Master Core

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Master Core
File:SmashBrosSymbol.png Official artwork of Master Core in Super Smash Bros. 4
A boss in	SSB4
Universe	Super Smash Bros.
English voice actor	Xander Mobus

Master Core is a boss in Super Smash Bros. 4. It appears at the end of Classic Mode, fought after weakening Master Hand and Crazy Hand on higher difficulties. Its appearance can be described as a black mass of particles that take on varying forms depending on the difficulty level and battle progression. According to its trophy, the black particles are known as the "Swarm".

It only appears if the Intensity is set to 5.1 or higher. On the 3DS version, Master Core will only appear if the player chooses to take the black path to fight both Master Hand and Crazy Hand at the end of Classic Mode; at Intensity 8.0 and above, there is no option except the black path. On the Wii U version, player(s) will automatically encounter Master Core as long as they meet the Intensity requirement.

The battle between Master and Crazy Hand will begin as usual; however, once the Hands lose approximately 75-100 HP, the camera will briefly freeze, while an animation plays where Crazy Hand vanishes and Master Hand transforms into the Master Core entity. The background music will also change. Master Core has HP like other bosses, but it is concealed from the player by a cloud of black particles (similar to the ones that form its 'body') that covers the indicator on the bottom screen in the 3DS version, while in the Wii U version, the HP meter is not displayed to the player at all.

Forms

Master Core begins the fight in a certain form based on the difficulty setting. As it takes damage, black particles will spew out from the area it is last hit. Once a form is defeated, it progresses to the next one.

Master Giant

Master Core's Giant form in the Wii U version.

The Master Giant form is a large humanoid creature. It appears as Master Core's starting form at Intensity 7.5 and higher on the 3DS version, and Intensity 7.0 and higher on the Wii U version. Master Giant has the following attacks:

• Spawns two additional arms with glowing hands. These arms will sweep the stage, then merge back into its chest. If the player is grabbed by a glowing hand, it will be consumed by the 'head', taking damage and ending with a downwards launch.
• Slashes the screen horizontally. The slash itself does nothing, but after a brief a delay another slash will appear across the stage, dealing damage. The second slash can penetrate through shields.
• Creates six electric orbs that fly and wander around the top part of the screen. Master Giant will then briefly lift up the entire stage to the level of the orbs, before dropping it back down.
• Master Giant's head will split open, creating a vacuum effect around it. During this, large electric orbs will travel across the stage horizontally. If the player is caught by the head, it will be 'swallowed', taking damage then being launched downwards.
• Master Giant's head will transform, then attempts to headbutt the player. If this attack lands, the player will be buried. After the headbutt, 4 orbs are created in a random area, detonating after a delay, creating a cross-shaped explosion in the shape of the Smash logo.
• Master Giant will shout, creating a massive shockwave that pushes players away from the center of the stage, potentially knocking them off. However, it causes no damage unless the player is very close.

After defeating the Master Giant form, Master Core will transform into Master Beast.

Master Beast

Master Core's Beast form in the Wii U version.

The Master Beast form appears first on Intensity 6.0 to 7.4 in the 3DS version and Intensity 6.0 to 6.9 in the Wii U version, or when the Master Giant form is defeated. It appears to be a large scorpion-like creature. Master Beast has the following attacks:

• Jumps behind the stage, then bites the player, similarly to Master Hand's background punch and plane attacks. Like those attacks, it can be avoided by jumping.
• Leaps high off the screen, then comes back down with a body slam. It will land on either edge of the stage, causing the whole stage to briefly tilt downwards sharply.
• Spawns spikes on its back, then a trail of shadows will crawl across the ground. When its horizontal position matches the player's or if it reaches the corner, spikes will spawn at that location, dealing damage.
• Emanates lightning around itself. There is a brief start-up time, which shows it shrinking and being struck by lightning, similar to Pikachu's down special.

After defeating the Master Beast form, Master Core will transform into Master Edges.

Master Edges

Known as Master Sabres in PAL regions, this form can be encountered first on Intensity 5.1 to 5.9, or when the Master Beast form is defeated. It appears as a group of five swords, one larger than the others. Any of the swords can be damaged equivalently. It has the following attacks:

• Performs a single simultaneous slash with all 5 blades, telegraphed by a brief flash of light.
• Launches four projectiles, two at a time, which boomerang back to the Master Core. These projectiles can be absorbed with PSI Magnet and Oil Panic. They can also be reflected with moves such as Cape and Reflector.
• Similar to above, but launches two larger projectiles one at a time instead.
• The swords space themselves to surround the whole stage. The four smaller swords will slash across the stage in a set pattern, then the large sword will track the player and slam downward.
• All five swords 'ready' themselves and briefly follow the player, and then deal multiple slashes, ending with a very big slash. This attack has a very large radius and the first set of slashes deal very little damage, but the final slash deals tremendous knockback and is a semi-spike. If hit by the first set of slashes it is nearly impossible to avoid the last slash.

After defeating the Master Edges form, Master Core will transform into Master Shadow.

Master Shadow

In this form, Master Core appears as a copy of the player's character, including any equipment, custom movesets, or alternate costume the player's character might have. If the player is using an alternate form of a character, such as one of the Koopalings or male Wii Fit Trainer, these will be copied as well. At the start of the fight, Master Shadow is noticeably larger than the player's character, but will gradually shrink as its health drops. Unlike the previous forms, there is no difficulty level where this is the first form encountered, and it also can be defeated either by depleting its HP or by KOing it as with any normal character. In the Wii U version, if Classic Mode is played on Co-Op, Master Core will only copy the first player's form.

After defeating the Master Shadow form, Master Core will either transform a final time into Master Fortress (only on the Wii U version, at Intensity 8.0 or higher, and only on single-player mode) or finally reveal itself (on the 3DS version, or on the Wii U version if the prior conditions are not met).

Master Fortress

The Master Fortress is exclusive to the Wii U version of the game, and only appears on Intensity 8.0 and up on single-player mode after Master Shadow's defeat. When this form appears, the background music will change, the time limit will be automatically extended by 3 minutes, and a Heart Container will appear for the player to use, which resets the player's damage to 0% like in All-Star Mode. If the Heart Container is not used, it remains on the stage and can be picked up at any time by exiting the Fortress.

Master Fortress is effectively an entire stage that must be traversed, while shadowy versions of enemies such as Stalfos, Geemers, Plasma Wisps, and Lethiniums will appear and attack the player. The Fortress also contains several Danger Zones, which will instantly KO the player if their damage is 100% or higher (if the player has less than 100% damage, they will instead take 25% damage with considerable knockback). To defeat the Master Fortress form, the player must search for and destroy 4 heart-like weak points; while these weak points cannot defend themselves directly, they are located in rooms filled with numerous Danger Zones and that can repeatedly summon enemies. Each time a weak point is destroyed, a new path leading to the next weak point will open up.

Master Fortress appears in two "waves" , with the first wave containing the first two weak points and the second wave containing the last two. Each wave also has its own background music. Upon defeating the first wave, the player will be ejected from the Fortress (giving them an opportunity to use the Heart Container if they have left it behind earlier). The Fortress's second wave modifies the stage layout slightly to include new paths as well as more enemies and Danger Zones.

After defeating the Master Fortress form, Master Core will finally reveal itself.

Master Core

After all previous forms have been defeated, the black Swarm particles will completely cover the screen briefly, before abruptly dispersing to reveal the Core itself in the center of the stage. At this point, the timer will stop, and on the 3DS version, the black particles covering Master Core's HP on the bottom screen will also disperse, revealing its damage percentage starting at 0%. The player now has approximately 45 seconds to defeat the Core by knocking it off the stage. The Core appears as an object similar to a Smash Ball and will go flying upon being hit depending on how much damage it has taken; however, if it does not get knocked completely off the stage in one hit, it will return to the center. During this time, the Core has no attacks, and will gradually fade during the 45 seconds from a bright prismatic color to a deep red.

If the Core has not been defeated after 45 seconds, it will rise to the center of the screen, then charge up and unleash five waves, any one of which will instantly KO the player (similar to Tabuu's Off Waves). Like the Off Waves, these waves can be avoided with precisely timed rolling or sidestep dodges. After all five waves (if the player still has lives left), the Core will self-destruct, causing the player to automatically win.

Gallery

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  Master Hand transforming into Master Core in in the 3DS version.

• Master Core Sapien.png

  Master Giant form in the 3DS version.

• Master Core Scorpion.png

  Master Beast form in the 3DS version.

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  Master Edge form in the 3DS version.

• MasterCoreSimulacrum.JPG

  Master Shadow form of Little Mac

• 

  Master Shadow form of a Mii Gunner. Note how Master Core copies the Mii itself.

• 

  Master Core form in the 3DS version.

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  Master Core being defeated

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  Master Core form's attack if the player fails to finish it

• Master Core Trophy.png

  Master Core's Trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

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  Master Beast tilting the stage while slamming down.

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  Master Fortress

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  Inside Master Fortress

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  Inside Master Fortress with a Danger Zone visible

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  Inside Master Fortress with enemies, with a weak point visible

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  Inside Master Fortress with enemies; destroying the weak point has opened up a new path to the right

Trophy information

This sinister being will appear from Master Hand. A bunch of black objects, called "Swarm", will gather and mimic a variety of shapes, changing its attack pattern with each new form. After taking enough damage, it will reveal even more forms. Defeat the Swarm's forms to reveal its true core.

Trivia

• The way that the Master Core is a black mass that changes shape has similarities to the final boss of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, the Shadow Nightmares.
• The background music that plays during the Master Core battle contains a segment where the music cuts out and a series of fast beeps play. These beeps are Morse code and spell out "MASTER CORE".
• Master Core's Master Shadow form is similar to the false characters from Brawl's The Subspace Emissary, in that both involve particles of darkness taking on the form of a character in the game; the Swarm that makes up Master Core's various appearances also have an appearance akin to the Shadow Bugs in the game.
• The black mass of particles that make up the Master Core appear similar to the Chaos Kin when burned into ashes from Kid Icarus: Uprising, another game directed by Masahiro Sakurai.
• The stage layout of Master Fortress may vaguely resemble a digestive tract, including an initial linear path that leads to a downward drop into a room(s) filled with acid and Danger Zones.