Games

Scariest Enemies in the Series In Mario

Published

2 months ago

October 16, 2024

illustrated boohemoth sneaking up on mario

The broader Super Mario series is 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.

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Mario is a pretty massive franchise for Nintendo; in fact, Mario is the company’s main mascot, meaning he is the face of the entire brand. With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that there are so many different Mario games out there for players to find and enjoy in their free time, with many of the games being comfort games for players.

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.

5 Cosmic Clone

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Mario looking exhausted while the clones surround him

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 from Super Mario Galaxy 2 to 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.

4 Blarrg

Super Mario World

Red Yoshi eating one Blargg, while another lies in wait

Blarrgs are one of a handful of lava monsters seen throughout the greater Mario series. 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.

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Yoshi’s Story featured 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.

3 Mechawiggler

Super Mario Odyssey

Mechawiggler atop a tower in New Donk City

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 greater Mario series. They appear as playable characters in games such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Mario 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 as Super Mario Odyssey’s Mechawiggler, 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.

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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.

2 Time Bob-Omb

Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga

Larry standing beside a time bob-omb with a "2," signifying 2 turns before its Game Over

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.

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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 in Superstar Saga, namely Larry, Roy, and Wendy. It has yet to appear anywhere else in the recently revived Mario and Luigi series. Even so, its limited appearances don’t serve to make the foes it accompanies any less terrifying.

1 Boohemoth

New Super Mario Bros. 2

In terms of size, this boo 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.