I am not a psychologist or psychiatrist, nor am I licensed to practice medicine of any kind. I do, however, have two semesters of college psychology and two decades of video game experience under my belt, which more than qualifies me to make a hypothetical diagnosis of any gaming character I feel needs a good head-shrinking. First up is Princess Peach, one of the most recognizable characters in the gaming industry and the ruling monarch of the Mushroom Kingdom. Most see Peach as a leader at some times and a damsel in distress at others, a young woman who has overcome adversity and multiple kidnappings only to retain her sunny outlook. Digging beneath the surface, though, it quickly becomes apparent that the Princess has her fair share of psychological issues.

Over the past twenty-five years, Princess Peach has been kidnapped a handful of times. She has been forcibly removed from her castle, and the castle itself was even taken control of by evil forces more than once. The common factor in all of these incidents is Bowser, also known as King Koopa, a demonic being hell-bent on taking over the Mushroom Kingdom. It has also been made abundantly clear that Bowser wants to marry Princess Peach, forcibly if need be, presumably so that their joining kingdoms can help him create a super empire. After her first abduction, why did she not take steps from preventing it from ever happening again? Why not after the second time? Why, after all of these years, is it still so easy for Bowser to stroll into her castle and take her away?



The answer is seemingly simple: Princess Peach has Stockholm syndrome. There are many reasons why this could develop, but most psychoanalysts agree that Stockholm syndrome is a basic defense mechanism used by kidnapping victims to cope with their current circumstances. In other words, the brain simply can’t process the danger and reality of the situation, so instead the victim begins to see his or her captor in a more positive light, perhaps even coming to his defense. This would explain why Bowser remains at large after decades of heinous acts, and why Princess Peach has never made an effort to protect herself from him or his cronies, nor to use her kingdom's vast military resources in an offensive against the would-be conqueror.

Of course, there could be another explanation, one that is also supported by much of Princess Peach’s behavior: histrionic personality disorder. Basically, those with histrionic personalities want to be the center of attention at all times, and will go to great lengths to do so. This includes exhibiting seductive behavior, using physical appearance in order to be noticed (this could include make-up or provocative clothing), being overly emotional, and exceptionally dramatic. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, five of these symptoms must be displayed in order for a patient to be diagnosed with histrionic personality disorder:

A pervasive pattern of excessive emotionality and attention seeking, beginning by early adulthood and present in a variety of contexts, as indicated by five (or more) of the following:

   1. is uncomfortable in situations in which he or she is not the center of attention
   2. interaction with others is often characterized by inappropriate sexually seductive or provocative behavior
   3. displays rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions
   4. consistently uses physical appearance to draw attention to self
   5. has a style of speech that is excessively impressionistic and lacking in detail
   6. shows self-dramatization, theatricality, and exaggerated expression of emotion
   7. is suggestible, i.e., easily influenced by others or circumstances
   8. considers relationships to be more intimate than they actually are.

If we look at one of the earliest documented examples of a time when Princess Peach wasn’t the center of attention, Super Mario Bros. 2, it’s easy to see that she is still trying to stand out by dressing extremely inappropriately for the task at hand. While Mario, Luigi, and Toad are all outfitted practically for several worlds of climbing, jumping, digging, and throwing, Peach is dressed in her trademark long pink gown, heels, heavy jewelry, and even a crown. Considering the amount of physical labor involved in scouring the Mushroom Kingdom, her get-up surely made her job more difficult, but it was the only way for her to continue getting the attention she craved.



While it’s true that Peach usually keeps herself covered up, she has been known to dress provocatively from time to time, particularly when she’s playing sports. Wearing extremely short shorts in Mario Hoops 3 on 3, for example, Peach would often perform inappropriate and suggestive victory moves. Even more obvious than her provocative behavior, though, is the obvious fact that the princess is extremely susceptible to mood swings. In Super Princess Peach, the heroine, tasked for the first time with rescuing the brothers Mario, becomes angry, hysterical, or happy at the drop of a hat in what can only be described as a “rapidly shifting and shallow expression of emotions”.

Now that we’ve touched upon criteria one through four, only one more is needed to prove Peach’s long standing history of histrionic personality disorder. However, in what may be one of the most severe cases ever documented, it’s easy to see that she meets at least seven, if not all eight criteria. Her way with words can only be described as “lacking in detail”, and usually consists of a few simple cries and screams for help while being carried away. Her theatrics and exaggerated emotions have already been detailed, and as discussed above in the portion concerning Stockholm syndrome, it does seem likely that Peach is easily influenced by others, or her own circumstances.



Does she consider relationships to be more intimate than they really are? Well, to answer that would require finding out the truth about her association with Mario Mario, her constant savior. Is she repaying him for his acts of bravery in some way, or does she simply expect him to always be there for her because of some relationship she has built up in her head? They aren’t married, and as far as we know, the only physical affection between them has been limited to a kiss on the head. This is worth looking into a bit more, perhaps in sessions of psychotherapy.

What appeared to be a simple but prolific case of Stockholm syndrome in the patient known as Peach turned out to be much more. After a lifetime of undiagnosed histrionic personality disorder, it may be hard for the princess to function as a normal human being, but a combination of intense therapy and prescription medication may just get that pesky personality disorder under control. Of course, there are also a few troublesome telltale signs of narcissistic personality disorder, but that’s a diagnosis for another day. Once Peach is able to get her constant need for attention under control, perhaps we'll examine her self-centeredness and delusions of grandeur.