Editing Axe

{{about|the item in the Mario franchise|the [[treasure (Wario franchise)|treasure]] in [[Wario Land 3]]|[[Out of the Woods#Gray Chest: Axe|Out of the Woods § Gray Chest: Axe]]|[[Simon Belmont|Simon]] and [[Richter Belmont]]'s special move in [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]|[[Simon Belmont#Axe|Simon Belmont § Axe]] and [[Richter Belmont#Axe|Richter Belmont § Axe]]}}
{{item infobox
|image=[[File:Mario Maker NSMBU Axe.png|200x200px]]<br>Sprite from the ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'' style of ''[[Super Mario Maker]]''
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' ([[List of games by date#1985|1985]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition]]'' ([[List of games by date#2024|2024]])
|effect=Destroys the support of a castle's bridge
|related=[[Skull switch]]
}}
An '''axe'''<ref>{{cite|language=en-us|author=Cain, Christine|title=''Super Mario Bros. Deluxe'' Prima's Official Strategy Guide|page=19|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|date=1999|isbn=0-7615-2190-9}}</ref> (or '''ax''')<ref>{{cite|author=Tochikubo, Hiroo|title=''[[How to win at Super Mario Bros.]]''|publisher=Tokuma Shoten|date=1987|isbn=4-19-720003-XC|page=16}}</ref> appears in the [[Super Mario (franchise)|''Super Mario'' franchise]] as an object often appearing at the end of a [[castle]] level.

==History==
===''Super Mario'' series===
====''Super Mario Bros.'' / ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels''====
[[File:SMB Axe.gif|frame]]
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 [[Mentama Mark]] logo for Nippon Broadcasting System, Inc., the home radio station for the program.

====''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3''====
An axe appears in ''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', found only in the [[World-e]] level [[Classic World 1-4]], where it serves the same function as it did in ''Super Mario Bros.''

====''New Super Mario Bros. U'' / ''New Super Luigi U'' / ''New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe''====
In many of the ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' games, a [[! Switch]] or a [[skull switch]] is used in place of the axe at the end of castles featuring Bowser, and serves the same function. ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'', ''[[New Super Luigi U]]'' and the Nintendo Switch port ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe]]'' all use an axe, which is activated with a ! Switch.

====''Super Mario Maker'' / ''Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS'' / ''Super Mario Maker 2''====
The axe appears in ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'' and its [[Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS|its 3DS port]], as well as the Nintendo Switch sequel, ''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]''. It acts as the goal for courses with the castle theme. When used, it again breaks the bridge. However, all enemies on screen stop, fall and sink into the lava. This occurs even for enemies that fly, can swim, or are not on the bridge. Its appearance varies with the game style, though its appearance in the ''Super Mario Bros.'' style has been changed to make it taller and wider (to match up with its ''New Super Mario Bros. U'' appearance). The ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'' style in ''Super Mario Maker 2'' is the only style to not use the axe as the goal for the castle theme, instead using a slightly modified boss version of the [[Goal Pole]] from the original game.

====''Super Mario Run''====
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.

===''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga'' / ''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions''===
[[File:Superstarfalse.png|thumb|An axe right of a crude depiction of Bowser in ''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga''.]]
The axe makes a cameo in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'' and [[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions|its remake]], where it is found at the end of a ''Super Mario Bros.''-like section of [[Bowser's Castle]] alongside a cardboard duplicate of Bowser. The section can only be accessed by [[Mini-Mario (form)|Mini-Mario]], and touching the axe does the same thing as in previous appearances, "defeating" the cardboard duplicate and opening a path for [[Mario]] and [[Luigi]] to progress.

===''Mario Hoops 3-on-3''===
In ''[[Mario Hoops 3-on-3]]'', the [[Bowser's Castle (Mario Hoops 3-on-3)|Bowser's Castle]] court uses a giant axe for the basketball hoop's pole.

===''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''===
[[File:SSBU Simon Axe.jpg|thumb|left]]
Although the axe does not appear in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', it being key to defeating Bowser in previous games is referenced in one of [[Simon Belmont]]'s promotional screenshots on the game's official website, where he is shown about to use his [[smashwiki:Axe|Axe]] special attack on Bowser. Viridi also mentions the axe during Bowser's [[List of Palutena's Guidance conversations#Bowser|Palutena's Guidance conversation]], making reference to [[World 8-4 (Super Mario Bros.)|World 8-4]] in ''Super Mario Bros.''

===''The Super Mario Bros. Movie''===
In the {{file link|The Super Mario Bros Movie teaser poster.jpg|teaser poster}} for ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'', a voxelated axe resembling its original sprite can be seen for sale at the antiques store for eight [[coin]]s. In the movie proper, the [[Toad (species)|Toad]] guards wield axes, one of which [[Princess Peach]] takes with her to confront Bowser when he arrives at the [[Mushroom Kingdom]].
{{br}}

==Gallery==
{{Main-gallery}}
<gallery>
SMB Sprite Axe.png|''Super Mario Bros.''
SMB Axe.gif|''Super Mario Bros.''
SMBS Sharp X1 Axe.png|''Super Mario Bros. Special'' (Sharp X1)
SMBS NEC PC-8801 Axe.png|''Super Mario Bros. Special'' (NEC PC-8801)
ANN Axe.gif|''All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros.''
SMAS Axe.gif|''Super Mario All-Stars''
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=オノ
|JapR=Ono
|JapM=Axe
|ChiS=斧头
|ChiSR=Fǔtóu
|ChiSM=Axe
|Ita=Ascia
|ItaM=Axe
|Por=Machado
|PorM=Axe
|Fre=Hache
|FreM=Axe
}}

==References==
<references/>

{{Goals}}
{{SMB}}
{{SMBS}}
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{{SMB3}}
{{NSMBU}}
{{SMM}}
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[[Category:Goals]]
[[Category:Mario Hoops 3-on-3]]
[[Category:Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga objects]]
[[Category:New Super Mario Bros. U objects]]
[[Category:Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 objects]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. objects]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. Special]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels objects]]
[[Category:Super Mario Maker objects]]
[[Category:Super Mario Run objects]]
[[it:Ascia]]