User:DrakRoar/Character concepts

These are some of my favorite characters not only in gaming, but media in general, that I've designed Smash-esque movesets for.

The list consists of both characters I would actually wish to have in a Smash game, and others whose potential of appearing in one is nigh impossible, but still had realizable movesets going for them from my judgment. I've separated both types with a "Possible?" column in their character infoboxes; possible characters come first in the list, and are ordered from most to least wanted, with reasons listed for their inclusion or exclusion.

All movesets use Ultimate as the base, and in all tables, damage is listed without the 1v1 multiplier (as base damage). Additionally, three of these characters (specifically Cuphead, Shovel Knight, and Specter Knight) were made in collaboration with Aidanzapunk, who provided the original movesets before I decided to flesh them out. Lastly, aside from Shovel Knight, Specter Knight, and Cuphead, whose alternate costume images were also made by Aidan, credit for the alternate costume images goes to Nymbare, who has contributed to this character concept craze despite being mostly inactive in the wiki.

Quick character links
Zero	Shovel Knight	Specter Knight	Bio Rex
Cuphead	Groudon	Bullzeye	AVGN (joke character)

Zero

Zero
Universe	Mega Man
Stage	Central Highway
Possible?	Yes

“	Zero Goes On A Hunt!	”
—Introduction Tagline

Zero (ゼロ, Zero) is the famous Maverick Hunter from Mega Man X, a subseries of one of DrakRoar's favorite videogame franchises. Zero's current voice actors, Johnny Yong Bosch in English and Ryotaro Okiayu in Japanese, would reprise their roles.

Reasons for inclusion/exclusion

• As a Mega Man X representative, Zero is by far the most important character, even more so than X himself, having his own sub-series as well as a bigger role in the story of some Mega Man X games.
• His larger focus on melee-based techniques provides a more unique moveset compared to X, who would be too similar to Mega Man.
• Zero has already appeared in other crossover fighting games, such as the Marvel vs. Capcom series and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom.
• Being a third-party character from an franchise already represented with a playable fighter could hurt his chances...
  • ...But then again, Smash has plenty of Capcom content already, and Zero being an Assist Trophy in Ultimate strongly supports his popularity.

Attributes

Stats

Weight	Dash speed	Walk speed	Air speed	Traction	Fall speed	Air acceleration	Gravity	Jumps	Short hop height	Full hop height	Double jump height
105	2.1 – Initial dash 2.18 – Run	1.132	0.95	0.07	1.8 – Base 2.88 – Fast fall	0.01 – Base 0.1 – Additional	0.107	2	12.8	38.4	38.4

General

• Zero can wall jump and wall cling. Unique to him is also a wall cling attack, which keeps him on the wall and can be used for as long as the cling lasts.
• Zero has the ability to air dash by tapping the control stick horizontally in midair. It consumes his double jump, and cannot be performed if he has already used it up. This also allows him to turn around in midair.
  • An air dash lasts a maximum of half a second (30 frames), and can be canceled as soon as 1/3 of it is executed (on frame 11), either with another action or simply stopping tilting the control stick forward. Even after an air dash ends, its increased air speed carries over to Zero until it is canceled out by air friction.
  • Similarly, by jumping out of his initial dash, Zero can perform a dash jump, which consistently increases his air speed, acceleration and friction until he lands, grabs a ledge, air dodges, uses a midair jump, clings to a wall, or gets hit. With the exception of down aerial (which is a stall-then-fall) and Ryuenjin, he can use any attack and keep the increased mobility.
• A few of Zero's standard attacks produce projectiles, namely dash attack, back aerial, and down aerial.
• His down special, Rekkoha, spreads a multitude of beams around himself and grants invincibility, but can only be used on the ground and has four uses per stock.

Pros and cons

• Fast ground mobility and drift, alongside long reach in most attacks.
• A variety of ranged attacks to control space, most notably Z-Buster (which can charge up to three projectiles) and Rekkoha.
• Dash jumping, air dashing, and his side special Raikousen provide him with several unique spacing and approach mixups.
• His unique down aerial and wall cling attack give him a powerful edgeguarding game.
• A plethora of reliable KO options at high percents.
• A fast, powerful out of shield option in Ryuenjin.
• Several attacks are above-average in lag, making them easy to punish unless carefully spaced.
• Like most swordfighters, Zero's tall stature and lack of fast retaliation moves leaves him particularly vulnerable to juggling. Although he possesses air dashing as a mixup, it consumes his double jump.
• Vulnerable recovery due to his slow default air speed, Ryuenjin's lack of protection, and the inability to use both a double jump and air dash.
• Some of his strongest options are limited, with Z-Buster requiring charging, and Rekkoha only having 4 uses per stock.

Moveset

• During his initial dash, air dash, and dash jump, Zero produces red afterimages of himself, much like in Mega Man X4 up to Mega Man X6. When these actions are canceled or (in the case of a dash jump) their effects are lost, the afterimages disappear.

Move	Name	Damage	Description
Jab		2.5%	Slashes up to three times with the Z-Saber: first with an outward vertical slash, then an inward horizontal slash, and finally a heavier overhead slash. Based on his standard attack sequence in Mega Man X4 and Mega Man X5.
		2.5%
		4%
Forward tilt	Youdantotsu	10% (base), 12.5% (tip)	Thrusts the Z-Saber while moving forward a short distance. The tip of the Z-Saber deals extra shield damage and can KO reliably at high percents.
Up tilt	Shoenzan	4% (slash; hit 1), 2% (flame; hits 2-4)	Swings the Z-Saber set ablaze in an ascending arc in front of himself, creating a flame that rises upward. It drags targets up in multiple hits, and has relatively low ending lag, allowing it to combo into aerials at low percents.
Down tilt		6%	Slashes inward across the floor while kneeling. Has the lowest lag out of Zero's tilts, and deals set knockback, with the tip of the Z-Saber always causing grounded targets to trip, giving it great followup ability. Based on his crouching attack in X5 and X6.
Dash attack	W-Shredder	11%	Comes to a halt and launches an afterimage of himself forward, which performs the Shippuuga, slashing with an energy blade. Covers a long distance for a dash attack, and has projectile properties, meaning Zero does not experience hitlag from it. However, it deals low shieldstun, and may miss if used too close to opponents.
Forward smash	Raijingeki	2% (hits 1-7), 6% (hit 8)	Turns the Z-Saber into an electric beam and thrusts it forward, hitting targets multiple times. Possesses very slow startup, but it is Zero's strongest normal finisher, and its long duration and horizontal range allow it to easily catch opponents within its area of coverage.
Up smash	D-Glaive	2% (hits 1-5), 5% (hit 6)	Slashes upward in front of himself with a large glaive, then twirls it above himself. Somewhat weak for a smash attack, but very effective for catching landings and contesting aerials due to its long duration and wide coverage above Zero. Based on the last hit of his attack sequence with the D-Glaive in Mega Man X8.
Down smash	Yammar Option	14%	Summons three mechanical dragonflies, with two in front and above him facing forward, and another behind him facing the opposite way, which fire short-ranged blasts in their respective directions. Uniquely, the top dragonfly gives the move unusual vertical reach for a down smash, and all dragonflies have hurtboxes, allowing them to soak up non-piercing projectiles. However, hitting the dragonflies causes them to disappear, removing hitboxes from the move and potentially leaving Zero completely vulnerable.
Neutral aerial	Kuuenzan	3% (hits 1-2), 5% (hit 3)	Performs three quick somersaulting slashes. A well-rounded aerial attack overall, starting from the front, and having decent KO ability near the edge. Based on Kuuenzan as used by Zero as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate.
Forward aerial		7%	A quick diagonal slash in front of himself. Has low lag all around, making it an excellent combo starter and extender, but lacks range especially vertically, requiring careful spacing to land. Based on his standard midair attack in X4 and X5.
Back aerial	Fire Wave	12% (slash), 3% (fireball, early), 6% (fireball, late)	An outward ascending slash with the Z-Saber set ablaze, which launches a short-ranged fireball in a straight line behind Zero. It is his strongest aerial if the slash hits, KOing at around 135% from center stage, and deals high damage if both the slash and fireball connect. However, it has moderate startup and landing lag.
Up aerial	Raijinshou	1.8% (hits 1-6), 4.5% (hit 7)	Slashes in a spiraling motion with the Z-Saber held overhead, generating an electric tornado above himself that hits multiple times. It has a long duration, high vertical range, decent KO ability, and provides a similar hover effect to Fox's forward aerial, making it excellent for catching opponents above Zero. However, much like back aerial, it is slow in startup and landing lag.
Down aerial	Rakukojin	15% (blade), 5% (anchor)	Turns the Z-Saber into a metallic blade and performs a diving thrust. Upon landing, the blade breaks apart and creates an anchor as a projectile, which bounces a short distance forward. Has very slow startup for an aerial, and high landing lag, but meteor smashes throughout its whole duration, Zero can slightly drift horizontally while it is active, and it doesn't drop him too far downward, allowing it to be used offstage without a large risk of SDing. The anchor can also be dropped off edges, functioning as a situational edgeguard tool.
Wall cling attack		6%	Slashes outward while clinging to the wall. Weak with short vertical range, but has low lag and semi-spikes opponents, allowing it to function as a situational gimping tool. Based on the attack Zero can use while clinging to a wall in X4 and X5.
Grab		—	Reaches out with his free hand.
Pummel		1.6%	Punches the opponent. Based on the Kaiser Knuckle weapon in X8.
Forward throw		11.5%	Charges up his Z-Buster and shoots the opponent at point-blank, with the recoil causing him to leap back afterwards. Considerably laggy, but it is Zero's strongest throw, KOing at around 125% at the edge. The first hit also has a wide radius and is even stronger against bystanders, KOing them at around 100% from center stage. Based on how he destroys Vile's Ride Armor in the original Mega Man X.
Back throw	Shippuuga	8%	Turns around, dashes a distance back with the opponent, and slashes them away with the Z-Saber glowing pink. Useful for bringing the opponent closer to the edge and setting up edgeguards.
Up throw	Rising	6.5%	Launches the opponent away with a leaping upper slash. Low ending lag allows it to combo into a neutral aerial or Ryuenjin from low to mid percents, and up aerial until high percents.
Down throw	Lightning	9%	Zero's head gem glows, then right after he releases the opponent, a thunderbolt strikes them. It can combo into neutral aerial, forward aerial or Ryuenjin from low to mid percents, dealing more damage than up throw but losing its followup ability earlier.
Floor attack (front)		7%	Slashes in a circle around himself while getting up.
Floor attack (back)		7%	Same as front floor attack.
Floor attack (trip)		5%	Stabs in front of himself, then slashes horizontally behind himself.
Edge attack		9%	Climbs up and performs an overhead slash.
Neutral special	Z-Buster	4%-8% (shots), 8%-12% (blade)	Fires a yellow energy shot forward from his Z-Buster. It can be charged by holding the button, and canceled by shielding, dodging or jumping, which stores the charge. The shots' size, distance and damage increase with charging, and the move can reach two additional phases: In the second phase, Zero gains a second energy shot, which can be fired right after the first shot or in another use of the move. In the third phase, Zero gains a third shot; a green energy blade by swinging the Z-Saber, which is more powerful and can be aimed vertically. For both phases, the move only becomes chargeable again after Zero unleashes all shots.
Side special	Raikousen	12% (normal), 15% (extended), 6% (landing)	Assumes a ready stance with the Z-Saber, then disappears and quickly performs a dashing stab forward, creating a lightning trail behind himself and reappearing as he finishes the stab. It renders Zero fully intangible during his invisibility period, and launches opponents behind him, making it a unique approach option that can potentially get him out of disadvantage. However, it is easily punishable if missed or shielded due to its high ending lag. On the ground, inputting it like a smash attack increases its damage and distance, at the cost of more startup and ending lag. In the air, it causes helplessness, and Zero performs the move at a 315° angle, limiting its recovery usage to a landing mixup; upon landing, he follows up with a horizontal slash as an extra hit.
Up special	Ryuenjin	4% (hit 1), 1% (loop hits), 5% (last hit)	Sets the Z-Saber ablaze and performs a rising upward slash, hitting opponents multiple times before launching them at the apex of the jump. It cannot be drifted horizontally, and does not sweetspot edges until the last hit comes out; however, its distance and amount of hits can be controlled by holding the button, dealing a minimum of 2 loop hits and a maximum of 6. It is also a powerful finisher, KOing at around 110% if fully held.
Down special	Rekkoha	16%	Slams one fist onto the ground, raining down nine energy beams around him from a distance above (four at each side, one directly above him). The beams cover a long area, go through solid surfaces, and have exceptional KO power, while Zero gains full invincibility during the move's startup. However, it has only four uses during each of Zero's stocks, indicated by a gauge briefly appearing over him when used. It also has heavy ending lag, and cannot be used in the air.
Final Smash	Genmu Zero	40%	Zero first uses Dark Hold, inverting the stage's colors and stopping all other characters and moving objects completely. Afterwards, a purplish energy surrounds him, and he unleashes a large green energy blade forward with a slash of the Z-Saber. Shortly afterwards, the stage and time return to normal, and opponents that were hit by the blade are launched.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Turns away from the screen and gives a thumbs up, saying "Got this one!". Based on his animation when clearing a stage in Mega Man X4 up to Mega Man X6, while the phrase is taken from when he is selected in Mega Man X8.
• Side taunt: Unsheathes his Z-Saber and assumes a defensive stance with it, saying "It's not over yet!". The phrase is taken from when he is brought down to low health in X4.
• Down taunt: Warps out and back onto the stage, much like Mega Man's down taunt. It uses the same sound effects as in X4.

Entrance

Warps down on the stage.

Crowd Cheer

"Zero! - Our Hero!"

Idle Poses

• Turns towards the screen and looks around, with one hand close to the Z-Saber's handle.
• Unsheathes the Z-Saber and puts it in front of him as it flickers briefly, then puts it back away.

By default, Zero keeps the Z-Saber sheathed on his back, akin to his appearances from Mega Man X4 to Mega Man X6.

Victory Fanfare

The theme heard in Mega Man X4 when clearing a stage with Zero.

Victory Poses

• Leaps onto the stage from the background and delivers a takedown slash, then puts the Z-Saber away, saying "Piece of cake." Resembles the way he confronts Colonel in a cutscene in X4, while his ending pose resembles his artwork from X6, and the phrase is taken from when he clears a stage in X8.
  • If he wins a team battle with Mega Man, he will say "Pretty good for a rookie hunter."
• Floats down slowly onto the stage with an intense purplish energy surrounding him. Based on his entrace as a boss in his Awakened state in X5.
• Performs Rekkoha, causing the screen to shake, then stands up and crosses his arms, akin to his artwork from X7.

Classic Mode: Maverick Hunt

Zero's first five opponents all reference Mavericks from the mainline Mega Man X games in chronological order, starting with Mega Man X4.

Round	Opponent	Costume	Stage	Music	Notes
1	Charizard	Red	Brinstar Depths Ω	Sky Lagoon (Zero)	Charizard represents Magma Dragoon.
2	Piranha Plant (x2)	Green	Distant Planet Ω	Vs Dynamo	The Piranha Plants represent Spike Rosered and his ability to create a clone of himself.
3	Giant Bowser	Red	Temple Ω	Gate's Laboratory	Bowser represents Rainy Turtloid, with the stage representing his location, Inami Temple.
4	Wolf (x3)	Orange	Norfair (Battlefield form)	Conflict – Escape Stage	The three Wolves represent Flame Hyenard and his ability to create two clones of himself.
5	Dark Samus	Purple	Lylat Cruise (hazardless)	Jakob Orbital Elevator	Dark Samus represents Vile, with the stage and music representing his battle atop the Jakob Orbital Elevator in Mega Man X8.
6	Metal Mega Man	Cyan	Final Destination	X vs ZERO	Mega Man represents X, with his metal status akin to the Ultimate Armor, and the stage and music represent his battle against Zero in Mega Man X5.
Bonus Stage
Final	Galleom		Galleom's stage	Sigma 2nd	Galleom represents Sigma, the main antagonist of the Mega Man X series, who is usually fought in several giant forms across the games.

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Zero has Zero's Rebirth accompany the credits.

Alternate costumes

• Red – Zero as he appears from Mega Man X2 onwards.
• Black - Based on Black Zero, thereby also resembling the fake Zero in Mega Man X2.
• Purple - Based on the Zero Nightmare from Mega Man X6.
• Blue - Based on X.
• Brown - Based on Axl.
• White - Based on White Axl.
• Yellow - Based on the Golden Armor from Mega Man X3.
• Green - Based on Sage Harpuia from the Mega Man Zero series.

Kirby Hat

Kirby acquires Zero's helmet and hair. Like Samus' Copy Ability, Kirby charges and fires the Z-Buster shots with his bare hands, including the Z-Saber blade.

Trivia

• When at 100% damage or more, Zero's standard idle animation is different, having him gasp continuously while holding his chest with one hand. This is in reference to the same change seen in the Mega Man X games when he is low on health.
• Much like Mega Man, and akin to his appearances in his home series, Zero explodes into multiple orange orbs when KO'd.
  • When Star KO'd, he shouts "What am I fighting fooooor?!", as a reference to an infamous cutscene from Mega Man X4.
• Zero's moveset has undergone several revisions:
  • Raikousen was originally not part of his moveset, as DrakRoar felt its best fit would be as a dash attack (since it is performed by dashing in its origin game), and said slot was already taken by the more mechanically unique W-Shredder. However, he eventually decided to add it in replacement of Zero's original side special, Twin Dream, due to it having been too similar to Shadow Mirror, used by Specter Knight in another character concept, and DrakRoar feeling Specter Knight was more deserving of that kind of move.
    • DrakRoar is also notorious for his dislike towards Mega Man X5, which he jokes about as another reason for replacing the move.
  • Additionally, while he recognized Ryuenjin was too similar to Roy's Blazer, he included it either way due to being one of Zero's most prominent techniques in outside appearances, as well as one of his best suited techniques for a recovery move.
  • Furthermore, he recognized the somewhat infamous reputation of Hadangeki due to its appearance in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, but decided not to include it because he found it too similar to Cloud's Blade Beam, and because its only appearance in the Mega Man series is in Mega Man X7, which he tried to represent as less as possible due to its notoriously negative reception.

Shovel Knight

Shovel Knight
Universe	Shovel Knight
Stage	Plains of Passage
Possible?	Yes

“	Shovel Knight Digs In!	”
—Introduction tagline

Shovel Knight (ショべルナイト, Shovel Knight) is undoubtedly one of the most popular indie characters, and DrakRoar in particular is really fond of the game and its modernized take on classic platformers; as a result, he proposed to take Aidan's original moveset for Shovel Knight and give it a more detailed makeover. Like in his game, Shovel Knight would remain silent.

Reasons for inclusion/exclusion

• Shovel Knight is one of the most successful indie games of all time, and one of the most popular.
• Even Yacht Club Games supported Shovel Knight during the Ballot.
• The fact that he became an Assist Trophy in Ultimate means that Sakurai knows about him.
• Shovel Knight actually took a while to get to Japan, so it's probably not likely to be as popular over there than over here. But then again, we got Banjo & Kazooie, so...

Attributes

Stats

Weight	Dash speed	Walk speed	Air speed	Traction	Fall speed	Air acceleration	Gravity	Jumps	Short hop height	Full hop height	Double jump height
108	1.8 – Initial dash 1.614 – Run	1.12	1.12	0.06	1.84 – Base 2.944 – Fast fall	0.01 – Base 0.1 – Additional	0.1	2	14.75	31.4	30.9

General

• A heavy character with below-average ground mobility, but highly maneuverable in the air.
• Combines a plethora of long-ranged options with unique "rushdown" attacks in his Dust Knunckles and side special.
• Has various options to mix up recovery due to his forward and up aerials' unique properties.
• His moves chain together well for combos, with down aerial most notably standing out for its bouncing property on hit and controllable duration.
• Possesses a tether grab, and thus a zair that can function as a tether recovery.
• Has access to a unique stage control option in Mobile Gear, though it can also be used by opponents.
• His crouching animation is unconventional, having him simply bend his knees a little, akin to his origin game.

Pros and cons

• Flexible air mobility and several quick moves give him a multitude of combos.
• Has several options to hit opponents from a distance, be it with ranged options (such as Flare Wand and zair) or his "boosting" moves.
• Difficult to KO due to his high weight and flexible recovery.
• Proper use of Mobile Gear allows for several unique combo, edgeguarding, approach, and KO setups.
• Has trouble approaching directly due to his slow ground mobility.
• Has a general lack of KO moves, with his existing ones being difficult to land consistently.
• Mobile Gear can be used by opponents and provide them with potentially stronger advantages, discouraging its overuse and mismanagement.
• His crouch's unorthodox behavior makes it one of the worst in the game, barely helping to shrink his hurtboxes.

Moveset

Move	Name	Damage	Description
Jab	Dig Slash / Charge Handle	6% (standard), 4% (Drop Spark), 12% (Charge Handle)	Performs his signature shovel swing. Has low lag with weak vertical knockback, allowing it to combo into itself at low percents and other moves at higher percents. Two additional attacks are linked to this move: Drop Spark: If Shovel Knight has taken no damage, using the move releases a spark that travels across the ground roughly 30% of the Final Destination platform, inflicting additional damage. Only one Drop Spark can be active at a time, and it can be reflected or absorbed. Charge Handle: If the button is held after a standard jab, Shovel Knight assumes a protective stance with a blue glow, then performs a wider slash when it is released, which is stronger and reflects projectiles. The charge can be held indefinitely, but severely restricts Shovel Knight's mobility, and is lost if interrupted in any way.
Forward tilt	Dust Knuckles	9%	Punches forward with the Dust Knuckles. If an opponent is at a close range in front of Shovel Knight, the move boosts him forward to hit them, and a second punch with his other arm can be chained if they remain in range. This allows the move to combo into itself at low percents and serve as a surprise option from a distance. However, the punches can't be chained if shielded, which alongside its ramming property makes the move highly unsafe on shield.
Up tilt	Throwing Anchor	11% (clean), 8% (late)	Throws a purple anchor directly above himself, which then falls back to his hand. The anchor is a projectile that hits both on its way up and down, with a clean and late hit respectively, the former having remarkable KO power at high percents. However, it has a long duration and can only hit directly above Shovel Knight.
Down tilt		2% (hits 1-3), 4% (hit 4)	Digs up a small dirt pile, shooting out the shards in front of himself. A useful keepaway option due to its disjoint and hitbox activity. Similar to one of Shovel Knight's attacks as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate.
Dash attack		13%	Rams forward with his horns. Deceptively powerful for its fast startup, but covers a short distance, stopping Shovel Knight almost immediately, and lacks a lingering late hit. Resembles the dash attack he can perform against enemies with the Toad Gear, which in turn is based on the Battletoads' Smash Hit that is used the same way in their series.
Forward smash	Burrow Bomber	18% (clean), 14% (late)	Leaps forward while performing a corkscrewing stab with the Shovel Blade. Covers a long distance that increases the more it is charged, and can drop Shovel Knight off edges, though its ending lag remains the same as if he lands on the ground with it.
Up smash	Bomb Burst	16% (explosion), 14% (Shovel Knight)	Throws a chemical bomb at the ground, which creates a large explosion around him that propels him upward. The hitbox on Shovel Knight himself is weaker, but has more vertical reach, and the move causes him to functionally leave the ground, allowing him to act before dropping all the way back, and to land on platforms above him.
Down smash	Flare Razer	15% (clean), 12% (late)	Thrusts the Shovel Blade into the ground, causing two flame pillars to rise simultaneously at both sides. The fastest of Shovel Knight's smash attacks, possessing strong vertical knockback with a lingering late hit.
Neutral aerial	Dig Slash / Charge Handle	6% (standard), 12% (Charge Handle)	Identical to his jab, except without the Drop Spark attack.
Forward aerial	Dust Knuckles	9%	Punches forward with the Dust Knuckles. Has the same boosting and second punch properties as his forward tilt, except his vertical momentum is stalled during the boost as well (and only if it happens), and as an aerial, this can aid his recovery. However, due to aerial physics and its different knockback, it is less suited for combos into itself without using Shovel Knight's double jump.
Back aerial	Flareo Rod	14% (inner), 12% (outer)	Points a wand behind himself, creating a fiery explosion. Shovel Knight's main KO aerial, with a sweetspot closer to the center of the explosion.
Up aerial	Rising Dagger	1.3% (hits 1-8), 2.6% (hit 9)	Spins a dagger above himself. If the button is held, it provides a noticeable hover effect throughout the active hitboxes until the button is released, allowing it to stall Shovel Knight's fall and aid his recovery; however, this can only be done once per air time.
Down aerial	Shovel Drop	12% (clean), 9% (late; bounce)	Performs his iconic downward shovel thrust. Has decent startup, and bounces off opponents upon hitting them, like Link's down aerial. Compared to that move, however, the bounce cannot be negated by holding down, and Shovel Knight stays into the move indefinitely by default; it only stops if he lands or cancels it with another action, the latter which incurs a slight delay. The thrust has a short-lasting clean hit that meteor smashes aerial opponents with decent power, then a weak late hit that lasts throughout bounces and offers great combo potential. As a special property, if Shovel Knight bounces off opponents at least twice within one use of the move, he gains an instant Charge Handle for his jab and neutral aerial if they are used within the next 5 seconds, indicated by him glowing blue for that period.
Zair	Fishing Rod	9%	Throws out the line for the fishing rod. Exceptionally strong for a zair, and can function as a tether recovery, but has high landing lag.
Grab	Fishing Rod	–	Swings a fishing rod forward. Upon reeling an opponent in, Shovel Knight holds them with his free hand.
Pummel		1.3%	Smacks the opponent with the Shovel Blade.
Forward throw	Ghost Glove	7%	Quickly punches the opponent away with a Ghost Glove.
Back throw		8% (throw), 6% (collateral)	Catapults the opponent backward with the Shovel Blade.
Up throw		11%	Traps the opponent inside a treasure chest, then opens it with a rising swipe to launch them upward. If items are turned on, the chest has a small chance of spawning one when opened.
Down throw		5%	Strikes the ground beneath the opponent with the Shovel Blade, burying them. Like most burying throws, it lacks followups at low percents if the opponent mashes quickly enough, but can then lead into several of Shovel Knight's combo tools, as well as KO options at very high percents.
Floor attack (front)		7%	Swipes the Shovel Blade to both sides before getting up.
Floor attack (back)		7%	Same as front floor attack.
Floor attack (trip)		5%	Same as front floor attack.
Edge attack		9%	Swipes at the opponent's feet before pulling himself up.
Neutral special	Flare Wand	9% (clean), 7% (mid), 5% (late)	Uses a magic wand to shoot a fireball straight forward.
Side special	Propeller Dagger	2% (hits 1-5), 4% (hit 6), 18% (Infinidagger)	Spins a dagger in front of himself, propelling himself forward. Travels roughly 35% of Final Destination, and upon striking an opponent, it deals multiple hits, launching them at the end and sending Shovel Knight a distance back in a recoil animation. The latter also happens if he hits a wall with it. As a result, it is highly effective as an alternate recovery and for offstage KOs; however, it also carries high risk, as it causes helplessness. If the control stick is tapped forward and the button is held, Shovel Knight uses the Infinidagger, which has more startup, but travels a much longer distance (90% of Final Destination), and bounces off opponents immediately, dealing a single hit with powerful vertical knockback. However, even if Shovel Knight is hit out of the move, it prevents him from using either type of dagger again until landing; in conjunction with its helplessness, and its longer distance causing it to be overshot more easily, it is even riskier to use without getting KOed.
Up special	Shield Knight	4% (Shield Knight), 10% (Shovel Knight)	Shield Knight appears below Shovel Knight, who bounces off her raised shield with the Shovel Blade, boosting himself up as he thrusts it at a diagonally upward angle. If used on the ground, Shovel Knight jumps first to make space for Shield Knight. An effective out of shield option, but covers a relatively short distance for a recovery.
Down special	Mobile Gear	8%-20%	Tosses a box forward, which opens up to reveal a two-gear device upon landing on the ground. If the device is jumped on or attacked (by either Shovel Knight or an opponent), it charges forward, hitting opponents in its path while allowing one character to ride it. The device falls off edges, and if it hits a wall, it sticks to it for one second before disappearing; otherwise, it lasts 10 seconds or until it touches a blast line. The device's damage and travel speed depends on the damage of the attack it's hit with, between 3% and 27%; if stepped on, it behaves as if hit by a 11% damage attack.
Final Smash	War Horn	45%-40%-35%-30%	Pulls out a horn and blows in it, creating a shockwave that quickly expands to cover a large part of the stage. It deals more damage and knockback the closer opponents are hit to Shovel Knight.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Thrusts his shovel into the air multiple times. Based on his victory animation from Shovel Knight.
• Side taunt: Pulls out a Troupple Chalice and drinks from it.
• Down taunt: Fakes death, falling to the ground and not getting up until any button is pressed. Based on the Feign Death Gesture in Custom Knight mode.

Entrance

Leaps onto the stage and holds his shovel up. The level start jingle from Shovel Knight can be heard.

Idle Poses

As a nod to his origin game, Shovel Knight has no idle poses. However, as a similar effect from the game, light is gradually reflected through his armor if he remains idle for too long.

Crowd cheer

Sho - vel Kniiiiight!

Victory Fanfare

For Shovelry, the victory theme from Shovel Knight.

Victory Poses

• Appears sleeping in front of a campfire. Based on the standard sequence after clearing a stage in Shovel Knight.
• Digs through a chest, and pulls out a pink jewel.
• Knocks away two Boneclangs with the Shovel Blade, then leaps up and catches Shield Knight. Based on the minigame that plays after clearing a certain amount of stages in Shovel Knight.

Classic Mode: Shovel of Hope

Shovel Knight's opponents reference various bosses from the Shovel of Hope campaign, with four of them being knights from The Order of No Quarter.

Round	Opponent	Costume	Stage	Music	Notes
1	Shovel Knight	Black	Plains of Passage Ω	The Rival	References Black Knight, Shovel Knight's rival and the first boss to be fought in Shovel of Hope.
2	Specter Knight	Default	Bridge of Eldin (Battlefield form)	The Apparition
3	King K. Rool	Yellow	Mushroom Kingdom U (Slide Lift Tower)	The Decadent Dandy	References King Knight.
4	Dr. Mario	Green	Unova Pokémon League	The Vial Vitriol	References Plague Knight.
5	Bowser	Red	Norfair Ω	The Claws of Fate	References Mole Knight.
6	Giant Simon	Black	Temple Ω	Fighting with All of our Might	References Baz, a roaming boss that appears halfway through Shovel of Hope.
Bonus Stage
Final	Shovel Knight	Black	Dracula's Castle Ω	The Defender	References both Black Knight's rematch at the Tower of Fate and the final battle against The Enchantress.
	Giant Bayonetta	Blue		The Betrayer

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Shovel Knight has Strike The Earth! accompany the credits.

Alternate costumes

• Default — Shovel Knight's default armor, the Stalwart Plate.
• Gray — Based on the Dynamo Mail armor.
• Yellow — Based on the Ornate Plate armor. When using this alt, a sparkling trail follows his movements, mimicking the armor's "ability" in Shovel Knight.
• Purple — Based on the Conjurer's Coat armor.
• Black — Based on the Mail of Momentum armor.
• Orange — Based on the Final Guard armor.
• White — Based on the Armor of Chaos from the Sony versions of Shovel Knight.
• Green — Based on the Toad Gear from the Xbox One version of Shovel Knight. Also bares a resemblance to the 2P armor in Shovel Knight's co-op mode.

Kirby Hat

Kirby gains Shovel Knight's helmet and shoulder pads. However, he does not gain his shovel.

Trivia

• Shovel Knight features references to his game of origin outside of his moveset:
  • For his dodges, he pulls out the Phase Locket to phase in and out, which is accompanied by its sound effect from Shovel Knight.
  • His double jump animation is taken from the flip he performs when using the Ornate Armor.
  • His newcomer poster is a recreation of Shovel Knight's boxart.
  • His crowd cheer is to the rhythm of the first three notes of the main theme to Shovel Knight.
  • When he is KO'd, golden bags of money fly into the air, before disappearing in a puff of smoke upon his respawning, referencing the game's death system.
    • In his orange costume, the bags of money are smaller and silver, referencing how the Final Guard armor allows Shovel Knight to lose less gold when dying.

Specter Knight

Specter Knight
Universe	Shovel Knight
Stage	Plains of Passage
Possible?	Yes

“	Specter Knight Blights the Earth!	”
—Introduction tagline

Specter Knight (スペクターナイト, Specter Knight) is a major character in Shovel Knight, and the protagonist of Specter of Torment, one of the game's DLC campaigns. DrakRoar, following his makeover of Aidan's Shovel Knight moveset, agreed to do the same with his Specter Knight moveset, remarking how Specter of Torment was his favorite campaign and trying to make Specter Knight even more faithful to his appearance in it.

Reasons for inclusion/exclusion

• As previously stated, Shovel Knight is an extremely popular indie platformer.
• In comparison to Plague Knight, Specter Knight has more unique gameplay, and offers more variety than a simple character swap with different abilities. The game changes the levels completely, and even has different boss fights.
• If any Shovel Knight character would get in, it would be Shovel Knight himself.

Attributes

Stats

Weight	Dash speed	Walk speed	Air speed	Traction	Fall speed	Air acceleration	Gravity	Jumps	Short hop height	Full hop height	Double jump height
90	1.9 – Initial dash 2.017 – Run	1.18	1.18	0.06	1.48 – Base 2.368 – Fast fall	0.01 – Base 0.1 – Additional	0.1	2	13.1	27.2	29.7

General

• A character with quick and flexible mobility, as well as favorable range on several attacks thanks to his scythe, but floaty and on the lighter side of weight.
• He possesses several fighter abilities, referencing major mechanics from Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment:
  • Wall scaling: In addition to wall jumping, Specter Knight can walk up walls for up to one second if the control stick is held up and towards one. If he reaches a ledge during this period, he somersaults off it and onto the stage; otherwise, he drops off the wall, and cannot scale the same wall again until he lands, though he can still wall jump off it.
  • Darkness: Specter Knight possesses a Darkness meter, which is used for his smash attacks and special moves (besides Dash Slash), and can only be refilled by dealing damage to enemies or getting KO'd.
  • Attack upgrades: By pressing the special move button during a smash attack's startup or charge, Specter Knight's smash attacks can be upgraded to gain additional, unique benefits, at the cost of them using more Darkness. Activating the upgrade is indicated by him flashing purple, with the smash charge's tint also changing from yellow to that color. Likewise, all his special moves except Dash Slash can be upgraded by holding the button during startup.
• Like Shovel Knight, and akin to his series, his crouching animation is unconventional, having him simply bend his knees a little.

Pros and cons

• Great offensive presence due to his combination of fast mobility and attacks with quick startup relative to their range.
• Special moves are highly effective for covering diverse options and forcing opponents to approach.
• A plethora of both combo and KO options further strengthens his offense.
• His attack upgrades add even more oppressive power to his special moves, while rewarding him with higher usage of them if used properly.
• Low jump height, hindering his ability to pursue opponents above him.
• Poor survivability due to his below-average weight and shallow recovery.
• The Darkness meter ensues a management risk, depriving Specter Knight of important options if he fails to keep it in check.
• His crouch's unorthodox behavior makes it one of the worst in the game, barely helping to shrink his hurtboxes.

Moveset

• Specter Knight's dashing and running animations involve him grinding along the ground with his scythe, akin to the way he traverses rails in Specter of Torment, which he can use on any surface if he has the Rail Mail equipped.
  • As a result, he has two different ground jump animations: his standard jump, and a jump where his scythe spins around at his feet that only plays if he jumps after dashing. This animation transitions into the standard one if he stops moving forward.
• His dodging animations involve him briefly disappearing with his cloak curled up, resembling his teleporting animations when fought as a boss in Shovel of Hope.
• Specter Knight's Darkness meter is displayed as a purple bar above his damage gauge, split into four symmetrical fragments, and he starts with the maximum of 64 Darkness points. For every 20% damage he deals to a non-shielding opponent, as well as when he gets a KO, a Darkness jar flies towards him and restores 8 points.
  • If Specter Knight tries using a move that requires Darkness without the necessary amount, the purple bar briefly turns red as an indicator (unless he has no Darkness), and he still goes into the animation, but with no hitboxes or their associated visual effects.
  • All smash attacks use up 8 Darkness points if executed normally, and 12 if upgraded.

Move	Name	Damage	Description
Jab		3% (hit 1), 4% (hit 2)	Slashes forward with his scythe, then swipes it back towards him. Based on his standard attack in Specter of Torment.
Forward tilt		12% (snaith), 14% (blade)	Stalls briefly before performing a heavy outward slash horizontally. Has above-average lag, but can KO reliably at high percents if sweetspotted. Based on his charged attack with the Striker's Shawl.
Up tilt		9% (snaith), 11% (blade)	Grips his scythe's handle with his feet and performs a frontflip, slashing around himself. A useful anti-air tool with respectable KO power if sweetspotted.
Down tilt	Throwing Sickle	5% (hit 1), 4% (hit 2)	Throws a sickle a short distance forward, which then flies back to him. It has separate hits on the way forward and back, with the latter launching opponents towards Specter Knight and thus being a great combo starter, but the hits are not designed to link into each other.
Dash attack		7.5% (snaith), 9.5% (blade)	Lifts his scythe with his feet, slashing upward in front of him. Can start combos from low to mid percents.
Forward smash	Dread Talon	20%	Leans back, then swipes forward with a large claw. If upgraded, it grants some super armor frames, and the claw swipe produces a shockwave that increases its range.
Up smash	Will Skull	15%	Faces up and clutches a green flaming skull above himself, releasing a burst of green flames that is then absorbed into his helmet. If he hits a non-shielding opponent, he is healed by 8%; if the move is upgraded, this amount increases to 12%.
Down smash	Barrier Lantern	2% (charging flames), 3% (throw), 12% (blast)	Summons five red flames around him, then throws them a short distance forward, merging them into a blast. If charged, the flames circle around Specter Knight, becoming able to hit opponents once, and grow in size either upon a non-shielded hit or if they are hit by another attack; this increases the down smash's damage as a whole and the blast's range. However, there's enough space between the flames for opponents to hit Specter Knight through them with proper timing. The flames can grow in size twice, providing damage multipliers of 1.2× and 1.4× that fully affect knockback; if upgraded, the flames become purple, and the multipliers increase to 1.3× and 1.6×.
Neutral aerial		2.1% (hits 1-4), 4.2% (hit 5)	Spins his scythe repeatedly around himself. A great approach option due to its fast startup, wide coverage, and long hitbox activity, but has high landing lag.
Forward aerial		10% (clean, snaith), 12% (clean, flames), 8% (late, flames)	Slashes forward with his scythe, sending a wall of flames forward. Specter Knight's strongest aerial. Based on his improved standard attack after breaking a checkpoint with the Raiment of Risk.
Back aerial		8%	Pokes backward with his scythe's snaith. Weak with short range relative to Specter Knight's other attacks, but pretty quick all around, functioning as a hefty approach and combo tool.
Up aerial		9%	Lifts his scythe with a flourish, spinning it once above himself. Useful for juggling due to its fast startup and wide arc, albeit limited by Specter Knight's low jumps.
Down aerial		1.5% (hits 1-7), 3% (hit 8), 2% (landing)	Spins his scythe horizontally below himself with his feet. Although it cannot meteor smash, it is a great edgeguarding and anti-juggling option due to its wide coverage below Specter Knight and long hitbox activity. It also possesses a landing hit that launches at a relatively low angle, setting up potential tech-chases at higher percents.
Grab		—	Reaches with his left hand to grab an opponent. Relatively short ranged.
Pummel		1.3%	Knees the opponent.
Forward throw		2.2% (hits 1-3), 4.4% (hit 4)	Swings one arm forward with a flourish, causing his scythe to spin vertically on its own and slash the opponent multiple times before launching them away. Resembles how he throws his scythe as a boss in Shovel of Hope.
Back throw		9%	Quickly dashes behind the opponent and, without turning around, launches them with