Character fact sheet
Name: King Bowser Koopa |
General profile
King Bowser Koopa is known in Japan as Daima Kuppa which in English roughly translates to "Great Demon King Koopa" and is the main antagonist of the Mario series and leader of the Koopa clan. He is the King of the Koopa's commanding an army of Koopas and assorted baddies as well as having his seven notorious children the Koopa kids or Koopalings. Over the many years of being the main antagonist of the series he has kidnapped Princess Peach and attempted to take over the Mushroom Kingdom on numerous occasions.
Bowser has been in almost every Mario game since the beginning with various exceptions such as the original Jump Man whereby Donkey Kong was the antagonist and Super Mario Bros 2 (USA) where it was Wart, but aside from the stereotypical nemesis-of-Mario role Bowser has also actually assisted Mario briefly in some of the Mario RPG games.
Bowser's first chronological appearance was when we first saw Baby Bowser in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. It is clear that Bowser was powerful from a young age as he had similar powers and wicked intentions as a Baby as he does as a fully grown antagonist. It was here on Yoshi's Island that Bowser had his first meeting with Mario after stealing the Super Happy Tree and being defeated by Yoshi.
Appearance-wise Bowser is a huge and clearly very strong Koopa with a green shell lined with large pointed plumber-proof spikes, his body today is a yellowy orange colour (it was originally green if you remember in Super Mario Bros) and his stomach a shade of creamy/flesh colour. Bowser is usually seen to wear a spiked collar as well as two pairs of spiked cuffs on his arms one on the wrists and one on the upper arm.
Each of his huge feet are armed with three sharp claws and his hands with four. He has bright red eyes and bushy red eyebrows and hair. The appearance of Bowser seems to combine elements of a number of other Koopa's such as Koopa Troopas, Spinies and Hammer Bros. It is mentioned in the Super Mario Galaxy strategy guide by Prima that the whole Koopa clan including Bowser is supposedly based on the Kappa which are creatures of Japanese mythology.
The adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 wrote about King Bowser Koopa's personality and mannerisms as below:-
"Despite every devious and dastardly plot he hatches, Koopa has a certain Rodney Dangerfield-like vulnerability which makes him as loveable as he is hateable. Koopa is pure id. Unmitigated selfishness running rampant in an ugly green body. He will capture, trick, bribe, threaten, attack, cast evil spells, hurl malicious insults, throw temper tantrums and do anything else despicable and nasty to defeat the Super Marios. And he has so much fun doing it, we always want to see him try again. In Super Mario 3, Koopa fans can enjoy his humorous rantings and funny frustrations even more as he contends with his seven black sheep Koopalings. If reptiles had hair, Koopa would've pulled all his out by now."
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What is the difference between King Koopa and Bowser?
This is a question that many people who haven't been with the Mario series since the very beginning may ask. The answer is that they are the exact same people, just with names from different eras. When the Mario games entered the U.S market initially, the names King Koopa and Princess Toadstool were the names being used in Japan - these names didn't catch on in the U.S so the names Bowser and Peach were introduced and thats moreso how modern day Mario fans would know them more commonly.
Enemies of King Koopa
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Mario - Whilst Bowser dislikes many people he holds a special hate in his black heart for Mario, who has caused him incomparable amounts of inconvenience by foiling his many even plans and schemes. There is also an element of jealousy over Mario's relationship with Princess Peach. Bowser despite his hate for Mario has grown to respect him as a worthy foe after being defeated by him so many times over the years. There has been many opportunities for both Mario and Bowser to see the end of their opponent for good but its almost like they have come to enjoy the challenge each other present and things wouldn't be the same without their long-time rivals.
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Luigi - Despite that Luigi is more often than not by Mario's side when Bowsers plots are being foiled Bowser does not employ the same hatred for Luigi as he does for Mario, in some ways Bowser shows his disrespect for Luigi for example in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga for a short while he doesn't even remember who Luigi is. The dislike that Bowser has for Luigi is very much "guilty by association" for being related to Mario. Luigi and Bowser were seen as able to co-operate in Super Paper Mario despite the fact that Luigi is holding a position in Bowsers top-3 to hate list!
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Yoshi - The relationship between Bowser and Yoshi is very deep rooted, going back as far as when Bowser was a baby. Their first encounter was when Kamek on Baby Bowsers orders kidnapped Baby Luigi until Baby Mario turned up in Yoshi's company and rescued his brother. Bowser didn't take kindly to this and years later imprisoned Yoshi and his friends in their eggs. Bowser clearly sees a threat in the Mario and Yoshi partnership. Bowsers hate level for Yoshi is about as high as for Luigi, but he doesn't hate either as much as Mario. In spite of all this in Mario Super Sluggers Bowser and Yoshi do not have negative chemistry.
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Wario - although Mario is a shared enemy of both Bowser and Wario the pair still do not interact well which is shown in certain sports titles such as Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers. Bowser actually stopped Wario killing Mario with a bullet bill out of spite. It's almost like Bowser has an air of disrespect for Wario as they are both similar 'bad guy' characters - Bowser looks down on Wario as a kind of amateur bad guy.
Friends of King Koopa
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Princess Peach - You'd think after the years of kidnapping, harassment and invading her Kingdom that Bowser probably hated Princess Peach pretty badly right? Not right! As much as Bowser hates the residents of the Mushroom Kingdom and the rest of the heroes in the Mario series his soft spot is for Peach who he has lusted after for a long time growing ever jealous of her relationship with Mario. This is particularly well demonstrated in the "Great Mission to rescue Princess Peach" anime of the 80's where Bowsers motivation for the kidnapping of Peach is to marry her. And there has been many attempts since to gain the Princesses hand in marriage as well as the forced incident in Super Paper Mario. Bowser does not consider Peach a friend but does clearly show signs of minor affection for her.
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The Koopa Troop - As much of an evil villain as Koopa is he is respectful to those that follow him although he can be a little brash in the way that he barks his orders across sometimes.
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The Koopa Kids incl. Bowser Jr - King Koopa despite being a terrible villain and always scheming and plotting is still a caring father to his eight children and is forever going out of his way to meet their endless demands for example in the "Reptiles in the Rose Garden" episode of the Super Mario Bros Super Show he actually went to the real world and took over the White House just because Kootie Pie demanded it. Bowser is very proud of his children and the way in which they follow in his evil footsteps and loyally support his evil schemes. He isn't too soft on them though often using them for strategic gain and even lying to them for example telling Bowser Jr that Peach was his mother so that Bowser Jr would try to kidnap Peach on his behalf. The villainous ruthless side of Bowser shone through however in Super Mario Galaxy when his empire was being taken down rather than when he thought Bowser Jr had been destroyed. Despite his actions the Koopalings and Bowser Jr seem to look up to and respect their villainous father.
Personality traits of King Koopa
In the term of Bowsers participation in the Mario series of games he has been characterized in a couple of different ways. Upon his initial introduction to the series he was a mysterious reptile king who was pure evil and hell bent on taking over the Mushroom Kingdom with what seemed like no justification and taking any and every opportunity to cause others uncompromising and relentless misery.
As a result of Bowsers hard work and dedication to this cause over the years he has gained a reputation of fear and loathing across The Mushroom World, however in more recent years there have been implications that Bowser is no longer the linear stereotype villain he once was, with even a twang of humour coming out in the way his character is now portrayed particularly in the Mario RPG series of titles where Bowser is known for his comical lines and witty remarks. In one instance in recent years Bowser actually found someone he disliked even more than Mario in the form of Smithy and his gang when they took over his castle, it was for this reason and this reason alone that Bowser teamed up with Mario to take back his castle in Super Mario RPG. Bowser is not shown to be a character of a great deal of intelligence and a lot of the humour in the games centres around him being a very Braun over brain character in the sense that he demonstrates great physical strength but is easily outwitted by Mario and his followers.
Bowser has been the main antagonist in the Mario Bros series of games for many years and a list containing some of his quotes from games and cartoons he has appeared in are as below
“Count Bleck, Floro Sapiens, whatever... Stomping fools is my business! Show me a fool, I'll stomp it! I don't even need a reason!” - Super Paper Mario
"Hoo hoo hoo ha ha ha ha ha!" - Hotel Mario
Super Mario Sunshine quotes
"Bwa ha ha! The water's great! Eh, Junior?"
"Mario! How dare you disturb my family vacation?!"
"Jr., I've got something...difficult...to tell you about Princess Peach..."
"That's my boy! Well put, son!"
"The royal Koopa line is strong as ever!"
"But for now...let's just rest awhile."
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars quotes
"Mario! Prepare yourself for the great beyond!"
"Mario! It's time!" (Hidden Psychopath thought, which can only be seen if the Game Genie code for the debug menu is enabled, as Mallow isn't around during that battle by normal means.)
"What a joke! Put some muscle into it!"
"NO!!! It's a chain reaction!!"
"Did you think I was just going to GIVE her to ya!?"
"The bridge is down, but we'll find a way to get back in. Move out, on the double!"
"I'm the biggest, baddest brute around, and don't you forget it."
"All this power, and good looks too! I know what you're thinking..."
"I'm gonna do something I may regret later...! But I'm gonna let you join the Koopa Troop. You can thank me later..."
"Mario, she's a bit shy. Look the other way, will you?"
"You can turn around now. She says she's been locked up ever since she took a bite out of Booster. So now... She wants to help us stir up a little trouble! Mwa, ha, ha!!"
"I'm lightning in a bottle! I'm an earthquake in a can!"
"No one is authorized to kidnap the princess but me!"
"Here I was, thinking of a plan to get my castle back, and all of a sudden, Mario walks up to me and BEGS me to let him join the Koopa Troop! I had no choice BUT to let him in! It was so pathetic!"
"Hey, sounds good to me! Let's just forget about these Star things!"
"If Mario doesn't find these Star things, I'll have the princess, but I can forget about my castle... Can you run that past me again?"
"Smithy's gonna pay for stealing my splendid castle from me!"
"Hold it! I only joined so I could get my castle back. I'm not gonna be dragged along on this stupid hunt. This is as far as I go. I'm gonna gather my troops and rebuild my castle! And YOU, Mario! You're an official member of the Koopa Troop! It's your duty to help with the repairs!"
"I'd outta rip your stuffing out!"
"I can't just be PALS with these cretins! I've got an image to keep!"
"Just hand it over and get OUT OF MY CASTLE!"
Mario & Luigi: Bowsers Inside Story quotes
"Did somebody page the king of awesome?"
"SHOWTIME!"
"I RULE!"
"PEACH!"
"So I'm an outcast, huh?! What'd I do to deserve this?!"
"Gee, PARDON ME! Guess what? I live here, Your Royal Genius! I've got as much right to be in this meeting as anyone! I mean, right? Help me out here! Toadsworth! Back me up!"
"Crud!"
"MAAARIO! 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 Peach!"
"I'll taste defeat? You're going to be tasting my fist, you little piglet!"
"Even my sneezes are powerful and awesome!"
"Don't lump me with Mario!"
"Kidnapping Princess Peach!? Oh, that is SO my style!"
"Those guys make me so MAD! Gah! It does NOT end like this! I'm going back to that castle and kidnapping Peach for real!"
"DON'T SAY THAT NAME!"
"Just thinking about it makes me RAGE!"
"I'll chill nothing! I'm going to Peach's Castle right now!"
Paper Mario quotes
"I wanna trounce Mario!"
"I want Princess Peach to like me!"
"Here you go Mario, good night."
"Long time, no see, Princess Peach!"
"Ha! This castle's under my control now, my dear! Now you will obey me!"
"Today your pathetic little attacks won't beat me."
"Gwa ha ha ha ha ha! Is that all you've got? How sad! You'd best take some vitamins, 'cause that didn't hurt at all!"
"With the power of the Star Rod, I can finally have everything I've always wanted!"
"I couldn't be happier, diary! I hope she likes me..."
"Oh no! I can't believe I left my secret diary lying out! It would be totally embarrassing if someone were to read that thing. Wuh... wuh... WHAAAT?!! What's the princess doing here?"
"Nothing makes me happier than a smile from you, Peach."
"That jerk, Mario just beat the Koopa Bros. and Tutankoopa. Sure, they were complete wimps, but they were still loyal to me. I can't forgive Mario for disrespecting me!"
"Oh, Princess Peach! Your cuddly old Bowser's here!"
"What's this whiny little glittery thing? Confetti? Gah! Buzz off!"
"Hey, you there! Tie the princess in ropes. If she gets out this time, heads will roll!"
"Mario always defeats me... This time I became invincible and I STILL couldn't beat him!"
Yoshi's Universal Gravitation quotes
"Eggland is mine! ALL MINE! BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA! The tasty-looking Egglings belong to me! Bwa harf!"
"Huh? Get back here! You can't run! I'll hunt you down!"
"I've found you at last! A little magic spell ought to keep you from running. Ha ha!"
"Whoa! I never expected to meet Yoshi here!"
"So you got locked in this pop-up book, too, eh? Gwa ha ha har! You say you're gonna lock me away? Ha! What a joke! If you think you can do it, go ahead and try! Bwa ha ha!"
"Hey! S-STOP IT! What are you doing to the Koopa King? Ook! I'll get you for this! I'LL REMEMBER THIS DAY!"
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 quotes
"I pledge allegiance to Kootie Pie and the repulsiveness for which she stands..." - "Reptiles in the Rose Garden"
"Go clean your room! And you'd better do it! Stop pinching your little brother! Don't be a brat! Turn down your stereo! Pick up your socks! Close the door! Get off the telephone!" - "Reptiles in the Rose Garden"
"Me, nice? I've never been nice in my life! I'm allergic to nice!" - "Princess Toadstool for President"
"Well, hello there! Give your uncle a big kiss! (kisses baby, who hits him with rattle) Ow! Why you-- uh, you sweet little thing you! (kisses baby again) Yuck! I hate mushroom brats!" - "Princess Toadstool for President"
"If I want something, I'll just take it!" "Princess Toadstool for President"
"Get off my throne, you ugly upstick!" - "Never Koop a Koopa"
"Costumed plumbers at your service, ma'am! We make plumbing a party!" - "Toddler Terrors of Time Travel"
"If you ever wanna be as crummy and low-down a villain as me, ya gotta shut up and pay attention!" - "Tag Team Trouble"
"Outta my lap, plumber! Or I'll charge ya rent!" - "Tag Team Trouble"
"Oh, I hate it when my tootsie-wootsies get wet!" - "Oh, Brother!"
"Kooky, what are you doing? I'm your dear old King Dad!" - "Oh, Brother!"
"Knock it off, knuckleheads! I'm not doing exercises, I'm having a temper tantrum!" - "Misadventure of Mighty Plumber"
"HAHAHAHAHA! This is Koopa-riffic! I can do even more bad in my Doomsub than in my Doomship!" - "The Ugly Mermaid"
"I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS, MARIOOOOOOOO!!!" - "The Ugly Mermaid"
"And I just got this clunker back from the repair shop!" - "7 Continents for 7 Koopas"
"The Real World's got seven continents, and I'm givin' one to each of you to do with what you like! Bully, you get to be the beast of the east in Asia! Cheatsy, you show how low you can go, down under, in Australia! Kootie Pie, show the Old World some newer nastiness! Go be a plague in Europe! Kooky, go wild in Africa! Big Mouth, blow your hot air all over Antarctica! Hip, rediscover North America! Be rotten from sea to shining sea! Hop, lambada South America! Give the Real World a Kooping it'll never forget!" - "7 Continents for 7 Koopas"
"We never would've lost if you Koopaling clowns had just tried to wake me up! Whose idea was this midnight attack?!" - "True Colors"
"Gimme back Hip's Magic Wand! It's Koopa property, and it's rightfully mine!" - "Recycled Koopa"
The Adventures of Super Mario World Cartoon quotes
"I'm back! And so is 'Captain N & Super Mario Bros. World'!" - Various episodes
"This is easier than talking Kootie Pie into a shopping spree!" - "Send in the Clown"
"You are about to enter this Warp Pipe and into a dimension beyond space and time." - "Send in the Clown"
"Time out on the tongue department, Big Mouth!" - "Send in the Clown"
"Are my dinosaurs in for a treat! Kinda high in cholesterol, but I'm sure they can handle it!" - "Send in the Clown"
"I wouldn't do that, plunger-face, not if you want to see your precious princess again!" - "Send in the Clown"
"Remember, 'Oogtar' spelled backwards is 'rat goo'!" - "The Night Before Cave Christmas"
"STOP! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO GO OFF UNTIL CHRISTMAS MOR... (BOOM) ... -ning." - "The Night Before Cave Christmas"
"All right! Come and get your burgers!" - "King Scoopa Koopa"
"Eight Egg Scoopa Koopas coming up! Cook 'em good! No one likes runny eggs, dinobrain!" - "King Scoopa Koopa"
"Patience, my little chickadees. Egg Scoopa Koopas for everyone, cash in hands, of course." - "King Scoopa Koopa"
"Hey, don't forget the special Scoopa Sauce. A little scoop'll do ya, haha!" - "King Scoopa Koopa"
"Koopa Sez, everybody go to the Dome Castle, and get Mario and Luigi, and bring them to me!" - "Rock TV"
"I haven't done anything really rotten in a long time, not since yesterday." - "Rock TV"
"Clams, coins, old socks, we're given' em away!" - "Rock TV"
"Top this, turkey-mouth!" - "Rock TV"
"You will grow up to be sneaky, two-faced, cheating illiterates, just like your dad!" - "A Little Learning"
"HIP! HOP! GET ME OUT OF HERE! I'LL SEND YOU TO SCHOOL! Gladly." - "A Little Learning"
"I can always build another castle, but you can't build another princess." - "Mama Luigi"
Super Mario Bros Super Show Cartoon quotes
"Mouser, if anything happens to the princess, I'll turn you into Swiss cheese!" - "Mighty McMario and the Pot of Gold"
"Too late! His gorgeous self is here!" - "Mighty McMario and the Pot of Gold"
"Run, you teensy tempura tasters! I'm gonna squash this city flatter than a tofu pancake!" - "Mario Meets Koop-zilla"
"Scram, pests, or I'll call an exterminator!!" - "Mario Meets Koop-zilla"
"'"Stand still so I can squash ya, you little vermin!" - "Mario Meets Koop-zilla"
"Ba humkoop!" - "Koopa Klaus"
"Plug your ears and watch your rears! We're goin' Bob-omb bowlin'" - "The Unzappables"
"Let's stash this cash and dash!" - "The Unzappables"
"Gosh, this tyrant business is hard work! I'm too pooped to Koop! Think I'll take a Koopa catnap." - "The Ten Koopmandments"
"Lousy lizards! This is enough to make a grown Koopa cry!" - "The Ten Koopmandments"
"You call yourself an army, you miserable misfits? Why am I cursed with such incompetants?!' - "The Koopas Are Coming! The Koopas Are Coming!"
"It's those dumber plumbers, the Mario Bros.!" - "The Trojan Koopa"
"It's... it's... it's horrible! It's disgusting! It's me!" - "The Trojan Koopa"
"More! I want more! More!" - "The Great Gold Coin Rush"
"Make way for the big daddio, the headman, the new king of Sock Hop Land: Koopa, the Kool!" "Elvin Lives"
"Come back here! We got a date for the prom!" "Elvin Lives"
"No way, José! They'll never catch the Koopilac! I got dual carbs! I got four on the floor!" "Elvin Lives"
"When you hurt Koopa's nose, you've blown it!" - "Plumbers Academy"
"In just a few minutes, the bidding for Princess Toadstool and her slimy friend Toad will begin! So drink up your Koopa Kola!" - "Karate Koopa"
"Welcome aboard Air Albatoss. This is your Koopa speaking. This flight is non-stop 'til ya drop!" - "Mario of the Apes"
"We're gonna celebrate the capture of those faucet freaks by letting me win a baseball game." - "Princess, I Shrunk the Mario Brothers"
"OW! I hate plumbers! OW! I hate... OW! Why can't they pick on... OW! Someone their own size?" - "Princess, I Shrunk the Mario Brothers"
"It makes me feel so warm, to be so cold!" - "Little Red Riding Princess"
"I want that ranger in danger! Now!" - "The Provolone Ranger"
"Koopa Court is now in session! Bailiff Mouser, read those phony charges you and I cooked up!" - "Escape from Koopatraz"
"Congratulations! You've won a five-hundred year all-expense paid trip to Club Koopatraz!" - "Escape from Koopatraz"
"It was so much fun being your crooked judge, I decided to become your cruel warden!" - "Escape from Koopatraz"
"This better be a bad dream, plumber, 'cause if it's not, you're in deep fettuccine!" - "Escape from Koopatraz"
"What the Koop are you talkin' about?" "Mario of the Deep"
"You mean this is all?! There ain't enough gold here to bother Kooping about!" - "Mario of the Deep"
"You Mario Bros. ruined my evil schemes, so I'm gonna ruin the burg that you love best!" - "Flatbush Koopa"
"Hold your applause! I know it's a genius idea, but I have them all the time!" - "Flatbush Koopa"
"Fan-kooping-tastic, it worked!" - "Raiders of the Lost Mushroom"
"I love Down Under Land! It's where Mario Bros. went down- and under!" - "Crocodile Mario"
Appearances
The first appearance of Bowser in major videogames was in Super Mario Bros when Bowser and his Koopa Troopas took over the Mushroom Kingdom, turned the Mushroom Kingdoms defenders into blocks and other stationery objects and kidnapped Princess Toadstool and seven Mushroom retainers.
King Bowser then deployed seven castles additional to his own each guarded by a 'fake Bowser' and holding one Mushroom Retainer prisoner. He kept Princess Toadstool in his, the eight and final castle and guarded her personally. Unfortunately for Bowser the timing of this attack on the Mushroom Kingdom coincided with the Mario Bros arrival into the Mushroom World who immediately set out to foil his evil schemes for the first time, in Mario's case to win favour with the Princess. Information on Bowsers appearances in major videogames was as below.
Super Mario Bros. 3 - In this title Bowser returned to wreak havoc on the Mushroom World once more and this time he didn't come alone but in the company of his Koopa Kids: Larry, Morton, Wendy, Iggy, Roy, Lemmy and Ludwig. Each Koopa Kid taking over a land and using their wands of power to turn the Kings of those lands into enemies and Bowser remained in his home land of Dark Land. Mario and Luigi fought through the seven lands defeating the Koopa Kids and reversing the spells which had been cast on the lands rulers.
After restoring peace to the seven lands the Mario Bros then received a letter from Bowser announcing that he was holding Princess Peach captive - the Mario Bros stepped up and challenged Bowser in Dark Land eventually defeating Bowser and rescuing the Princess.
Super Mario World - Whilst Princess Toadstool was on holiday in Dinosaur land Bowser saw this as a fitting opportunity to kidnap her, and being the rotten reptile that he is he also decided it would be a good idea to imprison some of the native Yoshi's inside shells before he left with the Princess. Each Yoshi that was imprisoned was given to a Koopaling who would guard the prisoner in his castle, very similar set up to the kidnapped Mushroom Retainers from Super Mario Bros. 3. Mario and Luigi accompanied by their new friend Yoshi set about defeating the Koopalings and eventually their father.
The final battle between Bowser and Mario took place on the roof of Bowsers Castle and Bowser flew his Koopa Clown Car, throwing Mecha-Koopas at Mario to try and defeat him. Eventually Mario defeated Bowser again, Bowser lost control of his vehicle and it was lowered to the ground allowing Mario to rescue the Princess.
Super Mario 64 - In this game Bowser took over Peaches castle, stole the power stars and utilised their power to create worlds based on the pictures hanging in Peaches halls imprisoning Peach and her Toads within these worlds and sealing them into the pictures. Mario and Bowser actually have a triad of encounters in this title in three different worlds; Dark World, Fire Sea and the Sky. Mario used his strength and skill to defeat Bowser each time by getting behind him, grabbing his tail and throwing him into a nearby Bomb - in the third and final battle Bowser had to be thrown into a bomb three times to be defeated.
In the end Mario managed to restore all the power stars, defeat Bowser and rescue the Princess. There were some variations in the DS version of the game whereby the player had to utilise both Mario and Yoshi to defeat Bowser.
Super Mario Sunshine - this title showed the first introduction of Bowser Jr (not to be confused with Baby Bowser) which was Bowsers eighth child whom Bowser told that Peach was his mother and that the Mario Bros had kidnapped her. Baby Bowser took on the guise of Shadow Mario and vandalised Isle Delfino with graffiti etc ruining both Mario's holiday and his reputation. Whilst Mario was trying to clean up the island and protesting his innocence with the help of the F.L.U.D.D device "Shadow Mario" ceased the opportunity to kidnap "his mother" Peach and Mario pursued him, Bowser Jr then revealed his true identify but managed to escape to Corona Mountain.
Mario reached the mountains edge where he was faced with Bowser and Bowser Jr together. Bowser attacked Mario by spraying out roaring flames and trying to cover him in slime meanwhile Bowser Jr fired Bullet Bills at Mario, eventually Mario with the assistance of F.L.U.D.D created a ground pound strong enough to hurl the Koopa duo onto an island not far from Delfino where Bowser admitted to Bowser Jr that he had lied and Peach wasn't his mother, Bowser Jr however had known all along and expressed his eagerness to take on Mario again in the future making King Bowser very proud of his eighth child. Mario and Peach continued their vacation together.
New Super Mario Bros DS - Bowser once again was intent on ruining Mario's day in New Super Mario Bros, with the help of his protégé Bowser Jr. they sent a storm cloud over Peaches castle to distract Mario while they kidnapped the Princess. Mario took off in pursuit of Bowser quickly, fighting him as the first boss in the game and surprisingly defeating him and throwing him into lava actually killing him!! Bowser Jr then took off and fled from Mario throughout the rest of the game and Bowser rose back up as "Dry Bowser" which is an undead monster resembling of a larger stronger version of Dry Bones. Mario meets "Dry Bones" Bowser again as the penultimate encounter of the game before Bowser Jr uses black magic potions to resurrect his father and the two take on Mario again in a final showdown. Mario hits a skull switch to eventually send the pair into a deep pit and reign victorious. Bowser Jr is last seen dragging his father off by the tail into the shadows.
New Super Mario Bros Wii - Bowser featured in New Super Mario Bros. Wii as the final boss and bought his eight children with him. He is found in the last chamber of the last castle and throws fireballs at Mario similar to the way he was in Super Mario Bros. Mario battled Bowser and in traditional style managed to hit a switch to knock Bowser off his bridge and into the lava below, however to his surprise the "Princess" dangling above him was not actually a Princess at all but Kamek in diguise. Kamek cast a spell to bring back Bowser from in the lava, to Kamek's surprise Bowser returned 100 times bigger than before.
Bowser pursued Mario spraying out bigger fireballs than ever and causing devastation as he went Mario eventually managed to lure Bowser out of the Boss room and over to large chasm. Mario managed to empty the chasms lava which sucked in King Bowser and sent him on a very long fall reducing him to normal size and eventually Bowser was crushed by his own castle.
Super Mario Galaxy - In the build up to Super Mario Galaxy's plot, Bowser attacked Rosalina's observatory, stole all the power stars as well as the seven 'Grand Stars' which powered the observatory. Harnessing the power of the stars Koopa then bought in his entire fleet from the cosmos and planned to create a galaxy reactor powered by the Grand Stars which would cause the galaxies to collapse on top of each other destroying them, his plan was that a new universe would be created which he would rule over with Peach as his empress.
During the events of the Star Festival Bowser ceased his opportunity to kidnap Peach and hold her captive at the centre of the universe where Bowser was overseeing the construction of the galaxy reactor. During the final battle in the centre of the universe Bowser Jr continued to ensure Peach did not escape while Bowser and Mario's battle spanned many planets with Mario eventually defeating Bowser and sending him into the burning magma of his own sun.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 - Once more Bowser took the role of the main antagonist in Super Mario Galaxy 2; again invading the Mushroom Kingdom in the company of his son, Bowser Jr. But this is no ordinary Bowser, he is here in Super size due to the power of the power stars that he has once again stolen. As ever Bowsers first task is to kidnap Princess Peach followed shortly by creating an empire in the centre of the universe. Bowser chose to smash up the Lubba's starship on his way past giving the Lumas and Mario a common enemy in Bowser, the starship was rebuilt in a Mario shape.
Mario set about in pursuit of Bowser using Starship Mario in a quest to rescue the princess and bring back the stolen Power Stars. Pre-empting the intervention of Mario's loyal friend and ally in Yoshi, Bowser despatches one of his most powerful Magikoopas to take Yoshi out of the picture. Bowser is faced by the players on three separate occasions in Super Mario Galaxy 2: each of the fights take place on planets and Giant Bowser attempts to crush Mario with his huge fists and by hurling meteors at him.
Bowser hits the planets so hard that his hand gets caught briefly in their crust, giving Mario the opportunity to ground-pound loose meteors at Bowser while avoiding his fire breath.
The final battle is once again set in the centre of the universe and is a two-phase fight, once Mario defeats Bowser he loses his gigantic size and becomes smaller than he was originally.