Toad (species)

Toads, also known as Mushroom People or formerly Mushroom Retainers, are a recurring species in the Mario series. They are the dominant species of the Mushroom Kingdom and have a humanoid appearance. Toads are native to almost every city in the entire kingdom, including Rogueport, but most prominently Toad Town. Many Toads are also loyal servants and citizens to Princess Peach and the Mushroom Kingdom. Numerous members of the species serve Peach as castle attendants, guards or as her Mushroom Retainers. Toads even seem to live and act very similar to humans, but with a more friendly habit. Toads technically don't have genders, despite being mentioned with male pronouns.
Their vests all seem to match the color of the dots on their heads, except for the main Toad. This main Toad has red dots on his mushroom head but sports a blue vest. He is shown as Mario's companion throughout many of the games.
Toads are named after their mushroom (or Toadstool) like appearance. Because of this, they are believed to be fungi. However they are not biologically related to mushrooms, seemingly have more of a relation to humans and they're essentially mushroom themed.
==Appearances==
In most iterations, Toad are common NPCs, but in some of the RPGs, Toads are shop owners and innkeepers. They have frequent appearances in sports games as both audience and playable characters. Additionally, there have been a few instances where Toads are playable characters in the mainstream Mario games.
===Super Mario Bros.===
Mushroom Retainers, as they are named for this game, make their first appearance in Super Mario Bros.. During the backstory, the Toads were originally the dominant population of the Mushroom Kingdom and were ruled by the fair Princess Peach. However, Bowser arrived to take over the kingdom, he eliminated many of the Mushroom Retainers by turning them into various objects such as bricks and pipes using black magic. Sensing the Princess's magical abilities which could recover the Toads and restore the kingdom, Bowser soon kidnapped Toadstool as well as a few of her Toad servants (the Mushroom Retainers), thus starting the story of the game.
In the first seven worlds, at the end of each castle level, Mario or Luigi encounter a Mushroom Retainer after they defeat a False Bowser. Mario or Luigi walk up to a Mushroom Retainer, he says his famous line to either brother, "THANK YOU MARIO! BUT OUR PRINCESS IS IN ANOTHER CASTLE!". In the Super Mario All-Stars remake, when Mario or Luigi approach a Mushroom Retainer, an animation is shown in which the Mushroom Retainer frees itself from a sack. In World 8-4, the real Bowser is fought, and Princess Toadstool is found after defeating him.
===Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels===
The Mushroom Retainers make a returning appearance in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels with the same role, however in this game, more Mushroom Retainers are available to be rescued.
===Super Mario Bros. 2===
In Super Mario Bros. 2, a single Toad was introduced as a playable character for the first time in the Super Mario series.
===Super Mario Bros. 3===
The Toads provided a variety of services. One of them is the Toad Houses, where a Toad has Mario or Luigi pick from three treasure chest, each containing a different item for them to use. A Toad also hosts the Spade Panel and N-Mark Spade Panel minigames.
Other Toads can be seen in the King's castles and are seen in a panicked state after the Kings are turned into various creatures by the Koopalings.
===Wario's Woods===
Toad starred as the main character in Wario's Woods where he was to stop Wario and his minions from taking over the Mushroom Kingdom. The game played in a Tetris-like manner and Toad needed to stack up multi-colored bombs to defeat the monsters in the game. His superhuman strength from Super Mario Bros. 2 returns in this game as he is able to carry large stacks of enemies or bombs with ease. He is also capable of running up walls in this game as well. In the end of the game, Toad had fought Wario himself (with some help from a fairy named Wanda and Birdo). Once having defeated the antagonist, Toad chases the defeated plumber out of the woods for a while. He then later watches him fly away in his plane until he crashes into a tree.
===Super Mario 64===
In the game, the Toads were sealed behind the walls of the castle and could only provide tips to help Mario on his quest. Some Toads, however, were able to give Power Stars that they had found. In the remake of this game Super Mario 64 DS, the Toads played the same supporting role. However, the Toads give the characters specific remarks such as dismissing Luigi as to being Mario in green clothes or not even trusting Wario on the quest. He also returns the character's cap back if they had lost it in one world in some cases.
===Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars===
Toads appeared frequently as NPCs in the first of the Mario RPGs. Instead of dots, some Toads have stripes on their heads. Toads run the shops in the Mushroom Kingdom area. Later in the game, Mario has to protect the wedding of two Toads from a cake monster.
Toad himself is also present in this game, having various supporting roles from venturing with Mario to running a shop in Bowser's Keep.
===Mario vs. Donkey Kong===
Toads appear as employees of Mario Industry in Mario vs. Donkey Kong. They are later kidnapped by Donkey Kong.
===Mario Super Sluggers===
The Toad species are unlockable. Purple Toad can be found in a bush, Green Toad can be found in a bush as well, Red Toad can be found after the player talks to Toadsworth, and Blue Toad is in front of Peach's Secret Garden.
===Super Paper Mario===
In Super Paper Mario, a Toad comes to tell Mario that an enemy has abducted Princess Peach and has taken her somewhere. Mario and Luigi think that Bowser has kidnapped the princess and rushed off to his castle, leaving the Toad at the brother's house. Many Toads are also seen at Peach and Bowser's wedding as guests. A Toad appears as a capture card during the game.
===New Super Mario Bros. Wii===
In this game, Yellow Toad and Blue Toad are playable in the multiplayer mode. They share the same stats and abilities as the Mario Bros. themselves. Toads also appeared in the intro, in the Toad Houses, in Peach's Castle, in the Enemy Courses and in the normal levels in the special Toad Rescue missions.
=== New Super Mario Bros. U/New Super Luigi U/New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe ===
In New Super Mario Bros. U/New Super Luigi U/New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Toads have similar roles to what they did in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Yellow Toad and Blue Toad appear as playable characters, and they are seen in Toad Houses. However, in New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Toadette appears as a playable character as well. She can obtain the Super Crown to transform into Peachette.
===Mario & Luigi: Dream Team===
The Toads travel with Mario, Luigi, Peach, and the rest to Pi'illo Island of the Pi'illo Kingdom. The Toads are seen on different spots of Pi'illo Island, mainly in Wakeport and Mushrise Park.
==Vim==
Vim is the life force of the Toad species. The Toads pass away without their vim. In other words, vim is the Toad equivalent of the Human's blood. However, the vim is green, as opposed to the blood's red coloration. The vim was only referred to in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, where the Shroobs harvested the Toad's vim to use it as a fuel for their spaceships. It is unknown if vim is unique to Toads, or if other fungal species such as Goombas possess vim as well. However, the Shroobs did not target any other species, so this could indicate only the Toads possess vim.
==Known Toads==
*Toad
*Toadette
*Toadsworth
*Toadiko
*Toadbert
*Blue Toad
*Yellow Toad
==Gallery==
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Category:Toads
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