~ Bowser when he starts a battle without an initial hit in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, and Bowser's most famous quote.
“
Did somebody page the King of Awesome?
„
~ Bowser's first words when he arrives at Peach's Castle in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, bitter over not having been invited to the Blorbs conference.
“
Hear this! I will kidnap Peach over and over again until I pull it off! Failure isn't an option, and neither is giving up! I'LL BE BACK!Mario! Green Sta- I mean... Luigi!
„
~ Bowser proclaiming how resolute he is in his goals at the end of Mario and Luigi: Dream Team.
King Bowser Koopa Sr., known primarily in Western territory as just Bowser, is the main antagonist of the Mario franchise.
He is the tyrannical king of the turtle-like Koopa Troop race and the archenemy of Mario, who is constantly plotting to expand his Koopa Kingdom by conquering the Mushroom Kingdom.
He is in love with Princess Peach, and his attempts of conquest almost always include kidnapping her in one way or another. However, he let go of his love for her in Super Mario Odyssey. He is also the father of Bowser Jr., who aids him in his plans.
He was voiced by the late Harvey Atkin in the DIC Mario cartoons from 1989 to 1991, Rob Wallace in Mario Is Missing!, Marc Graue in Hotel Mario, Bruce Robertson in Mario's Time Machine Deluxe, Scott Burns from 2002 to 2007, Eric Newsome in Super Paper Mario and Kenny James since 2007. He had been portrayed by the late Dennis Hopper as President Koopa in the 1993 live-action Super Mario Bros. film.
Bowser first appeared as the main antagonist of the 1985 classic platforming video game Super Mario Bros., and he continued to serve as the main antagonist of the entire Super Mario series, taking on this role, as well as being the final boss, in every mainline game except for Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario Land, and Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins (with the role of main antagonist instead going to Wart, Tatanga, and Wario, respectively). He is also the main antagonist in other games such as Wrecking Crew 98, Mario and Luigi: Dream Team, Mario Is Missing!, Mario's Time Machine, Hotel Mario, the Mario Party series, the Mario Baseball series, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Yoshi's Island DS, Yoshi New Island, Yoshi Safari, and the main antagonist of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam (along with his paper counterpart). He is a major antagonist of Mario & Luigi Partners in Time, Subspace Emissary in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the adventure mode in the handheld Olympic Games, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix and the overarching antagonist in Super Mario Sunshine and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. However, there are some games where he is an anti-hero instead such as Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Super Paper Mario, and Super Mario RPG.
Overview
So far, Bowser appeared as the main antagonist of the majority of Super Mario games, but also made appearances as either a minor villain or even hero in several other games. As with most major Nintendo characters, he appears in most of the sport and party games of the Mario franchise. His stats in those games make him obviously destructive and powerful, but a little slow. In a few RPGs, he also sometimes team with up Mario and Luigi.
He is the main antagonist and final boss of most sidescrollers and all 3D platformers (although Bowser Jr. is the main antagonist of Super Mario Sunshine at first). At the end of a few of them he seems to die, such as Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario 3D Land, where he falls into the lava, Super Mario 3D World, where he explodes in a fireworks explosion, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, when a castle falls on top of him. In the case of one such death near the beginning of New Super Mario Bros., he is revived on-screen by Bowser Jr., but at the end of most, he is simply shown to survive. The chronology of many of these games (if any) is unknown. He is also a major antagonist in the Mario Party and Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games series (alongside Eggman).
He is said to be "soundly defeated" (more than likely killed, given the way it was said) by Mario prior to the events of Luigi's Mansion, but was presumably revived by Bowser Jr. before Super Mario Sunshine.
Appearance
Bowser has large lips and sharp teeth. He has yellow skin (although Super Mario Bros. portrays him with green skin), lines on his stomach, and sharp claws. His most recognizable features are his spiked shell, red mane, and spiked cuffs, which except for the mane have been prominent features of Bowser in all of his appearances. One point of debate over the time has been Bowser's size, which seemed to vary in every one of his appearances. Most of the time, he is about twice the size of Mario.
Personality
King Bowser
“
I'm huge! Even scarier up close, huh?
„
~ Bowser, upon his transformation into a giant in Super Mario Galaxy 2.
Bowser's personality varies depending on his role in the plot. In the main platformers, where he is the main antagonist, he has a very dark, brutal, merciless, destructive, cataclysmic, and serious disposition. For years, it was also rumored by fans that while most other Koopas prefer vegetation in their diet, Bowser's sharp teeth, another common feature of his, were an indicator of him preferring meat, preferably from victims he hunts down and captures. Indeed, Bowser is shown quite often to be an expert hunter, and his carnivorous side is definitively confirmed by him devouring Mario and Luigi in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Despite being defeated for many years, he had actually learned his lesson and is very determined to defeat Mario, as shown in Paper Mario.
In the RPGs, he shows some more amusing and funnier sides of himself, as he is shown to have a talent for sarcastic wit, works very hard to live up to the "evil king" image, and very often displays a shortsighted lack of common sense. However, the most prominent part of his personality is his confidence.
When he decides to help the other denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom against a common foe, it is mostly because of his own ego. In his mind, the only one that is allowed to kidnap Princess Peach, kill Mario, and/or conquer the world is himself, and he flies into a dangerous rage when other villains attempt to usurp his position as "the biggest, baddest brute around". He claimed in Paper Mario: The Origami King that he and Mario are nothing without each other.
In the RPG games, he is shown to be a benevolent and philanthropic ruler towards his men. In Super Mario RPG, he found two of his men in Monstro Town who had happy lives there, and instead of getting angry and ordering them to return to his army, he was happy for their lives and wished the best for them.
In spite of being an evil character, Bowser holds a strong love between himself and his diminutive son Bowser Jr. Bowser fathering his own son and able to convince him that Peach is his "mother".
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story showed that, while Bowser is mean to his troops, he cares about them. He rescued imprisoned soldiers who serve him, got extremely angry when he learned that Fawful had kidnapped his men, and even forgave three traitors. When he was confronted by Dark Bowser who desired to plunge the world into eternal darkness, Bowser was utterly disgusted and angry. He wishes to rule the world but not destroy it. In the Paper Mario games, it is shown that Bowser's troops follow him for respect rather than fear. In Super Paper Mario, a Hammer Bro told Peach that Bowser would fry him if he escaped without making sure that his companions are safe.
Powers and Abilities
Sheer Power: Over the years, Bowser has displayed countless feats that put him far above the average person, and possibly even one of the most powerful Nintendo characters. In many of the RPG and sports games, Bowser is typically among the strongest characters in the game. In Super Paper Mario, his attack stat is twice that of Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach respectively.
Superhuman Strength: Bowser's raw physical strength is frequently seen as one of Bowser's main powers. He can smash through boulders, lift immensely heavy objects with relative ease, counter and knock back any of Dark Bowser's punches with equal power, nearly stop the Fawful Express with his bare hands (only failing due to tripping on a rock) and topple enemies numerous times his size. Much like with his fire breath, Bowser prides himself on his strength and frequently incorporates physical attacks into his fighting because of this.
Enhanced Strength: When Bowser was faced with daunting tasks in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Mario and Luigi could power up his muscles with adrenaline enough that a cannonball from Bowser's Castle was easily thrown back into the castle with enough force to knock the floating castle back to the ground.
Charge Punch: Bowser can charge his fist up with orange energy and punch with devastating force as seen in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
Final KO Punch: Bowser's strongest single attack where he charged blue and rainbow colored energy into his right fist and punch the enemy several times before charging red energy into his fist for twenty seconds before sliding forward and punching the enemy with so much force that they'd go flying into the air. This was strong enough to destroy Dark Bowser with one hit after the Dark Star Core was destroyed.
Durability: Bowser has been drenched in lava, electrocuted, blown up, crushed by objects as heavy as both his own castle and Peach's Castle, rammed into a rock by a fallen hundreds of feet, sucked into a black hole and ejected back through the Mario Earth's atmosphere, blown up by an entire room of Bob-ombs, and even squashed underfoot by a T-Rex in Mario's Time Machine and has inevitably survived each fate. It took the literal end of the universe in Super Mario Galaxy to kill him.
Fire Breathing: Bowser's most signature ability, appearing in nearly all games he has been featured in. It manifests in several different ways and is apparently so hot that it is also just as effective underwater as it is on land.
Fireballs: Bowser's main fire based ability where he can breath fireballs from his mouth as big as his fist.
Fire Waves: Bowser can fire continuous streams of fire or shoot blasts or flurries of fireballs at his foes from his mouth.
Fire Rain: In some games, like Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U, Bowser can make it "rain" fire blasts.
Homing Fire Blasts: In Super Mario 64 and New Super Mario Bros., Bowser can also shoot blue fire blasts that can home in on Mario.
Superhuman Speed and Agility: Although his speed is hardy consistent between games, in some of his appearances, Bowser is shown to be a capable runner and quite agile for his size.
Supersonic Speed: In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Bowser uses a treadmill placed by Fawful and Midbus to burn off thousands of calories gained by eating incredibly unhealthy food in only a few seconds. This possibly makes him at least faster than sound.
Superhuman Stamina: Bowser's stamina is almost as limitless as his durability. He rarely ever shows signs of tiring, even when massively expending himself for hours on end. In battle, Bowser never slows down, keeping up with Mario and other enemies like his dark counterpart Dark Bowser blow for blow. That said, some games do show him tiring out after basic exercise.
Magic: While not as prolific in the use of it as Kamek, Bowser is well versed in using various forms of magic against his opponents. He apparently knows spells that can transform people into inanimate objects, as explained in the manual of the original Super Mario Bros. and has used different magical wands over the years for varying purposes (although this is more commonly seen in the cartoons and comics).
Teleporting: Bowser teleports into battle and after all his losses in Super Mario 64, and after his first two losses in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2. How he is shown teleporting is never consistent but it's usually an energy flash.
Electrokinesis: In Super Mario Galaxy and Mario Party 9, Bowser proves himself capable of invoking lightning.
Flight: In Super Mario Galaxy 2 and Super Mario 3D Land, Bowser is able to fly at will.
Metamorphosis: An important ability of Bowser. In Mario Party 2, he turns a Koopa Troopa into a frog, and in Super Mario Galaxy, he turns into a stone ball.
Self Growth: In numerous games, Bowser has the ability to transform himself to giant size to battle his enemies. Most of the time, Bowser is empowered by Kamek or somebody else, but, as seen in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, if Bowser is supercharged with adrenaline, he can temporarily achieve his giant size naturally.
Power Absorption: In games such as Paper Mario and Super Mario Galaxy 2, Bowser used the power of Stars to grow himself to immense size.
High Skill in Sports and other Activities: Like almost all Super Mario Bros. characters, Bowser is an extremely qualified player in numerous sports and physical activities. While not being particularly talented in any activity, he has been shown as a skilled tennis, soccer, hockey and basketball player, golfer, go-kart racer, Olympic athlete, wrestler (given some of his moves in the Super Smash Bros. games), and even a professional dancer.
Intelligence: Despite his brutal side, Bowser can occasionally be smart like when he cheats Mario with a wooden replica of Peach in Super Mario 3D Land or when he traps Mario with a trap in the ground in Super Mario Odyssey.
Piloting skills: Although less prominent than Bowser Jr., Bowser is somewhat skilled at piloting various means of transportation such as the Koopa Clown Car and a fleet of airships.
Arsenal
Fists: Bowser typically doesn't have any weapons but his sheer strength and bare fists more than make up for that.
Shell: Bowser has an extremely strong shell, allowing him to run into his enemies and protect himself.
Relationships
Mario
“
MAAARIO! Are you seriously trying to start with me again?! I hear about this big meeting, and I'm all ready to act nice... But man, the second I see your face, Mr. Nice Bowser is GONE. Yeah, forget your dumb meeting! I'll pummel you and grab Peach!
„
~ Bowser confronting Mario at Peach's castle in Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
Bowser's relationship with Mario is about as complex as it is long-standing. Bowser usually sees Mario as the greatest threat to him and the Koopa Troop, him being the one who consistently foils his plans, and, as such, almost all of his schemes include a way to destroy or at least distract his archenemy so he does not interfere. Mario, meanwhile, dislikes Bowser because of how many times he's endangered those he cares about.
Bowser also sees Mario as, more or less, the one thing that stands between him and Princess Peach, and although their love rivalry is fairly one-sided, it is never the less prominent, best shown in the ending of Super Mario Odyssey, where the two compete over Princess Peach's hand in marriage, only to both be rejected due to their immaturity. However, despite the years and years the two have spent feuding, Bowser values Mario as an enemy, stating in Super Mario Galaxy that he "chose the right guy to be his archenemy".
Likewise, in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Bowser fears the idea of Mario seeing him in his position of weakness, not wanting to lose his reputation as a villain and acts tough in front of him to hide his insecurity. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, Captain Goomba almost immediately realizes that something is off about Bowser (who was really Bowletta in disguise) when he orders Mario to be outright destroyed, taking note of how harsh he was being, even with their history.
In many of the RPG games, it is shown that Bowser is willing to work with Mario if a bigger threat is on the rise, although he makes his reluctance to do so very clear. Regardless, he hates the idea of helping Mario without knowing it, as, in Bowser's Inside Story, he rages and tries to kidnap Princess Peach upon learning that Mario and Luigi had been secretly assisting him in fighting Fawful and Dark Bowser from inside his body.
While disliking Bowser for constantly trying to take over the Mushroom Kingdom and kidnapping the Princess, Mario does not possess the hatred for Bowser that he carries for him, and is almost always willing to work with him if it is necessary. In Super Mario Odyssey, after they are both briefly rejected by Peach, Mario actually shows some sympathy towards Bowser, seemingly recognizing what it feels like to be rejected, albeit briefly. As a shown of their somewhat mutual trust, it is stated (or at least implied) in Paper Mario: Color Splash that Bowser and Mario arrange friendly go-kart races together from time to time.
Like with Mario, Bowser dislikes Luigi and continuously plots his downfall, again seeing him as a dangerous and formidable opponent for him and the Koopa Troop. However, despite fighting with Luigi for near as long as Mario, like many residents of the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser underrates Luigi and sees him as inferior to Mario, not fully considering him and yet not truly discounting him as a threat. As a show of his lack of respect for Luigi, in the Mario & Luigi games, Bowser almost never refers to him by name, often forgetting it and instead just calls him "Green 'Stache". It is only at the end of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team that Bowser actually remembers to refer to Luigi by name, while declaring that he'll never give up and swearing to fight the two brothers again.
Princess Peach
One of the most complex aspects of his personality, Bowser's relationship with Peach has developed far more than with any other character. In the original games and even some of the modern ones to certain degrees, Bowser sees Princess Peach as a tool that he can use to acquire her Kingdom. In the original Super Mario Bros., it is stated that Bowser kidnapped her purely because she could undo his spell over the Mushroom people using her magic.
In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, it is implied that Bowser kidnaps Peach simply because he enjoys the thrill of it, regarding holding Peach captive while Mario comes to save her as "the good old days".
Later into the game, when Geno suggests to Princess Peach that, if the Star Road is not fixed, she may never be saved from Bowser, Bowser is temporarily enthralled by the idea, before being forced to choose between capturing the Princess forever and getting his Keep back from the Smithy Gang. In many of the RPGs, Bowser seemingly possesses an odd obsession with kidnapping the Princess, always becoming enraged when another villain tries to do the same, declaring that he is the only one who gets to do so.
However, over the years, Bowser has been shown as having an unrequited crush on Princess Peach, which serves as the main reason why he constantly captures her, although it is unknown if this is something he possessed since the beginning or developed over time. At heart, Bowser actually does hold legitimate love for the Princess, writing in his diary in Paper Mario that he hopes the Princess will like him and trying to receive her affection after doing good deeds in games such as the aforementioned Super Mario RPG or Super Mario Power Tennis. In Bowser's Inside Story, it is shown that Peach is Bowser's most carefully preserved memory.
In Super Paper Mario, when Count Bleck and Nastasia force the marriage between him and Peach in order to unleash the Chaos Heart, Bowser is overjoyed, and later refers to Peach as his wife throughout the game, even though she points out the entire wedding was a sham. Despite his affection, Bowser rarely considers the Princess' well-being or happiness, constantly abducting her at any opportunity and endangering her people, friends and loved ones, and, if it comes down to it, Bowser is fully willing to personally harm or fight the Princess to get what he wants or if she gets in his way, such as in Super Mario 3D World, and, more notably, Super Princess Peach.
Peach has seemingly been aware of Bowser's crush on her since reading his diary in Paper Mario. Naturally, despite Bowser's efforts, Peach does not return his affection and makes her disgust very clear whenever Bowser becomes upfront about his feelings, although he never gives up regardless. Peach has often tried to use Bowser's feelings as a means of advantage, having sweet-talked him into helping out, and trying to convince him to stop his evil plans if he values her love more than once. Even with their awkward relationship, Peach does see good in Bowser and values it whenever shown, teaming up with him for the greater good on various occasions, baking him a cake for helping save the Mushroom Kingdom in Bowser's Inside Story, even after he tried to kidnap her again, and being hesitant to continue after his presumed sacrifice in Super Paper Mario.
Bowser Jr.
Bowser Jr. is Bowser's son and only known family. He shares Bowser's hatred of Mario and company, and plots with Bowser to help defeat them and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser loves and adores his son, and is shown to be overprotective and proud. In an advertisement for the Nintendo Switch parental controls, Bowser and Bowser Jr. are shown playing games, talking about hobbies (including clobbering Mario in Mario Kart) and otherwise enjoying each other's company. He bears a striking resemblance to a young Bowser.
While not as profound as an enemy as Mario nor even Luigi, Bowser still sees Yoshi as arguably his third greatest threat and is not hesitant to eliminate him. In his childhood, Bowser possessed a bratty desire to ride Yoshi when he and Mario arrived at his castle to rescue Luigi, and, afterwards, would antagonize them on various occasions by stealing their cookies and even their Super Happy Tree. In the NES port of Mario's Time Machine, Bowser kidnaps Yoshi when he and Mario attempt to stop him. In Yoshi Topsy-Turvey, Bowser attacks Yoshi's Island directly and fights with Yoshi himself. On two different occasions, Bowser has traveled back to the past and fought with Yoshi, the first being in Yoshi's Island DS, and the second in Yoshi's New Island, where his intention was to directly stop Yoshi from saving Baby Luigi so that he would never be defeated.
Although their interactions are limited, Bowser generally dislikes Wario and Waluigi, and they find themselves opposing each other on various occasions. In the opening cutscene of Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Bowser suffers from a black eye after Wario unintentionally hits him with a golf ball, and tries to kill the two with Bob-ombs in response. In Mario Super Sluggers, Bowser prevents the two from attacking Mario with a Bullet Bill, knocking the bullet right back at them. In Mario Power Tennis, Bowser decides to employ Wario and Waluigi to help ruin the tournament, harshly training them to improve their tennis skills, before assisting them in trying to destroy the Mario Brothers with Bob-ombs and collectively being defeated by their own explosives.
Bowser gets along well with Dr. Eggman, as the two of them have a lot in common. They share the same ideals of universal conquest and gaining ultimate power to become invincible. Plus, Bowser and Eggman like hanging out together like they are best friends, doing all kinds of evil and other hobbies. In fact, in Mario and Sonic: At the London 2012 Olympic Games, they both conspire to ruin the Olympics with a fog machine. In Wreck-It Ralph, they are members of Bad-Anon, which is a support group for bad guys of the arcade games at Litwak's Arcade.
Throughout the series, Bowser has always been seeking to massively expand his power, which he mostly tries to accomplish by acquiring magical artifacts and the resulting conquest of whatever it allows him to conquer. In addition to this, he almost always kidnaps Princess Peach, whether she has any actual relevance to his plan or not. This is due to him being in love with her, and the fact that Peach possesses a unique ability called Heart Power that is a genetic mutation passed down by the royal Toadstool line that enables the possessor to channel their emotions into magical power.
Although he often reaches his goal of conquest, he is always stopped by his archenemy Mario, which made him build deep hatred, but also deep respect towards him. This respect mostly shows when he is forced to cooperate with him, which usually happens when a force eviler and more powerful than himself appears (as was the case with Smithy, Cackletta or Count Bleck). In those situations, he usually swallows his pride and help the heroes to save what he intends to conquer.
Bowser when he was younger. He has been the recurring antagonist in the Yoshi's Island series.
Giant Baby Bowser
After Baby Bowser has been beaten by Yoshi, Kamek would use some of his magic to make Baby Bowser grow to giant size.
Giant Bowser
Giant Bowser
Bowser's most recurring form, in many games Bowser will use different items, like the Star Rod in Paper Mario, in order to increase his size, the smallest is double his normal size and the largest is bigger than a castle. It would later serve as inspiration for Giga Bowser in the Super Smash Bros series.
Dry Bowser
Dry Bowser
An undead form of Bowser who first appears in New Super Mario Bros. after being dunked in molten lava by Mario, leaving only his skeleton. In this form, he could spit blue flames and throw his own bones like hammers. He was eventually revived by Bowser Jr. by the end of the game.
Another version of Dry Bowser appears in later games seemingly as his own separate character.
Metal Bowser
Metal Bowser
A more durable form of Bowser used by obtaining a Metal Box. Bowser uses this form in the Super Smash Bros. series, and also in Mario Party 2.
Giga Bowser
Giga Bowser
In the Super Smash Bros. series, Bowser gained a new form of himself that grows about three times his normal size and his power is increased immensely. In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Giga Bowser appears both as the secret boss of Adventure Mode and in the final Event Match along with Mewtwo and Ganondorf. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Giga Bowser appears as the Final Smash move of Bowser. Giga Bowser also makes a reappearance as a boss in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, being able to be fought at the end of Mario and Captain Falcon's Classic Mode campaign. He also appears as a boss in the World of Light adventure mode, first as one of the bosses protecting Galeem's shield and before the final boss battle. He is located at the end of the Molten Fortress sub-world in the Light Realm.
Although he is officially a boss in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, if one were to hack and mod the game, it is possible to play as Giga Bowser. Because his moveset is copied and pasted from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, he is fully playable, albeit his attacks are more sluggish due to his boss status. He can still perform taunts, but there are no sound effects when doing so.
In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga after the defeat of Cackletta, Cackletta's ghost ended up possessing Bowser, resulting in a hybrid known as Bowletta.
Shrowser
Shrowser
Shrowser is Bowser with the power of the Shroobs infused, in the video game Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. He can still breathe fire in this form but this time he does not give the Mario Bros. and the little brothers any chance to attack. At the beginning of the Shrowser battle, Shrowser spews a purple gas out of his mouth which turns into the ghost of the Elder Princess Shroob.
The only way to defeat Shrowser since he does not let the Mario Bros. attack is to dodge his small fire attacks until they hit the Elder Princess Shroob's ghost and then to use hammers to counter the bigger flames he spews. The ghost princess has a health meter this time around, so the player does not have to keep guessing on whether or not she is close to being truly dead.
Dreamy Bowser
Dreamy Bowser
Bowser's currently strongest form, Bowser takes this form in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team after inhaling all the fragments of the shattered Dream Stone. This form increases Bowser's size and makes his body glow and turn rainbow colors. Bowser gains many new abilities with this form and appears to be able to warp reality and make his wishes come true.
Shiny RoboBowser
Shiny RoboBowser
Shiny RoboBowser is an upgraded giant version of Bowser serving as the final boss of Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. In this form, Bowser is giant-sized and wearing armor made of Paper Bowser and his minions. He can use multiple paper abilities to fight against the Mario Bros. and even use his own Paperizer attack. As the boss takes damage, his armor breaks apart, allowing access to Bowser underneath.
Meowser
Meowser
After using the Super Bell on himself, his cat ego resembles more of a tiger than a cat, but still enables him to climb on walls with cat claws. On the second round in this form, he eats four Double Cherries to create four duplicates of himself. Meowser also appears as a spawnable enemy in the Super Mario 3D World theme in Super Mario Maker 2.
Fury Bowser
Fury Bowser
In Super Mario 3D World: Bowser's Fury, Bowser takes this form after becoming corrupted by black paint, causing him to grow and go berserk. He infects Lake Lapcat, in which he sometimes awakens from his solitude to attack Mario and Bowser Jr. in their quest to awaken the Giga Bell to stop him. His body becomes black, with his chest and shell spikes glowing orange. His eyes also glow white, with his eyebrows and hair also glowing a fiery red.
During the fight against him, after all the black paint on his body has been removed, he takes the form of a giant. He looks just like his normal form, but now has glowing white eyes, and contains all three Giga Cat Bells in a shield. After Mario collects every Cat Shine in the game, Fury Bowser returns in his final form. He looks just like his normal Fury form, with black paint covering his body, but his orange spots now glowing white.
Quotes
“
Here I was, thinking of a plan to get my castle back, and all of a sudden, Mario walks up to me and BEGS me to let him join the Koopa Troop! I had no choice BUT to let him in! It was so pathetic!
„
~ Bowser blatantly lying about how he joined Mario in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
“
Bwa ha ha ha! You've come so far and worked so hard. I'm almost proud of you... Almost. But winning's no fun if it's easy, right?! So here comes a little challenge from me, free of charge! You chumps should THANK me! Gwah ha ha ha!
„
~ Bowser
“
Oh no! I can't believe I left my secret diary lying out! It would be totally embarrassing if someone were to read that thing. Wuh... wuh... WHAAAT?!! What's the princess doing here?
„
~ Bowser finding Princess Peach reading his diary in Paper Mario.
“
That jerk Mario just beat the Koopa Bros. and Tutankoopa. Sure, they were complete wimps, but they were still loyal to me. I can't forgive Mario for disrespecting me!
„
~ Bowser lamenting the defeat of his lead minions at the end of Chapter 2.
“
Under NO circumstances is ANYONE allowed to kidnap her without MY say–so!!! I will NOT stand for this! I'm going to Rogueport, NOW! I've got to kidnap her back!
„
~ Bowser refusing to let anyone but himself kidnap Peach in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door.
“
Bah! Mario... AND Luigi?! How'd you get in here?...What? My front gate was open?! How many times have I told those idiots?! If you're the last in, LOCK THE GATE!
„
~ Bowser when Mario and Luigi entered in Super Paper Mario.
“
Who doesn't love coins? Especially YOURS!
„
~ Bowser stealing a player's coins in Mario Party DS.
“
MAAARIO! Are you seriously trying to start with me again?! I hear about this big meeting, and I'm all ready to act nice... But man, the second I see your face, Mr. Nice Bowser is GONE. Yeah, forget your dumb meeting! I'll pummel you and grab Peach!
„
~ Bowser after Luigi accidentally skidded into him during Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.
“
Huh? Mario and that green wimp are here? What are the odds? I'll admit, you handed me my shell before, but not this time! Oh yeah! My horoscope said so! Today's the day I win it all! Gwah ha ha ha! I RULE!
„
~ Bowser when confronting the Mario Bros over Princess Peach (secretly Princess Shroob in disguise.
“
This place is a pit! It's hot, stinky, dangerous, and one humongous fire hazard! I LOVE IT! Talk about a perfect place for me to build a second castle!
„
~ Bowser when he landed in the center of Thwomp Volcano.
“
Bwah ha ha! This little firebrand reminds me of a younger me. Look at him! The kid's got a flair of evil! I'm bringing him on board as my partner, and the two of us are gonna thrash you losers!
GAHAHAHAHA! Feels good, finally punching out that weirdp! And now, I'll just help myself to the Dark Star and the world!
„
~ Bowser after seemingly killing Fawful as he absorbed the Dark Star's power.
“
Seriously?! You again?! You're such a huge pain! Like that's my problem! I'm done with you, pal! Where's the fake me?!
„
~ Bowser when confronted by Dark Fawful who wanted more dark power.
“
OK, so that was NOT a fight I ever expected...
„
~ Bowser after defeating Super Peach's Castle of Fury.
“
HEY! Pfft! What, you thought your little castle-bot would crush me? Who do you think I am, buddy? I'm Bowser, the Koopa King! Please! Try again in about a hundred years, you weird little babbling nerd!
„
~ Bowser finally has had enough with Dark Fawful and decides to smash him after he expressed surprise at Bowser's survival despite crushing him with Super Peach's Castle of Fury.
“
Pitiful... What a joke! That guy was too weak to even call an enemy!
„
~ Bowser after seemingly killing Dark Fawful.
“
GWAHAHA! Great dark hurricane! Seriously, perfect backdrop for an awesome final battle! You really sweat the details! Listen up! You're saying the kingdom will vanish? NOT TODAY! THIS KINGDOM IS ALL MINE! SO YOU VANISH!
„
~ Bowser before the final battle with Dark Bowser.
“
What's wrong with you? Your coloring is...weird! Well, whatever! I'll still win this fight, no prob! And for the finale, one KO punch! HERE I GO!
„
~ Bowser when noticing the crippled Dark Bowser before finishing him off.
“
Hey...You just ACTED like me! That doesn't mean you ARE me. You're no match for the real deal, original Bowser... Right... You...LOST.
„
~ Bowser after finishing off Dark Bowser and he was surprised at his loss despite being at full power.
“
What? What in the... WHAT IS THIS?! WHY DID GREEN STACHE AND MARIO COME OUT OF MY GUT?!
„
~ Bowser when Mario, Luigi, Toadsworth, Toadbert and an army of Toads were ejected from his body after Fawful's suicide.
“
Wait... YOU! CHIPPY?! You're telling me YOU'RE Chippy?!
„
~ Bowser when recognizing Starlow's voice as the honorary minion only known previously to him as "Chippy."
“
GRAAAAAAAAAAAA! Having yourselves some kind of in my body! MY BODY! I've never been so disgusted! No WAY do I stand for this! So THIS time, I'm taking your precious princess! CHARGE!
„
~ Bowser before his battle in the end credits of Mario & Luigi Bowser's Inside Story.
“
Give it to me straight. Princess Peach is gone? Hello? That is MY thing! Only I get to kidnap her! TREASON!
„
~ Bowser after arriving on Pi'llo Island in Mario and Luigi Dream Team after finding that someone else has kidnapped Peach.
“
Time to give up hope, Mario! In my dreams, I fear nothing! I can crush even you like a little red bug!
„
~ Bowser confronting Mario in his dream during Mario & Luigi: Dream Team.
“
Hmph! I don't work well with others! You're an idiot! You thought you were using me? ME?! Buddy, I was playing you like a bat fiddle! This castle? Peach? The Dream Stone? ALL MINE. You hear me? They belong to Bowser! Why don't you guys have yourselves a pity party? Me, I'm done with you.
„
~ Bowser betraying Antasma.
“
Unh! Yeah! I feel... POWER, BABY!
„
~ Bowser after changing into Dreamy Bowser.
“
Check out my flame! Yeah! I am ROCKING this new look! Oh man, I have so much power...I can do anything I want! Peach... This island... This world... All of it... MINE! And you guys are... COOKED!
„
~ Dreamy Bowser before commencing the final battle of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team.
“
That Antasma guy just stunk it up! AND YOU GUYS! Actually...no. You did well by your normal standards.
Princess Peach! You are formally invited... to the creation of my new galaxy! Gwahahaha! This festival's over!
„
~ Bowser kidnapping Peach in Super Mario Galaxy.
“
Finally! You got here just in time to see the creation of my galaxy in the center of the universe! WATCH AND WEEP! From this galaxy, I'll rule a great galactic empire with Peach by my side. It will last forever! I will rule every pitiful corner of the universe. So, Mario, as you can see, I got big plans. And stomping you is at the top of my list!
„
~ Bowser aspiring to take over the universe right before starting the final boss battle in Super Mario Galaxy.
“
Nooooooooo! Noooo! My galaxy! My empire!
„
~ Bowser’s last words before his death after Mario defeated him at the end of the universe in Super Mario Galaxy.
“
Gah! Give it up already! Why won't you stop trying to mess up my awesome master plan?! I'm building my new galactic empire right here! And you can't stop me! Why don't you just run off and go find some green pipe to hide in?! Can't you see that I'm busy here?! I don't have time to chat, so let's cut this short... Shorty!
„
~ Bowser before the apparent final boss fight in Super Mario Galaxy 2.
“
Hey...guess what, Mario! Breathe a sight of relief, because it will be your last! Know why?! Because this is finally the end! The end of YOU!
„
~ Bowser after escaping a black hole after that fight and then beginning the true final boss battle of Super Mario Galaxy 2.
“
Rawrgh! My powers...gone... My empire shrinking... My huge cake... Never got a slice...
„
~ Bowser’s last words before sucking into vortex after Mario defeated him in Super Mario Galaxy 2.
“
Huuuuurgh! My brain hurts! I can't keep up with plot points this complicated!
„
~ Bowser
“
Oh, PLEASE! You know what you smell like, weirdo? FEAR. Stop crying and fight!
„
~ Bowser
“
Wha...? What's going on? MARIO?! What are YOU doing here? Do we have a kart race scheduled for today? WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BRAIN, CHUMPS?! And why do I feel like I just got hit by a bus?!
„
~ Bowser after breaking free from the Black Paint's control at the end of Paper Mario Color Splash.
“
Hmpf! Mario and his buddies... All up in my castle. Guy is probably patting himself on the back for knocking my pad down! What a JERK.
„
~ Bowser
“
YES! I'M BACK! We never speak of this again. Got it?!
„
~ Bowser when returning to his true form after the death of the Stapler.
“
What?! That's crazy talk! The Toads can't come back from that, you know. I wouldn't even do that. And I've done some pretty mean stuff, believe me! Ask Kamek!
„
~ Bowser after King Olly revealed that he planned to commit genocide and kill all Toads with the 1000 Cranes Technique.
“
You think we're gonna roll over just because you puffed out your chest and got all weird lookin'? I've had enough of you and your bad haircut. It's GO time!
„
~ Bowser when confronted by Mega King Olly.
“
Bwahaha! I love it! Nice work, origami girl! OK! I'm gonna show this paper pusher how a REAL final boss fights!
„
~ Bowser when Olivia had folded him into Mega Bowser.
Audio Files
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Samples
Themes
Track
Description
Album
His theme is played for the first time in this game.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario All-Stars (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros 3
His theme is played in his battle.
Super Mario RPG
His theme is played in his castle for second time.
His theme is played in his castle in 2nd part from Bowser Kingdom.
Super Mario Odyssey
His theme is played in his battle.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Trivia
Bowser is one of the most popular and well-known videogame villains. This is because Super Mario Bros. is commonly regarded as one of the most legendary and iconic videogames of all time.
The World Bowser amusement park.
Bowser along with his own namesake theme park-like lairs, share similarities with Cartman (with Cartmanland) from the adult-animated series South Park and the mad scientist Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik (with Eggmanland/Robotnikland from the Sonic the Hedgehog universe.)
Bowser is one of two Nintendo characters to be a Skylander, the other being Donkey Kong.
In many Super Mario games, when Bowser joins up with Mario and other heroes against greater villains, such as Dimentio, Bowser never betrays the heroes, particularly his nemesis, Mario, most notably in Super Paper Mario, where he calmly addresses Mario to the Closing of the Void. Afterward, he humorously remarks about being hungry and goes to Saffron's kitchen to have a meal and remains a playable anti-hero even after the player beats the game.
On a side note, some players could say that Bowser turns against Mario in his titular game Bowser's Inside Story but in reality, he never actually betrayed them on the grounds that he never verbally agreed to work with the Mario Bros. in this game and only worked alongside them (unknowingly) against a common enemy, Fawful.
Bowser is the only villain in the Mario and Luigi series to appear in all five games
Although Bowser's universal conquest plans usually fail, it's fair to agree that it was in Super Mario Galaxy that Bowser definitely posed as a very dangerous and totally genuine threat not only to Mario and his friends but to the whole universe. There, he planned to use the Grand Star to create his own galaxy and conquered many other ones for his planned empire, a plan which nearly culminated with the destruction of the universe as we know it with a titanic black hole created by the Grand Star upon his defeat. Even Mario wasn't able to stop it and it was thanks to the Lumas that the universe was ultimately saved.
According to Masahiro Sakurai, the story behind Giga Bowser's design is that it was Sakurai's interpretation of what he thought Bowser looked like, based on his original 8-bit sprites, where he viewed him as a "terrifying monster".
Bowser is similar to his friend and rival, Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik, since they both act as arch-enemies to the main protagonists (Bowser to Mario; Eggman to Sonic).
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Villains
