In New Super Mario Bros Wii, Nintendo has brought back the long dormant “Koopalings.” These seven characters are supposedly Bowser’s children and appear as stage antagonists in several Mario games. It is said that during the production of Super Mario Bros 3, Shigeru Miyamoto based each of them on a member of the design team.
But when Super Mario Bros 3 was released in 1988 to Japan, the kids were not given names. Only a year and a half later when Nintendo Of America released the game did they get names. The localization team did their best to match their appearances with some obvious, and less obvious names. See how obscure they get!

Larry Koopa
To be honest, he could be Larry from the Three Stooges, but many scholars of Koopa kids think he’s named for broadcaster Larry King

King is known for his quiet interview style, just asking questions and letting the subject talk. Of course when he does assert an idea, he can sometimes put his foot in his mouth or simply sound odd. King has long been a radio and television host, with a live nightly program on CNN since 1985.
He’s also known for having more wives than there are Koopa Kids.
Larry King and Larry Koopa both have a reptilian appearance, which supports the theory for this namesake.

Morton Koopa Jr.
No, Bowser’s real name is not Morton. But this big mouthed lad is the namesake of one Morton Downey Jr, a trash TV talk show host that paved the way for Jerry Springer and Maury Povich.

Downey was also a conservative radio host in the early 80s who was fired for making an ethnic slur on air. Rush Limbaugh replaced him and has held the job ever since. A champion of smoking, Downey changed his mind in 1996 when he got lung cancer, from which he later died in 2001.
Morton Koopa shows none of the conservative or racist tendencies of his namesake, though he might be smoking from that wand when we’re not looking.

Wendy O Koopa
If there was a rival for a controversial figure on this list to Morton, it would certainly be Wendy O. Williams.

Wendy was known as the singer for the band The Plasmatics, and on stage she would spray paint “Fuck The Status Quo” on a car before blowing it up. She regularly appeared with little clothing and he trademark Mohawk on stage. Williams commited suicide in 1998.
Wendy Koopa has virtually nothing in common, she just has some hoops.

Iggy Koopa
One of the more obvious names on this list, Iggy Koopa is named after Iggy Pop.


He wants to be your dog.
Iggy Pop has had a long career, and remains active today. His song “Lust For Life” appears inappropriately in many commercials (“Beat my brain with liquor and drugs!” is this really a good lyric for a cruise ship commercial?) and he has a LEGO version of himself featured in the game LEGO Rock Band.
Neither Iggy Pop nor Iggy Koopa wear a shirt, ever.

Roy Koopa
The sunglasses are a dead giveaway.


Roy Orbison, a legendary crooner who his behind a big pair of shades his entire life. He recorded dozens of hits in the 60s and 70s, including “You Got It,” “Crying,” and “Only The Lonely” and is known for his unique and irreplaceable voice. He was experiencing a huge comeback in 1988 as a member of the Traveling Wilburys (with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, George Harrison, etc), but died suddenly of a heart attack.
Roy Koopa is notably more aggressive and shares little in common with Orbison outside of the Ray Ban sunglasses permanently affixed to his face.

Lemmy Koopa
If you like to gamble, you know Lemmy’s your koopa.


Seriously, is there anyone else in the world named Lemmy? The only way this could be more obvious is if they named him God.
Lemmy Kilmister is the bass player and singer for Motörhead, a cult icon known for his gravely voice and lyrics. He’s been performing metal for longer than you’ve been alive, and he’ll still be playing long after you’re dead. Aside from lending songs to Rock Band and Guitar Hero, Lemmy also recently appeared in the game Brutal Legend.
Lemmy Koopa rides around on a ball, Lemmy Kilmister rides a motorcyle through a wall.

Ludwig von Koopa
Perhaps the least controversial figure on this list, this Koopa takes his name from Ludwig van Beethoven


A legend in his time and beyond, Beethoven was a pianist and composer from Germany. He had a long and successful career, though in his later years he went completely deaf he continued to perform and compose.
Ludwig von Koopa is typically the last one you’ll face on your trip to World 8 and Bowser, perhaps a testament to Beethoven’s lasting influence.

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