Boo (Mario franchise)

A Boo (テレサ, Teresa^[3]) is a fictional ghost race that appears in the Super Mario series of video games by Nintendo. They are round, except in the lego version,^[4] and have pronounced jagged teeth. They have a distinctive giggle.^[3][5] Originally referred to as "Boo Diddlys" (a pun on the name of American musician Bo Diddley),^[6] they are, in most incarnations, minor antagonists. In universe, when the playable character looks at a boo, it is shy, covering its face with its little arms,^[7] but when the character faces away, the boo moves faster towards the character, with the fangs exposed, and long tongue hanging out.^[8] It is not clear if Boos were a separate species, pre-death.^[9][10] Boos are generally white, but other Boos can come in hues of blue,^[11][12][13] pink,^[14] and black.^[15] Variations in size include Big Boo,^[16][17] Boohemoth,^[18] Boolossus.^[19] Some are naturally large, while others are the combinations of a number of Boos. One of the more popular Mario enemies, their image has been used in official Nintendo merchandise, such as plush dolls,^[20] as well as cookie cutters.^[21]

Boo
Super Mario series character
Mural of a Boo in the Lo Espejo district of Santiago, Chile.
First game	Super Mario Bros. 3 - 1990
Created by	Shigeru Miyamoto[1][2]

Appearances

Boos first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3, and since then it is one of the most common enemies in Mario games.^[22]

Luigi's Mansion features King Boo, and a group of followers that try to trap Luigi and Mario. Luigi is tasked with capturing boos with his poltergust 3000.^[23] King Boo continues to appear in later games. The common Boos frequent the Mario Party series. They have their own space where players steal each other's coins and stars. In Super Mario Galaxy, the boos speak "booish".^[7] Starting with Mario Party 5, it became a playable character, and returns in later games. Boo has also appeared in various sports games as a player, along with King Boo.^[24][25]

King Boo became a playable character in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.^[26]

Origins

Mario franchise creator Shigeru Miyamoto has stated that while working on Super Mario Bros. 3, co-designer Takashi Tezuka had the idea to include his wife in the game.^[22] According to Miyamoto, "Tezuka's wife is normally very calm, but one day she snapped... In the game, there is now a character who shrinks when Mario looks at her, but when Mario walks away, she will grow large and menacing."^[1] The Japanese name, Teresa (テレサ), comes from the verb tereru (照れる), which means "to be timid."^[27] The international name, is due to the onomatopoeia of when someone tries to scare someone ("boo!").^[28]

King Boo

King Boo^[29] made his first appearance in Luigi's Mansion by locking Mario in a painting and fighting Luigi to get Mario back.^[30] In the final battle, he disguises himself as Bowser^[30] He again appears in Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario 64 DS, Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart DS. In Mario Party 9 he is the final boss of Boo's Mansion and in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon he destroys the dark moon with his crown, and makes the ghosts hostile.^[30][31] King Boo's mansion is a frequent location in the franchise.^[32]

Reception

Boo is considered one of the best enemies in the Mario series.^[33][34][27] Writing for Svg.com in 2023, Arron Kluz hoped that King Boo would be the primary antagonist in the Super Mario Bros. 2 movie, having been a minor character in the original.^[35]

Appearances in other media

"Boo" Diddlies" appeared in episodes of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, with "big teeth and short tempers".^[36] Boos featured in episodes of Super Mario World.^[37]

King Boo appears as a minor character in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.^[35]