Bowser (SSB4)

Bowser in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Mario
Other playable appearances	in Melee in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Giga Bowser
Tier	E (30)

Bowser (クッパ, Koopa) was confirmed as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4 on June 11th, 2013 during E3 2013, and in fact was the last veteran confirmed during the event. He was also one of the main subjects of the Developer Direct for Super Smash Bros. later during E3 2013. Bowser reuses some of his sound clips from Super Smash Bros. Brawl (some of which are edited to sound deeper), while other sounds are new additions for this installment.

Bowser is ranked 30th out of 56 characters on the tier list, placing him in the E tier and thus making him the second lowest ranked mid-tier character but the second highest ranked of the super-heavyweights. This is a considerable improvement from his standing in Brawl, where he was ranked 33rd out of 38, and is also his highest tier placement in the series to date. Many of his problems have been fixed, as he is much more mobile, and has much better reach, combo and grab game while still retaining his immense endurance, overall high damage output, and very strong KO options. However, he remains virtually defenseless outside of out of shield Whirling Fortress, being easily locked in combos due to his large size, heavy weight, and lack of combo breakers, which is exacerbated by his lack of good landing options and short distanced and duration rolls and sidesteps. Additionally, his recovery, while improved from Melee and Brawl, is still below average.

Attributes

Defying his overall presence in Melee and Brawl, Bowser combines power with speed, with a good example being his mobility. He has a slow walking speed, a fast dashing speed, slow falling speed, high gravity, below average air speed, low air acceleration and average traction, granting him overall slow but balanced mobility compared to most heavyweights. In addition, as the heaviest character in the game, Bowser has the longest horizontal endurance, as well as the third longest vertical endurance, losing only to King Dedede and Donkey Kong.

Bowser's greatest strength is the immense power of his attacks. Since most of his attacks are highly damaging, Bowser has an easy time racking up damage, especially when compared to combo-oriented characters, such as Mario and Sheik. In addition, most of his moves have high knockback as well, granting him numerous (if not the most) KO options. Some of his moves are among the strongest of the cast, including the second strongest meteor smash in his down aerial, one of the strongest semi-spikes in his back aerial and the second strongest forward smash, which is marginally weaker (but faster overall) than King Dedede's. The introduction of rage further amplifies the power of his moves, without reducing the efficiency of his combos. His great survivability can also allow him to take full advantage of it, as it is very difficult to KO Bowser without a strong attack. Furthermore, Bowser has great physical range in many of his attacks, allowing him to space opponents more easily than many other characters. Combined with the aforementioned perks, Bowser is proficient at edgeguarding.

Bowser also has a formidable grab game. His grabs, while not particularly fast, are among the farthest reaching in the game, with his pivot grab being particularly notorious, making it easy for him to grab opponents that are not right next to him. His pummel is highly damaging and decently quick, being great at racking up damage. All of his throws deal 12% damage, except for up throw, which deals 6%. His down throw is the optimal choice for either forcing opponents offstage for an edgeguard or preventing his other throws from becoming stale. His back throw is among the strongest, losing only to those of Ness, Toon Link and Villager, and can KO at 195% from center stage. His forward throw is the strongest in the game, reliably KOing anyone at 180% from center stage. His up throw's low knockback grants him many reliable follow-ups until about 75%, depending mostly on the opponent's falling speed.

Finally, Bowser has a versatile special moveset. Fire Breath is Bowser's only projectile, which can be used to fend off opponents or gimp recoveries. Due to the nerf to SDI, it is quite difficult to escape when caught up close. Flying Slam is a command grab, allowing it to ignore shields and counterattacks. Upon a successful grab, Bowser is invincible up until he jumps to perform a flying suplex, slamming the opponent with enough force to KO at about 135%, or even earlier if he lands on a platform. After getting grabbed, the opponent cannot do anything other than alter the move's trajectory slightly. Whirling Fortress is Bowser's primary means of recovery, granting below average vertical distance but good horizontal distance, with the former increasing if button mashing is utilised. It is also a phenomenal out of shield option, as well as Bowser's fastest attack. Lastly, Bowser Bomb is very powerful and can be used as an alternative to fast falling, making it useful for grabbing the ledge while at the same time threatening edgeguarders. It also deals additional shield damage, meaning that a shield break will occur if both hits connect.

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 each. As none of his aerials have favourable autocancel windows, returning to the ground is very difficult for him, or even impossible without 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 cancelled neutral attack, and making it difficult for him to keep up with faster opponents, such as Sonic. This also compounds another problem: his ability to escape pressure. Having slow rolls and sidestep, with the former also being short-distanced, his only real method of dealing with pressure is Whirling Fortress, which can be punished if executed too late. Some of his moves are also inevitable KOs if used offstage, 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 custom moves. Compared to Fire Breath, Fire Shot is slower and has noticeable intervals between each flare, but has more range and does consistent damage, improving its edgeguarding capabilities and allowing it to be used effectively in the neutral game. Dash Slam is drastically weaker, but has a lower launch angle and moves Bowser forward, making it easier for him to grab opponents. Dash Slash has almost no KO power, but hits throughout most of its animation and maintains the default's autocancelling and it has a pseudo wavedash, granting Bowser a very reliable move for approaching. Both Flying Slam alternatives can also improve his recovery. Flying Fortress cannot be used out of shield, but grants twice as much vertical distance at high speed, significantly improving Bowser's vertical recovery.

Overall, Bowser is a defensive powerhouse who relies on either timing his attacks carefully or focus on punishing his opponents' mistakes in order to avoid serious punishment himself.

Changes from Brawl

As Bowser was seen as a bottom-tier character in Melee and Brawl, he has been considerably buffed in the transition to SSB4. Most of his moveset and animations have been completely revamped for the better; he is much more mobile overall (such as being able to outrun Marth, Toon Link, Donkey Kong, Pit and Mr. Game & Watch, all of whom were faster than him in Brawl), his endurance and recovery have been greatly improved, he possesses even faster and better attacks with farther reach than he did in Brawl while being even more powerful than he was in Melee, and as of version 1.1.3 his throw-based combo game is much better than ever before. All of these improvements now allow him to punish opponents more harshly and more safely than he could in previous games while remedying many of his flaws. Bowser retains Giga Bowser as his Final Smash, while retaining the animations and moves from Brawl.

The general physics and mechanics changes brought about by SSB4 also significantly aid Bowser. The universal nerfing of campable projectiles considerably helps Bowser's approach while the removal of immediately re-grabbing an opponent after throwing them eliminates the zero-death or otherwise heavily damaging chain throws that plagued him in previous Super Smash Bros. games. Lastly, the introduction of the rage mechanic results in Bowser's immense endurance and power becoming even more useful than ever before.

These drastic improvements saw Bowser secure many high spots in promotional tournaments held for SSB4, and he is now considered a much better character compared to how he was in Melee and Brawl. However, Bowser's position among the cast is a point of debate due to numerous returning characters having also been buffed to varying degrees. Despite no longer being plagued by poor mobility and reach, Bowser's flaw of being vulnerable to attack remains due to his large hurtbox (which increased even further in size in the transition to SSB4) and unsafe landing options. While his perception in the metagame has fluctuated over time, Bowser is a relatively viable character as of update 1.1.3, as he has become surprisingly effective for a super heavyweight like how he was perceived in the very early SSB4 metagame, if not to the same extent. However, Bowser's high-level tournament representation has been rather poor, leaving his metagame largely stagnant.

Aesthetics

• Bowser's appearance is more cartoonish and more brightly colored, which makes him look more inline with his appearances in the Mario games, rather than the realistic look he had in Brawl.
• Bowser has a new fighting stance, where he now always stands upright instead of hunching over. He also has a new dashing animation, where he runs upright instead of scuttling along the ground, and a new midair jump animation, where he jumps while remaining upright instead of retreating into his shell. He also has an altered crouching and crawling animation, where he keeps his hands enclosed as fists instead of clawing the ground. His crouch now looks similar to his battle stance from Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, and he no longer retreats into his shell when rolling and performing his air dodge.

Attributes

• Like other large characters, such as Donkey Kong and King Dedede, Bowser's general size in proportion to the other playable characters is also greater than in previous installments, giving his attacks greater reach. However, this increased size also increases his hurtbox, making him easier to hit.
• Bowser is heavier (120 → 128), improving his already impressive survivability and enables him to use the rage mechanic effectively.
• Bowser walks faster (0.8 → 0.858).
• Bowser dashes faster (1.527 → 1.792).
• Bowser's air speed is slightly slower (1.034 → 0.98).
• Bowser's double jump has significantly increased height.
• Bowser now has universal armor against attacks that deal a negligible amount of knockback, such as the first hit of many neutral attacks. This effect is significantly amplified if Bowser is crouching, but not while crawling or attacking.
• Bowser's walking speed while carrying heavy items now surpasses Donkey Kong's, though he remains unable to match DK's ability to jump or fall with them.

Ground attacks

• The second hit of Bowser's neutral attack deals 1% more damage (5% → 6%).
• Neutral attack is now a pair of punches instead of claw swipes, so it no longer has a slash effect.
• Forward tilt deals 1% more damage (11% → 12%).
• As in Melee, Bowser's hand once again fully forms a fist when performing his forward tilt.
• Up tilt now reaches in front of Bowser, and has significantly increased reach overall. It also has considerably less ending lag.
• Up tilt deals 3% less damage (12% → 9%). It also has more start-up (frame 8 → 11).
• The second hit of down tilt has increased reach, now reaching slightly farther than the initial hit.
• Down tilt is now a pair of swiping punches instead of claw swipes, no longer having the slash effect. This animation change also now fully matches the hitboxes of the move, whereas in Brawl the hitboxes did not cover Bowser's entire hands.
• Bowser has a new dash attack, a side kick. It covers significantly more ground, has significantly less cooldown and has slightly increased damage (11% → 12% (clean), 8% → 10% (late)) and knockback growth (30 → 35).
• New dash attack has slightly less base knockback (120 → 110) and slightly more startup (frame 10 → 11).
• Bowser has a new forward smash, a dropkick. It has faster start-up (frame 27 → 22), significantly improved reach and hitbox placement, and much more knockback growth compared to his previous one (81 → 98) to the point that it is now on par with King Dedede's forward smash as the strongest in the game (although Dedede's deals 1% more damage and KOs 3% earlier due to his forward smash having slightly higher base knockback).
• New forward smash has more ending lag. It also now has weak hitboxes throughout the later portions of the move that deal 6% less damage (17%/14%) and knockback (10 (base)/103 (growth)).
• New forward smash now consists of one hit instead of two, similar to how it functioned in Melee. This reduces the move's overall damage potential (46 → 32), though it means there is no longer the possibility of an opponent getting hit out of the main KOing hitbox by the weaker initial hit while still making the move's power better.
• Up smash has slightly faster start-up (frame 17 → 16), its sweetspot can now hit grounded opponents, and it can now clang with aerial attacks, allowing Bowser to out-prioritize aerial attacks with it without being interrupted. Its sourspot is also more powerful, dealing 3% more damage with increased knockback.
• Up smash's animation has slightly changed. Bowser now spins when performing it.
• Down smash is significantly harder to SDI out of. It also has an additional hitbox right before Bowser starts spinning, giving it less start-up overall (frame 15 → 10).
• Down smash deals 5% less damage when all hits connect (21% → 16%). Its growth has also been reduced (140 → 130).
• Down smash's knockback angle was altered (65° → 48°).
• Down smash's animation has slightly changed. Bowser now remains in place when performing it, similarly to how he did in Melee.

Aerial attacks

• Bowser has a new neutral aerial, a cartwheel. It hits multiple times, has lower ending lag and landing lag, and has a larger and longer lasting hitbox. It also has improved damage potential, being capable of dealing up to 11% more damage compared to the previous neutral aerial (13% → 24%).
• Forward aerial's sweetspot takes up a much larger portion of Bowser's arm, and the attack has less ending lag and landing lag, making it useful for edge-guarding. The move's hitboxes also reach farther above and below Bowser. It can now be auto-canceled in a short hop.
• Forward aerial has more start-up (frame 8 → 11).
• Forward aerial's animation has slightly changed. Bowser now slashes diagonally instead of straight down.
• Bowser has a new back aerial, a dropkick. It deals 4% more damage (15% → 19% (clean), 7% → 11% (late)) and has greater knockback than the previous back aerial (25 (base)/83 (growth) → 20/88), allowing it to KO below 100% from the center of Final Destination. It also has lower ending lag and can auto-cancel from a short hop.
• The new back aerial has slightly decreased range behind him, though its range is still very high. It also has a drastically lower duration, now lacking a sourspot to keep enemies at bay, lasting only a mere 3 frames.
• Up aerial has significantly faster start-up (frame 16 → 9).
• Up aerial is weaker, dealing 2% less damage with weaker knockback growth (93 → 85), now KOing 20% later.
• Down aerial is functionally altered to now become a quick stall-then-fall that hits opponents once with increased base knockback (10 → 30). It meteor smashes during the first few frames and hits all opponents with diagonal upwards knockback during the later frames. This overhaul replaces the rarely useful drill feature with a very powerful anti-juggle, effective KO, and edge-guarding option. The shockwave it produces upon landing also sends opponents farther back, making it more difficult to punish its landing. Because it is now a stall-then-fall, it can also be used to down air stall.
• Down aerial's new function does not allow it to be cancelled until the move ends and does not edge sweetspot, making it very unsafe to use off-stage. It also has slightly more start-up and it deals 13% less damage (29% → 16%).

Throws/other attacks

• Grab animation has changed. Bowser now grabs and holds opponents with one arm, similarly to the Koopa Klaw's grab from Melee. Bowser also no longer falls over when he whiffs a dash grab.
• All grabs have improved reach, now being among the farthest reaching non-tether grabs in the game, and they all have faster start-up and ending lag (except pivot grab).
• Pivot grab has more start-up and ending lag.
• Forward and back throws are significantly more powerful. They each deal 2% more damage (10% → 12%), has more knockback growth (50 → 66), and are now equally capable of KO'ing around 138% when near the ledge and even lower with the rage mechanic.
• Forward throw's animation has changed. Bowser now places the opponent on his head and tosses his head horizontally.
• Bowser has a new back throw, where he uses one arm in a sideways motion to throw opponents behind him similarly to Donkey Kong's back throw.
• Up throw no longer has set knockback (25 (base)/180 (growth)), but it has less ending lag (frame 68 → 61) and launches opponents at a more vertical angle (70° → 82°), allowing it to combo into other moves.
• Up throw deals 4% less damage (10% → 6%).
• Down throw has significantly increased knockback (75 (base)/30 (growth) → 90/80), KOing at around 150% near an edge.
• Bowser has a new edge attack, where he crawls up onto the stage and slashes forward similarly to his above 100% ledge attack in previous games.

Special moves

• Fire Breath's flames are bigger and have improved range. The move also has faster start-up and ending lag.
• Fire Breath cannot flinch at its furthest range.
• Like all rapidly-hitting attacks, connecting with Fire Breath repeatedly on the same opponent will push Bowser back at the same time the opponent is pushed away. This reduces the move's damage output as opponents will not stay trapped for as long as before, but makes the move safer as opponents will no longer be able to SDI through the flames to punish Bowser for using the move.
• Flying Slam has more knockback growth (50 → 60), KOing about 20% sooner and reliably below 120%. A whiffed grab also auto-cancels upon landing for its entire duration. In addition, Bowser has more control over the trajectory of Flying Slam, and he is now invincible before he leaves the ground.
• Flying Slam grab has less vertical reach, making it more difficult to grab opponents from the air, and Koopa hopping is no longer possible.
• Bowser is now KO'd first during Bowsercide, meaning he will lose instead of winning or causing Sudden Death if he performs it when him and his opponent are on their last stocks, although this may not always be the case. This also releases the opponent and thus allows them to potentially recover back to the stage.
• Grounded Whirling Fortress is now a multiple hitting attack, making it an even more effective out of shield punishing option as Bowser no longer needs to be in range to hit with the initial hitbox to deal significant knockback.
• Airborne Whirling Fortress can now gain significantly more vertical height by button mashing the special button, gains height at a faster speed, and can now grab ledges from behind, significantly improving Bowser's recovery.
• Bowser Bomb deals more shield damage (0 → 5), which when combined with the shield changes makes the move capable of breaking full shields if all of its hitboxes connect. It also descends faster, and Bowser performs it much faster when initiated from the ground.
• Giga Bowser's duration is shorter.

Update history

Game updates have given Bowser a mix of buffs and nerfs. Perhaps Bowser's most severe nerf was brought about in update 1.0.4, which noticeably nerfed Flying Slam so that it no longer KOs the opponent first if a Bowsercide is attempted. However, Bowser has been buffed as of update 1.1.1 and 1.1.3. Even though his Flying Slam now KOs him first now, it has been significantly compensated for. He has more control of its trajectory, it transitions faster, has larger grab range, and has invincibility frames before he leaves the ground. His up tilt, neutral aerial and Fire Shot have also been improved to varying degrees, while he significantly benefits from the changes on shield mechanics; the changes grant his attacks even more chances of breaking a character's shield and give him an open attacking opportunity, but weakens his out of shield punishes with his Whirling Fortress. 1.1.3 heavily buffed his already impressive grab game; while up throw's damage output was weakened, it is now a reliable combo starter into many of Bowser's powerful moves, though this was toned down somewhat in the following 1.1.4 update. Overall, while the buffs so far do not address Bowser's more critical weaknesses, they have arguably helped to counterbalance them.

1.0.4

• Bowsercide now usually KOs Bowser first instead of both him and his opponent at the same time. When Bowser is KO'd, the opponent is released from the grab, potentially allowing them to recover back onto the stage.

1.0.6

• Bowser has more control over Flying Slam's trajectory.

1.0.8

• Up tilt deals 1% less damage: 10% → 9%.
• Up tilt's start-up and ending lag decreased: 12 frames → 11 (start-up), 51 frames → 41 (ending).

1.1.0

• Down smash's angle altered: 60° → 48°.

1.1.1

• Neutral aerial deals 1% more damage (5% → 6%) and has 4 frames less of landing lag: 24 frames → 20.
• Fire Shot is significantly improved. It deals 1% more damage (5% (clean), 4% (late) → 6% (clean), 5% (late)), has more base knockback (25 → 35), has a larger hit radius (4u (clean), 3.5 (late) → 5 (both), the late hit lasts 5 frames longer (15 frames → 20) and the cooldown now matches Fire Breath.

1.1.3

• Up throw's knockback and angle altered: 90 (base)/80 (growth) → 25/155, 70° → 82°. These changes re-purpose it into a combo starter, which can be performed even up to high percentages It also has less ending lag: 68 frames → 61.
• Up throw's loop hits deal 0.5% less damage: 1% → 0.5%.
• Up throw's loop hits' hitlag multiplier decreased: 1x → 0.5x.
• Up throw's final hit's knockback increased: 0 (base)/100 (growth) → 80/200.
• All variations of Flying Slam are improved. It transitions from the grab to slam faster, making it function similar to how it was in Brawl, and now has invincibility frames before Bowser leaves the ground have had their grab to slam transition speeds increased.
• All variations of Whirling Fortress can now grab ledges from behind.

1.1.4

• Dash attack deals 2% more damage: 10% (clean), 8% (late) → 12% (clean), 10% (late).
• Up throw knockback growth increased: 155 → 180. This reduces its combo potential at high percentages.
• All variations of Flying Slam have had their grab ranges increased.

Technical changelist 1.1.4

Change	Old value	New value
Ground Hand Hitbox Size	4/3	5/4
Large Hitbox X Position	17	17.5
Ground to Air Hand Hitbox	1/1	2/2
Outer Hitbox X Position	17	17.5
Air Hand Hitbox	5/3.5	6/4.5
Large Hitbox X Position	15	15.5

Moveset

• Bowser can crawl, although it has no practical use due to his large crouching hurtbox.
• Bowser has super armor on attacks that deal negligible knockback. This attribute is called "Tough Guy" in the tips. However, this is mostly limited to weak neutral attacks (usually infinites) and very few projectiles (such as Luigi's Fireballs, Ness's PK Fire, or Mega Man's forward tilt), and generally lasts up until 50% to 100%. The armor effect is significantly amplified if Bowser is crouching, but not while crawling or attacking. It is also amplified on a low damage ratio.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			5%	Punches forward with one arm, then quickly follows it up with the other. First hit has set knockback and can jab cancel into other moves, mostly dash grab. Noticeable KO potential at high percentages near the ledge. His arms are intangible as long as their hitboxes are active.
			6.5%
Forward tilt			12%	A backhanded punch while leaning his body forward. Fairly powerful, with fast-start-up and good reach, along with his arm being intangible as long as the hitbox is active, allowing it to effectively disrupt most oncoming attacks. The attack is based on the second hit of his Drill Claw attack in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
Up tilt			9%	Slashes the air above him. A good combo starter or follow-up from up throw, it can also chain into itself at low percents and is a decent KOing option at around 150%.
Down tilt			14% (hit 1), 11% (hit 2)	While crouching, Bowser quickly punches one arm forward along the ground, then quickly follows it up with the other. First hit does not connect into the second hit after medium percents. Has a chance to trip at low percents.
Dash attack			12% (clean), 10% (late)	A side kick. Similar to Meta Knight's dash attack, but with more ending lag. Good for hitting prone or tumbling opponents.
Forward smash			23% (clean feet), 20% (clean body), 17% (late feet), 14% (late body)	Leaps forward and delivers a very powerful dropkick. It is the third strongest forward smash In the game (behind King Dedede and Lucario with max aura), and it is also somewhat fast for its power. Shields will take severe damage by the attack, as they can almost break from the move if fully charged. When spaced properly, this move can hit opponents hanging on an edge, or lingering just below it.
Up smash			20% (hit 1 center), 15% (hit 1 sides), 6% (hit 2)	Gets down on all fours and thrusts his spiked shell upwards by hopping. His shell is fully invincible, nullifying any move that happens to trade with it, making this move all but impossible to challenge from above, though it will still clank if the move has invincibility frames. The move also hits on both sides of Bowser upon descent, but with considerably less knockback.
Down smash			2% (hit 1), 1% (hits 2-6), 9% (hit 7)	Spins around in his shell, doing worthwhile damage with multiple hits from his spikes. Fairly reliable KO move under 150%.
Neutral aerial			6% (hits 1-4)	An aerial cartwheeling attack. Can combo into forward aerial and up aerial at low-mid percentages. A mechanically unusual attack, as both the third and fourth hits are present at once (on Bowser's top and bottom half respectively), and so connecting with the fourth hit before the third hit will mean the third hit cannot strike that opponent. The third most damaging aerial attack in the game, doing 24% if all hits land, behind Lucario's back aerial with max aura, and Yoshi's down aerial.
Forward aerial			13% (hand), 12% (arm), 11% (body)	Slashes forward in a diagonal arc. Good range, quick start-up and can KO reliably at 100% off-stage. It can autocancel in a short hop and has great reach, so it is considered his most useful aerial move.
Back aerial			19%	A dropkick. Very powerful, and can KO at around 100% from the center of Final Destination, and as low as 60% at the edge, though it does not have much vertical range. The second strongest and most damaging back aerials in the game behind Lucario's back aerial with max aura.
Up aerial			15%	Quickly swings his head upwards. Very powerful (though not as strong as in Brawl), KOing near the upper blast line at around 100%.
Down aerial			16% (attack), 2% (landing)	Bowser retracts into his shell, turns upside down, and propels himself downward. A stall-then-fall. It has a small hitbox slightly to the left and right when he lands. Meteor smashes during the first few frames. Due to the move's large hitbox, its meteor smashing hitbox can effectively edgeguard when near the ledge. Will almost certainly cause a self-destruct if used off-stage.
Grab			—	Grasps his opponent with his hand. Fairly large grab range for a non-disjointed or non-tether grab, especially when pivot grabbing.
Pummel			3.1%	Headbutts the opponent. Moderately slow.
Forward throw			12%	Charges back with the hand he grabbed the opponent with, places them in between his horns, and then throws them with his head. Bowser's strongest throw, and the strongest forward throw in the game, KOing around 135% near the ledge.
Back throw			12%	Holding onto the opponent with one arm, Bowser throws them backwards in a sideways motion. Can KO at reasonably low percents, around 140% near the ledge.
Up throw			0.5% (hits 1-8), 2% (throw)	Throws the opponent slightly up, withdraws into his shell, and spins, damaging them against his spikes. As of the 1.1.3 update, it deals drastically lower knockback, which allows it to combo into up tilt, up smash, up, neutral, forward or on fast-fallers, back aerial.
Down throw			10% (hit 1), 2% (throw)	Places the opponent on the floor and body slams them as they beg for mercy. Its high base knockback, high ending lag and low knockback growth prevent any kind of follow-ups or KOs, though it can put opponents off-stage if forward and back throws are still unable to KO.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Stumbles to his feet and claws at opponents behind and in front of him.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Gets up and swipes while spinning.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Attacks surrounding foes in one wide slash.
Edge attack Edge getups			7%	Climbs onto the stage and slashes. One of the furthest reaching edge attacks in the game, making it surprisingly useful.
Neutral special	Default	Fire Breath	1.2% (loop hits)	Breathes intense fire that gradually gets weaker and less ranged. The move slowly regains its strength when not in use, and the flames at the very end of the stream cannot cause opponents to flinch. Can be angled up or down, and potentially used to gimp recovering opponents.
	Custom 1	Fire Shot	6% (clean), 5% (late)	A large fireball that goes straight through enemies. Unlike Fire Breath, it will not weaken over time when used in succession.
	Custom 2	Fire Roar	2.7% (clean), 1.8% (late)	Stronger and more ranged than Bowser's Fire Breath, but loses range quickly and takes longer to recharge.
Side special	Default	Flying Slam	18% (throw), 15% (bystanders)	Bowser grabs an opponent, jumps with them into the air, and violently body slams them against the ground, dealing immense vertical knockback that can KO at 120%. Its power and launching angle makes the attack difficult to properly DI, especially if the user has high gravity. The slam can also hit other opponents on the ground that it lands into for similarly powerful knockback. Can be used to dive off-stage with the opponent for a potential sacrificial KO.
	Custom 1	Dash Slam	12% (throw), 10% (bystanders)	Bowser dashes forward before slamming someone with less vertical distance at the cost of damage. Its angle is more horizontal than vertical.
	Custom 2	Dash Slash	8% (clean), 6% (late)	Instead of grabbing opponents, Bowser dashes forward and slashes them, dealing high knockback at the cost of damage. Similar to the Koopa Klaw, though without the grab. It is considered one of the most useful special custom moves due to its complete autocancel property and pseudo wavedash, allowing safe approaches and combo set-ups.
Up special	Default	Whirling Fortress	1% (ground loop), 4% (ground last), 10% (air hit 1), 3% (air hits 2-6), 2% (air hits 7-11)	Bowser enters his shell and spins rapidly, being able to move forward and backwards while doing so. It acts as a recovery when performed in the air, propelling Bowser forward and upwards, but Bowser remains grounded when he performs it on the ground. Very versatile and a useful out of shield move. In the air, button mashing enables it to cover more vertical distance. Surprisingly long-ranged, but can be intercepted easily.
	Custom 1	Flying Fortress	4%	Increased vertical recovery at cost of horizontal distance. Only hits once, but can launch foes that are hit.
	Custom 2	Sliding Fortress	6%	Increased horizontal recovery, but it only hits once, inflicts less knockback, has longer ending lag, and does not cover as much vertical distance.
Down special	Default	Bowser Bomb	4% (hop), 20% (drop), 11% (landing)	Bowser leaps diagonally into the air, hitting any opponents up with him in the vicinity of the leap, and then immediately performs a Ground Pound, dealing immense vertical knockback to anyone hit. It can KO under 100%, making it one of Bowser's most reliable KOing options. If performed in the air, Bowser performs the Ground Pound after a stall instead of leaping first. Emits a shockwave upon landing and will break full shields if all of the grounded hitboxes connect. Will almost certainly cause a self destruct if used offstage.
	Custom 1	Turbulent Bomb	4% (hop), 9% (drop), 9% (landing)	A gale at the move's impact pushes away anyone next to Bowser's landing spot, but removes the shockwave hitbox and inflicts less knockback. Bowser also leaps lower, but the attack covers more horizontal distance. Useful for gimping opponents with bad recoveries, like Little Mac and Captain Falcon.
	Custom 2	Slip Bomb	18% (drop), 13% (landing), 2% (shockwave)	Makes those standing near Bowser trip when he lands. However, it deals no damage when rising. Bowser also leaps higher, covering less horizontal distance. Its high ending lag means it can still be punished by those who trip near Bowser.
Final Smash		Giga Bowser	—	Bowser transforms into the final boss of Melee's Adventure Mode, the much larger and more powerful Giga Bowser, with total flinch resistance during the duration of the move. However, Giga Bowser retains all of Bowser's old replaced moves and animations instead of using his new ones, likely to fit more with his bestial motif, while his smash attacks still inflict elemental damage.

On-screen appearance

• Enters the stage through a wall of flames. He is hunched over as he does so, but when he fully enters the stage he stands upright.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Rears his head back, spinning it in a circle, and roars. The roaring clip is used when he uses his down smash, much like in Melee and Brawl.
• Side taunt: Leans forward and chomps his jaws furiously five times, with drool coming out of his mouth.
• Down taunt: Balances precariously on one leg, as if teetering.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Leans back and exhales steam.
• Clenches his fists and releases steam from his nose.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Bow-ser!	Koopa! *claps 3 times*
Pitch	Group chant	Male

Victory poses

An original, rock-based remix of the fanfare when Mario reaches the end of a level in Super Mario Bros.

• Takes two steps forward while swiping with his claws twice.
• Steps up, builds up a little and roars.
• Spins around in his shell and comes out grinning.

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Bowser	1211	1311	3211	3311	1212
	1213	1312	1313	2211	2311

Notable players

•  Ash23
•  Chaos
•  D~Pollo
•  Daro
•  Exist
•  Final Boss
•  KENT
•  KingKong
•  Le Troof
•  LordMix
•  Shu
•  Zigsta
•  Zork
•  CalmAnimal
•  TriVium

Trophies

Bowser

The archenemy of Mario and the reason Peach spends more time kidnapped than in her own castle. His plans aren't always the best, and occasionally he even finds himself on Mario's side. In Smash Bros., he's a serious heavyweight who laughs off weaker attacks. Hit him hard to send him flying!

Mario's archnemesis and the reason Peach spends more time in "another castle" than in her own. His plans almost never work out, and occasionally he even finds himself on Mario's side. In Smash Bros., he's a serious heavyweight who laughs off weaker attacks. You've gotta hit him hard to send him flying!

Mario's princess-kidnapping arch-enemy. Yes, he's quite the villain, but he can also be a bit of a buffoon, too. And sometimes, he even ends up on Mario's side! As a serious heavyweight, he's tough to launch, and using standard attacks on him will only make him laugh. If you want to send him flying, make sure to whack him really hard!

: Super Mario Bros. (10/1985)

: Super Mario 64 (09/1996)

Bowser (Alt.)

Bowser makes good use of his heavy physique with his down special Bowser Bomb, slamming down with his bottom. If he's on the ground, he'll jump into the air before crashing down. Also, he can gain a bit of altitude if you press the special button repeatedly while executing Whirling Fortress, his up special.

Bowser makes good use of his heavy physique with his down special Bowser Bomb, slamming down with his backside. If he's on the ground, he'll jump into the air before crashing down. Also, he can gain a bit of altitude if you press the special button repeatedly while executing his up special Whirling Fortress.

Down special Bowser Bomb makes good use of Bowser's bulky physique to crush opponents. If you use it on the ground, he'll jump first, hitting anyone on the way up with his horns, then hit for a combo on the way down. When you use his Whirling Fortress up special in the air, press the button repeatedly to climb higher.

: Super Mario Bros. (10/1985)

: Super Mario 64 (09/1996)

Giga Bowser

Prepare to behold Bowser in all his Koopa glory. This fearsome form first appeared all the way back in Melee. While transformed, Bowser deals extra damage, is better at launching foes, and even gains special effects on some of his attacks. He won't flinch and can't be thrown, but he does still take damage.

The definitive way to prove that Bowser's the king. This fearsome form made its debut all the way back in Melee. While transformed, Bowser deals more damage, launches foes further, and certain attacks have extra effects like freezing opponents. He won't flinch, and he can't be thrown either, but he will still take damage.

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• 

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Giga Bowser (Final Smash)

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• A Battle of Scale: A giant Bowser must be defeated by a tiny Olimar.
• All-Star Battle: Melee: Bowser is one of the opponents fought in this event. All opponents debut in Melee, and reappear in Smash 4.
• Beautification: Two Bowsers and two Ganondorfs must be flowered by Rosalina & Luma.
• Enough with the Kidnapping: As Peach, the player must defeat Bowser and Bowser Jr.
• Family Ties: A giant Bowser will arrive to aid Bowser Jr.
• The Final Battle: The player must defeat Bowser, along with Ganondorf and King Dedede.
• The Original Heavyweights: Bowser and Donkey Kong must be defeated by Mario.

Co-op Events

• A Lurking Menace: A giant Bowser arrives if Mario and Luigi take too long to defeat Bowser Jr.
• A Royal Errand: Robin and Marth must collect 500G from Bowser and Wario.
• Final Battle Team-Up: Bowser appears as an opponent to be defeated.
• Peach in Peril: Bowser and Bowser Jr. must defeat all opponents except for Peach, where KOing her results in failure.
• Solidarity: Bowser and Bowser Jr. appear as opponents after Mario and Luigi have been defeated.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

  Bowser in the Nintendo Direct from April 8th, 2014.

• 

  Bowser's amiibo.

• 

  Bowser's appearance during E3.

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  Bowser's new forward smash.

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  Bowser's appearance in the 3DS version of the game.

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  Bowser shielding.

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  Bowser using Whirling Fortress near Fox.

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  Bowser uses Flying Slam in the Nintendo 3DS version.

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  Bowser and Samus fighting on Arena Ferox in the Nintendo 3DS version.

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  Bowser and Mario on Battlefield.

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  Sonic jabs his foot into Bowser.

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  Mario, Pikachu, Bowser and Pit on a red plane in Pilotwings.

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  Mega Man, Bowser and the Wii Fit Trainer in the Wii Fit stage.

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  Down taunt with Peach and a Bottled Fairy.

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  Getting blasted by Diddy Kong's overcharged Peanut Popgun.

Trivia

• Although Bowser was the last veteran confirmed during the E3 2013 event, he was the first veteran to debut in Melee to be confirmed.
• Bowser is the only character to have his victory theme change between Brawl and SSB4.
• Bowser's alternate trophy in the Wii U version resembles his All-Star Mode trophy from Melee.