did Bowser do with him, is his brother even still ALIVE, why was he so WEAK and unable to do anything, unable to even protect himself or help Mario, etc etc and that helps him have a character beat that maybeeeee makes his surprise rescue of Mario at the end feel more earned????? HMM)

I'M SORRY, I LOVE ANGST (that eventually ends happily) AND IT COMPELS ME

i'm gonna have to write this as an actual, full-fledged fic, aren't I, lolol

[silenzahra]

It's Mario and Luigi's birthday! 😄🎂🥳

Honestly, I intended to post a new fic today to celebrate our favorite brothers' birthday, but unfortunately I couldn't have it ready on time. So instead, I decided to celebrate with a few more screenshots from Brothership that I took from three different videos: here, here and here.

So I really hope you'll enjoy them!

I CAN NEVER GET OVER THEM DANCING TANGO. THEY'RE SO PURE.

... Or them dancing in general 🥹🥹🥹

I LOVE that them high-fiving is gonna be a recurrent thing apparently ❤️💚

Luigi is so silly I wanna marry him so badly help

LUIGI PLEASE MARRY ME I'M BEGGING YOU. He's the cutest man on Earth OMFG 😭😭😭

And I also LOVE these ones!!!

The way they hold their hands in the last pic I CAN'T—

They seriously are the silliest, cutest brothers EVER

I'M STILL NOT OVER THIS EITHER. SUCH AN AMAZING COMBO 🔥❄

The way Luigi reaches out to help his bro 🥹 So cute! 💚❤️

The way they applaud each other when they level up 🥹🥹🥹 How can they be so freaking CUTE 😭❤️💚

And Luigi making the gun fingers!! 😄😄 I remember him doing it in previous games! (I should've included it in this post lol 😂)

And last but not least...

I seriously cannot wait to find out what this last attack is gonna be. I only know I already LOVE it and it makes my heart melt. The way these brothers are synchronized and their brotherly love making them even more POWERFUL than they already are. I... I need a moment *sob*

Anyways, I hope this was enough to commemorate this special date!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIO AND LUIGI!!! You seriously changed my life for the better and I couldn't be happier that I get to live in the same timeline as the best, cutest, coolest brothers ever 🥹❤️💚

Here's to many, many more, my beloved and adorable boys 🥂❤️💚

[pianokantzart]

I adore your Broken Warp Pipe AU art and writing! How do you think the brothers being separated from each other for so long would affect their personalities? They spent their whole lives growing and changing together, I wonder how their personalities would diverge if forced apart

Thank you!

Unfortunately, they both deteriorate a little. Part of it is due to the circumstances surrounding their separation (such as Luigi’s failed fight with Bowser right after he and Mario got split up), part of it is because they're so unaccustomed to being without each other.

Luigi

Despite appearing more competent from the outside... gaining the ability to fight, mechanical prowess, and lightning powers... Luigi has wilted emotionally. While he used to not care what people thought of him, now he’s overeager to fit in, barely doing anything at all unless he's told to do it. He appears caught in an eternal fight to prove himself, always off on missions and journeys he has no desire to undergo, as though he thinks that if he follows his own impulses for one second he'll be abandoned. The only person he’s somewhat comfortable around is Princess Peach. Though he often tries to make himself "replacement Mario" for her she can see right through it, and tries to reach through his insecurity to help him relax.

Mario

While Mario has gotten better at stealth and puzzle solving in his journey to find a way back to The Mushroom Kingdom, he has lost much of his ability to regulate his emotions and impulses. He has just as much bullheaded determination to help people as he did before, but became less emotionally connected to those he helps amidst his pinpoint-focus on reuniting with Luigi. He throws punches and runs his mouth more often than he ought to, landing in him in a number of fights that he has only survived because he has also gotten good at running away. Getting into fights is only one of many of the bad habits that have formed during his adventures, as his anger at himself for losing his brother (again) and desperation to figure out how to get to The Mushroom Kingdom has eclipsed his every other self-preserving instinct.

[peaches2217]

What’s your favorite Mareach moment from Mario canon?

I have several, but one I adore that often gets overlooked is the ending of NSMBW.

The music! Wingman Luigi! The hand-holding! The way Mario just never takes his eyes off of her! Even the “Luigi gets left in the dust” thing doesn’t feel meanspirited like it usually did in games from this era and earlier, because it’s clearly accidental and he’s immediately cheered up by their friends. (And the fact that Mario and Peach don’t notice simply because they’re too busy gazing into each other’s eyes — I don’t care who you are, that’s as adorable as it is funny.)

[batneko]

Okay more deets on my bowuigi pokemon AU.

In the fictional game that all this is taking place around, Mario Luigi aren't protagonists. Mario was a champion in his teens and Luigi came damn close, but if the player ever encountered them it would be as Plumber M and Plumber L. Just random NPCs that are slightly more of a challenge than usual (they went easy on you, you're just a kid after all).

I think Bowser's issue as one of the villains is that his gym is considered a "starter" gym. After all, fire types have such an obvious and common weakness! And if he tries to vary his team or use items, he's the bad sport since the challengers are "just kids."

Him and Mario had a rivalry when they were kids, and even back then Bowser was told off for not going easy on someone younger, even though they were only a couple years apart and Mario didn't need anyone to go easy on him. Nowadays they don't have any reason to see each other, if it wasn't for Bowser being weirdly invested in becoming Luigi's friend for some reason...

There's some weirdness going on with Luigi that I want to get into, but the short version is that ghosts are drawn to him. All of his pokemon found him rather than the other way around. He has no idea that their presence is protecting him from other ghosts with far worse intentions.

That's how Luigi and Bowser met (they knew each other vaguely from their childhood but hadn't spoken more than a couple words even back then). Luigi suddenly came to and realized he was in an old abandoned building. He knew he sleepwalked occasionally but he'd never gone this far before! (His pokemon usually stop him before he gets out the door.) Before he could start panicking though, Bowser found him and asked what the hell he was doing there, and Luigi was so obviously confused and lost that Bowser just helped him get back home instead of interrogating him. Seeing a bunch of dangerous ghost types who clearly adored Luigi as their trainer made Bowser curious and they started getting to know each other from there.

Luigi never remembers to ask why Bowser was in the old abandoned building. (It's one of his villain team secret meeting spots.)

[multicolour-ink]

Mario and Luigi gotta share a hug akin to the ones in the RPG games and/or LM3 at least once

Oh definately! The brotherly hugs are practically a staple in the M&L series ❤💚

Notice the gentle pats Mario does. Its so sweet 😭

Luigi nuzzling into his brother 😭

Look at how Mario just leaps into Luigi's arms in the LM3 hug 🥺 So adorable ❤💚

If they do hug in the movie, I don't just want it to be comfy wholesome. I want it to go further. I want raw human emotion.

I want the brothers to cling to each other because they've never been separated for this long and it's been horrible not knowing if the other was alright 💔

(on the Mario Bros Plumbing live chat it states that they are inseparable. I can't imagine at any point in their ordinary Brooklyn lives where the Bros would ever choose to be apart for so long)

I want Mario to grip Luigi just a bit tighter as he takes in that Luigi is here. He's OK. He's real and hugging him back. He's never had to go through these kinds of lengths for his brother, but he would gladly do so again.

I want Luigi to also cling to Mario and sob. Tears soaking his Bro's shoulder in relief. Nevermind that he's had to deal with this whole event without Mario; he's just so glad his Bro is back with him, and he feels stronger again ❤💚

[0range-flames]

My heart 😭😭😭

Been having feels all week about these two, so here: have more brotherly art. ;_;  💞

[year2000electronics]

General thoughts on Luigi?

MY GENERAL THOUGHTS ON LUIGI.

- he is adorable. as is his brother. he and mario have a cute quality to them and the universe needs to accept this

- i think it’s always been kinda interesting how a lot of people seem to treat luigi as a character as if he’s still “the underdog in his brothers shadow”. i can see where they’re coming from, since it just makes such a compelling story of being a Victim of Circumstance, and his eventual “rise to the call” in luigi’s mansion really giving him legs to stand on, and games like spm exploring luigi’s specific lot in life as “player two”, but the culture and treatment of luigi has definitely shifted since the experimental period of the 2000s. not only is he treated as just as much of a hero as mario but i feel like the public opinion of him has grown so much that he’s likely more popular than even mario himself is (just look at how big of a lead he had in the schafrillas mario ranking).. i frequently find myself pondering the logistics of Underdog Luigi but i feel like more people need to recognize that it definitely isn’t the case anymore in mario canon writlarge

- he needed more screentime in the movie! and i’m NOT just saying that because i love him! genuinely think about it for a moment. luigi gets stuck in the darklands through no fault of his own. neither brother knew what was in the warp pipe, and their separation in the warp zone was almost random. so then, yes, he does spend a lot of the movie cowering in fear, but that’s because he HAPPENED to land in the darklands. hell, he even stands up to bowser (verbally) at one point! and why this is a problem for me is that luigi is supposed to be a shrinking violet and a scaredy cat, and i love how weird and socially awkward he can be in the movie, but because this is MARIO’s movie, mario as a character ends up more flawed (in the fleshed-out character sense) and needing to learn more than luigi does! it’s just WEIRD when mario has to learn all these lessons and be the better man and then luigi is just kinda. coasting? like no! no no! that man should be NEUROTIC!!! (and the icing on this cake is that mario’s dad is all “you’re holding your brother back” I FEEL LIKE IM IN BIZZARO WORLD. WHAT. WHY.)

- my fav version of him is paper luigi <3 he’s the closest thing we’ve had of a luigi who is able to start his respective series as the man in the shadows and then graduate into self-confidence. it’s not a perfect “arc” for him since the modern games don’t exactly follow up on SPM but i’ve always found it more interesting the way he’s positioned in the paper mario series. there’s not any room for him in your party so you see the most distinct divide between mario and luigi we’ve ever had aside from luigi’s mansion itself

- i miss his striped socks from early m&l art :(

- him and e gadd are so funny together i think more people should acknowledge how bitchy they are at each other. it’s fantastic. luigi and this old queen

- i can’t wait to hear more of kevin afghani’s luigi VA :] i have unfortunately heard a lot of his luigi’s screams of death in wonder though. sorry to luigi for killing you so much.

- i want to see nintendo continue to try and figure out what they want to do with luigi in 3d marios. in 64 and sunshine he just wasn’t there (boooo), in galaxy he has probably the best compromise? being someone you run into in the overworld as well as being an unlockable character after getting every star, and odyssey has him doing balloon world. which is not really anywhere near the action but he is admittedly very cute with his balloons and bow tie. i feel like neither of these answers are the “true, cohesive 3d luigi experience” though. i hope they don’t give up on it.

- mr. l has and forever will be cool. technically not a luigi thing but i’m ride or die for him.

i always have thoughts on luigi. i could go on like this all day.

[pixiedustandfairypowers]

Is it normal for people to crush on the Mario brothers?

I mean, for a while I thought they were cute but it was kinda more in the sense that their character designs and personalities had a lot of appeal. But now I follow a lot of blogs posting Mario stuff gushing over how adorable it is that Mario and Luigi look out for each other and it's just so

Is this just normal fandom stuff, or is this yet another fictional crush situation?

[chloecherrysip]

A detailed list about everything I adore and cherish re: Mario and Luigi's reunion in the Mario Movie (to pair with this post of mine)

Luigi almost DYING but then happily, cutely laughing two seconds later once he sees it's Mario who's holding him because HIS BROTHER'S HERE, HE KNOWS HE'S SAFE NOW, NO MATTER WHAT

The way they just stand there and LOOK at each for a split second to register that this is really happening, and all the joy and relief on their faces!!!

How Luigi looks startled briefly when he lands on the ground but Mario is just :D :D :D :D personified and then Luigi mirrors him

How Mario is still powered up (obviously) so he moves SO FAST to grab Luigi in a big hug, and him being the tanooki, it must be such a nice, strong, soft, fuzzy hug, like a big blanket all around Luigi :)

How it's not just ONE really good hug, it's TWO really good hugs!!!!!!!

I WILL LITERALLY NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT MARIO HOLDING LUIGI'S FACE SO SWEETLY WITH THOSE BIG, MISTY, DEEPLY LOVING EYES

Just EVERYTHING about the way they framed it!!!!!!! the way the shot spins around them!!!!! it's beautiful!!!! like, at first i wished they had shown more of Luigi's reaction because it's SO focused on Mario but now I love that, i loveeeee watching Mario's truly heartbreaking and tender face journey without any cuts

Speaking of, it's amazing that Mario is SO emotional, even more than Luigi! The man is very choked up and just SO CLEARLY FLOODED WITH BONE DEEP-RELIEF AND JOY AND LOVE AND EVERY LAST SHOT OF HIS FACE MAKES GRAVITY LITERALLY ABANDON ME BECAUSE HE LOVES HIS BROTHER MORE THAN ANYONE AND HE NEEDS HIM BY HIS SIDE LIKE HE NEEDS TO BREATHE

FOREHEAD TOUCH FOREHEAD TOUCH FOREHEAD TOUCH FOREHEAD TOUCH FOREHEAD TOUCH FOREHEAD TOUCH

The way their noses bump together cutely as a result of the forehead touch, SOB

The way Mario initiates the forehead touch with his hand on the back of Luigi's head so GENTLY, everything about the way he interacts with Luigi here is SO GENTLE and i cryyyy

The quick shot when they both have their eyes closed in the forehead touch!!! Maybe incidental but the screenshot of it has ended my life, i'm a ghost now, goodbye

Mario rocking Luigi back and forth a little when they're hugging the second time and his hand gripping tight on his back ;____;

MARIO SWINGING HIM UP INTO THE AIR, JUST BECAUSE HE HAS TOO MUCH HAPPY ENERGY AND HE CAN

Luigi's BIG sigh of relief, so big it's like he's been holding in the breath since they were first separated <3

THE WAY MARIO IS LOOKING AT LUIGI ONCE THEY SEPARATE THE SECOND TIME. THIS BIG, DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY GRIN LIKE HE JUST WANTS TO HUG HIM MORE. CAN HE HUG HIM FOREVER???? MARIO IS SURE GOING TO TRY

Luigi finally registering what Mario is wearing and immediately, affectionately grabbing at him/teasing him like brothers do!

That Bowser is literally being forced to watch them hug from his ice prison atop the stairs LOLOLOL

That they're framed by the wedding arch that's a heart at the end because their relationship is the TRUE HEART of the movie :) :) :)

Basically just the fact that you can literally see these two brothers, who have been lost and sad and struggling for all this time, become WHOLE again right before your eyes because they have each other back and that's all that really matters

[silenzahra]

Regarding that reblog about sending you asks…well…I just want to say that I am proud of how far you’ve come both as a person and as a writer (and artist). I’m so honoured to have you as a dear darling friend as you’re among the first to welcome me on Tumblr when I felt lost and wanting to broaden my horizons to seek a meaningful connection…

My dear darling, you are a stellar writer and you are such a gem in the SMB community. Those who have chosen to overlook you and your content are none the wiser and have missed out.

Thank you for enriching my life especially since we live in vastly different countries but I’m so glad that we found each other on Instagram as well. I wish nothing but fortune to come your way and my online presence to give you strength when you feel overwhelmed (I still can’t get over how you called me your Mario to your Luigi…I wasn’t joking when I said that I teared up at that, my dear darling. I honestly don’t see myself that way but if you say that it is, I believe you…)

To end this, please enjoy more brotherly love with Mario and Luigi…

And a bonus:

My dear @vulpixfairy1985, this ask was such a lovely surprise! AW I’m truly so moved and warm inside right now 🥹 Thank you so much for your kind and sweet words 🫂🫂🫂 You always make me feel so validated, and not only as a person but also as a writer AND an artist??? 🥺🥺🥺 You’re making me blush 😭🫂💖💖💖

I feel so elated and honored that you enjoy my content so much 🥹 I honestly don’t consider myself an artist as I don’t draw too often and I believe my style is so poor, but I deeply appreciate your support and you acknowledging me as one, as well as supporting the art I posted a while back of Luigi playing his guitar 💖💖💖

I truly am so happy and thankful that we met and that we’ve formed such a deep and strong connection, as I really feel that you are the Mario to my Luigi 🥰 Your presence is truly a source of strength and warmth and, just, good vibes! You sincerely enrich my life, dear friend, and I'm so moved that you consider that I do the same for you 🥹 I'm so glad I could make you feel welcome to this wonderful site! You've become one of the most important people in my life, and I'm truly so blessed to call you my friend 🫂🫂🫂💖💖💖

AWEEEE IT'S THE BOYS!!! 😄😄😄 Thank you so much for sending such wonderful gifs! Gosh, I can never have enough of how absolutely CUTE they look in the movie and how they protrayed their brotherly bond 🥹🥹🥹 Also, just as a curiosity: the moment at the beginning when Mario clears a path for Luigi was the very first thing that made me see that Nintendo had truly made an effort to show them as the loving and caring brothers we all know they are 🥹 So I'm truly so happy that you've included this gif here! As well as the reunion one of course, as I can never have enough of that moment 🥹❤️💚 (And the others too, I just, I love them all!)

And the last one with Luigi and Polty 😭😭😭 THEY'RE SO ADORABLE. I have a soft spot for Polty as he's truly the cutest doggy ever, and he always reminds me of my own dogs Baloo and Mauri as they're also so playful and affectionate 🥹 I truly LOVE Polterpup's bond with Luigi and how absolutely CUTE they look together 🥹 Thank you soooo much for such a lovely bonus gif! 🫂💚🤍

And of course, thank you for this wonderful ask that has filled my heart with so much joy and warmth 🥹 I love and adore you so so much, my dear friend! 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖