Birdo キャサリン Kyasarin, Catherine
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| Basic Information | |
| Mario | |
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Gender |
Female |
Species |
Birdo |
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| Skills Spits eggs | |
Birdo is a character who first appears in Yume Koujou Doki Doki Panic, and would become part of the Mario franchise when it released as Super Mario Bros. 2 in Western countries. Birdo is the representative character of her species of the same name. Birdo has not often appeared in Mario games released during the 1990s, but she has begun to appear in Mario spinoffs regularly since the 2000s.
Physical appearance[]
Birdo is a pink dinosaur-like creature with a large, round snout and a white belly. She wears a red bow in all of her appearances except her debut. As of Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Birdo also wears a diamond ring.
Gender[]
Birdo is a transgender female character and the first one to appear within video games in general. Early prints of the Super Mario Bros. 2 manual says that Birdo is a boy who prefers to be called "Birdetta." However, later prints omit mention of Birdo's gender. In reference to this, Birdo says in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga at one point that she wants to be called Birdie. The Japan-only game Captain Rainbow explores the ambiguous gender identity revolving around Birdo. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Birdo is described in her trophy as being "gender intermediate."
Birdo is portrayed by voice actress Jessica Chisum in the Nintendo 64 game Mario Tennis, the first game where she receives voice acting, and later by Jen Taylor for her appearance in the Super Mario Bros. 2 remake, Super Mario Advance. Meanwhile, Birdo has a deep male voice in Captain Rainbow, which explores her identity as a transgender character more than any other game.
Powers and abilities[]
Birdo's main ability is spitting eggs from her snout. Some appearances show her with other abilities, like in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, where she can form an egg shield around Popple or vacuum her opponent, Mario or Luigi, into her snout.
Although Birdo is classified as a Speed character in the Nintendo 64 version of Mario Tennis, this would not be the case for later appearances in Mario spinoffs, where she is an All-Around type instead.
Personality[]
Birdo is confident about her looks, most evidently from her taunts in the Mario Strikers series.
Birdo is very flirtatious and has had many crushes, most notably with Yoshi, whom she appears to be affectionate with in the Nintendo 64 game Mario Tennis. Her next love interest is Popple in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Birdo has a crush on Nick in Captain Rainbow.
Other names[]
In Japanese, Birdo is known as Catherine, which she is also named in instruction manuals of Wario's Woods.
Birdo's name is also completely different in Italian, Strutzi.
Mario franchise[]
Super Mario Bros. 2[]
The Birdo species are a recurring mini-boss in Super Mario Bros. 2. However, it is hard to determine the main Birdo character herself, especially since a few of the other Birdos encountered are pink like her. It could be assumed that the recurring Birdo character is in the first level, World 1-1. When defeated, Birdo drops a Crystal Ball, which can be picked up to open the mouth of the Mask Gate.
The cast roll mistakenly switches Birdo's and Ostro's names.
In the remake Super Mario Advance, a giant robotic counterpart of Birdo, Robirdo, appears at the end of World 3-3. It was also not until Super Mario Advance when Birdo's and Ostro's names were correctly swapped around in the cast roll.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[]
In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Birdo hatches from a pink-spotted egg named Shelly in Nimbus Castle, once the protagonists have attacked it enough. Birdo attacks by spitting eggs, though after a while, she begins to spit out the explosive Eggberts to attack. However, Mario or another party member can defend during the turn to send the Eggberts back to Birdo, inflicting a lot of damage. At the end of the battle, Birdo states that she will never let the characters go, deeming them "too cute," though explodes afterward. In the Nintendo Switch remake Super Mario RPG, the battle ends instead with Shelly somehow repairing, trapping Birdo back inside.
Mario Tennis (Nintendo 64)[]
In the Nintendo 64 version of Mario Tennis, Birdo makes her first playable appearance. It is also the first game where she is partnered with Yoshi as well as the first to provide Birdo her signature emblem: a red bow.
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour[]
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour artwork
In Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Birdo is one of the playable characters.
Mario Kart series[]
Mario Kart: Double Dash!![]
Birdo is a playable character in Mario Kart: Double Dash who is partnered with Yoshi by default. Her signature kart is Turbo Birdo, while her Special Item is Birdo Egg, similar to Yoshi's being Yoshi Egg.
Birdo is depicted on the "Ribbon" sponsor in Mushroom City and Yoshi Circuit.
Mario Kart Wii[]
Birdo is an unlockable playable character in Mario Kart Wii, by playing Time Trials on sixteen different courses. Before Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection shut down, the player could formerly do 250 online races instead.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga[]
At the start of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Cackletta is thought to have stolen voice from Princess Peach, necessary for awakening the Beanstar, but it is later revealed that the voice was stolen from Birdo, who disguised herself as Peach.
Since she a crush on Popple, Birdo willingly assists him, taking over the role of "Rookie," a title previously held by an amnesiac Bowser. Birdo fights alongside Popple in his battle and showcases several moves that she does not use elsewhere. For one, Birdo tries to vacuum Mario or Luigi into her snout, allowing for her own HP to be restored, but this can be countered using a Hammer. Her other moves include defending Popple in an egg shield and spitting flaming eggs at the Mario Bros. Following an unsuccessful battle against the Mario Bros. Birdo was blamed by Popple for losing and is fired, infuriating Birdo, who proceeds to kick Popple away.
Mario Baseball series[]
Mario Superstar Baseball[]
Artwork of Birdo playing baseball, used for Mario Superstar Baseball
In Mario Superstar Baseball, Birdo is a playable character whose highest stat is batting. She is among the captains who can be chosen in Exhibition Mode. Her Star Skill is the Weird Ball, which involves bouncing a Birdo Egg around
In Challenge mode, Birdo is a sub-captain of Yoshi's team by default, and she and requires the Pink Egg item in Challenge Mode. In said mode, Birdo is a subcaptain of Yoshi's team by default.
Mario Super Sluggers[]
Birdo returns as a playable character in Mario Super Sluggers. Her Star Skill was changed and divided into two distinct moves, like the other characters, with Suction Ball being her Star Pitch and Cannon Swing being her Star Swing.
Mario Party series[]
Mario Party 7[]
In Mario Party 7, Birdo makes her first appearance in a Mario Party game as an unlockable playable character, let alone in general, much like Dry Bones. She can be unlocked by spending 1,000 Mileage Points in the Duty-Free Shop. Birdo and Yoshi are paired together in Team Mode and share a signature Orb, the Egg Orb.
Mario Party 8[]
Birdo returns as a playable character in Mario Party 8, retaining Yoshi as a default partner like before.
Mario Party 9[]
Birdo is also playable in Mario Party 9.
Mario Party: Island Tour[]
Birdo is not playable in Mario Party: Island Tour, though she is one of the judges in The Choicest Voice minigame.
Mario Party Superstars[]
In Mario Party Superstars, Birdo is one of the playable characters.
Super Mario Party Jamboree[]
Birdo is playable in Super Mario Party Jamboree, though she does not have a corresponding Showdown Minigame.
Mario Hoops 3-on-3[]
In Mario Hoops 3-on-3 Birdo is an All-Around playable character whose Special Shot is the Egg Shot.
Wario franchise[]
Wario's Woods[]
In Wario's Woods, Catherine is a supporting character, and makes an appearance in the tutorial. She helps Toad by giving bombs to Wanda, who then passes them over for Toad to use. An icon of Birdo is displayed by a meter indicating the amount of time remaining before Pidgit appears.
Crossover appearances[]
Kirby Super Star[]
In Kirby Super Star, Birdo is among the Mario characters who cameos in the audience during the boss fight against King Dedede in the Mt. Dedede stage of Spring Breeze as well as in Megaton Punch, along with Mario, Luigi, and Toad.
Super Smash Bros. series[]
Super Smash Bros. Melee[]
Birdo has the role of being a stage hazard of the Mushroom Kingdom II stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee. She is depicted with her 2-D sprite from the Super Mario All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros. 2 and appears on either side of the stage, spitting eggs. There is also a trophy of Birdo also depicting her in a similar sprite form, and it actually unlocks the stage itself.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, there is an obtainable trophy of Birdo, appearing to depict her design from Mario Party 8. Furthermore, if the player has the game select a random name for their custom stage, "BIRDO" could be one of the options.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]
Birdo retains her role of being a stage obstacle in the Mushroom Kingdom II stage of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Itadaki Street series[]
Birdo is playable in Itadaki Street DS. She is also playable in the multiplayer mode of Fortune Street.
Mario & Sonic series[]
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)[]
In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for the Wii, Birdo is one of the VIP members, rewarding 100 points to the player if they find her in certain events.
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Nintendo DS)[]
Birdo is only present in the Adventure Tours mode of the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. Birdo is in Cubyrinth, where she has Yoshi's missing Drift Board, which is required to participate in snowboarding missions. However, Birdo refuses to return the Drift Board unless Yoshi wins against her in a Ski Cross Racing event.
Captain Rainbow[]
Birdo is one of the many "B-List" Nintendo characters who lives on Mimin Island in Captain Rainbow. She is a transgender female whose wish is to become more popular with males. At one point, Birdo is arrested for using the women's bathroom. Birdo claims to be a female, but the officer does not believe her until Captain Rainbow retrieves Birdo's vibrator. After being rescued, Birdo falls in love with Captain Rainbow.
Gallery[]
External links[]
- Birdo on Wikipedia