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Mario was not originally intended to be a plumber, leaving fans mystified
- Fans have enjoyed the character of Mario for over four decades
- The little Italian has become the most iconic video game character in history
- But over the years many have wondered: why is he a plumber?
Gamers have enjoyed the iconic character of Mario since 1981, when the diminutive Italian first graced our screens in the original Donkey Kong game.
Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, generations of fans have come to know and love the character’s signature style.
But over the years, many have wondered: Why did Miyamoto make him a plumber?
When he first conceived the character, it was clear that Miyamoto hoped to make Mario a worker so that he would be recognizable to legions of fans.
Shigeru Miyamoto created the character in 1981. He is pictured at a 2016 Apple launch event
However, speaking to USA Today in 2010, Miyamoto said the character’s design had a lot to do with how he laid out the style of his video games.
“We did the design of the game first and then we put the characters in to fit it,” he said.
Mario has appeared in countless games and merchandise and has become the most iconic video game character of all time
While Mario’s role was less clear in the early stages of its existence, by the time 1983 rolled around, the creator knew which direction he wanted to take.
“With Donkey Kong, we have a gorilla that grabs this girl and runs off with her and you have to chase the gorilla to save the lady,” he continued, noting how the game’s map dictated to the characters.
“And the scene of the game was a construction site, so we basically made him a carpenter.
With Mario Bros. (1983) we brought in Luigi, and a lot of the game was played underground, so we made sure he fit into that setting and we decided he could be a plumber. The screenplay dictates his role.
“With Mario, I think with Mario Bros. of course had an underground setting, so I decided that Mario is a plumber.’
Miyamoto originally created the character while searching for an addition to the original Donkey Kong game
After realizing that the layout had changed the way he designed his character, Miyamoto leaned in for the look and gave Mario his distinguishing features.
This included a big nose, bushy mustache, plumber’s dungarees and placing him from New York with an Italian heritage.
“Let’s put him in New York and he can be Italian,” Miyamoto said at the time.
“There’s really no other deep thought than that.”