Super Mario RPG’s Boshi and Wario Are Two Halves of a Whole

Highlights

• Super Mario RPG introduces a cast of new characters, including the inhabitants of Yo’ster Island, who contribute to the game’s unique charm.
• Boshi, a blue dinosaur and Yoshi’s bitter rival, plays a key role in a high-stakes race on Yo’ster Island.
• Boshi’s resemblance to Wario, as a rival character with similar motivations, suggests that Wario may have influenced Boshi’s creation in Super Mario RPG.

While Super Mario RPG includes many of the characters that fans of the franchise have come to expect, it also introduces a large roster of new characters to the cast. As players explore the world, they will encounter all sorts of these unique Super Mario RPG-exclusive characters. Some will aid them, others will fight them, but all of them will lend their unique charm to the experience. And perhaps one of the best new additions to the roster comes in the form of the many inhabitants of Yo’ster Island.

Yo’ster Island serves as the homeplace of the Yoshis in Super Mario RPG. This island lets players engage in various activities, including Yoshi racing and cookie eating. One such activity will put Yoshi’s bitter rival Boshi front-and-center in a high-stakes race that may decide the fate of the island itself. Even though this sequence is relatively brief and easily beaten, some players may fall in love with this new blue dinosaur. He may not appear in any other Mario game, yet his appearance may leave a lasting impression, and fans may even draw some parallels to Mario’s own rival, Wario.

Super Mario RPG’s Boshi Feels Exactly Like Yoshi’s Wario

Boshi is a Great Addition to the Mushroom Kingdom Cast

Players will meet Boshi when they arrive at Yo’ster Island in Super Mario RPG. He is a blue dinosaur that wears a spiked collar, spiked anklets, and a nice pair of sunglasses. He is also the only known Yoshi not to wear any kind of shoes, which really helps give him a unique look. By the time players encounter him in Super Mario RPG, he has crowned himself the leader of the Yoshis, and it is up to Yoshi to bring him down.

Because Boshi won a Mushroom Derby race, he became leader of the island, and he canceled any future races so that he could be the last champion. So, Yoshi seeks the help of Mario to dethrone him so that Yo’ster Island can return to normal. To do that, Mario must challenge him to a race using cookies as an incentive. Once he is able to win the race, Boshi loses his title, and he agrees to follow the rules of the competition going forward. While it may not be the most interesting tale that Super Mario RPG has to offer, the character alone makes it worth the playthrough.

Wario Seems to Have Paved the Way for Boshi

There really is not much more to Boshi, nor has he appeared in any other Mario game since. However, he can still leave a lasting impression. Some players may actually see some parallels between Boshi and Wario. Both characters were created as bitter rivals to franchise mainstays, both look like their rivals, and neither of them are the nicest. Additionally, their names are just their rival’s name with new spelling. Even though Wario may have had a lot more success than Boshi, they are built around the same exact concept.

Since Wario was introduced in 1992’s Super Mario Land 2, he seemingly paved the way for Boshi’s introduction in Super Mario RPG. While it may be hard to prove that, they are too similar for it to simply be a coincidence. Not only do they seem to be cut from the same mold, but their original evil plans are also eerily similar. Both characters took over the homeland of their rivals which forced Mario to act. And while Wario may have used a bit more magic to accomplish his goal, they were both after the same thing.

Super Mario RPG‘s Boshi just feels like Yoshi’s version of Wario, which makes for a very fun character. Sadly, this is really the only game that he gets to shine in. But hopefully, with the resurgence in popularity, Boshi will get to make his way to other titles, and maybe even get his own WarioWare along the way.