Bowser (SSB4)

Bowser in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Mario
Other playable appearances	in Melee in Brawl in Ultimate
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Giga Bowser
Tier	C (24)

Bowser (クッパ, Koopa) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. His return to the series was indirectly announced during the E3 Nintendo Direct on June 11th, 2013. Instead of using his voice actor Kenny James who has voiced Bowser since Super Mario Galaxy in 2007, Bowser retains his realistic roar voice clips from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, although they have been heavily altered.

Bowser is ranked 24th out of 55 on the tier list, placing him in the C tier. This is a significant improvement over his bottom-tier placement in Brawl, where he was ranked 33rd out of 38, and is the first time in the series that Bowser has not been ranked as a bottom-tier character, thus resulting in his best placement in the series yet. Many of Bowser's previous weaknesses have been remedied: he is much more mobile, has much greater range, and has noticeably improved combo and grab games. Aside from his new benefits, he retains his excellent endurance, overall high damage output, and very strong KOing options. Lastly, the implementation of rage supplements his already outstanding power.

However, Bowser retains an extremely poor defensive game, despite the addition of universal armor in Tough Guy and it is considered among the worst in SSB4; Bowser's only effective out of shield option is Whirling Fortress, and both his rolls and sidesteps are short-distanced and grant a minimal amount of intangibility frames. His large size and status as a super heavyweight also make him extremely susceptible to combos, which is further compounded by his lack of effective combo breakers. Although Bowser retains Fire Breath as a projectile, his large size nevertheless makes him vulnerable to camping. Bowser's recovery is also unimpressive, as Whirling Fortress' general linearity and predictability make him vulnerable to gimping.

Bowser's perception in the metagame has fluctuated over SSB4's lifespan. He was initially considered a poor character in the first year of release for SSB4, but after update 1.1.3 re-purposed his up throw into a potent combo starter, even leading into kills at certain percentages when comboed into up aerial, Bowser began to experience greater tournament success and a larger playerbase. Greward has won a few regional and national tournaments, while LordMix and Nairo have been able to win difficult matchups against high-level players of top-tier characters; LordMix has defeated Vinnie's Rosalina & Luma and VoiD's Sheik, while Nairo has defeated ZeRo's Diddy Kong, Tweek's Cloud, Zinoto's Diddy Kong, and Mr.E's Marth. However, Bowser’s current tier placement is debatable, as his representation and results noticeably declined after Nairo stopped using the character.

Attributes

Bowser's pivot grab is infamous for its range.

Unlike in Melee and Brawl, Bowser boasts a respectable level of speed to go alongside his renowned power. While he retains a slow walking speed, average air speed, slow air acceleration and the slowest jumpsquat, and while his falling speed is much lower relative to the cast compared to Brawl (the 42nd fastest out of 58 characters as opposed to the 19th-20th fastest out of 38), his dashing speed and double jump's height have both been significantly increased, and he also retains high gravity. This grants him mobility that is average overall, yet fairly balanced compared to most other heavy characters. As the heaviest character in the game, Bowser has the best horizontal endurance of them all, although due to his slow falling speed, his vertical endurance is not the best, but rather the third best, being surpassed only by his fellow super heavies King Dedede and Donkey Kong.

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

Bowser also has a formidable grab game. While not particularly fast, his grabs have among the longest ranges in the game, with his pivot grab being notoriously effective, making it easy for him to grab opponents that are not right next to him. His pummel and his forward, back and down throws deal respectable damage. His up throw's low damage output is counterbalanced by its low knockback, which grants Bowser many reliable follow-ups until around 75%, depending mostly on the opponent's falling speed. His down throw is the optimal choice for either forcing opponents off-stage for an edgeguard or preventing his other throws from becoming stale. His back throw is among the strongest, being surpassed only by Ness, Toon Link, Mewtwo, Villager, Lucas, Dr. Mario, and Mario's, and can KO at 180% from center-stage. His forward throw is the strongest of its kind in the game, reliably KOing any character at 180% from center-stage.

Lastly, Bowser has a versatile special moveset. Fire Breath is Bowser's only projectile, which can be used to fend off opponents or gimp recoveries due to it ability to be angled, while the nerf to SDI makes it quite difficult to escape when caught up close. Flying Slam is a grab, allowing it to ignore shields and counterattacks. Upon a successful grab, Bowser is invincible up until he jumps to perform a flipping belly-to-belly suplex that deals enough knockback to KO around 120% or even earlier if he lands on a platform. After getting grabbed, the opponent cannot do anything other than slightly alter the move's trajectory. Whirling Fortress is Bowser's primary means of recovery, granting below average vertical distance but good horizontal distance; button mashing increases the move's vertical distance if done close to the end of the move, while shortening it if done at the start. Whirling Fortress is also a phenomenal out of shield option, as well as Bowser's fastest attack. Lastly, Bowser Bomb is very powerful and can be used as an alternative to fast-falling, making it useful for grabbing the ledge while at the same time threatening edgeguarders. It also deals additional shield damage, meaning that a shield break will occur if both of its hits connect.

However, Bowser has some glaring flaws. One of his biggest problems is air-to-ground transitioning. All of his aerials have at least 20 frames of landing lag, with his back and down aerials having 40 frames each. As none of his aerials have favorable autocancel windows, returning to the ground is very difficult for him, or even impossible without air dodging and/or fast-falling, due to his slow aerial mobility. As a result, Bowser is quite vulnerable to combos and heavily susceptible to juggling, making it easy for opponents to rack up damage on him, further worsened by his large size. His down aerial is his only move that can help mitigate these issues, but its aforementioned landing lag and stall-then-fall status can make it quite unreliable most of the time. His moveset, while fast compared to most heavyweights, is slow when compared to the rest of the cast, limiting his combo starters to only up throw and jab canceled neutral attack, and making it difficult for him to keep up with faster opponents, such as Sonic. This also compounds another noticeable problem: his ability to escape pressure. Due to his slow rolls and sidestep, with the former also being short-distanced, Bowser's only real method of dealing with pressure is Whirling Fortress, which can be punished if executed too late. Some of his moves are also inevitable KOs if used off-stage, namely his two stall-then-falls, down aerial and Bowser Bomb, as well as Flying Slam. Lastly, despite his recovery being rather long-distanced, it is among the slowest of the cast, making aggressive edgeguarding more than enough to KO Bowser.

Bowser benefits greatly from custom moves. Compared to Fire Breath, Fire Shot is slower and has noticeable intervals between each fireball, but has more range and deals consistent damage, which make it better for Bowser's neutral and edgeguarding games. Dash Slam is drastically weaker, but has a lower launch angle and propels Bowser forward, making it easier for him to grab opponents. Dash Slash deals less damage, but deals high knockback, hits throughout most of its animation and maintains the default version's autocanceling, granting Bowser a very reliable move for approaching and setting up combos. Both Flying Slam alternatives can also improve his recovery. Lastly, Flying Fortress cannot be used out of shield, but grants twice as much vertical distance at high speed, significantly improving Bowser's vertical recovery.

Overall, Bowser is a surprisingly speedy powerhouse who relies on a defensive, bait and punish-oriented playstyle. As such, he requires timing his attacks carefully or focusing on punishing his opponents' mistakes in order to avoid serious punishment himself. While Bowser's overall representation in high-level and top-level play has been smaller than higher tiered characters, players such as LordMix and Nairo have managed to achieve notable results, with many players arguing his tier placement should be higher. The most notable instance of this is ZeRo, who considers Bowser to be a high-tier character.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. Brawl

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Bowser was considered to be an unviable low tier as while he had solid KO power, great endurance, good range, a good Out of Shield game and a solid grab game, due to his effective Flying Slam command grab and his short grab release animation, he suffered from having very poor frame data, a highly exploitable recovery and his combination of having a huge body, high weight and high gravity made him a punching bag for many characters. He overall struggled to approach (especially against projectiles) as he was a huge target without solid enough mobility and he was a very easy target for multiple characters to chain grab, making him struggle against a large portion of the cast.

As a result, Bowser has been heavily updated in Super Smash Bros. 4, with almost all of his animations being completely or at least slightly revamped from the previous game. Bowser has seen a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition to Smash 4 and while he was not greatly improved in earlier versions of the game, he has seen some rather drastic buffs as of the latest patch, which greatly help him overall.

Bowser has seen multiple changes to his attributes which noticeably help him. His running speed has been significantly increased, which along with his new dash attack, makes it easier for him to approach and run away. He has additionally seen a helpful unique attribute known as Tough Guy, which gives him armor against very low knockback attacks, which allows him to plough through jabs as well as other low knockback attacks, giving him a rather unique advantage. His weight has also been noticeably increased which noticeably improves his endurance even with the removal of momentum canceling (especially relative to the cast), which is especially helpful considering the introduction to rage, which further boosts Bowser's already strong KO potential when he is at higher percents.

Bowser's recovery has also seen some rather significant improvements. While his air speed is slower (especially relative to the cast), his air dodge has much less ending lag and his aerial Whirling Fortress grants much more height which can be increased further with mashing, making it a much better recovery move. The move can also now grab ledges from behind as it is rising and the removal of edge hogging also greatly improves its recovery potential and makes it much harder to edgeguard against. Bowser's significantly improved recovery makes it much harder to KO him, further improving his endurance.

While some of Bowser's moves have seen rather simple animation changes, some moves have been changed completely for the better. His dash attack is a better burst option, his forward smash comes out faster, hits harder and is overall more reliable, his neutral aerial is now an effective damage racker, his back aerial is noticeably stronger and it can now auto-cancel in a short hop and his down aerial is now a hard hitting stall-then-fall, giving his neutral and down aerials in particular more utility than they had in the previous game. Some moves which were not drastically changed such as forward tilt, up smash and forward/back throws saw improvements to their KO potential, which overall gives Bowser greater KO potential than he had in Brawl, which is further compunded with rage.

Bowser's most drastic and useful buffs however were made to his up throw. Up throw has less knockback, less ending lag and it launches opponents at a more vertical angle, which have transformed the move from a very underwhelming spacing throw to one of the most devastating combo throws in the game. At lower percents, it can easily lead into an up tilt, a forward aerial, a back aerial or a neutral aerial, with the latter being able to rack up a lot of damage. The most formidable part of the throw though is that at higher percents, it can lead into an up aerial (which comes out much faster than in Brawl) for an early KO. Rage can allow this to lead into KOes even earlier and as stated before, Bowser can very easily build up rage due to him being the heaviest character in the game, making him one of the largest benefiters of the mechanic.

The changes to this single move have immensely helped Bowser as it further solidifies the buffs some of his other moves have received (as with the case with his neutral and up aerials) and it means that he does benefit from the changes to hitstun canceling and the changes to Directional Influence as without the throw, Bowser still possesses a rather poor combo game and the two mentioned universal changes noticeably increase his vulnerability to combos. While the latter point is true regardless, his up throw acts as an extremely potent compensation, allowing him to make use out of the changes to hitstun canceling/DI, which he otherwise would not be able to.

The changes to gameplay physics and mechanics (as well as the aforementioned changes to hitstun canceling/DI, along with the introduction of rage) also aid aid Bowser. With many projectiles being nerfed, it is much easier for Bowser to approach projectile users, especially with his increased running speed and his faster air dodge (although his is still vulnerable to projectiles due to his large size). The removal of chain grabbing eliminates the zero-to-death or otherwise heavily damaging combos that multiple characters possessed against him, greatly improving his endurance against certain characters. The changes to shield mechanics also help his as the increased shield damage multiplier and the increased shieldstun makes his attacks safer and harder to punish, as well as allowing him to shatter a shield more easily (particularly with Bowser Bomb).

Bowser has however, received a few nerfs. As mentioned before, Bowser is now much more vulnerable to combos due to the changes to hitstun canceling/DI, which is further exacerbated with the changes to weight dependent throws. Weight dependent throws are now faster on Bowser in spite of his increased weight, which makes it harder for him to DI weight dependent throws and it gives them less ending lag against him, making him more susceptible to combos out of weight dependent throws.

Bowser's grab release animation now has 10 extra frames of ending lag to match the rest of the cast. When combined with the general changes to grab releases (particularly aerial grab releases) and the removal of chain grabbing, this completely removes his grab release's utility (although his improved up throw largely compensate for this).

Bowser also has inferior frame data on some of his moves. Some moves such as up tilt and forward aerial have increased startup lag (although the former has decreased ending lag and more range in front of Bowser) while others such as down smash and Flying Slam have increased ending lag. Some of Bowser's moves also have reduced KO potential, such as his up tilt, up aerial (although it comes out much faster to compensate) and his grounded Whirling Fortress. Many of his attacks also have reduced range, with many of his attacks having smaller hitboxes which are not positioned as far away from Bowser, although some of his new animations can compensate for this on certain moves.

Bowser's specials have also seen some nerfs. Fire Breath is inferior at racking up damage (due to its lower damage), its late hit no longer causes hitstun and Bowser cannot turn his head as quickly while using it. While Flying Slam it is stronger and Bowser has more control over his trajectory, the move now causes Bowser to be KO'd first while the opponent does not go through their grab released animation, making Bowsercide a less viable tactic to KO an opponent. In addition to this, the move has less range, more ending lag (as stated before) and Koopa hopping has been removed, making Flying Slam harder to land and decreasing its utility. Grounded Whirling Fortress has seen the most significant nerfs however. The move is now a weaker, multi-hitting move, with no intangibility on startup, less range, more ending lag, Bowser moves slower while using it and Bowser can no longer slide off edges while using it. This hinders its use as an Out of Shield option and it is overall a less effective attack (with reduced power, reiability and range) and with less utility, although it is still an effective Out of Shield option.

Bowser's nerfs however, are notably offset by the very useful buffs Bowser has received (particularly to up throw). Overall, Bowser has seen some rather significant buffs, which work excellently with the game's universal changes. Bowser not only has greater endurance, is overall faster and has a much better recovery but he also has greater KO potential and excellent combo potential, due to his greatly improved up throw. This has resulted in him faring much better than he ever did in Brawl and especially Melee.

In earlier versions, Bowser was still considered to be a low tier character (particularly as time went on, as people figured out the game and realised that Bowser's improvements were not as drastic as initially though). Besides his recovery and improved KO potential, Bowser still suffered from the same flaws he had in Brawl, and he had lost some of his more effective tools (notably his shorter grab release, which noticeably hurt his grab game at the time) Bowser did receive buffs over time though, with his most drastic buffs being introduced in version 1.1.3, which greatly improved his up throw. In earlier versions, up throw was an unimpressive spacing throw much like it was in Brawl (as it dealt more knockback and had more ending lag) but in 1.1.3, it became the devastating combo throw it is known for today. While its combo potential was toned down in version 1.1.4 (and Bayonetta was introduced in the same patch), he received other useful buffs in the same patch, along with the next patch (where some of the top tiers were also toned down), and it still remained an excellent combo tool.

The changes to this one move were enough to push Bowser from low tier to high tier, subsequently improving his results and player base. A consequence this had though is that Bowser became a rather controversial pick. Because his up throw was so much better, Bowser's gameplan suddenly became overcentralised by his grab, as his main goal would be to fish for grabs, up throw and build damage from there (or KO depending on the opponent's percent). This resulted in Bowser's reputation being rather negative, as he was essentially a low tier character, but with one incredibly powerful gimmick (his grab/up throw), which largely carried him, making him a rather one dimensional and predictable character.

Nevertheless, while Bowser is still a giant punching bag, who has really poor frame data and struggles to approach, he is now widely agreed to be a viable character in the latest version of Smash 4 (even if it is largely due to one move), and is overall one of the characters to be buffed the most in the transition from Brawl to Smash 4, alongside Mario, Luigi, Captain Falcon, Sheik, and Mewtwo.

Aesthetics

• Due to the aesthetic used in SSB4, Bowser has a sleeker design, his pupils are smaller and his overall color scheme is significantly more vibrant, much like his appearance in Super Mario 3D Land.
• Bowser's charcoal-colored alternate costume has been slightly updated. His hair is now orange instead of red. Bowser has also received five new alternate costumes, one of which is based on Blue Bowser.
• Dash, roll, air dodge, crouch, and crawl's animations have changed. Bowser now dashes on both legs instead of shuttling along the ground, and he remains upright instead of retreating into his shell when rolling, jumping, or air dodging. Bowser's crouch also appears similar to his crouching defensive stance from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story.
• A shadow has been added to the interior of Bowser's shell, which obscures his face (except for his eyes) whenever he withdraws into his shell.
• Bowser is significantly less vocal. He no longer vocalizes when jumping or performing his dash attack, any tilt attack, and any aerial attack.
• Bowser's body now faces the screen regardless of whether he's facing left or right.

Attributes

• Like other large characters, such as Donkey Kong and King Dedede, Bowser's general size in proportion to the other playable characters is also greater than in previous installments. This improves his range, but makes his hurtbox larger.
• Bowser, now stands upright, which is also reflected in his new walking and dashing animations. This makes him harder to hit horizontally but easier to hit vertically.
  • Bowser's new upright posture has also been translated into his moveset, be it through a tweaked animation or a completely new move.
• Bowser now has a unique attribute, Tough Guy. It is universal armor against attacks that deal less than 19 units of knockback, such as the first hit of many neutral attacks, or numerous neutral infinites. It is amplified if he is crouching (due to the changes to crouch canceling).
• Bowser walks faster (0.8 → 0.858).
• As with other returning veterans, Bowser walks much faster when carrying heavy items, to the point where it now surpasses Donkey Kong's, although DK still surpasses him in regard to jumping or falling with them.
• Bowser dashes much faster (1.527 → 1.792), going from the 16th fastest out of 39 in Brawl to the 17th fastest out of 58 in Smash 4.
• Like all characters returning from Brawl, Bowser’s fast-falling speed is faster (1.946 → 2.224). This improves his aerial mobility and leaves him less susceptible to juggling.
  • However, since his regular falling speed remains unchanged and most other characters saw an identical increase to their fast falling speed relative to their normal falling speed (60%), his fast falling speed is much lower relative to the cast, going from the 19th fastest out of 39 to the 17th lowest out of 58.
• Bowser is noticeably heavier (120 → 130), significantly improving his endurance and makes him suffer less from the removal of momentum canceling than other returning veterans.
• Bowser's air speed is slower (1.034 → 1.0), especially relative to the cast, going from the 11th highest out of 39 to the 31st highest out of 58.
• Bowser’s gravity is higher (0.1027 → 0.11). When combined with his faster fast-falling speed, this allows him to land more safely, but makes him more susceptible to combos, as well as slightly reducing the height of his jumps.
• Bowser has a new double jump animation where he stays upright. This allows him to grab ledges from further below but it also makes him a much larger target.
• Bowser's item throw is stronger (1 → 1.1).
• The changes to hitstun canceling both help and hinder Bowser. They significantly improve his combo potential (particularly out of up throw), but make him more susceptible to combos.
• The removal of chain grabbing significantly improves Bowser's endurance.
• The changes to weight dependent throws hinders Bowser, as it makes weight dependent throws faster against him despite his significantly increased weight.
• Rolls have less startup (frame 5 → 4) and ending lag (FAF 40 → 34).
• Air dodge has less ending lag (FAF 50 → 35).
• Air dodge has a slightly shorter duration (frames 4-30 → 4-29).
• Spot dodge has less ending lag (FAF 33 → 29), no longer being the slowest.
• Spot dodge has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 3-24 → 4-19).
• The 1.19x damage multiplier to shields and the increase to shieldstun make some of Bowser's attacks much better at pressuring shields, as they are safer and deal more shield damage.
• Bowser's grab release has increased ending lag (FAF 20 → 30), now matching the rest of the cast. When combined with the changes to grounded and aerial grab releases, Bowser now has no frame advantage out of a grounded grab release and only a 10 frame advantage out of an aerial grab release (compared to 11 and 31 frames (against most characters) respectively). This removes all of his guaranteed followups out of a grab release which is further exacerbated by the removal of chain grabbing.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • Bowser has a new neutral attack: he clenches his fist and perform punches.
  • Both hits have more startup lag (frame 6 (hit 1)/8 (hit 2) → 7/9).
    • However, their total durations were unchanged, giving them slightly less ending lag.
  • The first hit's far hitbox is larger (4u → 5u).
  • The first hit's near hitbox launches opponents slightly higher (83° → 85°), making it connect more reliably into the second hit.
  • The first hit's near hitboxes are smaller (5u/4.5u → 3u/4u).
  • The first hit's far hitbox has been moved closer to Bowser (x offset: 8 → 5), while its nearest hitbox has been moved further away from hit (x offset: -8 → -7), reducing its range.
  • The second hit deals more damage (5% → 6.5%).
  • The second hit's near hitboxes are smaller (6u/5.5u → 3u/4u).
  • The first hit's far hitbox has been moved closer to Bowser (x offset: 7.3 → 5), while its nearest hitbox has been moved further away from hit (x offset: -8 → -6), reducing its range.
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt has an altered animation where Bowser now closes his fist when performing the move.
  • Forward tilt deals more damage (11% → 12%), improving its KO potential.
  • Forward tilt has smaller hitboxes (5.7u/5u/4u → 5.5u/4u/4u) and the hand hitbox has been moved closer to Bowser (x offset: 7 → 5.1), reducing its range.
    • In addition to this, the move no longer has a body hitbox, as the previous body hitbox has been moved to the same position as the arm hitbox, with the move now having two overlapping arm hitboxes.
  • The down angled version no longer has a 40% trip chance, although this does not affect the move under a competitive ruleset.
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt has less ending lag (FAF 51 → 41), making it safer and improving its ability to set up juggles.
  • Up tilt deals less damage (12% → 9%), hindering its KO potential.
    • However, this also improves its ability to set up juggles.
  • Up tilt has more startup lag (frame 8 → 11).
    • However due to its new animation, up tilt's hitboxes now start right in front of Bowser, allowing the move to hit opponents in front of him.
  • Up tilt has smaller hitboxes (6u/5.5u/5u → 5.5u/5u), the body hitbox has been removed and the hand hitbox has been moved closer to Bowser (x offset: 8 → 6.9).
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt has an altered animation. It is now an alternating pair of hooks rather than an alternating pair of claw swipes.
  • This new animation properly matches its hitboxes' placements, with the move now fully covering Bowser's hand.
    • This new animation is also shorter (51 frames → 45), allowing Bowser to crawl earlier after performing the move.
    • Despite its altered animation and hitbox placements, down tilt still roughly has the same amount of range it had before.
• Dash attack:
  • Bowser has a new dash attack, a side kick, similar to Meta Knight’s dash attack.
  • Compared to the previous dash attack, it deals more damage (11% (clean)/8% (late) → 12%/10%) and its clean hit deals more knockback (120 (base)/30 (scaling) → 110/35), improving its KO potential.
  • Dash attack covers more space in a shorter amount of time, making it a better approach and burst movement option.
  • Dash attack has more startup lag (frame 10 → 11).
    • However, its total duration was unchanged, giving it slightly less ending lag.
  • Dash attack's far hitboxes have been moved closer to Bowser (x offset: 18 (clean)/15 (late) → 12/10), reducing its range relative to Bowser.
  • Dash attack's near hitboxes are smaller (7u (clean)/5u (late) → 4u/3.8u) and the late near hit has also been moved further away from Bowser (x offset: 3 → 4).
• Forward smash:
  • Bowser has a new forward smash: a single hitting dropkick with a clean hit and a late hit, rather than two separate hits.
  • Forward smash has less startup lag (frame 26 → 22).
    • However, it starts charging much sooner (frame 12 → 4), giving it more startup lag out of a charge release despite this change (frame 15 → 18).
  • Forward smash now grants invincibility to Bowser's feet.
  • The clean hit deals more knockback (25/22 (base)/81 (scaling) → 25/98), improving its KO potential.
  • The clean hit's sourspot launches opponents at a more favourable angle (60° → 361°), improving its KO potential (unless when used near the upper blast zone) and making DI less effective against it.
  • Due to its new animation, forward smash has significantly more range and it can be used to low profile under certain attacks.
    • However, as this move animation moves Bowser forward, it leaves him in a more vulnerable spot if forward smash is shielded.
  • The clean hit now has transcendent priority. When combined with Bowser having feet intangibility, this allows the move to ignore any hitbox, while still being able to cancel out projectiles.
  • Forward smash now has a late hit which deals 17%/14% depending on where it lands and decent knockback (10 (base)/103 (scaling). This new late hit extends forward smash's duration (frame 26 (hit 1)/28-31 (hit 2) → 22-23/24-27).
    • However, the clean hit has a shorter duration (frames 28-31 → 22-23).
  • The new late hit has anti-rebounding priority.
  • Forward smash now only hits once, reducing its maximum damage potential (33% → 23%).
    • However, this also makes forward smash more reliable.
  • The clean hit has smaller hitboxes compared to the previous second hit (7.3u/6.3u → 7u/5.5u), with the new late hit having even smaller hitboxes (6u/5u).
  • The sourspot deals less damage (21% → 20%).
  • Forward smash has more ending lag (FAF 66 → 70).
• Up smash:
  • Up smash's main hit has increased knockback scaling (80 (sweetspot)/90 (sourspot) → 90/100), improving its KO potential.
  • The main hit has a longer duration (frames 16-21 → 16-23).
  • Up smash has an altered animation where Bowser has a more upright posture. This makes it easier for the sweetspot to connect against grounded opponents.
  • The landing hit has more startup lag (frame 31 → 37), with up smash's total duration being subsequently increased (FAF 52 → 58).
  • The clean hit has smaller hitboxes (8u/6u/6u → 7u/5.5u/5.5u) and the sourspots have been moved closer to Bowser (z offset: 6/-6 → 5/-5).
  • The landing hit deals less damage (12%/10% → 6%) with it only seeing an increase to its base knockback (60 → 80), hindering its KO potential.
  • The landing hit uses one smaller extended hitbox (6u/6u/6u → 5.5u), decreasing its overall range.
• Down smash:
  • Down smash has a new first hit that is active right before Bowser starts spinning, giving it less startup lag (frame 14 → 10).
  • The weakening of SDI makes down smash significantly more difficult to escape from.
  • The final hit has less startup lag (frame 32 → 31).
    • However, there is a longer gap between the sixth and final hit (1 frame → 3) and this increases the move's ending lag.
  • The final hit's angle was altered (65° → 48°).
    • This improves its KO potential near the horizontal blastzone, as well as making it less susceptible to DI.
    • However, this hinders its vertical KO potential (including from center stage positions on tournament legal stages without DI), as well as removing its ability to set up juggles.
  • Down smash has more ending lag (FAF 67 → 72).
  • Hits 2-6 deal less damage (2% → 1%), reducing down smash's total damage output (21% → 16%).
  • Hits 2-6 have smaller hitboxes (5.5u/5.5u/4.4u/4.4u → 4.2u/4.2u/3.7u/3.7u), they have been moved closer to Bowser (z offset: -9/9/-6/6 → -7.2/7.2/-5/5) and the upper hitboxes have been moved lower down (y offset: 11 → 9), reducing their range.
  • The final hit has decreased knockback scaling (140 → 130), hindering its KO potential.
  • The final hit's hitboxes have been moved closer to Bowser (z offset: -9/9/-6/6 → -7.2/7.2/-5/5) and the upper hitboxes have been moved lower down (y offset: 12 → 9), reducing its range.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials except down aerial have a shorter initial auto-cancel window (frames 1-7 (neutral)/1-8 (forward/back)/1-9 (up) → 1-3 (neutral)/forward)/1-2 (back/up).
• Neutral aerial:
  • Bowser has a new neutral aerial: an aerial cartwheel. Bowser's hands and feet consist of hitboxes (which slowly appear as time goes on) which deal 6% each and launch opponents vertically (361° → 75°)
  • All four of neutral aerial's hitboxes can connect, greatly increasing its maximum damage potential (13% → 24%).
  • Neutral aerial has more range overall, as the move now has four hitboxes which circle around Bowser.
  • Neutral aerial has a longer duration (frames 8-13 (clean)/14-23 → 8-29 (hit 1)/14-29 (hit 2)/18-29 (hits 3 & 4).
  • Neutral aerial has less landing lag (24 frames → 20).
    • Altogether, these changes combined with the changes to hitstun cancelling/DI, improves neutral aerial's damage racking and combo potential, as the move launches opponents vertically.
  • Each hit of neutral aerial deals less damage (13% → 6%) and their knockback was not fully compensated (20 (base)/80 (scaling) → 20/50 (hit 1)/20/100 (hit 2)/60/90 (hits 3 & 4), hindering its KO potential.
    • However, this does improve its combo potential.
    • In addition to this, the move's vertical launch angle significantly hinders its edgeguarding potential.
  • Due to its multi-hit nature (along with each hitbox having different knockback), neutral aerial is far less consistent and reliable to use (especially outside of lower percents), making it difficult to effectively utilise.
  • Neutral aerial's hitboxes are smaller compared to the previous hitbox (8u → 5.5u).
    • In addition to this, the move now has a large blindspot in the middle of Bowser's body.
  • Neutral aerial auto-cancels later (frame 40 → 45).
  • Neutral aerial has a longer animation (49 frames → 66), increasing the amount of time Bowser cannot grab ledges after performing the move.
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial has an altered animation.
    • This new animation more accurately represents the move's hitboxes, with the move now always covering Bowser's hand.
    • However this new animation is longer (45 frames → 53).
  • The sweetspot has been moved slightly higher up (z offset: 0 → -0.7).
  • Forward aerial has more startup lag (frame 8 → 11).
    • However, its total duration was unchanged, giving it less ending lag.
  • The sweetspot has been moved closer to Bowser (x offset: 5 → 4.4), reducing its range.
• Back aerial:
  • Bowser has a new back aerial, a dropkick.
    • This new animation is marginally longer than the previous animation (49 frames → 50).
  • Back aerial deals more damage (15% (clean)/7% (late)) → 19%) and knockback (25 (base)/83 (scaling) → 20/88), significantly improving its KO potential.
  • Back aerial has less ending lag (FAF 50 → 45).
  • Back aerial auto-cancels much earlier (frame 45 → 31), now being able to do so in a short hop.
  • As with most back aerial's, back aerial now always launches opponents behind Bowser.
  • Back aerial has a smaller hitbox (9u/5u → 7u) which is now static, decreasing its range. The move has gone from being disjointed, to now failing to fully cover Bowser's feet, especially during its first active frame.
  • Back aerial no longer has a late hit, shortening its duration (frames 9-11 (clean)/12-16 (late) → 9-11) and reducing its utility.
  • Back aerial has more landing lag (35 frames → 40).
  • Back aerial no longer grants invincibility on Bowser's shell or even on his feet.
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial has much less startup lag (frame 16 → 9), making it much easier to land and overall improving its utility.
    • However, its total duration was unchanged, giving it more ending lag.
  • Up aerial gains head intangibility much sooner (frame 10 → 3).
  • Up aerial has a marginally shorter animation (47 frames → 46).
  • Up aerial's hitbox is now displaced horizontally rather than vertically (y offset: 2.4 → x offset: 2.4). When combined with up aerial's new animation, this makes the hitbox more accurately cover Bowser's head but it also decreases the move's vertical range.
  • Up aerial deals less damage (17% → 15%) and has decreased knockback scaling (93 → 85), hindering its KO potential, although it is still one of the strongest up aerials in the game.
  • Up aerial has a smaller hitbox (7u → 6u).
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial is now a single hitting stall-then-fall which compared to the previous final hit, deals more damage (3% → 16%) and has increased base knockback (10 → 30), drastically improving its KO potential.
    • Down aerial's stall-then-fall attribute combined with its increased strength makes it a much more effective and devastating landing option, especially near the ledge due to the clean hit's meteor smash hitbox.
    • However, its stall-then-fall properties also make it even more dangerous to use off stage.
  • Down aerial has a larger hitbox (4u/4u → 7u), increasing its range despite only having one hitbox now.
  • Down aerial has a longer duration (frames 14-15, 17-18, 20-21, 23-24, 26-27, 29-30, 32-33, 35-36, 38 → 17-24 (clean)/25-49 (late)).
  • Down aerial's angles have been altered (270° (hit 9) → 275° (clean)/56° (late)).
  • The landing hit can no longer hit aerial opponents.
    • This prevents the landing hit from cancelling out the knockback from the main attack.
    • However, this also hinders down aerial's damage racking potential.
  • Due to consisting of one hit instead of nine, down aerial's maximum damage potential is much lower (27% → 18%).
  • Down aerial has more startup lag (frame 14 → 17).
    • However, its total duration was unchanged, giving it less ending lag.

Throws/other attacks

• Grabs:
  • Bowser's grabs have new animations where Bowser only grabs with one hand, as opposed to both. He also no longer topples over during his dash grab.
  • Dash grab has decreased ending lag (FAF 50 → 48).
  • Pivot grab has increased start-up (frame 9 → 11) and ending lag (FAF 40 → 46).
  • Standing and pivot grabs have larger grabboxes (5.5u → 6u).
    • Pivot grab has additionally been positioned further out (z offset: -23/-16/-9 → z stretch: -26), further increasing its already disjointed range.
  • Standing and dash grab have been moved closer to Bowser (z offset: -18/-13/-8 (standing), -22/-16/-10 (dash) → z stretch: -14, -15.5), reducing their range.
    • Dash grab additionally also has a smaller grabbox (5.5u → 4.8u).
  • In order to reflect his new grab animations, Bowser now holds the opponent with only one arm, after grabbing them.
    • This new grabbing animation holds opponents lower to the ground, preventing Bowser from forcing smaller characters into an aerial grab release unless he grabs them in mid-air.
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals slightly more damage (3% → 3.1%).
  • Pummel's hitbox is now static, rather than being attached to Bowser's head. This gives it less vertical range.
• Forward throw:
  • Forward throw deals more damage (10% → 12%) and has increased knockback scaling (50 → 66), now being a viable KO option at higher percents.
  • Forward throw has less ending lag (FAF 60 → 59).
  • Forward throw's animation has slightly changed. Bowser now rears his head to the side and sways it upward to throw the opponent, instead of rearing his head downward and then whipping it upward.
• Back throw:
  • Back throw deals more damage (10% → 12%) and has more knockback scaling (50 → 66), now being a viable KO option at higher percents.
  • Back throw has less ending lag (FAF 40 → 39).
  • Back throw has a new animation where Bowser performs a one-armed throw, similar to Donkey Kong's back throw.
• Up throw:
  • Up throw has less ending lag (FAF 70 → 64).
  • The first seven hits deal less hitlag (1x → 0.5x), allowing the throw to be performed faster.
  • The first seven hits deal less damage (1% → 0.5%), reducing the move's total damage output (10% → 6.5%).
  • The eighth hit deals much more knockback (0 (base)/100 (scaling) → 80/200), making the throw much more potent against bystanders.
  • The eighth hit has a shorter duration (frames 49-52 → 49-51).
  • Up throw launches opponents at a higher angle (70° → 82°).
  • Up throw deals less knockback at lower percents (120 (set)/100 (scaling) → 25 (base)/180). When combined with its reduced ending lag, higher launch angle and the changes to hitstun canceling/DI, this drastically improves its combo potential. It can easily lead into moves such as up tilt and neutral aerial at lower percents while at higher percents, it can lead reliably into an up aerial for an early KO (especially with rage), now making Bowser's up throw his most useful move.
    • However, the move's lack of set knockback hinders its combo potential at higher percents while still being too weak to KO.
• Down throw:
  • Down throw's hitbox has a longer duration (frame 45 → 45-46).
  • The hitbox deals less damage (12% → 10%).
  • Down throw's throw now deals damage (0% → 2%) and has significantly increased knockback (75 (base)/30 (scaling) → 90/80).
• Floor attacks:
  • Floor attacks deal more damage (6% → 7%) and shield damage (1 → 8) per hit, with minimally compensated knockback scaling (50 → 48).
  • Floor attacks have less ending lag (FAF 50 → 46).
  • The back hits have less startup lag (frame 26 (front)/23 (back) → 22 (both)).
  • Floor attacks have more startup lag (frame 10 (front)/18 (back) → 19 (both)).
  • Floor attacks have less intangibility (frame 1-27 (front)/1-24 (back) → 1-23 (both)).
  • Floor attacks launch opponents at a higher angle (361° → 48°).
• Edge attack:
  • Bowser has a new edge attack, an inward slash similar to his previous over 100% edge attack, albeit faster.
  • Compared to the previous under 100% edge attack, this new edge attack has much more startup with a shorter duration (frames 8-17 → 22-24), no longer being the fastest in the game.
    • However, this decreases its ending lag as its total duration was not fully compensated (FAF 55 → 56).
  • Edge attack deals less damage (8% → 7%) and launches opponents at a slightly higher angle (361° → 45°).
  • Edge attack has less range due to its new animation.
  • Edge attack grants much more intangibility (frames 1-4 → 1-19).
  • Edge attack no longer has set knockback (110 (set)/100 (scaling) → 90 (base)/20 (scaling)).
• Trip attack:
  • Trip attack deals more shield damage (1 → 8) per hit.
  • Trip attack has decreased intangibility (frames 1-8 → 1-7).

Special moves

• Fire Breath:
  • Fire Breath's flames are larger when it is at full charge.
  • Fire Breath's flames travel faster (1.9 (speed)/2.8 (horizontal momentum) → 3.5/4.0).
  • Fire Breath's far hitbox deals more damage (1% → 1.2%).
  • Fire Breath has a lower SDI multiplier (1.25x → 0.8x) which along with the weakening of the mechanic, makes Fire Breath more difficult to escape from.
  • Fire Breath now slightly pushes Bowser back while slightly pushing the opponent away (45 units per hit, after 3 hits).
    • This can make the move safer as it makes it more difficult for Bowser's opponent to punish him.
    • However, this also significantly hinders Fire Breath's damage racking potential and Bowser can slide off edges during this backwards push, hindering its safety when used near the ledge when facing away from it.
  • Fire Breath has an increased hitlag multiplier (0.5x → 1x).
  • Clean Fire Breath deals less damage (2% → 1.2%).
  • Fire Breath's turning speed to change its trajectory is much lower (2.8 → 1.55).
  • Clean Fire Breath has a shorter duration (7 frames → 6).
  • Fire Breath's flames have a shorter duration (19 frames → 11).
    • Despite this, they still travel a similar distance due to their increased speed.
  • Fire Breath's flames shrink in size at a faster rate, with the move reaching minimum charge much sooner.
  • Fire Breath takes longer to recharge.
  • Fire Breath has increased base knockback (9 (clean)/5 (late) → 20), making it connect less reliably into itself.
    • However, this does make the clean hit safer if the opponent manages to SDI out of it.
  • Late Fire Breath now no longer causes hitstun, significantly hindering its effectiveness at far ranges.
    • Altogether, these changes significantly hinder Fire Breath's damage racking potential.
• Flying Slam:
  • Grounded Flying Slam is now capable of grabbing aerial opponents, although the move has much smaller grabboxes (2u/2u) against aerial opponents.
  • Upon grabbing an opponent, Flying Slam now grants Bowser 23 frames of intangibility after he grabs his opponent, making it harder to intercept.
    • However, the move has more lag before Bowser jumps (22 frames → 25), theoretically making it easier to DI.
  • Bowser and his opponent have greater initial aerial acceleration when Bowser jumps (0.15 → 0.21 (Bowser), 0.18 → 0.19 (Opponent)). This gives Bowser more control over Flying Slam's trajectory.
  • Flying Slam has received a hitbox while Bowser is falling that can hit bystanders.
    • Altogether, these changes significantly improve its safety.
  • When Bowser lands with Flying Slam after grabbing an opponent, he jumps higher, falls faster and retains much more momentum. This allows him to control his trajectory when he lands and he can now land on platforms above him to reduce its ending lag.
    • However, Bowser now lands before he can double jump when used on a flat surface. This makes it more difficult for Bowser to utilise his aerial followups if he is at center stage, away from platforms.
  • Flying Slam's throw has increased knockback scaling (50 → 60), improving its KO potential.
  • Flying Slam's throw release hitbox has increased base knockback (30 → 60).
  • Bowser releases his opponent sooner from Flying Slam's throw (frame 14 → 8).
    • This makes Flying Slam harder to DI despite its longer startup animation.
    • However, this increases its ending lag as its total duration was unchanged.
  • Flying Slam's grab has a shorter duration (frames 8-10 (grounded)/17-19 (aerial) → 8/17).
  • Flying Slam's grabboxes are smaller (6u/4u → 5u/4u (grounded), 9u/8u/8u → 6u/4.5u (aerial) and the far grabbox does not reach as far (z offset: 20 → 17.5 (grounded), 18 → 15.5 (aerial)), reducing its range, especially the aerial version.
  • Flying Slam's grab has more ending lag (FAF 38 (grounded)/44 (aerial) → 43/49).
  • Aerial Flying Slam's grab no longer restores Bowser double jump if he performs a double jump near the ground, removing Koopa hopping.
  • Bowsercide now always KOes Bowser first and the opponent is released from Flying Slam when this occurs, significantly hindering its utility.
• Whirling Fortress (grounded):
  • Grounded Whirling Fortress deals less damage overall (11% (hit 1)/5% (hit 2, clean)/3% (hit 2, late)/16% (maximum) → 1% (hits 1-7)/4% (hit 8)/11% (total)).
  • The grounded version has more ending lag (FAF 80 → 82).
  • The grounded version now consistently deals no shield damage (3 (hit 1)/0 (hit 2) → 0 (all hits)).
  • The grounded version no longer grants intangibility on frames 1-5 upon start up, hindering its use as a defensive move to stuff out approaches, or as an Out of Shield option.
  • The grounded version has reduced ground speed (1.5 → 1.3).
  • The grounded version can no longer slide off edges. While this does make the move safer to use, it also hinders its use as a movement option on platforms and it prevents Bowser from using it to grab the edge and reduce its ending lag.
  • The grounded version is now a multi-hit move, rather than a move with two hits, with the first hit being powerful, while the second hit is weaker. The first seven hits are semi-spikes (180°), with set knockback (50/70 (set)/100 (scaling)) and a below average SDI multiplier (0.8×), making the first seven hits much weaker and making the move less reliable overall.
  • The grounded version's loop hits have very small hitboxes (5.8u/5.8u → 2.5u/2.5u/2.5u) in comparison to the previous second hit.
  • Compared to the grounded version's previous first hit, the last hit launches at a lower angle (80° → 60°), and its knockback scaling was not fully compensated (80 → 150), hindering its KO potential.
  • The grounded version's final hit has smaller hitboxes compared to the previous first hit (9.5u/9.5u → 8u/8u).
• Whirling Fortress (aerial):
  • Aerial Whirling Fortress grants much more height (1.85 → 2.3), and mashing the special move button can now further increase its height, significantly improving its recovery potential, despite its increased gravity (0.05 → 0.055).
  • The aerial version can now grab edges from behind much sooner (frame 48 → 8), now matching grabbing edges from the front.
  • The weakening of SDI makes the aerial version more difficult to escape from.
  • The aerial version has smaller hitboxes (10u (hit 1)/9u (hits 2-6)/8.2u (hits 7-11) → 7u/6u/5u) although they are now extended.
    • This gives them more horizontal range.
    • However, this also gives them less vertical range.
  • When Bowser lands with Whirling Fortress before entering free fall, he will now always enter his landing lag animation, rather than transferring the remaining duration of the move into the grounded version. This means Bowser can no longer land just before he enters free fall to eliminate all landing lag, giving the move a consistent 50 frames of landing lag regardless of when he lands.
• Bowser Bomb:
  • Bowser Bomb has less landing lag (60 frames → 55).
  • The rising hit has decreased set knockback (110 → 90), which along with the changes to hitstun canceling, allows it to reliably lead into the second hit, which is now guaranteed.
  • The 1.19x damage multiplier to shields drastically improves Bowser Bomb's shield pressuring ability, as due to its shield damage, it can now break full shields in a single use if both the drop and landing hitbox connect.
  • Bowser Bomb has smaller hitboxes (8.2u (rising)/9.7u (falling) → 8u/8.3u) and the rising hit has been moved closer to Bowser (z offset: 19 → 17), reducing its range.
• Giga Bowser:
  • Giga Bowser has a shorter duration (11 seconds → 8).
  • Giga Bowser has naturally seen some buffs and nerfs to his attributes and attacks although unlike his normal self, Giga Bowser's moveset and animations remain largely unchanged.

Update history

Bowser has received numerous buffs from game updates. However, he received one major nerf in update 1.0.4, as Flying Slam no longer KOs the opponent first if a Bowsercide is performed. On the flipside, Flying Slam has been significantly compensated for, as Bowser now has more control of its trajectory, it transitions faster, has a larger grab range, and now has invincibility frames before he leaves the ground. His up tilt, neutral aerial and Fire Shot have also been improved to varying degrees, while he significantly benefits from the changes on shield mechanics in updates 1.1.0 and 1.1.1; the changes grant his attacks even more chances of breaking a character's shield and give him an open attacking opportunity, but weakens his out of shield punishes with his Whirling Fortress. Update 1.1.3 heavily buffed his grab game by re-purposing his up throw into a very reliable combo starter, though this was toned down somewhat in update 1.1.4.

1.0.4

• Self-destructs using Flying Slam now KO Bowser first instead of the opponent. When Bowser is KO'd, the opponent is released from the grab, potentially allowing them to recover back onto the stage.
• Certain properties of Fire Breath have been adjusted.

1.0.6

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

1.0.8

• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt deals 1% less damage: 10% → 9%, slightly hindering its KO potential.
  • Up tilt's start-up: frame 12 → 11 and ending lag decreased: frame 51 → 41.

1.1.0

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

1.1.1

• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial deals more damage: 5% (hits 1-4) → 6%
  • Neutral aerial's landing lag has decreased: 24 frames → 20.
• Fire Shot:
  • Fire Shot deals 1% more damage: 5% (clean)/4% (late) → 6%/5%
  • Fire Shot's base knockback increased: 25 → 35
  • Fire Shot's hit radius increased: 4u (clean)/3.5u (late) → 5u (both)
  • Fire Shot's late hit's duration increased: 15 frames → 20
  • Fire Shot has less ending lag, now matching Fire Breath's.

1.1.3

• Up throw has less ending lag (FAF 69 → 64).
• Up throw deals less damage (1% (hits 1-7)/10% (total) → 0.5%/6.5%).
• Up throw's first seven hits have a lower hitlag multiplier (1x → 0.5x). This makes the throw faster to execute although it still remains extremely easy to react to/DI.
• Up throw's final hit deals more knockback (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 80/200), making it more potent against bystanders.
• Up throw launches opponents at a higher angle (70° → 82°) and it has more base knockback but less knockback scaling (90 (base), 80 (scaling) → 25/155). When combined with its lower ending lag, these changes not only improve up throw's KO potential but they also transform up throw into a highly potent combo throw, granting it combo potential right up until higher percents, including KO confirms into up and back aerial.
• Flying Slam's grab to slam transition is considerably faster (38 frames → 25), now only being a few frames slower than its Brawl counterpart.
  • However, the slam to grab transition has less intangibility (frames 1-23 → 1-16), as the intangibility frames were not adjusted for the move's new frame speed multiplier.
• Bowser has more control over Flying Slam's trajectory (base air acceleration: 0.18 → 0.21).
• The opponent has more control over Flying Slam's trajectory (base air acceleration: 0.17 → 0.19).
  • However, this does not fully compensate for Bowser's greater air acceleration, giving him more control overall.
• All variations of Flying Slam now have invincibility frames before Bowser leaves the ground.
• All variations of Whirling Fortress can now grab ledges from behind drastically sooner (frame 48 (Whirling Fortress) → 8), now matching grabbing ledges from the front.

1.1.4

• Dash attack deals more damage (10% (clean)/8% (late) → 12%/10%). Its knockback values were not compensated, giving the move more knockback.
• Up throw has higher knockback scaling (155 → 180), hindering its combo potential at high percentages.
  • However, this also improves its combo potential at lower percents, in addition to allowing Bowser’s up throw, up air combo to KO at lower percents.
• All variations of Flying Slam have increased grab range.

Technical changelist 1.1.4

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

1.1.5

• Air speed (0.98 → 1).
• Weight (128 → 130).
• Max Walk speed with heavy items (1.31432 → 1.33432).

Moveset

• Bowser has a unique attribute called Tough Guy. It is universal armor against attacks that deal less than 19 units of knockback. This is most apparent when Bowser has low damage, and it can be amplified by crouching, but not while crawling or attacking. It will decrease as Bowser starts taking more damage.
• Bowser can crawl, although it has no practical use because of his large hurtbox.

For a gallery of Bowser's hitboxes, see here.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			5%	Two alternating punches. Both hits render Bowser's arms are intangible throughout their durations. The first hit has set knockback and can be jab canceled into other moves, such as a dash grab or Bowser Bomb. Conversely, the second hit deals more damage, and is strong enough to KO around 140% near the edge. This is similar to his defense punches from Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story.
			6.5%
Forward tilt			12%	A backhanded punch. Fairly powerful with fast start-up and good range, it also renders Bowser's arm intangible throughout its duration. It is based on the second hit of his Drill Claw attack in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Can KO at around 110% near the edge.
Up tilt			9%	An overhead arcing swipe. It has respectable utility, as it can be a good combo option at low percentages either by starting and then chaining into itself, acting as a follow-up from up throw, or acting as a KOing option around 150%. It also renders his arm intangible throughout its duration. However, it has a blind spot right next to his torso.
Down tilt			14% (hit 1), 11% (hit 2)	Lays in a prone position and throws two alternating hooks. Both hits render his arms intangible throughout their durations. It has a chance to trip at low percentages, but the first hit does not connect into the second hit past medium percentages. The first hit has slightly higher base knockback, whereas the second hit has slightly longer range, making it a decent KOing option near the edge, with the first hit KOing under 100% at the edge, and even hitting players hanging on the edge.
Dash attack			12% (clean), 10% (late)	A side kick, similar to Meta Knight's dash attack. Good for hitting prone or tumbling opponents and has high base knockback.
Forward smash			23% (clean feet), 20% (clean body), 17% (late feet), 14% (late body)	A dropkick. It is the third strongest forward smash in the game, being surpassed only by King Dedede and maximum Aura Lucario's. Its outstanding damage output also threatens shields, as they will receive severe damage from it. When spaced properly, it can even hit opponents hanging on an edge or lingering just below it. Its clean hitboxes render his legs intangible, whereas its late hitboxes have anti-rebounding priority. Even from the center of the stage, it can KO at 70% uncharged.
Up smash			20% (hit 1 center), 15% (hit 1 sides), 6% (hit 2)	Lays in a prone position and then hops to thrust his shell's spikes upward. It renders his shell invincible and grants anti-rebounding priority throughout its duration, which make it all but impossible to challenge from above. However, it will still clank against a move that has invincibility frames. It also hits on both sides when Bowser lands from his hop, but these hits lack KO potential because of their significantly lower damage outputs. When sweetspotted, it can KO at 90% uncharged.
Down smash			2% (hit 1), 1% (hits 2-6), 9% (hit 7)	Withdraws in his shell and then spins around rapidly. It hits multiple times, and is strong enough to function as a fairly reliable KOing option under 150% and while near the edge.
Neutral aerial			6% (hits 1-4) (occasionally, 2 or more of the hits can combine, dealing their combined damage in one attack)	An aerial cartwheel. It can combo into forward and up aerials at low to medium percentages. It is a mechanically unusual attack, as both its third and fourth hits are present at once (on Bowser's top and bottom half respectively). As such, connecting with the fourth hit before the third hit will result in the third hit missing the opponent. Despite this quirk, it is the third most damaging aerial attack in the game, being surpassed only by maximum Aura Lucario's back aerial and Yoshi's down aerial.
Forward aerial			13% (hand), 12% (arm), 11% (body)	Swipes downward with his claws. It has quick start-up, a respectable damage output, and great range, as it can even hit opponents below him. It can also autocancel from a short hop. Altogether, these traits make arguably Bowser's most useful aerial.
Back aerial			19%	A dropkick. It is very powerful, as it can either KO around 100% from center-stage and as low as 60% at the edge, though it does not have much vertical range. The second strongest and most damaging back aerial in the game behind maximum Aura Lucario's back aerial. Autocancels from a short hop.
Up aerial			15%	An upward headbutt. Although it is not as strong as in Brawl, it is still a viable KOing option due to KOing around 100% while near the upper blast line. By extension, it is a KO confirm follow-up from up throw at high percentages.
Down aerial			16% (drop), 2% (landing)	Withdraws into his shell, turns upside down, and propels himself downward. A stall-then-fall, it emits a small shockwave on both sides when he lands. It meteor smashes during the first few frames and deals respectable diagonal knockback during its later frames. Due to its large hitbox, its meteor smashing hitbox can effectively edgeguard when near the edge. Like other stall-then-falls, it will almost certainly cause a self-destruct if used off-stage.
Grab			—	Reaches out. Bowser has a fairly large grab range for a non-disjointed or non-tether grab, especially when pivot grabbing, as his pivot grab can cover the entirety of a Battlefield platform.
Pummel			3.1%	A headbutt. Moderately slow, but one of the most damaging pummels in the game.
Forward throw			12%	Places the opponent in between his horns, rears his head back, and then powerfully sways his head forward to launch the opponent. It is the strongest forward throw in the game, KOing around 120% near the edge. However, its throw hitbox is not active until frame 36, which results in it taking longer to throw opponents than back throw.
Back throw			12%	Throws the opponent backward in a sideways motion. It has the exact same damage output and knockback values as his forward throw, which make it a viable KOing option around 120% near the edge. However, its throw hitbox is active on frame 19, enabling it to throw opponents earlier than forward throw.
Up throw			0.5% (hits 1-7), 1% (hit 8), 2% (throw)	Throws the opponent slightly upward, withdraws into his shell, and then spins rapidly in order to repeatedly stab them with his shell's spikes. While it is Bowser's least damaging throw (dealing up to 6.5% damage), it is also his best combo starter, as it can combo into up tilt, up smash, neutral aerial, up aerial, forward aerial, back aerial, and even Flying Slam. Its aerial combos are especially effective against fast-fallers, although its Flying Slam combo requires a hard read. The final hit before the throw deals very high knockback to fighters who are caught in the crossfire. On a side note, unlike in Brawl, instead of always dealing fixed knockback, the throw hitbox's knockback now grows stronger as the target's damage increases.
Down throw			10% (hit 1), 2% (throw)	Places the opponent on the ground and splashes them. Its high base knockback, low knockback scaling, and high ending lag prevent it from having any follow-ups. Despite this, it actually has KO potential unlike in Brawl, thanks to its throw hitbox now dealing damage. Its first hit can also damage nearby bystanders. It KOs around 150% near the edge, and can be used as an alternative to his forward and back throws for setting up an edgeguard.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Swipes his claws behind himself and in front of himself while stumbling to his feet.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Swipes his claws around himself while getting up.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Swipes his claws around himself while getting up.
Edge attack Edge getups			7%	Swipes inward while climbing up. One of the longest ranged edge attacks in the game.
Neutral special	Default	Fire Breath	1.2% (loop)	Expels a stream of fire from his mouth. It gradually loses strength and range, but will slowly regain its strength when not in use. It can be angled upward or downward, which can potentially gimp recovering opponents, although the flames at the very end of the stream do not cause flinching.
	Custom 1	Fire Shot	6% (clean), 5% (late)	Expels a large Fireball from his mouth instead of a stream of fire. The Fireball pierces opponents, similarly to Super Dragon's. Unlike Fire Breath, it will not weaken over time when used in succession.
	Custom 2	Fire Roar	2.7% (clean), 1.8% (late)	Deals more damage and has longer range, but loses range quickly and takes longer to recharge.
Side special	Default	Flying Slam	18% (throw), 15% (collateral)	Grabs an opponent, jumps with them into the air and backflips repeatedly before belly-to-belly suplexing them onto the ground. It deals immense vertical knockback that can KO at 120%, making it a very reliable KOing option. Its power and launching angle makes it difficult to properly DI, especially if the user has high gravity. The suplex can also hit other opponents on the ground that it lands into for similarly powerful knockback. It can be used to dive off-stage with the opponent for a potential sacrificial KO.
	Custom 1	Dash Slam	12% (throw), 10% (collateral)	Dashes forward before performing the belly-to-belly suplex with less vertical distance, but deals less damage. Its angle is more horizontal than vertical.
	Custom 2	Dash Slash	8% (clean), 6% (late)	A dashing slash that covers a lot of ground, even in mid-air. It deals moderate knockback, but noticeably less than Flying Slam, along with being weaker, and can be blocked or countered. Despite this, it is considered one of the most useful special custom moves in the game, due to its complete autocancel property and pseudo-wavedash, which makes it a fairly safe approaching option and grants it combo potential. It is comparable to Koopa Klaw, albeit without the grab.
Up special	Default	Whirling Fortress	1% (grounded hits 1-7), 4% (grounded hit 8) 10% (aerial hit 1), 3% (aerial hits 2-6), 2% (aerial hits 7-11)	Withdraws into his shell and spins around rapidly, similarly to his down smash. It is capable of moving forward or backward while doing so, which makes it a very useful out of shield option. In the air, it propels Bowser diagonally upward, while button mashing enables it to cover more vertical distance. It can travel a deceptively long distance, but can be intercepted quite easily in the air.
	Custom 1	Flying Fortress	4%	Covers more vertical distance, but at the cost of horizontal distance. It deals less damage due to only hitting once (contrary to the in-game description saying it deals none), but its single hit launches opponents. If used immediately out of knockback, the move may not offer any vertical movement at all, drastically hindering Bowser's recovery. The move goes straight up on the ground.
	Custom 2	Sliding Fortress	6%	Covers more horizontal distance, but at the cost of vertical distance. It only hits once, deals less knockback, and has increased ending lag. Isn’t as effective in the air as on the ground.
Down special	Default	Bowser Bomb	4% (hop), 20% (Ground Pound), 11% (landing)	A Ground Pound. It deals immense vertical knockback to anyone hit and can KO under 100%, making it one of Bowser's most reliable KOing options. On the ground, Bowser performs a weak headbutt that drags opponents into the main attack. If performed in the air, Bowser performs the Ground Pound after a brief pause instead of leaping first. Emits a shockwave upon landing and will break full shields if all of its grounded hitboxes connect. It will almost certainly cause a self-destruct if used off-stage due to its ending lag, though it can grab ledges if Bowser directly faces one while falling, and starts the move at a full-hop height.
	Custom 1	Turbulent Bomb	4% (hop), 9% (Ground Pound), 9% (landing)	The Ground Pound emits a gale instead of a shockwave at its impact, pushing away any opponents next to where Bowser lands instead of damaging them. It deals less overall damage and knockback. Bowser also leaps lower, but it covers more horizontal distance, making it useful for gimping opponents with poor recoveries, such as Little Mac and Captain Falcon.
	Custom 2	Slip Bomb	18% (Ground Pound), 13% (landing), 2% (shockwave)	The Ground Pound trips any opponents standing near Bowser at its impact, although its high ending lag means it can still be punished by those who trip near Bowser. Bowser also leaps higher, covering more vertical distance, but at the cost of horizontal distance and its leaping hitbox.
Final Smash		Giga Bowser	—	Transforms into Giga Bowser, the final boss of Melee's Adventure Mode. Giga Bowser has total flinch resistance during his transformation. Instead of using the moves that Bowser gained in SSB4, Giga Bowser reuses all of Bowser's moves and animations from Melee and Brawl, complete with his smash attacks inflicting elemental effects. The transformation lasts for 480 frames, but some of Giga Bowser's attacks are actually inferior to Bowser's attacks in terms of damage or knockback dealt, and the attacks are far less potent when compared to a Bowser who acquires a Super Mushroom, or is made giant-sized by a Lightning Bolt.

On-screen appearance

• Emerges from a wall of flames.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Throws his head back and spins it in a circle while roaring and with steam billowing out of his mouth.
• Side taunt: Leans forward and furiously snaps his jaws five times.
• Down taunt: Bounces precariously on one leg, as if he were teetering.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Sways his head around and back while exhaling steam from his mouth and pretending to roar.
• Clenches his fists and bashes them together, then bends over slightly and pretends to roar.

Crowd cheer

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

Victory poses

A rock-based remix of the Course Clear Fanfare used in Super Mario Bros.

• Takes a step forward while swiping his right hand's claws, then takes another step forward while swiping with his left hand's claws.
• Leans forward and then rears back triumphantly.
• Repeatedly spins around in his shell, similarly to his down smash, before emerging to strike a pose while grinning.

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

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

Notable players

Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the PGR 100, which recognizes the official top 100 players in Super Smash Bros. 4 of all time.

Active

•  Boozer - The former best Bowser in Australia, ranked 15th on the Australian Power Rankings V3. Placed 1st at Expand Gong 2.
•  DD - Currently the best Bowser in Australia, ranked 12th on the Australian Power Rankings V4. He has wins over Extra, Jdizzle, Duon and Tru4.
•  Deluxemenu - Placed 9th at both DreamHack Austin 2017 and Low Tier City 5 as well as 25th at Clutch City Clash. He has taken sets off of Zinoto and DKwill.
•  KingKong - The best Bowser player in Canada. Placed 7th at Smash Intensifies and Smash INTENSIFIES 2, and 65th at The Big House 6. Ranked 11th on the Montreal Power Rankings. He taken sets off of Holy, SuperGirlKels and Venom.
•  Kisha - The best Bowser player in Japan. Placed 17th at Umebura S.A.T., 9th at Single Game Championships: Umebura X Single-Chu, and 17th at Umebura Japan Major 2017. He has multiple wins over Ranai and a win over Taiheita.
•  Linus - Formerly ranked 11th on the Michigan Smash 4 Power Rankings. He has wins over Dark Wizzy and Day.
•  LordMix - One of the best Bowser players in North America and the world. Placed 4th at MomoCon 2016, 13th at Clutch City Clash, and 25th at MomoCon 2017. Ranked 3rd on the Georgia Power Rankings. He has wins over VoiD, Mew2King, Vinnie, Day, Fatality, ScAtt, Wrath, and Prince Ramen.
•  Nairo (#2) - The best Bowser player in the world. Placed 4th at UGC Smash Open, 5th at 2GGT: ZeRo Saga, 17th at GENESIS 4, and 1st at Super Smash Con 2017.
•  Paru - One of the best Bowser players in Japan. Placed 17th at Umebura Japan Major 2017.
•  Rizeasu (#68) - A master of diversity. Uses Bowser as a secondary to Marth. Placed 4th at Karisuma 10 and Sumabato 15, 5th at Hirosuma 5, 9th at Sumabato 9 Sumabato 12, Karisuma Tokaigi Qualifiers and Sumabato 17. Ranked 20th on the JAPAN Power Rankings.
•  Viviff The Great - Placed 49th at GENESIS 4. Ranked 1st on the Oregon Power Rankings.
•  Vreyvus - Placed 33rd at B.E.A.S.T 6 and B.E.A.S.T 7. Formerly ranked ranked 6th on the Swedish Power Rankings.

Inactive

•  Le Troof - Placed 25th at Super Smash Con 2015 and 49th at Pound 2016 prior to his hiatus.
•  Shu - Placed 13th at Umebura 20 and 25th at Umebura BenQ ZOWIE Cup before switching to Sheik.

Tier placement and history

Opinions on Bowser's viability have greatly fluctuated through SSB4's metagame, but the general opinion is that he has fared much better than in Melee or Brawl. Around the metagame's early lifespan, due to all of the top spots taken at early SSB4 tournaments (including a Bowser ditto for the Grand Finals in the pre-release San Diego Comic Con Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS tournament), Bowser was initially considered the best character in the game. Players took little time to notice the significant buffs he received, and to further compliment this, characters that were excessively challenging for him in Brawl, such as Marth, Meta Knight, Falco, the Ice Climbers and most notoriously King Dedede, were either heavily nerfed or, in the case of the Ice Climbers, removed entirely. However, as time went on, perception on Bowser's viability noticeably fell. The first instance of this came about from a significant nerf to vectoring in update 1.0.4, followed by his weaknesses starting to come afloat, which were the same as, and as exploitable as they were in previous installments. He also lacked any noteworthy results at high-level play in a heavy contrast compared to the early lifespan of the metagame, and his perception began declining much like in Brawl.

Despite his lowered perception within the community, update 1.1.3 brought immense buffs, the most notable of which were to Flying Slam, Whirling Fortress and his now-infamous up throw. These buffs allowed Bowser to perform considerably better at locals, as his playerbase managed to achieve a few placements at high-level play, largely thanks to players such as LordMix and KingKong. This ultimately culminated in Bowser being placed at 30th on the first 4BR tier list, resulting in him becoming the second lowest ranking mid-tier character; while a far cry compared to the positive opinions of his viability during the initial release, it was still his best placement in the series at the moment.

However, update 1.1.4 nerfed his infamous up throw by weakening its guaranteed KO set-ups, though it brought further buffs to Flying Slam. Update 1.1.5 also brought more buffs to his survivability and recovery by increasing his weight and air speed, respectively. Thanks to the recent results of his playerbase, Bowser only dropped slightly to 32nd on the second tier list. As the tiers were expanded for the second tier list, Bowser maintained his status as a mid-tier character despite his placement drop, with the drop being largely attributable to the inclusion of Corrin and Bayonetta into the game between the first and second tier lists.

In the current metagame, many argued that Bowser's tier placement was somewhat low, with ZeRo considering Bowser to be a high-tier character, and Nairo utilizing Bowser to great effect in a number of upsets. This was later reflected with Bowser's placement of 25th on the third tier list; in addition to becoming both the second highest ranking mid-tier character and surpassing Donkey Kong as the highest ranking super heavyweight, this tier rise was the fourth highest between the second and third tier lists. He then saw a slight rise to 24th on the fourth and current tier list; the expansion of the tiers have resulted on him now becoming a high-tier character, despite losing his status to the best super heavyweight to Donkey Kong once again.

Trophies

Bowser

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

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

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

: Super Mario Bros. (10/1985)

: Super Mario 64 (09/1996)

Bowser (Alt.)

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

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

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

: Super Mario Bros. (10/1985)

: Super Mario 64 (09/1996)

Giga Bowser

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

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

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• 

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Giga Bowser (Final Smash)

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• A Battle of Scale: As a tiny Olimar, the player must defeat a giant Bowser.
• All-Star Battle: Melee: Bowser is one of the opponents fought in this event. All opponents debuted in Melee.
• Beautification: As Rosalina & Luma, the player must flower two Bowsers and two Ganondorfs.
• Enough with the Kidnapping: As Peach, the player must defeat Bowser and Bowser Jr.
• Family Ties: As Bowser Jr., the player is aided by a giant Bowser and must defeat Mario and Luigi.
• The Final Battle: The player must defeat Bowser, Ganondorf and King Dedede.
• The Original Heavyweights: As Mario, the player must defeat Bowser and Donkey Kong.

Co-op Events

• A Lurking Menace: Mario and Luigi must defeat Bowser Jr., but if the match lasts too long, they must also defeat a giant Bowser.
• A Royal Errand: Robin and Marth must collect 500G from Bowser and Wario in a Coin Battle.
• Final Battle Team-Up: Bowser appears as an opponent to be defeated.
• Peach in Peril: Bowser and Bowser Jr. must defeat all opponents except Peach, where KOing her results in a failure.
• Solidarity: Olimar and Rosalina & Luma must defeat Mario and Luigi, and then they must defeat Bowser and Bowser Jr.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

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

• 

  Bowser's amiibo.

• 

  Bowser's appearance during E3.

• 

  Using his new forward smash on Mario.

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  Using Flying Slam on Link in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

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  Shielding against Mario's up smash.

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  Using Whirling Fortress against Fox's Blaster.

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  Using Flying Slam against Mario in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

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  Bowser and Samus on Arena Ferox.

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  Bowser and Mario on Battlefield.

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  Bowser being damaged by the last hit of Sonic's neutral attack.

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  Bowser, Mario, Pikachu, and Pit fighting on Pilotwings.

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  Bowser, Mega Man and Wii Fit Trainer on Wii Fit.

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  Using his down taunt alongside Peach and a Fairy Bottle.

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  Bowser being damaged by Diddy Kong's overcharged Peanut Popgun.

Trivia

• Although Bowser was the last veteran confirmed during the E3 2013 event, he was the first veteran to debut in Melee to be confirmed.
• Bowser is the only veteran in SSB4 who has a new victory theme.
• Bowser's alt. trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U resembles his All-Star Mode trophy in Melee.
• Bowser, Dr. Mario, and Lucina are the only characters who are not playable in a Solo Event unless selected.
  • Bowser is also the only one who isn't unlockable, or a clone.
• Bowser's artwork in this game resembles his artwork in some Mario games, starting with Super Mario Galaxy, although with his head, arms, and feet posed differently.