Luigi and Waluigi‘s Big Crushes on Princess Daisy

As a long-time Mario superfan and gaming analyst, I can definitively say that Luigi and Waluigi have major crushes on the lovely Princess Daisy within established Mario canon.

Luigi‘s Long-Standing Crush

Luigi‘s crush on Daisy can be traced back decades, with one of the earliest hints appearing in NES Open Tournament Golf released in 1991, where Daisy takes on the role of Luigi‘s caddy. This suggests an early closeness between the two characters.

Jumping ahead to the 1993 live-action Mario film, Daisy, played by Samantha Mathis, is set up as a clear love interest for Luigi. While non-canonical, it demonstrates that Nintendo was comfortable portraying Daisy and Luigi together.

In recent years, various Mario spin-offs like the party and sports games have paired Daisy and Luigi as a set team or on doubles. Let‘s analyze some of the specific evidence pointing to Luigi‘s apparent deeper feelings for Daisy:

Cheesy Team Names Hint at Romance

In Mario Party 4 and Mario Party 5 manuals, Daisy and Luigi have the team name "Steady Sweeties" – an undoubtedly romantic moniker that implies they are in a stable, affectionate partnership. Pretty cheesy stuff that suggests Luigi has it bad for the Sarasaland princess!

Rare Show of Emotion from Shy Luigi

We know Luigi tends to be overshadowed by his more heroic brother and struggles with self-confidence issues at times. So I have to imagine that Daisy holds a truly special place in his heart for the usually timid Luigi to openly pursue a romantic relationship in multiple games.

When he‘s paired with Daisy, you see a rare look of joy and comfort on Luigi‘s face as some of his normal anxiety melts away. It‘s clear that Daisy provides emotional support that can help Luigi overcome his inhibitions.

The Rivalry with Waluigi

Ah yes…Waluigi. Luigi‘s lanky arch-rival who we‘ll get to in a bit. The fact that the Mario Party 4 manual calls out both Luigi and Waluigi having crushes on Daisy signals there is likely some jealousy or competition going on here.

And given Waluigi‘s more aggressive personality, you have to wonder if he actively tries interfering with Luigi‘s chances to court the lovely Daisy! I‘d speculate that Waluigi takes some satisfaction in getting under Luigi‘s skin and making romantic pursuit tougher for him.

So there are decades worth of subtle clues pointing toward Luigi‘s crush on Daisy, even if he is too timid to act on it outright most of the time. Next let‘s examine…

Waluigi‘s Outwardly Obvious Affection

Waluigi has far less history and backstory from Nintendo compared to core characters like the Mario Bros. and Princess Peach. But from his debut appearance in Mario Tennis (2000) for the Nintendo 64, circumstantial evidence suggests Waluigi likely has stronger feelings for Daisy than Luigi.

The Showboating Makes Sense

Part of Waluigi‘s core character involves showboating, self-aggrandizing behavior and openly gloating in arrogantly confident fashion. So while Luigi rarely musters the courage to fully ask Daisy out, Waluigi is likely to be loudly professing his affection to anyone within earshot!

You could imagine him going way over the top in trying to impress her – flexing muscles, bringing flowers and chocolate, pulling off impressive dance moves, etc. And failing miserably more often than not!

The Motive to Interfere

Waluigi loves messing with the Mario Bros. and putting barriers between them and happiness out of jealousy for their success and popularity. So naturally Waluigi probably takes great satisfaction in actively interfering with Luigi‘s chances to get closer to Princess Daisy as well!

I can totally picture Waluigi butting in on what looks like a private conversation between Luigi and Daisy. He‘d likely butt in front and center with some wild exaggeration of his own "heroic accomplishments" to distract her attention away from Luigi.

Layered Psychology Behind Waluigi‘s Attraction

There may also be some deeper psychological motives behind Waluigi‘s strong attraction toward‘s Daisy beyond just a surface-level crush. As Nintendo characters go, both Waluigi and Daisy are sort of "outcasts" who lack the popularity and historical legacy of video game icons like the Mario brothers and Princess Peach.

So at a deeper level, I believe Waluigi likely feels he relates more to Daisy‘s secondary status character-wise, making him gravitate toward her over most of the other female Nintendo characters. Daisy is far more likely to give Waluigi the time of day compared to say Princess Peach who mostly ignores him.

This common "outsider" status – combined with Waluigi‘s severe narcissism causing him to believe he deserves the top spot – adds emotional layers to why his feelings for Daisy may burn hotter than any other potential love interest.

What Are Daisy‘s Feelings in All This?

So while Luigi and Waluigi‘s affections for Princess Daisy are rather clearly established in canon sources, the big unanswered question remains – how exactly does Daisy feel about her two green-clad admirers? Unfortunately Nintendo has yet to canonically weigh in here, but as a speculation-loving superfan, I have a few theories to analyze!

Does Daisy Have Feelings for Mario Too?

A volume of the manga series Super Mario-Kun shows Daisy appearing jealous of Peach getting to team up with Mario on an adventure. This rare moment suggests Daisy may also harbor some affection for the famous red-capped plumber rather than just his green-hued brother.

Personally, I doubt Daisy has genuine romantic feelings toward Mario though as he‘s always been strictly paired with Peach in canon. More likely is that Daisy wishes for some more time in the actual Super Mario games rather than being relegated to spin-off appearances.

But Luigi has to feel a bit concerned if Daisy shows even hints of interest in his far more acclaimed sibling rather than him! Even if Mario remains fully loyal to Peach, any potential "threat" like that has to sting Luigi‘s chances.

A Shared History Strengthens Luigi‘s Case

As mentioned earlier, hints of Luigi and Daisy‘s chemistry stretch back decades in Mario franchise history far more than Waluigi who is a more recent addition. And frankly, Waluigi can be rather grating with his arrogance rather than charming.

So if Daisy had genuine feelings for either admirer, I believe Luigi would have the advantage given their shared history and his less overtly abrasive personality compared to self-absorbed Waluigi. That said, Daisy does seem to maintain an affable friendship with Waluigi in various Mario sports games at least.

The flirtatious Daisy may enjoy the fawning attention and find Waluigi‘s overconfidence comical…but likely in a "just friends" way. At the end of the day, Luigi seems the better partner choice for a serious relationship.

Or Could Daisy Play Coy and Choose Neither Suitor?

Given Princess Daisy‘s distinctly fiery, spirited personality however, she may enjoy subtly stringing both Luigi and Waluigi along without fully committing to either!

By maintaining that tension of hope for these eager suitors, she retains maximum control over both their emotions and the joy of receiving their never-ending affection and praise. This would allow her avoid being "tied down" in a committed relationship while continuing to indulge her flirtatious ways!

Only time will tell whether Daisy ultimately reciprocates the feelings of lovestruck Luigi, completely shuts down the deluded Waluigi…or strings both hapless suitors along indefinitely for her own amusement!

No matter the eventual outcome, as a gaming analyst and Mario super-fan, I‘ll be eagerly awaiting any new Nintendo canon details around this spicy love triangle for years to come! It‘s just one juicy piece of ongoing drama helping to flesh out personalities and backstories for oft-overlooked characters like Luigi, Waluigi and the radiant Princess Daisy herself.