Merfle

The Merfles are a species that appear in Wario Land: Shake It!. They are the residents of the Shake Dimension, living under the rule of Queen Merelda. However, when the Shake King took over the Shake Dimension, he imprisoned all but one of the Merfles inside a cage called a Merfle Barrel. The escaped Merfle begs Wario to help his people. Though Wario disagrees at first, the Merfle tells him that there is a great treasure that he can have if he frees them from the reign of the Shake King. Wario agrees and his adventure begins.

The Merfles are the creatures that Wario has to rescue in each level of the game. They are usually found near the end of the level in a tough cage made by the Shake King himself. To free the Merfles, Wario must grab the cage and shake it in order for it to collapse, thus freeing them. In most cases, they also act as guides after that to help Wario race back to the said level's entrance before the timer hits zero.

They come in a variety of different colors including blue, yellow, brown, black, white, purple, and turquoise. One singular green Merfle appears in the game; he is the escaped Merfle that tells Wario of the Shake King's attack on the Shake Dimension.

They are similar in concept and design to the Spritelings of Wario World, as they were another colorful, fairy-like, people that needed rescuing.

''Wario Land: Shake It!

 * Player's Guide (page 35): The Merfles, Queen Merelda's loyal friends, have also been captured. One waits for Wario to fre it at the end of each stage, and will helpfully show him the way out of the level once rescued.

Names in other languages
Merpino Mürfel