What the Luigi Assassination Is and Is Not
The phrase “Luigi assassination” refers to a specific trick in the original 1985 Nintendo Entertainment System game Super Mario Bros. that allows the second player to eliminate Luigi from a two-player session very early in the first level. It is not a hidden narrative event, cutscene, or scripted execution in the cinematic sense; it is a controlled game mechanic abuse that produces the visual result of Luigi disappearing from play. This article explains how the trick functions, where it originated in the speedrunning community, how players perform it step-by-step, and why it remains relevant for tool-assisted speedruns (TAS), glitch preservation, and design literacy.
Origin in Speedrunning and Community Discovery
The “assassination” became widely known after influential early-2000s tool-assisted speedrun (TAS) demos documented frame-perfect inputs that exploited game physics to remove Luigi before the first pipe in World 1-1. Content creators later translated these discoveries for human execution, popularizing the method in speedrunning circles and on archival channels. Because the trick appears in the game’s programming but was never highlighted in official documentation, it functions as a piece of esoteric knowledge that connects players to the deeper structure of the game. Its naming is metaphorical rather than canonical, evoking a dramatized removal rather than a literal in-game story event.
How the Trick Works at a Technical Level
At its core, the Luigi assassination exploits a combination of player positioning, momentum preservation, and a precise shell jump. When Luigi is the active character, the players can stand on a Koopa Troopa so that a shell, when kicked into Luigi at a specific angle and velocity, launches him back into the left wall of the level with enough force to push his hitbox outside the playable area. Because the game treats Luigi as an object when he is carried by a shell, the engine can move him beyond the normally allowed boundaries, resulting in him being despawned or rendered non-interactable. The required inputs are precise but learnable: a well-timed shell kick, correct pixel positioning, and a consistent jump buffer.
Step-by-Step Execution for Players
Executing the Luigi assassination consistently requires practice, but the steps are straightforward when broken into phases. Below is a reliable method based on widely shared speedrunning demonstrations. Note that slight variations in timing or pixel placement can still produce the effect, making the trick adaptable across different controller inputs and TV refresh rates.
Phase 1: Positioning and Shell Setup
- World 1-1, shortly after the first descending pipe.
- Ensure Luigi is the active character at the start of the level.
- Wait for a Koopa Troopa to emerge from the middle pipe near the flagpole area.
- Jump onto the Koopa Troopa from above so that Luigi rides it briefly, then dismount carefully to preserve shell behavior.
Phase 2: Shell Kick and Wall Interaction
- Kick the Koopa shell so that it moves horizontally toward Luigi’s left side.
- Stand on the shell just before it contacts Luigi, then jump off at the moment of impact.
- The shell should strike Luigi from an angle that sends him diagonally toward the left wall.
Phase 3: Despawn Condition
- If the angle and speed are correct, Luigi will clip past the left boundary and the game will register him as out of bounds.
- His character sprite will disappear, and the screen will no longer control him, effectively removing him from play.
- To confirm success, only Mario remains controllable, and the level continues with one fewer player.
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| First Demonstrated | Early 2000s TAS demos and shared emulator recordings | Speedrun archive |
| Character Required | Luigi must be the active character | Gameplay analysis |
| Location in Level | Immediately after the first pipe in World 1-1 | Playthrough documentation |
| Required Input | Precise shell kick, correct pixel positioning, jump buffer | Community guides |
| Effect | Luigi is removed from the active party mid-level | Verified observation |
Common Misconceptions and Clarifications
Several myths about the Luigi assassination persist online, often amplified by short-form videos that prioritize shock value over accuracy. One frequent misunderstanding is that the trick involves an internal scripted execution or an invisible event, when in fact it is a boundary exploit. Another is that the method requires cheating devices or save editors, when human players can learn it with enough practice. Clarifying these points matters because accurate descriptions help players understand game design constraints and prevent the spread of misleading information that can confuse newcomers or distort historical gameplay records.
Relevance for Modern Play, Speedruns, and Preservation
Although the Luigi assassination has no effect on the main campaign or story completion in a casual playthrough, it remains significant for competitive speedruns and archival research. Removing a playable character early in a run reduces input redundancy and can marginally improve execution consistency for some players, though it also introduces risk if the trick is performed incorrectly. For historians and emulator developers, the trick serves as a case study in how games handle out-of-bound states, object physics, and character despawning. Documenting the method and its limits supports accurate preservation and allows future players to understand the quirks that defined early platformer design.
Key Takeaways and Practical Advice
The Luigi assassination is a player-discovered boundary exploit in Super Mario Bros. that removes Luigi from two-player sessions through a precisely timed shell interaction. It originated in speedrunning communities, is performed by launching Luigi into the left wall past game boundaries, and requires specific inputs but no external tools. While it does not alter the game’s story or core campaign, it remains useful for speedrun optimizations and technical preservation work. Players attempting the trick should use consistent frame timing, verify their positioning against visible level markers, and treat it as a learning exercise in how early platformers manage object physics and collision boundaries.