Birdo

A pink dinosaur-like creature who spits eggs and sits at the center of ongoing debates about gender in gaming.

First appearing as a boss in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (1987)—later localized as Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988)—Birdo is a pink, anthropomorphic dinosaur-like creature and a staple of Nintendo's Mario franchise. Known as Catherine in Japan, her original North American manual labeled her a male who thinks he is a girl and prefers the nickname Birdetta. This description prompted many publications to view her as one of video gaming's earliest transgender characters. Although Nintendo has largely stayed silent on the topic in subsequent titles, she remains a key figure often celebrated by the transgender community, even as opinions on her representation vary.

Quick Facts

Series: Mario
First: Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic (1987)

Lore & Background

Birdo's creation involved a name switch with another enemy, Ostro, which appeared mistakenly in the credits of Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988). The Japanese manual for her debut game identifies her as Catherine, while the first edition North American manual explicitly stated that "he thinks he is a girl" and would "rather be called 'Birdetta'." This specific phrasing led to her being widely considered an early transgender icon, though later printings omitted these details. Her gender depiction has fluctuated wildly across media; she has been referred to as male, female, or of indeterminate gender, with voices ranging from feminine to masculine. In Captain Rainbow (2008), the game delves into her identity, where Birdo is imprisoned for using the women's bathroom and must retrieve a vibrator to prove she is a woman. This remains the last time such history was mentioned in a video game.

Reader's Guide

Players can encounter Birdo primarily through her ability to fire eggs from her round mouth as projectiles. In her early appearances, this mechanic defined her role as a challenging boss opponent. As the series progressed into the 2000s and beyond, her function shifted toward playable status in sports games like Mario Tennis Aces (2018) and racing games within the Mario Kart franchise. Her visual design remains consistent: a pink dinosaur-like creature wearing a red hairbow. While early manuals identified her gender preferences as female with the name Birdetta, later games have been inconsistent, sometimes using male pronouns or referring to her simply as "Birdo." For those interested in her specific narrative regarding identity, Captain Rainbow (2008) offers the most direct exploration, depicting her struggle for acceptance and the retrieval of personal items to validate her womanhood.