As with every Mario Kart game, Mario Kart Tour’s roster is filled with iconic Nintendo characters. The Mario Kart Tour characters list includes Nintendo icons like Diddy Kong, who hasn’t been in a best game since Mario Kart Wii, and even a few characters who are making their Mario Kart debut, like Pauline and Peachette. This guide will cover every Mario Kart Tour character, each driver’s special ability, and how to unlock all characters.
Mario Kart Tour | Driver differences and unlock sources
In Mario Kart Tour, drivers are differentiated by favored courses and special skills, rather than the speed, weight, and traction values used in the rest of the series. For more on each driver’s favored courses and the advantages those provide, head to our Mario Kart Tour favored courses guide. In addition to favored courses, each character also has a “Special Skill.” These are essentially powerful, unique items that only certain characters can use, like Donkey Kong’s Giant Banana or Peachette’s Mushroom Cannon.
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Every driver in Mario Kart Tour can be unlocked if randomly received from the Pipe. We’ll note the rarity category of each character, but to learn more about the Pipe drop chance system, head to our Mario Kart Tour character odds guide. Some characters will be available through other means as time goes on:
- Characters can be purchased in the Daily Selects shop with coins.
- Ex: Donkey Kong was available for 3,000 coins on Mario Kart Tour’s launch day.
- Some characters will be available in “special offer” bundles.
- Ex: Mario is currently available as part of the New York Set for $19.99.
- Characters can be obtained via Tour Gift, unlocked as you complete races during any given Tour.
- Ex: Daisy and Yoshi are available in New York Tour Gifts for more than 100 and 200 Grand Stars, respectively.
- Characters can be unlocked via the Gold Pass ($4.99), though you will still need to get to the Tour Gifts they’re in as you would normally.
- Ex: Metal Mario is available in a New York Tour Gift for around 200 Grand Stars with the Gold Pass.
Mario Kart Tour | All drivers
Below, you’ll find a list of every Mario Kart Tour character. The list is organized by the number of “first-tier” favored courses (those that give three items per item box) each character has, since more first-tier favored courses means more chances to activate Frenzy Mode.
- Mario (Musician) – New York Tour-exclusive
- Three-item favored courses: 4
- Special skill: Double Bob-ombs
- Pipe rarity: High-End
- Dry Bowser
- Three-item favored courses: 4
- Special skill: Bowser’s Shell
- Pipe rarity: High-End
- Peach
- Three-item favored courses: 4
- Special skill: Heart
- Pipe rarity: Super
- Daisy
- Three-item favored courses: 4
- Special skill: Heart
- Pipe rarity: Super
- Peachette
- Three-item favored courses: 3
- Special skill: Mushroom Cannon
- Pipe rarity: High-End
- Mario
- Three-item favored courses: 3
- Special skill: Fire Flower
- Pipe rarity: Super
- Yoshi
- Three-item favored courses: 3
- Special skill: Yoshi’s Egg
- Pipe rarity: Super
- Bowser
- Three-item favored courses: 3
- Special skill: Bowser’s Shell
- Pipe rarity: Super
- Diddy Kong
- Three-item favored courses: 3
- Special skill: Banana Barrels
- Pipe rarity: Super
- Metal Mario
- Three-item favored courses: 2
- Special skill: Fire Flower
- Pipe rarity: High-End
- Pauline – New York Tour-exclusive
- Three-item favored courses: 2
- Special skill: Lucky Seven
- Pipe rarity: High-End
- Donkey Kong
- Three-item favored courses: 2
- Special skill: Giant Banana
- Pipe rarity: Super
- Toad
- Three-item favored courses: 2
- Special skill: Triple Mushrooms
- Pipe rarity: Super
- Toadette
- Three-item favored courses: 2
- Special skill: Triple Mushrooms
- Pipe rarity: Super
- Dry Bones
- Three-item favored courses: 2
- Special skill: Triple Green Shells
- Pipe rarity: Normal
- Koopa Troopa
- Three-item favored courses: 1
- Special skill: Triple Green Shells
- Pipe rarity: Normal
- Shy Guy
- Three-item favored courses: 1
- Special skill: Double Bob-ombs
- Pipe rarity: Normal
- Baby Mario
- Three-item favored courses: 1
- Special skill: Boomerang Flower
- Pipe rarity: Normal
- Baby Peach
- Three-item favored courses: 1
- Special skill: Bubble
- Pipe rarity: Normal
- Baby Daisy
- Three-item favored courses: 1
- Special skill: Bubble
- Pipe rarity: Normal
