| “ | I sit here and look out of this window at the evening sky, worn out at the end of every day... wishing I could go to some faraway place. But I understand the reality. I'm in Bowser's army for life, so I'll just have to give up on my dreams... Mario, I'll probably be ordered to attack you someday. And it'll be Bad Guy versus Good Guy. There's no point in lying to ourselves. | „ |
| ~ The Red Shy Guy's monologue on the Sunset Express. |
| “ | Seems like all these people have their own troubles, you know? Maybe you should take some time to chat with them? Bad guys are people too. | „ |
| ~ Toad #42 of the Rescue Squad, urging Mario to listen to some of the troops. |
The Red Shy Guy is a minor antagonist from the 2016 role-playing game Paper Mario: Color Splash, the fifth installment in the Paper Mario series.
They are a lowly Shy Guy stuck working in the Koopa Troop for life. While unremarkable at first glance, sitting with them and listening to their story helps give a bit of insight on the mindset of the common soldiers found in the franchise.
Appearance
The Red Shy Guy is, as the name implies, a Shy Guy. They wear a red robe tied by a brown belt with a yellow buckle, blue shoes with brown soles, and a white mask in a permanent poker face, held to their head by a brown band. As red is the default color for Shy Guys, and since what lies beneath the mask of all Shy Guys is left unknown, there is virtually nothing setting them apart from the rest of their species.
Personality
From what can be seen given the short amount of time they're seen for, the Red Shy Guy is a rather calm individual. They used to be more hopeful and ambitious in the past, but as a realist, they have since long given up their dreams. Now, they only want the higher ups to give just a little bit of recognition for the hard work countless lackeys put in every day, both for themselves and for everyone else like them.
The Red Shy Guy has nothing really against Mario, it's just in their job that they have to oppose him. They're rather cordial with their interactions with him, and they're rather calm with their own apparent demise, content with the cause being a battle against the heroic plumber.
Biography
The Red Shy Guy can first be encountered on the Sunset Express, home to the second-to-last Big Paint Star and Larry Koopa's domain. As Mario storms through the train's many cars to get to its engine, he finds a room chalk full of minions, as well as Toad #42 of the Rescue Squad. Once Mario tries to get the Toad to regroup, whether on an initial visit or to open up Emerald Circus, the Toad will actually encourage Mario to talk to some of Bowser's army before leaving.
After the Toad leaves, the Shy Guy that they were talking with suddenly asks Mario to sit with them and listen to their tale. While most of the details of their life are unknown, it's clear that this Shy Guy is just an ordinary member among the ranks, possibly having played a part in the mess at both Toad Trainworks and Tangerino Grill given their wording.
As they stare out the window, the Red Shy Guy goes over their old aspirations and dreams, to someday escape to lands far beyond from where they stand, ideas that will never come to be due to their status as nothing more than a minion for life. Afterwards, they thank Mario for listening to their spiel and warns that someday the two may become enemies on the battlefield. Afterwards, Mario is free to run off and continue whatever it is he was doing.
If Mario talks to the Red Shy Guy, they can be encountered at Mossrock Theater, swinging on a trapeze in Mario's path. If Mario takes the time to battle this Shy Guy, they will reintroduce themselves after the fight, their words from before now becoming a reality. Seemingly content with going out fighting Mario, their color is drained and they vanish.
Given Red Shy Guy's wording after defeat, it's heavily implied that, at least in this instance, Mario really did take the life of a common soldier, and they didn't just run off after they lost the battle.
Quotes
| “ | You've come all this way. Won't you sit down and rest for a while? | „ |
| ~ The Red Shy Guy asking Mario to sit with them. |
| “ | Mario, please lend me your ear for just a moment. Don't you ever wish that you could escape from the hardships of your everyday life? Take us, for example. Out of nowhere and with no notice, we're ordered to attack the trainworks. Or attack the kitchen. No rhyme or reason! Mario, every obstacle you've experienced has been the result of our hard and thankless work. I hope the guys upstairs realize how much we actually do. Maybe next time, I'll just give them a straw and tell them to get to work! | „ |
| ~ The first part of the Red Shy Guy's monologue at Sunset Express. |
| “ | Thanks for listening, Mario. I'm sure we'll meet again... maybe as enemies. | „ |
| ~ The Red Shy Guy after their speech. |
| “ | Mario... It's me, remember? You listened to my story that time on the Sunset Express. If it had to happen this way, I'm glad it was you... | „ |
| ~ The Red Shy Guy after being defeated in Mossrock Theater. |
External Links
- Red Shy Guy on the Super Mario Wiki
