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Ludwig von Koopa (known as Kooky von Koopa in the cartoons) is the oldest member and presumed leader of the seven Koopalings. This group is closely loyal to Bowser and were originally depicted as his children, with Ludwig serving as his second-in-command and presumed heir to the Koopa throne. However, games released after the Koopalings' debut in Super Mario Bros. 3 usually downplayed or ignored the idea that they were Bowser's children, and Super Mario Sunshine later introduced Bowser Jr., who appeared to take on the role of Bowser's protégé and second-in-command. The Japanese version of New Super Mario Bros. Wii confirmed that Junior ranked higher than Ludwig and the other Koopalings, and in a 2012 interview, Shigeru Miyamoto stated that Nintendo's current story was that the Koopalings were not Bowser's children.