Best bonus stats to level up for all characters in Super Mario RPG
When Mario and his teammates level up in Super Mario RPG, you'll be able to choose a bonus stat to boost, so here are the best ones for each character.
If you're not sure which bonus stats to boost when you level up in Super Mario RPG, we've got you covered with the best paths for each character.
There are three main stats to be aware of in Super Mario RPG: Physical, HP, and Magic. Physical gives a boost to Attack and Defense, HP provides a boost to health, while Magic gives a boost to Magic Attack and Magic Defence - both of which relate to Special moves.
You can choose one of these bonus stats to increase every time Mario, Mallow, Geno, Bowser, or Peach levels up. There's no option to respec stats in the game, so you'll need to choose your path wisely as there's no going back once you've hit confirm.
Best level up bonus stats in Super Mario RPG
Here are the best bonus stats to apply to each character in Super Mario RPG:
- Mario – Physical
- Mallow – Magic
- Geno – Physical or Magic
- Bowser – Magic
- Peach – HP
We've gone into more detail about each character and why you should choose these bonus stats below, but remember your own personal preference may override these recommendations - and that's okay!
Best bonus stats for Mario
As your primary character, it's a good idea to give Mario bonus stats across all three categories with a slight priority for Physical stats.
Seeing as Mario is the only character who can't be swapped out of your party, it makes sense to have him as an all-rounder while your other characters focus on their specialities. I'd recommend putting a little extra into Physical, though, for those moments when you run out of Flower Points and your team can't use Specials.
Best bonus stats for Mallow
Although you might find that Mallow faints a lot during battles, I would definitely recommend focusing on Magic bonus stats over HP bonus stats.
This is because Mallow's Thunderbolt Special is one of the best in the game, dishing out a decent amount of damage to every single opponent at the same time. I found this especially useful when battling waves of weaker enemies like the Bob-ombs that need to be defeated before they ignite and explode.
Best bonus stats for Geno
Geno functions a little bit like Mario in the sense that he's a bit of a generalist, so it's best to choose either Physical or Magic bonus stats and stick to that one for the rest of the game.
For my playthrough, I mostly went with Physical as I wanted another character that didn't need to rely on Flower Points to be useful. Having said that, Geno has the coolest Special attacks in the game, so I can totally understand why you might want to go down that path instead.
Best bonus stats for Bowser
Bowser already has a huge Attack stat when you add him to your party, and he's also the bulkiest character in the game, so my controversial recommendation is to go against the grain and give him Magic bonus stats.
Normally, I would recommend looking at a character's specialities and honing in on those, but in Bowser's case, those stats are already so reliable that giving him a bit of Magic to work with isn't too much of a risk. If you've got a Magic-focused Peach or Mallow on your team, though, you could go for Physical instead.
Best bonus stats for Peach
Peach is Super Mario RPG's primary support character, so for that reason, you should focus on HP bonus stats - especially as her base health isn't great.
It might be tempting to go all in on Magic bonus stats so Peach's healing powers are more effective, but that won't really do you any good if she keeps getting knocked out before she has time to use them. Once you've got Peach's health to a decent level, then you can look towards Magic.
Those are our recommendations for how to distribute bonus stats, but there's absolutely no reason why you can't just go for whatever feels best for you. Besides, you can always use equipment to balance stats out if you're not happy with the path you've taken.
Now that you know which bonus stats to choose when you level up in Super Mario RPG, check out our Super Mario homepage for more guides like the Booster Tower portrait puzzle solution or how to find Peach's Crown.
About The Author
Daniel Megarry
Daniel is GGRecon’s Deputy Guides Editor. He graduated from university with a degree in Journalism & English Language before covering video games and LGBTQ+ culture at publications including Gay Times and Dexerto. His favourite games include Pokemon, Kingdom Hearts, Resident Evil, and anything Nintendo. You can reach him on daniel.megarry@ggrecon.com.
