Unraveling the Origins: Bowser Jr.'s Paintbrush and Rosalina's Cosmic Powers in the Super Mario Galaxy Movie

For those who have seen Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie, it's clear that all characters possess impressive fighting skills, whether through physical combat or magic. However, the powers demonstrated by Princess Rosalina (known as Estela in the Spanish version) and Bowser Jr. with his paintbrush far exceed anything we've witnessed before. Bowser's son simply appears wielding this potent magical weapon, and Rosalina displays immense cosmic power, with little explanation provided. Let's delve into the origins of their extraordinary abilities.

Initially, we'll discuss the movie without revealing any major spoilers, so you can continue reading even if you haven't seen it. Towards the end of the article, we will touch upon elements related to the film's "big surprise" (though many are already aware of what it entails), but we will not explicitly state what it is.

Bowser Jr.'s Paintbrush

The Koopa Prince never reveals where he acquired this seemingly magical and powerful weapon at any point in the movie. To find answers, we must turn to the video games.

Bowser Jr. and the Magic Paintbrush first appeared in the game Super Mario Sunshine for GameCube in 2002. In that game, he uses the power of the magical paintbrush to impersonate Mario and wreak havoc in Delfino Plaza, with the goal of kidnapping Princess Peach, as he believes she is his mother.

If we look at the design of the brush in this game, we'll notice a very familiar symbol: the Gadd Industries logo. This suggests that, much like FLUDD (the water-powered device Mario uses in that game) and Luigi's Poltergust in Luigi's Mansion, the paintbrush is an invention of Professor E. Gadd, the eccentric scientist introduced in Luigi's game, who is also responsible for other quirky inventions like the Game Boy Horror and even Gooigi.

In Super Mario Sunshine, Bowser Jr. uses the magic paintbrush to create graffiti, which he can then transform into pollution-spewing Piranha Plants to confront Mario, or portals allowing him to travel to other locations. Depending on who you ask, it also grants him shapeshifting abilities.

In the same game, Bowser Jr. wears a bandana with Mario's nose and mustache drawn on it, which allows him to take the form of Shadow Mario. While it's easy to assume this is due to the paintbrush's power, other sources suggest it's a separate magical artifact, and that he actually used its power to impersonate Mario and trick Professor E. Gadd into giving him the paintbrush. In later games, he wears a bandana with a sinister smile, but doesn't seem to use it for transformation.

In the Super Mario Galaxy movie, Bowser Jr.'s power to transform into a more formidable version of himself definitely comes from the paintbrush.

In the movie, we also see the paintbrush features a logo of his own face, not the Gadd Industries logo (as seen in some games). It's unclear if this means he didn't obtain it from the professor in the film's continuity, or if he simply "customized" it to his liking. However, given that we see another of the professor's inventions in his arsenal (Luigi's vacuum cleaner), we can conclude that he likely acquired them from the same source. Whether he stole them, tricked E. Gadd into handing them over, or purchased them (being a Prince, he surely has the funds) remains unconfirmed.

Ultimately, there isn't a "logical" explanation for the magical paintbrush's power to create anything using its ink in the movie. In the games, "Professor E. Gadd created it" suffices, but in the film, it feels like a part of its backstory is missing.

Rosalina's Cosmic Powers

Rosalina's (Estela's) depiction in Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie is far more enigmatic than in the video games. According to flashbacks, she and her sister already existed on a planet and together could wield cosmic power capable of filling it with life. Despite this, she is described merely as "Guardian of the Cosmos," and we receive few clues about the origin of her power. As with Bowser Jr., we again must consult the video games to better understand this character.

Something not explicitly explained in the movie but crucial in the Super Mario Galaxy game is that the Lumas—the adorable star-shaped beings under her care—are actually baby planets and galaxies. Rosalina is responsible for nurturing them until they are ready to venture into space and become celestial bodies. Essentially, Rosalina is the mother of the cosmos, which is why some consider her the goddess of the Mario universe. She is also primarily seen using protective powers, creating shields around herself to guard against attacks, even from Mario himself if we're joking.

Throughout the game Super Mario Galaxy, we gradually learn Rosalina's story through bedtime stories she reads to her Lumas. We discover that as a child, she was separated from her family, became the "mother" of the Lumas to care for them because they were as alone as she was, and built her Comet Observatory to travel the universe and occasionally visit her home planet. This narrative appears to draw inspiration from Greek, Japanese, and other mythologies (as well as Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince). However, it doesn't explain who she truly is, who her parents were, or the origin of her power.

In the movie, the portrayal of her alone with her sister, both possessing the power to imbue life, also carries a mythological tone. Rosalina and her sister are depicted as a type of deity who, much like in ancient epic tales, were separated due to an evil entity coveting their power. However, they are not omnipotent, neither in the game nor in the film. Despite her immense skill and powers, she cannot prevent herself from being kidnapped by Bowser Jr.

The truth is, Super Mario Galaxy: The Movie had significant potential to explore the mythology behind the Mario universe by featuring Rosalina and Bowser Jr., but it largely squanders this opportunity. Instead of providing them with engaging arcs and exploring the stories behind their powers and motivations, it presents them as simple archetypes. It fails to truly delve into the Koopa Prince's obsession with his father's wishes or the circumstances that led to Rosalina's separation from her sister. Instead, the film primarily offers references that only the most dedicated Nintendo fans will appreciate.