Characters of Mother 3

The main protagonist Lucas, as seen in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

This is a list of characters that appeared in Mother 3. These characters were created by Shigesato Itoi, creator of the EarthBound series, who acted as the game's scenario writer. He first created the characters in EarthBound 64, the cancelled Nintendo 64 version of Mother 3. The main protagonists include Lucas, Flint, Kumatora, Duster, Boney, and Salsa, who have to battle the antagonists called the Pigmask Army, led by Yokuba, King Porky, and the Masked Man. Mother 3 features few returning characters from EarthBound, including the above-mentioned King Porky, small strange creatures called Mr. Saturns, and the father of Jeff, a main protagonist of EarthBound, called Doctor Andonuts.

Concept and creation

The characters' designs of Mother 3 were created by Hiroshi Sato, Shinobu Nagata, and Kuninori Ueno.^[1] Most characters featured are exclusive to it, appearing in no other games in the series. Several characters were taken from EarthBound, including Porky Minch, Dr. Andonuts, and Mr. Saturns.^[1] Most of the characters that were featured in the Game Boy Advance version were originally created for the cancelled Nintendo 64 version.^[1] Unlike the previous two titles in the series which featured most of the playable characters as children, Mother 3 only stars two playable children, while the other characters are either adults or animals.^[1]

Playable characters

Lucas and his twin brother are based on twin characters from the Agota Kristof novel The Notebook, who have similar names to the twins from Mother 3.^[2] However, his name uses the English pronunciation rather than the French pronunciation, which leaves off the "s" when said aloud.^[2] The Nintendo 64 version was going to span a period of ten years, and Lucas would age over that span of time.^[3] There were originally going to be approximately ten main characters across the game's plot, with Lucas being referred to by Itoi as the main character of them all.^[3] The final version had only six main characters, but Lucas remained as the main character.^[4] During Nintendo 64 development, Lucas was going to have a voice actor.^[5]

It was believed that he was the main character of the canceled Nintendo 64 version, due to his prominence in promotional media.^{[citation needed]} Rumors began to circulate early on that Flint was an adult version of Ness from EarthBound. Itoi anticipated that people would spread rumors like this, and he decided to neither squash nor confirm the rumors, but allow the player to use their imagination.^[6] In a preview of EarthBound 64, IGN described him as "Clint Eastwood-like".^[4]

Shigesato Itoi created the character of Duster as a thief with a bad limp and bad breath, stating that "because there are handicapped people in our world, it would also be a part of the world of MOTHER 3". He also added that the Mother 3 world is all about having friends like him, and that they could perhaps be symbols of not rejecting such people.^[7] He was found in Super Smash Bros. Brawl in the form of a sticker.^[8]

Other characters

Itoi stated that he used to become upset with people who name their characters "AAAAA" or something to that nature, saying that he wanted to tell them that it was important to give their characters names of their own.^[9] The impressions of Hinawa's death that stood out to Itoi the most are those that named Hinawa after their mothers.^[9] These people stated that afterwards, they really appreciated their mothers.^[9] Some mothers who named Hinawa after themselves, in their impressions of her death, accepted her death with a feeling of warmth.^[9] Itoi stated that one of the underlying themes in Mother 3 is that there are two feelings - "C'mon, it's just a game" and "C'mon, be serious, this is a game here." He put the scene of Hinawa's death right in the beginning as a testament to the interesting developments to come.^[9] He stated that making the first chapter was tough, because it felt like he did such major things with it.^[9]

Yokuba is shown to have a deep hatred for Salsa.^[9] Itoi says that it shows that there are people in the world of Mother 3 who hurt others for enjoyment.^[9] He also stated that Yokuba doesn't understand the pain of others, but uses their pain for his benefit, and that no characters are ever really that bad.^[9] However, he commented that Yokuba also acts as a reliable ally for Salsa during battle, invoking complex emotions - the person who hurts you the most is the one helping you fight other enemies.^[9] He also commented that this is a trait that makes games interesting, and stated that you cannot transfer these emotions to a novel.^[9] Itoi commented that perhaps Yokuba was once kind, going from playing around to dirty tricks, from dirty tricks to unforgivable deeds, and finally from unforgivable deeds to evil sin.^[9]

Shigesato Itoi states in an interview that the Magypsies, a group of "non-men yet non-women people", exist amid a world where both good and bad guys are strong and fight, going so far as to accept their fate of death.^[10] He comments that he respects the Magypsy, saying that he has "Magypsy friends of his own", and that if these characters really existed, that players of Mother 3 should not be hostile towards them, but instead have fun with them.^[10] The line that one of them (Aeolia) states when its needle is pulled—an act that causes the respective Magypsy to disappear—is "I'm disappearing a little, but I'm well", a reference to the tagline that Itoi wrote for Kiki's Delivery Service: "I was a little depressed, but I'm well." The other staff members tried to stop Itoi when he wrote it.^[10] All of the Magypsy names were created by Shogo Sakai, the musical director of Mother 3.^[10]

Shigesato Itoi commented in an interview about EarthBound 64 that the Drago was his favorite character, and that he had a strong role in the story.^[3] He also commented in a later interview "If I were playing the game and then I saw there was a dragon in it, I'd yell 'that's stupid!' (laughs)"^[3]

The mole cricket also makes a frequent appearance in the game. It is based on the species of the same name, which are nocturnal, ominvorous arthropods that live underground.^[11] Itoi created him as a character who "almost understands himself, but not quite", comparing him to someone who was doing music, but quitting because he didn't actually have any talent for it.^[7] The Mole Cricket eventually became a shop owner.^[7] He also stated that Mole Cricket served as a reminder for Buzz Buzz, a character from EarthBound who was also squashed (in his case fatally), to make players say "Whoa, another bug just showed up and died?"^[7]

The final battle of Mother 3 is held between Lucas and the Masked Man. It is conducted in an unconventional way, as the player is unable to attack the Masked Man as Lucas, due to Lucas learning that the Masked Man was his lost brother, Claus. In an interview with Shigesato Itoi in an issue of Nintendo Dream, this battle was described as the saddest moment in Mother 3.^[12]

Playable characters

Lucas

Lucas (リュカ, Ryuka^?) is the main character of Mother 3. He has a brother named Claus, and parents named Flint and Hinawa. He has blonde hair and a red-and-yellow striped shirt and is capable of using PSI, a psychic ability found in other games in the series.^[1] He is characterized as a crybaby during the first few chapters, but matures once the game reaches Chapter 4 and after he aides in fighting the Pigmask Army.^[1] The game's perspective switches between other main characters until this chapter, where Lucas becomes the main character.^[1] Lucas and Boney reunite with Duster and Kumatora, two of their fellow party members, and battle the Pigmask Army. He eventually goes on the quest to find the Seven Needles, ending up in New Pork City and battling King Porky and the Masked Man. Lucas also makes an appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, with a move set very similar to that of Ness.

Boney

Boney (ボニー, Boni^?) is Flint's dog. He is an average-sized dog, and has brown fur.^[1] After he accompanies Flint in Chapter 1, he accompanies Lucas for most of Chapters 4-8.^[1] While he can only communicate by barking, his expressions are translated for the player.^[1] Although quite intelligent, even able to impersonate a human being, he expresses ignorance when asked to perform simple tricks, such as shaking a paw. In the canceled Nintendo 64 version of the game, Boney was much smaller than his current incarnation.^[1]

Duster

Duster (ダスター, Dasutā^?) is an average-looking thief who is the main character of Chapter 2. He utilizes several thief tools, including Wall Staples used to climb up walls.^[1] He has a limp, bad breath, and brown hair.^[7] His father's name is Wess. When he is sent to retrieve a precious item, he loses his memory and ends up as the bassist of band DCMC.^[1] Despite his limp, his primary method of attack is kicking. His limp was caused by Wess, or so he "recalls".^[7] According to Shigesato Itoi, some people have speculated that he has a metal rod in his leg, or that it's stretched out because it's normally not useful. However, Itoi stated that he would rather leave it up to the player's imagination.^[7]

Flint

Flint (フリント, Furinto^?) is a middle-aged livestock farmer and father of Lucas and Claus. He is the main character of Chapter 1.^[1] His name comes from a gun called a "Flintlock."^[2] After his wife dies and his son Claus goes missing, he searches for him for several years in the canyons that he disappeared in.

Kumatora

Kumatora (クマトラ^?) is the tomboyish and flirtatious Princess of Osohe Castle. Her name is a combination of "Kuma" and "Tora", the Japanese names for "bear" and "tiger".^[13][14] She is described as strong, wise, and masculine.^[15] She has red hair, a blue outfit, and pink shoes.^[1] She also has the power to use PSI, a psychic ability.^[1] Some time after battling the Pigmask Army along with Lucas, Wess, and Salsa, she searches for Duster, and ends up posing as a waitress named "Yoshi-Koshi" ("Violet" in the English fan translation) in Club Titiboo, where Duster lost his memory and became a member of the band DCMC.^[1]

Salsa

Salsa (サルサ, Sarusa^?) and Samba are two monkeys who were kidnapped by Yokuba ("Fassad" in the English fan translation). Salsa is forced to perform for the residents of Tazmily to warp it to the Pigmask Army's desires, threatening to kill Samba if he refuses. He is the main character of Chapter 3.

Residents of Tazmily

Claus

Claus (クラウス, Kurausu^?) is Lucas' older identical twin brother, son of Flint and Hinawa, and is characterized as being far braver than Lucas. Like his brother, his name comes from the French novel The Notebook.^[2] Also, Claus' name happens to be an anagram of Lucas' name. In the end it turns out Claus is the Masked Man.

Hinawa

Hinawa (ヒナワ^?) is the mother of Lucas and Claus, wife of Flint, and daughter of Alec. Her name comes from the "hinawa juu", a type of "arquebus", or "matchlock".^[2] She has brown hair, and wears a red dress. Hinawa is mortally wounded and dies in the first chapter of the game, which shocked many female players who play the Mother games.^[9] She appears on multiple occasions later in the game as a spirit, appearing in the dreams of many characters in order to save Lucas, Boney, Kumatora, and Duster. She also appears most notably during the final battle against the Masked Man.^{[citation needed]}

Leder

Leder is a very tall man, known as the bell-ringer of Tazmily. Throughout the beginning of the game, he is simply present at the bell and will not speak to any other characters, to the point that he is believed to be mute. After Tazmily is "modernized," he is not seen again until the very end of the game, when he is tied up in an apartment in New Pork City. At this point, he tells the party his story, that all of the inhabitants of the Nowhere Islands were originally from the now-destroyed outside world, but that they had their memories erased in order to start a new, peaceful life on the Nowhere Islands. Leder reveals himself to be the one member of this group who did not erase his memory, in order to keep the others on track. He claims that his ringing of the bell subconsciously reminded the residents of Tazmily why they were living as they were.

Pigmask Army

The Pigmask Army is an army of people who wear army outfits with pig-like gas masks ranging from pink to white. The major members of the Pigmask Army include the Fierce Pork Trooper, an imposing man who wears bull horns; Yokuba, a ruthless man who lacks empathy for others; King Porky, the leader of the Pigmask Army, who originated in EarthBound as a primary antagonist; and the Masked Man, a mysterious person used by Porky to achieve his ultimate desires.

Chimeras

Chimeras are composite creatures made up of either multiple creatures or with mechanical parts. They were created by Dr. Andonuts who was forced to make them by the Pigmask Army. Major Chimeras include the Mecha-Drago (メカドラゴ, Meka Dorago^?), a Drago who was modified with mechanical parts, and the Ultimate Chimera (きゅうきょくキマイラ^?), an invincible monster who runs rampant through the Chimera Lab.

Doctor Andonuts

Main article: EarthBound (series)#Doctor Andonuts

Porky

Main article: EarthBound (series)#Porky Minch

Porky Minch (ポーキー・ミンチ, Pōkī Minchi^?) returns as the central antagonist and the leader of the Pigmask Army. His presence is hinted at several times throughout most of the game, but he only appears in person towards the very end of the final chapter. His appearance is similar to how he looked in EarthBound, except he is now permanently bound to a life support system, and his body shows several signs of aging. He reveals to Lucas and co. that, after escaping at the end of EarthBound, his extensive abuse of time travel has left him practically immortal, and even he is unsure of how old he truly is. Despite his age, however, he is still mentally a child, and is characterised by his intense paranoia and sociopathic hatred of all living things. Porky's ultimate goal is to destroy the Nowhere Islands, and with it the remnants of humanity, leaving him the only remaining person in the world so that he can be truly alone; his wishes are ironically fulfilled when he accidentally traps himself in the Absolutely Safe Capsule, a device that can never be opened either from inside or the outside, and which protects whatever is outside from whatever is inside.

Despite his rivalry with Ness throughout EarthBound, it is suggested several times throughout Mother 3 that deep down, Porky admired his neighbour and desperately wanted to be friends with him; the player can find a yo-yo in Chapter 5 which is similar to the one used by Ness, and just before the party meets Porky they must pass through a hall filled with EarthBound memoribilia.

Masked Man

The Masked Man (かめんのおとこ, Kamen no otoko^?) is the mysterious commander of the Pigmask Army. He wears a mask obscuring most of his head, and wields a light sword and an arm-mounted gun. The mask he wears changes his eyes to be red and green. He is first seen aboard a Pig Mask ship, and is later seen competing with Lucas to pull the Needles that seal the Dark Dragon, and Lucas encounters him multiple times in and out of battle. In the end the masked man turns out to be Lucas' brother Claus.

Yokuba (Fassad)

Yokuba (ヨクバ^?) is a high-ranking member of the Pigmask Army. The name Yokuba is a pun of the Japanese word "Yokubari", meaning "greedy"^[2] Yokuba's name was changed to Fassad in the English language unofficial fan-translation. The name Fassad means corruption in Arabic, and it is also a pun on the word facade, due to the front he puts up to Tazmilly Village.^[16][17] He kidnaps Salsa the monkey, with the intention of using him for the army's benefit. He attaches an electro-shock collar to Salsa, and constantly electrocutes Salsa, usually seemingly for little to no reason. He regularly encounters the main characters throughout the game, and after he accidentally trips over a banana peel on the top of Thunder Tower, he obtains mechanical parts, similar to a Chimera. ^[1] In his final encounter with the characters, Yokuba presumably dies as he explodes and falls into the sewers. Near the end of Mother 3, it is revealed to the player that Yokuba is Locria, the missing Magypsy, who had betrayed the others.^[9]

Other characters

DCMC

DCMC, or Desperado Crash Mambo Combo (デスペラド・クラッシュ・マンボ・カンボ, Desuperado Kurasshu Manbo Kanbo^?), is a rock band that perform for Club Titiboo. They bear a resemblance to the Runaway Five from EarthBound,^[18] so much so that they were mistaken by IGN to be the same band in one of their previews of the Nintendo 64 version.^[4] They have five members - OJ on saxophone, Magic on electric guitar, Baccio on drums, Shimmy Zmizz on electric piano, and Tamekichi (Lucky in the English fan translation) on upright bass. Tamekichi is revealed to be Duster, who had lost his memory and ended up as one of the band members. Originally, the DCMC was going to have a female band member.^[18] T-shirts of the DCMC were released in limited supply. The design displays the DCMC's logo, with "Cool is Hot" and "Hot is Cool" written below. It also has "MOTHER3 WORLD TOUR STAFF" at the bottom.^[19]

Dragos

Dragos are a herbivorous species that reside on Nowhere Islands. They are generally very peaceful and are shown in the beginning of the game to love being rammed into, Lucas and Claus play with them early in the game, but after the Pigmasks set fire to the forest, the father Drago is mechanically altered into a "Mecha-Drago", killing the boys' mother, Hinawa, and ultimately being nearly killed in a battle with their father, Flint, who decided to spare him on behalf of his children. The mother Drago returns in chapter 3 to help Kumatora, Salsa, and Wess when they are cornered by the Pigmasks. She can be later seen captured and frozen in the cold storage room of the Chimera Lab.

Magypsies

The Magypsies (マジプシー, Majipushi^?) are a group of people who live for more than 10,000 years^[10] and lack a gender, featuring both female and male qualities. The Magypsies include Aeolia (エオリア, Eoria^?), Doria (ドリア^?), Lydia (リディア Ridia^?), Phrygia (フリギア, Furigia^?), Mixolydia (ミクソリディア, Mikusoridia^?), Ionia (イオニア, Ionia^?), and Locria (ロクリア, Rokuria^?) . All of them are named after the musical modes (Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian, Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian and Locrian). Ionia is the most major of the Magypsies to Mother 3's plot. He is a friend of Alec. Later in the game, they are shown to be pivotal to the plot, revealed to be the guardians of seven needles planted in the body of a large Dragon sleeping under the island many millenniums ago.

Mr. Saturn

Main article: EarthBound (series)#Mr. Saturn

Mole Cricket

The Mole Cricket (オケラ, Okera^?) is a small insect who is introduced early in the game. He and other Mole Crickets often consider themselves to be very tough, but realize that they are not as powerful as they thought.^[1] It appears later, along with many other Mole Crickets, who become vendors that appear throughout Nowhere Islands.^[1]

Reception

Jeff Gerstmann commented that it was hard to get excited for Ness or Lucas, since they have not been seen in the US since the SNES.^[20] Before he was revealed as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, IGN editor Lucas Thomas commented that he hoped that Lucas would be included.^[21] He added that he expected that because Lucas made it into Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he expected Claus to show up in some form as well, perhaps in the form of a collectible item or as an alternate costume for Lucas.^[22] He also stated that the Masked Man's abilities are diverse and interesting enough that he would be a good choice for Super Smash Bros. Brawl.^[23] He also commented that while Lucas and his fellow adventurers meet up with several wacky foes, the Masked Man is one of the most vicious and intimidating.^[23] Nintendo Dream commented in an interview that when they discovered Yokuba's identity as Locria, they were initially shocked, but became saddened.^[9]

In other media

Lucas was featured in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a newcomer playable character.^[24] He has unique physical moves, while his special moves are based on Ness', the protagonist of Mother 3's predecessor.^[24] He was originally going to replace Ness in Super Smash Bros. Melee, but due to the delays and eventual cancellation of EarthBound 64, Masahiro Sakurai decided to keep Ness.^[25] There was debate whether Lucas would replace Ness in Super Smash Bros. Brawl due to the similarity of their movesets and the fact that he was going to replace him in Super Smash Bros. Melee.^[25][26] Ness was eventually confirmed to be playable as well.^[27]

Multiple characters from Mother 3 have appeared Super Smash Bros. Brawl as collectible trophies and stickers, including Lucas and Porky.^[8][28] Mr. Saturn, a recurring species in the series, appeared as an item, and the Ultimate Chimera, one of the antagonists, appears as an obstacle in the stage, New Pork City.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t} Brownie Brown, HAL Laboratory. Mother 3.
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "MOTHER 3 Translation Notes". Starmen.net. http://mother3.fobby.net/notes/. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} "EarthBound 64 Fact Refresher". Starmen.net. http://starmen.net/eb64/refresher.php. Retrieved 2009-02-03. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} "EarthBound 64 Preview". IGN. 2000-08-22. http://ign64.ign.com/articles/121/121968p1.html. Retrieved 2009-02-03. 
5. ^ "Weekly Famitsu Magazine". Starmen.net. http://starmen.net/eb64/interviews/2.php. Retrieved 2009-02-06. 
6. ^ "Exclusive Review (Part 2, Page 4)". Starmen.net. http://mother3.fobby.net/interview/m3int_10.html. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
7. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} "Exclusive Review (Part 1, page 2)". Starmen.net. http://mother3.fobby.net/interview/m3int_04.html. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
8. ^ ^{a b} "All Stickers". Smash Bros. DOJO!!. 2008-04-09. http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/gamemode/various/various37_list.html. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
9. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o} "Exclusive Review (Part 1, Page 6)". Starmen.net. http://mother3.fobby.net/interview/m3int_06.html. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
10. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Exclusive Review (Part 1, page 3)". Starmen.net. http://mother3.fobby.net/interview/m3int_02.html. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
11. ^ "Mole Cricket". Encyclopaedia Britannica. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/388077/mole-cricket. Retrieved 2009-01-23. 
12. ^ "Exclusive Itoi Interview (Part Two, Page Seven)". Nintendo Dream. http://mother3.fobby.net/interview/m3int_07.html. Retrieved 2009-02-06. 
13. ^ "Kuma Phone teddy bear from Willcom". CScout Japan. 2008-08-30. http://www.cscoutjapan.com/en/index.php/kuma-phone-teddy-bear-from-willcom/. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
14. ^ "TORA". Babylon.com. http://www.babylon.com/definition/TORA/English. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
15. ^ Brownie Brown, HAL Laboratory. Mother 3. Level/area: Chapter 2: Thief Adventure. "A strong, wise, and rather masculine girl."
16. ^ "Mother 3 Fan Translation ReadMe". Starmen.net. http://mother3.fobby.net/or/. Retrieved 2009-01-23. 
17. ^ "Mama's boys: the epic story of the Mother 3 fan translation". Ars Technica. 2008-10-28. http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/10/28/no-edits-junk-test. Retrieved 2009-01-25. 
18. ^ ^{a b} . Nintendo Power. Nintendo of America. pp. 52 
19. ^ "Treasure house". Treasure house. http://www.t3.rim.or.jp/~pokemon/takarabako/treasure.html. Retrieved 2009-02-03. 
20. ^ "Super Smash Bros. Brawl". Giant Bomb. http://www.giantbomb.com/super-smash-bros-brawl/61-20588/reviews/. Retrieved 2009-01-21. 
21. ^ "Smash It Up! - Volume 4". IGN. 2007-08-07. http://wii.ign.com/articles/810/810757p1.html. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
22. ^ "Smash It Up! - Delayed Again?!". 2008-01-18. http://wii.ign.com/articles/846/846426p1.html. Retrieved 2009-01-21. 
23. ^ ^{a b} "Smash It Up! The "Leaked" List". IGN. 2008-01-25. http://wii.ign.com/articles/847/847708p1.html. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
24. ^ ^{a b} "Lucas". Smash Bros. DOJO!!. 2007-10-01. http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/characters/lucas.html. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
25. ^ ^{a b} "Super Smash Bros. Melee". Nintendo.co.jp. 2001-07-17. http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n01/n64/software/nus_p_nalj/smash/flash/0717/index.html. Retrieved 2009-01-19. 
26. ^ "Newcomers: Lucas". IGN. http://wii.ign.com/articles/809/809868p11.html. Retrieved 2009-01-21. 
27. ^ "Ness". IGN. 2008-02-01. http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/characters/hidden01.html. Retrieved 2009-01-21. 
28. ^ "All Trophies". Smash Bros. DOJO!!. 2008-04-08. http://www.smashbros.com/en_us/gamemode/various/various36.html. Retrieved 2009-01-20.