Starman

Starman
Type	Power-Up
Debut	Super Mario Bros.

This article is about the invincibility power-up appearing in the Mario games. For the Earthbound enemy, see Starman (Earthbound).

The Starman (also known as the Super Star) is a special invincibility-granting star appearing throughout the Mario series.

Information

The Starman is a glowing star that usually has eyes. When grabbed, it will make its user temporarily invincible for a duration of time, as well as making them flash or sparkle during the process. It is usually very rare, but it will defeat nearly every enemy that the user touches while using it. They can also cause Mario (or whoever touches it) to temporarily move faster, and in later games they can perform flips while invincible.

Traditional Starmen appear in Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2, The Lost Levels, Super Mario Land, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, New Super Mario Bros., New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Super Mario 3D Land. It also appears in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, where it is actually a Rainbow Star, although it essentially has the same effects. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island also featured a type without eyes that was found bouncing in some levels. This Super Star temporarily empowered Baby Mario, giving him a cape that he could glide with, and he would be temporarily invincible as well as capable of running up walls, while Yoshi was trapped in a giant egg until the star's effects wore off.

Starmen also appeared in several areas of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, and when used the player could defeat enemies by running through them in order to quickly rack up experience. They also appeared in some of the sports spin-offs, such as Super Mario Kart and all of the following Mario Kart games, in which it once again grants the user temporary invincibility for use in knocking competitors off the road. It also appears in Mario Superstar Baseball, Super Mario Sluggers and Mario Sports Mix.

Other Appearances

Video Games

• The Starman appears as an item in every game of the Super Smash Bros. series. It once more grants temporary invincibility to the user. It is also represented as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, a trophy and a sticker (from New Super Mario Bros.) in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U and an Ace Support Spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (where it is referred to as Super Star). As a Spirit, its Support effect is temporary invincibility after the player's fighter lands the first blow of a battle. When fought in Spirit battles, the Starman would possess Rosalina and Luma, in a fight where they periodically gained temporary invincibility, but all fighters could be launched more easily, and the Starman item appeared commonly.
• The Starman appears as an unlockable item in Animal Crossing.

Other Media

• The Starman appeared in the Mario cartoons. In "Super Mario Bros. Super Show!", Mario and Luigi used it to become Super Mario and Super Luigi, which was more similar to the Fire Flower's effects from the games. The two follow-up cartoons used the starmen with their original effects, however.