Super Mario RPG: Best Party - All Characters

Super Mario RPG brings together five characters — three Mario staples and two brand new Squaresoft creations — together to help save the world and find all seven Star Pieces.

You'll get your full party fairly quickly in-game, and each character has their strengths and weaknesses. But who is the best character, and what is the best party?

We'll cover all characters in Super Mario RPG and their specialities, and give you our recommendation for the best party in the game.

All characters - stats, strengths, and weaknesses

Mario

This wouldn't be a Mario game without Mario, would it? The plumber is the hero of the game, and what starts as a quest to rescue Princess Peach ends up turning into a world-spanning journey to gather the seven Star Pieces.

Mario cannot be removed from the party, but that's not a bad thing at all. He has great stats all around and is the most balanced character in the party. He's also the only character with access to Jump and Fire-type moves, making him invaluable against certain enemies.

However, we usually focus on physical and Jump attacks with Mario unless something is weak to fire. There are plenty of other magic uses with better magic attack stats. Mario can equip three different kinds of weapons — gloves, hammers, and shells — making him really useful for a variety of enemies. You can't go wrong with Mario.

Mallow

Mallow is a Square creation and a brand new character introduced in Super Mario RPG on the SNES. He's a tadpole (just... play along) and agrees to help Mario after the plumber gets the Frog Coin off of Croco.

Mallow joins the party at the Mushroom Kingdom, and he comes with high magic stats and healing spells, making him an essential party member for the early game. Mallow is also the only character with access to Ice and Electric magic.

Mallow has stiff competition from other party members you get later on, but for dungeons and enemies with elemental weaknesses, he's always good to have around.

Geno

The second new character to join up with Mario in Super Mario RPG, Geno comes from the Star Road and was sent to retrieve the Star Pieces to restore his home. He possesses a doll to allow him to explore the world.

You'll get Geno at the end of the Forest Maze during your fight against Bowyer, and he's your fastest party member. Geno also has Geno Boost, a stat-boosting spell that is essential for most of the game. Couple this with his strong physical and magical attack and Geno is a great asset to the team.

He is a little weaker in the defense category, but you should be keeping him healed up or using him as support for most fights, particularly in the late game.

Bowser

Yes, you read that correctly — Bowser joins your party in Super Mario RPG. Only because you share a common enemy, of course!

Bowser joins forces with you at Booster Tower and is immediately your strongest character, at least in terms of physical strength. He has high physical defense and health stats, meaning he is your team's tank, but his speed and magic leave a lot to be desired.

Bowser is great for a lot of the game, still, particularly when paired with Geno Boost. But even in terms of raw power, Mario will outpower him when he gets his best weapon, and you might want that third slot for healing or magic damage. We used him for a lot of the mid-game for his defenses, particularly in the fight against Valentina.

Peach / Toadstool

Known as Toadstool in the SNES version, Princess Peach is the last person to join your party. She's your team's healer — a much-needed role in an RPG.

Peach accompanies Mario and his friends after the events of Marrymore, and even though she is the weakest party member physically, she has great magic stats and learns some pretty great healing magic. In fact, Peach is maybe the best party member for the end-game, as her strong healing spells mean you can get out of a cinch easily.

While Mallow has the elemental weaknesses covered, Peach can use status spells and does get a very good spell at level 18. We highly recommend her for the final dungeon as a result.

What's the best party in Super Mario RPG?

There's no single answer for the best party set-up in Super Mario RPG, and you should be swapping your party members around to exploit enemy weaknesses as much as you can. particularly on bosses.

We cover recommended party line-ups in our individual boss guides, so if you're struggling on a particular fight, check those out.

However, by the end of the game, the best party in our eyes is Mario, Geno, and Peach. Mario was the strongest physical attacker, particularly with Ultra Jump. Geno's strong magic and physical attacks, paired with Geno Boost, made him a great support character and back-up. And Peach's healing is invaluable.

On Nintendo Switch, if you're tackling the post-game, the best team will vary depending on the fight. Generally, Mario, Geno and Peach still stands, but there are certain battles where you should absolutely swap characters in and out of the fight as it goes.

For more help on getting through Super Mario RPG, check out our full Super Mario RPG guide for everything you need.