Boshi: the blue Yoshi with shades from Super Mario RPG

CharacterSuper Mario RPGYoshis

A Yoshi who refuses to be nice, and who turned racing into a question of authority. On the Yoshis' island in Super Mario RPG, a blue individual in black sunglasses rules through sheer speed. Boshi is the only Yoshi in the series with an openly hostile personality. This article looks back at his role, at the race that pits him against Mario and at his status as a lasting curiosity.

Boshi first appeared in 1996 in Super Mario RPG and never came back. In a single appearance, though, this Yoshi in blue with black sunglasses still left its mark on players: he is the first — and for a long time the only — member of his species to behave like a petty tyrant.

Contents

• Cast completely against type
• The race on the Yoshis' island
• Why he became a cult figure
• Boshi at a glance
• FAQ
• Conclusion

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Cast completely against type

Ever since Super Mario World, Yoshis have embodied unconditional loyalty: they carry, they swallow, they obey. Boshi turns that model upside down. He follows no one, does no one any favours and lays down the law to his own kind through the sheer threat of his speed.

The contrast is reinforced by the design: blue skin instead of the canonical green, sunglasses, a cocky stance. Everything tells the player they are dealing with an exception before the first line of dialogue even appears.

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The race on the Yoshis' island

His whole role fits into a single challenge. On the island populated by Yoshis, Boshi organises races that he wins every single time, turning that dominance into a right to command.

The sequence asks Mario to win the race — a full-fledged mini-game with its own logic of rhythm. It is one of the rare moments when the RPG steps away from turn-based play for a test of pure agility.

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Why he became a cult figure

Boshi never got a follow-up, and that is part of his aura. He belongs to that category of characters seen only once who leave a stronger mark precisely because they never wear out.

He also embodies a freedom that Super Mario RPG allowed itself and that the main series has never taken up again: giving an entire species a single dissident individual, with his own dress code and his own balance of power.

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Boshi at a glance

Item	Detail
Appearance	Super Mario RPG (1996), and its remake
Species	Yoshi
Distinguishing features	Blue skin, black sunglasses
Role	Self-proclaimed leader of the Yoshis' island
Associated challenge	A race you have to win against him

🍄 Want to keep the adventure going? Check out our Yoshi products in the shop.

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FAQ

• Who is Boshi?
  He is a blue Yoshi wearing sunglasses who appeared in Super Mario RPG in 1996. He rules the Yoshis' island thanks to his victories in races.
• Does Boshi appear in other Mario games?
  No. His appearance is limited to Super Mario RPG and its remake. He has never been brought back in the main series or in the spin-offs.
• Why is Boshi different from the other Yoshis?
  Yoshis are traditionally loyal and helpful. Boshi is arrogant and domineering, and he imposes his authority on his own kind, which makes him an exception within the species.
• How do you beat Boshi?
  By winning the race he organises on the Yoshis' island, a sequence built on rhythm rather than on turn-based combat.

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Conclusion

Boshi boils down entirely to one idea: what if a Yoshi refused to be likeable? Super Mario RPG only used it once, but well enough for the character to live on in players' memories nearly thirty years later.

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