Mario's Mounts: The Creatures He Rides

GuideMountsYoshi

These are not vehicles, but living creatures. This guide rounds up the saga's mounts: Yoshi, the pioneer who showed up in Super Mario World in 1990; Dorrie, the plesiosaur from the depths of Super Mario 64 that you steer with a Ground Pound; Plessie and her group surfing; Lakitu's Cloud; and the all-terrain dog Poochy.

Ever since Super Mario World, Mario has done more than just run: he climbs onto the backs of living creatures that carry him over water, over chasms and over lava. These mounts (in English Mario's rideable mounts) are not machines, but characters with a name and a personality.

Here is an overview of the beasts the plumber really rides — from the essential Yoshi to the plesiosaur Dorrie —, of what each one brings and of how you steer it.

Contents

• Yoshi, the mount that set the mold
• Dorrie, the plesiosaur of the depths
• Plessie, group surfing on the water
• Lakitu's Cloud, a fleeting flying mount
• Poochy, the all-terrain dog of the Yoshi games
• Living mount or vehicle? And Odyssey's captures
• Quick recap
• FAQ

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Yoshi, the mount that set the mold

Yoshi (same name in France) is the first and most famous of Mario's mounts. He shows up in Super Mario World, released on 21 November 1990 in Japan (April 1992 in Europe), on Super Nintendo.

• His stretchy tongue gulps down enemies, which he can then spit back out as a projectile or swallow to lay an egg.
• Yoshi doubles as a living shield: when hit, he bolts off in a panic and Mario stays alive, which grants one extra hit taken.
• The coloured Yoshis each have their own perks in Super Mario World — the blue one glides with any shell, the red one breathes fire.

His signature move, the Flutter Jump , in which he kicks his legs frantically to stay in the air, was actually born in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995). In Super Mario World, holding the jump button already makes him flap his legs briefly to gain a little height.

Dreamed up after Shigeru Miyamoto decided to give Mario a dinosaur companion , Yoshi instantly became a pillar of the saga: he takes the hits, swallows and launches, reinventing the plumber's mobility for good.

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Dorrie, the plesiosaur of the depths

Dorrie (same name in France; “Gros Bibi” in the original Super Mario 64 ) is a friendly plesiosaur discovered in Super Mario 64 (1996), at the bottom of an underground lake.

• To steer him, you perform a Ground Pound on his back: Dorrie then lowers his neck, letting Mario climb up to his head to reach areas high above.
• In Super Mario 64 DS, the manoeuvre is simplified: he lowers his head as soon as you come near the base of his neck.
• He returns in New Super Mario Bros. (2006) to cross stretches of poison in World 4; a Ground Pound then makes him swim faster.

Dorrie then racks up the cameos: sporting a top hat in the Lake Kingdom of Super Mario Odyssey (2017), he even makes his first appearance in the Mario & Luigi series with Mario & Luigi: Brothership (2024).

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Plessie, group surfing on the water

Plessie (“ Placidon ” in Quebec) is a large, friendly creature shaped like an orange plesiosaur, introduced in Super Mario 3D World (2013) on Wii U.

• You ride her to race down water, but also sand and snow, in levels built entirely around sliding.
• The controls are intuitive: you tilt the stick left or right to turn, up or down to speed up or brake, and the jump button makes her leap — higher if several players jump together.
• A rare feat for a mount: up to four characters can climb onto her back at the same time.

Plessie returns in Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021): in the mode Bowser's Fury, you can summon her freely to roam the vast central lake and reach the islands waiting to be explored.

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Lakitu's Cloud, a fleeting flying mount

The Lakitu Cloud is a flying and temporary mount. When you defeat a Lakitu, he leaves behind his little smiling cloud, which Mario can then hop aboard.

• It shows up as early as Super Mario World, then in the series New Super Mario Bros., in the Super Mario Maker games and all the way to Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
• The cloud allows free aerial movement in every direction, ideal for flying over a treacherous stretch.
• The trade-off: it is short-lived, vanishing after a brief spell or once you step off it.

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Poochy, the all-terrain dog of the Yoshi games

Poochy (same name in France) is the faithful dog of the Yoshi adventures. He turns up in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995) and sticks with the series all the way to Yoshi's Crafted World (2019).

• Yoshi can ride on his back; Poochy then runs in whatever direction Yoshi is facing.
• His big advantage: he crosses dangerous terrain unharmed, spikes and lava included, acting as a living raft.
• On top of that, he is offensive, able to flatten enemies just by charging into them.

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Living mount or vehicle? And Odyssey's captures

What binds these creatures together is that they are alive and full of character, unlike karts and purely mechanical vehicles. Each one has a name, a face and a personality, and reacts to Mario instead of being driven like a machine.

Every mount brings a distinct traversal function: Yoshi neutralises enemies and stretches jumps, Dorrie and Plessie cross the water, Lakitu's Cloud opens up the skies and Poochy cancels out ground hazards.

Super Mario Odyssey (2017) pushes the idea further with the capture: by throwing his cap Cappy, Mario takes direct control of a creature or an enemy and borrows its powers — a form of mount you no longer climb onto, but where instead you become the beast.

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Mario's living mounts at a glance

Pioneer mount	Yoshi (Super Mario World, 1990 in Japan)
Dorrie	Plesiosaur, debuts in Super Mario 64 (1996)
Steering Dorrie	Ground Pound on his back to make him lower his neck
Plessie	Super Mario 3D World (2013), up to 4 riders
Plessie's Quebec name	Placidon
Lakitu's Cloud	Temporary flying mount, from Super Mario World onward
Poochy	Dog from the Yoshi games, immune to spikes and lava
Capture (Odyssey)	Extends the mount idea through Cappy (2017)

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FAQ

• What is Mario's first living mount?
  Yoshi, who appeared in Super Mario World, released on 21 November 1990 in Japan and in April 1992 in Europe.
• How do you make Dorrie lower his neck?
  By performing a Ground Pound on his back; in Super Mario 64 DS, simply coming close to the base of his neck is enough for him to lower his head.
• How many players can ride Plessie?
  Up to four characters at the same time in Super Mario 3D World, on the levels devoted to sliding.
• Can Poochy cross lava and spikes?
  Yes, he crosses these hazards without taking damage and serves as a mount for the Yoshis in the series that bears their name.
• Is the capture mechanic in Super Mario Odyssey a mount?
  Not in the strict sense: thanks to Cappy, Mario takes direct control of a creature instead of climbing onto its back, which extends the idea of the mount.

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