Proto Piranha

"Gatekeeper" redirects here. For the variant of Pi'illos, see Deco Pi'illo.

Proto Piranha
A Gatekeeper in Super Mario Sunshine
First appearance	Super Mario Sunshine (2002)
Latest appearance	Super Mario 3D All-Stars (2020)
Variant of	Goop Piranha Plant
Relatives Piranhabon

Proto Piranhas, originally known as Gatekeepers and also known as Proto Piranha Plants, are large Piranha Plants made entirely of goop.

History

Super Mario Sunshine

Gatekeepers first appear as recurring bosses in the early parts of Super Mario Sunshine. In this game, Gatekeepers are all connected to solid, undulating, smoking masses of goop referred to as Generators, which cannot be cleaned normally. Additionally, some Generators spread goop to the surrounding area, preventing it from being cleaned permanently until the Gatekeeper is defeated; however, despite their name, not all Generators do this. Initially, Gatekeepers hide within the Generator, emerging only when the Generator is sprayed with water. Once a Gatekeeper has emerged, it sways back and forth while opening and closing its mouth. To defeat it, Mario must use FLUDD to spray water into its open mouth some 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 their appearances, structures are submerged in the goop beneath them, and the Gatekeeper must be defeated to release them.

There are five fights against Gatekeepers in the game. The fights vary in terms of the Gatekeeper's color (which changes to match the surrounding goop), the number of sprays necessary to defeat the Gatekeeper, 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 Swoopin' Stus 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 Swoopin' Stus. When the Gatekeeper 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 Piranhabons down the countryside path. It also takes three sprays to defeat, and it releases a Shine Sprite once beaten. As this is the only Gatekeeper to be fought in a replayable episode, this is the only Gatekeeper that can be fought again after it is defeated.
• Once the player has three Shine Sprites, a black Gatekeeper 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 Gatekeeper appears in Delfino Plaza, submerging the lighthouse on the beach. Like with the previous black Gatekeeper, this fight has a functioning Generator and requires two sets of three sprays. However, when this Gatekeeper feigns defeat after being sprayed for the third time, it shoots out Swoopin' Stus 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.

Mario Golf series

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, the name "Proto Piranha" appears on the leaderboards in the Blooper Star Open, Peach's Star Invitational, and 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.

Mario Power Tennis

In Mario Power Tennis, Petey Piranha's Defensive Power Shot, Piranha Swingback, involves him creating a Proto Piranha to hit an unreachable tennis ball for him.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Proto Piranhas are mentioned briefly by Viridi during Palutena's Guidance dialogue for Piranha Plant.

Gallery

• 

  Render of an orange-pink Gatekeeper

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  A Gatekeeper at the Delfino Airstrip

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  A Gatekeeper in Bianco Square

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  A Gatekeeper at Bianco Hills

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  A Gatekeeper at the boathouse

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  A Gatekeeper at the lighthouse

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  A Proto Piranha in Mario Power Tennis

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  A Gatekeeper as depicted in Super Mario-kun

Additional names

Internal names

Game	File	Name	Meaning
Super Mario Sunshine	gatekeeper/gene_pakkun_model1	Gatekeeper / Gene Pakkun	Gatekeeper / Generator Piranha

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ドロドロパックン[?] Dorodoro Pakkun	Goop Piranha
	ドロパックン (Mario Power Tennis)[?] Doro Pakkun	Mud Piranha
Dutch	Proto Piranha[?]	-
French	Tiranha[?]	-
	Plante Piranha Polluée	Polluted Piranha Plant
German	Schleim-Piranha[?]	Slime Piranha
Italian	Fangopiranha[?]	Mudpiranha
	Pianta Piranha di fiume (translation error)	River Piranha Plant
Russian	протопиранья[?] protopiran'ya	Protopiranha
Spanish (NOA)	Piraña sucia[?]	Filthy piranha
Spanish (NOE)	Piraña Lodo[?]	Mud Piranha