Master Hand (マスターハンド, Masutā Hando) is a glove-like entity who acts as the creator of the Super Smash Bros. universe and is also the creator of the World of Trophies. He is the final boss of the 1P Game in Super Smash Bros., the final boss of the Classic Mode in Super Smash Bros. Melee, and the final boss of Classic mode in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Master Hand's origins are unknown, and his and Crazy Hand's purpose is undiscovered. But both Hands are in a dualistic conflict of create and destroy.
Appearances
Super Smash Bros.
Official Artwork for Master Hand in Super Smash Bros.
In Super Smash Bros., Master Hand is the final opponent of the 1P Game. He resides in a level aptly called Master Hand's Residence by fans. He uses his size and shape to his advantage - he slaps, punches and flicks the player around.
Master Hand can't be defeated by normal means; instead, he has 300 HP which must be depleted. Once 0 HP is reached, he explodes into the background, and the character is turned back into a doll.
Master Hand also appears in the opening cinematic. He positions two random characters on a table, and after carefully positioning everything, he counts to three on his fingers, snaps his fingers, and changes the table into a stage resembling Peach's Castle, bringing the dolls to life.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
Master Hand trophy in SSBM.
Super Smash Bros. Melee sees Master Hand taking a similar role - he is the final boss of the 1-player Classic mode, and has a set HP which must be depleted to win. There are, however, a few changes made to him. His moveset is slightly altered, and his HP is altered based on the difficulty (for example, he only has 150 HP when fought on Very Easy mode, where SSB had him fixed to 300 regardless of the mode).
The game also introduced Crazy Hand, Master Hand's left-handed alter ego. When the two are on the field at the same time, they can perform powerful combination attacks. Crazy Hand appears when set conditions are met. The two Hands also appear when Classic Mode is reached on Hard or Very Hard and they must be defeated together.
Master Hand does not appear in the opening cinematic, though his trophy (see below) elaborates his role in the Super Smash Bros. universe.
Oddly, it was found that in Sound Test of the respective game, sound 64, Master Hand was named. Said sound isn't used in the game.It could be possible he was going to be playable,but the idea was scrapped during game development.
Trophy
Trophy #159: "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 it wears a white glove doesn't mean it fights clean. Get ready to get flicked, swatted, punched, and poked like crazy!"
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Master Hand's official Brawl artwork.
Master Hand is in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He reprises his role as the final boss of Classic mode. His attacks are very similar to that of his Melee form with some changes. The amount of HP he has is still dependent on the difficulty as well. Crazy Hand also returns in Classic Mode, if certain conditions are met.
Role in the Subspace Emissary
Master Hand in the Subspace Emissary.
Master Hand also appears in the Subspace Emissary, as Ganondorf's, Wario's, and Bowser's boss. Soon after a Subspace Bomb is used on a castle, Ganondorf receives new orders from Master Hand, which he gets via a TV screen.
Master Hand released from his bonds.
However, when all of the characters arrive in the Subspace world, Master Hand turns out to be Tabuu's puppet. Ganondorf attacks Tabuu, but is easily knocked back, though while he falls he breaks Master Hand's strings, thus freeing him. Master Hand too attempts to strike Tabuu, but just like Ganondorf, is defeated with little effort. Being a being different from the playable characters, he does not change into a trophy, and simply lies motionless.
Knowing that he would be able to use Master Hand to recruit fighters to aid him in his goals, Tabuu enslaved Master Hand with the chains of light some time before the plot of the Subspace Emissary begins. Indeed, his trophy suggests that Master Hand himself is not inherently evil, or he disliked the fact that there was someone stronger than him.
Other appearances
Master Hand appears in the Gameboy Advance game Kirby and the Amazing Mirror as a mini-boss. Vacuuming it up will give Kirby the smash ability, an ability that gives kirby his melee moveset. Master Hand and Crazy Hand are also the bosses of Candy Constellation.
However, the concept of the Hands may have come from a boss called Wham Bam Rock from Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra (the game's remake), who attacked Kirby with a stone hand that used different slaps, pokes, and grabs.
In the updated version, Kirby Super Star Ultra, a crystalline version called Wham Bam Jewel appears, with more parallels to the two hands.
As a character
Though there are several "cheats" that supposedly allow Master Hand to be played as a normal character, all of them are false - the only methods of controlling Master Hand are through a cheating device such as a GameShark or Action Replay or using the cheat menu on certain emulators. As expected, playing as Master Hand causes a few problems - he can cause random crashes, and depleting his HP freezes the game.
None of the move names are official.
Super Smash Bros. moveset
Note that Master Hand's moves will automatically target the highest-numerical player other than himself (Player 1 or 2 in most cases)
| Move | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A | Poke | Master Hand pokes the air twice. The second poke is more powerful. Inflicts 8-26%. |
| A> | Slam | Master Hand makes a fist and slams into the player. Does 20% to player. |
| Forward Smash | Gun | Master Hand makes the shape of a gun, and fires sets of 2 bullets. It fires 1 set if above 100 HP, and three sets if below. 5% each. |
| A^ | Drill | Master Hand flies up, then slams down while spinning in a drill-like fashion. 1-25% |
| Up Smash | 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. 16% |
| Av | Sweep | Master Hand makes several sweeping motions. The amount of motions depend on the size of the platform. 12% |
| Down Smash | Crush | Master Hand flies off the top of the screen, then appears in the background. He attempts to flatten the player. 16% |
| B | Walk | Master Hand "walks" using his pointer and middle fingers. When he reaches his opponent, he "kicks" them. 18%. |
| B^ | 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. 12-16% |
| B>* | Slap | Master Hand makes a slapping motion across the platform. 16% |
| Bv | Punch | Master Hand hovers over the target, then quickly punches down. 8-24% |
* B> 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. Also note that the directions are pressed on the D-Pad, not the Control Stick.
Solo moves
| Move | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| A^ | Jet | Master Hand makes a vaguely plane-like shape, then flies into the background. It attempts to fly into the player, then flies in from the right. 10-30% |
| A> | Ram | Master Hand flies off the screen, then appears in the background as a fist. It attempts to slam into the player, then flies back onto the stage from the top of the screen. 34% |
| Av | Crush | Master Hand flies off the top of the screen, then appears in the background. It attempts to flatten the player. 30% |
| B^ | Lasers | Master Hand shoots a laser beam from each of his fingertips. Only the endpoints do damage. 9% each |
| B> | Gun | Master Hand makes the shape of a gun, and fires sets of bullets. It fires 1 set if above 100 HP, and three sets if below. 10% (one set) 6% (three sets) |
| Z ^ or > | 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. |
| R< | Poke | Master Hand pokes the air three times. The third poke is more powerful. 7-34% |
| R> | Punch | Master Hand hovers over the target, then quickly punches down. 24% |
| Rv | Slap | Master Hand slaps the ground. 26% |
| R^ | Drill | Master Hand flies up, then slams down while spinning in a drill-like fashion. 1-48% |
| L^ | Slap | Master Hand makes a slapping motion across the platform. 25% |
| Lv | Walk | Master Hand "walks" using his pointer and middle fingers. When he reaches his opponent, he "kicks" them. 10-30% |
Moves used in conjunction with Crazy Hand
MH (Master Hand) and CH (Crazy Hand) must both press the input shown to trigger the combination attack.
| MH input | CH input | Move | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Y< | Y> | Applaud | A shockwave is released that puts the player to sleep, then the two hands clap together five times. |
| Y^ | Y^ | Double Punch | The two hands punch together. |
| Y^ | Yv | Catch | Crazy Hand punches across the stage and is caught by Master Hand. A shockwave that deals shadow damage is released at impact. |
Useful Combination Moves
Certain moves can be used in conjunction with each other to cause massive amounts of damage.
| MH Input | CH Input | Combo Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A^ | Av, A< | Double Jet | Not exactly the most useful combo, but still fun if pulled off right. |
| Av | R> | Dual Smash | When done one right after the other at just the right moment, the player will dodge the first hand, but get hit by the other. |
| B^ | B^, B>, B< | Twin Laser | When both laser moves are used together, the player will have a hard time dodging the lasers without staying in the center of the arena. |
| B> | Bv | Unique Traits | Useful for when the enemy is dazed or stuck in something, but easily blocked, reflected, or dodged otherwise. |
| Lv | L< | Walking Death | Another combo the player will have a hard time dodging, and even recovering if it hits right. |
| R< | Rv | Dual Poke | Avoidable, but causes good damage if hit right. Also freezes the enemy if Crazy gets in the third hit. |
| Z^ | Z^, Z>, Z< | Twin Grab | Somewhat avoidable, but still useful. |
SSBB
A hacker (Y.S) made a code using USBGecko program that allows you to use 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, some glitches, and some attacks cannot be used. Available commands: [A] [A^] [Av] [A<] [A>] [B ] [B^] [Bv] [B<] [B>] [R] or [L]
Changes from Melee to Brawl
- Drill Attack will almost always hit the player
- At the end of the Jet Technique will end at where it started rather than stopping all the way to the other side of the stage
- Most special effects of the moves (e.g. sparkles from the Grab) has been taken out
- A new attack: a close range flick
- With Crazy Hand, during the start of the Applause attack, characters will be hit by Fan effect when in the air.
- No freeze frame from Ram either hit or miss
- Laser attack will move forth and back once
- Walk is faster
- Damage taken from Master Hand's attacks is dependent on the difficulty level
- When using his Gun attack he will never shoot more than 1 bullet
- You can't avoid the Gun attack just by ducking anymore.
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
- Ram
- Jet
- Crush
Fourth Move
- Grab
- Walk
- (Applaud)
Fifth Move
- Slap
- Poke
Trophy Info
A being tied to the link between this world, where trophies fight, and the world beyond. The meaning of his existence is unknown, as are his goals, but he seems to have obtained (and kept hidden) a power that borders on absolute. He also seems to feel a certain joy in challenging chosen warriors who've claimed many victories. He waits even now in Final Destination.
Trivia
- Master Hand's interactions with Tabuu in the Subspace Emissary has created some debate over his true nature, especially whether or not he can be "killed".
- Master Hand's entrance laugh strongly resembles a stereotypical "evil villain" laugh.
- Master Hand appears as a boss with Crazy Hand in "Kirby and the Amazing Mirror." He is also a mini boss by himself, when, if swallowed, will give Kirby the Smash ability, which gives Kirby his Super Smash Bros. Melee moveset.
- Master Hand's moveset resembles that of Wham Bam Rock from Kirby Super Star.
- A hand appears in the opening video of Melee throwing Mario's trophy; however, this hand was not gloved. It is unknown if this is intended to be the ungloved Master Hand.
- Master Hand stars in the original SSB opening as he sets up the stage and characters. He is the first Smash character ever seen.
- The voice actor of the Announcer, regardless of which Smash Bros. game, also voices Master Hand, as well as Crazy Hand in Melee and Brawl. This could lead to that believe Master Hand IS the announcer and he is the one who sets up battles, as seen in the original Super Smash Bros. opening. In character selection, a different coloured hand looking similar to him is the cursor for each player.
- Crazy Hand and Master Hand are the only boss characters that remain on their starting sides after an attack, Crazy remains on the left while Master remains on the right.
See also
 Bosses 
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|---|---|
Introduced in
|
Master Hand · Metal Mario · Giant Donkey Kong |
Introduced in
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Crazy Hand · Giga Bowser · Metal Bros. |
Introduced in
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Petey Piranha · Rayquaza · Porky Statue / Porky Minch · Galleom · Ridley · Duon · Meta Ridley · Tabuu |
Introduced in
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Master Core |
Introduced in
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Rathalos · Ganon · Dracula · Marx · Galeem · Dharkon |
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