Germane

Germane
Species	Tetris Ningen
First appearance	Super Mario (Super Mario Land 2) (1989)

“オレはテトリス王国おうこくの入り口くちを守まちる.しゅう長ちょうの ゲルマンだ. (I'm the guardian of the Tetris Kingdom! I'm Chieftain German!)”

—Shūchō no German, Super Mario Land 2

Shūchō no German is one of the major antagonists of the first act in the Super Mario Land 2 manga from the Super Mario series published by KC Deluxe. He is the chief of the Tetris Ningen and guardian of their kingdom.

German (in the middle) in his I-Tetrimino form

He is a tall dark-skinned human, wearing Aztecan-like clothing, including a feathered headgear that only he has, symbolizing his leader role. As a member of the Tetris Ningen, he is capable of changing form from a human to a Tetrimino with human limbs and face (a yellow I-Tetrimino, in his case).

Mario, Princess Peach, and Goro-chan, in search of the fabled treasure of Tetris, find its temple, along with a Goomba, Lakitu, and Hammer Bro that were following them. They all barge into the temple, where they are welcomed by German to try his challenge to access the treasure: the challenge consisting of a real-life Tetris match with Tetriminos falling from a waterfall, on top of which he stands on a platform, giving orders to his people to throw Tetriminos and monitoring everything. German also explains that failing the challenge may lead them to end up like Luigi, who, earlier, tried the challenge, and he is now in a comatose state at the bottom of the waterfall's basin.

The Koopa Troop trio goes first and uses the Tetriminos to create a stair to the top, only to be eaten by a statue that then takes them to the other losers of the challenge, turning them into slaves. With notes from Luigi, Mario puts together that, to pass the challenge, they need to clear 100 blocks. While Mario and his friends are progressing the game, German reads a manga, until one of his men informs him that the heroes are winning. Afraid that someone will put their hands on their treasure, German attempts to flatten Peach with a boulder, but Goro-chan saves her (but also falling into the basin and getting itself eliminated). He then laughs at Mario when he remains alone after Peach sacrifices herself by taking the place of a T-Tetrimino. Mario, using Peach's ribbon as a whip to better guide the Tetriminos into position, latches onto German's wrist and pulls him down into a gap as a replacement for a I-Tetrimino, clearing more lines and allowing him to pass the challenge, bringing his friends and Luigi back into the game.

As the group enters a newly opened passage, German emerges from the rubble in I-Tetrimino form and follows them. As the heroes learn of his new form, they mock him and bully him. Angered, German activates a ceiling trap, but his new tall form prevents the spiked ceiling to fall on the heroes. Instead, due to the pressure, the floor collapses, and they all end up into the canal system. Mario and German are separated from the others and arrive in a room where they meet King Tetris, the first ruler of Tetris, whom German treats with respect, unaware that he is just Bowser under a disguise. German, being asked by the king to give him the treasure, takes him and Mario to two waterfalls where they face each other in a Tetris duel. German once again cheats by helping King Tetris by telling him which Tetriminos are about to fall next for him, much to Mario's displeasure.

Luigi, Peach, and Goro-chan end up on top of the two waterfalls, and Goro-chan ends up cutting off King Tetris' water, letting Mario clearing the space. German attempts to fix the situation, ordering the three to leave immediately. When they refuse, German orders him men to turn into Tetriminos and fuse together into the Gattai Tetris Ningen, scaring them away from the waterfall. Using some nearby mine carts that the slaves fill with Tetriminos for the challenges, Luigi then kicks them at the amalgamation, destroying it.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	しゅう長ちょうのゲルマン Shūchō no Geruman	Chieftain German; "German" is a common name in Russia, where Tetris was developed.