Luigi

Luigi is the younger, taller fraternal twin brother of Mario and the deuteragonist of the Mario franchise. He is the main protagonist and playable character of every Luigi's Mansion game. Luigi's notable traits include a green cap, his smooth mustache, a cowardly personality, and a fear of ghosts.

Historically, Luigi has been recognized as the character controlled by player 2, especially before the Nintendo 64 era. His first overall appearance was in the 1983 Game & Watch title Mario Bros.. Luigi had his first starring role in the edutainment title, Mario is Missing!, which also has the premise of Luigi having to rescue Mario, and Luigi's Hammer Toss is the first game to both feature him as the sole playable character and to feature his name in the title.

Since Luigi appeared Nintendo GameCube title Luigi's Mansion, several of his later appearances in the Mario franchise and crossover games have associated him with the game, or later Luigi's Mansion titles when the first sequel, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, was released. Although Luigi is the star of the Luigi's Mansion series and a few Mario games such as New Super Luigi U, he has not been officially recognized as having his own franchise.

Luigi's Mansion
In Luigi's Mansion, Luigi had won a mansion in a contest he had never entered. Overjoyed, Luigi tells Mario to go ahead and meet up with him there. Luigi walks through a gloomy, haunted forest that leads to a big haunted house. The mansion is actually the one Luigi is looking for and he gets nervous. Upon arriving, Mario is nowhere to be found. While searching for his brother, Luigi meets E. Gadd, who proceeds to tell him that the mansion is haunted and that Mario was taken captive. Handing Luigi his Poltergust 3000, a vacuum that can capture ghosts, Luigi sets out to find and rescue Mario. He captures all the portrait ghosts, the 50 Boos, and the game's main antagonist, King Boo, whom he has to fight with Bowser. Luigi defeats King Boo, gives the remaining portrait ghosts to E. Gadd, rescues Mario, and cries tears of joy.

Luigi's cowardice is more prominent in this game than most others; every time a ghost appears nearby or something makes a loud noise, Luigi gets startled, making him jump slightly into the air and preventing him from moving for a short time. Luigi also has a Health Meter that depletes whenever he takes damage, and if it reaches 0, Luigi dies. Unlike most other Mario games, Luigi cannot jump with a button command, which limits his movement. However, Luigi can use the Poltergust 3000 to suck in ghosts after stunning them with his flashlight and shoot out fire, ice, and water blasts.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
In Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, Professor E. Gadd calls for Luigi's help from Evershade Valley and transports him over there with E Gadd's Pixelator. Once there, Luigi is told the Dark Moon has shattered and that the valley's normally friendly ghosts have become mischievous and hostile. E. Gadd then sends Luigi to the first mansion, Gloomy Manor, to retrieve the improved version of the Poltergust 3000, called the Poltergust 5000, and to see what he can find out. In the process, Luigi catches ghosts, including the powerful Poltergeist, with the Poltergust 5000. He later enters the manor's cellar, where the Grouchy Possessor takes control of a massive spider and attacks Luigi. Luigi manages to catch this ghost, return the spider to normal, and recover the first Dark Moon piece. He is subsequently transported back to E. Gadd's lab.

Luigi's next destination is the Haunted Towers, which were revealed due to the collection of the Dark Moon piece. Here, Luigi catches more ghosts (such as The Three Sisters) and rescues one of E. Gadd's Toad assistants. In addition, he encounters Polterpup for the first time, but when Luigi captures this ghost, he escapes. Luigi eventually encounters a staircase being controlled by the Harsh Possessor. He catches this ghost, returns the staircase to normal, and recovers the second Dark Moon piece. He is then returned to E. Gadd's lab.

Next, Luigi goes to the Old Clockworks. Here, he catches more ghosts (including the Ancient Poltergeist) and rescues another Toad assistant. He also finds Polterpup and catches the ghost again, but he again escapes. After recovering the clock hands (that were stolen by a group of Greenies), Luigi goes to the top of the tower and locates the Overset Possessor. The possessor controls the clock on the tower to attack Luigi but is caught. Luigi then recovers the third Dark Moon piece and returns to the lab again.

Luigi then goes to Secret Mine. Here, it is discovered that certain ghosts are being powered up in the mine. Regardless, Luigi catches them and finds the Shrewd Possessor, who controls a pool of ice. This ghost is also caught, and Luigi recovers the fourth Dark Moon piece.

E. Gadd then tells Luigi that the final Dark Moon piece is in the Treacherous Mansion, although he warns that his Parascope is picking up extremely high paranormal signals from the area (which frightens Luigi) before sending Luigi there through the Pixelator with the mansion key. Just as Luigi goes to unlock the mansion's front door, the key is stolen by Polterpup. Luigi chases the ghostly dog and retrieves the key, finally catching Polterpup in the process. After entering the mansion, Luigi catches more ghosts (including the Strong Poltergeist) and rescues more Toad assistants. A photo received from one of the assistants reveals that King Boo and his Boo minions have trapped Mario in a painting (much like in the first Luigi's Mansion). Recognizing the location in the picture as the Train Exhibit in the Treacherous Mansion, E. Gadd sends Luigi there to rescue Mario. However, Luigi and E. Gadd soon discover that it was a trap, and Luigi is ambushed by Big Boo; a large Boo made up of many smaller Boos (who Luigi subsequently captures). Back at the lab, Luigi and E. Gadd ponder where King Boo and the painting are. Soon after, the Parascope picks up strong readings from the Treacherous Mansion's terrace. Luigi is sent there, where King Boo appears and opens the paranormal portal, which releases a large number of ghosts into the mansion, then escapes with the Mario painting inside. E. Gadd tells Luigi to capture the ghosts in the mansion, as the paranormal activity is so strong that their dimension could collapse upon itself. Luigi does this then enters the Paranormal Portal, arriving in King Boo's Illusion.

In the portal, Luigi finds the final Possessor ghost, the Tough Possessor, who clones himself and controls multiple suits of armor. The final Possessor is caught, and Luigi finds the final Dark Moon piece. E. Gadd attempts to transport Luigi back to the lab. However, King Boo interrupts and sends Luigi into an illusion. Here, Luigi and King Boo fight. Before the fight, King Boo reveals that he was the one who shattered the Dark Moon and captured Mario. Luigi is ultimately victorious, catching King Boo, taking his crown, and rescuing Mario with the Dark-Light Device. Luigi, Mario, and E. Gadd rejoice, and a Greenie takes a photo with them and the now once again friendly ghosts (due to the restored Dark Moon). Luigi then takes in Polterpup as his pet, and Polterpup is later seen sleeping on Luigi, with Luigi seemingly overcoming his fear of ghosts.

Luigi's controls and personality are mostly retained from the previous game. Luigi still can't jump, but he isn't as easily frightened from ghosts, being able to still move around while being startled. Luigi's Health Meter also returns, functioning the same way as it did in the original game, though players can recover from a Game Over if they have found a Gold Bone. While the Poltergust 5000 can't shoot out elemental blasts, Luigi can still use it to suck up ghosts and objects, cause a wider and stronger beam of light, and reveal hidden objects.

Luigi's Mansion (Nintendo 3DS)
In the Nintendo 3DS version of Luigi's Mansion, Luigi has the same role as in the original Nintendo GameCube version, though now receives a slime-themed counterpart in Gooigi, who appears in the remake's co-op mode.

Luigi's Mansion 3
Luigi appears as the main protagonist in Luigi's Mansion 3. He has a new Poltergust that can fire plungers and lift him off the ground, along with using the Strobulb and Dark-Light attachments, as well as storing Gooigi.

In this game, Luigi was invited to stay at The Last Resort hotel and brings Mario, Princess Peach, three Toads, and Polterpup. However, that night the hotel turns haunted and it is revealed that the invitation was set up by Hellen Gravely so that King Boo could trap Luigi and his friends in paintings. Just as King Boo was about to trap Luigi, he manages to escape through a laundry chute.

Luigi ends up in the basement where he finds the Poltergust G-00 in a car. He later finds Professor E. Gadd trapped in a painting on the second floor, and after releasing him with the Dark-Light Device, E. Gadd aids Luigi once more by providing him with the Virtual Boo for communication, and Gooigi.

To advance through the hotel, Luigi must retrieve the missing elevator buttons from the ghostly hotel staff, freeing the three Toads along the way. Once Luigi reaches the top and defeats Hellen Gravely, he rescues Mario, who leads him to the rooftop where Peach is. After releasing Peach, however, King Boo traps everyone besides Luigi, who was saved by Polterpup, in a single painting. King Boo, enraged that he missed Luigi, engages him in battle.

After Luigi defeats King Boo, the entire hotel collapses from taking the bulk of the battle. Polterpup saves Luigi once again and frees everyone from the painting. During the credits, Luigi helps rebuild the hotel with the newly-turned friendly ghosts, and after construction was complete, departs with Mario, Peach, Polterpup, and the Toads.

Related appearances
Since Luigi's Mansion was released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2001, several Mario titles have alluded to Luigi's appearances in the Luigi's Mansion series.

Super Smash Bros. series
Luigi has appeared as a playable character in every Super Smash Bros. title to date, usually as an unlockable fighter. Though certain Mario characters such as Yoshi, Wario, and Donkey Kong have emblems to represent their spinoff franchises, Luigi, along with any Luigi's Mansion-related material, uses the emblem for the Mario franchise.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros. Melee is the first Super Smash Bros. title to reference Luigi's appearance in Luigi's Mansion. The only reference to this is the Vacuum Luigi trophy, which shows Luigi holding the Poltergust 3000, and it depicts his exact appearance in Luigi's Mansion.

As a fighter, Luigi can be unlocked by either fighting in 800 VS matches or by clearing the first level of Adventure Mode with the seconds value on the timer being a 2 (ex. XX:X2XX). Upon clearing the later requirement, Luigi takes Mario's place in the following fight on Princess Peach's Castle. Fighting 800 VS matches or clearing Adventure Mode while meeting the requirements brings the player to the Mushroom Kingdom II stage to fight Luigi. Defeating Luigi then unlocks him as a playable fighter. Luigi retains his physics from the previous installment, having the lowest traction in the game, the second-highest jump height (now surpassed by Falco), and somewhat poor mobility overall, while being a middleweight.

For this game, many of Luigi's moves were changed, increasing his distinction from Mario. Luigi's attack speed has majorly improved, and many of his attacks are now stronger than Mario's. Luigi has become faster on the ground, in exchange for a lower airspeed. In addition, his taunt, returning from Super Smash Bros., is now a meteor smash when used against opponents on or near the ledge. Luigi also has a distinct side special move, Green Missile, in which he launches himself head-first into opponents. Unlike Mario, Luigi cannot Wall Jump in this game.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Luigi was given his own stage, Luigi's Mansion. He is once again an unlockable fighter, and can be unlocked by either playing 22 Brawl matches or by clearing Classic Mode without using any continues. In either case, Luigi's unlock match takes place on the Luigi's Mansion stage. Alternatively, clearing Subspace (Part 1), an Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary stage, not only unlocks Luigi as a party member within the mode but also as a playable fighter in other modes. In a The Subspace Emissary cutscene, a Western-style rendition of the Luigi's Mansion theme plays during the segment where Luigi pretends to threaten and attack incoming Waddle Dees.

Luigi's appearance has been updated to reflect his current design, and his voice clips use his distinct voice, rather than being Mario's voice clips at a higher pitch like in the previous games. Once again, a few of Luigi's animations were changed to make him less identical to Mario. Like many other characters, Luigi's damage output was decreased from Super Smash Bros. Melee; despite this, his attacks remain stronger than Mario's.

For this game, Luigi is now lighter than Mario (weighing 97 units), rather than sharing his weight. He is also one of the few characters that is able to crawl. While few of Luigi's moves are changed in this installment, his Final Smash is Negative Zone, in which Luigi creates a green void that deals a random status effect to any opponents caught in it.

Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary
Luigi first appears where he pretends to threaten and attack on-coming Waddle Dees. They are harmless and make no move to attack him, but he is frightened by them nonetheless. From behind, he is attacked by King Dedede, who slams Luigi with his mallet, sending him flying into the air. After he comes back down, he becomes a trophy. King Dedede places him on the road as bait for Wario, who is coming down the road. Wario takes the bait, and King Dedede manages to steal Luigi along with the rescued princess and Ness.

Later, Dedede puts a brooch on Luigi and the others. When Tabuu transforms everybody else into trophies, the brooches, which were revealed to be timer-based revival tools, turn Luigi and Ness back into living beings. Luigi and Ness then revive King Dedede. The unlikely trio set off to help out the others in Subspace. Luigi, along with Ness, then watches King Dedede battle Bowser, and later help him convince Wario to join them. After they turn the trophies back to normal, the characters all face off against Tabuu.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Luigi's Final Smash was changed from Negative Zone to Poltergust 5000, which involves him pulling out his namesake vacuum from Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon to suck in opponents, damaging them, and then launch them back out.

Both games are the first and only Super Smash Bros. titles to have Luigi available from the start. Aside from now having the Poltergust 5000 as his Final Smash and a Ground Pound as his down throw, Luigi has not received any other significant differences in his moveset. Luigi now also scuttles during his jumping animation, making him more closely resemble his depiction in the main Mario franchise. Luigi's damage output has been lowered overall, but in exchange, his mobility is faster.

In this game, Luigi can use equipment to boost his stats at the cost of others. In addition to generic badges, Luigi, like Mario, can wear certain additional equipment such as shoes (speed), overalls (defense), and gloves (attack). Finally, Luigi can use alternate special moves, which function differently than the base moves.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Luigi, now an unlockable fighter again, uses the Poltergust G-00, not only for his Final Smash but also his grabs and throws. It is also a tether grab that can be used in midair. Luigi's forward and back throws involve him slamming the opponent in multiple directions, while his up throw has him eject foes directly from the Poltergust G-00. Luigi was given a running animation very similar to his in Luigi's Mansion. Luigi's Classic Mode route is named "Luigi's Nightmares," where he has to fight dark or paranormal opponents, something that he is known for doing in the Luigi's Mansion series.

Like Mario, Luigi also receives a new walking animation. Besides now being equipped with the Poltergust G-00, a few of Luigi's moves have changed, such as his up tilt and forward tilt. The former is an uppercut that goes straight upwards instead of a spinning uppercut (in the original Super Smash Bros.) or a "paw swipe" with his fists (in subsequent games), while the latter is now a side kick instead of a roundhouse kick. Luigi's up smash is nicknamed the Lead Headbutt, while his standard air is the Luigi Kick.

Luigi benefits from universal changes: his mobility has been made faster, no longer being below-average; his short hop timing and landing lag in his aerials are reduced, making them faster; he can directionally air dodge once again, improving his recovery; and he can use any ground attack out of a run and any aerial attack while holding onto ladders. Luigi's traction has been majorly improved, no longer being the lowest in the game, and is more in line with Mario's. Luigi's forward tilt and dash attack both deal more damage, his forward smash deals more knockback, and his down smash's clean hit is more likely to connect. His down tilt deals less damage, in exchange for having less ending lag.

Luigi appears in Simon's debut trailer, "Vampire Killer", where he is walking through Dracula's Castle with his Poltergust while terrified of his surroundings. He attempts to ward off various approaching mummies with his Poltergust's flashlight, eventually hitting one of the mummies in the face with a plunger, which sticks for a few seconds before causing the Mummy to pursue Luigi in a rage, forcing him to flee. He then exits the door into another room, only to find a moving Medusa bust with glowing eyes, causing him to flee again before tripping and landing on his posterior. He then gets back up and looks up to see Death, who kills him with his Scythe as he is screaming. Death is then ambushed and warded off by Simon. At the end of the trailer, Luigi's soul attempts to reunite with his corpse, but as he does so, Carmilla's mask appears in the window next to him, causing him to scream.

Luigi briefly appears in Piranha Plant's reveal trailer, where he is seen dazed alongside a group of Yoshis.

Luigi is unlocked as the 33rd character to be unlocked via playing VS matches, completing Classic Mode as Mario or anyone within his unlock tree, being the fifth character in Mario's unlock tree, or getting him to join the player's party in World of Light.

On a side note, as with several other returning characters, Luigi's victory theme, which is the orchestral arrangement of the level clear theme from Super Mario Bros. (and is shared with Mario, Dr. Mario, and Peach, and in this game, Daisy) has been slightly shortened and sped up compared to the previous installments.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Luigi is a playable character in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. He has his own course, Luigi Circuit, where the rank "A" mansion appears in the background, and his own battle course, Luigi's Mansion, set within the location itself.

Mario Kart DS
In Mario Kart DS, Luigi is also a playable character, and was given his own race course, Luigi's Mansion, set within a haunted nighttime setting. Luigi has three personal karts, the Poltergust 4000 (based on the Poltergust 3000), the Streamliner, and the Standard LG, each offering all-around stats for the speed, acceleration, and handling categories, but with poor drifting abilities. Luigi Circuit from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! returns as a Retro Course, part of the Shell Cup, as well as Luigi Circuit from Mario Kart: Super Circuit, although it does not have any references to Luigi's Mansion.

Mario Kart 7
In Mario Kart 7, Luigi is a playable character, and the Luigi's Mansion race course returns from Mario Kart DS.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, like every other Mario Kart game, Luigi is a playable character. The Luigi's Mansion battle course from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! returns, although not in the original Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U.

Mario Superstar Baseball
In Mario Superstar Baseball, Luigi is an alternative captain to Mario. His team names are the Luigi Gentlemen, Luigi Vacuums, Luigi Mansioneers, and Luigi Leapers. Luigi has similar stats and abilities to Mario, but Luigi can perform a Super Jump on the field while Mario cannot, and his Star Pitch is the Green Fireball. Luigi's stats are well balanced, although his batting skills are slightly weaker than his other skills.

Mario Super Sluggers
In Mario Super Sluggers, Luigi is a team captain, leading his team called the Luigi Knights. Luigi, along with Bowser Jr. and Daisy, are the only secondary team captains to have a home stadium, with Luigi's being Luigi's Mansion. Compared to the predecessor, Luigi's batting, fielding, and running have been improved slightly, while his pitching skills remained the same. He gained Tornado Swing as his Star Swing along with a different Star Pitch called the Tornado Ball. In challenge mode, Luigi is the first player that joined the team.

Luigi's Mario Super Sluggers baseball card listed his Rookie Year as 1982, although Mario Bros., the game that he first appeared in, was released in 1983.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3
In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Luigi is a starter playable character, and is of the All-Around type. Luigi has his own basketball court titled Luigi's Mansion. His Special Shot is the Green Fire Shot, which can be activated if the player taps an "L" twice on the touch screen. Luigi's Baller name is the Mushroom Dynamite.

Mario Sports Mix
Luigi appears in Mario Sports Mix, where he is classified as an all-round type character. Luigi's speed is average, while he has an above-average technique, though his power is below average. His special move involves Luigi pulling out his Poltergust 3000 from Luigi's Mansion to suck his opponents toward him, followed by firing the ball at the intended target. Luigi also has a court based on his mansion that can be played on during the Volleyball and Basketball modes.

Fortune Street
In Fortune Street, one of the few games where Luigi talks in full sentences, he is a playable character in multiplayer mode. At the Ghost Ship, in one of Luigi's quotes, he states that he wishes he had brought his Poltergust 3000 along with him.

WarioWare: Get It Together!
In WarioWare: Get It Together!, Luigi appears with his Poltergust 3000 in the Luigi's Mansion microgame and shines his flashlight on the ghost once the microgame has been cleared.

Physical appearance
Luigi is Mario's slimmer and taller brother. Luigi's face is noticeably thinner, his eyes are slightly more bluish, and his hair is the same style as Mario's, but more of an auburn or dark maroon. Luigi's mustache is dark brown, sometimes black, and smooth, unlike Mario's ragged mustache.

Luigi's clothes are similar to Mario's, but his shirt and cap are green instead of red. Layered over the shirt is blue overalls, which are a darker blue than Mario's. Luigi also has brown work shoes, also darker than Mario's, with tan bottoms that reach above his ankles. Some artwork has shown Luigi to have the same color of blue overalls and brown shoes as Mario. The Luigi Cap is similar to the Mario Cap, being green instead of red and bearing an "L" instead of Mario's signature "M"; for a few years, from Mario Kart 64 to Luigi's Mansion, the "L" was in italic.

Both Mario and Luigi have been described as "cutesy," to the extent that Shigeru Miyamoto considered redesigning them to "become a bit more grown-up" in the Nintendo GameCube era—for instance, by removing their trademark that they used in games such as Super Mario World. Aside from becoming more graphically detailed over the years, both Luigi and Mario both have received few changes over the years and continue to flash the V sign, albeit to a much lesser extent.

Luigi's appearance does tend to lend itself to heavy stylization. The Luigi's Mansion graphical team took it upon themselves to animate every part of Luigi to convey emotion, resulting in such exaggerations to his body as head-expanding screams during boss cutscenes and complete flattenings by fake doors. The Super Smash Bros. series applies Luigi's cowardice to his actions, making most of his attacks look reckless and unwilling and giving him awkward movements, securing his official title as the series' "dreamy, comical poster boy."

Luigi's appearance has changed quite a bit throughout the Super Smash Bros. series. In the original Super Smash Bros., Luigi's overalls are indigo, with his entire appearance being original. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Luigi borrows his appearance from Nintendo 64-era artwork, right down to having a tan complexion; Luigi's overalls are now their standard navy blue color, though they receive denim textures and back pockets. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Luigi uses his contemporary look, though his overalls have further pronounced textures, while his hair and other clothing receive simple detailing. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, Luigi's model is sleeker and more vibrant, while his hair and clothing lose most of their detailing. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Luigi receives simple detailing in his hair and clothing once again, albeit not to the same extent as in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Luigi has a total of seven alternate costumes to date in the Super Smash Bros. series, with three in both Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, five in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and seven in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, Luigi had his first three costumes introduced; the first costume consists of green overalls and a white undershirt and cap, which are derived from Fire Luigi's colors; the second costume consists of blue overalls and a cyan undershirt and cap, resembling Mario's appearance on the American box art for Mario Bros.; lastly, Luigi's third alternate costume consists of red overalls and a pink undershirt and cap, resembling his appearance in Wrecking Crew. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Luigi's fourth and fifth alternate costumes were introduced: the former consists of blue overalls and an orange undershirt and cap, resembling Mario's appearance on the box art for Pinball; the latter consists of dark indigo overalls and a purple undershirt and cap, based on Waluigi's colors. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, Luigi's sixth and seventh alternate costumes are introduced: the former consists of blue overalls, a dark blue cap, and a garbage green undershirt; the latter consists of teal overalls, and a dull yellow undershirt and cap; neither of these costumes have inspirations.

Personality
Luigi is portrayed as timid, cowardice, worrisome, and self-conscious in many of his appearances, especially since Luigi's Mansion. In spite of these shortcomings, Luigi can be heroic and overcome these setbacks, such as in the Luigi's Mansion series, where he goes on various journeys to rescue Mario. In Super Mario 64 DS, a sign in Big Boo's Haunt also describes Luigi as "wispy." Luigi's most apparent trait is his seeming cowardice, which he has exhibited as early as in the DiC Entertainment cartoons such as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, though it would not be shown in-game until Luigi's Mansion (aside from a few hints in Paper Mario). Since then, Luigi's cowardice has carried over to a majority of his subsequent appearances. Luigi's most overbearing fear is his, first shown in Luigi's Mansion. In addition, the endings for Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and Luigi's Mansion 3 also hinted that he overcame his phasmophobia, or at the very least takes exception to Polterpups and makes friends with the friendly ghosts of Evershade Valley and the Last Resort hotel. In Simon Belmont's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate reveal trailer "Vampire Killer," Luigi is clearly scared of all the creatures in Dracula's Castle, though he attempts to ward them off with the Poltergust's flashlight, as well as a toilet plunger.

Although Luigi stars in the Luigi's Mansion series, some of his other appearances give him an apparent complex of being overlooked because of Mario. For instance, in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, even Bowser and the Koopa Troop have occasional trouble remembering Luigi's name. Although Luigi's biggest reactions to his frequent overlookings in the Mario & Luigi series are a few "…"s and face-faults, his inattention was played up for comic relief in Paper Mario, in which he complains about being left behind and perpetually trains for his elusive next adventure. Luigi's bio in Mario Party 5 states that he has been gaining popularity in recent years.

Luigi's state of being in the shadow of his brother is shown in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. An example would be the way Luigi is almost never happy, how his commentary is very monotoned, and how one of his taunts is a bashful kick of the ground. Also, his Final Smash, Negative Zone, seemed to have developed because of living in his brother's shadow forever. Additionally, whenever the crowd cheers for Luigi, not too many people are heard cheering for him and when the announcer says Luigi's name, he sounds a little surprised. Snake's codec conversation even has the Colonel refer to Luigi as the "kid brother" and "king of second bananas", despite Snake's protests. Despite this, however, Masahiro Sakurai did not intend to play up Luigi's overshadowed status, instead aiming to make him "everyone's favorite man in green." Luigi's state in the shadow of Mario is present in other Super Smash Bros. games, since the original Super Smash Bros. addresses him as the "eternal understudy" when he's unlocked; Super Smash Bros. Melee also refers to him in a similar manner, and his cinematic in the game's Adventure Mode shows him Footstool Jumping on Mario, signifying his tiredness of being number two. In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, whenever a Palutena's Guidance conversation is activated when fighting against Luigi, Viridi and Palutena are quick to point out Luigi's status as "number two" in relativity to Mario, even though Pit held him in a higher regard.

In the Super Smash Bros. series, aside from being portrayed as a depressive figure, Luigi also has childish characteristics. These include: his dash attack, where he swings his arms aimlessly while keeping a humorous panicking expression; his neutral attack, where he hits opponents with his butt for the third hit; his up tilt, where he "paw swipes" the opponent with his fists while closing his eyes; the aftermath of his Super Jump Punch, where he falls upside-down; his idle poses, where he scratches the back of his head sheepishly or humorously pulls his nose before wincing in pain; and his victory poses, which have him do the following: breathing heavily with his eyes half-closed, falling stiff and on the ground (also one of his taunts), or childishly making finger pistols and pretending to shoot his opponents (which is supported by him saying "Bang, bang!").

In Luigi's Mansion, using the Game Boy Horror shows some of Luigi's other personality traits. Luigi is shown to be a bit of a neat freak, as there are several instances of him criticizing the dustiness of the mansion by examining certain objects. In the Laundry Room, he mentions that he hand washes his cap as opposed to using a washing machine like Mario does. Luigi also seems to have an eye for art, but does not appreciate many of King Boo's decorations. Luigi also shows his concerns over animal cruelty in the Safari Room, where he is horrified by the deer heads and leopard skin rugs, and declares that he will not stand for an animal being treated in such a manner.

When speaking, Luigi talks in a strong Italian accent like his brother. Whereas Mario rarely speaks in the video games aside from numerous yells and grunts, Luigi has proven to be a conversationalist in the Paper Mario titles. In Luigi's Mansion, both Luigi and Mario are capable of captioned speech, but Luigi is limited to ellipses and question marks when interacting with another character. Similarly, in the Mario & Luigi series, both Luigi and Mario talk in gibberish that can only be interpreted by other characters within the game.

Powers and abilities
In the Luigi's Mansion series, Luigi does not make use of several abilities. His main equipment for fighting ghosts consists of a flashlight being used in conjunction with a Poltergust given to him by Professor E. Gadd.

In his earlier appearances, such as Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros., Luigi has the exact same abilities as Mario, possibly owing to how he used to be seen as player 2's character. In most instances where one player can choose between the two brothers, however, Luigi is given his own gameplay quirks. This first occurred in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, where Luigi can jump higher than Mario but has lower traction and speed. In the western Super Mario Bros. 2, Luigi once again has the highest jump, but comparatively low speed and power. It is also the first game where he can scuttle, a move that involves Luigi moving his legs while in midair. In 3D installments of the Super Mario series, such as Super Mario 64 DS, Luigi is usually faster than Mario (though has poorer acceleration), but retains his classic high jumps and poor traction. In Mario spinoff titles, Luigi's stats are usually average, similar to Mario's.

Ironically, because the Luigi's Mansion series does not feature jumping as a gameplay mechanic, Luigi does not demonstrate his high-jumping ability in these games. He instead explores rooms in a similar fashion to Link exploring dungeons in The Legend of Zelda franchise.

Whenever Luigi either carries a large object on his back or appears terrified, his jumping abilities are reduced significantly. For example, during the climax of Luigi's Mansion 3, Mario and Luigi are racing to the top of the hotel to locate Peach, and while Mario is able to cross large gaps up the stairs with a single bound, Luigi has to hug the wall to cross over to the other side.

Luigi generally has fire as his elemental association, like Mario, especially from a power-up granted by the Fire Flower, allowing him to shoot fireballs. Luigi uses green fireballs in the Super Smash Bros. series and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! to distinguish from Mario's orange fireballs. In the Super Smash Bros. series, Luigi's fireballs can levitate. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, Ice Balls are one of Luigi's custom special moves, serving as the second variation for his fireballs. Luigi sometimes uses tornadoes, such as in Mario Super Sluggers, in which the Tornado Swing is his Star Swing, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where Luigi's down special, Luigi Cyclone, has a vortex appear around him. In Luigi's Mansion, Luigi can manipulate a limited supply of fire, water, or ice using the Poltergust 3000 if he has caught an Elemental Ghost of the corresponding type.

Speech
Starting with the English Mario Kart 64, Luigi's main voice actor is Charles Martinet, who voices several other male Mario characters, most notably Mario himself. In Mario Kart 64's Japanese version, Luigi is instead voiced by Julien Bardakoff, who also voices Luigi in Mario Party and Mario Party 2. Luigi's voice clips from Mario Kart 64 were reused in Mario Kart: Super Circuit''. Julien Bardakoff has not voiced Luigi in any Luigi's Mansion-related media.

Charles Martinet's portrayal of Luigi has varied. Despite having a unique voice since Mario Kart 64, the first two Super Smash Bros. games have Luigi use higher-pitched versions of Mario's voice clips, with his clip for using Luigi Cyclone being directly taken from the latter. Luigi's Mansion retains his unique voice, though it sounds higher in pitch, and somewhat akin to Mario's. Since then, most of Luigi's appearances give him his distinct voice that is lower in pitch than Mario's. Both Mario and Luigi have a considerably deeper voice in later Super Smash Bros. titles.

In most modern Mario games, Luigi speaks via catchphrases such as "Let's-a go!", "Yahoo!", "Oh yeah!", and "Mamma mia!", as well as "It's-a me, Luigi!", a variation of Mario's famous quote. However, some Mario games give Luigi a greater amount of voice acting, such as Mario Strikers Charged, in which Luigi says "Thank you! Thank you so much!" when scoring a goal.

Family
Luigi often accompanies his older twin brother Mario on his adventures. While there is some sibling rivalry between the two, with Luigi sometimes feeling jealous and overshadowed by his brother, he generally gets along well with Mario. While Mario is generally the more heroic and active of the two, Luigi has saved him on a few occasions, starting with Mario is Missing! and occurring throughout the Luigi's Mansion series. Although Luigi and Mario generally have a loving sibling relationship, some games show that this is not always the case. In Mario Power Tennis, when Luigi wins a match, he is congratulated by Mario, who intentionally steps on Luigi's foot and squirms his foot against it. In Luigi's Mansion, the first time Luigi looks at Mario's painting from the Bottom of the Well, Mario impatiently exclaims "Get me outta here!".

Friends
In the Luigi's Mansion series, aside from his brother Mario, Luigi has a friendship with Professor E. Gadd. Despite Luigi's cowardly nature, E. Gadd shows trust in him, and the two of them work effectively as a team. Throughout Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, E. Gadd jokingly holds Luigi in low regards, though he also states to be proud of Luigi for courageously exploring the hostile ghost filled mansions as well as defeating the various Possessor ghosts. In Luigi's Mansion 3, Luigi was shown to be devastated when he saw E. Gadd trapped in a painting.

Luigi is also good friends with Toad, although not as much as Toad is with Mario. While other Toads are almost unanimous in their praise and adoration of Mario, their opinions on Luigi vary greatly between individuals. Some are unabashed fans of Luigi, with one in Super Mario 64 DS even asserting that "We'll have to call you the Luigi Brothers soon!", while others are disbelieving that Luigi should measure up to Mario, with one going so far as to call him "The world's most inept and least charismatic brother." In Luigi's Mansion, each of the Toads are at first crying, but then feel better when Luigi encourages them.

One of Luigi's closest friends is Yoshi, although they have not paired up in any Luigi's Mansion titles. When teamed up, Luigi and Yoshi are often referred to as "The Green Team" in Mario spinoff titles. Despite this, the two have only neutral chemistry in the Mario Baseball series.

Princess Peach is another one of Luigi's good friends, with him often accompanying Mario on quests to rescue her from Bowser, the two sharing good chemistry in Mario Superstar Baseball, and overall friendly behavior seen between them, occasionally overlapping with hints of romantic attraction as well. Luigi is seen swooning over Peach after she blows a kiss in her Mario Power Tennis victory scene, and in games where Luigi can be substituted for his brother, her interactions with him are the same as they would be with Mario, such as rewarding him with a kiss at the end of most Super Mario platformers. Peach is one of the characters whom Luigi rescues during the events of Luigi's Mansion 3. Overall, Princess Daisy is Luigi's main love interest in the Mario spinoff titles. It has been stated that Luigi has a crush on Daisy, and the attraction appears to be mutual. In Daisy's Super Smash Bros. Melee trophy description, it is stated that "some gossips started portraying her as Luigi's answer to Mario's Peach". Luigi and Daisy are often paired up in spin-off games, such as by golfing together in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and being "buddy players" with good chemistry in the Mario Baseball series. In Mario Kart Wii, there is a giant, golden statue on the Daisy Circuit showing Luigi and Daisy holding hands and dancing together, along with another of Baby Luigi and Baby Daisy. Luigi and Daisy's team names from the Mario Party series include "Steady Sweeties" and "Tango Tanglers", and when Daisy received her trophy from Luigi in Mario Power Tennis, she says, "Hey, sweetie! I'll take that".

In Mario & Sonic at London 2012 Olympic Games, Luigi is shown to be good friends with Tails from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, with them having a special victory animation in the sequels. Later on, in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, both Luigi and Tails teamed up in their journey to rescue Mario and Sonic from the Tokyo '64.

In the Mario + Rabbids series, Luigi gets along with his Rabbid counterpart, as they are willing to cooperate in order to defeat the Megabug, and restore order to the Mushroom Kingdom. Group artwork for Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle shows the two characters posing together.

Enemies and rivals
Though Bowser's main rivalry is with Mario, he also views Luigi as a threat in games such as Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel. Since Luigi's Mansion, Luigi's main arch-nemesis has been King Boo, although mainly just in the Luigi's Mansion series. In Super Mario 64 DS, there is the inverse of Luigi having to be rescued by Mario from King Boo, who has the Luigi Key. In Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games's Nintendo DS version, at Polastraits in Adventure Tours mode, Luigi is specifically chosen by King Boo to compete against him in Alpine Skiing GS when Luigi shows fear of King Boo. In Mario Superstar Baseball, both Luigi and Mario share bad chemistry with King Boo.

Outside the Luigi's Mansion series, in various Mario spinoff titles, Luigi's main rival is Waluigi. The two of them share bad chemistry in all the games they appear in together, and acting hostile and rude towards each other, such as when Waluigi vandalized Luigi's picture in Mario Power Tennis's opening movie. Luigi's rivalry with Waluigi mirrors that of Mario's with Wario's. Waluigi is constantly seen harassing Luigi, whether by humiliating him during the sports competition, following him wherever he goes, or even directly confronting him. The origins of their animosity is unknown, although jealousy may be a factor, as both Luigi and Waluigi have a crush on Princess Daisy, who does not like the latter. While Luigi despises Waluigi, he mostly prefers to ignore him.

Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

 * Website bios:
 * Flag of USA.png ''Mario's timid brother may not have as much time in the spotlight... but he sure does know a thing or two about dealing with ghosts, even if he is clumsy and scared.
 * Flag of Europe.png ''Mario's scaredy-cat brother is what you'd call an... unlikely hero. A haunted mansion is his worst nightmare - he's scared of ghosts, not to mention the dark, lightning, sudden movements, loud noises... Despite all this, he still offers to tackle Professor E. Gadd's poltergeist problem out of friendship, or maybe he's just afraid of saying no, too.

Luigi's Mansion 3

 * In-game bios:
 * Light hotel: ''Mario's younger twin brother. Considering he's won a giant mansion AND a trip to a luxery hotel is almost...scary.
 * Dark hotel: ''The main character of this game and Mario's younger twin brother. He may be a bit cowardly at times, but he'll stand up against ghosts to save his friends!

Quotes

 * "Hello...?" - Luigi's Mansion / Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
 * "Come here, doggy." - Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon
 * "MARIO!!!" - Luigi's Mansion / Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon

Trivia

 * In the first page of the Nintendo Power magazine for Luigi's Mansion, Luigi is accidentally referred to as Mario's older brother.