Power-ups have always been one of the main appeals of the Super Mario games, and the animated universe crafted by Nintendo and Illumination incorporated that mechanic seemingly into the story. The first moviefeatures a breathtaking obstacle course sequence in which Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy) teaches Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) about the use of power-ups, before the plumber has to master it in the arena of Kong Island. From the Tanooki Suit to the Fire Flower, The Super Mario Bros. Movie proved that these items could carry dramatic weight rather than functioning as simple fan-service callbacks, as essential tools of combat in the Mushroom Kingdom.
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The Super Mario Galaxy Movie pushed that foundation considerably further. The sequel deployed an arsenal that covered decades of franchise history, sending Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day) into the water in a Frog Suit, arming Toad (voiced by Keegan-Michael Key) with a Penguin Suit for an ice-tinged casino brawl, and giving Mario a Drill Mushroom for the film’s climactic confrontation. In addition, Cloud Flower platforms, a Blimp Yoshi (voiced by Donald Glover) sequence, Ice Flower combat, and a Bubble Flower all found their moments, with Mario capping the film by using Red Star to beat an ink dragon and a Cape Feather to plant a flag atop Peach’s newly rebuilt castle. Two films in, the Nintendo and Illumination collaboration has covered an impressive amount of ground, but there are still some iconic power-ups that have yet to make the jump from cartridge to screen.
7) Goomba’s Shoe
First appearing in Super Mario Bros. 3, the Goomba’s Shoe is exactly what the name suggests: a giant green boot, previously worn by a Goomba, that Mario can commandeer and use to stomp enemies that would otherwise be untouchable. Its in-game appearances have been genuinely limited, surfacing in only a handful of levels across the franchise’s history, but the sheer absurdity of the image has kept it alive in fan memory for decades. Its franchise footprint (pun absolutely intended) is too small to rank higher, but the Goomba’s Shoe remains one of Super Mario Bros. 3‘s most beloved visual gags.
6) Boo Mushroom
The Boo Mushroom debuted in Super Mario Galaxy and transformed Mario into a ghostly Boo, granting the ability to float through the air and phase through certain walls while becoming vulnerable to light. Its game appearances have been largely confined to the Galaxy titles, which limits its overall franchise weight, but the power-up carries a distinctive visual identity that no other suit in the series replicates. A ghost-form sequence in a future film, particularly in a darker or haunted setting, would allow the animation team to do something genuinely unusual with Mario’s silhouette.
5) Double Cherry
Introduced in Super Mario 3D World, the Double Cherry creates an exact duplicate of the player character, allowing multiple copies of Mario and his friends to operate simultaneously to hit switches or defeat enemies in parallel. As a game mechanic, it produced some of the most creatively chaotic levels in the 3D era, as controlling two different characters with the same buttons often leads to disaster. The Double Cherry has no direct equivalent anywhere else in the franchise, which makes its absence from two films increasingly noticeable.
4) Blue Shell
The wearable Blue Shell appeared in New Super Mario Bros. as a distinct power-up inspired by the Spiny Shell projectile familiar from Mario Kart, allowing the wearer to retract into the shell and slide across surfaces at high speed while deflecting enemy attacks. The Super Mario Bros. Movie used the Spiny Shell as a weapon of mass destruction, but the wearable suit version, which turns Mario into a mobile defensive vehicle, never made the cut. The distinction matters because the wearable form has its own visual identity and a specific combat application that would translate well to a chase or gauntlet sequence. Two films have now passed without it, despite the franchise providing a natural opening.
3) Propeller Suit
The Propeller Mushroom from New Super Mario Bros. Wii spun Mario and Luigi into a corkscrew launch, sending them drilling upward before they descended with a spiraling fall that could slam through enemies and blocks below. The suit’s aerial mechanic is visually distinct while offering a form of flight that is chaotic and momentum-dependent rather than smooth. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie covered the Cape Feather’s gliding and the Red Star’s full flight, but neither replicated the Propeller Suit’s kinetic burst-and-crash rhythm. New Super Mario Bros. Wii is one of the bestselling games in franchise history, which gives the Propeller Suit a level of mainstream recognition that makes it perfect for the next movie.
2) Elephant Fruit
The Elephant Fruit is the defining power-up of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the 2023 side-scrolling installment that became one of the Switch’s biggest commercial successes. The transformation swells Mario into a massive elephant capable of charging through obstacles, spraying water at enemies, and breaking terrain that would otherwise be impassable. Nintendo’s marketing campaign for Wonder leaned on Elephant Mario as the game’s visual centerpiece, and the character’s merchandising presence has remained strong since launch. A power-up with that level of commercial saturation should be a priority for the film franchise in the future.
1) Hammer Suit
The Hammer Suit from Super Mario Bros. 3 is the most powerful transformation in the franchise’s classic era, turning Mario into a hammer-throwing combatant capable of defeating nearly every enemy in the game, including those that resisted fire. In addition, its visual design, a stone-gray suit with a helmet that calls back to the Hammer Bros. enemy type, is one of the most recognizable pieces of iconography from the 8-bit generation. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie featured a Hammer Bros. encounter as a direct reference to the games, which makes the absence of the actual Hammer Suit feel like a deliberate decision to save it.
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