Bowser (SSBU): Difference between revisions

Bowser retains the realistic roar voice clips that he had in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', along with additional new, less bestial-sounding clips, instead of using his voice actor, Kenneth W. James.

In the end, Bowser can be considered to be the "all-rounder" of super heavyweights. While his playstyle remains largely bait-and-punish oriented compared to previous incarnations of him, his attributes make him more of a "lightning bruiser" on this regard. Bowser has among the most raw damage output, highest KO power, and best shield breaking capabilities of any character, while still retaining great range and movement speed, meaning that once he gains the upper hand, it can be practically impossible to break his pressure if he continuously reacts properly. With hard-hitting and relatively laggy moves like his, Bowser is anything but a character who strings together long combos; rather, he usually just needs four or five good hits in order to rack up high amounts of damage, and eventually score KOs. Even some of Bowser's moves that have little KO potential still have some kind of utility, so even in areas where Bowser cannot outright KO, he can continue to dish out large amounts of damage in a short amount of time, and his moveset contains very well-rounded and versatile options to achieve this. However, his moveset is so lopsided for netting damage and easy KOs that he outright lacks options to properly approach or to combat heavy pressure. This means that, if Bowser makes one wrong move, he can be easily pressured as much as he can do such to the opponent, and his lack of safe and fast moves, lack of zoning and counterzoning options, and unreliable mid-ranged options can leave him zoned out and comboed easily by his opponent, leaving him with little to no room to breathe. Regardless, Bowser’s strengths outweigh his weaknesses and he is widely considered to be the best super heavyweight in the game. Although his representation and results have not matched those of other top and high tier characters, they have nevertheless been very respectable thanks to players such as {{Sm|LeoN}}, {{Sm|Lunamado}}, and {{Sm|DarkThunder}}, who have demonstrated that, in the right hands, Bowser can dominate opponents with his pressuring tools at high level play.

Bowser has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in his transition from ''Smash 4'' to ''Ultimate''. Although some of his biggest strengths from the previous game have been toned down, he has received many improvements which alleviated some of his most severe weaknesses, and he also benefits from the new engine changes. As a result, Bowser has been buffed overall.

Among Bowser's largest buffs are to those to his character attributes, his KO potential, and to his side special move, [[Flying Slam]]. Both Bowser's grounded and aerial mobility have improved (along with the rest of the cast), sporting a faster [[jumpsquat]] as well as faster [[dash]]ing and [[air speed|air]] and a significantly faster [[falling speed]], noticeably improving his ground-to-air transitioning and making him more adept at [[punish]]ing, while also allowing him to land and escape juggles with less difficulty than before, especially in the case of the former. He also received an increase on his defensive game through a higher amplification of damage-based [[armor]] on his [[tilt attack|tilt]]s and [[smash attack]]s, which tones down one of the issues his [[Tough Guy]] armor had in ''Smash 4'', and he also has higher [[weight]], which not only keeps his status as the heaviest character in the game, but also generally improves his [[Tough Guy]] armor in general and makes his already excellent endurance better. Bowser's already high power has been made even better in the transition (most notably on moves such as his tilt attacks, [[down throw]], [[Fire Breath]] and [[Whirling Fortress]]), which supplements his higher weight and improved adeptness at punishing. Finally, Flying Slam has significantly faster startup overall, now being on par with other characters' grabs such as {{SSBU|Mario}}, which heavily improves his options against shielding opponents.

Some of the universal changes have also benefitted Bowser in one way or another. The universal reduction to [[landing lag]] has significantly improved Bowser's previously atrociously unsafe landing options, as he has less trouble landing than ever before now, which is further suggested by his now very fast falling speed and streamlined jumpsquat. The ability to [[Run cancel|use any attack out of a run]] has also improved his ground game, as it gives him more reliable ways to punish the opponent due to his powerful, heavy-armored tilts and smash attacks.

However, Bowser has also gained a few noteworthy nerfs, with the biggest of them being to his grab game. Much like {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}, Bowser's main nerf was to his once infamous up throw: it was previously a fearsome combo starter with a myriad of followups and KO setups, but it has lost its combo potential past middling percentages due to its increased knockback and ending lag, which in turn removes its KO setups. Additionally, his pivot grab, infamous for its insane range in ''SSB4'', has shorter range. Although Bowser's heavier weight and drastically faster falling speed make him much more resilient, it also renders him more susceptible to combos than ever before, even more so than in ''Melee''.

A few of the universal changes have also hampered Bowser. While the universally decreased landing lag makes him less trouble at landing, it has also allowed several characters to combo him with much more ease. The universal nerfing of grabs further compounds some of the hindrances his respectable grab game has received as well. The changes to [[air dodge]]s both help and hinder Bowser, as they make him slightly less susceptible to horizontal combos and general juggling since he can use one to escape, but they also make him more vulnerable to [[edgeguarding]]. Something else to take note of is that Bowser still retains some flaws from the previous game, namely being heavily susceptible to general pressure, particularly to combos (as he remains a big target), zoning (due to Fire Breath’s general unreliability past mid-ranges when compared to other projectiles), juggling (as a few of his landing options remain slow and/or reactable) and tech-chasing (as his tech rolls are still slow and short-distanced).

Overall, Bowser's new traits have given him more options for different situations, and it has also enhanced his survivability and speed even further. Additionally, despite the removal of his infamous combo throw's KO setups, he has been generally compensated in terms of damage while keeping his incredible power mostly intact. These changes have made him an "all-rounder" of the game's super heavyweights, and have repurposed his playstyle from a "mighty glacier" with great mobility and grappler capabilities to more of a "lightning bruiser" with all-around effective options for different situations. Thanks to this, Bowser has a somewhat small but very dedicated playerbase, and has earned great tournament results thanks to players such as {{Sm|LeoN}}. As a result, Bowser has retained his status as a viable character in ''Ultimate'', and is generally regarded as a low high tier or upper mid character, in addition to being unanimously considered the best super heavyweight in the game.

*Bowser can [[crawl]]. It does lower his hurtbox quite a bit, but not enough to be utilized as a mean to move under most projectiles, like some characters can do with their crawl. However, it is often used at ledge for repositioning before a 2-Frames attempt. But, outside of repositioning before 2-framing, it is actually impractical because his crouch posture doesn't completely lower his hurtbox.

|neutraldesc=Performs a palm thrust, then a straight punch. While somewhat slow for a neutral attack, its low endlag makes it safer on shield than most other neutral attacks. Bowser's arms each have [[intangibility]] (frames 7 and 8, and frames 9-11, respectively). Unlike most neutral attacks, Bowser's has enough knockback to become a reliable KO move at high percentages.

|ftiltdesc=Does a backhanded punch forwards. The punch may be angled up or down, but doing so does not affect damage or knockback.  Has damaged-based armor (frames 7-9) and intangibility on his arm (frames 10-14). The downward-angled version can very reliably 2-frame most recoveries, and can KO most characters at around 90%.

|utiltdesc=Does a 180-degree overhead arcing claw swipe. It comes with wide range and average ending lag, allowing it to combo into itself at low percents. At slightly higher percents, it can combo into neutral air and back air. The attack will almost always send the opponent directly above Bowser. It also boasts a respectable amount of kill power, being one of the strongest up tilts in the game and KOing at around 120%. Has damage based armor (frames 8-10) and makes Bowser's arm intangible (frames 11-16). However, it has noticeable startup lag, coming out on frame 11.

|dtiltdesc=Does an alternating pair of hooks. Both hits deal 15% in total, only slightly higher than the first hit's damage output in ''SSB4'', being 14%. Down tilt's second hit comes out five frames earlier, and gains the ability to trip opponents. It also grants damaged-based armor on the first hit (frames 7-9), and intangibility on his arms for both (frames 10-12, and 10-14, respectively). It can still hit many ledge hangs, although the first hit having set knockback can cause the second hit to whiff if a ledge hang is low enough.

|fsmashdesc=Does a powerful dropkick. Its outstanding damage output threatens shields, being able to inflict significant damage to them. When spaced properly, it can even hit opponents hanging on an edge or lingering just below it. It grants damaged-based armor (frames 17-21), and the clean hitboxes render Bowser's feet [[invincible]] (20-25), whereas its late hitboxes have anti-rebounding priority. It is tied with {{SSBU|Kazuya}}'s forward smash as the third strongest in the game, as it can KO opponents at 56% from center stage. However, due to coming out on frame 22 and having 43 frames of ending lag, it's very punishable if whiffed or shielded.

|usmashdesc=Jumps to thrust his shell upwards while spinning. Deals the most damage to opponents who come into contact with Bowser's shell spikes, while other opponents get hit by the sourspots on his head and tail or the landing hitbox instead. The sweetspot KOs at around 80% uncharged, making it the strongest up smash in the game. Grants damaged-based armor (frames 11-15) and invincibility on his shell (frames 14-27), making it an excellent anti-air tool that is hard to compete with.

|dsmashdesc=Does two grounded claw swipes, hitting opponents in front of him, then behind him, similarly to {{SSBU|Wolf}}'s down smash. Active on frame 12, making it Bowser’s fastest smash attack. Deals high knockback, with the front hit being slightly stronger than the back hit. Grants damaged-based armor (frames 5-11), but unlike his other smashes, it possesses no invincibility. It can hit many characters' ledge hangs and is useful for covering rolls, although it has extremely high ending lag, so it is punishable.

|nairdesc=An aerial cartwheel. While it is difficult to connect all 4 hits, it is incredibly damaging for an aerial, and it can even open up KO confirms on landing, such as into forward aerial, back aerial, and up aerial. This makes it Bowser's best combo starter when landing with it, as even at low percentages it can combo into up tilt and up smash. It comes out on frame 8. However, the hits after the first don't connect very reliably due to their knockback scaling and the attack has poor range, with the hitboxes for each hit appearing on specific points on Bowser's hands and feet. It also has noticeable landing lag (15 frames) and cannot auto-cancel in a short hop.

|fairdesc=Swipes downward with one claw. It has fairly quick start-up (frame 11), a respectable damage output, can pseudo-wall of pain with [[Whirling Fortress]] as a finisher, and has great range, as it can even hit opponents below him. It can also auto-cancel in a short hop. Altogether, these traits make for arguably Bowser's most versatile aerial.

|bairdesc=A dropkick. It is very powerful, one of the strongest of its type in the game, 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. It can [[auto-cancel]] in a short hop, making it somewhat safe when retreating. However, it incurs a respectable amount of landing lag (24 frames), making it risky to use when close to the ground. Active on frame 9 to 11. Despite its kill power and quick startup, its hitbox is lackluster, and Bowser's hurtbox extends beyond the actual hitbox of the move at its startup, making it susceptible to fail against disjointed aerials.

|uairdesc=An upwards arcing headbutt. Deals great knockback, enough to KO at around 100% near the upper blast line, thus being one of the strongest up aerials in the game. Grants intangibility to his head (frames 3-13), which, when combined with its quick startup (frame 9) and its power, makes it an effective juggling tool.

|dairdesc=A [[stall-then-fall]] attack that involves Bowser retreating into his shell while turning upside-down, then propelling himself towards the ground while spinning on a vertical axis. The first few active frames being able to [[meteor smash]] opponents, in combination with the move's large hitbox and respectable diagonal knockback during the later active frames, make it a moderately effective [[edgeguarding]] tool. The move emits a small shockwave on both sides when Bowser lands, which makes the move slightly harder to punish. Should Bowser use the move while he's off stage, it is almost guaranteed to cause a [[self-destruct]]. Bowser will hover in the air for a brief period before the active frames begin, allowing this move to stall Bowser’s landing. Grants intangibility on his arms and legs in midair (frames 14-60) and upon landing (frames 1-27). Resembles an attack used by Spinies and Buzzy Beetles where they withdraw into their shell and drop from the ceiling.

|grabdesc=Reaches out. Bowser’s grab range is above average, especially for having non-tether grabs. However, his grabs are rather slow.

|pummeldesc=Headbutts the opponent.

|fthrowdesc=Places the opponent in between his horns, then proceeds to slowly rear his head back and powerfully lunge it forward to launch the opponent. Not counting the back, up, or down variations of {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}'s forward throw, it is one of the strongest forward throws in the game. Despite its damage and knockback, it doesn't release until frame 36, which results in it taking longer to throw opponents than back throw, making it more susceptible to [[DI]]. As well, its launch angle is poor for KOing, doing so at about 150%.

|bthrowdesc=Throws the opponent backwards in a sideways motion with one arm, akin to Donkey Kong's regular back throw. It has the exact same damage output and knockback values as his forward throw, which makes it a viable kill move around 120% near the edge. However, its throw hitbox is active on frame 19, enabling it to throw opponents earlier than forward throw, and thus making it more consistent and harder to DI.

|uthrowdesc=Throws the opponent slightly upward, withdraws into his shell, and then spins rapidly in order to repeatedly stab them with his shell's spikes. He hops up on the final hit to launch the opponent upwards. Can combo into forward or up aerial at low percents. Furthermore, the latter becomes a 50/50 KO setup at high percentages.

|dthrowdesc=Places the opponent on the ground and body slams them. It deals 14%, making it among the most damaging throws in the game. Its high base knockback, low knockback scaling, and high ending lag prevent it from having any follow-ups. However, the very high damage and base knockback make it a good mix up and an option to send opponents offstage.

|edgedesc=Bowser slowly climbs up from the ledge and then swipes at the ground in front of him. It has by far the longest reach out of any edge attack.

|nsdesc=[[mariowiki:Fire Breath|Expels a stream of fire from his mouth]]. It gradually loses strength and range the longer it is used, but it will slowly regain its strength when not in use. It can be angled up or down, which can potentially gimp recovering opponents, although the flames at the very end of the stream do not cause [[flinch]]ing. It deals notoriously high damage; at close ranges it can potentially deal over 30% in a matter of seconds.

|ssdesc=Grabs an opponent and then jumps with them into the air and backflips before [[Wikipedia:Suplex#Belly-to-belly suplex|belly-to-belly suplexing]] them onto the ground, causing an aesthetic explosion. Bowser spins around dramatically during the descent. It has a quick frame 6 startup and does strong vertical knockback that can KO at 130%, making it a deadly mixup tool in the air. However, it is very susceptible to DI giving it somewhat mediocre KO power if used too far from the edge of the stage. The move also has a massive 46 frames of endlag on whiff, making it very punishable. The suplex can hit other opponents on the descent for similarly powerful knockback. It can be used to dive off-stage with the opponent for a potential [[sacrificial KO]], although this becomes more difficult to do if Bowser has a higher percent, and it is possible to recover if the opponent has a good vertical recovery. The ascent grants intangibility (frames 1-23), and can launch opponents significantly far when falling, although the explosion has no hitbox. The move deals more damage based on fall distance, following the formula <code>18×(1+0.003d)</code> where <code>d = landing height - grab height</code>, maxing out at 100 units (18×1.3)&mdash;roughly the distance from [[Temple]]'s highest platform to the ground below it.

|usdesc=Withdraws into his shell and spins around rapidly. It starts up on frame 6 and is capable of moving forward or backward while doing so, which makes it an extremely effective [[out of shield]] option, launching opponents vertically and easily putting them into disadvantage. In the air, it propels Bowser diagonally upwards, travelling below average distance vertically and above average distance horizontally. The move can cover a greater distance via button mashing near the end of the move.

|dsdesc=A {{s|mariowiki|Ground Pound}}. It deals immense vertical knockback to anyone hit and can KO under 100%, making it a situational, yet potent kill move. On the ground, Bowser performs a weak headbutt that drags opponents into the main attack, which is impossible to avoid if hit by it. 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 is near one. The startup can meteor smash, although it is rather weak in knockback despite its high damage. It resembles the attack he uses during his boss fight in ''Super Mario Bros. 3''.

|fsdesc=Bowser transforms into [[Giga Bowser]] and teleports into the background, where he becomes impervious to attacks. Red crosshairs will appear on screen to indicate where Giga Bowser will aim his punch, which can be moved around with the control stick; the crosshairs also contains a depleting green gauge around their circumference to indicate how much time is left until the attack will activate automatically, though the attack can be activated manually before the gauge fully depletes. If the opponent's damage percent is 60% or greater before they are punched, they are instantaneously screen K.O.d.}}

SSBUBowserIdle1.gif|Bowser's first idle pose

SSBUBowserIdle2.gif|Bowser's second idle pose

However, the overall perception of Bowser's viability has continuously improved as the metagame progressed. As players such as {{Sm|LeoN}}, {{Sm|Hero|p=Japan}}, {{Sm|King Koopa}}, {{Sm|DarkThunder}}, and {{Sm|Lunamado}} achieved strong results in tournaments, Bowser's improvements were seen as much more significant than originally thought. People noticed that most of Bowser's best strengths from ''Smash 4'' were not only maintained, but improved. The sudden decline of other heavyweights has also greatly benefited Bowser in the long run, due to the fact that he lacks most weaknesses that plague the viability and representation of the other big fighters. As such, Bowser is almost universally considered to be both a high-tier character and the best heavyweight in the game, making him a popular choice across all levels of play.

''See also: [[:Category:Bowser professionals (SSBU)]]''

*{{Sm|AT LOWES|Australia}} - The best Bowser player in Australia. Placed 5th at {{Trn|BigWinChampionship 2}}, 7th at {{Trn|Phantom 2019}}, 9th at {{Trn|Expand Gong 4}}, and 13th at both {{Trn|Battle Arena Melbourne 11}} and {{Trn|Sunny Side Up}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Doctor A Ness}}, {{Sm|Ghost}}, and {{Sm|SebPro101}}. Currently ranked 9th on the [[Australian Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|DarkThunder|Germany}} - The best Bowser player in Europe. Placed 1st at both {{Trn|DreamHack Leipzig 2020}} and {{Trn|Smash Contest: DoKomi 2020}}, 3rd at {{Trn|Unismash 7: Ultimate Birthday}}, 17th at {{Trn|Calyptus Cup X: Powwer Up}}, and 25th at {{Trn|Valhalla III}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|iStudying}}, {{Sm|quiK}}, and {{Sm|Tarik}}. Currently ranked 32nd on the [[European Smash Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Deluxemenu|USA}} - One of the best Bowser players in the United States. Placed 5th at {{Trn|Smashpoint}}, 7th at {{Trn|Standoff 2019}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|Glitch 7 - Minus World}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Goblin}} and {{Sm|Pandarian}}.

*{{Sm|Gold|USA}} - One of the best Bowser players in the United States. Placed 1st at {{Trn|Who's Your Pappy 16}} and 17th at {{Trn|Super Smashed Fest}}, {{Trn|2GG: Nightmare on Smashville}}, and {{Trn|GENESIS 7}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Cosmos}}, {{Sm|Myran}}, and {{Sm|Lui$}}. Currently ranked 5th on the [[NorCal Power Rankings#Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|NorCal Ultimate Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|LeoN|USA}} (#28) - One of the two best Bowser players in the world. Placed 1st at {{Trn|2GG: Run it Back}}, 2nd at {{Trn|Defend the North 2019}}, 9th at both {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}} and {{Trn|Shine 2019}}, and 13th at {{Trn|Glitch 8 - Missingno}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Dabuz}}, {{Sm|Marss}}, and {{Sm|Nairo}}.  

*{{Sm|Lunamado|Japan}} - Co-mains Luigi and is one of the best Bowser players in Japan. Placed 1st at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 16}}, 4th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 3}}, 5th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 5}}, 17th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 2}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|Umebura Japan Major 2019}}. He has a win over {{Sm|Abadango}} and has double-eliminated ProtoBanham. Currently ranked 50th on the [[Japan Player Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Mew2King|United States}} - Placed 9th at both {{Trn|Smashpoint}} and {{Trn|Rising Stars at EGLX 2019}}, 33rd at both {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2019}} and {{Trn|Shine 2019}}, and 49th at {{Trn|EVO 2019}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|ZD}} and {{Sm|Suarez}}. Has since dropped Bowser in favor of {{SSBU|Pyra}} & {{SSBU|Mythra}}.

*{{Sm|Pollo|p=Monterrey|Mexico}} - The best Bowser player in Mexico. Placed 4th at {{Trn|BIT MASTER MTY Round 4}}, 5th at {{Trn|Guerras Regias!}}, 7th at both {{Trn|BIT MASTER MTY 3rd IMPACT}} and {{Trn|BIT MASTER MTY 7}}, and 9th at {{Trn|BIT MASTER MTY 5}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Ang}}, {{Sm|Best Taco}}, and {{Sm|Nanon}}. Currently ranked 40th on the [[Mexican Power Rankings]].

The stage likely references the stages Bowser is fought on in ''{{s|mariowiki|Super Mario 64}}''.

==In Spirit battles==

''Conditions in italic aren't listed on the Spirit Battle preview screen.''

*In World of Light, Bowser is the only villain that is unlockable in the Light Realm. The others are unlocked in the Dark Realm, with the exception of {{SSBU|Dark Samus}}, who is unlocked in the Final Battle, though she is still affiliated with [[Dharkon]].

**{{SSBU|King Dedede}} is also a recurring antagonist in his game series that can be found on the Light Realm, making him and Bowser the only two recurring antagonists found under Galeem's control. Unlike Bowser, King Dedede is more of an anti-hero although Bowser is an anti-hero in some ''Mario'' spin off games like ''Super Paper Mario'' and ''Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story''.

*Interestingly, performing Bowser's down aerial on a {{b|ladder|stage element}} does not cause him to let go and fall to the ground, despite being a [[stall-then-fall]] move. He's the only character with this trait.