List of recurring enemies in the Mario series

This is a list of enemies in the Mario series of video games.

Blooper

Bloopers (Gessō (ゲッソー) in Japanese, originally known in English as Bloobers) are white, squid-like creatures that first appear in Super Mario Bros. In some Mario sports games, the Mario Kart series and Super Mario Sunshine, they are items that can be used by players. In Mario Kart, they temporarily reduce drivers' visibilities by spraying ink on them. Blooper is also an unlockable playable character in Mario Party 8. To unlock him, the player has to beat the Star Battle Arena once. He was also an unlockable character in Mario Super Sluggers. Two variations of Blooper appear in Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story: the "Bubble Blooper" and the "Dried Blooper".

GameDaily listed Blooper as the 20th best Mario enemy, describing it as a difficult enemy to out-swim.

Bob-omb

Bob-ombs, known as Bomuhei (ボム兵) in Japan, are living bombs, sometimes with windup keys on their backs. They wander around aimlessly and eventually explode on their own if not picked up, stomped on, or thrown around. They first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2. Bob-ombs are common enemies in Super Mario 64 as well as allies. In these games, Bob-ombs are first encountered in Bob-omb Battlefield, a level that is ruled by King Bob-omb. Paper Mario and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door feature two playable Bob-ombs named Bombette and Admiral Bobbery respectively. They appear as items in other games, including the Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. series. In Mario Super Sluggers they appear in a mini-game called Bob-omb Derby, where you hit them to create fireworks. Bob-ombs also made an appearance in the Super Mario Brothers movie, where they are shown to be the size of a golf ball with a wind up key on its back.

GameDaily listed the Bob-omb as the ninth best Mario enemy, calling it the "most adorable explosive" they've ever seen.

Bob-omb is also referred to in the comic book series Scott Pilgrim as the name of Scott's band: "Sex Bob-omb".

Boo

Boos, known as Teresa (テレサ) in Japan, are spectral beings with beady eyes, long tongues, and sharp fangs. The first appearance of Boos was in Super Mario Bros. 3, where they appear under the name Boo Diddly, a pun of Bo Diddley. In Super Mario World, there are much larger variations of the Boo under the name of Big Boo. All Boos are ghostly creatures that are able to pass through solid matter. However, they are shy, and will cover their face with their arms if anyone looks at them. Conversely, in Super Princess Peach some Boos act the exact opposite, chasing after you if you look at them. In Luigi's Mansion, Boos, led by King Boo, act as the main antagonists. Boos appear as playable characters in various Mario spin-off games. In Super Mario Galaxy, Mario can transform into Boo Mario, where he can float and become transparent. Also in Galaxy is a variation of a Boo called a Bomb Boo that latches onto Mario when he spins and will revolve around him until it comes into contact with an object, where it will explode. Boo also has a small appearance on a level in New Super Mario Bros. Although Boo is considered shy, it has made appearances as a playable character in games such as Mario Party 8 and Mario Tennis. Boo has also appeared in all of the games in the Mario RPG series, including the Mario and Luigi games, the Paper Mario series, and Super Mario RPG.

Takashi Tezuka's wife was the inspiration for Boos; like them, she is often shy, but once became very angry at him for spending too much time at work.

Boo ranked in the fifth slot on GameDaily's top 10 Nintendo characters that deserve their own games list. GameDaily also listed him as the seventh best Mario enemy, citing the difficulty involved in defeating or outrunning it.

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 fanged frowns on their faces; 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. In Mario Kart DS and Mario Kart Wii, the Bullet Bill is one of the usable weapons, turning any character into a Bullet Bill for a brief while, speeding them ahead and knocking away any drivers in their path. 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.

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) in Japan. Though having the same purpose as the Bullet Bill, the Banzai Bill is significantly larger and has fanged teeth. In Super Mario World, Super Princess Peach, and Super Mario Galaxy, Torpedo Ted is an underwater version of Bullet Bill. Torpedo Teds are similar to Bullet Bills, but have propellers and shake their arms while swimming.

GameDaily listed Bullet Bill as the 10th best Mario enemy, calling it one of the series' most iconic characters.

Buzzy Beetle

Buzzy Beetle is a black 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/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., 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.

GameDaily listed the Buzzy Beetle as the 12th best Mario enemy, due to its increased defenses versus most other enemies.

Chomp

Chomps, known as Wanwan (ワンワン) in Japan, 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., and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, 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 "Chomp Sharks," in which the Chomps chase the player, by "eating" the platform Yoshi is running on, until it hits a solid surface. In some games (beginning in Super Mario Bros. 3), a version of the Chain Chomp that has fireballs for a chain and can fly appears. 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 the canine snapped at Miyamoto inches in front of his face.

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. Chain Chomps are also seen on the rainbow course in Mario Kart 64, repeatedly biting their way over the course trying to hit the player.

GameDaily listed Chomp as the 14th best Mario enemy, describing it as one of the series' most ferocious.

Cheep-Cheep

Cheep-Cheeps, known as Pukupuku (プクプク) in Japan, are fish that made their first appearance in Super Mario Bros. in the water levels. 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 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 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 the themes of certain levels.

GameDaily listed the Cheep-Cheep as the 23rd best Mario enemy, stating that few enemies angered them more than the Cheep-Cheeps.

Clawgrip

Clawgrip' first appeared as a boss in Super Mario Bros. 2. In their listing of Tryclyde in the top 25 Mario enemies, GameDaily described Clawgrip as a "wiener boss". There is also a small version of Clawgrip called Huckit Crab.

Dry Bones

Dry Bones, known as Karon (カロン) in Japan, are skeletal reanimated Koopa Troopas. They collapse after being attacked, but then reassemble themselves after a short time. Dry Bones first appear 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, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Dry Bones appear as playable characters in various spin-off Mario series such as Mario Baseball, Mario Kart, and Mario Party games. Dry Bones appear as a trophy and sticker in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. They also appeared in "Mario Strikers Charged" as a playable character.

GameDaily listed Dry Bones as the 21st best Mario enemy, due to the difficulty involved in defeating them.

Goomba

Main article: Goomba

Hammer Bros.

Hammer Bros. (ハンマーブロス, Hanmā Burosu) are koopas that walk upright, throw hammers, and wear helmets. They first appeared in Super Mario Bros. Other variations, such as Boomerang Bros., Fire Bros., Ice Bros. (denoted by the projectiles that they use), and Sledge Bros. (heavier Hammer Bros.) have appeared, beginning in Super Mario Bros. 3. Hammer Bros. sometimes appear as playable characters in sports games in the series and also are unlockable playable characters in Mario Party 8. They also make cameos in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an Assist Trophy and as enemies.

Hammer Bros. appear in the The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! and The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 television series, as well as in printed media such as Nintendo Comics System and Nintendo Adventure Books.

The Hammer Bros. were listed on the eight most underrated characters list by CNET editor Nate Lanxon, who compared the duo in the first Super Mario Bros. to other enemies in the series which would merely walk aimlessly in the level. GameDaily listed Hammer Bros. as the fifth best Mario enemy, citing the difficulty involved in defeating them. Nintendo Power listed the Hammer Bros. as one of the things that they love to hate, citing the difficulty involved in defeating or avoiding them.

Koopa Troopa

Koopa Troopas (Nokonoko (ノコノコ) in Japan) are turtle-like creatures. They come in multiple colors, including green, red, blue, and yellow. They first walked on four legs, but in later games they have both hands and feet. Their shells may be used as projectiles, which have become a fixture in all Mario Kart games. Most Koopas are members of the Koopa Troop (Bowser's army), but both Super Mario 64 and the Paper Mario series include friendly Koopas, such as Koopa the Quick (Super Mario 64) and Kooper (Paper Mario). Flying versions with wings, first introduced in Super Mario Bros., are called Koopa Paratroopas. Both Koopa Troopas and Koopa Paratroopas make cameo appearances in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl as enemies.

The Koopa Troopa, based on the kappa, a mythical creature, was preceded by the Shellcreeper in Mario Bros. as an enemy that could only be defeated by hitting the floor underneath it (to stun it) and then going up onto its platform to deal the final blow. Series creator Shigeru Miyamoto had a fellow designer draw the Koopa Troopa. He drew a realistic design that didn't fit well in the Mario series, so Miyamoto made his own design. While the design had quite a large head, Miyamoto validated it by suggesting that it looked like a tortoise. He and Hirokazu Tanaka, a frequent sound designer for Nintendo at the time, discussed what the insides of a turtle looked like. Miyamoto wanted to make it easy to tell when a turtle was going to jump up, but he felt that the twitching of the shell was not enough warning to tell players when it would flip over. Tanaka suggested that the turtle be launched from its shell when flipped over, and eventually attempt to reenter it. While this was not true to the actual anatomy of a turtle, whose shell develops from its spine, Miyamoto felt that it was the best way to convey when they were a threat again. Super Mario Bros. originally featured the Koopa Troopa as its only enemy. However, they chose to add more enemies after people said that the Koopa Troopas were too tricky to defeat due to it being a two-step process.

The design of the Koopa Paratroopa came from Mario developer Takashi Tezuka in an attempt to add a flying character to Super Mario Bros., but did not have enough space to include such a character. Tezuka suggested that they put wings on the Koopa Troopa and call it "Koopa Paratroopa", which Miyamoto did not think would work. However, once it was finished, Miyamoto felt that it looked cute. An item called the "P Wing" was added to Super Mario Bros. 3, which was based on the Koopa Paratroopa.

In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, they were voiced by Frank Welker.

A variety of Mario-related merchandise depicting Koopa Troopas have been produced over the years by Nintendo; this merchandise includes plush dolls, mini figures, bottlecaps and plush keychains. The various merchandise given out on King Koopa's Kool Kartoons was often adorned with the name Koopa Troopa as well. Their signature shell was included as a player piece in the Nintendo Monopoly game. A Koopa Troopa was featured in a line of six-inch-tall plush toys based on characters from the Mario series.

A satirical article was written by The Pitt News columnist Ben Korman, criticizing the Mario series for its offensive treatment of the Koopa Troopas, stating that the character Mario was rewarded for his slaughter of "innocent, healthy turtles". GameDaily listed Koopa Troopa as the eighth best Mario enemy, calling them the most common enemies in the series next to the Goomba.

Lakitu

Main article: Lakitu

Magikoopa

Magikoopas (カメック, Kamekku) are creatures who wear a blue hat, robes, and spectacles 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.

Mecha-Koopas

Mecha-Koopas are smaller, robotic versions of Bowser, which first appeared in Super Mario World where they were eventually used to defeat Bowser. They tend to be resistant to normal jumps, often requiring spin jumps or ground pounds to fully defeat.

Monty Mole

Monty Moles 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 Ibikki Tower in Bowser's Inside Story. Monty Moles also make an appearance in Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart DS, and Mario Kart 64 as enemies that pop out of the ground and cause players to spin out. Monty also appeared in Mario Superstar Baseball as a playable character.

Mouser

Mouser is a boss who first appears in Super Mario Bros. 2. In their listing of Tryclyde in the top 25 Mario enemies, GameDaily described Mouser as a "wiener boss". His minions are called Mini Mousers, and they appear in Ghost Houses.

Piranha Plant

A Piranha Plant, known as Packun Flower (パックン フラワー, Pakkun Furawā) in Japan, is an enemy almost always portrayed as a leafy, green stalk topped with a white-spotted red or green globe and sharp teeth. Piranha Plants usually come up from pipes, but sometimes they may also simply stick up from the ground. In Super Mario Galaxy, two stronger versions of a Piranha plant, Dino Piranha and Flaming Dino Piranha, appear. Some Piranha Plants spit fireballs and are known as Venus Firetraps.

Piranha Plants appear in the television series. They have made cameos in The Legend of Zelda series and the Super Smash Bros. series.

GameDaily listed Piranha Plant as the 13th best Mario enemy.

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 green or yellow segments that may be detached from him, usually by getting Yoshi to eat them. A variation unofficially known as Giant Pokey debuted in Mario Kart Wii. Pokey has appeared in the "Paper Mario" series. His latest appearance is a different variation known as a Toothy, which made an appearance in "Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story".

A Pokey boss called Mummipokey appears in New Super Mario Bros.

Pokeys make several cameo appearances in The Legend of Zelda series.

GameDaily named Pokey the 22nd best Mario enemy, describing him as "ridiculously cute".

Shy Guy

A Shy Guy, known as Hey-Ho (ヘイホー, Heihō) in Japan, is a masked enemy who appears in several variations. 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, Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis, 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. Shy Guys are also playable in Mario Kart DS via Download Play or an Action Replay DS code. 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.

GameDaily listed Shy Guy as the 15th best Mario enemy, citing their mysteriousness.

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 people as they walk under them. Thwomps have also appeared in other games, including the Mario Kart series, at Bowser's Castle, Super Mario Kart's Rainbow Road, and Mario Kart Wii's Thwomp Desert. The latter contains a Giant Thwomp which is replaced by a Giant Pokey for online tournaments. 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.

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

Thwomps have also appeared in some Legend of Zelda games.

In the 1993 motion picture, "Thwomp Stompers" are a pair of boots which grant wearers the ability to jump incredible heights.

GameDaily listed Thwomp as the 11th best Mario enemy.

Tryclyde

Tryclyde is a boss who first appears in Super Mario Bros. 2. GameDaily listed Tryclyde as the 24th best Mario enemy, stating him as being the best of the Super Mario Bros. 2 bosses due to his dangerous appearance. Tryclyde's minions are called Cobrats.

Wiggler

Wigglers, known as Hanachan (ハナチャン) in Japan, are caterpillar-like creatures with a segmented body and a large nose. 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, 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; they are farmers of vegetables.

In the Super Mario World animated series, they are referred to as "Caterpillars" and appear in the episode "Mama Luigi."

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.