Editing Bowser (SSB4)

'''Bowser''' ({{ja|クッパ|Kuppa}}, ''Koopa'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. His return to the series was indirectly announced during the [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3]] [[Nintendo Direct]] on June 11th, 2013.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13D1I5s236o Nintendo Direct@E3 2013]</ref> Instead of using his voice actor Kenny James who has voiced Bowser since ''Super Mario Galaxy'' in 2007, Bowser retains his realistic roaring effects from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', although they have been heavily altered.

Bowser is ranked 24th out of 54 on the [[tier list]], placing him in the C tier, a significant improvement over his bottom-tier placement in ''Brawl'', where he was ranked 33rd out of 38, and is the first time in the series that Bowser has not been ranked as a bottom-tier character, thus resulting in his best placement in the series yet. This is due to his substantially enhanced mobility, in addition to much more effective combo and grab games, all of which were among his biggest weaknesses in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl''. Aside from his new benefits, he retains his excellent endurance, overall high damage output, and very strong KOing options. Lastly, the implementation of [[rage]] supplements his already considerable power.

However, Bowser retains an extremely poor defensive game. Despite the addition of universal [[armor]] in [[Tough Guy]], Bowser's disadvantage state is considered to be among the worst in ''SSB4''; his only effective [[out of shield]] option is [[Whirling Fortress]], and both his [[roll]]s and [[sidestep]]s are short-distanced and grant a minimal amount of intangibility frames. His large size and status as a super heavyweight also make him extremely susceptible to combos, which is further compounded by his lack of effective combo breakers. Although Bowser retains [[Fire Breath]] as a projectile, his large size nevertheless makes him vulnerable to [[camp]]ing. Bowser's recovery is also unimpressive, as Whirling Fortress' general linearity and predictability make him vulnerable to [[gimp]]ing.

[[File:Bowser SSB4 Pivot Grab.gif|300px|thumb|Bowser's pivot grab is infamous for its range.]]

Unlike in ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', Bowser boasts a respectable level of speed to go alongside his renowned power. While he retains slow [[Walk|walking speed]] and [[air acceleration]] and the slowest [[jumpsquat]], and while his [[air speed]] and [[falling speed]] are much lower relative to the cast compared to ''Brawl'', his [[Dash|dashing speed]] and [[double jump]]'s height have both been significantly increased, and he also retains high [[gravity]]. This grants him mobility that is average overall, yet fairly balanced compared to most other heavy characters. As the [[Weight|heaviest]] character in the game, Bowser has the best horizontal endurance of them all, although due to his slow falling speed, his vertical endurance is not the best, but rather the third best, being surpassed only by his fellow super heavies {{SSB4|King Dedede}} and {{SSB4|Donkey Kong}}.

However, Bowser has some glaring flaws. One of his biggest problems is air-to-ground transitioning. All of his aerials have at least 20 frames of landing lag, with his back and down aerials having 40 frames each, which is exacerbated by his jumpsquat being the slowest in the game. As none of his aerials have favorable [[autocancel]] windows, returning to the ground is very difficult for him, or even impossible without [[Air dodge|air dodging]] and/or fast-falling, due to his slow aerial mobility. As a result, Bowser is quite vulnerable to combos and heavily susceptible to [[juggling]], making it easy for opponents to rack up damage on him, further worsened by his large size. His down aerial is his only move that can help mitigate these issues, but its aforementioned landing lag and [[stall-then-fall]] status can make it quite unreliable most of the time. His moveset, while fast compared to most heavyweights, is slow when compared to the rest of the cast, limiting his combo starters to only up throw and [[jab cancel]]ed neutral attack, and making it difficult for him to keep up with faster opponents, such as {{SSB4|Sonic}}. This also compounds another noticeable problem: his ability to escape pressure. Due to his slow [[roll]]s and [[sidestep]], with the former also being short-distanced, Bowser's only real method of dealing with pressure is Whirling Fortress, which can be [[punish]]ed if executed too late. Some of his moves are also inevitable KOs if used off-stage, namely his two stall-then-falls, down aerial and Bowser Bomb, as well as Flying Slam. Lastly, despite his recovery being rather long-distanced, it is among the slowest of the cast, making aggressive edgeguarding more than enough to KO Bowser.

Bowser benefits greatly from [[Character customization|custom moves]]. Compared to Fire Breath, Fire Shot is slower and has noticeable intervals between each fireball, but has more range and deals consistent damage, which make it better for Bowser's [[neutral game|neutral]] and edgeguarding games. Dash Slam is drastically weaker, but has a lower launch angle and propels Bowser forward, making it easier for him to grab opponents. Dash Slash deals less damage, but deals high knockback, hits throughout most of its animation and maintains the default version's autocanceling, granting Bowser a very reliable move for [[approach]]ing and setting up combos. Both Flying Slam alternatives can also improve his recovery. Lastly, Flying Fortress is less viable as an out of shield option, due to having more start up lag, but it grants twice as much vertical distance at high speed, significantly improving Bowser's vertical recovery.

In ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'', Bowser was considered to be an unviable low tier as while he had solid KO power, great endurance, good range, a good Out of Shield game and a solid grab game, due to his effective [[Flying Slam]] command grab and his short grab release animation, he suffered from having very poor frame data, a highly exploitable recovery and his combination of having a huge body, high [[weight]] and high [[gravity]] made him a punching bag for many characters. He overall struggled to approach (especially against projectiles) as he was a huge target without solid enough mobility and he was a very easy target for multiple characters to chain grab, making him struggle against a large portion of the cast.

As a result, Bowser has been heavily updated in ''Super Smash Bros. 4'', with almost all of his animations being completely or at least slightly revamped from the previous game. Bowser has seen a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition to ''Smash 4'' and while he was not greatly improved in earlier versions of the game, he has seen some rather drastic [[buff]]s as of the latest patch, which greatly help him overall.

Bowser has seen multiple changes to his attributes which noticeably help him. His running speed has been significantly increased, which along with his new dash attack, makes it easier for him to approach and run away. He has additionally seen a helpful unique attribute known as [[Tough Guy]], which gives him [[armor]] against very low knockback attacks, which allows him to plough through jabs as well as other low knockback attacks, giving him a rather unique advantage. His weight has also been noticeably increased which noticeably improves his endurance even with the removal of [[momentum canceling]] (especially relative to the cast), which is especially helpful considering the introduction to [[rage]], which further bolsters Bowser's already high power when he is at higher percents, and his higher weight makes him an amazingly effective user of it.

 

While some of Bowser's moves have seen rather simple animation changes, some moves have been changed completely for the better. His dash attack is a better burst option, his forward smash comes out faster, hits harder and is overall more reliable, his neutral aerial is now an effective damage racker, his back aerial is noticeably stronger and it can now [[auto-cancel]] in a short hop and his down aerial is now a hard hitting [[stall-then-fall]], giving his neutral and down aerials in particular more utility than they had in the previous game. Some moves which were not drastically changed such as forward tilt, up smash and forward/back throws saw improvements to their KO potential, which overall gives Bowser greater KO potential than he had in ''Brawl'', which is further compunded with rage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bowser's nerfs however, are notably offset by the very useful buffs Bowser has received (particularly to up throw). Overall, Bowser has seen some rather significant buffs, which work excellently with the game's universal changes. Bowser not only has greater endurance, is overall faster and has a much better recovery but he also has greater KO potential and excellent combo potential, due to his greatly improved up throw. This has resulted in him faring much better than he ever did in ''Brawl'' and especially ''Melee''.

 

In earlier versions, Bowser was still considered to be a low tier character (particularly as time went on, as people figured out the game and realised that Bowser's improvements were not as drastic as initially though). Besides his recovery and improved KO potential, Bowser still suffered from the same flaws he had in ''Brawl'', and he had lost some of his more effective tools (notably his shorter grab release, which noticeably hurt his grab game at the time). Bowser did receive buffs over time though, with his most drastic buffs being introduced in version [[1.1.3]], which greatly improved his up throw. In earlier versions, up throw was an unimpressive spacing throw much like it was in ''Brawl'' (as it dealt more knockback and had more ending lag) but in 1.1.3, it became the devastating combo throw it is known for today. While its combo potential was toned down in version [[1.1.4]] (and {{SSB4|Bayonetta}} was introduced in the same patch), he received other useful buffs in the same patch, along with the next patch (where some of the top tiers were also toned down), and it still remained an excellent combo tool.

 

 

Nevertheless, while Bowser is still a giant punching bag, who has really poor frame data and struggles to approach, he is now widely agreed to be a viable character in the latest version of ''Smash 4'' (even if it is largely due to one move), and is overall one of the characters to be buffed the most in the transition from ''Brawl'' to ''Smash 4'', alongside {{SSB4|Mario}}, {{SSB4|Luigi}}, {{SSB4|Captain Falcon}}, {{SSB4|Sheik}}, and {{SSB4|Mewtwo}}.

*{{change|Due to the aesthetic used in ''SSB4'', Bowser has a sleeker design, his shell is noticeably more detailed, his pupils are smaller and his overall color scheme is significantly more vibrant, much like his appearance in ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario 3D Land}}''.}}

*{{change|[[Dash]], [[roll]], [[air dodge]], [[Crouching|crouch]], and [[Crawling|crawl]]'s animations have changed. Bowser now dashes on both legs instead of shuttling along the ground, and he remains upright instead of retreating into his shell when rolling, jumping, or air dodging. Bowser's crouch also appears similar to his crouching defensive stance from ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story}}''.}}

*{{change|Bowser is smaller (size multiplier: 1x → 0.82x). This makes his hurtboxes smaller, making him harder to hit but this also reduces his range.}}

*{{buff|Bowser now stands upright, which is also reflected in his new walking and dashing animations. This makes him harder to hit horizontally and while this would make him easier to hit vertically, this is offset by Bowser's smaller size, making him no easier to hit vertically overall.}}

**{{change|Bowser's new upright posture has also been translated into his moveset, be it through a tweaked animation or a completely new move.}}

*{{buff|Bowser now has a unique attribute, [[Tough Guy]]. It is universal [[armor]] against attacks that deal less than 19 units of knockback, such as the first hit of many neutral attacks, or numerous neutral infinites. It is amplified if he is crouching (due to the changes to [[crouch canceling]]).}}

*{{buff|Bowser [[walk]]s faster (0.8 → 0.858).}}

*{{buff|As with other returning veterans, Bowser walks much faster when carrying heavy [[item]]s, to the point where it now surpasses Donkey Kong's, although DK still surpasses him in regard to jumping or falling with them.}}

*{{buff|Bowser [[dash]]es much faster (1.527 → 1.792), going from the 16th fastest out of 39 in ''Brawl'' to the 17th fastest out of 58 in ''Smash 4''.}}

*{{buff|Like all characters returning from ''Brawl'', Bowser's [[Fast fall|fast-falling]] speed is faster (1.946 → 2.224). This improves his aerial mobility and leaves him less susceptible to juggling.}}

**{{nerf|However, since his regular falling speed remains unchanged and most other characters saw an identical increase to their fast falling speed relative to their normal falling speed (60%), his fast falling speed is much lower relative to the cast, going from the 19th fastest out of 39 to the 17th lowest out of 58.}}

*{{buff|Bowser is noticeably [[Weight|heavier]] (120 → 130), significantly improving his endurance and making him suffer less from the removal of [[momentum canceling]] than other returning veterans.}}

*{{nerf|Bowser's [[air speed]] is slower (1.034 → 1.0), especially relative to the cast, going from the 11th highest out of 39 to the 31st highest out of 58.}}

*{{change|Bowser’s [[gravity]] is higher (0.1027 → 0.11). When combined with his faster fast-falling speed, this allows him to land more safely, but makes him more susceptible to combos, as well as slightly reducing the height of his jumps.}}

*{{change|Bowser has a new double jump animation where he stays upright. This allows him to grab ledges from further below but it also makes him a much larger target.}}

*{{buff|Bowser's [[item throw]] is stronger (1 → 1.1).}}

*{{change|The changes to [[hitstun canceling]] both help and hinder Bowser. They significantly improve his combo potential (particularly out of up throw), but make him more susceptible to combos.}}

*{{buff|The removal of [[chain grab]]bing significantly improves Bowser's endurance against certain characters.}}

*{{nerf|The changes to weight dependent throws hinders Bowser, as it makes weight dependent throws faster against him despite his significantly increased weight.}}

*{{buff|[[Spot dodge]] has less ending lag (FAF 33 → 29), no longer being the slowest.}}

*{{buff|The 1.19x damage multiplier to shields and the increase to [[shieldstun]] make some of Bowser's attacks much better at pressuring shields, as they are safer and deal more shield damage.}}

*{{nerf|Bowser's [[grab release]] has more ending lag (FAF 20 → 30), now matching the rest of the cast. When combined with the changes to grounded and aerial grab releases, Bowser now has no frame advantage out of a grounded grab release and only a 10 frame advantage out of an aerial grab release (compared to 11 and 31 frames (against most characters) respectively). This removes all of his guaranteed followups out of a grab release which is further exacerbated by the removal of chain grabbing.}}

**{{change|Bowser has a new neutral attack: his claw swipes have been replace with alternating punches.}}

***{{buff|However, their total durations were unchanged, giving them slightly less ending lag.}}

**{{buff|The first hit's far hitbox launches opponents slightly higher (83° → 85°), making it connect more reliably into the second hit.}}

**{{nerf|The first hit's far hitbox has been moved closer to Bowser (x offset: 8 → 5), while its nearest hitbox has been moved further away from him (x offset: -8 → -7), reducing its range.}}

**{{buff|The second hit deals more damage (5% → 6.5%).}}

**{{nerf|The second hit's far hitbox has been moved closer to Bowser (x offset: -8 → 5), while its nearest hitbox has been moved further away from hit (x offset: 8 → -6), reducing its range.}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt deals more damage (11% → 12%), improving its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt has smaller hitboxes (5.7u/5u/4u → 5.5u/4u/4u) and the hand hitbox has been moved closer to Bowser (x offset: 7 → 5.1), reducing its range.}}

**{{nerf|The down angled version no longer has a 40% [[trip]] chance, although this does not affect the move under a competitive ruleset.}}

**{{buff|Up tilt has less ending lag (FAF 51 → 41), making it safer and improving its ability to set up juggles.}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt deals less damage (12% → 9%), hindering its KO potential.}}

***{{buff|However, this also improves its ability to set up juggles.}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt has more startup lag (frame 8 → 11).}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt has smaller hitboxes (6u/5.5u/5u → 5.5u/5u), the body hitbox has been removed and the hand hitbox has been moved closer to Bowser (x offset: 8 → 6.9).}}

*[[Down tilt]]:

**{{buff|This new animation properly matches its hitboxes' placements, with the move now fully covering Bowser's hand, despite the far hitboxes being moved closer to Bowser (x offset: -7 (hit 1)/7 (hit 2) → 6 (both)).}}

**{{nerf|The middle arm hitbox has been removed, giving down tilt slightly less vertical range at certain positions.}}

**{{buff|Compared to the previous dash attack, it deals more damage (11% (clean)/8% (late) → 12%/10%) and its clean hit deals more knockback (120 (base)/30 (scaling) → 110/35), improving its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|Dash attack covers more space in a shorter amount of time, making it a better approach and burst movement option.}}

**{{nerf|Dash attack has more startup lag (frame 10 → 11).}}

**{{nerf|Dash attack's far hitboxes have been moved closer to Bowser (x offset: 18 (clean)/15 (late) → 12/10), reducing its range relative to Bowser.}}

**{{nerf|Dash attack's near hitboxes are smaller (7u (clean)/5u (late) → 4u/3.8u) and the late near hit has also been moved further away from Bowser (x offset: 3 → 4).}}

**{{change|Bowser has a new forward smash: a single hitting dropkick with a clean hit and a late hit, rather than two separate hits.}}

**{{buff|Forward smash has less startup lag (frame 26 → 22).}}

***{{nerf|However, it starts charging much sooner (frame 12 → 4), giving it more startup lag out of a charge release despite this change (frame 15 → 19).}}

**{{buff|The clean hit deals more knockback (25/22 (base)/81 (scaling) → 25/98), improving its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|The clean hit's sourspot launches opponents at a more favourable angle (60° → [[Sakurai angle|361°]]), improving its KO potential (unless when used near the upper blast zone) and making DI less effective against it.}}

**{{buff|Due to its new animation, forward smash has significantly more range and it can be used to low profile under certain attacks.}}

***{{nerf|However, as this new animation moves Bowser forward, it leaves him in a more vulnerable spot if forward smash is shielded.}}

**{{buff|The clean hit now has [[transcendent priority]]. When combined with Bowser having feet intangibility, this allows the move to ignore any hitbox, while still being able to cancel out projectiles.}}

**{{buff|Forward smash now has a late hit which deals 17%/14% depending on where it lands and decent knockback (10 (base)/103 (scaling). This new late hit extends forward smash's duration (frame 26 (hit 1)/28-31 (hit 2) → 22-23/24-27).}}

***{{nerf|However, the clean hit has a shorter duration (frames 28-31 → 22-23).}}

**{{change|The new late hit has [[Priority#Moves that cannot rebound|anti-rebounding priority]].}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash now only hits once, reducing its maximum damage potential (33% → 23%).}}

**{{nerf|The clean hit has smaller hitboxes compared to the previous second hit (7.3u/6.3u → 7u/5.5u), with the new late hit having even smaller hitboxes (6u/5u).}}

**{{nerf|The sourspot deals less damage (21% → 20%).}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash has more ending lag (FAF 66 → 70).}}

**{{buff|Up smash's main hit has increased knockback scaling (80 (sweetspot)/90 (sourspot) → 90/100), improving its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|The main hit has a longer duration (frames 16-21 → 16-23).}}

**{{buff|Up smash has an altered animation where Bowser has a more upright posture. This makes it easier for the sweetspot to connect against grounded opponents.}}

**{{nerf|The landing hit has more startup lag (frame 31 → 37), with up smash's total duration being subsequently increased (FAF 52 → 58).}}

**{{nerf|The clean hit has smaller hitboxes (8u/6u/6u → 7u/5.5u/5.5u) and the sourspots have been moved closer to Bowser (z offset: 6/-6 → 5/-5).}}

**{{nerf|The landing hit deals less damage (12%/10% → 6%) with it only seeing an increase to its base knockback (60 → 80), hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|The landing hit uses one smaller extended hitbox (6u/6u/6u → 5.5u), decreasing its overall range.}}

**{{buff|Down smash has a new first hit that is active right before Bowser starts spinning, giving it less startup lag (frame 14 → 10).}}

**{{buff|The weakening of [[SDI]] makes down smash significantly more difficult to escape from.}}

***{{nerf|However, this hinders its vertical KO potential (including from center stage positions on tournament legal stages without DI), as well as removing its ability to set up juggles.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash has more ending lag (FAF 67 → 72).}}

**{{nerf|Hits 2-6 deal less damage (2% → 1%), reducing down smash's total damage output (21% → 16%).}}

**{{nerf|The final hit has decreased knockback scaling (140 → 130), hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|The final hit's hitboxes have been moved closer to Bowser (z offset: -9/9/-6/6 → -7.2/7.2/-5/5) and the upper hitboxes have been moved lower down (y offset: 12 → 9), reducing its range.}}

**{{change|Bowser has a new neutral aerial: an aerial cartwheel. Bowser's hands and feet consist of hitboxes (which slowly appear as time goes on) which deal 6% each and launch opponents vertically (361° → 75°)}}

**{{buff|All four of neutral aerial's hitboxes can connect, greatly increasing its maximum damage potential (13% → 24%).}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial has more range overall, as the move now has four hitboxes which circle around Bowser.}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial has a longer duration (frames 8-13 (clean)/14-23 → 8-29 (hit 1)/14-29 (hit 2)/18-29 (hits 3 & 4).}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial has less landing lag (24 frames → 20).}}

**{{nerf|Due to its multi-hit nature (along with each hitbox having different knockback), neutral aerial is far less consistent and reliable to use (especially outside of lower percents), making it difficult to effectively utilise.}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial's hitboxes are smaller compared to the previous hitbox (8u → 5.5u).}}

***{{nerf|In addition to this, the move now has a large blindspot in the middle of Bowser's body.}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial auto-cancels later (frame 40 → 45).}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial has a longer animation (49 frames → 66), increasing the amount of time Bowser cannot grab ledges after performing the move.}}

**{{change|Forward aerial has an altered animation.}}

***{{buff|This new animation more accurately represents the move's hitboxes, with the move now always covering Bowser's hand.}}

***{{nerf|However, this new animation is longer (45 frames → 53).}}

**{{change|The sweetspot has been moved slightly higher up (z offset: 0 → -0.7).}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial has more startup lag (frame 8 → 11).}}

***{{buff|However, its total duration was unchanged, giving it less ending lag.}}

**{{nerf|The sweetspot has been moved closer to Bowser (x offset: 5 → 4.4), reducing its range.}}

***{{nerf|This new animation is marginally longer than the previous animation (49 frames → 50).}}

**{{buff|Back aerial deals more damage (15% (clean)/7% (late) → 19%) and knockback (25 (base)/83 (scaling) → 20/88), significantly improving its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|Back aerial has less ending lag (FAF 50 → 45).}}

**{{buff|Back aerial auto-cancels much earlier (frame 45 → 31), now being able to do so in a short hop.}}

**{{change|As with most back aerial's, back aerial now always launches opponents behind Bowser.}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial has a smaller hitbox (9u/5u → 7u) which is now static, decreasing its range. The move has gone from being disjointed, to now failing to fully cover Bowser's feet, especially during its first active frame.}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial no longer has a late hit, shortening its duration (frames 9-11 (clean)/12-16 (late) → 9-11) and reducing its utility.}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial has more landing lag (35 frames → 40).}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial no longer grants [[invincibility]] on Bowser's shell or even on his feet.}}

**{{buff|Up aerial has much less startup lag (frame 16 → 9), making it much easier to land and overall improving its utility.}}

***{{nerf|However, its total duration was unchanged, giving it more ending lag.}}

**{{change|Up aerial's hitbox is now displaced horizontally rather than vertically (y offset: 2.4 → x offset: 2.4). When combined with up aerial's new animation, this makes the hitbox more accurately cover Bowser's head but it also decreases the move's vertical range.}}

**{{nerf|Up aerial deals less damage (17% → 15%) and has decreased knockback scaling (93 → 85), hindering its KO potential, although it is still one of the strongest up aerials in the game.}}

**{{nerf|Up aerial has a smaller hitbox (7u → 6u).}}

**{{buff|Down aerial is now a single hitting [[stall-then-fall]] which compared to the previous final hit, deals more damage (3% → 16%) and has increased base knockback (10 → 30), drastically improving its KO potential.}}

***{{buff|Down aerial's stall-then-fall attribute combined with its increased strength makes it a much more effective and devastating landing option, especially near the ledge due to the clean hit's meteor smash hitbox.}}

***{{nerf|However, its stall-then-fall properties also make it even more dangerous to use off stage.}}

**{{buff|Down aerial has a larger hitbox (4u/4u → 7u), increasing its range despite only having one hitbox now.}}

**{{buff|Down aerial has a longer duration (frames 14-15, 17-18, 20-21, 23-24, 26-27, 29-30, 32-33, 35-36, 38 → 17-24 (clean)/25-49 (late)).}}

**{{change|The landing hit can no longer hit aerial opponents.}}

***{{nerf|However, this also hinders down aerial's damage racking potential.}}

**{{nerf|Due to consisting of one hit instead of nine, down aerial's maximum damage potential is much lower (27% → 18%).}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial has more startup lag (frame 14 → 17).}}

***{{buff|However, its total duration was unchanged, giving it less ending lag.}}

**{{buff|Dash grab has less ending lag (FAF 50 → 48).}}

**{{buff|Bowser's grabs have more range inside of him, especially dash grab (z offset: 8 (standing)/10 (dash)/-8 (pivot) → 5/2/-5).}}

***{{buff|Pivot grab has additionally been positioned further out (z offset: -23 → z stretch: -26.5), further increasing its already disjointed range.}}

***{{nerf|Dash grab has a smaller grabbox (5.5u → 4.8u).}}

**{{nerf|Standing and dash grab have been moved closer to Bowser (z offset: -18 (standing)/-22 (dash) → z stretch: -14, -15.5), reducing their range.}}

**{{nerf|Pivot grab has more startup (frame 9 → 11) and ending lag (FAF 40 → 46).}}

**{{buff|Forward throw deals more damage (10% → 12%) and has increased knockback scaling (50 → 66), now being a viable KO option at higher percents.}}

**{{buff|Forward throw has less ending lag (FAF 60 → 59).}}

**{{buff|Back throw deals more damage (10% → 12%) and has more knockback scaling (50 → 66), now being a viable KO option at higher percents.}}

**{{change|Back throw has a new animation where Bowser performs a one-armed throw, similar to Donkey Kong's back throw.}}

**{{buff|Up throw has less ending lag (FAF 70 → 64).}}

**{{buff|The first seven hits deal less hitlag (1x → 0.5x), allowing the throw to be performed faster.}}

**{{nerf|The first seven hits deal less damage (1% → 0.5%), reducing the move's total damage output (10% → 6.5%).}}

***{{nerf|However, the move's lack of set knockback hinders its combo potential at higher percents while still being too weak to KO.}}

**{{buff|Down throw's hitbox has a longer duration (frame 45 → 45-46).}}

**{{nerf|The hitbox deals less damage (12% → 10%).}}

**{{buff|Down throw's throw now deals damage (0% → 2%) and has significantly increased knockback (75 (base)/30 (scaling) → 90/80).}}

*[[Floor attack]]s:

**{{buff|Floor attacks deal more damage (6% → 7%) and [[shield damage]] (1 → 8) per hit, with minimally compensated knockback scaling (50 → 48).}}

**{{buff|Floor attacks have less ending lag (FAF 50 → 46).}}

**{{nerf|Floor attacks launch opponents at a higher angle (361° → 48°).}}

**{{change|Bowser has a new edge attack, an inward slash similar to his previous over 100% edge attack, albeit faster.}}

**{{nerf|Compared to the previous under 100% edge attack, this new edge attack has much more startup with a shorter duration (frames 8-17 → 22-24), no longer being the fastest in the game.}}

**{{nerf|Edge attack has less range due to its new animation.}}

**{{buff|Edge attack grants much more intangibility (frames 1-4 → 1-19).}}

**{{buff|Edge attack no longer has set knockback (110 (set)/100 (scaling) → 90 (base)/20).}}

**{{buff|Trip attack deals more shield damage (1 → 8) per hit.}}

**{{nerf|Trip attack has decreased intangibility (frames 1-8 → 1-7).}}

**{{buff|Upon grabbing an opponent, Flying Slam now grants Bowser 16 frames of intangibility after he grabs his opponent, making it harder to intercept.}}

***{{nerf|However, the move has more lag before Bowser jumps (22 frames → 25), theoretically making it easier to DI.}}

**{{buff|Bowser and his opponent have greater initial aerial acceleration when Bowser jumps (0.15 → 0.21 (Bowser), 0.18 → 0.19 (Opponent)). This gives Bowser more control over Flying Slam's trajectory.}}

***{{buff|Altogether, these changes significantly improve its safety when Bowser grabs the opponent.}}

**{{nerf|When Bowser lands with Flying Slam, he now immediately lands, rather than going into an animation transition frame before landing. This removes Bowser's ability to double jump or use his specials the moment he lands, removing [[Koopa hopping]].}}

*[[Whirling Fortress]] (grounded):

**{{nerf|The grounded version now consistently deals no shield damage (3 (hit 1)/0 (hit 2) → 0 (all hits)).}}

**{{nerf|The grounded version can no longer slide off edges. While this does make the move safer to use, it also hinders its use as a movement option on platforms and it prevents Bowser from using it to grab the edge and reduce its ending lag.}}

**{{nerf|The grounded version is now a multi-hit move, rather than a move with two hits, with the first hit being powerful, while the second hit is weaker. The first seven hits are semi-spikes (180°), with set knockback (50/70 (set)/100 (scaling)) and a below average SDI multiplier (0.8×), making the first seven hits much weaker and making the move less reliable overall.}}

***{{buff|However, the move's multi hitting properties does make it safer on shield if the move is landed early.}}

*Whirling Fortress (aerial):

**{{buff|Aerial Whirling Fortress grants much more height (1.85 → 2.3), and mashing the special move button can now further increase its height, significantly improving its recovery potential, despite its increased gravity (0.05 → 0.055).}}

**{{buff|The 1.19x damage multiplier to shields drastically improves Bowser Bomb's shield pressuring ability, as due to its shield damage, it can now break full shields in a single use if both the drop and landing hitbox connect.}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt deals 1% less damage|10%|9%, slightly hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|Up tilt's start-up|frame 12|11 and ending lag decreased: frame 51 → 41.}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial deals more damage|5% (hits 1-4)|6%}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial's landing lag has decreased|24 frames|20.}}

**{{buff|Fire Shot deals 1% more damage|5% (clean)/4% (late)|6%/5%}}

**{{buff|Fire Shot's base knockback increased: 25 → 35}}

**{{buff|Fire Shot's hit radius increased: 4u (clean)/3.5u (late) → 5u (both)}}

**{{buff|Fire Shot's late hit's duration increased: 15 frames → 20}}

**{{buff|Fire Shot has less ending lag, now matching [[Fire Breath]]'s.}}

|neutralname=Koopa Palm Strike ({{ja|クッパ掌打|Kuppa Shōtei}}) / Koopa Pursuit Attack ({{ja|クッパ追い打ち|Kuppa Oiuchi}})

|ftiltname=Koopa Back Fist ({{ja|クッパ裏拳|Kuppa Uraken}})

|utiltname=Ceiling Scratch ({{ja|天井ひっかき|Tenjō Hikkaki}})

|dtiltname=Spoiled Brat Punch ({{ja|だだっ子パンチ|Dadakko Panchi}})

|dashname=Jumping Kick ({{ja|ジャンピングキック|Janpingu Kikku}})

|fsmashname=Megaton Drop Kick ({{ja|メガトンドロップキック|Megaton Doroppu Kikku}})

|usmashname=Rising Spike ({{ja|ライジングスパイク|Raijingu Supaiku}})

|dsmashname=Buzzsaw ({{ja|バズソー|Bazusō}})

|nairname=Koopa Wheel ({{ja|クッパホイール|Kuppa Hoīru}})

|fairname=Jump Scratch ({{ja|ジャンプひっかき|Janpu Hikkaki}})

|bairname=Rocket Kick ({{ja|ロケットキック|Roketto Kikku}})

|uairname=Heading ({{ja|ヘディング|Hedingu}})

|dairname=Scrub Brush ({{ja|スクラブブラシ|Sukurabu Burashi}})

|dairdesc=Withdraws into his shell, turns upside down, and propels himself downward. A [[stall-then-fall]], it emits a small shockwave on both sides when he lands. It [[meteor smash]]es during the first few frames and deals respectable diagonal knockback during its later frames. Due to its large hitbox, its meteor smashing hitbox can effectively edgeguard when near the edge. Like other stall-then-falls, it will almost certainly cause a [[self-destruct]] if used off-stage. Resembles an attack used by Spinies and Buzzy Beetles where they withdraw into their shell and drop from the ceiling.

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|pummelname=Grab Headbutt ({{ja|つかみヘッドバット|Tsukami Heddobatto}})

|fthrowname=Slingshot ({{ja|スリングショット|Suringushotto}})

|bthrowname=Back Throw ({{ja|バックスルー|Bakku Surū}})

|uthrowname=Flesh Mixer ({{ja|フレッシュミキサー|Furessu Mikisā}})

|uthrowdesc=Throws the opponent slightly upward, withdraws into his shell, and then spins rapidly in order to repeatedly stab them with his shell's spikes. While it is Bowser's least damaging throw (dealing up to 6.5% damage), it is also his best combo starter, as it can combo into up tilt, up smash, neutral aerial, up aerial, forward aerial, back aerial, and even Flying Slam. Its aerial combos are especially effective against fast-fallers, although its Flying Slam combo requires a hard read. The final hit before the throw deals very high semi spike knockback to fighters who are caught in the crossfire. On a side note, unlike in ''Brawl'', instead of always dealing fixed knockback, the throw hitbox's knockback now grows stronger as the target's damage increases.

|dthrowname=Heavy Press ({{ja|ヘビープレス|Hebī Puresu}})

|nsc2desc=Deals more damage and has longer range, but its flames shrink in size at a drastically quicker rate and take longer to recharge.

|dsc1desc=The Ground Pound emits a [[Windbox|gale]] instead of a shockwave at its impact, pushing away any opponents next to where Bowser lands instead of damaging them. It deals less overall damage and knockback. Bowser also leaps lower, but it covers more horizontal distance, making it useful for gimping opponents with poor recoveries, such as {{SSB4|Little Mac}} and {{SSB4|Captain Falcon}}.

{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"

|-

|-

! scope="row"|Cheer

|[[File:Bowser Cheer English SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Bowser Cheer Japanese SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Bowser Cheer Spanish NTSC SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Bowser Cheer Spanish PAL SSB4.ogg|center]]

|-

! scope="row"|Description

|Bow - ser! || Koo - pa! *claps 3 times* || Boooow - ser!

|-

|-

! scope="row"|Cheer

|{{NTSC}} [[File:Bowser Cheer French NTSC SSB4.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Bowser Cheer French PAL SSB4.ogg|center]]||[[File:Bowser Cheer German SSB4.ogg|center]]||[[File:Bowser Cheer Italian SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]

|}

===Most historically significant players===

<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines Using this criteria, please refrain from adding Nukunuku or Cassius.-->

''See also: [[:Category:Bowser players (SSB4)]]''

*{{Sm|Boozer|Australia}} - The best Bowser player in Australia. Placed 1st at {{Trn|Expand Gong 2}}, 5th at both {{Trn|DI Another Day 2}} and {{Trn|Battle Arena Melbourne 9}}, and 13th at both {{Trn|Battle Arena Melbourne 8}} and {{Trn|Battle Arena Melbourne 10}}. Ranked as high as 4th on the [[Australian Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Deluxemenu|USA}} - Placed 9th at both {{Trn|DreamHack Austin 2017}} and {{Trn|Low Tier City 5}}, 13th at {{Trn|Austin's Really Feeling It 16}}, 17th at {{Trn|Clutch City Clash 2}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|CEO 2017}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Zinoto}}, {{Sm|Javi}}, and {{Sm|Dark Wizzy}}.

*{{Sm|Kisha|Japan}} - Co-mained Bowser alongside {{SSB4|Mega Man}} and is the best Bowser player in Japan. Placed 5th at {{Trn|Sumabato Tokaigi Qualifier}}, 7th at {{Trn|Sumabato 25}}, 9th at {{Trn|Umebura 28}}, and 17th at both {{Trn|Umebura S.A.T.}} and {{Trn|Umebura Japan Major 2017}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Ranai}}, {{Sm|Nietono}}, and {{Sm|ikep}}.

*{{Sm|LordMix|USA}} - One of the best Bowser players in the United States. Placed 4th at {{Trn|MomoCon 2016}}, 13th at {{Trn|Clutch City Clash}}, 25th at {{Trn|MomoCon 2017}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2017}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|VoiD}}, {{Sm|Fatality}}, and {{Sm|ScAtt}}. Ranked as high as 3rd on the [[Georgia Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Nairo|USA}} (#2) - Uses Bowser as a secondary alongside {{SSB4|Zero Suit Samus}} and is the best Bowser player in the world. Placed 1st at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2017}}, 4th at {{Trn|UGC Smash Open}}, 5th at {{Trn|2GGT: ZeRo Saga}}, and 17th at {{Trn|GENESIS 4}}.

*{{Sm|Rizeasu|Japan}} (#68) - Uses Bowser alongside a variety of characters. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|Sumabato Tokaigi Qualifier 2}} and 9th at both {{Trn|Sumabato 12}} and {{Trn|Sumabato 17}}. Ranked as high as 20th on the [[JAPAN Power Rankings]].

In All-Star Mode, Bowser is fought in Stage 2 in the 3DS version or Stage 6 in the Wii U version alongside {{SSB4|Link}}, {{SSB4|Samus}}, {{SSB4|Peach}}, {{SSB4|Zelda}}, {{SSB4|R.O.B.}}, and {{SSB4|Duck Hunt}}.

==={{GameIcon|SSB4-U}}[[Event Match]]es===

====Solo Events====

====Co-op Events====

|colspan=8|[[File:Bowser Palette (SSB4).png|link=Palette swap (SSB4)#Bowser]]

Mega Man Bowser Wii Fit.jpg|Bowser, {{SSB4|Mega Man}} and {{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}} on [[Wii Fit]].