Editing Bowser (SSBU)

'''Bowser''' ({{ja|クッパ|Kuppa}}, ''Koopa'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was suggested to appear in the then unnamed ''Ultimate'' in its first [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3Gt42kVgCw teaser trailer] at the end of the March 8th, 2018 [[Nintendo Direct]], and officially announced in ''Ultimate''{{'}}s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L93H7YC-83o E3 2018 trailer] As opposed to being a starter character like in previous ''Smash'' games, Bowser is now an unlockable character. Bowser is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #14]].

Bowser retains the realistic roaring effects that he had in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', rather than using his voice actor from the ''Mario'' series, Kenny James.

 

Bowser is ranked 59th out of 82 on the tier list, placing him in the C+ tier. This is a noticeable drop from his placement in ''SSB4'', where he was ranked 24th out of 54.

Bowser, as per tradition, is a [[Weight|super heavyweight]] and the heaviest character in the game. This is reflected by some of his attributes, which fit in the mold of his archetype: he has a slow [[walk]]ing speed (16th slowest in the game), very quick [[falling speed|falling]] and [[fast-fall]]ing speeds (tied with {{SSBU|Bayonetta}} for the 19th fastest), slow [[air acceleration]], high [[gravity]], and immensely powerful attacks. However, Bowser sports otherwise excellent mobility, as his [[air speed]] is well above average (tied with {{SSBU|Sheik}}, {{SSBU|Duck Hunt}}, {{SSBU|Lucas}}, {{SSBU|Cloud}}, and {{SSBU|Mega Man}} as the 20th fastest in the game), his initial dash is extremely quick, and he also boasts a surprisingly fast [[dash]]ing speed (the 22nd fastest in the game) that surpasses most of his fellow heavyweights, even outrunning characters such as {{SSBU|Marth}}, {{SSBU|Inkling}}, {{SSBU|Toon Link}}, and {{SSBU|Pichu}}. Due to his above average dashing speed and initial dash, Bowser sports a respectable [[dash-dance]].

Unsurprisingly, Bowser's most notable trait is his impressive endurance, being among the best in the game. His extreme weight makes him very difficult to launch and KO, while his fast falling speed and high gravity make it trivial to stay grounded. Bolstering his endurance is his varied forms of [[armor]]; Bowser has damage-based percentage armor on the startup of all his tilts and smash attacks. Bowser also has an attribute called "[[Tough Guy]]," which is constantly active knockback-based armor that allows Bowser to withstand a handful of weak attacks, like rapid jabs and weak projectiles. This lets him tank and approach effectively while at low percents, and allows him to simply break through any rapid jab with a powerful attack, acting as a hard punish. Supplementing Bowser's endurance is the immense damage and power his moveset provides, as all of his moves deal high damage, and most of them have KO potential. [[Rage]] further helps Bowser, as he can easily take advantage of being at KO percentage to easily turn the tables on the opponent should they make one single error.

Bowser's grounded game has numerous merits, thanks to the combination of his damage-based armor, the damage and power it boasts, and its speed all around. All of his tilt attacks render his limbs [[Intangibility|intangible]] during their active hitboxes, which makes them pseudo-disjointed, while some of his smash attacks give his body parts [[invincibility]]. These traits further aid Bowser in spacing or beating out attacks, which can lead to very hard punishes. [[Forward tilt]] is decently fast and very powerful, able to KO before 150% and even earlier at the edge. It can be angled and, when angled down, can 2-frame punish most recovery moves. [[Up tilt]] has very good coverage all around Bowser and is not only his most powerful tilt attack but one of the strongest up tilts in the game, killing middleweights below 125%. [[Forward smash]], while being his slowest smash attack, is the second strongest in the game (killing at around 60% from center stage uncharged) and renders his legs invincible, allowing it to outprioritize other moves. [[Up smash]] is fast relative to its power (coming out on frame 16 while being the strongest up smash in the game when sweetspotted), has invincibility on his entire shell and a hitbox on landing that provides safety, making it an excellent anti-air option. [[Down smash]] is Bowser's fastest smash attack, coming out on frame 12, being especially fast for its power as well (being able to KO around 70% at the edge of a stage) and hits both sides, making it an ideal punish option out of a perfect shield, despite its very high ending lag.

His aerial moveset also has useful options. [[Forward aerial]] is considered his best one, as it has relatively average landing lag alongside above average damage and knockback (which allows it to KO below 115% from the edge), great range with good coverage above and below him (comparable to swordfighters with similar "frontal slash" moves), and can combo on landing. [[Back aerial]] deals great damage and has extremely high knockback scaling (killing at around 100% from center stage and as early as 60% by the edge), and is very fast for an aerial of its caliber. Both aerials autocancel in a short hop, making them good coverage options at the edge, and their power also makes them terrific [[edgeguarding]] options. [[Neutral aerial]] deals massive damage if all of its hits connect (although this is very difficult to accomplish), being the second most damaging aerial attack in the entire game, and using it while landing gives it combo potential and KO setups at high percentages. Finally, [[up aerial]] renders Bowser's head intangible and is a fairly useful vertical kill move due to its high damage output and knockback, although it is typically situational given its short range.

Bowser's grab game is also rather versatile, thanks to its combination of damage and utility. While his grab is rather slow, it is among the longest reaching non-tether grabs in the game. His [[forward throw|forward]] and [[back throw]]s serve a similar purpose as kill throws; both are among the strongest in the game. [[Up throw]] is a useful combo throw which can lead to extremely damaging combos at low to medium-high percentages. Finally, his [[down throw]] is the third most damaging throw in the entire game, but due to its lack of KO potential, it is mostly used to refresh other moves and put the opponent in an unfavorable position offstage.

His special moveset commands a balance of both raw damage racking and kill options, all of which are versatile. On one hand, in terms of damage racking, [[Fire Breath]] is Bowser's "projectile" move, spewing flames that peter over time but recharge when the move is not in use. The flames deal massive damage and shieldstun, and unlike other projectiles, don't deal negative shield damage, so the move will always deal full damage to shields. When angled correctly, it can also hit ledge hanging characters and even 2-frame punish many recoveries, making it a good edgeguarding tool, although it can be countered if Bowser is too close to the ledge. At maximum range, the flames don't cause opponents to flinch, which allows Bowser a very dangerous damage racking option that won't break an opponent's dazed state (similar to {{SSBU|Piranha Plant}}'s Poison Breath or {{SSBU|Fox}}'s Blaster), allowing him to KO opponents as early as 0% if he successfully breaks their [[shield]]. His up special, [[Whirling Fortress]], is Bowser's fastest attack at frame 6 on the ground; combined with its multi-hit nature and considerable horizontal mobility, this makes it an effective "get-off-me" and [[out of shield]] option. In the air, it is Bowser's primary recovery move, traveling decent vertical distance and massive horizontal distance, and has decent KO potential to boot. On the other hand, in terms of kill options, [[Flying Slam]] is the fastest command grab in the game (and tied with Whirling Fortress as Bowser's fastest attack at frame 6), and has incredible power if it grabs an opponent, killing around 120%, or earlier if he has rage. Since he leaps a high distance in the air, he can land on platforms, which can put him at a much more advantageous position and KO opponents even earlier. It can also be [[B-reverse]]d, allowing Bowser to bypass shields unexpectedly, even in midair. [[Bowser Bomb]] deals fantastic vertical knockback and can even [[meteor smash]] at the start of its descent; it also deals extreme shield damage, allowing it to break a full shield if properly landed. These two moves, combined with Bowser's fantastic damage output, allows him to play [[mindgame]]s with the opponent's shield.

Thanks to his great damage output, once Bowser has gained the advantage, his abundance of options for racking up damage allows Bowser to put the opponent at a gradually worse and worse position before sealing a stock. Unlike previous incarnations, Bowser also doesn't waver in terms of mobility, which means that, if the opponent is at a disadvantage, he can close in on the distance to his opponent, read their options and mantain the advantage. His consistent {{h2|shield|shield breaking}} prowess, with several moves at his disposal being able to heavily dent shields, means that if the opponent chooses the incorrect defensive option, they can be put in an even worse position, since his moveset is also full of kill options, most notably his forward smash.

However, in spite of his potent strengths, Bowser is not without his drawbacks. Despite his excellent options to rack up damage, his frame data is below average overall, which means that faster opponents can beat Bowser to the punch, and he is susceptible to being punished if his attacks are whiffed, shielded, or dodged. This ties in with Bowser's biggest weakness, which is his great vulnerability to heavy pressure of any kind. Bowser's combination of extremely high weight, large hurtboxes, fast falling speed, and high gravity makes him exceptionally susceptible to combos, and as such, characters like {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}}, {{SSBU|Mario}}, {{SSBU|Pikachu}}, and {{SSBU|Ryu}} can easily punish and combo him for large amounts of damage if he makes a single mistake. His below average frame data and frame 4 [[air dodge]] also results in an inability to effectively break out of combos. Although Bowser has remarkable range, his is mostly melee-based, so characters with weapons that grant them disjointed reach (like {{SSBU|Marth}}, {{SSBU|Cloud}}, and {{SSBU|Shulk}}) can prove to be difficult for him to overcome, especially if they're able to space their moves efficiently. As Bowser essentially lacks a projectile (due to Fire Breath's range being short and strict to Bowser's frame), he can also have difficulty at approaching characters with strong zoning games, like {{SSBU|Min Min}}, {{SSBU|Samus}}, and Toon Link, especially since their melee range also tends to be comparable to his. The latter two methods of pressure also give Bowser trouble at properly approaching.

Landing with Bowser while he's being juggled can prove a notable issue despite his high gravity and fast falling speed, as his most notable options for landing, [[down aerial]] and Bowser Bomb, are laggy and predictable due to being [[stall-then-fall]] moves. Landing with his other aerials, although seemingly not an issue thanks to his forward aerial's range and knockback, can also prove a liability due to none of them being particularly safe on shield. His [[roll]]s are also short-distanced, and his [[tech]]s are slow and have low durations, which makes him prone to tech-chasing. Bowser's recovery, while serviceable and much better than most of the other super heavies, tends to be mediocre in practice, as it is rather slow and doesn't offer Bowser as much protection as other recovery moves would; as a result, he is particularly vulnerable to being edgeguarded, especially by counters or moves that can 2-frame. His out of shield game, despite being consistent, is nevertheless predictable due to Whirling Fortress being his most viable option out of shield; all other options can be punished or do not have the proper range to punish well-spaced moves. Moveover, his damage-based armor (on his grounded attacks) and universal knockback-based armor (from his signature Tough Guy ability) fails to compensate for all of this, as they do not compensate for his lack of medium-ranged and zoning or counterzoning options. Altogether, despite his great mobility and excellent tools to punish melee-focused options making him not as susceptible as his fellow super heavyweight contemporaries, Bowser's defensive game remains just as poor overall compared to them, due to him being so susceptible to pressure.

Other weaknesses include a few of Bowser's moves either lacking proper utility or being largely outclassed by his other options. [[Neutral attack]] is Bowser's third fastest attack overall, the first hit can [[lock]] (although this is best suited for bulkier characters), and the second hit can beat spotdodge attempts; however, it is largely outclassed by his Whirling Fortress, since the latter is faster and can be used out of shield. His [[down tilt]], while being equally fast as forward tilt while dealing more damage, has less utility for 2-framing due to its weaker knockback and it is much more punishable, especially on shield. Up aerial, while powerful and relatively quick, has poor range and moderate endlag and landing lag, meaning that up tilt is normally considered a superior vertical KO option. Down aerial, while being Bowser's second strongest aerial and the third strongest meteor smash in the game when hit cleanly, has numerous weaknesses, including its slow startup, stall-then-fall nature, and extreme ending and landing lag. This means that its offstage utility is severely hampered when compared to other down aerials of its nature, such as those of {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}} and {{SSBU|Sonic}}. While [[forward throw]] still has some utility due to its strong knockback, it lacks the damage output of his down throw and the quick release of his back throw, making it somewhat outclassed in terms of KO power and damage. Lastly, while his down special, Bowser Bomb, deals immense damage and is infamous for instantly breaking shields, its slow aerial startup and extreme endlag make it unsuitable for landing and it is agreed to be his worst special as a result.

In the end, Bowser can be considered to be the "all-rounder" of super heavyweights. While his playstyle remains largely bait-and-punish oriented compared to previous incarnations of him, his attributes make him more of a "lightning bruiser" on this regard. Bowser has among the most raw damage output, highest KO power, and best shield breaking capabilities of any character, while still retaining great range and movement speed, meaning that once he gains the upper hand, it can be practically impossible to break his pressure if he continuously reacts properly. With hard-hitting and relatively laggy moves like his, Bowser is anything but a character who strings together long combos; rather, he usually just needs four or five good hits in order to rack up high amounts of damage, and eventually score KOs. Even some of Bowser's moves that have little KO potential still have some kind of utility, so even in areas where Bowser cannot outright KO, he can continue to dish out large amounts of damage in a short amount of time, and his moveset contains very well-rounded and versatile options to achieve this. However, his moveset is so lopsided for netting damage and easy KOs that he outright lacks options to properly approach or to combat heavy pressure. This means that, if Bowser makes one wrong move, he can be easily pressured as much as he can do such to the opponent, and his lack of safe and fast moves, lack of zoning and counterzoning options, and unreliable mid-ranged options can leave him zoned out and comboed easily by his opponent, leaving him with little to no room to breathe.

Bowser has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in his transition from ''SSB4'' to ''Ultimate'', though while he has received a comparatively higher amount of improvements, some of his biggest strengths from the previous game have been toned down or removed altogether, and the new engine changes pronounce his weaknesses. As a result, Bowser has been slightly nerfed overall.

Bowser has seen several buffs to his character attributes, power, and to his side special move, [[Flying Slam]]. Both Bowser's grounded and aerial mobility have improved (along with the rest of the cast), sporting a faster [[jumpsquat]] as well as faster [[dash]]ing, [[air speed|air]], and [[falling speed]]s, noticeably improving his ground-to-air transitioning and making him more adept at [[punish]]ing, while also allowing him to land and escape juggles with less difficulty than before, especially in the case of the former. Bowser is even heavier, and he also received an increase on his defensive game through a higher amplification of damage-based [[armor]] on his [[tilt attack|tilt]]s and [[smash attack]]s, which tones down one of the issues his [[Tough Guy]] armor had in ''SSB4'', improving it in general and making his already excellent endurance better.

Bowser's already high power was further strengthened in the transition as well (most notably on moves such as his tilt attacks, [[down throw]], [[Fire Breath]] and [[Whirling Fortress]]), which supplements his higher weight and improved adeptness at punishing. As for Flying Slam, it has significantly faster startup overall, now being on par with the fastest standing grabs in the game such as {{SSBU|Mario}}'s and making it the fastest command grab in the game, which heavily improves his options against shielding opponents.

However, despite his lower amount of nerfs, the hindrances to Bowser's grab game has been very detrimental to him. Much like {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}, Bowser's infamous up throw, previously a fearsome combo starter with a myriad of followups and KO setups, has lost its combo potential past mid to high percentages due to its increased knockback and ending lag, removing its KO setups, and requiring precise execution to combo past mid percent. Additionally, his pivot grab, notorious for its massive range in ''SSB4'', has shorter range. The universal nerfing of grabs further compounds these hindrances, as it's now harder for Bowser to make use of his otherwise respectable grab game.

Aside form the nerfs to grabs, the universal changes both help and hinder Bowser, but halt him more overall. On one hand, the ability to [[Run cancel|use any attack out of a run]] further enhances his ground game, as it gives him more reliable ways to punish the opponent due to his powerful, heavy-armored tilts and smash attacks. On the other hand, the universally decreased [[landing lag]] has improved Bowser's atrocious landing options, giving him less trouble at landing than before, which complements his now fast falling speed and streamlined jumpsquat; however, it also allows several characters to combo him with much more ease (comparable to in ''Melee''), especially due to his larger weight and faster falling speed. The changes to [[air dodge]]s, while making him slightly less susceptible to horizontal combos and general juggling since he can use one to escape, they also make him more vulnerable to [[edgeguarding]]. In bulk, these changes have improved Bowser's offense at the notable cost of his already poor disadvantage state and decent defensive game, despite the existence of [[Whirling Fortress]] as an [[out of shield]] option.

Overall, Bowser's moveset has seen a general increase in utility, his survivability and speed were improved much further, and his incredible power was kept intact. The neutering of his combo throw has removed the ease of his highly damaging and KOing setups, removing much of the oppressive factor he had on the ground and shifting the focus on overall movement and threatening the opponent from mid range with un-reactable grabs and wide aerials to push the opponent in a corner or put them in disadvantage. These changes have made his moveset less polarized, with all-around decently effective options for different situations and a renewed affinity for quickly closing the distance between him and his opponent, moving away from his "mighty glacier" playstyle. Bowser also still retains flaws such as a heavy susceptibility to general pressure (such as combos, juggling and tech-chasing), and his changes have failed to completely alleviate the latter problem. Combined with several veterans receiving buffs just as significant as his, decidedly unimpactful changes from game updates, general optimizations to the metagame, and the introduction of powerful DLC characters, Bowser performs worse than in ''SSB4'', being slightly worse relative to the cast.

Aside from glitch fixes, Bowser has been buffed slightly via game updates. Update 2.0.0 strengthened his neutral attack, forward tilt and down smash and improved [[Whirling Fortress]]' consistency. Update 3.0.0 further buffed Whirling Fortress by ensuring that its grounded version cannot be [[tech]]ed, which makes it an even more potent out of shield option. Update 4.0.0 removed [[Down air stall|down aerial stalling]], which standardized his down aerial and other [[stall-then-fall]]s by extension. Most recently, Bowser's shield was enlarged as part of a near-universal buff via update 7.0.0.

 

 

*Bowser has universal [[armor]] against attacks with low knockback, known as [[Tough Guy]]. This is most apparent when Bowser has low damage, and it can be amplified by [[crouching]], but not while [[crawling]]. Its effectiveness will decrease as Bowser starts taking more damage, and thus more knockback.

*Bowser can [[crawl]]. It does lower his hurtbox quite a bit, but not enough to be utilized as a mean to move under most projectiles, like some characters can do with their crawl. However, it is often used at ledge for repositioning before a 2-Frames attempt. But, outside of this, it is almost always impractical because his crouch posture doesn't completely lower his hurtbox.

|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}})

|neutraldesc=Performs a palm thrust, then a straight punch. While somewhat slow for a neutral attack, its low endlag makes it safer on shield than most others. Bowser's arms each have [[intangibility]] (frames 7 and 8, and frames 9-11, respectively). Unlike most neutral attacks, Bowser's has enough knockback to become a reliable KO move at high percentages. Based on his defensive punches from ''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story''.

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

|ftiltdesc=Does a backhanded punch forwards. The punch may be angled up or down, but doing so does not affect damage or knockback.  Has damage-based armor (frames 7-9) and intangibility on his arm (frames 10-14). The downward-angled version can very reliably 2-frame most recoveries, and can KO most characters at around 90%. Based on the second hit of his [[mariowiki:Drill Claw|Drill Claw]] from ''Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars''

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

|utiltdesc=Does a 180-degree overhead arcing claw swipe. It comes with wide range and average ending lag, allowing it to 50/50 combo into itself at low percents. At slightly higher percents, it can lead into neutral air and back air. The attack will almost always send the opponent directly above Bowser. It also boasts a respectable amount of kill power, being one of the strongest up tilts in the game and KOing at around 120%. Has damage-based armor (frames 8-10) and makes Bowser's arm intangible (frames 11-16). However, it has noticeable startup lag, coming out on frame 11.

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

|dtiltdesc=Does an alternating pair of hooks. Both hits deal 15% in total, only slightly higher than the first hit's damage output in ''SSB4'', being 14%. Down tilt's second hit comes out five frames earlier, and gains the ability to trip opponents. It also grants damage-based armor on the first hit (frames 7-9), and intangibility on his arms for both (frames 10-12, and 10-14, respectively). It can still hit many ledge hangs, although the first hit having set knockback can cause the second hit to whiff if a ledge hang is low enough.

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

|dashdesc=Does a jumping side kick, similar to Meta Knight's dash attack. Good for hitting prone or tumbling opponents and has high base knockback. However, its knockback scaling is poor, preventing it from killing under 200%, along with having high ending lag, making it very punishable.

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

|fsmashdesc=Does a powerful dropkick. Its outstanding damage output threatens shields, being able to inflict significant damage to them. When spaced properly, it can even hit opponents hanging on an edge or lingering just below it. It grants damage-based armor (frames 17-21), and the clean hitboxes render Bowser's feet [[invincible]] (20-25), whereas its late hitboxes have anti-rebounding priority. It is tied with {{SSBU|Kazuya}}'s forward smash as the third strongest in the game, as it can KO opponents at 56% from center stage. However, due to coming out on frame 22 and having 43 frames of ending lag, it's very punishable if whiffed or shielded.

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

|usmashdesc=Jumps to thrust his shell upwards while spinning. Deals the most damage to opponents who come into contact with Bowser's shell spikes, while other opponents get hit by the sourspots on his head and tail or the landing hitbox instead. The sweetspot KOs at around 80% uncharged, making it the strongest up smash in the game. Grants damage-based armor (frames 11-15) and invincibility on his shell (frames 14-27), making it an excellent anti-air tool that is hard to compete with.

|dsmashname=Rampage Scratch ({{ja|あばれひっかき|Abare Hikkaki}})

|dsmashdesc=Does two grounded claw swipes, hitting opponents in front of him, then behind him. Active on frame 12, making it Bowser’s fastest smash attack. It's also among the strongest down smashes in the game, with KO power comparable to many other characters' forward smashes; the front hit deals slightly more damage than the back hit, though they both do about the same knockback. Grants damage-based armor (frames 5-11), but unlike his other smashes, it possesses no invincibility. It can hit most characters' ledge hangs and is useful for covering rolls, but its extremely high ending lag, even more than on his forward smash, makes it very punishable.

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

|nairdesc=An aerial cartwheel. While it is difficult to connect all 4 hits, it is incredibly damaging for an aerial, and it can even open up KO confirms on landing, such as into forward aerial, back aerial, and up aerial. This makes it Bowser's best combo starter when landing with it, as even at low percentages it can combo into up tilt and up smash. It comes out on frame 8. However, the hits after the first don't connect very reliably due to their knockback scaling, and the attack has poor range, with the hitboxes for each hit appearing on specific points on Bowser's hands and feet. It also has noticeable landing lag (15 frames) and doesn't auto-cancel in a short hop.

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

|fairdesc=Swipes downward with one claw. It has fairly quick start-up (frame 11), a respectable damage output and knockback, can pseudo-wall of pain with [[Whirling Fortress]] as a finisher, and has great range, as it can even hit opponents below him. It can also auto-cancel in a short hop. Altogether, these traits make for arguably Bowser's most versatile aerial.

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

|bairdesc=A dropkick. It's incredibly powerful, one of the strongest back aerials in the game, as it can KO around 100% from center-stage and as low as 60% at the edge. It is active on frames 9-11 and can [[auto-cancel]] in a short hop, making it somewhat safe when retreating. However, it has the most landing lag out of any back aerial in the game (24 frames), making it risky to use when close to the ground. Despite its kill power and quick startup, its hitbox is lackluster, lacking much vertical range, and Bowser's hurtbox extends beyond the actual hitbox of the move on its first active frame, making it susceptible to failing against disjointed attacks.

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

|uairdesc=An upwards arcing headbutt. Deals great knockback, enough to KO at around 100% near the upper blast line, thus being among the strongest up aerials in the game. Grants intangibility to his head (frames 3-13), which, when combined with its quick startup (frame 9) and its power, makes it an effective juggling tool. However, it can be difficult to properly use because of its mediocre general range.

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

|dairdesc=A [[stall-then-fall]] attack that involves Bowser retreating into his shell while turning upside-down, then propelling himself towards the ground while spinning. The first few active frames being able to [[meteor smash]] opponents, in combination with the move's large hitbox and powerful diagonal knockback during the later active frames, make it a moderately effective [[edgeguarding]] tool. The move emits a small shockwave on both sides when Bowser lands, which makes the move slightly harder to punish. Should Bowser use the move while he's off stage, it is almost guaranteed to cause a [[self-destruct]] due to its high ending lag and his fast falling speed. Bowser will hover in the air for a brief period before the active frames begin, allowing this move to stall his landing. Grants intangibility on his arms and legs in midair (frames 14-60) and upon landing (frames 1-27). 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}})

|grabdesc=Reaches out. Bowser’s grabs have very good reach for being non-tether grabs. but are not the fastest.

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

|pummeldesc=Headbutts the opponent. Slow but strong.

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

|fthrowdesc=Places the opponent in between his horns, then rears his head back and powerfully lunges it forward to launch the opponent. Second strongest forward throw in the game, only after {{SSBU|Incineroar}}'s, but despite its great knockback, its relatively long startup (at frame 36) makes it easy to [[DI]] on reaction. It starts killing Mario near the edge of Final Destination at around 141% with good DI (in), or around 117% with max rage.

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

|bthrowdesc=Throws the opponent backwards in a sideways motion with one arm, akin to {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}'s regular back throw. It has the exact same damage output, angle and knockback values as his forward throw, however, since it's far easier to land a grab at the outermost edge of the stage (i.e. closer to the blast line) when facing toward it, e.g. by rolling to the ledge, back throw reliably kills middleweights below 140%, or 115% with max rage. Moreover, with a significantly faster startup at frame 19, it's harder to react to and DI than forward throw.

|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. He hops up on the final hit to launch the opponent upwards. Can combo into forward, neutral, and up aerials at low percents.

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

|dthrowdesc=Places the opponent on the ground and body slams them. It deals 14%, making it the third most damaging throw in the entire game only after {{SSBU|Steve}}'s down throw with an Anvil and {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}'s up throw. Its high base knockback, low knockback scaling, and high ending lag prevent it from having any follow-ups. However, its high damage and base knockback make it a good mix-up and an option to send opponents offstage.

|edgedesc=Bowser slowly climbs up from the ledge and then swipes at the ground in front of him. It has the longest reach out of any edge attack.

|nsdesc=[[mariowiki:Fire Breath|Expels a stream of fire from his mouth]]. It gradually loses strength and range the longer it is used, but it will slowly regain its strength when not in use. It can be angled up or down, which can potentially intercept recovering opponents, although the flames at the very end of the stream do not cause [[flinch]]ing. It deals notoriously high damage; at close ranges it can potentially deal over 30% in a matter of seconds.

|ssdmg=18%-23.4% (throw),<br>15% (collateral)

|ssdesc=Grabs an opponent and then jumps with them into the air and backflips before [[Wikipedia:Suplex#Belly-to-belly suplex|belly-to-belly suplexing]] them onto the ground, causing an aesthetic explosion. Bowser spins around dramatically during the descent. It has a quick frame 6 startup and does strong vertical knockback that can KO at 130%, making it a deadly mixup tool in the air. However, it is very susceptible to DI giving it somewhat mediocre KO power if used too far from the edge of the stage. The move also has a massive 46 frames of endlag on whiff, making it extremely punishable. The suplex can hit other opponents on the descent for similarly powerful knockback. It can be used to dive off-stage with the opponent for a potential [[sacrificial KO]], although this becomes more difficult to do if Bowser has a higher percent, and it is possible to recover if the opponent has a long vertical recovery. The ascent grants intangibility (frames 1-23), and can launch opponents significantly far when falling, although the explosion has no hitbox. The move deals more damage based on fall distance, following the formula <code>18×(1+0.003d)</code> where <code>d = landing height - grab height</code>, maxing out at 100 units (18×1.3)&mdash;roughly the distance from [[Temple]]'s highest platform to the ground below it.

|usdesc=Withdraws into his shell and spins around rapidly, striking multiple times. It starts up on frame 6 and is capable of moving forward or backward while doing so, which makes it an extremely effective [[out of shield]] option, launching opponents vertically and easily putting them into disadvantage. In the air, it propels Bowser diagonally upwards, travelling impressive distance vertically and horizontally; the move can cover a greater distance via button mashing near the end of the move.

|dsdesc=A {{s|mariowiki|Ground Pound}}. It deals immense vertical knockback to anyone hit and can KO under 100%, making it a situational, yet potent kill move. On the ground, Bowser performs a weak headbutt that drags opponents into the main attack, which is impossible to avoid if it connects. If performed in the air, Bowser performs the Ground Pound after a brief pause instead of leaping first. Emits a shockwave upon landing and will break full shields if all of its grounded hitboxes connect. It will almost certainly cause a [[self-destruct]] if used off-stage due to its ending lag, though it can grab ledges if Bowser is near one. The startup can meteor smash, although it possesses rather weak knockback in comparison to its impressive damage. It resembles the attack he uses during his boss fight in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''.

|fsdesc=Bowser transforms into [[Giga Bowser]] and teleports into the background, where he becomes impervious to attacks. Red crosshairs will appear on screen to indicate where Giga Bowser will aim his punch, which can be moved around with the control stick; the crosshairs also contains a depleting green gauge around their circumference to indicate how much time is left until the attack will activate automatically, though the attack can be activated manually before the gauge fully depletes. If the opponent's damage percent is 60% or greater before they are punched, they are instantaneously [[screen KO]]'d.}}

 

|dash      = 2.255

|run        = 1.971

|addaccel  = 0.04

}}

 

*'''Side Taunt''': Leans forward and furiously bites his jaws three times.

*Sways his head around and back while roaring and exhaling smoke from his mouth.

*Clenches his fists and bashes them together, then bends over and roars.

SSBUBowserIdle1.gif|Bowser's first idle pose.

SSBUBowserIdle2.gif|Bowser's second idle pose.

==In [[competitive play]]==

===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 -->

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

*{{Sm|Hero|Japan|p=Japan}} - The best Bowser player of all-time, performing at his peak between 2021 and mid-2023 where he frequently placed top 8 at majors, including 3rd at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 6}} and 4th at {{Trn|Kagaribi 4}}. He is best known for his 2nd-place finish at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 8}} defeating {{Sm|Yoshidora}} and {{Sm|Nietono}}, which is tied for the best Bowser placement at a major.

*{{Sm|LeoN|USA}} - One of the best Bowser players of all-time who was considered the definitive best in the early metagame. He was first known for some strong early runs such as placing 5th at {{Trn|Suplex City Smash}} defeating {{Sm|Nairo}} and placing 9th at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}} defeating {{Sm|Cosmos}}. He later gained greater recognition for his 2nd-place finish at {{Trn|Defend the North 2019}} defeating {{Sm|Marss}}, {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}}, and {{Sm|Dabuz}}, which is not only tied for the best Bowser placement at a major but is also arguably the best major performance from a Bowser player.

*{{Sm|Lunamado|Japan}} - Plays a multitude of characters but his best results were with Bowser. He was considered the best Bowser player in Japan in the early metagame, placing 4th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 3}}, 5th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 5}}, and 17th at both {{Trn|Umebura SP 4}} and {{Trn|Umebura SP 7}} and has defeated players such as {{Sm|ProtoBanham}} and {{Sm|Abadango}} with Bowser.

*{{Sm|Mukuro~|Germany}} - The best Bowser player in Europe who was the first Bowser player to win a [[PGR]]-ranked event, doing so at the C-tier event {{Trn|Calyptus Cup Fusion}}. He is also known for his strong performances at European superregionals, including placing 3rd at {{Trn|Smash Contest: DoKomi 2021}} and 5th at both {{Trn|ICARUS 2023}} and {{Trn|NRW Cup - Rise of Germany}}; he has also seen success at majors, notably placing 17th at {{Trn|COLOSSEL 2022}}.

===Tier placement and history===

Despite a negative reception from the E3 build, upon the game's initial release Bowser was initially viewed as a strong, viable pick due to improvements to his power and mobility, the addition of armor to his tilts and smash attacks, and the universal changes to landing lag and jumpsquats that had toned down his greatest weakness. This was reflected in early tournament performances from {{Sm|LeoN}}, who achieved several top 8 major performances with the character and was ranked high on the [[Spring 2019 PGRU]]; {{Sm|Lunamado}}, who saw strong runs at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 3}} and {{Trn|Sumabato SP 5}}; and {{Sm|DarkThunder}}, who found great success in Europe including winning {{Trn|Calyptus Cup Fusion}}, the first C-tier victory for a Bowser player. With other "traditional" heavyweights such as {{SSBU|King Dedede}} seeing a sharp decline during this period, players began taking a greater notice towards Bowser's strengths, specifically how he lacked most weaknesses that plagued the other traditional heavyweights. As such, Bowser was commonly viewed as the best traditional heavyweight character and an upper-mid tier character. This perception was maintained throughout the next few years and during the online metagame, which also saw the meteoric rise of {{Sm|Hero|p=Japan}} in Japan.

Unfortunately, a lack of substantial updates since the early metagame, the rise of oppressive characters such as {{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} and {{SSBU|Sonic}}, and the introduction of other oppressive DLC characters such as {{SSBU|Steve}} and {{SSBU|Kazuya}} hurt Bowser's standing as time went on. This power creep affected Bowser's representation, which slowly declined as time went on. Although Hero, LeoN, and Mukuro~ (DarkThunder) were still able to find some success, their tournament performances declined alongside Bowser's decline in the metagame. This has shifted opinions on Bowser towards a more negative light, with most players believing the character was only a mid tier at best. This was reflected in Bowser's placement on the first tier list, where he was ranked 50th as an upper-mid tier in the B- tier. Further decline in Bowser's representation, especially with Hero's less consistent performances, led to Bowser dropping on the second tier list to 59th, ranking in the C+ tier and marking one of the largest drops from the first tier list.

Bowser's opponents are all wearing attire that is red (and/or use fire-based attacks), which is a reference to his mortal enemy (Mario) wearing red clothing. Bowser also fights [[Rathalos]] as the penultimate boss, who is red. The final battle is against [[Mario]], with [[Metal Mario]] appearing after Mario is defeated.

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|1||{{CharHead|Mii Brawler|SSBU|hsize=20px}} (×2), {{CharHead|Mii Gunner|SSBU|hsize=20px}}, and {{CharHead|Mii Swordfighter|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Find Mii]]|||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Airship Theme - Super Mario Bros. 3}}''||{{SSBU|Mii Fighter}} costumes:

*Builder Mario's Outfit (Brawler)

*Wild West Wear (Gunner)

*Ninja Suit (Swordfighter)

*[[Toad]] Outfit (Brawler)

|2||{{CharHead|Ken|SSBU|hsize=20px}}|||[[Suzaku Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Ken Stage}}''||

|3||{{CharHead|Samus|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Norfair]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Metroid|Brinstar (Melee)}}''||

|4||Giant {{CharHead|Charizard|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and Giant {{CharHead|Incineroar|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Pokémon Stadium 2]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Victory Road - Pokémon Ruby / Pokémon Sapphire}}''||Giant Charizard's {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}} is absent. Items do not appear.

|5||{{CharHead|Diddy Kong|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Kongo Jungle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Stickerbush Symphony}}''||

|6||[[Rathalos]]||[[Forest Hill]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Roar/Rathalos}}''||

|Final||{{CharHead|Mario|SSBU|hsize=20px}}, then [[Metal Mario]]||[[New Donk City Hall]] ([[Ω form]])||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Ground Theme (Band Performance) - Super Mario Bros.}}'' <small>(Against Mario)</small><br> ''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Metal Battle}}'' <small>(Against Metal Mario)</small>||Functions as a role-reversal to the final battle of Mario's Classic Mode route, where he fights Bowser, then [[Giga Bowser]].

During the opening cutscene, Bowser was present on the cliffside when [[Galeem]] unleashed his beams of light. Bowser attempted to fight back against the beams, using his Fire Breath alongside the {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}} using his [[Pokémon]] to perform [[Triple Finish]]. This effort ended up being fruitless, however, as both were vaporized and placed under Galeem's imprisonment alongside the rest of the fighters, except for {{SSBU|Kirby}}. Presumably, it was during this time that he ended up transformed into [[Giga Bowser]] and later dispatched to a molten castle to guard it. Eventually, several fighters cornered and fought Bowser in his Giga Bowser form and, upon defeating him, he was freed from Galeem's control.

Unlike most fighters, Bowser does not have a Fighter Battle and is simply unlocked after defeating Giga Bowser within the [[Molten Fortress]] in [[The Light Realm]].

Bowser's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}}. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Bowser has been unlocked. Unlocking Bowser in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. His fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with his artwork in ''Ultimate''.

Additionally, Bowser makes an appearance in various primary and support spirits.

SSBU spirit Bowser.png|7. '''''Bowser'''''

SSBU spirit Bowser (Wedding).png|30. Bowser (Wedding)

SSBU spirit Dry Bowser.png|63. Dry Bowser

SSBU spirit Paper Bowser.png|95. Paper Bowser

SSBU spirit Paper Bowser (Paper Mario Sticker Star).png|96. Paper Bowser (Paper Mario: Sticker Star)

SSBU spirit Baby Bowser.png|301. Baby Bowser

SSBU spirit River Survival.png|1,301. River Survival

==In Spirit Battles==

|{{SpiritTableName|Bowser (Wedding)|customname=[[Bowser]] (Wedding)|size=64}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Mechakoopa|link=y|size=64}}

|•Tiny {{SSBU|Bowser}} Team {{Head|Bowser|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}×4

|{{SpiritTableName|Dry Bowser|customname=Dry [[Bowser]]|size=64}}

|•Defense ↑<br>•Curry-Filled<br>•Hazard: Lava Floor

|•The floor is lava<br>•The enemy breathes fire after a little while<br>•The enemy has increased defense after a little while

|{{SpiritTableName|Paper Bowser|size=64}}

|•{{SSBU|Bowser}} {{Head|Bowser|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}} (140 HP)

|{{SpiritTableName|Moosh|size=64}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Baby Bowser|size=64}}

|•Giant {{SSBU|Bowser}} {{Head|Bowser|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}} (100 HP)<br>•Tiny {{SSBU|Bowser}} {{Head|Bowser|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Orange}} (100 HP)

|{{SpiritTableName|Blargg|size=64}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Sandshrew|size=64}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Kangaskhan|size=64}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Tauros|size=64}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Heracross|size=64}}

|[[Garden of Hope]] ([[Battlefield form]])

|{{SpiritTableName|Groudon|link=y|size=64}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Volcanion|size=64}}

|•Giant {{SSBU|Bowser}} {{Head|Bowser|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}} (130 HP)

|{{SpiritTableName|Pico|iw=fzerowiki|size=64}}

|{{SpiritTableName|River Survival|size=64}}

|•Survive until the timer runs out (1:00)<br>•Bob-ombs will rain from the sky after a little while

|{{SpiritTableName|Lakitu & Spiny|link=y|size=64}}

|•[[Bowser Jr. (SSBU)|Iggy]] {{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Iggy}}<br>•Tiny {{SSBU|Bowser}} {{Head|Bowser|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}×8

|{{SpiritTableName|Geno|link=y|size=64}}

|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•Timed battle (2:30)<br>•The enemy's FS Meter charges quickly

|{{SpiritTableName|Turtle Bridge|size=64}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Satoru|size=64}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Worthy Rival Battle}}

|Wild Bull

|{{SpiritTableName|Nibbles|size=64}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Battle Start - Fossil Fighters: Frontier}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Olivia|size=64}}

|•The enemy has increased attack power when the enemy's at high damage<br>•The enemy has increased defense when the enemy's at high damage<br>•The enemy favors air attacks<br>''•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd''

===Fighter Showcase Video===

*In World of Light, Bowser is the only villain that is unlockable in [[The Light Realm]]. The others are unlocked in [[The Dark Realm]], with the exception of {{SSBU|Dark Samus}}, who is unlocked in {{b|The Final Battle|World of Light}}, though she is still affiliated with [[Dharkon]].

**{{SSBU|King Dedede}} is also a recurring antagonist in his game series that can be found on The Light Realm, making him and Bowser the only two recurring antagonists found under Galeem's control. Unlike Bowser, King Dedede is more of an anti-hero although Bowser is an anti-hero in some ''Mario'' spin off games like ''Super Paper Mario'' and ''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story''.

*Bowser's Classic Mode is one of only four to feature a fight against a boss (in this case, Rathalos) outside of the boss round, the others being {{SSBU|Mega Man}}, {{SSBU|Hero}} and {{SSBU|Sephiroth}}, and one of the few whose boss round does not feature a designated boss, instead fighting characters who are otherwise playable (in this case, Mario and Metal Mario).

*Interestingly, performing Bowser's down aerial on a {{b|ladder|stage element}} does not cause him to let go and fall to the ground, despite being a [[stall-then-fall]] move. He is the only character with this trait.

*Bowser briefly reverts to his hunched-over ''Super Smash Bros. Melee/Brawl'' idle pose after his stun animation.