Master Hand (also known as The Hand) is a large, disembodied, right glove and a recurring boss in every game of the Super Smash Bros. series. Master Hand is recognized as the creator of the Super Smash Bros.,[1] but despite this, little background information on him exists. Master Hand has a left-hand counterpart, Crazy Hand, who conversely appears to represent destruction.
Master Hand is voiced by the announcer of each game in the series; Jeff Manning in the original, Dean Harrington in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Pat Cashman in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Xander Mobus in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
History[]
Super Smash Bros. series[]
Super Smash Bros.[]
In Super Smash Bros., Master Hand is the final opponent of 1P Game, where it is battled in Final Destination, after the player defeats every other fighter beforehand. During battle, Master Hand uses his size and shape to his advantage, by slapping, punching, and flicking the player around. Master Hand has 300 HP, which can be gradually lowered with attacks from the player's fighter. Once Master Hand loses all of his health, he explodes into the background, and the player's fighter is turned back into a doll form.
Master Hand also appears in the opening cinematic. He places plush dolls of two random fighters on a table. After carefully places positioning objects around them, Master Hand counts to three on his fingers, snaps his fingers, changing the table into a stage resembling Princess Peach's Castle and bringing the fighters to life.
Super Smash Bros. Melee[]
Master Hand is the final boss of Classic Mode, and similarly to Super Smash Bros., the player's character battles Master Hand on Final Destination after defeating all previous opponents. Master Hand's moveset is slightly altered, he loses the ability to turn around, and his HP is altered based on the difficulty (for example, he only has 150 HP when fought on Very Easy mode, where Super Smash Bros. had him fixed to 300 regardless of the mode). Aesthetically, he no longer has a cuff, instead having a wrist that fades into nothingness. Regardless, Master Hand's HP has to be depleted to zero to win. Once defeated, Master Hand falls back into the void of Final Destination as the screen fades to white. The player reverts into a trophy, appearing among the trophies of others who have defeated Master Hand.
If the player clears all stages on Normal difficulty or higher within 10 minutes without using a continue, Crazy Hand also appears once Master Hand has lost half of his HP. When the two are on the field at the same time, they can perform powerful combination attacks, as well as attacks with OHKO potential in the highest difficulty levels.
Both Master Hand and Crazy Hand appear in Event 50: Final Destination Match, where the player must battle the duo with 300 HP each.
Master Hand appears in the form of a trophy, which provides some information of his role in the Super Smash Bros. universe.
It was found that in Sound Test of the respective game, sound #64 of the announcer's lines, Master Hand was named, with the same happening to Giga Bowser, though this sound isn't used in the game. His name also appears on the big screen on the Pokรฉmon Stadium stage, but it appears as "Masterhand" rather than "Master Hand". It could be possible he was going to be playable, but the idea was scrapped during game development. However, in this game, he is playable through a glitch. However, most one player modes freeze the game, and in multiplayer the game freezes after stock battles because he lacks a victory pose. However, in later versions, in the "Stamina Mode" Master Hand can win (or lose) without problems but instead of the victory screen showing up, it goes straight to the Player Selection. If the match is ended before a winner is chosen, he will not appear, but the name on the bottom will show Sheik and her Triforce symbol. Because of this, if one of Master Hand's opponents is Sheik in any situation, the game will freeze.
There is a well known Name Entry glitch that allows for Master Hand to become playable.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Master Hand is once again the final boss of Classic Mode, and the amount of HP he has is still dependent on the difficulty. Crazy Hand joins him under the same circumstances as in Super Smash Bros. Melee, but unlike the previous game, Crazy Hand appears immediately alongside Master Hand when the battle begins. Master Hand plays a brief role in Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary, but despite this, he is not fought as a boss in the mode. Like the other bosses, Master Hand can also be fought in Boss Battles Mode.
Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary[]
In The Subspace Emissary's storyline, Master Hand makes his debut as the leader of the Subspace Army, commanding Ganondorf, Bowser, and Wario. Soon after a Subspace Bomb is used on Castle Dedede, Ganondorf receives new orders from Master Hand via a video screen.
Later, when all of the characters arrive in Subspace, it is discovered that Master Hand is enslaved by Tabuu via the chains of light in order to trick Ganondorf, Bowser, and Wario into drawing the entire world into Subspace. Angered, Ganondorf defiantly attempts to attack Tabuu, but he is blocked by a force field and turned into a trophy upon smashing into Master Hand. However, Ganondorf's fall breaks the chains of light that Tabuu used to control Master Hand with, and Master Hand subsequently falls into the ground, bleeding from where he was enchained. Master Hand also tries to strike Tabuu but is beaten with little effort, collapsing onto the ground and lying motionlessly and unconsciously for the remainder of the mode. Unlike the fighters, Master Hand does not turn into a trophy upon being knocked out.
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[]
Master Hand is once again one of the final bosses in Classic Mode, being fought on the game's iteration of Final Destination. However, Master Hand now has a few new attacks, such as creating orange platforms that lift you past the Blast Line and creating a sphere of fire that he will crush to break into minimized versions of the sphere. Master Hand can now angle his finger bullet.
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, when playing on Difficulty 2.9 or lower, the player can only fight Master Hand on his own. When playing on any Intensity of 3.0 or higher, a black path opens where Master Hand and Crazy Hand can be fought simultaneously, and they now share an HP meter. If taking the black path on Intensity 5.1 or higher, after taking out 60-70 health from either of them, Crazy Hand, engulfed in dark flames, will vanish and retreat and Master Hand rips open, revealing a huge black-like substance called Swarm that transforms into Master Core, which must be fought and defeated to beat the stage. Master Hand can be fought alone up to Intensity 7.9. When playing on any intensity any higher, Master Hand cannot be fought alone; the blue path will disappear and only the black path remains, forcing a fight with him, Crazy Hand, and Master Core.
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Master Hand will be fought by himself on lower Intensities. However when conditions are met, the player will be forced to fight both Master Hand and Crazy Hand, as well as Master Core if the intensity is set to 5.1 or higher. Master Hand is also featured in his own mode, Master Orders, and may also appear in Crazy Orders if the player's fighter clears a certain number of tickets before facing Crazy Hand.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]
Master Hand is a boss in Classic Mode. He retains much of his moveset from before, although he will not always be the final boss in Classic Mode; certain fighters such as Roy will encounter him while others such as Mario encounter Rathalos, Galleom, Giga Bowser, Crazy Hand, Dracula, Ganon, Marx, or even a playable fighter. For the first time since Super Smash Bros., Master Hand can now face either direction instead of just one, like with Crazy Hand.
Master Hand has a role in Adventure Mode: World of Light. In the opening cutscene, Galeem summons an army of Master Hands before absorbing them. Master Hand sometimes also appears on the map, destroying bridges that players would use to easily find certain items. Near the end of the Adventure mode, Master Hand becomes a playable character where he fights against puppet fighters created by Galeem and Dharkon on the Battlefield form of Final Destination. When defeated, Master Hand will simply collapse onto the stage, as opposed to flying off into the background. Additionally, the level will simply restart, as opposed to the typical World of Light game over screen. The "connect controller" and "move list" options are disabled in the game's pause menu. When the player fulfills all requirements for the game's true ending, the original Master Hand and Crazy Hand open a giant rift in the sky, which the former enters.
Master Hand also appears as an Ace-class Neutral-type primary spirit. It allows three support slots and is obtainable by winning the last battle against Master Hand in World of Light. It is among the most powerful spirits in the game.
Controlling Master Hand[]
Master Hand cannot taunt or shield. He can be moved with the stick assigned to movement. His movement is limited to a cube around the stage, but he can travel under Final Destination. The stick assigned to performing smash attacks, the grab button, and the standard attack button all share the same functionality.
Imput | Attack |
---|---|
B | Finger guns. This can be charged to fire three shots at once. |
Bโบ | Finger rings. |
Bโผ | Finger lasers. |
Bโฒ | Throws one spike ball, as opposed to three in Master Hand's boss fight |
A | Snap. Does not have to be charged, unlike the boss fight. |
Aโบ | Horizontal slap |
Aโฒ | Rockets upwards and preforms a drilling motion |
Aโผ | Slaps downwards |
Kirby series[]
Kirby & The Amazing Mirror[]
In Kirby & The Amazing Mirror, Master Hand is, together with Crazy Hand, the main boss of Candy Constellation. In addition, Master Hand appears as a recurring mid-boss throughout the game that gives the Smash ability (which allows Kirby to use attacks similar to his moveset in Super Smash Bros. Melee). Some of Master Hand's attacks in this game are taken directly from his attacks in the Super Smash Bros. series, and even has the same pose as in those games. Beating the duo gives Kirby the eighth and final Mirror Shard.
As a mid-boss, Master Hand has a total of four attacks, each of which are vaguely based off his moves from the Smash Bros. series. These attacks are pounding the ground with his fist, shooting out flaming bullets, punching Kirby, and forcefully seizing him. As bosses, Master Hand and Crazy Hand retain some of their tag team-based moves from Super Smash Bros. Melee, such as clapping and fist-pounding. Not counting their combination attacks, Crazy Hand employs the same exact moves and tactics that the regular Master Hand uses. Unlike other mini-bosses, Master Hand stays on the right of his arena.
Master Hand's stars and projectiles can be swallowed to get different abilities. When Master Hand pounds the ground, stars are produced that grant Kirby the Stone ability. The bullet-like fireballs that Master Hand shoots give Kirby the Burning ability.
Kirby: Planet Robobot[]
In Kirby: Planet Robobot, Master Hand cameos as one of the Stone ability's transformations, though it can only be produced by the Smash Bros. Stone Change or Stone Smash moves. It is one of the rare Golden Statue transformations.
Master Hand also appears in the form of a sticker, which depicts his artwork for Super Smash Bros., although with a thicker black outline.
Moveset[]
Note that Master Hand's moves will automatically target the highest-numerical player other than himself (Player 1 or 2 in some cases). All of the following moves are not official names.
Move | Name | Notes |
---|---|---|
Rโ | Poke | Master Hand pokes the air twice. The second poke is more powerful. Inflicts 8-26%. |
Aโบ | Background Fist | Master Hand flies away up the top of the screen and makes a fist in the background. And he punches into the player. He flies back on the stage. Does 16% to player. |
Bโบ | Gun | Master Hand makes the shape of a gun and fires sets of 2 bullets. He fires 1 set if above 100 HP and three sets if below. 5% each. |
Rโฒ | Drill | Master Hand flies up, then slams down on his target while spinning in a drill-like fashion. 1-25% |
Lโฒ | Sweep | Master Hand makes several sweeping motions. The number of motions depends on the size of the platform. 12% |
Rโผ | Crush | Master Hand flies off the top of the screen, then appears in the background. He attempts to flatten the player. 16% |
Lโผ | Walk | Master Hand "walks" using his pointer and middle fingers. When he reaches his opponent, he tries to "kick" them. 18%. |
Aโฒ | Jet | Master Hand makes a vaguely plane-like shape, then flies into the background. He attempts to fly into the player, then flies in from the right. If the player makes contact with him when he is taking off, they will be burned launched downwards. This slightly resembles a move Ridley can perform when he is fought in Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. 12-16% |
Lโบ | Slap | Master Hand makes a slapping motion across the platform. 16% |
Rโบ | Target punch | Master Hand hovers over the target, then quickly punches down. 8-24% |
Zโบ | Dash grab | Master Hand follows an enemy, then dashes towards them and grabs them, crushing him/her/it in his hand 3 times. 80% |
Zโฒ | Catch and throw | Master Hand follows an enemy, then catches them, then crushes him/her/it in his hand 3 times then throws them up in the air (K.O.'s most of the time). 80% |
- Bโบ attacks were not given to "normal" characters until Melee.
Super Smash Bros. Melee[]
In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Master Hand can only be controlled if set to Player 3, as seen here. Also, note that the directions are pressed on the D-Pad, not the Control Stick.
Move | Name | Notes |
---|---|---|
Aโฒ | Jet | Master Hand makes a vaguely plane-like shape, then flies into the background. He attempts to fly into the player, then flies in from the right. 10-30% |
Aโบ | Ram | Master Hand flies off the screen, then appears in the background as a fist. He attempts to slam into the player, then flies back onto the stage from the top of the screen. 34% |
A | Crush | Master Hand flies off the top of the screen, then appears in the background. He attempts to flatten the player. 30% |
Bโฒ | Lasers | Master Hand shoots a laser beam from each of his fingertips. Only the endpoints and start points do damage. 9% each |
Bโบ | Gun | Master Hand makes the shape of a gun and fires sets of bullets. He fires 1 set if above 100 HP and three sets if below. 10% (one set) 6% (three sets) |
Zโฒ or โบ | Grab | Master Hand grabs his opponent and begins to crush them. They can escape by button mashing, but, if they fail to do so, Master Hand will toss them away. 13%/crush, then 18-20% afterwards. Depending on the direction pressed with Z, Master Hand will throw the opponent differently. If up is used, he will throw them upward behind him. If right, he will slam them into the ground. |
Rโ | Poke | Master Hand pokes the air three times. The third poke is more powerful. 7-34% |
Rโบ | Punch | Master Hand hovers over the target, then quickly punches down. 24% |
Rโผ | Slap | Master Hand slaps the ground. 26% |
Rโฒ | Drill | Master Hand flies up, then slams down while spinning in a drill-like fashion. 1-48% |
Lโฒ | Sweep | Master Hand makes a sweeping motion across the platform. 14% Damage each. |
Lโบ | Slap | Master Hand makes a slapping motion across the platform. 25% |
Lโผ | Walk | Master Hand "walks" using his pointer and middle fingers. When he reaches his opponent, he "kicks" them. 10-30% |
Master Hand Crazy Hand must both press the input shown to trigger the combination attack. These only work in Melee.
MH input | CH input | Move | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Yโ | Yโบ | Applaud | A shockwave is released that puts the player to sleep, then the two hands clap together five times. |
Yโฒ | Yโฒ | Double Punch | The two hands punch together. |
Yโฒ | Yโผ | Catch | Crazy Hand punches across the stage and is caught by Master Hand. A shock wave that deals shadow damage is released at impact. |
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
A hacker (Y.S) made a code using USBGecko program that allows the use of bosses on boss battles on Brawl. Those are the available commands for Master Hand. They are not playable, just controllable. They can just be used on Boss Battles, but some glitches and some attacks cannot be used.
Available commands: [A] [Aโฒ] [Aโผ] [Aโบ] [Aโ] [B] [Bโฒ] [Bโผ] [Bโบ] [Bโ] [R] or [L]
Changes from Melee to Brawl[]
- Has been buffed - many of his attacks are faster, deal more damage, and are more difficult to dodge. Walking Hand and Hand Swipe have an almost instantaneous start-up.
- Walking Hand begins almost instantaneously and has more power, allowing Master Hand to suddenly hit (and potentially KO) nearby players.
- Hand Swipe is faster, stronger, and covers a larger area.
- Hand Drill is more difficult to dodge: it can only be dodged if a player perfectly executes a roll, or leaves the stage until the attack finishes. Even then, many characters' rolls are too short to escape his vacuum, and going off the stage can make it hard to come back (With the exception of Peach's float and Mr. Game & Watch's Fire with correct timing), as there are hitboxes of the drill that prevent from grabbing the ledge.
- After using Jet Technique, Master Hand returns to his normal position on the right side of the stage, instead of appearing on the left and travelling back to the right side. It now uses magic instead of fire.
- During the start of Master and Crazy Hands' Applause attack, characters are hit by the Fan effect while in the air.
- Ram creates no freeze frames, regardless of whether it hits or misses.
- Laser attack moves forth and back once.
- Gun attack cannot be avoided by crouching.
- Relative to the average knockback of their moves, Master Hand is now more powerful than Crazy Hand.
- Master Hand's ram cannot be avoided by standing still. If being rammed by Crazy Hand, however, standing still will allow Crazy Hand to fly over your head without causing damage.
- The platform has been shrunk, making it more difficult to hit him.
Attack Order[]
Brawl[]
Attacks in parenthesis require Crazy Hand.
First Move[]
- Sweep
- Lasers
- Punch
- (Double Punch)
Second Move[]
- Drill
- Grab
- Gun
- (Applaud)
- (Double Punch)
- (Catch)
Third Move[]
- Background Punch
- Background Jet
- Background Slap
Fourth Move[]
- Grab
- Walk
- Crush
- (Applaud)
- (Twin Laser)
Fifth Move[]
- Slap
- Poke
- (Double Jet)
3DS/Wii U[]
First Move[]
- Slap
- Snap
- Walk
- Wind
Second Move[]
- Punch
- Gun
- Crush
- Wind
Third Move[]
- Grab
- Lasers
- Wind
Fourth Move[]
- Drill
- Cards
- Wind
Fifth Move[]
- Background Jet
- Background Punch
- Background Slap
- Spread Fire
- Wind
Stamina[]
- Super Smash Bros.
- 300 HP (All skill levels)
- Super Smash Bros. Melee
- 150 HP (Very Easy)
- 250 HP (Easy)
- 300 HP (Normal)
- 330 HP (Hard)
- 360 HP (Very Hard)
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl
- 150 HP (Easy)
- 250 HP (Normal)
- 300 HP (Hard)
- 330 HP (Very Hard)
- 360 HP (Intense)
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (*together with Crazy Hand)
- 110 HP (Intensity 0.0)
- 148 HP (Intensity 1.0)
- 190 HP (Intensity 2.0)
- 261 HP (Intensity 3.0)*
- 269 HP (Intensity 4.0)*
- 280 HP (Intensity 5.0)*
- 303 HP (Intensity 6.0)*
- 334 HP (Intensity 7.0)*
- 368 HP (Intensity 8.0)*
- 410 HP (Intenisty 9.0)*
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- 700 HP (playable appearance in Adventure Mode: World of Light)
Profiles[]
Super Smash Bros. Melee trophy[]
Image | Title | List
| |
---|---|---|---|
Master Hand | Super Smash Bros. 04/99
| ||
Description | |||
The Master Hand awaits anyone who survives the long difficult road to the Final Destination. This symbolic link between the real world and the imaginary battlefields of Super Smash Bros. Melee is quite a handful in battle, and just because he wears a white glove doesn't mean he fights clean. Be ready to get poked, punched, flicked, and swatted like crazy! |
Super Smash Bros. Brawl trophy[]
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U trophy[]
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirit[]
General information | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Name | Image | Series / game | Type | Slots | Class | Strength / effect(s) | How to obtain |
1095 | Master Hand | Super Smash Bros. Series | Primary | 3 | Ace | Neutral | World of Light (Final Battle) | |
Spirit battle | ||||||||
Opponent(s) | Battle conditions | Stage | Song | |||||
Master Hand | Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle | Final Destination | Master Hand |
Trivia[]
- The Chains of Light leave bloody wounds on Master Hand, suggesting that he may contain organic material. Interestingly, he seems to have glowing blue blood, even though his wounds are red. The revealing of blood could be a factor in the reasons why Brawl was rated "T for Teen" by the ESRB and rated "PEGI 12" by PEGI. However, the concept of the blue stuff being blood is speculation.
- If Master Hand (or Crazy Hand, for that matter) is KO'd on Brinstar in Melee via Debug Menu, he bounces endlessly on the acid. Using the developed mode camera, he can be seen bouncing away even once he leaves the stage and is in the black void behind the stage. It's interesting to note that the acid programming goes out this far. Since the vertical position of a portion of the acid does not depend on its horizontal position, however, it is possible that only the current height of the acid is used to calculate player damage, in which case the acid programming would go out infinitely far horizontally speaking.
- In Super Smash Bros. Melee, if either Master Hand or Crazy Hand gets a transformation item (i.e. Super Mushroom, Starman, etc.), there is a chance the game freezes if the level is not Final Destination or Battlefield, especially the latter.
- The Master Hand and Crazy Hand may have originated from certain bosses in Super Mario 64, Star Fox 64, Kirby's Nightmare in Dream Land, Kirby Super Star and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as attacks used by the Master Hand and the Crazy Hand are similar to the attacks used by Eyerok, Wham Bam Rock, Andross, and Bongo Bongo.
- Master Hand and Crazy Hand are the only characters in the Super Smash Bros. series to debut in a game from that series, but also appear in a game outside their home series, more specifically Kirby & The Amazing Mirror.
- Master Hand appears in a commercial for Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble where he is holding the Game Boy Color, controlling the game.
- Strangely, in Melee, the narrator has a narration for Master Hand like he does for all other characters, although this is never used in game. He does not, however, have a narration for Crazy Hand, although he does for Giga Bowser.
- It is speculated that the hand in the Game Over screen in the Kirby series is Master Hand, because it is internally named Master Hand since Kirby's Return to Dream Land.
- In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, if the player pauses when either Master Hand or Crazy Hand is defeated, the boss's defeat sound effect cannot be heard.
- In Super Smash Bros., Master Hand can fly around the stage while being controlled by the player, something that is not possible in Super Smash Bros. Melee because Master Hand cannot move around the stage without attacking first.
- In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the inside of Master Hand, which can normally be seen directly through his wrist, is missing. When the camera is looking directly through his wrist, it will instead show anything that's supposed to be behind him and, if possible, parts of his fingers. This applies to Crazy Hand as well, though this does not apply to either of their trophies nor in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
Gallery[]
See also[]
Bosses | |
---|---|
Introduced in |
Master Hand ยท Metal Mario ยท Giant Donkey Kong |
Introduced in |
Crazy Hand ยท Giga Bowser ยท Metal Bros. |
Introduced in |
Petey Piranha ยท Rayquaza ยท Porky Statue / Porky Minch ยท Galleom ยท Ridley ยท Duon ยท Meta Ridley ยท Tabuu |
Introduced in |
Master Core |
Introduced in |
Rathalos ยท Ganon ยท Dracula ยท Marx ยท Galeem ยท Dharkon |
|
Kirby universe | ||
---|---|---|
Characters | Kirby (64 ยท Melee ยท Brawl ยท 3DS/Wii U ยท Ultimate) Meta Knight (Brawl ยท 3DS/Wii U ยท Ultimate) King Dedede (Brawl ยท 3DS/Wii U ยท Ultimate) | |
Side Characters | Boss | Marx |
Assist Trophies | Knuckle Joe ยท Nightmare ยท Chef Kawasaki | |
Mii Fighter Costumes | Meta Knight ยท Marx | |
Background characters | King Dedede | |
Stage Hazards | Whispy Woods | |
Enemies | Bonkers ยท Bronto Burt ยท Gordo ยท Parasol Waddle Dee ยท Plasma Wisp ยท Shotzo ยท Tac ยท Waddle Dee ยท Waddle Doo | |
Stages | Dream Land ยท Fountain of Dreams ยท Green Greens ยท Halberd ยท Dream Land GB ยท The Great Cave Offensive | |
Items | Bomber ยท Dragoon ยท Maxim Tomato ยท Parasol ยท Star Rod ยท Superspicy Curry ยท Warp Star | |
Music | List | List of Music (Kirby series) |
Song | "Gourmet Race" | |
Collectibles | Trophies | Melee Trophies ยท Brawl Trophies ยท 3DS Trophies ยท Wii U Trophies |
Stickers | List of Stickers (Kirby series) | |
Spirits | List of spirits (Kirby series) | |
Masterpieces | Kirby's Dream Land ยท Kirby's Adventure ยท Kirby Super Star |