Editing Proto Piranha

{{redirect|Gatekeeper|the variant of [[Pi'illo]]s|[[Deco Pi'illo]]|the NPC from [[Wario: Master of Disguise]]|[[Royal gatekeeper]]}}

|image=[[File:PollutedPiranha.png|200px]]<br>A Proto Piranha in ''Super Mario Sunshine''

'''Proto Piranhas''', originally known as '''Gatekeepers'''<ref>{{cite|author=Loe, Casey|title=''Super Mario Sunshine'' Perfect Guide|page=14|publisher=Versus Books|date=August 12, 2002|isbn=1-931886-09-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite|author=Bogenn, Tim, and Doug Walsh|title=''Super Mario Sunshine'' Official Strategy Guide|page=19|publisher=Bradygames|isbn=0-7440-0180-3|date=2002}}</ref> and also known as '''Proto Piranha Plants''',<ref>{{cite|url=play.nintendo.com/documents/Super_Mario_3D_All-Stars_bingo.pdf|title=''Super Mario 3D All-Stars Bingo''|format=PDF|publisher=[[Play Nintendo]]|accessdate=October 27, 2020|archive=web.archive.org/web/20201105023820/https://play.nintendo.com/documents/Super_Mario_3D_All-Stars_bingo.pdf}}</ref> are large [[Piranha Plant]]s made entirely of [[goop]].

Proto Piranhas first appear as recurring bosses in the early parts of ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]''. {{anchor|Generators}}In this game, Proto Piranhas are all connected to solid, undulating, smoking masses of goop referred to as '''Generators''',<ref>{{cite|author=Hodgson, David S J, et al.|title=''Super Mario Sunshine'' Prima's Official Strategy Guide|page=11|date=September 3, 2002|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|language=en-us|isbn=0-7615-3961-1}}</ref> which cannot be cleaned normally. Additionally, some Generators spread goop to the surrounding area, preventing it from being cleaned permanently until the Proto Piranha is defeated; however, despite their name, not all Generators do this. Initially, Proto Piranhas hide within the Generator, emerging only when the Generator is sprayed with [[water]]. Once a Proto Piranha has emerged, it sways back and forth while opening and closing its mouth. To defeat it, [[Mario]] must use [[F.L.U.D.D.|FLUDD]] to spray water into its open mouth a certain number of times. If Mario sprays one while its mouth is closed, it merely shrugs the attack off. If not dealt damage for long enough, it retreats back into its Generator. In all the Proto Piranhas' appearances, structures are submerged in the goop beneath them, and the Proto Piranhas must be defeated to release them.

There are five fights against Proto Piranhas in the game. The fights vary in terms of the Proto Piranha's color (which changes to match the surrounding goop), the number of sprays necessary to defeat the Proto Piranha, and additional behaviors.

*One appears at the very beginning at the [[Delfino Airstrip]], creating a sinkhole in the runway. It and its goop are a colorful mixture of pink, yellow, orange, and white. It takes three sprays to defeat. Its only way of harming Mario is if he walks directly into it or the goop surrounding it, as it has no attacks and goop does not create [[Gooble]]s during [[Delfino Airstrip Dilemma]]. Once defeated, it releases the player's first [[Shine Sprite]].

*Another appears in [[Bianco Square]] in [[Delfino Plaza]], submerging the [[Grand Pianta Statue]]. This one is brown and white. It also takes three sprays to defeat, but it is more dangerous due to its goop creating Goobles. When the Proto Piranha is defeated, the Grand Pianta Statue emerges with [[Shadow Mario]] standing on it, leading to the game's first Shadow Mario chase.

*Another brown-and-white one appears in [[Bianco Hills]] during the first episode, [[Road to the Big Windmill]], submerging the hill before the bridge to the road surrounding the [[Big Windmill]]. Before it emerges, its Generator repeatedly spurts [[Piranhabon]]s down the countryside path. It also takes three sprays to defeat, and it releases a Shine Sprite once beaten. As this is the only Proto Piranha to be fought in a replayable episode, this is the only Proto Piranha that can be fought again after it is defeated.

*Once the player has three Shine Sprites, a black Proto Piranha appears in Delfino Plaza and submerges the [[boathouse]]. Uniquely, its Generator can be seen extending through the dock down into the sand underneath the water. Its Generator leaks goop outward, covering areas Mario has cleaned with goop again. After three sprays, it acts as if it has been beaten before suddenly springing back up and requiring three additional sprays to defeat. Once it is beaten, the boathouse emerges from the ground with a [[Rainbow M]] leading to [[Ricco Harbor]] painted on its side.

*Once the player has five Shine Sprites, another black Proto Piranha appears in Delfino Plaza, submerging the lighthouse on the beach. Like with the previous black Proto Piranha, this fight has a functioning Generator and requires two sets of three sprays. However, when this Proto Piranha feigns defeat after being sprayed for the third time, it shoots out Goobles in all directions as it reemerges. Once it is beaten, the lighthouse emerges from the ground with a Rainbow M leading to [[Gelato Beach]] painted on it.

[[File:MGAT Mushroom Course Hole 6.png|thumb|A Proto Piranha in the top left corner of the Mushroom Course's sixth hole in ''Mario Golf: Advance Tour'']]

In the [[Mario Golf (series)|''Mario Golf'' series]], the name "Proto Piranha" appears on the leaderboards in the [[Blooper Bay|Blooper Star Open]], [[Peach's Castle Grounds|Peach's Star Invitational]], and [[Bowser Badlands|Bowser Star Championship]] tournaments in ''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]'', while in ''[[Mario Golf: Advance Tour]]'', Proto Piranhas appear in the [[Mushroom Course]] along with many regular Piranha Plants, although outside the course itself.

Polluted Piranha Colored SMS.png|Render of an orange-pink Proto Piranha

Delfino Airstrip Polluted Piranha SMS.png|A Proto Piranha at the [[Delfino Airstrip]]

SMS_Bianco_Square_Polluted_Piranha.png|A Proto Piranha in [[Bianco Square]]

RoadtotheBigWindmill.png|A Proto Piranha at [[Bianco Hills]]

Boat House Polluted Piranha.png|A Proto Piranha at the [[boathouse]]

Lighthouse Polluted Piranha.png|A Proto Piranha at the lighthouse

Polluted Piranha Super Mario-Kun.jpg|A Proto Piranha as depicted in ''[[Super Mario-kun]]''

|Jap2=ドロパックン

|Jap2N=''Mario Power Tennis''

|Fre2=Plante Piranha Polluée<ref name="encyclopedia">{{cite|date=July 4, 2018|title=''[[Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia|Super Mario Encyclopedia]]''|publisher=Soleil Productions|language=fr|isbn=2302070046|page=100}}</ref>