When you finally finish setting up your new Nintendo Switch 2 and launch Mario Kart World for the first time, you have a pretty impressive Mario Kart World roster of over 30 characters to race with if you want to jump into the action. This selection includes 17 recognizable characters like Mario and Peach, as well as 15 minor characters consisting of typical series NPC, random animals, and side characters from across the Mushroom Kingdom, including Piranha Plant and the iconic Cow from Moo Moo Meadows.
Still, there are notable faces absent from this initial roster of racers. Where is Donkey Kong, or Daisy? Turns out you have to unlock new characters in a variety of different ways.
Read on for the full Mario Kart World character list, plus the key things to do to unlock the rest.
Mario Kart World roster
After unlocking all of the characters, you’ll end up with a grand total of 50 characters to race through the Mushroom Kingdom alone, with friends, or online. This excludes a large array of alternative costumes you can unlock for each of the main characters. The full list of main characters is as follows:
- Mario
- Luigi
- Peach
- Yoshi
- Bowser
- Toad
- Toadette
- Koopa Troopa
- Wario
- Waluigi
- Baby Mario
- Baby Luigi
- Baby Peach
- Baby Daisy
- Baby Rosalina
- Pauline
- Shy Guy
- Donkey Kong
- Daisy
- Rosalina
- Lakitu
- Birdo
- King Boo
- Bowser Jr.
As for creature racers, you can race as any of the following in Mario Kart World:
- Goomba
- Wiggler
- Dry Bones
- Hammer Bro
- Nabbit
- Piranha Plant
- Sidestepper
- Monty Mole
- Stingby
- Penguin
- Cheep Cheep
- Cow
- Para-Biddybud
- Pokey
- Snowman
- Cataquack
- Chargin’ Chuck
- Coin Coffer
- Conkodor
- Dolphin
- Fish Bone
- Peepa
- Pianta
- Rocky Wrench
- Spike
- Swoop
How to unlock every racer in Mario Kart World
Here are the methods for unlocking every racer in Mario Kart World.
How to Unlock Main Characters in Mario Kart World
As with any recent entry in the Mario Kart series, players will have the freedom to race across 32 different tracks, a mix of all-new courses and beloved classics from across the history of the franchise. These are split across eight cups: Mushroom, Flower, Star, Shell, Banana, Leaf, Lightning and the legendary Special Cup. Alongside the 17 characters available by default, seven racers are unlocked for completing each of the first seven cups in the game, regardless of your final placement. Thankfully, it won’t be necessary for you to grind for first place in 150cc just to unlock these characters.
To unlock these seven racers in Mario Kart World, you must complete the following.
- Donkey Kong - Complete Mushroom Cup with any finishing position
- Daisy - Complete Flower Cup with any finishing position
- Rosalina - Complete Star Cup with any finishing position
- Lakitu - Complete Shell Cup with any finishing position
- Birdo - Complete Banana Cup with any finishing position
- King Boo - Complete Leaf Cup with any finishing position
- Bowser Jr. - Complete Lightning Cup with any finishing position
These characters each unlock individually of their costumes, which must be unlocked at random by consuming food from food stalls during races or when roaming the open world. For example in Grand Prix, after using this new costume for the remainder of that race you will return to your original costume for the rest of the cup, before being able to select it as a permanent option from the character select screen next time.
How to Unlock Creature Racers in Mario Kart World
Beyond the beloved primary cast of characters expected in any Mario series title, Mario Kart World includes an impressive roster of minor characters, including numerous beloved NPCs, enemies and various creatures from throughout the series. This list features characters who have been playable in prior Mario Kart titles such as the Hammer Bros, but also a huge array of characters making their playable series debut with this new title.
While these will be characters you will be forced to race against from the moment you step onto the racecourse, it won’t be possible to play as all of them from the get-go. To unlock these racers, you must first be randomly transformed into one of these characters when an opponent uses a Kamek item. This is a random but rare item available in item boxes that will transform all enemies in front of the user into a random creature alongside other potentially-harmful effects.
If you are transformed into a creature that is not already unlocked, this character will be permanently unlocked for use in future races. Alongside those creatures unlocked by default, the following characters can be unlocked using this method:
- Cataquack
- Chargin’ Chuck
- Coin Coffer
- Conkodor
- Dolphin
- Fish Bone
- Peepa
- Pianta
- Rocky Wrench
- Spike
- Swoop
Unlike main characters, creatures have no alternative costumes to unlock. This is a shame - imagine Cow in a pretty little hat! - but at least this gives you a huge array of unusual characters to race with against friends or in online play.
