Karate Koopa

This article is about episode from The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! For the alter ego that King Koopa portrays in this episode, see King Koopa's alter egos § Karate Koopa.

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode
"Karate Koopa"
Production number	138
Airdate	November 13, 1989 (English) November 27, 1990 (French)[?]
Writer(s)	David Schwartz
Plumber's Log #	22-16
King Koopa's alter ego(s)	Karate Koopa
Cover song(s)	"Kung Fu Fighting"
Replacement song(s)	"Motor City"
Title reference	The Karate Kid
Live-action segment	"Adee Don't"
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"Karate Koopa" is the forty-first episode of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! This episode is the last in the series to have a cover song and its replacement accompany it. Its corresponding live-action segment is "Adee Don't."

Plot synopsis

This episode possibly takes place after the events of "Mario Meets Koop-zilla," due in part to the Oriental city of Sayonara having been remodeled in the beginning. Mario, Luigi, Princess Toadstool, and Toad have traveled to the city and are seeking out a martial arts master by the name of Misaki, whom they believe has the skills needed to save the Mushroom Kingdom. While traveling down a street, a paper lantern falls before the group, who soon find themselves surrounded by several Ninjis. Before Mario's group can make a break for it, Karate Koopa announces that they cannot escape. Mario attempts to fight against an attacking Ninji, but he misses, and instead gets tossed around by the Ninji. Two Ninjis then corner Luigi, one of which kicks him into a basket full of fish.

Karate Koopa then orders the Ninjis to tie up Princess Toadstool and Toad, stating that he intends on selling them into slavery. The Ninjis proceed to do so, and Princess Toadstool argues that Karate Koopa will not get away with his plan. Koopa then directs her attention over to Mario who is knocked-out, implying that he cannot be stopped. At that moment, Misaki makes his entrance by leaping out from behind a building, and states that he will stop Karate Koopa. Misaki starts to beat up several Ninjis single handedly, and this prompts Koopa into leaving with Princess Toadstool and Toad on a Ninji-drawn rickshaw.

Misaki goes on to defeat the rest of the Ninjis by himself, which also impresses Mario and Luigi. With the Ninjis all gone, Mario approaches Misaki, asking if he can teach them to fight like him. Misaki comments that no one can fight like him, but agrees to help, as they are all enemies of Karate Koopa's.

Misaki brings Mario and Luigi to his dojo, where the two plumbers have donned karate outfits and will be referred to (from this point on) as Mario-San and Luigi-San. Misaki proceeds to karate chop a brick in half with no trouble, the mere sight of which startles Luigi-San. Mario-San questions as to when they will eat lunch, but Misaki resorts to slamming him against the floor, reminding him to stay focused, and not to let his mind stray. Luigi then comments that Mario was thinking about pasta, like he normally does. Misaki then instructs Mario to hit him with a bo staff, and succeeds in not only grabbing the bo, but tossing Mario onto the floor again as well. Luigi fears that they will never be able to defeat Karate Koopa with their lack of skill, and Misaki decides to try and teach them a different fighting style that will work better for them.

Now outside of his dojo, Misaki agrees to teach Mario-San and Luigi-San Plumb-Fu, the most dangerous form of karate ever invented. Mario asks as to what Plumb-Fu even is, and Misaki explains that it is a fighting style passed down from plumber fathers to their plumber sons in succession. Mario-San and Luigi-San take an immediate liking to Plumb-Fu, as Mario uses a bo staff resembling a double-sided plunger to knock Misaki to the ground. After quickly getting back on his feet, Misaki orders Luigi to snatch a washer from his hand. While twirling a nunchaku made from two small chained-together pipes, Luigi does so, which prompts Misaki into teaching them the secrets of Plumb-Fu.

Meanwhile, at Karate Koopa's pagoda, Koopa has tied Princess Toadstool and Toad to a column. The Princess demands to be released, and warns Koopa that Mario and Luigi will come after him. Toad argues that they will beat up Koopa, but Karate Koopa tells Toad that if Mario and Luigi have any brains, they will stay away from his place. Looking out of a window through binoculars, Karate Koopa concludes that Mario and Luigi don't have any brains, as he spots them approaching his pagoda with Misaki.

Walking towards Karate Koopa's pagoda, Misaki commends Mario-San and Luigi-San for passing his Plumb-Fu test, and asks if they are ready to face Karate Koopa. After Luigi asks if he can think about the option for a few years, a net falls onto the three fighters, trapping them. Karate Koopa gloats about his capture, and after some brief arguing with Misaki, he soon has them chained to a boulder, which he is ready to launch into the ocean from a catapult. Koopa then releases the catapult, and sends the boulder flying into the water. Watching from inside the pagoda, Princess Toadstool points out that Mario and Luigi are sunk, as well as themselves.

Having landed on the ocean floor, Mario, Luigi and Misaki struggle to break free from the boulder. Misaki attempts to karate chop the chain, but discovers that Karate Koopa made it karate-proof. Mario figures that the chain probably is not Plumb-Fu proof, and cuts it with a hacksaw. Misaki congratulates Mario, and the trio proceeds to walk across the ocean floor back to dry land. On their way, a school of Trouters surround the group, and they struggle to fight them off using Plumb-Fu punches and kicks. Luigi then points out a drainpipe that they can escape through, and they swim towards it. After nearly being attacked by the Trouters, the fighters enter the drainpipe, which Luigi seals by closing the grating.

Mario-San, Luigi-San and Misaki climb out of a manhole near the entrance to Karate Koopa's pagoda, where Misaki discovers Mario's and Luigi's weapons on the ground, which they had lost upon being captured by Karate Koopa previously. The group then enters the pagoda, but they have no idea as to where they should start looking. Ninjis proceed to jump out from behind various walls, and prepare to attack Mario's group. Misaki fights off the Ninjis that attack him without a sweat, while Luigi cowers as two Ninjis surround him. As Misaki attacks more Ninjis, Mario proceeds to attack some of them with his plunger staff. Swallowing his fear, Luigi assists Mario and Misaki into fighting off more Ninjis with his nunchaku.

Meanwhile, Karate Koopa is eating at a table in another room, accompanied by Mouser, Tryclyde, and a Koopa Troopa, where he announces that the bidding for Princess Toadstool and Toad will soon begin, and encourages them to drink up their Koopa-Kola. While Toad whines about Koopa's plot to Princess Toadstool, the princess tells him that she has been working on loosening her rope, and succeeds in untying herself. After untying Toad, the two of them run off, but Karate Koopa gives chase and catches both of them.

Princess Toadstool cries for help, and Mario-San manages to hear her while fighting the rest of the Ninjis alongside Luigi-San and Misaki. Mario insists that they all go to save Princess Toadstool, but Misaki tells him to go alone, while he and Luigi take out the Ninjis. Luigi, however, is not too fond of letting Mario leave him. Mario runs over to the room where Karate Koopa is, and demands for him to let his captives go free. Koopa drops Princess Toadstool and Toad, then proceeds into pulling out his nunchaku. Mario blocks Koopa's attacks with his plunger bo, until Koopa succeeds in wrapping up Mario's bo with his nunchaku, and tosses him aside.

Mario gets back on his feet, and stops Koopa from performing a kick attack by blocking him with his plunger bo. Taking advantage of the situation, Mario tosses Karate Koopa aside, while Toad cheers him on. Mario then charges at Koopa and knocks him on his back with his plunger bo, before tossing him onto the horn of a decorative sculpture. Koopa's clothes get stuck on the horn, causing him to dangle from it. Mario informs Koopa that he has been defeated, which prompts him into making his getaway by tossing a Magical Potion and creating a Warp Zone, through which he escapes. Luigi-San and Misaki then arrive, and Misaki announces that they finally defeated all of the Ninjis. Luigi is relieved as Mario already took care of Karate Koopa for him.

After returning to Misaki's dojo, Mario's group has sat down to enjoy a Japanese meal, when Misaki announces that he would like to thank Mario-San and Luigi-San for mastering Plumb-Fu, and decides to award them with black belts. Having already put on a few extra pounds, Mario takes another bite of his food, which Luigi takes away from him, his weight gains. Misaki then presents Luigi with his black belt, and he proceeds to put his on. Mario puts on his black belt, but it is not long enough to properly go around his extended waistline, and snaps off. Mario then requests for a second black belt, which Toad points out that he should receive for eating and everybody laughs.

Characters

"Karate Koopa"

• Mario
• Luigi
• Princess Toadstool
• Toad
• Karate Koopa
• Misaki
• Ninjis
• Mouser†
• Tryclyde†
• Koopa Troopa†
• Trouters†

† - no dialogue

Cast

• Lou Albano — Mario
• Danny Wells — Luigi
• Jeannie Elias — Princess Toadstool
• John Stocker — Toad, Misaki, Ninji
• Harvey Atkin — Karate Koopa

Animation and continuity errors

• When Misaki says that fear never enters the vocabulary of someone training to be a martial arts expert, Mario and Luigi's gloves are missing. This also happens when he says he will award them black belts.
• When Luigi takes the washer from Misaki, his hand is layered behind Misaki's.
• When Misaki says he cannot break the chains, his air bubbles occasionally freeze.
• As Mario and his friends walk over to Karate Koopa's castle, their weapons can be seen on the ground even through they have already picked them up.
• In a shot where Mario, Luigi, and Misaki are surrounded by the Ninjis in Karate Koopa's castle, Mario has his normal outfit instead of his Plumb-Fu suit.
• In one scene, Luigi's sideburns are missing.
• In one scene, when Mario and his friends are fighting off the Ninjis, one of them freezes in midair while another one duplicates itself.
• When Karate Koopa is about to sell Princess Toadstool and Toad, his minions can be seen drinking their Koopa-Kola, but when he stops Princess Toadstool and Toad from escaping, they disappear.
• When Karate Koopa catches Princess Toadstool and Toad, his legs and part of Princess Toadstool's dress are cut off for a few frames.
• When Mario says that Karate Koopa is finished, he is not holding anything, but in the next shot, he has his staff.
• When Mario and his friends laugh at the end of the episode, Mario appears to be standing in midair.

• 

  Mario and Luigi's missing gloves

• 

  Mario in his normal outfit

• 

  The animation error

Profiles

• Netflix: Armed with the ancient art of Plumb-Fu, Mario and Luigi go up against Karate Koopa and his evil squad of Ninja Ninjiis.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Chinese (simplified)	空手道酷霸 Kōngshǒudào Kùbà	Karate Koopa
Chinese (traditional)	功夫瑪利歐 Gōngfu Mǎlìōu	Kung-Fu Mario
French	Vive Le Karate	Long Live Karate
German	Karate-Koopa	Karate Koopa
Italian	L'arte del karate	The art of karate
Portuguese (NOA)	Karatê Koopa	Karate Koopa
Spanish	Kárate Koopa	Karate Koopa

Trivia

• When Mario and his friends fall into the sea, a wave resembling the wave from The Great Wave off Kanagawa can be seen.
• The Koopa-Kola bottle reads 「クーパ」 (Kūpa), which is "Koopa" in Japanese. While the correct spelling is 「クッパ」 (Kuppa), 「クーパ」 is closer to the English pronunciation of the word.