The announcement of Super Mario Bros. Wonder during the June 2023 Nintendo Direct was a source of much celebration among the Mario fandom. Wonder's debut trailer showcases a vibrant new art style, unique gameplay elements, and six playable characters -- Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, and Toad -- offering a much-needed revamp of Mario's 2D platforming installments.
Yoshi and Daisy's inclusions in particular have been well received, as the former makes his playable return in a mainline Mario platformer for the first time since 2004's Super Mario 64 DS, and the latter her playable debut period. These inclusions have led to speculation regarding which other fan-favorite characters could appear. The question is, though, who is most likely to make their way into the game?
Toadette and Rosalina Have Appeared in Previous Mainline Mario Offerings
Of the characters playable in recent Mario platformers, Toadette and Rosalina are the two biggest omissions. Rosalina served as a secret unlockable character in Super Mario 3D World, befitting her role in the Mario universe as divine protector of the cosmos. As such, her exclusion from Wonder's starting lineup makes sense; should she appear in Wonder, it would likely be in a similar capacity.
Toadette's absence is more conspicuous, however, having been a mainstay in the Switch's previous 2D Mario entries. She made her mainline playable debut in New Super Mario Bros U. Deluxe, and retained said status in Super Mario Maker 2. She also features alongside the rest of Wonder's starting roster in the mobile-only Super Mario Run. These factors should make her a natural inclusion in Wonder, yet she has yet to be revealed in the game.
While Nintendo may simply be holding off from revealing her just yet, it's also possible that she won't be appearing at all. Toadette's unique selling point in U Deluxe was her Super Crown form, Peachette, a transformation granting her the appearance and abilities of Peach. This was a means of having Peach be playable without contradicting U's story, but with the genuine article playable in Wonder, her inclusion may render Toadette redundant.
Wario and Waluigi Have Been Heavily Requested for Years
Despite Wario and Waluigi's immense popularity, Nintendo has been reticent to use them in mainline Mario entries. Like Yoshi, Wario hasn't been playable in a mainline Mario entry since Super Mario 64 DS, and like Daisy, Waluigi hasn't been playable at all. As such, Yoshi and Daisy's inclusions have led fans of the devious duo to hope that they could be revealed later down the line as well.
It's worth noting that the pair, alongside Peach, were considered for a playable position in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but were rejected as the developers aimed to give all four characters the same playstyle. This hasn't been a factor in recent titles, however, starting with Peach's return as a playable character in 3D World.
Like that game, Wonder's characters boast unique attributes, and as such Wario and Waluigi wouldn't be an issue in this regard. Given the pair's flamboyant designs and personalities, they would feel right at home in the game's wackier tone, and many fans hope to see them finally make their way into a 2D Mario platformer, fourteen years after being rejected in Wii.
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Is Donkey Kong Gearing Up For His Mainline Mario Debut?
Despite sharing the same fictional universe, Nintendo has made an effort to keep the Super Mario and Donkey Kong franchises distinct. DK and Diddy may intermittently appear in Mario Kart and other spinoffs, but otherwise the two series feature radically different settings and tones.
However, as of late Nintendo has shown a willingness to feature DK alongside Mario more often, with him and various Kongs making their way to the LEGO Super Mario toyline and the The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Notably, DK teams up with Mario during the film's climactic Super Mario Bros-style platforming action setpiece, even utilizing a Fire Flower transformation, something he has never done in the games.
DK's recent prominence led to speculation that Nintendo was building up to a big marketing push for a new Donkey Kong installment. With the announcement of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, however, speculation has now shifted to whether DK will finally make his playable debut in a mainline Mario platformer, with the movie's climax serving as a tease for a potential role in Wonder.
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Despite speculation, there's no guarantee that Wonder will feature any extra characters. The boxart features the six confirmed characters, with no additional room for more; assuming the boxart is final, any more characters would have to be secret unlockables. While hidden characters have been a feature in previous Mario games, they aren't a guarantee.
Whether Wonder has more unrevealed characters or not, there's plenty for fans to celebrate. Between the inclusion of Yoshi and Daisy and the game's avant-garde tone, Wonder demonstrates Nintendo's willingness to experiment with the Mario series again, and let neglected fan-favorites come to the fore. Whether there are more characters to come or not, hopefully Wonder marks the start of Mario's varied supporting cast getting more of the spotlight.