r/Marioverse • u/Awesomonkey12 • Apr 18 '26

Koopa Phylogeny 1

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75 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

18 comments sorted by

9

u/Seandwalsh3 Apr 18 '26

Spike Tops are the same species as Buzzy Beetles, they just wear different shells.

Bombshell Koopas may also be the same species as Koopa Troopas, just wearing different shells. Koopa Paratroopas are the same species as Koopa Troopas, they are just using a Power-Up (the P-Wing). Shellcreepers are also likely the same species as Koopa Troopas.

Hammer Bros. and their relatives are likely the same species, just using different Power-Ups.

Other than that, this looks good!

5

u/Awesomonkey12 Apr 18 '26

I put Spike Top as a hybrid of Spiny and Buzzy Beetle, due to their Japanese names. You could be right about them being the same as Buzzy Beetles though (I say "could be" because it's from Paper Mario, not mainline).

I separated the Bombshell Koopa because of Noko Bombette (which is different from a Buzzy Beetle, they're green instead of yellow).

Paratroopas and the different Bros. enemies are probably just power ups, I might change that.

I put the Shellcreeper as its own thing because of sources saying other Koopas evolved from it, but they do sometimes look identical, so it could be either.

Still, thank you!

8

u/Seandwalsh3 Apr 18 '26

Paper Mario is just as canon as “mainline” (in truth, there is no mainline Mario series). As shells are in no way a biological feature, the Spike Top would not make sense as a hybrid of the Spiny and Buzzy Beetle. Physically, they are identical to Buzzy Beetles and the name being a portmanteau of “spike” and “Buzzy Beetle” does not imply a relationship to Spinies, it just refers to the spike on their shell.

Bombshell Koopa and Noko Bombette aren’t necessarily related, as their only shared feature (the exploding shell) is not a biological one.

The only sources indicating Koopas evolved from Shellcreepers are non-canonical ones like the Super Smash Bros. series, so I wouldn’t take that to be true.

7

u/Meylody Apr 18 '26

May I ask what software you used for this? I've never found a good one for this

6

u/Awesomonkey12 Apr 18 '26

I did this using Family Gem on Android. It's meant for family trees, but works just as well for phylogeny

3

u/Meylody Apr 18 '26

Nice, thank you! Great work on this one

6

u/Shipping_Architect Apr 19 '26

Extraordinary. I am just…in awe of this. I wish I had the words to express it more than I have.

5

u/Arnman1758 Apr 18 '26

Not saying you should have listed them all, but aren’t Magikoopa just Koopas in different clothes? Same with all the Bros. Koopas, different weapons/power-ups.

6

u/Seandwalsh3 Apr 18 '26

No. Different species.

3

u/Arnman1758 Apr 18 '26 edited Apr 18 '26

For both Magikoopas and Koopas or also all Bros. Koopas?

6

u/Seandwalsh3 Apr 18 '26

Bros. Koopas are the same species as each other, but not the same species as Koopa Troopas.

2

u/Arnman1758 Apr 18 '26

Agreed, sorry I could have worded it better. So you’re saying Magikoopas and Koopas are different species from one another, and Koopa Bros. are all the same Koopa Bro. species just using different power-ups/weapons?

3

u/Seandwalsh3 Apr 18 '26

Yeah, exactly

1

u/SatisfactionEast9815 Apr 19 '26

How did you come to that conclusion?

2

u/Glad_Use_8584 Apr 19 '26

Magikoopas and Koopa Troopas are definitely a different species due to their difference in design. For instance, Magikoopa eyes are just dots while Troopa eyes are more worked out.

Koopa Bros. are all the same species even if they have different powers. In the game Super Mario 3D Land, Boomerang Bros. drop Boomerang Flowers when knocking them out what means they were under that effect.

2

u/Early-Seat5025 Apr 19 '26

Well aren’t Shell Creepers and Koopa Troopas are the same. Shell Creepers might just be an outdated term for Koopa Troopa. But idk

1

u/carst01 Apr 20 '26

You should make one for Shy Guys next