Owlboy Explosive Enemies: Kaboon and Steam Bombs

Which enemies explode in Owlboy?

Owlboy doesn't throw a lot of exploding enemies at you, but a few stand out, and the most useful one is actually a tool you can pick up and throw. The community wiki lists three creatures worth knowing about: the monkey-like Kaboons of the Floating Continent, the shelled Steambombs of the Owl Temple (sometimes spelled "Steam Bombs" in older archives), and the lamp-shaped Fuses, which only detonate once their beaks are lit.

Below is how each one behaves and what the sources say about their blasts.

How do Kaboons attack?

Kaboons are found in the Floating Continent, specifically in the Molten section, and they are grapplers rather than bombers. According to the Owlboy community wiki, these are monkey-like animals with purple fur, white markings on their arms and head, and large furless hands with gold bracelets, plus a set of vestigial arms on their backs. They often climb along the ceiling or drop down and jump across the ground, preferring to swing through the air with their powerful forearms and hop when they land.

Their main threat is close range: the wiki says Kaboons prefer to grapple their opponents into submission. The second set of arms on a Kaboon never fully grows unless it becomes a king, so an ordinary Kaboon is dangerous mostly up close rather than at a distance.

What makes Steambombs useful as a weapon?

Steambombs behave like a walking bomb you can carry. The community wiki describes them as creatures in the Owl Temple with lumpy, rocky, dark brown shells veined with orange, tentacle-like appendages for walking, and three bright blue eyes. They walk along the ground idly until approached, at which point they retreat into their shells.

That retreat is your opening: while curled inside, a Steambomb can be picked up, and when thrown it explodes on contact. The wiki notes their explosions can defeat enemies, even Spikeballs, or break obstacles. An older archive wiki describes the same creature under the name "Steam Bombs," calling it the only known way to destroy Spike Balls and noting it curls into a protective ball as soon as it sees Otus.

How do Fuses and exploding pickups behave?

Fuses explode after their beaks are lit, and the sources tie their detonation to specific triggers. According to the community wiki, Fuses are bird-like creatures shaped like an oil lamp, found only in the Floating Continent, that fly back and forth idly and make no attempt to attack Otus. Their beaks can be lit by torches or by Alphonse's pilot light, and once lit they explode when attacked, when touching water, or when grabbed and thrown. When lit and held, they double as light sources.

So a lit Fuse can serve as a source of light in a dark spot or as something to throw. The wiki does not describe what happens if an unlit Fuse is attacked or handled, so treat its unlit state as idle rather than as a guarantee of safety.

How do you avoid blast damage?

The sources do not list any specific damage rules, immunity, or safe distance for these explosions, and the official patch notes do not cover them either. What the wiki does state is how each explosion is set off: Steambombs explode on contact when thrown, and Fuses explode when lit and then attacked, when touching water, or when grabbed and thrown.

For more on the game itself, see the official Steam store page or the developer's site, owlboygame.com.

Related guides

• Owlboy Kaboon Gauntlet Room: Survival Tips
• Owlboy Kaboon King Boss Fight Guide
• Owlboy Abilities List: Spin Attack, Super Dash and Auto-Aim
• Advent in Owlboy: Home Town Walkthrough