Popple: the apprentice master thief of Mario & Luigi

BossPoppleSuperstar Saga

A self-proclaimed criminal mastermind who loses absolutely every single duel. Known as Pargne in the French version, Popple is a masked Beanish who showed up in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga in 2003. This profile digs into his endless search for a “Rookie”, his reluctant sidekicks — an amnesiac Bowser, then Birdo — and his movie-gangster drawl punctuated with “see?”.

Popple, known as Pargne in the French version, is one of the most tenacious antagonists in the RPG series Mario & Luigi. This little masked Beanish sees himself as a criminal mastermind, but mostly racks up defeats against the mustachioed brothers.

His French name is an apheresis of “ épargne ” (savings), a mischievous nod to his obsession with money. Here is the portrait of the shadow thief players have battled more often than any other in the saga.

Contents

• A masked Beanish obsessed with gold
• Forever hunting for a “Rookie”
• An amnesiac Bowser, then Birdo: his reluctant sidekicks
• A movie gangster who ends his sentences with “see?”
• The most-fought boss in the entire saga
• Quick facts
• FAQ

---

A masked Beanish obsessed with gold

Popple makes his debut in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, an RPG released on Game Boy Advance in 2003 (2003 in Europe). Like most inhabitants of the Beanbean Kingdom, he belongs to the species known as the Beanish (“Végésiens” in French): green skin, a bean-shaped head and an outsized grin.

But where his fellow Beanish are rather harmless, Popple cultivates a burglar look with his grey beret and purple mask. He proclaims himself a “shadow thief” and has only one idea in his head: to become a legendary master thief and amass a colossal fortune, even if it means fleecing the whole Beanbean Kingdom along the way.

---

Forever hunting for a “Rookie”

Popple's great obsession is never working alone. The thief is convinced that a true criminal genius needs an apprentice to do the dirty work, and he systematically dubs his minion with the generic nickname “Rookie” (the newbie, the beginner), without ever bothering to remember his real name.

This running gag runs through the whole series: Popple digs up an accomplice, bullies him, exploits him, then loses him… before starting all over again at the next encounter. That perpetual quest for a loyal sidekick is the character's real comic engine.

The catch is that Popple behaves like a tyrannical boss. He takes all the credit, keeps the loot for himself and pins the blame for his failures on his partner. Needless to say, his “Rookies” rarely stay devoted to him for very long.

---

An amnesiac Bowser, then Birdo: his reluctant sidekicks

Popple's first “Rookie” is probably the most famous of all: none other than Bowser himself, struck with amnesia after a crash. Remembering nothing at all, the king of the Koopas meekly follows the thief around under the plain nickname “Rookie”.

The duo makes for one of the most memorable showdowns in Superstar Saga: Popple hides behind his colossus and pushes him into battle, until Mario and Luigi put the opportunistic apprentice back in his place.

Later on, Popple finds himself a second sidekick: Birdo, who falls head over heels in love with him. Despite his new teammate's efforts, the pair still goes down against the plumbers. A good sport? Not in the slightest: Popple blames the defeat on Birdo who, heartbroken, sends him flying through a wall with one furious blow.

---

A movie gangster who ends his sentences with “see?”

You can't talk about Popple without mentioning his verbal tic. In the English version, the thief punctuates almost every sentence with a drawn-out “see?” , a habit borrowed straight from the Hollywood gangster movies of the 1930s.

That delivery is an open nod to actor Edward G. Robinson, famous for his crook roles in classics such as Little Caesar. Popple borrows his swaggering attitude and clipped delivery, which makes him more a parody of a movie gangster than a genuinely threatening villain.

Behind the humour, though, hides an explosive temper. Popple holds grudges, flies off the handle and is boundlessly greedy; he thinks nothing of betraying an ally or blowing up, even if the game sometimes lends him a curious thieves' sense of honour.

---

The most-fought boss in the entire saga

Popple's real claim to fame is statistical: he is the most-fought character in the whole Mario & Luigi series. Even though he only turns up in a handful of games, you battle him a total of seven times, an unmatched record in the saga.

In Superstar Saga, you face him several times over: first backed by “Rookie” (Bowser), then alone, then flanked by Birdo. Those repeated encounters largely explain his status as a recurring rival.

The thief returns in 2017 in the Nintendo 3DS remake Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, which faithfully replays his boss fights. He also makes a more discreet appearance in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros., where he remains a secondary character.

Between his gangster humour, his never-ending quest for a sidekick and his incredible tenacity as a magnificent loser, Popple has established himself as one of the cult antagonists of the Mario RPGs: as endearing as he is ineffective.

---

Popple (Pargne) at a glance

French name	Pargne (apheresis of “épargne”, savings)
English name	Popple
Species	Beanish (Végésien in French)
First appearance	Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (2003)
Role	Shadow thief, recurring RPG boss
“Rookie” sidekicks	An amnesiac Bowser, then Birdo
Verbal tic	Ends his sentences with “see?”
Record	Most-fought character in the saga (7 battles)

🍄 Fancy taking the adventure further? Discover our Mario plushies in the shop.

---

FAQ

• Who is Popple in Mario & Luigi?
  Popple (Pargne in French) is a recurring Beanish thief from the Mario & Luigi RPG series. He calls himself the “shadow thief” and dreams of becoming a fabulously rich master thief.
• Why does Popple call his accomplices “Rookie”?
  Popple reckons a true master thief needs an apprentice to assist him. He dubs each of his minions with the generic nickname “Rookie”, meaning the beginner, without ever remembering their real name.
• Who are Popple's sidekicks?
  His first “Rookie” is Bowser, struck with amnesia and unable to remember his own identity. Later on, Popple recruits Birdo, who falls in love with him before betraying him.
• Why does Popple say “see?”
  In the original English version, Popple ends his sentences with “see?” to parody the gangsters of 1930s American cinema, in particular actor Edward G. Robinson, seen in Little Caesar.
• Which games does Popple appear in?
  He appears in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (2003), in its remake Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions (2017) and makes a more discreet appearance in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Bros.

↑ Back to top