Editing Byleth (SSBU)

|image = {{tabber|title1=Male|content1=[[File:Byleth SSBU.png|250px]]|title2=Female|content2=[[File:Byleth-Alt1 SSBU.png|250px]]|title3=Both|content3=[[File:fighter-byleth.png|250px]]}}

<!--NOTICE BEFORE EDITING: When using pronouns, use those that match the gender of the default when referring to their Smash incarnation (treating the alternate gendered variant as a character costume like Alph) and gender neutral for home series info. However, completely omitting pronouns is entirely a valid style, as long as the sentence stays coherent.-->

'''Byleth''' (♂: {{ja|ベレト|Bereto}}, ♀: {{ja|ベレス|Beresu}}, ''Byleth'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. Byleth was officially announced on January 16th, 2020 as the fifth and final [[Downloadable content (SSBU)|downloadable character]] from {{h2|Downloadable content (SSBU)|Fighters Pass Vol. 1}}. Both male and female versions of Byleth are playable. Byleth was released as part of Challenger Pack 5 on January 28th, 2020<!--January 29th, 2020 in Pal and Japanese regions.--> and is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #75]].

<!--The fact that M!Byleth was re-cast for FE3H and FEH has no relation to Smash. Please do not re-add this point.-->{{iw|wikipedia|Zach Aguilar}} and {{iw|wikipedia|Jeannie Tirado}}, who respectively voiced the male and female versions of Byleth in ''Fire Emblem: Three Houses'' and ''{{iw|fireemblemwiki|Fire Emblem Heroes}}'', reprise their roles in the overseas versions, while {{iw|wikipedia|Yūsuke Kobayashi|voice actor}} and {{iw|wikipedia|Shizuka Itō}} reprise their respective male and female roles in the Japanese version.

 

Byleth is ranked 42nd out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing him in the B- tier.

<!--NOTICE BEFORE EDITING: When using pronouns, it is generally preferred, though not strictly required, that they match the gender of the default. If referring to one gender, only refer to the alternate when it specifically applies to them. While using gender-neutral pronouns is optional, it is heavily discouraged. However, completely omitting pronouns and always using the character's name instead is entirely a valid style, as long as the sentence stays coherent.-->

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{{iw|fireemblemwiki|Aymr}}, an axe, is used for Byleth's down-inputted moves (down smash, down aerial, and down special). It is an extremely slow, yet powerful weapon that deals high damage, [[shield damage]], and knockback on each move that uses it. Down smash is slow overall, but hits very hard and can KO as early as 90%. Down aerial is a similarly slow swing downwards with extreme landing lag, but it is the strongest meteor smash in the game when it lands, making it also among the most rewarding. Byleth's down special causes him to charge [[Aymr]] in a [[super armor]]ed stance before unleashing a powerful, [[Special Zoom]]-inducing swing. It allows Byleth to pass through platforms and turn around in the opposite direction while charging, which can be used for mindgames. It also has a surprisingly wide hitbox that starts behind Byleth's head. Altogether, these traits make it a high-risk, high reward move that can catch opponents by surprise. If used in the air, it will be slightly weaker and lack super armor, yet still KO at very reasonable percentages.

Finally, {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Failnaught}} is a bow that is used for two of Byleth's neutral-inputted moves (neutral aerial and neutral special). Neutral aerial involves Byleth spinning it in a circular motion for a fairly long time, much like {{SSBU|Pit}}'s neutral aerial. As a result, it is a good option [[out of shield]] due to its fast startup, and can also initiate combos or [[edgeguard]] with its looping hits and landing hitbox. Byleth's neutral special uses [[Failnaught]] to fire an arrow, which can be shot at two different strengths: a slow but strong arrow that acts it serviceable for sniping and spacing, or a very delayed arrow that is one of fastest projectiles in the game and is strong enough almost break a full shield. The charged arrow also becomes an energy projectile, making it possible to [[absorb]] it, though it cannot be [[Inhale]]d or [[Pocket]]ed. Unlike other [[bow]]s, Byleth can [[charge-cancel]] Failnaught, specifically up until slightly after the delayed charged arrow begins charging. However, he is unable to cancel it after he reaches that point. Byleth's neutral special can also turn around up to two times before the charged arrow is fired, similarly to [[Palutena Bow]]/[[Silver Bow]].

Byleth may have good strengths, but he does also have weaknesses. Due to his overall mobility being among the worst in ''Ultimate'', his approach is very committal. This flaw is further compounded by many of his attacks having slow startup (e.g. down smash/down aerial), narrow hitbox placements (e.g. forward/back aerials), or even both (e.g. forward smash). Dash attack, neutral aerial, and side special are exceptions, but are easily punishable on shield due to their ending lag, while the lattermost is dangerously unsafe if the sweetspot does not connect.

This flaw becomes even more dangerous with Failnaught's unique charge properties: while the arrows fired from it are powerful and fast, they are equally as dangerous if reflected, as Byleth cannot cancel the move after charging it halfway through. Byleth's abundance of powerful attacks is also a double-edged sword: while these attacks make it easy for him to heavily punish mistakes, his sluggish frame data also makes [[counterattack]]s an excellent option to punish his many KO options if they are used unwisely.

Byleth's grab game is also lackluster at best. Down throw is, by far, the best aspect of Byleth's grab game: it is a reliable combo starter below 80%, with neutral, forward and back aerials being reliable follow-ups. However, this is offset by the other aspects of his grab game. Aside from his aforementioned grab range issues, his pummel is akin to a heavyweight's by being decently damaging, yet fairly slow. Up throw is his most damaging throw, but inflicts only a mediocre 9% and its only real purpose is applying pressure from below, with up aerial and up special being possible follow-ups if the opponent fails to DI properly. Although back throw can potentially combo into dash attack at low percentages, this combo is utterly outclassed by down throw's combos. Instead, it and forward throw are used primarily to launch the opponent offstage.

Byleth's recovery is also burdensome in certain ways. Due to being a tether recovery, his up special boasts high vertical distance, but lackluster horizontal distance. When coupled with his poor air speed, Byleth is susceptible to gimps. However, his recovery is deceptively useful when used properly. Since up special can recover from halfway between the camera border and blast zone on {{SSBU|Final Destination}}, Byleth mostly has to worry about getting in range horizontally. To assist with this, he can use his side special or his neutral/forward/back/up aerials to hit away opponents, and performing a [[B-reverse]]d Failnaught charge, canceled with a jump, which will make where Byleth is going to be very hard for the opponent to guess.

All in all, Byleth is a ranged powerhouse that boasts a capable mixture of highly damaging attacks, KO options, combos, and setups. However, Byleth's slow overall mobility and poor overall frame data mean that he must be careful with his offensive techniques and use his tools very patiently in order to punish his opponent's mistakes, as a careless move on Byleth's end will easily give his opponent just as big of an opening to retaliate.

Byleth was slightly buffed in update 11.0.0. The most notable buffs were to [[Sword of the Creator]]: its decreased overall lag improved its utility for recovering, combos and as an out of shield option,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZLY-UGqA9k Byleth got BUFFED! - Patch 11.0 Byleth Analysis (Smash Ultimate)]</ref> while its increased base knockback improved its KO potential while offstage and removed its dead zone (the latter of which improved its consistency). [[Areadbhar]] became safer on shield thanks to it receiving shieldstun multipliers. In addition, it has less ending lag when used in the air; this slightly improved its recovery and edgeguarding potentials. Down smash and down aerial gained slightly higher knockback, which improved their already considerable KO potentials. On an extended note, down aerial's shield damage output was also increased.

Overall, Byleth fares mildly better than he did when he was first released.

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|11.0.0}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/11.0.0|char=Byleth}}

<!--NOTICE BEFORE EDITING: When using pronouns, it is generally preferred, though not strictly required, that they match the gender of the default. If referring to one gender, only refer to the alternate when it specifically applies to them. While using gender-neutral pronouns is optional, it is heavily discouraged. However, completely omitting pronouns and always using the character's name instead is entirely a valid style, as long as the sentence stays coherent.-->

*Byleth uses a variety of the {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Heroes' Relics}} from ''{{iw|fireemblemwiki|Fire Emblem: Three Houses}}'' throughout his moveset. Each weapon is designated to a different attacking direction: neutral, side, up, and down.

**The {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Sword of the Creator}} is Byleth's default weapon and is wielded throughout all animations that do not involve any other weapon. It is used for Byleth's neutral infinite, tilt attacks, throws, and get-up attacks, though it is also designated to up-inputted moves like up smash, up aerial, and up special. Certain moves cause the Sword of the Creator to change into its whip form, extending its range. The Sword of the Creator also enables Byleth to [[wall jump]] 3 times when his up special is used.

**{{iw|fireemblemwiki|Areadbhar}} is a lance wielded by {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Dimitri}}. It is used for Byleth's side-inputted moves, such as forward smash and back aerial. Areadbhar features a [[tipper]], with the shaft dealing comparatively low knockback and damage and the tip dealing 1.5× the damage of the shaft.

**{{iw|fireemblemwiki|Aymr}} is an axe wielded by {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Edelgard}}. It is used for Byleth's down-inputted moves, such as down smash and down special. Aymr boasts incredibly high damage and knockback on all moves that feature it, though at the cost of extremely high overall lag.

**{{iw|fireemblemwiki|Failnaught}} is a bow wielded by {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Claude}}. It is used for two of Byleth's neutral-inputted moves, neutral aerial and neutral special. Unlike the previously mentioned weapons, Failnaught does not feature any particular traits.

|neutraldesc=A knifehand strike, followed by a roundhouse kick, followed by a side kick. When button mashed, Byleth instead unleashes a flurry of lashes with the Sword of the Creator's whip form. It is Byleth's fastest attack, although the first hit has short range. Like {{SSBU|Palutena}}'s neutral infinite, Byleth's infinite has enough power to KO at very high percentages while near the edge. Holding the attack button causes Byleth to repeat the first hit, albeit rather slowly.

|ftiltdesc=A downward slash. A decent spacing tool with reasonable power. Resembles Byleth's standard attack animation with the Sword of the Creator in ''Fire Emblem: Three Houses.''

|utiltdesc=An overhead arcing slash. An effective anti-air and juggling tool.

|dtiltdesc=A kneeling, inward lash with the Sword of the Creator's whip form. It has very good horizontal range. Despite having slow startup for a tilt attack, it is one of Byleth's best combo starters, thanks to its launching angle and knockback collectively enabling it to combo into up tilt, neutral aerial, up aerial or up special, depending on the opponent's damage.

|dashdesc=A lunging, downward slash. A quick and useful burst option for punishing landings, though it has a noticeable amount of ending lag. Like {{SSBU|Marth}} and {{SSBU|Roy}}'s dash attacks, it also has polarized hitboxes: its sweetspot boasts enough power to KO opponents at reasonable percentages while near the edge, yet its sourspot has virtually no KO potential. Resembles Byleth's standard attack animation with regular swords in ''Fire Emblem: Three Houses.''

|fsmashdesc=Thrusts Areadbhar forward. It has tremendous range, with the sweetspot located on the tip of Areadbhar being extremely powerful. It is fairly slow for a forward smash, however, and has a fairly weak sourspot covering the shaft of the lance. It can be angled, with the upward-angled variant being stronger, and the downward-angled variant being weaker in exchange for being able to more reliably hit shorter, crouching, prone, or ledge-hanging opponents. Byleth may occasionally say either "Areadbhar!" or "There!" while using this move. Can be used to [[2 frame punish]] opponents. It resembles {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Paraselene}}, a combat art learned exclusively by Dimitri upon mastering the {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Great Lord}} class in ''Fire Emblem: Three Houses''.

|usmashdesc=Flails the Sword of the Creator's whip form overhead to perform a flurry of lashes. It hits multiple times and is Byleth's fastest smash attack, which make it useful for juggling opponents and covering landings. It is also decently strong for an up smash of its kind, which makes it a viable KO option.

|dsmashdesc=Kneels and swings Aymr in front of himself and then behind himself. Unlike most down smashes, both hits are equally powerful. It deals extremely high damage and knockback for a down smash, being the strongest in the game. It also deals extremely high shield damage, with a fully charged down smash being capable of nearly breaking a full shield with one hit. However, it is extremely slow compared to other down smashes. Byleth may occasionally say either "Aymr!" or "Take this!" while using this move.

|nairname=&nbsp;

|nairdesc=Spins Failnaught in front of himself. It is Byleth's fastest aerial attack, yet has the shortest range out of them. It hits multiple times and provides decent coverage around Byleth, making it useful for edgeguarding and approaching. It also possesses a landing hitbox that can be used for set-ups at various percentages. Byleth may occasionally say "Failnaught!" while using this move.

|fairdesc=Swings Areadbhar horizontally forward, hitting with the flat of its blade. A decent spacing tool that is fairly safe if spaced at the tip and fast fallen. The tip has decent horizontal knockback, whereas the shaft is noticeably weaker in comparison. Has the lowest ending lag and landing lag of Byleth's aerial attacks, and is the only one that can autocancel in a short hop.

|bairdesc=Thrusts Areadbhar behind himself. Similar to forward aerial in terms of utility, but it exchanges some speed for additional power. One of Byleth's best horizontal KOing options when tippered.

|uairdesc=Flails the Sword of the Creator's whip form overhead to perform a flurry of lashes. Functions very similarly to up smash both aesthetically and mechanically, as it hits multiple times (with a particularly strong final hit) and has both long range and a fairly long duration. These traits make it a very potent KO option, a decent juggling option, and useful for starting drag down combos.

|dairdesc=Swings Aymr downward. Deals heavy damage to shields and has long range. Among down aerials, it is the strongest [[meteor smash]] in the entire game, with the sweetspot KOing grounded opponents starting at 85%. However, it has an extreme amount of start-up and ending lag, it only autocancels from a double jump, and its landing lag is among the highest out of any conventional down aerial in the entire game.

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|grabdesc=Reaches out with his left hand. Standing grab has fast startup, but possesses high ending lag.

|pummelname=Grab Kneebutt ({{ja|つかみニーバット|Tsukami Nībatto}})

|pummeldesc=A knee strike. Unique compared to other pummels, being faster but weaker compared to other pummels like {{SSBU|Bowser}}, while having more ending lag compared to most other pummels, though not to the extend of {{SSBU|Robin}}. As a result, it is a fairly underwhelming pummel.

|fthrowdesc=An upward lash with the Sword of the Creator's whip form. Byleth's second strongest throw, but it fails to KO middleweights until around 185% at the edge.

|bthrowdesc=Wraps the Sword of the Creator's whip form around his opponent and swings them around twice, throwing them behind on the second spin. Like {{SSBU|Mario}}'s back throw, it can damage and launch nearby opponents. Despite being Byleth's strongest throw, it can only start KOing middleweights at around 160% at the edge.

|uthrowdesc=Shoves the opponent upward with the Sword of the Creator. Can combo into up aerial and up special at low percentages, but these combos can be easily DI'd.

|dthrowdesc=A downward slash with the Sword of the Creator in its whip form. Byleth's most useful throw by far, it is a reliable combo starter. Depending on the opponent's DI, it can combo into forward tilt at 0%, neutral aerial at low percentages, and forward or back aerials at low to medium percentages.

|floorfdesc=Slashes behind himself and then in front of himself.

|floorbdesc=Slashes behind himself and then in front of himself.

|edgedesc=Performs a low, outward slash while climbing up.

|nsdesc=Wields {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Failnaught}} to fire an arrow. He can charge it for more speed and damage, change directions while charging, and can [[charge-cancel]] via [[shield]]ing until a certain duration. It must be charged a bit before it can be fired, similarly to how [[Bullet Climax]] cannot be shield-canceled instantaneously and must charge first. Charging to its maximum duration will cause Byleth to rear back with a long pause, before firing a powerful arrow that hits instantly and has a similar animation and range to the [[Staff]]; reaching full charge will prevent Byleth from cancelling the move manually. A fully charged arrow can nearly break full shields and gains the properties of an energy projectile, as it can be [[absorb]]ed. Also, while it can be [[reflect]]ed, the fully charged arrow cannot be [[inhale]]d or [[pocket]]ed. Byleth may occasionally say "Failnaught!" while using this move. The fully charged version pushes Byleth back and up when used in the air.

|ssdmg=17.25% (grounded tip), 11.5% (grounded shaft), 14.25% (aerial tip), 9.5% (aerial shaft)

|ssdesc=Wields {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Areadbhar}} to perform a lunging, upward slash. Areadbhar possesses a [[sweetspot]] on its blade, as opposed to the weaker shaft. It has impressive horizontal and vertical range. If the move is smash inputted, Byleth lunges further, which improves its range. The aerial version involves Byleth backflipping to swing Areadbhar, which covers an area that his aerial attacks cannot and slightly propels him forward but at the expense of lag. The aerial version is effective at the ledge, as Byleth is able to sweetspot ledges while performing an aerial swing, which allows it to be used for edgeguarding or edgehogging. Byleth may occasionally say "Areadbhar!" while using this move.

|usdmg=1% (hit), 3% (grab), 6.5%-13% (bounce)

|usdesc=Thrusts the Sword of the Creator diagonally upward to extend its whip form. It functions as a [[tether recovery]] that can attach to walls and allow Byleth to jump off up to three times consecutively without landing. If it connects with an opponent, the move instead acts like a [[hit grab]]: Byleth latches onto the opponent before [[footstool jump]]ing them, which deals damage based on how far away the opponent was. If their percentage is at least 50% when they are footstool jumped, it becomes a [[meteor smash]] that cannot be [[tech]]ed. This footstool jump has only one frame of ending lag, allowing Byleth to immediately follow up, with combos into moves such as neutral aerial (though this particular combo is only effective against {{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}), all other aerials, and reverse inputted side special. Against grounded opponents, the move first launches them up with the sword to allow Byleth to latch onto them. When activated in the air, it instantly cancels all of Byleth's knockback, which can improve his endurance.

|dsdmg=30% (grounded hit), 8% (shockwave), 25% (aerial hit), 8% (aerial shockwave)

|dsdesc=Wields {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Aymr}} to perform a sluggish, but extremely powerful downward slash. It has [[super armor]] during its grounded startup, can be reversed once, and Byleth can drop through platforms while performing it. Like other "bold" moves (such as [[Falcon Punch]], [[Warlock Punch]] and [[Hatchet Man]]), it triggers [[Special Zoom]]. When successfully executed, Aymr can break shields in a single hit. When it is used successfully while falling off the battlefield, by an edge, and it hits the battlefield, Byleth will be suspended, ending the fall. Much like the aforementioned "bold" moves, it expectedly has extremely high lag all around in exchange for its power, making it a very risky yet rewarding move mainly used for hard reads. Byleth may occasionally yell "A...ymr!" while using this move. When used in the air, Byleth is stalled slightly just before the hitbox comes out. It resembles {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Flickering Flower}}, a combat art learned exclusively by Edelgard upon mastering the {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Emperor}} class in ''Fire Emblem: Three Houses''.

|fsdmg=10% (lash), 20% (shockwave), 15% (ending)

|fsdesc=Lashes out with the Sword of the Creator in its whip form, exclaiming "I'll finish with this!" The lash itself has a decent range and can trap up to 3 opponents at once. Upon successfully hitting, [[Sothis]] then appears in the background and bestows Byleth her power, temporarily granting him access to his {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Enlightened One}} class. Byleth then performs his exclusive {{iw|fireemblemwiki|combat art}}, {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Ruptured Heaven}}, with Sothis saying "Your will and mine be now as one!", as Byleth extends the Sword of the Creator to unleash an earth-rending shockwave. As the targets are struck by the shockwave, Sothis says "The end approaches!" before they are launched diagonally upwards with respectable power.

 

*Warps onto the stage using [[fireemblemwiki:Warp (staff)|warp magic]], poses while holding a pointer, then pulls out the Sword of the Creator.

* '''Up taunt''': Swings the Sword of the Creator to his right leg, and puts his left fist to his chest while looking into the sky. Female Byleth has an alternate stance: one foot is in front of the other and the Sword of the Creator is held behind herself in a reverse grip. Based on Byleth's victory pose with a sword equipped.

* '''Down taunt''': Swings the Sword of the Creator in its whip form around himself while saying "Try me."

SSBUBylethFemaleTaunt1.gif|Female Byleth's up taunt.

*Twirls the Sword of the Creator into a backhanded grip while striking a pose, before returning to his original position. Female Byleth has an alternate pose: the Sword of the Creator is held in a standard grip with a more energetic pose. Based on the animation when Byleth is selected on the map before moving and when performing a gambit. Both idle poses resemble the ones they assume in their ''Ultimate'' renders.

*Plants the Sword of the Creator into the ground along with the other Heroes' Relics already planted into the floor, says "Each battle, a chance to grow" ("{{ja|この経験は糧になる|Kono keiken wa kate ni naru}}", ''This experience will encourage you.'') and then swings their left arm out while facing the background before lowering their left arm to their side. Combines one of Byleth's lines after winning a battle exchange pre-time skip with the game over screen in ''Fire Emblem: Three Houses'', where all 4 of the main Heroes' Relics are planted on the ground.

*Swings the Sword of the Creator outward, saying "Allow me to demonstrate!" ("{{ja|導いてみせる|Michibiite miseru}}", ''I will guide you.'') He then raises his left hand towards his chest as he looks outward. Based on Byleth's victory pose when wielding a sword, combined with one of his critical hit quotes prior to the time skip. It is also similar to his up taunt.

*With the Sword of the Creator in its whip form, Byleth swings it around the front of his body in a circular motion, saying "No hesitation!" ("{{ja|迷いを晴らす！|Mayoi wo harasu!}}", ''Clear your hesitation!'') After striking the ground, the Sword of the Creator reverts to its original form, with Byleth posing with it held in a standard grip. Uses the quote from one of his critical hit activations.

**When this victory pose plays, the clapping animations are delayed for a second before showing up, most likely due to the number of graphics onscreen from the Sword of the Creator hitting the ground.

*Swings the Sword of the Creator outward before holding the sword behind her in a reverse grip, saying "Allow me to demonstrate!" ("{{ja|導いてみせる|Michibiite miseru}}", ''I will guide you.'') She then looks toward the screen as opposed to looking into the distance. It is also similar to her up taunt.

*With the Sword of the Creator in its whip form, she swings the whip in front of herself twice (each time in a different direction) while saying "No hesitation!" ("{{ja|迷いを晴らす！|Mayoi wo harasu!}}", ''Clear your hesitation!'') She then holds it up towards her face in a vertical manner.

==In [[competitive play]]==

 

''See also: [[:Category:Byleth players (SSBU)]]''

 

*{{Sm|MkLeo|Mexico}} - The best ''Ultimate'' player of all-time, having picked up Byleth during the online metagame and primarily used Byleth in 2021 and most of 2022. His success with Byleth greatly improved opinions on Byleth's viability.

*{{Sm|Reno|Japan|p=Japan}} - One of the best Byleth players in the world since 2023, breaking out on the scene after placing 5th at the major {{Trn|Seibugeki 14}} upsetting {{Sm|KEN}}. Since then, Reno has placed highly at many Japanese events, including 2nd at the superregional {{Trn|Gen 2.0}} and 17th at the supermajor {{Trn|DELTA 5}}.

*{{Sm|Rizeasu|Japan}} -  Known for using a plethora of characters including Byleth, and is the best Byleth player in Japan. He notably won {{Trn|Chūbu Smash Chronicle 1}} and {{Trn|Sumabato SP 32}} with Byleth, defeating {{Sm|Yoshidora}} in the former and {{Sm|HIKARU}} in the latter. He is the second Byleth player to be ranked top 50 on a notable global ranking, ranking 49th on the [[LumiRank Mid-Year 2023]].

===Tier placement and history===

Initial opinions on Byleth, shortly after release, were mostly lukewarm, if not negative. Most players believed Byleth was a mid-tier or even a low-tier fighter, citing his poor frame data, slow mobility, limited landing options, and poor matchups against faster characters that can fight up close. An early success for Byleth came at {{Trn|Frostbite 2020}}, where {{Sm|MkLeo}} used him to defeat {{Sm|Maister}} in grand finals; despite this, most players remained unimpressed, citing how MkLeo used {{SSBU|Joker}} until the very last game of the tournament, Maister's poor record against him, and {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}}'s weakness against long ranged characters, in addition to matchup inexperience due to Byleth's then-recent release. A few weeks afterwards, the [[COVID-19]] pandemic hit North America, forcing a halt of tournament activity and leaving most of Byleth's early metagame development to proceed online. Although scarce in competitive play, Byleth eventually found noticeable representation from MkLeo in mid-2020, who chose to play Byleth over Joker as he was unsatisfied with how Joker played under additional input lag. Although his performance was worse online, MkLeo nevertheless remained one of the best players in the online era. Buffs to Byleth during the pandemic further improved his standing, and more players began believing Byleth to be a viable threat. However, players still dismissed Byleth as MkLeo's "online main", implying that Leo didn't take online tournaments as seriously and would eventually return to Joker following the reopening of offline tournaments.

MkLeo defied these expectations by continuing to use Byleth when offline play returned, often using him as his sole character throughout 2021 and 2022. With Byleth, MkLeo has achieved dominance on par with what he had with Joker before the pandemic, and he placed no less than second in every tournament he has attended until {{Trn|Smash Ultimate Summit 4}} while winning the majority of them. His efforts greatly shifted the community's perception on Byleth, and many began considering Byleth as an upper-mid tier to high tier fighter.

While Byleth is widely agreed to have been initially underestimated, skeptical players have argued that Byleth's success was largely due to MkLeo's skill as a player, as no other Byleth players have been able to get close to his consistency: data collected by [[OrionRank]] curator {{Sm|Barnard's Loop}} also showed that MkLeo made up roughly 66% of all results obtained by Byleth up to November 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/LoopBarnard/status/1461497570925101058|title=Byleth data up to November 2021}}</ref> On the other hand, the only other Byleth player with consistently notable achievements globally was {{Sm|Rizeasu}}, a player who was also known for playing a variety of other characters outside of Byleth. As such, Byleth was ultimately ranked 32nd on the first tier list; despite ranking as a high tier, the placement was still rather low for a character that had been used to win majors.

Following the first tier list, Byleth's overreliance on MkLeo was shown even further, as his success and usage of Byleth began declining towards the end of 2022, particularly after his run at {{Trn|Ludwig Smash Invitational}}. Outside of MkLeo, Rizeasu continued to use Byleth in his roster while {{Sm|Reno|p=Japan}} also became a prominent player in the Japanese scene, however neither of them were able to fill the gap left by MkLeo. With dwindling representation at a national level and MkLeo himself admitting that Byleth doesn't fit well with the current metagame, Byleth fell 10 spots to 42nd on the second and current tier list ranking near the top of B- tier, one of the biggest drops of any character from the first to second tier list.

Byleth's Classic Mode route is themed around the {{uv|Fire Emblem}} fighters and stages from across the [[Super Smash Bros. (series)|''Super Smash Bros.'' series]], fought in order of release year. All battles are stamina battles and the player always starts with 100 HP.

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|1||{{CharHead|Marth|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Temple]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Story 5 Meeting}}''||The stage references how Marth used Temple in single player modes in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', due to that game not having a ''Fire Emblem'' stage. Marth starts with 100 HP.

|2||{{CharHead|Roy|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Arena Ferox]] ([[Battlefield form]])||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Winning Road - Roy's Hope}}''||Roy starts with 100 HP.

|3||{{head|Ike|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Ike|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Brown}} {{SSBU|Ike}} (×2)||[[Castle Siege]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Eternal Bond}}''||The '' {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Radiant Dawn}}'' Ike will appear after the ''{{iw|fireemblemwiki|Path of Radiance}}'' Ike is defeated. They start with 100 HP.

|4||{{CharHead|Robin|SSBU|hsize=20px}}, {{CharHead|Chrom|SSBU|hsize=20px}}, and {{CharHead|Lucina|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||Arena Ferox||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Id (Purpose) (Remix)}}''||Team battle. Robin, Chrom, and Lucina start with 50 HP.

|5||{{head|Corrin|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{head|Corrin|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}} {{SSBU|Corrin}} (×2)||[[Coliseum]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Lost in Thoughts All Alone (for 3DS / Wii U)}}''||Team battle. The two Corrins' color schemes reference the conflict between {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Hoshido}} and {{Iw|fireemblemwiki|Nohr}} in ''{{iw|fireemblemwiki|Fire Emblem Fates}}''. They each start with 100 HP.

|6||{{Head|Byleth|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}{{head|Byleth|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}{{CharHead|Byleth|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Yellow}} (×3)||[[Garreg Mach Monastery]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Fódlan Winds}}''||The three Byleths' color schemes represent the house leaders in ''{{iw|fireemblemwiki|Fire Emblem: Three Houses}}''. The red Byleth prefers down specials, the blue one prefers side specials, and the yellow one prefers neutral specials, referencing the primary weapons of {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Edelgard}}, {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Dimitri}}, and {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Claude}}, respectively. The CPUs will always have these costumes even if the player uses these costumes. They each start with 50 HP.

|colspan="5"|[[Bonus Stage]]

|Final||{{SSBU|Master Hand}} and {{SSBU|Crazy Hand}}||{{SSBU|Final Destination}}||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Code Name: F.E.}}''||The player has {{head|Marth|g=SSBU|s=20px}} Marth, {{head|Roy|g=SSBU|s=20px}} Roy, {{head|Ike|g=SSBU|s=20px}} Ike, {{head|Robin|g=SSBU|s=20px}} Robin, and {{head|Corrin|g=SSBU|s=20px}} Corrin as CPU allies with 30 HP each. The five previous opponents now allied with Byleth reference the recruitment system in ''Three Houses'' and how certain students can be persuaded to join their side after being defeated in Part 2.

Male Byleth's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}}. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Byleth has been downloaded. Unlocking Byleth in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???".  As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and are purely aesthetic. Female Byleth has a fighter spirit of her own, available periodically for purchase through the shop. Each fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with their artwork in ''Ultimate''.

SSBU spirit Byleth (Male).png|1,380. '''''Byleth (Male)'''''

SSBU spirit Byleth (Female).png|1,381. '''Byleth (Female)'''

==In Spirit Battles==

|{{SpiritTableName|Edelgard|iw=fireemblem|size=64}}

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|•The floor is lava<br>•The enemy has super armor and is hard to launch or make flinch

|{{SpiritTableName|Dimitri (Fire Emblem)|customname={{s|fireemblem|Dimitri}} (Fire Emblem)|size=64}}

|•{{SSBU|Byleth}} {{Head|Byleth|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (100 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (80 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Claude|iw=fireemblem|size=64}}

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|•Hazard: Left Is Right, Right Is Left<br>•Hazard: Poison Floor

|{{SpiritTableName|Sothis|link=y|size=64}}

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Hilda (Fire Emblem)|customname={{s|fireemblem|Hilda}} (Fire Emblem)|size=64}}

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

Byleth amiibo.png|Byleth's amiibo

Byleth unlock notice SSBU.jpg|Byleth's unlock notice after downloading him from the [[Nintendo eShop]].

SSBUWebsiteByleth1.jpg|Male and female Byleth on [[Umbra Clock Tower]].

SSBUWebsiteByleth2.jpg|Female Byleth using her back aerial on [[Garreg Mach Monastery]].

SSBUWebsiteByleth4.jpg|Byleth's alternate costumes based on Dimitri, Edelgard, and Claude.

SSBUWebsiteByleth5.jpg|Female Byleth using [[Aymr]] against {{SSBU|Zelda}}'s [[Phantom Slash|Phantom]] on [[Pirate Ship]].

<!--NOTICE BEFORE EDITING: When using pronouns, use those that match the gender of the default when referring to their Smash incarnation (treating the alternate gendered variant as a character costume like Alph) and gender neutral for home series info. However, completely omitting pronouns is entirely a valid style, as long as the sentence stays coherent. Additionally, do not add in anything about either Byleth's trailer or the character himself is the most disliked. We didn't do any of that for previous games so there's no reason to do it here.-->

*Byleth's internal codename is "master", referencing their role as a professor in ''Fire Emblem: Three Houses''.

*According to Sakurai, the development of Byleth began while ''Fire Emblem: Three Houses'' was still in development. He had to play the game in secret from the other employees due to the game still being in development.<ref>https://twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/1455931694175817730</ref>

*Byleth is the first character to have two different splash screens without alternate costumes that completely change the character, due to the male and female variants having different names in Japanese.

*Male and female Byleth have slightly different idle stances; female Byleth holds the Sword of the Creator with its tip pointed upwards, while male Byleth holds it with its tip pointed downwards. All animations that can be played from their stand animations (like their idle animations) are subsequently affected through the animation blending. Additionally, their idle pose and [[victory pose]]s are different between each other.

*Byleth is also the only character in the game to debut after ''Ultimate''{{'}}s original release in December 2018, which was also the case with fellow ''Fire Emblem'' characters [[Roy]] and [[Corrin]] in their debuts.

**Additionally, because male and female Byleth have different names in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, the lists of fighters on the website name both of them in those languages.

*According to Sakurai's column, the reason for Byleth's use of the Hero's Relics was to differentiate him from all the other sword fighters.<ref>https://nintendoeverything.com/sakurai-on-the-creation-of-byleth-in-super-smash-bros-ultimate/?fbclid=IwAR04CXGocnLzKdc6Zmb_JJ5Zkjf2FImrITmsODwe70k-Pn8Deho4BidopOM</ref>

*When either male or female Byleth is [[Star KO]]'d in the English language, they shout, "My battle ends here...!" This is a reference to a line of dialogue when they die in ''Fire Emblem: Three Houses''. However, in the Japanese language, they simply scream. This trait is shared with {{SSBU|Pit}} and {{SSBU|Min Min}}, the latter of which applies to all languages.

*Unlike most humanoid fighter models in ''Ultimate'', the bind pose of male and female Byleth is uniquely an "A-pose" instead of a [[T-pose]].<ref>[https://twitter.com/firubiii/status/1222377730550980610]</ref> This is shared with {{SSBU|Terry}} and {{SSBU|Mythra}}.