This post was created as part of NEXON PEAK activities.

Hello.

MapleStory has a wide variety of characters, including many cute creatures that fit the game's atmosphere. With so many to choose from, representing the game as one of its main mascots is a significant role. This post offers a brief overview of MapleStory's main mascots.

MapleStory's Five Main Mascots

MapleStory's current main mascots are shown above. From left to right, they are Rock Spirit, Orange Mushroom, Pink Bean, Yeti, and Slime. Other candidates include Pepe, Ribbon Pig, and Snail, but these five characters have become the established lineup.

MapleStory also features story NPCs such as Lucid and 벨로나, along with playable characters like Lara and Ren, in merchandise and other contexts. The mascots above, however, have a broader role: promoting the game to people who do not play MapleStory or have much interest in it.

As cute creatures rather than humanoid characters, they have an approachable appeal even for people unfamiliar with MapleStory. This makes them a natural fit for attractions such as the giant Orange Mushroom balloon on Seokchon Lake and the rides in the Lotte World collaboration.

Most recently, all of them appeared in a MapleStory-themed escape room. These same designs are currently used for in-game runes and Elite Monsters and have also been released as KakaoTalk mini emoticons.

Their Origins and Other Notable Details

The mascots were introduced at different points in the game's history rather than all at once. Here is a brief overview.

Name	First Appearance	Origin	Notes
Orange Mushroom	The game's earliest days	Monster	Game icon
Slime	The game's earliest days
Yeti	The game's earliest days
Pink Bean	July 2008	Most popular character
Rock Spirit	February 2017	NPC	Latest arrival

• Rock Spirit is the only mascot that originated as an NPC; all the others began as monsters.

All the mascots except Rock Spirit originated as monsters: Pink Bean is a boss monster, while Yeti, Slime, and Orange Mushroom are regular monsters. The World Archive also makes this distinction clear.

While the four above are classified as monsters, Rock Spirit is classified as an NPC. Being a monster does not necessarily mean being treated like an animal, though. Many can speak and live in nations or communities, such as the Slimes' 라무라무 신전 and the mushrooms' Mushroom Castle.

• Rock Spirit arrived considerably later but became a mascot thanks to its popularity with players.

Rock Spirit has always been an NPC, never a monster, and has appeared only as a character to be rescued.

Rock Spirit was introduced later than any of the other mascots. Although other spirits take center stage in Arcana's story, Rock Spirit drew the most attention thanks to its distinctive “~dam” speech ending and cute appearance, eventually earning a place among the mascots. It is impressive that its appeal alone was enough to overtake the established contenders.

• Yeti's mascot design draws mixed reactions from some players.

Yeti's original pixel-art design comes from its appearance as a monster in El Nath. The mascot version has much more exaggerated proportions, giving it the appearance shown below.

This design divides opinion more strongly than those of the other mascots. Still, it has plenty of fans as well as detractors, which I think may explain why Yeti remains a main mascot.

• The Mascot I Find Most Memorable: Pink Bean

My favorite mascot is Pink Bean. Since its introduction, Pink Bean has appeared in many different forms—not only as a monster, but also in various events, in-person activities, themed cosmetic items, pets, and more. It even takes center stage when the five mascots appear together, so it seems fair to say it has the highest profile among them.

What makes Pink Bean especially memorable to me is the story behind its creation. Despite its cute appearance, it possesses power beyond comprehension and is officially classified as a demon-type creature. That contrast left a strong impression.

Its design was reportedly intended to offer something different rather than repeat the imposing boss imagery of Zakum and Horntail. That experimental approach produced a mascot that has been loved for nearly 20 years. I imagine the person behind the concept must be proud of that lasting appeal.

I hope Pink Bean in particular continues to appear in a variety of forms, including something like a desktop pet.

Thank you for reading.