Ike's forward smash hitting Snake. The crescent-shaped visual effect indicates that his forward smash has a slash effect.
There are many attacks in the Smash Bros. series that make use of the slash effect. In most cases, the effect is used by attacks involving sharp objects. It is easily identifiable by the visual effects generated on impact: a white and blue circular slash in Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, and a crescent-shaped visual effect from Super Smash Bros. Brawl onward.
There are two slashing sound effects in Super Smash Bros., while Melee and Super Smash Bros. 4 have three each. In Brawl, there is only one sound played at differing speeds and pitches based on the attack used. For example, Link's down aerial has a low pitch, whereas Bowser's neutral attack has a medium pitch. Not all slash attacks use these sound effects, however: many of Young Link and Toon Link's sword attacks instead use punching sound effects.
Stab
Super Smash Bros. 4 introduces the stab effect, a variant of the slash effect used for a handful of attacks, such as Luigi's forward smash and Bowser's up smash. The two effects are functionally identical, differing only in visuals: the stab effect is shown as a straight line in the direction of the attack, instead of as a crescent.
List of slash attacks
By characters
| Character | Move(s) | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Bowser | Up tilt |   
|
| Up smash (first hit; uses stab effect in Smash 4) | ||
| Down smash | ||
| Down aerial | ||
| Whirling Fortress | ||
| Up throw | ||
| Back floor attack | ||
| Neutral attack |
| |
| Down tilt | ||
| Back aerial | ||
| Koopa Klaw |
| |
| Forward aerial |
| |
| Trip attack | ||
| Flying Slam (Subspace Emmisary) |
| |
| Dash Slash |
| |
| Bowser Jr. | Forward tilt | |
| Up tilt | ||
| Dash attack | ||
| Forward smash | ||
| Up smash | ||
| Down aerial | ||
| Down throw | ||
| Charizard | Neutral attack |
|
| Up tilt | ||
| Up smash | ||
| Pummel | ||
| Down tilt |
| |
| Back aerial (sweetspot of first hit) | ||
| Glide attack | ||
| Forward aerial |
| |
| Dragon Rush (both custom Flare Blitz and during Mega Charizard X) | ||
| Cloud | All attacks except first hits of jab, down tilt, pummel and throws | |
| Corrin | All attacks except pummel, up and down throws, Dragon Fang Shot (projectile), Dragon Lunge (kicks), last hit of Draconic Ascent, Counter Surge, and Torrential Roar | |
| Dark Pit | All attacks except up tilt, Electroshock Arm, Striking Flight, Impact Orbitars, pummel, back throw, up throw and Dark Pit Staff | |
| Duck Hunt | The duck's beak during rapid jab, all tilts, dash attack and all aerials except neutral aerial | |
| Falco | Down tilt |
|
| Falco Phantasm | ||
| Up aerial (first hit) |
| |
| Neutral attack |
| |
| Up tilt | ||
| Forward smash | ||
| Neutral aerial (only last hit in Brawl) | ||
| Forward aerial | ||
| Fox | Fox Illusion |
|
| Up smash (sweetspot) |
| |
| Wolf Flash (sourspot) |
| |
| Twisting Fox | ||
| Ganondorf | Warlock Blade | |
| Giga Bowser | Neutral attack |
|
| Up aerial | ||
| Whirling Fortress (all but first hit) | ||
| Up tilt |
| |
| Down tilt | ||
| Koopa Klaw | ||
| Greninja | Rapid jab |
|
| All smash attacks | ||
| Forward aerial | ||
| Water Shuriken | ||
| Shifting Shuriken | ||
| Stagnant Shuriken | ||
| Secret Ninja Attack | ||
| Ike | All attacks except first hits of jab, Eruption (except sourspot at the tip of the sword), pummel and throws |
|
| King Dedede | Super Dedede Jump (stars) | |
| Waddle Dee Toss (tossed Waddle Doos and Gordos) |
| |
| Gordo Throw |
| |
| Topspin Gordo | ||
| Quick Dedede Jump (stars) | ||
| Kirby | Final Cutter | 
|
| Up smash (sweetspot) |
| |
| Upper Cutter |
| |
| Ultra Sword (all but first hit) | ||
| Kirby (Copy Abilities) | Hero's Bow |
|
| Nayru's Love | ||
| Needle Storm | ||
| Shield Breaker | ||
| Mach Tornado |
| |
| Eruption (sword tip) | ||
| Palutena's Bow | ||
| Blaster (Wolf; bayonet attached to the blaster) |
| |
| Silver Bow |
| |
| Water Shuriken | ||
| Metal Blade | ||
| Gale Strike | ||
| Link | All attacks except neutral aerial, back aerial, Boomerang (sourspot in Melee, entire Boomerang in SSB), Bomb, first hit of grab air in Brawl, pummel and forward, back and down throws |
|
| Power Bow |
| |
| Ripping Boomerang | ||
| Lucas | Up smash (first hit) |
|
| Lucina | All attacks except pummel and throws |
|
| Luigi | Forward smash (stab effect in Smash 4) |
|
| Marth | All attacks except sweetspotted up aerial (Melee and Brawl), pummel and throws | |
| Mega Man | Dash attack |
|
| Back aerial | ||
| Up aerial | ||
| Metal Blade | ||
| Tornado Hold | ||
| Leaf Shield | ||
| Meta Knight | All attacks except dash attack, forward, up and down throws |
|
| Mewtwo | Forward tilt |
|
| Front floor attack (hit 1) |
| |
| Mii Brawler | Down throw |
|
| Mii Swordfighter | All attacks except pummel and forward, back and down throws | |
| Mr. Game & Watch | Back aerial |
|
| Judge #4 | ||
| Down aerial (falldown) |
| |
| Octopus | ||
| Pac-Man | Dash attack |
|
| Down tilt | ||
| Neutral aerial | ||
| Down throw | ||
| Lazy Fruit (key) | ||
| Power Pellet | ||
| Distant Power Pellet | ||
| Enticing Power Pellet | ||
| Pac-Jump | ||
| Power Pac-Jump | ||
| Meteor Trampoline | ||
| Palutena | Forward smash | |
| Down smash | ||
| Peach | Forward tilt (tip) |
|
| Peach Parasol (open parasol) |
| |
| Down smash |
| |
| Up smash |
| |
| Pit | All attacks except up tilt (excluding first hit in Brawl), Upperdash Arm, Striking Flight, Impact Orbitars, pummel, back throw, up throw and energy pillars during Three Sacred Treasures |
|
| R.O.B. | Gyro | |
| Slip Gyro |
| |
| Robin | Neutral attack (except non-rapid third jab) | |
| All tilts | ||
| Dash attack | ||
| All aerials and smashes with the Bronze Sword | ||
| Levin Sword (both when dropped before breaking and when thrown) | ||
| Elwind and customs | ||
| Pair Up (Chrom's attacks) | ||
| Roy | All sweetspotted attacks except up smash, pummel, throws, Flare Blade, last hits of Double-Edge Dance, Blazer, Counter and Critical Hit |
|
| Sheik | Neutral attack (except rapid jabs in Melee and finisher in Smash 4) |
|
| Dash attack | ||
| Up smash (sweetspot) | ||
| Needle Storm | ||
| Chain (non-tip) |
| |
| Forward smash |
| |
| Forward aerial | ||
| Up aerial | ||
| Down aerial (falldown) | ||
| Shulk | All attacks except pummel and first hits of jab, forward smash, up smash, up aerial and down aerial | |
| Snake | Cypher |
|
| Sonic | Up throw |
|
| Forward aerial |
| |
| Toon Link | All attacks except Boomerang, Bomb, pummel, forward, back and down throws |
|
| Piercing Arrow |
| |
| Villager | Timber (sprouting tree and axe) | |
| Timber Counter (sprouting tree and axe) | ||
| Super Timber (sprouting tree and axe) | ||
| Wario | Chomp |
|
| Down tilt |
| |
| Inhaling Chomp | ||
| Wii Fit Trainer | Up smash | |
| Neutral aerial (second hit) | ||
| Wolf | Neutral attack |
|
| Forward tilt | ||
| Down smash | ||
| Forward aerial | ||
| Up aerial | ||
| Down aerial | ||
| Blaster (bayonet attached to the blaster) | ||
| Wolf Flash (sourspot) | ||
| All throws except forward throw | ||
| Young Link | All attacks except neutral aerial, back aerial, sweetspot of down aerial, Fire Bow, Boomerang, Bomb, edge attacks and forward, back and down throws |
|
| Zelda | Forward tilt |
|
| Nayru's Love | ||
| Farore's Wind (except reappearance in Brawl) | ||
| Farore's Windfall |
| |
| Phantom Slash | ||
| Phantom Breaker | ||
| Phantom Strike | ||
| Zero Suit Samus | Up tilt (second hit) |
|
| Up aerial |
|
By items
| Item | Attack | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Assist Trophies | Ghirahim: All attacks |
|
| Kat & Ana: Sword attacks |
| |
| Lyn: Sword strike | ||
| Saki Amamiya: Sword attacks | ||
| Samurai Goroh: Katana slashes | ||
| Spinies: Contact with body | ||
| Beam Sword | All swings and throws |
|
| Drill | Shot drill |
|
| Parasol | All swings, open parasol hit |
|
| Poké Ball Pokémon | Beedrill: Take Down |
|
| Chikorita: Razor Leaf |
| |
| Clefairy: Gust |
| |
| Fletchling: Peck |
| |
| Keldeo: Secret Sword | ||
| Latias and Latios: Steel Wing |
| |
| Lugia: Aeroblast | ||
| Scizor: Metal Claw |
| |
| Snivy: Razor Leaf |
| |
| Staryu: Contact with body |
| |
| Suicune: Contact with head after attacking |
| |
| Unown: Take Down |
| |
| Weavile: False Swipe |
| |
| Zoroark: Fury Swipes |
| |
| Ray Gun | Shots |
|
| Unira | Throws and contact when set |
|
| Warp Star | Aerial-only meteor smash |
|
By enemies and bosses
| Enemy/Boss | Attack(s) | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Armight | Sword throw and slashes |
|
| Auroros | Dive | |
| Autolance | Stab and sword throw | |
| Bucculus | Hits while grabbing a foe | |
| Crazy Hand | Finger Drill (upper parts) |
|
| Cymul | Spin |
|
| Darknut | Sword swings | 
|
| Duon | Forward charge |
|
| Head bash (blue side active) | ||
| Triple arm slash (blue side active) | ||
| Flage | Slash flurry |
|
| Geemer | Contact with body | |
| Greap | Scythes |
|
| Green Kritter | Claw swipes |
|
| Master Hand | Finger Drill |
|
| Porky | Hitboxes while walking | |
| Stab attack | ||
| Puppit | Claw swipes | |
| Ridley | Background fly attack | |
| Claw sweep | ||
| Loop-de-loop | ||
| Wind attack | ||
| Shaydas | Blade slashes | |
| Stalfos | Sword swings |
|
| Sword Primid | All sword attacks |
|
| Ticken | Head charge | |
| Trowlon | Beak hit |
Gallery
Marth using Dancing Blade, a move with the slash effect, in Melee.
Ike's up smash in SSB4. Notice how the boomerang effect extends well beyond the attack itself.
Bowser's up smash in SSB4, which uses the stab effect.
Trivia
- In Melee, two slash attacks that collide will produce a clanging sound effect reminiscent of metallic noises akin to swords clashing. This is the only game to have such a unique trait for slash attacks.
- In Brawl and SSB4, there is a set of slash-based sound effects that are noticeably slower and deeper pitched than regular slash sounds. These are normally reserved for Ike because of Ragnell's status as a heavy broadsword. However, this sound effect is also used for Shulk's Back Slash if he hits an opponent's back with the move, Dunban's attacks during Chain Attack, and Chrom's attacks during Pair Up.
| List of attack effects | |
|---|---|
| Introduced in Super Smash Bros. | Normal  • Coin  • Electric  • Flame  • Slash  • Sleep 
|
| Introduced in Super Smash Bros. Melee | Bury  • Darkness  • Flower  • Freezing  • Grab  • Inert  • Reverse  • Screw  • Stun 
|
| Introduced in Super Smash Bros. Brawl | Aura  • Down  • Flinchless  • Grass  • Paralyze  • Plunge  • Slip  • Water 
|
| Introduced in Super Smash Bros. 4 | Blaster  • Magic  • Obliviate  • Stab  • Solar 
|
| Introduced in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Chain  • Curse  • Dedede  • Grapple  • Ink  • Mushroom  • Poison  • Rapid  • Sparks  • Fist-Down  • Scintilla 
|