Editing Bowser (section)

==Development==
[[File:Bowser early concept.jpg|left|thumb|The earliest known concept artwork for Bowser.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://medium.com/the-cellar-door/where-did-super-marios-bowser-get-his-name-from-f93ac2d2ae9b |title=Where Did Super Mario's "Bowser" Get His Name From? |first=Jack |last=Shepherd |website=[[Medium (website)|Medium]] |date=April 14, 2023 |access-date=October 8, 2024 }}</ref>]]
Bowser was created by Nintendo designer and producer [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]. Miyamoto had first envisioned Bowser as an [[ox]], based on the ox-like King Gruesome from the [[Toei Animation]] film ''[[Alakazam the Great]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=7373|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100917090724/http://ds.kombo.com/article.php?artid=7373|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 17, 2010|author=David Oxford|title=Iwata Asks:The Birth of Bowser|publisher=Ds.Kombo|access-date=August 23, 2010}}</ref> However, Nintendo designer [[Takashi Tezuka]] pointed out that the character looked a lot more like a turtle than an ox. Miyamoto and Tezuka then began to redesign his look to reflect a leader of the turtle-like Koopa Troopas. In his final design, Miyamoto commented that he could make Bowser "look cool now".<ref>{{cite web |title=Iwata Asks Volume 8- Flipnote Studios-An Animation Class 4.My First Project: Draw a Rug |url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/systems/volume_8_14207.html#top |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525101151/http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/systems/volume_8_14207.html#top |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 25, 2012 }}2009-08-11</ref> During the development of ''Super Mario Bros.'', Miyamoto contemplated commissioning the game's art to a manga artist or illustrator. However, due to a lack of time, he created the game's original box art himself. Bowser is depicted in this artwork in a way that differs from later renditions, with the most noticeable differences being his gray-blue complexion and lack of horns. Miyamoto received inspiration for the character's appearance from an anime film version of the Chinese novel ''[[Journey to the West]]'', which was renamed ''Alakazam the Great'' during the film's Ameri period.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/ds/dsi/7/3|title=Iwata Asks|website=iwataasks.nintendo.com|access-date=October 11, 2021|archive-date=June 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619204053/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/ds/dsi/7/3|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Yōichi Kotabe]] based Bowser's final design on the [[Chinese softshell turtle]], which he recognized as highly aggressive, reflecting Bowser's short temper.<ref name="Kotabe">{{Cite news |title=Les confidences du dessinateur historique des personnages Nintendo |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2018/12/06/les-confidences-du-dessinateur-historique-des-personnages-nintendo_5393631_4408996.html |newspaper=Le Monde |date=December 6, 2018 |language=fr |access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref>

Bowser's original working name was "Boss Creeper" ({{lang|ja|ボス クリーパー}} ''Bosu Kurīpā''), after the Shellcreepers, the predecessors to the Koopa race, from ''[[Mario Bros]].''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thrillingtalesofoldvideogames.com/blog/bowser-vs-king-koopa|title=Bowser Vs. Koopa|website=Thrilling Tales of Old Video Games|access-date=July 25, 2024}}</ref>  Miyamoto then named him {{lang|ja|[[wikt:大|大]][[wikt:魔王#Japanese|魔王]] クッパ}} ''Daimaō Kuppa''. ''Kuppa'' came from the [[Japanese language|Japanese]] name for {{lang|ko|[[wikt:국밥|국밥]]}}, ''[[gukbap]]'', a [[Korean cuisine|Korean dish]]. Miyamoto had also considered the names {{lang|ja|ユッケ}} ''Yukke'' and {{lang|ja|ビビンバ}} ''Bibinba'', also Japanese names of Korean dishes ({{lang|ko|[[wikt:육회|육회]]}} ''[[yukhoe]]'' and {{lang|ko|[[wikt:비빔밥|비빔밥]]}} ''[[bibimbap]]'' respectively).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.famitsu.com/game/extra/special/2000/zelda/zelda04.html|title=独占スクープ！宮本茂最新雑談 [Exclusive Scoop! Miyamoto Shigeru Latest Chat]|last=Yasuhiro|first=Nagata|date=June 2000|publisher=[[Famitsu]]|lang=ja|access-date=November 4, 2016|archive-date=October 10, 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001010214429/https://www.famitsu.com/game/extra/special/2000/zelda/zelda04.html|url-status=live}}</ref> For the later North American release of the game, which also introduced the [[anglicized]] spelling "Koopa", the character was named Bowser. His [[Korean language|Korean]] name is not ''Gukbap'', but {{lang|ko|쿠파}} ''Kupa'', which is essentially a phonetic [[Reborrowing|round-trip translation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendo.co.kr/DS/soft/mariokart/mariokart_character.php|title=Characters in Mario Kart DS at Nintendo of Korea's website|publisher=Nintendo|access-date=August 10, 2010|archive-date=July 22, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722041233/http://www.nintendo.co.kr/DS/soft/mariokart/mariokart_character.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> The name was anglicized to Kuppa rather than Koopa in the Japanese versions up until the release of ''[[Super Mario World]]''.<ref>{{cite video game|title=[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]|developer=[[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|date=October 23, 1988|platform=[[Famicom]]|language=ja|scene=ending}}</ref><ref>{{cite video game|title=[[Super Mario World]]|developer=[[Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|date=November 21, 1990|language=ja|scene=ending}}</ref>

It is currently unconfirmed how the character received the English language name "Bowser", or who gave him this name, although there are multiple competing theories. Matthew Byrd of ''[[Den of Geek]]'' noted that one theory comes from "Bowser" being a popular name for pets at the time, while another suggests that Miyamoto himself chose the name because both "Bowser" and ''Bibinba'' start with B. Another theory still relates to the origins of the surname "[[Bowser (surname)|Bowser]]", derived from a [[Norman language|Norman]] greeting meaning "good sir", and that it may be used ironically for the character given his diabolical nature.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/games/super-mario-bowser-real-name-origins-history-explained/|title=Super Mario: The Strange Origins of Bowser's Real Name|website=[[Den of Geek]]|date=May 25, 2022 |access-date=July 25, 2024}}</ref>

Within early comics and potentially in the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series, Bowser has been referenced to [[Gamera]], the iconic fictional turtle [[kaiju]] with the abilities to breathe fire as well as fly by hiding in his shell and spinning it; Bowser's ability to perform the latter is called "Gamera Attack" (ガメラアタック, ''Gamera Attakku'').<ref>[[jp:本山一城|Kazuki Motoyama]], 1992, [[jp:スーパーマリオ (本山一城の漫画)|Super Mario]], Vol.7, [[Kodansha]]</ref><ref>[[:ja:沢田ユキオ|Yukio Sawada]], 1994, ''[[:ja:スーパーマリオくん (沢田ユキオの漫画)|Super Mario-kun]]'', Vol.11, [[Shogakukan]]</ref><ref>[https://hissatuwaza.kill.jp/setume/smarioh.htm スーパーマリオワールド（本山版）　[必殺技辞典]] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601215752/http://hissatuwaza.kill.jp/setume/smarioh.htm |date=June 1, 2023 }}</ref><ref>[http://yadayo.g3.xrea.com/eiga/ka.html ●映画　か]{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416114627/http://yadayo.g3.xrea.com/eiga/ka.html |date=April 16, 2022 }}</ref>