Editing Kings

{{about|the kings in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''|other uses of the term|[[King]]}} 
{{character infobox
|image=[[File:SMA4 Mushroom Kings.png|230px]]
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' ([[List of games by date#1988|1988]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition]]'' ([[List of games by date#2024|2024]])
|species=Human}}
{{quote|Oh thank heavens! I’m back to my old self again. Thank you so much. Here is a letter from the princess.|Kings|Super Mario Bros. 3}}
The '''kings'''<ref>{{cite|title=''Super Mario Bros. 3'' instruction booklet|page=5 and 25|date=1990|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en}}</ref> are the monarchs of the various lands of the [[Mushroom World]]. Seven of them are featured in ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', and each was turned into a different creature by the [[Koopalings]]. The kings are unnamed individually, although ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' gave some of them unique identities, and ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!]]'' even introduced several similar characters and territories. Like [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]], they have [[Toad (species)|Toad]] helpers.
==History==
===''Super Mario Bros. 3''===
[[File:SMB3_MushroomKing.jpg|thumb|The Water Land king, after being turned into a kappa. Unlike the sprite, he does not wear a shell, and instead wears a cape.]]
In ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', the Koopalings invaded seven kingdoms of the Mushroom World, stealing the royal [[magic wand]]s and using them to transform their kings into various creatures. With the kings in their vulnerable state, each evil Koopaling then ruled over the world in that king's place, with [[Boom Boom]] and [[Bowser's Minions]] placed all over the kingdoms. Renowned heroic brothers [[Mario]] and [[Luigi]] of the [[Mushroom Kingdom]] arrived to help them, first starting with [[Grass Land]].

To save a king, the Mario Bros. have to go to his castle, where the Toad pleads the heroes to restore the king by taking the magic wand back from the Koopaling. After that, Mario and Luigi must assault the [[airship]], defeat the Koopaling, and return the king back into his human shape. He thanks the Mario Bros. for saving him, and he delivers a letter from [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]] enclosed with a "jewel" (or [[List of power-ups|power-up]]). If the player manages to restore the kings to their human forms while wearing a special suit, then they get different rescue dialog for each different suit. This continues until the brothers reach the forbidden kingdom of [[Dark Land]], where [[Bowser]] ended up holding the princess hostage.

In ''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', if the player defeated Bowser before saving the kings, upon selecting the castle, the player is treated to a cutscene where it shows the Koopaling of the respective world invading the castle, snatching the magic wand and using it to transform the king, and then escaping seconds before Mario arrives. In addition, because Princess Toadstool has already been saved beforehand, the king does not give the player a letter from her.

;Grass Land king
The king of [[Grass Land]] wears a jeweled white turban and has a large black mustache and sideburns. In the original game, he wears a green robe over white clothing, while in remakes, he wears red clothing and an indigo-colored cape. In the original game, there are [[List of Super Mario Bros. 3 pre-release and unused content|unused]] tiles depicting him moving his mouth or chin when he speaks, though in the final game, he only blinks. He is turned into a dog that constantly scratches his ear in the original game, and into a [[Cobrat]] that slithers back-and-forth in the remakes.
<gallery widths=64px heights=64px>
SMB3 Grass Land Dog King Sprite.png|''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' (transformed)
SMB3 King W1 changed crowned.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3 King W1 changed crownless.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
GrassLandKing.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W1 normal wandless.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W1 normal wanded.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W1 normal wandless unused.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal, [[List of Super Mario Bros. 3 pre-release and unused content|unused]])
SMB3 King W1 normal wanded unused.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal, unused)
GrassLandKing-cobrat.png|''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]'' (transformed)
SNES King of Grass Land.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (normal)
SMA4 King Cobrat sprite.png|''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
Grasslandking.png|''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' (normal)
</gallery>

;Desert Land king
The king of [[Desert Land]] appears to be balding with a white mustache and a small crown. In the original game, he wears an orange robe over white clothes, while in the remakes, he wears a red robe over a white shirt and orange pants. He is turned into a silkworm that bobs on a thread over his crown in the original game, and a [[Hoopster]] that falls off a vine and continues animating on the ground in the remakes.
<gallery widths=64px heights=64px>
SMB3-NES-DesertKingTransformed.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3 King W2 changed.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3-NES-DesertKing.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W2 normal wandless.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W2 normal wanded.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMAS SMB3 Hoopster King Sprite.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (transformed)
SNES King of Desert Land.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (normal)
SMA4 King Hoopster sprite.png|''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
Desert Land King.png|''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
</gallery>

;Water Land king
The king of [[Water Land]] has a striking facial resemblance to [[Mario]] and [[Luigi]] and wears a tall crown. In the original game, he wears a green robe over white clothes, while in the remakes, he wears green clothes and a red cape. He is turned into a {{wp|kappa (mythology)|kappa}} drawn in a similar manner to a [[Spike]] in the original game, and a medium-sized purple [[Dino Rhino]] in the remakes.
<gallery widths=64px heights=64px>
SMB3-NES-WaterKingTransformed.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3 King W3 changed crowned.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3 King W3 changed crownless.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3-NES-WaterKing.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W3 normal wandless.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W3 normal wanded.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMAS SMB3 Dino Rhino King Sprite.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (transformed)
SNES King of Water Land.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (normal)
SMA4 King Dino Rhino sprite.png|''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
Seasideking.png|''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
</gallery>

;Giant Land king
The king of [[Giant Land]] wears a turban and pants without a shirt, which are white in the original and tinted orange in the remakes. He also appears thinner in the remakes compared to the original. He is turned into a small orange bipedal [[dinosaur]] with plates down his back in the original, and into [[Donkey Kong Jr.]] in the remakes.
<gallery widths=64px heights=64px>
SMB3-NES-GiantKingTransformed.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3 King W4 changed crowned.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3 King W4 changed crownless.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3-NES-GiantKing.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W4 normal wandless.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W4 normal wanded.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMAS SMB3 DK Jr King Sprite.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (transformed)
SNES King of Giant Land.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (normal)
SMA4 Donkey Kong Jr Sprite.png|''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
Big Island King.png|''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
</gallery>

;Sky Land king
The king of [[Sky Land]] has a crown and a long white beard. In the original, he has a long nose and the beard is angular, while in the remakes, his nose and beard are more rounded with his mustache becoming more prominent. He wears an orange and white robe in the original game and a red shirt with indigo pants in the remakes. He is turned into a large vulture that flies in-place in the original, and into an [[Albatoss]] that flies back-and-forth in the remakes.
<gallery widths=64px heights=64px>
SMB3-NES-SkyKingTransformed.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3 King W5 changed crowned.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3 King W5 changed crownless.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3-NES-SkyKing.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W5 normal wandless.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W5 normal wanded.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
Smas-smb3 king5.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (transformed)
SMAS SMB3 The Sky King.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (normal)
SMA4 King Albatoss sprite.png|''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMA4 Sky King.png|''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
</gallery>

;Ice Land king
The king of [[Ice Land]] appears to be balding and has a crown, a black mustache, and a heavy coat. In the original, he uses unique palettes that gives him peach skin with gray hair and a brown coat, while in remakes he shares his palette with others and has tan skin, blond-yellow hair, and a purple coat over a red suit. He is turned into a seal that balances his crown on its nose in the original and into a [[Monty Mole]] that dashes back-and-forth in the remakes.
<gallery widths=64px heights=64px>
SMB3-NES-IceKingTransformed.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3 King W6 changed.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3-NES-IceKing.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W6 normal wandless.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W6 normal wanded.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
Smas-smb3 king6.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (transformed)
Ice Land king SNES.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (normal)
SMA4 King Monty Mole sprite.png|''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMA4 Iced Land King.png|''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
</gallery>

;Pipe Land king
The king of [[Pipe Land]] has a full beard and wears a horned helmet. In the original, he has pale white skin with an orange beard and black clothes, while in the remake, he has the same tan skin tone as the other kings, a white beard, and a red suit. He is turned into an orange [[Piranha Plant]] (with a pose resembling a [[Fire Piranha Plant|Venus Fire Trap]]) with a small pipe in the original, and a [[Yoshi (species)|Yoshi]] in the remakes.
<gallery widths=64px heights=64px>
SMB3-NES-PipeKingTransformed.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3 King W7 changed crowned.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3 King W7 changed crownless.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMB3-NES-PipeKing.png|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W7 normal wandless.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMB3 King W7 normal wanded.gif|''Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
SMAS SMB3 Green Yoshi King Sprite.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (transformed)
File:SMB3 SNES Pipe Land King.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (normal)
SMA4 Green Yoshi Sprite.png|''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (transformed)
SMA4 Pipe Maze King.png|''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' (normal)
</gallery>

{{br|left}}

===''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3''===
''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'' created personalities for several rulers. Many, if not all, of them also looked different.
*[[Prince Hugo]] &ndash; the new ruler of Giant Land (likely making him different from the king seen in ''Super Mario Bros. 3'')
*The [[Sultan]] &ndash; the ruler of a [[Desert Land#The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3|palace]] that may be in Desert Land
*[[King Mackerel]] &ndash; the ruler of [[Mertropolis]], a domed underwater city
*[[Wizard King of the West]] &ndash; the wizard of an unknown location that resembles Sky Land
*[[King Windbag]] &ndash; the ruler of a domain implied to be Ice Land
*[[Emperor Ed]] &ndash; the ruler of Sky Land

===''Super Mario'' Kodansha manga===
{{quote|"スーマリ3には七人も王さまが出てくるからどれがほんものかわからないのよ" ("In Super Mario Bros. 3, there are seven kings, so who knows which one is the real one.")|Princess Peach|Super Mario Kodansha manga}}
[[File:SMB3 Kings KC Mario.png|200px|thumb|left|The kings seen in the first 4koma volume]]
The kings can be seen in the first 4koma volume of the ''[[Super Mario (Kodansha manga)|Super Mario]]'' Kodansha manga. They appear only in the "7 Kings" (7人の王さま) strip, in which [[Princess Peach|Peach]] states that one of the seven kings is her father. It is never fully confirmed which king is truly her father, though Peach wishes that the king from Water Land would be him. The kings' transformed states are the same as in ''Super Mario All-Stars''.
{{br}}

==Gallery==
===Artwork===
<gallery>
The transformed Water Land king pointing at the Koopalings' airship in ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''
SMB3Art3.png|''[[Nintendo Power]]'' artwork of the Water Land king
SMB3 notebook 01.jpg|Notebook from Pigna with the Water Land king
</gallery>

===Screenshots===
<gallery>
SMAS SMB3 Grass Land King Screenshot.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (Grass Land)
SMAS SMB3 Desert Hill King Screenshot.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (Desert Land)
SMAS SMB3 Water Land King Screenshot.png|''Super Mario All-Stars'' (Water Land)
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jpn={{ruby|王様|おうさま}}<ref>{{cite|title=''Super Mario Bros. 3'' Japanese instruction booklet|page=2 and 24|publisher=Nintendo|language=ja|date=1988}}</ref>
|JpnR=Ōsama
|Jpn2={{ruby|国王|こくおう}}<ref>{{cite|title=''Super Mario Bros. 3'' Japanese instruction booklet|page=2 ([[Larry|Larry's]] speech balloon)}}</ref>
|Jpn2R=Kokuō
|JpnM=King
|Jpn2M=King
|ChiT=國王<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.com.hk/switch/mario/history/index.html|title=瑪利歐歷史｜超級瑪利歐兄弟 35週年｜任天堂|publisher=Nintendo of HK|language=zh-hant|accessdate=February 8, 2021}}</ref>
|ChiTR=Guówáng
|ChiTM=King
|Fre=roi
|FreM=king
|Ger=König
|GerM=King
|Spa=Reyes
|SpaM=Kings
|Ita=Regnanti del Mondo dei Funghi<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.com/it-it/Giochi/NES/Super-Mario-Bros-3-279558.html#Panoramica|title=''Super Mario Bros. 3'' {{!}} NES {{!}} Giochi {{!}} Nintendo IT|publisher=Nintendo|language=it|accessdate=August 6, 2024}}</ref>
|Ita2=7 Re<ref>{{cite|title=''Super Mario Bros. 3'' booklet|publisher=Nintendo|language=it|page=5}}</ref>
|Ita3=Sovrano<ref>{{cite|title=''[[Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition]]'' instruction booklet|page=15|date=2010|publisher=Nintendo of Europe|language=it}}</ref>
|Ita4=Re<ref>{{cite|title=''Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition'' Italian manual|page=17}}</ref><ref>{{cite|title=''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' instruction booklet|page=106|publisher=Nintendo of Europe|language=it|date=2003}}</ref>
|ItaM=Mushroom World's rulers
|Ita2M=7 Kings
|Ita3M=Ruler
|Ita4M=King
}}

==Trivia==
*If Mario defeats a Koopaling as [[Frog Mario]], [[Tanooki Mario]], or [[Hammer Mario]], the king says one of the following:
**"''Oh me, oh my! You've been transformed! Shall I change you back with this wand?''" (to Frog Mario)
**"''Thank you, kind raccoon. Please tell me your name.''" (to Tanooki Mario)
**"''Hey you! How about lending me your clothes? No dice?! What a drag.''" (to Hammer Mario)
*The king of Water Land bears a striking resemblance to Mario. Also, the castle's island resembles Japan, with the castle itself placed where Kyoto, Nintendo's headquarters, would be.
*All of the transformed kings are depicted with generic crowns either on or near them, despite the fact that only four of the non-transformed kings wear crowns.

==References==
<references/>

{{Humans}}
{{SMB3}}
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:Kings]]
[[Category:Allies]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. 3]]
[[it:Re]]