Puni
First appearance	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004)
Latest appearance	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) (2024)
Notable members Mover Petuni Puni elder Punio Puniper Pungent Pungry Punderton

“Uh... Are you sureyourhuge mustachioed man won't try to eat us?”

—Puni,Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

ThePunies are a species of small quadrupedal creatures which resemble insects found in the gamePaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. They live inthe Great Tree located in theBoggly Woods.Mario must use them to defeat a rival clan, theJabbies, twice in the Great Tree. In the remake, the glowing lights on a Puni's antenna turn red when battling the Jabbies, and maroon when they are knocked out.

The name "Puni" is likely derived from「ぷにぷに」(punipuni), a Japanese word describing something squishy, but also resembles the English word "puny", meaning "small". The way Mario leads the Punies is very similar toPikmin. Like the Pikmin, the Punies follow Mario everywhere and are used to solve puzzles, but they can scatter and depart from him if they get distracted. The number of Punies Mario leads is similar to Pikmin;Captain Olimar can lead 100 Pikmin while Mario leads 101 Punies. In addition, the glowing antenna the Punies sport on their heads mirrors both the Pikmins' stems and the antenna on Olimar's and Louie's helmet, and they closely resemble the Pikmin's original concept art.^[1]

In battle, Punies are members of theaudience and will swarm in if Mario pulls off astylish move. If a loud noise emits, though, all Punies flee.

InSuper Paper Mario,Fort Francis contains several models and posters of Puni characters.

History[edit]

As Mario was exploringRogueport Underground for the first time looking forthe Thousand-Year Door, he stumbled upon a small insect creature which was, indeed, a Puni. However, it escaped through a small opening, and Mario was unable to interact with it.

Later, after Mario gets the firstCrystal Star (theDiamond Star), he goes back to Rogueport Underground, now with a new ability, which is turning sideways. Luckily for Mario, next to the opening in which the insect had gone through were bars. Mario went through these bars to find out that the insect was just behind them. Mario learns that this insect is namedPunio, who tells Mario his homeland, Boggly Woods and primarily the Great Tree, is under attack, and that he needs his help.

When Mario reaches the Great Tree through a "secret entrance", he is told by a few Punies, which were all hidden, that their friends have been locked up somewhere in the Great Tree. Upon freeing them, Mario and all the Punies in the Great Tree will attack the Jabbies, the Punies' rivals, who have allied with theX-Nauts. A total of 101 Punies, including Punio andPetuni, will temporarily join Mario during the events of Chapter 2.

After Mario defeatsLord Crump and the X-Nauts, the Punies will go back to their normal lives, and even make peace with the Jabbies.

Gallery[edit]

Artwork[edit]

• 

  Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)

• 

  Concept art with various design iterations of Punis

Screenshots[edit]

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

  Puni elder calling all lost Punies.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

  Super Paper Mario (plushies)

Names in other languages[edit]

References[edit]

• Allies
• Punies
• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door species

• Articles with unsourced foreign names