| “ | Someday, when I'm bigger... I wanna fight that Mario again! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. to his father in the ending of Super Mario Sunshine |
| “ | I'm gonna get this done myself. Dad would love that! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey |
Prince Bowser Koopa Jr., better known simply as Bowser Jr. or Junior, is the secondary antagonist of the Super Mario franchise.
He is Bowser's only son and heir, as well as the second-in-command of the Koopa Troop. In an effort to make his father proud, he often aids Bowser in his plans to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom by helping to kidnap Princess Peach and fighting off Mario.
He made his first appearance in Super Mario Sunshine, where he posed as Mario using his Shadow Mario form to get him arrested so he could kidnap Princess Peach, whom he seemingly believed was his biological mother due to his father's lies. After that plot was foiled, he continued to serve his father faithfully by commanding his forces when he wasn't around or by fighting Mario himself.
He was voiced by Dolores Rogers in Super Mario Sunshine up until his appearance in Mario Party DS, is currently voiced by Caety Sagoian in the entire franchise since Mario Strikers Charged. Both have also shared and reprised their roles in Mario Party 9, Mario Sports Superstars and Mario Tennis Aces, while the former also continues to voice the Wigglers as well.
Characteristics
Bowser Jr. is a yellow-skinned Koopa who appears to be the exact image of his father, especially in his own juvenile age as Baby Bowser, with the same yellow and tan skin complexion, as well as a light green head and a top-ponytail of orange-red hair held by a black tie. He has one small tooth in his mouth and a large snout, as well as small circular eyes that are beady and black in color. His shell is lined with a green encasing with small white spikes. He is almost always wearing a bandana, usually around his neck, but sometimes covering his mouth. In his debut in Super Mario Sunshine, he wore a dark blue one with a graffiti of Mario's nose and moustache that he uses to transform into his alter-ego, Shadow Mario. As Shadow Mario, he looks exactly like Mario in form, but is dark blue and translucent. In all subsequent games, with the exception of Mario Strikers Charged, Bowser Jr. wears a white bandana with a graffiti of a colorful fanged mouth.
Bowser Jr. seems to be very bratty, spoiled, and mischievous. He is like this because he is raised by his villainous father, who was more or less raised in the same manner by Kamek. He also shares his father's affection for Princess Peach and hatred for Mario, who he aids in kidnapping and fighting respectively. Despite that, they seem to have a genuine father-son relationship and really care for each other, which is shown in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle where Bowser calls Junior on the phone to make sure that he did his homework, implying that he does go to a school of some sort, and later on, Bowser Jr. asks for the heroes' help in saving his father when he was possessed by the MegaBug.
In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr's Journey, Bowser Jr. is initially shown to have very little respect towards the rest of the Koopa Troop and arrogantly believes that they must serve him regardless how he treats them due to his status as a prince. However, over the course of the game he learns that the troop serve his father through love and admiration; things that come from respect. And after thinking back to how he treated the Koopalings up until that point made Junior feel sad and remorseful. But Bowser Jr. soon made amends for his past behavior and began showing his minions with more care since. The game also shows that Bowser Jr. does not apparently think about morality when he is helping his father in his goals and instead just does what he himself thinks is right as he told the Best Fitness Friends.
Despite his young age and size, Bowser Jr. is very skilled, powerful, and a formidable opponent to the Mario Bros. Since his first appearance, he has shown remarkable talent with mechanics and computers, as he is able to skillfully invent and pilot a variety of vehicles and giant robots as well as hack computer systems. He also appears to excel in magic as shown in Mario Super Sluggers where he turned Princess Daisy into a stone statue, as well as in New Super Mario Bros. where he performs necromancy to revive his dad at the end of the game. He is just as acrobatic as Mario/Luigi and can perform the same jump techniques. He also has excellent leadership, strategic, and tactical skills. However, Bowser Jr. is sometimes influenced by his father's temper and bad attitude, evident in his motto ("Grin and bear it. When that don't work, grin and crush it."), from Mario Kart Wii, which aligns with why he always cites his father as his motivation for performing any villainous acts. However, in Mario Party: Island Tour, it is revealed that from inside, Bowser Jr. would rather be a hero, but does not want to disappoint his father and has an undying devotion to serving him.
As seen in the Nintendo Switch Online overview trailer, Bowser Jr. is a very skilled gamer, showing prowess across many games, such as his S+ rank in Splatoon 2.
Powers and Abilities
- Fire breath: Like his father, Bowser Jr. is capable of spitting fire in different forms. At first, he was not very good at breathing fire as Mario Strikers Charged shows, where he tries to breathe fire like his father in his entrance, only to breathe smoke and a small flame. That changes in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, where he can breathe fireballs that can accommodate opponents, and creates a large flame of fire when the fireball is in contact with the ground. In New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, he can breathe fireballs consecutively. In Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, he is able to breathe a stream of fire.
- Superhuman attributes: Like his father, Bowser Jr. has superhuman abilities well beyond the average person.
- Superhuman strength: Despite his young age, Bowser Jr. has superhuman strength, including a huge strike force. In Super Mario Maker, he has the ability to crush and paralyze remaining opponents on the field, a skill performed by most of the big and strong characters like Bowser, Morton, Roy, and Ludwig. He once again demonstrates his deceptive strength in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, where he can easily throw a giant cannonball several times his size at Mario Bros. and Paper Mario.
- Superhuman Durability: Bowser Jr. showed high levels of durability to the point of being able to survive imminent death situations. This is evident in Super Mario Galaxy, where he falls into the gigantic sun after his father's defeat, and he is later shown to be back alive in the Mushroom Kingdom, as well as New Super Mario Bros Wii, where he survives after being crushed by Bowser's collapsed castle.
- Superhuman Agility: Bowser Jr., thanks to his small size, is very agile, able to make prodigious leaps.
- Magic: Bowser Jr. appears to excel in magic as shown in Mario Super Sluggers where he turned Princess Daisy into a stone statue. This is also supported in Paper Mario: Sticker Star, where he can Paperize, create a defensive shield, and heal.
- Mechanics: From his first appearance, he has shown remarkable talent with mechanics and computers, able to skillfully invent and pilot vehicles and giant robots as well as hack emails.
- Shapeshifting: When wearing a bandanna imbued with magic, Bowser Jr. can transform and reshape the form of his body.
- Palletakinesis: While using the magic paintbrush, Bowser Jr. can create/generate, shape and manipulate paint.
Relationships
Family
- Bowser (father)
Friends/Allies
- Bowser
- King Boo
- Petey Piranha
- Koopalings
- Goombas
- Koopas
- Boom Boom
- Pom Pom
- Dr. Eggman
- Metal Sonic (best friend)
- Zavok
- Zazz
- Shadow (sometimes)
- Rouge (sometimes)
- Wario (sometimes)
- Waluigi (sometimes)
- Mario (sometimes)
- Eggman Nega
Enemies
- Mario
- Princess Peach
- Luigi
- Toad
- Toadette
- Yoshi
- Birdo
- Princess Daisy
- Rosalina
- Donkey Kong
- Diddy Kong
- Fawful
- MegaBug
- Sonic
- Amy
- Tails
- Knuckles
- Silver
- Blaze
- E-123 Omega
- Espio
- Charmy
- Shadow
- Cream
- Vector
- Rouge
- Big
- Jet
- Wave
- Master Hand
- Crazy Hand
- Galeem
- Dharkon
Quotes
Super Mario Sunshine
| “ | Bowser Jr: Leave my Mama alone, you bad man! I won't let you take Mama Peach away! Peach: Mama? Mama Peach? I'm your...Mama? Bowser Jr: Yeah, Papa told me all about it. He told me my Mama got kidnapped by a bad man named Mario. Princess Peach: So you're Bowser's son... Bowser Jr.: So I came here to rescue her! Peach: So the graffiti... that was you? Bowser Jr: (shows off his magic brush) This... is my magic brush! When I draw this, all my wishes come true! A strange old man in a white coat gave it to me. F.L.U.D.D: A strange old man... in a white coat? Peach: But why would you pretend to be Mario? Bowser Jr: Papa told me everything. He said, "Mario's a bully, he never fights fair!" He said, "Jr, you gotta try to outsmart Mario." So I tried to get Mario sent to prison. But they didn't lock him up, and now he came to steal Mama Peach again! You... you pest! Stop following us! |
„ |
| ~ Bowser Jr.'s first words after revealing his true identity to Mario and Princess Peach |
| “ | Bowser: Bwa ha ha! The water's great, eh, Junior?! Bowser Jr: Sure is, Papa! Come on in, Mama Peach! Peach: Ummm... I think not. (Mario and F.L.U.D.D. appear) Peach: Mario!!! Bowser Jr: You again!? Don't you ever give up!? Bowser: MARIO!!! How dare you disturb my family vacation??!! (roars) |
„ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. and his father before the final boss fight |
| “ | Bowser: Junior, I've got something... difficult...to tell you about Princess Peach. Bowser Jr: I know, she's not really my Mama. (Bowser is stunned silent) Bowser Jr: Someday, when I'm bigger... I wanna fight that Mario again! Bowser: That's my boy! Well put, son! The royal Koopa line is as strong as ever! But for now...let's just rest awhile. |
„ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. and his father after the final boss fight |
Super Mario Galaxy/Super Mario Galaxy 2
| “ | Wahahaha! You made it! But I won't even need my dad's help to take care of you! Go at 'em, Megaleg! Stomp 'em with the power of your Grand Star! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. before summoning Megaleg |
| “ | You just don't give up! Fine, then. I guess I'll just have to whup you myself! You want this Grand Star so bad? You're gonna have to take it from me! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. before battling Mario/Luigi on his airship |
| “ | If I give up any more Grand Stars, my dad's gonna get MAAAAAAD! So this calls for my ultimate weapon! Give 'em some heat, King Kaliente! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. before summoning King Kaliente |
| “ | Looking for Princess Peach? Too bad! 'Cause she's with me! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr.'s last words while holding Princess Peach hostage on his airship in Super Mario Galaxy |
| “ | Wahaha! Made it this far, huh? I won't need my dad's help to finish you off! I got a big surprise for you! Ohhhhh, Gobblegut... Dinner's on! Don't forget to protect your bellyache bulges! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. summoning Gobblegut |
| “ | Don't you know when to quit?! I'm gonna enjoy taking you out from the cozy confines of my robot cockpit! So you want a Grand Star, do ya? Well, come on, tough guy! Let’s see if you’re any match for Megahammer! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. before battling Mario/Luigi and Yoshi |
| “ | My Dad's gonna get angry if I let you get another Grand Star... Time to break out my Boomsday Machine! I'll just relax in my comfy cockpit and watch you go BOOM! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr.'s last words before he fights Mario/Luigi for the final time in Super Mario Galaxy 2 |
| “ | WHAAAAAOOOWWW!!! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr.'s last scream as he's sent flying after his Boomsday Machine blows up |
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
| “ | Aw yeeeah! My dad's a CASTLE now! Nobody's gonna be able to stop him now that he's all-powerful! Heh heh! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. |
| “ | What, you think you're gonna stop me? Hehe... OK, then. I'll play with you. | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. |
| “ | This palace is super mega loaded with Dad's Wonder power. No way you're gonna beat me! But it's gonna be fun to see you try. | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. |
| “ | Heh heh! I've got this view all to myself. | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. |
| “ | Hey, it's you! You climbed all the way up to the summit just to play with me, huh? Well, if you wanna play THAT bad, I guess we can. I'm gonna do some wild stuff with Wonder power, so you should be extra scared! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. |
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
| “ | Hey! Stay away from him! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. |
| “ | I see what’s going on here. You want to use the little fella’s special talents for yourself! Well, I saw him first! He and all his special talents are MINE. | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. |
| “ | Ha! My papa’s gonna be so impressed when he gets back from vacation! And you, Mario, YOU must be exhausted after all those battles. Take this—it’ll give you some much needed energy. Before I go, Spawny and I would like to introduce you to a new friend of ours. He’s the ‘top banana’ around here! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. summoning Rabbid Kong |
| “ | And YOU. Stay away from Spawny! As a matter of fact, stay out of my way. PERIOD. I have things to do and daddy issues to repress! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. to Mario |
| “ | So, you finally decided to show up! You’re just in time for the show. | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. revealed to be hacking Beep-O's account |
| “ | Oh, he’s real alright… In fact, thanks to you, he’s about to make his debut right here on this very stage. | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. before he and Spawny create the Phantom |
| “ | No, please! I’m sorry about before! I know it’s all my fault… | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. blaming himself |
Other
| “ | NO, NO, NO, NO, NOOOO...!!! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr.'s defeat in Mario Party 9 |
| “ | Aw, Daaaaaad! I wanna play baseball! Let’s all play together! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr.'s last words and redemption in Mario Super Sluggers |
| “ | Hmph! This ship's pretty classy - you know, cool design and all that. Maybe I'll model my next mecha after it! | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. in Fortune Street |
| “ | Mario! Dad is out of control! I don’t know what happened… I tried to help him, but he’s too big and mad. I can’t change Dad back by myself… I’d never ask you for help. Never EVER! But I’ll do anything to save Papa. So… help me, Mario. | „ |
| ~ Bowser Jr. begging Mario to help him save his father |
Audio
Laughs
Dolores Rogers
Caety Sagoian
Roars
Trivia
- The pads of Bowser Jr.'s feet are similar to Birdo's.
- Since his name is Bowser Jr., this would mean that his father's full name is Bowser Sr.
- It's possible that his bandana is the same one his father wore as a child.
- Despite canonically being Bowser's only son, Bowser Jr.'s real biological mother and backstory are unknown, and it's unclear if Bowser Jr. himself even knows who his mother is.
- When asked about the identity of Bowser Jr.'s mother in an interview, series creator Shigeru Miyamoto jokingly pointed to himself.
- His "corrupted" form from Super Mario Bros. Wonder slightly resembles Bowser's Brother from Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels as well as Dark Bowser from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
- According to the official Mario Power Tennis website, it says Bowser Jr. lives on 48 Lava Cul-De-Sac, Magma Manor.
External Links
- Bowser Jr. on the Heroes Wiki
- Bowser Jr. on the Mario Wiki
- Bowser Jr. on the Super Mario Wiki
- Bowser Jr. on the Nintendo Wiki
- Bowser Jr. on the Smashpedia
- Bowser Jr. on the Wikipedia
 Villains
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Marioverse Sour Bunch Zok Troops Others Movies Television Books Pakkun Mogura |
Chō Dossun |
Poko-tachi no sensuikan |
Ultra Pukupuku |
Battra Hanachan |
Kāmenētā |
Bowser (KC Mario) |
Wario (KC Mario) See Also | ||
