Paper Mario: The Origami King is full of twists and turns, almost literally, but manages to capture the lightheartedness of the Paper spin-off series and the typical rescue-the-princess story found in most of its games. However, as players advance forward and near the end of the game, perhaps one of the biggest surprises is just how Bowser comes into play. NOTE: Due to the content being discusses, this article will contain MAJOR SPOILERS for near the end of the game so please turn back now if avoiding them.
Bowser appears briefly at the start of the game before the events of Paper Mario: The Origami King send the mustached plumber and his new helper on their quest, with Bowser not appearing again until much later in the game. Indeed, it's there that Bowser's parenting chops truly come into play.
Bowser and Bowser Jr.: A Mutual Love and Respect
It should be noted that, for obvious reasons, Paper Bowser is much less of a brute than his main series counterpart, and it really shows throughout the game. For example, Bowser is the one to ask King Olly, the new Paper Mario villain, where Princess Peach is when she's been folded into the castle but plays it off in a not-so-macho way. This would suggest that Paper Bowser's scheme to kidnap Princess Peach in the paper world is less diabolical and perhaps more so for Jr. to have a mother.
After all, Bowser is a single dad here. At one point, he highlights just how rambunctious Jr. is, telling Olivia to "try parenting a high-energy child with access to a clown car and an army." From a parenting perspective, not only is a flying vehicle dangerous for Bowser Jr., but a child having access to soldiers who will follow his command is far more complex and far too much responsibility for a child. A good comparison is this is the same parent-child relationship Far Cry 6 is going for with Anton and Diego, with it clearly having a profound impact on Diego. But Bowser Jr. seems to be able to handle all of this fairly well.
Bowser Jr. is the only child of a powerful single dad and could easily take advantage of that, but what Paper Mario: The Origami King establishes is a powerful love and mutual respect between the two. Bowser Jr., when players meet him, is raring to get to his father's castle to save him. He constantly refers to his dad and wants to make sure he is safe; conversely, Bowser is frequently bragging and bringing up Jr. as he follows as one of Mario's more useful companions.
In short, it's rather clear that Bowser is presented as a strong parental figure and an excellent single dad in Paper Mario: The Origami King. It may not be what some expect of the Tyrant and King of the Koopas, but it's part of what makes Bowser here more than just a paper-thin character.
Paper Mario: The Origami King is out now for Switch.