Bowser Jr. (SSBU)
| Bowser Jr. in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | |
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| |
| Universe | Mario |
| Other playable appearance | in SSB4 |
| Availability | Unlockable |
| Final Smash | Shadow Mario Paint |
| “ | The Jr. Clown Car this little fella rides in takes less damage when attacked than Bowser Jr. himself—so try to stay in the car when taking damage. The different color variations are the Koopalings! | ” |
| —Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site | ||
Bowser Jr. (クッパ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 June 12th, 2018. He returns with his Junior Clown Car, and the Koopalings also return as his alternate costumes. Bowser Jr. is classified as fighter #58.
As in Smash 4, Caety Sagoian's portrayals of Bowser Jr. in the Mario games were repurposed for Ultimate. In addition, Lani Minella’s portrayals of Larry, Morton, Wendy, and Lemmy, Mike Vaughn’s portrayals of Iggy and Ludwig, and Dan Falcone’s portrayal of Roy from the New Super Mario Bros. games that were used in Smash 4 were also repurposed for Ultimate.
How to unlock
Complete one of the following:
- Play VS. matches, with Bowser Jr. being the 61st character to be unlocked.
- Clear Classic Mode with Fox or any character in his unlock tree, being the 6th character unlocked after Daisy.
- Have Bowser Jr. join the player's party in World of Light.
With the exception of the third method, Bowser Jr. must then be defeated on Delfino Plaza.
Attributes
Bowser Jr. is a unique heavyweight in the sense that, his Junior Clown Car has a separate hurtbox from him, making his survivability variable. Bowser Jr. has the sixtieth fastest walking speed, sixty-second fastest dashing speed and initial dash, twenty-sixth fastest air speed, thirty-first highest air acceleration, thirty-fourth highest gravity, the twenty-eighth fastest falling speed and fast falling speed, and the sixty-eighth highest traction. As a result of these attributes, Bowser Jr.'s mobility is merely average in most cases, though many characters supersede him in terms of approach.
Bowser Jr. and his Junior Clown Car both have separate hurtboxes, much like the 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 Jr.'s hurtbox: when combined with his heavy weight, this gives Bowser Jr. potentially above-average survivability compared to other characters, and even other heavyweights. Bowser Jr. also possesses a purely disjointed moveset and two good projectiles in Clown Cannon and Mechakoopa, giving him a ranged gameplan.
Clown Cannon can have two cannonballs in play at the same time, deals good damage and knockback, and its cannonballs travel quickly. This, as a result, 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 punishing tool. Mechakoopa is also disruptive in its own right, due to its explosion that is induced from hitting it. 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 his somewhat poor approach, as he can 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 double jump out of his side special, which grants 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 KOing option, should it hit foes at later percentages. Bowser Jr. himself is gifted with a hammer, which deals high damage and knockback, and has quick startup, all of which allow it to swiftly end opponents. Clown Kart Dash and Abandon Ship! can be mixed up with an air dodge for an excellent recovery.
Bowser Jr.'s aerials have great utility, going hand-in-hand with his specials. Neutral aerial has edgeguarding capabilities, and it is good to use 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; it is also good for KOing. Lastly, down aerial can shield stab, and works well with Clown Kart Dash when initiating follow-ups.
Bowser Jr.'s smash attacks are good KOing options, all dealing high knockback and overall damage: forward smash has low ending lag, stabs shields, and can be angled; up smash has very quick startup and ending lag, pressures shields, and denies any aerial approaches; lastly, down smash has high range, and KOs the earliest out of Jr.'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 impressive vertical distance, a weak hit from an attack can result in Bowser Jr. not being able to respawn his Clown Car if the player does not button mash. Another major problem that Bowser Jr. faces is a lack of viable options on shield, making him susceptible to punishes. Bowser Jr. is also a very straightforward character, which can make him quite predictable at times. In addition, Clown Cannon and Mechakoopa are important to Bowser Jr.'s neutral game, making it easy (especially for characters such as Fox) to shut down his options. Despite his overall grab range being rather long, his grabs have noticeable start-up and ending lag, while his throws are not very useful in general due to their inability to KO at reasonable percentages, while only up throw has combo potential at lower percents. Bowser Jr. suffers from poor KO potential due to having very few reliable KOing options (his neutral attack, smash attacks and his forward/back aerials), which is further compounded by said options being burdened with considerable ending lag.
Overall, Bowser Jr. fares well with a bait-and-punish playstyle like 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 easily exploitable weaknesses can make him a bit underwhelming overall and greatly overshadowed compared to the rest of the cast. Because of this, his results and representation have been largely below-average overall, like in SSB4.
Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4
Near the end of SSB4's metagame, Bowser Jr. had been considered a low tier, and was thus ranked as the 8th worst character in SSB4's most recent tier list (48th out of 55). Because of this, he was noticeably buffed in his transition to Ultimate.
One of the biggest changes include the Junior Clown Car now taking priority over Bowser Jr.'s hurtbox, making him unique as he will now take less damage on average compared to any other fighter. He also benefits heavily from the universal frame 3 jumpsquat, allowing him to use his formidable aerials more effectively. Bowser Jr.'s mobility is also better, due to his higher walking, dashing, and air speeds; his increased dashing speed contributes to a better grounded approach, while his increased air speed slightly aids his air game and recovery. His up tilt and grab's misleading hitboxes have been fixed (with the latter being given more range). Up throw is now capable of starting combos, while his down throw now deals much more damage, improving his previously lackluster grab game. His neutral attack was also fixed and connects reliably like many other neutral attacks, which is especially relevant for Bowser Jr., as the final hit has good KO potential.
His special moves, previously notorious for their lag and/or situational use, have been buffed significantly. 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; an uncharged landing cannonball can now hit twice to almost break a full shield. Clown Kart Dash travels faster, allows Bowser Jr. to keep his double jump if cancelled, 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. Abandon Ship!'s hammer swing has more range and a longer duration. Finally, Mechakoopas start moving quicker and bite onto victims, guaranteeing that the second hit will connect.
However, Bowser Jr. has received some minor nerfs, including a sourspot on his forward tilt and the removal of air dodging out of Clown Kart Dash. Additionally, Mechakoopas fall over if they walk into a shield and can then be picked up by the opponent, making them much easier to deactivate. Lastly, he retains several of his weaknesses from the previous game, including his extremely gimpable recovery.
Overall, Bowser Jr.'s moveset and attributes have been retooled to be more consistent and significantly less situational than in SSB4, allowing him to zone opponents more effectively. As of now, it is unknown how his changes will affect him compared to the rest of the cast. Due to many of his weaknesses from SSB4 remaining intact, many top-level players still view him as one of the worst characters in the game. This, however, is debatable, especially after the buffs he received in updates and notable performances thanks to players such as Young Eevey and Ketchup.
Aesthetics
As with all veterans returning from SSB4, Bowser Jr.'s model features a more subdued color scheme. Like his father, his horns, hair, and spikes feature simple detailing, but his scales remain undefined and his body is not as monotone. The new detailing is also expressed by the Koopalings.
- The Junior Clown Car's color scheme is also more subdued. In addition, the inside of the Junior Clown Car now contains a control panel.
- Bowser Jr is more expressive, he has a shocked expression when hit and scared expression when grabbed. The Junior Clown Car is also expressive, with new facial animations when Bowser Jr. gets hit and when he misses a grab.
- The Koopalings are more emotive than before, with their eyes and mouths animating somewhat differently from Bowser Jr.'s. Previously, only Lemmy had unique expressions.
- Instead of a hammer, the Koopalings pull out their respective wands from Super Mario Bros. 3 and the New Super Mario Bros. games.
- Bowser Jr. has a different pose during air dodge.
- Bowser Jr. now grabs the ledge with one hand as opposed to two, and has a panicked expression on his face.
Attributes
Like all characters, Bowser Jr.'s jumpsquat animation now takes three frames to complete (down from 6).- Bowser Jr. runs faster (1.424 → 1.566).
- Bowser Jr.'s initial dash is faster (1.6 → 1.76).
- Bowser Jr. walks faster (0.88 → 0.924).
- Bowser Jr.'s air speed is faster (1.08 → 1.134)
- Bowser Jr.'s Clown Car hurtbox takes priority over his body hurtbox, meaning that if the opponent hits the Clown Car, the attack is less damaging.
However, this causes Bowser Jr. to take more damage if he gets hit in the head or outside of his Clown Car, making his endurance more inconsistent.
Ground attacks
- Neutral attack:
- Hit 2 has less ending lag (FAF 40 → 30) and deals more hitstun, allowing it to connect into the looping hits more reliably.
- The looping hits have less startup lag (frame 10 → 4) and a faster rehit rate (frames between hits: 4 → 2), causing them to connect more reliably.
- The last hit has less startup lag (frame 8 → 7) and a bigger hitbox.
- First hit and looping hits deals less damage (first hit: 3% → 2%, loop: 2% → 0.5%).
- The last hit has more ending lag (FAF 39 → 44).
- The last hit is now an uppercut instead of a jab.
- Forward tilt:
- Forward tilt deals less knockback (30 base/110 scaling → 55/70).
- It has less ending lag (FAF 34 → 32).
- It has a sourspot that deals less damage (8% → 6%).
- Up tilt:
- Up tilt's blind spot between the fork's prongs and the Junior Clown Car has been removed.
- It has less ending lag (FAF 33 → 31).
- Down tilt:
- Down tilt deals more damage (1.5% → 2% (hits 1-2), 5% → 6% (hit 3), total: 8% → 10%) with no compensation on knockback.
- Its first two hits can be escaped from with SDI at very high percents.
- Dash attack:
- Dash attack's looping hits deal more damage (1.5% → 1.8%, total: 11.5% → 13%).
- Its hits connect more reliably.
- It has slightly less ending lag (FAF 50 → 48).
- Its final hit launches at a more horizontal angle that is more desirable for edgeguarding (60° → 50°).
- Forward smash:
- Forward smash's final hit has slightly less startup lag (frame 36 → 35) making it connect more reliably from the looping hits, though opponents still sometimes fall out.
- Up smash:
- Up smash hits six times instead of seven, with total damage compensated (1.3% (hits 2-5), 1% (hit 6) → 1.3% (hits 2-4), 2.3% (hit 5)).
- Its hits have a faster rehit rate (frames between hits: 3 → 1), causing them to connect more reliably.
- It has slightly less ending lag (FAF 57 → 54).
- Its final hit deals more base knockback (32 → 38).
- Down smash:
- Down smash deals slightly more knockback (40 base/89 scaling → 41/91).
Aerial attacks
- All aerials have less landing lag (18 frames → 9 (neutral), 27 → 16 (forward), 24 → 14 (back), 15 → 9 (up), 25 → 15 (down)).
- Neutral aerial:
- Neutral aerial deals more damage (6% (clean)/5% (mid)/3% (late) → 8%/7%/5%) with knockback scaling compensated (100 → 83/81/80).
- Forward aerial:
- Forward aerial no longer has a sourspot. It has also lost the late hit that deals 5%, making the weakest possible hit the previous sourspot's middle hit (7%).
- Down aerial:
- Down aerial's looping hits have 1 less frame of lag between each hit, making them connect more reliably.
- It deals more damage (1.3% → 1.5% (hits 1-8), 2% → 2.5% (last), total: 12.4% → 14.5%) with knockback scaling on the last hit compensated (130 → 124).
Throws/other attacks
- Grabs
- Bowser Jr. preemptively pulls out his toy hammer in his grab animation, and will look dejected if it misses.
- Standing grab has more range, actually matching the hitbox of the Junior Clown Kart's claw instead of stopping before the middle of the claw.
- Standing and pivot grabs have less startup lag (Standing/pivot: frame 12/15 → 11/12).
- Dash grab has slightly more startup lag (frame 13 → 14).
- All grabs have more ending lag (Standing/dash/pivot: FAF 36/45/42 → 41/49/44).
- Pummel:
- Pummel's animation is slightly different.
- It deals less damage (2% → 1.3%), but is faster.
- Forward throw:
- Forward throw's second hit deals more damage (6% → 7%, total: 9% → 10%) with no compensation on knockback, improving its KO potential.
- Back throw:
- Back throw deals less damage (12% → 11%) with knockback scaling compensated (65 → 70).
- Up throw:
- Up throw has less ending lag (FAF 45 → 38) and deals less knockback (55 base/85 scaling → 65/60), granting it combo potential.
- Down throw:
- Down throw has seven looping hits instead of five that deal significantly more damage (0.5% (hits 1-5) → 1.2% (hits 1-7), total: 6.5% → 12.4%).
- It sends at a more horizontal angle (55° → 30°), allowing it to set up for edgeguards.
- It deals less knockback (80 base/110 scaling → 90/55).
- Edge attack:
- Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 10%).
Special moves
- Clown Cannon:
- Clown Cannon's charging animation has been altered to be more similar to smash attacks. When fully charged, the animation stops, giving a better indication of its charge time.
- Its cannonballs travel in a spiraling path, similar to ones fired by Shotzos, instead of flying straight. This increases their effective range.
- It has less startup (frame 43-103 → 37-97) and ending lag (FAF 81-141 → 73-133).
- It can have up to two cannonballs in play at once.
- Its aerial cannonballs keep an active hitbox after starting to fall in midair, allowing them to be used for edgeguarding. This does not apply for cannonballs that have already landed.
- Its cannonballs deal more damage when uncharged (early: 8.5% → 10%, late: 5.9% → 7%).
- Its cannonballs deal significantly more shield damage (0 → 8), capable of doing more than half a shield's health when fully charged.
- Its uncharged cannonballs travel slower, letting one follow it. This makes it easier to dodge, but grants new setups based around the cannonball, significantly improving its utility.
- Because of this, an uncharged cannonball can hit shields twice before it drops at maximum distance, dealing extreme shield damage.
- Its cannonballs deal less knockback.
- Clown Kart Dash:
- Clown Kart Dash moves faster.
- It reaches its maximum speed immediately after beginning to move and therefore also no longer needs to accelerate to deal maximum damage with the collision.
- Its collision deals more damage (4%-7% → 5.2%-8.8%) and has more knockback scaling (80 → 95).
- Its spinout deals more damage (8%-12% → 10%-16.3%) with knockback scaling not fully compensated (80 → 75).
- Its spinout has less startup lag (frame 5 → 3).
- After cancelling it in the air, Bowser Jr. keeps his double jump.
- It can no longer be airdodged out of.
- It makes Bowser Jr. jump higher on sloped platforms.
- Abandon Ship!:
- The Junior Clown Car no longer respawns when Bowser Jr. grabs onto a ledge after using Abandon Ship!. While this results in him always receiving 1.15x damage if he gets hit, it also means that his hurtbox is considerably smaller.
- Abandon Ship!'s hammer swing has a longer hitbox duration (frame 8 (hit 1)/13 (hit 2) → 8-9/13-14).
- Its hammer swing has a bigger hitbox (6.5u/3.0u → 7.0u/3.5u).
- Mechakoopa:
- Mechakoopas start walking earlier (frame 54 → 48). They no longer bounce.
- They cling onto the opponent they make contact with, detonating on them even if they are being knocked away. This also allows for reliable kill setups.
- They explode upon hitting a shield if thrown.
- They deactivate and lie on the ground when they walk into a shield. They can still be picked up and used before they completely disappear after a second passes.
- Final Smash:
- Shadow Mario Paint is active for a shorter amount of time.
Update history
Bowser Jr. has been buffed by game updates so far. However, how these buffs will affect his status is yet to be known.
- Abandon Ship! has more super armor.
- After using Abandon Ship!, Bowser Jr. can no longer air dodge more than once.
- When using Clown Kart Dash to collide into a wall, Bowser Jr. descends instead of ascends. This removes its ability to stall an opponent.
- Neutral attack's second hit deals more hitstun. This makes it connect more reliably into neutral infinite.
- Up tilt has less ending lag (FAF 33 → 31). This improves its combo potential.
- Dash attack's last hit has an altered angle (60° → 50°). This improves its edge-guarding potential.
- Up smash's last hit has more base knockback (32 → 38). This improves its KO potential.
- Aerial Clown Cannon has less start-up (frame 43-103 → 37-97) and ending lag (FAF 79-139 → 73-133).
- Clown Kart Dash travels faster.
- Due to Clown Kart Dash's damage output being determined by how quickly Bowser Jr. is moving, this also increases its damage output (4%-7.3% → 5.2%-8.8%).
- Clown Kart Dash's hitbox remains active after bouncing off the ground.
Fixed a glitch where Bowser Jr. could cancel aerial Clown Kart Dash's spin-out into a jump within a few frames of landing on the ground.- Grounded Abandon Ship!'s clown car hitbox connects into its explosion hitbox more reliably.
- Abandon Ship!'s hammer has larger hitboxes (6.5u/3u → 7u/3.5u) and a longer hitbox duration (frame 8 (hit 1)/13 (hit 2) → 8-9/13-14).
Moveset
- Fighter ability: 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.
Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the 1v1 multiplier.
| Name | Damage | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral attack | 2% | The Junior Clown Car performs a one-two combo, followed by a flurry of punches, followed by a jab. It has impressive damage racking potential, as it can easily deal around 20%. Its first hit is quite useful for jab locks due to its minimal ending lag, whereas its last hit's extremely high knockback growth can KO around 130%-150% while near the edge. However, its neutral infinite is quite easy to escape, even with minimal SDI, while its last hit is punishable. As a result, it is best used against off-stage opponents that are attempting to grab the edge. | ||
| 2% | ||||
| 0.5% (loop), 3% (last) | ||||
| Forward tilt | 8% (sweetspot), 6% (sourspot) | The Junior Clown Car thrusts a pitchfork forward. It can be angled and is very useful for spacing. | ||
| Up tilt | 6% | The Junior Clown Car thrusts a pitchfork upward. It can combo into itself beginning at 0% and juggle at medium percentages. | ||
| Down tilt | 2% (hits 1-2), 6% (hit 3) | 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. | ||
| Dash attack | 1.8% (hits 1-5), 4% (hit 6) | The Junior Clown Car opens its mouth to swing a Grinder twice. Its loop hits do not connect together very well at high percentages. | ||
| Forward smash | Smash Twin Drills | 1% (hits 1-5), 11% (hit 6) | 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. | |
| Up smash | 1% (hit 1), 1.3% (hits 2-4), 2.3% (hit 5), 6% (hit 6) | Bowser Jr. performs a handstand to attack with the Junior Clown Car's spinning propeller. It is Bowser Jr.'s fastest smash attack, with its multiple hits being useful for pressuring shields or denying aerial approaches. | ||
| Down smash | 18% | The Junior Clown Car slams wrecking balls on both sides. It is Bowser Jr.'s most powerful smash attack, and is the third strongest down smash in the game, making it deadly for punishment. However, it has high ending lag unlike his other smash attacks, making it equally as punishable. | ||
| Neutral aerial | 8% (clean), 7% (mid), 5% (late) | The Junior Clown Car spins 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. | ||
| Forward aerial | 11%/9% (clean), 8%/6.5% (mid), 5%/4% (late), 2% (landing) | The Junior Clown Car swings a wrecking ball forward in a circling motion. Landing while the wrecking ball is still out produces another hitbox, which can lead to more follow-ups on the ground, as well as compensate for its high landing lag. Useful for edge-guarding and spacing, as well as a viable KOing option. | ||
| Back aerial | 14% (clean tip), 8% (clean base, late) | The Junior Clown Car thrusts a wrecking ball backward. Like his forward aerial, landing while the wrecking ball is still out produces another hitbox, which can lead to more follow-ups on the ground. Useful for edge-guarding and a viable KOing option due to its high knockback. | ||
| Up aerial | 10% (clean), 6.5% (late) | Swings a hammer above himself. It has little lag and is a useful juggling option. | ||
| Down aerial | 1.5% (hits 1-8), 2.5% (last), 2% (landing) | 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. | ||
| Grab | — | The Junior Clown Car extends a claw to grab the opponent. A slow grab overall. | ||
| Pummel | 1.3% | Hits the opponent with a toy hammer. A fairly fast pummel. The toy hammer looks identical to the one used in the Eekhammer sticker from Paper Mario: Sticker Star. Each hit plays the recurring sound of Mario jumping onto a Goomba in the Super Mario franchise. | ||
| Forward throw | 3% (hit 1), 7% (throw) | The Junior Clown Car throws an uppercut. It is fairly good for launching opponents at the edge for an edge-guard. | ||
| Back throw | 11% | The Junior Clown Car spins and then throws the opponent backward. Bowser Jr.'s most powerful throw, as it can KO most middleweights starting around 160% without rage. | ||
| Up throw | 7% | The Junior Clown Car flings the opponent upward. It can lead into up aerial at low percentages. | ||
| Down throw | 1.2% (hits 1-7), 4% (throw) | The Junior Clown Car throws the opponent onto the ground and then extends a drill from its underside hatch to pierce opponents. It can be used to pressure the opponent into his Clown Kart Dash. | ||
| Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge |
— | — | ||
| Techs | — | — | ||
| Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front) |
6% | Gets up while spinning a pair boxing gloves outstretched on both sides. | ||
| Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back) |
7% | Gets up while spinning a Grinder around himself. | ||
| Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip) |
5% | Gets up while thrusting a pitchfork on both of sides. | ||
| Edge attack Edge getups |
10% | Slams a pair of wrecking balls while climbing up. | ||
| Neutral special | Clown Cannon | 10% (uncharged), 7% (uncharged late), 20% (fully charged), 14% (fully charged late) | The Junior Clown Car opens its mouth and fires a 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. | |
| Side special | Clown Kart Dash | 5.2%-8.8% (collision), 10%-16.3% (doughnut) | The Junior Clown Car transforms into a go-kart that speeds forward. Tilting the control stick/circle pad in the opposite direction or pressing the attack/special button will cause the Junior Clown Car to perform a doughnut, which deals more damage and has higher knockback to opponents on contact compared to simply charging into them. Spinning out in the air can produce horizontal movement, after which it can be used again. All versions of the move can be jump canceled, even right after hitting an opponent, which can lead into combos and mix-ups. | |
| Up special | Abandon Ship! | 5% (contact), 13% (explosion), 15%/10% (hammer) | 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. However, taking any weak hit while out of the Junior Clown Car prevents another use of the move without button mashing or landing. | |
| Down special | Mechakoopa | 2% (contact), 7% (explosion) | The Junior Clown Car drops a 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. 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. | |
| Final Smash | Shadow Mario Paint | 3% (paint), 5% (explosion) | Bowser Jr. transforms into Shadow Mario and uses the Magic Paintbrush to 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. | |
On-screen appearance
- Flies onto the stage in the Junior Clown Car and makes a taunting facial expression toward the camera.
Taunts
- Up Taunt: Jumps up, sits on the edge of the Junior Clown Car, and makes a tiny breath of fire, chuckling.
- Side Taunt: Twirls a hammer, or in the case of the Koopalings, their respective wands.
- Down Taunt: The Clown Car spawns its wheels and performs a donut, then returns to normal.
Bowser Jr.'s up taunt.
Bowser Jr.'s side taunt.
Bowser Jr.'s down taunt.
Idle poses
- Places his hand over his eyes and looks around
- Hops impatiently in the Junior Clown Car.
Bowser Jr.'s first idle pose
Bowser Jr.'s second idle pose
Victory poses
- Left: Jumps out of the Clown Car, hops in celebration a few times, then poses.
- Up: Drives the Clown Car around like a go-kart, then stops and pulls out a hammer (or a wand, if playing as a Koopaling).
- Right: Gets out of the Clown Car and rubs it with his right hand.
In competitive play
Notable players
Ketchup - Placed 7th at 2GG: Breakthrough 2019 and 17th at both SoCal Chronicles and Ultimate Nimbus.- Taternator - Placed 17th in 2GG: Breakthrough 2019 and 33rd in 2GG: SwitchFest 2019.
- Tra$h Koopa God - Placed 9th at Emerald City 8 and 17th at Don't Park on the Grass and Port Priority 5. Has a win over Mr E.
Young Eevey - Placed 2nd at TSEA Link Summer Smash, 7th at Albion 4 and 25th at Glitch 7 with a win over yeti.
Classic Mode: Mama Peach, Where Are You?
All of Bowser Jr.'s opponents are princesses, some of which are teamed up with their love interest (or in Lucina's case, her father).
| Round | Opponent | Stage | Music | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rosalina & Luma  |
Mario Galaxy | Rosalina in the Observatory / Luma's Theme | |
| 2 | Lucina  and Chrom  |
Arena Ferox | Prelude (Ablaze) | |
| 3 | Daisy  and Luigi  |
Mushroom Kingdom U | Mario Tennis / Mario Golf | |
| 4 | Zelda  |
Hyrule Castle | Saria's Theme | |
| 5 | Mii Fighters  (x2)  (x2)  (x2) |
Peach's Castle | Main Theme - Super Mario 64 | Horde Battle. The Mii Fighters all wear princess wigs.
|
| 6 | Mario  and Peach  |
Delfino Plaza | Delfino Plaza | |
| Bonus Stage | ||||
| Final | Master Hand | Final Destination | Master Hand (Less than 7.0 intensity) Master Hand / Crazy Hand (Intensity 7.0 or higher) |
On intensity 7.0 and higher, Crazy Hand fights alongside Master Hand. |
Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Bowser Jr. has Delfino Plaza (Remix) accompany the credits.
Role in World of Light
Although Bowser Jr. does not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene, he was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (except Kirby) when Galeem unleashed his beams of light.
Bowser Jr. was one of the many fighters that fell under Dharkon's control upon Galeem's first defeat. He is found in one of two alternate pathlines on the Triforce of Power segment of the Sacred Land sub-area, guarded by various Legendary spirits.
Fighter Battle
| No. | Image | Name | Type | Power | Stage | Music |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 |  |
Bowser Jr. | Grab | 12,500 | Mushroomy Kingdom (Ω form) | Fortress Boss - Super Mario Bros. 3 |
Spirits
Bowser Jr.'s Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Bowser Jr. in World of Light allows the player to preview the 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 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.
Additionally, due to being alternate swaps, each of the Koopalings possess their own Fighter Spirits.
- Bowser Jr Fighter Spirit.png
10. Bowser Jr.
- Iggy Koopa Spirit.png
11. Iggy
12. Wendy
13. Lemmy
14. Roy (Super Mario Bros.)
15. Larry
16. Ludwig
17. Morton
70. Shadow Mario
.png)
In Spirit Battles
As the main opponent
| Spirit | Battle parameters | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Image | Name | Series | Enemy Fighter(s) | Type | Power | Stage | Rules | Conditions | Music |
| 39 | Lakitu & Spiny | Super Mario series | •Iggy  •Tiny Bowser  (×8)
|
 |
3,400 | Mushroom Kingdom | N/A | •Defeat an army of fighters | Ground Theme - Super Mario Bros. | |
| 57 |  |
Tatanga | Super Mario Land series | •Morton 
|
 |
3,800 | Mario Galaxy (Battlefield form) | N/A | •The enemy starts the battle with a Super Scope | Underground Theme - Super Mario Land |
| 70 |  |
Shadow Mario | Super Mario series | •Bowser Jr. 
|
 |
9,800 | Delfino Plaza (Ω form) | •Sudden Final Smash •Hazard: Sticky Floor |
•The floor is sticky •The enemy will suddenly have a Final Smash after a little while •The enemy's FS Meter charges quickly |
Delfino Plaza |
| 106 | Fawful | Mario & Luigi series | •Iggy •R.O.B. 
|
|
3,700 | Prism Tower | N/A | •Stamina battle •The enemy starts the battle with a Rocket Belt |
The Grand Finale | |
| 168 |  |
Kalypso | Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast | •Wendy Team  (x4)
|
|
1,800 | Kongo Falls | N/A | •The enemy starts the battle with a Rocket Belt •The enemy has increased move speed |
Boss 2 - DK: Jungle Climber |
| 346 | Heavy Lobster | Kirby series | •Lemmy 
|
|
3,600 | Halberd | •Item: Fire Flower | •The enemy starts the battle with a Fire Flower | Meta Knight's Revenge | |
| 714 |  |
Pandora | Kid Icarus series | •Wendy •Ally: Dark Pit 
|
|
3,500 | Kalos Pokémon League (Ω form) | •Bob-omb Festival | •Join forces with a CPU ally •Bob-ombs will rain from the sky after a little while •Explosion attacks aren't as effective against the enemy |
Dark Pit's Theme |
| 776 | Dr. Eggman | Sonic the Hedgehog series | •Roy  •Metal Sonic 
|
|
13,200 | Green Hill Zone | •Bob-omb Festival •Item: Shooting Types |
•Bob-ombs will rain from the sky after a little while •The enemy's shooting items have increased power •Items will be pulled toward the enemy |
Green Hill Zone | |
| 846 |  |
Kapp'n | Animal Crossing series | •Iggy
|
|
9,600 | Wuhu Island (Rocks at sea) | •Buoyancy Reduced •Hazard: Heavy Wind |
•You can't swim •Dangerously high winds are in effect |
Kapp'n's Song |
| 913 |  |
Tron Bonne | Mega Man Legends series | •Wendy •Tiny R.O.B.  (×2)
|
|
3,600 | Wuhu Island (Talon Rock) | N/A | •Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle | We're Robots (Dr. Wily Stage 2) |
| 958 | .png) |
Riki | Xenoblade Chronicles series | •Roy •Shulk 
|
|
8,000 | Gaur Plain (Ω form) | •Earthquake •Flowery •Assist Trophy Enemies (Riki) |
•The enemy's special moves have increased power •Hostile assist trophies will appear •You constantly take minor damage after a little while |
Gaur Plain |
| 1,040 |  |
Murch | Splatoon series | •Morton
|
 |
3,700 | Saffron City | •Attack Power ↑ •Move Speed ↑ •Item: Unira |
•The enemy has increased move speed •The enemy has increased attack power after a little while |
Inkoming! |
| 1,133 |  |
MONSTER | Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally series | •Giant Roy Team •Giant Morton •Giant Iggy •Giant Wendy
|
|
1,900 | Mushroomy Kingdom | N/A | •The enemy favors side specials •The enemy is giant |
Title Theme - 3D Hot Rally |
| 1,134 |  |
Tank & Infantry | Famicom Wars series | •Metal Iggy •Snake  (×2)
|
|
3,900 | Gerudo Valley | N/A | •The enemy favors neutral specials •The enemy is metal |
Garage |
| 1,151 | F-Type | Stunt Race FX | •Roy
|
|
2,200 | Figure-8 Circuit | N/A | •Timed battle •The enemy has increased move speed and reduced weight |
Title Theme - 3D Hot Rally | |
| 1,152 |  |
Tractor Trailer | Stunt Race FX | •Morton
|
|
1,900 | Moray Towers | N/A | •The enemy's side special has increased power •The enemy favors side specials |
Excite Truck |
| 1,318 |  |
Toy-Con Car | Nintendo Labo series | •Bowser Jr. Team (×8) (   )
|
|
4,200 | Wuhu Island (Frisbee Dog Park) | N/A | •Stamina battle •The enemy favors side specials •The enemy can deal damage by dashing into you |
Title Theme - 3D Hot Rally |
As a minion
| Spirit | Battle parameters | Inspiration | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Image | Name | Series | Enemy Fighter(s) | Type | Power | Stage | Rules | Conditions | Music | Character |
| 450 |  |
Kangaskhan | Pokémon series | •Bowser  •Larry
|
|
3,700 | Windy Hill Zone | N/A | •Defeat the main fighter to win •Reinforcements will appear during the battle |
Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Brawl) | Baby Kangaskhan |
| 700 |  |
Turtle Bridge | Game & Watch series | •Mr. Game & Watch  •Squirtle  •Morton •Bowser 
|
|
1,700 | Flat Zone X (hazards off) | N/A | •The enemy favors back air attacks | Flat Zone | Turtle |
Alternate costumes
Instead of alternate color schemes, Bowser Jr.'s alternate costumes consist of the Koopalings. Bowser Jr.'s Junior Clown Car is the only one with black eyes and horizontal orange "eye paint", while the Koopalings' Clown Cars have yellow mechanical eyes with vertical black "eye paint". All of the Koopalings have their own models and voice clips.
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Gallery
Bowser Jr.'s fighter card.
Charging his forward smash on 3D Land.
Performing his dash attack on Princess Peach's Castle.
Jabbing at Villager on Boxing Ring.
Performing his forward tilt towards tempura shrimp on Tomodachi Life.
Roy, Iggy, Larry, and Ludwig on Wuhu Island.
Taunting with Lemmy, Wendy, and Morton on Tomodachi Life.
Idling next to Snake on Tomodachi Life.
Struck by Alucard on Castle Siege.
Character Showcase Video
Trivia
- The "Everyone is Here!" trailer features a visual glitch: when Lemmy uses his down taunt, his face disappears for a few frames at the end of the animation.
- The Junior Clown Car also shows a visual glitch, with two mouths overlapping each other when Ludwig is seen falling off a ledge.
- In Bowser Jr.'s showcase video, at one point the seven Koopalings follow Jr. in the same order they are fought in New Super Mario Bros. U.
- Despite the fact that Bowser has his own sub-world in World of Light, Bowser Jr. is fought in the Sacred Realm.
- Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings are among the few voiced fighters in Ultimate whose voice clips are sourced from their own games rather than specifically recorded for a Smash game. They share this trait with Banjo & Kazooie, Daisy, Rosalina & Luma, Yoshi, Inkling, Sonic, Young Link and Toon Link.
- The render of Lemmy resembles artwork of him from New Super Mario Bros. U, which is the same artwork used for his Fighter Spirit, and he is the only Koopaling to be completely out of the Junior Clown Car.
- Similarly, the render of Wendy resembles an illustration of her from Super Mario World.
- Bowser Jr. is the only fighter whose alternate costumes all have different names and voice clips.
- Due to the presence of the Shadow Mario and DLC Toy-Con Car Spirits, Bowser Jr. is one of the characters to use their default costumes in certain Spirit Battles, the others being Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, Peach, Mario, Luigi, R.O.B., Inkling, Robin, and Joker, though the latter three are only through DLC.
- Out of all of these characters, Bowser Jr., Yoshi, Mr. Game & Watch, and R.O.B. are the only ones who used their default costumes in spirit battles through one of the 1297 spirits available when the game first launched.
- This is not counting Alph and female Corrin, who use their main colors in a few spirit battles, but themselves are alternate costumes.
- Despite that, there's no proper battle against a default Bowser Jr. in World of Light outside of himself because the only Spirit Battle in which he is present (Shadow Mario) is absent, instead finding puppet fighters of the Koopalings. The only exception to this are the false Bowser Jr.s created during battles involving Dharkon.
- Additionally, Ludwig was the only Koopaling not present in any spirit battle until the DLC Toy-Con Car Spirit was introduced.
- Alongside Mr. Game & Watch and Yoshi., Bowser Jr. is one of the few characters with a Spirit battle where all of his alternate costumes appear in a single Spirit fight.
- Additionally, Ludwig was the only Koopaling not present in any spirit battle until the DLC Toy-Con Car Spirit was introduced.
- Prior to version 1.1.0, Bowser Jr.'s airdodge behaved exactly how it did in Smash 4 when using it out of Abandon Ship!, making him the only character to have been capable of performing multiple airdodges without touching the ground or getting hit in any version of Ultimate.
- Bowser Jr. is the only character who travels to Delfino Plaza in Classic Mode.
- Bowser Jr. in his default appearance is one of the only two fully reptilian playable characters that do not appear in Yoshi's Classic Mode, the other being Squirtle.
- Lemmy's damage meter portrait protrudes to the left the most out of every fighter. Likewise, Larry's protrudes upward the most out of every fighter.
