Bowser (character)

Bowser, also known as King Koopa, is a video game character and the primary antagonist of Nintendo's Mario franchise. In Japan, the character is known as Bowser (クッパ) and bears the title of Daimaō (大魔王). In the United States, the character was first referred to as "Bowser, King of the Koopa" and "The sorcerer king" in the Super Mario Bros. instruction manual. Bowser is the leader and most powerful of the turtle-like Koopa race and is the greedy archnemesis of Mario beginning with his first appearance, in the game Super Mario Bros. His ultimate goals are to marry Princess Peach, defeat Mario, and conquer the Mushroom Kingdom. Since his debut, he has appeared in almost every Mario franchise game. Currently, Bowser is voiced by Kenny James.

Concept and creation
Bowser was the creation of Nintendo designer and producer Shigeru Miyamoto. Miyamoto had first envisioned Bowser as an ox, basing him on the Ox King from the Toei Animation film Alakazam the Great. However, Nintendo designer Takashi Tezuka pointed out that the character looked a lot more like a turtle than an ox. Despite popular misconception, Bowser is, in fact, supposed to be a turtle, not a dragon. (Though an early advertisement flyer for the arcade version of the game did refer to "conquer[ing] dragons" as part of its gameplay.) Miyamoto and Tezuka then began to work together to define Bowser's appearance. Since the character was the leader of the turtle-like Koopa Troopas the two began to base his new appearance on them, creating a new illustration. In his final design, Miyamoto commented that he could make Bowser "look cool now".

Miyamoto named him 大魔王 クッパ Daimaō Kuppa. Kuppa came from the Japanese name for 국밥, gukbap, a Korean dish. Miyamoto had also considered the names ユッケ Yukke and ビビンバ Bibinba, also Japanese names of Korean dishes (육회 yukhoe and 비빔밥 bibimbap respectively). The Korean name for the character Bowser/Kuppa is not Gukbap, but 쿠파 Kupa, which is essentially a phonetic round-trip translation. The name was anglicized Kuppa rather than Koopa in the Japanese versions up until the release of Super Mario World. How the character was given the name "Bowser" in English is unknown.

In the Super Mario Bros. film, Bowser, known as King Koopa in that adaption, was portrayed by Dennis Hopper. In the film, King Koopa appears as human-like, but with reptilian features (such as a long, slithering tongue, and a lack of body hair). The climax of the film sees Koopa devolve into an enomorous Tyrannosaur to battle the Mario Bros.

Characteristics
Bowser is portrayed as the "King of the Koopas", anthropomorphic turtles that inhabit the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser differs greatly from the rest of his clan, who appear mainly as bipedal tortoises. His iconic features include a large, spiked shell, horns, razor-sharp teeth, and a shock of red hair. In addition, while most Koopas prefer fruits and vegetables as their diet, Bowser, due to his sharp teeth, prefers meat, though he has, on occasion, consumed vegetation, as well. He is physically powerful, can breathe fire, and is said to have skills in black magic.

Bowser's physical size tends to vary from game to game. In most games, he dwarfs the majority of characters, but there are exceptions. In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, he stands only slightly taller than Mario.

Bowser aspires to take over the Mushroom Kingdom and merge it with his own realm. He is infatuated with Princess Peach,   and routinely kidnaps her as part of his plans for domination. Sometimes, however, he kidnaps Peach simply to lure Mario into a trap, and occasionally even to marry her.

The character's role in the series varies. He is typically the main villain in the game, but in the RPG series, he sometimes works with the heroes to defeat a greater evil. The RPGs also portray Bowser in a more humorous light as a blustering, buffoonish bully with a hidden softer side.

Bowser also has his own castle in a hellish, volcanic world. Known internationally as Bowser's Castle, he can summon his minions here in order to take over the kingdom and capture Peach in the main games. In the spin-offs, the castle can also serve as a racetrack, a tennis court, a baseball stadium, and many more. He also has a son, Bowser Jr., who helps his father kidnap Peach. His mother is unknown. Bowser was originally thought to have seven other children, the Koopalings, but recently, Shigeru Miyamoto admitted in a recent interview that they are not Bowser's children in official canon.

Super Mario series
Bowser's first appearance was in Super Mario Bros. as the main villain who kidnaps Princess Peach and as the final boss with several false versions of him appearing as lesser bosses. He reappears in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, in which he uses the same battle tactics as in the previous game. He appears in Super Mario Bros. 3, and along with his seven children, the Koopalings, he transforms the kings of seven worlds into various different creatures and eventually capturing Princess Peach yet again. Bowser and his seven underlings reappear in Super Mario World, where they conquer Dinosaur Land and kidnap Peach while she and Mario are on vacation on Yoshi's Island. He makes his first 3D appearance in Super Mario 64, where he takes over Peach's castle and steals 105 of the 120 Power Stars, scattering them through various worlds linked using the castle (this raised to 150 in Super Mario 64 DS). He returns in Super Mario Sunshine, in which his youngest, but favorite son, Bowser Jr., who is disguised as an evil version of Mario, kidnaps Peach. Bowser himself eventually appears in the final boss battle of the game. In New Super Mario Bros., Bowser is the boss of the first world, which features a battle similar to that of Super Mario Bros. After being defeated, he falls into lava and is reduced to a skeleton called Dry Bowser. He is eventually restored by Bowser Jr. and acts as the final world's boss along with his son. In Super Mario Galaxy, Bowser steals Power Stars from Rosalina's Comet Observatory and kidnaps Peach, taking her to the center of the universe to recreate it, with the intention of taking over the universe, and was voiced by Kenny James. He also appears in New Super Mario Bros. Wii as the final boss and primary antagonist of the game. After being defeated at the end, he grows to a much greater size, chasing Mario through the castle before Mario defeats him again. Bowser appears in the sequel Super Mario Galaxy 2, once again as the main villain. Here, however, Bowser has grown to giant size, requiring the player to dodge more powerful attacks such as meteors and electricity bolts. Bowser also appears in Super Mario 3D Land as the main villain once again where he steals Peach and use the Super Leaf to create tailed minions. Dry Bowser also returns in this game as well. Bowser also appeared in New Super Mario Bros. 2 along with his Koopalings in order to capture Peach once more. Dry Bowser also makes a return appearance in this game. Bowser will be the main villain of New Super Mario Bros. U along with his minions but this time, they will invade Castle Toadstool.

Bowser appears as a child in various games. Known as Baby Bowser, he antagonizes the Baby Mario brothers and various members of the Yoshi species. He first appears in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island where Kamek predicts the brothers will become problems in the future, so he attempts to kidnap them. He appears yet again in the sequel Yoshi's Story, stealing the "Super Happy Tree" from a group of Yoshis. He appeared yet again in Yoshi's Island DS as a playable character to recover his castle.

Other games
Bowser makes various appearances in the Mario RPGs. In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, he allies with Mario to regain his castle, which is stolen by the main antagonist, Smithy. In Paper Mario, he is the primary antagonist, stealing an item called the Star Rod and using it to empower himself. He is a lesser antagonist in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and a minor playable character, and is a major playable character in the sequel Super Paper Mario. Bowser will return as the main antagonist in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. He plays minor antagonistic and supporting roles in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, where he aides Mario and Luigi in battling the witch Cackletta, losing his memory at one point and being possessed by Cackletta's spirit at another. Its sequel, Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, features both Bowser and Baby Bowser as minor antagonists. In Super Princess Peach, he uses the power of the Vibe Scepter to capture Mario and Luigi (prompting Princess Peach herself to come to their rescue). His most recent RPG appearance was in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, where he is one of the three main characters and is often cited as the starring character. Although he is also a villain in that game, he is also playable and can serve as a hero in some parts of the RPG.

Bowser appears as a playable character in the Mario Kart series and various Mario sport titles, such as Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games with its sequels Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games where he is one of the two main villains (with Dr. Eggman) in the Adventure Mode (handheld versions only). In the Adventure Tour, he and Dr. Eggman plan to make their own Olympic Winter Games by capturing the Snow Spirits. In the game's climax, he and Eggman serve as the final bosses. He also appears frequently in the Mario Party series as both a playable and non-playable character. Dry Bowser also appears in some of the sports games occasionally as a playable character, being an independent character as opposed to being a form of Bowser. Bowser is a selectable character within Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In both games is a form not featured in any other game called "Giga Bowser", a darker and more monstrous form with added power elements to his attacks. This form is an unplayable boss character in Melee, and is fought in Adventure Mode and the final Event Match, whilst in Brawl, it serves as a temporary playable transformation with the Final Smash.

In other media
Bowser's first appearance in any Mario media outside the games was in the Mario anime film Super Mario Bros.: Peach-Hime Kyushutsu Dai Sakusen!, in which he is voiced by Akiko Wada. He then appeared in the Super Mario Bros. 3 OVA films. His first American appearances were as the antagonist in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!, The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, and Super Mario World which were all produced by DIC Entertainment, in which he is voiced by Harvey Atkin and the character is typically referred to as "King Koopa" rather than Bowser. His appearance in the cartoon was also different his video game appearances. In the cartoon he had green skin and lacked his red hair and ability to breathe fire, although he did keep his magic wand. Bowser also has his alter egos in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! to match the episode with his disguise.

Bowser also hosted his very own show entitled King Koopa's Kool Kartoons, which debuted in 1989. On this half-hour program, Bowser gives away prizes to the children.

Bowser also appears as the antagonist in the Mario comics published as part of the Nintendo Comics System. In the Super Mario Bros. film, his character was split into 2, the main villain played by the late Dennis Hopper called "King Koopa" who usurped the throne of the parallel-universe city of Dinohattan (the film's version of the Mushroom Kingdom) from the rightful "King Bowser" (played by Lance Henriksen) who he devolved into fungus for most of the film. Rather than a turtle, Koopa was a humanoid evolved from dinosaurs. Koopa is killed in the climax when Mario and Luigi devolve him first into a Tyrannosaurus Rex and then into primordial slime. Bowser was played by the late Christopher Hewett in the 1989 Ice Capades. Bowser also appeared in the CD-i game Hotel Mario as a final boss in the last hotel in the game.

Bowser appeared in the Annoying Orange episode Super Mario.

The film version of Bowser was met with significant criticism, even being mentioned by the actor who portrays him, Dennis Hopper, as the worst role he has ever played on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

Bowser will be among the villains featured in Disney's 2012 live-action film Wreck-It Ralph at Ralph's group therapy session.

Reception
Due largely to the success of the Mario franchise, Bowser has become one of the most iconic and easily recognizable video game antagonists of all time. He frequently appears in lists for greatest video game antagonists. IGN placed him at #2 (out of 100) and Gamepro placed him at #9 (out of 47). GameSpot listed him at #9 in their "Top 10 Video Game Villains" article, stating "Of all the villains to make an appearance on this list, Bowser...has got to be the most interesting," later adding "While some people say Bowser's life may have gotten into a rut, the man has simply refined his game down to an everyday thing. He's focused, he's dedicated, and worst of all, he's patient." Bowser ranked in the first slot on Game Daily's top 10 Nintendo characters that deserve their own games list, explaining if Yoshi and Wario get their own games, Bowser should too due to his being one of gaming's most nefarious villains. In GameDaily's top 10 Smash Bros. characters list, he ranked sixth. GameDaily also included him in their most persistent video game villains list. However, Bowser has been also rated as the 4th biggest douchebag in gaming history by Screwattack, who said that he wants to "take Mario down". IGN editor Craig Harris described Bowser as being a household name.

Bowser's role in Super Mario Galaxy has been met with significant praise. Eurogamer editor Margaret Robertson commented that after years of being a "comedy villain", Galaxy put him back at his "scaly, scabrous best"." PALGN editor Chris Sell called him the best boss in Mario Galaxy, stating that it wasn't just because of the battles with him being "superb, screen filling affairs", but also because he is "back to being mean again"." Nintendo World Report editor Aaron Kaluszka commented that battling Bowser has never been "this intense and engaging."" IGN editor Cam Shea praised his physical appearance in Super Mario Galaxy, describing him as "imposing and weighty"." Another IGN editor, Matt Casamassina, praised the visual quality of the characters, citing Bowser in particular and mentioning how his "funky red fur waggles in the wind". Game Positive editor Travis Simmons concurred, commenting that his hair "gives him a touch of personality"."

Bowser's role in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story has been met with highly positive reception. He has frequently been referenced as the main character of the game due to his prominence in it. Eurogamer editor Christian Donlan commented that it felt good to play as Bowser, and that "After years of picking a path carefully around threats, jumping out of harm's way, and tackling challengers mostly from above, it's a pleasure to put those cares aside and relish a few hours of spiky, tortoise-shelled power." " Destructoid editor Jim Sterling described Bowser's gameplay as "brilliant comic relief". He also described the dialogue of the game as being "laugh out loud funny", specifically praising Bowser's ego. RPGamer editor Michael Cunningham praised the game for Bowser "stealing the show", but also decried it for not having quite enough of him." Nintendo World Report editor Pedro Hernandez called Bowser the "main character" of the game, commenting that the plot and humour of the game makes iconic characters "more enduring, including Bowser." " NGamer Magazine editor Matthew Castle commented that all Mario role-playing games make good use of Bowser, but that this is the first game where Bowser takes the center stage. Game Style editor Drew Middlemas commented that Bowser stole the show, being portrayed as a "creature of pure, blustering ego who reminds us of why he’s one of gaming’s greatest baddies."" N-Europe editor called him the "real star" of the game, calling him a "fantastic character" with "so much more to give than what we’ve seen from him so far, even in the other Mario RPGs." He added that his "foul mood and lack of intelligence" as well as his interactions with other characters are well-written. "

Kombo editor commented that he became a more sympathetic character as the game progresses, adding that his "massive ego pushes him towards heroism"." Wired.com editor Chris Kohler called Bowser awesome, adding that his segments are funnier than Mario and Luigi's." Giant Bomb editor Brad Shoemaker states that Bowser steals the show, commenting that playing as him gives players an inside glimpse of his ego and megalomania." IGN editor Craig Harris described Bowser as the only "core Nintendo character over the past couple decades" to not have a starring role in a video game, and this game acts as his "big break"." 1UP.com editor Jeremy Parish stated that Bowser makes the game, describing him as more interesting than Bowser's Inside Story predecessor's partners, the baby forms of Mario and Luigi." GamePro editor Alicia Ashby called Bowser one of the most "lovable characters in the Nintendo universe", and praising Bowser's Inside Story for giving him "much deserved time in the spotlight." GameSpy editor Phil Theobald called him the breakout star of the game, stating that "the gruff, quick-to-anger pro/antagonist is a treat to watch as he continuously becomes infuriated with the incompetence of his minions."" GamesRadar editor Henry Gilbert stated that he is "home to the most drastic change to the formula" in this game, stating that while he is still a "humorously incapable villain", the game allows players to switch between Bowser and the Mario Bros. at their discretion."" ScrewAttack listed Bowser as the number one Top 10 Reptiles/Amphibians in Video Games. IGN names Bowser one of the "oldest villains in gaming history, not to mention one of the most iconic."