Yoshi

Yoshi is a fictional character who appears in video games published by Nintendo. He was designed by Shigefumi Hino and first appeared in Super Mario World (1990) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a rideable companion for Mario and Luigi. The character belongs to a species of dinosaur-like creatures, also called Yoshis, which are commonly depicted in different colors and are known for using their long tongues to eat enemies and produce eggs. Originally conceived after Shigeru Miyamoto expressed interest in giving Mario a dinosaur companion, Yoshi was introduced once the Super Nintendo hardware allowed the idea to be implemented. After his debut, he became the title character of the Yoshi series, beginning with games such as Yoshi and Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Across these games, Yoshi is often portrayed as a heroic and protective character, with abilities such as eating enemies, throwing eggs, and performing the Flutter Jump. Yoshi is also a recurring supporting character in the wider Mario franchise. He has appeared in mainline Super Mario games, the Mario Kart and Mario Party series, various Mario sports titles, and every installment of the Super Smash Bros. series. Outside video games, Yoshi has appeared in animated series, comics, merchandise, theme park attractions, and film adaptations, including The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026), where he is voiced by Donald Glover. Yoshi has been positively received by critics and audiences, who have often highlighted his design, abilities, popularity, and role as Mario's companion. He has been described as one of Nintendo's most recognizable characters and has appeared in several rankings of notable video game characters and sidekicks.