SMBM Dark Lands / Characters

Super Mario Bros. Main Character Index
The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Mario Bros. | Mushroom Kingdom | Dark Lands | Everyone Else

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Dark Lands

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An inhospitable realm under Bowser's reign. He presides over the Dark Lands from a floating castle filled with Koopas and other minions.

General

Adorable Evil Minions: The designs of Bowser's minions are more or less lifted straight from the games, resulting in varying degrees of dissonance between their appearance and the threat they represent.
Always Chaotic Evil: Downplayed. All of Bowser's minions are on board with conquest and destruction, only questioning their leader when his evil plan turns out to be more mundane and cheesy than they thought. However, a closer look in Bowser's dungeon shows that several prisoners are Goombas and Koopa Troopas (some of whom are reduced to Dry Bones), implying that there are dissenters. For the Koopas in particular, their warmongering reputation is so infamous that Peach herself is surprised to hear that turtles in Mario's world are not evil (and make for adorable pets).
Ambiguous Situation: One of the few landmarks on the mainland is an abandoned mansion/castle of some sort, where Luigi is ambushed by a hoard of Shy Guys. What they were doing there and what purpose the building serves, if any, isn't clear.
Big Boo's Haunt: The Dark Lands is a creepy area where Dry Bones chase Luigi towards a decrepit castle. Has shades of Mordor thanks to the lava.
Convection, Schmonvection: Much like the games, the Dark Lands' lava does not have the kind of ambient heat it would have in real life as Luigi and a horde of Dry Bones manage to jump over a pool of lava without getting burned. Taken to extremes in the climax where Luigi nearly gets dipped face-first into a pit of lava until Donkey Kong manages to save the caged prisoners, with more than half of Luigi's cage melted off while he was hanging onto the ceiling. The film ignores conduction as well, since both the metal cage, as well as the manhole cover that Luigi uses to shield Mario from Bowser's fire breath, don't seem to absorb any of the heat.
Cool Airship: Bowser's castle functions as one. The fact that it has a volcano on it that actually shoots lava would push it up to pretty awesome.
Death Mountain: Bowser's Castle is a Floating Island that has its own active volcano.
Disappointed by the Motive: Subverted. Bowser's minions are a bit confused and disappointed when their leader reveals they had destroyed the entire Ice Kingdom and took its prized Super Star... planning to use it as a wedding proposal to Peach. They then are reinvigorated when Bowser promises to use its power to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom if she says no.
Floating Continent: Bowser's volcanic castle is fully capable of flight and operates as an invading warship.
Lethal Lava Land: The base of operations for the Koopas is a mobile version of this, basically a huge, floating chunk of igneous rock with a lake of lava and even a volcano. Some of the lava is constantly cascading out of the structure, melting the ice cap outside the penguin palace as it drops.
Mordor: Bowser's floating kingdom looks similar to the actual Mordor, being a massive floating piece of volcanic landscape. When Luigi first lands on the kingdom, it is a dark and desolate place filled with dead trees, with Luigi being chased by a horde of Dry Bones into a large fortress surrounded by a moat of lava.
No Body Left Behind: The castle seemingly gets teleported back to the Dark Lands when the Mario Bros. slam into it while juiced up on the power star.
Ominous Clouds: Bowser's Castle is accompanied by dark clouds, something noticeable as it looms over the Mushroom Kingdom.
Ominous Floating Castle: Bowser has a mobile floating castle that he uses to travel to different kingdoms, and is dark and foreboding with lava dripping out of the sides.
Villains Out Shopping: After acquiring the Super Star, Bowser and his army throw a victory party full of Rotten Rock & Roll but otherwise fairly normal festivities, aside from the occasional friendly(?) nibble.

King Bowser

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bowser_77.png

"Not sure if you know who I am, but I'm about to marry a princess and rule the world."

Voiced by: Jack Black, Kenny James (roars, grunts)^{Foreign VAs}

"We'll see how tough this Mario is when he watches me kill his brother!"

The cruel, tyrannical King of the Koopas, who rules the Dark Lands.

Abhorrent Admirer: He's one towards Peach just like in the games, trying to get her to marry him despite her telling him to his face she's not interested. He also doesn't understand (or perhaps doesn't care) that things like threatening her friends, using her homeland as leverage and ordering a mass execution as a wedding gift generally don't win the ladies over.
Adaptational Dye-Job: A very subtle example, but Bowser's shoulders are speckled with greenish scales, making for a smoother transition between the light yellow-orange scales on his body and emerald-green scales on his head.
Adaptational Jerkass: While a Card-Carrying Villain, Bowser in the games is a Benevolent Boss to his troops. Here, Bowser is more than willing to mistreat his troops if they displease him (not even his right-hand man Kamek is exempt from this, as Bowser smashes his piano cover onto Kamek's fingers at one point) and can't even remember the name of the Spinies' species. Also, unlike his game counterpart, his genuine affection for Peach in the games is removed here and is replaced with more of a lustful obsession, evidenced by how he does not take being rejected and surprise-attacked by Peach very well, going straight into attack mode at being outsmarted at the wedding and immediately retaliating with his deadly fire breath.
Adaptational Villainy: Bowser in the games was unrepentantly evil but in the movie he's significantly crueler and more ruthless. He outright orders Kamek to torture Toad via Agony Beam to push Peach into marrying him and tries to sacrifice a load of prisoners (including Luigi) at the wedding. The Japanese dub takes it much further, as he is a Sadist who only wants Peach so she can bear his children and continue his legacy.
Ain't Too Proud to Beg: After being defeated by a Super Star-powered Mario and Luigi, Bowser begs Peach to give him a second chance. She obviously has none of it and shoves a Mini Mushroom in his mouth, allowing Toad to imprison him in a jar after he shrinks.
Amazon Chaser: Bowser's crush on Peach certainly has shades of this, going off the princess both being more proactive in this film as well as him admitting that her constantly defeating him actually makes him like her more.
Arch-Enemy: For the longest time, he's this to Princess Peach, which has gotten to the point where he falls madly in love with her despite the fact she hates him. However, when Mario shows up, Bowser becomes increasingly obsessed with the plumber because he sees him as a romantic rival to Peach.
Ax-Crazy: Many moments in the film showcase that this version of Bowser is much more unhinged and psychopathic than his game counterpart, whether it be his multiple mood swings, his violent outbursts, his homicidal and violent tendencies, and his huge Villainous Breakdown in the climax of the film. Peach even refers to him as a "lunatic" and a "psycho", and it's definitely not hard at all to see why.
Bad Boss: Rather shocking considering his game counterpart is quite the opposite, but this version of Bowser is much nastier and crueler to his troops. Some of his minions are terrified of him, he doesn't know the species name of the Spinies, or worse doesn’t bother to remember their species name, and instead refers to them as merely "things" (which visibly disappoints them), and a few members of his army are shown locked up in his dungeon and are even used as sacrifices for his wedding (with one Koopa Troopa already shown being dead in one of the cages, in addition to a few Goombas who didn't want to help him conquer the Mushroom Kingdom). He also roasts one of his Koopa Troopa minions and reduces him to a Dry Bones for speaking out of line and even slammed his piano cover on Kamek's fingers in a fit of irritation that he doesn't know anything about this human plumber that stumbled into the Mushroom Kingdom.
Berserk Button: Telling him he can't marry Peach. He burns the flesh off of one of his Koopa Troopas when said minion points out she can refuse. He's clever enough to threaten her Toad subjects to avert this happening again. His button is firmly pressed again when the princess herself rejects him at the altar.
Big Bad: He's the movie's main antagonist and the biggest threat to Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom.
Blatant Lies: Despite stating to Kamek that he doesn't feel threatened by Mario when being informed that Peach is training him, he says it in a passive-aggressive tone. Even when disregarding this, he gets increasingly fed up with the plumber's interference to the point where he screams his name out of rage.
Bowser: MARIO!
Breath Weapon: Bowser can shoot flames from his mouth that can cover an impressive distance without losing energy, highly reminiscent of an extended burst from a flamethrower. At the start of the movie, he manages to destroy an ice castle with it.
The Brute: Possesses immense strength, and knows how to use it, even overwhelming Donkey Kong with ease during the final battle.
The Bully: Bowser's character is this at his core. He lauds his strength and resources to terrorize those who dwarf him to get what he wants and anyone who dares to contradict him will suffer the worst of his wrath. Fittingly, his adversary Mario is shown to be a Bully Hunter who starts his journey to save Luigi from him, before going on to defend the Mushroom Kingdom as a whole from Bowser.
The Caligula: This version of Bowser is an impulsive tyrant prone to mood swings and abusing his own minions. He also goes ravaging other kingdoms and looting their treasures in the hopes of impressing Princess Peach — who has no interest in him and explicitly calls him a lunatic — and getting her to marry him, and plans to sacrifice a large number of prisoners as part of their wedding ceremony.
Cardboard Prison: Implied at the end of the film. He is shrunk and locked inside a birdcage, and the only way he can escape is to be beaten up to the point that he grows back to his original size...
Cold-Blooded Torture: Parodied. In order to get Luigi to fess up about who Mario is, he repeatedly tugs at Luigi's mustache hairs until he can't stand the pain anymore, causing him to scream bloody murder.
Crazy Jealous Guy: Bowser comes to view Mario as a fierce romantic rival separating him from his love Princess Peach. Observing them casually talking really, really boils his blood and he all but vows to kill Mario. His fury only gets much worse when it increasingly becomes crystal clear that Peach likes Mario (even though not romantically just yet) FAR more than she will ever like Bowser.
Create Your Own Hero: He ends up turning the Mario Bros. into the Super Mario Bros. by capturing Luigi and antagonizing Mario for being close to Peach, which only motivates Mario to be a hero and Luigi to be brave. By the climax of the film, his stolen Super Star ends up giving Mario and Luigi the power needed to defeat him and his army, leading Brooklyn to hail them as heroes.
Curb-Stomp Battle: His final battle with Mario has him utterly trouncing the plumber, and he easily manhandles DK to boot. Peach nails him with a kick to the head, but he eventually apprehends her too. Once Mario and Luigi use the Super Star, however, they quickly return the favor.
Curb Stomp Cushion: Bowser is a tank, and even when up against an invincible Mario and Luigi using the Super Star, he refuses to go down without a fight. It takes a total of 14 melee attacks to shut the Koopa King's rampage down.
Defiant to the End: Once Mario and Luigi begin kicking his tail with the help of the Super Star, he tries in vain to fight back. Though it's subverted when he starts begging after being defeated.
Dirty Coward: Downplayed, as he put up a decent fight beforehand, but he visibly panics when Mario and Luigi successfully grab the Super Star. After a vicious beating, Bowser unsuccessfully begs Peach for mercy.
Draconic Humanoid: While still quite beastly, Bowser is considerably more anthropomorphic in the film than the games, having both a full voice performance and a wider range of facial expressions. He also defaults to Wicked Cultured behavior over being monstrous, though it's a thin facade at best.
Dragons Are Demonic: He's both a dragon and the movie's main villain, complete with a fire-and-brimstone aesthetic following wherever he goes.
Dragons Prefer Princesses: Naturally, though the film puts more focus on his romantic obsession with Peach as a character trait than the games typically do.
The Dreaded: The Mushroom Kingdom regards him as a serious threat, and Toad is particularly scared when he realizes from Mario’s description that Luigi is probably in the Dark Lands. Even Bowser's own men are frightened of him, given his temper and tendency to brutally punish them for even the tiniest mistakes.
Dub Personality Change: In the "Super Japanese version", Bowser isn't as dark as he is in the English version, but he is slightly more serious.
Entitled Bastard: Bowser believes that he has a right to do whatever he wants (i.e. conquering the world, forcing Peach to marry him, dominate everyone, and sacrifice a bunch of innocent people) and that no one has any right to stand up to him and oppose him. The moment he gets opposed without fear and without giving up, he throws a violent and screaming temper tantrum. Even after being defeated, Bowser asks Peach for another chance despite everything he's done, which Peach rightfully denies and instead shrinks him down with a Mini Mushroom to be imprisoned. And later he tries to intimidate a Toad guard despite being locked up and said Toad being bigger than him.
Toad Guard: Hey! Quiet in there! Lights out, little guy!
Bowser: HEY! You can't treat me like this! Do you know who I am?! I am Bow- (door slams shut, leaving Bowser in complete darkness.)
Entitled to Have You: His attitude towards Peach. He thinks their match would be ideal because they are both rulers, and can't (or perhaps won't) fathom the idea that she might reject him, and when she does, threatens to kill not only her but her entire kingdom, thinking that the act of "sparing" them if she marries him makes him a decent guy.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Bowser's courting methods are truly awful, willing to pillage and plunder in the hopes his power would be enough to charm Peach. He even goes as far as to stage a mass slaughter during their wedding ceremony on the assumption Peach would be impressed by it. Additionally, upon hearing about Mario, he immediately assumes that he's a rival suitor for Peach, and doesn't consider that he might have other motives for helping Peach in her mission, like rescuing his brother, which is telling because he says this immediately after taking Luigi captive.
Evil Is Bigger: He is quite massive when put next to any of the heroic characters.
Evil Is Burning Hot: In typical Bowser fashion, he has powerful fire breath that can melt an entire kingdom of ice, his hovering castle is pouring with boiling lava, and according to a map, all that can be seen of said ice kingdom afterwards is a magma-filled wasteland.
Evil Is Hammy: While, for the most part, he's portrayed as a very serious threat, he has moments of being over the top in his deliveries, most notably when he finds the Super Star:
Bowser: I finally found it... and now NO ONE CAN STOP MEEEEEE!
Evil Is Petty: Bowser would decimate entire kingdoms and ecosystems motivated solely by his crush on Peach. Likewise, his animosity towards Mario comes around when he hears that the plumber has already befriended Peach, not caring if Mario is resourceful enough to thwart him in any other way.
Evil Laugh: He delivers a few of these throughout the movie. The first time is when he successfully manages to obtain and steal the Super Star from the Ice Kingdom, the second time is when he believes that the Koopa General successfully killed Mario and Donkey Kong when he performed the Spiny Shell attack on them, and the third and final time is when he believes that he successfully killed Mario and Luigi by trying to burn them to a crisp during the climax in Brooklyn.
Evil Overlord: As to be expected with a character like Bowser. He is the tyrannical king of the Koopas and ruler of the Dark Lands and uses that power to conquer multiple kingdoms. His ultimate end goal after getting Peach to marry him is to conquer the entire world with Peach by his side.
Evil Sounds Deep: He has a deep, gruff voice courtesy of Jack Black.
Exact Words: Bowser convinces Peach to marry him by promising not to harm her Toads if she says yes. He never said anything about sparing people who aren't Toads.
Fatal Flaw: He has a whopping four of them.
- Delusion. He is ultimately foolish to believe Peach would ever be with him no matter how many times she tries to get that through to his head, and blindly believes Mario intentionally tried to win her heart from him, when he clearly had no intention of doing so in the first place.
- Obsession. He is obsessed with having Peach as his wife and will go to any lengths to achieve it. However, all he succeeds in doing is repelling Peach even further. He later gets obsessed with making things personal with Mario after the latter foiled his plans. It's his obsession with Peach and Mario that ultimately leads to his defeat.
- Paranoia. He immediately sees Mario as a rival for Peach's love upon learning of his arrival in the Mushroom Kingdom, despite the fact that Mario only went to Peach to seek her help in rescuing his brother and is at best only beginning to flirt with her. He starts doing everything he can to kill Mario and get him away from Peach so he can have her to himself. However, it's his paranoid acts to keep Mario and Peach apart that end up deepening their bond.
- Wrath. By the end of the movie, he completely loses any and all remaining semblance of composure and sanity that he previously had and solely focuses on taking Mario, his friends, and the entire Mushroom Kingdom down at all costs. During the climax in Brooklyn, he continues to inflict his wrath upon Mario out of sheer blind rage and hatred without any straight thinking or planning, and even when Mario and Luigi attain the power and invincibility of the Super Star, he still cares more about making sure the plumbers go down and stay down rather than using any straight thinking, planning, or logic, even when he himself knows that it is a meaningless effort. In the end, it's his blind rage and hatred for the mustachioed red plumber and his friends that ultimately leads to his downfall.
Faux Affably Evil: He sometimes acts courteously to his enemies, but absolutely none of it is genuine. It really is all a mere façade that he uses in order to try and hide his true sadism and depravity. Once he drops the act, he's a snarling monster and an unhinged, cruel, and monstrous sociopath who is hellbent on making everyone around him suffer as much as possible with absolutely zero remorse. Probably the best example is when Peach refuses his declaration of marriage at the altar.
Feeling Oppressed by Their Existence: Bowser hates Mario simply because he's a human accompanying Princess Peach. He knows nothing else about the plumber aside from having a mustache, but he feels threatened because Peach is also human and thus would more likely fall in love with a fellow human than the King of the Koopas.
Foil:
- To Mario, naturally. Both are motivated by "love", but while Bowser is motivated by his immature infatuation with Peach, from whom he expects a Fourth-Date Marriage under duress, Mario is motivated by his genuine and lifelong familial love for his brother. Also, while Bowser treats Peach as nothing more than a trophy he wants to possess, Mario treats Peach as an equal, a person, and a close friend while still growing feelings for her without realizing it. Furthermore, much attention is called to how Mario doesn’t know when to give up, but this trait also applies to Bowser, especially concerning his affection for Peach. The thing is, Mario portrays the good parts of this trait, using his drive to help others, while Bowser portrays the bad side, barging forward in his quest with no regard for the feelings or well-being of anyone else.
- To Donkey Kong. Both are large, animalistic characters who think highly of themselves, which leads them into conflict with Mario. Both are also desperate to win the approval of someone else, Peach in Bowser's case and Cranky Kong in DK's case. However, Bowser insists on Peach loving him despite his many, many, issues, which naturally leads to Peach rejecting him, while DK recognizes his flaws and works to overcome them, which wins him the approval of his father.
Fiery Redhead: Despite being a reptile, Bowser has a bright red mohawk styled to resemble flames with bushy eyebrows and is quite a ham.
Final Solution: After Mario, Peach, and Donkey Kong successfully ruin his wedding, his response is to use a Banzai/Bomber Bill and completely nuke the entire Mushroom Kingdom.
Gilded Cage: Bowser's ultimate fate. He's force-fed a Mini Mushroom and shrinks down to the size of a pet turtle. Peach imprisons him in a literal gilded cage in her castle, where his only hope of escape would be to allow someone to knock the wind out of him.
Glowing Eyes of Doom: During the film's climax in Brooklyn, while Bowser is in the middle of having his huge Villainous Breakdown, his usual red eyes start glowing with rage and hatred. He primarily has these when he is delivering his brutal No-Holds-Barred Beatdown to Mario. This is used to great effect to show just how scary and dangerous Bowser can be when he goes on a literal Roaring Rampage of Revenge.
Green-Eyed Monster: Bowser's growing hatred of Mario stems from the fact Peach likes the plumber more than the King of Koopas. He sees Mario as a rival suitor intentionally trying to steal "his girl" and make him unhappy, and decides to make it personal when he ends up in Brooklyn at the story's climax. The irony is that Mario is only with Peach to rescue Luigi, whom Bowser has held captive in his castle, and isn't interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with the princess (for now, at least).
Hair-Trigger Temper: He has a volatile temperament, with even the slightest of inconveniences setting him into a screaming rage. His troops and Luigi receive much of the brunt of his wrath.
Here We Go Again!: The last time we see Bowser is him beginning to perform "Peaches" again while still locked inside a birdcage.
Hidden Depths:
- His troops, who admire his status as a conqueror, are quite surprised to learn that he has romantic feelings for Princess Peach and that he'd rather set up a diplomatic solution by ruling with her than destroy her kingdom (even though Bowser's ideas of romance are...skewed, to say the least).
- You wouldn't expect a dragon-turtle tyrant who rules over a volcano island to be a skilled pianist with an impressive singing voice.
- As horrible and monstrous as he is, during the final battle, Bowser reveals he is deeply unhappy with his life and believed marrying Peach and taking over the world with her at his side would make him happy. However, this could also just be a mere excuse that he uses in order to try and justify his evil deeds and extreme obsession over Peach.
His Own Worst Enemy: In the end, no matter how many times he blames Mario, Bowser's greatest enemy is himself. His campaign to rule the world and bring misery to others is why Peach hates him to the core. His paranoia that Mario may win Peach's love leads him to personally antagonize the Mario Bros., which not only makes them superheroes adored by everyone, including Peach, but he also ended up deepening the bond between Mario and Peach, which is soon destined to blossom into romance, the very thing he tried to prevent. By the time Mario and Donkey Kong arrive at Bowser's castle to save the day, Bowser's wedding is already in ruins because he genuinely thought Peach would love him despite evidence to the contrary.
Hoist by His Own Petard: Bowser's master plan to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom has him steal the Super Star from the Ice Kingdom to either use it as part of his marriage proposal to Peach or to power up with the Star to destroy the land. This backfires on him in the final battle, as he was close to winning with only Mario still standing to fight against Bowser and his entire army. This changes when Peach manages to shell-kick the Star towards Mario and with the help of Luigi, the brothers gain the Super Star's invincibility as an 11th-Hour Superpower to blast through his army, destroy his fortress airship, and finally knock Bowser down to be shrunken and imprisoned by Peach, bringing an end to his conquest.
Human Hammer-Throw: Mario and Luigi, powered by the Super Star, grab him by the tail, swing him around and throw him skyward as part of their finishing blows.
Hypocrite: During the final battle on the streets of Brooklyn, after badly mauling Mario and throwing him into the Punch Out Pizzeria, Bowser calls him a coward, demanding he come out and fight. When Mario does come out to fight after being motivated by the commercial for Super Mario Bros. Plumbing and tells Bowser to leave Donkey Kong alone, Bowser even gets angry about that as well, spitting out, "You just don't know when to quit!"
It's All About Me: Bowser cares for nothing but himself and his own happiness, and he would destroy anyone else's happiness, including Peach's, in order to get it.
It's Personal: By the end of the movie, it's made abundantly clear that this is his relationship with Mario. With his building hatred towards the man in red due to him seeing the plumber as an obstacle that gets in the way of him winning Peach over, his kidnapping of his brother in green, and the fact that he believes Mario to be the one responsible for "ruining" his forced wedding with the princess, it all builds up to him having a deep seated and venomous hatred for Mario by the time of the climax. During the final fight in Brooklyn, he goes fully feral on the plumber and tries to make him suffer as much as possible before killing him because he believes that that's what Mario did to him first in his own twisted delusion.
If I Can't Have You…: Bowser immediately tries to incinerate Peach upon her rejection of him and her surprise attack on him.
I Gave My Word: To his credit, the Koopa King keeps his promises. On the condition that Peach marries him, he swears not to harm a single Toad. He keeps his word, but being a tyrannical ruler decides to sacrifice his other prisoners in her honor without asking his bride-to-be how she'd feel about that.
I Just Want to Be Loved: Bowser is deeply in love with Peach and his entire motivation for stealing the Super Star was to impress her enough to accept his marriage proposal. During the final battle with Mario, Bowser rages at how marrying Peach was his chance at happiness, but Mario ruined it. It's a Deconstructed Trope though, as his sense of entitlement, cruelty, and Lack of Empathy is the major reason why Peach hates him to the core. It really doesn't help that Bowser's idea of "love" is, well... twisted, to say the very least.
I Love You Because I Can't Control You: He himself lampshades this. He's well aware Peach hates him, but that just makes him love her more. He treats her not as a person, but as a prize to be won, and must be won by him alone. After defeated, shrunk down by Peach, and taken captive he's completely obsessed with her again, only this time he's more determined to make her his, regardless of her hatred for him.
Irony:
- Bowser's hatred of Mario stems from considering him to be a romantic rival for Peach's affections. While that would be true in most versions, here, though they do get some Ship Tease, they only become really close friends as of now and are at best only beginning to flirt with each other, which is justified in that they only just met for the very first time. However, there is another twist of irony; his attempts to get rid of Mario and have Peach to himself only succeed in driving Peach further away from him and bringing her and Mario closer together than before, therefore setting up the possibility for them to develop a romance in the future.
- After torturing and interrogating Luigi, he throws the man in green to the ground and demands that he be imprisoned. This behaviour implies that he only sees Luigi as someone close to Mario whom he'll kill out of spite and nothing more. Come the final battle, Bowser’s plans of marriage and conquest have been ruined, but he now plans to use the Super Star to kill everyone. Having knocked out Donkey Kong, restrained Peach and now about to burn Mario to ashes, nothing seems to be in his way...until Luigi shields himself and Mario with a manhole cover, snatching Bowser's chance of victory away from him.
Jerkass: Bowser is a childish, petty, sadistic and entitled tyrant who treats his henchmen like garbage.
Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Bowser appears to genuinely love Peach at first, even singing about her and acknowledging that she despises him. As the film progresses however, his love for Peach is revealed to be entirely possessive and self-serving, and it's so shallow that he has no problem trying to kill her the instant she turns him down during their wedding, only ever voicing affection for Peach again after his defeat, as a way of begging for mercy.
Koopa Troopa 1: Doesn't she hate you?
Bowser: Of course she hates me! But that makes me love her all the more. Her heart-shaped bangs, the way she floats in the breeze, her immovable tiara. And when she sees this star... Oh-ho-ho-ho, wedding bells!
Koopa Troopa 2: Well what if she says no?
Bowser: (torches the Koopa into a Dry Bones) THEN I WILL POWER UP WITH THIS STAR AND DESTROY THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM!
Knight of Cerebus:
- Downplayed. He has legitimately humorous scenes, but this doesn't change the fact that this is the darkest incarnation of Bowser to date, with him being a genuine threat to the heroes, coupled with a complete lack of redeeming qualities, and overall being an unhinged sociopath. He particularly becomes terrifying at the final confrontation in Brooklyn, with him dealing Mario some visible injuries never before seen in the games.
- The Japanese dub eschews most of his comedic scenes, allowing Bowser to become an even more sinister threat.
Lack of Empathy: Bowser is unsympathetic to the lives of others, believing that Peach would enjoy seeing Luigi and Bowser's other prisoners being executed Mortal Kombat-style in a large volcanic fire pit. He also shows no remorse in trying to kill all who stand in his way of getting what he wants. He even shows no hesitation in trying to kill Peach after she rightfully rejects him at the altar, further showing that his so-called "love" for her is solely possessive and objectifying.
Large and in Charge: He absolutely towers over his minions who he rules with an iron fist.
Large Ham: Bowser was always hammy but add being played by Jack Black and you get some truly epic scenery chewing in just about every scene.
Laser-Guided Karma:
- At the start of the film, Bowser burns down the Penguins' ice castle to get his claws on the Super Star and imprisons the penguins in cages within his fortress. Near the climax, Peach temporarily subdues him by freezing him with an Ice Flower smuggled into her wedding bouquet by Toad. In the final battle, the Super Star is used against him by the Mario Bros., with the final blow destroying his own castle. Bowser is then shrunken down by a Mini Mushroom, with his final scene showing he's now locked in a birdcage within Peach's castle.
- Alongside the destruction of the penguins' castle, once his wedding fails, Bowser spitefully orders the launch of the Bomber Bill to obliterate the Mushroom Kingdom, aiming for Peach's castle. However, when Mario manages to redirect the Bomber Bill into the Warp Zone, the explosion results in an implosion that sends his fortress crash-landing into Brooklyn, where it ends up being demolished by the Super Star-powered Mario Bros.
Laughably Evil: Evil as he may be, nearly every scene featuring Bowser has a comedic undertone. His grand evil plan is to simply marry Princess Peach, which almost disappoints the Koopa Troop until he mentions that destroying the Mushroom Kingdom is the backup plan. And his whole rivalry with Mario is born from his paranoia that the Brooklyn plumber is out to steal Peach from him, when the reality is that Mario and Peach are simply becoming good friends with only the most subtle hints of a possible romantic relationship. However, this doesn't make him any less of a genuinely threatening force of evil.
Lightning Bruiser: Overall, he is the strongest character in the film. In the final battle, he’s capable of outpacing Mario, and even overpowering DK and Peach simultaneously. He also survives a serious beatdown by the Super Star-powered Mario Bros.
Love Makes You Dumb: Bowser wants to marry Peach despite knowing that she hates him, and sincerely believes acquiring the Super Star is all he needs to win Peach's heart, and tries to increase his chances by using rehearsed pick-up lines, neither of which impress her. When the Princess tells him point-blank that she will never marry him, the Koopa King tortures Toad in order to force her into doing so. Once the ceremony is about to take place, Bowser intends to ritualistically sacrifice his prisoners, never considering that Peach might feel negatively about it. This makes her sucker-punch Kamek and whip out an Ice Flower before scornfully asking Bowser if he really thought she would actually marry him, to which the latter responds with a flabbergasted, "Kinda!"
Loving a Shadow: He never really saw Peach as a person so much as a literal object of his affection to make himself happy. The moment Peach personally ruins said chance for happiness, he has no problems trying to kill her. Only then to start obsessing over her all over again by the stinger, completely ignoring how he treated her subjects, and her, before.
Mage in Manhattan: Near the end, he and his flying castle get transported to Brooklyn for a final fight with Mario and Luigi.
Make an Example of Them: When one Koopa asks Bowser about what would happen if Peach turns down his proposal, Bowser shows that he doesn't value being questioned by his subjects by burning the Koopa enough to turn him into a Dry Bones.
Mars Needs Women: Bowser is a Koopa whose attraction to Peach, a human, is more than a little creepy in this way. This is dialed up in the Japanese version, where he explicitly states that he wants to marry her so she'll bear his children.
Misplaced Retribution: Bowser exacts his wrath on Mario for ruining his big wedding with Peach. He conveniently ignores the fact that it was actually Peach who ruined the wedding with a hidden Ice Flower in her bouquet, and Mario only showed up at the end to rescue Luigi from falling in the lava pit. Mario wasn't even aware there was a wedding event until he reunited with Peach at the altar.
My Friends... and Zoidberg: While addressing his army, he namedrops the Koopas and Goombas, but refers to the Spinies as "whatever those things are" (to the Spinies' disappointment).
Narcissist: If the giant face sculpture of his on his Ominous Floating Castle, the many full body statues of him littered across his throne room, and his Malevolent Mugshot scattered across every flag that his army wields are any indication, Bowser is a pretty huge egomaniac. It especially shows with how much he values himself and how little he values his own army, how much he believes that every decision that he makes, no matter how evil and despicable, should impress Peach, constantly needs his second-in-command, Kamek, to reaffirm how "perfect" he is for Peach, and even his whole Villain Love Song, "Peaches", is basically entirely dedicated to how much he wants to make Peach his. He doesn't care about what Peach thinks about any of his actions, all he truly cares about is what he wants and desires from her. Also, he takes opposition to his plans for domination and even criticism to himself very personally, such as when Mario and Luigi gain the power of the Super Star and start beating him back and genuinely harming him, he completely loses his mind to extreme rage and screams madly at his troops to "rip them to pieces", and when Peach calls him a monster while rejecting him at the altar and preparing to fight him with the Ice Flower, he responds by trying to kill her with his fire breath.
Near-Villain Victory: Despite having his wedding with Peach ruined, Bowser manages to beat Mario within an inch of his life out of sheer rage and quickly subdues Peach, Toad and Donkey Kong and almost kills the ape when they all try to help while still possessing the Super Star. What ultimately turns the tables is Mario and Luigi gaining a Heroic Second Wind and Peach kicking a Koopa Shell towards the Star to free it from Kamek's magic wand so Mario and his brother can obtain it, but Bowser makes another attempt to kill Mario with his fire breath when the latter makes a dash for it, and would have succeeded if Luigi hadn't saved his brother by shielding the both of them with a manhole cover, allowing the Mario Brothers to grab the Super Star, defeat Bowser and his army and thwart the King of the Koopas' quest for world domination.
Never My Fault: During the final battle, Bowser blames Mario for ruining his chances with Princess Peach, even though it's obvious that she despised the Koopa King for his cruelty and possessiveness, never mind the fact that he tried to kill her moments earlier for rejecting him.
No-Sell: The Penguins try to fight Bowser off by throwing snowballs at him. Being a huge reptilian who can breathe fire and lives in a flying, lava-spewing castle, he obviously can just brush it right off. This doesn't hold true when Peach decides to freeze him solid with an Ice Flower's powers.
Penguin King: That is but a taste of our fury! Do you yield?
Bowser: (chuckles menacingly) I do not.
No Social Skills: The way Bowser tries to handle his crush on Peach shows very much that, on top of being very evil, he has no clue how to interact with someone who isn't an underling. This is exemplified best during the wedding when he declares that he is going to sacrifice his prisoners in Peach's honor. His expression right after saying this is like a little kid expectantly waiting for a compliment while Peach has an expression of “why would you ever think that this was something I would want?”
Not Good with Rejection: When Peach refuses his proposal, he has Kamek use magic to crush Toad to make her reconsider. When she crashes the wedding when he tries to sacrifice prisoners in her honor, he flat out tries to kill her and orders the destruction of the Mushroom Kingdom.
Nothing Can Stop Me Now: He proclaims this after obtaining the Super Star in the movie's intro scene.
Bowser: I've finally found it. And now, NO ONE CAN STOP ME!
Notzilla: Bowser's a spiky, fire-breathing reptilian monster who leaves a path of destruction in his wake; he even gets a shot where he rears back and breathes fire straight up into the sky. For an additional bonus, one of his enemies goes by the name "Kong".
Obliviously Evil: He seems to be genuinely clueless why Peach wouldn't find him executing his prisoners during their wedding ceremony romantic.
Obviously Evil: Bowser travels the world in an Ominous Floating Castle filled with lava and flames, is covered in spikes, has a large, muscular build and an intimidating posture, uses a powerful flame breath, is feared by allies and enemies alike, and has a violent temper.
Oh, Crap!: After the Mario Bros. grab the Super Star and become invincible, Bowser furiously attempts to crush the both of them with an outward stomp. Not only does this not take, but the Bros. don't even so much as blink, let alone react, even while the force destroys the ground behind them. Bowser has about three seconds to process how much trouble he's in before the Bros. give him a taste of the New York skyline.
Our Dragons Are Different: He's not your typical dragon, being based on lóngguī or dragon turtles, thus having a shell instead of wings. Nonetheless, he is still capable of breathing fire and is a very powerful beast, strong enough to solo both Donkey Kong and Peach when Mario is incapacitated during the final showdown.
Person of Mass Destruction: Bowser destroys an entire castle with his fire breath. Justified since the castle was made of ice.
Pragmatic Villainy: While Bowser is a cruel and remorseless tyrant mostly bent on world domination, he personally prefers to marry Peach before destroying her kingdom until she finally refuses. Of course this doesn't mean he genuinely has standards, it just means that he's using common sense as it doesn't at all stop him from trying to destroy her kingdom with the Bomber Bill after his forced wedding with her fails.
Primate Versus Reptile: He gets into a brief fight against Donkey Kong during the final battle, which he ultimately manages to win.
Psychopathic Manchild:
- Bowser is as ornery as he's ever been, but his plan hinges on a childish crush on Princess Peach and him being convinced that she'll like him because he's powerful and cool. He almost never takes any criticism without flipping out, usually violently. When he isn't given what he wants, he'll either throw a massive tantrum, destroy what's standing between him and what he wants, or both. Heck, his whole antagonism with Mario only ever starts because he thinks he's stealing Peach from him.
- A different side of this trope that applies to him is briefly explored during the film's climax: when the Mario Bros. harness the power of the Super Star and begin not only No-Selling all of his attacks but also genuinely and severely harming him, he can be seen with a very shocked and panicked expression on his face during most of his very one-sided fight with them, suggesting him to be a bully who has likely hardly, if ever, experienced genuine opposition and therefore has very little idea of how to react to such.
- A more humorous side of the trope appears once he's shrunken and captured, as when Mario makes a quip that he got Peach a pet turtle, Bowser mockingly mouths said joke. He then spends the rest of the scene crossing his arms and pouting to himself like a child on time-out.
Puppy-Dog Eyes: Surprisingly, yes. When Bowser rehearses his love confession, he puts on a very innocent expression. Inverted when Bowser loses his temper, causing his pupils and irises to contract to pinpricks. In general, it's pretty obvious that he only puts on this expression in order to make him seem innocent in front of Peach despite her and the audience already knowing that he truly is very much the exact opposite.
Rage Breaking Point: Bowser is already hellishly livid after being transported to Brooklyn following Mario foiling his plans for Peach and the Mushroom Kingdom, but when Mario and Luigi get the Super Star, therefore ripping the last part of Bowser's conquest from him, and start beating him and the Koopa Troop back, Bowser's rage explodes to the point of sheer insanity as he screams at his troops to "RIP THEM TO PIECES!" It's clear that it doesn't matter how powerful the Mario Bros. have gotten or how badly his troops would be beaten or injured; Bowser just wants them dead, full stop.
Real Men Wear Pink: For a huge, fire-breathing monster, he has some skill at the piano and dreams of having a "fairytale wedding" to a princess.
Red Eyes, Take Warning: Bowser's eyes are already red, but when he goes completely berserk they get a lot brighter. One notable instance happens during the climax. When he sees through the ice Peach and Mario getting close, his eyes glow red right before he breathes fire in sheer rage.
Resized Vocals: After getting shrunk by a Mini Mushroom after the climax, Bowser's left with a high-pitched, squeaky voice going into the mid-credits scene.
Right for the Wrong Reasons: Bowser is concerned about Mario derailing his plans because he thinks Mario is dating Peach and has no idea that Mario is instead opposing him to rescue Luigi.
Rotten Rock & Roll: Like in the games, Bowser is associated with rock music, and while celebrating the acquirement of the Super Star, the Koopa King and his army jam to a heavy metal band performing the theme that plays when Fury Bowser appears in Bowser's Fury.
Royals Who Actually Do Something: Bowser is a king who is, unfortunately for everyone who isn't a part of his kingdom, very proactive and will gladly be on the front lines with his troops.
Sealed Evil in a Can: Once he's defeated, he is force-fed a Mini Mushroom while he's still weakened in order to imprison him in a glass jar. Later in the credits, he is moved to a literal Gilded Cage.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Bowser tries to get rid of Mario and rid himself of competition for Peach's love. However, all he succeeds in doing is to drive Peach further away from him and bring her and Mario closer together than before, to the point of holding hands, therefore setting the groundwork for their bond to blossom into romance in the future.
Slasher Smile: Sports one when he orders the Bomber Bill to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom after his wedding is finally thwarted and again during the final battle in Brooklyn, when he relentlesstly tries to attack and kill Mario in a fit of rage out of spite for the plumber.
The Sociopath: In a stark contrast to his game counterpart, who was given many redeeming qualities over the years as part of Characterization Marches On, this version of the Koopa King has all the textbook traits of a sociopath whether it'd be his total Lack of Empathy for anyone that isn't himself, his unhinged personality and violent mood swings, and overall being a murderous psycho who will kill anyone who gets in his way. Even Peach, the one person that he does seem to "love" (even then in his own morbidly twisted and warped way), he does not hesitate at all to hurt or even kill when she dares to refuse to marry him and even has no problem making her watch one of her own Toad followers get slowly tortured right in front of her just so he can force her to do what he wants.
Peach: (on Bowser) This guy's a lunatic. A psycho. He will eat you for breakfast. He won't even notice it probably because you're very, very small.
Sore Loser: He gradually becomes more and more unhinged when the heroes thwart his wedding to Peach.
Spikes of Villainy: His shell is very spiky and he wears studded cuffs on his neck and arms.
Super-Strength: If there's one thing to especially note about him, it's that he has tremendous strength. By the film's climax, he is shown effortlessly lifting and throwing entire cars and large rocks like they're mere paperweights. It speaks volumes when he dishes out a Curb-Stomp Battle to Donkey Kong, the other resident strong guy of the film.
Super-Toughness: It just wouldn't be Bowser if he somehow didn't have insane amounts of durability. During the climax of the film, Bowser tanks a numerous amount of blows from the Mario Brothers in their super-powered invincibility forms while still managing to try and fight back and somehow manages to survive a tremendously devastating kick blow from Invincible Mario and Luigi that destroys his entire castle fortress, but he himself still manages to survive and not even be unconscious from it, albeit it does injure him enough to make him unable to move.
Take Over the World: Bowser aims to conquer the world, and his plan to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom is to either acquire it diplomatically by marrying Peach or destroy the Mushroom Kingdom if she refuses.
Terms of Endangerment: Bowser tends to call Peach by "Peaches" throughout the film and even calls her that throughout his villain song.
Terrible Pick-Up Lines: Bowser tries one on Peach, per poor advice from Kamek.
Bowser: I guess love really makes a guy come out of his shell. (chuckles nervously but sees Peach angrily stare in defiance) I told you that line wouldn't work! (glares at Kamek)
Kamek: You're doing great!
Thinks Like a Romance Novel: Bowser's romantic advances are based around treating Peach's love like an achievement that's earned through accumulation of power and conquest. At no point does he consider getting to know her as a person.
Tranquil Fury: His post-credit scene reeks of this. He continues singing his Villain Love Song on his piano while imprisoned, but you can tell that underneath it, he's vowing revenge on Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Peach for foiling his conquest.
"Mario, Luigi, and-a Donkey Kong too
A thousand troops of Koopas couldn't keep me from you
Princess Peach, at the end of the line
I'll make you mine!"
Universally Beloved Leader: Despite being about as undeserving of it as it gets, his subjects are never shown being anything but enthusiastic about him and his vile ways, mostly because they're just as vile and evil as he is. The worst he gets is mild disappointment when he reveals he wants to marry Peach as a first resort over taking over her kingdom with violence, though the promise of having the latter as an option brings them right back.
The Unfettered: Whether it's getting Peach to marry him by force and blackmail, and/or ruling the world, there is no sheer level of depravity that Bowser will never commit in order to get what he wants.
Unknown Rival: From a romantic standpoint, he thinks that Mario is trying to stop him to court Princess Peach himself. In reality, Mario's really just there to save his brother and stop him from destroying the Mushroom Kingdom, and is at best only beginning to flirt with Peach. From Mario's point of view, he hates Bowser for capturing his brother Luigi, and trying to kill him via dunking him in lava, but Bowser treats all that he tried to do to Luigi as daily routine, judging by the number of prisoners he has captured throughout his conquest.
Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: The movie is brightly colored with a comedic tone, but that does not stop Bowser from being a very dangerous and remorseless villain. Most of his redeeming elements from the games have been removed here, and he repeatedly makes very graphic threats against his enemies, and follows through on some of them. He mercilessly invades and destroys other Kingdoms with ultimate goal of putting Peach in a Forced Marriage under the threat of her kingdom being totally destroyed. Though he does have some comedic moments, most of them fall under Black Comedy.
Villain in a White Suit: Like in Super Mario Odyssey, Bowser wears white on his wedding day.
Villainous Breakdown:
- Starting with the climax of the movie, Bowser's fury only worsens and worsens as his plans start to unravel. Once Peach reveals the wedding was a trick to freeze him with the Ice Flower Toad smuggled in for her, Bowser becomes absolutely livid and attempts to murder her on the spot with his fire breath, subsequently losing any semblance of restraint on his fiery temper throughout the rest of the movie. It gets even worse when he looks at Mario and Peach enjoying each other's company and even holding hands after they’ve reunited and orders the Mushroom Kingdom to be nuked by a Banzai/Bomber Bill after breaking out of his icy prison through sheer jealous rage.
  Bowser: LAUNCH THE BOMBER BILL AND DESTROY THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM!
- Right after that, he loses his cool even more. When he gets transported to Brooklyn after his attempt to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom fails (thanks to Mario's interference, naturally), he becomes even more hellishly LIVID and attempts to murder Mario and his friends with sheer animalistic malice, not even caring about where he's ended up.
  Bowser: MARIOOOOOOOOOOO! YOU WANT THIS?! YOU RUINED MY WEDDING! I WAS FINALLY GONNA BE HAPPY! NOW YOU WILL SUFFER... LIKE ME!
- Even Mario and Luigi using the power of the Super Star against him fails to stop his fury. If anything, losing the power-up that he'd stolen first— and thus, having the last remaining shred of his plan ripped away from him— only drives his fury to the point of insanity, as he practically screams at his army to attack them regardless, then tries to end them himself, up to attempting to halt the brothers' dual Diving Kick finisher with a stream of fire (of course, all attempts fail). It doesn't matter how powerful they are now; he won't falter until they're dead for even daring to so thoroughly humiliate him.
  Bowser: (screaming like a madman) RIP THEM TO PIECES!
Villainous Crush: Just like in the games proper, he has a major one on Peach, stealing the Super Star specifically so he can impress her. He even gets a Villain Love Song about it. And despite his Villainous Breakdown toward her, his mid-credits scene makes it clear he's still not over her. Unlike the games, though, it's portrayed in a far pettier and more childish light.
Villain Love Song: "Peaches" and its reprise (though it's a single song on the soundtrack). He expresses his desire to marry Peach with a "Ludwig Von Koopa" piano and a hammy, metal voice that only Jack Black could pull off.
Villains Want Mercy: After he is defeated, Bowser pathetically begs Peach to give him another chance. Peach naturally won't have any of it and shoves a Mini Mushroom into his mouth, making him shrink into something the size of a pet turtle.
We Can Rule Together: In his "proposal" to Peach, he states that they can conquer the world together.
Wicked Cultured: He is shown to actually be really good at playing the piano as he typically plays it and sings his Villain Love Song about Peach during his spare time. Even when Kamek interrupts his song to inform him of Mario's presence, he takes the time to ask Kamek to play the piano with him albeit in a clear Faux Affably Evil and Tranquil Fury way.
Wicked Pretentious: That being said, he is also clearly shown to be faking his good manners as while they're playing the piano, as soon as Kamek mentions to him about Mario and he thinks of the possibility of the mustachioed human being an obstacle for his lustful obsession with Peach, he immediately takes his anger out on Kamek by slamming the piano cover on the Koopa wizard's fingers, crushing them, and yells at him in an unruly way and even leaves him with his fingers crushed under the piano cover just to spite the wizard as he deems pain to be the best teacher.
Would Hit a Girl: Shows this side of him after Peach rejects him and revealed that she had a back-up plan in the form of her Ice Flower to crash their own wedding, immediately retaliating with his deadly fire breath and was later seen even physically striking her HARD at least once along with Donkey Kong and Toad when they end up in Brooklyn.
Would Hurt a Child: Lumalee is among the many prisoners that Bowser intends to dip in lava as part of the wedding ceremony.
Yandere: He forces Peach to marry him. If she doesn't, he'll kill her and destroy her kingdom, as displayed when she fights back with an Ice Flower.

Other Koopas

Kamek

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/behold_6.jpg

"Behold, the king of the Koopas!"

Voiced by: Kevin Michael Richardson^{Foreign VAs}

"A mustachioed human has arrived in the Mushroom Kingdom."

A Koopa sorcerer and Bowser's second-in-command.

Adaptational Badass: While his game counterpart is no slouch, this version of the evil Koopa wizard can freeze an entire army in their tracks and throw them aside with just a wave of his wand.
Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: Implied. In the games, he is Bowser's adoptive father. While this isn't necessarily not the case in the film, his bootlicking is just vaguely flirtatious enough to cast doubt.
Affably Evil: To Bowser and Bowser only. Kamek is generally a cheerful fellow who is legitimately loyal and friendly to Bowser, even if the latter doesn't treat him with the same level of respect. To everyone else, he's Faux Affably Evil at best.
Ambiguously Gay: While delivering the news about Mario's arrival, Kamek assures Bowser that he's no threat to his plans to marry Peach, asking him if he has looked in a mirror lately. Later, Kamek dresses up like Peach so Bowser can practice his proposal, after which Kamek enthusiastically says yes and puckers his lips.
Bait the Dog: He invites all the prisoners to join the wedding of Bowser and Peach - not as guests of honor, but as ritual sacrifices.
Composite Character: He is a mix of Kamek from the Yoshi's Island and various Mario games featuring him, as well as Mouser from the The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!. They both are second-in-commands to the king of the Koopas and both give off a Peter Lorre impression in their voices.
Creepy Crossdresser: He dresses as Peach so Bowser can practice his proposal speech to her.
The Dragon: Kamek serves as Bowser's second in command, being the closest to understanding Bowser's plans on conquering the Mushroom Kingdom.
Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: He definitely enables Bowser's delusions on this front. He constantly reassures his boss that his destructiveness will impress Peach into marrying him, to the point that when roleplaying as Peach, he immediately accepts Bowser's mock proposal — a far cry from the real Peach's reaction.
Evil Old Folks: He is noticeably aging and is Bowser's sadistic right-hand man.
Faux Affably Evil: Most of the time Kamek doesn't seem particularly nasty, mostly just overenthusiastic about working for a tyrant who orders him to do some villainous actions. But on the eve of Bowser's wedding he greets Bowser's prisoners and gleefully tells them they're going to be burned alive, which according to Kamek is an act of kindness that they haven't earned.
Fingore: A furious Bowser slams his piano shut on Kamek's claws after the latter informs him of Mario's progress.
Flying Broomstick: One of the posters◊ shows him riding a broomstick like the one he has in the games. In the film proper, Kamek appears on his broomstick in Bowser's prison when he "invites" the prisoners to Bowser's wedding as sacrifices.
Foil: To Luigi. Both act as the right-hand man in a group (Luigi for Super Mario Bros. Plumbing, Kamek for Bowser's army) and have a strong admiration for the leader of the group. It could also be said that Kamek is Bowser's wingman, just like how Luigi plays Mario up as "the best guy in the world". Unlike Luigi, whose brotherly love for Mario comes from a lifelong bond of mutual care and support, Kamek is a sycophantic Yes-Man who tells Bowser what he wants to hear out of a combination of blind obedience and to save himself from the Koopa King's wrath.
Four Eyes, Zero Soul: He's Bowser's trusted second-in-command and wears Coke-bottle lenses.
Glass Cannon: Despite being able to subdue entire armies with a flick of his wand, Peach takes him completely out of commission with a single punch, though he does recover during the final battle in Brooklyn, holding the Super Star with his magic wand until Peach kicks a Koopa shell at it.
In Love with Your Carnage: The way he watches as Bowser torches the Penguin castle at the beginning of the movie holds a definite vibe of this trope. The way Kamek acts towards Bowser at times only adds to it.
Lorre Lookalike: Richardson does what sounds like a high-pitched Peter Lorre impression for the character with a hint of the Oriental accent that he used for Demongo the Soul Collector in Samurai Jack.
Magic Wand: Kamek uses a magic wand that serves as a substitute for muscle.
Mind over Matter: Kamek has powerful telekinesis and he puts it to good use, where he defeats the entire penguin army in one fell swoop by picking up its soldiers and easily throwing them all aside, while manipulating chunks of ice for Bowser to use as stairs to obtain the Super Star.
One-Man Army: All it takes for him to take down a whole penguin army in the beginning of the movie is one magic spell.
Robe and Wizard Hat: It's how Kamek is identified as a Magikoopa.
Romantic Wingman: Kamek helps Bowser try to court Peach despite being absolutely hopeless when it comes to this sort of thing.
Sadist: He seems to take a disturbing amount of enjoyment in many of his heinous actions, whether it's having a very big grin on his face when Bowser burns down the penguins' ice castle or when he gleefully slowly tortures and nearly kills Toad.
Squishy Wizard: Kamek can use his magic to do a wide variety of things and can take out an army with a flick of a wrist, but one sucker punch from Peach knocks him out cold until they are sent to Brooklyn.
Sycophantic Servant: Kamek often tries to help Bowser feel confident, reassuring him that he is too good-looking to have to worry about Peach liking Mario and that he was doing great with his proposal to Peach.
Villain Teleportation: Being a Magikoopa, he can poof around at will.
What Happened to the Mouse?: What becomes of him after Bowser's defeat isn't shown.
Yes-Man: No matter how blatantly obvious that Bowser's plan to marry Peach is doomed to fail, Kamek only gives answers that Bowser wants to hear, to the point even Bowser himself doesn't truly believe it because it's too sycophantic in nature.

Koopa General (Spoilers Unmarked!)

Koopa General

"You can't escape me! BLUE SHELL!"

Voiced by: Scott Menville^{Foreign VAs}

"Mario! You're a dead man!"

A Koopa Paratroopa with a blue, spiked shell that commands the Koopa Army under Bowser.

Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance: His coloring and spikes make him resemble the Blue Shell from Mario Kart. Sure enough, his assault against Mario on Rainbow Road portrays him as an Implacable Man that won't stop until he's taken out his target. By the end, it turns out to be more than a resemblance — he is the Blue Shell. When his vehicle is destroyed, he transforms into the actual Mario Kart item and flies towards Mario and Donkey Kong, blowing himself up to send them flying right off the track.
Ax-Crazy: He leads the Koopa Troop on the battlefield, and he's the most bloodthirsty Koopa aside from Bowser himself. On the Rainbow Road, he goes specifically after Mario and tries to crush the plumber with mechanized jaws in front of his kart, sporting a Slasher Smile while he's at it. When his kart gets totaled, the enraged General turns himself into a Blue Shell and blows up Mario and Donkey Kong's kart seemingly at the cost of his own life.
Bad Boss: He doesn't seem to care if his oversized kart knocks his fellow Koopas and their karts off the Rainbow Road if it means getting to kill Mario personally.
Calling Your Attacks: When his kart is destroyed during the race, he screams "BLUE SHELL!", and becomes the actual item before homing in on Mario and Donkey Kong.
Canon Foreigner: As a character, he was technically made up for the movie. His shell is clearly a reference to the Blue Shell from the Mario Kart games, but we've only ever seen it as a projectile and never being worn by a living Koopa...until now. Blue-shelled Koopa Paratroopas appeared in Super Mario World and a few other games, but didn't have spikes. His design also seems to take some inspiration from the members of the Koopatrol, armored Koopas who serve as Bowser's Elite Mooks in Paper Mario.
Canon Character All Along: Turns out, his design isn't just a reference to the Blue Shell - he actually is one, Suicide Attack and all.
The Comically Serious: He walks in on Bowser practicing his proposal to Peach on Kamek, who is dressed like Peach, and comes off as entirely unperturbed by the strange sight, going about reporting to the two (who looked like they were on the verge of kissing) as if nothing is amiss.
Conjoined Eyes: For stylistic purposes, he loses the border between his eyes when expressing overly sadistic glee during the Rainbow Road ambush.
Elite Mook: He has wings and spikes on his shell and leads the ambush on Rainbow Road in a massive bulldozer-like vehicle.
Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": He is not named in the film and the credits only refer to him as "Koopa General".
Evil Is Hammy: It's clear Scott Menville is having a ton of fun voicing the guy.
Evil Laugh: He gets to throw a few while driving his vehicle through the Rainbow Road, especially when he believes he's crushed Mario.
Foreshadowing: Not based on dialogue or gesture, but based on his appearance. He's a Koopa Paratroopa, his shell is blue, and it's spiked like Bowser. Guess what he does when he's defeated by Mario.
Implacable Man: Mario can't escape him. Even if Mario jumps to a different Rainbow Road path or blows up his oversized kart, the Koopa General still homes in on him, either in person or firing Bullet Bills. And once he becomes the Blue Shell, Mario and Donkey Kong are helpless to stop him.
Knight of Cerebus: This is the only Koopa who is not Played for Laughs in any fashion, and his ambush on Rainbow Road marks the movie's transition from a mostly comedic, heartwarming adventure to the story's Darkest Hour.
Law of Chromatic Superiority: He's the only blue-shelled Koopa under Bowser's command, marking him as the squadron's leader.
Mook Lieutenant: He's the leader of the Koopas under Bowser's command.
No Body Left Behind: After he performs his Blue Shell attack on Mario and Donkey Kong where he blows himself up in order to take them both out with him, absolutely nothing remains of him and there is no trace of his body left at all.
Out of the Inferno: He emerges from the flaming wreckage of his kart, fully enraged at being outsmarted by Mario and Donkey Kong. It's here he reveals his last trump card to kill Mario: the Blue Shell.
Prepare to Die: He certainly does not mince words when Mario and his kart are pinned by the mechanical jaws of his kart, screaming "Time to die, Mario!".
Suicide Attack: After his vehicle is trashed during the Rainbow Road pursuit, the General tucks himself into his spiky blue shell in a fit of rage and flies after Mario and Donkey Kong's vehicle, just like the Blue Shell in the Mario Kart games. This ends up destroying a good amount of the vehicle and the road itself with a huge blue explosion, sending the two plummeting into the sea below while he himself does not appear to survive the move.
Super-Persistent Predator: Even after his giant kart gets blown up to smithereens, he emerges from the fiery wreckage and still tries to continue going after his attempted victims, and even goes so far as to use his Blue Shell Suicide Attack just to finish them off once and for all.
Super-Toughness: Even after having his entire kart blown up right in his face, he still emerges from the wreckage completely unharmed and just more pissed off.
Unseen No More: This is the first time the franchise has shown us a Koopa who lives in a Spiny Shell, heretofore only represented as disembodied items.
Unusually Uninteresting Sight: He has no visible reaction to seeing Bowser practicing his proposal to Kamek in Peach getup, implying that he's used to scenes like this in the past.
You Will Not Evade Me: Furious Mario and Donkey Kong trashed his kart and are making a getaway, he screams they won't escape, before commencing a Suicide Attack that blasts them off Rainbow Road.

Koopa Troopas

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1600px_tsmbm_koopas_2.jpg

Voiced by: Scott Menville, Eric Bauza

Anthropomorphic turtle-like creatures serving as Bowser's soldiers.

Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: The Koopas wear helmets, boots, and knee and elbow guards (and in at least one case a spiked pauldron and an eyepatch) but are otherwise unclothed.
Adaptational Villainy: The Koopa Troopas' morality varies from game to game, but they are usually depicted as mere soldiers just following orders. Here, the Koopas are eager for war and actually confused and disappointed when Bowser's evil plan is revealed to be marrying Princess Peach and uniting their two kingdoms with no bloodshed, only to be reinvigorated when Bowser mentions that destroying the Mushroom Kingdom would be the backup plan if his initial plan fails.
Adorable Evil Minions: Despite serving Bowser, they look like cute, cartoony turtles with big eyes. However, with that being said, they do tend to look a lot more aggressive and angry in some◊ posters◊ and a lot of scenes in the movie than the happier, cutesier Koopas that we know of from the games, although one of them does give very adorable Puppy-Dog Eyes when hearing that Bowser wants to marry Peach.
Blood Knight: The Koopas actively and vocally want to go to war with the Mushroom Kingdom. When Bowser reveals he wants to marry Peach, they become disappointed,^note but quickly start cheering again when he reveals that if she rejects him, they will destroy her kingdom.
Even Evil Has Standards: Eager for war they may be, they do show some reservation on Bowser wanting to marry Peach, with them even stating out the fact that she hates him, and asking what if she says no to his marriage proposal.
Eyepatch of Power: A red-shelled Koopa Troopa with a spiked pauldron wears one. It's only to look tougher as he actually lifts it when his comrade is taken down by the catapult's snowball in the opening scene, revealing that his eye is fine.
Feathered Fiend: Koopa Paratroopas, which look like normal Koopas, but have wings.
Flat Joy: One of the Koopa Troopas says a clearly unenthusiastic "Yeah..." upon hearing Bowser wanting to marry Peach.
The Goomba: Despite not being the trope's namesake, the Koopas fill the role of being Bowser's basic mooks who are common in number and easily taken out by the heroes.
Lack of Empathy: One of the Koopas witnesses his companion get burned alive by Bowser and turned into a Dry Bones. His reaction is essentially a non-verbal "you walked right into that one".
Mascot Mook: The Koopa Troopas are the most notable minions in both the promotional material and film.
Might Makes Right: They genuinely fear and respect Bowser for being the strongest and scariest amongst them, so much so that any time Bowser shows any interest in Peach, the Koopa Troopas are sincerely confused that their king is looking so bumbling during his showings of affection, implicitly not appreciating Bowser having a side like that.
Mook Mobile: They have various karts such as the Pipe Frame and the Bullet Bikes during the Troop's ambush on Rainbow Road, with some having cannons that fire Bullet Bills from them equipped and the eyepatch wearing red-shelled Koopa Troopa's Kart having a Koopa Shell cannon. In addition, they also ride Koopa Clown Cars, with some monitoring the prisoners the Koopa Troop has captured, and others equipped with features like claws when snatching up Cranky Kong and the Kong Army, and cannons in their mouthes during Mario and Donkey Kong's fighting through the Troop in the Mushroom Kingdom to stop Bowser's wedding.
Mythology Gag: The Koopa Troopas wielding spears and wearing helmets are based on the Koopa Troopas from the Super Mario Adventures comic.
Rotten Rock & Roll: 3 Koopa Troopas form a heavy metal band and play a victory concert when Bowser claims the Super Star, complete with brightly-colored mohawks and KISS-style facepaint.
Undying Loyalty: To Bowser. They, alongside the other minions, are following Bowser in his quest for world domination without any questions and are fully on board with it.

Dry Bones

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_20230729_141839_youtube.jpg

"Draaamaaa."

Anthropomorphic skeletal turtle-like creatures serving as Bowser's undead soldiers.

Creepy High-Pitched Voice: The main noises the Dry Bones are heard making consist of loud, pig-like screeches.
Death Is Cheap: The transition from Koopa Troopa to Dry Bones seems to be completely instantaneous with no real side effects on the Koopa in question. Bowser torches a Koopa Troopa at one point for bringing up the possibility of Peach refusing to marry him. The moment the fire subsides, the Koopa is immediately in his Dry Bones state and still upright, looking only slightly exasperated at his new undead form.
Dem Bones: They're the walking, living skeletons of Koopa Troopas.
Glowing Eyelights of Undeath: Their eyes are solid black pits with glowing yellow pupils, but they can turn red when angered.
Laser-Guided Karma: Luigi saves Spike from being harassed by a Dry Bones by way of knocking it to pieces and using its shell against its allies.
Losing Your Head: While they easily lose their heads when knocked out, the head takes a few seconds to regain conscience before reassembling their bodies, scaring Luigi, who thought he got rid of one for good.
Major Injury Underreaction: One former Koopa Troopa barely reacts to his Dry Bones transformation when Bowser transforms him into one by being burned with his fire breath.
Night of the Living Mooks: They are the undead version of the common Koopa Troopas.
Reviving Enemy: In most cases, they can revive easily after being defeated; as shown by several being smashed to bits by Luigi and recovering after only a few seconds, However, they don't regenerate if they fall into lava just like in the games, as many Dry Bones fell into it while chasing Luigi.
Ridiculously Alive Undead: They behave similarly to when they were still alive.
Undying Loyalty: Literally! Not even death itself can stop them from serving Bowser.

Hammer Bros.

Hammer Bros. and Sledge Bros.

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_20230729_141550_youtube.jpg

Hammer throwing Koopas.

Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: They're identifiable among other Koopas by their protective headgear and pads.
The Brute: The Sledge Bro variants are bigger and burlier than the average Koopa, but still dwarfed by Bowser.
Defiant to the End: One Hammer Bro that's harassing Foreman Spike throws its hammers at Luigi when he is powered up by the Super Star before he's defeated, along with its Shy Guy, Snifit, and Dry Bones comrades.
Elite Mooks: The Hammer Bros themselves are this, along with their Sledge Bro relatives.
Human Hammer-Throw: A Sledge Bro manages to hit Mario. Unfortunately, Mario was powered up by the Super Star, and returns the favor by swinging the luckless minion by his tail and throwing him at his peers.

Spinies

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_20230729_141522_youtube.jpg

"Whatever those things are!"

Spike-shelled critters among Bowser's army.

Adapted Out: While the Spinies are among the soldiers in Bowser's army, no Lakitus (the Koopas often paired with Spinies, throwing them onto the ground from their clouds) are seen, although that has happened before in the games, notably in Super Mario 3D Land and Super Mario 3D World.
Adorable Evil Minions: Their forlorn expressions after hearing Bowser overlook their entire species cements them as the cutest of his minions.
And the Rest: Bowser lumps them in the "whatever-those-things-are" category after giving name-shouts to the Koopas and Goombas.
Butt-Monkey: They get no respect from Bowser, who pretty much forgot their names and function. They even expressed disappointment by it.

Miscellaneous

Goombas

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gooooomb_8.png

Pint-sized mushroom monsters that serve Bowser.

Adaptational Backstory Change: No mention is made of them being traitors to the Mushroom Kingdom.
Adaptational Villainy: Like the Koopas, Goombas in the games are usually Punch-Clock Villains, but here, they're looking forward to going to war with the Mushroom Kingdom.
Armless Biped: Their only method of offense is to charge at foes. Given the abundance of powerups in their world, this means they're not particularly useful unless they're in a gang or working with other minions.
Big Ol' Eyebrows: Much like in the video game, they sport some massive eyebrows that are paired with their always scowling faces.
Evil Counterpart Race: They're meaner versions of the Toads.
Leaning Tower of Mooks: A few of them stack up into a Goomba Tower just like in the games, while a 3-Stack Goomba Tower is seen among the minions cheering during Bowser's victory speech before announcing that he'll marry Peach in a wedding, causing it and the other Minions' confusion of why the King of Koopas would do that.
Metalhead: One of the Goombas does some headbanging near the Koopa rock band in the crowd of Koopa Troopas.
My Species Doth Protest Too Much: A few Goombas are trapped in cages for refusing to go along with Bowser's plan to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom and could've been sacrificed during the wedding between him and Peach, had Mario and Donkey Kong not saved the prisoners.
Out of Focus: Despite being among the most common and iconic enemies in the games, they don't play any major part in the film, just going along with Bowser's conquest. Ironically, they're not even The Goomba in this movie, with that role going to Koopa Troopas instead.
Squashed Flat: Just like in the games, many of them are squashed flat by Mario's landing boots as he jumps through Bowser's forces.
Waddling Head: As usual, they are giant heads balanced on a pair of short limbs.

Shy Guys

Snifit & Shy Guys

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_20221211_152540_youtube.jpg

Voiced by: Nate Bihldorff (archival)

"We found [Luigi] in the Dark Lands."

— Snifit

Mask-wearing gnomes that inhabit Bowser's kingdom.

Adaptational Early Appearance: They were first introduced in the second game in the Super Mario series (in terms of US releases).
Adaptational Wimp: Snifits in the games shoot bullets at enemies of the Koopa Troop, mostly Mario and Luigi, but in the movie, they don't do such a thing. Justified, since it's a family friendly film.
- As mentioned below, they only fight when they have the upper hand. The moment an altercation sways in the favor of their opposition, they will run and hide.
Creepy High-Pitched Voice: The Snifit that captures and brings Luigi to Bowser has a high-pitched, raspy voice, fitting because it's a small but eerie creature.
Dirty Coward:
- The Shy Guys are this. They’re brave when they’re in a pack and can gang up on and capture a frightened and helpless Luigi. But when Luigi is powered-up by the Super Star in Brooklyn? Unlike the rest of Bowser's minions, who at least try to fight back, the Shy Guys try to run away. They don’t get far.
- The Snifits are no better than the Shy Guys. When Mario and Donkey Kong arrive in Toad Town and power-up to face off against Bowser's army, a Snifit can be briefly seen hiding behind a mushroom waiting until the coast is clear, unlike the other minions who make an effort to attack. And just like the Shy Guys, a Snifit unsuccessfully tries to flee from a Super Star-powered Luigi.
Evil Sounds Raspy: The Snifit that captures and brings Luigi to Bowser has such a voice, befitting for the only one of the group who wears a gas mask.
Faceship: They take Luigi to Bowser in a Shy Guy-shaped hot air balloon; the balloon itself is the hood, while the basket is the mask.
Laser-Guided Karma: A Shy Guy and Snifit harass Spike with a Hammer Bro and a Dry Bones, while Luigi saves Spike by flicking it away.
Malevolent Masked Men: They all wear expressionless masks and work for Bowser. Shy Guys wear a White Mask of Doom while Snifits are Gas Mask Mooks.
Mook Lieutenant: The Snifit is shown leading the Shy Guys and, like the Koopa General, he reports directly to Bowser.
One-Word Vocabulary: The Shy Guys don't say anything other than, "Heiho!"
Right Behind Me: This is how they make their presence known. After Luigi narrowly escapes a swarm of Dry Bones by barricading the doors of a ruined castle shut behind him, he sits down in relief... only for lightning to flash and reveal the gang of creepy masked gnomes waiting for him in the shadows.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Unlike the rest of Bowser’s soldiers, who try to fight the powered-up brothers, a Shy Guy's first instinct is to run away when Luigi stops him from attacking Spike. His attempt is fruitless, as Luigi disposes of him by flicking him.
Small Role, Big Impact: Despite appearing infrequently (and having only one spoken line between them) in the film itself, the Shy Guys and Snifit Luigi stumbles upon are the ones who capture him in the Darklands and bring him to Bowser.

Bob-omb

Living explosives.

Adaptational Angst Upgrade: In the games Bob-ombs don't seem to think twice about blowing themselves up. Their King, on the other hand, is visibly panicked that he's about to explode.
Cartoon Bomb: They resemble black orbs with fuses coming out of their heads, as well as possessing a windup key in their backs and little feet.
Kneel Before Frodo: One Bob-omb does this upon seeing King Bob-omb during Bowser's wedding to Peach.
Out of Focus: Bob-ombs are the Demonic Spiders of the Super Mario Bros. games, but here they're given no prominence outside of their king being lit against his will.
Waddling Head: A more skittish variety than the Goombas.

Chain Chomp

Bowser's attack dog.

All Animals Are Dogs: This one barks as it runs, despite being a creature made entirely of metal.
Out of Focus: The one that does appear is only onscreen for a second and doesn't participate in the final confrontation in Brooklyn, since it was already defeated by Mario's Tanooki form.

Piranha Plants

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/screenshot_20230729_142355_youtube.jpg

Carnivorous plants that Bowser grows.

Bite of Affection: During the victory party, one Plant takes a chomp of another Koopa and, rather than swallowing him like food, continues to hold him in its mouth while Bowser gives his speech.
Enemy Eats Your Lunch: One Piranha Plant does this, stealing a Sledge Bro's meal during the Koopa Troop's victory party.
Man-Eating Plant: True to form, several Piranha Plants can be seen amongst the monsters making up Bowser's army — one of which devours an unfortunate Koopa Troopa. Bowser makes a bouquet out of three small ones and ends up stomping them to death because they try to bite Kamek^note.
This Is Gonna Suck: One of them manages to seemingly swallow Mario and Luigi whole. Unfortunately for it, the brothers had the Super Star power-up, and they break free of its jaws a few seconds later. Just before they do, the Piranha Plant sports an Oh, Crap! expression upon realising its mistake.

Bullet Bills

Oversized projectiles.

Airborne Mook: Thanks to being bullets, they can fly through the air.
Homing Projectile: The Koopa General fires 2 of them at Mario after he uses a shortcut to get out of the former's range.
Out of Focus: Outside of the simulated Bullet Bills that Peach trains Mario with, they sparingly show up throughout the movie as projectiles fired by the Koopa Troop, notably during the Rainbow Road sequence. They're seen being launched at Mario and Luigi after Bowser sics his entire army on the powered-up brothers. They're used as stepping stones and are taken out of action instantly.

The Last Resort (Spoilers Unmarked!)

Bomber Bill

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bullet_70.png

"LAUNCH THE BOMBER BILL AND DESTROY THE MUSHROOM KINGDOM!!!"

— Bowser

A gargantuan Bullet Bill. Bowser launches it in an attempt to destroy the Mushroom Kingdom during the climax.

Action Bomb: It's fully alive and able to steer itself, like the other Bullet Bills. Mario takes advantage of this by getting its attention, causing it to follow him away from the castle.
Adaptation Name Change: The enemy is called "Banzai Bill" in the games.
Death Glare: A particularly terrifying one after Mario finally gets its attention by hitting its eye. This is primarily used to serve as a good and effective reveal to the audience that this thing is actually sentient.
Disproportionate Retribution: After being hit in the eye by Tanooki Mario's tail, Bomber Bill decides to switch its target from Peach's Castle to Mario himself despite the fact that Mario would be caught in the blast radius if it had continued on its intended destination.
Evil Is Bigger: It's far larger than any Banzai Bill from the games, being almost the size of Peach's Castle. It's closer in size to the rare King Bill enemy from New Super Mario Bros Wii.
Fantastic Nuke: It's treated as the Mario equivalent to a nuclear missile. Bowser tries to use it to blow up the entire Mushroom Kingdom, and when it explodes, the subsequent implosion has enough force to draw Bowser's whole castle into the Warp Pipe.
Giant Mook: Bomber Bill is at least as big as Peach's castle.
It Can Think: At first it just appears to be a giant missile with an angry face design until Mario attacks its eye in desperation and it deviates from its flight path to attack Mario specifically.
Nigh-Invulnerable: No attack can stop or slow down its descent toward the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario has to smack it in the eye just to get its attention.
Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Bomber Bill's desire for revenge on Mario not only spares Peach's Castle and the entirety of the Mushroom Kingdom the devastating destruction, but it ends up destroying Bowser's floating castle when it explodes in the middle of the Warp Pipe channel, causing a gigantic vortex that sends the fortress crashing into Brooklyn.
Relocating the Explosion: Since the Bomber Bill is impossible to destroy, Mario instead lures it away from the kingdom and into a Warp Pipe.
Slasher Smile: Just like in the games, the design of it gives it a mouth that always sports a rather nasty and sinister toothy grin even when it is chasing after its victim as revenge.
Walking Spoiler: Its existence isn't revealed until the climax, and discussing it reveals a lot of important details about said climax.

Characters / SMBM Dark Lands

Dark Lands

King Bowser