Bob-omb

When grabbed and thrown at an enemy, this item explodes, but if left alone, it will start walking around until its timer reaches zero... Bob-ombs (, Bomb Trooper) are enemies from the  series.

Origin
Bob-ombs made their debut in the Japan-only game  (repurposed as Super Mario Bros. 2 for international markets) as a common enemy, and have become a common enemy in later Mario games. They are bomb-like enemies with simple eyes that feature two little legs and a wind-up key on the back. Recurring members of the Bob-omb species are, monarch and leader of the Bob-ombs, and , magenta-colored passive Bob-ombs friendly to Mario.

Bob-ombs simply walk around aimlessly and explode after a short time. Jumping on one (except in Super Mario Bros. 2) causes it to become immobile, but it will also cause it to explode after a short time. In later Mario games, jumping on one can cause it to remain stationary without exploding. If they are left alone for too long, however, they will become mobile again. In either case, an immobile Bob-ombs can be picked up and thrown, defeating enemies and destroying blocks with its explosion, which can also damage the player. If it is not thrown quickly enough, the Bob-omb explodes on its own, also damaging its holder.

In , Bob-ombs react to Mario if he comes close enough to them by igniting themselves and chasing after him. They can also be grabbed, and when thrown they explode immediately upon coming into contact with anything.

As an item
Bob-ombs debuted as an exploding/throwing/living item in Super Smash Bros.

Bob-ombs can be picked up by any player and subsequently thrown at opponents. Being an explosive, the item can easily inflict large damage and knockback to other players, but it can also potentially harm the attacker. Bob-ombs also explode if they are simply hit by an attack.

When a Bob-omb is held by a player for a while, it will begin flashing red, and shortly after will automatically explode in the holder's hands. While it is flashing red to signify its imminent detonation, it will be more powerful than usual, but it is also close to exploding, making for a risk-reward scenario. A held Bob-omb can also be detonated in the holder's hands if they are attacked and the attack hits the Bob-omb.

If a Bob-omb is not picked up, after a while, it will stand up and begin to walk back and forth on the platform it spawned on, turning around at edges. In this state, it will explode if it walks into a player. In Super Smash Bros. 4, it is possible to pick up the item after it starts walking. If it has not exploded after a brief period of walking, it will stand still while flashing red, and then explode, causing damage and knockback to anyone nearby. In SSB4, if a Bob-omb is close to any fighters, it will walk towards them when it starts moving, making it more dangerous than in previous games.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Bob-ombs will meteor smash opponents when thrown downward. Otherwise, the knockback is diagonally upward as with previous installments. In addition, Bob-omb explosions will no longer harm the user. Much like Gooey Bomb before it explodes, characters will have a surprised look if Bob-omb is about to explode near them.

The Bob-omb is also one of the various unusual items Peach can pluck via her Vegetable special move. The chance of her plucking a Bob-omb is approximately 1/232 (0.43%), but in all games she has appeared in, it can potentially act as her most powerful attack.

In Sudden Death
From Melee onwards, if a Sudden Death match lasts for too long and a winner hasn't been announced, Bob-ombs will begin to fall from above the stage, instantly exploding upon striking players or the stage. They are intended to end a match more quickly, but can still be grabbed in midair. These Bob-ombs can be avoided by camping in certain places on some stages, but on most stages there is no completely safe position that can be occupied indefinitely. They can also be avoided by stalling on edges, but this also cannot be done indefinitely except through planking. They cannot be absorbed or reflected.

The falling Bob-ombs do not appear in Super Sudden Death.

In Smash Tour
The Bob-omb appears as a red trophy item. When used, the player will start the battle holding a Bob-omb.

In World of Light
In the vertically scrolling first phase of the of World of Light, 18 Bob-omb items, which activate and begin walking almost immediately upon appearing, are placed as obstacles during the ascent.

In Super Smash Bros. 4
The Bob-omb trophy appears in both versions. In it is part of the Super Mario Bros. 2 & 3.

Spirits
The Bob-omb appears in Ultimate as an Advanced-class support spirit.

The Bob-omb Spirit Battle uses a puppet fighter and is fought on the  stage. During the battle, the Bob-omb appears as the item while Kirby's throwing-type items have increased power. Also, Kirby has increased move speed, referencing how the Bob-ombs will run at the player in later Super Mario games.

In addition to the above, equipping the Linde, Paz Ortega Andrade, Bomb Man, or Risky Boots support spirits will give the player a Bob-omb at a start of their stock.

Trivia

 * Bob-ombs also appear as enemies in several games of series, where Toon Link could use them to destroy obstacles and other enemies prior to his appearance in Brawl.
 * The noise Bob-ombs make when they wander in Melee onward resembles the noise Green and Red Shells made in Super Smash Bros..
 * In Super Smash Bros., using 's Reflector on a walking Bob-omb will make it one-hit KO him. Alongside the Home-Run Bat, it is the only item in the game which can perform a one-hit KO.
 * In Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, a walking Bob-omb can be reflected. This Bob-omb will not explode upon contact with the owner of the reflector until it turns around, but will still explode for teammates.
 * In, CPUs will have odd behavior when they happen to hold a Bob-omb; they may either throw it as soon as they pick it up (which is dangerous) or go to a random location and never throw the Bob-omb, most likely leading to their death. This erratic behavior also happens in Training Mode with CPUs that are not in "Attack" mode.