Dry Bowser: Difference between revisions

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{{character-infobox
{{character infobox
|image = [[image:Skelebowwii.PNG]] <br> '''Dry Bowser'''
|image=[[File:Dry Bowser Artwork.png|250px]]<br>Dry Bowser in ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]''
|full_name = Dry Bowser
|first_appearance=''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' ([[List of games by date#2006|2006]])
|first_appearance = ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'' (2006)
|species=Skeletal [[Koopa (Bowser's species)|Koopa]]
|species = [[Dry Bones]]
|latest_appearance=''[[Minecraft|Minecraft: Bedrock Edition]]''<br>(The Wild Update) (2022)
|affiliation = [[Koopa Troop]]
|latest_portrayal=[[Kenneth W. James|Kenny James]] (2008-present)
|latest_appearance = ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'' (2008)  
}}
}}
'''Dry Bowser''' is an undead, skeletal form of [[Bowser]], debuting in ''[[New Super Mario Bros]]''. Dry Bowser was accidentally born in ''New Super Mario Bros.''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s first castle, when a short fight with Bowser ended with Bowser being dropped into a pit filled with lava. The lava reduced the once-mighty king to a skeleton, leaving his son, [[Bowser Jr.]], temporarily in command of the [[Koopa Troop]]. He is then fought in the first castle in [[World 8 (NSMB)|World 8]]. He makes an appearance as a unlockable driver in ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'', classified as a Large-sized character.  
{{quote|[[Bowser|I]] feel...dry. How does my skeleton look?|Dry Bowser|[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey]]}}
 
'''Dry Bowser''' is the undead and skeletal version of [[Bowser]]. He is closely associated with [[Dry Bones]], despite not being one, and shares several traits with them, like an immunity to [[fireball]]s. Dry Bowser first appears in ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'', where he ascends as a result of [[Mario]] defeating Bowser by dropping him into [[lava]], and has since made some later appearances, usually as a separate character from Bowser. Even later appearances in the [[Super Mario (series)|''Super Mario'' series]] treat Dry Bowser as a separate character, like in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'' and ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]''.


==History==
==History==
===''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]''===
===''Super Mario'' series===
[[Image:World8-CastleNSMB.png|thumb|left|Mario fighting Dry Bowser.]]
====''New Super Mario Bros.''====
In ''New Super Mario Bros.'', to defeat the skeletal monster, Mario must dodge Bowser's attacks, which include breathing small flames and throwing his own bones, and wait for Bowser to make a high jump. Mario must then run under Bowser and hit the [[Skull Switch]], destroying the bridge and throwing Bowser into a very deep pit. If Mario is in [[Shell Mario]] form, he can defeat him by performing the Shell Dash against him three times. As [[Mega Mario]] one stomp is enough. A very simple way is to at least have a [[Super Mushroom]] then run straight through him and hit the switch. This battle is very similar to the battles against Bowser in Worlds 6-8 of ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]''; however, in that game he threw [[hammer]]s instead of bones. He is also immune to [[fireball]]s.
[[File:NSMB-Dry.png|frame|left]]
In ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]'', Bowser becomes Dry Bowser when he falls into lava after being defeated in [[World 1 (New Super Mario Bros.)|World 1]]. He later appears as the boss of {{world-link|8|castlen|World 8-Castle}}; here, Dry Bowser appears in a room at the end, where he drops in from the ceiling and falls apart, before reassembling and beginning to fight Mario. To defeat Dry Bowser, Mario must dodge his attacks, which includes breathing small flames and throwing his own bones. Mario can wait for Dry Bowser to make a high [[jump]] and then run under him, or precisely jump over him. Then Mario can hit the [[skull switch]], destroying the bridge and throwing him into a very deep pit; when he finally hits the ground, his whole body falls apart. Like Dry Bones, Dry Bowser is fireproof, so [[Fire Mario]]'s fireballs do not have any effect against him. If Mario (or Luigi) has a Mega Mushroom as his backup item, then the player can use this item to simply jump on Dry Bowser, who then quickly crumbles in defeat. Dry Bowser is also vulnerable to three [[shell dash]] hits, just like his living self. In the final battle, Bowser Jr. tosses the disassembled Dry Bowser into a cauldron, which causes Bowser to revert to his original form, albeit larger and able to breathe blue fire, a trait that Dry Bowser has in later games.
 
There is an oversight where if the player uses [[Warp Cannon]] to [[World 5 (New Super Mario Bros.)|World 5]], Bowser's demise will appear unexplained, as he is never seen falling into the lava before appearing in his Dry Bowser form in the first World 8 castle.
 
====''Super Mario 3D Land''====
[[File:SM3DL Asset Sprite Dry Bowser.png|thumb|Dry Bowser's appearance in ''Super Mario 3D Land'', also the basis of his design in ''New Super Mario Bros. 2'']]
Dry Bowser returns in ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]'' as the boss in the castle stages of the [[World#Super_Mario_3D_Land|Special Worlds]]; he is fought in [[Special 1-Castle]], [[Special 5-Castle]], and [[Special 8-Bowser]], which parallels how Mario fights Bowser (albeit two of which are [[Tail Bowser|fake]]s) in the [[World 1-Castle (Super Mario 3D Land)|normal]] [[World 5-Castle (Super Mario 3D Land)|world]] [[World 8-Bowser: Part 1|counterparts]] of those castles; he even fights in the same way as the respective (fake) Bowsers did.
 
====''New Super Mario Bros. 2''====
Dry Bowser reappears in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]'' as the castle boss of [[World Star (New Super Mario Bros. 2)|World Star]], the final special world which is unlocked after beating Bowser himself with at least 90 [[Star Coin]]s. He behaves the same as his other counterpart in World 6 and becomes '''[[Giant Bowser|Big Dry Bowser]]''',<ref>{{cite|author=von Esmarch, Nick|title=''New Super Mario Bros. 2'' PRIMA Official Game Guide|page=229|language=en-us|date=2012|publisher=Prima Games|isbn=978-0-307-89552-3}}</ref> which marks the first time Dry Bowser becomes a larger size (excluding the use of a [[Mega Mushroom]] in ''Mario Kart Wii''). The only difference in the two boss battles is that Dry Bowser is faster than Bowser, can toss bones instead of sledgehammers at Mario, can spew blue [[Fireball]]s instead of orange ones, is immune to fireballs, and the platforms are smaller. Unlike the original battle, neither Princess Peach nor her cage appear.
 
Dry Bowser's [[emblem]] is also used as the icon for the [[Impossible Pack]], a downloadable course pack for [[Coin Rush]] mode, though he does not appear in any of its levels.
 
===''Mario Kart'' series===
====''Mario Kart Wii''====
[[File:Grumblevolcano2.png|thumb|left|Dry Bowser, driving through [[Grumble Volcano]] in ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'']]
Dry Bowser is a playable character in ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'', the first game where Dry Bowser is a character separate from Bowser. He is a large-sized driver along with his living counterpart. Dry Bowser features a good off-road rating (tied with [[Toadette]]) and mini-turbo boost (tied with [[Wario]], [[Koopa Troopa]], and [[Dry Bones]]), which makes vehicles like the [[Flame Flyer]] and [[Phantom (bike)|Phantom]] perform a bit better off the track along with getting a slightly better mini-turbo boost after a drift. He can be unlocked by beating all of the Wii New Grand Prix cups on 150cc with at least a 1 star ranking for each or by racing 4,350 races. He is the Time Trial ghost of [[Grumble Volcano]] and [[Bowser Castle 3 (GBA)|GBA Bowser Castle 3]].
 
Dry Bowser was the only CPU opponent in the [[List of tournaments in Mario Kart Wii#March 2009 Tournament 2|second tournament of March 2009]], where he attacked the player by firing [[fireball]]s at them throughout the race in {{classic|N64|Bowser's Castle}}. This competition has since been repeated twice.
 
====''Mario Kart Arcade GP DX''====
Dry Bowser is an alternate costume for Bowser in ''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP DX]]'', making him a heavyweight character, and he uses the same voice clips as Bowser.
 
====''Mario Kart 8'' / ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''====
[[File:MK8 Dry Bowser screenshot.png|thumb|Dry Bowser in ''Mario Kart 8'']]
Dry Bowser returns to the ''Mario Kart'' series as a downloadable playable character in ''[[Mario Kart 8]]'' as part of the game's second DLC pack, [[Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8|''Animal Crossing'' × ''Mario Kart 8'']], released in April 2015, which also includes [[Villager]] and [[Isabelle]] from the ''Animal Crossing'' series, eight new courses, and four new vehicle customization options. Dry Bowser is also the only downloadable character in this title who is not a newcomer to the series, as he is playable in ''Mario Kart Wii''. Dry Bowser is a heavyweight character with a large body frame, and his stats are identical to those of [[Bowser]], [[Wario]], [[Morton]], and heavy [[Mii]]s. The [[Bone Rattler]] serves as Dry Bowser's signature vehicle. Likewise, [[Bone-Dry Dunes]] has a part of his head on the cliff face over the cave, and advertisements in both [[Twisted Mansion]] and {{classic-link|Wii|Grumble Volcano}} for "Undead Motors" use his emblem.
 
As with every other playable character in ''Mario Kart 8'', Dry Bowser reappears in the [[Nintendo Switch]] port ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' as a playable character. He is available from the start, and now shares statistics with Wario, heavy Miis, and [[Funky Kong]]. Dry Bowser is one of the fastest characters in the game and is very heavy, but his other statistics are among the lowest in the game. The Dry Bowser Mii Racing Suit also appears as part of the ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass|Booster Course Pass]]'' DLC.
{{br}}
 
====''Mario Kart Tour''====
[[File:MKT Artwork DryBowserGold.png|thumb|left|200px|Dry Bowser (Gold) in ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]''.]]
Dry Bowser reappears as a playable character in ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'', where he is available as a High-End character. Dry Bowser's [[Special Item (Mario Kart series)|Special Item]] is the [[Bowser's Shell]], shared with his living counterpart, [[Bowser Jr.]], and the Bowser and Dry Bowser [[Mii#Mario Kart Tour|Mii Racing Suits]]. Dry Bowser's [[Dry Bowser Cup|self-titled cup]] first appears as the penultimate cup in the [[New York Tour]]. The [[Cooking Tour]] introduces a golden variant of him named '''Dry Bowser (Gold)''', who is classified as a High-End character and has the [[Bob-omb Cannon]] as his special item. He is one of two gold drivers to not have the [[Coin Box]] as his special skill, the other being [[Shy Guy|Shy Guy (Gold)]].
{{br}}
 
===''Mario & Sonic'' series===
[[File:Drybowserms.png|thumb|left|Dry Bowser's appearance in the DS version of ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games''.]]
[[File:M&SOWG Dry Bowser.png|thumb|upright=1.4|Dry Bowser and three [[Dry Bones]], in the Wii version of ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games''.]]
In the [[Mario & Sonic (series)|''Mario & Sonic'' series]], Dry Bowser most commonly has the role of being a rival. In the [[Wii]] version of ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)|Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]'', Dry Bowser is the last rival of Festival Mode, where he challenges the player to the [[Ice Hockey (Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for Wii)|Ice Hockey]] event, serving as the captain and goalkeeper of a team of three [[Dry Bones]]. In the [[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Nintendo DS)|Nintendo DS version]], Dry Bowser is seen working for Bowser and [[Dr. Eggman]], who are trying to kidnap the [[snow spirits]] in the [[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Nintendo DS)#Adventure Tours story|Adventure Tours]] mode. He appears as the boss of the [[Supersonic Downhill]] event (where he is found at the end of [[Sparkleton]], keeping [[Pola]] hostage in a cage), as well as in the [[Curling Bowling]] event, where he is encountered just before the player reaches Bowser and Dr. Eggman in [[Blizland]], where he is keeping [[Frosty]] in a cage. Dry Bowser returns as a rival in the London Party Mode of the Wii version of ''[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Wii)|Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]'', where he is faced in the [[Dream Long Jump (Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games)|Dream Long Jump]] [[Event]]. In the [[Nintendo 3DS]] version of ''[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)|Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]'', Dry Bowser appears in the Story Mode, though only in [[Foggy Foes]], where he and a Dry Bones appear protecting the [[Fog machine]] in the [[Main Stadium]]. After being confronted by [[Toad]] and [[Omochao]], Dry Bowser and Dry Bones challenge Mario and [[Luigi]] to [[Sailing - 470 (Pair)]]. After being defeated in the event, Mario and Luigi destroy the fog machine and Dry Bones and Dry Bowser leave before they can be questioned. Dry Bowser appears as a boss in the Legends Showdown mode of ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games]]''. As all of the playable characters are about to claim the Legend Trophy, he ambushes them along with [[Eggman Nega]] and [[Rouge|Rouge the Bat]]. The player must then face all three of them in the [[Winter Sports Champion Race]] event.
 
Various purchasable items of Dry Bowser have appeared in the ''Mario & Sonic'' series. In the Wii versions of both ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games'' and ''Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games'', there is a purchasable [[Mii]] outfit of Dry Bowser. Additionally, the latter game has a [[:File:MSL2012 Sticker Rival Dry Bowser.png|sticker]] of Dry Bowser that can be unlocked by winning against him in London Party mode. In the [[Nintendo 3DS]] [[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)|version]], a [[List of badges in Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)|badge]] of Dry Bowser can be obtained from the badge machine.
 
Dry Bowser made his first playable appearance in the ''Mario & Sonic'' series in ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games]]''. In both the [[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)|Nintendo 3DS version]] and [[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U)|Wii U version]], Dry Bowser participates only in the [[Javelin Throw]] event; during this appearance, Dry Bowser briefly mentions he has discarded everything unnecessary for the power of a heavyweight and the speed of a lightweight.
 
===''Mario Tennis'' series===
====''Mario Tennis Open''====
Dry Bowser appears as an unlockable playable character in ''[[Mario Tennis Open]]''. He is unlocked after the third difficulty level of [[Ink Showdown]], Inksplosion, is completed. He is one of two Defense-type characters in the game, the other being [[Waluigi]].


At the final battle of the game, the remains of Dry Bowser were thrown in a cauldron (the contents of which were unknown, but they were most certainly magical) which turns Dry Bowser back into his original form, except much larger, as if he had used a [[Mega Mushroom]].
====''Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash''====
[[File:Mario-Tennis-Ultra-Smash-67.jpg|thumb|left|Dry Bowser, as seen in ''Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash''.]]
Dry Bowser appears in ''[[Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash]]'' as an unlockable playable character. Like in ''Mario Tennis Open'', he and [[Waluigi]] are the only Defense-type players in the game. His [[emblem]] is used in the "Ultra Drink" advertisements seen around the stadium. He can be unlocked either by playing 10 simple matches in classic tennis mode, or by purchasing him from the rewards menu for 5000 [[coin]]s. Additionally, a permanently [[Mega Mario|Mega]] Dry Bowser appears as the 30th opponent of the Knockout Challenge mode. If the player is playing as Bowser in the mode, Dry Bowser will also appear as the 15th opponent. If the player is playing as Dry Bowser, Bowser will oppose him in both instances.
{{br}}


===''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''===
====''Mario Tennis Aces''====
Dry Bowser makes his first playable appearance in ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''. He is a Large-sized driver along with his living counterpart, [[Bowser]]. However, it seems more reasonable that Dry Bowser would be a lower weight class, as he lacks all matter other than bones. It is likely that his size that puts him in the class, seeing that weight doesn't always matter when it comes to the large karts (for example, [[Waluigi]] and [[Rosalina]] also look as if they should be in a lower weight class, but are too tall to fit in the medium size karts). He has a more terrifying roar than Bowser in this game, mixed in with several bone rattling sounds, which make up his sound effects throughout the game. He can be unlocked by beating all new cups on 150cc with at least 1 star ranking.
Dry Bowser reappears in ''[[Mario Tennis Aces]]'' as the game's final playable character to be released. He was initially unlocked by participating in the July 2019 tournament, and has been available for all players since August 1, 2019. Like his previous appearances in the ''Mario Tennis'' series, he is a Defense-type character. Uniquely, his racket does not take damage when he fails to block a [[Zone Shot]]; however, it will still break if he fails to block a [[Special Shot (Mario Tennis Aces)|Special Shot]].<ref>{{cite|url=en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/29137/p/897|title=How to Update Mario Tennis Aces|publisher=Nintendo of America|accessdate=June 20, 2024|language=en-us}}</ref> He shares his animations with Bowser, albeit with blue fire instead of red fire; this includes his [[Trick Shot]]s and Special Shot. However, his sideways Trick Shot (Shell Spin) is unique in that it always functions like a slice with maximum charge. Dry Bowser's emblem also appears on "Ultra Drink" advertisements in [[Marina Stadium]].


Dry Bowser was the only CPU opponent in the 2nd Competition of March 2009, where he attacked the player by firing [[fireball]]s at him/her throughout the race in the [[Mario Kart 64]] version of Bowser's Castle.
===''Mario Party'' series===
{{quote|Y-you just knocked over Dry Bowser like he was nothing!|Bowser|Mario Party: Island Tour}}
Dry Bowser made two appearances in the [[Mario Party (series)|''Mario Party'' series]]. In ''[[Mario Party: Island Tour]]'', Dry Bowser is the fifth boss fought in [[Bowser's Tower]], on the twenty-fifth floor, in his minigame [[Dry Bowser's Brain Bonk]]. In the American English localization, Bowser refers to Dry Bowser as "a close family friend" at one point. Additionally, ''Mario Party: Island Tour'' reuses Dry Bowser's voice clips from ''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''. Dry Bowser makes his second ''Mario Party'' appearance in ''[[Mario Party 10]]'', where during Bowser's boss battle minigame, [[Bowser's Tank Terror]], when his HP reaches halfway, Bowser falls in the lava and turns into Dry Bowser. He also grows huge in this state, making it the second time Dry Bowser becomes a larger size, after ''New Super Mario Bros. 2''.


Dry Bowser has a pretty good off-road and mini-turbo bonus, which makes vehicles like the [[Flame Flyer]] and [[Phantom]] perform a bit better off-road along with getting a slightly better mini-turbo after a drift.
===''Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition''===
[[File:DryBowser-PDSMBE.jpg|thumb|Dry Bowser in ''Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition'']]
Dry Bowser also appears as an extra boss in ''[[Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition]]''. He serves as the boss of {{world-link|sp8|bowserp|World 8-Bowser's Castle (Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition)#★World 8-Bowser's Castle}}, and his main attribute is Dark, while his sub-attribute is Fire. When fought as an enemy, Dry Bowser's main attack is "Bowser Claw", which takes away 12500 HP (the attack will always come out first in battle). Dry Bowser can also perform "Bowser Smash", which reduces the current HP down to 1%; "Bowser Blast", which takes away 8750 HP and causes blindness for the entire Orb field; and "Super Heal" to fully heal himself.


==Character Description==
Dry Bowser can also be used as a helper after the player completes [[Special World 8 (Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition)|★World 8]]. His HP and ATK are high, while his RCV is set at 0. His initial level after joining is level 46. As a helper, Dry Bowser's skill, Bowser Smash, can be used to perform a large amount of damage to all enemies, while his Helper Skill, Flame of Vengeance, raises the ATK of all teammates by 4x whenever the player makes 7 combos or more in one turn.
===Personality===
Dry Bowser's personality did not change much from his living counterpart, Bowser. He is a cruel and ruthless villain, and his roar is even more terrifying than the living Bowser's.


===Physical Description===
Dry Bowser cannot be rematched after the player completes ★World 8; after Dry Bowser joins the player, a [[Boom Boom]] replaces him as the boss of {{world|sp8|bowser4}}.
Appearance wise, Dry Bowser's main change via the transformation, is his skeletal body. Opposed to Bowser's Green Shell, Dry Bowser's Shell is Dark Red. Also, as opposed to Bowser's Spiked black Collars, Dry Bowser has Spiked red Collars. Another main difference is that while Bowser has a fiery red mane, Dry Bowser has a fiery red ponytail, more similar to Bowser Jr.


==List of Appearances by Date==
Dry Bowser also serves as the boss of Fixed Challenge Course 5 in [[Score Attack]]. In that course, however, he attacks every two turns, and does not perform a [[First Strike]].
{| class=sortable cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3 border=1 align=center width=100% style="border-collapse:collapse; font-family:Arial"
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===''Mario & Luigi'' series===
====''Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam''====
[[File:M&L Paper Jam Dry Bowser.png|thumb|left|Dry Bowser, as he appears in ''Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam''.]]
Dry Bowser first appears in the [[Mario & Luigi (series)|''Mario & Luigi'' series]] as a secret boss in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam]]''. Much like [[Bowser X]] and [[Bowser Jr.]] in the [[Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story|previous]] [[Mario & Luigi: Dream Team|games]], he is fought at the end of the boss medley in the [[Battle Ring (Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam)|Battle Ring]] and is level 48 when encountered, and he is the strongest boss in the game. His attacks involve throwing bones at Mario and Luigi, throwing his head off and spewing blue flames at Paper Mario, and inhaling the brothers to regain health, which can be prevented by hammering spike balls that appear during the attack. Dry Bones and Bob-ombs may appear during this attack, which if the former is struck will end the attack immediately, and the latter exploding and damaging the Mario Bros. if struck. He also has an attack where he summons [[Thwomp]]s to crush the bros. before spewing a torrent of flames. If all three Thwomps are countered, they take the brunt of the flames, causing them to take turns jumping on Dry Bowser as they hop off, leaving him vulnerable to critical damage from any attack. Occasionally, he summons a pair of [[Koopalings]] ([[Roy]] and [[Wendy]], or [[Larry]] and [[Ludwig]]) from portals to assist him, all of whom are at level 46 except for Roy, who is level 45. When he summons the Koopalings, they behave like they do in their previous battles with two exceptions: Wendy does not attack Roy if she is hit by his boulder toss attack, and Ludwig and Larry do not use [[Battle Card (Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam)|Battle Cards]]. Both Dry Bowser and the summoned Koopaling pair must be defeated in order to end the battle. Dry Bowser is notably unique in that he has a special animation for both entering battle and being defeated.
 
====''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey''====
Dry Bowser's only other ''Mario & Luigi'' appearance is briefly during the ending of ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey|Bowser Jr.'s Journey]]'', where Bowser, after ingesting too much of the [[Skeletone Formula:D]] that Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings retrieved, ends up transforming into this form. He appears as a 3D model instead of a sprite.
 
===''Mario Sports Superstars''===
[[File:Card ProSoccer Gear DryBowser Ball.png|thumb|upright=1.4|A digital card of the Dry Bowser ball for soccer in ''[[Mario Sports Superstars]]''.]]
Although Dry Bowser does not appear in ''[[Mario Sports Superstars]]'', his emblem appears on various usable items, such as baseball bats and soccer balls. These items can be unlocked through the use of [[List of Mario Sports Superstars amiibo cards|amiibo cards]] or by purchasing them from the in-game shop, after which they can be used by Bowser instead of his default equipment. The difference is purely aesthetic however, and makes no alteration to gameplay.
 
===''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''===
Dry Bowser appears as a Legend-rank, Shield-type [[Spirit (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)|spirit]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. The spirit uses his artwork from ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games''. His spirit battle is against a gray Bowser on the Battlefield version of the Reset Bomb Forest stage with a lava floor hazard.
 
===''Dr. Mario World''===
Dry Bowser appears as a playable character under the name '''Dr. Dry Bowser''' in ''[[Dr. Mario World]]'' via a game update from December 26, 2019. Unlike other playable characters, Dr. Dry Bowser cannot be obtained from staffing, but is instead mainly available through limited-time character packs or referrals. He can also be unlocked by clearing the special stage of [[World 10 (Dr. Mario World)|World 10]].
 
His skill is similar to [[Bowser|Dr. Bowser]], where he breathes fire and clears random row(s). In Stage Mode, this clears two adjacent rows, while in Versus Mode it clears one, two or three adjacent rows. The number of rows cleared in Versus Mode depends on the skill level of Dr, Dry Bowser. The differences from Dr. Bowser's skill are that the fire is blue and that objects that normally require multiple eliminations to fully clear are cleared in one shot. One example of this kind of object is a [[floatie virus]]. The row(s) affected by this skill are required to have at least one object that can be cleared, but unlike other doctors whose skills target randomly, viruses are not prioritized meaning that rows that do not have viruses are potentially targeted even though there are still viruses in the stage. In the case this skill clears two or three rows, if the topmost row(s) are empty or has unclearable objects and there are at least two rows of clearable objects next to each other, this skill might target the unclearable row(s) near the top alongside the clearable row(s) even if there are enough rows for this skill to clear.
 
===Other appearances===
====''Minecraft''====
In the Super Mario Mash-up for ''[[Minecraft]]'', the Warden is replaced by Dry Bowser, and the Blast Furnace is replaced by Dry Bowser's head.
 
==General information==
===Physical description===
Dry Bowser is simply Bowser's skeletal form, though there are some significant changes to his overall appearance. His snout is slightly morphed into a beak-like shape, while his chest and stomach are hollow due to consisting of five ribs. Dry Bowser's shell is a charcoal gray with dark red spike-rings and scarlet spaces (that can be seen glowing since ''[[Mario Kart 8]]'') between its plates, as opposed to his counterpart's standard green, red, and black coloration. His horns are longer and more curved, his eye sockets are more triangular, and he sports a bony brow mimicking the characteristically angry position of his living counterpart's eyebrows. Like Dry Bones, Dry Bowser's eyes are black and empty holes with glowing yellow pupils. However, his pupils have been shown to turn a light blue whenever he swipes at Mario during the second phase of [[World Star-Castle|his boss battle]] in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]''. The once black and shiny collars around his neck and arms have been scorched and turned a dull, very dark red, and his hair has been taken up in a ponytail similar to the hairstyle of [[Bowser Jr.|his son]], and to a certain extent, [[Baby Bowser|himself as a youngster]].
 
In ''Dr. Mario World'', Dry Bowser wears a slightly torn gray lab coat. In addition, he wears a small, spiky, red stethoscope with his insignia on it loosely around his neck.
 
In addition to these vast physical changes, Dry Bowser's roar is also different from Bowser's, as his bones rattle when he roars. This can especially be heard in the [[Wii]] [[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)|version]] of ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games'' when the player faces him in Ice Hockey. However, he sometimes uses Bowser's own roar in other games.
 
===Powers and abilities===
Dry Bowser gains the fire resistant nature of Dry Bones, higher [[jump]]s, the ability to throw bones, and as Big Dry Bowser in ''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]'', raise [[lava]] by roaring loudly. In addition to these new traits, he also retains his typical abilities, including his signature [[Fire Breath]]. However, unlike his living counterpart, Dry Bowser's [[fireball]]s can sometimes be colored light blue.
 
===Speech===
Dry Bowser voice is comprised of grunts, yells, and roars, as opposed to the Dry Bones' clacking sounds. The lone exception to this is ''New Super Mario Bros.'', which uses Bowser's stock roar sound effects. Dry Bowser's roar is significantly different from Bowser's, and his voice clips sound more menacing due to the bones of his body rattling and his voice having a booming quality when he roars; this is especially evident in ''Mario Kart Wii''. Games like the ''Mario & Sonic'' series give Dry Bowser text-based dialogue.
 
==Profiles and statistics==
{{main|List of Dry Bowser profiles and statistics}}
 
===''Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam''===
{{:Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam bestiary|transcludesection=Dry Bowser|align=horizontal}}
 
==List of appearances ==
{| class="wikitable sortable" width=100%
|-
|-
! width=50% | Title
!width=40%|Title
! width=20% | Description
!width=20%|Description
! width=20% | Original Release Date
!width=20%|Original release date
! width=10% | System/Format
!width=20%|System/format
|-
|-
| ''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]''
|''[[New Super Mario Bros.]]''
| Boss
|Boss
| [[North America]]:<br>May 15, [[2006]]
|North America:<br>May 15, [[List of games by date#2006|2006]]
| [[Nintendo DS]]
|[[Nintendo DS]]
|-
|-
| ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''
|''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''
| Unlockable Playable Character
|Unlockable playable character
| [[Japan]]:<br>April 10, [[2008]]
|Japan:<br>April 10, [[List of games by date#2008|2008]]
| [[Wii]]
|[[Wii]]
|-
|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Nintendo DS)|Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]''
|Boss
|North America:<br>October 13, [[List of games by date#2009|2009]]
|Nintendo DS
|-
|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)|Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]''
|Rival
|North America:<br>October 13, 2009
|Wii
|-
|''[[Super Mario 3D Land]]''
|Boss
|Japan:<br>November 3, [[List of games by date#2011|2011]]
|[[Nintendo 3DS]]
|-
|''[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Wii)|Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]''
|Rival
|North America:<br>November 15, 2011
|Wii
|-
|''[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)|Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]''
|Boss
|Australia:<br>February 9, [[List of games by date#2012|2012]]
|Nintendo 3DS
|-
|''[[Mario Tennis Open]]''
|Unlockable playable character
|North America:<br>May 20, 2012
|Nintendo 3DS
|-
|''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]''
|Boss
|Japan:<br>July 28, 2012
|Nintendo 3DS
|-
|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games]]''
|Rival
|Europe:<br>November 9, [[List of games by date#2013|2013]]
|[[Wii U]]
|-
|''[[Mario Party: Island Tour]]''
|Boss
|North America:<br>November 22, 2013
|Nintendo 3DS
|-
|''[[Mario Kart Arcade GP DX]]''
|Downloadable playable character
|Japan:<br>July 25, 2013
|[[Arcade]]
|-
|''[[Mario Party 10]]''
|Boss
|Japan:<br>March 12, [[List of games by date#2015|2015]]
|Wii U
|-
|[[Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8|''Animal Crossing'' × ''Mario Kart 8'']] (''[[Mario Kart 8]]'' [[DLC]])
|Downloadable playable character
|Worldwide:<br>April 23, 2015
|Wii U
|-
|''[[Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition]]''
|Boss
|Japan:<br>April 29, 2015
|Nintendo 3DS
|-
|''[[Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash]]''
|Unlockable playable character
|Europe:<br>November 20, 2015
|Wii U
|-
|''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam]]''
|Secret boss
|Japan:<br>December 3, 2015
|Nintendo 3DS
|-
|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)|Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games]]''
|Unlockable playable character
|Japan:<br>February 18, [[List of games by date#2016|2016]]
|Nintendo 3DS
|-
|''[[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U)|Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games]]''
|Unlockable playable character
|Japan:<br>June 23, 2016
|Wii U
|-
|''[[Mario Sports Superstars]]''
|Mentioned
|Europe:<br>March 10, [[List of games by date#2017|2017]]
|Nintendo 3DS
|-
|''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]''
|Playable character
|Japan:<br>April 28, 2017
|[[Nintendo Switch]]
|-
|''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''
|Spirit
|Japan:<br>December 7, [[List of games by date#2018|2018]]
|Nintendo Switch
|-
|''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey]]''
|Non-playable character
|Japan:<br>December 27, 2018
|Nintendo 3DS
|-
|''[[Mario Tennis Aces]]'' (version 3.1.0)
|Playable character
|Japan:<br>July 1, [[List of games by date#2019|2019]]
|Nintendo Switch
|-
|''[[Mario Kart Tour]]''
|Unlockable playable character
|Japan:<br>September 25, 2019
|iOS, iPadOS, Android
|-
|''[[Dr. Mario World]]''
|Unlockable playable character (requires update)
|Japan:<br>December 26, 2019
|iOS, iPadOS, Android
|-
|''[[Minecraft]]'' (Bedrock version) (The Wild Update)
|Cameo in the Super Mario Mash-up (requires update)
|[[List of games by date#2022|2022]]
|Nintendo Switch
|}
|}


==Names in Other Languages==
==Gallery==
{{Foreignname|
{{main-gallery}}
|Jap=ほねクッパ<br />''Hone Kuppa''
<gallery>
|JapM=Hone Koopa, "hone" meaning "bone", "Koopa" being Bowser's Japanese name
Dry Bowser NSMB2.png|''[[New Super Mario Bros. 2]]''
|Fra=Bowser Skelet
DryBowserMTO.png|''[[Mario Tennis Open]]''
|FraM=Pun on "skeleton" and reference to [[Dull Bones]]' French name "Koopa Skelet"
PDSMBE-DryBowser-TeamImage.png|''[[Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition]]''
MTUS Dry.png|''[[Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash]]''
DryBowserPaperJam.png|''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam]]''
</gallery>
 
==Names in other languages==
===Dry Bowser===
{{foreign names
|Jap=骨クッパ
|JapC=<ref>{{cite|url=i.imgur.com/efNjnLD.jpg|title=''New Super Mario Bros.'' Shogakukan book}}{{page needed}}</ref><br>ほねクッパ
|JapR=Hone Kuppa
|JapM=Bone Bowser
|ChiS=枯骨酷霸王
|ChiSR=Kūgǔ Kùbàwáng
|ChiSM=Dry Bone Bowser
|ChiT=枯骨庫巴
|ChiTR=Kūgǔ Kùbā
|ChiTM=Dry Bone Bowser
|Dut=Dry Bowser
|FreA=Bowser Skelet
|FreAM=From ''squelette'' ("skeleton") and the French name of [[Dull Bones]], ''Koopa Skelet''
|FreA2=Dry Bowser
|FreA2N=''Mario Kart Wii''
|FreE=Bowser Skelet
|FreEM=From ''squelette'' ("skeleton") and the French name of [[Dull Bones]], ''Koopa Skelet''
|Ger=Knochen-Bowser
|Ger=Knochen-Bowser
|GerM=Bone Bowser, reference to Dry Bones' German name "Knochentrocken"
|GerM=Bone Bowser, reference to Dry Bones' German name ''Knochentrocken''
|Spa=Bowsitos
|SpaM=Portmanteau of "Bowser" and "Huesitos", Dry Bones' Spanish name
|Ita=Skelobowser
|Ita=Skelobowser
|ItaM=Pun on "skeleton" and "Bowser"}}
|ItaM=Portmanteau of ''skeleton'' and ''Bowser''
|Kor=좀비쿠파
|KorR=Jombi Kupa
|KorM=Zombie Bowser
|PorA=Bowsosso
|PorAM=Portmanteau of ''Bowser'' and ''osso'' ("bone")
|PorE=Bowser Esqueleto
|PorEM=Skeleton Bowser
|Rus=Боузер-скелет
|RusR=Bouzer-skelet
|RusM=Skeleton Bowser
|SpaA=Bowsitos
|SpaAM=Portmanteau of ''Bowser'' and ''Huesitos'', Dry Bones' Spanish name
|SpaA2=Dry Bowser
|SpaA2N=''Mario Kart Wii''
|SpaE=Bowsitos
|SpaEM=Portmanteau of ''Bowser'' and ''Huesitos'', Dry Bones' Spanish name
}}


==Official Statistics and Profiles==
===Dry Bowser (Gold)===
===Mario Kart Wii===
{{foreign names
*'''Size:''' Large
|Jap=ほねクッパ (ゴールド)
*'''Stats:'''
|JapR=Hone Kuppa (Gōrudo)
**'''Acceleration:'''*/***
|JapM=Dry Bowser (Gold)
**'''Top Speed:'''***/***
|ChiS=枯骨酷霸王 (金色)
**'''Off-Road:'''*/***
|ChiSR=Kūgǔ Kùbàwáng (Jīnsè)
*'''Site Bio:''' ''"If the King of the Koopas wasn't scary enough already, his appearance as a surly skeleton should have the other drivers shaken in their seats!."''
|ChiSM=Dry Bowser (Gold)
*'''Prima Guide Bio:''' ''After a little dip in lava, Dry Bowser, King of the Dry Bones, returns invincible! Fortunately though, he's driving the same karts and bikes as everyone else!"
|ChiT=枯骨庫巴 (金色)
*Actual Bonuses
|ChiTR=Kūgǔ Kùbā (Jīnsè)
**'''Off-Road:''' +6
|ChiTM=Dry Bowser (Gold)
**'''Mini-Turbo:''' +6
|FreE=Bowser Skelet (or)
|FreEM=Dry Bowser (gold)
|Ger=Knochen-Bowser (Gold)
|GerM=Dry Bowser (Gold)
|Ita=Skelobowser (oro)
|ItaM=Dry Bowser (gold)
|Kor=좀비쿠파(골드)
|KorR=Jombi Kupa (Goldeu)
|KorM=Dry Bowser (Gold)
|PorA=Bowsosso (ouro)
|PorAM=Dry Bowser (gold)
|SpaA=Bowsitos (dorado)
|SpaAM=Dry Bowser (gold)
|SpaE=Bowsitos (Dorado)
|SpaEM=Dry Bowser (Gold)
}}


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*Strangely, Dry Bowser's Japanese name (Honekuppa) is actually based on [[Dull Bones]]' Japanese name (Honenoko), Instead of [[Dry Bones]]' (Karon).
[[File:MarioStrikers Bowser shocked.png|thumb|Bowser's skeleton in ''Mario Strikers Charged'' bears little resemblance to Dry Bowser]]
*In some games, such as ''[[Mario Strikers Charged]]'', Bowser's skeleton becomes visible when he gets shocked. However, it looks very little like Dry Bowser in these circumstances.
*The [[Czar Dragon]] of ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'' shares a similar transformation - after being beaten by Mario and co., it falls into a pool of lava and reemerges as [[Zombone]].


<br clear=all>
==References==
{{Dry Bones}}
<references/>
{{MK Players}}
 
{{navboxes|
{{Koopas}}
{{Bowser forms}}
{{Bowser's family}}
{{NSMB}}
{{NSMB}}
{{Undead}}
{{MKW}}
 
{{M&SATOWG}}
[[Category:Forms]]
{{SM3DL}}
{{M&SATLOG}}
{{MTO}}
{{NSMB2}}
{{MPIT}}
{{MKAGPDX}}
{{M&SATSOWG}}
{{MK8}}
{{MP10}}
{{P&DSMBE}}
{{M&LPJ}}
{{M&SATROG}}
{{M&LBIS}}
{{MTA}}
{{MKT}}
{{DMW}}
}}
[[de:Knochen-Bowser]]
[[it:Skelobowser]]
[[Category:Skeletons]]
[[Category:Bowser forms]]
[[Category:Bowser lookalikes]]
[[Category:Fire creatures]]
[[Category:Kings]]
[[Category:Bosses]]
[[Category:Bosses]]
[[Category:Koopas]]
[[Category:Final bosses]]
[[Category:Enemies]]
[[Category:Optional bosses]]
[[Category:Unlockables]]
[[Category:Playable characters]]
[[Category:Playable Characters]]
[[Category:Downloadable content]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Series Playable Characters]]
[[Category:Dr. Mario World]]
[[Category:LEGO Super Mario characters]]
[[Category:Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam bosses]]
[[Category:Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games characters]]
[[Category:Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games characters]]
[[Category:Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games characters]]
[[Category:Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games characters]]
[[Category:Mario Kart 8 characters]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Arcade GP DX characters]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Tour characters]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Wii characters]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Wii trading cards]]
[[Category:Mario Party: Island Tour bosses]]
[[Category:Mario Party 10 bosses]]
[[Category:Mario Tennis Open characters]]
[[Category:Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash characters]]
[[Category:New Super Mario Bros. bosses]]
[[Category:New Super Mario Bros. 2 bosses]]
[[Category:Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition bosses]]
[[Category:Super Mario 3D Land bosses]]
[[Category:Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirits]]
[[Category:Super Mario-kun characters]]

Latest revision as of 11:26, November 23, 2024

Dry Bowser
Artwork of Dry Bowser.
Dry Bowser in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Species Skeletal Koopa
First appearance New Super Mario Bros. (2006)
Latest appearance Minecraft: Bedrock Edition
(The Wild Update) (2022)
Latest portrayal Kenny James (2008-present)
I feel...dry. How does my skeleton look?”
Dry Bowser, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey

Dry Bowser is the undead and skeletal version of Bowser. He is closely associated with Dry Bones, despite not being one, and shares several traits with them, like an immunity to fireballs. Dry Bowser first appears in New Super Mario Bros., where he ascends as a result of Mario defeating Bowser by dropping him into lava, and has since made some later appearances, usually as a separate character from Bowser. Even later appearances in the Super Mario series treat Dry Bowser as a separate character, like in Super Mario 3D Land and New Super Mario Bros. 2.

History[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

New Super Mario Bros.[edit]

Dry bowser battle in New Super Mario Bros.

In New Super Mario Bros., Bowser becomes Dry Bowser when he falls into lava after being defeated in World 1. He later appears as the boss of World 8-Castle; here, Dry Bowser appears in a room at the end, where he drops in from the ceiling and falls apart, before reassembling and beginning to fight Mario. To defeat Dry Bowser, Mario must dodge his attacks, which includes breathing small flames and throwing his own bones. Mario can wait for Dry Bowser to make a high jump and then run under him, or precisely jump over him. Then Mario can hit the skull switch, destroying the bridge and throwing him into a very deep pit; when he finally hits the ground, his whole body falls apart. Like Dry Bones, Dry Bowser is fireproof, so Fire Mario's fireballs do not have any effect against him. If Mario (or Luigi) has a Mega Mushroom as his backup item, then the player can use this item to simply jump on Dry Bowser, who then quickly crumbles in defeat. Dry Bowser is also vulnerable to three shell dash hits, just like his living self. In the final battle, Bowser Jr. tosses the disassembled Dry Bowser into a cauldron, which causes Bowser to revert to his original form, albeit larger and able to breathe blue fire, a trait that Dry Bowser has in later games.

There is an oversight where if the player uses Warp Cannon to World 5, Bowser's demise will appear unexplained, as he is never seen falling into the lava before appearing in his Dry Bowser form in the first World 8 castle.

Super Mario 3D Land[edit]

In-game rendering of Dry Bowser from Super Mario 3D Land.
Dry Bowser's appearance in Super Mario 3D Land, also the basis of his design in New Super Mario Bros. 2

Dry Bowser returns in Super Mario 3D Land as the boss in the castle stages of the Special Worlds; he is fought in Special 1-Castle, Special 5-Castle, and Special 8-Bowser, which parallels how Mario fights Bowser (albeit two of which are fakes) in the normal world counterparts of those castles; he even fights in the same way as the respective (fake) Bowsers did.

New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]

Dry Bowser reappears in New Super Mario Bros. 2 as the castle boss of World Star, the final special world which is unlocked after beating Bowser himself with at least 90 Star Coins. He behaves the same as his other counterpart in World 6 and becomes Big Dry Bowser,[1] which marks the first time Dry Bowser becomes a larger size (excluding the use of a Mega Mushroom in Mario Kart Wii). The only difference in the two boss battles is that Dry Bowser is faster than Bowser, can toss bones instead of sledgehammers at Mario, can spew blue Fireballs instead of orange ones, is immune to fireballs, and the platforms are smaller. Unlike the original battle, neither Princess Peach nor her cage appear.

Dry Bowser's emblem is also used as the icon for the Impossible Pack, a downloadable course pack for Coin Rush mode, though he does not appear in any of its levels.

Mario Kart series[edit]

Mario Kart Wii[edit]

Grumble Volcano
Dry Bowser, driving through Grumble Volcano in Mario Kart Wii

Dry Bowser is a playable character in Mario Kart Wii, the first game where Dry Bowser is a character separate from Bowser. He is a large-sized driver along with his living counterpart. Dry Bowser features a good off-road rating (tied with Toadette) and mini-turbo boost (tied with Wario, Koopa Troopa, and Dry Bones), which makes vehicles like the Flame Flyer and Phantom perform a bit better off the track along with getting a slightly better mini-turbo boost after a drift. He can be unlocked by beating all of the Wii New Grand Prix cups on 150cc with at least a 1 star ranking for each or by racing 4,350 races. He is the Time Trial ghost of Grumble Volcano and GBA Bowser Castle 3.

Dry Bowser was the only CPU opponent in the second tournament of March 2009, where he attacked the player by firing fireballs at them throughout the race in N64 Bowser's Castle. This competition has since been repeated twice.

Mario Kart Arcade GP DX[edit]

Dry Bowser is an alternate costume for Bowser in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, making him a heavyweight character, and he uses the same voice clips as Bowser.

Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]

A screenshot of Dry Bowser from Mario Kart 8
Dry Bowser in Mario Kart 8

Dry Bowser returns to the Mario Kart series as a downloadable playable character in Mario Kart 8 as part of the game's second DLC pack, Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8, released in April 2015, which also includes Villager and Isabelle from the Animal Crossing series, eight new courses, and four new vehicle customization options. Dry Bowser is also the only downloadable character in this title who is not a newcomer to the series, as he is playable in Mario Kart Wii. Dry Bowser is a heavyweight character with a large body frame, and his stats are identical to those of Bowser, Wario, Morton, and heavy Miis. The Bone Rattler serves as Dry Bowser's signature vehicle. Likewise, Bone-Dry Dunes has a part of his head on the cliff face over the cave, and advertisements in both Twisted Mansion and Wii Grumble Volcano for "Undead Motors" use his emblem.

As with every other playable character in Mario Kart 8, Dry Bowser reappears in the Nintendo Switch port Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as a playable character. He is available from the start, and now shares statistics with Wario, heavy Miis, and Funky Kong. Dry Bowser is one of the fastest characters in the game and is very heavy, but his other statistics are among the lowest in the game. The Dry Bowser Mii Racing Suit also appears as part of the Booster Course Pass DLC.

Mario Kart Tour[edit]

Dry Bowser (Gold) from Mario Kart Tour
Dry Bowser (Gold) in Mario Kart Tour.

Dry Bowser reappears as a playable character in Mario Kart Tour, where he is available as a High-End character. Dry Bowser's Special Item is the Bowser's Shell, shared with his living counterpart, Bowser Jr., and the Bowser and Dry Bowser Mii Racing Suits. Dry Bowser's self-titled cup first appears as the penultimate cup in the New York Tour. The Cooking Tour introduces a golden variant of him named Dry Bowser (Gold), who is classified as a High-End character and has the Bob-omb Cannon as his special item. He is one of two gold drivers to not have the Coin Box as his special skill, the other being Shy Guy (Gold).

Mario & Sonic series[edit]

Dry Bowser
Dry Bowser's appearance in the DS version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.
Dry Bowser with his Dry Bones
Dry Bowser and three Dry Bones, in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.

In the Mario & Sonic series, Dry Bowser most commonly has the role of being a rival. In the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, Dry Bowser is the last rival of Festival Mode, where he challenges the player to the Ice Hockey event, serving as the captain and goalkeeper of a team of three Dry Bones. In the Nintendo DS version, Dry Bowser is seen working for Bowser and Dr. Eggman, who are trying to kidnap the snow spirits in the Adventure Tours mode. He appears as the boss of the Supersonic Downhill event (where he is found at the end of Sparkleton, keeping Pola hostage in a cage), as well as in the Curling Bowling event, where he is encountered just before the player reaches Bowser and Dr. Eggman in Blizland, where he is keeping Frosty in a cage. Dry Bowser returns as a rival in the London Party Mode of the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, where he is faced in the Dream Long Jump Event. In the Nintendo 3DS version of Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Dry Bowser appears in the Story Mode, though only in Foggy Foes, where he and a Dry Bones appear protecting the Fog machine in the Main Stadium. After being confronted by Toad and Omochao, Dry Bowser and Dry Bones challenge Mario and Luigi to Sailing - 470 (Pair). After being defeated in the event, Mario and Luigi destroy the fog machine and Dry Bones and Dry Bowser leave before they can be questioned. Dry Bowser appears as a boss in the Legends Showdown mode of Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. As all of the playable characters are about to claim the Legend Trophy, he ambushes them along with Eggman Nega and Rouge the Bat. The player must then face all three of them in the Winter Sports Champion Race event.

Various purchasable items of Dry Bowser have appeared in the Mario & Sonic series. In the Wii versions of both Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, there is a purchasable Mii outfit of Dry Bowser. Additionally, the latter game has a sticker of Dry Bowser that can be unlocked by winning against him in London Party mode. In the Nintendo 3DS version, a badge of Dry Bowser can be obtained from the badge machine.

Dry Bowser made his first playable appearance in the Mario & Sonic series in Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. In both the Nintendo 3DS version and Wii U version, Dry Bowser participates only in the Javelin Throw event; during this appearance, Dry Bowser briefly mentions he has discarded everything unnecessary for the power of a heavyweight and the speed of a lightweight.

Mario Tennis series[edit]

Mario Tennis Open[edit]

Dry Bowser appears as an unlockable playable character in Mario Tennis Open. He is unlocked after the third difficulty level of Ink Showdown, Inksplosion, is completed. He is one of two Defense-type characters in the game, the other being Waluigi.

Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash[edit]

A screenshot from Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Dry Bowser, as seen in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash.

Dry Bowser appears in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash as an unlockable playable character. Like in Mario Tennis Open, he and Waluigi are the only Defense-type players in the game. His emblem is used in the "Ultra Drink" advertisements seen around the stadium. He can be unlocked either by playing 10 simple matches in classic tennis mode, or by purchasing him from the rewards menu for 5000 coins. Additionally, a permanently Mega Dry Bowser appears as the 30th opponent of the Knockout Challenge mode. If the player is playing as Bowser in the mode, Dry Bowser will also appear as the 15th opponent. If the player is playing as Dry Bowser, Bowser will oppose him in both instances.

Mario Tennis Aces[edit]

Dry Bowser reappears in Mario Tennis Aces as the game's final playable character to be released. He was initially unlocked by participating in the July 2019 tournament, and has been available for all players since August 1, 2019. Like his previous appearances in the Mario Tennis series, he is a Defense-type character. Uniquely, his racket does not take damage when he fails to block a Zone Shot; however, it will still break if he fails to block a Special Shot.[2] He shares his animations with Bowser, albeit with blue fire instead of red fire; this includes his Trick Shots and Special Shot. However, his sideways Trick Shot (Shell Spin) is unique in that it always functions like a slice with maximum charge. Dry Bowser's emblem also appears on "Ultra Drink" advertisements in Marina Stadium.

Mario Party series[edit]

“Y-you just knocked over Dry Bowser like he was nothing!”
Bowser, Mario Party: Island Tour

Dry Bowser made two appearances in the Mario Party series. In Mario Party: Island Tour, Dry Bowser is the fifth boss fought in Bowser's Tower, on the twenty-fifth floor, in his minigame Dry Bowser's Brain Bonk. In the American English localization, Bowser refers to Dry Bowser as "a close family friend" at one point. Additionally, Mario Party: Island Tour reuses Dry Bowser's voice clips from Super Mario 3D Land. Dry Bowser makes his second Mario Party appearance in Mario Party 10, where during Bowser's boss battle minigame, Bowser's Tank Terror, when his HP reaches halfway, Bowser falls in the lava and turns into Dry Bowser. He also grows huge in this state, making it the second time Dry Bowser becomes a larger size, after New Super Mario Bros. 2.

Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition[edit]

Dry Bowser
Dry Bowser in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition

Dry Bowser also appears as an extra boss in Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. He serves as the boss of ★World 8-Bowser's Castle, and his main attribute is Dark, while his sub-attribute is Fire. When fought as an enemy, Dry Bowser's main attack is "Bowser Claw", which takes away 12500 HP (the attack will always come out first in battle). Dry Bowser can also perform "Bowser Smash", which reduces the current HP down to 1%; "Bowser Blast", which takes away 8750 HP and causes blindness for the entire Orb field; and "Super Heal" to fully heal himself.

Dry Bowser can also be used as a helper after the player completes ★World 8. His HP and ATK are high, while his RCV is set at 0. His initial level after joining is level 46. As a helper, Dry Bowser's skill, Bowser Smash, can be used to perform a large amount of damage to all enemies, while his Helper Skill, Flame of Vengeance, raises the ATK of all teammates by 4x whenever the player makes 7 combos or more in one turn.

Dry Bowser cannot be rematched after the player completes ★World 8; after Dry Bowser joins the player, a Boom Boom replaces him as the boss of ★World 8-Bowser's Castle.

Dry Bowser also serves as the boss of Fixed Challenge Course 5 in Score Attack. In that course, however, he attacks every two turns, and does not perform a First Strike.

Mario & Luigi series[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]

Dry Bowser in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Dry Bowser, as he appears in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.

Dry Bowser first appears in the Mario & Luigi series as a secret boss in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam. Much like Bowser X and Bowser Jr. in the previous games, he is fought at the end of the boss medley in the Battle Ring and is level 48 when encountered, and he is the strongest boss in the game. His attacks involve throwing bones at Mario and Luigi, throwing his head off and spewing blue flames at Paper Mario, and inhaling the brothers to regain health, which can be prevented by hammering spike balls that appear during the attack. Dry Bones and Bob-ombs may appear during this attack, which if the former is struck will end the attack immediately, and the latter exploding and damaging the Mario Bros. if struck. He also has an attack where he summons Thwomps to crush the bros. before spewing a torrent of flames. If all three Thwomps are countered, they take the brunt of the flames, causing them to take turns jumping on Dry Bowser as they hop off, leaving him vulnerable to critical damage from any attack. Occasionally, he summons a pair of Koopalings (Roy and Wendy, or Larry and Ludwig) from portals to assist him, all of whom are at level 46 except for Roy, who is level 45. When he summons the Koopalings, they behave like they do in their previous battles with two exceptions: Wendy does not attack Roy if she is hit by his boulder toss attack, and Ludwig and Larry do not use Battle Cards. Both Dry Bowser and the summoned Koopaling pair must be defeated in order to end the battle. Dry Bowser is notably unique in that he has a special animation for both entering battle and being defeated.

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

Dry Bowser's only other Mario & Luigi appearance is briefly during the ending of Bowser Jr.'s Journey, where Bowser, after ingesting too much of the Skeletone Formula:D that Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings retrieved, ends up transforming into this form. He appears as a 3D model instead of a sprite.

Mario Sports Superstars[edit]

A Pro Soccer Gear Dry Bowser Ball card from Mario Sports Superstars
A digital card of the Dry Bowser ball for soccer in Mario Sports Superstars.

Although Dry Bowser does not appear in Mario Sports Superstars, his emblem appears on various usable items, such as baseball bats and soccer balls. These items can be unlocked through the use of amiibo cards or by purchasing them from the in-game shop, after which they can be used by Bowser instead of his default equipment. The difference is purely aesthetic however, and makes no alteration to gameplay.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

Dry Bowser appears as a Legend-rank, Shield-type spirit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The spirit uses his artwork from Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. His spirit battle is against a gray Bowser on the Battlefield version of the Reset Bomb Forest stage with a lava floor hazard.

Dr. Mario World[edit]

Dry Bowser appears as a playable character under the name Dr. Dry Bowser in Dr. Mario World via a game update from December 26, 2019. Unlike other playable characters, Dr. Dry Bowser cannot be obtained from staffing, but is instead mainly available through limited-time character packs or referrals. He can also be unlocked by clearing the special stage of World 10.

His skill is similar to Dr. Bowser, where he breathes fire and clears random row(s). In Stage Mode, this clears two adjacent rows, while in Versus Mode it clears one, two or three adjacent rows. The number of rows cleared in Versus Mode depends on the skill level of Dr, Dry Bowser. The differences from Dr. Bowser's skill are that the fire is blue and that objects that normally require multiple eliminations to fully clear are cleared in one shot. One example of this kind of object is a floatie virus. The row(s) affected by this skill are required to have at least one object that can be cleared, but unlike other doctors whose skills target randomly, viruses are not prioritized meaning that rows that do not have viruses are potentially targeted even though there are still viruses in the stage. In the case this skill clears two or three rows, if the topmost row(s) are empty or has unclearable objects and there are at least two rows of clearable objects next to each other, this skill might target the unclearable row(s) near the top alongside the clearable row(s) even if there are enough rows for this skill to clear.

Other appearances[edit]

Minecraft[edit]

In the Super Mario Mash-up for Minecraft, the Warden is replaced by Dry Bowser, and the Blast Furnace is replaced by Dry Bowser's head.

General information[edit]

Physical description[edit]

Dry Bowser is simply Bowser's skeletal form, though there are some significant changes to his overall appearance. His snout is slightly morphed into a beak-like shape, while his chest and stomach are hollow due to consisting of five ribs. Dry Bowser's shell is a charcoal gray with dark red spike-rings and scarlet spaces (that can be seen glowing since Mario Kart 8) between its plates, as opposed to his counterpart's standard green, red, and black coloration. His horns are longer and more curved, his eye sockets are more triangular, and he sports a bony brow mimicking the characteristically angry position of his living counterpart's eyebrows. Like Dry Bones, Dry Bowser's eyes are black and empty holes with glowing yellow pupils. However, his pupils have been shown to turn a light blue whenever he swipes at Mario during the second phase of his boss battle in New Super Mario Bros. 2. The once black and shiny collars around his neck and arms have been scorched and turned a dull, very dark red, and his hair has been taken up in a ponytail similar to the hairstyle of his son, and to a certain extent, himself as a youngster.

In Dr. Mario World, Dry Bowser wears a slightly torn gray lab coat. In addition, he wears a small, spiky, red stethoscope with his insignia on it loosely around his neck.

In addition to these vast physical changes, Dry Bowser's roar is also different from Bowser's, as his bones rattle when he roars. This can especially be heard in the Wii version of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games when the player faces him in Ice Hockey. However, he sometimes uses Bowser's own roar in other games.

Powers and abilities[edit]

Dry Bowser gains the fire resistant nature of Dry Bones, higher jumps, the ability to throw bones, and as Big Dry Bowser in New Super Mario Bros. 2, raise lava by roaring loudly. In addition to these new traits, he also retains his typical abilities, including his signature Fire Breath. However, unlike his living counterpart, Dry Bowser's fireballs can sometimes be colored light blue.

Speech[edit]

Dry Bowser voice is comprised of grunts, yells, and roars, as opposed to the Dry Bones' clacking sounds. The lone exception to this is New Super Mario Bros., which uses Bowser's stock roar sound effects. Dry Bowser's roar is significantly different from Bowser's, and his voice clips sound more menacing due to the bones of his body rattling and his voice having a booming quality when he roars; this is especially evident in Mario Kart Wii. Games like the Mario & Sonic series give Dry Bowser text-based dialogue.

Profiles and statistics[edit]

Main article: List of Dry Bowser profiles and statistics

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam enemy
Dry Bowser
Dry Bowser, in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam HP 2880 POW 500 (499) Defense 614 (610) Speed 298
Role Battle Ring boss Type Shelled Weakness None Location(s) Arcade
Level 48 Experience 0 (0) Coins 0 Item drop None - 0%
None - 0%
Notice: Stats in parentheses are from the game's Easy Mode.

List of appearances[edit]

Title Description Original release date System/format
New Super Mario Bros. Boss North America:
May 15, 2006
Nintendo DS
Mario Kart Wii Unlockable playable character Japan:
April 10, 2008
Wii
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Boss North America:
October 13, 2009
Nintendo DS
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games Rival North America:
October 13, 2009
Wii
Super Mario 3D Land Boss Japan:
November 3, 2011
Nintendo 3DS
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games Rival North America:
November 15, 2011
Wii
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games Boss Australia:
February 9, 2012
Nintendo 3DS
Mario Tennis Open Unlockable playable character North America:
May 20, 2012
Nintendo 3DS
New Super Mario Bros. 2 Boss Japan:
July 28, 2012
Nintendo 3DS
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games Rival Europe:
November 9, 2013
Wii U
Mario Party: Island Tour Boss North America:
November 22, 2013
Nintendo 3DS
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX Downloadable playable character Japan:
July 25, 2013
Arcade
Mario Party 10 Boss Japan:
March 12, 2015
Wii U
Animal Crossing × Mario Kart 8 (Mario Kart 8 DLC) Downloadable playable character Worldwide:
April 23, 2015
Wii U
Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition Boss Japan:
April 29, 2015
Nintendo 3DS
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash Unlockable playable character Europe:
November 20, 2015
Wii U
Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Secret boss Japan:
December 3, 2015
Nintendo 3DS
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Unlockable playable character Japan:
February 18, 2016
Nintendo 3DS
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Unlockable playable character Japan:
June 23, 2016
Wii U
Mario Sports Superstars Mentioned Europe:
March 10, 2017
Nintendo 3DS
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Playable character Japan:
April 28, 2017
Nintendo Switch
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Spirit Japan:
December 7, 2018
Nintendo Switch
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey Non-playable character Japan:
December 27, 2018
Nintendo 3DS
Mario Tennis Aces (version 3.1.0) Playable character Japan:
July 1, 2019
Nintendo Switch
Mario Kart Tour Unlockable playable character Japan:
September 25, 2019
iOS, iPadOS, Android
Dr. Mario World Unlockable playable character (requires update) Japan:
December 26, 2019
iOS, iPadOS, Android
Minecraft (Bedrock version) (The Wild Update) Cameo in the Super Mario Mash-up (requires update) 2022 Nintendo Switch

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Dry Bowser.

Names in other languages[edit]

Dry Bowser[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese 骨クッパ[3]
ほねクッパ

Hone Kuppa
Bone Bowser
Chinese (simplified) 枯骨酷霸王[?]
Kūgǔ Kùbàwáng
Dry Bone Bowser
Chinese (traditional) 枯骨庫巴[?]
Kūgǔ Kùbā
Dry Bone Bowser
Dutch Dry Bowser[?] -
French (NOA) Bowser Skelet[?] From squelette ("skeleton") and the French name of Dull Bones, Koopa Skelet
Dry Bowser[?] - Mario Kart Wii
French (NOE) Bowser Skelet[?] From squelette ("skeleton") and the French name of Dull Bones, Koopa Skelet
German Knochen-Bowser[?] Bone Bowser, reference to Dry Bones' German name Knochentrocken
Italian Skelobowser[?] Portmanteau of skeleton and Bowser
Korean 좀비쿠파[?]
Jombi Kupa
Zombie Bowser
Portuguese (NOA) Bowsosso[?] Portmanteau of Bowser and osso ("bone")
Portuguese (NOE) Bowser Esqueleto[?] Skeleton Bowser
Russian Боузер-скелет[?]
Bouzer-skelet
Skeleton Bowser
Spanish (NOA) Bowsitos[?] Portmanteau of Bowser and Huesitos, Dry Bones' Spanish name
Dry Bowser[?] - Mario Kart Wii
Spanish (NOE) Bowsitos[?] Portmanteau of Bowser and Huesitos, Dry Bones' Spanish name

Dry Bowser (Gold)[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ほねクッパ (ゴールド)[?]
Hone Kuppa (Gōrudo)
Dry Bowser (Gold)
Chinese (simplified) 枯骨酷霸王 (金色)[?]
Kūgǔ Kùbàwáng (Jīnsè)
Dry Bowser (Gold)
Chinese (traditional) 枯骨庫巴 (金色)[?]
Kūgǔ Kùbā (Jīnsè)
Dry Bowser (Gold)
French (NOE) Bowser Skelet (or)[?] Dry Bowser (gold)
German Knochen-Bowser (Gold)[?] Dry Bowser (Gold)
Italian Skelobowser (oro)[?] Dry Bowser (gold)
Korean 좀비쿠파(골드)[?]
Jombi Kupa (Goldeu)
Dry Bowser (Gold)
Portuguese (NOA) Bowsosso (ouro)[?] Dry Bowser (gold)
Spanish (NOA) Bowsitos (dorado)[?] Dry Bowser (gold)
Spanish (NOE) Bowsitos (Dorado)[?] Dry Bowser (Gold)

Trivia[edit]

Bowser's model from Mario Strikers Charged, while being shocked.
Bowser's skeleton in Mario Strikers Charged bears little resemblance to Dry Bowser

References[edit]

  1. ^ von Esmarch, Nick (2012). New Super Mario Bros. 2 PRIMA Official Game Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 978-0-307-89552-3. Page 229.
  2. ^ How to Update Mario Tennis Aces. Nintendo of America (American English). Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  3. ^ New Super Mario Bros. Shogakukan book.[page number needed]