Editing Dry Bones

|image=[[File:MPSR Dry Bones.png|193px]]<br>Artwork from ''[[Super Mario Party]]''

|latest_appearance=''[[Mario & Luigi: Brothership]]'' ([[List of games by date#2024|2024]])

|variants=[[Dark Bones]]<br>[[Dry Bones 5-Stack]]<br>[[Dull Bones]]<br>[[Elite Dry Bones]]<br>[[Mega Dry Bones]]<br>[[Paper Dry Bones]]<br>[[Parabones]]<br>[[Sad Dry Bones]]<br>[[Suppon no Karon]]<br>[[Vomer]]

|comparable=[[Bone Goomba]]<br>[[Bone Piranha Plant]]<br>[[Bony Beetle]]<br>[[Dry Bowser]]<br>[[Fish Bone]]<br>[[Mattermouth]]<br>[[Mummy Guy]]<br>[[Pionpi]]<br>[[Revver]]<br>[[Recapitator]]<br>[[Skeleton Bee]]<br>[[Spine Coaster]]

Dry Bones<ref>{{cite|format=PDF|url=www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NAACE.pdf|title=''Super Mario Bros. 3'' instruction booklet|page=39|language=en-us|publisher=Nintendo of America|date=1990}}</ref><ref>{{cite|date=Spring 1991|language=en-us|publisher=Nintendo of America|title=''NES Game Atlas Nintendo Player's Guide''|page=29}}</ref><ref>{{cite|title=''Nintendo Power Strategy Guide: Super Mario Bros. 3''|page=8|language=en-us|publisher=Nintendo of America|date=June 1990}}</ref> are enemies in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''. They are first encountered in {{world-link|1|fortress|World 1-Fortress}}, and they appear mostly in [[fortress]] stages. Dry Bones can be stomped to break into a pile of bones before  shortly afterward. Unlike normal [[Koopa (species)|Koopa]]s, Dry Bones are immune to the tail of [[Raccoon Mario]] and the fireballs of [[Fire Mario]] but can be defeated with a [[Star]] or the effects of a [[Hammer Suit]]. In the [[Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3|Game Boy Advance version]], Dry Bones can be defeated by the [[Cape Feather]], if said item has been added by scanning the "Cape" card with the [[e-Reader]].

{{multiframe|[[File:KoopaGreenL.gif|bottom]] [[File:DryBonesL.gif|bottom]] [[File:SMW Dry Bones.gif|bottom]]|Size difference|size=74|align=right|bg=gray}}

Dry Bones return in ''[[Super Mario World]]'' and [[Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2|its remake]], being similar yet difference to their appearance in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''. Dry Bones are encountered in [[Fortress]]es and [[Castle]]s only. Besides a star, Dry Bones can also be defeated with a [[Cape Feather]]. They also turn around at ledges, similar to Red Koopa Troopas, instead of just falling. Some of the Dry Bones in this game can throw bones at Mario. Like [[Koopa Troopa]]s, this is the first game where Dry Bones walk on two feet. Dry Bones were given pink shoes (red in the artwork), and were made slightly larger than Mario and Luigi. They also appear larger than regular Koopa Troopas, despite being skeletal versions of them. Their appearance is somewhat more similar to [[Yoshi (species)|Yoshi]]s than Koopa Troopas, which may have been intended to tie in with the game's dinosaur-theming. Dry Bones are depicted with a visible neck, despite lacking one in the artwork. [[Bony Beetle]]s resemble squat versions of Dry Bones and use the sprites when breaking apart.

Dry Bones are enemies in ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'', which is also the first appearance of their larger variant, [[Mega Dry Bones|Super Dry Bones]], as well as [[Dry Bowser]]. Both Dry Bones and Super Dry Bones appear only in [[Tower]] and [[Castle]] levels, and they can be defeated by a [[Mega Mushroom]], [[Super Star|Starman]], or a [[Blue Shell]]. The main difference with Dry Bones from before is that stomping them now breaks their head off of their body, and if the head falls into [[lava]] or a [[pit]], the Dry Bones takes longer to revive. If their bodies are destroyed while crumbled, the head remains for some time before eventually despawning; if they were in the process of rebuilding themselves, the head freezes in place momentarily.

Dry Bones are enemies in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''. They are encountered in the [[Dusty Dune Galaxy]], [[Bowser's Dark Matter Plant]] and the final level, [[Bowser's Galaxy Reactor]]. Unlike normal Koopas, Dry Bones are bipedal, though have a hunched stance. Attacking a Dry Bones causes it crumble apart and revive a few seconds later, like before, but besides a [[stomp]], this also occurs if the Dry Bones is [[Spin|spun]] or hit with a [[Green Shell]]. A Dry Bones chases Mario or Luigi upon noticing them, and it it hits him, the Dry Bones cackles similarly to a [[Boo]]. The only way to destroy these Dry Bones is by touching them while using a [[Rainbow Star]], destroying them with a [[Bullet Bill]], or luring them into [[quicksand]].

Dry Bones are enemies in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]''. They are the same as in ''New Super Mario Bros.'', though a Dry Bones in the process of recovering can be stomped. Ways to defeat a Dry Bones include using either a [[Super Star|Star]], a [[POW Block]], a [[Koopa Shell]], or the [[Ice Flower]]/[[Penguin Suit]].

Dry Bones in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'' are similar to the first ''Super Mario Galaxy''. They appear in [[Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla]], [[Bowser's Lava Lair]], [[Bowser's Gravity Gauntlet]], [[Bowser Jr.'s Boom Bunker]], [[Bowser's Galaxy Generator]], and the [[Slipsand Galaxy]]. A Dry Bones can now be defeated from falling into [[lava]], though it does not blow up in a cloud of smoke when this happens, unlike other enemies.

Dry Bones are enemies in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''. They are based on their appearance from ''Super Mario Galaxy'' and its sequel. They appear alongside many [[Draglet]]s and [[Thwomp]]s in most of the castle stages. There are two visual differences: a Dry Bones' head moving upward if it is hit by a [[fireball]], and its eyes flashing red for about one second while recovering. Unlike previous appearances, Dry Bones can be defeated by [[Invincible Mario]] or [[White Tanooki Mario]] only. A boomerang from [[Boomerang Mario]] or tail whip by [[Tanooki Mario]] are two other ways a Dry Bones can break apart.

Dry Bones and [[Mega Dry Bones|Big Dry Bones]] appear in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]''. Dry Bones appear mainly in tower and castle levels, but they have also appeared in non-boss levels such as [[World 6-A (New Super Mario Bros. 2)|World 6-A]]. Dry Bones' design is reused from ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'', but with three small spikes added to their shells. Besides the usual Star, a Dry Bones can be defeated from a [[Gold Flower]] as well. Dry Bones react to "[[paah]]s" by dancing similarly to a [[Koopa Troopa]]. One trait is retained from ''Super Mario 3D Land'': They can crumble when hit by a tail whip.

Dry Bones and Big Dry Bones both return in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]'', ''[[New Super Luigi U]]'', and [[New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe|their port]] as regular enemies. Dry Bones are modeled after their nature in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'', although they are no longer affected by [[lava]] and, similarly to ''Super Mario 3D Land'', flash a red glare while reconstructing. Dry Bones now have a distinct reaction to vocal riffs of spinning their heads.

Despite ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'' and its [[Nintendo Switch]] [[Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury|port]] introducing a winged variety, [[Parabones]], Dry Bones do not appear. However, Parabones are based on Dry Bones from ''Super Mario Galaxy''.

Dry Bones appear in ''[[Super Mario Maker]]'' and ''[[Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS]]'', as well as the similar [[Mega Dry Bones|Big Dry Bones]], [[Parabones]], and [[Fish Bone]]s. Because Dry Bones were not in ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', unique sprites in that game's style were created. The Dry Bones in the ''Super Mario World'' game style have some differences from the original game, which includes throwing bones to attack, being smaller to match the size of a Koopa Troopa, and being eaten by [[Yoshi]] so that he can spit out a bone in the manner of a fireball, except stronger because it can also defeat some of the more resistant enemies like [[Buzzy Beetle]]s and [[Chain Chomp]]s. A Dry Bones turns into a Fish Bone automatically if placed in the underwater course theme.

Dry Bones in ''[[Super Mario Run]]'' are based on their appearance in ''New Super Mario Bros.'' and its sequels. Dry Bones were also made vulnerable to [[Wall Jump]]s, [[roll|Rolling Jump]]s, and the upward portion of [[Vaulting Jump]]s, all of which can defeat a Dry Bones permanently. Dry Bones appear in three levels: [[Bowser's Castle Hangout]], [[Cutting Edge Spire]], and [[Rings of Fire!]]. Unlike before, stomping a Dry Bones defeats it and earns the player [[coin]]s, but it counts to [[level up|leveling up]] only if the bones fall offscreen, either through [[roll]]ing or [[slide|sliding]] through it, by using one of the aforementioned jumps, or by being [[Invincible Mario|invincible]].

In ''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]'', Dry Bones retain their role from ''Super Mario Maker'' of being enemies that can be placed in [[level|courses]], including the ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'' style despite their absence from the game. Dry Bones and [[Fishbones]] were also made separate. The game is the first appearance of the [[Dry Bones Shell]], which is used similarly to a [[Goomba's Shoe]], but there is a similarity to Dry Bones in that Mario can crumble into a pile of bones while [[crouch]]ing.

Dry Bones (referred to as '''Dry Bones Troopas''' by [[Mario]] in "[[Do the Koopa]]") make a few appearances in ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]''.

In "Do the Koopa", a Dry Bones reports to [[Bowser|King Koopa]] that [[Mario]], [[Luigi]], [[Toad]] and [[Princess Peach|Princess Toadstool]] have snuck into [[Dark Land]] and are attempting to find the [[Doom Dancer Music Box]], after spotting them earlier. Later on, Mario's group encounters more Dry Bones that they crush with the debris of broken [[Brick Block]]s. They are later uncovered and freed by [[Larry Koopa|Cheatsy Koopa]], [[Roy Koopa|Bully Koopa]], and [[Morton Koopa Jr.|Big Mouth Koopa]].

In ''[[Koopa Capers]]'', Luigi can find a pit filled with Dry Bones in Bowser's Fortress, and fight several of them if he decides to try and reach a door at the bottom of the hole; the powdered toes of a Dry Bones are also one of the ingredients needed by [[Wendy|Wendy O. Koopa]] for a magic potion she is brewing.

Dry Bones (known as '''Skeleton Koopas'''<ref>{{cite|title=''Hotel Mario'' instruction book|page=16}}</ref>) appear in the level [[Ludwig's Thump Castle Hotel]] of ''[[Hotel Mario]]''. They crumble apart when hit, but resurrect shortly afterward. Unlike before, Skeleton Koopas can be defeated by [[Fire Mario]], though this vulnerability was retained in [[Paper Mario (series)|''Paper Mario'' series]], by coincidence.

Dry Bones appear in ''[[Paper Mario]]'' as enemies found in [[Bowser's Castle]]. Dry Bones can walk upright and throw bones, similarly to ''Super Mario World''. They can also build more of themselves, with the same amount of HP as the original unit. When a Dry Bones' [[Heart Point]]s are depleted, it collapses on the ground but remains in battle, reviving itself after two turns. Dry Bones defeated this way do not drop [[coin]]s or [[Star Point]]s, but the battle will still end if only collapsed Dry Bones remain on the enemy side. A Dry Bones can be permanently defeated, awarding Mario with coins and Star Points, by using fire and explosion attacks (e.g. [[Kooper]]'s [[Fire Shell]] or [[Bombette]]'s [[Bomb (Paper Mario series)|Bomb]]), which also ignore their defense and deal an additional 10 damage, allowing these moves to instantly defeat a Dry Bones. If a Dry Bones spots Mario outside battle, they try to throw a bone at him to make the [[First Strike]]. Additionally, due to Mario's levels capping at 27 and Dry Bones' level being at 30, they are the only non-boss enemy type in the game that can never be defeated with the [[First Attack]], [[Spin Attack (Badge)|Spin Attack]], or [[Bump Attack]] badges.

Dry Bones return in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'' in the [[Palace of Shadow]] and the [[Pit of 100 Trials (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door)|Pit of 100 Trials]]. They retain their behavior of throwing bones to attack and constructing additional Dry Bones as reinforcements. Unlike in the previous game, Dry Bones award Mario with coins and Star Points upon collapsing, though they still remain in battle and revive themselves after two turns if not defeated with fire and explosion attacks such as the [[Fire Flower]], [[Fire Drive]], or [[Vivian]]'s [[Fiery Jinx]]. Fire and explosion attacks, however, no longer deal increased damage to Dry Bones.

Dry Bones appear in ''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]''. They maintain the same behavior and appearance as before. Dry Bones can be defeated entirely if certain walls are knocked down onto them. When defeated in battle, their bones fall and turn into a pile, and the Dry Bones revive some seconds later. They appear in [[Marmalade Valley]] and [[Redpepper Crater]], as well as the [[parallel world]]s of [[Vortex Island]], [[Lighthouse Island]] and [[Fortune Island]]. A Dry Bones is the third-round opponent in [[Roshambo Temple#Roshambo Temple #2|Roshambo Temple #2]], although after [[Iggy|Iggy Koopa]] is defeated, it is replaced with the [[Rock Paper Wizard]] until beaten.

Dry Bones appear in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]''. Dry Bones have a different appearance than usual: they have no shell and walk on four legs, the latter carrying over from ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' and suggesting they are a regional variant akin to [[Troopea]]s. Dry Bones are encountered all along [[Hoohoo Mountain]]. In battle, a Dry Bones attacks by launching its head at Mario or Luigi, attacking the former if Dry Bones' head spins vertically or the latter if it spins diagonally. The targeted brother can counterattack by jumping on the spinning bone head as it approaches him. If the Dry Bones loses all health from the attack, it explodes. When the Dry Bones are defeated, Mario and Luigi occasionally receive a [[Mushroom]]. In the [[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions|Nintendo 3DS remake]], Dry Bones relay their attack differently, by spinning their head clockwise for Mario but counter-clockwise for Luigi. If the counterattack defeats Dry Bones entirely, its body explodes with the regular defeat animation while the head fades away around the same time.

A [[Elite Dry Bones|stronger variety]] with a purple shell can be found in [[Teehee Valley]]. In the remake, ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions]]'', this stronger variety of Dry Bones was given its own name, [[Elite Dry Bones]], to distinguish it from its weaker counterpart. The original quadrupedal design for Dry Bones is retained for the main story mode; in ''[[Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser]]'', Dry Bones appear in their modern design, suggesting that the two types of Dry Bones differ by region. In that mode, they appear as enemies and allies that can be recruited. They are ranged troopers and attack enemies by throwing bones at them. Their [[Special Skill (Mario & Luigi series)|Special Skill]] is Chain Shot. Dry Bones are strong against [[Koopa Troopa]]s.

Dry Bones reside in [[Yoob's Belly]] in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time]]''. When a battle starts, a Dry Bones throws bones, usually standing still to target only [[Mario]] or [[Luigi]], but they can dodge the attack by jumping. Conversely, if the Dry Bones jumps before throwing a bone, the brother takes damage if he jumps while the bone is thrown in his direction. Dry Bones can attack the Bros. in succession: If it clacks, Dry Bones attacks Mario then Luigi, though if it twirls its head, Dry Bones attacks Luigi before Mario.

Later on, large Dry Bones statues appear in [[Gritzy Desert]]. When these are encountered, the player has to split the babies and the adults. After doing this, they have to hit four blocks within ten seconds of each other. There are two pairs of blocks in the desert, and once the two pairs are hit, a hidden door to the [[Koopaseum]] opens.

Dry Bones return in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey]]'', where they additionally are found as enemies and recruitable allies in the ''[[Bowser Jr.'s Journey]]'' mode, first appearing in the level "[[Bone Storm]]". Their Special Skill has been changed, being Rain of Pain in this game. Additionally, Dry Bones' winged variants, [[Parabones]], also appear in the game's side story as well, although they appear a little earlier than their regular counterparts.

A large group of Dry Bones are part of [[Kamek]]'s second battle in [[Dreamy Neo Bowser Castle]] in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Dream Team]]''. Once summoned, Kamek retreats to the background, where he cannot be targeted by most attacks. The Dry Bones attack as a group, splitting up so that some of them stay to the right of Mario while the others move to the left. They can either walk into [[Mario]] or throw a bouncing bone at him, during which Mario can walk up and down and/or jump to avoid them. Their attacks are allowed to overlap in timing. A Dry Bones falls apart if Mario jumps on it. If he does this as a [[counterattack]], once the Dry Bones are finished attacking Mario gets to aim and kick its segments at Kamek. Once the opportunity has passed, any leftover Dry Bones stand up again. If Mario attacks Dry Bones on his turn, the Dry Bones stay crumbled for a few turns. Having every Dry Bones crumbled at the same time causes Kamek to return from the background.

''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]'' is Dry Bones' first playable appearance. Dry Bones is introduced as a technique character who is part of [[Bowser]]'s team.  It is a fairly balanced player with batting as its strongest point and fielding as its weakest. Dry Bones bats left, but unlike [[Koopa Troopa]], it also throws with its left hand. Dry Bones has good chemistry with Koopa Troopa and Bowser. This game also introduces his current design, which closer resembles a Koopa Troopa.

Dry Bones are enemies in ''[[Super Princess Peach]]''. Dry Bones appear in the levels [[Shriek Mansion]] and [[Bowser's Villa]], where they throw bones to attack, but these can be intercepted using [[Perry]]. Dry Bones have a variant, [[Sad Dry Bones]], which throw bones faster than them. A Dry Bones breaks apart when stomped or hit, as usual, but revives after three seconds, faster than in other platforming games. Dry Bones can be defeated properly using either the [[Joy (vibe)|Joy]] vibe's cyclone or the [[Rage]] vibe.

Dry Bones is unlockable as a playable character in ''[[Mario Party 7]]'' by paying 1,000 Cruise Mileage Points in the [[Duty-Free Shop]]. The [[Magic Orb]] is Dry Bones' special [[Orb]], which doubles the number on the dice block and then turns Dry Bones invisible. Dry Bones is partnered with [[Boo]] in {{file link|Dry Bones and Boo Artwork - Mario Party 7.png|artwork for the game}}.

Dry Bones, unlike before, is a starting playable character in ''[[Mario Party 8]]''. Its partner is once again Boo, and their team name is the "Scary Pair".

A Dry Bones is fought as the boss of the [[Hexoskeleton]] minigame in ''[[Mario Party DS]]''. In the story mode, Dry Bones had taken over [[DK's Stone Statue]] and turned [[Donkey Kong]] into stone, to which [[Diddy Kong]] asks the player characters to help. Dry Bones is a hazard on the board itself, where if a player stops on a [[Green Space]] near its coffin, Dry Bones wakes up, lifts it slightly, and slams it with enough force to send the player to either the starting point or right before the [[Star (Mario Party series)|Star]]. Dry Bones can be fought in Hexoskeleton after the player becomes the [[Super Star]], and during the minigame, as Dry Bones tries to crush the player, they [[Ground Pound]] switches to attack Dry Bones with lightning. The player can obtain a trophy of a defeated Dry Bones by winning Hexoskeleton five times.

In ''[[Mario Party 9]]'', a giant Dry Bones is the mini-boss of [[Boo's Horror Castle]], being fought in the minigame [[Deck Dry Bones]]. In the minigame, Dry Bones jumps from platforms, and it takes damage by choosing cards with the same pattern as the platform it is standing on. There are Dry Bones cards that damage players who select them, costing each of the affected players a point.

In the minigame [[Ruins Rumble]], three Dry Bones appear have to be defeated along with the opponents to win. Dry Bones appear also in [[Smash Compactor]], though are not interactable, since they only raise the compactor after each round; one sometimes stands on top of the compactor.

Dry Bones appear in ''[[Mario Party: Island Tour]]'' as non-playable characters. They appear in the minigame [[Tap Dash]], and as a judge in minigame [[The Choicest Voice]]. A [[Mega Dry Bones|Big Dry Bones]] appears on the board [[Star-Crossed Skyway]] and hands out seven [[Mini Ztar]]s on the third and fourth [[Star Stage]]s.  

A Dry Bones makes a background appearance in the [[Bowser Board|Bowser amiibo Party board]] in ''[[Mario Party 10]]''.

While regular Dry Bones do not appear in ''[[Mario Party: Star Rush]]'', [[Mega Dry Bones]] appears as a boss.

Dry Bones appears as an unlockable playable character in ''[[Super Mario Party]]'' akin to its appearance in ''Mario Party 7'', also being playable for the first time since ''Mario Party 8''. Unlike the other unlockable characters, there is no exact criteria for unlocking Dry Bones, as it is unlocked randomly after playing different modes. Dry Bones' [[Dice Block]] has three 1's and three 6's on it.

Dry Bones can be unlocked for play in ''[[Mario Kart DS]]'' by winning every Nitro Cup in 50cc Grand Prix. His personal [[kart]]s are the [[Standard DB]], the [[Banisher]], and the [[Dry Bomber]]. His [[emblem]] is the side of his skull. Dry Bones is the staff data used on [[SNES Donut Plains 1|Donut Plains 1]] and has a time of 1:08:027 in the Dry Bomber. He is also the staff data on [[N64 Banshee Boardwalk|Banshee Boardwalk]] and has a time of 2:14:403 in the Dry Bomber. Dry Bones is the lightest character, even more than [[Princess Peach|Peach]], [[Yoshi]], [[Toad]], and [[Shy Guy]], all of whom share the light weight class with him.

Dry Bones reappears as an unlockable character in ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''. This time, he is unlocked by either winning the 100cc [[Leaf Cup]] or by playing 1,050 races. Dry Bones is still a lightweight, so his top speed is low while his acceleration and off-road stats are high. Each kart used by Dry Bones is colored gray and black. Dry Bones has a small acceleration and drift bonus, but the mini-turbo is his highest bonus, rivaling Koopa Troopa's, [[Wario]]'s, and [[Dry Bowser]]'s.

====''Mario Kart 8'' / ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''====

In addition to his roles from the original version, Dry Bones would become playable in ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'', where he is in the same lightweight subset as [[Baby Mario]], [[Baby Luigi]], and small [[Mii]]s. He is also the 200cc staff ghost for Bone-Dry Dunes. Dry Bones' horn sound is the sound effect of when a Dry Bones breaks apart.

Dry Bones appears in ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'' as a Normal playable character. He shares his special item, the [[Triple Green Shells]], with Koopa Troopa, [[Iggy|Iggy Koopa]], [[Lakitu]], and [[Shy Guy|Green Shy Guy]]. He is also the main subject of a bonus challenge named [[Smash Small Dry Bones]], where players have to squash as many small Dry Bones as possible. He additionally has a golden variant called '''Dry Bones (Gold)''' which appears as a High-End character with the [[Coin Box]] as his special item.

Dry Bones is one of the few characters in the game not to receive any new favorite tracks beyond his debut, with his only default favorite tracks being [[GBA Bowser's Castle 1|GBA Bowser's Castle 1T]] and [[3DS Shy Guy Bazaar|3DS Shy Guy Bazaar T]]. He shares this distinction with [[Baby Peach]], [[Baby Rosalina]], [[Shy Guy]], [[Morton]] and [[Wendy]].

A Dry Bones appears in a few of the series' single-player campaigns. In the [[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Nintendo DS)|Nintendo DS version]] of ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games'', Dry Bones is competed against in [[Curling (Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for Nintendo DS)|Curling]] in the [[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Nintendo DS)#Adventure Tours story|Adventure Tours]] mode. In the Nintendo 3DS version of ''Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games'', Dry Bones first appears in Story Mode protecting the [[Phantasmal Fog]] alongside Dry Bowser in [[Foggy Foes]], where they intimidate Toad and [[Omochao]] before challenging Mario and Luigi to [[Sailing - 470 (Pair)]]. After their defeat, Mario and Luigi destroy the [[fog machine]] and the pair leave before they can be questioned. Dry Bones also appears alongside several other characters for the opening ceremony. In [[The Life of a Minion]], Dry Bones appears alongside Lakitu to help set up a challenge for Bowser with [[Knuckles]] and [[Vector]], which they do by having Magikoopa transform them to look like [[Espio]] and [[Charmy]]. The pair manage to distract Knuckles and Vector for long enough so that Magikoopa can stun them, though Dry Bones almost gives them away as it only speaks with clicking sounds, and after Bowser defeats Knuckles and Vector, Dry Bones and Lakitu stay behind to calm them down. Dry Bones also appears in [[Mario's Defeat?!]], in which it distracts Bowser while [[Goomba]] is transformed to look like Mario, being ruled out itself due to the way that it speaks, and later when Goomba is being changed back.

Dry Bones appears in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'' as a [[Trophy (Super Smash Bros. series)|trophy]]. According to a [[List of Super Smash Bros. Brawl pre-release and unused content|datamine]] of the former game, Dry Bones would have appeared as an enemy in [[Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary]].

Dry Bones are obstacles of [[Ghoulish Galleon]] in ''[[Mario Sports Mix]]''. They are sometimes hiding in boxes, and stun players that touch them, though the Dry Bones can be used as a shield by players.

[[File:Dry Bones Artwork - Mario Party 7.png|thumb|Dry Bones's current appearance.]]

Due to being undead, skeletal Koopa Troopas, Dry Bones are naturally immune to lava and all forms of fire. However, this trait is somewhat inconsistent. In the ''New Super Mario Bros.'' games, Dry Bones are unharmed by lava, but if its head is submerged in lava, it takes longer for it to reassemble itself; in ''New Super Mario Bros. U'', Dry Bones are completely immune to lava. In the early ''Paper Mario'' games, Dry Bones take extra or fatal damage from fire or explosions.

Dry Bones usually cannot be defeated permanently, since they always reattach their head to its body in a matter of seconds. This results in Dry Bones' defensive qualities in most ''Super Mario'' sports games, due to its small size and excellent survivability, while sacrificing a lot of power and offense. In the ''Mario & Luigi'' games, defense is Dry Bones' best stat, though ''Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars'' and the ''Paper Mario'' games take this trait further, with the former game giving Dry Bones infinite health, and the latter games having them respawn a few minutes after a battle. Sometimes, Dry Bones is also portrayed as a technique character. Dry Bones generally attack their foes by throwing bones at them, a trait that first appeared in ''Super Mario World''. ''Mario Strikers Charged'' gives Dry Bones bizarre abilities such as teleportation and electrokinesis, which are used in his [[deke]] and [[Skill Shot]] respectively. In ''Mario Tennis Aces'', the playable Dry Bones has been shown to be able to purposefully crumble istelf, fly its parts into the air, and reassemble midair, doing so during its [[Special Shot (Mario Tennis Aces)|Special Shot]]. ''Puzzles and Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition'' gives Dry Bones associations with fire and darkness.

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|-

|''[[Mario Hoops 3-on-3]]''

|Head cameos as backboard for hoop in the [[Pirate Ship]]

|2006

|Nintendo DS

|-

|''[[Mario Party 8]]''

|Playable character

|[[List of games by date#2007|2007]]

|[[Wii]]

|-

|''[[Mario Strikers Charged]]''

|Playable character

|2007

|Wii

|-

|''[[Super Paper Mario]]''

|Enemy

|2007

|Wii

|-

|''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''

|Enemy

|2007

|Wii

|-

|''[[Mario Party DS]]''

|Boss

|2007

|Nintendo DS

|-

|''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''

|Cameo as Trophy and Sticker

|[[List of games by date#2008|2008]]

|Wii

|-

|''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''

|Unlockable playable character  

|2008

|Wii

|-

|''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]''

|Playable character

|2008

|Wii

|-

|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]''

|Rival

|[[List of games by date#2009|2009]]

|Nintendo DS

|-

|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]''

|Rival

|2009

|Wii

|-

|''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]''

|Enemy

|2009

|Wii

|-

|''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]''

|Enemy

|[[List of games by date#2010|2010]]

|Wii

|-

|''[[Mario Sports Mix]]''

|Enemy

|[[List of games by date#2011|2011]]

|Wii

|-

|''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''

|Enemy

|2011

|[[Nintendo 3DS]]

|-

|''[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]''

|Rival

|2011

|Wii

|-

|''[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]''

|Rival

|[[List of games by date#2012|2012]]

|Nintendo 3DS

|-

|''[[Mario Party 9]]''

|Enemy/Mid-Boss

|2012

|Wii

|-

|''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]''

|Enemy

|2012

|Nintendo 3DS

|-

|''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]''

|Enemy

|2012

|Nintendo 3DS

|-

|''[[New Super Mario Bros. U]]''

|Enemy

|2012

|[[Wii U]]

|-

|''[[New Super Luigi U]]''

|Enemy

|[[List of games by date#2013|2013]]

|Wii U

|-

|''[[Mario & Luigi: Dream Team]]''

|Enemy

|2013

|Nintendo 3DS

|-

|''[[Mario Party: Island Tour]]''

|Non-Playable Character

|2013

|Nintendo 3DS

|-

|''[[Mario Kart 8]]''

|Stage Hazard

|[[List of games by date#2014|2014]]

|Wii U

|-

|''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]''

|Trophy

|2014

|Nintendo 3DS

|-

|''[[Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition]]''

|Enemy/Ally

|[[List of games by date#2015|2015]]

|Nintendo 3DS

|-

|''[[Super Mario Maker]]''

|Enemy

|2015

|Wii U

|-

|''[[Skylanders: SuperChargers]]''

|Transforming assistant

|2015

|Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U

|-

|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)|Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games]]''

|Playable character

|[[List of games by date#2016|2016]]

|Nintendo 3DS

|-

|''[[Minecraft|Minecraft: Wii U Edition]]''

|Enemy/Playable skin in the Super Mario Mash-up

|2016

|Wii U

|-

|''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]''

|Enemy

|2016

|Wii U

|-

|''[[Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS]]''

|Enemy

|2016

|Nintendo 3DS

|-

|''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]''

|Playable character

|[[List of games by date#2017|2017]]

|[[Nintendo Switch]]

|-

|''[[Minecraft|Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition]]''

|Enemy/Playable skin in the Super Mario Mash-up

|2017

|Nintendo Switch

|-

|''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions]]''

|Enemy/Ally

|2017

|Nintendo 3DS

|-

|''[[Mario Party: The Top 100]]''

|Cameo

|2017

|Nintendo 3DS

|-

|''[[Minecraft|Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition]]''

|Enemy/Playable skin in the Super Mario Mash-up

|[[List of games by date#2018|2018]]

|[[Nintendo 3DS#New Nintnedo 3DS/New Nintendo 3DS XL|New Nintendo 3DS]]

|''[[Minecraft]]'' (Bedrock version)

|Enemy/Playable skin in the Super Mario Mash-up

|2018

|Nintendo Switch

|-

|''[[Mario Tennis Aces]]''

|Rival/Playable Character

|2018

|Nintendo Switch

|-

|''[[Super Mario Party]]''

|Unlockable playable character

|2018

|Nintendo Switch

|-

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

|Enemy/Ally

|2018

|Nintendo 3DS

|-

|''[[New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe]]''

|Enemy

|[[List of games by date#2019|2019]]

|Nintendo Switch

|-

|''[[Super Mario Maker 2]]''

|Enemy

|2019

|Nintendo Switch

|-

|''[[Mario Kart Tour]]''

|Playable character

|2019

|iOS, Android

|-

|''[[Dr. Mario World]]''

|Assistant (update)

|[[List of games by date#2020|2020]]

|iOS, Android

|-

|''[[Paper Mario: The Origami King]]''

|Enemy

|2020

|Nintendo Switch

|-

|''[[Super Mario Bros. Wonder]]''

|Enemy

|[[List of games by date#2023|2023]]

|Nintendo Switch

|-

|''[[Super Mario RPG (Nintendo Switch)]]''

|Enemy and non-playable character in Monstro Town

|2023

|Nintendo Switch

|}

|ChiS2=枯骨怪

|ChiS2N=prior to ''Mario Tennis Aces''

|FreA2=Dry Bones

|FreA2N=2007–2008

|FreE=Skelerex

|FreEN=since ''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga''

|FreE2=Ossec

|FreE2N=early games

|Ger2=Skelett-Koopa<ref>{{cite|author=Menold, Marcus, Claude M. Moyse, and Andreas G. Kämmerer, editors|title=''Der offizielle Nintendo Spieleberater "Super Mario World"''|language=de|location=Großostheim|publisher=[[Nintendo|Nintendo of Europe GmbH]]|date=1993|page=18}}</ref>

|Ita2=Ossa Secche

|Ita2N=''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3''

|SpaA2=Dry Bones

|SpaA2N=2007–2008

{{SMPJ}}

{{M&LB}}}}