Boss battles have always been an excellent element of the Paper Mario series. Despite a drastic change in the combat, this fact still rings true in Paper Mario: The Origami King. The game's new battle system requires players to adjust rings so they can execute the best attack possible.
Boss battles are even more unique than the regular fights. The goal of each boss fight is to give Mario the best path to achieve a goal for the round, whether its to attack the boss, activate a power-up, or earn more health. It made for some interesting puzzle solving and satisfying defeats.
16 Handaconda
While traversing Bowser's Castle, Mario will come across cut-out pieces of black construction paper shaped like humans. This is the lead-up to a battle with Handaconda, a snake-like sentient arm. It has kidnapped Olivia, so the first part of the battle is hitting it enough times in order to free Olivia from its grasp. After this, it becomes a battle of rock-paper-scissors. Using the 1,000-fold arms, Mario must make the right call in the game in order to get hits on Handaconda. It may take a few wins in rock-paper-scissors in order to defeat the creature.
15 Stapler
King Olly's castle is filled with many obstacles, but the biggest one outside of King Olly himself is the Stapler. A tool that acts like a dog, the Stapler will look to staple Mario in place so that way he can't execute his attacks. In order to do this, Mario needs to jump on the stapler enough times to get rid of its staples. When it runs out of staples, it will fall prone where Mario can execute more powerful attacks. The stapler will refill with staples that deal more damage as the battle goes on.
14 Tape
After a long climb up Sea Tower, Mario is greeted by a mobster-like tape dispenser. The battle requires Mario to find some missing icons in the chest and start destroying the dispenser that holds the tape. Once all four corners of the dispenser are destroyed, the next phase begins. The tape, now out of its dispenser, will start taping up parts of the puzzle board. This will cause two rings to be stuck to each other and move simultaneously. Players should use the 1,000-fold arms to inflict damage and the Fire Vellumental power to clear the tape.
13 Boss Sumo Bro
Before entering Bowser's Castle an origami Boss Sumo Bro and a few of its fellow Sumo Bro friends blocked the entrance using a storm cloud. Once the battle begins, the boss's army will slightly increase. The boss starts in the sky, unable to be touched. Four Sumo Bros remove four crucial panels from the puzzle and gather in the center beneath the boss.
The goal for Mario is to attack and kill all four enemies while retrieving these panels back. The second phase as the Boss Sumo Bro and two of its comrades on the ground vulnerable to be attacked.
12 Rubber Band
After a spectacular set of performances in Big Sho' Theater, the big finale has Mario facing off with the "real star" of the show, Rubber Band. The humanoid rubber band's first order of business is to shoot bands on the puzzle itself. These can shift Mario to the inner and outer layers of the puzzle but will not change his direction. The main goal of the battle is to remove as many rubber bands on the monster as possible using the 1,000-fold arms. After clearing all but the remaining large rubber band, the player must get the large arms again to grab it and fling it off the stage.
11 Paper Mistake Buzzy Beetle
This game gets rather dark, and it's hard not to find a darker timeline than during a battle in which Mario fights a Buzzy Beetle that is covered in character faces. This is one of the battles that happen in real-time, not in a puzzle. The Buzzy Beetle will start out by forming Koopa Heads made out the faces chasing after Mario. Meanwhile, the Buzzy Beetle will use Kamek's magic to shoot more faces at the hero. If Mario is able to pull off Kamek's face, the battle just comes down to dodging the beetle as it spins around and hitting its stomach when it falls over.
10 Colored Pencils
Mario's first experience with fighting art supplies comes on top of Overlook Tower. After dodging colored pencil rockets leading up to the fight, Mario gets to go toe-to-toe with the entire case. Mario will first need to get behind the case and shut it with the 1,000-fold arms while avoiding targets. This will cause the case to be stunned where Mario can get some easy hits. After a while, the case will begin a special attack with all the colored pencils spinning at once ready to launch. Mario needs to grab the pencils with the long arms and shove them into the case to be victorious.
9 Fire Vellumental
The Vellumental fights are some of the best in the game. The Fire Vellumental showdown goes down in its temple, located in Scorching Sandpaper Desert. The phoenix will begin by raining fire feathers onto the puzzle. Each time it does this, it will lose health. The beast can absorb these feathers again, but not if Mario does something about it.
Using the Water Vellumental power, Mario and Olivia can extinguish the feather fires and keep the Fire Vellumental at low health. It will also be exhausted after the waves, so Mario can use 1,000-fold arms to beat it into defeat.
8 Earth Vellumental
The Earth Vellumental fight is the introduction to the boss battle mechanics in Origami King. Olivia gives Mario the first look on how to move the puzzle to create a path to each of the turtle's four legs. The goal is to hit each of its legs and its head to make it harder for the Vellumental to attack. The last body part Mario hits is the tail, which puts the turtle's entire body in its shell. All Mario then needs to do is get the 1,000-fold arms and flip the turtle over. Bashing it while it's on its back should mean victory.
7 Mega Paper Macho Pokey
Another non-puzzle battle, Mario and Olivia will meet the Mega Paper Macho Pokey in the Scorching Sandpaper Desert. Using the bootcar, Mario needs to drive around in order to dodge the Pokey as it chases him. At times, the Pokey will fall over and roll after Mario. When it stops rolling, Mario can run-up to the bottom part of the Pokey and destroy it with either the bootcar or a hammer. Mario will also need to dodge a collection of sand twisters that form while the Pokey is underground.
6 Hole Punch
One of the more surreal moments of the game is fighting a grooving hole punch while surrounded by faceless Toads. The showdown on the dance floor starts with the Hole Punch taking out some panels to walk on. The goal is to damage its backside, which is considered its weak point. Meanwhile, the Hole Punch will start taking away Mario's max health by punching out parts of Mario. The player can retrieve these parts on the board during a turn. The finale of the fight is Mario using 1,000-fold arms to flip the hole punch over and ripping off its base.
5 Scissors
One of the more intriguing battles goes down in Bowser's Castle. Following three other boss fights to get to this point, the Scissors are the final boss battle before getting to King Olly's castle. The fight is unique in that Mario has to time his attacks perfectly so that he doesn't attack the covering hiding the scissors' blade.
Regardless of how Mario does, the scissors will take out its blade eventually. The goal then will need to freeze the scissor using Ice Vellumental and use the 1,000-fold arms to flip them over in order to avoid getting killed in one hit.
4 Paper Macho Gooper Blooper
The best non-puzzle battle in the game. The monstrous Blooper begins in the water and uses its long tentacles to create waves on the ship for Mario to dodge. The goal is to destroy all of its tendrils with the hammer. The Blooper will then jump on to the ship to create more wave issues and spit ink at Mario. Players will need to hit the sticker over its eye while it's stunned in order to make it weak, then hit it a few more times to get the victory.
3 Water Vellumental
The Water Vellumental temple is located in Autumn Mountains where Mario and Olivia will need the power in order to fill the depleted river again. The dragon they face in the temple will introduce the concept of eliminating panels in a boss fight. Its waterspouts form each turn and will eliminate a set of panels before Mario moves, so players will have to think carefully about panel placement. The goal of the battle is to dodge its biggest attack using the Earth Vellumental and using 1,000-fold arms to finish it off.
2 Ice Vellumental
The pink streamer area is not as in-depth as other streamers, but it has the best boss fight in the game excluding King Olly itself. The Ice Vellumental, a polar bear, will start out encased in ice. Mario must find the "On" button in the chest and use it to activate the Fire Vellumental power to take away its barrier. The next phase involves breaking ice that has formed on top of important panels during the puzzle-solving process. The finale is then realigning a path shown to get the 1,000-fold arms while avoiding ice on the ground.
1 King Olly
There are three phases to the final, epic battle in Origami King. First, King Olly will turn into three of the Vellumental powers. Players will need to remember how to beat these powers using the ones they have acquired throughout the game. Then, King Olly and an origami Bowser will battle in an origami wrestling match. Mario can support Bowser using the 1,000-fold arms while dodging Thwomps and ninja stars. Finally, the game asks Mario to solve one more puzzle to activate Olivia's secret origami power.