Dry Bones Shell

The Dry Bones Shell is an item in Super Mario Maker 2, available in the editor as an alternate object to Dry Bones. Unlike Buzzy Shells and Spiny Shells, Dry Bones Shells are upside down and cannot be worn on the head. Instead, they can be worn by Mario in a similar way to a Goomba's Shoe and are used to float across liquid hazards (including lava and poison), ground pound, and become invulnerable temporarily by turning into a pile of bones. Additionally, they can be kicked, though they break upon hitting a wall.

The Dry Bones Shell is the only possible means of Ground Pounding in the Super Mario World game style. Much like giant Goomba's Shoes, Ground Pounding with a Dry Bones Shell instantly defeats boss enemies, even Bowser, as if a Thwomp, a Muncher, or a solid object landed on top of them. The only enemies that cannot be defeated with a Dry Bones Shell are Thwomps, Munchers (both of which are instead treated as terrain), the Angry Sun, and Phantos produced from Cursed Keys (both of which still damage the player).

When a Dry Bones Shell is placed or kicked underwater, it floats towards the surface instead of sink down like other items; when worn, the player acts as if they grabbed an item: the player cannot use the jump buttons to swim, but they float towards the surface when not inputting any buttons, and can also manually float by pressing or sink by pressing.

In the story mode, Undodog gives Mario the job Swamp Escape by Shell!, which when completed gives Undodog a big Dry Bones Shell as a doghouse. Another job called Secret of the Dry Bones Shell focuses on the shell as well.

Even though there are Dry Bones in the Super Mario 3D World style, the Dry Bones Shell is not available in that game style.

In the climax of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Invincible Luigi briefly uses a Dry Bones Shell from a defeated Dry Bones as a shield.

Super Mario Maker 2

 * North American website bio: "Even lava doesn’t faze the Dry Bones Shell. Play dead for a sec and you’ll be temporarily invincible!"