Paper Mario's adventures around the Mushroom Kingdom, the isles of Rougeport, and multiple dimensions have led him to call upon help aside from himself. Not even the legendary plumber himself could defeat his foes all by his lonesome. These partners can range anywhere from unique Goombas and Koopas to literal pixies that grant Mario abilities that can help him bypass obstacles and vanquish his foes.
But in each game, some partners outshine the rest. Who were the partners that gave Mario the best leg up against his enemies, in and OUT of battle? You might be surprised about who comes out on top.
10 Carrie
Carrie is a Pixl from Super Paper Mario. She gave Mario the ability to jump on spiked enemies, traverse spikey or hazardous areas, as well as move faster. With the difference in the fighting style of the game, going from a classic RPG style to a semi-open world platformer, Carrie's use is invaluable, allowing Mario to quickly move through the worlds and defeat enemies that you'd otherwise have to stop and fight for a second.
Spiked enemies, especially, were some that you had to switch to a different character or different Pixl to deal with. But with Carrie, you can jump on them and keep moving, heading towards the end of the level easily. Her utility in and out of battle makes her one of the best partners in the series.
9 Admiral Bobbery
Admiral Bobbery is a Bob-omb, and one of the last partners Mario meets in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. His abilities stem from being able to destroy cracked walls or rocks, revealing secrets, as well as being a devastating tank in battle.
Not only does he have the highest health of a partner in the game, sitting at 40 HP, but Bobbery also has moves that hit multiple enemies. Bomb Squad and Bob-ombast are moves that cause serious damage to foes, making him as good offensively as he is defensive. The only negative is that Bob-ombast has the highest FP cost in the game, using 9 FP.
8 Thoreau
Thoreau is the first Pixl Mario enlists in Super Paper Mario. His abilities allow Mario to pick up and throw objects, whether they be rocks to activate switches, enemies to chuck into pits, or even at other enemies. It was a ranged move, so Mario didn't have to be right next to the object he needed to grab, making it good for keeping the distance from enemies.
Mario could also activate switches by throwing Thoreau at them, making the latter superb for solving puzzles or even grabbing far away items. Whenever Mario would chuck an enemy at others, they could bounce on multiple enemies in a row, chaining the damage and clearing the field. While he couldn't grab spiked enemies, he could toss regular foes at them, being an effective replacement for the hammer for a while.
7 Bowser!?
That's right. Bowser was a party member in Super Paper Mario, assisting Mario, Luigi, and Peach in their adventure. In the game, Bowser moves slower than the others and is unable to climb ladders. However, he more than makes up for this by dealing twice as much damage as the other three.
Combined with Thudley, a Pixl that allows the party to Ground-Pound, Bowser will deal four times the damage of a regular jump from Mario. He can make boss battles go from 10 minutes to five or less if you use his abilities correctly. He also has the power to breathe fire, giving him a powerful, ranged attack that easily makes up for his slow speed and bulky frame.
6 Parakarry
The friendly Koopa mailman from the original Paper Mario on the Nintendo 64 makes it onto the most useful partner list because of his utility at crossing gaps and obtaining secrets. Joining Mario after he helps find letters for him, Parakarry gives Mario an ability similar to the Mini-Yoshi in Thousand-Year Door.
His combat abilities allow him to hit multiple targets, or even lift an enemy out of the battle with Air Lift. Parakarry's strengths include attacking airborne enemies, making him helpful for spiked enemies in the air. Along with the letter gathering and gap crossing, Parakarry is a shoo-in for one of the best partners out there.
5 Lady Bow
Lady Bow, as commanding as she is, gives Mario some very unique skills both inside and outside of the battlefield in the original Paper Mario. Outside of battle, she can make Mario invisible to hide him from enemies, allowing him to sneak past those who are too tough to fight at the time or just to quickly move through an already explored area.
In battle, Lady Bow attacks by slapping some sense into enemies, while also having the ability to make Mario invisible with her Outta Sight ability. Furthermore, Lady Bow's Spook ability scares enemies off.
4 Mini-Yoshi
The Mini-Yoshi is a partner you find in the Glitz Pit in Thousand-Year Door, who can be named anything the player likes. Out of battle, its abilities rival Parakarry's while also offering a dash of Carrie's. Mario rides the Mini-Yoshi, increasing his movement speed AND also allowing him to clear wide gaps with ease. Two birds with one stone.
In battle, Mini-Yoshi shares a multi-hit ability similar to Lady Bow, ground-pounding enemies multiple times. Along with being necessary to get past a fight in the Pit, Mini-Yoshi's Gulp ability helps do massive damage to two enemies, especially spiked opponents like the Armored Harriers that Mario faces off against.
3 Kooper
Out of Kooper and Koops for the next two spots, it truly came down to abilities. Both function the same out of combat. Mario can kick them in their shells to hit faraway switches or even get the first strike on enemies. Both Koopas excel at First-Strike opportunities, however, Kooper's abilities pale in comparison to Koops.
The two abilities that differ are the Dizzy Shell and Fire Shell. Both abilities hit multiple enemies, which is helpful, but the Dizzy Shell does no damage. Plus, the dizzy effect can last from 1-4 turns, making it a little RNG on its effectiveness. The Fire Shell is very useful in certain situations, permanently defeating Dry Bones along with extra damage to ice enemies.
2 Koops
Koops is the partner that you get right after Goombella in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Reliable damage, incredible utility, and just an all-around great partner, Koops could be called the MVP of battle. Like Kooper, Mario can kick his shell to hit switches, gather items, and attack enemies. For a nervous Koopa, he certainly pulls his weight.
His basic combat abilities are the same as Kooper, being the Shell Toss and Power Shell. However, his other two abilities push him a bit ahead of Kooper. The Shell Shield can be placed on Mario, having between 2-8 HP. This will protect Mario from damage, assisting in many boss battles. The Shell Slam is similar to Parakarry's Air Raid. It's an attack that hits all grounded enemies, ignoring their defense. The only drawback of the Koopa duo is that airborne enemies will be immune from most of their damage.
1 Vivian
If Koops is the MVP of battle, Vivian is the MVP of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. She parrots Lady Bow's ability, pulling Mario into the shadows to hide him from enemies. This can also be used to avoid spike traps, allowing Mario to bypass an otherwise dead end. Once a villain, Vivian now uses her abilities to help Mario rather than hinder him.
Vivian's big one is the Fiery Jinx, which not only hits all enemies but bypasses their defense and burns then, dealing damage every turn. Her other important one is Veil. This move is similar to Lady Bow's Outta Sight ability. It's just like what Vivian can do out of battle, except this time in it. Mario and Vivian are immune from damage for 1 turn as they hide in the shadows, even being one of the main ways to avoid taking massive damage against the final boss.