Fracktail
| Fracktail | |
|---|---|
 Artwork from Super Paper Mario | |
| Species | Dragon/Robot |
| First appearance | Super Paper Mario (2007) |
| Latest appearance | Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (trophy cameo) (2014) |
- “CTRL ALT DEL!”
- —Fracktail, Super Paper Mario
Fracktail is a giant robotic dragon that is the first world boss in the game Super Paper Mario, found in Yold Desert, at the end of Yold Ruins. It has spiral eyes and magenta skin, and it can burrow into the sand and go underground. It will surprise Mario and appear out of the ground, and then fly in the air. Fracktail slightly resembles a Chinese dragon, and looks similar to Hooktail from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. The repeating patterned segments of Fracktail's body, as well as its name are both references to a fractal, a geometric repetition of a pattern. It claims Mario has a Level 5 mustache.
History
Super Paper Mario
Fracktail was originally the robotic protector of the Pure Heart, who spent "thousands of years" (it is actually 1,500 years), protecting it from "lawless intruders." When it realizes that Mario is the hero meant to obtain the Pure Heart (after scanning his database, which made its eyes turn into the Internet connection symbol for the Wii Shop Channel), he was about to just let him pass. However, Count Bleck's minion, Dimentio blasts it with a spell, and causes it to short-circuit. Fracktail's system is corrupted and it starts speaking nonsense (for example, it says Mario's threat level is "jelly roll 1"), riffs on MS-DOS and Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me error messages, makes a reference to the The Legend of Zelda character Error (who stated "I AM ERROR"), and then yells "CTRL ALT DEL" (control, alt, delete). It then attacks Mario.
In order to defeat Fracktail, Mario must flip into 3D and then jump on top of its long back when the robot glides low. Fracktail will first fly into the background and circle around before digging, then flies to the right above the ground, and then flies low. The battle scene will then shift to the back of Fracktail's back as he flies. Players must then pick up a Frackle crawling around on its back using Thoreau and throw the Frackle at Fracktail's weak point which is its antenna. After taking three hits, Fracktail will perform an aerial loop. Mario must jump from the tail at the end of the loop back onto the head; failing to do so will result in falling to the ground and having to dodge Fracktail's attacks until the chance to jump onto its back arises again.
Fracktail must be hit in its antenna nine times, and upon being defeated, its personality briefly returns to normal. It apologizes for its error in attacking Mario and pleads that he save the world, and then it explodes.
Fracktail is depicted holding his Pure Heart on the walls of rooms 26-50 in the Flipside Pit of 100 Trials. At the bottom of the location is a stronger boss variation of Fracktail, named Wracktail.
Super Mario-kun
Fracktail appears in Super Mario-kun in the Super Paper Mario story arc in volume 37, having the same role as in the original game, though it takes a more organic appearance.
Fracktail presents itself as a "god" and Mario is initially scared, until it offers him the Pure Heart after it realizes Mario is the hero of the prophecy. Dimentio arrives and glitches Fracktail, causing it to mercilessly attack Mario. Mario tries everything (such as paper-izing himself and praying to it) but nothing works. After Fracktail destroys Peach's photo, Mario's precious possession, he attacks and defeats Fracktail. Dimentio, who was enjoying the battle, disappears, promising to return. Fracktail (who does not explode like in the game) un-glitches and gives the Pure Heart to Mario, unaware of what happened.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
There is a trophy of Fracktail in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Fracktail is the only boss from the Paper Mario series to have one, excluding Bowser.
Profiles and statistics
Super Paper Mario
| Super Paper Mario enemy | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fracktail | |||||||||
|
Max HP | ?? (9 hits) | Role | Boss | Location(s) | Yold Ruins (1-4) | |||
| Attack | 1 | Card type | Uncommon | ||||||
| Defense | 0 | Items | Card location(s) | Card Shop; Map 10 | |||||
| Score | 1000 | ||||||||
| Card description | Fracktail valiantly guarded the Pure Heart inside Yold Ruins. That is, until Dimentio fried his processor. | ||||||||
| List of Catch Cards 179 180 181 |
Tattle | That's Fracktail, the robotic guardian of the Pure Heart. It's quite enormous... Max HP is ??, Attack is 1. It can fly and swoop down with its big open mouth... But I think the antenna-like horn atop its head is its weak spot... I think you're going to need to use Thoreau to hit it... | |||||||
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
| Trophy Fracktail | ||
| ||
| Appears in: Wii Super Paper Mario | ||
| How to unlock: Random | ||
| A giant, red, robotic dragon built to be the protector of a Pure Heart. Fracktail has a long body with little arms and wings, and he shoots out of the ground into the air to attack Mario. The only way to beat him is to first jump on his back. You can then pick up the Frackles on his back and score damage by throwing them at his weak point--the yellow antenna orb. | ||
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
| Trophy Fracktail | ||
| ||
| Category: Series Related | ||
( ) Appears in:Wii Super Paper Mario (04/2007) | ||
| () Trophy Box: 13: Paper Mario
| ||
| How to unlock: Random | ||
| A guardian robot created by an ancient civilization. Realizing that Mario is the hero foretold in the prophecy, he tries to hand over the Pure Heart gracefully... until Dimentio casts a spell through the antenna on his head that sends his programming berserk. That's right—the antenna is Fracktail's weak point! (American English) | ||
| A guardian robot created by an ancient civilisation. Realising that Mario is the hero foretold in the prophecy, he tries to hand over the Pure Heart gracefully...until Dimentio casts a spell through the antenna on his head that sends his programming berserk. That's right – the antenna is Fracktail's weak point! (British English) | ||
Gallery
Super Paper Mario screenshot of the battle
Super Paper Mario graphic of Fracktail's mural in the Flipside Pit of 100 Trials
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ズンババ[?] Zunbaba |
Possibly from「ずんずん」(zunzun, Japanese onomatopoeia for something moving fast); likely following the format of「ゴンババ」(Gonbaba, Hooktail) | |
| French | Drakal[?] | Pun on "dragon" and "fractale" (fractal) | |
| German | Lohkost[?] | Portmanteau of "lohe" (blaze) and "kost" (food); also a pun on "rohkost" (raw vegetables) or "locust" | |
| Italian | Dracker[?] | Pun on "drago" (dragon) and "hacker" | |
| Korean | 진자잔[?] Jinjajan |
From "짜자잔" (Jjajajan, Blargg) | |
| Russian | Фрактиль[?] Fraktil |
English name adopted to Russian speech | |
| Spanish | Dracofrac[?] | "Draco", used to refer to dragons + fractal |
