Psycho Mantis

Standard Special
 Side Special
 Up Special
 Down Special
 Final Smash
 Extra Skill
 Franchise
 Game of Origin
 Release Date of Origin
 Other Appearances
 Submitted By:

## **Character Info**

Psycho Mantis is a member of FOXHOUND who followed Liquid Snake in his attempt at taking over Shadow Moses Island. Psycho Mantis is an extraordinarily powerful psychic who is able to not only move objects with telekinesis, but also read his opponent’s mind, become invisible, and even control those with weaker minds. Psycho Mantis is even capable of reaching beyond the game and causing the player’s controller to rumble at will as well as read their memory card to see what other games they have played.

## **General Information**

### **Entrance**

A wave of hazy telekinetic energy will appear over a spot on the stage before it begins to solidify and form into Psycho Mantis floating just above the stage.

### **Kirby Hat**

Kirby will wear Psycho Mantis’ gas mask over his entire head.

### **Taunts**

**Up Taunt:** Psycho Mantis will face towards the screen and tilt his head a little as he searches through the save data on your console. After a quick moment Psycho Mantis will say one of several possible lines referencing your data. These lines include, but are not limited to:

* I see you’ve been playing a lot of Xenoblade Chronicles recently. Excellent choice.
* I’m disappointed. You haven’t played Metal Gear? I highly recommend it.
* I see you’re subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online, good. Have you considered getting the Expansion Pack?
* Woah. You’ve put over 1,000 hours into Super Smash Bros. Ultimate? You must really like this game!
* So your password is \*bleep\* is it? I’ll remember that.
* You’ve made 69 different Miis? Nice.
* Looks like you really enjoy games made by Hideki Kamiya. He’s a real platinum-level game director.

**Down Taunt:** Psycho Mantis will face towards the screen and wave out an arm towards the player as he says, “Feel my power!”. When Psycho Mantis does this the player’s controller will rumble at Psycho Mantis’ command.

**Side Taunt:** Psycho Mantis will breathe heavily as rapidly changes his face referencing those he was connected to in the past. Psycho Mantis will start with having short toussled red hair on his head, to having his head covering in flames, then to having Venom Snake’s shrapnel horn sticking out of his head, followed by Skull Face’s domino mask, and finally Eli’s red beret before returning back to his normal bald self.

### **Victory Poses**

1. A translucent image will flash with Psycho Mantis’ face super close to the camera before it flashes away. Psycho Mantis will be heard cackling briefly before he fades back into view in the center of the screen, floating in mid-air with his arms held to his side like in his official art. As Psycho Mantis floats in the air he will say, “You only won because you chose me.”
2. Psycho Mantis will float through the floor and into the center of the camera before bursting into flames. After a moment, the flames will subside and Psycho Mantis will continue to stare menacingly towards the player.
3. Psycho Mantis will come floating through the side of the screen as he performs the moonwalk from Thriller. Psycho Mantis will pause once he gets towards the center of the screen and transition into an awkward shuffle where he waves his arms around before pointing finger guns towards the screen.

## **Moveset**

### **Standard Special**

**Psycho Force:** Psycho Mantis holds out a hand as he balances a ball of psychic energy on top of it. This energy ball will gradually grow larger the longer this input is held. Once the orb has hit its apex it will sit in place atop Psycho Mantis’ hand until the button is released. This psychokinetic orb moves a bit differently when compared to Mewtwo’s Shadow Ball or Lucario’s Aura Sphere as it’s trajectory can change each time its used. Sometimes the energy will fly out in a straight line while other times it will bob or weave up and down in varying degrees. The energy orb can even more in a horizontal spiral-like manner as it moves forwards. The energy may even stay in place for a few moments before blasting forwards at breakneck speed. Additionally, the longer that the input is held, the faster the orb will travel and the more damage it will inflict on impact. While this orb is normally treated as dealing psychic damage, sometimes it will take on a different elemental property completely at random. This can be fire, ice, darkness, or even aura which allows this move to potentially get around certain Spirit effects that boost elemental defenses.

### **Side Special**

**Psycho Drain:** Psycho Mantis will hold both of his hands out as he shoots out a weak, nearly invisible, pulse of telekinetic energy in front of him. This pulse is capable of capturing an opposing fighter in its grasp. If a fighter is caught they will be suspended in mid-air as Psycho Mantis psychically drains their essence away. This allows Psycho Mantis to not only include damage to the fighter, but heal himself a portion of the damage he inflicts. As an additional effect, if Psycho Mantis is currently under the effect of a negative status condition such as Flower, Slow, or Mini, he will share that status effect with the opposing fighter as well. Whatever the effect was will not be removed from Psycho Mantis, merely granted to the opposing fighter as well.

### **Up Special**

**Fade Away:** Psycho Mantis will fade from view as he disappears into what looks like wave lines of hazy static. By default, Psycho Mantis will reappear moments later at a point directly above where he originally disappeared as he fades back into view from the wavy hazy static. Alternatively, by tilting the control stick in another direction Psycho Mantis is able to teleport omnidirectionally using this move. Unlike some other teleport techniques however, this attack will not inflict any damage or knockback to fighters that Psycho Mantis was next to when he teleported or are next to him when he arrives at his next destination.

### **Down Special**

**Psychic Shade:** This special move is a counter technique that will allow Psycho Mantis to trick his opponents into thinking they hit him before he strikes back with an attack of his own. When this move is activated Psycho Mantis will stand still and allow whatever is about to hit him to actually hit him as he stands still for a moment. If Psycho Mantis is struck by a melee attack during this time he will let out a breathy laugh before vanishing and reappearing behind the opponent that hit him. At this point Psycho Mantis will look right at his attack before striking against them with a blast of concentrated psychic energy which launches the opponent away.

### **Final Smash**

**Trauma of the Third Child:** Psycho Mantis will float up slightly in the air as he curls in on himself trying to contain a vast amount of psycho energy. Psycho Mantis will fail however as the energy leaks out slowly at first before it explodes out from Psycho Mantis and hits everyone on the screen. The screen will cut to black, as if the channel on your tv had been changed with the word “HIDEO” appearing in the upper right corner much like during Psycho Mantis’ boss fight in Metal Gear Solid. The screen will stay like this for a couple seconds as screams from the opposing fighters are heard. The screen will then cut back to the match with all of the opposing fighters in a dazed like trance wherever they were prior to the Final Smash beginning. One by one each fighter will succumb and be sent blasting off into random directions of the stage as their minds are blasted with a terrifying amount of psychic power.

### **Extra Skill**

**Psycho Mist:** Psycho Mantis will summon up a cloud of hallucinogenic mist which surrounds and obscures Psycho Mantis much like how a Smoke Ball would. This mist will slowly disperse and spread out around Psycho Mantis about as far as a Smoke Ball would at its apex before it quickly evaporates. Any opposing fighters who are caught in this mist will have a random negative status effect inflicted upon them. Psycho Mantis is only capable of dispersing this mist up to three times per stock.

## **Unique Traits**

Psycho Mantis can jump two additional times in the air.

## **Alternate Costumes**

1. **Default**
2. **Dark Blue** - Psycho Mantis’ bodysuit will become dark blue.
3. **Dark Red** - Psycho Mantis’ bodysuit will become dark red.
4. **Dark Green** - Psycho Mantis’ bodysuit will become dark green.
5. **Orange** - Psycho Mantis’ bodysuit will become a dirty orange.
6. **Light Pink** - Psycho Mantis’ bodysuit will become light pink.
7. **Purple** - Psycho Mantis’ bodysuit will become purple.
8. **Gray** - Psycho Mantis’ bodysuit will become gray.
9. **White** - Psycho Mantis’ bodysuit will become white.
10. **Camouflage** - Psycho Mantis’ bodysuit will be covered in a military camouflage pattern.