Editing Bowser's Brother

'''Bowser's Brother''',<ref name=PG>{{cite|page={{file link|Bowser's Brother Source.jpg|62}}|title=''Super Mario All-Stars'' Player's Guide|date=1993|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us|quote='''BOWSER'S BROTHER''' ''You're in for a surprise. Bowser's got a twin.''}}</ref> also referred to as '''Fake Bowser (Blue)''',<ref name=EPortal>{{cite|language=en|url=www.nintendo.co.jp/character/mario/archives/smb2/?lang=en|title=English ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels'' entry on the official Mario Portal|publisher=nintendo.co.jp|accessdate=June 5, 2024|archive=archive.today/2022.08.13-143518/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/character/mario/archives/smb2/?lang=en}}</ref> is a character similar to [[Bowser]] who appears in ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]''. His [[#Identity|identity]] varies in supplemental material, which describes him either as Bowser's twin or a [[Impostor Bowser|fake Bowser]]. His most consistent characteristic is his bluish color, but this was removed in ''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]''.<ref name=PEGMCE>{{cite|page={{file link|PEGMCE page 65.png|65}}|title=「パーフェクト版 マリオキャラクター大事典」(''Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten''|date=1994|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|quote=A fake Bowser appears in the Famicom version of Super Mario. Since his color is blue, you can tell at a glance that he's a fake, but unfortunately in Mario Collection he became the same green.}} while the two captions state "''Obviously fake blue Bowser.''" and "''He can't be distinguished from the real thing.''"</ref>

Bowser's Brother makes his first appearance in the [[Family Computer Disk System]] version of ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]''. There, he appears before the fight with Bowser in [[World 8-4 (Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels)|World 8-4]], where he tries to stop [[Mario]] or [[Luigi]] by throwing [[hammer]]s at them and [[Bowser's Flame|breathing fire]]. He reappears alone in [[World 9-3 (Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels)|World 9-3]], but does not breathe fire.

While distinguished from [[Bowser]] by the color of his skin and shell (brown and deep cyan, respectively), defeating him with [[fireball]]s does not reveal him as one of Bowser's minions, making him distinct from the [[Impostor Bowser|fake Bowsers]]. In [[World D-4]], however, a fake version of him appears that only breathes fire, being revealed as a [[Spiny]] when defeated with fireballs.

In ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', the eighth costume of [[Bowser]] is said to be Bowser's Brother, referred to as a '''Bowser Impostor''',<ref name=Impostor/> in the tips. It replaces a similar-looking costume from previous games that has yellow hair and green limbs, likely based on Bowser's original artwork (though with the shell and skin colors swapped). If [[Princess Peach|Peach]]'s Classic Mode route in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', "No Damsel in Distress", is played with two players, the penultimate battle with Bowser has him accompanied by another Bowser using the eighth costume as a partner.

The character was initially mentioned as the first/fake<ref>{{file link|FCCVD 7 page 50.png|Page 50}} of「ファミリーコンピュータ必勝道場⑦スーパーマリオブラザーズ2」(''Family Computer Hisshō Dōjō ⑦ Super Mario Bros. 2'', or "''Family Computer Certain Victory Dojo ⑦ Super Mario Bros. 2''") refers to the blue Bowser as「1{{ruby|匹|ぴき}}めのクッパ」(''the first Bowser''), also noting that he isn't the real Bowser:「こいつ{{ruby|真|しん}}のクッパではない。」</ref> or first/blue<ref>{{file link|FCCVD 11 page 62.png|Page 62}} of「ファミリーコンピュータ必勝道場⑪スーパーマリオブラザーズ1&2神わざ大全集」(''Family Computer Hisshō Dōjō ⑪ Super Mario Bros. 1 & 2 Kami Waza Taizenshū'', or "''Family Computer Certain Victory Dojo ⑪ Super Mario Bros. 1 & 2 Great Complete Work on Miracles/Glitches''").「1{{ruby|匹|ぴき}}めのクッパはむりして{{ruby|倒|たお}}さなくていいよ!ワールド8-4と{{ruby|D|ディー}}-4には、クッパが2{{ruby|匹出|ひきで}}てする。そのうちの1{{ruby|匹|ぴき}}めは,{{ruby|青|あお}}いクッパなんだけど」(''It's ok if you try hard but don't defeat the first Bowser. In Worlds 8-4 and D-4, Bowser appears twice. The first of those is the blue Bowser''...)</ref> [[Bowser]] in the Japanese guides for ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]'', which do not specify his relationship to Bowser besides one suggesting that he is not his twin.<ref name=UT>{{file link|SMB2GCWST pages 88 89.png|Page 89}} of「スーパマリオブラザーズ2<裏ワザ大全集>」(''Super Mario Bros. 2 < Urawaza Taizenshū >'', or "''Super Mario Bros. 2 Great Complete Work on Secret Tricks''") has the paragraph:「おお一つと！またグッバがいた。ということは、{{ruby|大魔王|だいまおう}}クッパはふたごだったのか、なんちゃって。アホ。」(''Oh! Bowser is here again. That is to say, the Great Demon King Bowser is actually a TWIN, not! Idiot.'') Note that the author is mocking the reader for believing that Bowser has a twin.</ref> In the character books released in the 1990s before ''[[Super Mario All-Stars]]'', the blue Bowser is described as being either Bowser's first<ref>{{file link|CSMGE page 155.png|Page 155}} of「全スーパーマリオ大百科」(''Zen Super Mario Ōhyakka'', or "''Complete Super Mario Great Encyclopedia''") states of the blue Bowser:「クッパ{{ruby|兄弟|きょうだい}}の1{{ruby|匹目|ぴきめ}}はよけろ!」(''The first of the Bowser brothers!'')</ref> or younger<ref name=SMCE>{{file link|SMCE pages 144 145.png|Page 144}} of「スーパーマリオ{{ruby|全百科|オールひゃっか}}」(''Super Mario Zen Hyakka'', or "''Super Mario Complete Encyclopedia''"). The blue Bowser is referred to as「クッパブラザーズの{{ruby|弟|おとうと}}」(''the younger of the Bowser brothers''). The page also states「クッパの{{ruby|弟|おとうと}}だ」(''He's Bowser's younger brother'').</ref><ref>On {{file link|SMBD page 36.png|page 36}} of「スーパーマリオ{{ruby|大図鑑|だいずかん}}」(''Super Mario Bros. Daizukan'', or "''Super Mario Great Picture Book''") [[Dr. Mario]] states:「『マリオ２』ではクッパの{{ruby|弟|おとうと}}が{{ruby|影武者|かげむしゃ}}だったクッパとおなじ{{ruby|力|ちから}}をもった{{ruby|強敵|きょうてき}}だったぞ！」(''In "Mario 2", Bowser's little brother was a strong enemy who had the same strength as Bowser's body doubles.'')</ref> brother. ''Super Mario Zen Hyakka'', a book written in collaboration with [[Nintendo]], describes him as part of the「{{ruby|王族|おうぞく}}」(''Ō-zoku'', literally "King Tribe") and thus a leader of [[Bowser's Minions]] and member of Bowser's royal family, along with the [[Koopalings]] and Bowser himself.<ref name=SMCE/><ref>On {{file link|SMCE pages 88 89.png|page 89}} of「スーパーマリオ{{ruby|全百科|オールひゃっか}}」(''Super Mario Zen Hyakka'', or "''Super Mario Complete Encyclopedia''") the「{{ruby|王族|おうぞく}}」term, meaning ''King Tribe'', is given the following explanation:「クッパ{{ruby|軍団|ぐんだん}}を{{ruby|統率|とうそつ}}する{{ruby|王家|おうけ}}の{{ruby|面々|めんめん}}。クッパ、コクッパがこれにあたる。」(''Every member of the royal family that leads the Bowser army corps. Bowser and the Koopalings apply here.'')</ref> Due to his recoloring from blue to green in ''Super Mario All-Stars'', he is not considered a distinct character from [[Impostor Bowser|fake Bowsers]] in the Japanese official guide book.<ref>On {{file link|SMC NOG page 92.png|page 92}} of the ''Nintendo Official Guidebook'' of ''Super Mario Collection'', the blue Bowser is referred to as「ニセクッパ」(''Fake Bowser'').</ref> Contradicting one of the original Japanese guides for ''The Lost Levels'' (which suggested that he was not a twin),<ref name=UT/> the ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' guide for ''Super Mario All-Stars'' refers to him as "Bowser's Brother" and states "Bowser's got a twin" in reference to him.<ref name=PG/> After the release of ''Super Mario All-Stars'', he was referred to as a fake Bowser,<ref name=PEGMCE/> except in the [[Prima Games]] guide for ''[[Super Mario Bros. Deluxe]]'', where he is again considered Bowser's brother.<ref>{{cite|language=en-us|author=Cain, Christine|title=''Super Mario Bros. Deluxe'' Prima's Official Strategy Guide|page=71|publisher=[[Prima Games]]|date=1999|isbn=0-7615-2190-9|quote=Look out! Bowser has a Hammer-throwing brother, and he’s here to stop you from getting to the end. If you’ve got fireballs, use ʻem. Otherwise ...}}</ref> In ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', a tip suggests that the blue Bowser is a fake in both the Japanese and English versions.<ref>「にせクッパ!? 『スーパーマリオブラザーズ2』には、青いクッパが登場する。倒すとその先にいつもの緑のクッパがいる。『スマブラ』では8Pカラーで青いクッパになる。」(''Fake Bowser!?　In Super Mario Bros. 2, a blue Bowser appears. Defeat him and beyond is the usual green Bowser. In Smash Bros., the 8P color is the blue-colored Bowser.'') - ''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U'' Tips.</ref><ref name=Impostor>{{cite|quote=A Bowser Impostor?!　In Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, Mario fights a blue fake Bowser before the real thing. That blue fake is his eighth color in this game!|title=''Super Smash Bros. for Wii U''|author=[[smashwiki:Tips|Tips]]}}</ref> ''Super Mario Pia'', a memorial book also written in collaboration with Nintendo, depicts the blue Bowser as a particular fake Bowser.<ref name=SMP>On {{file link|SMP Blue Bowser.png|page 22}} of「スーパーマリオぴあ」(''Super Mario Pia''), the blue Bowser is labeled as「ニセクッパ」(''Fake Bowser'') while still stressing his body being blue.</ref> ''[[Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia|Encyclopedia Super Mario Bros.]]'', which was released around the same time, distinguishes him from fake Bowsers<ref name=ESMBdesc>Page 27 of「スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック」(''Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guide Book'', or "''Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia: Nintendo Official Guide Book''")</ref> but states that his identity is unknown.<ref>Page 30 of「スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック」(''Super Mario Bros. Hyakka: Nintendo Kōshiki Guide Book'', or "''Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia: Nintendo Official Guide Book''").「謎の青いクッパ! W8-4でクツパと対決する直前、体の青いクッパと戦うことになる。クッパと同等の能力を持つが、その正体は不明。W9-3とWD-4にも登場する。」(''Mysterious Blue Bowser! In W8-4 just before confronting Bowser, a blue-bodied Bowser must be fought. He has the same abilities as Bowser, but his true identity is unknown. He also appears in W9-3 and WD-4.'')</ref> His name on the Japanese Mario Portal website similarly identifies him as a blue Bowser,<ref name=EPortalOriginal>{{cite|url=www.nintendo.co.jp/character/mario/archives/smb2|title=Original ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels'' entry on the official Mario Portal|publisher=nintendo.co.jp|language=ja|accessdate=June 5, 2024|archive=archive.today/2021.07.21-092101/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/character/mario/archives/smb2/}}</ref> while the English version names him as a blue fake Bowser.<ref name=EPortal/>

SMBLL World D-4 Bowser Imposter.png|[[Impostor Bowser|Fake]] Bowser's Brother in [[World D-4]] of ''Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels''. It is revealed to be a Spiny if defeated with fireballs.