Ike (SSB4)

Ike in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Fire Emblem
Other playable appearance	in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Great Aether
Tier	E (26)

Ike (アイク, Ike) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. His return to the series was announced in a Director's Room Miiverse post on May 23rd, 2014, the same day that Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones was released in North America in 2005. Ike is once again voiced by Jason Adkins in English versions, albeit via voice clips recycled from Brawl, and by Michihiko Hagi in the Japanese version.

Ike is ranked 26th out of 56 on the tier list, placing him in the E tier. This is an improvement from his ranking of 23rd out of 38 in Brawl and, as of the current tier list, makes him the highest ranking Fire Emblem character in the game. Ike largely retains his high power and impressive range, but now boasts improved speed in regard to overall mobility and frame data. He has also gained an effective combo game, which aids his ability to space out his opponents.

However, Ike retains his flaws from Brawl: his heavy weight renders his overall mobility as only average at best despite its improvements, his lack of fast options on the ground often leaves him vulnerable against rushdowns, combos, and projectile camping, while his recovery is still linear and easily predictable despite being long-distanced and benefiting from the new edge mechanic. He has also gained new weaknesses: his already large hurtbox is now slightly larger, several of his attacks now have decreased ranges and knockback, and his very useful jab cancel is now significantly more difficult to perform, to the point of being extremely situational at best.

Overall, Ike's buffs outweigh his nerfs and have resulted in him achieving above average tournament results, largely thanks to Ryo and San. Despite his success in competitive play, Ike's tier placement is debatable. This is due to a number of characters ranked below him, such as Mega Man, Marth, Robin and Mewtwo, having also achieved respectable tournament results and/or displaying new techniques. As a result, some players like Abadango consider him to be a low-tier character, rather than a mid-tier character.

Attributes

Ike is a heavyweight, being tied with Wario as the eighth heaviest character in SSB4, yet he is somewhat unconventional for a character of that weight class' archetype. While he possesses the archetype's signature traits of slow yet incredibly powerful attacks, slow walking speed and air acceleration, above average falling speed and gravity, and relatively low jumps, Ike boasts an average dashing speed and above average air speed.

Ike's good approach is one of his noticeable divergences from the typical heavyweight archetype, a trait shared with his fellow heavyweights Shulk and Cloud. His sword, Ragnell, grants him a very long and disjointed reach, being surpassed only by Shulk's Monado and Cloud's Buster Sword. Ike's neutral, forward, and back aerials are good approach tools, as the former has low landing lag, while the latter two deal high shieldstun due to their damage outputs and ability to auto-cancel from a short hop, making them safe on shield. His forward aerial stands out the most, however, due to its decently fast start-up, moderate landing lag if not auto-canceled, and its large area in front of Ike. Aside from being his most reliable approach option thanks to these attributes, when spaced properly, it can also make him a surprisingly difficult character to punish. Aside from granting him an effective approach, Ike's aerials' speed and range also make him capable at pressuring opponents.

Ike's strong combo game is another noticeable divergence from the heavyweight archetype. His neutral aerial, down tilt, up throw and down throw all launch opponents into the air and at favorable angles, allowing him to follow up with his aerials and thus perform short, yet impressively damaging combos. Up throw in particular is noteworthy due to its low knockback growth enabling it to lead into his forward or up aerials even at high percentages, providing him with a few invaluable KO set-ups. In addition to its aforementioned benefits, forward aerial is also a good combo tool; if auto-canceled properly, it can chain into itself up to three times at medium percentages, racking up roughly 35%. Although not as consistent as the aforementioned moves, his up tilt and back throw also have combo potential; the former can combo into his aerials at very low percentages, while the latter can combo into his dash attack at medium percentages if the opponent misses their tech.

While he has traits that make him stand out from his fellow heavyweights, he nonetheless boasts outstanding power just like they do. All of his smash attacks are among the strongest of their respective kinds, with his forward smash being noteworthy as the fifth strongest smash forward smash in the game. Both forward and up smashes have long reach, which also grants them utility against both grounded and aerial opponents. Up smash covers a wide, overhead arc around Ike and has a large amount of active frames, making it a deadly option at the ledge and a good option for punishing rolls. While these moves suffer from large amounts of start-up and ending lag, Ike is not reliant on them to KO. In addition to their aforementioned approach potentials, his forward and back aerials are quick and strong, making them safe KOing options in the neutral game, while he also has his aforementioned KO set-ups from his up throw. Ike has an effective edge-guarding game, courtesy of a number of powerful options: his long-ranged forward and back aerials, his down aerial's meteor smashing hitbox, and his neutral special, Eruption, which is chargeable and possesses a large hitbox. Furthermore, his excellent endurance enables him to use the rage mechanic effectively, boosting his already strong power.

However, Ike has a number of flaws. While he is not particularly slow, Ike is still susceptible to rushdown-oriented characters, notably Sheik and Sonic. His size, weight, and falling speed also leave him vulnerable to combos, which is further compounded by his lack of options to reliably break them. As he is a melee-oriented character, Ike lacks a projectile, putting him at a disadvantage against camping tactics. Aside from shield grabbing, Ike has no effective out of shield options due to the start-up of his moves, making it difficult at times to relieve pressure. While Ike's aerials give him a decent aerial approach in the air, his grounded approach is comparatively poor and predictable overall due to none of his grounded attacks being particularly fast. His aerials also require proper spacing and timing to be effective, as they can be punished if misused due to their noticeable ending lag.

Ike's recovery is also problematic. Though long-distanced, both his available recovery options are highly predictable, and only send him directly upward or forward. This makes Ike vulnerable to semi-spikes, as he completely lacks a diagonal recovery method. Quick Draw must be charged to travel farther and is only linear, making it highly telegraphed. Aether covers good vertical height, but very little horizontal distance, the latter of which makes it both telegraphed and even an invariable self-destruct if performed too far from the edge. Unless Quick Draw hits an opponent, it renders him helpless, resulting in Ike being incapable of using his two recovery options in tandem.

Ike gains some benefits from his custom moves. Furious Eruption and Tempest improve his already good edge-guarding ability. Furious Eruption is stronger, has more vertical distance and launches opponents upward, making it very good on stages with low ceilings. Tempest charges faster and generates a windbox that pushes opponents far and is able to gimp recoveries. Tempest also stalls Ike in the air, giving it utility in regards to recovery. Close Combat has priority, allowing it to ignore projectiles and shields, making it even better for recovery. Aether Drive grants him a diagonal recovery that he previously lacked at the cost of losing his only means of vertical recovery. Paralyzing Counter allows Ike to stun the opponent allowing for a follow-up, at the cost of his counterattack being significantly weaker. Smash Counter functions oppositely, as it boasts knockback strong enough to one-hit KO many strong moves; however, its lag is significant enough that many moves with low lag will end fast enough for the opponent to block.

Overall, Ike's strengths have resulted in him being considerably more viable than he was in Brawl. While his predictable recovery and susceptibility to combos, juggles and camping are noticeable flaws, they can be worked around with careful play, as shown by players such as Ryo.

Changes from Brawl

Ike received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition from Brawl to SSB4, but is considered to be heavily buffed, largely thanks to game updates. His attack speed is noticeably faster; in particular, his forward aerial has decreased start-up and auto-cancels from a short hop, and, combined with its range, gives Ike a very reliable approach option. Most of his aerials have significantly reduced landing lag as well. His mobility has been improved, with a quicker dash speed and considerably faster air speed. As such, Ike has a better neutral game than in Brawl. He also benefits from universal gameplay changes. The changes to hitstun canceling improved his combo game, with his down tilt, up throw, and down throw being reliable set-ups into aerials at a variety of percentages. The new edge mechanics aid his recovery greatly, as Aether was very susceptible to edge-hogging in Brawl. Lastly, the introduction of rage boosts Ike's already high power, while his heavy weight allows him to make great use of this mechanic.

However, Ike has received a few notable nerfs. His incredible range has been toned down, though it is the third longest in the game. To compensate for his increased attack speed, many of his moves deal less damage and knockback. Ike's jab cancel, which he made extensive use of in Brawl, is now extremely situational due to becoming significantly difficult to perform. Aside from Counter, his specials have been nerfed, with Eruption being the most notable, as it deals less damage, knockback, and only grants super armor when fully charged. His aerials have also lost their transcendent priority, although this is a double-edged sword rather than an outright nerf; while Ike's aerials can cancel out other moves upon clashing, his forward aerial is his only aerial that is a consistently effective approach option.

While Ike's tournament representation was initially poor, it has improved over time due to the the numerous buffs he received from game updates. Additionally, even though his playerbase is still relatively small, the efforts of dedicated mains like Ryo have resulted in Ike gaining average representation and above average results in tournaments.

Aesthetics

• Ike's design is now based on his appearance in Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, the direct sequel to Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. As such, he now sports his attire as a Hero class unit, a taller and muscular physique, smaller eyes, and slightly shorter hair.
• Eruption's and Great Aether's flame effects have changed from orange to blue, in reference to Ike's "Hero of the Blue Flame" title in the Japanese version of Radiant Dawn.
• Ike no longer vocalizes when Eruption is charged to the point of dealing recoil damage.

Attributes

• Ike is taller, which makes his hurtbox slightly larger.
• The majority of Ike's attacks have decreased ranges due to smaller hitboxes and altered hitbox placements.
• Ike is heavier (105 → 107). This improves his endurance, but makes him more susceptible to combos.
• Ike walks slower (0.88 → 0.869).
• Ike dashes faster (1.371 → 1.5).
• Ike's air speed is faster (0.9212 → 1.08).
• Double jump is higher.
• Ike's jumpsquat is 1 frame slower (6 frames → 7).

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack deals less damage (4% (hit 1)/5% (hit 2)/7% (hit 3) → 3%/3%/5%). Its first hit has increased start-up (frame 3 → 4) and its first two hits have increased ending lag (interruptibility frame 17 → 24 (hit 1), interruptibility frame 20 → 28 (hit 2)). This results in Ike's jab cancel becoming so difficult to perform that it is now extremely situational at best, significantly hindering its combo potential. Its third hit has also lost its KO potential.
• Neutral attack transitions into its second and third hits faster.
• Dash attack deals more damage (8% (tip)/7% (blade) → 14%/11%), has decreased start-up (frame 18 → 15) and increased knockback growth (70 → 78), improving its KO potential. It also received a late hitbox that deals 9%, lasts 3 extra frames and is stronger than the move's previous knockback (70 (base)/70 (growth) → 60/100).
• Forward tilt now deals consistent damage (15% (blade)/14% (upper body)/12% (lower body) → 12.5%).
• Forward tilt has decreased knockback (38 (base)/100 (growth) → 30/97), hindering its KO potential.
• Forward tilt has decreased start-up (frame 17 → 12) and ending lag (interruptibility frame 56 → 42).
• Up tilt deals 2% more damage (12% → 14%), has decreased start-up (frame 13 → 11) and ending lag (interruptibility frame 50 → 48).
• Up tilt has decreased base knockback (70 → 50), hindering its KO potential. Its sourspot also has decreased active frames (14 frames → 8).
• Down tilt deals 6% less damage (14% → 8%) and can no longer meteor smash.
• Down tilt has decreased start-up (frame 16 → 7), ending lag (interruptibility frame 55 → 29) and all of its hitboxes launch opponents at 80°, improving its combo potential.
• Sourspotted forward smash deals 2% more damage (17% → 19%). Forward smash also has 1 more active frame, improving its reliability against aerial opponents.
• Forward smash has decreased knockback (50 (base)/100 (growth) → 40/90), hindering its KO potential. It also has increased ending lag (interruptibility frame 80 → 84).
• Up and down smashes have lost their transcendent priority. When coupled with Ike's decreased overall range, this hinders their utility.
• Up smash has increased knockback growth (85 → 86), slightly improving its KO potential.
• Down smash deals 1% more damage (13% (hit 1)/16% (hit 2 clean) → 14%/17%), has increased base knockback (30 → 40) and launches opponents at a more horizontal angle, improving its KO potential.
• Down smash's late second hit has decreased active frames (9 frames → 3).

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have lost their transcendent priority, which allows them to cancel out non-transcendent projectiles. This improves their safety, but hinders their approach potentials.
• Neutral aerial deals 1% more damage (9% → 10%) and its angle has been altered (70° → 80°), improving its follow-up potential. It also has decreased start-up (frame 15 → 12) and aerial ending lag (interruptibility frame 76 → 60). This allows Ike to successfully recover if the attack button has accidentally been pressed while he is being pushed off-stage, improving its safety.
• Neutral aerial received a sourspot that deals 7%. It also has increased landing lag (13 frames → 14).
• Forward, back, up, and down aerials have decreased landing lag (22 frames → 18 (forward), 22 frames → 19 (back), 19 frames → 16 (up), 29 frames → 23 (down)).
• Forward aerial has decreased start-up (frame 18 → 12), aerial ending lag (interruptibility frame 60 → 55) and can now auto-cancel from a short hop, granting it approach potential. Additionally, it has increased base knockback (20 → 30), improving its KO potential.
• Forward aerial's animation has slightly changed. The swing is more exaggerated at the beginning of the arc, and less exaggerated at the end of the arc.
• Up aerial deals 3% less damage (14% → 11%) but its knockback was not compensated enough (40 (base)/100 (growth) → 55/94), hindering its KO potential. However, it is still one of the strongest up aerials in SSB4.
• Up aerial has decreased start-up (frame 15 → 13).
• Clean down aerial deals 1% less damage (16% → 15%) and has decreased base knockback (40 → 30), hindering its KO potential. It also received a non-meteor smash sourspot and lost its late hitbox.

Throws/other attacks

• All grabs have increased ending lag (30 frames → 32 (standing), 40 frames → 41 (dash), 36 frames → 39 (pivot)).
• Dash grab has decreased start-up (frame 12 → 10).
• Pivot grab has increased start-up (frame 9 → 11).
• All throws deal 1% more damage (6% → 7%).
• Forward throw has increased knockback. This improves its spacing potential, but hinders its combo potential.
• Back throw has increased knockback. At higher percentages, this improves its ability as an edge-guarding set-up, but hinders its combo potential.
• The changes to hitstun canceling improve up and down throws' combo potentials from 0% to medium percentages.
• Up throw has decreased ending lag, improving its combo potential.

Special moves

• Uncharged Eruption deals 1% more damage (9% → 10%). Eruption reaches its charges faster and Ike is able to release a fully charged Eruption without taking any recoil damage, improving its reliability.
• Uncharged Eruption has lost its super armor frames, hindering its safety.
• Fully charged Eruption deals 2% less damage (37% → 35%) at the bottom, while its second through eighth stages each deal less damage. Eruption also has significantly decreased knockback overall, removing its ability to one-hit KO and now results in it KOing around 50%-100%, hindering its KO potential.
• Quick Draw deals 3% less damage (9% (uncharged)/16% (fully charged) → 6%/13%). It also has increased ending lag when it does not hit an opponent, hindering its safety.
• Quick Draw has increased base knockback (50 → 70), decreased start-up and landing lag, covers more distance and no longer renders Ike helpless when performed, improving its KO and recovery potentials.
• Aether deals 5% less damage (25% → 20%) and significantly less super armor frames (frames 18-38 → 18-21). It can now only spike at the start of its descent and Ike can no longer grab edges from behind, hindering its KO potential and safety, respectively.
• Aether no longer moves Ike forward without directional input.
• Counter has decreased start-up (frame 11 → 9).
• Counter has updated sound effects.
• Great Aether deals 18% less damage (78% → 60%).

Update history

Ike has been heavily buffed via game updates. The most notable buffs were brought about by update 1.0.8, which gave some of his ground attacks and aerial attacks reduced lag, and in some cases, more power. The increased shieldstun in update 1.1.1 also helps Ike's sluggish attacks by making them safer on shield, though this results in his out of shield options becoming slightly more situational.

1.0.4

• The third hit of neutral attack has less startup lag (frame 8 → 6), allowing it to connect more reliably.
  • However, its total duration was not fully compensated (FAF 40 → 39), giving it slightly more ending lag.
• Forward tilt has considerably lower ending lag (FAF 54 → 45).
• Down tilt has considerably lower ending lag (FAF 39 → 29).
• Down tilt deals more damage (7% → 8%).
• Down tilt has smaller hitboxes (4u → 3.8u/3u).
• Down tilt now launches opponents vertically (361° → 80°) and it has more base knockback but less knockback scaling (50 (base), 90 (scaling) → 70/70). When combined with its lower ending lag, this grants down tilt combo potential.
  • However, this also hinders its edgeguarding potential.
• Down smash has less ending lag (FAF 74 → 71).
• Down smash launches opponents at a lower angle (52° (hit 1/hit 2 (clean))/65° (hit 2, late) → 48°/61°.
• Forward aerial has less startup (frame 16 → 13) and ending lag (FAF 60 → 55).
• Forward aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 42 → 38), now being able to do so in a short hop.
• Forward aerial has a shorter duration (frames 16-20 → 13-16).
• Forward aerial has a shorter initial auto-cancel window (frames 1-5 → 1).
• Forward aerial has larger hitboxes (4.5u → 5u) although the far hitboxes have been moved closer to Ike to compensate for their horizontal range (y offsets: 9.5/6.5 → 9/6.2).
• Back aerial deals more damage (13% → 14%), improving its KO potential.
• Down aerial has larger hitboxes (4.8u/4.5u/5.3u → 6u/5.5u/6.3u).
• Great Aether's multi hits extend further away from Ike (z offset: 50/10/22/34/46 → 62/12/24/38/52), giving them more range.

1.0.6

• Fixed a glitch where Aether Drive behaved erratically when used in slow motion.
• Counter's knockback growth increased: 74 → 100, improving its KO potential.

1.0.8

• Neutral attack transitions faster and its last hit now hits above Ike, matching its animation.
• Forward tilt's damage output altered due to it now having one hitbox instead of three: 14% (clean)/12% (late) → 12.5%.
• Forward tilt's start-up decreased: 15 frames → 12.
• Up tilt's hitbox duration and vertical reach increased.
• Dash attack has been improved. It deals 4% more damage: 10% (clean tip)/7% (clean blade)/5% (late) → 14%/11%/9%, its start-up decreased: 18 frames → 15, its overall range and knockback increased and it launches opponents at a more horizontal angle.
• Neutral, up and down aerials' ending lag decreased: 16 frames (neutral)/18 frames (up)/ 26 frames (down) → 14/15/23.
• Forward aerial has been improved. Its start-up and ending lag decreased by 2 frames and it now hits better above and below Ike.
• All variations of Quick Draw have had their start-up decreased: 19 frames → 16.
• Aether's vacuum properties altered in some way.

1.1.0

• Up aerial's knockback altered: 40 (base)/100 (growth) → 55/94. Killing about 6% earlier.
• Down throw's collateral hitbox moved forward: -7u → -5u, improving its utility.

1.1.1

• Smash Counter's knockback altered: 48 (base)/100 (growth) → 90/70.
• Tempest has been improved. Uncharged Tempest deals 4% more damage: 1% → 5%, its hitboxes' duration increased by 2 frames and it ends 4 frames faster. Charged and fully charged Tempest's initial windboxes' durations increased by 2 frames and are adjusted slightly backward. Later frames' durations increased by 3 frames and the move ends 4 and 2 frames faster, respectively.
• Furious Eruption has been improved. Its sweetspot and fully charged sourspot's hitbox sizes increased: 7u (uncharged sweetspot)/8u (charged sweetspot)/10u (fully charged sweetspot)/15u (fully charged sourspot) → 8.5u/10u/12.5u/16u and have been adjusted upward. Its other hitboxes' durations increased: 12 frames (uncharged second)/16 frames (charged second)/16 frames (fully charged second) → 15/19/19.
• Furious Eruption's first hitbox's duration decreased: 12 frames (uncharged)/16 frames (fully charged) → 10/14.
• Third victory pose's animation has slightly changed. Ragnell's blade now glows briefly at the end of the animation.

1.1.4

• Sourspotted forward smash deals 2% more damage: 17% → 19%.
• Sourspotted forward smash's angle altered: 60° → 57°.
• Neutral aerial deals 1% more damage: 9% → 10% (clean), 6% → 7% (late).
• Neutral aerial's angle altered, improving its ability as a set-up.: 70° → 80°.
• Forward aerial deals 1% more damage and its range increased.: 12% → 13%
• Eruption's hitbox lasts 2 frames longer.
• Hard tripping now grants five frames of invincibility.

Moveset

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			3%	A jab, followed by a forward kick, followed by a kneeling overhead slash. Deals moderate knockback, but is unable to KO at reasonable percentages. Ike's fastest attack, as it comes out at frame 4, while the forward kick and overhead slash have a surprising amount of range, making it a decent out of shield option.
			3%
			5%
Forward tilt			12.5%	An outward slash. Moderately slow start-up and ending lag. However, it can be angled, has impressive range and deals strong knockback, making it a viable KO option near the edge.
Up tilt			14% (clean), 10% (late)	A hopping vertical punch while holding Ragnell parallel to the ground. Although it has moderate ending lag, it has good vertical range, decent speed, numerous active frames and excellent KO power, even more so than his forward tilt. KOs around 100%.
Down tilt			8%	An inward horizontal slice across the ground. Ike's second fastest ground attack due to coming out at frame 7 with good range and decent ending lag. One of Ike's best combo starters due to it launching at 80°, though it is also good for edge-guarding. Its knockback is is problematic though, since it cannot combo past medium percentages, yet cannot KO at reasonable percentages.
Dash attack			14% (clean tip), 11% (clean blade), 9% (late)	A dashing upward slice. One of the slower dash attacks in the game due to coming out at frame 15, but it has very impressive range and deals high knockback, making it capable of KOing around 110% when sweetspotted. It can be used to efficiently punish missed techs from a back throw or to cover poor landings, though it has a considerable amount of ending lag.
Forward smash			19% (early), 22% (clean blade), 19% (clean tip)	A leaning, two-handed slash. It is the fifth strongest forward smash in the game, while it was previously the second strongest in Brawl. However, it can KO nearly as its early as it did in Brawl while Ike is under the effect of the rage mechanic. It has high knockback growth, making it almost guaranteed to score a KO if it lands. Although it works best when telegraphing the opponent, the move itself is easily telegraphed too, making it easy to dodge or punish after blocking it due to it being one of the slowest forward smashes in the game in regards to start-up and ending lag.
Up smash			17% (clean), 10% (late)	An overhead arcing slash. Covers 180° and hits on both sides with very high knockback, but has slow start-up and considerable ending lag, though not as severely as his forward smash. A reliable KOing option against aerial or rolling opponents, as well as being better than his down smash at punishing the latter because of its greater range. However, it is extremely punishable after being blocked or whiffed.
Down smash			14% (hit 1), 17% (hit 2 clean), 8% (hit 2 late)	A crouching outward slash in front of himself and then behind himself. The first hit deals powerful horizontal knockback, while the second hit deals more damage and knockback, making it a good KOing option while near the edge. Ike's fastest smash attack in regard to start-up, although it is somewhat lacking compared to his other smash attacks in regard to knockback due to its front hit. The short range on the back swing also makes it hard to hit rolling opponents and suffers from punishable ending lag like his other smashes.
Neutral aerial			10% (clean), 7% (late)	A circular slash around himself. Has a large amount of active frames and a wide arc covers almost 360°, making it a reliable and safe spacing option. Due to it launching at 80° and having both low base knockback and low landing lag, it is also a great combo starter into grabs, tilts and aerials depending on the opponent's damage. Has moderate start-up at 12 frames with very high aerial ending lag.
Forward aerial			13%	A two-handed slash. Covers the entirety of Ike's front, making it capable of hitting above himself and below himself. It has decently fast start-up and deals high knockback, but has moderate landing lag, although this can be mitigated by auto-canceling from a non-fast falling short hop.
Back aerial			14%	An outward slash. Comes out at frame 7, making it Ike's fastest aerial. It also has deals high knockback, making it ideal for use with a reverse aerial rush. Has impressive range, but has a narrow hitbox with a minimal number of active frames and has very long aerial ending lag. Has moderate landing lag at 19 frames, although it can be auto-canceled from a short hop.
Up aerial			11%	A circular, upward slash. It has numerous active frames, with the hitbox starting behind Ike. Good horizontal coverage, but narrow vertical coverage. High KOing potential, especially while Ike is affected by the rage mechanic, due to its high base knockback.
Down aerial			15%	A downward slash between his legs. It has impressive range below Ike and is a very powerful meteor smash when hitting with Ragnell's tip during the initial portion of the swing. However, it only consists of 2 active frames, is Ike's slowest aerial in regards to start-up, and its ending and landing lag are both moderately high.
Grab			—	Reaches out with his free hand. Ike's grab range is average.
Pummel			3%	A headbutt. Moderately slow, but one of the most damaging pummels in the game.
Forward throw			3% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	A front kick. It has very minimal tech-chasing potential, though it can be used to set-up an edge-guard.
Back throw			3% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	A back kick. It is a semi-spike, which enables it to tech-chase into a dash attack at medium percentages if the opponent does not tech, or act as a reliable edge-guard set-up at high percentages.
Up throw			3% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	Briefly plunges Ragnell into the ground and double axe handles the opponent upward. Has moderate base knockback, low knockback growth and launches at 87°, giving it good combo potential into his aerials, most notably forward aerial until high percentages due to its large vertical hitbox and KOing potential.
Down throw			3% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	Throws the opponent to the ground and stomps them. Has moderate base knockback, very high knockback growth and launches at 80°, giving it decent combo potential at low percentages, while its high knockback growth makes it Ike's strongest throw. However, it will not begin realistically KOing until 160% and while Ike is affected by the rage mechanic.
Floor attack (front)			7%	Swings Ragnell around himself.
Floor attack (back)			7%	Swings Ragnell around himself.
Floor attack (trip)			5%	Swings Ragnell around himself.
Edge attack			8%	Performs an outward slash while climbing up.
Neutral special	Default	Eruption	10% (uncharged), 35% (fully charged bottom), 28% (fully charged middle), 26% (fully charged top)	Lifts Ragnell in front of himself with both hands before plunging it into the ground to emit an explosive pillar of fire. Has transcendent priority and is chargeable. While uncharged, it has a longer downward reach until fully charged and the tip of Ragnell's blade can meteor smash. Has high vertical range, which increases as it charges, making it good for edge-guarding. When fully charged, it grants super armor frames upon being performed and can KO as low as 45%, but Ike receives 10% recoil damage.
	Custom 1	Tempest	5% (uncharged), 8% (grounded fully charged), 14% (aerial fully charged)	Generates a vortex of air rather than a pillar of fire. The vortex is a windbox that pushes enemies away and, like Mario's Cape, stalls Ike's descent if used in midair, making it excellent for edge-guarding and capable of aiding his recovery. While it charges faster than Eruption and Furious Eruption, it also deals the least amount of damage.
	Custom 2	Furious Eruption	7% (uncharged), 27% (grounded fully charged bottom), 20% (grounded fully charged top), 32% (aerial fully charged bottom), 25% (aerial fully charged top)	The pillar of fire's vertical hitbox is larger, especially when charged, and the move stays out a few frames longer than the default version. However, Ike receives 10% recoil damage when charged halfway and 15% recoil damage when fully charged. When fully charged, it KOs as early as 30% and launches opponents vertically, making it better at KOing than Eruption. It also grants transcendent priority.
Side special	Default	Quick Draw	6% (uncharged), 13% (fully charged)	Kneels on one knee and readies himself to charge forward and slash the opponent upon contact. The charge can be held indefinitely. However, failing to hit anything results in high ending lag and, if used in midair, Ike being rendered helpless.
	Custom 1	Close Combat	4% (uncharged, fully charged), 7% (fully charged far)	Performs a shoulder tackle that dashes through opponents, rather than slashing with Ragnell upon contact. It launches opponents upward. Grants transcendent priority during the dash and is better for recovery than Quick Draw, but at the cost of dealing less damage.
	Custom 2	Unyielding Blade	7% (uncharged), 19% (fully charged)	Deals more damage and grants super armor for the duration of the charge and the lunge. However, this comes at the cost of its range and speed being decreased.
Up special	Default	Aether	6% (hit 1 clean), 4% (hit 1 late), 1% (hit 2), 3% (descent), 6% (landing)	Throws Ragnell upward, launching nearby opponents in the air. Ragnell spins in place, hitting a few times and trapping opponents, before Ike leaps up and grabs Ragnell and to perform a descending slash. Grants 4 frames of super armor starting on frame 18 and ends on frame 21. It offers poor horizontal distance, but respectable vertical distance and can even spike opponents if used correctly. All hitboxes except the initial one have transcendent priority, a trait that also applies to its custom versions.
	Custom 1	Aether Drive	9% (hit 1 clean), 6% (hit 1 late), 1% (hit 2), 5% (descent), 9% (landing)	Ragnell is thrown much farther out, but not as high, granting it much greater horizontal distance at the cost of some vertical distance. It also deals more damage.
	Custom 2	Aether Wave	6% (hit 1 clean), 4% (hit 1 late), 1% (hit 2), 3% (descent), 10%/8%/6%/4% (landing)	Ragnell emits a shockwave upon descending, but the entire attack deals less damage overall. Its entire animation is also significantly faster than Aether's and Aether Drive's, which results in it having minimal trapping potential in comparison to them. Based on Ragnell's ability in Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn to attack at a longer range by firing an energy wave.
Down special	Default	Counter	1.2x (min 10%)	Holds Ragnell in a reverse gripped parry position and, if hit, counterattacks with a reverse gripped downward slash. Starts on frame 9 and has a duration of 26 frames.
	Custom 1	Paralyzing Counter	1% (base)	The counterattack stuns the opponent, similarly to Mewtwo's Disable. Like Disable, the stun's duration is longer the more damaged the opponent is, but it also deals minuscule damage due to not being a true counterattack. It also has a narrower hit window. Starts on frame 11 and has a duration of 13 frames.
	Custom 2	Smash Counter	≈1.5x (9% (base), 15% (min))	The counterattack has a larger hitbox and deals more damage and knockback. However, Ike counterattacks after a delay, rather than instantly. As a result, opponents can easily avoid it, especially if it is used in the air. As a result, it is best used against moves that have considerable ending lag. Starts on frame 11 and has a duration of 27 frames.
Final Smash		Great Aether	5% (hit 1), 2% (hits 2-14), 5% (hit 15), 4% (hit 16), 10% (hit 17)	Performs an upward slash while Ragnell's blade is engulfed in flames. If any opponents are hit, they are launched upward and Ike throws Ragnell into the air along with them. He then leaps up, catches Ragnell while its blade is still aflame, and unleashes a devastating combo consisting of slashes, thrusts and two alternating kicks. Ike then concludes the combo with a descending, two-handed overhead slash that slams the opponent to the ground and creates a massive explosion upon impact. The explosion launches the opponent and any bystanders towards the upper blast line.

On-screen appearance

• Warps onto the stage using warp magic and grunts while briefly slashing outward.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Wields Ragnell with both hands while growling loudly as wind blows through his cape.
• Side taunt: Holds out Ragnell to his side, saying "Prepare yourself!" (覚悟しろ。, Get prepared.)
• Down taunt: Plunges Ragnell into the ground, saying "Hmph!" as wind also blows through his cape, before removing it.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Taps Ragnell's blade on his shoulder.
• Rubs the edge of Ragnell's blade.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	We like Ike!	Ai-ku!
Pitch	Group chant	Male

Victory poses

This victory theme is a small orchestral cover from the title theme of the first Fire Emblem game, which has since become the main theme of the series.

• Forcefully plunges Ragnell into the ground and then folds his arms, saying "You'll get no sympathy from me."
• Swings Ragnell twice and then casually holds it while its blade rests on his shoulder, saying "I fight for my friends." In the Japanese release, he says "守る べき もの の ため 戦う だけ だ". Because the Japanese quote is significantly longer, there is a moment of silence before his name is announced in non-Japanese versions.
• Performs Aether.

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Ike	2222	2122	2212	2232	3222
	3122	3212	3232	2111	3111

Notable Players

Active

•  Nojinko
•  Rango
•  Ryo
•  San
•  SM
•  Waldo
•  Yoh

Inactive

•  Ryuga

Trophies

Ike

One of the main characters from the Fire Emblem series. Having fought in the Mad King's War, restored the fallen nation of Crimea, and taken on the Begnion Empire, Ike is rightly called a hero. He has the strength to back the title—one good swing of his blade can launch the heaviest of foes.

One of the main characters from the Fire Emblem series. Having fought in the Mad King's War, played a huge part in restoring the fallen nation of Crimea, and taken on the Begnion Emprire, Ike is rightly called a hero. And he has the strength to go with that title. One good swing of his blade can launch even the heaviest of fighters.

: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (10/2005)

: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (11/2007)

Ike (Alt.)

Ike's side smash is a powerful two-handed sword strike. It's one of the best launch attacks in the entire game, though it will leave you wide open when you use it. For Eruption, one of his specials, you stab the ground and unleash a pillar of fire. Charging for too long will hurt Ike, so be careful!

Ike's side smash is a powerful two-handed sword strike. It's one of the best launch attacks in the entire game, so even though it leaves you open, it's a real winner. For Eruption, one of his specials, you stab the ground and unleash a pillar of fire that hits anyone nearby. If you charge it too long, though, you'll hurt yourself, so be careful!

: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (10/2005)

: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (11/2007)

Great Aether

Ike's Aether up special is combined with a relentless barrage of sword blows in this powerful Final Smash. He knocks targets into the air with an upward swing, and then they're stuck there as he strikes over and over. Finally, he slams them down to the ground and launches them. Just make sure that first strike hits!

Ike's Aether up special is combined with a relentless barrage of sword blows in this powerful Final Smash. He knocks his target into the air with an upward swing, and then they're stuck there as he strikes again and again. Finally, he slams them down to the ground and launches them. Just make sure that first strike hits!

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  Classic (3DS)

• IkeAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Great Aether

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• All-Star Battle: Brawl: Ike is one of the opponents fought in this event. All of the opponents debuted in Brawl.
• The Ultimate Swordsman: Ike must defeat Link, Marth, Meta Knight, Toon Link, male Robin, female Robin and Shulk.

Co-op Events

• Mirror Magic: Ike and Lucina must defeat Ganondorf, a giant metal dark Ike and a giant metal dark Lucina.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  The Pic of the Day revealing Ike's return to the series.

• 

  Ike's amiibo.

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  Using Aether on Zero Suit Samus.

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  Using Counter against Little Mac's Straight Lunge.

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  Ike alongside a taunting Villager.

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  One of Ike's idle poses.

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  Using his dash attack against Samus' dash attack.

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  A close-up in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

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  Ike alongside Marth.

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  Ike's other idle pose.

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  On Halberd.

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  Using his up smash on Samus and Sheik in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

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  Ike being attacked by the fish on Balloon Fight.

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  Ike using a Rocket Belt on Find Mii.

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  Using Eruption on Mario in a pre-release picture.

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  Ike fighting Robin.

Trivia

• Ike is the only Fire Emblem character in the game with an up aerial that does not involve a backflip or turning around, and an up smash that is not an upward thrust.
• Eruption's flames initially retained their orange coloration from Brawl. However, both its and Great Aether's flames were changed to blue in the final release, in reference to Ike's "Hero of the Blue Flame" title in the Japanese version of Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
• The start-up lag of Ike's up taunt is almost as long as his forward smash attack's start-up.
  • His up and side taunt also slightly resemble his forward and up smash, respectively.
• Prior to Corrin's debut in the Super Smash Bros. series, Ike was the only Fire Emblem character to have an idle stance that has him lead with his left side and have his sword arm act as his following arm.