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Bowser Koopa Jr. or simply Bowser Jr. is Bowser's only child, according to Miyamoto. He is the secondary antagonist of the Mario series and a follower of his mighty father. He is heir to the Koopa throne. He made his most notable appearances in his debut game, Super Mario Sunshine, and New Super Mario Bros., in which he is the main antagonist.
Appearance and Personality[]
Bowser Jr. has a yellow skin tone with a green head like his father. Bowser Jr. has only one tooth on the left side of his snout. He also has small black eyes and his hair is tied up into a top-ponytail. Bowser Jr, like his father, has a plastron ('belly') formed by four scutes, padded feet and a spiked green shell on his back.
Bowser Jr. wears a white bib where there's a drawing of fangs resembling his father's mouth. In his first appearance his bandanna is blue and has a drawing of Mario's face. He wears are gray metal cuffs around his hands that have spikes in certain games.
Bowser Jr. is evil like his father primarily due to how he is raised, but often acts like the child he is. He is rather hyperactive, spoiled and throws tantrums easily. His child-like nature and overconfidence often leads to his downfall.
He is also quite bright, with his Final Smash trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U stating he is brainier than his father. For example, he is fascinated by machinery that he often invents and employs in his fights against Mario, such as his Boomsday Machine from Super Mario Galaxy 2 and the pinball machine in Mario Party DS. He is described by that game as obsessive about little details in the things that he makes as well as never being quite satisfied with his own work. He also has a habit, when energized or excited, of jumping from one foot to the other. However, this varies depending on the situation as in other cases he is shown to be easygoing and laid-back. It is revealed by his father in Mario Party: Island Tour that Bowser Jr. desires to be a hero. This explains why his father initially had to deceive him to go against Mario in the first place as well as why he often mentions his father as his motivation for being villainous.
It is also stated that he harbors a lonely side that he does not let other people know about, first alluded to in Mario Party DS. This aspect of his personality was explored in greater depth in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam with his friendship to Paper Bowser Junior, and the depths the two go to try to keep Paper Bowser Jr. from being forced to return to his own world. A similar depiction of loneliness was also showcased in the Nintendo Switch Online service trailer's NES portion, where he attempted to ask his dad to let him play his game with him but then nearly walked away dejected when the Koopa King initially ignored him. He also seems more willing to swallow his pride than his father, such as when he convinced Bowser to accept an invitation to a party after their defeat in Mario Super Sluggers, when he apologized to the Koopalings in Bowser Jr.'s Journey, or when he apologized to and begged Mario to rescue his father from the Megabug's influence in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle. He is also quite supportive, such as when he is conversing with his father, or with Mario and friends in Mario Party Superstars.
Appearances[]
Super Mario Sunshine[]
Bowser Jr. disguised himself as Shadow Mario in Super Mario Sunshine and spread toxic goop across Isle Delfino. He was thought to have been tricked by Bowser into thinking that Peach was his mother and that Mario and Bowser had reversed roles, but he knew all along and followed his father anyway. Unaware of this, Mario, Princess Peach and Toadsworth headed to the island for a vacation and Mario was taken in by the police. Being framed by Bowser Jr., Mario and F.L.U.D.D. had to clear the waste from the island and uncover who truly caused this mess, when it was later revealed at Pinna Park that it was the work of Bowser Jr. and Bowser
New Super Mario Bros.[]
Bowser Jr. appears as the mid boss of all of the New Super Mario Bros. worlds.
In New Super Mario Bros., Bowser Jr. is the boss of every tower. His attack pattern depends on how he wears his bandana. If it's hanging loose, Bowser Jr. jumps and charges at Mario, occasionally jumping high in the air and can be defeated by simple jump attacks. If he wears the bandana 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.
It is also notable that during this game (following the death of his father in the World 1 Castle) he leads the Koopa Troop and it is in fact he who kidnaps Peach in the beginning of the game.
He, alongside a resurrected Bowser, serve as the final bosses of the game as well. During the game's ending, Bowser Jr. is seen dragging his unconscious father across the ground. At this point, he breaks the fourth wall, growling at the player. He then resumes dragging Bowser.
Bowser Jr. in New Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Galaxy[]
In Super Mario Galaxy for the Wii, Bowser Jr. is the secondary antagonist. He would send out colossal beasts to do his bidding for him, excluding one instance where he directly fought Mario through an Airship. The two first encountered each other in Galaxy when he sent out a large robot that Mario had to climb in order to destroy. In his second appearance, Bowser Jr. and his armada of airships was raided by Mario and concluded with Mario destroying the primary ship by launching Koopa Troopa shells toward it. During his last boss appearance in the game, he sent out an enraged King Kaliente to fight Mario. 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, Bowser Jr. 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.
During the climax of the game, Bowser Jr. was thrust into an exploding sun. Miraculously, he survived, as seen in the ending movie. As an additional note, Bowser Jr.'s theme in this game has a similar opening to the themes that play when Peach's castle is being lifted and during the final phase of the last fight against Bowser, but heavily sped up.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[]
Bowser Jr. appears in New Super Mario Bros. Wii along with Bowser and the Koopalings. He appears to be the leader of the attack on Princess Peach's Castle. During the game, the player must fight him in an Airship. Each time the player battles him, he uses a Koopa Clown Car. He is also seen after the credits of the game, directing the Koopalings to move his unconscious father.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[]
Just as in the first game, Bowser Jr. orders boss monsters to attack Mario in Super Mario Galaxy 2, although he only does this in World 1. Otherwise, he fights Mario head on in mechs. In this game he seems to have less of a connection with his (now gargantuan) father, and is never seen alongside him in boss battles. After World 5, Bowser Jr. is blasted out of his Boomsday machine and off screen. His current fate is unknown.
New Super Mario Bros. U[]
Bowser Jr. reappeared in New Super Mario Bros. U with his father, the Koopalings and Boom Boom, he serves once again as the boss of the airship levels. At the final level, he will constantly attempt to crush Mario with his own Clown Car, when Bowser is defeated at the end of the level, Bowser Jr. and Kamek use magic to make Bowser huge, when Mario tries to get to Peach, the window will be sealed and Jr. comes with the now huge Bowser to fight Mario, Jr. will once again try to crush Mario, when he hits the ground, he falls unconscious for some time so Mario can steal his Clown Car to damage Bowser. When Mario did that three times, Bowser is defeated and Jr. and the Koopalings try to get Bowser on the destroyed Airship.
Mario Superstar Baseball[]
Bowser Jr. is a playable character in Mario Superstar Baseball. He appeared with his paintbrush and smock.
Mario Super Sluggers[]
Bowser Jr. appeared as a team captain, and a playable character in Mario Super Sluggers. His assigned team name was the "Bowser Jr. Rookies".
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour[]
Bowser Jr. and his alter-ego, Shadow Mario were both unlockable or hidden characters in Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour.
Mario Sports Mix[]
Junior appeared in Mario Sports Mix as a playable character in this Mario Sports title. Bowser Jr. had his own sports stadium titled Bowser Jr. Boulevard.
Mario Strikers Charged[]
Bowser Jr. is an unlockable and playable character in Mario Strikers Charged.
Mario Power Tennis[]
Bowser Jr. was his father's partner in both the Wii and GameCube version in Mario Power Tennis. Junior was listed as a Tricky character. but unlike most Tricky-types, his shots are less curved. Bowser Jr.'s Offensive Power Shot involves making three paintballs, with the center one holding the tennis ball. Any player who hits that ball has their speed reduced for a while. The Defensive Power Shot involves Bowser Jr. running to the tennis ball, and hitting it with his brush. His trophy cutscene begins with Mario, Luigi, Yoshi and a Yellow Toad interacting when they suddenly hear a cackle. Bowser Jr. then takes the trophy while they are not looking, which then makes Mario realize that it is suddenly gone. They spot Bowser Jr. in the air, who then jumps on all of their heads and strikes a pose in his victory.
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 & Sonic series[]
Bowser and Bowser Jr. in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games.
Bowser Jr. appears as a playable character in both Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games. He is listed as an all-around type character.
Mario Kart series[]
Mario Kart: Double Dash‼[]
Bowser Jr., alongside his father in Mario Kart: Double Dash‼
Bowser Jr. appeared as Bowser's partner in Mario Kart: Double Dash‼. This was his first appearance in a racing game.
Mario Kart Wii[]
Bowser Jr. made his second racing appearance in Mario Kart Wii in which he was classified as a medium weight racer. You can unlock him by getting at least one star in all 100cc cups.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[]
Bowser Jr. appears in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as one of the new drivers added to the roster.
Mario Kart Tour[]
Bowser Jr. (Pirate)
Bowser Jr. appears in Mario Kart Tour as a playable character. In addition to his regular appearance, he also has a pirate variant. Both Bowser Jr. and his variant are considered baby characters in the game.
Bowser Jr. (Pirate)'s special item is the Bob-omb Cannon, and he made his debut alongside King Bob-omb on August 12, 2020 as a part of the Pirate Tour.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[]
Bowser Jr. appears as a mini-boss in Paper Mario: Sticker Star multiple times.
When Mario is proceeding through Warm Fuzzy Plains, a Toad runs into him and drops a rare, gold sticker. The Toad then tells Mario that Bowser Jr. was going after him because he wanted the rare sticker that he found, and then the Toad runs away.
As Mario picks up the rare sticker Bowser Jr. shows up and tells Mario that he is trying to collect all of the rare stickers, and after Mario refuses to give him the sticker Bowser Jr. attacks Mario. In the battle Bowser Jr. has 20HP and can use an ability that was given to him by Bowser, which allows him to heal himself by 20HP on his turn. So because of that ability Mario cannot defeat Bowser Jr. unless he uses the rare sticker, which does 20 damage to Bowser Jr., and is enough to defeat him.
Super Smash Bros. series[]
Bowser Jr. has appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a trophy and has two stickers.
He then appeared as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. He plays using the Junior Clown Car
Attacks[]
Specials[]
- Neutral Special: Clown Cannon
- Side Special:Clown Kart Drift
- Up Special: Abandon Ship!
- Down Special: Mechakoopa
- Final Smash: Shadow Mario Paint
Trophy descriptions[]
G-Tanooki's main in Smash Ultimate/Smash 3DS/ Wii U[]
"Bowser's son, who appears in Super Mario Sunshine calling Princess Peach his mother--he feels so strongly about her that he kidnaps her. Somewhat spoiled by his father, Bowser Jr. comes off as being on the selfish side. His bib is decorated with drawn-on fangs and worn like a mask--it's most likely an effort to appear more menacing."
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS / Wii U[]
"Bowser's beloved, spoiled son sports a bandanna with a large mouth drawn on it. Like his father, Bowser Jr. longs to take Mario down. In Smash Bros., he'll fight from inside his heavily armed Junior Clown Car. The Clown Car takes less damage than Bowser Jr., so mind your positioning."
Super Smash Bros. for 3DS / Wii U Alt[]
"The Clown Kart Dash special move turns the Junior Clown Car into a kart. If you change direction while driving it, it'll spin and do more damage. When you use his up special, Bowser Jr. leaps from his Junior Clown Car, dropping it on the foes below."
Origins[]
Bowser Jr.'s origin is as yet unknown - while the genesis of Bowser's other children has been hinted at, Junior appeared as if from nowhere. In his first appearance, his father told him Peach was his mother, which was later proved false. He is the spitting image of Baby Bowser, except the latter doesn't wear a bib. Junior's bib has scribbled on fake teeth, as if to match his father's fierce grin. Junior appears in many games to have his magic paintbrush, which was introduced in his first game, Super Mario Sunshine. Not many fans were initially fond of Bowser Jr, as he overshadowed the Koopalings. However, many began to not mind him as much, as the seven were seen alongside him in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
Gallery[]
| Main article: Bowser Jr./gallery |
| Characters in Mario | |
|---|---|
| Major characters | The Mario Bros. (Mario • Luigi) • Princess Peach • Toad • Yoshi • Bowser • Bowser Jr. • Rosalina • Waluigi • Princess Daisy • Toadette • Birdo • Wario • Donkey Kong • Diddy Kong |
| Secondary characters | Wanda • Pauline • Professor E. Gadd • Toadsworth • Captain Toad • Nabbit • Cappy |
| Enemies | Koopalings (Larry Koopa / Morton Koopa Jr. / Lemmy Koopa / Wendy O. Koopa / Iggy Koopa / Roy Koopa / Ludwig von Koopa) • Fawful • Kammy Koopa • Dimentio • Antasma • Kamek • King Boo • Petey Piranha • Tatanga • Wart • Foreman Spike • Koopa Troopa • Dry Bones • Goomba • Piranha Plant • Boo |
| Other media | King Toadstool • Wooster • Oogtar • Giuseppe • Mario and Luigi's father • Mario and Luigi's mother • Francis |
| Koopa species | |
|---|---|
| Notable Koopas | Bowser • Bowser Jr. • Dry Bowser • Fury Bowser • Hookbill the Koopa • Iggy Koopa • Jr. Troopa • Kamek • Kammy Koopa • Koopa Bros. • Koopa the Quick • Kooper • Koopie Koo • Koopley • Koops • Kroop • Kylie Koopa • Larry Koopa • Lemmy Koopa • Ludwig von Koopa • Morton Koopa Jr. • Roy Koopa • Wendy O. Koopa |
| Koopa Troopa species | Ankoopa • Boomerang Bros. • Dry Bones • Fire Bro. • Hammer Bro. • Koopa Troopa • Koopa Paratroopa • Koopatrol • K.P. Koopa • Lakitu • Magikoopa • Shady Koopa • Super Dry Bones • Thunder Bro |