Ghosts are part of the Mario universe, no doubt about that. But there’s one ghost in Super Mario 3D Land that is unlike any other ghost. And because it is easy to miss, most players have no idea it’s even there.
As explained in a recent video from YouTuber, SwankyBox, this spooky spirit looks like a human, only appears in certain levels and it seems to be following Mario on his journey throughout the game.
This strange ghost is first spotted in World 4-4 of Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS. But the only way to see this ghost is to reach the end of the level and then wait for it to slowly appear behind a fence in the woods in the background of the level. Why is this ghost here? Nobody knows. Another good question is why does this ghost even exist? SwankyBox thinks it might be a reference to the famous painting The Scream. Others have theories it is related to creepy figures spotted in Mario Galaxy. But nobody knows for sure and Nintendo ain’t saying.
While this ghost has become a somewhat well-known secret of World 4-4, not as many people are aware that this ghost actually follows Mario throughout the game, appearing in other spooky levels, usually at the end. Though he can be found at the start of one level, barely visible outside a window.
Just add this creepy bastard to the list of other weird and scary things that exist in Mario games for some reason. Stuff like that damn eel and that deadly piano.