With the Tide: The Swashbuckling Shark
Name: Captain Fishhook
Nickname: Cap'n, The Shark Scourge
Occupation: Privateer (in life), restaurant mascot (as a ghost)
Born: c. 1640, off the coast of present-day Maine
Died: c. 1705
Spouse: None
Children: None
Favorite food: Seaweed, fish and chips
Hobbies: Telling ghost stories
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"Belay there! Have you come to Parlay with Captain Fishhook? Then state your business!"
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Captain Fishhook is commonly described as a pirate shark, but he wasn't actually a pirate. Born around 1640 in the waters near present-day Maine, this anthropomorphic aquatic swashbuckler served as a fierce and fearless privateer. His crew called him "Cap'n", as he tended to lead rather than follow, while his enemies branded him as "The Shark Scourge". Cap'n Fishhook got his name from the dangerously sharp hook in place of a fin which was bitten off in battle. While he wasn't a pirate, he sure dressed like one, what with the tricorn hat, eye patch and scarlet frock coat with a gold trim. All that was missing was the talking parrot!
Around 1705, Cap'n Fishhook was slain in battle, but his spirit lived on for the next three-hundred years, swimming the waters of the Atlantic and scaring the pants off of the crews of various ships. By 2018, however, he'd grown weary, and he decided to settle down in a coastal town near his birthplace and open up a small bar, sharing stories with other ghosts making their regular haunts at night.
Hellen Gravely was among those ghosts.
After the hotel owner and the ghostly anthropomorphic shark got to know each other over drinks, the latter found himself following the former to the Last Resort, where a pirate-themed seafood restaurant called The Spectral Catch was located on the 13th floor. Hellen explained that while she knew Fishhook was a privateer, he had the dress and mannerisms of a pirate, so he'd be perfect as the restaurant's mascot. He even had his own replica of a pirate ship! Cap'n Fishhook was sold on the idea, although he suspected there was, well, a catch.
There was a catch, but it didn't come until October 2019, when Hellen gave Cap'n Fishhook an elevator button and a portrait imprisoning a third Toad retainer named Chad. This was his "booty", and he was to guard it as fiercely as any pirate captain. And Fishhook certainly did when Luigi ventured onto his ship to rescue the Toad.
First, Fishhook possessed the ship's deck, chomping at Luigi while golden ghosts known as Oozers ignited powder kegs and tossed them at the man in green. With some careful dodging and timing, Luigi shot those very powder kegs into Fishhook's mouth, forcing him out of the ship. Next, Fishhook attacked with his infamous hook fin, but Luigi eventually found an opening and stunned him, quickly going on the offensive.
After repeating this cycle several times, Fishhook switched tactics, possessing the entire ship and pitching it forward in an attempt to swallow Luigi whole. Failing that, he had his Oozer helpers line up like an execution squad and throw their powder kegs at Luigi. He cycled through this attack pattern a few times, with no success. Luigi was soaked with seawater and sweat, mild burns were on his skin, he was cut and slashed from the fishhook, and his ears were ringing, but he was still in the fight.
When Cap'n Fishhook was forced out of the ship one last time, he attacked Luigi more vehemently than ever. However, his efforts proved futile, and despite numerous slashes crisscrossing his body, Luigi reeled in his spectral catch. But the Shark Scourge proved to be as intense a fight as Wolfgeist and Ug, so Luigi needed a few minutes to steady himself before shimmying up a rope ladder and freeing Chad.
Once Hellen and King Boo were defeated, Cap'n Fishhook joined the other reformed ghosts in building the new hotel. Upon its completion, a family-friendly seafood restaurant was opened beside the hotel shops. After trading his hook fin for a plush prosthetic and getting a contact lens for his good eye, the ghostly shark made his debut as the restaurant's unforgettable mascot. The new restaurant remains in business today and attracts great crowds.