Piranha Plant: the green maw of the Mario pipes

EnemyPiranha PlantSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate

Inspired by the Venus flytrap, it eventually made its way into the Smash roster. Around since Super Mario Bros. in 1985, the Piranha Plant lunges out of green Warp Pipes and is dealt with using a fireball or a Super Star. This profile follows its now-iconic look, its ever-expanding bestiary of variants and its crowning as a fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Lurking at the bottom of a green Warp Pipe, it lunges out jaws first to snap at the careless: the Piranha Plant (Plante Piranha in French) is one of the most recognizable enemies in the whole Mario universe. Around since Super Mario Bros. in 1985, this green, spotted-headed carnivorous plant has become a fixture of the Mushroom Kingdom in its own right, to the point of making every Warp Pipe look suspicious.

Inspired by the Venus flytrap (the famous land-dwelling carnivorous plant), the Piranha Plant has crossed four decades of games, branching out into a host of variants, before landing an unexpected honour: that of playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Here is the guided tour of this green icon, not to be confused with Petey Piranha (called Flora Piranha in French), the giant boss.

Contents

• Beginnings in the pipes of Super Mario Bros.
• A carnivorous look that became iconic
• A bestiary of variants in full bloom
• The crowning moment in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
• Not to be confused: Petey Piranha (aka Flora Piranha)
• Quick facts
• FAQ

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Beginnings in the pipes of Super Mario Bros.

The Piranha Plant makes its very first appearance in Super Mario Bros., released in 1985, as early as level 1-2. Its original behaviour has stayed famous: it hides at the bottom of a green Warp Pipe, then rises slowly, jaws snapping to try to bite Mario or Luigi, before sinking back down.

One subtlety of game design left its mark on players: a Piranha Plant will not leave its pipe if Mario is standing right beside it or directly on top of it. So to get through without being bitten, sometimes all it takes is waiting in the right spot. In this first game, it can only be defeated with a fireball (thanks to the Fire Flower) or by touching it while under the effect of a Super Star; with no power-up in hand, you are better off simply avoiding it.

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A carnivorous look that became iconic

The Piranha Plant's design is instantly identifiable: a big green head dotted with white spots (yellow in some very early versions), a wide mouth lined with lips and bristling with pointed teeth, all sitting on a green stem. That silhouette draws directly on the Venus flytrap, hence its nickname as the kingdom's carnivorous plant.

Across the games, its presentation has been refined without ever disowning that model: the polka-dotted head has remained its visual signature. That strong identity is what allowed it to become far more than a filler enemy, ending up on countless pieces of merchandise and embodying the plant-shaped danger typical of the series.

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A bestiary of variants in full bloom

Few Mario enemies have given rise to so many variations. Among the most striking:

• Fire Piranha Plant (originally Venus Fire Trap, Fire Piranha Plant today): introduced in Super Mario Bros. 3, it spits fireballs from its pipe that skim the ground and are impossible to dodge.
• Jumping Piranha Plant (Jumping Piranha Plant): it leaps out of its pipe instead of slowly rising and sinking.
• Stalking Piranha Plant or walking one (Stalking / Walking Piranha Plant): free of any pipe, it moves about on its roots to chase the player.
• Big Piranha Plant (Big Piranha Plant): a giant version, tougher and more threatening.
• Ptooie and Muncher: the first balances a spiked ball on a jet of air, the second is a small black plant that stays rooted to the ground and hurts on contact.

More recently, brand-new variants have joined in, such as the scuttling Piranha Plants and the melon Piranha Plants introduced in Super Mario Bros. Wonder, proof that the concept keeps evolving.

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The crowning moment in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

In 2018, the Piranha Plant sprang a surprise: Nintendo revealed it on 1 November as the first downloadable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, alongside the announcement of Ken and Incineroar. This humble enemy thus becomes a fully fledged fighter, fighter No. 70 on the roster.

It fights from a green pot, which limits its movement but feeds an inventive move set: it spits out a spiked ball Ptooie-style as its neutral special, breathes a cloud of poison to the sides, and stretches its stem to bite at range below. Its Final Smash summons Petey Piranha, who stomps across the stage and traps opponents in cages. Notable fact: offered free to players who registered their copy of the game before 31 January 2019, it is the only DLC character not to belong to any Fighters Pass.

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Not to be confused: Petey Piranha (aka Flora Piranha)

Mario's world of hostile plants holds several figures that should not be mixed up. Piranha Plant refers to the classic pipe enemy and its many variants. Petey Piranha — called Flora Piranha in French (Europe) — is a giant, potbellied boss introduced in Super Mario Sunshine: one and the same character under two names, not to be confused with the classic Piranha Plant.

From a simple pixelated threat in 1985 to Smash's surprise star, the Piranha Plant is a perfect illustration of the way Nintendo turns its humblest enemies into genuine icons. Even today, a green Warp Pipe in a Mario game is enough to trigger a reflex of caution in the player.

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Piranha Plant at a glance

First appearance	Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Type	Enemy (carnivorous plant)
Inspiration	The Venus flytrap
Classic habitat	Green Warp Pipes of the Mushroom Kingdom
How to defeat it	Fireball or Super Star
Notable variants	Fire, Jumping, Stalking and Big Piranha Plants, Ptooie, Muncher
Crowning achievement	Fighter No. 70 in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

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FAQ

• In which game does the Piranha Plant first appear?
  It debuts in Super Mario Bros. in 1985, as early as level 1-2, where it rises out of green Warp Pipes to bite Mario.
• How do you defeat a Piranha Plant?
  In the early games, you have to send a fireball its way thanks to the Fire Flower, or touch it while under the effect of a Super Star. Without a power-up, better to avoid it.
• Why don't Piranha Plants always come out of the pipe?
  In Super Mario Bros., a Piranha Plant will not leave its pipe if Mario is standing right beside it or directly on top of it. So you can wait it out and slip past safely.
• Is the Piranha Plant playable in Super Smash Bros.?
  Yes. Revealed on 1 November 2018, it is the first downloadable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, where it fights from a pot, with Petey Piranha as its Final Smash.
• What is the difference between the Piranha Plant and Petey (Flora) Piranha?
  The Piranha Plant is the classic pipe enemy and its variants. Petey Piranha — called Flora Piranha in French — is a giant boss introduced in Super Mario Sunshine: one and the same character under two names.

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