My Hero Academia Made Two Mario Kart Characters Manga Canon
The manga series My Hero Academia is known for its unique portrayal of superheroes in a world where they are paid for their superheroing, though in a bizarre twist, the series made two Mario Kart characters canon. Mario Kart is a multiplayer game that throws players into an exciting and cartoonish race to see who will come out on top. While the video game is exciting, the adapted characters present in My Hero Academia seem to be a bit run down while maintaining surprisingly impressive careers.
In My Hero Academia Chapter 300 by Kohei Horikoshi, the city is descending into chaos after nearly every known villain that had been locked up escaped and reigned terror down upon civilization. During the mayhem, the hero Endeavor awakens in the hospital after suffering severe injuries as he is told by his doctor that he is lucky to be alive. As fans gaze upon Endeavor’s doctor in a confused daze and shocking realization, they notice that he is none other than Toad from Mario Kart.
Mario Kart’s Toad is the doctor treating Endeavor’s wounds in this chapter of My Hero Academia. While it is never explicitly said in the chapter that the doctor is Toad, the resemblance is too striking not to be the Mario Kart character. From the mushroom cap head to the sunken eyes and round shape, the doctor looks exactly like an older, more cynical Toad. While Toad makes a surprising appearance in chapter 300, another Mario Kart character appears just two chapters earlier. Yoshi makes a cameo appearance in My Hero Academia #298, and he is also a doctor just like Toad. Yoshi’s appearance is less obvious than Toads as some fans have commented on the fact that he looks more like a Club Penguin character, though upon closer examination it is without a doubt Mario Kart’s Yoshi.
Both Toad and Yoshi are canonically doctors in the world of My Hero Academia, and both look as though they have been run down by life. Toad and Yoshi appear to have melancholy expressions while treating their seriously injured patients. It seems as though they lost one too many Mario Kart races and pursued their respective medical careers, but in giving up on their dreams to be Mario Kart champions, they, too, gave up on their chances to achieve true happiness.
Completely fabricated tragic backstories aside, Toad and Yoshi are obviously the inspiration behind these two doctors that have appeared in My Hero Academia. Plus, since the manga doesn’t explicitly say it is not them and their physical appearances greatly indicate that it is them, Mario Kart’s Toad and Yoshi are canonical manga characters within the universe of My Hero Academia.