Ike (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)

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

Ike (, Aiku) is a character appearing in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Revealed on Smash Bros. DOJO!! on August 1st, 2007, Ike is a newcomer to the franchise. He is the protagonist of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, and also appears in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. His sword from Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, Ragnell, is a two-handed sword but he is known to wield it with one hand, showing his incredible strength.

Role in The Subspace Emissary
Ike's first appearance is at the Battlefield Fortress, helping out fellow Fire Emblem hero Marth and Meta Knight by halting the Ancient Minister's escape with his trusted Aether move. He then teams up with with the the two swordsmen.

Ike's team is later seen in the The Wilds tracking a tank. The three then chase after it only to find that it is the Subspace robot, Galleom. Galleom is defeated but jumps off the cliff and into The Ruined Hall where Lucas and Pokémon Trainer defeat it once more. Upon its defeat, Galleom grabs the two and attempts suicide with its built in Subspace Bomb, fortunately Meta Knight rescues them and brings them back to the Fire Emblem Duo.

Ike is briefly seen at the Glacial Peak level when they see the battle between Halberd, and Great Fox, in which at that point Meta Knight leaves the party. Ice Climbers, who have fallen off the mountain, join Ike and Co. just in time for a large battle with the Subspace Army lucky for them Mario's and Link's team arrive to help out, after which they join up.

Ike's next appearance is at the Entrance to Subspace level, where he can be used (alongside everyone else). Of course Ike is one of the many to be turned into a trophy by Tabuu's Off Wave. Fortunately his trophy can be picked up at the first Subspace level. Once he has rejoined the team, he is available for use in the The Great Maze as well as against Tabuu.

Pros:

 * Jump neutral A is 270' degree angle hit.
 * Incredibly powerful.
 * Attacks have some of the best knockback in the game.
 * Very long range on most attacks.
 * Medium-Heavyweight.
 * Neutral A combo and Side B are fast attacks that can be used to approach and kill at fairly high percentages.
 * Side B (Quick Draw) has incredible versatility, allowing him to perform numerous effective combos and it can be charged indefinitely.
 * Up Tilt is long-ranged and quick.
 * Back Air is very quick and immensely powerful.
 * Forward smash KOs at very low percentages.
 * Multiple attacks that can KO around as low as 40%.
 * Quick Draw is an amazing horizontal recovery.
 * Great at edgeguarding.
 * Can Counter.
 * With Counter and Super Armor frames combine with his decent weight, he has some of the best defensive strategies in the game.
 * Aether (Up B) can edge-stall and deal damage to opponents who are near the edge, giving Ike one of the best edge-games.
 * N-air is a fast attack if auto-canceled, although this decreases its hit angle.
 * Most Aerials have good range and knockback.
 * Has both a strong vertical and horizontal recovery move.
 * Aether (Up B) and Eruption (Neutral B) give Ike some frames of Super Armor which can completely negate knockback, and are arguably the easiest Super Armor to use in the game.
 * One of the most effective characters at damaging fast characters.
 * Has more spikes than any other character. (A total of four spikes, not counting footstool jump)
 * has decent dash speed for a heavywight.
 * throws combo easily into aether and some aerials.

Cons:

 * Most attacks start up slowly and have significant ending lag.
 * Up-B is short ranged horizontally.
 * Up-B can't sweet spot the ledge.
 * No projectile.
 * Weak throws
 * Side B Recovery can be gimped by simply jumping onto its path. This stops Ike in his tracks and puts him into a Helpless state.
 * Counter has starting frames in which he can't counter, not an immediate counter and can be punished if predicted.
 * Both recovery moves are somewhat predictable, since they only travel in one direction.
 * A few moves that are much better than others, making to hard to avoid stale move negation.
 * Jump height isn't very high.

Strategy & Tips

 * Ike's Forward-Smash is a good move. Learn to use it effectively, and you'll be KOing opponents before they reach 50%. His Up-Smash also covers a huge area, and can be great at taking out characters coming in from above you.
 * Most of Ike's attacks have a long range, use the length of his sword to offset his lack of speed.
 * Don't overlook Ike's Neutral-A. It's one of his few fast combinations, and can rack up damage early in the battle.
 * Ike's Forward-B can be held literally forever, so don't be afraid to wait until the perfect moment (especially in multiplayer matches).
 * Don't forget that Ike's Eruption ability hits enemies on all sides of him. Also, try using it in the air.
 * Side B has no lag if it does not hit a target. This allows you to immediately segue into a Neutral A combo, a Grab, an Uptilt, or an Aether.
 * If you are on the ledge and your opponent is waiting for you above the ledge, drop down and immediately Aether. This will throw your sword up on to the stage, dealing several hits to that person, and can be aimed to put Ike back on the edge or have him return to the stage. This gives him a versatile edge-game.
 * Ike has four different unique to aid his edge-guarding game. His downtilt is slow, but a fairly long ranged ground-based spike. It is best against opponents who cannot auto-sweetspot the edge with their third jumps, like Wario and Sonic. His Down Aerial thrusts his sword beneath him, spiking anyone who's hit by the end. This has a long duration and can be used as a powerful spike. Aether (Up B) drags opponents down when it falls, and can be used to spike, but this can be risky. It is best to try to do this close to the edge, which can allow Ike to grab the edge out of his Aether and survive. Also, his down tilt can spike an opponent right before they reach the edge.  The bottom tip of Eruption can also spike, but it is hard to use effectively.
 * Ike has some of the best Super Armor in the game. Use it to negate knockback on powerful attacks. Also, you can use the Eruption SA to counter, along with his actual counter. All of this gives Ike some of the best defensive strategies in the game.
 * Able to "Ike Charge Tackle," the tactic of charging a Quick Draw while falling and releasing it in the air about level with the platform in front of him. When the animation finishes, Ike will slide smoothly forward and be able to launch another attack (neutral A combo, for example) while still moving foreward.
 * Unless playing against a character with projectiles, wait for them to come to you unless you use an offensive Ike but use this if you play a defensive Ike.
 * Aether can be used to attack a recovering opponent above the edge, then when Ike is coming down, move towards the edge to edge-hog. The opponent falls and if tries to recover will not damage Ike (invincibility frames from grabbing edge)

Ground Attacks
normal smash
 * Dash A - Ike lunges forward with Ragnell with excellent range. 8% damage. The move's relatively slow windup presents the enemy with ample defensive time.
 * Neutral A - Punches with his left hand, then a step-forward kick, moving forward with each blow, then an overhead swing of Ragnell. 16% damage. Superior damage-building move, and a useful technique to utilize in the Ike Charge Tackle.
 * Forward Tilt - A horizontal slash. 15% damage. Can be slightly directed upwards or downwards with the control stick. high horizontal knockback makes up for its punishable starting lag.
 * Up Tilt - Ike holds his sword out horizontally from the ground and raises it to above his head in a bunny hop motion. 12% damage. Deceptive range makes this an excellent choice to attack upward through a platform with. Lethal in the Multi-Man Brawl
 * Down Tilt - Slashes along the ground. Slower than Marth's, but longer ranged. Spikes the opponent powerfully. 14% damage. Slow speed makes it fairly useless unless edge-guarding.
 * Forward Smash - Overhead swing of his sword to the ground in front of him. Long ranged and very powerful, but very slow. 22% damage uncharged, 30% when charged. Superior killing move at relatively low damage, but requires timing to use effectively. Long range and high arc allow for edge- and recovery-interceptions.
 * Up Smash - Swings his sword from his feet over his head to behind him. Also powerful, long ranged, and slow. 17% damage. The attack's arc and speed allow it to intercept foes climbing up from an edge.
 * Down Smash - Slashes towards the ground on either side. Powerful, long ranged, and one of his fastest smash attacks. 13% damage. Speed makes it unusually useful for a down smash.

Aerial Attacks

 * Up Aerial - Ike spins Ragnell in a helicopter motion. The attack stays out for a longer time and has great priority. 14% damage. Low vertical range limits usefulness, considering Ike's inferior jumping capabilities.
 * Down Aerial - Ike thrusts Ragnell down under him. If the move hits with the blade, it will meteor smash the target. 16% damage. Useful for edge-guarding.
 * Neutral Aerial - Ike swings Ragnell in an arc around his body. The attack is shorter ranged than most of his aerials, but hits 270º around his body. 9% damage. The wide arc allows it to punish dodges, and the move can be auto-canceled.
 * Forward Aerial - Ike performs an overhead swing with Ragnell down to below him. The attack has a 200º distance and is also his most ranged aerial. 13% damage.
 * Back Aerial - Ike quickly backwards swing with Ragnell. This is Ike's fastest aerial and performs greatly with the RAR (Reverse Aerial Rush) since it has high killing potential. 14% damage. Decent choice for edge-guarding if your opponent tries to come in from a high trajectory.

Grabs and Throws

 * Up Throw - Ike throws Ragnell into the ground and uppercuts the target into the air with both hands. 6% damage.
 * Down Throw - Ike throws the target down to the ground and stomps on them sending them upward. 6% damage. Places low-damaged foes in a perfect position to follow up with an Aether.
 * Back Throw - Ike throws the opponent backwards while kicking them. 6% damage.
 * Forward Throw - Ike throws opponent forwards while kicking them. 6% damage.
 * Pummel - Headbutts them. 3% damage.

Taunts
Up: Ike poses with Ragnell and gives a battle cry while wind blows his cape up.

Side: Ike takes Ragnell entering a stance and says, "Prepare yourself."

Down: Ike thrusts Ragnell into the ground and crosses his arms while wind blows his cape up saying, "Hmph."

On-Screen Appearance
He is teleported in with Warp powder. His pose is different from Marth's.

Victory Pose
Victory Theme: Fire Emblem Theme
 * Performs Aether while facing the screen.
 * Folds arms and says, "You'll get no sympathy from me."*
 * Leans his sword on his back and says, "I fight for my friends."

Wii Remote Choice
Says "Prepare yourself".

Credits Music

 * Victory is Near

Trivia

 * Ike is one of the few characters to have a brief speaking role in the Subspace Emissary, shouting, "Great Aether!" as he attacks the Ancient Minister. Oddly enough he uses a normal Aether to hit the Ancient Minister.
 * In the English version he shouts "Great Aether!".
 * The crowd cheer for Ike is "We Like Ike". President Dwight "Ike" Eisenhower had this phrase as his campaign slogan. (This is also a reference to Roy, as Roy also had a unique cheer in Melee; "Roy's Our Boy")
 * Like Marth, Ike supplements a Smash attack with a battering weapon with his own sword. However, while Marth opens with his sword and follows up with the weapon, Ike opens with the weapon, and follows up with his sword.
 * Voted "Favorite Super Smash Brothers: Brawl Character" by a poll on Nintendopedia.
 * The stance Ike enters for his side taunt also appears in Radiant Dawn when Ike initinates an attack.
 * Although he enters the fight by warp powder, he never used it, the Black Knight did.
 * Ike is the only character to stop the Ancient Minister from dropping a Subspace Bomb.
 * Ironically, Victory is Near plays as his Credits music, and not the song Ike's Theme.