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.

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 is the same as the Super Leaf, save that Mario can transform into a statue to hide from enemies.

Super Leaves are as common as Fire Flowers in Super Mario Bros. 3, though ? Blocks do specifically hold either a Fire Flower or a Super Leaf, usually based on which is 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 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.

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.

Other Appearances

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, where one issue revealed that Super Leaves grew on a plant called the Magic Leaf Raccoonius.

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 Super Leaf is used as the symbol for the Leaf Cup in Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii.
• A trophy of Raccoon Mario appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee, as well as a trophy in Brawl, although the item itself remained unrepresented.
• The Raccoon Tail can kill a firesnake, if properly timed.
• The Super Leaf/Raccoon Mario image makes a slight comeback in Mario & Luigi, where Tanoombas are goombas with raccoon ears and tails, and can transform at will.