Bowser Jr.

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

- Bowser Jr.

Bowser Jr. (sometimes written as Bowser Junior) is the eighth Koopaling and the current heir to the Koopa throne. Bowser Jr. is apparently the youngest of Bowser's eight children, but he appears to be 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, and is even the main antagonist of two games. 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.

Trouble on Isle Delfino
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, 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 his new accessory FLUDD (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 "mommy". 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, FLUDD 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 no-good Mario again. Bowser, seeing so much of himself in his heir, smiles. Together, the two plot their next plan to capture Mario and Peach.

Sports Foray
However, this plan was put on hold for some time as Bowser initiated some campaigns against the Mushroom Kingdom without his son. During this time, Bowser journeyed the world with his top Magikoopa Kammy Koopa in one adventure and even with himself as a child in another (even though both Bowsers didn't recognize they were the same person). However, Bowser would return to play with his son in various sports titles.

In Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Bowser Jr. is a hidden playable character. In this game, Junior trades in his Shadow Mario mask for a new one with fangs painted on them. 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.

One Of Us
Bowser Jr. appears as his father's partner in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Like in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Junior wears his white fang bandanna while racing. Bowser Jr. is, of course, 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. Again, Bowser Jr. appears with his father in Mario Power Tennis. In this game, Bowser Jr. has somehow recovered his Magic Paintbrush. The young Koopa can use the paintbrush to add power to his swings or confuse his opponents with tennis balls made of paint. Bowser Jr. appears as a playable character in Mario Hoops 3 on 3, (oddly, while Bowser Jr. is playable from the beggining of the game, Bowser himself must be unlocked). He 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.

Prince On the Rise
He also appears (with his dad) in Mario Superstar Baseball. The two are power characters who are great at slamming the baseball but are slower than the other characters. In these games, Bowser Jr. is shown to be left-handed (though there's an option to play right-handed).

Bowser Jr. is also an unlockable character in Mario Strikers Charged. 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 gained new abilities in this, he was able to screech incredibly loud. This could be a referance to his young age, and the fact that he is spoiled. 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.

Getting Back at the Bros.
In the 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 Lakithunder) to set fire to Peach's Castle, causing Mario to go investigate, 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. through 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 in three jumps on the head.

In the game, Bowser Jr.'s attack pattern depends on how he wears his bandanna. If the bandanna is hanging loose, Bowser Jr. will jump and charge at Mario. In this form, Junior can be defeated by simple jump attacks. If he wears the bandanna over his mouth, Bowser Jr. will throw Koopa shells at Mario and occasionally duck into his own shell and attempt to slide into the plumber hero. In this form, Mario has to hit Bowser Jr. with a Koopa shell before he can be jumped on. Fireballs are also very effective against the young Koopa, no matter what appearance he takes.

During the events of the game, Bowser himself 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. 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.

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.

The Future
Bowser Jr. has been confirmed as a character in the upcoming Super Mario Galaxy. Not much is known as of now.

Appearances

 * Super Mario Sunshine (GC) - 2002
 * Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (GC) - 2003
 * Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GC) - 2003
 * Mario Power Tennis (GC) - 2004
 * Mario Superstar Baseball (GC) - 2005
 * New Super Mario Bros. (DS) - 2006
 * Mario Hoops 3 on 3 (DS) - 2006
 * Mario Strikers Charged (Wii) -2007
 * Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) -2007

Confusion
Bowser Jr. is not Baby Bowser, who is the younger version of his father King Bowser. However, in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Baby Bowser's character model was based off of Bowser Jr.'s model, making this identity crisis more confusing. Also, Bowser Jr. is not a Koopa Kid (which were also called Baby Bowsers) from the Mario Party series. Additionally, Bowser Jr. is not a younger version of one of the original Koopalings. During the beginning of Super Mario Sunshine, FLUDD shows images of Mario's previous adventures, including a fight between the plumber and Iggy Koopa in Super Mario World. This means that Bowser Jr. can not be one of the original Koopalings, as Super Mario Sunshine takes place after the Koopalings grew to their current forms.

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 siblings Lemmy and Iggy in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World cartoons.

Trivia

 * Bowser Jr.'s motto is "Grin and bear it. When that don't work, grin and crush it."
 * His favorite hobbies are stealing cookies from other kids in day care and scribbling.
 * Bowser Jr. resides at "48 Lava Cul-De-Sac, Magma Manor."
 * Jr. spent the majority of his childhood practicing golf on his dad's private course.
 * Mario Strikers Charged is the first game that features Bowser Jr. without his bandanna.
 * Bowser Jr. has also been featured on the cover of a GamePro magazine for New Super Mario Bros.

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.

Mario Hoops 3 on 3

 * 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: Left
 * 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."

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
 * "YEAH!" – Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
 * "No-no-no!!" – Mario Power Tennis
 * "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
 * "TAKE THIS!!!" – Mario Power Tennis
 * "Hey, HEY!!" – Mario Strikers Charged