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July 26, 2026Sources cited
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Entertainment • Video Game Character

Yoshi

Yoshi is a fictional character and species from Nintendo’s Mario franchise.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Yoshi is a fictional character and species from Nintendo’s Mario franchise. He first appeared in Super Mario World (1990) as Mario and Luigi’s rideable companion and later became the star of his own Yoshi series. Yoshi is typically depicted as a friendly dinosaur-like creature known for using a long tongue to eat enemies and create eggs.

Creation and debut

Yoshi was designed by Shigefumi Hino and first appeared in Super Mario World for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The character was introduced as a companion and mount for Mario and Luigi.

Character and abilities

Yoshi is usually portrayed as a friendly dinosaur-like creature with a long tongue. Common abilities include swallowing enemies or objects, producing eggs, and flutter-jumping.

Role in the Mario franchise

Yoshi appears as a recurring supporting character in the broader Mario franchise and as a playable character in many spin-off titles. The character also stars in the Yoshi series, which includes platform and puzzle games.

Other media

Beyond video games, Yoshi has appeared in animated adaptations, comics, merchandise, theme park attractions, and film versions of the Mario universe.

Key facts

  • Yoshi debuted in Super Mario World as a rideable character for Mario and Luigi.
  • The character belongs to a species also called Yoshis.
  • Yoshis are commonly shown in multiple colours, with green being the best-known design.
  • Yoshi became the title character of the Yoshi video game series.
  • The character appears across Mario spin-off games and other media.
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Canadian context

Yoshi is widely known to Canadian players through Nintendo consoles, Mario games, and related merchandise sold in Canada.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Yoshi?
Yoshi is a fictional Nintendo character from the Mario franchise, usually depicted as a friendly dinosaur-like creature.
When did Yoshi first appear?
Yoshi first appeared in Super Mario World in 1990.
Who created Yoshi?
Yoshi was designed by Shigefumi Hino.
Is Yoshi a character or a species?
Both: Yoshi is the name of a specific character and also the name of the species he belongs to.
What can Yoshi do?
Yoshi is known for a long tongue, eating enemies, producing eggs, and flutter-jumping.
Does Yoshi have his own game series?
Yes. Yoshi stars in his own series of games separate from the main Mario series.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshi
    Supports: First appearance, creator, species, recurring Mario role, and cross-media appearances.
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshi_(video_game_series)
    Supports: Yoshi series, genre, and franchise status.
  3. Wikipedia — https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshi
    Supports: Original character description, debut in Super Mario series, and appearances in spin-off games.