Mushroom King
It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include more information. Reason: Describe his appearances in official manga (tagged on October 16, 2021)
- This article is about the character from the games. For the character from the Super Mario Bros. film, see King (film character).
| Mushroom King | |
|---|---|
 The Mushroom King, as he appears in the comics | |
| Full name | King Toadstool |
| Species | Human (and/or Toad) |
- “Excuse me, everybody! I just closed the peanut butter jar on my tie. Can somebody help me?”
- —Mushroom King, Cloud Burst
The Mushroom King (also referred to as King Toadstool or just Toadstool in the Nintendo Comics System) is a seldomly seen ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom and the father of Princess Toadstool. Although he is said to rule alongside the princess, he is a figure that is absent in the video game series. He resembles a human, with the top of his head resembling a Toad's. He does make somewhat notable appearances in other early media such as the Nintendo Comics System, Nintendo Adventure Books, and the strategy guide illustrations for Super Mario Bros. He is also mentioned on Princess Toadstool's profile in a 1993 character guide produced by Nintendo of America.
History[edit]
Super Mario Bros.[edit]
The Mushroom King is briefly mentioned in passing in English localizations of the manual.[1] With few exceptions such as Super Mario Bros. Deluxe,[2] this is generally not included in subsequent releases as the Japanese manual does not mention him.[3] The Official Nintendo Player's Guide mentions that he ruled the kingdom with a queen.[4] Although unmentioned in the games themselves and the Japanese manual for Super Mario Bros., he was mentioned in the Japanese guidebook How to win at Super Mario Bros.
Hisshō Technique Kan Peki-ban[edit]
At the end of the Super Mario Bros. chapter, Mario takes Princess Peach back home and then departs on his way while the entire kingdom, including the Princess, the King, and the Queen, bids him farewell. The royals are depicted with the same appearance they had in How to win at Super Mario Bros.: the King has a mustache, a goatee, and a Toad-like piece of headgear with the crown on it.
Super Mario Bros. activity books[edit]
At the beginning of one of the Super Mario Bros. activity books, the Mushroom King can be seen with Princess Peach living peacefully until Bowser and his Koopa Troopas take over the Mushroom Kingdom and kidnap Peach.
Nintendo Comics System[edit]
In the Nintendo Comics System, the Mushroom King is the de jure leader of the Mushroom Kingdom. However, he is depicted as scatterbrained and dimwitted, so his responsible daughter often performs his royal duties as de facto ruler in his stead. Wooster, the "chief mushroom assistant" and the king's personal subject, is occasionally at odds with him due to his lack of intelligence.
Based on the Mushroom King's role, it is likely that he was based on the kings from Super Mario Bros. 3 as he plays a similar role in the comic strips (having a magic wand that is often taken by Bowser's forces and being transformed into various animals). One story also implies that he is frequently kidnapped by Wart.
Nintendo Adventure Books[edit]
The Mushroom King appears in most of the Nintendo Adventure Books, continued from his depiction in the Nintendo Comics System.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
The King is mentioned once in the thirteen volume of Super Mario-kun, where he is stated to be the sponsor of the fierce survival race.
Super Mario (Kodansha manga)[edit]
The king appears in Super Mario Land 3 as the principal of the Kinoko Gakuen and then as the presenter and announcer of the Baseball match between Mario and Bowser's teams.
In Super Mario Land 4, the Mushroom King is briefly seen near his daughter while she welcomes Princess Daisy to the Mushroom Kingdom.
In the Super Mario Kart arc of the Super Mario manga, which stretches from volumes 15 to 17. After Mario and Luigi accidentally break one of his items while on the job, he sponsors a tournament, with the winner being made king for a day. Mario ends up winning the cup but has to do a mountain of paperwork for a day.
The king returns in the Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins adaptation, specifically in volumes 20 and 21. Princess Peach calls him with her cell phone, and he comes to pick her and Mario up in his royal submarine, but the submarine gets smashed by a giant hammer held by the octopus. After escaping from a whale, the king joins Mario and friends in their renewed quest to saving Mario Land. Near the end of the arc, Wario's dark power influences the king's subjects to stage a coup and hijack a missile to destroy Mario's castle so no one can have it. Upon Wario's defeat, the subjects regain their senses.
Profile[edit]
Nintendo Comics System trading card[edit]
Royal Ruler and father of the kidnappable princess in Mushroomland
AS benevolent (and muddle-minded) leader of the Mushroom people, the King spends most of his time getting transformed into various creatures by his archenemy, King Koopa. That's when he's not busy getting his tie unstuck from the peanut butter jar.
HOBBIES: Gardening, running the kingdom, asking nearby friends and enemies to help him run the kingdom.
Gallery[edit]
Bandai's Super Mario Bros. board game artwork (Korean edition)
KC Deluxe manga (1993)
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | キノコ Kinoko ōkoku kokuō |
King of the Mushroom Kingdom | Super Mario-kun |
| French | Roi Champignon[?] | Mushroom King | Nintendo Comics System |
| Italian | Re dei Funghi[6][7] | King of Mushrooms | Super Mario Bros., NES Classic - Super Mario Bros. |
| Re di Mushroom[8] | Mushroom King | Super Mario Bros. Deluxe |
References[edit]
- ^ "The only one who can undo the magic spell on the Mushroom People and return them to their normal selves is the Princess Toadstool, the daughter of the Mushroom King." – 1985. Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 2.
- ^ "It is said that only the daughter of the Mushroom King, Princess Toadstool, can break the evil spell and return the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom to their normal selves." – 1999. Super Mario Bros. Deluxe instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 2.
- ^ Super Mario Bros. Translation Comparison: Manuals. Legends of Localization (English). Retrieved June 26, 2024.
- ^ "The Mushroom people were ruled by a good king and queen." – Yamashita, Tatsumi (1987). The Official Nintendo Player's Guide. Tokuma Shoten. ISBN 999832369X. Page 28.
- ^ Super Mario-kun Volume 13, page 131
- ^ Super Mario Bros. Italian manual. Page 2.
- ^ 2004. NES Classic Super Mario Bros. European manual. Nintendo of Europe (Italian). Page 95.
- ^ Super Mario Bros. Deluxe European manual. Page 103.
