Luigi Is the Best Character in 'Super Mario Run'

Thousands of players have spent the past couple of weeks diving into Super Mario Run, doing their best to build up their stockpile of Toads. However, just about every player has one burning question on their minds: Who’s the right person for the job? Look no further, because the best Super Mario Run character is none other than Luigi. That’s right, Mario’s bumbling sidekick, that goofy guy from Luigi’s Haunted Mansion, is the best character in the hit mobile game: He takes elements from almost every major character in the game and combines them into an almost undefeatable character.

Luigi is one of six characters that can be unlocked in Super Mario Run and is arguably one of the hardest to get. You need a whopping 150 Purple Toads and 150 Green Toads from completing Toad Rallies to purchase Luigi’s House, which is how you get access to the character. Given that Purple Toads are some of the rarest ones in the game, he’s definitely an expensive catch. But sometimes you have to pay for quality.

On paper, Luigi’s special ability is that he can jump; his high-jumping ability goes all the way to Super Mario 2, and it’s definitely useful in Super Mario Run. It gets Luigi access to some of the game’s hardest-to-reach places, meaning more coins, and jumping straight upward can help players take a moment to assess where they are and where they need to move in the level. Of course, you have to watch where he lands, but it’s a good way to look ahead.

Luckily, he’s not just a high jumper. Luigi’s ability transcends into other special powers. Like Peach and Yoshi, Luigi has the ability to travel a bit in midair — not as much as those characters, but just enough to save him (and the player) from falling to his death. That alone makes him better than almost any other character, but what about Mario’s amazing survival skill? Luckily, Luigi shares that talent. Like Mario, Luigi can grow after eating mushrooms, meaning he won’t get killed on the first hit like all of the other non-Mario characters. I can’t tell you how many times that’s saved my hide during a Toad Rally.

Now, this doesn’t mean Luigi is perfect. There are a couple of areas that Luigi doesn’t work well in, namely underground caves with a lot of wall climbing. That’s because Luigi tends to jump too high to grab the most amount of coins during a wall jump. Players will find themselves voluntarily falling on a few occasions in order to snag the most coins, which can slow progress. Sometimes Luigi might even jump too high and skip most of the wall entirely, which equals a lot of lost coins. The worst level for Luigi is undoubtedly “Wall-Kicking It Underground,” which needs a shorter, more nimble character like Mario or Toad.

But this isn’t about finding the “perfect character,” it’s about finding the best in the bunch. There are always going to be levels that each of the Super Mario Run characters aren’t the right fit for, but Luigi’s shortcomings are way less of a problem than most of the other characters in the game. Toad, Peach, and Yoshi have plenty of levels where they can suck royally, and a few levels where they have the rare opportunity to shine. And while Mario can adequately handle almost any level, that’s actually his biggest weakness. Mario is average. He’s basically the Joe Everyman of Super Mario Run, just good enough to work but not great enough to really get you those extra coins and Toads. For players who want a superhero instead of an everyman, Luigi is definitely the way to go. Start saving those Purple Toads and nab the best character in Super Mario Run.