Luigi is a character from Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. video game series. He is Mario's timid younger brother who first appeared as a palette swap of him in the 1983 arcade game Mario Bros., but gradually evolved into his own design and personality over time. Although he is a bit on the cowardly side, Luigi is certainly no less heroic than his more famous brother, loyally assisting Mario whenever he can. He usually stars as the second player's character in the 2-dimensional side-scrolling Mario games, but has also accompanied his brother in many other types of games, eventually getting his own starring roles in the Luigi's Mansion games and New Super Luigi U.
Appearances in Christmas specials
Super Mario Bros.
The live-action Mario Bros. with Santa.
Chronologically, the first Christmas production featuring Luigi is "Santa Claus is Coming to Flatbush", the Christmas episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'s live-action segments (which take place before the Mario Bros.' adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom). Because business has been really bad at the time of the events depicted in the episode, the Mario Bros. are so financially poor that Luigi is only able to give his own boots to his brother for Christmas. When a man with a white beard called Nick shows up, saying that his transportation has been stolen and he needs to use their phone, Luigi and Mario bring him in and give him the soup that Luigi was making for dinner. Later, Luigi and Mario give Nick the presents they had planned to give to each other. On Christmas morning, Luigi and Mario find that "Nick" left their presents for each other under their tree, along with a note saying that the police found his transportation, signed "S.C."
In "Koopa Klaus", the Christmas episode of the animated half of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Luigi joins his brother and their friends Princess Peach and Toad on their Christmas vacation to Hawaii Land, but Toad ends up bringing them to the North Pole instead. When they see that Bowser is invading the North Pole and has kidnapped Santa Claus, Luigi helps his brother catapult a block of ice to knock the Koopa King out of his own flying sleigh, and also helps Mario fight off a pack of Flurries that Bowser orders to attack them. At the end of the episode, Santa allows Luigi and the others to ride in his sleigh with him while he's delivering everyone's presents.
Luigi in "The Night Before Cave Christmas".
Luigi has a comparatively minor role in "The Night Before Cave Christmas", the Christmas episode of Super Mario World. Although he thinks that Mario's idea of introducing Christmas to the people of Dome City is a crazy idea (because it is the middle of August), Luigi helps his brother make toys for the children, during which he has to throw out the bratty caveboy Oogtar when he keeps sneaking into their workshop.
Other Christmas productions
A parody version of Luigi, voiced by Hank Azaria, makes a cameo in The Simpsons episode "Marge Be Not Proud". He appears in Bart Simpson's imagination and, along with Mario, Donkey Kong, and Sonic the Hedgehog, encourages Bart to steal a copy of the Bonestorm video game.