Editing Bowser Jr. (SSBU)

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{{cleanup|Introduction needs to be shortened to summarize his most noteworthy strengths and weaknesses. Any additional information belongs in their respective sections below}}

'''Bowser Jr.''' ({{ja|クッパJr.|Kuppa Jr.}}, ''Koopa Jr.'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was revealed for the game along with the rest of the veterans on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L93H7YC-83o June 12th, 2018]. He returns with his Junior Clown Car, and the [[Koopalings]] return as [[Alternate costume|alternate costumes]] alongside him. As in {{for3ds}}, he is unlockable, instead of being available from the start. Bowser Jr. is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #58]].

As in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', {{s|mariowiki|Caety Sagoian}}'s portrayals of Bowser Jr. from various {{uv|Mario}} spin-off games, along with {{s|mariowiki|Lani Minella}}'s portrayals of Larry, Morton, Wendy, and Lemmy, {{s|mariowiki|Mike Vaughn}}’s portrayals of Iggy and Ludwig, and {{s|mariowiki|Dan Falcone}}'s portrayal of Roy from the ''New Super Mario Bros.'' games, were repurposed for ''Ultimate'', in place of the Koopalings' respective voice actors from ''Mario Kart 8'' onward.

 

Bowser Jr. is ranked 70th out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing him at the top of the D- tier. This is a very slight improvement over his 47th out of 54 placement in ''SSB4''. Bowser Jr. has a unique type of playstyle using his signature Clown Kart for his neutral game. His Clown Kart now takes priority for his hurtbox, taking regular damage compared to himself. Bowser Jr. has capable normals for racking up damage. For example, his rapid jab is noteworthy for being a viable KO tool and is rather quick too, coming out on frame 4. His tilts also serve some purpose as good poking tools that linger. His grab game is also strong as his up throw leads into multiple up aerials and a strong advantage state and combo game with juggling and his down throw is good for racking up damage and stage positioning. His forward and back throws are also solid as they are good setups for edgeguards or potent KO moves at higher percentages. His other aerials, like his forward aerial and back aerial, are solid disjoints to help Jr's range and viable KO moves. Bowser Jr's smash attacks are also useful as solid finishers, with forward smash coming out fairly quick and little endlag, up smash is a quick out-of-shield option, coming out on frame 7, and down smash is a fast smash attack that hits on both sides simultaneously. Bowser Jr's special moves also have their fair share of strengths. His [[Clown Kart Dash]] is a strong burst option that greatly improves Bowser Jr's approach and can also combo into certain moves like up aerial and the hammer swing from [[Abandon Ship!]]. Clown Kart Dash can also be used for [[mindgames]] or for playing defensively to slow down the pace of the match. [[Clown Cannon]] is useful for forcing approaches and he can fire two at a time which can apply shield pressure. [[Mechakoopa]] is his main stage control move that can also be used for [[mindgames]] or KO setups due to its property as an item.

 

However, Bowser Jr. has several weaknesses that balance out his strengths. His overall mobility is mediocre so he has to rely a lot on his Clown Kart for movement. While his Clown Kart takes priority over his hurtbox, Bowser Jr. himself will take more damage compared to the kart. Due to him being a heavyweight, it also makes Jr. easy to combo and juggle. Bowser Jr's recovery is also exploitable if he is hit while recovering between the kart and the ledge, it renders him unable to recover and gimped. Several of Bowser Jr's moves, such as forward air, back air, down smash, and more have high amounts of endlag, making them fairly risky to throw out and easy for him to be punished. His projectiles are also easily predictable to see coming and avoid which can also be used against him.

 

*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Fox}} or any character in his unlock tree, being the 6th character unlocked after {{SSBU|Daisy}}.

With the exception of the third method, Bowser Jr. must then be defeated on [[Delfino Plaza]]. In World of Light, he is fought on the [[Ω form]] of [[Mushroomy Kingdom]].

Bowser Jr. is a unique [[Weight|heavyweight]] fighter because his Junior Clown Car has a separate hurtbox from him, making his survivability variable. Bowser Jr. sports the 20th slowest [[Walk|walking speed]] (tied with {{SSBU|Peach}} and {{SSBU|Daisy}}), the 21st slowest [[Dash|dashing speed]], the 26th fastest [[air speed]] (tied with {{SSBU|Ike}} and {{SSBU|R.O.B.}}), the 30th fastest [[falling speed]] (tied with Ike, {{SSBU|Corrin}}, {{SSBU|Sonic}}, {{SSBU|Ganondorf}}, and {{SSBU|Duck Hunt}}), slightly above average [[gravity]] and [[air acceleration]], and low [[traction]]. All in all, these stats render his mobility somewhat poor except in the air, and as a result, many characters supersede him in terms of [[approach]].

Bowser Jr. and his Junior Clown Car both have separate hurtboxes, much like Duck Hunt. He possesses a unique mechanic where the Clown Car takes less damage from all incoming attacks, whereas he himself takes more damage in comparison. Unlike in ''SSB4'', the Clown Car's hurtbox takes priority over Bowser Jr.'s hurtbox: when combined with his heavy weight, this gives him above average survivability compared to a good majority of the rest of the cast, or possibly even a good majority of other characters that are of his weight class. Bowser Jr. also possesses a purely disjointed moveset and two good projectiles in [[Clown Cannon]] and [[Mechakoopa]].

Clown Cannon can have two cannonballs in play at the same time, deals good damage and knockback, and its cannonballs travel quickly. This makes Clown Cannon good for disrupting or throwing off approaches, as well as KOing at high percentages. This is further compounded by its outstanding shield damage, making Clown Cannon a viable [[Punishment|punishing]] tool. Mechakoopa is also disruptive due to its explosion effect upon being hit. The Mechakoopa always follows opponents no matter the circumstances, and explodes upon contact, serving as an excellent KO setup against launched opponents.

[[Clown Kart Dash]] travels extremely quickly, vastly making up for Bowser Jr.'s poor approach and allowing him to easily cover long distances, both on the ground and in the air. Clown Kart Dash also deals above-average damage and knockback at maximum speed, enabling it to KO opponents at mid-high percentages. Junior can also double jump out of it, granting him potential aerial follow-ups. [[Abandon Ship!]] travels good vertical distance, allowing Junior to return to the stage if he is right below it. The Junior Clown Car itself damages opponents upon exploding, serving as a potential KO option at later percentages. While outside of the clown car, Bowser Jr. is gifted with a hammer, which deals high damage, high knockback, and has quick startup, making it a good KO option in its own right. Clown Kart Dash and Abandon Ship! can be mixed up with an air dodge, combining to give Junior an impressive recovery.

Bowser Jr.'s aerials have great utility, going hand-in-hand with his specials. Neutral aerial has edgeguarding capabilities and is effective out-of-shield because of its lingering hitbox. His forward and back aerials are great for edgeguarding, spacing, and KOing because of their high knockback, high potential damage, and good range. Bowser Jr.'s up aerial is good for juggling because of its decent speed and vertical range and serves as an additional KO option. Lastly, down aerial can shield poke, and works well with Clown Kart Dash when initiating follow-ups.

Bowser Jr.'s smash attacks are go-to KO options, all dealing high knockback and overall damage: forward smash has low ending lag, pokes shields, and can be angled; up smash has very quick startup and ending lag, pressures shields, and denies any aerial approaches; and lastly, down smash has high range and KOs, the earliest out of Junior's smash attacks.

 

Despite his great aerial mobility and damage-racking potential, Bowser Jr. is not without his flaws. One of his biggest problems is that his recovery is glaringly susceptible to gimps. While Abandon Ship! grants him considerable vertical distance, any weak hit will result in Bowser Jr. not being able to respawn the Junior Clown Car, and it doesn't have a hitbox outside of the Clown Car's explosion, making him very vulnerable. Another major problem that Bowser Jr. faces is a lack of viable out-of-shield options; despite his up smash being a fast out-of-shield option with decent kill power, it lacks range and leaves Junior vulnerable if it misses. Additionally, his grab is one of the slowest non-tether grabs, his aerials are either laggy or have poor range for being disjointed and his Mechakoopas will deactivate if they hit a shield, making him susceptible to punishes, and as his traction is one of the lowest in the game, this gives him a poor out-of-shield game. Bowser Jr. is also a very straightforward character, which can make him quite predictable at times. For instance, Clown Cannon and Mechakoopa are important to Bowser Jr.'s neutral game, making it easy (especially for characters such as {{SSBU|Fox}}) to read and shut down his options. Despite his grab range being rather long, his grabs have noticeable start-up and ending lag, and his throws have low utility due to their inability to KO at reasonable percentages outside of forward throw, with only up throw possessing some combo potential. In addition, despite his high power, Bowser Jr. suffers from poor KO potential due to having very few reliable KOing options (his neutral attack finisher, smash attacks and his forward/back aerials), which is further compounded by said options being burdened with considerable ending lag, while his forward smash has low ending lag and is safe on shield, but its multihits don't connect reliably into the final hit. Many of his attacks, such as his tilts, also have poor range, so he fares surprisingly poorly against swordfighters considering his disjointed moveset. Finally, Bowser Jr. takes more damage if he is hit but not his Koopa Clown Car, so he is very vulnerable to aerial approaches and after using Abandon Ship!, and he also struggles with dealing with pressure from his opponents. Since he always takes priority over his Clown Car when thrown, Bowser Jr. is also particularly vulnerable to being grabbed and can be knocked out earlier than a character of his weight class would by strong kill throws.

 

Overall, Bowser Jr. fares well with a bait-and-punish playstyle like [[Bowser (SSBU)|his father]] does, but he can also be potent at pressuring the opponent thanks to Clown Cannon, Clown Kart Dash, and Mechakoopa. However, his slew of exploitable weaknesses can make him a bit underwhelming overall, and frequently overshadowed compared to the rest of the cast. Because of this, his results and representation have been below-average overall, like in ''SSB4''.

Near the end of ''SSB4''{{'}}s metagame, Bowser Jr. had been considered a low-tier character (47th out of 54 characters), due to his linear playstyle, poor disadvantage state that included a very gimpable recovery despite its long distance, and his susceptibility to being racked damage on easier than most other characters due to the Clown Car mechanic. Likely as a result of this, Bowser Jr. has been noticeably buffed in his transition to ''Ultimate''.

Bowser Jr.'s biggest change was to his hurtbox, as the Junior Clown Car's hurtbox now takes priority over Bowser Jr.'s own, which allows him to more reliably take less damage on average compared to any other fighter, and makes his survivability comparable to heavyweights like {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}. Aside from this, Bowser Jr. benefits from some of the changes to universal game mechanics: the universal frame 3 [[jumpsquat]] allows Bowser Jr. to use his strong aerials more effectively, and the increase in mobility contributes to both a better grounded [[approach]] for Bowser Jr. and improves his air game and recovery. The reintroduction of directional [[air dodge]]s slightly improves his recovery, allowing him to mix it up with more ease. The lower [[landing lag]] on his aerial attacks also improves their combo and spacing potential.

Bowser Jr.'s previously underwhelming moveset has received several quality of life changes. Many of his moves either connect better (such as [[neutral attack|his jab]] and [[dash attack]]) or have had their misleading hitboxes adjusted or their blindspots removed (such as [[up tilt]] and [[grab]], the latter being given more range). His entire grab game has been significantly buffed, as [[forward throw]] can now KO reliably, up throw has less endlag and knockback that renders it now capable of starting combos, and down throw now deals much more damage. His special moves have seen various noteworthy buffs. [[Clown Cannon]], a previously slow [[projectile]] with limited use, is now less punishable due to its decrease in lag and increase in lifetime if fired in the air, and two can be in play at once; it also deals far more [[shield damage]], and a landing cannonball can now hit twice to almost break a full shield, especially if uncharged. [[Clown Kart Dash]] travels faster, allows Bowser Jr. to keep his double jump if canceled, no longer requires travel time to deal maximum damage and immediately deals higher damage if the directional key is held forward, while its spinout deals far more knockback, making the move harder-hitting in general and more versatile. [[Abandon Ship!]]'s hammer swing has more range and a longer duration. Finally, [[Mechakoopa]]s start moving quicker and bite onto victims, guaranteeing that the second hit will connect.

However, Bowser Jr. has also seen some equally noticeable nerfs. In exchange for quality of life changes, many of his standard moves have seen detriments to damage and power: neutral attack deals much less damage, especially in the infinite part (though the last hit retains its extreme knockback); his forward tilt and neutral aerial now have a sourspot, with the former losing most of its KO power, and the latter having no blindspots at the cost of being less consistent; and the cannonballs of Clown Cannon can only KO if fully charged. Some of his moves, such as forward and up smashes, as well as down aerial, have altered hitbox placements that worsen their consistency, making them ironically harder to land than they were in ''SSB4''. Despite mostly receiving buffs, a few of Bowser Jr.'s special moves have also seen some nerfs; he cannot air dodge out of Clown Kart Dash anymore, but most notably, Mechakoopas now deactivate on the ground if they walk into a shield, no longer crossing them up and allowing them to be immediately picked up by the opponent, making them much easier to use them against Bowser Jr.

Though he's mostly seen improvements from the universal changes, a few of them hurt him overall. Aside from his standing grab, his dash and pivot grabs have less range, and all of them are slower in terms of ending lag, a nerf shared with the rest of the cast. The changes to air dodge mechanics make him easier to edgeguard. The weakening of [[rage]] further pronounces the nerfs to his moveset's power and thus doesn't allow him to take advantage of it as easily due to his improved endurance, creating issues with his problematic KO potential as a result.

In the end, Bowser Jr's moveset, while not significantly changed in terms of functionality, has been heavily adjusted to be more consistent, granting many of his moves less situational use than in ''SSB4'', whereas the more notable changes to his special moveset and his faster mobility allow him to zone opponents more effectively and approach with less risk. However, his moveset's lower power from knockback reductions and new sourspots make it slightly harder for him to close out stocks, the nerfs to Mechakoopa force him to be more cautious of his tools, and some of the changes to the engine makes it slightly harder to use some of his newfound buffs. Aside from this, Bowser Jr. also retains several of his weaknesses from the previous game, including his poor disadvantage state, vulnerable recovery, poor range despite disjointed attacks and a somewhat linear playstyle. Though he has received a few notable changes in game updates that further contribute to his notable buffs, the extent to which they work is questionable given the various buffs given to other characters, both on release and from game updates, as well as the introduction of new DLC characters which he struggles against. Thus, while Bowser Jr. is a better character in ''Ultimate'', he has not significantly improved from his ''SSB4'' incarnation, only keeping up with the rest of the cast.

{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Bowser Jr.}}

==Update history==

Bowser Jr. has been buffed by game updates. Update 3.1.0 granted Bowser Jr. several useful buffs. Up tilt and aerial [[Clown Cannon]] had their lag decreased by varying amounts, which improved their combo potential and safety, respectively. Dash attack's edge-guarding potential was improved, thanks to its last hit's angle being lowered noticeably. Up smash's KO potential was improved slightly, thanks to a small knockback increase.

[[Clown Kart Dash]]'s travel speed was increased (which also heightened its damage output by extension) and its hitbox now remains active upon its bounce, the latter of which improved its consistency. Lastly, Abandon Ship! became slightly more consistent: its grounded Junior Clown Car hitbox connects better with its explosion hitbox, while its hammer's duration and hitboxes were lengthened and enlarged, respectively.

After update 7.0.0 enlarged Bowser Jr.'s shield as part of a near-universal buff, update 9.0.0 granted Bowser Jr. his most useful buffs to date. Forward tilt and especially forward throw gained considerable knockback increases; while the former is now better for spacing and safer on hit, the latter is now a viable (albeit situational) KO option, which is something Bowser Jr.'s grab game lacked following back throw's nerf in the transition to ''Ultimate''.

Up smash underwent several hitbox, knockback and angle adjustments in order to improve its consistency, while down smash's overall lag was decreased. Clown Kart Dash became safer thanks to its armor threshold being noticeably increased. Lastly, Abandon Ship!'s recovery potential was improved, thanks to its start-up lag being decreased.

In update 13.0.1 Bowser Jr received some more buffs and a nerf. Clown Kart Dash was given more base knockback on its spin, dash attacks damage was increased and its first and last hits had their base knockback decreased. Down tilt’s first and second hit were given less knockback growth and less base knockback, and its final hit had its launch angle adjusted to launch at a lower angle. However, Bowser Jr’s down tilt also received a nerf, only the first hit of his down tilt will hit opponents that are hanging on the ledge preventing the full move from connecting properly.

As a result of these changes, Bowser Jr. fares better than he did at ''Ultimate''{{'}}s launch.

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/1.1.0|char=Bowser Jr.}}

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.0.0|char=Bowser Jr.}}

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.1.0|char=Bowser Jr.}}

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|7.0.0}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/7.0.0|char=Bowser Jr.}}

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|9.0.0}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/9.0.0|char=Bowser Jr.}}

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|13.0.1}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/13.0.1|char=Bowser Jr.}}

*Moves that hit the Junior Clown Car deal 0.88× damage, whereas those that hit Bowser Jr. himself will deal 1.15× damage. The Junior Clown Car's hurtbox takes priority over Bowser Jr.'s hurtbox, unlike in Smash 4, where it was the opposite.

 

|neutralname=Clown Jab ({{ja|クラウンジャブ|Kuraun Jabu}}) / Clown Hook ({{ja|クラウンフック|Kuraun Fukku}}) / Clown Hundred Rending Punch ({{ja|クラウン百裂パンチ|Kuraun Hyakuretsu Panchi}}) / Clown Hundred Rending Finish ({{ja|クラウン百裂フィニッシュ|Kuraun Hyakuretsu Finisshu}})

|neutraldesc=The Junior Clown Car performs a {{s|wikipedia|one-two combo}}, followed by a flurry of punches that ends with an uppercut. The fists come from ''{{s|mariowiki|New Super Mario Bros U}}''. It has impressive damage racking potential, as it can easily deal around 20%. Its first hit comes out on frame 4 and has excellent knockback for a jab, making it one of the few jabs that can KO. It can KO at the ledge around 100%. This makes jab a viable grounded KO and ledge trap option. It is similar to Bowser Jr.’s animation when he is at half health as a boss in ''{{s|mariowiki|Mario Party: Star Rush}}''.

|ftiltname=Fork ({{ja|フォーク|Fōku}})

|ftiltdesc=The Junior Clown Car stabs a large dinner fork forward. It can be angled and is very useful for spacing.

|utiltname=Push-Up Fork ({{ja|突き上げフォーク|Tsukiage Fōku}})

|utiltdesc=The Junior Clown Car stabs a large dinner fork upward. It can combo into itself beginning at around 10% and juggle at medium percentages. It is also great at anti-airing due to its fast startup and large disjoint.

|dtiltname=Licking ({{ja|なめまわし|Namemawashi}})

|dtiltdesc=The Junior Clown Car uses its tongue to lick forward three times. It has a fair amount of utility, as it is efficient at warding off rushdowns, can act as a set-up for a dash attack, or interfere with an opponent attempting to grab an edge due to its undulating hitbox. It can KO opponents at ledge at under 120%.

|dashname=Round Saw ({{ja|丸ノコギリ|Maru Nokogiri}})

|dashdmg=2% (hits 1-5), 4% (hit 6)

|dashdesc=The Junior Clown Car opens its mouth to swing a {{iw|mariowiki|grinder}} twice.

|fsmashname=Smash Twin Drills ({{ja|スマッシュツインドリル|Sumasshu Tsuin Doriru}})

|fsmashdesc=The Junior Clown Car uses two drills to drill the opponent in place. The final hit is a powerful KOing option, while the whole move has low ending lag and it can be angled. The drills come from ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Galaxy 2}}'', but they bear a resemblance to the drills from ''Kid Icarus Uprising''.

|usmashname=Rotary Mixer ({{ja|ロータリーミキサー|Rōtarī Mikisā}})

|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|1}} (hit 1), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|1.3}} (hits 2-4), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|2.3}} (hit 5), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|6}} (hit 6)

|dsmashname=Double Iron Ball ({{ja|ダブル鉄球|Daburu Tekkyū}})

|dsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|18}}

|dsmashdesc=The Junior Clown Car slams two wrecking balls on both sides. It is Bowser Jr.’s only smash attack that isn’t a multihit, and possesses strong power and range, especially compared to his up smash. However, it has high ending lag unlike his other smash attacks, making it very punishable if he misses or hits shield.

|nairname=Propeller Punch ({{ja|プロペラパンチ|Puropera Panchi}})

|nairdesc=The Junior Clown Car twirls around with the boxing glove arms extended. It is a weak but useful aerial, which combos reliably from [[Clown Kart Dash]] and is effective as a anti-pressure and edgeguarding option.

|fairname=Iron Ball Swing ({{ja|鉄球ふりまわし|Tekkyū Furimawashi}}

|bairname=Back Iron Ball ({{ja|裏鉄球|Ura Tekkyū}})

|bairdesc=The Junior Clown Car thrusts a wrecking ball backward. Useful for edge-guarding and a viable KOing option due to its high knockback.

|uairname=Ceiling Crush ({{ja|天井砕き|Tenjō Kudaki}})

|uairdesc=Quickly swings a {{s|mariowiki|hammer}} above himself; if playing as the Koopalings, they instead swing their respective wands. Bowser Jr. is often able to link two or three additional up-airs, making for an excellent damage-racking and combo move. Has KO potential at around 170%.

|dairname=Piercing Drill ({{ja|突き刺しドリル|Tsukisashi Doriru}})

|dairdesc=The Junior Clown Car extends a drill from its underside hatch to pierce opponents. Its high ending lag is compensated by the hitbox it produces upon landing, which grants it follow-up potential. If the attack hits an opponent, it can cancel quickly into other moves; if not, Bowser Jr. suffers from moderate ending lag. Unlike most down aerials, Bowser Jr.'s is unable to [[meteor smash]].

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|pummelname=Grab Piko Piko Hammer ({{ja|つかみピコピコハンマー|Tsukami Piko Piko Hanmā}})

|pummeldesc=Hits the opponent with a toy hammer. Average power and speed. The toy hammer looks identical to the one used in the [[mariowiki:Sticker_(Paper_Mario:_Sticker_Star)#Eekhammer|Eekhammer sticker]] from ''{{iw|mariowiki|Paper Mario: Sticker Star}}''. Each hit plays the recurring sound of [[Mario]] jumping onto a [[Koopa Troopa]] shell in the ''Super Mario'' franchise.

|fthrowname=Body Blow ({{ja|ボディブロー|Bodi Burō}})

|fthrowdesc=The Junior Clown Car throws an uppercut. It is fairly good for launching opponents at the edge for an edge-guard. It is also Bowser Jr.'s strongest throw, as it can KO most middleweights starting around 150% without [[rage]].

|bthrowname=Centrifugal Throw ({{ja|遠心投げ|Enshin Nage}})

|bthrowdesc=The Junior Clown Car twirls and then throws the opponent backward. Bowser Jr.'s second strongest throw, as it can KO most middleweights starting around 160% without rage.

|uthrowname=Fling Away ({{ja|放り投げ|Hori Nage}})

|dthrowname=Back Drill ({{ja|バックドリル|Bakku Doriru}})

|dthrowdesc=The Junior Clown Car throws the opponent onto the ground and then extends a drill from its underside hatch to pierce opponents. It deals good damage (~12% before 1v1 multipliers) and can set up into tech chases at medium percentages into Clown Kart Dash.

|floortdesc=Gets up while thrusting a large dinner fork to both sides.

|nsdesc=The Junior Clown Car opens its mouth and fires a {{s|mariowiki|cannonball}}. It can be charged to increase the cannonball's speed and power. At the end of its path, the cannonball will drop to the ground, which can hit opponents attempting to recover if it is spaced properly. However, it has high overall lag. As the projectile's hitbox changes once it begins to drop to the ground, a cannonball can hit an opponent's shield twice with correct timing, which deals immense shield damage.

|ssdesc=The Junior Clown Car transforms into a [[mariowiki:kart|go-kart]] that speeds forward. Gains 9% [[damage-based armor]] on only the Junior Clown Car, effectively granting ~10.22% damage-based armor due to its 0.88× damage multiplier. Tilting the [[Control stick|control stick/circle pad]] in the opposite direction or pressing the attack/special button will cause the Junior Clown Car to perform a {{iw|wikipedia|doughnut|driving}}, which deals significantly more damage and higher knockback to opponents on contact compared to simply charging into them, which KOs at moderate percents. Spinning out in the air right before hitting the floor will cause Bowser Jr. to bounce during the spinout, which can cause it to miss. Spinning out in the air can produce horizontal movement, after which it can be used again. All versions of the move can be [[Jump-canceling|jump canceled]], even right after hitting an opponent, which can lead into combos and mix-ups. It can be used multiple times in midair, grants an overall long distance, and lets Bowser Jr. delay his recovery to play around edgeguards, making it a good recovery; however, as the move causes Bowser Jr. to rear back quite a distance on startup, using it near the side blast zones can unintentionally KO him.  

|usdesc=Bowser Jr. ejects himself from the Junior Clown Car. The Junior Clown Car slowly falls to the ground and then explodes with high power when the move is used in midair, whereas it will simply explode after a brief period when used on the ground. When Bowser Jr. is out of the Junior Clown Car, he is not rendered [[helpless]] and can still attack with a hammer (or in the case of the Koopalings, their respective wands), which is powerful enough to KO at medium to high percentages. He is also able to airdodge once. If Junior is hit by a strong attack while in this state, he can get the Junior Clown Car back by pressing the attack button. However, taking a weak hit while out of the Junior Clown Car will render him unable to get the car back without landing, leaving him susceptible to gimps. The Junior Clown Car's angle usually sends opponents at a favorable position to follow up with the hammer swing.

|dsdesc=The Junior Clown Car drops a {{s|mariowiki|Mechakoopa}} from its underside hatch. The Mechakoopa falls in a strong downward arc; once it lands, it starts walking around. If it reaches a wall or dead end, it will turn around and walk in the opposite direction. If it makes contact with an opponent (or travels enough distance in the air without landing), it will detonate. The Mechakoopa will also bite onto opponents on contact, guaranteeing that it will explode on them shortly after Lastly, if enough time passes and they have not hit an opponent yet, they will spark out and detonate automatically. They can be picked up and thrown as items either by Bowser Jr. or his opponent. If an opponent shields a walking Mechakoopa, it will drop to the ground harmlessly, which can then be picked up.

|fsdesc=Bowser Jr. transforms into {{s|mariowiki|Shadow Mario}} before flying upwards, using the {{s|mariowiki|Magic Paintbrush}} to [[mariowiki:Graffiti|paint a giant, orange X]] on the screen. Anyone caught in the X's hitbox will be damaged, with the X pulling opponents into it once they are hit. The X will clear away with an explosion after some time. The sheer size of the X makes avoiding damage from this Final Smash difficult, similarly to [[Iceberg]].

*'''Up Taunt''': Jumps up, sits on the edge of the [[Junior Clown Car]] and makes a tiny breath of fire, chuckling. The Junior Clown Car makes a shocked expression.

*'''Side Taunt''': Twirls a hammer, or in the case of the Koopalings, their respective wands. The Junior Clown Car briefly closes its eyes.

*'''Down Taunt''': The Clown Car spawns its wheels and performs a donut with an angry expression, then returns to normal. As the donut ends, Bowser Jr. / the Koopaling spins in place, briefly shaking their head as the Junior Clown Car reverts back to normal.

*Places his hand over his eyes and looks around. The Junior Clown Car closes it's eyes for the duration of the idle pose.

*Hops impatiently in the Junior Clown Car twice. The Junior Clown Car opens its mouth for each hop.

 

 

 

|[[File:Roy Koopa Cheer German SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Roy Koopa Cheer Spanish NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Roy Koopa Cheer Spanish PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Roy Koopa Cheer Russian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Roy Koopa Cheer Korean SSBU.ogg|center]]

 

 

 

 

 

*'''Left:''' Jumps out of the Clown Car, hops in celebration twice, then poses.

*'''Up:''' From the side of the screen, drives the Clown Car in its go-kart form, performs a donut before coming to a stop and pulls out a hammer (or a wand, if playing as a Koopaling).

*'''Right:''' Dismounts from the Clown Car using its left grabber claw and pats it with his right hand.

==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 -->

 

*{{Sm|Ketchup|USA}} - Although not as consistent compared to other Bowser Jr. players, he is known for his win on {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} at {{Trn|Mega Smash Mondays 240}}, the best win from a Bowser Jr. player, and ultimately placed 9th at the event. In addition, he has placed well at several other [[Southern California]] events, including 5th at {{Trn|Get in the Game! 2020}} and 17th at {{Trn|DreamHack Anaheim 2020}}.

*{{Sm|TM7_ZAP|USA}} - The best Bowser Jr. player since mid-2023. He initially gained notoriety for being one of the best players in the post-[[COVID-19 pandemic]] online metagame, placing highly at many {{Trn|Coinbox}} events. He eventually had his offline breakout event at {{Trn|CEO 2023}}, where he defeated {{Sm|Riddles}} to place 13th, and has since become the most recognizable Bowser Jr. player of this era, most notably placing 9th at {{Trn|Cirque 4}}, making him the highest-placing Bowser Jr. player at an open major since Young Eevey's Albion 4 run.

*{{Sm|Yoda Cage|USA}} - One of the best Bowser Jr. players in the post-pandemic metagame, and the defintive best from 2021 to mid-2023. He possesses some of the best Bowser Jr. placements and wins of all-time, including placing 13th at {{Trn|Glitch 8.5 - Konami Code}} defeating {{Sm|Zomba}}, 17th at {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves 2022}} defeating {{Sm|Ned}}, and 25th at {{Trn|Collision 2023}}, in addition to wins over {{Sm|ApolloKage}} at {{Trn|Gateway Legends 2023}} and {{Sm|Cosmos}} at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2023}}.  

*{{Sm|Young Eevey|Netherlands}} - The first Bowser Jr. player to find any competitive success, and as such, was considered the best Bowser Jr. player in the early metagame. He is best known for being the first and only Bowser Jr. player to place top 8 at a major, doing so by placing 7th at {{Trn|Albion 4}} while defeating {{Sm|Space}}. Alongside his 13th-place finish at {{Trn|Thunder Smash 3}} and 25th-place finish at {{Trn|Glitch 7 - Minus World}} with a win over {{Sm|yeti}}, his performances led many to reassess Bowser Jr.'s viability, and even after becoming significantly less active in the post-pandemic metagame, his results remain some of the best Bowser Jr. performances of all-time.

 

 

Early patches gave Bowser Jr. several buffs that improved Clown Kart Dash and Bowser Jr.'s combo potential, allowing him to fare better in competitive play. His results by mid-2019 were also improving, peaking just outside the top 50 for July-December 2019, thanks to strong performances from players such as {{Sm|Young Eevey}} and {{Sm|Ketchup}}. Notably, Young Eevey placed 7th at Albion 4, marking the highest placement for a Bowser Jr. player at a major, while Ketchup picked up notable wins over several top players. Thanks to the buffs and improving results, players no longer considered Bowser Jr. as one of the worst characters in the game, but had reassessed him as a mid-tier.

 

Unfortunately for Bowser Jr., his playerbase began declining in the post-online metagame as his best players became less active or consistent. This was a trend with some of his newer players as well: although players such as {{Sm|Yoda Cage}} and {{Sm|TM7_ZAP}} found success at majors, either their results were inconsistent or they were seldom active. As such, Bowser Jr.'s representation slipped greatly into the bottom 10 by 2021; this decline was also reflected in his placement on the first tier list, where he was ranked 72nd at the very end of the mid-tier. Since then, his metagame had remained stagnant as his overall representation remained in or near the bottom 10. As such, his placement on the second tier list barely shifted, moving up to 70th at the top of D- tier due to falling opinions on a few other characters ranked above him.

[[File:SSBU Congratulations Bowser Jr.png|thumb|Bowser Jr.'s congratulations screen.]]

Most of Bowser Jr.'s opponents are princesses, some of which are teamed up with their love interest (or in Lucina's case, her father). The title refers to the event of ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario Sunshine}}'' where Bowser Jr. called Peach his "mama".

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

|1||{{CharHead|Rosalina & Luma|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Mario Galaxy]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Rosalina in the Observatory / Luma's Theme}}''||

|2||{{CharHead|Lucina|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Chrom|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Arena Ferox]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Prelude (Ablaze)}}''||

|3||{{CharHead|Daisy|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Luigi|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Mushroom Kingdom U]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Mario Tennis / Mario Golf}}''||

|4||{{CharHead|Zelda|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Hyrule Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Saria's Theme}}''||

|5||{{CharHead|Mii Brawler|SSBU|hsize=20px}} (x2), {{CharHead|Mii Gunner|SSBU|hsize=20px}} (x2), and {{CharHead|Mii Swordfighter|SSBU|hsize=20px}} (x2)||[[Peach's Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Main Theme - Super Mario 64 (Remix)}}''||Horde Battle (3 at a time). The {{SSBU|Mii Fighter}}s all wear princess wigs.<br>

*Mii Brawler costume combinations: Peach's Crown and Vampire Garb, Daisy's Crown and [[Nia]] Outfit.

*Mii Gunner costumes: Princess's Crown and Wild West Wear, Peach's Crown and Steampunk Getup.

*Mii Swordfighter costumes: Daisy's Crown and [[Viridi]] Outfit, Princess's Crown and [[Ashley]] Outfit.

|6||{{CharHead|Mario|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Peach|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Delfino Plaza]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Delfino Plaza (Original)}}''||Items do not appear.

While Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings do not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene, they were all vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (except {{SSBU|Kirby}}) when Galeem unleashed his beams of light.

 

Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings were among the many fighters that fell under [[Dharkon]]'s control upon Galeem's first defeat. Bowser Jr. is found in one of two alternating pathways on the Triforce of Power segment of the [[Sacred Land]] sub-area, guarded by various Legendary spirits.

As a side note, once Bowser Jr. is rescued, the Koopalings (due to their status of being alternate characters of Bowser Jr.), will have been 'rescued' as well, resulting in them also being available as playable characters within the story.

{|class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"

!style="width:5%;"|No.

!style="width:5%;"|Image

!Name

!Type

!Power

!Stage

!Music

|58

|[[File:Bowser Jr. SSBU.png|center|108x108px]]

|Bowser Jr.

|{{SpiritType|Grab}} <center>{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}</center>

|12,500

|[[Mushroomy Kingdom]] ([[Ω form]])

|''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Fortress Boss - Super Mario Bros. 3}}''

{{clr}}

Bowser Jr.'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 Jr. has been unlocked. Unlocking Bowser Jr. 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. Each of the Koopalings possess their own fighter spirits, which can only be obtained by purchase in the shop. Each fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in ''Ultimate''.

Bowser Jr. also appears as a primary spirit in the form of Shadow Mario.

SSBU spirit Bowser Jr..png|10. '''''Bowser Jr.'''''

SSBU spirit Iggy.png|11. '''Iggy'''

SSBU spirit Wendy.png|12. '''Wendy'''

SSBU spirit Lemmy.png|13. '''Lemmy'''

SSBU spirit Roy (Super Mario Bros.).png|14. '''Roy (Super Mario Bros.)'''

SSBU spirit Larry.png|15. '''Larry'''

SSBU spirit Ludwig.png|16. '''Ludwig'''

SSBU spirit Morton.png|17. '''Morton'''

SSBU spirit Shadow Mario.png|70. Shadow Mario

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

|''Super Mario'' Series

|•[[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

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Tatanga|size=64}}

|''Super Mario Land'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|•The enemy starts the battle with a [[Super Scope]]

|{{SpiritTableName|Shadow Mario|size=64}}

|''Super Mario'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Delfino Plaza (Remix)}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Fawful|size=64}}

|''Mario & Luigi'' Series

|•[[Bowser Jr. (SSBU)|Iggy]] {{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Iggy}} (140 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|R.O.B.}} {{Head|R.O.B.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}} (140 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Kalypso|size=64}}

|•[[Bowser Jr. (SSBU)|Wendy]] Team {{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Wendy}}×4

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Heavy Lobster|size=64}}

|''Kirby'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Pandora|size=64}}

|''Kid Icarus'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Dr. Eggman|link=y|size=64}}

|''Sonic The Hedgehog'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|•[[Bob-omb]] Festival<br>•Item: Shooting Types

|{{SpiritTableName|Kapp'n|link=y|size=64}}

|''Animal Crossing'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Tron Bonne|size=64}}

|''Mega Man Legends'' Series

|•[[Bowser Jr. (SSBU)|Wendy]] {{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Wendy}}<br>•Tiny {{SSBU|R.O.B.}} {{Head|R.O.B.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}×2

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Riki (Xenoblade Chronicles)|customname=[[Riki]] (Xenoblade Chronicles)|size=64}}

|''Xenoblade Chronicles'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|•Earthquake<br>•Flowery<br>•Assist Trophy Enemies (Riki)

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Xenoblade Chronicles|Gaur Plain}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Murch|size=64}}

|''Splatoon'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|MONSTER|size=64}}

|''Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally'' Series

|•Giant [[Bowser Jr. (SSBU)|Roy]] Team {{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Roy}}{{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Morton}}{{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Iggy}}{{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Wendy}}

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Title Theme - 3D Hot Rally}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Tank & Infantry|link=y|size=64}}

|''Famicom Wars'' Series

|•Metal [[Bowser Jr. (SSBU)|Iggy]] {{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Iggy}}<br>•{{SSBU|Snake}} {{Head|Snake|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}×2

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Garage}}

|{{SpiritTableName|F-Type|size=64}}

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|•Timed battle (1:00)<br>•The enemy has increased move speed and reduced weight

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Title Theme - 3D Hot Rally}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Tractor Trailer|size=64}}

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Excite Truck}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Toy-Con Car|size=64}}

|''Nintendo Labo'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Bowser Jr.}} Team {{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Larry}}{{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Roy}}{{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Wendy}}{{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Iggy}}{{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Morton}}{{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Lemmy}}{{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Ludwig}} (60 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}