Characters in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
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Template:Spoiler Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, is a video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube in 2004. As an RPG, there are countless characters in the game. This article contains write-ups on the more prominent ones.
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Main characters
Mario
Mario is the venerable hero of the Super Mario Bros. video game series, as well as various offshoot games. In The Thousand-Year Door, he is on a treasure hunt for seven Crystal Stars with a magical map sent to him by Princess Peach, and teams up with Goombella and Koops, among others, during the game. Voice: Charles Martinet.
Princess Peach
Finding herself kidnapped is a primary feature of Princess Peach's life. Very few games go by where she is not the target of some ne'er-do-well's plots. Unlike most Mario games, however, this time she is kidnapped by Sir Grodus and his X-Nauts because she possesses a highly valued treasure map, which she sent to Mario prior to her kidnapping. One of the puzzling parts in the game is Grodus's unknown reason for keeping Princess Peach. It is later revealed in the game that he was keeping her to use her as the body for the Shadow Queen to possess. She is voiced by Jen Taylor.
Professor Frankly
A professor in archeology at Goomba University, he taught both Kolorado and Goombella. Currently living in Rougeport to research the ancient ruins underneath the town, he is overjoyed to join Mario on his quest to find the Crystal Stars. Throughout the game his is a source of information for Mario and friends, unearthing the ancient legend about the Thousand-Year Door and researching how to get to the locations described on the magical map. His japanese name Furankuri is a combination of Frankly and Kuribo (Japanese name for Goomba).
Bowser
Bowser is Mario's nemesis, and is usually responsible for trouble in the Mushroom Kingdom. In this game, Bowser has many cutscenes where he is a playable character. These scenes are often quite humorous, and involve classic levels of the original "Super Mario Bros." NES Game, though not identical. The music from the original 1985 Super Mario Bros. game is also included . He is voiced by Scott Burns.
Bowser's journey in the game follows a similar patern to Mario's. However, he is usually a few steps behind Mario and his friends, so he is met with little success. There are three sections of the game in which you control Bowser through the above mentioned side-scrolling levels, and several others where you control Bowser similarly to how Mario and Peach are controlled. During Mario's mission in Glitzville, the Koopa king attacks him in the ring and loses. During the final level, Bowser and Kammy Koopa break into the Palace of Shadow, accidentily saving Mario from Grodus. However, Bowser and Kammy attack, allowing Grodus to regain consiousness and take Princess Peach to the Shadow Queen.
Sir Grodus
Grodus is the main villain of the game, and the leader of the X-Nauts. Discontented to have his power limited to the moon, Grodus hopes to take over the world. He wants to obtain the Crystal Stars and unleash the Shadow Queen. His plans begin to fail when Mario obtains the magical map first. The X-Nauts are forced to follow Mario as best as they can and hold onto the hope that they will be able to outsmart or defeat him somewhere down the road.
After Mario regains all of the Crystal Stars and the X-Naut base is abandonned, Grodus disguises himself as Professor Frankley and tricks Mario into opening the Thousand-Year Door. Navigating through the Palace of Shadow beyond the door with Peach and the Shadow Sirens, Grodus is only caught at the foot of the passageway to the Shadow Queen's tomb. After Mario and company defeat him, he holds Peach hostage in a bubble, threatening to cut of her oxygen. After electrocuting Mario for some time, Bowser crashes through the roof and crushes Grodus accidentally. During Bowser's battle with Mario, Grodus regains consiousness and escapes with Peach into the Shadow Queen's tomb. When Mario and company get there, Grodus unleashes the Shadow Queen, who possesses Peach. When Grodus tries to command the Shadow Queen, she destoys his body, leaving nothing but his head. In an ironic twist, he had been tricked by the Shadow Sirens. Only a small number of X-Nauts remain, including Grodus, Lord Crump, and a handful of basic X-Naut soldiers. Grodus exists as a bouncing, talking head, and it is not explained how he survived. Perhaps it is because of the mechine inside of his helmet.
He wears goggles like the other X-Nauts, but sports a cloak (which may be a status symbol among X-Nauts). Grodus's head is partially electronic, but it is never explained in the game. He is proficient in magic, which he uses his staff for. Spells are his main attack. Like many Mario villains, Grodus often finishes his boasting with an evil laugh. Grodus appears to have a cough as his laughter appears as "GAAAAAAAACK ACK ACK ACK ACK!" in speech bubbles. He also carries cough lozenges.
Lord Crump
Lord Crump is this game's analogue to Paper Mario's Jr. Troopa in that he is a strong enemy (relative to common enemies) who appears in mostly odd-numbered Chapters and in the Prologue, and though a miserable failure, is completely focused on trashing Mario and his friends.
He is massively built, wearing a purple uniform with a white X, a purple bandanna, goggles and a red and ragged scarf. He serves, or tries to serve, his master Sir Grodus, but fails most of the time because of Mario. His catchphrase is "And with that, pow, I'm gone". For some reason, he has a habit of saying "Buh" and "Huh" in rhythms, most often being "Buh! Huh! Huh huh huh!" This is likely some kind of impeded or strongly accented laughing.
Though Lord Crump is first sighted in Rogueport near the beginning of the game in the form of a tutorial fight, he is not formally introduced as a major character until Chapter 2. Grodus sends Crump and the Shadow Sirens to the Great Tree after hearing news that a Crystal Star is located there. Crump and the X-Nauts take advantage of a war between rival insect-like tribes, the Punies and the Jabbies. As the X-Nauts had learned that the Crystal Star belongs to the Punies and that the Punies will never reveal its location, they team up with the Jabbies to imprison the Punies and perform an extensive search, though unsuccessful until Mario and company arrive on the scene and discover a secret underground room. Crump, apparently having followed Mario, steals the Crystal Star as it emerges and sets a time bomb for five minutes. Lord Crump is stopped at the Great Tree's entrance by the Puni Elder until Mario arrives. Surrounded, Crump unleashes the Magnus von Grapple, a humanoid robot, in an attempt to defeat Mario and his friends and make his getaway with the Emerald Star, but is ultimately unsuccessful.
Later, Crump joins the eccentric aristocrat Flavio on a trip to Keelhaul Key under the name of "Four-Eyes," which is such an obvious disguise that he demands that the player, not reveal him to Mario. When the S.S. Flavion, Flavio's ship, is attacked and destroyed by pirate ghosts, Crump, Mario, Flavio, and the rest wash up onto Keelhaul Key. Four-Eyes secretly follows Mario and his friends on their journey through the underground Pirate's Grotto, the supposed location of the fifth Crystal Star, the Sapphire Star. After Mario and co. obtain the Star, Crump removes his disguise and attacks the adventurers in a battleship, although he is foiled after Flavio convinces Cortez to help them fight. Lord Crump's X-Nauts and the combined forces of Flavio's deckhands, Mario and Cortez's pirates raid each other's ships, while Lord Crump and Mario and his comrades do battle once again. Lord Crump loses and retreats. When this news reaches Grodus, Crump's reputation plummets.
Crump's next appearance is in the X-Naut Fortress on the Moon. He remains in total secrecy until Mario and his friends reach the most heavily guarded portion of the lair where the X-Naut scientists built robots. He uses the upgraded version of Magnus von Grapple, Magnus 2.0, to do battle with Mario and his friends, who are able to defeat it and in the process send Lord Crump deep into space. To the heros, it seemed strangely easy to obtains the X-Naut's Crystal Star. Later, it is revealed that Grodus had handed control of the X-Naut Fortress to Lord Crump to enable Mario to open the Thousand-Year Door. See the article on Grodus for more on what happened in the Palace of Shadow. Grodus figured that whether or not Crump won, stealing Mario's six Crystal Stars or lost, giving Mario the last Star he needed, the Door would be opened and the Shadow Queen awakened.
Lord Crump managed to return to Earth after being blasted off the moon, and is one of the last X-Nauts who still follows Grodus.
X-Nauts
The X-Nauts are a vile group led by the malicious Sir Grodus and his clueless vassal Lord Crump. Most are short and fat. The basic uniform for footsoldiers is red and white with a black X across the chest with goggles that stick out under a large bandanna-like piece of cloth that hides their faces and floppy ears. They salute their suppirior officers by crossing their arms across their chest to form an X. The X-Nauts' plan in this game is to open the Thousand-Year Door. The X-Naut Fortress is located on the moon, yet they may or may not be aliens, as they address themselves as "The secret society of the X-Nauts", which could mean that in fact they are actually beings of the Mushroom World.
As a rule, they are dim-witted and easily fooled, as well as being individually weak, but in large numbers and under the guidance of Grodus they can be very dangerous. They are very loyal to their leader and usually rush unflinchingly into battle.
There are three different ranks in the X-Naut forces:
- X-Naut: The most general and weakest X-Naut, this unranked variety does not have a special title. They are field troops and the prefered underling of Lord Crump. Being the lowest rung on the ladder, they are usually the only troops sent to the Mushroom World. When on their own, they attack by either ramming people and may use potions used to boost power (by enlarging themselves) or defense. In large groups lead by higher-rank commanders, they are capable of unleashing more complex attacks through teamwork.
- X-Naut PhDs: The scientists of the X-Nauts, they wear lab coats and blue uniforms. They are in charge of designing devices the X-Nauts use for their plans, such as the Magnus Von Grapple Robots. They also use genetic engineering to create the Yux (see below) in their laboratories. When they see intruders, they will throw beakers of chemicals at them, causing various effects.
- Elite X-Nauts: The highest-ranking X-Naut Troopers, they wear red-and-black uniforms with a white X to signify their rank. They are tasked with guarding the X-Naut Fortress and are much tougher in battle than basic X-Nauts.
Their support-and-security forces come in the form of artificially created lifeforms called Yux:
- Yux: The most basic type of Yux, they are able fire shots of energy at their enemys and create Mini-Yux, which create shields around them that block all attacks. In order to defeat a Yux, the Mini-Yux must be defeated first. Like the basic X-Naut, the basic Yux is usually the only type of Yux to go to the Mushroom World.
- Z-Yux: A larger and tougher version of the original Yux, they protect the X-Naut fortress and the area surrounding it. The Mini-Z-Yux it creates are more efficient at protecting it than than the Mini-Yux.
- X-Yux: (Pronounced "Cross-Yux") A state-of-the-art Yux designed to protect the most vital areas of the X-Naut Fortress, such as Groduses room. It is more powerful than even the Z-Yux and can sometimes immobilize invaders. It's Mini-X-Yux is more powerful than the Mini-Z-Yux, but has the same basic function.
TEC-XX
Sometimes called the Extraordinary Computer, TEC-XX (nicknamed TEC), is a computer created by the X-Nauts to operate and maintain their moon base and gather information. He is a self-proclaimed "perfect" computer that occupies an entire room in the lowest level of the X-Naut Fortress, and often summons Princess Peach into the main computer room to ask her questions, since as he is a perfect computer, he must know everything. Peach learns he doesn't know things like love, so TEC lets her send e-mail to Mario in return for teaching him. TEC's intelligence and use of the moon base's security systems is reminiscent to 2001: A Space Odyssey's HAL 9000.
The unusual love story between Peach and TEC begins when Peach takes a shower after being imprisoned in the X-Naut's moon base. TEC, being instructed to watch Peach's every move, is overcome with feelings for Peach that he has never experienced. He calls Princess Peach to his room and she reveals to him that he must have experienced love. In his quest to be the perfect computer, TEC allows Peach to e-mail Mario in exchange for Peach answering his questions about love. As the game continues, TEC asks stranger and more dangerous things of Peach, from dancing with him (via a holographic version of Peach) to obtaining a data disk from Grodus by disguising herself as an X-Naut and later turning invisible. It is this data disk that alerts TEC of the X-Naut's ultimate plans for Princess Peach and the Crystal Stars. This frightens TEC, yet he doesn't tell Peach until he is absolutely sure that the data is correct. Unfortunately, when he tells Peach, he is seconds late. As Princess Peach is typing her e-mail to Mario to alert him, Grodus storms TEC's room and has him shut down. Grodus views TEC's actions as a simple malfunction, yet TEC doesn't stop fighting after he has been "shut down," but sends the e-mail (which revealed Peach's location, but not the plan) and professed his love to Princess Peach.
For some reason, TEC is not quite dead after this. After Mario attacks the X-Naut fortress and claims the Crystal Star, the fortress is devoid of all life except for TEC (it is unknown whether or not he played a role in this). TEC prepares the teleporter to Rougeport and after Mario leaves, he sends explosives through the fortress.
Later, after the "end" of the game, TEC has regained function. He claims that he saw a light and heard Peach's voice, implying that Peach somehow saved him. This is reminicent of the battle with the Shadow Queen, in which Peach was able to send Mario her power. Perhaps Peach did the same for TEC.
The Shadow Sirens
The Shadow Sirens are a group of purple, shadowy creatures (perhaps demons) who worked for Grodus over the course of the game. Originally, the members of the Shadow Sirens were three sisters: Beldam, Marilyn, and Vivian. After Vivian leaves, Doopliss replaces her (see bosses). Mario and his friends fight them two times: once before Vivian leaves and once after Dooplis joins the Sirens. The Shadow Sirens have strange magical attacks and are also able to hide in their own shadows. They often dissapear and reappear by traveling in such a state.
As in other Mario RPGs that had parodies of famed shows and people (the Axem Rangers were a play on the Power Rangers and the Koopa Bros. a joke on the Ninja Turtles), the Shadow Sirens may be a parody of the three weird sisters from Greek Mythology and Shakespeare's Macbeth.
- Beldam, the leader of the Shadow Sirens and the oldest sister, is a cruel hag whose pride leads her to blame the Vivian for her mistakes. Her name is a word that referenced an old witch in Greek Mythology. She is the shortest and resembles an old woman with long, flat purple hair, a pointed nose, and a tall blue and white striped hat. Ruling the Sirens with an iron fist, she "punishes" her sisters when they make mistakes, or as it is often in Vivian's case, are blamed for something. In battle she relies on her magical powers more than her two sisters. Not only is she a powerful offensive fighter, but she often powers up herself and her partners as well. Examples of this are when she uses a spell to use more attacks per turn than normal and when she makes her sisters huge. Symbolised by the blue on her hat, her element of choice is ice. Many speculate that the unnamed, hooded merchant who sold Princess Peach the magical map may have been Beldam, because of her statement that she had found Peach.
- Marilyn is the middle sister, younger than Beldam but older than Vivian. Taller and fatter than her sisters, she is also the most powerful. Her elemental attacks, as symbolized by the yellow lines on her hat, are lightning-based. Her distinguishing features are her large belly, her blonde hair with a pudding-bowl haircut, and a yellow and white striped hat. Goombella describes her as "the strong-silent type," as she rarely speaks words aside from her grunts.
- Vivian, the youngest Shadow Siren, is of average hight and wears a red-and-white striped hat over her curley pink hair. Because of Beldam's constant abuse, she has developed an inferiority complex. Slightly spunky, she will usually stand up for herself in such situations, usually making Beldam angrier. Her growth into a strong person and fighter begins when she meets Mario, whose name and body were at the time stolen by Dooplis. Not knowing who he truely was, she helped him out in return for his kindnes. After faltering during Mario's battle with Dooplis when she found out that she had been helping her enemy, she changed sides and took down the ghost. She uses fire-based attacks, as referenced by her partially red hat, and can also protect Mario from the environment and enemies by pulling him into the shadows. In the Japanese version of the game, Vivian was a male character who acted like a girl in an attempt to make Beldam and Marilyn like him.
- Dooplis replaces Vivian after she and Mario defeat him. When he is with the Sirens, he simply copys his opponents' appearances and attacks rather than steal their bodies. This allows for a much more offensive fighting style, instead to the back-stabbing trickery implimented against Mario. Not much is revealed as to how well he fits in with Beldam and Marilyn, but players can assume that he is not appreciated, as Beldam's nickname for him is "freak-in-a-sheet".
While Grodus believed the Shadow Sirens to have been on his side, they were in reality using him to forward their cause: reviving the Shadow Queen. Whether Vivian new about what was to happen to Princess Peach is never addressed, but even after leaving the Shadow Sirens she still had a certain degree of loyalty to her sisters. After the Shadow Queen's defeat, Beldam and Marilyn give up evil and become the kind, loving sisters that Vivian needed. Dooplis leaves the sisters and joins Flurrie's acting troupe.
Party members
The party members are characters who join Mario during his adventure. Each is equipped with a number of moves during battle and have unique abilities during game play. The members are listed in order of being joined as the game progresses. Unlike many of the allies in Paper Mario, most of these characters offer significant elements to the plot.
Goombella
The female, college-aged Goomba working with Professor Frankly to uncover ancient treasure, she helps Mario in a manner similar to Goombario from the original Paper Mario. High on spunk and information, she is a great help to players who are confused about where they are, who someone is, or how to defeat an enemy they are facing. When not in battle, her Tattle ability gives the player helpful information on the area they are in or the person they are standing by. Famous for lacing her facts with opinions and other humourous bits, Goombella is remembered more fondly than the good-mannered Goombario. For example, she disses Beldam's snotty attitude, complains about a comment in her bestiary about Goombas being the "underlings of underlings", and notes sarcastically that it's nice to have access to a bathroom now and then in regards to a bathroom that is always occupied.
Her English name is probably a combination of the words "Goomba" and the female name "Isabella". Goombella's name in the Japanese version of the game is Kurisuchiinu (クリスチイヌ) (pronounced ku-ri-su-ti-nu), which comes from both Kuribo, the Japanese name for Goomba, and the name "Christine". Similarly, her name in the French version is "Goomélie," a portmanteau of "Goomba" and the French female name "Amélie."
Attacks
- Headbonk: Goombella jumps up and hits one enemy, either on the ground or in midair. If the "A" button is hit when Goombella lands on the enemy, she will jump off the enemy and land again, doubling the damage given. Goombella will take damage if the enemy has a spike or other pointy object(s) on the top of its body.
- Tattle: One of the most unique moves in the game, this attack neither damages opponents nor directly benifits allies. Rather, Goombella reports the health, attack, and defense of the enemy it is used on in addition to any special information that may be used to defeat it. The game keeps track of a "Tattle Log," which is a bestiary of all enemies that have been tattled. The information for an enemy that can never be faced again, such as Hooktail, can be found in the trash can in Professor Frankley's house.
- Multibonk: Similar to the normal Headbonk, this move can hit an enemy on the ground or in midair and will result in Goombella taking damage if the enemy is spiked. When is special about this attack is that each time Goombella lands on an enemy, she can attack again with a correctly timed press of the "A" button. It is hypothetically possible to continue doing this move forever. The move costs two Flower Points to use and is learned the first time Goombella is powered up.
- Rally Wink: Goombella winks at Mario, giving up her turn in exchange for Mario to attack again. This move uses up four Flower Points and is learned by powering Goombella up a second time.
Koops
Very similar to Kooper from the first Paper Mario, Koops is a Koopa Troopa with shell-related abilities. After joining Mario in Petalburg to avenge his father's death at the hands of Hooktail, he helps out in the field by retreating into his shell letting Mario launch him at switches or distant objects to hit them or retrieve them. New to this game is the ability to hold Koops' shell in place.
After defeating Hooktail and saving his father (whom everyone believed to be dead), Koops could have settled back down into Pettleburg, but he continued to adventure with Mario until the end of his adventure. It is believed that he wished to prove himself to his father, Koopley, his girlfriend, Koopie Koo, and the town that he was not a coward. It is worth noting that Koops is the first Koopa in the series to wear a shirt; most Koopas just let the undersides of their shells show.
In Japan, Koops is known as Nokotarou (ノコタロウ) which comes from the name "Nokonoko", the Japanese name for the Koopa Troopa, as well as "Tarou", a common boy's name in Japan.
Attacks
- Shell Toss" is Koops primary technique. He tucks himself into his shell and fires himself into one ground based enemy. Being protected by his shell, he is able to withstand elements such as fire or side-based spikes that several enemies use to defend themselves. The drawback is that the attack is useless against enemies on the ceiling and in midair. It can also only hit the enemy closest to players.
- Power Shell is very similar to Shell Toss, but it uses three Flower Points and causes Koops to pummel through all ground-based enemies.
- Shell Shield protects Mario from enemy attacks. Learned after powering-up Koops for the first time, Koops uses four Flower Points to cover Mario in a giant Koopa Shell that takes the beating for him. Based on how well players time the action command, the Shell may partially crack when it lands on the ground. If this happens, it will break after fewer attacks than if it was lowered correctly.
- Shell Slam uses six Flower Points and over-rides enemies' defense ratings. Other than that, it is like the Power Shell move. It becomes available after the second power-up.
Flurrie
A famous actress who grew bored with theater life, Madame Flurrie moved to the Boggley Woods for peace and quiet. When Mario, Goombella, Koops, and Punio ask her to help them enter the Great Tree in order to save the Punies, she gladly joins them and even fights alongside them. After the X-Nauts are evicted from the tree, Flurrie decides to help Mario for the duration of his adventure. Over the course of their journey, she realizes how much she misses the stage and puts on a play of Mario's adventure with the help of a reformed Doopliss afterwards.
Her trademark is her pricey necklace, which see is never seen without. Once quite attractive, Flurrie put on weight, but still retains a trademark "curvy" appearance. Because she is a cloud spirit, she is able to use an arsenal of wind attacks to battles. When not battling, she can send out strong gusts of wind to uncover secret objects or remove objects blocking her path. Flurrie's name in the Japanese version is Clouda (クラウダ; Kurauda).
Attacks
- Body Slam sees Flurrie squishing enemies with her "stage presence," as the game describes it. This attack can be used against an enemy regardless whether it is hiding behind another enemy, is hanging from the ceiling, or is in midair. Flurrie will receive damage if she uses this attack against an enemy using protective measures such as spikes or electricity.
- Gale Force consumes four Flower Points, but if performed correctly may cause one, some, or all of the enemies present to be blown out of battle. This move works best against easier enemies and is the most useful when there are too many enemies to handle at once.
- Lip Lock makes use of Flurries big lips. She sucks some Heart Points out of an enemy and uses them to replace her own. It uses three Flower Points and will be learned after powering her up once.
- Dodge Fog gives Mario the dodgy status, which means that some attacks from any enemy will miss him. This is especially useful when facing a large horde of enemies or a boss. It uses up four Flower Points and is learned by powering Flurrie up a second time.
Yoshi
Appearing as a baby, this Yoshi is one of Mario's partners. Depending on how long the player takes to hatch his egg after acquiring it, he'll vary in colors: green, blue, red, orange, pink, light blue and black. When he hatches, the player can give the newborn Yoshi a name, no more than 8 characters long. Mario can ride him, making you move faster, and like Parakarry from the original Paper Mario, his Flutter Jump, while too weak to fly high, can get you across large gaps. He can also get you to places quickly, since he is fast on his feet. Throughout the game, he refers to Mario as the Great Gonzales, except once at the end, because that's what everyone called him in the Glitz Pit. Yoshi's attacks make him a formidable and easy-to-use partner, as he possesses many unique abilities to confound foes. He is known for having multiple-weak attacks that are weak but strike several times, like his Ground Pound move. This makes him hard to use against enemies with high defense. After the adventure, the Yoshi apparently returns to the Glitz Pit, where he fights under the name 'Great Gonzales Jr.' He is known as "Chibiyoshi" (a cross between "Chibi" and "Yoshi") in the Japanese version.
Yoshi's attacks are "Ground Pound", where he repeatedly stomps on an enemy, "Gulp" (4 FP), where Yoshi puts an enemy in his mouth and spits it at the enemy behind it, "Mini-Egg" (3 FP), where he throws an egg that can reduce an enemy's attack power, and "Stampede" (6 FP), where he sends a large herd of Yoshis marching over all ground enemies.
Vivian
Vivian possesses the cloaking/transparency ability that Bow had in Paper Mario, but works in a more interesting effect: instead of literally turning invisible, Vivian can pull Mario into their shadow, where they can hide. This allows them to get past objects that move over them, and avoid sight from enemies and their attacks. Vivian possesses the strongest magic of any partner in the game, and is often thought of as the best partner in the game thanks to her fiery powers and the ability to burn enemies.
At first, Vivian is a Shadow Siren working with her sisters Beldam and Marilyn. She is often blamed for things she didn't do, resulting in a bit of an inferiority complex. In Chapter 2, "The Great Boggly Tree", they are all sent to defeat Mario in the Boggly Woods and take the Magical Map. The Sirens, however, fail at defeating Mario. After the fake ending of Chapter 4, "For Pigs the Bell Tolls", when the doppelganger Doopliss unexpectedly steals Mario's name and body, Beldam loses the "Superbombomb", a device to be used to destroy Mario, and blames Vivian, who is then ordered to find it alone. Mario finds the Superbombomb and gives it to Vivian, making her feel better even though the bomb is broken. However, Vivian is unaware that the shadow comforting her is Mario, since his name was stolen and he can't tell it to her, so after he tells her the story about his problem, Vivian decides to join Mario and help him get back his name and body. However, when she finds out that the shadow was Mario, she feels stupid and leaves him right before fighting Doopliss. However, during the battle, she decides to help Mario (and actually joins the party) because of the kindness he had given her earlier, or perhaps because she has a slight crush on him.
Vivian recognizes a part of the Palace of Shadows which means she has to be at least 1000 years old (she notes one area is familiar).
There is a controversy about Vivian’s true gender in the original Japanese version; some claim that she is a pretty boy or bishounen, much like Zoisite of Sailormoon fame. However, in the Japanese version the “Three Shadows Group” uses the word 魔女たち (majotachi), which refers to a group of sorceresses, i.e. females, words like her, she, and sisters are also used. Unlike most characters that undergo major changes during translation, Vivian maintains her (female) name in both the English and Japanese versions. Beldam often calls Vivian "Man", but this could be Beldam's way of insulting Vivian. More telling is that the menu information describes Vivian as a male, though this also could be a joke showing that Mario (who is supposedly journaling the adventure) misheard that Vivian was male. Though all the actions of Vivian and her appearance points out she is a female. The word "siren" points to this as well, siren being a female Greek creature of beauty who tricked men to their death.
Vivian's attacks are "Shade Fist", where she punches one enemy and sets them on fire, "Veil" (1 FP), where she hides Mario and herself for one turn, causing all enemy attacks to miss, "Fiery Jinx" (6 FP), where she strikes all enemies and sets them on fire, and "Infatuate" (4 FP), which confuses all enemies, causing them to sometimes attack each other.
Admiral Bobbery
A salty old Bob-omb sea captain, Admiral Bobbery assists Mario in his quest with his bomb-related attacks and abilities. He refuses to help you and Flavio get to Keelhaul Key at the outset of Chapter 5, "The Key to Pirates", because his late wife, Scarlette, died of a mysterious illness while he was at sea, so he's sworn never to sail again. However, after reading a letter to him written by Scarlette on her deathbed, he joins you on Keelhaul Key. After the boat was sunk by ghosts, he was found deep in the jungle, where he was thought to have died, when really he just fell asleep. Outside of battle, he uses the same attack as Bombette from Paper Mario, to explode and blow up cracks. Bobbery's Japanese name is Barel (bareru).
Bobbery's main attack is "Bomb", where he simply walks up to an enemy and explodes. Other attacks include "Bomb Squad" (3 FP), where Bobbery throws several small bombs on the ground that explode one turn later, "Hold Fast" (4 FP), where any enemies that directly attack him take damage, and "Bob-ombast" (9 FP), an enormous explosion that damages all enemies.
"Bobbery" is an outdated word that means "a loud disturbance".
Ms. Mowz
Ms. Mowz is a lady Squeek who manages the Howz of Badges at Rogueport, but moonlights as a clever adventuring thief. Mario runs into her several times in the beginning of the game where she flirts with Mario (much to Goombella's annoyance), but after Chapter 4, "For Pigs the Bell Tolls", she's not seen again. She's the only optional character, and you have to accept a Trouble and find a Badge for her in Hooktail Castle before she'll join you. She has the useful ability to sniff out any type of item, ranging from coins to items to Star Pieces, although this ability is more like playing hot and cold than a straight answer; when she is near possible treasure, she will backflip and a twinkling star will appear in a word balloon above her head. She also mentions when you are near treasure, which is handy. This is similar to Watt's ability from Paper Mario to show hidden items. She also possesses the ability to cut through defense, and is the only character in the game that can heal Mario during battle. Her Japanese name is Chuchuriina, which is based on "chuchu" a Japanese onomatopoeia for a mouse's squeak.
Ms. Mowz's attacks are "Love Slap", where she slaps an enemy (as well as breaking through their defense), "Kiss Thief" (2 FP), where she steals an item that an enemy is holding, "Tease" (3 FP), where she makes all enemies dizzy, causing their attacks to sometimes miss, and "Smooch" (10 FP), where Ms. Mowz kisses Mario, healing 10 HP.
Other characters
These characters (excluding Luigi, Merlee, Merlon, and Merluvlee) are involved with significant points in the plotline, but usually have minor roles. Also mentioned is what chapter(s) he or she is most involved in.
Black Chest Demons
- Prologue; Chapters 1, 4, and 5
Four Demons are locked in Black Chests, and beg for you to free them, saying they will help you. But when they come out, the Black Chest Demons place a curse on you. Fortunately for you, their curse is in your favor (a concept reused from several Legend of Zelda games) - they are how you obtain your four special Paper abilities (Plane Mode, Paper Thin Mode, Tube Mode, and Boat Mode). The spirits seem completely oblivious to the fact that the curses are actually helpful, but later the truth is revealed. The Black Chests are actually the Four Heroes that were involved in the sealing away of the Shadow Queen. Being cursed themselves, they had to cause a curse to whomever opened them. The heroes could never truly do this and instead offered "good" curses.
Grifty
- All Chapters
Grifty is a mysterious minstrel that hangs out on a roof in Rogueport. Over the course of the game, you can pay him 5 coins to have him recite bits and pieces of the Legend of the Four Heroes. This tale helps to explain the roots of the 1000 year-old evil that destroyed the area currently known as Rogueport, as well as some other minor bits regarding other characters, like Cortez, the pirate king, and the Great Tree's origin.
After paying the fee, the player is free to listen to his stories again anytime they wish.
Punio
- Chapter 2
A young Puni that you find in Rogueport Sewers, Punio helps you get to the Great Tree. He often helps you get around, and is constantly yelled at by the Puni Elder. He gets along with one certain Jabbi that can be found in the The Great Tree shop.
Puni Elder
- Chapter 2
An old woman with a short temper. When someone calls her old, she grows to a frighteningly large size and scares the daylights out of people. Mario first meets her in a jail cell in the Great Tree soon before freeing her. In her trouble, she requests a life shroom due to her old age. She often mispronounces Mario's name, in which she says "Marty-O", respectively.
Petuni
- Chapter 2
Punio's little sister Petuni was captured by the X-Nauts along with most of the others. She asks you every once in a while to play the "Stump Petuni" game. If you let her win by asking a certain question, she will give you a Mystic Egg.
Zess T.
- Chapter 3
An old Toad woman that gets very angry with you when you step on her contact lens (by accident!), and blocks your route to West Rogueport until you get her a new one. After getting the first Star and buying a new lens for her for 10 coins, Zess T. will cook food for you when you give her edible power-ups; give her the cookbook from Creepy Steeple (one of the Troubles at the Trouble Center), and she can make foods with two items as well. There are a total of 57 recipes she can make.
However, Zess T. doesn't forgive you for crushing her contact lens, as shown by the insulting nicknames she dubs you with. It is thought she is Tayce T.'s sister, and Wonky implies it when describing Zess T's "sister that lives far away."
Lahla
- Chapter 3
Lahla is a Boo who works at Pianta's Parlor. She likes Honey Shrooms, is 18 years old, has a sister (Peeka, who runs Westside Goods), and is on a diet. She looks similar to Bow, except that she has a lighter green color and wears a cat ears headband.
Don Pianta
- Chapters 3 and 6
The leader of the Pianta Syndicate (think Pianta Mafia) that keeps people in line in Rogueport, Don Pianta's daughter, Francesca, ran off with one of his minions, Frankie. He wants Mario to find them and bring them back to him in return for a Blimp Ticket to Glitzville. Mario also brings back Francesca and Frankie when Don Pianta feels lonesome, and he gives him a Train Ticket to the Excess Express in return. He speaks with an Italian-American accent.
Jolene
- Chapter 3
Jolene is a female Toad that works at the Glitz Pit. She seems to be up to no good, as many contestants have been disappearing, but it is revealed that she has been trying to help you in order to save her brother, Prince Mush (the first champion of the Glitz Pit). It is also implied that she is the 'mysterious lady' in the Juice Shop outside the Glitz Pit. Jolene strongly resembles Kariffa from One Piece.
Rawk Hawk
- Chapter 3
The big, burly champion of the Glitz Pit, Rawk Hawk is undefeated. The player may at first believe he is the chapter boss but during Mario's time in the major league it is revealed Hawk's crystal star is made of glass. He is a shady character that will do anything to win when Mario, or the Great Gonzales, climbs the ranks. He resorts to attempting to poison Mario with a slice of cake, and having security lock Mario in an unused locker room prior to Mario's fight with him. However, after his defeat, he promises to fight fairly. He also appears in a humorous cutscene in the game when Bowser and Kammy Koopa arrive at his private gym. Bowser and Kammy Koopa see a "Crystal Star" on Rawk Hawk's belt hanging on the wall. When Rawk Hawk attempts to kick Bowser, Bowser simply jumps over him and squashes him. The "Crystal Star" breaks. When Bowser yells out asking what happened to the real Crystal Star and where it is, Rawk Hawk mentions that "Gonzales" took it.
Flavio
- Chapter 5
Flavio is a rich, foppish merchant that, for the first four chapters, sits in Podley's Place, admiring his precious Skull Gem (which was actually stolen from Cortez by Flavio's ancestors). In chapter five, he assists you in getting to Keelhaul Key. He's not a very dependable man, and would only go with you into the jungle under pressure from the other shipmates. While he may be the "leader" figure of the crew, he is disliked by them, particularly the rough Bob-Omb pirate, Pa-Patch, who often teases him. Flavio has a tendency to speak in 3rd-person as well.
S.S. Flavion
The S.S. Flavion is Flavio's ship and the favourite of his fleet. The ship has a green, blue, and gold exterior; three masts (the center one having a blue and gold crow's nest); and a room for Flavio. Mario sails on the ship to Keelhaul Key, joined by Flavio, the younger brother from the Toad Bros. Bazaar (who sets up 'Keelhaul Galleria'), Pa-patch, Four-eyes (Lord Crump in a rather unconvincing disguise), Admiral Bobbery, a bunch of Bob-omb sailors, and a host of Toad sailors. The ship sails for about a week until the boat stops (while Flavio is telling a story). Ghosts attack and the ship is demolished. The incident renders Flavio the second richest man in Rogueport.
Luigi
Luigi is Mario's brother. Every once in a while, he is sitting in the audience, and will occasionally assist you. He goes on adventures all during the plot. Each Chapter, he will have a new story and a new ally (who generally hates Luigi--they join him for dubious reasons, such as a grudge against him or a debt to be paid), and eventually, you can buy a novel about him, titled 'Super Luigi', which quite obviously exaggerates the events of the quest (stating that at one point Luigi played a nature spirit in a movie when in fact he played some grass, for example). There are 5 volumes of 'Super Luigi' in total and the price progressively doubles (first volume costs 64 coins, second volume costs 128 coins (a sly reference to Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 128) etc.). Apparently the Super Luigi series is a soon-to-be motion picture.
Luigi's tales during Paper Mario 2 explain his journeys through the Waffle Kingdom as he fights to rescue the Princess Eclair. What's funny about Luigi's story is that it's hard to tell how much of it is true. Though at first one is led to believe it is entirely false (his story resembles Mario's; for example, the Circuit Break City part resembles Chapter 3's main quest), his 'allies' give some support that he was, in fact, on a quest (one of his later allies reveals that the story is, at least in part, true). The troubling matter is figuring out what really happened, as his allies, such as Blooey, whose white Blooper skin was charred on one quest, or Torque, whose racing machine was wrecked in Luigi's race for a Marvelous Compass piece, have their own biases, Implying that Luigi is changing the story somewhat to make himself more heroic. His stories are also very lengthy and actually bore Mario to sleep before Luigi is even finished talking. Luigi's stories are also made into a book (within the game). While it is unsure whether or not the stories Luigi himself tells are true, the books are obviously changed from whatever Luigi was doing. One example would be Luigi's role in the flower play as grass being changed to an earth spirit. According to the fifth volume of the book, Super Luigi (as it is called) is being made into a movie.
Merlon
Merlon is a Shaman who has the ability to raise each secondary character one level, for three Shine Sprites. It is unknown as to whether or not he is the same Merlon from Toad Town in Paper Mario, although Wonky speaks of certain occupations in which you must change your name according to what you do.
Merlee
Merlee, for a fee, will cast a spell on you, and appears in battles to help you, by raising your attack or defense, raising Star Points gained, raising coins earned, raising Flower Points or Heart Points earned, or lowering Flower Point use. She always talks in rhyme.
Merluvlee
Merluvlee is a fortune teller, able to tell you where there are Star Pieces, Shine Sprites and even tell you where to go next. For a fee, of course.
Wonky
An old man full of knowledge, he lives below Rogueport. You must pay 5 coins to gain a fact from him. He has information about recipes, hidden doors, and town gossip.
'Wonky' is an Olde English word meaning strange.
Dazzle
The Star-Piece collector. He'll trade you badges for Star Pieces. Once you collect a few Star Pieces, you should definitely come talk to him.
Chef Shimi
The Cheep Cheep cook aboard the Excess Express. He is a popular chef around the world. He can't get out of his cabin though...
Toodles
Toodles is a rich Toad who lives in Poshley Heights. While she's on the Excess Express, Doopliss steals her gold ring. After Doopliss escapes, Mario returns her ring.
Ratooey Businessman
A businessman, and one of the passengers on the Excess Express, he is the client of a mystery where he lost his contract for Nitro Honey Syrup. By itself, it is an excellent syrup, with powerful curative properties (Strong enough to raise the dead, it is claimed at one point). If combined with calcium and gold, however, it becomes unstable, causing a huge explosion. When Mario captures Doopliss (who had disguised himself as the famous actor Zip Toad), he recovers his contract. He is also the client of a "trouble" where he forgot the code to open his briefcase. If you tell him the code, he will reward you with some Hot Sauce.
Mayor Kroop
The mayor of Petalburg. When Mario comes and talks to him about slaying the dragon, Kroop gladly accepts the offer (the dragon occasionally swoops down and devours random passersby). He appears to have a hearing problem, as when Mario said his name, Kroop thought he said "Murphy" and calls him this for the rest of the game.
Koopley
Koopley is Koops's dad. He went to defeat Hooktail, the dragon boss of the first chapter, but he failed. Koops decided to join Mario in defeating the dragon to avenge his father. However, when the dragon is slain, it is revealed that even though Koopley was indeed eaten up by the dragon, he hid in his shell where he was safe until Koops and Mario came and slew the dragon. In return Koopley gave Mario the Crystal Star he found in Hooktail's belly.
Koopie Koo
Koopie Koo is Koops' girlfriend. While she started out worried something might happen to her boyfriend, Koops returns without a scratch. After that, Koopie Koo stays in Petalburg, awaiting Koops' return.
Traveling Sisters 3
Three Toad sisters who are usually found wherever Mario goes.
Pa-Patch
Flavio's Bob-omb rival. After Lord Crump betrays the S.S. Flavion crew, Pa-Patch stays at Keelhaul Key for the rest of the game. He earns his name from the eye-patch he wears.
Heff T.
Heff T. is an overweight Toad who lives on the Excess Express. The first mystery of the chapter is when Chef Shimi's stew is stolen, and the culprit is revealed to be Heff T. When Mario uses the train to get back to Poshley Heights, he finds that Heff T. is the only passenger from the original ride. The overweight Toad explains that he's eaten so much, he can't get off the train. Because of this, he now gets his food via room service.
Ghost T.
The spirit of a Toad who died on the Excess Express years ago, found in the passenger room next to Mario's by hiding in the room with Vivian. He steals the conductor's blanket, and will only return it if you deliver him his old diary. Mario has to recover the diary from the baggage car and bring it to Ghost T. If you read the diary, then Ghost T. will appear, scold you for invading his privacy and give you a Game Over. If you give him the diary, then he'll try to go up to Heaven, but will decide otherwise, in favor of staying on the train for a while longer, saying it had grown on him. By hiding again with Vivian after the end of Chapter 6, he will reappear, and will remain visible in the room for the remainder of the game. He later e-mails Mario, but explains that he did it by possessing the conductor.
General White
A white Bob-omb who has been described as a wanderer. General White is first spotted in Petalburg, but wanders around the overworld. Eventually, he heads back home to Fahr Outpost, but he must be woken up with a few dozen jumps. He also works a large cannon which blasts Mario to the X-Naut base on the moon.
Goldbob
Goldbob is a wealthy, golden Bob-omb who lives in Poshley Heights. He owns a large and famous business called Goldbobbingtons. He is also good friends with General White. Despite living in Poshley Heights, Goldbob and his family are first spotted in Chapter 3 outside the Glitz Pit.
Sylvia
The wife of Goldbob. As her name implies, Sylvia is a silver Bob-omb. Unlike Goldbob, she tries her best not to spoil their son, Bub.
Bub
A bronze, spoiled Bob-omb who lives with his mother and father in Poshley Heights. When Mario boards the Excess Express, he discovers that it's little Bub's birthday, and his parents are arguing over what to get him. Neither of them knew that Bub wanted the autograph of his favourite person: the engineer.
Major Bosses
These are the major foes in Mario's path, usually guarding a Crystal Star at the end of a chapter.
Hooktail the Dragon
The holder (or rather, the swallower) of the Diamond Star is the dragon Hooktail, found in the tower of Hooktail Castle. Hooktail attacks with fiery breath, biting attacks, and stomping moves. She has no problem with eating the Toads in the audience and does so when she is low on health (although they are released as Mario defeats her). When she is low on health, she will also attempt to trick Mario by offering to pay him 1000 coins, giving him a super-rare badge and lastly allowing him to smell the soles of her feet, something that people apparently pay much money for.
She claims to have gotten food poisoning from eating crickets once, so she becomes ill upon hearing the sound of crickets. Mario can use this to his advantage by using the Attack FX R Badge that makes his attacks sound like cricket chirps. This badge is found in a dungeon of the castle. Mario must first use his newfound "curse" to turn paper thin and walk between the bars of the dungeon cell to retrieve the badge. When he attacks while wearing this badge, Hooktail's attack is decreased from 5 to 2, and her defense is decreased from 1 to 0, making a boss that is virtually invulnerable and nearly impossible to survive at this point in the game a manageable opponent.
Hooktail has two siblings named Gloomtail and Bonetail, who live in the Palace of Shadow and in the Pit of 100 Trials, respectively. Hooktail, Gloomtail, and Bonetail were the Shadow Queen's pets before she was imprisoned the first time.
Magnus Von Grapple
Lord Crump steals the Emerald Star in the Great Tree. After he sets off the countdown to the detonation of a bomb, Mario, his teammates and the Punies catches up to him, and Lord Crump fights Mario and his team whilst inside his newest invention, the Magnus Von Grapple, which can stomp Mario or his partner, shoot his fists out, causing them to be able to attack Mario, and can stomp the ground, creating an earthquake. Upon defeat, Lord Crump drops the Crystal Star and he and the X-Nauts are driven out of the tree.
Macho Grubba
The proprietor of the Glitz Pit, and a former arena fighter(who was considered mediocre until he found the Gold Star), Grubba uses an evil power-sucking machine powered by the Gold Star to drain the life from fighters to keep himself ultra-buff. He's a large orange creature that resembles a larger form of Tubba Blubba from Paper Mario. He primarily punches or jumps on his enemies, but can also increase his attack and defense, make himself dodgy, or attack twice each round. The disappearances of Bandy Andy, King K, and Prince Mush were all his doing; they were fighters who discovered what he was up to. He announced his intentions to drain Mario, aware that he (Mario) was getting close to realizing what was going on.
Doopliss the Duplighost
Initially nameless (identified as "?????"), this Duplighost, a ghost that can mimic the appearance of his enemies as well as change other people's appearances (an ability unique to Doopliss), inhabits Creepy Steeple outside the village of Twilight Town in Chapter 4, "For Pigs the Bell Tolls", where he playfully rings the Steeple's bell and turns Twilight Towners into pigs at random. After you defeat him for the first time, you regain control as the silhouette of Mario that you thought was Doopliss following a fake ending where "Mario" collected the Ruby Star. Doopliss eventually confronts you to tell you that he stole your name and body.
Similar to the story Rumpelstiltskin, you have to guess his name to break his spell, otherwise he will be invincible. Unfortunately, even if you know his name beforehand, you lack the lower-case letter "p" on the name entry screen, so you can't get your identity back until you find it hidden behind an elaborate series of defenses in Creepy Steeple. After he hears his name, Doopliss retreats to Creepy Steeple, where he fights you with your party members, who all still think he's Mario, despite his odd behavior (he wants to stop the quest, he's hunched over, his eyes are hollow and he talks a lot, even though Mario is usually silent, and addresses them as "my loyal ones".). After Doopliss is defeated for the last time, he is unmasked, runs off in humiliation and then joins the Shadow Sirens to replace Vivian (with just as much disrespect from Beldam). You fight him (and the rest of the Shadow Sirens) again in Chapter 8, "The Thousand Year Door". At the very end of the adventure, Doopliss joins the side of good and starts a career as an actor alongside Flurrie. His Japanese name is "Ranperu", most likely a nod to the aforementioned Rumpelstiltskin.
Cortez the Pirate King
The 1000-year-old spirit of a feared pirate king, Cortez amassed a huge treasure somewhere in Keelhaul Key, one of them being the 5th Crystal Star. He usually appears as a huge skull, but can assume three forms. In his first, he attacks using his weapons (a hook, a rapier, a sabre, and a sword). In his second, he attacks without his weapons and occasionally charges up. In his third and deadliest form, he is able to command the weapons to attack individually, and can also bite with his skull or consume the souls of the audience to heal himself. You fight him inside his ancient pirate ship "The Black Skull", but becomes your friend after he finds out that you're only after the Sapphire Star and not his treasure. He ferries you to Keelhaul Key after Chapter 5, and allows you to use his ship to fight Lord Crump's battleship. He really turns out to be a nice giant pile of evil bones after all. He is very similar to the ""Tales of Symphonia" side-boss skull dancer in appearance and weaponry. Cortez also occasionally speaks some Spanish, often calling Mario and other allies "amigo".
The Smorg
The Smorgs do not hold a Crystal Star, but they attack the Excess Express during its journey to Poshley Heights, where the sixth Crystal Star is held. The Smorg Miasma is a huge monster made up of hundreds of smaller Smorgs in the form a blob shape with either three tentacles (able to attack Mario or his partner three times in all per round) or one pincer-like protrusion (able to perform a more devastating attack on both Mario and his partner). An individual Smorg can be described as a small beast made of five black "discs" and two yellow eyes. They are first seen at the Riverside Station, where they try to prevent Mario and his teammates from lowering the drawbidge to continue the trek to Poshley Heights. Later on, the Smorgs stow away onto the Excess Express and hold all of the passengers hostage within the miasma, with the exception of the conductor and the waitress. Mario and his comrades fight the entire tribe on the rooftop of the train. The miasma soon releases the petrified passengers and the Smorgs flee from the train. Due to their resemblance to fuzzy X's, they may have been designed by the X-Nauts. The nature in which they attack the train can be compared to the opening sequence of Resident Evil 0 for the Nintendo GameCube.
Magnus Von Grapple 2.0
Lord Crump is assigned to guard the Crystal Star in the X-Naut Fortress located on the Moon. He uses an upgraded version of the Magnus Von Grapple, with new attacks (a flying drill attack instead of an earth quake, and an ability to shoot many audience members at the person in front) and a higher HP amount. After defeat, the robot explodes, shooting Lord Crump into space.
Gloomtail
By this point in the game, the player has probably been listening to Gifty's tales about the mystical history of Rogueport. There it was revealed that Hooktail was the pet of the demon that destroyed the old town, but it was also revealed that the demon had more than one pet dragon. Gloomtail is the second strongest (and second oldest) of the dragons. He looks and behaves mostly like Hooktail, except he is much stronger, and is armed with poisonous breath. In keeping with the subtle parodies of Final Fantasy series of video games, it's likely that Gloomtail is a nod to Bahamut; he is pitch black in colour, and boasts about his power, but the primary connection is his special attack, the 'Megabreath'. In the Tattle Log, it states "Watch out for his famous megabreath attack!", and Goombella says "the word is, it's GNARLY!". This appears to be a reference to Bahamut's famous 'Mega Flare' attack. It's possible that Hooktail and Bonetail are therefore parodies of Red Dragons and Zombie Dragons, regular foes in the Final Fantasy series.
The Shadow Queen
- Appearance — The Shadow Queen is the demon of the legends who destroyed the town now buried under Rogueport in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. She's a tall, purple, woman-like figure with long hair and a crown. She appears to be the queen of the mysterious shadow folk that Beldam and the Shadow Sirens belong to, resembling them greatly, except wearing a pointed gold tiara instead of a witch's hat. In fact, it was Beldam working behind the scenes that leads to her rebirth at the end of the game. Presumably she once had a body, but it is unknown what she originally looked like. When freed, she possesses the body of Princess Peach. Now, she appears to be some manifestation of dark matter or magic. She harnesses the power of the shadows to fight. Her hands can take on alternate forms, including a large group of Dead Hands reaching out of the ground to drag you into the darkness. She can absorb health from Mario and his partners, unleash status effects and use some immensely powerful attacks. Not only that, but she appears at first to be completely invincible until she is weakened by her host's last wish for peace.
- History of the Shadow Queen — In the past, she created the Crystal Stars to increase her already formidible power. She ruled one-quarter of the old city, in a palace supposedly filled with stolen treasures. She had, and still has, three pet dragons, Hooktail, Gloomtail, and Bonetail, and apparently created the infamous Pit of 100 Trials as a dungeon for those who defied her. The four heroes of legend damaged her with the Crystal Stars they stole from her, then used them to seal her deep in the Palace of Shadow, behind the Thousand-Year Door. However, before the seal was complete, she cursed the four heroes, resulting in each of their souls being trapped in Black Chests when they let go of the stars they all held (therefore meaning it is presumably the souls of the heros who 'curse' Mario with his useful paper-related abilities). They made a map to the stars before they separated. Many years passed, and a new town, Rogueport, was built above the destroyed underground city, with nobody realizing that the Shadow Queen slept in the ruins below. It is speculated (but with little founding) that she is somehow related to the Crystal King from "Paper Mario".
- The Shadow Queen's Rebirth — In the present day, Sir Grodus of the X-Nauts kidnapped Princess Peach, believing her to have the map. However, she had already passed it on to Mario. In failing to locate all but one of the Crystal Stars, he and the Shadow Sirens tricked Mario (who now possessed all the Crystal Stars upon the defeat of Lord Crump) into opening the Thousand-Year Door. When Mario and his friends caught up with Grodus, they were too late. The evil villain awakened the Shadow Queen from her deep sleep, offering her Peach's body to inhabit. But when he ordered her to attack Mario, she destroyed Grodus instead (although it seems he survived, albeit remaining a bodyless hopping head). She stated that no one controls her, and at this point Beldam, Marilyn, and Doopliss, the Shadow Sirens, arrive on the scene. Beldam took full credit for the Shadow Queen's revival, having tricked Grodus into thinking the Shadow Queen would obey him.
- The Final Battle — The Shadow Queen asks Mario to be her eternal slave, leading to a game over if you choose to accept. Mario doesn't, obviously, and the evil witch attacks, still possessing Peach's body. She finds Peach's body too unfamiliar, so she transforms into her true form, thereby becoming invincible. Before she could destroy Mario and his friends, the Crystal Stars scattered to where they were found, and the people in each place sent their positive thoughts and wishes, momentarily disorientating the Shadow Queen and awakening Peach. Peach was able to break free from the Shadow Queen's spell long enough to give Mario her last energy, restoring his and his teammates' stats completely. Peach then appeared to fade away, giving the Queen full control. However, Peach had done what she needed, and the Shadow Queen was now vulernable. After a long duel she was defeated, and vanished forever, leaving Peach unharmed. Presumably the Shadow Queen is now defeated for good, but some presume that she was again sealed away inside the box, although the game stated that she had been "banished to the depths of the Netherworld." After her defeat, Beldam and Marilyn vanish in the shadows, leaving Doopliss to once again flee of his own accord. It is later known that the Sirens have taken a turn for the good, no longer having a reason to be evil. This implies that the Shadow Queen really is gone for good, and also that Beldam was simply doing her duty and she doesn't necessarily want the world consumed by darkness. Beldam's deeper motives and the genesis of the shadow folk is never fully revealed.
Bonetail
Taking the place of Culex and The Master in previous Mario RPG games, Bonetail is a final, optional challenge for masters of the game. Bonetail is the oldest of the three dragons. With 200 HP and the ability to heal himself at will, he provides the player with one last foe to conquer even after the game is finished. His attacks are the same as his brother and sister, except most will have a status effect on Mario, such as Freezing or Poison. Once you defeat him, you will receive a Badge called the Return Postage Badge. Contrary to his younger siblings, both who appear to be mindless killing machines but are actually intellectual speakers, Bonetail speaks with the exclamation "Arooo!" and variations of it, possibly because he is so ancient and just a skeleton, having not been fed for so long. On the other hand, one NPC says his name was Bonetail when he was a pet to the Shadow Queen so it is unknown if he was a skeleton back then as well.
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