Not to be confused withRainbow Mario.

Invincible Mario
Artwork fromSuper Mario Bros. Wonder
Applies to	Mario,Luigi,Peach,Daisy,Toad,Yellow Toad,Blue Toad,Toadette,Yoshi,Red Yoshi,Yellow Yoshi,Light-Blue Yoshi,Purple Yoshi,Blue Yoshi,Rosalina,Nabbit,Plessie,Wario,Diddy Kong,Dixie Kong,Kiddy Kong All characters inMario Party: Island Tour,Mario Party 10,Super Mario Party Jamboree, theMario Kart series,Super Smash Bros. series,Mario Tennis,Mario Hoops 3-on-3, andMario Sports Mix
Item needed	Super Star,Hiranya,Invincibility Barrel
Power(s) given	Defeat enemies on contact, invulnerablility, attractcoins (Super Mario Run andSuper Mario Bros. Wonder)
First appearance	Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Latest appearance	Mario Tennis Fever (2026)

Invincible Mario, also referred to asstar status,^[1] is a form that makes its debut inSuper Mario Bros.Mario can assume the form after using aSuper Star, which made its debut in the same game; while in this state, he is unaffected by mostenemies and obstacles, and can defeat most of them by simply touching them. However, the state only lasts a few seconds, and Mario can still lose a life if he falls into apit, toucheslava,poison,ash, or aBoohemoth, gets crushed in any way, orruns out of time. Invincibility is usually depicted by a flashing, color-changing character. Unless he is already in another invincibility-granting form (like theWhite Tanooki form, which is incompatible with this form), Mario usually retains his current form while invincible (for example, ifFire Mario gets a Super Star, he becomes invincible, but retains his Fire form).

This form is distinct from the state of invulnerability Mario gets for several seconds after taking damage in most games.

History[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario Bros. /Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[edit]

Super Mario Bros. (artwork)

Super Mario Bros. marks this form's debut, and it returns inSuper Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Enemies defeated by this form give the samepoints as if they were beaten by fireballs.

Super Mario Bros. 2 /Super Mario Advance[edit]

InSuper Mario Bros. 2, Super Stars, and thus invincibility, are gained by grabbing fiveCherries. Because enemies respawn off-screen andhearts spawn for every eight foes defeated, this form is mainly used to recover health.

InSuper Mario Advance, however, hearts spawn differently, enemies only respawn upon returning to an area, and a traditionalSuper Mario World-style point system is added; as such, this form can be used to gain extra lives instead, as in most other 2DSuper Mario games.

Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]

InSuper Mario Bros. 3, Invincible Mariosomersaults when he jumps if he is notSmall Mario, in a similar manner toSamus Aran. Also, there are some? Blocks that normally contain coins, but instead contain Super Stars if Mario or Luigi is invincible when they strike the block. This allows the player to string together a long period of invincibility, and thus gain even more points (and inSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, extra lives).

Super Mario Land[edit]

Super Mario Land features the same invincibility as inSuper Mario Bros. Because of the limitations for theGame Boy hardware, Mario only changes between two monochrome colors.

Super Mario World[edit]

Starting withSuper Mario World, Invincible Mario starts earningextra lives from the eighth enemy defeated onwards (which also gives an increasing point reward up to that point). This property was also included in the Game Boy Advance remakes ofSuper Mario Bros. 2 andSuper Mario Bros. 3, which originally did not have it.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]

InSuper Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Mario starts earning extra lives from the fifth enemy defeated onwards, rather than the eighth.

Super Mario 64[edit]

Although the Invincible form does not appear inSuper Mario 64, theMetal form has a similar function, destroying any enemies Mario touches.

New Super Mario Bros. series[edit]

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

In theNew Super Mario Bros. series, Invincible Mario returns, working as it did inSuper Mario World. In addition to making players invincible, it also increases one's running speed inNew Super Mario Bros., and it can be shared inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii,New Super Mario Bros. U, andNew Super Luigi U if an invincible player lifts a vulnerable partner (or vice-versa). The last three games also give the player the ability to clearEnemy Courses on the map without entering them, though they will not get any items from them. The form also makes the characters somersault like inSuper Mario Bros. 3, even in Small form.

New Super Mario Bros. also featuresMega Mario, which is similarly invincible. In certain courses, the Invincible form creates a trail ofBlue Coins behind Mario/Luigi.

New Super Mario Bros. 2, in addition to bringing back the Mega form, also introducesWhite Raccoon Mario (gained just like the White Tanooki form fromSuper Mario 3D Land), which gives permanent invincibility for the level in addition toRaccoon Mario's abilities, the ability to walk on water (likeMini Mario), and a faster-chargingP-Meter. If White Raccoon Mario uses a Super Star, this form's invincibility will override its own until it wears off. However, Mega Mario simply gets 1000 points upon using a Super Star.

Super Mario Galaxy /Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]

InSuper Mario Galaxy,Super Mario Galaxy 2, andSuper Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2, there is a similar form known asRainbow Mario that can be obtained by using aRainbow Star. Unlike the Invincible form, the Rainbow form speeds up until it expires and can break through objects, but it cannot give Mario extra lives, nor can it be combined with any other form.

Super Mario 3D Land[edit]

InSuper Mario 3D Land, Invincible Mario makes its 3DSuper Mario debut. As inSuper Mario Land 2, Mario must only defeat five enemies to start gaining extra lives, rather than the usual eight. Unlike in most games, Mario merely glows golden while invincible in this game. Like inSuper Mario Bros. 3, Invincible Mario somersaults when he jumps in this game and its successorSuper Mario 3D World.

Also,White Tanooki Mario debuts in this game, becoming available by anInvincibility Leaf after dying five times in a row on a (skipped) normal world course. In addition toTanooki Mario's abilities, it makes Mario permanently invincible for the level, though he cannot gain extra lives by defeating enemies.Super Stars do not affect White Tanooki Mario.

Super Mario 3D World /Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]

InSuper Mario 3D World, invincibility works as it did in theNew Super Mario Bros. games, with the only differences being that an extra life is gained for every eighth enemy defeated (instead of every enemy from the eighth onwards), and invincible players merely need to touch others to share the invincibility, rather than grab them. The newLucky Bell letsMario turn into an invinciblelucky cat statue for a brief time. The Mega and White Tanooki forms also return.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury introduces theInvincibility Bell (gained by using aCat Marioamiibo), which grants theWhite Cat form, applying the White Tanooki form's invincibility to Cat Mario instead. If an invincible character ridesPlessie, it will also gain the invincibility properties for a short time. However, the invincibility given by this form, the White Tanooki form, and the White Cat form does not protect Mario or Plessie from the goop in theBowser's Fury campaign.

Super Mario Run[edit]

InSuper Mario Run, the Super Star once again grants invincibility. Invincible characters run faster and attract nearby coins, except forBlack Coins andRed Coins. Similarly, anyHidden Coins around them are revealed, which usually also collects them because of the coin attraction effect.Bonus Medals are also attracted. In Toad Rally, the Super Star triggers a special version ofCoin Rush that ends precisely when the player's invincibility ends. A similar, unnamed effect happens while the player is invincible in Remix 10.

Super Mario Odyssey[edit]

Although power-ups, including Super Stars, do not return inSuper Mario Odyssey, Mario can still become briefly invincible if any Marioamiibo is used. In this game, the music is recycled fromRainbow Run, and Mario does not instantly defeat enemies upon contact; his life meter does not decrease whereas he still receives knockback.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]

The Invincible form reappears inSuper Mario Bros. Wonder. Also, the player is able to attract nearby coins (flower coins in addition to yellow coins) just like inSuper Mario Run.

DIC cartoons[edit]

InThe Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, neither Invincible Mario or Luigi ever made an appearance, as a Starman would not turn Mario or Luigi invincible, but instead served as an alternative to theFire Flower for becoming "Super Mario" or "Super Luigi".

InThe Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and theSuper Mario World television series, characters can become invincible for a limited time by using aStarman. As shown in "Party Line", this invincibility state also makes characters strong enough to launch enemies into space. In both shows, the Bros. flash two palettes:Fire and normal. The flashing invincibility palettes are red and green if Mario or Luigi is wearing theFrog Suit in the former show.

Mario Kart series[edit]

Screenshot fromMario Kart DS

In theMario Kart series, every driver can become invincible by touching and/or using a Super Star, allowing them to drive faster, take out hazards, and make other drivers spin-out or tumble by touching them—unless both drivers are invincible, in which case they bump each other normally. InMario Kart Tour, aFrenzy will make the driver invincible. TheStar Thwomps ofthe original Rainbow Road are also invincible, causing the same effects to any driver that runs into them, though invincible drivers can still defeat them (or stun them in later games).

InMario Kart World, controlling thecargo truck gives the similar effect of being invincible, allowing drivers to knock over any vehicles and objects in their way.

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3[edit]

InWario Land: Super Mario Land 3,Wario gains this form by collecting a Super Star. In this state, he becomes faster and gains 10 hearts for each enemy defeated by touch.

Yoshi's Island series[edit]

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island,Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3, andYoshi's Island DS allowBaby Mario to become invincible by grabbing a Super Star. In this state, he is referred to asSuperstar Mario and is able to touchspikes safely, glide with a cape, run up walls, and run faster than theYoshis.Yoshi's New Island instead features theYoshi Star, which turns the Yoshis themselves intoSuper Yoshis, granting them the same abilities as Superstar Mario bar the cape glide.

Mario & Luigi series[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story /Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]

InMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story andMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, in one ofBowser Memory M's moves, he uses a Super Star to become invincible and attack the Mario Bros., complete with the theme music and the effect of knocking a hit bro off-screen for the move's duration.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team[edit]

InMario & Luigi: Dream Team,Dreamy Mario has an attack where he and his duplicates become invincible with a Super Star and run toward Mario repeatedly.

In theMad Skillathon, theStar Rocket game has Super Stars. Collecting one makes the rocket invincible. In this state, the player earns two points for collecting a little star, increasing from one point. The player can also pass throughdamage balloons, which normally end the game, earning two points as well.

Mario Golf: World Tour / Mario Sports Superstars[edit]

Invincible Mario makes a small appearance inMario Golf: World Tour andMario Sports Superstars in a post-hole cutscene, specifically when either Mario orGold Mario/Metal Mario receives anEagle or better.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]

Invincible Mario and Invincible Luigi inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie

During the climax ofThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, both Mario and Luigi turn invincible by grabbing the Super Star Bowser stole before being hit by his fire breath. This allows them to effortlessly beat him and his forces, as well as destroyhis ship.

Invincibility in other games[edit]

InDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest,Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, andDonkey Kong Land 2, theKongs can become invincible by breaking through anInvincibility Barrel. While invincible, they temporarily gain the same effects as a Super Star, such as immunity to most obstacles and the ability to defeat enemies by touching them. However, even in this state, they still lose a life if they fall in a pit.

Yoshi's Story features theSuper Happy form, gained by eating aHeart Fruit or collecting six melons from a minigame. In this form, not only are the Yoshis briefly invincible, they also gain super strength (including improvedGround Pounds), a longer tongue, a betterFlutter Jump, and an infinite supply of eggs for the form's duration.

InYoshi's Woolly World andPoochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, once Yoshi touches anInvincibility Egg (which spawns after five deaths), he glows orange and be immune to damage from enemies and their attacks. However, Yoshi cannot instantly defeat enemies by touching them, and he can still be pushed by enemies, and instantly defeated by spike pits, bottomless pits, lava, and being crushed.

InSuper Mario sports titles where Super Stars appear as items, likeMario Hoops 3-on-3 andMario Sports Mix, invincible characters become immune to the effects of other items.

Profiles[edit]

Super Mario Land[edit]

• Virtual Console manual description:When you pick up a Star, Mario will become invincible for a short time. Any enemy he touches during this time will be defeated automatically.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins[edit]

• Virtual Console manual description:Pick up a Star to become temporarily invincible. In this state, you can defeat enemies simply by touching them.

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Invincible Mario.

• 

  Super Mario Bros.

• 

  Super Mario Bros.

• 

  Super Mario Bros. (Small Mario)

• 

  Super Mario Bros. (Super Mario)

• 

  Super Mario Bros. Special (Sharp X1)

Names in other languages[edit]

Notes[edit]

• Invincible Mario's theme inNew Super Mario Bros. is reused from the theme ofWing Mario/Vanish Mario fromSuper Mario 64, which in turn is an arrangement ofSuperstar Mario's theme fromSuper Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.
• A slowed-down remix of Invincible Mario's theme plays onStar World fromSuper Mario World.

See also[edit]

• Metal Mario
• Rainbow Mario

References[edit]