Shy Guy

Shy Guy
Origin	Subcon
Type	Human Shaped
Debut	Super Mario Bros. 2

Shy Guys are timid troublemakers that wear robes and masks. They have first appeared in the non-Mario game Doki Doki Panic. They originally work for Wart in the dreamworld Subcon. The Shy Guys are common enemies in the Yoshi series. In later games, Shy Guy makes some social activities like sports and parties.

Information

Shy Guys first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2, where they were minions of the tyrannical king Wart. However, their first appearance chronologically was in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island where they were members of the Koopa Troop. It can be assumed that the Shy Guys that work for Bowser answer to General Guy.

Since Super Mario Bros. 2, Shy Guys have been seen working for many other villains, including Smithy, Donkey Kong and Kamek. One Shy Guy (the White Shy Guy) is actually an ally of Yoshi. It may be assumed that Shy Guys are jacks-of-all-trades, and can work for whoever they want to or may even be mercenaries.

Subspecies

• Bandit - Bandits are a tall, larceny-loving sub-species of Shy Guy. Bandits originated from the Yoshi series, although they have gone on to appear in the Paper Mario series as well.
• Snifit - A Snifit is a Shy Guy with a black mask, and an extended nozzle for a mouth. The extended nozzle can fire bullets (some of which are made from a form of nightmare and are actually produced from the Snifit itself[1]), projectiles, or other objects. Though Snifits first originated in Doki Doki Panic, a game unrelated to Mario, they have since become somewhat frequent enemies in the Mario series.

Other Subspecies

• Anti Guy - Anti Guys are gray Shy Guys that appear in Paper Mario. They are also known as Deadly Guy, due to the fact that their attacks are extremely powerful. An Anti Guy is first encountered in Shy Guy's Toy Box; it is guarding the Power Plus Badge. Others are later seen at Bowser's Fortress. The second Bowser Gate quizzes Mario. If Mario gets three questions wrong, he must face the Anti Guy Unit, which consists of three Anti Guys.

Rumor has it that Lemon Candy is their favorite treat. Mario can bribe the Anti Guy in Shy Guy's Toy box with a Lemon Candy so he doesn't have to fight him, although it's highly recommended to fight him since he gives a lot of Star Points after defeated.

Black Shy Guys from Yoshi's Story look very similar to Anti Guys and are often confused for them.

• Barbecue Guy - Barbecue Guys are red invincible Shy Guys that push torches that erupt with a bar of fire, in which they trap Yoshi between. The only way Yoshi can escape is to keep moving along with them. When Yoshi reaches the finish, the Barbecue Guys put out their torches and leave. They only appear in Magma Castle in Yoshi's Story.
• Beezo - Beezos are a sub-species of Shy Guys that first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 2, where they came in two colors: Red and Pink. This sub-species appear to use tridents as weapons. They also have wings on their back which allow them to fly.
• Black Shy Guy - Black Shy Guys are Shy Guys who wear black robes. They first appeared in Yoshi's Story as Fly Guys. First appearing in Stage 3-3, Poochy and Nippy, the Black Shy Guy hovered in the air and dropped bombs. If eaten, any Yoshi other than the Black and White Yoshis would lose petals from their health meter. Black Shy Guys appeared in Page 6, hovering in the air holding Anvils, which they would attempt to drop on Yoshi when they attempt to pass under them.
• Boo Guy - A Boo Guy is a type of Shy Guy ghost that first appeared in the game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. As its name suggests, a Boo Guy looks like a cross between a Boo and a Shy Guy. These ghosts greatly resemble the average Shy Guy, although Boo Guys are completely pale and lack feet. Instead of feet, Boo Guys have a wispy tail similar to a Boo. As such, Boo Guys have the ability to hover just above the ground in order to move around. Presumably, Boo Guys are the spirits of deceased Shy Guys, although it is possible these ghosts are created independently of a creature’s death (as Boos themselves may not be the ghosts of the deceased, but simply an undead species capable of an unknown means of reproduction). Like Shy Guys, Boo Guys are individually weak, but can prove to be a threat in large numbers, especially since Boo Guys have shown the ability to organize and strategize with others of their kind, as well as operate advanced machinery. It is also possible these ghosts are directly related to Boos, given their similar names.
• Boom Guy - A Boom Guy is a red Shy Guy that balances a Bill Blaster on top of its head. They have 18 HP total. During the events of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Boom Guys patrolled the halls of Prince Bowser's Castle. Upon spotting an intruder, a Boom Guy would fire a Bullet Bill, engaging the intruder in battle. In a fight, a Boom Guy fires Bullet Bills to attack, an attack that can be dodged by jumping. The Boom Guy may also try to fake out its opponent by firing a puff of smoke before he actually attacks. If a Boom Guy is attacked enough times, his cannon will fall off, leaving him defenseless. When this happens, a Boom Guy will start to panic. Without a cannon, a Boom Guy can merely whistle for help. If heard, two Fly Guys will appear and drop another Bill Blaster on the Boom Guy's head, allowing the Boom Guy to resume the fight. If not heard, the Boom Guy will continue to panic.
• Chandeli-Ho - Chandeli-Ho is a Shy Guy appearing in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. After the Smithy Gang's takeover in Bowser's Keep, the Chandeli-Hos replace Kinklinks as holders of the big chandeliers in the keep.
• Chuck Guy"' - A Chuck Guy is a spear-wielding Shy Guy that lives in the Beanbean Kingdom. They highly resemble the Spear Guys that live on Yoshi's Island. On the map, Chuck Guys can attack the Mario brothers from a distance by throwing spears at them. However, they do not use this ability during battle. Instead of that, they attack by either charging at Mario or Luigi (in this case, they will perform a small jump before attacking), or by stabbing one of the brothers with their spear. Both attacks can be avoided by jumping. Chuck Guys also tend to call in more of their kind when they feel threatened.
• Elite Boom Guy - Elite Boom Guys are Shy Guys that are found only in Gritzy Caves during the events of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. Elite Boom Guys are basically stronger versions of Boom Guys that Mario, Luigi, Baby Mario, and Baby Luigi encountered earlier in Bowser's Castle in the past (now known as Baby Bowser's Castle). Additionally, they wear blue outfits and have Bill Blasters on their heads. Elite Boom Guys' attack movements are similar to Boom Guys' attack movements. When one of the Elite Boom Guys attempt to attack, the Elite Boom Guy first walks near to one of the Mario Bros. then they attempt to attack the picked one of the Mario Bros.; the Elite Boom Guy will either duck while holding their hands on their heads or duck while the Elite Boom Guy extends his arm toward one of the Mario Brothers.
• Fat Guy - Fat Guys are corpulent, heavy Shy Guys. Fat Guys appear only in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Paper Mario, and Yoshi's Island DS. In Yoshi's Island, Yoshi receives a Giant Egg from eating a Fat Guy. Giant Eggs can't be shot. Instead upon using the Giant Egg every enemy on screen turns into a Star. Fat Guys may also be used as platforms, but after jumping on them they will run faster.
• Fly Guy - A Fly Guy is a sub-species of Shy Guy. They have propellers on their heads and have various jobs. They are not to be confused with Flying Shy Guys or Sky Guys. Fly Guy debuted in Mario spin-offs in Mario Power Tennis, as a secret character known for his technique. He reappeared in Mario Hoops 3 on 3 as a Tricky player, where, strangely, Shy Guy was not playable.

Fly Guys have been noted for some important roles in the Mario Party series; for example, Fly Guy is responsible for Duel Mini-games in Mario Party 5. Two Fly Guys appear on the box art of Mario Party 8.A secret technique with the Mic causes Fly guys to fly across the menu screen in Mario Party 6. However, they only appear through cameos.

• Flying Shy Guy - Flying Shy Guys first appeared (and only appeared) in Yoshi's Story. They were different from Fly Guys (which also appeared in the game) due to the fact that they flew via little helicopters on their backs. The Flying Shy Guy would fly around dangling fruit just out of Yoshi's reach, but could be defeated like any other Shy Guy. An exception was the elite Black Shy Guy, a Flying Shy Guy crossed with an elite Shy Guy.

They also appeared in the background of the Yoshi's Story stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee. They carried food, which are healing items in the game. Also in Super Smash Bros. they can be seen in the background of the Yoshi's Island stage.

• Ghoul Guy - A Ghoul Guy is a gray Boo Guy, a Shy Guy ghost, that lives in Shroob Castle, the Shroobified version of Princess Peach's Castle. These incorporeal Shy Guys attack in the same manner as their Boo Guy counterparts. In battle, a Ghoul Guy will roll into Mario or Luigi, inflicting damage. Before a Ghoul Guy attacks, the Shy Guy spirit will split into two transparent copies: one real, one fake. Like the Boo Guy, only the real Ghoul Guy can injure the Mario Bros. The Ghoul Guy will point to the Mario brother the ghost will attack.
• Glide Guy - A Glide Guy is a Shy Guy with a parasol tied to his back found in Yoshi's Island DS. It is called a Glide Guy because in strong currents that Peach can ride, they can also ride just as well, gliding. Also, it jumps and floats for a few seconds.
• Groove Guy - Groove Guys are a sub-species of Shy Guys from the game Paper Mario. Groove Guys are dressed as court jesters and love to perform, in fact they dance to call in reinforcements. Groove Guys can summon either Shy Guys, Medi Guys, or additional Groove Guys with their dancing. They can also make Mario temporarily Dizzy.
• Gunner Guy - The Gunner Guy is a military Snifit unique to the Koopa Troop. They are used to guard extremely important locations, such as Bowser's Castle. Gunner Guys appear only in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Because of his very long snout, which serves as a gun, a Gunner Guy can hardly move by himself. That is why a Shy Guy clad in army camouflage will show up in order help him during battle. The Shy Guy will push the Gunner Guy up to its target before firing, giving the Mario Bros. less time to react. If the Shy Guy simply pushes the Gunner Guy, the latter will fire a cannonball which will fall onto the ground and roll very slowly. If the Shy Guy hops before the attack, the Gunner Guy will fire a quick projectile that looks like a tiny Bullet Bill. Both attacks can be dodged by jumping, but a very good timing is required.
• Jetpack Guy - Jetpack Guys are Black Shy Guys hovering about via the utilization of a jetpack; they are found solely in the game Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. They only appear in the Lava Dome. A Mini-Mario can ride them, however if a Mini-Mario touches the fire the jetpack shoots the Mini-Mario will be burned. If the Jet Pack Guy' is on ground that is directly below it, it will walk like normal Mini-Shy Guys until it gets off of the ground by walking off the ground.
• Spear Guy - Spear Guys are tribal Shy Guys from Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, Yoshi's Story, and Yoshi's Island DS. Spear Guys are identical to Shy Guys, though they wear grass skirts and feature war paint on their masks. They can be thought of as primitive Shy Guys that form tribes in the Piranha Grove and other, typically forested areas. When confronted with danger, they will attack with spears. Basically, they are the Yoshi's Island variant of similar enemies such as Chuck Guys.
• Limbo Guy - A Limbo Guy are a species of Spear Guys that prefer to always play limbo with anyone who passes by. They live only on a small island near Yoshi's Island. While Dancing Spear Guys Jump around, the invincible Limbo Guy does something different--they come in color-coded pairs and dance with limbo sticks! They attack Yoshi by simply dancing around while trying to trip the Yoshi with their stick. Yoshi must jump over them.
• Mace Guy - A mace-swinging Shy Guy who appears in only four levels, Sluggy the Unshaven's Fort, Raphael the Raven's Castle, Castles-Masterpiece Set and Endless World of Yoshis in the game Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. The mace of course can hit a Yoshi and hurt him. A Yoshi can also eat the mace and the Mace Guy becomes a normal Shy Guy.
• Medi Guy - Medi Guys are Shy Guys that act as emergency workers. They can restore the health of their partners in battle and ram into Mario with their flying ambulances (which look like the Koopa Clown Car used by Bowser). Medi Guys have only appeared in Paper Mario.
• Stretch Guy - Stretches, or Stretch Guys are enemies that are encountered in the Yoshi series. These variants of Shy Guys are taller and thinner than ordinary Shy Guys. Yoshi cannot defeat them by jumping on them; instead, when jumped on, Stretches get flattened and spit out watermelon seeds. If Yoshi kept at least one of these Shy Guys around, he could easily take out other enemies nearby.
• Mini Shy Guy - The Mini-Shy Guys are living Shy Guy toys appearing in Mario vs. Donkey Kong and Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis.

They will just move from left to right; however, if a Mini-Mario or Mario himself touches them, the character will be defeated. Mario can pick them up and throw them as weapons (ala Super Mario Bros. 2), and the Mini-Marios can also ride them.

• Mock Up - Mock Ups are strange balloons in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island that only appear in a few levels. When a Yoshi gets too close, they inflate. If a Yoshi eats one before it pops, a 1-UP is awarded. However, if the Yoshi fails to eat the balloon, the Mock Up would pop and reveal a Fly Guy, who would fly away mockingly.
• Mufti Guy - Mufti Guys are Shy Guys in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and Yoshi's Island DS. They wear flowers on their head and use them to hide by crouching down on the ground so that Yoshi can only see the flowers. When Yoshi gets close to where they are hiding, they will get up and try to hurt Yoshi. When they get up, they still have flowers on their head.
• Mummy Guy - Mummy Guys are undead Shy Guys appearing in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. They are just like Mini-Shy Guys, however when stepped on they will break apart like Dry Bones and grow back after some seconds. Mummy Guys appear in the Spooky Attic. It appears, like many other enemies, that these toys also have a life of their own. Even if they are toys, they do not have "Mini" in front of their name.
• Phantom Guy - Phantom Guys are ghost Shy Guys found in Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis. When a Mini-Mario presses a button the same color as the ghosts, the Phantom Guys will turn into blocks, allowing the Mini-Marios to pass. They appear in the Spooky Attic stage.
• Pirate Guy - Pirate Guys are adventurous Shy Guys that "sail the seven seas." However, in actuality, they only sail the seas surrounding Yoshi's Island and Li'l Yoshi's Island. They are closely tied with Limbo Guys. Their first appearance was in Yoshi's Story, and at the time only in Stage 5-4: Shy Guy's Ship.
• Pyro Guy - Pyro Guys, originally called Flamer Guys, are Shy Guys that have somehow caught fire. They first appeared in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. If Yoshi ate one, he could breathe three shots of fire. The Pyro Guys could run faster than normal Shy Guys. Pyro Guy later appeared in Tetris Attack being a partner with a certain Gargantua Blargg.
• Robo Shy Guy - Robo Shy Guys are robots that are modelled after Shy Guys. Very little is known about them, as they only ever made a single brief appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Robo Koopa". Whether the Robo Shy Guys were built by either Dr. Nerdnick or Robo Koopa is unknown. Robo Shy Guys don't appear to pose much of a threat, as almost any attack will knock one out.
• Rocket Guy - Rocket Guys are Yellow Shy Guys who fly on Rockets. Rocket Guys have appeared only in Yoshi's Island DS. They first appear in outer space where Yoshi is also in a rocket. In outer space, they are invincible and if you merely touch them Yoshi's rocket will explode and you will have to restart at the nearest check point. Rocket Guys are unique, because they are the only enemies that can only be defeated, and thereby added to the Enemy Museum, during a boss battle (see Moltz the Very Goonie). They would fall on Yoshi and are like the planetoids - they could defeat the Yoshi.
• Shy Away - A Shy Away is a variety of Shy Guy that has the ability to fly and enjoys watering plants. They appear in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
• Shy Guy Ghost - In Luigi's Mansion, Shy Guys reappeared as ghosts with pitchforks (likely a reference to Beezos). To defeat them, Luigi had to suck up the Shy Guy's mask before he could suck it into his vacuum. Strangely this is the only type of Shy Guy that has been seen with its mask off plus with the mask off you can only see it's eyes.
• Shy Guy Lion - A Shy Guy Lion is essentially an otherwise normal lion that wears a Shy Guy mask over its face. Despite being a species, only one was ever seen, and was shown to have a bad temperament. It appeared during The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Raiders of the Lost Mushroom".
• Shy Ranger - A Shy Ranger is an extremely mysterious gold-colored Shy Guy that appears in the Pipe Vault of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. They only appear around Piranha Plants. Shy Rangers have extremely high Speed ratings and as such, they will immediately run away from battle if encountered. If Mario and his party manage to defeat a Shy Ranger, the heroes will earn a total of sixty Experience Points.
• Shy Squad - The Shy Squad is General Guy's personal subdivision of Shy Guys in the Shy Guy Army in Paper Mario. They are first encountered shortly before the boss battle against the General in Shy Guy's Toy Box. The Shy Squad was followed by two elite factions: the Stilt Guys and Shy Stacks, before General Guy himself could be battled.
• Shy Stack - During the events of Paper Mario, Shy Stacks are the third part of the Shy Guy Army. They consist of four Shy Guys standing on top of each other. The Spin Hammer ability can be used to knock them off.
• Shyper - The Shyper is the strongest variety of Shyster and only appear in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Like their Shyster cousins, Shypers are mechanical Shy Guys that ride sword-tipped pogo-sticks. Shypers are one of the strongest enemies in the game, and only appear during the final battle with Smithy.
• Shyster - A Shyster (also known as Pogo Guy) is a Shy Guy that hops on a sword-tipped pogo-stick. They appear in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars and work for the Smithy Gang. Shysters formed the bulk of Mack's forces during his invasion of the Mushroom Kingdom. After Mack conquers the peaceful kingdom, the Shysters are allowed to terrorize the townsfolk as they please.
• Sky Guy - Sky Guys are Shy Guys that float using balloons. They first appeared in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island where they floated over Yoshi and dropped things from crates to bombs. They showed up again in Paper Mario; this time they shot at Mario with a slingshot.
• Sling Shy - Sling Shys are troops who work for Valentina, they first appeared in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Sling Shys are Shy Guys who dress exclusively in light green and, as the name implies use a sling shot as a weapon (which is more powerful than a regular Shy Guys sling shot). The only real difference between Shy Guys and Sling Shys (aside from power) is that Sling Shys are capable of using transformation magic, such as "S'crow Bell" (which can transform a party member into a Scarecrow) and "Spore Chimes" (which can transform a party member into a Mushroom).
• Submarine Guy - Submarine Guys are invincible Shy Guys that drive one-man submarines. They patrol the ocean waters surrounding Yoshi's Island, and fire torpedoes (similar in design to Torpedo Teds) at intruders.
• Tube Guy - A Tube Guy is a Shy Guy in Yoshi's Island DS that wears a red, green, orange, or purple innertube in water and constantly looks from one side to another frantically, then moves.
• Woozy Guy - A Woozy Guy is a Shy Guy that can do flips in the air. Woozy Guys appear Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island and it's sequel, Yoshi's Island DS. They work for Kamek, who sent them to get Baby Mario (and the other babies in the sequel) from The Yoshis. They flip and jump like the regular Shy Guys of Paper Mario. They appear in Yoshi Island DS's Island Museum.

Other Appearances

• A Shy Guy was an unlockable character in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64. This is the first time a Shy Guy was ever playable. Shy Guy came back for another round in Mario Power Tennis, but this time was available from the start. For its power move, he does a Spear Guy-type dance, gets a spear, and electrifies the ball.

When it won a Singles Tournament, a cut-scene would play. During this, it would walk up to to podium with the trophy on while Luigi would be there applauding it. Accidentally, Shy Guy trips over a step on the small staircase and his mask falls off. The screen doesn't show what it looks like without his mask but an astonished Luigi sees it and just stands there with his mouth hanging wide open. Shy Guy quickly puts its mask back on, takes the trophy and walks off of the podium, thus ending the cut-scene. This shows that Shy Guys probably wear masks because they are hiding something very scary or disturbing.

• In Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Shy Guys appear ice-skating in Sherbet Land, forming obstacles for the racers. A statue of two Shy Guys can be seen in the background of Baby Park, and they appear in the audience of Waluigi Stadium. A Shy Guy was playable in the download play version of Mario Kart DS. Also, on the Action Replay DS Card, there was a cheat where the player could press select to play as the said Shy Guy. In Mario Kart Wii Shy guys appear as spectators and stage hazards on various tracks. In the city section of Moonview Highway, the shy guy emblem can be seen on the guard rails.
• Shy Guys appear in the Mario Party series (mainly in the minigames). In this series Shy Guys are friends of the Mario cast. In Mario Party 4 a Shy Guy (with Toad, a Boo, a Goomba and a Koopa Troopa) find the mystical Party Cube, with which they can create parties and game boards. In this game Shy Guy wears an Indiana Jones-like costume. And it has its own game board: Shy Guy's Jungle Jam.

A single, friendly, Shy Guy appears as the conductor of Shroom Citie's Train Station in Mario Party Advance. One of the games quests involves retrieving a ticket from him and delivering it to Goomba (an easy feat, since the Train Station is located only a few spaces away from the Goomba House. In another of the game's quests, the Shy Guy asks the Player to obtain Coal for him, because the Train's have apparently run out. The Player can find the Coal in the Vending Machines. Once this is done, he will reward the player with the Gaddget; Cake Maker.

• Shy Guys of all different colors were playable in Mario Superstar Baseball. They are balanced characters. Ironically, their starting captain is Yoshi, one of their earliest enemies.
• Shy Guys appear as sidekicks in Mario Strikers Charged. They are balanced players. Their skillshot is the Bullet Bill Blast. When Shy Guy scores, it does its own celebration. It runs but trips and its mask falls down similar to the Mario Power Tennis trophy award. Strangely, when Shy Guy scores, the mask makes facial expressions despite the fact that it's just a mask.
• Shy Guys also appear in the Yoshi's Story stage of Super Smash Bros. Melee. Although they are actually Flying Shy Guys, they are called Shy Guys. The Shy Guys will fly past the stage. They are unable to damage players, but they carry Food with them, which can be dropped on the ground if they are attacked. If the player KOs a Shy Guy he receives the bonus "Shy Guy KO". They also have a trophy in their honor.

Shy Guys appear in the Mario Circuit stage racing in go-karts in the game Super Smash Bros. Brawl. They are the only racers, and they will appear going across the top or bottom of the stage. If hit, the Shy Guy racers will spin out of control and wipe out. It is possible to get rid of every Shy Guy on the track, but after a while they'll just come back.

• Shy Guy is a referee in the Wii crossover, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games.

Trivia

• The Mask-Guys from Virtual Boy Wario Land are very similar to Shy Guys in that they both have names ending in "guy" and that they are both shy creatures who hide their faces behind masks. As a matter of fact, Mask-Guy may be a Shy Guy sub-species, although this is unconfirmed.
• Luigi is the only person known to have seen a Shy Guy without its mask.
• Shy guys has also appeared in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.