Smash Ultimate is a family affair. What more proof do you need of that fact than the inclusion of Bowser Jr., the mysterious offspring of King Koopa himself? Bowser Jr. has followed in his father’s large, evil footsteps a few times now. He’s even been the main villain in a few Mario games. That said, it’s still hard to get upset with such an adorable little tyrant. It’s up to the rest of this game’s incredible cast to deal with him.
Smash Ultimate sports 74 different playable characters at launch — including every single previous character from the super-franchise and a bunch of fresh faces. That’s not even including the glut of DLC fighters, assist trophies, and more. There’s so much that no one person could possibly keep track of everything. That’s why we’ve compiled a guide to every single character.
- 7 Characters That Deserve to Be Smash Ultimate DLC
- Smash Ultimate Character List – Complete Fighter Roster
- Smash Ultimate Pokemon List – All Poke Ball and Master Ball Pokemon
The Mii Fighter isn’t really a character from Nintendo’s past as it is a custom avatar. It’s certainly a strange addition to the Smash Ultimate roster. Although it’s by no means the most bizarre. The Mii’s do have have a history as playable combatants in games like Find Mii for the Nintendo 3DS.
According to Nintendo’s description of Bowser Jr….
The Jr. Clown Car this little fella rides in takes less damage when attacked than Bowser Jr. himself—so try to stay in the car when taking damage. The different color variations are the Koopalings!
Bowser Jr. Moves
Clown Cannon (B) – Fires a slow, heavy cannonball. Can be charged to boost the cannonball’s speed and power.
Clown Kart Dash (Side + B) – Transforms the Junior Clown Car into a kart that speeds forward. Changing directions spins the kart.
Abandon Ship (Up + B) – Ejects from the Junior Clown Car just before it explodes. He can attack while he falls.
Mechakoopa (Down + B) – Deploys a Mechakoopa that explodes if thrown, attacked, or just left alone.
Shadow Mario Paint (Final Smash) – Bowser Jr. becomes Shadow Mario in order to deal damage by painting a giant X on the screen. He is able to move during his Final Smash, allowing him to pull off follow-up attacks on his opponents.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
The “Totally Not a Koopa Kid” has a bevy of gadgets and tools at his disposal to toy with opponents. Riding in his Clown Car, Bowser Jr. can easily frustrate opponents with exploding toys and cannonballs. His car gives him a little extra durability, too, coupled with him being a heavyweight fighter, so he’s pretty hard to send flying relative to his size.
Weaknesses
Jr.’s weaknesses are… pretty apparent, though. He has big wind-ups and backswings on his attacks, making it a little too easy to read his tells and punish. His recovery is sorely lacking and he’s very slow. Bowser Jr. wants the game to stay slow and methodical, so if you’re struggling against him, try to speed up the pace of the game and force him to scramble. It’s awfully easy.
Bowser Jr. Outfits
Wow! We’ve actually got a pretty good set on our hands this time. Far from a simple collection of palette swaps, Bowser Jr. literally becomes seven different characters. His “costumes” are the seven Koopalings that first appeared in Super Mario Bros. 3. Each comes with a very distinctive look and their own color of hovering “Clown Car.” You really can pick your favorite this time!
And that’s everything you need to know about Bowser Jr. (for now). Make sure to check back after the next Smash Ultimate patch for any updates to our thoughts on the tiny dictator. And have fun playing the game!
All of our Smash Ultimate guides created with the help of Eric Van Allen.
