Visuel promotionnel du Prince Tédibert pour Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

Prince Dreambert: the dream guide of Dream Team

1447 words | Reading time : 7 minute(s)

CharacterPrince DreambertMario & Luigi

Luigi falls asleep on him: that is how you open the portals to the Dream World. Prince Dreambert in English, Prince Rêvebert in Canada: the Pi'illo ruler is freed from his stone prison by the brothers in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team on 3DS in 2013. This portrait details Antasma's nightmare-block curse and his living-pillow mechanic.

Prince of all Pi'illo and guardian of the Dream World, Prince Dreambert (Prince Tédibert in French) is one of the most striking characters in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Woken from his stone prison by the two brothers, he becomes their dream guide for the whole adventure.

Behind his look of a living pillow hides a proud ruler, as essential to the story as he is to the gameplay. Here are his history, his role and the mechanic that made him famous.

Contents

Who is Prince Dreambert?

In Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Prince Dreambert reigns over all the Pi'illo, the cushion creatures who have always watched over sleep and dreams. Recognisable by his royal red outfit, his golden gloves and his pillow-shaped head, he embodies the dignity and authority of his island kingdom.

His English name, Prince Dreambert, plays on the word “dream”. French-speaking Europe settled on Prince Tédibert, while Canada renamed him Prince Rêvebert — two adaptations that both keep the idea of dreams and cuddly teddy bears. Regarded as the prince of all Pi'illo, he holds a place apart among the characters of the series.

The red-and-gold stone pillow in which Prince Dreambert is trapped
The Pi'illo prince, petrified into a pillow: this is the form you first meet him in.

Petrified by Antasma: the curse of the nightmare blocks

Long before the mustachioed brothers arrived, Pi'illo Island lived under the threat of Antasma, a bat king from the Dream World. With the power of the Dark Stone, he ruled through terror, until the Pi'illo rose up against him and managed to seal him inside the Dream World.

  • In one last fit of rage, Antasma shattered the Dark Stone, and its shards rained down on the whole Pi'illo people.
  • Every Pi'illo struck was then petrified into a nightmare block, a stone shell imprisoning his sleeping soul.
  • Even Prince Dreambert himself was not spared: he stayed frozen and silent for countless years, waiting for an awakening that seemed like it would never come.

This founding tragedy explains the state of desolation in which Mario and Luigi find the island at the start of the game: a frozen kingdom whose prince is waiting to be freed.

Woken by Mario and Luigi: the Dream World guide

Everything changes when Mario and Luigi land on the island. By smashing one of those stone blocks, they free Prince Dreambert, the very first Pi'illo woken in the whole adventure. Grateful, the prince immediately decides to join his rescuers.

Once free, he becomes the duo's official guide, in a role very close to that of Starlow (the star guide) from the earlier entries. He comments on the action, drops tactical tips and explains the battle mechanics — jumps, hammers and Luiginary Attacks — as you progress.

Above all, he holds the key to the Dream World. Only a Pi'illo can open a passage into this dream dimension, where Dreamy Luigi, Luigi's double born from his own sleep, comes to lend Mario a hand. Without the prince, this entire half of the game would stay out of reach.

Luigi's pillow: opening the dream portals

This is where the character's most iconic mechanic comes in. At the dream spots scattered across the island, Prince Dreambert turns into a pillow, ready to welcome the head of one very specific sleeper.

  • Luigi lies down and falls asleep on this living cushion, which immediately triggers the opening of a dream portal.
  • Mario then dives into the Dream World, a warped universe where the slightest movement of the sleeping Luigi reshapes the scenery and creates puzzles.
  • Without the pillow prince, no door to the dreams could ever open: he is literally the linchpin of the gameplay of the whole game.

This idea of making Luigi sleep on a prince remains one of the most original inventions in the series, blending humour, exploration and puzzle-solving in a single mechanic.

A royal temperament, formal and proud

Make no mistake: Prince Dreambert is no self-effacing guide. Formal and self-assured, he speaks with the solemnity of a ruler convinced he can protect his island at any cost.

That proud streak has a flip side, though: he is quick to lose his temper, especially when his authority is flouted or his kingdom is taken lightly. His flashes of irritation deliver some of the funniest exchanges in the story, playing on the contrast with the brothers' easy-going nature.

During the final showdown against Antasma, the prince does not just comment on the battle: he also heals the heroes slightly, lending one last helping hand to his liberators. A way of closing the loop with his sworn enemy.

Dream Team: the quick facts

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team was released on Nintendo 3DS in July 2013 (12 July in Europe, 18 July in Japan). Developed by AlphaDream, it builds its whole adventure around Pi'illo Island and its sleeping prince.

The soundtrack, composed by Yoko Shimomura — composer of the entire Mario & Luigi series — accompanies the constant back-and-forth between the real world and the Dream World. At the heart of that balance, Prince Dreambert remains, to this day, the most memorable face of this entry.

Prince Dreambert at a glance

French name (Europe) Prince Tédibert
English name Prince Dreambert
French name (Canada) Prince Rêvebert
Species Pi'illo (prince of all Pi'illo)
First appearance Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (2013, 3DS)
Role Dream World guide
Sworn enemy Antasma
Distinctive feature Royal red outfit, turns into a pillow

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FAQ

  • What is Prince Dreambert's real name?
    His original English name is Prince Dreambert. In French-speaking Europe he is called Prince Tédibert, and in Canada Prince Rêvebert. Every one of these versions evokes dreams and sleep.
  • Which game does Prince Dreambert appear in?
    He makes his first appearance in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, released on Nintendo 3DS in 2013. He is the central character of the plot that unfolds on Pi'illo Island.
  • Why was Prince Dreambert petrified?
    Antasma shattered the Dark Stone, and its shards turned every Pi'illo into a block of stone. The prince stayed frozen until Mario and Luigi freed him.
  • Why does Luigi sleep on Prince Dreambert?
    At the dream spots, the prince turns into a pillow. When Luigi falls asleep on him, a portal to the Dream World opens and lets Mario step inside.
  • Is Prince Dreambert a playable character?
    No, he is not playable. He plays the guide, much like Starlow, advising the brothers and opening the way into the Dream World.

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