Super Leaf

Mario in his raccoon form.
Super Leaf
Type	Power-Up
Debut	Super Mario Bros. 3

The Super Leaf is a power-up that was featured in Super Mario Bros. 3 that turns Mario into Raccoon Mario, which was the game's token image. It was later featured in Super Mario 3D Land, where it was instead associated with Mario and Luigi's respective Tanooki and Kitsune forms.

Information

The Super Leaf is used to turn Mario and Luigi into raccoon forms, which gives them pointy ears and bushy tails. Using their tails, they can hit enemies or blocks by spinning. With a running start, they can use their tails to fly by wagging them rapidly. They can also glide after jumps by doing the same thing. Aside from Super Leaves, P-Wings can turn Mario into Raccoon Mario (with the running meter constantly full), and the Tanooki Suit has a similar effect as the Super Leaf, although it instead is a full costume based on a raccoon-like creature that could transform into a statue.

Appearances

Super Leaves were as common as Fire Flowers in Super Mario Bros. 3, though ? Blocks did specifically hold either a Fire Flower or a Super Leaf, usually based on which was more helpful for the following area.

The Super Leaf returned in Super Mario 3D Land as a common item, except that it was now combined with the Tanooki Suit. The Super Leaf could turn Mario or Luigi into Tanooki/Kitsune form, which was adjusted to be more like the Raccoon form, as the wearer primarily attacked by spinning their tail. This version could not fly and could only flutter into the air momentarily. This was accompanied by a special Statue Leaf item, which could be used to trigger the Tanooki statue form. Within the story, it was shown that there was a tree of Super Leaves within the Mushroom Kingdom, but a sudden windstorm stripped the tree of its leaves the night before Bowser's latest campaign. This resulted in various soldiers of Bowser's army bearing Tanooki tails. That version of the Super Leaf returned in Super Mario 3D World, where it could also be used by Peach, Toad and Rosalina, but the Statue Leaf did not return.

In Mario Kart 7, the Super Leaf appears as an item would a racer could use to temporarily grow a Tanooki tail. It could be primarily spun around to deflect projectiles and harm other racers. In Paper Mario: Sticker Star and Paper Mario: Color Splash, there was a Tail sticker and card, respectively, which was similar in effect to Racoon Mario. In Sticker Star, Mario only gained the tail from the sticker, and it deflects enemy attacks for one turn. It was accompanied by a stronger Shiny version of the sticker. In Color Splash, the Tail card transformed Mario into Raccoon Mario for the duration of the battle or until Mario took damage.

The classic version of the Super Leaf reappeared in New Super Mario Bros. 2, although Luigi's raccoon form was replaced by a more fox-like one. There was also a variation of the Super Leaf for struggling players known as the Invincibility Leaf, which made Mario or Luigi invincible and faster for the stage, and made the P-Meter fill faster. It also appeared in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker 2, where it could be used in stages made in the Super Mario Bros. 3 style. Luigi, Toad and Toadette could also used the power-up when playing in multiplayer mode in the second game. Additionally, Weird Mario could also appear in Raccoon Mario form when answering a Warp Door.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• As part of the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack available for Nintendo releases of Minecraft, green versions of the Super Leaves could replaced Lily Pads within the game.
• In the Super Smash Bros. series, the Super Leaf has appeared as an item, starting in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U. When used, it transforms a character into the raccoon form, allowing them to use the tail whip and to float in the air. Its appearance is accompanied by a trophy in the 3DS/Wii U game. Previously, Raccoon Mario had been represented by a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee and a sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Fox Luigi was also featured as an Ace-rank Support Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Other Media

• The Super Leaves appeared in the The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 cartoon, where they had similar effects on Mario and Luigi, as well as Princess Peach and Toad. King Koopa also used one in one episode.
• It also appeared in the Nintendo Comics System comic series, where one issue revealed that Super Leaves grew on a plant called the Magic Leaf Raccoonius.

Canceled Appearances

• The Super Leaf was considered for an appearance in Super Mario World, but it was ultimately replaced by the Cape Feather.
• Paper Mario: Sticker Star was going to include the Super Leaf at one point, but it was replaced by the Tail stickers in the final game.
• At early stages of development for Super Mario 3D Land, the developers considered including the racoon form as well as the tanooki form, as well as an in-between form. But for the sake of simplicity, it was ultimately decided to only include one, and the tanooki form was considered to be the most visually clear of the options.

Trivia

• Raccoon Mario, like his Tanooki form, is based off of the tanuki, a Japanese myth that was said to look like a large raccoon. The tanuki was known to transform leaves into money; hence, leaves turn Mario into a raccoon.
• The Raccoon Tail can kill a firesnake, if properly timed.
• The Super Leaf is used as the symbol for the Leaf Cup in Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii.
• The Super Leaf/Raccoon Mario image was evoked in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, combined with a Tanooku Suit reference, where Tanoombas are goombas with raccoon ears and tails, and can transform at will. They are seen sporting small green leaves on their heads.
• The Super Leaf has also made a background appearance in a Mario Party 10 minigame, and one was dropped by Tail Bowser after he was defeated in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
• In Super Mario Odyssey, the Tail Tree could be seen at the Mushroom Kingdom, and the regional coins of the Lost Kingdom sported images resembling the Super Leaf. The image of the Super Leaf was also seen in concept art for Peach's outfit for Bowser's Kingdom, where it was on her mask, but it was replaced by the image of a Boo in the final game.