In late July 2025, Nintendo issued a definitive statement via their Nintendo Today app. The message read: “Princess Peach and Mario are good friends and help each other out whenever they can.”
This marks the first explicit, company‑authorized declaration of the relationship as platonic rather than romantic.
Although brief, the statement carries weight: for over 40 years Nintendo has avoided labeling their bond as romantic, and this clarification cements current canon.
Nintendo Prefers Ambiguity
For decades, Nintendo has deliberately maintained vagueness around Mario and Peach’s personal connection.
The company rarely defines their bond beyond friendship, allowing wide audience appeal and future narrative flexibility. A confirmed relationship or marriage could constrain storylines.
Nintendo preferred to let players project their own interpretations onto the characters, while still keeping them accessible.
Teasers Without Commitments in the Game
Over Mario’s long career, fans have pointed to many moments hinting at something more than friendship. In Mario Party 5, Mario and Peach are dubbed the “cutest couple.” Nintendo has occasionally marked Valentine’s Day with romantic imagery of them together.
Moreover, in Super Mario Odyssey (2017), Mario interrupts Bowser’s forced wedding and appears to propose to Peach with a flower. Peach declines and departs in a hot-air balloon—an ambiguous but emotionally charged ending.
Though often rich with symbolic moments (kisses, invitations, shared events), none of these narratives deliver so much as an explicit romantic commitment.
The Rejected Proposal
The culminating scene in Super Mario Odyssey has become the central piece of the debate. After Mario rescues Peach in his wedding attire, he offers a gesture, presumed to be a proposal, but Peach declines.
The event is awkward, emotionally fraught, and ultimately dismissed as comedic by developers.
Fans interpret her reaction as evidence she’s not interested, at least in that moment. Game creators reportedly intended the ending to be funny, not a decisive statement on their relationship.
Fans Reactions
The fan community remains divided. Some embrace a romantic subtext based on decades of symbolic gestures, while others see Peach’s Odyssey reaction as definitive rejection.
On social media, comments range from “just very close friends” to speculation that Nintendo is simply maintaining the status quo.
While many fans believe mutual affection exists, they acknowledge that Nintendo has historically avoided confirming any formal romance.
Why Nintendo Is Not Pursuing Romance
Former series director Miyamoto openly expressed resistance to overly complex storylines in Mario titles. He prioritized light, gameplay‑driven experiences over deep romance arcs.
Developer Yoshiaki Koizumi, in contrast, pushed for more narrative. But Nintendo’s overarching philosophy has kept Mario–Peach stories simple and open‑ended.
Additionally, marrying the characters officially was reportedly considered, and ultimately rejected, because of fears it might limit the franchise’s longevity. Confirmed romance might close future storytelling doors.
It’s Okay to Feel Bad for Mario
Mario’s dedication to Peach spans decades of heroic rescues and shared adventures. Peach has responded with gratitude, kisses, and invitations. But Nintendo's message underscores that none of that constitutes a declared romantic partnership.
Fans may read into the unspoken affection, but Nintendo has signaled a clear boundary: their current canonical status is friendship, not lovers. That doesn’t eliminate the possibility of evolving stories, but it grounds their relationship as platonic, for now.
