Bowser Jr.
Bowser Jr. (sometimes written as Bowser Junior) is Bowser's eighth and youngest child. He is the Koopa King's favorite offspring and the heir to the throne, outranking his seven older siblings. Bowser Jr. first appeared in Super Mario Sunshine and has helped Bowser kidnap Princess Peach and battle the Mario Bros. in many subsequent games. Bowser Jr. wants nothing more than to do his father's evil will, and Bowser's rarely seen emotional side is often brought out by his interactions with his son.
History[]
Super Mario series[]
Super Mario Sunshine[]
[1][2]Bowser Jr. as Shadow Mario in Super Mario Sunshine.Bowser Jr. first appears in Super Mario Sunshine as the game's main antagonist. Before the events of the game, Bowser Jr. somehow acquires the Magic Paintbrush, a special brush that can magically create sticky paint-like goop, from the scientist Professor E. Gadd. Bowser Jr. is also in possession of a bandanna emblazoned with a logo resembling Mario's nose and face that apparently lets him assume the form of Mario. However, the appearance can only be a watery-blue color. Bowser Jr. uses this ability to assume the identity Shadow Mario. As Shadow Mario, Bowser Jr. painted magical graffiti all over the tropical resort Isle Delfino, in an attempt to frame Mario for the crimes.
At the same time, Mario, Peach and Toadsworth are heading to the island for some much needed vacation. However, as soon as the Toad Express lands at the island's airstrip, they see everything is covered in Goop. Peach looks on top of a water tower and sees Shadow Mario, though when tries to tell Toadsworth and Mario, she looks again to see that he is gone, and dismisses the sighting as a mirage. Mario then battles a Polluted Piranha Plant, using his new partner F.L.U.D.D.. Afterwards, the Delfino Police arrest Mario. After his trial, Mario is found guilty of vandalizing the entire island and is punished with cleaning up the island with F.L.U.D.D. (which was also designed by Professor E. Gadd). As Mario begins cleaning Delfino Plaza by cleaning up the Grand Pianta Statue, Princess Peach is kidnapped by Bowser Jr. (in his Shadow Mario disguise). Mario manages to save Peach rather quickly, and then chases Shadow Mario to Bianco Hills. His cleaning up continues through various regions of Isle Delfino, during which Shadow Mario kidnaps Peach again, this time while Mario is away from Delfino Plaza or buying a Shine Sprite at the boathouse.
As soon as Mario reaches Shadow Mario's boat, he leaps inside and takes the Princess to Pinna Park, the island's theme park, which is occupied by Bowser's forces. The young Koopa jumps into the cockpit of the gigantic Mecha Bowser and waits for Mario's inevitable arrival. Like clockwork, Mario arrives, and Bowser Jr. to lure Mario to a shallow pool, where he unveils the mechanical monstrosity. After a long battle, Mario overcomes the powerful Mecha Bowser. Shadow Mario then reveals his true identity. As it turns out, Bowser Jr. is told by his father that Princess Peach is his mother and that she was kidnapped by the "evil" Mario. As such, Bowser Jr. tries to frame Mario by tagging the island as the Mario look-a-like Shadow Mario. Thus, Mario would be put in prison, and the young Koopa could rescue his "mama". With his origin revealed, Bowser Jr. escapes by converting what is left of Mecha Bowser into a hot-air balloon and flying it, with Peach in tow, to Corona Mountain, where his father is relaxing. [3][4]Bowser Jr. as he appears in Super Mario Sunshine.However, Bowser Jr. does not stay with his father at the volcano, continuing to harass Mario in his Shadow Mario disguise. Bowser Jr. attempts to run off with Shine Sprites, F.L.U.D.D. nozzles, and even a Yoshi Egg, but he is eventually stopped by Mario every time. Eventually, after Mario defeats Shadow Mario in all of the main areas of the game, the path to Corona Mountain is revealed.
When Mario reaches the top of Corona Mountain, the final fight between Mario and Bowser Jr. begins. However, Junior does not fight alone this time; he has his massive father fighting beside him. The three fighters battle in a colossal bathtub high above the ground. As Mario and Bowser duke it out, Junior aids his father by firing Bullet Bills at their nemesis. Eventually, the father and son are defeated and Mario escapes the volcano with Peach.
In the end, Bowser and Jr. are on the flipped hot tub, which is floating in the ocean miles from Isle Deflino, and he decides to admit to his son that he deceived him. In a rare display of emotion, Bowser remorsefully tells Bowser Jr. that Peach is not his mother. However, Bowser Jr. admits that he knew Peach was not his mother, and (although his father tricked him) says he wants to "fight that Mario again". Bowser, seeing so much of himself in his heir, smiles. Together, the two plot their next plan to defeat Mario and capture Peach after relaxing for a certain amount of time.
New Super Mario Bros.[]
[5][6]Bowser Jr. in New Super Mario Bros..In New Super Mario Bros., Bowser and Bowser Jr. enact their new plan to kidnap Princess Peach and defeat Mario. While Bowser's forces occupy various regions, Bowser Jr. is sent to retrieve Peach. To do this, Junior summons a lightning cloud to set fire to Princess Peach's Castle, causing Mario to go investigate and thus leaving Peach all by herself. As a result, the young Koopa sneaks in and captures the Princess. As such, Mario gives chase, battling Bowser Jr. throughout the game. Junior acts a lot like Boom Boom of Super Mario Bros. 3, as he is the sole mid-boss of the game's various worlds. Like Boom Boom, Bowser Jr. can be defeated with three jumps to the head.
In New Super Mario Bros., Bowser Jr. is the boss of every tower. His attack pattern depends on how he wears his bandanna. If it's hanging loose, Bowser Jr. jumps and charges at Mario and can be defeated by simple jump attacks. If he wears the bandanna over his mouth, Bowser Jr. throws Koopa Shells at Mario and ducks into his shell whenever Mario comes near, preventing jump attacks from working. In this form, Mario has to hit Bowser Jr. with a Koopa Shell before he can be jumped on. Fireballs and Blue Shells are also very effective against the young Koopa, no matter what appearance he takes.
During the events of the game, Bowser is the boss of the first world. However, the Koopa King falls into a pit of lava. As such, Bowser, in a sense, perishes and becomes a Dry Bones-like monster called Dry Bowser. While Bowser is a member of the undead, Bowser Jr. has to command the Koopa Troop in his father's place. Surprisingly, the Koopa Troop remains united under his leadership. Bowser Jr. even remains loyal to his father. Instead of taking complete leadership of the kingdom, Bowser Jr. revives his father by throwing him into a pot filled with some form of magic potion, restoring the Koopa King to his former self. However, Bowser is larger than before and more powerful.
In the end, Bowser Jr. and his resurrected father fight Mario in a battle for Princess Peach. However, as in Super Mario Sunshine, both father and son are defeated and Peach is saved once again. During the game's ending, Bowser Jr. is seen dragging his unconscious father across the ground, bringing him home so the two can plot against Mario for a third time. He also breaks the Fourth Wall at one point, roaring at the player.
Super Mario Galaxy[]
[7][8]Artwork of Bowser Jr. and Bowser in Super Mario Galaxy.[9][10]A model of Bowser Jr. on his airship from Super Mario Galaxy.Appearing as the secondary antagonist, Bowser Jr. guards three of the Grand Stars in Super Mario Galaxy. He appears first in Bowser Jr.'s Robot Reactor, where he summons Megaleg to attack Mario. He later appears in Bowser Jr.'s Airship Armada in his small personal airship to fight Mario. He is also seen in Bowser Jr.'s Lava Reactor, where he summons a more powerful King Kaliente to attack.
Bowser Jr. is not seen again until Mario reaches Bowser's Galaxy Reactor, where he is shown keeping Peach on his airship. While Mario marches up the steps to confront Bowser, Junior fires cannonballs that destroy the steps. He then watches the final battle while keeping Peach. After Bowser is defeated, the galaxy starts to go haywire. Bowser Jr. falls out of his airship and into his father's sun. Later, however, he is shown alive and dancing back in the Mushroom Kingdom on an airship in the water with an Octoomba.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[]
[11][12]Bowser Jr., in his personal Koopa Clown Car, in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.[13]Bowser Jr. makes another appearance in the sequel to New Super Mario Bros., New Super Mario Bros. Wii. This is the first game in which he appears along with Bowser's other seven children. As his father's apparent favorite child, Bowser Jr. seems to be leading the Koopalings in this adventure, receiving a Koopa Clown Car similar to that of his father, albeit smaller, instead of a magic wand like his siblings. In the beginning of the game, it is revealed that Bowser Jr., along with the Koopalings, arrive at Princess Peach's castle on her birthday disguised as a birthday cake. Bowser Jr. and his siblings emerge and kidnap the Princess by loading her onto the airship. From there, the Koopalings (along with Junior) make a flight to Bowser's Castle via the airship with Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad, and Yellow Toad closely following them in an attempt to rescue Peach. This is also the first game where he is shown to breathe fireballs. Unlike how Bowser Jr. is fought ten times in New Super Mario Bros., he is only fought three times, all three times being on the airship. Kamek was also responsible for caretaking of Bowser jr.
In the first battle with Junior, he uses his Clown Car. He flies up, and the only possible way to attack him is to use the Propeller Block in order to spin up to his height and jump on him. The Koopa King's son finally masters the art of breathing fire, and when his fire hits the ground, it creates a large blaze at the point of contact. He has to be hit three times to be defeated.
In the second battle, he uses his heavily damaged Clown Car to battle. Luckily, Mario finds a Mario Car to use in combat. The Mario Car must be flown up by the player and used to knock Junior into the Electric Fence on the walls of the room. He must be hit three times to be defeated.
In the third battle, Mario Ground Pounds the floor upon entering the room, sending a wave through the floor that knocks over Junior's Clown Car. Bowser Jr. turns around and sees his father's Clown Car. Kicking his destroyed Clown Car aside, he jumps into the larger version. Using his father's Clown Car, Junior drops large mines on the field. A Ground Pound must be used on the wavy floor to lob the mine back up and damage the Clown Car. Bowser Jr. can now fire more than one fireball in a row, and they create blazing obstacles on the floor. In addition, these fireballs home in on Mario. Bowser Jr. must be hit three times.
Bowser Jr. can be seen in the ending, communicating with Larry Koopa. The two watch their siblings help their Dad. After lifting their unconscious father, he gets hoisted up and soon after, Bowser's Castle collapses on them.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[]
Bowser Jr. makes an appearance in Super Mario Galaxy 2, aiding his father once again, as in the first game.
His first appearance in Bowser Jr.'s Fiery Flotilla is a brief one, where he appears in his Robot Cockpit and summons Gobblegut to the battlefield to fight Mario for the first Grand Star. He later battles Mario and Yoshi himself in Bowser Jr.'s Fearsome Fleet by piloting the giant Megahammer robot to inhibit Mario's quest for the third Grand Star. Later, in Bowser Jr.'s Boom Bunker, the Boomsday Machine is Junior's vehicle of choice. The machine attacks with spinning Firebars and by launching balls of electricity as Bowser Jr. guards the fifth Grand Star. Once Mario defeats Bowser Jr.'s Boomsday Machine, it explodes, sending Bowser Jr. flying into space. He is not seen again for the remainder of the game, and it is unknown exactly what happens to him.
Mario actually fights Bowser Jr. up to four times in this game, as two of the battles are under Daredevil Comet conditions.
Mario Golf series[]
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour[]
[14][15]Bowser Jr. getting a par in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour.Bowser Jr. is said to have spent the majority of his childhood practicing golf on his dad's private course, making him a skilled golfer. He uses these talents in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, where he is a hidden character. For some reason, Shadow Mario also is a playable character in this game. It is unknown if this Shadow Mario is an alternate form of Bowser Jr. or someone else donning the shadowy disguise. Perhaps, this Shadow Mario is Il Piantissimo, the tropical island racer who finds the Magic Paintbrush at the end of Super Mario Sunshine.
Mario Kart series[]
Mario Kart: Double Dash!![]
[16][17]Bowser Jr. and his dad in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!.Bowser Jr. appears as his father's partner in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. Bowser Jr. is a lightweight, while his father is a heavyweight. The two make a deadly racing pair, as they can both use Bowser Shells to mow down opponents. Occasionally, this attack backfires, as the shell can ricochet backwards and hit the father and son team. His personal kart is the Bullet Blaster, which can be unlocked by winning the Special Cup in 50cc. In the manual, the reason why Bowser Jr. is in the race is because he had been misbehaving and his father believes that this would set him straight.
Interestingly enough, while Bowser's Koopa King is very heavy (one of the three heaviest karts in the game), Bowser Jr.'s Bullet Blaster is very light (lightest kart in the game).
Mario Kart Wii[]
Bowser Jr. reappears as an unlockable character in Mario Kart Wii. He can be unlocked by getting at least 1 Star Rank in every Retro 100cc Cup. Unlike in Double Dash!!, he is a middle sized character. Bowser Jr.'s stat bonuses only boost the off-road and mini-turbo stats by a small amount. Therefore, he has the smallest number of stat bonuses among all the playable characters in the game. Bowser Jr.'s emblem appears in several parts of the city in Moonview Highway. He turns corners pretty well.
Mario Tennis series[]
Mario Power Tennis[]
[18][19]Bowser Jr. getting a Trophy in Mario Power Tennis.Bowser Jr. appears as his father's doubles partner in Mario Power Tennis. He is classified as a Tricky-type character, but unlike most Tricky-types, his shots are less curved. Bowser Jr.'s Offensive Power Shot involves making three paint balls, with the center one holding the tennis ball. Any player who hits that ball will have his/her speed reduced for a while. The Defensive Power Shot involves Bowser Jr. running to the tennis ball, and hitting it with his brush.
Bowser Jr.'s reach isn't the greatest, but his speed is at a decent level. His lunge involves doing a cartwheel to reach the ball and hitting it.
Mario Baseball series[]
[20][21]Bowser Jr. holding his Magic Paintbrush in Mario Super Sluggers.Bowser Jr. appears in Mario Superstar Baseball and Mario Super Sluggers where he is a powerful batter, but his running speed is a bit lacking. In these games, Bowser Jr. is shown to be left-handed (though there's an option to play right-handed).
In Super Sluggers, Junior has his own stadium, which happens to be his own room. At night, it changes into Bowser's Castle. His Magic Paintbrush is his bat in Super Sluggers, which he uses to blind the batter with paint blotches or knocks the opposing team's members out with paint. In Challenge Mode, he is responsible for taking over all of the stadiums on Baseball Kingdom, only to be beaten in every stadium by Mario and the gang.
When Bowser is defeated for the second time, the other captains invite them to a celebration. Bowser refuses, but Bowser Jr. tells Bowser that he wants to have fun, which forces them to go (though the two only get a small portion of food).
Bowser Jr. has good batting and running abilities in Mario Super Sluggers, but his pitching is only average, and his fielding skills are pretty weak. His running is his best skill, which upgrades his fielding abilities, and his jumping almost matches Diddy Kong's in height.
Mario Hoops 3-on-3[]
[22]Bowser Jr. later appears as a playable character in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. Unlike his father, he is a default character. Bowser Jr. is a speedy character who slam dunks by whirling his arm around in a circle and then slamming the ball in. Bowser Jr.'s Super Shot is the Graffiti Dunk, which consists of Bowser Jr. using his Magic Paintbrush and covering the basketball in Graffiti and then hitting it towards the basket.
Mario Football series[]
Mario Strikers Charged Football[]
[23][24]Bowser Jr. using his Mega Strike in Mario Strikers Charged Football.Bowser Jr. is also an unlockable character in Mario Strikers Charged Football. He is an Offensive Captain, unlike his father, who is a Power Captain. Bowser Jr. is unlocked by beating the Fire Cup, which also involves beating Bowser Jr. as well. Bowser Jr.'s whining abilities are shown in this game where his screams reach supersonic levels. His Super Ability, Sonic Roar!, allows him to shrink all players he hits by using a large sound wave. His Mega Strike also uses sound waves. In this game, Bowser Jr. wears a collar similar to the one Bowser wears. His trademark bandanna, however, is absent.
Mario Party series[]
Mario Party DS[]
[25][26]Bowser Jr.'s debut in Mario Party DS.Bowser Jr. makes his Mario Party debut in Mario Party DS, where he helps his father in Story Mode, though he only has one line in the game. Bowser Jr. also appears in the Rocket Rascals mini-game occasionally to cause trouble.
Mario Party 9[]
[27][28]Bowser Jr., in Mario Party 9.Bowser Jr. will be appearing in Mario Party 9 as an antagonistic character. He appears to have his own kind of mini-games, which pit the players against him. Also, his personal Koopa Clown Car comes back.
Super Smash Bros. series[]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
Though Bowser Jr. is not a playable character or Assist Trophy, he makes several cameos in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He appears as a trophy that is based on his current appearance, and he is briefly mentioned in Bowser's trophy information. He also has several stickers depicting him from several games. Junior's artwork from Super Mario Sunshine is an attack type, medium sized sticker. Its area of effect is the tail and damage is +25. The only characters who can use it are Yoshi, Pikachu, Diddy Kong, and Pokémon Trainer. His second sticker is his artwork from Mario Superstar Baseball.
Mario & Sonic series[]
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games[]
[29][30]Bowser Jr.'s emblem.Bowser Jr. makes his debut in the Mario & Sonic series in the second game installment, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games. He is a well-rounded character, with stats more in favor of power and skill in the Wii version; his stats in the DS version, however, are more balanced, with power being his best stat. His special move is the same as his dads. Bowser Jr has the highest power among all the All-Round characters.
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games[]
Bowser Jr. returns along with his dad in the third installment, Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games as once again an all-around playable character.
Mario Sports Mix[]
[31][32]Bowser Jr., playing Hockey with his father in Mario Sports Mix.Bowser Jr. appears as a speed character in Mario Sports Mix. His speed is very high, while having average power. However, his technique attribute is very low. Bowser Jr. does get his very own stadium, which is called Bowser Jr. Blvd..
Bowser Jr.'s special shot involves him scattering paint onto the court, and sending the ball/puck to his target. Players who step on the paint will slip, and slide on their bellies, making it harder to block shots, or evade dodgeball attacks. In Basketball, however, players can still jump to repel Bowser Jr.'s shot.
Fortune Street[]
Bowser Jr. appears as a playable character in the Wii follow-up to Itadaki Street DS, Fortune Street.
Character Description[]
Bowser Jr.'s skin tone is the same as most of the Koopalings, with the same yellow and tan skin complexion, as well as a light green head. Junior has one, fang-like tooth in the upper corner of the side of his snout. He also has a ribbed, padded stomach and padded feet. His mouth is wide, puffy, and con-vexed, with a large snout. He has small, circular eyes that are black in color. Junior has small spikes on each side of his head, each being circled with orange rings. Junior's hairstyle is a top-ponytail held by a metal hair-tie. It is fiery in both color and appearance, similar to his father's hair. He also has thick eyebrows of the same fashion.
Bowser Jr. is physically powerful like his father in spite of his small frame. His exact size varies from game to game like his father's, but he usually appears bigger than his older brother, Lemmy, and has a chubby frame similar to Ludwig's. He is shown to be fast, as well as skilled, though at times he may be given varied stats.
Junior is portrayed as wearing few items of clothing, similar to his relatives. His main article of clothing is a white bib that's decorated with drawn-on fangs and worn like a mask. Rather than wearing the spiked cuffs the male Koopalings have, Junior has spikeless, metal cuffs on his wrists. His shell design is very similar to his father's. Junior's shell is green, lined with a white encasing, and the multiple, short spikes are circled with orange rings.
Personality and Traits[]
Bowser Jr. can be summed up as a bold and energetic troublemaker. His trouble making side is seen as he tricks Mario in both Super Mario Sunshine and New Super Mario Bros. According to Mario Kart Wii, Bowser Jr. inherited his father's bad attitude, evident in his motto ("Grin and bear it. When that don't work, grin and crush it."). He is also bratty, spoiled, and short tempered, though in Mario Party DS it is stated he has a lonely side. His favorite hobbies are stealing cookies, causing trouble for people, and scribbling (which may explain the widespread graffiti that was made at Isle Delfino). However, he seems determined to defeat Mario in a fair fight in order to prove his power. He is also very greedy, both in land and money.
Relationships with Other Characters[]
Bowser[]
- Main article: Bowser
Bowser Jr. idolizes his father and strives to be like him. Bowser tends to treat Bowser Jr. as a minion sometimes, but usually shows a bit more emotion towards him. When Bowser admits he conned Jr. in Sunshine, Jr. admitted he knew all along and forgave his father, showing how they trust each other. Bowser also never gets frustrated at his son when he fails, something that happens often with his other minions. While Bowser does care for his son, his selfishness and greed seems to overshadow this; in Super Mario Galaxy, Bowser grieved over the impending destruction of his galaxy rather than thinking about the welfare of his own son. Nevertheless, Bowser Jr. and Bowser have a very strong bond and are seen together as partners in various sports titles.
Koopalings[]
- Main article: Koopalings
Bowser Jr.'s relationship with his brothers and sister is for the moment unknown. So far, it's known that he is the youngest and smallest of the eight children. He also ranks slightly above them, making the seven others technically subordinate to him (this does not stop some of them from abandoning him on the airship, which may be intentional or accidental). However, he is known to help them, by dropping them off at their respective castles in his airship as well as watching over them. The only scene in which he directly interacts with the other Koopalings is after the credits in New Super Mario Bros Wii, where he directs a disoriented Larry Koopa to the rest of the Koopalings, who are lifting up an unconscious Bowser, and they both proceed to help them.
Mario[]
“Someday, when I'm bigger, I wanna fight that Mario again!” —Bowser Jr., Super Mario Sunshine
- Main article: Mario
Bowser Jr. was told by his father Mario was evil and took his "mama" away. He has since been trying to cause Mario trouble, which brings him joy. But at the end of Super Mario Sunshine, Bowser tells his son that Peach really is not his mother. He has attempted twice to stop Mario by himself mainly and has had help by his father in some ways, such as use of the Koopa Troop and weaponry.
Princess Peach[]
“I know, she's not really my Mama.” —Bowser Jr., Super Mario Sunshine
- Main article: Princess Peach
Bowser Jr. seems to have no mother, though he is seen wishing that Peach would play a maternal role in his life, shown when he called her "mama" in Mario Superstar Baseball even though he knows she is not related to him. In his Brawl trophy it was revealed that the reason he had kidnapped her in Super Mario Sunshine and in New Super Mario Bros. was because he felt strongly about her. In Super Mario Sunshine, Junior tried to get Peach to join him and Bowser in their slime tub, but Peach politely refused the offer. In Super Mario Galaxy, Junior also kept Peach with him in his airship while Bowser fought Mario.
Role in the series[]
Bowser Jr. will appear in the Spongebob series where he will be with Bowser, like in the Pooh Series. It will also be revealed that since his father, Bowser, is a new age Darkspawn lord, then that would make him half darkspawn, due to a nondarkspawn mother.