"Sheek" redirects here. ForThe Legend of Zelda series character that appears in variousSuper Smash Bros. titles, seeList of fighters debuting in Super Smash Bros. Melee § Sheik.

Moustafa
Sprite inPaper Mario
Species	Little Mouser
First appearance	Paper Mario (2000)
Latest appearance	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) (2024) (mentioned)

“If I do not keep evil folk out of theruins, who will?”

—Moustafa,Paper Mario

Moustafa is a greenNomadimouse who appears inPaper Mario. He lives inDry Dry Outpost, where he acts as the leader of a secret group of honorable thieves within the town. Mario and his party must find Moustafa during the events of Chapter 2 in order to reachDry Dry Ruins, and are led to him by an informant namedSheek.

History[edit]

Paper Mario series[edit]

Paper Mario[edit]

Sheek sitting in front of a door

Upon arriving at Dry Dry Outpost inChapter 2, Mario learns that he must speak with Moustafa in order to reachDry Dry Ruins and rescue theStar Spirit that is imprisoned there. In order to gain an audience, however, he must first exchange items for information from Sheek. If Mario gives Sheek his favorite thing - aLemon obtained from the oasis in the desert after he gave him something before - Sheek will instruct him to purchase aDried Shroom and aDusty Hammer, in that order, from the outpost shop. Obtaining this hint from Sheek is not necessary for the secret code to work, however.

Moustafa reveals himself to Mario

This secret combination is known only to Moustafa and his affiliates; purchasing the two items in the designated order leads the shopkeeper to tell Mario that Moustafa resides at the highest point of Dry Dry Outpost, and that he will need to keep climbing higher and higher in order to meet with the leader. Returning to the door where Sheek is first found and continuing up through the buildings beyond it eventually leads Mario and the party to Moustafa's chamber, where they discover that the informant Sheek is in fact Moustafa himself: "Sheek" is the disguise he uses when out and about in the outpost. If Moustafa is found without speaking to Sheek first, he will remark that Mario "must be very lucky."

After detailing his status as a protector of Dry Dry Ruins, Moustafa gives Mario thePulse Stone, which helps the party discover the location of the ruins and raise them from the desert sands. If Mario visits Moustafa after defeatingTutankoopa in Dry Dry Ruins, he will be shocked upon learning that minions ofBowser were in Dry Dry Ruins, and express eternal gratitude for getting rid of them.

"Sheek"

Aletter from Moustafa can be obtained by Mario later in the game. After Mario defeats Bowser, Moustafa is seen outside Peach's Castle, where he tells Mario how he sees him as a greater hero, having known all along that Mario would defeat Bowser. Moustafa appears in the post-game parade along with several other Nomadimice, stopping to talk withRowf and Rhuff before continuing onward.

Additionally, an unnamedToad near the port inToad Town reveals that he was once saved by Moustafa after becoming lost in Dry Dry Desert. The Toad claims that Moustafa brought him to Dry Dry Outpost and revealed a great secret to him, though he never elaborates on this. Additionally, thewandering Nomadimouse receives a letter from Moustafa, and seems to have met him previously, though the Nomadimouse only has vague memories of the meeting.

The requirement of meeting Moustafa (not as Sheek) by buying a Dried Shroom and Dusty Hammer is similar tothe sequel's requirement of meetingDon Pianta, which is a Dried Shroom and aDizzy Dial.

Tattle[edit]

Sheek

• "This is Sheek. You'd think the guy could shake the dust from his clothes! If I didn't know he was an information trader, I'd say we should steer clear of him. Still, he's our best source for gossip... As adventurers, we have to deal with all kinds!"

Moustafa

• "Da Da Da Duuum! Sheek reveals his true self! ...I guess that means he's the boss everyone talks about. Oh... I was expecting Moustafa to look a lot cooler."

Goombario seems to recite the classicThe Legend of Zelda melody for finding a treasure if he usesTattle on Sheek after his identity as Moustafa is revealed, referencingPrincess Zelda's alter-ego with a similar name,Sheik. These connections are not present in the original Japanese script.

Letter[edit]

Moustafa's letter.

Hey, wanderer! I have heard many stories about your deeds. People speak very well of you.

It comforts me to know thatcreatures no longer loot theancient ruins.
Unfortunately, some relics are missing. This is a shame. I've heard that aKoopa was wandering around the ruins... That sounds very suspicious.
You should be careful if you meet any suspicious types. Anyway, I must go! I look forward to hearing great tales of your adventures.
Please drop by the village whenever you like. Anytime. It'd be our honor.

Moustafa

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]

InPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Moustafa is mentioned in one ofLumpy's diary entries: he received assistance from Moustafa during his search of oil in Dry Dry Desert. According to the entry, Moustafa asked "if you're a nice guy then give me something nice". Despite Lumpy giving him nothing, Moustafa still took Lumpy to the location of the oil.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour[edit]

InMario Golf: Toadstool Tour, the name "Moustafa" can appear on the leaderboard.

Gallery[edit]

• 

  Moustafa (disguised as Sheek) inSuper Mario-kun

Naming[edit]

Moustafa's name is a portmanteau of the common Muslim given name "Mustafa" (a name which, in Arabic, means "the Chosen One") and "mouse". The name "Sheek" is a portmanteau of the Arab title "Sheikh", meaning "elder", and likely the onomatopoeia "squeak" or the interjection "eek".

Names in other languages[edit]

Sheek[edit]

Moustafa[edit]

References[edit]

• Allies
• Little Mousers
• Paper Mario characters
• Super Mario-kun characters

• Articles with unsourced foreign names