Lakitu

Lakitu
Lakitu in Super Mario Kart.
Information
First Appearance	Super Mario Kart (1992)
Latest Appearance	Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit (2020)
Total Appearances	Super Mario Kart Mario Kart 64 Mario Kart: Super Circuit Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Mario Kart DS Mario Kart Wii Mario Kart 7 Mario Kart 8 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Mario Kart Tour Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
Weight Class(es)	Feather (MK7) Light (MK8)

Lakitu is the referee that has appeared in every Mario Kart game since the series inception. In the instruction guide for Super Mario Kart, Lakitu introduced players to the world of Mario Kart, showing them different features of the game.

Lakitu has a kind soul, and in the races, Lakitu will perform a whole lot of helpful duties; most importantly, he will start the race or battle by using his Start Signal. If the player is driving in the wrong direction, he will appear holding a "Wrong Way" or a U-Turn sign until he/she turns around. After crossing the finish line, he will appear to indicate the lap the player is on with his lap sign (appearing on the left or right side of the player since Mario Kart: Double Dash!!) or wave a checkered flag to indicate the race is finished. And, of course, if the player falls off the track or goes out of bounds, he will use his fishing pole to get them back onto the track. In Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Mario Kart 7, and Mario Kart 8, Lakitu charged the player Coins to drop them back onto the track.

If the player taps the Acceleration button just as they hit the ground after Lakitu drops them onto the track, they perform a recovery boost.

In the last two games, Lakitu has managed to become a playable racer as well (three times if you count Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.)

Characteristics

Lakitu, just being a friendly Koopa like he always is (well, at least in Mario Kart).

Lakitu is a Koopa who floats in a cloud. That cloud is really the only thing that sets him apart from a normal Koopa Troopa. He is a little bit chubbier than a regular Koopa, but he is still a yellow shade. He lacks shoes like the other Koopas, but it's okay because most of the time he is in a cloud, so you can't see his feet. He has three black strands of hair on his head. When he is a referee in Mario Kart, his shell is green, but when he is a driver, he has a red shell. It's all about moderation, you know.

In other Mario games, Lakitu just has regular goggles, but in Mario Kart, a headset is attached to his goggles. That way, he can talk to other Koopas if he gets bored of the race. And instead of dropping deadly Spiny Shells onto the track to damage you, he gets a cool starter light and a fishing pole that helps you out of a deep, dark pit. So be thankful.

And then there's his Cloud, Lakitu's cloud is white and fluffy, and is always smiling because that's just his demeanor. That Cloud can smile all day.

Mario Kart 7

Mario Kart 7 is the first time that Lakitu is made available as a racer. As in all other Mario Kart games, he resembles a turtle on a cloud. His stats match those of Toad, Koopa Troopa, and Shy Guy, which makes him a featherweight racer. He is the staff ghost racer for Piranha Plant Slide and SNES Rainbow Road and is the most common CPU along with Toad.

Mario Kart 8/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

The red-shelled Lakitu racer returns in Mario Kart 8 as well as the green-shelled referee. His stats match those of Toad, Koopa Troopa, Shy Guy, Toadette, Larry, and Wendy. He is the staff ghost racer for SNES Donut Plains 3.

Mario Kart Tour

The red-shelled Lakitu returns as in Mario Kart Tour. He was added as a playable character during the Tokyo Tour, with the Triple Green Shells as his special item, which is shared with other drivers including Iggy, Koopa Troopa, and Dry Bones.

Staff Ghosts

• Piranha Plant Slide (3DS)
• SNES Rainbow Road (3DS*)
• Donut Plains 3 (Wii U*,Switch)
• Dragon Driftway (Wii U, Switch)

*Retro Track

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Lakitu.