How to Unlock Dry Bowser on Mario Kart Wii

Last Updated: September 16, 2022 Approved

Dry Bowser is one of the secret unlockable characters in Mario Kart Wii. He is the skeleton version of Bowser, and is a Heavy-class racer as well. In order to unlock Dry Bowser, you'll need to get a single Star or better on each of the 150cc Grand Prix cups. 150cc is the 2nd hardest mode in the game, so you'll need to bring all of your skills to earn these Stars.

Steps

1
Understand how Dry Bowser is unlocked. To unlock Dry Bowser in Mario Kart Wii, you'll need to get a 1-Star or better rating on all 150cc Grand Prix cups. Star ratings are determined by a hidden point system that rates your driving, but generally the better you race the more Stars you will earn. These steps will go over some things to keep in mind while trying to get your Star rating up.^{[1]
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- You can also unlock Dry Bowser by playing 4,350 races and/or battles. This will likely take a long time, so if you really want Dry Bowser you're going to have to get the Star ratings.
- In Mario Kart 8 (Wii U), Dry Bowser is a downloadable extra character (DLC) that can be purchased from Nintendo.^{[2]
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2
Unlock all of the cups. You'll need to get a single Star or better on each cup, which means you'll need to make sure all of the cups are unlocked. You unlock cups by winning other cups.^{[3]
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- Beat the Mushroom and Flower Cups to unlock the Star Cup.
- Beat the Shell and Banana Cups to unlock the Leaf Cup.
- Beat the Star Cup to unlock the Special Cup.
- Beat the Leaf Cup to unlock the Lightning Cup.
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3
Race each cup in 150cc mode. This is the fastest and 2nd hardest mode in Mario Kart Wii. Your opponents will be smarter, and you'll need to take full advantage of shortcuts and advanced driving techniques. Because you'll be shooting for a Star rating, it will be even more difficult.
4
Avoid hitting walls or obstacles while racing. One of the most important things to avoid when going for a Star rating is hitting anything stationary. You are allowed one or two hits per cup before you are no longer eligible for a single Star. This means you'll need to be at the top of your game and know the tracks like the back of your hands.
- Avoid going off the road as much as possible as well.
5
Stay in the lead. The longer you are in 1st place, the more points you are earning towards your Star. Try to get the boost start at the beginning of each race, and then do everything you can to maintain that lead. A kart or bike with good acceleration will help give you an early start on the competition.
6
Avoid using weapons to catch up. It may seem hard, but you'll want to avoid using weapons if you're behind the pack. You're only really allowed to get away with this once per cup. If you find yourself behind, use all of your driving skills to catch up, not items.
7
Drive fast. Faster times will be rewarded with more Stars. Drive as fast as you possibly can. Again, this means you'll need to know all of the courses inside and out, especially since 150cc is already faster than any other mode.
- Babies (Peach, Mario,Luigi, or Daisy), Rosalina, and other small characters are best for speed with the bullet bike or Mini Beast.
8
Get at least 50 points in the cup. If you get less than 50 total points in the cup, there's very little chance that you'll get a single Star. If you find that you're not going to end up with that many, you can restart and try again.^{[4]
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9
Exit back to the Wii menu after getting a Star on all eight of the 150cc cups. Many players report having to restart Mario Kart Wii in order to actually unlock Dry Bowser, even after earning at least one Star on all eight 150cc Grand Prix cups. Once you know you've gotten all the ratings, press the Home button on the Wii Remote to exit back to the Wii main menu.
10
Start Mario Kart back up and select your license. If you've gotten at least one Star on each 150cc Grand Prix cup, you'll receive a notification that Dry Bowser is now available.

Community Q&A

Question

Does getting 4350 wins work to get Dry Bowser?

The_generals2014

Community Answer

Yes, but it takes a long time. Theoretically it can be done.
Question

Is it better to use automatic or manual?

Community Answer

Manual would probably be better to use since it gives you extra speed boosts during the race. In very long courses such as Rainbow Road, they can be even more useful.
Question

Do solo time trials count as races?

Community Answer

No, because they don't include all 12 racers (including you). But if you do all thirty two-time trials, you unlock Toadette.