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{{articleabout|the final boss from ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]''|the boss from ''[[Super Paper Mario]]''|[[Shadoo]]}}
{{Distinguish|Black Bowser|Darkmess Bowser|Fury Bowser}}
{{Distinguish|Black Bowser}}
{{about|the final boss from ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]''|the boss from ''[[Super Paper Mario]]''|[[Shadoo]]}}
{{bisenemy
{{character infobox
|title='''''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story|Bowser's Inside Story]]'' Enemy'''
|image=[[File:MLBISBJJDarkBowser.png]]<br>Sprite of Dark Bowser from ''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey''
|image=[[File:DarkBowserAni.gif]]
|species=[[Koopa (Bowser's species)|Koopa]]/[[Star (species)|Star]]
|battledby=[[Bowser]]
|first_appearance=''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'' ([[List of games by date#2009|2009]])
|location=[[Princess Peach's Castle|Peach's Castle Tower]]  
|latest_appearance=''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey]]'' ([[List of games by date#2018|2018]])
|lvl=35
|latest_portrayal=[[Kenneth W. James|Kenny James]] ([[List of games by date#2009|2009]]–present)
|hp=1,000/1,500 (with challenge medal)
|power=344/860
|def=187/281
|speed=37/56
|fire=Half
|burn=Immune
|dizzy=Immune
|statdown=Half
|ko=Immune
|exp=0
|coins=0
|items=None
|gear=None
}}
}}
{{quote|Soon [[Mushroom Kingdom|this kingdom]] will vanish along with all who dwell within. And [[Bowser|you]], too, will sleep eternally in the dark power's embrace!|Dark Bowser|Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story}}
'''Dark Bowser''' is the form the [[Dark Star]] takes after absorbing enough of [[Bowser]]'s DNA, who acts as Bowser's final boss in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'' and its remake, ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey]]''. His voice is a slowed-down version of Bowser's, and he has all the powers the original has, along with many dark variations as well. He is fought alongside [[Mario]] and [[Luigi]]'s final boss, the [[Dark Star Core]].


{{quote|Soon [[Mushroom Kingdom|this kingdom]] will vanish along with all who dwell within. And [[Bowser|you]], too, will sleep eternally in the dark power's embrace!|Dark Bowser|Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story}}  
==History==
[[File:Dark Bowser Pieces.PNG|thumb|left|200px|The pieces of Dark Bowser]]
While the [[Dark Star]] was gathering DNA from the [[Airway (Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story)|Airway]] inside [[Bowser's body]], [[Mario]] and [[Luigi]] pursue it to try to stop it before it could complete a profile of Bowser's body. It manages to get his [[Punch]], [[Fire Breath]], [[Body Slam (Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story)|Body Slam]], and presumably even more moves before Mario and Luigi could fight it.
 
The brothers battle the Dark Star and manage to defeat it, but at this point, the Dark Star has absorbed every piece of DNA that it needed, so it leaves Bowser's body and transforms into Dark Bowser, albeit in a ghost-like state because part of its power had been taken by [[Fawful]]. After attempting to reclaim its missing power by inhaling an unconscious [[Princess Peach]], to no avail, Dark Bowser searches [[Peach's Castle|her castle]] for [[Dark Fawful]] to complete its new form. Bowser, however, finds Dark Fawful first who is in turn searching for Dark Star in order to take the rest of the power he had not absorbed. After Bowser defeats Dark Fawful in a battle (which results in him devolving into a bug-like form), the latter flees and is soon found by Dark Bowser who inhales him, thus restoring his full power, and completing his new form in the process.
 
The newly completed Dark Bowser leaves the room, in the process opening the way to the secret tower of Peach's Castle. Bowser pursues him, and when he confronts his dark form, the two Bowsers both execute flame breath attacks that clash with each other, initiating the prologue to the final battle. Bowser eventually overwhelms Dark Bowser, who retreats higher into the tower in his inflammed [[spike ball (move)|spike ball]], forcing Bowser into the same position in the process. Bowser, with the help of Mario and Luigi in the [[Chest Station]], is able to defeat his dark form in a shell collision match, but the dark being manages to retreat again.
 
Just above the arena is the roof of the tower. Bowser follows a path to an arena, where Dark Bowser waits with a still unconscious Peach (who is now inexplicably outside of him). Dark Bowser, commenting on the dark power needing to be freed, unleashes a dark hurricane over the Mushroom Kingdom. In the original version, [[Broque Monsieur]], the [[Koopa Paratroopa Trio]] and some [[Toad (species)|Toad]]s and [[Goomba]]s trapped in bubbles are shown circling around the arena. [[Starlow]] attempts to encourage Bowser and reveal Mario and Luigi and her true identity, but the windstorm is too loud for him to hear her. Dark Bowser and Bowser then fire their Flame Breath at each other, initiating the final battle.
 
Once Mario and Luigi defeat the [[Dark Star Core]] inside Bowser, Dark Bowser becomes unstable. This allows Bowser to finish him off with a "KO [[punch]]". Dark Bowser, after saying his last words to Bowser, explodes, releasing the dying Dark Star, which flies above [[Peach's Castle]] and explodes, reverting the kingdom back to normal.
{{br|left}}
 
==General information==
===Physical description===
Dark Bowser has all of the original Bowser's physique and build, but is detailed very differently. All of his scales and shell are colored dark blue, and his snout, plastron/underbelly, horns and spikes are noticeably paler than Bowser's. His eyes are identical to the [[Dark Star]]'s own, but he seems to entirely lack Bowser's eyebrows. The rings around his spikes and horns are colored black, and the most noticeable difference between Bowser and Dark Bowser is that Dark Bowser has a black mohawk in place of Bowser's hair. His sprites also have dark orbs float across his body.
 
In his incomplete state, he retains his details, but appears as a ghostly figure with a purple coloration (without his eyes), whilst pulsating a brighter purple. His animations are also distinctive in that his idle sprite has misplaced pixels to give an effect resembling video noise, and his talking animations have a noticeable jitter to them. He also entirely lacks legs and a tail until he is fully complete.
 
===Speech===
While Dark Bowser is incomplete, his speech is halted and can only speak one sentence at a time. However, upon his completion, he starts to speak fully and does not use contractions.
 
In the Japanese version, his speech is halted and written entirely in katakana while he is incomplete. When Dark Bowser inhales Dark Fawful and is completed, he begins to speak in more natural Japanese, with kanji and no pauses.
 
Aside from text dialogue, Dark Bowser's roars and grunts are provided by [[Kenneth W. James|Kenny James]], who also voices the original Bowser.
 
===Powers & abilities===
[[File:Dark Bowser Fire.png|thumb|Dark Bowser breathing fire at Bowser.]]
While incomplete, the only powers Dark Bowser is shown to possess are floating, punching and inhaling. Once he inhales Dark Fawful after he is reduced to a bug-like form and turns complete, Dark Bowser showcases even more powers that are similar to the original Bowser's; exhaling/shooting fire out of his mouth, curling up into a [[spike ball (move)|spike ball]], etc. Dark Bowser also has the ability of spreading darkness throughout large areas of land, seen before the final boss fight with him, which also traps any residents inside dark bubbles.
 
During the final battle, Dark Bowser has the ability to create boulders, cages and energy balls as the means to attack Bowser. With the help of Dark Fawful, who is inside him, Dark Bowser can recover any and all damages given to him, seen once Bowser reduces his HP to zero, and even grow larger (with his belly being his only weak spot, which makes him cough up Dark Fawful and revert him back to normal size). Also, Dark Bowser makes use of dark variations of Bowser's own minions, sending them after Bowser when he turns giant.
 
However, if the Dark Star Core takes too much damage, Dark Bowser will become weakened and unstable, which is what ultimately allowed Bowser to finish him off during their fight.
 
==Battle==
[[File:ShadowBowser.png|thumb|left|200px|[[Bowser]] battling Dark Bowser, who is fully powered by [[Dark Fawful]]]]
 
Dark Bowser has three attacks that he can use while in his regular form.


'''Dark Bowser''' is [[Bowser]]'s final boss in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]''. He has all the powers Bowser has, along with many dark variations as well. He seeks to cover the [[Mushroom Kingdom]] in darkness and destroy it.
* His first attack involves tossing a giant boulder into the air and blasting it to pieces with a fireball. The pieces will then begin to rain down from the sky around Bowser, and he must use his [[shell defense]] to avoid taking damage. At the same time, Dark Bowser will be charging up a blast of dark fire breath, and Bowser must find an opportunity to punch one of the falling rocks that land in front of him at Dark Bowser before he finishes charging up. When the rock lands in his mouth, the attack's energy recoils and he inflicts damage on himself from the inside. If Bowser fails to punch a rock back at Dark Bowser, he will take damage from the flames.


==Appearance==
* Dark Bowser can also repeatedly punch Bowser. Bowser must counter with his own punch, making their fists clash and negating any intended damage. Countering a punch will cause Dark Bowser to curl up into a [[spike ball (move)|spike ball]] and try and crush Bowser from above, which can be blocked with shell defense. When Dark Bowser lands on the ground, there is a brief window to counter with a punch before he returns to his spot.
Dark Bowser looks similar to Bowser, in terms of build. His skin and shell are colored dark blue. His snout, stomach, horns and spikes are noticeably paler than Bowser's. He also has Dark Star-esque red eyes. The rings around his spikes and horns are black. The most noticeable difference from Bowser and Dark Bowser is that Dark Bowser has a black mohawk.


==History==
* Another attack traps Bowser in a cage and raises it into the sky. Dark Bowser will then charge up an energy ball to launch at Bowser, who must repeatedly punch the cage with 14 punches to destroy the lock before the energy ball hits him. Bowser has just enough time to free himself and drop back to the ground before the energy ball strikes. Alternatively, Bowser can also use his shell defense to cause the cage to swing, and he must time his crouches at the peak of the swing to increase the swing intensity. Eventually, the wire will snap and Bowser lands on top of Dark Bowser's head, dealing some damage. In the remake, punching the cage now causes it to swing and land on Dark Bowser after it breaks.
===''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story''===
 
{{rewrite|section=yes}}
{{multiframe
[[File:ShadowBowser.png|thumb|left|200px|[[Bowser]] battling '''Dark Bowser''', who's fully powered by [[Dark Fawful]].]]
|[[File:Darkminions.png]]<br>[[File:MLBISBJJDarkMinions.png]]
[[File:Dark Bowser Pieces.PNG|thumb|200px|The pieces of Dark Bowser]]
|The "Dark Minions" seen in the Dark Bowser fight in between versions.
When the [[Dark Star]] was gathering DNA from [[Bowser's body]], [[Mario]] and [[Luigi]] tried to stop it before it succeeded. The brothers fought hard to defeat it, but apparently, it had already absorbed every piece of DNA that it needed, and it  transformed into Dark Bowser, although in a ghost-like state because he was incomplete. The only parts missing were the legs, which it obtained by inhaling [[Dark Fawful]], thus completing his form, and becoming solid in the process. He flees from Bowser, but when Bowser finds him in the secret tower of Peach's Castle, they both execute flame breath attacks that clash with each other, initiating the prologue to the final battle. Bowser overwhelms Dark Bowser, then they both curl up into a spike ball and the fight commences. Bowser again overwhelms his dark form, who gets away. Later, Dark Bowser unleashes a dark hurricane over the Mushroom Kingdom, trapping [[Broque Monsieur]], the [[Blue Paratroopa]]s and several Toads and Goombas in bubbles. Bowser is now the only one who can defeat his doppelganger.
|align=right
|size=240
}}
After taking enough damage, Dark Bowser will fall to the ground; he is then fully healed by the ingested Dark Fawful and will grow larger. In this giant form, his only move is tossing a mixed ball of dark versions of Bowser's minions ([[Goomba]]s, [[Koopa Troopa]]s, [[Thwomp]]s, [[Bob-omb]]s, and [[Bullet Bill]]s) at him. The ball pushes Bowser back several meters, after which he must walk back through the minions while dodging or countering their attacks (punching the Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Bob-ombs and low-altitude Bullet Bills, and ducking under the high-altitude Bullet Bills and Thwomps). When near to the battlefield, Dark Bowser again curls up into a spike ball and tries to slam into him from above. Bowser must defend with his shell, then do it again as Dark Bowser prepares the next spike ball slam (if quick enough, the second slam can be avoided by simply walking).
 
When it is his turn, Bowser has to attack his stomach so that he spits up the [[Dark Star Core]] and causing Dark Bowser to shrink back to normal size. Bowser must then inhale Dark Fawful; Dark Bowser will try to counteract with his own inhaling technique. If he fails to inhale the core, Bowser will have to drain his HP all over again. Once he has successfully inhaled Dark Fawful, the Mario Brothers must fight the dark being inside his body. If Mario and Luigi fail to defeat Dark Fawful and Dark Star Core within several turns, it will escape and return back into Dark Bowser's body, forcing the process to be repeated. Only upon Dark Fawful's defeat can Bowser give his shadowy doppelganger the final blows. Once defeated, Dark Bowser dissolves, leaving only the Dark Star, which rises into the air and explodes, restoring the Mushroom Kingdom to normal.


One of Dark Bowser's attacks is throwing a boulder into the air and blasting it apart with fire, causing rocks to fall from the sky. Bowser must duck with his shell to avoid taking damage. However, he must also punch one of the rocks in front of him at Dark Bowser, who is charging a massive blast of dark fire. When the rock lands in his mouth, the attack's energy recoils and he inflicts damage on himself from the inside. If Bowser does not do this, however, he takes damage from the blast.
If Bowser does not attack Dark Bowser's stomach within 2 turns after he turns giant, he will shrink back to normal and the process must be repeated. Similarly, If Bowser defeats Dark Bowser while he's giant, or defeats Dark Bowser when Dark Fawful is outside his body, Dark Fawful will still heal him and the process will also repeat. When the Dark Star Core has lost enough HP, Dark Bowser will start attacking more times in a single turn.


[[File:Darkbowserfire.JPG|250px|thumb|Dark Bowser breathing fire at Bowser.]]Another attack involves him punching Bowser repeatedly. Bowser must counter with his own punch, making their fists clash and negating any intended damage. The two giant blows meet and throw the titans back, creating a shock wave. Then Dark Bowser will jump into the air as a spiked ball and try to land on Bowser. Bowser must duck in his shell to protect himself. He can then counterattack by quickly throwing a punch at Dark Bowser after Bowser ducks. Another attack traps Bowser in a cage and raises it into the sky. Dark Bowser will then charge up an energy ball to launch at Bowser. Bowser must try, by punching repeatedly, to destroy the cage's lock before he gets hit by the energy ball (he should have ''just about'' enough time). He can also swing the cage off its hinges with [[Shell Defense]] to damage Dark Bowser.
In the [[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey|remake]], Dark Bowser's health increased slightly from 1000 to 1260. For his cage attack, punching the cage now causes it to swing, and upon punching the cage enough times will break the lock, causing Bowser to land on Dark Bowser's head. He is now able to use 2 attacks in a turn from the very start of the battle.
{{br}}


After taking enough damage, Dark Bowser will fall to the ground; he is then fully healed by the ingested Dark Fawful and will grow larger. He will always follow this up (assuming Bowser did not make Dark Bowser's HP fall to 0 via counter-attacking) by tossing a mixed ball of "Dark Minions" at Bowser, including dark versions of [[Goomba]]s, [[Koopa Troopa]], [[Thwomp]]s, [[Bob-omb]]s, and [[Bullet Bill]]s. The ball pushes Bowser back several meters, after which he must then walk back through the "Dark Minions" while dodging or countering their attacks. When returns to the field, Dark Bowser again curls up into a spike ball and tries to slam into him from above. Bowser must defend with his shell, then do it again as Dark Bowser prepares the next spike-ball slam. Bowser can avoid the second attack just by walking. When it is his turn, Bowser has to attack his stomach so that he spits up the [[Dark Star Core]] and shrinks Dark Bowser.  Bowser must then inhale Dark Fawful, which Dark Bowser will try to counteract it with his own inhaling technique. Fail this part and Bowser will have to do it all over again. Successfully inhaling Dark Fawful pulls him into Bowser's belly, where the Mario Brothers must fight Dark Fawful. After several turns of fighting Dark Fawful, he will escape and return back into Dark Bowser's body, forcing the process to be repeated. Only upon Dark Fawful's defeat can Bowser give his shadowy doppelganger the final blows. Once defeated, Dark Bowser dissolves, leaving only the Dark Star, which rises into the air and explodes, restoring the Mushroom Kingdom to normal.
==Statistics==
===''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story''===
{{:Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story bestiary|transcludesection=Dark Bowser|align=horizontal|image=[[File:DarkBowserAni.gif]]}}
{{:Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story bestiary|transcludesection=Belly|align=horizontal|}}


While Dark Bowser is incomplete, he speaks extremely slowly. However, as he becomes complete, he starts to speak fully. In the Japanese version, his speech is halted and written completely in katakana while he is incomplete. When Dark Bowser inhales Dark Fawful and is completed, he begins to speak in more natural Japanese, with kanji and no pauses.
===''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey''===
{{:Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey bestiary|transcludesection=Dark Bowser|align=horizontal|image=[[File:Dark Bowser DX.gif]]}}
{{:Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey bestiary|transcludesection=Belly|align=horizontal|image=[[File:Giant Dark Bowser.gif]]}}


==Quotes==
==Quotes==
*''"[[Bowser|Your]] body, I have copied... Your power, I have copied..."''
*"''[[Bowser|Your]] body, I have copied... Your power, I have copied...''"
*''"Not enough...power..."''
*"''Not enough... Not enough...power...''"
*''"Not enough...dark power..."''
*"''Not enough dark power... Power has been drained...''"
*''"I am not complete..."''
*"''I am not complete...''"
*''"That voice... Yes I know that voice... That is [[Fawful|the being]] who drained me of my power..."''
*"''Who... Who will give...the dark power... Her... No...''"
*''"The [[Dark Star|dark power]] slept so long, and now it wakes... It must be freed... BEHOLD!"''
*"''That voice... Yes... I know that voice... That is [[Fawful|the being]] who drained me of my power...''"
*''"Still here? Has the dark power not yet crushed your puny hopes? Soon [[Mushroom Kingdom|this kingdom]] will vanish along with all who dwell within. And you, too, will sleep eternally in the dark power's embrace!"''
*"''Where... Dark power... Being who drains... Where... Where...''"
*''"I have...fallen...To come so far...so far..to lose..."''
*"''There...''"
*''"Dark...Even with the dark power completed...The unthinkable happened..."''
*"''FWAHAHAHA! Awake at last! The dark power is complete!''"
*"''I have copied all that is you. You are no longer necessary.''"
*"''The [[Dark Star|dark power]] slept so long, and now it wakes... It must be freed... BEHOLD!''"
*"''Still here? Has the dark power not yet crushed your puny hopes? Soon [[Mushroom Kingdom|this kingdom]] will vanish along with all who dwell within. And [[Bowser|you]], too, will sleep eternally in the dark power's embrace!''"
*"''Huuh huuh huuh... Haah haah haargh... I have fallen...To come so far...so far...to lose...''"
*"''Dark...Even with the dark power completed...The unthinkable happened...''"
 
==Gallery==
<gallery>
SMKun 41 Dark Bowser.jpg|''[[Super Mario-kun]]'' Volume 41 page 69
SMK 41 Page 86.jpg|''Super Mario-kun'' Volume 41 page 86
</gallery>


==Names in other languages==
==Names in other languages==
{{foreignname
{{foreign names
|Jap=ダーククッパ
|Jap=ダーククッパ
|JapR=Dāku Kuppa
|JapR=Dāku Kuppa
|JapM=Dark Koopa; "Koopa" being Bowser's Japanese name.
|JapM=Dark Bowser
|Spa=Bowser Oscuro
|Spa=Bowser Oscuro
|SpaM=Dark Bowser
|SpaM=Dark Bowser
|Ita=Bowser Oscuro
|Ita=Bowser Oscuro
|ItaM=Dark Bowser
|ItaM=Dark Bowser
|FraE=Bowser Noir
|FreE=Bowser Noir
|FraEM=Black Bowser
|FreEM=Black Bowser
|FraA=Bowser Sombre
|FreA=Bowser Obscur
|FraAM=Shadow Bowser
|FreAM=Dark Bowser
|Ger=Finster-Bowser
|Ger=Finster-Bowser
|GerM=Dark Bowser
|GerM=Dark Bowser
|Chi=黑暗庫巴
|Kor=다크쿠파
|ChiR=HēiànKùBā
|KorR=Dakeu Kupa
|ChiM=Dark Bowser
|KorM=Dark Bowser
}}
}}


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*Dark Bowser is the third final boss that is a different form of Bowser, the first two being [[Bowletta]] and [[Shrowser]], and the fourth and fifth being [[Dreamy Bowser]] and [[Shiny RoboBowser]]. However, he is the only one who isn't actually Bowser, because he only looks like Bowser, and is actually the Dark Star.
*Dark Bowser is the third final boss in the [[Mario & Luigi (series)|''Mario & Luigi'' series]] that is a different form of Bowser, the first two being [[Bowletta]] and [[Shrowser]], and the fourth and fifth being [[Dreamy Bowser]] and [[Shiny RoboBowser]]. However, he is the only one who is not actually Bowser, instead being the Dark Star taking on the appearance of Bowser, due to Bowser himself being playable in the game.
*His voice is a slowed-down version of Bowser's.
*In unused text relating to his defeat, Dark Bowser repeats variations on the phrase "I concede this time…", possibly indicating that at an earlier time in development, the Dark Star would not have been completely destroyed.<ref>https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Nae6szIGGbLlbO8nA7xgUfyBKr9cgl6ADIqp09MmMZY/edit</ref>
*Dark Bowser is similar to the [[Fright Mask]] from ''[[Paper Mario]]'' and [[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door|its sequel]], only with yellow eyes and a darker palette.
 
{{BoxTop}}
==References==
{{ML:BIS}}
<references/>
[[Category:Bosses]]
 
[[Category:Mario & Luigi Series Bosses]]
{{Koopas}}
[[Category:Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]
{{M&LBIS}}
[[Category:Bowser lookalikes]]
[[Category:Clones]]
[[Category:Clones]]
[[Category:Bowser Doppelgängers]]
[[Category:Final bosses]]
[[Category:Final Bosses]]
[[Category:Koopas]]
[[Category:Villains]]
[[Category:Stars]]
[[Category:Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Bosses]]
[[Category:Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story bosses]]
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story characters]]
[[Category:Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey characters]]
[[Category:Super Mario-kun characters]]
[[de:Finster-Bowser]]
[[de:Finster-Bowser]]
[[it:Bowser Oscuro]]
[[it:Bowser Oscuro]]

Latest revision as of 20:04, December 16, 2024

Not to be confused with Black Bowser, Darkmess Bowser, or Fury Bowser.
This article is about the final boss from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. For the boss from Super Paper Mario, see Shadoo.
Dark Bowser
Sprite of Dark Bowser from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
Sprite of Dark Bowser from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey
Species Koopa/Star
First appearance Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story (2009)
Latest appearance Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey (2018)
Latest portrayal Kenny James (2009–present)
“Soon this kingdom will vanish along with all who dwell within. And you, too, will sleep eternally in the dark power's embrace!”
Dark Bowser, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Dark Bowser is the form the Dark Star takes after absorbing enough of Bowser's DNA, who acts as Bowser's final boss in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its remake, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey. His voice is a slowed-down version of Bowser's, and he has all the powers the original has, along with many dark variations as well. He is fought alongside Mario and Luigi's final boss, the Dark Star Core.

History[edit]

The Dark Star split into Dark Bowser's pieces.
The pieces of Dark Bowser

While the Dark Star was gathering DNA from the Airway inside Bowser's body, Mario and Luigi pursue it to try to stop it before it could complete a profile of Bowser's body. It manages to get his Punch, Fire Breath, Body Slam, and presumably even more moves before Mario and Luigi could fight it.

The brothers battle the Dark Star and manage to defeat it, but at this point, the Dark Star has absorbed every piece of DNA that it needed, so it leaves Bowser's body and transforms into Dark Bowser, albeit in a ghost-like state because part of its power had been taken by Fawful. After attempting to reclaim its missing power by inhaling an unconscious Princess Peach, to no avail, Dark Bowser searches her castle for Dark Fawful to complete its new form. Bowser, however, finds Dark Fawful first who is in turn searching for Dark Star in order to take the rest of the power he had not absorbed. After Bowser defeats Dark Fawful in a battle (which results in him devolving into a bug-like form), the latter flees and is soon found by Dark Bowser who inhales him, thus restoring his full power, and completing his new form in the process.

The newly completed Dark Bowser leaves the room, in the process opening the way to the secret tower of Peach's Castle. Bowser pursues him, and when he confronts his dark form, the two Bowsers both execute flame breath attacks that clash with each other, initiating the prologue to the final battle. Bowser eventually overwhelms Dark Bowser, who retreats higher into the tower in his inflammed spike ball, forcing Bowser into the same position in the process. Bowser, with the help of Mario and Luigi in the Chest Station, is able to defeat his dark form in a shell collision match, but the dark being manages to retreat again.

Just above the arena is the roof of the tower. Bowser follows a path to an arena, where Dark Bowser waits with a still unconscious Peach (who is now inexplicably outside of him). Dark Bowser, commenting on the dark power needing to be freed, unleashes a dark hurricane over the Mushroom Kingdom. In the original version, Broque Monsieur, the Koopa Paratroopa Trio and some Toads and Goombas trapped in bubbles are shown circling around the arena. Starlow attempts to encourage Bowser and reveal Mario and Luigi and her true identity, but the windstorm is too loud for him to hear her. Dark Bowser and Bowser then fire their Flame Breath at each other, initiating the final battle.

Once Mario and Luigi defeat the Dark Star Core inside Bowser, Dark Bowser becomes unstable. This allows Bowser to finish him off with a "KO punch". Dark Bowser, after saying his last words to Bowser, explodes, releasing the dying Dark Star, which flies above Peach's Castle and explodes, reverting the kingdom back to normal.

General information[edit]

Physical description[edit]

Dark Bowser has all of the original Bowser's physique and build, but is detailed very differently. All of his scales and shell are colored dark blue, and his snout, plastron/underbelly, horns and spikes are noticeably paler than Bowser's. His eyes are identical to the Dark Star's own, but he seems to entirely lack Bowser's eyebrows. The rings around his spikes and horns are colored black, and the most noticeable difference between Bowser and Dark Bowser is that Dark Bowser has a black mohawk in place of Bowser's hair. His sprites also have dark orbs float across his body.

In his incomplete state, he retains his details, but appears as a ghostly figure with a purple coloration (without his eyes), whilst pulsating a brighter purple. His animations are also distinctive in that his idle sprite has misplaced pixels to give an effect resembling video noise, and his talking animations have a noticeable jitter to them. He also entirely lacks legs and a tail until he is fully complete.

Speech[edit]

While Dark Bowser is incomplete, his speech is halted and can only speak one sentence at a time. However, upon his completion, he starts to speak fully and does not use contractions.

In the Japanese version, his speech is halted and written entirely in katakana while he is incomplete. When Dark Bowser inhales Dark Fawful and is completed, he begins to speak in more natural Japanese, with kanji and no pauses.

Aside from text dialogue, Dark Bowser's roars and grunts are provided by Kenny James, who also voices the original Bowser.

Powers & abilities[edit]

Dark Bowser breathing fire at Bowser at the top of Peach's Castle
Dark Bowser breathing fire at Bowser.

While incomplete, the only powers Dark Bowser is shown to possess are floating, punching and inhaling. Once he inhales Dark Fawful after he is reduced to a bug-like form and turns complete, Dark Bowser showcases even more powers that are similar to the original Bowser's; exhaling/shooting fire out of his mouth, curling up into a spike ball, etc. Dark Bowser also has the ability of spreading darkness throughout large areas of land, seen before the final boss fight with him, which also traps any residents inside dark bubbles.

During the final battle, Dark Bowser has the ability to create boulders, cages and energy balls as the means to attack Bowser. With the help of Dark Fawful, who is inside him, Dark Bowser can recover any and all damages given to him, seen once Bowser reduces his HP to zero, and even grow larger (with his belly being his only weak spot, which makes him cough up Dark Fawful and revert him back to normal size). Also, Dark Bowser makes use of dark variations of Bowser's own minions, sending them after Bowser when he turns giant.

However, if the Dark Star Core takes too much damage, Dark Bowser will become weakened and unstable, which is what ultimately allowed Bowser to finish him off during their fight.

Battle[edit]

Bowser versus the final boss, Dark Bowser.
Bowser battling Dark Bowser, who is fully powered by Dark Fawful

Dark Bowser has three attacks that he can use while in his regular form.

  • His first attack involves tossing a giant boulder into the air and blasting it to pieces with a fireball. The pieces will then begin to rain down from the sky around Bowser, and he must use his shell defense to avoid taking damage. At the same time, Dark Bowser will be charging up a blast of dark fire breath, and Bowser must find an opportunity to punch one of the falling rocks that land in front of him at Dark Bowser before he finishes charging up. When the rock lands in his mouth, the attack's energy recoils and he inflicts damage on himself from the inside. If Bowser fails to punch a rock back at Dark Bowser, he will take damage from the flames.
  • Dark Bowser can also repeatedly punch Bowser. Bowser must counter with his own punch, making their fists clash and negating any intended damage. Countering a punch will cause Dark Bowser to curl up into a spike ball and try and crush Bowser from above, which can be blocked with shell defense. When Dark Bowser lands on the ground, there is a brief window to counter with a punch before he returns to his spot.
  • Another attack traps Bowser in a cage and raises it into the sky. Dark Bowser will then charge up an energy ball to launch at Bowser, who must repeatedly punch the cage with 14 punches to destroy the lock before the energy ball hits him. Bowser has just enough time to free himself and drop back to the ground before the energy ball strikes. Alternatively, Bowser can also use his shell defense to cause the cage to swing, and he must time his crouches at the peak of the swing to increase the swing intensity. Eventually, the wire will snap and Bowser lands on top of Dark Bowser's head, dealing some damage. In the remake, punching the cage now causes it to swing and land on Dark Bowser after it breaks.
Darkminions.png
Dark Bowser's minions from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey.
The "Dark Minions" seen in the Dark Bowser fight in between versions.

After taking enough damage, Dark Bowser will fall to the ground; he is then fully healed by the ingested Dark Fawful and will grow larger. In this giant form, his only move is tossing a mixed ball of dark versions of Bowser's minions (Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Thwomps, Bob-ombs, and Bullet Bills) at him. The ball pushes Bowser back several meters, after which he must walk back through the minions while dodging or countering their attacks (punching the Goombas, Koopa Troopas, Bob-ombs and low-altitude Bullet Bills, and ducking under the high-altitude Bullet Bills and Thwomps). When near to the battlefield, Dark Bowser again curls up into a spike ball and tries to slam into him from above. Bowser must defend with his shell, then do it again as Dark Bowser prepares the next spike ball slam (if quick enough, the second slam can be avoided by simply walking).

When it is his turn, Bowser has to attack his stomach so that he spits up the Dark Star Core and causing Dark Bowser to shrink back to normal size. Bowser must then inhale Dark Fawful; Dark Bowser will try to counteract with his own inhaling technique. If he fails to inhale the core, Bowser will have to drain his HP all over again. Once he has successfully inhaled Dark Fawful, the Mario Brothers must fight the dark being inside his body. If Mario and Luigi fail to defeat Dark Fawful and Dark Star Core within several turns, it will escape and return back into Dark Bowser's body, forcing the process to be repeated. Only upon Dark Fawful's defeat can Bowser give his shadowy doppelganger the final blows. Once defeated, Dark Bowser dissolves, leaving only the Dark Star, which rises into the air and explodes, restoring the Mushroom Kingdom to normal.

If Bowser does not attack Dark Bowser's stomach within 2 turns after he turns giant, he will shrink back to normal and the process must be repeated. Similarly, If Bowser defeats Dark Bowser while he's giant, or defeats Dark Bowser when Dark Fawful is outside his body, Dark Fawful will still heal him and the process will also repeat. When the Dark Star Core has lost enough HP, Dark Bowser will start attacking more times in a single turn.

In the remake, Dark Bowser's health increased slightly from 1000 to 1260. For his cage attack, punching the cage now causes it to swing, and upon punching the cage enough times will break the lock, causing Bowser to land on Dark Bowser's head. He is now able to use 2 attacks in a turn from the very start of the battle.

Statistics[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story enemy
Dark Bowser
Dark Bowser HP 1,000 (1,500) POW 344 (860) DEF 187 (281) SPEED 37 (56)
Coins 0 (0) Level 35 Fire Normal Burn? Immune
Role Boss Battled by Bowser Location(s) Peach's Castle Dizzy? Immune
Stat down? Half KO? Immune Experience 0 Item drop
Notice: The second set of numbers next to the enemy's HP, POW, DEF, SPEED and Coins are stat increases from the Challenge Medal accessory; a 50% increase for HP, DEF, SPEED and Coins earned, and a 150% increase for POW.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story enemy
Belly
Dark Bowser's giant form, in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. HP 1 (2) POW 999 (999) DEF 999 (999) SPEED 999 (999)
Coins 0 (0) Level 35 Fire Normal Burn? Immune
Role Support Battled by Bowser Location(s) Peach's Castle Dizzy? Immune
Stat down? Half KO? Immune Experience 0 Item drop
Notice: The second set of numbers next to the enemy's HP, POW, DEF, SPEED and Coins are stat increases from the Challenge Medal accessory; a 50% increase for HP, DEF, SPEED and Coins earned, and a 150% increase for POW.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey enemy
Dark Bowser
Dark Bowser Remake HP 1260 POW 360 DEF 380 SPEED 37 Experience 0
Fire Normal Jump Normal Hammer Normal Battled by Bowser Coins 0
Burn Immune Dizzy Immune Stat down 0,5x Speed down 0,5x Item drop None - 0%
None - 0%
Level           32 Location(s) Peach's Castle
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey enemy
Belly
Dark Bowser Remake HP 1 POW 999 DEF 999 SPEED 999 Experience 0
Fire Normal Jump Normal Hammer Normal Battled by Bowser Coins 0
Burn Immune Dizzy Immune Stat down 0,5x Speed down 0,5x Item drop None - 0%
None - 0%
Level           32 Location(s) Peach's Castle

Quotes[edit]

  • "Your body, I have copied... Your power, I have copied..."
  • "Not enough... Not enough...power..."
  • "Not enough dark power... Power has been drained..."
  • "I am not complete..."
  • "Who... Who will give...the dark power... Her... No..."
  • "That voice... Yes... I know that voice... That is the being who drained me of my power..."
  • "Where... Dark power... Being who drains... Where... Where..."
  • "There..."
  • "FWAHAHAHA! Awake at last! The dark power is complete!"
  • "I have copied all that is you. You are no longer necessary."
  • "The dark power slept so long, and now it wakes... It must be freed... BEHOLD!"
  • "Still here? Has the dark power not yet crushed your puny hopes? Soon this kingdom will vanish along with all who dwell within. And you, too, will sleep eternally in the dark power's embrace!"
  • "Huuh huuh huuh... Haah haah haargh... I have fallen...To come so far...so far...to lose..."
  • "Dark...Even with the dark power completed...The unthinkable happened..."

Gallery[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ダーククッパ[?]
Dāku Kuppa
Dark Bowser
French (NOA) Bowser Obscur[?] Dark Bowser
French (NOE) Bowser Noir[?] Black Bowser
German Finster-Bowser[?] Dark Bowser
Italian Bowser Oscuro[?] Dark Bowser
Korean 다크쿠파[?]
Dakeu Kupa
Dark Bowser
Spanish Bowser Oscuro[?] Dark Bowser

Trivia[edit]

  • Dark Bowser is the third final boss in the Mario & Luigi series that is a different form of Bowser, the first two being Bowletta and Shrowser, and the fourth and fifth being Dreamy Bowser and Shiny RoboBowser. However, he is the only one who is not actually Bowser, instead being the Dark Star taking on the appearance of Bowser, due to Bowser himself being playable in the game.
  • In unused text relating to his defeat, Dark Bowser repeats variations on the phrase "I concede this time…", possibly indicating that at an earlier time in development, the Dark Star would not have been completely destroyed.[1]

References[edit]