When you think of Mario franchise, what villain first comes to your mind? Do you think of Bowser or his Koopalings? Do you think of the Goombas and the Koopa Troopas? How about the Boos or maybe even Wario and Waluigi? No matter who may first pop into your mind, there's no doubt that Mario has faced quite a few interesting enemies.

Let's face it, we all know that Mario wouldn't be much without the villains he's had to take on. From Koopas to Lakitus, Mario has seen it all. He's faced against great enemies like Bowser, tangled with dangerous chain chomps, and avoided being eaten by piranha plants, all to save the Mushroom Kingdom and protect the princess he loves.

The Mario franchise has created some of Nintendo's most iconic enemies. Characters like the Goombas, the Hammer Bros, Kamek the Magikoopa, and more have been obstacles for many gamers to overcome as they traveled through the Mushroom Kingdom. Some enemies were easy to defeat, while others took a little more time and dedication. Over the years we've seen the various enemies come and go in the Mario franchise. Some enemies only appeared for a short time, others are brand new with recent games, and many have been with us since the very beginning.

With all of these villains, we've discovered some rather interesting facts about them that we’d like to share. These facts range from interesting to funny to just plain bizarre.

Some of these facts you may know, while others may surprise you. Are there any you think I missed? Let me know!

15 Bowser Was Originally Supposed To Be An Ox

Bowser has become one of Nintendo’s most iconic villains. From his huge size to his bright red hair, the design of Bowser is a familiar one to many gamers. It’s hard to imagine Bowser as anything other than what he is. But did you know that Bowser was originally going to look very different?

Miyamoto’s original design for Bowser was going to be based on an ox. He was inspired by the film Alakazam the Great. He found that the Great Ox King’s design would be a perfect mold for Bowser. But when Nintendo designer Takashi Tezuka took a look at the character, he told Miyamoto that he thought his ox looked more like a turtle. Thus, the drastic re-envisioning began. Their efforts resulted in the Bowser we know and love today.

14 The Koopalings Are Not Actually Bowser’s Kids

If you’ve played many Mario games, you’ve likely run into the Koopalings, several of Bowser’s minions. In Super Mario Bros. 3, you faced each of the Koopalings as bosses before your final showdown with Bowser. For a while, it was thought that these villains were Bowser’s children. But it was recently confirmed that they are not!

In the release of New Super Mario Bros., the Koopalings are referred to as Bowser’s “minions.” It was then confirmed in 2012, when Shigeru Miyamoto stated, “Our current story is that the seven Koopalings are not Bowser’s children. Bowser’s only child is Bowser Jr., and we do not know who the mother is.” So apparently, Bowser only has one child, and the rest simply are along for the villainous ride.

13 The Chain Chomps Were Modelled After A Traumatic Childhood Event

The chain chomps are another classic villain, a creature that would lunge at you and was only held back by a chain. As long as you kept your distance you were fine, but getting closer meant certain doom. They got even more frightening in Super Mario 64 when they were suddenly supersized. Getting hit by one of those chain chomps took a lot out of you.

The inspiration for these enemies actually come from Miyamoto’s childhood. When Miyamoto was a child, he went through a traumatic event where he was chased by the neighbor’s dog. He was saved, fortunately, by the dog being yanked back by a chain attached to its collar. Years later, Miyamoto drew from this memory to create the chain chomp, an enemy restricted by a chain, but still terrifying and dangerous. This also might explain why some versions sound a bit like a dog barking.

12 Bowser Had A Terrifying Live-Action Show In The 1980s

We all know about the various shows and movies that came about as a result of the popularity of Mario. One famous (or infamous) example is the hilariously bad Super Mario Bros. The Movie, which came out in 1993. But did you know that even Bowser had his own live-action TV show? No, we’re serious.

In 1989, a test run of King Koopa's Kool Kartoons was broadcast before the show would become a full series. The show starred a rather creepy-looking live-action Bowser, who stood around and introduced public domain cartoons and held local contests to give out Power Gloves. The show was not received very well and was canceled really fast. In fact, it’s practically impossible to find it; only a few grainy videos can be found online. It’s further proof that trying to successfully translate video games into other forms of media can be a bit tricky and often don’t end well.

11 The Koopalings Are Named After Musicians Of Different Genres

The Koopalings are fairly different in many aspects. They’re all different sizes, they have unique personalities, and they all have specialized attacks that they use on Mario. But one thing they do have in common are their names. If you pay attention to the names, you’ll find that all the Koopalings are named after various musicians. And all these musicians came from different music genres.

This one may be a little obvious since you likely picked up on the names like Ludwig von Koopa (obvious Beethoven reference), but some others you may not have realized. For example, Roy was named after Roy Orbison, Iggy was named after Iggy Pop, and Wendy was named after Wendy O. Williams. All of these people were famous musicians with very different music styles. It’s a fun little fact that many didn’t pick up on.

10 The Goomba Was The Last Enemy Added To Super Mario Bros.

Ah the Goomba, the very first enemy that Mario ever encountered. These guys have also become iconic as Mario enemies and have appeared in nearly every single Mario game. But did you know that the Goomba almost didn’t exist?

Yup, the first enemy you encounter in Super Mario Bros. was actually one of the very last things added to the game. Miyamoto decided the game needed an easy enemy that could be killed with a single hit. Unfortunately, cartridge space in the game was extremely limited, so they needed to design something as simple as possible. So they basically created a little brown mushroom-like ball with eyes with a two-frame walking animation. It was a simple design that required very little extra space and thus the Goomba was created!

9 Hammer Bros Can Hunt You Down

Ah, the Hammer Bros. These enemies have likely been responsible for many of Mario’s early demises... many gamers have met their fate to one of those hammers. While jumping up and down and constantly throwing hammers at you, the Hammer Bros can be a little tricky to fight, especially if you don’t time it right. Of course, their patterns of movement are pretty simple and predictable, so if you stand a distance away, their hammers won’t hit you.

But did you know that if you hesitate long enough, the Hammer Bros will leave their spot and come after you? It’s true. If you wait long enough these enemies will start moving toward you and throw their hammers at you. I guess they aren’t very patient, so it’s better to defeat them quickly!

8 Koopa Troopas Can Survive Without Their Shells

Of the many The Koopa Troopas have become rather popular enemies over the years. These adorable guys are both dangerous and useful. Once you hit them, they retreat into their shell, which you then can use to take out other enemies. Like Bowser, Koopa Troopas are loosely based on turtles. Like turtles, Koopas have a reptilian design with a beak of a turtle and with a shell on their backs.

However, unlike turtles, Koopa Troopas can actually survive without their shells. In fact, Koopas actually wear clothing underneath their shells. In a few games, you see the Koopas turn up without their shells, wearing clothing underneath. So for Koopas, their shells seem to act more like armor than anything. Makes me wonder if they wear their shells in their down time.

7 The ParaTroopa’s Design Was Created Due To Lack Of Space

The Koopa ParaTroopas are great enemies can create quite a headache for gamers. Their flight patterns sometimes made fighting them difficult, but if you timed it right, you could often jump on one to jump to higher platforms. But did you know the story behind how these guys were created?

The ParaTroopas are practically identical to the Koopa Troopas, except that they have red shells and wings. The reason these two enemies look so alike was due to space issues. Miyamoto wanted to create a flying enemy in Super Mario Bros., but since space on the cartridge was limited, they couldn’t create a whole new enemy. Instead they took the design to the Koopa Troopas and modified it to create the ParaTroopas. That’s a clever way to get around space issues.

6 The Super Mario 64 Boo’s Laugh Is Actually Bowser’s Laugh

The Boos are well-known enemies in the Mario world, infamous for their aggravating habit of following Mario around until he looks at them. It was like the game Red Light Green Light with a dangerous twist. Gamers who played Super Mario 64 likely remember the Boos and their high-pitched laughs. In fact, that laugh has become pretty iconic and has become infamous. But you might be surprised where that laugh originated from.

It turns out that the Boo’s laugh is actually Bowser’s laugh. It’s true; developers took Bowser’s laugh and pitched it up to create the Boo’s laugh we know and love today. Who would’ve thought these two enemies would have that kind of connection? Looks like Bowser has more influence on other enemies than we originally thought.

5 Bullet Bill And Ted Torpedo Are A Reference To Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Bullet Bill and Ted are another example of infamous enemies that have resulted in many gamer’s headaches. Bullet Bill terrorized the skies, while Ted Torpedo ruled the seas. These guys, while often slow, could prove to be pretty dangerous to Mario, especially if you had bad timing. But what you might not realize is that the names of these two enemies are likely references to a famous movie.

While it hasn’t been officially confirmed, it’s a good possibility that Bullet Bill’s and Ted Torpedo’s names are a loose reference to the movie Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. This reference may be a loose one and is only based on the enemies’ names, but it’s an interesting theory. Whether it’s true or not, it’s fun to speculate.

4 Kamek The Magikoopa Was Almost On Mario Kart 64

Kamek the Magikoopa first appeared in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island. In this game, he created trouble for Yoshi, turning small enemies into giant, dangerous ones. Since then, he has appeared in several Mario games. His magic abilities give him quite the large amount of useful attacks that he used on our heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom. But what you might not know what that he was almost a player in Mario Kart!

In Mario Kart 64, Kamek was set to be one of the characters you could play. However, he was taken out and Donkey Kong took his place. Since then, Kamek has not appeared in any versions of Mario Kart. It’s not really known why he was taken out. Bad luck for poor Kamek!

3 The Chain Chomp In Super Mario Bros. 3 Can Break Free

As mentioned previously, the chain chomps in the Mario franchise have become famous for their design and method of attack. Despite their aggressive nature, what often helped you avoid them in the games was the fact that they were bound by a chain. If you keep your distance, you’re generally safe from a chain chomp’s bite. But that is not the case in Super Mario Bros 3.

In this particular game, a chain chomp can actually break free and run amok, but it takes a while. When you come across a chain chomp, wait a while, watching it. If you let the chain chomp tug on its chain 49 times, it will then break free. What I really wonder about is how long someone sat there staring and playing around with the chain chomp before this was discovered.

2 Wario And Waluigi’s Names Are Based On Japanese Puns

Wario and Waluigi are both very interesting characters that came about quite some time after Mario. It’s said they were initially created to be the foils and opposites to Mario and Luigi. Looking at their personalities and body shapes, you can see the connection. Wario and Waluigi have the habit of being rather nasty and rude. But another connection to our two heroes is actually through their names themselves, and not even just in the obvious way. Did you know that their names are actually based off of a Japanese pun?

Wario's name is actually based on the Japanese word for "bad," which is "warui." Thus, Wario’s name is a shortened version of "Warui Mario,” or “Bad Mario.” The same goes for Waluigi, who’s name in Japanese is “Waruigi”. Both names were Americanized into Wario and Waluigi, and thus you have the two foils to Mario and Luigi!

1 Bowser Jr. Is Skilled At Golf

Bowser Jr. first came along in the game Super Mario Sunshine, where he was the main antagonist, and has remained a rather fun villain. He has since shown up in many Mario games and has even stolen the spotlight from his dad, Bowser. And recently, it’s been confirmed that he's the only son of Bowser, so he’s basically our next Koopa King in the royal line. But Bowser Jr. has a skill that not many people may know: he’s actually a great golf player.

Who would’ve thought that our heir to the Koopa throne would be great at golf? Apparently, it’s said that Bowser Jr. spends a lot of his time playing golf on his dad’s private course. This has been referenced in a couple of games. It’s a fun little aspect to his personality that makes him a pretty interesting and entertaining villain to play against.