When you think about Super Mario, it doesn't take long for you to think about his arch-enemy, Bowser, who is one of the most iconic video game characters in history and is someone who gamers love to hate.

Bowser is well known for stealing Mario's girlfriend, Princess Peach on a regular basis, with Bowser tending to be the villain for every Mario game in existence, which is why the character is so iconic.

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However, even the baddest of gaming characters have at least some redeeming qualities, and that includes Bowser himself, and within this article, we will take a look at 10 times Bowser was actually good.

10 Wreck It Ralph

While this isn't a moment from a Super Mario game, it was a moment that Bowser was trying to be good, as he popped up in the hit Disney movie, Wreck It Ralph, much to the surprise of most gamers.

Appearing alongside Ralph and countless other iconic video game villains, Bowser attended a Bad-Anon meeting where the group of villains all discussed their actions and how they don't want to be bad guys.

The fact that Bowser is clearly working hard to prove he isn't as mean and nasty as everyone thinks is a very good thing to do, in what was a very fun moment from the film.

9 Playing Games

If Bowser was a true villain who hated Mario and the rest of his friends, then why would he constantly appear in various games where he simply plays games alongside them, such as Mario Kart?

Bowser shows a softer, more fun side in titles like this where the sole purpose is just to win an activity, whether it be sporting or otherwise, and he shows no signs of hatred during any of them.

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While these games don't normally have a particular storyline to them, if Bowser was such a bad guy all the time, surely he just wouldn't be invited to the party?

8 Bowser's Inside Story

Another example of Bowser being a good guy was from the video game, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, which took place with the normally evil Bowser inhaling both the brothers, who then had to actually help Bowser.

Within this game, the Mushroom Kingdom had been taken over by a new threat, which was a common enemy for all of them in Fawful, and Mario and Luigi teamed up with Bowser to defeat the new nemesis.

Being able to work together as a trio was a refreshing change of pace for the Mario franchise and the fact that Bowser was being highlighted as a hero was fantastic.

7 Difficult Upbringing

The upbringing and childhood of Bowser is something that is touched on within a few Super Mario games, as it is revealed that the major villain was actually orphaned as a child.

Because of that, he was brought up by Kamek, who foresees Mario and Luigi being a problem for Bowser when they all grow up, which is why he attempts to kidnap them as babies in several games.

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However, it is interesting to think that before Kamek's involvement in Bowser's life, he may never have had a reason to hate Mario and Luigi in the manner he does.

6 Superstar Saga

Within Superstar Saga, Bowser once again shows his good qualities, despite what people might think about him as he actually tried to help Mario and Luigi for portions of the video game.

The main antagonist in this game is actually the witch, Cackletta, and for portions of the game Mario and Luigi enlist the help of someone they know all too well in Bowser, but sadly he ends up turning to the dark side.

This isn't by choice though, as he loses his memory after being bashed on the head which leads to him being possessed by Cackletta's spirit, turning him back to the dark side.

5 Fatherly Figure

While many are under the impression that Bowser has countless different children, it has been confirmed that only Bowser Jr is actually his child, with the rest of the group simply being minions of his.

Nevertheless, one thing that can be taken away from all of the Mario games involving Bowser Jr is that the two share a very special bond and that Bowser is actually a very good father.

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As a character, he does everything in his power to spend time with his son, who he seems to raise alone, and that is something that any father can relate to, which certainly doesn't make him a bad guy.

4 A Heart To Heart

Speaking of Bowser's close relationship with his son, in a cut scene from Super Mario Sunshine, he has a heart to heart with Bowser Jr that will certainly pull at the heartstrings of even the most diehard Mario lover.

Within their conversation overlooking the beach, the Bowser family of two discuss the fact that Princess Peach isn't actually Bowser Jr's mother, and while they don't get into who that person actually is, this is still an emotional moment for the character.

Gamers are used to simply seeing Bowser roaring and being incredibly angry, so to see him in a totally different light that peels away the thick outer shell to reveal his true emotions is touching.

3 Teaming With Mario

While many of the Mario video games feature Bowser as the main villain, that isn't the case for every single game that the plumber has been part of, as sometimes there are forces beyond Bowser who provide a different kind of threat.

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When those challenges arrive, Mario is often more than capable of tackling the issue, but every now and then, he needs a little help from his 'frenemie' in Bowser, which has led to them teaming up plenty of times.

An example of that is the popular, Paper Mario game, where Bowser is bumped away from being the main enemy to having to team up with Mario himself in what is a thrilling game.

2 Saving The Mushroom Kingdom

As we have previously mentioned, there are moments when Bowser doesn't always fight against Mario within the games, but in Super Mario RPG, he goes above and beyond just helping out Mario.

Bowser plays a key role in the game and he actually ends up helping to save the Mushroom Kingdom, proving that he doesn't just want to see the world burn, but that he actually cares about it.

Helping out to save not just Mario, but the entire Kingdom was acting anything but bad, with this being one of Bowser's crowning achievements as a good guy.

1 His Treatment Of Peach

You might be thinking, how can kidnapping someone within almost every Super Mario video game be considered a good thing, but when you actually think about it, does he ever harm Princess Peach?

Even though he captures her, Bowser's sole reason for doing so is in order to provide a motherly figure to his son, and he never mistreats her while she is under his protection, giving her a castle to stay in as well.

Peach never looks out of place or in pain, and always has a friendly personality when she appears on the screen afterwards, so this is a sign that Bowser is a good guy deep down.

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