# Super Leaf
The **Super Leaf** is a power-up item in the [Super Mario](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-mario) series, first appearing in *Super Mario Bros. 3* (1988). It is a brown leaf that transforms the character who collects it into a tailed form: the Raccoon form in most appearances, or the Tanooki form in *Super Mario 3D Land*, *Super Mario 3D World*, and *Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury*.[1](https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Leaf)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appearance | *Super Mario Bros. 3* (1988)[1](https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Leaf) |
| Effect | Turns Mario or Luigi into Raccoon Mario or Raccoon Luigi in most appearances, or Tanooki Mario or Kitsune Luigi in the 3D Land and 3D World games[1](https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Leaf) • [2](https://www.ssbwiki.com/Super_Leaf) |
| Abilities granted | Ears and a tail; running at top speed and repeatedly pressing jump allows flight for a short time, and the tail can attack enemies[3](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros._3/Controls) |
| Kart appearances | In *Mario Kart 7* and *Mario Kart Tour*, gives karts a tail that blocks items, flips nearby players, and collects nearby Coins[1](https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Leaf) |
| Variants | Invincibility Leaf (White Tanooki form, invincibility for one level) and Statue Leaf (adds statue transformation)[1](https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Leaf) |
| Related items | Tanooki Suit and P-Wing[1](https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Leaf) |
| Latest appearance | Cameo in *The Super Mario Galaxy Movie* (2026)[1](https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Leaf) |
## Effect and forms
Which transformation the Super Leaf produces depends on the game. In *Super Mario Bros. 3* it turns Mario and Luigi into Raccoon Mario and Raccoon Luigi, and the Nintendo manual spells the form "Racoon Mario".[2](https://www.ssbwiki.com/Super_Leaf) • [4](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAACE.pdf) In *New Super Mario Bros. 2* it turns Luigi into Fox Luigi, while in *Super Mario 3D Land* and *Super Mario 3D World* Mario and Luigi become Tanooki Mario and Kitsune Luigi when they grab one.[2](https://www.ssbwiki.com/Super_Leaf) The Tanooki form gives a full suit rather than just ears and a tail, and in the 3D games the character's ears are redesigned, rounded and facing forward on the front of the hood.[5](https://www.mariowiki.com/Tanooki_Toad)
The distinction matters because the two forms have different abilities. In *Super Mario Bros. 3*, the separate Tanooki Suit item grants the same powers as the Super Leaf plus the ability to turn into a statue, and while Tanooki Mario returns in *Super Mario 3D Land* and *Super Mario 3D World*, the Raccoon form and the Tanooki Suit item do not appear in those games.[6](https://www.mariowiki.com/Tanooki_Suit) In *Super Mario 3D Land*, statue transformation is instead provided by the Statue Leaf, which replaces the Ground Pound move.[2](https://www.ssbwiki.com/Super_Leaf)
## Abilities
The tailed forms center on the tail. As Raccoon Mario or Tanooki Mario, a player who runs at maximum speed, shown by the flashing P meter, can take off and fly for a short time by repeatedly pressing the jump button to wag the tail.[3](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros._3/Controls) The tail also serves as a weapon and can be used in other ways besides flying.[3](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros._3/Controls)
Two related items modify the effect. The P-Wing also turns Mario or Luigi into the Raccoon form, but with infinite flight for one level.[1](https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Leaf) The Invincibility Leaf turns the player character into their White Tanooki form, granting invincibility for the level, and the Statue Leaf provides the statue transformation.[1](https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Leaf)
## Mario Kart appearances
In *Mario Kart 7* and *Mario Kart Tour*, the Super Leaf works differently: it gives the player's kart a tail that can block items, flip over nearby players, and collect nearby Coins.[1](https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Leaf)
## Folklore origin
Although the form is named simply "raccoon" in English, most of its elements are inspired by the Japanese tanuki, or raccoon dog. [Japanese folklore](https://www.edgepedia.org/japanese-folklore) includes legends of magical leaves granting the tanuki strange abilities, and the Tanooki Mario transformation reflects this, adding a full suit and, in reference to tanuki abilities in folklore, a statue transformation.[7](https://www.mariowiki.com/Raccoon_Mario) The statue motif draws on the [tanuki statues](https://www.edgepedia.org/tanuki-statue) found outside many temples and restaurants in Japan.[8](https://manuals.plus/m/b26564a3b9f3093956fabd456d0276a8eef1bc2a4a83d2408e9006385e6a06a5.pdf)
## Appearances beyond the games
The Super Leaf has appeared in animated adaptations: in the episode "A Toadally Magical Adventure", Mario transforms into Raccoon Mario after gaining a Super Leaf from a Jump Block and escapes a pipe creature, and in "Crimes R Us" he uses a Super Leaf while Luigi uses a Fire Flower during the [Koopalings](https://www.edgepedia.org/koopalings)' bank heist.[1](https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Leaf) In *The Super Mario Galaxy Movie* (2026), Mario transforms into Tanooki Mario using a Super Leaf rather than a Tanooki Suit, and the item's latest listed appearance is a cameo in that film.[6](https://www.mariowiki.com/Tanooki_Suit) • [1](https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Leaf)
## References
1. [Super Leaf, Super Mario Wiki](https://www.mariowiki.com/Super_Leaf)
2. [Super Leaf, SmashWiki](https://www.ssbwiki.com/Super_Leaf)
3. [Super Mario Bros. 3/Controls, StrategyWiki](https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros._3/Controls)
4. [Super Mario Bros. 3 instruction manual, Nintendo](https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAACE.pdf)
5. [Tanooki Mario, Super Mario Wiki](https://www.mariowiki.com/Tanooki_Toad)
6. [Tanooki Suit, Super Mario Wiki](https://www.mariowiki.com/Tanooki_Suit)
7. [Raccoon Mario, Super Mario Wiki](https://www.mariowiki.com/Raccoon_Mario)
8. [Super Mario Bros. (1985) chapter, manuals.plus](https://manuals.plus/m/b26564a3b9f3093956fabd456d0276a8eef1bc2a4a83d2408e9006385e6a06a5.pdf)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Individual game titles › In-game subjects: characters, levels, items, and locations within single games › Items, modes, and minigames*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license