Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Bowser (SSBU)

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This article is about Bowser's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For the character in other contexts, see Bowser.
Bowser
in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Bowser
MarioSymbol.svg
Universe Mario
Other playable appearances in Melee
in Brawl
in SSB4
Availability Unlockable
Final Smash Giga Bowser Punch
Bowser (SSBU)

Bowser (クッパ, Koopa) is an unlockable playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was teased in a trailer released on March 8th, 2018 before being fully confirmed as playable on June 12th, 2018. He retains the voice clips that he had in Super Smash Bros. 4, though these can potentially be placeholder sound clips.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

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Aesthetics

  • Change As with all veterans returning from SSB4, Bowser's model features a more subdued color scheme. His colors overall are slightly darker and more monotone, similar to his appearance in Melee, while his scales, hair, horns, and spikes exhibit simple detailing, similar to Brawl.
  • Change Bowser has been made more expressive than previous installments with facial expressions reminiscent of his appearances in the Mario series, although not to the same extent as other fighters.
  • Change Bowser has a new victory pose. He now breathes fire towards the screen before striking a pose that is similar to his SSB4 artwork. It replaces his shell spinning victory pose.
  • Change Bowser's up and side taunts have been shortened, the latter also updated to match his upright stance.

Attributes

  • Buff Universal 3-frame jumpsquat vastly improves Bowser's ground-to-air transitioning, as his previous jumpsquat lasted 8 frames.
  • Buff Bowser's universal heavy armor (officially known as "Tough Guy") seems to be amplified, to the point where he can resist attacks like Villager's slingshot, and the linking hits of Mewtwo's up smash.
  • Nerf Bowser jumps lower.

Ground attacks

  • Nerf Both hits of neutral attack do slightly less damage.
  • Change The first attack in Bowser's neutral combo is now a Sumo-style palm strike.
  • Change Bowser's forward tilt is now a swung back hand punch with the arm slightly bent. Despite this, the fist is enlarged while the hitbox is out, so its range appears unaltered.
  • Buff Bowser's down tilt is much faster, allowing both hits to link more reliably, and the first strike can trip at low percents.
  • Nerf Bowser's down tilt does less damage.
  • Buff Bowser's up smash's sourspot does slightly more damage.
  • Buff Bowser has a new down smash: a grounded claw swipe that hits forward, then backward. This improves the range of Bowser's old down smash and deals much more knockback. The animation is also much faster.
  • Nerf Down smash has fewer active frames.

Aerials

  • Buff All aerials have significantly lower landing lag.
  • Nerf Neutral aerial's hits connect less reliably.
  • Buff Forward aerial comes out quicker.

Throws/other attacks

  • Buff Grab is faster.
  • Nerf Grab has more endlag.
  • Change Pummel is faster but deals less damage.
  • Buff Up throw deals more damage and knockback.
  • Nerf Up throw's increased knockback removes most of its combo potential.
  • Change Bowser now hops on the final hit of up throw.
  • Buff Down throw has faster start-up and does more damage.

Special moves

  • Buff Fire Breath now has a flinching hitbox at the end of the move.
  • Change Fire Breath is more vibrant in color as opposed to the more realistic flame in SSB4.
  • Buff Flying Slam is faster.
  • Buff Flying Slam has less startup lag.
  • Nerf Flying Slam has more endlag.
  • Nerf Flying Slam no longer autocancels upon landing.
  • Change Flying Slam now spins Bowser around more dramatically on the way down and now has an explosion effect on landing.
  • Buff Grounded Whirling Fortress does more damage and has less ending lag.
  • Buff The final hitbox of aerial Whirling Fortress has significantly improved knockback, making its ending much harder to punish and now making it a kill move.
  • Nerf Aerial Whirling Fortress now needs multiple button pressing to recover, and travels a shorter distance.
  • Change Aerial Whirling Fortress now has Bowser spin more at an angle toward the camera.
  • Change Giga Bowser's functionality has drastically changed: rather than utilizing Bowser's Brawl moveset, he teleports to the background of the stage as a giant, and aims a single punch that can potentially force a Screen KO on its victims or do massive knockback upon them.

Alternate costumes

Bowser Palette (SSBU).png

Gallery

Character Showcase Video

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Trivia

  • Bowser's official artwork resembles a pose he commonly makes for Mario games, being almost identical to official art for Super Mario 64 DS, Fortune Street and Mario Party 10.
  • Like in SSB4, he was the first Melee newcomer to be confirmed.
  • During the segment of the E3 2018 Nintendo Direct focusing on Bowser, Sakurai states that the changes made to his Final Smash are an allusion to the boss fight with Baby Bowser at the end of Yoshi's Island.