Crystal King

"First I shall defeat you, and then I will present to King Bowser an iced Mario gift!"

- Crystal King

Crystal King is an enemy Mario had to face before his final confrontation with Bowser in Paper Mario. Crystal King guarded the last Star Spirit, Kalmar, in the Crystal Palace. Crystal King's body is invisible and he can also make his cloak and crown invisible too. Crystal King can fly, summon Crystal Bits and shoot ice beams. When he gets desperate, he begins copying himself and recovering HP.

Strategy
Crystal King is incredibly powerful and Mario's survival is not guaranteed. If not beaten quick enough, Crystal King will recover 20 HP at least three times. Mario should equip badges that can bypass defense, as well and multi-strike badges. Watt comes in handy because her main attack can breach defense and doesn't use FP. When Crystal King clones himself, Mario should use any multi-strike items he has (items such as Thunder Rage). The special attacks Time Out and Star Storm are also recommended.

When Mario defeats him, Crystal King says, "Oh no! The last Star Spirit!! King Bowser, forgive meeeeeeeee!!". He then spins out of control and disappears while sparks are flying away from him.

Like the other characters, Crystal King appears in the parade at the end during the credits (which is merely a way of showing all the characters who appear in it, rather than actually taking place during the game). Two Duplighosts are impersonating him, and the real Crystal King is carried away by his Crystal Bits.

Crystal Bit
Crystal Bits are jewels that belong to Crystal King. They assist him in his battle with Mario during the events of Paper Mario. They can be destroyed quickly with a multi-hitting attack, like multibounce or Thunder Rage. Crystal King can summon them several times throughout battle, using up a turn.

Although they are easily killed, it is more advantageous to leave them alive. If they are killed, Crystal King will shoot a bolt of ice at Mario, dealing 8 damage and possibly freezing him. If properly defended against, the barrage of Crystal Bits can do significantly less damage.

Trivia

 * Although probably a coincidence, there is a treasure in the game Pikmin 2 called the Crystal King.
 * The Crystal Bits both ressemble and serve a similar purpose as the Elemental Crystals to Culex in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.