Bowser
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- “Count Bleck, Floro Sapiens, whatever... Stomping fools is my business! Show me a fool, I'll stomp it! I don't even need a reason!”
- —Bowser, Super Paper Mario
King Bowser Koopa (Japanese 大魔王クッパ Daimaō Kuppa "Great Demon King Koopa", in English also Lord Bowser, King Koopa commonly in other media) is the main antagonist of the Mario series and the King of the Koopas. He has repeatedly kidnapped or attempted to kidnap Princess Peach and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. He has on other occasions attempted to conquer the entire Mushroom World, as well as the entire universe. Despite his villainous nature, he has on occasion helped the heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom against common threats and participates with them in their numerous sporting events in spin-off games.
Since his debut, Bowser has been in nearly every Mario game, including the main series, spin-offs, and crossovers. Due to his role as the primary villain of the Mario series, he is mostly the final or penultimate boss in his appearances, if not as the main antagonist (an example being Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga). In the Mario RPGs, Bowser is generally cast as an anti-hero or a minor villain, with the exception of Paper Mario and Paper Mario: Sticker Star. The Guinness Book of World Records 2013: Gamer's Edition put Bowser in first place on the pages called “Top 50 Video Game Villians”.
Creation
Bowser was created by Shigeru Miyamoto as the villain of Super Mario Bros. Miyamoto stated that they considered naming him either Kuppa, Yukke, or Bibinba, which are all Korean dishes as they are known in Japanese. At the end, Kuppa was chosen[1]. For the later North American release of the game, which also introduced the anglicized spelling Koopa, the character was renamed Bowser.
During the development of Super Mario Bros., Miyamoto considered asking a manga artist or illustrator to do the art for the game. However, time was running short, so he drew the game's original box-art himself. This artwork included a depiction of Bowser that is significantly different than later designs, the most obvious anomalies being his grey-blue skin and lack of horns. For the character's appearance, Miyamoto drew inspiration from an anime film adaptation of the Chinese novel Journey to the West, renamed Alakazam the Great during the film's American localization. He liked the film's main antagonist Gyū-Maō (lit. "Ox Demon King," King Gruesome in the dub), so loosely based Bowser on an ox as a homage.[2]
Yoichi Kotabe, an animation artist, later joined Nintendo and was asked to do new illustrations for the Mario series. His only reference was the package illustration for Super Mario Bros., so Kotabe asked Miyamoto many questions on how to draw the characters. However, designing Bowser caused problems, since Miyamoto hadn't drawn him often. He brought up that he liked the Ox King from the film, and this was how he imagined Bowser, but Nintendo designer Takashi Tezuka pointed out that Bowser should be a turtle. Through their discussions, Bowser's appearance gradually came together. Since he was now in the turtle family with the Koopa Troopas, they partly based Bowser's new appearance on them. Finally, the new design was created, and Miyamoto congratulated himself by saying "Wow, I can really make Bowser look cool now!"[2]
History
Background
- Main article: Baby Bowser
Bowser's first chronological appearance in-universe is as Baby Bowser in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. At this age, he is shown to have similar powers to the ones he currently possesses as an adult.
When Baby Mario and Yoshi enter his room in his castle, Baby Bowser is unintentionally and forcibly awakened from his nap by Kamek (who was trying to demand that Yoshi hand over Mario), and pounds him flat in retribution. Bowser then notices Yoshi, and decides he wants to ride the "green donkey." However, he notices that Mario is riding Yoshi so he attacks them to get Baby Mario off. Yoshi ends up defeating Baby Bowser, even when Kamek turns him into a giant. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island is also his first meeting with Mario. Baby Bowser later steals the Super Happy Tree from the Yoshis and turns Yoshi's Island into a pop-up book in Yoshi's Story, but is defeated again by a newborn Yoshi. Both incidents quickly define the young Bowser as a selfish character lacking empathy. In Yoshi's Island DS, he teams up with the heroes to defeat future Bowser after being betrayed, but betrays them at the end of the game. Baby Bowser is also one of the Star Children.
In Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time, Baby Bowser once again appears. At the beginning of the game he attempts to kidnap Baby Peach, but ends up evacuating everyone when the Shroobs attack. However, they are shot down by the Shroobs after intercepting a transmission. He later shows up and steals the Cobalt Star Shards the Mario bros have collected, and flees to Yoshi's Island, where he is found eating Yoshi Cookies he stole from the islanders. After he eats the shards, Baby Bowser, along with everyone else, is eaten by Yoob, though everyone later escapes. After leaving Yoshi's Island he heads to Thwomp Volcano to build a new castle, where he finds future Bowser. They team up to defeat Mario and Luigi, though are both defeated. Later on, he reunites the Cobalt Star Shards, resurrects Elder Princess Shroob, and is turned into a Shroob Mushroom, but is later transformed back and flees.
Super Mario series
Super Mario Bros.
Release-wise, Bowser first appears in Super Mario Bros.. Bowser and his army invade and conquer the Mushroom Kingdom, using a spell to transform the citizens into inanimate objects. Possessing the knowledge that the only one who can undo the curse is Princess Toadstool, the princess of the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser kidnaps her, as well as seven of her Mushroom Retainers. He then transforms seven of his minions into False Bowsers and sends them to guard the retainers in seven different castles while he personally holds Toadstool captive in an eighth castle.
In the eighth castle, Bowser's attack pattern is similar to that of his False Bowsers. He sits on the bridge, attacking by spitting fireballs and tossing hammers, as well as leaping into the air. Mario grabs the ax on the opposite side of the bridge to defeat Bowser, causing the bridge to collapse and Bowser to fall into the lava beneath.
In addition to the original game, Bowser also appears in all of the game's variations, including Super Mario Bros. Special, All Night Nippon Super Mario Bros., VS. Super Mario Bros., Super Mario All-Stars, and Super Mario Bros. Deluxe.
Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
Bowser repeats his original plan in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels. He reuses his black magic, kidnaps Princess Toadstool again, takes her to his castle, and sends his Koopa Troop soldiers all over the Mushroom Kingdom, with an increased number of False Bowsers keeping watch of the captured Mushroom Retainers in the other castles.
Bowser again resides in the eigth castle, with attacks in this game are the same as the original: throwing hammers and breathing fireballs at Mario and Luigi; however, the arena is aesthetically different. Grabbing the Ax at the end of the bridge once again causes Bowser to fall into the pit of lava. Bowser is later found in the castle located in World D, using the same attacks against Mario, and the ax collapses the bridge over the lava, with Bowser on it. With his defeat, Princess Toadstool is once again rescued by the Mario Bros. in the same way as the game's predecessor.
Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4
Bowser returns with his henchman Boom Boom and his children, the Koopalings, composed of Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy and Ludwig in Super Mario Bros. 3. Each of the Koopalings conquer a different land in the Mushroom World and turn the king of their respective lands into various creatures while Bowser resides in his home territory of Dark Land.
After liberating Pipe Island from Ludwig and restoring its king, Mario and Luigi receive a letter from Bowser, informing them that he has kidnapped Princess Toadstool while they were saving the conquered lands. When Mario reaches the final room of Bowser's Castle, Bowser himself falls in from above to start the battle. Bowser's attack pattern involves breathing two fireballs at Mario, then leaping into the air and and attempting to ground pound him from above. Whenever Bowser ground pounds a pair of blocks, they are destroyed beneath him. After destroying an entire column of blocks, Bowser plummets down the massive pit below and seconds later hit the ground. The door at the back of the room then opens, allowing Mario to rescue Princess Toadstool.
In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Bowser's appearance in the main game is the same as the original, but his first appearance in the e-Reader levels is in the twenty-seventh level, Kakushi Kuppa Jō, (Hidden Koopa Castle) which is a compilation of obstacles from the previous Bowser's Castles, ending with a Super Mario Bros. 3-style Bowser fight. However, a set of blocks that Bowser can break through are placed above the area. He later appears in the thirtieth and final e-Reader level Kuppa no Hikōsen Kōhen (Koopa's Airship Part 2), in which he is fought again at the end. However, this time, the entire room is composed of the blocks seen in the original room, as well blocks that he cannot break.
Super Mario World/Super Mario Advance 2
Bowser and the Koopalings reappear in Super Mario World, in which he kidnaps Princess Toadstool while she is on vacation in Dinosaur Land with the Mario Bros. He and his children also captures several of the native Yoshis, trapping them in eggs with one of the Koopalings guarding an egg in one of their seven castles. Yoshi himself attempts to stop them, but Bowser traps him in an egg as well.
In the Valley of Bowser, Bowser himself can be seen in his Clown Car flying above his castle, and is faced on the strucutre's roof. He attacks Mario by tossing Mecha-Koopas from his Koopa Clown Car; however, hitting Bowser with these causes him to fly away and cast flames at Mario. Afterward, Bowser then returns and first tries to fly around above Mario, dropping Big Steelies and later Mecha-Koopas at him, and after having Mecha-Koopas thrown at him a second time attempts to pound Mario with his Koopa Clown Car before stopping to throw out two Mecha-Koopas. Hitting him again causes Bowser to lose control of the Clown Car and fly off into the distance, Peach descending to the rooftop before.
While his art is similar to his normal appearance, his in-game appearance is different. He is primarily green, being more similar to his cartoon appearance.
Super Mario 64/Super Mario 64 DS
- “Welcome. No one's home. Now scram--and don't come back! Gwa ha ha ha!”
- —Bowser, Super Mario 64
In Super Mario 64 and its remake, Super Mario 64 DS, Bowser invades Princess Peach's Castle and steals the castle's Power Stars, giving them to his minions that are inside the worlds accessible through the castle's paintings. He then kidnaps Princess Peach and holds the Toads inhabiting her castle hostage. To ensure that Mario does not disrupt his plans, Bowser seals off the doors in the castle with the stars and even creates doors that only open with his keys.
Super Mario 64 DS retains the original game's basic plot, but parts of it have been changed. Bowser steals the castle's Power Stars, hides them in paintings, kidnaps the princess, and seals everyone in the castle. Mario, as well as Luigi, and Wario, head inside the castle and chase after Bowser, jumping into a painting with a Bob-omb on it. However, the trio are ambushed, and Bowser's minions throw them into locked doors. He then locks the castle entrance and places the key in the hands of a rabbit.
In both versions, Bowser is battled three times: once in the Dark World, once in the Fire Sea and once in the Sky. During each battle, Bowser can only be attacked by grabbing him by the tail, and can only be defeated by tossing him at one of several spiked-bombs surrounding the arena. Mario defeats Bowser by tossing him into the bombs surrounding the arena. When Bowser is defeated the first two times, he gives the player a special key, allowing them to open the door to another area of the castle; when he is defeated the third time, Bowser surrenders, giving Mario the Giant Star before retreating.
Tossing Bowser off the platform results in him leaping out of the abyss below seconds later; during the battle in The Sky, he uses a shockwave attack when doing so. During the Fire Sea battle, Bowser warps from one section of the platform to another, and can also pound the platform to force it off balance. During the final battle, Bowser leaping out of the abyss can result in part of the platform breaking, and after taking two hits, he causes the entire platform to break apart, creating a star-shaped arena. He also attacks Mario by dashing in his direction. Bowser also has various fire-based attacks: one involves breathing fire into the air, causing several small fireballs to fall from the sky that after a while disappear; another involves Bowser spitting a number of fireballs that disappear after a while; and the third involves shooting a continuous stream of fire for a short time.
In Super Mario 64, Bowser is solely defeated by the efforts of Mario. However, the remake Super Mario 64 DS differs in that the player is required to be both Yoshi and Mario to prove victorious. Luigi and Wario are available to be unlocked in Big Boo's Haunt and Chief Chilly Challenge respectively, but, keeping true to his rivalry, Bowser only accepts Mario as his opponent in the final battle.
Super Mario Sunshine
In Super Mario Sunshine, Bowser's son Bowser Jr. is introduced. Bowser convinces his son that Peach is his mother and that Mario has kidnapped her. Taking on the disguise of Shadow Mario, Bowser Jr. covers Isle Delfino with graffiti and frames Mario to put him in prison and take Peach to Bowser
After Bowser Jr. flees from Pinna Park, Bowser, his son, and Peach (who is sitting on a massive rubber duck) are then relaxing in a floating, sun-shaped, slime-filled bathtub just above the peak of Corona Mountain before Mario arrives. Angered by his intrusion during their "family vacation," Bowser attempts destroy him again. He is made bigger just for this game, He attacks Mario by breathing enormous gusts of flame over the section Mario is traversing and splashing the slime in the tub at him. Ground-pounding the five sections of the tub using F.L.U.D.D.'s Rocket Nozzle causes the entire tub to flip over, dumping its occupants down to the world below.
During the ending, it is shown that Bowser and Bowser Jr. landed on the flipped tub, which is in the ocean near Isle Delfino. While out at sea, Bowser attempts to confess to his son that he had used him as a pawn, but Bowser Jr. then reveals to his father that he knew all along that Peach is not his mother, but also that he is eager to challenge Mario again sometime in the future, which fills Bowser with pride. Afterward, Bowser decides to continue their vacation.
New Super Mario Bros.
In New Super Mario Bros., Bowser is again responsible for the kidnapping of Princess Peach. He first appears as the boss of the World 1 castle, and the battle is similar to that of the battle in Super Mario Bros.. He attacks Mario by shooting fireballs at him and leaping into the air. After pressing the switch on the other side of the bridge, he once again falls into the pit of lava; this time, however, the lava causes him to be turned into a Dry Bones version of himself called Dry Bowser. Bowser Jr. runs from Mario's pursuit for the rest of the game.
Bowser's undead form called later appears as the boss of the World 8 castle. His attacks are similar to the World 1 battle, but he is also able to throw bones at Mario, a tactic similar to the later boss battles in Super Mario Bros. and the Dry Bones attack. Additionally, he is immune to fireballs in this form. Pressing the switch on the other end of the room once again causes the bridge to fall from under him and Dry Bowser to crash to the ground.
Once Mario reaches the end of Bowser's Castle, Bowser Jr. is present, standing in front of a cauldron with the skeleton of his father. Bowser Jr. throws the bones into the cauldron, and the revived Bowser emerges, destroying the pot. The then duo fight Mario one last time. During this battle, Bowser attacks by walking and leaping around and shooting fireballs. He eventually starts to shoot out multiple barrages of blue fire. However, they once again can be defeated by pressing the Skull Switch located on the other side of the room, which sends both of his enemies into the pit below.
After the credits, Bowser and Bowser Jr. are seen at the bottom of the pit, with Jr. dragging his unconscious father away.
Super Mario Galaxy
Prior to the events of Super Mario Galaxy, Bowser attacks Rosalina's Comet Observatory and steals all the Power Stars, as well as the Seven Grand Stars that power the observatory. Bowser uses these incredible stars to bring his entire fleet to the cosmos and take over many galaxies, planning to construct a galaxy reactor powered by the Grand Stars to create his own galaxy at the center of the universe. Once the reactor is completed, he can proceed to conquer the entire universe, establishing an eternal galactic empire with Peach as Bowser's empress. He then kidnaps Peach during the Star Festival, using a UFO and several airships to uproot her castle and taking it to the center of the universe.
Mario, helped by Rosalina, collects many Grand and Power Stars and destroys much of the Koopa Troop, encountering Bowser twice in his attempt to rescue Peach, once at Bowser's Star Reactor and the second time at Bowser's Dark Matter Plant. At the Star Reactor, before the player can reach him, Bowser attempts to stop Mario by destroying the staircase leading to him by breathing meteors at him. During battle, Bowser's attacks include stomping the ground, which creates a shock wave, and ground pounding the plumber; however, if the player can cause Bowser to ground pound the glass, it breaks; he instead strikes the magma inside and burns his tail. Mario can then Spin attack him, causing Bowser to spin around the planet inside his shell, much like a normal Koopa. When Mario does this again, he falls unconscious, only to recover seconds later. Bowser is defeated when this is done again
At the Dark Matter plant, Bowser uses the same tactics as before, but can generate more shock waves and even has his own version of the spin attack, but can be defeated by using the same method as the first battle. Regardless of these drawbacks, Bowser remains confident in his victory and the follow-through of his main goal to construct his own galaxy.
Mario eventually battles Bowser at the almost-completed galaxy reactor. During the final battle, Bowser Jr. holds Peach captive in an airship while Mario fights Bowser on multiple planets. On the first planet, Bowser attacks by using his shock waves. He then curls into a ball of stone and rolls around the planet, with his head exposed to attack. On the second planet, Bowser's attacks include curling up into two combined shells and rolling around the planet, as well as fireballs. By hitting him with a Stretch Plant, Bowser is knocked onto his back and begins moving around the planet; he can then be defeated as normal. At this point, the gravity of the nearby sun then pulls them toward it, and they begin the actual final battle at the core of Bowser's soon-to-be galaxy. Bowser's attacks are simply improved tactics from the previous battles, meaning that he can once again be trumped by ground pounding the glass and burning himself, allowing Mario to spin attack him. The defeated Bowser then flies into into the magma of the sun.
Afterward, the final Grand Star frees itself from the galaxy reactor. However, the lack of the Grand Star causes the sun to collapse in on itself, resulting in the formation of a massive Black Hole that begins to devour the universe. Bowser, however, is on the surface of the sun, on a piece of rock, before it explodes. As the universe is being sucked inside, the Lumas head into the black hole, and destroy it from the inside. Bowser later awakens in Toad Town, near Mario and Peach.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Bowser appears, once again as the final boss, in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Here, he appears together with eight youths, the Koopalings and Bowser Jr.. In the last castle of World 8, Bowser is located in the final chamber, sending out fireballs toward Mario, similar to his appearance in the original Super Mario Bros.. When the battle begins, Bowser is fought in a similar manner as in Super Mario Bros., as well as in the first and final castles in the original New Super Mario Bros., attacking by shooting fireballs and leaping into the air.
When the switch is pressed, the floor collapses, and Bowser plummets into the abyss below. However, the Princess Peach in the cage nearby turns out to be Kamek in disguise. He escapes from the cage and casts a spell over the chasm that Bowser has fallen down. After several moments, Bowser reappears, now at a gigantic size, knocking Kamek off his broom, and proceeds to chase after Mario. He attacks by spitting massive fireballs, as well as clawing away at the walls and leaping over to Mario if he is far enough away.
After the credits, Bowser is seen unconscious and outside his castle, having survived the drop and returned to normal size. Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings are trying to push him over, and succeed, resulting in him regaining consciousness. However, pushing him over causes the entire castle to fall over onto them.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
- “I'm HUUUUGE! Even scarier up close, huh?”
- —Bowser, Super Mario Galaxy 2
Bowser appears in Super Mario Galaxy 2, once again as the main antagonist. At the beginning of the game, he invades the Mushroom Kingdom again, but this time at a gigantic size, due to the power of the Power Stars that he stole earlier. He kidnaps Princess Peach and flees into space again, claiming to build a galactic empire to suit his new size and put it's capital at the center of the universe. Additionally, he attacks and destroys Lubba's starship prior to the game, stealing all the ship's Power Stars.
Bowser is faced three times in the game. The fights take place on a spherical planetoid, where Bowser, in his gigantic size, attempts to crush Mario with his fists, and by sending meteors crashing down. He also uses his Fire Breath. When using his fists, Bowser's hand gets stuck in the planetoid briefly, and any meteors on the battlefield at the time rise and turn yellow, allowing Mario to strike. After each battle, when Bowser is defeated, he coughs up a Grand Star, causing him to shrink back down to his normal size and fall to the ground, but he is not discouraged at all and flees, telling Mario each time that his plan is too far along to stop.
The final battle at Bowser's Galaxy Generator has two phases. When Bowser is defeated once, Mario attempts to collect the Grand Star coughed up by Bowser, but the Koopa King reappears, eats the Grand Star, regains his gigantic size, and then the two fall into a vortex to fight again. Bowser advances on Mario as time passes, eventually allowing Bowser to attack with a punch. Mario pushes him back by ground-pounding the meteorites at him. After Mario defeats Bowser for the final time, Bowser is sucked into the vortex, and is not seen again until Mario, Peach, and the Toad Brigade return to Mushroom World near the end of the credits, where it is shown that he has become smaller than normal, and is unconscious when he is first seen. Mario can jump on top of Bowser or spin him, waking him up and causing him to become angry.
Super Mario 3D Land
Bowser appears once again as the main antagonist of Super Mario 3D Land. On one day, a storm blows all the Super Leaves off the Tail Tree. When Mario and three Toads check on the tree, they find an envelope containing a picture showing Peach being captured by Bowser.
It is revealed through the letters found after each world that Peach tries to escape, but Bowser's forces eventually overpower her. Bowser then holds her in a cage and keeps her next to his throne. At Bowser's Castle, Mario faces the actual Bowser, though in the same manner as the False Bowsers. However, Bowser had planned ahead; he set up a wooden cutout of Peach on the top of a tower. After Mario discovers this, Bowser appears from above, holding the real Princess Peach, and heads to his second castle.
Inside Bowser's quarters in the second castle, Mario discovers the princess bound to the flagpole, but Bowser falls out of the sky, attempting to pound him from above, and roars, which causes the floor beneath them to fall.
During the second battle, Bowser attacks Mario with spiked balls at the beginning, with fireballs for the second portion of the area, and with barrels near the end as he makes his way along. On the bridge before the switch, Bowser's attack pattern is the same as in previous battles. After the switch that collapses the bridge is pressed, however, Bowser reemerges from below. While progressing through a second obstacle course-like area, Bowser leaps across to various platforms, shooting massive white fireballs at Mario. Bowser then chases him again upon reaching a second bridge. When the switch at the end is pressed, Bowser plummets into the lava below, being hit by falling debris. After defeating Bowser, Peach is returned to her castle with the help of Tanooki Mario and three Tanooki Toads. The credits show Bowser trying to reach Mario with the help of a massive Goomba Tower, but failing.
After completing all the special worlds, it is revealed that Bowser has once again captured Peach.
New Super Mario Bros. 2
Once more, Bowser appears as the main antagonist of New Super Mario Bros. 2. He is the boss of World 6, and he attacks using fire and iron mallets in a battle reminiscent of the original Super Mario Bros. On the other side of him is a switch, which Mario presses to send him into the pit below the bridge. However, after he is defeated the Koopalings appear in the Koopa Clown Car and use their wands' magic on Bowser. This causes him to grow to a massive size, also knocking the Koopalings down into the rising lava pit in the process. While Mario is using the platforms to travel upward, Bowser swipes at them with his claws.
