Characters
The four heroes plus the friends, family and foes you meet on the way.
The chosen four
Ness
Onett · All-rounder
On the mapDetails
Uses bats, offensive PSI and valuable recovery powers.
Paula
Twoson · Offensive PSI
On the mapDetails
Uses powerful elemental PSI, alongside her special Pray command.
Jeff
Winters · Gadgets
On the mapDetails
Uses guns, tools and bottle rockets. Repairs broken equipment while resting when his IQ is sufficient. He does not use PSI.
Poo
Dalaam · Martial arts
On the mapDetails
Combines martial arts with PSI. His equipment and food preferences differ from the rest of the party.
On the map
Each hero walking and turning on the map, with the forms they take later in the story: the Bicycle, the robot bodies for the trip into the past, a ghost when knocked out and their size in the Lost Underworld.
Ness
Paula
Jeff
Poo
Friends, family & foes
| Character | Role | About | Picture | On the map |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pokey Minch | Neighbour & rival | Ness’s pushy next-door neighbour, who keeps turning up on the wrong side. |  |   |
| Picky Minch | Pokey’s brother | Pokey’s younger brother, who tags along briefly in Onett. |  |  |
| King | Ness’s dog | Joins Ness for a short while at the very start of the adventure. |  |  |
| Buzz Buzz | Messenger | A warrior from the future who tells Ness about the prophecy and gives him the Sound Stone. |  | |
| Ness’s Mom | Home | Cures homesickness when Ness calls or visits. |  |  |
| Dad | On the phone | Saves your game and deposits money into your bank account. |  | |
| Tracy | Ness’s sister | Works for Escargo Express, which stores and delivers your items. |  |  |
| Mr. Saturn | Saturn Valley | Big-nosed, friendly creatures with a very odd way of speaking. |  |  |
| Apple Kid | Inventor | Phones in with inventions such as the Pencil eraser and Zombie paper. |  |  |
| Dr. Andonuts | Scientist | Jeff’s father, who works from his lab in Winters. |  |  |
| The Runaway Five | Band | A touring band stuck with debts in Threed and Fourside. |  |   |
| Mr. Carpainter | Happy Happy Village | Leader of the cult that paints everything blue. |  |  |
| Geldegarde Monotoli | Fourside | The tycoon at the top of the Monotoli Building. |  |  |
| Giygas | Final enemy | The alien force behind the trouble across the world. |  |
More of the cast
Townspeople and allies
A few more people you meet, as they walk around on the map.
Flying Man
Brave birdmen who join the party one at a time in Magicant.
Mayor Pirkle
Onett’s mayor.
Captain Strong
Onett’s police chief, who fights Ness himself.
Lier X. Agerate
The local eccentric who finds the Mani Mani statue.
Paula’s father
Runs the Polestar Preschool.
Paula’s mother
Also at the Polestar Preschool.
Venus
Star singer at the Topolla Theater.
Poo’s Master
Trains Poo in the Mu discipline.
Tenda Chief
Leader of the shy Tendas.
Mach Pizza delivery man
Brings the pizza you order by phone.
EarthBound · Super Nintendo. Game content © Nintendo / APE / HAL Laboratory.
Build around the party’s distinct contributions
Ness anchors the journey, Paula adds a different range of PSI, Jeff makes gadgets part of the battle plan and Poo broadens the group’s options later. When someone joins, inspect the available commands and equipment rather than expecting the same routine to work unchanged. Assign a useful role for ordinary encounters and another for a difficult battle. The party becomes more interesting when each turn has a purpose beyond repeating an attack.
References
Covered edition: The original SNES adventure: Mother 2 in Japan (1994), released as EarthBound in North America in 1995. This guide uses English-version names.