Super Mario Bros 3 introduced gave the Mario franchise new characters. Characters such as the Koopalings, who where originally Bowser's children, now they are his niece and nephews, the popular Boos, Thwomps, and other enemies. Thwomps made their debut in Super Mario Bros 3 and like the Boos they have been in Mario games ever since. Indeed, the Thwomps have become staples in Mario Games. So, lets learn about these stone characters.

Thwomps are stone characters whose origins are unclear. Some have speculated they where recruited by Bowser. Others have speculated that Bowser created them to be his guardians. The latter is probably more likely since they guard his castles. Also, the address him as either King or Lord Bowser.

Thwomps as I mentioned made their debut in Super Mario Bros 3. In this game they are found in the fortress stages, the Koopaling forts, and even Bowsers castle. In this game they serve as guardians and will try to squish anybody that enters the castle. In Super Mario World they serve the same purpose.

In Mario 64 they are again seen in the castles. However, they appear outside of the castles. In this game they serve as guardians of the castles, but they also serve as regular enemies and are more of an obstacle outside of the castles.
In recent games they function in and outside of the castles. They will try to squish the player like they did in their first appearance. However, they will also serve as an obstacle to the players.

Some Thwomps though might be independent and may not work for Bowser. That is why some have speculated that most work for Bowser but there are ones that don't. In Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door one Thwomp hosts a quiz game. In this game the player has get 5 answers correct to get the stone blocks needed to unlock the castle. If the player gets 3 or more questions wrong Twhomp will summon difficult enemies the player has to defeat to get the keys. It is hinted this Thwomp is on its own, but that has not been confirmed only speculated. On the other hand, Twhomps serve as obstacles on the Mario Party game pads. If the player is playing as Bowser they will say sorry my King or Lord but you will need to pay so many coins to pass please do not punish me. It should also be noted in these games they charge Bowser, or Bowser Jr less coins to pass.

Appearance- Thwomp's have changed appearances over the years. When they made their debut they where aqua colored, with spikes around them. When they would try to mash they would give an angry face. In Super Mario world their color was solid gray. In Nintendo 64 they were turquoise in colors. It appears that there are blueish colored Thwomps and gray colored thwomps.

Regardless of the color all Thwomps are square shaped enemies. They usually have spikes or thorns around them. They also have faces and their faces change. When they are still it looks like they are sleeping. However, when alerted their face becomes angry when they come down or move sideways. It should be no surprise that Thwomps are stone or rock type enemies.

Personality- Thwomps have multiple personalities. They appear to be docile and laid back until alerted by Mario and his friends. When alerted they will become angry, aggressive, and try to smash Mario or his friends. In some games they say ugh I missed I hate it when I miss. This implies they do not like failure. Therefore, they seem to take their role as castle guardian very seriously.

When they host quiz games and if the player gets a question wrong they laugh at the player and reveal that they only have so many more questions to get wrong. They will also tell the player oh please get another one wrong so you can meet your doom. Therefore, it appears that they like punishing players or seeing bad things happen to them.

On the other hand, they are shown to be apologetic when they think they have failed or confront Bowser or Bowser Jr. In the Mario Party games they apologize to Bowser or his son by requiring them to pay for them to pass on the board. This implies they do not like to fail or ask favors from Bowser. They also could be fearful as in one Mario Party game the Thwomp tells Bowser or his son not to punish them.

Abilities- Thwomps can move down to squish Mario and his friends in a quick manner. Although, it takes them more time to come back up. They can either move up and down or they can move sideways. In one game they where shown to be able to move in a diagonal motion. Thus, they can move in different directions. They are very durable as they are hard to defeat. Moreover, they can repair themselves if they loose rock or stone while trying to squish Mario and his friends. In some games they can create small earthquakes that can stun the players.

Attacks- Thwomps main attack is to try and squish Mario and his friends. When awaken or alerted they will move in a quick manner. Their main attack is to try to come down on the players before retreating upwards. However, they can also try to squish the player against the walls when they move horizontally. If they move diagonally they will still try to land on the player. It should be noted in some games even if they do not squish the player they can cause an small earthquake to stun the player.

Weaknesses- Thwomps do not have that many weaknesses. If Mario and his friends can turn into a statue Thwomps will not be able to hurt them even if they come down on them. Thus, the player can use this to get by them. Now, they are weak to hammer attacks. If the player has the hammer suit two hammer throws can defeat a Thwomp. This is the only weapon to work. They are immune to POW blocks and star power.

Relationships

Allies

Bowser- It is highly likely that Bowser created most of the Thwomps. They strive to serve the Koopa King and want to please him. They also respect him as their dialogue states in the Mario Party games.

Bowser Jr- They look after the young Koopa by also serving him. They try to stop the heroes from reaching the young koopa when he has his own fortress.

Koopalings- They also are on good terms with Bowser's niece and nephews. They will do everything they can to protect their forts and guard it.

Other Minions- They get along well with Bowser's other minions as they are comrades.

Enemies

Mario Brothers- They see the brothers as their enemy and are very hostile toward them. They want to do nothing more than squish the two brothers, mainly to please Bowser. They are also hostile because the brothers have defeated the Koopa Family.

Yoshi- They are hostile toward Yoshi because like the brothers he has defeated Bowser and the rest of the Koopa Family.

Peach and Daisy. Their relationship with Peach is complex they serve as guardians of the castle in hopes of stopping the brothers from rescuing her. However, they do not hurt Peach due to Bowser's orders. Daisy they are hostile toward her because she is Luigi's girlfriend, and is Peach's best friend.

Overall, Thwomps are solid stone or rock enemies. They can either be blue, aqua, turquoise or solid gray. Their name likely comes from the sound they make when they make contact as they make a thwomping sound. As I stated their origins are a mystery although it is likely they where created by Bowser. They take their role as castle or fort guardians very seriously.

In conclusion, Thwomps are formidable enemies. They are immune to most attacks. Only throwing two hammers at them can defeat them. For a rock stone bulky enemy they can move at a quick pace. Although, it takes them some time to return to their resting position. They also seem to enjoy hosting games or serving as obstacles outside of the castle. Ever since they debut in Mario Bros 3 they have become staple and iconic enemies in the Mario Franchise. I admit it when I first played Super Mario Bros 3 these guys gave me trouble. So many times I would focus on one particular Thwomp only to forget about the other coming. Anyway, this concludes the Thwomp biography.