Champignon Abeille : le pouvoir volant de Galaxy

Bee Mushroom: the flying power of Galaxy

1370 words | Reading time : 6 minute(s)

ItemSuper Mario GalaxyBee Mario

Flight, yes — but never, ever touch the water. The Bee Mushroom in Super Mario Galaxy turns the plumber into Bee Mario: short gauge-limited flight, honey walls to climb and flowers to walk on. This guide explains the coin trick for refilling the gauge and details the power-up's fatal weakness, since it vanishes at the slightest contact with water.

Of all the items scattered across the galaxies of Super Mario Galaxy, few leave as strong an impression as the Bee Mushroom. This yellow mushroom striped with brown turns the plumber into Bee Mario, a winged version able to take off for a few moments, climb honey-covered walls and land on flowers. Introduced in 2007, it embodies all on its own the spirit of vertical, airborne exploration that defines Mario's cosmic epic.

Unlike offensive transformations such as the Fire Flower, the Bee Mushroom is all about mobility and finesse: no projectiles, just a short flight to manage carefully, a crippling weakness to water, and a direct link to the bee people and their ruler, the Queen Bee. Here is everything you need to know about this iconic power-up.

Contents

A yellow-and-brown mushroom straight from the Honeyhive Galaxy

The Bee Mushroom (Champignon abeille in French) first appears in Super Mario Galaxy, released on Wii in 2007. It is instantly recognizable by its yellow cap decorated with brown stripes, a direct nod to a bee's body.

When Mario picks it up, he slips into a full insect costume: a brown helmet topped with two antennae, a pair of translucent wings, a white collar around his neck and a yellow outfit striped with black. Luigi, for his part, wears a variant with a yellow cap. This transformation, called Bee Mario, is closely tied to the Honeyhive Galaxy , the galaxy where you first discover how it works.

Bee Mario, yellow and black striped body, translucent wings on his back
Yellow and brown stripes, wings on his back: the mushroom turns Mario into a full-blown bee.

Flying, climbing, walking on flowers: what Bee Mario can do

The Bee Mushroom's great strength is flight. Hold the jump button and Mario rises into the air for a short while. But watch out: that flight is not unlimited. A flight gauge starts draining the moment the plumber takes off, and you have to refill it to stay airborne.

  • Short flight: perfect for clearing chasms and reaching high platforms, as long as you ration the gauge well.
  • Walking on honey: Bee Mario can stick to honey-covered walls and to honeycombs, then climb them to make progress vertically.
  • Flowers and clouds: he is one of the few Mario forms able to land gently on flower petals and on certain clouds without falling straight through.
  • Hanging on to the queen: the costume also lets you cling to the Queen Bee during specific missions.
Bee Mario flying above the flowers of the Gold Leaf Galaxy
Fly for a few seconds, cling to honey walls, walk on flowers without crushing them.

Managing the flight gauge: the coin trick

The whole subtlety of the Bee Mushroom lies in managing its flight gauge. It drains continuously as long as Mario stays in the air, and once it is empty he drops back down. Luckily, several actions refill it:

  • Collecting coins in mid-flight extends your time in the air.
  • Landing on solid ground, a flower or a cloud refills the gauge.
  • Clinging to a honeycomb also restores it.
  • The fastest method is still to bounce on an enemy or a character in mid-flight to instantly recover a good chunk of the gauge.

This mechanic makes Bee Mario a precision power-up: it rewards players who plan their aerial route instead of charging in head first.

The fatal weakness: water (and a few other limits)

The Bee Mushroom has a famous Achilles' heel: water. At the slightest contact with water, the costume vanishes and Mario returns to his normal form. That turns some aquatic levels into real puzzles where a single misstep costs you the transformation. Taking a hit from an enemy also makes the costume disappear.

Beyond water, Bee Mario lives with several deliberate limits: he cannot hit Question Blocks, cannot perform advanced jumps and cannot pick up shells. These constraints balance out his formidable flight ability and sometimes force you to give up the transformation temporarily to get past certain obstacles.

From the first Galaxy to Galaxy 2: where to find the Bee Mushroom

In Super Mario Galaxy, the Bee Mushroom makes its debut in the mission "Bee Mario Takes Flight" in the Honeyhive Galaxy. It then shows up in several honey-themed or nature-themed galaxies, including the Honeyclimb Galaxy, built entirely around climbing honey walls.

In Super Mario Galaxy 2, the power-up returns in two dedicated galaxies: the Honeybloom Galaxy, unlocked by feeding a hungry Luma , most of it set on a huge cube-shaped planet seen from the side, and the Honeyhop Galaxy, located in World 4, where the Queen Bee makes her return. The Bee Mushroom also pops up as a nod in the closing credits once you have collected all 120 Stars. Today both games are playable on Nintendo Switch, which makes it easy to rediscover Bee Mario in the best possible conditions.

Flower-filled galaxy where the Bee Mushroom is found in Super Mario Galaxy 2
Galaxy 2 brings it back in its flowery galaxies, without making it a central power-up.

Quick recap

French name Bee Mushroom
English name Bee Mushroom
Transformation Bee Mario (and Bee Luigi)
First appearance Super Mario Galaxy (2007)
Abilities Short flight, honey climbing, walking on flowers and clouds
Weakness Contact with water and hits from enemies
Games Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2

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FAQ

  • What does the Bee Mushroom do in Super Mario Galaxy?
    It turns Mario into Bee Mario, a winged form able to fly briefly, climb honey walls and honeycombs, and land on flowers and clouds.
  • Why does Bee Mario lose his transformation in water?
    Water is the costume's weakness: at the slightest contact with water, Mario returns to his normal form. Taking a hit from an enemy also makes him lose the bee suit.
  • How do you refill Bee Mario's flight gauge?
    By collecting coins in mid-flight, landing on a surface, clinging to a honeycomb, or, fastest of all, bouncing on an enemy or a character.
  • Which games does the Bee Mushroom appear in?
    It appears in Super Mario Galaxy (2007) and its sequel Super Mario Galaxy 2, notably in the Honeyhive, Honeybloom and Honeyhop galaxies. Both games are playable on Nintendo Switch.
  • What is the difference with the Fire Flower?
    The Fire Flower is an offensive, ranged power-up, while the Bee Mushroom is entirely about mobility: flight, climbing and aerial precision, with no attack at all.
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