| “ | Phew! Thanks for saving me...Mario?! Wow! A real celebrity is visiting my workshop! And Luigi is here too! I'm the Origami Craftsman. I live a humble life, folding origami. From sun up to sundown. EVERY day. ...I REALLY love origami. | „ |
| ~ Origami Craftsman |
The Origami Craftsman is the overarching protagonist of Paper Mario: The Origami King.
He has an obsession with origami and is known as the Toad who folds origami from morning to night. He is responsible for the events of the game taking place due to his creation of King Olly, though he never intended him to act this way, since he wanted him to be a benevolent ruler. He resides in the Mushroom House on a small island at the Great Sea.
Biography[]
Before the events took place, the Origami Craftsman was getting prepared for the Origami Festival, working feverishly on his many projects to get them ready for exhibition. He ended up going overboard and ended up building an origami castle. He then aspired to create two origami characters that would serve as the castle's monarchs, so he used the forbidden Fold of Life technique to bring King Olly to life.
The Origami Craftsman proceeded to write a message on his robe, which made King Olly furious about him tarnishing his design (calling it a vandalizing scawl), and without even reading the message, he trapped his creator by taping him to a wall and covering the area with wallpaper in the basement and he proceeded to create Olivia so she would rule with him (but Olivia did not support his ideals). Olly grew to despise all Toads and hoped to eliminate them from existence, and to ensure that nobody would save the Origami Craftsman, he removed the doorknob and went as far as to encase the entire house in a dome of ice before he goes to invade the Mushroom Kingdom, setting the events into motion.
The Origami Craftsman was eventually freed through the efforts of Mario, Luigi, and Olivia during their Purple Streamer quest. He introduces himself and tells him of his passion for origami. Olivia is familiarized with the basement before releasing him. The Origami Craftsman is surprised by Olivia's sentience and deduces that she too was brought to life by the same technique that brought King Olly to life.
After hearing of what King Olly has done, from turning Princess Peach into Origami Peach as well as the castle being relocated to the top of the volcano to creating hundreds of Folded Soldiers consisting of Bowser's minions, the Origami Craftsman was horrified and remorseful, blaming himself for these events, since he wanted what was best for his origami and never really meant any harm.
After giving some information regarding King Olly's backstory, he wishes them luck and urges Mario to protect Olivia; just before the trio leaves, the Origami Craftsman stops them and gives Olivia his notes that would come in handy for her when she finally confronts Olly. This is never revealed until the final battle where Olivia changes into a giant hammer that amazes her brother and managed to break him out of his rage, but it leaves Olly mortally wounded in the process.
The Origami Craftsman was escorted by Luigi, Bowser Jr., and Kamek via the former's kart to the Origami Castle (made from Peach's Castle) after King Olly's demise, and he proceeds to help Olivia fold Olly's body into the 1,000th crane (at Olly's final request), so she can make her wish. Olivia comes up with the wish to undo all of the origami made by her brother. This wish restores Peach's Castle, as well as the princess herself, and all of Bowser's minions, but since Olivia was created by Olly, she lost her life.
The Origami Festival goes on as planned, and as Mario, Princess Peach and Toad stroll through the plaza, they watch everyone having a great time. The Origami Craftsman shows off his work of the Origami Castle, including his two empty thrones that Olly and Olivia would have been seated in.
If Mario has 100% completed the game by completing all the side quests consisting of rescuing all the folded Toads, filling in all the Near-Bottomless Holes, having all Collectibles at the museum, and hitting all the ? Blocks, there will be an epilogue of the Origami Craftsman placing miniature versions of King Olly and Olivia on their respective thrones, fulfilling their intended roles at last.
