Editing Mushroom King

{{rewrite-expand|Describe his appearances in official manga|October 16, 2021}}
{{about|the king of the Mushroom Kingdom|the king of [[Dinohattan]] who transformed into a widespread fungus|[[King (film character)]]}} 
{{character infobox
|image=[[File:ValiantComics-KingToadstool.JPG|120px]]<br>The Mushroom King, as he appears in the comics
|full_name=King Toadstool
|species=Human}}
{{quote|Excuse me, everybody! I just closed the peanut butter jar on my tie. Can somebody help me?|Mushroom King|source=[[Cloud Burst]]}}
The '''Mushroom King''' (also referred to as '''King Toadstool''' or just '''Toadstool''' in the ''[[Nintendo Comics System]]'') is a seldomly seen ruler of the [[Mushroom Kingdom]] and the father of [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]]. Although he is said to rule alongside the princess, he is a figure that is absent in the video game series. He does make somewhat notable appearances in other early media such as the ''Nintendo Comics System'', ''[[Nintendo Adventure Books]]'', and the Asian-drawn strategy guide illustrations for ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' He is also [[List of Princess Peach profiles and statistics#Nintendo Character Guide (1993)|mentioned]] on Princess Toadstool's profile in a 1993 character guide produced by [[Nintendo|Nintendo of America]].

==History==
===''Super Mario Bros.''===
In the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] instruction booklet of ''Super Mario Bros.'', the Mushroom King is briefly mentioned in passing.<ref>"''The only one who can undo the magic spell on the Mushroom People and return them to their normal selves is the Princess Toadstool, the daughter of the Mushroom King.''" – ''Super Mario Bros.'' English instruction booklet, page 2.</ref> With few exceptions such as ''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]'',<ref>"''It is said that only the daughter of the Mushroom King, Princess Toadstool, can break the evil spell and return the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom to their normal selves.''" – ''Super Mario Bros. Deluxe'' English instruction booklet, page 2.</ref> this is generally not included in subsequent releases as the Japanese manual does not mention him.<ref>[https://legendsoflocalization.com/super-mario-bros/manuals/ Legends of Localization] comparing the Japanese and North American storylines of ''Super Mario Bros.'' (Retrieved April 30, 2014)</ref> 1987's ''The Official Nintendo Player's Guide'' mentions that he ruled the kingdom with a [[List of implied characters#Princess Toadstool's mother|queen]].<ref>Tatsumi Yamashita, ''The Official Nintendo Player's Guide'', Tokuma Shoten, 1987, ISBN 999832369X. Page 28. "''The Mushroom people were ruled by a good king and queen.''"</ref> Although unmentioned in the games themselves and the Japanese manual for ''Super Mario Bros.'', he was mentioned in the Japanese guidebook ''[[How to win at Super Mario Bros.]]''

===''Hisshō Technique Kan Peki-ban''===
At the end of the ''Super Mario Bros.'' chapter, [[Mario]] takes Princess Peach back home and then departs on his way while the entire kingdom, including the Princess, the King, and the Queen, bids him farewell. The royals are depicted with the same appearance they had in ''How to win at Super Mario Bros.'': The King has a mustache, a goatee, and a Toad-like piece of headgear with the crown on it.

===''Nintendo Comics System''===
[[File:KingToadstoolComics.jpg|thumb|The Mushroom King in the ''Nintendo Comics System'' issue [[Magic Carpet Madness]]]]
In the ''Nintendo Comics System'', the Mushroom King is the de jure leader of the Mushroom Kingdom. However, he is depicted as scatterbrained and dimwitted, so his responsible daughter often performs his royal duties as de facto ruler in his stead. [[Wooster]], the "chief mushroom assistant" and the king's personal subject, is occasionally at odds with him due to his lack of intelligence.

Based on the Mushroom King's role, it is likely that he was based on the [[kings]] from ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' as he plays a similar role in the comic strips (having a [[Magic Wand|magic wand]] that is often taken by [[Bowser]]'s forces and being transformed into various animals). [[Cloud Nine (comic)|One story]] also implies that he is frequently kidnapped by [[Wart]].

===''Nintendo Adventure Books''===
The Mushroom King appears in most of the ''Nintendo Adventure Books'', continued from his depiction in the ''Nintendo Comics System''.

===''Super Mario'' (Kodansha manga)===
The king appears in the ''[[Super Mario Kart]]'' arc of the ''[[Super Mario (Kodansha manga)|Super Mario]]'' manga, which stretches from volumes 15 to 17. After [[Mario]] and [[Luigi]] accidentally break one of his items while on the job, he sponsors a tournament with the winner being made king for a day. Mario ends up winning the cup but has to do a mountain of paperwork for a day.

The king returns in the ''[[Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins]]'' adaptation, specifically in volumes 20 and 21. [[Princess Peach]] calls him with her cell phone, and he comes to pick her and Mario up in his royal submarine, but the submarine gets smashed by a giant hammer held by the [[octopus (boss)|octopus]]. After escaping from a [[whale]], the king joins Mario and friends in their renewed quest to saving [[Mario Land (Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins)|Mario Land]]. Near the end of the arc, [[Wario]]'s dark power influences the king's [[Toad (species)|subjects]] to stage a coup and hijack a missile to destroy [[Mario's castle]] so no one can have it. Upon Wario's defeat, the subjects regain their senses.
{{br|right}}

==Profile==
===''[[Nintendo Comics System]]'' trading card===
''Royal Ruler and father of the kidnappable princess in Mushroomland''

'''''AS''' benevolent (and muddle-minded) leader of the Mushroom people, the King spends most of his time getting transformed into various creatures by his archenemy, King Koopa. That's when he's not busy getting his tie unstuck from the peanut butter jar.''

'''''HOBBIES''': Gardening, running the kingdom, asking nearby friends and enemies to help him run the kingdom.''

==Gallery==
<gallery>
HowToWin.png|''[[How to win at Super Mario Bros.]]''
SMBOriginalStory.jpg|[[Bandai Namco Entertainment|Bandai]]'s ''Super Mario Bros.'' board game artwork (Korean edition)
Toadstool family HTKP.png|''[[Hisshō Technique Kan Peki-ban]]''
KingToadstool coloringbooks.jpg|''[[Super Mario Bros. Paint 'n' Marker Book]]'' (1989)
KC King.jpg|[[Super Mario (Kodansha manga)|Kodansha manga]] (1993)
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{Foreign names
|Ita=Re dei Funghi<ref>''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' Italian manual, pag. 2</ref><ref>''[[Classic NES Series|NES Classic]] [[Super Mario Bros.]]'' European manual; pag. 95</ref><br>Re di Mushroom<ref>''[[Super Mario Bros. Special]]'' European manual, pag. 103</ref>
|ItaM=Mushroom King
}}

==References==
<references/>

{{Humans}}
[[Category:Humans]]
[[Category:Parents]]
[[Category:Kings]]
[[Category:Allies]]
[[Category:Brain Drain characters]]
[[Category:Double Trouble characters]]
[[Category:Leaping Lizards characters]]
[[Category:Monster Mix-Up characters]]
[[Category:Pipe Down! characters]]
[[Category:Unjust Desserts characters]]