Takamaru (SSB Crusade)

This article details Takamaru as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Crusade, not the character as a whole. Please do not edit anything here unless it is categories that could be added or if the creator gives you permission.
Takamaru makes his first appearance as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Crusade, being upgraded from an Assist Trophy role in the last game, similar to his western "counterpart". After being shot down as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4, he was finally chosen after his exposure in the west due to games like Nintendo Land. Takamaru was officially revealed on July 5, 2015, as part of a rather ironic America Day celebration. Tomokazu Sugita, his voice actor in SSB4, will reprise his role in voicing the samurai.
Takamaru's artwork for the game is done by LostSynth as part of their Super Smash Bros. game, Super 5mash Bros. 5.
==Attributes==
With a brand new katana in hand, Takamaru uses an old feudal Japanese tactic to test its killing power - hiding behind unsuspecting characters and striking from behind. This "Crossroad Killing" tactic renders Takamaru's katana moves more effective when attacking from the back, similar to Shulk's Back Slash. Since Takamaru's attacks are overall rather weak, players will want to use whatever they can to get behind an opponent.
Takamaru's speed is one of the greatest in the game, and he has quick reaction too, with most of his attacks coming out rather fast and being able to stop extremely quickly. This allows Takamaru to change the moves that he uses rather fast, as being unpredictable is key to catching opponents off guard. Players must be careful not to get hurt by powerful attacks as they slowly chip away damage with Takamaru's projectile moves and then close in from behind for a kill.
==Moveset==
===Standard Moves===
Move 	Name 	Description 	Damage
Neutral Attack	Katana Cut 	Takamaru unsheathes his katana with both hands and swings in front of him. Continuing the attack follows up with an upwards slash, and then a downwards strike. None of these moves do major knockback, allowing for a rapid combo.	3%, 2%, 3% ; 4%, 3%, 5% (back)
Forward Tilt 	Knife Toss 	Takamaru throws a knife forward, which travels in a straight line before vanishing instantly. 	7%
Up Tilt 	Swallow Finisher 	Takamaru leaps up a small distance as he swings his katana upwards in a spin. Does more damage when used after the Down Aerial. 	4% , 7% (dair) ; 6% ; 10% (back)
Down Tilt 	Wakizashi 	Takamaru unsheathes a smaller sword known as a wakizashi and slashes it forward. 	3% ; 6% (back)
Dash Attack 	Screen Slash 	Takamaru unsheathes his katana and performs a broad swipe as he kneels and slides across the ground. This move is very quick and doesn't last for long, but is one of Takamaru's strongest moves. 	9% ; 15% (back)
Forward Smash 	Will-o'-Wisp 	Takamaru pulls out a scroll as he charges a wave of fireballs that are cast out in different directions. 	15% ; 21% (charged)
Up Smash 	Naginata 	Takamaru pulls out a pole naginata that is thrust upward, doing more damage with the small blade. 	12%, 17% (blade) ; 16% , 23% (blade charged)
5% h1; 1% mh; 3% h3
Down Smash 	Shogi Piece 	Takamaru pulls out a shogi piece that summons 3 knives that stab forward - 2 on each side of Takamaru and one above him. 	13% ; 18% (charged)
Neutral Aerial	Semi-Slash 	Takamaru pulls out his katana as he swings it from below him, in front of him, and around to his back in a three-quarter circle. 	7% ; 10% (back)
Forward Aerial	Jōdan-Gedan 	Takamaru unsheathes his sword at Jōdan position before swinging it in front of him to Gedan position. 	8% ; 10% (back)
Back Aerial 	Stabbing Sword 	Takamaru unsheathes his wakizashi and stabs it behind him. 	6% ; 9% (back)
Up Aerial 	Reverse Jōdan 	Similar to the Forward aerial, but done in reverse motion, starting at Gedan and ending in Jōdan. 	8% ; 10% (back)
Down Aerial 	Turning Swallow Cut	Takamaru unsheathes his katana and dives down with the sword held in front of him at Gedan position. Can be used alongside the Up Tilt for a powerful combo. 	7% ; 10% (back)
Grab 	N/A 	Takamaru reaches out to grab an opponent. 	N/A
Pummel 	Blunt Katana 	Takamaru hits opponents with the hilt of his katana. A relatively quick pummel. 	1%
Forward Throw 	Yumi 	Throws the opponent up into the air with his hand, pulls out a yumi bow, and shoots at the opponent. 	8%
Back Throw 	Wakizashi Combo 	Takamaru throws the opponent back as he spins around and cuts with a wakizashi blade. 	5%
Up Throw 	Pinwheel 	Takamaru throws the opponent up, following up with a windmill knife attack that sends the opponent upwards further. 	2%, 5%
Down Throw 	Yumi Snipe 	Takamaru jumps upwards with a Yumi bow in his hand as he fires below at the opponent. 	8%
Floor Attack 	Katana Lift 	Takamaru jabs his katana into the ground as support to lift him up, and follows with a front slash. 	4% ; 7% (back)
Trip Attack 	Secret Cover Attack	Takamaru throws a surprise petal bomb at the ground, causing an explosion. Takamaru is standing up after the move's effect has vanished. 	5%
Edge Attack 	Arc Katana 	Takamaru slashes his katana in an arc onto the ground, lifting himself up after. 	4% ; 8% (back)
===Special Moves===
Move 	Name 	Description 	Damage
Neutral Special 	Windmill Knife 	Takamaru fires windmill knifes in the four coordinate directions, hitting opponents multiple times. 	3% per hit
Custom Special 1	Windmill Flames 	Takamaru's windmill knifes are replaced with large flames. These flames are powerful but only hit once before disappearing. 	13%
Custom Special 2	Windmill Shield 	Takamaru's windmill knifes circle him rather than being throw, creating a temporary offensive shield. 	3% per hit
Side Special 	Crossroad Technique	Takamaru holds on to the sheath of his katana as a slowly flashing shadow moves along the ground. When the special button is let go, Takamaru will unleash a cape as he disappears, reappearing where the shadow was. If the special button is held again before Takamaru reappears, he will strike with a swipe as he appears again.	10% ; 16% (back)
Custom Special 1	Crossroad Slash 	Takamaru's reappearance will always follow up with a more powerful slash attack, but has more ending lag. 	12% ; 18% (back)
Custom Special 2	Petals In The Wind 	Takamaru teleports a set distance away in the direction he's looking in a blast of petals. Holding the special button will create a slashing attack from Takamaru as he lands. 	10% ; 16% (back)
Up Special 	Hassō Strike 	On ground, Takamaru will enter a hassō pose as the move is charged, being able to slowly walk around. Upon release, a powerful slash is perform as the katana swings counter clockwise up to the tip of Takamaru's height. In air, this slash is used automatically, and gains a little bit of air. 	8% (air/uncharged), 16% (charged) ; 11%, 18% (back)
5% h1; 1% mh; 3% h3
Custom Special 1	Hassō Leap 	Takamaru will perform the air strike no matter where he is positioned, but it has more knockback. 	8% ; 11% (back)
Custom Special 2	Hassō-Chūdan 	After Takamaru's first strike, he will immediatly enter a Chūdan pose and strike back downward. Great for on the ground, but dangerous as a recovery as Takamaru cannot grab ledges. 	8%, 4% (air/uncharged), 16%, 8% (charged) ; 9%, 6% (back) , 18%, 10% (back charged)
Down Special 	Flame Knife 	Takamaru throws a flaming knife forward in a straight line. When it hits an opponent, it will explode, sending them upwards. 	9%
Custom Special 1	Secret Smoke Knife 	Takamaru throws a smoky knife that does very little damage, but stuns the opponent, allowing for a followup attack 	3%
Custom Special 2	Target Flame Knife 	Throws a flame knife with an odd color, that is a great shield breaker and homes in on opponents for a little bit, at the cost of speed. 	9%
Final Smash 	Inazuma Scrolls 	Takamaru pulls out a yellow scroll and holds himself in Waki-gamae pose as lightning strikes his katana, create 4 diagonal bolts of lightning from in. While Takamaru cannot attack at all during this attack, he can move around while holding the katana to change where the bolts fly. 	15% per hit
===Taunts===
*Up: Unsheathes his katana and points in front of him, shouting "For shogun!"
*Right: Takamaru bows slowly, then looks up at the opponent with angered eyes.
*Left: Unsheathes his wakizashi and spins it around before he sheathes it again.
*Down: Opens a scroll and reads it as he mutters "How many techniques can you handle?"
===On-Screen Appearance===
Sticks of bamboos are seen as they are all cut with one fell swoop from Takamaru's katana, who sheathes it before entering the battle.
===Select Sound===
Takamaru's katana is heard slashing something as Takamaru shouts "Watashi wa senshi!" (I am a warrior)
===Victory Poses===
*Takamaru slashes with his katana 3 times, holding it in Chūdan pose.
*Takamaru is shown sheathing his sword with his back slightly turned to the right and his hands crossed.
*Takamaru is shown missing before he erupts from a flashing shadow.
===Losing Pose===
Takamaru is shown slowly clapping with his head looking towards the side.
===Idle Poses===
*Shakes his head a little bit, rustling his hair.
*Unsheathes his wakizashi slightly but then sheathes it again.
===Victory Fanfare===
An orchestral arrangement of the Castle theme's beginning in Nazo no Murasamejou.
==Trophies==
===Classic===
Takamaru is a samurai apprentice sent by the Shogun to stop an alien invader that took over Murasame from continuing havoc. He's a little rusty from being away for so long, but he brings tons of traditional samurai weapons with him. Test his katana with the crossroad tactic - his sword attacks do more damage when striking from behind.
===All-Star===
Takamaru has a bunch of weapons - he's got knifes, katanas, wakizashis, fireballs, windmill attacks...it's pretty crazy! Switching between all these different weapons is key to truly surprising your foes. The Crossroad Technique is also pretty sneaky, as it can be used for recovery, saving yourself from an attack, or even striking from a distance!
===Challenge===
Hassō Leap is a chargeable move on land that ends with a powerful swipe, one of Takamaru's strongest moves. The Hassō-Chūdan custom also includes a downwards drop, which is great for attacking on the ground. However, it sacrifices your ability to recover, since holding onto a katana and grabbing a ledge don't go hand in hand."
===Battle Spire===
Scrolls are a vital part of using magic attacks like Takamaru's fireballs. The Inuzami Lightning was a powerful screen-clearing attack in Takamaru's original game. Control four diagonal bolts of lightning with Takamaru's katana and trap opponents in fearsome attacks of electricity while you still have time - the attack doesn't last long!
==Pallete Swaps==
==Reveal Trailer - East and West==
A flashing light is seen in the middle of the screen as it grows brighter and the edges extend to form the Smash logo. The screen then flashes to white and begins the trailer.
The scene reveals an open room, where the current revealed cast are busily walking around. There are 2 boxes lying on a bench, with Inkling sitting next to them. The Inkling is intently watching something, and the camera zooms in on her as she glances towards the two boxes. The two boxes each have a label on them with the Squid Sisters logo, with one saying "East" and the other "West". A few papers are dropped into each box by the hands of different veterans. The Inkling quickly looks back at the subject of her attention before: Doc Louis coaching the returning veteran, Little Mac.
Little Mac is shown doing various exercises such as practicing against speed bags, doing pull-ups, and shuffling rapidly with his feet. The screen then shifts to a foggy area with lots of tall grass and bamboo chutes scattered about, the shadow of another person barely visible. Little Mac is jogging in his hoodie right behind Doc Louis on his bike, through this mysterious area, when they suddenly stop. Little Mac takes off his hoodie, revealing a "West" tag hanging on his shirt. The mysterious shadow steps forth and unsheathes a katana, with "East" engraved on the hint. The katana then slashes through all the fog, revealing Takamaru as the East's representative.
Takamaru is shown on a new stage with a giant castle in the background, performing a bow before looking up with fighting eyes and dashing forward. He is shown using plenty of sword attacks, along with windmill knifes to keep Little Mac away from him. They then transition to the wooden floor where Little Mac was training before, where Little Mac is about to land a hit, but is blocked by a shield, leaving Takamaru to respond with a Turning Swallow Cut attack. Takamaru is also shown using a charged slash upward on the stage, which cuts a wooden background element.
Little Mac is later shown confused on the returning Boxing Ring stage, where Takamaru is shown hiding in the unlit area. The camera zooms in on his eyes, and then he mysteriously vanishes. Takamaru then reappears right behind Little Mac and counters with an attack from his katana, where Takamaru's voice can be heard shouting "Crossroad Knockout!". Takamaru is shown fighting many opponents from behind, showcasing the fact that his sword is more powerful in that direction. Takamaru is shown on last time in the castle stage with a Final Smash aura, unsheathing his katana and yelling "For shogun!" before raising his katana up. Lightning strikes it and causes a bright flash, revealing the Super Smash Bros. Crusade logo.
In a post credits scene, Little Mac and Takamaru are shown once more on the Omega Form of the bamboo-looking area. Little Mac leaps forward with a Jolt Haymaker while Takamaru counters with a dash attack, and the two attacks connect, causing a large flash of light...
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