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Chrom (SSBU)

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This article is about Chrom's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For the character in other contexts, see Chrom; for information on the character of whom Chrom is an Echo Fighter, see Roy (SSBU).
Chrom
in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Chrom SSBU.png
FireEmblemSymbol.svg
Universe Fire Emblem
Availability Unlockable
Final Smash Awakening Aether
ChromHeadSSBU.png

Chrom (クロム, Chrom) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was announced as a newcomer alongside Simon, Richter, Dark Samus, and King K. Rool in the Nintendo Direct on August 8th, 2018. Chrom is Roy's Echo Fighter, thus being classified as Fighter #25ε. Although, his lack of sweetspots makes him parallel Roy the same way Lucina parallels Marth.

Matthew Mercer and Tomokazu Sugita, who voiced Chrom in the English and Japanese versions of Fire Emblem Awakening respectively, reprise their roles in the international and Japanese versions of Ultimate. Both voice actors initially revealed their roles on their Twitter accounts [1] [2].

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

With the exception of the third method, Chrom must then be defeated on Arena Ferox.

Attributes

As the Echo Fighter of Roy, Chrom's moveset and animations are primarily based on those of Roy, and his attributes are identical as well, with excellent yet polarized overall mobility (very fast dashing, air, and falling speeds, alongside a very effective dash dance, but a slightly above-average walking speed, slow air acceleration and a low midair jump) and good frame data for a weapon user. As a result, Chrom shares an almost similar gameplan: he is mainly a rushdown character, who aims to overwhelm his enemy by closing the distance quickly with fast movement. However, Chrom's primary difference is his sword's lack of a sweetspot and sourspot, making him more oriented towards spacing out his opponents at the cost of having lower damage output and knockback up close, compared to Roy (who focuses more on getting up close to his opponent for very hard hits). Chrom also notably lacks any of Roy's distinctive flame effects and reverse-gripped animations, and his forward tilt moves him slightly forward. Finally, Chrom's up special is completely different compared to Roy's, as Soaring Slash functions much like Aether compared to Blazer, and is more effective at racking up damage than KOing while onstage; it can even act as a niche sacrificial KO at extremely low percents out of a forward aerial, and otherwise acts as a deterrent for edge-guarding that Roy lacks. However, this is only effective if Chrom has a stock lead since he is usually KOed first.

Since Chrom's lack of a sweetspot makes his unique attribute similar to his daughter Lucina (who acts as the non-sweetspot/sourspot equivalent of Marth), Chrom's benefits are also somewhat identical to hers: they both share the trait of having the weighted average of their original fighter's damage numbers. As a result, they have more consistent combos, edgeguarding and KO potential than their base characters, and their attacks are significantly safer on shield and on hit than Marth and Roy's sourspots, at the cost of losing out on stronger sweetspots that can end stocks early. However, as Roy's sweetspots and sourspots are extremely polarized in power, Chrom's damage and knockback averages end up being higher-than-average, giving him an overall powerful offense. Additionally, he arguably benefits more from his balanced blade than Lucina does, since Roy's weaknesses are his reliance on getting extremely close and extremely ineffective sourspots; as a result, Chrom suffers less from Roy's main flaws, allowing him to both space and fight up close very effectively. In terms of general capabilities compared to Lucina, Chrom possesses faster overall speed and stronger grounded attacks, in exchange for lower jump height, faster falling speed, and weaker aerials. This makes him more capable than Lucina while on or moving along the ground, but drastically less versatile in the air and especially off-stage (mirroring the differences between Roy and Marth, respectively).

Despite his array of strengths, Chrom also has very polarized weaknesses. While Chrom's retention of Roy's high air speed grants him decent survivability with his second jump, his overall recovery and off-stage endurance is notoriously weak, even when compared to Roy, as Soaring Slash grants almost no horizontal distance and only snaps to ledge once he begins the downward slash, making it susceptible to counterattacks and sufficiently long hitboxes. This, combined with Chrom's low jump height and fast falling speed, results in him having one of the worst recoveries in the game, and also one of the most easily affected by semi-spikes and gimps. His poor recovery is only somewhat remedied by his aforementioned high air speed and the presence of his air dodge, which combined with his second jump, allows him to return to stage surprisingly frequently without the need for Soaring Slash. Despite this, Chrom's air dodge remains unsafe even though he relies on it more than other characters for survival. Additionally, he shares similar flaws with Roy: his excellent mobility is offset by a complete lack of projectile-denying tools, making him vulnerable to camping from a handful of characters, and his fast falling speed and low air acceleration makes him vulnerable to combos and juggles (though he has some good tools for escaping such combos, such as neutral aerial and falling up aerial).

Overall, Chrom is a very accessible and effective character and provides for a completely different playstyle from Roy despite their shared attributes and moves. His aim is to strike a balance between aggression and patience, as he has the mobility, range, and damage necessary to switch between gameplans on the fly. However, his very weak recovery mandates that players avoid being thrown off-stage and maintain stage control at all times, as not only is he vulnerable to getting edgeguarded and gimped, but can sometimes also end up in a spot where he is unable to recover at all.

All in all, Chrom's strengths outweigh his weaknesses. He has been viewed extremely positively in the early competitive scene since the release of Ultimate, has multiple dedicated mains such as Rivers and Mr.R who represent him in tournaments, and is a popular secondary pick for many high-level players.

Differences from Roy

As mentioned above, the main difference between Chrom and Roy is that Chrom's attacks lack Roy's inverse tipper sweetspots, instead dealing consistent damage across the entire blade. This gives Chrom the ability to space effectively with his sword and makes him more consistent, but in turn renders him incapable of securing early stocks. Additionally, Chrom has altered animations for his neutral attack, forward tilt and up tilt where he holds his sword properly instead of holding it in a reverse grip, and his up smash, down aerial and special moves do not use the flame effect either.

Unlike Lucina, whose only other major difference from Marth is that her up tilt has a timing-based sweetspot, Chrom's additional differences are much more pronounced. His up special is Soaring Slash, a move resembling Aether, which makes Chrom's recovery much less safe than Roy's, but also allows him to perform a sacrificial KO. His forward tilt moves him forward slightly, giving it more range. His neutral aerial uses weight-independent knockback on its first hit (like Marth and Lucina) rather than on its second hit. Chrom's Counter deals less knockback against weaker attacks, but more knockback against stronger attacks. Lastly, his Final Smash, Awakening Aether, is a unique move which is drastically different in function from Roy's Critical Hit.

Because Chrom's lack of Roy's sweetspots and flame-based attacks spreads across his entire moveset, and his up special makes his off-stage presence much less safe for both Chrom and his opponent(s), Chrom is generally considered to be one of the most unique Echo Fighters, alongside Ken and Lucina. As such, these three are not expected to share a spot on the tier list, and are expected to be allowed to be used with their base fighters in Squad Strike.

Aesthetics

  • Change As with all other Echo Fighters, Chrom has different taunts and victory animations.
  • Change Chrom has a different idle stance and altered idle poses, with his left arm lifted, his sword pointed downward, and noticeably less bouncing. However, this does not apply when holding a light item.
  • Change Chrom's sword trails are blue and white, and do not fade out, making them identical to Lucina's.
  • Change Chrom has an additional voice clip for taking light knockback, an alternate KO voice clip, and a voice clip when performing a tech, waking up from a sleep and emerging from underwater.
  • Change As of the 3.0.0 update, Chrom has a distinct victory theme from Roy, shared with Lucina and Robin based off of "Id (Purpose)" from Fire Emblem Awakening. However, in prior versions, Chrom and Roy shared the same victory theme.

Attributes

  • Change Unlike Roy, none of Chrom's attacks have a flame effect, with all of them (except for Flare Blade) instead having a slash or stab effect.
    • Change Partly as a result of this, Chrom's up smash, down aerial and neutral special have wind vortex visual effects.
  • Change Chrom's Sealed Falchion lacks a sweetspot and sourspot compared to Roy's Binding Blade. As a result, it always deals consistent damage and knockback throughout, like Lucina's Parallel Falchion.
    • Buff Chrom has more effective reach than Roy, as Roy cannot take advantage of his long reach due to his weak and largely inefficient sourspots.
    • Buff This makes Chrom's combos, edgeguarding and KOing ability more consistent.
    • Nerf Chrom cannot secure KOs as early as Roy can.
    • Nerf Chrom lacks the combos and KO setups that Roy's sourspots grant.
  • Change Unlike Roy, Chrom does not hold his sword in a backward grip for his neutral attack, forward tilt and up tilt. This marginally alters the hitbox placements of those moves.

Ground attacks

  • Change Chrom has a set voice clip for all three of his smash attacks.
  • Buff Chrom's neutral attack has more horizontal range due to an altered animation where Chrom holds his sword in a regular grip, as opposed to a reversed one.
  • Buff Chrom's forward tilt moves him slightly forward unlike Roy's variant. Its altered animation also causes him to hit lower, enabling him to more reliably hit shorter or crouching opponents, and grants him the ability to hit ledge-hanging opponents with the move. Altogether, these changes improve its range considerably.
  • Buff Up smash has drastically less hitlag, making it harder to DI correctly.

Aerial attacks

  • Change Chrom's neutral aerial uses weight-independent knockback on the first hit like Marth and Lucina's, rather than on the second hit like Roy's. As a result, the first hit connects into the second more reliably, but is less effective for comboing into other moves, while the second deals more knockback to lighter opponents, but less to heavier ones.
  • Change Chrom's forward aerial launches at the Sakurai angle, unlike Roy's which launches at 42 degrees.

Special moves

  • Flare Blade:
    • Change Flare Blade uses the normal effect. Additionally, it is aesthetically different; instead of charging up with flames for a fiery explosion, Chrom's sword charges with a wind vortex before it unleashes a powerful shockwave. Additionally, as the move is charged, the Sealed Falchion's blade slowly sparkles from the blade's base to the tip, indicating its charge level, while dust and debris kick up around Chrom. This effect is similar to the version of Roy's Flare Blade in Melee.
    • Change Chrom uses only one voice clip upon releasing Flare Blade once sufficiently charged, similarly to how Marth and Lucina vocalize when performing Shield Breaker, instead of using multiple voice clips depending on charge level.
  • Soaring Slash:
    • Change Chrom has a unique up special, Soaring Slash, which resembles Ike's Aether. Unlike Aether, where Ike throws his sword first, Soaring Slash has Chrom launch his opponent upward with his sword by performing a fast upward slash, resembling a move Chrom performs in the "Two Falchions" cutscene of Fire Emblem Awakening and a move he can perform in Fire Emblem Warriors. Like Aether, Soaring Slash grants Chrom super armor before he leaps upward.
    • Buff Soaring Slash offers more vertical distance than Blazer.
    • Nerf Soaring Slash offers almost no horizontal distance compared to Blazer. It also does not snap to the ledge until Chrom begins descending. As a result, Chrom's recovery and off-stage survivability are even worse, as his recovery distance is low and very easily interrupted.
    • Nerf Compared to Roy's Blazer, Chrom's Soaring Slash does not have intangibility on frame 9, and its super armor does not start until frame 10 (compared to Blazer's super armor starting on frame 4).
      • Buff However, Chrom's super armor lasts significantly longer (6 frames → 20) and can be performed in midair.
    • Buff Soaring Slash does more damage if all hits connect (grounded: 16.8%, aerial: 13.5% → all: 21%). It does not get significantly weaker either if used in the air. Additionally, Chrom can also perform a sacrificial KO with the move against offstage opponents as well.
      • Change Soaring Slash KOs on-stage opponents later than grounded Blazer if all hits connect, but KOs them much sooner than aerial Blazer.
    • Buff The first hit of Soaring Slash has significantly more horizontal range than that of Blazer, making it a more effective out of shield option when combined with its increased damage output, despite its slightly slower startup.
    • Nerf Soaring Slash's first hit comes out one frame slower than Blazer's (frame 9 → 10).
  • Counter:
    • Change Chrom has different quotes for a successful Counter, and only has two compared to Roy's three. He may either say "Not today!" or "No way!"
      • Change Additionally, Chrom speaks the moment he blocks an attack rather then before the counterattack.
    • Change When countering a sufficiently strong attack, Chrom's Counter uses the same sound effect used by Ike's Counter against sufficiently strong attacks, instead of using the critical hit sound effect from the Fire Emblem series.
    • Change Chrom's Counter has different knockback values (60 (base)/90 (scaling) → 45/100). Overall, it deals less knockback when countering weaker attacks, and more knockback when countering stronger attacks.
  • Awakening Aether:
    • Change Chrom has a unique Final Smash called Awakening Aether, inspired by Aether's portrayal in Fire Emblem Awakening.
    • Buff Awakening Aether has increased knockback compared to Roy's Critical Hit, allowing it to KO opponents sooner in comparison.
    • Buff Awakening Aether has much more effective range due to Chrom dashing forward instead of remaining in place.
    • Nerf However, the move can only catch up to two opponents at once.

Update history

Chrom has received some few changes via game updates, but has been mostly buffed overall. Update 2.0.0 reduced the knockback of Soaring Slash's meteor smash hitbox, as the move was quite infamous for being a fairly reliable sacrificial KO that could be easily comboed into from his aerials, thus increasing the likelihood of Chrom getting KOed first during a last-stock situation. The same update also buffed his down aerial as well; the move now autocancels earlier, matching its interruptibility. Update 3.0.0 increased the range of Chrom's dash grab, much like with Marth, Roy and his daughter, enabling Chrom himself to grab opponents more efficiently, as well as making his dash grab less likely to whiff against shielding opponents. Chrom also benefits from the various projectile shield damage nerfs in that same update as well, enabling him to deal with projectile camping from certain characters more effectively. Update 3.1.0 improved his up smash, enabling its linking hits to connect into each other more reliably, a problem that update 7.0.0 once again addressed by removing the rare instances where opponents would trip out of the last hit.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 1.1.0

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 2.0.0

  • Nerf Soaring Slash's meteor smash hitbox has reduced knockback (FKB 160 → 150), and Chrom's falling speed is increased 15 frames into the descent (-6 → -7.5). This makes the move more likely to KO Chrom first when used in a sacrificial KO, limiting its ability to secure wins in a last-stock scenario.
    • Nerf Additionally, the descent will now sometimes fail to connect into the landing hit when used out of a jump, due to Chrom descending much faster than the opponent.
  • Buff Down aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 55 → 52), matching the move's interruptibility.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 3.0.0

  • Bug fix Chrom's victory theme was corrected to Id (Purpose), matching Lucina and Robin's themes.
  • Buff The grounded-only grabbox of dash grab was made bigger (2.6u → 3.0u) and placed higher (Y offsets: 7.0 → 7.25). This notably prevents it from missing a shielding R.O.B..

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 3.1.0

  • Buff Up smash's hits connect more reliably.
  • Bug fix Chrom's sheath is present during his on-screen appearance.
  • Bug fix Chrom's sword and sheath are present in his clapping animation on the results screen.

Technical changelist 3.1.0

Changed Before After
Up smash hit 1 Hitbox ID 0: angle=101˚, SDI=1x Hitbox ID 1: angle=116˚, SDI=1x ID 0: angle=118˚, SDI=0x ID 1: angle 127˚, SDI=0.5x
Up smash looping hits SDI=1x, weight not set SDI=0.3x, weight set

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 7.0.0

  • Buff Up smash has received a -100% trip chance, preventing it from tripping opponents on platforms and missing its last hit due to the trip's intangibility.

Moveset

  • Chrom's overall damage output is close to the weighted average of each of the hitboxes of Roy's attacks.

For a gallery of Chrom's hitboxes, see here.

Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the 1v1 multiplier.

  Name Damage Description
Neutral attack   6.5% An upward slash while keeping the Sealed Falchion horizontal. It comes out on frame 5, making it Chrom's fastest ground attack. A great combo starter, due to launching at a rather high angle and having low knockback and ending lag. It can easily start combos into a grab, tilts, aerials, or Double-Edge Dance. Just like Roy's neutral attack, it is effective at comboing into a reverse aerial rush back aerial for a highly potent KO confirm; compared to Roy however, it is easier to land thanks to Chrom's lack of sourspots. Additionally, its altered animation gives it slightly more range than Roy's neutral attack at the height of the slash.
Forward tilt   10.925% A downward slash. Powerful for a tilt considering its speed. Unlike Roy's forward tilt, it moves him slightly forward, and its altered animation means that its hitboxes reach much lower, enabling it to hit crouching, prone, or ledge-hanging opponents reliably.
Up tilt   10.45% An overhead arcing slash. A juggling tool that possesses vertical KO power. It has the fastest startup of Chrom's tilts.
Down tilt   9% A kneeling thrust. Can be used for spacing, approaching and tech-chasing. It has the lowest ending lag of Chrom's tilts.
Dash attack   12% An inward horizontal slash across the ground. Powerful for a dash attack, KOing at around 130% near the ledge. However, it has noticeable startup and ending lag, which makes it very unsafe on shield.
Forward smash   18% Rotates his body to perform a lunging, two-handed downward slash. Has high ending lag and a short hitbox duration, but hits hard for its speed, has good range, and is a good punishing tool. It is based on Roy's regular attack as a Great Lord in Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade.
Up smash   2%/1% (hit 1), 2% (hits 2-4), 10% (hit 5) An upward thrust, which surrounds the Sealed Falchion's blade with wind and concludes with a small blue explosion. A good anti-air attack, as Chrom's sword arm is granted intangibility throughout the attack (frames 10-23), though mediocre for ground combat due to it having small horizontal hitboxes. Has enough power to KO at around 100% uncharged. Unlike Roy's version, the move lacks flame properties.
Down smash   12.35% (front hit), 14.25% (back hit) A kneeling outward slash in front of himself and then behind himself. Chrom's fastest smash attack when it comes to startup, but has the highest ending lag of the three and is weaker. The back hit is stronger than the front hit.
Neutral aerial   4.75% (hit 1), 6.65% (hit 2) An inward slash followed by a spinning, outward slash. The first hit can start guaranteed combos, though it can be difficult to setup due to how fast it ends. The move can also be used as a general combo and approach option.
Forward aerial   9.025% A downward slash. Very quick, auto-cancels in a short hop, and has KO potential at high percentages. It can also be used in quick succession due to its low ending lag, making it possible to perform a wall of pain. Unlike Roy's forward aerial, it launches opponents at the Sakurai angle.
Back aerial   10.925% Rotates his body to perform an upward slash. Interestingly, it turns Chrom around completely. Has great KO potential at high percentages.
Up aerial   7.6% A backflipping, upward arcing slash. Chrom's fastest aerial startup-wise, it is useful for combos and juggling, and can even KO at very high percentages.
Down aerial   11.85% (sourspot), 14.25% (sweetspot) A two-handed, downward slash between his legs. Has the capability to meteor smash when sweetspotted (making this Chrom's only attack with a sweetspot and a sourspot). Unlike Roy's version, it lacks flame hitboxes.
Grab   Reaches out with his free hand.
Pummel   1.2% A knee strike. A fairly fast pummel.
Forward throw   5% An elbow strike with his sword arm. Has very high base knockback, making it mainly used for sending opponents offstage.
Back throw   5% Tosses the opponent behind himself. Has extremely low utility, as it is neither useful for combos nor KOs, and is not useful for setting up edgeguards either.
Up throw   6% Heaves the opponent upward with his free hand. Chrom's only throw with KO potential, starting around 185%.
Down throw   5% A one-armed body slam. Chrom's only combo throw, and is very reliable due to the amount of followups it can potentially set up into. However, it has very low hitstun.
Floor attack (front)   7% Gets up while slashing to the left and then to the right.
Floor attack (back)   7% Gets into a kneeling position and then slices around himself as he gets up.
Floor attack (trip)   5% Hops briskly to his feet to perform a thrust to the left and a slash to the right.
Edge attack   10% Performs an outward slash while climbing up.
Neutral special Flare Blade 8% (uncharged), 50% (fully charged), 10% recoil (fully charged) Rears back and charges the Sealed Falchion in wind before performing a lunging, two-handed downward slash that generates a powerful shockwave; as it charges, the Sealed Falchion will also slowly glow with a blue sparkle from the hilt to the tip. Unlike Roy's version, it does not have a flame effect. Chrom can turn around while charging the move. Functions similarly to Eruption, as it can be charged before unleashing the explosion, with the shockwave's size growing as it charges. It has very high knockback growth even while uncharged, and the ability to quickly increase its damage output via charging. When fully charged, it will OHKO every character in the game, with the exception of Bowser from center-stage and Shulk with the Shield Monado Art. A fully-charged Flare Blade is also capable of instantaneously breaking a full shield, similar to a fully-charged Shield Breaker.
Side special Double-Edge Dance Varies (see below) A sequence of sword slashes with several variations based on directional input. Four slashes total, with each capable of being altered in direction, allowing for eighteen total possible combinations. Standard strikes are trailed red, high strikes are trailed blue, and low strikes are trailed green. Unlike Roy's version, however, the last hit of each variation lacks flame hitboxes, and each hit deals equal damage throughout the entire blade; this makes it effectively identical to Lucina's Dancing Blade, if not superior due to having slightly more damage and knockback.
Up special Soaring Slash 6% (hits 1, 4 and 5), 1.5% (hits 2 and 3) Chrom yells one of three possible lines ("How about this?", "I'll end you!" or "Out of my way!") or grunts, and performs a slash upwards, and then jumps with his sword still in hand, twirling in the air before coming back down. Similar to Ike's Aether, but without tossing his sword. Just like Aether, Chrom gains super armor just before the leap (frames 10-30). Compared to Roy's Blazer, it deals more damage, but offers very little horizontal distance, rendering it as a notoriously inferior recovery move despite its increased vertical travel distance. The first hit has very good range, making the move an excellent out of shield option, especially when combined with its extremely high damage output should all hits connect. It can also be used as a sacrificial KO, which in a last-stock situation is somewhat unpredictable, KOing either Chrom or his opponent first.
Down special Counter 1.35× (minimum 9%) Parries and then counterattacks against any incoming attacks with an outward slash. It has a 1.35x damage multiplier. Unlike Roy's version, it lacks flame properties, and also deals slightly different knockback as well.
Final Smash Awakening Aether 1% (dash), 10% (hit 1), 36% (hit 2) Chrom lunges forward, yelling "Anything can change!", "Now I'm mad!" or "Your end has come!" as he slashes with his sword. Any opponent(s) that he hits with it will be caught. After the opponent(s) have been caught, the camera angle changes to resemble that of attacks in Fire Emblem Awakening. Chrom then attacks the trapped opponent(s) again with a more powerful sword strike, sending them flying. Compared to Roy's Critical Hit Final Smash, it is stronger in terms of knockback, and can KO at earlier percentages in comparison.
Double-Edge Dance
Hit Damage Description
First Hit (Neutral) 2.85% Does an outward slash. Deals very little knockback even at extremely high percents. Can jab lock.
Second Hit (Up) 2.85% An upward lifting slash. Has greater vertical reach than the first hit or the second neutral hit. Lifts opponents slightly off the ground.
Second Hit (Neutral) 2.85% Does an inward slash. Has a shorter hitbox than the first hit, which can lead to it sometimes missing if the first hit is landed from too far away. Deals very little knockback, even at extremely high percents. Can jab lock.
Third Hit (Up) 3.75% Does an upward slash while turning clockwise. Launches opponents slightly up and away, leading into the upward finisher.
Third Hit (Neutral) 3.75% Takes a step forward and does a leaning outward slash.
Third Hit (Down) 3.75% Leans in and does a horizontal slash low to the ground.
Fourth Hit (Up) 6.4% Twirls counterclockwise and does an upward slash. Launches opponents up, making it useful for starting juggling strings. Has the least ending lag of the three finishers. Fairly low knockback. Has greater vertical reach than any other hit of the move.
Fourth Hit (Neutral) 5.2% Turns counterclockwise, steps forward, and does very powerful vertical slash downward. This is the strongest finisher in regards to knockback, KOing middleweights near the edge by itself around 115%.
Fourth Hit (Down) 2% (hit 1-4), 4.2% (hit 5) Does a flurry of five lower stabs. Deals the most damage of the three finishers, wearing down shields well, and can shield poke low shields. Has the highest ending lag of the three finishers.

On-screen appearance

  • Warps onto the stage using warp magic while crouching, with the Sealed Falchion stuck in the ground when he appears. Chrom then pulls it out with a flourish before assuming his idle stance.

Taunts

  • Up taunt: Looks at the screen as he twirls the Sealed Falchion twice, then assumes a stance highly similar to his pose from his official art in Fire Emblem Awakening, saying "Come at me!" (かかってこい!, Come at me!)
  • Side taunt: Flourishes the Sealed Falchion behind his head, then points it forwards at an upward angle while saying "Come on!" (勝負あったな.)
  • Down taunt: Twirls the Sealed Falchion twice, then holds the blade of the sword on his left hand as he finishes, saying "I will not fail!" (俺は負けん!, I won't lose!) This was one of his battle quotes from Awakening.

Idle poses

  • Briefly clenches his left fist.
  • Holds the Sealed Falchion upwards and parallel to his body, while lightly rubbing its edge.

Victory poses

In any victory pose, there is a chance Chrom will say "Our bond is stronger than steel." (いつでも稽古をつけてやる, We can practice anytime.) if Lucina was present during the match.

  • Left: Swipes his sword twice and twirls it before posing with his sword in front of himself, while saying "Anything can change!" (運命を変える!, Change destiny!). Based on his and Lucina's trademark pose, which they frequently use in official art.
  • Up: Rushes forward, performing an upwards slash, before twirling his sword and posing while pointing his weapon towards the camera, saying "The training paid off!" (いつでもかかってこい, Come at me anytime.). Based on Awakening Aether.
  • Right: Performs an outward slash, twirls his sword, then plants it into the ground before posing, saying "I will cut a path!" (俺が道を切り拓く!, I will cut a path!). Based on his victory pose in Fire Emblem Awakening.
A short orchestral cover of "Id (Purpose)" from Fire Emblem Awakening.

In competitive play

Prior to the release of Ultimate, players were wary of Chrom's ability as a fighter, due to players perceiving his reliance on Soaring Slash granting him possibly one of the worst recoveries in the game, alongside Roy's mediocre standing in Smash 4 (due to Chrom being an Echo Fighter of him). Mindsets were quickly turned upon release however, as Roy's myriad of buffs allowed Chrom to perform as a highly effective swordfighter, with a powerful overall damage output and excellent speed; in addition, Chrom's access to balanced hitboxes made him less risky in comparison, and Soaring Slash also granted him a notorious KO combo out of forward aerial, allowing him to perform a sacrificial KO that would always lead to his opponent dying first. This made Chrom extremely popular during the first few months, with him being considered one of the best swordfighters in the game alongside Ike at the time.

Update 2.0.0 eventually worsened the effectiveness of Chrom's Soaring Slash combo, and his exploitable recovery has also been taken advantage of as the meta grew, which caused his player count to drop as time passed. Both Chrom and Ike would also be overlooked in favor of Lucina and Roy, who were quickly gaining prominence in competitive play as two of the best swordfighters in the game. As a result, players would eventually drop him entirely or designate him as a reliable pocket character, while some would turn to use him alongside Roy for different matchups. Regardless, while Chrom has not been as prominent of a pick as he initially was, he is still considered a very effective fighter, with him commonly being used as secondary for notable professional players as a replacement for Roy or Lucina.

Notable players

Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the Fall 2019 PGRU, which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from July 13th, 2019 to December 15th, 2019.

Active

Inactive

Classic Mode: Fight as One

Chrom's congratulations screen.

Chrom fights mainly in team battles, in homage to Fire Emblem Awakening's Pair Up system, in which two units can team up to deal additional damage to an opponent. The first round instead recreates his duel with Lucina in Chapter 4 of Awakening.

Round Opponent Stage Music Notes
1 LucinaHeadSSBU.png Lucina Arena Ferox Id (Purpose)
2 FoxHeadSSBU.png Fox and FalcoHeadSSBU.png Falco Lylat Cruise Space Armada LucinaHeadSSBU.png Lucina is a CPU ally.
3 NessHeadSSBU.png Ness and LucasHeadSSBU.png Lucas Onett Pollyanna (I Believe in You) RobinHeadFemaleSSBU.png Robin is a CPU ally.
4 DonkeyKongHeadSSBU.png Donkey Kong and DiddyKongHeadSSBU.png Diddy Kong Jungle Japes Jungle Hijinxs LucinaHeadSSBU.png Lucina is a CPU ally.
5 PeachHeadSSBU.png Peach and DaisyHeadSSBU.png Daisy Mario Circuit Rainbow Road - Mario Kart: Double Dash!! RobinHeadSSBU.png Robin is a CPU ally.
6 SimonHeadSSBU.png Simon and RichterHeadSSBU.png Richter Dracula's Castle Vampire Killer LucinaHeadSSBU.png Lucina is a CPU ally.
Bonus Stage
Final Master Hand and Crazy Hand Final Destination Master Hand / Crazy Hand RobinHeadFemaleSSBU.png Robin is a CPU ally.

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Chrom has Id (Purpose) (Remix) accompany the credits.

Role in World of Light

Chrom's location in World of Light.
Finding Chrom in World of Light

Although Chrom does not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene, he was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (sans Kirby) when Galeem unleashed his beams of light.

Chrom was one of the many fighters that fell under Dharkon's control upon Galeem's first defeat. He is in a desolate part of the Triforce of Courage section of the Sacred Land sub-area. The only way to reach him is by finding a treasure chest and jumping in it once opened in order to be transported to his location. This is hinted by an Owl Statue in the right path of the Triforce of Power section.

Fighter Battle

No. Image Name Type Power Stage Music
25ε
Chrom SSBU.png
Chrom
Attack
Attack
10,600 Castle Siege (Ω form) Id (Purpose) (Remix)

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Spirit

Chrom's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Chrom in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Each fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate.

In Spirit battles

As the main opponent

Spirit Battle parameters
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music
651
SSBU spirit Karel.png
Karel Fire Emblem Series Chrom ChromHeadBlackSSBU.png
Attack
3,700 Coliseum •Attack Power ↑ •The enemy's melee weapons have increased power
•The enemy has increased attack power when the enemy's at high damage
•The enemy has increased attack power
Coliseum Series Medley
668
SSBU spirit Lon'qu.png
Lon'qu Fire Emblem Series Chrom ChromHeadBlackSSBU.png
Attack
3,700 Arena Ferox •Item: Swords •The enemy's slash and stab attacks have increased power
•The enemy starts the battle with a Killing Edge
Conquest (Ablaze)
674
SSBU spirit Owain.png
Owain Fire Emblem Series Chrom ChromHeadYellowSSBU.png
Attack
1,700 Coliseum •Item: Swords •The enemy's melee weapons have increased power
•The enemy loves to taunt
•The enemy starts the battle with a Killing Edge
Duty (Ablaze)
678
SSBU spirit Ryoma.png
Ryoma Fire Emblem Series Chrom ChromHeadRedSSBU.png
Neutral
9,500 Coliseum (Battlefield form) •Hazard: Zap Floor •The floor is electrified
•The enemy's melee weapons have increased power
•The enemy has increased attack power
Lost in Thoughts All Alone (Remix)
1,175
Matthew
Matthew Golden Sun Series Chrom ChromHeadBlackSSBU.png
Grab
3,600 Coliseum •Item: Hothead •Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle Weyard
1,284
Wonder-Blue
Wonder-Blue The Wonderful 101 Chrom ChromHeadBlackSSBU.png
Villager VillagerHeadPinkSSBU.pngVillagerHeadYellowSSBU.pngVillagerHeadGreenSSBU.pngVillagerHeadCyanSSBU.pngVillagerHeadBlueSSBU.png
Attack
1,800 New Donk City Hall N/A •Defeat the main fighter to win
•The enemy's melee weapons have increased power
•Defeat an army of fighters
ST01: Roll Out, Wonderful 100!
1,312
SSBU spirit Yusuke Kitagawa.png
Yusuke Kitagawa Persona Series Chrom ChromHeadBlackSSBU.png
•Giant King Dedede KingDededeHeadCyanSSBU.png
Grab
2,500 Suzaku Castle (Battlefield form) •Assist Trophy Enemies (Vince) •Defeat the main fighter to win
•Hostile assist trophies will appear after a little while
Last Surprise
1,377
SSBU spirit ASTRAL CHAIN Hero (Male).png
ASTRAL CHAIN Hero (Male) ASTRAL CHAIN Chrom ChromHeadSSBU.png
•Metal Dark Pit DarkPitHeadBlueSSBU.png
Grab
9,500 Fourside (Ω form) N/A •Defeat the main fighter to win
•The enemy is metal
Corneria - Star Fox Zero

As a minion

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
667
SSBU spirit Lissa.png
Lissa Fire Emblem Series Isabelle IsabelleHeadYellowSSBU.png
Robin RobinHeadBlueSSBU.png
Chrom ChromHeadBlackSSBU.png
Neutral
3,300 Arena Ferox N/A •Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle Duty (Ablaze) Chrom
1,306
SSBU spirit Phantom Thieves of Hearts.png
Phantom Thieves of Hearts Persona Series Joker JokerHeadSSBU.png
Pikachu PikachuHeadLibreSSBU.png
Captain Falcon CaptainFalconHeadBlackSSBU.png
Zero Suit Samus ZeroSuitSamusHeadRedSSBU.png
Chrom ChromHeadBlackSSBU.png
Sheik SheikHeadBlackSSBU.png
Grab
13,300 Mementos (Haru Okumura background, hazards off) •Sudden Final Smash
•Item: Daybreak Parts
•The enemy will suddenly have a Final Smash when the enemy's at high damage
•Reinforcements will appear during the battle
Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There Yusuke Kitagawa

Alternate costumes

Chrom Palette (SSBU).png
ChromHeadSSBU.png ChromHeadRedSSBU.png ChromHeadGreenSSBU.png ChromHeadYellowSSBU.png ChromHeadBlackSSBU.png ChromHeadPurpleSSBU.png ChromHeadWhiteSSBU.png ChromHeadCyanSSBU.png

Gallery

Character introduction video

Trivia

  • In Robin and Lucina's reveal trailer for SSB4, a defeated Chrom remarks that he'll "get his chance another day". This later became true with his playable appearance in Ultimate.
  • Chrom is the second character to become playable after previously being featured in a Final Smash (Pair Up). The first was Palutena, who appeared in Pit's Final Smash in Brawl, Palutena's Army.
    • Unlike Palutena, however, Robin still summons Chrom when Pair Up activates.
  • Chrom is the second newcomer in Ultimate that was previously featured as a Mii Fighter costume in Super Smash Bros. 4, after Inkling and followed by King K. Rool and Isabelle.
    • He is also the only Echo Fighter to have been featured as a full Mii outfit in Super Smash Bros. 4.
  • In SSB4's Palutena's Guidance, Viridi teases Chrom for being too similar to Ike, calling him a "carbon copy". Although Chrom is an Echo Fighter, his moves are instead derived from Roy.
    • Additionally, Palutena mocks Chrom's lack of an Aether recovery move, but he is able to use the skill Aether in Fire Emblem Awakening, and can use a similar-looking move in Ultimate.
  • Chrom is the first second-generation clone, being a clone of Roy, who debuted as a clone of Marth.
  • Chrom is the first Fire Emblem newcomer since Marth to not be from the latest Fire Emblem game at the time of release.
  • Due to an error on the official site, Chrom's character showcase video was not visible on the mobile variant of the main page and was barely visible on the desktop version. The video was only visible on his blog post. This error has since been fixed.
  • According to Sakurai's weekly Famitsu column, Chrom was added due to his popularity in Japan, while Dark Samus was added due to her popularity overseas.
  • Chrom reverts to Marth's Brawl idle and crouching animations while holding a small throwable item. He shares this trait with Roy.
  • Chrom is one of the few characters that speak during a KO, sometimes exclaiming, "Sorry!'.
  • Chrom is the only Echo Fighter to have an entirely different special move that is not a Final Smash, as his up special, Soaring Slash, resembles Ike's Aether instead of Roy's Blazer.
  • When fighting Lucina, Chrom has a chance to say, "Our bond is stronger than steel."
  • Prior to the 3.0.0 update, Chrom was the only character from Fire Emblem Awakening not to have the victory theme based on "Id (Purpose)", as he used the default Fire Emblem theme instead.
    • Since the change, Chrom is the first and only character to have his victory theme changed across game updates.
  • Chrom is the only clone character not to be in the same Classic Mode unlock tree as his base; he is in Yoshi's character tree, while Roy is in Mario's unlock tree.
    • However, Chrom share the same unlock tree as his ancestor, Marth, and his daughter, Lucina.

References