Giant Bowser

This article's title is conjectural for a part of its content. If an official name is found for the currently unnamed portion of content, it may need to be split into a new article.

This article is about Bowser's giant form. For Bowser's inconsistent size across games, see Bowser § Size. For Bowser under the effect of a Mega Mushroom, see Mega Mario.

"Super Bowser" redirects here. For Bowser under the effect of a Super Mushroom, see Super Mario (form). For the bike called Super Bowser in Japanese, see Flame Runner.

Not to be confused with Giga Bowser.

Giant Bowser
Applies to	Bowser
Item needed	Various (mainly magical artifacts or powers)
Power(s) given	Increased size
First appearance	Paper Mario (2000)
Latest appearance	Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (2021)

“I can crush even you like a little red bug!”

—Giant Bowser, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

Giant Bowser, also known as Super Bowser, is an enormous form Bowser takes in many games in the Super Mario franchise. The methods used to enlarge Giant Bowser is inconsistent, but it usually occurs with outside help and when Bowser is in a life-threatening situation. Often, the form takes cues from Mega Baby Bowser, the giant version of Baby Bowser that debuted earlier in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.

History

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario

In Paper Mario, with Kammy Koopa's secret weapon - the Power Platform, Bowser is powered up significantly, increasing his size and powering up his existing range of attacks, with poison added to his claw attack. He has 99 HP and can heal three times in battle.

Most importantly, the effects of the invention keeps Bowser's invincibility when he uses the Star Rod, even when Mario attempts to use Star Beam to nullify the effect. With this, Princess Peach and Twink battle Kammy Koopa and defeat her, with Peach using Twink's wishes to upgrade Star Beam to Peach Beam. With this, Mario can nullify Bowser's invincibility once again.

Eventually, Mario and his partners defeat the powered-up Bowser, causing him to shrink down. Eventually, the intensity of the battle causes the Power Platform to overclock and explode, destroying it and Bowser's Castle in the process.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door/Super Paper Mario

While not exactly the Giant Bowser form, during the platforming-style segments played as Bowser in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, he can use meat to get progressively larger. When he gets big enough to vertically fill the screen, he gets temporary invincibility. A similar effect appears with Mega Bowser in Super Paper Mario by collecting a Mega Star.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Giant Bowser (known in-game as Bowser) appears as a final boss once again in Paper Mario: Sticker Star.

After being defeated in Bowser's Sky Castle, Bowser plummets off the edge of a cliff, but using the full power of his Royal Sticker, he reemerges as a giant, cardboard version of himself. In this state, he attacks by slamming one of his hands onto Mario, slamming both hands multiple times, or swatting him. The former two attacks deal 10 damage, the latter deals 4 damage three times followed by 8 damage, for a total of 20, and all three attacks can induce the Crumpled status effect.

Due to Bowser's Royal Sticker unleashing full power on him, it prevents Mario from using a majority of Jump stickers (as the top bit of the sticker is sharp) and reduces all of Bowser's damage to 1. To counter this, Mario's partner Kersti sacrifices herself by turning into a sticker for Mario's use. She causes the battle spinner to always match three images (of her face), healing 20 HP, allowing Mario to use five stickers per turn, and making him shiny, allowing him to deal the normal amount of damage to Giant Bowser.

When Bowser reaches 300 HP, his right arm falls off. When he reaches 200 HP, his left arm falls off. This leaves him to only attack by breathing fire, dealing 15 damage and burning some of Mario's stickers if not blocked, and ground-pounding which causes rocks to fall, dealing 10 damage.

After his HP is depleted, the Royal Sticker goes out of control, causing Giant Bowser to explode back to normal, who soon collapses on the floor, while Mario grabs the Royal Sticker.

Paper Mario: Color Splash

It has been requested that this section be rewritten and expanded to include more information. Reason: Include description of its role/context in the story

Main article: Black Bowser § Phase 2

In Paper Mario: Color Splash, once the Black paint returns to Bowser, it reverts him back to his Black Bowser form and slightly increases his size. When Mario tries to battle him, he realizes that Bowser's black paint just comes back to him and he cannot block his attacks. With this, Huey turns himself into a Battle Card for Mario to use, which allows Mario to revert Huey into his 3D form.

In battle, Black Bowser uses his initial attacks he had prior, but can now use his black paint powers to summon the paint through his attacks at the cost of weakening him. His most powerful and final attack is of a large breath of black paint, which Mario must block to return all the black paint back to Huey. If done successfully, the now-freed Bowser is helpless and any attack by Mario afterwards defeats him entirely.

Super Mario series

Super Mario Sunshine

“Mario! How dare you disturb my family vacation?!”

—Giant Bowser, Super Mario Sunshine

Giant Bowser yelling at Mario for ruining his "family vacation."

Giant Bowser appears as the final boss of Super Mario Sunshine alongside Bowser Jr. Giant Bowser is first seen sitting in an enormous hot tub full of green water with Bowser Jr. and Princess Peach. Mario appears and is shocked to see Bowser so much larger than normal. Bowser then roars at Mario for ruining his "family vacation" and the battle begins.

Giant Bowser attacks by breathing streams of purple fire and shaking the hot tub to splash slime at Mario. Bowser Jr. assists by shooting Bullet Bills from his ship. To defeat them, Mario must use F.L.U.D.D.'s rocket nozzle to ground pound all five points of the star-shaped tub. Each time he does so, the point will fall apart and Mario must use the debris to make it back up to the tub's rim. After all five points are hit, the tub flips over, dumping everyone in it out.

Bowser is later seen returned to normal size sitting on top of the upside-down tub next to Bowser Jr.

New Super Mario Bros.

Screenshot from New Super Mario Bros.

In New Super Mario Bros., the final battle in World 8-Bowser's Castle is against both Bowser Jr. and an enlarged Bowser, created when the former throws Dry Bowser's bones into a cauldron. This version of Giant Bowser is only about one and a half times larger than normal Bowser, unlike most appearances; in fact, this becomes his default size in the game's follow-ups. For the first part of the battle, he stays in place, blocking the way through and occasionally shooting fireballs, letting his son do most of the direct attack. However, once Bowser Jr. is defeated, Bowser flies into a rage and begins attacking in earnest. Additionally, Mario or Luigi will get knocked back in addition to taking damage if they touch Bowser. When he jumps, Mario can get past him to the skull switch, defeating him. Alternatively, he can be defeated earlier with certain power-ups.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Screenshot from New Super Mario Bros. Wii

At the end of World 8-Bowser's Castle in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Mario encounters Bowser on a bridge. Mario gets past Bowser and hits a ! Switch that destroys the bridge, sending Bowser plummeting into the pit below. Magikoopa proceeds to spread magic dust into the pit. Super Bowser then bursts out of the pit, knocking Magikoopa away, and roars at Mario, initiating the second phase of the Bowser boss fight. For this portion, Mario makes his way through the labyrinth as Super Bowser's flames and claw swipes destroy structures blocking his path. Eventually, Mario will reach a new section composed of floating platforms. Bowser will use a new attack here, pounding the lava to send waves at Mario. Mario will soon reach another, larger switch, which sits below Princess Peach's cage. Hitting the switch will destroy the floor and cause Bowser to sink through it, thus defeating him and completing the game.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

“I'm HUUUUGE! Even scarier up close, huh?”

—Giant Bowser, Super Mario Galaxy 2

Giant Bowser attacking Toad Town

Mario battling Giant Bowser

Giant Bowser appears as the main antagonist of Super Mario Galaxy 2, in which he grows by means of eating Grand Stars. At the beginning of the game, he terrorizes Toad Town and kidnaps Princess Peach, taunts Mario by saying that he will have Peach bake him a huge cake, then flies into space to create his own galaxy at the center of the universe.

Giant Bowser is fought three times throughout the game. The first fight takes place in Bowser's Lava Lair, in the mission Bowser's Big Lava Power Party. Bowser is seen sitting on a large throne before he pulls Mario to a planetoid to fight. In battle, Giant Bowser will attempt to punch Mario, with the spot his fist will land marked by a light. Each time he punches, his fist will get temporarily stuck in the planet. He will also summon meteorites to smash into the planetoid. To defeat him, Mario must wait for Bowser to punch, causing any meteorites to rise and glow yellow. Mario can then jump onto one and ground pound it at Giant Bowser. After this is done twice, Bowser will get angry. The battle continues as before, but Giant Bowser now uses a new attack, breathing fire around the planet. After he is hit twice more, for a total of four hits, Giant Bowser coughs up a Grand Star and shrinks down to normal size. Bowser allows a few moments to taunt Mario before teleporting away.

The second fight is in Bowser's Gravity Gauntlet in the mission Breaking into Bowser's Castle. At first, Bowser is nowhere to be seen, but surprises Mario and starts the battle. The fight is mostly the same, but there are new effects to each of Giant Bowser's attacks. His punches and meteor strikes create purple shockwaves, while his fire leaves a trail of flame. He is defeated in the same manner as before, once again shrinking and leaving behind a Grand Star.

The final battle is in Bowser's Galaxy Generator in the mission Bowser's Fortified Fortress. Bowser tells Mario his plan to create a new galaxy using pieces of the existing one and ruling it with Peach as his empress. He then fights Mario again. The battle is the same as the last, but Bowser's fist now releases six lasers that shoot across the planet. After two hits, this really makes Bowser angry, and this time, whenever he punches, it gives off eight lasers instead of six. After he is hit four times total with meteorites, he spits out the Grand Star and falls into the depths of the generator. However, just as Mario is about to collect the star, Bowser reappears, enlarged once again, and eats the Grand Star, and enlarges himself further to the size of a planet. He then warps Mario into a planet-less area with a black hole in the background. The only thing for Mario to stand on is several meteorites. Bowser will fly closer and closer to Mario, punching him when he is close enough. Mario must launch meteorites at him when he is out of his shell. After two hits, Bowser will just be at a comfortable distance and punch at Mario. After four total hits, Bowser laments his defeat and the fact that he never got to try a huge cake, before being sucked into the black hole.

During the credits, Bowser is found unconscious, much tinier than usual. Mario can attack him to make him angry, but Bowser can do nothing to Mario.

New Super Mario Bros. 2

Super Bowser in the final boss fight of New Super Mario Bros. 2

Big Dry Bowser in World Star-Castle.

At the end of World 6-Bowser Castle in New Super Mario Bros. 2, Mario meets Bowser and defeats him in much the same manner as in the previous game. After Bowser's defeat, Princess Peach's cage is pulled up higher. Mario follows via floating platforms and encounters the Koopalings, who use their wands to transform Bowser in much the same manner as Kamek, even being knocked away when Super Bowser appears.

In this battle, Super Bowser attacks Mario from the background. Mario must make his way upward using floating platforms, which are initially moving upward, but then fall when he touches them. Super Bowser will destroy platforms with claw swipes. Mario must continue moving upward while dodging the swipes.

At two intervals, Mario will come to a floor where he must dodge streams of fire from Super Bowser until more platforms appear. Later in the battle, statues of Bowser's head will breathe fireballs to hinder Mario. Purple fireballs will home in on Mario. Eventually, Mario will reach a final floor where Princess Peach is found suspended over a switch that will defeat Super Bowser in the same way as the previous game.

Dry Bowser's giant form: Big Dry Bowser, debuts in this game. His boss fight in World Star-Castle works the exact same way, except his fireballs are blue and is much faster than Bowser. Also, fireballs do not hurt him and most of the platforms are reduced in size. Also, in that castle, neither Princess Peach nor her cage appears.

New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Screenshot from New Super Mario Bros. U

Giant Bowser appears once again as the final boss in New Super Mario Bros. U. After Bowser is defeated in the final level, Mario runs outside the castle and Bowser Jr. flies in with the Junior Clown Car, carrying Magikoopa. Magikoopa proceeds to use his magic to transform Bowser.

Outside, Mario meets Bowser Jr. as Giant Bowser leaps up and roars. During the battle, Giant Bowser will breathe fireballs, which take three hits from ice balls to destroy, stomp his foot to crush Mario, and jump. Bowser Jr. fights alongside him in the Clown Car, throwing Bob-ombs and ground-pounding. Bowser's flames look and act identically to the ones that appear in other levels in Peach's Castle.

To defeat Giant Bowser, Mario must stomp Bowser Jr. and steal the Junior Clown Car. He must then fly directly above Giant Bowser by rapidly tapping the jump button and ground-pounding on his head by spinning. While Mario is in the air, Bowser will attack by breathing up to five fireballs at a time, as well as streams of fire and claw swipes. Being hit will knock Mario out of the Clown Car, but not deal damage. After each hit, Bowser will curl into his shell and spin around the battlefield, making frequent jumps. After the shell spin, Bowser will laugh before he breathes flames in the air, causing them to rain down. Mario can also attack him by jumping on Bowser Jr. when he is running back to Clown Car to lob his shell at Giant Bowser, hurling fireballs, or throwing Bowser Jr.'s Bob-ombs at him.

After three hits from the Clown Car, 180 fireballs, or 90 hits from Bowser Jr. and/or Bob-ombs, Giant Bowser becomes dazed and lets out one last roar in defeat before going unconscious and falling off the battlefield. Bowser Jr. follows.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury

Screenshot from Bowser's Fury

Giant Bowser returns in Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, as the final boss in the Bowser's Fury mode. After Fury Bowser is defeated for the last time, he will expel the black paint before glowing and then be engulfed in a bigger explosion. However, Bowser rises out of the water - still gigantic and full of rage, as he uses his roar to trap all three of the Giga Bells in a large crystal.

During the fight, Mario must ride Plessie and zoom around Lake Lapcat, by using the crystal to hit Bowser's belly, while avoiding his breath and fireballs (which were retained from his Fury form).

Once Giant Bowser loses all his HP, the crystal that contains the Giga Bells is destroyed after it knocks Bowser clean out. Mario and Plessie then use all three of the bells to dwarf Giant Bowser's size and send him knocking into the sky and explode into fireworks, turning the entire Lake Lapcat back to normal. He then lands on the ground, back to normal size and self.

In this form, Giant Bowser is shown to have his normal form's proportions, colors, roar, and voice, and is slightly shorter than his Fury form. In addition, his eyes glow white without pupils.

Mario Party series

Mario Party 5

“Drat! You've made it this far! I guess the only thing I've got now is this... So long, runt!”

—Bowser, Mario Party 5

Screenshot from Mario Party 5

Giant Bowser appears as the second stage of Bowser's boss minigame, Frightmare. After the player defeats Bowser by tricking him into ground pounding through the floor, the entire floor falls apart beneath them and they plummet to another boss stage. Bowser then drinks an elixir that transforms him into Giant Bowser. Unfortunately, his weight breaks the floor underneath him and he is forced to hang on to the edge of the stage. During the fight, Giant Bowser will toss large red orbs that explode, leaving behind a smaller black orb. He will then breathe a stream of fire. The player must get him to hit an orb with his fire, turning it white. They can then pick it up and throw it at him. After the fire attack, Giant Bowser tosses a purple orb that sends a shockwave across the stage, requiring the player to avoid it before they throw the white orb. Giant Bowser will toss more red orbs each time he is hit. After he is hit five times, the black hole in the background sucks Bowser in.

Mario Party 9

Screenshot from Mario Party 9

Giant Bowser (referred to as simply Bowser in-game) appears as the final boss of Mario Party 9. On his board Bowser Station, Bowser is seen in the Koopa Clown Car on his Boss Minigame panel. When the players reach up to him, Bowser tells them that they will have to defeat him to get back the Mini Stars, and that they will all “witness my true power”. He then proceeds to increase his size and turn into Giant Bowser, to the point only his tail can fit into the Koopa Clown car.

Bowser's Boss Minigame is Bowser's Block Battle. Players attack the gigantic Bowser by rolling dice with their own face and Bowser's emblem on them. They are able to pick up and throw the dice repeatedly for 10 seconds. After the 10 seconds are up, dice showing players' faces are converted into energy balls that the players use to attack Bowser, gaining one point per hit, while Giant Bowser shoots three fireballs for each die showing his emblem, deducting a point from any player hit.

Once his health drops below half, Giant Bowser doubles in size and the second phase of the fight begins. Bowser will now tilt the platform the players are on to add chaos to their rolls. After each set of rolls, Bowser will pull out a spiked dice block with images of the previous bosses on it and roll it. The die transforms into whatever boss is rolled and will perform a brief attack.

• Wiggler walks around the arena three times before leaving.
• King Bob-omb drops into the middle of the arena and makes Bob-ombs fall out of the sky.
• King Boo will summon groups of Boos that spin in gradually-expanding circles. The first group spins clockwise or counterclockwise and the second group spins in the opposite direction.
• Blooper floats near the front of the arena (where Bowser is) and tosses ten Urchins at the players.
• Chain Chomp drops into the middle of the arena and charges at the players. When it hits a wall, it will change direction. Players must dodge a few charges before Chain Chomp leaves the arena.
• If Bowser rolls his own image on the dice, he will launch five waves of fireballs straight ahead. The waves alternate between three and four fireballs, forcing players to weave between them.

After Giant Bowser's health is depleted, he is launched into the black hole in the background and explodes. In Solo Mode, he releases several Mini Stars, like with the other bosses.

In the ending cutscene of Solo Mode, he is seen in the Koopa Clown, back to his normal size.

Mario Party 10

Screenshot from Mario Party 10

In Bowser's Boss Minigame Bowser's Tank Terror, after being shot by enough cannonballs from the tanks, Bowser falls into the lava, only for himself to reemerge as Big Dry Bowser.

Super Princess Peach

Screenshot from Super Princess Peach

Giant Bowser (known in-game as Bowser 2) appears as the last stage of the final boss battle of Super Princess Peach. After being defeated once, Bowser uses the Vibe Scepter to enlarge himself and fights Peach on what appears to be the castle roof. He attacks by slamming his hands, causing iron balls to fall, breathing fire, and creating rings of hammers that fly outward. When he slams down both hands, several Bob-ombs will fall. Peach must pick these up and throw them at Bowser's face.

When Bowser's health is reduced to three points, he starts breathing two fireballs at once. When it drops to two, he breathes a stream of fire. When he has only one health point left, he uses the Calm vibe to restore health. Peach must attack him repeatedly to wake him up so she can deal the final blow.

Yoshi's Island series

Yoshi's Island DS

Screenshot from Yoshi's Island DS

“Sir Bowser! Defeat is not an option! There's only one thing left to do...”

—Kamek, Yoshi's Island DS

Giant Bowser appears as the final boss of Yoshi's Island DS. After he is defeated in the level At Last, Bowser's Castle!, Bowser is revived by Kamek. Four differently-colored Yoshis battle him at once with the assistance of Baby Mario, Baby Peach, Baby DK, and Baby Wario.

Giant Bowser attacks from the background. He will attack by breathing fireballs and dropping rocks on the Yoshis. To defeat him, the team must collect Giant Eggs from Item Balloons floating by and throw all of them at Giant Bowser at once. He is defeated after six hits. After his defeat, Bowser shrinks down to his normal size and is carried away by three Toadies, on Kamek's orders.

Yoshi's New Island

Mega Bowser defending against Yoshi

“Master Bowser?! NO!! You little monsters! Let me help you, my masterful Master!”

—Kamek, Yoshi's New Island

In Yoshi's New Island, Bowser appears as the hidden final boss, traveling through time to attack Yoshi in his past. He appears in the secret level Make Way for King Bowser!, unlocked after all levels are completed without Flutter Wings. Bowser is dispatched by Yoshi, but Kamek retaliates by enlarging him with his hammer, becoming Mega Bowser. He is battled in a similar manner to Mega Baby Bowser, attacking from the background. He can breathe fireballs into the air, which rain back down, and summon Mega Guys. Kamek will also assist him by casting magic balls at Yoshi.

To defeat Mega Bowser, Yoshi must swallow a Mega Guy, turning it into a Mega Eggdozer, and throw the giant egg at Mega Bowser while he is breathing fire, as he will block the attack otherwise. After each hit, Mega Bowser will slam the ground, causing section of the ground to move up and down, possibly sinking into the lava and making the battlefield uneven.

The game ends when Yoshi successfully hits Mega Bowser three times, and the Koopa King shrinks out of view and a glowing light emerges from where he shrunk and flies into the distance, apparently Bowser himself flying to his home time.

Mario & Luigi series

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

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

Giant Bowser battling Bowser Castle

“GAHAHA! See that? All Bowser, baby!”

—Giant Bowser, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its 3DS remake, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, Giant Bowser is a playable character, who is only used during giant battles. When he is crushed, he falls in a dying state and Mario and Luigi must go to the Rump Command, where they play a minigame to spike Bowser's adrenaline to revive him. Once this is done, Bowser will enter a state of hysterical strength and grow large enough to fight whatever is threatening him. The first time this happens, Bowser attempts to fire a Banzai Bill at his castle, but the castle activates rockets, and it lands on top of Bowser. However, he grows giant and lifts the castle up. He then fights it as a boss. Later, he is exploring Blubble Lake when he comes across a large propeller, belonging to the Tower of Yikk. After he activates the propeller by sneezing, the tower comes to life and stomps on him. Bowser is enlarged once again to fight it. Later he must battle the Fawful Express at Bowser Castle (which runs Bowser over) and a robotic, "Fawfulized" version of Peach's Castle called Super Peach's Castle of Fury (which crushes Bowser).

At a few points in the game, Bowser requests that he be enlarged, only to be reminded that it only works in mortal danger.

Giant Bowser in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey

Giant Bowser has the same role in main story of the game's remake, with the addition of a giant battle mode in the Gauntlet of the Challenge Node, which involves Bowser re-fighting the previously defeated giant bosses, except they are much stronger and harder to beat. This form also briefly appears in the Bowser Jr.'s Journey side story, specifically the instance that appeared during the Tower of Yikk boss fight. This also nearly endangered Bowser Jr., Lemmy, and Larry of the Koopalings. Bowser Jr. also speculated that this form was what Starlow alluded to when she said that his father Bowser was "working hard".

Attacks

During giant battles, the handheld device is held sideways, with Bowser to the left (right in the remake) on the Touch Screen and the boss on the other screen, opposite of what screen Bowser is on. All of Giant Bowser's attacks are executed with the stylus or mic (in the original game).

Attack	Image	In-game Description	Effects
DS: Punch		DS: Slide farther and faster to increase your punch power!	Bowser will step up to the boss and rear back. When an arrow appears, the player must slide across it as fast and hard as they can to make Bowser deliver a punch. This is Giant Bowser's primary attack.
3DS: Punch Attack		3DS: The faster you slide, the stronger it hits.
DS: Flame		DS: Blow into the mic to release flaming breath!	Bowser will prepare to breathe fire. When the blowing symbol appears, the player must blow into the mic as hard and long as they can to unleash Giant Bowser's fire breath. In the remake, the action command is changed to tapping the screen when the attack fully charges. This attack deals minimal damage and is usually used to clear away smaller enemies, though it is critical in the battle against the Fawful Express.
3DS: Fire Blast		3DS: Time it right to inflict maximum damage.
DS: Refreshroom		DS: Restores 50% of HP.	Mushrooms can be collected from some giant bosses' attacks. For example, when the Tower of Yikk sends Leaf Guys carrying bombs, some will be carrying Mushrooms. Giant Bowser can hold more than one at a time. When he eats one, 50% of his HP is restored. In the Gauntlet, no mushrooms appear at all.
3DS: Mushroom		3DS: Restores Bowser's HP when eaten!
Finishing Move (3DS only)		Use this move to end the fight!	First, the player must repeatedly tap the screen to launch the enemy into the air, then as it falls down, the player must slide a clockwise circle to do a powerful punch.

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

“Transforming into a giant... I invented that, pal! No way some green 'stache gets to bite MY style!”

—Giant Bowser, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

Giant Bowser's distorted battlefield

Giant Bowser (simply called Bowser in-game) reappears in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team as the final giant boss of the game. He is faced in Dreamy Neo Bowser Castle, where Bowser's dream self attempts to reach this form by eating a large amount of meat brought to him by his minions. However, when he learns that there is no more meat, he flies into a rage and begins devouring the scenery in an effort to grow even larger; when that fails, he leaps off a cliff looking for more meat. A Koopa Paratroopa says that this fall is fatal, which Mario, Dreamy Luigi, and Prince Dreambert assume to be true. However, Bowser returns as a giant, having grown further offscreen. It is possible that this calls back to adrenaline as a means of growth in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. After he knocks the Mario Bros. down to a lower level, he gloats that he fears nothing in his dreams; in response, Dreamy Luigi confidently grows into Giant Luigi to fight Giant Bowser on equal terms. As the battle begins, Bowser references Bowser's Inside Story by claiming that Luigi is copying him in becoming giant. He also begins the battle proper by yelling "SHOWTIME!", referencing his battle cry from the aforementioned game.

Like with all Giant Battles, Giant Bowser is soon defeated with the Finishing Bros. attack, injuring him. However, this time, instead of celebrating, Luigi and Mario notice that Kamek has returned. Kamek, realizing that there’s a cast of hope for Giant Bowser, resorts to one last tactic. He, alongside various other Magikoopas perform a spell that gives Bowser “Tremendous Power”. The spell tints him in an orange color, fully heals his HP, and triples his size to the point he dwarfs Giant Luigi, but in the process accidently knocking away all the Magikoopas and Kamek in the process. With the increased size, Bowser threatens Luigi by saying that finishing him would now be a "piece of cake".

With some effort, Giant Luigi lifts up Giant Bowser's foot, which due to the weight of Bowser's increased size causes him to fall into the lava, dazing him. Taking advantage of this, the Mario Bros. and Prince Dreambert utilize a powered-up version of the Fishing Bros. attack called Star Driver. Although Giant Bowser tries to hinder the move with fireballs, he is hit hard to the point he is instantly defeated, knocking him out and ending the battle for good.

Battle

Giant Bowser's "Repel the Shell!" attack

The battle with Bowser takes place on a long, metal bridge. At the start of each turn, Shy Guy Airtubs will blast away part of the bridge behind Giant Luigi. He will fall into the lava if they blast away the part he is standing on, taking significant damage in the process; to avoid this, he should keep moving ahead by hitting Bowser with a Hammer Uppercut to force him back.

Giant Luigi's attacks do little damage to Giant Bowser, so he should try to knock his foe into the lava for much more considerable damage. The easiest way to do so is to use a Hammer Chop to smack Bowser off the side of the bridge; however, Bowser will summon Airtubs to pull up a sturdy wall beside the bridge on subsequent turns to prevent Luigi from repeating the trick. The bridge also has some metal grates along its length; if Bowser is standing on a grate when Luigi's turn comes up, the Bros. can use a Jump or a Drill Stomp to break the grate and drop Bowser into the lava below. When Bowser reaches the end of the bridge, he will jump to a new location and change his tactics.

Due to his boss status, Giant Bowser has a wider variety of attacks compared to his appearance in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story; however, he will only use each one during specific parts of the battle. Initially, he attacks by grabbing Giant Luigi and attempting to throw him into the lava behind him; Dreamy Luigi must first flail free of Bowser's grip, then overpower his following attempt to push him off the bridge. Success will push Bowser back, but he will quickly recover and charge at Giant Luigi instead; this is dodged by sliding to the opposite side of the bridge that Bowser is approaching from; if successful, Bowser will fall into the lava and take damage.

In the second phase of the battle (after the combatants jump to a new bridge), Giant Bowser will breathe a stream of fire at Giant Luigi. Giant Luigi must slide up to jump away from the flames and grab onto a passing Airtub. He will swing back and forth towards Bowser and then towards the lava; since Bowser will slowly raise his flames to hit Luigi, the player must tap the screen when he swings towards Bowser to land on his head and dodge the flames. If Bowser is standing on a grate when this happens, the jump will break it as normal.

At the end of each bridge, Giant Bowser will hide behind a large fort and send his minions to attack Giant Luigi in a random order.

• Kamek and several Magikoopas can appear on the roof, summoning a massive magical orb to send at Luigi; this must be deflected with a timely Hammer strike.
• Platoons of Spear Guys can emerge from the front door, latching onto Giant Dreamy Luigi's legs and attacking with their spears; this is countered by tapping them quickly to shake them off.
• A fleet of Airtubs may fly in and fire lines of cannonballs that are blocked by swinging the hammer vertically or horizontally. The Airtubs fly in circles to try and confuse Luigi, but they always alternate between horizontal and vertical shots; if the player looks closely, they can also see the Airtubs' cannons swell right before they fire.
• Bowser can also attempt to heal himself by calling out a squad of Spear Guys to toss enormous chunks of roasted meat at him, similar to the Mario Bros.' Rhythm Mushroom technique. Giant Luigi must "Stop the Chow Down" by smashing the ground with his Hammer just as Bowser raises his arms; if done correctly, Bowser will stagger just as the meat bounces off his head instead of falling into his mouth.

At the end of the "minion attacks", Giant Bowser will jump onto the fort and try to body slam Giant Dreamy Luigi; this is dodged by sliding back at the last moment. If successful, Bowser will collapse on the ground in a dazed state, allowing Giant Luigi to pick him up by the tail and swing him around (reminiscent of Super Mario 64) by repeatedly sliding the stylus. After spinning for a while, Giant Luigi throws Bowser into the fort to destroy it and damage him; if he builds enough momentum, he will end up tossing Bowser right into the lava for even more damage.

After being cornered at the end of the second bridge, Giant Bowser will jump to an circular arena, with Giant Luigi following. This time, Bowser will retreat into his shell and charge at Giant Luigi, who spins around with his hammer to counter. The player must tilt the Nintendo 3DS to control Giant Luigi's movements and "Repel the Shell" by knocking Bowser into the lava. The arena has several walls and forts that can be broken by either Luigi or Bowser, but the impact will bounce back whoever hits them. Each time Bowser falls into the lava, a giant Mushroom may fall in the center of the arena; Giant Luigi can touch them to restore his health, but so can Giant Bowser.

After being knocked into the lava enough times, Giant Bowser becomes vulnerable to the Finishing Bros. attack. His weak point is just above his nose.

For this final phase of the battle, the even larger Bowser can use one of two moves: a colossal fireball or a stomp attack. His first attack is always the fireball. The fireball is countered by tapping an icon on the screen repeatedly as Luigi struggles to hold the fireball back with his Hammer; this is similar to the Robo-Drilldigger's energy ball, but made more difficult by the fireball and the icon moving around the screen. If Giant Bowser tries to stomp on Giant Luigi, the player must repeatedly tap the two arrows that appear to let Giant Luigi lift the foot off of himself; since each arrow corresponds to one of Giant Luigi's arms, the player must evenly distribute their taps to prevent him from being crushed. Countering either attack will knock Giant Bowser into the lava, allowing the Mario Bros. and Prince Dreambert to use Star Driver to finish him off. If Star Driver fails to connect, Bowser gets back out of the lava and attacks again.

In Hard Mode, Giant Luigi takes more damage from Giant Bowser's attacks and no Mushrooms appear during the "Repel the Shell" stage. During the minion attack phases, the Airtubs fire more cannonballs and there will be two platoons of Spear Guys attempting to swarm Giant Luigi in each phase. In the final phase, Giant Bowser will lead off with his stomp attack instead of the huge fireball.

Like the other giant bosses, Giant Bowser has a counterpart in the Battle Ring, called Bowser X. While his strategy is mostly unchanged, he has higher stats and moves faster; the turn limit also forces Giant Luigi to make the most of every attack opportunity in order to defeat Giant Bowser in time.

Other enlarged versions of Bowser

• Black Bowser - becomes giant in his second phase
• Dreamy Bowser
• Fury Bowser
• Giant Koopa
• Giga Bowser
• Koop-zilla
• Mega Baby Bowser - the same transformation as performed by his younger form
• Mega Bowser
• MegaDragonBowser
• Meowser - features a mild size increase
• Shiny RoboBowser

Quotes

Super Mario Sunshine

• "Bwaaaa ha ha! The water's great, eh, Jr.?"
• "Mario! How dare you disturb my family vacation?!"

Super Mario Galaxy 2

• "The power of the stars is already MINE!"
• "I'm HUUUUGE! Even scarier up close, huh?"
• "Maybe I'll have Peach bake ME something for once..."
• "I sure could go for a galaxy-size slice of cake right now!"
• "I'm way too huge for this puny planet! I deserve an empire that's more ME size! And I'll put it in the center of the universe!"
• "Have fun with your stupid mushrooms!"
• "Look at you, running around like a flea on a puny planetoid. Know what isn't puny? My massive new power... The power to flatten you like a space pancake!"
• "WHAA--?! IT'S YOU?! Well I'd expect as much from my archnemesis. Your time is up, Mario/Luigi!"
• "Now it's smooshin' time... And time for my huge fist to meet your puny face!"
• "Gah! Give it up already! Why won't you stop trying to mess up my awesome master plan?!"
• "Why don't you run off and find some green pipe to hide in?"
• "I don't have time to chat, so let's cut this short... Shorty!"
• "Hey... guess what, Mario/Luigi! Breathe a sigh of relief, because it'll be your last! Know why?! Because this is finally the end! THE END OF YOU!"
• "My powers... gone... My empire... shrinking... My huge cake... never got a slice..."

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

• "SHOWTIME!"
• "That’s an order!"
• "Leave it to me!"
• "Instead of crying, why not get big too?!"
• "The lake... Back here, too!"
• "Man, what’s this guy’s body made of?"
• "Aw, you wanna fly away?! Tough luck, sucker!"
• "Attacking this dude’s body seems useless. Maybe that head?"
• "Nice! He’s sinking! Now I can whale on his head!"
• "What’s your deal?"
• "Huh? Fireworks? Real festive..."
• "Huh? Nothing! Worst fireworks ever!"
• "Weird fireworks, pal... Real weird. Well, moving on..."
• "Time to deal with your ugly mug!"
• "NOOO! That thing’s sucking me in! Don’t even try it!"
• "Aw, that again?! Come ON!"
• "Please! I'll blast that thing down with a fireball!"
• "GAHAHA! See that? All Bowser, baby!"

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

• "Time to give up hope, Mario! In my dreams, I fear nothing! I can crush even you like a little red bug!"
• "Transforming into a giant... I invented that, pal!"
• "No way some green stache gets to bite MY style!"
• "Ah, time for my dream to finally come true!"
• "SHOWTIME!"
• "GWAHAHAHA! Nowhere to run!"
• "How DARE you?!"
• "Quiet, you little fluffball! Enough with the chatting!"
• "Huh?! Whah?! Nowhere to go!"
• "IT AIN'T OVER YET, CHUMPS!"
• "Cornered again!"
• "THAT'S where I'll finish you!"
• "Time to say night-night!"
• "GAAHAAHAA! I FEEL GREAT! FINISHING YOU WILL BE CAKE!"

Statistics

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario

Paper Mario enemy
Bowser (3)
		Max HP	99	Attack	8	Defense	2 (normal), ? (boosted)
		Role	Boss	Type	Ground	Level	0
		Strong	None	Weak	None	Moves	Claw Swipe (8/16, Poison - Good, 3), Heavy Jump (8/16, Command Loss), Flame Breath (10/20), Shockwave Drain (6, Mario; 3 Partner; boost loss), Lightning Blast (10/20), Power Up, Recover (30 HP)
		Sleep?	0%, -1	Dizzy?	0%, -1	Shock?	0%, -1
		Shrink?	0%, -1	Stop?	0%, -2	Fright?	0%
		Air Lift?	0%	Hurricane?	0%	Coins	N/A
		Items	N/A	Run	N/A	Location(s)	Peach's Castle
Tattle	It's the Evil King Bowser! Uh... I think he got bigger. That's not a good sign... Max HP: 99, Defense Power: 2 He has a huge arsenal of attacks, from blowing clouds of fire to jumping on us. Fire Attack: 10, Stamp Attack/Nail Attack: 8 I'm sure he has other attacks that I don't know. Kammy Koopa's mysterious device has somehow beefed up his power even more. That's hardly fair! You should use that Star Beam whenever he uses the Star Rod to increase his power. Oh, you already knew that?

Paper Mario enemy
Bowser (4)
		Max HP	99	Attack	8	Defense	2 (normal), ? (boosted)
		Role	Boss	Type	Ground	Level	0
		Strong	None	Weak	None	Moves	Claw Swipe (8/16, Poison - Good, 3), Heavy Jump (8/16, Command Loss), Flame Breath (10/20), Shockwave Drain (6, Mario; 3 Partner; boost loss), Lightning Blast (10/20), Power Up, Recover (30 HP)
		Sleep?	0%, -1	Dizzy?	0%, -1	Shock?	0%, -1
		Shrink?	0%, -1	Stop?	0%, -2	Fright?	0%
		Air Lift?	0%	Hurricane?	0%	Coins	N/A
		Items	N/A	Run	N/A	Location(s)	Peach's Castle
Tattle	It's the Evil King Bowser! No more messing around! Max HP: 99, Defense Power: 2 He has a huge arsenal of attacks, from blowing clouds of fire to jumping on us. Fire Attack: 10, Stamp Attack/Nail Attack: 8 I'm sure he has other attacks that I don't know. When he increases his power with the Star Rod, our attacks will be totally useless. When that happens, you must use our ultimate weapon, the Peach Beam! It has the power of everyone's wishes! This is our time, Mario! Let's take this chump! We're coming, Princess!

Paper Mario: Sticker Star

Paper Mario: Sticker Star enemy
Bowser (2)
	Max HP	500	Role	Boss	Location(s)	Bowser's Sky Castle
	Attack	10	Stickers	N/A
	Defense	All damage is reduced to 1	Moves	Slam (10), Swat (10), Ground Pound (10), Fire Breath (15, destroys some stickers), Multi-Slam (4x3+8)

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Bowser
	World	World 2 World 4 World 6	Galaxy	Bowser's Lava Lair Bowser's Gravity Gauntlet Bowser's Galaxy Generator
	Mission	Bowser's Big Lava Power Party Breaking into Bowser's Castle Bowser's Fortified Fortress	Reward

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team enemy
Bowser (2)
	HP	—	Role	Giant boss	Level	—	Location(s)	Dreamy Neo Bowser Castle
	Power	—	Position	Normal	No Hitter	—
	Defense	—	World	Dream	Weakness	—	Item drop	Max Candy (100%) (EXCELLENT), Max Nut (100%) (EXCELLENT), 1-Up Deluxe (100%) (EXCELLENT) Max Mushroom (100%) (OK), Max Syrup Jar (100%) (OK), Refreshing Herb (100%) (OK) Supreme Hammer (100%)
	Speed	—	Experience	0 (0)	Coins	2000 (100%) (EXCELLENT) 1600 (100%) (OK)

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	クッパ[?] Kuppa	Koopa (Bowser)	Super Princess Peach
Italian	Mega Bowser[?]	-
	Bowser (2)[?]		Super Princess Peach
Spanish	Bowser Gigante[?]	Giant Bowser