User:Doc von Schmeltwick/Projects/Koopa (Bowser's species)
| Koopa | |||
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 Artwork featuring various members of the species aboard an airship | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario Bros. (1985 | ||
| Variant of | Koopa (species) | ||
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Koopas are a race of large, powerful creatures designed with a mix of traits from turtles, oxen, hippopotamuses, Ankylosaurian dinosaurs, and dragons, which serve as leaders in the eponymous Koopa clan. The most notable member of this group is Bowser, who is also the first introduced and most recurring; all other members are based off him in some manner, and the species name is interchangeable with his own name in Japanese. Koopas tend to have great strength, magical abilities, and fire breath, and even the smallest adolescent ones are about as large as fully-grown members of many other species.[1][2]
Appearance
Koopas stand upright, though depending on the game, they may have a pronounced slouch. Their shells usually have large carapaces with up to ten spikes on them; the spikes sometimes have rings around the bases. The shells can come in a variety of colors, though green is the most common. Their shell's tan-colored plastrons (i.e., the undersides) are disconnected from the carapaces in a manner that makes it look simply like a padded belly, though when they retreat into their shells, the edges of the two halves pull tight against each other.
Rather than beaks like most turtles, Koopas have a fleshy, mammalian snout containing sharp teeth, though as Dry Bowser shows, the beak still exists on the skeleton. They can open their mouths wide to breath fire in small bursts or long jets, and Bowser is also shown to be able to jet steam through his nostrils in the opening to Super Mario Galaxy. The remaining portion of Koopas' heads are scaled, as are their bodies; the scales between the head and body often differ in coloration. Koopas can also grow hair on their heads in addition to the scales, and a few members even grow a pair of horns. Koopas' eyes are shown in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and have sometimes been shown to grow yellow in the dark.
Koopas typically have large, somewhat flat bodies with proportionally short-but-thick limbs. Most of the time, they have squat, stout torsos, though Iggy Koopa shows they can be tall and lanky. Their body scales are usually a yellowish-orange color, though Bowser's Brother has a blue body and Morton Koopa Jr. a brown one. Koopas have four short fingers on each hand including thumbs, each ending with a bony claw. Their feet have three toes each, also ending with bony claws, as well as a round pad underneath each foot. Koopas also have short tails, which sometimes grow a series of spikes or plates along the spine.
Most Koopas shown in the games are male; the only female one in first-party media, Wendy O. Koopa, only differs from the males physically by having a large pair of lips and somewhat curved legs with small feet. Template:Media link for the Broodals in Super Mario Odyssey depicted them as four female Koopas with diverse designs, with one being extremely heavyset and another having a thinner, more humanoid torso.
Abilities
Koopas are in general fairly strong, with some also being heavy enough to create shockwaves by stomping extra hard after a jump; they can also jump quite high in most of their appearances. When retracted into their shells they can spin to move around and are able to control their speed and path, as well as jump. A recurring trait is the ability to breath fire in various ways; originally this was displayed almost exclusively by Bowser himself, though as time went on, other members were shown to be able to do so as well. Koopas are capable of magic, particularly when in possession of a Magic Wand; this is primarily shown by the Koopalings, though Bowser occasionally uses it as well and was originally introduced as a master of dark magic. Usually, the magic manifests as a brightly glowing projectile, though they have also been shown to use transformative, summoning, and teleportation magic. It is implied by the Koopalings in New Super Mario Bros. 2 that they can combine their magic to increase its power, but that they are individually less strong magically than experienced Magikoopas like Kamek.
Attire
In most cases, the only clothes Koopas are shown wearing are simple black cuffs, sometimes with pointed studs. On rare occasions, Bowser has been shown wearing more clothes, with usually only the front half appearing over his shell. Super Mario Odyssey notably features him fully dressed in a tuxedo with a matching pair of shoes and hat, showing they are capable of wearing full outfits. Wendy O. Koopa is also generally shown wearing a pair of high heels.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
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- ^ Size comparison chart
- ^ 1993 Nintendo Character Guide Comparison Chart that includes some Koopalings and 1993 Nintendo Character Guide Comparison Chart that includes Toad. Press The Buttons. Retrieved October 14,2015.
