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]]}}

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'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]].

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.

**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.

*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.

|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''.

|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.

|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.

|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.

|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''.

|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}}.

|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.

|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.

|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.

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

|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.

|{{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>

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

SSBUHeroIdle1.gif|Hero's first idle pose.

SSBUHeroIdle2.gif|Hero's second idle pose.

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

''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.

Conversely, supporters bring up languages that do not use the Latin alphabet, such as Japanese and Russian, saying that these are much harder to learn and react to in such a short amount of time, and they argue against hosting games over arenas by bringing up factors such as input lag, midmatch slowdowns and crashes. To alleviate the effects of language barriers, most tournaments in countries will usually play in English instead of the regional language due to English being the standard language used in major tournaments, especially since countries such as Portugal, Denmark and Sweden do not have their language available in ''Ultimate'' and Hero's spells in Dutch are not translated.

 

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.

|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.

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.

==In Spirit Battles==

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

|Luminary

*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]].

*Hero has the most reflectable attacks in the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series at 14. Specifically, [[Frizz/Frizzle/Kafrizz]], [[Kazap]] (first half), [[Woosh/Swoosh/Kaswoosh]], [[Bang]], [[Kaboom]], [[Sizz]], [[Sizzle]], [[Snooze]], [[Whack]], and [[Thwack]] can all be reflected, as well as [[Hocus Pocus]] if any of the aforementioned attacks are randomly summoned.

*Hero has the most absorbable attacks in the ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' series at 10. Specifically, [[Frizz/Frizzle/Kafrizz]], [[Sizz]], [[Sizzle]], [[Bang]], [[Kaboom]], [[Snooze]], [[Whack]], and [[Thwack]] can all be absorbed, as well as [[Hocus Pocus]] if any of the aforementioned attacks are randomly summoned.

*The text on some of Hero's weapons are {{s|wikipedia|Anglo-Saxon runes}}, and can be translated as follows: