Wiggler (Super Mario Sunshine)

“That caterpillar sure woke up on the wrong side of the bed!”

—Pianta, Super Mario Sunshine

Wiggler is a giant Wiggler who appears in Super Mario Sunshine as the boss of Gelato Beach. It is the cause of the Sand Bird's delayed hatching.

History

Super Mario Sunshine

Wiggler asleep on top of the Shine Tower.

In Super Mario Sunshine, Wiggler is one of the many monsters that Bowser Jr. uses to frame Mario. It and a group of Plungelos are in charge of Gelato Beach, where they are impeding the hatching of the Sand Bird by covering the solar reflectors and the solar heating device that feeds warmth to the Sand Bird's egg. When Mario knocks the sleeping Wiggler off the device, thus restoring the sun's warmth to the egg, it awakes with a nasty temper and goes on a rampage across the beach. When Mario returns to the beach, he finds the area and its residents in disarray because of Wiggler's rampage, so he decides to defeat it and end it's destruction. In order to do so, Mario has to use the sand dune creating abilities of the beach's Dune Buds in order to form obstacles for Wiggler to trip over and fall onto it's back, leaving the weak spots on it's belly exposed. Once Mario defeats it, it dissolves into sand.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Wiggler does not make a physical appearance, but numerous Wiggler Buses that appear in the game bear a similar appearance to him (such as his red nose, green skin, orange and yellow spots, and the flower on his head). The Wiggler Buses act as obstacles in Mushroom City and Mushroom Bridge.

Character Description

Physical Appearance

Unlike most Wigglers, the Wiggler appearing in Super Mario Sunshine has a different color scheme, having yellow eyes instead of black, green skin instead of yellow, a red nose instead of a brown one and wearing blue shoes instead of violet ones. It is also very large, possessing more than eight body segments, making him even larger than a Mega Wiggler and the second largest Wiggler in the Mario series, surpassed only by the massive Wiggler appearing in World 7-3 of New Super Mario Bros.. Wiggler also has the distinction of being one of the few Wigglers who does not change color when enraged.

Personality

Wiggler, like most Wigglers, has a very short temper and will thrash about when enraged.

Abilities

Like all Wigglers, Wiggler can become invincible when enraged and charges wildly at his opponent. It is also very fast, capable of running up hills and in water with no change in his velocity. These abilities are further enhanced by its immense size. It can also release steam from its nose when enraged or being sprayed with water.

Trivia

• Although other games, including Super Mario 64, its remake, Super Princess Peach, and Mario Kart DS possess bosses based on Wigglers, Super Mario Sunshine's Wiggler boss is the only one whose appearance greatly differs from that of a regular Wiggler.
• When the player ground pounds Wiggler's body in Super Mario Sunshine, the boss music speeds up once per hit. This doesn't happen with any other boss in the game.
• In The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, The battle against Puppet Ganon's Moldorm form is coincidently like the Wiggler boss battle. Here are the similarities:
  • Both the Mario boss and Puppet Ganon are long, segmented beasts with a weak point.
  • Both bosses take three hits to defeat.
  • Both bosses require the player to stop its movement before hitting its weak point.
  • Both boss battles take place in or near shallow water.