Bowser

"Bowser (Nintendo)" redirects here. For the president of Nintendo of America, see Doug Bowser. For other uses, see Bowser (disambiguation).
Bowser
Mario character
Promotional art by Shigehisa Nakaue (2019)
First gameSuper Mario Bros. (1985)
Created byShigeru Miyamoto
Designed byShigeru Miyamoto
Yōichi Kotabe
Voiced by
Language-neutral
  • Scott Burns (2002–2010)
  • Kenny James (2005–present)
  • Eric Newsome (2007)
Portrayed by
Various
In-universe information
SpeciesKoopa

Bowser (Japanese: クッパ, Kuppa, "Koopa"), also known as King Bowser or King Koopa, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of Nintendo's Mario franchise.[6] In Japan, he is titled Daimaō (大魔王, "Great Demon King").[7] He is the arch-nemesis of the plumber Mario and the leader of the turtle-like Koopa race. Bowser's defining traits include his monstrous appearance with dragon-like elements, full-throated roar, fire-breathing abilities, and tyrannical personality. His ultimate goals are to kidnap Princess Peach, make her his queen, conquer the Mushroom Kingdom, and eventually dominate the world.[8]

Bowser debuted as Mario's opponent in the 1985 video game Super Mario Bros.[9] Designer Shigeru Miyamoto initially conceived him as an ox based on the Ox-King from the Toei Animation film Alakazam the Great.[10] However, Takashi Tezuka remarked that the character resembled a turtle more than an ox, leading them to redesign Bowser as the leader of the turtle-like Koopas.[11] Since 2007, Bowser has been voiced by Kenneth W. James.[12]

Following Super Mario Bros., Bowser has appeared in various genres, including role-playing games like Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi, sports games such as Mario Kart and Mario Tennis, and fighting games like Super Smash Bros.[13] He has appeared in multiple animations, including three series produced by DIC Entertainment (voiced by Harvey Atkin)[14] and was portrayed by Dennis Hopper in the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film.[15] Jack Black voiced him in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023).[16]

Bowser has received a mostly positive reception, with critics noting that he is one of the most iconic and recognizable video game villains.[6][17] He was crowned the greatest video game villain of all time by the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition.[18]

  1. ^ "Mario Is Missing!". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  2. ^ "Hotel Mario". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  3. ^ "Mario's Time Machine Deluxe". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on April 19, 2019. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  4. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "マリオとヨッシーの冒険ランド". YouTube. January 2018. Retrieved May 25, 2021.
  5. ^ "News Release : Nov. 30, 2022 "Illumination and Nintendo Announce Second Trailer and the Japanese voice cast for The Super Mario Bros. Movie"". Nintendo Co., Ltd. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  6. ^ a b "The Top 100 Videogame Villains". IGN. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
  7. ^ "Character Introduction". Nintendo Japan. Retrieved October 18, 2009.
  8. ^ Staff; designed by James Cheung (January 21, 2000). "TenSpot: Top Ten Video Game Villains". GameSpot. Retrieved December 31, 2008.
  9. ^ McLaughlin, Rus (September 14, 2010). "IGN Presents: The History of Super Mario Bros". IGN. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  10. ^ "Iwata Asks: New Super Mario Bros. Wii – The Birth of Bowser". Nintendo. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  11. ^ Oxford, David. "Iwata Asks: The Birth of Bowser". Ds.Kombo. Archived from the original on September 17, 2010. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
  12. ^ "Bowser Voice Actors". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
  13. ^ "Bowser Character Profile". GameSpot. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  14. ^ "Harvey Atkin Filmography". IMDb. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  15. ^ Murray, Noel (December 12, 2008). "Random Roles: Dennis Hopper". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  16. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (April 30, 2023). "That Old Jack Black Magic". Variety. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  17. ^ Sterbakov, Hugh (March 5, 2008). "The 47 Most Diabolical Video-Game Villains of All Time". GamePro. Archived from the original on October 1, 2008. Retrieved February 21, 2009.
  18. ^ "Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2013". p. 193.