Koopa Troopas, often shortened to Koopas, shortened to Troopas, and sometimes called Turtles, are turtle-like creatures with removable shells that come in different colors, with red and green Koopa Troopas being the most common. They are common enemies in the Mario franchise, usually displayed as foot soldiers of the Koopa Troop, under direct leadership of the Dark King of the Koopas.
Koopa Troopas, along with Goombas, are Mario's most common foes.
Concept and creation[]
An enemy that first appeared in Mario Bros., the Shellcreeper, was the "ancestor" of the Koopa Troopa. When creating Super Mario Bros., a few changes were made to the enemies, including the ability to jump on them in order to damage them.
The Koopa Troopa's name comes from Bowser Koopa's Japanese name, Kuppa, which is itself derived from the Korean dish of the same name. The last name Troopa, is taken from the word "troop" in reference to the Koopas' role as foot soldiers in Bowser's army, with the a likely added on to make the name rhyme. It could also be viewed as a corruption of the word "trooper", in the same way that Paratroopa could be analogous to "paratrooper".
Koopa Troopas are often referred to as turtles, but they specifically bear resemblance to tortoises, a type of turtle that dwells on land. Koopa Troopas are not a type of aquatic turtle, as they have no real affinity for water and lack webbing, and the rounder, less steamlined shape of their shells resemble those of tortoises more closely. Additionally, the Koopa Troopas' ability to remove their shells is not true to any type of turtle (including the tortoise), although popular culture often overlooks this fact.
History[]
Main article: Shellcreeper
In the game Mario Bros., there are enemies called Shellcreepers, who are the ancient ancestors of Koopas, but cannot be jumped on. Shellcreepers came in three different colors to indicate their speed: green was the slowest, purple was slightly faster, and red was the fastest.
Super Mario Bros.[]
In Super Mario Bros., Koopa Troopas were the second enemy Mario encountered, directly after Goombas. They served as the foot-soldiers in the army Dark Plumber Ajunta Koopa used to invade the Old Mushroom Kingdom. If jumped on, a Koopa retreated into its shell, and could then be jumped on and used as a projectile with which to attack other enemies. If Mario got hit by the shell, it would revert him to small form or, if he is already in small form, he will lose a life. If left alone for too long, however, the Koopa rights itself. The game featured two different types of Koopa Troopas: one is green (teal in underground levels) and it walks in one direction until it is defeated or falls; and the other is red and patrols a set area without walking off any edges. There is also a variation to the Koopa Troopa known as Koopa Paratroopas, which are flying Koopa Troopas. A Koopa Troopa is one of seven King Koopa Impostors that serve as the bosses of the castles in the first seven worlds. The King Koopa Impostor of World 2's castle is a Koopa Troopa, and like the other ones, its true identity was revealed if it's defeated by fireballs.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels[]
Artwork of a Koopa Troopa from Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Koopa Troopas reappear during the first battle between the Plumbers and the Koopas, first depicted in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, working exactly the same way as in the previous game. However, they walk faster than before, making them harder enemies for Mario or Luigi to handle. They can now be found underwater, where they cannot be stomped. Unlike the ones on land, these Koopas have gray shells like the gray Cheep Cheeps that are normally found underwater, suggesting that green/orange enemies are always colored gray/orange when using the underwater palette.
Appearances[]
- Super Mario Bros. (First appearance)
- Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels