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{{character infobox
{{FA}}
|image=[[File:PMTTYD Grubba Artwork.jpg|200px]]<br>Grubba's artwork from ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''
:{{character-infobox
|first_appearance=''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'' ([[List of games by date#2004|2004]])
|image=[[File:Grubba.jpg|200px]]<br>''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'' artwork for '''Grubba'''
|latest_appearance=''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)|Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'' ([[Nintendo Switch]]) ([[List of games by date#2024|2024]])
|full_name=Grubba
|species=[[Spike]]
|first_appearance=''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'' ([[2004]])
|species=[[Clubba]]
|affiliation=[[Glitz Pit]]
}}
}}
{{Quote|Bein' rich an' famous is diggety-dang DYNAMITE!|Grubba|Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door}}
{{quote|Bein' rich an' famous is diggety-dang DYNAMITE!|Grubba|Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door}}
'''Grubba''' is a [[Spike]] wrestling manager and fight promoter at the [[Glitz Pit]] and a major antagonist in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''. A champion wrestler and martial artist in his younger days, Grubba retired as a fighter to become [[Glitzville]]'s famous fight promoter when he meets Mario; he claims to be past his prime, yet [[Bandy Andy]] observes him to be in good shape in spite of his years. Initially presented as an uninvolved third party in Mario's battle with the [[X-Nauts (organization)|X-Nauts]] for the [[Crystal Stars]], Mario eventually discovers that Grubba possesses the [[Gold Star]], and had been using it to drain other fighters of their strength. Grubba is then revealed as a callous egotist underneath, and Mario fights his enhanced alter-ego, [[Macho Grubba]], as the boss of the game's third chapter.


'''Grubba''' is a major [[Characters|character]] in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'' who, in his younger years, was a champion wrestler and martial artist. Though initially impartial to fame and riches, after becoming rich and famous he fell in love with the good life. After retiring as a fighter, he became the promoter of the [[Glitz Pit]] in [[Glitzville]]. When he introduced himself to [[Mario]], he claimed to be past his prime, unable to fight in the ring anymore. [[Bandy Andy]] claimed that Grubba was over sixty years old during the events of the [[Games|video game]]. While initially presented as an uninvolved third party to Mario's fight against the [[Secret Society of X-Nauts|X-Nauts]] for the [[Crystal Stars]], when Mario discovered his unethical use of the [[Gold Star]], Grubba became an antagonist, wishing to keep his secrets safe. Behind his benevolent, boisterous façade he is dangerously self-centered, viewing situations in terms of benefits and dangers to himself and his lifestyle rather than the moral implications of his actions.
Grubba bears multiple similarities to [[Tubba Blubba]] from the original ''[[Paper Mario]]''. Both are large Spikes with blue skin and spikes on their shell (though Grubba only gains spikes as Macho Grubba), have a well-guarded secret to their "invincibility", and serve as the main antagonist of Chapter 3 from their respective games. Both of their English names are also based on [[Clubba]]s rather than Spikes, although neither of them are club-wielding soldiers.


==History==
==History==
===Background===
===Background===
According to Grubba, in youth he was poor, but even so he did not care for "fancy, big-city ways." His worldview changed when he became a martial arts fighter. Though some of his [[Special Moves|moves]] were made illegal as he progressed, he became recognized as a champion fighter and earned enough money to survive off of for the rest of his life.
According to Grubba, in youth, he was poor, but he did not care for "fancy, big-city ways." His worldview changed when he became a martial arts fighter. Though some of his moves were made illegal as he progressed, he became recognized as a champion fighter and earned enough money to survive off of for the rest of his life. At some point, Grubba attained the [[Gold Star]], a [[Crystal Stars|Crystal Star]] with the ability to increase one's power by enabling its possessor to use [[Power Lift]]. The details behind Grubba's ownership of the Star are never explained. [[Wonky]]'s tales present a slightly different account of Grubba's rise, labelling him a "mediocre fighter" until he found the Gold Star.  


At some point in his life, Grubba attained the Gold Star, a Crystal Star with the ability to increase one's power by enabling its possessor to use [[Power Lift]]. The details behind Grubba's ownership of the Star are never explained, so whether the Star was the secret to Grubba's rise to fame is debatable.
[[File:PMTTYD Grubba Powers Up.png|thumb|left|200px|Grubba's [[power-draining machine]] allows him to transfer the energy of others to himself.]]


===''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]===
Over time, age deteriorates Grubba's ability and he is forced to retire from fighting. However, Grubba opens his own fighting ring, the Glitz Pit and becomes its promoter. The [[Champ's Belt]], the reward for the champion of the Glitz Pit, features an imitation of Grubba's Gold Star. Desiring to regain his fit, youthful body, he develops a [[power-draining machine]] that uses the real Gold Star as a power source, which can transfer power from one person to another. Additionally, the machine makes him appear younger even when not transformed. The relation between these events and the [[Dubious Documents]], a research paper about the powers of the Crystal Stars hidden in the minor-league Glitz Pit locker room at the time of Mario's adventure, are not made clear.
[[File:PM2 grubba power up.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Grubba's [[power-draining machine]] allowed him to transfer the energy of others to himself as he did here.]]
Despite his fighting prowess, age eventually took a toll on Grubba and, unable to fight in the ring anymore, he was forced to retire from fighting. However, Grubba opened his own fighting ring, the Glitz Pit, and became its promoter. The [[Champ's Belt]], the reward for the champion of the Glitz Pit, featured an imitation of Grubba's Gold Star. At some point following, desiring to regain his fit, youthful body, he developed or obtained blueprints for a [[power-draining machine]] that would use the Gold Star as a power source. Utilizing the Gold Star, the machine could suck the power out of one person and bestow it onto another individual. Through the use of the machine, Grubba could power himself up with much more dramatic results than those achievable through Power Lift alone. He referred to himself as [[Macho Grubba]] when powered up. Additionally, the machine made him appear younger even when not transformed. The relation between these events and the [[Dubious Paper]], a research paper about the powers of the Crystal Stars hidden in the minor-league Glitz Pit locker room at the time of Mario's adventure, are never made clear.


To support his poor family, [[Prince Mush]] entered the Glitz Pit as a fighter and became its first champion. Although he became a huge fan favorite, in the words of Grubba "Good fighters ain't nothin' to mess with." When Mush discovered Grubba's secret, the promoter sucked the power out of him. Whether or not Mush was the first victim of the machine is unknown, but he is the earliest known victim. To the public, including Mush's family, Grubba gave no explanation of Mush's disappearance. Afterward, Grubba hired a manager, [[Jolene]], who secretly took the job to discover what really happened to Prince Mush, her little brother. Despite Mush discovering his secret, Grubba continued to use the machine. On one occasion, the snooping Jolene witnessed his transformation into Macho Grubba. Seeing what she was against, she lost nearly all hope that she would avenge her brother.
To support his poor family, [[Prince Mush]] enters the Glitz Pit as a fighter and becomes its first champion. When Mush discovers Grubba's secret, Grubba sucks his power away from him, providing no explanation of Mush's sudden disappearance to the public. Afterward, Grubba hires a manager, [[Jolene]], who secretly takes the job to discover what really happened to Prince Mush, her little brother. On one occasion, Jolene witnesses his transformation into [[Macho Grubba]], where she loses hope to avenge the loss of her brother.


With Prince Mush gone, his rival [[Rawk Hawk]] was free to step in as the next champion of the Glitz Pit. Rawk Hawk did not pry into Grubba's business. However, a minor-league fighter, Bandy Andy, had begun investigating the secrets of the Glitz Pit.
===''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''===
[[File:Mario and Grubba.png|thumb|200px|Grubba and his manager, [[Jolene]], meet [[Mario]].]]
Mario and his partners arrive in Glitzville to meet Grubba after the [[Magical Map]] detects Grubba's Crystal Star, which is the third Crystal Star they need. Seeing the supposed Gold Star on the Champ's Belt, Mario meets with Grubba to become a Glitz Pit fighter. Grubba agrees to the proposition and gives him the ring name, "The Great Gonzales." Shortly after Mario advances through the minor leagues, [[King K]] walks in on Grubba using his machine and Grubba absorbs his energy, hiding him in the second floor storage room shortly after.


[[File:Mario and Grubba.jpg|thumb|200px|Grubba and his manager, [[Jolene]], meet [[Mario]].]]
[[File:Grubbapeeking.png|thumb|left|200px|Grubba viewing his secret paper before Jolene and Mario come into his office.]]
Mario and his partners, on a quest to save [[Princess Peach]] from the X-Nauts, were seeking out the Crystal Stars one by one. After obtaining two of them, the [[Magical Map]] next detected Grubba's Crystal Star and pointed them to Glitzville. Seeing the fake Gold Star on the Champ's Belt, Mario, with the intention of winning the star fairly, met with Grubba to become a Glitz Pit Fighter. Grubba appeared excited about the prospect, and signed on Mario, giving him the ring name, "The Great Gonzales."
Pleased with Mario's performance, Grubba invites him into his office to give him a thirty [[coin]] bonus and welcome him to the major-league. When Jolene, escorting Mario and his party, enters, Grubba is looking at something and quickly hides it in his drawer, berating Jolene for not knocking. Jolene then takes Mario and his party to the major-league locker room, where they meet Rawk Hawk and determine that the star on the Champ's Belt is a fake. Allegedly hearing their discussion, Jolene, under the pseudonym "X," sends Mario an email promising to lead him to the real Crystal Star.


[[KP Pete]], a minor-league fighter, planned to retire. Unfortunately for him, he discovered Grubba's secret, and the promoter quickly drained his power and hid the incapacitated fighter beneath a large [[block]].  
After Mario finds the Dubious Documents in the minor league locker room, Grubba grows suspicious and sends him a threatening, anonymous email. Around this time, [[Bandy Andy]] goes into the arena when no one seems to be around and witnesses Grubba's transformation. As with King K, Grubba drains his energy after catching Bandy Andy and hides him along with King K.


Mario quickly advanced through the minor-league and into the major-league. As he did so, Jolene began to regain hope, believing that he might be able to defeat Grubba. Pleased with Mario's performance, Grubba invited him back into his office to give him a thirty [[coin]] bonus and welcome him to the major-league. When Jolene, escorting Mario and his party, entered, Grubba was looking at something and quickly hid it in his drawer, berating Jolene for not knocking. Jolene then took Mario and his party to the major-league locker room, where they met Rawk Hawk and determined that the star on the Champ's Belt was a fake. Allegedly hearing their discussion, Jolene, under the pseudonym "X," sent Mario an e-mail promising to lead him to the real Crystal Star.
Mario and his partners follow Jolene's instructions and witness her and Grubba having a conversation. Jolene reports to Grubba that no one was found in the storage room when the noises were heard, but Grubba remains suspicious. He asks her where she went when she disappeared for long periods of time and whether or not she has ever heard of a Crystal Star, where she responds with satisfactory answers. However, Grubba quickly sends an e-mail to Mario, warning him not to pry into matters concerning the Crystal Star lest he meet the same fate as the other missing fighters. Shortly after, Mario discovers King K and Bandy Andy in the storeroom.


Jolene first sent Mario a [[Super Hammer]], then led him to the Dubious Paper hidden in the minor-league locker room. Suspicious of Mario's intentions, Grubba sent him a threatening, anonymous e-mail. Disregarding Grubba's e-mail, Mario continued to pry and Grubba grew increasingly suspicious. Around this time, [[Bandy Andy]] went into the arena when no one seemed to be around and witnessed Grubba transform. Grubba also drained his energy and hid him alongside KP Pete.
[[File:PM2MachoGrubbacharge.png|thumb|left|200px|Grubba, in his [[Macho Grubba]] form, charges himself up to fight Mario.]]
[[File:MachoGrubbaBattle.png|thumb|200px|[[Macho Grubba]] battle.]]
After becoming the champion, Mario gains access to the champion's room and uses its location to spy on Grubba, regarding to Jolene's anonymous advice. Grubba is, at that moment, talking to himself regarding his secret machine, the missing fighters, and whether or not he should make Mario "disappear". Hiding the machine's blueprints in his desk, Grubba leaves his office for a minute and returns to find Mario and his partner inspecting the secret blueprints for the machine.


When [[Ms. Mowz]] broke into the storeroom where KP Pete and Bandy Andy were hidden, a security guard heard a noise which Ms. Mowz would later claim could not have been her. Rather than investigate further into the noise, Jolene threatened to fire the guard should he speak of the intrusion again. She reported that to Grubba that the room was secure, but Grubba remained suspicious. He asked her where she went when she disappeared for long periods of time and whether or not she had ever heard of a Crystal Star, but she gave him satisfactory answers. However, Grubba quickly sent an e-mail to Mario warning him not to pry into matters concerning the Crystal Star lest he meet the same fate as the other missing fighters. Shortly after, Mario discovered KP Pete and Bandy Andy in the storeroom.
[[File:Grubbadefeated.png|thumb|200px|Grubba after being defeated by Mario and co.]]
Hastily, Grubba flees to his machine in the arena, closely followed by Mario and his party, where he transforms into Macho Grubba. Mario then defeats Macho Grubba, and he transforms back into his normal form, where he compliments Mario on the fight. Jolene rushes to the ring, thanking Mario for his efforts and explaining her actions and motivations to him. Jolene demands that he tell her what happened to Prince Mush, where Grubba confesses.


After becoming the champion, Mario gained access to the champion's room and used its location to spy on Grubba at Jolene's anonymous advice, who was at that moment talking to himself regarding his secret machine, the missing fighters, and whether or not he should make Mario "disappear." Hiding the machine's blueprints in his desk, Grubba left his office for a minute and returned to find Mario and his partner inspecting the secret blueprints for the machine.
The Gold Star uses its power to restore Jolene's brother before it is removed from the machine. Grubba's machine deactivates and Jolene gives Mario the Gold Star in order that the events will not be repeated. Jolene takes over Grubba's position as the promoter of the Glitz Pit. Both Bandy Andy and King K recover. Grubba claims that four fighters have disappeared before King K that year alone. However, the total number of fighters drained by Grubba, as well as his whereabouts following his defeat, is unknown.


[[File:PM2 Macho Grubba charge.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Grubba, in [[Macho Grubba]] form, charges himself up to fight Mario.]]
[[Goombella]]'s field [[tattle]] on Grubba is viewable only when Mario declines to sign the contract to become a [[Glitz Pit]] fighter.
Hastily, Grubba fled to his machine in the arena, closely followed by Mario and his party. In response, Grubba quickly activated his machine and transformed into Macho Grubba, confident that he would be able to defeat his champion. The ex-martial artist gave his all to the fight, but ultimately he fell at the hands of Mario and transformed back into his normal form. Lying facedown on the floor of his machine, Grubba complimented Mario on the fight. Jolene rushed to the ring, thanking Mario for his efforts and explaining her actions and motivations to him. Grubba's manager demanded that he tell her what happened to Prince Mush. Defeated, Grubba admitted to his crime.


The Gold Star used its power to restore Jolene's brother before it was removed from the machine. Grubba's machine deactivated and Jolene gave Mario the Gold Star so that nothing like what had transpired would ever happen again. Grubba's final fate is currently unknown; he was last seen lying on the Glitz Pit floor at Jolene, Mario, his current partner, and Prince Mush's feet. Jolene took over Grubba's position as the promoter of the Glitz Pit. Both Bandy Andy and KP Pete recovered. KP Pete would go on to claim that four fighters had disappeared before him that year alone. However, the total number of fighters drained by Grubba is unknown.
===''Super Mario-kun''===
{{br|left}}
{{Rewrite-expand|Summary of the plot points he is involved in}}
==Duties as Owner of the Glitz Pit==
[[File:Grubba SuperMarioKun.png|thumb|left|Grubba in ''Super Mario-kun'']]
[[File:PM2 Grubba Goomba Bros..jpg|thumb|200px|Grubba interviews the [[Goomba Bros.]] prior to their fight with Mario.]]
Grubba appears during the ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' arc of ''[[Super Mario-kun]]''. Unlike in the game, Grubba does not use a machine to transform into Macho Grubba, instead directly absorbing energy from the Gold Star. Here he is presented in a more positive light, as he does not cause any fighters to disappear (with King K, Bandy Andy, and Prince Mush seemingly not existing in this adaptation). He also supports Mario against the Shadow Queen during the final battle.  
As owner of the Glitz Pit, Grubba had a few duties to fulfill. Because he would need help taking care of such a large and popular business, Grubba hired a manager, Jolene. Grubba also hired ten guards to protect and keep watch over the Glitz Pit, each stationed at a door behind the publicly accessible areas of the Glitz Pit. Grubba spent much of his time in his office, taking care of the Glitz Pit's business — as well as his own in secrecy. When an upcoming wrestler was ready to enter the ring, Grubba acted as the promoter for the Glitz Pit, convincing willing wrestlers to sign up. In addition to promoting fighters to join the Glitz Pit, he also had to tell them what to do when they would fight in order to impress the crowd. Each locker room — including the Champ's Room — had an intercom that Grubba would communicate to his fighters through before a fight. On this intercom, he would give them various orders as to what to do in a fight. For example, Grubba instructed the fighter [[Sir Swoop]] to "do a triple flip and meow" during one of his matches. Should the fighters ignore or disobey these orders, they would be forced to fight the same opponents again, even if the fighters had won the battle; if the fighters lost a match, or if they failed to obey Grubba's orders, they would be forced to fight the opponents below them. Grubba would also appear on the Glitz Pit stage at every fight as the referee, announcing who was battling in the current match to the audience. At times, Grubba would conduct pre-fight interviews with battlers in the Glitz Pit, especially when new competitors were fighting for the first time. Additionally, Grubba was responsible for officially starting every match, as well as declaring the winners of each brawl. Overall, Grubba's role on stage was to get the crowd excited, as well as to narrate the various matches before and after each fight.


After Grubba was defeated, Jolene took over all of Grubba's managerial duties.
==General information==
===Physical appearance===
Though he is a Spike, Grubba does not have all of the normal physical features of one; rather, he bears a slight resemblance to [[Tubba Blubba]] from the original ''[[Paper Mario]]''. Unlike most Spikes, whose skin is green, Grubba has a pale blue shade of skin. His shell is orchid in color, with a yellow rim and is hair is a fiery orange color; these features too are unlike [[Clubba]]s, which bear whitish-colored hair and different colored shells. Grubba's lips are very large and orange in color. He is also the only Spike ever seen to wear clothes.


===Fighting Orders===
===Powers and abilities===
Below is a list of the various orders Grubba would give Mario during his time at the Glitz Pit.
 
*Use a [[Special Moves|special move]] at least once.
*Don't use any special moves.
*Don't [[jump]].
*Don't use the [[hammer]].
*Don't use [[items]].
*[[Appeal]] to the [[Audience|crowd]] at least five times.
*Only Mario can attack.
*Only Mario's partner(s) can attack.
*Take damage at least five times.
*Wait three turns before attacking.
*Don't swap partners.
*Appeal to the crowd at least once.
*Defeat your foe in 5 turns or less.
*Win before taking 20 [[Heart Point|HP]] of damage.
*Don't use [[Flower Point|FP]].
 
==Character Description==
===Powers and Abilities===
{{main|Macho Grubba}}
{{main|Macho Grubba}}
When he was younger, Grubba claimed to have had many powerful moves, some of which were made illegal after he used them. However, by the time he encounters Mario, Grubba has lost his ability to fight without the aid of his machine. To fight his enemies, Grubba is forced to use the machine to transform into Macho Grubba. In that form, he has many attacks.


When he was younger, Grubba claims to have had many powerful moves, some of which were made illegal after he used them. However, by the time he encountered Mario, Grubba had lost his ability to fight without the aid of his machine. To fight his enemies, Grubba was forced to use the machine to transform into Macho Grubba. In that form, he had many attacks.
===Personality===
Grubba creates a good-natured facade to mask and distract his concealed motivations that benefit himself at the expense of others. While on public and promoting the Glitz Pit, Grubba shows his public image: friendly and passionate about his life's work. ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' hints that Grubba's obsession with his image develops as a result of his fame. Originally, he had not cared about glitz and glamor, though later in life, Grubba feels nostalgic about what he once was and wants to relive those days, despite the costs. Despite this emotional transformation, Grubba retains an air of good sportsmanship throughout his life. Grubba encourages his fighters and did not mask his excitement for rising stars such as Mario. Even as he lay defeated, he commends Mario for a good fight. Due to the unethical use of the power-draining machine, this causes Grubba to keep the usage a secret and he uses the machine to his advantage to continue keeping it concealed. As [[Goombella]] realizes as soon as she met Grubba, he is a "super-greasy smooth talker" and not necessarily trustworthy, even while he maintains his facade.


===Physical Appearance===
In the original Japanese text, Grubba incorporates English words and phrases into his speech using katakana; this includes referring to himself in first-person as 「ミー」 ("me") and to others in second-person as 「ユー」 ("you"), a trait commonly used by foreign characters in Japanese media. Grubba also incorporates English phrases into his dialogue in the French localization and in the Chinese localizations of the remake. In the English localization, Grubba speaks with mannerisms typical of the {{wp|Southern United States}}.
Though he is a Clubba, Grubba does not have all of the normal physical features of one; rather, he bears a slight resemblance to [[Tubba Blubba]] from the original ''[[Paper Mario]]''. Unlike most Clubbas, whose skin is green, Grubba has a pale blue shade of skin. His shell is orchid in color, with a yellow rim; this feature is also unlike a standard Clubba's. His hair is a fiery orange color; this too is unlike the normal Clubba, which bears whitish-colored hair. Grubba's lips are very large and orange in color. Perhaps most notable is the fact that Grubba does not carry a mace around with him. He is also the only Clubba ever seen to wear clothes.


===Personality===
Grubba also has a tendency to gossip or possibly make trash talking comments that he attributes to other fighters even if they never actually said such a thing. However, he has at least some respect for strong fighters, congratulating Mario when he defeats him.
As revealed as the plot progressed, Grubba was self-obsessed to the point of violence. Though he created a good-natured facade to mask this, his actions ultimately were rooted in self-advancement. When Mario first met Grubba, the promoter showed his public image: friendly and passionate about his life's work. ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' hints that Grubba's obsession with his image developed as a result of his fame. Originally, he had not cared about glitz and glamor, but later in life he used duplicitous methods to relive his old days. Despite this emotional transformation, Grubba retained an air of good sportsmanship throughout his life. The promoter encouraged his fighters and did not mask his excitement for rising stars such as Mario. Even as he lay defeated at the feet of Mario, he commended him for a good fight. The burden of keeping his power-draining machine a secret weighed on Grubba, making him suspicious of those around him. He exhibited no remorse in draining the power from those who knew his secret in an effort to keep it hidden. Talking to himself on one occasion, Grubba considered sucking the power from Mario and Jolene, who, to his knowledge, had not discovered his secret, but were getting closer to doing so.


Grubba attempted to exude an air of compassion and enthusiasm towards his fighters and staff. As evidenced in his relationship with Mario, Grubba was capable of developing friendships with those who did not know his secrets, but ultimately his intentions come into question. As [[Goombella]] realized as soon as she met Grubba, he was a "super-greasy smooth talker" and not necessarily trustworthy, even while he maintained his facade.
==Quotes==
:''For a full list of quotes, see [[List of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door quotes#Grubba / Macho Grubba|here]].''


Grubba also had a tendency to gossip or possibly make trash talking comments that he attributes to other fighters even if they never actually remarked it.
*''“Who 'n tarnation 're [[Mario|you]], son? Who let you in?!? This is Grubba's office!”''
*''“Yup! That's me, Grubba!”''
*''“What's that, now? An athlete, huh? Ya wanna become a fighter?”''
*''“Hooo–weee! I guess that do change a thang or two, son!”''
*''“When I was just a poor pup, I didn't give a [[Pokey]]'s patoot for fancy, big–city ways!”''
*''“Bein' rich an' famous is diggety–dang DYNAMITE!”''
*''“One day, you'll look back on all them small–dreamers 'n LAUGH!”''
*''“Wait a diddly–darn minute there!”''
*''“Boy howdy, [[Mario|Gonzales]]! Fixin' for a fight, huh? Well, alrighty then!”''
*''“Well, dog my cats! It's the Great Gonzales!”''
*''“First to enter the ring... The Feral Nuclear Reactor! [[Rawk Hawk|RAAAAAWWWK HAAAAAWWWK!]]”''
*''And now for our challenger... The Merciless Executioner... The GRRREAT GOOONZALES!!!”''
*''“I'll tell you what I saw, folks… A whuppin'!”''
*''“Maybe I'm ol'-fashioned, but I care about my fighters, darn it!”''
*''“I gotta say... Y'all are a coupla slack-jawed idiots, sniffin' 'round my business...”''
*''“Now that you know my big secret, I'm afraid yer gonna have to take a li'l ol' dirt nap!”''


===Quotes===
==Profiles and statistics==
:''Please see [[List_of_Quotes_in_Paper_Mario:_The_Thousand-Year_Door#Grubba/Macho Grubba|here]] for a full list of quotes.''
{{:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door bestiary|transcludesection=Macho Grubba|image=[[File:MachoGrubba.png|250px]]|align=horizontal}}


==Official Profiles and Statistics==
===Field Tattle===
===Tattle Data===
*"''That's Grubba, the Glitz Pit promoter. He talks a good game... a little TOO good. Then again, I guess promoters kinda HAVE to be super-greasy smooth talkers. Besides, it doesn't matter if he's trustworthy. We have to deal with him to be champs.''"
*"''That's Grubba, the Glitz Pit promoter. He talks a good game... a little TOO good. Then again, I guess promoters kinda HAVE to be super-greasy smooth talkers. Besides, it doesn't matter if he's trustworthy. We have to deal with him to be champs.''"


==Names in Other Languages==
==Gallery==
{{Foreignname|
<gallery>
PMTTYDGrubbaSprite.png|Grubba's sprite from ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''
PMTTYDNS Grubba.jpg|Grubba in the Nintendo Switch remake
PMTTYD NS Glitz Pit 2.jpg|Grubba and Rawk Hawk in the Nintendo Switch remake
TTYDNS The birth of Gonzales.jpg|Grubba coming up with the name "Great Gonzales" in the remake
TTYDNS Goomba Bros.jpg|Grubba with the Goomba Bros. in the remake
PMTTYD NS Glitz Pit.png|Grubba in the Nintendo Switch remake, ready to announce the start of the match
PMTTYD NS Glitz Glory.jpg|Grubba announcing Mario and [[Koops]] as the winners in the Nintendo Switch remake 
TTYDNS Mario Champion.jpg|Grubba announcing Mario and [[Goombella]] as the champions after defeating Rawk Hawk in the Nintendo Switch remake
TTYDNS Grubba Reading.jpg|Grubba in his office in the remake
TTYDNS Prince Mush revived.jpg|Grubba defeated in the remake
TTYDNS Rawk Hawk Belt and Photos.jpg|A photo of Grubba in Rawk Hawk's secret training room in the remake
Shadow Queen SMK.jpg|Grubba and other characters against the Shadow Queen in ''Super Mario-kun''
</gallery>
 
==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=ガンス
|Jap=ガンス
|JapR=Gansu
|JapR=Gansu
|JapM=
|JapM=Pun on「ガボン」(''Gabon'', "[[Spike]]") and "guns" (bodybuilding slang for "biceps"); romanized as "Gans"<ref>''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' internal filename (<tt>a/c_gans</tt>)</ref>, "Gansu"<ref>''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' internal filename (<tt>a/c_m_gansu</tt>)</ref> and "Gance"<ref>''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' internal string <tt>btl_un_macho_gance</tt> in <tt>msg/global.txt</tt></ref> in the internal game files
|Fra=Gangs
|Chi=加仕
|FraM=
|ChiR=Jiāshì
|ChiM=Transliteration of the Japanese name
|Dut=Hebbus
|DutM=from ''hebbes'' (gotcha in dutch)
|Fre=Gangs
|FreM=From the Japanese name
|Ger=Clubbone
|Ger=Clubbone
|GerM=from "Clubba"
|GerM=From "Clubba" with the augmentative suffix ''-one''
|Ita=Ganz
|Ita=Ganz
|ItaM=From the Japanese name}}
|ItaM=From the Japanese name, but also a pun on ''ganzo'' ("cool")
|Kor=건스
|KorR=Geonseu
|KorM=Transliteration of the Japanese name
|SpaA=Grubba
|SpaE=Leonardo
|SpaEM=Leonard
}}
 
==References==
<references/>


==Trivia==
{{Spikes}}
*There is a similarity between [[Tubba Blubba]] and Grubba. Both of them look similar to each other, both have blue skin color, and both are Chapter 3 bosses. Also, Blubba and Grubba sound similar to each other and they both belong to the [[Clubba]] family. Both have Spikes on their Shell, although regular Clubbas don't have spikes, lastly, they both have a well-guarded secret to their "invincibility".
{{PMTTYD}}
*The [[Stone Spike]]s in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' also resemble Grubba.
[[Category:Spikes]]
*The manner in which he talks in the dialogue box implies that he has a southern American accent.
[[Category:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door characters]]
*Grubba is the only chapter villain to work independently of the X-Nauts or Shadow Queen.
[[Category:Super Mario-kun characters]]
<br clear=all>
[[de:Clubbone]]
{{PM2}}
[[it:Ganz]]
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Glitzville Denizens]]
[[Category:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Characters]]
[[Category:Paper Mario Series Characters]]
[[Category:Clubbas]]
[[Category:RPG Characters]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]

Latest revision as of 10:02, November 6, 2024

Grubba
Artwork of Grubba from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Grubba's artwork from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Species Spike
First appearance Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004)
Latest appearance Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) (2024)
“Bein' rich an' famous is diggety-dang DYNAMITE!”
Grubba, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Grubba is a Spike wrestling manager and fight promoter at the Glitz Pit and a major antagonist in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. A champion wrestler and martial artist in his younger days, Grubba retired as a fighter to become Glitzville's famous fight promoter when he meets Mario; he claims to be past his prime, yet Bandy Andy observes him to be in good shape in spite of his years. Initially presented as an uninvolved third party in Mario's battle with the X-Nauts for the Crystal Stars, Mario eventually discovers that Grubba possesses the Gold Star, and had been using it to drain other fighters of their strength. Grubba is then revealed as a callous egotist underneath, and Mario fights his enhanced alter-ego, Macho Grubba, as the boss of the game's third chapter.

Grubba bears multiple similarities to Tubba Blubba from the original Paper Mario. Both are large Spikes with blue skin and spikes on their shell (though Grubba only gains spikes as Macho Grubba), have a well-guarded secret to their "invincibility", and serve as the main antagonist of Chapter 3 from their respective games. Both of their English names are also based on Clubbas rather than Spikes, although neither of them are club-wielding soldiers.

History[edit]

Background[edit]

According to Grubba, in youth, he was poor, but he did not care for "fancy, big-city ways." His worldview changed when he became a martial arts fighter. Though some of his moves were made illegal as he progressed, he became recognized as a champion fighter and earned enough money to survive off of for the rest of his life. At some point, Grubba attained the Gold Star, a Crystal Star with the ability to increase one's power by enabling its possessor to use Power Lift. The details behind Grubba's ownership of the Star are never explained. Wonky's tales present a slightly different account of Grubba's rise, labelling him a "mediocre fighter" until he found the Gold Star.

Grubba uses his power draining machine before his fight with Mario.
Grubba's power-draining machine allows him to transfer the energy of others to himself.

Over time, age deteriorates Grubba's ability and he is forced to retire from fighting. However, Grubba opens his own fighting ring, the Glitz Pit and becomes its promoter. The Champ's Belt, the reward for the champion of the Glitz Pit, features an imitation of Grubba's Gold Star. Desiring to regain his fit, youthful body, he develops a power-draining machine that uses the real Gold Star as a power source, which can transfer power from one person to another. Additionally, the machine makes him appear younger even when not transformed. The relation between these events and the Dubious Documents, a research paper about the powers of the Crystal Stars hidden in the minor-league Glitz Pit locker room at the time of Mario's adventure, are not made clear.

To support his poor family, Prince Mush enters the Glitz Pit as a fighter and becomes its first champion. When Mush discovers Grubba's secret, Grubba sucks his power away from him, providing no explanation of Mush's sudden disappearance to the public. Afterward, Grubba hires a manager, Jolene, who secretly takes the job to discover what really happened to Prince Mush, her little brother. On one occasion, Jolene witnesses his transformation into Macho Grubba, where she loses hope to avenge the loss of her brother.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]

Grubba meeting Mario
Grubba and his manager, Jolene, meet Mario.

Mario and his partners arrive in Glitzville to meet Grubba after the Magical Map detects Grubba's Crystal Star, which is the third Crystal Star they need. Seeing the supposed Gold Star on the Champ's Belt, Mario meets with Grubba to become a Glitz Pit fighter. Grubba agrees to the proposition and gives him the ring name, "The Great Gonzales." Shortly after Mario advances through the minor leagues, King K walks in on Grubba using his machine and Grubba absorbs his energy, hiding him in the second floor storage room shortly after.

Grubba viewing his secret paper before Jolene and Mario come into his office.

Pleased with Mario's performance, Grubba invites him into his office to give him a thirty coin bonus and welcome him to the major-league. When Jolene, escorting Mario and his party, enters, Grubba is looking at something and quickly hides it in his drawer, berating Jolene for not knocking. Jolene then takes Mario and his party to the major-league locker room, where they meet Rawk Hawk and determine that the star on the Champ's Belt is a fake. Allegedly hearing their discussion, Jolene, under the pseudonym "X," sends Mario an email promising to lead him to the real Crystal Star.

After Mario finds the Dubious Documents in the minor league locker room, Grubba grows suspicious and sends him a threatening, anonymous email. Around this time, Bandy Andy goes into the arena when no one seems to be around and witnesses Grubba's transformation. As with King K, Grubba drains his energy after catching Bandy Andy and hides him along with King K.

Mario and his partners follow Jolene's instructions and witness her and Grubba having a conversation. Jolene reports to Grubba that no one was found in the storage room when the noises were heard, but Grubba remains suspicious. He asks her where she went when she disappeared for long periods of time and whether or not she has ever heard of a Crystal Star, where she responds with satisfactory answers. However, Grubba quickly sends an e-mail to Mario, warning him not to pry into matters concerning the Crystal Star lest he meet the same fate as the other missing fighters. Shortly after, Mario discovers King K and Bandy Andy in the storeroom.

Macho Grubba charges himself up during his fight with Mario.
Grubba, in his Macho Grubba form, charges himself up to fight Mario.
Mario and his partners battling Macho Grubba.
Macho Grubba battle.

After becoming the champion, Mario gains access to the champion's room and uses its location to spy on Grubba, regarding to Jolene's anonymous advice. Grubba is, at that moment, talking to himself regarding his secret machine, the missing fighters, and whether or not he should make Mario "disappear". Hiding the machine's blueprints in his desk, Grubba leaves his office for a minute and returns to find Mario and his partner inspecting the secret blueprints for the machine.

Grubba after being defeated by Mario and co.

Hastily, Grubba flees to his machine in the arena, closely followed by Mario and his party, where he transforms into Macho Grubba. Mario then defeats Macho Grubba, and he transforms back into his normal form, where he compliments Mario on the fight. Jolene rushes to the ring, thanking Mario for his efforts and explaining her actions and motivations to him. Jolene demands that he tell her what happened to Prince Mush, where Grubba confesses.

The Gold Star uses its power to restore Jolene's brother before it is removed from the machine. Grubba's machine deactivates and Jolene gives Mario the Gold Star in order that the events will not be repeated. Jolene takes over Grubba's position as the promoter of the Glitz Pit. Both Bandy Andy and King K recover. Grubba claims that four fighters have disappeared before King K that year alone. However, the total number of fighters drained by Grubba, as well as his whereabouts following his defeat, is unknown.

Goombella's field tattle on Grubba is viewable only when Mario declines to sign the contract to become a Glitz Pit fighter.

Super Mario-kun[edit]

It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include more information. Reason: Summary of the plot points he is involved in

Grubba in Super Mario-kun
Grubba in Super Mario-kun

Grubba appears during the Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door arc of Super Mario-kun. Unlike in the game, Grubba does not use a machine to transform into Macho Grubba, instead directly absorbing energy from the Gold Star. Here he is presented in a more positive light, as he does not cause any fighters to disappear (with King K, Bandy Andy, and Prince Mush seemingly not existing in this adaptation). He also supports Mario against the Shadow Queen during the final battle.

General information[edit]

Physical appearance[edit]

Though he is a Spike, Grubba does not have all of the normal physical features of one; rather, he bears a slight resemblance to Tubba Blubba from the original Paper Mario. Unlike most Spikes, whose skin is green, Grubba has a pale blue shade of skin. His shell is orchid in color, with a yellow rim and is hair is a fiery orange color; these features too are unlike Clubbas, which bear whitish-colored hair and different colored shells. Grubba's lips are very large and orange in color. He is also the only Spike ever seen to wear clothes.

Powers and abilities[edit]

Main article: Macho Grubba

When he was younger, Grubba claimed to have had many powerful moves, some of which were made illegal after he used them. However, by the time he encounters Mario, Grubba has lost his ability to fight without the aid of his machine. To fight his enemies, Grubba is forced to use the machine to transform into Macho Grubba. In that form, he has many attacks.

Personality[edit]

Grubba creates a good-natured facade to mask and distract his concealed motivations that benefit himself at the expense of others. While on public and promoting the Glitz Pit, Grubba shows his public image: friendly and passionate about his life's work. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door hints that Grubba's obsession with his image develops as a result of his fame. Originally, he had not cared about glitz and glamor, though later in life, Grubba feels nostalgic about what he once was and wants to relive those days, despite the costs. Despite this emotional transformation, Grubba retains an air of good sportsmanship throughout his life. Grubba encourages his fighters and did not mask his excitement for rising stars such as Mario. Even as he lay defeated, he commends Mario for a good fight. Due to the unethical use of the power-draining machine, this causes Grubba to keep the usage a secret and he uses the machine to his advantage to continue keeping it concealed. As Goombella realizes as soon as she met Grubba, he is a "super-greasy smooth talker" and not necessarily trustworthy, even while he maintains his facade.

In the original Japanese text, Grubba incorporates English words and phrases into his speech using katakana; this includes referring to himself in first-person as 「ミー」 ("me") and to others in second-person as 「ユー」 ("you"), a trait commonly used by foreign characters in Japanese media. Grubba also incorporates English phrases into his dialogue in the French localization and in the Chinese localizations of the remake. In the English localization, Grubba speaks with mannerisms typical of the Southern United States.

Grubba also has a tendency to gossip or possibly make trash talking comments that he attributes to other fighters even if they never actually said such a thing. However, he has at least some respect for strong fighters, congratulating Mario when he defeats him.

Quotes[edit]

For a full list of quotes, see here.
  • “Who 'n tarnation 're you, son? Who let you in?!? This is Grubba's office!”
  • “Yup! That's me, Grubba!”
  • “What's that, now? An athlete, huh? Ya wanna become a fighter?”
  • “Hooo–weee! I guess that do change a thang or two, son!”
  • “When I was just a poor pup, I didn't give a Pokey's patoot for fancy, big–city ways!”
  • “Bein' rich an' famous is diggety–dang DYNAMITE!”
  • “One day, you'll look back on all them small–dreamers 'n LAUGH!”
  • “Wait a diddly–darn minute there!”
  • “Boy howdy, Gonzales! Fixin' for a fight, huh? Well, alrighty then!”
  • “Well, dog my cats! It's the Great Gonzales!”
  • “First to enter the ring... The Feral Nuclear Reactor! RAAAAAWWWK HAAAAAWWWK!
  • And now for our challenger... The Merciless Executioner... The GRRREAT GOOONZALES!!!”
  • “I'll tell you what I saw, folks… A whuppin'!”
  • “Maybe I'm ol'-fashioned, but I care about my fighters, darn it!”
  • “I gotta say... Y'all are a coupla slack-jawed idiots, sniffin' 'round my business...”
  • “Now that you know my big secret, I'm afraid yer gonna have to take a li'l ol' dirt nap!”

Profiles and statistics[edit]

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door enemy
Macho Grubba
Macho Grubba Max HP 60 Attack 4 Defense 0
Location(s) Glitz Pit Role Boss Level 71
Sleep? 50% Dizzy? 50% Confuse? 50%
Tiny? 75% Stop? 40% Soft? 90%
Burn? 100% Freeze? 30% Fright? 0%
Gale Force? 0% KO? 0% Moves Body Slam (4), Fast (attacks twice) Defense Boost (boosts defense by 3), Attack Boost (boosts attack power by 3), Punch (4 to Mario and Partner), Charge (charges attack by 4.), Dodgy (some attack will miss.), Backflip (4)
Exp. points 0 Coins N/A Items None
Tattle Log #:
103
Log Macho Grubba has the confidence to match his muscles after being powered up by the Crystal Star
Tattle That's Macho Grubba. He's Grubba all souped-up on Crystal Star power. Max HP is 60, Attack is 4, and Defense is 0. His attack pattern is simple: first he increases the number of times he can attack... Then he powers himself up with all sorts of crazy, power-uppy moves. So, it's pretty important to pay close attention to how he's powered himself up. The craziest thing about this musclehead is that he used to be that chubby Grubba. I guess the Crystal Stars really ARE powerful!

Field Tattle[edit]

  • "That's Grubba, the Glitz Pit promoter. He talks a good game... a little TOO good. Then again, I guess promoters kinda HAVE to be super-greasy smooth talkers. Besides, it doesn't matter if he's trustworthy. We have to deal with him to be champs."

Gallery[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ガンス[?]
Gansu
Pun on「ガボン」(Gabon, "Spike") and "guns" (bodybuilding slang for "biceps"); romanized as "Gans"[1], "Gansu"[2] and "Gance"[3] in the internal game files
Chinese 加仕[?]
Jiāshì
Transliteration of the Japanese name
Dutch Hebbus[?] from hebbes (gotcha in dutch)
French Gangs[?] From the Japanese name
German Clubbone[?] From "Clubba" with the augmentative suffix -one
Italian Ganz[?] From the Japanese name, but also a pun on ganzo ("cool")
Korean 건스[?]
Geonseu
Transliteration of the Japanese name
Spanish (NOA) Grubba[?] -
Spanish (NOE) Leonardo[?] Leonard

References[edit]

  1. ^ Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door internal filename (a/c_gans)
  2. ^ Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door internal filename (a/c_m_gansu)
  3. ^ Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door internal string btl_un_macho_gance in msg/global.txt