Bowser: Difference between revisions

{{rewrite|needs to be present tense}}

{{character infobox

'''King Bowser Koopa''' (Japanese 大魔王クッパ ''Daimaō Kuppa'' "Great Demon King Koopa", in English also ''Lord Bowser'', ''King Koopa'' commonly in other media) is the main antagonist of the [[Mario series]], the supreme leader of the [[Koopa Troop]], King of the [[Koopas]], and the arch-nemesis of [[Mario]]. He has repeatedly, kidnapped or attempted to kidnap [[Princess Peach]] and take over the [[Mushroom Kingdom]]. He has on other occasions attempted to conquer the entire [[Mushroom World]], as well as the [[Mushroom Universe|entire universe]].  

==Creation==

The character was created by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] as the villain of ''Super Mario Bros.'' Miyamoto stated that they considered naming him either ''[[wikipedia:Guk#Gukbap|Kuppa]]'', ''[[wikipedia:Yukhoe|Yukke]]'', or ''[[wikipedia:Bibimbap|Bibinba]]'', which are all Korean dishes as they are known in Japanese. At the end, Kuppa was chosen.<ref>[http://www.famitsu.com/game/extra/special/2000/zelda/zelda04.html ''The Legend of Zelda'' interview with Shigeru Miyamoto from 2000 at Famitsu.com (Japanese)]</ref>  For the later North American release of the game, which also introduced the anglicized spelling Koopa, the character was renamed Bowser.

[[Yoichi Kotabe]], an animation artist, later joined Nintendo and was asked to do new illustrations for the ''Mario'' series. His only reference was the package illustration for ''Super Mario Bros.'', so Kotabe asked Miyamoto many questions on how to draw the characters. However, designing Bowser caused problems, since Miyamoto hadn't drawn him often. He brought up that he liked the Ox King from the film, and this was how he imagined Bowser, but Nintendo designer [[Takashi Tezuka]] pointed out that Bowser should be a turtle. Through their discussions, Bowser's appearance gradually came together. Since he was now in the turtle family with the [[Koopa Troopa]]s, they partly based Bowser's new appearance on them. Finally, the new design was created, and Miyamoto congratulated himself by saying "Wow, I can really make Bowser look cool now!"<ref name="iwata_asks"/>

{{main|Baby Bowser}}

Bowser's first chronological appearance in-universe was as Baby Bowser in ''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]''. At this age, he was quickly shown to have similar powers as when an adult.

Baby Bowser awakens from his nap, sees [[Yoshi]], and decides he wants to ride the "green donkey." However, he notices [[Baby Mario]] is riding Yoshi so he attacks them to get Baby Mario off. Yoshi ends up defeating Baby Bowser, even when [[Kamek]] turns him into a giant. ''[[Yoshi's Island]]'' was also his first meeting with [[Mario]]. Baby Bowser later stole the [[Super Happy Tree]] from the Yoshis and turned [[Yoshi's Island (place)|Yoshi's Island]] into a pop-up book in ''[[Yoshi's Story]]'', but was defeated again by a newborn Yoshi. Both incidents quickly define the young Bowser as a selfish character lacking empathy.

In ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'',  Bowser returned with his children, the [[Koopalings]]: [[Larry Koopa|Larry]], [[Morton Koopa Jr.|Morton]], [[Wendy O. Koopa|Wendy]], [[Iggy Koopa|Iggy]], [[Roy Koopa|Roy]], [[Lemmy Koopa|Lemmy]] and [[Ludwig von Koopa|Ludwig]]. Each Koopaling conquered a different land in the [[Mushroom World]] and turned the King of their respective lands into a generic enemy while Bowser resided in his home territory of [[Dark Land]]. Mario and Luigi set out to free the Kingdoms, all while receiving helpful letters from Princess Toadstool. After freeing the seventh land they received a letter from Bowser, informing them that he had kidnapped the Princess while they were on their quest. The Mario Bros. boldly made their way towards [[Bowser's Castle]] for the final showdown, defeating him once again and saving the Princess.

Bowser and the Koopalings reappeared in ''[[Super Mario World]]'', in which he kidnapped Princess Toadstool while she was on vacation in [[Dinosaur Land]] with the Mario Bros. He also captured several of the native [[Yoshi (species)|Yoshis]], trapping them in eggs and giving one each to a Koopaling that guarded them in castles scattered around the continent. Predictably, Mario, Luigi and a particularly heroic Yoshi saved the Princess and the imprisoned Yoshis by defeating the Koopalings and their father. The boss-fight in ''Super Mario World'' was unique in that Bowser and Mario battled on the roof of Bowser's castle while Bowser flew his [[Koopa Clown Car]], throwing [[Mecha-Koopa]]s and [[Big Steely|Big Steelies]] at the hero. Mario could use the Mecha-Koopas to his advantage by tossing them back at Bowser. After two hits, Bowser disappeared for a while, casting flames at Mario. However, his attack was countered by Princess Peach, who threw a [[Mushroom]] to Mario or Luigi. After all this, Bowser would return and attempt to ram into Mario with his Koopa Clown Car before resting to throw things some more. Eventually he lost control of the Clown Car, allowing Peach to float down to the roof and her rescuers while Bowser himself spiraled away into the distance.

To ensure that Mario did not disrupt his plans again, Bowser sealed off the doors in the castle with the stars and even created doors that would only open with his keys. Unfortunately for Bowser, he did not lock one door, leading to his undoing as Mario was able to collect stars from the painting beyond that door, and then open other doors and systematically sweep through the castle towards Bowser.

In these games, Bowser was battled three times: once in the [[Bowser in the Dark World|Dark World]], once in the [[Bowser in the Fire Sea|Fire Sea]] and once in [[Bowser in the Sky|the Sky]]. Every single time, Mario defeats Bowser by grabbing his tail and throwing him into one of several bombs surrounding the battle arena. In the third and final battle, Mario had to throw Bowser into a bomb three times before he was defeated. Bowser even managed to double Mario's load by breaking apart the vast platform they were on into the shape of a star, making tossing him a difficult venture. Bowser was able to escape, but Mario  

saved Princess Peach and restored peace to the castle with the power of the stars.

In ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'', Bowser's eighth child, [[Bowser Jr.]], was introduced. Bowser told his son that Peach was his mother and that Mario kidnapped her. Bowser Jr. took on the disguise of [[Shadow Mario]] and vandalized [[Isle Delfino]] with Graffiti, framing Mario as a graffiti criminal. Mario, determined to prove his innocence, cleaned  the mess with the aid of [[F.L.U.D.D]]. Bowser Jr. kidnapped Peach during this time and was pursued by Mario. Bowser Jr. revealed his true identity, but [[Mecha Bowser]] allowed Bowser Jr. to get away to [[Corona Mountain]].

In ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'', Bowser and Bowser Jr. distracted Mario by sending a thunder cloud (possibly [[Lakithunder]]) to strike Peach's castle with lightning. While Mario was taking care of the castle, Bowser Jr. made off with the Princess. Mario fought Bowser as the first boss, which was similar to the ones from ''Super Mario Bros.'' Shockingly, Bowser died in the first world when he fell into the lava, becoming an undead monster with an appearance similar to that of a huge [[Dry Bones]]. Bowser Jr. then ran from Mario's pursuit for the rest of the game.

Prior to the events of ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'', Bowser attacked [[Comet Observatory|Rosalina's observatory]] and stole all the Power Stars and the Seven [[Grand Star]]s that powered the observatory. Bowser used these incredible stars to bring his entire fleet to the cosmos and take over many galaxies, planning to construct a [[Bowser's Galaxy Reactor|galaxy reactor]] powered by the Grand Stars that would make all the galaxies collapse upon themselves. This would give birth to a new cosmos in which he would use to rule and control the whole [[Mushroom Universe|universe]] as a Galactic Empire that would last forever with Peach as Bowser's empress. He then kidnapped Peach during the events of the [[Star Festival]], and held her at the center of the universe where he was overseeing the construction of his reactor. During this time, Bowser Jr. led most of the Koopa Troop to conquer several galaxies.

Mario eventually battles Bowser at the almost-completed galaxy reactor. During the final battle, Bowser Jr. held Peach captive while Mario fought Bowser on multiple planets. Despite his efforts, Mario defeated Bowser and sent him into the magma of his own sun. The final Grand Star was released from the galaxy reactor, which exploded and formed a large black hole that began to suck up the cosmos. The [[Lumas]] used their powers to reverse the black hole, creating a new Big Bang and reforming the cosmos. [[Rosalina]] then appears to Mario in a vision, explaining to him that the nature and fabric of the universe is always unpredictable and always uses different patterns to sustain itself. Bowser tried to control this force for his own nefarious means, and for that he almost paid the ultimate price; he nearly sacrificed his own life. Mario, Peach, Bowser, and Bowser Jr. are then shown back at a restored [[Toad Town]]. Relieved to be alive, Bowser left to plan further schemes.

Bowser appeared, and was again the final boss in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]''. Here, he appeared together with his eight children, the [[Koopalings]] and [[Bowser Jr.]]. In the last castle of World 8, Bowser was found in the last chamber, sending out fireballs toward Mario, similarly to his appearance in the original ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' When Mario began the battle, Bowser was fought in the same manner as in ''Super Mario Bros.'', as well as in the first castle in the original ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' After Mario pressed the switch that caused the bridge to collapse beneath Bowser, sending him falling into a pit once again, a victory fanfare played and Mario rejoiced, believing to have won. However, upon inspecting [[Princess Peach]] up above, it turned out that it was, in fact, [[Kamek]], disguised as Peach. Kamek then cast a spell over the chasm that Bowser had fallen down. As a rumbling noise began, Kamek paused to see if the spell had actually worked. To his surprise, Bowser appeared, now at a gigantic size, knocking Kamek off his broom, and proceeded to chase after Mario. Mario rushed through the area beyond the boss room, luring Bowser into launching fireballs at walls so that they were destroyed and he could proceed. After a long and grueling chase, Mario heard Peach's voice, and saw her in a cage up ahead, over a large switch. Jumping on the switch, Mario opened a humongous chasm, right underneath Bowser, that drained the lava from the room and took the Koopa King with it, defeating him for good. He was later seen being helped by his children, having survived the drop and returned to his normal size, but then crushed by his own Castle.

Additionally, he attacked and destroyed [[Lubba]]'s [[Starship Mario|starship]] prior to the game, causing the Lumas to rebuild it in Mario's image when they team up with him. Using Starship Mario to pursue Bowser, Mario had to collect the Power Stars and save Princess Peach as he has done before.

The player faces Bowser three times in this game. The fights take place on a spherical planetoid, where Bowser, in his gigantic size, will attempt to crush Mario with his fists, and by sending meteors crashing down. When using his fists, Bowser's hand does get stuck in the planetoid briefly, and any meteors on the battlefield will rise and turn yellow. Mario has to [[Ground Pound|ground pound]] on the meteors, so that they hit Bowser. He'll also use his fire breath.

The final battle at [[Bowser's Galaxy Generator]] has two phases, with the second phase requiring Mario to send yellow meteors at Bowser before he gets close enough to punch him.

During the ending, Bowser is shown to be tiny, which may likely be a side effect for using the [[Grand Star]]s to make himself huge.

{{Quote|Koopa Pack, attack!|Bowser|The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!}}

In ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'', Bowser would often take on various aliases and costumes and try to inact a dastardly plot of some sort, most commonly trying to conquer a kingdom or steal an ancient treasure and/or artifact; aiding Bowser in these plots were his [[Koopa Troop|Koopa Pack]] and also a sidekick of sorts, most commonly [[Mouser (character)|Mouser]]. In several episodes, Bowser would capture Princess Toadstool and attempt to blackmail her into giving him the Mushroom Kingdom, although some other episodes implied he already had some measure of control over the kingdom.

===''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3''===

In ''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'', Bowser, having seemingly been banished from the [[Mushroom Kingdom]] sometime after the events of ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'', returned to it to cause havoc, with the aid of his seven [[Koopalings]]. In ''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'', Bowser stopped his use of aliases and costumes and his plans became somewhat more odd in nature, such as turning his children into giant, ninja warriors for the sole purpose of kidnapping [[Prince Hugo the Huge]] so he could simply transform him into a poodle.

===''Super Mario Bros.'' film===

In the [[Super Mario Bros. (movie)|''Super Mario Bros.'' film]], Bowser (known as President Koopa), was portrayed as having evolved into a human-looking dinosaur. He was the tyrannical ruler of [[Dinohattan]], an alternate universe version of Manhattan based on both the Mushroom Kingdom and Dinosaur Land. Not content with simply ruling Dinohattan, Koopa planned to conquer [[Earth]] by means of a meteorite fragment owned by [[Princess Daisy]]. He also hated mammals, presumably because they were allowed to experience paradise whileas his race had to suffer.

===''Super Mario'' anime series===

Bowser was also featured as the main villain of all three of shorts in the [[Super Mario Amada Series|''Super Mario'' anime series]], which had him taking on the guise of various fairy tale villains. In the first story, [[Wikipedia: Momotarō|Momotarō]], Bowser acts as an ogre that kidnaps Princess Peach with the help of his henchmen, the Koopalings. Bowser is eventually defeated and Princess Peach is rescued by Mario with help from his allies.

In [[Nintendo Power]]'s ''[[Super Mario Adventures]]'' comic serial, Bowser, abducts Princess Toadstool from her castle in an attempt to wed her. This causes a mass panic and Bowser turns several Toads into stone statues during the confusion. Bowser also hypnotizes [[Yoshi (species)|several Yoshis]] into becoming his slaves. Bowser's plot was ruined when Mario and Luigi led the hypnotized Yoshis to rampage Bowser's wedding. Bowser boarded his Koopa Clown Car to escape, but Mario lassoed it, sending Bowser crashing into his wedding cake. To add insult to injury, the Yoshis then began eating the cake.

===''Mario Kart'' series===

Bowser has appeared as a playable character in virtually all of the games in the massive ''Mario Kart'' sub-series, from the original ''[[Super Mario Kart]]'', to the more recent ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''.

===''Mario is Missing!''===

Bowser caused much trouble on [[Earth]] during ''[[Mario is Missing!]]''. Bowser planned to melt [[Antarctica]], flooding Earth. Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi set out to stop him, but Luigi stayed behind with Yoshi because he was too scared to go into Bowser's Castle. However, Mario then got kidnapped, forcing Luigi to save Mario using skills of deduction. The Mario Bros. then launched Bowser to the center of Antarctica, defeating him (or in the case of the PC version, forcefully removing Bowser's shell making him into a beach Bowser, much to his humiliation).

===''Mario's Time Machine''===

In ''[[Mario's Time Machine]]'', Bowser built the [[Timulator]], a time machine that he used to steal valuable artifacts from Earth's past and build a great Museum, not realizing that messing with the past could drastically alter the present. Mario took back Bowser's stolen artifacts and used his own time machine to return them to their proper places, saving the time stream.

===''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars''===

{{smrpgenemy|

|name = Bowser

|location = [[Bowser's Keep]] (game intro)

|psychopath =Mario! It's time!

}}

Bowser actually served as Mario's ally in ''Super Mario RPG''.  He used [[Chain Chomp]]s and his claws to attack. His special moves often involved summoning his minions to attack.

===''Mario Party'' series===

Bowser has appeared as an enemy in the ''Mario Party'' series since the first game, causing chaos and coin-loss on the players. He is often given his own space, which when landed on by the [[player]] will teleport them to Bowser. There are also multiple mini-games based around Bowser, where a character's coins or star is taken if they lose. Throughout the series, Bowser has taken many forms, mostly in ''[[Mario Party 2]]''. Bowser is only playable in the [[Beach Volley Folley]] mini-game of ''[[Mario Party 4]]''.

===''Mario Golf'' series===

|drive=280 yards

|shot=High Draw

}}

Bowser is usually a default playable character in the Mario Golf games, though in ''[[Mario Golf: Advance Tour]]'', he is unlockable and can only be unlocked by transferring data to and from ''[[Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour]]''. In ''Mario Golf: Advance Tour'', he was present to compete against the characters Neil and Ella. He was very rude towards them and almost got into a fight with Mario. It was interrupted by Peach who reminded them of their manners. Bowser has the longest hit ratio of all characters but has low control. He hosts a tournament like Peach in ''Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour''.

===''Mario Tennis'' series===

Bowser also appeared as a playable character in every title in the [[Mario Tennis (series)|''Mario Tennis'' series]]. He is a power character who can make service and return aces easily; he lacks speed, though. In ''[[Mario Power Tennis (Nintendo GameCube)|Mario Power Tennis]]'', Bowser uses his [[Fire Breath]] for his [[Offensive Power Shot]] and his [[Defensive Power Shot]] is [[Spinning Shell Dash]], where, he ducks into his shell and spins around to recover the ball.

====''Paper Mario''====

{{quote|Mario defeated me...again... He always defeats me... This time I became invincible! And I STILL couldn't beat him!|Bowser|Paper Mario}}

During the events of ''[[Paper Mario]]'', Bowser and his minion [[Kammy Koopa]] invaded [[Star Haven]] and stole the [[Star Rod (Paper Mario)|Star Rod]], which could grant any wish of the holder. With this weapon, Bowser imprisoned the Seven [[Star Spirits]] in cards and then scattered them in various strongholds and fortresses throughout the Mushroom Kingdom. The next day, Bowser used his flying fortress to lift Peach's castle up into the sky. Mario attempted to stop him, but Bowser used the Star Rod to make himself invincible, and defeated Mario for the first time ever. Believing his rival to be dead, Bowser threw Mario's tattered body down to the kingdom, locked the party guests in the dungeons of his castle and put Peach under heavy guard in her castle. Bowser then used the Star Rod to create havoc throughout the kingdom; ravaging it with beasts and monsters loyal to him. Bowser gave each one of the Star Spirits to be guarded by his most trusted minions.

====''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''====

Bowser also appeared as a minor villain in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''. In this game, Bowser heard from [[Kammy Koopa]] that someone else kidnapped Princess Peach, and makes it his mission to rescue her and kidnap her himself. Accompanied by Kammy, Bowser appeared in many cutscenes in which he was a playable character. These scenes were often quite humorous and involved Bowser traveling through a side-scrolling world similar to the ones in ''Super Mario Bros.'' (these levels partially inspired ''Super Paper Mario''). Bowser also tried to collect the [[Crystal Star]]s before Mario, but always appeared to be one step behind his nemesis, and ultimately failed to find any of them.  

====''Super Paper Mario''====

{{Spmenemybox

|hp=20/80

|atk=2/8

===''Luigi's Mansion''===

In ''[[Luigi's Mansion]]'', [[King Boo]] fought Luigi in a giant [[Bowser Suit]] during the final battle of the game. During battle, the Bowser suit could only be defeated after a spiked ball was thrown at the Bowser head.  Once that happened, King Boo would be exposed and Luigi could suck him up with his [[Poltergust 3000]]. When King Boo's energy got low and retreated to the body, he screwed the head on backwards.  Eventually, Luigi captured King Boo, and the Bowser suit fell. It's interesting to note that while the original Bowser is not in the events of the game, he is mentioned. He is said to have been soundly defeated at the hands of Mario by [[Madame Clairvoya]], a fortune telling ghost.

===''Super Smash Bros.'' series===

|width = 200

|color = blue

|games = ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''<br>''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''

|standard = [[Fire Breath]]

|entrance = Bowser emerges from an inferno of fire.

}}

Bowser is given a more realistic animal voice in the ''Super Smash Bros. series'', with his ''Melee'' voice being similar to his voice effects from the games before ''Melee's'' release (such as ''Mario Kart 64'').  Bowser's voice effects in ''Brawl'' are different than in ''Melee'', but are still more realistic than his cartoonish voice.

*'''Colonel''': Careful, Snake! That's the great and terrible Bowser!

*'''Snake''': Bowser? Looks like a cheap movie monster.

=====The Subspace Emissary=====

Eventually, Bowser and Ganondorf were able to fly a [[Subspace Gunship]] into the other world and start bringing pieces of the world into [[Subspace (SSB)|Subspace]]. They destroy the Halberd, but were unable to hit the smaller, more manuverable ships until the Subspace Gunship was destroyed by Kirby. Bowser decides to go into Subspace to report his failure. He is then betrayed when Ganondorf goes to see Master Hand as well, who turns out to be controlled by the being [[Tabuu]]. Upon being revived by King Dedede, Bowser fights him until he learns the truth behind the Subspace mission and joins the heroes in fighting against Tabuu and upon finding Ganondorf's trophy (just after Kirby's discovery of it), furiously attacks it, as retribution for the treason of which he was victim earlier.

===''Mario & Luigi'' series===

====''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga''====

In ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'', Princess Peach's voice was replaced with literally explosive vocabulary by the evil witch [[Cackletta]]. Realizing that if he kidnapped Peach, her voice would destroy his castle, he and the Mario Bros. journeyed [[Beanbean Kingdom]] to recover Peach's voice on Bowser's [[Koopa Cruiser]]. On the way, the Koopa Cruiser was shot down by [[Fawful]], Cackletta's minion. Bowser fell in a large cannon and was shot out by the [[Starshade Bros.]] Bowser ended up in the mountains with amnesia, where he was rescued by [[Popple]], the Shadow Thief. Popple started training Bowser to become a Shadow Thief, renaming him [[Rookie (Bowser)|Rookie]].

{{pitenemy|

|title = '''''[[Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time|Partners in Time]]'' Enemy'''

|location = [[Thwomp Caverns]]

|hp = 1100 (1000)

{{bisenemy|

|title = '''''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story|Bowser's Inside Story]]'' Enemy'''

|location = [[Toad Town]]

|hp = 1,215

{{quote|You got THAT right, buddy! I'm Bowser, the Koopa king!|Bowser|Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story}}

In the newest [[Mario & Luigi (series)|''Mario and Luigi'']] game, ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'', Bowser's playability is a major plot point, and the namesake of the game. At the beginning, Bowser attempts to once again kidnap Peach, but fails, courtesy of Mario. After being given a [[Vacuum Mushroom|strange Mushroom]] from [[Fawful|a cloaked merchant]], he eats it, but comes under Fawful's control. Afterwards, he inhales [[Mario]], [[Luigi]], [[Toadsworth]], [[Toadbert]], [[Princess Peach]], and several [[Toad|Toads]], passing out afterwards. After disposing of Bowser and with Peach and the Mario Bros. out of the way, Fawful takes control of both Peach's and Bowser's castles. After being woken up by Mario and Luigi, Bowser, not aware that he has living people in his [[Bowser's body|belly]], is extremely angered by the series of events and chases after Fawful, only to find that his castle has been taken over by the latter.

===''Mario Pinball Land''===

In the beginning of ''[[Mario Pinball Land]]'', Mario, Princess Peach, and a group of Toads went to a fair and were enjoying a day of merriment. Princess Peach rode a special ride, the Air Cannon, made by Professor E. Gadd. The machine turned Princess Peach into a pinball and allowed her to play a special pinball game. Two of Bowser's Goombas took advantage of her pinball state and changed direction of the cannon, and shot her to Bowser's Castle. Mario used the machine to become a pinball and followed Bowser through five different worlds with some Toads trailing behind. Mario had to use the power of the Power Stars to pass each world.<br>

When Mario finally got to battle Bowser, the plumber had to drop [[Thwomps]] on him to cause Bowser to lose balance.  After three hits, Bowser rolled into a giant-sized pinball and was used to break a hole in the castle wall.  Mario then continued on to save Princess Peach.

====''Yoshi's Island DS''====

In ''[[Yoshi's Island DS]]'', Bowser traveled to the past to find the [[Star Children]], which were said to have the power necessary for Bowser to conquer the universe. Among the many children he took or attempted to kidnap were [[Baby Mario]], [[Baby Luigi]], [[Baby Peach]], [[Baby Donkey Kong]], [[Baby Wario]], and even Baby Bowser. Bowser from the future used a scepter to bring him back to the past and invaded Baby Bowser's castle. Later Bowser kicked Baby Bowser out of the castle when he insulted him.

===''Mario Baseball'' series===

Bowser is a playable character in ''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]''  and its sequel, ''[[Mario Super Sluggers]]''. Bowser is a team captain and a very powerful batter. In ''Mario Super Sluggers'', Bowser's special move is the [[Killer Ball]], where he hit or pitched a [[Bullet Bill]]. In ''Mario Super Sluggers'', Bowser Jr. is jealous that Mario and his friends have their own baseball stadium so he takes over the stadiums in [[Baseball Kingdom]]. After Bowser Jr. is beaten by Mario's team, Bowser faces Mario in a baseball game. Mario's team emerges victorious and celebrates. Bowser and Bowser Jr. are invited to the celebration out of pity. Bowser refuses but goes anyways since Bowser Jr. wants to have fun, so Daisy leads them to the table. To the dismay of Bowser and Bowser Jr., they only get a small portion of food. Wario and Waluigi attempt to take Mario out with a sneaked Bullet Bill in the Bob-omb Derby during the celebration, but Bowser jumps in front and deflects it back at them. The reason Bowser did this is unknown, though it is likely that either if it hit Mario, he would have no archrival, or that he thinks it is his job to take Mario out.

===''Mario Football'' series===

Bowser makes brief appearances in ''[[Mario Smash Football]]'' as a hazard who interrupts gameplay by tilting the field or attacking the players. During the game he attempted to have his own robotic [[Super Team]] win a soccer tournament, but they were defeated. Bowser reappears in ''[[Mario Strikers Charged Football]]'' as a power type character who can tackle hard and make goals easily. His special ability is the [[Fire Storm!]]. When performing his mega shot, Bowser turns into a fiery monster and then hurls the ball at the goalie. Bowser wears metal claws to help him manage the ball, as well as to make himself look more fierce.

===''Mario & Sonic'' series===

====''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games''====

Bowser appears in ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games]]'' as a power type character. He is the strongest character with a high level of stamina. Bowser does excellently in events such as the Hammer Throw or any events dealing with strength. Out of ten, his stats are: Power-10/10, Speed-2/10, Skill-3/10, and Stamina-9/10. His swim stroke is breaststroke and his six missions are:

#[[Pole Vault]] - Clear the bar twice, it is set at 5.70m

====''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games''====

Bowser was a playable character in ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]''. He was given a high power stat, and his speed stat was also quite high too.  In the DS version of the game, in the Adventure Tour mode, Bowser is one of the two main antagonists. He, along with [[Dr. Eggman]] tried to stop the 2010 Olympic Winter Games by capturing all the [[Snow Spirit|Snow Spirits]].

===''The Legend of Zelda'' Series===

====''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time''====

During the events of this game, Bowser himself does not physically appear, though when [[Young Link]] entered [[Hyrule Castle]], oddly enough he found Bowser's portrait hanging on the wall, and later when visiting Lon Lon Ranch he found that both Malon and Talon wore broaches of Bowser's face. This is slightly ironic as Talon bears a great resemblance to Mario, in the way he looks and dresses, and Mario would be unlikely to wear a Bowser broach.

== Personality ==

===Different Characterizations===

When Bowser was developed, he was a typical villain of pure evil with immense hatred and anger. Cruel and ruthless, he was typically portrayed as a power-hungry tyrant who lead violent attacks that threatened the lives of hundreds. Bowser's ultimate goal was to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom, and eventually, the entire universe. His infamous plans and numerous crimes, ranging from kidnapping to terrorism, have earned him a reputation feared by the entire Mushroom World. While this status of evil is still very prevalent in the series, Bowser has recently had a humorous tone added to his personality and is shown to be more complex in terms of his relationship with his rivals.  

===Emotions===

Bowser's temperament has been depicted varying from pure, driven evil to a comical child-like villain. Despite this widely-opposing personality, any emotions other than anger or hatred have been shown. Bowser has never been seen acting remorseful for his numerous atrocities and destruction to both the localized Mushroom Kingdom and the outer reaches of the universe. He also seems to lack a sense of empathy, which results in a disregard for any other life. In ''Paper Mario'', Mario's defeat at the hands of Bowser, to which Bowser simply mockingly laughed at, was essentially murder before Mario was revived by the combined energy of the Star Spirits. Perhaps Bowser's most extreme disregard for other life was in ''Super Mario Galaxy'', where his plot consisted of wiping out entire galaxies to create a cosmos he can control.  

== Physical Appearance ==

Bowser is a huge, burly, green-shelled [[Koopa]] with spikes, horns, and hair. His bushy eyebrows and mane are fittingly a bright, fiery orange. He sports two small horns, many spikes on his shell (similar to a [[Spiny]]), as well as along his tail. He wears several spiked collars around his neck and arms. He has three claws on each of his massive feet, which support his impressive girth. While his face and his shell are green, his underbelly and snout are flesh-colored, and his tail and limbs are an orange-tinged yellow. In the original ''Super Mario Bros.'', however, his underbelly was also green as. On each of his hands are four claws. His arms are noticeably burly, indicating his vast physical strength. His bright red eyes are always a bit menacing, and this is heightened by his bushy, often-scrunched eyebrows. Bowser had green scales and skin in ''Super Mario Bros.'', but this has been changed to yellow scales and skin.

== Powers and Abilities ==

Since Bowser is the King of Koopas, he possess the powers of many of the Koopa subspecies, such as [[Fire Bros]]' fire breath, [[Spiny]]'s shell spikes, and [[Hammer Bros]]' hammers. Bowser's signature ability is breathing fire. He can choose to either breathe a long breath of flame or shoot many fireballs. Bowser is quite advanced in his fire-breathing, he can shoot blue flames that follow Mario in ''Super Mario 64'' and ''New Super Mario Bros.'' and can even breathe fire underwater in ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' and ''Super Paper Mario''. Another one of Bowser's most-often used abilities is his power and durability, something that Bowser prides himself in. Bowser is often the most powerful character in sports games and can create shockwaves by doing a simple ground pound in several games. Bowser's durable nature is evident seeing that he has fallen into lava, been blown up, etc., but has managed to survive all this many times. Bowser is also shown to have an extremely loud and powerful roar that often sends weak enemies running away before a battle even begins. In ''Super Mario Bros.'', Bowser also threw hammers like a [[Hammer Bro.]] but has rarely used the technique since, only to be used once again in [[Super Princess Peach]] and by his alter-ego Rookie in [[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]. He briefly used it in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars when after battling him at the beginning, he throws a hammer at Mario's Kinklink.

===Speed and Agility===

Bowser's speed and agility are very inconsistent and they greatly vary from game to game. In some games Bowser is actually faster and more agile than Mario is, such as in ''Super Mario 64'' where Bowser can jump hundreds of feet in the air if Mario tosses him off the platform. In that game for short distances, he can also run faster then Mario can. Despite his size, Bowser has demonstrated the ability to pull off a move similar to Mario's [[Spinning]] during a boss fight in ''Super Mario Galaxy''. However, Bowser is usually slower than Mario in playable appearances and sports games. In ''Super Paper Mario'', Bowser is the slowest usable character and also has poor climbing abilities. If Bowser tries to climb a ladder, he would only move his arms a little bit and then say "Can't climb this"; however he can climb ladders in ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''. In ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'', Bowser is shown to have good swimming abilities, just like Mario, though he reportedly hates swimming (though this may derive from the fact that his Koopa Clown Car crash-landed in the sea and he was forced to swim back to Rogueport). Another example is in the ''Mario & Sonic at the Oylmpics'' series. In the summer games he is the slowest runner with a 2/10 stat, while in the winter games he has an 8/10 stat; most power characters have a good speed stat in that game, though their speed is still inferior to Sonic's, and they lacked accelerating abilities.

== Family ==  

The game ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' introduces the first seven of Bowser's eight children, the [[Koopalings]]; who, after their first appearance in ''Super Mario Bros. 3'', would go on to appear in several other games with their father, as well as in various other Mario-related medias, such as cartoons and publications. The game ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'' introduces [[Bowser Jr.]], Bowser's eighth and youngest child who, unlike the Koopalings, resembles him greatly. Bowser Jr. has been featured in many games such as ''New Super Mario Bros.'' and ''Super Mario Galaxy'' and is often Bowser's partner in sports games. The [[Mario Party (series)|''Mario Party'' series]] also introduces [[Koopa Kid]]s who, despite having an uncanny resemblance to Bowser, seem unrelated to him; though Bowser acts somewhat like a father to the Koopa Kids, doing things such as grounding them or banning them from playing with his toys when they fail.

''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]'' introduces [[Kamek]], a [[Magikoopa]] who is the caretaker and possible adoptive father of [[Baby Bowser]]. Kamek is shown to take great care of Baby Bowser and worries about him often. Besides Kamek, [[List of Implied Characters#Bowser's Father|another father]] is mentioned by Bowser in a few issues of [[Nintendo Comics System]]. This father is heavily implied to be a criminal currently being chased by the authorities. Bowser and his children were also shown to have a pet, [[Pookie]], in Nintendo Comics System, who was a rabbit who was often abused by his owners. Pookie eventually escaped from [[Bowser's Castle]] in the comic "[[Bowser Knows Best]]".

The first family member of Bowser's ever seen was not in the Mario video games, instead, it was in ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'' episode "[[Do You Princess Toadstool Take This Koopa...?]]". This episode introduces [[King Koopa's mother|his mother]], who was a bossy and bullying woman. Additionally, King Koopa also mentioned a grandfather named [[List of Implied Characters#Poopa La Koopa|Poopa La Koopa]] in the episode  "[[Butch Mario & the Luigi Kid]]", with character's apparent motto being "Cheat, beat, and be merry!" In the song "[[Ignorance is Bliss]]" and an episode of The Super mario Bros. Super Show!, Bowser mentions a [[List of Implied Characters#Bowser's sister|younger sister]] who is a bookworm.

==Relationships==

===Mario===

{{main|Mario}}

While Bowser has many enemies, no one has caused him more anger than Mario himself. Bowser has had a deep-rooted hatred for Mario because he has continuously disrupted his plans and won the heart of Princess Peach. Though Bowser despises Mario with a passion, he has a grudging respect for him and sees him as a worthy opponent, although he's tried to hide this reluctant respect. This is shown most strongly in ''Super Mario Galaxy'', where Bowser says that he picked the right guy to be his archenemy since Mario always puts up a fight, and even more strongly in ''Mario Super Sluggers'' where Bowser saved Mario from being hit with a Bullet Bill sent from [[Wario]] and [[Waluigi]]. Of course, Bowser only saved Mario so that he could destroy him himself. Mario himself seems to have some sort of sympathy for the villain, going as far as even letting Bowser go in ''Mario Party DS''. Though this is most likely due to the fact that Bowser's scheme unintentionally led Mario and his friends to have fun and that his plans weren't nearly as brutal as past ones. Although it should also be noted that Mario celebrated after viewing Bowser's seemingly permanent destruction in ''New Super Mario Bros.'', although he did eventually return. In the first two ''Paper Mario'' games, Bowser tries to defeat Mario once and for all using new strategies; stealing the [[Star Rod]] to become invincible in the [[Paper Mario|first]] (though he is defeated the second and third times he is fought) and attacking him twice, each directly after a previous battle (which may leave Mario worn out before he fights Bowser), in the [[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door|second]]. Their battle seems to be an eternal one as Bowser has survived numerous situations and even came back from the dead.  

===Princess Peach===

{{main|Princess Peach}}

While Bowser has much hatred for the Mushroom Kingdom's residents, this hatred apparently does not apply to Princess Peach. One of the most complex aspects of Bowser is his relationship with Peach. It at first seemed that he only abducted her for control of the kingdom and to use her as bait to lure Mario into danger. However, it is later revealed that Bowser is attracted to Peach and lusts for her. While he has harmed her in many ways, Bowser will never go as far as killing her and treats her fairly nicely. Even though Bowser has an attraction to Peach, he in no way cares for perspective. He has ruthlessly attacked her kingdom, caused much destruction, and forced her to watch him nearly kill Mario, the person she truly loves, while tied up. It seems that Bowser's attraction for Peach is mainly physical, but Peach is the only one in the whole series, other than his children, capable of showing that Bowser has affection somewhere deep in his seemingly cold heart. Peach herself is able to recognize Bowser's softer side towards her and often flirts with him to agree to help Mario, to which Bowser reluctantly agrees. It can be assumed that Bowser does not care for anybody or anything other than Princess Peach, his own children, and his army. It is also possible that he does not care for her at all and just wants to make Mario feel jealous.

===Children===

{{main|Koopalings}}

{{main|Bowser Jr.}}

===Luigi===

{{main|Luigi}}

Another one of Bowser's odd, if not comical, interactions with other characters are his ones with Luigi. While Luigi has often helped Mario disrupt the Koopa King's plans, Bowser briefly forgets who Luigi is in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'' and in [[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]] where he call's Luigi 'Green Stache', showing how little Bowser thinks about Luigi. When Bowser kidnapped Mario in ''[[Mario is Missing!]]'' he thought he was unstoppable until Luigi stopped him. Since then, it seems he has realized Luigi's potential threat level, Bowser had Luigi captured in ''Super Princess Peach'' and in ''Super Mario Galaxy'', Bowser apparently saw Luigi as so much of a threat that he placed him under heavy guard in a haunted mansion guarded by Boos. Even though he sees Luigi as a threat, Bowser holds Luigi in low esteem; he is shocked and disgusted at himself when he believes that he even lost to Luigi in getting a Crystal Star in ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''. On many occasions though, Bowser seems to hate Luigi mostly for the simple fact that he is related to the man who has caused so much harm to the king and his Koopa Troop. Regardless, Bowser and Luigi are considered enemies, but can get along when the situation calls for it such as in ''Super Paper Mario''.

===Koopa Troop===

{{main|Koopa Troop}}

Bower’s relations with his army and underlings are usually held in good regards. Bowser has respect for all his underlings, but cares very little for them if they fail him. He seems to somehow bring some of his defeated minions in ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' back to life to give them another shot at beating Mario. If they betray him however, Bowser sees them as enemies and will not hesitate to eliminate them. His minions also, surprisingly, hold Bowser in extremely high regard and serve him out of respect more than in fear. While many do fear his wrath, his minions believe Bowser to be the strongest and best suited to run the army. Nearly every single one of his henchmen, while failing numerous times, is a hundred percent loyal to their king and serve him faithfully. Kammy Koopa and Kamek are prime examples as they treat Bowser as a god and never complain about him, even when he's not around. This applies to most of his other troops with the only complaint being that Bowser may be overly nervous about Peach escaping, though this nervousness is rational.

===Dr. Eggman===   

In the [[Nintendo DS]] version of ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]'', in the Adventure Tour mode, Bowser and [[Dr. Eggman]] are the two main antagonists. They did try to stop the 2010 Olympic Winter Games but failed to do so, and also they also failed in capturing all the Snow Spirits which they demanded they would do.

Fawful, a recurring villain in the ''Mario & Luigi'' series, is Bowser's second biggest enemy next to Mario. Of all the other villains who get in Bowser's way, Fawful is the one Bowser hates the most. Bowser has an instant disliking for Fawful when Fawful injures him during their first encounter in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]''. Bowser is also a protagonist (with the Mario Bros. as the other two) in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'', where after Fawful tricks him with a vacuum shroom and tries to take over Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser sets out to defeat Fawful (so he can kidnap Peach and take over Mushroom Kingdom himself). While he does fight the Mario Bros. every time he sees them, he spends the entire game chasing down Fawful and fighting his minions. He defeats Fawful in battle shortly before Fawful is consumed by the [[Dark Star]], which is later defeated by Bowser.

===''Paper Mario'' series===

{|class="collapsible" width=100%  

|PM2=yes

|align=right

|hp=30/70

|atk=3/7

{{PM1enemy

|align=right

|hp=50 (round 1), 99 (rounds 2 and 3)

|atk=6/8/10

|}

<br clear=all>

*'''Speed:''' *

*'''Weight:''' *****

*'''Bio:''' ''With road rage pumping through his veins, Bowser is the biggest brute on the track. It's impossible to push him around,  but his weighty shell makes his acceleration suffer.''

*'''Kart:''' [[Koopa King]]

*'''Partner:''' [[Bowser Jr.]]

*'''Bio:''' ''Naturally, Bowser gives new meaning to the term road rage.  His massive girth is matched only by his fierce temper.''

*'''Size:''' Large

*Actual Bonuses

**'''Drift:''' +3

*'''Baller Name:''' The Big Shell

*'''Type:''' Powerful

*'''Letter to Tap:''' B

==== ''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]'' ====

*'''Team Captain:''' Yes

*'''Player Type:''' Power

*'''Star Swing:''' [[Killer Ball]]

*'''Star Pitch:''' [[Killer Ball]]

*'''Special Skill:''' Laser Beam, Body Check

**[[Koopa Troopa]]

**[[Koopa Paratroopa]]

|bg=orangered

|captain=Bowser

|bio=''His strength and stamina baffles batters!

|pitch=5/10

|bat=10/10

}}

*'''Type:''' Power

*'''[[Super Ability]]:''' [[Fire Storm!]]

===''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games]]''===

|character=[[Bowser]]

|speed=20

|power=100

|stamina=90

}}

====''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' Trophies====

{| class=sortable align=center width=100% cellspacing=0 border=1 cellpadding=3 style="border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial;"

|align=center | 31

| align=center | Bowser <br>(Classic)

| align=center | [[Super Mario Bros.]]<br>10/85

|''Bowser has a long history of kidnapping Princess Peach to lure his nemesis, Mario, into traps. He leads an enormous group of mischievous creatures, not the least of which are his seven children. With outrageous strength, flammable breath, and more spikes than you can shake a Star Rod at, Bowser is a constant threat.

| align=center | 32

| align=center | Bowser [Smash]<br>(Adventure)

| align=center |B: Fire Breath <br>Smash B: Koopa Klaw  

|''In many ways, Bowser is the toughest character around. Not only does he have near-impervious hide, but his great mass makes him almost impossible to hurl offscreen. Of course, his weight also makes him rather slow to maneuver, so when facing him in battle, it's best to press your attack and not give him a chance to counter.

| align=center | 33

| align=center | Bowser [Smash]<br>(All-Star)

| align=center |Up & B: Whirling Fortress<br> Down & B: Bowser Bomb  

|''Bowser's Fire Breath strikes continually, but it grows gradually smaller over time until it's barely smoldering. The Koopa Klaw rakes enemies at a distance and pulls nearby foes in close for a good gnawing. Bowser's Whirling Fortress moves laterally over the ground; it works in midair as a recovery. The Bowser Bomb is powerful and paves the way for more attacks.

| align=center |17

| align=center |Bowser

| align=center |'''NES''' [[Super Mario Bros.]]<br>'''GCN''' [[Super Mario Sunshine]]

|''The king of the Koopas and Mario's eternal rival. He breathes fire, hurls hammers, attacks from vehicles like the Koopa Clown Car, and uses all sorts of weapons in hopes of taking out Mario. As his size suggests, he's immensely powerful. His son Bowser Jr. is a chip off the old block who spends his time creating trouble for Mario.

|align=center |18

| align=center | [[Giga Bowser]]

| align=center |'''WII''' [[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]

|''Bowser, transformed into the terrible and brutal form first seen in Super Smash Bros. Melee. While in this form, he's invulnerable--he takes no damage and cannot be budged. His appearance is so fierce, it's as if he doesn't even belong in the Smash Bros. universe. He cannot maintain this form for long, so dealing out damage efficiently is key.

|align=center |150

| align=center | Paper Bowser

| align=center |'''WII''' [[Super Paper Mario]]

|''The great king of the Koopas who plots to rule the land with a firm fist. In a change of events, Bowser goes from being Mario's rival to adventuring side by side with him. Bowser's special skill is breathing fire and he has nearly twice the attack power of Mario or Peach, which allows him to take out foes from a distance or multiple enemies with a single blow.

| align=center |152

| align=center | Wedding Bowser

|align=center |'''WII''' Super Paper Mario

|''The great Koopa king in a sharp, white tuxedo. Bowser is forced into marriage with Princess Peach by Count Bleck, who plots to wipe out the universe with the Chaos Heart. Although it's all part of Count Bleck's plan, Bowser doesn't seem to be displeased with the prospect. This might just be the last time we ever see Bowser in a tuxedo.

! width=100px | Image !! | Game !! | Effect

|-

|''Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix

|[Throwing] - Attack +20<br>'''Usable by:''' Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, Bowser

|-

|''Mario Kart 64''

|[Weapon] - Attack +13<br>'''Usable by:''' Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, Bowser

|-

|''Mario Power Tennis

|[Darkness] - Attack +21<br>'''Usable by:''' Ganondorf

|-

|''Super Paper Mario

|[Arm] - Attack +23<br>'''Usable by:''' Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, Bowser

*'''Speed''': 1

*'''Overall''': 7

===''The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3'' Writers Bible Bio===

==Names==

|KorM=Transliteration of the Japanese name

In older Japanese media, Bowser had the alternative titles 「クッパ大王」 ''Kuppa Daiō'' and 「魔王クッパ」 ''Maō Kuppa,'' meaning "Great King Koopa" and "Demon King Koopa," respectively. In the games, his title is usually　「大魔王クッパ」 ''Daimaō Kuppa,'' meaning "Great Demon King Koopa."

*King Bowser

*Lord Bowser

{{Attribution-SMWiki|Bowser}}

[[Category:Villains]]

[[Category:Koopas]]

[[Category:Royalty]]

[[Category:Parents]]

[[Category:Married]]