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Bowser's Kingdom - TV Tropes

  • ️Wed Apr 18 2012

Bowser's Kingdom (Web Animation)

Jeff, Hal, Steve, and a Shy Guy ON FIRE!

Jeff: What does Mario even want with us? Doesn't he have enough of those damned coins?
Hal: Well, it's not like we stole the princess or anything.
[beat]
Hal: Oh yeah...that’s right.
— Episode 1

A flash animation series that ran on Newgrounds in 2007-2008 by araskin500 and pthouse about a Goomba named Jeff and a Koopa Troopa named Hal, and other characters working for Bowser.

Most of the humor comes from lampshade hanging conventions of the Mario world, running gags, swearing, and Hal's Butt-Monkey status. The series, as well as a few other works, can be found here.

The series ended with "Bowser's Kingdom: The Movie". An Extra-Long Episode that deals with Jeff and Hal getting their biggest assignment from Bowser yet.

There is a series related to this one called Smash Kingdom. Some of the characters make an appearance there. Now with a Characters page.

This series contains examples of:

  • A Day in the Limelight:
    • The Karate Duo (NUMBAH ONE) are the stars of Episode 9.
    • Before that, Lemmy Koopa and some minions were the stars of Episode 3.
  • Ambiguously Jewish: Rick Finklestein
  • Animated Actors: Episode 10
  • Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Episode 666 had Jeff warn Hal about the zombies and describe why they are bad, but Hal takes action when Jeff mentions the zombies called Hal gay.
  • Art Shift:
    • Most of Episode 9 isn't sprite-based.
    • The battle between Hal and Donkey Kong is 8-Bit.
  • Back from the Dead: Princess Peach was killed in episode 4, then brought back to life in episode 5.
  • Ballistic Discount: Hal does this to this Koopa Merchant in Episode 666 after being told that he does not have enough cash.
  • Bash Brothers: The Karate Duo.
  • Bat Man Can Breathe In Space: Hal, Jeff, Steve and the rest of the Koopa Troop in episode 8.
  • Beware of the Nice Ones: Steve masterminded the events of the Movie because Hal stepped on the flowers and insulted him.
  • Bindle Stick: Hal in episode 6.
  • Book Ends: Episode 1 ends with Mario beating Hal and Jeff. The Movie ends with Mario and Luigi beating Hal and Jeff.
  • The Cameo:
    • Ganon from the The Legend of Zelda series, makes an appearance in the web series, in episode 6 at the unemployment office with Rick Finklestein, he is the devil in Episode 666 according to Big Boo & he makes a small cameo in Episode 10, Ganon also has his own spinoffs "Ganon's Kingdom" & "Ganondorf's Kingdom".
    • A Metroid makes a cameo as a new potential partner for Jeff in episode 6.
    • Similar to Super Mario Bros. Z, The audience at the completion games in Episode 7 are the audience used in Kirby Super Star.
    • Fox McCloud makes an appearance in episode 8 riding in his Arwing chasing down Hal & Jeff in a giant Mushroom Ship.
    • Mecha-Sonic from Super Mario Bros. Z makes an appearance during the Easter Egg of episode 8.
    • Zangief from Street Fighter makes a cameo in the Movie in a post-credit scene, where he was beaten up by The Karate Duo Number 1.
  • Character Catchphrase: Steve has "HI GUYS!", which is lampshaded many times in Episode 10.
  • Cool Expressive Mask: The Karate Duo (NUMBAH ONE)
  • The Chessmaster: Steve of all people in The Movie.
  • Cool Shades: Mouser and Mega Mole of the Super Awesome Dynamite Platinum Bros. Team
  • Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Steve, who orchestrated the events of the Bowser's Kingdom Movie.
  • Curbstomp Battle: Any time Mario fights someone he's nearly guaranteed to win. Lemmy put up a good fight though.
  • Death Is Cheap: Princess Peach and Steve in Episodes 4+5 and one of the Karate Duo in Episode 9
  • Did You Die?: Inverted at the end of Episode 9 where one of the Karate Duo tells a story in which one of them apparently died, but Hal and Jeff ask how that's possible since both of them are right there.
    • Their excuse: LUCKY CANDY!
  • Disproportionate Retribution: Steve masterminded the events of the Movie because Hal stepped on the flowers and insulted him.
  • The Ditz: Steve. Except in The Movie.
  • Downer Ending: The Movie (and the series as a whole) ends this way. Jeff and Hal become victim to Steve's mastermind scheme for revenge and suffer a Curb-Stomp Battle at the hands of the Mario Brothers. The only bright spot is that afterwards they both decide to quit their jobs for all the ire it caused them.
  • Dressing as the Enemy: Jeff and Hal dress as Mario and Luigi to infiltrate the castle and kidnap Princess Peach without her knowing it. It actually works.
  • Driven to Suicide: Lemmy Koopa according to Episode 10.
  • Early-Installment Weirdness: In the two episodes were mainly about Jeff & Hal failing as Mario villains while watching Mario during his adventure, the music playing in the background was only from Super Mario RPG (The song Monstro Town was playing in the background) with some exceptions like the End Credits for example, The Shy Guys & Steve also appeared in both episodes.
    • The Subtitles were different in the first episode as Character names were listed.
    • Until they're removable in episode 8, subtitles were a main thing in the series & also the animation in the early episodes was in its early state most notably the character movement.
    • Also these same two episodes were not in flash for the rest of the series, every other episode is animated in flash except for the Halloween Special.
  • Easter Egg: One was shown at the end of episode 8.
  • Even the Subtitler Is Stumped: The Inaudible Thwomp.
  • Evil Speech Of Evil: Given by Ganon, who's attempting to get wellfare. Guess he's fallen on hard times since losing to Link. Again.
  • Eyeless Face: Steve the Piranha Plant.
  • The Faceless: The Shy Guys.
  • Good-Times Montage: Jeff and Donkey Kong in Episode 6.
  • Gone Horribly Wrong: Geno's theory why the Zombie Apocalypse occured in episode 666.
  • Haunted House: One was shown in the Movie.
  • Hilarious Outtakes: Some were shown at the end of Episode 10.
  • Kiai: KIAHHHHHH!
  • Let's Get Dangerous!: The Karate Duo do this and curb stomp a part of Bowser's army in the movie.
  • Mistaken for Gay: Hal.

    Kamek: I knew you were gay!

  • Minion with an F in Evil: The whole premise of the series is more or less that Hal and Jeff are very bad at being bad.
  • Mix-and-Match Critters: The Dino Piranha is part Piranha Plant and part Dino Rhino.
  • Motive Rant: Steve does this in The Movie.
  • The Movie: Bowser's Kingdom: The Movie.
  • Neck Lift: Hal was a victim of one in episode 8's Easter Egg.
  • No Celebrities Were Harmed: All the Shy Guys talk like Christopher Walken.
  • Non-Standard Character Design: Every Mario Characters in the web Series don't have the same design, for example, most of the character design is from Super Mario World or Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.
    • Mouser, Wart, Piantas, Birdo, & the Frat Fire Bro all have Custom Made Designs from the website The Spriter's Resource or The Shy Guy Kingdom.
    • Bowser, the Chomp Bro of Team Super Awesome Dynamite Platinum Bros & the frat Hammer Bro from episode 6 have their designs taken from Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, however, the Frat Hammerbro's friend is a red Palette Swap of him resembling a Fire Bro.
    • Donkey Kong's design is from DK: King Of Swing.
    • Princess Peach started having a Super Mario World design but later she got a Art Shift and now her design in her later appearances is from Super Princess Peach.
    • Frogfucius & any other character from the Super Mario RPG episode because of the episode's animation.
    • For Non-Mario Characters like Ganon, the Metroid, Mecha Sonic, the Kirby audience, Fox McCloud, Zangief & The Karate Duo Number 1's fighter designs that appear in the series all have out of place designs.
    • The Beezo (Credited as Fly Guy) from the Movie that talks to Bowser has his design from Super Mario All-Stars version of Super Mario Bros. 2.
  • Noodle Incident: What happened to Bowser's other seven children. It's not hard to guess though...
  • Number of the Beast: The Halloween episode is titled "Bowser's Kingdom: Episode 666".
  • Old Master: Frogfucius is actually the master of the Karate Duo Number 1.
  • Only in It for the Money: The Karate Duo

    Karate Duo: We are Karate Duo Number One. Soldiers of fortune. Mercenaries for hire. Karate guys for cash. We work hard for the money. So hard for the money... We work hard for the money, so you'd better treat us right...

  • Piranha Problem: Or rather, a piranha-dinosaur-plant problem.
  • Phrase Catcher: "Hi Steve..."
  • Palette Swap: Many Characters such as the Shy Guys & The Frat Fire Bro from Episode 6, have different colors of other characters.
  • Plot Armor: Lampshaded by Jeff in The Movie.
  • Plot Device: The Star Bunny in episode 8. Lampshaded as well.
  • Punch-Clock Villain: Hal and Jeff
  • Quirky Miniboss Squad: Episode 3 is about one of these. One also appears at the beginning of episode 8.
  • Refuge in Audacity: Lucky Candy also appears to be the equivalent of a birth control pill.

    Hal: Or did you just give yourself a fungicidal abortion?

  • Running Gag: Hal isn't paid to work for Bowser.
    • Shy Guys ON FIRE!
  • Scot Ireland: Or Germaustria in this case.

    Hal: If I can take down a large gorilla wearing a tie, then I can definitely take down some German turtle.
    Chomp Bro: I'm Austrian! HIYAAAH!

  • Screw This, I'm Outta Here!: Hal and Jeff at the end of the movie.
  • Second Place Is for Winners: In Episode 7, Hal and Jeff need to win the cash prize to replace their broken television. They actually succeed, given that second place awards the cash prize, and especially given that The first place prize was a trip to Yoshi's Island...who is filled with villain hating Yoshis. Poor Platinum Bros...
  • Shōnen Hair: Jeff in episode 8's easter egg.
  • Shout-Out: Episode 3 is a Shout-Out to Reservoir Dogs.
  • Species Surname: Paul Hammerbro the Hammer Bro (Amazing Flyin' Hammer Bro).
  • Super Serum: As it turns out... LUCKY CANDY!
  • Take That, Scrappy! : Mallow is mentioned by Frogfucius in episode 9 to be useless even if he can heal.
  • That's What She Said: The Fratboy Hammer Bro & Fratboy Fire Bro.
  • Those Two Guys: The series is more or less Super Mario, but from the perspective of two minor mooks, Hal and Jeff.
  • Top-Heavy Guy: Chomp Bro. of Team Super Awesome Dynamite Platinum Bros.
  • Trademark Favorite Food: For the Karate Duo Number One: LUCKY CANDY!
  • Training Montage: Parodied in episode 7, where they were apparently too lazy to animate the montage. Jeff and Hal lampshade the lack of a montage, which leads them to believe that they actually didn't train at all.
  • Unexplained Recovery: In episode 9, one of the members of Karate Duo Number 1 dies at the end of the tale. Jeff interrupts the story, asking how he could be sitting right there then. They respond with "LUCKY CANDY!"
  • The Unintelligible: The Inaudible Thwomp.
    • Also Bowser and Bowser Jr., but they get (readable) subtitles.
    • According to Jeff, it's the reason Bowser's in charge.
  • Unintelligible Accent: Inaudible Thromp speaks in a thick accent along with talking very fast without pauses to where he is so hard to understand that even the subtitles have trouble translating everything he says. However, listen closely enough, and you can make out what he is saying.
  • Use Your Head: Jeff does this in the zombie special.
  • The Voiceless: Mario does not speak at all but he does have occasional snippets from Charles Martinet.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: Jeff and Hal.
  • Zombie Apocalypse: In the Halloween special.

Hal: That's it, I quit.
Jeff: Yeah, screw this.