Dupree
- “Honh honh? Mademoiselle! Well! You could not forget me after all, oh? Such burning persistence. Thees eez why I adore you, ah, cheri. My love. When my mind turns to you, I feel the moths of love flutter een my belly button.”
- —Dupree, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Dupree is a Doogan who appears in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. He is a hopeless-romantic who attempts to aggressively win the affections of several female characters in the game, notably Goombella, most of whom find him creepy. Dupree has a distinctive, flamboyant appearance. He wears a white jumpsuit, resembling the signature stage costume of Elvis Presley (and is named after him in some languages) and large white boots. Uniquely for a Doogan, Dupree has blue skin, sports a pink afro and sunglasses, and has painted stars on his cheeks. He speech in English is written with a stereotypical mock French accent, though it is ambiguous if his accent is intended to be real or if he puts it on to impress women.
Similarly to the Traveling Sisters 3, he appears in almost every chapter of the game, travelling between each settlement alongside Mario and his party. Goombella is initially horrified by Dupree's attempts to follow them after meeting in Petalburg, believing him to be a stalker. Eventually, after multiple encounters, she admits that she's impressed at how he always manages to be one step ahead of them.
Dupree is shown to have a tendency to fall in love with the women he meets at first sight. He becomes obsessed with them, and is bold and aggressive in his attempts to woo them. Dupree believes himself to be charming, attractive, and irresistible, and considers the persistent rejections he receives to be women playing hard to get. The women he flirts with are often disgusted by his forwardness and general manner, though he seems to successfully charm at least one character in the game.
History
Dupree can be encountered in every chapter except for Chapter 5 and Chapter 8.
In Chapter 1, Dupree is first met near the river in Petalburg. He immediately becomes infatuated with Goombella on sight, flirting and proposing that they run away together. Goombella is disgusted and responds with a hostile rejection, naming him "Bozo the Dork". Goombella's hostility only further enchants Dupree, and he insists to her that his offer will stand if she changes her mind. This horrifies Goombella, prompting her to insist that she and Mario leave the vicinity immediately. This is the only encounter in which Dupree and Goombella directly interact with each other, and she will only remark on future meetings through tattling.
In Chapter 2, Dupree is seen in Boggly Woods after defeating the Shadow Sirens. He can be found in the same the spot where Mario had earlier battled them. Dupree claims that he came to warn Mario and Goombella about the imminent arrival of the Shadow Sirens, but realises he was too late. Goombella is horrified to see Dupree again and suspects him of stalking her; Mario dismisses the possibility, which Goombella finds insulting. It can be possible for players to miss this appearance as it requires the player to backtrack through the woods after defeating the Shadow Sirens and entering The Great Tree, but before the chapter is completed.
In Chapter 3, Dupree will patron the Fresh Juice Shop in Glitzville when Mario has reached Rank 11. He asks Mario what flower Goombella likes, but acknowledges how she rebuffed his attempts to woo her by comparing her to a "thorny, red rose". Goombella is alarmed to encounter Dupree again, and questions whether he has a delusion that he is journeying alongside them on their quest.
In Chapter 4, Dupree travels to Twilight Town ahead of Mario, but is unfortunate to be transformed into a pig alongside the town's inhabitants. As a pig he goes into the Twilight Shop, causing the shopkeeper to believe him to be her husband. When Mario defeats Doopliss, Dupree and the town's residents are returned to normal and his identity becomes apparent. The shopkeeper's husband accuses Dupree of attempting to seduce his wife, causing a huge altercation in the shop. Dupree protests that he has no recollection of the events, other than coming to town through a Warp Pipe, but admits to Mario he is attracted to the shopkeeper and would like to woo her. The shopkeeper confides in Mario that she is mutually attracted to Dupree, and considers leaving her husband for him. During this segment of the chapter, Mario is a shadow as his body and name have been stolen, so no characters recognise him and Goombella is not present.
In Chapter 6, Dupree appears in the hotel in Poshley Heights before the Garnet Star is taken. He declares his heart is now set on seducing the female receptionist, and claims he won't check out of the hotel until he has succeeded. Goombella expresses exasperation to Mario at seeing Dupree again, but admits she is starting to be impressed by his resourcefulness in continuing to follow them.
In Chapter 7, Dupree can be found shivering outside the inn in Fahr Outpost. He explains to Mario through chattering teeth that he made a pass at the Bob-omb proprietor, and she angrily threw him out of the inn. He insists to Mario that he will use the heat of his passion for her to melt the snow and keep himself warm. Goombella is unsurprised at seeing Dupree again, and tells Mario that she respects Dupree's tenacity in following them to such a remote and rugged part of the world.
After completion of the game, Dupree travels to Keelhaul Key and can be found standing on the dock. He will proclaim all the women of the world to be selfish for resisting his charms, but declares that he forgives them for he is Dupree. Goombella expresses sheer disbelief that Dupree was able to travel to Keelhaul Key, pondering if he swam across the ocean to reach the island.
Tattle
- (In Petalburg) "...EWWWWWW!!! What's with this guy, huh?!? It grosses me out just being NEAR this weirdo! ...All right, fine, whatever. His name is Dupree. He's this icky guy who tries to sweet-talk everybody. ...There, no more!"
- (In Boggly Woods) "That's that totally gross guy, Dupree! What the heck is THAT guy doing here? Omigosh! You don't think he followed us here 'cause he's infatuated with me, do you? ...No? Oh, what, like it's not even possible?!? That's kinda insulting, Mario!"
- (In Glitzville) "Awww, it's that gross guy, Dupree! What's he doing in Glitzville? How annoying! You don't think he thinks he's on an adventure with us... Do you?"
- (In Twilight Town, unused) "Oh, are you KIDDING me?!? Not THIS goofy guy again! He follows us EVERYWHERE! And how does he know to show up before we get where we're going, anyway?"
- (In Poshley Heights) "I've had more than enough of this guy... How does he do it? I'm almost impressed now! He moves at lights speed, and he always knows where we'll be! Talk about freaky!"
- (In Fahr Outpost) "You gotta hand it to this guy... To come out to even this forsaken place... Talk about totally tenacious... This dude is serious."
- (In Keelhaul Key, after Chapter 8) "I...totally...can't...BELIEVE...it! How's this guy know where we're gonna be all the time? And did he SWIM here or something? Please... Please tell me this is a nightmare..."
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ドンパン[?] Donpan |
Possibly from「ドンパチ」(donpachi, onomatopoeia for the sound of exploding gunpowder), referencing his afro hairstyle | |
| French | Belvis[?] | Reference to Elvis Presley | |
| German | Bellvis[?] | Play on Elvis Presley and bellen ("bark") | |
| Italian | Nando[?] | An Italian given name, a short form of "Ferdinando" | |
| Spanish (NOA) | Rolfunk[?] | ? | |
| Spanish (NOE) | Afro[?] | Comes from the afro hairstyle |
