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The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ending is seriously powered-up, so you'd be forgiven if much of it flew by like a portly plumber being propelled out of a Sling Star.
The sequel to 2023's Super Mario Bros. Movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie takes to the stars for galactic adventure to save Princess Rosalina from the clutches of Bowser Jr. For fans of the classic 2007 3D platformer, much will be familiar, but the movie also incorporates elements from across Mario and wider Nintendo history, even incorporating crossover characters like Fox McCloud, from the Star Fox series.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ending recap
After being recovered from an unnamed planet that may or may not be Super Mario Odyssey's Cascade Kingdom (there is a residing T-Rex, after all) by the Lumas, Mario, Peach, Luigi, Fox, Yoshi and Toad set a course for Bowser Jr.'s Junk Planet to rescue Rosalina. Flyboy Fox takes the helm of the Comet Observatory (naturally, he's asked to "do a barrel roll") and pilots his way through the flotilla of Airships protecting Planet Bowser. It's all a distraction, however, allowing Mario, Luigi, Peach and Yoshi to land on the planet and sneak their way into Bowser Jr.'s fortress.
Before they can enter, Peach and Mario find themselves in a trap, devised by Bowser Jr. Forced to navigate a gauntlet that looks an awful lot like a devilishly difficult Mario Maker level (Bowser Jr.'s operating system even has a 2D interface), Peach and Mario are able to make it through thanks to Mario's birthday gift to Peach – a pink parasol, which allows them to soar over an otherwise unscalable Thwomp wall.
With just a wobbly rope bridge over a lava moat left to cross, Peach and Mario come face-to-face with Bowser, who is back to being Mario's nemesis after a brief face turn earlier in the movie. Bowser's doing it for his son, you see, but Mario swiftly cuts the ropes to the bridge, and Bowser tumbles into the lava… before re-emerging as a skeleton (aka Dry Bowser).
As Peach continues on to Rosalina, Mario locks a gate behind her, standing his ground against Bower and Jr. to keep them at bay. It's an unfair fight until Luigi and Yoshi enter the fray, using a variety of power-ups (including an amusingly useless Balloon power-up) to level the playing field. After Luigi uses the Magic Brush to bring Mr. Game & Watch to life, the herky jerky stick man obliterates Dry Bowser's body, leaving only his still-sentient skull behind. Now all alone, Bowser Jr. summons a paint dragon… who promptly swallows Jr., to Bowser's horror. But Mario powers up with a Red Star, flies through the dragon to save Jr., and reunites father and son.
Meanwhile, Peach reaches Rosalina but is unable to break her out of her cell. With Rosalina's strength almost completely sapped by the Boomsday weapon, Peach remembers that when the two sisters put their hands together, they can "summon the power of the cosmos." Touching hands through the glass, the energy causes the cell to crack and fall apart, saving Rosalina.
With everyone safe, the Lumas ask to visit Peach's Castle in the Mushroom Kingdom. But when they arrive, all that remains is a crater (presumably, it still sits in the Honeyhive Galaxy after being lifted into the sky and dropped by Bowser Jr.'s spaceship earlier in the film). Cue a montage in which Peach's Castle is rebuilt brick by brick (complete with lovely SNES-era sprites), leaving Mario to mount the flag using a Cape Feather to fly to the very top.
What happens in the Super Mario Galaxy post-credits scenes? And how many are there?
There are two Super Mario Galaxy Movie post-credits scenes, one around the mid-way mark and one right at the very end of the credits, so be sure to stay in your seat!
In the first, Fox McCloud and a Blue Toad are walking out of a prison on an icy planet. Fox explains that Peach fixed the warp drive on his Arwing, and that he's now able to return home to his galaxy (we sense a spin-off...) In prison, Bowser Jr. and the head of Dry Bowser are locked in a cell. Bowser Jr. is slowly starting to dig his way out, Shawshank-style, until an unseen guard drags their truncheon along the bars of the cell. The guard, it turns out, is Lumalee – the scene-stealing nihilistic Luma from the first movie, who imparts some threatening words on the Bowsers, warning them off any escape attempt.
The second post-credits scene returns to the Gateway Galaxy's bustling transport hub. A Whittle has its luggage stolen by a Ukiki monkey, but the cheeky chimp is punched by the elegant, gloved hand of an unseen Samaritan. "Thank you, your highness," the Whittle says. Their savior? None other than Princess Daisy, ruler of Sarasaland, who made her debut in 1989's Super Mario Land on the Game Boy, is wearing her familiar yellow dress. It's a safe bet Daisy will be a major figure in the next movie.
Will there be a Super Smash Bros. Movie?
With the news that Fox McCloud would appear in The Super Mario Galaxy, speculation that the MCU (Mario Cinematic Universe) is building towards a Super Smash Bros. Movie went into overdrive. But other than bringing Fox into the fold, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie doesn't take any other tangible steps towards that potential endgame. There's a brief, fun moment when Mario and Fox first lock eyes, which alludes to two opponents squaring off in Smash, and Peach does use her Smash Bros. Bomber move during the casino fight. And, come to think of it, Mr. Game & Watch does cameo, and take out Bowser during the climactic battle… actually, we're convinced – a Smash movie can only be a matter of time…
Will there be a Star Fox spin-off movie?
Too early to say, but The Super Mario Galaxy Movie certainly seems to be setting up an adventure in the Lylat System (and you don't cast flyboy Glen Powell for funsies). Fox, we learn, is stranded in Mario's Galaxy because his warp drive broke (thanks, Slippy...). But after it's fixed by Peach, Fox declares his intention to return home. Could a potential Star Fox spin-off utilize the stylish, retro-2D animation that's deployed when Fox details his backstory? It would certainly make a striking change.
Which Nintendo characters cameo?
Loads and loads, of course! There are countless characters from many-a-Mario game that feature throughout The Super Mario Galaxy Movie – and not just the Galaxy games. Among the first to pop up on screen, in fact, are the Tostarenans, and associated Sand Kingdom figures, who are famously from Super Mario Odyssey. You can read more about these background appearances in our full Super Mario Galaxy Easter eggs guide.
Of the more substantial cameos in the movie, Fox McCloud is by far the most significant as he helps the core group make their way to Bowser Jr.'s junk planet. During his introductory backstory, we also glimpse core Star Fox crew: Falco Lombardi, Peppy Hare, Krystal, and Slippy Toad. Also on Gateway Galaxy, there's an adorable Pikmin gag, as a rocket lands only to reveal that it's tiny, and there are multicolored Pikmin inside. As detailed above, Daisy briefly features in the film's second post-credits scene, but doesn't have any lines.
Over the course of the film, we also briefly glimpse Donkey Kong, who is still causing trouble back in New York by riding around on girders. Wart, Birdo, and Mauser all appear in the Gateway Galaxy casino sequence. Retro robot R.O.B. mans the information desk at the Gateway Galaxy's transport hub. Piantas, Whittles, Gearmos, and Ukiki monkeys can all be seen roaming the busy junction, while Laikitu is seen directing traffic on the flight deck. Mr. Game & Watch also plays a crucial role in the final showdown, helping Mario, Luigi and Yoshi defeat Bowser and Bowser Jr.
Who was chasing Rosalina and Peach while they were kids, and why didn't Rosalina go to the Mushroom Kingdom?
This is unclear and goes unexplained in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. Through flashbacks, we learn that Rosalina and Peach aren't just sisters, they're made of stardust, and that together, they can "summon the power of the cosmos," bringing life to desolate planets. They can also power Boomsday weapons, which makes them a target for the nefarious likes of Bowser Jr. It's possible that Bowser was the one hunting down Rosalina and Peach years earlier, while Peach was still a toddler, but Bowser's only interest in Peach previously was romantic, so more than likely it was a villain we've yet to meet in the movies.
Rosalina sends Peach to the Mushroom Kingdom via Warp Pipe in order to keep her safe, but the film doesn't explain why Rosalina never tries to reunite with her sister at any point between their estrangement and the events of the movie. She has her own Comet Observatory, after all, could she not simply warp over to the Mushroom Kingdom for a reunion? Generously, you could interpret it as Rosalina continuing to keep Peach safe by staying away, but they seem to have no qualms about being in close proximity by the movie's end.
Are Peach and Rosalina sisters in the games?
This has been long rumored, but never officially confirmed, which makes The Super Mario Galaxy's confirmation that, yes, Peach and Rosalina are sisters a big shake-up to established Mario 'lore' (not that the Mario games have ever been particularly lore-heavy). It makes sense; there's certainly a family resemblance. The big question going forward is: might Daisy also be a third sister?
Will there be a Super Mario Movie 3?
Given that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is tracking to have a huge opening weekend at the box office, and that the film directly sets up a sequel (and potentially a spin-off), this is pretty much a certainty. Jack Black even let slip recently that we might see a sequel as early as 2029. Could the inclusion of Daisy be a hint that The Super Mario Land Movie is up next? We'll have to wait and see.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is in theaters now. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming video game movies.
