As one of the most recognizable franchises on the entire planet, theSuper Mario Universehas had a plethora of different games that reinvent the gameplay loop, or launch the characters into an entirely new genre. One of the most popular renditions of the Mario Franchise is the famous racer,Mario Kart, which enlists a roster of characters from the Mario universe and turns them into race car drivers.
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Released originally as Super Mario Kart, this iconic racing franchise has spawned about a dozen different games, as well as an appearance in a feature film. If you are curious about the identities of the oldest characters on the Mario Kart roster, and how they have developed into the modern era of gaming, then look no further.
8Koopa Troopa
The Koopa Troopa is a yellow or orange turtle found throughout almost every Mario game. Typically, a Koopa Troopa wears a green or red shell and is hostile towards Mario, but in the Mario Kart Franchise, you can actually play as a Koopa Troopa and evenwield his shell as an offensive item.
In Super Mario Kart, the Koopa Troopa’s skin was slightly tinted orange, but his skin tone was changed to yellow as the games modernized. Currently, the Koopa Troopa is a light character in Mario Kart 8, meaning this turtle has faster acceleration than larger characters.
7Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong actually has quite an interesting history when it comes to his appearances in Mario Kart. In Super Mario Kart, the monkey we know as Donkey Kong was not in the game whatsoever, and in his place, Donkey Kong Jr. could be found on the racetrack wielding bananas to trip up his opponents.
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However, as the franchise continued Donkey Kong Jr. was replaced by Donkey Kong, and his sidekick Diddy Kong also joined the roster. In Mario Kart 8, Donkey Kong is a heavy racer, meaning he has the fastest speed in the game, but the slowest acceleration.
6Toad
As a longtime protector of the Mushroom Kingdom, Toad is by far one of the most recognizable characters in the franchise. Princess Peach’s protector makes his appearance in Super Mario Kart, mushroom hat and all, as one of the original cast, driving a large blue cart that is far too big for someone of his stature.
As the series has progressed, Toad has remained a staple character throughout every iteration. In Mario Kart 8, this light racer can be seen surging across the map, probably screaming in glee whenever he uses a mushroom for a speed boost.
5Yoshi
Originally designed as a dragon, Yoshi is a green dinosaur-like monster that allies with Mario and Luigi across multiple games. In the Mario Kart Franchise, Yoshi joined the original cast of Super Mario Kart on his classic orange cart.
As the series progressed, Yoshi continued to appear in every title in the franchise and even got differentcarts that compliment his aesthetics. Finally, in Mario Kart 8 players are now able to customize the color of Yoshi, meaning multiple people can now race as Yoshi at once.
4Bowser
This large, evil turtle has served as the main antagonist since the inception of the Mario Franchise. Obsessed with kidnapping Princess Beach, Bowser is a massive orange turtle with a spiked green shell, but in Mario Kart, this villain becomes a playable character.
In Super Mario Kart Bowser was certainly less threatening, as the game favored cartoonish renditions of these famous characters. However, in Mario Kart 8, Bowser is reimagined as a heavy racer that drives a threatening hot rod and even has multiple coursesinspired by himself and his castles.
3Princess Peach
Princess Peach was originally designed as a damsel for Mario and by extension the player, to save after she gets kidnapped by the nefarious Bowser. However, in Mario Kart Princess Peach takes matters into her own hands, shedding her famous dress and taking to the racetrack herself.
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While the most modern version of Peach wears a sleek pink racing suit and a ponytail, the original Super Mario Kart featured the character in her typical regal attire while she rode a pink cart. Furthermore, Peach is classified as a medium racer in all the games, meaning she has equal stats across the board.
2Luigi
Perhaps the only other character that is just as famous as Mario is his brother Luigi. These two plumbers are thrust into the Mushroom Kingdom and take it upon themselves to save Princess Peach and partake in various hijinks across the many different games in the franchise.
Interestingly, Luigi’s design has not really shifted at all across the many different renditions of Mario Kart. The plumber wears his iconic green hat and blue overalls in both Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 8 and is classed as a medium driver.
1Mario
The focal point of the entire series is the Italian plumber Mario, who wears his iconic red cap and blue overalls while he travels around the Mushroom Kingdom in search of Princess Peach. In Mario Kart, this plumber enters the racetrack on a red cart and is also classed as a medium racer.
Similar to his brother Luigi, Mario has seen very little change across the many different renditions of the Mario Kart franchise, since his design is so timeless. However, Mario Kart 8 has offered different renditions of the character that you can play, including an infant version of Mario and a Mario coated in gold.
