Koopalings

The Koopalings, known in Japan as the Team of 7 Bowsers (Japanese: クッパ7人衆, Hepburn: Kuppa 7 Ninshū), also known as Bowser's Minions in some British English localizations, and occasionally known as the Koopa Kids in the DIC Entertainment cartoons, are a group of characters in Nintendo's Mario franchise, consisting of seven siblings: Larry Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr., Wendy O. Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Roy Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, and Ludwig von Koopa. They made their debut in Super Mario Bros. 3 for the NES in 1988, in which they were presented as enemies serving under the series' primary antagonist, Bowser. The Koopalings have continued to appear in later Mario games and related media. The group is depicted as Bowser's children in early games and in their re-releases, however, Shigeru Miyamoto stated in 2012 that they are not Bowser's children in the current story and serve as minions instead, with Bowser Jr. as Bowser's son and only child. The names of the Koopalings are attributed to well-known celebrities, primarily musicians, an aesthetic choice that was made by a former Nintendo employee, Dayvv Brooks. In terms of critics' reaction, the Koopalings have been well-received regarding their contribution to the gameplay side of the games, and for the varying personalities depicted in each character, although the critics were dissatisfied with their lack of presence in the series, their return in Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition: Meetup in Bellabel Park was received more positively. On the other hand, researchers have examined the group's gender representation and criticized the portrayal of the female member, Wendy, for being centered on the femininity aspect and lacking appeal compared to male characters.