Piranha Plant

The **Piranha Plant** is a large, green flower-like enemy in *Super Mario 64* and *Super Mario 64 DS* with a round, eyeless head, hat sports a red coloration with large, white dots and white teeth.

All Piranha Plants are stationary enemies, which doesn't make them any less dangerous. They also come in two variants.

### **Small Piranha Plant**

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The **Small Piranha Plant** first appears in Whomp's Fortress. These are usually found sleeping in small flower fields or on top of the fortress' narrow corners. A sleeping Small Piranha Plant will usually also be indicated by a soft lullaby playing and temporarily overwriting the regular level theme.

Mario can either avoid the Small Piranha Plants by quickly jumping away from them or by slowly sneaking past them. Walking at a normal speed or running past them, will wake them though, which causes the Small Piranha Plant to start biting around it furiously.

It won't calm down until Mario has gone far enough away to cause it to despawn.

Keep notice, that Mario can only defeat the Small Piranha Plant by swiftly attacking it with the forward charge. Any other attack will be to slow and cause the Small Piranha Plant to wake up again.

The Small Piranha Plant can't be harmed while it's awake, but it will harm Mario while in this state.

Defeating a Small Piranha Plant will cause it to make a squeaky noise, while it shrinks and vanishes, leaving a Blue Coin behind.

#### **Gallery (Whomp's Fortress)**

Mario standing next to a sleeping Small Piranha plant.A closeup of Mario and the same Small Piranha Plant. If one looks closely, they can see a small bubble next to the tip of its lips.Another Small Piranha Plant, that sits in a corner outside of the fortress.When Mario wakes them, the Small Piranha Plants rise, show their teeth and start biting around themselves.
### **Large Piranha Plant**

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The **Large Piranha Plant** first appears in Tiny-Huge Island. These are mainly found in the Pluck the Piranha Flower mission, where they will remain hidden until Mario enters their location, causing them to suddenly appear from the ground and immediately grow to a large size.

Unlike their small counterparts, they never sleep, but can simply be leapt away from, if the player intends to escape them.

Once the Large Piranha Plant has grown to its full size, it will hunch over and quickly spit a small flame at Mario. Afterwards, the Piranha Plant will retreat very swiftly.

Mario has to time his own attack just right, so he can hit the Piranha Plant as it appears. The Large Piranha Plant can be defeated, by punching it, jumping to its head, using the forward charge or the ground pound.

If Mario's attack connects, the Piranha Plant will be defeated and shrink like it's smaller counterpart, while making the same squeaky noise.

Unlike the Small Piranha Plant, the Large Piranha Plant only drops three regular Coins upon its defeat.

#### **Gallery (Tiny-Huge Island)**

##### ***Super Mario 64***

Two Large Piranha Plants as they appear in the Pluck the Piranha Flower mission.A Large Piranha Plant as it appears while spitting fire at Mario.
##### ***Super Mario 64 DS'***

A Large Piranha Plant as it appears in the *DS* remake.