Which Super Mario Bros. 3 suit lets Mario briefly turn into a statue?

The Tanooki Suit lets Mario briefly turn into a statue in Super Mario Bros. 3.

The suit is one of the game’s signature power-ups, alongside the Super Leaf, Frog Suit, and Hammer Suit. It gives Mario the ability to fly for a limited time, but its special defensive trick is activated by pressing down while airborne. Mario becomes Statue Mario, temporarily avoiding enemies and hazards.

The suit’s design draws on the tanuki, a Japanese raccoon dog associated in folklore with transformation and magical abilities. That cultural reference is why the costume has ears, a tail, and a distinctly animal-like appearance. The Super Leaf provides a raccoon-like form, but it does not grant the statue transformation, making the two items a common source of confusion.

The statue move is more than a defensive gimmick: if Mario changes form while jumping over an enemy, he can pound the ground and defeat enemies directly beneath him. This is often regarded as the earliest appearance of Mario’s now-familiar ground-pound mechanic. The Tanooki Suit later returned in several Mario games, although its powers and controls vary by title.