Do you remember the large sword that caused all this kerfuffle at the beginning of the game? Well, now you will finally be fighting it as the last boss of Bowser’s Keep. Exor is its name, and it’s here to stop you from getting the last star piece. Like most bosses in Super Mario RPG, Exor isn’t particularly tough, but before you can damage it, you’ll need to take away its eyes (go for the eyes, boo!). This boss has four different parts to attack, the left eye, the right eye, the mouth, and finally, Exor itself. Each of these parts has its function such as the mouth, which casts special attacks on the party while the eyes protect Exor from any harm. Read on to find out exactly how you can defeat Exor, and what is the best way to do so.

Best Party for Exor¶

Mario and Bowser will be your main damage dealers in this battle, while Peach will keep the party healthy. Exor has a lot of attacks that hit the whole party, so Peach should be casting Group Hug almost every other round. For your equipment, equip Peach with the Safety Badge to avoid her getting statuses on her, and equip Mario with the Lazy Shell (Armor) for the same reasons while also equipping him with the Attack Scarf. With Bowser, equip the Safety Ring, or Jinx Belt.

How to Defeat Exor in Bowser’s Keep¶

After defeating Boomer, you will ride the chandelier up to the top of Bowser’s Keep, where you will immediately encounter Exor, who is the last boss of Bowser’s Keep.

Exor¶

Eyes¶

Mouth¶

Although most bosses aren’t much of a challenge, you will have to do things in a specific order if you want to deal any damage to Exor due to its eyes protecting the main boss, Exor from taking any damage. Due to this inconvenient problem, focus your attacks on one eye until it becomes dazed (the eye will have a swirling animation), and then attack the opposite eye. Now, you can defeat Exor by just using a regular attack, but this will prolong the fight. However, if you use Mario’s Ultra Jump, and get to at least 10-15 jumps, you will take the mouth, and/or the eyes in one fell swoop. If they survive the jumps, finish them off with regular attacks. When both eyes are dazed, Exor will be vulnerable to attacks. At this point, use your highest damage attacks such as Psych Bomb, Ultra Jump/Fireball, Crusher, and Triple Moves. This will not defeat Exor, so you will need to keep up this song and dance until you can do it again. While you’re dealing with the eyes, use Peach now and then to keep the party’s HP up by casting Group Hug. By the second barrage of attacks, Exor will fall, but not before sucking you into its mouth. This will take you to Weapon World.

Exor Attack List¶

Here is a list of all the attacks that Exor has at its disposal. Most of these attacks can’t be blocked, they inflict statuses and hit all the party, with a few exceptions.

Scarecrow Bell¶

A single-target attack that will inflict the scarecrow status. Exor will drop a large bell above the target, which drops musical notes on their head. The action prompt will not appear as this attack cannot be blocked.

Bolt¶

A single-target attack that will deal minor damage. Exor will fire a bolt of lightning from the sky at one party member. The action prompt will appear just before the bolt itself appears. This attack comes at you quickly, so make sure you’re ready for it.

Venom Drool¶

A single-target attack that will poison the target. Exor will spit out a small purple pool of saliva at a party member. The action prompt will not appear as this attack cannot be blocked.

Blast¶

A single-target special that deals minor damage. Unlike with other enemies who use this attack, there is no animation beforehand, instead, the spell will just land on you. The action prompt will appear toward the end of the animation, just as the visual effect begins to dissipate.

Dark Star¶

A single-target special that deals moderate damage. Exor will drop a large black star at one party member which will bounce on them three times. The action prompt will appear just before the third jump is about to hit.

Flare¶

An area-of-effect attack that deals moderate damage to the party. Exor will drop a large orb of fire which will unleash three waves of flames across the battlefield. The action prompt will not appear as this attack cannot be blocked.

Water Blast¶

An area-of-effect attack that deals moderate damage to the party. Exor will unleash a torrent of water that will rise from the ground underneath the party. The action prompt will not appear as this attack cannot be blocked.

Aurora Flash¶

An area-of-effect attack that deals moderate damage to the party while also inflicting sleep. Exor will unleash waves of light in different hues before beams of light come crashing down upon the party. The action prompt will not appear as this attack cannot be blocked.

Static Electricity¶

An area-of-effect attack that deals moderate damage to the party. Exor will unleash a torrent of water that will rise from the ground underneath the party. The action prompt will not appear as this attack cannot be blocked.

Flame Wall¶

An area-of-effect attack that deals minor damage to the party. Exor will unleash a wall of flames at the feet of the party. The action prompt will not appear as this attack cannot be blocked.

Fire Saber¶

A single-target attack that will deal moderate damage. Exor will conjure a purple beam from its eye, before waving the beam around three times before swiping downwards toward you. The action prompt will come after the third wave of the beam, but this comes at you quickly, so you’ll need to react accordingly. Use the audio instead for the timings. It will make three distinct sounds before the beam comes at you; press the button just after the third sound.

Static Electricity¶

An area-of-effect attack that deals minor to moderate damage to the whole party. Exor will cover the screen with bolts of electricity. The action prompt will not appear as this attack cannot be blocked.

Solidify¶

An area-of-effect attack that deals moderate damage to the party. Exor will conjure up pillars of ice that appear underneath the party. The action prompt will not appear as this attack cannot be blocked.

Final Exor Tips¶

Exor can be troublesome if you don’t find a way to keep up with the damage from all the area-of-effect attacks it uses. That’s why Peach is a must for this battle, as she can cast Group Hug that will not only heal the party up to full, but it can also remove status effects. This is the reason it is imperative that Peach resists the status effects that Exor can inflict, particularly Sleep. Finally, as Bowser’s special attacks aren’t particularly good for this battle, boost his attacks up with Geno’s, Geno Boost skill, and then just use regular attacks as this will deal significantly more damage in the long run.

More Mario Guides¶

As you’re getting near the end of the game, you may want to finish up some minigames, get some equipment you may have missed, or prepare for the post-game challenges. If so, click on the links below to help you.

• All Minigame Walkthroughs
• Peach’s Best Weapon Guide
• Mario’s Best Weapon Guide
• Culex Secret Boss Guide (Main Game)
• Post-Game Boss Rematch Guides