Puniper

Puniper
Species	Puni
First appearance	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004)
Latest appearance	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) (2024)

“Don't get a swelled head! This doesn't mean I'll accept you as our leader...”

—Puniper, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Puniper is an obese Puni that lives in the Great Tree in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. He doubts Mario's skills as a hero at first but eventually he sees Mario as a good leader. He does not help initially and will not support Mario until he saves the Puni elder. Puniper's name is a portmanteau of "Puni" and "Juniper".

Tattle information

• That's Puniper of the Punies. He sure is big for a Puni. Too bad his head is big, too!
• That's Puniper of the Punies. He's a little bigger than the others, obviously. So maybe he can help us reach that special area... Hee hee! Just kidding. His only special power is complaining, I think.
• That's Puniper of the Punies. This guy just needs to stop whining and do what's right. I mean, he's huge! When you got a big bod, you gotta step up and take charge!

Gallery

• 

  Puniper questioning Punio's trust in Mario.

• 

  The Puni elder calling out Puniper for his stubbornness.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	プニタ[?] Punita	From "Puni" and「た」(-ta), usually used for masculine name ending
Chinese	普尼搭[?] Pǔnídā	Transliteration of the Japanese name
Dutch	Maxini[?]	From the name "Max" and "mini" or Ini ("Puni"). "Max" may also allude to his larger body shape.
French	Pounibo[?]	?
German	Bubulas[?]	Bubu ("Puni") and the name "Nicolas"
Italian	Fufurio[?]	Portmanteau of Fufino ("Puni") and the male name "Furio"
Korean	말랑욱[?] Mallang'uk	Portmanteau of "말랑" (Mallang, "Puni") and the Korean masculine name ending "욱" (uk)
Spanish	Punilio[?]	From "Puni" and the male name "Emilio"