Hothead
| Hothead | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork fromSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Bros. Wonder (2023) | ||
| Variant of | Li'l Sparky | ||
| |||
Hotheads are large balls of sparking energy that first appear inSuper Mario World. Hotheads travel on platforms, serving as a larger, slower variant ofLi'l Sparkies.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World[edit]
Hotheads first appear inSuper Mario World. They slowly move around platforms and can be defeated byInvincible Mario orCaped Mario's Body Press. They are found in#6 Wendy's Castle andFront Door, specifically in rooms withLil Sparkies.
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
InSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Hotheads are found in theWorld-e levelsA Sky-High Adventure andPuzzling Pipe Maze. Unlike inSuper Mario World, they can be defeated byStatue Mario's stomp or byhammers thrown byHammer Mario.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]
Hotheads reappear inSuper Mario Bros. Wonder alongsideLil Sparkies. Just like Lil Sparkies, they can be defeated by bumping blocks below them. Also as with Lil Sparkies, the player characters now visually appear electrocuted when they take damage from contact with Hotheads, similar toAmps inNew Super Mario Bros. and its sequels.
Super Princess Peach[edit]
Hotheads reappear inSuper Princess Peach. They behave similarly to how they act inSuper Mario World, and are invincible to everythingPeach can do. They are found inShriek Mansion,Fury Volcano, andBowser's Villa. Unlike most other enemies in the game, they do not have avibe-based counterpart.
Hotheads appear in the following levels:
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
- SmashWiki article:Hothead
Hotheads appear as an item inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl,Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Wii U, andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. Like inSuper Mario World, they stick to the stage when thrown and burn anyone that touches it, and also release powerful sparks periodically when moving. It also grows larger if hit with fire and electric attacks, an ability it was never shown to have in theSuper Mario franchise. Hotheads move quickly around the platform they are on, but can also just fall off entirely. InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, a Hothead also appears as a supportspirit, equipping the fighter with a Hothead at the start of battle when used.
Hothead's design inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl is more realistic-looking, butSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Wii U andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate give it a design closer to that ofSuper Mario World.
Profiles[edit]
Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten[edit]
| パサラン (JP) / Hothead (EN) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Original text (Japanese) | Translation | ||
| ゴースト | Tribe | Ghost clan | |
| Disposition | Simple-minded | ||
| ワールド | Game appearances | World | |
| やっかいな | That's a nasty fireball A fireball circling around a block that serves as a foothold, it is a larger version of the Li'l Sparky (p. 78). They cannot be knocked down and must be jumped over. | ||
Super Princess Peach[edit]
- Glossary number: 55
- Glossary entry: "Avoid it as it moves along the terrain."
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
| Trophy Hothead | ||
 | ||
| Appears in: SNESSuper Mario World | ||
| How to unlock: Random | ||
| An item that, when tossed, sticks to the terrain and moves, causing damage to those it touches. Whoever threw it won't take damage. It will grow larger if it's attacked, which ups its attack range. However, an increase in size corresponds to a decrease in the time it stays on the screen. A really big Hothead will take up the entire screen, and is quite a sight to behold.(American English) | ||
| An item that, when tossed, sticks to the terrain and moves, causing damage to those it touches. Whoever threw it won't take damage. It will grow larger with some attacks, which ups its attack range. However, an increase in size corresponds to a decrease in the time it stays on the screen. A really big Hothead will take up the entire screen, and is quite a sight to behold.(British English) | ||
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Wii U[edit]
| Trophy Hothead | ||
3DS: Wii U:  | ||
| Category: Item | ||
( )Appears in:SNES Super Mario World (08/1991) NDS Super Princess Peach (02/2006) | ||
| ()Trophy Box: - | ||
| How to unlock: Random | ||
| Once thrown, this guy will move across the ground and damage anything—except you—in its path. You can make the Hothead bigger by hitting it with attacks, much to your opponents' dismay. If you make it really big and powerful, it may just carry you to victory!(American English) | ||
| Throw this on the ground and it'll slide around, damaging everything in its path, except you. You can make the Hothead get bigger and more powerful by attacking it with fire and lightning, and it's pretty impressive just how big and powerful it can get!(British English) | ||
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
| Spirit #58 Hothead | ||
| Series/game | Super Mario Series |
| Type | Support | |
| Slots | 2 | |
| Class | Novice | |
| Strength / effect(s) | Hothead Equipped | |
| How to obtain | Spirit Board | |
| Spirit battle | Opponent(s) | CurryPAC-MAN |
| Conditions | Rule: Item: Hothead
| |
| Stage | Mushroom Kingdom U (tower) | |
| Song | Castle / Boss Fortress - Super Mario World / SMB 3 |
Gallery[edit]
Super Mario World artwork
Super Mario World sprite
Super Mario World sprite
Super Mario World sprite (defeated)
Super Mario World (cast roll)
A size chart for a 1996Nintendo Character Manual
A Hothead inSuper Mario World
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 sprite
Naming[edit]
Etymology[edit]
The name "Hothead" is likely a play on the enemy's design. In American English, a "hothead" is one who is quick to anger and looking for a fight. It has been the English name for the enemy since its debut inSuper Mario World, in which it is displayed in-game after the credits. The Japanese name「パサラン」(Pasaran) is the second half of「ケセランパサラン」(keseran pasaran), benevolent cotton-like creatures inJapanese folklore that float down from the sky after lightning strikes.[2] This also alludes to its small counterpartLi'l Sparky, which is referred to as「ケセラン」(Keseran) in Japanese.
"Hothead" is incidentally the current German name forLava Bubble, which was referred to as Lava-Blub at the time ofSuper Mario World's release in Europe. The enemy's current German name isGroβschein.
Internal names[edit]
| Game | File | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Mario Bros. Wonder | G:/romfs/Model/EnemyKeseranBig.bfres.zs | EnemyKeseranBig | BigLi'l Sparky |
Names in other languages[edit]
The contemporaneous name for each language is listed first. Subsequent names are listed in chronological order for each language, from oldest to newest, and have the media they are associated with in the "notes" column.
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | パサラン[3][4][5][6][7] Pasaran | The second half of「ケセランパサラン」(keseran pasaran); officially romanized as "Pasaran" | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 大电火球[8][6] Dà Diàn Huǒqiú | BigLi'l Sparky | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | Hothead[6] | Unmodified from the English name | |
| Dutch | Hothead[6] | - | |
| French | Tête brûlée[9][6] | Hothead | |
| Tete brulee[10] | Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 | ||
| German | Großschein[11][6] | Large Shine | |
| Hothead[12][13] | Loaned from English; shared withLava Bubble | Super Mario World | |
| Italian | Sfavillo[6] | Fromsfavillare ("to spark") | |
| Sferardente[14][15] | Burning Sphere | Prior toSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate | |
| Fiammetto[16] | Lava Bubble, ascribed in error | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia (first edition) | |
| Korean | 파지직[17][6] Pajijik | Onomatopoeia for electric sparkling | |
| Portuguese | Chispa[18] | Spark | |
| Russian | Головешка[6] Goloveshka | Головня (golovnya, "firebrand"), word of the same root asголова (golova, "head"), with diminutive suffix-ешк (-eshk) | |
| Spanish | Chispino[19][18][6] | Fromchispa ("spark") with diminutive suffix-ino | |
| Hothead[20] | - | Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 |
References[edit]
- ^November 20, 1994. 「パーフェクト版 マリオキャラクター大事典」 (Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten).Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-259067-9. Page152.
- ^Plus_Box_7067 (4 Jul. 2021).Tensara-basara: A Gift From The Sky.Reddit. Retrieved 22 May 2025. (Archived July 4, 2021, 13:06:04 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^Kagawa, Ryo (APE/Shigesato Itoi), Koichi Toda (100 Percent), Masaki Kuramochi (100 Percent), Shigeo Tanabe, Naomaru Asao, and Ryuji Osawa, editors (1991). "UNIT 2 CHARACTER" in『任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオワールド』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-104117-5. Page 31.
- ^Okamoto, Daisuke, and Norio Ando (STF) (2006). 『スーパー プリンセスピーチ任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-106268-7. Page 29.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). "Super Mario World" in『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN978-4-09-106569-8. Page 55.
- ^abcdefghijSpirit inventory (7 Dec. 2018).Super Smash Bros. Ultimate byNintendo,Sora Ltd., andBANDAI NAMCO Studios Inc (Ver. 13.0.3).Nintendo.
- ^Kazuma, Sakurai, Sato Tomoya, Nakatani Itaru, Kojima Katsuyuki, and Hashiguchi Yuya (2023). 『スーパーマリオブラザーズ ワンダー かんぺき攻略本』. Tokyo:Kadokawa (Japanese). ISBN4-047337-02-1. Page 47.
- ^In-game name from the ending of theiQue version ofSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2. (Archived 28 Aug. 2013 via Baidu Teiba by 无敌阿尔宙斯.)
- ^Glossaire (26 May 2006).Super Princess Peach byTOSE Software Co.Nintendo of Europe GmbH (French). (Archived via JeuxVideo by avav.)
- ^In-game name from the ending ofSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (French). (Archived 19 Nov. 2010 via YouTube by Diddy64wii.)
- ^Glossar (26 May 2006).Super Princess Peach by TOSE Software Co.Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). (Archived via YouTube by PonyPlays2014.)
- ^Menold, Marcus, Claude M. Moyse, and Andreas G. Kämmerer, editors (1993).Der offizielle Nintendo Spieleberater "Super Mario World". Großostheim:Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 20.
- ^In-game name from the ending ofSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (German). (Archived 15 Oct. 2011 via YouTube by Spendem.)
- ^Glossario (26 May 2006).Super Princess Peach by TOSE Software Co.Nintendo of Europe GmbH (Italian). (Archived via Mario's Castle.)
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2025). "Super Mario World"Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia (2nd ed.). Translated by Alessandro Apreda. Milan:Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN979-1259575760. Page 56.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2018). "Super Mario World" inSuper Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Translated by Marco Amerighi. Milan:Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN889367436X. Page 55.
- ^Trophy list (2008).Super Smash Bros. Brawl by Sora Ltd.Nintendo.
- ^abTrophy list (2014).Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS by Sora Ltd. and Bandai Namco Games.Nintendo.
- ^Glosario (26 May 2006).Super Princess Peach by TOSE Software Co.Nintendo of Europe GmbH (European Spanish).
- ^In-game name from the ending ofSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (European Spanish). (Archived 12 Sept. 2021 via YouTube by El Tiempo Es Ahora.)
- Electrical creatures
- Fire creatures
- Ghosts
- Large variants
- Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3 enemies
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder enemies
- Super Mario World enemies
- Super Princess Peach enemies
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl items
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophies
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U items
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS trophies
- Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophies
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate items
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirits
