Toad
Toad, known in Japan as Kinopio, is a humanoid mushroom that is
both a single character and the collective name of the "Mushroom People" found
in the Mushroom Kingdom. The Toad species first appeared in Super Mario Bros. as
seven guards that serve Princess Peach, called Mushroom Retainers. In games prior
to Paper Mario, which features an entire race of Toad inhabiting Toad Town, the
capital of the Mushroom Kingdom, manuals referred to them as Mushroom People, but
they were always referred to as Kinopio in Japan.
Toad first appears as a single character in Super Mario Bros. 2 as one of the
four playable characters. He is stated to be the chief guard of the Mushroom
Retainers. The character then goes on to star in Wario's Woods, and appear in the
Mario Kart series and various sports games. Toad also makes a brief appearance in
Super Smash Bros Melee, in which he can be seen running back and forth frantically
in the first stage of adventure mode. He is also one of Princess Peach's attacks
in which she throws Toad in front of herself to take the blow of a foe's attack;
this attack of Peach's will be reused in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In other games,
he acts as an instructor, such as in the earlier Mario Party games, and helps
guide characters in other games. As with the games, Toad plays a major supporting
character in other forms of media starring Mario. He usually tags along with Mario
in the various cartoons and comics as a sidekick.
Toad's voice is first heard in Mario Kart 64, which features actor Isaac Marshall.
By the advent of the GameCube, Jen Taylor has continued to provide the voice of
Toad until 2005, when Kelsey Hutchison took over for games such as Super Mario
Strikers. Recently, Nicole Mills voiced him in Mario Party 8.
In the Super Mario Bros. live-action film, Toad (portrayed by Mojo Nixon) was
reimagined as a street musician and one of the poor inhabitants of Dinohattan,
all of whom were descended from dinosaurs; unhappy with King Koopa's rule, Toad
was placed under arrest by King Koopa's police force for singing "anti-Koopa
songs" and placed in custody, where he befriends Mario and Luigi. Toad is later
forcibly devolved into a Goomba, but apparently retains his humanity, as evidenced
by his kindness towards Princess Daisy and the fact that he aids Mario and Luigi,
giving them the devolution gun that is ultimately used to end the threat of King
Koopa.
