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Green Shell

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Green Shell
GreenShell - MarioPartyStarRush.png
MarioSymbol.svg
Green Shell artwork from Mario Party: Island Tour.
Universe Mario
Appears in SSB
Melee
Brawl
SSB4
Ultimate
Item class Throwing
Article on Super Mario Wiki Green Shell
When attacked or thrown, this shell slides around the battle stage, damaging whomever it hits.
Super Smash Bros.'s instruction manual

The Green Shell (ミドリのこうら, Green Shell) is an item from the Mario series.

Origin[edit]

Original image was obtained from Super Mario Wiki and cropped.
Official artwork of a Green Shell from Super Mario 64.

The Green Shells made their debut in Super Mario Bros. as the shells of the green Koopa Troopas, and has become a recurring item in later Mario games. If a Koopa Troopa is jumped on, they retreat into their shells rather than be defeated altogether, which can be kicked as projectiles. If the shells are left out for too long, however, the Koopa Troopa can emerge out of its shell. The kicked shells can also pose a danger if they bounce off of a wall. Koopas with green shells will walk off ledges rather than turning around, a trait that is mirrored by their shell sliding off of ledges in Smash.

In Super Mario Bros. 3 and in later games onward, if a Koopa Troopa is jumped on and retreats into its shell, it can be picked up, carried around. This, however, can be dangerous, as the Koopa Troopa can emerge out of the shell while carried and can damage the player holding the shell.

The Green Shells have become a recurring item in the Mario Kart series and serves as the logo for the Shell Cup. When used, it allows the players to throw the Green Shell either directly in front of or behind them. While it only travels in a straight line, unlike its homing red counterpart, it is the more durable of the two; it can bounce off walls for some time before it breaks or hits an opponent.

Overview[edit]

As an item[edit]

A Green Shell falling off of platforms in Smash 64.

The Green Shell debuted as a throwing item in Super Smash Bros.

Upon being thrown, the Green Shell will deal significant damage and knockback to opponents; however, it has a higher specific gravity than most other items, and as a result, it will fall onto the ground more quickly than other items. Unlike other items, the Green Shell will continue to move forward when it hits the ground, and it will continue to deal damage and knockback as it slides. The resulting hitboxes, however, are not as powerful as the throwing hitbox, and the Green Shell's output becomes weaker and weaker as it begins to slow down. Furthermore, opponents can immediately stop the trajectory of the Green Shell by merely jumping on it, then use it against the original wielder; as the Shell also ricochets off walls and other barriers, it is also possible for a player to hit by their own Green Shell.

If the Green Shell is not picked up by players, it will stay in place until it is hit by a damaging hitbox, after which it will begin moving with a speed directly proportional to the knockback of the hitbox. Jumping on it will also cause it to begin moving either left or right, but with relatively little movement.

In single-player modes[edit]

In Melee's Adventure Mode, Brawl's Subspace Emissary, and Smash 4's Smash Run, Koopa Troopas and Koopa Paratroopas can appear as regular enemies. Dealing enough damage by attacking them or jumping on them forces them to retreat into their shells. If the shell is left alone or carried for too long, then the Koopa Troopas will emerge out of their shells.

Unusually, the Green Shells found from actual Koopa Troopas are smaller than the actual item.

Damage output[edit]

Action SSB Melee Brawl SSB4
After attacked/Bounced 18% 16% 14-16% 14-16%
Forward tilt throw 23% 23% 22% 22%-23%
Up tilt throw 23%-24% 22% - 24% 22% 22%-24%
Down tilt throw 18% 25% N/A N/A
Dash throw 27% 25% 24% 24%
Forward smash throw 27% 26% 25% 24%
Up smash throw 27% 26% 22% 26%-27%
Down smash throw 18% 29% N/A N/A
Aerial forward tilt throw 25% 23% 24% 23%
Aerial up tilt throw 25% 22% - 24% 22% 24%
Aerial down tilt throw 25%-27% 25% 22% 22%
Aerial forward smash throw 27% 23% 24% 24%
Aerial up smash throw 27% 22% - 24% 22% 24%
Aerial down smash throw 27% 25% 22% 22%

Description from the Super Smash Bros. Brawl instruction booklet[edit]

Slides along and launches foes.

Trophies[edit]

In Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]

Green Shell trophy from Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Green Shell's trophy in Melee
Green Shell
Hit or throw a Green Shell, and it'll follow the contours of the environment, causing heavy damage to any characters it hits. These Koopa shells have many uses in the Mario series: they've been picked up, kicked, thrown, swallowed and even spit out. Mario just uses them as tools to pummel Bowser's numberless henchmen.
Super Mario Bros. (10/85)

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

Green Shell trophy from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
Green Shell's trophy in Brawl
Green Shell
NTSC An item that, when thrown or jumped on, careens across stages and hurts any player it hits. Green shells follow the environment's contours as they go and reverse direction when they hit walls. They really send opponents flying, so they're very effective as throwing weapons. If a shell's approaching, stop it by jumping on it. This technique is used in the Mario series.
PAL An item that, when thrown or jumped on, careens across stages and hurts any player it hits. Green shells follow the environment's contours as they go and reverse direction when they hit walls. They really send opponents flying, so they're very effective as throwing weapons. If a shell is approaching, stop it by jumping on it. This technique is used in the Mario series.
SNES: Super Mario Kart
N64: Mario Kart 64

In Super Smash Bros. 4[edit]

Green Shell's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Green Shell's trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Green Shell
NTSC The green shell of the Koopa Troopas. The launching power of this weapon is incredible in the right hands, but you should be careful; if it hits a wall, it may bounce back toward whoever threw it. If you see it coming back at you, just jump on it to stop it. It's like playing Super Mario Bros.!
NES: Super Mario Bros. (10/1985)
SNES: Super Mario Kart (09/1992)
PAL You might have noticed these shells look a lot like the ones Koopas have. Throw, attack or jump on one to send it careening off, launching enemies and causing chaos as it goes. Then jump on it to bring it to a stop, or let it rebound off a wall, or... Hold on! What is this? Super Mario Bros.?
NES: Super Mario Bros. (05/1987)
SNES: Super Mario Kart (01/1993)

Spirits[edit]

Equipping the Koopa Troopa, Turtle Bridge, or Lyle support spirits will give the player a Green Shell at a start of their stock.

No. Image Name Type Class Cost Ability Series
37
SSBU spirit Koopa Troopa.png
Koopa Troopa
Support
1 Green Shell Equipped Super Mario Series
700
Founded in a french YouTube video
Turtle Bridge
Support
1 Green Shell Equipped Game & Watch Series
853
Artwork used for Lyle's Spirit. Ripped from Game Files
Lyle
Support
1 Green Shell Equipped Animal Crossing Series

Gallery[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japan Japanese ミドリのこうら Green Shell
UK English Green Shell
France French Carapace verte Green Shell
Germany German Grüner Panzer Green Shell
Spain Spanish Caparazón verde Green Shell
Italy Italian Guscio verde Green Shell
China Chinese (Simplified) 绿龟壳 Green Turtle Shell
Taiwan Chinese (Traditional) 綠龜殼 Green Turtle Shell
South Korea Korean 초록등껍질 Green Shell
Netherlands Dutch Groen schild Green Shell
Russia Russian Зеленый панцирь Green Shell

Trivia[edit]

  • Initially the lines between the scales on the Green Shell were pale. Although the Green Shell's trophy in Brawl depicts it as it appears in contemporary Mario games, with black lines in-between the scales, the shell's in-game model is identical to its appearance in Melee. In SSB4, the shell's in-game model matches its trophy and has black lines.
  • Out of the three Shell items in the Super Smash Bros. series, the Green Shell is the only one to appear in every title, as the Red Shell has been missing since Brawl, and the Spiny Shell did not debut until Smash 4.
  • In Super Smash Bros., a glitch occurs when Mario uses Mario Tornado on four shells in Training Mode, resulting in 999% damage.
  • In Brawl, characters with high falling speed can perform a technique with the Green Shell called "Shell Hopping", involving fastfalling, throwing a Green Shell downward, and regrabbing the shell in midair. The result gives the player a significant vertical boost, though the results are most apparent when used with Falco.

See also[edit]