Grand Star
- Not to be confused with Jumbo Star or Big Star.
- This article is about the giant variant of Power Stars introduced in Super Mario Galaxy. For Rosalina's Final Smash in the Super Smash Bros. series, see Grand Star (move).
| Grand Star | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| A Grand Star from Mario Kart Tour Artwork of a Grand Star from Mario Kart Tour | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Galaxy (2007) | ||
| Latest appearance | Tetris 99 (52nd Maximus Cup, cameo) (2026) | ||
| Variant of | Power Star | ||
| |||
- “Oh, thank you for saving the Grand Star. These star people are my family... They mean so much to me.”
- —Rosalina , Super Mario Galaxy
Grand Stars are large and powerful Power Stars sometimes appearing in the Super Mario franchise. In Super Mario Galaxy , their first appearance, Grand Stars are used to provide power to the six domes onboard the Comet Observatory, thereby allowing the player to reach more galaxies as the events of the game progress. In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Grand Stars still allow the player to reach more and more galaxies, but they now provide direct access to the next World via their transformation into a Portal instead.
Rosalina has a Grand Star as her emblem throughout many of her other appearances, including Super Mario 3D World and various spinoff games of the Super Mario franchise, including the Mario Tennis series, the Mario Kart series, and the Mario Party series. In Super Mario 3D World, her emblem can be seen whenever she grabs a Goal Pole or touches a Checkpoint Flag, and on Rosalina's Character Switch. In Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge , the Grand Star is similarly used to signify Mini Rosalina's levels.
History[edit ]
Super Mario series[edit ]
Super Mario Galaxy[edit ]
- “You want this Grand Star so bad? You're gonna have to take it from me!”
- —Bowser Jr. , Super Mario Galaxy
Super Mario Galaxy is the first game in which Grand Stars appear and they reappear in its Nintendo Switch port serving the same function as the original. All of them are stolen by Bowser to be used for his own evil ambitions. As Mario recovers them, he gradually gains access to different parts of Rosalina's Comet Observatory due to the Grand Stars being the power source of the Comet Observatory's beacon, which in turn sustains all life onboard the observatory. As each Grand Star is found, a path to the next dome is created. Counting the Grand Star obtained from clearing Bowser's Galaxy Reactor, it is only required to obtain 6 of the 7 Grand Stars to complete the game. It is possible to completely skip the Grand Star from the Engine Room, as Bowser's Galaxy Reactor can be unlocked as soon as the previous dome is cleared, provided the player has 60 Power Stars.
The following Grand Stars can be obtained in the following galaxies by completing the following missions (listed in parentheses). All of them except the Gateway Galaxy's are obtained after defeating a boss. For the first six, they unlock the following areas of the Comet Observatory:
- Gateway Galaxy (Grand Star Rescue): Gate
- Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor (Megaleg's Moon): Terrace
- Bowser's Star Reactor (The Fiery Stronghold): Fountain
- Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada (Sinking the Airships): Kitchen
- Bowser's Dark Matter Plant (Darkness on the Horizon): Bedroom
- Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor (King Kaliente's Spicy Return): Engine Room
- Bowser's Galaxy Reactor (The Fate of the Universe)
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit ]
- “My dad's gonna get angry if I let you get another Grand Star... Time to break out my Boomsday Machine!”
- —Bowser Jr. , Super Mario Galaxy 2
Grand Stars make another appearance in Super Mario Galaxy 2 , the 2010 sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. In this game, the Grand Stars are once again under the control of Bowser and Bowser Jr. This time around, Grand Stars restore power to Starship Mario, and also create the Portals leading from one World to the next. In addition to this, the Grand Stars in this game are apparently responsible for Bowser's enormous size, as he has eaten them to make himself considerably larger. After Mario defeats one of Bowser Jr.'s machines or henchmen, it will explode and release a Grand Star. After Mario defeats Bowser, he will cough up a Grand Star and shrink to his normal size. During the final battle in Bowser's Galaxy Generator, he is actually able to swallow the Grand Star again, making himself a great deal larger than he had been and leading to the final segment of the battle. Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla is the only galaxy in the game where, if Mario accepts the help of the Cosmic Spirit, the Grand Star will turn into a Bronze Grand Star.
The following Grand Stars can be obtained from the following galaxies by clearing the following missions (listed in parentheses):
- Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla (Gobblegut's Aching Belly)
- Bowser's Lava Lair (Bowser's Big Lava Power Party)
- Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet (Bowser Jr.'s Mighty Megahammer)
- Bowser's Gravity Gauntlet (Breaking into Bowser's Castle)
- Bowser Jr.'s Boom Bunker (Bowser Jr.'s Boomsday Machine)
- Bowser's Galaxy Generator (Bowser's Fortified Fortress)
Super Mario Run[edit ]
Grand Stars appear in the Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 event in Super Mario Run as the icons for the individual missions.
Mario Kart series[edit ]
While Grand Stars have not appeared physically in the Mario Kart series, they have been consistently used as Rosalina's emblem, and later, Baby Rosalina's as well. In the latter's case, the emblem features a Grand Star inside blue bonnet frills.
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit ]
In Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe , a floating Grand Star replaces the star icon that can be seen rotating on top of the tower in the city in N64 Rainbow Road.
Mario Kart Tour[edit ]
Grand Stars appear in Mario Kart Tour as collectibles, earned by attaining a certain score after each race, completing tour challenges, Gold Pass challenges, daily challenges (prior to the Wedding Tour), and by using star tickets. Prior to the Baby Rosalina Tour, to unlock more cups and progress further through each tour, a certain number of Grand Stars was required. In every tour, each tour gift also requires a certain number of Grand Stars to open. From the Baby Rosalina Tour to the 2022 Anniversary Tour, Grand Stars also unlocked free pipe launches from the weekly spotlight pipes. When the player has opened every tour gift, any subsequent Grand Stars earned are converted to 100 coins each, and when a new tour begins, the total is reset to zero. Rosalina (Swimwear)'s teal swimdress is also decorated with Grand Stars.
Minecraft[edit ]
In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft , Nether Stars are replaced by Grand Stars.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit ]
Rosalina's Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate utilizes a Grand Star in place of the Power Star from the previous installments.
Tetris 99[edit ]
In Tetris 99 , Grand Stars serve as the KO badges if the Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 theme is in use, with transparent ones serving as incomplete badges.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie[edit ]
While no actual Grand Stars appear in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie , a toy version on strings can be seen when Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic's names appear in the end credits. Additionally, Lumalee is seen wearing a badge with a Grand Star on it on his cap.
Profiles[edit ]
Super Mario Galaxy trading card[edit ]
| Image | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| The Grand Star Trading Card | Grand Star | The evil Bowser has taken all seven of these very large and powerful stars, and he's hidden them throughout the galaxy. As Mario collects them, he gains access to different parts of the universe through Rosalina's Comet Observatory. When one is found, a path to the next dome is created. |
Mario Kart Tour[edit ]
- Mario Kart Tour Twitter: Collect Grand Stars by earning points in races or by testing your driving skills in challenges! The more Grand Stars you earn, the more Cups and Tour Gifts you unlock. Try to collect enough Grand Stars to unlock everything in a single tour![1]
Gallery[edit ]
Artwork for Super Mario Galaxy
The appearance of a Grand Star if Mario has already collected it, in Super Mario Galaxy
Artwork for Super Mario Galaxy 2
Mario and Yoshi collecting a Grand Star
Mario, Peach and Baby Luma collecting a Grand Star
The Grand Star that appears after Mario defeats Giant Bowser in Bowser's Gravity Gauntlet, in Super Mario Galaxy 2
2D Grand Stars in a background pattern from the official Super Mario 3D All-Stars website
Super Mario 3D All-Stars
Super Mario 3D All-Stars
See also[edit ]
Names in other languages[edit ]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | グランドスター Gurando Sutā |
Grand Star | [?] | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 崇高之星 Chónggāo zhī Xīng |
Star of Sublime | [2] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 光榮之星 Guāngróng zhī Xīng |
Star of Glory | [?] | |
| Dutch | Superster | Superstar | [?] | |
| French | Grande étoile | Big Star | [?] | |
| German | Großer Stern | Big Star | [3] | |
| Italian | Megastella | Megastar | [?] | |
| Korean | 그랜드스타 Geuraendeu Seuta |
Grand Star | [?] | |
| Portuguese | Maxiestrela | Maxi star | [?] | |
| Romanian | Mare Stea | Great Star | Follows an atypical, more literary adjective-noun order, where mare (normally translated as "big") conveys a meaning of grandeur and importance rather than simply physical size. Therefore, the word is interpreted here as "great". | [4] |
| Russian | Великая звезда Velikaya zvezda |
Grand Star | [?] | |
| Slovenian | Velika Zvezda | Great Star | [5] | |
| Spanish | Maxiestrella | Maxi star | [?] | |
| Turkish | Büyük Yıldız | Grand Star | [6] |
Notes[edit ]
- Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet is the only galaxy where Yoshi is able to pose with Mario when the Grand Star is collected.
- In Bowser's Galaxy Generator, Princess Peach, Baby Luma and the Co-Star Luma (if used) will pose with Mario. If the player uses an exploit to bring Yoshi to the end of the level, Yoshi will not pose since there is no special animation that he and Mario have with that Grand Star.
References[edit ]
- ^ mariokarttourEN (October 4, 2019). Post. X. Retrieved March 14, 2020. (Archived October 4, 2019, 03:35:32 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ chinesenintendo. Super Mario Galaxy Nvidia Shield screenshot thread. Twitter. Retrieved March 27, 2018.[dead link]
- ^ 2007. Super Mario Galaxy Spielanleitung. Frankfurt: Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 12.
- ^ "Explorează planete, recuperează Marile Stele și călătorește prin univers în Observatorul de Comete într-o misiune pentru a-l opri pe Bowser să-și creeze propria galaxie." ("Explore planets, recover the Great Stars, and travel through the universe in the Comet Observatory in a mission to stop Bowser from creating his own galaxy.") – Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 game page. CD Media S.E. (Romanian). Retrieved January 21, 2026 from cdmediase.eu. (Archived January 21, 2026, 15:06:16 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ "Razišči planete, pridobi Velike Zvezde in potuj po vesolju z Kometnim observatorijem, da preprečiš Bowserju ustvariti svojo lastno galaksijo." – Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 game page. CD Media S.E. (Slovenian). Retrieved January 21, 2026 from cdmediase.eu. (Archived December 6, 2025, 19:13:10 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ "Gezegenleri keşfedin, Büyük Yıldızları toplayın ve Bowser’ın kendi galaksisini yaratmasını engellemek için Comet Observatory’de evrende yolculuk edin." – Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 game page. CD Media S.E. (Turkish). Retrieved January 21, 2026 from cdmediase.eu. (Archived January 21, 2026, 15:03:36 UTC via Wayback Machine.)