- Awkward chit chat - [ft. Bowser and Luigi]

Luigi: Full name Luigi Mario[1] Species Human Age 24-25[2][3] Alterego(s) Paper Luigi Mr. L (Super Paper Mario) Kitsune Luigi Dr. Luigi Silver Luigi Fox LuigiFamily Mario (older twin brother) Yellow Mario (family business employee, potentional brother) Blue Mario (former family business employee, potentional brother) Stanley the Bugman (younger cousin)[citation needed] Papa Mario and Mama Mario (parents) Grandmama (grandmother) Grandpapa (grandfather) Mama Mia (mother) Papa Pio (father) Uncle Arthur (uncle, movie only) Uncle Tony (uncle, movie only) Marie (aunt, movie only) Unnamed niece (movie only) Baby Luigi (past self) Baby Mario (past brother) Marianne and Luigeena (cousins, cartoons only) Mario Joe and Luigi Bob (cousins, cartoons only) Marilyn (niece, cartoons only) Marilyn's mother (possible sister or sister-in-law, cartoons only) Marilyn's father (possible brother or brother-in-law, cartoons only) Troy (possible brother or brother-in-law, cartoons only)Friends Mario (older brother) Princess Peach Princess Daisy (good friend/love interest) Yoshi Toad Toadette Rosalina Pauline Donkey Kong Diddy Kong Professor E. Gadd Polterpup Gooigi Starlow Prince Peasley Blooey Jerry Torque Hayzee Cranberry Screamy Tippi Stuffwell Prince Dreambert Toadbert Toadiko Wanda Baby Luigi (past self and ally) Baby Mario (ally) Paper Mario (Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam only) Paper Luigi (Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam only) Koopa the Quick Beep-0 Rabbid Luigi Wario (sometimes) Waluigi (sometimes) Bowser (only on rare occasions) Bowser Jr. (only on rare occasions) Sonic the Hedgehog Miles "Tails" Prower Knuckles the Echidna Amy Rose Blue Mario Yellow Mario

Enemies King Boo (arch-nemesis) Bowser Bowser's Brother Wario (sometimes) Waluigi (sometimes) Bowser Jr. Koopalings Koopa Troop Wart Koopa Kid Cackletta Fawful Popple Princess Shroob Elder Princess Shroob Shroobs Dark Star Antasma Paper Bowser Paper Bowser Jr.Luigi's appearance from the Nintendo 64 era (left) and his current appearance (right) Compared to Mario, Luigi is slimmer and taller. A pamphlet for Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen! gives his height and weight as 158 cm (5 ft. 2 in.) and 62 kg (136 lbs.)[4] The Miis in Wii U version of Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games describe Luigi's mustache as "smooth", unlike Mario's "lumpy" mustache. Luigi's sideburn is also different, being a simple round shape while Mario's has an indentation, and his eyes are thinner than Mario's.

Luigi also wears clothes similar to Mario, but his shirt and cap are green instead of red. Layered over the shirt is blue overalls, which are a darker blue than Mario's. He also has brown work shoes, again darker than Mario's, with tan bottoms that reach above his ankles. Artwork however sometimes shows Luigi with the same color of blue overalls and brown shoes as Mario. The Luigi Cap is similar to the Mario Cap, being green instead of red and having an "L" replace Mario's signature "M"; the "L" was in italic from Mario Kart 64 to Luigi's Mansion for a few years. In some games, Luigi's cap does play some significance, such as in Super Mario 64 DS, where just like Mario's and Wario's caps, it can be stolen by Klepto and cause him to take extra damage so long as he isn't wearing it. However, this does not occur in other games, such as Super Mario 3D Land and New Super Mario Bros. 2 after collecting the maximum number of lives.Speech Luigi's voice is thinner, deeper and more nasal than Mario's, with a thick Italian accent. When he talks, he often awkwardly and nervously stammers, indicating timidity and a lack of confidence, such as during his recording to promote Year of Luigi.[13] Like Mario, he often refers to himself in the third person.Powers and abilities Luigi's abilities are usually exactly the same as Mario's, such as in Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros., and Super Mario World so as to not give players advantages over each other. In most instances where one player can choose between the two brothers, however, Luigi is given his own gameplay quirks. This first occurred in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, where Luigi can jump higher than Mario but has lower traction and speed. In the American Super Mario Bros. 2, Luigi once again features the highest jump, but comparatively low speed and power. Luigi's high jumps but low traction would return in Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World, which, unlike its original version, allowed players to switch between Mario and Luigi at any time on the map screen. In three-dimensional adventures, such as Super Mario 64 DS, Super Mario Galaxy, and Super Mario Galaxy 2 Luigi is usually faster than Mario (at the cost of poorer acceleration), but retains his classic high jumps and poor traction. In addition, when either carrying a large object on his back, or when left extremely terrified, his jumping abilities are reduced significantly to the extent of appearing inferior to Mario's. This is best demonstrated during the climax of Luigi's Mansion 3 where the two brothers are racing to the top of the hotel to locate Peach. Mario in particular is able to cross large gaps up the stairs with a single bound, while by contrast, Luigi has to hug the wall to cross over to the other side.

As aforementioned, Luigi has a higher top speed, but poorer acceleration than his brother in Super Mario 64 DS, along with poor traction and increased agility. In this game, the two brothers are the fastest in all speeds. Luigi's jumps are perhaps at their strongest in this game; not only can Luigi jump higher than his brother, but he can also scuttle to slow his fall. His backflip has the same effect as being caught in a tornado or stomping a Fly Guy, allowing for a very slow descent. Unlike Mario, however, Luigi cannot Wall Jump in this game. As a result of his agility and lightness, Luigi can walk on water for a short time. Luigi's Power Flower ability is Vanish Luigi, allowing him to disappear for invincibility and the ability to walk through certain obstacles.

In Super Paper Mario, Luigi's specialty is the Spring Jump, which sends him just off the screen to bound over obstacles and damage enemies mid-air. His standard jumps are also higher than any other character's and he has lower traction once more. However, the player can simply press down to stop instantly in this game (due to his Spring Jump).

Electricity is sometimes depicted as Luigi's answer to Mario's fire. In Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, Luigi is given the ability to harness and release electricity with a technique known as the Thunderhand, alongside his other specialty, the High Jump, to coincide with Mario's Spin Jump. This is referenced in Super Paper Mario with Mr. L's nickname of "The Green Thunder," and in Mario Strikers Charged where Luigi's Mega Strike involves controlling plasma.

Luigi is often associated to ice as a polar opposite to Mario's fire. Ice Luigi's special item in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX is an Ice Ball, and in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, Ice Balls are one of Luigi's custom moves, serving as the second variation for his Fireball. In Mario Golf: Super Rush, Luigi's Special Shot is Ice Flower Freeze, and his Special Dash in Speed Golf is Speed-Skate Dash; both moves involve Luigi taking out an Ice Flower and transforming into his Ice form, while in the latter case, he ice-skates along the course while leaving behind an ice trail (similar to his Ice form from Super Mario Galaxy). Unlockable sports gear in Mario Sports Superstars uses Ice Flowers as Luigi's emblem, referencing his ice abilities.

Aside from this, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga also depicts him as being good at acting and disguises, as he dressed up as Princess Peach via her extra dress, with his acting being convincing enough that both Fawful and Bowletta ended up tricked into swapping out the real Peach with Luigi. An earlier instance of such was in Super Mario Adventures, which showed Luigi dressing as Peach and a nurse, with both disguises being convincing enough to fool a Big Boo, Bowser, and the Koopalings.

Occasionally, Luigi utilizes tornadoes against his foes. In Super Mario Strikers, Luigi's Super Strike is the Vicious Vortex, which has him surrounded in a green vortex before kicking the Soccer Ball. Luigi's Star Swing in Mario Super Sluggers is the Tornado Swing, which has him swing the ball while it is engulfed in a tornado. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Luigi's down special, Luigi Cyclone, has a vortex appear around him, shared with Dr. Mario's Dr. Tornado.

In addition to actual gameplay differences, Luigi often executes his moves differently than his brother. In Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World, Luigi jumps with his legs back and descends with them forward, kneels when sliding, and appears to spit fireballs rather than throwing them. The Super Smash Bros. series and Mario Kart: Double Dash!! give Luigi green fireballs, and in the former games his fireballs levitate. Perhaps most famously, Luigi's jumping animation in Super Mario Bros. 2 is merely his walking animation sped up; although Luigi's "kicking" jumps were momentarily ignored, they returned in the Super Mario Advance series, complete with a high-pitched warbling sound effect in Super Mario Advance 2 and 4. Luigi's aforementioned scuttle from Super Mario 64 DS also involves walking in mid-air, and he "kicks" during his Triple Jump in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 instead of flipping like Mario.

Luigi has also exhibited many unique traits in various sports and spin-off games, despite usually being a balance character like his brother. In games such as Mario Kart Wii, Luigi has a higher top speed than Mario, but has lower handling and acceleration. In the Mario Golf series, Luigi hits with less power than his brother but features better control, although his shots consistently curve left. Luigi is slightly faster than Mario in Mario Superstar Baseball, and reveals his special pitch and swing (the Tornado Ball and Tornado Swing, respectively) in Mario Super Sluggers. Luigi is shown to be a good breakdancer in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games; whenever he gets a gold medal, he breakdances like Sonic, and in the events Sychronized Swimming, Figure Skating, and Rhythmic Ribbon, he is shown to be flexible and a good gymnast because of his long legs.

Advertisement Roles taken Though Luigi is a heroic character in the Super Mario games, he is usually made as a sidekick to Mario, although in some media and games he is referred to as a partner. In the Mario & Luigi games, he is the cowardly partner to Mario, and is occasionally forced to be brave. He is the hero of a separate adventure the player does not get to play or see in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, where he is a coward who changes the story to make himself look more heroic. In Super Paper Mario he was not a sidekick, but rather one of the four heroes, which made him equal to Mario. He was also brainwashed by Nastasia to become a villain, Mr. L, and was later brainwashed again by Dimentio to become Super Dimentio, the final boss. His sidekick role was completely different in Mario is Missing!, Luigi's Mansion and its sequel, where he was the sole main character who had to rescue Mario. He has also taken the role of a doctor, similar to his brother, as shown in Dr. Luigi. Overall, Luigi's role in games is usually the same as Mario's when they appear together.Mario is Luigi's older twin brother. Luigi often accompanies him on his adventures, most prominently in the Mario & Luigi series. While there is some sibling rivalry between the two[16], with Luigi sometimes feeling jealous and overshadowed by his brother, he also admires and looks up to him, wishing to be "a great plumber like his brother Mario" in Super Mario RPG, and he is very loyal to him, helping him out whenever he can and fighting by his side against several enemies. As twins, the two share a brotherly bond so strong that when they were babies, it functioned telepathically, as Baby Mario could sense where his brother was after they were separated by Kamek and his minions. The brothers still keep their strong brotherly love and their tight-knit bond in adulthood, as they share a house and frequently help and save each other, both showing to be very protective of each other. In the Mario & Luigi series, they often hug each other when they reunite after getting separated, relieved that the other is alright, and if one of the brothers is defeated and loses consciousness during a battle, the other one will panic and carry his fainted brother on his shoulders while being on the defensive or running away, at the cost of being weighed down and reacting slower when countering with his hammer or dodging with a jump.

While Mario is generally the more heroic and active of the two, Luigi too saved him on multiple occasions, starting with Mario is Missing! and subsequently in games such as Luigi's Mansion and its sequels, fighting his arch-enemy King Boo and facing his fear of ghosts on three different occasions to rescue him, the Toads and Peach, adamantly refusing to escape without saving his brother and his friends first. Mario is shown to be proud of Luigi when he is rescued: in Dark Moon, he calls Luigi "number one" while energically shaking his hand and says, "That's my bro," and in Luigi's Mansion 3, he says "Way to go" both times he is rescued, and when they reunite before the final showdown against King Boo, Mario is so overjoyed to see that Luigi has come to save him once again that he rushes to Luigi and gives him a big hug to thank him.

In Super Mario Odyssey, Luigi shows himself to be very supportive of his brother's decisions when it comes to fashion choices. When talking to Luigi before starting the Balloon World minigame, Luigi will often comment on Mario's current costume, stating that he "looks good" in the outfit he wears, even when some frighten him. When Mario wears Peach's Wedding Dress, his own groom tux, or Bowser's Tuxedo, Luigi will comment with surprise that he didn't know Mario was about to get married, only for him to realize that Mario is only wearing that outfit for fun, then respecting his decision to wear the outfit. Dream Team reveals that Luigi's deepest motivation for persevering through fearsome situations is his love for his brother, shown in his subconscious from Dream's Deep with inner thoughts such as "Big bro in danger!" and "I gotta help my bro!" This is also shown in the Luigi's Mansion series, where despite his fear of ghosts, he persists in searching for Mario.

Just as Luigi shows a strong brotherly love to him, Mario also loves his brother dearly, considering him a special person. In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, he willing to give him proper credit for his heroism when it is due, like when they defeated the Shroobs, and declares to Princess Lipid that his brother is worth more than a treasure to him, and in Partners in Time, when the Star Gate badmouths Luigi and causes him to burst out crying, Mario objects in anger and takes his brother's defense, with his baby self even going as far as repeatedly whacking the gate with his hammer, though it turns out that it was only to test Mario and the babies' loyalty to him. Mario and Luigi are often partners in spin-offs and in Mario Superstar Baseball and its sequel Mario Super Sluggers, which have the Chemistry mechanic, they have good chemistry, working well together. Even when they hit each other in the Mario & Luigi series to access new areas or to perform some attacks, they trust each other to do so.

The strong brotherly love between Mario and Luigi is also a prominent part of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. When Luigi was bullied during their childhood, Mario protected him by attacking who was responsible, and he has as a strong admiration of him ever since then, constantly praising him and staying by his side in every step of the way despite not always agreeing with his reckless and risky decisions. As his big brother, Mario has always been very protective of Luigi, protecting him from bullies and dangers, and in turn, Luigi reassures him that he's not a weight to him when he confides in him about his insecurities. Also, Mario often calls Luigi "Lu", a nickname he uses as a show of affection to him. When Bowser indirectly mentions Princess Peach, of whom he's obsessively in love with, and asks him if she would find Mario attractive, he responds by saying that she would if she's a girl with good tastes, indirectly showcasing that he will always support Mario's relationship with Peach if they end up together. While he takes on Bowser to protect the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario self-imposed objective is not to defeat him, but to save his brother, and after Luigi almost falls to his death in the lava and is barely saved by him, Mario is on the verge of tears as he hugs him tight. Even though Luigi isn't as much as a fighter as Mario, he can still be just as protective of him, as seen with how he faces his fears and saves Mario's life by blocking Bowser's Fire Breath with a manhole, giving them enough time to grab the Super Star and defeat him together. After they get separated, they constantly think about each other, with Mario mentioning during his second night in the Mushroom Kingdom that they had never been apart for such a long time, and their website and other media about the movie also refer to them as each other's best friend. Like in the games, they share a bedroom, both in their old apartment in Brooklyn, where they lived with their family, and at the end of the movie, after moving out in a new house in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Although Luigi and Mario generally have positive interactions with each other, some media do show sibling conflict, mostly due to sibling rivalry and how they get competitive with each other. In Mario Power Tennis, when Luigi wins a match, he is congratulated by Mario, though the latter intentionally steps on Luigi's foot and squirms his own foot against it, which leaves Luigi looking confused and uneasy for what happened. Mario and Luigi's heated argument is the central plot for the episode "Oh, Brother!" in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, with Mario getting kidnapped and forced to attack him because of a mind-control helmet afterwards, but Luigi saves him after successfully overloading the device and the brothers make up, promising to not get into fights with each other ever again. In a Super Paper Mario adaptation in Super Mario-kun, Mario has pleaded a brainwashed Mr. L to recall the "fond memories" he had with his brother, only for Mr. L to humorously remember the very unpleasant experiences with Mario and get angrier. One of Super Mario Maker 2's title screen animations show Mario cautiously trying to take a key away from Luigi only for the latter to run away with the key, and for Mario to forcefully take the key from Luigi. Performing an action with either the hammer or Hand Powers on the leading brother in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga before unlocking the map-related skill causes him to get angry and scold the other, and in Partners in Time, after everyone lose consciousness from falling into the Gritzy Caves and Baby Mario smacks Luigi in the head with his hammer to wake him up, he gets enraged and gives him a stern scolding, accidentally making the babies cry, and Mario has a minor argument with his brother after waking up to this scene, reprimanding him for causing the babies to cry, resulting in Luigi bursting into tears as well.

Overall, while Luigi does feel jealous of Mario due to him being in his brother's shadow and their fame inequality, he does not complain much about it and is always available to help him in the times of need, protecting his friends and the Mushroom Kingdom by his side and keeping a very strong and healthy relationship with him.

While they are rarely shown, Mario and Luigi's father and mother are referenced a number of times, though Mama Mario appears in several episodes of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Several other relatives are also mentioned or shown in various medias, such as their aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins.Princess Peach is another one of Luigi's good friends, with him often accompanying Mario on quests to rescue her from Bowser, the two sharing good chemistry in Mario Superstar Baseball, and overall friendly behavior seen between them, occasionally overlapping with hints of romantic attraction as well. Luigi is seen swooning over Peach after she blows a kiss in her Mario Power Tennis victory scene, and in games where Luigi can be substituted for his brother, her interactions with him are the same as they would be with Mario, such as rewarding him with a kiss at the end of most Super Mario platformers, or even being referred to as "special one" by Rosalina in Super Mario Galaxy. Overall, however, the two are portrayed as simple friends, with Daisy serving as Luigi's main love interest, although he has also expressed interest in the unseen Princess Eclair of the Waffle Kingdom. He has also been speculated to have an interest in Rosalina owing to the fact that he and Rosalina are photographed together just as Peach and Mario were pictured together in the image sent by the Mailtoad in Grand Finale Galaxy, and to the fact that he only gives Mario the Green Stars he collected in Battlerock Galaxy if Mario tells Rosalina they are from Luigi.It has been stated that Luigi has a crush on Daisy, and the attraction appears to be mutual. In Daisy's second appearance in the Super Mario franchise, NES Open Tournament Golf, she served as Luigi's caddy, just as Peach was caddying for Mario, and as her trophy in Super Smash Bros. Melee points out, since that point "some gossips started portraying her as Luigi's answer to Mario's Peach". They are often paired up in spin-off games: they are seen golfing together in Mario Golf Toadstool Tour, are "buddy players" with good chemistry in the Mario Baseball series, they appear together in the Miracle Book pages from Mario Party 6, and in Mario Kart Wii, there is a giant, golden statue on the Daisy Circuit that shows the two holding hands and dancing together, along with another of their respective younger counterparts: Baby Luigi and Baby Daisy. Their team names from the Mario Party series include "Steady Sweeties" and "Tango Tanglers", and when Daisy received her trophy from Luigi in Mario Power Tennis, she says, "Hey, sweetie! I'll take that".

Another one of Luigi's friendships can also be seen with Professor E. Gadd. Although the only interactions between them are not frequent, they work very well together. E. Gadd shows much trust in Luigi, despite Luigi's cowardly nature. Throughout Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, E. Gadd jokingly holds Luigi in low regards, though he also states to be proud of him for courageously exploring the hostile ghost filled mansions as well as defeating the various Possessor ghosts. Luigi was also devastated to see E. Gadd trapped in a painting in Luigi's Mansion 3, showing that Luigi cares about his well-being, as well as understanding that E. Gadd can help him save the others.

Luigi is shown to get along with his Rabbid counterpart, because they are willing to cooperate in order to defeat the Megabug, and restore order to the Mushroom Kingdom. Group artwork for Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle shows the two characters posing together, while their in-game interactions are also friendly. Rabbid Luigi even possesses a few similarities to Luigi, such as being timid and polite in personality, as well as favoring long-ranged over close-quarter combat. In Mario & Sonic at London 2012 Olympic Games, Luigi is shown to be good friends with Miles "Tails" Prower, with them having a special victory animation in the sequels; later on, in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the two sidekicks would not hesitate to team up in order to rescue Mario and Sonic from the Tokyo64.Though Bowser's main rivalry is with Mario, he views Luigi as almost a great a threat as his brother in games such as Super Mario Galaxy and its sequel. At other times, Bowser has trouble even remembering Luigi's name, particularly in the Mario & Luigi series where he often defaults to calling him "Green 'Stache" (although Bowser finally calls Luigi by his real name at the end of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team). Rather than Bowser, Luigi's arch-nemesis is actually King Boo, whom he met and defeated single-handedly in Luigi's Mansion when the ghost king kidnapped Mario. King Boo would later try to get revenge in Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon and Luigi's Mansion 3, and the rivalry can be seen in other series as well, such as the Mario Baseball games, in which Luigi (along with Mario) shares bad chemistry with the Boo king, Super Mario 64 DS, where King Boo (known as Big Boo in the English version) was the one keeping the key locking Luigi away, and the Adventure Tour of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games, where King Boo selects Luigi to face him in Polatraits due to the latter's fear of ghosts.

Another heated rivalry exists between Luigi and Waluigi, with the two sharing bad chemistry in all the games they appear in together, and acting hostile and rude towards each other, such as Luigi making a gesture at Waluigi to anger him in Mario Tennis, the two scowling at each other in the Mario Party 3 group picture, and Waluigi's vandalism of Luigi's picture in the opening movie of Mario Power Tennis. Waluigi is constantly seen harassing Luigi, whether by humiliating him during the sports competition, following him wherever he goes, or even directly confronting him. The origins of their animosity is unknown, however jealousy may be a factor, as both Luigi and Waluigi have a crush on Princess Daisy, who rejects Waluigi. Luigi himself, while he despises Waluigi, mostly prefers to ignore him and his antics.

Just as Luigi's relationships with Daisy and King Boo nearly mirror Mario's with Peach and Bowser, respectively, his arch-rivalry with Waluigi parallels the one between Mario and Wario. Wario himself does not show as much antagonism towards Luigi as Waluigi, although the two do not get along well and it has been shown that Wario enjoys giving Luigi trouble, such as by tying his shoelaces together.[17] However, Luigi has rescued Wario from Chief Chilly in Super Mario 64 DS, indicating some degree of respect for the two.

In the first two installments of the Mario & Sonic series, Luigi shares a competitive, friendly rivalry with Shadow the Hedgehog similar to his brother is with Sonic the Hedgehog. They competed in Hurdles and raced in Skating races (the latter in which Metal Sonic outpaced them and the opening's epilogue shows them standing side-by-side afterwards).Full name

King Bowser Koopa[1]

Species

Koopa

Alterego(s)

Bowcien

Bowletta Dr. Bowser Dreamy Bowser Dry Bowser (New Super Mario Bros. only) Fury Bowser Meowser MegaDragonBowser Paper Bowser Shiny RoboBowser Shrowser

Family

Bowser's Brother (brother)

Bowser Jr. (son) Koopalings (adoptive children from Super Mario Bros. 3 to Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga original)[2][3]

Ludwig von Koopa (adoptive son) Wendy O. Koopa (adoptive daughter) Iggy Koopa (adoptive son) Lemmy Koopa (adoptive son) Roy Koopa (adoptive son) Morton Koopa (adoptive son) Larry Koopa (adoptive son)

Kamek (servant/adoptive father) Dry Bowser (family friend)[4]

Friends

King Boo Bowser's Brother King Bob-omb King Goomba Whomp King Giga Lakitu Kamek (servant/friend) Koopa Kid Chippy (sometimes) Mallow (formerly)

Appearance: shelled Koopa with spikes, horns, and hair. His bushy eyebrows and mane are fittingly a bright, fiery red-orange and has bright red eyes. He sports two small horns, many spikes on his shell (similar to a Spiny) with brown-orange spike-rings, as well as along his tail (minus the spike-rings). He wears several spiked collars around his neck and arms.His neck collar in some games such as Mario Kart Tour is also implied to be part of his shell. He has three claws on each of his massive padded feet, four claw-tipped fingers including a thumb on each hand, and his arms are noticeably burly, indicating his vast physical strength. While his face and his shell are green, his plastron and muzzle are beige colored (occasionally depicted as being closer to tan or even yellow), and his tail and limbs are an orange-tinged yellow. In his artwork for Super Mario 64 and Mario Kart: Super Circuit and the Paper Mario games, his limbs and tail are bright orange. The exact coloration of Bowser's head varies depending on the media: while official 2D artwork and most of his in-game appearances have his head and shell match in color, the majority of the official 3D artwork, trailers, merchandise as well as Mario & Luigi games show him with a light green head, similar to Bowser Jr.'s appearance. In his various appearances, his red/orange hair is depicted in a loose cockscomb, the only exception to this being in Super Mario Odyssey, where he instead has his hair groomed in a perm-like fashion for the wedding until he is defeated for the second time. Super Mario World reveals that his eyes present the tapetum lucidum, as eyeshine can be seen when he is in the dark flying around World of Bowser (excluding the occasional thunderclap briefly showing him in silhouette); this trait is also applied to his baby self in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, as seen when he is shown in the darkness before beating up Kamek and then confronting Yoshi and Baby Mario.

Personality: Bowser in most portrayals is a persistent, threatening, and commanding villain who kidnaps Princess Peach, desires to defeat Mario and his friends, and runs an army to invade and take over the Mushroom Kingdom. In most games, he also revels in causing disorder and intimidating his enemies, such as in Mario Party and in various sports games. His portrayals in the RPGs range from starring villain to a minor comic relief villain who gets sidelined by the starring villain to a playable anti-hero.

Bowser is arrogant and selfish, being boastful when he is successful and focuses only on self-preservation when he fails. In Super Mario Galaxy, his only regret is his failure to create his own realm, and in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, he is dismayed at having to damage his own captured castle while he trying to reclaim it from Fawful. In Mario Party 4, Bowser grudgingly giving the player a present and wishing them a happy birthday as he leaves in shame, moving one of the Koopa Kids to wonder if there might be more to Bowser than he leads others to believe, as Bowser claimed to be somewhat happy. In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, he resents having to ask nicely for help from Starlow. Though he believes himself superior, Bowser can be acknowledging of his foes for their tenacity against him in fierce battles or competitive events, even engaging in casual banter. In Super Mario Odyssey, along with planning his forced wedding with Peach extensively, he even comments on Mario's costume before their final battle, prompting anything from a humorously scared response to a genuine compliment on his dress sense depending on the clothing before noting that Mario was not invited regardless.

Despite Bowser's role as an intimidating authority figure in the Koopa Troop, he can be quite amiable sometimes, especially to Bowser Jr., where he is depicted as a loving father figure. His harsh and raging demeanor sometimes softens somewhat towards his loyal minions, with his constellation in Mario Party 9 stating he is considerate of their well-being. He shows genuine affection and pride for his son and can be protective of him when Mario defeats him in battle. In games like Mario Tennis and Super Mario Party, he crashes the events but only for friendly competitions to let him and his minions participate.

While Bowser is regarded as a respected leader from his troops and as a feared invader from his enemies, Bowser's usual brashness and short-temper can often lead him to not think his actions through or be willing to compromise, such as in Bowser's Inside Story when he flies into a rage upon discovering that Mario and Luigi had been aiding him inside his body the entire time (believing they were partying around inside him) and attacks them mere moments after the three of them had saved the world.

For all his pleasure in villainy, Bowser sometimes remarks there are lines he would not cross. He appears to be as horrified as the rest of the party when witnessing the Sammer's Kingdom's destruction by the Void (deeming such an evil act as "overkill"), and when King Olly revealed his endgame to be wishing eradication of all Toads, Bowser vehemently called such a plan mad and made clear that, while he has done his fair share of evil, even he would never attempt to outright exterminate the Toads.

Voice: . Overall, Bowser has a bass voice.

Abilities: Bowser's most prominent ability is breathing fire. He can produce continuous flares or flurries of individual fireballs, and as seen in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Super Paper Mario, he can even use his fire breath underwater. He has been shown to cause fiery rain in Super Mario World and New Super Mario Bros. U, while in Super Mario 64 and New Super Mario Bros., he can produce blue flames that home in on Mario. Bowser is very proud of his fire breath, and is immensely displeased to find himself temporarily unable to use his flames in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. In the PC version of Mario is Missing!, Bowser is said to be immune to fireballs, however this is not the case in most other games. Similarly, while lava defeats Bowser in many games, including the original Super Mario Bros., or New Super Mario Bros. (in which it transforms him into Dry Bowser), in other titles, he appears to be resistant to it, such as New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Bowser's near immunity and the fact that he always recovers from his defeats is another hallmark of his capabilities. As well as being submerged in lava, Bowser has also fallen great distances, been blown up, crushed, electrocuted, flash frozen and shattered, yet not one of these defeats has been permanent, with Luigi once remarking that "Bowser's survived far worse" after the Koopa appeared to sacrifice himself to save the others from a collapsing roof in Super Paper Mario. Bowser's playable side-scrolling sections in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door show him to have infinite lives, which may explain his durability.

Bowser is also portrayed with significant physical strength. Bowser is often the most powerful character in sports games, and in Super Paper Mario, his attack stat as twice that of the other heroes. He can easily break through boulders and topple enemies many times his own size, and in Mario & Luigi Bowser's Inside Story, when Mario and Luigi stimulate his muscles with minigames, Bowser can move islands and lift giant stone statues, among other things. Like his fire breath, Bowser takes pride in his strength, and is quick to use punches, claw swipes, tackles, stomps, body slams, ground pounding, and other physical attacks in battle. In Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Bowser can attack his enemies using bites, with the latter game giving him the ability to poison others with his fangs, while the former gives him a poisonous claw attack.

Size: Like his speed, Bowser's size changes between games, and often varies between or during battles in single titles. In Super Princess Peach, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Paper Mario: Sticker Star, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, and various Mario Party titles, Bowser uses an assortment of magical artifacts and items to turn himself temporarily giant for his final showdowns with Mario, and starts out giant in Super Mario Sunshine, shrinking back down to regular proportions after his defeat. Kamek makes Baby Bowser giant in Yoshi's Island, and he and the Koopalings use spells to turn Bowser gigantic in New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. 2, respectively. In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Mario and Luigi can make Bowser temporarily giant by supercharging him with adrenaline; Bowser X and Dark Bowser can become giant for a short while as well. Other games also show him to have modest increases in size from one boss battle to another, such as New Super Mario Bros. and Paper Mario. In the playable Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door intermissions, eating Meat gradually increases Bowser's size. He also grows via meat in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, though this was only shown to be possible in the Dream World. Like other Super Smash Bros. characters, Bowser can grow with the aid of Super Mushrooms and there are also Super Smash Bros. Events that feature Bowser as being larger than normal. While his "normal" size varies from game to game (ranging from slightly taller than Mario in Super Mario Bros., to being roughly five times his height in Super Mario Odyssey), usually he is about twice Mario's height, or a head taller than Peach, and is always much bulkier than the other characters. The only instances of any of his giant forms being officially named are in the Prima guides for New Super Mario Bros. Wii and New Super Mario Bros. U, where he is called Super Bowser, as well as Baby Bowser's giant form, named Mega Baby Bowser in Yoshi's Woolly World and Yoshi's Crafted World. Within the Super Smash Bros. series, Bowser's size changes.

Relationships

Although technically a younger version of himself, Bowser has interacted with Baby Bowser during two occasions of time travel. In Yoshi's Island DS, Baby Bowser insults his future self, who then rashly blasts him out of the castle; later, however, Bowser becomes outraged when he discovers his younger self being bested by the Yoshis. In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, the two Bowsers do not recognize each other and argue about the ownership of Thwomp Volcano, eventually putting their differences aside to work together to try and defeat Mario, Luigi and their own baby selves. After their defeat, Bowser's parting advice to Baby Bowser is to "Get stronger and more evil". In Yoshi's New Island, he also ambushes Yoshi and Baby Mario just as they were to save the Stork and Baby Luigi again in order to avenge his younger self's defeat.

Bowser's minions all hold Bowser in high regards and loyally serve him out of respect rather than fear, although many are mindful of his fiery temper. Bowser does not take betrayal well nor will he hesitate to attack deserters as enemies, although he has been shown to be forgiving at times, such as letting the trio of Corporal Paraplonk, Private Goomp and Sergeant Guy return to service after they betrayed him for Fawful in Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Bowser, despite repeatedly downgrading their competence and intellect, has high faith and pride in his minions. While he is harsh, he does reciprocate their loyalty, notably shown in Super Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. The latter game's remake, or more specifically the tie-in story Bowser Jr.'s Journey, further reinforces his care for his troops, as it was revealed that a large part of the reason he was outraged at not being invited to the emergency seminar over the Blorbs virus outbreak at Peach's Castle was because his own kingdom was also suffering from the outbreak. In Paper Mario, while labeling the Koopa Bros. and Tutankoopa as weaklings, he acknowledged they were still loyal followers and takes their defeats as disrespect from Mario. Bowser has also been shown to treat minions in a fatherly fashion, namely towards the Koopa Kids in the Mario Party series (who, despite their similar appearances are not related to Bowser), although they treat him as a boss only. One minion who treats Bowser fairly informally at times is Kammy Koopa, who loyally and tirelessly puts up with his constant stream of derision when working together during the first two Paper Mario games. In her tattle, Goombella wonders whether it is harder for Bowser to put up with Kammy or vice-versa, but despite his verbal abuse, Bowser often takes Kammy's advice to heart.

Both the original Japanese and English versions of the game Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced Bowser's seven children, the Koopalings.[7][8] They were also depicted as his children in Super Mario World,[9][10] Yoshi's Safari,[11] the first trophy of Bowser in Super Smash Bros. Melee[12], the DIC cartoons, and various comics released shortly after Super Mario Bros. 3. However, after Hotel Mario, the Koopalings went on a nine-year hiatus, and many years later, in 2002, Super Mario Sunshine introduced Bowser Jr., Bowser's youngest child who, unlike the Koopalings, resembles Bowser greatly. Bowser Jr. is considered the heir to the throne and the only child since the Koopalings have made a return to the series in the current story. While the Japanese Nintendo Direct announcement for Mario Kart 8 referred to them as Bowser's kobun (which can mean either underlings or adopted children), subsequent games used less ambiguous wording referring to them as minions, with Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Ultimate having the Palutena's Guidance in which the Koopalings' similarity to Bowser Jr. is noted and in which it is stated that the Koopalings have a mysterious relationship to Bowser, although the Japanese version adds that it has been heard that they are minions. Something similar happened to Bowser's Brother from Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, who was later considered to be something akin to a fake Bowser and eventually a character of unknown identity.Before the introduction of Bowser Jr., Ludwig von Koopa was once said to be Bowser's second in command in the Super Mario Bros. 3 Nintendo Power Strategy Guide,[13] leader of the Koopalings in the Official Nintendo Guidebook of Super Mario Collection (the Japanese version of Super Mario All-Stars)[14] and Bowser's comrade in the Perfect Edition of the Great Mario Character Encyclopedia.[15] Bowser has always been very proud of the Koopalings' close loyalty to him, and while the dynamics between them was openly familial in the cartoons and comics, in the games the Koopalings were just main bosses and had no dialogue nor interaction with Bowser. On the other hand, in Super Mario Sunshine, he first tried to use Bowser Jr. as a pawn in his schemes, even going so far as to lying that Peach was the child's mother to give him extra incentive to defeat Mario for taking her away from their "family". However, after his plan failed, in a rare moment of humility and remorse, Bowser eventually decides to tell his son the truth about Peach, but Bowser Jr. had figured it out by then, and simply wanted to fight Mario to be like his father. Bowser does indeed care about his son, who often brings out his softer side, and at times obsesses over his well-being, such as in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, where he becomes infuriated after learning that the Mario Bros. had injured him. The two currently share closer ties than he and his Koopalings, with Bowser Jr. often acting as Bowser's default partner in sports and spin-off games. On a similar note, in the NES library portion of the Nintendo Switch online service trailer, Bowser when he realized that his son had been asking to play with him and had ignored him up to then had a guilty reaction and promptly offered a second Joy-Con so they would play together, and then proceeded to play Ice Climbers. Although genuinely caring for his son, even he has found Bowser Jr. difficult to raise largely due to the latter's hyperactivity as well as having access to his own army and flying car, admitting as much to Olivia when explaining how King Olly is trivial to him before the final battle, implying that Bowser Jr. was more difficult than King Olly ever was. As a result, he states that he tends to raise Junior with a free-range parenting style, letting him take risks and even insisting that he can handle himself while he's being overwhelmed by Paper Macho Goombas. On the Koopalings' end, the Koopalings were also shown to be extremely devoted to Bowser, with their loyalty to the Koopa King being immense enough that they are willing to serve Bowser even when the latter is not actually himself, as evidenced by their servitude to "Bowser" in Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and Paper Mario: Color Splash (who had actually been Bowletta and Black Bowser, forms taken when Bowser was possessed by Cackletta and corrupted by the black paint, respectively). Additionally, the side story of the former game's remake shows their loyalty was immense enough that they were resistant to Fawful's mind control spray before the Beanish added a stronger dose. Nonetheless, in a flashback the Koopalings had nearing the climax of the Bowser Jr.'s Journey story arc of Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, Iggy is seen speaking out of line with the other Koopalings by denying that Bowser was at all smart or wise (and even implying that Bowser was even crazier than Iggy for thinking he was such), resulting in Bowser being implied to have hit him across the room. Bowser, Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings all have personal emblems with silhouettes of their faces, the silhouette of Bowser's face used in his emblem is also present in many buldings, machines and devices that he controls.Kamek, the Magikoopa who raised Bowser from infancy and who has been seen interacting with him the most throughout the series. As seen in subsequent Yoshi series games and Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, Kamek takes great care of Baby Bowser and worries for his safety, with his devout loyalty continuing into Bowser's adulthood where he is often seen as Bowser's right-hand. Kamek's Psychopath line in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars even implies that he considers Bowser to be like a son to him, as despite his brain-washing by the enemies, he thinks "That's... my child?" when faced with Bowser in battle. The only time a rift has been shown between the two is in Mario Party Advance; after winning a minigame Kamek explains that he took leave of Koopa Troop when Bowser disappointed him by taking the title of "Game Master", rather than earning it, although the ending states that the two reconciled. Aside from that incident, the two get along well, and Bowser seems to show much more respect to his elderly guardian than to any other of his subordinates.

Various other relatives of Bowser's have been mentioned or shown in a minor capacity throughout the franchise. Bowser mentions a father in few issues of the Nintendo Comics System Super Mario Bros. series, with the implication being that he is a wanted criminal on the run. Bowser is first shown to have a mother in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Do You Princess Toadstool Take this Koopa...?", which depicts her to be a bossy and bullying woman who resented her son for remaining a bachelor. Mario's Time Machine Deluxe for MS-DOS, however, shows another version of Bowser's mother, who is an elderly librarian, in the included Library program. Bowser also mentions a grandfather named Poopa La Koopa in the Super Show episode "Butch Mario & The Luigi Kid", saying his motto was "Cheat, beat, and be merry!". In the "Raiders of the Lost Mushroom", Bowser claims that his "great-great grandkoop" built the Temple of Koopa to hide the Lost Mushroom, which he left to Bowser. In an episode of The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, Morton brings up one of the Koopalings' great grandmothers. Bowser and the Koopalings are shown to have a pet rabbit named Pookie in the Nintendo Comics System series, which was often abused until its eventual escape in the comic "Bowser Knows Best". In the Nintendo Adventure Book Flown the Koopa, a Magikoopa stated to be Bowser's third cousin twice removed is featured as the main antagonist; this character also appears in the later books Unjust Desserts and Brain Drain, though he has only minor roles in both. Finally, in both an episode of the Super Show and the song "Ignorance is Bliss", Bowser mentions a younger sister who is, according to him, a bookworm.

Love interests: Bowser is typically shown as attracted to Princess Peach despite kidnapping her and showing open hostility to her kingdom and her friends. According to the manual of Super Mario Bros., Bowser initially started abducting Peach to prevent her from restoring the transformed Toads back to normal. Various media depict Bowser as wanting to marry Princess Peach, being central plot points in Super Mario Bros.: Peach-hime Kyūshutsu Dai Sakusen!, Super Paper Mario, Super Mario Odyssey, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In the same The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode that featured his mother, Bowser has tried and failed to marry Peach, and his unrequited crush on the princess recurs in various games, starting with a diary entry he wrote in Paper Mario expressing his hopes that Peach would like him. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story revealed that Bowser's most carefully preserved memory was of Peach. Paper Mario: The Origami King further hints at his crush on Peach, as when he and Mario encounter Origami Peach for the first time, he quietly expresses embarrassment at her seeing him folded up, and when confronting King Olly just before the final battle against him, Bowser inquires of Peach's status and asks if she is safe, comfortable, and has something to read before claiming he was merely asking for a friend. In Super Mario Sunshine, he told Bowser Jr. that Peach is his mother to manipulate him into helping with the fight against Mario. In few cases, he can forgo abducting Princess Peach, usually if he is aiming for a more important objective. This bit is especially evident in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, as when Peach discovers Bowser's presence with Mario, she initially fears that he's going to abduct her again, only for Bowser to explicitly state he has no interest that time in doing so due to having "bigger fish to fry" (with his reluctantly explaining what he meant by that after returning her to the Mushroom Kingdom).

Despite his feelings for her, Princess Peach dislikes Bowser and has resisted him, most often by helping his nemeses including, but not limited to Super Mario World, Paper Mario, and Super Mario Galaxy, and she has fought him directly in some instances such as in Super Princess Peach, Super Mario 3D World, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. She is still willing to work with Bowser, however, only to help the protagonists, and will even sweet-talk, flatter or show him genuine goodwill or concern when they are acting as allies.

Enemies: Mario is Bowser's arch-nemesis and greatest adversary. Mario constantly defeats Bowser, preventing him from holding Princess Peach hostage and taking over Mushroom Kingdom and other worlds. Despite the open hostility between the two, Bowser has occasionally been seen to hold a grudging respect for Mario, such as his statement in Super Mario Galaxy that he "chose the right guy to be his archenemy" for how he puts up a good fight. Defeating Mario is Bowser's greatest wish along with kidnapping Peach and taking over the Mushroom Kingdom, enough that he intervenes when other villains threaten Mario, such as in Mario Super Sluggers, where Bowser stopped an attack launched by Wario and Waluigi. Many of the RPGs involve Bowser teaming up with Mario to stop an emergent foe that poses a threat to both of them, such as Smithy, who took over Bowser's castle in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, or Count Bleck in Super Paper Mario, whose plot to destroy all worlds ran counter to Bowser's dreams of global domination. In the case of the former game, he even went as far as to name Mario, Mallow, and Geno "honorary members" of the Koopa Troop (although it was heavily implied that he did this solely as an excuse to "join" them to avoid the humiliation of having to ask for their help). While Bowser makes a show of his reluctance to team up, Mario seems more complacent with working with Bowser despite their history, and occasionally shows him some leniency, such as letting him go after his actions in Mario Party DS merely gave Mario and the others a fun experience.

In addition, it is implied that, despite his animosity to Mario, he would never attempt to actually have him destroyed and actually just wants the satisfaction of defeating him; as when Bowletta, while disguised as Bowser, ordered for the Koopa Troop to "destroy" Mario, Captain Goomba was suspicious of him since he knows that that kind of talk was extremely harsh even with Bowser's characteristic hatred towards Mario. Paper Mario: The Origami King further cements this, as in that game, Bowser insists that he and Mario would be nothing without each other. However, in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team he attempts to use the Dream Stone to make the Mario Bros. disappear, and in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam, he plans to trap Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario in the empty book, throw the book in the garbage, and then light the garbage on fire.

Luigi often fights Bowser alongside Mario, and so Bowser also sees Luigi as another significant adversary. Like many other characters in the Mario series, Bowser is often depicted as holding Luigi in lower esteem than his brother, frequently forgetting his name and referring him as "Green Stache" in the first four instalments of the Mario & Luigi series. After his defeat in Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, which Luigi had played a significant part in, Bowser now sees Luigi as a more legitimate foe, at least remembering his name. Baby Bowser and Kamek have also collaborated to kidnap Baby Mario and Baby Luigi throughout the Yoshi's Island games, succeeding with Baby Luigi, and they have also tried and failed to stop the Yoshis from foiling their plans. Bowser and Yoshi also have a mutual dislike; when he was Baby Bowser, he enjoyed stealing cookies from the Yoshis and even stole their Super Happy Tree and Sundream Stone at certain points.

Generally speaking, Bowser's enemies usually include Mario's allies, although Bowser has come into conflict with other villains, including the aforementioned Smithy, Count Bleck, Fawful, and King Olly (most of whom he collaborated with Mario to defeat). One of Bowser's few victories actually came out of his conflict with Fawful during Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, when the Beanish took over both Bowser and Peach's castles, brainwashed the former's minions, and kidnapped the latter. In that same game, Bowser also had an arch-rivalry with Fawful's minion Midbus. While Mario and Luigi were aiding Bowser against Fawful, he was unaware of this, instead communicating exclusively with their ally Starlow, who used the alias "Chippy". Despite their common goal, Bowser and Starlow spent the whole adventure trading barbs and occasionally refusing to cooperate, although Starlow sometimes expressed concern and sympathy for him and he eventually came to think of her as a loyal minion, and even complied to her demand to ask for her help politely at one point, only to become enraged when he learned the truth of who she really was. As of the game's two sequels, Starlow and Bowser are now complete enemies. Another "frenemy" situation is the one between Bowser and Wario, who have joined forces (along with Waluigi) against Mario in Mario Power Tennis, and worked together (albeit fractiously) as babies in Yoshi's Island DS. The ending of Mario Superstar Baseball shows Wario and Waluigi on Bowser's team. Most of the time they are on opposing sides, as in Super Mario 64 DS and the Mario Party series when Wario was on Mario's side. In Mario Super Sluggers, Wario helps in stopping Bowser's invasion of Baseball Kingdom, and in the ending, he and Waluigi are thwarted in their sneak attack on Mario by Bowser due to the latter's desire to be the one who defeats their shared adversary. In Paper Mario: The Origami King, Bowser also held a grudge against King Olly for reducing him to a folded face and turning his minions into Folded Soldiers, mocking the latter's hairstyle.

Impersonators: In several instances throughout the series, there have been characters who have imitated Bowser's appearance, generally for their own gain. There have been many impostors in some games who have tried to replicate or manifest him in varying ways, albeit perfectly or imperfectly: