Dry Bones

Dry Bones are skeletal versions of Koopa Troopas and recurring enemies in the Mario franchise. They first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3. They are undead, reanimated bones that fall apart when attacked, only to reassemble themselves after a short period. Dry Bones are commonly found in haunted-themed and fortress levels.

Over time, Dry Bones have gained prominence beyond traditional platforming games, becoming playable characters in spin-off titles such as Mario Party, Mario Kart, and Mario Superstar Baseball. Many variants of Dry Bones have been introduced, especially in the role-playing games.

Known for their immunity to common attacks such as stomping, Dry Bones bring a unique challenge compared to regular Koopas. Although Dry Bones can be crumbled temporarily, only specific means—such as Stars or certain power-ups—can defeat them permanently.

Main appearances

Super Mario Bros. 3

In Super Mario Bros. 3, Dry Bones appear within several fortress levels. They are first encountered in World 1-Fortress and usually appear alongside other fortress-based enemies such as Boos and Thwomps. Aside from being their first appearance, the game already establishes the Dry Bones' trait of collapsing temporarily when stomped before reassembling. They act like Green Koopa Troopas because they walk off of ledges.

Unlike Koopa Troopas, Dry Bones are also invulnerable to fireballs from Fire Mario as well as a tail spin from Raccoon Mario. Only the effects of stronger items like the Super Star or the Hammer Suit can defeat a Dry Bones outright.

In the remake Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Dry Bones can also be defeated using the Cape Feather, but only after scanning the corresponding e-Reader card.

Super Mario World

In Super Mario World, Dry Bones inhabit various castles and fortresses. Like before, Dry Bones collapse when jumped on and regenerate shortly afterward, but they can now also throw bones as a projectile attack, an ability that they do not retain in later titles of the Super Mario series. Dry Bones are more mindful, no longer walking off of edges, making them more similar to Red Koopa Troopas. A Dry Bones can be defeated not only from the effects of a Super Star but also from being spun into by Cape Mario.

New Super Mario Bros.

In New Super Mario Bros., Dry Bones behave mostly the same as in Super Mario Bros. 3, as they do not retain their bone-throwing attack. They now take on a more detailed animation style, visibly crumbling into pieces when stomped. Furthermore, there is an additional mechanic where if a Dry Bones' head falls into lava or a pit, it takes much longer to regenerate.

The game also introduces the Super Dry Bones, a larger version that can only be crumbled by a Ground Pound, and revives much faster. Both types are immune to fire-based attacks, and Super Dry Bones are impervious to damage from Mini Mario. However, power-ups like the Mega Mushroom, Blue Shell, or a Super Star can defeat them. The game also introduces Bowser's skeletal form, Dry Bowser.

Super Mario Galaxy

Dry Bones reappear in Super Mario Galaxy. They appear in a few galaxies, including Dusty Dune Galaxy, Bowser's Galaxy Reactor, and Bowser's Dark Matter Plant. Dry Bones maintain their core trait of collapsing from a stomp and reviving shortly afterward. If a Dry Bones hits Mario or Luigi successfully, it cackles.

Dry Bones are invulnerable to most attacks. They can be destroyed either temporarily with a Green Shell or permanently by the Rainbow Star. They drop three Star Bits when defeated. If Dry Bones are near ledges, they may fall off after being knocked down.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Dry Bones return in the tower and castle levels. They retain their behavior from New Super Mario Bros. Dry Bones can be defeated through various methods, including the use of either a POW Block or a Koopa Shell, the effects of a Super Star, or by freezing it with an Ice Ball produced from either an Ice Flower or a Penguin Suit and then shattering it against a wall.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Dry Bones also return in Super Mario Galaxy 2. Dry Bones behave similarly as in their appearance in the first Super Mario Galaxy, but they have become mindful of walking around hazards such as lava or quicksand carefully instead of falling in. Dry Bones appear in the galaxies Bowser Jr.'s Boom Bunker, Bowser's Lava Lair, and Slipsand Galaxy.

Super Mario 3D Land

In Super Mario 3D Land, Dry Bones appear in many castle and airship stages. As usual, Dry Bones collapses temporarily if hit by a standard attack only to reanimate itself shortly after. Dry Bones can be defeated from the effects of a Super Star.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

In New Super Mario Bros. 2, Dry Bones appear in fortress stages and behave much like they did in previous New Super Mario Bros. titles. As usual, they crumble when stomped and revive after a few moments. Their regeneration time varies depending on environmental hazards, and they continue to be immune to most standard attacks.

Appearances in Mario spinoffs

Hotel Mario

Dry Bones appear in the Philips CD-i title Hotel Mario as enemies in Ludwig's Thump Castle Hotel. Mario or Luigi can knock a Dry Bones apart, although it revives shortly after collapsing. Unlike other games, Dry Bones can be permanently eliminated using a Fire Flower, which it is invulnerable to in the Super Mario series.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Dry Bones make their role-playing debut in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. They start appearing about halfway through the haunted Sunken Ship, and later show up again inside Bowser's Keep. In battle, Dry Bones are unaffected by standard attacks and can only be defeated with select special moves—most notably the Jump ability. On the overworld, Dry Bones crumble after being defeated, but they can still revive themselves shortly afterward.

Dry Bones have a more powerful counterpart named Vomer encountered later on in the Barrel Volcano area.

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario

In Paper Mario, Dry Bones are battled during the final stages of the game inside Bowser's Castle. They are similar to their Super Mario World counterparts, walking upright and hurling bones at Mario. Dry Bones are among the tougher enemies and can regenerate unless struck by flame-based or explosive attacks. Dry Bones can also sometimes create more of themselves during battle.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Dry Bones return as enemies. They are found in the Palace of Shadow and the Pit of 100 Trials. They act the same as in Paper Mario and retain their vulnerability to Fire attacks. Dry Bones were given two weaker variants, Dull Bones and Red Bones, as well as a stronger one, Dark Bones. At one point in the Palace of Shadow, Mario must defeat all variations in order of ascending power—starting with Dull Bones and ending with Dark Bones—to progress onward.

Super Paper Mario

Dry Bones are back in Super Paper Mario. They retain their classic bone-throwing attacks and self-reassembling behavior. Dry Bones now recover much faster after being knocked down. They appear in gloomy locations such as The Underwhere and the Flipside Pit of 100 Trials. The game introduces a darker variant, the Dark Dull Bones, which appears in the Flopside Pit of 100 Trials.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Dry Bones return once again in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. They are found in three levels of World 2: Yoshi Sphinx, Sandshifter Ruins, and lastly in Rumble Volcano during the fight against Petey Piranha.

In battle, Dry Bones either throw bones at Mario or contort themselves into a bone shape and launch themselves at him. As usual, after a Dry Bones is defeated, it collapses on the overworld map, but if it is left alone for a while, it soon reassembles and starts to roam again.

When Mario is battling Petey Piranha, he spits out Dry Bones as projectiles.

Mario & Luigi series

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Dry Bones are enemies once more, and they take on a four-legged stance more reminiscent of their appearance in Super Mario Bros. 3. Dry Bones appear along the trails of Hoohoo Mountain and attack by detaching their skull and hurling it at Mario and Luigi. The Dry Bones relays its target depending on which direction the head spins—if clockwise, the head targets Luigi, whilst if counterclockwise, the target is Mario. A Dry Bones might drop a Mushroom upon defeat.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Dry Bones are encountered as enemies within Yoob's Belly. They do not retain their quadruped design from Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, standing on two legs instead. Dry Bones attack differently than before, throwing bones instead of their heads. When standing still, a Dry Bones hits either Mario or Luigi, but if they hop into the air before throwing, the attack bounces and potentially hits both. Their more complex move set includes cues: if they bare their teeth angrily, the target is Mario; but if their head spins, Luigi is in line for the hit. Furthermore, monument-sized Dry Bones statues are also present in the harsh sands of Gritzy Desert.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Dry Bones are not enemies, unlike in other role-playing games. They are seen inside Fawful Theater, where one is found in the lobby, while others are later seen among the audience members of Fawful's stage performances.

Mario Baseball series

Mario Superstar Baseball

In Mario Superstar Baseball, Dry Bones makes a playable appearance for the first time. He is classified as a Technique character and appears not only in white but also red, green, and blue varieties. Dry Bones is the best at pitching and defense, while his batting is subpar and running speed modest. In Challenge mode, Dry Bones and his color varieties are all members of Bowser's team by default.

Mario Super Sluggers

In Mario Super Sluggers, Dry Bones returns as a playable character, but he now has the Power classification. Dry Bones has good chemistry with other Koopas, such as Koopa Troopa and Bowser.

Mario Party series

Mario Party 7

In Mario Party 7, Dry Bones is one of two unlockable characters, the other being Birdo. The player can unlock him by spending 1000 Cruise Mileage Points at the Duty-Free Shop. Dry Bones is partnered with Boo by default. He and Boo share a special item, the Magic Orb, enabling them to roll two dice and become cloaked in invisibility, preventing other players from affecting them for a turn.

Mario Party 8

In Mario Party 8, Dry Bones returns as a playable character, but he is now among the starter characters, with Blooper and Hammer Bro being the two unlockable characters instead.

Mario Party DS

In Mario Party DS, Dry Bones plays a larger, antagonistic role. In Story mode, Dry Bones is responsible for turning Donkey Kong into a stone monument on the DK's Stone Statue board. Diddy Kong recruits Mario and the other protagonists to stop Dry Bones.

On the board, Dry Bones is asleep inside a coffin. If a player character lands on a Green Space near the coffin, Dry Bones slams the lid of the coffin shut, sending the character backward to the start or right before the Star Splurge Space.

In Story mode, once the player becomes the Superstar, they must fight Dry Bones in the mini-game Hexoskeleton. In it, the player must attack Dry Bones by ground-pounding the magic switches in a certain order, which sends a disc-shaped spell onto Dry Bones. Dry Bones attacks by trying to slam the player character. After three hits, Dry Bones collapses in defeat.

Mario Party 9

In Mario Party 9, Dry Bones appear in two minigames. In the 1-vs.-Rivals minigame Ruins Rumble, the solo player has to not only defeat their rivals but also three Dry Bones. In Smash Compactor, Dry Bones gradually raise the crushing device to trap the characters.

On a larger scale, there is a Mega Dry Bones (also named "Dry Bones") who is the mid-boss of the Boo's Horror Castle board in Solo mode, and it is fought in the boss minigame Deck Dry Bones.

Mario Kart series

Mario Kart DS

Dry Bones makes his racing debut as an unlockable character in Mario Kart DS. He is a lightweight racer whom the player can unlock by winning the 50cc Nitro Grand Prix. Dry Bones' three signature karts include the Standard DB, the Banisher, and the Dry Bomber.

Mario Kart Wii

Dry Bones returns in Mario Kart Wii. It retains the same lightweight classification as before. Dry Bones can be unlocked by winning the gold trophy in the 100cc Leaf Cup. While Dry Bones' top speed is low, it excels in acceleration, handling, and off-road capabilities. Dry Bones' highest advantage is boosting from mini-turbos, making it a popular choice in time trials and shortcuts.

Mario Strikers Charged

Dry Bones appear in Mario Strikers Charged as fast and defensive sidekicks. Their Skillshot is the Shocker, which electrifies the soccer ball. When the charged ball is touched by defenders or even the Goalkeeper, they become paralyzed temporarily, giving Dry Bones and his team an opening to strike. For his deke, Dry Bones can disappear and reappear a short distance away about a second later.

Mario Sports Mix

In Mario Sports Mix, Dry Bones are included as obstacles on the Ghoulish Galleon court. They can sometimes break out of the crates on the court. A character touched by a Dry Bones becomes stunned temporarily.

Appearances in other games

Super Princess Peach

In Super Princess Peach, Dry Bones are enemies found in both Shriek Mansion and Bowser's Villa. They retain their bone-throwing attack from Super Mario World. Princess Peach can attack a Dry Bones by hitting it with her parasol companion, Perry. Upon being struck, Dry Bones falls apart, only to reassemble shortly afterward. Peach can only defeat a Dry Bones permanently by using her Rage vibe.

The game adds the Sad Dry Bones variety, which are Dry Bones affected by the Gloom vibe.

Mario & Sonic series

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

In the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, Dry Bones is one of the referee characters, responsible for overseeing select events and competitions.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games

Dry Bones has a more active role in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. In the Wii version, Dry Bones is one of the final rivals encountered in Festival Mode during the Ice Hockey event. Three Dry Bones act as players on the rival team, while Dry Bowser guards the net as their goalie. Dry Bones also takes part in the Curling competitions, where a team of four challenge Mario and friends in this strategic winter sport.

In the Nintendo DS version, only a single Dry Bones appears in the single-player Adventure Tours campaign. He is located in Icepeak, and the player's character has to defeat him at a game of Curling before they can progress.

Appearances in other media

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3

Dry Bones have a role in the episode "Do the Koopa" of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. A Dry Bones informs King Koopa that Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Toadstool have stealthily entered Dark Land in search of the Doom Dancer Music Box. As the episode progresses, additional Dry Bones are seen buried beneath rubble made up of shattered Brick Blocks. These trapped enemies are eventually liberated by three of King Koopa's children: Cheatsy Koopa, Bully Koopa, and Big Mouth Koopa.

Super Mario World television series

A Dry Bones appears in the Super Mario World episode "The Night Before Cave Christmas." It tries to stop Mario and Yoshi from entering Neon Castle by pulling a bone from its throat and throwing it at Mario.

Nintendo Comics System

Dry Bones shows up in a humorous role in the Nintendo Comics System story "It's Always Fair Weather." Here, Dry Bones operates Bowser's helicopter and tries to cheer him up after they learn that Bowser's likeness is used for a dunk tank attraction. With a hint of sarcasm, Dry Bones tells Bowser, "Gee, I’d be flattered!". Dry Bones later helps Bowser at a fairground by creating small tornadoes, although his plan is cut short by Mario, who quickly shuts it down.

Nintendo Adventure Books

Dry Bones appear in a few books of the Nintendo Adventure Books series.

In Double Trouble, if Mario chooses to stick to the primary road while crossing the Koopahari Desert, he ends up fighting through several Dry Bones that block the path.

Inside Bowser's Fortress in Koopa Capers, Luigi comes across a deep pit crawling with Dry Bones. If he tries to move toward a door at the bottom of the shaft, he must first battle through the dry Bones. Powdered Dry Bones toes are also used as a magical ingredient in one of Wendy O. Koopa's brews.

In Flown the Koopa, a Magikoopa angrily conjures a Dry Bones if Mario dodges its freezing spell. The reader can decide for Mario and Luigi to either trick the Dry Bones into rushing into a broom closet and trap it inside or attempt to destroy it. The correct answer is to lock the Dry Bones into a broom closet, because if Mario or Luigi try to destroy the Dry Bones, its pieces reform into a mightier creature that ends up defeating them.

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