Mario is the Oldest Brother – Examining the History, Rivalries & Relationships of the Iconic Plumbers

As any gaming fan knows, Mario made his debut first – appearing as "Jumpman" in the original 1981 Donkey Kong arcade game, followed by Luigi, and later Wario as his childhood rival in 1992‘s Super Mario Land 2. So Mario is indeed the oldest brother, with Luigi as his slightly younger twin and Wario as an envious counterpart from their youth.

But beyond order of appearance, there are deeper insights around the history and evolving prominence of each plumber across the ever-growing Mario gaming franchise. Let‘s examine their backstories, relationships, and characterizations more closely.

Mario and Luigi – Inseparable Brothers Boarding Together

While some may debate who arrived first in the Mushroom Kingdom pipe system, most accounts point to Mario and Luigi boarding together as modest plumbers from Brooklyn. But Mario secured his hero role immediately in rescuing Pauline from the rageful Donkey Kong in 1981‘s arcade namesake.

This thrust him into the spotlight and set Mario‘s courageous leadership persona in motion compared to Luigi playing second fiddle. Their fraternal yet asymmetrical twin dynamic was thus born – adoring, inseparable brothers sharing many adventures but with Mario naturally in the protagonist role across most main franchise titles.

Nintendo designer Shigeru Miyamoto cites pragmatism here – often dressing Mario in bright colors for visibility against backgrounds, pushing his bolder personality to guide gameplay and narrative.

But what about Luigi‘s long-standing secondary status given their twin billing? Well, some strong hints indicate Luigi is just mildly younger. His lanky frame, cowardly quivers behind Mario and inept performances early on pointed to a certain "player two" junior role.

His moveset in the iconic Super Mario Bros. also differed slightly – unable to jump as high or traverse water as well as Mario. This further painted his auxiliary position despite the fraternal love and loyalty between them.

Of course, Luigi has starred in his own adventure trilogy and evolved greatly from a shivering green coward into "The Eternal Understudy" – endearing fans even more with his reluctant charm, fiery feats at times, and that same enduring devotion to Mario. Their dynamics have certainly shifted across games and media but the twin brothers remain forever linked by admiration, experience and identifiers like the shared "M" crest as part of their very look and name.

Wario – Schemer from Childhood with a Grudge

And what about the third wheel here – Wario? Well, descriptors like jealous, scheming and greedy have followed this anti-hero since his first Rocky-like emergence in the Mario Land sequel seeking to reclaim a castle he felt was rightfully his. Rather than true villain, Wario was ultimately more of a wacky frenemy motivated by envy and ongoing grudges.

Childhood memories frame Wario‘s ambitions after all. Creator Miyamoto describes him as "Mario‘s neighbourhood bully" from youth who grew perturbed by Mario‘s fame, fortune and castle acquisition over the years. Every athletic or karting competition with the Mario Bros duo stoked those flames along with his rotund body shape belying surprising speed and strength.

But Wario should not be defined solely in Mario‘s shadow – a key distinction being he holds no royal ties to Princess Peach‘s land nor qualms about his crude behaviour. Multiple successful WarioWare, Inc. minigame spinoffs and treasure-hunting adventures over the decades have cemented Wario‘s importance all his own – just with that origin-based kinship and resentment lingering. Youthful peers they remain.

Differences, Duration and Debates

Digging deeper into their appearances, capabilities and place in Mario history reveals a good amount about each brotherly character – painting a picture that‘s certainly evolved over 40 years especially as greater complexity entered franchise lore across games, cartoons and movies.

Some debates linger among fans: Like does Wario‘s debut long after Luigi in 1992 support him being the youngest? Was Wario originally envisioned as Mario‘s cousin or childhood friend before the bully angle officially stuck? And is Waluigi believed to be Luigi‘s cousin then or Wario‘s younger brother?

Fan theories or not, Mario, Luigi and Wario make up a core triangle of Nintendo icons enveloping contrasting personalities, fluctuating dynamics yet shared identities built from (mostly!) friendly rivalries stemming back to misadventures together as youngsters stumbling through the earliest chapters of mushroom land history.

That sense of connection – whether through brotherly bonds or boyhood grudges warped over time – surely bolsters their staying power as much as unique traits, roles and design. There‘s an inseparable magnetism binding their paths even when crossing as allies or adversaries throughout the ever-growing realm first traversed hand-in-hand as two mustachioed Italian-American kids from Brooklyn.

So who‘s your favorite between Mario, Luigi and Wario? I have a soft spot for the underdog green legend but respect Wario‘s schemes and penchant for mayhem. Let me know in the comments along with your best memories or wild theory involving the trio!