X-Nauts (organization)
- This article is about the secret organization to which theX-Nauts belong to. For other uses, seeX-Nauts (disambiguation).
| X-Nauts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Insignia of the X-Nauts | |||
| First appearance | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004) | ||
| Latest appearance | Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) (2024) | ||
| Leader | Grodus | ||
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- “WeX-Nauts aren't all rainbows and lollipops. I could assure you, we could be quite nasty.”
- —Grodus,Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
TheX-Nauts is an evil organization led byGrodus that serves as the main antagonists inPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and itsNintendo Switch remake. The majority of the operatives are also calledX-Nauts, though there are other classes of soldiers and creatures in Grodus' employ. Many of the footsoldiers are part of theX-Naut platoon. Their base of operations is theX-Naut Fortress, which is located on themoon.
History[edit]
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]
All that is known about the X-Nauts stems from their failed plan to conquer the world using a 1,000-year-old demon known as theShadow Queen. Grodus somehow came in contact withBeldam, who told him that the Shadow Queen could only be released from her prison if the sevenCrystal Stars were collected, and a vessel provided for her disembodied soul to possess. The X-Nauts kidnappedPrincess Peach to use as the vessel, andMario was manipulated into gathering the Crystal Stars in an attempt to save her from her captors.
However, Grodus had been misled by the Three Shadows, and when he tried to command the resurrected Shadow Queen to do his bidding, she destroyed his body. Grodus' robotic head, his second-in-command,Lord Crump, and two regularX-Naut soldiers and twoElite X-Nauts were last seen inPoshley Heights, asTEC destroyed their fortress earlier, and reportedly reformed for the better.
Nintendo Music[edit]
Since October 6th, 2025, theNintendo Music app has featured an X-Nauts playlist. It contains 35 tracks fromPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and itsremake and is 1 hour and 44 minutes long. In addition to hosting tracks themed around the organization as a whole, the X-Nauts playlist also contains tracks themed aroundLord Crump andGrodus.
Technology[edit]
Naming[edit]
It is unclear whether the organization's name is supposed to be pronounced "ex-nauts" or "cross-nauts", as there is conflicting evidence for both sides.
- TheTattles and Log entries for most X-Naut soldiers (as well asX-Yux) consistently call them "an X-Naut" rather than "a X-Naut", implying "ex". Despite this,X-Yux's Tattle specifies that "this is read as "Cross"-Yux, not as "Ex"-Yux" right after calling it "an X-Yux".
- Some dialogue only makes sense if "ex" is used, such as Koops comparing them to "tissues...to the extreme".
- "Cross-Nauts" would be a reference to "noughts and crosses", another name fortic-tac-toe.
- TEC-XX's role as a traitor would be foreshadowed by his name if it was pronounced "double cross".
- Most European language translations call the group by a name based on "cross", such as the GermanCrucionen. However, the Korean translation names the group "메가엑스" (Mega Ekseu), loaning the pronunciation of the English "X" rather than "cross".
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | メガバッテン[?] Megabatten | From「眼鏡」(megane, "eyeglasses"), "mega", and「罰点」(batten, "X mark") | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | X军团[?] X Jūntuán | X Corps | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | X軍團[1] X Jūntuán | X Corps | |
| Dutch | Kruistronauten[?] | Fromkruis ("cross") andastronaut | |
| French | Mégacruxis[?] | From Japanese name andcrux (Latin word for "cross"), with French suffix-is | |
| German | Crucionen[?] | Fromcrux (Latin word for "cross") and possibly the Finnish diminutive-onen | |
| Italian | Incrociati[?] | Possibly fromincrociare ("to cross") andcrociati (plural ofcrociato, meaning "crusader") | |
| Korean | 메가엑스[?] Mega Ekseu | Mega-X | |
| Spanish | Mega X[?] | Adaptation from the Japanese name |
References[edit]
- ^紙片瑪利歐RPG | Nintendo Switch | 任天堂.www.nintendo.com.hk. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
