Nintendo is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto. It develops, publishes, and releases both video games and video game consoles. The history of Nintendo began when craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi ...

Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, video game producer, producer and Creative director#Video games, game director at Nintendo, where he has served as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one o ...

Super Mario Bros. is a 1985 Platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series. It was origi ...

Mario Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...

Super Mario (also known as and is a platform game series created by Nintendo starring their mascot, Mario. It is the central series of the greater Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. At least one ''Super Mario'' game has been released for every ma ...

damsel in distress The damsel in distress is a narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has been kidnapped or placed in other peril. The "damsel" is often portrayed as beautiful, popular, and of high social status; she is usually depicted ...

Bowser , also known as King Bowser or King Koopa, is a Character (arts), fictional character and the Antagonist, main antagonist of Nintendo's ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise."The Top 100 Videogame Villains". IGN. Retrieved October 8, 2010. ...

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters tha ...

Mario Kart is a series of kart racing games based on the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up item (game terminology), items. It features Characters in ...

Mario Party is a series of party video games created by Hudson Soft and owned by Nintendo. It features List of Mario franchise characters, characters from the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or Artificial inte ...

Paper Mario ''Paper Mario'' is a video game series and part of the ''Mario'' franchise, developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It combines elements from the role-playing, action-adventure, and puzzle genres. Players control a ...

Anya Taylor-Joy Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy (; born 16 April 1996) is an actress. Born in Miami and raised in Buenos Aires and London, she left school at the age of 16 to pursue an acting career. After a series of small television roles, her Breakthrough ...

Mario Mario (; ) is a Character (arts), character created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the star of the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise, a recurring character in the ''Donkey Kong'' franchise, and the mascot of the Ja ...

damsel in distress The damsel in distress is a narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has been kidnapped or placed in other peril. The "damsel" is often portrayed as beautiful, popular, and of high social status; she is usually depicted ...

Donkey Kong is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...

Shigeru Miyamoto is a Japanese video game designer, video game producer, producer and Creative director#Video games, game director at Nintendo, where he has served as one of its representative directors as an executive since 2002. Widely regarded as one o ...

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.Bluto, and Olive Oyl from the ''Popeye'' cartoon as the main characters but failed to obtain the license, so he transformed them into Jumpman (Mario),

Donkey Kong is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong (character), Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the List of Don ...

, and Pauline. ''Donkey Kong'' established Pauline's role as the female character who is rescued by Mario and appears as the damsel in distress in subsequent games. With the arrival of the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...

and ''

Super Mario Bros. is a 1985 Platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series. It was origi ...

'', Pauline was replaced by Princess Peach. Miyamoto later said that ''Donkey Kong'' had been designed for arcades, which were frequented by male gamers, so Nintendo did not consider making a character that would be playable by girls. Several characteristics of Princess Peach were introduced in the 1996 role-playing game ''

Super Mario RPG ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'' is a 1996 role-playing video game developed by Square (video game company), Square and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was the final ''Mario (franchise) ...

'', including her use of a parasol as a weapon and a sleep spell ability that inspired her Final Smash in the '' Super Smash Bros.'' series. Following the debut of

Waluigi is a character in the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise. He plays the role of Luigi's arch-rival and accompanies Wario in spin-off (media), spin-offs from the Super Mario (series), main ''Mario'' series, often for the sake of causing mis ...

in '' Mario Tennis'', an evil version of Peach named "Walupeach" was pitched by Shugo Takahashi, co-founder of

Camelot Software Planning (trade name, doing business as Camelot! Software Planning) is a Japanese video game developer established in 1994 and headquartered in Shinjuku, Tokyo. It is known for developing sports games, particularly in Nintendo's ''Mario (franchise), Mari ...

, but the concept was rejected by Miyamoto before seeing the design, saying that it would be "just like Doronjo" from the '' Yatterman'' anime series. The design was pitched again by Waluigi's creator, Fumihide Aoki, for the 2004 video game '' Mario Power Tennis'', but was rejected by Nintendo. Reflecting on Peach's role within the franchise, Miyamoto said that although Nintendo had intentionally kept her as a damsel in distress who is saved by Mario in the games, they had wanted to develop her into a more powerful princess in '' The Super Mario Bros. Movie''. He said that Peach was one of the characters in the film that evolved the most, as her role was changed from a princess that needs to be protected to one who fights for her kingdom. After the release of the film in 2023, Peach's appearance was updated on the box art for '' Princess Peach: Showtime!'' to make her appear more angry and determined like her movie counterpart.

Design

Peach's initial appearance was drawn by Miyamoto, who later asked Yōichi Kotabe to redraw Peach with his instructions. He had asked Kotabe to draw her eyes to be "a little cat-like" and wanted her to look "stubborn, but a little cute". A strategy guide titled ''How to Win at Super Mario Bros.'', which was published around the time of the first ''Super Mario Bros.'' game in 1985, depicted the princess as a human on its cover, but also with an alternative design featuring a mushroom head. Other merchandise designs created around the time of the first game depicted Peach with straight, long blonde hair wearing a red skirt, illustrating that her design was not finalized until later games. When discussing Peach's design for '' Super Princess Peach'', released in 2005, Miyamoto said that it was important for Peach to be "Peach-like", meaning that she evokes the "free optimism of a Princess." He explained that she was designed to convey an image of strength, rather than being protected by Mario, due to many Nintendo developers being used to a matriarchal figure at home.

Names

Miyamoto said that Peach's name came from associating princesses with girls, and when thinking about girls, he would think of pink. In Japan, Peach's name has always been since her debut in the original ''Super Mario Bros.'' in 1985. However, she was localized as "Princess Toadstool" in the English-language manual. The English version of '' Yoshi's Safari'', released in 1993, contained the first usage of the name "Peach" in the Western world, though she was called Princess Toadstool in '' Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3'', released in 1994. In ''

Super Mario 64 ''Super Mario 64'' is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in 1996 and PAL regions in 1997. It is the first ''Super Mario'' game to feature 3D gameplay, combini ...

'', released in 1996, she uses both names in a letter addressed to Mario, signing it "Peach". From the 1996 game '' Mario Kart 64'' onward, the name Peach is used in Western versions.

Voice acting

Several voice actors have provided the English voice for Princess Peach. From the 2007

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...

game ''

Mario Strikers Charged ''Mario Strikers Charged'' is a 2007 Sports video game, sports video game developed by Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the sequel to ''Super Mario Strikers'' for the GameCube. ''Mario Strikers Charged'' supported t ...

'' to the 2024

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

game '' Mario & Luigi: Brothership'', Peach was voiced by Samantha Kelly. She has also previously been voiced by Jen Taylor. Her other voice actors include Jeannie Elias in '' The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'', Tracey Moore in '' The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'' and ''

Super Mario World ''Super Mario World'', known in Japan as '' is a 1990 platform game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The player controls Mario on his quest to save Princess Peach and Dino ...

'', and Leslie Swan, a localization manager for Nintendo.

Characteristics

Peach is the princess of the

Mushroom Kingdom is a video game series and media franchise created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. Starring the titular plumber character Mario, the franchise began with video games but has extended to other forms of media, including ...

and ruler of her subjects, known as Toads, a species of mushroom-like people. Although she has appeared in a variety of outfits, Peach typically wears her pink princess dress with puffy sleeves combined with long white gloves. Her royal abode is a large castle with white walls and a red roof, adorned with a stained-glass portrait of the princess. Peach is the daughter of the Mushroom King (also named King Toadstool), a character that appears in the ''Super Mario Bros.'' comics and is mentioned in the manual for the first ''

Super Mario Bros. is a 1985 Platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series. It was origi ...

'' video game but has never appeared in the video games. She is presented as one of the few humans in the kingdom, despite the Toads being the predominant race. Throughout the mainline series, the Mushroom Kingdom is under persistent attack from

Bowser , also known as King Bowser or King Koopa, is a Character (arts), fictional character and the Antagonist, main antagonist of Nintendo's ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise."The Top 100 Videogame Villains". IGN. Retrieved October 8, 2010. ...

and his minions, and Peach's role is to be his kidnapping victim. Her age has never been officially confirmed, but it varies between mid-teens and early twenties. Despite being the lead female character of the ''Mario'' franchise, Princess Peach has rarely been the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

of ''Mario'' video games. Since the first ''Super Mario Bros.'' video game, she has repeatedly been the damsel in distress of the main series, typically appearing at the end of the game to reward Mario after successfully rescuing her. She is a playable character in various spin-off games and has wielded several weapons, including a frying pan and a parasol. She also demonstrates magical powers, such as the ability to heal in ''

Super Mario RPG ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'' is a 1996 role-playing video game developed by Square (video game company), Square and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was the final ''Mario (franchise) ...

''. In the first ''Super Mario Bros.'' game, her white magic is the only way to undo the chaos caused by Bowser to the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach's relationship with Mario is a central element of the series, yet it remains ambiguous. Although Nintendo describes them as friends, suggestions of a romantic relationship between Peach and Mario recur throughout the series.

Appearances

''Super Mario'' series

Peach made her debut as Princess Toadstool in the 1985

platform game A platformer (also called a platform game, and sometimes a jump 'n' run game) is a subgenre of action game in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are characterized by levels wi ...

''

Super Mario Bros. is a 1985 Platformer, platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It is the successor to the 1983 arcade game ''Mario Bros.'' and the first game in the ''Super Mario'' series. It was origi ...

'' on the

Nintendo Entertainment System The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...

(NES). The story involves Bowser (named King Koopa) kidnapping her and hiding her in one of eight dungeons, necessitating Mario and

Luigi Luigi (; ) is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Part of Nintendo's ''Mario'' franchise, he is a kind-hearted, cowardly Italian plumber, and the younger fraternal twin brother and sidekick of Mario. Like ...

to find and rescue her. After navigating his way through eight worlds and defeating King Koopa over a pit of lava, Mario receives a "Thank you, Mario!" from the princess as a hero's reward. A sequel to the game was released in Japan in 1986 as ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' and was eventually released in North America as part of ''

Super Mario All-Stars ''Super Mario All-Stars'' is a 1993 compilation of platform games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It contains remakes of Nintendo's four '' Super Mario'' games released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and the ...

'' in 1993, titled '' Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels''. Like its predecessor, the game involves Mario or Luigi attempting to rescue the princess from Bowser. In 1988, the princess was upgraded to a playable character on the NES with the release of a second sequel titled '' Super Mario Bros. 2''. As one of four playable characters in the game, she had the unique ability to float over obstacles. The game was made from a preexisting Japanese game named ''Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic'' to repurpose it for a Western audience; thus, Princess Toadstool was used in place of Lina, one of the characters in the Japanese version. In the NES game '' Super Mario Bros. 3'' (1988), Mario embarks on a quest to rescue seven kings from Bowser's

Koopalings The ''Mario'' franchise is a media franchise created by Nintendo. Nintendo is usually the developer and publisher of the franchise's games, but various games are developed by third-party companies such as Intelligent Systems and Nintendo Cu ...

but eventually discovers that Peach has been kidnapped by Bowser. After Mario's quest to rescue the princess is complete, she rewards him with a joke and a dismissive "Bye bye". Princess Toadstool returned as the kidnapped princess on the

Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, commonly shortened to Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan, 1991 in No ...

(SNES) in ''

Super Mario World ''Super Mario World'', known in Japan as '' is a 1990 platform game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The player controls Mario on his quest to save Princess Peach and Dino ...

'' (1990), which places Mario in a location called Dinosaur Land. Mario embarks on a quest that involves navigating through several locations to save Dinosaur Land from the Koopalings before rescuing the princess from Bowser. The princess is again the victim of Bowser in the 3D platform game ''

Super Mario 64 ''Super Mario 64'' is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in Japan and North America in 1996 and PAL regions in 1997. It is the first ''Super Mario'' game to feature 3D gameplay, combini ...

'' (1996), released on the

Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...

. The game begins with Mario receiving a letter from "Princess Toadstool, Peach", asking him to come to her castle as she has baked a cake for him. Peach's Castle acts as a hub world and contains paintings that Mario can use to enter various worlds to complete challenges in order to win stars. At the end of the game, he must finally face Bowser and save the princess. After Bowser is defeated, the princess emerges from the stained-glass window that adorns the castle, having been held captive within its walls. In the

GameCube The is a PowerPC-based home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, in Europe on May 3, 2002, and in Australia on May 17, 2002. It is the suc ...

title ''

Super Mario Sunshine is a 2002 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It is the second 3D computer graphics, 3D game in the Super Mario, ''Super Mario'' series, following ''Super Mario 64'' (1996). The game was directed by Yoshiaki Ko ...

'' (2002), Mario, Peach, and some Toads take a holiday to Isle Delfino. Upon arrival, they find the tropical paradise is being polluted with paint by Shadow Mario, a mysterious

doppelgänger A doppelgänger ( ), sometimes spelled doppelgaenger or doppelganger, is a ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts its own fleshly counterpart. In fiction and mythology, a doppelgänger is often portrayed as a ghostly or p ...

of Mario. Shadow Mario is secretly Bowser's son, Bowser Jr., in disguise, and, after framing Mario for polluting the island, he kidnaps Peach. Bowser Jr. initially accuses the princess of being his mother, but after Mario defeats Bowser and rescues Peach, Bowser confirms that Peach is not Bowser Jr.'s mother. '' New Super Mario Bros.'' (2006) returned the series to 2D platforming on the

Nintendo DS The is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens worki ...

. The game centers on Princess Peach being kidnapped by Bowser Jr. and Mario traveling through eight worlds to save her. Peach initiates the events of the 2007

Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...

game ''

Super Mario Galaxy is a 2007 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third 3D platformer game in the ''Super Mario'' series. As Mario, the player embarks on a quest to rescue Princess Peach and save the universe from Bowser, af ...

'' by asking Mario to come to her castle because there is something she would like to give him. The plot involves Bowser kidnapping Peach and transporting her castle into outer space. Mario's quest requires him to complete levels and collect 60 power stars before he can travel to the center of the universe to rescue the princess. '' New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' (2009) was the first 2D side-scrolling platform game in the series to introduce multiplayer, with up to four players choosing to play as Mario, Luigi, or two Toad variations. Miyamoto said that Peach was not included as a playable character because her skirt would require special programming. The game opens with the princess being kidnapped by Bowser and his minions, necessitating Mario and Luigi to rescue her. In 2010, Nintendo released a sequel to ''Super Mario Galaxy'' with a 3D platformer on the Wii titled '' Super Mario Galaxy 2''. Like its predecessor, the game centers on Princess Peach being abducted by Bowser, requiring Mario to travel through various worlds to save her. The

Nintendo 3DS The is a foldable dual-screen handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, ...

game '' Super Mario 3D Land'' (2011) begins with Bowser kidnapping Princess Peach at the outset. The player controls Mario as he navigates through eight worlds to rescue her, with each ending in a boss fight with one of Bowser's henchmen. In '' New Super Mario Bros. 2'' (2012), the Mushroom Kingdom is again under attack from Bowser and his Koopalings, who kidnap Peach. The game involves Mario and Luigi traveling through platform levels, collecting coins, and fighting bosses to save the princess. In Mario's 2012

Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. The W ...

debut, '' New Super Mario Bros. U'', the action takes place in Dinosaur Land. The plot involves Bowser and his Koopalings taking Princess Peach hostage and Mario and friends making their way to the center of Mushroom Kingdom to save her. The game offers multiplayer for up to four players, featuring Mario, Luigi, and two Toads as playable characters. The game's director, Masataka Takemoto, explained that Princess Peach was not included as a playable character because he wanted all of the characters to have the same moves as Mario, and Peach was not well suited for that. Although not initially planned to appear in the 2013

Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. The W ...

video game '' Super Mario 3D World'', Peach was suggested by producer

Yoshiaki Koizumi is a Japanese video game designer, director, producer, and business executive. He is a senior executive officer at Nintendo and a deputy general manager at Nintendo EPD, where he is known for his work within their ''Mario'' and ''The Legend of ...

. The game was the first in the mainline series since ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' to feature her as a playable character. Koizumi thought she could offer a more competitive choice in multiplayer. He also hoped that players would be able to play alongside their girlfriends or wives. Peach has the ability to use her gown to float while jumping, allowing her to avoid gaps and other obstacles. She can use power-ups that provide various effects and boosts, such as the cat suit, which gives her the ability to crawl and climb walls like a cat. When Peach gets the Fire Flower power-up, she transforms into Fire Peach, where her dress changes from pink to the colors of Fire Flowers. In the mobile game ''

Super Mario Run is a 2016 platform game developed and published by Nintendo for iOS and later Android. It is Nintendo's first mobile game that is part of one of the company's long-running and major franchises. In ''Super Mario Run'', the player controls Mario ...

'' (2016), Peach is one of several playable characters and is unlocked following the completion of the World Tour mode. The story of the World Tour mode involves Peach being kidnapped by Bowser. After she is unlocked, Peach can use her floaty jump ability during gameplay. Peach begins the

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

game '' Super Mario Odyssey'' (2017) being abducted by Bowser, who wants to marry her. She is confined to Bowser's flying boat, while Mario must travel the world to rescue her. At the end of the game, Bowser and Mario compete for Peach's affections, but she rejects them both, opting to travel the world on her own. In addition to her wedding dress, Peach wears a variety of outfits on her travels. ''

Super Mario Maker 2 is a 2019 platform game and game creation system developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. It is the sequel to '' Super Mario Maker'' and was released worldwide on June 28, 2019. The gameplay is largely retained from that o ...

'' (2019) includes a story mode that tasks Mario with reconstructing Princess Peach's castle. By working through 100 courses, he can collect coins to pay for the construction of parts of the castle. When the castle is complete, Princess Peach allocates jobs via the Taskmaster, which unlocks wearable Mii outfits, including a Princess Peach Dress, Princess Peach Wig, and after completing all the tasks, a Princess Peach Tennis outfit. In '' Super Mario Bros. Wonder'' (2023), Princess Peach is one of several playable characters alongside Mario, Luigi, and others. The game centers on their visit to the Flower Kingdom, which is disrupted when Bowser steals the Wonder Flower and transforms into a flying castle.

Other ''Mario'' games

'' Princess Toadstool's Castle Run'', a game based on ''Super Mario Bros. 2'', which was released in 1990 on the Nelsonic Game Watch, was the first game to feature Princess Toadstool as the sole playable character. In 1993, she appeared in '' Mario is Missing!'', an educational game developed by The Software Toolworks. Peach is a playable character in most ''Mario'' spin-offs, including '' Mario Sports'' games, where she is a recurring character. She is one of four playable characters that appear at the beginning of '' Mario Golf'' (1999). She is one of several playable characters appearing in '' Mario Tennis'' in 2000. In '' Mario Golf: Advance Tour'' (2004), Peach is one of the Mushroom Kingdom inhabitants against whom the player competes in story mode. In '' Mario Superstar Baseball'' (2005), she has a star move, which gives her the ability to obscure the ball with hearts. Peach is one of seven core characters that are playable in every game in the '' Mario Strikers'' series. In the soccer game ''

Super Mario Strikers ''Super Mario Strikers'', known in Europe and Australia as ''Mario Smash Football'', is a 2005 Sports video game, sports video game developed by Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. The game's developers had worked on ''N ...

'' (2005), she is one of the team captains or strikers. Peach is one of several ''Mario'' characters that can be selected to play for a team of three on the basketball court in '' Mario Hoops 3-on-3'' (2006). In ''

Mario Strikers Charged ''Mario Strikers Charged'' is a 2007 Sports video game, sports video game developed by Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the sequel to ''Super Mario Strikers'' for the GameCube. ''Mario Strikers Charged'' supported t ...

'' (2007), Peach is one of 12 team captains that can be selected for play. In '' Mario Strikers: Battle League'' (2022), Peach is one of the ten playable characters, each of whom can perform a unique move called a Hyper Strike. Peach's special move involves kicking the ball into a heart-shaped arch and temporarily stunning other characters. Alongside Mario and Sonic, Peach is one of 14 additional playable characters that appear in '' Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games'' (2007). In the baseball game '' Mario Super Sluggers'' (2008), Peach is one of the main characters that can be chosen for the player's team once before disappearing, unlike secondary characters who can be selected multiple times. As well as being a playable character in '' Mario Golf: World Tour'' (2014), Peach also has a course named "Peach's Playground". She performs a special move in '' Mario Tennis Aces'' (2018), which involves spinning and leaping and finishing with a heart. She is a returning character in the kart racing game series ''

Mario Kart is a series of kart racing games based on the ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' franchise developed and published by Nintendo. Players compete in go-kart races while using various power-up item (game terminology), items. It features Characters in ...

'' and appears as one of eight playable characters in the first video game, '' Super Mario Kart'' (1992). A variation named Cat Peach was introduced as one of three playable characters in the first DLC pack for '' Mario Kart 8'' in 2014. The game also debuted a variation named Pink Gold Peach. ''

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a 2014 kart racing game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U. It retains the gameplay of previous ''Mario Kart'' games, with players controlling a ''Mario (franchise), Mario'' character in races around tracks. Tracks are theme ...

'' features a playable Peach, as well as Cat Peach, a baby version of Peach, and Pink Gold Peach. ''

Mario Kart Tour is a 2019 kart racing mobile game developed and published by Nintendo for Android and iOS. It is the ninth game in the Mario Kart series. The game features biweekly, downloadable themed tours with different cups, each of which has three course ...

'' increased the number of playable options and includes Cherub Baby Peach, Kimono Peach, Pink Gold Peach, Vacation Peach, and Wintertime Peach as alternate costumes. In 1996, the princess appeared in '' Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars''. She is one of the party members and the final character to join the team. In gameplay, she can use defensive and healing moves or attack with a weapon, such as a frying pan or parasol. The game begins with the princess being kidnapped by Bowser, resulting in Mario setting off to rescue her. Although she was named Princess Toadstool in the original game, she was renamed Princess Peach in the 2023 remake released on the Nintendo Switch. She has been a staple character of the ''

Mario Party is a series of party video games created by Hudson Soft and owned by Nintendo. It features List of Mario franchise characters, characters from the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or Artificial inte ...

'' series since the first ''

Mario Party is a series of party video games created by Hudson Soft and owned by Nintendo. It features List of Mario franchise characters, characters from the Mario (franchise), ''Mario'' franchise in which up to four local players or Artificial inte ...

'', which was released for the

Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo E ...

in 1998. In the first game, she is one of six playable Nintendo characters that can be selected in a party of one to four players. One of the game's 2D board maps is named "Peach's Birthday Cake". Peach appears in the ''

Paper Mario ''Paper Mario'' is a video game series and part of the ''Mario'' franchise, developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It combines elements from the role-playing, action-adventure, and puzzle genres. Players control a ...

'' series starting from the ''

Paper Mario ''Paper Mario'' is a video game series and part of the ''Mario'' franchise, developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. It combines elements from the role-playing, action-adventure, and puzzle genres. Players control a ...

'' video game (2000). In the first game, she is kidnapped by Bowser after inviting Mario and Luigi to her castle for a party, requiring Mario to retrieve seven Star Spirits in order to rescue her. Players can play as Peach in sections of the game as she repeatedly attempts to escape the castle. In '' Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' (2004), Peach invites Mario to the town of Rogueport for a treasure hunt, but she is kidnapped and held in a fortress by the X-Nauts, leaving Mario to collect seven Crystal Stars while trying to find her. Players control Mario, but at the end of each of the eight chapters, the gameplay switches to Peach as she wanders around the fortress while attempting to escape. Peach is again kidnapped in ''

Super Paper Mario is a 2007 action role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Wii. It is the third installment in the ''Paper Mario'' series following ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' (2004), and the first Mario ...

'' (2007), in which Mario must set off to recover eight Pure Hearts in order to find her. During gameplay, Peach teams up with Mario as a playable character, where she can perform a floaty jump. In '' Paper Mario: Sticker Star'' (2012), she and the Toads are enjoying a sticker festival in the Mushroom Kingdom until Bowser arrives to cause chaos, resulting in Mario collecting stickers to save the kingdom. In the 2016 follow-up game '' Paper Mario: Color Splash'', Mario, Peach, and Toad are invited to Prism Island, which is being drained of color. When Peach is kidnapped, Mario and a paint bucket companion named Huey must save the island and Peach. In '' Paper Mario: The Origami King'' (2020), Peach and the Toads are folded into origami versions by King Olly, so Mario and friends must fight to restore them. In the role-playing video game series ''

Mario & Luigi ''Mario & Luigi'' (also known as ''Mario & Luigi RPG'' in Japanese regions) is a series of role-playing video games published by Nintendo and originally developed by AlphaDream prior to their bankruptcy. The series is a spin-off from Nintendo's t ...

'', Peach is a recurring character. In '' Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga'' (2003), Bowser recruits Mario and Luigi to help him restore Peach's voice after it was sucked up into a device by a mystery guest and replaced with speech that converts to explosives. In the second entry, '' Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time'' (2005), the brothers must save Peach and the Mushroom Kingdom from being conquered by the evil Shroobs by traveling between the past and the present. '' Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story'' (2009) continues Mario and Luigi's efforts to save Peach after the villain Fawful tricks Bowser into eating a type of mushroom that causes him to inhale the Mushroom Kingdom, forcing the brothers to save Peach after being trapped inside Bowser's body. In '' Mario & Luigi: Dream Team'' (2013), Mario and Luigi must work with a character named Prince Dreambert to save Peach after she is sucked through a portal into the dreamworld while staying on Pi'illo Island. '' Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam'' (2015) follows Mario and Luigi on a quest to save Peach after both she and her paper version are kidnapped by Bowser. She is also set to appear in the upcoming '' Mario & Luigi: Brothership'' (2024). Peach is the protagonist and playable character of '' Super Princess Peach'' (2005), a platform game with mechanics similar to ''Super Mario'' games. Set on Vibe Island, the game begins with Bowser using the Vibe Scepter to capture Mario and Luigi, resulting in Princess Peach embarking on a quest to rescue them with the help of her talking umbrella, Perry. During the game, she must navigate levels, release captured Toads, and finally face Bowser. In gameplay, she can stomp on enemies and attack them using Perry in various ways. Peach's health is measured with a heart meter. She also has a Vibe meter, which governs her four emotions: joy, gloom, rage, and calm. Each emotion power provides a unique ability; joy powers her to float in a cyclone, gloom creates floods of tears, rage engulfs her in flames, and calm restores her health. Peach appears in two turn-based crossover games between the ''Mario'' and

Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Anno'', '' Assassin's Creed'', ' ...

's '' Rabbids'' franchises. In '' Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle'', the player begins with three characters, one of which is Rabbid Peach, a Rabbid version of Peach, who has the ability to heal allies and perform a stylish dash, which can kill multiple enemies. After being unlocked at the end of World 2, Peach is also a playable character and carries a short-range shotgun called a boomshot and tosses grenades at enemies. She also has the ability to perform a healing jump to heal allies. Peach and her Rabbid counterpart return along with other Nintendo characters in '' Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope.'' In 2019, a variant named Dr. Peach was introduced as one of ten playable characters in the mobile puzzle game '' Dr. Mario World''. Her special skill cleared a row of objects when her skill meter was full. Another variant named Dr. Fire Peach was later added in 2020. Peach stars in the

Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...

game '' Princess Peach: Showtime!,'' which was released March 22, 2024. With a focus on a theatrical theme, it centers around Peach saving Sparkle Theatre from the antagonist Grape and her minions, the Sour Bunch. With the help of Stella, the theater's guardian, she can change into various outfits with specific abilities. Her transformations include Swordfighter Peach, Patissier Peach, Kung Fu Peach, Detective Peach, Figure Skater Peach, Mermaid Peach, and Mighty Peach. The game is the first to feature Peach as the protagonist since the release of ''Super Princess Peach''.

Other media

In 1986, a Japanese

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

film was produced titled '' Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach!''. Written by Hideo Takayashiki and directed by Masami Hata, it was based on the events of the first ''Super Mario Bros.'' video game. The story involves Princess Peach escaping from the video game world into Mario's world before being captured and pulled back to the Mushroom Kingdom by King Koopa. Mario and Luigi are lured into the Mushroom Kingdom by a dog in order to save her. In September 1989, Peach appeared in a children's TV show, '' The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'', as an 8-bit sprite. She is voiced by Jeannie Elias in ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'' and Tracey Moore in the two follow-up series '' The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'' and ''

Super Mario World ''Super Mario World'', known in Japan as '' is a 1990 platform game developed by Nintendo EAD and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The player controls Mario on his quest to save Princess Peach and Dino ...

''. Throughout 1992, Peach (named Princess Toadstool) appeared in a comic titled '' Super Mario Adventures'', which was serialized in ''

Nintendo Power ''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninte ...

''. The plot involves Bowser proposing marriage to her and threatening to turn her subjects to stone if she refuses. After Mario is turned to stone, she and her troops pursue Bowser down a pipe, but she is eventually captured by Bowser. Rather than remaining idle, she demonstrates resourcefulness in various ways, including tricking her way out of her cell, escaping from a window using a yellow cape, and popping out of a pizza box holding a bomb in an effort to save Mario. Princess Peach is also prominently featured within

Universal Studios Japan is a theme park located in Osaka, Japan. Opened on March 31, 2001, it is one of six Universal Destinations & Experiences, Universal Studios theme parks worldwide and was the first to open outside the United States. The park is owned and operat ...

and

Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Studios Hollywood is a film studio and Amusement park, theme park located in Universal City, California, near Hollywood, Los Angeles. It is one of the oldest and most famous Hollywood film studios still in use. Its official marketin ...

's immersive

Super Nintendo World (stylized in all caps) is a themed area at Universal Studios Japan, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Epic Universe, with a future area under construction at Universal Studios Singapore. A result of a partnership between Nintendo and Un ...

areas. A costume character meet-and-greet with her is located in her pavilion. The interactive "Power-Up Bands" feature a design based on her dress. Peach is voiced by

Anya Taylor-Joy Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy (; born 16 April 1996) is an actress. Born in Miami and raised in Buenos Aires and London, she left school at the age of 16 to pursue an acting career. After a series of small television roles, her Breakthrough ...

in '' The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' (2023). Her casting, alongside the rest of the principal cast, was announced via a

Nintendo Direct Nintendo Direct is a series of online presentations or live shows produced by Nintendo, where information regarding the company's upcoming content or franchises is presented, such as information about games and consoles. The presentations began ...

in September 2021. In the film, Peach is Mario's guide and romantic interest, having been raised by the Toads from infancy in the Mushroom Kingdom. Director

Aaron Horvath Aaron James Horvath (born August 19, 1980) is an American animator, screenwriter, producer, and director. He is best known for co-developing the animated series ''Teen Titans Go!'' (2013–2025) alongside Michael Jelenic for Cartoon Network, wh ...

said that Luigi became the victim Mario must save to substitute Peach's traditional role in video games as the

damsel in distress The damsel in distress is a narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has been kidnapped or placed in other peril. The "damsel" is often portrayed as beautiful, popular, and of high social status; she is usually depicted ...

so she can remain a strong monarch and protector of the Toads. Taylor-Joy said that she was concerned before taking the role but that her portrayal of Peach as a strong, capable leader was "the way she was supposed to be." A song from the film, which was titled "

Peaches The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called nectarines. Peac ...

" and written and performed by Bowser voice actor

Jack Black Thomas Jacob "Jack" Black (born August 28, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is known for roles in family and comedy films, in addition to his voice work in animated films. His awards include a Children's and Family Emmy ...

, was released in April 2023.

Merchandise

Peach has been merchandised across a range of official products, including plush toys and action figures. An

amiibo (, ; stylized as amiibo; plural: ''Amiibo'') is a toys-to-life platform by Nintendo, which was launched in November 2014. It consists of a wireless communications and storage protocol for connecting figurines to the Wii U, Nintendo 3DS, Ni ...

of Peach wearing a pink gown was released for the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series in November 2014. In 2015, another version was released as part of a set of ''Super Mario'' amiibo. In 2017, a set of themed amiibo was released for ''Super Mario Odyssey'', including an amiibo of Peach wearing a wedding outfit. A limited edition double pack featuring Cat Peach alongside Cat Mario was released for ''Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury'' in February 2021. In December 2014, a rare legless Peach amiibo resulting from a factory defect achieved a ''

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

'' for being the most expensive amiibo figure. Peach's color scheme and crown motif have been used to market themed controllers, including a pink Wii Remote Plus controller in 2014 and a pastel pink

Joy-Con Joy-Con are the primary game controllers for the Nintendo Switch, a hybrid video game console. A set of Joy-Con consists of two individual units, each containing an analog stick and an array of buttons. They can be used while attached to the mai ...

for the Switch in 2024. She has also been featured in other licensed ''Mario'' products, including as an interactive figure in the

Lego Super Mario Lego Super Mario (stylized as start case) is a Lego theme based on the platform game series '' Super Mario'' created by Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. It is licensed from Nintendo. The theme was first introduced on August 1, 2020. Sinc ...

range and as a

Hot Wheels Hot Wheels is an American media franchise and brand of scale model model car, cars invented by Elliot Handler and introduced by his company Mattel on May 18, 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox (brand), Matchbox until Mattel bought ...

collectible.

Reception

Critical reception

Sam Loveridge of ''

Digital Spy Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its initial launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television pro ...

'' described Peach as one of the most iconic female game characters of all time, naming her an icon that transcends gaming and commenting that she "acts as one of Nintendo's main mascots on a worldwide scale." '' SyFy'' also described Peach as one of the "greatest video game heroines of all time" for being a tough female character that "embraces the power of being a high femme." Alyse Knorr, writer for ''

Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...

'', noted that Peach is one of many examples of the

damsel in distress The damsel in distress is a narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has been kidnapped or placed in other peril. The "damsel" is often portrayed as beautiful, popular, and of high social status; she is usually depicted ...

trope that recurs throughout history, commenting that she is such a damsel cliché that she mainly existed as a plot device rather than as an individual character and that her role was to provide Mario with a reason to exist. Feminist organization Sister Namibia was critical of the fact that Peach always needed to be rescued, reasoning that "it propagates that women are helpless and in constant need of saving" and " heserves quite literally as a trophy for the completion of Mario's quest. She is ultimately just another object or reward for Mario to use." Mike Fahey of ''Kotaku'' created a "victimization record" for Princess Peach that detailed her many kidnappings within the series, commenting, "There are few women with more kidnappings under their belt than her royal mushroom highness". In an article about the impact of princesses on girls, Peggy Orenstein of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' said that she loved Peach but noted that "her peachiness did nothing to upset the apple cart of expectation". She considered Peach to be an ideal postfeminist solution by "the melding of old and new standards." Josh Straub of ''

Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...

'' cited the repeated failure to find the princess in the first ''Super Mario Bros.'' game as one of the most memorable moments in gaming history, stating that reaching the end of a world and being told by a Toad, "But our princess is in another castle!" was a "method of torture" that forced the player to face another round of platforming. Peter Tieryas, writer of ''

Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...

'', considered Peach to be the best character in ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' and emphasized that her floating ability was the first of Nintendo's solutions for fine-tuning jumping in platform games. Matt Kamen of ''

Wired Wired may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Wired'' (Jeff Beck album), 1976 * ''Wired'' (Hugh Cornwell album), 1993 * ''Wired'' (Mallory Knox album), 2017 * "Wired", a song by Prism from their album '' Beat Street'' * "Wired ...

'' appreciated the plot of ''Super Mario Sunshine'' for having "a bit more impetus to a game than 'rescue Peach (again) and felt that this offered more depth and personality to the characters. '' Video Games Chronicle''s Chris Scullion said that Peach's starring role in ''Super Princess Peach'' should have been a turning point for the character but ended up as "an average platformer with a questionable central mechanic" by focusing on her "getting emotional". In his review of ''Super Princess Peach'', Mark Bozon of ''

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

'' thought that Peach's emotion powers and use of coins to shop were "borderline insulting" and seemed like "a girls game made by guys." Mike Sholars of ''Kotaku'' felt that the introduction of Rosalina in ''Super Mario Galaxy'' impacted the ''Super Mario'' series so that it no longer needed to rely on the concept of saving the princess and enabled Peach to be more than a plot device. Bryan Vore of ''Game Informer'' praised ''Super Mario 3D World'' for being the first game in 25 years of the mainline series since ''Super Mario Bros. 2'' to include Peach as a playable character, saying that it demonstrated Nintendo's willingness to change the formula. Chris Suellentrop, writer for ''The New York Times'', opined that ''Super Mario Run'' was not a family-friendly game due to its "stale, retrograde gender stereotypes" and said that Nintendo had failed to update ''Super Mario'' for a contemporary audience by beginning the game with Princess Peach being a hostage. Sam Loveridge of ''

GamesRadar+ ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Compute ...

'' felt that in ''Super Mario Odyssey'', Nintendo "was playing him from the start" by beginning the game with Peach being abducted by Bowser and ending it with a scene in which she rejects the romantic advances of both Bowser and Mario. He commented that Peach "shrugs off all those years of being the damsel in distress to forge her own path in the world as a single woman" and that in doing so, Nintendo was clearly recognizing its female fanbase. Rebekah Valentine of ''IGN'' said that ''Princess Peach: Showtime!'' was the opportunity to see Peach "defined only by herself" rather than by Mario. Following the game's release, Tom Regan of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' found the game to be disappointing and considered it to be "patronising" to its "capable heroine" and a wasted opportunity to celebrate the princess. Conversely, ''

Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...

'', ''IGN'', and ''

Nintendo Life Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...

'' all responded positively and considered it to be the spotlight she deserved. Ashley Bardhan of ''

Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 alongside parent company Gamer Network. In 2008, it started in the formerly eponymous trade fair EGX (Eurogamer Expo until 2013) organised by its parent company. Fr ...

'' said that, rather than casting Peach in her usual role of Bowser's victim, the game made her a "girl with some agency" and thought that her future was "no longer doomed with dead-end kidnapping" but now had limitless potential. ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' writer Tracy Brown said that Peach started out as an unappealing character due to being simply a princess waiting to be rescued but was given more personality in later games. She further remarked that ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' incarnation had subverted her characteristics by depicting an empowered ruler who is capable of engaging in battle and protecting her subjects without it being at the expense of her femininity. Christian Holub of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' responded positively to Peach's characterization in the film, calling her "a female protagonist for the Rey generation" but also a relatable character for older players. Hope Bellingham, writer of ''

GamesRadar+ ''GamesRadar+'' (formerly ''GamesRadar'') is an entertainment website for video game-related news, previews, and reviews. It is owned by Future plc. In late 2014, Future Publishing-owned sites ''Total Film'', '' SFX'', '' Edge'' and '' Compute ...

'', appreciated her active role in the story, describing her as "the brains behind the operation", even though Mario has the starring role. By contrast, Julia Glassman of ''The Mary Sue'' considered her film incarnation to be a common sexist trope where the badass female character must step aside for an average male by supporting and training him rather than taking the lead. Gene Park, writer of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'', felt that Peach had been empowered long before her movie incarnation due to being "the most visible woman in video games, having appeared in more titles than any fictional woman in the medium", and hoped that the movie would finally transform her image in the public consciousness. Logan Plant of ''IGN'' described Peach as "one of Nintendo's most iconic characters" and felt that Nintendo was finally giving her the attention she deserved in film and video games.

Legacy

Peach has been described as one of the greatest video game characters by game websites and publications, including the 2011 version of the '' Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition'' and ''

GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...

'', which described her as "arguably the most famous woman in video game history". ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' named Peach as one of the most influential video game characters of all time, describing her as the "quintessential damsel in distress", but noted that Nintendo had improved her status over time by making her a playable character and introducing her in other game series like ''Super Smash Bros.'' Peach was cited as being an influence on other video game developers creating strong female protagonists. Tracey John, writing for ''Time'', commented that Peach's repeated abductions had become a running joke and a pop culture reference. In 2018, a short comic, "The Super Crown's some spicy new Mario lore", on

DeviantArt DeviantArt (formerly styled as deviantART and thus abbreviated as dA) is an American online community that features artwork, videography, photography, and literature, launched on August 7, 2000, by Mathew Stephens, Scott Jarkoff and Angelo Sotir ...

and

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

transformed Bowser into a monstrously sinister female resembling Peach that fans named Bowsette, which inspired numerous works of fan art. In May 2021, in an episode of ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'',

Grimes Claire Elise Boucher (; born March 17, 1988), known professionally as Grimes, is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her lyrics often touch on science fiction and feminist themes. The visuals in her videos are elabora ...

dressed as Princess Peach, while host

Elon Musk Elon Reeve Musk ( ; born June 28, 1971) is a businessman. He is known for his leadership of Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly Twitter), and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk has been considered the wealthiest person in th ...

starred as Wario in a sketch in which he was put on trial for murdering Mario in a kart race.

Notes

References

External links

* on Play Nintendo {{DEFAULTSORT:Peach, Princess Animated human characters Fantasy film characters Female characters in animated films Female characters in animated television series Female characters in video games Fictional female sportspeople Mario (franchise) characters Princess characters in video games Role-playing video game characters Shapeshifter characters in video games Super Smash Bros. fighters Video game characters introduced in 1985 Fictional hostages and kidnapped people Video game characters who use magic

Concept and creation

Characterization

Design

Names

Voice acting

Characteristics

Appearances

''Super Mario'' series

Other ''Mario'' games

Other video games

Other media

Merchandise

Reception

Critical reception

Legacy

Notes

References

External links