An unlockable character is a character which you need to unlock them to play as them. Below are a list of unlockable characters:
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! unlockable character criteria
| Characters | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Toad and Toadette | You must complete the Special Cup on 100cc with a 1st-place win. |
| Petey Piranha and King Boo | You must complete the Mirror Mode Star Cup with a 1st-place win. |
Mario Kart DS unlockable character criteria
| Characters | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Dry Bones | Get 1st for every cup in the Nitro Grand Prix on 50cc. |
| Daisy | Get 1st for every cup in the Retro Grand Prix on 50cc. |
| Waluigi | Get 1st for every cup in the Retro Grand Prix on 100cc. |
| R.O.B. | Get a gold trophy for every cup in either the Nitro Grand Prix or Retro Grand Prix across all engine classes. |
Mario Kart Wii unlockable character criteria
| Characters | Standard Criteria | Racing Criteria | Wi-Fi Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Luigi | Unlock 8 Expert Staff Ghosts in the Time Trials mode. | Participate in 3,150 races | Win 100 WFC Ghost races |
| Baby Daisy | Get a 1-star rank or better in all 50cc Wii Grand Prix cups. | Participate in 1,950 races | None |
| Toadette | Play all 32 courses in Time Trials | Participate in 2,550 races | Win 1,000 WFC races |
| Dry Bones | Complete the 100cc Leaf Cup with a 1st-place win | Participate in 2,850 races | None |
| Birdo | Play 16 courses in Time Trials | Participate in 1,350 races | Win 250 WFC races |
| Diddy Kong | Complete the Lightning Cup on 50cc with a 1st-place win | Participate in 450 races | N/A |
| Bowser Jr. | Get a 1-star rank or higher across all Retro Grand Prix Cups on 100cc | Participate in 3,450 races | N/A |
| King Boo | Complete the 50cc Star Cup with a 1st-place win | Participate in 750 races | N/A |
| Rosalina | Get a 1-star rank or higher on all cups in Mirror Mode | Participate in 4,950 races. Alternatively, if you have a save file for Super Mario Galaxy, she is unlocked after 50 races. |
N/A |
| Funky Kong | Unlock 4 Expert Staff Ghosts in Time Trials | Participate in 2,250 races | Win 25 WFC Ghost Races |
| Dry Bowser | Get a 1-star rank or higher in all Wii Grand Prix cups on 150cc. | Participate in 4,350 races | N/A |
| Mii Outfit A | Complete the 100cc Special Cup with a 1st-place win | Participate in 1,650 races | N/A |
| Mii Outfit B | Unlock all Expert Staff Ghosts in Time Trials | Participate in 5,100 combined races and battles | Win 5,000 WFC Ghost races |
Mario Kart 7 unlockable character criteria
| Character | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Daisy | Win the 150cc Mushroom Cup |
| Wario | Win the 150cc Flower Cup |
| Rosalina | Win the 150cc Star Cup |
| Metal Mario | Win the 150cc Special Cup |
| Shy Guy | Win the 150cc Shell Cup |
| Honey Queen | Win the 150cc Banana Cup |
| Wiggler | Win the 150cc Leaf Cup |
| Lakitu | Win the 150cc Lightning Cup |
| Mii | Win every cup in any engine class |
Mario Kart 8 unlocking criteria
Unlike earlier installments, characters in Mario Kart 8 are unlocked at random as you complete cups. However, cups you've already completed cannot unlock more characters.
The Mii will always be the eighth character unlocked, unless you use an amiibo to get a Mii Costume, which will make the Mii readily available.
Trivia
- Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart Tour are currently the only games in the Mario Kart series where Wario is an unlockable character.
- In Mario Kart 8, characters that haven't been unlocked can still participate in races.