Whittle
- “Our people. Brave.”
- —Whittle, Super Mario Galaxy 2
Whittles are a species of tree spirits appearing in Super Mario Galaxy 2. They appear in numerous galaxies as helpful characters with often simple yet incorrect grammar. Their name is taken from the word "whittle", which means to carve something out of wood.
History
Super Mario Galaxy 2
Whittles appear in several galaxies, notably the Tall Trunk Galaxy. In the Tall Trunk Galaxy they appear in all the levels. In the first level they teach Mario how to use the Blimp Fruit on Yoshi and later on they tell Mario to slide down the gigantic slide to prove his bravery. Whittles are small, humanoid figures with geometric heads and bodies made entirely out of wood, with the exception of a single leaf on their heads. They are a very proud and brave race. Due to this, they like to prove their bravery by sliding down the big slide in their galaxy and surviving its trials. When someone proves their worth the Whittles reward him or her with a symbol of courage. They also consider the giant tree at the center of the Tall Trunk Galaxy sacred. They speak with simplified, somewhat incorrect grammar.
Whittles are another species which lives on the Starship Mario after Mario completes a certain star. In this case, Mario must complete the second star in the Tall Trunk Galaxy.
A Whittle from Super Mario Galaxy 2
A variant
Mario Party series
Mario Party 9
In Mario Party 9, a Whittle is the one who places the logs to be chopped and Bob-ombs to be dodged by the players in the minigame Logger Heads. Two Whittles that differ in appearance with the others also appear in the background. They also appear in the background of the Step It Up minigame mode, and they congratulate the winning player when they reach the top of the tree.
Mario Party: Island Tour
Whittles make a cameo in Mario Party: Island Tour on the Kamek's Carpet Ride board. They also appear in the minigames Meteor Melee and Deck Hunt where they cheer on the players.
Mario Party: The Top 100
In Mario Party: The Top 100, Whittles return in the Logger Heads minigame, having the same role as Mario Party 9.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a Whittle makes a cameo appearance on the Starship Mario spirit.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | モック[?] Mokku |
From moku, meaning "wood". | |
| Chinese | 古木[?] Gǔmù |
Old wood | |
| German | Borku[?] | from Borke, "bark" | |
| Italian | Ceppetto[?] | from Piccolo Ceppo, "little stump" - may also be a reference to Geppetto from the story of Pinocchio | |
| Spanish (NOA) | Tronquito[?] | Little trunk (tronco + -ito), also a pun with tronco (man or guy in a friendly way), which they usually say at the end of their dialogues. |
