Super Smash Bros. Fighters - Yoshi series - 01 Yoshi

Debut

In the Super Mario series: Super Mario World (1990)

In the Yoshi series: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995)

In the Super Smash Bros. series: Super Smash Bros. 64 (1999)

Boxing Ring Title: Omnivore of the Year

Theme Song: Main Theme - Yoshi's New Island (Ultimate Remix) 

 

Yoshi is a major character in Super Mario series, and the main protagonist of the Yoshi series. He is a friendly individual who is a member of the Yoshi Clan, a race of dinosaur-dragon-turtles who come in a variety of colors. Most live on Yoshi's Island, but they've been known to populate other places as well, such as Isle Delfino, the Beanbean Kingdom, and Prism Island.

 

Yoshi makes his debut in Super Mario World. Here, Bowser and his Koopa Troop have taken over Dinosaur Land, and trapped seven of Yoshi's friends in eggs. Yoshi tried to rescue them himself, but ended up getting trapped in an egg by Bowser for his efforts. Mario and Luigi would come across Yoshi in the game's second level, where he thanks the two for saving him, as well as telling them his plight. The Mario Bros. agree to help Yoshi, and together, they head off on their quest!

Yoshi has many useful abilities, being able to use his long tongue to eat certain enemies, and being able to walk/jump on certain hazards like Piranha Plants and Munchers. If the player walked into an enemy while riding Yoshi, he would take the hit for Mario/Luigi and go running off, forcing you to quickly jump on him to calm him back down. If Yoshi swallowed a Koopa Shell, he would be given a power depending on it's color: Red will have him spit out the shell as a fireball, Yellow allows him to create earthquakes upon landing, and Blue would have him sprout wings and fly!

 

The player could also find Baby Yoshis, who came in three colors: Red, Yellow, and Blue. Once they ate five enemies - or one powerup - they would turn into an adult Yoshi. These colored Yoshis each have a specific ability that they can use whenever they had a shell in their mouths, regardless of the color of said shell. If any of the Yoshis grabbed Yoshi's Wings, they would transform into a Blue Yoshi.

 

Yoshi would quickly prove to be a popular character. So much so that his name would be used for two puzzle spin-off games titled Yoshi and Yoshi's Cookie. Yoshi has you control Mario as you try to trap baddies in Yoshi eggs, while Yoshi's Cookie sees Mario running a cookie factory.

 

It wouldn't be until Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island where Yoshi would be the main star! Though since the game - as well as many others in the Yoshi series - take place in the distant past, it's possible this Yoshi isn't exactly the same Yoshi that helps Mario and Luigi out int he present. Regardless, Yoshi is going for a stroll when Baby Mario lands on top of his head, as well as a map. Confused, Yoshi would call for a meeting with the other Yoshis to discuss what they should do. Yoshi would then notice that Baby Mario is pointing towards a certain direction, thus they decide to carry him to his destination via a relay system. With their plan in motion, the eight Yoshis begin their journey, unaware that an evil Magikoopa named Kamek has sent his minions out to find and obtain the baby.

 

This game would give Yoshi some new moves that he'd retain for later games, such as the flutter jump to help him reach faraway places, as well as the ability to make eggs and throw them. Additionally, Yoshi would receive a redesign, which would become his default look in later games.

After a long journey, the Yoshis manage to make it to Baby Bowser's Castle. Yoshi heads in with Baby Mario and confronts Baby Bowser, who he easily defeats him. However, Kamek arrives and turns Baby Bowser into a giant, which forces Yoshito fight him once more! Once he takes down the tyrannical tyrant, Kamek flees with Baby Bowser as Yoshi reunites Baby Mario with Baby Luigi! Afterwards, the Stork continues his journey to deliver the Baby Mario Bros. to their parents.

Yoshi also stars in Yoshi's Story. All of the Yoshis live in harmony thanks to the Super Happy Tree, which is the source of their happiness. Baby Bowser, however, grows jealous of their happiness, and steals the Super Happy Tree, then using magic to turn Yoshi's Island into a giant pop-up book! This sends all of the Yoshis into a depression. Luckily, six Baby Yoshis would hatch out of their eggs after all of this occurred. Unaffected by the wave of sadness going on, Baby Yoshi and his friends decide to head out and retrieve the Super Happy Tree from Baby Bowser!

The player could choose which Baby Yoshi they would like to play as. Each Yoshi had a different food preference, and would recover more health if they ate their favorite fruit. For example, Green Yoshi preferred Watermelons. If a Baby Yoshi lost all of their health, they would get captured by a Toadie, who transports them to the dungeon of Baby Bowser's Castle. If all the Yoshis were defeated, then the game would end. Luckily, a Baby Yoshi could be rescued if the player managed to find a White Shy Guy and beat a level with it.

 

At the end of the game, Baby Yoshi and his friends manage to defeat Baby Bowser and retrieve the Super Happy Tree, which not only makes the Yoshis happy again, but also restores Yoshi's Island to normal!

 

In Yoshi's Island DS, Yoshi is once again going for a leisurely stroll when Baby Mario falls on his head and onto his back, followed by Baby Peach slowly descending from the sky. Confused by why Baby Mario has returned, as well as the arrival of Baby Peach, he calls another meeting to discuss what to do. Yoshi then notices that Baby Mario is staring at a castle that has appeared in the sky. Realizing that Baby Luigi must've been kidnapped again, Yoshi and his friends head off to rescue him and the other babies as well. Unknown to Yoshi, the people responsible for these kidnappings are Bowser and Kamek from the future, who are hoping to find the Seven Star Children who's powers may help him conquer the world!

In addition to carrying Baby Mario, Yoshi also comes across Baby Peach, Baby Donkey Kong, Baby Wario, and even Baby Bowser, who all gives the Yoshis some unique skills that'll help them in their quest.

 

At the end of the game, Baby Bowser betrays the group, as he assumed that Yoshi and the others are after his treasure!  Yoshi manages to defeat him, which angers the Adult Bowser, who engages him in battle to avenge his younger-self! Yoshi manages to best him too, but then Kamek arrives and turns Bowser into a giant! Yoshi, alongside four other Yoshis, team up and manage to defeat the Koopa King, forcing Bowser and Kamek to retreat back to the future! After that, the Yoshis find out who the seven Star Children are: Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, Baby Donkey Kong, Baby Wario, Baby Bowser...

 

And a green Baby Yoshi that just recently hatched, who is heavily implied to be the Yoshi that would help the Mario Bros. out in the present. This Baby Yoshi may have also been the star of the previously mentioned Yoshi's Story as well.

Yoshi's New Island is a direct followup to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, and takes place before Yoshi's Island DS. Yoshi and his clan had another island that served as a second home to them called Egg Island. However, Baby Bowser had taken over the place, as he thought it would make a great vacation home. The Yoshis tried to find his castle to try and chase him off, to no avail. Just as they're about to give up, Baby Mario once again arrives on their island! Upon landing, he begins crawling off to try and rescue Baby Luigi, who was once again captured by Kamek. Knowing the island isn't safe with Baby Bowser in command, the Yoshis decide to escort him to his destination.

 

Yoshi's Woolly World would see Yoshi exploring the world in a new handcrafted universe! Yoshi and his friends love peacefully on Craft Island. One day, Kamek arrives and transforms most of Yoshis friends into Wonder Wool, as a favor to Baby Bowser who wanted to use the Wonder Wool to build a new castle for himself. Luckily, Yoshi and Red Yoshi would avoid this fate, though they are unable to stop Kamek. The Magikoopa flies away, dropping some Wonder Wool as he does so. The two Yoshis agree to work together to rescue their friends!

New to the game is multiplayer, allowing two players to work together to beat the game. Whenever the player rescues one of Yoshi's friends, they'll unlock a new yarn color to Yoshi to sport. Additionally, there are two play-styles: Classic Mode and Mellow Mode. Classic Mode is the standard fair of running, jumping, and throwing eggs (or rather, yarn in this game's case.) Mellow Mode is an easier mode that gives both Yoshis wings, allowing them to fly as much as they want over obstacles. Players can switch between the two game modes freely.

The game would later receive an enhanced remake titled Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World. The game's story is the same, but when playing in Mellow Mode, Yoshi will be assisted by the Poochy Pups, who help Yoshi discover secrets. Yoshi can also toss them at foes to defeat them. Another new game mode is Poochy Dash, where the player plays as Poochy and tries to collect as many beads as possible, as well as find the three Poochy Pups who are hiding somewhere.

In Yoshi's Crafted World, the Yoshis are having fun near the Sundream Stone, which is said to be able to grant anyone's dreams. Of course, when Baby Bowser learns of this, he and Kamek head off to swipe it for their own purposes. The Yoshis try to stop them, only for the five gems located on the Sundream Stone to fall off and scatter all over the world! The Yoshis then embark on a quest to recover the gems before Baby Bowser and Kamek can!

The player is once again allowed to pick any of the Yoshis they want to play as. New to this are costumes, which Yoshi can acquire from Capsule Machines for a certain amount of coins. These costumes can protect Yoshi from damage, but will break once they receive a certain number of hits. They come in three varieties: Common, which can take 3 hits; Rare, which can take 4 hits; and Super Rare, which can take 5 hits.

 

Of course, Yoshi continued to appear within the Super Mario series. In Super Mario 64, Yoshi appears at the top of Princess Peach's Castle. To reach him, Mario would have to collect all 120 Power Stars, which would open up a nearby cannon and allow Mario to get up to the roof. Upon talking to him, Yoshi would give Mario an improved Triple Jump and 100 extra lives before leaving.

Yoshi is given an expanded role in the game's remake, Super Mario 64 DS. Yoshi is first seen sleeping atop Peach's Castle as Mario, Luigi, and Wario rush inside Peach's Castle to get some cake. Yoshi is eventually woken up by Lakitu, who tells Yoshi that the three haven't been seen in a while, so Yoshi heads off to investigate. He learns from Toad that Bowser has taken over the castle, stolen some of the castle's Power Stars, and has trapped Mario, Luigi, and Wario in paintings! Thus, Yoshi heads off to reclaim the Power Stars and rescue the three!

 

Compared to the other characters, Yoshi has average running and swimming speeds. While he can't jump as high as Mario or Luigi, he can use his flutter jump to get to areas that are farther away. Yoshi can also turn enemies into eggs to throw them into foes. His Power Flower ability is Fire Power, which allows Yoshi to breath a stream of fire.

 

Although Yoshi doesn't show up in the game himself, his clan does show up in Super Mario Sunshine. Once the player beats Episode 4 of Pinna Park, Shadow Mario will show up in Delfino Plaza with a Yoshi Egg. Once he is defeated, Yoshi becomes available in various locales on Isle Delfino! In order to have Mario ride Yoshi, the player must find the fruit Yoshi is craving to get him to hatch out of his egg. Depending on the fruit Yoshi eats will determine what color he'll be: Papayas and Pineapple make him orange, bananas and coconuts make him pink, while durians and peppers make him purple.

 

Yoshi can spit juice from his mouth, which is just as capable of cleaning up the island like Mario's F.L.U.D.D. If an enemy is hit by Yoshi's juice, they'll turn into a platform for a short time, and the color of the Yoshi determines how it behaves.. Orange Yoshi makes stationary platforms, Pink Yoshi makes ascending platforms, and Purple Yoshi makes forward-moving platforms. Yoshi's Juice Meter slowly drains over time, and is not affected by whether or not you have him spray juice. Once it runs out, Yoshi turns green and his juice becomes water. Yoshi will then return back to his egg after a few seconds unless you quickly get him another fruit to eat to restore his Juice Meter.

 

Contrary to other games, Yoshi can't swim and will instantly dissolve if he lands in deep water, so it's best to avoid that.

Yoshi and three of his pals - Yellow Yoshi, Light Blue Yoshi, and Pink Yoshi - also occasionally show up in the New Super Mario Bros. series, making their debut in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Compared to Super Mario World, Yoshi and his friends are only able to be ridden in specific levels, and won't tag along with the heroes after completing the level. They also control much like they do in Super Mario World, though with the addition of being able to flutter jump to get to further away areas.

Yoshi then heads off on a galactic adventure in Super Mario Galaxy 2! Yoshi learns that Bowser is off stealing Power Stars again, and heads off into space to reclaim them himself. This leads him to Yoshi Star Galaxy, where a Magikoopa seals him inside of an egg. Mario would arrive a bit later and rescue him. Once they retrieve the Power Star hiding here, Yoshi decides it would be better to tag along with him on the Starship Mario. After that, Yoshi will pop up on certain other planets to give Mario - and Luigi once he's recruited - a helping hand.

Yoshi shows up in Super Mario Odyssey, but only after the game's story has been beaten. In the Mushroom Kingdom, he can be found on top of Princess Peach's Castle. Mario can use Cappy to capture Yoshi, allowing one to play as him. Yoshi also shows up in secret areas in The Dark Side of the Moon, where Mario will need his help to traverse certain areas.

New to this game is Yoshi's ability to use his tongue to cling to walls, allowing him to perform a wall jump.

Yoshi also shows up within the various Super Mario RPG games. In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Yoshi meets Mario on Yo'ster Island, where he informs the plumber that he and his clan used to live peacefully on the island as they held their Mushroom Derby races. However, one competitor, a blue Yoshi named Boshi, managed to win one of the races. He then declared himself leader of the island and suspended the Mushroom Derby, only allowing a one-on-one race against himself if he felt like it, or if Yoshi Cookies were involved. Mario decides to help Yoshi defeat Boshi, with Yoshi putting all of his cookies on the line.

 

Though the race was grueling and tough, Yoshi and Mario manage to defeat Boshi! All of the Yoshis begin to declare Yoshi as their new leader, but he declines the offer, saying the Mushroom Derby should be owned by everyone. Afterwards, Yoshi gives Mario a few Yoshi Cookies. If Mario uses them in battle, Yoshi will show up and try to turn the enemy into a helpful item for Mario and his friends to use. If he fails, he'll give Mario a Yoshi Candy instead.

While Yoshis tend to have various important roles throughout the Paper Mario series - such as the Villager Leader in Paper Mario 64 and the Yoshi Kid in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door - it wouldn't be until Paper Mario: Color Splash where Yoshi himself actually appears. In this game, he is found at the Dark Bloo Inn, where he is initially invisible and referred to as "It."

 

He's been kidnapped by a Shady Sledge Bro and his gang, who want to have "it" for themselves. Once Mario obtains him, he can return "It" to the Tea Party Toad, who sets "It" on the table. Mario can then use his Paint Hammer to reveal that is "It" is Yoshi. Mario can then try to ride Yoshi, but doing so has him run off. If the player has done that, then Yoshi shows up at Emerald Circus, where he thanks Mario for the rescue and reveals he came her to save all of the other Yoshis that were captured in a cage by Lemmy.

While Yoshis do show up inthe Mario & Luigi series, Yoshi - or rather, the Yoshi that saved the Baby Mario Bros. in the past - makes his only noteworthy appearance in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. At some point, a mysterious pink and green egg arrives on Yoshi's Island. None of the Yoshis know where it came from, but it makes a great tourist attraction. Unfortunately, the egg hatches, and out from it comes Yoob, a member of the alien species called Shroobs who are trying to conquer the planet! Yoshi helps escort his clan to a secret hideaway, during which he meets with his old friends Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, as well meeting their older-selves. Their reunion is cut short when Yoob finds their hideout and begins to eat everyone.

Inside of Yoob's belly is a factory, who's purpose is to make more Yoobs. Knowing he has to find a way out, Yoshi discovers a Chomp Rock nearby, and concludes that if he pushes it through Yoob's intestines, everyone could escape. However, he's not strong enough to do it alone, so Mario, Luigi, and their younger-selves go looking for the other Yoshis to help. With them all united, they manage to push the builder and begin making their escape, saving other captured Yoshis as well! Yoshi and his friends then help the four Mario Bros. defeat Sunnycide, which deactivates Yoob and allows all of them to escape!

 

As you can imagine, Yoshi also shows up in the Mario spin-off games, such as the Mario Golf series! His first time hitting the greens was in Mario Golf 64, where he was an unlockable character in the game. He was also notably the only male character who hits his golf ball straight, as the other male characters either hit it with a draw or a fade. Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour would make Yoshi a default character, which would continue in future games.

 

In Mario Golf GBC, Yoshi is seen once Kid - or Sherry, Azalea, or Joe - arrives at Mario World. He is one of the participants in the Mushroom Kingdom Tournament. While the player can talk to him, all he says is "Yoshi", with the implication that their character can't understand what he's saying.

 

Yoshi plays the same role he does in the sequel, Mario Golf: Advance Tour. In the game's Doubles mode, he teams up with Birdo to try and beat Neil and Ella in the Mushroom Kingdom Tournament.

 

In Mobile Golf, Yoshi is a downloadable character. He starts at Level 15, which is higher than Princess Peach, but way lower than Mario's level.

 

In the Mario Tennis series, Yoshi first hit the court in Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy, which wasn't exactly a good place to start. Luckily, he'd have a better outing in Mario Tennis 64. If one chose to play as him in the Doubles Tournament, he'd partner up with Baby Mario. If one played as Birdo, he would serve as her doubles partner. This game would mark the first time Yoshi and Birdo interacted, and they would occasionally be portrayed as love interests to each other. In all of these games, Yoshi's classified as a speed character, meaning he can quickly run around the court to get to the ball, but lacks power and reach.

In Mario Tennis GBC, Yoshi, along with the rest of the Mario Crew, welcome Alex and Harry - or Nina and Kate - to Mario World. Just like with Kid, they weren't able to understand Yoshi if they talked to him. Once Alex and Harry accepted to challenge Mario and Peach, Yoshi would head to the stands to watch. If the player connected the game to the Nintendo 64 version, they would unlock Yoshi as a playable character, as well as a Yoshi-centric minigame.

 

 

In the Mario Kart series, Yoshi made his debut in Super Mario Kart, and has managed to appear in every other game since. Throughout most of the games, Yoshi is classified as a lightweight, meaning he can quickly accelerate to top speed, but gets easily pushed around. In other games, he's classified as a middleweight, making him an all-around racer.

Yoshi also tends to have various racetracks based on him, such as Yoshi Valley from Mario Kart 64, Yoshi Circuit from Mario Kart Double Dash, and Yoshi Falls from Mario Kart DS.

 

Yoshi also shows up in the Mario Party series, battling for coins and stars! While all of the characters have an equal chance of winning, some games tried to make Yoshi behave differently if you're facing him as an opponent, such as always prioritizing buying Warp Blocks in Mario Party 3. In another game, Mario Party 7 made Egg Orbs an exclusive item that only he and Birdo could use.

 

Personality-wise, Yoshi is a friendly and upbeat individual, always willing to lend a helping hand when one needs it. He's also very courageous and tends to take up a leadership role among his kind, though he doesn't personally view himself as the leader of the Yoshi Clan. Yoshi also has a large appetite that borders on gluttony, a trait most of his kind shares. Yoshi mostly enjoys eating fruit - especially melons - but is willing to eat anything except peppers now and then.

In the Super Smash Bros. series, Yoshi is all about egg-related moves! What he lacks in a "third jump" he makes up with invulnerability with his second jump!

Yoshi is also one of the twelve members of the "Perfect Attendance Crew".

Special Moves

 

Neutral Special: Egg Lay

Yoshi fires his tongue out in from of him. Whoever he nabs gets swallowed and turned into an egg. How long they stay trapped in the egg depends on how damaged they are. Yoshi can then proceed to do additional damage to his trapped foe until they break free.

Foes trapped in an egg can control where they will land while they are airborne, but can do nothing else upon landing. Moving in various directions and button mashing will allow one to break free from their egg-prison sooner.

Inspired by Yoshi's main method of attack in "Super Mario World,"  where he can use his tongue to swallow various enemies. The ability to turn enemies into eggs was inspired by "Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island," which was the first game where Yoshi could do that.

 

Side Special: Egg Roll

Yoshi curls up into an egg and rolls forward, sending anyone he bumps into upwards.

Somewhat inspired by the Turbo Tulip powerup in "Yoshi's Story." In that game, Yoshi would curl up into an egg and then fling himself at enemies, or towards out-of-reach places. The move would later show up in "Mario Power Tennis" as Yoshi's defensive recovery move, where it even uses the same name: "Egg Roll."

Up Special: Egg Throw

Yoshi tosses an egg. Depending on the direction you're holding will depend on where he tosses it, and how far it goes depends on how long you hold the Special Button.

If used in the air, Yoshi will do a small "hop" in the air. He can do this up to 3 times before he has to land on the ground - or grab the ledge - to do so again.

Inspired by one of Yoshi's main method of attack in "Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island," though in that game, an aiming reticle would appear to show where Yoshi would throw it.

Down Special: Ground Pound

When used on the ground, Yoshi starts the move by jumping into the air, sending anyone in front of him slightly into the air. Regardless, Yoshi then does a front spin before flying downwards at incredible speed. Opponents hit during this get flung away from Yoshi.

 

Upon hitting the ground, two stars emerge - one in the front and one in the back. Opponents that get hit by Yoshi get sent flying, while those that get hit by the stars only get slightly flung away from him.

Inspired by Yoshi's ground pound move in "Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island," where he can use it to defeat tougher enemies, break open crates, and pound down stakes.

The stars that emerge seem to be inspired by Yellow Yoshi's ability in "Super Mario World." Upon grabbing a shell, landing on the ground would cause some puffs of dust to emerge from Yellow Yoshi's feet, which could defeat some enemies. Yoshi, Red Yoshi, and Blue Yoshi could also do this by eating a Yellow Shell. 

 

Final Smash: Stampede!

Yoshi rushes forward and tackles the first opponent he comes across into a rocky gorge. (up to two others can also get caught as well if they're super-close to the one who got caught) After that, a bunch of Yoshis arrive, running over the unfortunate opponent(s), damaging them.

 

After that, the foe(s) warp back to the stage they were battling on and get flung away from Yoshi.

 

If Yoshi fails to tackle anyone, he'll fall over and be disappointed.

Seems to be inspired by a scene in the opening of "Super Smash Bros. Melee" where a bunch of Yoshis are seen running throughout a rocky gorge. Much later in "Paper Mairo: The Thousand-Year Door," one of Mario's partners, Mini-Yoshi, could use a similar to this called "Stampede," which may have been a reference to Super Smash Bros. Melee's opening movie.

Additional Notes

When doing his second jump, Yoshi can tank almost any hit given to him, but only as he's ascending.

Yosh's shield is unique in that he hides in an egg rather than surrounding himself in a colored orb-shield.

This also means that his entire body will be constantly covered compared to anyone else, who's orb-shield shrinks as it's both being used and tanking hits. Yoshi's egg shield can still break though - as signified by it turning darker - so keep that in mind.

 

One of Yoshi's Alternate Costumes is Yarn Yoshi, based on how Yoshi looks in Yoshi's Crafted World.

 

After the development of the original Super Mario Bros. game, Super Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto wanted Mario to have a ride-able companion, but was never able to implement it until Super Mario World. Due to the game's setting being "Dinosaur Land," Yoshi was originally envisioned as a reptile, but they thought his initial design felt out of place. Takashi Tezuka would then made a rough redesign, and Shigefumi Hino would polish it. Throughout the SNES and Nintendo 64 era, Yoshi's design would keep getting altered and modified until they eventually settled on his current look.

 

Yoshi's saddle on his back is actually a shell. Takashi Tezuka revealed this info in an interview, as he considered the idea of Yoshi being a type of Koopa during his redesign in Super Mario World. Yoshi's saddle being a shell seems to now be considered true as of Mario Kart Tour.