Editing Hero (SSBU)

|image = {{tabber|title1=Luminary|content1=[[File:Hero SSBU.png|250px]]|title2=Erdrick|content2=[[File:DragonQuestIIIRender.png|250px]]|title3=Solo|content3=[[File:DragonQuestIVRender.png|250px]]|title4=Eight|content4=[[File:DragonQuestVIIIRender.png|250px]]|title5=All|content5=[[File:DragonQuestHeroes_SSBU_All.jpg|250px]]}}

'''Hero''' ({{ja|勇者|Yūsha}}, ''Hero'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' and the second fighter from [[Square Enix]] after {{SSBU|Cloud}}. He was announced during the E3 Nintendo Direct alongside {{SSBU|Banjo & Kazooie}} on June 11th, 2019 as the second [[Downloadable content (SSBU)|downloadable]] fighter from {{h2|Downloadable content (SSBU)|Fighters Pass Vol. 1}}.

The default Hero is the '''Luminary'''{{ref|a}} from ''Dragon Quest XI'', while '''Erdrick'''{{ref|b}} from ''Dragon Quest III'', '''Solo''' from ''Dragon Quest IV'' and '''Eight''' from ''Dragon Quest VIII'' also appear as [[Alternate costume (SSBU)|alternate costume characters]] like the [[Koopalings]] and [[Alph]]. Unlike the Koopalings and Alph, however, they are all listed simply as "Hero". Hero was released as part of Challenger Pack 2 on July 30th, 2019 and is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #72]].

 

The Luminary is voiced by {{s|wikipedia|Mitsuki Saiga}}, who also voices him in the Japanese version of ''Dragon Quest XI S''. {{s|wikipedia|Nobuyuki Hiyama}}, {{s|wikipedia|Takeshi Kusao}} and {{s|wikipedia|Yuki Kaji}} also debut as the voices of Erdrick, Solo and Eight, respectively, in all versions of the game.

 

 

 

Overall, Hero remains to be one of the most unpredictable characters in the game and a contentious character to debate on, with a lot of X factor and upset potential due to how much he relies on RNG. While his normals offset his specials, Hero is a force to be reckoned with in the right hands. Hero's representation in competitive play is fairly limited and rare but he has seen success from players, such as {{Sm|Akakikusu}} and {{Sm|BeastModePaul}}, taking him far in tournaments with the right luck and bracket.

Hero is a tall, [[Weight|middleweight]] swordsman. As a result, he has long range and his overall damage output is fittingly above-average, but he is prone to being hit easily and is very susceptible to combos. Hero has respectable overall mobility: he has a slow [[walk]]ing speed, slightly below-average [[air speed]] and poor [[air acceleration]], but his [[dash]]ing speed, [[Dash#Initial Dash|initial dash]], [[traction]], [[falling speed]], and [[fast fall]]ing speed are all either average or above-average.

Hero has a good defensive game. Similar to [[Link (SSBU)|the]] [[Young Link (SSBU)|three]] [[Toon Link (SSBU)|Links]], Hero actually sports two shields: the standard [[shield]] action that every fighter has, and another equipped on his left arm most of the time. Hero's shield can block [[projectile]]s while he is standing idle, walking, or crouching. The wearable shield also affects the first hit of Hero's forward tilt by granting [[invincibility]] to his left arm, head and left leg because of this shield's position, similarly to {{SSBU|Palutena}}'s dash attack and back aerial.

Hero's side special, [[Zap]], has good range for its start-up, deals respectable damage and KOs at very high percentages. Zap can be charged into Zapple, which grants even more range and damage while being a vertical KO move at high percentages, or Kazap, which results in a attack that sacrifices speed and range for power, being able to KO most opponents center stage at a mere 50%. Additionally, Kazap has [[damage-based armor]] that withstands up to 15%, allowing it to resist oncoming attacks. Zap and its variants are disjointed melee attacks, giving them excellent range and, contrary to their appearances, all the lightning bolts generated on hit are immune to [[reflect]]ion and [[absorption]].

Hero's up special, [[Woosh]], is a quick recovery move and is also Hero's fastest and most reliable out of shield punish. Woosh can be charged into Swoosh, granting more vertical distance and horizontal mobility, or Kaswoosh, which provides tremendous vertical distance. Additionally, all Woosh spells leave behind tornadoes, which serve as lingering hitboxes that can damage opponents and [[gimp]] opposing recoveries or setup into devastating setups from below the ledge. Finally, his down special, [[Command Selection]], gives Hero a list of four random spells which offer a wide variety of effects. Most of these spells have significant advantages and little disadvantages, which can be seen [[#Command Selection spells|here]]. The Command Selection can be canceled by inputting the shield button or by jumping, allowing Hero to repeatedly switch the menu of spells until he has an ideal set of them.

Up tilt has wide range, a respectable damage output and decent start-up lag; these traits make it a fantastic anti-air option, a serviceable KO option at high percentages, and a much more consistent alternative to up smash. Down tilt has good range—superseding Hero's neutral attack—while offering the same speed and launching vertically; it can be used to hit opponents hanging on the edge and start set-ups. Dash attack boasts high power for an attack of its type at the cost of its high overall lag, being able to KO at 80% from the edge. Lastly, Hero's up and down throws sport some utility. Up throw is his strongest throw and has situational utility as both a combo starter and KO option, being able to KO before 200%, unlike his other throws. Conversely, down throw is a good combo starter at low to medium percentages, and can lead into dangerous set-ups.

 

Hero's aerial moveset, while not as good as that of many other swordfighters, is impressive nonetheless. Neutral aerial has wide range around him and launches at a diagonal angle, being a situational combo starter and useful shield poking option. Forward and especially back aerials are both slow (with back aerial being among the slowest of its kind), but they are respectably strong and KO middleweights beginning around 100% and 85%, respectively. Up aerial has the lowest lag out of any of Hero's aerials and deals very low damage and knockback, enabling it to effectively initiate combos into itself or other moves, or even set up KO confirms at varying percentages. Lastly, down aerial is Hero's most damaging aerial, but also one of his slowest. Its clean hit is capable of meteor smashing opponents, leading to KOs as low as 20% on offstage foes.

But for all the strengths that Hero has, they do come with a price. His access to his special moves is restricted by their reliance on MP. Without enough MP, he is unable to cast any spells, which may put him in great danger offstage as [[Woosh]] will only give him a very small boost without MP. While his [[Command Selection]] is very versatile, its random nature means that a desired spell is unlikely to be available. Command Selection also renders Hero unable to move when the menu is open, with his only options being to jump or shield, both of which cancel the move and creates a new set of spells when he uses the move again.

While this often is not an issue due to most of the spells having quick startup and good range, as well as the Hero player being able to select the spell quickly, this can sometimes pose a problem if the opponent is in a prime position to punish Hero, which can force the player to sacrifice an ideal set of spells by canceling the move or potentially cause them to panic and use the wrong spell altogether. On top of this, some of his spells have very little utility (such as Metal Slash, which deals 1% and extremely low set knockback against non-metal opponents), while one of them, Hocus Pocus, grants any one of a slew of effects, albeit with detrimental ones outnumbering and outweighing the possible benefits.

Many of Hero's attacks suffer from slow start-up lag (dash attack), high ending lag (up tilt, down tilt, and the second hit of forward tilt), or both (forward and back aerials). Due to being a tall middleweight with slightly above-average falling speed and a lack of any fast or invincible attacks, Hero is also very susceptible to combos. This weakness may be exacerbated further through Hocus Pocus' giant effect, and Oomph applying a 1.2× damage multiplier to attacks that hit him.

Hero's below-average frame data, high raw damage output and attacks' high knockback values also collectively give him a limited combo game; only certain attacks (particularly neutral aerial, up aerial, up throw, and down throw) can successfully generate true combos. Even then, the fast start-up of Hero's grabs is offset by their very short ranges, while up and down throws' combo potentials wane noticeably past low and medium percentages, respectively. Up aerial suffers from poor range and down tilt suffers from aforementioned high ending lag, preventing it from performing any true combos.

Hero received a mix of buffs, glitch fixes and a single nerf via game updates, but was buffed slightly overall. [[Kaboom]] and [[Magic Burst]]'s linking hits became more consistent thanks to gaining more more hitstun, while [[Gigaslash]]'s ending lag was decreased significantly. The only nerf Hero received was to [[Kafrizz]]: its final hit can now be [[reflect]]ed, [[absorb]]ed or blocked by passive shields.

 

Overall, Hero fares mildly better than he did when he was first released. Due to the other changes he received being strictly quality-of-life adjustments, Hero's competitive reception has remained virtually unchanged since his release.

*Hero has a unique [[fighter ability]] called the '''[[MP Gauge]]'''. His Magic Points (MP) are depleted whenever he uses his special moves, with the amount varying on the spell used. The MP Gauge has a maximum of 100 MP, and it is restored over time (at a rate of 1 point per second) or when damaging opponents with normal attacks.

**If Hero attempts to use a spell without the required MP, he will still perform the animation, but without the actual spell being performed. In the case of [[Zap]], it still possesses a hitbox that deals 2%. Additionally, the "failed" sound effect from ''Dragon Quest'' will play when this occurs.

**If Hero hits an opponent or a [[shield]] with a normal attack, he will gain MP equal to 0.8× of the hitbox's or throw's base damage output; aside from shield damage, no other mechanics (such as the extra damage from charging smashes) will be applied. As shields receive 1.19× more damage from attacks, hitting shields will generally restore more MP unless the attack has reduced shield damage, such as his Critical Hit smash attacks. A resource for how much is gained can be found [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OnYSC7DvebYvFQYp7_YNq-mGJRZ4k6StIfxHWyw4VuY/edit?usp=sharing here].

*While Hero is standing still, walking, or crouching, any incoming [[projectile]]s that hit his [[passive shield|equipped shield]] will simply push him back slightly instead of inflicting damage. It can block any amount of projectiles, regardless of their power.

*Hero's smash attacks have a 1/8 chance of inflicting a Critical Hit, which triggers a [[Special Zoom]] and deals twice as much damage. This subsequently increases their [[knockback]] by a significant amount, although forward smash and down smash have lower base knockback values as a slight compensation. Against shields, Critical Hits have negative [[shield damage]] outputs equal to the moves' base damage; this causes them to deal the same damage to shields as the standard versions and thus prevents them from easily [[shield break|breaking shields]]. However, Critical Hits still inflict more [[shieldstun]] due to their higher base damage outputs, making them safer on shield.

**The negative shield damage does not necessarily make a Critical Hit and a standard hit inflict the same amount of damage to a shield. This is due to the formula for damage to shields adding the shield damage after applying the [[stale-move negation]]/freshness multiplier, but before applying the 1.19× shield multiplier. The damage variation between a Critical Hit and a standard hit is roughly equal to the stale/fresh multiplier; thus, a fresh Critical Hit will inflict more damage, but a stale Critical Hit will inflict less damage.

**Hero cannot inflict a Critical Hit in the [[Home-Run Contest]].

**A Critical Hit's sound effect varies depending on the Hero who inflicts it, although Erdrick and Solo share the same one.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_VE-D2M8bs Hero's Costume Specific Sounds]</ref> These sound effects are sourced directly from their respective ''Dragon Quest'' games.

|neutraldesc=An upward slash, followed by a downward slash, followed by another upward slash. Comes out on frame 6, making it slow for a neutral attack, but its disjointed hitbox makes it fairly useful for poking safely and warding off immediate pressure.

|ftiltdesc=An outward shield bash followed by an outward slash. Decent start-up, with the first hit coming out on frame 9. Hero's shield grants the first hit [[invincibility]], like {{SSBU|Palutena}}'s dash attack and back aerial; in his case, it is granted to Hero's head and front leg on frame 9, as well as to his arm and shoulder on frames 9-11. The first hit does not [[rebound]], leaving the opponent open to the second hit if the first hit blocks an attack. The second hit can KO at around 130% near the edge. However, it has 39 frames of ending lag if the second hit misses, making it highly punishable. The first hit resembles Blockenspiel, whereas the second hit resembles the Luminary's short-range greatsword attack in ''Dragon Quest XI''.

|utiltdesc=A hopping, overhead arcing slash, similar to {{SSBU|Toon Link}}'s up smash. It has large range and respectable power (especially if [[Oomph]] and/or [[Psyche Up]] are active), which make it a potent anti-air attack and serviceable KO option. However, it has noticeable ending lag, which results in it lacking any true combos.

|dtiltdesc=A crouching front kick, similar to {{SSBU|Lucario}} and {{SSBU|Ganondorf}}'s down tilts. It comes out on frame 6 like his neutral attack, but has slightly more range than it does and lowers Hero's hurtbox, which make it a slightly safer poking option. Although it launches vertically, it is a fairly unreliable combo starter because of its rather high ending lag compared to many other down tilts. It lingers for a few frames, allowing it to be slightly better at starting combos if it hits during its final frames, much like {{SSBU|Cloud}} and {{SSBU|Sephiroth}}'s down tilts. It resembles Leg Sweep.

|dashdesc=A jumping downward slash, similar to {{SSBU|Link}}'s dash attack. It is powerful enough to KO at around 80% from the edge. However, it has very high start-up (comes out on frame 21) and ending lag (29 frames). Based on the Luminary's long-range standard sword attack from ''Dragon Quest XI''.

|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|18}} (blade), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|16}} (body), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|36}} (Critical Hit blade), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|32}} (Critical Hit body)

|fsmashdesc=A two-handed downward slash, similar to {{SSBU|Ike}} and Ganondorf's forward smashes. Comes out on frame 17, but has 46 frames of ending lag, making it very unsafe. There is a chance of a Critical Hit occurring whenever Hero performs this move; if this happens, it becomes the strongest forward smash in the game, KOing every character while near the edge at 0% when fully charged.

|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|16}} (blade), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|14}} (body), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|32}} (Critical Hit blade), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|28}} (Critical Hit body)

|usmashdesc=An upward thrust, similar to {{SSBU|Marth}}'s up smash. Has decent vertical range, but extremely poor horizontal range, being unable to hit grounded opponents. There is a chance of a Critical Hit occurring whenever Hero performs this move; if this happens, up smash is powerful enough to KO as low as 30% when uncharged. However, it has 37 frames of ending lag, making it very unsafe.

|dsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|13}} (blade), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|11}} (body), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|26}} (Critical Hit blade), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|22}} (Critical Hit body)

|dsmashdesc=A kneeling inward slash in front of himself followed by a kneeling outward slash behind himself, similar to Link's down smash. There is a chance of a Critical Hit occurring whenever Hero performs this move. It is Hero's fastest smash attack, and is useful for punishing rolls. Despite also being his weakest smash attack, it can KO at reasonable percentages upon landing a Critical Hit or if Oomph and/or Psyche Up are active.

|nairdesc=A semi-circular slash in front of himself, starting from above his head to directly behind himself. It launches at a diagonal angle, which grants it slight combo potential. However, its combo potential becomes much more noticeable while Acceleratle is active, as Hero can follow up with forward aerial at high percentages for a KO confirm. It resembles the first portion of The Real Decoy, a Pep Power in ''Dragon Quest XI''.

|fairdesc=A downward slash, similar to {{SSBU|Roy}}'s forward aerial. Slow start-up for an aerial of its kind (comes out on frame 14), but is strong enough to KO at around 100% at the edge. It also covers a wide arc, making it a good spacing and approaching tool.

|bairdesc=An upward slash behind himself, similar to Toon Link's back aerial. One of the strongest back aerials in the game, it boasts excellent power, KOing at around 85% near the edge. It also covers behind Hero very well, and is even able to hit slightly above him. However, it is one of the slowest back aerials in the game, hitting on frame 18. If both Oomph and Psych Up are active, it can break a full shield in one hit when fresh.

|uairdesc=A stretch kick, similar to Lucario's up aerial. Hero's fastest aerial in terms of start-up, ending and landing lag, and the only one that can [[auto-cancel]] with a short hop. However, it has extremely short range and is fairly weak. Overall, it is fairly useful for combos, such as being a follow-up from down throw and immediate set-up into neutral aerial at low percentages and, upon auto-canceling, an immediate set-up into forward aerial and back aerial for a KO confirm at high percentages. Can also serve as a last ditch KO option with Psyche Up and/or Oomph active.

|dairdesc=A downward thrust. The clean hit [[meteor smash]]es opponents powerfully and makes it his most damaging aerial. However, it has high start-up (comes out on frame 16) and landing lag. At mid percentages (30%-65% for middleweights), hitting with the meteor hitbox on a grounded opponent can lead into up smash for a potential KO confirm if up smash inflicts a Critical Hit, or if Oomph is active at 50%-60%. The attack's animation upon landing on the ground resembles the pose Erdrick assumes on ''Dragon Quest III''{{'}}s Super Famicom box art.

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

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

|pummeldesc=A knee strike. Average power, but it is marginally slower than other similar pummels due to its higher hitlag. He shares this distinction with {{SSBU|Sephiroth}}.

|fthrowdesc=Plants his sword into the ground and then throws the opponent away. Low knockback, making it suited primarily for creating space or setting up an edge-guard. However, Oomph and/or Psyche Up grant it KO potential at high percentages while at the edge.

|bthrowdesc=Performs the tomoe nage,{{ref|c}} a judo throw. Like forward throw, it is suited primarily for creating space or setting up an edge-guard. However, Oomph and/or Psyche Up grant it KO potential at very high percentages while at the edge.

|uthrowdesc=Heaves the opponent upward, similarly to {{SSBU|Mario}}'s up throw. Due to its low ending lag, it can combo reliably into neutral and up aerials at low percentages. It is also Hero's strongest throw in regard to overall knockback; unlike forward and back throws, it can KO at very high percentages (albeit primarily on platforms) without the need for Oomph and/or Psyche Up. Although it is rather weak for a KO option, Oomph, Psyche Up and/or rage will improve its KO potential noticeably.

|dthrowdesc=A one-handed body slam. A good combo starter that can lead to either forward aerial or up aerial at low to mid percentages. It can also lead into Kafrizz or forward smash on larger targets at very low percentages.

|floorfdesc=Slashes behind himself, then in front of himself. Due to floor attacks having high [[shield damage]], if Hero is buffed by Oomph and Psych Up, his floor attacks are able to break full shields if both hits connect.

|nsdmg=Frizz: 9%, 6% (late)<br>Frizzle: 9% (hits 1-2)<br>Kafrizz: 19% (hit 1), 3% (hits 2-5), 10% (edge), 8% (edge, late)

|nsdesc=A fireball that can be charged up to become Frizzle and Kafrizz, which are stronger variants that travel increasingly farther and faster. Unlike most chargeable moves, Hero will always begin charging from the beginning if he cancels the move. He is also unable to launch the projectile if he lacks MP, forcing him to recharge his MP and use up any existing charge before he can use weaker variants again.

Frizz: A small fireball that is produced when the move is uncharged. It is quick to throw, but travels very slowly and is very weak. Frizz is the only variant of the Frizz spells that suffers from damage falloff, which means that it gets weaker and slower after traveling a certain distance. Like [[Fireball]], its quick start-up makes it decent at both spacing and, at low percentages, setting up a dash grab to initiate a down throw combo. Frizz costs 6 MP to use. <br>Frizzle: Two intertwined fireballs that appear when the move is partially charged. Frizzle is faster and stronger than Frizz. The two fireballs can actually break-off into separate fireballs if an opponent or attack lands on top of one of the fireballs. Frizzle is decently powerful, being able to KO at 135% near the edge. Frizzle costs 16 MP to use.

<br>Kafrizz: The strongest version of Frizz that appears when the move is fully charged. It is a large, multi-hitting fireball deals extremely high damage and knockback, KOing at around 60% near the edge. It also deals considerably high shield damage. Kafrizz has noticeable ending lag, though, so it can be [[reflect]]ed and punish Hero easily. Kafrizz costs 36 MP to use.

|ssdmg=Zap: 3% (bolt), 2% (sword, no MP), 5% (sword + bolt), 12%/5% (lightning strike), 2.5% (lightning strike, high)<br>Zapple: 6% (hit 1), 14%/10% (hit 2), 5% (hit 2, high)<br>Kazap: 12% (lightning strike, high), 10% (lightning strike), 4% (hit 1), 6% (hit 2, front and back), 12% (hit 3, front), 10% (hit 3, back), 8% (hit 3, edge), 16%/12% (last), 6% (last, high)

|ssdesc=A series of lightning spells that can be charged to become Zapple and Kazap.

Zap: Hero swings his sword upward to emit a burst of electricity in front of himself. It has the fastest start-up and ending lag, but has the shortest range and is the weakest. The sword itself also has a hitbox during the swing, which enables it to deal extra damage, similarly to {{SSBU|Wolf}}'s [[Blaster (Wolf)|Blaster]]. This also means Zap can still somewhat be used without MP, although the sword swing deals only 2%. Zap costs 8 MP to use. <br>Zapple: A long-ranged bolt of electricity that is fired when the move is semi-charged. Has considerable range and deals great damage, making it an excellent move for spacing. It has respectable power, as it can KO at 155% from the center of Battlefield and even earlier near the edge. Zapple costs 18 MP to use. <br>Kazap: Hero raises his sword in the air so it can be struck by and after a lightning bolt, after which he performs a spinning outward slash around himself, similarly to [[Spin Attack]]. Kazap is very strong, as it can KO around 60% from center stage and around 40% near the edge if all of its hits connect. Kazap also has deceptively low ending lag in spite of its power, as well as damage-based armor that withstands up to 15%. However, it costs 42 MP to use (the highest out of all Hero's spells), and has noticeable start-up lag.

All variations of Zap's sword attacks are disjointed hitboxes and not projectiles. As a result, they cannot be reflected or absorbed. Despite their appearances, none of the lightning bolts generated on hit can be reflected or absorbed either.

|usdmg=Woosh: 7%<br>Swoosh: 3% (hits 1-3), 4% (last)<br>Kaswoosh: 3% (hits 1-5), 4% (last)

|usdesc=A series of tornado spells that Hero uses for recovery. Can be charged to become Swoosh and Kaswoosh.

Woosh: A small and weak tornado that launches Hero slightly upward. It is very quick (comes out on frame 7), making it a good [[out of shield]] option. Woosh has set knockback, meaning that it will inflict the same amount of knockback regardless of the opponent's damage. Woosh costs 5 MP to use. <br>Swoosh: A larger tornado that hits multiple times and grants a better vertical and horizontal recovery. Swoosh costs 9 MP to use.<br>Kaswoosh: Two large tornadoes that hit multiple times and grant a much higher vertical recovery, making it a potent recovery move. Can KO at 148% from the center of Battlefield. Kaswoosh costs 18 MP to use.

|dsdesc=Hero chooses between a variety of four randomly-selected spells from a pop-up menu. These spells require MP to use. Shielding or jumping will close the menu, canceling the move and allowing Hero to open it again for a different set. By pressing the opposite direction when selecting a move or tilting the right stick in the opposite direction to select a move, Hero will turn around before unleashing the move, similarly to [[B-reversing]].

|fsdmg=7% (trapping hit), 33% (cinematic)

|fsdesc=Performs an upward slash. If it successfully hits an opponent, the seven non-playable ''Dragon Quest'' Heroes appear and bring their respective weapons together, which discharge a combined stream of electrical energy that is infused into Hero's sword. Hero then proceeds to perform Gigaslash while surrounded by the non-playable Heroes.

 

| Bang || 9 || 16 || ≈5.8% || 1.5% (spark) 14%/12% (explosion) || A small, spark-like projectile that generates a small explosion after a set distance or on contact with opponents. Deals decent knockback, KOing vertically starting at around 130%. Cannot appear alongside Kaboom.

| Kaboom || 37 || 20 || ≈7.3% || 2% (spark), 26%/21% (explosion) || A small, spark-like projectile that generates a large explosion after a set distance or on contact with opponents. The instant before the explosion pulls opponents in if they're close enough. Possesses high knockback and a very large explosion hitbox, KOing around 85% vertically. Cannot appear alongside Bang.

| Sizz || 8 || 16 || ≈5.8% || 1.5% (bolt), 12% (flames) || A fiery, bolt-like projectile that travels quickly. On impact, it spreads out very briefly. Lacks KO potential onstage, but can KO opponents offstage. Cannot appear alongside Sizzle.

| Sizzle || 20 || 20 || ≈7.3% || 3% (bolt), 22% (flames) || A fiery, bolt-like projectile that travels quickly and spreads out into brief flames on impact. Deals high damage and travels very fast, being Hero's fastest projectile. Deals high knockback, KOing around 100% near the edge. Cannot appear alongside Sizz.

| Flame Slash || 12 || 18 || ≈6.6% || 22% (blade), 17% (flames) || A quick slash with Hero's sword cloaked in flame. Deals considerable damage and knockback, especially in regard to its blade hitbox, and has notable range both horizontally and vertically. It can KO middleweights at 90% from the center of Final Destination.

| Kacrackle Slash || 11 || 18 || ≈6.6% || 17% (blade), 13% (frost) || A quick slash with Hero's sword cloaked in frost. It [[freeze]]s opponents, with its blade hitbox freezing them for considerably longer than the frost itself.

| Hatchet Man || 15 || 18 || ≈6.6% || 35% || A delayed downward slash which resembles his forward smash, triggering [[Special Zoom]] and a Critical Hit sound effect on hit. Has considerable start-up, but possesses extremely high damage and knockback output, making it capable of KOing early, around 45% from center stage and much earlier near the edge. It can also instantly break a full shield, similarly to a fully charged [[Shield Breaker]].

| Snooze || 16 || 17 || ≈6.2% || – || Hero extends his hand forward to launch a spherical, pulse-like projectile that sends opponents to [[sleep]] if it connects. It can pass through multiple opponents, but can also be blocked. The projectile puts opponents to sleep for longer at close range, but becomes larger the farther it travels. Infamous for its ability to grant Hero a free charged forward smash, and therefore an early KO, if it hits a grounded opponent at mid percentages. Snooze can affect aerial opponents, which can KO offstage opponents should they be too far to maneuver towards the stage. However, opponents in the air are put to sleep for a much shorter amount of time, due to them receiving 40% of the knockback growth of the grounded hitbox. As a result, Snooze's clean aerial hitbox puts opponents to sleep for less time than its latest grounded hitbox. The projectile will not disappear until its active frames conclude, so it can be thrown at edges to affect recovering enemies.

| Whack || 10 || 8 || ≈2.9% || 1% || Hero swings his hand forward to launch a slow-moving dark purple sphere. Has a chance to [[Instant KO|instantly KO]] the opponent, with a higher chance for it to occur the more damage the opponent has; the formula for Whack to instantly KO is <br><code>1 + (p_t - 20) / (300 - 20) * 200 + 20 * (p_H / 300)</code>, where <code>p_t</code> is the target's damage pre-hit limited to between 20% and 300%, and <code>p_H</code> is Hero's damage limited to 300% or less. As a result, the final rate is always 1% when the opponent is below 20%, and scales up to 100% when the opponent is just below 160%, with a maximum extra 20% chance if Hero is at 300%. The move is notoriously difficult to reflect, as the speed and direction of the reflected projectile depends on the speed and direction the erratically moving projectile was travelling at the moment of reflection. As such, it will often deflect into the ground or up into the air, and in some cases will move so slowly that it seemingly stays in place. Cannot appear alongside Thwack.

| Thwack || 30 || 12 || ≈4.4% || 3% || Hero swings his hand forward to emit a large, dark purple blast directly in front of himself. Has a chance to instantly KO the opponent, with a higher chance for it to occur the more damage the opponent has. It has a very large hitbox, and a windbox around it which pulls nearby opponents in. However, it also has considerable start-up lag, a minimal damage output and weak knockback. It can also be reflected, absorbed, and shielded. Cannot appear alongside Whack.

| Metal Slash || 6 || 7 || ≈2.6%, ≈10% (metal opponent), ≈0.5% (Spirit Battle) || 1% || Hero slashes his sword forward. instantly KOs any [[metal]] opponent, including another Hero using Kaclang. When used against non-metal opponents, it will only deal 1% and weak knockback. If there is a metal opponent present when the menu is opened, it has a 4× greater chance of appearing. In Spirit Battles, however, a multiplier of 0.2× is applied to its appearance rate.

| Kaclang || 6 || 5 || ≈1.8% || 15% (falling) || Encases Hero in metal and makes him impervious to both damage and knockback for a period of time, but also renders him inert. It cannot be canceled once activated. However, Hero can still be KO'd by another Hero using Metal Slash, and any well-timed attack is sufficient to punish him during the ending lag of the move. Using Kaclang in the air will grant Hero a hitbox during his descent (similarly to [[Stone]]) and allow him to move left and right until he lands. Cannot appear in the last 30 seconds of a timed match.

| Kamikazee || 1 || 5 || ≈1.8% || 0.1% (hit 1), 50% (hit 2, close), 35% (hit 2, far) || Hero crosses his arms and begins to glow. After a few seconds, he explodes, instantly KOing himself and inflicting a large amount of damage and knockback to any opponent caught in its large blast radius. The explosion is [[unblockable]], and its sweetspot is strong enough to KO many opponents at 50%-60%. The hitbox only lasts briefly, allowing opponents to dodge and avoid the explosion, even with [[sidestep]]s. Using this will count as a KO for the last opponent to hit him. Hero is intangible during the charge up. Kamikazee does not appear to be available as a menu option during the [[World of Light]] Finale.

| Magic Burst || All remaining MP || 5 || ≈1.8% || maximum: 4.2% (loop), 11% (last) || An enormous, spherical explosion that grows in size, similarly to a [[Smart Bomb]]'s explosion. It hits multiple times and is active for a few seconds. Consumes all of Hero's remaining MP; the spell's power depends on how much MP Hero has left. The attack has extremely large range, covering half of Final Destination, and with full MP, it can KO at merely 20%. Its sheer size and duration also means that it is an incredible edgeguarding tool with sufficient MP, since it can cover every available option with little need for positioning on Hero's end. Due to these factors, along with the move itself being surprisingly quick to activate, it is widely considered to be one of Hero's best command specials (if not his absolute best one), and arguably the most feared, albeit only in circumstances where Hero has at least around half of his MP remaining. Additionally, the move is blockable, with each hit having slightly reduced shield damage. Projectiles can also cancel out the move, and he can be hit by physical attacks at the very beginning of the move's start-up, leaving Hero with no MP and at a great disadvantage, making Magic Burst a "high risk, high reward" move. The loop hits do very little knockback; as a result, {{SSBU|Bowser}} and {{SSBU|Kazuya}} can use their [[passive armor]] to retaliate quickly. The damage dealt is multiplied by <code>0.2 + 0.008MP</code>, with the value being between 0.2× and 1×.  

| Oomph || 16 || 16 || ≈5.8% || – || Increases Hero's damage output by 1.6×, knockback output by 1.1×, and damage received by 1.2×. Only affects melee attacks. Lasts for 12 seconds.

| Psyche Up || 14 || 16 || ≈5.8% || – || Increases Hero's damage output by 1.2×, knockback output by 1.2×, and shield damage output by 1.65×. Functions similarly to [[Revenge]] and if stacked with Oomph, many of Hero's normal attacks will instantly break a full shield. Only affects melee attacks. Expires after landing a melee attack. As it only boosts the next melee hit that connects, [[pummel]]s will use up Psyche Up, and stronger versions of [[Zap]] (Zapple and Kazap) will not gain increased KO potential, as both moves consist of two hits.

| Acceleratle || 13 || 16 || ≈5.8% || – || Multiplies Hero's [[walk]]ing speed, [[dash]]ing speed, [[air speed]], [[air acceleration]], and [[air friction]] stats by 2×-2.5×, depending on the stat. Functions similarly to [[Lightweight]], but to a sufficiently high degree that Hero can outrun {{SSBU|Sonic}} and can reach a maximum air speed that is more than 1.5× faster than {{SSBU|Yoshi}}'s. However, the sheer speed can make Hero more difficult to control, and it increases the knockback he receives by 1.1×. Lasts for 10 seconds.

| Bounce || 14 || 16 || ≈5.8% || – || A lingering [[reflect]]or that when projectiles are reflected by it, increases projectile, damage by 1.5×, projectile speed by 1.4×, and projectile health by 1.1×. Like a [[Franklin Badge]], Bounce lets Hero act while it is active, and overrides Hero's [[passive shield]], allowing reflections even if he is standing and facing an opponent. One of Hero's best approach options against projectile users, due to him being able to perform any action while keeping an active reflector. Lasts for 12 seconds.

| Heal || 7 || 7 || ≈2.6% || Heals 11% || Heals Hero by 11%. Starts with two charges, and resets to two after Hero is KO'd or scores a KO.

| Zoom || 8 || 15 || ≈5.5%, ≈10.4% (close to [[blast line]]) || – || Hero jumps directly upward, going past the limits of the camera, then falls directly onto a random part of the stage, no matter where he was when the spell was used. Hero can act out of his descent while maintaining momentum, unless he performs an action that alters momentum. If used where there is a ceiling above Hero, he will collide against it, while still being able to act afterward. It is invulnerable as soon as Hero starts to fly. Has a 2× (≈53%) chance of appearing in Command Selection when 40 units (or closer) to the blast line.

| Hocus Pocus || 4 || 3 || ≈1.1% || (see below) || A spell with random effects, either positive or negative, that can also take the form of other Command Selection spells.

Approximations were done with the equation (X/S), with X being the relative odds of the move and S being the sum of all moves' relative odds, including the selected move's odds.

|{{bg|#00ff00}}|{{color|black|Positive}} ||4.88%||Makes him [[Super Mushroom|gigantic]]. However, it cannot be stacked with [[Special Smash|Mega Smash]] and a [[Super Mushroom]].

|{{bg|#00ff00}}|{{color|black|Positive}} ||1.22%||Makes him [[Super Star|invincible]].

|{{bg|#00ff00}}|{{color|black|Positive}} ||3.96%||MP is replenished to 100.

|{{bg|#ff0000}}|{{color|white|Negative}} ||6.1%||Applies a [[timer]] effect to himself.

|{{bg|#ff0000}}|{{color|white|Negative}} ||6.1%||MP is depleted to 0.

|{{bg|#ff0000}}|{{color|white|Negative}} ||6.1%||[[Poison]]s himself, dealing 27.5% total.

|{{bg|#ff0000}}|{{color|white|Negative}} ||6.1%||Inflicts [[sleep]] on himself.

|{{bg|#ff0000}}|{{color|white|Negative}} ||5.49%||[[Poison Mushroom|Shrinks]] himself.

|{{bg|#ff0000}}|{{color|white|Negative}} ||6.1%||Inflicts the [[flower]] effect on himself, dealing a maximum of 22% without [[button mashing]].

|{{bg|#0000ff}}|{{color|white|Neutral}} ||6.1%||Turns him [[invisible]].

|{{bg|#0000ff}}|{{color|white|Neutral}} ||47.85%||One of Hero's command spells will consume 4 MP instead of its standard cost.<br>

* There is a small chance that the randomly-chosen spell will be Kamikazee, which further emphasizes the high risk nature of Hocus Pocus.

*'''Up taunt''': Puts away his sword and shield, then performs Psyche Up as it appears in ''Dragon Quest VIII''.

*Lifts his sword in front of himself while smiling.

*Assumes an attack stance similar to one of {{SSBU|Link}}'s idle animations.

SSBUHeroIdle1.gif|Hero's first idle pose.

SSBUHeroIdle2.gif|Hero's second idle pose.

|H - E - R - O! You're My Hero! || Yuuuuu - Sha! || Eeeeeeeee - roe! || Held -- Held -- On - ze Held! || Hip - Hip - Hip - Héros !

| || ¡Ese Héroe, ese Héroe, eh, eh! || Ge - roy! Ge - roy! Nash ge - roy! || Yuuuuu - Sha!

[[File:DragonQuestSeriesVictoryThemeUltimate.ogg|thumb|An arrangement of the ending phase of "Overture", the {{uv|Dragon Quest}} series' main theme.]]

==In [[competitive play]]==

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

*{{Sm|Akakikusu|Japan}} - The best Hero player of all-time, the definitive best in 2021 and 2022, and one of the two best since 2023. He is the only Hero player to have made multiple major top 8s with {{Trn|Kagaribi 3}}, 5th at {{Trn|DELTA 8}} and 7th at {{Trn|Kagaribi 4}}, the latter being the first top 8 a Hero player has made in a supermajor. His highest placement was 30th on the [[OrionRank Ultimate: Eclipse]], marking him as the second Hero player to be ranked globally.

*{{Sm|BeastModePaul|USA}} - One of the two best Hero players in the world since 2023. He has placed highly at multiple supermajors, including 17th at both {{Trn|Luminosity Makes Moves Miami 2023}} and {{Trn|Port Priority 8}}. He notably grabbed a hot streak of wins at the latter tournament, defeating {{Sm|Glutonny}}, {{Sm|Sisqui}}, and {{Sm|AndresFn}}. These two tournaments also marked the best Hero results at North American majors post-pandemic.

*{{Sm|+HOPE+|Denmark}} - The best Hero player in Europe. He is known to be a regional threat, being the best player in Denmark, and making results outside of his country with 9th at {{Trn|RCADIA SMASH 3}} and 13th at {{Trn|Smash Contest: DoKomi 2021}} and {{Trn|Regen 2022}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Tarik}} and {{Sm|TriM}}. He is currently ranked 67th on the [[OrionRank 2022/Europe|OrionRank 2022 Europe]].

*{{sm|Salem|USA}} - Co-mained Hero and {{SSBU|Snake}}, and was considered the best Hero player in the world in 2019. He used both characters to win {{Trn|Port Priority 5}}, and also placed 4th at {{Trn|Thunder Smash 3: Clash of the Pandas}} and 7th at {{Trn|Mainstage}}, taking sets over {{Sm|Shuton}} and {{Sm|MuteAce}} with Hero. He is the first Hero player ranked globally, ranking 30th on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]]. He has since been issued bans due to prior controversial actions, and has remained inactive since early-2021.

===Tier placement and history===

Hero's place in competitive play has been controversial even before his introduction into the game; players were immediately divided due to the sheer amount of [[randomness]] in his toolkit, which some argued as too unpredictable for him to work as a competitively fair character. Despite the controversy, Hero initially had little impact on the metagame; while it was common to see him in pools and small-scale tournaments, he has not gone far in high-level tournaments, with his most notable national placements coming from {{Sm|Salem}} and {{Sm|Tsu}}, who either used him as a co-main or eventually dropped him. This can be attributed to Hero's slow frame data, lack of reliable combo breaking options, and his reliance on MP, all of which can be exploited by opponents. Hero's randomness also plays a part in his unreliability, as it can be just as common to roll an undesired move as it is to get the best option. As a result, most players initially considered him a mid tier character at best.

The pandemic period saw the rise of {{Sm|Akakikusu}}, who by the end of 2021 was considered a top 10 player in Japan and a top 30 player in the world. This was due to his strong set of results, which includes placing top 8 at the major {{Trn|Kagaribi 3}} and supermajor {{Trn|Kagaribi 4}}. Although Akakikusu's consistency has since declined, opinions on Hero nevertheless improved, and as such Hero is ranked 44th on the current tier list as an upper-mid tier. Since then, Hero's results have remained strong despite having below-average tournament representation, thanks to Akakikusu's continued presence in the top 100 as well as the rise of {{Sm|BeastModePaul}} in 2023.

Hero's moveset, specifically [[Command Selection]], has been controversial due to its randomness. Comparisons have been drawn between Command Selection and [[items]], with the argument being that the unpredictable nature of both of them result in a less competitive environment, in which skill alone is not sufficient to win matches (coincidentally so as certain spells like Hocus Pocus grant abilities otherwise only found with items such as the [[Super Star]] and [[Timer]]). Furthermore, specific spells have also been the subject of controversy, such as Zoom invalidating any attempts at edge-guarding, Whack and Thwack being able to KO at any percentage, or Magic Burst's blast radius easily covering the edge and preventing a large portion of the cast from recovering without taking significant damage in the process or even losing a stock. Hero's Critical Hits from his smash attacks have also stirred conversation regarding Hero's skill factor, though not quite to the degree as Command Selection.

Finally, issues regarding language barriers have also been raised, as it is not uncommon for players to compete in countries they do not know the language of. Therefore, a player who does not speak the language of the country in question will be at a large disadvantage, regardless of whether they are playing as or against Hero. Players against this point mention how most of the spells in languages that use the Latin alphabet are easy to figure out from first glance, rendering them easily guessable, learnable and reactionary and some suggest hosting games on two separate switches using [[Battle Arena|Arenas]] and changing the language of each system's game to match that of the players.

 

 

Many prominent smashers such as {{Sm|Leffen}} and {{Sm|Dark Wizzy}} have advocated banning Hero, while others such as {{Sm|Dabuz}} and {{Sm|ESAM}} have come out against a ban, arguing that the character has significant counter-play and has not achieved overwhelmingly high results at tournaments to the same degrees as a top tier character. Despite this debate, only one notable region made efforts to ban the character, that being South Australia on August 15th, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sqvsvl|title=Twitlonger on South Australia's Hero ban}}</ref> The ban was ultimately lifted, and since then no other region had attempted a ban aside from Nintendo France, who very briefly placed a ban on all DLC fighters released after September 23rd, 2019 and as such was not necessarily targeting Hero.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nintendoeverything.com/nintendo-france-bans-hero-and-future-dlc-characters-from-official-smash-bros-ultimate-tournaments/|title=Nintendo France bans Hero and future DLC characters from official Smash Bros. Ultimate tournaments}}</ref> With only a few minor cases since, the ban debate has been effectively settled.

In reference to the {{uv|Dragon Quest}} series, Hero's opponents are his fellow playable Heroes and/or fighters who are analogous to various characters featured in his home series. This theme is further reinforced by Rounds 1 through 6 being [[Stamina Mode]] battles (in reference to the ''Dragon Quest'' series' hit points system) and each Round playing a song from the ''Dragon Quest'' series (regardless of what universe the stage originates from). When fighting against each of the Heroes, they will use their respective default appearances{{ref|d}} instead of their respective alternate costumes,{{ref|e}} even if the player is also playing as one of the default Heroes (which was unique to Hero until {{SSBU|Byleth}}'s release).

|1||Tiny {{head|Kirby|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (×3) {{CharHead|Kirby|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Red}}||[[Gaur Plain]] ([[Battlefield form]])||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Dragon Quest|The Hero Goes Forth with a Determination}}''||Stamina battle. The player has 150 HP, whereas the Kirbys have 40 HP apiece.<br>The blue Kirbys reference [[Slime]]s, and the red Kirby references She-slimes.

|2||{{CharHead|Hero|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and Tiny {{CharHead|Robin|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Red}}||[[Yggdrasil's Altar]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Dragon Quest|Unflinchable Courage}}''||Stamina battle. The player and Hero have 150 HP apiece, whereas Robin has 90 HP.<br>Robin references [[Veronica]], one of the Luminary's party members.

|3||{{head|Hero|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Solo}} Hero||[[Temple]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Dragon Quest|Wagon Wheel's March}}''||Stamina battle. The player and Hero have 150 HP apiece.<br>The stage references Zenithia from ''Dragon Quest IV''.

|4||[[Rathalos]]||[[Forest Hill]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Dragon Quest|Fighting Spirits - DRAGON QUEST III}}''||The player has 150 HP.<br>Dragons are a recurring monster family in the ''Dragon Quest'' series. Rathalos could also be specifically referencing Dread dragons.

|5||{{head|Hero|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Eight}} Hero and Tiny {{CharHead|Pikachu|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||Gaur Plain (Battlefield form)||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Dragon Quest|War Cry}}''||Stamina battle. The player and Hero have 150 HP apiece, whereas Pikachu has 60 HP.<br>Pikachu references Munchie, Eight's pet Pig-Rat.

|6||{{head|Hero|g=SSBU|s=20x20px|cl=Erdrick}} Hero||[[Castle Siege]] (Underground Cavern)||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Dragon Quest|Adventure - DRAGON QUEST III}}''||Stamina battle. The player and Hero have 150 HP apiece.<br>The stage is a reference to ''Dragon Quest III''{{'}}s introductory cutscene, in which Ortega (Erdrick's father) fights against a dragon on top of an active volcano. The stage also does not transition back to its first phase.

|Final||{{Head|Robin|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} Robin, then Giant {{CharHead|Charizard|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Purple}}||[[Dracula's Castle]] ([[Ω form]])||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Dragon Quest|Fighting Spirits - DRAGON QUEST III}}'' <small>(Robin)</small><br>''{{SSBUMusicLink|Dragon Quest|Battle for the Glory - DRAGON QUEST IV}}'' <small>(Giant Charizard)</small>||Charizard is not announced during the loading screen. This Round references the battle against the Dragonlord from the original ''Dragon Quest'', in which the Dragonlord's human form is fought initially and, upon being defeated, he transforms into his dragon form for the second phase of the battle.

[[Credits]] roll after completing Classic Mode. Unlike other fighters, the music that plays differs depending on the hero selected.

However, in his reveal trailer, all four Heroes are shown fighting against [[puppet fighter]]s alongside {{SSBU|Link}}, which suggests he too is fighting against Galeem and [[Dharkon]]. Erdrick, in particular, also appears in {{SSBU|Sephiroth}}'s trailer alongside several fighters who have been warded off by Galeem and his legion of [[Master Hand]]s.

The Luminary'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 Hero has been downloaded. Unlocking Hero 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 is purely aesthetic. The other three Heroes have their own fighter spirits, which can only be obtained by purchase in the shop. Each fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in ''Ultimate''.

==In Spirit Battles==

|{{SpiritTableName|Cetacea|iw=|size=64}}

|Luminary

SSBUWebsiteHero4.jpg|Luminary using his up aerial against {{SSBU|Incineroar}} on [[Coliseum]].

SSBUTwitterHero3.jpg|Luminary using his neutral aerial against {{SSBU|Robin}} and Erdrick using his forward smash against {{SSBU|Wario}} on Yggdrasil's Altar.

SSBUPressKitHero2.jpg|Luminary using his forward tilt against {{SSBU|Inkling}} on Battlefield.

SSBUPressKitHero4.jpg|Luminary using his up smash against {{SSBU|Fox}} on Yggdrasil's Altar.

SSBUPressKitHero5.jpg|Luminary using his neutral attack against Fox on Yggdrasil's Altar.

All Fighters from Fighters Pass Vol 1.jpg|Hero alongside all of the other DLC fighters of {{h2|Downloadable content (SSBU)|Fighters Pass Vol. 1}}.

*Hero is referred to within ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''{{'}}s game files with the codename "brave", a rather direct translation of his Japanese name, Yūsha. Notably, the codename was [[Leak#DLC datamines|discovered]] as early as December 2018 after [[List of updates (SSBU)#1.1.0|update 1.1.0]] was released, although the discovery had only been made public in January. The mysterious codename raised much speculation and debate in the community, with the most common hypothesis on the mysterious character's identity being a ''Dragon Quest'' protagonist. Specifically, the protagonist was assumed to be Erdrick, which turned out to be partially correct due to him being an alternate character.

**The segment where the Luminary rides on [[Gogoat]] is a reference to the ridable mounts featured in ''Dragon Quest XI''.

**The segment where the Luminary picks up a [[barrel]] and breaks it to reveal a [[Franklin Badge]] is a reference to the mini medals that can be found in every ''Dragon Quest'' game from ''Dragon Quest III'' onwards, which can often be found by breaking barrels and pots.

**The segment where the Luminary is seen sitting by a fire at night at [[Gaur Plain]] with {{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} and {{SSBU|Zelda}} is a reference to the campsite feature in ''Dragon Quest XI''. Zero Suit Samus represents Jade and Zelda represents Serena, given their similar appearances.

**The segment where Eight is seen walking through a poison pathway to obtain a [[Beam Sword]] is a reference to the poison bogs seen in the very first ''Dragon Quest'' game that would surround treasure and damage the player.

**Erdrick using [[Gigaslash]] against {{SSBU|Ridley}} is a reference to the Dragonlord from ''Dragon Quest''{{'}}s first installment.

*Hero shares his heavy carry, battering item, home run swing, and special flag animations with {{SSBU|Link}}. This suggests Link was the basis for creating Hero, and they were imported over due to being minor animations of low priority.

*Hero's trailer is the first of any DLC trailer to have completely original 3D CGI animation. All of the previous DLC trailers either used the in-game engine, animation meant to replicate the source game, or (in the case of {{SSB4|Corrin}}) pre-existing CGI animation.

**It is also the second time an alternate character appears as part of any CGI animation for the game. The first instance was [[Inkling]] Girl and Inkling Boy appearing in the opening of [[Adventure Mode: World of Light|World of Light]].

*Hero's artwork pose in the panoramic banner is similar to {{SSBU|Young Link}}'s pose in his official render, albeit mirrored.

**Similarly, the Luminary's artwork greatly resembles Young Link's artwork from ''{{iw|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time}}'', which is used for his fighter spirit. However, the positions of the sword and shield are flipped due to the Luminary being right-handed.

*In Japanese, Hero has a chance of calling out a spell's name, excluding the Command Selection spells. This makes him the fifth character in the series to have specific lines in the Japanese language track of a game replaced by generic grunts from the same voice actor outside of Japan after {{SSBM|Fox}}, {{SSBM|Sheik}}, and {{SSBM|Falco}} in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' and [[Mewtwo]] in all of its playable appearances.

*Hero is the third playable character to be featured alongside a non-playable character in ''Ultimate''{{'}}s panoramic artwork; in his case, he is featured alongside a [[Slime]]. The first two are {{SSBU|Olimar}} and {{SSBU|Joker}}, who is featured alongside [[Mr. Saturn]] and [[Morgana]], respectively.

*In the Japanese version, Hero is named "勇者 ''Yūsha''" and his respective announcer voice clip reads it that way, but his name on the [[character select screen]] icon, [[versus splash screen]] and [[results screen]] is still written as "Hero". He and Young Link are the only characters with this trait, as all others have the respective romanization of their Japanese name, instead of a direct translation to English.

**Furthermore, Hero is the only character to have his name entirely formatted in kanji in the Japanese version. The other fighter to have a common noun as their name, Villager, has his name written in hiragana instead.

**In the Korean version, Hero is named "용사 ''Yongsa''", but the Announcer announces his English name, Hero. He shares this distinction with {{SSBU|King Dedede}}.

*Depending on which version of the Hero is being played, the Critical Hit sound effect from that Hero's respective game will play when they land a Critical Hit via a smash attack or Hatchet Man. Additionally, when a Hero lands a Critical Hit on another Hero, the sound effect from the target's respective game will play, even if the attacker is a Hero from a different game.

*Hero has additional sound effects while performing certain actions. However, these sounds can be difficult to notice due to the overall volume of ''Ultimate''{{'}}s sound effects.

**When KO'd, the "enemy critical hit" sound effect from ''Dragon Quest XI'' plays alongside the standard KO sound effect.

*Hero, {{SSBU|Bowser}}, {{SSBU|Mega Man}} and {{SSBU|Sephiroth}} are the only characters whose Classic Mode routes feature a fight against a boss outside of the Final Round; in Hero's case, it is against [[Rathalos]]. Hero is also one of the few fighters whose Final Round involves fighting characters who are otherwise playable (in his case, {{SSBU|Robin}} and {{SSBU|Charizard}}) instead of a designated boss.

*Hero, {{SSBU|Peach}}, Corrin, and Steve are the only characters who fight the same fighter multiple times in their respective Classic Mode routes. In Hero's case, he fights himself and the other three Heroes in four different Rounds, and fights female and male {{SSBU|Robin}} in Round 2 and the Final Round, respectively.

*When KO'd by reaching 0 HP during his final stock in [[Stamina Mode]], Hero uses one of his heavy knockback voice clips instead of his standard KO voice clip. This trait is shared with {{SSBU|Mario}}, {{SSBU|Dr. Mario}} and all vocal DLC fighters except for Joker, {{SSBU|Banjo & Kazooie}}, and {{SSBU|Byleth}}'s Japanese voice.

*Because of controversy regarding Hero as anti-competitive in ''Ultimate'' due to the large amount of [[randomness]] in his moveset, he is the seventh character to have been officially banned from any tournament matches. The first six were {{SSBB|Meta Knight}} in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', and the {{SSB4|Mii Fighter}}s, {{SSB4|Cloud}} and {{SSB4|Bayonetta}} in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''.<ref>[https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sqvsvl CouchWarriors South Australia on TwitLonger: "Why we've decided to ban hero"]</ref>

*A special battle card was released for the arcade game ''{{s|wikipedia|Dragon Quest: Scan Battler}}'' that references both [[Gigaslash]] as it appears in ''Ultimate'' and Hero's reveal trailer.<ref>[https://twitter.com/DQSB_PR/status/1198511571162390528 Dragon Quest: Scan Battler's PR account on Twitter]</ref>

*Interestingly, Hero's up and down taunts finish faster when facing right if uninterrupted. A similar situation occurs with both {{SSBU|Wolf}} (up taunt) and {{SSBU|Kazuya}} (up taunt).

*Hero, {{SSBU|Meta Knight}}, {{SSBU|Inkling}}, {{SSBU|Joker}}, Banjo & Kazooie, {{SSBU|Sephiroth}}, {{SSBU|Pyra}}, {{SSBU|Mythra}}, and {{SSBU|Sora}} are the only characters who use their walking animations when navigating through the map in [[World of Light]].

**Solo's sword hilt reads "mitibikaresi mono", an approximate romanization of "導かれし者 ''michibikareshi mono''", meaning "the guided one". This resembles the Japanese subtitle for ''Dragon Quest IV'', "導かれし者たち ''michibikareshi monotachi''", literally "the people who are shown the way".

:3.{{note|c}}Translates to "Circle Throw".

[[Category:Third-party characters]]