Burning Stars

Most Nintendo fans have played the game "Super Mario Galaxy". Those of us who have also remember the Lumas, little star-like creatures who help Mario on his adventure and look up to Rosalina as their "mother."

However, the Lumas themselves live very scary lives. We see throughout the game that Hungry Lumas, when fed, can transform into entire planets or galaxies. But they don't just transform. They die. The part I found most strange, though, is that the Lumas you feed in the observatory to unlock "bonus levels" become galaxies, and Rosalina doesn't even seem sad they're gone. She's supposed to be a mother to them, but her silence says that she's seen this all too many times before.

But there's one last thing that I found in the game. Something that reveals the nature and purpose of the Lumas.

Along with the normal yellow Power Stars and Grand Stars, the player will occasionally find green Power Stars. Upon getting your first green power star, Mario will go to Rosalina instead of returning to the dome he was originally in. Rosalina will say that the green stars have a "special power" (Most likely referring to Luigi) but then says that Mario should go talk to the green Lumas for more information on them, since "They will become Green Power Stars someday."

Now, I want you to stop reading for a moment. If you've played the game, think about the stars you collected before getting your first green star. Think about what they're used for, the Grand Stars especially.

The stars are motionless, other than floating in midair at the end of every level. After Mario collects them, they are immediately used for fuel by the observatory to traverse space.

The Lumas however, are portrayed as sentient, living creatures. So if what Rosalina says is true, this means that the Lumas become Power Stars when they die, and she burns their bodies for fuel. If the Green Lumas become Green Power Stars, then the yellow Lumas must turn into normal power stars when they die, right? But what about the black Luma, who serves as Rosalina's assistant, or the cream colored one that accompanies Mario? What do they turn into? But the biggest question is:

Why is Rosalina, who is a mother to the Lumas, just so comfortable burning her children's bodies for fuel?

All of what I've said here can be found in the original game. Why Nintendo decided to put this there, I still don't know.