If you were staring at the NYT Mini Crossword on March 1, 2025, and got stuck on 5-Down, don't feel bad. The clue "Bowser and King Boo, in the Mario games" had a lot of people scratching their heads. You might have tried to type in "VILLAINS" or "BOSSES." Maybe you even thought about "ROYALTY" since, well, they both have crowns. But the answer the New York Times wanted was much simpler: ENEMIES.
It’s a funny thing. We spend decades jumping on turtles and vacuuming up ghosts, and yet when a crossword asks for a basic classification, our brains go into lore-overdrive. Honestly, the relationship between Bowser and King Boo is one of the weirdest dynamics in the Nintendo universe. Are they coworkers? Is King Boo just a contractor Bowser hires to spook up the place? Or is it something darker?
Why "Enemies" Was the Answer
The NYT loves to play with definitions. In the context of the Mario franchise, "enemies" is the catch-all term for anything that deals damage to the player. Whether it’s a Goomba you stomp in two seconds or a hulking King of Koopas that takes ten hits, they all fall under that umbrella.
But for some fans, calling Bowser and King Boo just "enemies" feels like a bit of a demotion. These aren't your garden-variety minions. They are the heavy hitters. Bowser is the primary antagonist of the entire series, and King Boo is the personal nightmare of Luigi. They represent two different flavors of trouble for the Mario Bros.
The Deep Lore: Are They Actually Friends?
Kinda. Sorta. It depends on the game.
If you look at the Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam crossover, King Boo actually takes orders from Bowser. He’s treated like a high-ranking general in the Koopa Troop. But if you go back to the original Luigi's Mansion, things get bizarre. King Boo actually uses a life-sized "Bowser suit" to fight Luigi. It’s a puppet. A husk.
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There's a long-standing fan theory—and some in-game dialogue from Madam Clairvoya supports this—that Bowser might have actually been dead during the events of the first Luigi's Mansion. King Boo wasn't working with him; he was wearing his skin. Well, maybe not skin, since it's a Nintendo game, but you get the point. It was a grotesque tribute to a fallen rival.
Bowser and King Boo in the Mario games NYT: Crossword Mechanics
When the NYT designs these puzzles, they look for words that fit the grid first and the lore second. ENEMIES is a perfect seven-letter word that uses common vowels.
- E - Common start for many 5-letter across clues.
- N - Usually connects to "NONE" or "NEAR."
- M - A frequent flyer in the middle of the grid.
- S - The holy grail of crossword endings.
If you’re a regular at the NYT Connections or the Mini, you’ve probably noticed they love grouping Mario characters. Sometimes they’re grouped by "Royal Titles" (King, Queen, Prince, Princess) and other times by "Common Video Game Foes."
The Evolution of a Partnership
It wasn't always this way. Bowser has been around since 1985, but King Boo didn't show up until 2001. Before that, we just had "Big Boo" in Super Mario World.
Once King Boo entered the scene, Nintendo realized they had a duo that worked. Bowser provides the brute force and the massive army. King Boo provides the psychological warfare and the ability to trap people in paintings. It’s a match made in hell, basically.
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They often team up in spin-offs like Mario Kart and Mario Party. In those games, the "enemy" label is dropped for a more competitive "rivalry." You’ve probably seen them racing side-by-side in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It’s hard to stay mad at a guy when you’re both getting hit by Blue Shells.
Why This Clue Tripped People Up
The reason "Bowser and King Boo in the Mario games NYT" became a trending search is that the word "Enemies" is almost too broad.
Think about it. If someone asked you what a Great White Shark and a Lion were, you’d probably say "Predators." You wouldn't just say "Animals." "Enemies" feels like the "Animals" of the Mario world. It’s technically true, but it misses the flavor.
Also, King Boo has a very different vibe than Bowser. Bowser is loud, theatrical, and wants to rule a kingdom. King Boo is quiet, spiteful, and just wants to see Luigi suffer. One wants a throne; the other wants a gallery of souls trapped in canvas.
Beyond the Crossword: How to Spot Future Mario Clues
If you’re trying to get better at the NYT puzzles, you need to think about how they categorize Nintendo stuff. They rarely go for the deep-cut names like "Wiggler" or "Kamek." Instead, they stick to the heavy hitters.
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- Look for Plurals: If the clue has two names (like Bowser and King Boo), the answer is almost always a plural noun.
- Check the Letter Count: The Mini is a 5x5 grid usually, but 5-Down often stretches. If it’s seven letters, "ENEMIES" is always a top-tier guess.
- Context Matters: If the clue mentions "Mario games," expect a word that describes their role, not their species.
Honestly, the next time you see a clue about Mario villains, try to think like a casual observer, not a superfan. While we see a complex hierarchy of Koopa hierarchy and spectral entities, the NYT just sees two guys who are trying to stop a plumber from reaching the end of the level.
The "Bowser and King Boo in the Mario games NYT" mystery isn't really about the lore. It’s about the vocabulary of puzzles. Whether they’re working together to capture Mario or just filling space in a 5x5 grid, they remain the most iconic duo of bad guys in gaming history.
Next time you open the app, keep an eye out for other Nintendo staples. "Link's quest" is almost always ZELDA or TASK, and "Mario's brother" is the forever-reliable LUIGI.
To stay ahead of the NYT puzzles, start keeping a list of common five and seven-letter words used in gaming clues. You'll find that ENEMIES, BOSSES, and AVATAR pop up way more than you'd expect.