Zess T.

Zess T.
Zess T.'s sprite from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Chronological information
First game	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004)
Game appearances	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Personal information
Gender	Female
Homeland	Rogueport
Species	Toad

Zess T. is a grumpy, 55-year old Toad who appears in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. She resides in Rogueport, where she works as a chef.

Profile

Physical description

Zess T. is a semi-elderly female Toad with a white mushroom cap bearing yellow round spots. Zess T. also wears brown padded shoes, a black shirt, and a red apron.

Powers and abilities

Like Tayce T., Zess T. is an expert at cooking, but has a sour expression and is normally mean and grumpy. If given certain items, she can cook dishes for Mario. Interestingly, her dishes are served as a breakfast at an expensive hotel.

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Zess T. makes her debut in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Mario first comes across Zess T. while she is searching for her Contact Lens, when Mario accidentally steps on the Contact Lens and crushes it. Zess T. then refuses to allow him into Rogueport's West Side until he buys her a new one. Mario orders a replacement for her at the Toad Bros. Bazaar and after Chapter 1, he can buy them for ten Coins. Even after Mario gives Zess T. the contact lens, she still harasses a bit of grudge, calling Mario nicknames like "Stompy", "Clumsy Crush-A-Lot", or "Sir Stomps-on-Stuff".

Zess T. can only cook one item at a time until Mario finds Maitre Delish's Cookbook hidden in a back room of the Creepy Steeple. After that, Zess T. can cook two items into one dish for the remainder of the game.

Zess T. is mentioned when Mario receives emails through the Rogueport Direct Mail Service. In the second issue, it is revealed that Zess T. has been developing romantic feelings with Toadsworth, although both parties are considered elderly. In the seventh and final issue, it is revealed that Zess T. punched Flavio in the left side of his jaw over a dispute of a supply involving gourmet ingredients that Flavio was supposed to deliver to Zess T., but the supplies eventually spoiled, mainly due to Flavio withholding his crew after returning from a two-day voyage, all due to his bragging.

Behind the scenes

Etymology

Zess T.'s name and last initial makes for a pun on the verb "zesty," which in a way, describes her personality and references her cooking skills.