Characteristics
Bowser is portrayed as the "King of the Koopas", anthropomorphic turtles that inhabit the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser differs greatly from the rest of his clan, who appear mainly as bipedal tortoises. His iconic features include a large, spiked shell, horns, razor-sharp teeth, and a shock of red hair. In addition, while most Koopas prefer fruits and vegetables as their diet, Bowser, due to his sharp teeth, prefers meat, though he has, on occasion, consumed vegetation, as well. He is physically powerful, can breathe fire, and is said to have skills in black magic.
Bowser's physical size tends to vary from game to game. In most games, he dwarfs the majority of characters, but there are exceptions. In Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars, he stands only slightly taller than Mario.
Bowser aspires to take over the Mushroom Kingdom and merge it with his own realm. He is infatuated with Princess Peach, and routinely kidnaps her as part of his plans for domination. Sometimes, however, he kidnaps Peach simply to lure Mario into a trap, and occasionally even to marry her.
The character's role in the franchise varies. He is typically the main antagonist in the game, but in the RPG series, he sometimes works with the heroes to defeat a greater evil. The RPGs also portray Bowser in a more humorous light as a blustering, buffoonish bully with a hidden softer side.
Bowser also has his own castle in a hellish, volcanic world. Known internationally as Bowser's Castle, he can summon his minions here in order to take over the kingdom and capture Peach. In addition, the battles against Mario also takes place in the main games where he will challenge him to a final fight. In the spin-offs, the castle can also serve as a racetrack, a tennis court, a baseball stadium and many more. He also has a son, Bowser Jr., who helps his father kidnap Peach. Bowser Jr.'s mother is unknown, as long as Bowser isn't officially confirmed having a previous marriage. Originally in The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3, Bowser was stated to be the father of the Koopalings, but after Koopalings made their reappearances in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, in a recent interview Shigeru Miyamoto admitted that they are not Bowser's children in official canon.
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