Bob-omb (Paper Mario: The Origami King)

Bob-omb
Artwork from Paper Mario: The Origami King
Species	Bob-omb
First appearance	Paper Mario: The Origami King (2020)
Latest appearance	Super Mario-kun volume 58 (2022)

“You know that memory-loss thing? What's it called... Ambrosia? Amnesty? Thinky Thinky Panic? Whatever you call it, I've got it—big time.”

—Bob-omb, Paper Mario: The Origami King

Bob-omb, often referred to as "Bobby" or sometimes "Bhomas" or "Bombert" by Olivia, is an ally to Mario in Paper Mario: The Origami King. Being a fuseless, amnesiac Bob-omb, he joins Mario and Olivia's quest in an effort to recall his memories. Throughout their adventure, he refers to Mario and Olivia as "Big M" and "ma'am," respectively.

In battle, Bob-omb uses an attack called Bomb Bump, a move very reminiscent of Bombette's Body Slam, ramming into the nearest enemy and dealing 20 damage, or 30 if the Ally Tambourine is equipped. However, there is also a chance that he may trip and deal no damage instead, which is indicated by if he starts to sleep during the turn. Bob-omb is the only partner in the game who can be brought to revisit certain past areas at any time, excluding the Earth Vellumental Temple, the Water Vellumental Shrine, the Ninja Attraction, and Scuffle Island.

History

Background

According to Bob-omb himself, prior to the events of Paper Mario: The Origami King, he lost a comrade, also named Bob-omb. He kept his late friend's fuse as a memory, keeping it safe within a lockbox that he always carried with him.

At some point afterwards, Bob-omb was booked with a group of Bob-omb friends on a cruise in the VIP stateroom on the Princess Peach. However, during the trip, the ship was attacked by Gooper Blooper, who had been converted to a Paper Macho form due to King Olly's actions. The group attempted to defend the ship, unsuccessfully, and during the battle, Bob-omb was knocked off the boat, losing his fuse in the process.

Sometime later, Bob-omb washed ashore at Toad Town, physically unharmed but suffering amnesia. After regaining consciousness, Bob-omb set off alone toward Overlook Mountain, looking to recover his memories.

Paper Mario: The Origami King

Mario and Olivia meet Bob-omb aboard the tram to Autumn Mountain.

By the time Mario and Olivia defeat Colored Pencils and unravel the red streamer used in King Olly's plot to take over the world, Bob-omb has boarded a cable car headed toward Autumn Mountain. Mario and Olivia end up boarding that same car, where the two parties cross paths for the first time.

During the ride, Bob-omb introduces himself, stating he only remembers his name and reveals he has amnesia, albeit not knowing the correct term for the condition, and states his purpose for going on the journey. Olivia then brings up the idea of Bob-omb joining them as a chance to help him recover his memories. Initially, Bob-omb is skeptical, stating he believes he would be a burden to the two, after which Olivia abandons the idea. Bob-omb, however, considers the opportunity, and brings it up again shortly afterward.

By the time the cable car reaches Autumn Mountain, Mario agrees to take Bob-omb under their wing. After getting off, Olivia refers to him as Bombert, but Bob-omb corrects her. Shortly afterward, Bob-omb runs off to investigate a small valley in the mountain. Olivia tries to call him back, calling him Bhomas only for him to correct her again, leading her to settle on Bobby as a nickname. Mario and Olivia then jump in after him. The valley turns out to be merely a dried up river, and on the way out, Bob-omb tries to make friends with a Spiny turned Folded Soldier, forcing Olivia to stop him and explain that they are enemies. The trio then enters a dried up lake, with a Water Vellumental Magic Circle nearby.

As the trio explores the mountain, Bob-omb runs off twice, the first time to take in the sight of the Water Vellumental Shrine, and the second during a walk in the Tall Grass Plains, in which he meets and befriends a Sombrero Guy. Then, while crossing a bridge to the shrine, a Paper Macho Goomba appears, whom Bob-omb also attempts to befriend. The Goomba then knocks Bob-omb off the bridge, and Mario jumps off in pursuit, landing in the Chestnut Valley. Mario ends up continually having to rescue Bob-omb, before making it back to the shrine. Once they arrive, Bob-omb and Mario stand on dual pressure plates, opening the shrine. Bob-omb, however, decides to wait near the entrance in fear.

Mario, Olivia, and Bob-omb outside the Ninja Attraction

Bob-omb continues to tag along until and during Shogun Studios, with the exception of the Ninja Attraction. While in Shogun Studios, he can wear different outfits and take photos with Mario and Olivia at the Dress-Up Photo Studio. After Mario defeats Rubber Band and unravels the blue streamer, the staff of Shogun Studios throw fireworks in celebration. Looking at the fireworks causes Bob-omb to regain his memories. Feeling a sense of fulfillment at the completion of his personal mission, Bob-omb thanks Mario and Olivia for their help and the new memories they created together, but decides to part ways with the duo. After some convincing from Olivia, he decides to continue with them.

The trio continues the boat tour to Sweetpaper Valley, following the yellow streamer. During the ride, Olivia asks Bob-omb to tell them more about him, but he declines for unknown reasons. The boat reaches Sweetpaper Valley, but following an encounter with King Olly, a boulder crushes Olivia and blocks the way forward. Seeing this, Bob-omb and Mario, on the former's request, head back to Toad Town and take a ride from Sea Captain Toad across the Great Sea to the Princess Peach. However, the ship is damaged due to the attack from Paper Macho Gooper Blooper. Once the duo gets the power back on, they enter the VIP stateroom, where they find a lockbox containing the item Bob-omb is looking for, which is promptly taken by Paper Macho Gooper Blooper. After Mario defeats it and recovers the box (along with the other Toads it ate), the two head back to Sweetpaper Valley. Bob-omb finally tells Mario his backstory, and reveals the item inside the lockbox: a fuse that belonged to his deceased best friend. He puts it on, and, as his last words, thanks his best friend for the fuse, and thanks Mario for everything. Bob-omb then lights the fuse, prompting Mario to try to stop him, only for it to be too late. Bob-omb blows himself up and sacrifices his life to destroy the boulder trapping Olivia.

Mario and Bob-omb encounter Paper Macho Gooper Blooper.

After Olivia is folded back to normal, she looks around wondering where Bob-omb is. After seeing a mournful Mario, she finally realizes what actually happened, and a depressed Olivia runs off into Breezy Tunnel. She comes to rest on a log in a Monty Mole chamber, crying and questioning her ability to continue with the quest. Mario tries to comfort her, but with little result. The Monty Moles then gather the remains of the destroyed boulder and place it near the entrance, not knowing what caused the boulder to explode. Bob-omb's ghost calls to Mario from the rubble, and instructs him to help Olivia pull through, lest his sacrifice be in vain. Under Bob-omb's suggestion of using laughter, Mario then uses the Goomba Mask to perform a dance to make Olivia laugh, and he succeeds. Olivia says that she cannot sit around wallowing in misery, because Bob-omb would not have wanted her to. The two continue their quest. Though Bob-omb's ghost cannot be talked to anymore, Olivia says that the folds of her back stood up, and that she is getting a "strong, Bobby-like feeling." Additionally, Mario can still inspect the pile of rubble where the ghost was found anytime afterward, to which Olivia will question what is wrong and urge him to keep going.

If Mario returns to the Dress-Up Photo Studio after this point, Bob-omb's ghost will appear in the finished picture, implying that he is still with Mario and Olivia, even though they cannot see him.

In Bowser's Castle, Olivia mistakes one of the Bob-omb troops boarding the Airship to be their old partner. This Bob-omb then states that he is not the same Bob-omb, though Olivia decides not to think too hard about it, and continues to call him and the other Bob-ombs "Bobby", stating she is glad to see him.

In Origami Castle, Olivia mentions Bob-omb alongside her other partners after fighting Stapler and before fighting King Olly.

During the credits, a photo from Shogun Studios shows one of the fireworks launched in Bob-omb's honor by taking his shape.

Bob-omb's corresponding Collectible Treasure (No. 52) can be found at the Ninja Attraction. After the power is reactivated, Mario can ride the sign across to the other side of the roof and drop down to find a hidden chest containing the Collectible Treasure.

Super Mario-kun

Bob-omb avoids his demise in the manga adaptation of the game events

Bob-omb has the same role in Super Mario-kun as in the game. After defeating Colored Pencils, Mario, looking for something to eat that is not folded into an origami, bites onto Bob-omb before realizing what he is. Bob-omb reassures him that he is not evil and cannot explode, since he lacks both his fuse and memories, and follows them. Compared to his more laid-back game counterpart, Bob-omb is slightly more participative in the adventures and more happily carefree. Physically, he is drawn similar to the Bob-omb Buddy from the Super Mario 64 story arc, with two big eyes with ocular irises and a mouth.

The biggest difference in Bob-omb's adaptation in the manga is when he and Mario try to free Olivia from the boulder: after Olivia gets stuck under it, Bob-omb recalls his past, explaining he may have something useful back on the Princess Peach cruise ship, but Mario tells him he retrieved (off-screen) the box with the fuse from the ship after defeating the Paper Macho Gooper Blooper. Mario offers himself to use the fuse in some way to free Olivia, but Bob-omb does not let him, grabs the fuse, and runs towards the boulder and yells at it with all his might, destroying it. However, he is forced to leave the party since, by screaming so much, he needs to go to the hospital to have his throat checked.

In the next volume, Bob-omb returns during the final battle against King Olly, replacing the Origami Craftsman. After rescuing Luigi and Bowser from their fall from Olly's platform, he reveals to have met Olly's creator, who gave him the final Magic Circle and a letter confessing what Olly's scribble is about.

Personality

Bob-omb possesses a mild-mannered and easygoing personality, often shown relaxing and taking it easy. He sometimes appears to seem less interested than he truly is, as proven from his very introduction. If Mario accepts him into his party immediately, he quickly becomes happy. On the other hand, if Mario continues to refuse him, Bob-omb attempts to persuade him until the point when he outright begs to join, preventing Mario from reaching Autumn Mountain until he is allowed in. Although Bob-omb is afflicted with amnesia for most of his time as Mario's ally and claims to have no memories, he still displays some amount of knowledge, as shown when he recognizes what a boat is as well as a lake.

Bob-omb has a tendency to get lost or trail off, which occurs numerous times throughout the game, intentionally or otherwise, the most notable case being when he is knocked into Chestnut Valley and must be rescued a few times before the adventure can resume. This could suggest he is both easily distracted and accident prone. Additionally, Bob-omb does not enter intimidating or holy places such as the Water Vellumental Shrine, the Ninja Attraction, and the Earth Vellumental Temple. He claims to simply be disinterested, though it is implied he may simply be frightened.

Bob-omb appears to look up to Mario and Olivia, both literally and figuratively, often requiring them both to keep him on track or together. Though Olivia almost always calls him Bobby rather than his actual name, he does not seem to mind this, though he does joke about Olivia being unable to tell the difference between him and his friend of the same name. When Olivia becomes trapped under the boulder, Bob-omb sacrifices himself to rescue her, with little reluctance, believing this fulfills a Bob-omb's purpose. Olivia, however, becomes extremely depressed when she realizes what has happened, running away and claiming she is unable to go on. Bob-omb, however, reappears as a ghost and convinces Mario to put a smile on her face, with this simple task successfully cheering her up.

Profile

• Collectible Treasure No. 52: "An enthusiastic young Bob-omb without a fuse or memories but with plenty of gumption and explode-tuitiveness."

Gallery

Artwork

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  Promotional wallpaper for Paper Mario: The Origami King from Nintendo Co., Ltd.'s LINE account

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  Paper Mario: The Origami King desktop wallpaper from My Nintendo

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  Paper Mario: The Origami King smartphone wallpaper from My Nintendo

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  Artwork of Mario, Olivia, and Bob-omb

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  Artwork of Kamek, Bob-omb, and Professor Toad, three different partners in the game

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  Artwork of several characters

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  Group artwork

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  Group artwork

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  Group

Sprites

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  Sprite of Bob-omb

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  Sprite of Bob-omb relaxing

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  Sprite of Bob-omb shocked

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  Sprite of Bob-omb's ghost

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  Sprite of Bob-omb in Ninja costume

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  Sprite of Bob-omb in Samurai costume

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  Sprite of Bob-omb in Pilgrim costume

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  Sprite of Bob-omb in Royalty costume

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  Sprite of Bob-omb with his late friend's fuse

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  Party menu icon

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  Speaker icon for Bob-omb

Screenshots

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  Bob-omb using Bomb Bump in battle

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  Mario, Olivia, and Bob-omb relax on a bench in Autumn Mountain

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  Bob-omb naps in Chestnut Valley

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  Mario, Olivia, and Bob-omb enter the Great Sea

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  Mario, Olivia, Bob-omb, and the Oarsman ride through Eddy River

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  Mario, Olivia, Bob-omb, and the Oarsman go down through the Eddy River rapids

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  Mario, Olivia, and Bob-omb cross a bridge over Eddy River to enter Shogun Studios

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  Mario, Olivia, and Bob-omb approach the entrance to Big Sho' Theater

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  Mario, Olivia, and Bob-omb encounter Folded Soldiers and Paper Macho Soldiers at the entrance to Big Sho' Theater

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  Bob-omb and an audience of Toad's witness Mario defeat Rubber Band

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  Bob-omb cowers behind Mario from an incapacitated Toad aboard The Princess Peach

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  Mario and Bob-omb are attacked by an origami Spike

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  The Princess Peach as shown in Bob-omb's flashback

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  Bob-omb and his friends battled Paper Macho Gooper Blooper

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  Bob-omb and his fuse were knocked into the water

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  Bob-omb washed up on Toad Town docks

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  Bob-omb went to Picnic Road, headed for Overlook Mountain

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  Bob-omb's spirit appears in the rubble

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  Bob-omb honored by one of the fireworks launched in Shogun Studios taking his shape during the credits

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  Collectible Treasure #52: Bob-omb

Scans

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  Bob-omb and Olivia in Shogun Studios in Super Mario-kun

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  Bob-omb, Olivia, and Mario resting in Super Mario-kun

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  Super Mario-kun volume 58 cover

Names in other languages

Bob-omb

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ボムへい Bomuhei	Bob-omb
Chinese (simplified)	炸弹兵 Zhàdànbīng	Bob-omb
Chinese (traditional)	炸彈兵 Zhàdànbīng	Bob-omb
Dutch	Bob-omb[?]	Bob-omb
French	Bob-omb[?]	Bob-omb
German	Bob-omb[?]	Bob-omb
Italian	Bob-omba[?]	Bob-omb
Korean	폭탄병[?] Poktanbyeong	Bob-omb
Spanish (NOA)	Bob-omba[?]	Bob-omb
Spanish (NOE)	Bob-omb[?]	Bob-omb

Bobby

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ボム平へい[?] Bomuhei	A kanji interpretation of Bob-omb's Japanese name (same pronunciation), with「平へい」meaning "flat" or "commonplace" as well as being a surname. Olivia also once uses「ボム公こう」(Bomukō), with「公こう」being an occasionally-negative name modifier for familiarity and a title for European royalty.
Chinese (simplified)	炸弹彬[?] Zhàdàn Bīn	From "炸弹兵" (Zhàdànbīng, Bob-omb)
Chinese (traditional)	炸彈彬[?] Zhàdàn Bīn	From "炸彈兵" (Zhàdànbīng, Bob-omb)
French	Bobby[?]	Bobby
German	Bobby[?]	Bobby
Italian	Bobby[?]	Bobby
Korean	포탄병[?] Potanbyeong	Mispronunciation of "Bob-omb". 포탄 (Potan) means "cannonball".
Spanish (NOA)	Bombi[?]	Bomby
Spanish (NOE)	Bobby[?]	Bobby

Trivia

• While trying to recall the term for amnesia, Bob-omb mentions "Thinky Thinky Panic", which itself is a pun on Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic, where Bob-ombs debuted. He also mentions "ambrosia" and "amnesty", which is a reference to Animal Crossing: New Leaf when Gulliver tries to recall the term for amnesia.
• In the Japanese version, Bob-omb calls Mario "aniki", or "big brother" (which can figuratively be used as an honorific for a superior), implying that Mario is older than him.
• In the Latin American Spanish version, "Bobby" is one of Olivia's nicknames for him before calling him "Bombi".
• Bob-omb's sacrifice was alluded to as part of a post on the Nintendo Switch news application showcasing games with explosions for the Fourth of July in 2021.