Bowser is the main antagonist of the Mario franchise and Mario’s arch nemesis. Even though he’s supposed to be menacing and sinister, he’s had his fair share of cute and lovable moments. Most recently, a certain detail in how he fights in the newly released Super Mario RPG has him in the spotlight yet again, with Japanese fans calling him a real gentleman.

The Nintendo Switch remake of Super Mario RPG launched on November 17, immediately earning the praise of fans and critics for how it revitalized the Mario classic from 1996 with crisp 3D graphics and new battle mechanics. The favorable response is largely due to how faithfully the remake recreates the original game, even right down to the smallest of details.

マリオをぶん投げて攻撃するタイプの武器を装備中でも、マリオの体調が優れないときは人形で代用するクッパの紳士ぶりに感激した。 pic.twitter.com/SPc04cDWkK
— ロッズ (@rods_skyfish) November 20, 2023

Post translation: I’m stunned by Bowser’s chivalry – if Mario is unwell while he has Hurly Gloves equipped, he will throw a doll instead of Mario when attacking.

One such detail has brought the fandom’s attention to Bowser’s soft side, and it has to do with his behavior during battle. Bowser has a weapon called Hurly Gloves, which allows him to launch an attack by physically throwing Mario at an enemy. However, when Mario is knocked out or otherwise incapacitated (for example, poisoned as per the above video), Bowser settles for throwing a small Mario-shaped doll instead. This happens in all situations where Mario is unable to fight.

Of course, fans have no choice but to interpret this as Bowser’s care and consideration for Mario’s wellbeing, which has once again confirmed that he is in fact, adorable. What’s more, this also means that Bowser owns a Mario plushie which he carries with him at all times. Before throwing it, he can be seen rummaging, supposedly looking for it among his belongings. He seems to throw the Mario doll a lot less violently than when he chucks the real Mario at enemies. Perhaps Bowser is worried that the precious doll may get damaged or dirty?

With that said, the mechanic of Bowser swapping out real Mario with a doll when using Hurly Gloves has existed since the original Super Mario RPG, but the action of him searching for it and (seemingly) taking it out of his breast pocket was newly introduced with the remake. The difference in force of the throwing motion also seems to feature only in the remake. Although it’s a very small aspect of the game, it has attracted a lot of praise for showing the high level of attention to detail that was poured into the remake.

Super Mario RPG is available for the Nintendo Switch.