Axe

The Axe (or ax ) is an object found in the Mario franchise of games, often appearing in castle levels.

Super Mario Bros. / Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Axes first appear in Super Mario Bros., where they appear in castle levels, where the player can defeat Bowser or his duplicates by touching the Axe, which cuts the support of the bridge Bowser is standing on and sends him falling into the lava below. If the player does not have a Fire Flower, using the Axe is the only way that the player can defeat Bowser. Axes return and work in the same way in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.

Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3
An axe reappears in Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, in the World-e level Classic World 1-4, having the same function as they did in Super Mario Bros.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe
In New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U and their Nintendo Switch ports, the axe reappears, serving the same purpose as it did in Super Mario Bros., although it is activated by a ! Switch, like in the other New Super Mario Bros. games, where the axe is replaced by a either a ! Switch or a Skull Switch.

Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
The axe reappears in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS, as the goal for Castle-style courses, with its appearance being different depending on the game style, with axes sharing the same function as seen in Super Mario Bros., though its appearance in the Super Mario Bros. style has been changed to make it taller and wider.

Super Mario Run
The axe reappears in Super Mario Run, retaining its look and function from the New Super Mario Bros. U style in Super Mario Maker.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
The axe reappears in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, where it cameos alongside a cardboard duplicate of Bowser in a Super Mario Bros.-reminiscent section of Bowser's Castle.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3
The axe reappears in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, where on the Bowser's Castle court the basketball hoop's pole is a giant Axe.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Although the axe does not appear as an item in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it being key to defeating Bowser in the older games is given an indirect reference with one of Simon Belmont's screencaps, where he is seen about to use his Axe special attack on Bowser.