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For those who have not completed games in the Xenoblade Chronicles series, this page contains spoilers regarding the plot. Discretion is advised. |
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the fifth installment in the Super Smash Bros series (sixth if the two versions of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U are counted as separate titles). The game was directed by Masahiro Sakurai. As with Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, elements of the Xenoblade Chronicles series appear in the game, most notably with Shulk, Pyra, and Mythra being playable fighters. The game was released worldwide on December 7th, 2018.
Playable Characters[]
Shulk[]
Shulk is the first playable character from the Xenoblade Chronicles series. He is similar to his appearance in the previous game, although he has a few notable changes. As a whole, Shulk plays much faster in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He is designated as the 57th overall fighter for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Special Moves[]
Shulk as he appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Shulk's neutral special still allows him to switch between five Monado Arts; however, he now has the ability to press the special button once, then choose the desired Monado Art from there with the control stick. This allows for arts to be switched and activated faster. Upon activation, a meter will apply on Shulk's icon on the HUD indicating how long the art will last. The five arts are the same as they are in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, being 翔 (Jump), 疾 (Speed), 盾 (Shield), 斬 (Buster), and 撃 (Smash). The effects of each art have been magnified, but the duration of each art has decreased as a trade-off.
His other special moves function identically to how they did in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U.
Final Smash[]
Fiora is now present in Shulk's Final Smash
Shulk's Final Smash is still a Chain Attack. Fiora, in her Mechon form, has been added to this animation, despite the fact that a chain attack can only be performed by three party members.
Palette Swaps[]
Shulk's palette swaps are still based on the other party members from Xenoblade Chronicles and his armourless appearance. In this game, however, his hair color also changes to match the party member the outfit is based on.
Pyra and Mythra[]
Pyra and Mythra as they appear in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Pyra and Mythra are the second and third playable characters from the Xenoblade Chronicles series. Announced on February 17, 2021 as DLC, they are designated as the 79th and 80th fighters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As a fighter, Mythra retains her Massive Melee appearance, and Pyra also gains new stockings as well. Both were done in order for their designs to fit within the E10+ Rating of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Pyra and Mythra play as a duo character; Pyra is rather slow but has great damage and kill power, while Mythra is much faster but lack's Pyra's damage. Just as in Xenoblade Chronicles 2, they can swap between each other by using their Down Special move. Pyra and Mythra both have specials based on their Blade Specials in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. In addition, Mythra has an additional Foresight mechanic where her dodge will slow opponents down, allowing for easier counterattacks.
Rex appears during their Final Smashes as well as in one of their taunts.
Neutral Special[]
Pyra's Neutral Special is Flame Nova, where she spins the Aegis Sword around her in a Spin Attack. Mythra's Neutral Special is Lightning Buster, a combo move. Both specials can be charged up; a charged Flame Nova lasts longer and has more power, while a charged Lightning Buster has extra power and gains an additional hit.
Side Special[]
Pyra's Side Special is Blazing End; she launches the Aegis Sword forward and the sword spins in place, dealing damage to anyone caught in it. The distance the sword travels can be adjusted as well. Mythra's Side Special is Photon Edge, a 6 hit combo attack that moves her laterally.
Up Special[]
Pyra's Up Special is Prominence Revolt. She leaps up into the air before slamming the Aegis Sword into the ground, causing a large explosion. Mythra's Up Special is Ray of Punishment. She slashes upwards before sending a single blast downward. By pressing the special button during the slash, the move changes to Chroma Dust, her Level II Blade Special from Torna ~ The Golden Country, which launches 5 smaller arrows instead of a large blast.
Final Smash[]
Pyra's Final Smash is Burning Sword, and Mythra's is Sacred Arrow, both Level IV Blade Specials from Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Both are performed alongside Rex.
Palette Swaps[]
Assist Trophies[]
Riki as an Assist Trophy
Riki reappears as an Assist Trophy. He uses his same arts from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U; Happy Happy, Freezinate, Yoink!, Bedtime, Roly-Poly, and You Can Do It. Similar to his previous appearance, Riki cannot be knocked out for an extra point.
Spirits[]
The new Spirits mode serves as a way to include other characters in the game without developing them as new fighters. The following characters from the Xenoblade Chronicles series appear as Spirits:
Primary Spirits[]
| Name | Type | Class | Slots | Ability | Augmented Fighter | Spirit Battle Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mecha-Fiora | Neutral | Legend | 3 | Increased Jump | Corrin (w/ Shulk) | Reset Bomb Forest |
| Reyn | Grab | Advanced | 1 | None | Ryu | Gaur Plain (Battlefield form) |
| Dunban | Shield | Ace | 2 | Sword Attack Up | Mii Swordfighter (w/ Shulk) | Gaur Plain |
| Melia | Neutral | Advanced | 3 | Magic Attack Up | Palutena (w/ Shulk) | Gaur Plain (Battlefield form) |
| Mumkhar | Attack | Advanced | 1 | Enhanced at Lv. 99 | Wolf | Gaur Plain |
| Metal Face | Attack | Legend | 1 | Metal and Giant | None (Enhanced form of Mumkhar) | |
| Elma | Attack | Ace | 2 | None | Bayonetta | Gaur Plain (Ω form) |
| Lao | Grab | Novice | 1 | None | Snake | Kongo Jungle (Battlefield form) |
| Rex | Shield | Ace | 3 | Enhanced at Lv. 99 | Shulk (w/ Lucina) | Kongo Falls (Ω form) (Without DLC) Cloud Sea of Alrest (Ω form) (Challenger Pack 9) |
| Nia | Shield | Ace | 2 | Water Attack Up | Mii Brawler (w/ Incineroar) | Gaur Plain |
| Tora | Shield | Advanced | 2 | None | Jigglypuff (w/ Daisy) | Gaur Plain |
| Mòrag | Attack | Novice | 1 | Fire Attack Up | Lucina (w/ Palutena) | Gaur Plain (Battlefield form) |
| Zeke | Attack | Novice | 1 | None | Cloud (w/ Bayonetta) | Kongo Falls (Battlefield form) |
| Rex (Master Driver) | Shield | Legend | 3 | Critical-Health Stats Up | None (Enhanced Form of Rex) | |
| Jin | Neutral | Ace | 2 | Speed Up | Cloud | Summit (Ω form) |
| Malos | Neutral | Legend | 1 | Battering Items Power Up | Richter (w/ x3 Ridley) | Gaur Plain |
| Noah & Mio | Attack | Ace | 3 | Battering Items Power Up | Dark Samus (w/ Shulk and Mii Brawler) | Bridge of Eldin (Battlefield form) |
Support Spirits[]
| Name | Type | Class | Cost | Ability | Augmented Fighter | Spirit Battle Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiora | Shield | Ace | 1 | Made of Metal | Lucina (w/ Shulk) | Gaur Plain (Battlefield form) |
| Sharla | Attack | Advanced | 1 | Ray Gun Equipped | Zero Suit Samus | Gaur Plain |
| Formula | Neutral | Advanced | 2 | Super Scope Equipped | Summonable (Mech and Robobot Armor) | None |
| Lin | Grab | Novice | 1 | Energy Shot Resistance Up | Daisy (w/ Mega Man and R.O.B.) | Shadow Moses Island |
| Tatsu | Grab | Novice | 1 | Energy-Shot Attack Up | Jigglypuff x4 | Gaur Plain (Battlefield form) |
| Pyra | Attack | Legend | 1 | Assist Killer | Lucina (w/ Shulk) | Halberd (Battlefield form) |
| Mythra | Shield | Legend | 2 | Critical Hit Increase | Corrin (w/ Shulk) | Gaur Plain (Battlefield form) |
| Poppi α | Shield | Advanced | 1 | Shooting Attack Up | Mii Gunner (w/ Daisy and Zero Suit Samus) | Midgar |
| Lora | Grab | Advanced | 1 | Physical Attack Up | Lucina (w/ Zelda and Cloud) | Jungle Japes (Battlefield form) |
| Amalthus | Grab | Ace | 2 | First Strike Advantage | Giant Dark Samus (w/ x5 Robin) | Shadow Moses Island (Ω form) |
| Pneuma | Neutral | Legend | 2 | Critical Healing & Metal | Pyra/Mythra (w/ Shulk) | Cloud Sea of Alrest |
Other[]
| Name | Type | Facility | Augmented Fighter | Spirit Battle Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shulk | Fighter | - | - | - |
| Riki (Xenoblade Chronicles) | Master | Dojo (Strategist Style) | Roy (Koopaling) (w/ Shulk) | Gaur Plain (Ω form) |
| Pyra (Fighter) | Fighter | - | - | - |
| Mythra (Fighter) | Fighter | - | - | - |
World of Light[]
In the World of Light mode, Shulk has a vision of Galeem's attack on the fighters, but he is unable to stop it and is turned into a puppet fighter with Kirby being the sole survivor. He can be freed on the eastern portion of the map to the west of the desert section. Riki's Dojo can also be found in the same area. Many other Xenoblade Chronicles series Spirits appear in World of Light.
Like all other DLC fighters, Pyra and Mythra are unlocked in the World of Light upon freeing 10 fighters from Galeem's control.
Mii Costumes[]
Two new Mii Costumes based on Xenoblade Chronicles 2 were added. Mii Swordfighters have a costume based on Rex wielding Pyra's Aegis Sword. The costume also comes with an animated Azurda in the helmet. The outfit will be a free gift upon purchasing the Fighters Pass. Mii Brawlers can obtain a Nia costume in the base game as well. Additionally, Dunban's Outfit returns from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U.
Stages[]
Gaur Plain[]
Gaur Plain returns from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U. The stage features a much brighter lighting during the day, causing more of its features to be visible. The stage layout remains unchanged from the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U version of the stage. Metal Face returns as a stage boss at night.
Cloud Sea of Alrest[]
The Cloud Sea of Alrest is a new stage from the Xenoblade Chronicles series, released alongside Pyra and Mythra on March 4, 2021. It takes place on Azurda's back as he swims through the Cloud Sea, and it continuously goes through the Cloud Sea as other Titans pass by.
Stage overview[]
The Cloud Sea of Alrest
There is a single floating platform on the left end of the stage, and Azurda's neck acts as a mild slope on the right side. Occasionally, Azurda will raise and lower his head, which will affect the angle of the slope. He will also turn his head to look at the Titans, which temporarily shrinks the size of the stage. The stage contains indications for when he is about to turn his head, such as his neck shaking, a windmill spinning faster than usual, and the door to Rex's home closing. Throughout the battle, Azurda will provide banter and comment on the state of the battle. As with the Gaur Plain stage, time passes by from day to night.
Occasionally, the following Titans will appear in the background, flying past:
Additionally, the lighting and color scheme of the background changes as the Titans appear.
The following characters appear as cameos in the background, with one Driver and Blade pair being randomly selected:
They can appear either next to or on top of Rex's house.
Ω form and Battlefield form[]
The main platform of the Ω form and Battlefield form does not feature Azurda as the main platform, but instead uses a haphazardly constructed airship that matches the size of Final Destination and Battlefield, respectively. Additionally, the character cameos do not appear; however, the titans still appear in the background.
Hazards Off[]
With hazards off, Azurda's head does not move at all, staying at the starting position throughout the match.
Music[]
While no new tracks from Xenoblade Chronicles were added, certain songs from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 were included in the base game, and even more were added with Pyra and Mythra. Interestingly, no tracks from Xenoblade Chronicles X were added. The track list is as follows:
Returning Tracks[]
- Xenoblade Chronicles Medley
- Gaur Plain
- You Will Know Our Names
- Mechanical Rhythm
- Engage the Enemy
- Time to Fight!
- Gaur Plain (Night)
- An Obstacle in Our Path
- Victory! Shulk
New Tracks[]
DLC[]
- Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Medley (New Remix)
- Argentum
- A Ship in a Stormy Sea
- Exploration
- Crossing Swords
- Incoming!
- Gormott
- Tiger! Tiger! (New Remix)
- Death Match with Torna
- Counterattack (New Remix)
- You Will Recall Our Names
- Driver Vs
- Mor Ardain - Roaming the Wastes -
- Bringer of Chaos! Ultimate
- Praetor Amalthus - The Acting God -
- Battle!!/Torna
- Victory! Pyra/Mythra
Trivia[]
- Rex was considered for the base-roster of the game; however, the design document for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was completed much earlier than the release of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, so he was cut from the base roster and was given a Mii Costume instead.
- Masahiro Sakurai also revealed that Rex was considered as DLC during Fighter Pass 2, but his team found him difficult to implement alongside Pyra and Mythra, so Pyra and Mythra were added to the game without him instead. As a little joke to this, Rex says "What?! I thought I was gonna be in Smash!" in the trailer.
- The character designer for Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Masatsugu Saito, created official artwork of Pneuma for her Spirit in the game; prior to this, no full-body official art of Pneuma existed.
- Normally, Masahiro Sakurai writes out the reveal trailers for each character, but for Pyra and Mythra's reveal, he let Monolith Soft both write the reveal and animate it.
- As Pyra's and Mythra's original character arts were already included in the game with their Sprits, their fighter spirits feature new artwork for each character. The poses for their fighter spirits match the poses on their official figures by Good Smile Company.
- One of Mythra's taunts has her say "Think you can take me?", referencing a line commonly said by the Ardainian Soldiers before being patched out in Version 1.2.0.
- About the Cloud Sea of Alrest stage:
- Masahiro Sakurai stated that the reason why Azurda is not the main platform for the Ω and Battlefield forms is because the development team thought he would be "crushed into jelly" if they tried to make him the same size as Battlefield.
- During one of Pandoria's animations, her glasses unfog, briefly revealing her eyes before they fog up again.
- Like Pyra's fighter model and Mythra, Brighid's outfit as a background character has been modified from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 due to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's lower age rating, covering up her midriff and legs.
- The World Tree can be found at the beginning of the stage, when moving the camera to the left side. This applies to both its default form and its Ω and Battlefield forms.
- On both the Spirit List and the spirit battle screen, Noah & Mio's spirit erroneously lacks its series name for unknown reasons. This is also the case with the spirits for The 13 Sentinel Pilots and Zagreus.
Gallery[]
Videos[]
