Yoshi might not take center stage in the Super Mario franchise all that often, with the last game it headlined being Yoshi's Crafted World, but the green dinosaur is so iconic that it's still managed to be the center of a ton of memes. As well as "Yoshi commits tax fraud" and a chubby image of Yoshi both making the rounds in recent years, fans have produced tons of memes that do a great job of summing the character up.That includes the iconic noises Yoshi makes, the way Mario so often abandons Yoshi in order to continue a level, and what it's like to main Yoshi in Super Smash Bros.
Yoshi's Tragic Purpose
Yoshi has a reputation as being one of Mario's most loyal allies and, ever since it first appeared in Super Mario World to help the iconic plumber, players have come to take that for granted. That's why most players think nothing of letting Yoshi fall in order to get an extended jump to cross a large gap.
Even compared to Mario's other allies, it's proof that Yoshi is willing to go a step beyond in terms of helping his red-hatted friend, and his sacrifice has come to be the biggest symbol of his loyalty.
Yoshi's Iconic Scream
While fans of the character may exaggerate how much they enjoy Yoshi's strange screaming noise, as there was once even a 24-hour Yoshi screaming live stream on YouTube, there's no question it's one of the most iconic sounds from the Mario series. For some, it's so iconic that just the image is enough to conjure up the sound of Yoshi's scream.
Even if the noise is unique to the star of some of the best puzzle games on the Nintendo Switch, the sense of pain it gives off is one that everyone can relate to in one way or another.
The Dark Truth
Mario loves taking fun shortcuts and, though it's nice to think that Yoshi doesn't mind being sacrificed to help its friend with that, the fact that it sometimes has to make this sacrifice many times on the same level makes the whole thing seem a lot darker. It almost seems like Mario enjoys dropping Yoshi into pits.
Depending on the player, that may be the case but, either way, it's an unnerving thought that Yoshi must sometimes approach big jumps knowing that this is the end of the road for the loyal dinosaur.
The Saddest Part Of Yoshi's Sacrifice
While it's funny to imagine that Nintendo would intentionally put something as dark as a Yoshi knowing it must be sacrificed for Mario to continue his quest, there is something truly sad that this means for Yoshi's character, and that's that it often doesn't get to finish levels with Mario.
Except in his own games, Yoshi is always the side character and never the protagonist and that means there's no guarantee that everyone's favorite dinosaur manages to make it to the flag at the end. This helps explain why so many people have a soft spot for the too-often overlooked Yoshi.
Yoshi's Style In Smash
Ever since Super Smash Bros. Melee, Yoshi has been a staple in the fighting game series, so it's no surprise they knew exactly what they were going to do with Mario's resident dinosaur for Smash Bros. Ultimate. With such short arms, it makes sense that Yoshi's move set would involve a lot of kicking.
Yoshi maims and anyone who's lost to one will know that all too well. There's something both hilarious and iconic about seeing the friendly Yoshi go all-out and unleash rapid powerful kicks to overwhelm the opponent, which is why Yoshi's the focus of plenty of hilarious Super Smash Bros. memes.
Don't Forget About Boshi
Since only Yoshi and Birdo really went on to have consistent appearances in the Super Mario franchise, it's easy to forget that they aren't the only dinosaurs to have appeared in the series. Fans haven't forgotten though, as alternative Yoshis only help to make the original more iconic.
In particular, the sinister loner Boshi from Super Mario RPG gave players a glimpse into an alternate universe where Yoshi isn't the kind, loyal character it is in the series and is a lot more stylish instead.
Mario's Realization About Yoshi
What makes Yoshi's alternative purpose in the Mario games worse is that, according to the events of Yoshi's Island, Yoshi actually saved Mario as a baby. That's why it's hilarious to imagine Mario realizing exactly what the horrible implications of dropping Yoshi into a pit for his own gain are.
What makes this meme iconic to Yoshi though is that every player has had this kind of realization with Yoshi before. From coming to love Yoshi for its loyalty and cuteness to realizing exactly how the player will part ways with it, it's an arc that every Yoshi fan has to experience.
Yoshi's Original Love
With so much being added to the character since, it's easy to forget what originally defined Yoshi's character, which is a love of apples. From when it first appeared at the beginning of Super Mario World, the player was encouraged to feed Yoshi apples and enjoy the satisfying noise it made in response.
Of course, all of the Yoshi spin-off games expanded on the character since then but, even now, most people still think of Yoshi as a dinosaur who can't get enough of the apples that grow everywhere in Dinosaur Land.
Yoshi Is The Perfect Main In Any Game
Smash is a game where, if a player is using Yoshi as their main, they're usually doing so out of love for the character more than a strong desire to win. Luckily, that's not the case for all games, where Yoshi can be a very strong choice indeed.
From Super Mario Party, where Yoshi has one of the best dice, to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, where Yoshi is a great all-rounder, the dinosaur gets to shine in some games. Then again, just like SpongeBob in this meme, Yoshi is likable whatever his form so fans will likely continue to use it as a main no matter what.
Yoshi Fans Are Something Else
Yoshi is known for being one of the most loyal characters in gaming, so it makes sense that fans of the character would be fiercely loyal to the green dinosaur as well. Along with his adorable design and enthusiasm, Yoshi is easily one of the most likable Mario characters so it has no shortage of fans.
While it's hard to believe anyone could hate the character, this means that Yoshi has an absolute ton of fans who will defend it to the end. As this meme illustrates, it's no less than the adorable dinosaur deserves.