Bowser Jr.
- Not to be confused with Baby Bowser.
- “Someday, when I'm bigger.... I wanna fight that Mario again!”
- —Bowser Jr., Super Mario Sunshine
Bowser Jr. is Bowser's only child[1], the Koopa King's heir to the throne, and the secondary antagonist in the Mario series. Bowser Jr. first appeared in Super Mario Sunshine, and has helped Bowser kidnap Princess Peach, and battle Mario and Luigi in many subsequent games. Bowser Jr. wants nothing more than to do his father's evil will, and Bowser's rarely seen emotional side is often brought out by his interactions with his son.
History
Super Mario series
Super Mario Sunshine
Bowser Jr. first appears in Super Mario Sunshine as the game's main antagonist. Before the events of the game, Bowser Jr. somehow acquires the Magic Paintbrush, a special brush that can magically create sticky paint-like Goop, from the scientist Professor E. Gadd. Bowser Jr. is also in possession of a bandanna emblazoned with a logo resembling Mario's nose and face that apparently lets him assume the appearance of a watery-blue Mario. Bowser Jr. uses this ability to assume the identity Shadow Mario. As Shadow Mario, Bowser Jr. paints magical Graffiti all over the tropical resort Isle Delfino, in an attempt to frame Mario for the crimes.
At the same time, Mario, Peach and Toadsworth are heading to the island for a much needed vacation. However, as soon as the Toad Express lands at the island's airstrip, they see everything is covered in Goop. Peach looks on top of a water tower and sees Shadow Mario, though when she tries to tell Toadsworth and Mario,who are talking to each other, she looks again to see that he is gone, and dismisses the sighting as a mirage. Mario then battles a Polluted Piranha Plant, using his new partner F.L.U.D.D.. Afterwards, the Isle Delfino Police arrest Mario. After his trial, Mario is found guilty of vandalizing the entire island and is punished with cleaning up the island with F.L.U.D.D. (which was also designed by Professor E. Gadd). As Mario begins cleaning Delfino Plaza by cleaning up the Grand Pianta Statue, Princess Peach is kidnapped by Bowser Jr. (in his Shadow Mario disguise). Mario manages to save Peach rather quickly, and then chases Shadow Mario to Bianco Hills. His cleaning up continues through various regions of Isle Delfino, but after Mario gains 10 Shine Sprite Shadow Mario kidnaps Peach again, this time while Mario is away from Delfino Plaza or buying a Shine Sprite at the boathouse.
As soon as Mario reaches Shadow Mario's boat, he leaps inside and takes the Princess to Pinna Park, the island's theme park, which is occupied by Bowser's forces. The young Koopa jumps into the cockpit of the gigantic Mecha Bowser and waits for Mario's inevitable arrival. Like clockwork, Mario arrives, and Bowser Jr. lured Mario to a shallow pool, where he unveils the mechanical monstrosity. After a long battle, Mario overcomes the powerful Mecha Bowser. Shadow Mario then reveals his true identity. As it turns out, Bowser Jr. is told by his father that Princess Peach is his mother and that she was kidnapped by the "evil" Mario. As such, Bowser Jr. tries to frame Mario by tagging the island as the Mario look-a-like Shadow Mario. Thus, Mario would be put in prison, and the young Koopa could rescue his "mama". With his origin revealed, Bowser Jr. escapes by converting what is left of Mecha Bowser into a hot-air balloon and flying it, with Peach in tow, to Corona Mountain, where his father is relaxing.
However, Bowser Jr. does not stay with his father at the volcano, continuing to harass Mario in his Shadow Mario disguise. In the seventh episode of each of the areas in the game, he runs around the area wrecking havoc. Mario must chase him and spray him down with F.L.U.D.D. until he gives up and leaves a Shine Sprite. At other points in the game, Bowser Jr. attempts to run off with Shine Sprites, F.L.U.D.D. nozzles (Rocket and Turbo), and even a Yoshi Egg, but he is stopped by Mario and F.L.U.D.D. every time. Eventually, after Mario defeats Shadow Mario in all of the main areas of the game, the path to Corona Mountain is revealed.
When Mario reaches the top of Corona Mountain, the final fight between Mario and Bowser Jr. begins. However, Junior does not fight alone this time; he has his massive father fighting beside him. The three fighters battle in a colossal bathtub full of green sludge high above the ground. As Mario and Bowser duke it out, Junior aids his father by firing Bullet Bills at their nemesis. Eventually, the father and son are defeated and Mario escapes the volcano with Peach.
In the end, Bowser and Jr. are on the flipped hot tub, which is floating in the ocean miles from Isle Deflino, in a rare display of emotion, Bowser remorsefully tells Bowser Jr. that Peach is not his mother. However, Bowser Jr. admits that he knew Peach was not his mother, and (although his father tricked him) says he wants to "fight that Mario again". Bowser, seeing so much of himself in his heir, smiles. Together, the two plot their next plan to defeat Mario and capture Peach after relaxing for a certain amount of time.
New Super Mario Bros.
In New Super Mario Bros., Bowser and Bowser Jr. are the main antagonists, and they enact their new plan to kidnap Princess Peach and defeat Mario and Luigi. While Bowser's forces occupy various regions, Bowser Jr. is sent to retrieve Peach. To do this, he summons a lightning cloud to set fire to Princess Peach's Castle, causing Mario to go investigate and thus leaving Peach all by herself. As a result, the young Koopa sneaks in and captures the Princess. As such, Mario gives chase, battling Bowser Jr. throughout the game. Junior acts a lot like Boom Boom of Super Mario Bros. 3, as he is the sole mid-boss of the game's various worlds. Like Boom Boom, Bowser Jr. can be defeated with three jumps to the head. Except if ground pounded, with two lives instead. If thrown at with lava,three.
In New Super Mario Bros., Bowser Jr. is the boss of every tower. His attack pattern depends on how he wears his bandanna. If it's hanging loose, Bowser Jr. jumps and charges at Mario, occasionally jumping high in the air and can be defeated by simple jump attacks. If he wears the bandanna over his mouth, Bowser Jr. throws Koopa Shells at Mario and ducks into his shell whenever Mario comes near, preventing jump attacks from working. In this form, Mario has to hit Bowser Jr. with a Koopa Shell before he can be jumped on. Fireballs and Blue Shells are also very effective against the young Koopa, no matter what appearance he takes.
During the events of the game, Bowser is the boss of the first world. However, the Koopa King falls into a pit of lava. As such, Bowser, in a sense, perishes and becomes a Dry Bones-like monster called Dry Bowser. While Bowser is a member of the undead, Bowser Jr. has to command the Koopa Troop in his father's place. Bowser Jr. revives his father by throwing him into a pot filled with some form of magic potion, restoring the Koopa King to his former self. However, Bowser is larger than before and more powerful.
In the end, Bowser Jr. and his resurrected father fight Mario in a battle for Princess Peach. However, as in Super Mario Sunshine, both father and son are defeated and Peach is saved once again. During the game's ending, Bowser Jr. is seen dragging his unconscious father across the ground. At this point, he breaks the Fourth wall, roaring at the player.
Super Mario Galaxy
- “Go at 'em, Megaleg! Stomp him with the power of your Grand Star!”
- —Bowser Jr.
Appearing as the secondary antagonist, Bowser Jr. guards three of the Grand Stars in Super Mario Galaxy. He appears first in Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor, where he summons Megaleg to attack Mario. He later appears in Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada in his small personal airship to fight Mario. Even later, he is seen in Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor, where he summons a more powerful King Kaliente to attack Mario. In all of these fights, he or his minion is beaten.
Bowser Jr. is not seen again until Mario reaches Bowser's Galaxy Reactor, where he is shown keeping Peach on his airship. While Mario marches up the steps to confront Bowser, Junior fires cannonballs that destroy the steps. He then watches the final battle while keeping Peach. After Bowser is defeated, the galaxy starts to go haywire. Bowser Jr. falls out of his airship and into his father's sun. Later, however, he is shown alive and dancing back in the Mushroom Kingdom on an airship in the water with an Octoomba.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii
Bowser Jr. makes another appearance in New Super Mario Bros. Wii as the secondary antagonist. This is the first game in which he appears along with the Koopalings, who were said to be Bowser's original seven children. Bowser Jr. leads the Koopalings in this adventure, receiving a Koopa Clown Car similar to that of his father, albeit smaller. In the beginning of the game, it is revealed that Bowser Jr., along with the Koopalings, arrives at Princess Peach's castle during her birthday celebration disguised as a birthday cake. Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings emerge from the cake and kidnap the Princess by loading her onto the airship, having planned the infiltration method[2]. From there, the Koopalings (along with Junior) make a flight to Bowser's Castle via the airship with Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad, and Yellow Toad closely following them in an attempt to rescue Peach. Unlike how Bowser Jr. is fought ten times in New Super Mario Bros., he is only fought three times, all three times being on the airship. Kamek was also responsible for Bowser Jr.'s safety.
In the first battle with Junior, he uses his Koopa Clown Car. He flies up, and the only possible way to attack him is to use the Propeller Block in order to spin up to his height and jump on his head.(This is the first game where Bowser Jr. is shown to have the ability to breathe fireballs). When the fire makes contact with the ground, it sets ablaze, creating another obstacle for Mario. Bowser Jr. must be hit (jumped on) three times to be defeated.
In the second battle, he uses his heavily damaged Koopa Clown to battle. Luckily, Mario finds a Mario Car to use in combat. The Mario Car must be flown up by the player and used to knock Junior into the Electric Fence on the walls of the room. He must be hit three times to be defeated.
In the third battle, Mario Ground Pounds the floor upon entering the room, sending a wave through the floor that knocks over Junior's Koopa Clown. Bowser Jr. turns around and sees his father's Koopa Clown Car. Kicking his destroyed Koopa Clown aside, he jumps into the larger version. Using his father's Koopa Clown Car, Junior drops large spiked bombs on the field. A Ground Pound must be used on the wavy floor to lob the spiked bomb back up and damage the Koopa Clown. The third bomb is larger than the first two. Bowser Jr. can now fire more than one fireball in a row, and they create blazing obstacles on the floor. In addition, these fireballs home in on Mario. Bowser Jr. must be hit three times.
Bowser Jr. can be seen in the ending, communicating with Larry. The two watch the other Koopalings help Bowser. He eventually gets hoisted up, though Bowser's Castle immediately collapses on them.
Super Mario Galaxy 2
- “Oh, Gobblegut! Dinner's on! Don't forget to protect your bellyache bulges!”
- —Bowser Jr.
Bowser Jr. makes an appearance as the secondary antagonist in Super Mario Galaxy 2, aiding his father once again, as in the first game.
His first appearance in Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla is a brief one, where he appears in his Robot Cockpit and summons Gobblegut to the battlefield to fight Mario for the first Grand Star. He later battles Mario and Yoshi himself in Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet by piloting the giant Megahammer robot to inhibit Mario's quest for the third Grand Star. Later, in Bowser Jr.'s Boom Bunker, the Boomsday Machine is Junior's vehicle of choice. The machine attacks with spinning Firebars and by launching balls of electricity as Bowser Jr. guards the fifth Grand Star. Once Mario defeats Bowser Jr.'s Boomsday Machine, it explodes, sending Bowser Jr. flying into space. He is not seen again for the remainder of the game, and it is unknown exactly what happens to him.
Mario actually fights Bowser Jr. up to four times in this game, as two of the battles are under Daredevil Comet conditions.
New Super Mario Bros. U
Bowser Jr. returns in the Wii U title, New Super Mario Bros. U once again as the secondary antagonist. While the Koopalings have their own personalized airship, Bowser Jr. pilots the flagship, and will ambush the player at the beginning of Soda Jungle, and the end of Meringue Clouds.
In Soda Jungle's The Mighty Cannonship, Bowser Jr. uses a submarine underwater, in which the player must guide the Targeting Teds that Bowser Jr. shoots into his submarine. With every hit, he summons three Torpedo Teds from the left and right or from the ceiling and the floor. In the end, the mechanical hand that was used to throw the Mario Bros. into Acorn Plains will sweep across the ground and Mario will jump off the airship, ending the course.
In Meringue Clouds' Boarding the Airship, Bowser Jr.'s boss battle involves him in his Koopa Clown Car equipped with boxing gloves, which he uses to destroy the blocks the player is standing on. Bowser Jr. will periodically throw Bob-ombs, which the player can use against Bowser Jr. After the boss battle, the player lands back on the airship, and after which, Bowser Jr. tries to crush the player, but Mario runs out of the way at the last second and the arm destroys the flagship instead. Bowser Jr. escapes the ship before it crashes.
Bowser Jr. reappears in The Final Battle, and in the main course, he slams his Koopa Clown Car onto platforms to hinder the player's progress. After Bowser is beaten the first time, Bowser Jr. convinces Kamek to enlarge Bowser once again. During the final boss, Bowser Jr. will toss Bob-ombs and slam into the ground to hurt the player. The player must then jump on Bowser Jr. and ride the Koopa Clown Car to damage the enlarged Bowser. When Bowser Jr. is out of the Clown Car, he'll shoot fireballs which will force the player out of the Car. He will also occasionally spin inside his shell the whole time he is on the ground. Additionally, his shell can be picked when he is temporarily knocked out after being stomped on.
Bowser Jr. makes one last appearance in the ending, where he struggles to carry Bowser and the Koopalings out of the Mushroom Kingdom.
Interestingly, when his Clown Car is about to pound the ground, it looks a little like his deluxe Clown car from Mario Party 9.
This game also introduces a new character called Nabbit who sports a similar bib to Bowser Jr's.
New Super Luigi U
Bowser Jr. also makes an appearance in the expansion pack New Super Luigi U. He is the boss of the same levels and is battled the same way. He resides in Soda Jungle's All Aboard! and Meringue Clouds' Bowser Jr. Showdown!.
Mario Golf series
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour
Bowser Jr. is said to have spent the majority of his childhood practicing golf on his dad's private course, making him a skilled golfer. He uses these talents in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, where he is a hidden character. For some reason, Shadow Mario also is a playable character in this game. It is unknown if this Shadow Mario is an alternate form of Bowser Jr.
Mario Golf: World Tour
Template:Newsubject-section Bowser Jr. is confirmed to return as a playable character in Mario Golf: World Tour.
Mario Kart series
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
Bowser Jr.'s first Mario Kart series appearance in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! as his father's partner. Bowser Jr. is a lightweight, while his father is a heavyweight. The two make a deadly racing pair, as they can both use Bowser Shells to mow down opponents. Occasionally, this attack backfires, as the shell can ricochet backwards and hit the father and son team. His personal kart is the Bullet Blaster, which can be unlocked by winning the Special Cup in 50cc. In the manual, the reason why Bowser Jr. is in the race is because he had been misbehaving and his father believes that this would set him straight.
Mario Kart Wii
Bowser Jr. reappears as an unlockable character in Mario Kart Wii. He can be unlocked by getting at least 1 Star Rank in every Retro 100cc Cup or doing a certain amount of races. Unlike in Double Dash!!, he is a middle sized character. Bowser Jr.'s stat bonuses only boost the off-road and mini-turbo stats by a small amount. Therefore, he has the smallest number of stat bonuses among all the playable characters in the game. Bowser Jr.'s emblem appears in several parts of the city in Moonview Highway. He turns corners pretty well. He is the normal and expert staff ghost of N64 Bowser's Castle in Time Trials, with him riding the Standard Kart M as the normal staff ghost, and the Sneakster as the expert staff ghost.
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
Bowser Jr. reappears as an unlockable character in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX for the arcade machine. He is a featherweight character.
Mario Tennis series
Mario Power Tennis
Bowser Jr. appears as his father's doubles partner in Mario Power Tennis. He is classified as a Tricky-type character, but unlike most Tricky-types, his shots are less curved. Bowser Jr.'s Offensive Power Shot involves making three paint balls, with the center one holding the tennis ball. Any player who hits that ball will have his or her speed reduced for a while. The Defensive Power Shot involves Bowser Jr. running to the tennis ball, and hitting it with his brush.
Bowser Jr.'s reach isn't the greatest, but his speed is at a decent level. His lunge involves doing a cartwheel to reach the ball and hitting it.
Mario Tennis Open
Bowser Jr. reappears in Mario Tennis Open, where he returns as a playable character. Again, he is classified as a Tricky-type character.
Mario Baseball series
Bowser Jr. appears in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers where he is a powerful batter, but his running speed is a bit lacking. In these games, Bowser Jr. is shown to be left-handed (though there's an option to play right-handed).
In Super Sluggers, Junior has his own stadium, which happens to be his own room. At night, it changes into Bowser's Castle. His Magic Paintbrush is his bat in Super Sluggers, which he uses to blind the batter with paint blotches or knocks the opposing team's members out with paint. In Challenge Mode, he is responsible for taking over all of the stadiums on Baseball Kingdom, only to be beaten in every stadium by Mario and the gang.
When Bowser is defeated for the second time, the other captains invite them to a celebration. Bowser refuses, but Bowser Jr. tells Bowser that he wants to have fun, which forces them to go (though the two only get a small portion of food).
Bowser Jr. has good batting and running abilities in Mario Super Sluggers, but his pitching is only average, and his fielding skills are pretty weak. His running is his best skill, which upgrades his fielding abilities, and his jumping almost matches Diddy Kong's in height.
Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Bowser Jr. later appears as a playable character in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. Unlike his father, he is a default character. Bowser Jr. is a speedy character who slam dunks by whirling his arm around in a circle and then slamming the ball in. Bowser Jr.'s Super Shot is the Graffiti Dunk, which consists of Bowser Jr. using his Magic Paintbrush and covering the basketball in Graffiti and then hitting it towards the basket.
Mario Strikers Charged
Bowser Jr. is also an unlockable character in Mario Strikers Charged. He is an Offensive Captain, unlike his father, who is a Power Captain. Bowser Jr. is unlocked by beating the Fire Cup, which also involves beating Bowser Jr. as well. Bowser Jr.'s whining abilities are shown in this game where his screams reach supersonic levels. His Super Ability, Sonic Roar!, allows him to shrink all players he hits by using a large sound wave. His Mega Strike also uses sound waves. In this game, Bowser Jr. wears a collar similar to the one Bowser wears. His trademark bandanna, however, is absent. Bowser Jr. is never seen as an opponent in the Challenge Mode.
Mario Party series
Mario Party DS
Bowser Jr. makes his Mario Party debut in Mario Party DS, where he helps his father in Story Mode, though he only has one line in the game. Bowser Jr. also appears in the Rocket Rascals minigame occasionally to cause trouble, and to help the players get to the finish quickly. At Bowser's Castle, Bowser Jr. stuffs the heroes in his Pinball Machine and uses it to mess them up.
Mario Party 9
Bowser Jr. appears in Mario Party 9 as the secondary antagonist. He appears to have his own kind of Minigames which pit two players against him. His Minigames are played when a player lands on a Bowser Jr. Space and if the players managed to beat him, both players would receive five Mini Stars each. If Bowser Jr. wins the minigame, he would take five Mini Stars from each player who played the minigame. His personal Koopa Clown Car also comes back. He is also the mid-boss of Bowser Station, he is fought in Bowser Jr. Breakdown. In Solo Mode, he is shown in the opening to be helping Bowser steal all the Mini Stars from the sky. At the beginning of every level, he would be shown frantically telling his dad about the player and his or her team going to a certain level. After the player had beat Bowser in the final battle, he and Bowser Jr. would be shown flying in their Koopa Clown Cars. Bowser would complain that his dream of having every single Mini Star has failed. Bowser and Bowser Jr. would observe the sky around them, now filled with Mini Stars. In a last-minute effort, Bowser tries to snag a couple of the surrounding Mini Stars, only to fall out of his Koopa Clown Car. Bowser Jr. then rushes to save his dad. They are not seen for the rest of the game.
Mario Party: Island Tour
Bowser Jr. appears in Mario Party: Island Tour, this time as an unlockable playable character, marking the first time in the Mario Party series in which he is playable. If he is played as in Bowser's Tower, he receives unique dialogue from his dad, who states that Bowser Jr. wanted to play as a hero. To unlock Bowser Jr., players must beat Bowser's Tower.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Though Bowser Jr. is not a playable character or Assist Trophy, he makes several cameos in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He appears as a trophy that is based on his current appearance, and he is briefly mentioned in Bowser's trophy information. He also has several Stickers depicting him from several games. Junior's artwork from Super Mario Sunshine is an attack type, medium sized sticker. Its area of effect is the tail and damage is +25. The only characters who can use it are Yoshi, Pikachu, Diddy Kong, and Pokémon Trainer. His second sticker is his artwork from Mario Superstar Baseball.
Mario & Sonic series
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Bowser Jr. makes his debut in the Mario & Sonic series in the second game installment, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. He is a well-rounded character, with stats more in favor of power and skill in the Wii version; his stats in the DS version, however, are more balanced, with power being his best stat. His special move is the same as his dad's. Bowser Jr. has the highest power among all the All-Round characters.
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
Bowser Jr. returns along with his dad in the third installment, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games as once again an all-around playable character on the Wii version. In the story mode of the 3DS version, he is a challenger to Yoshi, Silver, and Shadow.
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games
Bowser Jr. returns in Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games as an all-around playable athlete once again.
Mario Sports Mix
Bowser Jr. appears as a speedy character in Mario Sports Mix. His speed is very high, while having average power. However, his technique attribute is very low. Bowser Jr. does get his very own stadium, which is called Bowser Jr. Blvd..
Bowser Jr.'s special shot involves him scattering paint onto the court, and sending the ball/puck to his target. Players who step on the paint will slip, and slide on their bellies, making it harder to block shots, or evade dodgeball attacks. In Basketball, however, players can still jump to repel Bowser Jr.'s shot.
Fortune Street
Bowser Jr. appears as a playable character in the Wii follow-up to Itadaki Street DS, Fortune Street. Junior is Ranked A.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
Bowser Jr. makes an appearance in the Nintendo 3DS title, Paper Mario: Sticker Star. This is his first appearance in the Paper Mario series and a Mario RPG game. He is a mini boss. Junior is seen using his personal Koopa Clown Car. He is first seen in Warm Fuzzy Plains, where he is chasing a Toad to obtain a rare sticker. During this battle, Bowser Jr. attacks by ramming into Mario with his Koopa Clown Car, which allows him to avoid hammer attacks. Additionally, whenever Mario attacks him, he recovers all his HP. The only way to defeat him is to use the Scissors sticker obtained right before the battle. When Mario defeats him, he uses the paperization ability to take the bridge out, crumple it up, and throw it away to block Mario's way, and then flies away.
He is next seen again, in World 4, if a player takes the boat back to Decalburg. He attacks Mario again, this time fought on the boat. This time, he uses the healing technique and Clown Car ram from the previous battle, but may also pull Bob-ombs out of the car; tossing them at Mario deals him 6 damage for each one, but hitting Jr. while he is holding them damages him. When he is defeated, he goes back to his dad.
When Mario wants to reach Bowser's Sky Castle via Flutter, Jr., on an airship blasts a Banzai Bill at Mario. He likewise informs Mario and Kersti that he no longer cares about getting rare stickers, but rather exacting revenge on Mario. He is last fought in his airship, where he implements a protective shield on his Koopa Clown Car; this shield lasts until he has only 100 HP left. Additionally, he attacks by barraging the player with fireballs, spiked balls, and ramming Mario with his clown car, in rapid succession. Mario can defeat him most easily by using a Tail sticker to block the fireballs, repel his ramming attack, and return his spiked balls, the latter doing 50 damage per successful counterattack. Once Mario defeats him, Bowser Jr. is sent flying off the ship, not to be seen again until later. Although dialogue from both Kersti and Bowser Jr. himself implied that he was killed as a result of the battle, the ending credits revealed that he had survived, where he is seen with his dad riding on their own parade float.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team
Bowser Jr. appears as the in the game Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, in this game, he is not an antagonist (since he has nothing to do with the story and is completely optional), instead he is the final boss of the Battle Ring X Bosses. This is his first appearance in the Mario & Luigi series. He again rides in his Koopa Clown Car, now officially named Junior Clown Car, but this time he also fights similar to Bowser X from the previous game. Bowser Jr. steals Bro. attacks from Mario & Luigi if used on him and also the BP needed to use it. His other attacks include a long series of attacks. One has the player deflect a thrown spike ball between the Bros. while Bowser Jr. attempts to ram one. Deflecting Bowser Jr. turns the Koopa Clown Car upside down. Bowser Jr. will then hide under the car and breath fire at the Bro. Another attack sees both Bros. jumping a Bob-omb, Bowser Jr will shoot a fireball at a Bro. at random. Another attack sees two Shy Guys come with a string of fire similar to a firebar that they must jump over. First, the Shy Guys will stare at both Bros., then they'll appear at a random choice between the top or bottom of the screen and go the opposite way. Finally, they will spin it like a helicopter blade that Jr. must also jump over. If dodged enough times, Bowser Jr. will mess up and get hit, however, if a Bro. gets hit in the helicopter attack, the attack will cease. The last attack see's a bunch of Shy Guys come out with presents and Bowser Jr. and the Bros take turns opening one at a time. Some contain nothing, while others contain helpful items, a Bro. attack or a Bob-omb. When he is damaged enough, he'll jump out of his Clown Copter and Mario or Luigi can jump inside the vehicle and throw stuff at Bowser Jr. to reobtain their Bros. attacks.
Bowser Jr. also has his own arena. He is notably the only X boss without the X in his name, and it is implied that he is the real Bowser Jr., and not a dreamed up one, as his area appears to be the Battle Ring itself, and he's not found anywhere else in the game. It is also interesting to note that when Bowser Jr. makes his entrance (by breathing fire at the player), Luigi is seen visibly shocked to see Bowser Jr. in the Battle Ring.
General information
Physical description
Bowser Jr. has a yellow skin tone that lacks the tan seen on his dad and most of the Koopalings, as well as a light green head. Junior has one, fang-like tooth in the upper corner of the side of his snout. He also has a ribbed, padded stomach and padded feet. His mouth is wide, puffy, and con-vexed, with a large snout. He has small, circular eyes that are black in color. Junior has small spikes on each side of his head, each being circled with orange rings. Junior has his father's fiery orange hair and eyebrows; his hair is tied up into a top-ponytail. Junior's shell is green, lined with a white encasing, and the multiple, short spikes are circled with orange rings, similar to his father's shell. He has also been shown with a considerable amount of strength, as in Super Mario Sunshine and New Super Mario Bros. showing he is able to carry Princess Peach with little to no problem.
Bowser Jr. bears a striking resemblance to the Koopa King. The similarity is even more apparent in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, with Baby Bowser looking almost exactly like Bowser Jr., but with a different, plain white bandana. By contrast, Junior typically wears a white bandana that's decorated with drawn-on fangs and worn like a mask, though in his very first appearance, the bandana was blue and had a picture of Mario's nose and mustache drawn on it. Rather than sporting the same spiked cuffs the male Koopalings have, Junior has spikeless, metal cuffs on his wrists.
Bowser Jr.'s exact size varies from game to game like his father's. He was smallest in Super Mario Sunshine and some spin-offs, but as of New Super Mario Bros. and its three sequels he is roughly Mario's size. In Super Mario Galaxy he has grown considerably, towering over Princess Peach. He usually appears to be larger than Lemmy, and has a chubby frame similar to Ludwig's, though smaller.
Because of Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto's preference for left-handed characters like himself, Bowser Jr. is left-handed. Despite this, he plays right-handed, by default, in Mario Power Tennis, and while he is left-handed while fielding in Mario Super Sluggers, he appears on the right-handed side of the batting field.
Personality
Bowser Jr. can be summed up as a bold and energetic troublemaker. His trouble making side is seen as he tricks Mario in both Super Mario Sunshine and New Super Mario Bros. According to Mario Kart Wii, Bowser Jr. inherited his father's bad attitude, evident in his motto ("Grin and bear it. When that don't work, grin and crush it."). He is also bratty, spoiled, and short tempered, though in Mario Party DS it is stated he has a lonely side. His favorite hobbies are stealing cookies, causing trouble for people, and scribbling (which may explain the widespread Graffiti that was made at Isle Delfino). However, he seems determined to defeat Mario in a fair fight in order to prove his power. His bio in Paper Mario: Sticker Star suggests he is also occasionally lazy due to riding his Koopa Clown Car throughout the game.
Powers and abilities
Despite his young age and size, Bowser Jr. is very skilled and powerful, and a formidable opponent to the Mario Bros. From his first appearance, he has shown remarkable talent with mechanics and technology, able to skillfully pilot vehicles and giant robots. He is also able to take on his Shadow Mario form through the use of bandana that has drawing of Mario's moustache (though he has not used it since Super Mario Sunshine); in this form, he is just as acrobatic as Mario and can perform the same jumps. When using his Magic Paintbrush, he can create Color Portals, Forcefields, Graffiti infused with different effects, and even enemies such as Swoopin' Stus and Polluted Piranha Plants. Junior is shown to be fast, as well as skilled, though at times he may be given varied stats. Being the heir of the Koopa Troop, Bowser Jr. seems to have some of his father's traits. He is usually physically powerful like his father in spite of his small frame, and have shown off great levels of durability into the point of being capable of surviving near-death situations. This is evident in Super Mario Galaxy, where he falls into the gigantic sun after his father's defeat, and is later shown to be alive back in Mushroom Kingdom, as well as New Super Mario Bros Wii, where he survives after being crushed by Bowser's collapsing castle.
Bowser Jr. was, at first, unskilled in breathing fire as shown in Mario Strikers Charged where he attempts to breathe fire like his father in his entrance, only to breathe smoke and a tiny flame. This changes in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, where he can breathe fireballs that can home onto opponents, and creates a large blaze of fire when the fireball is on contact with the ground. In New Super Mario Bros. U, he can breathe fireballs consecutively. In Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, he is able to breathe a stream of fire. He can also withdraw and duck into his shell for offensive and defensive purposes and uses Koopa Shells as weapons in New Super Mario Bros. In Mario Strikers Charged, he has a Super Ability that shrinks his opponents called Sonic Roar! where he emits large sonic waves by screaming loudly. He uses this as a Mega Strike as well. Bowser Jr. appears to excel in magic. This is supported in Paper Mario: Sticker Star, where he can Paperize, create a defensive shield, and heal. He also appears to be a skilled leader, as he was able to keep the Koopa Troop united when Bowser was incapacitated in New Super Mario Bros.
Relationships
Bowser Jr. idolizes his father and strives to be like him. In Mario Party: Island Tour, Bowser Jr. challenged Bowser in Bowser's Tower, but aside from this instance of father-son rivalry, the two have been shown to share a close bond, appearing as partners in various sports and spin-off titles, and Bowser Jr. aids his father in many of his plots. While he cares for his son, Bowser's selfishness and single-minded determination to defeat Mario occasionally leads him to treat Junior like a minion. Initially, Bowser even tried to manipulate the child into helping with the fight against Mario by telling him that Peach was his mother, although he eventually felt guilty and came clean. Junior, however, knew it was a lie all along and willingly went along with it because he wanted to fight alongside his father regardless of the deception, revealing his deep loyalty and love for his father. As revealed in his Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy, Bowser Jr. was also motivated to kidnap Peach by his own affection for her, and in Mario Superstar Baseball, he continues to calls her "mama", suggesting he wishes she really was his mother. His actual mother has not been revealed[1].
As the heir to the throne, Bowser Jr. is naturally a high-ranking member of the Koopa Troop. Initially, there was some ambiguity about where he stood with respect to the Koopalings, who were originally portrayed as Bowser's seven children, but this story was later omitted in favour of Junior being Bowser's only child[1]. While not considered siblings anymore, Junior and the Koopalings have been shown working together on a few of Bowser's plots. Bowser Jr. has also collaborated with Kamek on a number of occasions, and just as he was Bowser's caretaker, the Magikoopa is known to be responsible for Junior's safety.
List of appearances by date
Official profiles and statistics
- Main article: List of Bowser Jr. profiles and statistics
Mario Kart Wii
- Stats
- Size: Medium
- Actual Bonuses
- Off-Road: +1
- Mini-Turbo: +1
Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Stats
- Type: Speedy
- Special Shot: Graffiti Shot
- Bio: "He zigs and he zags! He's powerful like his dad! Better not underestimate Bowser Jr."
Portrayals
Bowser Jr. was voiced by Dolores Rogers until 2006. On Tara Strong's official website, there used to be a credit there saying she voiced Junior in Super Mario Sunshine, even though she is not listed in the game's credits.
In Mario Strikers Charged, Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart Wii, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Mario Sports Mix, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and Mario Party: Island Tour he is voiced by Caety Sagoian.
Gallery
Quotes
- "Leave my mama alone, you bad man! – Super Mario Sunshine
- "I won't let you take Mama Peach away!!" – Super Mario Sunshine
- "You again? Don't you ever give up?" – Super Mario Sunshine
- "This is my Magic Brush. When I draw with it, all my wishes come true." – Super Mario Sunshine
- "You...You pest. Stop following us". – Super Mario Sunshine
- "I know, she's not really my Mama." – Super Mario Sunshine
- "Some day...when I'm bigger... I wanna fight that Mario again!" – Super Mario Sunshine
- "Yes, I won!" – Mario Power Tennis
- "This game stinks! It stinks-...IT STINKS!!" – Mario Power Tennis
- "I'm coming! At every turn!" – Mario Power Tennis
- "Oh, Mama! You're tough! But I'm tough too, right?" – Mario Superstar Baseball
- "This time, I won't even need my Dad's help to take care of you! – Super Mario Galaxy
- "I guess I'll just whup you myself!" – Super Mario Galaxy
- "This calls for my ultimate weapon!" – Super Mario Galaxy
- "Looking for the princess? 'Cause she's with me!" – Super Mario Galaxy
- "Yay! I won! I WON!" – Mario Kart Wii
- "Yippee! Yay, yay!" – Mario Kart Wii
- "What?! Lame! Lame. Lame." – Mario Kart Wii
- "Let's go!"– Mario Kart Wii/Mario Sports Mix
- "I'm just gonna sit here and watch you go BOOM!" – Super Mario Galaxy 2
- "Blech! Wario!" – Mario Strikers Charged
- "Wah ha ha! Ya know what you are? A buncha BUGS that I'm gonna SQUASH!" – Mario Super Sluggers
- "Yee-ha!" – Mario Super Sluggers
- "Number One!" – Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
- "Grr!" – Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
- "I'm telling Papa on you!" – Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
- "Ha, ha!" – Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
- "Yay!" – Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
- "What is this?!" – Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
- "Junior!" – Mario Sports Mix
- "Fine, then! If that's the way it is, I've got one last trick to show you, bub! NYARGLEBARGLE!" – Paper Mario: Sticker Star
- "Does this mean...I'M FINISHED?!" – Paper Mario: Sticker Star
- "Yahoo! I'm the best!" – Mario Party: Island Tour (when first place)
- "Hoo hoo! Ha!" – Mario Party: Island Tour (when second place)
- "Yeowwww!" – Mario Party: Island Tour (when last place)
Names in other languages
Trivia
- While the Koopalings were fought on Airships in Super Mario Bros. 3 and Bowser Jr. was fought in Towers in New Super Mario Bros., they swapped roles in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, where Bowser Jr. is fought only on the Airships and the Koopalings are encountered in the Fortress and Castle of each world.
- In Super Mario Galaxy, it is revealed that Bowser Jr. has two fangs; one just sticks out more.
- Mario Hoops 3-on-3 is the only time Bowser is unlockable while Bowser Jr. is a starter.
- In Super Mario Chess, Bowser Jr. is a queen on Bowser's team.
- In the New Super Mario Bros. games, Bowser Jr.'s actions such as running and jumping create sound effects with a high pitch unique to him. Bowser mimicked his son's jumping sound in the ending of New Super Mario Bros. U, though.
References
- ^ a b c Screw Attack reports that "The koopalings are NOT related to Bowser!!!" and provide a scan of a Game Informer interview with Shigeru Miyamoto, in which he states that Nintendo's "current story is that the Koopalings are not Bowser's children. Bowser Jr. is Bowser's only child, and we do not know who the mother is". Posted September 12, 2012. (Retrieved September 15, 2012)
- ^ nintendo.co.jp - New Super Mario Bros. Wii character page (Click on the blue circle with the arrow to reach the Koopaling page and click on the pictures to see the short bio of each of the Koopalings). Translation (Retrieved November 13, 2011)
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