- This article is about Marth's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Melee. For the character in other contexts, see Marth; for information about Marth's clone, see Roy.
Marth (マルス, Marth) debuted in the first game of the Fire Emblem series, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi). Marth was placed in Super Smash Bros. Melee due to heavy requests from Japanese players; as his games had never been released outside of Japan prior to Melee, his character was among the most obscure in the game in other regions. His popularity as a character, alongside Roy, eventually caused Nintendo to begin releasing the Fire Emblem games internationally; the first internationally released game came two years after Melee.
Marth currently ranks 2nd place on the tier list due to his excellent overall speed, disjointed range, priority, power when tipped attacks are landed, combo and edgeguard ability, metagame, and having many favorable matchups. On the downside, he lacks a projectile, and has an easily edgeguarded recovery, although several characters also have this problem.
How to unlock[]
There are three ways to unlock him:
- Clear or Fail Classic or Adventure modes with all fourteen starter characters.
- Use all fourteen starter characters in VS. Mode.
- Play 400 Vs. Mode matches.
Marth is fought on the Fountain of Dreams stage, with the track Fire Emblem playing.
Note: Quitting via Pause menu from Regular Match with each character will not trigger the challenge for this character. The quickest methods in Regular Match is to set stock to one and Self-destruct until it's "Game Over" (if there's an option to Continue, opt to not keep playing) or go to VS. mode, select a level nine Ness CPU, then go to Jungle Japes. Ness will constantly self-destruct. Do one of these with all fourteen starters and Marth can be challenged and unlocked if defeated.
Attributes[]
Strengths[]
- Boasts quick mobility overall with great movement and approach options with his fast dash speed, long wavedash, and great dash dance.
- Has fast startup on the majority of his attacks.
- Possesses long, disjointed range due to wielding the Falchion.
- Deals very strong damage and knockback when attacks land with the tip of his sword.
- Long distanced recovery with Dancing Blade giving decent horizontal distance and Dolphin Slash providing good vertical distance.
- Has the longest non-disjointed grab range and excellent chaingrabbing potential, especially against fast fallers.
- Excellent juggling and combo game.
- Amazing edgeguarding capabilities.
Weaknesses[]
- Lacks a projectile.
- Suffers from high ending lag on several moves, making him easy to punish if his attacks are whiffed.
- Susceptible to combos due to average weight and falling speed.
- Struggles to kill with sourspotted attacks, making him vulnerable to momentum shifts if he cannot consistently land his tippers.
- Poor out of shield game.
- Recovery is predictable and can be easy to edgeguard if his options are read.
Summary[]
Marth relies mostly on edgeguarding for KOs. Almost all of Marth's attacks have a sweetspot at the tip of his blade that increases damage and knockback if it connects, while his attacks are weaker if the stem of the blade connects instead. Marth is also known for being able to combo both Fast fallers and Floaty characters. He has a long wavedash, a great SHFFL, and a great dashdance. If sweetspotted, Marth's down aerial is a fast, powerful spike (Meteor Smash in PAL editions), although it does have lots of ending and landing lag, which means it is easily punishable if missed or not L-canceled. Marth also has the longest non-tether grab in the game, which gives him a chain grab on the Star Fox characters. Although Marth does lack a projectile, he can break most projectiles using his Side Smash, but this does not work on Blaster, Boomerang (Marth can only return the Boomerang harmlessly), Fire Breath, PK Fire, or Needle Storm. Marth's versatility allows players to easily KO their opponents at very low percentages, a key difference between him and Roy in terms of KO potential, which is why he is placed higher on the tier list than Roy.
Marth's biggest weakness is his recovery. Although Dolphin Slash travels far vertically, it travels marginally horizontally. However, Marth can use the first hit of Dancing Blade to add horizontal boost for recovery. When Marth is in a helpless state after using Dolphin Slash, he has very slow lateral movement. Dolphin Slash also has a large amount of landing lag, which opponents can often capitalize on.
Overall, Marth is easily an extremely dangerous opponent for virtually every character, and only has a few weaknesses that are quickly overcome when mastered.
PAL differences[]
Like some other characters, Marth received some changes in the PAL version of Melee, which slightly nerfed him overall, as he lost the ability to reliably KO and edge-guard with his down aerial. However, because other top-tiered characters, such as Fox and Sheik, were noticeably nerfed, Marth has an easier time fighting against them, improving his matchups overall. As such, he is considered to be better relative to most of the top tier in PAL than in NTSC, which reflects in his PAL tier list placement, where he is ranked 2nd instead of his current 3rd place.
Down aerial is no longer a spike but a meteor smash, meaning it can be meteor cancelled, making it a less effective and reliable finisher.
Weight has been lowered from 87 to 85. While this can be seen as a nerf by hindering his survivability, this change also makes him immune to Fox's waveshine combos; in the NTSC regions, his weight is just above the threshold to allow him to be waveshined.
Moveset[]
Note: 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%.
| Image | Name | Damage | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neutral attack |  |
4%/6% | Marth slashes upward twice with his sword. | ||
| 4%/6% | |||||
| Forward tilt |  |
9%/13% | Marth swings his sword diagonally forward. | ||
| Up tilt |  |
Clean: 9% (blade), 12% (tip), 8% (body) Late: 10% (blade), 13% (tip), 9% (body) |
Marth does an overhead swing with his sword. This attack can be used in combos. | ||
| Down tilt |  |
9% (blade), 10% (tip), 8% (body) | Marth stabs his sword forward while crouching. This attack semi-spikes the opponent, which is useful for edge-guarding. | ||
| Dash attack |  |
11% (blade), 12% (tip), 9% (body) | Marth dashes forward and does a horizontal slash with his sword. | ||
| Forward smash |  |
14%/20% | Marth swings his sword overhead forward towards the ground. This attack is stronger at the tip of the sword. | ||
| Up smash |  |
Justice Sword | 8% (sides), 15% (blade), 18% (tip) | Marth thrusts his sword upward. This attack can hit twice on a grounded enemy. | |
| Down smash |  |
11%/16% | Marth swings his sword across the ground towards the front and then toward the back. | ||
| Neutral aerial |  |
4% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2) | Marth performs two quick horizontal slashes in the air. Oddly enough, both the tipper hitbox and the non-tipper hitbox deal the same damage and knockback; the only difference between the two hitboxes is the sound effect. | ||
| Forward aerial |  |
10% (blade), 13% (tip), 9% (body) | Marth performs a downward strike with his sword directly forward. | ||
| Back aerial |  |
10% (blade), 13% (tip), 9% (body) | Marth turns around in the air and swings his sword in an upward arc in front of him. This attack will turn Marth around in the air. | ||
| Up aerial |  |
10% (blade), 13% (tip), 9% (body) | Marth swings his sword upward before doing a backflip. | ||
| Down aerial |  |
10% (blade), 13% (tip), 9% (body) | Marth swings his sword in a downward arc below. Hitting at the tip of the blade will spike the opponent (meteor smash in PAL version). | ||
| Grab |  |
— | |||
| Pummel |  |
3% | Marth knees the opponent. | ||
| Forward throw |  |
4% | Marth pushes the opponent forward, tripping them with his leg. | ||
| Back throw |  |
4% | Marth tosses the opponent behind him. | ||
| Up throw |  |
4% | Marth performs an upward throw with one arm. | ||
| Down throw |  |
5% | Marth throws the opponent onto the ground. | ||
| Floor attack (front) |  |
6% | Marth sweeps his sword across the ground. | ||
| Floor attack (back) |  |
6% | Marth does a quick sword stab behind him followed by a horizontal sword slash forward. | ||
| Edge attack (fast) |  |
8% (sword), 6% (hilt) | Marth climbs onto the stage and does a downward sword slash. | ||
| Edge attack (slow) |  |
8% (sword), 6% (hilt) | Marth slowly climbs onto the stage and slashes upward with his sword. | ||
| Neutral special |  |
Shield Breaker | 7-27%, 28% (fully charged) | Marth holds his sword over his head before doing a powerful overhead downward slash forward. This move can charged to increase its power and will break a shield in one hit when fully charged. | |
| Side special |  |
Dancing Blade | Varies | Marth performs a multi-hit sword combo that can be altered by holding up or down on the control stick. Before attack, Marth will flash three of the different colors that reflects the attack’s height. Blue is high, red is middle, and green is low. | |
| Up special |  |
Dolphin Slash | 10% (startup blade & body), 13% (startup tip), 7% (leap blade & tip), 6% (leap body) | Marth performs a quick upward sword strike while jumping. This move deals the most damage when it first comes out. | |
| Down special |  |
Counter | 7% | Marth holds his sword in reverse grip and assumes a defensive stance to counter his opponent’s attacks. The damage and knockback of the attack will always be the same, regardless of what attack is being countered. | |
| Hit | Damage | Description |
|---|---|---|
| First Hit (Medium) | 4% | A downward slash forward that deals little knockback. |
| Second Hit (High) | 5% | An upward slash forward that deals small vertical knockback. |
| Second Hit (Medium) | 5% | Stabs his sword forward that pops the opponent into the air. |
| Third Hit (High) | 6% | Another downward slash that deals weak knockback. |
| Third Hit (Medium) | 10% | Does a horizontal slash forward. Deals moderate knockback. |
| Third Hit (Low) | 10% | Spins and stabs his sword towards the ground. This attack can meteor smash opponents. |
| Fourth Hit (High) | 10% | Leaps and performs a downwards slash with his sword. |
| Fourth Hit (Medium) | 14% | Spins and performs a powerful downward sword slash forward. |
| Fourth Hit (Low) | 3% (hit 1-4), 5% (hit 5) | Crouches and performs four quick sword strikes forward. |
Taunt[]
- Twirls his sword, then raises it in front of him, saying, "みんな、見ていてくれ！" ("Everyone, look at me!")
Idle pose[]
- Brushes hair out of his face.
Matchups[]
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Techniques[]
Dancing Blade Meteor[]
When using Marth's Dancing Blade, after the initial strike, up to 3 more swings can be done in one sequence. There are multiple combinations of this attack after the initial swing: Up, Neutral/Forward, or Down. The third swing in the sequence is a very useful spike if the Down is pressed. It can be used to get kills at low percentages, by knocking the opponent off the ledge, or on the edge as opponents make their way back toward the ledge. Time it so by the time the opponent is right back at the ledge, the third swing comes out.
Reverse Dolphin Slash[]
By starting Marth's Dolphin Slash, and immediately pressing the opposite direction to which he is currently facing, Marth will begin the first frame of his attack normally, but will change directions to finish the attack as if facing the other way. This variation has significantly increased knockback, but must be done at close range. The reason for this is that when Marth does his Dolphin Slash, he holds his sword behind him for a second. Given that Marth's attack are more powerful at the tip of the sword, as well as earlier into the Dolphin Slash, turning around at the start allows him to hit when the conditions are the best. This technique is also commonly performed out of a shield, by jump-canceling.
Reverse Counter[]
Oddly enough, Marth's counterattack has a second hit box which is much more powerful than the first. This hitbox is located in the first few pixels behind him and even more behind and above him. The blow is about as powerful as his Untipped Forward Smash, and serves as a flashy kill move in Free For Alls or 2v2s. However, it may only be used when one enemy (or teammate) is attacking from the front while the other approached from behind, making the move extremely situational.
Ken Combo[]
The Ken Combo is probably the most famous Marth combo of all. If the opponent does not DI Marth's Forward Aerial correctly, it can connect into his Down Aerial's spike hitbox.
Japanese Translations[]
- Marth's taunt in battle is "みんな、見ていてくれ！" "Minna, miteite kure!" which translates to "Everyone, please watch me!"
- Marth's counter move is performed while saying "そこだ！" "Soko da!" or "させるものか！" "Saseru mono ka!" which roughly translates to "It's there!" and "Like I would let you!" respectively.
- Marth's three possible victory statements are:
- "今回は僕の勝ちだね。" "Konkai wa boku no kachi da ne", which translates to "This time, victory is mine [right?]."
- "今日も生き延びることが出来た。" "Kyō mo ikinobiru koto ga dekita", which translates to "I was able to survive again today."
- "僕は負ける訳には行かないんだ。" "Boku wa makeru wake ni wa ikanainda!" which translates to "There's no way I can lose!"
- In the master sound test room (that can be accessed through the debug menu), Marth has an additional unused phrase players can listen to: "レッツダンス！" "Rettsu dansu！" which is a transcription into Japanese sounds of "Let's Dance!"
Trophy descriptions[]
In addition to the normal trophy about Marth as a character, there are two trophies about him as a fighter, unlocked by completing the Adventure and All-Star modes respectively with Marth on any difficulty.
- Marth
- The betrayed prince of the Kingdom of Altea, the blood of the hero Anri flows in Marth's veins. He was forced into exile when the kingdom of Dolua invaded Altea. Then, wielding his divine sword Falchion, he led a revolt and defeated the dark dragon Medeus. Afterwards, Altea was annihilated by King Hardin of Akanea.
- Fire Emblem [Japan only]
- Marth (Smash Red)
- Marth is a magnificent swordsman. While his swordplay is faster than that of Link, he lacks power, and his quickness is offset by a marginal endurance. His Shield Breaker gains power the longer it's held. The Dancing Blade combination uses both the Control Stick and the B Button to produce a series of up to four attacks.
- B: Shield Breaker
- Smash B: Dancing Blade
- Marth (Smash Blue)
- The tip of Marth's blade causes the most damage, so you should try to create adequate distance between you and your enemy to gracefully strike with that point. Marth's Dolphin Slash is fast and powerful, but it leaves him vulnerable upon landing. Marth uses Counter to block a foe's attack and deal a return strike. If you're fighting a Counter-happy Marth, grab him.
- Up & B: Dolphin Slash
- Down & B: Counter
Alternate Costumes[]
Marth's alternate costumes in Super Smash Bros. Melee.
Congratulations Screens[]
Trivia[]
- Marth is the only newcomer and unlockable character to have a clone.
- Marth and Roy are the only characters in Melee who can turn around in midair, by using their Back Aerial.
- Marth and Roy are the only characters in Melee that speak Japanese regardless of language settings.
- Marth and Roy both use their swords for every attack except their pummels and throws.
- Marth and Roy are the only playable characters in Melee that don't have a stage representing their universe, though hacked data shows that one was planned. They do however have a music piece sometimes played at Temple.
- Marth, Roy, and Peach are the only characters in Melee with a special move that can counter.
- Marth is the only character that can be unlocked after getting a Game Over from failing Regular Match battles using all fourteen starter characters.
- Along with Roy, Marth was originally going to be a Japanese-exclusive character in Super Smash Bros. Melee, but was kept in all versions on request of an employee at Nintendo of America. American fans became interested in Fire Emblem because of Super Smash Bros. Melee, which helped Fire Emblem to enter the countries where the games in the series had not been released.
External links[]
| ||||||||
 Fire Emblem universe
| ||
|---|---|---|
| Characters | Marth (Melee · Brawl · 3DS/Wii U · Ultimate) Roy (Melee · 3DS/Wii U · Ultimate) Ike (Brawl · 3DS/Wii U · Ultimate) Robin (3DS/Wii U · Ultimate) Lucina (3DS/Wii U · Ultimate) Corrin (3DS/Wii U · Ultimate) Chrom (Ultimate) Byleth (Ultimate) | |
| Side Characters | Assist Trophies | Lyn · Black Knight · Tiki |
| Mii Fighter Costumes | Chrom · Black Knight | |
| Background characters | Claude von Riegan · Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd · Edelgard von Hresvelg · Rhea | |
| Others | Anna · Sothis | |
| Stages | Castle Siege · Arena Ferox · Coliseum · Garreg Mach Monastery | |
| Item | Killing Edge | |
| Music | List of Music (Fire Emblem series) | |
| Collectibles | Trophies | Melee Trophies · Brawl Trophies · 3DS Trophies · Wii U Trophies |
| Stickers | List of Stickers (Fire Emblem series) | |
| Spirits | List of spirits (Fire Emblem series) | |
| Masterpieces | Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light · Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem | |