Puni

Puni
First appearance	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004)
Latest appearance	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) (2024)
Notable members Mover Petuni Puni elder Punio Puniper Pungent Pungry Punderton

“Uh... Are you sure your huge mustachioed man won't try to eat us?”

—Puni, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

The Punies are a species of small quadrupedal creatures which resemble insects found in the game Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. They live in the Great Tree located in the Boggly Woods. Mario must use them to defeat a rival clan, the Jabbies, twice in the Great Tree. In the remake, the glowing lights on a Puni's antenna turn red when battling the Jabbies, and maroon when they are knocked out.

The name "Puni" is likely derived from「ぷにぷに」(punipuni), a Japanese word describing something squishy, but also resembles the English word "puny", meaning "small". The way Mario leads the Punies is very similar to Pikmin. Like the Pikmin, the Punies follow Mario everywhere and are used to solve puzzles, but they can scatter and depart from him if they get distracted. The number of Punies Mario leads is similar to Pikmin; Captain Olimar can lead 100 Pikmin while Mario leads 101 Punies. In addition, the glowing antenna the Punies sport on their heads mirrors both the Pikmins' stems and the antenna on Olimar's and Louie's helmet, and they closely resemble the Pikmin's original concept art.

In battle, Punies are members of the audience and will swarm in if Mario pulls off a stylish move. If a loud noise emits, though, all Punies flee.

In Super Paper Mario, Fort Francis contains several models and posters of Puni characters.

History

As Mario was exploring Rogueport Underground for the first time looking for the Thousand-Year Door, he stumbled upon a small insect creature which was, indeed, a Puni. However, it escaped through a small opening, and Mario was unable to interact with it.

Later, after Mario gets the first Crystal Star (the Diamond Star), he goes back to Rogueport Underground, now with a new ability, which is turning sideways. Luckily for Mario, next to the opening in which the insect had gone through were bars. Mario went through these bars to find out that the insect was just behind them. Mario learns that this insect is named Punio, who tells Mario his homeland, Boggly Woods and primarily the Great Tree, is under attack, and that he needs his help.

When Mario reaches the Great Tree through a "secret entrance", he is told by a few Punies, which were all hidden, that their friends have been locked up somewhere in the Great Tree. Upon freeing them, Mario and all the Punies in the Great Tree will attack the Jabbies, the Punies' rivals, who have allied with the X-Nauts. A total of 101 Punies, including Punio and Petuni, will temporarily join Mario during the events of Chapter 2.

After Mario defeats Lord Crump and the X-Nauts, the Punies will go back to their normal lives, and even make peace with the Jabbies.

Gallery

Artwork

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  Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)

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  Concept art with various design iterations of Punis

Screenshots

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  Puni elder calling all lost Punies.

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  Super Paper Mario (plushies)

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	プニ族ぞく[?] Puni-zoku	Puni Tribe
Chinese	普尼族[?] Pǔnízú	Puni Tribe
Dutch	Ini[?]	From ienimini ("teeny-tiny")
	Ini-stam[?]	Puni tribe
French	Pouni[?]	French adaption of the English name
German	Bubu[?]	Possibly from bubi ("little boy"), referencing their small size
Italian	Fufino[?]	Possibly from Fuffi or Fufi (typical pet names) and the diminutive suffix -ino
Korean	말랑족[?] Mallang-jok	Mallang Tribe, "말랑" (mallang) means soft or tender
Spanish	Puni[?]	-