Super Paper Mario: All Pixls RANKED!
Super Paper Mario is an RPG that I have played through far too many times, having beaten it twice, and getting to the very end another time, very similarly to my Ni No Kuni playthroughs. This game was a huge part of my childhood, and the Pixls are one of the standout parts about this game. I love all the Pixls' appearances in this game, and most of their abilities are great too. This list will be solely based on the Pixls' abilities. Prepare for some controversy in Super Paper Mario: All Pixls RANKED!
Edit 1: Swapped Barry and Dashell.
Edit 2: Swapped Boomer and Barry.
#13 - Tiptron
Location - Fort Francis, 3-4 (after beating the game)
Okay, I just said that I'd only be ranking the abilities, but this is one exception. Tiptron is a replica of Tippi, but with weird additions made by Francis's not-so-good design choices. Tiptron has the exact same ability as Tippi, and I know this should be with Tippi, but I'm greedy for more entries.
#12 - Dottie
Location - Floro Caverns, 5-4
Dottie is the Pixl that you meet in Chapter 5-4, and the last one you get in the story. This Pixl shrinks your character to a speck, which allows you to traverse through tight spaces. The problem with Dottie is that, due to how late you get him in the game, he isn't used much. During most playthroughs, the players may only need to use Dottie about five times throughout the entire game. You only have to use him like 3 times in the story, and a couple more times to find hidden items. Dottie's ability is a great addition to the game, but the problem is that he needed more use cases in order to rank any higher on this list.
#11 - Piccolo
Location - Locked House, Flopside
Piccolo is the first optional Pixl on this list, and you can find her in Flopside after a semi-lengthy sidequest available after Chapter 5. Piccolo replaces many of the game's sound effects to retro NES sound effects, which is a fun addition. But her main purpose is that when used, Piccolo can cure all of the player's status ailments. This can be a lifesaver if you are struck by a Cursya. Piccolo can also reveal hidden treasures, such as the Merlee card in Flipside. All in all, Piccolo is one of my favorite Pixls design-wise, but her lack of usefulness in combat forces her low on the list.
#10 - Carrie
Location - Fort Francis, 3-4
Don't slaughter me for this one. Apparently many people think Carrie is the best Pixl in the game, and I just can't see why. Carrie lets you move across spikes as her main ability, and this has even less use cases than Dottie! Despite getting her in Fort Francis (Chapter 3-4), she is rarely needed after said chapter. You can move slightly faster than usual, but the amount of times you will have to switch to other Pixls in the menu makes her not a Pixl that should be used all that often. However, if you are running through the chapters again to get treasures and you don't have Dashell, Carrie can speed things up a little bit. In my opinion, she is just not very useful (although her design is one of my favorites in the game).
#9 - Slim
Location - Merlee's Mansion, 2-3
Slim is found very early on in the game, at Merlee's Mansion in Chapter 2. Slim turns you into a sheet of paper, and makes you invisible while not moving. Very similarly to Dottie, he still is used in a very small amount of puzzles, at around three. What puts Slim above Dottie is that he is practical to use in battle sometimes, due to his invisibility ability. Slim can protect the player from enemy attacks, so using Slim in a boss fight is a great idea if your playstyle likes to play defensive. Heck, even the official Nintendo Power game guide says that Peach and Slim are the best pairing for the fight against Count Bleck. Personally, Slim doesn't fit my playstyle, but it places above Dottie because of his practical uses in battle.
#8 - Tippi
Location - Merlon's House, Flipside
Tippi is the first Pixl you meet in the game, even before the first chapter. She will always follow you around, and, although this doesn't count towards this list, she has one of the coolest designs in the entire game. Her ability allows you to reveal invisible secret doors and platforms, which is actually used throughout the game, unlike Dottie or Slim. She can also give hints on how to solve puzzles or show the stats of an enemy. Tippi's unique motion-controlled ability makes a great addition to this amazing game.
#7 - Fleep
Location - Planet Blobule, 4-2
Most people say Fleep is a horrible, useless, and unnecessary Pixl. But I don’t think that’s the case. In combat, Fleep can stun enemies briefly, but that isn’t as useful as you may expect since, in most cases, you might as well just jump on the enemy. Where Fleep shines, however, is not his offensive capabilities, but rather his explorative abilities. A couple times throughout the second half of the game, you will have to use Fleep to solve puzzles. He also opens up the gateway to Flopside, which, in my opinion, is much cooler than Flipside. Fleep is the main Pixl used in the battle with Dimentio in Chapter 8-3, which I personally think is one of the best boss fights in the entire game. He also has the ability to uncover hidden treasure via one of Flamm’s 48 maps. Overall, I think Fleep is a solid Pixl that definitely doesn’t deserve that hate that he receives.
#6 - Dashell
Location - Pit of 100 Trials, Flipside
Dashell is one of the most fun to use Pixls in the entire game. The pentagonal Pixl is located on the final floor of the Flipside Pit of 100 Trials, a difficult bonus dungeon available as soon as you get Luigi in Chapter 6. Some may say, “Why is such a difficult to obtain and late-game Pixl so high on the list?” Well, for one, everyone should go through the Pit of 100 Trials, if they don’t they’ll be missing out on a very fun challenge and a very fun Pixl. Dashell’s ability allows the player to run twice as fast as usual, which can save time and be very helpful if one finds themself caught in a sticky situation. Combined with Peach’s umbrella, Dashell can let you glide past pits and just skip huge portions of levels on the quest for Catch Cards or Map treasures. I was able to fly through Count Bleck’s castle with Dashell (see what I did there?) and get through the first level of said chapter in about ten minutes. Despite his late-game appearance, Dashell earns the number six spot because of his fun factor and time-saving capabilities.
#5 - Barry
Location - The Bitlands, 3-1 (revisit)
When I first beat the game, I used Barry like how often I ask my mom for ice cream. But on my most recent playthrough, I used him just about as frequently as I drink water, which is not often at all. Barry is, as his name suggests, the barrier Pixl. As an optional Pixl, however, there is not a single puzzle requiring this solely combat-based Pixl. If you use Barry when an enemy is near you, he will damage the enemy for normal damage (Bowser will do half of his normal damage). But the combination of Barry and Bowser is the best way to utilize this Pixl. Due to Bowser's large size, Barry's hitbox will be much larger than with Mario, Luigi, or Peach. Despite being considered a barrier, Barry is more "in your face" than most Pixls. Another good aspect of this Pixl is that he is the only Pixl that can take out those annoying as heck Piranha Plants that always slow Mario's quest down. Barry can't rank higher because he does half the damage that Cudge or Boomer can do, but he is still great.
Edit 1: After playing through the Sammer's Kingdom, I realized Barry's true potential. If you use him as you jump, you can just do extra damage without any downside. Also Barry has great knockback which can help out immensely in a sticky situation.
#4 - Boomer
Location - Gloam Valley, 2-1
As the second swappable Pixl in the game, Boomer is fantastic for what he is: an explosive destruction device. Boomer hits for double the player's attack (with Bowser it just does what Bowser would normally do). Boomer also, especially in the Pit of 100 Trials, is a safe way to damage enemies without being harmed by standing above the enemy and dropping bombs on them. He is also used in plenty of puzzles throughout the game. Similarly to Slim, if one's playstyle is more defensive and slow-paced, Boomer should be their main Pixl during boss battles. Despite the name sounding like a 65-year-old grandma, Boomer certainly doesn't seem like one.
Edit 2: Boomer is by far the best Pixl to use in both Pit of 100 Trials's because you can stay away from danger while standing on a platform above the enemies. Because there are multiple Pits of 100 Trials, Boomer earns a spot higher than Barry.
#3 - Cudge
Location - Gap of Crag, 5-2
Cudge is many people's default Pixl, and for good reason. His damage output is the same as Boomer's but Cudge is much faster. As the beloved Hammer seen in every Paper Mario game to date, Cudge gets the job done, and he does it well. In contrast to Boomer, Cudge is a "get in your face" Pixl, so anyone who loves that kind of thing should use Cudge often. The reason Cudge places third is that he is very useful against regular enemies. If you kill enemies in one hit, Thudley won't be the best Pixl to use. Cudge can take care of any weak foe that stands in Mario's way, whether he's going to stop a void of destruction or to McDonald's, it doesn't matter.
#2 - Thudley
Location - The Tile Pool, 3-2
Thudley is my personal favorite Pixl to use in boss battles. He has a ground-pound ability that does double damage, but unlike Boomer and Cudge, Bowser still deals double. Combined with Bowser and a Bone-In-Cut or some Hot Sauce, Thudley can deal upwards of 70 damage in a single hit by Castle Bleck. Heck, if you get enough points before fighting Bleck to get to level 17, you can kill Count Bleck in two hits. Yes, two hits. Thudley is the ultimate battle machine against bosses for people with a more offensive playstyle. There are also a couple of puzzles that utilize him too, in the Tile Pool right after you get him and to reach one of the Heart Pillars. I always love some good ol' ground-pounding, and Thudley does that job perfectly.
#1 - Thoreau
Location - Mount Lineland, 1-2
"Why in the name of Watchitt is Thoreau number one? He's bad!" Well, anyone who says that is just straight wrong. Thoreau, as the first traditional Pixl you find in the game, is, in my humble opinion, the best in the game. Is he good against O'Chunks? Yes. Mimi? Yep. Francis? Uh-huh. King Croacus? Of course. Bonechill? This is getting old. Thoreau grabs any enemy in the way and allows it to be thrown. Hit another enemy and they both get damaged. Can't hit the boss? Just throw one of their own projectiles back at them. Thoreau is an unstoppable force that no Goomba or even giant robot dragon without a death wish should mess with. Thoreau is a fun, useful, and powerful Pixl that deserves the number one spot on this list.
Leave any feedback and suggestions for future articles below in the comments section!