Croco: The Wily Crocodile of Super Mario RPG

BossCrocoSuper Mario RPG

A purple crocodile in a top hat who robs you blind, then bolts. Known as Kuroko in Japan, Croco tears through Super Mario RPG causing chaos, and you fight him twice. This profile digs into his hit-and-run boss battles, his obsession with treasure, his gentleman-thief personality and his final career change into a merchant serving the heroes.

Croco is one of those opponents you never forget: a small purple crocodile in a top hat, a rascal down to the tips of his claws, who romps through Super Mario RPG sowing chaos wherever he goes. His name is identical in French and in English (Croco), an obvious nod to his crocodile nature.

First seen in 1996 on the Super Nintendo, he stepped back into the spotlight with the 2023 Switch remake. Hardened thief, recurring boss, then reformed merchant: Croco alone sums up the mischievous, offbeat tone of this cult RPG.

Contents

• Croco, the crooked crocodile of Super Mario RPG
• Two boss fights against an opponent who keeps running
• A thief obsessed with treasure
• A gentleman-thief personality
• From bandit to merchant: Croco's change of heart
• Croco returns in the Switch remake (2023)
• Quick reference
• FAQ

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Croco, the crooked crocodile of Super Mario RPG

Croco stands out immediately with his gentleman-thief look: top hat on his head, smug grin and a brisk stride. In Japan, he goes by クロコ (Kuroko), an obvious shortening of “crocodile”.

He makes his debut in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, the role-playing game developed by Square (Squaresoft) with Nintendo, released in 1996 in Japan and then in North America. The game never got a boxed release in Europe at the time: fans had to wait for the 2023 Switch remake to finally play it officially in French.

Careful with one common misconception: despite being an antagonist, Croco does not belong to the gang led by Smithy (Smithy), the game's main villains. He is a freelance bandit whose only thought is lining his own pockets.

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Two boss fights against an opponent who keeps running

Croco is one of the first memorable bosses of the adventure, and you face him twice:

• On Bandit's Way (Bandit's Way): after stealing a precious item from Mallow, Croco makes a run for it. Mario and Mallow chase him through the maze before cornering him for a first duel.
• In the mines near Moleville (Mole Mines): later on, Croco traps Mario, knocks him out and cleans him out. You have to chase him down all over again to win the loot back, in a noticeably tougher fight.

True to his crooked nature, Croco never fights fair: he dodges, bolts and cheats. Fast and slippery, he throws bombs and thinks nothing of stealing items in the middle of the fight, forcing the player to stay on guard. These clashes, half chase and half brawl, rank among the most memorable moments of the game's opening hours.

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A thief obsessed with treasure

Croco's running theme is theft. It all starts when he swipes from Mallow his precious Frog Coin (Frog Coin): that incident is what pushes the little cloud creature to team up with Mario. Later, in the mines, he shamelessly makes off with the whole party's coins.

This greed is no minor detail. On the hill where shooting stars collect people's wishes (Star Hill), you discover Croco's secret wish: to get his hands on every treasure in the world. That sums the character up perfectly — an opportunist with no real malice, but utterly unable to resist anything that glitters.

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A gentleman-thief personality

What makes Croco so memorable is his attitude as much as his crimes. Small frame, huge confidence: he carries himself like a gentleman thief, proudly sporting his top hat like a street-corner dandy. Always in a hurry, he prefers running to fighting and never passes up a witty line.

His streak of madness also comes through in his dialogue: in the original version, Croco peppers his sentences with expressions borrowed from several languages, which plays up his eccentric, show-off side. He perfectly embodies the light, absurd humour that is the signature of Super Mario RPG.

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From bandit to merchant: Croco's change of heart

As is often the case in Super Mario RPG, the tone stays good-natured, and Croco ends up surprising everyone. Late in the adventure, you meet him again not as an enemy, but as a shopkeeper: he runs a little shop in the castle of Bowser (Bowser's Keep), where he sells useful items and even hands out a bit of advice.

That complete about-face — from pickpocket to handy supplier — is part of the game's charm and turns Croco into an endearing figure rather than a true villain. The crook ends the adventure on the side of the good guys, proof that with him the lure of profit always beats holding a grudge.

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Croco returns in the Switch remake (2023)

In 2023, Super Mario RPG came back fully rebuilt on Nintendo Switch, with 3D graphics, reworked animations and, above all, a first official French translation. Croco keeps every bit of his charm there: same thefts, same two fights, same shop at the end.

That comeback delighted fans, who had fond memories of this thieving crocodile. Long confined to a single game, Croco remains one of those iconic characters the community would love to see again in other entries of the Mario.

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Croco at a glance

French name	Croco
English name	Croco
Japanese name	クロコ (Kuroko)
First appearance	Super Mario RPG (1996, Japan/North America)
Type	Bandit crocodile (boss)
Role	Recurring thief, then merchant
Boss fights	2 times (Bandit's Way, then the mines)
Return	Super Mario RPG (Switch, 2023)

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FAQ

• Who is Croco in Super Mario RPG?
  Croco is a purple crocodile and bandit who wears a top hat. He is a recurring thief that Mario fights twice as a boss over the course of the adventure.
• How many times do you fight Croco?
  Twice: a first time on Bandit's Way, then a second, harder fight in the mines near Moleville (Mole Mines).
• What does Croco steal in the game?
  He first swipes Mallow's Frog Coin, which kicks off the adventure, then steals the coins of Mario and his party in the mines.
• Does Croco become an ally of Mario?
  In a way: late in the game he switches sides and runs a shop in Bowser's castle, where he sells items that are useful to the party.
• Is Croco in the 2023 Switch remake?
  Yes. He appears in Super Mario RPG (2023), the first version officially translated into French, with the same thefts, the same fights and the same shop at the end.

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