Bowser of the Super Mario series has served as its main antagonist since the beginning. This evil, fire-breathing, turtle-like monster rules over his kingdom as King Koopa. He often kidnaps Princess Peach and upsets the order of things in the Mushroom Kingdom. He may not have been the first enemy the series protagonist Mario has faced (that honor belongs to Donkey Kong), but with his debut in Super Mario Bros., released in 1985 on the Nintendo Famicom, Bowser has maintained his top spot as Mario’s arch nemesis. Some recurring characters may grow stale, but Bowser has held lasting appeal. For a great many reasons, Bowser is a likable villain and is likely the only main antagonist that the core Super Mario games will ever need.
The Koopa Clown Car first appeared in Super Mario World.
Bowser is well-liked by series fans in spite of his villainy. It might be thanks in part to his simplicity. Just like most of their characters in the Mario franchise, Nintendo never felt the need to build up a complicated backstory for him. What we know of Bowser and his motivations have been revealed over more than 30 years of the character’s history, but not much about him has changed. He just wants to kidnap princesses and smash things, and that is all he really needs. The stories of Super Mario are relatively unimportant, so having a villain like Bowser works. He has one of the most endearing designs of any Mario character, which makes him instantly recognizable and the right amount of threatening. Bowser has unique tastes. Every castle he owns is covered in his face and statues of himself and lots of spikes. He also flies around a very expressive Clown Car. He has gone on to be increasingly flashy, driving around a purple hot rod, basing himself in his own amusement park, and wearing bright white tuxedos.
Part of what makes Bowser great is how he has been characterized over the course Mario series history. It is important to see how he has been portrayed in all of his appearances, including the role-playing game and sports spin-offs; I am not concerned with what is considered to be canon here as I believe the spin-offs have been true to the characters. In the main Super Mario series, Bowser has always played the villain. He has been single-minded in his pursuit of either kidnapping Peach, taking over the world, or both. Bowser is cocky when things go his way, but he has a short temper when they do not. He has been fearsome and tyrannical, but only in a way that a light-hearted franchise like Mario can get away with. That said, Bowser does not seem to mind causing suffering or general inconvenience in his conquests. He is someone who unleashes fleets of battleships on neighboring kingdoms, completely unprovoked. As a king, Bowser feels entitled to anything he desires.
Bowser teams up with Mario in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
Throughout the spin-offs, on the other hand, Bowser has been shown to have a goofier side, even in his attempts to be intimidating. In the Mario RPGs, he is still stuck in his evil ways, but he is often forced into situations that often result in him allying with Mario as a means to an end. Even though he is willing to cooperate with his greatest enemy, he normally insists that he is the one in charge in spite of circumstances. Bowser working alongside Mario allows the opportunity to see his perspective. Mario normally plays a silent role in the RPGs, so sometimes the best dialogue comes from Bowser. Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story even stars Bowser as the main protagonist, and the game is all the better for it. While Bowser in the Super Mario series has probably always been intended to be a little on the silly side, this aspect of his character comes through best in the spin-offs, and their influence has definitely bled into the core series.
Bowser’s interaction with his other characters is where his personality comes through most. When facing Mario, he is usually enraged or boastful. Despite being defeated by the plumber several times, he often challenges and goads him. As for Mario’s brother Luigi, Bowser bears resentment but sometimes forgets his name. Bowser never gives up, and he always lets his Mario know he is not afraid of a fight. They are rivals of love, after all, as Bowser’s kidnapping of Princess Peach normally becomes the catalyst for most of Mario’s adventures. It could not be clearer that Peach does not want to be with Bowser, but he seems to be either blissfully unaware of this or ignorant by choice. Bowser wants Peach to love him, but destroying her kingdom, locking her in cages, and forcing her into marrying him on multiple occasions might be a tad abusive. He is so self-assured that he probably believes she would want to be with him anyway because, come on, he is Bowser.
Bowser comes on a little strong.
Bowser spending quality time with Jr.
Of all the loyal followers Bowser has had, like Kamek, the Koopalings, and his armies of Koopa Troopas and Goombas, the most significant addition to the franchise was his own son, Bowser Jr. Bowser, the tyrant that he is, always shouts demands and has his men fall in line, but he shows a much softer attitude toward his son. He did lie to Jr. about the identity of his mother to coax him into kidnapping Peach. Bowser also does not seem to mind putting his son into dangerous situations; however, this is a universe in which infants are driving around go-karts at 70 mph, so that is not really out of the ordinary. Bowser has come to pair up with Bowser Jr. directly, fighting against Mario and his friends, and they make quite a team. Bowser is actually one of the few parents of note in most Nintendo series, and the company even chose to highlight him as a responsible adult in their video on the Parental Controls application for the Switch. Watch it if you want to be informed but really just to seeing something cute.
The epic final battle of Super Mario Bros.
Of course, even if Bowser is a likable character, his most important aspect is how he functions as a boss. Super Mario is a game series, and Bowser is the final boss of nearly every game. It is essential that he is satisfying to beat down. The very first Bowser boss fights were simple. Bowser would stand on a bridge and shoot fireballs and throw hammers at Mario. All Mario had to do was dodge Bowser’s attacks, and use an ax to cut down the bridge, causing Bowser to fall into a bit of lava. It is an iconic confrontation that has been played within different variations throughout the Mario franchise, mostly in the New Super Mario Bros. games. Bowser fights have become increasingly elaborate, and they usually took advantage of the mechanics introduced in their respective games. Maybe not every fight has been great, but most have been memorable. Super Mario Odyssey for the Switch hammered in just how well Bowser and the franchise as a whole have stood the test of time, especially with his fight at the end of the game, which is, in my opinion, the greatest in the series to date.
Bowser before the final battle of Super Mario Odyssey
SPOILERS FOR SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY AHEAD. What made the final confrontation against Bowser in Super Mario Odyssey so impactful was not the fight itself but what follows the fight. After defeating Bowser, Mario has the chance to use the game’s capture mechanic and take control of Bowser. As Mario enters Bowser’s mind, you get to see a montage of the history of Bowser. Then, you get to play as Bowser, carrying Peach on his shoulder as you escape the crumbling caverns, using Bowser’s claws to smash through the blocks that bar your way. It is easy to see why Bowser loves himself so much when you get to be him for even just a few minutes. Bowser is awesome. I would have been disappointed if this game ended any differently, but with the power of Bowser, it goes out with a bang. END SPOILERS.
For Nintendo to keep the Super Mario series successful, the company needs to keep Bowser at the forefront. As the villain, he is almost as important as the hero. However, he is more than a villain. It has been proven that even when he is an unlikely ally or just kind of there, his inclusion enriches the experience. There are not many villains that can claim that, as few can have as much stage presence. Bowser is pretty big, after all. Bowser just needs to keep kidnapping, conquering, and doing whatever else he does, and the Mario series will keep being fun because of it.
