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Meta Knight (SSB4)

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This article is about Meta Knight's appearance in Super Smash Bros. 4. For the character in other contexts, see Meta Knight.
Meta Knight
in Super Smash Bros. 4
Meta Knight
KirbySymbol.svg
Universe Kirby
Other playable appearance in Brawl


Availability Starter
Final Smash Galaxia Darkness
Tier B (14)
Meta Knight's stock icon in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Meta Knight (メタナイト, Meta Knight) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. Initially teased as a Mii Fighter costume on August 11, 2014, his return to the series was confirmed two days later. Eric Newsome and Atsushi Kisa'ichi both reprise their roles as Meta Knight's voice actors in the English and Japanese releases, respectively, albeit using recycled voice clips from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Meta Knight is currently ranked 14th out of 58 on the tier list, placing him in the high tier; the B tier. This is a noticeable drop from his placement in Brawl, where he was infamously ranked 1st out of 38, though his drop is not as severe as those endured by formerly high-ranking veterans Olimar, Falco and fellow Kirby series representative King Dedede. Meta Knight retains his quick mobility from Brawl, which was also been improved; he sports fast dashing and falling speeds, as well as five double jumps. This also extends to his offense, as Meta Knight's attacks possess very quick start-up and disjointed ranges, granting him a formidable combo game which can also zero-to-death opponents and allows him to easily edge-guard due to his double jumps. He also boasts an impressive recovery thanks to his double jumps and having three special moves that are reliable at bringing him back on-stage.

However, likely due to his dominance in Brawl, he received heavy nerfs in the transition to SSB4: his unrivaled attack speed, range, recovery and overall damage output have been toned down, while the transcendent priority on his attacks has been completely removed, weakening his approach options. When combined with his lack of a projectile, these changes give him a harder time overcoming camping strategies. Although Meta Knight's high falling speed is an important aspect of his mobility, it is also detrimental due to his light weight, as they leave him vulnerable to both combos and KOs. His survivability is also exacerbated by the nerfs to his recovery, with the most notable example being the removal of gliding.

Regardless, Meta Knight retains many of his key advantages from Brawl, which has enabled him to secure strong tournament representation and results.

Attributes

Meta Knight is an unusual blend of character archetypes. He is small, being roughly the same size as Kirby, and is the ninth lightest character, yet he has the tenth highest gravity and an unusually fast falling speed. Like his fellow Kirby representatives, Meta Knight has multiple double jumps, but unlike most other characters who share this trait, his mobility is quick overall due to an above average walking speed, a fast dashing speed, below average air speed and average air acceleration. Meta Knight's initial dash animation is relatively long due to lasting 13 frames, giving him a slow extended dash-dance and a long fox-trot. However, his perfect pivot is rather long and therefore useful for re-positioning and evading attacks, and he benefits from a jumpsquat that is 4 frames long as well as a low short hop, allowing him to transition very quickly between his ground and air games. As such, Meta Knight's mobility is the most well-balanced among characters of his archetypes.

Meta Knight's most valued strength is his frame data. Along with Sheik, almost all of his attacks have little delay, either in terms of start-up, ending lag, or both. In fact, all but four of his moves have fewer than 10 frames of start-up, and their generally low ending lag is quite unusual for a swordsman. Although his overall range is average, his sword, Galaxia, makes it disjointed, especially in relation to his size. As he is the only small character who wields a sword, these strengths grant him an effective neutral game. His dash attack is a reliable approach option thanks to its low ending lag, disjointed range, and the speed boost it grants. His dash grab covers a long distance, making it relatively hard to punish. His down aerial is one of the fastest of its kind, while his forward smash has low ending lag, making both useful for spacing. His out of shield options are also a defining part of his neutral game. He has fast, long-distanced rolls, and Shuttle Loop and his down aerial are quick, with the former's power making it deadly against opponents who land punishable moves on his shield. He can also opt for a grab, which gives him the opportunity to start combos and rack up heavy damage. With these varied options, Meta Knight has the ability to mix-up his approach and keep his opponents guessing.

Boasting five midair jumps and a special moveset full of recovery options, Meta Knight has an outstanding recovery. Drill Rush can be used as a horizontal recovery, and can be angled. Shuttle Loop covers a high amount of vertical distance and grants a fully controllable amount of horizontal distance. Dimensional Cape makes Meta Knight invisible, and allows him to move in any direction, making it the most unpredictable move in his arsenal and a good option for mindgames. His recovery, when combined with his quick and disjointed aerial attacks, contributes to a deadly off-stage game. Furthermore, his aerial prowess makes him among the most difficult characters to juggle consistently.

Meta Knight's grab game is effective. While his pummel is slow and his standing grab range is short, the former is highly damaging and the latter is made up for by his far-reaching dash grab. His forward and down throws can combo into other moves even at higher percents, his back throw is useful for launching opponents off-stage, and his up throw can KO at very high percents so long as it lands on a platform. Partly due to his throw set-ups, Meta Knight possesses a good combo game. He can launch opponents into the air with his dash attack and throws, and these moves can combo into his up tilt, up smash, any aerial, Mach Tornado and Shuttle Loop, and his up aerial can reliably lead into his other aerials. His back aerial uses the auto-link angle, allowing Meta Knight to drag opponents to the ground and jab reset with his down tilt, and the latter move can trip opponents and lead into combos, before opening up tech-chases at higher percents. With proper mastery of his combos, he can potentially zero-to-death his opponents, most infamously with the Rufio, a staple combo in his metagame that consists of a series of up aerials, which can then lead into a Shuttle Loop near the upper blast line for a virtually ensured KO.

Finally, Meta Knight has high KOing power for a lightweight. His forward and up smashes have long range; the former is his strongest finisher and is very safe due to its low ending lag, while the latter has minimal start-up and acceptable power. His most reliable KOing option, Shuttle Loop, boasts speed, power, and incredible range, and is his main combo finisher. Dimensional Cape is strong and covers distance quickly, allowing him to punish laggy attacks from afar. Furthermore, Meta Knight's edge-guarding game is among the most feared, along with his ability to gimp his opponents. His neutral and back aerials have long-lasting hitboxes and deal high knockback. Forward aerial has long range, a favorable launch angle, and decent power, and down aerial is the fastest semi-spike in the game. Due to these moves' low start-up and ending lag, Meta Knight can perform variations of the wall of pain without fear due to his recovery practically ensuring his safety. Lastly, he also has the aforementioned zero-to-death combo, which is particularly potent on floaty characters.

However, Meta Knight has noticeable weaknesses. He lacks a projectile, leaving him susceptible to camping strategies from characters such as Villager, which holds back his otherwise strong neutral game. His combo potential is limited at higher percents, as down throw is easy to DI and dash attack has high knockback scaling, forcing him to rely on reads to land follow-ups. Meta Knight's KO potential is also largely inconsistent. Shuttle Loop is highly punishable if it misses, difficult to use without a read or set-up, and is frequently staled, and his KOing combos related to up aerial are difficult to perform consistently. Up throw requires platforms to KO at reasonable percents, and up smash is ineffective outside of a slide or protection from above. Dimensional Cape and forward smash have high start-up, making them predictable. Finally, despite his small size and light weight, his rather fast falling speed, the unusual shape of his hurtbox, and his lack of a reliable combo breaker leave him surprisingly susceptible to combos, especially against Sheik and Zero Suit Samus. At the same time, his endurance is poor due to his low weight and high gravity greatly hindering his ability to survive strong hits.

Meta Knight can gain some benefits from his custom moves. Entangling Tornado draws opponents in and deals more knockback, but also much more start-up, much less damage, and cannot be controlled as easily. Dreadful Tornado hits much harder, but cannot stall in the air, and is slower. High-Speed Drill is faster and moves further, but cannot be aimed and has less power. Shieldbreaker Drill can break shields very reliably, but cannot be used to attack or recover effectively. Lazy Shuttle Loop hits even harder and gives much more distance than the default, but only hits once, making it difficult to hit the opponent. Shield Piercer is unblockable and moves farther, but is weaker. However, the advantages granted are much more situational overall and sacrifice the versatility of the default specials, which results in none of his custom options being especially worthwhile.

Ultimately, Meta Knight's strengths overall outweigh his flaws, and he is essentially a "high-risk, high-reward" character. This is evident with his high learning curve, as his most notable combos require precise spacing and timing to pull off consistently, while his disadvantage against camping often forces players to play patiently in the neutral game. Yet once he finds an opening, Meta Knight can pose a significant threat once players find an opening and make the most of it with his extensive combo game and strong edge-guarding ability.

Changes from Brawl

Meta Knight was infamous for being by far the best character in Brawl, to the point of being considered by many as broken due to possessing numerous and extreme advantages that resulted in his ranking of 1st on the Brawl tier list. Possibly as a result, Meta Knight was nerfed immensely in the transition to SSB4.

Having been nearly unmatched in Brawl, Meta Knight's frame data has been toned down. Many of his attacks now have slower start-up lag, reduced active frames, and higher ending and landing lag, with his up aerial being a good example in all these aspects. His range has been shortened, as seen in his down and forward tilts and all of his aerials (sans forward aerial), making his spacing ability much weaker and forcing him to adopt a more aggressive playstyle. All of his tilts and aerials deal less damage, resulting in his damage output being below average. With the nerfs to several of his most pivotal neutral options, such as down tilt, forward aerial, and Mach Tornado, and the loss of gliding and the transcendent priority on his moves, Meta Knight's neutral game is overall significantly worse, leaving him more vulnerable to camping and zoning strategies, especially with his continued lack of a projectile. The removal of edge-hogging, his shorter recovery, and the generally improved recoveries of the rest of the cast hurt Meta Knight's edge-guarding game, and the loss of gliding removes some of his offstage mix-ups. With the changes to hitstun and his faster falling speed, Meta Knight can no longer momentum cancel and is more vulnerable to combos, worsening his already poor endurance.

However, Meta Knight has received some noteworthy buffs. His already good mobility has been improved: his air speed is drastically faster, he dashes and falls faster, and he has gained a new movement option in his long perfect pivot. Several of his attacks are stronger, most notably his forward and up smashes, back aerial, and Dimensional Cape. Due to the changes to hitstun and the new physics, Meta Knight can perform true combos more reliably, and his grab reward is much more consistent, somewhat making up for the nerfs to his damage output. Meta Knight has also received buffs over time via game updates, and while they are helpful, they do not nearly compensate for the loss of his overwhelming strengths from Brawl, making him one of the few characters to have been truly nerfed in the transition to SSB4, alongside King Dedede, Olimar, Falco, Jigglypuff and Marth. However, the retention of the majority of his key advantages from Brawl has led many to consider him a high-tier character, and even a top-tier at one point in time.

Aesthetics

  • Change Due to the vibrant aesthetics used in SSB4, Meta Knight and his sabatons are now brighter. Additionally, he now wears silver gauntlets over his gloves like in Kirby: Squeak Squad and Kirby Super Star Ultra, and very minuscule battle damage details have been added to his armor. Lastly, the sides of his visor are now curved inward rather than being straight, and the top corners of his visor are more pointed.
  • Change Meta Knight's eyes do not move as much as they did in Brawl. This is especially noticeable when comparing the charging animations for his down smash, taunts, and idle poses between Brawl and SSB4.
  • Change Galaxia's trail is now yellow with teal accents, rather than whitish yellow. Its swings' sound clips are also lower pitched.
  • Change Up taunt's animation has slightly changed. Meta Knight now emits an amber trail around himself, similarly to Mach Tornado. It also has updated sound effects.

Attributes

  • Change Meta Knight is heavier (79 → 80). This slightly improves his endurance, but makes slightly him more susceptible to combos.
  • Nerf Meta Knight walks slower (1.22 → 1.18).
  • Buff Meta Knight dashes faster (1.847 → 1.9).
  • Buff Meta Knight's air speed is faster (0.752 → 0.99), going from being tied for the third slowest in Brawl to being slightly below average in SSB4. This improves his aerial combo potential.
  • Nerf Meta Knight's falling speed is faster (1.39 → 1.66), making him more susceptible to combos.
  • Nerf Meta Knight's gravity is higher (0.0956 → 0.11), making him more susceptible to combos while not noticeably improving his vertical endurance.
  • Buff Due to the general physics changes in SSB4, Meta Knight has a faster fast falling speed (1.946 → 2.656). This makes him less susceptible to juggling.
  • Nerf Item throw is weaker (1 → 0.933).
  • Buff Rolls have increased intangibility frames (frames 5-12 → 4-15 (forward), frames 4-12 → 4-15 (backward)) and backward roll has decreased ending lag (IASA 33 → 27).
  • Nerf Forward roll has increased ending lag (23 frames → 27), now matching his backward roll. This results in it no longer being the fastest roll in the game.
  • Buff Sidestep and air dodge have decreased ending lag (IASA 25 → 24 (sidestep), IASA 38 → 30 (air dodge)). Air dodge also has decreased start-up lag (frame 3 → 2).
  • Nerf Sidestep and air dodge have decreased intangibility frames (frames 2-20 → 2-15 (sidestep), 26 frames → 23 (air dodge)).
  • Buff Soft landing is faster (3 frames → 2).
  • Change Shield and rolls' animations have changed. Meta Knight now wraps himself in his cape when performing them.
  • Nerf All sword-based attacks no longer have transcendent priority, hindering Meta Knight's combo potential and approach.
  • Nerf The removal of gliding hinders Meta Knight's recovery.
  • Change The changes to hitstun canceling both help and hinder Meta Knight. They improve his combo and KO potentials, but make him far more susceptible to combos when combined with his increased weight, gravity and falling speed, as well as his generally slower aerial attacks. These changes also prevent him from performing momentum canceling, hindering his horizontal endurance.
  • Nerf The removal of edge-hogging makes it much harder for Meta Knight to edge-guard and gimp his opponents, while his excellent recovery means he does not benefit from this change as much as most other characters, especially when taking into account the generally improved recoveries across the cast.
  • Buff The weakening of SDI significantly improves Meta Knight's multiple hit moves by making them harder to escape.
  • Buff The reintroduction of pivoting gives Meta Knight a long perfect pivot, which is tied for the third longest when not counting Shulk using the Speed Art. This improves his neutral and punishment games and his evasiveness.

Ground attacks

  • Change Neutral attack now deals consistent damage (1%/2% → 1.2%).
  • Buff Neutral attack's multiple hits have a decreased SDI multiplier (1x → 0.6x) and it now has a finisher, a backflipping uppercut slash. The finisher also has extra range that extends slightly past the neutral infinite.
  • Nerf Neutral attack's animation has changed. Meta Knight is now slightly more forward during the attack, thus making its hits only connect in front of Meta Knight instead of on both of his sides. Unlike a typical neutral infinite, Meta Knight's neutral attack forces him to use its finisher unless he is pushed backward and off an edge by hitting an opponent repeatedly with it. This hinders its safety if he whiffs his neutral attack.
  • Nerf Dash attack deals less damage (6%/7%/8% → 5%/6%) and its duration is shorter. It also has increased start-up (frame 5 → 7) and ending lag (IASA 31 → 32).
  • Buff Dash attack has increased knockback (40 (base)/88 (scaling) → 70/90) and its reach is now slightly disjointed.
  • Buff Forward tilt has decreased ending lag (FAF 19 → 18 (hit 1), FAF 30 → 25 (hit 2), FAF 30 → 28 (hit 3)), its last hit deals increased knockback (50 (base)/113 (scaling) → 80/107) and its hits connect together better even at very high percents.
  • Nerf Forward tilt deals consistent damage (11%/12% → 8%), its first hit has increased start-up lag (frame 3 → 6), its duration is shorter (frames 5-6 → 6 (hit 1), frames 2-3 → 2 (hits 2-3)) and its first two hits have decreased ranges (5u → 3.5u).
  • Change Forward tilt has an altered angle (65° → 361°). This slightly improves its KOing and edge-guarding potentials, but removes its follow-up potential.
  • Change Meta Knight now vocalizes during each of forward tilt's hits, rather than only during its third hit.
  • Nerf Up tilt deals 1% less damage (6%/7%/8% → 5%/6%/7%) and its duration is shorter (frames 8-18 → 8-14). Its sweetspot also has altered knockback (35 (base)/130 (scaling) → 60/90), significantly hindering its KO potential.
  • Nerf Down tilt has increased ending lag (IASA 16 → 19), decreased range (4u → 3.2u), and does not move Meta Knight forward as much as it did in Brawl, hindering its pseudo-crawling ability. Due to the changes to locks, its ability to lock opponents indefinitely has been removed.
  • Change Down tilt deals consistent damage (4%/5%/6%/7% → 5%) and knockback (15/11/6 (base)/88 (scaling) → 15/88) due to no longer having a sweetspot or a sourspot.
  • Change Up tilt, sweetspotted forward smash, forward tilt's last hit and up smash's last hit have increased hitlag (1x → 1.2x (up tilt), 1x → 1.5x (forward smash), 1x → 2x (forward tilt), 1x → 2x (up smash)). This makes them safer on shield, but easier to DI.
  • Nerf All smash attacks' durations are shorter (frames 24-25 → 24 (forward), frames 8-9, 12-13, 17-18 → 8, 12, 17 (up), frames 5-6, 10-11 → 4, 9 (down)).
  • Buff Forward smash deals 2% more damage (14% → 16%) and has increased knockback (28 (base)/99 (scaling) → 30/108/98), improving its KO potential.
  • Change Forward smash has received a sourspot at the tip of Galaxia that has less knockback scaling than the sweetspot, instead of dealing consistent knockback throughout. However, the new sourspot is still noticeably stronger than forward smash's previous overall knockback.
  • Change Forward smash's animation has slightly changed. Meta Knight now draws Galaxia further back and slashes outward in a more pronounced motion, ending the slash behind himself. Compared to the previous animation, it possesses IASA frames, but lacks the hitbox behind him and has slightly increased start-up and ending lag.
  • Buff Up smash's hits connect together better and its last hit has increased knockback (62 (base)/145 (scaling) → 65/166), improving its KO potential.
  • Nerf Up smash's animation has slightly changed. Meta Knight now slashes upward at a slightly higher height. Compared to the previous animation, the last slash is now laggy due to it involving him landing upon performing a more exaggerated spinning hop.
  • Buff Meta Knight only vocalizes after his forward and up smashes have been executed. While this seems merely aesthetic, it generally makes them less predictable.
  • Nerf Down smash deals less damage (11%/13% → 7%/10%) and decreased knockback (50 (base)/93 (scaling front)/90 (scaling back) → 32/93), hindering its KO potential.
  • Buff Down smash's animation has changed. Meta Knight now slashes inward around himself while spinning once. Compared to the previous animation, its hits have decreased start-up lag when buffered (frame 5 → 4 (front), frame 10 → 9 (back)) and it is now a semi-spike due to its angle being altered (361° → 35°).
  • Nerf Compared to the previous animation, down smash's animation somewhat narrows and lowers its hitbox, giving it overall decreased range (5.5u → 4.5u) and increased ending lag (frame 34 → 38 (buffered)/39).
  • Change Down smash has an updated voice clip, which was previously only available in Brawl's Sound Test.

Aerial attacks

  • Nerf Except for neutral aerial's late hit, all aerials deal less damage (19% → 10% (neutral), 10% → 7.4%/6% (forward), 10% → 8.4%/7% (back), 6% → 4% (up), 7%/9% → 6% (down)), though neutral, forward, back and down aerials' knockback has been somewhat compensated.
  • Nerf All aerials have decreased interruptibility (frame 32 → 44 (neutral), frame 39 → 46 (forward), frame 46 → 52 (back), frame 13 → 27 (up), frame 26 → 28 (down)). In particular, up aerial can only be performed once from a short hop, rather than three times.
  • Nerf All aerials have increased landing lag (15 → 16 (neutral), 15 → 16 (forward), 12 → 18 (back), 12 → 18 (up), 15 → 22 (down)).
  • Nerf All aerials have increased auto-cancel frames (frame 25 → 40 (neutral), frame 22 → 44 (forward), frame 33 → 40 (back), frame 21 → 24 (up), frame 24 → 26 (down)). When combined with Meta Knight's increased falling speed, his neutral, forward, and back aerials can no longer auto-cancel from a short hop.
  • Nerf Neutral, up and down aerials have shorter durations (frames 3-24 → 6-20 (neutral), frames 2-3 → 6 (up), frames 4-5 → 4 (down)).
  • Nerf Neutral, forward and up aerials have increased start-up lag (frame 3 → 6 (neutral), frame 6 → 9 (forward), frame 2 → 6 (up)).
  • Nerf Neutral, up, down and back aerials have decreased ranges (8u → 7u (neutral), 5.5u → 3.5u (up), 5.4u → 3.5u (down)).
  • Buff Late neutral aerial deals more damage (5%-7% → 7.5%). Neutral aerial also has increased base knockback (30 (early)/20 (late) → 40 (both)).
  • Nerf Neutral aerial now functions like a proper sex kick due to consisting of a clean hitbox and a late hitbox, which decreases its damage potential (17%-19% (both hits) → 10% (clean)/7.5% (late)). Meta Knight also spins while facing at an angle instead of directly forward, which slightly decreases its hitbox size.
  • Buff Forward aerial has increased range (3.5u/4u/5u → 4u/4.5u/6.5u), its last hit has increased knockback scaling (122 → 140) and its angle has been altered (Sakurai angle/50° → 48°). When coupled with Meta Knight's faster air speed, these changes arguably improve its Wall of Pain potential.
  • Change Forward aerial is now properly affected by stale-move negation.
  • Change Forward and back aerials' last hits have increased hitlag (1x → 2x). This makes them safer on shield, but easier to DI.
  • Nerf Forward aerial's ending animation has slightly changed. Meta Knight now leans slightly forward to his left while slashing. This slightly increases its ending lag.
  • Buff Back aerial's last hit has increased knockback scaling (175 → 212), improving its KO potential. Its hits also use the auto-link angle, granting it combo and edge-guarding potentials.
  • Nerf Back aerial's ending animation has slightly changed. Meta Knight now turns around in a slightly less exaggerated motion. This slightly increases its ending lag.
  • Buff Up aerial's knockback has been altered (40 (base)/125 (scaling) → 30/128), improving its combo potential.
  • Nerf Up aerial's angle has been altered (78°/78°/60° → 69°/69°/52°). While this slightly improves its combo potential into other aerials, it significantly hinders its combo potential into itself and Meta Knight's KO potential when attempting to secure early vertical KOs. Up aerial's SDI multiplier has also increased (1x → 1.5x).
  • Buff Down aerial's knockback values have been overall increased (30/30/15/15 (base)/105 (scaling) → consistent 30, 108).
  • Nerf Down aerial deals less damage (7%/9% → 6%), making it slightly weaker overall despite its higher knockback values. Additionally, its sourspot is no longer a semi-spike due to its angle being altered (35°/23° → 50°/35°). Lastly, its hitbox sizes have decreased and one of the sweetspots has been removed.

Throws/other attacks

  • Nerf All grabs have increased start-up (frame 6 → 7 (standing), frame 8 → 9 (dash), frame 7 → 9 (pivot)) and ending lag (FAF 29 → 32 (standing), FAF 39 → 40 (dash), FAF 34 → 38 (pivot)).
  • Change Back throw's animation has changed. Meta Knight now uses his cape to warp, similarly to Dimensional Cape, before slashing the opponent.
  • Buff Up throw has received a hitbox during its landing portion that deals enough knockback to KO bystanders below 100%, granting it utility in doubles play.
  • Nerf Up throw deals 2% less damage (12% → 10%), hindering its KO potential despite its increased knockback scaling (60 → 70).
  • Nerf Down throw deals 3.5% less damage (11% → 7.5%) and its last hit has altered knockback (60 (base)/110 (scaling) → 50/170), hindering its utility at high percents.
  • Buff The changes to hitstun canceling significantly improve forward and down throws' combo potentials, as they are now capable of being followed up with aerials from low to medium percents and with Shuttle Loop until roughly 100%.

Special moves

  • Buff Mach Tornado is now significantly more difficult to SDI out of due to the weakening of SDI. Its last hit also has increased base knockback (35 → 55).
  • Nerf Mach Tornado has a shorter duration (frames 12-59 → 12-48), increased ending and landing lag (29 frames → 53), and less favorable hitbox placements and sizes. These changes hinder safety and make it more susceptible to punishment. It also covers less vertical distance and can no longer edge sweetspot at all, hindering its recovery potential.
  • Change Mach Tornado's aesthetic visuals have slightly changed. Its trail is now noticeably thinner.
  • Buff Drill Rush's hits connect together better and its last hit has increased knockback (30 (base)/100 (scaling) → 40/200). The small jump at its ending also covers much more height when it connects with an object, improving its safety.
  • Nerf Drill Rush has increased start-up lag and cannot allow its small jump unless its ending hits a solid object, such as an opponent or terrain. This slightly hinders its recovery potential.
  • Change Mach Tornado and Drill Rush's last hits have increased hitlag (1x → 2x (Mach Tornado), 1x → 3x (Drill Rush)). This makes them safer on shield, but easier to DI.
  • Buff Shuttle Loop deals more damage (9% → 12% (aerial)/15% (grounded)) and has increased knockback scaling (80 (grounded)/60 (aerial) → 130/118) due to receiving a hitbox during its second ascent.
  • Nerf Shuttle Loop has decreased base knockback (90 → 55). Grounded Shuttle Loop has also lost its invincibility frames on start-up.
  • Buff Aerial Shuttle Loop has decreased start-up lag (frame 8 → 7).
  • Nerf Aerial Shuttle Loop now immediately renders Meta Knight helpless upon completion due to the removal of gliding, hindering its recovery potential. Its two-hit property and high hitlag also make it easier to DI.
  • Change Aerial Shuttle Loop's angle has been altered (21° → 80°), which is now almost identical to the grounded version's angle. This almost completely removes its edge-guarding potential, but improves its KO potential.
  • Buff The changes to hitstun canceling improve Meta Knight's ability to combo into aerial Shuttle Loop.
  • Buff Dimensional Cape has increased damage potential (14% → 14%/15%/16%) and knockback, granting it KO potential. Additionally, it has increased invincibility frames (frames 18-26 → 12-39 (non-attack)/frames 12-28 (attack)), improving its safety. Lastly, its attacking warp upon reappearing also positions Meta Knight at a higher height and has larger hitboxes below and behind him.
  • Change Dimensional Cape's animation has slightly changed. Its non-attacking warp now has Meta Knight face the opposite direction upon reappearing, while warping downward from a stationary position on the ground also no longer has him attack behind himself. Conversely, its attacking warp now has Meta Knight perform an upward slash upon reappearing when warping backward (which does not change his direction), while his prior slash animation now only applies to a stationary or vertical orientation. Meta Knight also holds Galaxia differently during the attacking warp upon reappearing when warping forward.
  • Bug fix Infinite Dimensional Cape has been removed.
  • Buff Galaxia Darkness no longer attacks Meta Knight's teammates if Team Attack is turned off.

Update history

Meta Knight has been buffed via game updates. In updates 1.0.4 and 1.0.8, his damage outputs, knockback, range and attack speed were all improved. Update 1.1.0 reduced the number of Galaxia's trails on his moves to match his moves' hitboxes, considerably improving his accuracy. The specific buffs to his neutral attack, forward tilt, and neutral aerial have given him more options with which to relieve pressure, and the increased power on his neutral and back aerials have enhanced his KOing and edge-guarding abilities. Update 1.1.1's changes to shield mechanics have been beneficial overall for Meta Knight. Many of his attacks are safer due to their high hitlag modifiers, most notably forward aerial, forward smash and his custom move Shieldbreaker Drill, which improves his neutral game and generally compensates for his weakened out of shield options.

While these buffs do not make him nearly as potent as he was in Brawl, they are still helpful additions that have, over time, allowed him to recoup some of his initial lost offensive capability. Furthermore, Meta Knight has achieved notable tournament success thanks to these buffs. However, update 1.1.5 nerfed Meta Knight. Forward aerial's decreased landing lag gives him a new approach option. On the other hand, up aerial launches at a less favorable angle for combos and has an increased SDI multiplier, making it much harder to chain into itself for early vertical KOs on most characters. However, the same update and update 1.1.6 brought significant nerfs to Sheik, Zero Suit Samus and Bayonetta, who were some of his most challenging match-up prior to these updates. Overall, Meta Knight has improved since the initial release.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS 1.0.4

  • Buff Neutral aerial deals more damage: 7% clean/5% late → 10%/7.5%.
  • Nerf Forward aerial's first two hits' aerial-only hitboxes have lower set knockback (90 → 40) and no longer use the autolink angle (366° → 85°), leaving them unable to drag opponents down and set up locks.
  • Buff Last hit of back aerial has increased knockback scaling: 180 → 212.
  • Buff Up aerial's Y offsets increased: 17/14 → 19/16, giving it more vertical range.
  • Buff Down aerial's Y offsets (-4.5 → -6.5) and Z offsets (3.5/4.5/-4.5 → 2.5/3.5/-5.5) are farther apart, increasing the move's range and coverage below Meta Knight.
  • Change The sword trails of up aerial and down aerial match the hitboxes better.
  • Buff Dimensional Cape has a more horizontal angle (60° → 53°) and higher knockback growth (105/93 → 107/98), improving its KO potential.


Super Smash Bros. 4 1.0.6

Super Smash Bros. 4 1.0.8

  • Buff Neutral attack has been improved. Its loop hits deal 0.2% more damage: 1% → 1.2%, its loop hits' knockback scaling decreased: 40 → 30, its last hit's hitbox size increased: 5.7u → 8u, its ending lag decreased: FAF 47 → 35, its SDI multiplier decreased: 1x → 0.6x, and its hitboxes split to cover more space.
  • Buff Forward tilt's last hit deals 1% more damage: 3% → 4% and its last hit's ending lag decreased: FAF 41 → 31.
  • Change Forward tilt's last hit's angle altered: 65° → 361°. This slightly improves it KO potential at the edge at very high percents, but hinders its combo potential.
  • Buff Neutral aerial's landing lag decreased: 20 frames → 16.

Technical changelist 1.0.8

Super Smash Bros. 4 1.1.0

  • Buff Galaxia's trail has been adjusted to better match its hitboxes, significantly improving Meta Knight's accuracy.
  • Change Up tilt's first hit's hitbox is now centered on Meta Knight's body for 1 frame before reverting.

Super Smash Bros. 4 1.1.1

  • Buff Lazy Shuttle Loop's last hit's hitbox size increased: 7u → 7.2u and its last hit's duration increased.

Super Smash Bros. 41.1.5

  • Buff Forward aerial has less landing lag: 20 → 16.
  • Change Up aerial damage: 5% → 4%, weakening its knockback even further, but allowing it combo up to higher percents
  • Nerf Up aerial angle altered: 78°/60° → 69°/52°, making it harder to follow-up into itself.
  • Nerf Up aerial SDI multiplier: 1.0x → 1.5x.


Moveset

  Name Damage Description
Neutral attack Flurry Attack 1.2% (loop) An extremely fast series of slashes followed by a backflipping slash. The only neutral attack in the game that consists solely of a neutral infinite. This makes it one of Meta Knight's more reliable damage racking options, as it is able to consistently deal around 10%-15%, but it is punishable if missed. It appears to be based on the Meta Multithrust from Meta Knightmare Ultra, while its finisher is a possible reference to the Uppercut from the Sword ability in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra, with the latter game naming it Meta Upper when it is used by Meta Knight.
2% (last)
Forward tilt   2% An inward slash, followed by an outward slash, followed by an upward slash. Unlike the majority of tilt attacks, it functions like a neutral attack, as pressing the attack button will cause Meta Knight to perform the first hit, while subsequently pressing the attack button will cause him to perform the second and last hits. Because of this trait, it is safer to use than Meta Knight's actual neutral attack thanks to its quick start-up and fairly long range making it better at spacing. Additionally, the first hit can jab cancel into Shuttle Loop for a KO at high percents, while the last hit deals enough knockback to KO at 150% while near the edge. However, the last hit has some ending lag, and it is not as suitable for damage racking like his actual neutral attack.
2%
4%
Up tilt   7% (clean), 5% (late) A spinning, upward thrust. Deals moderate vertical knockback while also having quick start-up, minimal ending lag, and long vertical range. Its sweetspot is at Galaxia's tip, similar to how Marth and Corrin possess tippers. Also has decent combo potential, though it can be tricky to land. Can lead into an up aerial or neutral aerial, or even another up tilt if used on a grounded opponent.
Down tilt   5% A crouching thrust. For some reason, it shortens the length of Galaxia until it concludes. Meta Knight's fastest move, hitting on frame 3 with minimal ending lag. Can trip opponents at low percents, setting up a grab or dash attack. A safe, albeit short-ranged, move, and a good combo starter that is also known for its ability to jab reset floored opponents. Can lead into tech-chases at high percents and moves him a small distance along the ground when used.
Dash attack   6% (clean), 5% (late) A side kick. Deals vertical knockback and is a reliable approach option due to the move's slightly disjointed hitbox, favorable trajectory and low ending lag, allowing Meta Knight to get in to start combos or interrupt approaches. At low to medium percents, it combos reliably into up tilt, up smash, any aerial, and Mach Tornado, and can often lead into Shuttle Loop for a KO.
Forward smash   16% An outward slash. Meta Knight's strongest move in terms of knockback, KOing at around 100% from center-stage and around 75% near the edge. It has some start-up lag and its hitbox only lasts for 1 frame, but has very noticeable IASA frames and good range, making it very hard to punish, even when shielded.
Up smash   3% (hit 1), 2% (hit 2), 4% (hit 3) A series of upward fanning slashes. It has a low damage output and moderate ending lag, but deals decent knockback, has very quick start-up lag due to hitting on frame 8, and a large hitbox, making it an effective anti-air option. KOs starting around 120% and can combo into Shuttle Loop at low percents.
Down smash   7% (front), 10% (back) A spinning, low-angle outward slash. Significantly weaker than in Brawl, as the front hit cannot KO until 150% near the edge, while the back hit KOs at around 110% near the edge. It is useful for clearing space and possibly catching opponents off-guard, as well as putting opponents off-stage due to its semi-spike angle. In regard to start-up lag, this is the fastest smash attack in the game, with its first hit coming out on frame 4; however, this is only true when buffered. Otherwise, the first hit comes out on frame 5.
Neutral aerial   10% (clean), 7.5% (late) The Knight Spin from Meta Knightmare Ultra. Functions like a sex kick and is effective at both edge-guarding and escaping pressure due to its quick start-up lag (hitting on frame 6), lingering hitbox, and surprisingly good knockback, KOing at around 100% off-stage when clean. Auto-cancels when performed at the beginning of a full hop, but has low ending and landing lag otherwise, allowing it to combo into a dash attack at lower percents, or jab reset with his down tilt if the opponent does not tech.
Forward aerial   2.2% (hits 1-2 grounded opponents), 1.5% (hits 1-2 aerial opponents), 3% (hit 3) A series of three outward slashes. His slowest aerial, hitting on frame 9, but it is a fast move nonetheless. Very short duration, especially for a multiple hitting move. With long reach and relatively low landing lag (16 frames), it is an effective approach and spacing tool when used from a short hop, while it auto-cancels from a jump. It is also decent for finishing combos, edge-guarding, and air-to-air combat due to its range, and can be used in a wall of pain because of its relatively low launch angle. Its 2x hitlag multiplier means it has much less landing lag if it connects with the opponent, making it safer on shield.
Back aerial   2.2% (hits 1-2 grounded opponents), 1.5% (hits 1-2 aerial opponents), 4% (hit 3) A series of spinning outward slashes. There is a delay between each slash, though its range and duration make it relatively easy to hit with. Great for edge-guarding due to its quick start-up, hitting on frame 7, and deceptive knockback, being his strongest aerial, KOing at about 90% off-stage. Low ending lag and auto-cancels from a full hop, but has moderate landing lag. Both hits use the auto-link angle on aerial opponents, meaning that it can be used to drag opponents down to the ground and follow up with a down tilt-initiated jab reset.
Up aerial   4% An upward arcing slash. Hits on frame 6, has low ending lag and deceptive reach, but its hitbox lasts for only 1 frame. When combining its weak knockback with the previous traits and Meta Knight's jumps, it has superb combo potential. At a variety of percents, it combos into any aerial including itself, Mach Tornado, and Shuttle Loop. Most notably, it combos reliably into itself up to five times (or six on fast-fallers) until medium percents, and can potentially lead into a high altitude Shuttle Loop for an early KO. Moderate landing lag, but auto-cancels from a short hop, though it cannot hit most grounded opponents. As of update 1.1.5, it deals less knockback and launches opponents at a slightly lower angle, meaning it starts chaining into itself at higher percents. However, it is still easy for it to combo into itself as a zero-to-death combo against floaty characters, even with its increased SDI multiplier.
Down aerial   6% Slashes downward very quickly in an arcing motion. Hits on frame 4, and has low ending lag, though its hitbox lasts for a single frame. It is a semi-spike, making it quite deadly off-stage, especially against opponents with poor horizontal recoveries. Can also be used to pressure grounded opponents, and start tech-chases at medium percents, potentially leading into a jab reset with his down tilt if the opponent fails to tech. Auto-cancels from a short hop, but has high landing lag otherwise (22 frames).
Grab   Reaches out with his free hand. Meta Knight's standing grab has average range, but his dash grab covers a lot of ground due to it boosting him forward.
Pummel   3% Jabs with one of the talons on his cape's wings. Moderately slow, but one of the most damaging pummels in the game.
Forward throw   6% (hit 1), 3% (throw) A backflip kick. A very fast throw, giving the opponent a small window to DI. It also launches opponents at 65°, making it favorable for combos. Depending on DI, it can combo into dash attack, up smash, and any aerial from low to medium percents, and potentially into Shuttle Loop for a deadly KO combo.
Back throw   7% (hit 1), 3% (throw) Lays the opponent behind himself, warps, and then slashes their back. Moderately high knockback, although it does not KO until around 170% at the edge. Good for launching opponents off-stage to set up an edge-guard. It can also combo into a dash attack or start a tech-chase at very low percents, or lead into a forward aerial or Shuttle Loop at high percents if the opponent DI'd poorly.
Up throw   10% (throw), 7% (collateral) The Air Drop from Kirby's Ninja ability. Other opponents who are hit by the throw are dealt very high knockback, KOing below 100%. KOs the thrown opponent around 160%, but is much more effective with the aid of platforms, especially with rage due to its high base knockback. Can lead into Shuttle Loop if the opponent DI'd poorly.
Down throw   0.5% (hits 1-9), 1% (hit 10), 2% (throw) The Fury Stomp from Kirby's Suplex ability. Combos into dash attack, dashing up smash, all aerials, and Mach Tornado from low to medium percents, and into Shuttle Loop until around 100%. However, the throw's high knockback scaling, the opponent's DI, and Meta Knight's below average air speed make follow-ups difficult past medium percents.
Floor attack (front)   7% Slashes on either side of himself.
Floor attack (back)   7% Slashes on either side of himself.
Floor attack (trip)   5% Slashes behind himself and then in front of himself.
Edge attack   7% Performs an outward slash while climbing up.
Neutral special Default Mach Tornado 1% (loop), 3% (last), ≈22% (all hits connect) Spins rapidly and traps opponents in a tornado. Button mashing increases the move's duration and makes Meta Knight both ascend slightly; he can also move left and right. Deals roughly 22% if all of its hits connect, aiding Meta Knight's otherwise low overall damage output. The last hit can KO near the upper blast line, but this is dangerous to attempt since it renders Meta Knight helpless. However, if it ends around a full hop's height, Meta Knight will endure almost no lag after landing. Despite its name, it appears to be based on both the Mach Tornado from Meta Knightmare Ultra and Kirby's Tornado ability.
Custom 1 Entangling Tornado 9% Vacuums opponents in and then launches them straight up into the air. The more vertical knockback gives it better KO potential, but it hits only once, deals much less damage and has a little more start-up lag.
Custom 2 Dreadful Tornado 1.5% (hits 1-5), 6% (hit 6) Deals more damage per hit and much stronger knockback, but it has a fixed number of spins, which gives it a lower overall damage output. KOs around 135%.
Side special Default Drill Rush 1% (hits 1-8), 3% (hit 9) A flying corkscrew thrust. Hits multiple times, with the last hit dealing decent knockback. Meta Knight will bounce backward a bit if he lands the last hit on an opponent or onto terrain. He can also change the course of the attack, allowing it to be used as a recovery move. It is based on one of Master Kirby's attacks from Kirby & The Amazing Mirror.
Custom 1 High-Speed Drill 0.8% (hits 1-7), 3% (hit 8) A faster version that can function as a quick horizontal recovery option, but at the cost of being unable to have its angle changed.
Custom 2 Shieldbreaker Drill 1% (hits 1-9), 2% (hit 10) A version that can break shields, at the cost of reduced attack power and distance.
Up special Default Shuttle Loop 9% (hit 1 grounded), 6% (hit 1 aerial), 6% (hit 2) The attack of the same name from Meta Knightmare Ultra and Kirby's Return to Dream Land. It is a soaring upward thrust looped into another soaring upward thrust. Offers great vertical recovery, excellent range, fast speed and high overall knockback. It hits on frame 7 and 8 in midair and from the ground, respectively. When these traits are combined with various set-ups, it is considered to be both a powerful out of shield option and Meta Knight's most reliable KOing option, as it KOs as early as 60% when done near the upper blast line. The grounded version, although slightly slower, deals more damage and knockback, KOing around 120%. However, it is highly punishable if whiffed due to it rendering him helpless.
Custom 1 Blade Coaster 8% (hit 1 grounded), 5% (hit 1 aerial), 5% (hit 2) Soars forward instead of upward. Opponents hit will be launched at a lower angle, which can be deadly near the side blast lines, but on a typical stage this cannot be fully exploited without self-destructing.
Custom 2 Lazy Shuttle Loop 9% (clean), 6% (late) Soars into a larger, slower loop that does not deal damage, and then strikes hard while rising quickly. It has less damage potential, but its larger range slightly improves vertical recovery.
Down special Default Dimensional Cape 15% (stationary grounded slash), 14% (retreating slash), 16% (advancing slash, stationary aerial slash) Teleports in a controllable direction. If the attack button is pressed or the special button is held, he will perform a very powerful slash that can KO around 100% near the edge. Meta Knight will slash differently depending on the direction the control stick is held and the direction he is facing. A great anti-edge-guarding option, it can also be used to punish laggy attacks from a distance and for edge trumping.
Custom 1 Shield Piercer 1%, 8% (stationary grounded slash), 1%, 7% (retreating slash), 1%, 9% (advancing slash, stationary aerial slash) The slash penetrates shields and grants a bit more vertical distance, but at the cost of less damage and less horizontal distance.
Custom 2 Stealth Smasher 16% (stationary grounded slash), 15% (retreating slash), 17% (advancing slash, stationary aerial slash) Grants a farther travel distance (about half the length of Final Destination) and deals more damage and knockback (about the same as his uncharged forward smash), enabling it to KO around 100% from center-stage. However, it comes at the cost of Meta Knight being vulnerable while moving.
Final Smash Galaxia Darkness 40% (trapped opponents), 10% (others) Swings his cape out directly in front of himself. If the cape touches any nearby opponents, they will be trapped as the screen then fades to black. After a few seconds, Meta Knight performs a large, powerful slash to the trapped opponents that deals a high amount of damage and an extreme amount of vertical knockback, which can KO above 50% and ignores super armor. If he misses with his cape, Meta Knight pauses for a brief time, and the Final Smash fails. Any opponents who are not trapped are also attacked, but instead receive vastly less damage and weak, vertical knockback. However, the weaker attacks can also be avoided by dodging with correct timing.

On-screen appearance

MetaKnightOnScreenAppearanceSSB4.gif

Taunts

  • Up taunt: Wraps himself in his cape, as if he is about to teleport, while scoffing. This is similar to his on-screen appearance.
  • Side taunt: Says "Fight me!" (勝負だ!, Let's battle!) while slashing twice and then pointing Galaxia in front of himself.
  • Down taunt: Turns his cape into wings and spreads them out while shouting "Come!" (来いっ!) If he is facing left, he will perform the taunt facing the background instead, similarly to how characters taunted in Super Smash Bros.
Up taunt Side taunt Down taunt
Meta Knight's up taunt in Smash 4 Meta Knight's side taunt in Smash 4 Meta Knight's down taunt in Smash 4

Idle poses

  • Quickly and subtly swings Galaxia.
  • Pull his cape in front of himself and then throws it back.
MetaKnightIdlePose3SSB4.jpg MetaKnightIdlePose2SSB4.jpg

Crowd cheer

English Japanese
Cheer
Description Me-ta Knight! Me-ta Knight!
Pitch Group chant Group chant

Victory poses

A rock-based remix of the short recurring theme that debuted in Kirby's Dream Land and plays when Kirby completes a stage or defeats a boss.
  • Flies on-screen from the side and flings out his cape with one arm and keeps his arm out, saying "You have much yet to learn." (まだまだだ., It's not just yet.) A slightly modified version of one of his Brawl victory poses, where he strikes the same pose, but brings his arm down and looks at the camera immediately after flinging his cape.
  • Swings outward with Galaxia as he takes a step forward, saying "Come back when you can put up a fight." (もっと強くなって来い., Come at me when you're stronger.) as he teleports away using Dimensional Cape.
  • Slashes with Galaxia aglow and spins it several times as he swings it to his side and poses, saying "Victory... is my destiny." (これも宿命だ. This is merely predestined.), A reversed version of one of his Brawl victory poses, though with his face towards the screen. Winning in a Team Battle shows him performing it with his back turned to the camera, like in Brawl.
MetaKnightPose1WiiU.gif MetaKnightPose2WiiU.gif MetaKnightPose3WiiU.gif

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character Custom sets available
Meta Knight's stock icon in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Meta Knight 1211 1311 2211 2111 2311
1212 1312 1121 1112 3111

Notable players

Active

Inactive

Tier placement and history

Upon SSB4's release, Meta Knight's heavy nerfs were quickly noticed. His shorter recovery, lack of transcendent priority, slightly slower attack speed and shorter range all contributed to players stating that Meta Knight was heavily overshadowed by his appearance in Brawl and that his nerfs were harsh enough to render him as a mid-tier character at best, as he now required a much more aggressive playstyle, especially with the fact that many of his attacks lasted for only 1 frame. However, after being buffed over several game updates and seeing increasingly noteworthy results from some of his players from Brawl and new players across different regions, most famously Leo in Mexico, top players such as ZeRo reevaluated their opinions on Meta Knight. This saw a subsequent rise in Meta Knight's popularity; Mr. R and Nairo occasionally used him and Abadango decided to main him, with his perceived advantageous matchup against Rosalina & Luma, a character ranked above him, boosting his metagame even further due to it rendering him as a valuable counterpick.

Players started to acknowledge Meta Knight's KOing ability, superb frame data and proficiency at edge-guarding as being reliable against the entire cast, while his Rufio combo could KO any character at some of the lowest percentages possible if performed correctly, all of which were traits that he retained from Brawl. As a result, Meta Kinght was subsequently ranked at 10th on the first 4BR tier list. However, many players believed he should have been ranked even higher, with a major reason being that he was considered to lack notably disadvantageous matchups aside from Sheik.

However, Meta Knight's status went into a sudden decline after his up aerial combos, which were a driving force behind his success, were nerfed by update 1.1.5. As a result, several of his best players began to use secondaries more often, such as Tyrant with Sheik and Diddy Kong and Leo with Cloud and Marth, whereas others such as Katakiri and Seibrik dropped him entirely. While he retains a solid punish game, popularity as a counterpick to Rosalina & Luma, and continues to achieve fairly good results, all of which allow him to maintain his high-tier position, he has steadily dropped on subsequent tier lists, ranking at 13th the second tier list -a slight drop from his previous ranking-, and eventually at 14th on the third and current tier list.

Trophies

Meta Knight
Ntsc Kirby's mysterious rival, this masked swordsman appears in several Kirby games. His cape transforms into wings to grant him flight. In Smash Bros., his quick sword skills and aerial agility set him apart. He can jump up to five times in a row, and he has a special move to soar higher.
Pal A mysterious masked swordsman from the Kirby series. His cape can turn into wings, which gives him the ability to fly. His swift swordplay and ability to stay in the air give him an edge in this game. He can combine five mid-air jumps with a special move to make recovering a cinch. If you use him, try to keep battle airborne.
NES: Kirby's Adventure (05/1993)
SNES: Kirby Super Star (08/1996)
Meta Knight (Alt.)
Ntsc Meta Knight's Dimensional Cape lets you teleport, changing where you'll reappear with directional inputs and attacking by holding the button! His Mach Tornado special can draw in and attack multiple opponents. Rise by pressing the button repeatedly, and press left or right to move.
Pal Meta Knight's Dimensional Cape lets you teleport. After vanishing, you can move to reappear somewhere else. You can also keep holding the button to turn it into an attack! His Mach Tornado special can mix up multiple opponents in the fray. Press the button repeatedly to rise up, and move left and right to create extra havoc.
NES: Kirby's Adventure (05/1993)
SNES: Kirby Super Star (08/1996)
Galaxia Darkness
Ntsc Meta Knight swings his cape to ensnare foes. Darkness falls, enveloping them in an empty void and then a giant sword slash cleaves the blackness. If the cape doesn't capture anyone, this Final Smash will fail. It has more range than you might think, though and you only have to catch one foe to deal damage to everyone!
Pal Meta Knight swings his cape to ensnare foes. Darkness falls, enveloping them in an empty void, and then a giant sword slash cleaves the blackness. If the cape doesn't capture anyone, the Final Smash will fail. It has more range than you might think, though, and as long as it catches at least one foe, everyone will take damage!

In Event Matches

Solo Events

Co-op Events

Alternate costumes

Meta Knight Palette (SSB4).png
Meta Knight's stock icon in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. MetaKnightHeadWhiteSSB4-U.png MetaKnightHeadRedSSB4-U.png MetaKnightHeadGreenSSB4-U.png MetaKnightHeadNavySSB4-U.png MetaKnightHeadPinkSSB4-U.png MetaKnightHeadPurpleSSB4-U.png MetaKnightHeadGreySSB4-U.png

Gallery

Trivia

  • Meta Knight has a few distinct aspects that differ from Kirby and King Dedede:
    • He is the only Kirby character to not receive a new Final Smash in SSB4 and not have a conventional meteor smash.
    • He is the only Kirby character to have recycled voice clips.
    • He is the only Kirby character that uses the more subdued tripping sound effect generally used for realistic characters.
  • As in Brawl, Meta Knight is the only sword character to lack both a projectile and a counter-attack.
  • Meta Knight was the last veteran revealed before the launch of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS in Japan, whereas he was the first announced newcomer for Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
  • As in Brawl, Meta Knight is the only character whose entire set of special moves renders him helpless.
  • Despite gliding being removed, frame data for gliding and related things remain in non-patched files for Meta Knight. This was likely a result of Meta Knight's data being recycled from Brawl. This is also true for both Pit and his clone, Dark Pit.
  • If one looks closely at Meta Knight's leading/left foot during his up smash, it flips around on his model during the move. This is mainly seen via slowing down time or pausing at the right time.

References