With the arrival of Mario Kart World on the Switch 2, Nintendo has reimagined its iconic kart racer with open-world hubs, expanded rosters, and an inventive set of unlockables. From characters and karts to tracks and alternate costumes, this guide walks through every unlockable in the game and the exact methods to obtain them.
How to Get All Playable Characters in Mario Kart World
Mario Kart World features 50 total characters: 24 core Mario characters and 26 NPC racers drawn from across the franchise. Players begin with access to 32 racers—17 core characters and 15 NPCs—and must unlock the remaining 18 through racing and item-based transformations.
Which Grand Prix Cups Unlock Main Characters
Seven mainline characters are unlocked by completing specific Grand Prix cups. Notably, your finishing place doesn’t affect the unlock—you simply need to complete all four races in a cup.
- Donkey Kong – Finish the Mushroom Cup
- Daisy – Finish the Flower Cup
- Rosalina – Finish the Star Cup
- Lakitu – Finish the Shell Cup
- Birdo – Finish the Banana Cup
- King Boo – Finish the Leaf Cup
- Bowser Jr. – Finish the Lightning Cup
These characters join the 17 already available from the start, such as Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Toad, Wario, and Pauline.
NPC Characters via the Kamek Item
The remaining eleven unlockable characters are obtained through transformation by the Kamek item, a rare power-up found in “?” item boxes. When used, Kamek flies across the track, transforming racers in front of the user into random NPCs. If a transformation occurs into an NPC you haven’t unlocked yet, they’re added to your roster permanently.
The Kamek item, which looks like a floating purple crystal orb, doesn’t affect the player using it. Instead, it travels forward and randomly transforms racers ahead into NPC characters. If the transformation is one you haven’t unlocked yet, they’ll be added to your roster.
Some tracks seem to favor specific NPC transformations—for instance, Swoop appears more often in Dandelion Depths, and Pianta in Koopa Troopa Beach.
Characters unlocked this way include:
- Coin Coffer
- Rocky Wrench
- Chargin’ Chuck
- Dolphin
- Fish Bone
- Peepa
- Cataquack
- Conkdor
- Pianta
- Spike
- Swoop
Because transformations require another racer to use the Kamek item—and for you to be in the right place at the right time—this method is time-consuming and luck-dependent.
How to Unlock Every Kart and Vehicle in Mario Kart World
You start Mario Kart World with 11 karts. The remaining 29 are unlocked by collecting coins during gameplay. Every 100 coins you gather unlocks one new kart at random. This applies whether you’re playing in single-player Grand Prix, online multiplayer, or Free Roam mode.
In single-player Grand Prix, a pop-up will notify you when a kart is unlocked. In multiplayer, new vehicles unlock silently—you’ll see them when selecting your character again.
You can collect up to 20 coins per standard race, but Coin Runners mode offers no such cap—making it an efficient farming option. Also, using items like the Coin Shell or “?” boxes can boost your coin count mid-run.
To speed up the process, players often farm coins in areas like DK Pass, where a coin-spitting buggy continuously loops the track, dropping coins that can be easily gathered.
This method requires 3,000 coins to unlock all karts, as the process is entirely randomized. You cannot choose which kart is unlocked next, so persistence is essential.
Popular karts to unlock include:
- B Dasher
- Dolphin Dasher
- R.O.B. H.O.G.
- Blastronaut III
- Roadster Royale
- Stellar Sled
- Bowser Bruiser
- Pipe Frame
- Zoom Buggy
These karts vary in stats like speed, acceleration, and handling. While Mario Kart World removes customization from Mario Kart 8, each kart still influences race dynamics.
Track Unlock Requirements in Mario Kart World
There are 32 tracks in total. Players begin with 28 available through the standard Grand Prix cups. The final four tracks, including the iconic Rainbow Road, must be unlocked by completing progression requirements.
Step-by-Step Guide to Unlocking Final Tracks
To access the final tracks:
- Acorn Heights, Mario Circuit, and Peach Stadium unlock after finishing all seven standard cups (Mushroom, Flower, Star, Shell, Banana, Leaf, and Lightning).
- Rainbow Road becomes available only after completing the Special Cup, which itself unlocks once the initial seven cups are completed.
Unlike older titles, there’s no requirement to place first in each cup—simply completing the races is sufficient. Mirror Mode (reversed track layouts) unlocks after finishing the Special Cup a second time.
How to Get All Character Outfits via Yoshi’s Diners
Mario Kart World introduces 103 unlockable character costumes, which players can obtain by consuming themed food and drinks at Yoshi’s Diners found in Free Roam mode. Costumes offer cosmetic changes and often reflect cultural or regional themes.
Each Yoshi’s Diner location has unique foods, each unlocking a set of character-specific outfits. For example:
- Crown City (Cake): Unlocks “Pro Racer” costumes for Mario, Luigi, Peach, and others.
- Cheep Cheep Falls (Takoyaki): Unlocks “Happi” and “Festival” outfits.
- Dry Bones Burnout (Snacks): Unlocks “Mechanic” and “Touring” styles.
- Mario Bros. Circuit (Hamburgers): Unlocks biker and burger-themed costumes.
- Acorn Heights (Pancakes): Unlocks “Explorer” gear.
- Boo Cinema (Popcorn): Unlocks aristocrat and Halloween-themed skins.
To unlock a costume, consume the food item with a character. Once it’s unlocked, switch to another character and repeat. This sequential unlock method encourages players to revisit locations multiple times.
Each unlocked costume appears as a separate selectable version of that character on the roster, offering visual variety without affecting stats.
Some examples include:
- Mario (Pro Racer) – Eat cake at Crown City Diner
- Daisy (Swimwear) – Eat takoyaki at Cheep Cheep Falls
- Bowser Jr. (Biker Jr.) – Eat snacks at Dry Bones Burnout
- Toad (Burger Bud) – Eat hamburgers at Mario Bros. Circuit
- Luigi (Oasis) – Eat popcorn at Boo Cinema
These outfits provide unique designs for fans looking to personalize their experience without affecting gameplay mechanics.
Final Thoughts
Unlocking every feature in Mario Kart World takes time, strategy, and in some cases, a bit of luck. Whether you’re tracking down rare NPCs through Kamek’s transformation, collecting coins for a dream kart, or enjoying desserts in Yoshi’s Diners for stylish outfits, the game rewards consistency and exploration.
The best way to unlock everything efficiently is to alternate between modes: clear Grand Prix cups early, collect coins during Free Roam and multiplayer, and focus on item-heavy tracks to increase your chances of encountering the Kamek transformation.
With 50 characters, 40 vehicles, 32 tracks, and over 100 costumes, Mario Kart World offers one of the most expansive unlock systems in the series. Dive in with patience and curiosity, you’ll eventually have it all at your fingertips. Play Now
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