Mario!!! Is that really you???
— Yoshi

Yoshi (sometimes specified as Green Yoshi) is one of the heroes of Mushroom World and an ally of Mario since debuting in Super Mario World. Yoshi is a member of the Yoshi race and has aided his brethren in saving their homeland on multiple occasions. Yoshi has also saved other kingdoms from the villain Bowser as well. In his youth, Yoshi managed to rescue and protect Baby Mario and Baby Luigi from the wrath of Kamek and the Koopa Troop. According to Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Yoshi is the only one of his species who can speak the human language. However, in later games, he doesn't speak the human language (as shown in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers). This is contradicted once again, in Super Mario Galaxy 2, when Yoshi speaks in perfect English.

Related appearances

The Legend of Zelda series

Yoshi seems to be very popular in the land of Hyrule. A Yoshi Doll can be found in Mabe Village on Koholint Island during the events of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Additionally, a portrait of Yoshi could be found hanging on a wall in Hyrule Castle (and could be seen from the Castle Courtyard) in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Club Nintendo

"Super Mario: Die Bescherung"

In the comic "Super Mario: Die Bescherung" Yoshi is seen going to Mario's Christmas party and ends up meeting a man that seems to be Santa Claus.

"Mario in Mariozilla"

In "Mario in Mariozilla" Yoshi accidentally eats a shrunken Mario and Kamek. Dr. Light then plans to make Yoshi lay and egg, but Yoshi has other ideas. After hearing this Yoshi runs away only to lay an egg two hours later with the pair inside.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

Yoshi was one of the many heroes who took on Cranky Kong's video game hero challenge in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. He placed in the top three (along with Mario and Link). If Diddy Kong gathered more DK Coins than Yoshi or Mario, the young monkey would steal second place from the dinosaur, moving Yoshi down to third, and knocking Link out of the top rankings.

Super Smash Bros. series

Super Smash Bros. fighter Yoshi
Game appearances
Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Special moves
Standard:  Egg Lay Side:  Egg Roll (SSBM, SSBB) Up:  Egg Throw Down:  Yoshi Bomb Final Smash:  Super Dragon (SSBB)
Battle entrance
Yoshi breaks out of his Yoshi Egg.

Yoshi is a playable character in all three Super Smash Bros. games. Yoshi is a fast and heavy fighter with strong smash attacks and amazing jumping ability. Unlike other fighters, Yoshi's shield is not an energy bubble but a green-spotted Yoshi Egg. Although Yoshi lacks a true special jump in the first two games in the series, he makes up for this handicap with an extremely long flutter jump. This pays off for his very short triple jump. This second jump can help Yoshi reach platforms that would take some fighters three jumps to reach. When using the flutter jump, Yoshi can also resist being knocked away. Unfortunately, Yoshi's extended grab attack (which is not too different from his Egg Lay move) cannot grab onto edges (unlike Link's Hookshot technique). Most of Yoshi's special moves revolve around various uses of Yoshi Eggs.

Although Yoshi is part of the Mario franchise as a whole, his emblem is a Yoshi Egg, which represents the Yoshi franchise.

Yoshi maintains his cartoonish voice in the Super Smash Bros. series, unlike Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Bowser, which were given more realistic animal voices.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Solid Snake codec conversation

• Snake: Otacon! What's this lizard thing?
• Otacon: That's a Yoshi. It's a dinosaur from Yoshi's Island. Watch out for its long, chameleon-like tongue. If it gets you, you'll be swallowed whole.
• Snake: It lays eggs and throws them, right? ...Then it must be female.
• Otacon: ...Actually, it's a "he." At least, that's what it says.
• Snake: It talks!?
• Otacon: Yes! It talks! Well, kind of...
• Snake: Now you've got me curious. ...How about I capture one so we can see what they taste like?
• Otacon: Uhh, Snake...

Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary

Yoshi is sleeping on a tree stump in a forest. Link walks by him, without seeing him. Soon, the Halberd attacks the peaceful area sending Primids out to attack Link and Yoshi. Yoshi slowly wakes up and walks up to Link, who takes his Master Sword out ready to fight. Yoshi decides to join Link's team, and the two advance through the forest following the Halberd. Standing on the edge of a cliff, the two see the Halberd in the sky flying away. Link and Yoshi continue their quest following the Halberd.

If Peach is rescued from Petey Piranha: After reaching a grassland, Link and Yoshi see False Peach about to shoot a Dark Cannon at Mario and Pit, but before she could Link cuts the cannon in half and start to fight, after they win Mario stops to see Yoshi and Link standing over a dissolving trophy. Mario gets mad at Link, thinking that he is a member of the Subspace and that he defeated Peach. He runs to Link and Yoshi very fast and tries to hit Link. Mario and Pit then attack Link and Yoshi.

If Zelda is rescued from Petey Piranha: Link stops to see Mario and Pit standing over a dissolving trophy of False Zelda. Link gets mad at Mario, thinking that he is a member of the Subspace and that he defeated Zelda. He runs to Mario very fast and tries to hit Mario. Yoshi then joins Link in fighting Mario and Pit.

Soon, the four understand each other and the four become a team. They see King Dedede, who had taken Luigi, Ness, and the other princess. He attempts to take Mario and Pit/Link and Yoshi as well, until Kirby comes and rescues them. Either Link or Pit blows out the engine of the Cargo depending on which fake princess was intinially fought (if Peach, it is Pit; if Zelda, it is Link). Along with Kirby, they follow Dedede to his castle, only to find that Bowser had taken the princess and got away.

Eventually, they reach a desert where the Ancient Minister is carrying a Subspace Bomb. Pit fires an arrow at the Ancient Minister, trying to stop him from placing the bomb. However, the Ancient Minister places the bomb and his R.O.B.s install it. Although Mario and Pit try to stop them, the bomb is about to blow up. Ancient Minister leaves the area and the bomb explodes. Mario hops on Yoshi, while everyone else hops on Kirby's Warp Star and they all leave the area before the explosion of the Subspace Bomb reaches them.

After a battle at the Canyon, Yoshi and his teammates meet up with the other heroes and enter Subspace, only to to have Tabuu turn everyone into trophies. Yoshi was rescued by Kirby, who had been revived by one of Dedede's badges that he had eaten. Yoshi then joins everyone and eventually defeats Tabuu.

Nintendo Monopoly

Yoshi appeared in Nintendo Monopoly, along with a large cast of Mario characters. Here, Yoshi took the role of Illinois Avenue, and cost $240.

Characteristics

Physical description

Yoshi, like all other Yoshi's, has a large nose region, a row of red spines along his head, a saddle on his back, which is used by Mario and the gang when being rode on,but later in Mario & Sonic At the Olympic Winter Games it is said that it is a shell. And a long sticky tongue. The green dinosaur typically wears orange shoes in recent games, but he originally wore brown shoes and also red shoes in a few appearances. Although Yoshi normally has green skin, he has been known to change his colour. For example, in Super Mario World, Yoshi could become blue in colour after collecting a pair of Yoshi's Wings (he would stay green in the remake). In fact, Yoshi would become a literal Blue Yoshi, providing Yoshi with the same strengths and weaknesses as a Blue Yoshi. Yoshi would not return to his original color unless he ran off and became re-encased in a Yoshi Egg.

Powers and abilities

Like other Yoshi's, Yoshi has a long, sticky tongue that he uses to eat almost anything, even things much larger than himself. Yoshi can transform the enemies and other objects he eats into eggs, which he can then use as projectile weapons. The green dinosaur has pinpoint accuracy, allowing him to conserve his egg supply during heated battles. During the events of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi could keep up to six eggs at a time.

Interestingly, Yoshi can also transform things that he eats into other objects. For example, in Super Mario World, after Yoshi ate an enemy, one Coin would be added to Mario's coin total. The green dinosaur could also transform berries into eggs. However, instead of using them as projectiles, these eggs would break apart and reveal items, including Super Mushrooms and strange, smiling clouds that would drop coins. In Super Mario RPG, Yoshi could eat enemies to produce eggs that would break apart to reveal a variety of helpful (and often rare) items.

Yoshi has a hard time swallowing Koopa shells. In fact, in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, the green dinosaur simply had to spit out the Koopa shell before he could eat another enemy. In Super Mario World, Yoshi could eventually swallow a Koopa shell, but could also use Koopa shells to boost his own abilities. While Yoshi could only spit out a green shell, if Yoshi spit out a red shell, the green dinosaur would instead shoot three large fireballs. A yellow shell would allow Yoshi to create sand clouds whenever he jumped and hit the ground, destroying nearby enemies. A blue shell provided one of the two ways to turn Yoshi into his Winged Yoshi form, allowing him to fly for a limited amount of time. However, if a shell were left in Yoshi's mouth for too long, he would inevitably swallow the shell and as such lose any abilities he may have possessed.

Yoshi is very proficient with Jump and Ground Pound, abilities, rivalling the capabilities of world-renown jumper Mario. However, in Super Mario World, Yoshi's jump attacks were much more powerful than Mario's normal jump attacks. Yoshi could destroy most enemies in one hit (i.e. a Koopa would be completely destroyed, not sent flying out of its shell). As such, Yoshi's jump had the same power as Mario's special Spin Jump technique. The green dinosaur is also a master of the Flutter Jump technique, allowing him to jump with incredible horizontal distance.

Yoshi is a speed character in several sports games, such as the Mario Tennis series, which shows that he is a fast runner. However, he isn't particularly fast in every game, such as Super Mario 64 DS where his speed is the same as Mario's (according to the instruction booklet).

Personality

Yoshi is an extremely friendly individual who always lends a helping hand to those in need. He could be considered a hero and has helped his friends, defeated the evil King Bowser Koopa, and saved his island more than once. Once Yoshi takes on a task, he does not give up until he completes it. Yoshi never backs down at defending his homeland and friends. He is also very courageous, allowing the green dinosaur to stand and fight enemies much larger than himself, including Yoob, an enlarged Bowser, Nep-Enuts, Tap-Tap the Golden, and the gigantic Baby Bowser. As a result of this courage, Yoshi often takes on a leadership position to the Yoshi clan, although Yoshi has no official political status (unlike the Village Leader from Lavalava Island). In fact, when Yoshi was offered a leadership position during the events of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, the humble dinosaur declined the position. Like Mario, Yoshi has a large appetite. While Yoshi mostly eats fruits (mainly melons), he will eat almost anything including enemies (except peppers and certain inedible enemies). Yoshi also has bad chemistry with Magikoopa, likely due to he and Kamek's history. He is sometimes portrayed as the comic relief, though lesser so than Luigi.

Development

Character Development

Yoshi did not appear until Super Mario World, which was released in 1990. However, Shigeru Miyamoto has stated in interviews that he wanted Mario to ride an animal companion after the completion of Super Mario Bros. Apparently, technical restrictions kept Mario from being able to ride an animal. Of course, with the development of the advanced Super Famicom in 1990, Yoshi could finally be brought to life. The character of Yoshi was specifically created by Shigefumi Hino, a graphics designer.

Yoshi likely originated from another Nintendo character, Tamagon. Tamagon was the star of the game Devil World, a game released in Japan for the Famicom in 1984 and later in Europe for the NES. Like Yoshi, Tamagon was a green lizard that hatched from an egg and could eat enemies with his large mouth. Interestingly, Tamagon makes the exact same noise when he hatches as Yoshi does in Super Mario World.

Appearance Development

Yoshi's appearance has changed dramatically throughout his video game history. In Super Mario World, Yoshi's first appearance, the green dinosaur was very much created in the image of an actual dinosaur. Yoshi had a long neck, small (almost useless), strangely orange arms, and a long back. This design changed in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. In this game, Yoshi was made shorter and stouter. Additionally, much longer human-like arms, complete with large hands to manipulate objects, replaced his short, tyrannosaurus-like arms. This design change was developed even more in Yoshi's Story. Instead of being hunched over, Yoshi stood up straight and swung his arms as he walked, much like a human. This design has stuck ever since. However, in the Super Smash Bros. series, Yoshi returned to the original hunched over, dinosaur-like design from Super Mario World (however, he appears to have his upright design in Brawl). In Yoshi's Island DS, the Yoshi's use their newer design when their saddle is empty, and they use their older design when a baby is riding them.

Portrayals

Yoshi was voiced by Andrew Sabiston in the Super Mario World cartoons. In the video games, Yoshi has been voiced by Kazumi Totaka since Yoshi's Story (who also composed the musical score to the game).

Names in other languages

Names in other languages
Language		Name	Meaning
	Japanese	ヨッシー Yosshī	Yoshi, romanized Yossy in earlier Japanese materials
	Chinese	耀西 Yōxī	Transliteration of the international name
	German	Yoshi Yoschi (SMW)	- A partial spelling adaption to German; only used in the Super Mario World manual
	Italian	Yoshi	-
	Korean	요시 Yosi	Transliteration of the international name
	Spanish	Yoshi	-

This page uses content from the Super Mario Wiki. The original source was Yoshi (Revision #767677). The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Zelda Wiki, the text of the Super Mario Wiki from before June 9, 2010 is usable under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. Information about the site's copyright can be read at MarioWiki:Copyrights.