When you think of Mario and Luigi or the Mushroom Kingdom in general, Bowser also probably comes to mind. This guy is the most iconic villain in the Mario Bros. series and probably in all of Nintendo’s games. He’s a classic villain, wanting to take over the Mushroom Kingdom, and it’s usually up to Mario and Luigi to stop his nefarious plans.

And did you know that Bowser has been in over 150 games? This guy gets around, and he’s not stopping anytime soon. There may be many fans of Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Daisy, but there are just as many fans, if not more, of the evil Koopa King. And I can’t blame the fans. Bowser is a pretty striking guy and he can range from being terrifying to amusing. And no matter how many times he fails, you can count on his fans to be excited to see him in the next game.

But just because Bowser is a memorable villain, it doesn’t mean he’s a villain that makes sense all the time. In fact, there are a lot of things about Bowser that are confusing, weird, or just a bit... off. Considering this guy’s mysterious origins, his abilities, and his motivations, it would make sense that there are elements to him that make no sense.

So here are 20 things about Bowser that are confusing and make zero sense. Let’s have some fun with the Demon Koopa King!

Think we missed some good elements to Bowser? Make sure to let us know in the comments section below!

20 Who’s Your Momma?

No one really knows who Bowser Jr.’s mother is. At the moment, Bowser is rocking the whole single dad thing, but we don’t know much about his love life. There is one theory that’s pretty popular among fans, but it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

A lot of fans think that Peach is Bowser Jr.’s mother. The reasoning behind this is that he did believe she was his mother and when confronted about it, Peach never denied it. That is a bit... suspicious. But it doesn’t make sense since we don’t even know if a human and a Koopa would be compatible. And Bowser Jr. doesn’t really look like Peach. But stranger things have happened.

19 He Will Get Back Up Again

There’s no doubt that Bowser is a pretty intimidating guy. He’s huge, vicious, and willing to go to great lengths to get what he wants. But despite all of that, he’s never actually successful.

Considering how many times Bowser has gone up against Mario and lost, you’d thing he’d change his strategies. But he does the same thing, and his goals never change. He steals Peach and tries to take over the Mushroom Kingdom. And he always loses. I get that he’s the villain and he’s not supposed to win, but this is kind of ridiculous. Bowser, you may need to make some changes.

18 Who’s Their Daddy?

Where Bowser is, his Koopalings aren’t far behind. Usually in order to get to him, you have to go through all the Koopalings. But there’s something about these crazy Koopas that doesn’t quite make sense. And that’s their relationship to Bowser.

The Koopalings actually aren't his kids. 

For a while, we thought the Koopalings were Bowser’s kids, and even some games outright said they were. And it would make sense since they all look like him a bit. And they all tended to have that family vibe. But recently we were told by Nintendo that the Koopalings aren’t his kids. But it would make more sense if they were his kids.

17 Love Is In The Air (For Some)

Over the various games, we’ve noticed that Bowser can be a bit predictable. And most of his plans involve stealing Peach for some reason. It gets to the point where we begin to wonder if there’s something going on between these two. At the very least, Bowser seems to be obsessed with this princess.

The most recent game Mario Odyssey does have Bowser being more blatant in his affections. But what doesn’t make sense is that he’s stealing Peach because he likes her. I don’t know how Koopas flirt, but I’m pretty sure that’s not the way you’re going to win Peach’s heart, Bowser.

16 It’s A Strange Relationship

In most games, it’s Mario verses Bowser in an epic battle. These two are generally at odds with each other, what with Bowser stealing Peach and trying to take over the kingdom again. So, you can assume that these two don’t like each other very much.

And yet, there are games where Bowser and Mario are riding go-karts together, playing tennis, and being rather friendly. It doesn’t make a lot of sense. Normally, these two are trying to end each other and yet they also go have fun too. That’s one weird friendship and it makes me wonder how they really feel about each other. Maybe they’re frenemies?

15 This Game Was A Milestone For Bowser

Throughout many of the games, we never hear Bowser say a word beyond growls and roars. This guy doesn’t really talk beyond making guttural snarls. But all of that changes when we get to Super Mario Sunshine. In this game, Bowser is not only talking but having full conversations.

What changed to get Bowser talking? 

So, what’s confusing about this is when did Bowser get so articulate? Why did he never talk before? And why is he talking now? Was it just a budget thing with the games? Or maybe the writers are trying to develop Bowser’s character more. Whatever it is, it is a little weird that this guy has just started talking now. I wonder how Mario felt about that?

14 That’s A Different Look

Bowser’s design is pretty iconic. But did you know that he was going to look a lot different? The creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, originally based Bowser’s look off of an ox, and he had blue skin. But they redid the designs, and we got the Koopa we all know and love.

But the confusing thing is why an ox? And why blue? We know that the design was based off a character of a show Shigeru watched, but the design is still pretty weird. And how did they go from an ox to a humanoid turtle thing? The whole process of getting Bowser’s design is a bit strange. But imagine if they had stuck with the original design.

13 I Don’t Know Who (Or What) I Am

You have to admit that Bowser has a pretty awesome appearance. This guy is practically dripping in power and ferocity. And his look has become iconic among gamers. But there is one question we have: what exactly is Bowser?

He looks like a cross between a turtle and a dragon. So, he’s some sort of reptilian creature that also has hair? Seriously what is this guy? He’s part of the race called the Koopas and they do look like turtles. But Bowser looks pretty different from them. Why is that? Is he a different type of Koopa? Did he mutate from something? What is going on with this guy?

12 I’ve Got The Magic In Me

In Super Mario Bros., it was said that Bowser used black magic to turn everyone in the Mushroom Kingdom to blocks and bricks. By this, we can assume that Bowser is a pretty formidable black magic wielder. He must be a pretty powerful sorcerer.

He doesn't really use magic anymore. 

Except in the recent games, we don’t get any indication that Bowser uses magic. He seems to rely more on his brute strength, and he leaves magic up to Magikoopas. Why is that? Did Bowser just lose interest in magic? Did the writers decide not to have him do it anymore? Maybe he decided to focus on other things. Who knows?

11 He’s Not So Spooky Now

In the early years, Bowser was seen as a seriously intimidating guy. This was the guy who was known for making the citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom tremble. And since he’s a huge guy with claws, teeth, and fire breath, Bowser is a pretty scary guy.

But that hasn’t been as noticeable in recent games. In fact, over the years, Bowser has gone from a terrifying villain to a wacky one. And it doesn’t make much sense. Maybe Bowser’s gone soft over the years. Maybe Nintendo thought he was too bad and wanted to lighten him up. While a silly Bowser is entertaining, it would be nice to see scary Bowser again.

10 Why Did He Want To Melt Antarctica Again?

Bowser has had some crazy schemes over the years. With every defeat, he goes to greater lengths to take over the world (or at least the Mushroom Kingdom). But there are some schemes that he’s done that didn’t make any sense.

And one scheme is definitely pretty crazy. In the game Mario is Missing, Bowser tries to buy up a bunch of hairdryers so that he and the Koopalings can melt Antarctica. Yeah... I’m not sure what he was thinking. Even for Bowser, this plan makes absolutely zero sense. And if he wanted to melt Antarctica, using a hairdryer is completely insane.

9 Where Are The Parents?

While we know a bit about Bowser as an adult, we don’t know a ton about him when he was younger. It seems that Baby Bowser was raised by Magikoopa, which is pretty interesting. And apparently, he was as much of a menace as a kid as he is as an adult.

Who are Bowser's parents and where are they now? 

But what doesn’t make sense is that we know nothing about his parents. Who were they? Why aren’t they around? Did something happen to them? Did they abandon Bowser? Maybe that’s why he’s a bad guy. Maybe Bowser just wants to be loved. But no matter what, it’s pretty confusing and strange that we don’t know anything about his family.

8 Stayin' Alive

Since Bowser is a bad guy, he’s seen a lot of defeat. And he’s had a lot of unpleasant things happen to him. (Fighting with Mario will take a lot out of you.) And yet, he’s often back in the next game with a new scheme. But one thing that doesn’t make sense is how on earth is Bowser still alive?

The guy’s been dropped in lava, and at one point was turned into a skeleton. I don’t know how you walk away from that. Considering what Bowser has been through, it’s kind of a miracle that he’s still alive and kicking. If what doesn’t end you makes you stronger, he must be practically immortal at this point.

7 How Did This Become A Thing?

Bowser has gone through some interesting changes in games. But one transformation that doesn’t make a lot of sense is Dry Bowser. In the game New Super Mario Bros., when Mario is fighting Bowser, Bowser is knocked into the lava and transforms into a skeleton version of himself.

But how on earth did that work? How did Bowser transform into a skeleton? And how is he back to normal in other games? According to the game, Dry Bowser is a zombie, so how does he go back to being alive? Was this just a magic thing? Maybe Magikoopa did something. Whatever happened, Bowser sure bounced back from that battle.

6 This Isn’t My Only Final Form

It’s normal for villains to have a final form in the games. And they’re usually bigger, more epic versions of their normal look. But Bowser has a lot of different final forms, which is a little weird. There’s Rainbow Bowser, Giga Bowser, Dry Bowser and more. Bowser has a lot of final boss looks.

How does he have so many final forms? 

So, here’s the question. Why does Bowser have so many final forms? And what brings about these changes? Yes, he’s been in a lot of games, and they’re trying to mix things up, but this is a bit ridiculous. Maybe Bowser just likes to change up his look every now and then.

5 The Voice Of An Angel (Maybe)

Bowser does have quite a few talents. He’s a powerful fighter, he can do black magic, and at one point, he’s a singer. Yep, there’s actually been a song by Bowser that you can find. Apparently, there was going to be a whole album, but that never happened.

What doesn’t make sense is how this came about in the first place. Who decided that Bowser needed to be music artist? It seems a little random, and Bowser doesn’t seem like the type of guy to want a singing career. But if that’s what he really wants, who are we to stand in his way?

4 This Seems Excessive

Bowser has had some crazy plans and schemes over the years. And with each game, they seem to get crazier and stranger. But one that didn’t make a lot of sense was Bowser’s goal in the game Mario’s Time Machine.

In this game, Bowser tried to steal important artifacts from history in order to open up his own Museum. What’s weird about this scheme is that despite the whole stealing artifacts thing, this plan isn’t very threatening. There’s no world domination, there’s no stealing people. Bowser’s just trying to open up a museum. It doesn’t really make sense for the crazy Koopa to suddently be interested in curating.

3 That’s Some Serious Heartburn

Bowser has a lot of interesting features. He’s got some crazy claws, sharp fangs, tough skin, a spiked shell, and some impressive horns. But there is one feature about him that’s a bit confusing, and that’s the fact that he can breathe fire.

How is it possible for Bowser to breathe fire? 

Normally, this wouldn’t be that weird, but we haven’t seen any other Koopas breathe fire. Why can Bowser do it? And how does he do it? Is he part dragon? Is he a specific kind of Koopa? We just don’t know and the games never really talk about his origins or why he has these abilities. But there’s something weird about it.

2 What’s In A Name?

This isn’t too strange, but it can get a bit confusing. For most gamers, we know Bowser is just Bowser. (Though we have called him King of the Koopas and King Koopa). But his name is different in different languages. In Japanese, he’s just referred to as Daimao or “Great Demon King.” So he’s got a variety of names and titles.

It’s not sure why his name changes, but it’s a pretty common thing when games and characters are portrayed in other countries and languages. But still, you’d think we’d just pick Bowser and stick with it. Maybe they didn’t like his name. Is that even his real name?

1 Marriage Is What Brings Us Together Today

We don’t know much about Bowser’s personal life, other than he seems to have a thing for Peach. (Why else would he steal her all the time?) And we don’t know who he’s been with or if he’s ever had any past lovers (Though someone had to be Bowser Jr.’s mom).

But there have been rumors that Bowser has been married before. And that her name was Clawdia. Now Nintendo never confirmed it, but it’s an interesting idea. What’s crazy is that Nintendo hasn’t given us any information on Bowser’s past romances. It would be interesting to see who ever caught the Koopa King’s eye.