Yoshi
This article is about Yoshi, a main character in the Marioverse. For other uses, see Yoshi (disambiguation).
Yoshi (sometimes known as Green Yoshi) is one of the greatest heroes of the Mushroom World and an invaluable ally of Mario. He is a member of the Yoshi race and has saved his homeland, Yoshi's Island, multiple times. Yoshi has even saved other kingdoms from the destructive conqueror Bowser. In his youth, Yoshi even managed to rescue and protect Baby Mario and Baby Luigi from the wrath of Kamek and the Koopa Troop, thus changing the course of history.
Biography
The Beginning
Yoshi, like most of his kind, spent the early part of his life living on Yoshi’s Island, the homeland of the Yoshis and the entrance to Dinosaur Land. The island was a relatively peaceful place filled with relaxed and laid-back Yoshis. However, this was all to change the day the legendary Mario Bros. were born – a day that would not only change Yoshi’s life, but the entire course of history.
One morning, during the events of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi decided to take a stroll through the jungles of Yoshi’s Island. The day started out like any other – until a strange, white bundle landed on his back. Inside the bundle, Yoshi discovered a small baby with a red cap – Baby Mario. Prior to this, Kamek, a powerful Magikoopa, had attempted to capture both Baby Mario and Baby Luigi as the Stork carried the babies to their parents in the Mushroom Kingdom. Kamek had divined that the two babies born that morning would bring ruin to the Koopas. As such, the powerful sorcerer knew he had to eliminate the babies before they matured. Regardless of his intent, Kamek’s abduction attempt failed as he only snagged one of the babies. The other, Baby Mario, fell to the ground and wound up on Yoshi’s back.
Yoshi decided to take Baby Mario back to his clan. The arrival of Baby Mario caused a state of panic to take hold in the normally stress-free Yoshi society. As the Yoshis argued and yelled about what to do with the infant, Baby Mario pointed to the horizon. Eventually, Yoshi recognized that Baby Mario could detect where his brother was, as their brotherly bond was so strong, even at such a young age. Yoshi decided that the Yoshi clan should find Baby Mario’s brother and help both of them find their parents. The other Yoshis agreed. Taking the initiative, Yoshi said they should use a relay system between eight Yoshis to transport Baby Mario. Each Yoshi would travel some distance, then hand Baby Mario to the next young dinosaur. Of course, Yoshi took the lead and set out in the direction Baby Mario was pointing. Yoshi helped Baby Mario through the preliminary level, then through World 1-1. Unfortunately, the task would not be easy, as Kamek’s forces had invaded the island and were searching for Baby Mario.
To battle against the agents of Kamek, Yoshi used his amazing egg-making abilities to transform enemies and other objects into Yoshi Eggs. Yoshi used these eggs as projectile weapons against enemies, fending off the forces of Kamek. The green dinosaur also used a variety of Morph Bubbles to transform himself into various vehicles to better avoid or battle agents of the Koopa Troop. With these abilities, Yoshi managed to help Baby Mario through the dangers of the first level of each of the six worlds, allowing the green dinosaur to pass the infant to Pink Yoshi after each completed level.
Besides bringing Baby Mario through the first level of each world, Yoshi also braved the dangers and traps of all the secret worlds discovered along the way. In fact, as a testament to his commitment and courage, Yoshi even braved the final challenge that awaited the Yoshis. After fighting through six worlds, the Yoshis finally reached Bowser's Castle, the site of an imprisoned Baby Luigi. Taking Blue Yoshi’s place, Yoshi fought past powerful enemies and avoided the traps of the dangerous Koopa fortress. Yoshi even dodged a series of magical attacks by the sorcerer Kamek himself, allowing the green dinosaur to enter Baby Bowser’s bedroom in search of Baby Luigi. In the bedroom, Yoshi confronted the young Koopa King and bested him in combat. Unfortunately, Kamek used his magic to transform the relatively small Baby Bowser into a gigantic, hulking monstrosity. Fortunately, Yoshi managed to fight off the giant menace, causing both Kamek and Baby Bowser to retreat. Ultimately, in the rubble of the castle, Yoshi discovered Baby Luigi and the Stork originally charged with delivering the babies. After untying the Stork, Yoshi said his goodbyes to the babies and allowed to bird to continue on his journey. In the end, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi returned home safe, and the rest, as they say, is history.
A New Hero is Born
Of course, Baby Bowser was not happy with such a loss. As such, the young Koopa king initiated an act of revenge during the events Yoshi's Story. Baby Bowser and his forces returned to Yoshi’s Island and stole the Super Happy Tree, the source of the island’s happiness. The young Koopa then cast a spell on the island, transforming the vacation paradise into a storybook. Lastly, the Yoshi denizens were cursed. This last spell incapacitated the Yoshis, making them unable to do anything to stop Baby Bowser’s attack.
Fortunately, Baby Bowser’s spell did not affect every Yoshi. Six baby Yoshis were still in their eggs when the spell was cast, allowing them to avoid the curse. When they hatched, the six newborns sensed that the island was in disarray. Taking the lead, a new Green Yoshi decided the babies must find the Super Happy Tree to refill the island with happiness. The five other baby Yoshis agreed and together they set out to find the tree and restore peace to the island.
The Yoshis traveled across the island, eating fruits to boost their own happiness levels. Green Yoshi personally enjoyed watermelons the most. As their collective happiness increased, more and more worlds became available to the Yoshis. Eventually, Green Yoshi and his companions reached Baby Bowser’s Castle. Together they confronted the young king, and ultimately defeated Baby Bowser in combat. The Yoshis reclaimed the Super Happy Tree and restored the island to its natural, peaceful, and joyful state.
Yoob and the Shroob Invasion
Although Yoshi’s Island returned to a state of peace thanks to the efforts of the second Green Yoshi, the island would not remain stable for long. During the events of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, a strange pink and green egg mysteriously appeared on the island. This egg was much larger than any Yoshi egg, and soon the mysterious object became a tourist destination. Unfortunately, the strange egg eventually hatched, and a gigantic Yoshi-like creature emerged. This creature was Yoob, a monster sent by the extraterrestrial invaders known as the Shroobs to cause havoc on the island. In fact, Yoob was programmed to eat any Yoshi it could find. Inside the hulking monster was a Yoob-making factory – Yoshis that were eaten would be transported to this factory then encased in pink and green eggs. Eventually, these eggs would transform the peaceful Yoshis into monstrous Yoobs, who would cause even more destruction when hatched.
Fortunately, Yoshi, apparently the same Green Yoshi that saved Baby Mario, organized his fellow Yoshis and helped them escape the wrath of Yoob. While in hiding, Yoshi encountered some old friends. Baby Mario and Baby Luigi had returned to Yoshi’s Island to help eliminate the Shroob threat. However, the two babies were accompanied by none other than their future selves, the adult Mario and Luigi. The two adults had traveled from the future to the past to save Princess Peach, who had been transported to the Mushroom Kingdom of the past via a time machine. Unfortunately, this reunion was cut short, as Yoob managed to discover the secret hideout. The Yoshis attempted to flee, but Yoob swallowed them, one by one. Yoshi, in an act of courage, attempted to battle Yoob by himself. However, Yoob proved to be too powerful and the giant monster simply ate Yoshi with its long tongue.
Yoshi eventually ended up in Yoob’s belly, the location of the Yoob-making factory. The green dinosaur knew he had to find some way out. Looking around, he discovered a Chomp Rock sitting in the monster’s stomach. Yoshi determined that if he could push the massive rock through Yoob’s intestines, he could widen the internal organs and thus allow the captured Yoshis to escape. Unfortunately, Yoshi was not strong enough to push the Chomp Rock by himself. Fortunately, the four Mario Bros. of past and present arrived to lend a hand. The brothers rescued the other Yoshis that were either imprisoned or being tortured by RC Shroobers, allowing them to lend Yoshi a hand. With their combined power, the Yoshis managed to force the Chomp Rock through Yoob’s intestines, opening the way to the exit. Yoshi heroically led his fellow Yoshis through the dark intestines, and even rescued a few more imprisoned Yoshis along the way. Eventually, after the four Mario brothers defeated the guardian of the factory, Sunnycide, Yoshi and his companions exited through Yoob’s digestive tract and returned to Yoshi’s Island. With the factory ruined and the Yoshis freed, Yoob deactivated and became dormant. Yoshi’s efforts, with some help from the Mario brothers of past and present, had saved the island and, ultimately, the entire world from destruction by an army of Yoobs.
The Fall of Dinosaur Land
Many years would pass before trouble would befall Yoshi’s Island again, allowing Yoshi and his friends to finally rest. However, in time, an old nemesis of the Yoshi clan would strike again. Over the years that passed, Baby Bowser had grown up to become the wiser and more powerful King Bowser. After several unsuccessful attempts at capturing the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser set his sights on Dinosaur Land, the continent where Yoshi’s Island is located. During the events of Super Mario World, Bowser launched his assault against Dinosaur Land. To eliminate the threat of Yoshi, Bowser magically encased the green dinosaur and his friends in Yoshi Eggs. Many of these eggs were given to Bowser’s own children, the Koopalings, to be watched over. Fortunately, for some reason, Yoshi’s egg escaped the confines of one of the Koopalings’ castles. Instead, Yoshi’s egg prison wound up in the open field of Yoshi’s Island.
Eventually, Yoshi was freed by none other than Mario and Luigi, now grown up and stronger than ever. Coincidentally, the Mario Bros., along with Princess Peach were vacationing in Dinosaur Land when King Koopa’s attack occurred. As Mario and Luigi were taking a nap on the beach, Bowser’s forces kidnapped the princess on behalf of their master. The two plumbers searched for Peach for hours, eventually stumbling across Yoshi’s egg and freeing their old friend. Once released, Yoshi told the Mario Bros. of Dinosaur Land’s plight. Together, all three agreed to rescue the other imprisoned Yoshis and save Princess Toadstool from the forces of Bowser. Yoshi even gave the Mario Bros. a special item, a Magic Cape, to help them on their quest.
Yoshi proved to be an invaluable ally during this adventure, acting as a quick and powerful form of transportation for the heroic Mario Bros. The green dinosaur could use his long tongue to eat almost any type of enemy, including enemies even Mario and Luigi couldn’t defeat on their own. If Yoshi was hit by an enemy, he would run away, leaving Mario or Luigi behind. However, the plumbers could simply jump back on their friend’s saddle to calm the dinosaur down and continue the adventure. Unfortunately, Yoshi was unable to enter Ghost Houses, Fortresses, the castles of the Koopalings, and, ultimately, the castle of King Bowser. In these locations, the Mario Bros. had to go in alone, but Yoshi would patiently wait outside for the brothers to return.
Ultimately, the Mario Bros. manage to defeat the Koopalings and Bowser, thus rescuing the seven Yoshi Eggs and Princess Toadstool. Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Yoshi returned to Yoshi's House to celebrate their victory over the Koopa Troop. During the celebrations that followed, the seven liberated Yoshi eggs hatched and became Yoshi Babies. Thanks to the efforts of Mario and Luigi, with help from their friend Yoshi, peace was restored to not only Yoshi’s Island, but the entire continent of Dinosaur Land.
Adventures in Jewelry Land
Yoshi would not have time to rest long, as the green dinosaur was soon called back into action. During the events of Yoshi's Safari, Princess Peach personally requested Yoshi’s (as well as Mario’s) aid in liberating yet another land, the peaceful kingdom of Jewelry Land. Bowser had recently conquered the nation of the twelve magical jewels. These national gems protected the kingdom from disaster and were the source of Jewelry Land’s order and stability. However, Bowser and his Koopalings had stolen the magical jewels, and kidnapped King Fret and Prince Pine, Jewelry Land’s royal family. As a result, a great earthquake broke the land apart into two distinct realms: the Dark Realm and the Light Realm.
Princess Peach was an old friend of Jewelry Land’s Prince Pine, and when she heard of her friend’s plight, she immediately sent for Mario and Yoshi. She entrusted the salvation of the fallen kingdom to these two heroes, but they weren’t going in alone. To aid the two, Peach gave Mario a new weapon, the energy gun known as the Super Scope. With this new weapon in hand, Mario and Yoshi entered a Warp Pipe, sending them to the regions of Jewelry Land.
During their adventures in Jewelry Land, Mario rode on Yoshi’s saddle armed with the Super Scope. As Yoshi navigated the terrain of Jewelry Land, it was Mario’s responsibility to shoot down any enemies in Yoshi’s way. Occasionally, Mario would shoot Yoshi in the back of the head, injuring the green dinosaur. Whether this “friendly fire†was accidental or intentional has yet to be confirmed. Regardless, in the end Mario and Yoshi made a great team. Even though Bowser and his Koopalings came into the possession of some advanced weaponry, Yoshi and Mario managed to defeat the royal Koopa family. After the Koopalings and Bowser surrendered, the two heroes rescued Prince Pine and King Fret and recovered all twelve magical gems. In the end, Prince Pine reunited the two divided realms of Jewelry Land using the power of the magical jewels. The royal family of Jewelry Land thanked Mario and Yoshi for their help, and yet another kingdom was saved by the heroic efforts of Mario and Yoshi.
The Mushroom Derby
Yoshi would not meet up with Mario again until the events of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. In this adventure, Yoshi had traveled to Yo'ster Isle, a Yoshi populated island that can be accessed from the mainland via the Pipe Vault, to participate in the various races held there. This racing competition was known as the Mushroom Derby. Unfortunately, the last winner of the Mushroom Derby was an arrogant Yoshi named Boshi. After winning the race, Boshi declared himself the boss of Yo’ster Isle. He suspended the races, allowing only one-on-one races between himself and a lesser competitor (and only when Yoshi Cookies were on the line). No one was able to beat Boshi, until Mario showed up to lend a hand.
Upon the plumber’s arrival, Yoshi and Mario teamed up once again, this time to defeat Boshi and end his reign over the small isle. The plan called for Yoshi (with Mario riding on his saddle) to challenge Boshi to a race and beat him, thus usurping his authority as boss of Yo’ster Isle. To do this, the green dinosaur asked a friend of his to loan him a few Yoshi Cookies (one of Boshi’s weaknesses). As such, Yoshi put his cookies on the line, and challenged the arrogant Yoshi champion to a race.
To win the competition, Yoshi had to race to the beat of the Mushroom Derby’s music. As such, the player had to alternate between pressing the A and B buttons in sync with the music’s tempo. If the player alternates too fast, Yoshi would stop moving. While the tempo of the derby music could stop or even change, the player had to press the A and B buttons to the original beat. Mario could also help in the race by tossing Yoshi a Yoshi Cookie to give the dinosaur a boost of speed.
After a difficult and grueling race, Mario and Yoshi inevitably crossed the finish line before Boshi. With Boshi defeated, the Yoshis declared Yoshi their new boss. However, Yoshi declined the offer to become the new boss. As humble as ever, Yoshi instead suggested that the races should be owned by everyone. No one was to have control over the races; everyone who wanted to participate could. The green dinosaur even managed to reform the former champion Boshi, convincing the blue Yoshi that an egalitarian approach to racing was superior to a totalitarian one.
As thanks for the plumber’s help, Yoshi gave Mario a few Yoshi Cookies. Whenever Mario needed aid in battle, the red-clad hero could use one of these cookies to summon Yoshi to the battlefield. Yoshi would then attempt to eat an enemy and convert it into an item for Mario to use. If Yoshi failed, he would give the plumber a Yoshi Candy, an item that can heal a whopping one hundred HP.
Mario could also return to the island later in his adventure to catch up with his old friend. During these visits, Mario watched and even participated in subsequent Mushroom Derbies. The plumber could either jump back on Yoshi’s saddle (and aid the green dinosaur with Yoshi Cookies) or simply encourage Yoshi from the sidelines as the Mushroom Derby championed raced on his own.
Hero Rescue
Yoshi found himself to be the primary hero during his next journey, Super Mario 64 DS. During this adventure, Princess Peach decided to throw a party at her castle, and had invited Mario, Luigi, and even Wario to enjoy the festivities. Coincidentally, Yoshi was sleeping on the roof of the castle when the trio of heroes arrived.
Unfortunately, Bowser had arrived prior to Mario, Luigi, and Wario’s arrival. The Koopa King and his forces had stolen the castle’s Power Stars, the magical artifacts that protect Peach’s Castle. With the power of these stars, Bowser planned to take over the castle. To do this, Bowser intended to convert the denizens of the worlds accessed via the paintings in Peach’s Castle into monsters. With these newfound forces, Bowser was then going to attack the castle, and, potentially, the entire Mushroom Kingdom. With the Power Stars under his control, Bowser captured not only Peach and Toad, but Mario, Luigi, and Wario as well. As such, it was up to Yoshi to free his imprisoned allies and rescue the Princess from Bowser’s clutches.
In fact, rescuing Mario, Luigi, and Wario was entirely optional, as Yoshi could discover magical caps that would allow Yoshi to temporarily assume their form and abilities. He could also eat enemies and toss eggs to help him in his quest. Ultimately, with or without Mario, Luigi, and Wario’s help, Yoshi managed to defeat Bowser and acquire the castle’s Power Stars. With stability returned to the castle, Peach rewarded the four heroes by baking them all cakes.
(Note: In the original game, Super Mario 64, Yoshi only played a supporting role. If Mario managed to acquire all one hundred twenty Power Stars, the plumber could use a cannon to shoot himself to the roof of Peach’s castle. Once there, Yoshi would reward Mario with one hundred extra lives and an improved triple jump. The fact that Yoshi was sleeping on the roof in Super Mario 64 DS is probably a reference to his original role in Super Mario 64.)
Bravery on Isle Delfino
Yoshi would lend his help to Mario time and time again, including the Shadow Mario incident during the events of Super Mario Sunshine. It is unknown how Yoshi managed to appear on tropical Isle Delfino or his original purpose for being there. What is known is that Yoshi was imprisoned in a Yoshi Egg by Shadow Mario before the dinosaur could meet up with Mario.
After Mario saved the sunflowers of Pinna Park from the monstrous Snooze-A-Koopas, Shadow Mario appeared in Delfino Plaza, carrying a Yoshi Egg. Of course, Mario confronted his shadowy doppelganger. Although Shadow Mario attempted to escape with the Yoshi Egg, Mario, with the help of his new accessory FLUDD, eventually sprayed the villain into submission. Shadow Mario surrendered, and Mario recovered the Yoshi Egg.
To release Yoshi from his egg, Mario had to bring the egg the fruit Yoshi was thinking of. After doing so, Yoshi would hatch from his egg, and quickly eat the fruit. Surprisingly, Yoshi would change color after eating the fruit. After being freed, Yoshi would once again join Mario in his quest. Like previous adventures, Yoshi could use his long tongue to eat enemies. However, unique to this journey, Yoshi could spit the juice of the various fruits he ate, allowing him to attack enemies from far away and destroy near-indestructible yellow Goop. Different fruits would change Yoshi different colors and give the dinosaur different abilities. The type of fruit juice could also have different effects on various objects and enemies, including the ability to turn enemies into platforms that would move in a range of directions.
Unfortunately, Yoshi could not stand being submerged in the deep waters of Isle Delfino, and would disappear and reappear in his Yoshi Egg if this occurred. Additionally, if Yoshi became hungry from lack of fruit consumption, he will disappear and return to this egg. In both cases, Mario could bring the Yoshi Egg more fruit to reawaken his partner and continue their journey.
Yoshi proved to be an invaluable ally during Mario’s quest, for only with the dinosaur’s help could Mario acquire certain Shine Sprites, the energy source of Isle Delfino. After rescuing Yoshi in Delfino Plaza, his egg showed up in many other areas, allowing Mario to reach Shine Sprites that he previously needed Yoshi to acquire. Yoshi could also uncover Blue Coins by eating beehives and blue butterflies. Additionally, only through Yoshi could Mario access Sirena Beach, one of the major regions of Isle Delfino. The dinosaur used his long tongue to eat the giant pineapple lodged in the red Warp Pipe located on the rooftop directly behind the Pianta statue in Delfino Plaza, allowing Mario access to the troubled beach.
In the end, thanks to Yoshi’s help, Mario was able to return the Shine Sprites to Isle Delfino. Mario even managed to defeat both Bowser and his son Bowser Jr. to rescue Princess Peach and remove the Koopa Troop’s presence from the island.
The Second Storybook Crisis
After a period of peace, Yoshi’s Island would once again become the target of Bowser’s conquests. During the events of Yoshi Topsy-Turvy, the Koopa King and his forces attacked the beautiful island, causing chaos and disorder. In an ironic twist of fate, a spirit named Hongo encased the entire island in a storybook to contain Bowser and his armies (Bowser did the exact same thing to Yoshi’s Island as a baby; however, he did so as revenge against the Yoshi clan.). Fortunately, Yoshi managed to convince the powerful spirit to restore Yoshi’s Island if the green dinosaur could personally trap Bowser. If the threat of Bowser was contained, there would be no need to keep the island as an isolated storybook. As such, Yoshi set off through the chapters of the storybook version on Yoshi’s Island.
During this adventure, Yoshi acquired a unique and powerful ability. Not only could Yoshi use his long tongue to defeat enemies, the green dinosaur could also manipulate gravity. As Yoshi changed the force of gravity, the green dinosaur could cause enemies to fall backwards, or even transform walls into hills. This unique ability helped Yoshi complete the various daunting stages before him.
However, Yoshi could not merely walk through a course to complete it. Each course was controlled by a different spirit, and each demanded that the green dinosaur fulfill a specific task before he or she would allow Yoshi to move on. These tasks included destroying a certain number of enemies or acquiring a certain number of coins. Ultimately, after satisfying the task of every spirit, Yoshi was allowed to confront King Bowser. Of course, the green dinosaur emerged victorious in the end, and Bowser was once again defeated. With the threat of Bowser eliminated, the spirit Hongo released Yoshi’s Island, restoring it to its natural state. Yet again, Yoshi had saved his homeland from a terrible fate.
Other Events
Mario Kart Races
Yoshi has been a competitor in the Mario Kart series since the very first Mario Kart game, Super Mario Kart. Yoshi typically is middleweight driver, meaning he has high acceleration, but low top speed.In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Yoshi was partners with Birdo, and his special item was the Yoshi Egg.
Mario Sports Competitions
Yoshi is typically an agile sports player, allowing him to make quick maneuvers (this was especially prevalent in the Mario Tennis competitions). In Mario Golf, Yoshi had a straight golf shot that achieved average heights. In Mario Superstar Baseball, Yoshi could not only run at high speeds but could also use his long tongue to field baseballs. The green dinosaur appeared as a balanced and courageous captain in Super Mario Strikers.
Mario Party Contests
Yoshi has been a Mario Partier since the original Mario Party and has appeared in every Mario Party title since. The green dinosaur is described as being full of energy during these contests. Interestingly, Yoshi likes unpredictability, and as such his favorite items include the Warp Block and the Warp Pipe. The green dinosaur also likes all-or-nothing competitions, another facet of his chaotic partying behavior. In Mario Party 3, Yoshi’s partner was Boo.
Yoshi Puzzle Adventures
Yoshi is the star of a number of puzzle games, including Yoshi and Yoshi's Cookie. Later, Yoshi appeared in a third puzzle game Tetris Attack. The challenges in this game revolved around the characters and enemies of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. In this adventure, Yoshi had to line up similarly colored tiles to earn points and move to the next stage. Yoshi’s partner in this puzzle adventure was Little Yoshi.
Super Smash Bros. Tournaments
Yoshi has been a participant in both Super Smash Bros. tournaments. Yoshi is a fast and heavy fighter with strong smash attacks and amazing jumping ability. Unlike other fighters, Yoshi’s shield is not an energy bubble but a green-spotted Yoshi Egg. Although Yoshi lacks a true special jump, he makes up for this handicap with an extremely long flutter jump. This second jump can help Yoshi reach platforms that would take some fighters three jumps to reach. When using the flutter jump, Yoshi can also resist being knocked away. Unfortunately, Yoshi’s extended grab attack cannot grab onto edges (unlike Link’s Hookshot technique). Most of Yoshi’s special moves revolve around various uses of Yoshi Eggs.
Special Moves
- Egg Lay (B): Yoshi can temporarily paralyze opponents by swallowing them with his tongue and then laying them as eggs.
- Egg Throw (B+Up) : Yoshi can toss explosive eggs from an inexhaustible supply to damage opponents. Hold B for distance and tilt the Control Stick to aim.
- Yoshi Bomb (B+Down): This attack, also known simply as Bomb, allows Yoshi to Ground Pound enemies, either causing direct damage if they are below Yoshi or indirect damage through the small shockwave created when Yoshi hits the ground.
- Egg Roll (B+Right or Left): A potentially powerful move that allows Yoshi to encase himself in an egg and roll around, causing damage to opponents. Use the Control Stick to change speed and direction. This move is exclusive to Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Physical Description and Traits
Yoshi, like all other Yoshies, has a large nose region, a row of orange spines along his back, and a long sticky tongue. The green dinosaur typically wears red or brown shoes, and always wears a saddle that others can use. Although Yoshi normally has green skin, he has been known to change his color. For example, in Super Mario World, Yoshi could become blue in color after collecting a pair of Yoshi's Wings. In fact, Yoshi would become a literal Blue Yoshi, providing Yoshi with the same strengths and weaknesses as a Blue Yoshi. Yoshi would not return to his original color unless he ran off and became re-encased in a Yoshi Egg. In Super Mario Sunshine, Yoshi could change to a whole rainbow of different tropical colors. Different fruits would change Yoshi different colors, including such vibrant colors as pink, purple, and orange. However, if Yoshi ran out of juice or became submerged in water, he would briefly return to his green coloration before returning to his Yoshi Egg.
Powers and Abilities
Like other Yoshis, Yoshi has a long, sticky tongue that he uses to eat almost anything – even things much larger than himself. Yoshi can transform the enemies and other objects he eats into eggs, which he can then use as projectile weapons. The green dinosaur has pinpoint accuracy, allowing him to conserve his egg supply during heated battles. During the events of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi could keep up to six eggs at a time.
Interestingly, Yoshi can also transform things that he eats into other objects. For example, in Super Mario World, after Yoshi ate an enemy, one coin would be added to Mario’s coin total. The green dinosaur could also transform berries into eggs. However, instead of using them as projectiles, these eggs would break apart and reveal items, including Super Mushrooms and strange, smiling clouds that would drop coins. In Super Mario RPG, Yoshi could eat enemies to produce eggs that would break apart to reveal a variety of helpful (and often rare) items.
Yoshi has a hard time swallowing Koopa shells. In fact, in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, the green dinosaur simply had to spit out the Koopa shell before he could eat another enemy. In Super Mario World, Yoshi could eventually swallow a Koopa shell, but could also use Koopa shells to boost his own abilities. While Yoshi could only spit out a green shell, if Yoshi spit out a red shell, the green dinosaur would instead shoot three large fireballs. A yellow shell would allow Yoshi to create sand clouds whenever he jumped and hit the ground, destroying nearby enemies. A blue shell provided Yoshi with a set of wings and allowed the green dinosaur to fly for a limited amount of time. However, if a shell was left in Yoshi’s mouth for too long, he would inevitably swallow the shell and as such lose any abilities he may have possessed.
Yoshi is fairly proficient with Jump and Ground Pound abilities, rivaling the capabilities of world-renown jumper Mario. However, in Super Mario World, Yoshi’s jump attacks were much more powerful than Mario’s normal jump attacks. Yoshi could destroy most enemies in one hit (i.e. a Koopa would be completely destroyed, not sent flying out of its shell). As such, Yoshi’s jump had the same power as Mario’s special Spin Jump technique. The green dinosaur is also a master of the Flutter Jump technique, allowing him to jump with incredible horizontal distance.
Alternate Forms
Throughout his adventures, Yoshi has acquired a variety of alternate forms to help him combat the forces of evil. Most of these transformations are a result of special Morph Bubbles that could transform Yoshi into a helpful vehicle. Several cancelled alternate forms have been found in the coding of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Their purpose is unknown, but one can assume the plane has a similar function to the helicopter.
Super Mario 64 DS
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
- Yoshi Helicopter
- Yoshi Mole Tank
- Yoshi Submarine
- Yoshi Car
- Yoshi Train
- Yoshi Plane (canceled)
- Yoshi Tree (canceled)
- Yoshi Mushroom (canceled)
Personality
Yoshi is an extremely friendly individual who always lends a helping hand to those in need. He is also very courageous, allowing the green dinosaur to stand and fight enemies much larger than himself, including Yoob and the gigantic Baby Bowser. As a result of this courage, Yoshi often takes on a leadership position to the Yoshi clan, although Yoshi has no official political status (unlike the Yoshi Elder from Lavalava Island). In fact, when Yoshi was offered a leadership position during the events of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, the humble dinosaur declined the position.
Character Development
Yoshi did not appear until Super Mario World, which was released in 1991. However, Shigeru Miyamoto has stated in interviews that he wanted Mario to ride an animal companion after the completion of Super Mario Bros. Apparently, technical restrictions kept Mario from being able to ride an animal. Of course, with the development of the advanced Super Famicom in 1991, Yoshi could finally be brought to life. The character of Yoshi was specifically created by Shigefumi Hino, a graphics designer.
Yoshi likely originated from another Nintendo character, Tamagon. Tamagon was the star of the game Demon World, a game released exclusively in Japan for the Famicom in 1984. Like Yoshi, Tamagon was a green lizard that hatched from an egg and could eat enemies with his large mouth. Interestingly, Tamagon makes the exact same noise when he hatches as Yoshi does in Super Mario World.
Appearance Development
Yoshi’s appearance has changed dramatically throughout his video game history. In Super Mario World, Yoshi’s first appearance, the green dinosaur was very much created in the image of an actual dinosaur. Yoshi had a long neck, small (almost useless) arms, and a long back. This design changed in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. In this game, Yoshi was made shorter and stouter. Additionally, his short, tyrannosaurus-like arms were replaced by much longer human-like arms, complete with large hands to manipulate objects. This design change was developed even more in Yoshi's Story. Instead of being hunched over, Yoshi stood up straight and swung his arms as he walked, much like a human. This design has stuck ever since. However, in the Super Smash Bros. series, Yoshi returned to the original hunched over, dinosaur-like design from Super Mario World.
Depictions in other Media
Television
Yoshi was a regular character in the Super Mario World animated series. In the cartoon, Yoshi was depicted as being very young and childish. As such, he was afraid of many things, including ghosts and even water. Regardless, Yoshi regularly teamed up with Mario and Luigi to help save Princess Toadstool from the clutches of King Koopa. Of course, Yoshi used his long tongue to get the heroes out of many sticky situations.
Publications
Yoshi did not appear in the Super Mario Bros. comic books published by Valiant. However, Yoshi did appear in the Nintendo Adventure Books. Strangely, in this publication, Yoshi’s dialogue consisted of words that rhymed with “orp†(unlike the cartoon series, where Yoshi could speak English fluently).
Yoshi’s most prominent role in a publication was in Nintendo Power's Super Mario Adventures comics. According to this version of the Marioverse, Yoshi was the Chairman of the Dinosaur Chamber of Commerce, and as such, was one of the official leaders of Yoshi Village. In these comics, Yoshi joined Mario and Luigi in their search for Boswer, as the King of the Koopas had captured several Yoshis from the village. Incidentally, all of Yoshi’s dialogue consisted of the word “Yoshiâ€.
Film
Yoshi’s only film appearance was in the Super Mario Bros. movie. In this depiction, Yoshi resembled an actual dinosaur, although this Yoshi had brown skin (instead of green). Yoshi acted more like a pet than as a heroic partner in the film. However, Yoshi still possessed some of his trademark traits from the games, including a long sticky tongue, courageousness, and friendliness. In the movie, Yoshi was downsized from his video game version, making him impossible to ride (in fact, Mario would probably crush the poor little dinosaur if he attempted to jump on top of him).
Portrayals
Yoshi was voiced by Andrew Sabiston in the Super Mario World cartoons (Interestingly, Sabiston would later provide the voice of Diddy Kong in the Donkey Kong Country cartoon series.).
In the video games, Yoshi has been voiced by Kazumi Totaka since Yoshi's Story (who also composed the musical score to the game).
Trivia
- Yoshi owns his own house on Yoshi’s Island. Among other things, Yoshi’s house has a mailbox and a fireplace complete with chimney.
- Although Yoshi has a rival named Boshi, the blue antagonist has only appeared in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
- Yoshi’s favorite fruit (beside the universally-loved melon) is the watermelon. Besides other types of fruit, Yoshi loves Yoshi Cookies.
- Yoshi is bilingual, as he is able to both speak the Yoshi language and Mario’s language. During the events of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Yoshi acted as Mario’s interpreter as the Yoshis on Yo’ster Isle only spoke the Yoshi language.
- Yoshi was named “Yoshi†because he was first discovered on Yoshi’s Island.
- Yoshi was one of the many heroes who took on Cranky Kong’s video game hero challenge in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. He placed in the top three (along with Mario and Link), at least until Diddy Kong achieved top hero status.
- Yoshi seems to be very popular in the far away land of Hyrule. A Yoshi Doll could be found in Mabe Village on Koholint Island during the events of The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. Additionally, a portrait of Yoshi could be found hanging on a wall in Hyrule Castle (and could be seen from the castle’s courtyard) during the events of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
- A Yoshi figurine makes a cameo in Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes. The figurine could be found on Otacon’s desk.
Other Information
Mario Kart: Double Dash! Info
- Partner: Birdo
- Personal Kart: Turbo Yoshi
- Special Item: Yoshi Egg
Mario Party 7 Info
Mario Hoops 3-on-3 Info
- Type: All-Around
- Special Shot: Flutter Dunk
Mario Superstar Baseball Bio
"A denizen of Yoshi's Island. Mario's dependable buddy always helps him out of jams. Yoshis use their tongues to eat anything and everything. It is said that Yoshis can turn anything they swallow into eggs. On the diamond Yoshi's fast legs and accurate tongue make him a great fielder."
