Boo

"Ghosts... ...don't... ...DIE! Heh, heh, heh! Can you get out of here... ...alive?"

- Boo

The Boo (originally known as Boo Diddley) is a common enemy in the Mario series that first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3. They are a type of white spherical ghost with menacing and constantly open mouths and also small "arms" of some sort. Goombario's tattle for Igor in Paper Mario states, "He probably was a merchant before he became a Boo.", implying that current Boos may have once been living beings.

''Super Mario Bros. 3
In Super Mario Bros. 3, Boos appeared for the first time and were referred to as Boo Diddleys, a pun off the late former rock star Bo Diddley, but future games referred to them only as Boos. The Boo would shield his face if Mario or Luigi looked at it, but would start chasing if Mario or Luigi looked away. Boos are unable to be defeated, unless the two were equipped with a Hammer Bro. Suit, Koopa shell, or Starman (fireballs didn't affect Boos). The game also had Stretches, which were Boos with very long bodies that lived in the Fortresses throughout the kingdom.

''Super Mario World
In Super Mario World, there were Ghost Houses, which contained many Boos. These Boos retained their usual pattern of attack from Super Mario Bros. 3 and sometimes made faces at Mario or Luigi. The game also introduced a new sub-species of Boo, the Boo Buddy, which could take on numerous different forms. It also introduced a giant version of the Boo, the Big Boo.

''Super Mario 64
Boos make a starring appearance in the level, Big Boo's Haunt, in Super Mario 64. A bunch of Boos can be found in the Castle Gardens (holding Red Coins in the DS version). After collecting 12 Power Stars, Mario is able to enter Big Boo's Haunt. A portal to this course is hidden inside a Big Boo. After Mario attacks it once, a small cage falls out of him, and Mario can jump in. He also battles Big Boo many times here. Additionally, when the Boos look at Mario, the Boos attempt to hide by becoming partially invisible. In the invisible Boo; the player can see a Coin or a Blue Coin as this was an add-on to the Boos' physics. To defeat them, a punch or kick from behind is needed. Unfortunately for them, Mario can also easily defeat them with a ground pound.

Super Mario Bros. Deluxe
While Boos did not appear in the original, a Boo appeared in Super Mario Bros. Deluxe. It was the main enemy in the "You VS. Boo" mode. The goal was to reach the flagpole before the Boo. Sometimes, a green, red, or Black Boo appeared instead.

''Super Mario Sunshine
Boos return in Super Mario Sunshine, terrorizing the residents of Hotel Delfino. In this game, they could be stunned by F.L.U.D.D, and defeated by jumping on them. They also disguise themselves as coins, but can be told apart from the fact they aren't spinning, while real coins do spin. It turns out that Hotel Delfino has numerous mysteries, including flipping floor tiles, a magic painting, and a flipping bookcase. Mario had a tough time trekking the mysterious hotel, and solving its many mysteries. Eventually, he found King Boo in the basement of the Casino, and had to battle him. He could defeat him by throwing a Chili, which appears randomly, at him, and then throwing another piece of fruit at him. Mario had to do this three times before he finally fell. Boos could also disguise themselves as Shadow Mario, while the real Shadow Mario was running from Mario. They could be told apart from the fact that the fake Shadow Mario's are very pale, while the real one is dark blue. Their appearance had just one change, they had blue circles surrounding their black pupils.

''Super Mario 64 DS
In Super Mario 64 DS, Boos still kept the same role they did in Super Mario 64. However, Mario could find a Luigi Painting, which would take him to the Big Boo Battle level on the Balcony. After reaching the end, by following Big Boo's cackle, he finally made it to a room with a mirror at the end of it. He then has to battle Big Boo, who is hiding in one side of the mirror, and Mario must look at the mirror to see where he is. After hitting him three times, Mario gains the key to the room Luigi's trapped in, and hurries off. The "Big Boo" that captured Luigi, is heavily rumored to be actually King Boo. Yoshi cannot defeat them in this game. Ground Pounding yields no results, and eating them simply causes Yoshi to spit them back out again.

New Super Mario Bros.
Boos also appeared in New Super Mario Bros.. They were found mainly in Ghost Houses, scattered throughout the game as well as World 8-1. They appeared like they usually do, shy. The game also introduced the Balloon Boo, which were normal Boos who could suck up the air, and become much bigger (4-5 times their size). Broozer the boxing ghost appeared in the game as well.

Super Mario Galaxy
Boos make an appearance in Super Mario Galaxy as well, and are found in the Ghostly Galaxy, the Bigmouth Galaxy, the Deep Dark Galaxy, and the Sand Spiral Galaxy. Boos act in the same way that they did in previous games, such as hiding and turning transparent when Mario looks at them, and following him when he looks away. Boos can only be defeated when they are brought under a ray of light (including the Toad Brigade captain's helmet), and they cannot be defeated by Mario's spin attack or jump attack (however the spin attack can throw a Boo around Mario, knocking it off course temporarily or into a light). Strangely, if a Boo catches sight of Mario while he is in the Boo Suit, it appears to develop an attraction toward Mario. If a Boo catches up to Mario while he is in the Boo Suit, Mario loses the suit, but does not lose any health. Also, a Boo called "the Spooky Speedster" is found in two areas of the game, and Mario must race him to win a Power Star. This game also introduces a new kind of Boo, called the Bomb Boo, that is black and can be grabbed by its tongue and hammer-tossed into statues and enemies.

The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3
Boos made infrequent appearances in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, which depicted them as having a somewhat more menacing appearance. Like in the game the show was based on, Boos worked for Bowser and often aided him in causing trouble, such as in "Reign Storm", where Bowser has several Boos terrorize the new Mushroom Shopping Mall. They were referred to as 'Boodidlies'.

"Ghosts 'R' Us"
In Super Mario World, Boos, completely redesigned, appear only in the episode "Ghosts 'R' Us", in which a gang of Boos, as well as a Big Boo, appear to chase Yoshi through Wizardheimer's Haunted House.

Super Mario Adventures
In Super Mario Adventures, a horde of Boos appear to attack Mario and Luigi when they are tricked into a haunted house by Bowser and the Koopalings. Mario and Luigi become trapped by the Boos and a Big Boo, who are held at bay by being stared at in the face. Eventually, nearing exhaustion, Mario races to a nearby room, dragging Luigi and being chased by the Boos. Upon barging into this room, the Boos and Big Boo find Mario dressed as a psychiatrist with Luigi as his nurse. After some talking, Mario and Luigi manage to reform the Boos and the Big Boo, while learning they were bullied in their youth and thats why they act so nasty. These Boos and their Big Boo leader were last seen happily waving goodbye to Mario, Luigi and Yoshi as the left the haunted house, which the Boos led them out of. Boos also appear at Peach's wedding.

Mario Kart series
In the Mario Kart series, the Boo is used as an offensive and defensive item. When activated, the Boo selects a random target, steals his item and gives it to the player, then makes the player invisible and invulnerable for a short period of time. If no other players have an item, the user will only become invisible and invulnerable. In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Boo also slowed down the leader.

Boo was set to be playable in Mario Kart Wii, but was taken out of the final game in favor of King Boo, who had already appeared as a playable character in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.

''Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins
Boos were once again featured in Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins. These Boos are relatively unchanged from the previous Boos. Boos in this game were found in the Pumpkin Zone. A thrown Green Shell is enough to finish it off for good. There also is a new sub-species named Terekuribos, which are a cross-breed between Boos and Goombas. Those walk like normal Goombas, but their weaknesses are those of Boos.

Super Mario Bros. film
In the live-action Super Mario Bros. movie, several Boos can be briefly seen surrounding the Valley of Bowser from Super Mario World on a television screen in the Boom Boom Bar.

''Hotel Mario
Boos appeared in Hotel Mario, though exclusively under the name of Boo Buddies. There are two types of Boos in this game. Some stay visible and don't hurt Mario until transparency is achieved, at which they can harm the heroic plumber. The game also features the regular Boos.

''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Boos first appeared chronologically as antagonists to Yoshi in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. They were first seen in World 2, which featured numerous ghastly creatures. They were underlings for Kamek, the head of the Magikoopas, who turned one Boo into Bigger Boo, which grew in size every time he was hit by an egg. The main boss of World 2 was also a Boo-like creature, Roger the Potted Ghost, who was a normal flower pot, until Kamek made him giant, and transformed it into a living creature. Normal Boos can only be defeated when they are attacking Yoshi, so Yoshi had to bounce an egg off the wall, and into the Boo. The game also featured the Boo Blah, a spectacled Boo exclusive to this game. Big Boos appeared as well.

''Yoshi's Story
Boos reappear in Yoshi's Story in Stage 6-3: Ghost Castle. They do not act differently, although they are slightly bigger. In this game, the normal Boo was called a Big Boo, despite not being an actual Big Boo. The Ghost Castle was also home to other Boo species: namely, the Boo Block, Blindfold Boo, and others. Yoshi Sewers also had ghost platforms, along with a blue variant called a Boo Buddy.

Yoshi's Universal Gravitation
Very very few Boos were in Yoshi's Universal Gravitation. In fact, there are four missions they exist in. They follow the same tactics as normal, are in 3-D, and retain their normal laugh.

Yoshi's Island DS
Yoshi, yet again, came in contact with a few Boos in Yoshi's Island DS. Here, they are commonly found in Castles, along with other ghastly creatures. They are, yet again, working for Kamek. They attack the same as all Boos before, but, like Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, they can only be defeated if Yoshi looks away, so he must bounce an egg off of the wall. A Boo-like mid-boss, named Hector the Reflector appears as well. The Boos' laugh used in many games before is used for the boss Six-Face Sal, and even Baby Bowser.

''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
There were also Boos in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. They were found in the Kero Sewers, a sewer system full of ghastly monsters. However, they were labeled as "The Big Boo", despite being the same size as a normal Boo. In the same way, they called the Boos found at the Factory Li'l Boos but they were still the normal size. A Big Boo is a member of the Three Musty Fears.

Mario Party series
Boo also regularly appears in the Mario Party series. Boo started off as a character which helped to steal coins and stars from players when they passed by him, as well as a host for Mario Party 4. However, starting from Mario Party 5, Boo was a playable character. Mario Party 8 even featured King Boo's Haunted Hideaway as one of the boards, King Boo's first appearance in Mario Party. Boo's partner for Mario Party 3 was Yoshi, Koopa Kid in Mario Party 5 and Mario Party 6 and Dry Bones in Mario Party 7 and Mario Party 8. Boo was not a playable character in Mario Party DS and played no part in board play, but appeared as an unlockable figure, also appearing in mini-games like Boo Tag.

''Paper Mario
The Boo's Mansion in Paper Mario was a bigger version of the Super Mario World Ghost Houses, which had many puzzles involving Boos in it. The only difference, is that these Boos were kind Boos (yet, still a bit tricky). After solving these puzzles, Lady Bow, the princess of the Boos, joined Mario's party, in order to destroy Tubba Blubba, who has been terrorizing the native Boos. Mario helped her, in order to get the Star Spirit, Lady Bow had in her possession. In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Bow and Bootler are on vacation in Poshley Heights after Mario and his teammates defeat the Shadow Queen.

''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, the Boos live in a tower called Creepy Steeple. When Mario first enters the steeple there is only one Boo there. He says that he misses his friends. He will let Mario through one door (blocking him from using any other doors), where he finds a chest. When he opens it 200 Boos fly out. The last Boo asks Mario "How many Boos came out of that chest?" If Mario answers correctly the Boo will give him an Ultra Shroom. If Mario is wrong the Boo will give him one Coin. Upon returning the main room, the first Boo is still there. He asks if Mario is going to be mean to him. If Mario answers "No", a bunch of Boos (the same ones from the treasure chest) will start flying around the main room, attempting to swarm Mario. If successful, they will throw Mario out of the Steeple, exactly like the Sentinels in Tubba Blubba's Castle If Mario Spin Attacks them several times, they merge into the Atomic Boo. Once the Atomic Boo is defeated, Mario can fight Boos in other parts of the Steeple. Strangely enough, the original Creepy Steeple Boo sends a letter to Mario that thanks him for freeing his friends, despite the fact that he and his friends attacked him. He signs the letter "The Creepy Steeple Boo". The game also introduced a more powerful sub-species, the Dark Boo.

''Super Paper Mario
Boos return as enemies in Super Paper Mario.

The Arcade in Flipside houses a Boo themed shooting game. This game has you shooting Boos (Both Normal, Dark and occasionally Big Boos) to score points. A Toad frequently appears to give power ups, as long as you save him from his Boo captor.

''Luigi's Mansion
In Luigi's Mansion, the Boos were the main antagonists. King Boo sent a letter to Luigi, stating that he had won a Mansion in a contest. However, Luigi did not enter any contest, but paid no attention, and headed off. Mario went on ahead, but got captured by the King of the Boos, King Boo. Luigi had to rescue his brother from the Boos, using E. Gadd's Poltergust 3000. Luigi managed to find his brother, stuck in a painting. He ended up having to battle King Boo in order to rescue Mario. King Boo sent them to the roof of the Mansion, and used a Bowser suit to battle him. However, the suit's head could come off once a spikeball was thrown at him, and King Boo would float out, leaving him open for Luigi's Poltergust. After taking away all of his 500 HP, King Boo got turned into a painting, and Mario was restored back to his normal self. However, King Boo managed to escape.

There are 51 Boos which Luigi must suck up in the Poltergust 3000. There are 50 regular Boos, 15 of them making up Boolossus, with King Boo as the final Boo. See this section for more information about the individual Boos.

''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Boos were enemies that appeared in Bowser's Castle. Outside battle, they would hover around, attacking Mario and Luigi when they are not looking. However, they would look away if Mario or Luigi made eye contact. In battle, they would fly up into the air, and fall back down into the Mario Bros. The Boo's were unknowingly aiding Bowletta, thinking she was the actual Bowser.

''Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
During the events of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Boos appeared in Bowser's Castle of the past. Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi met a lot of them while trying to reach the end of Baby Bowser's Castle. In the field, Boos attacked the same way as they did in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, but in-battle they fought differently. They would cover their faces, but when they start to attack, the Boo will take one of its hands off one of its eyes, showing who it is about to attack. If it shows its right eye, it will attack Mario, but if it shows its left eye, it is attacking Luigi. They will appear from behind, and charge towards one of the Mario Bros. However, this could easily be countered with a jump. They also appeared during the battle with Sunnycide. After the Mario Bros. flip the egg monster over, Sunnycide could summon a Boo to attack Mario or Luigi. Dark Boos also return in the game, found in the Gritzy Caves.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong
A Boo has appeared once in Mario vs. Donkey Kong at Spooky House. They acted just like their former battle strategy, with them hiding when Mario looks at them. They will spit their tongue out at Mario if they were about to lose a life.

Mario Pinball Land
In Mario Pinball Land, Boos appear in certain areas in the game. Mario cannot hit them at the front because they will become transparent as Mario passes through them. If Mario hits one of the Boos on their backs, the Boo disappears as it is worth 2000 points. They occasionally disappear and reappear to another spot in the area.

''Super Princess Peach
Boos appeared in Princess Peach's first starring game, Super Princess Peach. They acted as normal Boos, hiding their face when Peach looked, and attacking when Peach had her back turned. However, there was an angry variety called the Mad Boo, which attacked the opposite way. They attacked when Peach looked at them ("losing their shyness"), and gander around for her when she looks away.

The Appearance of a Boo
Though their specifics change from game to game, Boos are usually bashful, cowardly, spherical ghosts. Although they are typically white in color there are sub-species of the Boo race which appear in different colors, such as pink. From Luigi's Mansion onward, it became common to picture Boos sticking out their tongues. Since Super Mario 64, Boos have been portrayed with a unique, high-pitched laugh. In actuality, this laugh is the same as Bowser's, sped up several times. However, Boos got a new laugh starting in New Super Mario Bros., being more of a haunting laugh than before. Although most species of Boo will cover their faces and become intangible when looked at, they will often sneak behind their victim and strike when their back is turned. Due to their ghostly abilities, Boos are generally invulnerable, and cannot be harmed by ordinary means of attack. While this is true, they are not invincible, and are especially vulnerable to the light. If they are exposed to a source of light, Boos are usually weakened, and in some cases they may even perish. Usually, they can also have other weaknesses. Because of their intolerance to the light, Boos will often hide if they are trapped in lit rooms. While the ghosts generally appear to be more afraid of their victims than their victim is of them, this is not always the case. Some Boos have absolutely no problem meeting their victim's gaze, and will even try to attack. Boos tend to have a taste for the fine arts, as seen in Paper Mario and Mario Party 4. The best way to defeat a Boo is to sneak behind so it cannot see the player and disappear, or to set a trap for the Boo while the player's back is turned (ie: using an item, or in Super Paper Mario, a Pixl.

Boos are often characterized by their sub-species; despite their similarities in appearance and attack manner. Boo species tend to wildly differ in size, with some such as Boo Buddies being miniature, while others such as the Atomic Boos boast gigantic size.

In Luigi's Mansion, Professor E. Gadd notes that Boos have mysterious powers that increase when they gather together in large groups. While it is difficult to stop them, they can be weakened if one is able to defeat members of the group.

Boos have few predators, their only known threat being a Clubba named Tubba Blubba. This is first seen in Paper Mario, when he began devouring Boos; this, however, may have been his revenge for the countless times the ghosts scared him.

In Paper Mario Goombario states that Boos must have strong facial muscels because of the way the surprise Toads.

Home
Boos typically make their homes in dark forests, such as the Forever Forest and Boo Woods, and tend to be most commonly found in older building such as mansions, castles, and Ghost Houses. Although most of them live in such dwellings, they also seem to enjoy wastelands. One of the only known Boo villages lies in Gusty Gulch. They are typically found en masse, because their fears make them find strength in numbers.

Allegiance
Though most Boos tend to side with King Boo, they seem to, for the most part, actually stand as neutral. For example, Boos are by now a common enemy in most side-scrolling games; however, in the Paper Mario series and now increasingly in the multiplayer games, Boos have been seen to take the side of the Mushroom Kingdom. Lady Bow, in fact, helped Mario save the kingdom in Paper Mario. In another example, the Boos in the Creepy Steeple from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door attack Mario initially, but later in the game Mario is sent a friendly letter from one of them. King Boo, on the other hand, has several times been shown to wish nothing but terrible things for Luigi (but this could be accredited to Luigi being easily scared, making him a prime target for most Boo antics).

Sub-Species

 * Atomic Boo – A giant Boo made from various other Boos combined together.
 * Balloon Boo – Boos who inhale air to become giant in size; they release this air to propel themselves forward.
 * Big Boo – Boos gigantic in size.
 * Mad Big Boo – Gigantic versions of Mad Boos.
 * Big & Little Boo – A Big Boo, which is always followed by two regular Boos.
 * Blindfold Boo – Blind Boos who rely on hearing to track victims.
 * Boo Balloon – Boos resembling blue balloons.
 * Boo Buddy – Small Boos, known to attack in swarms.
 * Boo Buddy Block – Boos who turn to stone when looked at.
 * Boo Buddy Snake – Boos who are joined together in a line.
 * Boo Guy – A ghostly Shy Guy Boo.
 * Boo Man Bluff – A blind Boo who relies on hearing to find prey.
 * Broozer – Humanoid Boos with boxing gloves which can bash through almost anything.
 * Circling Boo Buddies – A pack of Boos which travel around in a circle.
 * Dark Boo – Powerful, purple Boos.
 * Dark Dark Boo – Boos without features, who resemble shadows.
 * Disappearing Boo Buddies – A large swarm of Boos.
 * Fishin' Boo – An indestructible Lakitu Boo.
 * Calm Fishin' Boo – Lethargic Fishin' Boos, commonly found asleep.
 * Li'l Boo – Blue colored Boos encountered in the Factory.
 * Mad Boo – Enraged Boos who attack when looked at, but shy away when not looked upon.
 * Red Boo – Boos red in color, they turn into platforms when exposed to water.
 * Sleepy Boo – Large, near-invulnerable Boos commonly found sleeping.
 * Stretch – Boos inhabiting a white platform.
 * Terekuribo – A combination of a Boo and a Goomba.
 * Bomb Boo – Black Boo with yellow eyes that explodes.
 * Mini Boos – Used as items in Mario Super Sluggers.

Notable Boos

 * Bigger Boo – ''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
 * Boolossus – ''Luigi's Mansion
 * Bootler – ''Paper Mario
 * Bow – ''Paper Mario
 * Franky – ''Paper Mario
 * Herbert – ''Paper Mario
 * Igor – ''Paper Mario
 * King Boo – ''Luigi's Mansion
 * Lahla – ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Luigi's Mansion Boos – ''Luigi's Mansion
 * Peeka – ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Big Boo – ''Super Mario World
 * Stanley – ''Paper Mario
 * The Creepy Steeple Boo – ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Spooky Speedster – ''Super Mario Galaxy

Tools

 * Boo's Sheet – ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
 * Fright Bomb – ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
 * Boo Bell – ''Mario Party 2
 * Boo's Crystal Ball – ''Mario Party 4

Boo's Stats and Tattle Information, ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
In Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, these shy specters can become invisible, making it impossible to attack them for one turn. Mario should try to defeat the Boo with all haste before it can use this attack. Boos don't have much Attack power, but their ability to make themselves transparent and their fairly solid HP ensure that the Boo is no pushover.

Boos in battle also have the ability to make themselves float high in the air (preventing ground attacks such as hammers) and sometimes are found holding Mini Mr. Minis. When seen in the audience, they may throw Boo's Sheets for Mario, or they may float on-stage, choose any character in the battle at random, and make that character invisible for one turn.

Lil' Boo's Stats, ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

 * HP 66
 * Attack 120
 * Defense 20
 * Magic Attack 74
 * Magic Defense 120

The Big Boo's Stats, ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

 * HP 43
 * Attack 18
 * Defense 0
 * Magic Attack 18
 * Magic Defense 24

''Mario Superstar Baseball Information

 * Type: Technique
 * Starting Team Captain: Wario
 * Status: Player
 * Stats:
 * Batting: 3/10
 * Pitching: 8/10
 * Fielding: 2/10
 * Running: 4/10
 * Player Profile:
 * Strength: Pitching
 * Special Talents: Super Jump
 * Trajectory:
 * Field: Center
 * Height: Normal
 * Star Pitch: Curveball
 * Star Swing: Center
 * Sweet Spot: The Boo face on the bat
 * Compatible Relationships: Wario, Magikoopa, King Boo
 * Bio: "Bowser's underling ghost. Behind the scary face lies a very shy soul. Look most Boos in the eyes and they'll cover their faces...but turn around and they'll attack you! Boos confuse their enemies by flickering in and out of the visible realm, appearing at inconvenient times."

''Mario Hoops 3 on 3

 * Type: Technique
 * Special Shot: Thriller Dunk
 * Letter to Tap: B

Mario Party DS

 * Trophy: This ghostly creature is a common sight. Do you think he's a nice guy? Ask him. He's right behind you.

Mario Party 7 Info

 * Partner: Dry Bones
 * Special Orb: Magic/Surprise

Quotes

 * Check those bubbles coming out of his nose! – ''SMRPG
 * Time for the six o' clock Boos! – ''Luigi's Mansion

Trivia

 * Boos seem to be scared of themselves when they look in a mirror.
 * Boo's Mario Strikers Charged Football outfits resembles the Spooky Speedster's outfit.
 * In Mario Kart Wii, an image of Boo and Dry Bones can be seen on a billboard on the Wii Bowser's Castle track.