Trying to unlock all the characters in Mario Kart World? Whether you’re aiming for classic favorites or curious about hidden NPCs, this guide walks you through exactly how character unlocks work and what you need to do to collect them all.
How to Unlock Playable Characters
The main method to unlock characters in Mario Kart World is by completing each racing cup. Every time you finish a cup and place in the top 3, you’ll unlock a new character.
Here’s how it works step-by-step:
- From the main menu, enter the Cup selection mode.
- Select any available cup and choose either 50cc or 150cc difficulty.
- Race through the full set of tracks in the cup.
- Finish the cup in first, second, or third place overall.
If you place in the top 3, you’ll be rewarded with a new playable character at the end of the cup. It doesn’t matter which difficulty you choose, and you do not have to win first place.
This process applies to every cup in the game. The more cups you finish, the more characters you unlock. Each one rewards you with a familiar Mario franchise face, so it’s worth racing through all of them.
How to Unlock NPC Characters
Aside from the standard roster, there are NPC characters you can also unlock. These unlock differently:
- During a race, if another racer uses the Kamek transformation item on you, you’ll temporarily transform into a random NPC character.
- If this happens, you’ll automatically unlock that NPC character for future use.
Keep racing to increase the chance of being hit by the Kamek item. You never know which transformation you might get next.
Tips for Unlocking All Characters
- You can repeat cups as many times as needed, so don’t worry about getting it right the first time.
- You only need to finish in the top 3, not win outright.
- Use Free Roam or specific event types to farm item-heavy races for Kamek transformations.
Final Thoughts
Unlocking characters in Mario Kart World is a straightforward but satisfying process. Complete every cup and stay alert for NPC transformations to build out your full roster. With each unlock, you’ll add more variety to your races and show off your progress on the track.