Chain Chomp

Chain Chomp is a species in the Mario franchise. It is a recurring element of Bowser's army, being a metal ball with eyes and a toothy mouth attached to something by a chain typically. It first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3, and has appeared in multiple games since, including Super Mario 64, Super Mario Odyssey, the Paper Mario series, the Mario Kart series, and Mario Tennis Aces, the latter as a playable character. It has also appeared multiple times in The Legend of Zelda series, most notably in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening where it aides protagonist Link by eating enemies.

Chain Chomp is an animate black metal ball typically chained to an object. The Chain Chomp was based on an experience Miyamoto had as a child being chased by a dog who was stopped by its chain leash. It has received generally positive reception, identified as a particularly frightening enemy in the Mario series. Its appearance in Link's Awakening was also treated as significant by multiple critics.