Things Only Adults Notice About Princess Peach

Since her debut back in 1985, Princess Peach — also occasionally known as Princess Toadstool — has become an integral part of the "Super Mario Bros." franchise. Her kidnapping is the inciting incident of the original NES classic, but her role in the series has grown exponentially over the years. By the time "Super Mario Bros. 2" rolled around a few years later, she'd already become a protagonist in her own right.

While Peach's first appearance showed her as a damsel in distress, she's certainly experienced a transformation since her debut. Only adults would have noticed the subtle changes in her character, as they've been there from the beginning to see her evolution. With Peach taking a more active role in 2023's "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" and starring in hames of her own, it's a good time to take a look back at some details about her character that the kids might not pick up on.

Princess Peach seems to do a pretty great job at holding down the fort in the Mushroom Kingdom, but the fact that her title has never been upgraded to Queen Toadstool seems to imply that at least one of her parents is still alive and well. So where the heck are they?

King Toadstool was originally mentioned in the manual for 1985's "Super Mario Bros.," but never puts in a physical appearance in the game itself. Despite being a pretty big deal in Mario's world, the king really only factors into some of the games' spin-off media. King Toadstool appeared in a number of comic books released in the early 90s, as well as a few other bits of print media published around the same time. His wife is an even bigger enigma, and it seems like Peach has been largely left to run the Mushroom Kingdom on her own. If the kingdom's original rulers are no longer in the picture, it feels like a mushroom coronation is in order, right?

Princess Peach has had a few makeovers since she became the subject of Mario's affections all those years ago. In addition to a frequently changing wardrobe and some snappy fashion choices, her hair color has swapped a number of times. In the original "Super Mario Bros.," Peach is seen with vibrant red hair, almost the color of the lava in Bowser's castle. When she made her playable debut in "Super Mario Bros. 2," she was animated as a brunette. In most modern incarnations, Peach is seen with bright or sandy blond hair. 

In the real world, this is most likely a decision based on console power and changing design teams — but is it possible that Peach just went through a bunch of different hairstyles and colors before she finally settled on one she likes? If so, one has to wonder which hair color is her natural look. We're betting it's not the firetruck red, but could Peach have originally been a brunette who decided that blonde monarchs have more fun?

The relationship between Mario and Peach has been a point of discussion for years at this point, with the "will they, won't they" nature of their friendship often being called into question. Much of the time, it seems as though Mario is more into Peach than she is into him, but a comedic video from Nintendo might have thrown those established roles into question. 

Back in 2017, around the release for "Super Mario Odyssey," Nintendo produced a series of clips in which Mario answered questions from fans. One of the fans asked what Mario enjoyed most about adventuring with his friends, and Mario replied by listing some of his closest associates. In a moment that gave a great many fans pause, Mario specifically referred to Pauline and Princess Peach both as his friends, then noted that they were a great help in finding Power Moons and other items. Sure, this goofy video was just made for promotional purposes, but it also gives the impression that something has happened behind the scenes and Mario is no longer pursuing Peach as a romantic partner. Wonder how she feels about that?

Speaking of Pauline, it's difficult to talk about Princess Peach and Mario's unique dynamic without bringing up the plumber's first love. Back in the arcade days, Mario endeavored to rescue Pauline from the clutches of Donkey Kong. Though Mario and DK promptly put aside their differences in the years since, players didn't hear much from Pauline until "Super Mario Odyssey," when she was put in a position of power and voiced by Kate Higgins. 

Peach and Pauline share a few scenes together in "Odyssey," and even though the pair never directly interact through dialogue, they can be seen hanging out together in a postcard toward the end of the game. Some could take this as a sign that Mario and Peach really aren't a romantic item after all, meaning she's not bothered by the reappearance of Mario's ex. However, it could also mean that Peach is unbothered by Pauline's presence, and doesn't feel threatened by her at all.

Though Peach became a playable character in "Super Mario Bros. 2," she's also enjoyed a few other breakout roles that secured her transformation from bewildered prisoner to butt-kicker. Peach got her own game on the Nintendo DS, "Super Princess Peach," which flips the familiar "Mario" formula. Instead of Mario setting out to save Peach from Bowser, Peach has to rescue the Mario Bros. for once! "Super Princess Peach" paved the way for another significant sign of independence: "Super Mario Odyssey." After Mario manages to stop the forced wedding between Bowser and Peach, both suitors make an attempt to win over Peach. Though both Mario and Bowser present Peach with a flower (and their affections), Peach actually rejects them both in favor of a solo trip around the worlds that Mario visited throughout his journey. This game showed that Peach can travel on her own terms, without the need for anyone else to help her. She also made a triumphant return to playable character status in 2024's "Princess Peach: Showtime!," which grants the princess some new abilities and follows her mission to rescue her kingdom — no Mario required!

"The Super Mario Bros. Movie" also highlights Peach in a more active role. Though Mario ultimately aids in rescuing her from Bowser in this big-screen adventure, she still gets some great action beats of her own, zipping down Rainbow Road in a kart and even training Mario to fight evil. Fans stamped their seal of approval on this interpretation of Peach, showing that the princess can stand on her own, with or without any famous plumbers by her side.