Dame Bouh, Boo vert pâle au nœud rouge, agitant un éventail rose

Lady Bow: the aristocratic Boo of Paper Mario

1116 words | Reading time : 5 minute(s)

CharacterPaper MarioGhosts

She doesn't ask Mario for help: she negotiates it. Mistress of Boo Mansion and ruler of her own little people, Lady Bow is the haughtiest partner in Paper Mario. This profile covers her bargain with Mario in the face of Tubba Blubba's threat, her butler Bootler, her power of invisibility and the princess-like temperament that sets her apart from every other ally.

Among the allies in Paper Mario, only one sets her own terms before agreeing to help the plumber: Lady Bow, ruler of Boo Mansion and leader of her own little people.

Pink ribbon, folding fan and princely disdain: this Boo is nothing like the shy enemy who hides its face. A portrait of the most haughty partner in the entire series.

Contents

The ruler of Boo Mansion

Lady Bow reigns over the community of Boos settled in a mansion lost deep inside a haunted forest. Unlike the prankster ghosts of the platform games, these ones form an organized society, with its codes, its household staff and its leader.

Her appearance stands apart from that of her subjects: a big pink ribbon on her head, a fan in hand, striking eyelashes. She is presented as a genuine aristocrat, which puts her closer to a princess than to a monster.

This position of ghostly nobility gives her a special status in the series: long before King Boo established himself as the monarch of the ghosts, Lady Bow was already embodying the idea of a court among the Boos.

White Boo with its tongue sticking out, the laughing ghost of the series
Lady Bow reigns over a mansion filled with these prankster ghosts.

Bootler, the butler who watches over her

No aristocrat without household staff: Lady Bow is flanked by Bootler, her devoted butler , an elderly Boo with a ceremonious tone who screens the mansion's visitors.

He is the one who welcomes Mario, the one who worries about his mistress, and the one who stays at his post when she leaves on the adventure. The pair works like a comedy double act of the classic kind: the capricious mistress and the anxious servant.

The character returns in later installments alongside his mistress, proof that the tandem left as much of a mark as the partner herself.

A bargain rather than a rescue

Lady Bow's recruitment is the most devious in the game. Her people are terrorized by Tubba Blubba, an invulnerable monster who devours the Boos one by one. She also happens to hold something Mario absolutely needs.

Rather than begging, she negotiates: she offers a trade and turns her help into currency. The plumber will have to solve her monster problem before he gets what he came for.

Once the deal is honored, she keeps her word — and then some, since she invites herself onto the team for the rest of the adventure, whether Mario likes it or not. Where Kooper begs to be taken along, she simply takes her place.

Making Mario invisible

Her most valuable ability lives up to its name: Lady Bow can make Mario invisible. Outside of battle, this lets you cross guarded areas and slip past obstacles that would otherwise be impassable.

  • In battle, her vanishing spell makes the duo untouchable for an entire turn.
  • In the field, invisibility opens up passages barred to the other partners.
  • Her direct attack remains a slap delivered over and over, as brisk as her temper.

This defensive ability is unique within the group: Lady Bow is the only partner capable of purely and simply cancelling an enemy's turn.

A temperament that never apologizes

The character's temperament is what made her reputation. Lady Bow is stubborn, a touch snobbish, and never misses a chance to remind everyone of her rank. She comments on Mario's decisions with scathing frankness.

But the portrait doesn't stop there: beneath the arrogance hides a ruler sincerely devoted to her people, ready to leave her mansion and her comforts behind to go save the world alongside a plumber.

It's this blend that made her memorable, and that heralds the more complex partners of the rest of the series: an ally you never quite feel you have fully won over.

Lady Bow at a glance

French name Dame Bouh
English name Lady Bow
Species Boo
Game Paper Mario (2000, Nintendo 64)
Status Ruler of Boo Mansion
Butler Bootler
Recruitment A deal: defeat Tubba Blubba
Key ability Making Mario invisible and untouchable
Personality Haughty, blunt, loyal to her people

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FAQ

  • Who is Lady Bow?
    She is the ruler of Boo Mansion and one of Mario's partners in Paper Mario, released in 2000 on Nintendo 64. Her original English name is Lady Bow.
  • How does Lady Bow join Mario?
    Through a deal rather than a rescue: her people are terrorized by the monster Tubba Blubba, and she trades her help for the removal of that threat. Once the deal is honored, she invites herself onto the team.
  • What is Lady Bow's power?
    She makes Mario invisible. In battle, that spell shields the duo from every attack for an entire turn, and outside battle it opens up passages that would otherwise be unreachable.
  • Who is Bootler?
    He is Lady Bow's butler, an elderly and ceremonious Boo who watches over the mansion, welcomes visitors and worries about his mistress while she travels with Mario.
  • Is Lady Bow related to King Boo?
    They are two distinct figures. Lady Bow leads the Boo community of her mansion in Paper Mario, while King Boo established himself later as the monarch of the ghosts in the Luigi's Mansion series.
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