Warning: This post contains major spoilers for The Super Mario Bros. Movie
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is finally here, and it ends in a way that wraps up its primary storyline while hinting at potentially more to come. Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the second movie based on the popular Nintendo IP following the 1993 movie that flopped. With a star-studded voice cast including Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, and Jack Black as the villainous Bowser, the animated film sees the return of beloved Nintendo characters to the big screen.
The ending of The Super Mario Bros. Movie sees Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Donkey Kong, and their respective kingdoms battling the nefarious Bowser, who is intent on claiming the Super Star and conquering the (non-human) world. In the streets of Brooklyn, Mario and Luigi are thrown backwards and are then able to claim the Super Star before Bowser gets to it, obtaining invincible status. Together with the rest of their allies, they take out Bowser and Princess Peach forces him to eat the blue mushroom, shrinking him so that he is no longer a threat. Mario and Luigi’s parents are thrilled about what their sons have accomplished, and the brothers return to the Mushroom Kingdom.
Bowser’s Super Mario Bros Plan Explained
Bowser essentially wants to rule over all the kingdoms in The Super Mario Bros. Movie; at heart, he’s a conqueror looking for power and control. But instead of simply taking the Super Star, which would have made him an invincible ruler, Bowser wanted to take the Super Star to Princess Peach first in the hopes that she would agree to marry him. Bowser planned to propose a marriage alliance — they would have shared the power of the Super Star together and ruled over the various kingdoms as king and queen.
Bowser’s scheme still plays into the idea of wanting Princess Peach and keeping her from Mario, with whom he competes with for her attention, but The Super Mario Bros. Movie sets it up, so he doesn’t kidnap her outright. Rather, Bowser coerces her into marrying him by threatening Princess Peach’s toads, subverting certain expectations regarding how she ends up in Bowser’s clutches. The animated film doesn’t have a particularly personal reason for why Bowser wants to conquer the world, only that he takes great pleasure in terrorizing other people and getting what he wants — no matter the cost.
Why Mario & Luigi Claimed The Super Star Together
The Super Mario Bros. Movie stands firm in the brotherly bond between Mario and Luigi, asserting that nothing bad will happen so long as they’re together. For most of the film, Mario was at the center of the action, helping Princess Peach save her kingdom and Luigi from Bowser. It made sense since Mario felt a certain way about not being good enough in the eyes of his father and letting his brother down. However, Luigi taking the Super Star alongside his brother showcases how he was able to overcome his fear and be brave in the face of danger and uncertainty.
Claiming the Super Star together also reiterated that Mario and Luigi were stronger when they were working as a unit, and that they could indeed do as Mario promised and save Brooklyn. Mario didn’t have to carry the burden of protecting his brother alone; Luigi didn’t have to be controlled by his fear of being hurt or failure. The Super Star allowed the brothers to lean on each other to battle Bowser, which brought balance to their strengths and allowed them to reach their highest potential as a team. The Super Star moment was ultimately a culmination of their individual journeys throughout The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Why Mario & Luigi Decide To Move To The Mushroom Kingdom
At the end of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Mario and Luigi wake up in their home in the Mushroom Kingdom. They still seem to have their plumbing business, but they’ve relocated. It’s likely they moved from their beloved Brooklyn because they felt more at home in the Mushroom Kingdom, and perhaps more useful to its population than in the human world. They both proved that they could save Brooklyn and the other kingdoms from Bowser, and The Super Mario Bros. world is a new place where they can more firmly establish themselves. They’re already well-known in this universe, which is good for their plumbing business.
All this gives them a personal connection to its inhabitants. It’s possible the Mushroom Kingdom is also where Mario and Luigi feel empowered — Princess Peach and the toads made Mario feel welcome and believed that he could go up against Bowser even when he didn’t believe it himself. That would be enough to stay and make a home for themselves. What’s more, it gives them the opportunity to build on friendships that have already been established. And there’s no doubt that Mario probably stayed for Princess Peach, too, perhaps in the hopes that they could be more than friends.
How Super Mario Bros’ Post-Credits Scene Sets Up A Sequel
The Super Mario Bros. Movie includes a post-credits scene that reveals a white and green egg within Brooklyn’s underground pipe system. It’s possible the egg, which is obviously from Princess Peach and Donkey Kong’s world, landed in Brooklyn after the pipes sent everyone to the human world, and was subsequently left behind in the aftermath. In the film’s post-credits scene, the egg cracks and Yoshi, the green-like dinosaur from the Mario game franchise, is heard (but never seen) before the screen goes black.
This suggests that Yoshi will factor into a potential Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel, and it’s possible Yoshi will go on to become Mario’s sidekick like in the games. Yoshi’s arrival also indicates the character’s species will also be a big part of a potential sequel. Interestingly, The Super Mario Bros. Movie doesn’t set up another villain Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach have to fight, but that might be for the best. The post-credits scene teases a beloved character from the Mario games and indicates more to come — the first film is just getting started with the world of Mario and Yoshi’s arrival could certainly spice things up.
The Real Meaning Of Super Mario Bros’ Ending
The film is about overcoming one’s fears, never giving up, and believing in oneself. Mario feels like a failure and Luigi is fearful of things going wrong, but they have to push through these obstacles to focus on their strengths. Mario doesn’t let things deter him, even if he doesn’t feel like he has the full support of his father. Sometimes, one has to go their own way and against expectations or the lack of belief in their abilities. Such is the ultimate message of The Super Mario Bros. Movie — Mario and Luigi are more capable than others may believe, but it’s ultimately the belief they have in themselves and each other that powers through.