Bowser

"I'm the biggest, baddest brute around, and don't you forget it." -King Bowser, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

King Bowser Koopa is the supreme leader of the Koopa Troop, king of the Koopas, and the arch-nemesis of Mario and Luigi. Repeatedly, he tries to kidnap Princess Peach and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Occasionally, the Koopa King has attempted to conquer the entire Mushroom World.

Super Mario Bros.
Bowser first appeared in Super Mario Bros. for the NES. In the game, Bowser conquered the Mushroom Kingdom and kidnapped Princess Toadstool, taking her to the kingdomâ€™s eighth castle. The other seven castles contained Bowser decoys. Captured Mushroom Retainers were imprisoned in these castles.

Super Mario Bros. 3
Bowser did not appear in the American version of Super Mario Bros. 2 - however, he returned for Super Mario Bros. 3. This game introduced Bowser's seven children, the Koopalings - Ludwig Von Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, Roy Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr. and Larry Koopa. Each Koopaling conquered one of the kingdoms of the greater Mushroom World by transforming the king of each land into an animal. Mario had to defeat each Koopaling individually to obtain the Magic Scepter that could return the Mushroom Kings back to normal. Additionally, Bowser kidnapped Princess Peach, and of course, Mario rescued her.

Super Mario World
Bowser and the Koopalings reappeared in Super Mario World. Not only did Bowser kidnap Princess Toadstool, but he also kidnapped several Yoshies. Mario, Luigi and a few heroic Yoshies, saved the Princess and the captured Yoshies by defeating the Koopalings and King Bowser. At the end of the game, the Yoshi Eggs the baby Yoshies were trapped in hatched.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Bowser appeared as a baby in ''Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island| Yoshi's Island. For more information, see Baby Bowser.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Bowser actually joined Mario's team in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars|Super Mario RPG. Since Smithy had stolen his castle, there was no reason not to help Mario defeat Smithy and his weapons. He used Chain Chomps and his claws as weapons, and his special moves often involved summoning his minions to attack.

During the events of Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach as she is picking flowers at Mario's Pad. He flies to his castle, Bowser's Keep, in his Koopa Clown Car with the princess. However, Mario is right behind him. The plumber battles past the castleâ€™s guards, and enters Bowserâ€™s throne room. However, the Koopa King is nowhere to be found. Looking up, Mario is shocked to see Princess Toadstool hanging from the ceiling and Bowser standing on a chandelier. Mario leaps up and the two warriors engage in battle on the chandeliers. However, Bowser seems to be unbeatable. Attacking with claws and spikes, Bowser is determined not to lose the princess again. However, with some advice from the princess herself, Mario attacks the Kinklink chain holding up Bowserâ€™s chandelier. The Kinklink releases the chandelier, and Bowser is sent plummeting to the ground below. However, Bowser is not ready to give up yet, and he starts to throw Hammers at Marioâ€™s chain. Eventually, Mario is sent falling as well. As they plummet to the floor below, an enraged Bowser attempts to attack Mario again. However, Mario jumps on top of the Koopa King as he swipes his claws, sending Mario flying in the air to Princess Peach, and Bowser crashing to the ground.

After the battle, a huge sword named Exor crashes into Bowserâ€™s Keep, sending Mario, Peach, and Bowser flying in different directions, scattering them across the world. Bowserâ€™s castle is taken over by the Exor and the powerful Smithy Gang, and Bowserâ€™s soldiers either turn tail and run or defect to their new master, the mechanical Smithy. King Bowser eventually ends up near Rose Way. Once there, he decides he has to consolidate his forces to strike back at the Smithy Gang and reclaim his castleâ€¦

Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS
In this game, Bowser did not "kidnap" the princess per se, but invaded her castle and trapped the princess, along with many Toads, in the paintings of the castle.

Paper Mario
Bowser, aided by Kammy Koopa, second in command of the Koopa Troop, took control of the Princess's castle by lifting it into the air with the power of the Star Rod. Mario, along with his friends Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Bow, Watt, Sushie and Lakilester, had to rescue the Seven Star Spirits, so they could deactivate the power of the Star Rod with the Star Beam in order to defeat Bowser. After Mario and his friends defeat Bowser the first time, the Koopa King retreats to the roof of Peach's Castle and fights Mario and his friends again. This time, Bowser uses a strengthening device created by Kammy Koopa to boost his size and power. During the second battle, Mario and his friends discovered the power of their Star Beam wasn't working because of Kammy Koopa's wicked contraption. After Peach and Twink defeat Kammy Koopa, Mario's Star Beam is upgraded to the Peach Beam, which is able to deactivate the power of the stronger Star Rod. Bowser is eventually defeated and Mario and his friends return the Star Rod to its rightful place in the stars.

Luigi's Mansion
Bowser didn't appear in Luigi's Mansion for the Nintendo GameCube - instead, King Boo used a Bowser suit to fight Luigi during the final battle. After a spiked ball was thrown at the Bowser head, King Boo would be exposed and Luigi could suck him up with his Poltergust 3000.

Super Mario Sunshine
Bowser and his son Bowser Jr. appeared in Super Mario Sunshine. Bowser Jr. was at first disguised as Shadow Mario, but is later revealed to be Bowser Jr., Bowser's eigth child. Please note that Bowser Jr. is not Baby Bowser nor is he a Koopa Kid (see Bowser Jr. for more information).

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
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 Beanbean Kingdom, but the Koopa Cruiser is brought down by Fawful. Eventually, Bowser is shot out of a cannon by Tolstar of the Beanbean Kingdom. 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 â€œRookieâ€. Mario and Luigi fight Rookie and Popple twice in the game before Bowser regains his memory. However, 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. When she is completely destroyed, Bowser returns to normal.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
Bowser also appeared as a sort-of-villain in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. In this game, Bowser has many cut scenes where he is a playable character. These scenes are often quite humorous, and involve the music from the original 1985 Super Mario Bros. He tried to collect the Crystal Stars before Mario, but ultimately, he didn't collect any of them. Players controlled Bowser for short periods of time at the end of each chapter (excluding the final one). The only time Mario fought Bowser was in the Glitz Pit after fighting the Armored Harriers for a third time. After Mario, Goombella, Koops, Flurrie, the Yoshi Kid, Vivian, Bobbery and Ms. Mowz defeat Grodus, Bowser crashes through the ceiling of the Palace of Shadow. Marioâ€™s party and Bowser begin to battle, the Koopa King being aided by Kammy Koopa, giving Grodus the opportunity to escape and awaken the Shadow Queen.

New Super Mario Bros.
Shockingly (and graphically), Bowser dies in the first world of the New Super Mario Bros. and becomes an undead monster similar in appearance to a huge Dry Bones. However, Bowser returns in his bones form as a boss in World 8 and Bowser Jr. revives him at the end of the game for the final boss.

Mario Kart Series
Bowser has appeared as a playable character in virtually all of the games in the massive Mario Kart sub-series, including the original Super Mario Kart, to the more recent Mario Kart DS.

Mario Party Series
Bowser has appeared as an enemy in the Mario Party series since the first game, causing chaos and coin-loss on the players. There are multiple mini-games based around Bowser, from blowing him up (and losing if you do), to a multitude of mini-games where if a character loses, Bowser takes his or her coins or a star.

Mario Superstar Baseball Bio
"Mario's archrival and the king of the Koopa Clan. He's challenged Mario and his friends to battles countless times, but his ambitions tend to get crushed every time. His lethal Killer Ball is powerful enough to drag anyone who catches it across the field!"

Quotes

 * "I am Bowser, businessman of legend! Fear my accounting!"
 * "ARRGH! Those Mario Bros. are the most annoying brothers of all time!"
 * "Like the moon over The day, my genius and brawn Are lost on these fools."
 * "Great, just great. Now I look like the King of GUYS WHO TALK TO POSTERS!"
 * "Welcome. No one's home! Now scram--and don't come back!"
 * "Who were you expecting? The Tooth Fairy?"
 * "This is gonna be excellent!"
 * "He who koops and runs away lives to koop another day!"
 * "I'm back! And so is 'Captain N & Super Mario Bros. World'!"
 * "PTEWWW!! What is this?!!!! I didn't order Koopa Kola Plain--I wanted Koopa Kola Crunchy!!!"
 * "Scram, pests, or I'll call an exterminator!!"
 * "Koopa Sez, everybody go to the Dome Castle, and get Mario and Luigi, and bring them to me!"
 * "Stand still so I can squash ya, you little vermin!"
 * "If Mario doesn't find these Star things, I'll have the princess, but I can forget about my castle... Can you run that past me again?
 * "Me, nice? I've never been nice in my life! I'm allergic to nice!"
 * "The courage beyond compare, the bravery beyond description, I praise this great hero, the superior fiend... me."
 * "If I didn't deserve this, I wouldn't give it to me."
 * "I haven't done anything really rotten in a long time, not since yesterday."
 * "Last one into the cave is a goodie-goodie!"
 * "No one asks for a trap faster than a plumber!"
 * "Don't interrupt me, not while I'm boasting and gloating!"
 * "OK, that does it! You're all gonna be Koopatized!"
 * "There'll be other crooked races, and other ways to cheat!"
 * "Don't question my orders, you rotten rodent! Just do it!"
 * "Stop wisecracking, mushroom, or I'll turn you into soap!"
 * "I pledge allegiance to Kootie Pie and the repulsiveness for which she stands..."
 * "With the power of the Star Rod, I can finally have everything I've always wanted!"
 * "Fool! Those pinhead plumbers are bound to try to rescue Princess Toadstool, and I intend to capture them before they do."
 * "This is easier than talking Kootie Pie into a shopping spree!"
 * "All right! Come and get your burgers!"
 * "We're gonna celebrate the capture of those faucet freaks by letting me win a baseball game."
 * "NO!!! It's a chain reaction!!"
 * "We never would've lost if you Koopaling clowns had just tried to wake me up! Whose idea was this midnight attack?!"
 * "Get off my throne, you ugly upstick!"
 * "The bridge is down, but we'll find a way to get back in. Move out, on the double!"
 * "Patience, my little chickadees. Egg Scoopa Koopas for everyone, cash in hands, of course."
 * "Well, hello there! Give your uncle a big kiss! (kisses baby, who hits him with rattle) Ow! Why you-- uh, you sweet little thing you! (kisses baby again) Yuck! I hate mushroom brats!"
 * "Ta ta, turtle dove, until next week. Here's a smooch for your sweet cheek!"
 * "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?"
 * "I should never have quit my day job!"
 * "Will someone get me a drink without little paper umbrellas??!"
 * "Are my dinosaurs in for a treat! Kinda high in cholesterol, but I'm sure they can handle it!"
 * "I guess I'm not a good guy."
 * "Mario always defeats me... This time I became invincible and I STILL couldn't beat him!"
 * "My beautiful fortress! And I was going to conquer the world on Tuesday!"
 * "Remember, 'Oogtar' spelled backwards is 'rat goo'!"
 * "I had so much fun as your crooked judge I decided to become your cruel warden!"
 * "Oh, I hate it when my tootsie-wootsies get wet!"
 * "I wonder if I can put Lemmy up for adoption?"
 * "Eight Egg Scoopa Koopas coming up! Cook 'em good! No one likes runny eggs, dinobrain!"
 * "Hey, don't forget the special Scoopa Sauce. A little scoop'll do ya, haha!"
 * "How can I plunder your kingdom if I don't get my beauty rest!?"
 * "Happy? Imposter! I never use the H word."
 * "Top this, turkey-mouth!"
 * "My ol' pop used to say in situations like this - 'Son, when you put your mind to it, there's no problem big enough to run away from'!"
 * "Hey, what are you staring at? Haven't you ever seen a reptile ready to conquer the world?"
 * "King Bowser Koopa is nobody's fair game!"
 * "So now Toadstool and I are allies! I'll never live this down!"
 * "Go clean your room! And you'd better do it! Stop pinching your little brother! Don't be a brat! Turn down your stereo! Pick up your socks! Close the door! Get off the telephone!"
 * "Gimmie back Hip's Magic Wand! It's Koopa property, and it's rightfully mine!"
 * "It's not neat stuff, you nincomkoop! It's the same trash we had before! Now get rid of it! And this time, see that it doesn't come back!"
 * "HAHAHAHAHA! This is Koopa-riffic! I can do even more bad in my Doomsub that in my Doomship!"
 * "STOP! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO OPEN IT TILL CHRISTMAS... (BOOM) ...morning."
 * "Quiet, Koopalings! I'm the king here! I'll decide what land we're gonna take over!"
 * "It's a dirty job, but somebody gets to do it!"
 * "Kooky, what are you doing? I'm your dear old King Dad!"
 * "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS, MARIOOOOOOOO!!!"
 * "Knock it off, knuckleheads! I'm not doing exercises, I'm having a temper tantrum!"
 * "Clams, coins, old socks, we're given' em away!"
 * "You will grow up to be sneaky, two-faced, cheating illiterates, just like your dad!"
 * "HIP! HOP! GET IN HERE! I'LL SEND YOU TO SCHOOL! Gladly."
 * "Watch it soldier, when I want my feet licked, I'll ask for it! I want my feet licked."
 * "If I want something, I'll just take it!"
 * "I wouldn't do that, plunger-face, not if you want to see your precious princess again!"
 * "Time out on the tongue department, Big Mouth!"
 * "I just got this clunker back from the repair shop!"
 * "The Real World's got seven continents, and I'm givin' one to each of you to do with what you like! Bully, you get to be the beast of the east in Asia! Cheatsy, you show how low you can go, down under, in Australia! Kootie Pie, show the Old World some newer nastiness! Go be a plague in Europe! Kooky, go wild in Africa! Big Mouth, blow your hot air all over Antarctica! Hip, rediscover North America! Be rotten from sea to shining sea! Hop, lambada South America! Give the Real World a Kooping it'll never forget!"
 * "And I'm gonna destroy you miserable little meddlers! (fiddles on his control panel) Drat! Where is that 'destroy-you-miserable-little-meddlers' button!"
 * "Plug your ears and watch your rears!"
 * "Now you'll see why I modestly call myself a genius."
 * "That's a cruel, rotten, disgusting idea - and I love it!"
 * "Hey! Who's been foolin' with my wands?"
 * "I'd love to save you, kids, but I just remembered I have a tail-styling appointment in another warp zone!"
 * "Costumed plumbers at your service, ma'am! We make plumbing a party!"
 * "Keep your crown on! You want people to think I'm marrying a nag?"
 * "Pbbbthbtth! Am I Mario's baby-sitter? I don't care what he's doing! Are you going to call me every time that guy blows his nose, or what? Sheesh!"
 * "AIRHEAD!!! A picnic?!? You MORON! This is no time for fun! See, THIS is why my evil plans always derail! Because you clods always goof off! AAARGH!"
 * "Under NO circumstances is ANYONE allowed to kidnap [Peach] without MY say-so!!!"
 * "Listen up, you reptile retches! Itâ€™s time to play 'Auction the Princess'!"
 * "I'm rich! I'm filthy, stinkin', mouth-watering rich!"
 * "Fire a warning shot! ...On second thought, blow the plumber-boys and the Princess right off the boat!"
 * "Well, two can play at that game! And I know how to cheat."
 * "You mean this is all?! There ain't enough gold here to bother Kooping about!"
 * "These fireballs are fantastic! Think of the destruction; think of the wreckage; think of how much this'll lower my heating bill!"
 * "The best part about being evil is... you get to lie a lot. Ha ha."
 * "I can always build another castle, but you can't build another princess."

Paper Mario Stats and Tattle Information
Max HP:
 * Round 1: 50
 * Rounds 2 and 3: 99

Attack
 * Round 1: 6/8
 * Rounds 2 and 3: 8/10

Defense:
 * Round 1: 1
 * Rounds 2 and 3: 2

Attacks: -Ring Attack: Uses the star rod to create a ring to attack Mario and his partner. Does 3 damage to Mario's partner and does 4 damage to Mario. -Claw Attack: Swipes his claw at Mario, which might poison him in the process. Does 6 damage. -Fire Breath: Breathes fire at Mario. Does 8 damage. -Ring Attack: Uses the star rod to create a ring to attack Mario and his partner. Does 3 damage to Mario's partner and does 6 damage to Mario. -Claw Attack: Swipes his claw at Mario, which might poison him in the process. Does 8 damage. -Jump Attack: Jumps on Mario, causing him to lose one of his commands. Does 8 damage. -Fire Breath: Breathes fire at Mario. Does 10 damage. -Lightning Slam: Causes lightning to strike Mario. Does 10 damage.
 * Round 1:
 * Rounds 2 and 3:

Tattle: It's the Evil King Bowser!
 * Round 1: Finally, after all this time! He has a huge arsenal of attacks, from blowing clouds of fire to jumping on us. Fire Attack: 8, Stamp Attack/Nail Attack: 6 I'm sure he has other attacks that I don't know. Boy, does he look nasty! He's strong enough as it is, but I'm sure he can use that Star Rod to increase his power until he's nearly invincible. Princess Peach needs us! Let's take him, Mario!
 * Round 2: Uh... I think he got bigger. That's not a good sign... He has a huge arsenal of attacks, from blowing clouds of fire to jumping on us. Fire Attack: 10, Stamp Attack/Nail Attack: 8 I'm sure he has other attacks that I don't know. Kammy Koopa's mysterious device has somehow beefed up his power even more. That's hardly fair! You should use that Star Beam whenever he uses the Star Rod to increase his power. Oh, you already knew that?
 * Round 3: No more messing around! He has a huge arsenal of attacks, from blowing clouds of fire to jumping on us. Fire Attack: 10, Stamp Attack/Nail Attack: 8 I'm sure he has other attacks that I don't know. When he increases his power with the Star Rod, our attacks will be totally useless. When that happens, you must use our ultimate weapon, the Peach Beam! It has the power of everyone's wishes! This is our time, Mario!  Let's take this chump!  We're coming, Princess!

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Stats and Tattle Information

 * Glitz Pit Battle Stats: Max HP: 30, Attack Power: 3, Defense Power: 1
 * Palace of Shadow Battle Stats: Max HP: 70, Attack Power: 7, Defense Power: 2
 * Tattle (First Time): That's Bowser! But what's he doing here?!?  My mind just blew a fuse! Max HP is 30, Attack is 3, and Defense is 1.  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!
 * Tattle (2nd Time): 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. Max HP is 70, Attack is 7, and Defense is 2. 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!
 * Tattle Number: 41
 * Tattle Log (1st Time): Mario's fated enemy. Bowser, the Koopa King is a foe to be feared. His typical turf is NOT Glitzville.
 * Tattle Log (2nd Time): Mario's sworn enemy. He's a big galoot who has come to swipe Princess Peach and the Crystal Stars.

Koopa Family
Bowser has had eight "children" under his wing in the Mario series.


 * Bowser Jr.
 * Ludwig Von Koopa
 * Morton Koopa, Jr.
 * Lemmy Koopa
 * Larry Koopa
 * Wendy O. Koopa
 * Roy Koopa
 * Iggy Koopa

The original Koopalings seem to have been phased out for Bowser Jr., but they have made a reappearance as bosses in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga as bosses.

Many believe Bowser's Koopalings are simply his hired hands or even his adopted children which he uses for him schemes.

According to Nintendo Power in the United Kingdom, Bowser's wife's name is Clawdia Koopa. However, since she has not appeared in any medium whatsoever related to Mario, she may have just been a joke written by the editors.

Portrayals
He is voiced/portrayed by:
 * Harvey Atkin in the cartoons.
 * Scott Burns in most of the video games.
 * Dennis Hopper in the Super Mario Bros. movie.