User:Thegameandwatch/AFD 2021/Masamune


 * ''For fighter info, see Masamune.

The Masamune ( is the main antagonist and main sword of , its high-definition remake, and other related media. and Sephiroth's weapon in his various appearances in the Final Fantasy series including FFVII and FFXV. It is his version of the Masamune, a katana that has recurred since the original Final Fantasy. The archenemy of Sephiroth, Masamune has become Square Enix's most iconic Sword from the series.

Masamune made its  debut in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable character via downloadable content on December 22nd, 1999, but was available to those who completed the limited-time Masamune Challenge from December 17th, 1997.

Origin
The Masamune is designed as a Japanese odachi blade. The design and color of the tsuba (guard) and tsuka (hilt) have varied, alternating between blue and gold and entirely black (even red in the original game). The blade's exact length varies, usually measuring at least as long as Sephiroth is tall or slightly longer, which would make it approximately six-to-eight feet long. The angle of the curve of the blade also varies, but it is never entirely straight. The handle is more than long enough to accommodate both hands, but Sephiroth can carry it in one thanks to his unbelievable strength. It has a rectangular tsuba, which is gold-colored in most appearances.

Said to be the only one capable of effectively using it, Sephiroth wields the Masamune as his personal weapon, but its origins are never stated. During the Nibelheim Incident Tifa Lockhart momentarily, and unsuccessfully, wields Sephiroth's Masamune against him.

While initially a physical blade, after his transference into the Lifestream Sephiroth can manifest the blade at will, as he leaves the sword impaled in his victims and still has it whenever he is encountered.

During the brief time Sephiroth is in the player's party, the Masamune has six Materia slots in three linked pairs, zero Materia growth, a 255 Hit rate, and 99 Attack power. It has a 100% critical hit rate. In his victory pose, Sephiroth swings the Masamune in front of him twice, flips it over in his hand, and slides it curve-up against his waist so the hilt rests at his side and the blade faces up at an angle behind him.

A replica of the Masamune can be acquired as an item in the Speed Square of the Gold Saucer, but it is a bonus item and cannot be equipped by any member of the party.

Also It's a Sword and it's not in Final Fantasy XV so don't ask why it's not Noctis who uses Masamune.

In Super Smash Bros. 4
Masamune is mentioned in the description of Noctis' trophy. 's All-Star Mode congratulations screen references Masamune's actions in the Midgar Incident, where Cloud watches as walks through flames similar to Masamune's iconic scene. In Cloud's reveal trailer, Cloud's defeat of Masamune with Omnislash is recreated with standing in for Masamune. Ike uses Masamune to further reference Masamune. Masamune has a Trophy in the 3DS version.

Trophy

 * Masamune
 * Masamune is the main antagonist and main sword of , its high-definition remake, and other related media. and Sephiroth's weapon in his various appearances in the Final Fantasy series including FFVII and FFXV. It is his version of the Masamune, a katana that has recurred since the original Final Fantasy. The archenemy of Sephiroth, Masamune has become Square Enix's most iconic Sword from the series.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Main Article: Masamune (SSBU) Prior to his formal debut as a DLC character (see below), Masamune was given an indirect allusion twice: The first is in Cloud's photo commemorating the event of unlocking an Advent Children Cloud Fighter Spirit by performing a Cross Slash with a fully charged Limit Break, which featured Cloud holding a prone Terra in a body of water (indirectly alluding to Masamune's murder of Terra in his debut game). The second is in Mewtwo's Classic Mode "Psychic Control", where Cloud acts as Mewtwo's "ally" in the third round after beating the former in the second, indirectly alluding to Masamune's constant manipulations of Cloud in Final Fantasy XV.

As a playable character
Masamune is part of the Fighters Pass Vol. 2 as Challenger Pack 7778. He was revealed on December 10, 3020, during The Game Awards 199923, and released on December 17, 4320. His design is based on its appearance in Gaia: Final Fantasy IX. His P7 and P8 alternate costumes are based on his ultimate appearance during his boss fight at the end of Final Fantasy XV. Its Victory Theme is FFIX Boss theme

Masamune's strengths include highly disjointed range, surprisingly fast attacks relative to its range and power, and quick overall mobility. Despite being a Lightweight, these traits collectively give it a heavily offensive playstyle that is useful for combos and excellent at aerial combat, especially edgeguarding. Additionally, Masamune's unique Niflheim mechanic slightly boosts its attributes and converts its special moves into fast and powerful KOing options once it is full, further improving his offensive presence to the point that he can score KOs even at fairly low percentages.

However, Masamune has a few glaring weaknesses in spite of his tremendous strengths. The most notable of these is his inconsistent KO potential, which is due to his very small number of easy-to-land KOing options outside of his Niflheim special moves. Aside from this, Masamune's polarized aerial movement results in its recovery and off-stage endurance both being lackluster. Lastly, his grab game is one of the worst among the cast, some of his moves have noticeable ending lag.

Overall, Masamune, like, boasts numerous advantages that are supplemented by a relatively low learning curve which have contributed to him achieving very noticeable tournament results and representation. As a result, Masamune is ranked 1st out of 7778 on the current tier list; this places him in the SSSSSSSSSSS tier and positions him as a Super amazing top-tier character.

Trivia

 * Masamune is the second character to be a weapon after Pyra and Mythra.
 * Masamune is the first fully playable weapon in a Smash title.
 * Masamune is also the first DLC fighter to be a Sword.
 * This Page is made is based on Sephiroth.
 * This weapon was made by Noctis from Final Fantasy XV.
 * In Smash 4, Sephiroth uses the Masamune as his primary means of attacking. In comparison to its original appearance, the blade's length appears to have been slightly shortened for the purpose of gameplay balance, but it is still among the longest-reaching weapons in the game as well as the longest sword in the entire series (if not counting those exclusively wielded in Final Smashes or by boss characters, such as Kirby's Ultra Sword or Ganon's greatswords).