good evening tumblr. your assignment is to determine the political views of all major characters from the mario series. or, if you like, you may do sonic instead

Princess Peach is obviously pro-oligarchy, having shown no signs of deferring power to the people or otherwise dismantling her illegitimate power base.

 Bowser is a leader of a varied army of simple, worker creatures who seeks to take down that oligarchy while simultaneously being tempted toward build a new one in his own image (hence all the castles) which makes him a tragic reflection of USSR-era communism, the possibility of an equal society shattered by the temptation of power upon its leaders. The socialist dream gone astray.

Into this, Mario presents a complex, conflicted figure, mostly aligned with Peach but willing to golf with Bowser and even saving his life, as well as fighting Peach in hand-to-hand combat from time to time. At the same time, he also notably destroys property and structures on both sides of the Peach/Bowser divide - whatever brick blocks there are dotted throughout the Mushroom Kingdom are destroyed. The only constant in coins; Mario’s only loyalty is to money, which literally gives him life, and all other alignments or morality fall before this. He’ll prop up a regime that benefits him but will also work alongside the forces angling to destroy it, in hopes of keeping the conflict going. He’s a war profiteer. Mario is the engine of capitalism literally stomping on the good worker koopas of Bowser’s shambolic communist uprising and taking coins from the very kingdom he claims to represent.

Luigi, the cowardly, reluctant brother of Mario lacks his brother’s bloodlust but remains complicit and ultimately chases the same goal in the same way. He is liberalism. 

Yoshi represents the subjugation of non-human animals by the capitalist machine; a tragic victim, used by Mario from cradle to, in many cases, the grave.

Toad is literally the toadie for the oligarch; he represents the false consciousness of the working class being exploited for their own oppression, brainwashed into “love” of the system that controls him. His own identity is both categorical and, as noted above, references his status as a server, showing his internalisation of his class exploitation.

Wario is both incredibly greedy, as portrayed in the Warioland games, and willing to take part in transgressive behaviours that would alienate traditional conservatives (picking his nose, eating garlic), as well as being a business owner (treasure-hunting firms, WarioWare Inc.) so yes, he’s almost certainly a libertarian. Waluigi is also probably libertarian because I mean his only identifying feature is that he’s “like Wario but also like Luigi”

Birdo is an uncompromising queer radical and deserves nothing but respect.