Master Mantis
Artwork fromWarioWare: Get It Together!
Species	Human
First appearance	WarioWare: Smooth Moves (2006)
Latest appearance	WarioWare: Move It! (2023)
Latest portrayal	Owen Thomas (2018–present)[1]
Member of	WarioWare, Inc.

“We must train...harder than ever, pushing ourselves to the edge.”

—Master Mantis,WarioWare Gold

Master Mantis is a major character in theWarioWare series, first appearing inWarioWare: Smooth Moves. He is an elderly martial artist who trains his devoted apprentice,Young Cricket. When he was first introduced, he appeared to be a rather serious character, shown training Cricket in difficult conditions, but it is later shown that he fits in with the rest ofWario's friends.

Master Mantis's most distinguishing characteristics and features are his red nose, his having no visible mouth, his defined cheeks, his calmness, and his extreme love of dumplings.

History[edit]

WarioWare series[edit]

WarioWare: Smooth Moves[edit]

Master Mantis makes his debut alongside Young Cricket inWarioWare: Smooth Moves. While walking downPark Street, the two smell dumplings being served at a nearby food stand. After angering thePark Street Residents by cutting the line, he get back to Master Mantis, telling him that they should get in line, to which Mantis agrees.

WarioWare: D.I.Y.[edit]

InWarioWare: D.I.Y., Master Mantis runs theAssembly Dojo alongside Young Cricket. He also appears as a comic stamp.

Game & Wario[edit]

Master Mantis also appears inGame & Wario in theKung Fu minigame. Mantis serves as the destination for Cricket to reach at the end of each level.

Like other WarioWare characters, he has an entry for theMiiverse Sketch Masterpiece Collection, videos uploaded by the official Nintendo of Japan YouTube account showcasing drawings made with the Miiverse Sketch mode. Master Mantis provides commentary for the eighteenth video, themed "Stag Beetle."

WarioWare Gold[edit]

Master Mantis observing the Diamond City Amusement Park map.

Master Mantis returns inWarioWare Gold along with Young Cricket and the rest of the series's cast. In Cricket's story, Mantis is shown training Cricket inDiamond City Amusement Park. Mantis leads him to a merry-go-round known as Precious Prancers for his trial. At the end of the trial, Mantis noticesLulu, who had jumped on Cricket's shoulder when she mistook him for a horse. Mantis then guides him to the next trial, the "Trial of the Lost Child".

He is later seen atClub Joe alongside Cricket,Jimmy T,Mona,Kat, Ana,Dr. Crygor,Penny,Mike, andFronk, where his dancing technique neither attracts nor detracts any crowds.

At the end of the game, Mantis is among the group who demands Wario to pay them for themicrogames they designed for theWario Bowl. After Wario trips and lets his money briefcase fall, Mantis tells Cricket to use his newly learned technique, the "Precious Prancing Pounce", to stop Wario from escaping further. All of Wario's friends then decide to split the remaining money equally between them. The player is then rewarded the 10000coins they were given at the beginning of the game to buy their admission into the Wario Bowl.

Master Mantis hosts theBattle Time game mode alongside Young Cricket. Mantis represents the host player, i.e. the player that selects Find Opponent on the mode's title screen and can select the control scheme.

WarioWare: Get It Together![edit]

Master Mantis at Feelin' Groovy Fitness

Master Mantis appears inWarioWare: Get It Together! In the game's story mode, he appears in the opening cutscene, eating dumplings alongside Young Cricket. He, along with the rest of the WarioWare, Inc. employees, gets sucked in the game world due toWario's actions.

Master Mantis appears in the intro of Jimmy T's stage where he does an aerobics performance with him, Cricket, Lulu, andJoe.

Master Mantis appears in the post-game story where he is asleep while bound to a rope in the Super Hard tower. When Wario and co. reach the tower, they free Mantis and he joins the rest of the employees chasing down the mysterious creature who initially kidnapped him. Upon clearing the Showdown stage, Wario complains about having ended up without any treasure, to which Mantis replies that the end that Wario may have seeked was "Treasure not the gold but the journey it inspired."

As a playable character, Master Mantis is controlled the same way as Young Cricket, with the moving him left and right, and pressing making him jump, with the jump height increased by holding. However, Mantis has the additional ability to walk upside-down on any ceiling, if he can reach it by jumping. Mantis shares the same pros and cons with Cricket, excelling in microgames where action at lower areas is prioritized (e.g.Roll Cake andA Moving Experience, 2 out of the 4 microgames that deem him a good fit), and being ineffective in most other microgames that involve action at higher areas (e.g.Gondola Lift, the only microgame deeming him a bad fit). Mantis's additional ability grants him the potential to complete microgames in higher areas (e.g.Drawbridge Dilemma, another good fit) and dodge hazards in low areas (e.g.Super Mario Bros. andInside the Storm). Master Mantis has the second largest number of microgames where he is considered an average fit (148), with 43 as an above-average fit and 18 as a below-average fit.

WarioWare: Move It![edit]

Cricket and Mantis against the leader of the penguins

Master Mantis appears inWarioWare: Move It!, where he joins Wario along with the rest of the WarioWare Inc. crew toCaresaway Island. He and Young Cricket first appear in their stage, "Battle on Flashfreeze Cape!", at thetitular cape. Mantis stays by a campfire while Cricket brings fish over to the campfire. While waiting, snow suddenly falls on the cape, and the duo are ambushed by a gang of penguins, which they dodge. Mantis watches as Cricket and the penguin gang engage in microcombat. Eventually, Cricket defeats the gang, and the head penguin reveals himself to be a disguisedCicada. Cricket and Mantis remain confused to her presence and identity after she leaves, but Mantis suggests that it will come to him eventually.

Cricket, Mantis and Kat & Ana balance on Poolopus' tentacle

Mantis also appears in the second Remix stage, "Pool-Party Panic". He is first seen playing with a ball with Cricket, Kat, and Ana. The ball gets lodged inPoolopus' mouth, prompting the rest of the crew in trying to remove it, only to be flung into the air before landing on a moving tour bus. When the bus stops, everyone returns to the pool and asks Poolopus to throw them again.

Mantis, along with the rest of theWarioWare cast appear in the final stage, "Lava at First Sight", where they all dance to defeatVolcano Wario. After Wario is launched from the volcano, the cast enjoys their vacation, while Wario is stuck inside a temple.

Master Mantis once again hosts theShowdown mode, where he represents Player 2.

Rhythm Heaven Megamix[edit]

Rhythm Heaven Wiki article:Young Cricket and Master Mantis

The duo's appearance in Wario... Where?

Master Mantis makes an appearance in the Wario... Where? version of theMunchy Monk Rhythm Game inRhythm Heaven Megamix, where he replaces themonk.

Tetris 99[edit]

Master Mantis makes an appearance inTetris 99 alongside otherWarioWare characters in theWarioWare: Get It Together! andWarioWare: Move It! themes released for the 24th and 37th Maximus Cups, respectively.

General information[edit]

Personality[edit]

Master Mantis is heavily devoted to martial arts, training in difficult environments. InWarioWare Gold, his serious personality remains, but for comedic effect, as he even goes as far as to "train" Cricket at the Diamond City Amusement Park. Like Cricket, Mantis enjoys dumplings, even more so than Cricket as hisGame & Wario character card adds that he likes them "a bit too much." It is shown in one of theMona Superscoops that his hobby is painting. In his WarioWare Inc. official site profile, it is revealed that he has a "powerful appetite" and that one of his favorite foods is "sweet bean buns." It is also shown he has a mild obsession with food, as he states a dessert buffet "would really hit the spot."

Physical appearance[edit]

Mantis is a short, elderly man with defined cheeks, a round red nose, and a grey wavy ponytail that flares into spikes at the end. He also has a black mustache and what appears to be either headphones or hairbuns on either side of his head. His eyes are small black circles. Outside of his appearance in the Wario... Where? version of theMunchy Monk minigame inRhythm Heaven Megamix, his mouth has never been seen. Mantis typically wears a purple martial arts uniform similar to that worn byYoung Cricket, though with a simpler design and bigger sleeves.

Profiles and statistics[edit]

WarioWare series[edit]

Game & Wario character card[edit]

-Master of countless martial arts
-Popular with the ladies
-Has his own fan club
-Loves dumplings (a bit too much)

WarioWare Gold character card[edit]

• Rank C –Mantis is a master of the martial arts. He's extremely strong. Trains with his dutiful student, Cricket.
• Rank B –Uses a martial-arts technique known as Wii Form Style, though increasingly interested in Quick Switch Style.
• Rank A –Believes that training can happen anywhere, usually where he wants to be. Fairly recently, at a lovely café.

WarioWare: Get It Together! character description[edit]

• Intro description: "A master of martial arts and Cricket's teacher, he is said to be very strong...though no one has seen him fight."
• Break Room description: "A master of martial arts and Cricket's teacher, Mantis is said to be very strong...though no one has ever seen him fight."

WarioWare, Inc. Official Site[edit]

I do not believe in the word "impossible".
"Wa-chaaa! I am Mantis, master of the martial arts. Do you wish to become my pupil? Alas, that position is already filled."

• Hobbies: "Travel, you might say. What is life but a journey with no destination?"
• Skills: "I am a master of the Wii Form style, although I HAVE been tempted to study the Switch Form style."
• Favorite food: "No warrior's journey would be complete without sweet bean buns."
• About Young Cricket: "He may yet be a fledgling, but he works hard and has great potential."
• Present woes: "Despite mastering everything, I can never seem to master my powerful appetite..."
• Secret tidbit: "I try to make sure my "warrior's journey" takes me to places I want to go, like amusement parks and trendy new overpriced cafés."
• Desire of the moment: "An all-you-can-eat desert buffet would really hit the spot... Cricket, our training continues at that fancy restaurant!"
• CEO Comment: "Mantis is Cricket's teacher! He's mastered every fighting style there is, but no one's ever seen him actually fight for real. Naturally, I could knock him flat in a second with MY secret art of the Garlic Belch! Wahaha!"

Quotes[edit]

Main article:List of Master Mantis quotes

• "Alas..."
• "Masterful!"
• "I'm... fine."
• "That... is the way of the Mantis."

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Master Mantis.

• 

  WarioWare: D.I.Y.

• 

  Game & Wario

• 

  WarioWare: Get It Together!

• 

  WarioWare: Get It Together!

Names in other languages[edit]

Notes[edit]

• Master Mantis is one of the fiveWarioWare, Inc. employees who do not appear as aspirit inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, with the other four beingRed,Mike,Penny andLulu. Along with Lulu, he is not depicted or referenced in any capacity in the game.

References[edit]

Master Mantis coverage on otherNIWA wikis:

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Rhythm Heaven Wiki

• Humans
• Martial artists
• Mentors
• Playable characters
• Game & Wario characters
• WarioWare: D.I.Y. characters
• WarioWare: Get It Together! characters
• WarioWare Gold characters
• WarioWare: Move It! characters
• WarioWare: Smooth Moves characters

• Articles with dead external links
• Articles with unsourced foreign names