A Thwomp is an enemy in most Mario games. It floats in the air, and after a while, it crashes into the ground, squashing anything below it. In Mario Kart, it does the same to squish or stop racers. It is stone, and when it frowns, it comes down.
Thwomps always appear in Bowser's Castle. In one instance, they appeared on Rainbow Road.
Super Mario Kart
Super Mario Kart Thwomps.
Thwomps appeared in each Bowser Castle track. These Thwomps are the first to not feature spikes. They became "active" on the second lap. Blinking Thwomps appeared on Rainbow Road. These unique Thwomps caused racers to spin out on contact, as if they are using a star.
Mario Kart 64
The row of 3 Thwomps in the Mario Kart 64 version of Bowser's Castle.
These Thwomps were based on their appearances in Super Mario 64, and were only seen in one course, being Bowser's Castle. The Thwomps are blue instead of the usual gray that came in later Mario games. They could make racers going at a high enough speed spin out.
Mario Kart: Super Circuit
Yoshi is squished by a Thwomp in Mario Kart: Super Circuit.
The Thwomps in this game behaved similarly to the way they did in Super Mario Kart. They appear in all four Bowser Castle tracks.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Thwomps appear in Bowser's Castle. They are much bigger than their previous incarnations. These become standard in the following games.
Mario Kart DS
Thwomps appear in Bowser's Castle and the GBA version of Bowser Castle 2.
Mario Kart Wii
Three Thwomps from Mario Kart Wii's Bowser's Castle.
Thwomps appear in Bowser's Castle, the N64 version of Bowser's Castle (Marty is no longer green), and the GBA version of Bowser Castle 3. A giant one appears at Thwomp Desert along with some regular ones who are buried in the sand.
Mario Kart 7
Thwomps return in Mario Kart 7, in both the new Bowser's Castle and GBA Bowser Castle 1.
Mario Kart 8
Thwomps reappear in Mario Kart 8 in the course Thwomp Ruins. However, they do not appear in the new Bowser's Castle, which is a first in the series.
A panorama of Thwomp Ruins.