Zebra
| Zebra | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Screenshot from Mario Kart World | |||
| First appearance | The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 ("7 Continents for 7 Koopas") (1990) | ||
| Latest appearance | Donkey Kong Bananza (2025) | ||
| |||
Zebras are a real-life species of mammals that has appeared multiple times in the Super Mario franchise.
History[edit]
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
In The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "7 Continents for 7 Koopas", a zebra and several other African animals are transformed into stuffed animals by Kooky von Koopa. Luigi eventually steals Kooky's wand and uses it to turn the animals back to normal, which retaliate by chasing after Kooky.
Donkey Kong Country series[edit]
Donkey Kong Country Returns (3D / HD)[edit]
In Donkey Kong Country Returns and its enhanced Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch ports, a zebra ends up being hypnotized by Gong Oh of the Tiki Tak Tribe to steal bananas across Donkey Kong Island. Three other species of animals are also hypnotized by the Tikis, all depicted in the Opening cutscene. In the level Blowhole Bound, it is seen with an elephant and giraffe on a boat in the background. Postbattle, the ending cutscene, has a shot where a zebra stands next to an elephant as both of them are freed from the tribe's hypnosis. The various animals in the opening cutscene share a single piece of concept art in the Image Gallery, titled "Animal Friends".
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[edit]
In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and its Nintendo Switch port, zebra-shaped wooden figures, alongside giraffes, appear in the level Grassland Groove, where the Kongs can use the vines that are attached to hang on them while it moves back and fourth. These zebra-shaped wooden figures are colored blue or pink.
Mario Kart World[edit]
Zebras are found in Mario Kart World at Faraway Oasis and the savanna region surrounding it. They may wander around slowly or run around, and driving into them causes racers to spin out.
Missions[edit]
Zebras are featured in the following missions:
| Image | In-game text | Location | Time limit (seconds) | Description | Sticker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Zigzag through the zebra rush! | Faraway Oasis | 16.00 | The player must drive offroad to reach two ramps leading to a road with zebras running towards the player. Near the goal ring is a line of zebras spanning the width of the road. | 
|
|
|
Collect blue coins around geyser field! | Faraway Oasis | 20.00 | The player must collect eight blue coins by driving around a field of Water Geysers with several animals wandering around. | 
|
Donkey Kong Bananza[edit]
In Donkey Kong Bananza, a species of anthropomorphic zebras appears in the Freezer Layer.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | シマウマ[1] Shimauma |
Zebra | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 斑马[2] Bānmǎ |
Zebra | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 斑馬[3] Bānmǎ |
Zebra | |
| French | Zèbre[4] | Zebra |
References[edit]
- ^ In-game mission from Mario Kart World:「シマウマラッシュ！」("Zebra rush!")
- ^ In-game mission from Mario Kart World:「斑马狂潮！」("Zebra frenzy!")
- ^ In-game mission from Mario Kart World:「斑馬狂潮！」("Zebra frenzy!")
- ^ Mario Kart World in-game mission : "Zigzaguez entre les zèbres !" ("Zigzag between the zebras!") from European French localization. (Archived 6 Jun. 2025 via YouTube by JOSPLAY 2.)
