Koops: Difference between revisions

Koops
	; Artwork from Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)
Species	Koopa Troopa
First appearance	Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004)
Latest appearance	Super Mario Run (version 3.2.0, cameo) (2024)

Revision as of 18:33, August 26, 2024

“OH, PLEASE TAKE ME WITH YOU TO FIGHT HOOKTAIL! PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU!”

—Koops, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Koops is a Koopa Troopa from Petalburg who is Mario's second partner in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. His left eyelid is half-closed, and he wears a bandage on his nose, a light-blue, short-sleeve jacket with a hoodie, blue shorts, and white shoes. Very much like Kooper from the original Paper Mario, Koops can retreat into his shell and use it as a weapon against foes, and Mario can also launch him at switches or distant objects to hit them or retrieve them. However, he differs from Kooper in that Mario can hold Koops's shell in place. He has a girlfriend named Koopie Koo and a father named Koopley. His name is a portmanteau of "Koopa" and "oops", an exclamation of clumsiness (Koops being clumsy); it is also a real surname.

History

Background

When Koops was young and "barely shell-high", he was good friends with Koopook, who was his neighbor at the time. The two would often play hide-and-seek together, with Koops always being "it". One day, Koopok hid so well that he was never able to be found, which is when he decided to become the Hide-'n'-Seek Koopa, presumedly leaving Petalburg. Koops would not see him again until the Try to find me! trouble.

Ten years prior to the events of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Koops's father, Koopley, left to fight Hooktail at her castle, but never returned. As Koops's mother is never once mentioned, it can be assumed that Koops had to live by himself from then on. It is unknown how old Koops was when his father left. While Koopley does mention how much Koops has grown when they reunite, Koops had to have been old enough to remember his father decently well to miss him to the degree that he does. Additionally, the remake adds an old sepia photograph of Koopley to Koops's house. As Koops mistakes Kolorado's father for his own seemingly due to the corpse's blue shoes and shell, he would have had to remember Koopley's appearance. Koopie Koo's insistence on marrying him, as well as Goombella's comments on him being "more of an adult" and planning to run for mayor in her epilogue email could imply he is a young adult during the events of the game.

At some point before the game, Koops began dating Koopie Koo.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Koops stops Mario, but his shyness overcomes him.

Koops is going to travel with Mario.

When Mario arrives in Petalburg, he can meet a female Koopa Troopa named Koopie Koo, who recognizes him and concludes that he is there to help free their village from the terror of the dragon Hooktail, while wishing to herself that a certain "Koops" was as brave as him. Upon entering the house right next to her, Mario can converse with the resident, a male green-shelled Koopa with a half-closed eye, a bandage on his nose, and a light blue jacket. He remarks how surprising it is that the plumber is off to challenge Hooktail, which he admits is scary. Just before Mario leaves the village for Shhwonk Fortress to retrieve the Sun and Moon stone keys needed to unlock the pipe leading to Hooktail Castle, however, this same individual catches up to him to say something. Introducing himself as Koops, he attempts to ask Mario a favor, but as his shyness overcomes him, he quickly ends the conversation and runs off, prompting Goombella to comment about the weirdness of his interaction.

Once Mario returns with the stones and exits the village back the way he came from, Koops comes up to him again, this time mustering enough courage to beg Mario for a chance to join him. He brings up how he wants to avenge his father, who disappeared after leaving to battle Hooktail a long time ago, and therefore prove that he is not a crybaby or a weakling, but someone as strong as his dad. Once Mario accepts and the player is taught the new partner's controls, he and Mario continue on their journey. However, his girlfriend, Koopie Koo, catches up to them and attempts to stop Koops at the last minute, stating her concern for him and how she accepts him regardless of how he is seen. Unable to convince him to back out, Koopie Koo lashes out and strikes him and Mario twice by dashing in her shell. As she leaves, Koops promises to return a stronger Koopa for her, and they set out for Hooktail Castle.

Koops mistakes Kolorado's father for his.

Inside the castle, Koops finds a skeleton with a blue shell and shoes by a metal grate. Believing this dead Koopa to be his father, Koops bursts into tears before noticing that the corpse is grasping a letter. This letter contains a hint about Hooktail's weakness, a warning about her deceptive nature, and a farewell to the corpse’s son, Kolorado. Embarrassed by the fact that the dead Koopa is not his father after all, Koops is left blushing and scratching his head over the mistake, but then wonders if any of the other skeletons is his father, such as the Red Bones.

Koops, alongside Mario and Goombella, successfully reach Hooktail at the top of the castle and battle her. Once defeated, the near-dead dragon spits up a blue-shelled Koopa with eyebrows and a beard. Recognizing him as his father, Koopley, Koops runs up to reunite with him. After sharing his story of how the dragon tricked him in battle and gobbled him up, keeping him imprisoned for ten years, Koopley reveals that he found the Diamond Star in Hooktail's stomach and gives it to Mario, "Koops's friend," ending the first chapter of the game.

After this, and with the support of his father, girlfriend, and Mayor Kroop, Koops decides to continue traveling with Mario in his quest to collect the rest of the Crystal Stars, save Princess Peach, and reveal the secrets behind The Thousand-Year Door. By the end of the game, as the whole party and other characters meet up with Mario and Peach before they take the boat back home to the Mushroom Kingdom, Koops thanks Mario for having helped him find his courage and inner strength, appreciating himself more and how he has grown closer to his dad (in the original game) or how he has become more like his dad (in the remake).

Sometime after the events of the game, Goombella reveals that Koops, now more mature than when he was last seen, plans to run as Petalburg's new mayor, though, noting how he still retains a bit of his old bashful self, she remarks that "Koopie Koo pretty much has him wrapped around her little finger." It is possible that Koops will want to adventure again someday, as Koopley mentions having a dream of adventuring with his son, and how he feels "that day's not too far off".

Battle abilities

In battle, Koops excels at attacking grounded enemies. While Shell Toss can only damage a single grounded enemy, Power Shell and Shell Slam damage all grounded enemies. Additionally, Shell Slam penetrates defense. However, while Koops can deal great damage to grounded enemies, he cannot attack flying enemies whatsoever. Koops also learns Shell Shield at Super Rank. Though this move does not deal damage, it is able to protect Mario from enemy attacks. The shell has its own HP dependent on how well the Action Command is performed.

As a Koopa Troopa, Koops is the only partner with a defense of 1, though this is negated if he does not defend himself with an Action Command from jump attacks, which will flip him on his back and temporarily immobilize him. Furthermore, he has the lowest health of all partners when upgraded, with 15 Health Points at Super Rank and 25 Health Points at Ultra Rank (sharing the same amount of Health Points as Ms. Mowz).

Super Paper Mario

In Super Paper Mario, Koops appears as a Catch Card won by winning the Duel of 100 in the Sammer's Kingdom. Koops could also be seen very briefly during the intro, where he and all the other partners from the previous Paper Mario titles could be seen in a photograph at the Mario Bros.' House.

Super Mario Run

In Super Mario Run, Koops appears as a statue, together with Mario and Goombella during an event to celebrate the launch of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on Nintendo Switch. His statue was given as a reward after completing all nine event missions from May 23 to June 27, 2024. ^[1] Once unlocked, his statue is available to be placed in the Mushroom Kingdom through Kingdom Builder.

General information

Physical appearance

Koops wears a light blue, short-sleeved sweatshirt, blue shorts, and white shoes. His green shell is seen over his sweatshirt in a similar manner to how Bowser wears clothes, such as his wedding suit in Super Mario Odyssey. One of his eyes is always half closed and he wears a bandage over his nose; any injuries that could have caused these are never addressed and seemingly never heal. Koops is shorter than other Koopa Troopas, including his girlfriend Koopie Koo.

Personality

While Koops is timid, he becomes less anxious and better at speaking his mind over the course of the game. Even during Chapter 1, he shows no hesitation in fighting Hooktail and exclaims that he has had enough of her if he is the active partner when she eats the audience. Later, if he is the active partner when encountering Gloomtail, Koops only expresses confusion, not fear.

In addition to his timidness, Koops is supposedly less mature than he should be for his age, considering Goombella's remark on him being "more of an adult" at the end of the game and Koopie Koo's tattle mentioning that she "mothers" him. Koops is also highly motivated, wanting to continue getting stronger even after defeating Hooktail. Notably, in the remake, both of his postgame partner hints revolve around him wanting to complete the Pit of 100 Trials. This motivation stems from both wanting to impress Koopie Koo and being inspired by Koopley.

Despite dating Koopie Koo, Koops appears to also have an interest in Ms. Mowz and becomes jealous of Mario, going as far as calling him a "lucky dog" when the thief kisses him in the Glitz Pit. Koopie Koo also worries that Koops will forget about her on his adventure, but by the end of the game the two are still dating with seemingly no issues. Koops has difficulty talking to his romantic interests or partners, being flustered when Koopie Koo approaches him after he joins Mario's party and remarking how he always sounds like a "dork" (in the original game) or "nerd" (in the remake) when talking to Ms. Mowz.