Bowser

Bowser
Artwork for Mario Party 8, showcasing Bowser's typical appearance
First game	Super Mario Bros. (1985)
Gender	Male
Species	Koopa
Allies	Kamek, Bowser Jr., Koopa Troop, various others

King Bowser Koopa (referred to as simply Bowser in most games) is the main antagonist of the Mario franchise and the arch-nemesis of Mario. He is the king of the Koopas and the leader of the Koopa Troop. Bowser's most common scheme involves kidnapping Princess Peach in order to seize control of the Mushroom Kingdom, though his plans have occasionally extended to conquering the entire Mushroom World or even the universe.

Bowser first appeared in Super Mario Bros. and has since reappeared in a majority of subsequent Mario titles, as well as numerous spin-offs across multiple genres. Despite his role as the primary villain, Bowser has occasionally served as a reluctant ally to Mario when a greater threat emerges. In most of his appearances, Bowser has an emblem depicting the likeness of his face.

In Japanese, Bowser is known as Koopa or Great Demon King Koopa (大魔王クッパ, Daimaō Kuppa).

General information

Physical appearance

Bowser is a large, burly Koopa with green scales covering most of his body. Unlike most Koopas, he possesses hair—a fiery orange mane that matches his bushy eyebrows. Two small horns protrude from his head, and his shell is covered in numerous spikes. Additional spikes line his tail. He wears spiked collars around his neck and arms.

His underbelly and snout are a flesh-tone color, while his limbs are an orange-tinged yellow. His lips are large and tan-colored, with his nostrils positioned on them. Large fangs are visible even when his mouth is closed. Each hand has four claws, and each foot has three. His eyes are bright red.

In his original Super Mario Bros. appearance, Bowser lacked hair, possibly due to graphical limitations. His mane first appeared in-game in Super Mario Bros. 3. His original sprite also depicted his underbelly as green rather than its current flesh tone.

The DiC Entertainment cartoons and Nintendo Comics System depicted Bowser with a different appearance more closely matching his original sprite: entirely green coloration, no hair (replaced by a crown), a more crocodilian snout, yellow eye-whites, and only two spiked collars with yellow spikes rather than white.

The Super Mario Bros. film featured the most drastically different depiction, with King Koopa portrayed as a nearly human figure with only subtle reptilian features such as slitted pupils and a pointed tongue.

Personality

Early depictions of Bowser presented him as a one-dimensional antagonist driven purely by conquest and destruction. Over time, Nintendo has layered additional dimensions onto his character, particularly a comedic streak that emerges most prominently in role-playing titles. The role-playing games showcase a Bowser who frequently acknowledges the player's presence, comments on game conventions, and grows visibly anxious that temporary alliances with Mario might damage his villainous reputation.

Family occupies a complicated space in Bowser's priorities. He expresses genuine pride in the Koopalings and Bowser Jr., valuing their dedication to both him and the Koopa Troop. Yet this affection does not prevent him from exploiting them strategically. The fabricated story he told Bowser Jr. in Super Mario Sunshine—that Peach was Bowser Jr.'s kidnapped mother—exemplifies how readily Bowser will manipulate even his own offspring to advance his schemes.

The degree of menace Bowser projects varies considerably across different game series. Paper Mario balances wit with genuine cruelty, depicting a Bowser capable of both amusing dialogue and truly threatening behavior. The Mario Party titles cast him as an irritable spoiler whose schemes, while presented with apparent malice, ultimately aim at nothing more serious than disrupting festivities. By contrast, Super Mario 64, New Super Mario Bros., and Super Mario Galaxy strip away virtually all levity, presenting an unambiguously dangerous tyrant.

Emotional range is notably absent from Bowser's characterization. Fury and contempt constitute nearly his entire repertoire. The widespread devastation his campaigns have inflicted—potentially claiming countless lives across the Mushroom Kingdom and, in Super Mario Galaxy, threatening the annihilation of entire star systems—provokes no visible guilt or second thoughts. His universe-destroying ambitions in that game represent perhaps the starkest illustration of his complete indifference toward life beyond his immediate circle of family and followers.

Exceptions to this emotional flatness are rare but notable. Following his defeat in Mario Party 4, Bowser presents the victorious player with a birthday gift, his demeanor betraying genuine dejection. A Koopa Kid observes that perhaps their leader possesses hidden depths beyond pure malevolence, immediately dismissing the notion. The scene concludes with Bowser trudging through shadows, visibly dejected, yet still offering birthday wishes—a moment that hints at loneliness or unmet needs potentially driving his obsession with claiming Peach. Similarly, Super Mario Sunshine contains a quietly poignant exchange where Bowser gently confirms to his son that Peach is not his mother. These glimpses of vulnerability never translate into behavioral change; Bowser invariably returns to plotting and destruction.

His fixation on Mario stems from decades of thwarted ambitions and romantic rivalry over Princess Peach. Beneath the animosity, however, exists an unspoken appreciation for his adversary. Bowser recognizes Mario as a genuinely formidable opponent and appears to derive some satisfaction from their ongoing conflict. During Super Mario Galaxy, he openly acknowledges selecting an appropriate nemesis, one who consistently rises to meet his challenges. The perpetual nature of their opposition—with Bowser enduring apparent deaths, molten immersion, and countless other seeming finalities—suggests a neverending conflict between them.

Powers and abilities

Bowser has an extensive arsenal of supernatural and physical capabilities that establish him as one of the most formidable beings in the Mushroom Kingdom.

His most iconic offensive tool remains his mastery over flame. Bowser can unleash sustained torrents of fire from his jaws or launch discrete fireballs depending on the situation. New Super Mario Bros. expanded this repertoire by introducing blue flames alongside the traditional orange variety in the final battle. Even then, several games feature Bowser as vulnerable to fire-based attacks.

Electrical manipulation represents another weapon in Bowser's arsenal, though it appears less frequently. Hotel Mario demonstrates Bowser's capacity to rain lightning strikes upon opponents, an ability shared by Iggy and Ludwig—the latter capable of directing electrical bolts with precision. The Star Rod grants Bowser lightning-summoning capabilities during the events of Paper Mario, and he employed this power spectacularly at the outset of Super Mario Galaxy, conjuring a massive spacecraft through electrical discharge to rip Princess Peach's Castle from the ground and carry it into orbit.

Raw physical power defines much of Bowser's combat approach. He ranks alongside Donkey Kong as one of the most muscular figures in Mario-related media, and dialogue throughout the role-playing games suggests he takes considerable satisfaction in his own might. This tremendous strength pairs with remarkable resilience—Bowser has plunged into molten rock, weathered explosions, and endured countless other catastrophic injuries without permanent consequence.

Beyond conventional attacks, Bowser possesses a thunderous roar, although he does not use it as a direct offensive technique. The trait appears hereditary; both Morton and Bowser Jr. can produce supersonic screams, and Wendy has exhibited nascent signs of developing similar capabilities.

Spatial displacement became part of Bowser's tactical options beginning with Super Mario 64. During the second major confrontation in that game, when Mario sometimes approaches Bowser, the latter instantaneously relocates elsewhere in the arena, frustrating attempts to seize his tail. Bowser employs this vanishing act as an escape mechanism following his defeats in the initial two encounters of Super Mario Galaxy.

Ground-based shockwave generation allows Bowser to threaten opponents at range through powerful stomps. His offspring Roy and Morton displayed this technique prior to Bowser himself utilizing it prominently.

Perhaps surprisingly given his bulk, Bowser demonstrates considerable speed and nimbleness under certain circumstances. His physical capabilities fluctuate between appearances, but Super Mario 64 showcases impressive athleticism—when hurled from the platform, Bowser launches himself hundreds of feet skyward, and over short distances he can actually outpace Mario on foot.

In Super Mario Bros., Bowser throws several hammers at once. He does not use this attack in much later appearances except New Super Mario Bros. 2.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door reveals Bowser's proficiency as a swimmer, despite his apparent distaste for water, perhaps stemming from its incompatibility with his fire-based nature.

The original Super Mario Bros. instruction manual credits Bowser with considerable aptitude in dark sorcery, though subsequent games rarely explore this dimension of his abilities.

Early life

Main article: Baby Bowser

Bowser's earliest chronological appearance is as a baby in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. Even as an infant, Baby Bowser displays powers similar to his adult self. This game also marks his first encounter with Mario (as Baby Mario).

In Yoshi's Island DS, Baby Bowser is abducted by Kamek and encounters his future self, who has traveled back in time using a magical scepter. The adult Bowser invades Baby Bowser's castle, and later kicks out his younger self after being insulted. Baby Bowser subsequently teams up with Baby Mario, Baby Wario, Baby Donkey Kong, Baby Peach, and Yoshi to rescue Baby Luigi and other babies from the future Bowser. Upon defeating his adult counterpart, Baby Bowser turns on his allies, accusing them of attempting to steal his treasure. When Kamek magically enlarges the adult Bowser to giant proportions, the babies work together to defeat him and send him back to the future.

Super Mario series

Super Mario Bros.

By his first appearance, Super Mario Bros., Bowser has fully established himself as leader of the Koopa Troop. He launches an invasion of the Mushroom Kingdom, transforming many of its citizens into various objects and kidnapping Princess Toadstool—the only character capable of reversing his spell—along with her seven Mushroom Retainers.

Bowser deploys seven of his minions transformed into False Bowsers to guard the Mushroom Retainers in seven castles, while he personally guards Princess Peach in an eighth castle. Mario and Luigi travel through the Mushroom Kingdom, freeing the Mushroom Retainers and eventually reaching Bowser's castle.

In battle, Bowser attacks by spitting fireballs and throwing hammers. Like the False Bowsers, Bowser is defeated when Mario or Luigi touches an axe behind him, destroying the bridge and sending Bowser falling into the lava below.

Bowser enacts an identical scheme in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.

Super Mario Bros. 3

Super Mario Bros. 3 introduces Bowser's seven children, the Koopalings. Each Koopaling (Lemmy Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Ludwig von Koopa, Roy Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, Larry Koopa, and Morton Koopa Jr.) conquers a different land in the Mushroom World, transforming each land's king into an animal, while Bowser remains in Dark Land.

While Mario and Luigi work to liberate the seven lands, Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach. After the two of them complete the seventh world, Pipe Land, they receive a taunting letter from Bowser revealing he has captured Princess Toadstool. Mario and Luigi proceed to Bowser's Castle for the final confrontation. Bowser utilizes a unique Ground Pound to attack, in addition to his flame projectiles. Mario or Luigi have to trick Bowser into ground-pounding the Brick Blocks, as this gradually forms a hole that Bowser eventually falls through, defeating him. Bowser is also susceptible to Fire Mario's fireballs, of which 35 are needed to defeat him, or from Hammer Mario's hammers. Either way, Bowser is defeated, and Princess Toadstool is rescued once more.

Super Mario World

Bowser and the Koopalings return in Super Mario World. While Mario, Luigi, and Princess Toadstool are vacationing in Dinosaur Land, Bowser kidnaps the princess and captures several Yoshis. With the help of the character Yoshi, Mario and Luigi rescue the princess and the captured Yoshis by defeating the Koopalings and Bowser.

The final boss battle takes place on the roof of Bowser's Castle. Bowser attacks from his Koopa Clown Car, throwing Mechakoopas and Big Steelies at Mario. Mario can damage Bowser by throwing the Mechakoopas back at him. After two hits, Bowser temporarily retreats and drops flames on the arena. Princess Peach aids Mario by throwing Super Mushrooms from the Koopa Clown Car. Bowser then attempts to ram Mario with his vehicle. This pattern repeats, and after the third cycle, Bowser is defeated and ejected from the castle roof.

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS

In Super Mario 64 and its remake Super Mario 64 DS, Bowser invades the Mushroom Castle and seals Princess Peach, along with many Toads, inside the castle's walls. He steals the castle's Power Stars and uses them to power his forces and create chaos throughout the worlds within the paintings, intending to convert their residents into monsters for his army. Bowser seals the castle's doors with the Power Stars and his own keys. However, he neglects to seal one door, the one to Bob-omb Battlefield, allowing Mario to enter a painting and start collecting Power Stars.

In the original game, Mario defeats Bowser alone. In the remake, the combined efforts of Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, and Wario are required to free the castle, though only Mario can access the Big Star Doors leading to the courses where Bowser is fought. Bowser is first fought in Bowser in the Dark World, then later at Bowser in the Fire Sea, and lastly Bowser in the Sky.

Bowser is fought three times throughout the game. To defeat him, Mario must grab him by the tail and throw him into one of the bombs surrounding the arena. In the first two battles, when Mario defeats Bowser, he obtains a key that unlocks another area of the castle. In the third and final battle, Bowser must be thrown into a bomb three times before he is defeated. In the end, Mario defeats Bowser, recovers the Jumbo Star, and uses its power to free Princess Peach from the stain-glass window in front of the castle.

Super Mario Sunshine

In the backstory of Super Mario Sunshine, Bowser convinces his son Bowser Jr. into kidnapping Princess Peach, claiming that she is Bowser Jr.'s mother and that Mario is a villain who stole her away. Bowser has less of a role and is not seen until the final battle atop Corona Mountain. Here, Bowser and Bowser Jr. are in a giant hot tub with Peach, bathing in a green hot liquid. Bowser is larger than normal, and he attacks by breathing fire. Mario has to ground-pound all five flame symbol patterns connected to the hot tub to destroy the structure, scattering the characters as they fall down to Isle Delfino.

In an ending cutscene, Bowser Jr. admits that he knew all along that Peach was not his mother, but expresses eagerness to challenge Mario again in the future. Bowser is proud of Bowser Jr. but wants them to rest in the meantime.

New Super Mario Bros.

In New Super Mario Bros., Bowser Jr. is the one who kidnaps Peach, not Bowser, much like with Super Mario Sunshine. Nevertheless, Bowser is still one of the main villains, and he is fought on a few occasions, which still gives him a larger role than in Super Mario Sunshine.

Bowser is the first boss of the game, fought in a manner similar to Super Mario Bros. Unusually, Bowser is killed in World 1 when he falls into lava, transforming into Dry Bowser, the penultimate boss. Dry Bowser is fought similarly to Bowser but he throws bones to attack.

In the final battle, Bowser Jr. revives his father using a cauldron of magic potion, and the duo fights Mario together.

Super Mario Galaxy

Super Mario Galaxy marks Bowser's most ambitious scheme to date, with his plans extending beyond the Mushroom Kingdom to encompass the entire universe. His ultimate goal is to construct his own galaxy at the center of the universe, from which he intends to rule alongside Princess Peach. To accomplish this, Bowser plans to build a galaxy reactor powered by the Grand Stars and use it to cause all existing galaxies to collapse upon themselves.

Prior to the game's events, Bowser attacked Rosalina's Comet Observatory, stole all 120 Power Stars and the seven Grand Stars that power the observatory, using them to fuel his conquest of the universe. Some Lumas were captured and imprisoned at Bowser's bases throughout the universe, along with many Toads. Bowser used the Power Stars and Grand Stars to travel through space and brought the Koopa Troop to aid in his universal conquest.

In the game, Bowser is first seen at Castle Gardens during the centennial Star Festival. His fleet destroys much of the town and freezes most of its inhabitants. While capturing Princess Peach remains Bowser's primary reason for the invasion, he also seeks to obtain the Baby Luma that the princess recently befriended, hoping to use its power for his plans. Bowser approaches Peach's Castle and sarcastically invites Peach to witness the creation of his new galaxy. Bowser then conducts electricity, using it to summon a massive UFO that cuts a perimeter around the castle grounds. His fleet then attaches chains to the severed landmass and lifts the entire castle into space. Mario tries to rescue Peach but is unsuccessful as Kamek unleashes a spell that sends him far away.

Bowser is fought three times, similar to Super Mario 64. All three battles take place on planets covered in lava, darkness, or both. Bowser is first fought at Bowser's Star Reactor, then Bowser's Dark Matter Plant, and lastly Bowser's Galaxy Reactor. Each location is a portion of Bowser's developing galaxy and is named after the Grand Star-powered device housed there. The first two battles show Bowser furthering the creation of his galaxy. When defeated in the first two battles, Bowser surrenders a Grand Star but remains confident he will ultimately prevail.

Bowser's plans are gradually undermined by Mario's actions, which includes collecting Power Stars and Grand Stars, defeating Bowser Jr. in several battles, rescuing Luigi and captured Toads, and destroying much of Bowser's army. However, construction of Bowser's galaxy continues largely unimpeded for most of the game.

At Bowser's Star Reactor, there is a scene where before Mario can reach Bowser, Bowser spits meteors to destroy the staircase that Mario is going up. During the battle, Bowser attacks by stomping the ground to create shockwaves and attempting to ground pound Mario directly. The arena contains several glass panels, which Mario has to trick Bowser into ground-pounding. Upon doing so, the glass panel shatters and Bowser falls into the lava. As a result, Bowser runs around the planet in a panic, leaving him vulnerable. Mario can then use a spin attack to knock Bowser into his shell, causing him to spin around the planet. Repeating this causes Bowser to fall unconscious briefly before recovering. After a third hit, Bowser is defeated, and Mario recovers one of the Grand Stars.

At Bowser's Dark Matter Plant, Bowser employs the same basic tactics as the previous encounter but demonstrates enhanced abilities. He can generate additional shockwaves and has developed his own version of the spin attack. Despite these improvements, Bowser can be defeated using the same methods as before. Following Bowser's defeat, Mario gains another Grand Star, but Bowser remains confident that he will be victorious and complete his galaxy.

Initially, when the final confrontation occurs at Bowser's Galaxy Reactor, Bowser reveals his completed galaxy to Mario and boasts of his plans to rule the universe as a galactic empire. Bowser decides to eliminate Mario personally before finishing his plans. Bowser Jr. holds Princess Peach captive aboard an airship while Mario battles Bowser across multiple planetoids.

The first phase of the final battle begins with Bowser attacking using shockwaves before curling into a boulder-like ball and rolling across the planet's surface. Bowser's head remains exposed during this attack, providing an opening for Mario to strike. On the second planetoid, where the next phase occurs, Bowser encases himself in a double-layered shell formation and rolls across the terrain. He also launches fireballs at Mario. There is a rubbery bulb on the planet that Mario can use to knock Bowser onto his back, after which he slides around helplessly and can be damaged normally. Following Bowser's defeat on the second planetoid, the gravitational pull of the nearby sun draws both combatants toward it. They land on the reactor at the sun's core for the true final phase of the battle. Here, Bowser utilizes enhanced versions of his previous tactics. He can be defeated through the same method used in earlier battles: causing him to ground pound through glass panels, burning himself in the process, and being vulnerable to being spun into.

Upon his final defeat, Bowser is launched from the reactor and plummets into the sun's magma. The final Grand Star is released from the reactor, causing it to go critical and begin destroying Bowser's galaxy. Bowser survives but is severely weakened. He is shown walking on hardened lava on his sun's surface, watching his galaxy and plans fall apart around him. Apparently in shock at his failure, Bowser makes no attempt to escape and slowly sinks back into the lava as the reactor and sun explode, forming a black hole that absorbs his entire galaxy. The Lumas sacrifice themselves to contain the black hole, preventing it from spreading to other galaxies.

The game ends with Mario, Peach, and Bowser back in the Mushroom Kingdom, with the castle restored to its original position. Bowser appears relieved to be alive but is visibly angry and disappointed at his failure.

Role-playing games

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Bowser serves as a temporary ally in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. At the beginning, Bowser kidnaps Princess Toadstool and takes her to Bowser's Keep. Mario follows and battles Bowser on a chandelier in the throne room. Following advice from the princess, Mario attacks the Kinklink chain holding up Bowser's chandelier, causing both Bowser and the chandelier to fall. Bowser retaliates by throwing hammers at Mario's chain, and both plummet to the ground, where Mario jumps off Bowser to reach the princess.

Before Mario can rescue Peach, a giant sword named Exor crashes into Bowser's Keep, scattering Mario, Toadstool, and Bowser across the world. Exor and the Smithy Gang take control of the castle. Bowser lands near Rose Way and, upon encountering Mario, decides to join forces with him to reclaim his castle, even naming Mario, Geno, and Mallow as honorary members of the Koopa Troop. Bowser remains with the party even after his castle is freed, as Geno points out the castle will not be safe until Smithy is defeated—though Bowser claims he continues helping because Smithy insulted him.

In battle, Bowser can use special moves that summon his minions. He has four personal armor items, each supposedly strengthening his shell: Happy Shell, Courage Shell, Fire Shell, and Heal Shell. He also has five personal weapon items: Chomp Shell, Chomp (involving the use of a Chain Chomp), Hurly Gloves, Spiked Link, and Drill Claw.

In the Japanese version, Bowser's victory pose resembled an obscene gesture; this was changed for the international release.

In the game manual, it is stated that Mario and Bowser had fought exactly 999 times by the start of the game's events.

Paper Mario series

Paper Mario

In Paper Mario, with assistance from Kammy Koopa, Bowser invades Star Haven and steals the Star Rod, an artifact that can grant any wish. He imprisons the seven Star Spirits in cards and scatters them across the Mushroom Kingdom. The following day, while a party is ongoing at Peach's Castle, Bowser uses his castle to lift Peach's Castle into the sky. It is revealed that Bowser's motivation for kidnapping Peach is his romantic feelings for her.

Bowser confronts Mario in a scripted battle. Since Bowser uses the Star Rod's power to render himself invincible, Mario always loses the battle. Believing Mario to be dead, Bowser throws his body down to the Mushroom Kingdom and imprisons Princess Peach in her own castle under heavy guard. The party guests are locked in Bowser's Castle dungeons.

Mario survives and, with his partners Goombario, Kooper, Bombette, Parakarry, Bow, Watt, Sushie, and Lakilester, sets out to rescue the seven Star Spirits. Their combined power creates the Star Beam, which can negate the Star Rod's effects.

In the final battle atop Bowser's Castle, Kammy Koopa uses a device called the Power Platform to increase Bowser's size and power. This enhanced form is too strong for the Star Beam to counter. However, Princess Peach wishes for Mario's strength to increase, and one of the Star Spirits, Twink, grants her wish by bestowing the Peach Beam upon Mario.

With the Star Rod neutralized, Mario defeats Bowser and reclaims the Star Rod. The intensity of the battle causes the Power Platform to malfunction and destroy Bowser's Castle. Bowser and Kammy attempt to flee but are caught in the explosion and fall from the sky. The Star Rod is returned to the Star Spirits, Peach's Castle is restored to its original location, and peace returns to the Mushroom Kingdom.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Bowser appears as a secondary antagonist in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. During the story, Bowser attempts to collect the Crystal Stars before Mario, but Bowser always falls short and does not manage to obtain any. Bowser is fought as a boss twice: first in the Glitz Pit and later in the Palace of Shadow before Sir Grodus awakens the Shadow Queen.

In a few parts of the game, the player controls Bowser in various intermission chapters. These segments often feature Bowser traversing side-scrolling levels reminiscent of Super Mario Bros., including a grasslands area, an underwater area, and a castle area. Bowser can eat chunks of meat to increase in size, much like the Super Mushroom does with Mario, and he can defeat X-Nauts along the way.

Super Paper Mario

At the beginning of Super Paper Mario, Mario and Luigi rush to Bowser's Castle upon discovering Princess Peach is missing. Bowser is surprised, as he was only preparing to kidnap her and was not yet ready. Count Bleck then appears and abducts Luigi, Bowser, and his minions, leaving Mario unconscious.

Count Bleck forces Bowser and Princess Peach to marry, unknowingly to Bowser, in order to create the Chaos Heart and open the Void—a dimension-destroying phenomenon. Bowser considers the wedding legitimate, though Princess Peach dismisses it as a sham.

After learning the Void's true purpose, Bowser joins Mario and Peach's quest to stop it. He becomes a playable character, switchable with Mario, Peach, and later Luigi. The last boss fought by Bowser is O'Chunks in Castle Bleck. In the ending, Bowser witnesses Count Bleck and Tippi's marriage, which stops the Void.

Mario & Luigi series

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga

Bowser initially assists Mario and Luigi in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, transporting them to the Beanbean Kingdom aboard his Koopa Cruiser after Peach's voice had been stolen by the evil witch Cackletta, who takes the role of main antagonist instead of Bowser. However, the ship is shot down by Fawful, and Bowser becomes stuck in a cannon in Stardust Fields. The cannon is owned by Tolstar, who demands 100 Beanbean coins in exchange for Bowser's freedom and to convince him not to gossip about the humiliating incident to all of Beanbean Kingdom. Even when Mario and Luigi gather the required total, Tolstar still refuses to free Bowser, initiating a boss fight between them. After the battle, the Starshade Bros. free Bowser by firing him out of the cannon. Bowser ends up crashing into the mountains, giving him amnesia.

When Mario and Luigi next encounter Bowser, he is working for Popple under the name Rookie. The brothers fight Rookie and Popple twice before Bowser regains his memories. As Rookie, Bowser attacks using hammer throws and fire breath, similar to his attacks from the original Super Mario Bros..

Immediately after recovering his memories, Bowser is possessed by Cackletta, creating the hybrid entity Bowletta. Bowletta assumes command of the Koopa Troop, including the Koopalings, and launches a military assault on the Beanbean Kingdom. After Mario and Luigi defeat Bowletta, they are pulled into Bowser's stomach—a chamber filled with flames—to battle Cackletta's spirit. Upon Cackletta's destruction, Bowser returns to normal. He is later shipped back to the Mushroom Kingdom in a package by Prince Peasley.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

Baby Bowser appears at the beginning of Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, kidnapping Baby Peach before being defeated by Baby Mario and Baby Luigi. He returns throughout the game, at one point swallowing two Cobalt Star shards and later stealing Yoshi Cookies.

When Princess Shroob (disguised as Princess Peach) is brought to the present, the adult Bowser appears, grabs her, and falls through a time hole into the past. There he encounters his younger self, whom he mistakes for "some bratty kid." The two Bowsers team up and fight Mario and Luigi in Thwomp Volcano.

After their defeat, the Shroobs abduct both Bowsers, though the adult Bowser falls back through a time hole to the present. After Mario and Luigi defeat the Elder Princess Shroob, she transforms into a mushroom. Bowser eats this mushroom and becomes Shrowser, fighting Mario and Luigi in a battle where they cannot attack. When the Elder Princess Shroob's essence is destroyed, Bowser collapses, and the brothers perform a victory pose on his unconscious body.

Other Mario games

Mario Kart series

Bowser is a playable racer in every title of the Mario Kart series, beginning with Super Mario Kart. The only exception is Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, where only Mario or Luigi are playable. Bowser is billed a heavyweight, so he has low acceleration but a high top speed. Various iterations of Bowser's Castle exist as race courses throughout the series.

In Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Bowser is partnered with his son, Bowser Jr., by default. His special item is the Bowser Shell, and his signature kart is the Koopa King. In Mario Kart DS, like other racers, Bowser has three of his own karts: Standard BW, Tyrant, and the unlockable Hurricane.

Mario Party series

Bowser has appeared as an antagonist throughout the Mario Party series. In several titles, he has his own space, the Bowser Space, which depicts his face emblem. When a character lands on a Bowser Space, they are transported to Bowser's presence, where they usually receive a random penalty, typically losing coins or even a Star to him. In some cases, Bowser challenges the character who landed on his space or even every character to one of his own mini-games.

Mario Party 2

In Mario Party 2, Bowser adopts different themed personas on each board. In Space Land, his alter-ego is Black Hole Bowser, who appears in a spaceship that can fire a tractor beam that takes away all the coins of whomever it hits. In Mystery Land, Bowser is known as Bowser Sphinx, wearing Egyptian attire and challenging players to riddles. In Western Land, he is Bowser the Brash, who is dressed as a cowboy outlaw. In Pirate Land, he is Cap'n Bowser, a pirate who wears an eyepatch and wields a saber. In Horror Land, he is Wizard Bowser, who wears a vampire-style cape and wields a wand.

Mario Party 4

Mario Party 4 is Bowser's first playable appearance in the Mario Party series but only during the Beach Volley Folly mini-game.

Mario Party Advance

Bowser is also the antagonist of Shroom City mode in Mario Party Advance. He has scattered all of the Gaddgets around the city, forcing the player to retrieve them. He is also involved in various quests. At one point, Bowser claims to have an IQ of 9,800.

Mario Party DS

Bowser has a role in the Story mode of Mario Party DS. He captures the player characters and shrinks them using his Minimizer in order to obtain Mario's Sky Crystal. The last board is Bowser's own, titled Bowser's Pinball Machine. Much later on, after Donkey Kong accidentally stomps on the Minimizer, the characters return to normal size, Bowser, now bound in ropes along with Bowser Jr., admits he only wanted the Sky Crystals to unlock Triangle Twisters and "got a little carried away." Mario understands and unties them, then all of the characters proceed to enjoy Triangle Twisters together.

Mario Golf series

Bowser is typically a default playable character in the Mario Golf games. However, in Mario Golf: Advance Tour, he is unlockable via data transfer with Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour. Bowser has the longest drive distance of any character but low control.

In the story of Mario Golf: Advance Tour, Bowser competes against Neil and Ella, behaving rudely and nearly getting into a fight with Mario before Princess Peach intervenes.

Mario Tennis series

Bowser appears in every Mario Tennis game as a power-type character, excluding the Virtual Boy title Mario's Tennis. Bowser can hit powerful serves and returns but has slow court speed. His power shot involves shooting fireballs as a distraction before hitting the ball hard. His defensive shot involves ducking into his shell and spinning to return the ball.

Luigi's Mansion

Bowser does not appear in Luigi's Mansion. Instead, King Boo operates a mechanical Bowser suit as the final boss. The suit can only be damaged by throwing spiked balls at its head, which dislodges it and exposes King Boo to Luigi's Poltergust 3000. As King Boo's health decreases, he retreats back into the suit and accidentally reattaches the head backwards.

The fortune-telling ghost Madame Clairvoya mentions that Bowser was destroyed by Mario, which has led to unproven speculation that the game takes place after a future event in which Bowser is permanently defeated.

Mario Superstar Baseball

In Mario Superstar Baseball, Bowser appears as one of the six main team captains as well as a playable character. Bowser's Special Skill is the Killer Ball, in which he sends the baseball in the form of a Bullet Bill while either pitching or batting.

In the opening cutscene, flyers bearing his emblem are sent to the five main captains (Mario, Princess Peach, Wario, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong), challenging them to a game of baseball. Bowser does not appear during the cutscene until the

In Challenge mode, Bowser and his team are the final opponents, and they are fought at the Bowser's Castle stadium. When the player completes all four tiers of difficulty (Mushroom, Flower, Star, and Special), Bowser becomes playable in the mode, and his goal is to win baseball games against the other five teams, led by Mario, Peach, Wario, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong respectively.

One of the mini-games, Wall Ball, features walls depicting Bowser's emblem that the characters have to avoid hitting. If a character hits the wall, the screen darkens slightly while his emblem appears onscreen, accompanied by a sound effect of his sinister laugh.

Super Princess Peach

In Super Princess Peach, Bowser constructs a villa on Vibe Island. His troops discover the Vibe Scepter and use its powers to capture Mario, Luigi, and Toad while Princess Peach is away. Peach embarks on a quest to rescue them.

Late into her adventure, after Peach defeats the Army Hammer Bro, she confronts the final boss, Bowser. He is fought twice—once in his normal form and once in an enlarged, more powerful state.

Mario Strikers series

Super Mario Strikers

In Super Mario Strikers, Bowser appears on the field at random, interfering with the players as he tilts the field and attacks them.

Mario Strikers Charged

In Mario Strikers Charged, Bowser's role has been upgraded to making him a playable character. His outfit depicts him wearing metal armor. Bowser is classified as a Power type, making him effective at tackling and passing the ball, although he moves around slowly. Bowser's special ability is Fire Storm!, where he breathes fire around him, and his Mega Strike transforms him into a fiery monster before hurling the ball.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3

In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Bowser is a playable character. His Special Shot is the Bomber Dunk, which the player can activate by tapping out a capital "B" on the Touch Screen. Bowser's Castle is also featured as a playable stadium, where in the background, Bowser's face is depicted on two stone pillars.

Yoshi's Island DS

The adult Bowser from the future appears as the final boss of Yoshi's Island DS, having traveled back in time to locate the Star Children, said to be a threat to his power. Among the children he abducts or attempts to abduct are Baby Mario, Baby Luigi, Baby Peach, Baby Donkey Kong, Baby Wario, and Baby Bowser.

The heroic babies defeat Bowser, and Kamek enlarges him to giant size. To defeat Giant Bowser, the Yoshis must throw Giant Eggs so that they collide and explode in front of Bowser's face. Upon Bowser's defeat, it is revealed that the heroic babies, along with a Baby Yoshi born shortly after Bowser's departure, are the seven Star Children.

Crossover game appearances

Super Smash Bros. series

Bowser has been introduced as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Melee and has returned in every subsequent installment. He is classified as a heavyweight character with high attack power but slow speed and, despite his shell, weak defensive capabilities.

According to the Japanese website for the Nintendo 64 game Super Smash Bros., Bowser was originally planned to appear as a playable fighter, but he was removed due to time and hardware constraints.

Super Smash Bros. Melee

In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Bowser is one of the fighters playable from the start. For his special moves, Bowser's standard special is his Fire Breath, in which he breathes flames; his side special is Koopa Klaw, in which he swipes his claws; his up special is Whirling Fortress, in which he spins inside his shell; and his down special is Bowser Bomb, in which he performs a ground pound much like during his final battle in Super Mario Bros. 3.

Bowser has some additional roles in the single-player modes, especially Adventure mode. There are also three collectible trophies of Bowser, but he is also featured in the Koopa Clown Car trophy as well as his form Baby Bowser.

In Adventure mode, Bowser is fought on Final Destination as the final boss. Bowser is slightly larger than normal, making him slightly more resistant to knockback. Upon being defeated, Bowser returns into trophy form and falls off of the stage, and the fighter does their victory animation. In Normal difficulty or higher, there is a subtle difference in that Bowser uses his black alternate costume, and if he is defeated within 18 minutes of the player starting the mode, Bowser's trophy returns on the stage. Lightning then strikes the trophy, turning him into his more monstrous form, Giga Bowser. After Giga Bowser is defeated, he returns into trophy form and falls offstage, this time shattering into the black void.

Bowser also appears in some of the event matches. He is first seen in the very first event match, Trouble King, where Mario has to fight a CPU Bowser.

If the player switches the game's language to Japanese, this changes Bowser's name to "Koopa."

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Bowser also appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a playable fighter. His side special move has been changed to Flying Slam, in which Bowser grabs an opponent, jumps into the air, and slams them on the ground. His Final Smash involves transforming into Giga Bowser.

Bowser is one of the villains working for the Subspace Army during the events of the single-player campaign Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary. At one point, he and his minions try to steal Donkey Kong's banana hoard. Later on, Bowser uses a device known as a Dark Cannon to transform Donkey Kong into a trophy.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games

Bowser appears as a power-type character in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. Bowser has the highest strength and stamina of any character. Bowser's strength enables him to excel in events such as Hammer Throw.

Other media

Films

Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!

Bowser (under his Japanese name King Koopa) is the main villain of the Japan-exclusive anime film Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!. He kidnaps Princess Peach with the intent of forcing her to marry him. Near the end of the film, his wedding is interrupted by Mario and Luigi. Mario defeats Bowser by using a Starman to become invincible and throws Bowser over the horizon. A post-credits sequence shows Bowser and his Koopa Troopa minions working happily at Mario and Luigi's grocery store.

Super Mario Amada Series

Bowser also appears in all three Super Mario Amada Series OVAs, taking on the role of various fairy tale villains. In Momotarō, he plays the ogre who kidnaps Princess Peach. Bowser is defeated by Mario and his allies, and Peach is rescued. In Issun-bōshi, he bullies Peach and Mario and swallows the latter. However, Mario pokes Bowser's insides with a needle, causing Bowser to regurgitate him and flee. In Shirayukihime (Snow White), Bowser plays the Wicked Queen who attempts to steal Princess Peach's beauty. Bowser's plot is unsuccessful, and he is eventually defeated by Luigi.

Super Mario Bros. film

In the live-action Super Mario Bros. film, Bowser is named King Koopa. He is a near-human tyrannical ruler of Dinohatten, an alternate-dimension version of Manhattan that he had taken over. Bowser seeks to conquer Earth using a meteorite fragment owned by Princess Daisy. After invading Earth briefly, Koopa battles Mario and Luigi in Dinohatten. He is ultimately hit by his own Devolution Gun and regresses first into a Tyrannosaurus rex and then into primordial ooze.

The official novelization of the film refers to Princess Daisy's father as "King Bowser."

Television

He is the main antagonist of all three Mario cartoons produced by DiC Entertainment: The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World. In all three series, he is named King Koopa.

In The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, Bowser frequently adopts aliases and costumes matching each episode's setting, with schemes typically involving conquering kingdoms or stealing treasures. His henchmen include the Koopa Pack and various sidekicks, most commonly Mouser.

In The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, Bowser and the Koopalings cause havoc in the Mushroom Kingdom. Unlike the previous show, Bowser does not undergo a unique alias for every episode.

In Super Mario World, Bowser's schemes extend over to Dinosaur Land. He is assisted by the Koopalings, as before.

During the late 1980s, Bowser hosted King Koopa's Kool Kartoons, a live-action children's television show where he distributed Nintendo merchandise to children in the audience and showed public domain cartoons.

Publications

Bowser appears as the main antagonist throughout Valiant Comics' Nintendo Comics System and its successor, Nintendo Adventure Books.

In the Super Mario Adventures comic featured in Nintendo Power, Bowser kidnaps Princess Toadstool in order to marry her, placing her under the Koopalings' guard while turning several Mushroom People to stone. He also hypnotized various Yoshis. Bowser is eventually defeated when Mario, Luigi, and the Yoshis crash his wedding. Attempting to escape in his Koopa Clown Copter, Bowser is lassoed by Mario and loses control, crashing into his own wedding cake.

Bowser is one of the characters featured in the book How to Draw Nintendo Heroes and Villains. He is erroneously referred to as "Kerog."

Other

Bowser appeared as the main villain in Mario Ice Capades, attempting to cause worldwide chaos by spreading a virus through Nintendo Entertainment Systems.

Family

Parents and ancestors

Bowser's mother, Mama Koopa, first appears in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Do You Princess Toadstool Take This Koopa...?" She is depicted as a bossy, bullying woman. In another episode of the show, "Butch Mario & the Luigi Kid," Bowser (as Kid Koopa) mentions his grandfather, Poopa La Koopa, whose motto was "Cheat, beat, and be merry!"

Nintendo Comics System occasionally references Bowser's father, who is implied to be a criminal being pursued by authorities.

Nintendo Power UK once mentioned Clawdia Koopa as Bowser's wife, but this character has never appeared in any games or subsequent publications.

Children

Bowser has eight known children. Seven of them are Ludwig von Koopa, Lemmy Koopa, Roy Koopa, Iggy Koopa, Wendy O. Koopa, Morton Koopa Jr., and Larry Koopa—first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3. Shigeru Miyamoto attempted to retcon this fact in an issue of Game Informer by claiming the Koopalings are not Bowser's children.

Bowser Jr., his youngest child and namesake, first appeared in Super Mario Sunshine.

Other relatives and associates

The Super Mario Bros. film introduces Iggy and Spike as King Koopa's cousins.

Nintendo Comics System features Pookie, a pet rabbit owned by Bowser and his children. The rabbit lives under negligent conditions and eventually escapes the castle in the comic "Bowser Knows Best."

Kamek, a Magikoopa who first appears in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, serves as Baby Bowser's caretaker and possible adoptive father figure.

Koopa Kid, introduced in the Mario Party series, resembles Bowser but appears to be unrelated to him. Bowser treats Koopa Kid somewhat like a child, such as by banning him from playing with toys when he fails, as seen in Mario Party 5.

Voice actors

Media	Voice actor
Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!	Akiko Wada
Mario Ice Capades	Christopher Hewett
DiC Entertainment cartoons	Harvey Atkin
King Koopa's Kool Kartoons	Christopher Collins
Super Mario Bros. film	Dennis Hopper
Video games (1996–2001)	Isaac Marshall
Video games (2002–2007)	Scott Burns
Super Mario Strikers and various later titles	Kenny James
Super Paper Mario	Eric Newsome

Alter-egos

The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! features numerous episodes where Bowser adopts themed costumes and aliases:

Alter-ego	Episode
Kid Koopa	"Butch Mario & the Luigi Kid"
Captain Koopa	"Rolling Down the River"
Emperor Augustus Septembres Octoberus Koopa	"The Great Gladiator Gig"
Moon Man Koopa	"Stars in Their Eyes"
Koopa Khan	"Brooklyn Bound"
King-of-the-Road Koopa	"Toad Warriors"
Count Koopula	"Count Koopula"
Blackbeard Koopa	"Pirates of Koopa"
King Goo Goo Ga Ga Koopa	"Two Plumbers and a Baby"
Professor Kooparity	"The Adventures of Sherlock Mario"
Dr. Koopenstein / Koopenstein Monster	"Koopenstein"
Koopfinger	"On Her Majesty's Sewer Service"
The Sheriff of Koopingham	"Hooded Robin and His Mario Men"
Koopa Nemo	"20,000 Koopas Under the Sea"
King O'Koopa	"Mighty McMario and the Pot of Gold"
Koop-zilla	"Mario Meets Koop-zilla"
Red Baron Koopa	"Mario and the Red Baron Koopa"
Koopa Klaus	"Koopa Klaus"
Al Koopone	"The Unzappables"
Rappin' Koopa	"Bad Rap"
El Koopitan	"The Mark of Zero"
Koop Tut	"The Ten Koopmandments"
Redcoat Koopa	"The Koopas Are Coming! The Koopas Are Coming!"
Alley Koop	"Quest for Pizza"
Claim Jump Koopa	"The Great Gold Coin Rush"
Kool Koopa	"Elvin Lives"
Karate Koopa	"Karate Koopa"
Billy the Koopa	"The Provolone Ranger"
Judge Koopa / Warden Koopa	"Escape from Koopatraz"
Barra-Koopa	"Mario of the Deep"
Kolonel Von Koop	"Raiders of the Lost Mushroom"
Kangaroo Koopa	"Crocodile Mario"
Darth Koopa	"Star Koopa"
Robo Koopa	"Robo Koopa"

Similar cowboy personas (Kid Koopa, Claim Jump Koopa, Billy the Koopa) also appeared across multiple Old West-themed episodes.

Additional names

Bowser is referred to by various titles, especially within the cartoons produced by DiC Entertainment.

• Formal titles: King Bowser, Lord Bowser, His Grouchiness, His Gnarliness, His Filthiness, His Rancidness, His Awfulness, His Massiveness, The Boss of Bwahaha
• Family names: King Dad (Koopalings), Pop (Koopalings), Daddykins (Wendy O. Koopa), Papa (Bowser Jr.), Koopums (Mama Koopa)
• Insults: Koopa Stoopa (Toad and Princess Peach), Old geezer (Baby Bowser)