Champion's Road

Champion's Road (Champion Road in the British English Wii U version), or , is the final level in Super Mario 3D World and its Nintendo Switch port Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. It is analogous to of Super Mario 3D Land, the Grandmaster Galaxy of Super Mario Galaxy 2, and the Darker Side of Super Mario Odyssey, designed to be the most challenging level in the game. The level is relatively lengthy, and contains no checkpoints or power-ups, including the Invincibility Leaf. It is available as soon as its World is unlocked, which requires obtaining all Green Stars, Stamps and Golden Flags available thus far.

On the world map, Champion's Road is represented by a crown, which has a similar appearance to Boss Blitz Galaxy's world map model in Super Mario Galaxy 2. A heartbeat sound effect can be heard while standing near the level. Intended to be challenging, the Assist Block will never appear in this level.

Layout
The first section of the level contains floating colorful blocks and Octoombas on top of dark purple blocks that move from side to side. After that, a Clear Pipe takes players to an elevating section with three Fire Bros. On top of it, players must run across blocks that are only one block wide and must either defeat or dodge the several Chargin' Chucks (which can also run across these blocks). A Warp Box then transports players to the next section.

The next section requires players to run and time their jumps over Blast Blocks that alternate in double time. After traversing the Blast Blocks, players go into a Clear Pipe cannon that tosses them into an arena with respawning crumbling blocks, three Magikoopas, and four Fire Bars in each corner. Players must defeat all the Magikoopas in order for a Warp Box to appear.

After the area with the Magikoopas and the crumbling blocks, players must travel across gray platforms while also avoiding swinging spiky pillars and Fuzzies. The players can use a Potted Piranha Plant to help get rid of the Fuzzies. If the player gets rid of all the Fuzzies on the large block before the end of the section, they receive some Coins. Then there is another Warp Box that takes players to the next section.

In this section, players must wall-jump upward, with the aid of a spring platform. They also must avoid jumping into the Horned Ant Troopers, but they can also use them to move up the walls. Past the wall-jumping, players must then jump on a series of Piranha Creepers to go up. Then, players need to swim on a floating square of water that takes them through blue and red Spike Blocks. When players succeed, they go into the Clear Pipe, which shoots them into the last obstacle part of the level.

Players must use the Dash Panels to dash through this section also while avoiding the shockwaves of Ring Burners. The path takes them to a square area, where players must collect five Key Coins for a Warp Box to open. Then, past the Warp Box, players go through Clear Pipes that spell out "THANK YOU!!" in neon lights. Then the players see several Sprixies, Toads, Rabbits, Lumas, Plessie, and Captain Toad cheering for them near the Goal Pole. Unlike most regular stages, this stage's Goal Pole is the boss version.

Green Stars

 * Green Star 1: The first Green Star is found past the area with the Blast Blocks.
 * Green Star 2: The second Green Star is at the end of the section with the Fuzzies and swinging spike pillars.
 * Green Star 3: The third Green Star is at the end of the dash section.

Stamp

 * On the second step leading to the goal pole. The stamp is Lucky Cat Mario.

Music
The music that plays in this level is a rendition of "Gusty Garden Galaxy" from Super Mario Galaxy, which also plays in Honeycomb Starway and Honeycomb Skyway. Coincidentally, "Gusty Garden Galaxy" is also used during the first three sections of the "The Perfect Run" mission of the Grandmaster Galaxy from Super Mario Galaxy 2, the final mission in the game.

This arrangement is also available as a song in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, where it can be heard on the Mario Galaxy stage, and in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it can be played on any stage related to the Super Mario franchise. Due to it being an arrangement, the song is listed after the original theme in the Sound Test of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, rather than after "The Great Tower Showdown 2" from this game's The Great Tower of Bowser Land level like in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Trivia

 * The part where the Clear Pipe makes up the phrase "THANK YOU!!" is similar to Super Mario 3D Land's 's "THANK YOU!!", which is made of Flip Panels instead.
 * It is additionally a homage to World 9-4 of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, which ended with a series of blocks spelling "アリガトウ!" ("Arigatō!", Japanese for "Thank You!").
 * Unlike in other levels, collecting all of the Key Coins does not interrupt gameplay to show the Warp Box opening, instead causing it to open immediately; this is likely to prevent the player from losing control on the Dash Panels and falling off the level.
 * In Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, there is a minor visual glitch not present in the original Wii U version of the game, in which the Clear Pipe leading to the penultimate section of the course becomes invisible when the floating square of water passes across it. This glitch does not affect the ability to interact with the Clear Pipe when it occurs.

Der Weg der Champions