Conspiracy theories are almost as old as time itself. Whether they are more serious in-tone. Like, for example, who really killed JFK. Or, simply humourse conclusions; like Sony intentionally making the sonic design bad in order to create more attention. Regardless, the internet, whether for better, or for worse, makes it easier than ever for conspiracy theories to spread all across the world with a click of a button. And, with enough time and effort, anyone can back their conspiracy up with evidence, whether to be truthful or not.
The more involved a community is with a particular subject, the more conspiracy theories are created. The world of gaming is not immune to this general trend. In some ways, there are actually more crazy conspiracy theories in gaming than most places, due to gaming appealing to a wider audience. And, what better candidate for would-be hoax-creators than one of the most popular franchises of all time?
After almost 40 years, the Mario franchise has developed some of the most developed, in-depth conspiracy theories ever created. Ranging from a simple observation, to an entire novel worth of in-depth analyzation. So, don your plumber hat and put on your overalls for “10 Super Mario Conspiracy Theories.”
10: Super Mario Bros 3 Is A Tribute To Satan – Super Mario Bros 3
Super Mario Bros 3 is one of the most popular games on the original NES. As the last true Super Mario platformer on the console, many didn’t think much of the lore outside of the core gameplay. However, a truly insane conspiracy theory, popularized by the YouTuber “TheAngeryVideoGameNerd” states that Super Mario Brothers 3 is actually a tribute to the biblical Satan.
The theory points out several signs that could be interpreted as satanic messages hidden in plain sight within the game. For starters, the seven koopa kids, Larry, Morton Jr, Wendy, Iggy, Lemmy, Roy and Ludwig Von Kuppa represent the 7 deadly sins. “Sloth, Wrath, Lust, Pride, Envy, Gluttony and Greed respectively.” It’s debated if Bowser represents the 8th deadly sin “Despair” or the arch-angle Michael from biblical texts. Although, the theme of mario ascending towards evil is consistent across all interpretations of the conspiracy theory.
Furthermore, on the third level, of stage one. there is a white platform that the player can stand on. If the player bends on the block for 6, in-game seconds the player will fall through the level. The player can then run off-screen and acquire a magical whistle, which grants the player the power to skip levels. This is supposedly a representation of Mario bowing to Satan for 6 seconds in order to achieve great power. 6 is the biblical number for the mark of the beast, a vital portion of the book of revelations in the bible is devoted to explaining that in the end times if one where to bow to it, they would be granted power by the anti-christ, also known as Satan.
The number 6 is actually used extensively within the game, with the games “Power Meter” being exactly 6. If the player fills the meter out entirely, they can achieve the ability to run quickly, or, with a Racoon-Suit powerup, fly. This is supposedly symbolic of how, through the power of Satan, one can ascend to be like God. Finally, the sixth level of the game is centered around ice, but, mostly freeing frozen planet monsters from there prison. This is supposedly an example of tartus, the afterlife in greek mythology that christanity heavily borrows from.
Other examples of Satanic immigray include: The fact that all of the stars in this game are actually pentagrams. The card game played at toad houses are actually a reference to tarot cards. God is watching you at all times in almost every level through the hills, clouds and even the ocean. However, the only time these eyes are vaccuent is in World 8, or hell. Finialy, on the map of World 8, the skulls in the background are arranged in a heart-shaped, which represents how they love hell.
9: Dr. Mario Is An Imposter – Dr. Mario
On a less-satanic note, Dr. Mario is a gameboy-exclusive mario puzzle game where you play as Dr. Mario as he works on curing patients of diseases. The game plays like Tetris, where the player has to prescribe the correct medication to eliminate the corresponding viruses in order to clear the screen of viruses. If the medicine reaches the top of the gaming-screen, the player will game-over.
However, a rather jarring conspiracy theory suggests that Dr. Mario is actually not the same character as Super Mario, rather, an imposter. To start, Dr. Mario is one of the few characters to be included in the video game series Super Smash Brothers series while being mostly identical to an already existing character, that being Mario. Dr. Mario plays in a very similar way to Mario, having almost the same moveset. However, unlike every other characters that are duplicates of existing characters within that game; Dr. Mario is noticeably different to classic Mario.
For starters, Dr. Mario actually weighs more than classic mario. The only in-game explanation for this is that “His PhD weighs him down.” Not only is this statement ludicrous, but it is also un-true. There is no verifiable evidence within any Dr. Mario game that states Dr. Mario is in any way a qualified physician. Furthermore, even if Dr. Mario was being weighed-down by a PhD, hen why doesn’t it affect actual Mario? Another thing to point out, is that in the main Mario games, no one ever talks to Mario as if he was a doctor. In fact, no one ever uses his supposed honorific title.
Lastly, the most concrete-evidence for Dr. Mario not being the same character as the Mario we know and love, comes from the original Dr. Mario. To further prove that Dr. Mario is an imposter; In the original Dr. Mario game for the Gameboy, Dr. Mario’s hair is of a noticeably different color. It is also important to note, that there were no geographical limitations at the time that would have forced the development team to change Mario’s hair color, thus, it was an intentional choice, meaning Dr. Mario and Mario are not one-in-the-same and Dr. Mario is an imposter.
8: The Original Super Mario Brothers Is An Allegory For Communism – Super Mario Bros
The original Super Mario Brothers for the NES was released in 1983, almost a decade before the collapse of the Soviet Union. However, this conspiracy theory states that during that time, the original Super Mario Brothers was created in-part by the Soviet Union and Japan’s communiest party as propaganda. Supposedly, the main story and symbolism within the game prove it.
To start, Mario’s colors are Red and Yellow in this game, two colors particularly associated with communism. Those two colors are the colors that were used on the soviet union’s flag and where also used on the flags of multiple other communist countries at the time, such as China or Vietnam. This is contrary to the original Mario Brothers and Donkey Kong, where Mario is red and blue. Furthermore, there were no limitations on the original NES that could have prevented Mario from keeping his original color scheme, meaning the change was unnecessary.
Also of note, the Japanese Communist Party was at its most powerful between the 1970s-1980s. This was right around the time the first Super Mario Bros was developed and released for the NES. According to the conspiracy theory, every element of the SUper Mario Bros game was in-part influenced by the Japanise Communest Party. To further elaborate on the symbolism that was supposedly imputed by the Japanise Communist Party and/or the Soviet Union, Mario is a blue-collar worker, the main demographic communism at the time appealed to.
The main story of Super Mario Bros also backs-up this idea. Mario is a blue-collar worker that has to overthrow a tyrant, all-powerful king. He goes from world to world, stomping any Koopa in his path, before he deposes of the evil king once and for all. At the end of every level, Mario tears-down Bowser’s flag, the flag, by the way, happens to be a peace symbol. But, before the next level starts, Mario raisis his own flag, a red star, which is also synonymous with communism.
7: Luigi’s Corpse Is Inside The Killer Piano – Super Mario 64
We all had “that moment” in Super Mario 64 where we were innocent children, helplessly wondering a haunted house, before that giant, invincible piano sprang to life, causing the first feeling of true fear in many players. However, this insane conspiracy theory suggests that not only is Mario’s loveable green brother luigi dead, but his corpse is hidden inside of the killer piano.
When Mario made the leap into the third dimension, many people questioned: “Where is Luigi and why wasn’t he in the game?” Up to this point, Luigi had been playable in every main-line Mario game, excluding the original Donkey Kong. Luigi was even a stand-alone playable character in Super Mario Bros 2. One of the most popular theories for his absence was that he was a playable character that could be unlocked. However, this much darker conspiracy theory concludes that the statue resting inside of the fountain in the center of the castle courtyard is actually a gravestone for Luigi, supposedly reading “Lugi, Rest In Peace, 1983-1996”
To make this even more convincing, scattered around the rest of the courtyard are Boos, the game’s signature undead enemy. To make this coincidence even more weird, this is the only place in the entire game that Boo’s can be found. That is, except for the obviously haunted mansion level. The theory takes an even darker-turn by concluding that Luigi’s corpse is actually inside of the giant Piano.
So, why the giant Piano of all places? Simple, first, the Piano only reacts when Mario interacts with it. If Mario simply walks past the Piano it will not attempt to harm Mario in any way; no other enemy is neutral towards Mario in this way. Secondly, the Piano is invincible, Mario is fully capable of lifting a giant, fire-breathing turtle monster. If he can so-easily toss-around such a large creature, than why can’t he simply destroy the Piano? Maybe, he leaves it alone out of respect? Lastly, if you look closely, the Piano has no piano parts necessary to create music. However, it has just enough room to hold a Lugi-Sized corpse just right-out of the players line of sight.
6: The Games Are In-Universe Propaganda – Super Mario Bros
Princess Peach is one of the main characters within the Mario franchise. She first made her debut in the original Super Mario Bros for the NES as the typical damsel in distress. However, this insane conspiracy theory suggests that the titular princess of the Mushroom Kingdom isn’t as innocent as she mightlet-on. For starters, as is often overlooked, Peach is a political ruler, and, an absolute monarch at that. So, it would be in her best interest to take a direct approach when dealing with her citizens.
The first clue that the Mario games are not as they appear, is the fact that no matter the game, Peach is the victim. In the original games, she is almost never shown being kidnapped, or mishandled in any way. In the real world, it is almost never so black-and-white, as a matter of fact, in the Mario universe, we know that it is in fact not so black-and-white. For starters, almost none of the enemies in the original games actively attack Mario. Rather, they just go-about their day, making no effort to actively hurt Mario in any way. Goombas and Koopas are literally just walking in a straight line.
So, why are they portrayed as the enemy? Theoretically, you can beat all three of the original Mario games without killing anyone except for the bosses and Bowser himself. So, why are they portrayed as evil, while Peach and her mushroom army are portrayed as good in every circumstance? This conspiracy theory suggests that the games actually do not represent reality, but rather are an in-universe example of propaganda created by Peach.
For starters, we are never shown Bowser’s point of view or any reason for why he might continue to kidnap Peach. If you put it into that context, It doesn’t make any since for Bowser to continue to kidnap Peach when Mario will just rescue her again. That is, unless Bowser is trying to take something from Peach. However, logically, we can conclude that there is nothing Peach can offer him. After all, he is an absolute monarch of his own country, what does he need Peach for? As a final nail in the coffin, have we ever seen Bowser, or any of his minions harming any of mushroom kingdoms residents ever? If he is truly as evil as Peach claims he is, than why hasn’t he harmed the citizens of the mushroom kingdom in any way?
Thus, the only logical conclusion is that the games actually didn’t happen, rather, they are a tool of propaganda created by Peach’s government to lead you to believe that Bowser is the villain. However, the true reality is that Peach is an evil dictator who wants to oppress the people of the Mushroom Kingdom. Meanwhile, Bowser is a liberation force, hell-bent on liberating the people of the mushroom kingdom.
5: Donkey Kong’s Father Killed Mario’s Father – Donkey Kong
This conspiracy theory theorized that the original Jumpman from the Arcade game Donkey Kong is in fact, both Mario and Luigi’s father. Since the original Jumpman disappeared after the end of Donkey Kong Jr, it is impossible for him to be the current Mario. Furthermore, if that’s the case, than Mario and Luigi’s father must have been the original Jumpman from the original arcade games.
To start, both Mario and Luigi are superhuman plumbers that live in magical land of the Mushroom Kingdom. Meanwhile, Jumpman is an ordinary carpenter that lives in New York. If the original arcade machines are to be believed, Jumpman fell in love with a woman named Pauline before the Mario Brothers where born. However, according to the game and watch game, Donkey Kong Circus, Jumpman used to torure Donkey Kong’s father relentlessly by forcing him to do circus tricks. However, one day, Donkey Kong escaped, kidnapping Jumpmans love Pauline while scaling a construction site.
Jumpman, after a brutal stand-off, was able to rescue Pauline from certain death by unscrewing the support bolts to the outside scaffolding, causing Donkey Kong’s father to fall off-of the building, unconscious. After this showdown, Jumpman and Pauline had two kids in-between the events of Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr, due to the fact that we actually see them in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island.
From there, because of unclear reasons, Jumpman goes back to his Ape-Abusing ways and kidnaps Donkey Kong’s father once again. However, this time, instead of Donkey Kong’s father escaping on his own, his son, the current Donkey Kong, helps free him. At the end of Donkey Kong Jr, we see Donkey Kong Jr destroying the support beam that Donkey Kong and Jumpman are standing on. When the support beam falls, Donkey Kong Jr catches his father, while Jumpman falls face-first into the ground. However, before Jumpman can do any more damage, Donkey Kong’s father punches Jumpman, who then runs off-screen where he presumably dies, as he is never mentioned or seen again. This would mean that Donkey Kong’s father killed the father of the Mario Bros.
4: Luigi Is A Chaos God And Only Mario Keeps Him In Check – Super Paper Mario
For most players, Luigi is simply a gameplay alternative to Mario for co-op play and not much more. To many players, Luigi is a bumbling idiot that is, and will always be number two. However, this conspiracy theory suggests that Luigi’s cowardly demeanor is entirely justified. Due to the fact that, besides for his brother, Luigi just might be one of the most powerful beings in the entire mushroom kingdom.
The evidence proving that Luigi is more powerful than he lets-on starts-off in the natorusley narrative-driven game, Super Paper Mario. In this game, Luigi is implied to be the reincarnation of Count Bleck’s Great Grandfather. Thus making him the only perfect host for the Chaos Heart. The Chao Heart is an artifact that was capable of destroying every reality that exists. To further prove of his power, Luigi is the final boss of the game, turning into a universal abomination that can only be stopped by using the other 7 strongest artifacts in the Super Paper Mario universe, the Pure Hearts.
Another example of Luigi’s strange and powerful nature comes from Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. In this game, Luigi has a side story that the playerer can not interact with in any way, only hear about from secondary sources. However, it is revealed that Luigi created an immense path of destruction across the entire kingdom he was trying to save. In the game Mario And Luigi: Dream Team, we see that Luigi is the only person powerful-enough to create a way to the dream world, an alternate reality powered by dreams.
However, these examples are by no means even scratching the surface of Luigi’s strange and terrifying powers. If Luigi was indeed a being of unprecedented power, than it makes sense why he has his biggest fear, ghosts. Luigi fears that a ghost-like entity might someday possies him, taking advantage of his incredible power. Finialy, this also explains why Luigi always stays right beside his brother. If he ever becomes evil, or simply loses control of his powers, he can rest easy if Mario reminds by his side to help minimize any possible damage.
3: King Boo Has Been Possessing Bowsers Dead Body Since Paper Mario – Paper Mario
Bowser is one of the most iconic video game bosses in gaming. And, like any great villain, Bowser has some of the most iconic deaths within the Mario universe. However, have you ever stopped to think about how Bowser can survive basically almost certain death over and over again? With one of the most pivotal examples being Super Mario Galaxy One, where Bowser falls into a star and is then stranded on a planet that turns into a black hole. This conspiracy theory attempts to offer an explanation.
Most think nothing of King Boo, a run-of-the-mill Mario B-list character that is almost never used, outside of Luigi’s Mansion or Mario Kart. However, this conspiracy theory explains that Bowser and King Boo plays a much larger role together in the Mario series than what might appear on the surface. While this is never explained directly, this theory claims that there are several instances in the Mario series which give hints about the true nature of Bowser and King Boo.
If you really think about it, there is no explanation as to why Browser keeps coming back. Sure, he is a giant turtle monster, but there is no explanation on how Bowser can survive so much and still being able to come out un-scaved. I perfect example of this is Paper Mario, where Bowser is thrown off-of an exploding platform thousands of feet in the sky. It doesn’t matter how tough or resilient he has been in the past. Mario fell from the same height at the very beginning of the game, and even he got killed, even though Mario was revived later by the Star Spirits.
So, the only logical explanation for Bowser being alive is the fact that he, in fact, must be dead. After all, there is literally no way for Bowser to have survived a fall much further than what killed even Mario, especially since they both have similar durability. But if Bowser has “died,” then why is he still alive as the main villain in the Mario series today? The only explanation is that Bowser’s corpse is being controlled by an outside force.
At the end of Paper Mario, you can read a sign explaining how confident the Toad’s are that Bowser will not return, than even say that “Bowser was badly beaten and will likely never return. We’re sure of it, almost positive.” Why would they say this if they were not convinced that Bowser was dead? As a final nail in the coffin, tin the Gamecube game “Luigi’s Mansion” you can talk to a fortune teller who has shown to be able to accurately predicted the future.
She flat-out says that King Boo has revived Bowser from death. Wh-what is this!? Bowser?! How can this be?! I see the hideous form of Bowser! Is Bowser somewhere in this mansion? I cannot believe it… And yet I see it… I thought that Mario had soundly defeated Bowser! Has King Boo somehow revived Bowser? This could be horrible! Well, for you.” The last kicker is that King Boo actually possess Bowser’s dead corpse on-screen.
2: The Penguins Are A Brutal Society Hell-Bent On Dominating The Universe – Super Mario 64
Anyone who has ever played Super Mario 64 remembers gleefully dropping that annoying baby penguin off-of the level and into the great abyss. However, if this crazy conspiracy theory is ture, than you might want to hold-off on the baby penguin genocide. Those cute, innocent little penguins might just be the greatest directorial world-conquering masterminds the universe has ever seen. And, the games themselves prove it.
For starters, in the Wii game “Super Mario Galaxy” we see the little blue puffballs all over the galaxy. As a matter of fact, in both Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy Two, they are present on every single water-based planet. It’s also important to note, that no other species in the Mario series lives on multiple planets, let alone multiple galaxies. Except for the Toads, who have been established to be explorers, not in any way residents or settlers.
So,how did the blue balls of feathers get onto so many planets, let alone multiple galaxies? Let-alone on every single water planet? Well, this conspiracy theory concludes that they are world-conquering discators on a universal scale. How do we know this? Every planet they dominate serves a specialized purpose. One planet is literally just a race course, another is a swimming school, even one is just a vacation spot. The odds of two planets in the same solar system both having life is ridiculously slim, let alone galaxies that naturally have the same life form. The fact that the same species exists means that they must have colonized it in some way, shape or form?
Finialy, we know for a fact that the planets they inhabited where not peacefully colonized, but brutally conquered. How do we know this? On all, but the racing course planets, we have sunken ruins of buildings, ships and monuments right below the surface. Meaning the only logical conclusion is that the penguins are brutally conquering already inhabited planets in order to fuel their universal conquest.
1: The Entire Mario Universe Is Based On The Hallucinations Of A Drug Addict
If you really think about it, the Mario universe if filled with things that only a drug-addict could come up with. Turtles with wings, mushrooms that make your grow, Itlanian plumbers that go down pipes, weird mushroom people that give you stuff for free; the list goes on. However, this conspiracy theory states just that. That the entire Maro series is nothing, but a drug-induced hallucination.
For starters, the game is filled with psychedelic drug-metaphors. In the original Super Mario Bros, Mushrooms are obviously symbolic of psilocybin mushrooms. The fire-flower is symbolic of opioids. Finialy, super-stars are symbolic of LSD, which sometimes goes by the nickname “Blackstar.” Every one of these powers are metaphors for drugs, and, more specifically, psychedelic drugs, that are well-known for causing hallucinations. And, who else is collecting these powerups, but our favorite plumber Mario?
However, the theory doesn’t end there. As the series goes on, Mario gets more and more addicted to these hallucination-causing drugs Becoming further and further distant from reality, descending deeper into his psychedelic madness. This is manifested as the series getting more cartoonish with every game. This even explains Mario’s many new power ups. Being new manifestations of his new search for more powerful drugs. For an example, Mario’s many caps can easily be seen as a metaphor for “Caps” which is slang for GHB, or even “Moons” which is slang for Mescaline. Finally, this theory also explains why the characters in Mario’s drug-induced hallucinations are so inconsistent. One moment, Bowser is fire-breathing turtle monster hell-bent on conquering the mushroom kingdom. The next, he is playing a casual game of tennis. This would mean that everything within the Mario universe, besides Mario himself, are just the drug-induced hallucination of a regular drug addict.
