Mario Kart Tour has introduced several characters that have never been playable in Mario Kart before, including some that would be worthy of a spot in the next installment. The Mario universe has been expanding its spinoff rosters a lot in recent years, with Mario Kart Tour being the biggest example. With courses from Tour coming to Mario Kart 8, there's valid reason to bring characters to Mario Kart 9 as well.
Mario Kart Tour has taken its own route separate from the main series in several ways. In addition to the mechanics being changed to work on a touchscreen phone, the game features a cavalcade of new tracks and characters. In a series first, it has tracks based on real-world locations like London and Sydney, some of which have appeared in Mario Kart 8's Booster Course Pass DLC. Although many of Tour's characters are alternate costumes for existing characters like Mario and Luigi, there are others who haven't been playable in Mario Kart in any form until Tour.
One of the best characters to bring to Mario Kart 9 would be Hammer Bro and his counterparts, Boomerang Bro, Fire Bro, and Ice Bro. The Hammer Bro family has been steadily gaining prominence and popularity over the years. Originally one of the most difficult enemies in Super Mario Bros., they have received a friendlier makeover and a fair amount of spinoff appearances, including Mario Party and Mario Superstar Baseball. In addition to being a great character for the games, Hammer Bro's signature hammers would make a great new item, especially with Mario Kart 9 needing an item rework. The hammers appeared previously in Tour and the fairly obscure Arcade GP, but they have yet to reach the main series despite how well they would fit.
Mario Kart Tour Is Full Of Potential MK9 Newcomers
Another Tour character that deserves serious consideration for Mario Kart 9 is Kamek. As one of Bowser's most famous henchmen, it's rather shocking that Kamek hasn't been playable in many spinoff games. Despite not being used much, Kamek could bring plenty of personality to Mario Kart. His years of experience studying magic and serving Bowser could lead to some interesting kart ideas, and his Magikoopa magic could even become a usable item. The old Magikoopa deserves more respect, and his prominence has been slowly increasing lately. Kamek's debut in Mario Kart Tour was a big moment for the character, and a spot in Mario Kart 9 could further his importance.
King Bob-Omb has made a surprising amount of appearances recently, from getting his own board in Super Mario Party his playable debut in Mario Golf: Super Rush. His rise from Super Mario 64's first boss to a regular character is impressive for a character who was originally known simply as the Big Bob-Omb. Another thing to bring up is that Bob-Ombs are chronically underappreciated compared to other Mario mainstay enemies. They are almost exclusively treated as items rather than characters. Bringing King Bob-Omb to Mario Kart 9 could offer Bob-Ombs some dignity similar to Origami King's lovable Bob-Omb partner Bobby.
Mario Kart Tour shows off a lot of new costumes for characters and paint jobs for karts, but it also holds a few characters that would be perfect for the next main Mario Kart title. Their time in Tour could be seen as a test run for seeing how well they fit into the world of Mario Kart. With any luck, Mario Kart Tour's roster will be the debut of several Mario Kart 9 newcomers.