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King Bowser Koopa, known commonly as Lord Bowser, King Koopa, or simply Bowser, is the main antagonist of the Mario franchise and Mario's arch-enemy. Bowser usually kidnaps Princess Peach to try and marry her and rule the Mushroom Kingdom and sometimes even the galaxy. Bowser is the ruler of the Koopas. Bowser has shown a softer side and sometimes sides with Mario, but he has still remained Mario's arch-enemy. Bowser made his debut in Super Mario Bros. in 1985.
Characteristics
Bowser's appearance differs greatly from most Koopas,who look like bipedal turtles. Bowser is larger than other Koopas, and has sharp teeth and claws. He has a giant shell with spikes on them, so his enemies cannot jump on his shell. He has spiked collars on his arms and neck.
History
So far, Bowser appeared as the villain in many Super Mario games, but also made appearances as either a minor villain or even hero in several other games. As with most major Nintendo characters, he appears in most of the sport and party games of the Mario franchise. His stats in those games make him obviously powerful, but a little slow. In a few RPGs he also sometimes team with up Mario and Luigi. He is the main villain and final boss of the most sidescrollers and all 3D platformers (although Bowser Jr. is the main villain of Super Mario Sunshine at first). At the end of a few of them he seems to die (such as Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario 3D Land, where he falls into lava, Super Mario 3D World, where he explodes in a fireworks explosion, and New Super Mario Bros. Wii, when a castle falls on top of him), one such death near the beginning of the game he is revived on-screen by Bowser Jr., but at the end of most, is shown to survive. The chronology of much of these games, if any, is unknown. He is said to be "soundly defeated" (presumably killed, given the way it was said) by Mario prior to the events of Luigi's Mansion, but was presumably revived by Bowser Jr. before Super Mario Sunshine.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, Bowser seems like the main villain at first, as he kidnaps Peach. However, when Smithy emerges as the true antagonist and takes Bowser's Keep, Bowser and his minions try to take it back (through many desert him). He eventually joins Mario's team so he can get his castle back, and helped destroy Smithy and his followers.
Luigi's Mansion Bowser makes an appearance as the "Final Boss" in the videogame Luigi's Mansion. Sometime before the events of Luigi's Mansion, it's implied that Bowser was killed. When King Boo was about to confront Luigi, he decided to use Bowser's body as a vessel to destroy his rival. After King Boo was defeated, Bowser was "revived" and decided to continue his various schemes to defeat the Mario Bros, and kidnap Princess Peach.
Paper Mario Series
Paper Mario
In the Paper Mario series, Bowser is the main villain of the first Paper Mario, using the Star Rod to become invisible. Mario rescues the Star Spirits and gains the power to counter Bowser's Star Rod and defeat him. He is sent flying into the distance when his machine explodes from the intensity of the battle.
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door
In the sequel, he plays a more minor role as the senary antagonist, with the player controlling him in an event after each chapter and he is always one step behind Mario. Bowser is fought as a boss in Chapter 3, but is eventually defeated by Mario. Towards the end of the game, he inadvertently foils Grodus's threats when he falls through the ceiling of the Palace of Shadows. He then attacks Mario without giving him time to heal. Here, he returns as the penultimate boss of the game alongside his assistant Kammy Koopa. However, Mario defeats him one last time, knocking both Bowser and Kammy out.
Super Paper Mario
In Super Paper Mario, Bowser is kidnapped by Count Bleck, who forces Peach to marry him to create the Chaos Heart.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star
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Mario & Luigi Series Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga Coming Soon!