Miyamoto's Toad Love-Hate Mystery: He Picks Toad Despite Calling Him Least Favorite

Ever caught yourself picking the same Mario Kart character over and over, even if you claim to hate them? Well, you're not alone—Shigeru Miyamoto might be right there with you.

Back in a 2012 interview with Entertainment Weekly, the legendary Mario creator was asked about his favorite Mario Kart character. The interviewer mentioned liking Toad, and Miyamoto gave a surprisingly bland answer: "I'm sorry that I cannot come up with an interesting answer. Somehow, it's habit to me, but I play with Mario. He's a very balanced character." Fair enough, right? But then things got weird. When asked who his least favorite character was, Miyamoto didn't hesitate: "Toad." He even added, "I understand that he has some popularity. Somehow," when pressed about hating the interviewer's favorite.

So naturally, you'd expect Miyamoto to avoid Toad like a blue shell. But here's the twist: Twitter user SpriteCell (via SupperMarioBroth) dug up footage from 2014 and 2015, after Mario Kart 8 launched. Miyamoto appeared in videos with YouTubers Smosh, iJustine, and Rosanna Pansino, playing Mario Kart with each of them. And in every single session, he picked Toad. Every. Single. Time.

That directly contradicts his 2012 statement. So what's going on? Did Miyamoto secretly love Toad all along and just didn't want to admit it? Was he trolling the interviewer? Or did he simply forget he ever said that? Maybe he's so committed to the bit that he intentionally picks a character he claims to hate just to mess with us—and now, 12 years later, we're still writing about it.

The most obvious answer might be that he was just joking when the EW writer called Toad his favorite. But then why keep picking Toad in Mario Kart 8? It's a mystery that may never be solved. One thing's for sure: Miyamoto's favorite child is Pikmin, and that will never change.

So, what do you think? Was Miyamoto pulling our leg, or does he secretly have a soft spot for the little mushroom? And will you be picking Toad next time you play Mario Kart? Let us know in the comments!