Wiggler
- Not to be confused withWiggle.
- This article is about the recurring species in theSuper Mario franchise. For other uses, seeWiggler (disambiguation).
- "Caterpillar" redirects here. For the caterpillar inGusty Garden Galaxy fromSuper Mario Galaxy, seeWorm (Super Mario Galaxy).
| Wiggler | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork fromMario Party DS | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) | ||
| Latest appearance | Mario Tennis Fever (2026) | ||
| Latest portrayal | Eri Inagawa (2025–present) | ||
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- “I can't take this anymore! Firstyou get me all wet, then you stomp on me! Now I'm really, really, REALLY mad! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
- —Wiggler,Super Mario 64 DS
Wigglers are aspecies of caterpillar-like creatures that were introduced inSuper Mario World. They are yellow and move casually while calm, but turn red and angrily run about ifjumped on. Wigglers are easily identifiable by their characteristic flower or other plants growing from their heads, which can lose their petals if Wigglers are enraged. Wigglers appear usually as enemies, but some are allies and even playable.
Wigglers have some variants of their own, notablyFlutters, which Wigglers seem to transform into Flutters immediately (or temporarily, in some cases such asMario Power Tennis) without going through a cocoon stage as typical real-world caterpillars do. On the other side,Squigglers appear to be a younger variant of Wiggler suggested by its appearance inMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, though this is not confirmed.Big and Mega variants of Wigglers also appear in a few games.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World /Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
Wigglers appear inSuper Mario World and return inits remake. They are encountered inForest of Illusion 1 andOutrageous only. When jumped on, Wigglers turn red and move faster, angrily chasingMario orLuigi. Wigglers are unaffected by ajump orCape Spin, but they can be defeated by either aSuper Star, a thrown object (such as aKoopa Shell, aGaloomba or aGrab Block), or being eaten by aYoshi. If defeated, Wigglers collapse, one segment after another. Hitting a Wiggler after the first 1UP in the combo earnsInvincible Mario a 2UP instead. There is aglitch involving Wigglers that allows the player to obtain 9,999,990 points very quickly.
Sprites found in prototype revisions of the game show Wigglers with large eyes and pointed hats. Their expressions are shown as being happy or sad, and some segments are spiked.[1][2]
Super Mario 64 /Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
- “Waaaa!You've floodedmy house! Wh-why?? Look at this mess! What am I going to do now? The ceiling's ruined, the floor is soaked...what to do, what to do? Huff...huff...it makes me so...MAD!!! Everything's been going wrong since I got thisStar... It's so shiny, but it makes me feel...strange...”
- —Wiggler,Super Mario 64
A large Wiggler is the boss ofTiny-Huge Island inSuper Mario 64 andSuper Mario 64 DS. Afterground-pounding the pool above Wiggler's house atop Tiny Island, Mario can go to Huge Island and enter Wiggler's home through a small gap in the place where he ground-pounded. Wiggler is furious from having a flooded home and feels inexplicably strange ever since it came into possession of aPower Star.[3] It attacks simply by walking around the room, occasionally speeding up and moving in Mario's general direction when it is in front of it. After beingstomped twice, the Wiggler storms around even more furiously. Contact with Wiggler takes away three units of Mario'shealth. After a third hit, Wiggler calms down, shrinks to a much smaller size, and leaves the Power Star for Mario, being placated by the night sky.[4] The shrunken Wiggler then falls either into the abyss or onto a platform.
In the original, the circular parts of Wiggler's body (including the head and nose) are not actually modeled spheres but flat pictures that constantly face the camera, like other circular objects in the game. Additionally, it has no spots on any of its segments, the flower is on the left side of its head and lacks a stem, its shoes are bright red rather than maroon, and its mouth is constantly a slight frown, but is difficult to see under its nose. When it talks to Mario at the beginning of the battle, the camera angle only shows the platform Mario is standing on due to Wiggler being on the other side of it. Wiggler's shrunken form is about half the size of the ones inSuper Mario World.
Wiggler's sound effects in this game are actually sampled from theMother Penguin's with some heavy pitch bending.
In the remake, Wiggler has a more typical design based on itsSuper Mario World artwork. Its segments, excluding the head, still use flat textures but have rotating spots superimposed over them (like the features ofBullies andBob-ombs) that make them look more spherical, and although Wiggler has angry eyes and veins throughout the battle, it becomes the typical red "angry" form after two hits, then becomes happy after the final hit. Additionally, the remake changes Wiggler in that its head inflicts only two units of damage whilst its other segments do none. Additionally, the camera angle at the beginning of the battle is changed to show the Wiggler as it says its opening lines, and it is shown dripping with the water Mario let in. Wiggler's shrunken form is now about the same size as the ones inSuper Mario World.
Wigglers appear prominently in the minigameWhich Wiggler? inSuper Mario 64 DS. The goal is to choose a Wiggler with a correctly matching pattern to the one in the top screen. The Wigglers are sleeping and stationary in the first levels, but some move in later levels. The Wigglers become angry if the incorrect option is selected, and the player is given a penalty of losing ten seconds from the timer.
In the French localization ofSuper Mario 64, Wiggler speaksverlan, a colloquial variation of French revolving around the inversion of syllables.[5] This trait does not return inSuper Mario 64 DS.[6]
Super Mario Sunshine[edit]
- Main article:Wiggler (Super Mario Sunshine)
A Wiggler is the boss ofGelato Beach inSuper Mario Sunshine. This Wiggler's actual name isBoss Hana-chan (ボスハナチャン), meaning it is a separate character, but its English name does not make this an apparent distinction.
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Wigglers appear in theWorld-e levelRich with Ropes inSuper Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3. They are physically and aesthetically identical to their appearance inSuper Mario World.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
Wigglers appear inNew Super Mario Bros., now bearing their modern design. If ground-pounded, a Wiggler flips over temporarily. They can be defeated only from aShell, aMega Mushroom, or aStarman. They are encountered inWorld 4-4 andWorld 7-3 only.New Super Mario Bros. introduces a small variant,Squigglers, and World 7-3 has agiant Wiggler with a head and twenty-eight other body segments.
Outside of the main game, Wigglers return in the Which Wiggler? minigame fromSuper Mario 64 DS.
Super Mario Galaxy[edit]
Wigglers appear inSuper Mario Galaxy and itsNintendo Switchport, where they walk either in small circles or around the perimeter of small planets. Mario or Luigi canspin a Wiggler or ground-pound nearby it to flip or stun it. A Wiggler is defeated from either a stomp while flipped or being ground pounded on. If the Wiggler either gets back up or isstomped, it turns red, a vein bulges from its head, and the Wiggler begins to chase Mario within a limited area. The Wiggler cools back down after a few seconds.
Wigglers appear in the following list of galaxies and missions. If no mission is stated, Wigglers appear during all missions:
- Honeyhive Galaxy ("Trouble on the Tower", "The Honeyhive's Purple Coins")
- Beach Bowl Galaxy ("Sunken Treasure")
- Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada
- Gusty Garden Galaxy ("The Dirty Tricks of Major Burrows")
- Gold Leaf Galaxy ("Star Bunnies on the Hunt", "Cataquack to the Skies")
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Wigglers appear inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii. They retain their behavior from the previous game. Wigglers can be defeated by either aPOW Block, a Shell, being slid into byPenguin Mario, or contact withInvincible Mario. Wigglers are encountered only inWorld 5-2. A larger variety, theBig Wiggler, is introduced in the same stage, and is immune to all power-ups.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
Wigglers appear inSuper Mario Galaxy 2 and itsNintendo Switchport, functioning near-identically as inSuper Mario Galaxy.Tall Trunk Galaxy introduces two variables to their behavior: some Wigglers start off already angry, some Wigglers walk in circles within the inside of the galaxy's slide, and some do both at once. In addition, Big Wigglers appear at the end ofSupermassive Galaxy, with the same variance of some being calm and some being constantly angry.
Wigglers appear in the following list of galaxies and missions:
- Puzzle Plank Galaxy ("The Puzzling Picture Block", "Bugaboom's Back")
- Tall Trunk Galaxy ("Tall Trunk's Big Slide", "Tall Trunk's Purple Coin Slide")
- Throwback Galaxy ("Return of the Whomp King")
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
Wigglers appear inNew Super Mario Bros. 2. They are encountered inWorld 3-
Warp Cannon andWorld 3-4. Wigglers have the same role as in the predecessors. It is now possible to also defeat them fromRaccoon Mario swinging his tail at their heads.
New Super Mario Bros. U /New Super Luigi U /New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
Wigglers, along with theirlarger variants, appear inNew Super Mario Bros. U,New Super Luigi U, andtheir port. In the former game, they are encountered inSoda Jungle, inSeesaw Bridge, andWiggler Stampede. InNew Super Luigi U, Wigglers are encountered inWiggler Rodeo. A difference from before is that Wigglers thrust their behinds upwards during the "bah" sections of the music.
Super Mario Maker /Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS[edit]
Wigglers appear inSuper Mario Maker andits port. They function identically as before except in theNew Super Mario Bros. U game style, in which they do not move to the beat of the vocals. Wigglers are placeable parts in the Course Maker, where it is possible to place them intoWarp Pipes,Bill Blasters,Blocks,Koopa Clown Cars,Lakitu's Clouds, and ontracks. Wigglers can be shook to be transformed into their mad red variant. Applying aSuper Mushroom to a Wiggler turns it into aBig Wiggler. If given wings, a Wiggler jumps in a high arc while walking.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
Wigglers are not present inSuper Mario Odyssey, but they were given a new variant called theTropical Wiggler, which has the abiltiy to stretch its body around paths. One of the bosses,Mechawiggler, is a giant insectoid robot based on Wigglers.
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
Wigglers appear inSuper Mario Maker 2. They are mostly the same as inSuper Mario Maker. Wigglers can be turned into their angry variant or big variant, and can be given wings or a parachute. In the nighttime ground theme, they will float instead of walking on the ground. If one is bounced out of the water from underneath, the game crashes.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder[edit]
A Wiggler known asRacing Wiggler is featured in the Wiggler Races inSuper Mario Bros. Wonder. Besides this, Wigglers do not appear, but the game does addPokipedes, which are Wiggler-like caterpillar enemies that move along rails.
Super Mario World television series[edit]
- “Alright! Invincible Luigi at your service! Time to kick some caterpillar!”
- —Luigi, "Party Line"
Wigglers (referred to as "Caterpillars") are portrayed as being constantly angry and possessing large fangs in theSuper Mario World animated series.
A Caterpillar first appears in "Ghosts 'R' Us," whereYoshi, while traveling withOogtar the cave boy through theEnchanted Forest, is attacked by a hungry Caterpillar. After running from this Caterpillar, Yoshi, after gaining a pair ofMagic Wings, eats it.
In "Born to Ride," after Yoshi leaves theDome Castle and just before he meets theDino Riders, he spots a Caterpillar and swallows it.
Caterpillars are featured prominently in the episode "Party Line," which has a swarm of Caterpillars attacking Dome City while all the cave people are busy gossiping away on their new telephones. Chasing Mario and Luigi up a large tree, this swarm of Caterpillars begins trying to reach and devour them. A Caterpillar, managing to bite Mario's leg, sends him rocketing through the air, hitting a? Block, which releases aStarman that Luigi grabs. With his new strength, Luigi tosses all the Caterpillars into the tree, which he uses as a catapult to launch the Caterpillars into space and onto a meteor, which they devour. This group of Caterpillars is seen near the end of "Party Line," where they look on as theevil dinosaur, who had been tossed into space by a Starman-powered Mario, soars by.
In the episode "A Little Learning" a Caterpillar can be seen in theapple thatPrincess Toadstool was about to eat. Yoshi proceeds to quickly eat both the apple and the Caterpillar.
A Caterpillar goes after theBaby Yoshi, who has run away again, in "Mama Luigi." When Luigi stomps the Caterpillar and it gets up, the Caterpillar shows its fangs, and several more come. Yoshi quickly gets hungry and, to Luigi's surprise, devours the Caterpillars.
Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land[edit]
InSuper Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land, Mario and Luigi arrive at the Forest of Illusion, and they notice Wiggler as it pops out of the flower patch to greet them and show them half a fruit. It turns out to be anApple, and Luigi gives the Wiggler a whole apple in exchange for directions.
Nintendo Adventure Books[edit]
InUnjust Desserts,Magikoopa shrinks some Wigglers, and sends them into Yoshi's body after Mario, who encounters them in a passageway. Mario jumps over the Wigglers, but reaches a dead end and is cornered when the Wigglers start backing up. If Mario has picked up a wrench, he can escape from them by using it to open a valve, closing it immediately after jumping through it. Some more Wigglers appear later in the palace garden, after all the creatures that Yoshi and Luigi have eaten are ejected from their bodies.
InBrain Drain, some Wigglers are spotted prowling around the WMUSH radio station afterIggy Koopa takes it over, and they will give chase to Luigi if he steals some Fungus Up cola from theSynapse Switcher. In the book's best ending, Iggy's mind ends up in the body of a Wiggler after he activates the Synapse Switcher without putting a protective helmet on first.
Mario Roulette[edit]
InMario Roulette, two Wigglers can be seen in the audience whenMario explains how to play the game.
Super Mario Adventures[edit]
InSuper Mario Adventures, Mario and Luigi encounter a Wiggler while hiding fromYoshi (who they think is trying to eat them). When Luigi realizes he is sitting on the Wiggler and panics, Mario jumps on the Wiggler's head, which only makes it angry. The Wiggler starts chasing them until they run into Yoshi, who gobbles it down. Wigglers are also seen among the crowd later in the story when Bowser is ready to marry Princess Toadstool.
Super Mario Bros. (1993 film)[edit]
Wigglers are referenced in the 1993Super Mario Bros. film as a taxi cab company called "Wiggler". Later in the film, a brand of alcohol called "Wiggler Malt Liquor" is seen advertised on a neon sign at theBoom Boom Bar.
Hotel Mario[edit]
Wigglers appear inHotel Mario. They are encountered inMorton's Wood Door Hysteria Hotel. The head is the only segment that cannot damage the player character on contact. Stomping a Wiggler damages it, causing it to grow shorter as the next segment becomes its new head until no segments remain.
Super Mario-kun[edit]
A Wiggler appears in volume 6 ofSuper Mario-kun. WhenKamek andBowser find the Wiggler, they rip off the flower on its head and replace it with aMuncher. The Wiggler turns into amore aggressive version of itself and fights Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi. After a while, it cocoons itself, then metamorphoses into a moth with a more insect-like appearance. After Yoshi defeats it, he removes the Muncher from its head, reverting it to a normal but flowerless Wiggler, which then angrily pursues Bowser.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[edit]
Wigglers appear inSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars and its remake. Wigglers are six-legged, though their artwork depicts them with eight. In English and other localized releases (except Chinese, Korean, and German),Dr. Topper asks "How many legs does Wiggler have?" inthe Trial Course, with "six" being the correct answer. They crawl in and out of tree stumps in theForest Maze. Jumping on them in the overworld releasescoins and causes them to move faster, often releasing aFrog Coin if stomped enough times in a row. Additionally, some Wigglers can be found sleeping in the Forest Maze's caves; jumping on some of these undefeatable Wigglers angers them, making them launch Mario up out of the caves.
In battle, Wigglers attack by slamming intoparty members, shooting droplets of water at them, or usingSand Storm. When hit with a physical attack, they respond by using the moveVigor Up, raising their own attack power. An unused red palette exists in the original game's data, which may have been intended for when this happens, similar to other games.
Yoshi's Story[edit]
A Wiggler that is very different from the normal Wiggler (being a furry, green Wiggler) known as theFuzzy Wiggler appears inYoshi's Story. The Fuzzy Wiggler turns blue when stomped on, and once it is defeated, it drops aMelon.
Mario Party series[edit]
Mario Party 2[edit]
A Wiggler is a non-playable character inMario Party 2. It owns a Milk Shop inWestern Land. Player characters have the option to give 20Coins to the Wiggler to start a hootenanny, bringing every player to the character. In this appearance, Wiggler speaks in a Southern dialect.
Mario Party 3[edit]
Wigglers make a few cameos inMario Party 3. A Wiggler's face is one of the faces to assemble during theminigamePicture Imperfect, and Wigglers themselves are decorations aroundWoody Woods.
Mario Party 5[edit]
A Wiggler is a non-playable character inMario Party 5. It is part of theWiggler Capsule, appearing on a flower when activated and offering the player to go to theStar Space. Accepting the offer causes the Wiggler to become aFlutter and take the player character there. Wiggler Tires, designed after Wiggler's body type, are slow, but easily-controllable tires inSuper Duel Mode that allow the kart to turn in place. Super Wiggler Tires, which are blue, trade even more speed for more control. There is also a Wiggler Engine, which also trades speed for more control, and a more extreme variant, the Super Wiggler Engine.
Mario Party 6[edit]
Wigglers are non-playable characters inMario Party 6. One is part of the sameorb, with the same effect as before, though the item has been renamed to Flutter Orb. Wigglers appear in the background ofGarden Grab at day and in the Decathlon Park. There is a roller-coaster inSlot Trot based on Wiggler and similarly a merry-go-ground based on it inStage Fright.
Mario Party 7[edit]
A Wiggler is a non-playable character inMario Party 7. It is part of the same Flutter Orb and acts the same as before.
Mario Party 8[edit]
A lone Wiggler makes a minor appearance inMario Party 8, featured within one of the cards in the minigameCardiators. It is depicted with a permanently enraged look, and it deals eight points to the opponent.
Mario Party DS[edit]
A Wiggler is a supporting character in the Story Mode ofMario Party DS. It is the proprietor of theWiggler's Garden board. Wiggler asks the player characters to help defeat thePiranha Plant that has taken over its garden, rewarding them with the firstSky Crystal if accomplished. Wigglers also make cameos, including one's face appearing in the minigameDouble Vision, as the Wiggler Friend badge, and as the Wiggler Figure.
Mario Party 9[edit]
A Wiggler is a boss inMario Party 9. It is encountered inToad Road, being faced in the minigameWiggler Bounce, which involves the players trying to defeat Wiggler as it romps around the area. Stomping it on a purple section earns the player one point, and stomping the red section earns the player three. When Wiggler's health reaches its midway point, it gets angry, turns red, and begins to move faster. Additionally, if Bowser'sDice Block lands on a Wiggler inBowser's Block Battle, Wiggler appears on the arena briefly to wander around. Besides the boss, there is a vehicle based on it, the Wiggler Wagon, and aConstellation based on a Wiggler, titled "Killer Caterpillar." A Wiggler can be seen in the end credits, being shorter than the one in the game.
Mario Party: Island Tour[edit]
Wigglers are obstacles in the minigameQuickest Cricket inMario Party: Island Tour. One appears in the background of theKamek's Carpet Ride board.
Mario Party 10[edit]
A roller coaster attraction based on a Wiggler appears inMushroom Park inMario Party 10.
Mario Party: Star Rush[edit]
Wigglers are obstacles in theLeafboard Hoard minigame inMario Party: Star Rush. They are invulnerable to jumps, both in regular and angry forms, and contact with one flattens and stuns the player for a while. Vehicles based on Wigglers appear inWheelin' and Wigglin', where players begin with a long vehicle but lose segments of it gradually if enemies flank and collide with them; anyone who concludes with the most segments wins.
Mario Party: The Top 100[edit]
The same roller coaster based on Wiggler appears in the returningMario Party 6 minigameSlot Trot inMario Party: The Top 100.
Super Mario Party[edit]
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Wigglers are non-playable characters inSuper Mario Party. One is the main focus of the minigameDon't Wake Wiggler!, where players take turns petting it for points. Wiggler eventually wakes up, costing that player all of their points, and chases everyone except the winning players, who has the most points. A Wiggler can walk across the stage inRattle and Hmmm.
Super Mario Party Jamboree[edit]
A Wiggler appears as a non-playable character inSuper Mario Party Jamboree, reprising its role as the owner of the Milk Shop inWestern Land. Advertisements for its Milk Shop can be found inRoll 'em Raceway andRainbow Galleria. In Party Planner Trek, this Wiggler appears in Roll 'em Raceway, and one request involves delivering milk from their shop to other characters on the board. Additionally, aMega Wiggler serves as the central gimmick ofMega Wiggler's Tree Party.
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart: Double Dash!![edit]
- Main article:Wiggler Wagon
A green bus resembling the Wiggler fromSuper Mario Sunshine, known as the Wiggler Wagon, appears inMario Kart: Double Dash!!. It is a moving obstacle on theMushroom Bridge andMushroom City courses.
Mario Kart DS[edit]
A Wiggler is a boss inMario Kart DS. It is raced byMario atGCN Mushroom Bridge at the end of level 7. In the second lap, steam rises from Wiggler's head to indicate agitation, and Wiggler is even angrier in the third and final lap, turning red, moving faster, and having varied movements, many of which involve skipping shortcuts. Wiggler is the only boss who takes a balloon away from the player character on contact.
Mario Kart Wii[edit]
Though no regular Wigglers appear, twoBig Wigglers are obstacles inMaple Treeway inMario Kart Wii. If a driver bumps into them, theirkart will be pushed back. A Wiggler was also raced against onWario's Gold Mine ina tournament held during December 2008, repeated during September 2010. During the first two laps, the Wiggler's speed would nearly match most vehicles, but in the final lap, the Wiggler would become angered and turn red, increasing its speed. The few Item Boxes found along the course contained onlyTriple Mushrooms andStars.
Mario Kart 7[edit]
Wiggler is an unlockable playable character inMario Kart 7. It is part of the Cruiser weight class, so its speed, weight, and off-road stats have an above boost rating. It is unlocked by completing the 150ccLeaf Cup. Unlike obstacle Wigglers, the playable Wiggler has only three body segments (not counting its head), with two pairs of arms and a single pair of legs. Its lower pair of arms hold the steering wheel, and its top pair of arms spread out when it gets a speed boost. Despite this, Wiggler's artwork is reused fromMario Super Sluggers, depicting it with four body segments: one pair of arms and three pairs of legs. Wiggler turns red angrily if itskart spins out, such as from contact with an obstacle, and during its losing animation.
Two Wigglers are return as obstacles in the returningWii Maple Treeway classic course. They now jump when hit by aBob-omb or a driver using aSuper Star.
Mario Kart 8 /Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
Although no Wigglers physically appear inMario Kart 8 or the initial release ofMario Kart 8 Deluxe, these games include theWild Wiggler ATV, which is designed after a Wiggler.
Wigglers first appeared as obstacles starting inBooster Course Pass DLC, where they can now be found inWii Maple Treeway,DS Mario Circuit andTour Madrid Drive starting from Waves 3, 4 and 6 respectively. Additionally, a silhouette of a Wiggler appears during the staff credits for theBooster Course Pass. Inheriting their behavior fromMario Kart Tour, Wigglers now cause any racers driving at high speeds to spin out.
A Wiggler reappeared as a playable character in Wave 5 of theBooster Course Pass. where it is a heavyweight driver, sharing statistics with Donkey Kong,Waluigi, andRoy. Much likeMetal Mario andPink Gold Peach, Wiggler has the kart frame size of a middleweight driver. Wiggler possesses the highest speed stat among all medium-sized drivers. Unlike inMario Kart 7, its top pair of arms no longer spread out when it gets a speed boost and are now used to hold items from Item Boxes. Wiggler becomes angry briefly in its anti-gravity trick animation while riding a bike or ATV. It uses an orangePeach Parasol, being one of the few characters to use a recolor of this glider. Wiggler also retains both of its Grand Prixrivals fromMario Kart 7, these beingYoshi andShy Guy. A CPU controlled Wiggler can use the same kart combination options asDry Bones, which include theStandard Kart,Steel Driver,Standard Bike, andStandard ATV. Wiggler is sad during its losing animation, but it does not turn red like inMario Kart 7.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
Wiggler returns as a playable character inMario Kart Tour starting from thePipe Tour, along with a themedMii Racing Suit. Both the character and the Mii suit have theGiant Banana as itsspecial skill. Wiggler's appearance as a driver in this game marks the shortest gap between a driver's appearance in two differentMario Kart games, as it appeared as a playable character in the Booster Course Pass five hours before the Pipe Tour began. A gold variant of Wiggler, referred to asWiggler (Gold), was added in the2023 Sundae Tour, and its special skill is theCoin Box. Wiggler was the final returning driver to be added to the game.
Wigglers also return as obstacles first appearing in the2020 Halloween Tour. They now appear inWii Maple Treeway, circling the statue inPlaza Mayor inMadrid Drive 2, and replacing thecars andtrucks inDS Shroom Ridge T. Wigglers now cause drivers to spin out on contact, and they giveJump Boosts to drivers who land on top of one from a ramp.
Additionally, Wiggler's emblem appears on abadge forWiggler Air, and on wooden panels featuring their artwork fromSuper Mario World inNinja Hideaway. A Wiggler Cup is assigned an ID in the internal data ofMario Kart Tour, albeit it never appeared in-game prior to the end of the game's new content.
Mario Kart World[edit]
Wiggler returns as a default driver inMario Kart World for theNintendo Switch 2, where it is one of the NPC drivers. Wigglers also return as obstacles in the areas surroundingAcorn Heights as well as the track itself. On the course, they appear in the offroad patches in the gorge section walking in looping paths. They also appear in the fifth segment of theGolden Rally. Unlike previous installments, it is now possible to anger them by hitting them with an item, where they will move faster for a short time.
TheKamek item can summon Wigglers on the course when used around Acorn Heights, also transforming players into Wigglers for a short period.
Game & Watch Gallery 4[edit]
A Wiggler is a non-playable character inGame & Watch Gallery 4. It is the first opponent fought in the Modern version ofBoxing. Wiggler's face turns red for a second whenever it gets hit.
Mario & Luigi series[edit]
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga /Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]
Wiggler is a boss fought atChucklehuck Woods inMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga andMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions. WhenMario andLuigi first find Wiggler, half of its body is sticking out from a hedge, but Wiggler can return into the hole by jumping on its segments a few times. AfterMini-Mario goes through the hole, he and Luigi are met by an enraged Wiggler, then the battle starts.
In battle, Mario and Luigi can damage the Wiggler after attacking all of its segments, calming it and providing an opportunity to damage its head. Any time Wiggler is attacked, it becomes enraged then stomps and creates a shock wave that can damage Mario and Luigi. Wiggler attacks by charging toward the Mario Bros., who can then stomp on its segments. Upon being defeated, Wiggler runs away, crying. In the remake. Wiggler dropsFlower Pants upon defeat.
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time[edit]
- Main article:Swiggler
While normal Wigglers do not physically appear inMario & Luigi: Partners in Time,Swiggler appears as one of the earlier boss battles, a Shroob-created Wiggler that is fought in theVim Factory.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story /Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]
- “I must avenge the Wigglers whose legacyyou have sullied!”
- —Wiggler,Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
InMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story andMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, there are statues resembling Wiggler inDimble Wood, andBowser canpunch segments in a specific order to have them move, clearing the path obstructed by them.
A large Wiggler appears as the boss of Dimble Wood, working for the Wiggler Family farm alongside aSquiggler. Bowser first meets the Wiggler after pulling theGiga-carrot out of its burrow, infuriating the Wiggler because the Giga-carrot was kept and maintained by the Wiggler Family for several generations. When asked about aBanzai Bill by Bowser, Wiggler reveals that it has been taking care of one ever since it landed in the farm. Despite the Giga-carrot's value, Wiggler demands Bowser to eat it because he pulled it out. Once Bowser is done, unknowingly with help from Mario and Luigi, Bowser can begin to fight Wiggler for the Banzai Bill (though the player can save beforehand). Wiggler is equally as furious at Bowser for eating it and proceeds to attack him.
In battle, Wiggler is much different than the Wiggler inMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Wiggler is still red and angry by default and must have every segment attacked before Bowser's attacks can damage it. Wiggler attacks mainly by standing upright and turning his frontal pair of feet into hands to use a watering can on the ground, causing a giantTurnip to grow. Afterward, twoLeaf Guys pull out the Turnip and hover above with it on the top screen, preparing to drop it on Bowser, but he can inhale the Leaf Guys to avoid taking damage. The only attack retained fromMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is Wiggler trying to charge into Bowser. In another attack, Wiggler tries to slam itself onto Bowser, but he can block the attack by punching each of Wiggler's segments, lowering it gradually until Bowser can punch its head. If Wiggler does fall on Bowser, he candefend with his shell, causing the Wiggler to rebound.
After being defeated, Wiggler retreats into its hole, giving the Banzai Bill to Bowser and pleading for him to take it and leave the farm.
A Wiggler is later encountered by Mario and Luigi in Dimble Wood, not allowing them to pass without authorization because of all the destruction that occurred to the wood earlier. However, Wiggler notices that the Bros. are collectingAttack Pieces and instructs them to 'take responsibility' and collect six. After the Bros. acquire the same number of Attack Pieces, Wiggler allows them to pass and mentions their further responsibility of having to collect the remaining Attack Pieces to obtain aground-shaking attack.
The firstStar Sage,Durmite (later revealed to beWisdurm), physically resembles a Wiggler and a blueBirdo.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team[edit]
- “Wiggly Wiggler is full of RAGE!”
- —Wiggler,Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
A Wiggler, who also refers to himself as awiggly Wiggler, appears inMario & Luigi: Dream Team as a boss on the outskirts ofWakeport. He speaks in third person. He first appears whenMario andLuigi arrive at Wakeport during their search for theUltibed parts in the least-urban area of Wakeport, where he talks about his plans to make a flower garden aloud.Popple is nearby watching Wiggler under the assumption that he was a security guard hired by thecollector who lives in the house he is attempting to break into. When Mario and Luigi arrive, Popple enlists the Bros. to help him. Popple enrages Wiggler by calling him a moth and drags the Bros. into a battle against him. Popple assists in the battle, but his actions mostly hinder the Mario Brothers.
After Wiggler is defeated, Popple fights Mario and Luigi. He loses and gets dizzy. After both parts of the battle, Wiggler asks why they fought and restates his intention of making a flower garden while doing so. Popple, realizing this only now, becomes outraged and insults Wiggler's flowers. This angers Wiggler, who proceeds to chase Popple away. Neither character is seen in the game afterward.
At the very start of battle, Popple climbs on top of Wiggler and pulls the flower on his head, turning him hostile, He lines up with one brother, lifts his front half up, then slams it down. This sends out a semicircular shockwave, which will reach the Bro. Wiggler is lined up with first, then arrive at the other Bro. It is avoided by jumping. After several rounds of this, Wiggler flings Popple into the air, eventually landing on the Bro. Wiggler was lined up with last. The targeted Bro. can counter this with his hammer, sending Popple into Wiggler for extra damage.
Wiggler may also do this attack outside of his enraged state several times, standing in-between both Bros. As such, the shockwave reaches both Mario and Luigi at the same time, and must be jumped over simultaneously. Since Popple is not on Wiggler, this attack does not have a second portion.
Wiggler can charge at a Bro. he lines up with beforehand, the Bro. having to jump on or over Wiggler to avoid taking damage. Regardless of the result, Wiggler will come charging back to his starting position from behind the Bros. Popple approaches the next targeted Bro, then notices Wiggler and clings to them. With Popple, it takes longer to start a jump, as though they were carrying the other brother. If the targeted brother isDizzy, Popple will not cling to them.
On certain turns, Popple will walk up to Wiggler and take a fighting stance. If Mario and Luigi do not damage Popple enough to discourage him, he will attack Wiggler and anger him, prompting a different range of attacks for that turn. The action Wiggler takes depends on what Popple does to Wiggler. Wiggler will re-perform his opening attack if Popple climbs on to Wiggler and pulls the flower on his head again.
If Popple jumps into Wiggler's face, he will skid back a bit, then become angry. He walks backwards off-screen, then returns from the background to chase the trio. Popple runs in between Mario and Luigi. Wiggler will line up with a Bro. then lunge at them, which is avoided by jumping over or onto Wiggler. While Wiggler chooses which Bro. to attack., Popple may ram that Brother from the side. Popple does not inflict damage, but does cause that Brother to fall over and get trampled by Wiggler unless they jump over or on to Popple. Any Bro. who takes damage is stuck spinning while the remaining participants continue running, meaning they are excluded from further portions of this attack. After several rounds or when both Bros. get hit, the attack will end.
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]
A Wiggler (calledRampaging Wiggler in theBattle Ring) appears again inMario & Luigi: Paper Jam. He has a similar role to the Wiggler inPaper Mario: Sticker Star, but he does not refer to himself in third person as much as the Wiggler in this game does. Mario and Luigi find Wiggler famished inGloomy Woods and feed him a berry, replenishing his energy.Starlow explains thatPaper Kamek used his magic to create piles of trash to block their path. Wiggler, outraged that someone took advantage of his weak state and made a mess of his forest, becomes mad and smashes the rubbish in front of him. The trio finds Wiggler with no energy again, who cannot move unless they feed him 10 berries. After the brothers feed him the berries, he tells them he has a craving for a dessert. Coincidentally, ayellow Yoshi declares he has found amelon, which Wiggler explains is one of his most favorite desserts, and also refuses to move from the spot he is until they feed him his treat.
The trio asks the Yoshi for the melon, but he says no, rather challenging them to a race with the melon as the winning prize. When Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario beat him, he hands over the melon, which they feed to Wiggler. Wiggler realizes Paper Kamek left more piles of trash and smashes through them. The three help Wiggler by disabling the electric fences Bowser and his henchmen use to block the path with.
The trio spot Wiggler confronting Paper Kamek, when he uses his magic to make Wiggler big and hostile, and they engage the three in a battle. In battle, Wiggler's POW increases whenever he takes damage. Wiggler attacks by creating a pair of shockwaves that all three characters must jump over, followed by spitting a seed at one bro and/or spitting six seeds at Paper Mario. Wiggler then proceeds to chase one of the bros, who must hammer theMonty Moles andPaper Spear Guys that get in the way. Paper Kamek will eventually attempt to ram into the bro, and if he is hammered he will crash into Wiggler and the attack will end.
Paper Kamek can attack by firing magical blasts at the trio, with different shapes aiming for different characters. Each time a blast is hammered, it will hit Wiggler, and if enough are countered, Wiggler will hit Paper Kamek. Finally, Paper Kamek can create a giant ball for Wiggler to ride on and chase Mario and Luigi with. Paper Mario folds into a boomerang, and Mario and Luigi must throw him at Wiggler's ball several times to destroy it, before he rams into one of the bros. Paper Kamek will eventually slowly fly across the background, and hitting him will instantly destroy Wiggler's ball.
Once Wiggler's HP has been defeated, Paper Kamek will be able to be attacked normally. Paper Kamek must be defeated for the battle to end, otherwise, he will revive Wiggler with lots of HP after several turns and retreat into the background. If Paper Kamek is defeated while Wiggler is active (through counterattacks), Wiggler will also be instantly defeated.
After the battle, Paper Kamek flies away while Wiggler apologizes saying he did not know what got into him and passes out, shortly being carried off byParagoombas. The heroes and Starlow mourn over the loss of Wiggler, but he returns in theform of a butterfly and offers to take them to the peak ofMount Brrr. He remains in this form for the rest of the game.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership[edit]
InMario & Luigi: Brothership, the player can find a reef shaped like a Wiggler in theGulchrock Sea. This is the first game in theMario & Luigi series not to feature a Wiggler boss fight in any way.
Mario Tennis series[edit]
Mario Power Tennis /New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis[edit]
Wiggler is an unlockable playable character inMario Power Tennis. Its body is curved upwards and has two gloved hands to hold a tennis racket. It is billed a defensive player. Wiggler has the best reach whilst lacking in speed and power, and its swing ends slowly. Wiggler's power shot isAnger Management, where it becomes mad and spins and hits the ball, while itsdefensive power shot allows it to morph into aFlutter and fly to get the ball. If Wiggler wins, it becomes a Flutter joyously, but if Wiggler loses, it becomes its angry form and throws a temper tantrum. When presented with a trophy for its trophy sequence, Wiggler trips on a tennis ball by accident, but it does not get mad atDiddy Kong andLuigi, who had presented the trophy to it. Wiggler becomes angry when Diddy falls on to it by accident, proceeding to chase both Luigi and Diddy Kong. In this game only, Wiggler'semblem depicts the flower on its head.
Mario Tennis Open[edit]
While Wiggler does not physically appear inMario Tennis Open, the player'sMii can equip a Wigglercostume or racket. The racket is purchasable from the shop while the costume is unlocked after earning 5,000 points in Online Multiplayer Open matches. This is the first game to use Wiggler's modern emblem, which depicts its face.
Mario Tennis Fever[edit]
This section isreferring to a subject in an upcoming or recently released game. When the game is released, or more information about this subject is found, this section may need major rewriting.
This notice should be removed after a month has passed since the game was first released.
Wiggler returns as a playable character inMario Tennis Fever. Wiggler now sports two pairs of hands and two pairs of feet. As well, Wiggler now scuttles closer to the ground when moving around.
Super Princess Peach[edit]
A Wiggler is the boss ofFury Volcano inSuper Princess Peach. It is fought atFury Volcano 4-6. Peach can jump on the Wiggler to anger it, then the Wiggler moves faster and causes rocks to fall. Peach can useRage to compress a piston to shoot it up from underneath, flipping Wiggler over and exposing its vulnerable spot for Peach to damage. Wiggler can get back up if either Peachstomps the incorrect segment or by leaving Wiggler alone for too long. After three hits, the Wiggler uses Rage, and uses its flower to release damagingsmoke. After five hits, Wiggler is defeated.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
In theSuper Smash Bros. series, there are a few items of a Wiggler. InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, Wiggler is featured in the form of asticker and atrophy, and inThe Subspace Emissary, the Wiggler sticker can be used by any fighter to increase their launch resistance by 16 units. InSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, there is a trophy of both a Wiggler and "Paper Wiggler," depicting its form in thePaper Mario series. InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, Wiggler appears as a Novice-class supportspirit that takes up one support slot, and using it equips the fighter with aLip's Stick at the start of battle. The Wiggler spirit's puppet fighter is Yoshi and is fought on theYoshi's Island (Melee) stage.
Mario Super Sluggers[edit]
Wiggler is a playable character inMario Super Sluggers. It appears similarly as inMario Power Tennis, having one pair of arms to hold his glove or small baseball bat. Wiggler has above average batting and running speed, but below average pitching and fielding. Wiggler is a team player forYoshi's team, theYoshi Eggs. In Challenge Mode, Wiggler angrily races on the track inYoshi Park, but is calmed when the player's captain changes the direction of the rails to steer Wiggler off of track and calm him down; following this, Wiggler becomes a party member. Wiggler usesAngry Attack as his special ability, which it knocks his opponent in a successful close play. Wiggler shares good chemistry withBlooper,King Boo, andPetey Piranha, and has no bad chemistry with any of the other characters.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]
- “Wiggler's favorite leaves also got covered in icky, goopy poison, and so Wiggler couldn't eat them anymore...”
- —Wiggler,Paper Mario: Sticker Star
A Wiggler appears as a major character inPaper Mario: Sticker Star. He always speaks in third person. In 3-1,Leaflitter Path, he is sleeping and guarding the entrance of his treehouse. Upon being woken up by Mario via the Trumpet thing, he explains his predicament and asks Mario to come over to his house to hear the details. He then exclaims how he would love for Mario to "look at Wiggler'spicture diary" and "listen to Wiggler reminisce". However, while doing this, he is captured byPoison Bloopers and subsequently split intopieces byKamek (or, as he calls, his "children"). It is later revealed that Kamek did this as a means to dissuade Mario from attempting to get the purple Royal Sticker, as Wiggler is the only entity besides a boat that is capable of travelling to the island where the Royal Sticker was located. Wiggler was sleeping outside of his home because he could not find any food. Since the leaves were polluted, he set out to find food. When Mario finds his segments, Wiggler helps him to get to the source of the pollution, which is revealed to be the purple Royal Sticker onGooper Blooper. He later ages into aFlutter and helps Mario andKersti get toBowser's Sky Castle.
Lego City Undercover[edit]
A Wiggler can be found walking across the top of a railway tunnel in the Wii U and Nintendo Switch versions ofLego City Undercover.
Mario Golf series[edit]
Wigglers appear in a few games of theMario Golf series. A Wiggler is the namesake of theWiggler Park course inMario Golf: World Tour, also functioning as an obstacle on Hole 1 of the course, where it becomes angry if hit by a ball. Wiggler's name is sometimes displayed on the tournament scoreboard. Wiggler is a playable character of the Power type inMario Golf: Super Rush, as of version 4.0. Wiggler becomes angry when using his Special Shot or being attacked, powering up his drive.
Minecraft[edit]
In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack ofMinecraft,silverfish andsniffers are retextured to look like Wigglers.
Dr. Mario World[edit]
Wigglers are obtainable assistants inDr. Mario World. Their stage mode effect is to transform an object (mainlyviruses) into askill charger, where it is 10% at the first level and 50% at the maximum level. Their versus mode effect is to slow down the filling of the skill meters for both players, where the amount of points required to fill them are increased by that listed percentage, rounded down to the nearest round number. The skill meter point increase is 20% at the first level and 40% at the maximum level.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope[edit]
A Wiggler appears inMario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope onTerra Flora as a boss possessed byDarkmess that chases after theWiggler Train.[7] Mario and co. must destroy 16 Darkmess eyes on the Wiggler within 12 turns before it destroys the train.
Nintendo Music[edit]
Since October 31st, 2024, theNintendo Music app has featured a Wiggler playlist. It contains 12 tracks (3 fromWarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, 3 fromMario Kart 8 Deluxe, 2 fromMario Kart 7, 1 fromMario Kart 64, and 3 fromSuper Mario Party Jamboree) and is 26 minutes long.It contains 14 tracks (1 fromNew Super Mario Bros., 1 fromMario Kart 8 Deluxe, 4 fromSuper Mario Bros. Wonder, and 8 fromSuper Mario Party Jamboree) and is 25 minutes long.
Unused appearances[edit]
Super Paper Mario[edit]
Wiggler graphicsexist unused inSuper Paper Mario. Its nose is orange rather than brown, making it more so resemble a Flutter. It also wears black shoes.
General information[edit]
Physical description[edit]
Wigglers are depicted as large yellow caterpillars with big brown noses, puffed out cheeks, a small flower on their heads, and wearing shoes. Wigglers also have orange spots scattered throughout their bodies, and the patterns of these orange spots are variable, emphasized in the minigameWhich Wiggler? fromSuper Mario 64 DS. When Wigglers are angry, they turn red with white angry eyes, and let out steam, akin to a train's steam engine. While sometimes, they lose their flowers when angry (as inSuper Mario World), other times the flower is kept (as inMario & Luigi: Dream Team). Uniquely, Wigglers inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii lose only their flower petals when angry, keeping the flower's stem and leaves. Wigglers have made a few varied appearances, however. Wigglers in theSuper Mario World cartoon are shown to be completely red and more hostile than the ones in the game, have sharp teeth, and make realistic wild animal-like noises.
The size of Wigglers can vary between games. In 2D sidescroller games such asSuper Mario World andNew Super Mario Bros., they are shorter than Mario's height in hisSuper form, while in 3D games such asSuper Mario Galaxy depict Wigglers being taller than him, at a size closer toBig Wigglers in the 2D sidescrollers.
Wigglers can also appear with pairs of gloves replacing one or two pairs of shoes, allowing them to stand upright. InMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, the Wiggler boss is shown changing between gloves and shoes when executing specific attacks.[8]
Length[edit]
Although Wigglers have most often appeared with four body segments, Wigglers with more or even less segments have also appeared. The following is a list of Wigglers with different body lengths, from shortest to longest.
| Image | Body segments | Appearances | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Three leg segments | Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (1996) Super Mario RPG (2023) | AlthoughSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars artwork depicts Wiggler with four body segments, their in-game sprites feature only three. |
 | Two arm segments and one leg segment | Mario Kart 7 (2011) Mario Kart Tour,Pipe Tour (2023) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,Booster Course Pass, Wave 5 (2023) Mario Kart World (2025) | AlthoughMario Kart Tour artwork depicts Wiggler with four body segments, their in-game model features only three. |
| Four leg segments | First appearance:Super Mario World (1990) | Further appearances omitted for brevity. |
 | One arm segment and three leg segments | Game & Watch Gallery 4 (2002) Mario Power Tennis (2004) Mario Super Sluggers (2008) Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (2009) Mario Golf: World Tour (2014) Mario Golf: Super Rush (2021) | |
| Two arm segments and two leg segments | Mario Kart Tour,Sundae Tour (2023) - As Wiggler (Gold) Mario Tennis Fever (2026) | AlthoughMario Kart Tour artwork depicts Wiggler (Gold) with four body segments, their in-game model features only three. |
 | Five leg segments | Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010) - AsBig Wigglers | |
 | Six leg segments | Mario Kart Wii (2008) | |
 | Eight leg segments | Super Mario Sunshine (2002) - As theWiggler boss | |
 | Ten leg segments | Mario Party 9 (2012) | |
 | 28 leg segments | New Super Mario Bros. (2006) - As theMega Wiggler |
Personality[edit]
Wigglers, though still capable of hurting Mario and his allies, are usually shown to have a calm and gentle disposition by their ambling appearance, but they are easily angered and become aggressive. For instance, theMario Party DS badge for Wiggler describes them as "easily vexed," and Wiggler's offensive Power Shot inMario Power Tennis is "Anger Management". Some Wigglers can appear already angry, such as inSuper Mario Galaxy 2,Mario Party: Star Rush,Mario Party 8, andSuper Mario Maker to serve as faster-moving obstacles for the player. There are some Wigglers, as other common enemies, that can be friendly and even helpful. A number of Wigglers have been allies, and in cases, including inMario Party DS andPaper Mario: Sticker Star, they have requested Mario and his friends to help. Bowser is not usually shown directly commanding Wigglers as he does with members ofBowser's Minions such asGoombas andKoopa Troopas. InMario Party 9, Bowser can summon a Wiggler as the final boss ofToad Road and duringBowser's Block Battle.
In some games, Wigglers are shown to have a fond talent for gardening and planting vegetables. This can be seen in places such asWiggler's Garden inMario Party DS, theWiggler family farm inMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, theGarden Grab minigame inMario Party 6 and inWakeport inMario & Luigi: Dream Team. Wigglers can be upset if someone bullies them or ridicules their love for vegetables or gardening, as shown inMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story andMario & Luigi: Dream Team.
Powers and abilities[edit]
Wigglers are shown to be very resistant to damage. While stomping them usually provokes them, Wigglers appear to ignore fireballs and bigger Wigglers ignore Mario completely. InPaper Mario: Sticker Star they are able to swim through poison. Wigglers are also very strong, as shown inMario & Luigi: Paper Jam when one is able to break throughPaper Kamek's obstacles after eating enough fruit. When Wiggler is a playable character, it is usually classified as a heavy character (Mario Kart series), or under the Defense (Mario Tennis series) or Power (Mario Golf: Super Rush) types.
Much like real butterflies and caterpillars,Flutters are theimago of Wigglers.[9] Although both usually appear independently of each other, the transformation of one stage to the other can be seen inPaper Mario: Sticker Star and inMario & Luigi: Paper Jam. In both cases, the transformation is instantaneous, with nopupa stage in between, and both are triggered after the Wiggler eats a lot of food.[10][11] However, a temporary Flutter transformation has also appeared as Wiggler's special defensive Power ShotFlutter Return inMario Power Tennis, with the Wiggler reverting back at the end of the move.
Habitat[edit]
Wigglers are frequently encountered in forests and jungles in most games since their debut inSuper Mario World (where they are found in theForest of Illusion), including but not limited to:Forest Maze,Soda Jungle,Leaflitter Path,Maple Treeway, Dimble Wood,Gloomy Woods andChucklehuck Woods. Some Wigglers also found underground, such as inTiny-Huge Island inSuper Mario 64 and inWorld 5-2 inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
- Main article:List of Wiggler profiles and statistics
Bios of Wiggler often depict them as easygoing creatures, while adding in their proneness to fits of anger. In the few games featuring a playable Wiggler, the stats vary, though Wiggler usually has some power and takes advantage of its size. Wiggler can be slow as inMario Power Tennis or agile as inMario Super Sluggers.
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Wiggler.
Portrayals[edit]
- Tamayo Hayashi (Super Mario World: Mario to Yoshi no Bōken Land)
- John Stocker,Dan Hennessey,Stuart Stone,James Rankin, andGordon Masten (Super Mario World television series)
- Dolores Rogers (2004–2023)
- Eri Inagawa (2025–present)
List of appearances[edit]
Naming[edit]
Etymology[edit]
The name "Wiggler" is likely a play on "wiggler" and "caterpillar", referencing the undulation of its body segments. It has been the enemy's English name since its debut inSuper Mario World and is also its name in most other European languages. Its name in Spanish and East Asian languages, including the Japanese 「ハナチャン」(Hanachan), incorporate the local names for "flower".
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.
Wiggler[edit]
- See also:Flutter § Names in other languages
Names in most media[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ハナチャン[13][14][15][16] Hanachan | Portmanteau of「花」(hana, "flower") and the diminutive honorific suffix「~ちゃん」(-chan); officially romanized as "Hanachan" or "Hana-chan"[12] | |
| Arabic | ويغلر[17] Veghler | Wiggler | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 花毛毛[18][16] Huā Máomáo | From "花" (huā, "flower") and "毛毛虫" (máomaochóng, "caterpillar") | |
| 花之子[19][20] Huā Zhīzǐ | Flower Child | prior toMario Kart 7 | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 花毛毛[18][16] Huā Máomáo | From「花」(huā, "flower") and「毛毛蟲」(máomaochóng, "caterpillar") | |
| Dutch | Wiggler[21]:55[16][22] | - | |
| French | Wiggler[21]:25[23][16][22] | - | |
| Gigoteur[24] | Derived fromgigoter ("wiggle") | Super Mario 64 | |
| German | Wiggler[25][26][27][16] | - | |
| Italian | Torcibruco[28][16] | Inflection oftorcere ("to twist"), combined withbruco ("caterpillar") | |
| Wiggler[29] | - | Super Mario World | |
| Bruco gigante[30] | Giant caterpillar | Super Mario 64 | |
| Korean | 꽃충이[31][16] Kkotchung'i | Portmanteau of "꽃" (kkot, "flower") and "蟲" (chung, Hanja form of "worm"), combined with with "~이" (-i, Korean noun-deriving suffix) | |
| 감자벌레[32] Gamjabeolle | Literally "potato bug", possibly a calque of Japanese「イモムシ」(imomushi, "caterpillar") | Super Mario World | |
| Polish | Bujeczka[33] | Portmanteau betweenbujać ("to amble") andliszka ("caterpillar") | |
| Portuguese(Brazilian) | Wiggler[34] | - | |
| Portuguese(European) | Lagartola[35] | Fromlagarta ("caterpillar") and the diminutive suffix-ola | |
| Russian | Егоза[16] Yegoza | Fidget | |
| Spanish | Floruga[28][16] | Portmanteau offlor ("flower") andoruga ("caterpillar") | |
| Wiggler[36][37] | - | Super Mario World | |
| Thai | วิกเกลอร์[38] Wíkgləə | Wiggler | |
| วิกเลอร์[39] Wíkləə | Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope trailer |
Names in theSuper Mario World television series[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albanian | Vemje[40] | Caterpillar | |
| Arabic | يرقة[41] Yrqh | Caterpillar | |
| French | Chenille[42] | Caterpillar | |
| German | Raupe[43] | Caterpillar | |
| Greek | Κάμπια[44] Kámpia | Caterpillar | |
| Hungarian | Hernyó[45] | Caterpillar | |
| Italian | Multipiedi[46] | Portmanteau of "multi-" andmillepiedi ("millipede") | |
| Korean | 모충[47] Mochung | Caterpillar | |
| Polish | Gąsienica[48] | Caterpillar | |
| Portuguese(Brazilian) | Lagarta[49] | Caterpillar | |
| Romanian | Omidă de grotă[50] | Cave caterpillar | "Ghosts 'R' Us" |
| Omidă[51] | Caterpillar | "Mama Luigi" | |
| Russian | Гусеница[52] Gusenitsa | Caterpillar | |
| Spanish | Oruga[53] | Caterpillar |
Angry Wiggler[edit]
"Angry Wiggler"[54] refers to the form taken on by Wigglers when shaken inSuper Mario Maker 2.
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | 怒ったハナチャン[54] Okotta Hana-chan | Angry Wiggler | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 生气的花毛毛[54] Shēngqì de Huā Máomao | Angry Wiggler | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 生氣的花毛毛[54] Shēngqì de Huā Máomao | Angry Wiggler | |
| Dutch | Boze Wiggler[54] | Angry Wiggler | |
| French(Canadian) | Wiggler fâché[54] | Angry Wiggler | |
| French(European) | Wiggler en colère[54] | Angry Wiggler | |
| German | Wütender Wiggler[54] | Angry Wiggler | |
| Italian | Torcibruco arrabbiato[54] | Angry Wiggler | |
| Korean | 화난 꽃충이[54] Hwanan Kkotchung'i | Angry Wiggler | |
| Russian | Злая егоза[54] Zlaya yegoza | Evil wiggler | |
| Spanish | Floruga furiosa[54] | Furious Wiggler |
Wiggler (Gold)[edit]
"Wiggler (Gold)" refers to a gold-coated, playable variant of Wiggler inMario Kart Tour.
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ハナチャン (ゴールド)[55] Hanachan (Gōrudo) | Wiggler (Gold) | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 花毛毛 (金色)[56] Huā Máomáo (Jīnsè) | Wiggler (Gold) | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 花毛毛 (金色)[57] Huā Máomáo (Jīnsè) | Wiggler (Gold) | |
| French | Wiggler (or)[58] | Wiggler (gold) | |
| German | Wiggler (Gold)[59] | - | |
| Italian | Torcibruco dorato[60] | Golden Wiggler | |
| Korean | 꽃충이(골드)[61] Kkotchung'i (Goldeu) | Wiggler (Gold) | |
| Portuguese(Brazilian) | Wiggler (ouro)[62] | Wiggler (gold) | |
| Spanish(Latin American) | Floruga (dorada)[63] | Wiggler (gold) | |
| Spanish(European) | Floruga (Dorada)[64] | Wiggler (Gold) |
References[edit]
- ^X post showing early SMW tiles.X. Archived January 23, 2021, 22:43:37 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^X post showing early SMW tiles.X. Archived January 11, 2021, 08:39:18 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
- ^"Waaaa! You've flooded my house! Wh-why?? Look at this mess! What am I going to do now? The ceiling's ruined, the floor is soaked...what to do, what to do? Huff...huff...it makes me so...MAD!!! Everything's been going wrong ever since I got this Star... It's so shiny, but it makes me feel...strange..." – Wiggler (1996).Super Mario 64.Nintendo (English).
- ^"Owwch! Uncle! Uncle! Okay, I give up! Take this Star! Whew! I feel better now. I don't really need it anymore, anyway--I can see the stars through my ceiling at night. They make me feel...peaceful. Please, come back and visit anytime." – Wiggler (1996).Super Mario 64.Nintendo (English).
- ^ÎLE GRANDS-PETITS | SUPER MARIO 64 - épisode 13
- ^Super Mario 64 DS épisode 10: Ile Grand-Petits
- ^Nintendo of America (September 10, 2022).Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope - Wiggler Boss Battle Gameplay Trailer - Nintendo Switch.YouTube (American English). Retrieved September 10, 2022.
- ^BossBattleChannel (March 30, 2019).Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Boss 7 - Wiggler.YouTube. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ^「スーパーマリオワールドでイモムシだったハナちゃんの成虫。」("The imago of Wiggler, who was a caterpillar in Super Mario World.") – Okeya, Noriko, Mitsuharu Orihara, and Yuji Kigen, editors (1995). 『スーパーマリオヨッシーアイランド任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-1025-234. Page8.
- ^"Well, what do you think? Take a look! Wiggler ate till Wiggler's tummy was full, and now Wiggler grew up into Flutter!" – Wiggler (2012).Paper Mario: Sticker Star.Nintendo.
- ^"It's the happiest of times! I'm a beautiful butterfly now! And it's all thanks to the delicious things you fed me!" – Wiggler (2012).Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.Nintendo.
- ^https://www.nintendo.com/jp/games/switch2/aaaea/character/index.html
- ^1990.『Super Mario World 取扱説明書』 (PDF). Kyoto:Nintendo Co., Ltd. (Japanese). Page 33.
- ^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 27.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). 『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, 86, 115, 128, 146, 160, 196, 210.
- ^abcdefghijSpirit inventory (7 Dec. 2018).Super Smash Bros. Ultimate byNintendo,Sora Ltd., andBANDAI NAMCO Studios Inc (Ver. 13.0.3).Nintendo.
- ^2024.Soda Jungle ليغو® مجموعة صانع #71434.LEGO (Arabic). (Archived September 10, 2024, 05:19:09 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ab2012.Mario Kart 7繁體中文版 : 角色 : 花毛毛.Nintendo (Hong Kong) Ltd.Games (Chinese). Retrieved September 6, 2024. (Archived September 6, 2024, 22:47:29 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^In-game name from the mission "Make Wiggler Squirm" in theiQue version ofSuper Mario 64.
- ^In-game name from the ending of the iQue version ofSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2. (Archived 28 Aug. 2013 via Baidu Teiba by 无敌阿尔宙斯.)
- ^ab1992.Super Mario World mode d'emploi /Handleiding. Nederland, Brussels:Nintendo (French, Dutch).
- ^abIn-game name from the title ofWiggler Race Mountaineering! fromSuper Mario Bros. Wonder.
- ^In-game name from the ending ofSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (French). (Archived 19 Nov. 2010 via YouTube by Diddy64wii.)
- ^In-game name from the mission "Make Wiggler Squirm" fromSuper Mario 64.
- ^1992.Super Mario World Spielanleitung. Großostheim:Nintendo (German). Page 25.
- ^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.)
- ^abIn-game name from the episode "Wiggler Ahoy! Full Steam Ahead!" fromSuper Mario Sunshine.
- ^1992.Super Mario World Libretto di Intruzioni. Großostheim:Nintendo (Italian). Page 25.
- ^Roberto Ferri (May 1999).Official Nintendo Magazine issue 7. Milan:Xenia Edizione S. r. L. (Italian). Page 88.
- ^In-game name from the mission "Make Wiggler Squirm" fromSuper Mario 64 DS.
- ^[SFC] 슈퍼마리오 월드 현대 정발판.
- ^In-game name displayed on the character selection screen fromMario Kart World (Ver. 1.5.0).Archived byReese Rivers (talk).
- ^1991.Super Mario World Manual de Instruções. Redmond:Nintendo of America (Brazilian Portuguese). Page 25.
- ^November 17, 2020.LEGO® Super Mario - Set de Expansão - O Pântano Venenoso da Lagartola (71383). European Portuguese. Retrieved September 6, 2024. (Archived September 6, 2024, 21:56:45 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^1992.Super Mario World Manual de Instrucciones. Madrid:Nintendo (European Spanish). Page 25.
- ^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.)
- ^"วิกเกลอร์ยักษ์นอนหลับอย่างสอบในป่าที่เจียบงัน อากาศอบอวลไปด้วยกลิ่นขนมหวานในป่าแห่งนี้!" –Toad introducingMega Wiggler's Tree Party (4 Feb. 2026).Super Mario Party Jamboree byNintendo Cubeet al..Nintendo (Thai).
- ^Ubisoft ไทย Thailand (September 11, 2022).Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope: ตัวอย่างเกมเพลย์ บอส Wiggler | Ubisoft Forward.YouTube (Thai). Retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ^Bota e Super Marios - Episoda 8 | Linja telefonike festive (Dublimi Shqip, Çufo)
- ^سوبر ماريو - سبيس تون
- ^Super Mario World 007 Le téléphone préhistorique
- ^Super Mario World Staffel 1 Folge 8 HD Deutsch
- ^Super Mario World - Episode 8 - Gopher Bash Greek Audio
- ^Super Márió Mese_ Szellemes Szobafogság (Magyarul)
- ^Le avventure di Super Mario - Episodio 8 - Il telefono via liana
- ^Super Mario World Cartoon (Party Line) - Korean version
- ^Kapitan N i nowe przygody braci Mario. Odc. 7 - Kłopoty na łączach/Pogromcy susłów
- ^Super Mario World - Telefone nas Cavernas (Dublado)
- ^May 20, 2015."Ghosts 'R' Us", dubbed in Romanian by KidsCo.Odnoklassniki (OK.ru). Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ^May 20, 2015."Mama Luigi", dubbed in Romanian by KidsCo.Odnoklassniki (OK.ru). Retrieved January 4, 2016.
- ^Мир супер Марио. 3 серия.
- ^NINTENDO ( PROBLEMAS TELEFONICOS )
- ^abcdefghijklIn-game name fromSuper Mario Maker 2 (stored internally under
Hanachan_01). - ^Mario Kart Tour in-game name (screenshotMedia:MKT Tour104 Spotlight Shop Wiggler Gold JA.jpg)
- ^Mario Kart Tour in-game name (screenshotMedia:MKT Tour104 Spotlight Shop Wiggler Gold ZH-CN.jpg)
- ^Mario Kart Tour in-game name (screenshotMedia:MKT Tour104 Spotlight Shop Wiggler Gold ZH-TW.jpg)
- ^Mario Kart Tour in-game name (screenshotMedia:MKT Tour104 Spotlight Shop Wiggler Gold FR.jpg)
- ^Mario Kart Tour in-game name (screenshotMedia:MKT Tour104 Spotlight Shop Wiggler Gold DE.jpg)
- ^Mario Kart Tour in-game name (screenshotMedia:MKT Tour104 Spotlight Shop Wiggler Gold IT.jpg)
- ^Mario Kart Tour in-game name (screenshotMedia:MKT Tour104 Spotlight Shop Wiggler Gold KO.jpg)
- ^Mario Kart Tour in-game name (screenshotMedia:MKT Tour104 Spotlight Shop Wiggler Gold PT.jpg)
- ^Mario Kart Tour in-game name (screenshotMedia:MKT Tour104 Spotlight Shop Wiggler Gold ES-MX.jpg)
- ^Mario Kart Tour in-game name (screenshotMedia:MKT Tour104 Spotlight Shop Wiggler Gold ES-ES.jpg)
•
•
•
•
- Wigglers
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