Bullet Bill

Bullet Bill
A Bullet Bill from Mario Kart 8
First appearance	Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Latest appearance	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) (2024)
Variants Banzai Bill Blazer Bombshell Bill Bouncing Bullet Bill Bull's-Eye Bill Bullet Biff Bullet Bill Patch Cat Bullet Bill Gold Bullet Bill King Bill Mad Bullet Bill Missile Meg Seeker Bullet Bill Sniper Bill Tail Bullet Bill Torpedo Ted Woollet Bill
Relatives Bill Blaster
Comparable Bloomp Cannonball Digga
Notable members Big Bullet Bill

“King of Speed”

—Bullet Oil poster, Mario Kart Wii

Bullet Bills are anthropomorphic, bullet-like projectiles with arms and common enemies in the Super Mario franchise. They are horizontally shot out of Bill Blasters, coupled with a firing sound effect to indicate their presence, and fly in a straight line, going through walls. Some Bullet Bills additionally approach from off-screen without the presence of a Bill Blaster, though a firing sound effect is still heard. Bullet Bills are immune to fireballs; in most games, Bullet Bills can be defeated by jumping on them. Ever since Super Mario 64, some Bullet Bills have the ability to home in on Mario as a missile, similarly to Bull's-Eye Bills. In some series, mostly the Mario Kart series, Bullet Bills have been portrayed as items, either as projectiles themselves or are used to take advantage of their speed by either riding on them or transforming into one. While they have been primarily portrayed as obstacles, some games depict them as individual characters.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros. / Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

Artwork of a Bullet Bill from Super Mario Bros.

Bullet Bills first appear in World 5-1 of Super Mario Bros. They are usually shot from a Turtle Cannon, though are sometimes shot from off-screen, and fly in a straight line, through walls. To defeat a Bullet Bill, the player has to either jump on them or use a Starman. A kicked Koopa Troopa or Buzzy Beetle shell can defeat Bullet Bills that come from off-screen but harmlessly goes through ones shot from the Turtle Cannons. They are immune to fireballs from Fiery Mario. Since Bullet Bills do not stop moving while they are still onscreen until they are defeated, if Mario reaches the flagpole while a Bullet Bill is still onscreen and then touches it, the Bullet Bill immediately disappears (this would later inspire how in later games, certain enemies near the end of a level immediately disappear and turn into coins if the level is successfully completed while they are still onscreen). Stomping on a Bullet Bill is always worth 200 points as the "point combo" rule for stomping from one Goomba, Koopa Troopa, or Buzzy Beetle onto another does not apply to Bullet Bills.

Bullet Bills and Piranha Plants are the only two enemies from the original game whose death animations never depict them with their sprites flipped upside-down, the former remaining right side-up and the latter simply disappearing.

Artwork of a Bullet Bill from Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Bullet Bills behave exactly the same but the Turtle Cannons are more strategically-placed than in its predecessor. In Super Mario All-Stars, a fake Bowser is a Bullet Bill in disguise in World C-4. Since Bullet Bills share the same color palette as Goombas, they appear gray in World 6-3 of Super Mario Bros. and blue in World A-2 from Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. Turtle Cannons appear in World 9-1; although they do not fire any Bullet Bills, they would theoretically be black with gray details, due to them sharing their palette with Bloopers.

Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3

Bullet Bills do not appear as much in Super Mario Bros. 3 as they did in previous games, mainly appearing in later worlds and on the bosses' Airships. They can be defeated with a Jump, Koopa Shell, Starman, Hammer, tail attack, or a Bob-omb (on certain levels). Fire Flowers still do not affect them. A new type of Bullet Bill appears in this game, the Missile Bill, which turns around and flies back towards Mario if it misses him the first time. They also appear in the remakes of this game: Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. In the latter, diagonally-fired Bullet Bills that would later be featured in Super Mario World appear in the World-e level Wild Ride in the Sky.

Super Mario Land

Main article: Bullet Biff

Although the Bullet Bill does not appear in Super Mario Land, a sub-species called Bullet Biff does appear.

Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2

Super Mario World introduces Bullet Bills that are fired diagonally from four corners and vertically shot Bullet Bills. Their appearance is near-identical to that of the previous games. Bullet Bills are first encountered in Vanilla Dome 4 where they are fired off-screen. In Cheese Bridge Area, they are encountered in a zone led from a Warp Pipe. Bullet Bills emitted from Turtle Cannons are first encountered in Sunken Ghost Ship, in addition to the only underwater level that features Bullet Bills. In the Special Zone, Outrageous prominently features many Turtle Cannons that emit Bullet Bills. Super Mario World also features the debuts of derived Bullet Bill species such as Torpedo Ted, which are Bullet Bills that are launched from torpedo tubes underwater. The larger Banzai Bills also appear for the first time and appear before regular Bullet Bills. Additionally, when the Special Zone is completed, horizontal-moving Bullet Bills turn into Pidgit Bills, which function identically but look like flying Pidgits. In Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, vertically and diagonally-fired Bullet Bills are also changed to this design, and they flap their wings rather than maintain a static image like ordinary Bullet Bills.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

Bullet Bills are commonly found in the Mario Zone in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. Bullet Bills act much like the previous Bullet Bills in other games. They fly in a straight direction and are shot by Turtle Cannons. Mario can get rid of them by jumping on them or just dodging them, letting them fly off-screen. In this game, they have grinning faces and no arms.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS

A Bullet Bill, as it appears in Super Mario 64 (left) and Super Mario 64 DS (right).

In their first 3D appearance, Bullet Bills are found in only one location in Super Mario 64: in the level Whomp's Fortress. Their appearance is similar to that of a Banzai Bill. After Mario defeats the Whomp King, a Blaster appears at the top of the fortress. The Bullet Bills shot out home in on Mario and spin backwards upon contact with him; however, they explode after hitting a wall or reaching their maximum distance. Bullet Bills cannot be defeated in this game, and if Mario gets hit by one, he loses three wedges of health.

In Super Mario 64 DS, Bullet Bills can now appear at the new base of Whomp's Fortress, directly opposite of where Mario starts. They also appear in Dire, Dire Docks, where they are seen at the submarine dock until the completion of Bowser in the Fire Sea. They can now be defeated by a well-timed kick or a Mushroom, which sends them spinning backwards to eventually explode. They have also been redesigned to a standardized appearance, featuring arms and no visible mouth. Aside from the arms being colored gray instead of white, this design would become their typical design in following games.

This is the first platforming Super Mario game where Bullet Bills cannot be jumped on.

Super Mario Sunshine

A Bullet Bill as seen in Super Mario Sunshine

For Super Mario Sunshine, the appearance of Bullet Bills is greatly altered. One of the major changes includes the fact that the Bullet Bills in this game are smiling in a manner akin to Torpedo Teds, as opposed to the ones from Super Mario 64, which have a shark-like row of teeth like Banzai Bills. In addition, the Bullet Bills in this game have an overall more robotic appearance, including a metallic exterior and google-eyes. They constantly make a quick radar beeping as they fly. Bullet Bills appear with different colors and behaviors at various points in the game, coming in black, purple, gold, and blue. Most types of Bullet Bills release two coins when squirted by FLUDD, except Golden Bullet Bills, which instead release eight coins.

Black Bullet Bills are first shown at Pinna Park in Mecha-Bowser Appears!, being fired from four cannons in Mecha-Bowser's chest. They follow the tracks of the roller coaster Mario rides on for the fight, but loosely enough they may miss him by a wide margin on certain turns. They can either approach from the front or the back.

Later in the same course, black, purple, and golden Bullet Bills appear fired by Monty Mole in The Beach Cannon's Secret. All of them travel in a long, downward arc, exploding when they hit the ground, with black and gold only differing in rarity and coin reward. Purple Bullet Bills, which have blinking red nosecones, follow Mario on a horizontal plane if they approach him, similar to the Bullet Bills in Super Mario 64, though with a tight-but-lengthy u-turn if they miss comparable to the Missile Bills in Super Mario Bros. 3. They are used for breaking open the baskets that hold Blue Coins found across the beach. In the game's demo reel, viewable by waiting on the "press start" screen, both black and purple Bullet Bills are shown with blinking red noses as well as solid red eyes with white pupils, suggesting the design was changed slightly very late in development.

In the first episode of Noki Bay, Uncork the Waterfall, a single inactive black Bullet Bill makes a small cameo laying dormant in the platform connecting the cannon to the giant cork.

At the end off the game during the fight against Bowser and Bowser Jr., the latter shoots Bullet Bills that are also known as special Purple Bullet Bills or Guided Bullet Bills, which come in black and blue, the former having a blinking nosecone (aside than the first one launched) and the latter being solid-colored. These ones follow Mario more persistently when they get a lock on him, though due to the amount that are launched at once as the fight goes on, each has a fairly short and narrow line-of-sight, and they can also change their altitude to get on his level. These can be defeated by jumping on them, with the blue ones giving a 1-Up Mushroom or Water Bottle if beaten this way. They are also immediately destroyed by Bowser's Fire Breath.

New Super Mario Bros.

Luigi defeating Bullet Bills in World 6-1 of New Super Mario Bros.

In New Super Mario Bros., Bullet Bills appear in various levels, and are shot out of not only Bill Blasters, but also Bill Blaster Turrets. They appear in World 2-Castle, World 5-4, World 6-1, World 6-Castle (during the Monty Tank boss fight), World 7-5, and World 8-1. If the player jumps on them, they are defeated. They also can be defeated by hitting them with a Shell, or using a Starman or Mega Mushroom, and are again immune to fireballs. Banzai Bills return, and their cannon is introduced. In World 5-4, they fly out from somewhere off-screen rather than being fired from Bill Blasters.

Super Mario Galaxy

A Bullet Bill as it appeared in Super Mario Galaxy

A Bullet Bill chases Mario in Super Mario Galaxy

Bullet Bills reappear in Super Mario Galaxy. After they have been fired, if they spot the player, their eyes turn red and they home in on Mario until they hit him, an obstacle, or an enemy. This method can be used to break open cages and destroy fences. In Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor the robotic boss Megaleg is defeated in this way. If they hit Mario, he is knocked down for a few seconds and loses a wedge of health. They are one of the most common enemies in the game, appearing in several galaxies. Torpedo Teds also appear and can be used the same way as Bullet Bills, although Torpedo Teds make a specific radar sound in order to tell the player how close they are. Banzai Bills also appear on Bowser's Galaxy Reactor, shot from Banzai Bill Cannons, but do not home in on the character.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Bullet Bills in World 7-4 of New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Bullet Bills also appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, with their behavior from New Super Mario Bros. Banzai Bills, Bill Blaster Turrets, and Banzai Bill Cannons also reappear. This game also introduces King Bills, which are indestructible and much bigger than even a Banzai Bill, as well as a homing Banzai Bill. Even though Bullet Bills are still fireproof, they can be frozen by an ice-ball from Ice or Penguin Mario. Unlike other flying enemies, Bullet Bills could be picked up and thrown while frozen. Missile Bills also appear in this game, but instead of just turning around when they miss, they home in on Mario, similar to the Bullet Bills from Super Mario Galaxy. They first appear in World 3 and have an important role in World 6 as Enemy Courses. They also appear in several levels of World 7. In World 5-5, Bullet Bills fly out from somewhere off-screen instead of being fired from Bill Blasters.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Bullet Bills chasing Mario and Yoshi while battling Megahammer in Super Mario Galaxy 2

Bullet Bills also appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2, the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy. Many of them retain their homing capabilities in this game, though some Bullet Bills in Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet and Bowser's Galaxy Generator fly straight and do not follow Mario whatsoever. In certain galaxies, Yoshi can use his tongue to capture an incoming Bullet Bill in his mouth for a short time, and then spit it back out at other incoming enemies or bosses. This plays an important role in the defeat of Megahammer in Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet, as the giant robot continuously fires multiple Bullet Bills at Mario every few seconds. The player must hit Megahammer with Bullet Bills a total of eight times in order to defeat it. Banzai Bills also appear, but Torpedo Teds do not.

Super Mario 3D Land

Bullet Bills in World 2-Airship in Super Mario 3D Land

Bullet Bills reappear as enemies in Super Mario 3D Land. Similar to 2D Super Mario games, stomping on one or hitting one with a boomerang defeats it instantly, making this the first 3D Super Mario game in which this is possible. After Tanooki Mario tail whips a Bullet Bill, it changes its angle after a spin and keeps flying. Some Bullet Bills have striped tails and are called Tail Bullet Bills. Like in the other 2D games, Bullet Bills are impervious to fireballs and only go in one direction.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

A Gold Bullet Bill from New Super Mario Bros. 2

Bullet Bills appear in New Super Mario Bros. 2, with the same appearance they have in past games and fly in a straight line. When Mario or Luigi touches a Gold Ring, Bullet Bills become golden (in a similar way to the Bullet Bills in Yoshi's Story, and bearing an appearance slightly similar to the Bombshell Bill sub-species from the Paper Mario series) and leave a trail of coins behind them. Jumping on the Bullet Bills themselves discontinue the production of any more coins. In addition to horizontally flying Bullet Bills, diagonally flying ones from Super Mario World can be found in the Coin Rush-exclusive course packs Coin Challenge Pack B and Platform Panic Pack.

New Super Mario Bros. U

Bullet Bills appear in New Super Mario Bros. U. They act just like they did in past installments. However, the Bullet Bills produce a red smoky flare, similar to their behavior in Super Mario 3D Land. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the Bullet Bills only ejected puffy cloud smoke. Bullet Bills also appear in the battle against Roy Koopa. He holds a Bill Blaster and shoots Bullet Bills at the players as his battle strategy. Torpedo Teds from Super Mario World also reappear. They now have a sub-species under the name Targeting Teds.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Bullet Bills from Super Mario 3D World

Bullet Bills return in Super Mario 3D World and its Nintendo Switch port Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. Similar to the Tail Bullet Bills in Super Mario 3D Land, a Cat Bullet Bill based on the Cat Mario transformation also appear. They feature black and white cat ears and a tail, as well as being colored black on top and white on the bottom. These Bullet Bills chase after Mario, similar to a Missile Bill.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS

Mary O. hammering a loose nail on a Bill Blaster

Bullet Bills reappear in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS as enemies. However, they are not standalone enemies, and can only come out of Bill Blasters. Bull's-Eye Bills also reappear, and they are fired from Bull's-Eye Blasters.

Super Mario Run

Bullet Bills reappear in Super Mario Run, in the levels Sky-High Lifts and Leaps! and Bullet Bill Barrage. They are fired from offscreen, and they have the same behavior as they do in other Super Mario titles. Bull's-Eye Bills also appear.

Super Mario Odyssey

A Bullet Bill captured by Mario as seen in Super Mario Odyssey

Bullet Bills and Bill Blasters reappear in Super Mario Odyssey. They appear in the Metro Kingdom and the Sand Kingdom, where they can be seen wearing visors. They also appear in the Underground Caverns in the Moon Kingdom, where they wear white top hats. Mario can throw Cappy at a Bullet Bill to knock its hat off, allowing it to be captured. When they are fired from a Bill Blaster, they chase after Mario, exploding after a little while. When a Bullet Bill is captured with Cappy, Mario is able to fly across pits, though the Bullet Bill explodes if it hits a wall or if Mario controls it for too long. Bullet Bills that use their sprites from Super Mario Bros. can be found in two-dimensional parts through murals, where they are fired from Bill Blasters. These Bullet Bills travel in straight lines instead of following Mario. If a two-dimensional part ends before the wall it is on does so, a Bullet Bill which has not been defeated leaves the mural, transforms into its three-dimensional counterpart and starts chasing Mario.

Super Mario Maker 2

In Super Mario Maker 2, Bullet Bills appear in a similar capacity as the game's predecessor. In the Super Mario 3D World style, Bullet Bills can defeat enemies that they run into, and are defeated when they hit a wall. In version 3.0.0, a new wearable item exclusively for the Super Mario 3D World style based on the Bullet Bills was introduced called the Bullet Bill Mask.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

A Missile Meg under the effect of a Wonder Flower

Bullet Bills return in Super Mario Bros. Wonder; in addition, the game introduces some new variants of Bullet Bill including Missile Megs, which bear a vicious grimace and a more elongated shape resembling a missile and can be stood upon; Seeker Bullet Bills, which stick onto surfaces and fly towards the players on contact; and Renketsu Search Killers, variants of Bull's-Eye Bills consisting of multiple segments and dorsal fins. These new variants appear prominently in Castle Bowser levels.

Alleyway

The Bullet Bill block formation in stage 15 of Alleyway

In Alleyway, a multitude of breakable blocks are manipulated to shape a Bullet Bill sprite. The construction is found in the fifteenth stage of the game. The players are given 80 in-game time units to destroy the blocks that form the Bullet Bill, using the ball that bounces off their capsule.

DIC cartoons

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

“Hit the deck! It's a Bullet Bill!”

—Toad, "Robo Koopa"

Three Bullet Bills from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Robo Koopa"

Bullet Bills make only one appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, in the series finale of the show, "Robo Koopa", although Bullet Bill-like projectiles with faces are fired by a Snifit in the earlier episode "On Her Majesty's Sewer Service". They have gray bodies with peach-colored arms and toothy grins.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3

Three Bullet Bills from The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "Mush-Rumors"

In The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, Bullet Bills make two small appearances in the episodes "Reptiles in the Rose Garden" and "Mush-Rumors," where they are fired from the Doom Ship. In the latter they are fired alongside other munitions during the Koopa family's attack on a group of "aliens," who are actually a human family made up of Norman, his wife, and their children Missy and Bud.

Nintendo Comics System

In the Nintendo Comics System story "The Kingdom Enquirer", several Bullet Bills (depicted as being able to talk) appear among the various monsters pestering Toad (who had become a reporter) for an interview. A later story, entitled "Bowser Knows Best", also features Bullet Bills, who the Koopalings hitch a ride on in order to chase down Princess Toadstool, who had previously escaped their clutches.

Super Mario Adventures

In Nintendo Power's Super Mario Adventures comic, a Bullet Bill makes a relatively small appearance; after accidentally activating a Turtle Cannon after knocking Luigi off it, Mario is blasted by a Bullet Bill, which he ends-up riding straight into the Koopaling's Tower, where he is captured by Bowser's forces.

Mario Kart series

In the Mario Kart series, Bullet Bills appear as both obstacles and items.

Super Mario Kart

A Bullet Bill in Super Mario Kart

Bullet Bills appear in Super Mario Kart's Match Race, where they act as additional obstacles in all Mario Circuit courses, Donut Plains courses (excluding Donut Plains 3) and Bowser Castle courses. They bounce back and forth between two walls, and racers that come into contact with them spin out and cause it to bounce off the screen. They only appear from the front, similar to in Yoshi's Safari.

Mario Kart DS

A Bullet Bill in Mario Kart DS, its first appearance as an item

In Mario Kart DS, Bullet Bills appear as obstacles on the Airship Fortress race course. When a racer hits one, they are knocked over, dropping any item they are carrying.

Bullet Bills also appear as an item that can be received by players in 6th place or lower. Upon activating, the player's entire kart transforms into a Bullet Bill, which rockets down the track on auto-pilot at very high speeds (although the player still has a very small degree of steering control). The Bullet Bill is invincible, which allows the player to knock over any course obstacles and other drivers in the way, similar to the Chain Chomp from Mario Kart: Double Dash!!; players damaged by a collision with the Bullet Bill also lose any item in their possession. Players under the effects of a Star or a Boo are not be damaged if a Bullet Bill runs into them, although the former does get nudged out of the way. The duration of the Bullet Bill depends on the player's current position, with it lasting longer if the player is near or at last place, and it lasting only a few seconds if the player is leading the race. Upon expiring, the player reverts to their normal kart. The main downside of the Bullet Bill is that it can sometimes expire at the wrong moment, such as before a sharp bend, or while the auto-pilot is steering the player on the edge of the track, which can result in the player falling off the course right after reverting to their normal kart. In addition, the player cannot receive any items while they are transformed into a Bullet Bill.

Mario Kart Wii

Wario using a Bullet Bill

Bullet Bills reappear as an item in Mario Kart Wii. They can only be received by players in 8th place or lower in this game. The best chance of getting this item is in 12th place, with a 25 percent (10 out of 40) chance of getting it in said position. They behave the same way as they do in Mario Kart DS. Players under the effects of a Mega Mushroom can be knocked back by this item. It is one of six items wherein only one can be in play at a time (the other five being the Thunder Cloud, Spiny Shell, Blooper, POW Block, and Lightning). Once a Bullet Bill is used, another Bullet Bill cannot be obtained until the current one is exhausted.

The Bullet Bike, which is a bike designed for small-sized characters, is based off the design of the Bullet Bill.

Mario Kart 7

Bullet Bills reappear as an item in Mario Kart 7, behaving similarly to the way they do in Mario Kart Wii. In addition, the Bullet Bill now slows down when it is about to expire, thus reducing the likelihood of players falling off the course if it expires at an awkward location on the track. The warning sound from Mario Kart Wii can be heard when a Bullet Bill appears on the Touch Screen. Like Mario Kart DS, Bullet Bills in this game can only be received by players in 6th place or lower.

Mario Kart Arcade GP DX

Bullet Bills make a cameo appearance in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, where in one of the courses they fly overhead as the player approaches the finish line. However, they do not affect gameplay.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Bullet Bills reappear as an item in Mario Kart 8 and its port. In these games, Bullet Bill's eyes glow in the dark, as seen in courses without light, such as Twisted Mansion. Additionally, in Mario Kart 8 (as well as early versions of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe), it is impossible to use the rear-view mirror while using a Bullet Bill; however, as of version 2.3.0 of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, this is no longer the case.

Bullet Bills can be received by players that are far enough away from the leader due to the new item system introduced in these games. Unlike the previous Mario Kart games, up to three players can use a Bullet Bill at the same time.

Bullet Bills also have a sponsor in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe named after them, Bullet Bill Speed Trial.

Mario Kart Tour

Bullet Bills reappear as an item in Mario Kart Tour. During a Bullet Bill Frenzy, two smaller Bullet Bills fly beside the player. The player can launch said Bullet Bills forwards by tapping the screen, which home in on a racer ahead of them, and explode when it hits them. There is also a new glider introduced in the Bowser vs. DK Tour that is a recreation of the Bullet Bill's appearance in Super Mario Bros., aptly named 8-Bit Bullet Bill.

The following gliders increase the chance of getting Bullet Bills and points for hitting racers under the effects of one.

Special skill	Gliders
Bullet Bill Plus Increases your chances of getting a Bullet Bill. Using one will get you more points.	—
	+20 points
	+30 points

Super Mario Bros. film

Bullet Bill prop used in the film.

In the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film, miniature, non-explosive Bullet Bills appear as the fuel cartridges of the Thwomp Stompers used by Mario, Luigi and Big Bertha. A neon sign advertising a bar called "Bullet Bill's" can also be seen prominently displayed in the Koopa Square in Dinohattan throughout the film. Daisy can be seen wearing various Bullet Bills in the film's ending when she interrupts Mario, Luigi and Daniella's meal.

Though they are officially meant to be Bullet Bills, they more resemble Banzai Bills; an earlier draft of the script more appropriately referred to these cartridges as "Banzai Bills".

Yoshi's Safari

Bullet Bills are enemies in a few levels of Yoshi's Safari. They come at Mario head on and are shot down with one hit from the Super Scope. The Turtle Cannons are not visible, the bill's come from somewhere off screen. In this game the Bills come at the player head on, a perspective rarely seen of them.

Mario's Time Machine

In the PC release of Mario's Time Machine, Bullet Bills appear if Mario makes a mistake when setting the Timulator's date. He is then sent to the far-flung past, in which he must catch eggs that are being dropped by a pterodactyl while Bullet Bills fly towards Mario from off-screen. Mario loses one of his caught eggs if he is hit by a Bullet Bill, and he can dodge them by walking towards them, causing him to automatically jump over them.

Yoshi's Island series

Bullet Bills appear as enemies in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where they are colored green instead of black, and feature facial expressions as well. This game also introduces Bouncing Bullet Bills, which bounce and ricochet off walls after being fired. The Game Boy Advance version also adds Missile Bills that home in on Yoshi while biting upon being shot out of their cannons. Any of the Bullet Bills in this game can be defeated by the way most enemies can be defeated. If Yoshi catches a Bullet Bill with his tongue, it can be spit out and flies away from Yoshi like it has been shot out of a cannon, or Yoshi can eat one to produce an egg.

During Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island's development, the Bullet Bill was colored its usual black and was intended to bite as it moved.

Bullet Bills return in the sequel, Yoshi's Island DS, where they were changed to black to be consistent with their appearance in Super Mario games. Bullet Bills also return in Yoshi's New Island, performing the same actions as in previous Yoshi's Island games and retaining their design from games in the Super Mario series, like with Yoshi's Island DS.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

A Bullet Bill as it appears in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Apprentices, Snifsters, Blasters, and Big Blasters use Bullet Bills as a way to attack. Usually, touching one in the overworld prompts a battle with Blasters or Big Blasters, though a room in the Sunken Ship has them shot by normal cannons and simply push Mario to a lower floor. This game also introduces Blazers, an alternate variety of Bullet Bills, which are used by Blasters and Big Blasters to defeat a party member in one hit and cannot be blocked. Smithy uses a similar variety called Magnums.

In the remake, Bullet Bills retain their original design, having arms and a mouth.

Yoshi's Story

A Bullet Bill in Yoshi's Story

In Yoshi's Story, Bullet Bills follow the same pattern as in other games. However, this game introduces tongues for the mechanical irritants. The Blasters of this game are slightly different in appearance and the Bullet Bills are golden in color.

Game & Watch Gallery series

A Bullet Bill in the Donkey Kong Jr. remakes in Game & Watch Gallery 3 (left image) and Game & Watch Gallery 4 (right image)

In Game & Watch Gallery 3 and Game & Watch Gallery 4, Bullet Bills make an appearance in the Modern mode of Donkey Kong Jr. Their role is the same in both games, as they attempt to stop Donkey Kong Jr. as he attempts to free his father. Additionally, in Game & Watch Gallery 4, Bullet Bills appear in the Modern version of Fire Attack, where they attempt to destroy a statue belonging to Wario.

Super Smash Bros. series

SmashWiki article: Bullet Bill

In Super Smash Bros.

Bullet Bills first appear in Super Smash Bros., where one of Master Hand's attacks is to fire pairs of Bullet Bills from his fingers, though later games replace them with regular bullets. The Bullet Bills shot by Master Hand are gold and resemble their design in the early Yoshi platformers.

Super Smash Bros. Melee is the only Super Smash Bros. game where Bullet Bills do not appear. However, the trophy of the Banzai Bill enemy from Princess Peach's Castle erroneously identifies it as "Bullet Bill" when the language is set to English. This was fixed in later NTSC revisions and the PAL version to match the Japanese text.

The Bullet Bill enemy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Bullet Bills have appeared in a few of the series' single-player campaigns. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Bullet Bills are enemies in The Subspace Emissary, where they are affiliated with Bowser's forces and the Subspace Army. Here, Bullet Bills launch straight from right to left, like with most of their appearances in the Super Mario franchise, although they appear larger than in most of their other appearances and cannot be stomped on. Bullet Bills do sometimes home in on the character, similarly to Bull's-Eye Bills, and can be temporarily deflected. In a cutscene, silver Bullet Bills are seen pursuing Diddy Kong and Donkey Kong, but explode after being defeated by the Kongs' attacks. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Bullet Bills are an enemy in the Smash Run mode, where they slowly fly toward the player to try and hit them and inflict damage.

The Bullet Bill item in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Bullet Bills are also featured as an item. When a player picks up a Bullet Bill, they attack by ramming into opponents at full speed. Players explode if they hit a solid wall, including ceilings and floors, and the resulting explosion deals even further damage to players and has a blast radius.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, in addition to returning as items, a Bullet Bill also appears as one of the drawings drawn by Nikki. After it is fully drawn, it launches off, damaging any opponent in its path. A Bullet Bill also appears in the game as a Novice-class Attack-type primary spirit. Once it reaches level 99, it can be enhanced to a Banzai Bill. In World of Light, the spirit is encountered on the Light Realm map; the puppet fighters are four small Captain Falcons fought on the Mushroom Kingdom stage, with Bullet Bill items spawning throughout the battle.

Mario Party series

Mario Party 2

In Mario Party 2, Bullet Bills appear in the minigame Bombs Away where a Bowser ship fires them. Here, unlike cannonballs, they always land on the island, forcing the player to time their jumps right to avoid being stunned by the explosion.

Mario Party 3

In Mario Party 3, Bullet Bills are featured in the minigame Crazy Cogs. The solo player must rotate the cog the three players are standing on so they hit the three players as they continuously bombard the cog. They also make a cameo in Pump, Pump and Away. The minigame Ridiculous Relay also features Bullet Bills as obstacles alongside Paragaloombas, and also features a Bullet Bill-like boat. Aces High has the players riding gliders with Bullet Bills attached to the underside, with them also being usable to attack the other players.

Mario Party 5

Bullet Bills appear in Mario Party 5 in the form of the Bullet Bill Capsule. It can either be thrown on a space or used for five coins. When used, the player continues their turn as normal, but riding a Bullet Bill. Any opponents they pass during this time have 30 coins stolen from them.

Bullet Bills also appears in the minigame Bill Blasters. The minigame involves players shooting the bullets at each other in order to eliminate the other players.

Mario Party 6

In Mario Party 6, the Bullet Bill Orb returns with the same effect. However, the user only steals 20 coins from opponents. They are also featured in the minigame Jump the Gun, which involves one player shooting Bullet Bills at targets to form a platform for their partner. Bullet Bills are also used in Shoot Yer Mouth Off; saying 4, 8, or 9 causes the solo player to shoot a Bullet Bill to try and eliminate the other three. Additionally, the "Bullet Bill" voice command for the minigame Verbal Assault can be bought at the Star Bank; using it fires a Bullet Bill that homes in on one of the three players. The Magma Flow path in Star Sprint also has Bullet Bills being shot at the player.

Mario Party Advance

“Hey, stay outta my way! I'm trainin'! Don't you know who I am? I'm Bullet Bill!”

—Bullet Bill, Mario Party Advance

A Bullet Bill appears in Mario Party Advance as a track and field athlete at the Mushroom Stadium. The Bullet Bill's quest involves challenging him to a race. He is also a huge fan of the Kamek Krew, owning all of their albums and even letting them perform at his stadium.

When he is first met in Mushroom Stadium, the player challenges him to a race for a Gaddget, and once beaten he will hand over the Mini Soccer Gaddget. Sometime after, the Kamek Krew asks the player to find a stadium where they can perform; the player can ask Bullet Bill if he'll rent out his stadium. At first he is hesitant, but once the player mentions that the Kamek Krew made the request, he eagerly obliges and mentions that they can perform in his stadium free of charge. He then goes off to make the preparations, but not before telling the player to tell the Kamek Krew he said "howdy". By the end of the game, it is mentioned that he finished second in the world sprint trials.

Bullet Bills also appear in the minigame Bill Bounce. The minigame involves the player attempting to jump on Bullet Bills to earn enough points in the allotted time. Hitting one temporarily stuns the player, and jumping on several consecutively earns the player more points.

Mario Party 7

Bullet Bills appear in Mario Party 7 in the minigame Wheel of Woe. By saying their name, two Bullet Bills are shot out of blasters on each side of the room in an attempt to eliminate the other three players. Bullet Bills also appear in StratosFEAR! serving as obstacles to three players while the remaining one moves a mushroom up and down by commanding it. Bullet Bills appear in the minigame Helipopper to hamper with a player's progress.

Mario Party 8

Bullet Bills in the Mario Party 8 minigame, Superstar Showdown

In Mario Party 8, there is an item called Bullet Candy that appears only in Bowser's Warped Orbit. It transforms the player's bottom half into the end of a Bullet Bill and allows them to hit three Dice Blocks (similar to Thrice Candy). For every opponent the player runs in to, one Star is stolen from them.

Bullet Bills appear as obstacles in the Sick and Twisted and Thrash 'n' Crash minigames as obstacles that must be avoided; any player who touches a Bullet Bill is eliminated even if, in the case of Sick and Twisted, they jump on the Bullet Bill. During the second stage of the final minigame Superstar Showdown, two cannons attach themselves to Bowser's Clown Car; these cannons fire black Bullet Bills during the second stage and red Bullet Bills during the third stage, which both slightly steer themselves at the player character. Also, a helicopter which resembles a Bullet Bill appears in the mini-game Gun the Runner; it holds the three players trying to eliminate the solo player. Finally, the duel minigame Cardiators features a card with a trio of Bullet Bills on it; selecting this card fires three Bullet Bills at the opposing player and inflicts nine damage upon them.

Mario Party 9

Bullet Bills are the focus of the Mario Party 9 minigame, Billistics

In Mario Party 9, Bullet Bills, along with Missile Bills, appear in the minigame Billistics, the name being a pun on their name and "ballistics". The game involves the players attempting to dodge several Bullet Bills. The players also pilot Bullet Bills along a path in the minigame Speeding Bullets.

Bullet Bills also have a constellation that can be bought in the Museum, named "Straight Shot."

Mario Party: Island Tour

Bullet Bills appear in a few minigames in Mario Party: Island Tour. They also appear as items in the Perilous Palace Path board where they are known as Backwards Bills. When used it knocks a selected player back five spaces.

Mario Party 10

There's a Bullet Bill attraction in Mario Party 10 on Mushroom Park, in which the players can collect Mini Stars by jumping. Also, Bullet Bills are used as projectiles to take down Bowser's Airship on Airship Central. They and Banzai Bills are also used as ammunition by Kamek in Kamek's Rocket Rampage. Bullet Bills are also in the minigames Meanie Match, Hop, Drop, and Roll, and Bullet Bill Bullies.

Super Mario Party

Bullet Bills appear in Super Mario Party as non-playable characters. They are featured in the minigames Follow the Money and Drop Quiz.

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario

Normal Bullet Bills reappear in Paper Mario in the Koopa Bros. Fortress, being shot out by Bill Blasters shortly before the Koopa Bros. are fought. They attack by ramming into Mario, destroying themselves in the process. If a Bullet Bill bumps into Mario on the overworld, it makes the First Strike on him.

Gold Bullet Bills known as Bombshell Bills are also introduced in Paper Mario and are shot from B. Bill Blasters. They are found in Bowser's Castle. These attack the same way as regular Bullet Bills, but they have more HP, do more damage, and have 1 defense.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Bullet Bills appear as enemies in the Pirate's Grotto, where they are once again shot by Bill Blasters. Bombshell Bills and their Blasters also appear in the Palace of Shadow. Bullet Bills home in on Mario to damage him, destroying themselves by doing so. Because of this, they also die if they miss or are Superguarded.

Super Paper Mario

Bullet Bills only appear once in The Bitlands at Bowser's castle in Super Paper Mario. There are two Bill Blasters mounted on each of the fortresses that continuously shoot them—however, if the player returns to the chapter after completing it, there is only one; the other is mounted on the fortress that gets destroyed. A simple stomp destroys them. The player can also use Thoreau to pick up the Bullet Bill and throw it at the Bill Blaster.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Like with the previous game, Bullet Bills only appear in one level, Bowser Jr.'s Flotilla, in World 6 in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. In this level, there are two Bill Blasters mounted at the platforms on the airship's exterior. However, unlike previous iterations, they cannot be battled; instead, they fly at Mario and damage him upon contact. They can be defeated by hammering them or jumping on them. Touching a Bullet Bill causes Mario to lose 2 HP. They were originally able to be battled, as evidenced by the text dump.

Paper Mario: Color Splash

While regular Bullet Bills from previous Paper Mario games do not appear in Paper Mario: Color Splash, they appear in their sprite forms in an underground area based on Super Mario Bros. 3, in the Green Energy Plant level. They are blasted from a Bill Blaster and drop multi-colored paint when stomped on.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

Bullet Bills do not appear as enemies in Paper Mario: The Origami King, though they make brief appearances. They can be seen in the background of the Buzzy Beetle statue room in Bowser's Castle, and are fired from Bowser's airship at the Paper Plane Squadron before Mario fights them. One Bullet Bill appears as a Collectible Treasure, which can be found inside one of the ? Blocks at the south-western corner of the room with Boomerang Bros. in Origami Castle.

Mario Golf series

Bullet Bills appear in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour being shot out of Bill Blasters resembling the Monty Mole's cannons from Super Mario Sunshine atop towers. They land into the water but are purely for aesthetic purposes. In Mario Golf: World Tour, Bullet Bills can be used as item shots; they increase the player's maximum driving distance and also cause the ball to travel in a straight line, ignoring wind and player stats. In Mario Golf: Super Rush, Bowser Jr. rides a Bullet Bill for his Special Dash in a similar fashion to Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Mario & Luigi series

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga / Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, Bill Blasters in Stardust Fields fire Bullet Bills at Mario and Luigi to attack, which can be dodged or countered with a jump. Mecha-Bloopers, which are found in the Seabed and Gwarhar Lagoon, also use Bullet Bills to attack. The game also features a new subspecies called the Sniper Bill, a Bullet Bill that uses a Super Scope as a weapon which fires a smaller Bullet Bill. It is found in Bowser's Castle. In the original Game Boy Advance game, landing on the Sniper Bill after jumping causes no damage.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, two variants of Shy Guy called Boom Guys and Elite Boom Guys carry Bill Blasters on their head. They run up to the Mario Bros. and shoot out a Bullet Bill to harm them. Sometimes, the cannon lets out a little puff before firing the Bullet Bill. Energy-based ones can also be spotted during the boss fight against Swiggler in the Vim Factory, if the player looks closely when the Shroob saucers attack.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey

Bullet Bills make yet another appearance in the game Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey. They are shot out of cannons manned by Air Cannons. When shot, the Bullet Bills may turn invisible and attack one of the Mario Brothers. The player has to know when to dodge it when this happens.

During the final battle with Dark Bowser, dark versions of Bullet Bills are among those which appear during his dark minion attack. Bowser must punch the Bullet Bills or duck under them depending on their height.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

While Bullet Bills themselves do not appear in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, there are papercraft versions of Bullet Bills that appear during the Papercraft Bowser segment.

WarioWare series

In WarioWare: Twisted!, Bullet Bills make appearances with their Super Mario Bros. 3 sprites in the microgame Super Mario Bros. 3-Lift, a Super Mario Bros. 3-based microgame found in 9-Volt and 18-Volt's stage, where they appear as one of the enemies that the player has to avoid. They also make cameos in WarioWare: Touched! in two microgames: in the Super Mario Bros. Stomp! microgame, where in the third level, when the player defeats all the enemies, Mario appear riding in a Bullet Bill instead of in a Lakitu's Cloud, and in the microgame Clawing for More, where they appear as one of the sprites that can appear when the player grabs the ball. Bullet Bills return in the Super Mario Bros. 3 microgame in WarioWare Gold.

Mario Tennis series

Bullet Bills make a few appearances in the Mario Tennis series. In Mario Power Tennis, near the climax of the opening cinematic, Bowser launches a Bullet Bill from his balloon, only for Mario to knock it away with his tennis racket, which strikes Wario and Waluigi. One of the Special Games, Mecha-Bowser Mayhem, features Bullet Bills are launched by Mecha-Bowser. In Mario Tennis Aces, Bullet Bills appear in the adventure mode level Defeat Bowser's Minions!, found at the Castle Gates. They are fired from two Bill Blasters when the player battles a Whomp, and can be blocked by Mario's tennis racket to cause them to damage the Whomp. Getting hit by a Bullet Bill causes Mario to lose ten seconds on the timer.

Mario Baseball series

Bowser using a Bullet Bill in his Killer Ball move in Mario Superstar Baseball

Bullet Bills appear in both games of the Mario Baseball series: Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers. In both games, Bowser uses the Bullet Bill for pitching in his Star Skill, Killer Ball, as well as for batting in Mario Superstar Baseball. While pitching, a Bullet Bill is launched at the batter. It goes slow at first, but when it gets close to the batter, it flies in a loop, then zoom pass the batter, making it harder for them to hit.

Exclusively in Mario Superstar Baseball, Bowser Jr. can use a Bullet Bill in his Star Skill, Killer Jr. Ball. Bowser Jr.'s Bullet Bill wears a bandana similar to his, unlike Bowser's. While batting, when Bowser or Bowser Jr. hit the ball, they launch a Bullet Bill across the field which, if caught, pushes the catcher far back. Upon hitting the ground, the Bullet Bill turns back into a regular ball. In the Challenge Mode, purchasing a Bullet Bill at the item shop allows Bowser to perform Killer Ball. In Mario Super Sluggers, Bowser instead uses Breath Swing while batting, and Bowser Jr. instead uses graffiti in his two Star Skills, Graffiti Ball and Graffiti Swing.

In Mario Super Sluggers's final cinematic, Wario and Waluigi sabotage a cannon that is being used for a Bob-omb Derby contest at Mario Stadium by inserting a Bullet Bill into the cannon, which launches prematurely and aims directly toward Mario. Bowser emerges out of nowhere and uses his own bat to hit the Bullet Bill, which takes Wario and Waluigi with it, sending the duo blasting off before setting off a chain reaction of fireworks.

Super Princess Peach

Bullet Bills appear in Super Princess Peach as enemies that come from off-screen. They can be defeated by stomping on them or with the Rage vibe. There are also mad variants known as the Mad Bullet Bills, which fly faster than normal Bullet Bills. Pidgit Bills also make cameo appearances after Peach swipes with Perry at Bowser and the Vibe Scepter over the horizon and once Mario is saved.

Mario Strikers Charged

A Bullet Bill makes an appearance in Mario Strikers Charged. It appears as the Skillshot of Shy Guy known as Bullet Bill Blast. Upon fully charging the Ball, Shy Guy summons a Bullet Bill and rides on it while holding the ball, going directly to the Goalkeeper to knock him out in a explosion and possibly score.

Mario & Sonic series

Big Bullet Bill

Bullet Bills have appeared in various games of the Mario & Sonic series. In the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Bullet Bills are enemies in Airship. In the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Bullet Bills make their first appearance in an Olympic event, Dream Snowball Fight, where they periodically appear in the area and knock down characters when they hit them, but can be turned around by hitting them with snowballs. In the Story Mode of the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Bowser Jr. uses a Bullet Bill to travel between areas, and there is an obtainable badge of a Bullet Bill from the badge machine. In Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, Bullet Bills are featured prominently in the Bullet Bill Sledge Race event, where each sled is pulled by a pair of harnessed Bullet Bills. In the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Bullet Bills appear in Boxing Plus, as an item that can deplete the opponent's Guard Gauge, as well as Rhythmic Gymnastics Plus, where they occasionally fire from offscreen to show upcoming buttons for the player to input.

Though Bullet Bills do not appear in the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, a Big Bullet Bill appears as a rival in Adventure Tours mode, where it is faced in Cubyrinth. Big Bullet Bill is also a rival in Skeleton in Single Festival and Bobsleigh in Team Festival.

Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move

Bullet Bills appear in Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move, in the minigame Elevation Station. In the minigame, Bullet Bills fly in from either side of the screen and attempt to hit the Mini Mario on the platform. They may appear in one of three sizes, being small, larger, and very large.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Bullet Bills return to Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and its Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS ports acting exactly as they did in Super Mario 3D World. They can now be taken out with Turnip and redirected with spinwheels or moving blocks. This is often used to break Rock Blocks. Bull's-Eye Bills return as well.

Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition

Bullet Bills make an appearance as enemies in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. Their main attribute is Dark.

As enemies, Bullet Bills sometime deliver first strike blows, and tend to attack every single turn. They can even increase the ATK of every enemy on the field, making their attacks deal more damage than normal to the player.

As allies, Bullet Bills have a skill that halves the defense of all the enemies for three turns.

A Bullet Bill can be transformed into a Banzai Bill by giving it four Fire Flowers. Alternatively, giving a Bullet Bill three Goomba Coins transforms it into a mash-up enemy, called Bullet Bill & Goomba (a solo Goomba on a Bullet Bill blaster). Six more Goomba Coins transforms Bullet Bill & Goomba into Bullet Bill & Goombas (two Goombas on a Bullet Bill blaster).

Bullet Bills have ATK as their highest stat, while their HP and RCV are very low.

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

A Bullet Bill as seen in Yoshi's Woolly World

Bullet Bills, along with Bill Blasters, make an appearance in Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, adopting a knitted appearance rather than the usual metallic look. A new type of Bullet Bill known as Woollet Bills also appear. While the artwork depicts them nearly identical to their Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island appearance, they take their main series design in-game.

Yoshi's Crafted World

Bullet Bills return in Yoshi's Crafted World with their modern appearance in the level Spinwheel Shuffle.

Dr. Mario World

Bullet Bills debut in the Dr. Mario series as assistants in Dr. Mario World. In both stage mode and versus mode, their skill grants the doctor a chance in having a fully filled skill meter at the start of the stage, where the chance of activation is greater in versus mode compared to stage mode, at 20% to 60% chance in versus mode as opposed to stage mode's 4% to 20% chance.

Bullet Bills also appear during Dr. Roy's skill animation, which features them flying across the screen from left to right after his cannon is fired.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

A Bullet Bill appears in the background of a posterMedia:The Super Mario Bros. Movie Rainbow Road poster.jpg for The Super Mario Bros. Movie showcasing Princess Peach and numerous Kongs driving on Rainbow Road. In the movie itself, Koopa Troopas fire them out of the cannons of their karts at the same location. One Bullet Bill is fired from its Bill Blaster at Mario and Donkey Kong's Rocket Barrel upon their return from the Maw-Ray, while several of them alongside some Koopa Paratroopas are flying in Brooklyn, being easily taken down by Invincible Mario and Luigi.

Unused appearances

Yoshi

Hidden within the data of the Game Boy version of Yoshi is an unused Bullet Bill that would have functioned similarly to the Goombas, Bloopers, Boos, and Piranha Plants in both that game and the NES version. It is fully functional, though it turns into garbage graphics when it settles on a plate.

Other appearances

The Legend of Zelda series

In The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, a Bullet Bill can be seen on the shirt of Fyer, a Hylian that operates the cannon at Lake Hylia.

Kirby series

In Kirby Super Star Ultra, the boss Kabula has an attack that involves firing out missiles that resemble Bullet Bills. The only difference is that they have thrusters on their backs.

LEGO City Undercover

A Bullet Bill in Lego City Undercover

In LEGO City Undercover, a cannon in the King's Court district shoots LEGO Bullet Bills at Chase McCain when he approaches them. An optional puzzle requires Chase to use a Bullet Bill to break a cage resembling those seen in Super Mario Galaxy. The Bullet Bill cameo was retained in the Nintendo Switch version of the game's remastered edition, but removed from all other versions.

Skylanders: SuperChargers

In Skylanders: SuperChargers, Bullet Bills can be fired when Bowser is in the Clown Cruiser; however, due to an agreement between Nintendo and Activision, they are featured exclusively in the Nintendo versions of the game.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Though Bullet Bills do not appear in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, the Rocket Bullenator is modeled after one.

General information

Physical appearance and traits

Bullet Bills are black anthropomorphic missile-like creatures. They have eyes with black pupils/irises and engines at their backsides, thus allowing them to travel in the air. In most games, they can be defeated by simply jumping on them, though other games make them more resilient. Like other enemies, Bullet Bills have had varying appearances. In the earlier Super Mario games, Bullet Bills had a slightly brown hue, though this was due to color limitations. Bullet Bills were inspired by shark mouth nose art on fighter planes and older artwork shows them with both arms and mouths, which are depicted variously in early sprites and models. To date, they appear with both arms and a visible mouth in the Game & Watch Super Mario Bros., the DIC Entertainment cartoons, Super Mario Bros. Print World, the PC release of Mario's Time Machine, Yoshi's Safari, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. In Super Mario Kart, Super Mario 64, and Yoshi's Story, they lack arms but have an open mouth with sharp teeth and an angry expression, resembling Banzai Bills. In Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, and Yoshi's Island DS, Bullet Bills display a grin instead, as well as a green color scheme in the second of these. In Super Mario Sunshine, they have a slimmer shape in the vein of Torpedo Teds, in addition to having a smile, fuller eyes, and rocket-like fins in the back. In the Nintendo Comics System and Mario Party Advance, Bullet Bills are shown to be sentient and possess the ability to speak.

In most games, Bullet Bills simply fly around without targeting a victim, usually being launched from Bill Blasters. However, the Super Mario Galaxy games give Bullet Bills the ability to home in on their opponents, while their eyes turn red. In the Super Smash Bros. games, Bullet Bills can also home in on their opponents, though only a few of them do this. In some cases, they can spin while flying. In Super Mario Odyssey, Bullet Bills appear as capturable enemies; this game reveals that, Bullet Bills can fly at three different speeds, and can self-destruct after a certain period of time. In the Paper Mario games, Bullet Bills use a kamikaze attack, thus resulting in explosions. In Puzzles and Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition, Bullet Bills are associated with the Dark attribute, boast higher ATK, and attack on every turn. The Mario & Sonic games depict Bullet Bill (and more specifically, Big Bullet Bill), as a Speed rival. This is supported by the Mario Kart series, which makes Bullet Bill a high-speed item with automatic turning capabilities. A billboard advertisement in Mario Kart Wii's Moonview Highway course addresses Bullet Bill as the "King of Speed".

Profiles and statistics

Main article: List of Bullet Bill profiles and statistics

Most Bullet Bill bios highlight their trademark habit of soaring through the air and the Bill Blaster which they are shot out of.

List of appearances

Title	Description	Release date	System/format
Super Mario Bros.	Enemy	1985	Nintendo Entertainment System
VS. Super Mario Bros.	Enemy	1986	VS. System
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels	Enemy	1986	Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Bros. Special	Enemy	1986	PC-88, X1
All Night Nippon: Super Mario Bros.	Enemy	1986	Family Computer Disk System
2-in-1 Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt	Enemy	1988	Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Bros. 3	Enemy	1988	Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Land	Enemy	1989	Game Boy
Alleyway	Cameo	1989	Game Boy
3-in-1 Super Mario Bros./Duck Hunt/World Class Track Meet	Enemy	1990	Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario World	Enemy	1990	Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Kart	Obstacle	1992	Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins	Enemy	1992	Game Boy
Super Mario All-Stars	Enemy	1993	Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Yoshi's Safari	Enemy	1993	Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World	Enemy	1994	Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island	Enemy	1995	Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars	Enemy	1996	Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Mario 64	Enemy	1996	Nintendo 64
Yoshi's Story	Enemy	1998	Nintendo 64
Super Mario Bros. Deluxe	Enemy	1999	GBC
Game & Watch Gallery 3	Enemy	1999	Game Boy Color
Mario Golf	Course on Mario's Star Hole 11	1999	Nintendo 64
Mario Golf	Background of Bogey animation	1999	Game Boy Color
Mario Party 2	Enemy	2000	Nintendo 64
Mario Party 3	Enemy	2001	Nintendo 64
Paper Mario	Enemy	2001	Nintendo 64
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2	Enemy	2001	Game Boy Advance
Animal Crossing	Enemy in unlockable port of Super Mario Bros.	2001	Nintendo GameCube
Super Mario Sunshine	Enemy	2002	Nintendo GameCube
Game & Watch Gallery 4	Enemy	2002	Game Boy Advance
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3	Enemy	2003	Game Boy Advance
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour	Non-playable character	2003	Nintendo GameCube
Mario Party 5	Item/attack	2003	Nintendo GameCube
Classic NES Series: Super Mario Bros.	Enemy	2004	Game Boy Advance
Classic NES Series: Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels	Enemy	2004	Game Boy Advance
Mario Pinball Land	Enemy	2004	Game Boy Advance
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door	Enemy	2004	Nintendo GameCube
Mario Power Tennis	Item	2004	Nintendo GameCube
Mario Party 6	Item/Attack	2004	Nintendo GameCube
Super Mario 64 DS	Enemy	2004	Nintendo DS
WarioWare: Touched!	Cameo in microgame	2005	Nintendo DS
WarioWare: Twisted!	Cameo in microgame	2005	Game Boy Advance
Mario Party Advance	Enemy	2005	Game Boy Advance
Mario Superstar Baseball	Item	2005	Nintendo GameCube
Mario Kart DS	Item	2005	Nintendo DS
Mario Party 7	Enemy	2005	Nintendo GameCube
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time	Enemy	2005	Nintendo DS
Super Princess Peach	Enemy	2005	Nintendo DS
New Super Mario Bros.	Enemy	2006	Nintendo DS
Yoshi's Island DS	Enemy	2006	Nintendo DS
Super Paper Mario	Enemy	2007	Wii
Mario Party 8	Enemy/item	2007	Wii
Mario Strikers Charged	Skillshot	2007	Wii
Super Mario Galaxy	Enemy	2007	Wii
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games	Enemy	2007	Wii, DS
Super Smash Bros. Brawl	Enemy, trophy and sticker	2008	Wii
Mario Kart Wii	Item	2008	Wii
Mario Super Sluggers	Item	2008	Wii
New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis	Item	2009	Wii
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story	Enemy	2009	Nintendo 3DS
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games	Rival	2009	Wii, DS
New Super Mario Bros. Wii	Enemy	2009	Wii
Super Mario Galaxy 2	Enemy	2010	Wii
Super Mario 3D Land	Enemy	2011	Nintendo 3DS
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games	Rival	2011	Wii, 3DS
Mario Kart 7	Item	2011	Nintendo 3DS
Mario Party 9	Enemy	2012	Wii
New Super Mario Bros. 2	Enemy	2012	Nintendo 3DS
Paper Mario: Sticker Star	Enemy	2012	Nintendo 3DS
Animal Crossing: New Leaf	Fired from Bill Blaster item	2012	Nintendo 3DS
New Super Mario Bros. U	Enemy	2012	Wii U
Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move	Enemy	2013	Nintendo 3DS
New Super Luigi U	Enemy	2013	Wii U
Super Mario 3D World	Enemy	2013	Wii U
Mario Party: Island Tour	Item	2013	Nintendo 3DS
Mario Golf: World Tour	Item	2014	Nintendo 3DS
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS	Enemy and trophy	2014	Nintendo 3DS
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker	Enemy	2014	Wii U
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U	Trophy	2014	Wii U
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition	Enemy/teammate	2015	Nintendo 3DS
Super Mario Maker	Enemy	2015	Wii U
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games	Item	2016	Nintendo 3DS
Minecraft: Wii U Edition	3D pixel art in the Super Mario Mash-up world	2016	Wii U
Paper Mario: Color Splash	Enemy	2016	Wii U
Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS	Enemy	2016	Nintendo 3DS
Super Mario Run	Enemy	2016	iOS, Android
Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World	Enemy	2017	Nintendo 3DS
Mario Sports Superstars	Enemy in Superstar Road Mode	2017	Nintendo 3DS
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe	Item	2017	Nintendo Switch
Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition	3D pixel art in the Super Mario Mash-up world	2017	Switch
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions	Enemy	2017	Nintendo 3DS
Super Mario Odyssey	Enemy	2017	Nintendo Switch
Mario Party: The Top 100	Enemy	2017	Nintendo 3DS
Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition	3D pixel art in the Super Mario Mash-up world	2018	New Nintendo 3DS
Minecraft: Bedrock Edition	3D pixel art in the Super Mario Mash-up world	2018	Nintendo Switch
Mario Tennis Aces	Enemy	2018	Nintendo Switch
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker	Enemy	2018	Switch / 3DS
WarioWare Gold	Cameo in microgame	2018	Nintendo 3DS
Super Mario Party	Enemy	2018	Nintendo Switch
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate	Item, one of Nikki's drawings, spirit	2018	Nintendo Switch
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey	Enemy	2018	Nintendo 3DS
Mario Kart Tour	Item, obstacle	2019	iOS, Android
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe	Enemy	2019	Nintendo Switch
Yoshi's Crafted World	Enemy	2019	Nintendo Switch
Super Mario Maker 2	Enemy	2019	Nintendo Switch
Paper Mario: The Origami King	Cameo	2020	Nintendo Switch
Mario Golf: Super Rush	Enemy and Special Dash	2021	Nintendo Switch
Mario Party Superstars	Enemy	2021	Nintendo Switch
The Super Mario Bros. Movie	Enemy	2023	Film
Super Mario Bros. Wonder	Enemy	2023	Nintendo Switch
Super Mario RPG	Enemy	2023	Nintendo Switch
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door	Enemy	2024	Nintendo Switch

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Bullet Bill.

• 

  Super Mario Bros.

• 

  Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

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  Super Mario Bros. 3

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  Super Mario Bros. Deluxe

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  Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

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  Mario Kart Wii

• 

  Super Nintendo World

Additional names

Internal names

Game	File	Name	Meaning
Super Mario Galaxy Super Mario Galaxy 2	ObjectData/HomingKiller.arc	HomingKiller	Transliteration of below
Super Mario Galaxy Super Mario Galaxy 2	StageData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl SystemData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl	ホーミングキラー (Hōmingu Kirā)	Homing Bullet Bill

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	キラー[?] Kirā	Killer
Chinese (simplified)	弹头杀手 Dàntóu Shāshǒu	Bullet Killer
	炮弹刺客 (international releases for games since Super Mario Party)[?] Pàodàn Cìkè	Bullet Assassin
	炮弹先锋 (China release for Nintendo Switch games) Pàodàn Xiānfēng	Bullet Vanguard
Chinese (traditional)	炮彈刺客[?] Pàodàn Cìkè	Bullet Assassin
Dutch	Bullet Bill[?]	-
Finnish	Luoti-Lasse[?]	Bullet + Lasse, a Finnish given name
French	Bill Balle[?]	Bullet Bill
	La balle menaçante (Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels)	The menacing bullet
	Balle menaçante (Super Mario Bros.)	Menacing bullet
German	Kugelwilli Kugel-Willi[?]	Bullet Willi; "Willi" being a German given name equivalent to "Wily"
	Raketen Willi	Rocket Willi
Italian	Bullet Bill (Super Mario Bros. instruction booklet)[?]	-
	Pallottolo Bill[?]	Bullet Bill; from pallottola ("bullet") in masculine form
	Pallottolo[?]	From pallottola ("bullet")
	Pallottola Bill	Bullet Bill
Korean	킬러[?] Killeo	Killer
Portuguese (NOA)	Bill Bala Bill bala (Super Mario Run)[?]	Bullet Bill
Portuguese (NOE)	Bill Bala Bill-Bala (Super Mario 3D World)[?]	Bullet Bill
Russian	Билл-пуля[?] Bill-pulya	Bill-Bullet
Spanish (NOA)	Bill Bala Bill bala (2012-2019)[?]	Bullet Bill
Spanish (NOE)	Bill Bala[?]	Bullet Bill
	Koopa Misil (DIC cartoons)[?]	Missile Koopa

Trivia

• In The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening development assets, a Bullet Bill sprite can be found around the game's cameos.