The 10 best Mario cosplays – from plumbers to princesses
Mario games have been a key part of Nintendo fandom for decades. Mario as a solo brother has been around even longer than his series, first appearing – of course – as Jumpman in 1981. Donkey Kong.
Despite his name in the title, the Mario franchise isn’t just about an Italian plumber. In the first he was joined by his faithful brother Luigi Mario Bros. to the 1983 arcade game, which also has its own successful franchise with Luigi’s Mansion series. In addition to that duo for double trouble, you’ve got Princess Peach, Toad, Yoshi, and a bunch of antagonists to bash over the head as you run and jump your way through the Mushroom Kingdom. This cast of characters can also get pretty competitive, either way Tennis or Golf or screaming down the path of the ua Mario Kart.
Given their position as video game royalty, the Mushroom Kingdom clan is of course an incredibly popular choice for cosplay (just recently, the lovely Zion from our video team ran into the classic character Metronkey Zelkong at PAX). Below is a list of the top ten Mario series cosplayers from around the world.
10. Waves
cosplayer: Jackbotnik
photographer: Illuminating Kindness Cosplay Photography
Waluigi is the slim purple and black and blue cape-wearing counterpart to Luigi. Although not as famous as Luigi or even Mario other The nemesis, Wario, proved to be a strong opponent and fan favorite. It first appears in Mario Tennis on the N64, Waluigi is the main playable character in many multiplayer Mario games.
Jackbotnik captures Waluigi’s character perfectly with high eyebrows and a menacing expression. Jackbotnik likes to cosplay villains (he has a penchant for Sonic’s ‘main’ nemesis, Dr. Robotnik) and has been a fan of the Mario series for most of his life, so cosplaying Waluigi was only natural. Jackbotnik has modified the regular t-shirts here to match his character, but the stylish mustache seen above is his own.
9. Wario
cosplayer: s15costuming
photo: Mijares Productions
Wario is Mario’s biggest rival (well, apart from that fire-breathing Koopa guy) and appears as a villain in Super Mario Land 2 and in many multiplayer Nintendo games. He also stars in his own franchises with Wario Land and WarioWare series.
Steven’s take on Wario combines a classic look with a warlike (Wariofare?) approach that really suits the character. The cosplay was inspired by a YouTube video series Mario Warfare by BeatDownBoogieas well as Call of duty. Steven likes various Wario designs, but being a fan of the WarioWare games, he decided to go with a design similar to this one. With a lot of his clothes painted or painted himself, props are Steven’s favorite part of cosplay, as he can really get into character with them.
8. Luigi
cosplayer: Changeling Cosplay
photographer: Charlie Delannoy
Luigi is often thought of as the cowardly brother of protagonist Mario, but when Luigi’s Mansion hit the GameCube in 2001, it was his turn to be the hero. With his famous t-shirts and Poltergust, a ghost-catching vacuum cleaner, Luigi battled King Boo and many other ghosts throughout the trilogy of games.
Changeling is a Luigi superfan and has played many versions of the tall Italian plumber. His favorite cosplay is the Luigi’s Mansion version. Changeling likes how we see Luigi take center stage and face his fears. Changeling’s t-shirts are vintage 90’s Clockhouse bought from Depop and the Poltergust G-00 is a real vacuum cleaner filled with a green butter shell and an LED light to glow. As part of his Luigi cosplays, he made his own fake nose and mustache.
7. Bowser
cosplayer: Groosetastic
photographer: Photographybyaimee
Ah, here it is main antagonist from the Mario franchise, Bowser (sorry, Wario).
Also known as the Koopa King, this fire-breathing villain is the leader of the turtle-like minions who constantly try to kidnap Peach and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Appearing in most of the main Mario games and numerous spin-offs, Bowser is the main villain of the series.
Groosetastic loves the scary and goofy side of Bowser, and wanted to be able to incorporate that fun side to stomp around in his cosplay of him. They designed and built their own version of Bowser, using signature features added to the design, such as his horns, shell, and color scheme. Groosetastic also wanted to point out To the king The Koopa side of Bowser, with the cape and tabard designs reflecting this and giving a unique scene to the cosplay.
6. Princess Daisy
Cosplayer: Illusion Optics
photographer: Photo by Alexis Cameron
Princess Daisy is a lesser-known princess of the franchise, who has ruled Sarasaland since her first appearance in the Super Mario Land on the Game Boy in 1989. Daisy is often rumored to be Luigi’s girlfriend, even though Mario is the ‘hero’ in her games. The character has gained popularity over the years after appearing in many multiplayer rosters (she plays the vile game of football) and has a bigger reputation as a boy than Peach.
Daisy’s sporty nature is why Illusion Optics is a fan of the character and her choice when playing Mario Kart. The above cosplay was one of Illusion Optic’s more recent larger projects. It is mostly made by hand, from sewing the dress and its structural layers like the petticoat, to casting the resin jewels and styling the wig. Illusion Optics has gone with its simpler design over more detailed features in games like Smash Bros. because she loved the traditional cartoon style of the costume.
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