Phanto

A Phanto.

Phantos are large, seemingly living or possessed masks that can often be found guarding various treasures, most often, keys.

Phantos appeared as semi-common enemies in Super Mario Bros. 2, often in caves or in vases. Phanto simply remain immobile unless the key they are guarding moves; once this happens, a Phanto will ceaselessly chase whoever stole it's key. Phantos cannot be avoided and can only be escaped from using the key it was guarding to unlock a door. Also, when the Phanto starts chasing you, you can drop the key for a while, what makes the Phanto go away. But when you grab the key again, Phanto will come back.

Appearances in Other Media

Phantos made few appearances in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!.

Trivia

• The name Phanto simply seems to be a shortened form of the word phantom, which is a type of ghost or specter.

• Phantos were originally half white and half red in color, though there most recent appearances, in Super Mario All-Stars and Super Mario Advance, show them as being brown.

• The name Phanto appears later in Super Paper Mario. In Chapter 6-3, the guardian of the 63rd gate is "Phanto Grin".