Editing Dark Land

{{Distinguish|Dark Realm}}
{{location infobox
|title=Dark Land
|image=[[File:Dark Land 2.png|300px]]<br>Map in ''Super Mario Advance 4''
|greater_location=[[Mushroom World]]
|capital=
|ruler=[[Bowser]]
|inhabitants= [[Koopa Troop]], [[Bob-omb]]s, [[Rocky Wrench]]es, [[Boomerang Bro]]thers, [[Boom Boom]], [[Fire Bro]]thers, [[Hammer Bro]]thers, [[Sledge Bro]]thers, [[Lava Bubble|Podoboo]]s, [[Cheep-Cheeps]], [[Fire Piranha Plant|Venus Fire Trap]]s, [[Piranha Plant]]s, [[Koopa Paratroopa]]s, [[Boo]]s, [[Koopa Troopa]]s, [[Paragoomba|Para-Goomba]]s, [[Mini Goomba|Micro-Goomba]]s, [[Angry Sun]], [[Roto-Disc]]s, [[Thwomp]]s, [[Hot Foot|Hot Feet]], [[Dry Bones]]
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' ([[List of games by date#1988|1988]])
|latest_appearance=''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'' (2023)
}}
'''Dark Land'''<ref>{{cite|language=en-us|date=1990|publisher=Nintendo of America|title=''Super Mario Bros. 3'' instruction booklet|page=34}}</ref><ref>''Super Mario Bros. 3'' North American re-release and European ending.</ref> (also known as '''Koopa Kingdom''' in ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'')<ref>{{cite|author=Mario|quote=We're levitating the Doomship, back to Koopa Kingdom!|title="[[Up, Up, and a Koopa]]", ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]''}}</ref> is [[Bowser]]'s kingdom and the [[Bowser's Minions|Koopa Troop]]'s main base of operations in ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''. A stark contrast to the rest of the [[Mushroom World]], Dark Land is a wasteland-inspired area untouched by sunlight, filled with skulls and flames.
{{br|toc=1}}
==History==
===''Super Mario Bros. 3'' / ''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3''===
{{world infobox
|image=[[File:Dark Land 2.png|300px]]<br>Map in ''Super Mario Advance 4''
|game=''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]''
|levels=11
|before=[[Pipe Land|<<]]
|after=>>
}}
Dark Land (alternatively '''Castle of Koopa'''<ref>''Super Mario Bros. 3'' North American original and ''Super Mario All-Stars'' International ending.</ref> or '''[[Bowser's Castle]]'''<ref>''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3'' International ending.</ref>) first appears as the eighth and final [[world]] in ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' and its remake ''[[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', reached after clearing [[Pipe Land]]. Large numbers of [[tank]]s and [[airship]]s patrol these lands, which most [[level]]s take place on, with only two standard Action Scenes in the entire world. Additionally, one of the areas in the map is so dark that it appears to be completely black, except for a circle of light around [[Mario]] or [[Luigi]]. World 8 is shown to be south of [[Ice Land|World 6]] and to the north of [[Sky Land|World 5]] in ''Super Mario Advance 4''. This is the only world in the game that does not have any [[Toad House]]s, [[Hammer Bro]]thers patrolling the map, or [[Spade Panel]]s in it. It is also the second world to feature completely separate overworld screens, after World 5.

It is possible for the player to enter Dark Land via [[Warp Zone]] (notably, both [[Recorder|Magic Whistle]]s from [[Grass Land]] can be used to reach Dark Land without restoring any of the [[kings]]). In ''Super Mario Advance 4'', as soon as the player warps to World 8, they receive the letter from Bowser that they would have received after clearing World 7; this does not occur in the original game.

According to [[Lemmy Koopa|Lemmy]], the kingdom's activity was top secret even to the [[Koopalings]], as he claims Bowser was exclusively in charge.<ref name="Ankoku"/> This mention is not present in international translations of the manual.

Dark Land features the following levels:
{{content description
|name1={{world-link|8|tank3|World 8-Big Tanks}}
|image1=[[File:SMB3 SNES Tank Screenshot.png|200px]]
|description1=One of the tank levels and the first level of Dark Land, this is an autoscrolling level with many [[cannon]]s that fire [[cannonball]]s and [[Bob-omb]]s.
|name2={{world-link|8|navy|World 8-Battleships}}
|image2=[[File:SMAS SMB3 World 8-B Screenshot.png|200px]]
|description2=Another autoscrolling level with many cannons, this time on ships over water.
|name3={{world-link|8|hand|World 8-Hand Traps}}
|image3=[[File:Hand Trap SMAS.gif|200px]]
|description3=A group of three levels that contain many traps. The first features [[Hammer Bro]]s and their variants, the second features [[Lava Bubble|Podoboos]], and the third features [[Cheep Cheep]]s.
|name4={{world-link|8|airforce|World 8-Airship (Super Mario Bros. 3)}}
|image4=[[File:SMAS SMB3 World 8-A Screenshot.png|200px]]
|description4=Another autoscrolling level, though this one moves quicker, has small platforms, and takes place in the air.
|name5=[[World 8-1 (Super Mario Bros. 3)|World 8-1]]
|image5=[[File:SMAS SMB3 World 8-1 Screenshot.png|200px]]
|description5=The first of two standard levels in Dark World, this level has many [[Bill Blaster|Turtle Cannon]]s and [[Warp Pipe|pipe]] platforms.
|name6=[[World 8-2 (Super Mario Bros. 3)|World 8-2]]
|image6=[[File:SMAS SMB3 World 8-2 Screenshot.png|200px]]
|description6=The second of two standard levels in Dark World, this level reintroduces the [[Angry Sun]] from [[Desert Land]].
|name7={{world-link|8|fort|World 8-Fortress}}
|image7=[[File:SMAS SMB3 World 8-F Screenshot.png|200px]]
|description7=The [[fortress]] level which is made up of a maze of doors and traps.
|name8={{world-link|8|tank3|World 8-Super Tank}}
|image8=[[File:SMAS SMB3 World 8-ST Screenshot.png|200px]]
|description8=Another autoscrolling tank level with many cannons and enemies.
|name9={{world-link|8|bowser3|World 8-Bowser's Castle (Super Mario Bros. 3)}}
|image9=[[File:SMAS SMB3 World 8-BC Screenshot.png|200px]]
|description9=The final level of the game and is where [[Bowser|King Koopa]] is keeping [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]] captive.
}}

===''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3''===
[[File:DarkLandCartoon.jpg|thumb|Dark Land in ''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'']]
{{quote|QUIET! You wanna wake the dead? You don't want Koopa to find out we're in his kingdom, do ya?|[[Mario]]|"[[Do the Koopa]]"}}
Dark Land appears in quite a few episodes of ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', where it is depicted as a gloomy wasteland and the home of King Koopa and the Koopalings. Lava-filled caverns are shown to be beneath the surface of Dark Land in a few episodes as well. However, most of what goes on within Dark Land happens either near or inside [[Bowser's Castle|Kastle Koopa]].

The episodes with this world shown as the title card are "[[Never Koop a Koopa]]" (with [[Grass Land]]'s music), "[[Do the Koopa]]", "[[Crimes R Us]]", "[[Recycled Koopa]]" and "[[Super Koopa (episode)|Super Koopa]]".

Not counting episodes in which all the Dark Land scenes were restricted to events within the perimeters of Kastle Koopa, Dark Land appears in the following episodes:
*'''[[Reptiles in the Rose Garden]]''': In order to give [[Wendy O. Koopa|Kootie Pie]] rulership of the [[United States of America]] as a birthday present, Bowser transports the [[White House]], along with everyone inside, to Dark Land. Bowser later sinks the White House to the bottom of the [[Mushroom Sea]]. However, Mario managed to raise the White House to the surface, and with Luigi's help, was able to return the building to its proper spot to [[Washington, D.C.]]
*'''[[Mind Your Mummy Mommy, Mario]]''': Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Toad travel through Dark Land via a [[Steam Cloud Balloon]] to recover [[Prince Mushroomkhamen]]'s stolen sarcophagus, only for it to get flung into a tower of Kastle Koopa by a [[Mushroom Kingdom]] [[tornado|twister]]. Luigi then uses the remnants of the Steam Cloud Balloon to construct a [[steam powered mummy sled]], which he, Princess Toadstool and Toad use to escape from Kastle Koopa, and subsequently, Dark Land.
*'''[[Princess Toadstool for President]]''': After discovering that Bowser in ahead in the polls for leadership over the Mushroom Kingdom only by using a [[Nice Guy Potion]], Mario and Luigi travel to Dark Land in order stop [[Ludwig von Koopa|Kooky]] and [[Larry Koopa|Cheatsy]] from making another dose before the election. Upon arriving in Dark Land, Mario and Luigi are pursued by [[Rocky Wrench]]es in tanks, which chase them through a pipe into a lava-filled cavern. From that point, Mario and Luigi then have to deal with [[Flame Chomp|Fire Chomp]]s, [[Hot Foot]]s and a [[Fire Snake]] before making it to Kastle Koopa.
*'''[[Never Koop a Koopa]]''': When Bowser announces that he is giving up his evil ways, he donates Kastle Koopa to Princess Toadstool. Deciding she wants to turn Kastle Koopa into a retirement home for elderly [[Toad (species)|Mushroom]]s, Princess Toadstool travels to Dark Land with Mario to check the place out. However, Luigi is wary of the whole thing. He and Toad travel to Dark Land after Mario and Princess Toadstool, where they wait in a boat on the Mushroom Sea for their friends to return from Kastle Koopa. When Mario and Princess Toadstool fail to come out after waiting for a long time, Luigi drags Toad into the Mushroom Sea, and both enter Kastle Koopa via a drainpipe. Discovering that the whole ordeal turned out to be a trap, the group of four reunite and later escape from Kastle Koopa after obtaining [[Raccoon Mario|Raccoon Power]].
*'''[[Do the Koopa]]''': Princess Toadstool discovers a map leading to the [[Doom Dancer Music Box]], which is hidden in the underground [[Temple of Gloom]]. Mario, Luigi and Toad accompany Princess Toadstool to Dark Land, but they are immediately spotted by a [[Dry Bones]], who heads to Kastle Koopa to warn Bowser of their arrival. As Bowser is sick, he orders [[Roy Koopa|Bully]], [[Morton Koopa Jr.|Big Mouth]], and Cheatsy to follow the Dry Bones, who leads them to where the heroes are traveling. Mario's group brave the cavern's many traps and ultimately make it to the Temple of Gloom, where they succeed in obtaining the Doom Dancer. However, a trap set up by Bully causes Mario to lose the Doom Dancer, which winds up in Bully's hands. Bully then brings uses the Doom Dancer's power to bring everyone back to Kastle Koopa, where Bowser, who is unable to hear well due to his cold, takes the Doom Dancer from Bully. Bowser then uses the Doom Dancer to force everyone in the [[Mushroom World]] to dance forever, but the Mario Bros. foil his plan.
*'''[[Recycled Koopa]]''': The Koopas are ordered to dump all their garbage, and the place they do so is in Princess Toadstool's Castle. Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool and Toad manage to steal one of the Koopa Kids' wands to remove all the garbage and send it back where it came from. The heroes believe the Koopas will try again and spy on them with Luigi's [[Plumber's Periscope]], and see the Koopalings dumping garbage down another pipe leading to the Real World.
*'''[[The Venice Menace]]''': Although Dark Land is unseen in this episode, Bowser's intention is to scare all the humans out of [[Venice]] so that he can warp the entire city to Dark Land and turn it into a water park for Kootie Pie.

===''Nintendo Adventure Books''===
Dark Land is the setting of the fourth [[Nintendo Adventure Book]], ''[[Koopa Capers]]'', where Bowser has a [[magic carpet]] bring Luigi to the kingdom to help (whether he wants to or not) in the search for Wendy O. Koopa after the Koopaling disappears. The two main areas of the region that can be explored in the book are a gloomy and trap-filled fortress, and a highly volcanic area known as the Magma Pits.

In the proceeding book, ''[[Pipe Down!]]'', Dark Land (though here referred to as '''Dark World''') is mentioned once by [[Ludwig von Koopa]], who states that he intends to take his new ballet, ''Dribbling Beauty'', on a seven-year tour of the kingdom.

===''The Super Mario Bros. Movie''===
[[File:TSMBM Dark Land.jpg|thumb|The Dark Lands in ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'']]
In ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'', after Mario and Luigi are accidentally separated from each other in the [[Warp Zone]] after traveling through the [[mysterious pipe]], Luigi ends up in the '''Dark Lands''',<ref>{{file link|TSMBM Monopoly Board.jpg|Monopoly ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' Edition board}}</ref> also formatted as '''Darklands''',<ref>Track title "The Darklands" from ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)]]''</ref><ref>{{cite|author=@universaluk|language=en-gb|date=March 16, 2023|url=x.com/universaluk/status/1636338994962219008|title=Wahoo! Mario has entered the feed. Get your tickets now! #SuperMarioMovie|publisher=Twitter|accessdate=March 19, 2023}}</ref> where he briefly searches for Mario before being chased by many [[Dry Bones]]. Luigi enters a [[castle]] that is surrounded by a [[lava]] moat and appears abandoned at first, but he is captured by two [[Shy Guy]]s and a [[Snifit]], who bring him to Bowser in the [[Shy Guy balloon]]. The Dark Lands are portrayed as a dark and dreary forest with lakes of lava, infested with [[Bat (Super Mario Galaxy)|bats]] and hostile Dry Bones. According to [[Toad]], the area is under the control of Bowser.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Castle of Koopa NES.png|Map in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''
SMAS SMB3 World 8 Map.png|Map in ''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]''
Dark_Land.jpg|[[Raccoon Mario]], [[Bowser]], and one of his tanks in Dark Land
World 7 Letter SMB3 NES.png|Bowser's message
SMAS SMB3 World 7 Letter.png|Bowser's message in the SNES version
SMA4 Bowser Message World 8.png|Bowser's message in the GBA version
SMA4 Peach Help World 8.png|Peach screaming for help in the GBA version
</gallery>

==Media==
{{media missing|more=yes|section=y|Dark Land portion of "King Bowser" from ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''}}
{{media table
|file1=World 8 Theme Super Mario Bros 3.oga
|title1={{FULLPAGENAME}}
|description1=BGM
|length1=0:30
|file2=SMAS SMB3 World 8 Map.oga
|title2=Castle of Koopa
|description2=BGM (''Super Mario All-Stars'' version)
|length2=0:20
|file3=MP Dodging Danger.oga
|title3=Dodging Danger
|description3=Used in [[Skateboard Scamper]] and [[Piranha's Pursuit]] from ''[[Mario Party]]'', which is an arrangement of "Dark Land" from ''Super Mario Bros. 3''.
|file4=MKDS-Music-BowserCastle.oga
|title4=Bowser Castle
|description4=Used in [[Bowser Castle (Mario Kart DS)|Bowser Castle]] from ''[[Mario Kart DS]]'', which is an arrangement of "Dark Land" from ''Super Mario Bros. 3''.
|file5=SPM Bowser Battle.oga
|title5=Bowser Battle
|description5=Used in the battle against Bowser from ''[[Super Paper Mario]]'', which is an arrangement of "Dark Land" from ''Super Mario Bros. 3''.
}}

==Names in other languages==
===Dark Land===
{{foreign names
|Jap=ワールド８ {{ruby|暗黒|あんこく}}の{{ruby|国|くに}}<ref name="Ankoku">{{cite|title=スーパーマリオブラザーズ3 (''Sūpā Mario Burazāzu Surī'') instruction booklet|page=34|language=ja|publisher=Nintendo|date=1988}}</ref><ref>''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario 3 + Mario Bros.'' Japanese ending (in kana).</ref>
|JapR=Wārudo 8 Ankoku no Kuni
|JapM=World 8: Dark Land (alternatively "Castle of Kuppa"<ref>''Super Mario Bros. 3'' and ''Super Mario Collection'' Japanese ending.</ref> in-game)
|Fre=Château de Bowser
|Fre2=Pays-noir
|Fre2N=''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'', ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' instruction booklet
|FreM=Bowser's castle
|Fre2M=Dark-land
|Ger=Dunkelland
|GerM=Dark-Land
|Ita=Mondo dell'Oscurità<ref>{{cite|title=''Super Mario Bros. 3'' Italian manual|page=34}}</ref>
|Ita2=Terra Oscura
|Ita2N=''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3''
|Ita3=Castello di Bowser
|Ita3N=''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3''
|Ita4=La terra oscura<ref>{{cite|date=November 15, 2018|title=''[[Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia|Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia]]''|publisher=Magazzini Salani|language=it|isbn=889367436X|page=40}}</ref>
|ItaM=Dark World/World of Darkness
|Ita2M=Dark Land
|Ita3M=Bowser's Castle
|Ita4M=The dark land
|PorA=Terra das Trevas<ref>{{cite|language=pt-br|title=''VideoGame'' magazine, issue 8A|page=22|publisher=Editora Sigla|date=November 1991}}</ref>
|PorAM=Land of the Darkness
|Rom=Tărâmul întunecat
|RomN=''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'', episodes "[[Princess Toadstool for President]]" and "[[Recycled Koopa]]"
|Rom2=Regatul Koopa
|Rom2N=''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'', episode "[[Up, Up, and a Koopa]]"
|RomM=Dark land
|Rom2M=Koopa kingdom
|SpaE=Castillo de Bowser
|SpaE2=Reino de las Sombras
|SpaE2N=''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3''
|SpaEM=Bowser's Castle
|SpaE2M=Kingdom of Shadows
|SpaA=Reino de las Sombras
|SpaAN=''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3''
|SpaAM=Kingdom of Shadows
|Hun=Sötétföld
|HunN=''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3''
|HunM=Dark Land
}}

===Dark Lands===
{{foreign names
|Jap=ダークランド<ref>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.co.jp/smbmovie|title=ザ・スーパーマリオブラザーズ・ムービー {{!}} 任天堂|publisher=Nintendo|language=ja|accessdate=June 24, 2024}}</ref>
|JapR=Dāku Rando
|JapM=Dark Land
|Cat=Regne de les Ombres <small>(''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'')
|CatM=Kingdom of Shadows
|ChiS=暗黑之国
|ChiSR=Ànhēi Zhīguó
|ChiSM=Dark Country
|ChiT=暗黑之國
|ChiTR=Ànhēi Zhīguó
|ChiTM=Dark Country
|Ita=Terra Oscura
|ItaN=''The Super Mario Bros. Movie''{{'}}s books
|Ita2=Terre Oscure
|Ita2N=''The Super Mario Bros. Movie''
|ItaM=Dark Land
|Ita2M=Dark Lands
|Pol=Mroczna Kraina
|PolM=Dark Land
|PorA=Reino das Sombras
|PorAM=Kingdom of Shadows
|Rom=Ținuturile întunecate
|RomM=The dark lands
|Rus=Темные земли
|RusR=Temnyye zemli
|RusM=Dark lands
|SpaA=Tierras Oscuras
|SpaAM=Dark Lands
|SpaE=Reino de las Sombras<ref>{{cite|author=Sonic Channel Gaming|date=December 1, 2022|url=youtu.be/z0-cG_iMwSk|title=The Super Mario Bros. Movie New Spanish TV Spot (#2 Extended) (Credits to Illumination)|publisher=YouTube|language=es-es|accessdate=March 19, 2023}}</ref>
|SpaEM=Kingdom of Shadows
}}

==Trivia==
*In ''[[Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition]]'', Dark Land is the only world from ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' to not be featured in any challenges.

==References==
<references/>

{{SMB3 levels}}
{{SMB3}}
{{TAOSMB3}}
{{TSMBM}}
[[Category:Haunted forests]]
[[Category:Volcanic areas]]
[[Category:Airship areas]]
[[Category:Kingdoms]]
[[Category:Super Mario Bros. 3 worlds]]
[[Category:The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 locations]]
[[Category:The Super Mario Bros. Movie locations]]
[[de:Dunkelland]]