The Mario Kart series continues to evolve, and fans are eager for fresh faces to join the iconic roster of racers. The Nintendo Switch 2 reveal and brand new footage of the next Mario Kart. Fan favorites have been added over the years, but there are numerous characters hidden deep within Nintendo’s archive of games that would be excellent fits for Mario Kart 9. Some of these are completely obscure, while others have been relegated to only a few games. Introducing characters from forgotten series and those that have been left behind is not only a great way to reinvigorate the series but also bring fans into games and characters they may not know about.
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Here are 10 forgotten characters Nintendo should add to Mario Kart 2 on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Paper Mario
Metal Mario is cool and all, but Paper Mario is the best variant of Mario and absolutely deserves to be included in Mario Kart 9. Paper Mario was Nintendo’s go-to RPG series until Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga came along, but Nintendo has finally given the series the attention it deserves with the Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door Remake. There has never been a better time for Paper Mario to jump into Mario Kart.
Paper Mario should obviously be a lightweight character considering he is made of paper, and this would be a nice alternative to Mario’s middleweight and Metal Mario’s heavyweight. Nintendo could incorporate a kart design from recent titles like Paper Mario: Color Splash or Paper Mario: The Origami King, but there is only one choice for a course. Rogue Port is one of the most iconic locations in the series, and Nintendo could incorporate the surface and underground areas into a Mario Kart 9 track.
Toadsworth
Toadsworth somehow manages to be in so many Nintendo games, yet always gets put on the sidelines. He is mostly playable in the various Mario sports games, and it’s about time he gets a chance to shine in Mario Kart 9. Toadsworth did appear in Mario Kart: Double Dash, but only in the trophy award cinematic as he drove the player in a victory lap. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has Toad and Toadette, so the next entry needs to include the elderly Toadsworth.
Toadsworth should share the same weight class as Toad and Toadette since pretty much Toad is the same. A stately vehicle with a mushroom theme would be a good fit for Toadsworth’s kart, though Nintendo could make a version of the Parade Kart as a homage to his appearance in Mario Kart: Double Dash. Princess Peach’s Castle would be a good location for Toadsworth considering his role as Princess Peach’s steward.
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Geno
Geno is a fan-favorite character from Super Mario RPG. While this may have been a dream in the past, the recent remake of Super Mario RPG perhaps shows the puppet has a chance to join Mario Kart 9. Geno has loads of personality and a fantastic design, so he’d be perfect to see racing alongside Mario.
Geno could fit as a lightweight or middleweight character, but he seems more suited to be middleweight based on his appearance, wooden design, and stats in Super Mario RPG. To fit with Geno’s story in Super Mario RPG, Nintendo could use a shooting star or star piece for his kart, and then combine both Rose Town and Forest Maze from Super Mario RPG to make his course.
Cackletta
If Paper Mario deserves a spot on the Mario Kart 9 roster, then Nintendo needs to acknowledge its rival series, Mario & Luigi. The perfect choice would be Cackletta, the original antagonist of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Not only is Cackletta from the first game, but she also has an original and iconic look. The Beanwitch would further increase the roster of villains and antagonists, something needed in the Mario Kart series.
Cackletta would fit into the middleweight or heavyweight roles, though middleweight seems the better choice considering so many villains in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe are heavyweight. Nintendo could choose from many designs in the series, but using something related to Beans or even Cackletta’s possessed Bowser form. A track showcasing the key landmarks of the Bean Kingdom would be another great way to tie in the Mario & Luigi series.
E. Gadd
E. Gadd is an underrated character primarily known from Luigi’s Mansion, though the professor has appeared in other series. E. Gadd is the one responsible for Luigi’s Poltergust machines and he has plenty of character that would translate well to Mario Kart 9. Given his prominent role in Luigi’s Mansion, E. Gadd deserves more attention and Mario Kart 9 is the perfect way to give it.
Nintendo should make E. Gadd a lightweight or middleweight character, though middleweight is probably the best fit. E. Gadd’s kart could be some form of Poltergust vacuum, and there are plenty to choose from. While Luigi already has the haunted mansion theme going, E. Gadd could share this or have a course inspired by his lab. Slipping Gooigi into the track would be a nice little easter egg for fans of Luigi’s Mansion.
King Wart
Very few Mario Kart players will likely know who King Wart is given his obscurity and few appearances. But that means King Wart is perfect for a reintroduction, and Mario Kart 9 would reach a large audience. The toad-like king debuted in Super Mario Bros. 2 and hasn’t been seen much since. His most recent appearance is as a spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but a Mario Kart 9 addition would be perfect to bring King Wart back to fans.
King Wart would be a heavyweight, expanding the heavyweight roster of villains. While there isn’t much to draw on for inspiration, giving King Wart a kart inspired by the dream machine would be fitting for this character. Likewise, a course set in Subcon, or the World of Dreams formerly known as Muu would be perfect. Nintendo could take some liberties given the age of the location and really bring it to life in Mario Kart 9 with a 3D facelift.
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Tatanga
Tatanga is another obscure and forgotten villain from the Mario series. Like King Wart, he deserves a second chance, and Mario Kart 9 would be a great outlet for fans to see this villain they likely didn’t know existed. Tatanga has great design and his alien heritage makes him a unique character within the series. Tatanga only has a few appearances across Nintendo games, but the Nintendo Switch 2 is the perfect chance to bring him back.
Lightweight or middleweight would make the most sense for Tatanga, but he could be a heavyweight if Nintendo uses his appearance in the Game Boy comics. Tatanga has the perfect kart design already available: Nintendo could use his spaceship from Super Mario Land. As for a course, that leaves a lot more freedom to Nintendo, as Tatanga is from an unknown planet. Mario Kart 9 could create this homeworld and even give it a name after all this time.
King Bob-omb
One of the iconic bosses from Super Mario 64 is King Bob-omb, but he is criminally underrated and underrepresented. Mario Kart 9 is the perfect chance to rectify this, and adding him as a racer would expand the villainous roster. King Bob-omb would also fit in great alongside King Boo and Petey Piranha as named bosses of different Mario species.
There is no doubt King Bob-omb would be a heavyweight, so Mario Kart 9 would add yet another heavyweight villain. The Bob-omb Cannon would be an excellent kart for King Bob-omb and be a throwback to Super Mario 64. Using Bob-omb Battlefield as King Bob-omb’s course should be obvious. Nintendo could opt to get it true to its original N64 graphics, or they could it an HD facelift to celebrate King Bob-omb’s inclusion in Mario Kart 9.
Goomba
This may be a strange pick, but one of the most forgotten characters in Mario’s history is Goomba. The poor guy is almost always regulated to be a comical bad guy and trounced with ease. Other enemies like Koopa, Dry Bones, Boo, and more have been included as racers. Just because doesn’t have arms doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be a racer in Mario Kart 9. Heck, Nintendo could take an extra step and give Goomba alternate skins based on Goombario and Goombella.
Goomba would have to be a lightweight character, one look would tell anyone that. There isn’t a kart design that jumps out when looking at Goomba, so Nintendo has some free reign for that. Something operatable by mouth would be humorous though. As for a course, Goombas appear in almost every Mario game and across a variety of levels and worlds, so Nintendo has even more freedom with that decision.
Pak E. Derm
Pak E. Derm is an obscure character from one of the most visually unique games in Nintendo’s lineup: Yoshi’s Story. For those that don’t know, Pak E. Derm is the elephant that holds up the stop sign that prevents Yoshi from progressing. Pak E. Derm had a small part in the game, but many childhood memories can be drawn from this elephant. With so few appearances, a Mario Kart 9 addition would be fantastic, especially considering the recent Yoshi course added in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’s DLC.
Based on his few appearances, Pak E. Derm would have to be a heavyweight character. A kart designed like Yoshi Story’s storybook would be a fitting choice, especially if Nintendo incorporates his iconic sign. There can never be enough Yoshi-themed courses in Mario Kart, so Mario Kart 9 should make a course based on Yoshi Story for Pak E. Derm.
There are so many games and characters to pull from for Mario, Mario Kart 9 could add these and still have hundreds of more choices. Here’s to hoping some of these characters can join Mario and friends in Mario Kart 9.
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