The broaderSuper Marioseriesis known for a warm, wholesome, family-friendly vibe. This is reflected in most elements of the game, such as the art style, the music, and yes, even some of the enemies. Whether it’s the cheep cheeps, koopa troopas, or boos that are equal parts boisterous and bashful, a lot of Mario’s enemies have an endearing aspect to them.
This does not ring true for certain foes. Whether they’re characters that can take a lot of punishment, characters who look somewhat disturbing, or both, it’s not all sunshine and mushrooms for the Mario Bros. Here are some foes that would make anyone act like Luigi.
5Cosmic Clone
Super Mario Galaxy 2
These bizarre beings are copies of the Mario Bros. with a presumed extraterrestrial origin. Their design, while simple, is somewhat creepy as one of the few “evil” beings based on the Mario Bros. that takes away their most endearing aspect, personality. They are red colored 3D shadow beings, with only a pair of glowing eyes that stick out.
They tend to mimic the actions of the player but are detrimental upon being touched. Instead, the player must either reach a certain part of the level, touch them while invincible, or bait the clones to their deaths, depending on the game.Super Mario 3D Land, the only game aside fromSuper Mario Galaxy 2to feature the clones makes them slightly scarier. They are given a purple hue rather than the previously established red, don’t die upon being touched (unless the player is invincible), and have bigger counterparts that are a bit more destructive.
4Blarrg
Super Mario World
Blarrgs are one of a handful of lava monsters seen throughout the greaterMarioseries. There are two main things that make the Blarrg a frightening foe to deal with. One is its absolutely unhinged looking eyes, which its fairly large sprite all but forces viewers to pay attention to. The much more straightforward reason is the fact that it is a lava being, which requires a bit of troubleshooting to avoid, and even more to properly defeat. If timed properly, Yoshi is capable of devouring a Blarrg.
Yoshi’s Storyfeatured a differently designed Blarrg, with a larger albeit much simpler and somewhat less frightening appearance than its counterpart. This minimalistic design, which merely features eyes, fangs, and an otherwise featureless lava body, seems to be a common variant in games starring Yoshi. The reason why they are so different in design from the original Blarrg is unclear. Enemies more closely resembling the original Blarrg such as the Mamaargh and Raargh, have appeared to continue the tradition of frightening lava monsters.
3Mechawiggler
Super Mario Odyssey
Wigglers are some of Mario’s most memorable and adorable enemies. Although they are a bit of a pain to face off against, in part due to their multi-segmented bodies and a tendency of being quick to anger, their endearing design has garnered them enough popularity to be introduced into the greaterMarioseries. They appear as playable characters in games such asMario Kart 8 DeluxeandMario Super Sluggers.
Now imagine a being with none of the implied warmth or humanity of the emotive Wiggler, still invoking its more intimidating traits. Whatever the result of that thought was probably still isn’t as terrifying asSuper Mario Odyssey’sMechawiggler, a shrieking mechanical being meant to take after the original giga-caterpillar. It is even larger than the average wiggler (although perhaps not the big wigglers), and is shown siphoning power from New Donk City Hall, with its “teeth” resembling a plug.
Like the original wiggler, this being can also be “angered” but it takes a bit more time and effort, seeing as it is a boss rather than a standard enemy. The mechawiggler requires Mario to fuse with a nearby sherm, which is needed to shoot at the various segments of its body. The mechawiggler isn’t unbeatable, but it sure it is far more terrifying than the innocent faced predecessor who inspired it.
2Time Bob-Omb
Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga
Upon first glance, the time bob-omb is not a particularly terrifying being. It is merely a bob-omb with a number where its face should be. What’s truly terrifying is what this number represents, the amount of turns left in a given battle it appears in. This means Mario and Luigi are working on a clock, as the time bob-omb’s explosion will trigger, in most cases, an automatic game over.
Originally, this would only shave off 398 HP, an admittedly high bar to clear. However, if one did manage to up the HP of the brothers beyond it, there was a chance they could feasibly survive, and have no time limit to defeat the foe it accompanied.
Yet this was changed into an impossibility in the remake. Making the time bob-omb’s zero match the health of the brothers no matter how high it got. It is primarily used by three Koopalings in its appearance inSuperstar Saga, namely Larry, Roy, and Wendy. It has yet to appear anywhere else in therecently revivedMario and Luigiseries. Even so, its limited appearances don’t serve to make the foes it accompanies any less terrifying.
1Boohemoth
New Super Mario Bros. 2
In terms of size, thisboo eclipses every other, including beings such as Boolossus and Atomic Boo, who are confirmed to be multiple boos fusing into larger ones. Its face is a bit less endearing than that of a regular boo, with its somewhat shadowed eyes meant to invoke a more terrifying foe.
This promise is delivered when one actually meets the Boohemoth in the Ghost Houses it appears in. Boohemoth is a screen-clearing foe who forces the Mario brothers to constantly move forward. Even a starman or invincibility leaf does not prevent the player from being killed. This is likely to keep the stage moving, even in more extreme circumstances. There is one way to deal with it, which is by staring at it. However, even this is proven to be unsuccessful after a time, as the Boohemoth is far less shy than its counterparts, and will make its way toward the brothers anyway.
