- "Mario! I'm fighting by your side from now on! I've made my choice… and I'm not turning back!"
- — Vivian
Vivian is the youngest sibling of the three Shadow Sirens and formerly one of the major antagonists in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Unlike her sisters, Vivian is kind, compassionate, and gentle in her interactions with other people. Vivian and her sisters seem to have been somehow related to the Shadow Queen prior to the queen's imprisonment, though the nature of this relationship is unknown. She is consistently put down by her oldest sister, Beldam, and has had a poor relationship with both her sisters for quite some time when Mario meets her; this poor relationship has led to her having a deep-seated inferiority complex and is part of the reason she joins Mario. She is also considered the cutest of the Shadow Sirens, much to the chagrin of her elder sisters.
Vivian was introduced as a party member in Chapter 4 and is the fifth character to join Mario's party in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.
Apart from her role in the game, Vivian is also well known for being depicted as a trans woman in the original Japanese release of the game and several of the other localizations. In the 2024 remake, much of the dialogue surrounding Vivian was rewritten to more overtly refer to Vivian as a transgender woman in the English translation of the game as well.
History[]
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[]
Vivian's first appearance was during Mario's quest for the Crystal Stars and Peach. She first met Mario when she and her sisters were tasked with searching for him in the Boggly Woods. Vivian battles Mario alongside her two sisters, Marilyn and Beldam. During Mario's visit to Twilight Town, Vivian assisted and befriended him. Because Mario was the first person to show her any real kindness, Vivian happily accompanied the then-nameless Mario on his quest to get his name and body back. During their confrontation with Doopliss, however, Vivian learned his true identity and felt betrayed for having helped her former enemy. Mario's good nature overcame Vivian's doubt, however, and after seeing Mario struggle with Doopliss (who is in Mario's Body), she joined him. Together, they were able to defeat Doopliss; though Mario's party members were rather suspicious of Vivian, Mario was able to explain her actions to the team. With everyone now on the same side, Vivian agreed to permanently join Mario on his adventure to reach The Thousand Year Door.
Ending[]
Vivian, along with her fellow partners, were among those accompanying Mario to the dock in Rogueport Harbor after their confrontation with the Shadow Queen. There she nearly confesses love for Mario but seems to reconsider when she remembers Mario's relationship with Princess Peach. After the adventure is over, Vivian forgives her sisters for their unkindness, and they, in turn, agree to never be mean to her again. As Goombella finds, they are now living peacefully together.
Super Paper Mario[]
Vivian doesn't make an appearance in Super Paper Mario, except for her image on a catch card. Vivian appears as a catch card received after completing the Duel of 100 in the Sammer Guy Kingdom.
Physical Appearance[]
Vivian appears as a dark purple ghost-like being, having a rather indistinct physical frame and generally flowing form. Her light-pink hair covers most of her face, leaving only her mouth and the blushes of her cheeks visible. Aside from her white gloves, Vivian wears only her pink-and-white witch hat. She has a cheerful expression and is very graceful in her movements.
Personality[]
Vivian is initially rather shy and withdrawn, partially due to her poor relationship with her sisters. She is kind and considerate, showing compassion for others and a wonderful capacity for forgiveness. Over the course of the adventure, Vivian becomes more confident in herself, growing closer to Mario and the rest of the party. After the adventure, she seems to overcome her inferiority complex and repairs her broken relationship with Beldam and Marilyn.
Attacks in Battle[]
Vivian's attacks are mostly fire-based and, if the enemies are burned, will cause them to take damage each turn. As fire attacks heal flame-based enemies, Mario should use care when using Vivian in situations involving these enemies.
As an Enemy[]
Along with her two sisters, Vivian serves as the first boss of the Boggly Woods, and is overall the second bosses of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. There, she has 10 HP, an attack of 1, and a defense of 0. She battles by using Shade Fist to attack Mario or using Fiery Jinx to hit both Mario and his partner.
Ability[]
In the field, Vivian is able to pull Mario into the shadows in order to avoid detection. This can be used for many purposes, including evading roaming enemies and eavesdropping.
Family[]
Catch Card[]
Card Type: Rare
Description: It's Vivian from the last Paper Mario adventure. She was a great friend once she split from her sisters.
Location: Received after completing the Duel of 100 in the Sammer Guy Kingdom.
Trivia[]
- As mentioned before, in the original Japanese release of the game and several other translations, Vivian is depicted as a trans woman. However in the English version, mentions and references to her being transgender are censored or removed, likely to maintain a certain age rating. Though several lines alluding to this fact remain in the game, they lack any direct references to her gender. This was changed in the remake, with dialogue more explicitly depicting Vivian as a transgender woman in both the Japanese and English versions.
- Vivian is the second of four characters in the Paper Mario series (with Lakilester being the first, Bowser being the third, and Luigi/Mr. L being the fourth) to battle Mario before joining his party.
- For this reason, Vivian is the only party member in Mario's Tattle Log.
- If the player looks through Professor Frankly's trash can after fighting the Shadow Sirens in Chapter 2, Vivian's Tattle is found, while Marilyn's and Beldam's are absent. This foreshadows that Vivian joins the party while Marilyn and Beldam are fought later, since only Tattles of one-time enemies are found in the trash.
- For this reason, Vivian is the only party member in Mario's Tattle Log.
- Vivian can use the move Fiery Jinx in her battle as a boss, but when she becomes your partner, she loses this ability until you upgrade her.
- A picture of her can be seen in one of Francis' Fortress' rooms in Super Paper Mario.
- Vivian takes the place of Lady Bow from Paper Mario; both characters are able to help Mario by turning him invisible. Bow with Outta Sight and Vivian with Veil, coincidentally, both are ghost-like characters and are the fifth party members to join Mario.
- Despite their similar abilities, Veil is a nerfed version of Outta Sight. As once coming back up both Mario and Vivian's turns are wasted.
- Vivian, like any Partner, has unique dialogue for plot events. She appears particularly knowledgeable during the appearance of the Shadow Queen.
- Despite being in the X Naunt Fortress prior to her joining the team she actually doesn't say anything or speak that she knows the place.
- Vivian is generally considered by fans as one of the strongest party members in the game. This is because she can give off a burn status, which can also be beneficial against four to five hordes of powerful enemies and bosses with multiple parts such as Cortez (third form), Smorg (both forms), Sir Grodus and the Shadow Queen (third form).