30 Sec Answer: Mario’s last name is officially unknown, but he may have the surname of ‘Mario’ from his father, Mario Mario.
What Is Mario’s Last Name?
Despite being one of the most iconic video game characters of all time, it’s surprisingly difficult to answer this question definitively. Nintendo has never revealed Mario’s last name, leaving many fans to speculate about his true identity and origins. In this article, we’ll explore some of the possibilities for Mario’s surname and how these could affect his character and story.
Who Created Mario?
The original creator of the character was Shigeru Miyamoto, a legendary video game designer who also created several other classic games such as Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, and Pikmin. Miyamoto has said in interviews that he based the design of Mario on an Italian plumber from Popeye cartoons named "Jumpman," hence why Mario wears a red cap and overalls in his debut appearance. However, no details about Mario’s family or background were provided in this original version of the character.
Was His Name Always “Mario”?
Miyamoto wasn’t completely silent on this subject though – while talking to TIME magazine in 1984, he revealed that the character had always been called “Mario” ever since its initial conception. This seems to suggest that either his first or last name was already established at the time of development, although which one remains unclear.
Where Does The Name Come From?
It has often been speculated that “Mario” is actually an alias taken by the protagonist during his adventures through the Mushroom Kingdom – however, there is also evidence to suggest that it is actually a family name passed down from generations before him.
This theory is supported by a few key facts – for example, both Luigi (Mario’s brother) and Wario (his nemesis) share the same surname as him. Additionally, even Princess Peach Toadstool – the princess that Mario frequently rescues from Bowser – refers to him as “Mr. Mario” when speaking directly to him in Super Mario 64 DS (2004). This implies that she knows something about his true identity that we do not.
Is There Any Evidence To Support This Theory?
Interestingly enough, there are some references in various games throughout the series that seem to imply that “Mario” is indeed a family name rather than just an alias taken on by our hero during his adventures. For example, in Super Paper Mario (2007), there are two non-playable characters called Mimi and Mama Luigi who bear the same surname as our beloved plumber despite being completely unrelated to him.
Similarly, another NPC called Cappy mentions having cousins with the same surname as Mario in Super Mario Odyssey (2017). Both of these examples hint at a larger extended family living somewhere out in the Mushroom Kingdom that we don’t yet know about!
Could It Be A Derivative Of His Father’s Name?
Another popular theory among fans is that “Mario” is actually a derivative of his father’s name – presumably being “Mario Mario” if we assume that his father had a similar surname too. This could explain why so many NPCs share this same name without necessarily being related to our protagonist directly – it might simply be due to a shared ancestor many years ago!
Does Nintendo Know What His Last Name Is?
While it certainly appears that Nintendo has thought deeply about their main character and included hints throughout their games regarding his identity, they have yet to make any official statement on what exactly his last name is supposed to be. Many fans have theorized endlessly over the years trying to figure out what it could be – however, until Nintendo decides to shed some light on this topic then we can only speculate at best!
Could He Have No Surname At All?
On top of all this uncertainty surrounding Mario’s last name, it is also possible that he doesn’t even have one at all! After all, not everyone needs to have a surname – especially if they come from a culture where surnames aren’t traditionally used or required (such as Japan). It could be that Miyamoto deliberately left this detail out when creating his iconic character so as not to confuse or limit players too much when imagining who he really was behind all those mustaches!
Final Thoughts On What Is Mario’s Last Name?
In conclusion, while Nintendo has remained relatively tight-lipped regarding this topic throughout the years – leaving us only with hints scattered across different titles within their franchise – it appears safe to say at this point that Mario does indeed have a last name…we just don’t know what it is yet! Speculation amongst fans continues strong with each new game released – perhaps someday soon we’ll finally get some concrete answers as to who our hero truly is…
