Guide: Full List Of Mario Kart World Playable Characters And How To Unlock Them
Mario Kart World is set to feature one of the largest rosters of playable characters in the Mario Kart series.
There are two different categories of characters – main characters and obstacle characters. In this guide, we will introduce every single character that has been confirmed for the game, as well as ways of unlocking them.
Main characters

Main characters are playable characters that you can select from start of the game or unlock through some other means, such as beating Grand Prix cups (with the exception of getting hit by a Kamek item during a race).
The biggest sign that a playable character is a main character is the ability to unlock new outfits when eating Dash Food at a Yoshi’s outpost.
At the time of writing, 24 main characters have been confirmed for the game. While most characters are playable from the start of the game, some have to be unlocked by beating cups in Grand Prix.
| Name | Unlock Criteria |
|---|---|
| Mario | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Luigi | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Peach | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Bowser | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Donkey Kong | Beat the Mushroom Cup in Grand Prix |
| Toad | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Yoshi | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Daisy | Beat the Flower Cup in Grand Prix |
| Rosalina | Beat the Star Cup in Grand Prix |
| Wario | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Waluigi | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Toadette | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Pauline | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Bowser Jr. | Beat the Lighting Cup in Grand Prix |
| Koopa Troopa | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Shy Guy | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Lakitu | Beat the Shell Cup in Grand Prix |
| Birdo | Beat the Banana Cup in Grand Prix |
| King Boo | Beat the Leaf Cup in Grand Prix |
| Baby Mario | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Baby Luigi | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Baby Peach | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Baby Daisy | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Baby Rosalina | Unlocked from the beginning |
Obstacle characters

Obstacle characters are a new type of playable characters in the Mario Kart series. The characters in this category usually appear in Mario Kart courses as obstacles, and now for the first time, you can race as them.
Some obstacle characters can be played from the start of the game, and to unlock more obstacle characters you have o get hit by a Kamek item during the race. If you get hit by Kamek’s spell, your racer will temporarily transform into a random obstacle character. You will unlock the ability to play as this obstacle character if it’s new to your roster.
The easiest way to get hit by a Kamek item is by staying in first place. The item is usually given to players further away from you. Please note that you cannot get hit by Kamek’s spell if you use the item.
Keep in mind that obstacle characters do not have any additional outfits, so you can’t unlock new outfits for them when you eat Dash Food while playing as one.
At the time of writing, 26 obstacle characters have been confirmed for the game.
| Name | Unlock Criteria |
|---|---|
| Dry Bones | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Piranha Plant | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Wiggler | Get hit by the Kamek item |
| Hammer Bro | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Monty Mole | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Goomba | Get hit by the Kamek item |
| Spike | Get hit by the Kamek item |
| Cheep Cheep | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Para-BiddyBud | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Pokey | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Coin Coffer | Get hit by the Kamek item |
| Chargin' Chuck | Get hit by the Kamek item |
| Nabbit | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Pianta | Get hit by the Kamek item |
| Rocky Wrench | Get hit by the Kamek item |
| Conkdor | Get hit by the Kamek item |
| Stingby | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Swoop | Get hit by the Kamek item |
| Peepa | Get hit by the Kamek item |
| Fish Bone | Get hit by the Kamek item |
| Cataquack | Get hit by the Kamek item |
| Cow | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Penguin | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Sidestepper | Unlocked from the beginning |
| Dolphin | Get hit by the Kamek item |
| Snowman | Unlocked from the beginning |
Conclusion
We hope you found this guide helpful. Don’t forget to check out our other Mario Kart World guides below:
Guide: All You Need To Know About Mario Kart World’s New Items
Guide: Mario Kart World’s Smart Steering, Camera Rotation, And Other Support Features
Guide: How To Collect Coins To Win Races In Mario Kart World
