Rookie

"For some reason, fighting these guys... makes my gut flare up something fierce..."

- Rookie

Rookie is Bowser's amnesiac alter ego and Popple's accomplice in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga.

Rookie's appearance is largely similar to his normal self's, though it differs in a few ways. The most noticeable physical difference is Rookie's blue, cat burglar-styled mask. For unknown reasons, Superstar Saga also depicts him with green eyes, although this trait is not carried over to its Nintendo 3DS remake, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions. In contrast to his physical appearance, Rookie's personality is drastically different than Bowser's; he is extremely trusting, loyal, and ultimately submissive to Popple, whereas his normal self is self-serving and believes others beneath him.

When Bowser takes Mario and Luigi to the Beanbean Kingdom in his Koopa Cruiser, Cackletta and Fawful attack the Cruiser, causing it to crash in Stardust Fields. Bowser lands in Tolstar's cannon and winds up being fired to Hoohoo Mountain by one of the Starshade Bros., where Popple finds him and nurses him back to health off-screen.

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions significantly expands upon Rookie's origin. The remake reveals that Rookie's creation was indirectly and unintentionally engineered by Captain Goomba, the main protagonist of Minion Quest: The Search for Bowser. The reason for Rookie joining Popple is also revealed in a flashback: after losing his memory, Bowser collapsed from hunger. Popple was stealing food from nearby households at the time, and accidentally fed the amnesiac Koopa King when he tripped while escaping. Mistaking this mishap for genuine kindness, Bowser began to follow Popple around in spite of the thief's initial protests.

Mario and Luigi first encounter Rookie in Chateau de Chucklehuck, shortly after seeing Popple for the first time. Popple orders Rookie to fight the Mario Bros. so that he can obtain the Chuckola Reserve, which the Bros. were also looking for in order to remove a Belly Belch Worm from Queen Bean. Rookie attacks with hammers and Fire Breath, the latter of which occurs when he faintly recalls his memories of fighting the Mario Bros. Whenever he jumps before performing his attacks, the victim is Luigi; whenever he does not, the victim is Mario. Rookie protects Popple very zealously, counterattacking the Bros. every time they attack Popple.

After the battle, Popple reprimands Rookie for being unable to destroy the Mario Bros., and the two run off in hopes of getting to the Chuckola Reserve before the Mario Brothers. The thieving duo reach the Reserve before the Bros., but are captured by the Chuckolator. Mario and Luigi arrive and battle the Chuckolator, but not before the living soft drink hits the barrels Rookie and Popple are inside of with such force that they are ejected out of the room.

The Mario Bros. encounter Rookie once more at Woohoo Hooniversity right after Popple finds the Beanstar which had just fallen right next to him. Popple once more orders Rookie to fight the Bros. to protect the Beanstar. This time, Popple and Rookie have their own versions of Bros. Attacks, but the Bros. still defeat them without much effort. After the battle, a Peach Bot falls into the room and enrages the Beanstar with its squeaking, causing it to fly out of the room.

Mario, Luigi, Popple, and Rookie grab onto the Beanstar in an attempt to stop its escape; however, the combined stress of hearing Birdo's unpleasant voice and bearing the collective weight of the Mario Bros., Popple, and Rookie causes the Beanstar to shatter into four pieces. Each of the four clingers begin to fall off one by one until only Rookie is left, as the fragmented Beanstar heads toward Stardust Fields. It is only as he returns to the place where he lost his memory that Rookie at last remembers that he is Bowser. His recollection is short-lived, however, as Fawful encounters an unconscious Bowser and uses his body to house Cackletta's soul, creating Bowletta.

In the Minions' story, the captains battle Popple when he might know Bowser's whereabouts. Rookie doesn't remember his minions and leaves with Popple after berating them for defeating his boss. After meeting Popple again, they learn Rookie went missing before the meeting starts another battle. After returning home, Bowser slowly remembers Captain Goomba was the one who gave him amnesia while on the mountain and revokes him of his title while chasing him in rage.

Rookie never reappeared in any other games (his true identity as Bowser nonwithstanding), although he, or more specifically Captain Goomba's inadvertent role in his creation, was given an indirect reference when Captain Goomba, when explaining he didn't wish to slack off on Goomba training by play-fighting Bowser Jr. and get Bowser upset, adds "again" at the end of the sentence.

Names in other languages
BowsAzubi Recluta (Bowser)