Lava Piranha

"WE DON'T LET IT HAPPEN! NO!"

- Lava Piranha

Lava Piranha is an enormous, overgrown Piranha Plant boss in Paper Mario who, as his name suggests, lives in pools of lava. Only a single Lava Piranha has been seen in any Mario games so far, but according to Goombario, there are more than one.

Paper Mario
The Lava Piranha featured in Paper Mario is the ruler of Mt. Lavalava on Lavalava Island. He is found in a small lava pool where the other Piranha Plants report to him. Once Mario defeats him for good, he falls to the ground and sinks back into the lava. Presumably he is killed, but no details are given as to whether or not he survived.

Lava Piranha speaks in shouts and shrieks, blathering out insults at Mario when he confronts him for the fifth Star Spirit, Misstar, who Bowser ordered the firey Piranha Plant to guard. His attacks are rather simple. Mostly, he relies on his Lava Buds to do his battling work. When he attacks, he spits out an orb of fire at Mario that does five attack damage to Mario.

It is also important to note that Lava Piranha is battled twice. After Mario has done forty damage to him and defeats him, he suddenly rises up and gets forty more HP that Mario must eliminate. The second time, Lava Piranha's head is on fire and his tongue is sticking out. If Sushie is Ultra-rank, her Tidal Wave ability makes this second phase easy, and possible to beat without taking any damage, as water and ice attacks stun them for two full turns.

He has a cameo appearance in the credits of Paper Mario, poking his head out from behind Lavalava Island, alternating with Raphael Raven.

Appearance
Lava Piranha bears some resemblance to the boss Naval Piranha from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, except smaller and with less Piranha Buds and tentacles. Lava Piranha has a large tongue and white ring markings instead of filled white spots on his head, like typical Piranha Plants.