Piranha Creepers are a recurring enemy species in the Mario franchise. They first appear in Super Mario 3D World.
Profile
Physical description
Piranha Creepers are a variant of Piranha Plant with a light purple head and long, prickly stems.
Behavior
A Piranha Creeper has the ability to stretch its stem and move in various directions, which can can effectively block the path others. Piranha Creepers possess the ability to both stretch their stems and pull themselves backward, Piranha Creepers are also quite drowsy and have a tendency to fall asleep whenever at peace. While asleep, Piranha Creepers turn blue, whenever attacked, Piranha Creepers are pushed a few feet back and stunned for a few seconds.
Habitats
Piranha Creepers are typically found in the jungle, and the live in the ground, walls, water, Poisoned Water, or even Warp Pipes.
In Super Mario series
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Piranha Creepers are typically found in jungle-themed levels such as Piranha Creeper Creek and Piranha Creeper Creek after Dark. Piranha Creepers often move around with their prickly stems and can block the path of the heroes, the heroes can either wait for the Piranha Creepers to move backward or they can attack the Piranha Creeper's head with either a stomp or the effects of a Fire Flower, Boomerang Flower, Super Bell, Lucky Bell, or Super Leaf (the Piranha Creeper's stem is invincible due to it's prickly nature and can cause damage). Additionally, Ground Pounds push them back even further, a Piranha Creeper can be beaten if it is pushed back into the wall, ground, or roof it roots from, some Piranha Creepers are also asleep, sleeping Piranha Creepers don't move and are blue in color, when attacked, they are pushed back and awaken, if left alone for too long, the sleeping Piranha Creeper will stretch back to it's initial length before sleeping again. Piranha Creepers are often rooted from walls, floors, and ceilings but they can also root from water, Poisoned Water, or even Warp Pipes. The effects of a Starman, Invincibility Leaf, or Invincibility Bell can instantly kill a Piranha Creeper (even if it was hit on the prickly stalk). Tapping on a Piranha Creeper's head with the Wii U GamePad can send them back a short distance but this tactic cannot be used to beat them.
The Bowser's Fury side of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury also has Cat Piranha Creepers, Cat Piranha Creepers are found all around Lake Lapcat and behave similarly to regular Piranha Creepers.
Super Mario Maker 2
Piranha Creepers return as placeable enemies, although exclusively in the Super Mario 3D World style. The path(s) the Piranha Creepers take can be set by the player, and there are two types of Piranha Creepers: purple and blue. Purple Piranha Creepers move constantly back and forth along their path, while blue ones remain immobile and sleep at the end of their path.
If a Piranha Creeper is attacked in any way, it will move back towards its hole in small increments. If hit in quick succession, it will be permanently defeated once it reaches its hole point. Otherwise, purple Piranha Creepers will resume their routine, while blue ones reset themselves to the end of their path after a short period of time.
Also, the Piranha Creepers' heads are slightly smaller, and up to ten of them can be placed in a single course area. Additionally, blue Piranha Creepers make small sleeping sounds while they are in their sleeping state.
In Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker
Piranha Creepers appear in a few levels such as Piranha Creeper Cove. Piranha Creepers retain their behavior from before (stretching and moving back to their holes) however due to Captain Toad and Toadette's inability to Jump, this makes navigating around the Piranha Creepers slightly trickier. Tapping on a Piranha Creeper's head can send them all the way back to their hole, Piranha Creepers can be beaten by falling on top of them, spinning into them or by tossing a Turnip at their head.
In Mario Party: Star Rush
Piranha Creepers appear in the minigame Jump to Conclusion. Here, they periodically emerge from their holes taking up several steps that the players are racing across with their prickly stems, players need to race to the top of the stairs whilst avoiding the Piranha Creepers, if they are hit by the moving Piranha Creepers or their prickly stalks, they are stunned for a a few seconds giving their rivals a great advantage.
In Mario Tennis Aces
Piranha Creepers are seen again in Mario Tennis Aces, in this game, they can be found in the Ancient Altar (where Petey Piranha is faced) sleeping, they don't have much impact on the tournament however.
In Mario Golf: Super Rush
Piranha Creepers appear all over Wildweather Woods in the last three holes of the course. Here, they act as obstacles that players need to avoid. If a player is to touch a Piranha Creeper or it's prickly stem, they will be stunned for a few seconds and lose Coins and stamina. Additionally, if a player is to hit the ball into the dirt paths they create, they will score themselves a penalty.
Crossover appearances
Minecraft (Super Mario Mash-up)
Shulkers and Lilacs are replaced with Piranha Creepers.
Trivia
- Piranha Creepers are very similar in appearance to both Bungee Piranhas from Yoshi's Island DS and Prickly Piranha Plants from the Super Mario Galaxy games.
- The Piranha Creepers' stem-stretching abilities are similar to the Elasto-Piranha's from Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.
- Piranha Creepers are among one the few enemies to not disappear upon touching the Flagpole.
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Playable | Mario • Luigi • Princess Peach • Princess Daisy • Wario • Waluigi • Yoshi • Toad (Toads: Red • Blue • Green • Yellow) • Toadette • Rosalina • Donkey Kong • Diddy Kong |
| Bosses | Mega Goomba • King Bob-omb • King Boo • Petey Piranha • Mega Blooper • Mega Dry Bones • Mega Monty Mole • Kamek • Bowser Jr. • Bowser • Bowser's mech | |
| Others | Amp • Blooper • Bob-omb • Boo • Bullet Bill • Chain Chomp • Cheep Cheep • Conkdor • Fuzzy • Galoomba • Gold Bullet Bill • Gold Cheep Cheep • Gold Piranha Plant • Goomba • Goombrat • Hammer Bro • Huckit Crab • Koopa Troopa • Lakitu • Magmaargh • Monty Mole • Peepa • Piranha Creeper • Piranha Plant • Podoboo • Shy Guy • Spike • Spiny • Swooper • Urchin • Wiggler | |
| Features | Dice Blocks | Standard Dice Block • Super Dice Block • Jumpy Dice Block • Speedy Dice Block • Friendly Dice Block • Greedy Dice Block • Risky Dice Block • Flutter Dice Block • Cutie Dice Block • Wondrous Dice Block • Brawny Dice Block • Triple 7 Dice Block |
| Items | Coinado • Dash Mushroom • Double Card • Double Star Card • Double Dice Block • Duel Glove • Fling Spring • Golden Dash Mushroom • Gold Dice Block • Poison Mushroom • Silver Dice Block • Warp Box | |
| Coinathlon items | Blooper • Coin Bag • Coin Trio • Double Medal • Kamek • Lava Bubble • Lightning Bolt | |
| Board features | ? Block • Cannon Space • Coin Balloon • Duel Balloon • Lakitu • Shy Guy Shop • Star Balloon | |
| Maps | Toad Scramble | World 0 • World 1 • World 2 • World 3 • World 4 |
| Balloon Bash | Map 1 • Map 2 • Map 3 | |
| Worlds | World 0 | World 0-1 • World 0-2 • World 0-3 |
| World 1 | World 1-1 • World 1-2 • World 1-3 | |
| World 2 | World 2-1 • World 2-2 • World 2-3 | |
| World 3 | World 3-1 • World 3-2 • World 3-3 | |
| World 4 | World 4-1 • World 4-2 • World 4-3 | |
| Minigames | Free-for-All | Acornucopia • Block Busters • Blowboat Battle • Bridgesaw Puzzle • Bumper Bugs • Conkdor de Force • Corkscrew Climb • Dodge Fuzzy, Get Dizzy • Fruit or Foe • Fruit Parade • Goomba Guess • Greedy Eats • Haunted Hallways • Jewel Janitors • Jump to Conclusion • Lava Labyrinth • Parkour War • Piranha Plantemonium • Piece of Cake • Pop Quiz • Roller Revenge • Rolls for Moles • Shooting Stars • Splat-a-Stamp • Top It Off • Wheelin' and Wigglin' |
| Boss Battle | Bowser's Hit-or-Missile Mania • Bowser's Shocking Slipup • Bowser's Space Race • Bowser Jr.'s Pound for Pound • Kamek's Card Tricks • King Bob-omb's Boom D'état • King Boo's Light Smite • Mega Blooper's Bayside Bop • Mega Dry Bones's Femur Fever • Mega Goomba's Bad Dream • Mega Monty Mole's in the Hole • Petey Piranha's Shell Smackdown | |
| Coin Chaos | Cheep Cheep Reach • Conveyor Meltdown • Goomba Gold Rush • House of Boos • Leafboard Hoard • One-Stop Toad Shop • Pinball Brawl • Rolling Rumble • Samurai Smackdown • Silver Lining • Steal Diver • Tiles and Tribulations | |
| Bowser's Gauntlet | Bowser's Fence Fury • Bowser's Fire Hazard • Bowser's Power Bomb | |
| Miscellaneous | Other | Balloon Bash • Boo's Block Party • Challenge Tower • Character Museum • Coinathlon • Rhythm Recital • Toad Scramble |
| Other | Character Museum • Gallery • Minigames • Staff | |
