Skewer

Skewers (also known as Spike Pillars) are black, spiked pillars. First appearing in Super Mario World, they can either power-down Mario, or crush him for an instant life loss. In later titles, however, the Skewers can only power-down Mario.

All Skewers are vertical in Super Mario World, but some horizontal Skewers appear in New Super Mario Bros. and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the latter of which also features very large Skewers in World 6-Tower and World 7-Castle.

In New Super Mario Bros. 2, Skewers make a reappearance, but unlike past New Super Mario Bros. installments, they only appear in one level, World 3-Tower; only horizontal Skewers are featured in the level.

Skewers also appear in New Super Mario Bros. U, where they are found only in Giant Skewer Tower. Unlike in the prequel titles, however, all the Skewers operate in the same manner as the larger Skewers in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and their lengths vary. The Skewers also appear in the New Super Luigi U level, Shish-Kebab Tower, but they move at faster rates than in New Super Mario Bros. U.

In Wario Land: Shake It!, Skewers are featured only in underwater levels. If Wario inside his Subwarine comes in contact with these, the Subwarine will take damage reducing Wario's heart health to half.

Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D also contain some Skewer-like obstacles in the temple level, Jagged Jewels.

Skewers from New Super Mario Bros. Wii make a return in the Nintendo 3DS game, Super Mario 3D Land, marking their first appearance in a 3D Mario game; they are no longer in castles, but are on airships instead. They cannot be destroyed, even while invincible; as Statue Mario or Invincible Mario (including White Tanooki Mario), they can only be stopped if run into.

These obstacles also appear in the minigame from Mario Party: Island Tour, Kabob and Weave, where players must simply avoid them.

Skewers from Super Mario 3D Land will appear in a stage based on a level from said game in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, where they rise from the water and can destroy part of the stage's platforms (which resemble those of World 1-4 from Super Mario 3D Land), as well as hitting any players who touch them.

Trivia

 * If Blue Shell Mario ducks in a Skewer's path, he won't get powered down.