Daily Debate: Are Poes Better than Boos?
Posted on October 20 2023 by Alexis S. Anderson
When it comes to classic video game ghosties, Boos and Poes are top tier. But does King Boo sit on the throne as the more iconic of the two? Or will the Poe Sisters strike a pose in the winner’s circle? The two are similar in many ways, but how do they stack up when it comes to their roles in each series, their sheer style, and their cultural impact?
Series Significance
Boos seem to occupy a more significant role in their overall series than Poes. While both often appear in spooky in-game locations as low-level enemies, they also enter into the plot at times.
For Zelda, that would be in Ocarina of Time where the aforementioned Poe Sisters form a highly memorable part of the Forest Temple. Link can’t advance until he tracks down and defeats the sisters, culminating in a mini-boss battle with the purple Poe Sister, Meg. While this is, for me, the most noteworthy plot use of Poes in Zelda, they also appear in Twilight Princess’ Arbiter’s Grounds doing the same dastardly snatching of torch fires and again in Ocarina of Time as the Composer Brothers who teach Link the Sun’s Song. A Poe called the Phantom Guide also shows Link the way through the desert in Ocarina. Poes are bosses in several other Zelda games and spin-offs, too. 
Boos, on the other hand, are an even more common character and appear as a protagonist of sorts much more often than Poes do (typically in the Mario franchise’s party and sports games like Mario Kart, Mario Party, Mario Baseball, Mario Tennis, and so on). While Boos don’t appear until Super Mario Bros. 3, it’s worth noting that early Zelda games’ ghosts were primarily Ghinis, not Poes. So neither ghost can claim to be a day one. I must say Boos have more iconic music tied to them, as the Ghost House themes are fantastic (but plot-relevant, they are not). Rather, the most famous Boo out there has to be King Boo from the Luigi’s Mansion series– he pulls off the incredible feat of capturing Mario on more than one occasion. Boos also occupy a glorious role in both Super Mario 64’s Big Boo’s Haunt and Super Mario Sunshine’s (arguably) best level-set Sirena Beach. Boos additionally show up in the Paper Mario series and the lovely Lady Bow joins your party in the titular first title.
Perhaps Boos win just because of the staggering number of Mario-related games that exist in relation to Zelda’s more limited string of installments, but I have to give this one to the Boos.
Sinister Style
This is a tough call, and it can go either way depending on what standards I judge the spirits by. Cutest? Boos, probably– particularly when they get all bashful! But Poes in A Link Between Worlds or Tri Force Heroes are pretty adorable (I mean, just look at Prankster Poe). Also, come on, Tears of the Kingdom’s little blue teardrop Poes are my everything.
Scariest? Hands down Poes. They are so gritty in Ocarina of Time, and that gets ratcheted up a bunch of notches in Hyrule Warriors (those are the wickedest looking Poes in history, I am straight up obsessed with their design). And that’s without even mentioning the Poes and Imp Poes from Twilight Princess, those ghouls are burned into my brain. But Boos haven’t always been cuddly, they look demonic in Mario Tennis 64 and are rather unnerving in Super Mario Sunshine.
All in all, I have to award the style points to the Poes not only do they have some of the scariest designs, but there is a ton of variety whereas Boos tend to conform to one particular look. You can stick your tongue out all you want Boo, but your cuteness won’t win you this round.
Societal Significance
There is no question that Mario’s Boos have had more of a cultural impact than Zelda’s Poes. There is a fair chance that people who haven’t played more than one Zelda game won’t know that most ghosts in the franchise are called Poes let alone be able to identify them as from Zelda if presented with pictures. Boos, on the other hand, are almost as ubiquitous as Yoshi or Shy Guys– helped to a healthy degree by their inclusion in the party-style Mario games that even casual gamers engage with.
Judging by these three categories alone, Boos take the crown. And not for nothing, but the fact that Boos hide when looked at in many Mario games is a charming mechanic that should not be overlooked. Boos transcend traditional ghost-fare by providing scares and smiles (ahhs! and awws). But Poes are magnificent, too. They help add a chilling sensation that makes the creepier parts of Zelda games really stand out, and I always look forward to seeing how they’ll manifest in any new Zelda game.
Where do you stand, do you think Poes are superior to Boos? Is there a ghost in another game franchise that blows them both out of the supernatural water? Let us know in the comments!
Alexis S. Anderson is a Senior Editor at Zelda Dungeon who joined the writing team in November, 2014. She has a JD from the UCLA School of Law and is pursuing a career in Entertainment and Intellectual Property Law. She grew up in the New Jersey suburbs with her parents, twin brother, and family shih-tzu.
