Paper Mario: The Origami King is the sixth main entry in the long-running Paper Mario series and the third released for Nintendo Switch since the series’ pivot to arts-and-crafts visual gimmicks. Released on 17 July 2020, it follows Mario and an entirely new companion — the optimistic origami girl Olivia — as they fight to unravel five enormous paper streamers wrapped around Peach’s Castle by Olivia’s tyrannical older brother, King Olly.

Where its predecessors (Sticker Star, Color Splash) focused on stickers and paint respectively, The Origami King’s craft theme is origami — with the world’s familiar Mario inhabitants and even Bowser’s own minions folded into origami “Folded Soldiers” by Olly’s army. Mario uses the iconic 1,000-Fold Arms ability to wrestle, peel, and rip the world apart in dramatic set-pieces, while Olivia learns to fold herself into the four elemental Vellumental guardians.

The game introduces a brand-new ring-based combat system: Mario stands in the centre of four concentric rings, with enemies scattered across them, and the player must rotate and slide the rings within a time limit to line enemies up into a perfect attack pattern. Boss battles invert this puzzle, putting the boss at the centre while Mario must navigate the rings toward them. It is one of the most distinctive battle systems in any Mario game.

The five streamers (red, blue, yellow, purple, green) anchor a fully open-world Mushroom Kingdom — from Whispering Woods and Picnic Road to the carnival theme-park Shogun Studios, the heartbreaking Sweetpaper Valley, the sprawling Great Sea with its tropical island chain, the steaming Shangri-Spa, and finally the apocalyptic Origami Castle that Olly forges from Peach’s home.

The Origami King breaks decisively from Paper Mario’s old chapter-based structure and presents a fully open world. From the moment Mario lands in Whispering Woods, the player can roam the kingdom freely, returning to earlier areas, scouring every nook for hidden Toads, Not-Bottomless Holes, and collectibles.

Core Loop

• Five streamers wrap Peach’s Castle in concentric layers. To progress, Mario must track each streamer back to its spool, defeat the Legion of Stationery boss guarding it, and tear the streamer free.
• Jumping & Hammer — Mario’s eternal duo. Hitting enemies on the overworld stuns them, and dealing the first hit grants a bonus or even an outright defeat in battle if Mario is healthy enough.
• Confetti — hammering trees, signs, and props produces confetti, used to fill in the world’s Not-Bottomless Holes (paper rips in the world). Each hole repaired reveals a hidden treasure or completes the area.
• 1,000-Fold Arms — the headline new ability, used on Magic Circles dotted throughout the world. Mario folds his hands into enormous paper-arms and physically peels, slams, or tears at the environment in slow-motion set-pieces.
• Hidden Toads — hundreds of Toads have been folded into objects (flowers, fish, butterflies, etc.) and scattered worldwide. Finding and rescuing them is a major collectible.

Stats & Equipment

• HP & MAX UP — Mario’s only stat is his hit points, increased only by finding the MAX UP Heart hidden once in every region.
• Weapons wear out — Mario carries a small inventory of Boots and Hammers; each has limited uses (with rarer “Iron,” “Legendary,” and “Flashy” versions doing more damage and lasting longer).
• Accessories — unlocked through play; provide passive perks like more time to plan ring battles or stronger 1,000-Fold Arms.
• Coins — spent in battle to bribe Toads to cheer (extra time / extra power), buy weapons, and pay for confetti refills.

The headline mechanical innovation is the ring-based puzzle battle system — the most unusual combat in any Mario RPG.

Regular Battles

Mario stands in the centre of four concentric rings, with enemies scattered across them. Before attacking, the player has a limited time to rotate the rings (each independently) and slide rows in and out, with the goal of lining enemies up into perfect attack patterns:

• Rows of four — ideal for Boots, which deal multi-hit damage to enemies in a line
• 2×2 squares — ideal for Hammers, which strike a 2×2 area in front of Mario
• Solving the puzzle perfectly grants an attack-power boost (and lets Mario one-shot most encounters)
• Failing the puzzle — enemies stay scattered, Mario’s attacks deal much less damage, and the battle becomes a war of attrition

Boss Battles

Boss fights invert the system. The boss is at the centre, surrounded by rings of Arrow Panels, Action Panels, and Magic Circles (for 1,000-Fold Arms). Mario walks around the outside of the rings, and the puzzle becomes: route Mario along the panels so he ends his turn on the right space to attack the boss’s weak spot.

• Arrow Panels send Mario in their direction
• If Mario hits the same panel twice, he trips and loses his turn
• Each boss has unique weak spots: Colored Pencils can only be slammed shut from behind, Hole Punch spins fast and must be timed precisely
• Toads in the audience can be paid in coins to cheer Mario on — granting extra time, heals, or attack boosts mid-fight

Unlike traditional Paper Mario, allies in The Origami King work as combat assists — they tag in for a single attack during Mario’s turn, sometimes a powered-up Ally Tambourine version. Six characters take centre stage across the journey.

Bobby (Bob-omb)

Battle Ally · Blue–Yellow Streamer

A happy-go-lucky Bob-omb with no memory of his past. Bobby joins on the Autumn Mountain tram and accompanies Mario and Olivia through the Water Vellumental Shrine, Shogun Studios, and the journey down the Eddy River. His arc culminates in one of the most genuinely affecting sacrifices in any Mario game at Sweetpaper Valley.

In battle: Bomb Bump — 20 attack (30 with Ally Tambourine), 70–80% accuracy, single target.

Olivia

Permanent Companion

Olivia is not a battle ally but a permanent companion. She narrates and reacts to the world, throws shells, banters with Mario, and — most importantly — folds herself into the four Vellumental forms after each elemental boss, giving Mario new traversal abilities.

Kamek

Battle Ally · Green Streamer

Bowser’s longest-serving advisor. Mario meets Kamek at Shangri-Spa, where he reluctantly joins after Scissors shreds Bowser Jr.’s Clown Car. His magic spells are among the strongest attacks in the game.

In battle: Magic — 38 attack (57 with Ally Tambourine), 85% accuracy, hits up to four enemies in any formation.

Bowser Jr.

Battle Ally · Green Streamer–Finale

Bowser’s son, found at Shangri-Spa after his Junior Clown Car is shredded by Scissors. He must be revived through four hot springs and the Spring of Rainbows (won via the “Shy Guys Finish Last” game show). Loyal and surprisingly heroic in the final act.

Other temporary allies include Professor Toad (a Dig-attack specialist), Spike (Up-Chuck), and Bone Goomba (Skullbonk) — picked up at various points and rotated into battles for variety.

The Origami King has the largest, most diverse cast of any Paper Mario in a decade, including three of Mario’s rivals as late-game allies and one entirely new central character.

The Heroes

Olivia

The cheerful younger sister of King Olly. The heart of the game — our guide, deuteragonist, and the only character who can fold into Vellumental forms. Quietly powerful and quietly heartbreaking.

Luigi

Mario’s brother. Spends most of the game lost — found and re-lost in nearly every region — looking for the (literal) key to Peach’s Castle, which is stuck in his kart’s tailpipe.

Bowser

Mario’s eternal rival, this time on the heroic team. After spending most of the game square-folded, he joins Mario in the airship finale and the Origami Castle assault.

Origami Peach

Princess Peach, folded into origami by Olly in the very first scene. She acts as Olly’s unsettling proxy throughout the game until the finale.

The Villains

King Olly

The titular Origami King. Olivia’s older brother, folded into existence by the Origami Craftsman using the forbidden Fold of Life. Believes all paper should be folded into “proper” origami — by force if necessary.

Olly’s Final Form

At the climactic battle, Olly transforms into a colossal multi-form origami god — wielding hammers, cannons, and dual blades.

The Vellumentals are four ancient elemental guardians, each modelled on one of the Four Symbols of Chinese mythology, and each fought as a mid-streamer boss after being folded into origami by Olly. After defeat, the Vellumental releases a Bibliofold that Olivia reads, learning to fold herself into that Vellumental’s form — granting Mario new traversal and combat abilities.

Earth

Earth Vellumental

Black Tortoise
A giant quadrupedal turtle in the Earth Vellumental Temple. Spews sand and manipulates earth. Mario must hammer each of its limbs, then its tail, then use the 1,000-Fold Arms after it flips. Olivia’s Earth form manipulates earth, fills holes, and breaks rocks.

Water

Water Vellumental

Azure Dragon
A water-spouting dragon in the Water Vellumental Shrine. Absorbs more water each round, eventually charging up a big wave attack. Weak to jump attacks. Olivia’s Water form summons water, restoring dry rivers and reservoirs.

Fire

Fire Vellumental

Vermilion Bird
A phoenix found in the Fire Vellumental Cave. Bursts into flame each round, eventually dive-bombing. Olivia’s Fire form consumes flammable obstacles and grants traversal across lava.

Ice

Ice Vellumental

White Tiger
A polar-bear-like beast encountered late in the purple-streamer chapter. Olivia’s Ice form freezes water and creates ice paths, opening late-game environmental routes.

The Legion of Stationery is King Olly’s elite force of sentient office supplies, each colour-matched to one of the streamers it guards. They are the game’s six main bosses — a charismatic, theatrical, and oddly cosy gallery of villains who are easily among the most memorable in Paper Mario.

Colored Pencils

The Missile Maestro
Fought atop Overlook Tower. A pencil case that fires pencil missiles at Mario when he crosses crosshair lines on its arena. Beaten by hitting it from behind to slam its lid shut, then surviving its Rainbow Roll attack with the 1,000-Fold Arms.

Red

Rubber Band

The Elastic Entertainer
A yellow rubber band wrapped in many others, guarding Big Sho’ Theatre. It snaps itself across the arena and shoots its inner rings at Mario, with a theatrical Kabuki-style flair.

Blue

Hole Punch

The Spinning Sentinel
Fought at “Sunshine Stadium” in the Scorching Sandpaper Desert. A circular hole punch that spins relentlessly, requiring 40 brainwashed faceless Toads to slow it down enough to attack.

Yellow

Tape

The Sticky Strategist
Atop the Sea Tower. A roll of tape that attempts to wrap up Mario and Olivia entirely, with the battle requiring careful tactical use of the rings.

Purple

Scissors

The Pair-Off Predator
Crashed inside Bowser’s Castle. The most aggressive Legion member; shreds the Junior Clown Car early in the green chapter as a warning. Defeated in Bowser’s home turf.

Green

Stapler

The Pin-Cushion Pincer
The sixth and final Legion of Stationery member, summoned by King Olly in the Origami Castle climax. The last boss before Olly himself.

Finale

The Mushroom Kingdom’s familiar enemy roster has been origami-folded by Olly’s army. These are Mario’s standard enemies in the ring battles — plus a few special threats.

Folded Soldiers

The bulk of Olly’s army: regular enemies (Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Shy Guys, Buzzy Beetles, Wigglers, Boo, etc.) that have been folded into stiff papercraft versions and forced to fight Mario. Fought in the standard ring battles. Folded Toads are also scattered around the world, having been folded into shapes — origami flowers, fish, butterflies, cats, crickets, and tulips — and can be rescued (one of the game’s biggest collectibles).

Paper Macho Soldiers are enormous papier-mâché versions of standard enemies — huge, lumbering, and far more dangerous than their regular cousins. They’re fought in real-time hammer combat on the overworld, not in ring battles — Mario sneaks behind them and smashes weak points repeatedly.

Regular Paper Machos

• Paper Macho Goomba — the first you meet, devouring houses in Toad Town
• Paper Macho Spike, Snifit, Mummy Goomba, Soccer variants — each in their own region
• Paper Macho Chain Chomp — fought in Bowser’s Castle in the green-streamer chapter

Boss Paper Machos

• Paper Macho Gooper Blooper — the cruise-ship climax of the yellow streamer arc; protects the lockbox containing Bobby’s late friend’s fuse
• Mega Paper Macho Pokey — a desert giant whose defeat unlocks Professor Toad
• Paper Macho King Boo — found in a haunted side area

Official Nintendo trailers for Paper Mario: The Origami King.

The Origami King received strongly positive reviews and was a commercial hit, even if its ring-based combat divided long-time series fans.

Acclaim

• Metacritic 80 — a solid critical reception, with several outlets giving 9/10 or higher.
• Writing & humour — praised across the board. The dialogue is some of the sharpest in any Mario game, with the Bobby storyline singled out as “unexpectedly devastating” by multiple reviewers.
• World design — the open-world structure, varied biomes, and arts-and-crafts theme drew universal admiration. Whispering Woods, Sweetpaper Valley, Shogun Studios, and the Great Sea archipelago are series highlights.
• Boss battles — the Legion of Stationery were widely loved as a creative, charismatic villain squad with memorable themed setpieces.
• 3 million+ copies sold — the best-selling Paper Mario game ever, a vindication of the modern direction.

Criticisms

• The ring battle system divided fans. Long-time Paper Mario players who wanted a return to The Thousand-Year Door’s deep RPG combat were disappointed; others appreciated the puzzle-focused new direction.
• No XP / no party leveling — defeating enemies grants only coins and confetti, not experience or stats. This is by design but breaks RPG tradition.
• Weapon durability — hammers and boots wearing out after a few uses frustrated some players, particularly during weapon-scarce regions.
• Limited new characters — the Toad-heavy supporting cast was criticised, though the original characters (Olivia, Bobby, Olly) were almost universally beloved.

• Released 17 July 2020 — the sixth main entry in the Paper Mario series, and the third Paper Mario game on Nintendo Switch.
• Developed by Intelligent Systems, the long-time Paper Mario studio.
• 3 million+ copies sold — the best-selling Paper Mario game in series history.
• Bowser fights on Mario’s side for the entire game — the first mainline Paper Mario where this happens. He spends most of the journey square-folded but rejoins the team as a battle ally for the finale.
• The 1,000-Fold Arms is the game’s signature spectacle move, used to peel, slam, tear, and wrestle the environment in cinematic slow-motion sequences. The “1,000” is literal in-universe folds.
• The four Vellumentals are based on the Four Symbols of Chinese mythology: Black Tortoise (Earth), Azure Dragon (Water), Vermilion Bird (Fire), White Tiger (Ice).
• The Legion of Stationery are all themed around real Japanese office supplies — a love-letter to bunbougu (stationery culture).
• Olivia & King Olly are siblings — the first time a Paper Mario antagonist has a family relationship to a main companion character.
• Bobby’s storyline is widely cited as the most emotionally affecting moment in any Paper Mario — some critics compared it to the Goombella/Pa-Patch reveal in TTYD.
• The combat system has no XP — defeating enemies grants only coins. Mario’s only stat (HP) increases by finding MAX UP Hearts hidden in regions.
• Hundreds of hidden Toads — folded into flowers, fish, butterflies, etc. — are scattered worldwide, the game’s main collectible (besides Not-Bottomless Holes).
• The Great Sea open-water section features over a dozen tropical islands, each with their own self-contained mini-stories.

Box art and key visuals for Paper Mario: The Origami King.

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