Defeat Hooktail in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

AntMag.NET

Alright, after that little speech from the bad guys, we need to backtrack a bit. Head back to that room with the grates we passed earlier.

Once you're there, go into Paper Mode and slide through the grate. Keep an eye out for a red music note – slide through that grate to snag the Attack FX R badge. This is super important because it's Hooktail's weakness, and the best part? It doesn't cost any BP to use! Once you've got it, head left to exit the room.

In the next room, hit that Save Block again. Then, just keep heading left until you reach the area where you fought those Red Bones. Look for a grate that only has vertical bars and slide through it. Go left from there to find a Star Piece, and then head right to grab the Castle Key you'll need. After that, make your way back to the room with the green block.

In that room, go up the stairs. When you're next to the green switch, face left. Hold down the X button, get onto the green block, and then release X. It'll lift you up! Now, climb the stairs and use your Castle Key on the locked door. Head on through.

You'll find a Heal Block here, so top yourselves off. Then, head left. Hit the first switch you see and cross the gap. Now, hit the second block with Koops' help and head left again. You'll come to a third gap, but this time there's no switch. Instead, jump through the window. Head right for another Star Piece, then go left and through a different window. Finally, go through the door.

This next room has a few battles with Dull Bones. You can fight them or just ignore them and head up the steps. Find the green switch, face left (or right, doesn't matter), hold X, get on the green block, and release X to rise up. Up here, you'll face a Dull Bones and a Paragoomba. Again, fight or flee. Now, get next to the left door, but hold off on opening it! Jump away from the camera when you're right next to the door. This will drop you down, and you can grab a Life Shroom. Now, repeat the process to get back up and enter that left door.

This looks like the storage room. You'll see some chests and a mouse who introduces herself as Ms. Mowz, a famous treasure hunter. She'll seem unimpressed by the Crystal Star, give Mario a kiss, and then leave. Open up the chests – you'll find a Mushroom, a Honey Syrup, and another Castle Key. Don't forget to hit the box with the Shine Sprite inside! Then, leave the room.

Head to the right side of the area and use your Castle Key on the door. Enter the room.

More battles await! Defeat the enemies, then head to the right side of the room. The door you need is on a ledge that looks impossible to reach. Hit the yellow switch to bring down a yellow block. While you're standing next to the switch, face left, hold X, hop onto the block, and release X. You'll be lifted up! Head left through the grate to find a plane panel. But before you use it, hop onto the other rafter and head all the way to the far right of the room for a Star Piece. Now, use the plane panel to fly to the right side of the room and enter the door.

In this area, you might want to grab a badge. If so, we'll need to take a small detour. Head down the stairs and hit the yellow switch, then ride the block down. Down there, you'll find the Last Stand P badge. If you decide to get it, you'll have to backtrack all the way up to the previous area. Either way, head back upstairs, hit the block with the Shine Sprite (that's three!), and unlock the door to exit.

You can barely see anything in this next area. There are some Paratroopas and a Spiky Goomba here, but you can handle them. After climbing the spiral staircase, heal up and Save your game. Make sure you have the Attack FX R badge equipped, along with Power Jump and/or Power Smash. If you can, equip Power Bounce too. Once you're prepped, enter the door.

As you enter, the view will shift to reveal a massive dragon. After it decides whether to eat you, your first real boss fight begins!