This article is about the partner inPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. For the character playlist on theNintendo Music app, seeList of playlists with Super Mario tracks on Nintendo Music § Koops.

Koops
Artwork fromPaper 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)

“OH, PLEASE TAKE ME WITHYOU TO FIGHTHOOKTAIL! PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU!”

—Koops,Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Koops is aKoopa Troopa fromPetalburg who isMario's secondpartner inPaper 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 with light brown soles. Very much likeKooper from the originalPaper 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 namedKoopie Koo and a father namedKoopley.

History[edit]

Background[edit]

When Koops was young and "barely shell-high", he was good friends withKoopook, who was his neighbor at the time. The two would often play hide-and-seek together, with Koops always being "it".

Ten years prior to the events ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Koops's father,Koopley, left to fightHooktail ather castle, but never returned.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]

Koops stops Mario, but his shyness overcomes him.

Koops is going to travel with Mario.

WhenMario arrives in Petalburg, he can meetKoopie Koo, Koops's girlfriend, who recognizes him and concludes that he is there to defeat Hooktail, while wishing to herself that Koops was as brave as him. Upon entering the house she is standing by, Mario can converse with Koops, who remarks how surprising it is that the plumber is off to challenge Hooktail, who he admits is scary. Just before Mario leaves the village forShhwonk Fortress to retrieve theSun andMoon Stones needed to unlock the pipe leading toHooktail Castle, however, Koops catches up to him to say something. Introducing himself, he attempts to ask Mario a favor, but as his shyness overcomes him, he quickly ends the conversation and runs off.

Once Mario returns with the stones and exits Petalburg 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 and finish what he started, but also prove that he is not a crybaby or a weakling. Once Mario accepts and the player is taught the new partner's controls, he and Mario continue on their journey. However, 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 mistakesKolorado's father for his.

Inside the castle, Koops findsa 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.

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

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 theCrystal Stars, savePrincess Peach, and reveal the secrets behindThe 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 theMushroom 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[edit]

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 theAction 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 asMs. Mowz).

Paper Mario RPG Special Comic[edit]

Koops inPaper Mario RPG Special Comic

InPaper Mario RPG Special Comic, after an argument with Koopie Koo, Koops accompanies Mario and Goombella to Hooktail Castle to rescue his father. During the fight against Hooktail, Mario throws Koops while he is hiding in his shell, knocking off stage lights that set Hooktail on fire. This defeats Hooktail, and Koops and Koopley reunite.

Super Mario-kun[edit]

Koops, alongside Goombella, is one of Mario's two partners in thePaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door arc ofSuper Mario-kun. Just like in the game, Koops joins Mario to fight Hooktail and avenge his father (who is actually still alive) and continues to travel with Mario afterwards. However, Koopie Koo is not in the manga.

Super Paper Mario[edit]

InSuper Paper Mario, Koops appears as aCatch Card won by winning theDuel of 100 in theSammer's Kingdom. Koops could also be seen very briefly during the intro, where he and all the otherpartners from the previousPaper Mario titles could be seen in a photograph at theMario Bros.' House.

Super Mario Run[edit]

Koops' statue inSuper Mario Run

InSuper Mario Run, Koops appears as a statue, together withMario andGoombella during an event to celebrate the launch ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door onNintendo 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 theMushroom Kingdom throughKingdom Builder.

Nintendo Music[edit]

Main section:List of playlists with Super Mario tracks on Nintendo Music § Koops

Since October 6th, 2025, theNintendo Music app has featured a Koops playlist. It contains 6 tracks fromPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and itsremake and is 17 minutes long.

General information[edit]

Physical description[edit]

Koops wears a light blue, short-sleeved sweatshirt, blue shorts, and white shoes. His sweatshirt is tucked under the back of his shell in a similar manner to howBowser wears clothes, such as his wedding suit inSuper 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[edit]

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 encounteringGloomtail, 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 thePit 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 theGlitz 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.

Profiles and statistics[edit]

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door[edit]

• In-game description:Koops is a timid Koopa who wants to be tougher for his girlfriend, Koopie Koo. Press to shoot out his shell and retrieve distant items. After shooting out his shell, you can also hold to hold the shell in place.
• Instruction booklet:Hides in his shell and sails out in front of you to recover distant items, attack enemies, or activate switches.^[2]
• Player's Guide:Koops is a timid Koopa who wants to be tougher for his girlfriend, Koopie Koo. In the field, you can press X to launch and retrieve distant items. After hurling him, you can hold your companion in place by keeping your thumb on the X Button.^[3]

GameCube[edit]

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door enemy
Koops
	Max HP	10-15	Attack	2-3	Defense	1
	Location(s)	Creepy Steeple	Role	Support	Level	0
	Sleep?	N/A	Dizzy?	N/A	Confuse?	N/A
	Tiny?	N/A	Stop?	N/A	Soft?	N/A
	Burn?	N/A	Freeze?	N/A	Fright?	N/A
	Gale Force?	N/A	KO?	N/A	Moves	Shell Toss (2-3), Shell Slam (2-3)
	Exp. points	0	Coins	N/A	Items	none
Tattle Log #: N/A	Log	N/A
	Tattle	N/A

Nintendo Switch[edit]

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door enemy
Koops
	Max HP	10-15	Attack	2-3	Defense	1
	Location(s)	Creepy Steeple	Role	Support	Level	0
	Sleep?	60%	Dizzy?	70%	Confuse?	70%
	Tiny?	70%	Stop?	80%	Soft?	70%
	Burn?	100%	Freeze?	70%	Fright?	0%
	Gale Force?	0%	KO?	0%	Moves	Shell Toss (2-3), Shell Slam (2-3)
	Exp. points	0	Coins	N/A	Items	none
Tattle Log #: N/A	Log	N/A
	Tattle	N/A

Attacks[edit]

HP

• Initial: 10 HP
• Super Rank: 15 HP
• Ultra Rank: 25 HP

Attack	FP Needed	Effect	Action Command	Attack Power	Move Rank
Shell Toss	0	Attacks a single ground enemy.	Tilt to the left until the star lights up.	Initial: 1/2 Super: 2/3 Ultra: 3/5	Initial
Power Shell	3	Attacks all ground enemies.	Hold to the left to fill the gauge and release when the star is lit.	Initial: 1/2 Super: 2/3 Ultra: 3/5	Initial
Shell Shield	4	Creates a shell to protect Mario.	Press to stop the word "OK" in the gauge.	N/A	Super Rank
Shell Slam	6	Attacks all ground enemies and penetrates their defense.	Repeatedly tilt the to the left to fill the gauge. The most successful way is to turn the controller sideways so that the is at the bottom and flick the down.	Ultra: 0-6	Ultra Rank

Tattle[edit]

Goombella's fieldtattles on Koops are viewable when Mario visits his house inPetalburg before leaving the village forShhwonk Fortress and again inPetal Meadows when Mario denies Koops's request to join him.

Petalburg

• "That's Koops, from Petalburg. He's got confidence issues... He's a... cringer, y'know? But he's definitely got a serious interest in Hooktail... I wonder why?"

Petal Meadows

• "That's Koops, from Petalburg. He's been waiting here, hoping to join you. He's a bit green, but braver than I thought... I'll have to rethink my first impression. I mean, he seems totally earnest, know what I mean? We should take him along."

Super Paper Mario[edit]

Catch Card
	Card Type: Rare Card Description:It's Koops from the last Paper Mario adventure. Kicking some shell never felt so good.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)[edit]

• In-game description:Koops is a timid Koopa who wants to be tougher for his girlfriend, Koopie Koo. Press to kick him forward inside his shell and retrieve distant items or activate switches. By holding down after kicking, you can also hold his shell in place at a distance.

• Website description:
  • English (United States):
    “My tummy's getting upset... Let's find the guy in charge before I lose my nerve!”^[4]
  • English (United Kingdom):
    As clumsy as he is shy, Koops joins Mario in the hopes of discovering his father's fate at the hands of a scary dragon. His shell keeps him safe, but it can do some real damage to anyone getting hit by it!^[5]

Super Mario Run[edit]

Item description[edit]

• Koops Statue:A slightly timid boy with courage in his heart. He's a master of shell attacks.

Gallery[edit]

• 

  Koops's sprite

• 

  Koops waiting for Mario

• 

  Koops wants to join Mario

• 

  Koops excited to join Mario

• 

  Koops joins the party

• 

  Shell Toss tutorial

• 

  Koops and Mario in Petal Meadows

• 

  Koops and Mario in battle againstGoombas

• 

  With Koops, Mario can snag thisHappy Heartbadge

• 

  With Koops, Mario can snag thisHP Plus badge

• 

  Koops reunites with his father, Koopley.

• 

  Koops flipped over

• 

  Paper Mario RPG Special Comic

• 

  Super Mario-kun

• 

  Super Mario-kun

• 

  Unused sprite fromSuper Paper Mario

• 

  Artwork forPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch)

• 

  Koops about to hit a red switch in Hooktail Castle

• 

  Mario and Koops encounter Hooktail

• 

  Mario and Koops win a Glitz Pit match against "Spike Storm"

• 

  Mario and Koops explore theRogueport Underground

• 

  Mario and Koops atPodley's Place

• 

  Koops with the rest of the cast in the ending credits parade

• 

  Koops's 8-bit sprite appearance in theX-Naut Fortress

• 

  Photo of the partners from the Nintendo Switch version ofPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

• 

  Character profile card

• 

  Koops's statue inSuper Mario Run

• 

  Promotional character introduction

• 

  Koops on the Nintendo Magazine for summer 2024, showing a relationship chart featuring many characters fromPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Naming[edit]

Koops's name is a portmanteau of "Koopa" and "oops", an exclamation of clumsiness (Koops being clumsy); it is also areal surname.

Names in other languages[edit]

Notes[edit]

Concept art of Koops on the bottom right

• Concept art for Koops shows him wearing his shell as a backpack.
• In the original game, Koops is inconsistently depicted with either three or four fingers on each hand.^{[17][better source needed]}
• Koops's Japanese name, ノコタロウNokotarō, is used as one of the wrong answers in one ofChuck Quizmo's questions in the Japanese version ofPaper Mario.
• LikeKooper, players are given the option to agree or disagree about letting Koops to join their party, and they both practically beg Mario to bring them along.
• In the original game, a small glitch can occur with Koops in the overworld when swapping him out with another partner and then back to him, causing him to be slightly smaller than his original size.
• In the section on finding hiddenStar Piece panels in the original game's instruction booklet, the picture depicts MarioSpin Jumping with Koops in front of theRogueport Undergroundblack chest which appears closed. This is a continuity error, asMario does not acquire Koops as apartner or the Ground Pound ability until after he opens the chest.

References[edit]

• Koopa Troopas
• Playable characters
• Paper Mario series party members
• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door characters
• Super Mario-kun characters

• Articles with stub sections
• Articles with poor sources