Editing Dark Star

{{about|the artifact from ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]''|the move in [[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]|[[Dark Star (move)]]|the dark purple [[Star (Mario Party series)|Star]]s referred to as Dark Stars in the North American version of ''[[Mario Party 7]]''|[[Ztar]]}}

{{character infobox

 

The '''Dark Star''' is the overarching antagonist in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'' and its remake, ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey]]''. It is a sentient artifact of incredible dark power that [[Fawful]] seeks out to aid in his quest for global domination, with the second half of the game focusing on [[Mario]], [[Luigi]], and [[Bowser]] each trying to stop both him and the evil artifact. The Dark Star first appears as a medium-sized violet orb, with a red-eyed black star similar to a [[Ztar]] on the front. It is not capable of speech in its initial form, but gains the ability to do so upon forming [[Dark Bowser]].

 

As a boss, the Dark Star gives the most [[Experience Point|experience points]] of any enemy in the game when defeated (however, the [[Badge#Bonus Badge|Bonus Badge]] does not grant any additional points). A more powerful variant, [[Dark Star X]], can be fought in [[The Gauntlet]] after Mario and Luigi first defeat the Dark Star.

===''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story''===

Long before the events of ''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story'', the Dark Star was discovered by [[Toad (species)|Toad]] archaeologists in the [[Mushroom Kingdom]]. Shortly after it was discovered, the Dark Star viciously attacked the kingdom, but was sealed away by the [[Star (species)|Star Sprites]] and kept beneath the depths of the world in [[Toad Town]]. It was said that if any great evil being found the Dark Star and allowed it to attack the kingdom once again, the evil entity would receive enormous power and will rule the world, plunging it into darkness. No one can break the seal on the Dark Star, except for the Mushroom Kingdom's ruler, [[Princess Peach]].

Fawful plots to use the artifact in order to fulfill his plans for global domination. He removes Peach from Bowser's body and kidnaps her, allowing him to break the seal on the Dark Star, which he steals from the [[Toad Town Caves]] after circumventing the security system. Fawful first uses its power to barricade the entrance to [[Peach's Castle]], allowing him to use it as a stronghold. Mario and Luigi eventually assemble all three [[Star Cure]]s from the [[Star Sages]] into the [[Miracle Cure]], using it to break the barricade, as well as curing the [[blorbs]] that Fawful had created earlier; this allows them, and later Bowser, to infiltrate the castle in order to stop Fawful and the Dark Star.

Fawful then places the Dark Star into a machine that he designed to transfer Princess Peach's power into it, which would awaken it and allow him to harness its power; when Bowser finally confronts Fawful and [[Midbus]], Fawful turns his minion into [[Blizzard Midbus]] to stop the Koopa King. Once Bowser defeats Midbus, however, Fawful then attempts to absorb the Dark Star's power; while doing so, Bowser seemingly punches through him, causing him to vanish. As Bowser laughs at how good it feels "finally punching out that weirdo", the partially-drained Dark Star awakens and escapes from the machine, circling Bowser before forcing its way down his throat and into his chest; this causes Bowser to experience heartburn-like pains, which he relieves by inhaling some of the frigid air from Blizzard Midbus's snout, allowing Mario, Luigi, and [[Starlow]] to enter the previously inaccessible [[Airway (Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story)|Airway]] in pursuit of the Dark Star.

Within the Airway, the Mario Bros. repeatedly try and fail to trap the Dark Star, which eludes their grasp by copying Bowser's DNA in order to enhance its own powers; this ranges from punching to breathing purple fire and body slamming the barriers, and Starlow soon begins to suspect as much. Eventually, the Mario Bros. confront the Dark Star at the very back of the Airway and battle it; despite the Bros. defeating the Dark Star, it simply escapes from Bowser's body and transforms into [[Dark Bowser|a Bowser-esque apparition]].

When Dark Fawful is defeated by Bowser and flees the [[Conference Hall]], Dark Bowser inhales him, and the Dark Star inside his body merges with Fawful's bug form, completing Dark Bowser and creating the [[Dark Star Core]]; this fact is not revealed until the final battle. When Dark Bowser is KOd, the Dark Star Core's powers allow him to recover and double in size; once Bowser punches the enlarged Dark Bowser's stomach, he expels Dark Fawful, who Bowser can then inhale into his body. Within Bowser's body, Mario and Luigi confront Dark Fawful, who transforms into the Dark Star Core, and manage to progressively weaken them before attacking the Dark Star directly, eventually defeating them both.

After the Dark Star Core takes enough damage, it explodes inside Bowser's body, which causes Dark Bowser to become unstable and allows Bowser to finish him off. Dark Bowser then reverts back into the Dark Star, which rises above Peach's Castle and explodes, restoring the Mushroom Kingdom to normal. Dark Fawful manages to survive long enough to make one last attempt at destroying Mario and Luigi by self-destructing, but this undoes the effects of the [[Vacuum Shroom]] Fawful had given Bowser at the very beginning, safely expelling Mario, Luigi and the [[Toad (species)|Toads]] from Bowser's body.

In addition to reprising its role in the [[Nintendo 3DS]] remake, ''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey'', the Dark Star is indirectly referenced in ''Bowser Jr.'s Journey'', with Dark Bowser's spread of darkness occurring around the time Bowser Jr., the Koopalings, and Kamek arrived to stop the [[Best Fitness Friends]] at Bowser's Castle. The group also witnesses the Dark Star's ultimate destruction at Bowser's hands from afar, shortly after the Best Fitness Friends are themselves defeated.

The Dark Star now has its own boss battle theme called "Destroy the Dark Power!", and is one of two such bosses to be given a new theme, with the other being Dark Fawful; however, Dark Star X still uses the standard boss theme.

In battle, the Dark Star cannot usually be damaged. To expose its vulnerability, the Mario Bros. must destroy the [[Dark Satellmite]]s that surround it. With sufficient damage, the Dark Satellmites will use a kamikaze attack that consists of throwing a [[bomb]] (or electric sphere in the remake) at one Mario brother, and throwing their own body at the other, in order to bait an attack. Ordinarily, both will miss, but either brother can attack the projectile launched at him. If the bomb or electric sphere is attacked, it will explode, doing damage to either Mario or Luigi. If the Satellmite is attacked, it will be knocked flying into the Dark Star. After being hit in such a way twice, the Star will become vulnerable and immobile for a turn; in the original game, the hits also pierce its invulnerability and damage it.  

One of the Dark Star's attacks consists of it splitting into five (or seven, with sufficient damage) as a thick fog fills the battlefield. Each Dark Star copy then flies slowly at Mario or Luigi, vanishing into the fog as it approaches them. [[Mario]] and [[Luigi]] must then counter this attack by using their [[hammer]]s on the hidden fake Dark Stars exactly 2 seconds after they disappear.  

The Dark Star may also send red and green energy balls into the air. It will then fly through these balls in order, sending them at the correspondingly colored brother. They can be avoided by jumping.

After receiving sufficient damage, the Dark Star will use a laser attack that fills up the entire touch screen. [[Starlow]] will appear just before this attack activates, suggesting that Mario and Luigi grab on to her. When they do so, Starlow will fly into the air to avoid the attack, becoming visible on the top screen; after the laser attack finishes, the Dark Star will look up and attempt to ram into Starlow. The Bros. must release their hold on Starlow to avoid the ramming attack, which deals massive damage and can inflict the [[Poison (status effect)|Poison]] status.

Just before it is defeated, the Dark Star will use one last vacuum attack on both Mario and Luigi. This must be countered by pressing {{button|ds|A}} and {{button|ds|B}} repeatedly, or the brothers will take massive damage. Once the attack ceases, the Dark Star is defeated.

When first seen, both in cutscenes and the overworld, the Dark Star is a medium-sized violet orb with a black star on the front that possesses red eyes; while conscious, the orb grows large spikes that rotate around it, giving it a sun-like appearance. In the remake, its eyes flicker as part of its in-battle animation. The Dark Star begins to take on a similar appearance to Bowser while copying his DNA, slowly transforming into Dark Bowser.

 

When encountered later as part of the final battle, the Dark Star appears as a spiky black orb with a white-eyed violet star, situated on top of Dark Fawful's antenna. In this state, the Dark Star seems to be partly synchronized with Fawful, closing its corresponding eye when the Mario Bros. shatter each of Fawful's lenses. After Dark Bowser is defeated and dissolves, the Dark Star makes one last appearance before exploding, taking the form a blackish-purple star with black eyes, a weak purple aura, and a weary expression; in the remake, it reverts to its initial state prior to exploding, though it retains the weakened purple aura.

 

 

The Dark Star is said to have incredible dark powers, which it used to threaten the Mushroom Kingdom before being sealed away. It is capable of taking on the form and appearance of others, such as Bowser, by copying their DNA. It can also create smaller minions known as Dark Satellmites, and likely also created some of the enemies encountered within the Airway, specifically [[Air Cheep]]s, [[Stonk]]s and [[Air Cannon]]s (which all have a similar black star on their faces). The Dark Star later merges with Dark Fawful to form the core of Dark Bowser; they can revive Dark Bowser when he is knocked out, and can escape from Bowser's body and back to Dark Bowser during the fight. The Dark Star has an ambiguous amount of control over the Core form, based on Fawful's upset expression when they flee, despite him exhibiting control of the Core elsewhere. Its defeat by the Mario Bros. causes Dark Bowser to become unstable, allowing Bowser to both defeat him and destroy the Dark Star for good.

|FreE=Astre Noir

|FreEM=Black Star

|FreA=Étoile Obscure

|FreAM=Dark Star

*The player can glitch the Dark Star's beam attack so they can drop right when the attack ends and the Dark Star does not ram the top screen.

[[Category:Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story bosses]]

[[Category:Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story characters]]

[[Category:Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey characters]]