Bowser (boss)

''This page refers to Bowser as he appears as a boss character. To see his moveset as a standard fighter, see here.'' Bowser is the main antagonist of Nintendo's Super Mario franchise, debuting in 1985's Super Mario Bros..

He is also a boss in Nexed.

Real-World History
Bowser was designed by Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto as the villain for Super Mario Bros., temporarily called "Bosu Kurīpā" ("Boss Creeper") in homage to the Shellcreeper enemies from Mario Bros.. After a few names were pitched, the name "Kuppa" was decided upon, with the North American release also giving the names King Koopa and later Bowser.

The first design for Bowser resembled an upright Koopa Troopa with sharp teeth and spikes on his neck. The first instance of a "final" Bowser design was found on the original box art for the Japanese release of Super Mario Bros., which Miyamoto drew himself due to time constraints. Taking inspiration from Gyū-Maō (lit. "Ox Demon King"), the antagonist of an anime film adaptation of the Chinese novel Journey to the West, Miyamoto's Bowser was loosely based on an ox and had a much different color scheme. Later on, artist Yoichi Kotabe would join Nintendo and work with Miyamoto to design Bowser's final design, which was much closer to the one he uses today.

Ever since his debut, Bowser has been recognized as one of gaming's greatest villains, appearing in nearly every mainline Super Mario game since his debut and making frequent appearances in the series' various spinoffs and related media. While usually an antagonist, Bowser has been known to play more heroic roles in games such as Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope.

Gameplay Information
Bowser is a very heavy boss with an emphasis on multi-hit attacks, making it easy to rack up damage as him. Bowser is also surprisingly quick, having a great walk speed but a low jump height. However, Bowser's strongest attacks tend to have considerable start and end lag, leaving himself open for punishment when finished.

Bowser is fought on the boss version of Bowser's Castle, with one of four songs being chosen to play at random.
 * King Bowser (Super Mario Bros. 3)
 * The Evil King Bowser
 * King Bowser (Super Mario Galaxy)
 * Giga Bowser

Grounded Attacks

 * Jab: Bowser swipes a claw forward.
 * Forward Light: Bowser throws a punch resembling his Sliding Haymaker from Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story.
 * Up Light: Bowser throws an arcing headbutt.
 * Down Light: Bowser sweeps his tail around himself, resembling an attack from Super Mario Odyssey.
 * Forward Strong: Bowser breathes in before spewing flames forward, dealing multiple hits of damage.
 * Up Strong: Bowser breathes in before spewing a stream of flames above himself, dealing multiple hits of damage.
 * Down Strong: Bowser tucks into his shell and spins in place, dealing multiple hits of damage.

Aerial Attacks

 * Neutral Air: Bowser slashes forwards with one of his claws.
 * Forward Air: Bowser throws a double axe handle with his claws on fire, being able to spike opponents. This move resembles the Bomber Dunk from Mario Hoops 3-on-3.
 * Back Air: Bowser thrusts his shell behind himself.
 * Up Air: Bowser throws an arcing headbutt.
 * Down Air: Bowser tucks into his shell before dropping downwards for a stall-and-fall attack. During the move’s early frames, it can spike.

Stage Intro
Bowser slowly descends with the Koopa Clown Car, letting out an evil laugh as he does so. He then jumps out of the Koopa Clown Car, pounding his fist into his palm and growling "Showtime!"

Taunts

 * Bowser roars to the sky.
 * Bowser holds his arms out and laughs, somewhat resembling an animation from Super Mario 3D World.
 * Bowser pounds his fist in his palm, smoke billowing out of his nostrils.
 * Bowser folds his arms and chuckles, resembling an animation from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.

Victory Animations
Bowser's victory theme is a remix of Bowser's Theme from Super Mario 64. His laugh from the same game can be heard once the theme concludes.
 * Bowser spews fire into the air before posing with his claw extended to the camera. This resembles his right victory animation from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
 * Bowser raises a fist into the air before crouching down and posing with his arm on display as he yells “I rule!”
 * Bowser roars with triumph before breathing fire onto the camera, causing it to break and cut to static.

Defeat Animation
Bowser falls off the stage and into the lava, roaring. After a few seconds of being submerged in the lava, he reemerges and roars again, now in his Dry Bowser form, before sinking for the second and final time.

Credits

 * Baconator2558: Creator of a Bowser mod for Rivals of Aether which inspired the use of Bomber Dunk for Bowser's Forward Air.