Dry Bones
- This article is about the skeletal variant of Koopa Troopas. For other uses, see Dry Bones (disambiguation).
| Dry Bones | |||
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 Artwork from Mario Party: Star Rush | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988) | ||
| Latest appearance | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) | ||
| Latest portrayal | Toru Asakawa (2005-present) | ||
| Member of | Bowser's Minions | ||
| Variant of | Koopa Troopa | ||
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- “I'm totally starving! Seriously. I mean, just look at me! I'm down to bones over here!”
- —Dry Bones, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Dry Bones are skeletal versions of Koopa Troopas primarily found in towers, castles, and deserts. They often collapse when attacked, but soon revive and become animate again. However, some methods of attack, such as touching them while in an invincible state, can permanently defeat them.
First appearing in Super Mario Bros. 3, Dry Bones have since become a staple in Super Mario games as both enemies and playable characters. They have also ushered a recurring theme of skeletal Koopas such as Bony Beetle and Dry Bowser.
General information[edit]
Physical description[edit]
Dry Bones are undead Koopa Troopas with gray bones, dark gray shells, black eyes, yellow pupils, and pale blue shoes and gloves, the latter of which notably are not worn by their living counterparts. A Dry Bones' shell is similarly designed to that of a Koopa Troopa's, but it is gray and features cracks. In the GameCube era, Dry Bones' standard appearance was finalized, as with many entities - in particular, Dry Bones received its standardized design in Mario Superstar Baseball. In Super Mario Bros. 3 and the DIC Entertainment Super Mario cartoons, Dry Bones appears as a quadruped, due to standing on all fours, and never standing upright. The DIC Super Mario cartoons give Dry Bones hollow eyes, shorter limbs, and longer necks. Additionally, the Super Mario Bros. style in Super Mario Maker uses a heavily modified Koopa Troopa sprite, with the lone differences being gray skin, black eyes, and blue pupils.
Super Mario World is the first game to give Dry Bones an upright stance, which would be used in a multitude of subsequent installments. However, Dry Bones' Super Mario World design comes with exclusive elements not present in other games, such as white pupils, a small set of teeth, and a physically larger stature than the Koopa Troopas. Later games resize Dry Bones so they are the same height and shape as a Koopa Troopa. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga once again depicts Dry Bones as a quadrupedal species; in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, the Dry Bones in Beanbean Kingdom retain their quadrupedal stature, though their Mushroom Kingdom relatives present in the Minion's Quest: The Search For Bowser side story are shown in an upright posture, thus suggesting that Dry Bones differ depending on the region. Both Super Mario Galaxy games depict Dry Bones as bipedal creatures who stand and move in hunched postures, a feature that is reused in Super Mario 3D Land and for Parabones in Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario Odyssey.
In the first three Paper Mario games, Dry Bones use their Super Mario World design, but with three tufts of hair, a feature that is only present in their Super Mario World artwork. Starting from Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Dry Bones use their design from the New Super Mario Bros. series, though they keep their previous shell design (albeit recolored) and lack of arm bones. Additionally, Paper Mario: Color Splash gives Dry Bones a pronounced paper outline.
In The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Dry Bones have visible spines, their eye sockets are more expressive, and their pupils turn red (similar to Super Mario 3D Land) and fiery when angered or hostile.
Speech[edit]
Dry Bones did not have any voice acting or in-game text in the Family Computer (Nintendo Entertainment System in the West) and Super Nintendo Entertainment System games, both due to technical limitations and Nintendo's habit of having silent characters. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is the notable exception, which gives them a thought. Starting from the early 2000s, Dry Bones received voice acting, though it comprised of clustered bone "grunts" and "yells" provided by Nintendo sound manager and composer Toru Asakawa, who also does King Boo's voice. In contemporary games, Dry Bones receive text-based dialogue, while some games use "rattle" and "clickety-clack" sounds as speech with the translation in parentheses. Super Mario Party notably has Dry Bones' speech translated; however, unlike other games which do this, Dry Bones pauses some of its sentences with ellipses. As an earlier instance, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door had Dark Bones pause their sentences; however, Dark Bones spoke intelligibly, as opposed to having their speech translated in parenthesis.
Powers and abilities[edit]
Due to being undead, skeletal Koopa Troopas, Dry Bones are naturally immune to lava and all forms of fire. However, this trait is somewhat inconsistent. In the New Super Mario Bros. games, Dry Bones are unharmed by lava, but if its head is submerged in lava, it takes longer for it to reassemble itself; in New Super Mario Bros. U, Dry Bones are completely immune to lava. In the early Paper Mario games, Dry Bones take extra or fatal damage from fire or explosions.
Dry Bones usually cannot be defeated permanently, since they always reattach their head to its body in a matter of seconds. This results in Dry Bones' defensive qualities in most Super Mario sports games, due to its small size and excellent survivability, while sacrificing a lot of power and offense. In the Mario & Luigi games, defense is Dry Bones' best stat, though Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars and the Paper Mario games take this trait further, with the former game giving Dry Bones infinite health, and the latter games having them respawn a few minutes after a battle. Sometimes, Dry Bones is also portrayed as a technique character. Dry Bones generally attack their foes by throwing bones at them, a trait that first appeared in Super Mario World. Mario Strikers Charged gives Dry Bones bizarre abilities such as teleportation and electrokinesis, which are used in his deke and Skill Shot respectively. In Mario Tennis Aces, the playable Dry Bones has been shown to be able to purposefully crumble itself, fly its parts into the air, and reassemble midair, doing so during its Special Shot. Puzzles and Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition gives Dry Bones associations with fire and darkness.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Dry Bones[1][2][3] debut as enemies in Super Mario Bros. 3. They are first encountered in World 1-Fortress, and they appear mostly in fortress stages. Dry Bones can be stomped to break into a pile of bones before reviving shortly afterward. Unlike normal Koopas, Dry Bones are immune to the tail of Raccoon Mario and the fireballs of Fire Mario but can be defeated with a Star or the effects of a Hammer Suit. In this game, the sound when they collapse is the same as breaking Brick Blocks, but in later games and remakes, a new sound is given.
Dry Bones appear in nine levels:
In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Dry Bones can now be defeated by the Cape Feather, if said item has been added by scanning the "Cape" card with the e-Reader. They are also found in three additional levels in World-e: Ice Cubed, Bowser's Last Stand, and Treacherous Halls.
Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
Dry Bones return in Super Mario World and its remake. Dry Bones are encountered exclusively in Fortresses and Castles. Besides a star, Dry Bones can also be defeated with a Cape Feather. They also turn around at ledges, similar to Red Koopa Troopas, instead of just falling. Some of the Dry Bones in this game can throw bones at Mario. Like Koopa Troopas, this is the first game where Dry Bones walk on two feet. Dry Bones were given pink shoes (red in the artwork), and were made slightly larger than Mario and Luigi. They also appear larger than regular Koopa Troopas, despite being skeletal versions of them. Their appearance is somewhat more similar to Yoshis than Koopa Troopas, which may have been intended to tie in with the game's dinosaur-theming. Dry Bones are depicted with a visible neck, despite lacking one in the artwork. Bony Beetles resemble squat versions of Dry Bones and use the sprites when breaking apart.
Dry Bones appear in eight levels:
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
Dry Bones are enemies in New Super Mario Bros., which is also the first appearance of their larger variant, Super Dry Bones, as well as Dry Bowser. Both Dry Bones and Super Dry Bones only appear in Tower and Castle levels, and they can be defeated by a Mega Mushroom, Starman, or a Blue Shell. The main difference with Dry Bones from before is that stomping them now breaks their head off of their body, and if the head falls into lava or a pit, the Dry Bones takes longer to revive. If their bodies are destroyed while crumbled, the head remains for some time before eventually despawning; if they were in the process of rebuilding themselves, the head freezes in place momentarily.
Dry Bones appear in thirteen levels:
Super Mario Galaxy[edit]
Dry Bones make their first appearance in a 3D Super Mario game in Super Mario Galaxy and reappear in its Nintendo Switch port. Unlike the game's normal Koopa Troopas, Dry Bones are bipedal, though have a hunched stance. Dry Bones wander around, chasing Mario or Luigi upon noticing them similar to Goombas. If one hits him, the Dry Bones cackles similarly to a Boo. Attacking a Dry Bones causes it crumble apart and revive a few seconds later, like before, but besides a stomp, this also occurs if the Dry Bones is spun or hit with a Green Shell. The only way to destroy Dry Bones is by touching them as Rainbow Mario, destroying them with a Bullet Bill, or luring them into quicksand.
Dry Bones appear in Dusty Dune Galaxy (all missions but "Sandblast Speed Run"), Bowser's Dark Matter Plant, and Bowser's Galaxy Reactor. Their appearance in Dusty Dune Galaxy codified Dry Bones' appearance in desert-themed locations, when they had previously been mostly exclusive to castles and towers.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Dry Bones are enemies in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. They are the same as in New Super Mario Bros., though a Dry Bones in the process of recovering can be stomped. Ways to defeat a Dry Bones include using either a Star, a POW Block, a Koopa Shell, or an Ice Ball.
Dry Bones appear in fourteen levels:
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
Dry Bones return in Super Mario Galaxy 2 and its Nintendo Switch port, functioning near-identically to their Super Mario Galaxy iteration. A Dry Bones can now be defeated from falling into lava, but it does not blow up in a cloud of smoke when this happens, unlike other enemies.
Dry Bones appear in the following list of galaxies and missions. If no mission is stated, Dry Bones appear during all missions:
- Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla ("Gobblegut's Aching Belly")
- Bowser's Lava Lair
- Bowser's Gravity Gauntlet
- Slipsand Galaxy ("Sailing the Sandy Seas")
- Bowser Jr.'s Boom Bunker ("Boomsday Machine Daredevil Run")
- Bowser's Galaxy Generator
Additionally, one Dry Bones is loaded in Starshine Beach Galaxy, but it falls into the bottomless pit immediately due to not being placed on solid ground and thus, cannot be faced.[4]
Super Mario 3D Land[edit]
In Super Mario 3D Land, Dry Bones are based on their appearance from Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel, and as such once again act quite different from the game's Koopa Troopas, which walk forward oblivious to Mario. They appear alongside many Draglets and Thwomps in most of the castle stages. There are two visual differences: a Dry Bones' head moving upward if it is hit by a fireball, and its eyes flashing red for about one second while recovering. Unlike previous appearances, only Invincible Mario or White Tanooki Mario can defeat Dry Bones. A boomerang from Boomerang Mario or tail whip by Tanooki Mario are two other ways a Dry Bones can break apart.
Dry Bones appear in nine levels:
- World 1-
Castle - World 5-Castle
- World 8-
Bowser's Castle: Part 1 - World 8-6
- World 8-Bowser's Castle: Part 2
- Special 4-5
- Special 5-5
- Special 8-3
- Special 8-4
This game marks the most recent appearance of regular Dry Bones in a 3D Super Mario platformer. In the sequel Super Mario 3D World and its Nintendo Switch port, Dry Bones themselves do not appear, instead being replaced by a winged variety introduced in the former iteration, Parabones. However, these varieties are based on Dry Bones from Super Mario Galaxy.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
Dry Bones and Big Dry Bones appear in New Super Mario Bros. 2. Dry Bones appear mainly in tower and castle levels, but they have also appeared in non-boss levels such as World 6-A. Besides the usual Star, a Dry Bones can be defeated from a Gold Flower as well. In this game only, Dry Bones react to "paahs" by dancing similarly to a Koopa Troopa. One trait is retained from Super Mario 3D Land—they can crumble when hit by a tail whip.
Dry Bones appear in fourteen levels:
Dry Bones also appear in the Third Course in the Impossible Pack.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
Dry Bones and Big Dry Bones both return in New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and their port as regular enemies. Dry Bones are modeled after their nature in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, although they are no longer affected by lava and, similarly to Super Mario 3D Land, flash a red glare while reconstructing. Dry Bones now have a distinct reaction to vocal riffs of spinning their heads.
In New Super Mario Bros. U, Dry Bones appear in eleven levels:
Dry Bones are also found in three challenges in Challenge Mode: Stoneslide Tower Climb, Castle Coin Bypass, and Three Dry Bones.
In New Super Luigi U, Dry Bones appear in ten levels:
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS[edit]
Dry Bones appear in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, as well as the similar Big Dry Bones, Parabones, and Fish Bones. Because Dry Bones were not in Super Mario Bros., unique sprites in that game's style were created. The Dry Bones in the Super Mario World game style have some differences from the original game, which includes throwing bones to attack, being smaller to match the size of a Koopa Troopa, and being eaten by Yoshi so that he can spit out a bone in the manner of a fireball, except stronger because it can also defeat some of the more resistant enemies like Buzzy Beetles and Chain Chomps. A Dry Bones turns into a Fish Bone automatically if placed in the underwater course theme.
Super Mario Run[edit]
Dry Bones in Super Mario Run are based on their appearance in New Super Mario Bros. and its follow-up games. Dry Bones were also made vulnerable to Wall Jumps, Rolling Jumps, and the upward portion of Vaulting Jumps, all of which can defeat a Dry Bones permanently. Dry Bones appear in five levels: Bowser's Castle Hangout, Cutting Edge Spire, Rings of Fire!, Secret Course 16, and Secret Course 19. Unlike before, stomping a Dry Bones defeats it and earns the player coins, but it counts to leveling up only if the bones fall offscreen, either through rolling or sliding through it, by using one of the aforementioned jumps, or by being invincible.
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
In Super Mario Maker 2, Dry Bones retain their role from Super Mario Maker of being enemies that can be placed in courses, including the Super Mario 3D World style despite their absence from the game. Dry Bones and Fish Bones were also made separate. The game is the first appearance of the Dry Bones Shell, which is used similarly to a Goomba's Shoe, but there is a similarity to Dry Bones in that Mario can crumble into a pile of bones while crouching.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]
Dry Bones reappear in Super Mario Bros. Wonder as enemies in the palace levels. They behave the same way as in other games, although Elephant Mario's trunk attack can permanently defeat them.
