Oarsman

The Oarsman is a Toad and an ally to Mario, Olivia, and (temporarily) Bob-omb in Paper Mario: The Origami King. He is distinguished from other members of his species by his blue-spotted mushroom cap, accompanied by a Chinese straw hat and robe, though in spite of his getup, the Oarsman speaks in a pronounced southern American drawl. He also seems to have an obsession with canned tuna fish, as shown by the large stash of it near his pier, as well as the uncanny ability to row his gondola against powerful river rapids.

Prior to the events of The Origami King, the Oarsman served as a tour guide throughout the Blue Streamer district, offering free rides to anyone who asked. However, when King Olly attacked, he was folded into a monkey and the Eddy River was drained, rendering his gondola useless.

Mario and his party first encounter the Oarsman's folded-up form at Autumn Mountain, while on their quest to destroy the blue streamer, but are unable to rescue him because he is too fast and runs off whenever they get close. Nonetheless, they continue on with their mission and, after Olivia gains the powers of the Water Vellumental, they manage to restore the lake, as well as the following river, to its former state.

Unable to drive the gondola on their own, the gang decides to seek out someone who can do it for them, eventually deducing that the monkey they met earlier could be the key. Grabbing one of the tuna cans, and opening it with the help of the Bone Goomba from the Canned-Food Par-tay Trio, they manage to keep the Oarsman still for long enough to unfold him. Finally free, the Oarsman plays a secondary role throughout the rest of the game, boating the crew between Autumn Mountain, the Eddy River, Shogun Studios, and Sweetpaper Valley whenever they wish.

A photograph of the Oarsman appears in the Dress-Up Photo Studio at Shogun Studios. Following the removal of all five streamers and the restoration of Peach's Castle, the Oarsman participates in the Origami Festival at the end of the game, posing on top of a boat-like display alongside Sea Captain Toad. During the credits, one of the photos shows the Oarsman and three assorted Toads riding through the Eddy River rapids.

Quotes

• "Eee, eee, eee! (Yum! Tuna always hits the spot.)"
• "Oh! Mario! Thanks a bunch! I'm REAL sorry 'bout all that monkey business. Rest assured, I'm no monkey! I jes' got folded up like one!"
• "I'm the single-oar sculler fer the Autumn Mountain downriver tour! I was folded fer way too long... Went a bit bananas."
• "Sure does! Did you guys need a ride down the river? I'd be happy to paddle fer ya, free of charge! I'll be waiting at the dock. Come see me when you're ready!"
• "Howdy, folks! I'm all set. Ready fer that tour down the river?"
• "Need a ride down the river?"
• "Oh! That's fine, then. I'll be here whenever you're ready."
• "OK! Hop aboard and we'll head out!"
• "Ya think YOUR day was stressful? I was a monkey!"
• "Yep! We're almost at the rapids. You folks ready fer a white-knuckle ride down ol' Eddy River?"
• "Oh, don't pretend ya ain't excited! We can't turn back anyhow, so relax and enjoy the ride. Hm. The river IS flowin' a bit fast... It's as if somebody flooded this river to the brim, then kept on floodin'!"
• "Mario, I'm gonna need yer help through this next bit. Tell me which way to steer the boat with ↕. Try not to hit any walls or rocks. If my boat gets too banged up, we might be in trouble. Oh, and ya won't be able to open yer menu for a stretch. Best to focus on the rapids, y'know? OK! Grab hold of somethin', folks! Here come the Eddy River rapids!"
• "If ya nab all the coins along the way, you'll get somethin' neat... so good luck! All right, here we go!"
• "Okeydoke! We're in the clear. How'd you folks like the Eddy River rapids? Did ya have fun?"
• "Guessin' ya felt a little coin-shy back there, eh? There's a cool prize if ya nab all of 'em, so try again!"
• "Looks like ya missed a few coins along the way. There's a cool prize if ya nab all of 'em, so try again!"
• "Well shucks, fella! Ya nabbed all the coins! You're a real downriver expert, Mario! I'll have this trophy sent to the museum fer ya. Congrats!"
• "Well shucks, fella! Ya nabbed all the coins again! Ever considered a career in scullin'?"
• "Welcome to Shogun Studios!"
• "It's a SUPER popular location, full of SPECTACULAR shows and AMAZIN' attractions."
• "If ya look up ahead, you'll see Shogun Studio's famous castle!"
• "We could continue the river tour, if ya'd like. Sweetpaper Valley is jes' up ahead. What'll it be?"
• "OK, then! You folks go have fun. I'll be waitin' here when you're done!"
• "What in the- Where'd this thing come from? We can't pass through the gate with this in the way!"
• "Yep. We'll have to turn around and head back fer now."
• "Howdy, folks. We can't go any further with that blue thing blockin' our path. Whatcha wanna do?"
• "*sniff* This is such a touchin' scene! Y'all are tuggin' on my heartstrings like a Cheep Cheep on a line."
• "Looks like we can pass through that river gate now! Hop aboard, folks! Next stop on this river tour is Sweetpaper Valley!"
• "Here we are—Sweetpaper Valley. This is the last downriver stop. Thanks fer riding with us today, and enjoy yer stay!"
• "Ahoy! ...Was there an earthquake? Thought I heard something big. Anyhow, if you're lookin' to get to Toad Town, the warp pipe in Shogun Studios is way faster than paddling."
• "Looking to get back to Toad Town? Try the warp pipe in Shogun Studios. Anyhoo, what'll it be?"
• "Ahoy! What'll it be?"
• "Hup!"
• "Welcome to Shogun Studios, folks!"
• "Welcome to Shogun Studios, folks! Phew. Paddlin' upriver really takes it out of ya."
• "OK, arms! Giddyap! Hyaa!"
• "Howdy! Ready to ride downriver?"
• "We're here! Autumn Mountain! Phew. Paddlin' upriver really takes it out of ya."

Trivia

The Oarsman's note

• Once the giant boulder is blown up by Bob-omb, the Oarsman will be missing, having left a note saying that he will be back later. This is presumably to keep Mario from leaving Sweetpaper Valley without Olivia.

Gallery

• 

  The Oarsman's portrait

• 

  The Oarsman steering

• 

  The Oarsman holding a cloth

• 

  The Oarsman restored

• 

  The Oarsman, Mario, Olivia, and Bob-omb near some rocks and driftwoods

• 

  The Oarsman, Mario, Olivia, and Bob-omb ride through Eddy River rapids

• 

  The Oarsman and three Toads ride through the Eddy River rapids in the credits

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Spanish (NOA)	El barquero[?]	The ferryman