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{{about|King Bowser Koopa, the main antagonist from the [[Mario (series)|''Mario'' series]]|the character that represents Bowser in the [[Super Mario Bros. (film)|''Super Mario Bros.'' film]]|[[President Koopa]]|the king of Dinohattan from the film, named "King Bowser"|[[Mushroom King#Super Mario Bros. Film|here]]|the kart from ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]''|[[Koopa King]]}}
{{character
|image=[[File:Bowser -
|full_name=King Bowser Koopa
|first_appearance=''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' ([[1985]])
|latest_appearance=''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'' ([[2023]])
|species=[[Koopa (species)|Koopa]]
|latest_portrayal=[[Kenny James]] ([[2007]]-present)
}}
{{quote|[[Mario|MAAAARRRRIIOOOO!]] Are you seriously trying to start with me again?! I hear about this big meeting, and I'm all ready to act nice... But man, the second I see your face, Mr. Nice Bowser is GONE. Yeah, forget your dumb meeting! I'll pummel you and grab [[Princess Peach|Peach]]!|Bowser|Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story}}
'''Bowser''', sometimes known as '''King Koopa''' or '''King Bowser''' (Japanese: {{hover|大魔王|だいまおう}}クッパ, ''Daimaō Kuppa'',
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 & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]''). In the ''Mario'' RPGs, Bowser is generally cast as an antihero or a minor villain, with the exception of ''[[Paper Mario]]'', ''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]'', ''[[Mario & Luigi: Dream Team]]'', ''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam]]'', and ''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]''.
Bowser's defining traits are his monstrous appearance with dragon-like elements, full-throated roar, fire-breathing abilities, cruel personality, bestial reptilian voice, never-ending conflict with Mario, and unrequited crush for Peach.
==Creation==
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When [[Baby Mario]] and [[Yoshi]] enter his room in his castle, Baby Bowser is unintentionally and forcibly awakened from his nap by [[Kamek]] (who is trying to demand Yoshi to give Baby Mario), and pounds him flat in retribution. Baby Bowser then notices Yoshi and decides he wants to ride the "green donkey." He notices that Baby Mario is riding Yoshi, however, so he attacks them to get Baby Mario. Yoshi eventually defeats 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 (place)|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 ''[[Yoshi's New Island]]'', he plans to turn [[Egg Island]] into his vacation home, but this plan is ultimately thwarted by the [[Yoshi (species)|Yoshi]]s.
In
===''Super Mario'' series===
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*A [[POW Block]].
*A [[Thwomp]], a [[Muncher]], or a solid block lands on top of him.
*Mario runs through Bowser while under the effects of the [[
*Mario ground pounds Bowser while wearing the giant [[Goomba's Shoe|stiletto]].
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===''Mario Teaches Typing'' games===
[[File:Mariotype.jpg|left|thumb|One of Bowser's appearances in ''Mario Teaches Typing''.]]
Bowser also makes some minor appearances in the two ''[[Mario Teaches Typing]]'' games, such as appearing when the letter "B" is typed in the first game's alternate game mode. Additionally, a Bowser portrait also appears in the room where the Koopa Troopas are playing cards in ''[[Mario Teaches Typing 2]]''. In both games' story modes, Bowser is not featured, but his castle is, though it is destroyed by Mario and Luigi at the end. In the second game's story mode intro, the [[Magical Typewriter]] gives them a message that states it is "the key to beating Bowser."
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===''Mario Is Missing!''===
[[File:BeachKoopa-Bowser.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A de-shelled Bowser in the PC version of ''Mario is Missing!''.]]
Bowser causes much trouble on [[Earth]] during ''[[Mario is Missing!]]''. Bowser plans to use several hairdryers to melt [[Antarctica]], which would result in the [[Earth]] flooding. However, because he cannot afford the amount of hairdryers needed to enact the scheme, Bowser sends his Koopa Troop across the world to steal rare and valuable artifacts to sell.
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===''Mario's Time Machine''===
[[File:Bowsertimemachine.PNG|thumb|Bowser standing aloft his Timulator in ''Mario's Time Machine''.]]
In ''[[Mario's Time Machine]]'', Bowser uses a time machine known as the [[Timulator]] to steal valuable artifacts from Earth's past, then places them in his own personal museum. He plans to destroy the Timulator after he is done, which would drastically alter the present. The player must take back Bowser's stolen artifacts and use the Timulator to return them to their proper places, saving the time stream.
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===''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars''===
{{smrpgenemy|
|image=[[File:Smrpg bowser.gif|200px]]
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|psychopath=Mario! It's time!<ref>This thought is present within the game's coding, but because Mallow is not available at this point in the game, it goes unused. Through hacking methods, it can be seen.</ref>
}}
{{
[[File:Kinklink SMRPG.png|thumb|200px|left|Bowser and Mario's fight at the beginning of ''Super Mario RPG''.]]
Bowser serves as Mario's ally in ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]'', making this game the first time they have teamed up. At the beginning of the ''Super Mario RPG'', Bowser, in his Koopa Clown Car, flies to [[Mario's House|Mario's Pad]] to kidnap Princess Toadstool and take her back to his keep. However, Mario, hearing Toadstool scream, is on his tail. Bowser and Mario face each other atop a pair of chandeliers in the throne room. During battle, he attacks Mario by swiping him with his claws and launching his back spikes at him. At first, Bowser seems to be unbeatable, but the princess then advises Mario to attack the [[Kinklink]] chain holding up the chandelier. Once the Kinklink is damaged enough, it let's go of the chandelier, and Bowser plummets to the ground below. Not giving up, however, he throws [[Hammer]]s at Mario's chain, bringing him down as well, but before he can hit the ground, Mario [[jump]]s off of Bowser's head, giving him a boost up to the princess to free her. After the battle, a huge sword named [[Exor]] crashes into Bowser's Keep, sending Mario, Toadstool, and Bowser flying in different directions.
[[File:KoopaTroopRPG.
While traveling through [[Rose Way]], Mario and Mallow spot Bowser, with a small army of minions consisting of several Goombas, Magikoopas, and [[Terrapin]]s; he gives them some pep talk, then they head off to reclaim his keep from the [[Smithy Gang]]. Later, at [[Moleville]], Bowser is conveniently there at the same time as Mario once again; however, most of the minions he had earlier are now gone.
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===''Paper Mario'' series===
====''Paper Mario''====
{{pmenemybox
|align=right
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====''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door''====
{{pmenemybox
|PM2=yes
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|after=[[Gus|42]]
}}
{{
Bowser also appears as a minor villain in ''[[Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door]]''. In this game, Kammy Koopa summons Bowser to tell him that Mario his attempting to find treasures known as the [[Crystal Stars]]. Bowser decides to find them himself because he believes they are "good world-conquering tools." She also states that Princess Peach has been taken by someone else, after having just been told herself, so he makes it his mission to find and kidnap her himself. Optionally, prior to Kammy Koopa delivering this news, Bowser can also listen in to two Hammer Bros. talking, with one talking about seeing Bowser swooning over a portrait of Princess Peach before realizing that Bowser was right behind him, although Bowser will apparently find it amusing enough to attempt to get him to continue with the story, to the Hammer Bros.' reluctance. Accompanied by Kammy, Bowser appears in many cutscenes, in which he is a playable character. These scenes sometimes involve Bowser traveling through a side-scrolling world similar to the ones in ''Super Mario Bros.'' (these levels partially inspired ''Super Paper Mario''). During these segments, Bowser can breathe fire or jump to defeat enemies, and can collect the [[Meat]] found in blocks to increase in size, becoming invincible and being able to destroy blocks and pipes after eating three. He also has infinite lives. Throughout these cutscenes, Bowser always appears to be a step behind Mario, and ultimately fails to find a single Crystal Star.
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====''Super Paper Mario''====
{{
{{Spmenemybox
|image=[[File:Pprbwsr.png|120px]]
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[[File:Bowser - PaperMarioColorSplash.png|thumb|Artwork of Black Bowser in ''Paper Mario: Color Splash'']]
[[File:BowserColorSplash.jpg|thumb|left|Bowser in ''Paper Mario: Color Splash'', ready to paint his shell in a rainbow]]
{{
Bowser appears in ''[[Paper Mario: Color Splash]]'' as the main antagonist. He is covered by [[black paint]], altering his physical appearance to a degree that he has red eyes with yellow sclera.
Prior to Mario's arrival on [[Prism Island]], Bowser accidentally created the black paint while attempting to coat his shell in a rainbow color scheme. He was promptly possessed by the paint, and proceeded to lay waste to Port Prisma. After this, he hurled the [[Big Paint Star]]s to various locations, draining the island of its color.
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After Mario and Huey return the red Big Paint Star to Port Prisma, it prompts a flashback showing Bowser throwing the Big Paint Stars away. After, Bowser shows up to announce his intentions to "share the gift of black paint with the world". When he leaves, he takes Princess Peach with him.
As the Big Paint Stars are collected, flashbacks continue to show what happened at Port Prisma. Once the last one is collected, the following flashback shows Bowser's attempt to paint his shell
Bowser appears once more during the final sequence at Black Bowser's Castle as the final boss of the game. Once Mario and Huey arrives, he taunts the duo with the now-colorless Peach before initiating a battle. After a tough battle, Mario drains some black paint from Bowser, allowing him to come to his senses. This is short-lived, though, as the black paint possesses him once more. He grows to a larger size, and the true battle begins. Bowser quickly proves to be too much for Mario, but Huey allows himself to be used as a card. Mario successfully returns him to a 3D form. Together, they drain the black paint from Bowser and lock it away. After the battle, Bowser admits to having no idea what's going on before floating away, like the Koopalings before him.
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Bowser returns to a speaking role in this game, having a similar personality to his appearances in the first three ''Paper Mario'' games. In the scenes where Bowser is in control, he does not hold animosity towards Mario, flat-out asking if Mario is there because of a scheduled kart race.
In battle, Bowser uses a wide variety of heavy-hitting attacks. His fire breath hits several times for small amounts of damage, as the sole exception. He
====''Paper Mario: The Origami King''====
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===''Super Smash Bros.'' series===
{{SSB fighter infobox
|color=red
|align=right
|title=Bowser
|emblem=Mario Emblem.png
|image=Bowser SSBU artwork.png
|games=''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''<br>''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''<br>''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]''<br>''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]''<br>''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' (unlockable)
|standard=[[Fire Breath]]
|side=[[Koopa Klaw]] (''
|up=[[Whirling Fortress]]
|down=[[Bowser Bomb (move)|Bowser Bomb]]
|final=[[Giga Bowser]] (''Brawl'', ''for 3DS'' / ''Wii U''); [[Giga Bowser Punch]] (''Ultimate'')
|entrance=Bowser emerges from
}}
====''Super Smash Bros. Melee''====
[[File:Bowser SSBM stock icon.png|thumb|left]]
Bowser is a recurring playable character in the [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' series]]. He was [[List of Super Smash Bros. pre-release and unused content#Early ideas|originally planned]] to be included as a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'', but was scrapped due to time constraints; however, he made his ''Super Smash Bros.'' debut in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. Bowser is very strong, with some of the most powerful attacks out of any character. He is also the heaviest character in the game, making it particularly difficult to send him flying, though he is very slow as a result. Bowser is given more realistic, animal-like voice clips in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, with his voice in this game being similar to his voice effects from the [[Nintendo 64]]-era ''Mario'' games (such as ''Super Mario 64'' and ''Mario Kart 64''). Most of Bowser's attacks are original, though his forward tilt resembles the first hit of his [[Drill Claw]] move from ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars''.
Bowser's standard special move is [[Fire Breath]], his standard flame-spewing attack. His side special is [[Koopa Klaw]], a claw swipe that grabs enemies. His up special is [[Whirling Fortress]], which has him retract into his shell and spin rapidly. Finally, his down special move is [[Bowser Bomb (move)|Bowser Bomb]], a [[Ground Pound]]-type move based on his attack from ''Super Mario Bros. 3''.
''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' also introduces [[Giga Bowser]], a more powerful form of Bowser, as the hidden final boss of Adventure Mode, as well as in Event Mode.
Bowser replaces Luigi as Mario's opponent in the How to Play tutorial from this game onwards.
====''Super Smash Bros. Brawl''====
[[File:Bowser SSBB.png|thumb|left]]
In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', Bowser is still among the heaviest fighters, being heavier in this game than in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' (weighing 120 units as opposed to 118), though he is slightly faster and weaker. He is also now one of the few characters who can crawl. He has been given a new side special move for this game: [[Flying Slam]], which has Bowser grab a nearby opponent, leap into the air and slam into the ground on top of them. His [[Final Smash]] transforms him into Giga Bowser, which makes him giant, prevents him from taking knockback, and gives his attacks increased power. Bowser's forward smash is no longer a single-hitting headbutt that induces an explosion; it is now a standard headbutt that can hit twice for huge damage.
For this game, Bowser's voice effects are more realistic animal growls and grunts.
====[[Solid Snake]]
*'''Colonel''': Careful, Snake! That's the great and terrible Bowser!
*'''Snake''': Bowser? Looks like a cheap movie monster.
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*'''Colonel''': Well, he is the king of Koopas. It's only natural he'd be slow. But that's only because he's the heaviest fighter here--by far. He's a powerhouse of destruction. Careful he doesn't flatten you.
=====The Subspace Emissary=====
[[File:SubspaceIntro-Bowser.png|thumb|
In
Later, he encounters the princess [[Kirby]] saved (either Peach or [[Princess Zelda|Zelda]]), having been left behind when Kirby heads off to check out an ominous noise. Bowser blasts her
It is later shown that Bowser is working closely with [[Ganondorf]] in running the Subspace Army (along with [[Wario]] to a minor extent), though he dislikes him and prefers [[Master Hand]]. He reluctantly follows his orders, however, and heads to [[King Dedede|King Dedede's]] castle upon receiving info from
He later appears a third time to Fox and Diddy Kong, this time turning
[[File:GanondorfBowserGunship.png|thumb|
Eventually, Bowser and Ganondorf fly a [[Subspace Gunship]] into the other world from the [[Subspace (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)|Subspace]] explosion created on the [[Isle of Ancients]] and use
Upon being revived by King Dedede, Bowser
Eventually, Tabuu is defeated by the combined power of the heroes, and they all return to the [[World of Trophies]]. The credits depict the entire group on a cliff, looking out at sea towards a large "X" formed out of light, the location of what once was the
====Special Moves====
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Giga Bowser is a ''Super Smash Bros.''-exclusive creation, but the concept of Bowser growing in size is not unheard of. In several games, including ''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]'', ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'', ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'', ''[[Super Mario Galaxy 2]]'', and ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'', he has changed his size at different points. The method of this, though, varies from game to game.
====''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' / ''Wii U''====
[[File:SSB4 - Bowser Artwork.png|thumb|Bowser's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS'' / ''Wii U'']]
Bowser reappears as a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'', and has received a number of changes. For one, Bowser's stance has been made upright, compared to his more hunched appearance in previous games, making him the largest character in the game. He has also been made faster and can jump higher in this game, and now has full armor against moves that deal minor knockback. His weight has been greatly increased, now weighing 130 units. While Bowser's special moves are unchanged, a number of his other moves in the previous games, such as his neutral attack, down tilt, forward smash, neutral and back air attacks, and dash attack, have been replaced with new attacks, while even more have been given changed or new animations; for example, he now actually runs instead of sliding across the ground when dashing, and does not retreat into his shell while [[Double Jump (airborne)|double jump]]ing, air dodging, or [[roll]]ing; this also extends to his helpless and reeling animations.
In the North American flavor text for the co-op [[event match]] [[Princess in Peril]], Bowser and Bowser Jr. threaten that anyone who "kidnaps" Peach instead of themselves will be "launched into the next dimension", alluding to a line from the Saban dub of ''Dragon Ball Z'' that was used as a euphemism for death.
Bowser and Bowser Jr. also share a victory theme different from the other ''Mario'' characters: a rock cover of the standard ''Mario'' series fanfare.
====''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''====
Bowser appears in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' as an unlockable playable character. Hos moveset and attributes remain mostly the same, though he now has greater resistance to stronger attacks such as [[Villager]]'s [[Pocket]]ed projectiles. Bowser also receives super armor on all of his tilts and smash attacks, making them safer to use. Additionally, Bowser's down smash is now a claw swipe that hits in front and behind himself. Bowser's forward tilt and first hit of his neutral attack are now {{wp|sumo}}-style punches instead of backhanded punches or {{wp|Hook (boxing)|hooks}}. Bowser also hops at the end of his up throw. Bowser, like all other characters, receives improvements to his mobility, while his short hop timing is reduced; additionally, his aerials have less landing lag. Bowser can directionally air dodge once again, and can now use any ground attack out of a run and use his aerial attacks on ladders. Lastly, Bowser's weight has been further increased to 135 units, while some of his attacks deal more damage.
Bowser is unlocked by completing Classic Mode as [[Donkey Kong]], or by playing a VS match after unlocking [[Ness]] and [[Princess Zelda|Zelda]]. In World of Light, the player is required to beat Bowser as Giga Bowser in order to recruit him, making him the only character to not be fought in his standard form to be recruited.
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Bowser also has several [[Spirit (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)|spirits]] based on him, aside from his fighter spirit. One of them, based on his wedding appearance from ''Super Mario Odyssey'', is an Ace-class Grab-type primary spirit that occupies two slots and simply raises the power of a fighter. It can be encountered on The Final Battle map of [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate#Adventure|World of Light]], and in its corresponding battle, the player allies with Peach to fight Bowser on the [[New Donk City Hall (stage)|New Donk City Hall]] stage. Another one of Bowser's spirits is based on his [[Paper Bowser|paper]] appearance that was specifically used in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam]]'', which can be enhanced at level 99 to the form seen in ''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]''.
=====Classic Mode route=====
Bowser's Classic Mode route has him fight opponents who are clad in red, similar to - and including - his arch-nemesis, Mario. Once Bowser defeats Mario, Metal Mario appears to fight him.
{| class="table" style="margin: auto;"
!colspan="5"|The Red One. Every Red One!
|-
!width=20px|Round
!width=150px|Opponent(s)
!width=100px|Stage
!width=250px|Song
|-
!1
|[[Mii Brawler]] ×2, [[Mii Gunner]], [[Mii Swordfighter]]
|[[Find Mii]]
|Airship Theme - Super Mario Bros. 3
|-
!2
|[[Ken Masters|Ken]]
|[[Suzaku Castle]]
|Ken Stage
|-
!3
|[[Samus Aran|Samus]]
|[[Norfair]]
|Brinstar <small>(Melee)</small>
|-
!4
|Giant [[Charizard]], Giant [[Incineroar]]
|[[Pokémon Stadium 2]]
|Victory Road - Pokémon Ruby / Pokémon Sapphire
|-
!5
|[[Diddy Kong]]
|[[Kongo Jungle (Super Smash Bros.)|Kongo Jungle]]
|Stickerbush Symphony
|-
!6
|[[Rathalos]]
|
|Roar/Rathalos
|-
!Final
|[[Mario]]<br>[[Metal Mario]]
|[[New Donk City Hall (stage)|New Donk City Hall]] (Ω)
|Ground Theme (Band Performance) - Super Mario Bros.<br>Metal Battle
|}
{{br}}
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====''Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time''====
{{pitenemy
|image=[[File:Bowser_Idle.gif]]
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====''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story''====
{{bisenemy|
|title='''''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story|Bowser's Inside Story]]'' Enemy'''
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[[File:B fight.jpg|thumb|Bowser using the Vacuum attack.]]
During the game, Bowser's gameplay is mapped to the {{button|
Bowser also has a unique form of battle in that the player can fight while he is giant. During these battles, the player must hold the DS on its side. His health is also represented by a bar rather than a number. Bowser only has two attacks: punching, achieved by swiping the stylus across the Touch Screen, and breathing fire, achieved by the player blowing into the microphone. Occasionally, Mushrooms also appear during battle, which can be used to heal him. When counterattacking, Bowser can punch in the same way, or breathe fireballs by tapping the desired direction on the Touch Screen; however, the more fireballs spit, the smaller they are.
Bowser's out-of-battle gameplay is also similar to the bros. Pressing {{button|
Bowser's ranking system is also different. It starts at Bronze Boss as the default and changes to Silver Boss at level 10, Gold Boss at level 20, and Final Boss at level 40.
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====''Mario & Luigi: Dream Team''====
{{quote|Give it to me straight. Princess Peach is gone? Hello? That is MY thing! Only I get to kidnap her!|Bowser|Mario & Luigi: Dream Team}}
{{dtenemy|
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====''Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam''====
{{Pjenemy
|name=Bowser
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===''Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix''===
[[File:DDRMM Bowser fight.PNG|thumb|200px|left|Part of the final battle with Bowser in ''Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix''.]]
In ''[[Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix]]'', Bowser is not the main antagonist of the game's story mode, but he is the final boss. Once Mario and Toad regain all four [[Music
When Mario and Toad enter the castle, Bowser attempts to harness the power of the Music Keys for his own purposes, but finds that they are gone. Toad, standing on a ledge with Mario, then reveals that they stole the keys back from him. Angered, Bowser challenges Mario to a dance-off. The battle consists of the player and Bowser dancing to the ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!'' Bowser's Castle music. Bowser is attacked by collecting rocket pieces, which replace some dance steps, to build rockets that contain hammers which smash Bowser flat. Near the end of the song, another such rocket flies in and hammers Bowser out of his castle.
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====''Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games''====
[[File:Bowser Javelin.png
Bowser returns as a power type character in ''[[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games]]''. He has high speed, stamina, and power, but low acceleration and technique. In the Wii version, a Bowser suit is also an unlockable costume for the player's [[Mii]] to wear.
In the Nintendo 3DS [[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)|version]] of the game, Bowser is
=====Story Mode=====
[[File:M&S 2012 The Night Before.jpg|thumb|Bowser and Eggman inside their lair at the beginning of Story Mode]]
Before the events of the game, after allying with Dr. Eggman again, Bowser has a [[Magikoopa]] break the seal on the urn keeping a powerful colored fog known as the [[Phantasmal Fog]] contained, located at [[Stonehenge]]. From there, Eggman has [[E-123 Omega]] retrieve the urn and bring it to him.
On the night before the Olympic Games, Bowser and Eggman are observing the city via several video feeds inside Big Ben, angered that the games have been set up and they have not received invitations. Eggman suggests that they were intentionally uninvited because they are too well prepared for the games. To exact their revenge, Bowser suggests activating the doctor's newest device: a machine that amplifies and unleashes the Phantasmal Fog through various [[Fog machine]]s scattered throughout London. Bowser has his minions guard the Fog machines, and he and Dr. Eggman then watch from the video monitors as their plan is set into motion.
The other characters come to the conclusion that Bowser is responsible for the fog when they find the minions guarding sites around London with the fog. Bowser then appears in [[Corner the Koopa King!]], where he attacks [[Sonic the Hedgehog|Sonic]] after evading [[Knuckles the Echidna|Knuckles]] and [[Vector the Crocodile|Vector]], who then defeat him in an Olympic event before interrogating him.
In [[Clear Skies Again]], it is revealed that the Bowser whom Knuckles and Vector had found was actually a hologram, and the real Bowser and Dr. Eggman had been in [[Big Ben]] the whole time. From there, Eggman uses the main machine to unleash ten times the amount of Phantasmal Fog the other machines could have. However, when Eggman activates this function, Bowser is concerned that the machine may not be safe. The machine then overloads, and fog begins spreading around the interior of the lair. Bowser and Eggman begin to absorb the fog, which makes them stronger, as the Phantasmal Fog begins to spread outside of Big Ben and across London.
[[File:MASATLOG 3DS Mario Bowser.PNG|thumb|left|The fog-powered Bowser faces Mario in the Judo event.]]
In [[The Grand Showdown]], when Mario, Luigi, Sonic, and Tails arrive at Big Ben, Bowser and Dr. Eggman instantly reveal themselves, visibly powered up by the fog: they are now glowing various colors and are emanating electricity. They inform the heroes that, as they speak, armies of fog imposters are heading around the city and preventing the Olympic Games. However, Toad and various other allies of Mario's and Sonic's inform them that the fog across the city has been cleared. They are shocked to hear this, but decide to achieve vengeance by defeating Mario's team at a series of Olympic events. When Sonic and Mario defeat them, they try to stop Mario and Sonic from ruining their plan, but are forced to watch as Sonic destroys the machine. Once this is done, Mario uses the urn to suck up the fog, thus stripping Eggman and Bowser of their increased power and sealing the Phantasmal Fog away once more when he places the lid on.
After being defeated, Bowser reveals that he and Dr. Eggman covered London in fog because they did not receive an invitation to the Olympic Games. At first, the two are disappointed that they cannot participate in the Olympic Games. Upon Tails' asking, they explain that they were the only ones that were not invited, accusing them of intentionally not inviting them. However, Tails explains that it was a mistake; Toad then informs them over the walkie-talkie that, despite the fact that they have not received invitations, Eggman and Bowser are on the list of competitors, and that there is still time to register by providing their IDs at the [[Main Stadium]]. Eggman and Bowser, however, state that they do not have their IDs, but the heroes convince Toad to make an exception and he allows them to register without them if they can make it to the stadium in time. That night, Bowser is among the various competitors present at the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
In the Challengers bonus episodes, Bowser Jr. aims to impress Bowser and frequently mentions him, asking various characters to tell Bowser about how well he's been doing. Bowser also appears in the Wild Ones bonus episodes, in which he is first seen getting annoyed with Goomba, Lakitu and Magikoopa as they give him an inaccurate tour of London. The minions believe that something is upsetting him and set up a challenge for him with Donkey Kong to cheer him up. After he defeats Donkey Kong, the minions set up a challenge for him to beat Knuckles and Vector, and later another one against a Goomba disguised as Mario. This, along with the arrival of Bower Jr., cheers Bowser up, who reveals he has been trying to cover up a bad case of toothache. Bowser's final appearance is in [[The Real Beginning]], in which he and Dr. Eggman arrive in [[Hyde Park]] to collect their invitations to the Olympic Games, and after being defeated by Peach and [[Amy Rose|Amy]], wait for their invitations. Bowser and Dr. Eggman find two [[Toad (species)|Toads]] who were heading off to deliver the invitations and scare them, causing them to drop their invitations. The pair find the invitations but mistake them for love letters and decide to head off sightseeing instead.
====''Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games''====
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==General information==
{{rewrite|reorganize the information & possibly consider relocating some of it into a subpage}}
===Naming===
While Bowser is generally referred to as "Koopa" in Japanese, there are occasions where his localized name is alluded to. For example, in the Japanese version of ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'', the [[Flame Runner]] is known as the Super Bowser. Because all regional releases of ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'' use the English voice acting, [[Princess Peach|Peach]] calls [[Bowser Jr.]] "Bowser's son," and Bowser himself calls his family the "royal Koopa line," meaning that Koopa is also his surname in the Japanese language. Bowser Koopa is rarely directly given as his full name, but it has occurred in some officially licensed material such as the ''[[White Knuckle Scorin']]'' album comic, as well as certain cartoon episodes and comic issues.
===Personality===
[[File:Bowser Artwork - Mario Party Island Tour.png|thumb|250px|Bowser's personality
In most of his appearances, Bowser is a persistent, imposing, commanding villain who has made several attempts to kidnap Princess Peach and invade and take over the Mushroom Kingdom with the help of his army, the Koopa Troop. Because Mario, Luigi, and other characters often work to try and stop Bowser, he has also made it his goal to defeat them. In most games, Bowser revels in causing disorder and intimidating his enemies, such as in ''Mario Party'' and in various sports games. His portrayals in the RPGs range from starring villain to a minor villain who gets sidelined by the starring villain to a playable anti-hero.
When Bowser was created, he was a typical villain without much personality beyond simply wanting to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. Later games started showing various different aspects of Bowser's character, depending on the nature of the plot. While his platformer role continues to be that of a simple antagonist, his ''Mario Party'' antics typically being more angry, childish, and mischievous than dangerous, and his portrayals in the RPGs ranging from a threatening, yet humorous villain to a playable anti-hero. Even when Bowser is acting as a protagonist in a game, however, he continues to insist he is an evil character, and his reasons for helping the protagonists are typically selfish.
Bowser's personality is explored most extensively in the various RPGs, starting with the first one, ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'', in which Bowser loses his castle to
[[File:Bowser SM64DS.png|thumb|left|Bowser is usually portrayed as angry and remorseless.]]
As in ''Super Mario Galaxy'', most other platformers leave Bowser as a typical villain, as does the RPG ''Paper Mario: Sticker Star''. The original ''Paper Mario'' also casts Bowser as the main antagonist; however, like ''Super Mario RPG'' that came before it, this portrayal is more well-rounded, introducing a humorous side to Bowser alongside his evilness, and revealing that he has a crush on Peach. Bowser's affection for the princess is later showcased in ''Super Paper Mario'', with the two being forcibly wed in the game by Count Bleck; while the princess disavows the ceremony, Bowser happily and persistently acts as if they are indeed spouses. Bowser's relationship with Peach also comes into play in ''Super Mario Sunshine'', in which Bowser's son apparently believes her to be his mother, although at the end of the game, Bowser sadly admits that he had lied to his child about his parentage. Aside from this, Bowser has never shown remorse for his troublesome actions and the havoc they often cause, but he is often saddened by his own losses. In ''Super Mario Galaxy'', his only regret is his failure to create his own realm, and in ''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story'', he is dismayed at having to damage his own captured castle while he trying to reclaim it from [[Fawful]]. By contrast, in ''Mario Party 4'', Bowser grudgingly giving the player a present and wishing them a happy birthday as he leaves in shame, moving one of the Koopa Kids to wonder if there might be more to Bowser than he leads others to believe, as Bowser claimed to be somewhat happy.
Unlike the platformers and the other ''Paper Mario'' titles, Bowser's role is reduced to a dim-witted, bumbling comic relief villain in ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'', where he encounters frequent comical failures in his attempts to collect the [[Crystal Stars]] before Mario. The first two ''Mario & Luigi'' titles also cast Bowser as a comical recurring villain that merely causes inconveniences to the Mario Bros. or the main villains. Despite being the central character of ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story]]'', nothing new is revealed about Bowser's character, but it does provide an overview of his personality to date. His reasons for saving the world from Fawful and the Dark Star involve pride, selfishness, and possessiveness toward Peach He is extremely conceited and boastful about himself and his accomplishments, and he resents having to ask nicely for help from [[Starlow]]. He acts as a respected leader to his troops, and even forgives [[Private Goomp|three]] [[Sergeant Guy|of]] [[Corporal Paraplonk|them]] for defecting to Fawful and allows them back in the Koopa Troop; the remake also elaborates on Bowser's crashing the emergency meeting, revealing that he did so because his kingdom also was affected by the Blorbs outbreak. Bowser's usual brashness and short-temper would often lead him to not think his actions through or be willing to compromise, such as when he flies into a rage upon discovering that Mario and Luigi had been aiding him inside his body the entire time (believing they were partying around inside him) and attacks them mere moments after the three of them had saved the world.
While Bowser is regarded as a respected leader from his troops and as a feared invader from his enemies, Bowser's usual brashness and short-temper can often lead him to not think his actions through or be willing to compromise, such as in ''Bowser's Inside Story'' when he flies into a rage upon discovering that Mario and Luigi had been aiding him inside his body the entire time (believing they were partying around inside him) and attacks them mere moments after the three of them had saved the world.
In ''Mario & Luigi: Dream Team'', while retaining much of his personality from the previous game, he was given more competence and made into more of a serious threat; he thwarts Mario and Luigi's efforts to safeguard Peach from him and reveals he was using [[Antasma]] for his own ends and betrays him. He later implied similar designs with his Paper self, and vice-versa, in ''Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam''. However, he surprisingly was willing to [[Super Smash Bros. Brawl|work under]] Master Hand and [[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games|have]] [[Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games|an]] [[Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games|equal]] [[Mario & Sonic at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games|partnership]] with Dr. Eggman. In ''Paper Mario: Color Splash'', Bowser, owing to his being possessed by the black paint for most of the game, was given a far darker personality, namely making clear his intention of "painting the world black", and even going as far as to drain Peach's color and cracking a dark joke of hanging her colorless form up for display. However, after Mario weakened the black paint's hold on Bowser enough for the latter's usual self to surface, Bowser is deeply and understandably confused as to Mario's presence, clearly unaware of what he was doing all this time.
Despite Bowser's role as an intimidating authority figure in the Koopa Troop, he can be quite amiable sometimes, especially to [[Bowser Jr.]], where he is depicted as a loving father figure. His harsh and raging demeanor sometimes softens somewhat towards his loyal minions, with his constellation in ''Mario Party 9'' stating he is considerate of their well-being. He shows genuine affection and pride for Bowser Jr., and can be protective of him when Mario defeats him in battle. Though he believes himself superior, Bowser can be acknowledging of his foes for their tenacity against him in fierce battles or competitive events, even engaging in casual banter. In games like ''Mario Tennis'' and ''Super Mario Party'', he crashes the events but only for friendly competitions to let him and his minions participate. In ''Super Mario Odyssey'', along with planning his forced wedding with Peach extensively, he even comments on Mario's costume before their final battle, prompting anything from a humorously scared response to a genuine compliment on his dress sense depending on the clothing before noting that Mario wasn't invited regardless. In ''Super Mario Party'', he participates with no malicious intent, not even using Kamek's position as a judge to his advantage (even though he put him in the role),and congratulates the character who became the Superstar in good sportsmanship.
While his range of emotions varies from game to game, it is his nearsightedness, aggression, anger, arrogance, and
===Physical appearance===
[[File:Bowser Game Boy.png|thumb
{{main|Bowser's characteristics}}
One of the most infamous bosses in video game history, Bowser is the king of the Koopa Troop and the main antagonist in the ''Super Mario series'' and takes Princess Peach captive from Mushroom Kingdom time after time. His plans are always thwarted, however, as Mario traverses through many hazardous worlds to save her and defeat Bowser in his final castle. Bowser as a protagonist only appeared in ''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story'' and ''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey''.
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===Powers and abilities===
[[File:Bowsersfirebreath.png|thumb|200px|Bowser is strongly associated with fire.]]
Bowser
Bowser
Unlike his strength, Bowser's speed and agility is not consistent between games. Bowser is usually slower than Mario, like in ''Super Paper Mario'', the ''Super Smash Bros.'' games and most sports titles, although despite being the slowest runner in the ''Mario & Sonic'' summer Olympics, with a 2/10 stat, in the winter games, he has an 8/10 stat. In ''Super Mario 64'' Bowser can jump incredible heights and make short charges as Mario, and while he can't climb ladders in ''Super Paper Mario'', both it and ''Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door'' show him to be a good swimmer, although the later reveals that he dislikes the activity.
In the original ''Super Mario Bros.'', Bowser throws hammers at Mario, like a [[Hammer Bro
[[File:Bowser Screenshot6.jpg|thumb|160px|Bowser transforming into [[Giga Bowser]].]]
====Size====
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===Relationships===
Although technically a younger version of himself, Bowser has interacted with Baby Bowser during two occasions of time travel. In ''Yoshi's Island DS'', Baby Bowser insults his future self, who then rashly blasts him out of the castle; later, however, Bowser becomes outraged when he discovers his younger self being bested by the Yoshis. In ''Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time'', the two Bowsers do not recognize each other and argue about the ownership of Thwomp Volcano, eventually putting their differences aside to work together to try and defeat Mario, Luigi and their own baby selves. After their defeat, Bowser's parting advice to Baby Bowser is to "Get stronger and more evil". In ''Yoshi's New Island'', he also ambushes Yoshi and Baby Mario just as they were to save the Stork and Baby Luigi again in order to avenge his younger self's defeat.
Bowser's minions all hold Bowser in high regards and loyally serve him out of respect, rather than fear, although most are mindful of his fiery temper. Bowser does not take betrayal well and
====Family====
{{rewrite|section=yes|separate information on Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings themselves}}
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The first family member of Bowser to appear in the ''Mario'' franchise is [[Bowser's Brother]] from ''[[Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels]]''. Later appearances considered him to be something akin to a [[fake Bowser]] and eventually a character of unknown identity.
''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' marked the debut appearance of Bowser's seven children, the [[Koopalings]], who were specifically listed as such throughout both the Japanese and English game manuals. Out of all the Koopalings' appearances, this was the most established in ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' and the [[Super Mario World (television)|''Super Mario World'' television series]], along with some comics. It was also stated in various media throughout the years, including ''[[Super Mario World]]''{{'}}s instruction booklet (in the [[Mysterious Sunken Ship]]'s description), a Japanese ''Super Mario World'' card, the back cover for English versions of ''[[Yoshi's Safari]]'', his [[Classic Mode]] [[Trophy (Super Smash Bros. series)|trophy]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. For about a decade, following their appearance in ''[[Hotel Mario]]'', the Koopalings were put into hiatus.
In 2002, ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'' introduced [[Bowser Jr.]], Bowser's youngest child who, unlike the Koopalings, bears closer resemblance to Bowser and is considered to be his heir. Around this time, with the Koopalings' appearing in ''[[Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga]]'' in [[2003]] and their reintroduction into the ''Mario'' franchise with the release of ''[[New Super Mario Bros. Wii]]'' in [[2009]], the Koopalings were considered to be more of Bowser's underlings than his children, likely due to Bowser Jr.'s introduction. The ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii''{{'}}s [[Prima Games]] guide referred to Bowser Jr. as a "''bothersome Koopaling''."<ref>"After you reach Bowser Jr.'s chamber, the bothersome Koopaling hops into his [[Koopa Clown Car|flying carriage]]" - ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii Premiere Edition'', pg. 129</ref>
In a September 2012 interview with Game Informer, [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] stated that Nintendo's "current story" is that Bowser Jr. is Bowser's only child.<ref name="Miyamoto">ScrewAttack Staff. "[http://web.archive.org/web/20120913215744/http://www.screwattack.com/news/koopalings-are-not-related-bowser The koopalings are NOT related to Bowser!!!]". ScrewAttack (Wayback Machine, [https://archive.is/GyoDT archive.is backup]). Retrieved October 18, 2022.</ref> and states that Bowser Jr.'s mother, and therefore Bowser's wife, is "unknown." Subsequently, the Japanese [[Nintendo Direct]] announcement for ''Mario Kart 8'' referred to the Koopalings as Bowser's ''kobun'' (which ambiguously means either underlings or adopted children). In ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', there is a shared [[Palutena's Guidance]] conversation for the Kooplings in which [[Pit (character)|Pit]] notes their resemblance to Bowser Jr., and [[Viridi]] notes that the Koopalings' relation to Bowser is a "real mystery"; the Japanese versions of the ''Super Smash Bros.'' titles add that it has been heard that they are minions.
[[File:PN Koopa Emblems.png|thumb|upright=1.1|left|The emblems of Bowser, Bowser Jr., and the Koopalings]]
Before the introduction of [[Bowser Jr.]], [[Ludwig von Koopa]] was once said to be Bowser's second in command in the ''Super Mario Bros. 3'' [[Nintendo Power]] Strategy Guide,<ref>"''Bowser’s oldest Koopaling and second in command, he’s a real monster!''" - ''Nintendo Power'' Volume 13, page 9.</ref> leader of the Koopalings in the Official Nintendo Guidebook of ''Super Mario Collection'' (the Japanese version of ''Super Mario All-Stars'')<ref>「長いたて髮をふり乱して襲ってくる、コクッパー族のリーダー・ルドウィッグ。」''Super Mario Collection Nintendo Official Guidebook'', page 267, Shogakukan.</ref> and Bowser's comrade in the ''[[Perfect Edition of the Great Mario Character Encyclopedia]]''.<ref>「クッパの仲間だ」. ''Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten'' (''Perfect Edition of the Great Mario Character Encycloepdia''), page 232, Shogakukan.</ref> Bowser has always been very proud of the Koopalings' close loyalty to him, and while the dynamics between them was openly familial in the cartoons and comics, in the games the Koopalings were just main bosses and had no dialogue nor interaction with Bowser. On the other hand, in ''Super Mario Sunshine'', he first tried to use Bowser Jr. as a pawn in his schemes, even going so far as to lying that Peach was the child's mother to give him extra incentive to defeat Mario for taking her away from their "family". However, after his plan failed, in a rare moment of humility, Bowser eventually decides to tell his son the truth about Peach, but Bowser Jr. had figured it out by then, and simply wanted to fight Mario to be like his father. Bowser does indeed care about his son, who often brings out his softer side, and at times obsesses over his well-being, such as in ''Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam'', where he becomes infuriated after learning that the Mario Bros. had injured him. The two currently share closer ties than he and his Koopalings, with Bowser Jr. often acting as Bowser's default partner in sports and spin-off games. On a similar note, in the NES library portion of the ''Nintendo Switch online service'' trailer, Bowser when he realized that his son had been asking to play with him and had ignored him up to then had a guilty reaction and promptly offered a second Joy-Con so they would play together, and then proceeded to play ''Ice Climbers''. Although genuinely caring for his son, even he has found Bowser Jr. difficult to raise largely due to the latter's hyperactivity as well as having access to his own army and flying car, admitting as much to Olivia when explaining how King Olly is trivial to him before the final battle, implying that Bowser Jr. was more difficult than King Olly ever was. As a result, he states that he tends to raise Junior with a free-range parenting style, letting him take risks and even insisting that he can handle himself while he's being overwhelmed by Paper Macho Goombas. On the Koopalings' end, the Koopalings were also shown to be extremely devoted to Bowser, with their loyalty to the Koopa King being immense enough that they are willing to serve Bowser even when the latter is not actually himself, as evidenced by their servitude to "Bowser" in ''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga'' and ''Paper Mario: Color Splash'' (who had actually been [[Bowletta]] and [[Black Bowser]], forms taken when Bowser was possessed by [[Cackletta]] and corrupted by the [[black paint]], respectively). Nonetheless, in a flashback the Koopalings had nearing the climax of the Bowser Jr.'s Journey story arc of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, Iggy is seen speaking out of line with the other Koopalings by denying that Bowser was at all smart or wise (and even implying that Bowser was even crazier than Iggy for thinking he was such), resulting in Bowser being implied to have hit him across the room. Bowser, Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings all have personal emblems with silhouettes of their faces, the silhouette of Bowser's face used in his emblem is also present in many buldings, machines and devices that he controls.
[[File:NSMBW Kamek Artwork.png|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Kamek]], Bowser's caretaker in the [[Yoshi (franchise)|''Yoshi'' franchise]]]]
''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]'' introduced Kamek, the Magikoopa who raised Bowser from infancy and who has been seen interacting with him the most throughout the series. As seen in subsequent ''Yoshi'' series games and ''Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time'', Kamek takes great care of Baby Bowser and worries for his safety, with his devout loyalty continuing into Bowser's adulthood. Kamek's [[Psychopath]] line in ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'' even implies that he considers Bowser to be like a son to him, as despite his brain-washing by the enemies, he thinks "That's... my child?" when faced with Bowser in battle. The only time a rift has been shown between the two is in ''[[Mario Party Advance]]''; after winning a minigame Kamek explains that he took leave of Koopa Troop when Bowser disappointed him by taking the title of "Game Master", rather than earning it, although the ending states that the two reconciled. Aside from that incident, the two get along well, and Bowser seems to show much more respect to his elderly guardian than to any other of his subordinates.
Various other relatives of Bowser's have been mentioned or shown in a minor capacity throughout the franchise. Bowser mentions a [[List of implied characters#Bowser's father|father]] in few issues of the [[Nintendo Comics System]] ''Super Mario Bros.'' series, with the implication being that he is a wanted criminal on the run. In ''Mario Party Island Tour'', Bowser's father is stated to be [[Dry Bowser]]. Bowser is first shown to have a [[Bowser's mother|mother]] in ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'' episode "[[Do You Princess Toadstool Take this Koopa...?]]", which depicts her to be a bossy and bullying woman who resented her son for remaining a bachelor. ''[[Mario's Time Machine Deluxe]]'' for MS-DOS, however, shows another version of Bowser's mother, who is an elderly librarian, in the included Library program. Bowser also mentions a grandfather named [[List of implied characters#Poopa La Koopa|Poopa La Koopa]] in the ''Super Show'' episode "[[Butch Mario & The Luigi Kid]]", saying his motto was "Cheat, beat, and be merry!". In the "[[Raiders of the Lost Mushroom]]", Bowser claims that his "[[List of implied characters#King Koopa's great-great grandkoop|great-great grandkoop]]" built the [[Temple of Koopa]] to hide the [[Lost Mushroom]], which he left to Bowser. In an episode of ''[[The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', Morton brings up one of the Koopalings' great grandmothers. Bowser and the Koopalings are shown to have a pet rabbit named [[Pookie]] in the Nintendo Comics System series, which was often abused until its eventual escape in the comic "[[Bowser Knows Best]]". In the Nintendo Adventure Book ''Flown the Koopa'', a Magikoopa stated to be Bowser's third cousin twice removed is featured as the main antagonist; this character also appears in the later books ''Unjust Desserts'' and ''Brain Drain'', though he has only minor roles in both. Finally, in both an episode of the ''Super Show'' and the song "[[Ignorance is Bliss]]", Bowser mentions a [[List of implied characters#Bowser's sister|younger sister]] who is, according to him, a bookworm.
====Love interests====
[[File:SM3DL W8.JPG|thumb
One of the most complex aspects of Bowser's character is his relationship with Peach. As explained in the manual of ''Super Mario Bros.'', Bowser initially started abducting Peach to prevent her from restoring the transformed [[Toad (species)|Toads]] back to normal. In the same ''The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!'' episode that featured his mother, Bowser tried and failed to marry Peach, and his unrequited crush on the princess recurs in various games, starting with a diary entry he wrote in ''Paper Mario'' expressing his hopes that Peach would like him, [[Super Mario Odyssey|ultimately leading him to attempt to forcefully marry her]]. He even told his son Bowser Jr. that Peach was his mother, although the events of ''Super Mario Sunshine'' forced him to admit that this was a lie. ''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story'' revealed that Bowser's most carefully preserved memory was of Peach
Despite his feelings for Princess Peach, Bowser actually shows very little regard for her as he constantly kidnaps her, attacks her kingdom, and fights the people she cares about. He has also put Peach herself in danger more than once, either inadvertently or on purpose, most notably in ''Super Princess Peach'' and ''Super Mario 3D World'', where the princess herself faced Bowser in combat, and ''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story'', where he breathes fire at her, Starlow, and Toadsworth. In ''Super Paper Mario'', the two were wed by Count Bleck and Nastasia as part of the former's plan to unleash the Chaos Heart, and while Bowser regarded the marriage as official and happily referred to Peach as his wife throughout the game, she refuted his claims and called the wedding a sham, as she does not return his affection at all. Despite this, she is still willing to work with Bowser when the situation calls for it, and will even sweet-talk, flatter or show him genuine goodwill or concern when they are acting as allies. In the [[Nintendo Switch Parental Controls]] video, Bowser's phone screen has a picture of Peach on it. Additionally, when witnessing Bowser Jr. doing an online match against Peach with the game ''Dr. Mario'' in the NES library portion of the [[Nintendo Switch Online]] service trailer, Bowser seemed to react in a somewhat baffled manner to his son playing with Peach. In some cases, he also forgoes abducting Princess Peach, usually if he's aiming for a more important objective. This bit is especially evident in ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'', as when Peach discovers Bowser's presence with Mario, she initially fears that he's going to abduct her again, only for Bowser to explicitly state he has no interest that time in doing so due to having "[[Smithy|bigger fish to fry]]" (with his reluctantly explaining what he meant by that after returning her to the Mushroom Kingdom).
[[File:Clawdia.png|thumb|right|The female Koopa from ''Koopa's High School Yearbook''.]]
Bowser was shown to have his own admirer in high school, as seen in the comic "[[Koopa's High School Yearbook]]": after he asked for her sandwich, the unnamed Koopa developed a crush on Bowser, formed the one-member "Koopa Fan Club" and joined the "Future Wives of Tyrants Club", although it is unknown if her ambitions to marry the Koopa King ever panned out. Additionally, an issue of the UK [[Nintendo Power]] once said that Bowser had a wife named [[List of
====Foes====
=====Mario=====
[[File:SM64 Mario Swings Bowser.png|thumb|left|180px|Mario and Bowser's iconic battle in ''Super Mario 64''.]]
Mario is Bowser's arch-nemesis
Many of the ''Mario'' RPGs involve Bowser teaming up with Mario to stop an emergent foe that poses a threat to both of them, such as Smithy, who took over Bowser's castle in ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'', or Count Bleck in ''Super Paper Mario'', whose plot to destroy all worlds ran counter to Bowser's dreams of global domination. In the case of the former game, he even went as far as to name Mario, Mallow, and Geno "honorary members" of the Koopa Troop (although it was heavily implied that he did this solely as an excuse to "join" them to avoid the humiliation of having to ask for their help). In the case of ''Paper Mario: Color Splash'', however, Bowser does not show any of his characteristic animosity towards Mario in the few instances (mostly because he was completely confused about what was going on, being completely unaware of his actions as Black Bowser) where he is in control, and when defeated even implied that he invites, or at least schedules, go-kart races at his castle with the plumber.
While Bowser makes a show of his reluctance to team up, Mario seems more complacent with working with Bowser despite their history, and occasionally shows him some leniency, such as letting him go after his actions in ''Mario Party DS'' merely gave Mario and the others a fun experience. Overall, however, the animosity is mutual, and Bowser's run-ins with Mario usually end in the Koopa King's defeat. In addition, it is implied that, despite his animosity to Mario and, to a certain extent, Luigi, even he would never attempt to actually have them destroyed, as when [[Bowletta]], while disguised as Bowser, ordered for the Koopa Troop to "destroy" Mario, [[Captain Goomba (Mario & Luigi series)|Captain Goomba]] was suspicious of him since he knows that that kind of talk was extremely harsh even with Bowser's characteristic hatred towards Mario. ''Paper Mario: The Origami King'' further cements this, as in that game, Bowser insists that he and Mario would be nothing without each other. However, it's implied that he eventually overcomes these feelings, as in ''Mario & Luigi: Dream Team'' he attempts to use the Dream Stone to make the Mario Bros. disappear, and in ''Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam'', he plans to trap Mario in the Paper World and then destroy it.
=====Luigi=====
Luigi often fights Bowser alongside Mario, and as such, is also one of the Koopa King's greatest adversaries. Like many other characters in the ''Mario'' series, Bowser is often depicted as holding Luigi in lower esteem than his brother; however, he usually does not go so far as to discount Luigi as a threat. After his defeat in ''[[Dream Team]]'', Bowser sees Luigi as a more legitimate foe (their battle as giants in the dream world likely contributing to this); at least remembering his name. Another ally of Mario is Yoshi — the history between Bowser and both the Yoshi character and the Yoshis as a whole goes back to the Koopa King's childhood, when he enjoyed stealing cookies from the Yoshis, and even took their [[Super Happy Tree]] and Sundream Stone at certain points, forcing them to retaliate. Yoshi himself first faced Baby Bowser in his quest to save Baby Luigi, who had been kidnapped by Kamek, and the bad blood between him and both the Magikoopa and the Koopa King himself continues to the present day.
=====Mario's allies=====
Bowser's enemies usually include Mario's allies, although Bowser has antagonized other villains, including the aforementioned Smithy, Count Bleck and Fawful. One of Bowser's few victories actually came out of his conflict with Fawful during ''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story'', when the latter took over both Bowser and Peach's castles and kidnapped the Princess. While Mario and Luigi were aiding Bowser during this game, he was unaware of this, instead communicating exclusively with their ally Starlow, who used the alias "Chippy". Despite their common goal, Bowser and Starlow spent the whole adventure trading barbs and occasionally refusing to cooperate, although Starlow sometimes expressed concern and sympathy for him and he eventually came to think of her as a loyal minion, and even complied to her demand to ask for her help politely at one point, only to become enraged when he learned the truth of who she really was. As of ''Mario & Luigi: Dream Team'' and ''Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam'', Starlow and Bowser are now enemies. Another "frenemy" situation is the one between Bowser and Wario, who have joined forces (along with [[Waluigi]]) against Mario in ''Mario Power Tennis'', and worked together (albeit fractiously) as babies in ''Yoshi's Island DS''. The ending of ''Mario Superstar Baseball'' shows Wario and Waluigi on Bowser's team. Most of the time they are on opposing sides, as in ''Super Mario 64 DS'' and the ''Mario Party'' series when Wario was on Mario's side. In ''Mario Super Sluggers'', Wario helps in stopping Bowser's invasion of [[Baseball Kingdom]], and in the ending, he and Waluigi are thwarted in their sneak attack on Mario by Bowser due to the latter's desire to be the one who defeats their shared adversary.
===Impersonators===
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|[[Mecha-Koopa]]s
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|''Super Mario World'', ''Yoshi's Safari'', ''Hotel Mario'', ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'', ''Mario Kart: Super Circuit'', ''Mario Party 5'', ''Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga'', ''Mario Power Tennis'', ''Mario Party Advance'', ''Mario Party 7
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*Dr. Big Bowser Pants (Toad)
==
{{main|List of Bowser profiles and statistics}}
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Bowser Artwork - Mario & Luigi Dream Team.png|''Mario & Luigi: Dream Team''
</gallery>
==Music Theme==
{{media table
|file1= Bowser 1.oga
|title1=King Bowser
|description1= Bowser's battle theme in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''
|file2= Bowser 2 (battle).oga
|title2=Fight against Koopa
|description2= Bowser's battle theme in ''[[Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars]]''
|file3= Bowser 2.oga
|title3=Koopa Castle (Second Time)
|description3= Bowser's Castle's second theme in ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars'', which is an arrangement of "King Bowser".
|file4= Bowser 3.oga
|title4=Bowser's Kingdom: Bowser's Castle
|description4= Bowser's Castle in Bowser's Kingdom in ''[[Super Mario Odyssey]]'', which is an arrangement of "King Bowser".
}}
==Names in other languages==
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*All 8-bit sprites have only three colors, but Bowser's original sprite from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' appears to have four. This is because the black background is what gives Bowser his black spiked collars around his wrists. Due to this, using cheat codes so Bowser appears in a non-castle level will look like his hands are separated from his arms. This occurs again in ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' where Bowser's sprite is designed to exploit the black background and use it as an outline element.
*While King Koopa is not normally referred to as Bowser Koopa in Japan, there are occasions where it is alluded to. For example, in the Japanese version of ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'', his [[Flame Runner]] is known as the Super Bowser. In all versions of ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]'', [[Princess Peach|Peach]] calls [[Bowser Jr.]] "Bowser's son," and Bowser himself calls his family the "royal Koopa line," meaning that Koopa is also his surname in Japan. Bowser Koopa is rarely directly given as his full name, but it has occured in some official sources such as [[White Knuckle Scorin']], as well as certain cartoon episodes and comic issues.
*In the key artwork for ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', Bowser is shown to have a cape. Bowser is only ever seen wearing a cape in ''[[Super Mario Momotarō]]'', ''[[Super Mario Shirayuki-hime]]'' and ''[[Never Koop a Koopa]]''.
*Bowser was [[List of Super Smash Bros. beta elements|originally]] going to be playable in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'', but was scrapped due to time constraints.
*For many years it was unknown who Bowser's father was. With the release of ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'' in 2008 however, many speculated [[Dry Bowser]] was the father but this wasn't confirmed by Nintendo yet. There was much debate regarding this for some time however this debate was finally put to rest in November 2013 with the release of ''[[Mario Party: Island Tour]]'' where it was actually revealed that he actually is in fact Bowser's father.
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==References==
<references/>
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