Dry Bowser

Dry Bowser is the skeletal, undead counterpart of Bowser, in the same manner as Dry Bones are to Koopa Troopas. Dry Bowser made his overall debut in New Super Mario Bros., in which he is Bowser himself, although in his skeletal form. Subsequent appearances have generally established Dry Bowser as being a separate character from Bowser, most notably spinoff and crossover appearances, but also Super Mario series titles in which Bowser does not become his skeletal form upon falling into the lava.
Dry Bowser is the king of the Dry Bones as Bowser is the king of the Koopas.Mario Kart Wii Official Guide pg. 28 - After a little dip in lava, Dry Bowser, king of the Dry Bones returns invincible. Fortunately though, he's driving the same karts and bikes as everyone else!
==Profile==
===Physical description===
Aside from being skeletal, Dry Bowser essentially has the same body as Bowser. His eyes are black, and both of them have a glowing red pupil. He wears a few maroon spiked cuffs, two on each arm, and one around his neck. The back of Dry Bowser's shell is dark gray with bright red line markings. Although he lacks nearly all of his non-skeletal features, Dry Bowser still has the same red tuft of hair as Bowser, applying to the instance in which he either is Bowser or his counterpart.
===Speech===
While Dry Bowser has had voice acting, his voice has roars and yells unlike Dry Bones, which instead clack. An exception to this is New Super Mario Bros., in which Dry Bowser instead has realistic roars.
==In ==
===New Super Mario Bros.===
Dry Bowser is first seen at the end of World 1-Castle. Here, when Bowser falls into the lava, he tries to swim out, falls back in, and then briefly swims back out as Dry Bowser before returning into the lava.
Dry Bowser is the first boss of World 8, being fought at the end of World 8-Castle. When entering the boss door, Mario or Luigi has to make his way down a hallway and avoid light blue flame blasts, as opposed to regular Bowser's orange flame blasts; though the difference is merely cosmetic, this is an indicator shortly ahead of time that Mario or Luigi are to fight Dry Bowser rather than Bowser.
Dry Bowser's attacks include breathing small flames and throwing his own bones, starting in an upward direction. The latter attack is derived from the hammer-throwing attack in Super Mario Bros. utilized by the Fake Bowser of World 6 and World 7 each and the real Bowser in World 8. The overall layout of the battle is similar to Bowser's boss fight in World 1, except the moving platform was not retained to add to the difficulty of him being the eighth boss. Dry Bowser is also unaffected by fireballs.
As Mario or Luigi dodge Bowser's attacks, they must wait for Bowser to make a high jump, then quickly run across to jump on the Skull Switch, causing the bridge to be destroyed and throwing Dry Bowser into a deep pit below, causing his body to break to pieces.
At the start of the final battle, the remains of Dry Bowser are thrown in a cauldron by Bowser Jr., somehow turning the remains of Dry Bowser back into Bowser, who still has light blue fire but is much larger, as if he had used a Mega Mushroom.
===Super Mario 3D Land===
Dry Bowser returns as a boss, now as a separate entity from Bowser, in a few Special World castle levels, specifically Special 1-Castle, Special 5-Castle, and Special 8-Bowser, a parallel to how Mario fights Bowser (albeit two of which are fakes) in the normal world counterpart of each castle. Dry Bowser even fights in the same fashion as the respective Fake Bowsers and real Bowser.
To defeat Dry Bowser, Mario must dodge his attacks and reach the Switch at the end to destroy the bridge. Dry Bowser's status as a recurring boss shows that he is unaffected by the lava. Dry Bowser is also the mastermind behind the kidnapping of Luigi, who’s however rescued by Mario. Dry Bowser then tries to kill the duo two other times, but to no avail.
=== New Super Mario Bros. 2 ===
Dry Bowser is the boss of World Star, where he is fought in a castle at the end. He acts in the same way as Bowser, whom he remains a separate character from, but he maintains his distinction of breathing light blue fire. He also becomes Big Dry Bowser, which marks the first time Dry Bowser becomes a larger size (excluding the use of a Mega Mushroom in Mario Kart Wii).
Similar to the first New Super Mario Bros., the only difference between Dry Bowser's and Bowser's boss fights is that Dry Bowser tosses bones instead of sledgehammers at Mario and is invulnerable to fireballs. Other differences include him being faster than Bowser, the platforms being smaller, and the absence of Peach's cage.
==In ==
===Mario Kart Wii===
Dry Bowser made his first playable appearance in Mario Kart Wii. He is a Large-sized driver. He has a more terrifying roar than Bowser in this game, mixed in with several bone-rattling sounds, which make up his sounds throughout the game. He can be unlocked by beating all new cups on 150cc with at least 1 star ranking or play 4,350 races. Dry Bowser is statistically one of the faster racers only losing to Funky Kong.
==== Staff Ghost Tracks ====
* Grumble Volcano
* GBA Bowser Castle 3
* DS Desert Hills
==== Vehicles ====
* Standard Kart L
* Offroader
* Flame Flyer
* Piranha Prowler
* Jetsetter
* Honeycoupe
* Wario Bike
* Standard Bike L
* Flame Runner
* Shooting Star
* Spear
* Phantom
=== Mario Kart 8/Mario Kart 8 Deluxe===
Dry Bowser reappeared in Mario Kart 8 as a character part of the downloadable content Animal Crossing x Mario Kart 8 package, and he is the only DLC character who is not a newcomer. Dry Bowser is a heavyweight character with a large body frame, and his stats are identical to those of Bowser, Wario, Morton, and the large Mii. The Bone Rattler serves as Dry Bowser's signature vehicle. Likewise, Bone-Dry Dunes has a part of his head on the cliff face over the cave, and advertisements in both Twisted Mansion and Wii Grumble Volcano for "Undead Motors" use his emblem.
As with every other playable character in Mario Kart 8, Dry Bowser reappears in the Nintendo Switch port Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as a playable character. He is available from the start, and now shares stats with only Wario. Dry Bowser is one of the fastest characters in the game and is very heavy, but his other stats are among the lowest in the game.
===Mario Kart Tour===
Dry Bowser is classified as one of the three non-spotlight high-end drivers, with the others being Peachette and Metal Mario. His special item is the Bowser Shell. His favored courses include:
Three items per Item Box: Dino Dino Jungle, Dino Dino Jungle T, Bowser's Castle 1R, Bowser's Castle 1R/T, Shy Guy Bazaar R, DK Pass R, Neo Bowser City T 
Two items per Item Box: Bowser's Castle 1, Rock Rock Mountain, Rock Rock Mountain T, Daisy Hills T, Kalimari Desert T, Kalimari Desert R/T, Neo Bowser City, Neo Bowser City R
The Cooking Tour introduces a golden counterpart of Dry Bowser named Dry Bowser (Gold), who essentially has the appearance of Dry Bowser if he had used a Gold Flower.
==In ==
===Mario Party: Island Tour===
Dry Bowser makes his series debut as the penultimate boss Bowser Tower. In his boss minigame, Dry Bowser's Brain Bonk, Dry Bowser launches large bones at the opponent. If the player takes too many hits from the bones, they will lose the fight. The only way to counterattack against Dry Bowser's bones, the players must quickly press the correct buttons in the order the game shows. If done correctly, the player's character will swing his/her hammer to hit back the bone back to Dry Bowser. The player defeats Dry Bowser when his health bar has dropped to 0. Interestingly, before facing him, Bowser mentions that Dry Bowser is a close family friend, meaning that for this appearance, Dry Bowser is not the skeletal form of Bowser.
===Mario Party 10===
Dry Bowser returns as the final boss of Mario Party 10. During the second phase of Bowser's Tank Terror, Bowser's tank explodes, launching him to a pool of lava. Despite Bowser's struggling to stay afloat, he sinks in. But not long after, he revives himself as his skeletal form while also growing much bigger. The players fight Dry Bowser the same way as they fight Bowser in the first phase. Dry Bowser will commonly throw large bones at the players, subtracting their score if they get hit, and he'll also launch massive blue fireballs at the opponents. When defeated, Dry Bowser will start to clutch his chest tightly, pause, and then explode, with Mini Stars being seen floating out of him (unless the player faces him in Free Play Mode).
==In ==
=== Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash ===
Dry Bowser appears in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash as an unlockable playable character. Like in Mario Tennis Open, he and Waluigi are the only Defense-type players in the game. His emblem is used in the "Ultra Drink" advertisements seen around the stadium. He can be unlocked either by playing 10 simple matches in classic tennis mode, or by purchasing him from the rewards menu for 5000 coins.
A permanently Mega Dry Bowser appears as the 30th opponent of the Knockout Challenge mode. If the player is playing as Bowser in the mode, Dry Bowser will also appear as the 15th opponent. If the player is playing as Dry Bowser, Bowser will oppose him in both instances.
==In ==
===Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam===
Dry Bowser appeared in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam as the secret boss in the game, and can be fought at the end of the boss medley in the Arcade. When encountered, Dry Bowser is level 48. He is also the strongest boss in the entire game. He attacks by detaching some of his bones and throwing them at Mario or Luigi, throwing his head under Paper Mario and spewing blue fire under him, and inhaling the trio to recover health. Dry Bowser can also summon Thwomps as an attack, before spewing a torrent of fire. If the three Thwomps are countered, they get burned by the fire, so they take turns to stomp on Dry Bowser. He can summon four of the Koopalings (either Wendy and Roy or Larry and Ludwig) from portals to help him, all four in level 46 (except Roy who is level 45). When Dry Bowser summons the Koopalings, they behave like they do in their previous battles with some exceptions. Wendy does not attack Roy when he hits her, and Larry and Ludwig don't use Battle Cards. Both Dry Bowser and the Koopalings must be defeated to end the battle.
===Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey===
 
Dry Bowser only appears in the Bowser Jr.'s Journey mode at the post-credits scene. When Bowser Jr. hands Bowser the Skeletone Formula:D, a medicine used to recover the Goomba's blorbs, Bowser wants to try a little because he feels "a little bloated," but he overeats, causing him to become Dry Bowser and get mad at Bowser Jr., thinking it was one of his pranks. Dry Bowser is also a 3D model instead of a sprite, unlike in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam.
==Crossover appearances==
======
====Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games====
In the Wii version, Dry Bowser is the last rival fought in Festival Mode, in which he challenges the player to the Ice Hockey event. Dry Bowser is the captain of a team consisting of himself and three Dry Bones, and he serves as the goalkepper. There is also an unlockable Mii costume of Dry Bowser that can be purchased in the Boutique after the player wins against Dry Bowser and his team in Festival Mode. It can be bought for 300 star tokens.
In the Nintendo DS version, Dry Bowser is a boss of Adventure Tours, where he is on Bowser and Dr. Eggman's side. Dry Bowser is first encountered at the end of Sparkleton, where he holds the snow spirit Pola hostage in a cage), and the player's character must win against Dry Bowser in a Supersonic Downhill event in order to free Pola and continue on to Polastraits. Dry Bowser is encountered a second time in Blizland, as the penultimate boss, and now has Frosty as the snow spirit whom he holds hostage in a cage. The player's character must win against Dry Bowser in Curling Bowling to free Frosty and continue on to compete against Dr. Eggman and Bowser themselves.
====Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games====
In the Wii version, Dry Bowser is a rival in London Party, where he must be faced in the Dream Long Jump event, which plays the same music as when competing against Dry Bowser in the previous game. If the player's character wins, they receive a sticker. Like in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games for the Wii, there is an unlockable Mii costume of a Dry Bowser suit.
In the Nintendo 3DS version, Dry Bowser returns as an antagonist of Story Mode. Dry Bowser only appears in the episode Foggy Foes, in which he and a Dry Bones are guarding the Fog machine of the Main Stadium. After being confronted by Toad and Omochao, Dry Bowser challenges both Mario and Luigi to Sailing - 470 (Pair). Upon winning the event, Mario and Luigi proceed to destroy the fog machine, and Dry Bones and Dry Bowser flee before they can be questioned about the fog covering London. Outside of Story Mode, Dry Bowser is one of several characters who can have a badge
===Puzzle & Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition===
Dry Bowser is an extra boss, more specifically the boss of ★World 8-, and his main attribute is Dark, while his sub-attribute is Fire. When fought as an enemy, Dry Bowser's main attack deals 12500 damage. (This will also happen as a preemptive attack known as "Bowser Claw".) Dry Bowser can also perform "Bowser Smash," which will deal damage equal to 99% of your current HP, can breathe dark flames and cause blindness for the entire Orb field, and is able to use "Super Heal" to fully heal himself as well.
Dry Bowser can also be used as a helper after the player completes ★World 8. His HP and ATK are high, while his RCV is set at 0. His initial level after joining is level 46. As a helper, Dry Bowser's skill, Bowser Smash, can be used to deal 30% of all enemies current health as damage, while his Helper Skill, Flame of Vengeance, raises the ATK of all teammates by 4x whenever the player makes 7 combos or more in one turn. He requires a large amount of Spiky Shells and Grand Spiky Shells to skill up.
Dry Bowser cannot be rematched after the player completes ★World 8; after Dry Bowser joins the player, a Boom Boom replaces him as the boss of ★World 8-Bowser's Castle.
Dry Bowser also serves as the boss of Fixed Challenge Course 5 in Score Attack. In that course, however, he attacks every two turns, and does not perform a First Strike.
==Game data==
==Gallery==
==References==
==Navigation==
de:Knochen-Bowser
pl:Dry Bowser
es:Bowsitos
fi:Dry Bowser
fr:Bowser Skelet
it:Skelobowser
nl:Dry Bowser
da:Dry Bowser
ja:ほねクッパ
Category:Dry Bones
Category:Koopas
Category:Undead
Category:Villains
Category:Koopa Troop
Category:Bosses
Category:Bosses in Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Category:Bosses in Mario Party 10
Category:Bosses in New Super Mario Bros. 2
Category:Bosses in New Super Mario Bros.
Category:Bosses in Super Mario 3D Land
Category:Characters in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Category:Characters in Mario Kart 8
Category:Characters in Mario Kart Tour
Category:Characters in Mario Kart Wii
Category:Characters in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Category:Characters in Super Mario 3D Land
Category:Spirits in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate