Super Mario: Ranking The 10 Strongest Ghost Enemies

Mario games feature a variety of ghost enemies, especially when including the Luigi’s Mansion series since that is the entire premise. Given that bosses are well known for how tough they are, the standard/rare enemies are taking the limelight this time. Given that the newest Mario Party entry, Mario Party Superstars looks back to the original games, it is time to look back at all of the ghost enemies.

Ghost enemies are unique and often stand out from the others that players face. They usually have unique designs or only appear in places like ghost houses, but they are also usually death traps. Unless players are professionals or have mastered the games, these enemies usually result in at least one death. While strength does not factor much into standard enemies, how easy it is for them to kill the player is factored into their strength.

10 Big Boo

One of the most common ghost enemies besides the regular boos, Big Boo is just a larger version but in games such as the first one they appeared in, Super Mario World, they can be quite a problem. Usually, the areas in which Big Boos are found do not allow the player to simply jump over them and usually requires a bit more strategy. This is unless the player knows when one is going to spawn and has a cape that they can use to fly over.

Big Boos have also been around for quite a while as an enemy, even appearing as late as Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. Most of the time, they act the same across the games, but in Super Mario 3D World/Bowser’s Fury, they can actually be defeated by the lightboxes in the game, one of the many details of Bowser’s Fury that fans totally missed, unlike in the past.

9 Eerie

First appearing in Super Mario World, one of the best Mario games to play, Eerie is troublesome, to say the least. Their flight patterns are more unpredictable than that of a normal Boo, and there are usually multiple of them coming at once. They cannot be killed either, except with a star.

While not as harmful to the player as most of the other ghost enemies, Eeries can prove to be quite annoying, especially when trying to maneuver through a ghost house. The fact that there is usually more than one adds to the difficulty, as well.

8 Octoboo

Similar to how the infamous Boo Buddies operate, these enemies appeared only in Super Mario Galaxy 2. But unlike the Boo Buddies, they become harmless after the player successfully lands a spin attack or uses Yoshi’s tongue ability. However, there is no way to permanently kill them.

While these enemies can be annoying, and are not the worst in the Galaxy series, for anyone trying to rush through the areas they are in, they are easily avoidable and can be temporarily defeated. This is unlike their older cousins, the Boo Buddies.

7 Boo Buddies

All fans recognize this spinning circle of ghostly death. These things are a nightmare for speedrunners and beginners who fail to time correctly. They first appeared in Super Mario World and have been used increasingly ever since, including in the new Mario Golf: Super Rush. Although the easy trick is to just jump through the large gap between them, this can become a challenge if there are many of them, or if the player is being rushed by another enemy or the clock.

Boo buddies have often been used in the Super Mario Maker games to either increase the difficulty or as a means to troll by being in hidden blocks since these enemies can not be killed. At some point, every player has died from Boo Buddies.

6 Bomb Boo

Bomb Boos are another bomb enemy variant. Appearing in Super Mario Galaxy, these enemies act as regular Boos but explode like a Bob-omb. They can be defeated with a spin attack that will grab a hold of their tongue, but even then, they can still blow up if held for too long.

While these enemies are not as troublesome as others, they can prove to be a burden, especially for new players who are not quite sure what they are yet. Being chased by a ghost that can blow up can also be quite terrifying.

5 Speed Hammer

The Speed Hammer is much like any normal hammer in the game, but its speed is increased as well as its health. They, too, only appear in certain parts of the ScareScraper. Given their increased mobility and health, they can prove to be some of the more challenging standard enemies in the game. This is much the case with the rare ghosts in Luigi’s Mansion 3.

The increased mobility of this enemy can also make it challenging to catch as well, but they are not too difficult. Hammers are some of the strongest standard enemies Luigi will come across in the game, but some do have different characteristics that make them stronger besides just damage.

4 Bomb Hammer

What distinguishes a Bomb Hammer from the other hammers is the fact when one slams down, it releases 10 bombs onto the player. This can especially surprise players who are going in to deal damage, only to find they have to run away from the sheer amount of bombs on the ground.

Bomb enemies are usually some of the most challenging in Mario games, as they can often make a player panic given the countdown to an explosion they can not prevent. Although not the strongest hammer enemy in Luigi’s Mansion 3, these enemies can be deadly if the player isn’t careful.

3 Lethal Hammer

Like the Speed Hammer, the Lethal Hammers only appear in certain areas of the ScareScraper and act like normal hammers. That being said, they deal some of the most damage of any hammer enemy. Lethal Hammers also have more of a health boost than regular hammers, but can be defeated easily with partners.

Still, even during multiplayer, if players are not careful, the increased damage can really take a toll fast. This makes the Lethal Hammers some of the strongest non-boss enemies in Luigi’s Mansion 3, as before the player can react to their draining health, the final blow will be struck.

2 Dark Magiblot

Easily one of the strongest enemies in Super Paper Mario, the Dark Magiblots are no joke. Although they only show up in certain areas, encountering them can be challenging. While there are many things that don’t make sense about Dimentio in Super Paper Mario, Dark Magiblots are the strongest common enemy in the game, according to the Super Mario Wiki.

There are a total of four Magiblots in Super Paper Mario, all similar in appearance, but while the other three have some weaknesses, including the Red Magiblot, which has the lowest health of the group, the Dark Magiblot has no such weakness.

1 Doppel

Doppels are arguably the strongest ghost enemy in a Mario game besides bosses. These enemies appear in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars and feature a lot of health, but they also can attack with high damage. They also are very fast and do not have many weaknesses, but do have a weaker defense to both physical and magical attacks.

Despite this, the only real way to successfully defeat a Doppel without taking a lot of damage is to use the Pure Water item since this will kill ghost enemies instantly. If the player does not have any Pure Water, then it is going to be a fight, especially since they will usually be alongside other enemies, as well. Doppels are arguably the toughest ghost enemies in any Mario game, especially since the only true strategy is to use an item to kill them.

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