Toad (Nintendo)

Toad, known in Japan as Kinopio, is a fictional character who primarily appears in Nintendo's Mario franchise. A humanoid with a mushroom-like head, Toad was created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, and is portrayed as a citizen of the Mushroom Kingdom and is one of Princess Peach's most loyal attendants, constantly working on her behalf. Toad is usually seen as a non-player character who provides assistance to Mario and his friends in most games, but there are times when Toad takes center stage and appears as a protagonist, as seen in Super Mario Bros. 2, Wario's Woods and Super Mario 3D World. While Toad is the name of an individual, it also refers to their entire race (much like Yoshi and Birdo). However, in early games, the species was called Mushroom Retainers, in Japan they were called Kinoko-zoku, literally "Mushroom People" (which is an alternate name used in earlier localizations, along with "Mushroom Retainers"). In the Mario franchise, there are also some other individual Toad characters (e.g., Toadette, Toadsworth, Toadbert, and Captain Toad). The most prominent trait of a Toad is its large head that resembles a mushroom in shape and color – historically speculated as them wearing a mushroom hat, as portrayed in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, but eventually ruled out by Super Mario Odyssey director Yoshiaki Koizumi. Another common point of most Toads is their traditional vest. The Toads usually play assisting roles in the Mario franchise and its action games, such as Toadsworth introduced in Super Mario Sunshine and the Toad Brigade association in Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and Super Mario Odyssey. Despite this, Toads also play the role as heroes in some games. Such a case included the 2 Toads (yellow and blue) who were featured as playable characters along with Mario and Luigi in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The 2 Toads (yellow and blue) return as playable characters later on in New Super Mario Bros. U as well as New Super Luigi U.