Editing Axe

Axes first appear in ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', where they are found in the castle [[level]]s. The player can defeat [[Bowser]] or [[Impostor Bowser|his duplicates]] by touching the axe, which cuts the support of the bridge Bowser is standing on and sends him falling into the [[lava]] below. If the player does not have a [[Fire Flower]], using the axe is the only way that the player can defeat Bowser. If Mario already defeated either Bowser or his fakes with fireballs, then the animation of the bridge being destroyed will not be played. Axes return and work in the same way in ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]''. If Mario was to touch both Bowser and the axe at the same time, then it could potentially result in a glitch involving Mario becoming Fire Mario while he is still small. In the ''[[All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.]]'' version of the game, owing to the game being filled with cameos from the eponymous radio program, the ax was replaced with the logo for Nippon Broadcasting System, Inc., the home radio station for the program.

The axe reappears in  ''[[Super Mario Run]]'', retaining its look and function from the ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'' style in ''[[Super Mario Maker]]''. The courses [[Bowser's Castle Hangout]], [[Fire Bar Castle! Youch!]], [[Rings of Fire!]], [[Make the Cut!]], and [[VS Bowser]] all conclude with an axe. The last of these allows the player to defeat Bowser or [[Impostor Bowser|fake Bowser]] using [[Invincible Mario|invincibility]], but the axe still cuts the bridge.