Tarantox
| Tarantox | |
|---|---|
 Artwork from Super Mario Galaxy | |
| First appearance | Super Mario Galaxy (2007) |
| Latest appearance | Minecraft (Nintendo Switch 2) (2026) |
Tarantox is one of the bosses in Super Mario Galaxy and its Nintendo Switch port, being a gigantic spider-like creature that is seemingly the leader of the Spoings and Spanglers, though it does not resemble them beyond being striped and spider-like in a general sense. It is found wrapped up in a web inside the Phantom Boss Spider Zone in the Space Junk Galaxy.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Galaxy[edit]
In Super Mario Galaxy, the player fights Tarantox in the Space Junk Galaxy during the mission "Tarantox's Tangled Web". Mario reaches it by using a Sling Pod to break the shell off of the Phantom Boss Spider Zone, revealing its web and the spider in a cocoon. Mario then must use another Sling Pod to tear the web and free the spider, then battle it.
This battle makes extensive use of Sling Pods. To damage Tarantox, the player must use Sling Pods and throw himself at the largest glowing growth (the one on Tarantox's rear) to pop it. They can also sling Mario either at Tarantox's eyes or at the bumps on its side, which will cause the boss to cover its face in pain, rendering it stunned for a very short period of time. Once the player hits the growth on Tarantox's rear, it falls upside down, revealing three more red bumps on its underbelly. Once all of them are popped, Tarantox regains its feet and attacks faster. The music also speeds up. During the second round, the side glowing buttons start blasting toxic liquid so it is harder to hit Tarantox, though like in the first round, popping them both stuns it and disable the toxic liquid. Once the player pops the red bumps on its underbelly once more, Tarantox is defeated, falls through its web, and goes flying into space, revealing a Power Star which must be collected using one of the Sling Pods.
Tarantox is the only boss in Super Mario Galaxy whose battle takes place in a 2D segment. The music while fighting Tarantox is the same as while fighting both versions of Dino Piranha.
Super Mario Run[edit]
In Super Mario Run, Tarantox appears during the Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 event in the background of the "Bowser's Plot" mission grid, using key artwork from Super Mario Galaxy.
Minecraft[edit]
In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft, cave spiders are replaced by Tarantox. Spider eyes are replaced by Tarantox's eyes.
Appearance[edit]
Tarantox has three wide oval eyes, wings, and a nozzle-like mouth. Its feet are similar to suction cups. It has horizontal stripes on its body, two small pairs of insect-like wings, four glowing growths on its sides, and one giant one on its behind. It attacks Mario by flailing its legs around and spitting acid from its smaller buttons. It also has three large growths on its underside, which Mario must pop.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
| # | Image | Name | Type | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front | Backside | ||||
| 30 | 
|
|
Tarantox | Boss | A giant, triple-eyed space spider in the Space Junk Galaxy, Tarantox is a formidable boss Mario must battle for a Power Star. Reach the acid-drooling arachnid by sling-podding into its web. Catapult Mario into Tarantox's weak spot (the orbs on its back) to flip the spider on its back. Continue to hit the ones on its belly to hurt it. Do this twice to win the Power Star! |
Gallery[edit]
Concept art from Super Mario Galaxy
Concept art from Super Mario Galaxy
Key artwork
Screenshot of Tarantox's cocoon from Super Mario Galaxy
Screenshot of Tarantox's underside from Super Mario Galaxy
Screenshot from Minecraft: Wii U Edition
A cave spider from the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft
A spider eye from the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft
Naming[edit]
"Tarantox" is a portmanteau of "tarantula" and "toxic."
Internal names[edit]
| Game | File | Name | Meaning
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Galaxy | ObjectData/TombSpider.arc | TombSpider | Tomb Spider |
| StageData/ObjNameTable.arc/ObjNameTable.tbl | トゥームスパイダー (Tūmu Supaidā) |
Names in other languages[edit]
The contemporaneous name for each language is listed first. Subsequent names are listed in chronological order for each language, from oldest to newest, and have the media with which they are associated in the "notes" column. Names exclusive to localizations of the Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia are not prioritized due to concerns about circular reporting, and are only listed first for their respective languages if they are the only ones available.
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | クモキング Kumo Kingu | Spider King | [1][2] | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 蜘蛛王 Zhīzhū Wáng (Mandarin) Jījyū Wòhng (Cantonese) | Spider King | [3] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 蜘蛛王 Zhīzhū Wáng (Mandarin) Jījyū Wòhng (Cantonese) | [4] | ||
| Dutch | Tarantox | - | [5] | |
| French (Canada) | Arachnoboss | Portmanteau between arachnide ("arachnid") and "boss" | [3] | |
| French (Europe) | [3][6][7] | |||
| Reine Araignée | Spider Queen | Super Mario Galaxy Official Sticker Collection | [8] | |
| German | Königsspinne | King Spider | [3][9][10] | |
| Italian | Tarantorex | Portmanteau between tarantola ("tarantula") and "rex" | [3][11][12][13] | |
| Korean | 거미킹 Geomiking | Spider King | [3] | |
| Portuguese | Tarantóxica | Portmanteau between tarântula ("tarantula") and tóxica ("toxic") | [5] | |
| Spanish (Latin America) | Reina Araña | Spider Queen | [3] | |
| Spanish (Europe) | Reina araña | Spider queen | [3] | |
| Reina Araña | Spider Queen | Super Mario Galaxy Official Sticker Collection | [14] |
References[edit]
- ^ Kashima, Aya, Mitsuhiro Kitamura, Shinji Kutsuzawa, Kushima No, Itaru Nakatani, Hiroshi Hirata, Kimiyasu Hongo, Yoji Watanabe, Ayoka Kojima, and Daisaku Sato (2007). 『スーパーマリオギャラクシー 任天堂ゲーム攻略本』(Super Mario Galaxy Nintendo Game Strategy Guide). Tokyo: ambit (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-8399-2700-4. Page 54.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). "Super Mario Galaxy" in『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo: Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN 978-4-09-106569-8. Page 127.
- ^ a b c d e f g h In-game for "Tarantox's Tangled Web" from the Wii version of Super Mario Galaxy.
- ^ 「拉力繭與蜘蛛王」– Mission name (2 Oct. 2025). Super Mario Galaxy by Nintendo STC and Nintendo EPD Tokyo. Nintendo (Traditional Chinese).
- ^ a b In-game for "Tarantox's Tangled Web" from the 2025 Nintendo Switch version of Super Mario Galaxy.
- ^ Black, Fletcher (2007). Super Mario Galaxy Le Guide Officiel (French Edition). Translated by Mathieu Daujam and Calude-Olivier Eliçabe. Roseville: Prima Games (French). ISBN 978-1-906064-02-0. Page 98.
- ^ Ardaillon, Joanna, and Victoria Juillard-Huberty, editors (2018). "Super Mario Galaxy" in Super Mario Encyclopedia. Translated by Fabien Nabhan. Toulon: Soleil Productions (French). ISBN 978-2-3020-7004-2. Page 127.
- ^ 2010. Super Mario Galaxy Official Sticker Collection (French Edition). Barcelona: E-max, EnterPLAY (French). Page 9.
- ^ Black, Fletcher (2007). Super Mario Galaxy Der offizielle Spieleberater (German Edition). Translated by Klaus-Dieter Hartwig and Babel Media Limited. Roseville: Prima Games (German). ISBN 978-1-906064-01-3. Page 98-99.
- ^ Scholz, Sabine, and Benjamin Spinrath, editors (2017). "Super Mario Galaxy" in Super Mario Encyclopedia - Die ersten 30 Jahre : 1985-2015. Translated by Yamada Hirofumi. Hamburg: Tokyopop (German). ISBN 978-3-8420-3653-6. Page 127.
- ^ Black, Fletcher (2007). Super Mario Galaxy - la Guida Ufficiale (Premiere Edition). Roseville: Prima Games (Italian). ISBN 978-1-906064-03-7. Page 98-99.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2018). Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Translated by Marco Amerighi. Milan: Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 889367436X. Page 127.
- ^ Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2025). "Super Mario Galaxy" in Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia (2nd ed.). Translated by Alessandro Apreda. Milan: Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN 979-1259575760. Page 127.
- ^ 2009. Super Mario Galaxy Official Sticker Collection (Spanish Edition). Barcelona: E-max, EnterPLAY (European Spanish). Page 9.
