Bowser Jr.

"Someday, when I'm bigger, I wanna fight that Mario again!"

- Bowser Jr.

Bowser Jr. (sometimes written as Bowser Junior) is Bowser's eighth child and the heir to the Koopa throne. Bowser Jr. is seemingly the youngest of Bowser's eight children and the Koopa King's favorite offspring (at least, for the time being). His other seven children, who used to conquer whole kingdoms, are now regulated to simply guarding Bowser's Castle. Bowser Jr., on the other hand, is allowed to accompany his father in various schemes, such as Super Mario Sunshine and New Super Mario Bros.. Bowser Jr. seems to be the perfect son for Bowser as he wants to do nothing but his father's will (i.e. kidnap Peach and destroy Mario). The evil king himself even shows emotions toward his new son, a side of Bowser that is rarely seen.

Super Mario Sunshine
Bowser Jr. first appeared in Super Mario Sunshine as the game's main antagonist. Before the events of the game, Bowser Jr. somehow acquired the Magic Paintbrush, a special brush that can magically create sticky paint-like goop, from the scientist Professor E. Gadd. In addition to creating special goop, the brush allows one to assume different appearances. However, the appearance can only be a watery-blue color. Bowser Jr. uses this ability to assume the identity Shadow Mario. As Shadow Mario, Bowser Jr. painted magical graffiti all over the tropical resort Isle Delfino, framing Mario for the crimes.

At the same time, Mario, Peach, and Toadsworth were heading to the island for some much needed holidays. However, as soon as Peach's Plane lands at the island's airstrip, Mario battles a Goopy Piranha Plant, using his new partner F.L.U.D.D., and then the Delfino Police arrest Mario. After his trial, Mario was found guilty of vandalizing the island and was punished with cleaning up the island with F.L.U.D.D (which was also designed by Professor E. Gadd). As Mario begins cleaning Delfino Plaza by cleaning up the Great Pianta Statue, Princess Peach gets kidnapped by Bowser Jr. (in his Shadow Mario disguise). Mario manages to save Peach rather quickly, then chases Shadow Mario to Bianco Hills. His cleaning up confines through various regions of Isle Delfino, during which Shadow Mario kidnaps Peach again, this time while Mario was away from Delfino Plaza.

Shadow Mario takes the Princess to Pinna Park, the island's theme park, which was occupied by Bowser's forces. The young Koopa jumps into the cockpit of the gigantic Mecha Bowser and waits for Mario's inevitable arrival. Like clockwork, Mario arrives and battles the mechanical monstrosity. After a long battle, Mario overcomes the powerful Mecha Bowser. Bowser Jr. then reveals his true identity. As it turns out, Bowser Jr. was told by his father that Princess Peach was his mother and that she was kidnapped by the "evil" Mario. As such, Bowser Jr. tried to frame Mario by tagging the island as the Mario look-a-like Shadow Mario. Thus Mario would be put in prison and the young Koopa could rescue his "mama". With his origin revealed, Bowser Jr. escapes by converting what's left of Mecha Bowser into a hot-air balloon and flying it, with Peach in tow, to Corona Mountain, where his father has been relaxing.

However, Bowser Jr. does not stay with his father at the volcano, and continues to harass Mario in his Shadow Mario disguise. Bowser Jr. attempts to run off with Shine Sprites, F.L.U.D.D. nozzles, and even a Yoshi Egg, but he is eventually stopped by Mario every time. Eventually, after Mario defeats Shadow Mario in every level of the game, the path to Corona Mountain is revealed.

When Mario reaches the top of Corona Mountain, the final fight between Mario and Bowser Jr. begins. However, Junior is not fighting alone this time; he has his massive father to help him. The three fighters battle in an onsen high above the ground. As Mario and Bowser duke it out, Junior aids his father by firing Bullet Bills at their nemesis. Eventually, father and son are defeated and Mario escapes the volcano with Peach.

In the end, Bowser admits to his son that he deceived him. In a rare case of emotion, Bowser remorsefully tells Bowser Jr. that Peach is not his mother. However, Bowser Jr. admits he knew Peach was not his mother, and (even though his father tricked him) says he wants to fight that Mario again. Bowser, seeing so much of himself in his heir, smiles. Together, the two plot their next plan to defeat Mario and capture Peach.

New Super Mario Bros.
In New Super Mario Bros., Bowser and Bowser Jr. enact their new plan to kidnap Princess Peach and defeat Mario. While Bowser's forces occupied various regions, Bowser Jr. was sent to retrieve Peach. To do this, Junior summons a lightning cloud (possibly made by Lakithunder) to set fire to Peach's Castle, causing Mario to go investigate and thus leaving Peach all by herself. As a result, the young Koopa tip-toes in and captures the Princess. As such, Mario gives chase, battling Bowser Jr. throughout the game. Junior acts a lot like the Boom Booms of Super Mario Bros. 3, as he is the sole mid-boss of the game's various worlds. Like Boom Boom, Bowser Jr. can be defeated with three jumps to the head.

In New Super Mario Bros., Bowser Jr.'s is the boss of every tower. His attack pattern depends on how he wears his bandana. If it is hanging loose, Bowser Jr. will jump and charge at Mario and can be defeated by simple jump attacks. If he wears the bandanna over his mouth, Bowser Jr. will throw Koopa shells at Mario and duck into his shell whenever Mario comes near, preventing jump attacks from working.. In this form, Mario has to hit Bowser Jr. with a Koopa shell before he can be jumped on. Fireballs and Blue Shells are also very effective against the young Koopa, no matter what appearance he takes.

During the events of the game, Bowser is the boss of the first world. However, the Koopa King falls into a pit of lava. As such, Bowser, in a sense, dies and becomes a Dry Bones-like monster called Dry Bowser. While Bowser is a member of the undead, Bowser Jr. has to hold together the Koopa Troop in his father's place. Surprisingly, the Koopa Troop remains united under his leadership. Bowser Jr. even remains loyal to his deceased dad. Instead of taking complete leadership of the kingdom, Bowser Jr. revives his father by throwing him into a pot filled with some form of magic potion, restoring the Koopa King to his former self, only this time, Bowser is much larger than before and more powerful.

In the end, Bowser Jr. and his resurrected father fight Mario in an epic battle for Princess Peach. However, like Super Mario Sunshine, both father and son are defeated, and Peach is saved once again. During the game's ending, Bowser Jr. is seen dragging his unconscious father across the ground, bringing him home so the two can plot against Mario for a second time.

Super Mario Galaxy
Appearing as the secondary antagonist, Bowser Jr. guards three of the Grand Stars in Super Mario Galaxy. He appears first in Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor where he summons Megaleg to attack Mario. He later appears in Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada in his small personal airship to fight Mario. He is also seen in Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor where he summons a more powerful King Kaliente to attack. He is not seen again until Mario reaches Bowser's Galaxy Reactor, where he is shown keeping Peach on his airship. While Mario marches up the steps to confront Bowser, Jr. fires cannonballs that collapse the steps. He then watches the final battle while keeping Peach. After Bowser is defeated, the Galaxy starts going haywire. Jr. falls out of his airship and falls into his father's sun. Later, however, he is shown alive and dancing back in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Jr. is said to have spent the majority of his childhood practicing golf on his dad's private course, making him a skilled golfer. He uses these talents in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, where he is a hidden character. For some reason, Shadow Mario also is a playable character in this game. It is unknown if this Shadow Mario is an alternate form of Bowser Jr. or someone else donning the shadowy disguise. Perhaps, this Shadow Mario is Il Piantissimo, the tropical island racer who finds the Magic Paintbrush at the end of Super Mario Sunshine.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Bowser Jr. appears as his father's partner in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. In this game, he wears a bandanna with a fist on it, though he later reverts back to his bandanna with fangs on it subsequent games. Bowser Jr. is a lightweight, while his father is the largest of the heavyweights. The two make a deadly racing pair, as they can both use Bowser Shells to mow down opponents. Occasionally, this attack backfires, as the shell can ricochet backwards and hit the father and son team. His personal kart is the Bullet Blaster, which can be unlocked by winning the Special Cup in 50cc.

Mario Kart Wii
Bowser Jr. reappears as an unlockable character in Mario Kart Wii. He can be unlocked by getting at least 1 Star Rank in every Retro 100cc Cup. Unlike in Double Dash!!, he is a medium weight character and races solo, like everyone else in the game. Bowser Jr.'s stat bonuses only boost the off-road and mini-turbo stats by a small amount. Therefore, he has the smallest number of stat bonuses among all the playable characters in the game. Bowser Jr.'s emblem appears in several parts of the city in Moonview Highway.

Mario Power Tennis
Bowser Jr. appears as his father's doubles partner in Mario Power Tennis. The young Koopa can use the Magic Paintbrush to add power to his swings or confuse his opponents with tennis balls made of paint.

Mario Baseball series
Bowser Jr. appears in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers. Bowser Jr. is a powerful batter, but his running speed is a bit lacking. In these games, Bowser Jr. is shown to be left-handed (though there's an option to play right-handed). In Super Sluggers, Jr. has his own stadium, which happens to be his own room. At night, it changes into Bowser's Castle. His Magic Paintbrush is his bat in Super Sluggers, which he uses to blind the batter with paint blotches or knocks the opposing team's members out with paint. In Challenge Mode, he is responsible for taking over all of the stadiums on Baseball Kingdom, only to be beaten in every stadium by Mario and the gang. When Bowser is defeated for the second time, the other captains invite them to a celebration. Bowser refuses, but Bowser Jr. tells Bowser that he wants to have fun, which forces them to go (though the two only get a small portion of food.)

Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Bowser Jr. later appears as a playable character in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. Unlike his father, he is a default character. Jr. is a speedy character who slam dunks by whirling his arm around in a circle and then slamming the ball in. Bowser Jr.'s Super Shot is the Graffiti Dunk, which consists of Bowser Jr. using his Magic Paintbrush and covering the basketball in Goop and then hitting it towards the basket.

Mario Strikers Charged Football
Bowser Jr. is also an unlockable character in Mario Strikers Charged Football. He is an Offensive Captain, unlike his Dad, who is a Power Captain. Bowser Jr. is unlocked by beating the Fire Cup, which also involves beating Bowser Jr. as well. Bowser Jr.'s whining abilities are shown in this game where his screams reach supersonic levels. His Super Ability, Sonic Roar!, allows him to shrink all players he hits by using a large sound wave. His Mega Strike also uses sound waves. In this game, Bowser Jr. wears a collar similar to the one Bowser wears. His trademark kerchief, however, is absent.

Mario Party DS
Bowser Jr. made his Mario Party debut in Mario Party DS, where he helped his father in Story Mode, though he only has one line in the game. Jr. also appears in the Rocket Rascals mini-game occasionally to cause trouble. The Boss Trophy Bowser Jr.'s Chair belongs to him.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Though Bowser Jr. was not a playable character or Assist Trophy, he made several cameos in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. His trophy is based on his current appearance, and he is briefly mentioned in Bowser's trophy information. He also has several stickers depicting him from several games. Junior's artwork from Super Mario Sunshine is an attack type, medium sized sticker. It's area of effect is the tail and damage is +25. The only characters who can use it are Yoshi, Pikachu, Diddy Kong, and Pokémon Trainer. His second sticker is his artwork from Mario Superstar Baseball.

Appearances

 * Super Mario Sunshine (GC) – 2002 NPC
 * New Super Mario Bros. (DS) – 2006 NPC
 * Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) – 2007 NPC
 * Mario Party DS (DS) – 2007 NPC
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) – 2008 NPC, Sticker, Trophy

Playable Appearances

 * Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (GC) – 2003 (unlockable)
 * Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GC) – 2003
 * Mario Power Tennis (GC) – 2004
 * Mario Superstar Baseball (GC) – 2005
 * Mario Hoops 3 on 3 (DS) – 2006
 * Mario Strikers Charged Football (Wii) – 2007 (unlockable)
 * Mario Kart Wii (Wii) – 2008 (unlockable)
 * Mario Super Sluggers (Wii)-2008

Physical Description
Bowser Jr. greatly resembles his father in many ways. The main differences are that Bowser Jr. has a fiery red ponytail while Bowser has a fiery red mane, and that Jr. has a more rounded snout. He also has one tiny visible fang on the upper left side of his mouth as opposed to Bowser's several sharp teeth. By Super Mario Galaxy, Bowser Jr. has grown another fang in the upper right side of his mouth, and grown slightly. Notably, he has two small horns on his head which his brothers and sister do not have. Bowser Jr. wears metal in Mario Strikers Charged Football due to the intensity of the game. He also wears a choker similar to Bowser's. Normally, Jr. is seen sporting a white bib or kerchief with a drawn-on mouth filled with fangs. Sometimes it is worn over his mouth in an attempt to appear more menacing. In his first appearance in Super Mario Sunshine, it is blue instead of the white one we see today.

Bowser Jr. is physically powerful like his father in spite of his small frame. He is also fast as well as skilled.

Personality
Bowser Jr. can be summed up as a bold and energetic troublemaker. His trouble making side is seen as he tricks Mario in both Super Mario Sunshine and New Super Mario Bros. According to Mario Kart Wii, Bowser Jr. inherited his father's bad attitude, evident in his motto ("Grin and bear it. When that don't work, grin and crush it."). He is also bratty, spoiled, and short tempered, though in Mario Party DS it is stated he has a lonely side. His favorite hobbies are stealing cookies from other kids in day cares and scribbling.

Bowser
Bowser Jr. idolizes his father and strives to be like him. Bowser tends to treat Bowser Jr. as a minion sometimes, but usually shows a bit more emotion towards him. When Bowser admits he conned Jr. in Sunshine, Jr. admitted he knew all along and forgave his father, showing how they trust each other. Bowser also never gets frustrated at his son when he fails, something that happens often with his other minions. While Bowser does care for his son, his selfishness and greed seems to overshadow this; in Super Mario Galaxy, Bowser grieved over the impending destruction of his galaxy rather than think about the welfare of his own son. Nevertheless, Bowser Jr. and Bowser have a very strong bond and are seen together as partners in various sports titles.

Princess Peach
Bowser Jr. seems to have no mother, though he is seen wishing that Peach would play a maternal role in his life, shown when he called her 'mama' in Mario Superstar Baseball even though he knows she is not related to him. In his Brawl trophy it was revealed that the reason he had kidnapped her in Super Mario Sunshine and in New Super Mario Bros. was because he felt strongly about her. In  Super Mario Sunshine, Jr. tried to get Peach to join him and Bowser in their slime tub, but Peach politely refused the offer.

Mario
Bowser Jr. was told by his father Mario was evil, and took his "Mama" away. He has since been trying to cause Mario trouble, which brings him joy. He has attempted twice to stop Mario by himself mainly, and has had help by his father in some ways, such as use of the Koopa Troop and weaponry.

''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

 * Partner: Bowser
 * Kart: Bullet Blaster
 * Special Item: Bowser Shell
 * Bio: "An energetic troublemaker who's ready to drive out of his father's shadow."
 * Bio2: "He may be smaller than his dad, but Bowser Jr. is just as mean and just as destructive. When he hurls Bowser's shell, he can cause some serious pain."

Mario Kart Wii
Bowser Jr. is an unlockable character in Mario Kart Wii. The player has had to get a "one star" ranking or better in the 100cc Retro cups. He is a medium weight character.


 * Stats
 * Size: Medium
 * Actual Bonuses
 * Off-Road: +1
 * Mini-Turbo: +1

''Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Stats
 * Type: Speedy
 * Special Shot: Graffiti Shot
 * Bio: "He zigs and he zags! He's powerful like his dad! Better not underestimate Bowser Jr."

''Mario Superstar Baseball

 * Teams: Jr. Fangs, Jr. Bombers, Jr. Pixies, Jr. Rookies
 * Type: Power
 * Starting Team Captain: Bowser
 * Status: Secondary Team Captain
 * Stats:
 * Batting: 8/10
 * Pitching: 5/10
 * Fielding: 3/10
 * Running: 4/10
 * Player Profile:
 * Strong Point:
 * Special Talents: Body Check, Wall Jump
 * Trajectory:
 * Field: Center
 * Height: Top
 * Special Ball: Killer Jr. Ball
 * Default Batting Position: Right
 * Default Throwing Arm: Left
 * Sweet Spot: The Spike Ring on the bat
 * Compatible Relationships: Bowser, Magikoopa, Hammer Bro.
 * Bio: "Bowser's exuberant son. Bowser lied to him and convinced Jr. that Peach was his mom, resulting in a chaotic adventure for Mario and company. Bowser thinks the Koopa clan is in good hands with his son. He's not just powerful but also surprisingly skilled."

Mario Strikers Charged Football

 * Unlocked By: Clearing the Fire Cup
 * Character Type: Offensive
 * Mega Strike: Bowser Jr. jumps high into the air. As the background turns green, his head swells up slightly, and he suddenly opens his mouth and screams to release sonar waves (Similar to his Super Ability), which hit the ball and send it flying.
 * Super Ability: Sonic Roar!
 * Deke: Bowser Jr. jumps into the air and slams his shell into the ground.
 * Uniform: Orange
 * Alt. Uniform: Yellow
 * Team Emblem: Spiked wristband.
 * Team Number: 6
 * Away Entrance: Bowser Jr. tries to provoke the opponent, just like Bowser does, but unfortunately, he cannot roar so well. He tries to breathe fire, but there will only be a small flame, and he tries to roar, hardly anything comes out. He then frowns and simply says "Roar."
 * Home Entrance: Bowser Jr. falls and, just before landing, he turns and spins a few times in his shell before striking a pose (Breakdancing).
 * Theme: Surf Rock
 * Stats
 * Movement: 3
 * Shooting: 10
 * Passing: 10
 * Defense: 3

Super Mario Galaxy Bio
''Bowser Jr. has been causing trouble for Mario since they met at Isle Delfino, doing the bidding of his father, the great Koopa king Bowser. When Mario gives chase to Bowser across the universe, Bowser Jr. tries to intercept the plumber and make his father proud. But does the little Koopa underling have the guts to really stop the hero of the Mushroom Kingdom?''

Portrayals
Bowser Jr. is voiced by Dolores Rogers. For some reason, on Tara Strong's official website, the voice actress is said to have voiced Junior in Super Mario Sunshine, even though she is not listed in the game's credits. She however, voiced Bowser Jr.'s older brothers Hip and Hop on The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and the Super Mario World cartoon. In Mario Strikers Charged Football, Super Mario Galaxy, and Mario Kart Wii, he is voiced by Caety Sagoian.

Trivia

 * According to the Mario Power Tennis official website, Bowser Jr. resides at "48 Lava Cul-De-Sac, Magma Manor."
 * In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Baby Bowser looks exactly like Bowser Jr.. However, his bandanna is different in appearance.
 * Bowser Jr. is left handed.

Notable Screen Shots
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Quotes

 * "I won't let you take Mama Peach away!!" – ''Super Mario Sunshine
 * "You again? Don't you ever give up?" – ''Super Mario Sunshine
 * "This is my Magic Brush. When I draw with it, all my wishes come true" – ''Super Mario Sunshine
 * "You...You pest. Stop following us" – ''Super Mario Sunshine
 * "I know, she's not really my Mama" – ''Super Mario Sunshine
 * "Some day...when I'm bigger... I wanna fight that Mario again!" – Super Mario Sunshine
 * "Yes, I won!" – ''Mario Power Tennis
 * "This game stinks! It stinks-...IT STINKS!!" – ''Mario Power Tennis
 * "I'm coming. At every turn" – ''Mario Power Tennis
 * "This time, I won't even need my Dad's help to take care of you! – ''Super Mario Galaxy
 * "This calls for my ultimate weapon!" – ''Super Mario Galaxy
 * "Yay! I won! I WON!" – ''Mario Kart Wii