Angry Sun

The Angry Sun, or simply Sun, is a small, evil sun that first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3. It initially looks similar to an actual sun, but is only slightly bigger than Mario and Luigi and, in earlier games, has a furious-looking expression.

Super Mario Bros. 3
The Angry Sun appears in two levels of Super Mario Bros. 3. The first time it appears is in, and the second time in World 8-2, in the heart of the Koopa Kingdom, Dark Land. To attack Mario, the Angry Sun swoops down in a U-shaped arch, attempting to hit the plumber. The Angry Sun can be destroyed by a Koopa Shell, or with hammers from the Hammer Suit. However, if the player cannot do this, they could also defeat it by finishing the level. In World 8-2, the Angry Sun can also be bypassed by taking either of the secret Warp Pipes near the beginning of the level. The Angry Sun notably only appears in desert-like areas.

Super Mario Maker 2
After an absence of 31 years, the Angry Sun reappears as an enemy that can be placed in Super Mario Maker 2. The Angry Sun now flies on a longer path than usual due to it now being on a 16:9 screen as opposed to 4:3. At night, it is replaced by a Moon that defeats all enemies on screen when touched. In the New Super Mario Bros. U style, its design instead resembles ancient Mesoamerican artwork, and has a neutral expression. While the text calls them Angry Sun in the "enemy" section, they are generically called "Sun" by the voice when placed.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
The Angry Sun also appears in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, starting with the episode "Sneaky Lying Cheating Giant Ninja Koopas". During the episode, the Angry Sun, offended by Mario's statement that "the sun was in his eyes", appears to attack Mario and Luigi after they exit a Warp Tube from Prince Hugo's castle; after several minutes of fleeing the Angry Sun, Mario and Luigi manage to gain a Super Leaf and transform into Raccoon Mario and Raccoon Luigi. With their new powers, Mario and Luigi begin to fly away from the Angry Sun, who catches up to them and is unaware that they are still Mario and Luigi. He asks the two "flying raccoons" if they saw where Mario and Luigi went; Mario and Luigi respond to the Angry Sun's question by saying that they went to hide behind a cloud, which the Angry Sun hastily flies to.

The Angry Sun also makes a minor appearance in a later episode of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3; "Do the Koopa". Here, it is shown dancing with a pyramid and a Sphinx in Desert Land. It is white, and for the first time, grinning. The scene of Mario and Luigi avoiding the sun's attack also appears in the ending credits.

Mario Kart series
The Angry Sun appears in the Desert Hills course of Mario Kart DS, where it shoots Fire Snakes onto the course. As Desert Hills returns in Mario Kart Wii, the Angry Sun reprises its role. Angry Sun sprites from Super Mario Bros. 3 are also printed on some carpets in Shy Guy Bazaar from Mario Kart 7 and Bone-Dry Dunes from Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Paper Mario: Color Splash
While the Angry Sun does not appear physically in Paper Mario: Color Splash, it is referenced twice, first by one of the Five Fun Guys at Bloo Bay Beach. When Mario pulls out the Toad hiding in the sand, he talks about getting a sunburn and comments, "The sun sure is angry today! You know a thing or two about the Angry Sun, don't ya?"

In Roshambo Temple 6, while introducing Green Pokey as an opponent, the announcer says, "Wearing an armor of sun-kissed spikes, he stalks through the sands with the Angry Sun at his back."

Trivia

 * In the premade world for the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft, pixel art of an Angry Sun appears in the desert.
 * Unused files hint that the Angry Sun was going to at one point appear in the first Super Mario Maker.
 * The Mesoamerican design of the Angry Sun in the New Super Mario Bros. U theme in Super Mario Maker 2 may have been derived from depictions of the Aztec god Tonatiuh, or the Incan god Inti.