Not to be confused with Big Bullet Bill.
Banzai Bill
BanzaibillNSMBU.png
A Banzai Bill from New Super Mario Bros. U
First appearance Super Mario World (1990)
Latest appearance The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Variant of Bullet Bill
Variants
Relatives
Comparable
“GWAHAHA! I've got an army of Banzai Bills guarding this place! I'm hoping they'll surprise Mario by sneaking up behind him.”
Father of Name Withheld, Super Mario Maker 2

Banzai Bills (also called Boomer Bills and Bomber Bills[1]) are a larger variety of Bullet Bills that first appear in Super Mario World. Their attack pattern usually consists of shooting from off-screen (though occasionally, players can see them being fired from Banzai Bill Cannons) where a firing sound is played to alert players that they are incoming, and they travel toward players in a straight line. To avoid them, players can either jump on higher platforms or duck in lower areas of the stage. As with all Bullet Bill varieties, jumping on them or using a star on them are the only ways to defeat them, as they are immune to fireballs and break out very quickly if they are frozen with ice balls. While Banzai Bills share the same black coloration and physical characteristics as Bullet Bills, Banzai Bills lack arms and have a mouth in the form of a shark smile. They are the second-largest derived species of Bullet Bills, after the King Bill.

Their English namesake, "Banzai" comes from the Japanese interjection, mainly used for jubilation or celebration, frequently translated as "Hooray!", as well as a battle cry. Their original name, "Magnum," refers to their very large size in comparison to most enemies in the Super Mario franchise. Most languages have adopted either the Japanese or English versions of the name, with a few exceptions, one example being the German name, "Riesen-Kugelwilli", meaning "Giant Bullet Willi" where "Willi" is the German equivalent of "Bill".

HistoryEdit

Super Mario seriesEdit

Super Mario WorldEdit

In Super Mario World and its remake, Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2, Banzai Bills are fired from somewhere off-screen and travel towards Mario in a straight line. The player can defeat them by jumping on top of them or by running into them with the use of a Star. Spin Jumps can also defeat them. Banzai Bills appear in three levels, Yoshi's Island 1, Valley of Bowser 3, and Awesome. In Yoshi's Island 1, the first level of the game, players have indicators that the Banzai Bills are approaching, some of which are marked by indentations on the ground. A total of four Banzai Bills spawn in this level. Players can hop into these indentations to avoid the Banzai Bills. The first Banzai Bill has no indentations, but players can duck to avoid it. Two Banzai Bills spawn near a segment with a Trampoline and cloud platforms on the top, though both Banzai Bills have an indentation on the ground for players to hide in. The cloud platforms on the top can be used to avoid the incoming Banzai Bill as well. The fourth and last Banzai Bill of the level is not marked by an indentation, but players can avoid it by hopping on a platform nearby. In Valley of Bowser 3, a total of three Banzai Bills appear, and they all spawn near the end of the level where there are no stationary platforms. In Awesome, four Banzai Bills appear in the level, and they all spawn in the area with purple-colored pillars and platforms and blue Warp Pipes. As SNES sprites are limited to 64×64 pixels, the in-game Banzai Bills appear to be flatter horizontally than depicted in artwork. When players complete the Special World in Super Mario World (or get all 96 exits in its remake), unlocking Fall, Banzai Bills do not change sprites, unlike the Bullet Bills, which change into Pidgit Bills.

New Super Mario Bros.Edit

Banzai Bills reappear in New Super Mario Bros. They retain most of their design from their Super Mario World counterparts, except that their coloring has a slight purple hue and they have red shadows under their eyes. However, their animation has been changed and they now spin instead of staying in one position. In this game, Banzai Bills are fired from huge Banzai Bill Cannons, unlike Super Mario World where they are fired from an unknown origin. Two Banzai Bill Cannons appear shortly before the flagpole in World 7-5 and World 8-1. Banzai Bills can be defeated with a jump, through the use of a Star, or with a Mega Mushroom. Players, when powered up with a Mega Mushroom, can also destroy Banzai Bill Cannons.

Super Mario GalaxyEdit

Banzai Bills make their first 3D appearance in Super Mario Galaxy, though they appear only in the game's last level, Bowser's Galaxy Reactor, in the mission The Fate of the Universe, and they retain their appearance from Super Mario World, lacking the red highlights on their eyes. They are found on the Lava Tower Planet, a tunnel-shaped planet filled with lava and square-shaped platforms. As with New Super Mario Bros., they are fired out of specific Banzai Bill Cannons at a set rate, spin, and, due to the additional 3D space, come in rows and lines. They do not home in on Mario's or Luigi's position as how Bullet Bills behave, though their size makes them more difficult to avoid. To avoid them, Mario or Luigi must wait until one passes by, or attempt to backflip over it. Because Banzai Bills are fired in a pattern, Mario and Luigi can also find patterns where it is safe to pass by them. If a Banzai Bill touches Mario or Luigi, he is knocked away. They are indestructible in this game, as jumping on them does not defeat them, unlike in the 2D platformers.

New Super Mario Bros. WiiEdit

 
Banzai Bills in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Banzai Bills appear again in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, where they keep their pattern and role from New Super Mario Bros. This game debuts their modern look, with both a rounded, recessed mouth and red marks behind the eyes. They are mostly seen in World 7, the cloud-themed level of the game. In World 7- Tower, when players are further up the tower via the use of the ascending pulley on the first room of the tower, after they pass the normal Bullet Bills, players encounter a column of hidden Banzai Bill Cannons, which are indicated by the rate of fire of the Banzai Bills. Players need to adjust the pulley with their Wii Remote sensor to steer them away from the path of the Banzai Bill. Banzai Bills reappear in World 7-4, and they are seen alongside with the game's only visible Banzai Bill Cannon. Banzai Bills are encountered in the second area of the level, where players need to dodge Banzai Bills by platforming across moving Warp Pipes to access the only stationary red Warp Pipe on the screen. Banzai Bills can be jumped on to either defeat them or to reach higher areas. As with most enlarged versions of enemies, an Ice Flower freezes them only very briefly and this does not halt their progression on their path. This game introduces a homing variety of the Banzai Bill in World 9-3, as well as the even larger and indestructible King Bills, which appear in World 9-8. In the Prima Player's Guide, Banzai Bills are mistakenly called King Bills, despite being different enemies.[2]

Super Mario Galaxy 2Edit

 
A Banzai Bill in the Sky Station Galaxy

Banzai Bills appear in Super Mario Galaxy 2, keeping their attack patterns and durability from Super Mario Galaxy. This time, they appear more frequently in more levels, rather than being tied exclusively to the last level of the game. They can be defeated by either using a Rainbow Star or the Spin Drill and award a large number of Star Bits. Banzai Bills are first encountered in Sky Station Galaxy in the mission, Storming the Sky Fleet. The planet, the Sky Fleet Ship, has a long line of Banzai Bills, where players must avoid them by running around them until they find a hole they can drop into. In this level, players can use a Rainbow Star to defeat them by running into them as Rainbow Mario. In Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet in the missions Bowser Jr.'s Mighty Megahammer and Megahammer's Daredevil Bash, they are spawned during the fight with Megahammer; the center of Megahammer's chest cavity contains a cannon that can fire a single Banzai Bill, though Megahammer additionally fires several Bullet Bills as well. Banzai Bills are featured as obstacles in Fleet Glide Galaxy and two missions, Fluzzard's Wild Battlefield Glide and Fastest Feathers in the Galaxy, where Mario or Luigi rides Fluzzard to the finish line. Their last appearance is in Bowser's Galaxy Generator in the mission, Bowser's Fortified Fortress, where they are exclusively located on a cylindrical planet. Players can dodge their line of fire by using the Spin Drill to dig through the dirt. The Spin Drill is also the only other object in the game that can defeat Banzai Bills. During Bowser's Big Bad Speed Run, the Banzai Bills are replaced by Octoombas.

Super Mario 3D LandEdit

 
Banzai Bills in Super Mario 3D Land.

In Super Mario 3D Land, Banzai Bills start appearing in World 8-5 and are more common in the special worlds, appearing in three levels of the game. These Banzai Bills appear to be more similar to their Super Mario World counterparts than the Banzai Bills in later games, as they lack the red highlights on their eyes and do not spin around when fired. Unlike their other 3D iterations, they can be defeated by being jumped on; other methods of defeating them include touching them as Statue Mario or using a Boomerang thrown by Boomerang Mario. In World 8-5, the players need to dodge the line of incoming Banzai Bills while traversing through Red-Blue Panels. They later reappear in the special level Special 2- Airship, where players can snag the second Star Medal of the level directly in front of the Banzai Bill Cannon. Later in the level, players need to avoid Banzai Bills while navigating through Donut Blocks and avoiding Spike Platforms. In Special 4-3, players are chased by Banzai Bills while they are on the wooden bridge, after experiencing many pairs of Bullet Bills beforehand.

New Super Mario Bros. 2Edit

 
A Gold Banzai Bill from New Super Mario Bros. 2.

Banzai Bills appear in New Super Mario Bros. 2, retaining their attack patterns from previous titles. Whenever Mario touches a Gold Ring, Banzai Bills turn gold. In this state, they leave a trail of two rows of coins behind them. Players additionally can defeat Banzai Bills with gold fireballs when they are powered up into Gold Mario via the Gold Flower. Banzai Bills first appear in World 5-5, where a single Banzai Bill Cannon that blasts Banzai Bills is found at the end of the level. Players can obtain the third Star Coin near the Banzai Bill Cannon by using Bullet Bills to grab the Star Coin. In World 6-B, past the Checkpoint Flag, players encounter and dodge Bullet Bills and Banzai Bills fired at them while riding on a moving, colored platform. Regarding the DLC content of the game, Banzai Bills appear in Coin Challenge Pack B, in the sky-themed Second Course level of the pack and Platform Panic Pack, in the subterranean lava-themed Third Course level of the pack. In Second Course of Coin Challenge Pack B, Banzai Bills appear in the latter portion of the second area of the level, where players can make use of Gold Rings to make Banzai Bills drop coins behind them. In Third Course of Platform Panic Pack, in the first Spine Coaster ride, one Banzai Bill is fired at the end of the ride. In the second Spine Coaster ride past the Midpoint Flag, three Banzai Bills are fired near the end of the area past where the P-Switch falls down, with each Banzai Bill being higher than the last, where they can be used akin to stepping stones.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U DeluxeEdit

Banzai Bills also appear in New Super Mario Bros. U and its port, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, where they make their only appearance in the level Scaling the Mountainside in the Frosted Glacier world. They operate in the same manner as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. In Scaling the Mountainside, players need to dodge incoming Banzai Bills through the use of platform pulleys near the end of the level. The Banzai Bill Cannon can then be found at the end of the level, where players can use it as a platform to reach the flagpole.

Banzai Bills also appear in the expansion pack game to New Super Mario Bros. U, New Super Luigi U, this time in the Weighty Waddlewings level, where they are very common along with the Banzai Bill Cannon. In a similar parallel to New Super Mario Bros. U's Scaling the Mountainside, this level is also snow-themed and has the similar function of using platform pulleys to navigate through the level. This level features only Banzai Bills and no regular Bullet Bills at all. A few Banzai Bills are also seen in the first area Larry's Trigger-Happy Castle, where all other Bullet Bill varieties can be found, including Torpedo Teds and King Bills; these Banzai Bills are fired from offscreen areas rather than from Banzai Bill Cannons. In Para-Beetle Parade, four Banzai Bills are also fired from offscreen areas while players are attempting to navigate the skies with Para-Beetles and Heavy Para-Beetles. They start appearing soon after the first Star Coin is collected, guarded by a Big Piranha Plant. These four Banzai Bills are required to be used as stepping stones to proceed further on the level, towards Para-Beetles that are out of reach by other means.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's FuryEdit

 
A Banzai Bill in Super Mario 3D World

Banzai Bills return in Super Mario 3D World and its Nintendo Switch port Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, with the same attack pattern as in previous games, and they appear in a total of two levels in the game. The game also introduces the Cat Banzai Bill, a new variety of Banzai Bill. Unlike in previous games, Banzai Bills in Super Mario 3D World have blue flame thrusting them through the air, while they used red flame in preceding games. Compared to their appearance in Super Mario 3D Land, their eyes have the red highlights present in the New Super Mario Bros. games, but they do not spin around when they are fired, retaining their static animation when flying. Incidentally, Cat Banzai Bills appear before regular Banzai Bills, where these variants appear in The Bullet Bill Express of World 3. Regular Banzai Bills do not appear until Mystery House Mad Dash of World 4, where players need to avoid them and Crates to obtain the third Green Star. In Bullet Bill Base, Banzai Bills appear in the latter part of the level, after the player touches the Midpoint Flag and traverses past the permeable cloud platforms on the way up. This area has a large amount of space to accommodate for the larger size of the Banzai Bill.

Super Mario OdysseyEdit

 
A captured Banzai Bill in Super Mario Odyssey.

Banzai Bills appear in Super Mario Odyssey, where they can be found in bonus rooms of the Wooded Kingdom, the Snow Kingdom, the Dark Side, and the Underground Moon Caverns in the Moon Kingdom, where they wear top hats. Like the New Super Mario Bros. games, they have red shadows behind their eyes, and like their Super Mario World and Super Mario 3D World appearances, they do not spin while moving. They now sometimes home onto Mario similarly to the Cat Banzai Bill instead of always moving in a straight line like previous 3D appearances. They emit music similarly to Chargin' Chucks in this game, which gets louder and more intense when Mario moves around with it. When launched from Banzai Bill Cannons, they destroy stone blocks and everything in their path. Like regular Bullet Bills, they explode after a little while. Mario can capture some Banzai Bills with Cappy, allowing him to fly over pits, destroy stone blocks and defeat Bullet Bills that run into him without blowing up himself. They also tend to last much longer before exploding while captured than regular Bullet Bills.

Super Mario Maker 2Edit

 
A Banzai Bill in the Super Mario Bros. style

Banzai Bills appear as enemies in Super Mario Maker 2. They can be fired upwards, downwards, to the left, or to the right. In the Super Mario 3D World style, they can also be fired from Banzai Bill Cannons in the background. Additionally, in the Super Mario 3D World style, they can defeat enemies such as Goombas by running into them, and are defeated when they run into a wall. If a character is wearing a Cat Suit, they can attack a Banzai Bill that is coming from the background to make it travel in the direction opposite of the character. Banzai Bills are also instantly defeated by Link's shield.

Banzai Bills appear in all game styles. In the Super Mario World, New Super Mario Bros. U, and Super Mario 3D World styles, they retain their designs from the respective original game, barring New Super Mario Bros. U, where they are shortened to have the same parameters as the 2D styles; additionally, they receive new sprites for the Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 styles, the former depicting it more angular and the latter closely resembling the Super Mario World sprite. The red-colored King Bills from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, now called Bull's-Eye Banzai, also appear in the game, sporting new designs for all game styles, and retaining their homing abilities; Cat Banzai Bills replace them in the Super Mario 3D World style. Although they are technically enemies, they are placed in the Gizmos category.

Super Mario World television seriesEdit

 
Mario being chased by a Magnum Bill from the Super Mario World animated series.

A Banzai Bill makes a minor appearance in the Super Mario World cartoon episode "Mama Luigi". In the cartoon, they are known as Magnum Bills, which is a possible combination of the name Bullet Bill and their Japanese name, Magnum Killer. In the episode, Mario, after narrowly dodging an attack by a Koopa Wizard, accidentally leaps into the path of a Magnum Bill.

Hotel MarioEdit

Banzai Bills appear in the game Hotel Mario, albeit closer in size to Bullet Bills and with their characteristic limbs. They appear in Lemmy's High-ate Regency Hotel, moving diagonally across the screen. More appear at once on higher stages, but they can be defeated with a jump. They sometimes trigger when a Flying Goomba is defeated.

Super Smash Bros. seriesEdit

SmashWiki article: Banzai Bill
 
A Banzai Bill, as it appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee

In the Super Smash Bros. series, Banzai Bills most commonly appear in stages. Banzai Bills mainly appear in Super Smash Bros. Melee's Princess Peach's Castle stage, where they appear in set angles, from either the top, side, or diagonally; a firing sound and their traveling sound is an indicator of their approach. Once burrowed into a castle wall, it digs into the wall and eventually explodes, dealing heavy damage to anyone caught within the explosion. The explosion will also press any buttons in range, activating platforms and ! Blocks. It also destroys or activates destructible items. The Banzai Bill also causes small damage and knockback to any players who touch it. Super Smash Bros. Melee also introduces the Yoshi's Island stage, where a Banzai Bill appears in the background, using its sprite from Super Mario World. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Banzai Bills retain their background appearance in the Yoshi's Island stage. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Banzai Bills also reprise their role on the Princess Peach's Castle stage, but they now leave a longer lasting explosion than in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Throughout the series, there are also collectible items of Banzai Bills. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, there is an obtainable trophy of a Banzai Bill. In earlier copies of the game, Banzai Bill's collectible trophy is instead called "Bullet Bill" when set to English, but it is correctly identified as Banzai Bill in Japanese, PAL, and later versions of the game. Another error is that the origin game is incorrectly marked as Super Mario Bros. when Super Mario World is their actual first appearance. There is also a trophy of a Banzai Bill in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, there is an Attack-type, Advanced class spirit of a Banzai Bill, which can be obtained from enhancing a Bullet Bill once it has reached level 99. When a Banzai Bill spirit is equipped, it gives the user the ability to cause damage by running into other players.

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Banzai Bills appear as enemies in Smash Run mode, using their contemporary design unlike in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Like normal Bullet Bills, they attack by homing in on the player and flying toward them. If players touch Banzai Bills, they take fire damage and get knocked back. Banzai Bills have above-average health, although if they take a strong enough hit, they can get stunned and fall to the ground, open to attack, momentarily. Finally, if a Banzai Bill embeds itself into a wall, it explodes after a while, although it releases no power-ups.

Mario Party seriesEdit

Mario Party 5Edit

In Mario Party 5, also features Banzai Bills are one of the obstacles shot at the players during the race in Random Ride; they end up eliminating at least one of them.

Mario Party 6Edit

Banzai Bills appear as obstacles in the mini-game Shoot Yer Mouth Off in Mario Party 6. However, they are called "Bullet Bills" in-game and are activated in the mini-game when "Bullet Bill" is said in the microphone, despite standard Bullet Bills also appearing in other parts of the game, such as the Bullet Bill Orb and in Jump the Gun.

Mario Party: Island TourEdit

A Banzai Bill appears in Mario Party: Island Tour as the main gimmick of the Banzai Bill's Mad Mountain board. If a player rolls the die and rolls the red-faced Banzai Bill icon, the Banzai Bill will shoot out of its cannon and knock the players to the last checkpoint. However, the Banzai Bill can travel only along the lower path or the upper path at any given time. When players pass the Switch Space, the Banzai Bill changes course to hit the upper area of the mountain. The Banzai Bill can also get launched when players land on a Banzai Bill Space, which is located just before the Goal Space. At the end of the match, the game keeps track of various records relating to the Banzai Bill, such as how many times a player launched the Banzai Bill and how many spaces a player got knocked back by it.

Mario Party 10Edit

 
Kamek summons a Banzai Bill in Kamek's Rocket Rampage
 
The Banzai Bill Jet, an unlockable vehicle

Banzai Bills appear in a Mario Party 10 minigame, where they are summoned by Kamek in the second half of the in Kamek's Rocket Rampage when Kamek gets half of his health depleted. These are larger and therefore more difficult to dodge than the normal Bullet Bills he spawns. Banzai Bills take three points away if players get hit by them, which is the most damaging enemy in this minigame. In the Airship Central board, players can buy and unlock a jet designed after a Banzai Bill to ride in.

Mario Kart seriesEdit

 
The Banzai Bills in DS Airship Fortress in Mario Kart Tour

Banzai Bills uncommonly appear in the Mario Kart series. They make their only physical appearances in Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart Tour, where they appear in DS Airship Fortress as obstacles, replacing the Bullet Bills fired out of the cannons from Mario Kart DS. They travel in a straight line and any player who touches the Banzai Bill gets flipped over. In Mario Kart Tour, Banzai Bills can be defeated when the player touches them while invincible, and they reward points when defeated. In Mario Kart Tour, they also appear in Wii Moonview Highway's Steer Clear of Obstacles bonus challenge.

Two vehicles in the Mario Kart series are designed after the Banzai Bill. Bowser Jr.'s unlockable kart in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, the Bullet Blaster, has its design based after the Banzai Bill. In Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, the Road Jetter is an airplane-based vehicle that has the design of a Banzai Bill on the front of the vehicle. The Bullet Blaster has three variants in Mario Kart Tour, being the Bull's-Eye Banzai, the Silver Bullet Blaster and the Gold Bullet Blaster.

Super Princess PeachEdit

Banzai Bills reappear in Super Princess Peach, where they act the same way they did in Super Mario World, having a similar appearance as well, though they do not perform their tell-tale firing sound to alert players that they are going to appear on the screen. Despite their large size, players can still pick them up and eat them with Perry to replenish the Vibe Gauge if they press   on them, and Peach can defeat them if she swings Perry at the right moment. They first appear in the world, Hoo's Wood with their first level appearance being in Hoo's Wood 2-4, where they appear in an area where the second Toad is found, after the player uses the Gloom vibe on the water wheel. They are later seen in Gleam Glacier 6-3, in an auto-sidescrolling section in the latter, penultimate area of the level where they get fired at the player from the right. In Giddy Sky 7-2, Banzai Bills appear throughout this area after the second darkened lightning cloud segment of the stage, being the fifth area of the stage. In Giddy Sky 7-5, Banzai Bills appear in the fifth, windy segment of the stage, where they appear randomly around the stage, generally aiming for the player. This game also introduces a red, more dangerous variant of Banzai Bills known as Mad Banzai Bills, which fly faster than normal Banzai Bills.

Mario Strikers ChargedEdit

Banzai Bills make a small cameo in Mario Strikers Charged in the Sand Tomb field. In this game, they are painted with their Super Mario World appearance on one of the pillars in the background.

Mario & Luigi seriesEdit

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s JourneyEdit

The Banzai Bill in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey.

A Banzai Bill appears in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story as a key item. In Dimble Wood, Bowser sees Private Goomp, Corporal Paraplonk and Sergeant Guy carrying a Banzai Bill Cannon. They explain to Bowser that they are going to fire a Banzai Bill to Bowser's Castle, which is taken over by Fawful, as payback. The three, however, do not have any Banzai Bills for ammunition; Bowser has to search one on his own while the three also search for one. It is revealed that a Wiggler on a farm has a Banzai Bill after Bowser pulled out his giga-carrot, which Bowser has to eat. He was originally going to use the carrot as a substitute for the Banzai Bill, though the Wiggler tells him to eat it as a responsibility. After the carrot is eaten up, Bowser could choose to save or to get the Banzai Bill right now. When he chooses to save, he is able to move around freely, and when he chooses to get the Banzai Bill right now, the Wiggler gets mad because Bowser pulled out the carrot and ate it, even though he told Bowser to do so. After the battle, Bowser finally gets the Banzai Bill, and after Mario and Luigi defeat Durmite and Bowser learns the sliding haymaker, Bowser gives it to the three minions and launch it at Bowser's former castle. However, Midbus and two other Goombas see the Banzai Bill and dodge it by making the castle fly into the air. The castle then heads for Bowser and lands on him, which eventually initiates the first Giant Bowser battle in the game. The Banzai Bill is not seen again for the rest of the game.

The Banzai Bill reappears in the remake, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, reprising its role from the original game in the Bowser's Inside Story mode, and is also used in the Banzai Bill Thrill first officer command that Roy can use in the Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode.

Mario & Luigi: Dream TeamEdit

A single Banzai Bill appears in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, in the battle with the Elite Trio. When attacking, Sergeant Guy ground pounds the cannon, causing the Banzai Bill to come out. The Banzai Bill then chases after Mario, where he then needs to outrun it. If outran, the Banzai Bill touches down onto Sergeant Guy instead. Additionally, if Mario attacks the cannon before the Banzai Bill is fired, it causes a premature explosion that causes massive damage to all enemies.

Paper Mario seriesEdit

Paper Mario: Sticker StarEdit

 
Banzai Bill model from Paper Mario: Sticker Star.

Banzai Bills appear in Paper Mario: Sticker Star, in which Bowser Jr. fires one from his airship of Bowser Jr.'s Flotilla to prevent Mario and Kersti from reaching Bowser's Castle. Later in the level, Mario paperizes the Banzai Bill Cannon to shoot a Banzai Bill, making a huge hole in the flotilla. If Mario is hit by these Banzai Bills, they take away 30 HP. They were originally planned to be fought, but they were cut from the final game.[3]

Paper Mario: Color SplashEdit

 
A Banzai Bill about to crash into the ground in Sunglow Ridge.

Banzai Bills in Paper Mario: Color Splash are used as missile bombs. They are filled up with black paint in Black Bowser's Castle. When they crash, a dark skull cloud is created as a result of the impact, and they scatter black paint over a large area. These Banzai Bills can take away 30 HP from Mario if their hit is successful. One particular Banzai Bill fills part of Sunglow Ridge with black paint.

Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. EditionEdit

 
The Banzai Bill's team image from Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition.

Banzai Bills appear as enemies in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. Their main attribute is Dark, while their sub-attribute is Light.

As enemies, the player does not fight Banzai Bills directly, fighting their Banzai Bill Cannons instead. Banzai Bills always begin the battle with first strike blows and attacks the player's team every single turn. However, they may also use a turn to use their Skill Armor Break, which increases their ATK while also lowering their defense. Because Banzai Bill Cannons are larger than the Bill Blasters, Banzai Bills are never allied with any other enemies. Interestingly, the Banzai Bill Cannons in this game are shaped like larger Bill Blasters.

As allies, Banzai Bills can use Armor Break to greatly reduce the defense of all the enemies on the field for two turns. The player can acquire a Banzai Bill by using four Fire Flowers on a Bullet Bill. The Banzai Bill will transform into a King Bill when given six Fire Flowers. The Banzai Bills' strongest stat is their ATK with a rating of 6/6, while their HP is rather low with a rating of 2/6. Lastly, their RCV rating is 0/6. Banzai Bills use Green Star Coins and Grand Green Star Coins to increase their Skill levels.

Skylanders: SuperChargersEdit

The Banzai Bill makes an appearance in Skylanders: SuperChargers as a mod for Hammer Slam Bowser's Clown Cruiser, aptly named the Banzai Bill Driller. It grants the vehicle better top speed and gives the jet extra propellers under the wings.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom BattleEdit

 
The Banzai Bill caught in underwear in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.
“ Poor fella, once he soared freely overhead, spreading fear all throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. Just look at him now - tangled in gaudy Rabbid undergarments. Oh, what cruel fate! We MUST restore the Mushroom Kingdom to its original state. Banzai Bill's freedom (and dignity) depends on it. ”
Beep-0, Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

In Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, a crashed Banzai Bill can also be seen in the background of Undergarment Gulch, caught in a giant pair of underwear. After defeating the Icicle Golem, it can also be found outside Peach's Castle, still caught in underwear, to which Beep-0 comments, "When the annals of Banzai Bill are put to page, this will not be heralded as its finest hour." This is the first time a Banzai Bill has been shown with a different expression.

Additionally, the Bwahnzai Bill and Battlin' Bill weapons are modeled after Banzai Bills.

Dr. Mario WorldEdit

A Banzai Bill appears as an assistant in Dr. Mario World, though unlike most other assistants, they can only be obtained through battle boxes in higher tiers in the game's versus mode, similar to King Bob-omb, where they can be obtained starting from Tier 5 onwards. In stage mode, their skill has a chance of granting an easier skill meter increase, in which it reduces a doctor's skill gauge by 10 points prior to version 2.2.0 or by 10% of the doctor's maximum skill gauge (rounded down to the nearest round number) since that version. If the skill gauge is reduced to a negative value this way, the doctor's skill gauge will not be able to fill. In versus mode, if the player sends viruses to the opponent, they grant a chance of sending an extra row of viruses when the doctor attacks the opponent. The activation chance was originally 50% maximum prior to version 1.2.0 but was changed to 30% maximum since that version.

WarioWare: Get It Together!Edit

Banzai Bills appear as enemies in WarioWare: Get It Together! during level 1 of the Super Mario World microgame.

LEGO Super MarioEdit

Boomer Bills appear in the LEGO Super Mario expansion set Boomer Bill Barrage. The set can be connected to the original LEGO Super Mario set and adds two Boomer Bills held on a pole that can be spun to move the Boomer Bills in a circle, acting as an obstacle for Mario.

The Super Mario Bros. MovieEdit

 
The Bomber Bill turning its attention toward Tanooki Mario in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
“Launch the Bomber Bill and DESTROY THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM!!”
Bowser, The Super Mario Bros. Movie

A Bomber Bill is featured towards the end of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. As Bowser and his army begin losing the fight against the film's heroes, a half-frozen Bowser (frozen from an Ice Flower used by Princess Peach) orders a strike on the Mushroom Kingdom via the Bomber Bill. The Bomber Bill is launched, and Mario uses the Tanooki Suit to follow it via flying. Mario uses the suit's tail swipe ability to attack its left eye, angering it and causing it to take its focus away from Peach's Castle, revealing that it is sentient. The Bomber Bill angrily follows Tanooki Mario through the Mushroom Kingdom, and Mario leads it into the same Warp Pipe that he emerged from at the beginning of the film. The Bomber Bill explodes inside of the Warp Zone, causing a massive interdimensional collapse that pulls elements of the Mushroom Kingdom into Brooklyn, New York. The Bomber Bill is noticeably larger than the Banzai Bills in the games, and its size is roughly the same as the King Bills. Additionally, fake Bomber Bills appear on the Training Course used to train Mario.[4]

General informationEdit

Physical appearanceEdit

Banzai Bills, being a derivative species from the Bullet Bills, are large, anthropomorphic bullet enemies that can either be fired from a Banzai Bill Cannon or from a cannon off-screen, where the only cues the players receive that they are coming are the firing sounds heard. Due to their large size and immunity to most attacks, they often are required to be dodged either by maneuvering around them, jumping on higher ground, or by ducking if lower ground is available. In some games, Banzai Bills are weak to jumps on top of them like normal Bullet Bills, while other games, the only way to defeat them is if players run into them while they are invincible. The Banzai Bill retains most physical characteristics from Bullet Bills, which includes the bullet-like shape, the jet-black, shiny coloration, and angry eyes. However, key differences from Bullet Bills include the lack of arms on the Banzai Bill and that all Banzai Bills have mouths, which is constantly open and filled with sharp teeth, giving them a shark-like appearance. In most games after New Super Mario Bros., their design has been updated to add red highlights to their eyes, as well as their animation being tweaked so they twirl around when fired rather than their original static pose. In some games, notably the Super Smash Bros. series and Paper Mario series, they have the ability to dig into walls and release a huge explosion.

 
A Bullet Bill from Yoshi's Story, which looks similar to a Banzai Bill.

In several games, Bullet Bills have appearances that more closely resemble Banzai Bills than they do typical Bullet Bills, including, but not limited to, many early appearances in the Yoshi platforming series, Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins, and Super Mario 64. In these games, Bullet Bills are depicted with no arms and with an angry smile with sharp teeth; it is worth noting, however, that Bullet Bills' design fluctuated between whether or not they had a mouth or arms up until Super Mario 64 DS finalized their design.

With the exceptions of Super Mario World and Super Mario Galaxy 2, Banzai Bills are typically encountered as late-game enemies and their appearance, alongside their Banzai Bill Cannon, usually signifies the end of the level. They are typically found in athletic-themed levels, that is, levels that focus on platforming on higher elevations with many pits. Banzai Bills are usually the last enemies encountered in levels that are featured around many Bullet Bills and Bill Blasters. The only games that feature Banzai Bills in an underground setting are Super Mario World's Valley of Bowser 3, New Super Mario Bros. 2's Course 2 of the Platform Panic Pack, and Super Mario Odyssey's Underground Moon Caverns.

Profiles and statisticsEdit

Perfect Ban Mario Character DaijitenEdit

マグナムキラー (JP) / Banzai Bill (EN)

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Original text (Japanese) Translation
出身しゆつしん / 種族しゅぞく ウエポンぞく Place of origin/tribe Weapon clan
性格せいかく みえっぱり Disposition Ostentatious
登場とうじょうゲーム ワールド Game appearances World
かけはすごいが⋯⋯

ぜんマリオキャラのなか一番いちばんサイズがおおきい。ただし、性質せいじつ普通ふつうのキラー(P63)とぜんぜんわりがなく、おおきさのわりにはとてもよわい。マリオが一回踏かいふんだだけでやっつけられるぞ。[5]

Looks great, but...

It is the largest of all Mario characters. However, its characteristics are no different from those of an ordinary Bullet Bill (p. 63), and it is very weak for its size. Mario can defeat it with just one step.

Super Princess PeachEdit

Glossary profile
  • 61: It's huge! But you can pick it up with the X Button!

Super Smash Bros. seriesEdit

Super Smash Bros. MeleeEdit

Trophy
Banzai Bill
 
Game/move:
Super Mario Bros.
10/85
How to unlock: Randomly obtainable in single-player modes
Bullet Bills are shot out of cannons and fly on straight paths. In great numbers they're a nightmare; while Mario can stop most with a single jump, the rare giant one is much tougher to avoid. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, all Bullet Bills are extra large. They burrow into Princess Peach's castle and then detonate with immense power. (American English)
Bullet Bills are shot out of cannons and fly on straight paths. In great numbers, they're a nightmare; while Mario can stop most with a single jump, the giant one, Banzai Bill, is much tougher to avoid. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, only Banzai Bills can be seen. They burrow into Princess Peach's castle and then detonate with immense power. (British English)

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii UEdit

Trophy
Banzai Bill
3DS:
 
Wii U:
 
Category: Enemy
( ) Appears in:
SNES Super Mario World (08/1991)
Wii New Super Mario Bros. Wii (11/2009)
( ) Trophy Box: -
How to unlock:
( ) Random
( ) Clear a Solo 3-Minute Smash after getting at least 110 KOs while playing as Bowser.
This giant bullety menace from the Mario series might look tough, but one jump is typically all it takes to deal with it! In Smash Tour, a Banzai Bill will sometimes charge into a space and explode, destroying any items there. Players caught in the blast will be launched to another space. (American English)
This giant bullety menace from the Mario series might look tough, but one jump is typically all it takes to deal with it! In Smash Tour, a Banzai Bill will sometimes charge into a space and explode, destroying any items there. Any players caught in the blast will be launched to another space. (British English)

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spiritEdit

Name Image Series / game Type Class Strength / effect(s) How to obtain Spirit battle
Opponent(s) Battle conditions Stage Song
Banzai Bill   Super Mario Series Primary (1) Advanced Attack
Impact Run
Enhanced from Bullet Bill N/A N/A N/A N/A

Super Princess PeachEdit

  • Glossary bio: It's huge! But you can pick it up with the X Button!

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s JourneyEdit

  • Item description: "An enormous, black, shiny weapon. If it's launched at you, you're toast!"

Super Mario Maker 2Edit

  • North American website bio: "Banzai Bill can fly all over—even toward the screen. It’s so powerful it can break through walls!"

Dr. Mario WorldEdit

  • Stage mode: "Grants 10%/20%/30%/40%/50% chance of easier skill meter increase."
  • Versus mode: "If you send viruses to your opponent, grants 10%/15%/20%/25%/30% chance of sending an extra row."
  • Versus mode (Prior to version 1.2.0): "If you send viruses to your opponent, grants 10%/20%/30%/40%/50% chance of sending an extra row."

GalleryEdit

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Banzai Bill.

Names in other languagesEdit

Language Name Meaning
Japanese マグナムキラー
Magunamu Kirā
Magnum Bullet Bill

Catalan Bomber Bill (The Super Mario Bros. Movie)
-
Chinese (simplified) 大弹头杀手
Dà Dàntóushāshǒu
大炮弹刺客 (international releases for games since Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)
Dà Pàodàncìkè
大炮弹先锋[6] (China release for Nintendo Switch games)
Dà Pàodànxiānfēng
Big Bullet Bill

Big Bullet Bill

Big Bullet Bill

Chinese (traditional) 大炮彈刺客
Dà Pàodàncìkè
Big Bullet Bill

Dutch Banzai Bill
-
French (NOA) Bill Banzaï
Bill Baraqué (LEGO Super Mario and The Super Mario Bros. Movie)
Banzai Bill
Hefty Bill
French (NOE) Bill Bourrin
Banzai Bill (Super Princess Peach)
Brutal Bill
-
German Riesen-Kugelwilli[7][8]
Banzai Bill (Super Smash Bros. Melee)
Giant Bullet Bill
-
Italian Banzai Bill
Pallottolone Bill (LEGO Super Mario and The Super Mario Bros. Movie)
Pugno di Ferro Gigante (Super Mario World television series)
-
Big Bullet Bill
Giant Iron Fist
Korean 매그넘킬러
Maegeuneom Killeo
Magnum Killer

Polish Bomberobill (The Super Mario Bros. Movie)
Bomber Bill
Portuguese (NOA) Bill banzai
Banzai Bill (Mario Kart Tour)
Bill Balaço (LEGO Super Mario and The Super Mario Bros. Movie)
Banzai Bill
-
From Bill Bala ("Bullet Bill") and the augmentative suffix -aço
Portuguese (NOE) Bill Banzai
Bill-Banzai
Bill Balázio (LEGO Super Mario and The Super Mario Bros. Movie)
Banzai Bill
Banzai-Bill
From Bill Bala ("Bullet Bill") and the augmentative suffix -ázio
Romanian Bilă Magnum (Super Mario World television series)
Bomber Bill (The Super Mario Bros. Movie)
Magnum Ball (a translation error, possibly due to the similarity between the English name "Bill" and Romanian word bilă, meaning "ball")
-
Russian Билл-банзай
Bill-banzay
Билл-гигант (The Super Mario Bros. Movie)
Bill-gigant
Banzai Bill

Giant Bill

Spanish Bill Banzai
Bill Balazo (LEGO Super Mario and The Super Mario Bros. Movie)
Banzai Bill
From Bill Bala ("Bullet Bill") with augmentative suffix -azo

ReferencesEdit

  1. ^ English Super Mario World entry on the official Mario Portal. nintendo.co.jp. Retrieved August 13, 2022. (Archived August 13, 2022 14:17:58 UTC via archive.today.)
  2. ^ Bueno, Fernando. New Super Mario Bros. Wii Prima Official Game Guide. Pages 16 and 138.
  3. ^ https://tcrf.net/Paper_Mario:_Sticker_Star#Enemies
  4. ^ Matyas (November 30, 2022). The Super Mario Bros. Movie - NEW Footage. YouTube. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  5. ^ Shogakukan. 1994.「パーフェクト版 マリオキャラクター大事典」 (Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten). Page 211.
  6. ^ https://www.nintendoswitch.com.cn/new_super_mario_bros_u_deluxe/pc/stage/index.html
  7. ^ Club Nintendo 4/1992. Page 8.
  8. ^ Mario Kart Tour in-game name