Unlocking characters — not to be confused with outfits — in Mario Kart World is a daunting task as it has the largest cast ever seen in a Mario Kart game, but the unlocking process tends to change from game to game.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had every character available except for Gold Mario, which was unlocked by getting a gold trophy in every cup in 200cc. In Mario Kart 8, you’d unlock a random character if you got a gold trophy in a Grand Prix for the first time. In previous games, you’d need to complete specific challenges like getting golds in Grand Prix cups and beating time trials.
The character unlock process in Mario Kart World is the most similar to Mario Kart 8 as it’s mostly random, but some characters can be unlocked by completing Grand Prix cups.
Below, we’ve listed how to unlock characters in Mario Kart World.
There are two ways to unlock characters in Mario Kart World — Grand Prix cups and the Kamek item.
Each Grand Prix is associated with a specific unlockable character, and you only need to complete each Grand Prix once to unlock said character. You don’t need to get top three or play on a specific CC — just finish the cup.
Here are the characters you unlock from each Grand Prix:
Every side character in Mario Kart World — aside from the default side characters — is unlocked through the Kamek item. When someone uses the item, Kamek will rush through the center of the track and transform players into a side character. Whichever character you turn into, you’ll unlock — unless you already have said character.
The side character you transform into is influenced by the track you’re racing on. There isn’t a 100% guarantee that you’ll turn into a track’s respective character, but you’ll have greater odds at turning into them.
Below, we’ve listed the side characters and their associated tracks, courtesy of the Super Mario Wiki:
| Side Character | Track(s) |
|---|---|
| Cataquack | Peach Beach |
| Chargin’ Chuck | Acorn Heights, Airship Fortress, Boo Cinema, Choco Mountain, Mario Bros. Circuit, Sky-High Sundae, Starview Peak |
| Coin Coffer | Cheep Cheep Falls, Crown City, Dino Dino Jungle, Peach Stadium, Starview Peak, Wario Stadium |
| Conkdor | Faraway Oasis |
| Dolphin | Koopa Troopa Beach |
| Fish Bone | Dry Bones Burnout, Toad’s Factory |
| Peepa | Boo Cinema |
| Pianta | Airship Fortress, Crown City, Dandelion Depths, DK Spaceport, Dry Bones Burnout, Koopa Troopa Beach, Peach Stadium, Shy Guy Bazaar |
| Rocky Wrench | Airship Fortress, Toad’s Factory |
| Spike | Acorn Heights, Dino Dino Jungle, Peach Beach, Peach Stadium, Starview Peak, Toad’s Factory, Whistlestop Summit |
| Swoop | Dandelion Depths |
After you’ve unlocked your favorite characters, unlock their outfits! Additionally, check out the new techniques — charge jump, wall ride, rail ride, and rewind — to boost your skills.
