Marth

Side Special
 Up Special
 Down Special
 Final Smash
 Extra Skill
 Franchise
 Game of Origin
 Release Date of Origin
 Other Appearances
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## **Character Info**

Marth is the Prince of Altea, a kingdom on the continent of Archanea. Further distinguished as the first Lord of the first *Fire Emblem* title, Marth is seen by some as the overarching face of the popular turn-based strategy series. Marth is also the first Fire Emblem character to be introduced in the *Super Smash Bros.* franchise, appearing alongside Roy in 2001's *Melee*. One could say that Marth and Roy paved the way for Fire Emblem to be introduced to the West, and can be credited for the series international success today. Marth bears the Exalted Falchion and is the first in a long line of Falchion-wielders to make it into Smash.

## **General Information**

### **Entrance**

Marth appears from out of a Warp Circle with a twirl, prepped for battle.

### **Taunts**

**Up Taunt:** Marth holds the Exalted Falchion upward, light emitting from its tip as he says, "This is it!"

**Down Taunt:** Marth swings the Exalted Falchion in an elegant manner while stating, "Keep your eyes open!"

**Side Taunt:** Marth swings the Exalted Falchion in front of him before sheathing it, proclaiming, "I won't lose!"

### **Victory Poses**

1. Marth performs Shield Breaker before resting Exalted Falchion at his side, shouting, "The day is mine!"
2. Marth sweeps the Exalted Falchion forward in a curved arc before sheathing it. While still holding its handle, he says, "I live to fight again."
3. Marth jumps upwards, swinging the Exalted Falchion in the air twice before landing in a Counter pose, stating, "I cannot afford to lose!"

## **Moveset**

### **Standard Special**

**Shield Breaker:** Marth holds the Exalted Falchion in a readied stance before forcefully thrusting it forward. As its name implies, the attack deals potent shield damage even when uncharged. Although it can be perfect shielded, a fully-charged Shield Breaker will otherwise do exactly as it says on the tin. Otherwise, it's a potent move all-around when charged and is a good option for a KO, albeit with a slow start-up and no super armor frames. It can also be used for horizontal recovery in midair. Marth will travel slightly forward as it's uncharged, but about the length of two Meta Knights when fully charged.

### **Side Special**

**Dancing Blade:** Marth swipes forward with the Exalted Falchion, then again, and again, and again! Upwards of four individual sword strokes can be dished out with Dancing Blade, the exact style of which will depend on directional input; the player can guide Marth is swiping forwards, downwards, or upwards as the attack moves along. This makes for a total of eighteen possible combinations, six each of which are best for attack high, low, or at-height; standard strikes are tinted red, upward strikes blue, and downward strikes green. Building up a good rhythm is key to executing this ballet of a move.

### **Up Special**

**Dolphin Slash:** Marth quickly propels himself upward, performing an uppercut slash with the Exalted Falchion. The direction that Marth slashes upwards with can be tilted with a quick B-reverse, and its high-arcing motion makes it a very capable attack for activating his tipper. The move covers some solid vertical distance, carrying Marth about three Kirby's high.

### **Down Special**

**Counter:** Marth assumes a defensive stance, holding the Exalted Falchion across his chest. Any attack that lands on Marth as Counter's hitbox is active will see him retaliate, offering a quick, forward-moving counterattack. The counterattack scales with the attack blocked, multiplying its damage output by 1.2x the strength. Marth's Counter mostly proves ineffective against projectiles or attacks with a long-enough reach, since a direct target would not be present to dish the counterattack against.

### **Final Smash**

**Critical Hit:** Marth raises the Exalted Falchion skyward before lunging forward at inhuman speeds, floating lightly above the ground. Health boxes similar to ones found in *Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light* appear over any opponents heads that the attack connects with, and as Marth dishes out one fell swoop of his blade towards them, their hitpoints can be seen to entirely dissipate as they are sent barreling forward. The attack is usually powerful enough to one-hit KO any character on a roofless stage. Pressing the special button during the middle of this move will cause Marth to stop mid-dash, cancelling the Final Smash. This is useful in instances where he might over-eagerly fly off stage.

### **Extra Skill**

**Pivot:** Marth grasps the side of an immediately adjacent character. Whether that be a friend, foe, or even a KO-able Assist Trophy or stage asset, Marth will use this opportunity to dance, immediately sidestepping the character and swapping spaces with them. This defensive move offers something a tad quicker and less volatile than just Counter, offering a leg-up in tight situations where Marth might otherwise not be able to dodge an attack or make a recovery. If no one is beside Marth, he will still perform Pivot successfully; there just won't be anyone to Pivot with!

## **Unique Traits**

The tip of Marth's Exalted Falchion is a tipper. Any attack that connects with the tipper will deal 1.8x more damage than it otherwise would.

## **Alternate Costumes**

1. **Default**
2. **Red** - Resembles the overworld sprites of enemy units in the Fire Emblem games. Also resembles Minerva’s design in the *Fire Emblem The Complete* art book.
3. **Green** - Resembles the overworld sprites of allied units in the *Fire Emblem* games.
4. **Black** - Resembles Camus, one of Marth's allies, as he appears starting with *Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem*.
5. **White** - Based on Leif, the protagonist of *Fire Emblem: Thracia 776*, though the palette has become more monochromatic since *Smash*
6. **Blue** - Resembles his appearance in *Mystery of the Emblem*.
7. **Yellow** - Resembles Roy's yellow costume in *Melee*.
8. **Purple** - Resembles his appearance in *Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light*.
9. **Legendary Hero** - His Legendary Hero outfit from *Heroes*, sans shield.
10. **Legacied Hero** - His Legacied Hero outfit from *Heroes*, sans de-aging.

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