Toad

Lore & Background

Toads made their debut in Super Mario Bros., appearing at the end of the first seven worlds as Mushroom Retainers who serve the princess. In the original game, they deliver the iconic line: "Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!" In the American version of Super Mario Bros. 2, Toad received his first individual appearance and a larger role as one of the four playable characters. By Super Mario Bros. 3, he appeared in Toad Houses to provide items and extra lives. He later served as the sole playable character in Wario's Woods, where he fought to prevent Wario from taking over the woods with help from Birdo and a fairy named Wanda. In 3D titles like Super Mario 64, Toad explains backstories and objectives. In Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, five differently colored Toads act as assistants to Professor E. Gadd, helping Luigi uncover secrets before being captured in the sequel.

In Their Own Story

In February 2018, Yoshiaki Koizumi confirmed a long-standing fan debate: the mushroom on Toad's head is part of his body, not a hat. During the development of Mario Kart: Double Dash, co-director Kiyoshi Mizuki wanted Toad selectable from the start but lacked a partner for the tandem ride; this led to the creation of Toadette (Japanese: キノピコ) as his racing partner. For New Super Mario Bros. Wii, developers considered Princess Peach, Wario, and Waluigi based on fan suggestions, but ultimately included Yellow and Blue Toads due to their physical similarity to Mario and Luigi. In Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, the titular character sets out to rescue Toadette from Wingo. This game was the first to feature a Toad as the main protagonist.

Reader's Guide

In New Super Mario Bros. Wii and U, Yellow Toad and Blue Toad are playable in multiplayer only. In New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, both are playable in single-player; Blue Toad is unlocked by pressing ZL while selecting Yellow Toad. Red-spotted Toads act as non-playable hosts of Toad Houses found throughout levels. In Super Mario 3D World, a blue Toad with spots resembling the Blue Toad variant is a playable character. Captain Toad appears in his own "The Adventures of Captain Toad" levels within that game, where he must collect five Green Stars without jumping; two hits result in life loss, but he can use his headlight to defeat ghosts. In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Yellow and Blue Toads return as playable characters in both single and multiplayer modes, while Captain Toad makes his 2D debut, rewarding players with 50 flower coins.

Did You Know?

• Yoshiaki Koizumi confirmed in February 2018 that the mushroom on Toad's head is part of his body, not a hat.
• Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was the first game to feature a Toad as the titular main character.
• In Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Blue Toad is unlocked by pressing ZL while choosing Yellow Toad.
• John Stocker voiced Toad in the DiC cartoons, while Keegan-Michael Key provided the voice for two animated films.