Yoshi is one of the most iconic video game characters of all time, having appeared in over 60 games since his debut in Super Mario World in 1990. However, despite his popularity, Yoshi’s full name has remained something of a mystery over the years. In this article, we’ll explore everything we know about Yoshi’s background and origins in an attempt to uncover his elusive full name.
Yoshi’s Origins
Yoshi made his first appearance in Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. In this game, Mario is able to ride Yoshi to navigate levels, with Yoshi being able to eat enemies with his long tongue and produce eggs that could be thrown as projectiles. Yoshi came in several different colors in this game, including green, red, blue, yellow, and more.
It’s unclear where these Yoshis came from within the Mario universe timeline. Super Mario World is set in Dinosaur Land, which is populated by a variety of dinosaurs. It’s possible that the Yoshis are native inhabitants of Dinosaur Land. However, their specific origins are never explained within the games.
What we do know is that Yoshis are described as being members of their own unique species. They are not simply generic dinosaurs. The instruction manual for Super Mario World states:
“Super Mario World features Mario, Luigi and Princess Toadstool in Dinosaur Land. When they arrive on the island, they learn that evil Koopa King Bowser has imprisoned the Yoshis in enchanted eggs. So Mario and Luigi must rescue the imprisoned Yoshis in order to save Princess Toadstool…and the rest of Dinosaur Land.”
So the Yoshis already existed as their own established species on Dinosaur Land before Bowser’s arrival and imprisonment of some of the Yoshis in eggs.
Yoshi’s Role in the Mario Universe
Since his debut, Yoshi has become a staple character in the Mario franchise, appearing in many of the core Mario games, spin-off titles, and crossover games. He has taken on a variety of roles and abilities over the years.
Most often, Yoshi continues to act as a rideable ally and power-up for Mario and Luigi. His unique abilities like swallowing enemies with his long tongue and turning them into eggs make him an invaluable companion.
Yoshi has also starred as the protagonist in several of his own spin-off games, starting with Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island in 1995. In these games, the player takes direct control of Yoshi as he protects Baby Mario, unravels mysteries, and battles enemies and bosses.
In sports and party games like Mario Kart, Mario Tennis, and Super Smash Bros., Yoshi takes on the role of a playable character with his own sets of strengths and weaknesses.
Across all of his appearances, Yoshi has firmly cemented himself as one of the most beloved and well-known figures in Nintendo’s library of characters.
Yoshi’s Specific Characteristics
Over the years, some consistent characteristics and details about Yoshi have been established:
- Yoshis come in a variety of colors, including green, red, blue, yellow, pink, purple, black, white, orange, and more. The green Yoshi is typically depicted as the “main” Yoshi.
- Yoshis have a long, sticky tongue that can extend a surprising distance to grab enemies and objects.
- Yoshis have the ability to transform anything they swallow with their tongues into eggs, which can then be used as projectiles.
- Yoshis have a plump, rounded shape and a saddle-like shell on their back ideal for riding.
- Baby Yoshis are unable to produce eggs and have less developed abilities, eventually growing into the full-fledged Yoshis seen in games.
- Yoshis absolutely love fruit and cannot seem to get enough of eating it.
- Yoshis speak in a light-hearted, childish language typically consisting of excited exclamations like “Yoshi!” and “Woohoo!”
These traits help define Yoshi as more than just a generic dinosaur and establish some consistent characteristics across his numerous appearances.
Yoshi’s Close Relationship with Mario
From the very beginning, Yoshi has had a very close, almost symbiotic relationship with Mario. This is seen right away in Super Mario World, where Mario rides Yoshi to gain new abilities and navigate through levels.
This close bond between Mario and Yoshi has persisted across games in various forms. In the Yoshi’s Island games, it is Baby Mario that Yoshi must protect at all costs as he rides on his back. In games like Mario Kart and Mario Party, Yoshi is grouped right alongside core characters like Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach.
Yoshi has also taken on parental-like roles towards Baby Mario in some media, acting protective and caring like a guardian. In the Super Mario World cartoon episode “Mama Luigi,” for example, Yoshi risks his life to rescue Baby Mario and proves his dedication to the baby’s safety.
So while Yoshi’s exact origin remains a mystery, it’s clear he quickly formed an unconditional, family-like connection with Mario and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom heroes.
References to Yoshi Having a Full Name
Surprisingly, there are a handful of vague references throughout Yoshi’s long history that seem to imply he may have a full name that has simply never been explicitly stated.
For example, in a Topps trading card for Super Mario World, Yoshi is listed as having the “full name” Yoshi Mario. It’s unclear if this was meant to imply Mario is somehow part of Yoshi’s name, or if Mario is simply the name of his owner, like a pet.
Another potential clue comes from the Super Mario Adventures comic book released in 1992. In one section, Yoshi cheers after swallowing some enemies and forms a text bubble simply reading “Yoshi!” Mario then scolds him and says “Stop that Yoshizard!” This implies Yoshizard may be Yoshi’s full name or last name, though that’s left unclear.
In Yoshi’s New Island for the Nintendo 3DS, completing the game unlocks a bonus movie. At one point in this movie, a dispatcher calls over the radio asking for Yoshi by name to bring Baby Mario safely home. The dispatcher clearly starts to say a longer name beginning with “Yo” before being cut off. This hints that the Yoshis may actually have longer individual names.
While very speculative, these tidbits suggest that Yoshi may indeed have some sort of real name, even if it has never been definitively revealed.
Potential Theories on Yoshi’s Full Name
Fans have come up with various theories over the years speculating what Yoshi’s full name could be:
Yoshi Mario
One of the most popular theories is that his full name is indeed Yoshi Mario, meaning he has somehow adopted Mario’s last name. This could symbolize the close, familial bond between Mario and Yoshi. It also explains the trading card that lists this as his “full name.”
Yoshizard
Some fans take the Super Mario Adventures comic at face value and believe Yoshizard is his real full first name. This suggests the “Yoshi” we know is really more of a short nickname or abbreviated version of Yoshizard.
Yoxxxxxx
Based on the dispatcher in Yoshi’s New Island starting to say a longer name, some think his real name starts with “Yo” but has several more syllables we never hear. This opens up many possibilities for what his fuller name could be.
A Pun on “Yoshis”
Since Yoshi represents an entire species, not just an individual, some fans think his full name may be a pun off of the plural “Yoshis” in some way. For example, his name could be Yoshisy, Yosheep, Yoshy, etc.
A Common Japanese Name
Given Yoshi’s origins within a Japanese franchise, some believe his full name may simply be a common Japanese first name never revealed in English. For instance, it could be Yoshikazu, Yoshimitsu, Yoshinori, etc.
While fun to speculate about, unfortunately none of these potential full names have ever been definitely confirmed within an official Mario product or media.
Why Yoshi’s Full Name Remains a Mystery
There are a few possible reasons why Nintendo has never revealed Yoshi’s true full name after all these years:
- The simplicity and catchiness of just “Yoshi” fits the lighthearted nature of the character and franchise well, so a full name may be unnecessary.
- Leaving it ambiguous encourages imagination and theory-crafting among fans, generating interest and discussion.
- Nintendo prefers to keep character backgrounds mysterious and undefined so they can be shaped as needed.
- Yoshi is meant to represent the entire species, so giving him a specific individual name goes against that original intention.
Unless Nintendo eventually decides to establish Yoshi’s full name outright, it seems this will remain one of the Mario franchise’s eternal mysteries.
Conclusion
While Yoshi has revealed many distinct traits and abilities over more than 30 years of appearances in Nintendo games, media, and merchandising, his official full name has curiously never been disclosed. The origins of this beloved character remain somewhat murky, leaving room for fans to speculate and invent their own backstories to fill in the gaps.
Yoshi’s cartoony design and trademark exclamations of his name suggest Nintendo never intended him to have an elaborate backstory or identity. Yet hints exist implying there may indeed be more to it. Unfortunately, until Nintendo definitively addresses the question, the full name of Mario’s cheerful dinosaur companion will have to remain one of gaming’s unanswered questions.
