Bowser Jr. (クッパJr., Koopa Junior) is the son of Bowser and a recurring villain in the Mario series.

Origin[edit]

Bowser Jr. is the mischievous son of Bowser and the prince of the Koopas. He resembles his father's baby form, having beady eyes, a rounded snout with fewer contours, and hair tied in a small ponytail. He debuted in Super Mario Sunshine, where he painted over most of Isle Delfino with a magic paintbrush he received (or stole; this was never clarified) from Professor E. Gadd. The 'paint' used was actually goop, which was very toxic, so much so that when spread over the Shine Gate, the sunlight over Isle Delfino depleted. Bowser Jr. committed his crimes disguised as Mario, tricking the denizens of Isle Delfino (known as Piantas) into thinking Mario was the culprit. These crimes were committed with the main intent of capturing Princess Peach, believing she is his mother. In his disguise, Bowser Jr. was similar to Mario but had a higher-pitched voice and a gelatinous, dark blue body with glowing red eyes. The disguise was activated by a blue neckerchief with Mario's signature mustache drawn on it (in later games starting with Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Bowser Jr.'s neckerchief is white and has a drawing of a ferocious mouth instead). Bowser Jr. was also convinced by his father that Peach was his mother and that Mario had taken her from him, so he attempted numerous times to kidnap her (as well as always referring to her as 'mama'); however, by the end of Super Mario Sunshine, Bowser Jr. already knew that Peach wasn't really his mother, but he still expressed his father's desire to fight Mario.

Later Mario games would explore more facets of Bowser Jr.'s character. In Super Mario Galaxy and subsequent games, Jr. has been shown to pilot large battle machines of various sorts, and his mechanical battle angles show through in his Super Smash Bros. moveset. Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam explored Jr.'s personality in further detail, showing that, while he may be a spoiled child and a cunning villain, he is ultimately a lonely Koopa who desires friends above anything else.

Bowser Jr. became a landmark character after Super Mario Sunshine, appearing as a playable character in multiple spin-off games (his first being Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour) and having a recurring role as Bowser's elite soldier in the New Super Mario Bros. games. There, he uses a smaller variant of his father's famous Koopa Clown Car, officially named the Junior Clown Car in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team. Most notably, he appears in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr's Journey, the 3DS remake of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, and takes center stage as the main protagonist of the untold story in Bowser Jr's Journey.

In Super Mario Sunshine, Bowser Jr.'s voice is done by Dolores Rogers. Caety Sagoian has provided his voice in later games since Mario Strikers Charged.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

Bowser Jr. appears as a trophy and as two stickers.

Trophies[edit]

Bowser's son, who appears in Super Mario Sunshine calling Princess Peach his mother—he feels so strongly about her that he kidnaps her. Somewhat spoiled by his father, Bowser Jr. comes off as being on the selfish side. His bib is decorated with drawn-on fangs and worn like a mask—it's most likely an effort to appear more menacing.

: Super Mario Sunshine

: New Super Mario Bros.

Stickers[edit]

In Super Smash Bros. 4[edit]

As a playable character[edit]

Bowser Jr. was unofficially revealed as a playable character in SSB4 by a leak of the ESRB review video.^[1] He was shown to fight in his Junior Clown Car, using boxing gloves to attack (inspired by his Clown Car in New Super Mario Bros. U, but the gloves protrude with metal extenders instead of being attached to arms). He can also drop Mechakoopas and fire cannonballs. The seven Koopalings also appear as alternate costumes for him. His Final Smash has him briefly transform into his Shadow Mario form, which then swipes the screen with the Magic Brush, creating a large X, which hurts all opponents that it touches.

Currently, Bowser Jr. is placed 48th out of 55 on the tier list, placing him in the F tier. His Clown Kart Dash special gives him a fantastic approaching option thanks to its speed and usefulness in starting combos. He also comes with some powerful finishers that can potentially KO opponents below 100%. Although he's classed as a heavyweight, his aerial game is respectable thanks to his good air mobility and ability to juggle opponents with his aerials. Despite these strengths, Bowser Jr. is held back by notable flaws, such as a laggy grab, poor ground mobility, and his recovery in Abandon Ship! is predictable and open to gimps. Bowser Jr.'s weaknesses hold him back from leaving much impact on the competitive scene, having below average results in tournament, though he still has a few dedicated players.

Trophies[edit]

Bowser Jr.

Bowser's beloved, spoiled son sports a bandanna with a large mouth drawn on it. Like his father, Bowser Jr. longs to take Mario down. In Smash Bros., he'll fight from inside his heavily armed Junior Clown Car. The Clown Car takes less damage than Bowser Jr., so mind your positioning.

Bowser's probably a big fan of his son, what with him hating Mario just as much as dear old Dad does. The tyke's Junior Clown Car is packed with gadgets and gizmos to throw at enemies! By the way, he's extra vulnerable when he jumps out of it, but...you wouldn't dream of attacking the cute little fella then, would you?

: Super Mario Sunshine (08/2002)

: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (11/2009)

Bowser Jr. (Alt.)

The Clown Kart Dash special move turns the Junior Clown Car into a kart. If you change direction while driving it, it'll spin and do more damage. When you use his up special, Bowser Jr. leaps from his Junior Clown Car, dropping it on the foes below.

The Clown Kart Dash special move turns the Junior Clown Car into a kart. If you change direction while driving it, it'll spin and do more damage. When you use his up special, Bowser Jr. jumps out of the Junior Clown Car, letting it hit opponents. Try to catch opponents with it while you're directly over them to hit them on the head!

: Super Mario Sunshine (08/2002)

: New Super Mario Bros. Wii (11/2009)

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

As a playable character[edit]

Bowser Jr. returns as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Like in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Bowser Jr. is an unlockable character.

Spirit[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Trivia[edit]

• Bowser Jr. is the only character to have alternate costumes that are all different characters - each of the seven Koopalings.
  • Bowser Jr. is also the first character to have an opposite gender alternate costume that is an entirely different character. The second is Pokémon Trainer in Ultimate.
  • Bowser Jr. is also the first character to have an opposite gender alternate costume but not have an equal number of male and female alternate costumes. The second is Pikachu in Ultimate.
  • Bowser Jr. is the only character to not use an alternate costume for his Alt. Trophies, instead using his default costume.
    • The Koopalings have their own separate trophies, but they do not have Alt. Trophies.
• Bowser Jr. is the heaviest character introduced in SSB4 despite not being a super heavyweight fighter.
• Bowser Jr. and Rosalina are the only playable Mario characters in the Super Smash Bros. series to have debuted in the 21st century.
• Unlike his father, Petey Piranha, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and King K. Rool, Bowser Jr. (along with the Koopalings) retains his voice actor from the Mario series. He shares this trait with Yoshi, who is voiced by Kazumi Totaka.
  • He's also one of the only playable Mario characters, alongside the Koopalings and Daisy to recycle voice clips from outside sources.
• Bowser Jr. is one of the few playable Mario characters to have appeared in the Super Smash Bros. series in a non-playable capacity prior to his playable debut, as he had a trophy and two stickers in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. This distinction is shared with Ludwig von Koopa of the Koopalings (who appears as a playable model swap character via Bowser Jr.'s alternate costumes) and would later be shared with Daisy and Piranha Plant.
  • If sub-universes are counted, then Wario and King K. Rool would also have this distinction.
• Bowser Jr. is the only Smash 4 newcomer to be unlockable in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and a starter character in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, as Ness, Jigglypuff and Ganondorf weren't Smash 4 newcomers.

References[edit]

“This...is my magic brush. When I draw with this, all my wishes come true! A strange old man in a white coat gave it to me...”

—Bowser Jr., Super Mario Sunshine

The Magic Paintbrush, also known as the Gadd Industries Paintbrush^[1] or Gaddbrush^[2], is Bowser Jr.'s main weapon. It was created by Professor E. Gadd and is usually emblazoned with his logo. The Magic Paintbrush can create graffiti that has many functions, such as generating Gatekeepers or acting as portals between locations.

History[edit]

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario Sunshine[edit]

After obtaining the Magic Paintbrush from E. Gadd, Bowser Jr. uses it to paint graffiti all over Isle Delfino, fill it up with hostile creatures,^[3] as well as disguise himself as Shadow Mario. Because of his disguise, Mario is believed to be the perpetrator and forced to clean up the goop. Bowser Jr. claims it was given to him by E. Gadd as opposed to stealing it. Much of the game's enemies, puzzles, and hazards revolve around the goop and graffiti created by the brush, which can take on caustic and elemental properties to damage Mario on contact. The brush's goop is washed up using F.L.U.D.D., and by the time Bowser and Bowser Jr. are confronted for the final time, Mario has washed up nearly all of it.

After the final battle, the Magic Paintbrush ends up on an island near Gelato Beach, where it is discovered by Il Piantissimo.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]

The Magic Paintbrush reappears in the Bowser's Fury mode of Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury. Bowser Jr. can use it to paint over question marks, revealing hidden power-ups. In this game, E. Gadd's logo is replaced with Bowser Jr.'s emblem, matching its appearance in artwork for Super Nintendo World.

Mario Power Tennis / New Play Control! Mario Power Tennis[edit]

Bowser Jr. uses the brush in Mario Power Tennis for both of his Power Shots; when his offensive shot (Magic Paint) is used, Bowser Jr. takes out his brush to color the tennis ball and create two duplicate balls of the same color before sending all of them back, and when his defensive shot (Rolling Brush Return) is used, he slides towards the ball and twirls the brush, hitting it back.

Mario Kart Arcade GP series[edit]

The Magic Paintbrush appears as an item in Mario Kart Arcade GP, Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, and Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, though it is known as the Mustache Pen. It is a lock-on item, much like the Tub. Upon being hit by a Mustache Pen, a racer will lose speed, and their portrait will be obscured by silly graffiti such as a mustache or lips. A variant of the Mustache Pen known as the Triple Pen exists - this item allows the player to shoot three Mustache Pens in succession, though these do not lock on and can only be fired in a straight line, much like the Green Shell.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3[edit]

In Mario Hoops 3-on-3, the Magic Paintbrush is used in Bowser Jr.'s Special Shot, the Graffiti Shot. By dribbling in a 'B' shape, Bowser Jr. throws the ball in the air and paints it with the brush. On the third brushstroke, he launches the ball to the net, leaving a trail of goop behind it.

Mario Sports Mix[edit]

The Magic Paintbrush appears in Bowser Jr.'s Special Shot in Mario Sports Mix. When activated, Bowser Jr. uses the brush to scatter paint around the whole court, causing people who walk on it to slide around and trip.

Mario Super Sluggers[edit]

In Mario Super Sluggers, the brush is Bowser Jr.'s bat. When he uses his Star Swing, Graffiti Swing, Bowser Jr. twirls his brush around and creates a duplicate paint ball. Both balls are then hit into the air, with the duplicate landing first and exploding; whoever is around the duplicate when it lands gets briefly stunned. When he uses his Star Pitch, Graffiti Ball, Bowser Jr. coats the baseball in goop before pitching it, blocking the batter's vision with goop. Bowser Jr.'s minigame, Graffiti Runner, also features the Magic Paintbrush, with four people competing for the brush to coat the floor in their respective color. The brush has a limited amount of paint, and when it's depleted, the brush is forced to be dropped, though it can also be knocked away.

Mario & Luigi series[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Dream Team[edit]

The Magic Paintbrush appears in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team as one of Bowser Jr.'s attacks during his boss battle with Mario and Luigi. He used the brush to tickle Mario or Luigi, stealing one of their Bros. Attacks in the process, though this does not create any goop.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey[edit]

The Magic Paintbrush makes an appearance in the Bowser Jr.'s Journey sub-mode of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey. Bowser Jr. wields it when changed to ranged-type and uses it to sling paint at enemies. Morton Koopa Jr. had it under his possession for a while without Bowser Jr. knowing, causing the latter to scold him upon discovering this.

Mario Golf: World Tour / Mario Sports Superstars[edit]

In Mario Golf: World Tour and Mario Sports Superstars, Bowser Jr. uses the Magic Paintbrush in all his post-hole animations except for Par. He spins the brush around, splattering paint everywhere, and spreads it on the screen when he gets an eagle, albatross, hole-in-one, or bogey.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Bowser Jr., as well as the Koopalings, use the Magic Paintbrush in their Final Smash, Shadow Mario Paint. Using the brush, they transform into Shadow Mario and paint a giant graffiti 'X' on the screen, hurting anyone who touches it. After a while, the 'X' explodes, causing even more damage to anyone next to it.

In this series, E. Gadd's logo on the Magic Paintbrush is replaced with an 'evil' version.^[4]

Minecraft[edit]

In the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack in Minecraft, Dyes are replaced by different colored versions of the Magic Paintbrush.

Gallery[edit]

• Super Nintendo World

• Super Nintendo World

Trivia[edit]

• The Inkbrush and Octobrush from Splatoon are very similar to the Magic Paintbrush and are used in a similar manner as the Magic Paintbrush was used in Super Mario Sunshine.

References[edit]