Not to be confused withKitty.

Kitten
Artwork of kittens fromSuper Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
First appearance	Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021)
Latest appearance	Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (version 11.0.1,spirit cameo) (2021)
Relatives Cat (parent)

Kittens, also known ascats,^[1] appear in theSuper Mario franchise as non-playable characters in theBowser's Fury campaign ofSuper Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. They are present in five different colors: green, red, blue, black, andcalico, each representing the different colors of themaneki-neko. The first four also match theCat form colors of the playable characters inSuper Mario 3D World other thanMario: respectivelyLuigi,Peach (although using a deeper shade of red similar toToadette's Cat form),Toad, andRosalina.

History[edit]

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]

Kittens can be seen relaxing, grooming themselves, or playing withbaseballs in various spots inLake Lapcat. If there is aGreen Shell nearby, kittens lunge at it, knocking the shell forward slightly; if a Green Shell is between a kitten and a wall, the kitten may claw swipe it continually, which eventually breaks the Green Shell and produces aLucky Bell. They are friendly, and follow and affectionately nuzzle Mario if he is in his Cat form orLucky Cat form, though they do not follow him intowater. If Mario approaches them in any other form, however, they become frightened and try to avoid him. They can also be picked up and carried by Mario. While being carried, they will continuously scratch in front of them, which can destroyBrick Blocks and activate? Blocks, similarly to Cat Mario's scratch. Kittens will bounce onMushroom Trampolines andJump Panels, and causeDonut Blocks to fall, similarly to Mario. If a kitten makes contact with water orlava, it will vanish and respawn at its original location. If Mario orBowser Jr. attack a kitten, it does not take damage, and confetti appears instead.

Excluding calico kittens, there are forty-one kittens in total: four near the base ofScamper Shores, four on a higher hill in the same area, four in a tunnel behindFort Flaptrap, four near the lighthouse ofPounce Bounce Isle, four near the lighthouse onRoiling Roller Isle, four onMount Magmeow, three at the top ofPipe Path Tower, and fourteen around the WastelandGiga Bell. Although the solid-colored kittens are not related to any gameplay objective, the calico kittens are missing offspring ofcats, and can be returned to the parent in a given region for aCat Shine. There are nine calico kittens across Lake Lapcat: one near the Lakeside Giga Bell, three near the Ruins Giga Bell, and five near the Wasteland Giga Bell. Some are located close to their parent, while others require Mario to carry them a great distance back.

During the ending cutscene of the campaign, three kittens (blue, red, and green) run off afterBowser lands near them following his defeat asGiant Bowser. After Bowser and Bowser Jr. depart, these kittens circle around Cat Mario. The blue kitten nuzzles Mario, and the red kitten licks its paw. The three kittens and Mario then jump up into the air and freeze. When returning to gameplay after viewing the credits,Cat Plessie becomes able to carry kittens if Mario throws them on top of it or mounts it while holding one, allowing the kittens to travel to different islands.

Several corrupted kittens chasing Mario

WhileFury Bowser is active, all kittens and cats become black with red eyes and ears, large teeth, spiked tails and fur on their heads and backs, and a dark aura emanating from them. They chase after Mario if he is nearby, damaging him if they make contact. If Mario is holding a kitten when Fury Bowser wakes up, then he will take damage and drop it; if a kitten is riding Cat Plessie when Fury Bowser wakes up, then it will teleport back to its original location. Hitting corrupted kittens or cats withfireballs orboomerangs knocks them a short distance away and stuns them for a moment. Using Cat Mario's swipe attack orBowser Jr.'smagic brush can also stun them. Corrupted kittens and cats that come into contact with water, lava, Lucky Cat Mario,Invincible Mario,White Tanooki Mario, orWhite Cat Mario vanish for the duration of Fury Bowser's rampage. When Fury Bowser returns to theFury Sun, all kittens and cats turn back into their original forms, and any defeated ones reappear as they normally do in their original location.

The calico kitten locations are as follows:

• Lakeside Giga Bell
  • Found on the other side of the Giga Bell where the cat is located.
• Ruins Giga Bell
  • Found in a corner near theClear Pipe Cannon that takes Mario back to the top ofSlipskate Slope.
  • Found on top of the cat-shaped gate toClawswipe Colosseum.
  • Found near the entrance toCrisp Climb Castle.
• Wasteland Giga Bell
  • Found on the opposite side of the Wasteland where the cat sits.
  • Found on a pier withDash Panels on it at the beginning of the Wasteland area.
  • Found near the entrance toPipe Path Tower.
  • Found inside an alcove underneath the entrance toRisky Whisker Island.
  • Found near the lighthouse ofMount Magmeow.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, kittens were added as a Novice-classsupport spirit during the five-day "Bowser's Fury" spirit event that began on April 9, 2021. When used, they reduce the fighter's weight but increase their speed. In theirspirit battle, they are represented by five different-coloredKirbys equipped withSuper Leaves, and the battle takes place on theWarp Pipe island inDelfino Plaza, referencing Lake Lapcat. The arrangement ofSuper Mario 64's main theme fromSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS andSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U serves as the battle's music.

Profiles[edit]

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

Spirit #1473 Kittens
	Series/game	Super Mario Series
	Type	Support
	Slots	1
	Class	Novice
	Strength / effect(s)	Lightweight
	How to obtain	Spirit Board (ver. 11.0.1 or later)
Spirit battle	Opponent(s)	TailKirby ×5
	Conditions	Rule: Item: Balls The enemy has increased move speed and reduced weight Defeat an army of fighters
	Stage	Delfino Plaza (pipe island)
	Song	Main Theme - Super Mario 64

Gallery[edit]

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  A red kitten

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  A green kitten

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  A blue kitten

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  A black kitten

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  A calico kitten

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  Models of a red, green, blue, and black kitten

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  Kittens nuzzling Cat Mario

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  Red and blue kittens running with Mario

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  Kittens playing with a baseball

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  A red kitten reacting to Cat Mario

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  A red kitten frightened by Mario

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  A red kitten after being hit

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  A red kitten thrown by Mario

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  A blue kitten being thrown into water

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  Cat Plessie carrying three kittens on its back

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  A calico kitten scratching while being carried by Mario

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  A calico kitten scratching a CatKoopa Troopa

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  A red kitten shielding Mario from a CatFire Piranha Plant'sfireball

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  Calico kittens reunited with their parent

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  Kittens in a Japanese commercial promoting theSuper Mario Bros. 35th Anniversary

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  Promotional screenshot forSuper Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury posted by Nintendo Japan's Instagram account, to celebrate theJapanese Cat Day in 2022

Naming[edit]

Internal names[edit]

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 with which they are associated in the "Notes" column.

Kitten[edit]

Fury form[edit]

Notes[edit]

• TheCalico Parafoil's coloration inMario Kart Tour is similar to that of the calico kittens.

References[edit]

• Earth animals
• Felines
• Children
• Sibling groups
• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
• Bowser's Fury enemies