| Dry Bones | |
|---|---|
 Artwork for Mario Party 7 | |
| Basic Information | |
Also Known As... |
Skeleton Koopa (Hotel Mario) |
| Mario | |
Status |
Undead |
| Biographical Information | |
Affiliation |
Koopa Troop |
Species |
Koopa Troopa |
| Featured in... | |
| Super Mario Bros. 3 Super Mario World | |
Dry Bones are the skeletal, undead counterparts of Koopa Troopas in the Mario franchise. A defining characteristic of Dry Bones is their ability to reassemble themselves shortly after being stomped, requiring a more niche method to defeat them, such as the invincibility granted by a Super Star. Dry Bones first appear in Super Mario Bros. 3. Dry Bones are usually encountered in dark places, mainly castles, but they have appeared in other environments such as deserts and sunken ships.
Dry Bones has also been a semi-recurring playable character in spinoff Mario titles. Dry Bones was first playable in the 2005 Nintendo GameCube title Mario Superstar Baseball, and would quickly return as a playable character in a few games released that same year, including Mario Party 7 and Mario Kart DS. Dry Bones is usually classified as a lightweight character in its playable appearances.
Appearances[]
Super Mario series[]
Super Mario Bros. 3[]
Super Mario Bros. 3 artwork
Super Mario Bros. 3 established Dry Bones's trait of collapsing into a pile of bones temporarily upon being stomped. Dry Bones are unaffected by Raccoon Mario's tail attack entirely as well as Fire Mario's fireballs. Dry Bones can only be defeated permanently by either a Super Star or by throwing hammers at it as Hammer Mario.
Dry Bones are encountered only in fortress levels. They are one of the most common enemies in such levels, along with Boos and Thwomps, two other enemies introduced in the game. Dry Bones are first seen by Mario and Luigi in World 1-Fortress.
In the Game Boy Advance port, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Dry Bones can also be defeated using the Cape Feather if the player uses an e-Reader to scan it into the game via the "Cape" card.
Super Mario World[]
In Super Mario World, Dry Bones return as enemies. They now walk upright like Koopa Troopas, and would retain this posture in later games. Dry Bones can directly attack Mario or Luigi by throwing a bone. Dry Bones can now be defeated if spun into by Cape Mario (granted by the Cape Feather). Dry Bones now turn around at ledges instead of falling off, a trait they share with Red Koopa Troopas rather than Green Koopa Troopas.
New Super Mario Bros.[]
In New Super Mario Bros., Dry Bones are encountered in the usual castle and tower levels. They do not retain their bone throwing attack in this title or any other game of the Super Mario series. As usual, stomping a Dry Bones causes it to break apart temporarily, only this time its head falls off. A Dry Bones takes longer to regenerate if its head falls into lava or a pit, or if it falls from a height. Mario or Luigi can defeat a Dry Bones from the effects of not only a Super Star but also a Mega Mushroom or a Blue Shell.
The game introduces a larger and more resistant variety, Super Dry Bones. The game also marks the first appearance of Dry Bowser, the skeletal form of Bowser.
Super Mario Galaxy[]
Super Mario Galaxy is the first 3D title of the Super Mario series in which Dry Bones appears. They are encountered in the desert-themed galaxy Dusty Dune Galaxy as well as two Bowser galaxies, Bowser's Dark Matter Plant and Bowser's Galaxy Reactor. Dry Bones cackle if they successfully harm Mario or Luigi.
Dry Bones are still resistant enemies, crumbling apart for only a few seconds if they are either stomped, spun into, or hit by a Green Shell. A Dry Bones can only be defeated by a Rainbow Star or by being hit with a Bullet Bill. If a Dry Bones is defeated, it releases three Star Bits.
Although Koopas move on all four legs in the game, Dry Bones are still bipedal.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[]
Reappearing in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Dry Bones act identically to their appearance in New Super Mario Bros. They are located in the usual tower and castle levels. Dry Bones can be defeated by the effects of either a Star, a POW Block, or a Koopa Shell. Like many enemies, Dry Bones can also be frozen from an Ice Ball thrown by Ice Mario (granted by the Ice Flower) or Penguin Mario (from the Penguin Suit) and then picked up and thrown at a wall.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[]
In Super Mario Galaxy 2, Dry Bones return as enemies. They retain much of their behavior from Super Mario Galaxy, but they are now more mindful of ledges. Mario or Luigi can still defeat a Dry Bones by knocking it into lava.
The Dry Bones are mostly found in the Bowser and Bowser Jr. galaxies, including Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla, Bowser's Lava Lair, Bowser's Gravity Gauntlet, Bowser Jr.'s Boom Bunker, and Bowser's Galaxy Generator. Like Super Mario Galaxy, Dry Bones also appear in a desert-themed galaxy, the Slipsand Galaxy.
Super Mario 3D Land[]
Dry Bones return in Super Mario 3D Land. They are primarily encountered in airship and castle levels.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[]
In New Super Mario Bros. 2, Dry Bones return as enemies. They appear in fortress levels and behave similarly as in previous New Super Mario Bros. titles.
New Super Mario Bros. U[]
Dry Bones also appear as enemies in New Super Mario Bros. U. They are mostly similar to their appearance in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
Hotel Mario[]
Dry Bones are enemies in the Philips CD-i game Hotel Mario. They are encountered in Ludwig's Thump Castle Hotel. Similar to the Super Mario series, Dry Bones can revive themselves after being knocked down. However, a Dry Bones can still be defeated by a Fire Flower despite skeletons not being flammable.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[]
| “ | I'm sick of gettin' hit! | „ |
| ~ Psychopath thought |
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars artwork
In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Dry Bones are first encountered by Mario and his party in the Sunken Ship, and they also appear in in Bowser's Keep. In battle, Dry Bones are invulnerable to regular attacks and can only be defeated by a special attack (such as Jump). Dry Bones cannot be removed permanently, because although they crumble on the overworld, they revive after a brief period.
The game introduces another Dry Bones variant, Vomer, which is introduced later in the Barrel Volcano.
Paper Mario series[]
Paper Mario[]
In Paper Mario, Dry Bones are strong enemies found in Bowser's Castle. They retain their bone-throwing attack from Super Mario World and gain the ability to build additional Dry Bones. Consistent with Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Dry Bones can regenerate their health completely once depleted, though this ability now occurs during battle rather than in the overworld. Coincidentally, Dry Bones retain the same weakness to fire as in Hotel Mario and can only be permanently defeated by fire-based moves or explosions.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[]
Dry Bones appear as enemies in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. They are encountered in the Palace of Shadow and the Pit of 100 Trials. Dry Bones retain their ability to throw bones as well as their vulnerability to fire.
Dry Bones have received three varieties, each in varying strengths. Dull Bones are the weakest, even more than Dry Bones because they cannot regenerate after being defeated. Red Bones are even stronger and can summon Dull Bones into battle. The strongest variety is Dark Bones, which can also build Dry Bones. There is one section in the Riddle Tower where Dry Bones and their variants must be defeated in a specific order—from weakest to strongest (Dull Bones, Dry Bones, Red Bones, and Dark Bones)—to acquire the Palace Key.
Super Paper Mario[]
Dry Bones return in Super Paper Mario. They are encountered in The Underwhere and the Flipside Pit of 100 Trials. Dry Bones are featured differently than in the first two Paper Mario games, with the removal of turn-based battles. Dry Bones recover from collapsing much faster than before and throw bones at the player, so their role is comparable to Super Mario World. The game introduces a stronger, dark variant named Dark Dull Bones.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[]
In Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Dry Bones are found in World 2 as well as during the Petey Piranha boss fight in Rumble Volcano. Dry Bones are spit out by Petey as one of his attacks. Dry Bones attack by either throwing a bone or by folding themselves into a bone shape and launching themselves at Mario. If a Dry Bones is defeated on the overworld, they crumble into a pile of bones and revive after a moment.
Mario & Luigi series[]
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga[]
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Dry Bones are enemies found on Hoohoo Mountain. They walk on all four legs, similar to their appearance in Super Mario Bros. 3, although their overall design is noticeably different. For the first time, Dry Bones attack by throwing their heads. If the Dry Bones twists its head clockwise, the target is Luigi; if the direction is counterclockwise, Mario is targeted instead. A Dry Bones may drop a Mushroom upon being defeated.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time[]
In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Dry Bones are fought in Yoob's Belly. The Dry Bones now attack by throwing a bone, but the direction and dodge requirements vary. If the Dry Bones stands still before the throw, the bone targets one brother and must be dodged with a jump. Conversely, if the Dry Bones jumps before throwing, the bone travels above the Mario Bros., only causing damage if a brother jumps into the bone. Dry Bones also have an attack that targets both the Mario and Luigi pairs. Before using the attack, Dry Bones either gnashes its teeth, which means Mario is hit first, or twirls its head, which indicates Luigi is the initial target.
There are large Dry Bones statues in Gritzy Desert, but no Dry Bones are fought there.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story[]
In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Dry Bones have a much smaller role than in previous Mario & Luigi titles. Some Dry Bones are in Fawful Theater, where one appears in the lobby, while several others are among the audience members of Fawful's show.
Mario Baseball series[]
Mario Superstar Baseball[]
Dry Bones is a playable character in Mario Superstar Baseball. He is a technique character with good pitching and fielding but average speed and weak hitting. Dry Bones is available not only in its standard white appearance but also three palette swaps: red, green, and blue.
In Challenge mode, Dry Bones is part of Bowser's baseball team by default.
Mario Super Sluggers[]
In Mario Super Sluggers, Dry Bones returns as a playable character, and it also retains its three palette swaps. Dry Bones has been reclassified as a power hitter. It has good chemistry with Koopa Troopa and Bowser.
Super Princess Peach[]
In Super Princess Peach, Dry Bones are similar to their appearance in Super Mario World because they throw bones at Princess Peach to attack. Peach can block the bones using her parasol, Perry. Dry Bones crumble upon being hit but revive after three seconds. Peach can permanently defeat a Dry Bones using her Rage vibe. Dry Bones are only encountered in Shriek Mansion and Bowser's Villa.
The game introduces the Sad Dry Bones variety, which is affected by the Gloom vibe and throws bones at a faster rate than Dry Bones.
Mario Party series[]
Mario Party 7[]
Dry Bones and Boo in Mario Party 7
In Mario Party 7, Dry Bones is one of two unlockable characters, the other being Birdo. Dry Bones can be unlocked at the Duty-Free Shop by spending 1000 Cruise Mileage Points. Dry Bones' special item is the Magic Orb, also shared with Boo.
Mario Party DS[]
In Mario Party DS, Dry Bones is not a playable character, appearing as a boss instead. In Story Mode, Dry Bones takes over the DK's Stone Statue board and turns Donkey Kong to stone, so Diddy Kong asks the playable characters for their assistance. At the end, the Superstar fights Dry Bones in the mini-game Hexoskeleton. During the boss fight, Dry Bones tries to crush the player character, who can damage Dry Bones by Ground Pounding the magic switches in a specific order. At the end, Dry Bones crumbles apart in defeat.
Dry Bones is also featured in DK's Stone Statue directly. If a character lands on a Green Space next to Dry Bones' coffin, it slams the lid with enough force, sending the character back to the Start Space.
Mario Party 8[]
Dry Bones returns in Mario Party 8 as a playable character. Unlike Mario Party 7, Dry Bones is playable from the start.
Mario Party 9[]
In Mario Party 9, three Dry Bones appear as enemies in the mini-game Ruins Rumble, and they raise the ceiling in Smash Compactor. There is also a Mega Dry Bones who serves as the mid-boss of the Boo's Horror Castle board, where it is fought in the mini-game, Deck Dry Bones.
Mario Kart series[]
Mario Kart DS[]
Dry Bones on its Standard DB in artwork for Mario Kart DS
Dry Bones made his racing debut in Mario Kart DS as an unlockable playable character. Dry Bones can be unlocked by winning all four gold trophies in the 50cc Nitro Grand Prix, earned by completing the Mushroom Cup, Flower Cup, Star Cup, and Special Cup respectively. Dry Bones has three personal karts: the Standard DB, the Banisher, and the Dry Bomber.
Mario Kart Wii[]
Dry Bones returns in Mario Kart Wii as an unlockable character of the lightweight class. Unlocking Dry Bones requires less effort than in Mario Kart DS, as it is done simply by winning the gold trophy in the 100cc Leaf Cup.
Mario Kart 8[]
In Mario Kart 8, Dry Bones are obstacles in Bone-Dry Dunes, and any racer who drives into them is spun out. Dry Bones retain this role in the enhanced port Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which also adds a Dry Bones as a playable character.
Mario Hoops 3-on-3[]
In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, the basketball hoop backboards on the Pirate Ship stage are shaped like Dry Bones' head.
Mario Strikers Charged[]
Dry Bones are one of the sidekicks in Mario Strikers Charged. They are characterized by high speed and defense, allowing them to react quickly and tackle effectively. However, Dry Bones is poor at passing and kicking the ball. Dry Bones' Skillshot is the Shocker, which electrifies the ball and temporarily stuns any character who touches it. Dry Bones' deke involves it disappearing temporarily.
Mario & Sonic series[]
Dry Bones is one of the referee characters in the Wii version of Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games.
Dry Bones have more of an antagonistic role in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, appearing as rivals in single-player campaigns. In the Wii version's Festival Mode, a team of three Dry Bones are field players for the final Ice Hockey match, with Dry Bowser as the goalie. A team of four Dry Bones also appears as an opponent in Curling. In the Nintendo DS version, Dry Bones is a rival in Adventure Tours, where it is encountered on Icepeak and must be defeated at Curling before the protagonists can progress.
Mario Sports Mix[]
In Mario Sports Mix, Dry Bones appear as stage hazards on the Ghoulish Galleon. They sometimes hide inside the boxes and attempt to stun nearby characters.
Appearances in other media[]
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[]
Dry Bones appear in some episodes of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, but have their most notable role in "Do the Koopa." In the episode, Dry Bones inform King Koopa of Mario and his friends' presence in the Dark Land. The protagonists later crush some Dry Bones from broken Brick Blocks, although the Dry Bones are later rescued by Cheatsy Koopa, Bully Koopa, and Big Mouth Koopa.
Super Mario World television series[]
"The Night Before Cave Christmas" is the only epsiode of the Super Mario World television series where Dry Bones appear. They attack Mario and Yoshi by throwing a bone at them, similar to the game Super Mario World, but it shows the Dry Bones pulling a bone out of their throat.
Nintendo Comics System[]
| “ | Gee, I'd be flattered! | „ |
| ~ Dry Bones |
In the Nintendo Comics System story "It's Always Fair Weather", a Dry Bones is the pilot of Bowser's helicopter. Although Bowser is upset at his likeness being used for a dunking booth, the Dry Bones says it would be flattered. Despite their differing opinions, both Dry Bones and Bowser try to sabotage the fair by producing mini tornadoes from the helicopter, but Mario manages to defeat them both.
Nintendo Adventure Books[]
Double Trouble[]
In Double Trouble, Dry Bones can be encountered by Mario if he takes the main path to Koopahari Desert. In this scenario, Mario proceeds to stomp several Dry Bones.
Koopa Capers[]
In Koopa Capers, Luigi can encounter a Dry Bones in Bowser's Fortress if he discovers a pit, and he must battle the Dry Bones within to reach the door at the bottom. Although it is the only confrontation with a Dry Bones, the powdered toes of a Dry Bones is one of the ingredients required for Wendy O. Koopa's magic potion.
Flown the Koopa[]
In Flown the Koopa, a Magikoopa angrily conjures a Dry Bones to attack Mario and Luigi after they avoid the Magikoopa's previous attack. The reader can deal with the Dry Bones in one of two ways: they can either trick the Dry Bones into a broom closet and lock it inside, or they can attempt to smash it with their plungers. Similar to the Super Mario series, the Dry Bones cannot be defeated by being smashed, as it simply regenerates shortly afterward. Furthermore, after regenerating, the Dry Bones attacks Mario and Luigi, knocking them out.
Statistics[]
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[]
- HP: Infinite
- Attack: 74
- Defense: 0
- Magic Attack: 7
- Magic Defense: 0
- Weakness: Thunder
- Items dropped: Pure Water, Max Mushroom, Royal Syrup
- Coins dropped: 5
- Experience points: 12