Though Luigi is often considered the perennial "Player Two," his unique personality compared to his straight-man brother Mario has garnered a huge fanbase. The Luigi's Mansion series brought Luigi into his own as a cowardly hero who can overcome any shortcomings for the sake of his friends, and Nintendo marked 2013 as the Year of Luigi to celebrate his importance. Another series that gives Luigi more character is Paper Mario, but a particularly interesting take comes in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

Luigi appears in every Paper Mario dating back to the N64 original - which will soon be available through the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack. His role fluctuates between basic cameos or being a major part of the narrative; helping Mario along on his quest or serving as a playable character in his own right. However, The Thousand-Year Door teases a Luigi-driven adventure divorced from busting ghosts that may be fun to revisit, especially given the series' propensity to experiment with new ideas.

RELATED: Nintendo Switch Online Adding Paper Mario is Hopefully Just the Beginning

Luigi's Place in Paper Mario History

Super-Paper-Mario-Wii dark

Most of Paper Luigi's "cameo" appearances were in games that led to many fans falling off of the series: Sticker Star, the crossover Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, and Color Splash. Across these games his biggest role was in Color Splash, driving Mario to Bowser's Castle at the end. He received larger but still not fully integral roles in the original Paper Mario, when Mario could visit their home to read his diary; and The Origami King, in which he appears across different areas collecting keys that he believes may open Peach's Castle (only for them to open critical paths for Mario instead). He also returns to play the part of Mario's go-kart chauffeur in this latest Paper Mario adventure.

Super Paper Mario is arguably when Luigi shined brightest. There are four playable characters in the 2D/3D-flipping platformer; Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Bowser; but Luigi gets a bigger part than most. Early on in the game he is captured by antagonist Count Bleck and brainwashed, becoming the villainous henchmen Mr. L. Even after getting rescued by the party, Luigi's form is still co-opted by the true final boss Dimentio. As a playable character, Luigi's abilities are analogous to his appearances in other Super Mario games, having a higher jump than anyone else on the team.

RELATED: Where to Buy Paper Mario: The Origami King Cheap for Black Friday

The Thousand-Year Door From Luigi's Perspective Could be Huge

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Though Luigi isn't playable in The Thousand-Year Door, his part is just as fun to observe. Every time Mario returns to the hub area in Rogueport, Luigi is there with a changing set of companions that suggests he's going on an adventure of his own. Over time players hear the story of Luigi journeying through the "Waffle Kingdom" to collect seven pieces of the Marvelous Compass and rescue Princess Eclair. It's a blunt riff on over-the-top RPG tropes - like Mario having to collect seven Crystal Stars to rescue Peach in the very same game.

What takes this gag to another level is players can later buy a five-volume set of books in the Super Luigi series that chronicle this journey in a more dramatic tone, often downplaying the buffoonery that Luigi's partners like Blooey the lava-cooked Blooper and Torque the go-kart mechanic Spike Top describe. A full Super Luigi game in the style of The Thousand-Year Door would be fun to see, whether it takes the book series at its word to create a more dramatic RPG or plays into Luigi's typical bumbling hijinks.

Not only would this idea give Luigi another chance to shine outside the Luigi's Mansion series, which is going strong after Next Level Games' Luigi's Mansion 3, it would also provide a good excuse to create a traditional turn-based RPG spin-off. The Paper Mario series continues iterating upon unique mechanics like The Origami King's puzzle battles, and series producer Kensuke Tanabe has talked about mandates for not straying as far from traditional Super Mario settings and characters. Maybe setting Luigi up as a frontman with The Thousand-Year Door's story as a nostalgic starting point could be enough of a shake-up to justify returning to the classic formula that fans love.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is available now on Nintendo GameCube.

MORE: LEGO Luigi's Mansion Could Inspire More Spooky Halloween Mario Sets