Boo

Boo
Type	Ghost
Debut	Super Mario Bros. 3

The Boos are a race of mischievous ghost creatures appearing throughout the Mario series .

Information

They do not seem to be the ghosts of the deceased, but rather a ghost-like species. They are well-known for their shyness; whenever someone looks them in the eye, the Boos will often freeze and cover their eyes, usually turning transparent as they do so. But when people aren't looking, Boos will usually pursue their prey. Boos also steal items in the "Mario & Luigi" games. However, Boos in other games are not as shy and only turn transparent when they need to hide from an enemy or avoid an attack. Depending on the games, Boos either can only be harmed while they're solid or cannot be harmed at all. Boos have also been shown to be vulnerable to particular items such as Pure Water and the Poltergust 3000.

Although many Boos are malicious, some are good at heart but like using their abilities to scare people. Examples of good Boos include the Lady Bow, who became one of Mario's partners in Paper Mario. One of the legendary heroes who defeated the Shadow Queen was a Boo Heroine. But one example of an evil Boo is King Boo, a vicious ghost who engineered the plot of Luigi's Mansion. The ghost-like Boos are naturally found in old mansions and houses, and special Ghost Houses. There is also a village of non-hostile Boos in Gusty Gulch.

Sports Appearances

Boos also seem to be active in sports.

• Golf: The Boo is an unlockable player in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, unlocked by collecting 50 Best Badges.
• Kart Racing: The Boo appears as an item in all Mario Kart games. when activated, the Boo will temporarily turn the user invisible and steal an item from a random player for the user.
• Tennis: The Boo is a playable character in Mario Tennis 64 and Mario Power Tennis, and appears as a hidden character in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour.
• Baseball: Boos appear in Mario Superstar Baseball as partner characters.
• Soccer: Boos will be appearing in Mario Strikers Charged as sidekick characters.

In the Mario Party games, a Boo would steal coins or a star from another player if offered a money. In these games, the Boo could be summoned by the Boo Bell or Boo's Crystal Ball, but they could also be shunned with Boo Repellant. A Boo in a wizard costume was also one of the four hosts of Mario Party 4 Starting in Mario Party 5, Boo became a playable character, and in Mario Party 6 a pink Boo took up the job of stealing players' treasures.

Subspecies

• Boo Buddy Block - In Super Mario World, a Boo that turns into a block whenever someone looks at it. The pink Boos in Super Mario Sunshine can also be turned into blocks by spraying them with water.
• Boo Man Bluff - In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Boo Man Bluff is a blindfolded orange Boo that relies on hearing instead of sight to detect enemies.
• Dark Boo - From Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Super Paper Mario, the Dark Boo is a stronger version of the Boo that is purple with red eyes. In Super Paper Mario it spends most of its time in the 3-D plane and then shifts into the 2-D plane near the player in order catch him or her by surprise with an attack. It is found in the Creepy Steeple and Pit of 100 Trials in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, and it is also found in "Chapter 7-2: The Sealed Doors Three" and the Flipside Pit of 100 Trials in Super Paper Mario.
• Dark Dark Boo - In Super Paper Mario, a stronger pitch-black version of the Boo found only in the Flopside Pit of 100 Trials.
• Li'l Boo- In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, a more powerful version of the Boo found by the Gate to Smithy's Factory.
• Mad Boo - In Super Princess Peach, Mad Boos act as the reverse of Boos, as they only act shy whenever someone isn't looking at them.

One popular variation is the Big Boo, a giant Boo that often shows up as a miniboss or boss. Boos also have been shown to have great power when combined together. In Luigi's Mansion, thirty Boos combined together to form Boolossus, the Jumbo Ghost. And in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, an Atomic Boo (the same thing as a Big Boo) was formed by a fusion of 200 Boos. The name "Big Boo" was also used to address the normal Boos in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

Trivia

• The Boo's Japanese name is Teresa. Originally referred to as Boo Diddly in the American version of Super Mario Bros. 3 as a reference to singer Bo Didley.
• An item called the Boo's Sheet can make people transparent like the Boos.
• The Boo Valley in Mario Golf 64 is named after them.
• The Boo appears as a trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
• Boos also appear in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. They will advance on Link in dark dungeon rooms to attack him, but they flee when the room is lit up.