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 Fire Emblem character making his first appearance to the Super Smash Bros. series in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. As revealed in the Smash Bros. DOJO!! on August 7th, 2007, Ike is a powerful character who wields a two handed sword Ragnell in one hand. Ike is the sole protagonist of Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, and one of the two protagonists in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn. His sword Ragnell appears in both of his games and can only be wielded by him. Ike is the first, and currently the only, playable Fire Emblem character in the Super Smash Bros. series to speak English (as the remake of the very first Fire Emblem game, starring Marth where he speaks English, was released after Brawl). Additionally, he is the first Fire Emblem character available as a starter character in the Super Smash Bros. series.

Ike is currently ranked 23rd on the tier list due to his amazing jab, amazing range (one of if not longest overall in the game, which is disjointed) and very high KO power, but also suffering from most of his killing moves being slow, vulnerability to projectile camping and having poor recovery options sadly.

Attributes
Ike is a moderately heavy character with slow, but powerful attacks. Ike is considered a slow character in the game due to his slow attacks and slow ground and air speed. Most of his attacks though possess high damage, high knockback, and good range, giving Ike startling killing potential at low damages. Ike is also one of the best characters to crouch-cancel a jab with, as the move can accrue upwards of 20% on opponents when crouch-canceling the original hit into another jab a few times (the initial jab can itself be linked easily from a neutral-aerial). Ike works best when playing the range game, best maximized by using his forward-air whenever retreating. His fair has the distinction of having the most horizontal attack range of any normal aerial in the game. Though Ike himself is slow, his attacks will surprise opponents when hitting from maximum range. Using the attack to effectively approach depending on the situation, Ike can pursue follow ups such as more fairs, his far-reaching dash attack, or an attempt at outwitting the foe into his Quick Draw forward special. However, all three of those moves are very punishable if they miss. At a distance, one can even use Quick Draw to punish on wake-up because of the move's ability to be held indefinitely.

Should Ike have to deal with opponents close in, he can easily use his competent jab to either put the spacing back on or to transfer to a throw, with either the back or forward variants capable of putting the opponent in a vulnerable position should they be at the edge. Though more effective as a kill, Ike's back-air is amazingly fast and can catch opponents off-guard, should the player be in a position to chase or attack in-close. If the close-in war is being waged at the edge, Ike can be an effective edge guarder, having his long-ranged fair, his d-tilt spike, his Aether special, and his deadly dair spike or bair as options to harass the opponent (as well as the aforementioned jab/throws). Ike is also one of the game's deadliest air-dodge/roll trappers, given his far-reaching forward smash and its tremendous power; it is a useful move so long as Ike is never predictable with it. Up-smash can be also be used in this fashion due to its similarly wide sweeping motion, and is preferable to Ike's down-smash for punishing excessive rolling and also giving him the ability to have a surprisingly long hyphen smash considering his dash speed.

However, Ike definitely has his drawbacks. His dash speed is fairly slow, and he is as big a target as Marth (Same body structure). His Counter activates at frame 10 (as opposed to Marth's counter which takes only four frames to activate), thereby requiring some prediction to use effectively. On the other hand, Ike's counter frames end six frames later than Marth's (both of their counters last for about 59 frames, 23 of them being counter frames), making him less vulnerable afterwards. His throws do low damage. Ike's recovery is also somewhat predictable, because he has a short second jump and only two main recovery moves (Quick Draw and Aether) with limited trajectories and both cannot be used in the same recovery. Quick Draw needs to be charged to get far, and is easily blocked by anyone willing to get hit by it before Ike can reach the ledge, making him extremely vulnerable to low-angle attacks and edge guarding. Aether is very predictable but also difficult to guard against by any character with short ranged attack, due to the knockback resistance the move grants and the fact that Ike's sword reaches the ledge long before he does. Still, he is vulnerable to edgehogging as it does not grab the ledge until he is descending with the attack and most characters have at least one attack that can knock Ike out of Aether, though the long duration of the move along with the risk of getting spiked if the hog isn't timed properly makes it somewhat hard to edge hog. It is also vulnerable to gimps from moves that push others away (e.g. Mario's F.L.U.D.D. or Squirtle's Water Gun). Also, Ike lacks a projectile, and is himself extremely vulnerable to projectile camping. His attacks can generally be avoided/dodged easily because of the massive starting lag on all of his attacks, though with the range of his Fair and Nair it avoids shield grabs when spaced properly because of their range (not even King Dedede can shield grab a well spaced Fair). Because he is a large heavyweight with fast falling speed, he is susceptible to Chain grabs and Wall of Pain, although he is isn't quite as vulnerable to it as many other heavyweights.

Normal

 * Neutral Attack - Punches with his left hand (making him the only sword fighter who uses his fist in one of his moves), then a step-forward kick, then an overhead swing of Ragnell, moving forward with each blow. This move alone gives Ike a great close range game, forcing the opponent to stay away from his jab range. It's even very difficult to punish even when shielded for characters with poor Out of Shield options and is also great at punishing spot dodges. Excellent when crouch-canceled due to the first two hits having zero knockback and having high amount of hitstun, though it can be SDIed out of it. Comes out on frame three. Its speed makes it a good Out of Shield option as well. 16% total but usually deals about 20 or even 25% when jab canceled.
 * Dash Attack - Ike lunges forward with Ragnell with excellent range, but is slow and predictable. Good surprise move at a distance and is a true combo out of the Back Throw to DA percents and it is also guaranteed out of grab releases against characters like Meta Knight. 8%.
 * Forward Tilt - A horizontal slash. Has a slow startup but high knockback and large range. Can be angled up or down. Unlike other angle-able moves, this move does not get stronger when angled upward or weaker when angled downward. Strongest f-tilt in the game in terms of knockback. 15%.
 * Up Tilt - Ike holds his sword out parallel to the ground and raises it to above his head in a bunny hop motion. Deceptive range with a quick, long-lasting hitbox, good for low-percent combos, but punishable if it misses like nearly all of his other moves and it also has a giant sourspot. Reliable killer at about 110%-120% on most characters. It is as powerful as King Dedede's and Snake's u-tilt, but slower. 12%.
 * Down Tilt - Slashes along the ground. If this hits the opponent while they are off-stage, they are meteor smashed with great power. If Ike hits with the handle, it sends them horizontally with great power. It is by far the strongest tilt meteor and it is one of the better tilt meteors in the game (though that's not saying much). Can be used after jab canceling near the edge. Decent range, but cripplingly slow. This is the strongest d-tilt. 14% close up, 10% closer to the tip.

Smash

 * Side Smash - Overhead swing of his sword to the ground in front of him. Long ranged and very powerful, but very slow and punishable if he misses or it gets shielded (it has the most ending lag out of all the forward smashes). Superior killing move at relatively low damage, but requires timing to use effectively. Long range and high arc allow for edge and recovery interceptions. It also hits people standing on platform's above Ike and hits diagonally down on people hanging on the ledge. The power behind the smash is enough to KO an opponent at as low as 30%. The tip is weaker, but still very powerful wherever it connects. Second strongest smash in the game (only King Dedede's f-smash is stronger, but Ike's is even stronger at extreme percentages due to slightly higher knockback scaling). 17%-24% tip, 23%-32% non-tip.
 * Up Smash - Swings his sword from his feet, over his head, to behind him. Also powerful, long-ranged, and slow (weaker but faster than his forward smash). The attack's speed and its very wide arc allow it to intercept foes air-dodging back to the stage near Ike, or it can be used like his down smash to punish rolls. 17% damage. Like the side smash, when fully charged, the smash carries enough power to KO an opponent at relatively low damages (60% and beyond). 24% fully charged
 * Down Smash - Slashes toward the ground on either side. First slash is rather weak (especially when compared to Ike's other attacks) but the second slash is powerful, and it is Ike's fastest smash attack on startup, but still possesses his trademark ending lag, and has pitiful range overall compared to his other attacks. 13% damage typically, 16% if hit from behind.

Other attacks

 * Ledge attack- Picks himself up and slashes at an upwards angle. Short horizontal range. 8% damage
 * 100% ledge attack- Slowly gets up and slashes forward in a similar fashion to his F-Tilt, only faster. 10% damage.
 * Floor attack (face-down)- Performs a fast swing on both of his sides. 6% damage.
 * Floor attack (face-up)- Swings his sword in an angled arc above him. 6% damage.

Aerial Attacks

 * Neutral aerial - Ike swings Ragnell in an arc around his body making a low knockback. The attack is shorter ranged than most of his aerials, but covers almost 360°. The wide arc allows it to punish dodges, and the move can be auto-canceled, which makes it excellent for setting up jabs. Easy to SD if no platforms are below due to ending lag being just enough long to be unable to recover; commonly occurs when Ike is shield-pushed near the edge and the player buffers a command for a jab. Ike's most useful aerial due to combo potential and landing-cancel. 9%.
 * Forward aerial - Ike performs an overhead swing with Ragnell down to below him that is reminiscent of his Hero-Class 'Critical' animation in Radiant Dawn. Has the most horizontal range of any normal aerial in the game, but does not possess as much knockback as some of his other aerials, though it can still KO at relatively high percents. Its incredible range also makes it a very good edge guarding move. Manageable ending lag given attack range.  One of Ike's best aerials, along with nair. 13%.
 * Back aerial - Ike quickly swings Ragnell behind him. This is Ike's fastest aerial and performs greatly with RAR, due to its high killing potential. However the hitbox ends quickly and has long aerial ending lag despite the autocanceling frames coming out noticeably earlier. Difficult to land on short grounded opponents because of its strictly horizontal hitbox. A good out of shield option when facing the opposite direction. 14% damage.
 * Up aerial - Ike spins Ragnell in a helicopter motion. Kind of slow for a helicopter, but great vertical knockback. The attack stays out for a long time and has great priority, starting in the front and ending in the back of Ike. Low vertical range limits its usefulness, considering Ike's inferior jumping capabilities, though it possesses deceptive horizontal range. It can also hit larger character on the ground. 14%.
 * Down aerial - Ike thrusts Ragnell down under him. If the move hits while the blade is swinging down, it powerfully Meteor Smashes the target. It is the second most powerful meteor on airborne opponents and third strongest on grounded opponents (only Ganondorf's dair meteor is stronger in every situation). Will send foes upwards rather powerfully if hit after the initial swing. Useful for edge-guarding, especially when walked-off without fast falling, which makes using tilt stick with Ike instead of Smash with C Stick very useful. 16% if meteor smashed, 12% otherwise.

Grabs and Throws

 * Pummel - Headbutts the opponent with a 3% damage.
 * Up Throw - Ike throws Ragnell into the ground and shoots the target into the air with both hands clasped together. 6% damage.
 * Down Throw - Ike throws the target down to the ground and stomps on them, sending them upward. Places low-damaged foes in a perfect position to follow up with an Aether (without DI). It can also KO at very high percents. 6% damage.
 * Back Throw - Ike throws the opponent backwards while kicking them. This can be immediately followed up by his dash attack, which is a true combo in everyone from about 30 to 100%. It can also set-up a forward throw in walls which is a true combo. 6% damage.
 * Forward Throw - Ike throws opponent forwards while kicking them. Can chain grab in walls. 6% damage.

Role in The Subspace Emissary
Ike's first appearance is at the Battlefield Fortress, helping out fellow Fire Emblem hero, Marth, and his new partner, Meta Knight, by halting the Ancient Minister's escape with his trusted Aether move (though he says Great Aether), which also destroys the Subspace Bomb (making Ike the only character in Subspace Emissary to successfully disarm a Subspace Bomb). He then teams up with the two swordsmen. Getting Ike to join your party in the SSE results in unlocking the song Ike's theme for use on the stage Castle Siege.

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 Lucas and Pokémon Trainer, and brings them back to Marth and Ike.

Ike is briefly seen at the Glacial Peak level when they see the battle between the Halberd and Great Fox, in which at that point, Meta Knight leaves the party. The Ice Climbers, who have fallen off the mountain, join Ike's group just in time for a large battle with the Subspace Army. Luckily, Mario 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. Ike is one of the many to be turned into a trophy by Tabuu's Off Waves. 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.

Exclusive stickers
These stickers can only be used by Ike or by a select few including Ike.
 * Ashnard: [Slash] resistance +39
 * Deke: [Slash] attack +9
 * Eirika: [Slash] attack +17
 * Eliwood: [Flame] resistance +31
 * Greil: [Throwing] attack +14
 * Ike (Path of Radiance): [Weapon] attack +23
 * Ike (Radiant Dawn): [Slash] attack +27
 * Lilina: [Leg] attack +5
 * Marth: [Weapon] attack +19
 * Micaiah: [Weapon] attack +21
 * Mist: [Slash] attack +8
 * Ninian: [Arm, Leg] attack +6
 * Rutoga: [Slash] resistance +12
 * Shiida: [Specials: Direct] attack +7

Taunts

 * Up: Swings Ragnell above his head then holds it out in front of him like his pose from the DOJO!!, and growls while bringing it closer to himself as if charging it. His cape blows in the wind toward the end.
 * Side: Does his attacking stance from Radiant Dawn, saying "Prepare yourself!"
 * Down: Thrusts his sword into the ground in disgust, crosses his arms and says "Hmph." Again, wind blows at his cape.

Victory poses

 * Performs Aether.
 * Swings Ragnell twice, saying "I fight for my friends".
 * Thrusts Ragnell into the ground, saying "You'll get no sympathy from me".

Cheer

 * "We like Ike! We like Ike!" is chanted loudly by a group of both males and females.

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. Interestingly, he uses a normal Aether to hit the Ancient Minister.
 * While Ike is a slow character in Brawl, he has a very good speed stat in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, the game Brawl's Ike was based on. In Path of Radiance, Ike's speed limit is higher than his strength (which is low compared to some other characters in the same game). In Radiant Dawn, however, Ike's speed is lower than his Path of Radiance predecessor in contrast to his other stats, like his strength, HP, and defense. His max speed is higher than his max strength while he is in his Hero class nonetheless, but this does not apply when he is promoted to his Vanguard class, in which they become even.
 * Ike's On-Screen Appearance is shown as Warp Magic or Warp Powder from the Fire Emblem series. However, no warp items are usable in either game Ike appears in, although warp powder is used by the Black Knight.
 * Ike is the only playable Fire Emblem character in the Smash Bros. series that speaks English.
 * The fact that Ike says "You'll get no sympathy from me" is odd, as Ike is characterized as somewhat blunt, but far from asympathetic.
 * When compared to Marth's stats from his Fire Emblem titles, Ike's stats are superior in almost every category. Because of this, many Fire Emblem fans find it ironic that Ike is considered inferior to Marth in Brawl.
 * In Super Smash Bros. Melee, when you are typing in a name and you select "Random Name", one of the names will be Ike. Melee was released four years before Ike's first appearance in a game, indicating that this is merely a coincidence.
 * In Super Smash Bros. Brawl ' s "Subspace Emissary" mode, Ike is the only character who managed to destroy a Subspace Bomb while the Ancient Minister was holding it.
 * Like the tier list debates about Roy against Marth, there have also been debates with Marth against Ike, but Marth came out as the more superior character yet again.
 * Ike's forward smash has the same amount of frames in its duration as King Dedede's and Snake's forward smash. When compared to these two, Ike's f-smash has the least start-up lag out of the three, but it has the most ending lag.
 * Even though Ragnell is heavy and even visually slows down Ike in Brawl, he is able to lift and wield it in Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn with absolutely no difficulty (provided his strength is at least 20, which should normally occur long before Ike gains access to it), swinging the heavy weapon with lightning fast reflexes.
 * Ike is the first Fire Emblem character to be a starter.