HEADCANONS AND SPECULATION

    How Fawfulization could work:

    Parasites:

  • Fawful could have engineered parasites that fawfulize their host. I had gotten this idea from how Chain Chawfuls appear to be Chain Chomps parasitized by fawfulized Sworms. Chain Chawfuls are the only fawfulized minions with a visible parasite as well as the only ones that are able to be un-fawfulized (by physically removing the parasite). In this concept, Chain Chawfuls would be one of the earlier forms of fawfulized minion, where the parasites would later be refined to be much smaller, body-altering, and more difficult to remove.

    • Some illustrations of a theoretical invention that would transfer a parasite into a host:

    Sprayed minions vs. Theater minions vs. Fawfulized minions

  • Sprayed minions are the only minions with their method of being brainwashed known (a gas invented by Fawful that he sprays via his headgear). They are hostile towards Bowser's forces until defeated, in which they are knocked out of their trance. It appears that the more devout someone already is to something, the less effective the spray will be.
    • In Bowser Jr.'s Journey, minions that behave like sprayed minions also appear, though he is not shown using the brainwashing gas in this game at any point.
  • Theater minions are the only ones that are completely passive, even to would-be threats like Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and Bowser Jr.. They all praise Fawful, and seem to have a very hazy memory of life before living in Fawful Theater. A couple of them are partially be able to question his greatness and control, implying some amount of free will.

      • Scenario 1 (Before the Fawful Show)

    • "WELLCOOOOME!" / "A guest arriiiives!" / "Pleeease wait in the lobby!" (Greeter Goombas) Probably coincidence but it resembles how Fawful will rarely extends words for emphasis (seen across localizations too)
    • "No matter how many times I see Lord Fawful's show, I'm amazed! Each time, I'm like, "WOW!"" (Boo near the entrance) Fawful has already done multiple shows before Bowser arrived.
    • "Got any Fawful Cards? Aw, weak, dude, you don't? Sooooo VERY LAME!" / "You know you can trade 10 rare cards for an Ultra Super Premium card, right?" (Dry Bones near entrance) Fawful's merchandise has a trade market (at least amongst the theater people). Also shares extending words for emphasis.
    • ""Now accepting applications for the Fawful Fan Club"! Man, I HAVE to get in!" / "Where's the sign-in desk? Hey, are you the recruiter?! ...No? DARN IT ALL!" (Koopa Troopa near entrance) Speaks erratically in the second line. Note how almost every minion so far will capitalize or extend a word / phrase for emphasis.
    • "I've been camped out at the front of the line for 10 days now--for Lord Fawful's show!" / "I'm totally starving! Seriously. I mean, just look at me! I'm down to bones over here!" (Dry Bones in line) Unless there is some sort of false memory involved in Fawful's brainwashing, Bowser's Castle had been hijacked for at least 10 days. Also demonstrates a sense of humor.
    • "Oh boy, I wonder what performance Lord Fawful will give tonight." / "Yaaah! Yaaaaaaaah! I wanna see it now! Right now! Right now!" (Koopa in line) Erratic speech that shows a lot of excitement.
    • "So Lord Fawful is making Peach's Castle his own!" / "And he decided to make this dirty old castle a theater!" (Boo in middle of lobby) They get news about what Fawful is planning in some manner. They are also aware that this castle did not originally belong to Fawful, though (via a different line) do not know the previous owner.
    • "It's a heavy job, conquering the Mushroom Kingdom. I mean, Lord Fawful has his work cut out." / "He's stressed, we're stressed... That's why you've gotta have a stress-release show, right?" / "You agree, right? I mean, right? You're loving the shows, right?" (Koopa on left side of the lobby) Erratic speech. The theater minions, despite their excited manner of speaking, are under some form of stress (at least this one). The last sentence implies some kind of insecurity in the enjoyment of Fawful's shows.

      • Summary

    • The theater people tend to frequently capitalize and extend words for emphasis.

  • Fawfulized minions are the most ambiguous of the groups. Some have willingly defected to Fawful's side (most Fawful Guys), though most of them appear to have been altered unwillingly (Chain Chawfuls being a key example). Some are adopted / hired by Broque Madame (in which they defend her in the Bowser Jr.'s Journey sidemode), which implies they are open to working for people outside of Fawful and his allies.
    • Fawfulized minions are made up of willing defectors that chose to dress like Fawful (most Fawful Guys), machines that have been tampered with (the Sea Pipe Statue, Super Peach's Castle of Fury, and possibly the Tower of Yikk), and creatures that have been (most likely) forcibly altered to resemble Fawful (Chain Chawfuls, Crawfuls, Fawflants, Fawfloppers, Mawful Moles, etc.).

    • Despite all that I've said I think it's important to point out that we don't actually have proof that the rest of the fawfulized creatures have been forcefully altered. It may be possible that all of these creatures have been bribed with money or some type of benefits because Fawful does use such a technique on many of Bowser's minions. Though it may sound unlikely that ants, grasshoppers, and crocodiles could be bribed, a lot of species in the Mario universe have intelligence comparable to humans.

    • However, I think it is most likely that the majority of them were not willing defectors, because they not only copy Fawful's appearance, but also his mannerisms (and some physical changes do not appear as simple as a change of outfit).

    • Fawfulized species tend to work in pairs or trios, with some of them even attacking together (Fawflants) and healing eachother (Magifoofa). This leads me to think they search for teammates soon after they have been fawfulized for both higher chance of victory in battle and a desire for socialization.

    M&L:BIS General (but mostly Fawful-centric) Headcanons:

    These are a lot more speculatory / not based on anything substantial that happens in the game but shouldn't conflict with what information we're already given throughout the series.

    Before the events of M&L:BIS:

  • Fawful gave out lucky card sets to various merchants assuming that they would understand the cards with his face represent the highest value. Instead, they found his face repulsive and made it the losing card :( .
  • Chuboombas were bribed to join Fawful via giant lollipops he created (only basis is that Cavi Cape is described in the Prima guide as being inhabited by "Fawful's monsters").
  • Borps, Treevils, Beehoss, and other plant-based enemies were brought into unrest by some unseen influence. It's hard to say that it was due to Fawful because his actions don't seem like they'd summon this, but these creatures are hostile far before the Dark Star's unsealing. (Based on the Treevil's side mode bio: "Trees that lived for hundreds of years before they became monstrous")
    • Could be tied to how Fawful's able to grow Piranha Plants to monsterous sizes though
    • On the same topic it's funny to imagine Fawful getting someone to plant / he himself planting the palm trees that suddenly grow and trap Bowser once the Sea Pipe Statue starts spouting water again.

    During M&L:BIS:

    Fawfulized minion stuff:

  • Fawfulized minions get headaches at the thought of enacting any treason towards Fawful. Conversely, thinking of helping him achieve his goals excites them.
  • Creatures are fawfulized via an invention of Fawful's. Once afflicted, the creature digs underground (or tries to find any spot underneath something in a hurry) and soon after emerges as Fawful-like, parasitized beings (more info about this specific HC at the top of this page).
  • Soon after this, they seek out a teammate (as fawfulized enemies usually work in pairs, trios, etc). Teamwork is an important value amongst several fawfulized minions (joining to attack at once (Fawflants and Snawfuls), healing eachother (Crawfuls and Magifoofas), and protecting others (Crawfuls)).
  • That said, individual minions also inherent varying amounts of their Lord's traits / tendencies / mannerisms. Considering how Fawful himself does not like being ordered and led by others, the traits they take aren't always compatible with the behavior Fawful wants out of them.
  • Fawfulized minions have no recollection of their host's memories, but may have dreams involving these memories.
  • Reversing fawfulization is an endeavor (unless it's a Chain Chawful, but even then the Sworm is fawfulized). Only someone skilled in the medical profession like Dr. Toadley or a determined mad scientist may be able to do it successfully.
  • Fawfulized minions have some extent of resistance against other sources / forms of brainwashing because they already have a form of brainwashing physically implanted into them (however they're still vulnerable to losing control by stuff like Malatone).
  • Mawful Mole / Metal Mawful Moles' heads are completely bald. Their skin is green/metal.