Black Shy Guy (Yoshi's Story)

"-Black Shy Guy?- This Shy Guy does not look yummy. Eating him might hurt the tummy."

- Hint Block

Black Shy Guys are an aggressive type of Flying Shy Guy found in Yoshi's Story. Unlike with normal Flying Shy Guys, performing a Ground Pound near them does not affect them in any way. They seem to have a horrible taste to Yoshis because after eating one, they look disgusted and lose three petals from their Smile Meter. This also nullifies the Super Happy form when a Yoshi eats a black Shy Guy. Black and White Yoshis seem to be able to tolerate these and gain two petals. These Shy Guys first appear on Stage 3-3, Poochy & Nippy. On this level, the black Shy Guys swoop down from above the screen, dropping bombs on top of the Yoshis. This can be used to the Yoshis' advantage by causing them to break blocks. Black Shy Guys also appear on Page 6, hovering about in the air, holding spiked stones to drop on Yoshis that pass underneath them. They automatically drop them if a Yoshi ground-pounds near one.

While black versions of other Shy Guy types do not appear in the game, a black version of a normal Shy Guy has artwork. This suggests that at some point in development, they may have been intended to appear, but they are unimplemented in the final game. This is somewhat supported by the nonspecific wording of the Hint Block message regarding them.