Mario face à Lubba, gros Luma violet, près d'un gouvernail lumineux

Lubba: the purple Luma, captain of Starship Mario

1119 words | Reading time : 5 minute(s)

CharacterSuper Mario Galaxy 2Lumas

A purple Luma, loud-mouthed and hefty, who turned a wreck into a mustachioed starship. Met just after Bowser's attack, Lubba patches up his ship with his Luma crew and reshapes it into a giant Mario head: the hub of Super Mario Galaxy 2. The article details his role as guide and quartermaster of the expedition, and why this good-natured captain single-handedly embodies the more direct tone of this sequel.

Round as a planet and as jolly as a sailor on shore leave, Lubba is the purple Luma with the biggest presence in Nintendo's cosmos. In Super Mario Galaxy 2, this star-dwelling bon vivant becomes the official captain of Mario's flying headquarters.

Sharp-tongued, protective of his little Lumas and a genius tinkerer, he pilots the famous Starship Mario — a spacecraft carved in the shape of a plumber's head. Portrait of the second most endearing captain in the galaxy.

Contents

A Luma like no other

Among the little folk of the Lumas, those living stars that orbit around Rosalina, Lubba stands out as an exception: he is purple, where his fellows come in pastel shades, and above all huge — a genuine starry hot-air balloon, fitted with a broad belly and a permanent smile.

His temperament stands apart too: talkative, blunt, peppering his sentences with the salty talk of an old space sea dog, he feels more like a good-natured foreman than an ethereal star. A Luma who might have spent his whole life on the docks of the cosmos.

The meeting: a crew in distress

At the start of Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii, 2010), Mario crosses paths with Lubba and his Luma crew in dire straits: their ship has been attacked by Bowser, bent on stripping the universe bare to build his galactic empire.

They hit it off instantly: the plumber needs a way to roam the galaxies, the captain needs a hero. The alliance is sealed on the spot, and Lubba throws all his energy — and his knack for organisation — behind the new expedition against the Koopa king.

Starship Mario, a mustachioed HQ

Lubba's masterwork is his ship. With his Lumas lending a hand, the captain patches up the wreck and gives it an unforgettable silhouette: that of a giant Mario head sailing through space, cap included. Starship Mario becomes the game's hub, the flying equivalent of what the Comet Observatory was in the first instalment.

  • The steering wheel lets you set course for each new galaxy on the map.
  • The deck hosts an ever-growing crew: Lumas, Toads and guests picked up along the way.
  • There, Lubba acts as master of ceremonies, commenting on your progress and your Grand Star total.

A headquarters built in the likeness of its star passenger: the captain knows how to flatter his hero.

Lubba on the deck of Starship Mario, a head-shaped asteroid
The ship is carved in Mario's likeness, mustache included.

Lubba's role in the adventure

Throughout the journey, Lubba wears two hats: guide and quartermaster. He is the one who takes stock after every victory, steers Mario towards the galaxies where Bowser and his minions are running riot, and keeps watch over the gathering of the Grand Stars that power the ship.

He also handles the rescue logistics: when Mario falls into the void or comes within a hair of disaster, it is Lubba's crew that fishes him out and sets him back on his feet on the deck. Behind his big-joker act, the captain keeps the whole machinery of the adventure turning.

Lubba commenting on the player's progress
He acts as the through line: he is the one who comments on every stage of the hunt.

A one-off figure that stayed in players' memories

Lubba has never returned to the spotlight since Galaxy 2 — and that may be exactly what makes the character so precious. He single-handedly embodies the tone of this sequel: more direct, jovial and generous than the first instalment, whose melancholy rested on Rosalina and her observatory.

Among fans, the big purple Luma still enjoys undimmed affection: an easygoing captain, skipper of Nintendo's finest mascot ship, and living proof that a star can be loud of voice and soft of heart.

Lubba at a glance

Name Lubba
Species Luma (purple, extra-large)
Game Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii, 2010)
Role Captain of Starship Mario
Crew Lumas, joined by Toads and guests
Personality Jovial, sharp-tongued, protective
Mission Helping Mario against Bowser's empire
Trademark A ship shaped like Mario's head

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FAQ

  • Who is Lubba?
    He is an extra-large purple Luma who serves as captain of Starship Mario in Super Mario Galaxy 2, released on Wii in 2010.
  • What is Starship Mario?
    The game's flying hub: a spacecraft repaired by Lubba and his Lumas, sculpted into the shape of Mario's head, from which you set off for every galaxy.
  • What is Lubba's role in the adventure?
    He guides Mario from galaxy to galaxy, comments on his progress, watches over the gathering of Grand Stars and leads the crew that keeps the ship running.
  • Is Lubba connected to Rosalina?
    Lubba belongs to the same people as the Lumas of Rosalina, the cosmic guardian, but he leads his own expedition aboard Starship Mario.
  • Do we see Lubba again after Super Mario Galaxy 2?
    No, he has not held a major role since. That single appearance helped turn him into a cult character of the Galaxy era.

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