Quick Draw

Quick Draw (, Iai/Quick-Draw Cutter) is Ike's side special move.

Overview
Ike raises his sword, then quickly dashes forwards and attacks any opponent in range with a sword slash. Ike will stop in front of the first character he runs into, regardless if the move deals damage or not; if an opponent is intangible (through spot dodging or otherwise), Ike will still end the dash at the opponent's location, dealing no damage. Quick Draw can be charged by holding the special move button to increase the distance Ike travels (approximately halfway across uncharged, or three-quarters to nearly the entire length of the stage when fully charged), along with the damage and knockback of the slash. The uncharged version is among Ike's fastest ways to attack from outside of his normal threat range and is an important mobility tool due to its ability to autocancel from a full jump. The charge stance can be held indefinitely, even after the move's charging is completed, which means that this move can be an unavoidable tech-chase option at close range. The charge can no longer be held indefinitely in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, now releasing automatically after about two seconds of being fully charged, but a patch would later grant it increased damage and knockback on the ground, turning it into a committal but dangerous ground coverage tool. If the move does not connect, it has punishable ending lag, but its speed, travel distance, and ability to hold its charge forever in its first two appearances make it extremely difficult to challenge. It should be noted that, when used on the ground, the dash stops at platform edges, preventing accidental self-destructs.

This move can also be used while off the stage to give Ike significant horizontal recovery. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl contact with an opponent makes Ike immediately helpless, making standing in his path and taking the hit a viable gimping strategy; this is no longer the case in Super Smash Bros. 4, as Ike now has a short timeframe after hitting an opponent in midair for performing other actions like Aether or a jump before becoming helpless. As a downside, Quick Draw's trajectory pairs with Aether to make his overall recovery somewhat predictable and polarized, as both of his recovery moves feature high but one-directional movement, but unlike Aether, Ike may choose to release Quick Draw at varying heights to recover low and high, as he can travel a very long distance after the move has already ended if he is not intercepted. It should be noted that when using Quick Draw to recover and aiming for the ledge, the move should be aimed slightly above the edge, as unlike similar moves such as Fox Illusion or Falco Phantasm, Ike is still affected by gravity during the startup of the dash.

Like other special moves, Quick Draw can be reversed; however, the reversed Quick Draw has no special properties over the standard version.

Customization
Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the variations:


 * 1) Quick Draw: Default.
 * 2) Close Combat: Moves faster and launches foes upwards while passing through them, but deals less damage.
 * In, this variation is a Challenge unlock, only obtainable by destroying a total of 1000 blocks in Trophy Rush.
 * 1) Unyielding Blade: Grants super armor and increases damage, but doesn't travel as far or attack as fast.

Origin
This is one of Ike's critical hit animations in . The term iai (pronounced "ee-ai") or "iaidō" (lit. quick-draw path) is a Japanese sword technique involving a quick-draw strike followed with a quick re-sheathing of the blade, not to be confused with the battōjutsu which works almost the same, but does not involve quick re-sheathing. The concept is to be active and ready to respond to any attack, including any subsequent ones.

Despite its Japanese name, Quick Draw and the animation it's based on is not a true "iaidō" since it does not involve any sort of re-sheathing. Thus, it is more like battōjutsu than iaidō. The English name likely revolves around the terms "quick draw", "fast draw" or "quick on the draw", nodding to the speed at which Ike travels upon unleashing it.

Trivia

 * Ike can be KOed if he uses this move against an inhaling near a ledge. When Ike dashes forward, he will attack Dedede with Quick Draw's slash but then continue flying past him, usually falling helplessly to the KO line. If a King Dedede player is using Inhale on a ledge and an Ike player accidentally inputs a Quick Draw while facing him, this can cause a stalemate where neither player will give up their respective charge. That said, such stalemates are no longer in possible in Ultimate, owing to the fact that moves like Quick Draw can no longer have their charge held indefinitely.