Marth (SSB4)

Marth in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Fire Emblem
Other playable appearances	in Melee in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Critical Hit

Marth (マルス, Marth) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. He was announced on the official website on November 7th, 2013; years before, four Fire Emblem games were released on November 3, November 4, and November 11.

He has been significantly nerfed between Brawl and Smash 4, having much less reliable finishing options and slower moves. Visually, Marth's appearance has been updated to closely match his attire from Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem, Heroes of Light and Shadow as opposed to his design from Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, which was used in Melee and Brawl. Marth is voiced once again by Hikaru Midorikawa, albeit using clips from Melee and Brawl, despite having appeared outside Japan.

Changes from Brawl

Marth was overwhelmingly nerfed in his transition from Brawl to SSB4, likely due to his previous dominance in Melee and Brawl. He has less reach relative to the rest of the cast, obsoleting one of his key advantages in the previous titles. Many of his staple moves, most notably his forward aerial and down tilt, have more endlag, weakening his ability to control space effectively. Due to his slower movement and the aforementioned nerfs to his reach and endlag, his neutral game, particularly his approaches, is considerably worse than in his previous appearances. Additionally, Marth's attacks are overall less rewarding on hit, as he lost many guaranteed setups into KO moves; this has drastically decreased his comboing and KOing potential. His grabs also launch enemies farther but were not given KOing ability at reasonable percentages to compensate, completely removing direct grab follow-ups, as well as hindering his ability to put opponents in unsafe positions.

Due to his nerfs, Marth players now have to rely much more on gimmicks (such as raw tippers, Shield Breaker, and Counter) and the opponent's mistakes to maintain control of the match. Shield Breaker provides more distance when used in the air, giving him slightly more recovery mixups. However, these gimmicks do not serve to aid Marth at all in competitive play, and despite the efforts of dedicated Marth mains such as Mr. E, he currently has one of the worst high-level representations in large Smash 4 tournaments.

Aesthetics

• Marth's attack trails are much brighter at the tip; this makes the sweetspot of his attacks more visible than in previous games.

Attributes

• Marth is slightly heavier than in Brawl.
• The change in units of distance grants Marth more disjoint relative to his hurtboxes but since the change affects the entire cast, Marth ends up having less reach overall relative to the reach of other characters. Additionally, the sizes of his hitboxes have been reduced. Overall, Marth's moves are less safe than they were in previous games.
• Marth's air speed is slightly slower (from 1.034 in Brawl to 1.02 in SSB4).
• Marth's running speed is slightly faster (from 1.7 in Brawl to 1.785 in SSB4).

Ground attacks

• Up tilt, down tilt (base hitbox), dash attack (except base hitbox), forward smash, down smash (except tipped back hit), and up smash (except tipped) all deal less damage than in Brawl.
• Down tilt has more ending lag.
• Back hit of sweet-spotted down smash is stronger. It also deals slightly more damage.
• Front hit of down smash is weaker, especially the sweetspot. Uncharged tipped down smash can no longer KOing until around 150%, while non-tipped can no longer KO reliably.
• Down smash only lasts 2 frames instead of 3.
• Jab now comes out on frame 5 instead of 4.
• Jab has slightly longer max reach (from 8 in Brawl to 8.25 in SSB4).
• Dash attack has a noticeably smaller hitbox.
• Dash attack has longer max reach (from 7.2 in Brawl to 8.25 in SSB4).
• Forward tilt comes out on frame 8 instead of 7. Additionally, it now ends on frame 39 instead of 35.
• Up tilt has more max reach.
• Up tilt ends on frame 42 instead of 40.
• Down tilt only lasts 2 frames instead of 3, and has a significantly smaller hitbox.
• Forward smash has slightly more ending lag.
• Up smash comes out on frame 13 instead of 12, lasts 5 frames instead of 6, and has slightly more ending lag.
• Up smash has a slightly larger hitbox radius overall.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials (except down aerial's meteor hitbox) deal less damage than in Brawl.
• Neutral aerial now has 15 frames of endlag instead of 8.
• Neutral aerial is 2.5 units larger.
• Forward aerial now hits 2 frames slower and only lasts 3 frames instead of 4. Additionally it now has 18 frames of landing lag instead of 9. It is no longer interuptable at frame 34, meaning Marth can no longer do another aerial after a short hop forward air.
• Back aerial has slightly less ending lag.
• Down aerial has less landing lag.
• Down aerial's sweetspot only lasts 1 frame; it no longer meteor smashes unless the tipper hits in the middle of the swing arc, making it even harder to hit confirm into the meteor smash. The hitboxes that used to meteor now send foes sideways with moderate knockback and deal slightly less damage (13%, down from 14%). Also, its animation from both Melee and Brawl is different, as Marth instead swipes outward from the back instead of his front, essentially flipping its animation around from the previous two games. This harms his ability to approach with his down air.
• Up aerial has less ending lag.

Throws/other attacks

• Marth's grab range has been reduced. Combined with the removal of grab armor, it is much harder to land grabs.
• All throws have significantly higher base knockback, which removes most of his follow-up options after a grab.
• Down throw sends foes at an upwards trajectory, which can give some new follow-up options at low percents, but it removes Marth's ability to tech-chase.
• Up throw has more KO power.

Special moves

• Shield Breaker deals more shield damage. It also now gives Marth a horizontal boost when used in the air, regardless of whether it is charged or not, aiding Marth's recovery.
• Downward Dancing Blade deals slightly more damage.
• Dancing Blade has more ending lag, and the third hit downward no longer Meteor smashes. It is also harder to connect each hit together compared to Brawl, due to the fact of each hit having more hitstun and less IASA frames.
• Dolphin Slash is significantly weaker, especially the sweetspot, no longer reliably KOing until around 150%. A Reversed Dolphin Slash is also slighty harder to hit with. It also no longer has Intangibility on the first 5 frames.
• Counter is strengthened, being able to KO reliably off of strong countered attacks at very low percentages (having a damage multiplier of 1.2x instead of 1.1x like in Brawl).
• Marth now grunts instead of talking while using Counter.

Moveset

For simplicity, if, for example, Marth's blade does 4% damage while the tip does 6%, and the attack has no other hitboxes, it is written as 4%/6%.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			4%/6%	Slashes Falchion twice in front of himself.
			4%/6%
Forward tilt			9%/12%	A fast forward leaning Falchion swipe upward.
Up tilt			6% (blade), 5% (body), 9% (tip)	Swings Falchion in a large arc above his head, with a large hitbox that can hit enemies behind him.
Down tilt			7%/10%	A quick crouching Falchion poke.
Dash attack			10% (blade), 9% (body), 12% (tip)	A quick upward sweeping diagonal slash.
Forward smash			13%/18%	Rotates body counter-clockwise with a strong arc-like one-handed swing from his head to the ground.
Up smash		Justice Sword	3% (ground), 13% (blade), 18% (tip)	A quick, direct upward thrust. The weak grounded hit can knock nearby opponents into the main attack.
Down smash			8%/12% (hit 1), 12%/17% (hit 2)	Sweeps Falchion on the ground toward the front outward then toward the back inward.
Neutral aerial			2%/3% (hit 1), 6%/8% (hit 2)	Two horizontal slashes around himself via in inward slash followed into a full 360 outward spin.
Forward aerial			7%/10%	Does a forward vertical slash (up to down).
Back aerial			9%/12%	Slashes Falchion from bottom to top behind him in an inward swipe. Has the interesting property of turning Marth around, changing facing direction.
Up aerial			9%/12%	A forward to back upward Falchion slash in a delayed somersault.
Down aerial			11% (blade), 13% (non-meteor tip), 14% (meteor tip)	A forward to back downward outward slash with Falchion. If the tipper hits in the middle of the swinging arc, it sends opponents downwards, meteor smashing powerfully. Other hitboxes when tipped results in moderate knockback. High ending and landing lag.
Grab			—	Grabs the enemy with his left hand.
Pummel			2%	Knees the enemy.
Forward throw			4%	Grabs and pushes forward, tripping with his leg. Can be used to set-up a Crescent Slash from low to mid percentage.
Back throw			4%	Turns around and pulls the enemy over his outstretched leg, tripping them.
Up throw			4%	Powerful upward throw with one arm. Can KO at very high percentages.
Down throw			5%	Throws opponent to the ground with one arm, bouncing them upwards. Primary follow-up throw.
Floor attack (front)			7%
Floor attack (back)			7%
Floor attack (trip)			5%
Edge attack			7%
Neutral special	Default	Shield Breaker	8%/9% (uncharged), 22%/24% (fully charged)	Marth charges up Falchion at chest level before powerfully thrusting it forward. This attack deals high amounts of shield damage.
	Custom 1	Storm Thrust	4% (uncharged), 11% (fully charged)	The stab produces a blast of wind from the tip, with pushing strength dependent on the charge level. In exchange, the attack is weaker than normal.
	Custom 2	Dashing Assault	6%/5%/3% (ground uncharged early/mid/late), 7%/6%/4% (air uncharged early/mid/late), 16%/13%/9% (ground fully charged early/mid/late), 17%/14%/10% (air fully charged early/mid/late)	Marth performs a lunging thrust with Falchion. Deals less damage, but propels Marth forwards.
Side special	Default	Dancing Blade	3%/4% (parts 1-2), 4%/5% (part 3 up/side), 3%/4% (part 3 down), 6%/8% (part 4 up), 5%/7% (part 4 side), 2% (part 4 down hits 1-4), 4%/6% (part 4 hit 5)	A sequence of Falchion slashes with several variations based on control stick tilts; If it is tilted up on the final blow, Marth will perform an uppercut with good KO'ing potential. Tilted down: A flurry of stabs that wears down shields. Neutral or side: Produces a strong swing downwards.
	Custom 1	Effortless Blade	2%/3% (parts 1-3), 4%/5% (part 4)	Makes the hits easier to link, but can only use the side/neutral option. Since Marth swings with less vigor, the attack is also weaker.
	Custom 2	Heavy Blade	7%/9% (part 1), 9%/11% (part 2), 10%/12% (part 3), 13%/15% (part 4 up), 14%/16% (part 4 side), 2.2% (part 4 down hits 1-4), 11%/13% (part 4 down hit 5)	Marth slashes with more force, but the controller input time is stricter.
Up special	Default	Dolphin Slash	11% (clean), 7% (late blade), 6% (late body)	Marth performs a rapid jumping slash that can be reversed. Has a powerful sweetspot located in the first few frames.
	Custom 1	Crescent Slash	7% (clean), 12% (late blade), 6% (late body)	Marth uses a lower Dolphin Slash that gains more horizontal distance. It gives Marth an access to his only one true follow-up from forward throw and grab release combo against some characters. Using this attack against the ledge enlarges its hitbox. Ideal for interrupting recoveries, gimp, stage-spike, and edgeguarding. However, it has less vertical distance.
	Custom 2	Dolphin Jump	0%	Jumps higher, deals no damage.
Down special	Default	Counter	1.2x (min 8%)	Marth assumes a defensive stance and retaliates against incoming attacks. The power of the counterattack scales with the strength of the attack blocked.
	Custom 1	Easy Counter	0.7x (min 4%)	Marth holds his stance longer, and strikes with less power. Has decreased damage scaling, but has a wider trigger window.
	Custom 2	Iai Counter	1.3x (min 6%)	Marth strikes the opponent while moving behind them at lightning speed. Inflicts more damage, knocks foes behind him, and is much quicker, but the trigger window is stricter.
Final Smash		Critical Hit	60%	Marth lunges in one direction, attacking the first opponent. Immense knockback, enough to one-hit KO any character.

Victory Fanfare

This victory theme is a small orchestral cover from the title theme of the first Fire Emblem game, which has since become the main theme of the series. It is shared with Ike, Robin, and Lucina.

Alternate costumes

Trophy

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Marth's regular trophy is obtained by using him to clear Classic Mode, and his alternate trophy is obtained by using him to clear All-Star mode. In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, his regular trophy is obtained by using him to clear Classic Mode, his Final Smash trophy is obtained by using him to clear All-Star mode, and his alternate trophy can be purchased from the trophy shop after obtaining either of the other two.

Marth

NA: The first hero from the Fire Emblem series, Marth is the prince of Altea and descendant of the hero Anri. In Smash Bros., he's known as an exceptional swordfighter, swinging his blade with grace. Striking with the tip will maximize the damage dealt. Teach aggressive foes a lesson with his strong Counter move.

PAL: Marth, the prince of Altea, is the hero of the first ever Fire Emblem game and its remake, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. In this game, his graceful sword skills are what set him apart. Strike with the tip of his blade to deal extra damage, and use his Counter skill to defend yourself, no matter which directions you're being attacked from.

Marth (Alt.)

Marth's side special Dancing Blade is a four-stage attack. Aim and time your strikes carefully! The tip of his sword does the most damage. For his up smash, Justice Sword, he thrusts his blade into the air. You can use it to block attacks from above and launch nearby foes.

• MarthTrophy3DS1.png

  Classic (3DS)

• MarthTrophy3DS2.png

  Alt. (3DS)

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  Classic (Wii U)

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  Alt. (Wii U)

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  Critical Hit

Gallery

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  Marth in the Nintendo Direct from April 8th, 2014.

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  Marth's amiibo.

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  The pic of the day shown during Marth's reveal.

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  Front and Back shots of Marth's new design.

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  Marth's appearance in the 3DS version.

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  Posing with sword.

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  Battling with Link.

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  Using down smash on Wii Fit Trainer.

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  Holding sword out.

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  Attacking around himself with the sword; appears to be his neutral aerial.

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  Using Counter against Fox's dash attack.

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  Using Dolphin Slash on Mega Man.

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  Dancing Blade.

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  Posing with Peach.

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  Marth and Link performing their, respectively, forward tilt and neutral jab.

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  Marth lying down after being knocked onto the ground.

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  Close-up image of Marth and Luigi's faces.

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  Marth and Samus near a Steel Diver.

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  The results of Marth using Shield Breaker on Mega Man.

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  In battle with Zelda.

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  Landing with Ike.

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  Marth on the cover of the 3DS version.

Trivia

• Despite now grunting instead of talking when doing his Counter, he still has his sound effects in his Sound Test.
• Marth's cape bears the symbol of the Archanea nation.