Bob-omb
- This article is about the recurring enemies in the Super Mario franchise. For the specific character from Paper Mario: The Origami King, see Bob-omb (Paper Mario: The Origami King).
- Not to be confused with Rob-omb.
| Bob-omb | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork from Mario Party: Star Rush | |||
| First appearance | Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic (1987, overall) Super Mario Bros. 2 (1988, Super Mario franchise) | ||
| Latest appearance | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) | ||
| Variant of | Bomb | ||
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- “We do our jobs, and when we're done, there's always another Bob-omb there to take our place. All any of us can hope for is to make an impact.”
- —Bob-omb, Paper Mario: The Origami King
Bob-ombs (originally formatted as Bob-Ombs)[1] are living, moving mechanical bombs with eyes, feet, and windup keys on the back. They are generic enemies that first appeared in Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic, a non-Super Mario game that was later remade as Super Mario Bros. 2. Since then, Bob-ombs, along with Shy Guys, have made more reappearances than any other enemies introduced in the same game. Their appearance, intelligence, and status with Mario differ widely from game to game. They are usually a bluish-black, but some variations are pink or red. They also flash red and sometimes make beeping sounds if they are about to explode.
General information[edit]
Physical description[edit]
Bob-ombs resemble bombs with a few differences. The main difference is that they have white eyes, feet, and occasionally arms. Their standard appearance ranges in color between solid black and various off-black colors; most often dark gray or dark blue. Bob-ombs can also be uncommonly found in other colors such as red, brown, and green. In most games, they feature wind-up keys on their backs and fuses, though these are lacking in a few old games. The fuse is usually surrounded by a gray or blue plug. A possible precursor of a Bob-omb can be seen in the artwork for a bomb in VS. Wrecking Crew. Curiously, in Super Mario Bros. 2 and during the Paper Mario ending parade, Bob-ombs are shown to have arms. In some games, Bob-ombs are seen to have yellow-orange feet and legs, but others in Super Mario Sunshine have feet resembling that of a wind-up toy. Upon closer observation, it can be seen that a Bob-omb's feet and legs are a segmented exterior of a potential endoskeleton.
Color variations[edit]
Bob-ombs can have several different colors. The following is a list of all known Bob-omb colors and their first appearances.
| Image | Color | First appearance |
|---|---|---|
|
Black | Super Mario Bros. 2 |
|
Blue | Super Mario All-Stars |
|
Purple | Super Mario All-Stars |
|
Pink | Super Mario 64 (as Bob-omb Buddies) |
|
Red | Paper Mario |
|
Green | Yoshi's Safari |
|
Yellow | Mario Kart: Double Dash!! |
|
Magenta | Mario vs. Donkey Kong |
|
White | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (as General White) |
|
Gold | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (as Goldbob) |
|
Silver | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (as Sylvia) |
|
Bronze | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (as Bub) |
|
Brown | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (as Admiral Bobbery) |
|
Yellow with golden stripes | Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park |
Allegiance and culture[edit]
Bob-ombs are usually affiliated with the Koopa Troop, and it is assumed that they take orders from King Bob-omb, one of Bowser's high-ranking minions. However, whether King Bob-omb is the true king of all Bob-ombs is never explained. In recent years, the games have introduced peaceful Bob-omb communities that have no affiliation with Bowser whatsoever, and their homeland in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is known as Fahr Outpost, an isolated town located in a far-off icy land. The town is ruled by a Mayor, and all Bob-ombs take orders from him or General White. These Bob-ombs are generally peaceful but seem to dislike outsiders and prefer to keep to themselves. However, by the end of the game, they become more welcoming. The Fahr Outpost Bob-ombs' culture resembles that of Russia, from the clothing right down to the accents.
Also, in more than a few instances, Bob-ombs were often depicted warring each other, with it often being split between Bob-omb Buddies and Black Bob-ombs.
Roles[edit]
Bob-ombs serve multiple roles in various games. In their most common appearances, they are enemies who explode upon being irritated, although they sometimes chase after Mario upon seeing him, exploding in a few seconds. Bob-ombs can also be used as weapons, particularly in the Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros. series. Bob-ombs are also involved in several mini-games in the Mario Party series. In Paper Mario: The Origami King, it is implied that Bob-ombs "die" when they explode; but many Bob-ombs in the earlier games, including the partners Admiral Bobbery and Bombette, seem to regenerate after exploding.
The first time a Bob-omb is friendly is in Super Mario 64, when Pink Bob-ombs help Mario by opening cannons. They later appear as friendly (though some are also enemies) in the Paper Mario series.
Bob-ombs appear as items in several Super Mario sports titles. In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, they are Wario and Waluigi's signature item. When thrown, they stand still for a moment before exploding, throwing any nearby drivers into the air. If the radius is fading, it only causes a spinout. In Mushroom City and Mushroom Bridge, Bob-omb Cars can be seen, and if a player accidentally drives into one, it will explode like the Bob-ombs that Wario and Waluigi use as Special Items. In Mario Kart DS, Bob-ombs return similarly, as they did in Double Dash!!, but this time, it can be used by any character instead of being a special one. Curiously, in the remake version of Mushroom Bridge, Bob-omb Cars do not appear. The Bob-ombs also return in Mario Kart Wii as a regular item and an obstacle in Moonview Highway as a Bob-omb Car.
In Super Mario Strikers and its sequel, Mario Strikers Charged, Bob-ombs are items, and they do almost the same as they did in the Mario Kart series. Here, Bob-ombs can be obtained alone or in a set of three. Also, a giant form of a Bob-omb, called a Mega Bob-omb, sometimes appears, acting like a normal Bob-omb, but its explosion radius is roughly four times larger, plus it sends out a shockwave, harming anyone near it. In Mario Power Tennis, the Bob-ombs appear as an item in the minigame Chain-Chomp Challenge and are also part of the audience in the Wario Factory Court.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic / Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
Bob-Ombs (unhyphenated as Bob Omb in the cast roll) are enemies in Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic and Super Mario Bros. 2, serving under Wart's command alongside the other enemies. In Japanese, this incarnation is known as「ボブ」(Bobu, Bob),[2][3][4] as opposed to later appearances of the enemy, which use the name 「ボムへい」(Bomuhei). They first appear in World 3-3. They chase the player for a short while before exploding, dealing damage to nearby enemies, player characters, and brick walls. However, Mario, Luigi, Toad and Princess Toadstool are also able to pick up, carry and throw Bob-Ombs (though Bob-Ombs explode even when held). They are often dropped from the sky by Albatosses, and also emerge indefinitely from certain jars. Certain Bob-Ombs can be found under grass tufts from World 5 onwards, which explode even quicker. Unlike in future games, Bob-Ombs in Super Mario Bros. 2 have arms, and they also lack the wind-up key. In Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic and the original Super Mario Bros. 2, both their arms and hands are red, and their fuses are not visible, but in the Super Mario All-Stars version, BS Super Mario USA and Super Mario Advance, their hands are beige and their fuses are visible.
Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Bob-ombs appear again in Super Mario Bros. 3. Its instruction booklet strongly implies that the enemy was previously seen in an earlier game, presumably referring to Yume Kojo: Doki Doki Panic.[5] Here, if Mario stomps on one, it becomes stationary and capable of being carried and kicked. However, it explodes after a few moments, even if Mario is carrying it. Also, they lack the arms they had in the previous game. There are two types of Bob-omb in this game, ones with keys on their backs found throughout the game and ones without keys found exclusively in artillery stages in Dark Land. In the original version, both types of Bob-omb are black, but remakes make the keyed ones blue and the keyless ones purple.
Bob-ombs with keys are found walking forward, similar to Goombas. If jumped on, they lose their feet and become stunned for a little while, then explode. When stunned, they can be kicked, picked up, carried, and thrown similar to a Koopa Shell, and the explosion can hurt both the player character and enemies. However, it will not destroy Brick Blocks in this game. A tail hit from Raccoon Mario or Tanooki Mario defeats a Bob-omb immediately rather than stunning it, while they are completely immune to fire - both unlike later games where these attacks will stun or light them.
Keyless Bob-ombs have a behavior similar to the ones in Super Mario Bros. 2, walking briefly before stopping and lighting themselves. While they do not need to be stomped to cause them to explode, it can still be done. Compared to the keyed Bob-ombs, they are slightly smaller and faster, and they do not lose their feet when primed to explode. They are most often shot from cannons, though one at the end of World 8-Battleships can be found walking independently of them. The cannons are often found in pairs pointing towards each other, so these Bob-ombs will often defeat each other with their explosions. They can be kicked and carried like the keyed ones when they have stopped, but since they explode quickly this can be risky to do. Ones that are stopped due to being stomped take longer to light and explode than ones that are left alone, even counting the period in which they walk.
Super Mario World[edit]
Bob-ombs appear again in Super Mario World. In this game, Bob-ombs walk quickly back and forth before they flash and then explode. Like Goombas and green Koopa Troopas, they fall off edges instead of changing direction before they fall off, as red Koopa Troopas do. If Mario or Luigi jumps on the Bob-omb or hits it with a Cape before it explodes, it becomes stationary and can be picked up and carried until it explodes after a few seconds. However, if Mario and Luigi enter a Warp Pipe while carrying a Bob-omb, the Bob-omb does not detonate for the remainder of the level. Some Bob-ombs in Forest of Illusion 3 also appear floating in bubbles. These bombs resume their normal activities if the bubble is popped. Parachuting Bob-ombs, known as Para-bombs, also make their debut. The Bob-ombs of this game are similar to the sprites the ones shot from mortars use in Super Mario Bros. 3, though their behavior has elements of both types from the same game. The sprites are also not upgraded for the 16-bit system, similar to those of Ninjis. When Yoshi eats a Bob-omb in this game, he simply swallows it, like other enemies. If stomped on by Yoshi, it is instantly destroyed, and cannot be used as a weapon. Yoshi is also able to eat the bubble-covered Bob-ombs. Additionally, hitting a Bob-omb's explosion with the Cape defeats it.
Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
Bob-ombs are common enemies in Super Mario 64 and its Nintendo DS version. They first appear on the Bob-omb Battlefield. Bob-omb attack patterns in this game are different and more aggressive than before. When a Bob-omb spots the player, it lights its fuse and then rushes towards them from behind, attempting to damage them when it explodes. Unlike in the Super Mario Bros. subseries, Bob-ombs do not harm the player upon contact. Their explosion, however, damages the player by two wedges of health. Bob-ombs can be defeated by being kicked or picked up from behind and thrown. This causes them to explode away from the player, leaving behind a coin. Explosions caused by the bombs can also damage other enemies within the blast. After the player character walks away from the area, the Bob-ombs then respawn. Bob-ombs can sometimes be seen operating cannons, such as on the Bob-omb Battlefield. These Bob-ombs do not chase the player, but they still explode if picked up. Bob-ombs are one of the only enemies to respawn sometime after being defeated.
A pink variant of Bob-omb called a Bob-omb Buddy is introduced in this game. Unlike other Bob-ombs, Bob-omb Buddies are friendly and give the player character helpful hints. They open cannons and, exclusively in the DS version, can detect Red Coins and character caps on the map on the Touch Screen. A large purple variant of Bob-omb named Chuckyas also debuts in this game. In Super Mario 64 DS only, Bob-ombs can appear from the sky in certain missions and courses, and also appear when a player character hits a red block without their cap on. Certain red blocks may also spawn Bob-ombs while the player plays as Mario, even if he has his cap on; this is likely so Mario will not be able to use flight as a shortcut. In the remake, Bob-ombs appear in Sort or 'Splode alongside Bob-omb Buddies.
The boss of the Bob-omb Battlefield is a giant Bob-omb, appropriately named the Big Bob-omb. In the remake, normal Bob-ombs can be thrown by him.
Super Mario Sunshine[edit]
Bob-ombs,[6] also called Bomb-ombs[7] (or Bomb-Ombs[8]) and Neji Bombs,[9] appear in Super Mario Sunshine, but much differently than in any other game. They are black orbs with a digital interface, and feet resembling those of a wind-up toy. After a certain amount of time, its screen displays a countdown from three, exploding at zero. However, if Mario sprays them with FLUDD they turn blue and freeze, and they can then be picked up and thrown by Mario. They can still explode in this form. Oddly, if Mario picks up a Bob-omb and then gently places it down instead of throwing it, the Bob-omb spontaneously leaps forward through the air and explodes upon impact.
Bob-ombs appear in three episodes: first in The Beach Cannon's Secret of Pinna Park and later in Uncork the Waterfall of Noki Bay. Both times, they are under the control of Monty Mole, who throws the bombs from their tank cannons once Mario gets too close for the mole to shoot Bullet Bills. To defeat the Monty, the player must spray water on the Bob-ombs and then pick them up and throw them at the tank. The player must do this three times, after which the Monty Mole is defeated. The third time they appear is in King Boo Down Below of Sirena Beach. They can sometimes appear when King Boo spins the slots to the enemy pictures.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
Bob-ombs appear in New Super Mario Bros., acting like they do in Super Mario Bros. 3. If Mario stomps on them or throws a fireball at them as Fire Mario, they become stationary and explode after a few seconds. Before they explode, Mario can pick them up and throw them. Their explosions can destroy almost all types of blocks, sometimes allowing the player to access Star Coins. They appear in Worlds 4-5 and 7-5, and in the battle with Monty Tank in World 6-
Castle A Bob-omb variant called Kab-omb makes its first appearance in this game, only appearing in World 8-8.
Super Mario Galaxy[edit]
Bob-ombs later appear in Super Mario Galaxy and its Nintendo Switch port. Here, they come out of Bob-omb dispensers in the ground. They appear in two different varieties: ones that have legs and can walk around, which are less common, and ones that do not have legs and do not move on their own. The first type can also sometimes be seen independent from the dispensers, and as such do not respawn. If the legged Bob-ombs see Mario, they start chasing him and then soon explode, similar to the ones in Super Mario 64. Mario or Luigi can pick the stationary Bob-ombs up by simply touching them; however, the ones that walk have to be hit with a spin first; if jumped or Ground Pounded on, they will just bounce them off while crouching. When picked up, the Bob-ombs start to light up and flash and must be thrown with another shake of the Wii Remote before they explode. They can be used to destroy many things, including cages and Chomps. However, the explosions Bob-ombs make can still hurt Mario. The fuse on the Bob-omb lasts for ten seconds.
Bob-ombs are used prominently in two Bob-omb Blasting mini-games: one in the Battlerock Galaxy and one in the Dreadnought Galaxy. They are used when a Gearmo asks Mario to get rid of a bunch of trash piles for him. It must be done within a time limit of thirty seconds, however, and the prize for winning is a Power Star.
Bob-ombs appear in the following list of galaxies and missions. If no mission is stated, Bob-ombs appear during all missions:
- Battlerock Galaxy:
- "Breaking into the Battlerock", "Battlerock's Garbage Dump" (immobile, dispensed)
- "Breaking into the Battlerock" (mobile, dispensed)
- Dreadnought Galaxy:
- "Revenge of the Topman Tribe", "Dreadnought's Garbage Dump" (immobile, dispensed)
- "Dreadnought's Colossal Cannons" (mobile, dispensed)
- "Infiltrating the Dreadnought" (mobile, preexisting)
- Rolling Gizmo Galaxy (mobile, dispensed)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Bob-ombs appear once again as generic enemies in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. In this game, they usually endlessly spawn from Warp Pipes and walk around aimlessly until they explode. They make their first appearance in World 3-
Castle. In this game, their fuses light when they are hit by a fireball coming from either Fire Mario or a Venus Fire Trap, and they instantly explode if they hit lava or a flame from a burner. Like in other games, jumping on a Bob-omb or hitting one with a Fire Flower simply ignites and immobilizes it. Shooting one with a fireball from Fire Mario causes a coin to appear, and an additional coin appears for every time it is shot up to five times. Lit Bob-ombs can be reverted back to their mobile state if they are frozen by Ice Mario or Penguin Mario and left to thaw out.
Bob-ombs can also appear during the World 8-
Tower boss fight with Magikoopa. If he hits one of the platforms with his magic, it may turn into a lit Bob-omb.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
Bob-ombs re-appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2 and its Nintendo Switch port, where they act the same way as they did in Super Mario Galaxy. However, only the ones with legs appear in this game, and the ones independent from dispensers are much more common than the ones that come from them. Bob-ombs that spawn from dispensers are exclusive to Space Storm Galaxy. The Bob-omb Buddies also make an appearance in the Throwback Galaxy, where they continue to be allies of Mario or Luigi.
Bob-ombs appear in the following list of galaxies and missions. If no mission is stated, Bob-ombs appear during all missions:
Super Mario 3D Land[edit]
Bob-ombs appear in Super Mario 3D Land. Like in the other 3D Super Mario games, contact with Bob-ombs does not harm Mario. Stomping on one makes it stop chasing Mario and hide its legs; it explodes soon afterward. Shooting a Bob-omb with a fireball makes it explode immediately. Due to the Super Leaves being blown all across the Mushroom Kingdom, a new kind of Bob-omb called a Tail Bob-omb appears in this game. Rocky Wrenches may sometimes throw Bob-ombs instead of wrenches in some of the levels.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
Bob-ombs reappear again in New Super Mario Bros. 2, where they act the same way as in previous games. Para-bombs also appear in various levels.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
Bob-ombs, as well as Parabombs, reappear in New Super Mario Bros. U and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. In the second and final fights with Bowser Jr., he throws Bob-ombs at Mario.
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
Bob-ombs return as enemies in Super Mario 3D World and its Nintendo Switch port Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, only appearing in a few courses like Bob-ombs Below, Super Block Land, and Bowser's Bob-omb Brigade. They can be attacked to transform them into regular bombs, which can be thrown. In this game, Baddie Boxes only release Bob-ombs. Cat variants appear in Lake Lapcat.
Super Mario Maker subseries[edit]
Bob-ombs appear in Super Mario Maker, its Nintendo 3DS version, and Super Mario Maker 2. They can be shaken to light their fuse. Due to them not appearing in the Super Mario Bros. game style, they were given new sprites. They have been given more detailed sprites in the Super Mario World style than they originally appeared. By jumping on them, they stay still and their fuse ignites, and after a few seconds, they explode. They can also be made bigger or made to fly. They can destroy Hard Blocks, Ice Blocks, ? Blocks and Brick Blocks. When a Bob-omb explodes near coins, the coins fall out of the air and disappear after a few moments. Bob-ombs in this game can also be ignited by Yoshi, fire-related objects, being crushed, and other Bob-ombs.
Bob-ombs received a few differences in Super Mario Maker 2. With the absence of the shaking function, lit Bob-ombs are now added by holding a regular version and tapping the lit variant. Like many enemies and items, Bob-ombs can be given a parachute to become Parabombs, but unlike the majority of enemies, Bob-ombs do not exhibit any unusual behavior in the Ground courses during the night. In the Super Mario 3D World style, Bob-ombs turn into regular bombs when attacked, just like the original game.
Super Mario Run[edit]
In Super Mario Run, Bowser throws Bob-ombs at Mario during his battle in Bowser's Bob-ombing Run. When Mario stomps on, finishes Vaulting over, or does a Vaulting Jump on a Bob-omb, it flies forward in an shallow arc. This usually causes it to leave the screen unless it collides with and explodes against certain objects in the way. When Mario hits Bowser with three Bob-ombs, he is defeated. They also appear in Airship Plunder, where they can be kicked to destroy crates. While walking, Bob-ombs explode upon contact with a Spike Ball or a Fire Bar, and can be defeated by attacking them with a landing roll or a rolling jump. Bob-ombs do not turn around when they hit walls. Bob-ombs cannot be leveled up.
A Bob-omb Statue can be obtained as a building in Kingdom Builder mode, and placed in the Mushroom Kingdom.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder / Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park[edit]
In Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Bob-ombs are only found in Fluff-Puff Peaks Flying Battleship. They are fired from cannons and spawned from a Mecha Maker. Their walking animations have been altered to be more stilted and mechanical, with their wind-up keys rotating in 90-degree increments.
A new variant of Bob-ombs called Babooms also appear. They resemble firecrackers, and they are capable of releasing a series of three fireworks upwards when stomped on or hit with a fireball.
In the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the game, a visual variant is featured in the minigame Look Out! Bob-omb Relay. It is slightly larger than average Bob-ombs and yellow with golden stripes, black eyes, a red wind-up key and legs, and an orange top. Another variant introduced are Cross Bob-omb, which appears in Larry's Showdown!
DIC cartoons[edit]
Bob-ombs make occasional appearances in the DIC cartoons. In all of them, they resemble their design in Super Mario Bros. 2, but with white limbs and red, perpetually angry eyes.
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show![edit]
- “Hey, Bob-Omb! Did anyone tell you were uuuuu-gly? I've seen better-lookin' bombs after they exploded! I bet you have to sneak up on a match just to get a light!”
- —Toad, "Toad Warriors"
Bob-Ombs appear in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, where they make common appearances by being thrown by Albatosses, Mouser, and sometimes King Koopa. In "Stars in Their Eyes", after Mario's spaceship crashes onto Mouser and squishes him, he throws some flat Bob-Ombs at Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad. In "Toad Warriors", Bob-Ombs were used as weapons by State Troop