Toad (film character)

Toad
Species	Dinohattanite, Goomba (after de-evolution)
First appearance	Super Mario Bros. (1993)
Portrayed by	Dinohattanite: Mojo Nixon Goomba: John Fifer

“Ain't got no water anywhere...Food's bad, so's the air...Got no resources, in a great big stupor...All because of the evil King Koopa!”

—Toad, Super Mario Bros.

Toad is a Dinohattan inhabitant in the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film. He is introduced as a street performer and devout critic of President Koopa, playing anti-Koopa songs in revolt against him, detailing all the bad that he has done in their world. He is initially a Dinohattanite with a punk-inspired style and look, with a unique spiral-patterned buzz haircut. He is permanently transformed into a Goomba by President Koopa early in the film. He is portrayed by Mojo Nixon as a Dinohattanite and by John Fifer as a Goomba.

Character creation

The film character appears to be loosely based on the character Toad from the Super Mario video games (based on namesake and role of assisting the brothers and princess). Aside from this, his blue vest is the only direct reference to the video games' version of Toad. Earlier scripts of the movie had Toad die during the Devo Chamber sequence, with the friendly Goomba role being fulfilled by an unrelated character "Hark". Ultimately, the two characters were merged into one, although one promotional scene in the novelization still refers to the Goomba character by his original name. In addition to that, an earlier script of the movie had Toad named as "Lemmy" instead, in reference to Lemmy Koopa, though ones prior to that used the name "Toad" like in the final. The Super Mario Bros. Trading Cards still erroneously refer to him as Lemmy on the holographic card. Toad's intended death scene was eventually instead given to one of Koopa's minions responsible for building the Devo Chamber, which Koopa then uses to kill him after said minion accidentally sneezes on him, but the scene was cut yet was still kept in the novelization and the puddle of ooze that is ultimately what remains of the minion can still be seen when the Mario Bros. attempt to escape the Devo Chamber.

History

Super Mario Bros. film

Toad singing an anti-Koopa song in Koopa Square

Mario and Luigi first meet Toad in Koopa Square, after Big Bertha steals the meteorite piece. Seeing their troubled looks, Toad begins playing them an anti-Koopa song. Police cars arrive at the scene and begin arresting Toad for his politically charged song, which upsets Mario and Luigi and they run to his defense. The police officers recognize Mario and Luigi as the plumbers that President Koopa is searching for, and the brothers are arrested as well. Toad is brought in to the prison, and is placed in the cell cage above them. During these scenes at the police station, he explains the circumstances of the fungus growing throughout Dinohattan and the Fungus Unit after Mario and Luigi were de-fungused. He shares the history of Dinohattan with them, explaining the parallel dimension split caused by the meteor and shares his theory that Koopa de-evolved their former king into the growing and expanding fungus seen throughout the city.

Mario and Luigi are later escorted to the Devo Chamber, where President Koopa presents them Toad strapped into the device. Toad's parting words are that Koopa is a terrible leader and that the former king will return. The machine is activated and Toad is de-evolved into a Goomba. The other Goombas outfit him with a harmonica strapped around his neck, which allows him to play his harmonica without using his hands. This is a nod to his former passion as a street musician and serves as a way for the audience to be able to tell him apart from other Goombas. Mario and Luigi become enraged at the sight of Toad's fate and fight their way out of the Devo Chamber.

Toad having been de-evolved into a Goomba

As a Goomba, Toad is later seen in Koopa's Tower, ordered by Koopa to drag Daisy away from him. Toad tries to bring Daisy some meat for her to eat, but Daisy informs him she's a vegetarian, and would rather opt for steamed vegetables. He nods and grunts in compliance, but Lena enters the room ordering him to leave. In Daisy's later escape from Lena, Daisy runs into Toad who is carrying the vegetables she requested. She runs away from him, unsure of his motives, but he follows. He catches up to her and the two come to face with two more Goombas dragging along Iggy and Spike to be executed. The Goombas see Daisy and use a flamethrower that she is able to dodge, though it ignites Toad. Daisy, Iggy and Spike take off running, but Daisy senses the good in Toad and runs back to put him out with a fire extinguisher, before she continues running.

During Mario and Koopa's fight on the catwalks of Koopa Square, Toad gives Daisy and Luigi a pair of Devolution Guns. Soon after, during their battle, Koopa orders several Goombas to use a Devolution Gun to de-evolve Mario; Toad distracts them by playing his harmonica, causing them to all begin dancing. After their victory, Mario and Luigi use the meteorite chamber portal to return to Manhattan; Toad briefly appears during this scene alongside Daisy and Yoshi to bid them farewell.

Other appearances

Despite not being featured in the manga adaptation of the Super Mario Bros. film, Super Mario: Makai Teikoku no Megami, a screen capture of the film's scene where Toad is de-evolved into a Goomba is featured on the manga's cover.

Gallery

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  Toad in the process of de-evolution

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  Super Mario Bros. holographic trading card; note "Toad" is mistakenly called "Lemmy" here

Quotes

The Super Mario Bros. film

• Ain't got no water anywhere/Food's bad, so's the air/Got no resources, in a great big stupor/All because of the evil King Koopa! - Toad's anti-Koopa song
• "What a lousy Kingdom ever since Koopa took over. And YOU, Koopa! You're a lousy leader! [...] Our old king! You tried to get rid of him, but the king is everywhere. You can't get rid of him."
• "Never!" - Toad's response when Koopa implicitly requests Toad's submission before de-evolving him.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	トード[?] Tōdo	Transliteration of the English name