Gus

"Stay down, Bro!"

- Gus

Gus is a relatively tough enemy found during the events of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. He is a member of the Robbo Gang of eastern Rogueport, along with his brother Garf and his associate Goose. Gus can be found outside of Professor Frankly's office, guarding the passageway to the farthest eastern are of Rogueport. Gus is the only member of the Robbo Gang that the player can battle in the game. Gus can be fought literally at any time during the game; however, he can only be fought once.

Biography
Though not much is known about Gus's history prior to Mario's arrival to Rogueport, the duration of time Mario spent in Rogueport can unravel some of Gus's history, particularly with his relationship to other members of the Robbo Gang as well as members of the Pianta Syndicate. The very first time Gus is seen is during a cinema in the game's Prologue. As Toadsworth informs Mario of Princess Peach's vanishment, the player can see an additional cinema in the background pertaining to the Robbos and the Piantas. As Gus and Garf, his brother, are walking through Rogueport Plaza, Tony and Vinny &mdash; members of the Pianta Syndicate &mdash; begin to assault Gus and Garf, knocking Garf to the ground. As the two Piantas take off towards West Rogueport, Gus and Garf flee back to eastern Rogueport, cursing out the Piantas on their way.

Gus was not seen again until Mario and his partner see him guarding the entrance to the far eastern area of Rogueport. Gus then inquires Mario and his partner, asking if they would like to pass through the entrance. He gives them the option to say "No", "I'll pay", or "I can take you!". If Mario says "No", then Gus will not allow him to pass through the entrance; should Mario say, "I'll pay", Gus will allow Mario to pass through the entrance once for a toll of ten coins; if Mario is willing to fight Gus, they will engage in battle. If Mario defeats Gus in battle, Gus will go back to Ishnail's hideout to guard Ishnail. Mario would never again have to pay a toll. However, if Mario instead gives Gus the ten coins, the plumber will have to pay the toll every time he wants to enter eastern Rogueport (until he defeats Gus in combat, if ever).

Battle Technique
In battle, Gus attacks using his sharp spear. Gus will either charge towards Mario or his partner, ramming into them with his spear, or he will hurdle a spear at the player, inflicting the same amount of damage. Mario cannot jump on top of Gus because of his spear; instead, he must attack Gus with his hammer. In the same manner, Goombella cannot Headbonk Gus. Rather, the only attack she can perform on Gus is Tattle because she makes no direct contact with Gus. However, Koops can attack Gus, because he attacks enemies from the side while hiding in his shell. Bobbery, Vivian, and Ms. Mowz can also attack Gus, because they attack from the side as well. However, this is only if Gus is still available for battle when the player acquires them as partners.

If Mario reaches five HP while fighting Gus, he will advise Mario to flee, rather than stay and continue to fight. Gus is the only enemy in the entire game who will actually provide the player with advice in the battle.

Physical Appearance
Like other Craws, Gus appears with a rosy hue to his skin in addition to his gray beak. His ears are light gray in color. Gus also has a tail that appears to be made of feathers, though it is the same hue as his skin. He also appears to have some facial hair poking from his cheeks. He wears a light green hat with a pale white stripe running through it's middle, horizontally; his vest is the same shad of green, though it lacks a stripe. He wears a dark olive bandanna around his neck, which hangs low, covering some of his body that his vest does not. His trousers are an extremely dark gray, covering his body from his stomach to his ankles. He wears no shoes; he walks around barefoot like almost all other citizens of Rogueport. He also wears white bands around both of his wrists.

His spear is identical to all other Craws'. It is made up of a long, brown wooden pole for the handle; its pointed end is a diamond-shaped silver spear tied to the wooden pole with rope. This spear is Gus's only weapon; he carries it with him at all times.

Personality
Though Gus is considered an enemy in the game, he lacks the ruthless, heartless traits of most enemies. After being defeated, Gus can be found in the Robbos hideout behind Admiral Bobbery's house. The player can talk to him any time he or she wishes at this point. Gus is found alongside Garf, guarding Ishnail. He appears to show loyalty towards his boss, as he was not only willing to stand around all day and take tolls for him, but he also immediately directed his attention to guarding Ishnail in his hideout. Gus has a fairly calm personality, despite being a bodyguard. When he talks to Mario, he compliments him on being a strong fighter, thus showing kindness towards the plumber. However, it is unknown if he acts kindly to all people he converses with, or if it is just Mario.

Field Tattle
''That's Gus. He's a part of that band of thieves who call themselves the Robbos. He looks like a total maniac, but he's actually a nice guy. Don't judge books by covers!''

Trivia

 * Gus can only be battled once, but unlike all other enemies that can be battled only once, he is not a semi-boss; as such, the player can flee from his battle at any time.
 * Gus is the only enemy that can be fought in Rogueport's overworld.
 * If fought at level one, Gus will give the player the same amount of Star Points as the Prologue boss, Blooper.
 * Though Gus, a member of the Robbos, can be fought, no member of the Pianta Syndicate can be fought.