Toad

The loyal handler of Princess Peach with a large, spotted mushroom cap.

Toad, known in Japanese as Kinopio (Japanese: キノピオ), is a character and race created by Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo's Mario franchise. A prominent red Toad serves consistently as one of Princess Peach's handlers. While most Toads look virtually identical and usually are not named individually, notable exceptions include Captain Toad, Toadette, and Toadsworth. Their most prominent trait is a large, mushroom-like head with colored spots on top. Although they typically hold assisting roles, two specific Toads—Yellow Toad and Blue Toad—have been featured as playable characters alongside Mario and Luigi in multiple titles.

Quick Facts

Series: Mario
First game: Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Creator: Shigeru Miyamoto
Race: Toads

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.

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.
John Stocker voiced Toad in the DiC cartoons, while Keegan-Michael Key provided the voice for two animated films.