The Mario Brothers are Mario and Luigi, two Italian immigrants from New York City. Mario was a carpenter, but he retired when an ape kidnapped his girlfriend. After the relationship with his girlfriend ended and they parted ways, Mario and his brother, Luigi, wandered around the sewers of the city. They came upon the Mushroom Kingdom. That is where Mario met Princess Toadstool, and he valiantly came to her defense from the very wicked King Bowser.
What does Luigi do while Mario is out there protecting the royal princess from the evil that lurks? He just watches.
As fraternal twins, you would think there would be little difference between Luigi and Mario, but there are quite a few. Luigi has become taller and thinner through the years compared to his brother. Then, there is the green color instead of being red like Mario. Luigi is in touch with his emotions—he shows a variety of them–more so than his brother.
Luigi is the underdog and the dependable brother. He will never have the same personal charm as Mario. They are partners, but even when the mustached Luigi accomplishes the same things that Mario does, it isn’t with the same fanfare and importance.
It must be a bit hard for Luigi to live in the shadow of his brother, Mario. With Mario being a hero, and Luigi as a zero, it seems like it may be quite a blow to his ego. Or, maybe he is just content to follow in the footsteps of brother Mario.
Why is Mario the Hero and Luigi the Zero?
Luigi is a little bit of a fearful and clumsy character. The creators of the next Luigi-starring game from Nintendo say he is more emotional.
According to Bryce Holliday, director of Next level, “Luigi kind of has that fearful tension that always surrounds him. This game is about spooks and comedy. He just provides a wider range of reactions. Our animators have had a lot more fun getting a wider range of emotions through to the player with Luigi than with Mario.”
When Super Mario Bros first debuted, Mario and Luigi were pallet swaps of each other. When Mario Bros 2 was released in the U.S., it was evident that Mario was faster. But, Luigi was more bizarre in his movements, although he could jump higher and stay in the air longer.
People like Mario, because he is concerned about others. He will stop at nothing to help those in the Mushroom Kingdom who are in trouble. He will immediately run to help even if he is in the middle of something else. Whatever it takes, he will be there, such as releasing a victim from a foreign captor.
Mario is the brother who is always up for a big adventure.
Then, there is Luigi, who follows his brother along without really having a plan. If he is not trekking after Mario, he just sits at home. His personality is more of somebody who surrenders easily, and he seems to be a sad and gloomy character. Luigi is used as comic relief in some of the more recent games, and he even has a touch of self-destructiveness. He is fodder for Baby Luigi, who likes to watch Luigi hurt himself.
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