Moment Subpages are Spoilers Off. You Have Been Warned.
Super Mario Odyssey may be an exciting globe-trotting adventure, but that doesn't mean there aren't going to be moments where you might need to Capture a box of tissues.
- The fact that the intro shows Mario's iconic hat being destroyed. Good thing Cappy's such a good replacement.
- Before Mario and Cappy become allies, Cappy sees Mario lying there unconscious and starts to worry about him. He doesn't even know the guy yet, but he's concerned for him.
- Also, when Cappy reveals that his sister was taken, Mario looks incredibly concerned for him. It's also a nice change of pace from his always neutral expression in all his previous games.
- Knucklotec's defeat counts as this since he's the only boss in the game not affiliated with Bowser. Because Mario's a Silent Protagonist, he believes Mario took the Binding Band instead of Bowser and is soundly defeated, crumbled and blown to bits. All he wanted was his ring back...
- After Bowser opens fire on the Odyssey and shoots Mario down, Peach can be heard begging him to stop as he leaves.
- Mario then crash-lands into the harsh wilderness of the Lost Kingdom. An art director suggests that Mario may not be coping with the situation as well as he's letting on. Unlike many of the other kingdoms, where the moon is large and prominent in the sky, it is washed out and distant in the Lost Kingdom. The official art book gives some insight on why:
Art Director Rikuto Yoshita: The size of the moon in the sky, so small and far away, hints at Mario's own state of mind, lost in this isolated world. - A minor example, but one of the new enemies introduced in Bowser's Kingdom, the Stairface Ogre, lets out a rather painful-sounding death cry when you defeat it. It's hard not to feel a little bit sad because of it.
- The ending. For context, Peach rejects Bowser and Mario's proposals. Bowser had legitimately been attempting to woo Peach in his own brash and violent way, and even after his wedding plans are foiled, is still offering her a bouquet. Mario had been going up to Peach to propose himself before Bowser shoves him aside, and is forced to try and salvage it with a bouquet of his own. Peach is confused and flustered, and ultimately gives a quiet "Enough!" and heads to the Odyssey with Tiara, but it's softened when she waves to them and asks to go home. The Art of Mario Odyssey claims that this ending was supposed to be lighthearted and funny, but it doesn't come off that way in-game.
- And as Peach begins to leave, Bowser just...weeps silently. He looks well and truly hurt after everything he planned, everything he did, turned out to be for nothing. Mario even tries to comfort him with a pat on the back/shell.
- Not to mention that you can hear Mario sobbing himself, which makes the scene hurt that much more. It's off-putting to hear such a cheerful character completely and utterly crushed by the girl he loves, even if it's just for a moment.
- Even then, it's not hard to feel for Peach as well. She just got through having a wedding forced on her and being dragged around the world and beyond to make trouble for everybody in having it, and while she does care for both Mario and Bowser they still continue to compete for her. It's no wonder she decided to yell at them to stop and get some time to herself.
- Speaking of Peach, before the final boss, there's a huge ring that Bowser and Peach are tugging over, as Peach doesn't want to get married. So they're fighting in front of everybody at the wedding while the organ music plays.
- The song
playing during the escape and in said cutscene makes it worse, as it's a love song, one verse ending with "So let's shoot for the stars and let this love really shine". At this point, bittersweet doesn't even begin to describe the ending.
- When you rematch the Broodals in the Dark Side Of the Moon, you learn from Rango that, through Mario's attempts to stop Bowser, you have most likely put them out of work. Villains or otherwise, you have to feel bad that you've ruined someone's business just because you were too good at stopping them from doing their jobs.Rango: ''Heh, gotta say... The whole time, we were as perfect as perfect gets. Did everything Bowser wanted. Then you mucked it up. No one will hire us now. So, guess what? You're gonna pay—for ALL of it!
- The line that Cappy says before grabbing the Long Journey's End moon.We've come a long way, you and me...
We've seen a bunch of different kingdoms...
I mean, sure, we got shot down and stuff along the way... But think of all those hats!
This trip really was amazing.
Thank you, Mario. It's been an honor walking a mile on your head.- Afterward, a music box version of the Cascade Kingdom music plays, slowing down to a finish as Mario reaches the top of the building to grab the Multi Moon.
- The song is called Lullaby Until the End, which really hits home the feeling that, having completed the game's final challenge, there's no more adventure to be had. Your journey has come to an end.
- When you 100% complete the game, you're awarded with a group photo after the credits, showing Mario properly capped...but it's not Cappy, who is floating separately with Tiara. While it's good for Mario to have his trusty hat back, it seems to mean Cappy and Mario will be parting ways after this adventure together. Eventually downplayed in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which reveals via a taunt that Mario and Cappy would meet again in other games.
- Afterward, a music box version
- When Madame Broode successfully smacks her Chain Chompikins to get Mario out of its body during her boss fights, you can hear it whimpering.
- An easily-missed example: If you fail the second Snowline Circuit race and then de-Capture your Shiverian Racer, he'll say:I knew I wasn't really a natural at racing...
