Fake Bowser

The False Bowsers first appeared in Super Mario Bros. Mario had to fight seven of them (one in each castle) before he could reach Bowser's Castle and fight the real one. Hitting a false Bowser with fireballs would reveal that they were really just common enemies disguised as their king with a spell (presumably put on them by Bowser). These enemies are a light gray (some mainly so they could be displayed against the Black Background), however. The enemies and their attributes are:


 * World 1: Goomba - fire
 * World 2: Koopa Troopa - fire
 * World 3: Buzzy Beetle - fire
 * World 4: Spiny - fire
 * World 5: Lakitu - fire
 * World 6: Blooper - hammer
 * World 7: Hammer Brother - hammer
 * World 8 (Lost Levels): Bowser - hammer and fire

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels additional worlds:
 * World 9: Bowser - hammer and fire (FDS) / Bowser - hammer (SNES)
 * World A: Goomba - fire (FDS) / Red Koopa Troopa - hammer (SNES)
 * World B: Koopa Troopa - fire (FDS) / Cheep-Cheep - hammer (SNES)
 * World C: Buzzy Beetle - fire (FDS) / Bullet Bill - hammer (SNES)
 * World D: Spiny - fire (FDS) / Bowser - hammer (SNES)

In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, a False Bowser also appears in Worlds 8-4, 9-3, and D-4, along with the real Bowser. Unlike the other False Bowsers, these Bowsers had more of a mint-green body with a brown muzzle instead of his normal color. This type of Bowser is a magical copy of the real one; it also breathes fire and throws hammers, except in World D-4 where it is a Spiny who breathes fire, just like the one at the end of the level.

In All-Stars, he also lacked his alternate coloration, and looked identical to Bowser. Because of this, and the fact that this Bowser is the only Bowser that appears in World 9, players unaware of the original version of the game have mistaken him for the real Bowser. However, one hint for knowing that that Bowser is a fake is the music that plays; the real Bowser's music is different. On a side note, all the False Bowsers in Worlds 9-D only throw hammers in the All-Stars remake. Strangely, the real Bowser in World D-4 also only uses hammers, unlike in World 8-4, where he uses hammers and spits fire.

A False Bowser makes a cameo appearance in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. It is seen in a special area inside Bowser's Castle which is a side-scrolling level imitating a Super Mario Bros. level. The False Bowser appears at the end of that level. The Bowser appears to be made of cardboard and Mario must run underneath him and hit the Ax to make him fall.

Although not discretely noted, Bowser??? in Paper Mario and the Bowser decoy in Luigi's Mansion used by King Boo may be classified as False Bowsers.