Starman

Star redirects here. If you were looking for the type of ranking, see Star Rank.

A Starman (also known as a Super Star or simply a Star) is a rare item in the Mario Kart (series) that turns a racer invincible, immune to anything and all items and hazards.

Description

When used, the Starman makes the user invincible to all items and hazards, even granting them the ability to plow through course obstacles and any driver that they come in contact with (if they are not already invulnerable).

Not only does the Starman make the user invincible, it increases their speed by one third (except in both Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart: Super Circuit, where the Star doubles the user's speed) and allows them to go off-road without slowing down. The Star's duration varies depending on the game (most notably around the third loop of the Invincibility theme in the later games).

In games such as Mario Kart DS, Stars can be obtained in specially-placed Item Boxes. Regardless of what place the player is in, they may receive a Star, Triple Mushrooms, a single Mushroom, or a Red Shell. This also applies to the Mario Kart Wii battle stage Chain Chomp Wheel, only with the Red Shell and Triple Mushrooms absent.

The item also serves as the emblem for the Star Cup in all Mario Kart installments thus far.

Trivia!

• If you collide with the boat in D.K.'s Jungle Parkway in Mario Kart 64 while you have a Star, you will still get hit before plunging into the water. This also applies to the Boo item.
  • Colliding with the obstacles can send any obstacles flying or having an abnormal effect. Penguins will be spun out temporarily, delaying the process of getting in the way of racers. Thwomps will be spun out and immediately lifted. Yoshi's giant egg will be temporarily sent flying.
  • Some obstacles will be permanently removed such as Piranha Plants, the giant billboard on Mario Raceway, and trees and bushes on any track (this does not apply to the later games as the obstacles are either sent into the air (pipes, Piranha Plants, etc.) or they respawn).
• This item lasts the longest amount of time in Mario Kart 64 (the effect remains about a second after the flashing stops) and lasts the shortest amount of time in Mario Kart: Super Circuit and Mario Kart Tour (the song barely starts its third repetition).
• In a rare occasion in Mario Kart 64, you may get a Star when you are in 2nd place. This condition only happens if you are having a difficult time catching up to 1st place and need more than just a Red Shell or Spiny Shell to stop them from spreading things out between the rest of the pack.
• They can hit anything out of your way and defend you from anything, even Spiny Shells.
• If you hit a Bullet Bill with a Star, the Bullet Bill will be pushed aside. However, if you hit a Star with a Bullet Bill, the Star will be pushed aside.
• In Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart 7, an item box in DK Pass will always give you a Star, Mushroom, Triple Mushrooms, or a Red Shell.
• In Mario Kart Wii, the Mega Mushroom item tries to emulate the Starman, but it does not protect you from Bullet Bills, Lightning, and Star-powered invincible racers.
  • If you get hit by Lightning while in a Mega Mushroom, you will shrink down to normal size, but if you are in both a Mega Mushroom and Star, you will not be affected.
• The Star is used as the logo for the Star Cup, which is named after the item.
• Although it is rare, when you hit certain leaf piles in Mario Kart Wii or Mario Kart 7 on Maple Treeway, you can get a Star.
• It is also an item in the Super Smash Bros. series, serving a similar function in granting the fighter that picks it up temporary invincibility
• The Starman is a good smuggling item, according to Mario Kart YouTuber, Mankalor.
• If you get hit by another Star while using a Star, it will simply just bump you a little bit (just like if you bump into another player without either of you being in a power item).
• In Mario Kart Tour, this item is activated when getting a Frenzy and lasts much longer than it would naturally in other games, going into the 6th repetition before the Frenzy ends.
• This is one of the few items which appears in every Mario Kart game along with Mushrooms, Bananas, Green Shells, and Red Shells.
• In Mario Kart DS, the driver will do a dance while invincible with Star power. The driver's dance is also her/his winning animation.
• In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a star can be dropped on the ground if a player gets shocked while holding a Crazy 8, allowing for the player who drives on it to gain the star ability.

Gallery

The Starman from Mario Kart 8

The mini star from Mario Kart: Super Circuit.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit design

In MK64.

Official artwork of the Starman from Mario Kart 64

Mario Kart Wii design.

Starman's icon in Mario Kart DS'.

A Starman as seen in Mario Kart 7

Item icon from Mario Kart Wii.

The Starman in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

The classic Starman from SNES's Super Mario Kart.

A Starman as it appears today (Mario Kart Wii).