Nintendo’s Super Mario series has helped define the first-party video game developer for nearly four decades. There’s no end in sight for the Super Mario series, and its mainline entries continue to rejuvenate the platforming genre in ways that leave other franchises in awe.
Mario’s many power-ups, items, and unique allies often become the focus of his adventures, but a rich line of enemies also plague the Mushroom Kingdom. Plenty of these nuisances like Goombas, Koopas, and Bloopers border on cute before they attempt attacks. However, the Super Mario series is also full of legitimately fearful foes that are likely to give players nightmares.
10 The Angry Sun From Super Mario Bros. 3 Feels Like The Universe Itself Is Against Mario
Some of the earlier Mario enemies work as well as they do precisely because they don’t have a fancy backstory or motivation. They simply exist to disturb Mario. The Angry Sun from Super Mario Bros. 3 is a prime example of this since it’s an enemy that doesn’t even have a proper name and instead coasts off of the negative energy that it gives off.
This Angry Sun glares at Mario and consistently swoops down in committed attacks to take him out. It’s so creepy when set dressing becomes a threat and even feels like Mario’s version of cosmic horror.
9 The Chain Chomp Has Terrifying Intentions And Occupies A Weird Role In The Mushroom Kingdom
The Chain Chomps have become a steady presence in the Mushroom Kingdom, and some fans even view them as some sort of agitated pet. Super Mario 64 introduces a newly aggressive side to these creatures that have gone on to turn them into frustrating obstacles in the Mario Kart games.
The simplicity of these monsters makes them more upsetting than if they were an overly detailed enemy. The jagged teeth, erratic movements, and intimidating barks are all ingredients for nightmare fuel. It’s a classic example of a Mario enemy that becomes more frightening than what’s initially intended.
8 Super Mario Galaxy's Kingfin Is A Skeleton Shark With A Vicious Vendetta
Underwater levels have always been an important part of Mario's platforming perils. Some gamers might have also noticed that some of the scariest threats from the series are Mario's aquatic enemies. The Wii's Super Mario Galaxy shows off diverse galaxies of all shapes and sizes, and the Bonefin Galaxy contains a chilling boss encounter with the sentient skeleton of a shark called Kingfin.
Mario is already out of his depth in this environment, and Koopa shells are his only means of recourse against Kingfin. It’s an upsetting enemy that feels both deceased and mechanical, but eternally devoted to carrying out its purpose.
7 Super Mario 64’s Haunted Piano Is The Perfect Poltergeist
Super Mario 64 does an excellent job with how it translates many of the series' 2D elements and enemies into 3D worlds. Big Boo's Haunt recreates the haunting Ghost Houses level from Super Mario World. There's an added psychological element to these levels that do enough to throw the player off course and get under their skin.
A genuine scare comes from a piano that suddenly snaps to life when Mario gets close to claiming a Blue Coin. It's not the sort of obstacle that the Super Mario series typically uses, which makes it an even creeper touch.
6 Super Paper Mario's Underhand Will Drag Paper Mario To His Undoing
Paper Mario has been down an incredible journey ever since its Nintendo 64 roots. The games continually find ways to pair together intimidating concepts with cute aesthetics that lean into the series’ papercraft element. Super Paper Mario is the franchise's big mainstream entry on the Wii that plays around with the third dimension in creative ways.
The Underwhere and its subsection, the River Twygz, is meant to be a threatening area in the game, and the creepiest encounters from this region are from the Underhand. These are ghostly arms, that are accordion-like in nature, that will reach out to Paper Mario to pull him to his doom.
5 New Super Mario Bros. 2’s Boohemoth Is A Gigantic Ghost Who Can’t Be Beat
Boos are a mainstay in the Super Mario franchise, and even Luigi has learned how frustrating these poltergeists can be through his various ghostbusting efforts. Boos come in many forms, but at this point, the most haunting of these spirits is contained in the Nintendo 3DS' New Super Mario Bros. 2.
Boohemoth is a colossal version of the creature who only shows up in two levels, but is an impossible presence to defeat. Boohemoth takes up the bulk of the screen and advances on the player, but an extra element of creepiness comes from its low-pitched laugh and unusually human teeth.
4 Super Mario 64’s Eel Is A Scary Sight Beneath The Sea
An unforgettable moment for any gamer who grew up with Super Mario 64 is the utter fear that’s experienced the first time the massive eel from Jolly Roger Bay is encountered. Mario needs to require the Star that’s attached to the end of the eel’s tail, and while he’s not technically an enemy, he’s still capable of hurting Mario, so it seems like he should make the cut.
This eel is another enemy whose major creep factor comes from the limitations of the Nintendo 64’s graphical capabilities. Whether this eel understands what he does to Mario or not, the sudden emergence of his ghastly face still induces scares.
3 Shadow Mario Is A Duplicitous Double Who’s Determined To Ruin The Hero
The Gamecube’s Super Mario Sunshine remains a dark horse in the Super Mario series. The reliance on the F.L.U.D.D. mechanic and a surprisingly challenging difficulty level keep the game from being a mainstream hit. The game’s plot is predicated upon a villainous Mario doppelgänger, Shadow Mario, who turns out to be Baby Bowser.
Shadow Mario is an enemy that’s much scarier in concept than execution. The dark, viscous substance that makes up Shadow Mario is gross, but an enemy who’s dedicated to ruining the hero’s reputation is one of the creepier ideas to come out of the series.
2 The Lava Pit’s Ziggy Rabbid Is A Macabre Creature With Ludicrous Interests
Mario is privileged enough to experience several video game crossovers throughout his career, but his collaboration with the agents of chaos, the Rabbids, is easily one of his weirdest cooperative efforts. Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle features nightmarish Rabbid versions of classic Mario figures like Yoshi, Luigi, Peach, and Donkey Kong.
Any of these Rabbid doubles could easily qualify. However, the generic Ziggy Rabbid that’s specific to the Lava Pit level is a nightmarish fire beast that looks like he’s perished and come back to life. He’s far more frightening than any of the Rabbid Mushroom Kingdom copycats.
1 Super Mario Odyssey's Ruined Kingdom Dragon Boss Battle Belongs In A Dark Fantasy Game
The debut of a Super Mario title on a new Nintendo console always opens the franchise up to exciting possibilities. These games typically feature a grander scope, but the scale of the Switch’s Super Mario Odyssey is almost staggering. Odyssey leans into the Switch’s processing power and the level of detail and photo-realism that’s possible in its environments.
The Ruined Kingdom features a boss battle with a terrifying dragon that looks like it belongs in Final Fantasy or Monster Hunter instead of a Mario game. It’s almost comical how ridiculous Mario and Cappy look in juxtaposition to this ferocious dragon.