Koopalings

The Koopalings (known as Bowser's Minions in the PAL version and, The Seven Koopa Bunch in the Japanese version of Super Smash Bros. 4) are a clan of seven siblings that follow Bowser and are recurring villains in the series. Their individual names are Larry Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr., Wendy O. Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Roy Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, and Ludwig von Koopa, in the order they were fought in their debut game, Super Mario Bros. 3. While initially unnamed in their original Japanese appearance, of Nintendo of America gave each of them names after famous musicians.

Origin
The Koopalings first appeared as bosses at the end of the first seven worlds in , and later reprised their roles similarly in Super Mario World and appeared in multiple spin-off games and other adaptations of the Mario franchise. Following their appearance in ', they became absent from the series for a long period of time, barring a relatively minor reappearance in ' as bosses. Bowser Jr. was also introduced in  during this absence, being described as Bowser's son and heir to the throne. The Koopalings, however, later returned alongside Bowser Jr. in ', and they have remained as frequent bosses in the sequels to the ' series, as well as ' and '. Their resurgence in popularity later led to their playable debut in .

The Koopalings were originally described as Bowser's children and depicted as such in other media. However, this backstory was eventually discarded, and they have only been referred to as particularly high-ranking minions of Bowser's following their reintroduction after Bowser Jr.'s debut. Shigeru Miyamoto stated in a 2012 interview that Bowser Jr. is an only child, distancing the relationship between Bowser and the Koopalings; despite this, re-releases of older games featuring the Koopalings have not made an attempt to change this backstory. Super Smash Bros. 4 later made light of this confusing relationship, with Pit's Smash Taunt for the characters noting that their Junior Clown Cars are mass-produced as opposed to Bowser Jr.'s personalized vehicle; Viridi also notes that the relationship between the Koopalings and Bowser is "a real mystery". Recent official materials by Nintendo imply that the Koopalings' relationship with Bowser is intentionally kept ambiguous, although they are confirmed to be related to each other.

In the New Super Mario Bros. series, Larry, Morton, Wendy, and Lemmy are voiced by, Iggy and Ludwig are voiced by , and Roy is voiced by. Their voice clips from these games are used in the Super Smash Bros. series. However, from ' onward (except for ' and ), the Koopalings gained individual voice actors. While Roy continued to be voiced by Dan Falcone, Larry, Wendy, Lemmy, Iggy, Morton, and Ludwig are now respectively voiced by, , , , , and.

Larry (, Larry) is the youngest of the Koopalings and is sometimes called the leader. He is the first one fought in Super Mario Bros. 3, and that fact has led to speculation that the Koopalings following him are ordered by age. However, the order varies in several later games, starting with , where Iggy is fought first and Larry is fought last (Larry reprises his role as first later in New Super Mario Bros. Wii). Larry is associated with grassy plains in most of the games he appears in. Larry's rear-facing mohawk-like hair and shell are colored electric blue, and he has large blue eyes. He is the second smallest Koopaling, after Lemmy. Unlike the other Koopalings, Larry's namesake is ambiguous, and he is possibly the only Koopaling not named after a famous personality. has variously stated that Larry was either named after, drummer for the Irish rock band , or that he wasn't named after anyone in particular and "he just looked like a Larry." The title given to Larry in the Boxing Ring is "The Youngest" in Smash Wii U (NTSC English) and Ultimate and is called the "Leader of the Seven Minions" in Smash Wii U (PAL English). He is known as "Cheatsy" in ' and the ' TV series.

Morton (, Morton) has the most consistent encountering order among the Koopalings, as he is the second castle boss fought in Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario World, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, and New Super Mario Bros. U. He mostly presides in desert or mountain worlds, with the latter's landscape matching his color scheme. Morton is the second largest Koopaling and prefers brawn over brains, and some of his attacks involve hammers and stomps that cause quakes to show for it. He has very small eyes, a thick snout and inward-turning lower jaw/lip like Bowser's, very little hair, a black shell, and is the only Koopaling with skin that is not yellow-orange (his is a dark gray). He is named after, an American television host whose eponymous program, , became one of the first well-known "" programs. The title given to Morton in the Boxing Ring is "The Enforcer" in Smash Wii U and Ultimate. He is known as "Big Mouth" in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and the Super Mario World TV series.

Wendy (, Wendy) is the only female Koopaling. She's heavily associated with tropical locations and water, even having an attack that shoots life saver rings in Super Mario Bros. 3, where she is the third boss. She is the third smallest Koopaling, after Larry and Lemmy. Wendy wears a pink bow with polka-dots, pink heels, golden bracelets on her wrists (instead of spiked wristbands like her cohorts), pink lip-stick, and a bead necklace; she's the only Koopaling with accessories that aren't shades or glasses. She has full lips (unlike her associates), blue eyes, and a pink shell. She is named after, lead singer of the American punk band. The title given to Wendy in the Boxing Ring is "The Bold Beauty" in Smash Wii U and Ultimate. She is known as "Kootie-Pie" in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and the Super Mario World TV series.

Iggy (, Iggy) is the first Koopaling to be fought in an equal number of instances to Larry: in Super Mario World and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Before New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Iggy's hair was the same as Lemmy's, being a rainbow-colored mohawk, and his eyes had multiple rings within them that made him look hypnotized. From New Super Mario Bros. Wii on, Iggy's hair has been neon green and is shaped similarly to a palm tree. Iggy is commonly associated with jungle and forest areas (matching his color scheme), and is implied in New Super Mario Bros. Wii and  to be a mechanical genius with great agility, as well as being known for his deranged and crazy personality. Iggy wears glasses and his irises are surrounded by blue loops (remnant of his older design's eyes; his eyes are also the largest of the Koopalings'), and his shell is green with purple accents. Iggy has a longer shell than his cohorts, and is taller than all of them. He is named after, lead singer of the American rock band ; as of 2023, he is the only Koopaling whose namesake musician is not deceased. The title given to Iggy in the Boxing Ring is "The Laughing Prankster" in Smash Wii U and Ultimate. He is known as "Hop" in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and the Super Mario World TV series.

Roy (, Roy) has a design typical of a "bad boy", having shades and being heavily associated with heavy weaponry (such as his from ). He is the fifth Koopaling fought in , serving as the boss of the sky world. Roy's environmental associations are among the most inconsistent of the Koopalings, having been grassy plains, the desert, and a cave. He has a purple shell, a pink head, and wears hot pink shades. He bears two fangs, like Larry. He is named after American rockabilly singer, who was also well-known for wearing dark sunglasses. The title given to Roy in the Boxing Ring is "The Cool One" in Smash Wii U and Ultimate. He is known as "Bully" in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and the Super Mario World TV series.

Lemmy (, Lemmy) is the smallest and nimblest Koopaling. Lemmy shared Iggy's hairstyle until New Super Mario Bros. Wii, where Iggy got a new one. Lemmy, also like Iggy, is often shown to be dizzy most of the time, and is normally seen balancing atop or holding an orange ball with stars on it. Lemmy is mostly associated with ice and presides as the boss of ice worlds in two games. He has a rainbow mohawk, orange "bands" on the back of his head, dizzy eyes, an orange shell, and bears no teeth (like Wendy). Lemmy shares many traits with real-world s. He is named after the late Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister, lead vocalist and bassist for English heavy metal band. The title given to Lemmy in the Boxing Ring is "Wacky War Machine" in Smash Wii U and Ultimate. He is known as "Hip" in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and the Super Mario World TV series.

Ludwig (, Ludwig) is claimed to be the oldest Koopaling in the Super Mario Bros. 3 strategy guide; the same guide also states that he is Bowser's second in command, though this plot point has been rendered invalid with the debut of Kamek and Bowser Jr., his caretaker and son, respectively. However, this does not stop him from being the de facto leader of the Koopalings and the self-proclaimed leader in . He is the last Koopaling fought in his debut and consistently as of New Super Mario Bros. Wii. However, in Super Mario World Ludwig is the fourth Koopaling to be fought, though he is the only one with a unique fighting style. Ludwig is heavily associated with the sky and clouds, presiding as the boss of those kinds of levels in most of the games he's appeared. He is also shown to have enhanced jumping capabilities in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, similar to Yoshi. Ludwig has the most voluminous hair of the Koopalings, and expresses high levels of cunning and skill. He has small eyes (like Morton), blue hair, a blue shell, and bears a single fang from his mouth. He is named after German composer and pianist, even sharing his namesake's hairstyle. The title given to Ludwig in the Boxing Ring is "Pompous Prodigy" in Smash Wii U and Ultimate. He is known as "Kooky" in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and the Super Mario World TV series.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee
While the Koopalings do not physically appear in-game, they are indirectly mentioned in Bowser's trophy description; as this trophy was written prior to the introduction of Bowser Jr., it directly refers to the group as his own seven children.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Ludwig appears as a sticker.

Stickers
Additionally, while Morton himself does not appear in Brawl, a reference to him is made in the form of Bowser's white palette swap, which is based on the former's original, pre-New Super Mario Bros. Wii design.

As playable characters
All seven of the Koopalings make their Super Smash Bros. debut as playable characters in Super Smash Bros. 4 as alternate costumes for, who is in his. All are named by the announcer and have their own voices and sound clips. Their mass-produced Junior Clown Cars have yellow bulbs for eyes, and their cockpit rims and propellers are colored differently for each Koopaling (Morton's are gray, for example). Their voice clips are reused from the New Super Mario Bros. series. All of the Koopalings also have their own associated trophy, though these trophies are obtained from the Trophy Shop instead of being rewarded after completing Classic Mode.

While some of the Koopalings have different proportions than Bowser Jr. in regards to weight or height, all of them are sized more similar to him in-game, causing some of the Koopalings to look slightly different from their depictions in the official games (such as Roy and Morton being smaller, Iggy being shorter, and Lemmy being bigger). However, Bowser Jr.'s reveal trailer appeared to show the various Koopalings more accurately in regards to their actual proportions, though this was later reverted slightly for the final builds of SSB4. To some extent, the Koopalings' sizes in the game could be compared to their earlier in-game appearances in their first few appearances, like in Super Mario Bros. 3 or Super Mario World, where they were nearly all the same size.

In the Nintendo 3DS version, character trophies are outlined in the Trophy Gallery just as fighters are in standard gameplay, provided the option is enabled. The trophies for the Koopalings acknowledge their fighter status by giving them properly rendered trophies with outlines, despite the trophies being random drops either in-game or from the Trophy Shop.

Trophies
In the 3DS version, Larry's trophy says he is the "leader of the Koopalings, with aggressive tendencies to match." This is corrected in the NTSC Wii U version, but the PAL release retains this and labels him Leader of the Seven Minions.

As playable characters
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the Koopalings return as playable characters accessible via Bowser Jr.'s alternate costumes. They are once again 'unlockable characters', like in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Just like in the previous game, their attacks and statistics are identical to Bowser Jr.'s and (with the exception of the announcer, crowd, and character selection, all of which say and/or display their own names) the game does not acknowledge them as separate characters from Bowser Jr. in battle records and other miscellaneous aspects, such as Classic Mode.

Unlike in Super Smash Bros. 4, the Koopalings now use their magic wands (from the New Super Mario Bros. games) for any occasion where Bowser Jr. would use his hammer. These occasions include all corresponding attacks, their side taunt, and one of their victory poses. Akin to their trophies in Super Smash Bros. 4, all of the Koopalings also have their own associated Fighter Spirits, although they can only be obtained from the Shop instead of being rewarded after completing Classic Mode.

Trivia

 * The Koopalings' order of alternate costume cycling is similar to the order in which they are faced in Super Mario Bros. 3, except Roy and Morton have their places switched.
 * Despite being yellow in-game, the rim and propeller of Lemmy's Junior Clown Car is orange in his trophy in the 3DS version.
 * Larry is the only Koopaling that can potentially appear in 's . If the player has defeated Bowser Jr. in the first three rounds of a playthrough, it is possible to encounter another Bowser Jr. in rounds 4 or 5, as an opponent in a team battle; in this case, Larry will fight in Bowser Jr.'s place, but as Bowser Jr. has no chance of appearing again, Larry can be the only Koopaling to appear in the mode. In such a fight, the text by the game's portraits in-battle will incorrectly refer to Larry as Bowser Jr.
 * In Ultimate,, , and are the only characters who face all of the Koopalings in each of their  routes. All three characters of which face  before a unique boss, despite Bowser appearing in the same round as Giga Bowser for Mario.
 * Mario fights the Koopalings in the same order he faced them as bosses in Super Mario Bros. 3, Yoshi fights them in the same order as in Super Mario World (his debut game), and Peach fights them in the same order as in New Super Mario Bros. U.
 * Out of the other four Koopalings fought by other characters, Morton is the only Koopaling to be fought in more than one Classic Mode route; being in both and 's Classic Mode routes each.
 * Roy shares his name with Roy from ; they are the only characters with this distinction.
 * He is also the only Koopaling who is voiced by his current voice actor in the Super Smash Bros series as all the other Koopaling voice actors from New Super Mario Bros Wii (Lani Minella and Mike Vaughn) were replaced from Mario Kart 8 onwards.
 * In Smash 4, all of the Koopalings and Bowser Jr. have the exact same animations except for Lemmy. When he is dizzy, his pupils move around in circles rather than the dizzy animation for the rest of Koopalings.
 * Unlike Bowser, Petey Piranha, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and King K. Rool, the Koopalings retain their voice actors from the Mario series. This trait is also shared with Yoshi, and Bowser Jr..
 * The Koopalings, Zombie, and Enderman are the only alternate characters who do not have alternate costumes of their own.
 * The Koopalings and Enderman are the only playable characters to receive significant alterations to their canonical body proportions in order to work as alternate costumes to another character.
 * Ludwig is the only alternate character to appear in any capacity in a Smash Bros. game prior to being playable, as he was a sticker in Brawl.