Knife Guy and Grate Guy Booster's Tower Boss Guide

Learn the best strategies to defeat Knife Guy and Grate Guy in Super Mario RPG (2023). Exploit their weaknesses and manage their combined attacks to win!

Alright, so you've reached Booster Tower and you're about to face Knife Guy and Grate Guy. These two are your first real tag-team boss fight, and while they might not hit as hard individually as some others, they can really mess with you by inflicting Sleep and Mute. Plus, with two of them attacking, things can get hectic fast! Don't worry though, they both have elemental weaknesses that make them way easier to handle, especially if you bring Mario and Mallow along. They're hanging out on the balcony where Peach is being held, so get ready!

Stats / Weaknesses:

• Knife Guy: HP 700. Weak to Fire, Fear, Poison, Mute. Resists Lightning, Sleep.
• Grate Guy: HP 900. Weak to Lightning, Fear, Poison, Mute. Resists Fire, Sleep.

Phases:

1. Phase 1: Separate Foes
   Initially, Knife Guy and Grate Guy will attack independently. Knife Guy mostly uses physical attacks like Knife Juggle and Knife Throw. Grate Guy is the one you need to watch out for more, as he uses abilities like Echofinder (which can Mute you) and Sleep Bubble (which can put you to Sleep). If either of them lands these debuffs, especially Mute, it can really throw off your strategy and make you rely on items.
2. Phase 2: Combined Assault
   When they team up, Knife Guy rides on Grate Guy's shoulders, and they unleash much more dangerous magical attacks. Knife Guy will use Crystal (moderate single-target damage) and Blizzard (light party damage). Grate Guy will use Meteor Blast (moderate party damage). They hit a lot harder when combined, but thankfully, they stop using debuffs during this phase.

Strategy:

• Focus Fire on Knife Guy First: Knife Guy is weak to Fire. Mario's Super Fireball special is perfect here! If you land a 'Good' or 'Excellent' timing on it, you can deal a massive 300-400 damage. It costs 9 TP, but two well-timed Super Fireballs can take Knife Guy out completely. This is crucial because it prevents them from combining their attacks.
• Exploit Grate Guy's Weakness: Once Knife Guy is down, Grate Guy is all you have to deal with. He's weak to Lightning. While Mallow's Thunderbolt might seem like a good idea, Knife Guy resisted it, so it's not the most efficient. However, Mallow's Shocker attack is fantastic against Grate Guy. A perfect Shocker can deal over 200 damage.
• Physical Attacks are Key: Don't forget about your regular physical attacks! With Mario and a third party member (like Geno or Bowser, if you have them) landing melee hits alongside Mallow's Shocker, Grate Guy won't last long.
• Manage Debuffs: If Grate Guy manages to Mute or Sleep one of your characters before you defeat Knife Guy, try to use items like Honey Jars or Jump Shoes to cure them if possible, or just focus on taking down Knife Guy quickly to end the threat of debuffs.
• Go All-In on Offense: The main takeaway here is to be aggressive. By focusing your attacks and exploiting their weaknesses, you can end this fight relatively quickly and avoid getting overwhelmed by their combined assaults or debuffs.

After you defeat this duo, you'll earn 90 XP (split between your party), 25 Coins, and a Flower Jar. You'll then proceed to Booster Hill for the minigame, and eventually find yourself in Marrymore.