Princess Peach is as iconic as any of the Disney princesses. While she is best remembered for being a damsel in distress, her legacy extends beyond always being kidnapped by Bowser. She rules the Mushroom Kingdom with compassion and dignity, despite constant abductions. Since we’ve seen the histories of Mario and Luigi, let’s take a look at the history of this legendary royal.
The Princess in Another Castle
Princess Peach made her debut as the damsel in distress in Super Mario Bros., but in the American release of the game, she was called “Princess Toadstool” instead of Peach, supposedly because Nintendo of America wanted a name that fit in with the mushroom theme. Her sprite also had red-brown hair instead of her modern blonde look. Throughout the game, when Mario finished a castle level, the Toads would famously tell him that the “princess is in another castle,” which built the player’s anticipation to finally see her at the end of the game.
A Floating Princess
Peach (or Toadstool, as she was still known) became a playable character in the American version of Super Mario Bros. 2. She had a special ability to briefly float in the air, which made certain areas easier to get through. This ability would later be reused in Super Mario 3D World. While Peach was still a supporting character, it was still notable to have a woman as a playable character, which didn’t happen often in the 1980s.
Peach Gets Her Look and Her Name
When Super Mario World was released as a launch title for the Super Nintendo, Peach’s sprite was given the familiar blonde hair that she retains today. The first American usage of the name “Peach” would be in the spin-off game Yoshi’s Safari, but most players probably first saw the name in Super Mario 64. At the beginning of Super Mario 64, Peach writes a letter to Mario and signs it “Princess Toadstool” with “Peach” in parentheses.
Super Princess Peach and Princess Peach Showtime!
Peach’s first starring role was in Princess Toadstool’s Castle Run, an LCD watch game, but in 2005, she finally got her own true game with Super Princess Peach on the Nintendo DS. In Super Princess Peach, Peach sets out to rescue Mario, Luigi, and the Toads from Bowser. She utilizes the help of a sentient umbrella named Perry and uses the power of “vibes,” or emotions, to gain special skills.
In 2024, Peach took center stage literally and figuratively in Princess Peach Showtime! This time, she has to save the Sparkle Theater by transforming into different costumes that give her various abilities for each play. While the game is easy, it is full of imagination.
Movie Star
Peach had a major role in the three Mario Cartoons produced by DIC Entertainment: The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World. In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, she was voiced by Jeannie Elias, while in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World, she was voiced by Tracey Moore. However, when the live-action Super Mario Bros. movie came out in 1993, Peach was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the female lead was Princess Daisy from Super Mario Land.
In 2023, Peach finally made her movie debut in the animated The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Voiced by Ana Taylor-Joy, Peach is portrayed as an intelligent, caring leader determined to save the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser. She is good in a fight and the movie gives her a backstory where she was adopted by the Toads as a baby. Perhaps the upcoming sequel will reveal more of her past.
Other Appearances
Peach is almost always a prominent character in both the mainline and spin-off Mario games. She races in Mario Kart, fights in Super Smash Bros., plays sports in Mario Tennis and Mario Golf, and participates in other activities between kidnappings. Perhaps with the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, she will have another starring role. To paraphrase Bowser’s song from The Super Mario Bros. Movie, “Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, Peaches, we love you.”
