List of recurring Mario franchise enemies

This is a list of common enemies in the Mario franchise. The enemies on the list are in alphabetical order, and are most commonly found in Super Mario games, in which Bowser commands his minions to block and act as obstacles to Mario, who is normally attempting to rescue Princess Peach.

Most of these enemies are identical in look and are classified as species. While only those who belong to Bowser or specific antagonists are enemies to Mario or players, other members of these species (usually individuals) have their own life in or out of Mushroom Kingdom (e.g. King Boo; Goomba King), similar with Toads or Yoshis. Most of them appear in the Mario role-playing games, and some may even aid Mario in his adventures.

Some Mario spin-off games present enemy species as playable characters even though they are not always actual individual characters.

Blooper

Bloopers (Gessō (ゲッソー) in Japanese, originally known in English as Bloobers)^[1] are white, squid-like creatures that often appear in water-based levels. Mario Party 8 was the first game in which Blooper appeared as a playable character.^[2]

Bob-omb

Bob-ombs (pronounced /ˈbɒb ɒmz/), known as Bomuhei (ボム兵) in Japan, are walking wind-up bombs that explode after a set amount of time or when thrown. They first appear in Super Mario Bros. 2 and serve as weapons in various Mario Kart games and in the Super Smash Bros. series.

UGO lists Bob-ombs on their list of "Cutest Video Game Characters," stating, "Bob-omb is the cutest little suicide bomber this side of Tehran".^[3]

Super Mario 64 debuted Bob-omb Buddies (or Red Bob-ombs), which are Mario-allied Bob-ombs that unlock cannons, allowing Mario to launch to another part of a course, along with leader and King of them King Bob-omb, or Big Bob-bomb.

Boo

Boos, known in Japan as Teresa (テレサ?), are ghosts appearing in most Mario games, commonly in Ghost Houses. They are shy and cover their faces when Mario looks at them, but chase Mario when he is not looking at them. Their first appearance was in Super Mario Bros. 3.

Bullet Bill

Bullet Bills, known as Killers (キラー, Kirā) in Japan, are black, missile-like enemies, commonly depicted as having small arms and expressions on their faces with no mouth; they first appeared in Super Mario Bros. They are usually fired by cannons known as Bill Blasters, although they are sometimes fired from other sources, such as Snifits and generic cannons. In Super Mario World they can sometimes just fly in from the edge of the screen, including the top and the bottom. Bullet Bills commonly appear as enemies or obstacles, attacking by either flying forward after being shot or actively seeking a target, either smashing into them then continuing movement or exploding on contact. The Bullet Bill is one of the usable weapons in the Mario Kart series starting with Mario Kart DS, turning any character into a Bullet Bill for a brief while, speeding them ahead and knocking away any drivers in their path. Some games, such as Super Mario World, include a much larger variation of Bullet Bill called the Banzai Bill, known as Magnum Killers (マグナムキラー, Magunamu Kirā) in Japan. Though having the same purpose as the Bullet Bill, the Banzai Bill is significantly larger and has fanged teeth. An even larger version is called the King Bill, appearing only in New Super Mario. Bullet Bills also make cameo appearances in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl as enemies. In Super Mario Sunshine, Bullet Bills are shot out of a cannon by a Monty Mole. In Super Mario 3D Land, they can appear with tanooki tails. In the Super Mario Bros. movie Bullet Bills take on the forms of small bullets and work as the power source for Thwomp Stomper boots.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U. Bullet Bills are completely fireproof, and therefore, they cannot be defeated with fireballs. A stomp will defeat a Bullet Bill, but it always revives itself by shooting out of a cannon over and over again. Bullet Bill only appears once in the Nintendo 64 version of Super Mario 64. In the DS remake, Bullet Bills appear more.

The Torpedo Ted is an underwater version of Bullet Bill, appearing in Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U.

Buzzy Beetle

A Buzzy Beetle, known as a Met (メット, Metto) (from the word "helmet") in Japan, is a black or blue beetle-like creature with a hard, fireproof shell that renders it immune to Mario's fireballs. Like Koopa Troopa, it stops moving for a while after being stomped, but will eventually flip upright and begin walking again on its own. The shell can be kicked, or picked up and carried or thrown, to knock out enemies. If it hits a wall or barrier, though, it will bounce back and Mario must jump to avoid being hit.

The character first appears in Super Mario Bros., and then again in Super Mario Bros. 3 along with two relatives: Buster Beetle, who can pick up and throw ice blocks; and Para-Beetles, which have wings and fly around the sky stages of the game. These two are not fireproof, nor can they be flipped and kicked; a stomp will defeat Buster, while the Para-Beetles change their flight pattern if Mario jumps on them. In addition, some Buzzys in Super Mario Bros. 3 can walk along the ceiling and drop to the floor and slide toward Mario.

Chain Chomp

Chain Chomps, known in Japan as Wanwan (ワンワン) (Japanese onomatopoeia for a barking sound), are metal, barking ball-and-chain-like creatures that are restrained by chains. When not held back by chains, they are sometimes referred to as just Chomps. Chain Chomps constantly strain against the chain holding them, attempting to break free and bite anything that passes close by. They first appear in Super Mario Bros. 3. Chain Chomps and different variations appear in all of the Mario RPG games. In games such as Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, New Super Mario Bros., New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Super Mario Galaxy, Chain Chomps can be set free from their chains by ground pounding on their post. Otherwise, they are often indestructible.

Chain Chomps also appear without chains, such as in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where they are seen at first from afar, then lunge high into the air and drop down suddenly, creating a huge crater in the ground. There are also gigantic species called "Chomp Sharks," in which the Chomps chase the player, by "eating" the platform Yoshi is running on, until it hits a solid surface. Beginning in Super Mario Bros. 3, some games feature a version of the Chain Chomp appears that has fireballs for a chain and can fly. In Super Mario Galaxy. Chomps are nearly-invincible monsters that roll along a predetermined path. In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Silver Chomps pursue Mario.

Outside the Mario games, Chain Chomps appear in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 animated series. They also appear in various installments of The Legend of Zelda series of games.

The inspiration for Chain Chomps comes from a childhood experience of the Mario series' creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, where a dog tried to attack him. The dog lunged at him, but was jerked back by its leash just as it snapped at Miyamoto, inches in front of his face.^[4]

Chain Chomps also appeared in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! as a special item and an obstacle on circuit courses, and reappeared as an obstacle in Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii. Also in Mario Kart Wii, a Chain Chomp has its own battle arena known as Chain Chomp Wheel. Chain Chomps are also seen on Rainbow Road in Mario Kart 64, repeatedly biting their way over the course trying to hit the player.

Cheep-Cheep

Cheep-Cheeps, known in Japan by the similar onomatopoeia Pukupuku (プクプク), are fish that made their first appearance in Super Mario Bros., primarily in water levels, although some can jump in an arc or fly within a limited range. They are common recurring enemies throughout the Mario series.

There are many different species of Cheep-Cheeps, and they come in different colors, such as gray and green. In Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Cheep-Cheeps are found swimming in the underwater levels, or jumping out of the water in large arcs in levels containing bridges over water; only in the latter case can they be defeated by jumping on them.

In Super Mario Bros. 3, Cheep-Cheeps act the same, although they can also jump out of lava. They are mainly seen in World 3. Also, around this time, Cheep-Cheeps' tail fin colors changed from white to yellow, and the slow-moving Cheep-Cheeps were recolored green instead of gray. The nature of the Cheep-Cheeps varies depending on their colors. The game also features a very rare type of Cheep-Cheep with spines on its back. A variation of Cheep-Cheep also appears in Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story called "Air Cheep". Also, they appear in the Mario Kart series, and are important parts of certain courses.

Dry Bones

Dry Bones, known as Karon (カロン) in Japan, are skeletal undead Koopa Troopas. They collapse after being attacked, but then reassemble themselves after a short time, which makes them virtually immortal. They are also immune to Mario's fire balls, but can be defeated by Mario using a Starman, using a spin attack while wearing a Cape/Tanooki/Raccoon suit, or being frozen then smashed. Dry Bones first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3, and have since then appeared in the various forts and castles of many games, including Super Mario World, New Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Galaxy, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2, New Super Mario Bros. 2 and New Super Mario Bros. U. A skeletal version of Bowser also appeared, called Dry Bowser.

Dry Bones appear as playable characters in various spin-off Mario series such as Mario Baseball, Mario Kart, Mario Strikers Charged and Mario Party games. Dry Bones appear as a trophy and sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Dry Bones can also be a playable character in Mario Party 7, Mario Party 8 and as a boss in Mario Party 9 in "Deck Dry Bones". Large Dry Bones is the improved version of Dry Bones that ground pounds or simultaneous ground pounds to smash.

Goomba

Goombas /ˈɡuːmbɑː/, known in Japan as Kuribo (クリボー, Kuribō, [ku͍.ɽi.boː]), are a species of sentient mushrooms from Nintendo's Mario franchise. They first appeared in the NES video game Super Mario Bros. as the first enemy players encounter. They have appeared outside of video games, including in film, television, and other media. They are usually brown and are most commonly seen walking around aimlessly, often as an obstacle, in video games. They were included late in the development of Super Mario Bros. in order to create a simple, easy-to-defeat enemy.

Hammer Brothers

Hammer Bro., also known as Hammer Brothers or Hammer Bros. (Japanese: ハンマーブロス, Hepburn: Hanmā Burosu) is a recurring enemy in the Mario series of video games. Created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, it is a subspecies of Koopa Troopa that walks upright and attacks by throwing hammer projectiles at the player character. Different variations of the Hammer Bro., named after the type of projectile they throw, include Boomerang Bro., Fire Bro., Sledge Bro., and Sumo Bro. The Hammer Bro. has appeared in nearly every Super Mario game since its first appearance in Super Mario Bros., also appearing in various animated and printed adaptations of the franchise.

Koopa Troopa

Koopa Troopas, or just simply Koopas, known in Japan as Nokonoko (ノコノコ?), are a fictional race of turtle or tortoise-like creatures from the Mario series, as well as its sister Yoshi series. Although the term 'Koopa' is a blanket term for the entire species of anthropomorphic turtles in the series, to which creatures such as Lakitu, Hammer Bros. and even Bowser belong, the term is often used to refer colloquially to this particular enemy. First appearing in the 1983 arcade game, Mario Bros., in which they were known as Shellcreepers, they are among the oldest recurring enemies in the series, and have appeared in some form in all of the main games, and most of the spin-off games. When defeated, Koopas may flee from or retreat inside their shells, which can then usually be used as weapons. Koopa shells are a recurring weapon in the series, particularly popularized in the Mario Kart series, in which they can be fired as projectiles against other racers. Despite making up the bulk of Bowser's army, known as the "Koopa Troop", Koopas as a species are often shown to be peaceful, some even teaming up with Mario such as Kooper from Paper Mario. An undead Koopa Troopa becomes a Dry Bones.

Lakitu

Lakitu (/ləˈkiːtu/ or /ˈlækɪtuː/), known in Japan as Jugem (ジュゲム Jugemu?, [dʑu͍.ɡe.mu͍]), is a fictional character in the Mario franchise. Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, it first appeared in the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) video game Super Mario Bros., where it dropped enemies called Spinies on the stage. It has a striped green shell, wears aviator goggles, and rides around in a smiling cloud. It has since appeared in several main Mario titles since, as well as Mario spin-off titles, notably the Mario Kart series where it acts as the referee and a playable character in Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8. He has appeared in non-Mario titles, including the Super Smash Bros. series, specifically Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His most recent appearance in the Mario series was in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.

Magikoopa

Magikoopas, known in Japan as Kamek (カメック, Kamekku), are Koopas who wear blue hats, blue robes, glasses and use a magic rod to cast spells. Some have also been seen wearing different colors as well, like red, green and yellow. They first appeared in Super Mario World. A member of the species, Kamek, babysat Bowser when he was a baby.

Kamek made an appearance in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time as a boss on Yoshi's Island. A variation, the "Magifoofa", appears in Bowser's Inside Story. Kamek also made an appearance in New Super Mario Bros. Wii when he enchanted the boss stage for the last fight in the final castle in each world. He also enchants Bowser after the player defeats him on the last stage of the game, turning Bowser into ultra-large Mega Bowser, whose fireballs the player must dodge to open a pathway to princess Peach.

Monty Mole

Monty Moles (チョロプー, Choropū) are moles that have appeared in several Mario games, including side-scrollers such as Super Mario World. They later reappeared in Super Mario 64 and Paper Mario. In these games, Monty Moles throw rocks at Mario and then burrow underground before he can counter-attack. Monty Moles are minibosses in Super Mario Sunshine, New Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Galaxy. Monty Moles appear as the engineers in a variant called "Mawful Mole" on the Fawful express, and as guards on Yikk's Tower in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Monty Moles also make an appearance in Super Mario Kart, Mario Kart 64, Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii, and Mario Kart 8 as enemies that pop out of the ground and cause players to spin out. Monty also appeared in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers as a playable character. Monty Mole also appears in various Mario Party minigames.

Piranha Plant

A Piranha Plant, known as Packun Flower (パックンフラワー, Pakkun Furawā) in Japan,^[5] is an enemy almost always portrayed as a leafy, green stalk topped Venus Flytrap with a white-spotted red or green globe and sharp teeth reminiscent of piranhas. Piranha Plants usually come up from pipes, but sometimes they may also simply stick up from the ground and in rare cases even walk freely on its own roots. In Super Mario World, there is a variant of Piranha Plant that jumps out of pipes before retreating into them again. Super Mario Sunshine introduces a large Piranha Plant character: Petey Piranha. In Super Mario Galaxy, two stronger versions of a Piranha Plant, Dino Piranha and Fiery Dino Piranha, appear. Another Piranha Plant boss, Peewee Piranha, appears in Super Mario Galaxy 2. Some Piranha Plants spit fireballs and are known as Venus Firetraps. Another kind, introduced in the handheld game Super Mario 3D Land, are Inky Piranha Plants, which spit out ink that covers almost the whole screen. Piranha Plants also appear in the Mario Kart series as hazards on the track (as well as a power-up in 8), and in various Mario Party minigames.

Piranha Plants appear in the television series. They have made cameos in Tetris Attack and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.^[6] They also appear in Super Smash Bros. in the Mushroom Kingdom stage, and later in Super Smash Bros. Brawl in the PictoChat stage, and as a collectible trophy.

1UP.com listed Piranha Plant first in their list of the "Top 5 Enemy Plants".^[7]

Pokey

Pokey, known as Sanbo (サンボ) in Japan, is a cactus enemy that first appears in Super Mario Bros. 2. Pokey consists of four (or more in some cases) green or yellow segments that may be detached from him, usually by getting Yoshi to eat them. Pokey has appeared in the Paper Mario series. Its latest appearance is in New Super Mario Bros. U in multiple stages. In the super Mario Wii series the player waits for the pokey to change into a Yoshi`s edible treat.

Shy Guy

A Shy Guy, known as Hey-Ho (ヘイホー, Heihō) in Japan,^[8] is a masked enemy wearing a robe, which is typically red; variant Shy Guys are often denoted by a different colored robe. Shy Guys are one of the few fictional species in the series that debuted in a non-Mario game, Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, which was rebranded as the North American and European version of Super Mario Bros. 2. They also appear in the Mario Party series, the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, and several sports games in the Mario series, among other games, though they play a large role as the standard enemies in many Yoshi games. In the Mario Kart series, Shy Guys appeared on various courses and as a playable driver. A Shy Guy appears in Super Mario Maker as an unlockable Mystery Mushroom costume, with its appearance based on Super Mario Bros. 2.

There are many different variations of Shy Guys: Snifits, which have a cannon for a mouth; Fly Guys, which have spinning propellers on their heads; Sky Guys, which have balloons attached to their robes; Spy Guys, which are dressed in camouflage clothing; Boo Guys, which are ghosts; Boom Guys, which have a cannon on their head; and Spear Guys, which have spears and are found near jungle temples. Snifits were introduced in Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic. Two other variations of Snifits appear in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, as well as Fawful Guys. A stronger version, the Dark Fawful Guy, appears later in this game. In Mario Power Tennis, Luigi saw a Shy Guy without its mask but the player does not.

Shy Guy is voiced by Nate Bihldorff.^[9]

Spiny

Spinies, known as Togezō (トゲゾー) in Japan, are quadruped Koopas, first appearing in Super Mario Bros. They are often thrown by Lakitus in unlimited supplies, but can also be naturally occurring. Spinies appear in many Mario games like Super Mario Bros., Super Mario 64, New Super Mario Bros., New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Super Mario 3D Land, New Super Mario Bros. 2, New Super Mario Bros. U and Super Mario 3D World. Their spines make them lethal if jumped on; however, they can be jumped on if Mario wields certain power-ups, such as Goomba's Shoe.

Spinies made a brief TV appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show in the episode "Mario and the Red Baron Koopa". King Koopa had ordered Lakitu to throw several Spiny Eggs down to the people of Pasta Land, which hatched into Spinies, and terrorized the people for a short time. The Spinies seen in this episode were fairly similar to their game appearance.

A single Spiny later appeared in the continuation of the show. In The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "Life's Ruff", a Lakitu tossed a Spiny Egg next to a dog-turned Luigi, which hatched into a Spiny and bit Luigi. This Spiny looked much like the ones seen on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!.

Spinies have appeared in other games including one of the games in the Mario Party series and made appearances in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Paper Mario series, and the Mario & Luigi series.

Spinies appeared in Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, but the dance game also introduced Ice Spinies. Both the regular Spinies and the Ice version would make the Dance Meter go down when stepped upon. The Ice Spinies, however, were not Spinies at all and were simply a frozen piece of ice with sharp spikes on them.

Spinies are represented in the Mario Strikers series as an item: a huge, spinning, spiked shell. This shell will bounce off walls until it eventually hits a player. When it impacts with a character, it will explode, and possibly hit other players as well. If any players are hit, they will be stunned for a few seconds. Spinies form the base of the blue shell, a well-known item in the Mario Kart series.

Thwomp

Thwomps, known as Dossun (ドッスン) in Japan, are large stone blocks, depicted as having angry-looking faces and clenched teeth. First appearing in Super Mario Bros. 3, they drop onto the characters as they walk under them. Thwomps have also appeared in other games, including the Mario Kart series as hazards. Thwomps make yet another appearance in Super Mario Galaxy. A smaller version called Thwimp appears in some games. They look exactly like Thwomps except for jumping from left to right. In Super Mario 3D Land, there are two kinds of Thwomps: regular Thwomps and the Tailed Thwomp. Thwomps also appeared in various Mario Party minigames. New Super Mario Bros. U introduces a new species of Thwomp called Grrrol that looks like a Thwomp, except it is round and has rolling red eyes and a grin with one tooth missing. Super Mario 64 introduced some new species of Thwomp called the Grindel, which is a mummified Thwomp with bandages and a grin and the Spindel, a rolling, circular Thwomp that has an angry smile on its face. Super Mario 64, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 feature new species of Thwomp - the Bomp, a species of Thwomp that acts like a wall that shoves Mario when he approaches, making him fall to his death and the Flomp, a platform that flips Mario and Luigi into the air if they stand on it for too long.

Thwomps have appeared in both and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World animated series.^[10]

Thwomps have also appeared in some Legend of Zelda games.

In the 1993 film, "Thwomp Stompers" are a pair of boots which grant wearers the ability to jump incredible heights.^[11]

Whomp

Whomps, inspired by the Japanese folklore of Nurikabe (ぬりかべ) debuted in Super Mario 64 and have appeared in New Super Mario Bros. and various Mario Party games. As minions of Bowser, their purpose is usually to block Mario's path or attempt to crush him by simply falling on top of him. Whomps have a bandage on their backs which hides a crack, their weak point. In Super Mario 64, Whomps reside in the stage called Whomp's Fortress and are led by the Whomp King, a large Whomp with a crown. They also appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2, where they have more humanoid hands and feet. The Whomp King returns in this game as the boss of the Throwback Galaxy, and during the two phase of the fight, the monarch creates tiny versions of Whomp called Whimps to assist in his brawl with Mario/Luigi. Super Mario 3D Land introduces a new species of Whomp called the Wallop, which is a smaller version of the Whomp that blocks Mario's way by taking the same steps he goes, and stopping him from going past it, but when the player makes Mario jump, the Wallop will slam the ground and be stunned. Super Mario 3D World introduced a new species of Whomp called Walleye that has the same purpose as the Wallop; to stop Mario and its friends from getting past it.

Wiggler

Wigglers, known as Hana-chan (ハナチャン) in Japan, are caterpillar-like creatures with segmented bodies and large noses, each with a flower on its head. They are typically yellow, but turn red when angered. Wigglers are depicted as normally being calm and happy, but when angered, become dangerous and run frantically. They first appear in Super Mario World, and have appeared in several other games, including the sports games in the Mario series. In Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS, Wiggler is the boss of Tiny-Huge Island. In Yoshi's Story, large, fluffy versions of Wigglers appear often. In Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, a family of Wigglers lives inside Dimble Woods. In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Mario must help save a Wiggler by the name of Wiggler (who always speaks in third person) by reuniting all four of his body segments which were scattered all over a forest. Wigglers have also made appearances in all four New Super Mario Bros. titles. In Super Mario Sunshine, one is a boss on Gelato Beach.

In the Super Mario World animated series, they are referred to as "Caterpillars" and they appear in various episodes.

In New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U, there are bigger versions of Wigglers called Mega Wigglers that Mario cannot defeat. If Mario attempts to defeat them, they might damage him. They also reappear in Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 7 on the course Maple Treeway, Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2, and in various Mario Party minigames.

Wigglers were first playable in Mario Power Tennis for GameCube. Wiggler is also a playable character in Mario Super Sluggers as a baseball player and in Mario Kart 7 as a Cruiser-type driver. Wiggler also appears in the form of an ATV in Mario Kart 8 called the Wild Wiggler. Wiggler appears as the level 7 boss in Mario Kart DS.

References