Byleth (SSBU): Difference between revisions

As mentioned by [[Masahiro Sakurai]] during the January 16, 2020 presentation, Byleth is specifically designed to be a "distance demon," a character such as {{SSBU|Marth}} or {{SSBU|Shulk}} who utilizes large hitboxes to zone out opponents at mid-range. Boasting a variety of weapons, Byleth's overall reach is fittingly long in line with their archetype, and their attacks are generally very strong; to compensate for this, Byleth has poor overall mobility, high startup and ending lag on many of their moves, and a rather short [[grab]] range. All of this makes Byleth's general gameplan very patient, which reflects on Byleth's position as a "teacher" or "professor" in their game of origin: their sluggishness makes it necessary for them to plan ahead and learn the opponent's habits, before covering their options with their range and arsenal of hard-hitting weapons.

Like other weapon users, Byleth's attacks have [[disjointed hitbox]]es that allows them to fight at a safe distance. Neutral attack is a quick chain of attacks that act as a standard get-off-me option, especially due to the speed of Byleth's moveset. Neutral attack's infinite can easily deal a lot of damage up close. Byleth's tilts all use their sword, the [[Sword of the Creator]]. Up and forward tilts have wide hitboxes and decent speed, making them effective spacing attacks. Down tilt is a whip with the sword in chain form, giving it more effective distance and allowing it to combo into aerials. Finally, dash attack is a wide swipe forward, which allows it to punish whiffs but is also easily punishable itself. All of Byleth's up attacks emphasize the Sword of the Creator's extended chain form; up aerial causes Byleth to lash upwards in a flurry, dealing multiple hits and acts as a good tool to deny landings or start a juggle. Its looping hits can also drag opponents downwards to initiate extended combos. Byleth's up special causes them to thrust the chain upwards to grab opponents or ledges. As a combat move, this up special can combo from certain moves, and causes an untechable [[meteor smash]] at high percentages; if used on offstage opponents, Byleth will hop off the opponent's head for a meteor smash, which can cause an unavoidable KO at high percents. As a recovery move, the sword grants Byleth a very long [[tether recovery]], which can grab [[Battlefield]]'s ledges as low as near the bottom blast line. Notably, Byleth's up special can attach to walls and perform a wall jump if it touches a wall, much like tether recoveries in ''Melee''. Altogether, these traits provide Byleth with a safe array of covering various approach options.

Byleth's other weapons grants them more specialized options. {{s|fireemblemwiki|Areadbhar}}, a lance, is used for Byleth's side moves (forward smash, forward aerial and back aerial, and side special); it has long range and uses a [[tipper]] mechanic that deals more damage at the tip of the lance. Forward smash is a slow but long-ranged stab that deals more knockback if aimed upward and tippered, allowing it to heavily punish jump options. If aimed downwards, the lance can also hit opponents grabbing ledges. Meanwhile, forward and back aerials are very effective spacing moves, even outranging those of Marth, and the tippers deal heavy knockback. Byleth's side special has them swing [[Areadbhar]] in a slow, but wide swing, and allows them to step forward if the special button is held. Its massive hitbox easily denies jump options and acts as a powerful but risky spacing option. However, all of Areadbhar's moves are very weak if the hilt lands, so proper spacing is vital; this is especially important with side special, as the sourspot deals extremely low knockback, making it possible for opponents to punish Byleth at low percents even if it lands.

{{s|fireemblemwiki|Aymr}}, an axe, is used for Byleth's down moves (down smash, down aerial, down special); it is an extremely slow, yet powerful weapon that deals high damage and knockback on all moves that use it. Down smash is slow overall, but hits very hard and can KO as early as 90%. Down aerial is a similarly slow swing downwards with extreme landing lag, but it is among the strongest meteor smashes when it lands, making it also among the most rewarding. Finally, Byleth's down special causes them to charge [[Aymr]] in a [[super armor]]ed stance, before unleashing a powerful, [[Special Zoom]]-inducing swing. It allows Byleth to pass through platforms and turn around in the opposite direction while charging, which can be used for mindgames. It also has a surprisingly wide hitbox that starts behind Byleth's head, making it much like [[Warlock Punch]]; a high-risk, high-reward move that can catch opponents by surprise.

Finally, {{s|fireemblemwiki|Failnaught}} is a bow which is used for Byleth's neutral moves (neutral aerial and neutral special). Neutral aerial is a long-lasting, wide-ranged spinning move much like {{SSBU|Palutena}}'s, making it a good option [[out of shield]] due to its fast startup, and can also initiate combos or [[edgeguard]] with its looping hits. Byleth's neutral special also charges up [[Failnaught]] with an arrow, which can be shot at two different strengths: a slow but strong arrow that acts as a sniping option and passable spacing projectile, or a very delayed shot that acts as one of the strongest projectiles in the game, which can also almost break a full shield. The charged projectile also becomes an energy projectile, making it possible to [[absorption|absorb]] it, but not [[inhale]]d nor [[Pocket]]ed. Unlike every {{SSBU|Link}}'s respective [[Bow]]s, Byleth can cancel Failnaught's charge before they reach the delayed charge shot, though they are unable to cancel it after he reaches that point. Byleth's neutral special can also turn around before the delayed charge shot.

Byleth is not without flaws, however. Due to their mobility being among the worst in ''Ultimate'', Byleth's approach is very committal. This flaw is further stressed due to many attacks having slow startup (e.g. down smash/down aerial), narrow hitbox placements (e.g. forward/back aerials), or even both (e.g. forward smash). Byleth's dash attack, neutral aerial and side special are exceptions, but are easily punishable on shield due to their ending lag, while the lattermost is dangerously unsafe if the sweetspot does not land. This flaw becomes even more dangerous with Failnaught’s unique charge properties, as while the arrows fired from it are powerful and fast, they are equally as dangerous if reflected as Byleth cannot cancel the move after charging it halfway through. Byleth’s abundance of KO options is also a double-edged sword, as while it makes it easy for them to heavily punish mistakes, it also makes [[counterattack]]s an excellent option to punish their many KO options if used frequently.

Byleth’s grab game is also flawed. While they have an up throw that deals passable damage, a capable 0% combo starter in down throw, and a high-percentage kill option with their forward throw, their pummel is very slow and their throws in general are ineffective for starting combos due to high base knockback. When combined with their short grab, Byleth’s grab game is only useful at point blank range, and typically used to deal damage if other moves stale.

Finally, even though Byleth has a large array of KO moves, they are not always reliable. Byleth's up smash, like certain other multi-hitting up smashes, is below-average in KO power and has almost no grounded hitboxes, making it ineffective against grounded opponents. Their side and up special moves have strict hitboxes that only work from a specific horizontal distance or above Byleth, respectively. Their down special, despite its aforementioned strengths, is very punishable due to its startup and ending lag throughout, leaving Byleth very vulnerable to grabs. Lastly, their most reliable KO moves will only KO starting after high percentages, making it tough for Byleth to KO effectively.

All in all, Byleth is a ranged powerhouse with great offensive potential due to their weaponry, which comes with varying uses depending on each weapon. Byleth's arsenal grants them access to a mixture of highly damaging attacks, KO options, combos, and setups. However, their slow mobility and poor overall frame data renders their approach strategic, requiring Byleth to be very patient with their opponent and read and punish their mistakes, as a careless move on their end will easily give their opponent just as big of an opening.

|utiltdesc=Swings their sword in an upward arc over their head, akin to {{SSBU|Mii Swordfighter}}'s up tilt. An effective juggling tool.

|dtiltdesc=A low swipe with their whip-sword. Has very good horizontal range, and despite its slow startup for a tilt attack, the move is one of Byleth's best combo starters, with follow-ups such as up tilt, neutral aerial, up aerial or Sword of the Creator, depending on the opponent's percent.

|usmashdesc=Swings their whip-sword above himself, hitting multiple times, akin to {{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}}. This is Byleth's fastest smash attack, and is useful for juggling opponents and covering landings. It is also decently strong for an up smash of its kind as well.

|nairdesc=Spins Failnaught around themselves, hitting multiple times. Byleth's fastest aerial attack. It is useful for edgeguarding and approaching, has some combo potential, and it also possesses a landing hitbox, making it a useful multi-purpose aerial attack. Byleth may occasionally say "Failnaught!" while using this move.

|uairdesc=Swings their whip-sword upward, hitting multiple times. A decent tool for juggling thanks to its long duration and excellently disjointed vertical range. Has excellent vertical KO power.

|grabdesc=Reaches out with their left hand.

|bthrowdesc=Wraps the Sword of the Creator around their opponent and swings them around twice, throwing them behind on the second spin.

|uthrowdesc=Shoves the opponent upward with their sword.

|floorfdesc=Slashes behind and then in front of themselves.

|floorbdesc=Same as their front floor attack.

|floortdesc=Slashes in front and then behind themselves.

|nsdesc=Byleth pulls out the Hero's Relic Failnaught to fire an arrow. They can charge it for more speed and damage, change directions while charging, and can [[charge-cancel]] with shield until a certain duration. Charging at its maximum duration will fire a powerful arrow that has a similar animation and range to the [[staff]] item. A fully charged arrow can nearly break full shields. It must be charged a bit before it can be fired, similarly to how [[Bullet Climax]] cannot be shield-canceled instantaneously and must charge first. Byleth may occasionally say "Failnaught!" while using this move. The fully charged version pushes Byleth back and up when used in the air.

|ssdesc=Byleth lunges forward while swinging the Hero's Relic Areadbhar upward with impressive horizontal and vertical range. If the move is smash-inputted, Byleth lunges forward farther, further improving its range. The aerial version has them spin it in an arc around him, covering an area that his aerial attacks cannot, but at expense of lag. Areadbhar possesses a [[sweetspot]] on its blade, as opposed to the weaker shaft. Byleth may occasionally say "Areadbhar!" while using this move.

|usdesc=Byleth whips the Sword of the Creator upward, acting as a [[tether recovery]] very similar to Joker's [[Grappling Hook]] in function. It can also attach to walls and allow Byleth to jump off, up to three times consecutively without landing. If it connects with an opponent, Byleth latches onto the opponent before footstooling them. If the opponent's percentage is at least 50%, this footstool will [[Tech|untechably]] [[meteor smash]]. The move can not only grab aerial opponents, but also grounded ones as well. When activated in the air, it instantly cancels all of Byleth's knockback, which can improve their survivability.

|dsdesc=Byleth channels all of their energy into a sluggish, but colossally powerful slash using the Hero's Relic Aymr. It has [[super armor]] during startup, can be reversed, and Byleth can drop through platforms while performing it. Like other "bold" moves (such as [[Falcon Punch]], [[Warlock Punch]], and [[Hatchet Man]]), it triggers [[Special Zoom]]. When successfully executed, Aymr can break shields in a single hit. When it is used successfully while falling off the battlefield, by an edge, and it hits the battlefield, Byleth will be suspended, ending the fall. Byleth may occasionally yell "Aymr!" while using this move. When used in the air, Byleth is stalled slightly just before the hitbox comes out.

|fsdesc= Byleth lashes out with the Sword of the Creator, exclaiming "I'll finish with this!". The lash itself has decent range and can trap up to three opponents at once. Upon a hit, they and Sothis combine their power to perform Byleth's signature Combat Art Ruptured Heaven, with Sothis saying "Your will and mine are now as one!", as Byleth extends the Sword of the Creator to unleash an earth-rending twister. As the targets are struck by the shockwave, Sothis says "The end approaches!" before they are launched diagonally upwards with respectable power.

* '''Up taunt''': Swings the Sword of the Creator to their right leg, and puts his left fist to his chest while looking into the sky. Female Byleth has an altered stance, with one foot in front of the other, and with the Sword of the Creator held behind her in a reversed grip. Based off of Byleth's victory pose with a sword equipped.

* '''Down taunt''': Swings the whip-sword around themselves and says, "Try me."

*Twirls the Sword of the Creator into a backhanded grip while striking a pose, before returning to their original position. If using a female costume, the Sword of the Creator is instead held in a standard grip with a more energetic pose. Based off the animation when Byleth is selected on the map before moving.

*With their debut in ''Three Houses'' in July 2019, Byleth is currently the most recent fighter to appear in ''Ultimate'' and, by extension, the entire ''Super Smash Bros.'' series. They are also the first character in the game to make his gaming debut after ''Ultimate''{{'}}s original release in December 2018, which was also the case with fellow ''Fire Emblem'' characters [[Roy]] and [[Corrin]] in their debuts.

*Byleth is the only character whose alternate costume is displayed alongside their default costume on the [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site|official ''Ultimate'' site]], and is one of two characters in general to have this trait, with {{SSB4|Robin}}'s page on the [[Super Smash Bros. 4 Official Site|official ''SSB4'' site]] similarly showing both genders, unlike other characters with alternate costumes.

**Their tether is also the first one in ''Ultimate'' that can grab opponents while the user is airborne.

**Their tether is also the first since ''Melee'' to be able to grab walls.

*When Byleth is [[Star KO]]'d, they shout, "My battle ends here...!" This is a reference to a line of dialogue when they exhausts their health in ''Fire Emblem: Three Houses''. They share the distinction of speaking a full sentence during a Star KO with {{SSBU|Pit}}.

**Additionally, neither gender of Byleth appear in their default costume in these spirit battles, making them so far the only DLC character with this distinction.