Piranha Plant

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"Green Piranha Plant" redirects here. For the version of this enemy also known as "Green Piranha Plant", see Wild Ptooie Piranha. For other uses, see Piranha Plant (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Piranha Planet.

Template:Species-infobox

“Grawr Charble Grawr! (Hey, what's cooking? YOU ARE!)”
Piranha Plant, Mario Party DS

Piranha Plants (also known as Piranha Flowers[1][2][3] and Piranhas and misspelled as pirana plants[4][5] in early manuals and as Pirahna Flower in an Australian Nintendo Magazine System issue[6]) are large, carnivorous plants encountered throughout the Mario franchise. They are seemingly based on Venus flytraps and eat anything that approaches them.

The head of a Piranha Plant is most commonly either red or green with multiple other colors. Originally, Piranha Plants were found exclusively in pipes, darting out and biting anything near. Currently, Piranha Plants can be found both in and out of pipes, and may constantly bite or wait for Mario to approach to do so.

Despite being plants, Piranha Plants have been depicted as being sentient and capable of speech in a few appearances, though unlike several other enemies in the Mario series, they have never been shown forming societies. Piranha Plant characters such as Petey Piranha, Piranha Bean and Dino Piranha, among others, reveal that some Piranha Plants can have animal-like bodies, making them capable of walking. Mom Piranha, Dino Piranha, and Peewee Piranha are all depicted hatching from eggs, suggesting that Piranha Plants may be oviparious. However, relatives of Piranha Plants, Nipper Plants, are implied to have a different reproduction method as they are shown to come from spores in the Yoshi games.

History

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros.

Piranha Plant
A Piranha Plant, as it appears in Super Mario Bros.

The first appearance of Piranha Plants is in World 1-2 of Super Mario Bros., where they are semi-common enemies. They have been strategically placed by Bowser to impede Mario's progress on his quest to save Princess Toadstool. The Piranha Plants inhabit pipes and attack by biting Mario or Luigi if they come into contact with them. Piranha Plants will not emerge from their pipe if Mario or Luigi are adjacent to or standing directly on top of it, similar to a Turtle Cannon. Piranha Plants can be defeated by shooting them with a fireball or by touching them while empowered by a Starman. A kicked Koopa Troopa or Buzzy Beetle shell will go through them harmlessly.

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

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels from the Super Mario All Stars Nintendo Players Guide page 27
Red Piranha Plants in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.
A Red Piranha Plant from Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

The Piranha Plants returned in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, which was the sequel to Super Mario Bros. in Japan, during the second conquest of the Mushroom Kingdom. The green variant found in the previous game does not appear after World 3. Starting from World 4-1, they are replaced by the newly introduced red-colored variants, which were much quicker than the green variety, and can emerge from their pipe even if the player is next to it. However, both varieties will not appear if the player is standing directly on top of the pipe. They appear more frequently than in the previous game, and the red variant have been the most common Piranha Plants seen throughout the Mario series since. Beginning from World 5-1, they will pop from upside-down pipes as well, making Mario or Luigi's way a bit more difficult. Piranha Plants are also found underwater in World 9-1 and World 9-2. Piranha Plants also appear in the pipes in the Warp Zone in both the original Super Mario Bros. and Lost Levels, though they all immediately disappear once the "WELCOME TO WARP ZONE!" message appears. In the Super Mario All-Stars version of both the original and The Lost Levels, Piranha Plants are the only non-castle enemies that do not appear in any of the level preview illustrations.

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

In Super Mario Bros. 3, Piranha Plants are found throughout the game, retaining their biting attack. Here, along with being defeated with fireballs, Koopa shells and Starman powers, Piranha Plants could also be beaten with the tail of Raccoon Mario, Tanooki Suit and Hammer Mario's hammers. Several variants of Piranha Plants are also introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3, including Venus Fire Trap, Piranhacus Giganticus, and Ptooie. The variant hanging from above pipes is known as Hanging Piranha Plant[7]. Most of these enemies appear in both green and red varieties. While the Red Piranha Plants act identically to the green ones unlike in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, they have an additional layer of leaves which makes them taller than green ones.[8] There are also horizontal Piranha Plants; despite being red, these ones only have one layer of leaves. The remakes of the game gave Piranha Plants in horizontal pipes red leaves. There are also Walking Piranhas, juvenile versions of Piranha Plants; and invincible Munchers which resemble Walking Piranhas more than Piranha Plants. Additionally, the king of Pipe Land is transformed into a Piranha Plant by Ludwig von Koopa; in later ports of Super Mario Bros. 3, the king is changed into a Yoshi instead of a Piranha Plant.

This is the last main series Mario game where Piranha Plants have green heads; while this aspect was used on Beanstalks in Super Mario World and later games in the series, red has since then been the standard color for these enemies.

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 has an upside-down variant of the Piranha Plant with a red head and one layer of green leaves. They are seen in the World-e levels Piped Full of Plants and Treacherous Halls.

Super Mario Land

A Piranha Plant from Super Mario Land.
A Piranha Plant in Super Mario Land

Piranha Plants are also featured in Super Mario Land, which takes place in Sarasaland. They are referred to as Pakkun Flower[9][10] or Pakkun[11] originally. In addition, it names the variant hanging from above pipes Upside Down (Headstand) Pakkun[9] or Reverse Pakkun[10], and they are worth 400PTS rather than 100PTS. Since most of the names of the enemies were left unlocalized in the Super Mario Land instruction, the same goes for the Pakkun Flower. However, the English digital manual for the 3DS Virtual Console release translates the enemies as Piranha Plants. This is the only enemy in this game that originates from the previous Mario games that is not a sub-species or otherwise changed.

Super Mario World

Piranha Plants reappear in Super Mario World as enemies once again, attacking Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi by trying to bite them. From this game forward, the red Piranha Plants become the primary in-game color, with the green ones now simply being used to top beanstalks. There is a variant of Piranha Plants that makes its debut here. This variant, the Jumping Piranha Plant, lives in pipes and leaps through the air, attacking anything nearby. Munchers also reappear in this game.

The regular Piranha Plant, also known as Piranha in a Pipe[12], appears as a rare enemy. In fact, eight of them only appear in one level, Vanilla Dome 3. These only hang upside down due to their pipes' position. These can be beaten using fireballs, Starman powers, a Koopa shell, a cape attack or by simply eating them with Yoshi's tongue.

A scrapped Piranha Plant from Super Mario World.

Jumping Piranha Plants are much more common than their brethren, effectively replacing them. An upward-facing Piranha Plant was originally going to appear, but did not appear in the final game. In fact, the right-side-up stem's graphics are overwritten by that of an upside-down Cheep Cheep, using the game's red palette instead of the yellow palette they normally use.

Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins

A Piranha Plant, from Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins.

In Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, the Piranha Plants are more or less identical to previous games. In addition, Venus Fire Traps reappear with a spiky-headed redesign and, in Mario's castle, statues of them appear and attack by periodically charging and shooting balls of fire.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS

Piranha Plant 64.pngA sleeping Piranha Plant in Whomp's Fortress
A Piranha Plant, as it appears in Super Mario 64 (left) and Super Mario 64 DS (right).

In Super Mario 64 and its remake, Super Mario 64 DS, Piranha Plants appear as semi-common enemies once again. Regular variants only appear in Whomp's Fortress in the original version, while they also appear in Goomboss Battle and Sunshine Isles in the DS version. Normally, these plants are peacefully sleeping, but if Mario wakes them up, they will try to bite him. Getting attacked by one will result in three health points lost (or four without a cap). Also in the remake, in the new area at Whomp's Fortress, three Piranha Plants will suddenly appear out of the grass as soon as anyone approaches them for the first time, similar to the game's Venus Fire Trap variants. After they emerge, they will act like regular sleeping Piranha Plants for the rest of the mission. All Piranha Plants in this game can be defeated with most attack methods, most easily by walking towards them slowly without waking them up and then punching or ground pounding them. In the remake, Yoshi can also defeat them with an egg projectile. This will cause them to shrink and release a blue coin. However, once Mario or any of the other heroes walk away, they will respawn.

In the original version, the lips of these Piranha Plants are green; this was changed in the remake, where they have white lips. Also, when defeated, pink bubbles (the same ones that Mr. I shoots) fly out of its body, though this is purely aesthetic.

Two size variations of Venus Fire Traps make their first appearance. In the tiny portion of Tiny-Huge Island as well as in Bowser in the Sky, small versions can be found. They grow once Mario approaches, spit a fireball, and then retreat by shrinking back to an invisible size. Additionally, in the huge part of the island, large versions are the subject of one of the Power Star missions.

In Whomp's Fortress, a sign in front of one reads: "I'm sleeping because... I'm sleepy. I don't like being disturbed. Please walk quietly." Indeed, walking slowly near the Piranha Plants will not wake them up. When they are asleep, a lullaby plays.

Super Mario Sunshine

A goop-covered Piranha Plant in Super Mario Sunshine.

Piranha Plants, also called Pakkun Flowers[13], appear in Super Mario Sunshine. These Piranha Plants only appear in Bianco Hills and will attack Mario by popping-out of the ground and spitting black, white-spotted projectiles. They are defeated by spraying water with F.L.U.D.D. inside their bodies until they blow up. In this game, their appearance is based off their appearance in Super Mario 64, as they have green lips (though oddly enough, most of them lack any form of teeth in their mouths). They also gain a new notable member, Petey Piranha, a goop-spitting, giant, anthropomorphic Piranha Plant who appears twice as a boss in the game, and would go on to become a recurring character.

Gatekeepers, Piranha Plant enemies created from the goop of the Magic Paintbrush wielded by Bowser Jr., are also fought as mini-bosses in Super Mario Sunshine. After Mario sprays water on the generator, they come out and have to be defeated by shooting water at their mouths. Piranhabons, giant-sized goop-covered Piranha Plant heads, also appear as obstacles in Bianco Hills coming out of the goop. If Mario sprays water on them, they are revealed to look like Petey Piranha's head.

New Super Mario Bros.

Artwork of a Piranha Plant in New Super Mario Bros. (later used in Super Mario Run)
A Piranha Plant from New Super Mario Bros..

In New Super Mario Bros., Piranha Plants return to their original attack pattern of popping-out of pipes and biting anything nearby. They are also found in the ground now, and if found on conveyor belts, they will move along with it. In New Super Mario Bros., Piranha Plants make chomping sounds.

Venus Fire Traps make their return in New Super Mario Bros., while Super Piranha Plants also make their return from Super Mario Bros. 3; like certain normal Piranha Plants, the latter is exclusively seen outside pipes, as huge pipes do not make an appearance. They now require three fireballs instead of one to die, and release eight coins when they do.

Super Mario Galaxy

Spiny Piranha Plant model from Super Mario Galaxy
A Spiny Piranha Plant model from Super Mario Galaxy.

Piranha Plants reappear in Super Mario Galaxy, trying to bite the player much like they did in New Super Mario Bros., but can be stunned if Mario fires Star Bits at them. They can be defeated by jumping on them, with a spin, or when run into as Rainbow Mario. They must sometimes be defeated to advance further, signaled by a Sproutle Vine growing where they once were. It is also notably the second game that Piranha Plants can be defeated in a single jump, after Super Mario 64 DS.

There is also a new, purple variation called Spiny Piranha Plant that is bigger and it attempts to slam its head into Mario. It can be defeated by hitting round bushes at it or by stomping it after it has slammed its head in the ground.

A Piranha Plant-like alien called Dino Piranha serves as a boss. It will chase Mario around its planetoid once woken from its egg. It can be defeated by Spinning to hit its tail, causing the tail to fly out, then get pulled back in and hit Dino Piranha. There is a separate, much more difficult version called the Fiery Dino Piranha. Fiery Dino Piranha's tail will often be on fire, so Mario can only attack it while its tail has gone out. It also runs faster and leaves a temporary trail of fire behind it. They both give the player a Power Star if defeated.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

NSMBW Piranha Plant Render.png

In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Piranha Plants also appear as enemies along with Venus Fire Traps and Super Piranha Plants, and Munchers and Big Venus Fire Traps make their return. Stalking Piranha Plants and River Piranha Plants also make their debut in this game. However, the pipe-planted Piranha Plants have lost their chomping sound effects from New Super Mario Bros. Piranha Plants can now be defeated with ice balls though their ice blocks cannot be picked up. Additionally, Yoshi can jump on a Piranha Plant without getting hurt.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

The starting area of Whomp Fortress
Mario approaching a Piranha Plant in the Throwback Galaxy

Piranha Plants appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2, and they behave just as they did in the predecessor. In Supermassive Galaxy, pipe-dwelling Super Piranha Plants appear, and are invincible. There is now a new species of the Spiny Piranha Plant from the original, known as the Prickly Piranha Plant. To defeat it, Mario or Luigi must hit it with a plant when it slams its head onto the ground, as they cannot be stomped due to its prickles on its head.

The boss of the first galaxy, Sky Station Galaxy, is a baby, giant Piranha Plant named Peewee Piranha, whom is similar to Dino Piranha from the original. It is beaten by first spinning into the eggshell on its backside, then into its exposed rear once the eggshell is broken. After being hit a few times, the shell regenerates, and Mario must then attack it in this method again, but the boss is faster than before. Also, if the player confronts Peewee Piranha from the front, Peewee Piranha turns around. After hitting Peewee Piranha twice and defeating it, Mario is awarded with the first Power Star in the game. Also, in the Boss Blitz Galaxy, the player has to fight Dino Piranha and Fiery Dino Piranha, two bosses from the game's predecessor.

Super Mario 3D Land

An Inky Piranha Plant in World 1-2 in Super Mario 3D Land
The black Inky Piranha Plant

Piranha Plants (alongside Fire Piranha Plants) appear in Super Mario 3D Land for the Nintendo 3DS. They act like they do in the Super Mario Galaxy series. There is also a new black variety called Inky Piranha Plants, which spit ink that covers the top screen, like a Blooper in the Mario Kart series. These Piranha Plants are also safe to stomp on to defeat. Fire Piranha Plants appear more often, however, and their fireballs can hit Goombas, Koopa Troopas, and other Piranha Plants.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

Bone Piranha Plant
A Bone Piranha Plant

Piranha Plants appear in New Super Mario Bros. 2. Whenever Mario touches a Gold Ring, the Piranha Plants turn golden. Whenever the player defeats them when they are golden, the location they inhabited shoots out coins. A new species of Piranha Plant are also introduced, which are Bone Piranha Plants.

New Super Mario Bros. U

Piranha Plants appear in New Super Mario Bros. U. Big Piranha Plants reappear in both their modern and classic forms, and a new ice spitting variety makes their debut. In the level Blooming Lakitus, Lakitus throw spiked eggs called Piranha Pods that hatch into Piranha Plants instead of Spinies.

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

Piranha Plant in Mount Beanpole
A Piranha Plant in Super Mario 3D World

Piranha Plants reappear in Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, where they act similarly to their appearance in Super Mario Galaxy and in later 3D Mario games. Potted Piranha Plants are also introduced, which can be picked up and used as items. This Piranha Plant can be used to eat enemies and obstacles, including other Piranha Plants. Another type of Piranha Plant, called the Piranha Creeper, is introduced, which has a long stem and can be defeated by knocking it back into its hole with attacks. Mega Piranha Plants also reappear in this game.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2

Piranha Plants reappear in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS as enemies that the player can put into the course. If wings are attached to them, they behave similar to Jumping Piranha Plants, which replace Piranha Plants in the Super Mario World game style. Piranha Plants that are not found in pipes are stationary similar to Munchers. Big Piranha Plants, Fire Piranha Plants, Jumping Piranha Plants, Big Venus Fire Traps, and Munchers also appear in the game.

Piranha Plants and their variants reappear in Super Mario Maker 2, where they are able to be placed upside-down on ceilings. In the Super Mario 3D World style, they attack by lunging at the player, and can be defeated by being jumped on. Piranha Creepers reappear in the Super Mario 3D World style. Additionally, a Ninji Speedruns course called Yoshi's Piranha Plant Picnic features Piranha Plants, of which Yoshi must swallow twenty-five.

Super Mario Run

In Super Mario Run, Piranha Plants appear inside pipes, where they will periodically emerge to bite at the player. Like in most Super Mario titles, Piranha Plants will not emerge if the player is standing immediately nearby.

Super Mario Odyssey

Bowser and Mario fail to impress Princess Peach
Bowser using a bouquet of Piranha Plants to impress Peach

In Super Mario Odyssey, regular Piranha Plants do not appear as enemies, and instead are used as flowers in Bowser and Princess Peach's marriage. They are also decorations on Bowser's ship in the opening scene. However, Fire Piranha Plants do appear as enemies, mostly in the Metro Kingdom. The game introduces a new variation, the Poison Piranha Plant, which is found in the Wooded Kingdom. They can be captured, but only if they are already stuck chewing on a rock (or possibly on another object), as they eat Cappy if their mouths are vacant. When captured, Mario gains control over them and can spit out poison/fire at will.

DIC cartoons

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!

Piranha Plants (here misspelled Pirhana Plants)[14] made several appearances in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. Here, several possessed the ability to spit fire, possibly assuming this ability from the Pansers of Super Mario Bros. 2, who never made an appearance. They are depicted as being black, with green lips, and pink spots.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3

One Piranha Plant made an appearance in Sneaky Lying Cheating Giant Ninja Koopas. It bit Raccoon Mario while he was knocked unconscious by Big Mouth's reptile breath tornado move. It attempted to bite Mario again, but it missed, as Mario moved out of the way in time. Their variant Ptooies and Venus Fire Traps appear more often.

Super Mario World

A Piranha Plant about to eat Hip, Hop and King Koopa in "A Little Learning".

A non-antagonistic Piranha Plant (here misspelled pirhana plant)[15] named Mama Fireplant appeared, which Toadstool, Yoshi, Mario, and Luigi had to rescue from Kootie Pie Koopa's clutches in a frozen cavern, although ultimately only Yoshi was successful in doing so due to the Porcupinefish in the lair flash-freezing anyone who stepped on them, with Mario, Luigi, and Toadstool needing to be rescued themselves as well.

In Gopher Bash, Cheatsy has his gopher minions replace the crops they had stolen with piranha plants, which Yoshi and the brothers end up defeating. Unusually, one is depicted with hair or spike-like protrusions on its head.

In A Little Learning, Hip and Hop put a piranha plant in Oogtar's "eggabegga" project only to have the sabotage turn on them and King Koopa when Oogtar inadvertently feeds it fertilizer.

Nintendo Comics System

In Nintendo Comics System, Piranha Plants make occasional appearances, and are depicted with primarily dark green heads atop light green stems. Some Piranha Plants have a pair of eyes, while female Piranha Plants have faces the same color as their stems and dark green lips, while the dark green and spotted portion is made from leaves and acts as "hair." In Piranha-Round Sue, several Piranha Plants, led by Piranha Sue, attempt to steal the Green Gecko Gem and a magic wand in order to depose Bowser, due to several tight restrictions he had placed upon them. In The Revenge of Pipe Ooze! a Piranha Plant gets strangled by Bowser after he calls Lemmy an idiot, while two female Piranha Plants appear as fans of Dirk Drain-Head, of whom Mario was cosplaying as.

Nintendo Adventure Books

After being led astray by a disguised Koopa on his way back to the Mushroom Palace in Double Trouble, Toad becomes stuck in a patch of Piranha Plants. After hearing Toad's yells for help, Mario rushes into the patch to rescue him, and tries to fight off a particularly large Piranha Plant by throwing a rock, which the plant bats aside with a stick, giving its brethren the idea of grabbing some clubs to use as weapons as well. Depending on how the accompanying puzzle is solved, the plants either fight each other after Mario tricks one into bludgeoning another, or they succeed in knocking Mario out with a blow to the head.

In Leaping Lizards, a patch of Piranha Plants, which Morton, Luigi and Toad navigate their way through on the way to Water Land, is growing near the Mushroom Palace. In Koopa Capers, Luigi spots some Piranha Plants among the army of monsters in Wendy O. Koopa's secret camp in the Magma Pits.

In Pipe Down!, Mario and Luigi run through a patch of Piranha Plants if they decide to give chase to Princess Toadstool, who is being forced to venture through the Koopahari Desert by a pair of enchanted basketball sneakers. Later, it is revealed that Ludwig von Koopa has coerced four Piranha Plants (named Ashby, Justin, Scott and Todd) to act as the string quartet in his basketball-based ballet "starring" the princess. If the Piranha Plants attack the Mario Bros. and the princess, Luigi easily defeats them by knocking their pots over. In one the book's bad endings, a pair of Piranha Plants will eat Mario and Luigi if they decide to rush into the leftmost pipe in a chamber.

In Flown the Koopa, while avoiding some Dino Rhinos in a forest, Mario pulls the Mushroom King away from a young and hungry Piranha Plant the bumbling monarch stumbles near.

In the final book, Brain Drain, Iggy Koopa's Synapse Switcher swaps the minds of some traffic officers and Piranha Plants, resulting in widespread havoc on the Fungus Freeway.

Mario Kart series

Piranha Plants, as they appear at Mario Circuit.
A set of Piranha Plants at Mario Circuit, in Mario Kart Double Dash!!

In the Mario Kart series, Piranha Plants often appear as road obstacles.

Super Mario Kart

Piranha Plants appear in both of the Choco Islands in Super Mario Kart where they sit there, acting as an obstacle. If the player hits the Piranha Plants, they will spin out.

Mario Kart 64

In Mario Kart 64, Piranha Plants return with a different appearance. They do not come out of pipes, but they are sitting on the ground. They appear to be moving their lips up and down, similar to a sucking motion. The lips are also a yellowish tan color. They appear on Mario Raceway and Royal Raceway.

Mario Kart: Super Circuit

In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Piranha Plants appear from within the quicksand pits of Yoshi Desert. If a racer falls into one of these pits, they will get pulled under, followed by the Piranha Plant chewing them repeatedly before spitting them out.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Piranha Plants appear in Mario Circuit and in Yoshi Circuit. Here, they will stay in their pipe. When any driver gets close to them, they will try to bite the driver. Anyone who gets bitten by a Piranha Plant will flip over and the thrower will end up getting dragged behind the kart. Piranha Plants can be stunned by using a projectile such as a Green Shell or a Bowser Shell and they will also get stunned by anyone who used a Star.

Mario Kart Arcade GP subseries

Piranha Plant from Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
Piranha Plant as it appeared in Mario Kart Arcade GP

In both Mario Kart Arcade GP and Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, the Piranha Plant is one of Princess Peach's special character items. The Piranha Plant's function in both games is that of eating the items of Peach's opponents once it is summoned by her. This Piranha Plant is differentiated by its bright pink coloration (possibly in reference to Peach herself).

Mario Kart DS

Piranha Plants reappear as obstacles in Mario Kart DS. Instead of their biting habits in Mario Kart Double Dash!!, they will sit and breathe fireballs at any driver in Mario Circuit. SNES Choco Island 2 and GCN Yoshi Circuit return and also brought back the Piranha Plants, although in Yoshi Circuit they do not come out of pipes unlike their original counterpart.

Mario Kart Wii

In Mario Kart Wii, N64 Mario Raceway and GCN Mario Circuit return along with their respective Piranha Plants. Additionally, there is a kart called Piranha Prowler, though it is based more on Petey Piranha than a regular Piranha Plant, due to its petals and colored lips on the kart.

Mario Kart 7

In Mario Kart 7, huge versions appear in a course named after the species, Piranha Plant Slide. Ironically, only two appear on this track, one in the underground segment and the other in the underwater segment. and if the player comes near them, they attempt to bite them. Getting hit by a Piranha Plant causes the player flip out. Two more Piranha Plants also appear on the track Music Park. They do the same things, and switch to the opposite side of the track each lap. These plants also bop their heads to the track's music.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

SNES Donut Plains 3 from Mario Kart 8
Yoshi using the potted Piranha Plant in Mario Kart 8

In Mario Kart 8, the Piranha Plant from Super Mario 3D World appears as an item. The Piranha Plant will attack nearby racers and any items on the ground, like Banana Peels and Bloopers before they squirt ink on the screen, while giving the user a speed boost every time it lunges forward, which will happen either after a few seconds or when the player commands. This is similar to the Chain Chomp item that appeared in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! The item is time-based, which is indicated by the gauge in the item box, and a small portion is cut off whenever the plant lunges forward. The Piranha Plant's pot features tiny wheels for it to move. When the player does a trick, the Piranha Plant will spin, doing a trick of its own. If it or the player gets hit with an item or hazard, it will be stunned for a bit.

Piranha Plants are also used in Renegade Roundup, an exclusive battle mode found in the game's Nintendo Switch port, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. In that mode, the Piranha Plants have a strobe light on top of their head, and are used by the 'police' players to capture the 'criminal' players on the other team. As either team can be Red or Blue, blue Piranha Plants appear in this mode to match.

Pink Piranha Plants appear in Sweet Sweet Canyon, while normal ones appear in Mario Circuit. The Bone Piranha Plant makes a return from New Super Mario Bros 2 in the track Bone-Dry Dunes and smaller Piranha Plants appear in the returning N64 Royal Raceway. The returning 3DS Music Park and 3DS Piranha Plant Slide retain their respective Piranha Plants and in the case of the latter course, small Piranha Plants have been added in the background. A new species of Piranha Plant known as Raving Piranha Plants appear in the Electrodrome. In Hyrule Circuit, Piranha Plants are replaced with Deku Babas to fit with the theme of the course. A Piranha Plant also appears on the logo of the sponsor Fun Flower.

Mario Kart Tour

The Piranha Plants return yet again in Mario Kart Tour as obstacles. Typically found in Yoshi Circuit, Piranha Plants try to bite at the player as they glide down to the road from a Jump Boost. Hitting a Piranha Plant results in the player getting slowed down and losing coins. However, doing so with the use of an item grants the attacker some bonus points. Also, there are wooden cutouts that appear mainly in Yoshi Circuit and a few other variant courses. They act like the similar Boo cutouts.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit

Piranha Plants reappear in Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit as obstacles in Piranha Paradise, occasionally appearing on gates and snap at the players as they drive by, being held in their mouths for some time if caught.

Super Mario Bros. film

Concept art of various creatures from the Super Mario Bros. movie.
Concept art for Piranha Plants, along with other enemies for the Super Mario Bros. film

Although Piranha Plants do not make an appearance in the Super Mario Bros. film, they were planned to appear, as concept art for them was found along with other scrapped enemies and an early script for the film.

Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3

Small Wario, surrounded by Piranha Plants.
Small Wario, blocked in a pit of Piranha Plants

Piranha Plants are found again in Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3, where they behave differently than in past games. They inhabit various locations of Parsley Woods and act just like Munchers, in that they crowd pits and craters and are completely stationary. They are also indestructible and capable of defeating Wario instantly upon contact.

Although never referred to with their English names in Wario Land-related material, these enemies are labeled as "Pakkun Flower" (パックンフラワー) on page 6 of the KC Deluxe manga, volume 24, which is the Japanese name for Piranha Plants. Nintendo Power instead gives the uncapitalized name "piranha plant" to the Munchers on Rice Beach.[16]

Yoshi franchise

Yoshi

Sprite of a Piranha Plant, when the player collects 20-29 Yoshi Eggs in Game A, from the NES version of Yoshi.

Piranha Plants make an appearance as one of the six falling objects in Yoshi. Piranha Plant's sprite in this game is similar to Jumping Piranha Plant from Super Mario World.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island / Yoshi's Island: Super Mario Advance 3

Artwork of a Piranha Plant in Yoshi Topsy-Turvy (Reused for Yoshi's Island DS)
A Piranha Plant as seen in Yoshi Topsy-Turvy
Wild Piranha

In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Piranha Plants are known as variously as Wild Piranhas[17], Wild Piranha Plants[18], Red Piranhas[19], Piranha Plants[18], or simply Piranhas[20], and Red Flowers[21] in one preview. They are drastically changed; instead of being rooted in pipes, Piranha Plants are found planted in the ground. Instead of attacking at intervals, Piranha Plants simply wait in a miniaturized form, growing larger and lunging at a Yoshi if approached. Also, instead of simply trying to bite Yoshi, they will eat him and then spit him out, causing him to lose Baby Mario and his Yoshi Eggs. They cannot be jumped on or swallowed, so they must be defeated with eggs or by spitting an enemy at them. Defeating them causes their heads to flip backwards, followed by them withering.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island also has a Piranha Plant boss named Naval Piranha, who is grown gigantic in size by Kamek's magic. Hootie the Blue Fish, an indigo, water-based variant that can swim with its propeller-like leaves and has serrated lips instead of teeth, makes its debut in this game, alongside the Wild Ptooie Piranha, a powerful, green Needlenose-spitting variant. The Blow Hard enemy resembles a Piranha Plant, but itself is actually a type of Pokey. Nipper Plants also appear as enemies in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island; here, Nipper Plants are usually spawned from Nipper Spores, which Naval Piranha is capable of spitting.

Yoshi's Story

Artwork of a Piranha Plant from Yoshi's Story
A Piranha Plant in Yoshi's Story
Sprite of a Piranha Plant from Yoshi's Story

In Yoshi's Story, Piranha Plants have spike-covered stalks and are shown to be capable of growing to huge proportions, somewhat resembling Naval Piranha. Their teeth also appear to be on their lips. The game has also introduces several other variations of Piranha Plants, such as the flying Piranha Pest and the grounded Piranha Sprouts. Piranha Plants commonly appear in Piranha Grove. When hit by an egg, these giant Piranha Plants fall over with a sound like a falling tree.

Yoshi's Island DS

In Yoshi's Island DS, Piranha Plants once again appear as common enemies, along with Wild Ptooie Piranhas, Nipper Plants and Nipper Spores, and act just as in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Several new Piranha Plants also appear, such as Polterpiranhas, Bungee Piranhas and Nipper Dandelions, along with a Piranha Plant boss named Big Bungee Piranha.

It is possible to kill the Piranha Plants that are displayed in the Island Museum.

Yoshi's New Island

Piranha Plants return in Yoshi's New Island, where they act similarly to how they did in the predecessors, one difference being that they are never found in a miniature state. Most of the Piranha Plants in the game are rooted in the ground, but several ones in the level Spin-Lift Drift come in and out of pipes like in the 2D Mario games.

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

A Piranha Plant in the Scrapbook Theater
A Piranha Plant from Yoshi's Woolly World
Yoshi's Woolly World
Piranha Plant artwork for Yoshi's Woolly World

Piranha Plants reappear in Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World. They lunge in the direction of Yoshi and munch air continuously, much like the Piranha Plants that do not dwell Warp Pipes from the New Super Mario Bros. games. When they are hit by a yarn ball, it ties them up, allowing a Yoshi to jump onto and defeat them. Like the other Yoshi games, making contact with a Piranha Plant will swallow a Yoshi and spit him out, taking some hearts from his health meter.

Yoshi's Crafted World

In Yoshi's Crafted World, Piranha Plants are found on both Yoshi's path and in the backdrop. They can be defeated by smacking them with an egg. Background Piranha Plants are unable to hurt Yoshi. A large cardboard Piranha Plant named Spike the Piranha appears as the boss of Acorn Forest.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

“It's really weird. Sometimes I hear the guy next door. He's always mumbling about a Crystal-this and an Evil-that. Isn't a "Crystal" some kind of a shiny rock...or something? I know I've seen those somewhere!”
Piranha Plant, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Piranha Plants appear as enemies in the Pipe Vault, where they try to ambush Mario by leaping from a pipe. They have root-like legs, allowing them to walk; despite this, they are found exclusively in pipes outside of battle. Perhaps in reference to their immunity to being jumped on in earlier Mario games, the Piranha Plants in this game are completely immune to Mario's jump attacks.

Later on in Bean Valley, green and purple-colored Piranha Plants named Chewies appear. Additionally, Megasmilax, a giant Piranha Plant, is Bean Valley's boss.

Nipper Plants, renamed Chompweeds, also appear as coin-stealing obstacles in the Pipe Vault and were set to appear as fightable enemies, but were removed from the final game.

There is a Piranha Plant living at Monstro Town in the game, where when talked to, he talks about someone next door "mumbling about a Crystal-this and a Crystal-that", alluding to Culex.

Tetris Attack

In Tetris Attack, only Naval Piranha appears as a boss and minion of Kamek and Bowser, aiding them in their plot of brainwashing the inhabitants of Yoshi's Island.

Super Smash Bros. series

A Piranha Plant in Super Smash Bros.

Piranha Plants appear in all entries of the Super Smash Bros. series, except for Super Smash Bros. Melee. The Mushroom Kingdom stage that appears in Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate features Piranha Plants as obstacles that occasionally come out of the two pipes present there (with said Piranha Plants' appearances being based on that of the red Piranha Plants in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels), dealing damage to any fighter that touches them; however, they can be attacked and knocked out easily. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a Piranha Plant is featured as a sticker and a trophy, and in the PictoChat stage, one of the drawings that appears in the background is a Piranha Plant. A Piranha Plant is also featured as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Template:SSB Infobox Template:Main-external A Piranha Plant also appears as a playable DLC character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, released on January 29, 2019. This makes Piranha Plant the first playable character to be a generic enemy and the first time overall a generic Piranha Plant is playable in any game. It was available for free post-launch for anyone who registered the game through My Nintendo by January 31, 2019 (PST), and it can be purchased separately as of February 1, 2019 (PST).

In the reveal trailer, various Yoshis are left dazed alongside Luigi and a Green Shell, while Mario approaches the Piranha Plant confidently, only for it to knock him back and then repeatedly bite into the air before showing its splash artwork with the tagline "Piranha Plant Pipes Up!" ("Piranha Plant Joins the Battle!" in the British English version).

Its attacks are based around several forms of the enemy, such as: transforming into a Prickly Piranha Plant to perform a headbutt for its forward smash; shooting spiked balls akin to a Ptooie; stretching like a Stalking Piranha Plant; being able to spew a cloud of poison that constantly damages other fighters, in a similar vein to a Putrid Piranha; spitting an explosive fireball like a Fire Piranha Plant as an aerial attack; and using its leaves as propellers to fly around like Jumping Piranha Plants. Additionally, its Final Smash involves summoning Petey Piranha, who traps opponents in the cages from The Subspace Emissary, then breathes fire at the cages and slams them down. Piranha Plant's other attacks are comprised of bites, headbutts, leaf swipes, and pot strikes.

Piranha Plant is one of the heavier fighters in the game, being heavier than Samus, Dark Samus, Bowser Jr. (and the Koopalings), and Terry, but lighter than Kazuya. Its mobility is also below-average in many areas, apart from its dashing speed. Piranha Plant was originally intended to have three jumps, but the third jump was removed prior to the fighter's release.[22]

Some of Piranha Plant's attacks have names: its forward tilt is Push and Pull, its forward smash is Prickly Swing, its back aerial is Fire Breath, and its down aerial is Flowerpot Meteor.

Its various alternate colors reference the various Piranha Plant types throughout the franchise, and to a lesser extent certain warp pipe types:

  • Its green costume is derived from how it appeared in the original Super Mario Bros. and The Lost Levels, with a green warp pipe.
  • Its yellow costume is derived from various Piranha Plants that had a yellow color, including the Pipe Land king's transfigured form, the Wild Ptooie Piranha from Yoshi's Island upon the first strike, and the Glad Piranha Plant from Super Princess Peach, with a magenta pot.
  • The magenta costume resembles an active Piranha Creeper from Super Mario 3D World (but may also resemble Dino Piranha or Peewee Piranha, or even Nipper Plants as they appear in Super Mario All-Stars), with a dark navy pipe.
  • The black costume resembles the Inky Piranha Plant from Super Mario 3D Land (but may also refer to the Pale Piranha from Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door), with a red pot.
  • The white costume resembles the Bone Piranha Plants as they appear in New Super Mario Bros. 2, but with a pale green stem instead of a black one and white lips instead of the pale blue color they usually have, alongside a large yellow pipe, which resembles the yellow pipes from the New Super Mario Bros. games. Its all-white appearance with a green stem may also be a reference to Nipper Plants.
  • The indigo costume with pink lips resembles the Bungee Piranhas from Yoshi's Island DS, Spiny Piranha Plants from Super Mario Galaxy, and to a lesser extent, Mom Piranha when colored blue, as well as her blue-colored Piranha Plants prior to and during her boss fight in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and its remake. It is in a goldenrod, metallic pot.
  • Its blue costume is derived from how its sprite appeared in underworld levels in Super Mario Bros. and The Lost Levels, as well as the Frost Piranha from Super Paper Mario, and has a brown pipe.

Piranha Plant shares its victory theme with Bowser and Bowser Jr.. In Piranha Plant's second victory pose, Mario is featured running towards it, before jumping and preparing to land an attack, only for Piranha Plant to bite Mario, and then smile. Piranha Plant is more expressive than in most of its appearances, smiling or scowling for certain actions. Also, Piranha Plant shares the trait of lacking any voice clips (or sound effects serving as voice clips as with Bowser, Samus, and R.O.B.) with Olimar (and Alph), Villager, Isabelle, Mega Man, and Pac-Man, and is the only Mario character with this trait.

Shortly after the release of the version 2.0.0 update, it has been reported that playing as Piranha Plant in All-Star Smash can corrupt save data.[23] If the player uses Palutena's Guidance on Piranha Plant, it is revealed that Viridi is a huge fan of the Piranha Plant species, having written a thesis on it and being able to list off the many different derived species, irritating both Pit and Palutena.

Due to its status as a DLC fighter, Piranha Plant is not fought at any point in the World of Light Adventure mode, and it is not used as an opponent fighter in any spirit battles. Rather, Piranha Plant can be made available to play as in World of Light (if the player has downloaded the fighter) by freeing 10 fighters in the mode. If Piranha Plant is downloaded with this criteria having been met beforehand, then Piranha Plant is immediately unlocked in World of Light the next time the player enters the mode.

On a side note, "Piranha Plant" is incorrectly uncapitalized in the tip describing its appearance in the Mushroom Kingdom stage.

Classic Mode route

Piranha Plant's Classic Mode has it fight against all of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's base newcomers, as well as Rathalos from Monster Hunter, who is also new to the series.

New Bloom
Round Opponent(s) Rule Stage Song
1 Inkling ×8 Horde Battle Moray Towers (Battlefield) Splattack! (original)
2 Ridley, Dark Samus Norfair Vs. Ridley
3 Simon, Richter Dracula's Castle Vampire Killer
4 King K. Rool, Chrom Free-for-All Pirate Ship Gang-Plank Galleon
5 Isabelle, Daisy Smashville Tour - Animal Crossing: New Leaf
6 Incineroar, Ken Free-for-All Boxing Ring The Battle at the Summit!
Final Rathalos Roar/Rathalos

Mario Party series

Piranha Plant
Artwork of a Piranha Plant in Mario Party DS

Piranha Plants are featured quite prominently in the Mario Party series, often as obstacles in minigames. In Mario Party, Piranha Plants could be planted by players in the Peach's Birthday Cake board; players that stop on the plant's spot lose a Star. In Mario Party 3, Piranha Plants appear in Waluigi's Island and are Waluigi's partner in Duel Mode. In Mario Party Advance, a Piranha Plant is featured in a quest where the player must bring one to a Bob-omb named Bob-omba, and several Piranha Plants appear as enemies in the minigame Go-go Pogo. Until Mario Party 7, the Mario Party Piranha Plants were based on the species' appearance in Super Mario 64, as evidenced by their green lips, which were switched to white in Mario Party 7. In the first three games, most Piranha Plants seen were tripedal; they walked on three leg-like roots.

Mario Party

The mini-game Whack-a-Plant.
Piranha Plants in Whack-a-Plant

In Mario Party, a legged Piranha Plant chases the solo player in the 1-vs-3 minigame Piranha's Pursuit, and a giant one is found in Tug o' War. Additionally, the minigame Whack-a-Plant involves stomping Piranha Plants which pop out of Warp Pipes. Piranha Plants are also part of the audience in Mario Bandstand.

Mario Party 2

A Piranha Plant that appears in Mario Party 2, appears in Mini-Game Park and is constantly chasing a butterfly without stopping. After the player buys a certain number of minigames from Woody, the Piranha Plant congratulates the player for their hard work and gives the player the minigames Dungeon Dash and Rainbow Run; after the latter, it leaves the Mini-Game Park, never to be seen again. A Piranha Plant can also be seen in the background in Bowser Land next to three red Warp Pipes. Two Piranha Plants can be seen inside glass domes in Space Land. In the minigame Toad in the Box, a Piranha Plant is one of four possible results when hitting the rotating block. If it is gotten, the player will be stunned temporarily.

Mario Party 3

In Mario Party 3, a spiked Piranha Plant appears in the background of the minigame Vine with Me, possibly Naval Piranha. Piranha Plants also appear in the minigame Storm Chasers, where players must water their Piranha Plants by chasing a moving cloud.

A Piranha Plant is also one of the partners in the game's Duel Mode, and is Waluigi's default partner. It has an attack power of 3, one health point, and a salary of five coins. Its ability allows it to occasionally give the player an extra die with a 1-3 on it to roll after rolling. Two Piranha Plants appear in the item minigame Winner's Wheel, watching the player. If the player wins, the Piranha Plants will dance.

Mario Party 4

Although Piranha Plants do not appear in any boards or minigames, or as an item in Mario Party 4, they make a few small cameos; one is in the background of the Option Room, acting as the speakers for the sound test, another is part of one of the Bowser Bath, one of Waluigi's presents acting as the Showerhead.

Mario Party 5

Pop-Star Piranhas from Mario Party 5
Piranha Plants appearing in Pop-Star Piranhas.

In Mario Party 5, the minigame Pop-Star Piranhas presents five dancing Piranha Plants. The players must find out the one that is dancing differently from the others. The Piranha Plant Capsule makes its first appearance in this game. Any player who lands on a space containing the capsule loses half of their coins. Two Piranha Plant statues also appear in Bowser Nightmare. In Super Duel Mode, the Piranha Plant is a weapon the player can use. In Triple Jump, a Piranha Plant is located at the 150 foot/50m sign.

Mario Party 6

The minigame Odd Card Out from Mario Party 6 contains cards with Piranha Plants printed on them. Three Piranha Plants appear in the Solo Mode board Thirsty Gulch, dancing similarly to the Piranha Plants in Pop-Star Piranhas from Mario Party 5. The Piranha Plant Orb reappears as an orb that can only be placed on a space. Any player who lands on it will lose half of their coins and give them to the owner of the space. Piranha Plants also appear as obstacles in Mole-it!, where they try to hinder the players' progress by chomping on them. Two Piranha Plant-shaped lamps appear next to Bowser's table in Seer Terror.

Mario Party 7

The Piranha Plant Orb returns unchanged from Mario Party 6 in Mario Party 7. In Herbicidal Maniac, the goal is to shoot down all Piranha Plants before the opponent(s) do(es). Hitting a mine will result in more Piranha Plants appearing. Three Piranha Plant-shaped fountains appear in the background in the Waterfall Battle game mode. Four Piranha Plant statues appear in the background in Pyramid Scheme. If one team in Wingin' It gets 19 meters or higher, a Piranha Plant will appear out of the house's chimney.

Mario Party 8

Piranha Plants also appear in Mario Party 8. In DK's Treetop Temple and King Boo's Haunted Hideaway, they act as hazards and take 10 coins from the player, when they land on a particular ? Space. In the minigame Winner or Dinner, they appear as enemies along with Spiny Eggs, biting the players and tossing them out of the oasis. A Piranha Plant is one of the hidden enemies in Specter Inspector.

Mario Party DS

Screenshot of Piranha Plant
A Piranha Plant in Mario Party DS

A Piranha Plant acts as the only non-Koopa boss in Mario Party DS. In the first stage of Story Mode, the plant is the boss enemy of Wiggler's Garden. The Piranha Plant is fought in the minigame Feed and Seed. After defeating the Piranha Plant, a Wiggler gives the player the first Sky Crystal.

Mario Party 9

Piranha Plants appear in minigames featured in Mario Party 9. In Speeding Bullets, they get out of Warp Pipes and can slow down the Bullet Bills when both collide. In Piranha Patch, Piranha Plants grow from normal flower buds and take one point from the players they attack. They also appear as hazards in Wiggler Bounce. Piranha Plants are also found in red Warp Pipes next to Unlucky Spaces where they take the captain down in a cavern with six Mini Ztar Spaces.

The Piranha Plant is also given a constellation, named "Gluttonous Gobbler."

Mario Party: Island Tour

Piranha Plants appear in Mario Party: Island Tour as obstacles that the player must avoid in the minigame Quickest Cricket. Two also appear in one of the scenes depicted in Get Reel.

Mario Party 10

Piranha Plants reappear in Mario Party 10 in the Mushroom Park board, as well as in minigames such as Pipe Sniper. Additionally, Golden Piranha Plants also appear, and Petey Piranha appears as the boss of Mushroom Park; who is fought in the Boss Minigame, Petey's Bomb Battle.

Mario Party: Star Rush

Piranha Plants reappear alongside their gold counterparts in Mario Party: Star Rush as targets in the minigame Piranha Plantemonium.

Super Mario Party

Piranha Plants appear in Super Mario Party in the minigame Miner Setbacks as obstacles. They also appear in the Party Plaza initially, where they block Warp Pipes leading to locked game modes. Kamek removes the Piranha Plants with magic as the player completes requirements, making the pipes and by extension the minigames accessible.

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario

In Paper Mario, Piranha Plants are found in Forever Forest. Unlike in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, where Piranha Plants are firmly rooted in place and unable to move, the Piranha Plants are shown to be able to move around freely; if a Piranha Plant is alerted to Mario's presence, it will burrow underground and suddenly "burst" to the surface near Mario and try to bite him as the First Strike. The Piranha Plants in this game have yellow teeth.

Two variations of Piranha Plants, the tropical Putrid Piranha and frigid Frost Piranha, are introduced in Paper Mario. These types are larger and face forward. The boss of Mt. Lavalava, a Lava Piranha, is also a gigantic, talking and flaming Piranha Plant.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

A Pale Piranha from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.

Piranha Plants also appear in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. They appear as enemies, where four types are found. The standard type is found in Boggly Woods and the Great Tree, where it has adapted into a monochrome color to fit its unusual environment, similar to the Clefts in the same area. In the English localization, they are known as Pale Piranhas and identified by Goombella as a subspecies. However, every other language lacks this detail and states they are the same plants from Mario's previous adventures, including the Spanish localization, despite having a color identifier in the name in that language. Additionally, in the game's English demo, they were treated as normal Piranha Plants.[24] Pale Piranhas act the same as the Piranha Plants in the previous game, though in the Great Tree they are able to move to higher and lower ground in rooms with multiple levels. In the Glitz Pit, a Pale Piranha appears as one of the members of the Mind-Bogglers. Normal-colored Piranha Plants also form part of the Audience, joining in Boggly Woods once Pale Piranhas are encountered.

Additionally, Putrid Piranhas and Frost Piranhas return from Paper Mario, now simply being recolors of Pale Piranhas. A new, powerful variety, simply called Piranha Plant also appears. These Piranha Plants are colored the same as typical Piranha Plants, have extremely high HP and attack power, and only appear in the optional Pit of 100 Trials.

Super Paper Mario

Piranha Plant from Super Paper Mario.

Piranha Plants appear again in the third Paper Mario game, Super Paper Mario. In this game, their normal versions appear in Lineland, Gloam Valley, and The Bitlands. They have yellow teeth just like they do in previous Paper Mario games, and they are described as "notorious" by Tippi. The Putrid Piranha and Frost Piranha return as well, but this time they can only be defeated using items. They are much weaker in comparison to their previous appearances in the series.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Spear Guys and a Piranha Plant in Paper Mario: Sticker Star.
Mario engaged in a battle with Spear Guys and a Piranha Plant.

Piranha Plants reappear in Paper Mario: Sticker Star, having more HP than their previous iterations. They first appear in World 3 as semi-common enemies, but later appear in World 5 as common enemies. Their appearance has not changed too much from the previous Paper Mario games, though they have white teeth rather than yellow and their leaves look like those from contemporary mainline games. Piranha Plants are very resilient in this game, due to having a lot of HP, are able to home in on Mario's direction outside battle, and guard ? Blocks to prevent Mario from getting the stickers. Piranha Plants can attack by biting Mario, as like in the other Paper Mario games. Piranha Plants also have a new attack to spit clouds of dust at Mario. The spit attack has low attack power but it can make Mario dizzy. They can also dig underground to dodge attacks for one turn so that way Mario's attacks would miss. Not even a POW Block will damage it in this state. Like the other Paper Mario games, Piranha Plants cannot be stomped on unless an Iron Jump sticker is used; this does not apply, however, if they are soggy, asleep or Crumpled. Fire Piranhas are also seen in this game. They are aided by enemies that have more than 10 HP which are Shy Guys, Snifits, Hammer Bros., Poison Bloopers, Spike Tops and Spear Guys. Two Piranha Plants also aid the third Wiggler Segment.

Paper Mario: Color Splash

Piranha Plants reappear in Paper Mario: Color Splash. They appear in Redpepper Crater and Mossrock Theater.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

An origami Piranha Plant from Paper Mario: The Origami King.
An origami Piranha Plant

Origami Piranha Plants appear in Paper Mario: The Origami King as enemies, in a section of the Spring of Jungle Mist. They attack by biting or spitting fireballs, and can only be jumped on with Iron Boots and their variants. During the lineup phase, they burrow under the ground while the spot they are on is selected, and reemerge once their spot is deselected. Origami Nipper Plants, Ptooies, and Jumping Piranha Plants also appear in the game, along with Paper Macho versions of Piranha Plants.

Mario Golf series

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour

A few Piranha Plants appear in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour on the Bowser Badlands course. They dwell in pipes, and if the ball rolls into their pipe they take it and spit it out, likely causing it to fall into lava.

Mario Golf: World Tour

Nabbit receives a Double Bogey.
Nabbit getting bitten by a Piranha Plant

A Piranha Plant appears in Mario Golf: World Tour in Nabbit's Double Bogey animation. Here, it is hiding in his bag, so when he jumps in he gets bitten by the Piranha Plant.

Mario & Luigi series

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

Piranha Plants appear as enemies in the Beanbean International Airport in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and its remake, where they interrupt the landing process of the Toad Express. Defeating them in battle will only cause them to respawn if Mario and Luigi leave the area and re-enter. To get rid of them for good, these Piranha Plants must be doused with water, and then Luigi must use Thunderhand to defeat them without battling them.

A giant Piranha Plant, which oddly hatches from an egg after all the Piranha Plants are defeated, appears as a boss in the Beanbean International Airport. This Piranha Plant, named Mom Piranha, had the ability to shoot energy beams and change colors (and weaknesses), and could summon Piranha Plants of the same color. Later on in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, a Piranha Plant named Piranha Bean appears as a mini-boss. Oddly, Piranha Bean had the ability to shrink anything it eats.

Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser includes lots of Piranha Beans as enemies, while Fire Stalking Piranha Plants appear as recruitable allies.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

Though regular Piranha Plants do not appear in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, two new sub-species of them, called Elasto-Piranhas and Piranha Planets appear. Additionally, Petey Piranha also appears.

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

A cell-based variation of the Piranha Plant, the Piranha Plorp, appear in the Energy Hold in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its remake. Two giant Piranha Plants are also located in Peach's Castle, and have to be defeated by Bowser by leaping up to their buds and bashing into them.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

Piranha Plants reappear as enemies in the Mario & Luigi series in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, where they are located in the biggest Dreampoint of Dreamy Driftwood Shore. In the field when Mario and Dreamy Luigi are in the vicinity, Piranha Plants spit fire in the direction it faces upon coming out several times before retreating back into the ground to hide for a moment, repeating this process indefinitely on the same spot. If Luiginary Gravity is used, the Piranha Plants all retreat underground briefly as the gravity changes.

In battle, a Piranha Plant may spit a large fireball or a Fly Guy at Mario, who must jump over or idle under these respective objects to avoid taking damage. Piranha Plants may spit out Nipper Spores that become Nipper Plants who assist them in battle from the background. While the Nipper Plants are still alive, a Piranha Plant can spit a fireball towards them, which will bounce the fireball about until each Nipper Plant has touched the fireball, and the last one to touch it sends the fireball towards Mario, who must hammer it at the Piranha Plant to avoid taking damage.

Piranha Plants are weak to Fire attacks, and thus take critical damage from the Luiginary Flame.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

In Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, Piranha Plants do not appear themselves, but Fire Piranha Plants and their paper variant do.

Super Princess Peach

Piranha Plants appear as rare enemies in Super Princess Peach. They act like how they did in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. They could be defeated with Perry or by using Rage, but could not be jumped on or picked up. Getting too close or attempting to jump on it results in Peach being swallowed and chewed on temporarily before being spit back out. There is also a new variety of them called Glad Piranha Plants, normal and Glad Ptooies, and normal and Sad Nipper Plants also appear in Super Princess Peach. There was also a reappearance of Petey Piranha, although he was called "Boss P. Plant" (short for "Boss Piranha Plant") in the American version of the game's glossary.

Mario Baseball series

Mario Superstar Baseball

In Mario Superstar Baseball, Piranha Plants appear as obstacles in the Yoshi Park, where they will eat any nearby balls and spit them out in a random direction. Piranha Plants also appear in the Piranha Panic minigame, where players must hit colored Piranha Plants with eggs of matching colors. Purple Piranha Plants can be hit with any egg.

Mario Super Sluggers

Piranha Plants reappear in the next installment, Mario Super Sluggers. Here, they reside in Yoshi Park again. This time however, they can take a ball, go in the pipe, and transport it to another part of the field. They can also stun any fielders who make contact with the Piranha Plants. Piranha Panic returns, except that the player must pitch the right balls into the Piranha Plants in order to score points and avoid getting stunned by it.

Mario & Sonic series

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

Piranha Plants in Warp Pipes appear as obstacles in Ski Cross Racing in the Nintendo DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. In this event, they move horizontally in and out of the pipes and cause any characters that are hit to lose speed and Rings.

In the Wii version, Piranha Plants in Warp Pipes appear as obstacles in the individual and team versions of Dream Ski Cross, as well as in Dream Ice Hockey, where they occasionally bite at nearby characters and knock over any that hit them.

Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games

A Piranha Plant and a Chain Chomp prepare to attack Knuckles and Vector
A Piranha Plant and a Chain Chomp in The Life of a Minion.

In the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, a single Piranha Plant in a Warp Pipe briefly appears in the Story Mode bonus episode The Life of a Minion, where it is summoned by Magikoopa to stun Vector.

Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Piranha Plants appear as obstacles in BMX Plus in the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. They appear in Warp Pipes and will occasionally bite at the characters, which if hit causes them to lose speed and Rings. Piranha Plants also appear in Golf Plus, however in this event they are just for aesthetic purposes and do not affect gameplay.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Piranha Plants reappear in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and its Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS ports. They can be defeated by having turnips thrown at them, landing on their heads, or spinning into them.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong series

Two Piranha Plants on the ceiling and two Piranhas with Fire on the floor in Warped Mansion from Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!.

Piranha Plants, along with Fire Piranha Plants, appear in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, debuting in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again!. They also appear in Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! in Construction Zone, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars in Level 5-6, and Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge in Level 4. They do not generate fireballs, but if they receive a fireball from a Fire Piranha Plant, they spit it back shortly after, behaving just like their fire-shooting counterparts in this case. They are fixed to a surface and can destroy the Minis at a single touch, but can otherwise be defeated with Hammers, a Slope Slide or if hit by shooting a Mini from a Cannon.

Captain Rainbow

Piranha Plant
The Piranha Plant in Captain Rainbow.

A single Piranha Plant also appears in the game Captain Rainbow in the garden of Lip's house. After Birdo, it is the second Mario series character appearing in the game, but it only has a minor role. The fairy Lip takes care of the Piranha Plant.

Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition

Piranha Plants appear as common enemies in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition that can also serve as an ally for the player. Its main attribute is Wood, with no sub-attributes. Its skill Piranha Drain turns all Water Orbs into Heart Orbs. Its awoken skill Wood Boost raises the ATK of all Wood attribute team members whenever a horizontal line of Wood Orbs is cleared.

Its HP and RCV are low and its ATK is below average. The player can transform a Piranha Plant into a Fire Piranha Plant by using four Fire Flowers on it. If the player instead uses four Poison Mushrooms, it will transform into a Bone Piranha Plant instead. Because the Piranha Plant is treated as a generic enemy, it can still be battled, even if the player has one in their party.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Piranha Plants appear in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. They can be seen throughout the Flushy Forest section of Ancient Gardens, such as Piranha Plants with lamp-like fixtures, which lie on the sidetrack in dimly lit parts of the forest, a three-headed Piranha Plant statue in The Mystic Maze of Mysticism and Mazing, and a potted Piranha Plant that was merged with a Rabbid, becoming Pirabbid Plant. Additionally, one of Mario's Blaster weapons has a design based on a Piranha Plant.

Dr. Mario World

Artwork of Dr. Piranha Plant for Dr. Mario World
Artwork of Dr. Piranha Plant from Dr. Mario World

Piranha Plants appear in Dr. Mario World as assistants. Their stage mode effect grants a chance that two viruses will be eliminated at the start of the stage, though viruses that require multiple hits won't immediately be eliminated. Their versus mode effect grants a chance that all capsules will be eliminated if an object has reached the third row from the bottom line (this can only happen once per match after it is activated). The chance that these effects activate increases at higher levels, where at the first level it is 30% for stage mode (5% prior to version 2.3.0) and 20% in versus mode, but at the maximum level it is 80% for stage mode (25% prior to version 2.3.0) and 100% in versus mode. Clinic Events featured a Piranha Plant as a patient during each of season 5 and the season 3 revisit

A Piranha Plant also appears as a playable doctor under the name Dr. Piranha Plant, released on December 16, 2020. Barring sub-species, this is the first Mario game a generic Piranha Plant is playable. Its skill in both stage mode and versus mode eliminates objects randomly, similar to Dr. Yoshi's skill. It is represented by pipes appearing, followed by the Piranha Plant emerging from the bottom-middle pipe and then biting. This skill prioritizes eliminating viruses, and will only target other objects if there are less viruses that this skill targets. The difference between Dr. Yoshi and Dr. Piranha Plant is that the amount of objects eliminated by the former is greater compared to the latter, but the skill meter charges slower. Capsules will only be targeted if other objects are not available.

Luigi's Mansion 3

Although Piranha Plants do not physically appear in Luigi's Mansion 3, figurines of them appear in the Hotel Shops in some of the stores.

Play Nintendo

A Piranha Plant named Izzy is a co-host of The Play Nintendo Show, along with Andrew Trego. Izzy is a voiced puppet who remains within a Warp Pipe during the duration of the show, whose two leaves serve as arms. He has a role in providing comic relief and hosting supporting segments for the show, such as "Izzy News." Andrew says that Izzy gets a bit snappy before lunch.

Cameos

Nintendo Monopoly

A Piranha Plant appears as a utility in Nintendo Monopoly. It costs $150, and takes the place of the Electric Company.

Big Brain Academy

Piranha Plant
The silhouette of a Piranha Plant in Big Brain Academy.

In Big Brain Academy for the Nintendo DS, the silhouette of a Piranha Plant appears under the 3-Star difficulty of the "Get in Shape" minigame.

The Legend of Zelda series

Piranha Plants in the original Link's Awakening (left) and its remake (right)
Piranha Plants in the original Link's Awakening (left) and its remake (right)
Piranha Plants in the original Link's Awakening (left) and its remake (right)

Template:Main-external Piranha Plants also appear as semi-regular enemies in the Legend of Zelda series. Manhandla, which debuted in the first game, are boss monsters which were said to be four-limbed, jumbo-sized variants of Piranha Plant. More conventional Piranha Plants also appear in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening and its Nintendo Switch remake, which also contain a few other Nintendo cameos. In the remake, a figure of one can be won in the Trendy Game after clearing the Eagle's Tower and placed in Marin and Tarin's house. The text that appears upon acquiring the figure reads, "You got a Piranha Plant figure! You know, the flower that pops out from the pipes." Piranha Plants are also very similar to Deku Babas, which first appeared in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Sonic Lost World

Sonic running past Shy Guys and Piranha Plants in Yoshi's Island Zone.
Piranha Plants in Sonic Lost World

Piranha Plants appear as enemies in the Yoshi's Island Zone DLC for Sonic Lost World. They more resemble how they appear in Yoshi's Island, with extremely large heads compared to their stems. The only way to defeat them is to kick a Shy Guy into them.

Animal Crossing series

Piranha Plants appear in the Warp Pipe furniture item in the Animal Crossing series. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, they no longer appear in the Pipe item, though they can be seen emerging from the Warp Pipes in the animated mushroom mural wallpaper.

Minecraft

In the Super Mario Mash-up in Minecraft, Piranha Plants appear on Rose Bushes. Piranha Creepers and Nipper Plants also appear.

Lego City Undercover

A Piranha Plant in Lego City Undercover.

The player can grow a Piranha Plant in the Wii U and Nintendo Switch versions of Lego City Undercover. The Piranha Plant will shoot fireballs at the player.

Profiles and statistics

Main article: List of Piranha Plant profiles and statistics

Most bios of Piranha Plants point out their plant-like characteristics and their tendency to bite down on objects. Some bios also mention certain derived species of Piranha Plant.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Piranha Plant.

Media

Audio.svg Super Mario 64 - Piranha Plant's lullaby
File infoMedia:SM64-Lullaby.oga
Help:MediaHaving trouble playing?

Names in other languages

Piranha Plant

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese パックンフラワー[25]
Pakkun Furawā
パックンフラワー(赤)[25]
Pakkun Furawā (Aka)
Petit Packun[26]
(internal)
Portmanteau of「ぱっくんちょ」(pakkuncho, a Japanese expression meaning "eating in one bite") and English word "flower"; officially romanized as "Pakkun Flower" or "Packun Flower"

Piranha Plant (Red); variant from Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

Small Piranha (Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 file name); compare with "PackunFlower"
Chinese 食人花
Shírén Huā
吞食花 (since Mario Kart 8 Deluxe)
Tūnshí Huā
[?]
Human Eating Flower, obscure translation of the Japanese name.

Swallowing Flower
Dutch Piranha Plant
Pakkunbloem (Super Mario Land)[27]
Omgekeerde Pakkun (Super Mario Land)[27]
Piranha Plant
Pakkun flower
Reverse Pakkun flower
Finnish Piraijakasvi[?] Piranha plant
German Piranha-Pflanze
Schnapp-Piranha
Pakkun-Blume (Super Mario Land instruction booklet)
[?]
Piranha Plant
Schnapp comes from schnappen (to snap).
From Japanese name
Italian Pianta Piranha
Template:Nowrap
[?]
Piranha Plant
Pirana Plant
Korean 뻐끔플라워[?]
Ppeokkeum Peullawo
"Ppeokkeum Flower", "Ppeokkeum-Ppeokkeum" is an onomatopoeia for opening and closing mouth repetitively.
Portuguese (NOA) Planta Piranha[?] Piranha Plant
Portuguese (NOE) Planta Piranha
Planta-Piranha
Planta-piranha (Super Mario 3D World)
[?]
Piranha Plant
Romanian Plantă Piranha (Super Mario World animated series)[?] Piranha Plant
Russian Растение-пиранья
rasteniye-piran'ya
[?]
Piranha Plant
Spanish (NOA) Planta piraña[?] Piranha Plant
Spanish (NOE) Planta Piraña
Planta Piraña Gris
[?]
Piranha Plant
Gray Piranha Plant (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door)
Swedish Pirayablomma[?] Piranha Flower

Upside-Down Piranha

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese 逆さパックン[28]
さかさパックン

Sakasa Pakkun
Upside-down Piranha (Plant)
Dutch omgekeerde Piranha[?] Reverse Piranha
German Kopfüber-Piranha-Pflanze[?] Upside-down Piranha Plant
Italian Pianta Piranha capovolta[?] Upside-down Piranha Plant
Russian пиранья-перевертыш[?]
piran'ya-perevertysh
Flipped-over Piranha
Spanish (NOA) Planta piraña al revés[?] Upside-down Piranha Plant
Spanish (NOE) Planta Piraña del revés[?] Upside-down Piranha Plant

Trivia

  • In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the chomping noises the Piranha Plants make is Petey Piranha's voice sped up. They also make the same sound as Petey Piranha gets hit by an item or falls down the kart when they get hit by an item.

References

  1. ^ Hiroo Tochikubo, How to Win at Super Mario Bros., Tokuma Shoten, 1987, ISBN 4-19-720003-XC. Page 14.
  2. ^ Tatsumi Yamashita, The Official Nintendo Player's Guide, Tokuma Shoten, 1987, ISBN 999832369X. Page 30.
  3. ^ M. Arakawa. NES Game Atlas. Page 35.
  4. ^ "Pirana plants - Man eating plants that live in the flower-pots. They show their faces quickly and without warning, so watch out! You can't kill them by jumping on top of them." Super Mario Bros. English manual, page 14.
  5. ^ Super Mario Bros. 3 English manual, page 40.
  6. ^ Nintendo Magazine System (Australia) issue 7, page 23.
  7. ^ Nintendo Power Volume 13, page 9.
  8. ^ Screenshot containing both red and green Piranha Plants
  9. ^ a b Super Mario Land English instruction booklet, page 13.
  10. ^ a b The Nintendo Game Boy Player's Guide, page 5.
  11. ^ The Super Game Boy Player's Guide, page 19.
  12. ^ Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide. Page 51.
  13. ^ Bogenn, Tim, and Doug Walsh. Super Mario Sunshine BradyGames Official Strategy Guide. Page 5.
  14. ^ The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! writer's bible
  15. ^ "But when the crops grow, King Koopa's Nintendo Gophers steal all the crops and put fire plants and pirhana plants[sic] in their place." - Koopa's Stone Age Quests back cover
  16. ^ Nintendo Power Volume 58, page 78. "SAND SWIMMING Press the A Button rapidly to stay up near the top, away from the piranha plants."
  17. ^ Miller, Kent, and Terry Munson. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Player's Guide. Page 67.
  18. ^ a b Miller, Kent, and Terry Munson. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Player's Guide. Page 80.
  19. ^ Nintendo Magazine System (UK) #44, page 69.
  20. ^ Nintendo Magazine System (UK) #43, page 66.
  21. ^ Nintendo Magazine System (AU) Issue #30, page 15. "This Red Flower swallows Yoshi whole! He’s just one of the 100 new enemies that inhabit Yoshi’s Island.""
  22. ^ https://nintendosoup.com/piranha-plant-was-nerfed-before-it-was-added-into-super-smash-bros-ultimate/
  23. ^ GameXplain. (January 30, 2019). CAUTION: Avoid Piranha Plant in All Star Mode! Smash Bros. Ultimate Glitch Could Corrupt Save File. YouTube. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
  24. ^ TCRF
  25. ^ a b Nintendo of Japan. "CHARACTERS of Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 2". CHARACTERS of the Super Mario Bros. series (official Japanese character index). Published 2020. Accessed 20 Mar 2021.
  26. ^ PetitPackun,Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 internal file name
  27. ^ a b Super Mario Land Dutch Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console digital manual, tab 14: "Personages".
  28. ^ Super Mario Land Japanese instruction booklet, page 13.

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