What is Mario’s Last Name?

With the 35th anniversary of Mario just on the horizon, we thought it would be a fitting time to take a look at Mario and answer the question “what is Mario’s last name”.

Just about 5 years ago, on September 13, 2015, Nintendo held a Mario 30th anniversary event called the “Super Mario 30 Festival”. During the event, Shigeru Miyamoto took to the stage and began participating on the microphone. For the first time ever, Miyamoto clarified to the public that Mario’s last name is “Mario”. This means that this iconic plumber’s full name is “Mario Mario” and that Mario’s brother, Luigi, also has the last name of Mario. So the two Mario Bros. go by Mario Mario and Luigi Mario.

In case this information isn’t confusing enough, back in 2012 Miyamoto did an interview with Game Informer about the infamous 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie. He had the following to say about Mario’s last name:

“This is an old story, but Hollywood did a film version of the Mario Bros. many years back. There was a scene in the script where they needed a last name for the characters. Somebody suggested that, because they were the Mario Bros., their last name should be Mario. So, they made him “Mario Mario.” I heard this and laughed rather loudly. Of course, this was ultimately included in the film. Based on the film, that’s [how] their names ended up. But, just like Mickey Mouse doesn’t really have a last name, Mario is really just Mario and Luigi is really just Luigi.”

So clearly, Mario’s last name came out of “necessity” during his blockbuster debut in 1993, with Miyamoto clarifying that Mario and Luigi technically don’t have last names. But then, 3 years later, Miyamoto went on stage during the previously mentioned Mario 30th Anniversary event and stated that Mario in fact did have a last name and that it is the same as his first.

Legend has it, the Mario Party 2 Prima Games guide even had Mario’s full name as “Mario Mario”. To add even further adding fuel to the fire, the voice of Mario himself, Charles Martinet, has gone on record stating that Mario’s last name is in fact Mario.

Okay, so there are varying opinions on the topic. Clearly, this isn’t black and white and will depend on who you ask. A Google search will return entire forum threads of users going back and forth, arguing the true Mario last name, citing references that often times don’t seem to hold up very well.

Regardless if Miyamoto has sent out mixed information on Mario’s last name a couple of times, one thing remains clear: we need an official announcement of the Mario 35th Anniversary Collection on the Nintendo Switch. Five years ago signified Mario’s 30th anniversary and now here we are on the precipice of 35 years of Mario.

It has been heavily speculated that Nintendo will host a Nintendo Direct event in early September and finally reveal information about the rumored Mario 35th Anniversary collection. Many things line up for these rumors to seem like they might actually be true, but with so many let downs regarding “leaked” Nintendo Directs over the past 12 months, Nintendo fans are growing weary.

There’s not too long to wait now to see if these rumors come to fruition, with September being right around the corner. Here’s to hoping that this time along with the reveal of the 35th Anniversary Collection on the Switch, Miyamoto will also reveal Mario’s middle name – spoilers, it’s allegedly “Jumpman”.