Chargin' Chuck
| Chargin' Chuck | |||
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 Artwork from Mario Kart Tour | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario-kun ("Save Princess Peach!! The Start of a New Adventure!!") (1990) | ||
| Latest appearance | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) | ||
| Variant of | Koopa | ||
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- “WE'RE SHREDDED ALL RIGHT!”
- —Chargin' Chuck, Paper Mario: The Origami King
Chargin' Chucks are large, burly Koopas that wear gridiron football gear, debuting in Super Mario World. They wear white helmets with a blue and orange stripe, blue shoulder pads, red spiked cleats, and black shells, and have chubby, infant-like faces, small beaks, and small squinting black eyes. In Super Mario 3D World, when their helmets are off, it is revealed that they have two spiky tufts of blue hair. Their most common method of attack as enemies is charging towards the player in a manner not unlike Boom Boom, as referenced by their Japanese name. Like the Hammer Bros. and their variations, Chargin' Chucks also often appear as duos, or sometimes even larger groups.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
Chargin' Chucks first appeared in Super Mario World as common enemies who are quite durable against damage. Chargin' Chucks can attack in a variety of ways, including throwing baseballs, kicking footballs and flinging rocks with a shovel. They can also break through Rotating Blocks and Grab Blocks. Chargin' Chucks also act more aggressively when Mario is with Yoshi. Yoshi cannot eat this enemy, however. Other types have less direct attack patterns, such as splitting into three and charging forward and summoning or alerting other nearby enemies, such as Super Koopas and Rip Van Fish, using a whistle; one type of Chargin' Chuck also has the habit of jumping in place and clapping. Aside from the whistling Chargin' Chucks, all Chargin' Chucks, once jumped on, revert to simply trying to tackle the player. They are often found at the end of a level defending the Giant Gate.
It takes three jumps on a Chargin' Chuck's head to defeat it for 800 points, with each stomp stunning them and leaving them invulnerable to the next stomp for several seconds, in a similar manner to Boom Boom from Super Mario Bros. 3. Fire Mario can defeat a Chargin' Chuck with five fireballs for 1000 points (or 2000 points and three coins in the Game Boy Advance reissue), as can Yoshi by spitting fireballs produced from eating a Red Shell at him. Caped Mario can defeat them with one swing or a Body Press for 100 points. Chargin' Chucks can also be defeated in one stomp if first hit by at least two fireballs by Fire Mario. A shell, Grab Block, thrown Galoomba, or a thrown or exploding Bob-omb can instantly defeat a Chargin' Chuck. They always shake their head when defeated.
In the Nintendo Mario Mania Player's Guide, the different types of Chargin' Chucks (except the bouncing and the whistling Chargin' Chucks) are each given an individual name:
- Lookout Chuck: The basic variant that always charges and tackles. Found in Yoshi's Island 2, Vanilla Dome 2, Forest of Illusion 4, Chocolate Secret, and Valley of Bowser 1.
- Confused Chuck: Rapidly throws baseballs in a straight line towards the player, and jumps if the player does. The baseballs can be swatted away using Caped Mario's cape. Found in Donut Plains 1, Chocolate Island 2, Tubular, Groovy, and Funky.
- Passin' Chuck: Stands in place and kicks footballs that bounce along the ground, and bounce higher and more erratically based on the terrain. Found in Donut Plains 2, Vanilla Dome 1, Vanilla Secret 1, Chocolate Secret, and Tubular.
- Clappin' Chuck: Stands in place, jumping up to clap if the player does, making it hard to jump over it safely. Found in Yoshi's Island 1, Chocolate Island 1, Chocolate Island 4, Chocolate Island 5, and Tubular.
- Splittin' Chuck: Stands still, but upon approaching, splits into three to attack. It is possible to defeat it from a distance via the use of fireballs before it splits. Found only in Vanilla Dome 2, Vanilla Secret 2, and Forest of Illusion 3.
- Diggin' Chuck: Stands still, digging up rocks that tumble slowly forwards on the ground, which are hazardous to use a normal jump on and can only be destroyed by Caped Mario or Yoshi. These rocks can also be found, already dug up, preceding the Diggin' Chucks. Found only in Valley of Bowser 4.
- An unnamed type that moves around by doing high leaps towards the player. Found only in Cookie Mountain and room 8 of Bowser's Castle.
- An unnamed type that does not attack even after being stomped, but whistles to summon enemies. In Forest of Illusion 2, it wakes up the Rip Van Fish above it, and in Funky, it summons Super Koopas.
Although Chargin' Chucks cannot be eaten by Yoshi normally, they (except for Diggin' Chuck) are considered powerups in the SNES version's game code when they are eaten by Yoshi.[1] Due to this, eating one by unconventional means, such as by glitches, usually results in unintended behavior or a game crash as the game tries to run arbitrary code and store an unexpected item in the Item Stock.[2] This is also shared with the invisible block at the end of Switch Palaces, and was fixed in Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2. Chargin' Chuck also has an unused copy of the Lookout Chuck in the game's sprite table.
Artwork depicts Chargin' Chucks in blue gear, though their gear is colored green in their sprites, despite the fact that the relevant palette could have been mapped correctly. Additionally, the sleeve and arms' colors are swapped in their sprites.
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
A few Lookout Chucks and Clappin' Chucks also appear in the e-Reader-accessible level "Vegetable Volley" in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. Their behavior appears unchanged from Super Mario World. The player can use Vegetables against them here; unlike most other thrown items, they do not kill the Chucks instantly, and it takes three to defeat one.
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
Chargin' Chucks return in Super Mario 3D World and its Nintendo Switch port, which marks their first appearance in a 3D Super Mario game, as well as their first appearance in 10 years. However, they are much more limited in moveset; the majority of their variants/attack patterns from Super Mario World do not return, and they now solely charge at the player akin to the Lookout Chucks. They retain their original dashing sounds and use the Super Mario World hit sound when defeated.
Like in Super Mario World, Chargin' Chucks cannot normally be defeated with a single stomp, and jumping on them once causes their helmets to fly off their heads. After the first hit, they will become faster and, after several seconds, put their helmets back on. Unlike in Super Mario World, it takes two normal hits to defeat a Chargin' Chuck, but a single Ground Pound will instantly defeat it. Likewise, certain items can take out a Chargin' Chuck with one blow, such as a Bob-omb.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
Chargin' Chucks return in Super Mario Odyssey as enemies in the Underground Moon Caverns of the Moon Kingdom and a secret area in the Ruined Kingdom that can be reached using a Moon Pipe. Their behavior and design are derived from Super Mario 3D World. As they wear a helmet, Mario must first remove it from their heads before capturing them, either with a jump or a hat throw attack. While capturing a Chargin' Chuck, Mario is able to charge through boulders and enemies at a high speed, but not to jump.
Super Mario Kodansha manga[edit]
Chargin' Chucks are prevalent enemies in Super Mario World-related storis in the Super Mario Kodansha manga.
In Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 1, the heroes face a Chargin' Chuck from Donut Plains 1, who manages to tackle Yoshi off a cliff; and the Passin' Chuck in the secret exit of Donut Plains 2, who gets challenged to a volleyball match, much to his confusion.
In Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 2, the heroes dodge the Lookout Chucks from Vanilla Dome 2; and Luigi beats the Whistlin' Chuck from Forest of Illusion 2, who uses a whistle to awaken the Rip Van Fishes.
In Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 3, the Lookout Chuck from Valley of Bowser 1 is confused by the heroes sharades and masks and lets them pass; while Yoshi takes down the Diggin' Chucks from Valley of Bowser 4 by spitting the boulders they toss back, like he was a machine gun.
In Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 4, Mario avoids the Chucks inside Door 8 in Bowser's Castle; and the heroes face again a Diggin' Chuck by insulting the boulders he digs out.
In Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 5, in the first chapter, a group of Chargin' Chucks are tasked to steal Mario's hat, believing it to be the source of his strenght, but they accidentally follow Luigi and, after failing to jump at him, they anger a Wiggler, getting trampled by it. In the following chapter, two Chucks are the main adversaries during Mario and friends explosive volley ball competition. By the end of the match, which ends in a tie, the Chucks congratulate Mario for his skills.
In "Mario Olympics", Chucks compete for the Koopa Empire in the Olympic events.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
Chargin' Chucks appear in the Super Mario-kun manga, in the Super Mario World arc. In the very first chapter, the last enemy Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi face is a Chuck that almost succeeds in killing Mario by shoving him off a cliff. Yoshi jumps off to save Mario and, by eating a blue Koopa Troopa, they emerge in time and burn him with their fire powers.
A Chuck is later met in the 13th chapter, where a duplicating Chuck is, once again, the last enemy. He faces Mario at the end of the "Infernal Athletic Level", one step from the Giant Gate. Mario manages to locate the real Chuck with the false promise of a SNES. Enraged, the Chuck tosses to them a spiny football and Mario is tossed into a ? Block which contains a Super Star but, unable to reach it, Mario tosses his cape. The cape comes to life and beats the Chuck.
In the first chapter of volume 2, a Chuck is (once again) the last enemy of the chapter. Kamek (who disguised himself as Yoshi), unable to convince the Mario Bros. he is the real deal, is used as a club to defeat the last remaining Chuck, breaking Kamek's disguise spell.
In chapter 5 of volume 4, a Diggin' Chuck is the main antagonist, attacking the trio with boulders while Mario is under the influence of King Virus.
In volume 6, while Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi are in balloon form, a Chuck attempts to hinder their progress by throwing a football at Mario, but the football bounces and hits one of its friends. It then throws a spiked football at Mario, making Mario fall into a Warp Pipe. Mario, however, collects a star, fires from the warp pipe, and then punches them in the face, defeating them.
Super Mario World television series[edit]
- “Koopa football players grabbed the princess, Mario was attacked by a Koopa wizard and a Magnum Bill, and I found myself face-to-face with a Fire Sumo!”
- —Luigi, "Mama Luigi"
Chargin' Chucks also appear in the Super Mario World animated series, where they are referred to as Koopa football players. Due to the fact that they appear throughout several episodes of the series, they appear to have replaced Goombas and Koopa Troopas, who make relatively few appearances on the show, as Bowser's main shock troops. Much like their in-game sprite, they are green with orange sleeves, but their helmet, shell, arms, and legs are green, while the stripe on their helmet is red, the star on their helmet is white, and the rim of their helmet is orange.
Chargin' Chucks appear in the following episodes:
Nintendo Adventure Books[edit]
In Dinosaur Dilemma, a group of Chargin' Chucks ambushes Mario and Yoshi while they are traveling through a forest, but they can be beaten if Mario grabs the Green Shell they are using as a ball, leads them to a clearing, and jumps out of the way when they charge at him, causing them all to collide and knock themselves out. In Brain Drain, some Chargin' Chucks are spotted milling about the WMUSH radio station after Iggy Koopa takes it over, and chase Luigi out of the building if he steals some Fungus Up cola from the Synapse Switcher.
Super Mario Adventures[edit]
In the Super Mario Adventures comic, several Chargin' Chucks, along with several Thwomps, are summoned by Wendy O. Koopa to attack Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, Toad and Friendly Floyd during the battle in the Koopaling's Tower.
Yoshi's Safari[edit]
A Chargin' Chuck appears as the boss of Float Castle II in Yoshi's Safari, and it attacks by throwing bombs while jumping from side to side. The Chuck is depicted with blue gear akin to its official artwork in Super Mario World as opposed to the green gear used by the Chucks in that game.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[edit]
Chargin' Chucks reappear as enemies in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and its Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS ports. They behave the same as in Super Mario 3D World. Chargin' Chucks can be quite devastating, due to needing to be hit twice and constantly putting back on the helmet while Captain Toad and Toadette are unable to jump on them (although they can fall from a higher ledge onto the Chargin' Chuck). They are more often used to be lured to break Rock Blocks or topple Mud Troopers at a high risk. Tapping Chargin' Chucks on the GamePad makes their helmets temporarily fall off.
Mario & Luigi series[edit]
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]
Chargin' Chucks debut in the Mario & Luigi series in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. A group of them, known as the Chargin' Chuck Corps, is treated as a boss in a large mass, like the Dream World enemies in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]
Chargin' Chucks appear in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, where they are enemies and recruitable allies in Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser. They are melee troopers with high defense and power, and they attack by charging into enemies. Their Special Skill is Air Bash. Chargin' Chucks are weak against Mechakoopas. One is also seen alongside Wendy, a Boomerang Bro, a Bob-omb, and a Koopa Paratroopa, being knocked away by Wendy for interrupting her. Another one's helmet is used to repair the Koopa Cruiser in Joke's End. It is also the first game in which a Chargin' Chuck is seen speaking.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]
In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, Chargin' Chucks appear in the Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode, where they are enemies and recruitable allies. Their Special Skill in this game is Smack Back Attack.
Mario Party series[edit]
Super Mario Party[edit]
Chargin' Chucks make their Mario Party series debut in Super Mario Party as non-playable characters. Several Chargin' Chucks appear in the minigame Rattle and Hmmm, where they appear along with a Grrrol and a Wiggler, and Gridiron Gauntlet, where the players must dodge them as they charge through certain areas. Two Chargin' Chucks also appear running on treadmills in the background of the beginning and end cutscenes in the minigame Looking for Love. Four Chargin' Chucks appear in the background of the minigame Pep Rally.
Super Mario Party Jamboree[edit]
Chargin' Chucks reappear in Super Mario Party Jamboree, appearing in Jr.'s Jauntlet where they rush players on all sides.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
A Chargin' Chuck appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a Novice-class Attack-type primary spirit with one support slot. The spirit simply raises the power of its user without granting them any special effects during battle. In World of Light, the spirit is found south-west on the Light Realm map, on the giant yellow mushroom in the mushroom gorge area. The corresponding spirit battle involves a team of four Warios fought on the Battlefield form of the Super Mario Maker stage, set in Super Mario World style.
Paper Mario: The Origami King[edit]
Chargin' Chucks make their debut in the Paper Mario series in Paper Mario: The Origami King, where origami Chargin' Chucks are enemies. In the game, Mario encounters and fights only a single group of Chargin' Chucks in Shangri-Spa, where three of them are seen occupying the Spring of Purification after Bowser Jr. and his Junior Clown Car are cut into pieces by Scissors. It is also the second game in which they are seen speaking.
Chargin' Chucks have three moves in battle. A single one can use Tackle, where it rams into Mario, or a small group can use Forward Pass, where they throw a football at him. Both moves deal 18-21 damage per hit. A group can use Touchdown, a move where multiple Chargin' Chucks attack Mario at once for 20-24 damage per hit, then one spikes him into the ground for 35-39 damage.
Mario Golf: Super Rush[edit]
A Chargin' Chuck appears as a playable character in Mario Golf: Super Rush. He is a Power character with the lowest Spin of any character, tied with King Bob-omb. His Special Shot is Scrimmage Stinger, and his Special Dash is known as End-Zone Dash.
Chargin' Chuck also appears in Golf Adventure mode. He is first seen at the player's house, then he goes to the clubhouse to speak to the Head Coach. He is the first to be called. He is then seen at the Bonny Greens practice area practicing swings. He also appears as a rival along with Boo during Speed Golf in Balmy Dunes.
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
Chargin' Chuck makes his playable debut in the Mario Kart series in Mario Kart Tour, starting from the 2022 Los Angeles Tour. He is classified as a High-End driver, and his special skill is the Lucky Seven. Starting from the May 2022 Peach vs. Bowser Tour, Chargin' Chuck is available in regular tour pipes, including the All-Clear Pipe; and starting with the Animal Tour, he also has his own self-named cup. The 2022 Bowser Tour introduced a gold variant of Chargin' Chuck with a golden helmet with a silver stripe, named Chargin' Chuck (Gold), which is also classified as a High-End, but utilizes the Coin Box as his special item.
Mario Kart World[edit]
Chargin' Chuck returns as an unlockable playable racer in Mario Kart World. He is one of the heavier characters in the game and shares the same stats as Donkey Kong and Cow,[3] although the in-game stats screen rounds statistics such that they also match Wario, Waluigi, Wiggler and Pianta. Chargin' Chuck can be unlocked as a playable character by transformation from the Kamek item, which also has the chance to spawn non-playable Chargin' Chucks as obstacles. A kart based on a Chargin' Chuck also appears, named the Chargin' Truck.
A number of non-playable Chargin' Chucks can be found driving on Standard Bikes around on the Free Roam map for the Chargin' Chuck challenge, where one will drop Item Boxes behind him containing Green Shells, and the player must use the shells to hit that Chargin' Chuck as he drives evasively ahead. Hitting him and completing the challenge for the first time unlocks a sticker.
Lookout, Clappin', Passin', and Splittin' Chucks also appear as obstacles. Chargin' Chucks are featured prominently on Choco Mountain, with the course being re-imagined as a monster truck rally-like arena featuring them and their new organization, Chargin' Chuck Monster Trucks.
Chargin' Chucks can be found in the following routes:
- Fourth section of the Golden Rally (Clappin', Passin')
- Third section of the Moon Rally (Lookout, Clappin', Passin')
- Third section of the Acorn Rally (Lookout, Clappin', Passin')
- Third section of the Drill Rally (Clappin')
- Third section of the Boomerang Rally (Lookout)
Missions[edit]
Chargin' Chucks are featured in the following missions:
| Image | In-game text | Location | Time limit (seconds) | Description | Sticker |
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Charge through the defensive line! | Mario Bros. Circuit | 25.00 | The player must drive through a team of Chargin' Chucks, including Clappin' Chucks, Passin' Chucks and Splittin' Chucks. | 
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Drop in on the racers atop the rocks! | Mario Bros. Circuit | 20.00 | The player must use a Glide Ramp to launch to the top of a butte to find other participating racers and scattered Item Boxes. After navigating around this butte, the player must pass three Clappin' Chucks to reach another Glide Ramp and glide around a "Home of the Rainbow Fragment" sign. A third Glide Ramp leads to a section with a Goomba Tower and two elevated Passin' Chucks. The goal ring is found on a second butte and can be reached by bouncing off two consecutive Bouncy Clouds. | 
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Honk if you like to gather blue coins! | DK Spaceport | 25.00 | The player must collect eight blue coins while using Super Horns to defeat Goombas, Stingbies, and Chargin' Chucks blocking the path. | 
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Borrow some upgrades to reach the goal! | DK Spaceport | 40.00 | The player must drive a ride truck through various obstacles to go from DK Spaceport to Crown City. Obstacles include Passin' and Clappin' Chucks, Bob-omb Cars, pickup trucks, truck trailers and oil drums. At the end, a ride heli is used to cross the bay. | 
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Grab the truck to barrel through the shortcuts! | Dandelion Depths | 20.00 | The player must control a ride truck to crash through various obstacles while cutting shortcuts through the meandering road going downhill. Clappin' Chucks, a Boom Boom, Bullies, cars, Bob-omb Cars and buses appear as obstacles. | 
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Weave through traffic and Chargin' Chucks! | Mario Circuit | 20.00 | 
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Borrow a boat and become unstoppable! | Toad's Factory | 10.00 | The player must take control of a ride boat and ride it throug the canal near Toad's Factory, knocking out Skeeters and Chargin' Chucks which stand in the way. | 
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The Super Mario Galaxy Movie[edit]
Chargin' Chucks appear in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in the futuristic city. One can be seen resting its arm on top of a cage holding a Star Bunny. They also have a number "8" on their left shoulder pad and breathable gaps on their gloves, akin to real-life football players. A Chargin' Chuck in a new purple and green outfit can be seen in one of the movie's ads,[4] while one in a red outfit appears in a wider version of the same ad.[5]
Unused appearances[edit]
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle[edit]
Concept art for Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle shows various objects intended for Bowser Jr.'s room in the Lava Pit. One of them is a football helmet modeled after that of a Chargin' Chuck, only greenish and with horns and red bristles akin to Bowser's.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World[edit]
- Super Mario World instruction booklet: These All-Stars always seem to bar Mario's way just when he's within sight of the goal. They use a variety of bull-headed attacks, so you'll really have a tough time checking Chargin' Chuck.[6]
- Mario Mania: Helmeted and heavily padded, Chargin' Chuck is well protected. It takes three hits to sideline him. Watch out for his blitz—don't get sacked![7]
Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
- Denizens of Dinosaur Land poster: If there's a goal in sight, you're bound to meet up with a Chargin' Chuck. These tough brutes will try to bar your way with a variety of attacks, and they're persistent, too.
- Nintendo La Rivista Ufficiale:
- Italian:
Tre colpi sulla zucca e avrete la meglio su di lui.[8]
(Translation: Three hits on the noggin and you'll have the upper hand on him.)
- Italian:
Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten[edit]
| ブル (JP) / Chargin' Chuck (EN) | |||
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| Original text (Japanese) | Translation | ||
| カメ |
Tribe | Turtle clan | |
| Disposition | Headstrong and hot-tempered | ||
| ワールド | Game appearances | World | |
アメフトスタイルのたくましいカメ。 |
Chargin' Chuck with a variety of attack patterns A tough, football-style turtle. It has eight different attack patterns, including rushing and throwing balls, and can be defeated by stomping on it three times, but only one shot is needed if you use a Cape. | ||
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
Chargin' Chuck[edit]
| Special skill |  Lucky Seven
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| Favorite courses (Three items per Item Box) |
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