What is Mario's Religion?

Main Ideas

The video asks whether Mario is religious and proposes that star worship—called astrolatry—is the Mushroom Kingdom’s state religion: a religion officially supported by the kingdom’s political institutions.

Mario games contain many religious themes, including powerful spiritual beings, ghosts and demons, an underworld, and a heaven-like realm. However, they provide less consistent information about organized religion than the The Legend of Zelda series does about Hyrule’s religion.

The stars in Mario’s world are presented not simply as astronomical objects, but as powerful beings with their own society and hierarchy. The seven Star Spirits, for instance, appear as major divine figures, while Star Kids seem to be younger members of the species. Their place in the world blurs the boundary between the “natural” and the “supernatural.”

The narrator compares these beings to kami in Shinto: sacred powers or beings that can inhabit or be associated with the ordinary world, rather than existing only in a separate supernatural realm.

Mario’s encounters with stars can be interpreted as spirit possession or empowerment. Super Stars and Power Stars seem to enter or affect him, granting extraordinary abilities, especially temporary invincibility. The video distinguishes this short-lived empowerment from the greater power associated with collecting Power Stars.

Another central practice is making wishes to the stars. In Super Mario RPG, wishes become physical “wish stars” on Star Road and can fall back to Earth. The narrator interprets this as petitionary prayer: people ask the Star Spirits for favor. The exchange resembles the Roman religious idea do ut des (“I give so that you may give”), as well as petitions to kami at Shinto shrines.

The theory extends from personal devotion to politics and authority. Yoshi’s Island DS identifies familiar characters—including Peach and Mario—as Star Children, born with magical stars that give them special power. The narrator suggests this could make the Mushroom Kingdom’s ruling class seem divinely chosen. Peach’s position as monarch and her star-powered citadel are offered as evidence that star worship is tied to political power.

The larger lesson is that religion and politics are often intertwined. The video challenges the idea that religion can be cleanly separated into “political” and “true” forms, arguing instead that religious ideas can be embedded in cultural and political institutions.

How the Argument Is Developed

The narrator treats the Mario games as primary sources, as a historian might treat surviving documents and artifacts. Evidence is gathered across games, including star beings, Mario’s interactions with stars, wish-making, and the special status attributed to Star Children.

These fictional practices are compared with real-world religious concepts—such as kami, ritual petitions, divine rulership, and spirit possession—to suggest possible interpretations. The comparisons are analogies, not proof that Mario’s religion is identical to any real-world tradition.

The conclusion remains tentative: Mario canon is inconsistent, and some evidence—especially from the Paper Mario series—may come from an alternate dimension. The narrator presents the state-religion theory as a thought experiment, not a definitive account.

Speakers and Sources

Speakers

• An unnamed narrator or host presenting the analysis.
• Brief gameplay chatter at the end from two voices whose identities are not established in the subtitles.

Games and Fictional Sources

• Paper Mario
• Super Mario Galaxy 2
• Super Mario RPG
• Super Smash Bros.
• Yoshi’s Island DS
• The Legend of Zelda series, used as a comparison

Real-World and Cultural References

• Shinto concepts of kami and petitions at shrines, including petitions to Tenjin
• Haitian Vodou spirit possession involving a lwa
• Ancient Roman sacrifice and the phrase do ut des
• Greek and Roman portrayals of the Sun as Helios or Sol Invictus
• Traditional Chinese religion and the Big Dipper
• Japanese imperial traditions concerning descent from the kami
• The Bajoran gods in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, offered as an analogy