Smithy Gang

The Smithy Gang is an evil organization composed of sentient weapons led by Smithy. They are the main antagonists in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars and its upcoming 2023 Nintendo Switch remake. Their primary goal was to rule the world, destroying wishes by shattering the Star Road. Their main base of operations was Smithy's Factory, located in a separate dimension. Their secondary base was Bowser's Keep, occupied by Exor during the beginning of their invasion. The sword creature acted as a gateway between the two worlds, allowing Smithy's forces to overrun the world.

History
The invasion of the Smithy Gang started with an attack to Bowser's Keep, which was done by Exor. The strength of the impact from the sky shattered the Star Road and sent Mario, Bowser and Princess Toadstool flying away from the castle. Additionally, many Koopas, Shy Guys and Goombas, as well as Magikoopa, allied themselves with the Smithy Gang.

After the attack to Bowser's Keep, Smithy decided to invade Mushroom Kingdom. Smithy sent Mack to attack it. However, when Mario returned, he fought off Mack's forces and defeated the knife-like creature. Additionally, Mario recovered a Star Piece, required to restore the power of wishes to the world.

Smithy's second minion, Bowyer, was sent to the Forest Maze to start attacking Rose Town. Additionally, the Forest Maze was the location of the second Star Piece that Smithy was searching. Bowyer set up camp in the forest and began firing poison-tipped arrows, which could immobilize people in Rose Town. Also, one of Bowyer's arrow minions found the second Star Piece. However, Bowyer's celebration was interrupted by Geno. Mario and Mallow arrived to help Geno as well. Together, they defeated Bowyer and claimed the second Star Piece. One of the Aero creatures heard their conversation after Bowyer's downfall, and decided to directly report back to Smithy.

Smithy enacted a plan to retrieve the fifth Star Piece. The Star Piece was in the hands of Jonathan Jones and his pirates. Smithy sent another of his minions, Yaridovich, to Seaside Town. Once there, Yaridovich locked up all the people in a large building. Then Yaridovich split himself into many bodies that took the form of Toads. When Mario arrived in town, he was asked by a village elder (who was actually Yaridovich) to retrieve the Star Piece from Jonathan Jones. Mario agreed, but when he returned with the Star Piece, Yaridovich revealed his true identity and forced Mario to hand over his Star Piece. If Mario refused, Yaridovich would torture an old man with a tickling feather until Mario gave in. Yaridovich was to be picked up by the Axem Rangers and their battleship Blade. However, the Axem Rangers were running late. As a result, Yaridovich decided to swim away, but Jonathan Jones emerged from the sea, blocking the villain's path. Yaridovich was forced to fight Mario and his allies. Eventually, Yaridovich lost the fight and the true population of Seaside Town was freed.

Smithy ordered the Axem Rangers to take their battleship Blade to the Barrel Volcano, the location of the sixth Star Piece. Once there, the rangers not only discovered the Star Piece, but also fought Mario. However, Axem Red, the leader of the Axem Rangers, had beat Mario to the punch. Axem Red quickly grabbed the Star Piece and retreated to the battleship Blade. Mario and his allies followed. After a long battle, Mario defeated the Axem Rangers and Blade's Breaker Beam cannon. Blade began to explode after the cannon's malfunction, but Mario and his allies escaped to the nearby volcano before the battleship was destroyed.

Mario fought his way through various enemies and traps set by the Smithy Gang. Magikoopa also came to his senses, and would aid Bowser by healing him and the rest of Mario's party. Eventually, Mario reached the swordsman Boomer. After a long battle, Boomer was defeated and preferred to die a warrior's death. Then, Mario and company were brought to the top of the castle where they fought the gigantic Exor. When the party emerged victorious, Exor inhaled Mario and his allies. The group was brought to Smithy's Factory, the source of their world's troubles and the location of the last Star Piece. Mario and his allies fought their way through Smithy's forces. Mario witnessed and passed the Machine Made series, which were gray copies of Smithy's original lieutenants. Through a series of battles, Mario and friends bested the Clerk, the Manager, the Director, Gunyolk and the Factory Chief.

As it turned out, Smithy was in possession of the seventh Star Piece. Smithy attempted to talk Mario into giving up his six Star Pieces, but to no avail. Smithy knew the final conflict was inevitable and invited them to initiate combat, trying to take the rest of the Star Pieces by force. Wielding powerful magic and practical tools alike, Smithy was a fearsome and capable villain. Additionally, the Smelter continued to routinely pour out liquid metal which Smithy pounded into Shyper soldiers to help him in battle. Pounding his hammer on the ground, Smithy inadvertently shattered the factory floor, sending him and Mario's party straight to the factory basement. Once there, Smithy revealed his true from. Smithy was, in fact, a shape shifter who could mold his head into various forms. After a long and tiring battle, the heroes emerged victorious and Smithy vanished in a brilliant flash.

With Smithy defeated, his factory was no more. The Star Pieces were returned to Star Road and the power of wishes was returned to the world. Additionally, Exor dissolved into nothingness, eliminating the gateway between Smithy's dimension and Mario's world, and putting an end to the Smithy Gang.

Supreme Leader

 * Smithy

Lieutenants

 * Mack
 * Bowyer
 * Yaridovich
 * Axem Rangers
 * Axem Red
 * Axem Black
 * Axem Green
 * Axem Yellow
 * Axem Pink

Bowser's Keep

 * Boomer
 * Exor

Smithy's World

 * Count Down
 * Ding-A-Ling
 * Cloaker
 * Domino
 * Earth Link / Mad Adder

Smithy's Factory

 * Clerk
 * Manager
 * Director
 * Factory Chief
 * Gunyolk
 * Smelter

Others

 * Blade

Soldiers

 * Shyster
 * Aero
 * Springer
 * Jabit
 * Ninja
 * Mad Mallet
 * Pounder
 * Poundette
 * Shyper
 * Machine Made
 * Drill Bit

Trivia

 * Each gang member that Mario fights for a Star Piece is weapon-based. Bowyer and Yaridovich are respectively an anthropomorphic bow and spear, and Mack, the Axem Rangers, and Smithy respectively wield knives, axes, and a hammer. Although Punchinello is an anthropomorphic bomb and guards a Star Piece, he is not a member of the Smithy Gang.