Naval Piranha

Naval Piranha
Artwork of the Naval Piranha and two buds for Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3
First appearance	Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (1995)
Latest appearance	Yoshi's Crafted World (2019)
Variant of	Big Piranha Plant
Relatives Lava Piranha Smilax
Notable members Big Bungee Piranha Spike the Piranha

“You fools! Do I have to teach you penalty for removing the spell? You get to come for supper... MY supper!!”

—Naval Piranha, Tetris Attack

A Naval Piranha is an artificially enlarged Piranha Plant boss with thorned stalks and two or more buds growing from it. The original Naval Piranha debuts in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where it starts out as a normal Piranha Plant, but is altered by Kamek's magic. Its localized name refers to both the aquatic area it is found in its original appearance as well as its large bellybutton (i.e. its navel). Later depictions of Naval Piranhas are found in other habitats and sometimes lack the bellybutton, causing the name's meaning to be lost. However, the name in the original Japanese referred instead to its enlarged size, as is the case with most of the game's bosses.

History

Yoshi's Island series

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

Blue Yoshi battling Naval Piranha

“Give up, Yoshi, you egg-throwing maniac! Ooops... Forget that!”

—Kamek, Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

Naval Piranha is the boss of the castle in World 3 in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and its Game Boy Advance version. After being magically enlarged and enhanced, it battles Blue Yoshi by spitting out Nipper Plants and charging, though it will sometimes do a mock charge. Its two buds also lazily move toward Blue Yoshi and can leap straight up to him. Blue Yoshi must throw eggs at its only weak point, which is its large and bandaged bellybutton. After being hit with enough eggs, Naval Piranha is defeated.

Exclusive to this boss is that if the player stands on the very edge of the ledge Naval Piranha is rooted to (or if the player jumps from the water and aims) without triggering the scene, the player can simply throw an egg at its "unmodified" form to defeat it in one hit. A surprised Kamek then approaches, shouts "OH, MY!!!" and flies away, and thus the player clears World 3 without fighting Naval Piranha.

Naval Piranha and Raphael the Raven are the only world bosses in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island to use the extended variation of the boss theme, the former which was eventually used in all other bosses in Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3.

The official English website for Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 misspells its name as "Naaval Piranha". In the original strategy guide for the Super NES version of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Naval Piranha is referred to as a male; however, in the guide for the Super NES Classic Edition, Naval Piranha is referred to as a female.

Yoshi's Island DS

Naval Piranha with other bosses

During the introduction to Yoshi's Island DS, Naval Piranha makes an appearance alongside the other castle bosses in the game as the events of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island are recapped. Naval Piranha also has a successor in the form of Big Bungee Piranha, the boss of World 2.

Tetris Attack

In Tetris Attack, Naval Piranha, allied with its buds, is in the tenth level and the last boss of Easy Vs. mode. It appears in place of the Dragon from the original game, Panel de Pon.

Paper Mario

The Lava Piranha from Paper Mario is designed to resemble Naval Piranha, though its name in the Japanese script indicates it is simply an abnormally designed Fire Piranha Plant, and is not indicated to be enlarged from a previous form.

Mario Party Advance

A Naval Piranha makes a reappearance in Mario Party Advance. At the Bowser Lab, choosing to see the "scary monster" that he built unveils his Naval Piranha. Afterward, Bowser has the player face it in the minigame Koopa Kurl. After winning, the player gets to keep the minigame. The end of game credits say it now lives and thrives in the desert.

Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World

“How dare you come this far...? HOW DARE YOU, I SAY! Wake up, Naval Piranha! It's supper time! The main course is Yoshi! Bon appétit!”

—Kamek, Yoshi's Woolly World

Naval Piranha as it appears in Yoshi's Woolly World

Naval Piranha reprises the role of a boss in Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, in this case being the boss of World 4. It appears in the level Naval Piranha's Sewer. Not including Baby Bowser, Naval Piranha and Burt the Bashful are the only bosses from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island to make an appearance in Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World. After being enlarged by Kamek's magic, it jumps to a pipe in the background, and calls forth its buds.

Naval Piranha will attack by appearing on a side of the arena before fully extending itself to try to eat Yoshi. This can be avoided by running all the way to the opposite side of the arena or throwing an egg into its mouth. Bomb Guys will then throw bombs at the foreground; which Yoshi must swallow and spit out at Naval Piranha's open mouth (when it tries to eat Yoshi), causing it to swallow the bomb and reveal its weak spot: its belly button. Yoshi must Ground Pound it to deal damage. After taking damage, Naval Piranha will respond by covering the arena in thorny vines and then slowly sliding them across, which must be jumped over. These vines can be destroyed with the Watermelon seeds from the All-you-can-eat Watermelon! badge.

In its second phase, the Bomb Guys will throw four bombs, at which point the buds will appear and slam down on the entire arena except for right in front of Naval Pirahna's center pipe, where Yoshi must maneuver towards. Naval Piranha will then try to eat Yoshi from below, where again a bomb must be thrown in its mouth to reveal its weak point. After being damaged a second time, Naval Piranha will again use the thorny vine attack, except now the vines will move up and down as they slide across the arena, forcing Yoshi to weave through the vines either by running under or jumping over them. After several seconds of this, the vines will stop in place before quickly sliding across the arena in the opposite direction for a few seconds, which must be precisely jumped over.

In its third phase, six Bomb Guys will throw bombs, after which a bud will appear, slam down on one side of the arena, and then sweep across the arena twice. At this point, a second bud will appear on the opposite side of the arena, and then sweep across twice. These buds must be jumped over. Naval Piranha will again try to eat Yoshi, this time from above. After a bomb is thrown in its mouth and its naval is Ground Pounded for the third time, Naval Piranha will be defeated.

The Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island reference, with Naval Piranha being prematurely shot again.

Similar to Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi can throw a yarn ball at the sleeping Piranha Plant before triggering Kamek's appearance. The Piranha Plant gets wrapped in yarn. A different cutscene occurs where Kamek is aghast at the situation, but Kamek still transforms the Piranha Plant into Naval Piranha, so the battle is only kept.

Naval Piranha reappears in level 4-S, Naval Piranha 2: Now It's Personal!, where it chases Yoshi through an auto-scrolling level. Yoshi can throw a yarn ball at Naval Piranha to make it disappear temporarily, though this does not stop the auto-scrolling and it reappears after a few seconds. It is unknown whether this is the same Naval Piranha as the one fought in the boss level, as it is significantly larger and has red vines as opposed to the boss' green vines. If it is able to swallow the Yoshi while he is moving through the level, he will be instantly defeated.

Naval Piranha also reappears in the Boss Tent. It is fought the same way; however, it attacks faster, making it harder to hit it.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

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

Profiles and statistics

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

• Official Nintendo Player's Guide: That's not an alligator living in the sewers of the castle at the end of World 3, but a dino-eating plant. Judging by how slow he moves, though, Naval Piranha hasn't encountered many snacks as shrewd as Yoshi. Have you heard of the Achilles heel? Well, Yoshi knows that this ferocious foliage has an Achilles Adam's apple!
• Super Power Club Cards bio:
  • Description: Ravenous water plant. Will chow down on anything in sight but prefers a diet of dinos.
  • Favorite Movie: Little Shop of Horrors
  • How to Beat Him: Ricochet your eggs off the wall. They'll skip over the water and whack Naval's stem. When he charges, jump over him. Wait until the pods he shoots hatch, then eat the eggs they produce.
• Shogakukan guide: 下水に住むパックンフラワーの親玉。花のくせに、出ベソがコンプレックスという変わり者。 (The head of the Piranha Plant family that lives in the sewers. He is a flower with a complex about his protruding belly button.)
• Shogakukan guide (Game Boy Advance version): 下水に住むパックンフラワーの親玉で、ワールド3-8のボス。花のくせにデべソがコンプレックスらしい。タマゴをかべに反射させ、へソに3回当てよう。
  

(The boss of World 3-8, the master of the Piranha Plants that lives in the sewers. He seems to have a complex about being a flower with a fat belly. Reflect the egg on the wall and hit the belly button three times.)

Tetris Attack

In-game Character profile

I'm Naval Piranha Plant.

Hey Yoshi! Ready to give in yet? Do you still dream of defeating me? Har-har! Go see yer momma, you little green lizard. Go home and cry, baby.

Japanese language selected

あたいが ビッグパックンよ♥

あら ヨッシーちゃん
この あたいに かなうと おもうのかい？
さっさと うちに かえって ママの おっぱいでも⋯
おっと とかげにゃ おっぱいは なかったわねぇ

(I'm Naval Piranha.♥)
(Hey, Yoshi. Do you think you can compete with me? Go on home, have some of Mama's milk... Oops, I didn't find any milk in the barn.)

Gallery

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  Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island artwork

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  Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island artwork

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  Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island sprites

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  Kamek looking shocked at what happened to Naval Piranha

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  Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

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  Yossy Island Jumbo Carddass 3

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  Tetris Attack

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  Tetris Attack (SNES)

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  Tetris Attack (SNES)

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  Tetris Attack (SNES)

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  Tetris Attack (SNES)

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  Tetris Attack (SNES)

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  Tetris Attack (SNES)

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  Tetris Attack (SNES)

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  Tetris Attack (Game Boy)

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  Tetris Attack (Game Boy)

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  Tetris Attack (Game Boy)

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  Tetris Attack (Game Boy)

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  Tetris Attack (Game Boy)

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  Tetris Attack (Game Boy)

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  Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3 wallpaper

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  Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

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  Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

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  Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

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  Mario Party Advance

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  Mario Party Advance

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  Yoshi's Woolly World

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  Super Mario-kun

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ビッグパックン[?] Biggu Pakkun	Big Piranha
Chinese (simplified)	大食人花 (Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3)[?] Dà Shírénhuā	Big Piranha
	大吞食花 (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)[?] Dà Tūnshíhuā	-
Dutch	Naval Piranha[?]	-
French	Ultra Piranha[?]	Ultra Piranha
German	Audrey[?]	Reference to the plant in The Little Shop of Horrors
Italian	Piranha Ombelico[?]	Navel Piranha (i.e. "Bellybutton Piranha")
Korean	거대뻐끔[?] Geodae Ppeokkeum	Big Piranha
Russian	морской пиранья[?] Morskoy Piran'ya	Naval Piranha
Spanish	Piraña Ombligona[?]	Navel Piranha (i.e. "Bellybutton Piranha")
Spanish (NOA)	Piraña Fluvial (Yoshi's Woolly World, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)[?]	Fluvial Piranha
Spanish (NOE)	Piraña Naval (Yoshi's Woolly World, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)[?]	Naval Piranha

Trivia

• The normal Piranha Plants in Yoshi's Story, the Spiny Piranha Plants from Super Mario Galaxy, and the Piranha Creepers from Super Mario 3D World all somewhat resemble Naval Piranhas due to their large size and thorned stems.