What type of animal is Yoshi?

Yoshi has been cast in Mario’s shadow for too long. His trusty mount deserves to be seen as the real hero of the Mushroom Kingdom. Where would Mario be without Yoshi to carry him through the most dangerous levels? Yoshi even had an entire game where he had to protect baby Mario from enemies while dealing with ear-piercing cries.

And what thanks does he get? Being used as a double-jump to clear gaps and left to fall into the abyss, that’s what.

Yoshi is both an individual and a race with many colors, but the one we all know and love is the original green version. He got his name because, a lot like a Pokémon, that’s the only word he can say.

When we first found him on the SNES in 1990’s Super Mario World, it was a little hard to tell exactly what he was meant to be — but Yoshi is indeed a very distinct animal.