Marth (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)

''This article is about Marth's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For other uses, see Marth.''

Marth (マルス, Marusu) is a character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Marth appears in the game's opening video, standing back to back with Meta Knight. It is uncertain whether Marth has improved since Super Smash Bros. Melee (in which he was considered the fourth best character on the tier list), as he has one of the most powerful Final Smashes in the game and his Counter improved, but his standard attack combo is slower, his standard special is harder to hit with, and the range of his sword and grabs is shorter.

How to Unlock
Complete one of the following:
 * Play 10 matches in Brawl, then defeat Marth
 * Finish Classic mode on any difficulty, then defeat Marth
 * Get Marth to join your party in The Subspace Emissary

Pros

 * Quick running speed and has one of the best walking speeds in the game.
 * Most attacks come out quickly.
 * He has a very good combination of offense, defense, Final Smash value, throwing ability, comboing and speed.
 * Good damage on most attacks.
 * Down aerial is a powerful spike and can intercept well (yet difficult to land)
 * Can perform Vertical Space
 * Attacks that hit at the furthest range (tippers) deal the most damage and knockback.
 * Forward smash is long ranged, decent power and has great knockback.
 * Has the fastest counter in the game.
 * Fully charged Shield Breaker gives a bit of horizontal recovery midair.
 * Dancing Blade is a combo in itself.
 * Can Wavebounce.
 * Good grab range, useful for a Pivot Grab.
 * Can do two F-airs, F-air and U-air, or even an F-air and a B-air in one Short Hop.
 * Can Juggle well.
 * Arguably the best edgeguarder in the game; able to kill most characters from 0% by a throw off the stage followed by a falling fair.
 * Dolphin Slash is quick and useful for attacking.
 * Can combo fast on ground or in the air (practically all of his attacks and grabs combo into each other.)
 * Excellent range on tilts and smashes due to a disjointed hitbox (his sword).
 * Very high priority attacks.
 * Counter is good for mindgames.
 * D-tilt is an infinite on walls.
 * Can string many U-tilts on certain characters (especially if they waste their jump).
 * Shield Breaker can be used to mix in approaches and consumes a lot of the opponent's shield if it comes in contact with the shield.
 * Although not a true Wall of Pain, can stunt opponent's recovery with F-airs and N-airs with Dancing Blade and the Midair Jump in between.
 * Dancing blade is excellent for mindgames if you cancel partway, go through the whole combo or mix it up to keep opponents guessing. The whole neutral combo can kill at 0% on walk-off stages and is an anti stale move technique.
 * Can perform the Ken combo (F-air to D-air), though it's extremely difficult to perform.
 * Weak-throws allow combo and/or KO opportunities (ex. down-throw to side-smash)
 * All of his aerial are very versatile, combo well, and are powerful, giving Marth one of the best sets of aerials in Brawl.
 * Marth's neutral air is great when SHFF'd and its duration counters air dodging, thus making it easy to combo with his other aerials.
 * Can Chain grab heavyweights with front and down throw.
 * Has a Semi-Infinte chaingrab on Ness& Lucas
 * Can esape most, if not all Chain Grabs with his Up-B

Cons:

 * Light for a character his size.
 * Lacks a projectile.
 * Very weak throws. (In terms of damage)
 * Attacks are weaker without tippers (which are hard to pull off).
 * His Down Special doesn't always reflect and has a short reflect time.

Ground Attacks
Normal Smash Other
 * Neutral Attack - Swings back and forth. Can be performed multiple times.
 * Dash Attack - A quick upward diagonal slash with a medium amount of lag. 10% damage.
 * Strong Side - Much like the dash attack without as much lag. 9% damage.
 * Strong Up - Swings his sword in a large arc above his head. 9% damage.
 * Strong Down - A crouching sword poke. 9% damage.
 * Forward Smash - A strong arc-like swing from his head to the ground. 14% damage base, 19%-20% damage tip.
 * Up Smash - A powerful thrust upwards. 18% damage base, 21%-23% damage tip.
 * Down Smash - Sweeps his sword on the ground on both sides of himself. 14% damage base, 18% damage tip.
 * Ledge Attack -
 * 100% Ledge Attack -
 * Floor Attack -

Aerial Attacks

 * Neutral Aerial - Two horizontal slashes around himself. 14% damage.
 * Forward Aerial - Forward vertical slash (up to down). 10% damage base, 14% damage tip
 * Back Aerial - Bottom to top sword slash behind him. Causes him to turn around after use. 11% damage base, 14% damage tip.
 * Up Aerial - A forward to back upward sword slash. 13% damage.
 * Down Aerial - A forward to back downward sword slash. When it's tipper spaced, it spikes. 13% damage.

Grabs & Throws

 * Pummel - repeatedly knees opponent in stomach
 * Forward Throw - Grabs and pushes forward, tripping with the leg. 4% damage.
 * Down Throw - Hooks arm and drags to the floor. 5% damage.
 * Back Throw - Pulls and extends leg simultaneously. 4% damage.
 * Up Throw - Powerful upward throw with one arm. 4% damage.

Trophy Info
''The prince of Altea, in whose veins the blood of heroes runs. He and a small group of stalwarts fought to free Altea after it was invaded by the kingdom of Doluna and the dark dragon, Medeus. With his divine sword, Falchion, he fought and defeated Medeus. However, Altea was then invaded by King Hardin of Akaneia and eventually destroyed.''


 * Fire Emblem (1990)

Stickers
Like most swordsmen, Marth should focus on large [Weapon] and [Slash] damage boosts, any remaining space should be used for [Specials: Direct].

Exclusive Stickers
The following stickers can only be used by Marth or Ike:
 * Ninian: [Arm, Leg] Attack + 6
 * Lilina: [Leg] Attack + 5
 * Mist: [Slash] Attack + 8
 * Deke: [Slash] Attack + 9
 * Eirika: [Slash] Attack +17
 * Ike (Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn): [Slash] Attack +27
 * Rutoga: [Slash] Resistance +12
 * Ashnard: [Slash] Resistance +34
 * Shiida: [Specials: Direct] Attack + 7
 * Greil: [Throwing] Attack +14
 * Marth: [Weapon] Attack +19
 * Micaiah: [Weapon] Attack +21
 * Ike:(Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance) [Weapon] Attack +23
 * Eliwood: Flame Resistance +33

Tips & Strategies

 * Dolphin Slash is a good killer at high percentages, but is very situational. A good way to set up for it is hit the first move of the Dancing Blade, wait a little, then get a tipper with Dolphin Slash.
 * A good way to get a KO is to repeatedly attack them in midair after jumping off the stage and edgehog them with your recovery.
 * Marth's D-air Spike is difficult to land in this game. When in midair, use a footstool jump and immediately use the D-air. This will space them enough to hit them with the tipper. This is called Vertical spacing.
 * Marth's Dancing Blade can still aid his recovery, but unlike the last game, can only be done once per jump. At almost the peak of Marth's first or second jump, perform the first slash of Dancing Blade, then Marth will get higher.
 * With the addition of Wavebouncing, facing the opposite direction of the stage, Marth can maximize his recovery.
 * A fully charged Shield Breaker offers good horizontal recovery, though if used too late can lead to an SD.
 * Marth has no projectile, however, by countering a strong projectile onto his opponent, such as Snake's C4 or any other explosive, he can get a KO.
 * The player should use his Counter wisely and only use it when he/she knows a strong attack is coming.
 * The legendary technique, Short Hop Double F-airing, is still in the game, so the player may want to use it to stack damage. It is also an excellent move to start or continue a low-air juggle.

Role in the Subspace Emissary
Two R.O.B.s are seen activating a Subspace Bomb in a barren battlefield. Marth is seen at the top of a castle watching helplessly as the robots detonate the bomb. He stands and shines his sword, then hundreds of Primids are shown going to the castle. The gameplay starts with him confronting the Primids and descending through the building until he reaches the grounds. A video sequence starts again and he is ambushed by Meta Knight. During the duel (in the same video sequence), they are attacked from behind by the Primids, but they both manage to repel them. Realizing that the other is not an enemy, they join forces to defeat the Primid. After fighting against the Primids, both Meta Knight and Marth aim their attacks at the Ancient Minister, who is carrying another Subspace Bomb. It would appear that Marth uses his Dolphin Slash, and misses, while Meta Knight simply gets shot in the wing by the Ancient Minister. Luckily Ike shows up and attacks the Ancient Minister with his trusted Aether move. With the Subspace Bomb destroyed, the trio storm the castle once more.

In the desert, they see a vehicle driving off in the distance. Ike immediately jumps off the cliff to pursue it, followed by Meta Knight. Marth merely scratches the back of his head in disbelief before following them. When they find the vehicle, it transforms into Galleom, and the three fight it. After battling Galleom, it jumps off the cliff and falls through the ground, where it encounters Lucas and Pokémon Trainer. When it gets defeated again, it grabs Lucas and the Trainer, and tries to detonate a Subspace Bomb, but Lucas manages to free them from Galleom, and Meta Knight grabs them as they fall. When the Halberd duels with the Great Fox, Meta Knight leaves the group in order to board the Halberd. After the Ice Climbers are knocked off the mountain by the Halberd, and join Marth's group, Mario's group comes to aid them in fighting off the Primids that were dropped. After the battle, the Halberd (now under Meta Knight's control) and the Falcon Flyer land to pick them up. After an assault on the Subspace Gunship, they enter Subspace and encounter Tabuu, who turns them all into trophies. Fortunately, he, and some of the others, are revived by King Dedede, Luigi, and Ness, while the rest are revived by Kirby, and Marth helps the heroes face Tabuu.

Snake's Codec
Mei Ling: Snake, have you heard the saying "Politics make strange bedfellows"?

Snake: Don't tell me that's a Chinese proverb.

M: Err, no... It means that when the going gets tough, you might need unexpected partnerships in order to succeed.

M: Marth was a prince whose kingdom was usurped. He didn't even have an army to fight with him.

M: But as he battled his way forward, he found new allies to fight at his side, and in the end, he was able to reunite the war-torn land of Altea.

S: So he built his army from the ranks of his defeated enemies...

M: Marth did his share of fighting, too. Even when he had an army, he was always alongside his men in the thick of battle.

M: Then he was betrayed by one of his most trusted friends. I can't even imagine how that feels...

S: ...I can.

Taunts
Up: Raises his sword in the air, and it shines.

Side: Slashes his sword twice in front of himself, then sheaths it.**

Down: Slashes his sword once, and raises it in front of him saying "みんな、見ていてくれ!" "Minna, miteite kure!" which is Japanese for "Everyone, please look at me!" (same as in Melee).

** Although taunts generally have no combative value/effect, Marth's side taunt, when used with the correct timing, has been known to knock Bullet Bills (in Adventure Mode) off course, causing them to change direction away from Marth. May effect other creatures but has not been fully tested. Luigi's down taunt has a similar effect, and has meteor smash potential.

On-Screen Appearance
He is teleported in with Warp Powder. His pose is different from Ike's. The difference is that Marth does not slash his sword during the pose, but Ike does, instead, Marth spins around in a circle.

Victory Pose
Victory Theme: Fire Emblem Theme
 * Turns with pride, spins his sword then clashes it to the ground, while speaking "今回は僕の勝ちだね. " "Konkai wa boku no kachi da ne?" which translates to "This time it's my victory, isn't it?"
 * Sheaths his sword while speaking "今日も生き延びることが出来た. " "Kyou mo ikinobiru koto ga dekita", which translates to "Today I have survived."
 * Stretch out right arm, while saying "僕は負ける訳には行かないんだ. " "Boku wa makeru wake-ni wa ikanainda!" which translates to "There's no way I can lose!"

Wii Remote Choice
A sound like a slash or clashing of blades is heard, then Marth says "Ha!"

Credits Music

 * Fire Emblem (Melee)

Changes from Melee to Brawl

 * Shorter sword.
 * Shield Breaker is now a stab (straight angle, not an easier-to-hit-with vertical slash like in Melee) and charges faster.
 * Tip of the blade isn't easy to hit with anymore.
 * Standard attack combo is slower.
 * Grabs are considerably shorter.
 * Dashing attack always knocks the opponent forward instead of occasional backwards.
 * Counter deals 1.1x damage back with a minimum of 8%.
 * Side Special is faster and easier to get all of the hits.
 * Dolphin Slash goes a bit more horizontal now.
 * Speed is slightly slower, but not by much.

Info
Marth's Side Special, Dancing Blade, is the largest move-choice Special in the game, involving him swinging his sword once, then allowing players to choose between centered or up for the second slash, then down, centered, or up for the third, and then down, centered, or up for the finale. Marth's standard special move, Shield Breaker, is one that can destroy shields (pressing the shield button) and can also negate moves like Mario's Cape. Marth's final smash is a single critical hit that is usually a total KO. When the final smash is performed, a life meter appears and drains as the opponents are launched. The life meter uses the same graphics as seen in the Super NES (Super Famicom) game, Fire Emblem: Monsho no Nazo. There is a special characteristic unique to his final smash- as soon as it's activated, Marth will dash to the end of whatever ground/platform he is on, in the direction he is facing. In doing this, he will follow the shape of whatever surface he is on- for example: on Green Hill Zone, he will follow the curve of the terrain. If he makes contact with a character (or multiple characters in the same spot) at any point in the way of his dash, Marth will strike them with his sword (he will also stop moving here) the life meter will appear, drain, and the enemy/enemies will be KO'd. If Marth does not come in contact with a character, then he will simply stop at the end of the stage, taking several seconds to recover. If Marth is in midair when using his Final Smash, he will rush to whatever side he is facing. If he makes contact with a character, the same effect as above occurs, but if he misses, he will continue to rush off stage and will be KO'd if close enough to the far side. The attack can also be canceled in air by pressing the Special button once. It is possible to dodge this attack with air dodges, sidesteps, or Up Specials, but it is not possible to counter it or deflect it (via shield, etc.). If a character moves the final smash hitbox as it is going on(HP bar draining) they will take the full damage, producing another HP bar and extending the attack.

Trivia

 * Along with Sonic, Snake and Ness, he is seen in the opening video of the game. They're the only four unlockable characters to do so.
 * Marth is the only speaking character to only speak in Japanese in both English and Japanese versions. This is probably because the Fire Emblem games he appears in haven't been released in English. Although he is set to appear in the first Fire Emblem game remake for Nintendo DS, it is currently unknown whether or not if the remake will be released outside of Japan or not.
 * In Low Gravity mode or Tiny mode(Only), Marth can use Dancing Blade to boost up in the air endlessly.
 * To do this, simply jump and use the first hit of Dancing Blade as you normally would to gain a small boost in vertical height. Then wait about less than a second(But don't wait too long though or do it too fast, you must get the timing correctly) and use Dancing Blade again(Again, this only works first hit of Dancing Blade) to gain another boost.
 * You can do this as much as you want, this will keep boosting Marth higher and higher vertically as long as you time the Dancing Blades correctly and do not use it too fast or too slow.
 * Marth's B-air turns him around.
 * If Lucario uses his counter move in sub-perfect timing to when Marth charges for his Final Smash, it will cancel both the Final Smash and the counter.
 * When Marth uses Counter, he closes his eyes. Ike does not.
 * In polls and the Primas Offical Guide, Marth, Peach, and Snake are considered the strongest characters in the game.