The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has been out in the wild for nearly a week now, so we thought it was only right to take a look at its new faces and see how they match up to their game counterparts.
Those with a really good memory might remember that we did something similar for Illumination’s first Mario Movie back in 2023, though it’s no spoiler to say that there are many, many newcomers for the sequel — and some of them aren’t even from the Mario series!
Once again, each of them has been updated to match Illumination’s squeaky-clean visual style, meaning there are a fair few departures from their initial game appearances.
So, we’ve assembled a list of handy side-by-sides below, each accompanied by a poll, so you can choose whether you prefer the movie or game looks. We haven’t included every newbie — we’d be here all day if we ran through every enemy from that quick-cut teaser — and we’ve excluded all characters that popped up in the first film (we don’t need to see Mario again).
Oh yes, almost all of the following come from Nintendo and Illumination’s official artwork or trailers, too, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally seeing any surprises. That said, we’ve added a section at the bottom with a spoiler entry, so don’t scroll down there if you haven’t watched the film yet!
Baby Mario & Luigi
Much like Toad, there’s something about seeing those all-black eyes in big-screen clarity that’s a little unsettling. Cute, sure, but still something we don’t want to look at too closely for too long.
Birdo
Even though the design’s increased detail brings to mind some troubling questions about the biology of egg spitting, Birdo’s movie look plays things pretty safe. There’s no questioning who we’re looking at here.
Bowser Jr.
Perhaps the biggest newbie of them all (apart from the other ones, which we’ll get to in just a minute). Bowser Jr.’s Galaxy Movie design borrows heavily from his Wonder look, complete with transforming purple skin and a neon mask.
Sure, the realistic eyes might be a bit unsettling, but it’s a pretty faithful adaptation otherwise.
Captain Toad
Yes, Toad was in the first movie too, but this look is undoubtedly Captain Toad. Just check out the headlamp! The neckerchief! The loaded backpack!
Come on, Nintendo, where’s our Treasure Tracker sequel?
Fox McCloud
This would have been a real surprise in screenings, but Nintendo released a full character poster days before launch. Movie McCloud still has all the hallmarks of his trademark look, but the tweak to the eyes and fur colouring presents an all-round friendlier-looking pilot.
Seriously, where can we get one of those jackets?
Konkdor
Yep, that’s certainly a Konkdor.
Are its eyes really that close together, or does it just need to find a better-fitting pair of sunglasses? Are we thinking too deeply about this? The answer is yes.
Megaleg
We first peeped this iconic Galaxy boss in an early movie trailer, and we’re still impressed by the increased detail in the design. The extra wires, bolts and other bits of machinery really help sell this big bad’s robotic build. It never stood a chance against Rosalina, though, eh?
Monty Mole
According to official Nintendo stats (from the Play Nintendo site), Monty Mole has the fewest friends of any Mario character. All that would change if everyone could see him with his fluffy little coat, cap and cheesy grin.
Mouser
Ah, a villain we assumed had been lost to time. Yes, Mouser is back in the Galaxy Movie, and he’s pretty cute! Honestly, those shades and pink gloves might be our new go-to Autumn (or Fall, if you’d prefer) look.
Ninji
Another comeback king, Ninji has popped up in Mario Party Jamboree, Mario Kart World and now here, after playing a pretty prominent role in the film’s marketing.
Aside from the shiny buttons and suit stitching, it’s that brow bone that draws the eye in the Galaxy Movie design. Who knew the little guys could show so much emotion?
Pianta
With a spot on the Mario Kart World roster and now a cameo appearance in the Galaxy Movie — in the background of Peach’s character poster, no less — Sunshine’s Piantas are having a bit of A Moment™ at the minute.
The film design hasn’t changed too much from the original, but again, look at those eyes.
R.O.B.
While movie R.O.B. might not be quite as flexible as its Smash Ultimate counterpart, we like those moving little eyes and their expressive abilities. Can a robot without a mouth smile? Yes, it can.
Rosalina
Simply put, Rosalina looks just as Illumination-fied as Princess Peach. The eyes are bigger, and the face is a little pointier, but the extra detail in the hair and costume really helps sell the ‘Princess’ look.
Spike
Spike’s vacant stare in Mario Kart World bumped him up our personal rankings here at Nintendo Life Towers, but the movie design is a lot angrier (and features much thicker hair).
Star Bunny
You’ve got to give it to Illumination, that’s a studio that knows how to do fluffy little guys. The Galaxy Movie Star Bunnies look like the in-game runaway rabbits got a makeover from The Secret Life of Pets team. Wait a second, that’s exactly what happened!
Tostarenan
This was maybe the first signifier that the Galaxy Movie would be treading more on Odyssey’s turf than its titular Wii titles. The desert-dwelling skeletons look much like you’d find them on Switch, but don’t expect them to cough up any Moons while you watch.
T-Rex
What can we say? The photorealistic T-rex from Mario Odyssey is still a photorealistic T-rex.
Okay, onto the next one.
Wart
We joked that Wart deserved a place on the Mario Kart World roster before launch simply because he seemed to be a Mario villain lost to time. Well, here he is!
There’s a lot going on here — the rounder shape, the more frog-like appearance, the fact that Luis Guzmán’s voice comes out of his face — but it certainly looks the part after so many years away.
Whittles
Again, there aren’t too many changes to report here, though the increased detail really helps to sell the wood effect. Heck, it might have even moved these Tall Trunk Galaxy inhabitants from creepy to cute — which is no mean feat, we’re sure you’ll agree.
Wiggler
We’re not sure whether movie Wiggler has a driver’s license, but we’d probably recommend taking off those shoes before trying to get a grip on the wheel.
Wait, which of Wiggler’s limbs have hands on the end, and which have feet? Oh no, what have we done?
Yoshi
Another biggie, and arguably the design that we were all the most excited to see after the first movie’s post-credits scene.
Galaxy Movie Yoshi is… well, it’s Yoshi. The eyes are a little bigger, and the skin is a little less vibrant (and now features texturing), but Illumination hasn’t messed around too much here, thankfully.
SPOILER WARNING!
All of the above are from the official character art found in the Mario Galaxy Movie’s posters and trailers, but there is another biggie that warrants a mention if you have seen the movie. IYKYK.
If you don’t want any spoilers, and we mean late, late-movie spoilers, then you should turn back now! You have been warned!
Spoiler Character!
As you will no doubt know if you stuck around to the very end of the Galaxy Movie, Daisy crops up as a post-credit cameo. The Illumination design takes from the same book as Peach and Rosalina, with a certain ‘Disney Princess filter’ vibe to the whole thing.
But hey, Daisy is here now! We’re sure the internet will behave totally normally at this news…
