Staff Ghosts are members from the Nintendo team (or Retro Studios team in Mario Kart 7) who race their time in Time Trials. After beating the Normal Staff Ghosts by a certain margin of time, you can unlock the Expert Staff Ghosts. The following are the approximated times for unlocking them:
Description[]
Staff Ghosts debuted in Mario Kart 64; however they lacked a name. Normally Staff Ghosts use racers who are closely associated with the course, otherwise the racers they choose for the course remain unknown why they were chosen. In Mario Kart DS and onward, the Staff Ghosts have names starting with "Nin★". Mario Kart DS Staff Ghosts have Japanese names in kanji which was changed in Mario Kart Wii. In Mario Kart 7, they had Staff Ghosts whose name starts with "Ret★" representing Retro Studios. In Mario Kart 8, Staff Ghosts' country are shown in the ghost data.
In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Staff Ghosts use racers depending on the speed: 150cc or 200cc. The 150cc has the Staff Ghosts whose racers remain the same as Mario Kart 8. In 200cc, the different Staff Ghosts choose racers who are either counterparts of the racer in 150cc (ex. Baby Peach for Sweet Sweet Canyon in 150cc and Peach for Sweet Sweet Canyon in 200cc), also closely associated with the course (ex. Pink Gold Peach for Rainbow Road in 150cc and Rosalina for Rainbow Road in 200cc), or are selected for unknown reasons.
Expert Staff Ghosts[]
Wii introduced Expert Staff Ghosts. If the player managed to succeed a certain time, the Expert Staff Ghosts replace the Normal Staff Ghosts' time. Unlike the Normal Staff Ghosts, their time is faster. Expert Staff Ghosts made their last appearance in Mario Kart 7.
Mario Kart Wii[]
Mushroom Cup[]
Luigi Circuit
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 01:29.670
Unlock Time: 01:25.742
Luigi
Moo Moo Meadows
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 01:37.856
Unlock Time: 01.33.571
Baby Daisy
Mushroom Gorge
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:16.110
Unlock Time: 02.07.755
Toadette
Toad's Factory
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:22.480
Unlock Time: 02.17.469
Toad
Flower Cup[]
Mario Circuit
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 01:44.777
Unlock Time: 01.39.183
Mario
Coconut Mall
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:30.764
Unlock Time: 02.24.788
Daisy
DK Snowboard cross
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:34.693
Unlock Time: 02.25.907
Donkey Kong
Wario's Gold Mine
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:19.583
Unlock Time: 02.15.301
Wario
Star Cup[]
Daisy Circuit
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 01:56.822
Unlock Time: 01.52.791
Daisy
Koopa Cape
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 03:03.022
Unlock Time: 02.54.897
Koopa Troopa
Maple Treeway
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:58.633
Unlock Time: 02.50.229
Diddy Kong
Grumble Volcano
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:28.237
Unlock Time: 02.19.524
Dry Bowser
Special Cup[]
Dry Dry Ruins
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:30.949
Unlock Time: 02.21.681
Yoshi
Moonview Highway
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:16.802
Unlock Time: 02.10.093
Peach
Bowser's Castle
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 03:04.836
Unlock Time: 02.55.017
Bowser
Rainbow Road
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 03:05.895
Unlock Time: 02.59.293
Rosalina
Shell Cup[]
GCN Peach Beach
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 01:34.233
Unlock Time: 01.30.698
Peach
DS Yoshi Falls
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 01:16.461
Unlock Time: 01.13.589
Yoshi
SNES Ghost Valley 2
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 01:06.595
Unlock Time: 01.03.752
King Boo
N64 Mario Raceway
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:14.799
Unlock Time: 02.07.915
Baby Mario
Banana Cup[]
N64 Sherbet Land
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:48.651
Unlock Time: 02.37.784
Baby Luigi
GBA Shy Guy Beach
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 01:45.568
Unlock Time: 01.39.255
Koopa Troopa
DS Delfino Square
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:41.807
Unlock Time: 02.33.107
Wario
GCN Waluigi Stadium
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:32.882
Unlock Time: 02.24.645
Waluigi
Leaf Cup[]
DS Desert Hills
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:10.233
Unlock Time: 02.01.141
Dry Bones
GBA Bowser Castle 3
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:58.304
Unlock Time: 02.50.637
Dry Bowser
N64 DK's Jungle Parkway
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:58.264
Unlock Time: 02.49.028
Donkey Kong
GCN Mario Circuit
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 01:59.771
Unlock Time: 01.55.267
Mario
Lightning Cup[]
SNES Mario Circuit 3
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 01:38.880
Unlock Time: 01.34.828
Baby Mario
DS Peach Gardens
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:34.894
Unlock Time: 02.29.006
Baby Peach
GCN DK Mountain
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 02:57.744
Unlock Time: 02.50.248
Funky Kong
N64 Bowser's Castle
Normal Staff Ghost Time: 03:19.323
Unlock Time: 03.06.723
Bowser Jr