Lakitu
- This article is about the recurring enemies in the Super Mario franchise. For other uses, see Lakitu (disambiguation).
- Not to be confused with Lakitufo.
| Lakitu | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork from New Super Mario Bros. U | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. (1985) | ||
| Latest appearance | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) | ||
| Latest portrayal | Tadd Morgan (2011–present) | ||
| Variant of | Koopa | ||
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- “I mean, I love clouds. Love 'em.”
- —Lakitu, Paper Mario
Lakitus are enemies introduced in Super Mario Bros. They are Koopas that ride clouds through the skies, most often dropping Spiny Eggs down at targets. Some spin-off games include a Lakitu as a referee, including the Mario Kart, Mario Tennis, and Super Mario Stadium games. The instruction booklets of several games refer to the Lakitu character in singular form, suggesting against the idea of those games having multiple Lakitus.
General information[edit]
Physical description[edit]
Lakitus are cloud riding Koopas known for throwing Spinies. They have small eyes and noses, wear thick goggles (or glasses) and are usually depicted with three small strands of hair. Lakitus have a ring pattern on their shells rather than the hexagon pattern featured on those of Koopa Troopas and Hammer Bros, and are also shown not to wear any footwear, unlike other Koopas. Lakitus are almost always seen riding small smiling white clouds similar to Cloud Blocks, although other colored clouds have been shown, such as Lakithunder's and King Lakitu's stormy angry cloud, or Lakilulu's pink cloud. Lakitus resemble softshell turtles, given the similar shape of their noses and the smoothness of their shells.
Although Lakitu's goggles are generally shown to have temples, the playable Lakitu in the Mario Kart series has straps instead. This also applies to the referee Lakitu, who sports a snorkeling mask on tracks that feature underwater driving.
Speech[edit]
Lakitus were first shown speaking in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, where a Lakitu spoke with a Brooklyn accent. In the games, Super Mario Kart first depicted Lakitu speaking in the game manual, where he narrates the instructions to the reader. Starting from Super Mario 64, Lakitus received text dialogue, which would be frequently used in a multitude of future installments. Lakitu gained an actual voice for the first time in Mario Superstar Baseball. While Lakitu generally speaks in grunts, sighs, and yells, he is notably one of the few members of Bowser's army (along with Magikoopas and Hammer Bros.) that have been portrayed speaking with actual words. In the Super Mario Stadium series, Dex Manley voices Lakitu with various umpire calls, such as "Strike", "Out", and "That's the ball game!" In modern games, Tadd Morgan does not portray Lakitu with as many words, though he can be heard saying short phrases such as, "Haha, yeah!" and "Oh, wha?"
Tools[edit]
- Lakitu's Cloud: All games
- Fishing pole: Super Mario World, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi's New Island, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Mario Kart series, Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Mario Sports Mix and Super Mario Odyssey
- Start signal: Mario Kart series, Mario Golf, Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Mario Power Tennis, Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games, and Mario Golf: World Tour
- Lap counter: Mario Kart series
- Checkered flag: Mario Kart series
- Reverse sign: Mario Kart series
- U-turn sign: Mario Kart series
- Spiny Egg: Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, Super Mario 64, Paper Mario, Super Mario 64 DS, New Super Mario Bros., Super Paper Mario, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2, New Super Mario Bros. 2, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
- Minigame whistle: Mario Party Advance
- Camera: Mario Golf series, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Super Mario 64 DS, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, and Mario Kart 8
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros.[edit]
In Super Mario Bros., Lakitus are first encountered in World 4-1. They travel horizontally from top of the screen, hiding in their clouds for about one second before throwing down Spiny's eggs, which become Spinies upon landing. Only one Lakitu is ever encountered at a time. Lakitu is defeated if either stomped or hit by a fireball,[1] worth 800 and 200 points, respectively. However, Lakitu spawns after several seconds. Lakitu moves offscreen whenever the player character is about to activate the flagpole,[2] although the Lakitu of World 8-2 stops earlier.[3] A Lakitu is disguised as the fake Bowser in World 5-4.[4]
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[edit]
Lakitus appear in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. They are first encountered in World 4-1. Lakitus retain the same behavior as before, but they were recolored slightly darker. Lakitus appear in some of the underwater levels, like in World 9, and in the original Family Computer Disk System release only, the outline of Lakitu's cloud is colored gray like the other green enemies encountered there.
Super Mario Bros. (Game & Watch)[edit]
Lakitus appear in the Game & Watch game Super Mario Bros., where they throw hammers rather than Spiny's eggs.
Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Lakitus appear in Super Mario Bros. 3, retaining their behavior from the first two games. They are commonly found in Sky Land, though they are first encountered in World 3-4. Some Lakitus throw green eggs that roll upon hitting the ground. Ones that throw green eggs are overall less aggressive than ones that throw red eggs, throwing new eggs more softly and at half the rate of the red-throwing ones. If there are too many Spinies or Eggs present (usually four), it will stop throwing new ones, but continue to mime doing so. In the remake, a different-looking Lakitu pulls the player character upward if the player selects an option to scan an e-Reader card;[5] something that cannot be done in the European version, which removes all e-Reader compatibility, or in the digital re-releases, since every e-Reader level is available in them.
Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
Lakitus appear in Super Mario World and its reissue. They follow the player character directly, and defeating the Lakitu with a projectile makes its cloud usable temporarily; if the Lakitu is stomped on, the cloud is destroyed. This is the only game of the Super Mario series with cloud-riding Lakitus with red shells instead of green, though the remake has an oddity where if Yoshi spits out a Lakitu from a Pipe while having Luigi, the Lakitu is depicted with a green shell. The game introduces three variations: Fishin' Lakitus, Fishin' Boo, and Lakitu in a Pipe.[6] Lakitus in a Pipe emerge similarly to Piranha Plants, which includes not emerging if the player character is standing on their pipe. A Lakitu in a Pipe throws only one Spiny Egg before retreating. Lakitus in a Pipe are defeated using the methods as Lakitus, but with the addition of being eaten by Yoshi.
Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
Lakitus appear in Super Mario 64 and its remake. They are encountered in Tiny-Huge Island and Rainbow Ride, as well as one in Goomboss Battle and two in Sunshine Isles in the remake only. The first Lakitus encountered are the friendly Lakitu Bros., who represent the game camera, provide occasional hints, and film the entirety of the journey. The enemy Lakitus float around in wide, fast circles, and they start attacking Mario by dropping Spiny bombs upon sighting him. In the remake, Lakitus follow the player character more steadily and travel in a small circle slowly if they do not see them. If a Lakitu is swallowed and spit out by Yoshi before becoming an egg, it moves constantly in the direction it was spit, but unlike most enemies, the Lakitu manages to recover. A Lakitu releases five coins when defeated.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
Lakitus appear in New Super Mario Bros. They are encountered in World 2-2 and World 6-A. The boss of World 7 is a Lakitu named Lakithunder, who attacks with bolts of lightning. Defeating a Lakitu with a fireball makes its cloud usable temporarily,[7] like in Super Mario World, and it rewards 1,000 points.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Lakitus appear in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. They received a larger-eyed design differing from their design introduced in Mario Party 4. They are encountered in World 2-5, World 4-5, and the Enemy Courses of World 7. A Lakitu can now also leave behind its cloud when stomped. There are Lakitus that throw coins, and they are spawned from square clouds.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
Lakitus appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2 and its Nintendo Switch port, functioning differently to their Super Mario 64 appearance. Once again, they periodically throw down Spiny Eggs that turn into Spinies when they hit the ground. A Lakitu can be knocked out of its cloud by Yoshi, leaving it in a temporary vulnerable state, if either a Spiny Egg is spit at it or the cloud is eaten. A Lakitu can be stunned if hit by a Star Bit, but for a shorter duration than most enemies. While on the ground, Lakitu is defeated if the player character touches it. Lakitu comes back shortly after being defeated, and if it is on the ground, Lakitu creates a replacement cloud if it is not defeated on time. Lakitus release coins or Star Bits the first three times they are defeated.
They are only encountered in Yoshi Star Galaxy ("Spiny Control" only) and Starshine Beach Galaxy ("Surf, Sand, and Silver Stars" only). A large Lakitu named King Lakitu is the boss of the former galaxy.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
Lakitus appear in New Super Mario Bros. 2. A difference is that a Gold Ring changes them into Gold Lakitus, which throw coins instead of Spiny Eggs, but they return to Lakitus once the effects wear off.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
Lakitus appear in New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, and their port. They are encountered in Blooming Lakitus, Seesaw Shrooms, and Lakitu! Lakitu! Lakitu! in New Super Mario Bros. U and in Spinning Sandstones, Beanstalk Jungle, and Cloudy Capers in New Super Luigi U. They are unchanged from New Super Mario Bros. Wii. There are Lakitus that throw Piranha Pods; these ones exclusively appear in Blooming Lakitus.
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS / Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
Lakitus are course elements in Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, and Super Mario Maker 2. They are available in every style except Super Mario 3D World in the latter game. A Lakitu can lose its cloud in any of the styles, regardless of how it was defeated. Lakitus fly up and down if wings are placed on them. Lakitus can have a different enemy or object placed on it to throw it instead, and shaking the enemy removes the Lakitu from its cloud.
Super Mario Run[edit]
Lakitu appear in Super Mario Run. They behave broadly similarly to their appearance in Super Mario Bros. Lakitu flies higher briefly if the player character enters the top portion of the screen. If the player gets too close after that, they can fly slightly higher than that to stay safe, though lower back to the normal flee range once the player leaves. They do not leave behind a Lakitu's Cloud when defeated. Lakitu in World Tour never leave, while Lakitu in Toad Rally will leave at the end of a segment and Lakitu in Remix 10 will leave toward the end of a course.
The Lakitus in Big Spiny Blitz only throw a single coin per interval, which is affected by gravity. The Lakitus in Lakitu's Revenge throw both Spiny Eggs and coins, but always throws Spiny Eggs far to the right of the player.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
Lakitus are non-playable characters in Super Mario Odyssey. One appears in the Desert Oasis of the Sand Kingdom; the Courtyard of the Lake Kingdom; the southeastern area of Snow Kingdom; and Beneath the Keep of Bowser's Kingdom. They float a short distance above the water of each of these areas, with the exception of Bowser's Kingdom where the Lakitu fishes in poison. Under computer control, Lakitu periodically lowers and raises its fishing rod in search of fish but never reels in anything. Lakitu sing about fishing,[8] but complain if an enemy is nearby.[9] Lakitu can be captured, but mainly after every objective in that kingdom has been completed. Lakitu do not appear before that point. The Sand Kingdom is an exception, but not to any useful effect because that Lakitu is frozen in an ice crystal until completing The Hole in the Desert.
As a Lakitu, Mario can float around in an area. Lakitu keep a consistent height above the liquid they fish in, which notably means they can safely travel over the poison. However, as the height cannot be changed in any way, Lakitu are incapable of moving beyond the area they are in. It should be noted that in the Sand Kingdom, the Desert Oasis extends far enough to allow Lakitu to move over sand. All four face buttons, 
, 
, 
, and 
are used for the fishing rod. An initial press lowers the line, and a second press raises it back up. Alternatively, the controller can be shaken. While the line is lowered, Lakitu move slower.
Lakitu can use their fishing rod to reel in Cheep Cheeps, which can swim in water, sand, or poison. Shadows from each Cheep Cheep can be seen from the surface, though if the player jumps into the water these Cheep Cheeps are non-solid entities that exist only to be fished out. To successfully fish out a Cheep Cheep, the line has to be in a lowered position, and the Cheep Cheep has to swim into it. At just the right time, the line can be raised while the Cheep Cheep is in contact with the line, reeling it in. Normal Cheep Cheeps grant coins when reeled in. Each location has a bigger Cheep Cheep, which is harder to catch. If the line is raised at the right time, the game enters a quick time event where the left stick has to receive constant input or the controller has to be shaken to hoist the big Cheep Cheep out of the water. Normally, these are also worth coins, but more than the normal Cheep Cheeps. However, the big Cheep Cheep in the Lake Kingdom and Snow Kingdom gives a Power Moon instead. In Bowser's Kingdom, Poochy takes the place of the big Cheep Cheep, though while he is in the poison he appears exactly like a big Cheep Cheep. In the Sand Kingdom Captain Toad can be fished out of sand once per save file for a Power Moon.
The fishing rod is actually an attack, as it can be used to defeat Mini Goombas and Goombas in the Courtyard by bringing the line up from below them. It should be noted that the line can travel through solid materials, but this property is only useful for defeating Goombas because Cheep Cheeps do not swim through solid materials.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder / Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park[edit]
Lakitus appear in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, first appearing in Countdown to Drop Down. A trio of Lakitus in one cloud appears in Cruising with Linking Lifts, during its Wonder Effect, and Shining Falls Special Triple Threat Deluge; they throw coins, Wonder Tokens, and 1-Up Mushrooms.
In Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park, Lakitus also control Morton's marionette Wonder form from the foreground,[10] and throw Goombas and Gold Goombas during the Get Gobbling: Yoshi's Buffet minigame in Bellabel Park.[11]
Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen![edit]
Lakitus are enemies in the Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!. They resemble their in-game counterparts, but their clouds have no faces, except for two in the ending credits. Many Lakitus appear during the invasion by Bowser's Minions of the Mario Bros.' home. After this, no Lakitus are given major roles until shortly after Mario and Luigi had collected the Super Mushroom. The Mario Bros. are eventually attacked by a Lakitu, who explains that he wanted lure Mario and Luigi into his Piranha Plant garden in order to feed his plants, and that they will pay for having destroyed his garden. He traps Luigi amongst a horde of Spinies, although Mario manages to escape his eggs. A beanstalk appears and boosts Mario to Lakitu's height. The amused Lakitu then scoffs at Mario and shakes his hand before realizing that it is adjacent to his enemy. Though he attempts to escape, Mario manages to take the cloud, which he tampers with until he accidentally destroys the Spinies, saving Luigi.
DIC cartoons[edit]
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show![edit]
- “I prefer clouds myself, but at least it's snowing and freezing down there! Hehehehehehehe!”
- —Lakitu, "Mario and the Red Baron Koopa"
Only one Lakitu[12] (also spelled Lakatu)[13] appears in the episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!: "Mario and the Red Baron Koopa". It has the appearance of a green, more-reptilian turtle with a large nose, resembling generic Koopa Troopas in the cartoon, who wears a red-lensed, gold-framed aviator's goggles. King Koopa (using a magic carpet he has stolen from Sam Shalam and Slammer) brings Lakitu to the country of Pastaland, where he scares the citizens, as well as Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad, with Spinies and rain. Lakitu launches the Wicked Weather Satellite with King Koopa, and both of them relax atop Lakitu's cloud until it is destroyed. Lakitu last attempts to maintain its cloud, after the Mario Brothers' biplane had destroyed it. Its name is pronounced "la-KEE-too" by King Koopa and Princess Toadstool.
Koopa seemed to treat Lakitu more like a friend than a servant, as Koopa never once insulted Lakitu or got mad at him.
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Lakitu appears in the episode of "Life's Ruff" of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3. It has beak much like regular Koopas and rides a storm cloud. The Lakitu has no lines. It only throws some explosive Spiny Eggs at Luigi to obstruct him in his chase with Hip and Hop Koopa.
Super Mario Bros. (Valiant Comics)[edit]
Lakitu appears in the comic "Cloud Burst" of the Super Mario Bros. comics. It is depicted very similarly as in game, except it rides a Lakitu's Cloud named Fluffy and sports a shell that is white, black, blue, and yellow in color instead of green and white. The Lakitu steals most items it finds, including Koopabits as well as its king's crown and Princess Toadstool's. Lakitu is ordered by the Kong to attack Mario and Luigi, though when the latter is sprung into Lakitu's cloud, a limited friendship seems to have developed between both of them. Though Lakitu takes Luigi's clothing, he plays along, being mostly interested in retrieving Princess Toadstool's crown for her coronation.
Club Nintendo[edit]
This section needs Club Nintendo improvement. Specifically:
- Does Lakitu appear in other Club Nintendo comics?
Lakitu appears in the comic "Mario will hoch hinaus" of Club Nintendo. It is in the opening panel, watching Mario fly in surprise.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
Lakitus have a variety of roles in Super Mario-kun, including enemies in certain issues and both a referee and an announcer in various Mario Kart tracks. The latter type bonks Mario with the traffic light in one strip.
Super Mario Adventures[edit]
Lakitus are antagonists in Super Mario Adventures. They briefly attack Princess Toadstool and her Toads with Spiny Eggs. These Lakitus appear in an unknown desert area where Princess Toadstool's troopers are dehydrating; when the gang of Toads first see a Lakitu's Cloud appear, they mistake it for a harmless raincloud and initiate a rain dance to ensure water. However, when they see that their actions had only provoked the Lakitus, they declare that they had "done the wrong dance" and chaos ensues. After this brief appearance, it is later revealed that Bowser had kidnapped Princess Toadstool and therefore, it can be assumed that the Lakitus captured her and her gang. Later, during Bowser and the princess's wedding, a Lakitu can be seen tossing confetti.
Mario Kart series[edit]
- Main article: Lakitu (Mario Kart referee)
A Fishin' Lakitu appears throughout the Mario Kart series and takes on many responsibilities, guiding the race most of the time. He most prominently appears as the referee.
Mario Kart 7[edit]
Lakitu is an unlockable playable character in Mario Kart 7. He wears a red shell and goggles, like in later appearances of the series. Lakitu is in the feather weight class, with high acceleration, handling, and off-road whilst having low speed and weight. Lakitu is unlocked by winning the 150cc Lightning Cup.[14]
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
Lakitu is an unlockable playable character in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. He is a slightly heavier lightweight, with slightly more speed and weight than acceleration, handling and grip. Lakitu is the Staff Ghost for SNES Donut Plains 3 and Dragon Driftway, the latter also having stone Lakitus in martial arts poses. Lakitu appears in the background of GBA Ribbon Road, on the poster of the fictional film Kung Fu Lakitu. In the port, Lakitu's stats are the same as Bowser Jr. and Koopa Troopa's only; he is also the 200cc staff ghost for DS Cheep Cheep Beach; and Lakitu in martial arts poses are found also in Dragon Palace. He is the only character who is neither a character variant nor a non-Super Mario character to not appear in the photo that appears at the end of the credits for the Booster Course Pass.
