Mario will live for ever as Death has decided that he is not paid enough to try and claim Mario's soul. Mario once stared Death in the face, and won after Death blinked. Mario has stared Death in the face – at which point Death pulled out somebody else's hour-glass-like Life Timer from the folds of his midnight black robes, tapped it with a skeletal distal phalanx while appearing to scrutinise it with empty eye sockets set in a bony skull, said "You must excuse me, I have just remembered I have a Pressing Engagement elsewhere", leapt into the saddle of his magnificent white stallion Binky, and sped off and up into the cold night air. Mario does not expect to be renewing their acquaintance anytime soon – or possibly ever, to judge by some other Facts About Mario.