Baby Bowser

"Ahh...nothing quite like good cookies and some evil milk."

- Baby Bowser

Baby Bowser (called Prince Bowser or King Bowser by his minions), also known as Baby Koopa, is a recurring villain in the Yoshi series. He was designed to be the infant self of Bowser. Although not related to him, Kamek is mainly responsible for his child rearing. Even though in the early games his appearance was different from that of his adult form's child, Bowser Jr., since Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time he's very similar to the latter, the main difference between the two being the painting on the bandanna.

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island
Baby Bowser is the final boss of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. He appears at the end of his castle as Kamek is demanding that Yoshi hand over Baby Mario, waking and complaining that "it's too noisy". He then Ground Pounds Kamek and kicks him away, noticing Yoshi immediately afterward and wanting to ride the "gween donkey". Baby Bowser attacks by ground pounding wherever Yoshi is, creating shockwaves on the ground. In addition, if Baby Mario is knocked off of Yoshi's back, Baby Bowser climbs onto his back instead. Baby Bowser can be hit by ground pounding the ground close to him, and after three hits Baby Bowser is beaten. Kamek shows up and uses his magic on him, causing him to grow to a gigantic size, destroying the castle around him. Baby Bowser is also the only boss who must be defeated before Kamek casts a spell on him.

The final battle takes place on the remains of the room; at the beginning Baby Bowser sends debris down to destroy part of the ground. During the second phase, Baby Bowser attacks by breathing fireballs at Yoshi, advancing from in the background. If Baby Bowser gets too close the ground is destroyed, instantly defeating Yoshi. The player must grab the Giant Eggs that Baron von Zeppelins carry onto the stage and throw them into the background at Baby Bowser to knock him back. After enough hits, he simply charges forward, and after being defeated he is returned to his normal size and knocked out. Afterward, Kamek reappears and vows revenge before flying off with Baby Bowser. Yoshi then sprints up to the Stork and Baby Luigi, freeing them both and allowing the Stork to deliver the babies to their parents.

It's possible to defeat Baby Bowser even when the platform is gone. If done, he falls down, and Yoshi falls, landing on a platform where Baby Luigi and the Stork are. Yoshi will notice Kamek, who flies off. Then, the rest will be back to normal.

Yoshi's Story
Baby Bowser gets his revenge in Yoshi's Story when he steals the Super Happy Tree, the source of all the happiness throughout Yoshi's Island. To make matters worse, he turns the entire island into a pop-up book. It's up to a bunch of Baby Yoshis to stop him. After some venturing, the Baby Yoshis uncover Baby Bowser in his castle and one of them duels him to reclaim the Super Happy Tree. Baby Yoshi has to hit Baby Bowser with Bob-ombs while the prince is riding his "pet" and knock him off. The battle is then on the ground where Baby Bowser shoots fireballs, throws bombs, and sends shock-waves; Yoshi has to hit him a few more times to beat him. After being beaten, Bowser surrenders, and allows the baby Yoshis to have the Super Happy Tree back, rationalizing that the fruit tasted horrible to him anyway, before being carried out by his Toadies while sobbing.

Yoshi Touch & Go
Baby Bowser makes a cameo in Yoshi Touch & Go as one of the selectable high score icons. He also appears when Yoshi gets a Game Over with over 3000 yards on the Challenge Mode, laughing with Kamek.

Yoshi's Island DS
During the events of Yoshi's Island DS, Baby Bowser is at his castle when his future self shows up to kidnap the star children and gain control of the universe. Baby Bowser is ironically abducted by the future Kamek and brought to Bowser's Castle. When he realizes what's going on, he insults his grown-up self and his plan, calling him an "old geezer." Enraged and oblivious to the fact that his younger self is one of the star children, the Koopa King kicks Baby Bowser out of the castle.

As Baby Bowser plummets, he swears revenge and once he lands, he yells into the sky in a futile attempt to remind his older self that they're one and the same. Baby Bowser then notices Baby Mario and tells him he sees Baby Luigi in Bowser's Castle. Baby Bowser then realizes that he has just landed on Yoshi and is stoked to get a ride from him. Baby Bowser is then playable for the remainder of World 4; as the Nintendo Power Player's Guide puts it, he shows up to "kick some major enemy butt, of course!" While carrying him, Yoshi can't swallow enemies, as this move is replaced with the young Koopa's ability to breathe fireballs; this defeats enemies and melts ice cubes. Once Big Guy the Stilted is defeated, Baby Bowser leaves Yoshi's group in an attempt to hitch a ride from the future Kamek as he flies off to report to the adult Bowser. However, Baby Bowser loses his grip and falls off of Kamek's broomstick.

Baby Bowser later rejoins Yoshi's group, along with Baby Wario, when they reach Bowser's Castle. He eventually betrays them and attacks Yoshi and the babies, believing they're after his treasure. The fight goes much like the previous one, but faster. Yoshi beats the little prince and Kamek takes him away, leaving the group to the future Bowser, who is angry at what Yoshi did to his younger self. He is then eventually defeated. At the end of the game, Baby Bowser falls off Kamek's broom and lands on a barge carrying his treasure, now claimed by Baby Wario; an argument between the two young misers inevitably ensues.

Yoshi's New Island
After a 7-year hiatus, Baby Bowser appears in Yoshi's New Island as one of the game's main antagonists (alongside Kamek). In this game, he plans to turn Egg Island into his vacation home, so the Yoshis, as well as adventuring to rescue Baby Luigi, go out to stop Baby Bowser's plan. At the end, the scenario is similar to the original Yoshi's Island. He is once again awaken from his slumber, only to crush and kick Kamek out. He soon notices the "familar green donkey" and proceeds to try and ride Yoshi again.

He is the penultimate boss of the game in a two part battle reminiscent of his battle in Super Mario World 2, though the second part of the battle (where he once again becomes a giant thanks to Kamek) is more similar to the battle with Giant Bowser in New Super Mario Bros. U. His voice in this game is a more baby sounding voice of his future son. After he is defeated, and before the stork and Baby Luigi are rescued, his future self appears out of nowhere, making Yoshi and Baby Mario battle him.

Yoshi's Woolly World
Baby Bowser is the final boss in Yoshi's Woolly World, and is first seen waiting for Kamek to give him yarn. Then, Yoshi suddenly appears and Baby Bowser starts the battle with him. After Baby Bowser ends up getting defeated, Kamek later uses the power of the Wonder Wool to make him grow in bigger size by transforming him as Mega Baby Bowser. The game ends when Yoshi successfully defeat Mega Baby Bowser after hitting eight giant purple Wonder Wools. The Wonder Wool finally unravels from Baby Bowser, causing all of the Yoshis to return back to normal. Afterwards, Baby Bowser is taken away by Kamek, and is last seen near a moon with Kamek carrying him. Poochy pops out of the moon, causing Kamek to get shocked and accidentally drops Baby Bowser as the game's closing credits begin to roll. He is also the only baby in the Yoshi series that appears in the game.

The first battle with him has him climbing on the curtains, breathing fire, and moving between the path and background, Kamek can also make Baby Bowser grow for a short time using his wand. When he is larger, Baby Bowser can slam the ground to release lava. Yoshi has to throw a Yarn Ball at Baby Bowser to stun him, and then Ground Pound him to deal damage.

In his Mega Baby Bowser form, he can slam his hand onto the ground to crush Yoshi, stamp his feet to create lava, breathe a large amount of fire, and destroy parts of the Castle tower. To combat Mega Baby Bowser, Yoshi has to throw giant Yarn Balls at the giant Wonder Wool that empowers him.

Super Smash Bros. Melee
A Trophy of Baby Bowser as he appears in Yoshi's Story can be obtained at random in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Baby Bowser's only appearance in the Mario & Luigi series is in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, where he is a major antagonist. He first appears at the beginning of the game, in an attempt to kidnap Baby Peach. Luckily, Baby Mario and Baby Luigi show up in the nick of time to play with Baby Peach. After Baby Mario defeats him however, the Shroobs attack Princess Peach's Castle. Fortunately, everyone manages to escape on Baby Bowser's Koopa Cruiser. On the way to his castle, Baby Bowser picks the Mario and Luigi from the future to get Baby Peach to stop crying. On the Koopa Cruiser, he receives a transmission from Princess Shroob at Shroob Castle. She tells the crew something in the Shroobs' language and shoots down the Koopa Cruiser with a missile.

Baby Bowser is flung away from the Koopa Cruiser on the impact, into his castle. Eventually, he realizes that the Mario Bros. have stolen the Cobalt Star Shard from his castle and tracked the Bros. down at the Vim Factory, where he swipes both his Cobalt Star Shard and the one the Bros. have just obtained from Swiggler.

Baby Bowser then flees to the peak of Yoshi's Island with his caretaker, Kamek, where he orders Kamek to snatch the Yoshi Cookies from the Yoshis. When the Mario Bros. catch up to Baby Bowser at the peak, he scarfs down all the Yoshi Cookies, but starts choking. Baby Bowser then leaves to the other side of the peak after Kamek had given him some "evil" milk. After the Mario Bros. defeat Kamek, they corner him at the other side of the peak. Without thinking his plans through, Baby Bowser eats the Cobalt Star Shards. Soon after, he and the Mario Bros. are eaten by Yoob.

Inside Yoob, Baby Bowser, along with the Yoshis already eaten, are put inside a Yoshi Egg. When the Mario Bros. confront Sunnycide, a monster within Yoob, he throws the egg Baby Bowser is in at Luigi, breaking it open. After the Mario Bros. defeat Sunnycide, Baby Bowser and all of the swallowed Yoshis escape Yoob.

Back on Yoshi's Island, Baby Bowser informs the Yoshis that he saved them from Yoob. Having believed him, the Yoshis give him the rest of their Yoshi Cookies when the Mario Bros. and Toadbert show up and tell the Yoshis that he is lying. Baby Bowser then eats all of the Yoshi Cookies and gets sick. He vomits the Cobalt Star Shards, which, seemingly with a mind of their own, hit him and fling him off of Yoshi's Island.

Later on, Baby Bowser heads off to Thwomp Volcano to build a new castle, where he meets his future self, Bowser. After a minor argument, Baby Bowser and Bowser team up, not knowing the other ones identity, against the Mario Bros.. They end up being beaten after the battle and flung into the sky by a Thwomp, where Bowser ends up in a Time Hole and Baby Bowser ends up on top of the Shroob Mothership.

Baby Bowser shows up again after the Bros. have defeated Princess Shroob and, despite being warned, he put the Cobalt Star Shards together and completed the Cobalt Star, releasing Elder Princess Shroob. Baby Bowser is then turned into a Shroob Mushroom. Baby Luigi's tears later turn him back to his normal state. Baby Bowser shows up at the end of the game going home and complaining about losing the Cobalt Star.

Physical appearance
Baby Bowser shares many physical qualities with his adult counterpart, Bowser. They both have red hair and black cuffs on their arms. Baby Bowser has cuffs on his neck in Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island, and in Yoshi's Story. In these appearances, Baby Bowser appears with spiked cuffs, while in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time and Yoshi's Island DS, his cuffs appear with no spikes. Like Bowser, Baby Bowser has two red eyebrows, a green shell with spikes, and two small nostrils on his nose. Baby Bowser also has claws on his hands and his feet. Unlike Bowser, Baby Bowser either has no horns or his horns are small and stubby, much like Bowser Jr.'s, depending on the game.

Personality
His personality is almost identical to Bowser Jr.'s. A spoiled child, Baby Bowser frequently throws tantrums in hopes that his minions, Kamek, and the Koopa Troop will give him what he wants. He is greedy and also very gluttonous, as shown in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, where he eats a huge pile of Yoshi Cookies and the Cobalt Star shards. Toadbert calls him a "Little Piggie". He even insulted his future self in Yoshi's Island DS.

Abilities
Even as a child, Baby Bowser demonstrated some of his adult self's traits, such as breathing fire (Either large streams of fire or fireballs) and possessing a surprising amount of strength. He can also Ground Pound and Flutter like Yoshi. In Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, he has a hammer just like the baby bros. Unlike Bowser, he seems to be more active and has a bigger appetite.

Instruction Booklet Baby abilities
''With his fiery breath, Baby Bowser can defeat enemies and melt ice. Breathe fire by pressing. Keep in mind that Yoshi can't make eggs with Baby Bowser on his back, but he can still pick them up and throw them.''
 * Special Ability: Breathing Fire

Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time

 * "I, Prince Bowser, am taking Princess Peach with me!"
 * "You two babies can scram!"
 * "Your turn, Super Diaper Bro!"
 * "I'm... I'm a PRINCE! I can't lose to you! Bluuuuuuugh..."
 * "EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!"
 * "This is the great Prince Bowser! Kneel, minions! OK, now get up! All personnel to the bridge!"
 * "Time to show these alien jerks what the Koopa Cruiser can do!"
 * "Fire the Koopa Cannon!"
 * "Bwah ha ha ha HAAA!"
 * "I am just so dang EVIL!"
 * "I hope they felt honored to be shot down by me!"
 * "Bwah ha ha ha!"
 * "Hey! You call that piloting?! Pay attention, sky-nerd!"
 * "Aw, man... It's half past snack time already!"
 * "We... We saw nothing! Everybody clear on that?"
 * "MY EARS! She'll ruin us all!"
 * "Fine! I'll help them if it'll just SHUT HER UP! Koopa Cannon! FIRE!"
 * "There! Happy?"
 * "You two take care of things from here. Go get 'em, Red ! You too, Greenie !"
 * "Who's this hag?  ''
 * "Man... Does anyone have ANY idea what she's blabbing about?"
 * "Whoa! Evasive action! Koopa Cannon! FIRE!"
 * "What? You're fired."
 * "Those alien DIRTBAGS! We gotta hold it together until we get back home!"
 * "GWAH HA HA! LOOOOSERS!"
 * "Thought you could get away with stealing MY treasure from MY castle, did ya?"
 * "It's payback time! I'll take MY treasure...plus whatever you just picked up as compensation!"
 * "Nothing quite like good cookies and evil milk."
 * "I was a little creeped out at first, hanging out in this ghost town, but..."
 * "Then I realized there was no one to stop me from eating every cookie in sight! Yesss!"
 * "STINKY BABIES!"
 * "You punks got LUCKY, hear me? Stealing food? Who DOES that?! You'll PAY for those cookies!"
 * "Oh, all right, fine! FINE! Kamek... I'm counting on you to finish these snackaholics!"
 * "You mushroom-munchers!"
 * "Hey! Lip Hair! Yeah, you! Don't just lie there! Get me outta here!"
 * "Listen up, lizards! I'm the one who saved you. Me!"
 * "Grrrrr! This is NOT happening again! Lemme just guess... You're here for the cookies?"
 * "Oops! Whoa, no wonder! I forgot I'd eaten those!"
 * "This place is sooo nasty! Boiling hot, reeking, and just MADE for trouble!"
 * "TALK ABOUT AWESOME! This is the EXACT place to build my second castle!"
 * "Take off, gramps! This place is MINE!"
 * "Grrr! You look familiar! Yeah, you look just like a bigger, fatter me!"
 * "You're one rude dude, tubby!"
 * "Who raised ya, Chain Chomps?"
 * "Don't think I got punted off Yoshi's Island like some scrub! No way! I LEFT! On MY terms!"
 * "And now I'm here getting ready to launch the revenge scheme to end all revenge schemes!"
 * "This is the real deal! Winner takes all!"
 * "Big dude! I'm gonna be even bigger, stronger, and eviler than you someday!"
 * "Somebody eating cookies in there?"
 * "I'm starving up here! Here I come, cookie-hogs!"
 * "If you thought I'd given up on getting my treasures back, you're dumber than you look!"
 * "All that time I spent hiding and waiting is gonna pay off in a big, BIG way!"
 * "I'm taking all the treasures for myself! They're all MINE!"

Trivia

 * Baby Bowser is referred to as "Prince Bowser" in Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time, but he was previously "King Bowser" in the English version of Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. This is a translation error, but he is subsequently referred to as "King Bowser" in Yoshi's Woolly World.
 * His official artwork in Yoshi's Island DS depicts him on the back of a Yellow Yoshi, which only appears during fort levels. However, there is never a point in the actual game where Baby Bowser is usable in a fort.
 * In the The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Two Plumbers and a Baby," King Goo Goo Ga Ga Koopa falls into the Fountain of Youth and becomes a baby version of himself.
 * Baby Bowser is the only baby character not to be voiced by someone who also voices their adult counterpart.