Editing Star Piece (Paper Mario series)

{{italic title|Star Piece (''Paper Mario'' series)}}
{{PM item infobox
|image=[[File:PM StarPiece.gif]] [[File:Star Piece TTYD.gif]]
|pm=It's a glowing Star Piece! Wait and see what this is for.
|ttyd=A lovely piece of a star.
}}
{{Quote|Isn't it pretty, the way it glitters in the sun?|Goombaria|Paper Mario}}

'''Star Pieces''' are collectible items in the ''[[Paper Mario (series)|Paper Mario]]'' series. They are found in hidden locations throughout the games, and some are even found underground, in which case a [[Spin Jump]] or Mario's [[Ultra Hammer]] is used to collect them. They are also used as rewards for sidequests. Star Pieces can be used to trade for various [[badge]]s. There are 160 in ''[[Paper Mario]]'' and 100 in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''. In ''Paper Mario'', they are used for trading with [[Merlow]] for badges. In ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'', they are used for trading with [[Dazzle]] in [[Rogueport Underground]]. The fortune teller [[Merluvlee]] in both games can tell Mario where the star pieces are.

==History==
===''Paper Mario''===
{{main|List of Star Pieces in Paper Mario}}
[[File:PM Star Piece ToadTownDock.png|thumb|250px|[[Mario]] revealing a Star Piece with his [[Ultra Hammer]] in [[Toad Town]].]]

In ''[[Paper Mario]]'', Star Pieces are scattered throughout the [[Mushroom Kingdom]], collected by characters and used for trading. They are also used as thank-you gifts, usually for returning or giving an item wanted. [[Goombaria]] mentions that they are good-looking ("Look at the pretty glitter!"), which implies that characters collect them because they look good. [[Kolorado]] also mentions that when he found a Star Piece when searching [[Dry Dry Ruins (Paper Mario)|Dry Dry Ruins]] he immediately picked it up. [[Mario]] can also collect them, but the only practical use in the game is to trade [[badge]]s from [[Merlow]]. There are just enough collectible Star Pieces to buy all the badges Merlow offers. The player can check the numbers of Star Pieces collected so far on a board in [[Mario Bros.' House|Mario's House]], and the number in possession on the pause menu.

In total, there are 160 Star Pieces collectible for Mario, among which:
*63 are scattered throughout the world and available in the field, though some of them need special partners or equipments to get;
*15 in total can be obtained by doing favors for [[Koopa Koot]];
*3 can be purchased from [[Rip Cheato]];
*64 are used as rewards for [[Chuck Quizmo]]'s quizzes;
*4 are used as rewards for giving or returning items: [[Goombaria]]'s [[Dolly]], [[Russ T.]]'s [[Dictionary]], the [[Postmaster]]'s [[Mailbag]], and the [[Artifact]] for [[Kolorado]].
*11 more are used as rewards for letter delivery. The characters who give a Star Piece when receiving a [[Letter]] are [[Fice T.]], [[Goompa]], [[Igor]], [[Kolorado]], [[Mayor Penguin]], [[Merlon]], [[Merlow]], [[Minh T.]], [[Mort T.]], [[Russ T.]] and the [[Nomadimouse (character)|Nomadimouse]].

Some of the overworld Star Pieces are under invisible panels on the ground. They can only be revealed with the [[Super Boots]], [[Ultra Boots]] or [[Ultra Hammer]]. When Mario uses one of these equipments around the panel, it flips and the Star Piece pops out. However, if Mario or his partner is above the panel, it merely shakes without popping out the Star Piece. The existence of underground Star Pieces is mentioned by a [[Boo]] that appears immediately after Mario gets the Super Boots in [[Boo's Mansion]]. Such star pieces can be detected using the [[I Spy]] Badge. 

[[Merluvlee]], who lives in a house near [[Star Hill#Paper Mario|Shooting Star Summit]], can give predictions of the whereabouts of the Star Pieces. She can predict only the overworld 63.

If the player has not collected any Star Pieces yet, the menu description says, ''"Wondering what this is for? Secret!"''
{{br}}

===''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''===
{{main|List of Star Pieces in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door}}
[[File:PMTTYD Star Piece RogueSquareEast.png|thumb|250px|[[Mario]] collecting a Star Piece behind a set of crates in [[Rogueport]]'s plaza.]]

In ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]'', there are 100 collectible Star Pieces, among which 98 are overworld and two are owned by characters. Some of overworld ones are underground and require [[Super Boots]] to get. The difference is that in the sequel, the underground panels can no longer be flipped with the [[Ultra Hammer]]. The last two are owned by [[Chef Shimi]] and the [[Excess Express waitress]], respectively, and will be given to Mario for fulfilling the corresponding requests. In the [[Nintendo Switch]] [[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)|remake]], all levels of Hammer can reveal hidden Star Piece panels, but the Super Boots are still required to flip them.

[[Mario]] can still use Star Pieces to trade for [[badge]]s. All 100 Star Pieces are needed to get all of Dazzle's badges. [[Merluvlee]] can predict the locations of the Star Pieces for five coins, and [[Ms. Mowz]] can detect them for Mario using her field ability (by pressing {{button|gcn|x}}).

The number of Star Pieces [[Mario]] has collected is displayed on a notice board near the entrance of the [[Pit of 100 Trials (Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door)|Pit of 100 Trials]].

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Dut=Sterrenstuk
|DutM=Star piece; shared with [[Star Piece (Super Mario RPG)|Star Piece]] in ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'' 
|Ger=Sternsplitter
|GerM=Star Splinter
|Spa=Pieza Estrella<br>Pieza estrella <small>(''The Thousand-Year Door'' remake)</small>
|SpaM=Star Piece<br>Star piece
|Fre=Morceau d'étoile
|FreM=Star piece
|Ita=Pezzo di Stella<ref>''[[Paper Mario]]'' European manual, pag. 141</ref> <small>(''Paper Mario'')</small>
|Ita2=Scheggiastella <small>(''Paper Mario: Il Portale Millenario'')</small>
|ItaM=Star Piece
|Ita2M=Star-shard
|Jap=ほしのかけら
|JapR=Hoshi no Kakera
|JapM=Star Fragment
|Chi=星之碎片<ref>[http://tieba.baidu.com/photo/p?kw=ique&tid=3438595808&pic_id=bfa2532c11dfa9ec2f1e525561d0f703918fc135#!/pidcae5a0c27d1ed21b5dc236a7ae6eddc450da3fdd/pn1 iQue's ''Paper Mario'' instruction booklet, page 30]</ref>
|ChiR=Xīng zhī Suìpiàn
|ChiM=Star fragment
}}

==Trivia==
*At the end of ''[[Paper Mario]]'', when [[Mario]] is going to attend [[Princess Peach]]'s party, all of the facilities in [[Toad Town]] are closed, meaning the player may no longer acquire items from them. However, the Star Pieces in Toad Town are still available, meaning they are the only items Mario can collect at this time.

==References==
<references/>

{{Stars}}
{{PM items}}
{{PMTTYD}}
[[Category:Collectibles]]
[[Category:Paper Mario items]]
[[Category:Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door items]]
[[de:Sternsplitter]]
[[it:Scheggiastella]]