The Dark Swordfighter & the Arena

Level
The Dark Swordfighter & the Arena
World	BF
Game	Princess Peach: Showtime!
Primary power-up	Swordfighter Peach
Boss	Dark Swordfighter
Music track	Into The Darkness
Music sample
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The Dark Swordfighter & the Arena is a stage in Princess Peach: Showtime!, located downstairs of the BF to the far-left. After completing The Ghostly Castle, the game will automatically lead the player to this level and have to complete this level to continue progressing the stages in 2F. The Swordfighter Sparkla is trapped in this stage.

Although Peach can select "Leave Play" to get out of the stage, Stella will refuse to let Peach leave BF if she tries walking up to 1F again until the level has been completed.

Layout

Swordfighter Peach arriving at the stage

The stage opens at a dark medieval set. There is a set of jar on the table including Sour Bunch enemies that Swordfighter Peach must defeat. Peach can choose to break the jars to pose at a hidden spotlight leading to a sub-area where Peach must defeat all enemies to obtain a Sparkle Gem. After passing the table, Peach will hear a voice calling for help and a bunch of enemies show up. Continuing east, Peach must defeat all the enemies to continue. Peach will see an entrance to The Arena up ahead, but can choose to go right to break jars to free the Ribboner who gives a Stella ribbon.

Swordfighter Peach versus Dark Swordfighter

Entering The Arena, Peach and Stella will find the Swordfighter Sparkla who questions who Peach is in the outfit while recognizing Stella. Before she warns Peach and Stella about the place, the two stairs disappear and the Dark Swordfighter shows up and starts the battle against Swordfighter Peach. In the first phase, the Dark Swordfighter will approach Peach and swing his sword. Peach can dodge his attack and will automatically stomp on him, putting him in a stunned state. Peach must take this opportunity to hit him repeatedly, resulting him to smash against the wall, then sliding down the wall. In the second phase, he will use his sword to stab the floor, causing a wave that Peach must dodge. In the final phase, he will also prepare to ram into Peach with his sword, which can be indicated with the purple mist on the floor; Peach can evade his attack repeatedly. At some point, he will perform a surprise attack depending on where he rammed from (if he rammed from the left, he will disappear then appear quickly to the right to ram into Peach, vice versa); Peach can dodge the attack and she will stomp on him, allowing her to defeat him. Upon his defeat, he will slide from the wall, falling off-screen. The stairs reappear, the Swordfighter Sparkla is free and the Sparkle Gem is obtained.

Swordfighter Peach and Swordfighter Sparkla defeated the Dark Swordfighter.

She thanks Peach for the save and tells her they should escape, but was able to read the Dark Swordfighter was attempting to launch a surprise attack to Peach. Blocking the attack, Peach must take the opportunity to perform the finishing blow against the Dark Swordfighter completing the level.

Sparkle Gems

Sparkle Gems marked with an asterisk ⁽*⁾ will always be obtained during regular gameplay.

Image	Location
	Break the jars on the table and pose under a hidden spotlight to enter a sub-area. Defeat all enemies.
	After passing the table, break the jars and jump over to the other side to get the Sparkle Gem.
	Defeat the enemies to progress to The Arena.*
	Before heading to The Arena, break the jar on the right.
	Defeat the Dark Swordfighter.*

Stella ribbon

Ribboner's location

Multicolored Swordfighter Ribbon: After seeing the staircase leading to the entrance of The Arena, break the jars on the right to find Ribboner. It is not sufficient for Peach to simply jump over the jars to reach him, as the two jars next to him must be broken for him to consider himself rescued, at which point he will award the ribbon.

• Help request: "I'm stuck back here..."
• Rescue message: "And now I'm unstuck!"

Postgame hidden Theet

The stage has one Ninja Theet when it is played in the postgame:

• At the beginning of the stage, next to the table near the sub-area where the first Sparkle Gem would be obtained.

Gallery

• 

  Entrance to The Arena

• 

  The stage's album picture

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ヤミの剣士けんしと闘とう技ぎじ場ょう[?] Yami no Kenshi to Tōgi-jō	The Dark Swordfighter and the Arena
Chinese (simplified)	黑暗的剑士与竞技场[?] Hēi'àn De Jiànshì Yǔ Jìngjì Chǎng	Dark Swordsman and Arena
Chinese (traditional)	黑暗的劍士與競技場[?] Hēi'àn De Jiànshì Yǔ Jìngjì Chǎng	Dark Swordsman and Arena
Dutch	De duistere zwaardvechter[?]	The dark swordfighter
French	L'épéiste sombre et son arène[?]	The dark swordfighter and his arena
German	Die Arena des dunklen Fechters[?]	The Arena of the dark Swordsman
Italian	Lo spadaccino oscuro e l'arena[?]	The Dark Swordsman and the Arena
Korean	어둠의 검사와 투기장[?] Eodum'ui geomsawa tugijang	Dark Swordsman and Arena
Portuguese	O Espadachim Sombrio e a Arena[?]	The Dark Swordsman and the Arena
Russian	Арена фехтобальщика мрака[?] Arena fekhtobalshzhikah mraka	The arena of the dark swordsman
Spanish	Duelo de espadas y malguria[?]	Duel of swords and darkle