
Almost ten years have passed, and now Mario Kart has made its highly anticipated comeback on the Switch 2 with a brand-new adventure titled Mario Kart World. This release marks the series’ inaugural foray into an open-world environment, offering a fresh experience for racing enthusiasts. As always, Nintendo revives iconic characters, with Mario leading the pack, and this time, the character roster is more extensive than ever before.
Players can race using various unique characters like the Penguins from Super Mario 64, Chargin’ Chucks from Super Mario World, and even the beloved cows from Moo Moo Meadows. This diverse selection is just a sneak peek into the extensive options available. In this guide, we’ll delve into how to unlock all characters in Mario Kart World.
Unlocking Characters in Mario Kart World
Mario Kart World features an exciting array of characters, including both human and anthropomorphic racers. However, unlocking every character can be a challenge!
Firstly, a new character becomes available each time you complete a Grand Prix, regardless of your finishing position. Therefore, if you finish a Grand Prix that you haven’t played before, you will unlock one of the following characters:
- Bird
- Bowser Jr.
- Daisy
- Donkey Kong
- King Boo
- Lakitu
- Rosalina
Once you successfully complete all seven Grand Prix at least once, the eighth and final Grand Prix—the Special Cup—will unlock, giving you access to all seven characters listed above. But what about the remaining racers?
To unlock additional characters in Mario Kart World, you will need to experience a Kamek Transformation. Kamek is a distinctive and rare item that can be obtained from the vibrant item blocks scattered across the tracks or during free-roaming sessions.
When activated by you or another player, Kamek will hover around the course, briefly changing players into different characters for a fun twist. If you’re fortunate, you might transform into a character that you have yet to unlock, such as Coin Coffer, Dolphin, or Cataquack, and that transformation will permanently grant you access to that character.
In essence, to unlock the majority of characters in Mario Kart World, you simply need to participate in races and hope that either you or another racer receives the Kamek item.

Complete Character Roster in Mario Kart World
To assist you in tracking which characters you still need to unlock in Mario Kart World, here’s a comprehensive list along with their unlocking methods:
Character | How to Unlock | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|
Mario | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Luigi | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Wario | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Waluigi | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Peach | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Yoshi | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Bowser | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Toad | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Toadette | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Cave Troop | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Baby Mario | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Baby Luigi | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Baby Peach | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Baby Daisy | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Baby Rosalina | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Shy Guy | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Pauline | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Rosalina | Finish the Star Cup Grand Prix | No |
Daisy | Finish the Flower Cup Grand Prix | No |
Bowser Jr | Finish the Lightning Cup Grand Prix | No |
King Boo | Finish the Leaf Cup Grand Prix | No |
Bird | Finish the Banana Cup Grand Prix | No |
Lakitu | Finish the Shell Cup Grand Prix | No |
Donkey Kong | Finish the Mushroom Cup Grand Prix | No |
Piranha Plant | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Goomba | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Penguin | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Cow | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Cheep Cheep | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Dry Bones | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Wiggler | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Stingby | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Hammer Bridge | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Snowman | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Nabbit | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Monty Mole | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Side steps | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Para-Biddybud | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Pokey | Unlocked by default | Yes |
Coin Coffer | Unlocked by Kamek Transformation | No |
Cataquack | Unlocked by Kamek Transformation | No |
Spikey | Unlocked by Kamek Transformation | No |
Plant | Unlocked by Kamek Transformation | No |
Swoop | Unlocked by Kamek Transformation | No |
Peep | Unlocked by Kamek Transformation | No |
Fish Bone | Unlocked by Kamek Transformation | No |
Dolphin | Unlocked by Kamek Transformation | No |
Rocky Wrench | Unlocked by Kamek Transformation | No |
Conkodor | Unlocked by Kamek Transformation | No |
Chargin’ Chuck | Unlocked by Kamek Transformation | No |
For further insights into Mario Kart World, be sure to explore our detailed guide on unlocking all vehicles within the game.
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