The Koopas are Coming! The Koopas are Coming!

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode
"The Koopas are Coming! The Koopas are Coming!"
Production number	133
Airdate	November 1, 1989 November 19, 1990[?]
Writer(s)	Ted Pedersen
Plumber's Log #	1776
King Koopa's alter ego(s)	Redcoat Koopa
Cover song(s)	"He's a Rebel"
Replacement song(s)	"Speedy Gondola"
Title reference	"The British are coming! The British are coming!"
Live-action segment	"Zenned Out Mario"
<< List of episodes >>?

"The Koopas are Coming! The Koopas are Coming!" is the thirty-fifth episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! During this episode, the four companions meet General George Washingtoad, who, with his army, is trying to revolt against King Koopa. The name of the episode is based off the erroneous quote attributed to American patriot Paul Revere during his Midnight Ride, "The British are coming!" In fact, the entire episode is based off of the American Revolutionary War, fought from 1775 to 1783, that gave the original thirteen American colonies their independence. On Netflix, the episode's title is simply named "The Koopas Are Coming!" The corresponding live-action segment for this episode is "Zenned Out Mario."

Plot synopsis

Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad have arrived at the Thirteen Mushroom Colonies to help battle with George Washingtoad and his army of Mushroom People, in which they were sent to his headquarters in Valley Forge. George Washingtoad comments to the group that things are going horribly wrong. Luigi replies that the weather is so cold, his stove needs more firewood. Washingtoad then tells Luigi that he and his army are going to save their new nation and bring freedom to all Mushrooms. Princess Toadstool becomes convinced with this statement when Redcoat Koopa, leader of the Koopish Army, appears out of nowhere referring to their plan as "revolting" and forces the group to surrender. Toad grabs a stick and tells Koopa that they have not fought yet. Koopa replies saying that they have, pulls Toad's cap onto his head, and orders his Flurry assistant to give him his Ice Scepter. The Flurry comes in with the scepter, only to poke him with it on accident. Koopa takes the scepter away from the Flurry, and freezes Toad. Mario tries to avenge his Mushroom friend, but gets frozen too. Luigi, in shock, claims that Mario and Toad have been deep-freezed, and George Washingtoad demands Koopa to unfreeze them before he calls his army. Koopa shows Washingtoad that all of his army has been frozen as well. Princess Toadstool and Luigi rebuke Koopa, but he tells them that they will emerge victorious and have destroyed the Mushroom Rebellion by the time Washingtoad's army thaws out. He then proceeds to freeze the Princess, George Washingtoad, and Luigi.

With the Mushroom Rebellion frozen, Mario somewhat manages to free himself from his ice block using George Washingtoad's stove, melting the ice block he was trapped in in the process. When Mario breaks free from the ice, he feels his feet burn from the stove he stood on and jumps into a nearby bucket for his feet to cool down. Mario then heads over to free his friends, starting with Luigi. However, Luigi is too heavy to carry due to the ice block he is frozen in, with Mario explaining that his brother should "go on a diet". Luigi hears this, and tells Mario that he is not one who needs to diet. Mario, however, slips into an ice puddle, causing him to lose his grip on Luigi and throw him into the air, into the tent ceiling, and then into Princess Toadstool and Toad. As the ice blocks that Luigi, the Princess, and Toad were trapped in begin to melt, the former tells Mario that George Washingtoad is slipping away. When Washingtoad helplessly slides out of his tent, Mario runs off to rescue him. Mario catches Washingtoad using a plunger attached to a rope, but somehow gets yanked onto the rope thanks to his right leg being in it. When Washingtoad runs into a snow hill, Mario runs into him, freeing him and somewhat receiving pain in his head. Washingtoad and Mario then rush back over to his tent and unfreeze the members of the Mushroom Rebellion.

Meanwhile, Redcoat Koopa comes out of his tent asking his Flurry assistant why it is not morning yet. The Flurry tells Koopa that it is midnight and that he has to be patient. Koopa snatches his hat away from the Flurry, saying that patience is for "pipsqueaks like [him]", and orders his Koopish army to attack imminently. The Flurry becomes confused if they should fight in the dark as Koopa slips on the icy floor, complaining to the Flurry that the dark is a terrible idea and that he should not have come up with it. He then concludes that they should attack at dawn.

Back at George Washingtoad's tent, Princess Toadstool gives Mario a Fire Flower to unfreeze the army. First, however, the fireball Mario had in his head is accidentally thrown to Luigi, who catches it. The fireball then escapes Luigi's hands, and into the Princess's; she pats it, calls it a nice little fellow, and blows it right towards one of the Mushroom soldiers. Mario tells George Washingtoad that it will take hours to unfreeze every single soldier of the Mushroom Rebellion; the latter replies that Redcoat Koopa has made his attack at dawn and that someone should warn the Mushroom citizens. Toad finishes, saying that someone should also ride a nearby horse he had found. Mario tells Luigi that he must get on the horse and warn the Mushroom citizens. Luigi becomes hesitant to ride the horse, but George Washingtoad asks him if he is a patriot or a coward. Luigi tries to reply saying that he is a coward, but the horse grabs him with his tail and sets off.

Luigi warns the Mushroom citizens, "The Koopas are coming!" as he speeds forth on the horse, but as he ventures further, a squadron of Beezos prepare to ambush him. As Luigi begins to fall off the horse's saddle, the horse picks Luigi up with his teeth and throws him back up, with Luigi glad that one has some horse sense. When the Beezos proceed to fly into Luigi and his horse, the horse dodges the Beezos's attack as Luigi tells them to buzz off. Luigi then runs into a nearby branch from an old decayed tree as the Beezos grab and kidnap him.

As Mario melts the last of the Mushroom soldiers that were frozen, Toad reminds the soldiers that it is going to be dawn soon and Luigi has yet to return. The horse returns with a note, which George Washingtoad picks up and reads that Redcoat Koopa has kidnapped Luigi, demanding an immediate surrender or else. Mario tells Washingtoad that they must attack Koopa now. Washingtoad replies that he has only unfrozen a few of his soldiers, leaving the Mushroom Rebellion hopelessly outnumbered. Mario tells everyone his plan that they should surprise Koopa and attack from behind. Washingtoad tells him that that means that they have to cross the Delawide River. Princess Toadstool comments to the two that it has not been done in winter. Mario claims that they are going to save the Thirteen Mushroom Colonies, as well as Luigi.

In Redcoat Koopa's headquarters, Koopa walks to Luigi, saying that he has fixed his last faucet. Luigi tells Koopa that he is positive that the Mushroom Rebellion will rescue him. In response, Koopa tells Luigi that the Thirteen Colonies are going down and then asks his Flurry assistant if his army is ready; the Flurry tells him it is. He then wonders if George Washingtoad will attack the soldiers from behind. Koopa calls the Flurry a fool and tells him that the Delawide River is behind them and that no one can cross it in winter.

As Mario, Princess Toadstool, Toad, George Washingtoad, and the horse row their way to the Delawide River in a bathtub, Washingtoad tells Mario and Toad to row harder as they hit an iceberg. Mario asks his friends if anyone has any ideas. Toad tells Mario that they should give Washingtoad one as he gives him a gold coin, telling him to throw it across the river. Washingtoad throws the coin into the end of the river, and Toad tells everyone that whoever gets the gold coin first gets to keep it. Everyone in the bathtub sans Washingtoad rows quickly into the other side of the river.

At Redcoat Koopa's colony, Koopa is complaining about how his Koopa Troopa soldiers are being incompetent. The Flurry asks why this is the case. When the gold coin Toad threw hits Koopa's face, he demands to know whoever threw it. The Flurry tells Koopa that it is probably one of the opposing soldiers. Koopa looks and finds Mario, Princess Toadstool, Toad, George Washingtoad, and his soldiers, much to his surprise. Washingtoad releases his sword and commands Koopa, "Give us Koopa, or give us death!". He then slides on the bathtub with Mario as the Flurry and Koopa flee. Koopa then commands his redcoated Koopa Troopas to stop the Mushroom soldiers. As Koopa runs off without his Flurry, the bathtub Washingtoad and Mario are riding on runs into Luigi, breaking him free from his prison and landing on two Koopa Troopas. Koopa kicks two Koopa Troopas, then turns his cannon around and launches a Bob-Omb at Mario and Washingtoad. Mario manages to carry a "U" pipe to deflect the attack and blow up the cannon that it was launched on, with Koopa beside him. The Princess, Toad, and some of the soldiers are shown sliding on pipe-like sleds as Mario and Washingtoad in the bathtub run into a tent with three Koopa Troopas inside it and make a stop. Mario then comes out of the bathtub to find another Fire Flower, becoming Super Mario once again and freeing Toad and the Princess from three of the Koopa Troopa soldiers. The Flurry gives Koopa his Ice Scepter in an attempt to refreeze the soldiers, but loses it when a fireball lands on his hand. With the scepter in midair, Koopa commands his Flurry to get it quickly. Luigi agrees and leaps over to get the scepter, only for the Flurry to get it in his hands too. The Flurry grabs the scepter out of Luigi's hands and proceeds to bonk his head. Luigi then proceeds to fight the Flurry in the snow pile. As the Flurry is defeated, Luigi succeeds in grabbing the scepter as George Washingtoad attacks Koopa. Luigi then throws the scepter to Mario, and Mario then freezes Koopa, as he exclaims, "That's one cold Koopa!"

As George Washingtoad reads his constitution, he unexpectedly sneezes, making his soldiers grossed out from their leader sneezing. Princess Toadstool asks Washingtoad if he is doing okay. Washingtoad replies that it is just a little cold. The Princess asks Washingtoad again if he could be more specific about this statement. Washingtoad replies that it is more of a "constitutional thing". The Mushroom soldiers remain grossed out from Washingtoad's sneezing, with one of them laughing about it. Washingtoad then resumes to reading his constitution, saying that as Father of the Thirteen Mushroom Colonies, he proclaims Mario and Luigi as "uncles of their country" and wonders where they are as Toad, Luigi, and Mario appear holding instruments whilst playing a victory fanfare.

Gallery

• 

  Title card

Characters

"Redcoat Koopa"

• Mario
• Luigi
• Princess Toadstool
• Toad
• Redcoat Koopa
• George Washingtoad
• Mushroom People
• Horse
• Koopa Troopas
• Flurries
• Beezos
• Bob-Ombs

Cast

• Lou Albano — Mario
• Danny Wells — Luigi
• Jeannie Elias — Princess Toadstool
• John Stocker — Toad, George Washingtoad, Koopa Troopa #1, Koopa Troopa #2, Beezos, Flurry, citizen #1
• Harvey Atkin — Redcoat Koopa, citizen #2, citizen #3

References to the American Revolutionary War

This episode is based on the American Revolutionary War fought between the Patriots (first as the Thirteen Colonies, then as the United States of America), France, Spain, and the Dutch Republic against the Kingdom of Great Britain.

• The Plumber's Log is numbered as 1776, the year the United States Declaration of Independence was signed, establishing the Thirteen Colonies as a union of sovereign states.
• Redcoat Koopa is based on anti-revolutionary British forces from the war, who were informally known as "redcoats" due to their bright red tunics.
• George Washingtoad is stationed in Valley Forge, a forge in Pennsylvania where George Washington and the Continental Army spent the Winter of 1777-78.
  • This same detail is carried over with the crossing of the Delawide River, itself based on the crossing of the Delaware River on the night of Christmas Day, 1776. The placement in said scene is based on the painting Washington Crossing the Delaware.
• Mario having Luigi ride a horse to warn the colonies that "the Koopas are coming!" is based on Paul Revere's Midnight Ride, where he was one of two riders who attempted to warn the colonists from Lexington and Concord about an imminent crackdown against the Massachusetts Provincial Congress. Revere's warning is popularly misquoted as "The British are coming! The British are coming!"; firsthand accounts of the event instead recall it as "The regulars are coming out!"
• Luigi's mention of Koopa's dumping tea in the harbor is a reference to the Boston Tea Party, where the Sons of Liberty snuck onto a British trading ship and dumped crates of tea into the Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act.
• George Washingtoad's line, "Give us Koopa, or give us death!" is based on Patrick Henry's speech to the Virginia Convention "Give me liberty, or give me death!"
• Mario, Luigi, and Toad's positions and instruments at the end of the episode are based on the painting The Spirit of '76, which was painted to commemorate the centennial celebration of America's independence.

Animation and continuity errors

• When Redcoat Koopa enters George Washingtoad's tent, the furnace inside is missing.
• Initially, there is no stick inside Washingtoad's tent, but after Koopa enters, a stick appears.
• When Toad picks up the stick, Luigi is smiling despite Koopa being present in the tent.
• Throughout their appearance, the positions of the guards outside Washingtoad's tent change, as well as whether they have muskets or not several times.
• When Mario jumps into the bucket of water, his left arm turns the same color as his skin.
  • In the same scene, there is no puddle present near the furnace, but when Mario carries Luigi to the stove, a puddle appears.
• When Washingtoad slides out of his tent, he briefly overlaps the stove and one of his guards.
• After Mario acquires a Fire Flower to thaw Washingtoad's soldiers, he can be seen in his normal form in some scenes, eventually resulting in him acquiring another Fire Flower.
• Despite Toad being frozen with his friends, he is missing when Mario thaws everyone out.
• In some scenes, the Flurry that helps Redcoat Koopa is missing its arms.
• When the Beezos appear over Luigi on his horse, Luigi is depicted as Fire Mario.
• When Mario says that he and his friends can attack Redcoat Koopa from behind, his head is layered behind the bubble he is in.
• When Koopa walks to look at Luigi in the pillory, he suddenly jolts forward.
• When Luigi is in the pillory, it and the stool he is sitting on are purple, but when it is destroyed, they are brown.
• When Koopa is talking to Luigi in the pillory, Luigi has Mario's head shape and mustache.
• When Mario shoots a fireball to warm everyone up, the tents at Washingtoad's camp are red instead of tan.
• When Mario freezes Koopa's army, the scene appears to be unfinished, missing the Koopa Troopas and having a black background.
• In one scene, George Washingtoad is drawn with a mustache.

• 

  Luigi depicted as Mario

• 

  Luigi's head error

• 

  The unfinished background

Profiles

• Netflix: With Redcoat Koopa's army lurking on the other side of the Delawide, it's up to Mario and Luigi to help General George Washingtoad get cross^[sic] safely.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Chinese (simplified)	酷霸军队来了！ Kùbà Jūnduì Láile!	The Koopa Army is Here!
French	Les Koopas Arrivent	The Koopas are Coming
German	Die Koopas kommen! Die Koopas kommen!	The Koopas are Coming! The Koopas are Coming!
Italian	Arriva Attila! Arriva Attila![?]	Koopa is Coming! Koopa is Coming!
Spanish	¡Ahí vienen los Koopas! ¡Ahí vienen los Koopa!	The Koopas are here! The Koopas are here!