Waluigi

The tall, lanky rival who brings chaos to every doubles match with an inverted L on his hat.

Waluigi is Luigi's arch-rival and Wario's mischievous sidekick within the Mario franchise. Created by Camelot employee Fumihide Aoki, he debuted in the 2000 Nintendo 64 game Mario Tennis as a tennis partner for Wario. Characterized by his tall, thin frame and purple outfit featuring an inverted yellow "L," Waluigi has appeared in over 50 video games, with new appearances in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2023. Voiced by Charles Martinet from 2000 to 2022, he is known for his self-pitying personality and signature "Waaah!" catchphrase. Though never starring in his own game or appearing in a mainline title, he has secured a cult following as one of Nintendo's most recognizable mascots.

Quick Facts

Series: Mario
First game: Mario Tennis (2000)
Creator: Fumihide Aoki
Voice: Charles Martinet (2000–2022); Kevin Afghani (2024–present)

Lore & Background

Waluigi was conceived specifically to serve as the bitter rival to Luigi and Wario's partner in Mario Tennis. His name combines "Luigi" with the Japanese word "warui," meaning bad, establishing him as a "bad Luigi." While early American materials introduced him as Wario's younger brother, his relationship has since become ambiguous; Charles Martinet described them simply as "two nice, evil guys who found each other." His design balances Wario's stoutness with a lean frame, drawing inspiration from the Doronbo Gang in the Yatterman series.

A key moment in his lore occurred in Mario Strikers Charged, where he performed a celebratory "crotch chop" taunt intended to represent the letter "W," which director Mike Inglehart noted made Waluigi "a bit edgier than Wario." (Note: In the original Super Mario Strikers, his taunt is a leg-sweep kick, not a crotch chop.) Despite a lack of deep backstory beyond his need for approval and love for Princess Daisy, critics view him as a cult hero who embodies self-pity.

Reader's Guide

Waluigi is playable across Mario sports titles, most Mario Party games, and the entire Mario Kart series except Mario Kart 7. In sports games like Mario Tennis Aces, he functions as a defensive character capable of covering wide areas. His unique mechanics include spinning into his "Γ" symbol shape in Mario Power Tennis and producing a rose as a recurring victory accessory in Mario Party 8. For players navigating the Mario Party series, he joined starting with Mario Party 3, which featured his own board, Waluigi's Island, filled with traps; he has appeared in every subsequent title except Mario Party Advance.

In soccer titles like Super Mario Strikers and Mario Strikers: Battle League, he acts as a team captain and defensive player who can kick the ball while leaving a trail of thorns. To succeed against him or play as him, focus on his agility and ability to cheat or disrupt opponents rather than relying on straightforward athletic prowess.

Did You Know?

He was voiced by Charles Martinet from his debut in 2000 until 2022, when Martinet stepped back to become Mario Ambassador.
His signature hat symbol is an inverted yellow 'L', decided by supervisor Yōichi Kotabe as a direct inversion of Luigi's design.