Bowser
From the Super Mario Wiki
“I cannot believe you've beaten me, Mario! My troops, worthless! They've turned over all the Stars! Wait, uh, say that again. 150 STARS!?!? EVEN SOME I MISSED?!? Just you wait! Until next time, keep that Touch Screen smokin'! Gwa ha ha ha...!”
—Bowser, Super Mario 64 DS
| Bowser | |
 Bowser, King of the Koopas | |
| Full Name | King Bowser Koopa |
| First Appearance | Super Mario Bros. (1985) |
| Species | Koopa (game)/Evolved Dinosaur (film) |
| Affiliation(s) | Koopa Troop |
| Latest Appearance | Mario Super Sluggers |
King Bowser Koopa (Japanese originally 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 supreme leader of the Koopa Troop, King of the Koopas, and the arch-nemesis of Mario. Repeatedly, he tries to kidnap Princess Peach and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. The Koopa King has attempted to conquer the entire Mushroom World many times, as well as the entire universe.
Since his debut, Bowser has been in almost every Mario game, appearing in main stream, spin-offs and crossover games. Bowser is one of video games' most recognizable villains, and is known for his aggressive nature. Besides being a primary villain, Bowser is also at times an anti-hero. An example is Super Paper Mario.
[edit] Biography
[edit] The Tiny Tyrant
- Main article: Baby Bowser
Bowser's first appearance chronologically was as Baby Bowser in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. His baby form was quickly shown to have similar powers of his adult form. This was also his first meeting with Mario (as Baby Mario).
In Yoshi's Island DS, Baby Bowser was abducted by Kamek where he met his older self a second time (The first was in Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, elaborated on below). 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. Baby Bowser later teamed up with Baby Mario, Baby Wario, Baby Donkey Kong, Baby Peach and Yoshi to save Baby Luigi and the other babies from the future Bowser. At the end of the game Baby Bowser turned on his team because he accused them of trying to steal his treasure after defeating him. Bowser grew in size when Kamek zapped him changing him to a gigantic form. This giant Bowser is later defeated, changed back to his normal self and went back to the present.
[edit] The First Mushroom Wars
Bowser's first appearance (release-wise) was Super Mario Bros. In this game, the now fully-grown tyrant had emerged as the leader of the Koopa Troop and used it to invade the Mushroom Kingdom. He turned many of the Kingdom's defenders into inanimate objects, and kidnapped the only person who could undo his black magic: Princess Toadstool (and seven Mushroom Retainers alongside her). He then turned seven of his minions into False Bowsers, and sent them to guard the Mushroom Retainers in seven different castles while he personally saw to Toadstool's captivity in an eighth castle.
Fortunately for the Mushroom Kingdom, the Mario Bros. unexpectedly appeared via. a Warp Pipe, and immediately set out to end Bowser's reign of terror. The heroes traversed the Mushroom Kingdom, freeing the Mushroom Retainers and eventually reaching the eighth castle and fighting with Bowser himself. The Koopa King waited for them on a brige, attacking by spitting Fireballs and throwing Hammers. But he was soon sent careening into the lava below when one of the brothers destroyed the platform with an Ax placed at the far end of the bridge. Thus Toadstool was liberated and her kingdom restored.
Undeterred by his preliminary defeat, Bowser did the exact same thing in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, only to be vanquished once more by Mario and Luigi.
[edit] The Conquest of the Lands
Bowser's next appearance was in Super Mario Bros. 3, which notably introduced his children, Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy and Ludwig. Each Koopaling conquered a different land in the Mushroom World and turned the king of said land into a generic enemy; Bowser resided in his home territory Dark Land. Mario and Luigi set out to free the kingdoms, all the while receiving helpful letters from Princess Toadstool. However, after freeing the seventh land they get 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.
[edit] The War over Dino Land
Bowser and the Koopalings reappeared in Super Mario World in which Bowser kidnapped Princess Toadstool, who was on vacation in Dinosaur Land along with the Mario Bros. He also captured several of the native Yoshis, turning them into eggs and giving one to each of the Koopalings, who 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 this game was unique in that Bowser and Mario battled on the roof of Bowser's castle while Bowser was in his Koopa Clown Car, throwing Mecha Koopas and 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 resoting to throwing things some more. Eventually he loses control of the Clown Car, allowing Peach to float down to the roof and her rescuers while Bowser himself spirals away into the distance.
[edit] Bowser and the Seven Koopa Hotels
In Hotel Mario, Bowser and the Koopalings turned the entire Mushroom Kingdom into their own personal resorts and retained Princess Toadstool as a "permanent guest" in one of his Koopa Hotels. After destroying most of the Koopaling hotels, Mario fought Bowser in his own hotel and defeated him.
[edit] Invasion of Jewelry Land
Bowser took over the kingdom of Jewelry Land and stole twelve magical gems in Yoshi's Safari. This caused a disturbance in the ground and caused Jewelry Land to split into the Light Realm and the Dark Realm. Princess Peach's good friend, Prince Pine and his father, King Fret, were in trouble along with their kingdom because of this. Mario, riding Yoshi, headed for Jewelry Land with the new weapon Princess Peach gave them to defeat Bowser.
Mario and Yoshi, rode through many unexplored stages and fought the Koopalings. Mario wasn't the only one with weapons as each of them possessed their own special weapon. Bowser, all geared up, fought Mario using many cheap tricks such as throwing bombs. Nevertheless, Mario and Yoshi beat him and saved another kingdom of the Mushroom World.
[edit] Fighting Luigi
Bowser finally captured his nemesis during the events of Mario is Missing!, which strangely takes place in the Real World. Mario, Luigi, and Yoshi went to stop all of his Koopalings from stealing valuable landmark artifacts from famous Earth cities, which Bowser needed to fund his plan: he wanted to buy hair dryers to melt Antarctica and flood the world. The Hafta Havit Mail-Order was his source of hair dryers.
Luigi, scared to go into Bowser's Castle, stayed behind with Yoshi; however, Mario then got kidnapped. Luigi saved Mario from Bowser by using the skills of deduction. The Mario Bros. then launched Bowser to the center of Antarctica and he split in two (although the game's place in the timeline, if it even happened, is questioned. Also, different versions of the game have different endings, Bowser's death being exclusive to the SNES version).
[edit] A Plan for a Museum
In Mario's Time Machine, Bowser built a time machine called a Timulator. He then stole valuable artifacts from the past in the Real World to build a great "Museum". Bowser, however, didn't realize that it might alter the present forever if the artifacts were not returned immediately. Mario had to stop Bowser from stealing more artifacts and returned the ones he already had to their proper locations, using his own time machine. Note that the game is very different for the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. In the Nintendo Entertainment System version, Mario was accompanied by Yoshi to defeat Bowser, but in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Yoshi didn't appear at all.
Mario first went to Bowser's Museum in Bowser's Castle and took back all the artifacts he has stolen. After meeting many historical figures and returning the artifacts to their proper places, Mario went to stop Bowser. Mario ended up victorious and saved the world.
[edit] A Brief Alliance
“I'm the biggest, baddest brute around, and don't you forget it.”
—Bowser, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
| Super Mario RPG Enemy | |
| |
| Bowser | |
| Location | Bowser's Keep (game intro) |
| HP | Infinite |
| Attack | 1 |
| Defense | 0 |
| Magic Attack | 0 |
| Magic Defense | 0 |
| Special Attacks | None |
| Strengths | None |
| Weaknesses | None |
| Item Dropped | None |
| Coins Dropped | None |
| Flower Dropped | |
| Experience Gained | None |
| Yoshi Cookie Item | |
| Related | |
| Psychopath Thought | |
| "Mario! It's time!" | |
Bowser actually served as Mario's ally in Super Mario RPG. He used Chain Chomps and his claws to attack. His special moves often involved summoning his minions to attack.
At the beginning of the game, Bowser kidnapped Princess Toadstool as she was picking flowers at Mario's Pad. He flew her to his castle, Bowser's Keep, in his Koopa Clown Car. However, Mario, having heard Toadstool scream, was on his tail. The plumber burst into Bowser's throne room and fought him atop Bowser's chandeliers in what was their one millionth battle[1]. Bowser seemed to be unbeatable, but with some advice from the princess, Mario attacked the Kinklink chain holding up the chandelier, sending it and Bowser plummeting to the ground below. However, Bowser threw Hammers at Mario's chain, bringing him down as well. On the ground, Mario Jumped on top of Bowser, giving him a boost up to the Princess.
After the battle, a huge sword named Exor crashed into Bowser's Keep, sending Mario, Toadstool and Bowser flying in different directions; Bowser ended up near Rose Way. Once there, he decided to join forces with Mario, (even going as far as naming Mario, Geno and Mallow honorary members of the Koopa Troop) until his castle was won back from Exor and the Smithy Gang. However Bowser helps Mario and his Party for a bit longer after his castle is won because (as Geno points out) it would not be truly secure until Smithy was defeated; though the King of the Koopas insisted he only did it because Smithy had insulted him.
In this game, whenever Bowser uses a Special Move a diamond is superimposed over his body. In the Japanese version, Bowser did a gesture similar to giving the middle finger for his victory pose[2]. This was changed when the game was released in America.
[edit] The Attack on the Castle
In Super Mario 64 and its remake, Super Mario 64 DS, Bowser returned to his antagonistic relationship with Mario. In both of these games, Bowser did not technically "kidnap" the princess, but invaded her castle and trapped her and many of her Toads in the paintings of the castle.
Bowser stole the Power Stars that protect the castle and used them to gain incredible new powers, which would help him realize his plans to seize control over the entire kingdom by building up his army to unlimited numbers. To do this, he created his own worlds inside many of the paintings and walls in the castle and used the stars' power to convert the residents of those worlds into monsters for his army.
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 and this led to his undoing as Mario was able to collect stars from the painting beyond the door, thus opening other doors and systematically sweeping through the castle towards Bowser.
In Super Mario 64, Bowser was solely defeated by the efforts of Mario. However, the remake Super Mario 64 DS differed in that it took the combined efforts of four heroes - Mario, Luigi, Yoshi and Wario - to overthrow the tyrant and free Peach, the Toads and the Castle from his scaly grasp. But, keeping true to his rivalry with the red-clad plumber, Bowser would not accept any challengers but Mario himself for the final battle (although a glitch allowed him to be fought by anyone).
In these games, Mario defeated 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.
[edit] Brand New Fortresses
During the events of Wrecking Crew '98, Bowser overran the Mushroom Kingdom with many of his new fortresses. The result of all this construction was a withering Mushroom Kingdom.
Mario decided to stop Bowser by destroying his buildings. Foreman Spike also made a reappearance, this time helping Bowser. The heroic plumber defeated all his foes and the Mushroom Kingdom was saved yet again from the Koopa King.
[edit] Paper Bowser
“Oh, Princess Peach! Your cuddly old Bowser's here!”
—Bowser, Paper Mario
| Paper Mario Enemy | |
| Bowser | |
| |
| Max HP | 50 (round 1), 99 (rounds 2 and 3) |
| Attack | 6/8/10 |
| Defense | 1/2 |
| Location(s) | Peach's Castle
|
| Moves | Magic Wave (4/6 to Mario; 3 to partner), Jump Attack (6/8), Poison Claw (6/8; Poison), Fire Blast (8/10), Lightning Storm (10), Recover (30), Star Rod (invincible, doubles attack) |
| Tattle | It's the Evil King Bowser!
|
Bowser, aided by Kammy Koopa, second in command of the Koopa Troop, invaded Star Haven and stole the the powerful Star Rod, which can 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 took control of Peach's castle, during a party she had thrown. But instead of simply attacking the castle, he used his own flying fortress to lift it up into the sky.
Bowser broke through one of the castle windows and engaged Mario in another battle; and as the Star Rod made him invincible, he defeated Mario for the first time ever in the series. 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.
The entire Mushroom Kingdom was turned into a state of fear with every location feeling the result of Bowser's takeover. Creating an army of Huff n' Puff's Bowser gave them a star spirit to guard and ordered them to attack the Flower Fields. They did so and took control of the fields and created a device that created dark clouds to keep the sun out and make the area pitch black. The Koopa Bros. took over the Bomb-omb fortress and enslaved them all under Bowser's orders. Koopa Village was infested with Fuzzies and Bowser made Tubba Blubba invincible by removing his heart from his body. In return, the beast guarded a spirit and terrorized the Boo community that were not loyal to the tyrant. The Dry Dry Ruins were taken over as well by Tutankoopa who looted the ruins. The Shy Guys attacked and looted Toad Town for Bowser as well while a Fire Piranha took over the volcano on Lavalava Island and caused life threatening explosions. Finally, the Crystal Palace was taken over by Crystal King while numerous monsters overran the rest of the kingdom. All of these troops were given a star spirit to guard. The effect of Bowser's reign also meant that no star children could ascend to Star Haven as Bowser has stolen the Star Rod and abducted all the star spirits.
But Mario and with his friends Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Bow, Watt, Sushie and Lakilester, rescued the Seven Star Spirits in order to use the Star Beam and deactivate the Star Rod. After rescuing all the star spirits, the kindgom was in much better condition, but as long as Bowser held the Star Rod he could just wish for a reinforced control making the threat no less significant. Mario eventually made his way to the warlord's fortress to give him his due for his nefarious deeds and the attempt on his life. After storming through Bowser's and Peach's castles, Mario reached and battled with Bowser, who then retreated to the roof of Peach's castle. Kammy boosted Bowser's size and power with her Power Platform, thus preventing the Star Beam from working against the Koopa King. However, Princess Peach's Star Kid friend Twink granted her wishes that Mario's strength would increase; thereby giving him the Peach Beam.
Now that Mario was able to negate the Star Rod's effects, Bowser's invincibility was lost and he was damageable once again. Bowser was soon defeated and the Star Rod was taken back by the heroes. After the battle, Bowser's device started malfunctioning due to the intensity of the fight and explodes, sending Bowser and Kammy flying away. The Star Rod was returned to the Star Spirits, Peach's castle was put back in place and peace returned to Star Haven and the Mushroom Kingdom.
Paper Mario was significant because it revealed another of Bowser's motives for kidnapping Peach; he has a crush on her and hopes to steal her away from Mario.
[edit] The Bowser Suit
Bowser didn't appear in Luigi's Mansion for the Nintendo GameCube - instead, King Boo used a 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!
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 perished at the hands of Mario by a fortune telling ghost. This has led some to speculate that the events that occurred in Luigi's Mansion are after Bowser's permanent destruction, an event that has not yet happened. This is highly unlikely, however, as Professor E. Gadd who first appeared in the game has made subsequent appearances in other games that were made afterwards, and has brought with him a variety of upgraded inventions based off of his earlier creations.
[edit] Island Takeover
Bowser masterminded yet another plan to kidnap the Princess in Super Mario Sunshine, this time stooping so low as to use his son, Bowser Jr., as a pawn. Bowser told his son that Princess Peach was his mother and that Mario was a bad man who stole her. He urged him to take Peach back. Bowser Jr. took on the disguise of Shadow Mario, filled Isle Delfino with graffiti, and framed Mario. Mario, determined to prove his innocence, cleaned up the mess with FLUDD. While Mario was washing away the graffiti, Bowser Jr. kidnapped the princess.
Bowser even created a robotic likeness of himself, operated by his son, bent on terrorizing the local Delfinian theme park. Bowser and Bowser Jr. fought together against Mario at the end of the game in a sun-shaped bowl just above the peak of Corona Mountain, with Bowser bathing in the giant bowl of slime and Jr. operating a small boat. He tried to kill Mario by breathing enormous gusts of flame at the plumber, while Bowser Jr. assaulted him with Bullet Bills. Mario used FLUDD's rocket nozzle to produce a few massive ground pounds in order to tip the bowl over, sending Bowser and Bowser Jr. to fall to a miniatue island adjacent to Isle Delfino. Bowser Jr. then revealed to his father that he knew all along that Peach was not his mother, and that he couldn't wait for another chance to take Mario down. Bowser couldn't have been more proud of his son.
[edit] The Journey to the Beanbean Kingdom
Bowser helped Mario again in the third Mario RPG, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga - but not for long. Bowser takes the brothers on the Koopa Cruiser to the Beanbean Kingdom to recover Peach's voice, but the Koopa Cruiser is brought down by Fawful. Bowser ends up falling in a large cannon, and a troublemaker named Tolstar of the Beanbean Kingdom promises to embarrass Bowser by telling the humiliating incident to the entire kingdom unless Mario and Luigi provide him with a hundred coins. After Tolstar's defeat, trying to pull Bowser out of the cannon proves impossible, and the Starshade Bros. shoot Bowser out of the cannon.
[edit] Rookie
- Main article: Rookie (Bowser)
The next time the Mario Bros. see him, the great Koopa King has amnesia and is working for Popple, the Shadow Thief. While accompanying Popple, Bowser adopts the name 'Rookie'. Mario and Luigi fight Rookie and Popple twice in the game before Bowser regains his memory.
Rookie's attacks (which involve throwing hammers and breathing fire) may also be a reference to Super Mario Bros., where Bowser could perform both of those moves.
[edit] Bowletta
- Main article: Bowletta
As soon as Bowser remembers who he is, Cackletta possesses his body and becomes Bowletta. Bowletta kidnaps Peach, which leaves Mario and Luigi with the task of rescuing her. Bowletta takes command of the Koopa Troop, including the Koopalings, and launches a massive military strike against the Beanbean Kingdom. After Mario and Luigi defeat Bowletta, the brothers are taken into her stomach to fight Cackletta's spirit for the final battle. Bowletta's stomach is full of flames. When Cackletta is completely destroyed, Bowser returns to normal, only to be put in a package later on by Prince Peasley.
[edit] Pinball Attack
In the begining 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 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. Mario used his pinball powers to defeat Bowser and save Princess Peach.
[edit] Crystal Stars
“Those Mario Bros. are the most ANNOYING brothers of ALL TIME!!!”
—Bowser, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
| Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Enemy | |
| Bowser | |
| |
| Max HP | 30/70 |
| Attack | 3/7 |
| Defense | 1/2 |
| Location(s) | Glitz Pit, Palace of Shadow |
| Log | - First Battle: Mario's fated enemy. Bowser the Koopa King is a foe to be feared. His typical turf is NOT Glitzville. - Second Battle: Mario's sworn enemy. He's a big galoot who's come to swipe Princess Peach and the Crystal Stars. |
| Items | None |
| Moves | Jump (3/7; Lose commands), Poison Fang (3/7; Poison), Fire Blast (3/7) |
| Tattle | - Battle 1: That's Bowser! But what's he doing here?!? My mind just blew a fuse! He's uglier than I expected. He's got a poisonous bite, so watch out! It'll make your HP decrease gradually. Also, if he ground-pounds you, you won't be able to use one of your commands! Just focus your attention on beating him down, Mario! - Battle 2: That's Bowser, genius. You've only fought this guy like, a bazillion times. He'll keep kidnapping Peach, and you'll keep fighting him, until the end of time, I think. In addition to his fire breath, he jumps on you and bites. If you get jumped on, you'll be unable to use a command for a little while. Oh, and his bite sometimes poisons you as well. I don't know what Bowser's doing here, but we gotta defeat him quick! |
| Bestiary 40 41 42 | |
Bowser also appeared as a minor villain in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. In this game, Bowser hears news 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. Bowser tried to collect the Crystal Stars before Mario, but always appeared to be one step behind his nemesis, and ultimately failed to find any of them.
He finally catches up to Mario in the Glitz Pit, where the two enemies fight in front of a large audience, resulting in Bowser's defeat. He later attempts to return to Glitzville to search for one of the Crystal Stars, but refuses to take the Cheep-Cheep Blimp, and uses the Koopa Clown Car. Unfortunately for him, the the airborne vehicle breaks down during the flight, sending him into the ocean below, and forcing him to swim back to Rogueport. He later appears in Twilight Town where he questions Lord Crump about the whereabouts of the Crystal Stars. The reluctant X-Naut summons his army to deal with the Koopa King, but Kammy calls the Koopa Troop to do battle. The two armies prepare to clash, but Bowser's fire breath sets off the Superbombomb, sending both armies into submission.
After Mario opens the Thousand Year Door, Bowser and Kammy Koopa enter the Palace of Shadow to take Peach and steal the treasure that is rumored to be held behind the door. Sir Grodus threatens to murder Princess Peach after his defeat at the hands of Mario, but Bowser's weight causes him to crash through the ceiling, followed closely by Kammy Koopa. He lands on the X-Naut leader, crushing him into the ground. Bowser and Kammy do battle with Mario and are defeated, leaving them passed out on the floor of the Palace of Shadow.
Bowser's short levels partially inspired Super Paper Mario.
[edit] Storybook Crisis
Yoshi's Island would once again become the target of Bowser's conquests during the events of Yoshi Topsy-Turvy. The Koopa King and his forces attacked the island, causing chaos and disorder. In an ironic twist of fate, a spirit named Hongo encased the entire island in a storybook to contain Bowser and his armies (Bowser did the exact same thing to Yoshi's Island as a baby; however, he did so as revenge against the Yoshi clan.). Fortunately, Yoshi managed to convince the powerful spirit to restore Yoshi's Island if the green dinosaur could personally trap Bowser. If the threat of Bowser was contained, there would be no need to keep the island as an isolated storybook. As such, Yoshi set off through the chapters of the storybook version on Yoshi's Island.
Each course was controlled by a different spirit, and each demanded that the green dinosaur fulfill a specific task before he or she would allow Yoshi to move on. Ultimately, after satisfying the task of every spirit, Yoshi was allowed to confront King Bowser. Of course, the green dinosaur emerged victorious in the end, and Bowser was once again defeated. With the threat of Bowser eliminated, the spirit Hongo released Yoshi's Island, restoring it to its natural state.
[edit] Blast To The Past
In the game Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Baby Bowser appears in the beginning, kidnapping Baby Peach. Baby Mario and Luigi fight and defeat him. Baby Bowser frequently returns (swallowing two Cobalt Star shards, stealing a huge pile of Yoshi Cookies, etc.). Eventually, after Princess Shroob (disguised as Princess Peach) is brought to the present, Bowser pops in, grabs Princess Shroob, and flees. However, he falls off the balcony and into a time hole, where he meets his younger self. (which he mistakes to be some bratty kid) They team up and fight Mario and Luigi inside Thwomp Volcano. When they're defeated, they all get abducted by Shroobs, but Bowser falls out and lands in a time hole back to the present. When Mario and Luigi defeat the Elder Princess Shroob, she turns into a small mushroom. Back in the present, Bowser eats it and becomes Shrowser, who fights Mario and Luigi (and doesn't allow them to attack). After this, the Elder Shroob is completely destroyed, and Bowser faints with the brothers doing a victory pose on him.
[edit] The Vibe Scepter
In Super Princess Peach, Bowser builds a villa on Vibe Island. There, his troops find the mysterious Vibe Scepter and use its powers to capture Mario, Luigi, and Toad. Princess Peach was out on a walk, and when she found out what happened, she went on a quest to rescue them.
When Peach reaches Bowser's Villa, after she defeats the Army Hammer Bro., she fights Bowser. After he is defeated, he comes back bigger and stronger and the glossary calls him Bowser 2. Peach had to defeat Bowser another time before she could rescue Mario.
[edit] Back to his Roots
Bowser and Bowser Jr. devised a new plan to kidnap Peach in New Super Mario Bros. First, they distract 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. This boss fight 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.
His undead form (known as Dry Bowser) was the next-to-last boss. At the end of the game, Bowser Jr. revived his father in a giant pot of magic potion, and the duo fought Mario one last time. During this battle, Bowser eventually started to shoot out multiple barages of blue fire, making it harder for Mario to dodge. He and his son fall off of the bridge into the vast depths of the pit where we can later see Bowser Jr. dragging his unconcious father by the tail, disgruntled by their loss.
[edit] Battle of the Star Children
Bowser made a surprise appearance in Yoshi's Island DS, having 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 are Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, Baby Donkey Kong, Baby Wario, and even Baby Bowser. Most of these aforementioned babies managed to defeat Bowser, even when he became large with the help of Kamek. During the battle with the giant Bowser, the Yoshis must throw Giant Yoshi Eggs at his face several times. Actually, the four Yoshis must throw them in such a way that they all collide and explode in front of Bowser's face. In the end, Bowser was defeated and it turns out the heroic babies were six of the Star Children, as well as a Baby Yoshi that was born soon after Bowser left the past.
[edit] Teaming with a Big Enemy... Again
“If any problem comes up, I'll stomp it into next week. I'll Bowserize it!”
—Bowser, Super Paper Mario
| Super Paper Mario Enemy | |
| Bowser | |
| |
| Max HP | Varies depending on battle (not listed on card) |
| Attack | Varies depending on battle (not listed on card) |
| Defense | Varies depending on battle (not listed on card) |
| Card Type | Rare |
| Card Description | Mario's mean-spirited rival needs no introduction. He's not too happy about having to help out Mario. |
| Tattle | First Encounter: 20 Second Encounter: That's Bowser, the king of the Koopas and archenemy of Mario... Max HP is 80. Attack is 8. Defense is 2. He has spikes, so you can't stomp him. As you'd imagine, his fiery breath and stomp attack do a lot of damage. You'll need to use Pixls and items to win this battle... |
| List of Catch Cards 225 226 227 | |
Bowser then appears in Super Paper Mario. During the beginning of the story, Mario and Luigi find Princess Peach missing and rush to Bowser's Castle thinking that he was the perpetrator. Oddly, he is surprised as well, for he was only preparing to kidnap Peach and wasn't ready yet. While talking to each other, a mysterious figure named Count Bleck abducts Luigi, Bowser, and his minions. He leaves Mario unconsious on the floor of Bowser's Castle, but Tippi finds Mario and takes him to Flipside. Count Bleck forces Bowser and Peach to get married in order to open The Void to end all worlds, although Bowser is unaware of his plans.
After the wedding, Bowser is removed from Count Bleck's Castle and wakes up in a field not far from one of the Pure Hearts. Along with a handful of his minions that had not been brainwashed by Nastasia, Bowser establishes a stronghold in an abandoned castle, and fortifies the defenses by stationing his forces throughout the area.
He eventually encounters Mario and Peach, and chooses to battle his arch nemesis one-on-one. After the battle, Bowser is soundly defeated by the plumber, prompting him to listen to what they have to say. After a brief conversation, he learns the true purpose behind his marriage to Princess Peach. While he intially refuses to help them, Bowser realizes that he can't take over the world if it is destroyed, and agrees to come with them. From this point onward, Bowser becomes a playable character where the player can switch him between Mario, Peach, or Luigi.
Bowser's main final boss is O'Chunks in Castle Bleck. After the battle is over, O'Chunks admits defeat and stops the ceiling from crushing the others by holding it up. Bowser helps O'Chunks by helping him stop the the ceiling, and tells Mario and Luigi to take Peach to safety. Interestingly, this causes Bowser to be conveniently left behind during two scenes. The first one being the part where Mimi disguised herself as Merlee, and asked Mario and company about their weakpoints (just as Bowser and Kammy did to Peach in the first Paper Mario). The second scene, being the part where Dimentio asked Mario and company to join him, stating that they could rule every world with the Chaos Heart in their hands. Chances are, if Bowser had been around for either of those scenes, then he would have caught onto Mimi's scheme right away, and/or he would have accepted Dimentio's offer. At the end of the battle against Super Dimentio, Bowser witnesses the marriage of Count Bleck and Tippi in order to stop The Void.
[edit] The Seven Grand Stars
Bowser once again reprises his role as the primary antagonist in Super Mario Galaxy, this time focusing on the domination of not just the Mushroom Kingdom, but the entire universe. In this game, Bowser once again attacks the Mushroom Kingdom, this time during a festival in which everyone watches a comet pass by. The comet only passes the planet once every hundred years and sends off star bits to the kingdom. Taking advantage of this distraction, Bowser attacks Toad Town using his fleet, destroying much of the town and freezing almost all of the inhabitants. The obvious reason for the attack is to capture the Princess, but Bowser also has set his sights on the Luma that Princess Peach had recently found, hoping to take control of its' power for his new scheme.
Bowser's plans, which are told gradually throughout the game, revolve around the construction of a galaxy and empire in which he can call his own and plans to rule it with Princess Peach at his side. Prior to the events in the game, Bowser attacked Rosalina's observatory, which was actually the comet passing over the Mushroom Kingdom, and stole all the Power Stars and the Seven Grand Stars that make the observatory operational. With this new plan in motion, he began using them to control the galaxies, and wreak havoc on the planets. Bowser used these incredible stars to move his fleet through space, bringing his entire army with him consisting of Koopas, Goombas, Boos, and many others to aid him in the conquest of the universe. The loss of energy from the stars caused the observatory to go into a hibernation-like state with no energy to keep the Lumas alive for much longer. Some of the Lumas were already imprisoned at Bowser's bases that were constructed to support his empire along with many Toads.
By the time Mario is able to react to the threat, Bowser had already started construction of his own galaxy, stationed at the center of the universe where Peach and her castle were also being held. Bowser's ultimate goal was to construct a galaxy reactor, using the grand stars to power it, and then use it to make the galaxies collapse upon themselves. This would give birth to a new cosmos in which he would use to rule and control all of the universe as a Galactic Empire that would last forever with him as its king. He also used the grand stars to power his army and grant himself even more power. With his army and his son at his side, Bowser spread havoc throughout the universe and kept each of the 120 stolen power stars and 7 grand stars under heavy guard.
To further his plans, Bowser consolidated several galactic races into his army such as the mandibugs. These insects assisted Bowser by guarding several power stars and also assisted him in conquering the Honeyhive Galaxy, though this conquest was short lived. His fleet in the meantime was left in charge of Bowser Jr. and Kamella, who used it to conquer the galaxies, one at a time. Bowser even went as far as getting the aid of some of the galactic rulers, such as King Kaliente and Baron Brr, possibly taking control of them. King Kaliente was given a Grand and Power Star to guard and was temporarily left in charge of a small portion of Bowser's fleet in order to conquer the Good Egg Galaxy. Meanwhile, Baron Brr allowed Bowser to have direct control over the FreezeFlame Galaxy. Bowser also had Luigi imprisoned in a Haunted Mansion. The mansion was constructed in his image and guarded by Boos who were loyal to him.
While Bowser Jr. worked on the conquest of other galaxies, Bowser worked on his scheme of constructing his empire. He created devices that were powered by the grand stars and used them to cause destruction within the cosmos. The first such device was a small space station that utilized the power of a grand star to create fuel for his fleet, which would attach to the energy beams outside the station. The second one was a Star Reactor, designed to amplify the power of the Grand Star and add its power to Bowser's. The third device was his dark matter plant, which created fluids of dark matter that ate away at the very fabric of space and created holes and rifts. Other machines included a lava reactor and Megaleg, a three legged robot that was left in Bowser Jr's command.
During the course of the game, Bowser is fought on planets covered in magma, darkness, or a combination of the two, and is also battled three times much like in Super Mario 64. He is fought in 3 levels in the game: Bowser's Star Reactor, Bowser's Dark Matter Plant, and Bowser's Galaxy Reactor, all of which are portions of his galaxy and are named after the aforementioned machines that are powered by the grand stars. The first two battles show Bowser constructing his galaxy, which becomes more and more complete as the game progresses. The first two battles are fought in the same pattern with the only difference being that Bowser obtains more powers in the second fight. When Bowser is defeated in both battles, he gives up a Grand Star in each one, but is still confident that he will win and rule the universe. Bowser's plans slowly begin to fail as Mario collects many grand and power stars, defeats his son multiple times, rescues Luigi and many Toads, and destroys much of his army. Regardless of these drawbacks, Bowser's main goal of constructing his own galaxy remains unhindered for most of the game.
After a long and intense fight Mario finally defeats Bowser, who falls off the reactor, out of it's gravitational pull, and into the magma of his own sun. The final Grand Star is then released from the galaxy reactor, which goes critical as a result. Bowser's sun begins to collapse as Mario flies out (using the Grand Star to do so) and rescues a falling Peach while Bowser Jr. for some reason loses control of his airship falls into his father's sun. Bowser is shown to be still alive, but extremely weakened, and walking on the hardened lava of his sun as his galaxy and plans fall apart in front of him. He is in so much shock that his plans have failed that he makes no attempt to escape and slowly sinks back into the lava as his reactor and sun explode and form a humongous black hole that absorbs all of his galaxy and begins sucking in the rest of the universe.
The Lumas use their powers to reverse the black hole so that it doesn't destroy the entire cosmos. This causes the vortex to seal up and explode in a Big Bang of sorts. 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. Mario, Peach, Bowser and Bowser Jr. are then shown back at the kingdom with the castle back in place and peace resumed. Bowser is shown to be relieved that he is alive. It is assumed that Bowser left to formulate another scheme for the future.
[edit] Baseball Kingdom Invasion
Bowser reappears with his son as a powerhouse in Mario Superstar Baseball's sequel, Mario Super Sluggers. Bowser's Castle reappears from Mario Superstar Baseball, but with a new design and only appears at night.
In Challenge Mode, Bowser's son, Bowser Jr., takes over the stadiums in Baseball Kingdom. Bowser stays in his castle until Bowser Jr. gets beat by Mario's team. Bowser challenges Mario to a baseball game, which Mario accepts. In the end, Mario's team merges victorious and celebrates.
After Bowser is defeated for a second time, the other team captains invites him and his son to a celebration. He refuses, only to go anyway because of his son wanting to have fun. To the dismay of Bowser and Bowser Jr., they only get a small portion of food. He also reflects the Bullet Bill shot by Wario and Waluigi, saving Mario's life. Some think this because if the Bullet Bill hit Mario, Bowser would have no archrival.
[edit] Bowser's New Adventure
In the upcoming Mario and Luigi game, Mario & Luigi 3, Bowser is playable. It might be possible that he's on Mario's side later in the game. In a screenshot, he was shown fighting tree enemies. In another screenshot, it shows Mario and Luigi in his stomach and he is drinking from a fountain; he had purposely inhaled the Bros., a new character, Toadbert, and Peach after Mario beat him in a battle.
[edit] Other Appearances
[edit] Super Smash Bros. Series
 Bowser |
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| Game Appearances |
|---|
| Super Smash Bros. Brawl |
| Special Moves |
| Standard: Fire Breath Side: Koopa Klaw (SSBM); Flying Slam (SSBB) Up: Whirling Fortress Down: Bowser Bomb Final Smash: Giga Bowser |
| Battle Entrance |
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Bowser was originally going to be playable in Super Smash Bros., but was taken out of the final version due to data limitations.[citation needed]
Bowser then made an appearance as playable character in Super Smash Bros. Melee, with three trophies. Bowser is a very big, strong, and slow character; making him a key character to deliver strong attacks. His massiveness also makes him incredibly hard to launch out of the arena, though it also puts him on the slow side. His amazing bulk allows him to do his somewhat signature move, the body crushing, belly-to-belly Body slam. Though slow in walking speed, his throwing ability is on par with the faster characters. He is also one of the few who can crawl and is also a good edge guarder.
Also, there are other trophies related to Bowser, such as Baby Bowser and the Koopa Clown Car. Additionally, a character named Giga Bowser appears.
Bowser returns in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, with some new moves. His Final Smash, Giga Bowser Transformation, allows him to transform into Giga Bowser for a short while.
[edit] Solid Snake Codec Conversation
- Colonel: Careful, Snake! That's the great and terrible Bowser!
- Snake: Bowser? Looks like a cheap movie monster.
- Colonel: Hardly. Bowser leads an entire army of monsters. But I'd worry more about his claws and fire if I were you.
- Snake: Doesn't look that tough to me. Seems kind of slow, actually.
- Colonel: Well, he is the king of Koopas. It's only natural he'd be slow. But that's only because he's the heaviest fighter here--by far. He's a powerhouse of destruction. Careful he doesn't flatten you.
[edit] Special Moves
[edit] Fire Breath
Fire Breath is one of Bowser's special moves in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Brawl. Bowser uses this move when the B Button is pressed. It is exactly the same as a Fire Flower, except that the flames get smaller the more it is used. The attack is somewhat of a long-distance move, and is usually best to use when the enemy is coming in for close-range combat. However, the move will leave Bowser motionless while using the attack, and will leave his back open for attack. If Kirby copies Bowser's abilities, he will gain the Fire Breath attack.
[edit] Koopa Klaw
Koopa Klaw is one of Bowser's special moves in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Bowser uses this move when the B button is pressed in conjunction with either left or right on the Control Stick. This move has two variations, based on Bowser's distance from his opponent. If the two are sufficiently far apart, he simply lashes out with his claws, leaving a visible trail in the air. If Bowser is near enough to his opponent, however, he will grab a hold of his foe, allowing him to either gnaw on them or execute a throw move. If Bowser grabs them, he will be able to bite them repeatedly, until they manage to escape from his grasp. Nevetheless, grabbing them is a great way to deal a mass amount of damage.
Bowser is seen doing a similar move called Flying Slam in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
[edit] Flying Slam
Flying Slam is Bowser's Side Special Move in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, replacing the Koopa Klaw from Super Smash Bros. Melee. In essense, Flying Slam is essentially the same move as Koopa Klaw, with one fundamental difference: Bowser claws at his opponent and if he connects, he'll perform a flying suplex, rather than throw them over his shoulder as he did with the Koopa Klaw. Bowser's air movement can be controlled somewhat during this move. If connecting midair, Bowser will go down with the enemy, and can KO himself as well as the enemy. The enemy can, however, control the movement of the two, and fight back, depending on both the enemy's and Bowser's damage percentages. Bowser doesn't bite his enemy with this move, unlike with the Koopa Klaw.
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[edit] Whirling Fortress
Whirling Fortress is a move that can only be used by Bowser in both Super Smash Bros. Melee and its sequel, Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Bowser activates this move when a player presses Up and B simultaneously. Bowser conceals himself inside his shell, and spins around with it in the air. If it hits any of the other players, they take a relatively large amount of damage, depending on how long they are in contact with the spinning shell. The attack is a very useful move, as it acts as Bowser's third jump, and it does damage to any opponent it hits. The attack can also be used on the ground, instead of just in the air.
If the player pauses while Bowser is using the attack, and zooms in on the front of his shell, they can see Bowser's eyes inside the shell.
[edit] Bowser Bomb
Bowser Bomb is an attack that is used by Bowser and by extension, Giga Bowser in Super Smash Bros. Melee. It is executed by pressing the down+B button, however, there are several different control types for Super Smash Bros. Brawl (see here). Bowser jumps up to the right, and smashes down on the ground, damaging any players under him. It is called the Bowser Bomb because it is like a bomb coming down at a high speed, and when Bowser hits the ground, the move's power is quite explosive. This is one of the thing's that separates the Bowser Bomb from the Ground Pound move. Yoshi has a similar move called the Yoshi Bomb.
The move is a reference to one of Bowser's attacks in Super Mario Bros. 3, in which the Koopa King would Ground Pound where Mario or Luigi is standing. In fact, the position Bowser gets into when using Bowser Bomb is even borrowed from Super Mario Bros. 3.
[edit] Final Smash: Giga Bowser
Although not normally playable in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Giga Bowser appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as Bowser's Final Smash. He still takes damage from hits but won't flinch, making him impossible to KO. Because of his large size, he is able to easily attack and KO an opponent. The duration of this move is very short, however there is a glitch that allows the player to remain as Giga Bowser until they self-destruct (cause themself to be KO'd). Oddly enough, while using Giga Bowser, Bowser's icon doesn't change, but that's because it's only a Final Smash move.
[edit] Role in the Subspace Emissary
In the Subspace Emissary, Bowser orders his minions to steal Donkey Kong's Banana Hoard. After Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong have recovered it, he faces them himself. He reveals his Dark Cannon and turns Donkey Kong into a trophy, though not before Diddy is sent to safety with Donkey's Giant Punch. He pursues Diddy and Fox McCloud with the assistance of a shadowy clone, as well as capturing the princess rescued by Kirby, creating a false copy of her to assist in capturing heroes. It's later shown that Bowser is working closely with Ganondorf in running the Subspace Army, though he dislikes him and prefers Master Hand. He reluctantly follows his orders, however, and retrieves the princess not rescued by Kirby from King Dedede's castle, though he was briefly attacked by Mario's team as he is returning to the Halberd. He then attacks Diddy and Fox again, this time managing to turn Diddy into a trophy and cloning him. However, his Dark Cannon is destroyed as a result of Falco Lombardi's intervention, forcing him to retreat.
Eventually, Bowser and Ganondorf were able to fly a Subspace Gunship into the other world and start bringing pieces of the world into 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.
[edit] Trophy Information (Melee)
| # | Name | Image | First Game / Move | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Bowser (Classic) | 
| Super Mario Bros. 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. |
| 32 | Bowser [Smash] (Adventure) | 
| B: Fire Breath 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. |
| 33 | Bowser [Smash] (All-Star) | 
| Up & B: Whirling Fortress 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. |
[edit] Trophy Information (Brawl)
| # | Name | Image | Apperance(s) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | Bowser | 
| NES Super Mario Bros. 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. |
| 18 | Giga Bowser | 
| WII |