Lakitu
| |
| A Lakitu depicted in Super Paper Mario. | |
| Lakitu | |
| Type | Koopa |
| Debut | Super Mario Bros. |
The Lakitu has been described as "the mysterious turtle who controls the clouds". They are a unique species of Koopas that ride on clouds, most often throwing down Spiny Eggs on their unsuspecting foes.
Information
It does seem to be a mystery how the Lakitus can control clouds, but it does not seem to be a mystery why they would. They are pudgy Koopas who wear glasses and probably would not last long in a real fight. Instead he attacks from out-of-reach places and hides behind his friends. His "friends" being the Spinies, as Lakitus often drop Spiny eggs towards their enemies to fight their battles. If a Lakitu is defeated, it is possible to hijack his empty cloud if it can be boarded before it disappears. Not all Lakitus ride in clouds, they have also been known to attack from pipes, holes in walls and underwater.
Lakitus are also often seen with fishing poles that they use to lure in prey. Generally they will bait Mario with a powerup or coin, but will begin to pursue him once he shows up. They are generally referred to as Fishin' Lakitu and a similar enemy, Fishin' Boo uses a similar baiting trick.
Although Lakitus are believed to only be able to control clouds, some Lakitus have shown some signs of weather control as well. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island had Thunder Lakitus which dropped lightning that started fires along the ground, although they seemed to be aided by some sort of mechanical apparatus. One Lakitu who actually had this ability was Lakithunder, a boss in New Super Mario Bros. who dropped bolts of lightning.
Despite all these evil Lakitus working with Bowser's army, there are actually a number of good Lakitu as well. Lakitus have been known to work in camera crews (in Super Mario 64), as shopkeepers (in DDR Mario Mix) as umpires (the tennis games), and they are most well-known for their role in the Mario Kart series; there a Lakitu referee will count down to the beginning of the race and use its fishing pole to save any fallen racers. Lakitus have also appeared as a capsule item in Mario Party 5and Mario Party 7. In Mario Party 7 their capsule can only be found in the Neon Heights. Even when Lakitus are not directly involved as allies or enemies, they usually make some sort of cameo appearance.
Yoshi also had a Lakitu friend. The Lakitu was brainwashed by Kamek and became the first boss of Tetris Attack. After the Lakitu was defeated, the spell was lifted, and the Lakitu became a playable ally of Yoshi. In Paper Mario, a group of bad Lakitus called Team Lakitu aided Huff N. Puff's attack on Flower Fields. However, one of the Lakitus named Lakilester turned on them and became one of Mario's partners. Lakilester's cloud could protect Mario from harm, and he could blow strong gusts of wind.
Games
| Game: Super Mario Bros. | Points: 800 |  |
|---|---|---|
| Enemies that fly overhead and drop Spinies on the ground. Can be killed by fireball or stomping. | ||
| Game: Super Mario Bros. 3 | Points: 100 |  |
|---|---|---|
| Enemies that fly overhead and drop Spinies on the ground. Can be killed by fireball, stomping, or hammers. | ||
| Game: Super Mario World | Points: 200 |  |
|---|---|---|
| Enemies that fly overhead and drop Spinies on the ground. Can be killed by fireball, stomping or eating with Yoshi. Hitting him with a shell will make his cloud available to use. | ||
| Game: Yoshi's Island | Points: N/A |  |
|---|---|---|
| Enemies that fly overhead and throws spiked eggs at Yoshi. Can be killed by eggs or being eaten. Alternate versions pop out of holes. | ||
Other Appearances
Games
- Lakitus have also appeared as enemies in The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. In this game Lakitus appear in the cloud areas and use lightning magic to attack.
- The Lakitu appears as an Assist Trophy in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The Lakitu is represented in its original 8-bit pixel appearance from Super Mario Bros. and drops Spinies on players.
Trivia
- Japanese name: Jugem (hence the Lakitu's cloud accidentally being called Jugem's Cloud in the American version of Super Mario Bros. 3).
- In Tetris Attack, the Lakitu replaced Windy from the original Panel De Pon.
- The Lakitu appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee.