Star Rod

The stolen staff that grants invincibility and lifts a castle into the sky.

In the 2000 role-playing game Paper Mario for the Nintendo 64, the Star Rod is a powerful artifact stolen by Bowser from Star Haven. By taking this item, Bowser made himself invincible and lifted Princess Peach's castle into the sky. The Star Rod's power is so great that it can only be negated when the seven Star Spirits are rescued from their imprisonment in playing cards. Developed by Intelligent Systems as a spiritual successor after Square declined to develop a sequel to Super Mario RPG, this artifact drives the entire plot of Mario's quest to save the Mushroom Kingdom.

Quick Facts

Primary wielder: Bowser
First appearance: Paper Mario (2000)

Lore & Background

The Star Rod originates from Star Haven, where it was kept until Bowser stole it. Upon securing the Rod, Bowser imprisoned the seven Star Spirits within playing cards and used the artifact's power to render himself completely invincible. This act of theft allowed him to lift Princess Peach's entire castle into the sky, leaving Mario defeated at Peach's Castle after a brief confrontation. The game establishes that the only way to counter the effects of the stolen Star Rod is for Mario to locate and free the seven Star Spirits.

These spirits were guarded by Bowser's minions across various locations, including the four Koopa Bros.' fortress, Dry Dry Desert, Tubba Blubba's domain, General Guy's Toy Box, Lavalava Island, Flower Fields, and finally Crystal Palace. Once all seven are saved, their combined power can negate the invincibility granted by the Star Rod, allowing Mario to defeat Bowser and restore the castle to its original spot on the ground.

Reader's Guide

To defeat Bowser in Paper Mario, players must first acquire the ability to negate the Star Rod's invincibility. This requires finding and defeating Bowser's minions guarding the seven Star Spirits across the overworld. The player controls Mario and one partner at a time, utilizing action commands during turn-based battles to influence attack effectiveness. Partners like Goombario provide enemy data, while others like Kooper or Bombette solve environmental puzzles blocking progress.

Collecting Star Points levels up Mario and partners, increasing their stats and Flower Point capacity for special moves. Badges can be equipped using Badge Points to grant passive bonuses. The quest involves visiting specific locations: Goomba Village, Shooting Star Summit, the four Koopa Bros.' fortress, Dry Dry Desert, Tubba Blubba's area, General Guy's Toy Box, Lavalava Island, Flower Fields, Shiver City, and Crystal Palace. Once all seven Spirits are saved, Mario can confront Bowser in Peach's Castle, where the spirits' power removes the invincibility granted by the Star Rod, allowing for a final victory.

Did You Know?

The game was initially called Super Mario RPG 2 and was slated for release on the 64DD before moving to cartridge format.
The art style was inspired by PaRappa the Rapper, cel animation, and the work of Walt Disney and Looney Tunes.
Princess Peach is playable during specific segments between chapters, performing stealth-based objectives like baking a cake or cloning Bowser's minions.