Choosing who to race with isn’t just an aesthetic choice in Mario Kart World. Every character belongs to a particular weight class and their set stats change when paired with the various vehicles.
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Knowing how these stats work is necessary for understanding a character’s strengths and the best combos to drive with. It can make the difference between finishing in first place or coming up short in second.
What are the Mario Kart World weight classes?
You’ve probably noticed that the roster is made up of an assortment of character sizes. Those on the smaller size excel with high Acceleration and Handling stats, while those on the bigger size have high Speed and Weight stats. If you group up all the characters that share the same stats, you end up with eight separate weight classes.
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There technically isn’t an official name for these classes, so you might see them referred to in many ways until the community settles into something consistent. We’ve ranked the roster below from the lightest class to the heaviest class:
- Baby Peach, Baby Daisy, Para-Biddybud, Swoop
- Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Rosalina, Goomba, Dry Bones, Spike, Sidestepper, Fish Bone, Peepa
- Toad, Toadette, Koopa Troopa, Lakitu, Shy Guy, Nabbit, Cheep Cheep, Stingby
- Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Bowser Jr., Monty Mole, Coin Coffer, Dolphin
- Mario, Luigi, Birdo, Hammer Bro, Penguin, Rocky Wrench, Pokey
- Rosalina, Pauline, King Boo, Piranha Plant, Snowman, Cataquack, Conkdor
- Wario, Waluigi, Donkey Kong, Wiggler, Cow, Chargin’ Chuck, Pianta
- Bowser
These characters’ stats are then altered depending on what vehicle you use them with. This makes for a variety of kart and character combos to discover. Before you find your ideal main, it will help to know what the purpose of each stat is.
Mario Kart World Stats Explained
It’s easy to feel the difference between Baby Peach and Bowser, but you’re doing yourself a disservice by not knowing how each one shines. This is far more important when it comes to drivers in closer weight classes. After choosing your character and heading into the vehicle selection screen, pressing Y will bring up their stats. Seeing these values, even in a vague bar form, is a great way to prepare for certain tracks or simply find your groove. Here is the meaning behind each stat in Mario Kart World:
- Speed: This determines what your maximum speed will be. Naturally, having a high value in this stat means you’ll be able to drive faster
- Acceleration: This determines how long it takes to reach your maximum speed. If you have a high value in this stat, you can recover a lot quicker after being hit by an enemy power-up or driving through tough terrain
- Weight: Arguably the most curious stat, this determines how heavy your racer is and how much they collide with others. It’s primarily noticeable when driving past everyone at the start of a race or on more narrow pathways
- Handling: This stat is what dictates turning ability. A high value here means your kart will be able to turn corners more tightly
Every character seems to use the same total value for their stats, only allocated differently depending on their weight class. You can then accentuate their strengths or build up something different by pairing them with certain vehicles. Just remember that you’re not going to be able to give a character high marks in every stat. There will always be some push and pull.
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Furthermore, certain stat builds will be more effective than others on specific tracks. Going with high Acceleration and Handling is perfect for getting through windy courses and quickly returning to top speed. Racing with a high speed stat will meanwhile prove beneficial for passing other racers on long straights.
A meta will undoubtedly form around what’s overall best, but there’s nothing wrong with choosing your favorite character and figuring out the best vehicle from there. Alternatively, you can simply give them a cute or wacky kart. This is a game where you can race around as a cow, so do whatever makes you happy.
Mario Kart World is available now on Switch 2.
