Smithy



"Then we could get rid of all wishes and create a world filled with...WEAPONS!!"

- Smithy

Smithy is the diabolical leader of the Smithy Gang, an organization that attempted to take over the world during the events of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. To do this, Smithy tried to eliminate the power of wishes from the world and, additionally, fill the world with his weapons. He is a gray mechanical monstrosity that wears a gold crown and has a long, white beard. As such, he resembles a diabolical Santa Claus. He hails from another dimension, a dimension that is accessible by the gateway Exor. In his dimension, he resides in his Factory, where, day and night, Smithy creates mechanical monsters to be unleashed against the peaceful people of other dimensions.

The Initial Invasion
At the start of his invasion of the Mushroom World, Smithy ordered the sword Exor to occupy Bowser's Keep. Once there, Smithy established his base of operations in Bowser's Keep (however, Smithy's Factory was still the main headquarters of the Smithy Gang). During the battle that ensued, Bowser's forces were either eliminated or had defected to the Smithy Gang. With the Koopa Troop out of the picture, Smithy set his sights on the rest of the world.

Additionally, during the initial invasion, Exor accidentally shattered the Star Road, the source of wishes in the world. Although he did not know this at the time, without the power of wishes in play, Smithy would have an easier time conquering the planet.

Weapons and Wishes
Once Bowser's Keep was occupied, Smithy sent out his various lieutenants to terrorize the people of the world and to recover the Star Pieces needed to restore the power of wishes to the world. Smithy did not want anyone returning the Star Pieces to Star Road. His lieutenants did as follows:


 * The knife monster Mack conquered the Mushroom Kingdom and acquired the first Star Piece.


 * The bow creature Bowyer attacked the people of Rose Town with poisoned arrows and found the second Star Piece.


 * The bomb creature Punchinello held the third Star Piece in the Moleville Mines; but he was not a member of Smithy's gang.


 * Oddly, Smithy didn't send any of his lieutenants to recover the fourth Star Piece on Star Hill.


 * The spear monster Yaridovich occupied Seaside Town and took the fifth Star Piece, which was previously guarded by Jonathan Jones.


 * Lastly, the Axem Rangers claimed the sixth Star Piece from Barrel Volcano, which was previously guarded by Czar Dragon.

However, all of Smithy's operations were foiled by Mario and his allies Mallow, Geno, Princess Peach, and (strangely enough) King Bowser. Occupied towns were liberated and the Star Pieces fell into the hands of Mario's party.

First Encounter
Eventually, Mario's band of heroes liberates Bowser's Keep and enter Smithy's dimension via Exor. Once there, they plan to eliminate the threat of Smithy and his weapons once for all. The heroes battle past mechanical minions and the factory's management staff, eventually reaching the supreme leader of the Smithy Gang in his forge. Smithy is busy creating new weapons when Mario and company first meet him. As it turns out, Smithy had the last Star Piece embedded in his body, to prevent anyone from restoring the power of wishes to the world. Smithy calmly asks Mario to turn over his Star Pieces, and when Mario refuses, an epic battle commences.

Smithy has a variety of physical and magical attacks at his disposal. For starters, the mechanical leader wields a giant metal sledgehammer in battle, which he uses with his right hand. The fingers of his left hand have been fitted with small projectile launchers which he uses to fire bullets at Mario and his allies. Smithy also commands great magical power. He can summon a giant wooden sledgehammer to drop from the ceiling and crush all of Mario's allies. Additionally, Smithy can summon powerful meteors to attack Mario's party.

In battle, Smithy is aided by the creature Smelter. Smelter produces hot liquid metal from his mouth which Smithy then shapes into the mechanical minions known as Shypers. Shypers are one of the strongest minions in the Smithy Gang. Once created, Shypers automatically begin attacking Mario's party. As such, it is wise for Mario and his allies to defeat Smelter first, cutting off Smithy's unlimited supply of soldiers. After that, the heroes can focus their attacks on the diabolical Smithy.

The Final Battle


Eventually, Mario and company defeat Smithy in combat. The mechanical leader becomes infuriated and begins slamming the floor with his sledgehammer. A few of his minions arrive, begging him to calm down and to stop smashing the floor (as it was just built the day before). However, an enraged Smithy ignores their warnings and keeps pounding the floor. As a result, the floor collapses; and Mario, his allies, and the diabolical Smithy fall into the basement of the factory. Once there, Smithy reveals his true form: he is not a bearded mechanical monster, he is a shape-shifter. Although his body remains the same, Smithy can use his sledgehammer to morph his head. Smithy has five heads that he can change into:


 * The Normal Head, which he uses to switch to the other heads.
 * The Tank Head, which has extremely powerful physical attacks.
 * The Magic Head, which wields the most destructive magical attacks in the game.
 * The Mask Head, used for increased protection and defense.
 * And the Treasure Box Head, which attacks Mario's party with a random status ailment.

In this shape-shifting form, Smithy is nearly invincible. However, after a long and grueling battle, the courageous heroes overcome the many forms of Smithy, overloading Smithy's body with heat. Ultimately, Smithy self-destructs, the last Star Piece is recovered, and peace returns to Mushroom World.

Personality
Smithy is largely megalomaniacal and highly ill-tempered, as shown by his fit of rage upon being defeated the first time by Mario and his allies, which culminated in him destroying his recently built headquarters. Smithy appears largely apathetic as well, not caring about the destruction he causes and the fact that he stopped the wishes and dreams of others to go unfulfilled, additionally, in the aforementioned fit of rage, Smithy apparently destroyed three of his henchmen who were simply trying to calm him down.

Another defining trait of Smithy's is his obsession with weapons. While his body seems to be built as an actual robot, all of his servants are modeled after weapons of some kind.

Trivia

 * Smithy likely gets his name from blacksmith, a term used to describe one who forges metals to create objects. Another possibility is his name being directly derived from a "smithy," the workplace of a blacksmith.


 * Because Exor is the first member of Smithy's gang to be seen in the game and because he introduces the gang to Mario, it is not uncommon for players to believe at first that Exor is Smithy, rather than one of his lieutenants.


 * Smithy was a character nominated for "Best Villain" in the 1996 Nintendo Power Awards. He received third place. Smithy lost to Bowser (from Super Mario 64) who received second place, and Boba Fett (from Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire) who received first place.


 * During Mario and his party's final battle with Smithy (which takes place in the dungeon of his Factory) several robotic heads that look identical to Smithy's are seen.


 * Smithy is the first Mario villain that posed as a threat to Bowser.


 * Smithy apparently survived after his defeat at the hands of Mario and his allies, as he was last seen in the ending parade pounding Mack, Bowyer, and Yaridovich with his hammer.


 * Smithy is one of the few Mario villains who does not appear before Mario before the final battle, and is not even shown in a cutscene.