Mario Kart: 10 Mario Characters That Could Join The Next Game, According To Reddit

Online buzz is circling around about a new Mario Kart title. It’s been eight years since the release of Mario Kart 8 on the Wii U. And it’s been five years since it’s re-release on the Switch. Fans are extremely antsy about the possibility of a new game.

There’s been a leak about a new Mario Kart title to be released soon. Fans are split on it, as it will feature new characters from other games. While new characters could be promising, there are so many Mario characters who have yet to appear in a mainline title. Fans are hoping to see some of their favorites show up as racers soon.

Professor E. Gadd

There’s more than a few beloved Mario characters who have never been playable in the series before. Obviously there’s a lot of variety when it comes to requests in this category. But Redditor smashboi888 ran a poll asking which characters of this type “you want to see in a future title.” The character that ended up winning this poll was Luigi’s ghost hunting mentor Professor E. Gadd.

The Luigi’s Mansion games have become a staple side series for Nintendo. They’re known for their excellent atmosphere and charming characters. But despite being around since the Gamecube, only King Boo has jumped from that series to Mario Kart. Fans are hoping that Luigi’s kooky ghost-hunting mentor makes it to Rainbow Road someday.

Blooper

Reddit user Normal_Belt_2379 really wants to see Blooperas a racer in Mario Kart. Some fans may think that’s strange, since Blooper already appears as an item in the series, but Normal_Belt has an argument. They say “Well guess what Koopa troopa is an item, boo is an item, lakitu is the camera man, toad is basically a mushroom.” It’s true that item status is no disqualification.

These aquatic creatures have been a series mainstay since Super Mario Bros.. They’re one of the few characters from that game to not be playable in the  They’ve been playable characters in a few Mario Party titles and some sport titles, but never has driven a kart. A silly squid would definitely be different from the other characters in the roster.

Pauline

Pauline is one of the Mario series’ oldest characters, but also one of their newest hits as well. The version of the character called Mayor Pauline from Super Mario Odyssey has become a major favorite. Her new role fits in well, “Mario has good chemistry with Luigi, Peach, and Pauline.” That’s a quote from Commercial-Ticket526 on hypothetical ideas for tag teams in the next game.

Pauline has appeared in Mario Kart Tour, the mobile entry in the franchise. But she has yet to appear in console versions of the game. If she were to return, she could feasibly bring her New York themed tracks with her as retro tracks to the new Mario Kart installment. She’s a beloved character with a lot to bring to the table for fans and casuals alike.

Diddy Kong

Conversation_Dapper spoke in a thread about new characters that could be playable for the first time in the series. But they had a completely different answer than what the question prompted. They chimed in with a simple “They should bring Diddy kong back.” Donkey Kong’s partner is one of the big rallying cries for return in a sequel.

Diddy was actually one of the few Mario Kart regulars who didn’t appear in 8. Considering he also appears in the Super Smash Bros. series, that is strange. There are plenty of other lightweight racers in the series, but Diddy forms a pair with Donkey Kong. Having one without the other just doesn’t feel right.

Goomba

Goombas are the most iconic Super Mario enemy, being with the series since Super Mario Bros.. Alongside the aforementioned Blooper, they’re one of the few to not drive from that game. But despite never being playable in the series before, their absence is felt. Redditor Primid has a great point; “Goomba should’ve been Koopa’s partner in Double Dash.“

Koopas and Goombas are basically video game shorthand for “small fries,” so it’s surprising that the tag-team entry didn’t utilize that duo. Unlike Blooper, Goomba don’t appear as an item. They do appear on some racetracks, but that applies to several racers as well. This iconic chestnut disguised as a mushroom deserves to finally drive despite its lack of hands.

Kamek

Bowser’s army often has a second-in-command besides Bowser. Often time it’s family, but not always. Sometimes the Magikoopa Kamek takes that role as Bowser’s second in command. Plenty of fans want Kamek or a generic Magikoopa in the game, and Redditor yaboisteffert adds “Its crazy kamek hasnt been in a mk game yet concidering they were almost added to mk64.”

Technically, Kamek is the name of the Magikoopa enemy in the Japanese version. But as the character’s debut in Yoshi’s Island had him alone, it became his name (with Japanese entries calling him Fang). But aside from Mario Kart Tour, this scrapped character hasn’t made proper appearance. The character has legacy and the species is iconic, so it’s time they joined the race.

Captain Syrup

Redditor McMattycakes says “Personally I would love to see a character from the Wario games come in.” Wario has two game series to his name; Wario Land and WarioWare. While both take place in the Mario universe, WarioWare is more of its own thing. But Wario Land spun out of Mario Land, and featured an amazing villainess of its own; Captain Syrup.

Captain Syrup was the leader of the Black Sugar Pirates, the chief antagonist of many Wario Land games. She’s a tough, spunky heroine that kind of seems like a villainous Princess Peach. Much like Pauline, she’s a female character who could easily be resurrected in modern day. Her return to menace Wario on the track would surprise and delight fans and newcomers alike.

Fawful

Characters from Mario’s RPG history are unrepresented in Mario’s spinoffs. Despite clamoring for the return of characters from Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario, they’ll never appear in Mario Kart. Perhaps the RPGs that have the best chance are the Mario & Luigi games. Redditor SkakeMonster certainly is clamoring with their cry of “Prince Peasley/Cackletta/Fawful plsssss.”

These are all characters from the series’ first installment Superstar Saga. The Beanbean Kingdom featured in that game was no slacker when it came to neat characters. But Fawful was the clear frontrunner of these characters. He went on to reappear in a later game as the main villain and is the only character from the series to have his own Wikipedia page.

Petey Piranha

Petey Piranha first appeared in Super Mario Sunshine on the Gamcube. Petey would then form a tag team with fellow Mario villain King Boo for that console’s kart outing Double Dash. His head was so large it was hard to see where you were going. So he never appeared again and Piranha Plants would make sporadic appearances as an item.

Redditor darthsirhcus doesn’t care at all, however. They say “I want Petey Piranha to return (He was only playable in Double Dash)” when asked what new characters they’d want. Some players can only be satisfied with the return of old favorites. Whether a standard Plant or Petey himself, a plant character would be great to see behind the wheel.

Funky Kong

Redditor Indoreaptor773 has plenty they’d love to see in a hypothetical Mario Kart 9. They preface their hopes with “this will probably never happen, but let me dream.” And included on their list and the hearts of many players of Mario Kart Wii is one character. This far out dream is the return of Funky Kong, DK’s groovy relative from the Donkey Kong Country series.

Funky Kong, the boisterous and musical ape, was previously playable in the Wii installment. In that game he is the best racer, popular not just for his charm but also his stats. Despite his lack of prominence, he was popular enough to return in Mario Kart Tour alongside Dixie Kong, who was making her long-awaiting Kart debut. Fans of the Country titles have always wanted more representation of their favorite subseries, and Funky is a big step to making that happen.

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