Wart
- “I am the great Wart! Ha ha ha!”
- —Wart, Super Mario Advance
Wart is the main antagonist of Super Mario Bros. 2, although Wart made his first actual appearance in the game's original counterpart, Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic. He is also a character of The Legend of Zelda franchise, appearing in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (where he is referred to by his Japanese name Mamu). Wart has seldom appeared in official media since his debut, but he has appeared considerably more often in fanon media.
Wart is a toad who antagonises people in their dreams. He used the Dream Machine to create his army (though many of his minions were later seen under Bowser's command). However, the machine also inadvertently led to his downfall due to producing vegetables, which he really hates. He attacks by spewing bubbles from his gaping mouth, leaving him vulnerable to plant-based projectiles. In Super Mario Advance (a remake of Super Mario Bros. 2), Wart has voice acting provided by Charles Martinet (known for voicing Mario).
Fanon appearances[edit]
Neglected Mario Characters[edit]
Since Wart has only ever appeared in one Super Mario game, he is one of the primary guests in the web comic Neglected Mario Characters. He is often portrayed as a hitman for Bowser. Unfortunately, this gets him into a lot of trouble. For example, Bowser often sends him into the middle of an NC Deathmatch to do his dirty work while he is busy fighting off the Mario Bros. He joined Bowser's Dual Alliance of Death (DAD) consisting of Bowser and Luigi to make it a Triple Alliance of Death to fight off Mario and the Koopa Kids. He was used to lure the Koopa Kids into a trap, but failed. A recurring joke on the site is to portray him as a rambling old man who hates children, and thus there are many times when he gets into brawls with the Koopalings, usually Lemmy Koopa.
Rise of the Mushroom Kingdom[edit]
Wart is the main antagonist of the Rise of the Mushroom Kingdom series. There, he attempts to kill Mario, but ends up murdering Luigi instead, sending Mario on a quest for vengeance.
Fan theories[edit]
Wart is said to be related to Bowser — perhaps due to the fact that some of Wart's own minions have been shown to be working for Bowser in later games. Some fans claim he is Bowser's older brother, who was refused the Koopa Kingdom because he was turned into a frog due to a magical accident (which Bowser may be responsible for). Like many seemingly forgotten Mario characters, Wart is a popular villain in fan fiction.
