View source for Luigi (character)

{{short description|Video game character}}
{{About|the Nintendo character|other characters named Luigi|Luigi (given name)#Fictional characters|other uses|Luigi (disambiguation){{!}}Luigi}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Multiple issues|{{Needs more references | date = June 2024}}
{{Original research | date = June 2024}}
{{Rewrite | date = March 2024}}}}{{Infobox character
| name = Luigi
| caption = Promotional art by Shigehisa Nakaue (2017)
| series = [[Mario (franchise)|Mario]]
| image = <!-- DO NOT CHANGE without discussion on talk. See Talk:Mario#Image -->Luigi_by_Shigehisa_Nakaue.png<!-- DO NOT CHANGE without discussion on talk. See Talk:Mario#Image -->
| image_upright = 0.75
| alt = 2D art of a cartoon plumber with a mustache, a large round nose, a green cap with the letter L, a green shirt, indigo overalls, and brown shoes.
| creator = [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]
| designer = {{Unbulleted list
  | Shigeru Miyamoto
  | [[Yōichi Kotabe]]
}}
| lbl1 = Voiced by
| data1 = {{Collapsible list| title=[[English language|English]]|
    | [[Danny Wells]] (''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!]]'')
    | [[Tony Rosato]] (''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' and ''[[Super Mario World (TV series)|Super Mario World]]'')
    | [[Charles Martinet]] (1992–2023)<ref name="Mario in Real Time">{{cite web|title=Interview with the Voice of Mario|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/interviews/august02/mario/index2.shtml|website=[[GameSpy]]|access-date=May 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041214201633/http://archive.gamespy.com/interviews/august02/mario/index2.shtml|archive-date=December 14, 2004|url-status=dead}}</ref>    | Bob Sorenson (''[[Mario Is Missing!]]'')<ref name="Mario Missing">{{Cite web|url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Mario-Is-Missing/|title=Mario Is Missing!|website=Behind The Voice Actors|language=en-US|access-date=March 7, 2021|archive-date=February 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206163854/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Mario-Is-Missing/|url-status=live}}</ref>
    | [[Corey Burton]] (''Super Mario Bros. Audio Poster Pack'')<ref name="Poster Pack">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVxdETAGjKs&t=150s|title=Super Mario Bros. Movie - Audio Poster Pack|date=November 2, 2012 |publisher=YouTube|access-date=September 13, 2023}}</ref>
    | Marc Graue (''[[Hotel Mario]]'')<ref name="Hotel Mario">{{Cite web|url=https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Hotel-Mario/|title=Hotel Mario|website=Behind The Voice Actors|access-date=March 7, 2021|archive-date=February 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203080222/https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/video-games/Hotel-Mario/|url-status=live}}</ref>
    | Julien Bardakoff (1996, 1998–2001)
    | [[Charlie Day]] ([[The Super Mario Bros. Movie|2023 film]], [[The Super Mario Galaxy Movie|2026 film]])<ref name="2023 film"/>
    | [[Kevin Afghani]] (2023–present)
  }}{{Collapsible list| title=[[Japanese language|Japanese]]
    | [[Yū Mizushima]] (''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!]]'', ''[[Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land|Super Mario World: Mario & Yoshi's Adventure Land]]'')
    | [[Yoku Shioya]] (''[[List of non-video game media featuring Mario#Anime|Super Mario's Fire Brigade]]'')
    | [[Naoki Tatsuta]] (''[[Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros.]]'')
    | Ichirōta Miyagawa (1996–1998)
    | [[Kōji Tsujitani]] (Japanese DVD dub of ''Super Mario Bros'' film)
    | [[Bin Shimada]] (Japanese Nippon TV dub of ''Super Mario Bros'' film)
    | [[Tasuku Hatanaka]] (2023 film)<ref>{{Cite web |title=News Release : Nov. 30, 2022 "Illumination and Nintendo Announce Second Trailer and the Japanese voice cast for The Super Mario Bros. Movie" |url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2022/221130.html |access-date=November 29, 2022 |website=Nintendo Co., Ltd. |language=en |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129224450/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/corporate/release/en/2022/221130.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
| lbl2 = Portrayed by
| data2 = {{Unbulleted list
    | [[Danny Wells]] (''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'')
    | [[John Leguizamo]] ([[Super Mario Bros. (film)|1993 film]])
    | [[Charlie Day]] ([[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]], voice)
}}
| nationality = [[Italians|Italian]] (games)<br>[[Italian Americans|Italian-American]] (other media)
| firstgame = ''[[Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)]]'' (1983)
| family = [[Mario]] (brother)
}}

'''Luigi''' ({{IPAc-en|l|u|ˈ|iː|dʒ|i|audio=LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Luigi.wav}}; {{langx|ja|ルイージ|Ruīji}}) is a [[character (arts)|character]] created by Japanese video game designer [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]. Part of [[Nintendo]]'s [[Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' franchise]], he is a kind-hearted, cowardly Italian plumber, and the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of [[Mario]]. Like his brother, Luigi's distinctive characteristics include his large nose and mustache, [[overalls]], green hat, and high-pitched, exaggerated [[Italian accent]]. 

Luigi first appeared in ''[[Mario Bros.]]'', a 1983 [[platformer|platform game]], in which he was originally designed as a [[palette swap]] of Mario with a green color scheme; Luigi has since appeared in multiple games and other media throughout the ''Mario'' franchise, in which he developed a personality and style of his own. As his role in the ''Mario'' franchise progressed, Luigi evolved into a physically distinct character, and became the main protagonist of ''[[Mario Is Missing!|Mario is Missing!]]'' and the ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'' series. [[Charles Martinet]] voiced Luigi from 1992 to 2023, when he was succeeded by [[Kevin Afghani]].

Luigi has appeared in over 200 video games. These include puzzle games such as ''[[Dr. Luigi]]'', role-playing games such as ''[[Paper Mario]]'' and ''[[Mario & Luigi]]'', and sports games such as ''[[Mario Kart]]'' and ''[[Mario Tennis]]''. Luigi has also appeared in other Nintendo properties, such as the [[Super Smash Bros. series|''Super Smash Bros.'' series]] of crossover fighting games. From March 2013 to March 2014, [[Nintendo]] called the period the [[Year of Luigi]] to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the character's existence. Correspondingly, games released in 2013 emphasized Luigi. An unlockable Luigi-themed version of ''Mario Bros.'', titled ''Luigi Bros.'', was also included with ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]''.

Luigi's likeness has been featured in merchandise based on the ''Mario'' series, as well as [[List of non-video game media featuring Mario#Comics|comic books]] and television shows such as ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show]]'', in which he was portrayed by [[Danny Wells]]. He was also portrayed by [[John Leguizamo]] in the live-action film ''[[Super Mario Bros. (film)|Super Mario Bros.]]'' (1993) and voiced by [[Charlie Day]] in the animated films ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'' (2023) and ''[[The Super Mario Galaxy Movie]]'' (2026).

==Concept and characteristics==
<!-- Note that any content in this section, as with everywhere on Wikipedia, must be RELIABLY SOURCED. Original research and speculation, especially that as to character's RELATIONSHIPS, are not permitted on Wikipedia. -->
[[File:Luigi emblem.svg|150px|thumb|left|This emblem appears on Luigi's hat and as a symbol for him in many game interfaces.]]Luigi is the taller, younger brother of [[Mario]], whose usually seen dressed in a green shirt, dark blue overalls, and a green hat with a green "L" [[insignia]], and although he is a plumber like Mario.<ref name="ignluigi">{{Cite web |title=Luigi Biography |url=http://stars.ign.com/objects/924/924288_biography.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817041854/http://stars.ign.com/objects/924/924288_biography.html |archive-date=August 17, 2009 |access-date=May 9, 2010 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> Luigi's creation began during the development of ''[[Donkey Kong (arcade game)|Donkey Kong]]'', where [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] had created Jumpman (later known as Mario), hoping that he would be able to recast the character in a variety of roles in future games. Miyamoto was inspired by the 1982 video game ''[[Joust (video game)|Joust]]'' to create ''[[Mario Bros.]]''.<ref name="hiscore">{{Cite book |last=DeMaria |first=Rusel |url=https://archive.org/details/highscoreillustr0000dema/mode/2up |title=High score! : the illustrated history of electronic games |publisher=McGraw Hill-Osbourne |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-07-222428-3 |page=238}}</ref> During development of the game, Miyamoto took further inspiration from ''[[Joust (video game)|Joust]]'' to create Luigi by swapping [[Mario]]'s color palette.<ref name="ignhistory">{{Cite web |last=McLaughlin |first=Rus |date=November 8, 2007 |title=IGN Presents: The History of Super Mario Bros. |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/09/14/ign-presents-the-history-of-super-mario-bros |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080214150252/http://au.games.ign.com/articles/833/833615p1.html |archive-date=February 14, 2008 |access-date=May 3, 2022 |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> It is currently unconfirmed how Luigi received his name, although there are many theories. ''[[New Straits Times]]'' noted that Miyamoto observed the Japanese word ''ruiji'' means "similar", thus explaining the similarities of Luigi to Mario.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=August 10, 1986 |title=Super Mario: The New Craze in Japan |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JdRHAAAAIBAJ&pg=2740,2455143&dq=super-mario&hl=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210310215225/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=JdRHAAAAIBAJ&pg=2740,2455143&dq=super-mario&hl=en |archive-date=March 10, 2021 |access-date=November 15, 2020 |work=[[New Straits Times]] |pages=10 |via=[[Google News]]}}</ref> Rus McLaughlin of ''[[IGN]]'' wrote that theories from a rhyme on the Japanese word for "analogous" and a pizza parlor near [[Minoru Arakawa]]'s office called Mario & Luigi's were considered.<ref name="ignhistory" />

''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]'' marked the beginning of Luigi's development toward becoming a more distinguished character, with his higher and farther jump.<ref name="ignluigi" /> Consequently, in 1988, an alternative release was developed to serve as ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'' for Western players (and later released in Japan as ''Super Mario USA''); this version played a key role in shaping Luigi's current appearance.<ref name="ignhistory" /> His appearance in ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'' help developed Luigi's cautious and timid personality as he was known however, according to the manual for ''[[Mario Party (video game)|Mario Party]]'', he's smarter than his older brother [[Mario]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frank |first=Allegra |date=July 3, 2017 |title=When did Luigi become such a scaredy cat? |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/7/3/15914642/why-is-luigi-scared |access-date=September 14, 2024 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Being the younger twin of Mario, Luigi is presumed to be in his early 20s at most and raises the possibility that he's a teenager.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mendelsohn |first=Tom |date=September 30, 2016 |title=Mario is only 24 years old, according to creator Shigeru Miyamoto |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/09/mario-24-years-old/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806115419/https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/09/mario-24-years-old/ |archive-date=August 6, 2018 |access-date=August 6, 2018 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Nintendo did not initially give Luigi a surname. The first notable use of "Luigi Mario" was in the [[Super Mario Bros. (film)|1993 live-action film adaptation]]. In September 2015, at the ''Super Mario Bros.'' 30th Anniversary festival, Miyamoto stated that Mario's full name was Mario Mario, indirectly confirming Luigi's full name as Luigi Mario.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 14, 2015 |script-title=ja:【衝撃事実】ついに任天堂公式のマリオの本名が判明！任天堂の代表取締役・宮本茂氏が明かす |trans-title=[Impact] fact finally found real name of Nintendo official of Mario! Reveal the representative director, Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo |url=http://getnews.jp/archives/1144379 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616214455/http://getnews.jp/archives/1144379 |archive-date=June 16, 2016 |access-date=November 5, 2016 |language=Japanese}}</ref>

===Actor portrayal===
Much like his appearance, Luigi's vocal portrayal has fluctuated over the years. ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'', in which many characters were voiced for the first time, some characters, including Luigi, had two different voices; the North American and European versions of the game feature a low-pitched voice for Luigi, provided by [[Charles Martinet]], who also voiced [[Mario]], [[Wario]], and [[Waluigi]]. The Japanese version uses a high-pitched, [[falsetto]] voice, provided by the then French translator at Nintendo, Julien Bardakoff. Inconsistent voice acting continued with many [[Nintendo 64]] games; all versions of ''[[Mario Party (video game)|Mario Party]]'' feature Bardakoff's high-pitched clips from ''Mario Kart 64''.<ref name="Mario in Real Time" />

Luigi retained this higher voice in ''[[Mario Party 2]]''. In ''[[Mario Golf (video game)|Mario Golf]]'', ''[[Mario Tennis]]'', and ''[[Mario Party 3]]'', his voice returned to a lower state. Since then, with the exceptions of ''[[Mario Kart: Super Circuit]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', Luigi has consistently had a medium-pitched voice, performed by Martinet until 2023 and [[Kevin Afghani]] since 2023. In ''Mario Kart: Super Circuit'', Luigi's voice was the same high-pitched voice from the Japanese version of ''Mario Kart 64''. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. (video game)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', Luigi's voice is made up of clips from Mario's voice taken from ''[[Super Mario 64]]'', with raised pitches. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U]]'', and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', he has his own voice (which is medium-pitched) instead of a pitched-up version of Mario's.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} Luigi was voiced by [[Charlie Day]] in the [[The Super Mario Bros. Movie|2023 film adaptation]] and [[The Super Mario Galaxy Movie|2026 film adaption]] and was given a somewhat higher-pitched voice.<ref name="2023 film">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/chris-pratt-nintendo-direct-super-mario-bros-movie-cast-illumination-entertainment |title=Nintendo Direct: Chris Pratt Will Voice Mario in the Super Mario Bros. Movie |last=Murphy |first=J. Kim |work=[[IGN]] |date=September 23, 2021 |accessdate=September 24, 2021 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923223916/https://www.ign.com/articles/chris-pratt-nintendo-direct-super-mario-bros-movie-cast-illumination-entertainment |archivedate=September 23, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Appearances==
{{Main|List of Luigi video games}}[[File:MarioLuigi MarioBrosSprites.svg|The arcade version of ''[[Mario Bros.]]'', released in 1983, featured Luigi (right) in his debut appearance as a [[palette swap]] of Mario (left).|thumb]]Luigi's first appearance was in the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' as the character controlled by the second player. He retained this role in ''[[Wrecking Crew (video game)|Wrecking Crew]]''. He later appeared in ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' for the NES,<ref name="ignluigi" /> and again in ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]'', ''[[Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', and ''[[Super Mario World]]''. ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' introduced Luigi as the taller of the two brothers, as well as the better jumper. ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', and ''Super Mario World'' returned to featuring Luigi as identical to Mario. He made a minor appearance in his baby form in ''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]''. Luigi was conspicuously absent in ''[[Super Mario 64]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]''. However, the [[Super Mario 64 DS|Nintendo DS remake]] of ''Super Mario 64'' features him as a playable character alongside Mario, [[Yoshi]], and [[Wario]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/asmj/henshin/index.html|title=ヘンシン！|trans-title=Transformation！|date=December 4, 2004|publisher=nintendo.co|access-date=October 12, 2025}}</ref>

Luigi has been associated with the more difficult second acts of multiple ''Super Mario'' games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parish |first=Jeremy  |date=June 25, 2013 |title=New Super Luigi U Review |url=http://www.usgamer.net/articles/new-super-luigi-u-review |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150122081922/http://www.usgamer.net/articles/new-super-luigi-u-review |archive-date=January 22, 2015 |access-date=April 3, 2015 |website=[[USGamer]]}}</ref> These include ''The Lost Levels'', ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'', ''[[New Super Luigi U]]'' and the new game plus in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'', which offer more challenging elaborations on their respective predecessors and allow the player to use Luigi as the main character, with whom reduced friction and higher jumping is consistent in all of these games. Luigi became playable in the [[Nintendo DS]] game ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' as a hidden character, and as a hidden character in the Wii game ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''. In its sequel, ''Super Mario Galaxy 2'', the player can switch out for Luigi throughout the game.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Gilbert |first=Henry |date=April 23, 2010 |title=Luigi in Mario Galaxy 2? Official Japanese site says yes, Super Mario Galaxy 2 Wii News |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/luigi-in-mario-galaxy-2-official-japanese-site-says-yes/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220203061217/https://www.gamesradar.com/luigi-in-mario-galaxy-2-official-japanese-site-says-yes/ |archive-date=February 3, 2022 |access-date=May 4, 2022 |work=[[GamesRadar+]]}}</ref> He also appears as a playable character in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'', where four players can play at once cooperatively as Mario, Luigi, and two [[Toad (Mario)|Toad]]s. He also appears in ''Super Mario 3D Land'' as a playable character as well as ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]'' and ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'', the latter having a DLC mode, where he is the main character, called ''New Super Luigi U''. It has levels altered to his specific play abilities, including higher jumping. The DLC is also available as a standalone retail version. Luigi also appeared in ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'' along with his brother, Peach, Rosalina and Toad.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

Luigi appears in many of the ''Mario'' spin-off games, including ''[[Mario Kart]]'', ''[[Mario Party]]'', and all of the [[List of Mario sports games|''Mario'' sports games]]. He also appears in all five installments of the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series; in the first three installments and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|Ultimate]]'', he is an unlockable character. Luigi received his own starring role in the 2001 video game ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'', where he wins a mansion from a contest he never entered, and saves Mario from King Boo. He reprised his role in the installments ''[[Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon]]'' and ''[[Luigi's Mansion 3]]''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brown |first=Andrew |date=June 7, 2011 |title=Luigi's Mansion 2 to Haunt Nintendo 3DS |url=https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/26596/luigis-mansion-2-to-haunt-nintendo-3ds |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111127030437/http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/26596 |archive-date=November 27, 2011 |access-date=August 4, 2011 |website=Nintendo World Report}}</ref>

Luigi has appeared in every [[Mario role-playing games|''Mario'' role-playing games]]. While he originally made a cameo appearance in the end credits of ''[[Super Mario RPG]]'', he appears more prominently in the ''Paper Mario'' series. He is a non-playable character in the original ''[[Paper Mario]]''. In the sequel ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', he appears yet again as a [[non-player character]], going on a separate adventure from Mario's. ''[[Super Paper Mario]]'' features him as a playable character after he is initially brainwashed into working for the antagonist under the name "{{visible anchor|Mr. L}}". In ''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]'' and ''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]'', Luigi plays a minor role and can be found in the background of certain levels for a coin reward. In ''Color Splash'', Luigi appears at the end of the game driving a kart and helps Mario reach Bowser's Castle. In ''[[Paper Mario: The Origami King]]'', he once again helps Mario by retrieving the keys of Peach's Castle himself.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Paper Mario: The Origami King |url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch/Paper-Mario-The-Origami-King-1782440.html |access-date=June 13, 2020 |website=Nintendo of Europe GmbH |language=en-GB |archive-date=January 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128151823/https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-games/Paper-Mario-The-Origami-King-1782440.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The ''[[Mario & Luigi]]'' series features Luigi as a main protagonist.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

===Other media===
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Luigi made an appearance in the 1986 film ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!]]'' in which he was voiced by [[Yū Mizushima]]. He was not given his consistent color scheme, sporting a yellow shirt with a blue hat, and overalls. In the film, Luigi is a greedy character and even leaves Mario at one point to look for coins. He was also a little more serious, but less courageous than his brother Mario, who constantly daydreamed about Princess Peach.<ref name=":02">{{cite news |last1=Plunkett |first1=Luke |date=April 19, 2012 |title=There was a Good Super Mario Bros. Movie. Let's Watch it! |url=https://kotaku.com/there-was-a-good-super-mario-bros-movie-lets-watch-it-5903602 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201007131408/https://kotaku.com/there-was-a-good-super-mario-bros-movie-lets-watch-it-5903602 |archive-date=7 October 2020 |accessdate=4 October 2020 |work=Kotaku}}</ref> Luigi later made an appearance in the OVA ''[[Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros.]]'' released in 1989, in which the ''Mario'' characters portrayed in the story of [[Snow White]]. He appears at the end of the video to save Mario and Peach from the Wicked Queen, portrayed by [[Bowser|Koopa]].

Luigi regularly appeared in ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!]]'', airing from 1989 to 1990, which cast [[Danny Wells]] as both his live-action portrayal and voice. Like his brother, Luigi's voice actor changed in later cartoons, in his case to [[Tony Rosato]]. Even though he was not the starring character in the show, Luigi appeared in all 91 episodes of the three [[DiC]] [[List of non-video game media featuring Mario#Television|''Mario'' television animated series]], in one of which his brother himself did not appear ("Life's Ruff" from ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'').

Luigi played a different role in the [[Super Mario Bros. (film)|''Super Mario Bros.'' film]], where he was portrayed by [[John Leguizamo]].<ref name="smbfilm">{{Cite web |title=At the Movies: Super Mario Bros. |url=http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/ebertandroeper/index2.html?sec=6&subsec=Super+Mario+Bros. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20080921125750/http://bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/ebertandroeper/index2.html?sec=6&subsec=Super+Mario+Bros. |archive-date=September 21, 2008 |access-date=January 25, 2010 |website=Bventertainment}}</ref> He is depicted as a more easy-going character in contrast to the cynical Mario, portrayed by [[Bob Hoskins]].<ref name="smbfilm" /> In the film, Luigi is not Mario's twin, but is much younger to the point that Mario is said to have been like a surrogate father to him since their parents' deaths, and his romantic relationship with Daisy is one of the film's main plot elements. Luigi appears in ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'' and ''[[The Super Mario Galaxy Movie]]'' voiced by [[Charlie Day]].<ref name="u321">{{cite web | last=Schaffstall | first=Katherine | title='The Super Mario Bros. Movie': See Who Voices the Beloved Characters | website=The Hollywood Reporter | date=2023-04-10 | url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/super-mario-bros-movie-cast-voice-actors-guide/ | access-date=2024-11-13}}</ref> Luigi, alongside his brother Mario, are residents of Brooklyn who recently began their own plumbing business. Both stumble upon a Pipe, and while Mario is transported to the Mushroom Kingdom, Luigi is transported to the Dark Land where he is captured by Bowser and his forces. He later reunites with Mario near the film's climax to defeat Bowser.

== Reception ==
{{Expand section|date=October 2025}}
Allegra Frank of ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' commented that the English manual for ''[[Mario Party (video game)|Mario Party]]'' described him  as "smarter than Mario", but since ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'', Luigi has been defined by his wimpish persona, and due to being overshadowed by Mario, he "has an inferiority complex unparalleled in gaming".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Frank |first=Allegra |date=2017-07-03 |title=When did Luigi become such a scaredy cat? |url=https://www.polygon.com/2017/7/3/15914642/why-is-luigi-scared |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref> ''[[Den of Geek]]'' writer David Crow thought Luigi was "cooler" than Mario because he "jumps higher, runs faster", and particularly praised his appearance in the 1993 ''Super Mario Bros.'' movie as portrayed by [[John Leguizamo]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crow |first=David |date=2023-04-08 |title=The Original Super Mario Bros. Movie Understood a Universal Truth: Luigi Is Cooler |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-original-super-mario-bros-movie-universal-truth-luigi-is-cooler/ |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=Den of Geek |language=en-US}}</ref> Alex Siquig writing for ''[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]]'' also felt that Luigi was unappreciated. He commented that Luigi has existed "within the confines of Mario's pixelated shadow since 1983" but felt that he had successfully carved out his own personality making a relatable character that is more than just a palette swap for Mario.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siquig |first=Alex |date=2021-02-24 |title=Character Study: Luigi, the Other Mario Brother |url=https://www.theringer.com/2021/02/24/video-games/luigi-mario-bros-character-study-inferiority-complex |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=[[The Ringer (website)|The Ringer]] |language=en}}</ref>

==Legacy==
{{Main|Year of Luigi}}

On March 19, 2013, Nintendo began the "Year of Luigi". This included a year of Luigi-themed games like ''[[Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon]]'', ''[[Dr. Luigi]]'', ''[[Mario & Luigi: Dream Team]]'', and ''[[New Super Luigi U]]''. A ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'' statue was released on [[Club Nintendo]]. On March 19, 2014, the Year of Luigi ended.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gaston |first=Martin |date=February 18, 2014 |title=Miyamoto puts an official end to the Year of Luigi |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/miyamoto-puts-an-official-end-to-the-year-of-luigi/1100-6417820/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170710041824/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/miyamoto-puts-an-official-end-to-the-year-of-luigi/1100-6417820/ |archive-date=July 10, 2017 |access-date=December 30, 2016 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref>

In 2015, game designer Josh Millard released ''[[Ennuigi]]'' which relates the story of Luigi's inability to come to terms with the lack of narrative in the original ''Super Mario Bros''.<ref name="Billock 2015">{{Cite web |last=Billock |first=Jennifer |date=August 6, 2015 |title=One of the Mario Bros. has an existential crisis in the new game Ennuigi |url=https://www.avclub.com/one-of-the-mario-bros-has-an-existential-crisis-in-the-1798282735 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160831000522/http://www.avclub.com/article/one-mario-bros-has-existential-crisis-new-game-enn-223496 |archive-date=August 31, 2016 |access-date=May 4, 2022 |website=[[The A.V. Club]]}}</ref><ref name="Maiberg 2015">{{Cite web |last=Maiberg |first=Emanuel |date=August 17, 2015 |title=Uh Oh, Luigi Read Some Derrida and Now He's 'Ennuigi' |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/uh-oh-luigi-read-some-derrida-and-now-hes-ennuigi/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108130755/https://www.vice.com/en/article/vvbwgj/uh-oh-luigi-read-some-derrida-and-now-hes-ennuigi |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |access-date=May 3, 2022 |website=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]}}</ref><ref name="Schneider 2015">{{Cite web |last=Schneider |first=Martin |date=August 6, 2015 |title='Ennuigi': Nintendo for pretentious existentialists |url=http://dangerousminds.net/comments/ennuigi_nintendo_for_pretentious_existentialists |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160903010105/http://dangerousminds.net/comments/ennuigi_nintendo_for_pretentious_existentialists |archive-date=September 3, 2016 |access-date=August 31, 2016 |website=Dangerous Minds |publisher=DangerousMinds.net}}</ref> In a [[Reddit]] thread, Millard commented that he enjoyed creating "a recharacterization of Luigi as a guy who's as legitimately confused and distressed by his strange life as you'd expect a person to be once removed from the bubble of cartoony context of the franchise."<ref name="Messner 2016">{{Cite magazine |last=Messner |first=Steven |date=August 29, 2016 |title=In Ennuigi you play a depressed, chain-smoking Luigi who's lost all hope |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/ennuigi-mario-flash-game/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160901124530/http://www.pcgamer.com/ennuigi-mario-flash-game/ |archive-date=September 1, 2016 |access-date=August 31, 2016 |magazine=[[PC Gamer]]}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Mario franchise}}
{{Luigi}}
{{Super Smash Bros.}}
{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Luigi| ]]
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