How Mario May Have Blown His Chance With Peach In Super Mario Odyssey

It's a story we all know and love: Boy meets girl, girl gets kidnapped by monster, boy runs off to rescue girl, girl is in another castle ... you get the idea.

For decades, the relationship between Mario and Princess Peach has been fraught with various dangers and countless rescue efforts, and Super Mario Odyssey is a continuation of this formula. In the game's beginning, it looks like Bowser intends to make an honest woman of Peach, whisking her away on his matrimonial airship and forcing her to be his bride. Naturally, this doesn't sit well with the mustachioed hero, who fearlessly throws himself into the fray to save his beloved princess — only to suffer an immediate, humiliating defeat. 

It's easy to feel some sympathy for everyone's favorite video game plumber, but maybe it's time to take another look. Just what are Mario's intentions here? Does he hope to save Princess Peach from her fate of being the victim of a forced marriage? Or does he have his own selfish intentions in mind? As the ending of Super Mario Odyssey unfolds, we may come to realize that Mario may not be the lovable hero in this story after all.

Throughout the entire history of the games, Mario has been Peach's knight in blue overalls. Time and time again, he has saved the princess and her kingdom from certain doom. However, as of yet, there has been nothing indicating that Peach has romantic feelings for Mario. Of course she is grateful, but she's done nothing to indicate that her feelings resemble anything more than friendship.

Peach isn't always a damsel in distress, nor is she necessarily the saint she appears to be. In fact, it was her super-emotion powers that saved Mario and his friends from captivity in Super Princess Peach. So who says that Peach even needs Mario in the first place? Sure, on the outside, she may seem like a sweet-natured gal, but we all know that she can hold her own.

Just because Mario has taken it upon himself to rescue Peach over and over again doesn't mean she owes him anything, and certainly not romantic affection. For all anyone knows, Peach doesn't have any love interests at all — possibly because she has a kingdom to run, and there are more important things to think about.

Super Mario Odyssey reaches its climax in a way that many rom-coms have before: interrupting a marriage ceremony. Snappily dressed in a white tuxedo, Mario bursts through the doors of a chapel to find Bowser and Princess Peach standing at the altar. Once our hero has defeated the wicked King Koopa, it seems that all is well with the world — until Bowser suddenly regains consciousness and butts in to interrupt the heartfelt reunion by presenting Peach with a bouquet of Piranha Plants.

Not to be outdone, Mario — in a really lame move — pushes his way past Bowser to offer up a flower of his own. Shoving and manhandling ensues as they fight to win over Peach, but the princess is having none of it. Instead, she storms off and leaves both suitors behind, taking off in the Odyssey airship and almost leaving Mario behind.

So what does this mean for the future of Mario and Peach's relationship? It's clear that Peach wasn't impressed by Mario's display of toxic masculinity, and after the stunt he pulled, Mario can bet that his chances of wooing the Princess have vastly diminished.