Thwomp

"Rats, I missed! Ohh, I hate it when I miss!"

- Thwomp

Thwomps are rock creatures and baddies found mostly in the Mushroom Kingdom. They are spike-encrusted living stones, usually shaped rectangularly, that made their first appearance in the game Super Mario Bros. 3. They typically attempt to flatten or squash whoever passes below them using their own weight. Sometimes, they will be moving side-to-side. They can only be defeated by being touched by Mario when he is power-upped with a star, a raccoon or tail whipe, and hammers from Hammer Mario. It is suggested in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time that Thwomps may in fact be born from volcanoes.

Super Mario Bros. 3
Thwomps made their debut appearance in the game Super Mario Bros. 3. In this game, they had an unusually mad expression on their faces. They would usually try to squish Mario under their weight whenever he passed beneath them. Thwomps were possible to avoid easily by using the Statue Mario ability. With this, it was impossible for Thwomps to destroy Mario by crashing against him from above. They return in the game's remake, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 in the same fashion as the older Thwomps. They obviously feature improved graphics and retake their especially mad expressions. Curiously, these Thwomps have a kind of "bigger spike" on top of their forehead, separated from the rest of the body by what looks like a small ribbon of sorts. This spike is prominent in appearance but has no effect in the game. It is also worth noting that these Thwomps, instead of having their eyes separated, have both eyes as glowing dots in a black space. This is most probably due to palette and space limitations. This also explains why they look pale blue in the Nintendo version of Super Mario Bros. 3.

There are two ways two defeat Thwomps in this game. The first way is by throwing a Hammer from the Hammer Suit at a Thwomp. The second way is by using the Tanooki Suit and Statue Mario. In certain levels, it is possible to get above a Thwomp while it is down. While it is down, if the player jumps above the Thwomp and uses Statue Mario, he or she will destroy it, giving the player 200 points.

Super Mario World
Thwomps, alongside a few enemies such as Boos and Nipper Plants are some of the few Super Mario Bros. 3-introduced enemies that keep appearing in later games. Thwomp itself make a new appearance in Super Mario World, now redesigned and recolored due to the expansion of the palette. Unlike old Thwomps, they are now gray-colored and have lost the prominent spike on top of their head; now all spikes are looking the same and are the same size, relatively. They retake their role as the smashers of whatever walks or moves beneath them, and will try to squish it without a second thought. Their speed is almost unaffected, and usually take a few seconds to rise up to their original place once again. This gives the player a chance to run below them.

Thwomps have their first sub-species in Super Mario World with the inclusion of Thwimps. They are smaller versions of Thwomps that roam around, usually in small hallways, and often come in groups. They are, just like Thwomps, invincible and are usually only used as obstacles that slow the player down.

Curiously, Thwomps still have their eyes connected and their pupils being but small dots of glowing white, although the official art clearly shows their eyes looking different. This was probably to familiarize players with their old physical appearance.

Thwomps also return in most compilations made for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, such Super Mario All-Stars, as well as the Satellaview's BS Super Mario Collection.

Super Mario Kart
Thwomps make their first appearance in a spin-off game in Super Mario Kart for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Thwomps shine as being obstacles in the race track. They appear prominently in the track of Bowser Castle, and also appear in the track Rainbow Road.

These are the first Thwomps to not feature spikes at all. They are plain blocks of rectangular-shaped stones (setting them apart from the more modern square-shaped ones) and, once again, have their eyes as glowing white dots in a dark space. Also, these Thwomps feature cheeks, something that has not been implemented to date.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Thwomps act as obstacles and cannot be fought like normal enemies. A Thwomp would attempt to crush Mario if he walked by, knocking the plumber unconscious for a short period of time. Additionally, if Mario is standing on a staircase and Thwomp crashes to the ground, the plumber will tumble backwards down the stairs. Thus Mario must jump up the staircase quickly before Thwomp has a chance to strike. Additionally, one Thwomp in Booster Tower rests on a teeter-totter. When Mario hops on the other end, the Thwomp will fly up, smash its own end, and send Mario soaring high up in the air.

Physically, Thwomps look much like they first looked back in Super Mario Bros. 3. Although a bit gloomier and darker, fitting the Super Mario RPG graphical style, Thwomps return full-spiked and with a prominent spike on their head. These Thwomps are also the first ones to finally have their eyes correctly depicted as they look in the official art. Also, this would become the first 3D-looking Thwomp in history.

Super Mario 64
Thwomps returned in Super Mario 64. This time, though, Thwomps return in a much different fashion, and look more like they did in Super Mario Kart. These Thwomps are square-shaped, dark sky blue-colored and have no spikes. They, as before, are impossible to destroy and serve as obstacles throughout the game. This time around, though, Mario could also use Thwomps to his advantage by jumping on top of them to reach higher areas or unreachable points. Thwomps were especially featured in Whomp's Fortress, which also featured new Thwomp-like creatures known as Whomps. A single Thwomp also appears in Tick Tock Clock. Additionally, a new species of Thwomp, the Grindel, makes its debut in Super Mario 64. These creatures are huge, wooden-looking dark blocks with a different face expression on each side of their cube-shaped body that do nothing but roll around trying to squish whoever passes near them. They were especially prominent in Shifting Sand Land.

Thwomps returned in the same fashion in the Super Mario 64 Japanese-only Shindou Version.

In the DS remake of Super Mario 64, Super Mario 64 DS, the spike-less version of Thwomp was absent from the game and replaced by the regular spiked version, though Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Yoshi were still able to stand on top of them to reach higher points, having the same pros and cons as the spike-less Thwomps. This suggests that the spikes may be merely ornamental, or that these Thwomps are of a variety whose spikes are not as sharp. This time around, however, Thwomps could be defeated with the assistance of a Super Mushroom.

Mario Kart 64
Thwomps get their second appearance in a spin-off game in Mario Kart 64, released in 1997 for the Nintendo 64. Just like in its predecessor, Super Mario Kart, Thwomps serve as obstacles in the course. They appear in the stage of Bowser's Castle and try to flatten any player that races beneath them. They are often placed in strategical points so that the player is forced to pass under them in order to continue. The results of being flattened by a Thwomp are devastating: The player must wait a few second for their character to return to normal. There are also some Thwomps that go from one side to the other, trying to bump players on the ground. The version present in this game is the one seen in Super Mario 64, that is, the blue square-shaped stone that lacks spikes. Also there was a special green Thwomp known as Marty who was caged up and laughed when you got close, if you got past the cage, the ground was not solid.

This game may also be notable as the first time Thwomp's have made any sound other than grunts, as some of them laugh as the Players race through the area they are in.

Mario Party Series
Thwomps have been active non-playable characters in the Mario Party series. They usually appear in mini-games or as obstacles in the different boards, but have also appeared as items.

In Mario Party, Thwomps appeared as board obstacles as well as mini-game obstacles. In the mini-game Running of the Bulb, Thwomps served as obstacles that did the best a Thwomp can do - try to squish the player, stunning him or her temporarily. The stone baddies also had a small appearance in the mini-game Skateboard Scamper, trying to slow down the player. Thwomps were also obstacles in Yoshi's Tropical Island. In here, the player had to pay a determined number of coins to pass through the area which the Thwomp was guarding. They usually covered shortcuts that took faster to the star in dispute. Thwomp was also part of the celebration of the winner in this game. They followed the 2nd are 3rd Place.

In Mario Party 2, Thwomps return in the same fashion as before. They would block paths in boards such as Pirate Land, forcing the players to pay if they wanted to take the route. In the board Western Land, if a player landed in a Happening Space, they could trigger a Thwomp event. This Thwomp would chase the player to the other side of the board, as well as any other player found in the way. Thwomps also appeared in several mini-games besides the ones that were transferred from Mario Party 1. One of those games was Day at the Races, in which Thwomp was one of the selectable CPU-controlled racers. Thwomp had the ability to jump forwards at great speeds, but it would then stomp the floor and it would take a little time for it to jump once again..

In Mario Party 3, Thwomps do the same as earlier games and present the same physical appearance. In this game, Thwomp was highly featured in the board Creepy Cavern. Thwomp would either stop players and offer them to ride the mine cart for 5 coins, or he would chase players from one side of the board to the other when they stepped on a ? Space positioned over the cart's tracks. As usual, Thwomp also got featured in mini-games; but it got its own mini-game in Thwomp Pull, a 1 vs. 3 mini-game in which Thwomps pulled the player through the snow and would only obey if the player pressed the correct series of buttons.

A Thwomp also was a partner of Duel Mode of Mario Party 3. It was nobody's initial partner, but could be obtained in the roulette. Thwomps has low HP, but had the ability to destroy the enemy in a single hit, becoming one of the most dangerous, but at the same time, less reliable partners of this game.

By Mario Party 4, Thwomp achieved a much bigger and influential role in the game, alongside its cousin Whomp. In this game, it hosts a series of bonus mini-games. These mini-games are Mega Board Mayhem, Mini Board Mad-Dash, Challenge Booksquirm and Panel Panic. The first two challenged the player to get as many coins as possible without the use of mini-games. The third one was the Booksquirm mini-game, except it challenged the player to see how many pages it could pass without getting squashed. The fourth one consists of a survival 4-player experience involving Dice Blocks. Thwomp also said he built the board from the first two himself, and that it took him several months. Besides this special role, Thwomp retook his role as a board obstacle and a mini-game Non-Playable character. In the mini-game The Great Deflate, a rubber, transparent blue-colored Thwomp appears. The mini-game consists of deflating these Thwomps, known as Inflatable Thwomps.

Thwomp returns with a reduced role in Mario Party 5. It appears in a single game board, Pirate Land, in which Thwomp gave the players a lift the a higher point of the board for ten coins. In mini-games, Thwomps weren't especially featured either. In Vicious Vending, they are one of the possible prizes the player can get from the machine, although it makes the player lose. In Squared Away, Thwomps would surround the fighting area and would chase the loser or losers once the mini-game was over.

In Mario Party 6, Thwomp became even less recurring by losing active roles in game boards or background elements. In mini-games, Thwomps still didn't get featured much. There's a Thwomp that squishes the player when someone chooses the wrong card in Odd Card Out. In the mini-game Tricky Tires, Thwomps return as the usual obstacle that stops your car from advancing. There's also a Thwomp in the mini-game Sumo of Doom-o, which stomps the ground for devastating effects. In Cog Jog, Thwomp would also stomp the floor, but this time, this would change the cog's spinning direction. In Shoot Yer Mouth Off, saying "Zero" into the microphone triggers three Thwomps to fall in random locations of the area. In Speak Up, Thwomp is one of the "objects" to be counted in the Comparison Quiz. Additionally, Thwomp appears as an Orb that can be obtained in the game board. Players that passed under the designated Thwomp Orb space were crushed, ending their turn. Throughout the game, you can only see the spike-less version of the Thwomp.

Thwomp once again returns in Mario Party 7, but suffers a transitional physical change. They get to look more like they did in the days of Super Mario Bros. 3, although their expression is severely different (looks more mad than the official art), and their prominent spike is gone, arguably making them look more bland. They are once again gray and possess most of the characteristics of the old Thwomps. Despite this physical change, Thwomps aren't able to return to game boards and are stuck with the same roles as Mario Party 6. In the mini-game Take Me Ohm, Thwomps activate the Ohms that are shot at players. In Spin Off, one of the characters to be formed is a Thwomp. Also, the Thwomp Orb returns doing the same as in Mario Party 6. The difference is, obviously, the design - Thwomps look accordingly to their new image.

In Mario Party 8, Thwomp is once again absent from game boards, and it sticks to its look shown in Mario Party 7. They still appear in mini-games, though. In Balancing Act, Thwomps appear as obstacles in the course. They also make an appearance in Cardiators as one of the cards. Thwomps are also racers in the game Moped Mayhem. Thwomp is also featured in the Thwomp Candy, an item that turns the player into a giant stone head of itself and that gets to take half the coins of another character they met while in this state. Whomp, however was found on King Boo's Haunted Hideaway blocking a path and refused to go away until someone paid it 10 coins, similar to Mario Party 2. Also a Whomp was part of the traps to defeat the 3 players in Thrash 'n' Crash. Thwomps and Whomps are seen in Spector Inspector.

Paper Mario Series
Two Thwomps appeared in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, both of which asked several questions in a game-show manner in order to test Mario. If Mario guessed five questions correctly before getting three incorrectly, an important area or item was revealed to Mario. If the player failed the quiz, they summoned enemies which would attack the player. One Thwomp was found over the entrance of Shhwonk Fortress, the other, rather robotic-looking Thwomp was inside the X-Naut Fortress.

In Super Paper Mario, Thwomps serve again as obstacles, and are found in a underground area below Yold Town.

New Super Mario Bros.
Thwomps reappeared in the DS game New Super Mario Bros., where they could be found in many of the Towers and Castles, and acted just like they did in Super Mario Bros. 3. Much like in Super Mario Bros. 3, these Thwomps could be defeated. Ways of killing it included Shell Dashing, Mega Mushroom or Starmen. A bigger variety called Super Thwomp was also featured here, with extra weight to break certain blocks, but with the same weaknesses as a normal Thwomp.

Mario & Luigi Series
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, two Thwomps appeared in the Hammerhead Bros.'s cave. When Mario and Luigi won their mini-game, they could learn one of the secret Bros. Attacks, Swing Bros. and Cyclone Bros.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time shows a female Thwomp named Mrs. Thwomp, who strangely looks like a huge boulder instead of the normal block shape. She, along with her husband, Mr. Thwomp, appears at Thwomp Volcano. The Thwomp Bros. inside the Volcano challenge the Mario Bros. to mini-games. There's many different prizes you can win from these mini-games. An unamed Thwomp also appears to help the Mario Bros. descend into the depths of the Volcano. When the volcano erupts again, he gets sent flying off onto the Shroob Mothership.

One trailer of Mario & Luigi 3 shows a Bone Thwomp.

Super Mario Galaxy
Thwomps appear in  Super Mario Galaxy. In this game they appear much larger then in previous games, and are once again spiked. They generally do the same thing they do in other games, waiting until the player gets close and it will smash into the ground. If the player gets crushed, Mario will lose a life regardless of how much health the player has. In this game, they seem to be more powerful then they ever had in the Mario series. They are also somewhat larger, and do not make a noise unlike Super Mario 64 or the Mario Party series, where they make low-pitched grumbles when they talk or hit the ground.

Other Series
In the Mario Kart series, Thwomps can be seen on the Bowser's Castle, courses, and the Rainbow Road course from Super Mario Kart where they try to squish or block racers. Thwomps have also made many appearances in the Mario Party series, as items, like the Thwomp Orb. Also a Thwomp appeared as a partner in the Duel Mode of Mario Party 3. It did not have actual power, but would simply destroy the enemy's partner. It had two HP.

A few Thwomps appeared in Mario Superstar Baseball as obstacle in Koopa Castle (once it's unlocked.) They try to stop any of the players from making a homerun. They also appear in the unlockable mini-game Star Dash and try to smash anyone who is beneath them. If a player gets smashed by a Thwomp they will lose some of their coins. In Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Thwomps appear as obstacles in the Bowser courses. They reappear as obstacles in Mario Golf: Advance Tour.

Cameos
Thwomps made cameo appearances in the The Legend of Zelda 1993 game, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, and the 1998 incarnation, Link's Awakening DX. In these games, Thwomps are enemies found usually in dungeons. Although they have the Thwomp essence in them, these Thwomps are quite different to the previously seen ones. There are four types of Thwomps in this game. The most well-known one is a Cyclops Thwomp. These have small spikes beneath their chins and on the sides, but above they are perfectly plain. Unlike older Thwomps, these also feature a single eye. They are, additionally, brownish in color.

The second type of Thwomp is strictly linked to the third - they are both simple perfectly square-shaped stones, one being red and the other blue. While red ones look quite angry and unhappy, blue looks jolly and surprised. One moves up and down and the other from side to side, respectively. Finally, Thwimps return as well in two flavors: blue and red, which are both cyclops. The blue one has a big, surprised-like eye which is probably resembling the giant blue one with one eye and no mouth. The red one has the angry cyclops eye from the large Brown one. These seem to resemble the large red one.

Thwomps could not be destroyed in either game. To pass them, the player had to use the Pegasus Boots and run below them as fast as possible, or else be damaged if too slow.

Variations

 * Grindels: Mummified Thwomps seen in Shifting Sand Land of Super Mario 64.
 * Spindels: Rolling pin-like Grindels that attempt to squish Mario in Super Mario 64.
 * Thwimps: Small versions of Thwomps found only in Super Mario World. They jump from side to side.
 * Tromps - Circular Thwomps from Paper Mario and Super Paper Mario who roll down slopes in an attempt to crush Mario.
 * Whomps: Stone blocks that appear to be related to Thwomps. They attack by attempting to crush Mario.
 * Inflatable Thwomps - Blue Thwomps made of rubber that have appeared in the mini-game The Great Deflate in Mario Party 4.

Notable Thwomps

 * Mrs. Thwomp: A female Thwomp. She is married to Mr. Thwomp. She is always very angry.
 * Mr. Thwomp: Mrs. Thwomp's calm husband.
 * Thwomp Bros.: Two Thwomps that challenge the Mario Bros. to complete their mini-games.

Appearances in other media
Although no real Thwomps appeared in the Super Mario Bros. movie, a neon sign for a store with their name appeared; this sign said "Thwomp Stompers".

Cartoons Thwomps made a few minor appearances in the The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, serving as guards in Kastle Koopa during the episode "Never Koop a Koopa". Several Thwomps were also shown to inhabit the Underground Maze of Pipes in the episode "Misadventures in Babysitting".

Thwomps also made a few minor appearances in the Super Mario World television series, mainly serving as guards in the Neon Castle. In "Send in the Clown", Thwomps were utilized to prevent the Cave People from leaving Bowser's circus by blocking off the exits.

Trivia

 * A spikeless Thwomp is one of the types of stones Kirby can transform into in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, using the Stone move.