One of the big mysteries of the Super Mario Bros. series is: who is the mother of the Koopalings (although they were initially Bowser’s children, they were later retconned to be unrelated) or Bowser Jr.? Also, what does Bowser Jr.’s mother think about Bowser pathological obsession and love for Princess Peach? Why did Bowser raise Bowser Jr. to believe that Princess Peach is his mother, as seen in the infamous scene in Super Mario Sunshine?

In almost every Mario video game, Bowser repeatedly kidnaps Princess Peach, truly believing that she loves him. Each game shows Peach confused and baffled by Bowser’s obsession, including the reveal of Bowser Jr. calling her “mama” In the 2023 movie, Princess Peach called Bowser’s expectation of her reciprocating his love “insane.” Could the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film explain all of this?
The Super Mario Bros. film is widely considered a pretty awful movie, one that seems embarrassed to be a Mario Bros. story. Instead of presenting the Mario universe as it is, it tries to explain its fantastical elements using science fiction. It might have worked if the film had fully committed to that approach, but the mix of a goofy tone with dystopian science fiction resulted in a jarring and unsatisfying experience.

However, the most compelling aspect of the Super Mario Bros. movie is the introduction of the character Lena Koopa, Bowser’s wife. Her presence and her subsequent death can be interpreted as explaining the entirety of the Mario franchise.

During the movie, Bowser kidnaps Princess Daisy. He is clearly attracted to her and unsuccessfully tries to seduce her, essentially having a one-sided emotional affair. Lena recognizes Bowser’s attraction and is clearly jealous. This leads her to try to murder Princess Daisy until Daisy is rescued by Yoshi. Bowser’s infatuation with Daisy drives Lena to take matters into her own hands, independently attempting to enact Bowser’s plans, ultimately leading to her death.

Integrating Lena into the Mario Series
What would happen if Lena Koopa were incorporated into the Super Mario Bros. series? Suppose Lena is Bowser’s fiancée. In the first Super Mario Bros. game, Bowser kidnaps Princess Peach, probably for political or power reasons. Over time, he develops romantic feelings toward Peach, which are not reciprocated, effectively constituting a one-sided emotional affair. Lena becomes jealous and attempts to stop Mario independently. Perhaps one of the impostor Bowser characters in the first game or the “Fake Bowser” who attacks Mario prior to the final boss in Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels could be interpreted as Lena Koopa, ultimately killed in the process.

When Princess Peach is rescued and Bowser is defeated, Bowser must confront the fact that his attraction and emotional affair with Peach indirectly caused Lena’s death, depriving Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings of a mother. How can he look his children in the eyes, knowing that his own moral failings led to this tragedy?

This experience could plausibly cause Bowser to mentally crack. In his mind, Lena and Princess Peach fuse into a single, interchangeable figure. He develops an erotomanic delusion. Not only does he believe Peach loves him, but she also becomes the mother of Bowser Jr. and all the Koopalings. If Peach is not Lena, Bowser must confront the reality that his infidelity caused his fiancée’s death and left his children motherless, a reality too painful to face.

By fusing Peach and Lena in his mind, Bowser denies Lena’s death and the separateness of Peach, allowing himself to pretend that his wife and the mother of his children is still alive as well as absolved himself of any wrongdoing with his attraction to Peach. This is why he raises Bowser Jr. to believe that Peach is his mother and that Mario is trying to kidnap her. This explains why throughout the series, Bowser repeatedly kidnaps Peach and attempts to force her into marriage. It is an act of undoing, an attempt to reverse the trauma of Lena’s death and atone for his betrayal. Bowser’s insistence that Peach love him, despite her hatred, is a repetition compulsion, a way to manage his guilt over betraying his fiancée and depriving his children of a mother.

Bowser, Mario, and the Reality Principle
This also explains Bowser’s hatred of Mario. Mario represents reality crashing into Bowser’s delusions. Whenever Mario rescues Peach, he enforces the truth that Peach is not Lena and does not reciprocate Bowser’s feelings. Bowser cannot tolerate this, which explains why he repeatedly attempts to kill Mario and abduct Peach.

Yet this dynamic also accounts for Bowser’s eventual defeat to Mario and his occasional truces with him in various sporting and racing games. Perhaps part of Bowser subconsciously wants to be punished and to accept defeat for his sins. Notably, Bowser defeats Mario in the intros of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Odyssey without killing him. His oscillation between mortal enemy and sporting rival reflects a psychological split: he hates Mario for shattering his delusions, but he also appreciates the punishment Mario delivers for his moral failings. Despite his hatred for Mario, Mario must survive and ultimately defeat him.

Conclusion
Viewed through this lens, Lena from the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie offers a darkly coherent explanation for Bowser’s obsession, the delusions surrounding Peach and Bowser Jr., and the repetitive cycle of kidnapping and confrontation that defines the Mario franchise.

Yes I am joking, I know that Bowser obsession with Peach and that Bowser Junior calling Peach “mum” is a joke with no deeper meaning.