SSBB Icon.png
SSB4 Icon.png
SSBU Icon.png

Koopalings

From SmashWiki, the Super Smash Bros. wiki
Revision as of 20:34, June 24, 2019 by Nokii (talk | contribs) (→‎Trivia)
Jump to navigationJump to search
Koopalings
The Koopalings
MarioSymbol.svg

Official art of the Koopalings from New Super Mario Bros. 2.
From left to right: Lemmy, Wendy, Larry, Roy, Morton, Iggy, & Ludwig.

Universe Mario
Debut Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988)
Smash Bros. appearances Brawl (Ludwig only)
SSB4
Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe (2019)
Console/platform of origin Nintendo Entertainment System
Species Koopas
Gender Wendy: Female
Others: Male
Place of origin Bowser's Kingdom
Voice actor Larry Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr., Wendy O. Koopa, and Lemmy Koopa: Lani Minella
Iggy Koopa and Ludwig von Koopa: Mike Vaughn
Roy Koopa: Dan Falcone
Article on Super Mario Wiki Koopalings

The Koopalings (known as Bowser's Minions in the PAL version and クッパ7人衆, The Seven Koopa Bunch in the Japanese version of Super Smash Bros. 4, sometimes referred to as Koopa Kids) are a clan of seven siblings that follow Bowser and are recurring villains in the Mario 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, Dayvv Brooks of Nintendo of America gave each of them names after famous musicians, with the exception of Larry Koopa.

Description

The Koopalings first appeared as bosses at the end of the first seven worlds in Super Mario Bros. 3, 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 Hotel Mario, they ended up vanishing from the series, barring a relatively minor reappearance in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga as bosses. Bowser Jr. was also introduced in Super Mario Sunshine during this absence, being described as Bowser's son and heir to the throne. The Koopalings, however, later returned alongside Bowser Jr. in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and they have remained as frequent bosses in the sequels to the New Super Mario Bros. series, as well as Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam and Paper Mario: Color Splash. Their resurgence in popularity later led to their playable debut in Mario Kart 8.

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 also later stated in a 2012 interview that Bowser Jr. is an only child, further distancing the relationship between Bowser and the Koopalings; despite this, re-releases of 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 implies that the Koopalings' relationship with Bowser is intentionally kept ambiguous, although they are confirmed to be related to each other.

Larry Koopa

"Larry" redirects here. For the Smasher, see Smasher:Larry Lurr.
Larry Koopa

Larry (ラリー, Larry) is the youngest of the Koopalings. 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 Super Mario World, 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. He is currently voiced by Lani Minella. Unlike the other Koopalings, Larry's namesake is ambiguous; he has been previously reported to be named after either Larry King, a famous American radio and television personality, or Larry Mullen, Jr., drummer for the Irish rock band U2, while Dayvv Brooks stated in an 2015 interview that "he just looked like a Larry." The title given to Larry in the Boxing Ring is "The Youngest" in Smash Wii U and Ultimate.

Roy Koopa

Roy Koopa

Roy (ロイ, Roy) has a design typical of a "bad boy", having shades and being heavily associated with heavy weaponry (such as his Bill Blaster from New Super Mario Bros. U). He is the fifth Koopaling fought in Super Mario Bros. 3, 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 voiced by Dan Falcone, and is named after American rockabilly singer Roy Orbison, who also served as the inspiration for his shades. The title given to Roy in the Boxing Ring is "The Cool One" in Smash Wii U and Ultimate.

Wendy O. Koopa

Wendy O. Koopa

Wendy (ウェンディ, 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. Voiced by Lani Minella in most games and by Ashley Flannegan in Mario Kart 8, Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, she is named after Wendy O. Williams, lead singer of the American punk band The Plasmatics. The title given to Wendy in the Boxing Ring is "The Bold Beauty" in Smash Wii U and Ultimate.

Iggy Koopa

Iggy Koopa

Iggy (イギー, 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. According to the cartoon shows produced by DIC Entertainment, Iggy is Lemmy's twin brother. Iggy is commonly associated with jungle and forest areas (matching his color scheme), and is implied in New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. 2 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. Voiced by Mike Vaughn, he is named after Iggy Pop, lead singer of the American rock band The Stooges. The title given to Iggy in the Boxing Ring is "The Laughing Prankster" in Smash Wii U and Ultimate.

Morton Koopa Jr.

Morton Koopa Jr.

Morton (モートン, 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 largest Koopaling, and some of his attacks involve hammers and stomps that cause quakes to show for it. He has very small eyes, a snout 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). Voiced by Lani Minella, he is named after Morton Downey, Jr., an American singer-songwriter who founded the "Trash TV" movement. The title given to Morton in the Boxing Ring is "The Enforcer" in Smash Wii U and Ultimate.

Lemmy Koopa

Lemmy Koopa

Lemmy (レミー, Lemmy) is the smallest Koopaling, and is Iggy's twin brother according to the cartoon shows produced by DIC Entertainment. Lemmy shared Iggy's hairstyle until New Super Mario Bros. Wii, wherein Iggy got a new one. Lemmy, also like Iggy, is often shown to be klutzy and 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 clowns. Voiced by Lani Minella, he is named after the late Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister, lead vocalist and bassist for English heavy metal band Motörhead. The title given to Lemmy in the Boxing Ring is "Wacky War Machine" in Smash Wii U and Ultimate.

Ludwig von Koopa

"Ludwig" redirects here. For the Smasher, see Smasher:Ludwig.
Ludwig von Koopa

Ludwig (ルドウィッグ, 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. 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. Voiced by Mike Vaughn in most games and David J. Goldfarb in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, he is named after German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven, even sharing his namesake's hairstyle. The title given to Ludwig in the Boxing Ring is "Pompous Prodigy" in Smash Wii U and Ultimate.

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

Name Game Effect Character(s)
Ludwig von Koopa Super Mario Bros. 3 TypeIcon(Explosive).png Attack +8 RandomHeadSSBB.png
Brawl Sticker Ludwig von Koopa (Super Mario Bros. 3).png
Ludwig von Koopa
(Super Mario Bros. 3)

In Super Smash Bros. 4

As playable characters

Main article: Bowser Jr. (SSB4)

All seven of the Koopalings appear as playable characters in Super Smash Bros. 4 as alternate costumes for Bowser Jr., who is in his Junior Clown Car. 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. 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 Super Smash Bros. 4

Name Picture Description
Larry LarryKoopaTrophyWiiU.png
North AmericaSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS The leader of the Koopalings, with aggressive tendencies to match. He's easily recognized by his tall, blue hair. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, he makes his appearance in World 1. You might think he's tough, with his blue fireballs and shell spins, but his patterns are actually pretty easy to read.
North AmericaSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U The youngest of the Koopalings, with a serious case of little-brother syndrome to match. He's easily recognized by his tall, blue hair. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, he makes his appearance in World 1. You might think he's tough, with his blue fireballs and shell spins, but his patterns are actually pretty easy to read.
Europe The leader of Bowser's Minions, with aggressive tendencies to match. He's easily recognised by his tall, blue hair. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, he makes his appearance in World 1. You might think he's tough, with his blue fireballs and shell spins, but his patterns are actually pretty easy to read.
Roy RoyKoopaTrophyWiiU.png
North America This heavy guy is one of the Koopalings and likes throwing his weight around. His pink sunglasses might not make him seem evil, but the speed he can go from slacker to soldier certainly does. In Super Mario Bros. 3, he causes earthquakes to stop Mario in his tracks, all while attacking with blasts of magic. Nasty stuff!
Europe This heavy guy is one of Bowser's Minions and likes throwing his weight around. His pink sunglasses might not make him seem evil, but the speed he can go from slacker to soldier certainly does. In Super Mario Bros. 3, he causes earthquakes to stop Mario in his tracks while attacking with blasts of magic. Nasty stuff!
Wendy WendyOKoopaTrophyWiiU.png
North America Of all the Koopalings, Wendy's the only girl. She's bold, bossy, big headed, and sees Peach and Daisy as her rivals. Despite her tomboyish nature, she's not afraid to show off her feminine side with a pink bow and heels. In New Super Mario Bros. U, she shows off her graceful ice-skating skills with a spin or two.
Europe Of Bowser's seven minions, Wendy's the only girl. She's bold, bossy, big-headed, and sees Peach and Daisy as her rivals. Despite her tomboyish nature, she's not afraid to show off her feminine side with a pink bow and heels. In New Super Mario Bros. U, she shows off her graceful ice-skating skills, too, with a spin or two.
Iggy IggyKoopaTrophyWiiU.png
North America One of the Koopalings. Iggy wears black-rimmed glasses, has hair that's sort of pineapplish, and is known for being a bit of a prankster. He talks in a cutesy way but laughs like a maniac. Also, he seems to like taming Chain Chomps, and in New Super Mario Bros. 2, he gets a rampaging Chain Chomp to help him take on Mario.
Europe One of Bowser's minions. Iggy wears black-rimmed glasses, has hair that's sort of pineapplish, and is known for being a bit of a prankster. He talks in a cutesy way but laughs like a maniac. Also, he seems to like taming Chain Chomps, and in New Super Mario Bros. 2, he gets a rampaging Chain Chomp to help him take on Mario.
Morton MortonKoopaJrTrophyWiiU.png
North America The biggest of the Koopalings. Morton stands out due to the three strands of hair on his head and...oh, the big star on his face. He's more brawn than brains, and in New Super Mario Bros. 2, he appears in World 4, where he'll stay glued to the spot until you attack him. Maybe he just can't be bothered to move!
Europe The biggest of Bowser's seven minions. Morton stands out due to the three strands of hair on his head and...oh, the big star on his face. He's more brawn than brains, and in New Super Mario Bros. 2, he appears in World 4, where he'll stay glued to the spot until you attack him. Maybe he just can't be bothered to move!
Lemmy LemmyKoopaTrophyWiiU.png
North America The smallest and nimblest of the Koopalings, Lemmy is a little rascal with a wacky, childlike look on his face. In New Super Mario Bros. U, he's the boss of World 1 and rides a giant ball while his colorful mohawk sways in the breeze. Don't underestimate him, though—his ball attacks are trickier than they look!
Europe The smallest and nimblest of Bowser's minions, Lemmy is a little rascal with a wacky, childlike look on his face. In New Super Mario Bros. U, he's the boss of World 1 and rides a giant ball while his colorful mohawk sways in the breeze. Don't underestimate him, though — his ball attacks are trickier than they look!
Ludwig LudwigVonKoopaTrophyWiiU.png
North America The cleverest of the Koopalings, easily recognized by his big tufts of hair. He's got a mature air about him, but he likes to show off and can sound a bit pompous. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, he's the boss of World 7 and torments Mario by firing homing magic blasts and floating too high in the air to be jumped on.
Europe The cleverest of Bowser's Minions, easily recognised by his big tufts of hair. He's got a mature air about him, but he likes to show off and can sound a bit pompous. In New Super Mario Bros. Wii, he's the boss of World 7 and torments Mario by firing homing magic blasts and floating too high in the air to be jumped on.

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.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

As playable characters

Main article: Bowser Jr. (SSBU)

The Koopalings return in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as unlockable playable fighters, reprising their roles from Super Smash Bros. 4 as being accessible via Bowser Jr.'s alternate costumes. They now use their wands whenever Bowser Jr. would use his hammer. They also appear as Fighter Spirits.

Spirits

Trivia

  • Due to the seven Koopalings being acknowledged as separate characters from Bowser Jr., Wendy O. Koopa can technically be considered the first female villain to be playable in the Smash Bros. series.
    • In addition, Wendy is also one of two characters in the Super Smash Bros. series who are both confirmed to be female and are unlockable characters, the other being Lucina. Unlike Lucina however, it is impossible to face off against Wendy in an unlock match (due to her only being accessible as a playable character through Bowser Jr.'s alternate costumes).
  • In a similar vein, Iggy Koopa can technically be considered the first playable character to wear glasses.
Lemmy's trophy in the Nintendo 3DS version.
  • 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 Super Smash Bros. for Wii U's Classic Mode. 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.
  • Roy is the first character to share his name with another Smash Bros. character.
  • 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, King K. Rool, Donkey Kong, and Diddy Kong, the Koopalings retain their voice actors from the Mario series. This trait is also shared with Yoshi (Kazumi Totaka), and Bowser Jr. (Caety Sagoian).
  • The Koopalings are the only alternate characters who do not have alternate costumes of their own.
  • Ludwig is the only one of the Koopalings to appear in a Smash game but not be playable, as he was a sticker in Brawl.