Meta Knight (SSB4)

Meta Knight in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Kirby
Other playable appearance	in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Galaxia Darkness
Tier	A (10)

Meta Knight (メタナイト, Meta Knight) is a playable veteran character in Super Smash Bros. 4. He was revealed on August 13th, 2014, being teased before hand on the 11th.

Atsushi Kisaichi and Eric Newsome both reprise their role in Japanese and English respectively as the voice of Meta Knight, albeit using the same voice clips from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Attributes

Meta Knight is an unusual character. He has multiple double jumps, but unlike most other characters who share this trait, Meta Knight's mobility is quick overall. He boasts an above average walking speed, a fast dashing speed, below average air speed and average air acceleration. He is small, being slightly larger than Kirby, and is the 8th lightest character; despite these two attributes, he has the 9th highest gravity and an unusually high falling speed. As such, Meta Knight's mobility is the most well-balanced among characters of his archetype.

Meta Knight's most valued strength is his frame data. Along with Sheik, almost all of his attacks have little delay, either in terms of startup, ending lag, or both. In fact, all but four of his moves have fewer than 10 frames of start-up, and their generally low ending lag is quite unusual for a sword fighter. Though his overall reach is average, his sword, Galaxia, gives him a usefully disjointed range, especially in relation to his size, as he is the only small character who wields a sword. These factors make him difficult to punish, and in turn allow him to pressure his opponents.

Combined with his mobility, the above strengths provide Meta Knight with several safe options in the neutral game. His dash attack is a reliable approach option thanks to its low ending lag, disjointed range, and the speed boost it grants. His dash grab covers a long distance, making it relatively hard to punish. Down aerial is one of the fastest of its kind, and he can use it to deter opponents and pressure them. Due to its deceptively low ending lag, forward smash is a good spacing tool. His out of shield options are also a defining part of his neutral game. He has fast, long-distanced rolls, and his down aerial and Shuttle Loop are quick, and the latter's power makes it deadly against opponents who land punishable moves on his shield. He can also opt for a grab, which gives him the opportunity to start combos and rack up heavy damage.

With five midair jumps and a special moveset full of recovery options, Meta Knight has an outstanding recovery. Drill Rush can be used as a horizontal recovery, and can be angled. Shuttle Loop grants a high amount of vertical distance, and a fully controllable amount of horizontal distance. Dimensional Cape makes Meta Knight invisible, and allows him to move in any direction, making it the most unpredictable move in his arsenal and a good one for mindgames. His recovery, when combined with his quick and disjointed aerial attacks, contributes to a deadly offstage game.

Meta Knight possesses a formidable combo game. His dash attack and down throw can easily start combos, and both can link into an up tilt, up smash, any aerial, Mach Tornado and Shuttle Loop. Both of these moves are infamous for leading into a series of up aerials, which can then lead into a high-altitude Shuttle Loop, instantly KOing the opponent. Alternatively, Mach Tornado can be used, with this combo variation being known as "the Rufio", originating from Brawl. His back aerial uses the autolink angle, allowing Meta Knight to drag opponents to the ground and jab reset with his down tilt. With proper mastery of his combos, he can potentially zero-death his foes.

Finally, Meta Knight has numerous KOing options for his weight class. His forward and up smashes have long range; the former is his strongest finisher, and is very safe due to its low ending lag, while the latter has minimal start-up and acceptable power. His most reliable KO move, Shuttle Loop, boasts speed, power, and incredible range, and is his main combo finisher. Dimensional Cape is strong and covers distance quickly, allowing him to punish laggy attacks from afar. Furthermore, Meta Knight's edge-guarding game is among the most feared, along with his ability to gimp his foes. His neutral and back aerials have long-lasting hitboxes and deal high knockback. Forward aerial has long range, a favorable launch angle, and decent power, and down aerial is the fastest semi-spike in the game. Due to these moves' low start-up and ending lag, Meta Knight can perform variations of the Wall of Pain, and his recovery ensures his safety.

However, Meta Knight has notable weaknesses. While he can safely pressure his foes with his moves, he is overly reliant on his dash attack and grab to start his combos. Ironically for his archetype, he suffers from a comparatively limited aerial approach. His aerial attacks have noticeable landing lag and short auto-cancel windows, giving them situational utility against grounded foes, aside from his down aerial. He lacks a projectile, leaving him susceptible to camping strategies from characters such as Villager. Outside of edgeguarding, Meta Knight's KO power is largely inconsistent. Shuttle Loop is highly punishable if it misses and is difficult to use without a read or set-up, and his combos related to up aerial are difficult to perform consistently. Up throw requires platforms to KO at reasonable percents, and up smash is ineffective outside of a slide or protection from above. Dimensional Cape and forward smash have high start-up, making them predictable. Lastly, down smash is one of the weakest semi-spike smash attacks in the game.

Outside of his far-reaching dash grab, the good damage output of his throws, and the great combo potential of his down throw, Meta Knight's grab game is flawed. He has average grab range, a very slow pummel, and his up and back throws cannot combo or KO reliably. His forward throw can combo even at KO percents, but it is heavily dependent on the opponent's DI, especially without a prior dash grab. Finally, despite his small size and light weight, his rather fast falling speed and the unusual shape of his hurtbox leave him surprisingly susceptible to combos, especially against Sheik and Zero Suit Samus. At the same time, his endurance is poor, for his low weight and high gravity greatly hinder his ability to survive strong hits.

Meta Knight can gain some benefits from custom moves. Entangling Tornado draws opponents in and deals more knockback, but also much more start-up, much less damage, and cannot be controlled as easily. Dreadful Tornado hits much harder, but cannot stall in the air, and is slower. High-Speed Drill is faster and moves further, but cannot be aimed and has less power. Shieldbreaker Drill can break shields very reliably, but cannot be used to attack or recover effectively. Lazy Shuttle Loop hits even harder and gives much more distance than the default, but only hits once, making it difficult to hit the opponent. Shield Piercer is unblockable and moves further, but is weaker. However, the advantages granted are much more situational overall and sacrifice the versatility of the originals, meaning that none of his options are especially attractive.

Overall, Meta Knight's advantages in combat greatly outshine his flaws, and he can be a terror when used in the right hands, as demonstrated by smashers such as Leo. However, he has a high learning curve, as his most notable combos require precise spacing and timing to pull off consistently. He also requires patience in the neutral game, as his predictable approach forces him to adopt a "bait-and-punish" playstyle. At the same time, once he finds an opening, Meta Knight must make the most of his conversion with his extensive combo game and strong edgeguarding. As such, he is a typical "high-risk, high reward" character.

Changes from Brawl

Meta Knight was infamous for being by far the best character in Brawl, to the point of being considered by many as broken due to possessing numerous and extreme advantages that ranked him first in the Brawl tier list, placing him in his own tier category. As a result, Meta Knight was nerfed immensely in the transition to SSB4, with his overwhelming advantages having been removed or toned down.

His attack speed, though still very quick, has been decreased, with his up aerial no longer being among the fastest moves. All of his tilts and aerials deal less damage, especially his neutral aerial, which can no longer hit twice. His range, while good overall, has been noticeably shortened, which is clearly seen in his forward and down tilts, and many of his moves, especially his aerials, have shorter hitbox durations, with several having their durations shortened to a single frame. Though his combo ability has been largely untouched, the same cannot be said about his neutral game. His shortened range, the loss of transcendent priority on his attacks, the increased ending lag on Mach Tornado and his aerials, and the removal of gliding have crippled his neutral game. He is now more susceptible to camping and zoning, and the lack of a projectile impedes him more than it did in Brawl.

Also, aside from the changes to hitstun, Meta Knight does not seem to benefit from universal gameplay changes as much as many other characters. The rage mechanic leaves him even more susceptible to relatively early KOs, and his poor endurance prevents him from taking full advantage of it, while it hinders his combo ability. Though his edge-guard game continues to be deadly, the new ledge mechanics force him to edge-guard more aggressively despite his shortened recovery, and the removal of edge-hogging provides no major benefit, since his recovery is sufficient regardless of such changes.

Meta Knight has received several buffs, mostly to knockback. His forward smash, up smash, Dimensional Cape and back aerial are considerably more powerful. His improved onstage KO power complements his still-effective edge-guarding. His excellent ground mobility is now coupled with improved aerial mobility, as his air speed is much faster, no longer being the third slowest. His multi-hit moves, particularly Mach Tornado, also benefit from the weakening of SDI. The removal of hitstun cancelling benefits his grab game, as his forward throw and especially down throw are more reliable combo-starters, and the latter has become much more integral to his combo game. While these buffs are indeed helpful, they do not nearly compensate for the loss of his overwhelming strengths from Brawl, making him one of the few characters to have been truly nerfed in the transition to SSB4.

Meta Knight has received more buffs over time via game updates, making him stronger, but still balanced compared to the other fighters. As the metagame has continued to evolve, Meta Knight's position has also improved considerably, with players such as Leo and Tyrant achieving notable tournament success with him, with the most notable being Leo's victory at Smash Factor 4. Though he is still generally underutilized in low- and mid-level play due to the prevalence of his nerfs and his learning curve, he is one of the most successful characters in high-level play, with Abadango and Leo being among the top players in their regions and worldwide. Therefore, despite the severity of his nerfs, he is still regarded as one of the best characters in the game.

Aesthetics

• Visually, Meta Knight and his sabatons are now more brightly-colored. He now wears silver mitten gauntlets over his gloves, and numerous small battle damage details - such as scratches and nicks - have been added to his armor. Additionally, the top corners of his mask opening are more pointed, with the sides curving inward instead of being straight.
• Meta Knight's eyes do not move as much as they did in Brawl. This is especially noticeable when comparing the charging animations for his down smash and his idle poses between both games.
• Meta Knight has new animations for shielding, sidestepping, and rolling where he wraps himself in his cape.
• Meta Knight's sword trails are visually more vibrant, being an intense yellow and blue trail compared to Brawl's, where his Galaxia's trail was light enough to the point of being white.
• Sound-wise, Meta Knight's sword swings sound less "sharp" and are noticeably less noisy than his attacks in Brawl. All his sword attacks now make softer, muted sounds of his Brawl sword swings, which is most obvious when comparing the sounds of Mach Tornado in Brawl and SSB4.

Attributes

• Meta Knight is slightly heavier (79 → 80), improving his endurance but making him easier to combo.
• Meta Knight falls significantly faster (1.39 → 1.66), having gone from average falling speed in Brawl to the 13th fastest, making him more susceptible to combos but improving his vertical endurance.
• Meta Knight dashes slightly faster (1.847 → 1.9).
• Meta Knight walks slightly slower (1.22 → 1.18).
• Meta Knight's air speed is much faster (0.752 → 0.99), no longer being tied for the third worst, now being slightly below-average.
• Meta Knight's already high gravity has been moderately increased (0.0956 → 0.11), worsening his vertical endurance and making him more vulnerable to combos.
• Meta Knight's rolls provide more intangibility frames (forward: 5-12 → 4-15, back: 4-12 → 4-15), and his back roll has less ending lag (total frames: 33 → 27).
• Meta Knight's forward roll has more ending lag (total frames: 23 → 27), now matching his back roll, and is no longer the fastest roll in the game.
• Meta Knight's soft landing is one frame faster (3 frames → 2 frames).
• With the removal of gliding in SSB4, Meta Knight's recovery is shorter.
• Most of Meta Knight's attacks have decreased range and hitbox durations.
• Meta Knight's attacks no longer have transcendent priority, which makes it harder for him to string combos together, and limits his approach options.
• The nerf to SDI benefits Meta Knight significantly, as he has several multi-hit moves that were easily escapable before, most notably his neutral attack, Mach Tornado, and Drill Rush.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack links into a finisher, where he performs an uppercut-somersaulting slash (a possible nod to the Sword ability's Uppercut from Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra; the latter has it named as "Meta Upper" for Meta Knight).
• Neutral attack's hits only connect in front of Meta Knight instead of both sides. Additionally, while other characters with a rapid jab can just forgo using it to avoid the finisher's ending lag, Meta Knight is forced to use the finisher every time he uses his rapid jab (unless he is pushed backwards and off an edge by hitting a foe repeatedly with it), leaving himself more open to punishes if he whiffs his jab.
• Each rapid hit of neutral attack deals consistent 1.2% damage, instead of 1% to 2% damage.
• Dash attack is slightly disjointed and deals more knockback (40 base/88 growth → 70 base/90 growth).
• Dash attack deals less damage (6%/7%/8% → 5%/6%). It also has increased start-up and a shorter hitbox duration (frame 5-11 → 7-11), and slightly more ending lag (IASA frame 31 → 32).
• Forward tilt has reduced ending lag (hit 1: 19 → 18 frames, hit 2: 30 → 24 frames, hit 3: 30 → 27 frames), and the final hit deals more knockback (50 base/113 growth → 80 base/107 growth). All three hits can now properly link together at very high percentages.
• Forward tilt's first two hits have reduced range (5.0/5.0 → 3.5/3.5) , and the move has increased start-up (frame 3 → 6), and decreased damage potential (11%/12% → 8%). Each hit lasts for only one frame, instead of two.
• Forward tilt has a different launch angle (65° → Sakurai Angle). This gives it small KO and edge-guarding ability, but removes its follow-up potential.
• Up tilt deals less damage (6%/7%/8% → 5%/6%/7%), has decreased hitbox duration (frame 8-18 → 8-14), and the sweetspot is much weaker (35 base/130 growth → 60 base/90 growth).
• Down tilt has increased ending lag (IASA frame 16 → 19), reduced range (4.0 → 3.2), and doesn't move forward as much, being less effective for pseudo-crawling. Due to the changes to locks, down tilt can no longer lock opponents indefinitely.
• Down tilt now deals consistent damage throughout instead of having a sweetspot at Meta Knight's body and a sourspot at the tip, now consistently dealing 5% and knockback rather than 4% (tip), 5% (center), 6% (base) and 7% (body).
• Down tilt strangely shrinks Meta Knight's sword.
• All smash attacks have shorter hitbox durations (forward smash: frame 24-25 → 24, up smash: frame 8-9, 12-13, 17-18 → 8, 12, 17, down smash: frame 5-6, 10-11 → 4, 9).
• Forward smash is moderately stronger, with increased damage (14% → 16%) and knockback (28 base/99 growth → 30 base/108/98 growth).
• Forward smash's animation altered where Meta Knight slashes more outward with more recovery lag.
• Up smash's last hit is stronger (62 base/145 growth → 65 base/166 growth), and the move connects more reliably.
• Up smash's animation is slightly altered: Meta Knight does three fan-like swings above him, the final swing making him do a full spin in the air before landing.
• Meta Knight only vocalizes after his forward and up smashes have been executed. While this seems cosmetic at first, it can generally make them less predictable.
• Both hits of down smash come out one frame earlier (hit 1: 5 → 4, hit 2: 10 → 9), and the move is now a semi-spike, being useful for setting up edge-guards.
• Both hits of down smash have shorter range (5.5 → 4.5), and deal less damage (11%/13% → 7%/10%) without any proper compensation on their knockback (hit 1: 50 base/93 growth → 32 base/93 growth, hit 2: 50 base/90 growth → 32 base/93 growth) making them far weaker. It also has increased ending lag (frame 34 → 38).
• Down smash has a new animation, where Meta Knight slashes inward around himself in a single spin, and he uses a new voice clip for it which was previously a Sound Test-only clip in Brawl.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials (except neutral aerial's late hit) deal less damage (neutral aerial: 19% → 10% (no longer hits twice), forward aerial: 10% → 7.4%/6%, back aerial: 10% → 8.4%/7%, up aerial: 6% → 5%, down aerial: 7%/9% → 6%), though knockback has been compensated on all moves except up aerial.
• All aerials have decreased interruptibility (neutral aerial: frame 32 → 44, forward aerial: frame 39 → 46, back aerial: frame 46 → 52, up aerial: frame 13 → 27, down aerial: frame 26 → 28). In particular, up aerial can only be performed once in a short-hop, down from three.
• All aerials have increased landing lag (neutral aerial: 15 → 16, forward aerial: 15 → 20, back aerial: 12 → 18, up aerial: 12 → 18, down aerial: 15 → 22).
• All aerials have worse auto-cancel frames (neutral aerial: frame 25 → 40, forward aerial: frame 21 → 44, back aerial: frame 33 → 40, up aerial: frame 21 → 24, down aerial: frame 24 → 26). Combined with Meta Knight's increased falling speed, neutral, forward, and back aerials no longer auto-cancel in a short-hop.
• Except for back aerial, all aerials have shorter hitbox durations (neutral aerial: frame 3-24 → 6-20, forward aerial: frame 6-7, 10-11, 13-14 → 9, 12, 15, up aerial: frame 2-3 → 6, down aerial: frame 4-5 → 4).
• Neutral aerial (frame 3 → 6), forward aerial (frame 6 → 9) and up aerial (frame 2 → 6) are slower.
• Neutral aerial (8.0 → 7.0), up aerial (5.5 → 3.5), down aerial (5.4 → 3.5), and back aerial have shorter range.
• Neutral aerial is overall stronger, with all hitboxes having increased and consistent base knockback (30 (clean)/20 (late) → 40 (clean)/40 (late)), and the late hit deals more damage (5%/6%/7% → 7.5%).
• Neutral aerial's animation has been altered: rather than somersaulting forward while holding his sword above him, Meta Knight spins on his sides in a cartwheeling motion with his sword pointing above him.
• Forward aerial has longer range (3.5/4.5/5.0 → 4.0/4.5/6.5). Its final hit has higher knockback growth (122 → 140) and uses a different trajectory (Sakurai Angle/50° → 48°). Along with Meta Knight's faster air speed, these changes arguably make it more effective in a Wall of Pain.
• Forward aerial's final hit has increased hitlag (1.0x → 2.0x), making it safer on shield, but also allowing more time to DI.
• Forward aerial is now properly affected by stale-move negation.
• Back aerial has much more growth (175 → 212). Aerial opponents will also get sent at the autolink angle, sending them downward if it connects while Meta Knight is falling, allowing it to setup combos and be used as a surprise attack, and it can be used gimp opponents with poor vertical recoveries.
• Up aerial is weaker (40 base/ 125 growth → 30 base/128 growth), allowing it to combo up to higher percents, which more than compensates for the loss of its limited KOing potential.
• All hitboxes of down aerial deal consistent knockback (15/30 base, 105/105 growth → 30/30 base, 108/108 growth), with an overall increase in knockback, and the sweetspot now takes priority over the sourspot.
• As the sweestpot of down aerial deals 1% less damage, it is overall slightly weaker despite its increased growth. Down aerial sends opponents at a higher trajectory (sweestpot 23° → 35°, sourspot 35° → 50°), meaning only the sweetspot is a semi-spike, slightly hurting the move's edge-guarding utility.

Throws/other attacks

• All grabs have increased start-up (standing: frame 7→ 8, dash: frame 8 → 9, pivot: frame 8 → 9) and ending lag (standing: frame 29 → 32, dash: frame 39 → 40, pivot: frame 34 → 38).
• Up throw has a hitbox during the landing proportion for non-grabbed opponents that deals massive knockback, capable of KOing below 100%, giving it much more utility in doubles.
• Up throw deals 2% less damage (12% → 10%), though its knockback has been compensated.
• The removal of hitstun cancelling significantly benefits both forward and down throws, with followups possible all the way into KO percents depending on DI, particularly with Shuttle Loop.
• Down throw deals less damage (11% → 7.5%) and has much more knockback growth (110 → 170), making it less reliable for follow-ups at high percents.

Special moves

• Mach Tornado is now significantly more difficult to SDI out of due to SDIing becoming less effective. Its final hit additionally has increased base knockback (35 → 55).
• Mach Tornado lasts for a slightly shorter amount of time and has increased landing lag. It has worse hitbox placements and sizes, making it easier to intercept. In addition, Mach Tornado grants less vertical distance, has increased aerial ending lag and can no longer edge sweetspot at all, ruining its recovery potential.
• Mach Tornado has new special effects that no longer completely cover Meta Knight from sight.
• Drill Rush connects more reliably and has much stronger knockback (30 base/100 growth → 40 base/200 growth). The small jump at the end of the move also goes much farther when it connects with an object, making it better for avoiding counterattacks.
• Drill Rush has more startup lag and cannot allow a small jump at the end unless the last attack connects with a solid object (such as an opponent, a wall or a floor), slightly shortening its recovery distance.
• Shuttle Loop now has a second damaging upward loop, dealing overall more damage (9% → 12% (aerial)/15% (grounded)), with drastically increased knockback growth (130 (grounded)/118 (aerial)). The aerial version has slightly less start-up (frame 8 → 7), and deals vertical knockback, making it a more potent onstage KO option. It also significantly benefits Meta Knight's vertical recovery even further..
• Shuttle Loop has far less base knockback (90 → 55), and the aerial version is no longer a semi-spike, removing the attack's edge-guarding utility. The grounded version has also lost its invincibility frames on start-up. Shuttle Loop no longer transitions into a glide, and now immediately puts Meta Knight into his helpless animation once the move ends. Additionally, its now two-hit nature and increased hitlag make it easier to DI properly.
• Dimensional Cape has higher damage potential (14% → 14%/15%/16%) and deals much more knockback, now being one of his few reliable KO moves. It also has increased invincibility frames (18-26 → 12-39 (non-attack), 12-28 (attack)).
• Meta Knight can no longer preform the Infinite Dimensional Cape glitch.
• Galaxia Darkness no longer attacks Meta Knight's teammates if Team Attack is turned off.

Update History

Meta Knight has been notably buffed so far via game updates. In updates 1.0.4 and 1.0.8, his damage output, knockback, range and attack speed were all improved. Version 1.1.0 reduced the sword trails on his moves to match his attacks' hitboxes, making him much more consistent. The specific buffs to his jab, forward tilt, and neutral aerial have given him more options with which to relieve pressure, and the increased power on his neutral and back aerials has enhanced his KOing and edge-guarding abilities. While these buffs do not make him nearly as potent as he was in Brawl, they are still helpful additions that have over time allowed him to recoup some of his initial lost offensive capability. Furthermore, Meta Knight has achieved notable tournament success thanks to these buffs. Even though the dominating presence he had in Brawl is now gone, Meta Knight is still viewed as a viable character.

Version 1.1.1's changes to shield mechanics are a double-edged sword for Meta Knight: while many of his attacks are safer due to their high hitlag modifiers, the increased shield-stun weakens his out of shield options, and this is made worse by his heavy reliance on his shield. Thus, his powerful punishing game is slightly held back by the changes. One of his custom moves, Shieldbreaker Drill, benefits from the changes.

1.0.4

• Neutral aerial deals 10% damage sweetspotted and 7.5% sourspotted instead of 7% sweetspotted and 5% sourspotted.
• Dimensional Cape now sends opponents in a more horizontal angle and it can KO sooner.
• Back aerial's final hit deals much more knockback (180 → 212 growth), and the second hit uses the autolink angle.
• Forward throw now deals 9% damage to all opponents instead of only dealing 3% to most opponents.
• Back throw deals slightly more knockback.
• The hitboxes of up aerial and down aerial are 12% and 44% farther from Meta Knight, respectively.
• The sword trails of up aerial and down aerial attacks match the hitboxes better.
• The second hit of forward aerial is no longer the autolink angle, meaning it can't be used to drag opponents downward.

1.0.6

• Screen shakes slightly more violently when using down throw.
• Dimensional Cape: Landing lag glitch has been fixed.

1.0.8

• Neutral attack signifcantly improved. It deals .2% more damage, has reduced ending lag by 12 frames, the hitboxes split to cover more area, it's harder to SDI out of, has reduced knockback scaling, and has a significantly bigger hitbox.
• Forward tilt's final hit deals 1% more damage and has its ending lag was reduced by 10 frames.
• Forward tilt's final hit sends opponents at an different angle, while this does give it KO potential at the edge around 150%, it makes it harder to start combos with.
• Neutral aerial's landing lag has been reduced by 4.

Technical changelist 1.0.8

Change	Old value	New value
Neutral attack damage	1%	1.2%
Neutral attack knockback scaling	40	30
Neutral attack's final hitbox size	5.7	8
Forward tilt's final hit damage	3%	4%
Forward tilt's final hit launch angle	65°	Sakurai angle
Neutral aerial's landing lag	20	16

1.1.0

• Meta Knight's sword trail visuals have been adjusted to better match the hitboxes. This means most attacks will no longer whiff when they should hit, significantly improving his accuracy.
• Up tilt's initial frame hitbox now centered on body for 1 frame before reverting.

1.1.1

• Lazy Shuttle Loop final hitbox size increased 7.0 → 7.2 and the hitbox duration is increased by 2 frames.

Moveset

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack		Flurry Attack	1.2% each hit	Executes a lightning-fast series of slashes, ending with Meta Knight doing a somersault while doing a swift uppercut with Galaxia. The only neutral attack in the game that consists solely of a rapid jab. This, however, makes it punishable if missed. Surprisingly one of Meta Knight's more reliable damage rackers, able to consistently deal around 10% to 15%.
			2% last hit
Forward tilt			2%	Slashes twice in front of him, then once upwards, with the last hit dealing horizontal knockback. Only pressing the attack button once will cause Meta Knight to perform only the first hit; pressing it twice more makes him slash the second and third times. Resembles a jab, and is safer to use than Meta Knight's actual jab, though fairly less rewarding. Good for clearing space, due to its quick start-up and fairly long reach, though the last hit has some ending lag. At high percents, the first hit can jab cancel into Shuttle Loop for a KO.
			2%
			4%
Up tilt		Up Thrust	7% (sweet), 5% (sour)	Stabs upward while spinning. Moderate vertical knockback. Quick start-up and ending lag, and long vertical reach. Sweetspot is at the tip of the sword (similar to Marth's tipper sweetspots). Also has decent combo potential, though it can be tricky to land. Can lead into an up aerial or neutral aerial, or even another up tilt if done on a grounded foe.
Down tilt			5%	Thrusts Galaxia across the ground. For some reason, this move shortens the length of Meta Knight's sword until it is complete. Very fast, hitting on frame 3, and has low ending lag. Can trip opponents at low percentages, setting up a grab or dash attack. A safe, albeit short-ranged move, and a good combo starter. It also moves him a tiny distance along the ground when used.
Dash attack			6% (clean), 5% (late)	Does a running kick with vertical knockback. A reliable approach option due to the move's slightly disjointed hitbox, favorable trajectory and low ending lag, allowing Meta Knight to get in to start combos or interrupt approaches. At low- to mid-percents, it combos reliably into up tilt, up smash, any aerial, and Mach Tornado, and can often lead into Shuttle Loop for a KO. His only non-throw attack that does not use his sword.
Forward smash			16%	Pulls Galaxia back for a moment, and then slashes in front of him. Meta Knight's strongest move in terms of knockback, KOing at around 100% from the center of Final Destination and around 75% near the ledge. Some start-up, but very little ending lag and good reach, making it hard to punish. However, it has an extremely short hitbox duration.
Up smash			3% (1st hit), 2% (2nd hit), 4% (3rd hit)	Slashes above him three times and then holds his sword. Low damage, but decent knockback, along with very quick start-up, hitting on frame 8, moderate ending lag, and a large hitbox, making it an effective anti-air. KOs starting at around 120%. Can combo into Shuttle Loop at low percents.
Down smash			7% (front), 10% (back)	Spins in a circle with his sword across the ground. Significantly weaker than in Brawl, front hit cannot KO until 150% near the ledge, and back hit KOs at around 110% near the ledge. It is useful for clearing space and possibly catching foes offguard. Its semi-spike angle is also useful for putting opponents offstage. Startup-wise, this is the fastest smash attack in the game, with its first hit coming out on frame 4.
Neutral aerial		Sword Spin	10% (clean), 7.5% (late)	Slashes while spinning in a cartwheeling motion, similar to Kirby's and Pikachu's neutral aerials. Has sex kick properties. Effective at edge-guarding and escaping pressure due to its quick startup, hitting on frame 6, and KO's at around 100% offstage when clean. Auto-cancels when done at the beginning of a full-hop, but has low ending and landing lag otherwise. Resembles the Sword ability's midair slash from the Kirby games.
Forward aerial			2.2% (hits 1-2 for opponents on the ground), 1.5% (hits 1-2 for opponents in the air), 3% (hit 3)	Slashes in front of him three times. His slowest aerial, hitting on frame 9, but a fast move nonetheless. Very short duration, especially for a multi-hit move. A decent move for combos and edgeguarding, and can be used in a wall of pain due to its relatively low launch angle. Has low ending lag, but noticeable landing lag. Auto-cancels in a full-hop.
Back aerial			2.2% (hits 1-2 for opponents on the ground), 1.5% (hits 1-2 for opponents in the air), 4% (hit 3)	Like his forward aerial, but behind him and more slowly, and its duration makes it relatively easy to hit with. Great for edgeguarding, thanks to its quick start-up, hitting on frame 7, and deceptive knockback, being his strongest aerial, KOing at about 90% offstage. Low ending lag, but moderate landing lag. Auto-cancels in a full-hop. Both hits use the autolink angle on aerial opponents, meaning that it can be used to floor opponents and jab reset them with down tilt.
Up aerial			5%	Slashes very quickly in an arc above him. Hits on frame 6, has low ending lag and deceptive reach, but its hitbox lasts for only one frame. Weak knockback, and along with the previous traits and Meta Knight's jumps, it has superb combo potential. At a variety of percents, it combos into any aerial including itself, Mach Tornado, and Shuttle Loop. Most notably, until medium percents, it combos reliably into itself up to five times (or six on fastfallers) and can potentially lead into a high-altitude Shuttle Loop for an early KO. Moderate landing lag, but auto-cancels in a short-hop, though it cannot hit most grounded opponents.
Down aerial			6%	Slashes very quickly in an arc below him. Hits on frame 4, and has low ending lag, though its hitbox lasts for a single frame. Sends the opponent on a semi-spike trajectory, making it quite deadly offstage, especially against opponents with poor horizontal recovery. Can also be used to pressure grounded foes. Auto-cancels in a short-hop, but has high landing lag otherwise.
Grab			—	Reaches out. His standing grab has average range. Dash grab gives him a boost forwards, letting it cover a lot of ground.
Pummel			3%	Jabs opponents with the talons on his wings. A slow pummel.
Forward throw			6% (hit 1), 3% (throw)	Flip kicks the opponent in front of him. A very fast throw, giving a small window to DI. Depending on DI, it can link into dash attack, up smash, and any aerial from low to mid-percents, and potentially into Shuttle Loop for a deadly KO combo.
Back throw			7% (hit 1), 3% (throw)	Lays down the opponent behind him, warps, and slashes his/her back. Moderately high knockback, KOing at roughly 170% at the ledge. Good for putting opponents off-stage. At very low percents, it can combo into a dash attack or start a tech-chase. At higher percents, it can lead into forward aerial or Shuttle Loop if DI'ed poorly.
Up throw		Air Drop	10% (thrown opponent), 7% (other opponents hit by the throw)	Like Kirby's up throw: jumps extremely high into the air holding his foe, and then crashes down. Other opponents who are hit by the throw are dealt very high knockback, KOing below 100%. KO's thrown opponent at around 160%, but is much more effective with the aid of platforms, especially with rage due to its high base knockback. Can link into Shuttle Loop if DI'ed poorly.
Down throw		Fury Stomp	0.5% (hits 1-9), 1% (hit 10), 2% (throw)	Like Kirby's down throw, but slower: stomps on the opponent multiple times, then ends by fall-crush-stomping down on them. Excellent combo potential. Can lead into dash attack, up smash, any aerial, and Mach Tornado from low- to mid-percents, and sometimes into Shuttle Loop for a KO at high percentages.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Slashes on either side of himself.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Slashes on either side of himself.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%
Edge attack Edge getups			7%	Slashes with blade.
Neutral special	Default	Mach Tornado	1% (multiple hits), 3% (last hit)	Spins at high speed, trapping foes in a tornado. Mashing the button increases the move's duration and makes Meta Knight rise slightly; he can also move left and right. Deals roughly 22% damage if the entire move hits, aiding Meta Knight's otherwise low damage output. The last hit can KO near the upper blast line, but this is dangerous to attempt since the move leaves Meta Knight helpless. However, if the move ends at about full-hop height, Meta Knight will suffer from almost no lag after landing.
	Custom 1	Entangling Tornado	9%	Pulls enemies in, and then hits them straight up into the air. A little more startup lag. The more vertical knockback gives it better kill potential, but it hits only once and deals much less damage.
	Custom 2	Dreadful Tornado	1.5% (hits 1-5), 6% (last hit)	More damage per hit and much stronger knockback than Mach Tornado, but the amount of spins cannot be increased, reducing its maximum damage potential. KOs around 135%.
Side special	Default	Drill Rush	1% (hits 1-8), 3% (last hit)	Flies forward while spinning in a drill motion with Galaxia outstretched, hitting multiple times. Meta Knight will bounce backwards a bit if he connects with the last hit or flies into terrain. He can also change the course of the attack, allowing it to be used as a recovery.
	Custom 1	High-Speed Drill	0.8% (hits 1-7), 3% (last hit)	Faster than Drill Rush, but the angle can't be changed. Makes for a quick horizontal recovery, though at the cost of the default version's good diagonal recovery.
	Custom 2	Shieldbreaker Drill	1% (hits 1-9), 2% (last hit)	A Drill Rush designed to break shields. Attack power and distance are reduced.
Up special	Default	Shuttle Loop	9% (1st hit on the ground) or 6% (first hit in the air), 6% (last hit)	Flies in a swift loop, striking with Galaxia, and then goes into a second loop and strikes powerfully. This move offers great vertical recovery and protection. It has high speed, hitting on frame 7 or 8 when aerial or grounded respectively, excellent range, high base knockback, and very high knockback growth. With these traits and several set-ups, it is considered to be Meta Knight's most reliable KO move, KOing as early as 60% when done near the upper blast line. The grounded version, though slightly slower, deals more damage and knockback, KOing at about 120%. A powerful out-of-shield option. However, it is highly punishable if whiffed, as it leaves him helpless.
	Custom 1	Blade Coaster	8% (1st hit on the ground) or 5% (first hit in the air), 5% (2nd hit)	Flies forward instead of up. Enemies hit will be launched at a lower angle, which can be deadly near the side blast lines, but on a typical stage this cannot be fully exploited without self-destructing.
	Custom 2	Lazy Shuttle Loop	9% (clean), 6% (late)	Does a larger, slower loop that doesn't inflict damage, and then strikes hard while rising quickly. Less damage potential, but its larger range slightly improves vertical recovery.
Down special	Default	Dimensional Cape	15% (stationary slash on the ground); 14% (retreating slash); 16% (advancing slash and stationary slash in the air.)	Teleports in a direction, controllable with the Control Stick. If the attack button is pressed or the special button is held, he will perform a very powerful slash that can KO at about 100% near the edge. Meta Knight will slash differently depending on the direction the control stick is held and the direction he is facing. Great anti-edgeguarding move, and can be used to punish laggy attacks from a distance. Can be used for edge-stealing.
	Custom 1	Shield Piercer	1%, 8% (neutral slash on the ground); 1%, 7% (retreating slash); 1%, 9% (advancing slash and neutral slash in the air.)	The attack penetrates shields but is less powerful. Less horizontal distance than the default, but a bit more vertical distance.
	Custom 2	Stealth Smasher	16% (neutral slash on the ground); 15% (retreating slash); 17% (advancing slash and neutral slash in the air)	Longer travel distance (about half the length of Final Destination), but Meta Knight is vulnerable while moving. The attack deals more knockback, about the same as his uncharged forward smash, and KOs at around 100% from the middle of the stage.
Final Smash		Galaxia Darkness	40% to trapped opponents, 10% to others	Swings his cape out directly in front of him while shouting "Know my power!" or "Behold....". If he misses with his cape, Meta Knight pauses for a brief time, and the Final Smash fails. When it connects, characters nearby become trapped, the screen then darkens to black, and after a few seconds, a large, single slash appears near Meta Knight, as he then slices the trapped opponents with one, powerful strike. Characters who are trapped by Meta Knight's cape always receive high, upwards knockback that can KO above 50%, with super armor ignored. Any opponents who are not trapped are also attacked, but instead take reduced damage and weak, upwards knockback. The weaker slash part of Galaxia Darkness can be avoided by dodging with correct timing.

On-screen appearance

• Warps in with his cape.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Wraps himself in his cape, as if he's about to teleport, while scoffing. This is similar to his on-screen appearance.
• Side taunt: Says "Fight me!" while examining his sword, slashing twice, and finally pointing his sword in front of him.
• Down taunt: Spreads his wings while shouting "Come!". If he is facing left, he will perform the taunt facing the background instead, similar to how characters in Smash 64 did.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Quickly and subtly swings Galaxia.
• Pull his cape in front of himself and then throws it back.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Me-ta Knight!	Me-ta Knight!
Pitch	Group chant	Group chant

Victory poses

This article or section is incomplete. You can help SmashWiki by expanding or finishing it. The editor who added this tag elaborates: Japanese victory quotes with translations

A rock-based remix directly from Brawl. It is a remix of the short recurring theme that plays when Kirby completes a stage or defeats a boss, debuting in Kirby's Dream Land.

• Flies in from the side and flings out his cape with one arm (and keeps his hand out), saying "You have much yet to learn." A slightly modified version of one of his Brawl victory poses, where he does the same thing but brings his hand down and looks at the camera immediately after flinging his cape.
• Swings outward with Galaxia as he takes a step forward, saying "Come back when you can put up a fight." as he teleports away using the Dimensional Cape.
• Slashes with Galaxia aglow and spins it several times as he swings it to his side and poses, saying "Victory... is my destiny."

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Meta Knight	1211	1311	2211	2111	2311
	1212	1312	1121	1112	3111

Notable players

•  Abadango
•  Ito
•  Leo
•  Jbandrew
•  Katakiri
•  S2H
•  Salena
•  Lucia
•  Seibrik
•  Tyrant

Trophies

Meta Knight

Kirby's mysterious rival, this masked swordsman appears in several Kirby games. His cape transforms into wings to grant him flight. In Smash Bros., his quick sword skills and aerial agility set him apart. He can jump up to five times in a row, and he has a special move to soar higher.

A mysterious masked swordsman from the Kirby series. His cape can turn into wings, which gives him the ability to fly. His swift swordplay and ability to stay in the air give him an edge in this game. He can combine five mid-air jumps with a special move to make recovering a cinch. If you use him, try to keep battle airborne.

: Kirby's Adventure (05/1993)

: Kirby Super Star (08/1996)

Meta Knight (Alt.)

Meta Knight's Dimensional Cape lets you teleport, changing where you'll reappear with directional inputs and attacking by holding the button! His Mach Tornado special can draw in and attack multiple opponents. Rise by pressing the button repeatedly, and press left or right to move.

Meta Knight's Dimensional Cape lets you teleport. After vanishing, you can move to reappear somewhere else. You can also keep holding the button to turn it into an attack! His Mach Tornado special can mix up multiple opponents in the fray. Press the button repeatedly to rise up, and move left and right to create extra havoc.

: Kirby's Adventure (05/1993)

: Kirby Super Star (08/1996)

Galaxia Darkness

Meta Knight swings his cape to ensnare foes. Darkness falls, enveloping them in an empty void and then a giant sword slash cleaves the blackness. If the cape doesn't capture anyone, this Final Smash will fail. It has more range than you might think, though and you only have to catch one foe to deal damage to everyone!

Meta Knight swings his cape to ensnare foes. Darkness falls, enveloping them in an empty void, and then a giant sword slash cleaves the blackness. If the cape doesn't capture anyone, the Final Smash will fail. It has more range than you might think, though, and as long as it catches at least one foe, everyone will take damage!

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• MetaKnightAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Galaxia Darkness

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• All-Star Battle: Brawl: Meta Knight is one of the opponents fought in this event. All opponents are characters who debut from Brawl and returned in Super Smash Bros. 4.
• The Ultimate Swordsman: Meta Knight is one of the opponents Ike must defeat in this event. All opponents are characters who wield swords.
• Unwavering Chivalry: Meta Knight must defeat Marth without defeating Peach or Zelda.

Co-op Events

• Final Battle Team-Up: Meta Knight, in his dark alternate costume, is one of the opponents the player must defeat.
• Sky Pirates: Meta Knight and Dark Pit must defeat a team of Captain Falcon and Falco in a 1 stock battle before the plane returns to the airfield.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.
• Visiting Onett: Meta Knight is one of the opponents Ness and Villager must defeat in this event. All opponents are either space characters or characters from other planets.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Reveal image.

• 

  Meta Knight's amiibo.

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  Meta Knight as he appears in the Wii U version.

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  Meta Knight and Kirby.

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  Dimensional Cape on Mega Man.

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  Meta Knight in Final Smash standby.

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  Meta Knight slashes Samus with his back throw.

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  Drill Rush on Mario and Yoshi.

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  Meta Knight appearing with Marth and Ike.

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  Meta Knight wielding a Star Rod with Kirby wielding Palutena's Copy Ability.

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  Meta Knight as he appears in the 3DS version.

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  Meta Knight appearing in Smash Run.

Trivia

• Meta Knight was the last veteran fighter revealed before the launch of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS in Japan whereas he was the first announced newcomer for Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
• Meta Knight is the only Kirby character to not receive a new Final Smash in SSB4.
  • He is also the only Kirby character to not have a conventional meteor smash.
• Meta Knight is the only Kirby character to have recycled voice clips.
• Meta Knight is the only Kirby character to use the more subdued tripping sound generally used for "realistic" characters, despite his similar aesthetics to the other characters in his series.
• Although by default, Meta Knight performs his "Victory...is my destiny." win pose whilst facing the camera, performing the win pose after winning in a Team Battle shows him performing it with his back turned to the camera, much like he did in Brawl.
• Meta Knight, Pac-Man, Little Mac, Ryu, and Sonic are the only characters whose entirety of default special moves can aid their recoveries.
  • Additionally, as in Brawl, Meta Knight is the only character whose entire set of special moves puts him in his helpless animation.