Editing Marth (SSBM)

{{ArticleIcons|ssbm=y}}
{{disambig2|Marth's appearance in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''|the character in other contexts|Marth}}
{{Infobox Character
|name         = Marth
|image        = [[File:Marth SSBM.jpg|Marth]]
|game         = Melee
|ssbgame1     = Brawl
|ssbgame2     = SSB4
|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]
|tier         = S
|ranking      = 3
}}
{{cquote|''Marth is a magnificent swordsman. While his swordplay is faster than that of {{SSBM|Link}}, he lacks power, and his quickness is offset by a marginal endurance.''|cite=Description from Marth's trophy.}}
'''Marth''' ({{ja|マルス|Marusu}}, ''Marth'') debuted in the first game of the {{uv|Fire Emblem}} series, ''[[Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light]]'' (''Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Tsurugi''). Marth was placed in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'' due to heavy requests from Japanese players; as his games had never been released outside of Japan prior to ''Melee'', his character was among the most obscure in the game in other regions. His popularity as a character, alongside {{SSBM|Roy}}, eventually caused Nintendo to begin releasing the ''Fire Emblem'' games internationally; the first internationally released game came two years after ''Melee''.

Marth currently ranks 3rd on the ''Melee'' [[tier list]], in the S tier. This considerably high position is possible due to the many tools he has at his disposal, which include fast overall startup in his attacks, long and [[disjointed]] [[range]], large amounts of additional power when attacks hit at the [[tip]] of his blade, very potent [[juggling]] and [[combo]] ability with undoubtedly the single longest non-disjointed [[grab]] ranges, and great [[edgeguarding]] capabilities. Marth is also blessed with a multitude of good movement options to approach and pressure with. He has among the longest [[dash-dance]]s and [[wavedash]]es in the game, which complement his large reach extremely well. Marth also has many options to KO his opponents and finish combos, such as his down aerial (a very potent spike when sweetspotted, and the closer to the notorious [[Ken Combo]]) and forward smash. Compared to other top-tier characters, Marth's learning curve is not very high as he does not require an extensive amount of [[tech skill]] to be used effectively, making him an easy character to pick up and play. On the downside, his ability to punish [[approach]]es are somewhat limited in comparison to other top-tier characters due to the lack of a projectile and the short duration of his moves. Marth also suffers from a general lack of options when he is put on the defensive himself. His weight makes him very easy to combo and does not provide sufficient knockback resistance to survive heavy hits at kill-percent. Marth's [[out of shield]] game is also notoriously poor despite having fast startup on many normal attacks. His [[recovery]] is also problematic; while it is extendable with his side special and can end with a fast up special that covers decent distance, it is also rather predictable. Marth's main weakness though is that despite the fast startup of his moves, his moves have considerable endlag and are thus very punishable if whiffed. As such Marth is very susceptible to momentum shifts; a punished move puts Marth in a defensive position where he has little options. So overall, despite his low technical learning curve, many consider Marth to be one of the most difficult characters to play at high levels due to the intricate [[spacing]] ability required of top-level players to overcome his aforementioned flaws. Regardless of these flaws, Marth has excellent matchups against many characters, including six that are nearly unloseable.

==How to unlock==
To unlock Marth, players have to use all fourteen starter characters in VS. matches, complete {{SSBM|Classic Mode}} with all fourteen starter characters, or play 400 VS. matches. Upon completing this, Marth will be fought on the [[Fountain of Dreams]] stage, with the track "Fire Emblem" playing.

==Attributes==
[[File:MarthGimpTaj.gif|200px|thumb|right|The majority of Marth's moveset, if chained together, can be highly effective at edgeguarding.]]
Marth falls under the fighter archetype of being mobile, with the ability to easily outmaneuver most of his opponents; Marth has a very fast [[dashing]] speed, a long [[wavedash]] (specifically the fourth longest in the game) and rather good [[jumping]] speed, with average [[falling speed]], contributing to a good [[SHFFL]]. With a large [[dash-dance]] window and a [[disjointed]] [[hitbox]], Marth has great [[approach]] options in this game, both on the ground and in the air.

Marth's primary strength is his range in his normal attacks; the Falchion grants Marth a very large disjointed hitbox that can allow him to safely attack from a distance. Additionally, the tip of the Falchion, its sweetspot, is remarkably easy to connect, making Marth stronger when he is further from his opponent. In addition to this, Marth's attacks are very quick in terms of startup lag, and his long wavedash and dash-dance allow him to further extend his already long reach. This long hitbox with a far away sweetspot also contributes to Marth's superb combo game.

In addition to his disjointed range, Marth has a fantastic [[combo]] and [[juggle]] ability; despite a slightly below average [[air speed]], with a combination of good jumping prowess, and an average falling speed, as well as quick, low lag, high-ranged, easy-to-sweetspot aerials, Marth has among the best air games in ''Melee'', and a great combo ability. Additionally, Marth's [[grab]] game is also good, as mentioned before due to a surprisingly long grab range (the longest of the non-grapple grabs, thanks to it extending far past his hand). His [[throw]]s possess low damage and knockback, allowing him to chain his throws into each other and combo into other attacks. In particular, his up throw can [[chain throw]] most [[fast faller]]s at low to mid percentages, and it can directly segue into an up tilt or an aerial, and can be used for KOing at high percents on a platform due to being the third strongest up throw in the game. Marth's long dash-dance also makes him a superb [[tech-chase]]r. 

Marth also has plenty of powerful attacks; some of these attacks are very fast and have high range, such as his up tilt, while others can KO at close ranges, such as the Reverse [[Dolphin Slash]] technique. {{mvsub|Marth|SSBM|forward smash|poss=y}} is feared due to its high speed and power, with the capability to "break" through some [[projectile]]s found in the game thanks to its priority; it also works well when wave-smashed, due to Marth's long wavedash. Marth's down tilt and [[Shield Breaker]] act as good [[edgeguarding]] options, with the former being a [[semi-spike]] and the latter have a large hitbox. Most notably, however, is his {{mvsub|Marth|SSBM|down aerial}}; it acts as a powerful [[spike]] in NTSC regions, and an equally powerful [[meteor smash]] in PAL regions; it can KO reliably even as low as 40%, and many of Marth's attacks can easily combo into his down air, most notably his {{mvsub|Marth|SSBM|forward aerial}} as part of the [[Ken Combo]]. Marth also has access to a grounded meteor, in his [[Dancing Blade]]. While its uses for KOing are somewhat situational, it can set up tech-chases well as well as free [[jab reset]]s. 

Marth's primary flaw is his lack of defensive options. His weight does not enable him to survive powerful attacks, while also being enough to be vulnerable to combos such as Fox's [[waveshine]] combos in NTSC regions (although he is light enough to not be waveshined in PAL regions). More significantly, while Marth's attacks are very fast in terms of startup, they travel in predictable, low duration arcs and have high ending lag (his down aerial is an example of this, having the quickest startup lag but among the highest ending lag for a spike or meteor smash). This leads to Marth having a terrible [[out of shield]] game due to the low duration and high ending lag of his moves, while also being open to punishment. Marth also requires significant knowledge of spacing with his aerials in order to properly combo. For most of his attacks, the sweetspot hitboxes have the lowest priority, so they only hit if none of the weaker hitboxes connect on that frame. As such, Marth requires significant knowledge of hitbox spacing with his moves due to the non-tipper and tipper hitboxes of Marth's moves having very different knockback values and angles. In many cases, a specific hitbox is needed to extend the punish. 

Another problem for Marth is his rather lackluster [[recovery]]. His up special, Dolphin Slash, grants little horizontal distance and decidedly average vertical distance; its [[ending lag]] also makes it very easy to [[punish]]. Marth's average air speed also prevents him from moving far after entering a helpless state. However, Marth can mitigate the lack of a true horizontal recovery by using Dancing Blade to give him some horizontal distance, though this grants no vertical recovery and must be timed well. Additionally, Marth's ground-based approach is slightly held back by a lack of a projectile, limiting his approach in comparison with other high tier characters, such as {{SSBM|Fox}}. 

Overall, Marth's long reach, excellent combos, and powerful finishers result in him being a very potent character in the current metagame. A Marth player must be wary of his weaknesses and spacing, but due to his low technical learning curve, Marth is an effective character to pick up and play.
===PAL differences===
Like some other characters, Marth received some changes in the [[PAL]] version of ''Melee'', which slightly [[nerf]]ed him overall, as he lost the ability to reliably KO and edgeguard with his down aerial. However, because other top-tier characters, such as {{SSBM|Fox}} and {{SSBM|Sheik}}, were noticeably nerfed, Marth has an easier time fighting against them, improving his matchup spread overall. As such, he is considered to be better relative to most of the top-tier cast in PAL than in NTSC, which reflects in his [[PAL tier list]] placement, where he is ranked 2nd instead of his current 3rd place.

*{{nerf|Down aerial is no longer a [[spike]] but a [[meteor smash]], meaning it can be [[meteor cancel]]led, making it a less effective and reliable finisher.}}
*{{change|[[Weight]] has been lowered from 87 to 85. While this can be seen as a nerf by hindering his survivability, this change also makes him immune to {{SSBM|Fox}}'s [[waveshine]] combos; in the NTSC regions, his weight is just above the threshold to allow him to be waveshined.}}

==Moveset==
[[File:MarthAerialAttacksSSBM.png|thumb|Marth's aerial attacks]]
''For a gallery of Marth's hitboxes, see [[Marth (SSBM)/Hitboxes|here]].''<br/>
For simplicity, if, for example, Marth's blade does 4% damage while the tip does 6%, and the attack has no other hitboxes, it is written as 4%/6%.
{{MovesetTable
|game=SSBM
|neutralcount=2
|neutralname=&nbsp;
|neutral1dmg=4%/6%
|neutral2dmg=4%/6%
|neutraldesc=Slashes the Falchion twice in front of himself. Useful for both offensive and defensive [[spacing]], especially when used with wavedashing due to the move's non-committal nature with regards to movement. The first hit of jab is highly useful for [[edgeguarding]] linear recoveries, while the second hit can be used to cover many unorthodox recovery options when combined with the first jab (such as a shortened [[Fox Illusion]] or [[Falco Phantasm]]). If Marth is wearing a [[Bunny Hood]], he perform both jabs at twice the speed.
|ftiltname=&nbsp;
|ftiltdmg=9%/13%
|ftiltdesc=A fast upward swipe while leaning forward. Has good horizontal reach.
|utiltname=&nbsp;
|utiltdmg=Clean: 9% (blade), 12% (tip), 8% (body)<br/>Late: 10% (blade), 13% (tip), 9% (body)
|utiltdesc=Swings his sword in a large arc above his head, with a large hitbox that can peg opponents behind him. This move has many varied uses; most notably, it can interrupt hasty attacks and juggle and trap opponents in conjunction with a forward smash, a neutral aerial, or an up aerial on top of platforms. It can also set up aerial combos. At high percentages, it is an effective KO move, KOing reliably at 130% and above when tippered.
|dtiltname=&nbsp;
|dtiltdmg=9% (blade), 10% (tip), 8% (body)
|dtiltdesc=A quick crouching Falchion poke. As it pokes out and is a [[semi-spike]], it is very useful for edgeguarding, and is also a staple in Marth's neutral game as it can safely be used to interrupt dash-dancing and wavedashing approaches or follow-ups. It may also lead into a grab follow-up below 100%.
|dashname=&nbsp;
|dashdmg=11% (blade), 12% (tip), 9% (body)
|dashdesc=A quick upward sweeping diagonal slash with medium lag, high range, and relatively high damage. Depending on where on the sword it connects, it can either send opponents behind him or above him. Very good for setting up combos.
|fsmashname=&nbsp;
|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|14}}/{{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|20}}
|fsmashdesc=Rotates body counterclockwise with a strong arc-like swing from his head to the ground. Very fast and long ranged. The knockback of the move is stronger on the tipper hitbox of the sword.
|usmashname=Justice Sword
|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|8}} (sides), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|15}} (blade), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|18}} (tip)
|usmashdesc=A quick, direct upward thrust. The move has very weak sourspots next to Marth if used on the ground, so it is not a reliable KO move on grounded enemies next to Marth, but it can act as a surprise KO option on enemies directly above him in the air or on platforms.
|dsmashname=&nbsp;
|dsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|11}}/{{ChargedSmashDmgSSBM|16}} (both sides)
|dsmashdesc=Sweeps his sword on the ground towards the front, then towards the back. If tippered, it sends opponents upward with high vertical knockback, [[Star KO]]ing opponents at high percentages, and is one of the strongest down smashes in the game. If hit at the base, it sends opponents with low horizontal knockback, but it can still KO at high percentages. It is generally not a safe option to use in most situations, as the attack has a fair amount of ending lag and takes longer to fully execute than his other smash attacks.
|nairname=&nbsp;
|nairdmg=4% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2)
|nairdesc=Two horizontal slashes around himself. Both hits connect easily, and can follow up into each other. Oddly enough, both the tipper hitbox and the non-tipper hitbox deal the same damage and knockback; the only difference between the 2 hitboxes is the sound effect. 
|fairname=&nbsp;
|fairdmg=10% (blade), 13% (tip), 9% (body)
|fairdesc=Does a forward vertical slash downwards. It is considered Marth's most versatile aerial as it is his fastest and has the most combo potential. It also has the least ending lag of all his aerials and it is his safest aerial on shield since it deals 7 frames of shield stun and has 7 frames of endlag; Marth can dash-dance away after doing this move on shield. Because of its ability to link into virtually any other of Marth's moves, it is an ideal move to set up edgeguarding. The move however has a very short duration and thus despite its speed, it is unsafe if spammed in neutral.
|bairname=&nbsp;
|bairdmg=10% (blade), 13% (tip), 9% (body)
|bairdesc=Slashes the Falchion from bottom to top behind him in an inward swipe. The attack has the unusual property of turning Marth around when used in the air; in this regard, his back aerial can be used to potentially set up a [[Ken Combo]] or can be used to quickly steal a ledge.
|uairname=&nbsp;
|uairdmg=10% (blade), 13% (tip), 9% (body)
|uairdesc=A forward-to-back upward wide sword slash ending in a full delayed somersault. It is not particularly powerful regardless of where on the sword it hits, but conversely it shows no mercy juggling opponents when combined with forward smash, up tilt, and other aerials. 
|dairname=&nbsp;
|dairdmg=10% (blade), 13% (tip), 9% (body)
|dairdesc=A forward-to-back outward sword slash downwards. The attack, when [[sweetspot]]ted, sends opponents flying downward. In [[NTSC]] regions, the attack is a [[spike]], while [[PAL]] regions, it's a [[meteor smash]]. Due to its high ending lag and Marth's lackluster recovery, the attack is of high risk if used offstage at a low altitude. Regardless, the move is extremely useful anywhere else on the stage due to its long horizontal reach making it a great tech chase option (for reading rolls) as well as an out of shield option. This is the primary finish to a Ken Combo.
|grabname=&nbsp;
|grabdesc=Marth grabs the opponent with his free hand. It's the 4th longest grab range overall and the single longest non-tether grab.
|pummelname=&nbsp;
|pummeldmg=3%
|pummeldesc=Knees the opponent.
|fthrowname=&nbsp;
|fthrowdmg=4%
|fthrowdesc=Trips the opponent with his leg as he pushes them forward.
|bthrowname=&nbsp;
|bthrowdmg=4%
|bthrowdesc=Pulls opponents behind him and extends his leg simultaneously.
|uthrowname=&nbsp;
|uthrowdmg=4%
|uthrowdesc=A powerful upward throw with one arm. Can chain throw fast fallers at low percentages, and is the third strongest up throw in the game.
|dthrowname=&nbsp;
|dthrowdmg=5%
|dthrowdesc=Slams the opponent to the ground, sending them behind him. Can set up a tippered forward smash at low percentages.
|floorfname=&nbsp;
|floorfdmg=6%
|floorfdesc=Sweeps his sword on the ground, front to back.
|floorbname=&nbsp;
|floorbdmg=6%
|floorbdesc=A quick stab to the left followed by a horizontal slash to the right.
|edgefname=&nbsp;
|edgefdmg=8% (sword), 6% (hilt)
|edgefdesc=Flips onto ledge with a quick downward diagonal slash downwards. Hitbox only exists on Marth's right arm arm and his sword, meaning that foes close to the ledge Marth is hanging on can avoid the attack.
|edgesname=&nbsp;
|edgesdmg=8% (sword), 6% (hilt)
|edgesdesc=Slowly gets up and performs a quick horizontal slice upwards. Just like his quick edge attack, opponents can avoid the attack if they are close to the ledge Marth is currently hanging on.
|nsname=Shield Breaker
|nsdmg=7-27%, 28% (fully charged)
|nsdesc=Marth holds the Falchion over his head before doing a powerful overhead slash in a similar fashion to his forward smash. When the move is fully charged, it will break any shield in one hit, unless the attack is [[perfect shield]]ed. This attack has [[transcendent priority]].
|ssname=Dancing Blade
|ssdmg=Varies
|ssdesc=A sequence of Falchion slashes with several variations based on [[control stick]] inputs. All variations have transcendent priority. Upward slashes are trailed blue, standard slashes are trailed red, and downward slashes are trailed green.
|usname=Dolphin Slash
|usdmg=10% (startup blade & body), 13% (startup tip), 7% (leap blade & tip), 6% (leap body)
|usdesc=A high-speed jumping uppercut slash that can be reversed before frame 6. Has many uses, but is very risky to use due to the large degree of vulnerability Marth receives if the move is whiffed. The move is easily used in the middle of a combo (though DI must be correctly read); it can be used as an alternative (instead of a down air) to finish a Ken Combo. It is also Marth's fastest option to punish rolls (provided he is close enough) as well as his fastest [[out of shield]] option. This attack has transcendent priority.
|dsname=Counter
|dsdmg=7%
|dsdesc=Assumes a defensive stance and retaliates against incoming attacks. The damage and knockback of the attack will always be the same, regardless on what attack is being countered. 
}}

{| class=wikitable
|+Dancing Blade
! Hit
! Damage
! Description
|-
| First Hit (Neutral) || 4% || Does a vertical slash, has little knockback: incapable of KOing.
|-
| Second Hit (Up) || 5% || Does an upwards slash.
|-
| Second Hit (Neutral) || 5% || Does a stab, has a little more knockback then the first slash, but still not much.
|-
| Third Hit (Up) || 6% || Does a weak vertical slash.
|-
| Third Hit (Neutral) || 10% || Does a fairly powerful horizontal slash. KOs at around 120%.
|-
| Third Hit (Down) || 10% || Stabs at the ground. Decent KO option. Has an unorthodox meteor smash hitbox.
|-
| Fourth Hit (Up) || 10% || Does a very powerful jumping slash. KOs at around 100%.
|-
| Fourth Hit (Neutral) || 14% || Does a very powerful vertical slash. KOs at around 100%
|-
| Fourth Hit (Down) || 3% (hit 1-4), 5% (hit 5) || Does a flurry of lower stabs. The last hit launches opponents away.
|}

===[[Taunt]]===
{{Taunt/SSBM|char=Marth|desc=Twirls his sword, then raises it in front of him, saying, "{{ja|みんな、見ていてくれ！|Minna, miteite kure!}}" ("Everyone, please watch over me!")}}

===[[Idle pose]]===
{{Idle|desc=Brushes hair out of his face.|image=Marth Idle Pose Melee.png}}

===[[Crowd cheer]]===
{{Crowd
|char=Marth
|game=Melee
|desc-us=Marth! Marth! Marth!
|desc-jp=Ma-ru-su!
|pitch-us=Group chant
|pitch-jp=Female}}

===[[Victory pose]]s===
{{Victory/SSBM
|victory-theme=FireEmblemThemeMelee.ogg
|victory-desc=A rendition of a portion of the main theme of the ''Fire Emblem'' series.
|desc-1=Turns with pride, spins the Falchion, then clashes it to the ground and says "{{ja|僕は負ける訳には行かないんだ!|Boku wa makeru wake-ni wa ikanainda!}}", which translates to: "I cannot afford to lose!"
|desc-2=Poses with his sword sheathed and his right arm out and says "{{ja|今日も生き延びることが出来た。|Kyou mo ikinobiru koto ga dekita.}}", which translates to: "Today I have survived."
|desc-3=Sheaths his sword and says "{{ja|今回は僕の勝ちだね?|Konkai wa boku no kachi da ne?}}", which translates to: "This time it's my victory, isn't it?"
|char=Marth}}

==In [[competitive play]]==
===[[Character matchups (SSBM)|Matchups]]===
{{SSBMMatchupTable|marth=yes}}
Marth has among the most positive matchup spreads in the game, being [[soft counter]]ed by two characters, having four even matchups, soft countering three characters, [[counter (matchup)|counter]]ing ten, and [[hard counter]]ing six. He tends to have an advantage against characters with poor [[range]], such as {{SSBM|Dr. Mario}} (who he can easily out[[space]] on the ground and in the air alike), and characters with poor mobility on the ground, such as {{SSBM|Zelda}}. He is also one of the three characters in the game to have an even matchup against {{SSBM|Fox}}. However, his [[recovery]] is rather poor, as characters such as {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}, {{SSBM|Sheik}}, and Fox can [[edgeguard]] or [[gimp]] him pretty easily in most offstage situations. Additionally, he is vulnerable to [[combo]]s and [[dash-dancing|dash dance]] follow-ups from faster characters such as {{SSBM|Captain Falcon}} if he fails to land reads or punishes. Overall, however, Marth is one of the most difficult matchups for many of the characters in ''Melee''.

===Notable players===
:''See also: [[:Category:Marth professionals (SSBM)]]''
====Active====
*{{Sm|Azen|USA}}
*{{Sm|Colbol|USA}}
*{{Sm|G$|USA}}
*{{Sm|Husband|USA}}
*{{Sm|I.B|Canada}}
*{{Sm|Ken|USA}}
*{{Sm|Mahie|France}}
*{{Sm|Mango|USA}}
*{{Sm|Mew2King|USA}}
*{{Sm|PewPewU|USA}}
*{{Sm|PPMD|USA}}
*{{Sm|Reaper|Germany}}
*{{Sm|Rudolph|Japan}}
*{{Sm|Salepate|France}}
*{{Sm|Tai|USA}}
*{{Sm|The Moon|USA}}
*{{Sm|ZoSo|USA}}
*{{Sm|Dart!|USA}}

====Inactive====
*{{Sm|Bob$|USA}}
*{{Sm|DruggedFox|USA}}
*{{Sm|Ice|Germany}}
*{{Sm|KDJ|USA}}
*{{Sm|Taj|USA}}

===Tier placement and history===
Very early in the ''Melee'' [[metagame]], Marth was seen as a character that relied too much on [[rolling]] and [[C-stick]] spamming, traits that led to a negative low-level perception of him despite his high tier placement. Shortly before the third tier list (June 2003), {{Sm|Ken}} won [[Tournament Go|Tournament Go 4]] with Marth, introducing the uses of [[dash-dancing]], [[chain throwing]], and a higher focus on [[spacing]] and [[aerial]] combat, including the creation of the infamous [[Ken Combo]]. Later, Ken incorporated other advanced techniques, such as [[wavedashing]], into Marth's metagame, and showed how powerfully he could punish enemies off small mistakes and reads. Because of this, Ken is credited for largely improving Marth's metagame. Ken, and a handful of other top Marth mains such as {{Sm|Azen}}, are credited for moving Marth up to the top tier for years to come, usually around the second to fourth highest spot on the list. Marth's first drop into the high tier since then was in the eighth tier list (July 2006), where he dropped to fourth place. However, in the ninth tier list (October 2008), he again moved up to second place, before dropping to fifth place in the tenth list (September 2010), rising to fourth in the eleventh tier list (July 2013), and rising to 3rd in the twelfth (current) tier list as of December 2015.

In the post-''Brawl'' metagame, however, professional opinions of Marth began declining. After Jason "{{Sm|Mew2King}}" Zimmerman's absolute dominance with Marth for a short time span around ''Brawl'''s release, Marth mains began falling in tournament placings as previous Marth mains retired and newer players learned to exploit his weaknesses. Mew2King eventually switched to playing primarily {{SSBM|Sheik}}, and up-and-coming Marth players, such as {{Sm|Tai}} and {{Sm|PewPewU}}, were far too inconsistent at the time to place well in larger tournaments. This led to questionable claims by certain players about Marth's viability. Upon returning to the scene briefly in 2012, Ken claimed that Marth was a mid-tier character who lost in every important top-tier matchup. Mew2King's personal tier list in 2014 decisively ranked Marth as fifth because in his opinion, while Marth can punish the entire cast solidly, he gets punished too easily in return, leading to losing matchups against Fox, Falco, Sheik, and Jigglypuff on all non-[[Final Destination]] stages.

Despite this, new innovations in the modern metagame by the aforementioned PewPewU and {{Sm|PPMD}}, as well as [http://smashboards.com/threads/kadano%E2%80%99s-perfect-marth-class%E2%80%94advanced-frame-data-application.337035/ frame data compiled by various community members such as Kadano], have maintained Marth's viability and changed several opinions concerning his tier placement. PPMD's victory at [[Apex 2015]], where he beat several Fox players using primarily Marth, showed that despite Marth's more apparent weaknesses today, he remains a character who can win large, top-level tournaments.
====PAL viability====
Like several other top-tier characters, Marth was nerfed in the PAL version of ''Melee''. His down aerial, a powerful spike in NTSC, had its launch angle changed in PAL, making it an equally powerful meteor smash. As one of Marth's staple moves can now be [[meteor cancel]]led, impairing his ability to finish off opponents quickly and throwing a wrench in the consistency of the infamous [[Ken combo]], it may seem as if Marth is worse in PAL overall. However, Marth still retains many other options to KO enemies, and has several other potent (albeit less reliable) options to substitute for down aerial in the aforementioned Ken combo and other combos, such as his neutral aerial or a reverse [[Dolphin Slash]]. Marth was also made slightly lighter, which slightly impairs his survivability, but allows him to escape several of {{SSBM|Fox}}'s waveshine follow-ups. The most notable option loss for Fox is waveshine to [[grab]], which greatly impairs Fox's ability to rack up damage on Marth by converting from a shine and forces Fox players to use weaker options instead.

Because some other top-tier characters, such as Fox or {{SSBM|Sheik}}, were nerfed more significantly than he was, Marth has a much easier time fighting against them than he does in NTSC, as he maintains almost all of the advantages he has against those characters, while losing several of the shortcomings that made those matchups difficult. Aside from the aforementioned loss of several waveshine follow-ups for Fox, Marth also able to edgeguard Fox more efficiently, due to the nerf in [[Fire Fox]]'s recovery distance. Sheik's disadvantages in the neutral game are still prevalent against Marth, as she must still cope with his range. However, Sheik's grab is much less of a punishment threat than it is in NTSC, as its launch angle does not guarantee KO setups (such as forward aerial or up aerial) in PAL. These newfound advantages, as well as various other changes to Marth's matchups, make Marth arguably stronger relative to the cast than he is in NTSC. This is reflected in the PAL tier list, where Marth is ranked 2nd, a decent improvement over his recent positions in the NTSC list. However, despite Marth's theoretical superiority in PAL, there are very few notable Marth mains in PAL regions; the only notable ones are {{Sm|Ice}}, who now plays primarily Fox and used more Sheik over Marth in the past, and {{Sm|Salepate}}, who performs poorly outside of France.

==In single-player modes==

===In {{SSBM|Classic Mode}}===
In Classic Mode, Marth can appear in one-on-one matches, team battles alongside {{SSBM|Link}} and {{SSBM|Zelda}}, and as a metal opponent in the mode's penultimate stage. In his appearances, bar his metal match, Marth appears on [[Great Bay]]. On a team with Zelda, he appears on [[Temple]]. In all such instances, the track "Fire Emblem" plays on the stage, which does not occur in any other mode. Unusually, this does not happen when fighting Marth + Link, during which it will still play the "Great Bay" theme.

===In [[Adventure Mode]]===

Marth makes no appearances in the game's single-player Adventure Mode. Music associated with him, however, can play in the [[Underground Maze]].

===In [[All-Star Mode]]===

In All-Star Mode, Marth and his allies are fought on [[Fountain of Dreams]], as Marth was not designated a specific home stage. When fought on the stage, the track "Fire Emblem" plays instead of the standard music.

===In [[Event Matches]]===

Marth appears in multiple Event Matches:
*'''[[Event 40: All-Star Match 4]]''': Marth is the first opponent fought in this series of staged battles. The selected character battles him on the [[Temple]] stage with a stock of 2 while Marth has 1. With a timer of four minutes, the player must defeat him and the other four characters one-by-one with the overall time and damage: {{SSBM|Luigi}}, {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}, {{SSBM|Mewtwo}}, and {{SSBM|Mr. Game & Watch}}.
*'''[[Event 41: En Garde!]]''': A one-on-one battle between the player as Marth and the enemy {{SSBM|Link}} on the Temple stage, with the two characters having 2 stock each and unlimited time. 
*'''[[Event 46: Fire Emblem Pride]]''': The player battles and must defeat a team of Marth and Roy in an untimed match in the Hyrule Temple stage, with all three characters receiving 3 stock.

===Ending images===

<gallery>
File:MarthClassicMode.jpg|Classic Mode.
File:MarthAdventureMode.jpg|Adventure Mode.
File:MarthAllStarMode.jpg|All-Star Mode.
</gallery>

==Japanese translations==
Marth is considerably more verbose than Roy in the games, speaking in the [[Results screen]], in his taunt and during his Counter if it activates. He also has one unused soundbite. 

*Marth's taunt in battle is "{{ja|皆、見ていてくれ！}}" "Minna, miteite kure!" which translates to "Everyone, please watch me!".
*Marth's counter move is performed while saying "{{ja|そこだ！}}" "Soko da!" or "{{ja|させるものか}}！" "Saseru mono ka!" which roughly translates to "There!" and "I won't allow that!" respectively.
*Marth's three possible victory statements are:
**"{{ja|今回は僕の勝ちだね。}}" "Konkai wa boku no kachi da ne?" which translates to "This time it's my victory, isn't it?"
**"{{ja|今日も生き延びることが出来た。}}" "Kyou mo ikinobiru koto ga dekita", which translates to "Today, I have survived." (Possibly referencing the permanent death system in his own series)
**"{{ja|僕は負ける訳には行かないんだ。}}" "Boku wa makeru wake-ni wa ikanain'da!" which translates to "There's no way I can lose!"
*In the Debug Menu of the game, Marth has an additional phrase that he does not say in the game: "{{ja|レッツダンス！}}" "Rettsu dansu!", the English phrase "Let's Dance!" approximated phonetically in Japanese.

==Trophy descriptions==
In addition to the normal trophy about Marth as a character, there are two trophies about him as a fighter, unlocked by completing the Classic, Adventure and All-Star modes respectively with Marth on any difficulty.
:'''Marth''' ''(Classic)'':
:''The betrayed prince of the Kingdom of Altea, the blood of the hero Anri flows in Marth's veins. He was forced into exile when the kingdom of Dolua invaded Altea. Then, wielding his divine sword Falchion, he led a revolt and defeated the dark dragon Medeus. Afterwards, Altea was annihilated by King Hardin of Akanea.''
:*Fire Emblem
:*Japan Only 

:'''Marth''' ''(Adventure)'':
:''Marth is a magnificent swordsman. While his swordplay is faster than that of [[Link]], he lacks power, and his quickness is offset by a marginal endurance. His Shield Breaker gains power the longer it's held. The Dancing Blade combination uses both the Control Stick and the B Button to produce a series of up to four attacks.''
:*B: [[Shield Breaker]]
:*Smash B: [[Dancing Blade]]

:'''Marth''' ''(All-Star)'':
:''The tip of Marth's blade causes the most damage, so you should try to create adequate distance between you and your enemy to gracefully strike with that point. Marth's Dolphin Slash is fast and powerful, but it leaves him vulnerable upon landing. Marth uses Counter to block a foe's attack and deal a return strike. If you're fighting a Counter-happy Marth, grab him.''
:*Up & B: [[Dolphin Slash]]
:*Down & B: [[Counter]]

<center>
<gallery>
File:Marth Trophy Melee.png|Marth [Classic Mode] trophy
File:Marth Trophy (Smash).png|Marth [Smash, Adventure Mode] trophy
File:Marth Trophy (Smash 2).png|Marth [Smash, All-Star Mode] trophy
</gallery>
</center>

==[[Alternate costume (SSBM)#Marth|Alternate costumes]]==
[[File:Marth Palette (SSBM).png|frame|center|Marth's alternate costumes in ''Melee''.]]

==Trivia==
*Marth is the only newcomer and unlockable character to have a clone.
*Marth and {{SSBM|Roy}} are the only characters in ''Melee'' that speak Japanese in all language versions of the game. 
*Marth and Roy are the only playable characters in ''Melee'' that do not have a stage representing their universe, though hacked data shows that [[AKANEIA|one was planned.]] 
**As a result of not having a stage, Marth is fought on the [[Fountain of Dreams]] in All-Star Mode and his character unlock battle. In Event Matches, he appears in [[Temple]], and in Classic Mode, he appears on [[Great Bay]].
*Marth, Roy, and {{SSBM|Peach}} are the only characters in ''Melee'' with a special move that can counter.
*Along with Roy, Marth was originally planned to be a Japan-exclusive character in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee'', but was kept in all versions on request of an employee at Nintendo of America. Global interest in the ''Fire Emblem'' series began as a result of their success in ''Super Smash Bros. Melee''.
*All of Marth's aerial attacks when tippered deal the same amount of damage (13% damage); he is the only character in the game to have this trait.
*In the {{SSBM|debug menu}}, Marth is known as "MARS" likely to keep the game close to his Japanese pronunciation. 
**Coincidently, this coincides with his name in the Fire Emblem OVA, which was based off of the third game in the series, ''Mystery of the Emblem'', which revolves around Marth's adventures. 

{{SSBMCharacters}}
{{Fire Emblem universe}}
[[Category:Marth (SSBM)]]
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