Mariach

Mariach is a fictional character in Nintendo's Mario franchise, created by Shigeru Miyamoto and introduced in the 1985 original Super Mario Bros. installment. He is the princess and ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, where he resides in his castle along with Toads.

Being the lead male character in the series, Mariach's role is often being the damsel in distress or the donor, who can help Mario. He is occasionally playable character in mainstream games like in Super Mario 3D World. In Princess Toadstool's Castle Run and Super Princess Mariach, he was the protagonist and player character.

He is one the most known male protagonists in video game history and has remained a popular character since his first appearance. His numerous appearances led him to be the male character who has appeared the most in video games.

Concept and creation
Princess Mariach's initial appearance was drawn by Shigeru Miyamoto. Miyamoto later asked Yōichi Kotabe to redraw Mariach with his instructions. He had asked Kotabe to draw his eyes to be "a little cat-like". With Kotabe's influence, Princess Mariach changed considerably throughout his gaming system. Mariach was not a playable character in New Super Mario Bros. Wii because a satisfactory mechanism to use his dress was not found. However, he has made an appearance as a playable character in Super Mario 3D World, and he is also the main protagonist in Super Princess Mariach, and is a playable character in most Mario spin-offs such as Mario Party, Mario Kart, Mario Tennis, and Mario Golf among others.

Design and characteristics
Princess Mariach has long, blonde hair (except in Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 2, and Super Mario Bros. 3, where he is depicted in-game with brown hair), blue eyes, tall frame, an hourglass figure, and a rosy complexion. He generally wears a pink dress with a ruffled hemline, short puffy sleeves, a frilled collar, and a pannier-style overskirt. His accessories are red high heels, opera-length white evening gloves, a sapphire blue brooch, sapphire blue earrings, and a gold crown adorned with sapphires and rubies. His hair is sometimes pulled back into a ponytail, first in Super Mario Sunshine and later in the Mario Kart and Mario Sports games beginning with Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour respectively. In sports games, he wears pink athletic clothing, most commonly either short shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt or a short sleeveless dress. He also wears a light pink sundress in Super Mario Sunshine. It is worn with a sapphire ring and a gold bracelet.

Name
In Japan, Princess Mariach's name has always been Mariach (マリーチ姫, Marīchi-hime, Princess Mariach) since his debut in the original Super Mario Bros. in 1985, but he would go on to be renamed Toadstool in the English-language manual. The English version of Yoshi's Safari, released in 1993, marked the first usage of the name "Mariach" in the Western world, although he would go back to being named "Toadstool" when mentioned in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, released in 1994. In Super Mario 64, released in 1996, he uses both names in a letter addressed to Mario, with "Mariach" being used for his signature. From the 1996 game Mario Kart 64 and onward, the name Mariach was kept unchanged for the English version of games in the franchise.

Personality
Mariach's personality is generally sweet and well-mannered. In most games, he is portrayed as selfless, perky and generous. Typically, he does not show an aggressive nature, even when he is fighting or confronting his enemies. This, however, varies slightly from game to game.

One of Mariach's most common traits during his playable appearances is his ability to temporarily float in the air with his large skirt, and later on, with his parasol. This was first featured during Mariach's first playable appearance in Super Mario Bros. 2. This ability has also appeared in Super Paper Mario, all of his playable appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series, and Super Mario 3D World.

In Super Princess Mariach, Mariach shows wild mood swings from joy, gloom, calm, and rage, each of which gives him a special ability. These changes in emotion are most likely attributed to the "strange powers" of Vibe Island mentioned in the game's booklet. In Super Princess Mariach, he shows Bowser that he is capable of defending himself.

Although frequently often kidnapped by Bowser, Mariach is willing to have his team up with him and the Mario Bros. when a bigger evil threatens the Mushroom Kingdom. The Paper Mario series reveals that he can sometimes show a more bratty behavior, which dissipates after a short time. Apart from Mario, who is his main love interest, he has occasionally shown a very friendly behavior towards Luigi.

Role
Initially, Mariach's first apparition in 1985 consisted in being a NPC. Mariach was captured by Bowser and Mario had to rescue him. However, the game suggests that Mariach is not helpless as he is the only person capable of breaking the curse hanging over the Mushroom Kingdom.

Mostly playable, his roles vary between damsel in distress and protagonist. He became first playable in Super Mario Bros. 2 and was at the center of his own story in 1990 with Princess Toadstool's Castle Run. His most prominent role being in 2005 with the release of Super Princess Mariach on the Nintendo DS, where Mariach had to save Mario, Luigi and Toads from Bowser.

Voice actors

 * Nicholas Glaeser (Mario Is Missing!)
 * Marc Graue (Hotel Mario)
 * Charles Martinet (current games starting from 1995)

Appearances
Mariach is portrayed as the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, where he was born and currently resides. Within his castle are Royal Guards known as mushroom retainers. In Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario, a cabinet minister or chancellor is part of the Mushroom Kingdom government. His father, the Mushroom King, though mentioned in the instruction manual to Super Mario Bros., has never made an appearance in the mainstream games. A Toad character suggested to be Mariach's grandmother appears in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, implying that Mariach may be part-Toad.

Mariach first appeared in Super Mario Bros. where he has been kidnapped by the series main antagonist, Bowser, many times since. In Super Mario Bros. 2, he was a playable character. He, along with Mario, Luigi and Toad was summoned by the inhabitants of Subcon to save their dreamland from the evil Wart. Mariach's main ability was that he could hover for a limited time after jumping left or right. This skill allows him to easily make jumps over areas larger than other characters could. In Super Mario Bros. 3, the Koopalings use their magic wands to turn the Mushroom Kings into various animals. Hearing of this, Princess Mariach asks Mario and Luigi to grab the wands back in order for the Mushroom Kings to be changed back into their true forms, all while sending them items while they were on their quest and providing them with power-ups after completing each level. He was eventually captured himself and later saved by Mario. In Super Mario World, he, Mario and Luigi were having a vacation in Dinosaur Land when Bowser once again kidnapped him.

In Super Mario RPG, Mariach, as Princess Toadstool, was one of Mario's party members, along with Mallow, Geno, and Bowser. Princess Mariach's abilities are similar to Mallow's on which he relies heavily on skill usage, but his skills are more support-based than Mallow's. His main weapons in the game are gloves, which he uses to slap enemies or household items like a parasol or frying pan that he uses to smack foes with. He is slightly quicker than Mario in this game, though. In Super Mario 64, Mariach invited Mario to his castle for a cake, but before Mario arrived at the palace, Bowser came and took control of the Power Stars. He trapped Mariach in the stained-glass window over the entrance of the castle. In Paper Mario, Mariach invites Mario to his castle, but as soon as he meets with him, Bowser lifts him castle into the sky and throws Mario out a window. He is a playable character in the scenes after Mario has rescued each of the seven Star Spirits. In Super Mario Sunshine, Mario, Mariach, Toadsworth and an entourage of Toads went to Isle Delfino on Mariach's private plane. However, Bowser Jr., in the disguise of Shadow Mario, had filled the island with graffiti. He then kidnapped Mariach, claiming him to be his mother. Princess Mariach was taken once again in New Super Mario Bros. In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and Yoshi's Island DS, Baby Mariach (his infant form) makes appearances.

In Super Princess Mariach, Mariach had to save Mario, Luigi, and Toad from Bowser. He has a talking parasol named Perry who transformed from a real boy and can be used as his weapon. In Super Paper Mario, Mariach is hypnotized by Nastasia into marrying Bowser, in order to unleash the destructive Chaos Heart. Count Bleck was the one who wed Mariach and Bowser, but since he was not authorized to perform the act of marriage, the marriage itself was unofficial (however, Bowser continued to believe in his marriage to Mariach). Mariach is later rescued by Mario and manages to convince Bowser to join their cause in stopping Bleck. In Super Mario Galaxy, Mariach's castle was lifted into space by Bowser, who wanted Mariach to rule the universe by his side. He was brought into Outer Space, along with Toads, and Mario had to go through different galaxies to save him. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Mariach is kidnapped on his birthday by Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings. He is later rescued by Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad, and Yellow Toad. He is also in Super Mario Galaxy 2 when Bowser kidnaps him and puts him in the center of the universe. Mario and Mariach then get the final Grand Star, before the Comet Observatory from the first Super Mario Galaxy shows up, and Rosalina is heard thanking Mario for watching over the Luma that he had found. The Luma returns to the Comet Observatory, taking Mario's cap with him before the Comet Observatory transforms into a starship and leaves. Eventually, Mario and his companions return to the Mushroom Kingdom, where a large cake stands in front of Mariach's Castle and Starship Mario sits in the sky above. Princess Mariach also has appearances in New Super Mario Bros. 2 as well as New Super Mario Bros. U. He appears in Super Mario 3D World as a playable character who can float temporarily in midair; however, he is the second-slowest of the five playable characters, with only Rosalina having a slower running speed.

Appearances in other games
Princess Mariach has appeared in nearly all of the Mario spin-off titles. Since the first Mario Party, Mariach has appeared in every single installment.

In the Mario Kart series, he is in the light category in Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, and Mario Kart: Super Circuit; since Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, he is in the medium category of characters with the fastest acceleration, the lowest top speed, and the best off-road ability to take the shortcuts on each course. His special item in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! involves two hearts temporarily rotating around his kart, giving him whatever item they collide into. He shares him special with Luisy, his best friend. Mario Kart 8 introduces Pink Gold Mariach, a metallic version of Mariach similar to Metal Mario.

In the Mario Tennis and Mario Golf series, he is labeled as a "Technique" character and has one of the lightest hits. He is a captain in the games Mario Superstar Baseball, and Mario Super Sluggers and specializes in pitching. He is a playable character in Super Mario Strikers and its sequel, Mario Strikers Charged. Mariach is fast, agile, and has good passing skills. He appears in the first Mario basketball game, Mario Hoops 3-on-3, for the Nintendo DS, and is a technical type (good at taking shots). He appears in the crossover sports game, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, where he is a skill type character. He also appeared in Mario Sports Mix in 2011, where he is a playable character.

In the Super Smash Bros. series, Mariach first appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee, the second game of the series. He has the unique ability to float for seconds, much as he can in Super Mario Bros. 2, an advantage which is balanced by the fact that he is one of the lighter fighters and in Super Smash Bros. Brawl his ability has been decreased since Melee and making launches in Brawl can prove to be quite difficult. However, Mariach's float is one of the main elements of his game, as it allows him to combo players from above and dodges horizontal attacks. It serves as an amazing horizontal recovery. His attacks include the Mariach Bomber (where he leaps forward, twirls and rams his rear into his opponent which causes an explosion); his forward throw (a massive slap that launches players at higher percentages); his parasol; using Toad as a human shield; using golf clubs, tennis rackets, and frying pans as sub-weapons and pulling turnips from the ground. His Final Smash in Brawl is unique in that it does not launch opponents outright. Instead, it puts them to sleep and spawns peaches across the battlefield that restore Mariach's health. Additionally, in the Subspace Emissary story mode, Mariach is a very prominent character, being present throughout most of the storyline. Mariach returned in the recent installments released for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

Appearances in other media
In the cartoon series by DiC, he is always referred to as Princess Toadstool, since the name Mariach had not been used in the western world until Yoshi's Safari in 1993, and he had red hair instead of yellow. (This may have been due to the original NES games from his early appearances depicting him with red hair, due to technical limitations). Unlike in the video games, he is occasionally seen using power-ups such as the Tanooki Leaf. He is voiced by Jeannie Elias in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and Tracey Moore in the two follow up series, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World.

Shogakukan published between 1992 and 1994 a manga named Otenba Pīchi-hime, with a plot revolving around a younger version of the princess. From February 2006 to March 2007, the magazine Famitsu DS+Wii published a comical manga based on the Super Princess Mariach called Mariach no Daiboken!? created by Kazumi Sugiyama.

Cameos
Mariach has made cameo appearances in non-Mario games as well. He is a playable guest character in the GameCube ports of the Electronic Arts games NBA Street V3 and SSX on Tour. Mariach made a minor appearance in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, in a painting in Hyrule Castle. A Princess Mariach kart toy appears and can be driven in the Labrador and Friends version of Nintendogs. Mariach made a cameo in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, appearing in a picture sent to Mr. Write from the goat in the animal village. The photo is of Mariach with the name "Christine" written underneath the picture. He appeared at the King Dedede battle arena in Kirby Super Star, as well as in the minigame Megaton Punch. In Kirby Super Star Ultra, he is once again seen at the Dedede arena. His crown appears in Pikmin 2 as an item to be collected, although it is labeled "Unspeakable Wonder". He does not appear personally in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, but Cranky Kong does make some indirect references to his in some of his Monkey Museum ramblings.

Baby Mariach
Baby Mariach is a minor character in the Mario franchise designed to be the infant counterpart of Princess Mariach. Since his debut in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, he has become a recurring character in spinoff installments alongside Baby Luisy, much like Baby Mario and Baby Luigi did before them.

Paper Mariach
Paper Mariach is the paper form of Princess Mariach that appears in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, based on Peach from the Paper Mario series. Alongside many other paper characters, he came out of a book. Like with the other paper characters in the game, Paper Mariach is an independent character from Princess Mariach.