Super Mario Odyssey Fan Theories

New Donk City is one of the highlights of Super Mario Odyssey, and not just because it celebrates more than three decades of Mario history with its musical and visual homages to the earlier installments in the series. According to a Reddit fan theory, the reason the city is so nostalgic for Mario's previous adventures - especially Donkey Kong - is that this is actually the Italian plumber's hometown. 

Why does Mario look so different to the other suit-wearing citizens of New Donk City? The answer is simple: after years of hanging out in the Mushroom Kingdom and "consuming magic mushrooms," Mario's body has mutated to look more "cartoony" like the other citizens of the kingdom. If that's not science, what is?

Twitter is a little worried about Mario's ability to control anything or anyone he wants with a magical red cap. In fact, some fans theorize that this ability is actually demonic, which raises many ethical questions about Mario. Should he be able to control people and creatures against their will? And can the possessed remember what they did while under Mario's control? It gets pretty creepy when you think about it...

Here's a spooky theory: Mario has been dead throughout the events of Super Mario Odyssey. It's not hard to believe that the game is Mario's death fantasy, considering just how weird the premise is from the very beginning. After being ambushed by Bowser on an airship, Mario seemingly falls to his death, only to find himself on a strange black and white (hairy?) world populated by ghosts wearing hats (essentially what Cappy is), which give the hero's new surroundings a distinctly supernatural feel. 

From there, Mario's adventure truly begins, as he explores many strange worlds, including many nostalgic ones that look back at his past adventures. Might this be Mario's life flashing before his eyes? This would certainly explain why New Donk City is reminiscent of his first adventure in Donkey Kong...

Okay, Super Mario is about to jump into Braid territory. What if Peach has actually left Mario for Bowser countless times and the Italian plumber has become a stalker determined to get her back? According to this Reddit theory, the only time Bowser actually kidnapped Peach was in the original Super Mario Bros. 

Peach decided to be with Mario after he rescued her, but things didn't work out between the two, which is why she decided to hang with Bowser again. This drove Mario crazy, making him believe that the only reason Peach would leave him for Bowser is that the "villain" kidnapped her again.

In Super Mario Odyssey, Bowser hasn't kidnapped Peach to get married. They actually mean to marry, but then Mario crashes the party. Of course, this is all assuming Peach has been in a relationship with either of them at all. 

To take the Mario, Peach, and Bowser love triangle theory a bit further, one Reddit theory suggests that the three characters are in a polyamorous relationship and that the kidnap-and-rescue scenario is just part of their dominant/submissive foreplay. This explains why Bowser thought Peach was Bowser Jr.'s mom in Super Mario Sunshine, as well as why he loves to lock the princess in a cage when he captures her. This also explains why Peach is always unharmed during her kidnappings. It's just part of their kinky game. When Mario rescues her, it resets the game. It's why Super Mario Odyssey revolves around a "forced" marriage in which by Bowser and Mario vy for her hand in marriage.

Why does New Donk City feel like a recreation/homage to Donkey Kong, Mario's very first adventure? And why is Pauline, the damsel-in-distress of that first adventure, the mayor of New Donk City in Super Mario Odyssey? The answer is simple, according to this theory created by Rice Digital: the latest Mario game is actually a prequel to Donkey Kong. The big ape villain kidnaps Pauline specifically because she's the mayor of New Donk City. The different areas of this nostalgic city are actually foreshadowing the events of Mario's earliest adventure.