Hermie III
- “If you want to cauthe trouble... Then you're thtupid!”
- —Hermie III, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Hermie III is a giant, lisping hermit crab that lives in Gwarhar Lagoon during the events of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.
When the Beanstar broke into four pieces, Hermie claimed one and placed it at the top of his shell. With some help from fellow residents of Gwarhar Lagoon, Hermie managed to decorate his shell, making a Christmas tree. When Mario and Luigi arrived, Hermie refused to give up the Beanstar; however, the real problem came when Hermie's helpers started paying more attention to the famous Mario Bros. than his prized decorations. Hermie lost his temper and started a battle with Mario and Luigi.
Hermie has one main attack: pinching at the Mario Bros. with his claws. The only way to dodge this attack is to jump. If the claw starts to vibrate, it will hit the brother it is closest to. If it doesn't, he will switch. He also spits pink bubbles which can poison Mario or Luigi unless they are destroyed with the Hammer. After he has taken some damage, Hermie will hide in his shell, where he will begin to heal himself. To get him out, Mario must use his Firebrand or Fire Bros. attack on him. This will make him angrily pop out of his shell, yelling about how the brother is ruining his decorations.
After being defeated, the Marios explain the situation to the hermit crab, who reluctantly gives up the Beanstar piece. Later, Mario and Luigi can choose to make amends with the angry crab by giving him Spangle to place on his shell, although this sidequest is optional; however, it is arguably worthwhile as Hermie would then gratefully give them a Soulful Bros. badge in return.
Trivia
- Although it is assumed that "Hermie III" is to be pronounced "Hermie the Third", the inclusion of the number three in Hermie's full name may be a pun on "tree", the object he highly resembled while his shell was decorated.
- During the fight, Sidesteppers from the original Mario Bros. periodically run around in the background.
- During the game, he mistakes Mario for Santa Claus.
