Mario (voiced by Kevin Afghani) is the main character of the Mario franchise and the mascot of Nintendo as a whole. He originally appeared in 1981's Donkey Kong as "Jumpman", designed by Shigeru Miyamoto. While Mario was initially a carpenter, he later took the role of a plumber. From 1992 to 2023, Mario was voiced by Charles Martinet. In most of his appearances, Mario rescues a damsel in distress (often Princess Peach) from an antagonist (often Bowser). Mario's younger brother is Luigi, and his greedy rival is Wario. Yoshi serves as Mario's steed in several games, including Super Mario World. Since his introduction, Mario's abilities include jumping, such as onto an enemy's head as an attack. Mario uses power-ups, such as the Super Mushroom (which allows him to grow larger and survive an additional hit), the Super Star (which grants him temporary invincibility), and the Fire Flower (which allows him to throw fireballs). Several power-ups grant Mario the ability to fly, such as the Super Leaf from Super Mario Bros. 3. According to Guinness World Records, Mario is the second most recognizable video game character after Pac-Man. Mario has seen numerous cultural appearances, such as during the closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics, where Japanese prime minister Shinzō Abe appeared dressed as the character. Mario has appeared as the protagonist in two feature films: the live-action Super Mario Bros. in 1993 and the animated box office hit The Super Mario Bros. Movie in 2023.

Mario was voiced by Chris Pratt in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Luigi (voiced by Kevin Afghani) is the younger twin brother of Mario, who Luigi feels a sense of envy and reverence towards. In the 1983 game Mario Bros., Luigi was introduced as the second player character, with many similarities to Mario. While he was initially identical to Mario, he began developing differences in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986), which gave him a higher and further jump at the expense of responsiveness and precision. In the North American version of Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988), Luigi was given a taller and thinner appearance than Mario, which played a key role in shaping his modern appearance. Luigi's first starring role was in 1993's Mario Is Missing!, though he played only minor roles in subsequent games until 2001 with Luigi's Mansion, where he plays the role of a frightened, unsure, and goofy protagonist attempting to save his brother. The Year of Luigi was celebrated in 2013, which saw many Luigi games released to commemorate the character's 30th anniversary.

Luigi also appeared in the Mario Kart series, Super Smash Bros. series as an unlockable fighter, and the Mario Party series. He was voiced by Charlie Day in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Princess Peach Toadstool (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is the princess of the Mario franchise's Mushroom Kingdom. In the main series games, she typically plays the role of a damsel in distress who needs to be rescued by Mario. When playable, she typically has the ability to float in the air, and is physically taller than Mario. Her first playable appearance in a main series Mario game was 1988's Super Mario Bros. 2, while her second was 2013's Super Mario 3D World. Peach played a starring role in Super Princess Peach (2005), where she aims to rescue Mario, Luigi, and Toad, aided by a parasol named Perry and several abilities based on her emotions—or "vibes". She makes frequent appearances in spin-off Mario games, such as the Mario Kart series and the Mario sports ga…

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Pauline (voiced by Kate Higgins) debuted in Donkey Kong (1981) as Lady, and is further featured in Donkey Kong (1994) for Game Boy, and the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series. She was created by Shigeru Miyamoto, is the earliest example of a female with a speaking role in a video game, and is cited as a famous example of a damsel in distress in fiction. She is the mayor of New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey.
Birdo, also known as Birdette, and known in Japan as Catherine, (voiced by Kazumi Totaka) is depicted as a pink, anthropomorphic dinosaur who wears a red bow on her head, and has a round mouth that can fire eggs as projectiles. Birdo first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2 as a recurring boss character. Since then, she has been a recurring playable character in various franchise spin-offs. Birdo has been referred to as a "man who thinks of himself as female" in earlier depictions, such as in the Japanese manual for the early prototype game Doki Doki Panic, and was considered female in later games. It is heavily speculated that Birdo is transgender; she is considered to be one of the first ever transgender video game characters.
Poochy is portrayed as Yoshi's helper dog. He debuted in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and continued appearing throughout the Yoshi series, such as in Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World. In the games, he can do things that Yoshi cannot, such as sniff out hidden items, cross over dangerous terrain, and jump over walls to give Yoshi a boost out of his wall jumps. In 2023, Poochy was added to Mario Kart Tour as a playable character.
Professor Elvin Gadd (voiced by Kazumi Totaka), more commonly known as Professor E. Gadd, is a diminutive and elderly scientist and inventor. He primarily appears in the Luigi's Mansion series, in which he invented several objects, such as Luigi's Poltergust 3000 and Gooigi from Luigi's Mansion 3. He is referenced in Super Mario Sunshine as the inventor of Mario's F.L.U.D.D., a device that allows him to spray water. The character has made cameo appearances in series such as Mario Party and Mario & Luigi. He makes ambiguous gibberish sounds when speaking, inspired by the language of "Animalese" used in the Animal Crossing series when Totaka invented his voice.
Toadsworth (voiced by Scott Burns) is an elderly Toad character who is Princess Peach's steward. He is depicted showing concern for the princess' safety and acts as a prime caretaker for the Toads. He debuted in Super Mario Sunshine for GameCube, in which he goes on vacation with Mario, Peach and the other Toads. In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, he is revealed to have cared for the princess since she was a baby.
Toadette (voiced by Samantha Kelly) is a pink Toad character who debuted in Mario Kart: Double Dash (2003) as a playable driver. Toadette is depicted with two long round pigtails with white spots and a dress, to distinguish her from Toad. Since Super Mario Odyssey, Toadette is a member of the Toad Brigade and has the role of an archivist. Depending on the game, she is either a supporting character or a protagonist, playable in most of the Mario spin-off games. In New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, a power-up called the Super Crown allows Toadette to transform into Peachette, a form that highly resembles Princess Peach. As Peachette, she can use Peach's floating jump to hover, and can perform a double jump. She also returns as a playable character in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
Rosalina (voiced by Laura Faye Smith) is a princess character introduced in the 2007 Wii game Super Mario Galaxy. As a child who fled into space after her m…

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Diddy Kong (Diddy) (voiced by Katsumi Suzuki) is an anthropomorphic monkey who is Donkey Kong's nephew, sidekick, and best friend, appearing in the Donkey Kong and Mario franchises. Diddy Kong made his first appearance in the 1994 Super Nintendo Entertainment System game Donkey Kong Country. He is the main protagonist of Diddy Kong Racing and its DS remake. He is depicted as a cheerful and kind character. Created by Rare, the name Diddy is a British term meaning "little".
Cranky Kong (voiced by Takashi Nagasako) is an older Kong. His first appearance was in 1981's Donkey Kong, where, as the game's antagonist, he kidnapped Pauline, though he was stopped by Mario. He is portrayed as the grandfather of Donkey Kong in the games, and the father of him in the 2023 film, which he was voiced by Fred Armisen.