Bowser’s Fate & Two Major Cameos Set Up Nintendo’s Animated Future

The following contains spoilers for The Super Mario Galaxy MovieThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie introduces a lot of new characters and elements to the animated Nintendo cinematic universe that could pay off in future films. The sequel to 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie expands the scope of the story by taking Mario, Luigi, Peach, Toad, and their newfound friend Yoshi across the larger galaxy.

Along the way, the heroes discover some hidden depths in the villainous Bowser and even form some unexpected friendships with other major Nintendo characters. These beats could just be fun easter eggs, but there’s also a chance that these developments pay off in future stories and lay the groundwork for larger Nintendo crossovers.

What Happens To Bowser And Bowser Jr. In The Super Mario Galaxy Movie?

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ends with Bowser and Bowser Jr. defeated, leaving the door open for another villain to potentially take center stage in future films in the franchise. Bowser spends much of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie wrestling with Luigi’s efforts to rehabilitate him, even helping Mario, and trying to move past his anger issues.

However, once he’s reunited with his son, Bowser begins to backslide into his more villainous side. While he’s briefly saddened by the apparent death of the heroes, he quickly rediscovers his gleefully evil side when Bowser Jr. wins him over. This eventually leads to a battle with Mario where Bowser falls into lava but rises back up as Dry Bowser.

Despite this power boost, the Bowsers are defeated, leading to their capture and arrest in a seemingly cosmic jail for their crimes. While the two are still comically evil, their renewed bond positions them as more sympathetic characters going forward. Mario even saves Bowser Jr during the final battle, potentially resuming Bowser’s more amicable side.

This could allow Bowser and Bowser Jr. to shift into more of a supporting role in future movies. It would allow the characters to double-down on the more comedic elements, while also shaking things up for the heroes and pitting them against an entirely new kind of threat, such as the one that tried to take Rosalina and Peach’s power.

Peach And Rosalina’s Connections Makes Them Absurdly Powerful

One of the big reveals in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the discovery that Peach is actually the long-lost sister of Rosalina. Both of them are cosmically powerful, especially when working in concert. However, when an unknown threat attacked the sisters when Peach was very young, Rosalina sent her to the Mushroom Kingdom for her protection.

Peach and Rosalina are eventually reunited in the climax of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, using their shared power to shatter Bowser Jr.’s base and turn his constructed world into one of natural beauty. This highlights just how powerful Peach and Rosalina are, especially when working together.

It makes Peach a much more important character in the larger universe, while also giving her some new abilities to train with and master. It also sets up new potential antagonists, as the film pointedly doesn’t reveal who was trying to steal Rosalina and Peach’s power. This could pay off with a new villain in a future film.

Daisy’s Post-Credits Scene Sets Her Up For The Third Mario Movie

The other notable princess in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is Daisy, who appears briefly in the post-credits scene. Daisy is revealed to have a life in the Gateway Galaxy. She’s shown keeping Ukiki from stealing from another traveler, positioning her naturally against Wart and his criminal allies.

This could be seen as a clever reference to Daisy’s debut in Super Mario Bros. 2, which featured Wart as the central villain. It also lays the groundwork for Daisy to be an action hero in her own right, similar to Peach and Rosalina. This would naturally set her up to be a more dynamic character in future appearances.

Fox’s Role In The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (And How It Sets Up A Super Smash Bros. Movie)

One of the big reveals in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the introduction of Fox McCloud. Fox is the lead in the Star Fox franchise. Within the film, Fox is revealed to have been brought over to the Mario timeline because of a warp hole. He’s since become a mercenary pilot, flying and helping others as needed for money.

Fox becomes a major ally during the film’s cosmic adventures and ends up distracting the brunt of Bowser’s forces during the final battle to give the heroes a chance to save the day. One of the film’s final scenes reveals that Rosalina repaired his Arwing, allowing him to return to his reality.

On the one hand, this could be seen as a stealth teaser for a Star Fox adaptation, highlighting the cool qualities of the character and showcasing the cinematic potential of his corner of the Nintendo universe. On the other hand, the introduction of a warp drive capable of traversing dimensions could come more into play in future films.

That engine could allow Fox to hop between different realities at will, potentially allowing him to interact with other characters from across plenty of universes. This could allow him and his allies to revisit Mario’s world in future stories, be used to establish other Nintendo properties into the film universe, or even lay the groundwork for a larger crossover film.

The True Meaning Of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie spends a lot of time highlighting the power of bonds. That extends to reunited families (like the Princesses or the Bowsers) or new companions (like Yoshi and Fox). The film feints at setting up conflict between Yoshi and Toad or Mario and Fox, but both are resolved relatively quickly.

Those bonds also play a key part in Bowser’s growth. It turns out Luigi and Bowser have actually become genuinely friendly due to the plumber’s efforts to rehabilitate the villain, with Luigi repeatedly arguing that Mario should give Bowser a chance. Despite his mistrust and dislike of Bowser, Mario does ultimately see Bowser with more humanity.

This leads to Bowser helping them and growing. It’s also why Mario refuses to let Bowser Jr get himself killed in the finale by his own dragon, saving Bowser’s son and potentially setting the two villains on a better path going forward. The film is largely focused on colorful spectacle, but those elements give The Super Mario Galaxy Movie an emotional core.