In most of their original debuts, Nintendo characters had no story or lore to learn about. Mario and Luigi were simply plumbers trying to save a princess from a dragon; Link was a boy going on a journey to stop the evil Ganon. However, Nintendo has evolved over the past thirty years.
Now The Legend Of Zelda features one of the most convoluted timelines and lores in gaming history, Pokemon have become god-like creatures, and so much more. The many fan-favorite Nintendo characters have been given changes to their personalities, designs, and stories that fans old and new have come to love.
One Princess Became Several
Although technically the original "damsel in distress" was Pauline in the original Donkey Kong, most remember the Princess Toadstool from Super Mario Bros. who later became Princess Peach. However, it didn't stop there because Super Mario Land introduced Princess Daisy and Super Mario Galaxy introduced Rosalina, the space princess.
All three princesses have made numerous reappearances over the years, Daisy and Rosaline mainly returning for spin-off Mario sports games and the Mario Party series.
Link And Zelda Are Cursed
The green-clad warrior Link is seemingly on an endless loop to save Zelda from the clutches of Ganon and other evils. For many years, fans just took it as a trope to help the games follow a certain formula and while that was true at first, Nintendo later gave an in lore explanation that is both interesting and slightly tragic.
In The Legend Of Zelda: Skyward Sword, the demon, known as Demise, is defeated but before he dies, he curses Link, Zelda, and the timeline by having reincarnations of himself continue his work. As a result, Link and Zelda are cursed to forever be reincarnated across the confusing Zelda timeline to fight Demise's reincarnations: Ganon, Ganondorf, Vaati, etc.
Yoshi Is Mario's Protector
Nobody ever expected an origin story for Mario and Luigi but Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island gave just that. The baby brothers were being delivered by a stork only to be ambushed: Mario fell down onto Yoshi's Island and Luigi was taken by Kamek and his minions.
Rather than a pet, Yoshi becomes Mario's guardian and carries him across the island to save his brother. Yoshis would further help the baby brothers in their origins across multiple Yoshi's Island games.
Bowser Is A Single Father
In a bizarre bit of lore, Bowser had a child but not only that, this child is known as Bowser Jr. and he became so convinced that Peach was his mother that he kidnapped her. Not because Bowser Jr. wanted to do anything evil to her or hurt Mario, he just wanted a mother.
This story was explored in Super Mario Sunshine and it showed that Bowser Jr. somehow had a more fleshed-out backstory than his iconic father, who had been in many Mario games prior. In Super Mario Sunshine and other subsequent titles, Bowser is shown to be a genuinely loving father to his son. However, this does raise the question: who exactly is the mother?
From Ganon To Ganondorf
In the long line of reincarnations for Demise, one of them is a boar-like monster, known simply as Ganon. He was an evil warlord who sought control over Hyrule and the Triforce to fulfill the destiny of his precursor. From the original The Legend Of Zelda to A Link To The Past, this was the only way fans knew Ganon.
Everything changed with The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time when Ganondorf was introduced as the green-skinned Gerudo from the desert. With glowing eyes, red hair, and black armor: this would be the new standard for many games along with many iconic versions of Ganon and Ganondorf.
Family Line Of Donkey Kong
At first glance, it would be easy to assume that the Donkey Kong featured in all the games has been the same Donkey Kong, but given several revamps and redesigns. This is incorrect as it turns out Donkey Kong games somewhat have continuity.
The original Donkey Kong debuted in the arcade game while Donkey Kong Jr. would star in the sequels and other great and iconic Donkey Kong console titles, including the original Mario Kart. It was with Donkey Kong Country for the SNES that showed that Cranky Kong is in fact the original Donkey Kong with the newest Donkey Kong being the third.
Yoshi Is Now A Star
After debuting in Super Mario World as a mount for the Mario brothers, Yoshi would leap from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island to become the star of a plethora of Yoshi games. There are many Yoshi's Island games that usually feature the Yoshi clan protecting baby versions of Nintendo characters.
Then starting with Yoshi's Story, there are several Yoshi solo titles that have the many-colored dinosaurs going on adventures in many child-like fantasy lands - from coloring books to worlds made of yarn and crafting supplies.
Pokemon Are Now World Savers
The first few generations of Pokemon games were simply about traversing the regions, collecting cute monsters, and trying to be the best like no one ever was. There were some villains but it was usually nothing more than stopping that game's Team Rocket equivalent from pulling off some scheme.
In later Pokemon games, it changed so that the respective villain team is trying to take over the world or even destroy it; it leaves it up to the player to stop them or in other cases, stopping the resurrection of some god-like legendary Pokemon. It's quite the drastic difference from how Pokemon games used to be.
Pauline Went From Damsel To Mayor
Pauline is no longer the damsel in distress. Instead, Super Mario Odyssey shows that she is now the mayor of New Donk City. Not only that, but she is also a singer who gifts Mario with a jazzy big band music number known as "Jump Up, Super Star," which went viral upon release.
Since Super Mario Odyssey, Pauline has made more appearances including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a quick stage cameo. However, Mario Tennis Aces, Mario Kart Tour, and Mario Golf: Super Rush mark the character's first appearances as a playable character.
Luigi Is No Longer A Green Clone
For years, Luigi was either absent from the games or was simply a green clone of Mario for the second player. Over the years, Nintendo has gone the extra mile to make Luigi more distinct as a character; whether it's his ability to jump higher than other characters or the detail that he's taller than Mario despite being the younger brother.
The biggest upgrade to his character comes from Luigi's spin-off franchise: Luigi's Mansion. The games showcase that Luigi is easy to scare and seems quite cowardly but he's also willing to face his fears in order to save Mario and other friends of the Mushroom Kingdom. These days, he's the farthest thing from a green version of Mario.