Editing Screaming Pillar

{{species infobox
|title=Screaming Pillar
|image=[[File:Screaming Pillar.png|x200px]]<br>Model from ''Donkey Kong Country Returns''
|first_appearance=''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'' ([[List of games by date#2010|2010]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns HD]]'' ([[List of games by date#2025|2025]])
|variants=[[Screaming Pillar (big)]]
}}
'''Screaming Pillars''' are sentient and tall pillar-like structures that are members of the [[Tiki Tak Tribe]], usually acting as obstacles. In most games, they are found asleep or overall inactive, until a certain action within their vicinity alerts them. Screaming Pillars startle very suddenly and might fall on the ground, crushing any creature lying underneath them and remaining completely inert afterwards.

Screaming Pillars resemble narrow stone totems, which display carved symbols. They are erected on semi-pyramidal stands and feature cracks towards their bottom, pointing out their precarious state of standing upright. Their serrated mouths, placed underneath a pair of empty sockets serving as eyes, are part of their facial features. A Screaming Pillar is adorned with tufts of feathers on both sides of their heads, which detach after the enemy has made a sudden movement.

==History==
===''Donkey Kong Country'' series===
====''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' / ''Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D''====
In ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D]]'', Screaming Pillars can be encountered throughout the [[Jungle (Donkey Kong Country Returns)|Jungle]], [[Ruins]] and [[Volcano (world)|Volcano]] areas. They are initially idle, but if the [[Kong]]s approach these pillars, they awake with a scream and collapse onto the ground, potentially crushing any creature standing beneath them, including the Kongs; their feathers also detach during their sudden awakening. Should a pillar fall onto the Kongs, they lose one heart from their health counter. The Kongs can destroy a Screaming Pillar by [[Hand Slap|ground pound]]ing its body after it has fallen. Sometimes, Screaming Pillars might give out precious items, such as [[Banana Coin]]s or even [[Puzzle Piece (Donkey Kong Country series)|Puzzle Piece]]s, after getting destroyed.

Screaming Pillars may react to the Kongs at different ranges. Some of them only topple if the Kongs are within very close range, such as in [[Wonky Waterway]], while others are able to locate the primates further and then fall, as seen in [[Damp Dungeon]]. A level called [[Five Monkey Trial]] contains several Screaming Pillars which collapse regardless of the Kongs' proximity, and also instantly break upon hitting the ground.

A [[Screaming Pillar (big)|larger variant]] is present in the levels [[Canopy Cannons]] and the [[Nintendo 3DS]]–exclusive [[Crushin' Columns]]. Their scream is much louder and more intense, and they take out the Kongs completely when falling onto them.

====''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze''====
[[File:Flaming_falling_totem_poles.png|thumb|Two awakened Flaming Falling Totem Poles from ''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze'']]
Screaming Pillars, now referred to as '''Flaming Falling Totem Poles''' in the [[Prima Games|Prima]] guide,<ref>{{cite|author=von Esmarch, Nick, and Cory Van Grier|title=''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze'' PRIMA Official Game Guide|page=26|date=February 21, 2014|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|isbn=978-0-804-16252-4}}</ref> return in ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]'' and its Nintendo Switch [[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch)|port]]. When awakened, they expel flames out of their eyes and mouth before falling to the ground. Like in the previous game, they are able to crush the [[Kong]]s as they fall, but can be destroyed with three [[Hand Slap|Ground Pound]]s once they have fallen. They only appear in [[Scorch 'n' Torch]], where at one point a Flaming Falling Totem Pole crushes a stationary [[Archy (fire)|fire Archy]], showing a capability to damage enemies as well as the Kongs.

===''Mario Kart 7''===
Screaming Pillars are obstacles in ''[[Mario Kart 7]]''. They do not attack the player by collapsing on the ground, unlike before, and instead appear as obstacles on the [[DK Jungle (3DS)|DK Jungle]] racetrack. While usually dormant, they scream every once in a while, powerfully blowing air to push hanggliding players back. Their appearance has been slightly updated with the addition of stone eyebrows.

Regular Screaming Pillars have been replaced with the larger variants in the ''[[Mario Kart 8]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' rendition of DK Jungle. They exhale smoke while making noises.

===''Mario Golf: World Tour''===
Screaming Pillars are obstacles in ''[[Mario Golf: World Tour]]''. They are encountered in [[DK Jungle (golf course)|DK Jungle]] only, near Hole 1 and Hole 9. Screaming Pillars occasionally pop strong air currents out of their mouths, which can push the golf ball in a direction. Big Screaming Pillars can also be seen near Hole 8.

===''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U''===
In the E3 2013 trailer for ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'' / ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U|Wii U]]'', Screaming Pillars can be seen very briefly in the background when Donkey Kong is first seen. ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'' includes them as stage hazards on the [[Jungle Hijinxs (stage)|Jungle Hijinxs]] stage, where the playable characters can topple them over to potentially fall over rival fighters.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
ScreamingPillar.png|Concept artwork of a Screaming Pillar's falling animation in ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]''
Diorama1-DKCR.png|Screaming Pillars in the Jungle diorama in ''Donkey Kong Country Returns''
Pole_preparing_to_fall.png|A Flaming Falling Totem Pole about to crush a fire [[Archy (fire)|Archy]]
MK7 Screaming Pillars.png|Screenshot from ''Mario Kart 7''
DKJungle9.jpg|Screenshot from ''[[Mario Golf: World Tour]]''
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jpn=さけぶ柱 
|JpnR=Sakebu Hashira
|JpnM=Screaming Pillar
|FreE=Pilier Hurlant
|FreEM=Howling Pillar
|Ger=Schreisäulen
|GerM=Screaming Columns
|Ita=Pilastro urlante
|ItaM=Screaming pillar
|SpaE=Pilar aullante
|SpaEM=Howling Pillar
}}

==References==
<references/>

{{DKCR}}
{{DKCTF}}
{{MK7}}
{{MGWT}}
{{MK8}}
{{SSB4}}
{{MKAGPDX}}
[[Category:Animate objects]]
[[Category:Tiki Tak Tribe]]
[[Category:Fire creatures]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze enemies]]
[[Category:Mario Golf: World Tour characters]]
[[Category:Mario Kart 7 species]]