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| “ | Whatever. I’m not impressed! Time for a real leader to step to the plate! | „ |
| ~ Ludwig |
| “ | Incoherent insect!! Idiotic imbecile! You and everyone you care for will pay dearly for making a fool of me!! | „ |
| ~ Ludwig |
| “ | I’ve been waiting, Mario! I designed this weapon specifically for you. I think you’re gonna LOVE it. Gaze upon its glory! Cower in fear of its might! | „ |
| ~ Ludwig |
Ludwig von Koopa (or Kooky von Koopa) is the eldest and self-proclaimed leader of the seven Koopalings, and a supporting antagonist in the Super Mario franchise.
He is traditionally the seventh and final Koopaling fought in most Mario games, with a few exceptions such as Super Mario World or Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.
He was originally voiced by Mike Vaughn, who also voiced Ghostface in the first two seasons of the Scream TV Series, and was replaced by David J. Goldfarb after Mario Kart 8. He was also voiced by Michael Stark as Kooky von Koopa in the cartoons.
Biography[]
Super Mario Bros. 3[]
Ludwig is the seventh and last Koopaling to be fought. Like his brother Roy, he causes a destructive earthquake when he lands, stunning anyone on the ground right upon impact. Like all his other siblings, he must be jumped on three times to be defeated. Ludwig turned the king of Pipe Land into a Piranha Plant, but was defeated by Mario and Luigi in his airship, and ran off. In the SNES game Super Mario All Stars, which had remakes of all three NES games and lost levels of Super Mario Brothers, he turns the Pipe Land king into a dinosaur reminiscent of Yoshi.
Super Mario World[]
Ludwig is the fourth Koopaling to be fought, at the Twin Bridges. His fighting style is different from those of the other Koopalings, but like all of them (except for Larry and Iggy), he must be jumped on three times to defeat him. He is fought in the biggest battle arena in the game, resembling a bridge above lava. Once defeated, he spirals into the distance and explodes in a puff of smoke.
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga[]
Like previously destroyed members of the Koopa Troop, Ludwig returned in another game. This time, however, he did not work for Bowser, but the one possessing him: Cackletta. Like in Super Mario World, he was the fourth to fight Mario and Luigi, and was defeated. Afterwards, he apparently dies and disintegrates like the other defeated enemies.
Super Princess Peach[]
Ludwig, along with the rest of the Koopalings, was going to appear in Super Princess Peach, but the decision was dropped, though after sprites were created for all of them.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[]
For the first time, the Koopalings and Bowser Jr. appear together in a game. Like in Super Mario Bros. 3, Ludwig is the last Koopaling to be fought. Kamek uses his magic to make three platforms in the room rise, to which Ludwig's shell attack is not a threat (if Mario can jump to a different platform), Mario, Luigi, or the Toads will fall to their deaths if they fall off the platforms. It is Ludwig who falls over the edge when Mario jumps on him three times. Ironically, he survived what should have been a fatal fall, as he is seen in the ending sequence with Bowser, Bowser Jr., and the other Koopalings, though Bowser's castle falls on top of all of them.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[]
Ludwig is the secondary antagonist of New Super Mario Bros. 2 and is once again the final Koopaling to be fought (though Larry and Lemmy can optionally be fought after him despite being the third and sixth bosses respectively). Ludwig is the apparent ringleader behind the kidnapping of Princess Peach, evident by the fact that he controls the Koopa Clown Car throughout the game. When fought, he flutters jumps on chains hanging on the ceiling and fires multiple magical fireballs at Mario, who must use cannons to knock Ludwig off the chain. He and the Koopalings later fall into a pool of lava after accidentally being knocked over by Bowser, who the Koopalings magically enlarged, but survive. They are later seen rescuing Bowser, only to lose control of the Clown Car due to Bowser's weight and crash land, with Ludwig lying on the ground sulking.
New Super Mario Bros. U[]
Once again, Ludwig is the boss of the penultimate world, Meringue Clouds. He is the only Koopaling required to beat the game, due to guarding the entrance to Peach's Castle, with no shortcuts around his castle. In this game, he uses his powers to split himself into three; the copy who shoots the most fireballs is the real Ludwig. Once defeated, his airship crashes. After Bowser is defeated, he and the other Koopalings, and Bowser Jr. attempt to flee from the castle on Bowser's damaged airship, only for it to crash due to Bowser's weight, leading to the group of evildoers having to hang on to Bowser Jr.'s clown car as they flee from the scene.
Other media[]
Mario Kart 8[]
Ludwig in Mario Kart 8
Ludwig as well as all of the other Koopalings made their first appearance as playable characters in Mario Kart 8. He and Iggy are the only two Koopalings to be in the upper medium class. He is voiced by David J. Goldfarb in this game, who gives Ludwig a higher pitched voice.
Super Smash Bros. Series[]
Ludwig von Koopa as Bowser Jr.'s alternate costume in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Ludwig has been used as an alternate costume for Bowser Jr. in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie[]
Ludwig doesn't make a physical appearance in the film, but his full name is displayed on the piano cover when Bowser is attempting to serenade Princess Peach. This may hint that the Koopalings will appear in a potential sequel.
Trivia[]
- Ludwig's name and hairstyle are derived from the composer Ludwig van Beethoven. However, according to Nintendo, the Koopalings (including Ludwig) designs were based on Super Mario Bros. 3's design team.
- Ludwig von Koopa's name appears on Bowser's piano during "Peaches," serving both as a reference to him and as a joke on Beethoven.
- Despite him using the German word "von" in his name, the composer who he was named after used the Dutch word "van" in his name. This was because despite Ludwig van Beethoven being born in Germany, his family was said to originate in the Belgian village of Bettenhoven (which in Dutch means "Beet Farms", and is also known by its French name Bettincourt, since the village sits on the border between Flanders and Walonia, the two main regions of Belgium).
See also[]
- Larry Koopa (youngest brother)
- Morton Koopa Jr. (younger brother)
- Wendy O. Koopa (younger sister)
- Iggy Koopa (younger brother)
- Roy Koopa (younger brother)
- Lemmy Koopa (younger brother)
[]
 Villains
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Marioverse Sour Bunch Others Movies Television Books Pakkun Mogura |
Chō Dossun |
Poko-tachi no sensuikan |
Ultra Pukupuku |
Battra Hanachan |
Kāmenētā |
Bowser (KC Mario) |
Wario (KC Mario) See Also | ||
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