Corporal Paraplonk

Corporal Paraplonk
Artwork from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Species	Koopa Paratroopa
First appearance	Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (2009)
Latest appearance	Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey (2018)
Member of	Bowser's Minions Elite Trio

“For real, guys, if we can finish them here... I don't wanna jinx it, but PROMOTION CITY!”

—Corporal Paraplonk, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

Corporal Paraplonk is a red-shelled Koopa Paratroopa who wears green shoes and a red bucket on his head. He is one of Bowser's minions in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions. He is usually seen in the company of Private Goomp and Sergeant Guy. In Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, it is revealed that the trio dream of one day bossing around Kamek and Bowser.

History

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey

Bowser and his minions in Dimble Wood

In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Corporal Paraplonk is first seen with Private Goomp and Sergeant Guy in Dimble Wood. After meeting up with Bowser, the trio launch a Banzai Bill at Bowser's Castle, which was occupied by Fawful. When the castle retaliates, Bowser faces it in his giant form, at which point Paraplonk flies up and teaches Bowser how to attack.

Later, at the safe underneath Bowser's Castle, Corporal Paraplonk and his companions help Bowser locate the safe that holds the Star Cure that the Koopa King is after. However, when Bowser opens the safe, the three push Bowser inside, revealing that they had been bribed by Fawful since he last saw them.

Corporal Paraplonk was seen again right after the closing credits, where the minions ask Bowser for forgiveness. Granting it, he then orders them to resume their duties and help repair the castle.

Corporal Paraplonk reappears in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, reprising his role in the main game, while appearing as an enemy and a recruitable ally in the Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode. He fights alongside other Koopa Troopas and fights again alongside Private Goomp and Sergeant Guy where he is the First officer. He retains his Special Skill Cranium Crush from Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser. However, while Koopa Paratroopas in general are weak to Dry Bones, pink Shy Guys, and Spikes, Corporal Paraplonk is only weak to Spikes. In the post-game of the story, it was revealed that while Bowser pardoned him and his comrades of their treason against him, the rest of the Koopa Troop has yet to forgive them and even shunned them, citing they have to "earn back [their] trust," and Bowser Jr. believes their treason was due to being under the influence of the Malatone Formula:X earlier.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

In Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, it is revealed that Corporal Paraplonk was promoted along with his associates to Bowser's Royal Guard. His bucket is now black in color with a Bowser emblem on it. They travel with Bowser to Pi'illo Island to find Princess Peach. Corporal Paraplonk helps Kamek disguise as Princess Peach forming a lower section of the disguise. The trio are also fought in a boss battle as the Elite Trio. During the battle, all three of the Elite Trio members must be KO'd at the same time to end the battle. Otherwise, one of the remaining members will revive the downed member or members with 1 HP. Corporal Paraplonk revives the others by nudging them. Once they are defeated, Corporal Paraplonk drops the Counter Wear.

Corporal Paraplonk has two actions he can take. His attack starts with two Paratroopas flying in and dropping purple blocks above and below Mario, in line with him. Then, Paraplonk retreats into his shell and performs a shell dash attack off one of the blocks. The attack has him bounce back and forth, passing through Mario, and it can be avoided by jumping. Landing on his shell will cause his attack to be redirected against Private Goomp and any Sub-Goombas in-line with him. Paraplonk then bounces into the background, where he slides right to left through the Sub-Goombas in the background before hitting a palm tree. If a background Sub-Goomba is not defeated by this, they are popped into the air briefly. Corporal Paraplonk will usually, but not always, bounce off the palm tree and go back through the line left to right. If he does, then every background Sub-Goomba save for the ones too close to the palm tree will land before Paraplonk slides through them and get hit a second time. Once Paraplonk stops spinning, he will come out of his shell and return to the battlefield. If Corporal Paraplonk hits Mario, the attack ends early, with Paraplonk shifting back slightly before coming out of his shell. In any case, the purple blocks vanish after the attack ends. Corporal Paraplonk can also use a Mushroom on himself or one of the other Elite Trio members to heal them by 30 HP. During the attacks of the other members, Corporal Paraplonk flies into the background.

The Elite Trio additionally has a group attack where Corporal Paraplonk and Sergeant Guy leave the screen. When they return in the background, Corporal Paraplonk gives Sergeant Guy a Mega Bob-omb and the duo chase Mario, Private Goomp, and the Sub-Goombas with Private Goomp toward the screen. If Mario does not get tripped by Private Goomp or the Sub-Goombas, the Mega Bob-omb will blow up in Sergeant Guy's hands. This launches Corporal Paraplonk, Sergeant Guy, and any of the Goombas who did not run ahead of the team during the chase away, and they all take damage upon landing back in the battle. If Mario does get tripped, Sergeant Guy gets to throw the Mega Bob-omb at Mario and only he takes damage.

After their defeat, Kamek demotes Paraplonk and the others to janitors and sends them back to the castle. After Bowser himself is defeated, he and his minions leave Pi'illo Island. While angry at his loss, Bowser blames Antasma and merely states that Corporal Paraplonk, Private Goomp and Sergeant Guy did pretty good by their usual standards, much to their joy.

After completing the Elite Trio battle in Dreamy Driftwood Shore, the player can challenge a stronger version of Corporal Paraplonk named Corporal Paraplonk X as part of the Elite Trio X in the Battle Ring.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions

Corporal Paraplonk returns in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions. He is encountered twice during Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser and can be recruited after the second fight. He is a flying unit and is the second of the trio to be recruited. Corporal Paraplonk's Special Skill, Cranium Crush, allows him to attack an enemy twice from above. Due to the bucket on his head, he has high defense. When battling Corporal Paraplonk, he can use the Shell Shock Captain Command.

Profiles and statistics

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team enemy
Corporal Paraplonk
	HP	415	Role	Boss	Level	23	Location(s)	Dreamy Driftwood Shore
	Power	176	Position	Normal	No Hitter	—
	Defense	193	World	Dream	Weakness	None	Item drop	None (0%) Counter Wear (100%)
	Speed	120	Experience	700 (840)	Coins	200 (100%)

Hint Block messages

• Wholesale Damage: "Private Goomp, Sergeant Guy, and Corporal Paraplonk... Defeat all three at once, or they rise again! Deal damage to all three at once with the Luiginary Ball!"

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey

• Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser / Bowser Jr.'s Journey profile: An elite Koopa Troopa with big dreams. The bucket on his head gives him a tough defense.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Note(s)	Ref.
Japanese	パタボン Patabon	From「パタパタ」(Patapata, Koopa Paratroopa) and「坊」(bon, an affectionate term for boys)		[?]
Dutch	Korporaal Paraplonk	Corporal Paraplonk		[?]
French (Canada)	Corporal Parapace	Portemanteau of "Paratroopa" and carapace ("shell")		[?]
	Caporal Parapace		Mario & Luigi: Dream Team	[?]
French (Europe)	Parapounet	Pun on "Paratroopa" and the childish suffix "-ounet"		[?]
German	Parudi	Portmanteau of "Parakoopa" (Paratroopa's German name) and the male name "Rudi"		[?]
Italian	Paracaio	See trivia		[?]
Portuguese	Cabo Paraplonk	Corporal Paraplonk		[?]
Russian	Капрал Летучий Kapral Letuchiy	Corporal Flying		[?]
Spanish (Latin America)	Cabo Parapaso	Corporal Paraplonk		[?]
Spanish (Europe)	Cabo Paratroopi	Corporal Paratroopi; variation of Paratroopa		[?]

Notes

• Corporal Paraplonk, as well as Parakarry, Koops, Koopie Koo, and Holly Koopa are the only Koopas to wear a different color of shoes than their shells.
• His Italian name, along to Private Goomp and Sergeant Guy's ones, references the Italian terminology "Tizio, Caio, and Sempronio", meaning "three random guys", similar to the expression "Tom, Dick, and Harry".