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Koopa Shell
GreenShellMK8
A common Green Shell.
Item Type Weapon / Projectile
First Appearance Super Mario Bros. (1985)


Koopa Shells are the turtle shells worn by Koopa Troopas. They have hexagon-shaped scales and a beige-yellow border. They can be used as weapon when kicked by Mario or his friends, and different kinds of shells have different effects in the Mario Kart series and related titles. In some games, the Koopa stays inside of the shell when it retreats and will reappear, while in others it pops out of the shell and becomes a Beach Koopa.

List of different Koopa Shells[]

The table below covers the many different varieties of Koopa Shells that have appeared and their designated properties and effects, which may vary from game to game but are generalized as much as possible for convenience. Canonically existing Shells are prioritized, with Shells mostly existing in fanon content listed afterwards.

Canon Shells[]

Koopa Shell Description
Green Shell
Green Shell
Green Shells are the most common Koopa shells, and simply bounce back and forth when thrown or kicked.
Red Shell
Red Shell
Koopas wearing Red Shells in 2D Mario platformers will not fall off the platforms they are walking on. If Yoshi has one in his mouth, he can spit out a few fireballs that split up and move forward, defeating enemies that come into contact with them.

When thrown in the Mario Kart series, it locks on to the racer closest in front of the character who used it.

BlueShellNSKB
Blue Shell
Blue Shell Koopas are slightly faster than Koopas wearing green or red shells, and if kicked out will proceed to kick any other shells in its path. If Yoshi has a Blue Shell in his mouth, he can temporarily grow wings that allow him and the character riding him to reach higher places.

In some games, this shell can be used as a power-up, allowing the character to tuck into it and slide across the ground, as well as increasing their mobility underwater. It is also used to freeze opponents in the Koopa Kart games.

YellowShellNSKB
Yellow Shell
Koopas wearing Yellow Shells are about as fast as those wearing Blue Shells, but will attempt to chase the character if they are nearby and walk off ledges like Green Shell Koopas. If Yoshi has one in his mouth, he can create sand clouds upon landing from a jump or fall, knocking out enemies on impact. If a Yellow Koopa is kicked out of its shell, it can turn any shell it enters into a Flashing Shell and become invulnerable to most attacks - but Yoshi can eat it and get all three aforementioned shell abilites.

In Koopa Kart, it is a heavy shell that traps racers in the ground.

Black Shell - Mario Kart Wii
Black Shell
Explosive Black Shells are first seen in Super Mario Land, worn by Bombshell Koopas. They cannot be kicked in their original appearance, but this has generally changed in later appearances.
Gold Shell - Mario Kart Wii
Gold Shell
Koopas usually get Gold Shells when Mario or Luigi jumps through a Gold Ring, thus dropping coins behind it as it walks until the Gold Ring's effect wears off.

It can hit three players before breaking in some Mario Kart games and has lock-on abilities in Koopa Kart, where it can lock onto three opponents before exploding.

Parashell
Paratroopa Shell
Koopas wearing winged Red Shells can generally be found flying up and down in a straight line. Like the Blue Shell, it can be used as a power-up for Mario, letting him fly and enhancing his jumps. It combines the abilities of the Red Shell and Blue Spiny Shell in Koopa Kart.
Green Parashell
Green Paratroopa Shell
Paratroopas wearing Green Shells commonly hop along the ground in small arcs. It combines the abilities of the Green Shell and Blue Spiny Shell in Koopa Kart.
Red Spiny Shell - Mario Kart Wii
Spiny Shell
Worn by Spinies, which cannot be stomped from above. In the Super Mario Maker series, the character can wear a Spiny Shell as a helmet, allowing them to kill enemies from below and break otherwise unbreakable blocks.

In Koopa Kart, it acts like the Red Shell, except it releases items onto the track once it hits its target.

Spiny Shell - Mario Kart Wii
Blue Spiny Shell
Goes straight for the racer in 1st place in Mario Kart.
Buzzy Beetle Shell - Mario Kart Wii
Buzzy Beetle Shell
Worn by Buzzy Beetles, which are immune to fireballs. In the Super Mario Maker series, the character can wear a Buzzy Beetle Shell as a helmet to block attacks from above, with even Thwomps bouncing directly off the shell.

In Koopa Kart, it acts like the Red Shell, except it releases items onto the track once it hits its target.

Bone Shell
Dry Bones Shell
Dry Bones wear fragile skeletal shells. In Super Mario Maker 2 and later games in the series, the character can use a Dry Bones Shell to ride across lava and poison, utilize a Ground Pound-esque attack, and become invincible for a brief moment by turning into a pile of bones. The shell can be thrown and kicked, but will shatter and disappear when it hits a wall. When placed or thrown in water, it floats to the surface instead of sinking and can be used for better swimming as if the player was holding an item.
Spike Top Shell
Spike Top Shell
Worn by Spike Tops, which combine the properties of the Spiny and Buzzy Beetle shells. These shells are also found worn as helmets by some members of the Koopa Troop, most notably Spiked Goombas.
Bowser Shell
Bowser Shell
Lasts longer than a regular shell, and in Mario Kart Tour onwards slides along the middle of the track and curves its trajectory towards nearby racers.

Fanon Shells[]

Koopa Shell Description
Pink Shell NSKB
Pink Shell
Pink Shells first appear in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Worlds. They come from Koopas that are twice as slow, but the actual shell when launched is twice as fast.

In Super Mario Realms, when Pink Beach Koopas find another shell, they will stay inside of it and bounce up and down in a straight line until stomped, remaining in the general area in which they found it.

Orange Shell NSKB
Orange Shell
Koopas in Orange Shells tend to be very, very fast.
Purple Shell
Purple Shell
In Koopa Kart, this shell has the ability to teleport, catching your enemies by surprise.
Limegreen Shell NSKB
Limegreen Shell
In Super Mario Realms, these shells belong to Shellcreepers, and will break directly through rows of Brick Blocks rather than bouncing off of them like solid walls.
MagmaShell
Magma Shell
Similar to the Blue Shell in that it can be used as a power-up, but allows the character wearing it to swim in lava and create a trail of flames behind them as they slide inside the shell.
Ice Shell
Ice Shell
Hitting a character with an Ice Shell causes them to be frozen for a moment. Its freezing ability is instead given to the Blue Shell in Koopa Kart.
Cyan Shell NSKB
Cyan Shell
These Koopa Shells have electric properties.
Bronze Shell
Bronze Shell
Can hit all the rivals that are behind the user in Mario Kart.
Silver Shell
Silver Shell
Can hit all the rivals that are ahead of the user in Mario Kart.
Platinum Shell - Mario Kart Wii
Platinum Shell
Can lock onto five opponents before exploding.
SpringShell
Spring Shell
This Shell can make jumps with a spring.
Gray Shell
Gray Shell
Makes Koopa Troopa heavier, allowing him to simply walk into enemies to defeat them.
White Shell
White Shell
Makes Koopa Troopa lighter, allowing him to jump higher and potentially float in the air.

Gallery[]

Images of all the shells mentioned above, as well as miscellaneous varieties that can be used for your Mario projects if so desired. If you do so, it is recommended that you list it in the table above and describe its properties as a reference for other content creators to use.

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