Editing Marth (SSBU)

{{Disambig2|Marth's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''|the character in other contexts|Marth}}

'''Marth''' ({{ja|マルス|Marusu}}, ''Marth'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. Like all veterans, he was officially confirmed as a playable character on June 12th, 2018. As in his appearances prior to ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', he is [[unlockable character|unlockable]], instead of being available from the [[starter character|start]]. Marth is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #21]].

This is the first time in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series where Marth is not solely voiced in Japanese. In international releases, Marth is voiced in English by {{s|wikipedia|Yuri Lowenthal}}, who reprises his role from {{uvm|Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.}} onwards. {{s|wikipedia|Hikaru Midorikawa}} reprises his role in the Japanese version, with newly recorded voice clips for the first time since ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''.<ref name="nindsp">Nintendo Dream (February 2019) interview ([https://nintendoeverything.com/sakurai-on-smash-bros-ultimate-his-health-choosing-bosses-and-spirits-new-stages-much-more/ translation])</ref>

Marth is ranked 55th out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing him in the C+ tier. This is a large drop from his placement of 11th/12th out of 54 in ''SSB4'' where he was tied with {{SSB4|Ryu}}, and is the second largest drop for a veteran in the transition from SSB4 to Ultimate, and is his worst placement in the series to date. This is also a significant drop compared to his [[Echo Fighter]], {{SSBU|Lucina}}, who is currently ranked 28th out of 82 and is placed in the A- tier. This drastic difference in tier placement is due to Marth's reliance on landing tipper hits to get KOs. This combined with ''Ultimate''{{'}}s faster engine and removal of certain microspacing techniques (such as [[perfect pivoting]]) makes it more inconsistent at landing those sweetspots and netting KOs, while his sourspots, though effective for setting up combos and tech-chases, struggle to take stocks even at high percentages. Lucina's attacks, on the other hand, deal the same amount of damage and knockback regardless of where on her sword the attack lands, giving her more consistent KO capabilities.

*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Yoshi}} or any character in his unlock tree, being the 2nd character unlocked after {{SSBU|Lucario}}.

With the exception of the third method, Marth must then be defeated on [[Castle Siege]]. In World of Light, he is fought on {{SSBU|Final Destination}}.

Marth is considered to be emblematic of swordfighters; his playstyle revolves around [[spacing]] utilizing his unique signature [[tipper]] mechanic to deal high [[damage]] and [[knockback]] at a distance from his opponent. He is a low-middle [[weight]] swordfighter boasting high overall mobility, notably sporting the fastest [[walk]]ing speed in the game (tied with his [[Echo Fighter]], {{SSBU|Lucina}}), a fast [[dash]]ing speed coupled with the 6th fastest initial dash, average [[air speed]], above-average [[air acceleration]], moderate [[falling speed]], and low [[gravity]].

Marth's playstyle, as in of his other playable appearances, revolves around effective [[spacing]], due to his aforementioned [[tipper]] mechanic granting most of his sword attacks more [[damage]] and [[knockback]] near the tip of the sword, although he can now utilize his sourspot hitboxes more effectively for setting up combos and tech-chases due to his increased mobility and reduced landing lag on aerials, repurposing his former heavily spacing focused playstyle from ''SSB4'' into a more dynamic one that utilizes sourspots to initiate kill confirms and extend combos at higher percents to complement his efficient spacing game. His above average frame data, paired with his high mobility, grant him an effective although linear approach against characters that outrange him with longer disjoints or projectiles, whereas his multiple attacks with low startup and wide [[range]] all-around allow Marth to space around brawlers with lower range, this combination of traits permit him to adapt to different gameplans and characters.

Marth maintains well above-average KO potential in addition to his speed and maneuverability, with his sweet spotted attacks boasting impressive damage and knockback. His [[forward tilt]] is one of his most reliable tools on the ground, possessing a good range and a sweetspot that is easy to hit with, especially above Marth. It is good for closing out stocks as it can KO as early as 95% near the edge while remaining relatively safe. His [[down tilt]] is a safe poking tool when spaced and sets up a tech chase situation starting at 60%, and his [[up tilt]] covers a relatively wide area around Marth himself and is among the strongest of its kind in the game. Dash attack possesses extraordinarily high base knockback, KO'ing most fighters when landed at the very edge at roughly 65%, even if forward tilt surpasses it in most other scenarios. His aerials also possess high damage and knockback when sweetspotted, and combined with his aerial maneuverability, grant him a respectable air game. When tippered, his forward smash can KO before 40% next to the ledge while uncharged, making it one of the most deceptively powerful forward smashes in the game, while his up smash can KO as early as 60%, earlier if Marth is standing on a platform. The meteor smash of his down aerial, while requiring exact timing and spacing to connect, can not only gimp recoveries but also bounce opponents off the ground in such a way that it can immediately chain into tippered attacks such as forward and up smash at medium percentages, and aerials at higher percentages. His tipper mechanic benefits greatly from stages with low platforms such as {{SSBU|Battlefield}}, allowing Marth to tipper with much more ease against opponents using forward tilt, up tilt, and especially his forward smash by covering said platforms with mostly the tipper areas of said attacks. Higher platforms follow a similar pattern except with his aerials, most notably up aerial. In essence, Marth can make a single correct move at the correct time to cut an opponent's stock short suddenly and very early, especially when playing close to the edge.

While Marth's tipper has great KO power, the larger hitboxes of his sourspots provide benefits as well; thanks to their lower damage and knockback, they allow him to effectively [[combo]] into attacks one after another at a wider range of percentages. Most commonly, sourspotted neutral aerial when [[Short_hop|short hopped]] repeatedly allows Marth to carry an opponent across the stage at low percentages and rack up damage, and up tilt sets up into aerial-based combos and juggles if it connects late. His neutral aerial's first hit also acts as an effective combo starter and extender when sourspotted and landed as close to the ground as possible, as well as his up aerial. He also benefits from being one of the few characters in the game who can outright [[KO]] through effective play of his [[neutral]] and [[spacing]] game; essentially, while Marth's neutral reward is not as rewarding or damaging as some characters, Marth has the ability to win neutral exchanges with relative ease and safety, as well as having consistent set-ups and follow-ups.

Marth's advantage state as a whole is considerably strong. His combination of good [[speed]] and [[range]] give him powerful [[juggling]] capabilities, as he can easily [[dash]] to where a falling opponent might land and catch them with his wide attacks, especially his up tilt and up aerial. His fast and disjointed hitboxes also allow him to challenge the opponent's falling attacks safely, and his tipper only further complements this. Because of this, Marth has an easy time keeping opponents in the air and racking up damage with his up tilt and powerful up aerial. These traits also grant him strong [[edgeguarding]] abilities, as his wide aerials can cover enemy movement well, and when tippered can outright [[KO]] offstage opponents thanks to their power. Moreover, his general [[floatiness]] also allows him to recover back to the stage after [[edgeguarding]] attempts fairly safely.

Marth's special moveset provides interesting options as well; his [[neutral special]], the aptly named [[Shield Breaker]], deals very high [[shield damage]], even when uncharged, and is useful for covering rolls and landings. It's best used while descending from the air when the opponent is most likely to expect a simple aerial and shield accordingly, and can even be used off-stage to challenge opponents that shield next to the edge intending to cover Marth's ledge recovery options. [[Dancing Blade]] is a four-hit [[combo]] that can be used to punish sidesteps and rolls, as well as effectively rack up damage. The final upward hit immediately puts the opponent into a disadvantaged state, and the final downward hits deal high damage. The final neutral hit can serve as an effective KOing option at higher percents, but if it successfully tippers, it can KO as early as 70% at the edge with no rage. More situationally, the first hit of Dancing Blade by itself can be used as a knowledge check on opponents: although it cannot truly combo into anything other than the rest of the move, if an opponent is not prepped to escape after getting hit by the near-instant strike, it can be used extend strings in the air, be followed up with the first hit of neutral aerial, and assist in gimping recoveries by interrupting unprepared opponents off-stage. However, those who are aware of the gap after the hit can escape with relative ease, so its use is not recommended at higher level. [[Dolphin Slash]] has quick [[startup]], provides slight intangibility during its startup frames, is relatively strong when it first comes out and has high [[knockback scaling]]. These attributes make it an excellent out-of-shield option and combo breaker, whilst also giving him an easy and reliable combo finisher and KO option. It is also Marth's primary method of [[recovery]], as its speed can make it difficult to intercept, and it can stage [[spike]] reckless edge guarders. Lastly, [[Counter]] provides him with the capability to reverse attacks with 1.2× the damage, KOing if the attack was strong enough; it can also be used against opponents with slow and easily predictable recoveries.

Despite his strengths, Marth has some notable weaknesses. The most severe of these is his extreme reliance on tippers and spacing ability, which gives him a subpar up-close game at higher percents, and makes it more difficult for Marth to KO and threaten faster characters such as {{SSBU|Pikachu}}, {{SSBU|Fox}}, and {{SSBU|Sonic}}, who rapidly pass in and out of Marth's 'Goldilocks zone' of tippers when engaging him at close range. The low [[shieldstun]] and [[hitstun]] generated by non-tippered moves make it possible for opponents to act out quicker than he can, causing Marth to struggle against shields if his attacks are improperly spaced, and [[Shield Breaker]] is highly punishable if predicted. His [[tipper]] mechanic can equally disadvantage him when attempting to KO, as his attacks do not generate much [[knockback]] if not spaced properly, making his KO potential very inconsistent without proper spacing and understanding of his effect ranges (most notably with [[forward smash]], [[forward tilt]], and aerials). Lastly, his [[edgeguarding]] ability, though strong, is flawed, both due to the need for tippers to definitively gimp recoveries and the moderately high [[ending lag]] on his aerials. As a result, Marth is reliant on being in a certain distance for his moves to be safe while retaining the neutral. Additionally, unlike in past iterations, Marth can have a fairly difficult time consistently landing his tipper sweetspots to begin with as a result of the faster engine and alterations to his hitboxes that made his tipper smaller. His ability to KO effectively other than a raw tippered move in [[Neutral_game|neutral]] exists in rare and difficult setups that are heavily affected by individual character [[Hitbox|hurtboxes]], player [[Directional_influence|DI]], and Marth's own [[rage]], and eventually disappear once his opponent reaches an especially high percentage. This leaves him very little choice but to 'fish' for an aforementioned tipper, a sourspotted smash attack, any of his specials, or an edgeguard scenario, up until the point where the opponent is at an extreme percentage that even a non-tippered stray hit or up throw can KO; This phenomenon is referred to by the community as "Marthritis", and with the exception of the edgeguard scenario, most of these aforementioned moves remain unsafe if the sourspot is shielded or the move whiffs completely, leaving him an easy target for punishment.

Compounding the difficulty Marth experiences trying to land his tipper, the increased knockback granted by tippered attacks can actually conflict with moves that consist of multiple hits, causing them to fail to correctly sweetspot or even connect on all hits unless at very specific percentages and ranges. These include his neutral attack, neutral aerial, and most notoriously [[Dancing Blade]]; Due to the changes to Dancing Blade, it is much harder for an opponent to fall or DI out of the sequence but it is also harder for Marth specifically to land more than one tipper in any use of the move. Should he tipper any earlier hits of these aforementioned attacks, it is highly likely that the opponent will be knocked too far away for the later ones to even connect. This means that Marth ''must'' initiate each of those moves from the sourspotted areas in order for them to function correctly, and carefully time the strikes of Dancing Blade to tipper the finishers. As a result, Dancing Blade's high KO potential is offset by not only the difficulty of landing the tippered finisher, but also by it intrinsically having lower damage output than other characters' version of the move.

Marth's weak [[throws]] tie into his polarized KO power. Except for up throw, they have low knockback scaling, preventing them from KOing at realistic percents, while up throw can only KO starting at 170% when Marth has no [[rage]]. His other throws are somewhat lackluster; aside from having a fairly fast [[pummel]], Marth's throws deal low damage and have high base knockback, making them poor for combos and damage-racking outside of [[down throw]] leading into an aerial until high percents. However, it should be noted that the high base knockback of his throws allow Marth to take advantage of his good [[edgeguarding]] capability, especially at the [[edge]].

Another notable weakness is Marth's difficulty in escaping from [[juggle]]s, despite being good at juggling opponents himself; his air speed is average at best, his gravity is fairly low, his weight is slightly below-average and his tall hurtbox provides an easy target. Dolphin Slash is his only reliable combo breaker, but as it leaves him helpless, it can inadvertently put him in an even worse position. Also, while Counter can be used defensively, it leaves Marth extremely vulnerable to punishment should it whiff. Marth also has little defense against juggling, as his aerials are ineffective at relieving pressure; though his attacks have quick startup and decent range, many of them come with high ending lag, their large sourspots are fairly weak compared to most other aerials, and they also suffer from short hitbox durations. Additionally, being a solely sword-based character, Marth's [[neutral game]] suffers from his complete lack of a projectile, and he can sometimes struggle against projectile-heavy characters and playstyles; however, his combination of high mobility, good range and decent frame data helps to alleviate this issue.

Marth himself is somewhat vulnerable to edgeguarding, though he has options for mix-ups with his recovery. Dolphin Slash is his only reliable vertical recovery option, and while it is still a threat to edgeguarders due to its speed, frame 1 intangibility and high stage spike ability, its path is linear and its distance fixed, making it fairly predictable. Additionally, since this move grants little horizontal distance, Marth is vulnerable to semi-spikes. While Shield Breaker can aid his horizontal recovery, it covers little distance without charging and does not halt his existing vertical momentum either. Marth is also heavily reliant on his double jump and directional air dodge for mix-ups in his recovery, and is in significant danger if offstage without either of them.

Overall, Marth's strengths outweigh his weaknesses. While his reliance on spacing and overall safety hinders him in many ways, his high overall mobility, long and disjointed [[range]], above-average frame data and good damage output make up for it, while his punishes are decently strong overall even if the stronger ones are fairly inconsistent. In general, while he is usually considered a good character, he is also seen as weaker and more difficult to use than his Echo Fighter Lucina. Marth has received among the worst results and representation in the [[metagame]] of ''Ultimate''; even if he is not weak, he is considered to be outclassed by Lucina competitively, who shares many of Marth's strengths with lesser weaknesses. However, starting from updates 8.0.0 and 12.0.0, players have started to have a more positive outlook on Marth as a number of his tipper hitboxes were buffed, making them easier to land and overall making him a more consistent character. This has led to the gap between him and Lucina becoming somewhat less polarizing, with some players noting his potential to rise up in the metagame.

 

==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==

Marth has been a high-ranking character in all of his appearances in the series, with both ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'' ranking him as one of the best characters, and although ''SSB4'' initially heavily nerfed him, he was significantly buffed by game updates, allowing him to be ranked favorably once again. Possibly as a result of this, Marth has received a mixture of buffs and nerfs in his transition to ''Ultimate'', but he has been nerfed overall.

Marth benefits from some of the changes to the game's engine. The ability to [[dash cancel]] into any attack improves his grounded spacing ability (especially for his tilt attacks), and allow him to bait attacks with [[fox-trot]]ting; this is all further compounded by his fast running speed and greatly improved initial dash. The reduced landing lag on his aerials also makes them safer for spacing and approaching, while also enhancing their combo ability, giving the sourspots better safety on hit on landing and more reliable kill confirms into [[tipper]]ed attacks. The changes to [[air dodge]] mechanics also enhance his juggling and edge guarding capabilities, as they provide less leeway for opponents to recover against his wide aerials, further improving his edgeguarding game.

When it comes to direct changes, [[Dancing Blade]] has been sped up greatly, making its hits link into each other much more consistently, and the tippered fourth forward hit has significantly higher knockback, being able to KO at much lower percentages than before. The ability to angle [[Shield Breaker]] vertically increases the move's coverage, to the point the down angled version will always tipper in a successful [[edge#2 frame punish|2 frame punish]]. Many of his moves such as dash attack, up tilt, up aerial and down aerial are easier to tipper, while some of them are also stronger in both damage and knockback.

However, Marth has received some noteworthy, direct nerfs, most notably to his KO ability and [[neutral attack]]. Some of Marth's attacks, like his sourspotted forward smash and Dancing Blade's fourth forward hit, as well as his tippered forward aerial now deal less knockback, whereas his neutral, forward and back aerials have had their hitbox positionings worsened, making landing the tippers slightly more difficult. Additionally, his up throw is slightly weaker as well. This makes it more important for Marth to carefully space his attacks in order to land his tippers to finish strings to deal more damage and score KOs. His neutral attack, previously an excellent combo starter and neutral tool due to its first hit, has been altered as with most neutral attacks so that it can only follow up into the second hit from the first, removing its powerful [[jab cancel]] from ''SSB4'' that was useful to Marth's gameplan in exchange of more situational jab [[lock]] capabilities.

Marth's specials and grab game have also been weakened. [[Dolphin Slash]] and [[Counter]] are a bit more punishable than before, and Dancing Blade deals less damage in exchange for its improved linking potential. On top of the worsened KO ability on his up throw, forward throw has also lost its combo potential, which weakens Marth's options against shields.

Despite benefitting from some of them, Marth has been also hindered by the gameplay mechanics, due to his defensive playstyle. Particularly, the universal increase in mobility, while improving his approach and further increasing his already fast mobility, has also made landing his tippers more difficult, as the game's faster pace encourages aggressive playstyles more than in ''SSB4''. The removal of perfect pivoting and lack of quick, safe, and reliable grounded micro spacing options further magnifies his spacing troubles. On top of it, Marth's already linear recovery was also made more telegraphed by the changes to air dodging as well as the reduction in [[edge sweet spot]] size, making him easier to edgeguard and thus worsening his survivability. Lastly, the weakening of rage weakens Marth's ability to close out stocks at ludicrously low percentages.

Overall, the buffs Marth got and the benefits he gained from the engine do not compensate for the nerfs he received and the hindrances the engine has also indirectly given him, as Marth now has a harder time landing his tipper sweet spots, which is especially troublesome as he relies on spacing in order to KO opponents below high percentages. In addition, the knockback nerfs to some of his attacks have made it more difficult for him to consistently KO his opponents at low percentages. This causes Marth to shift to a more offensive playstyle, where he relies more on his sourspotted hits to combo his opponents while remaining at a safe distance from where he can poke them with tippered attacks. Game updates have remedied some of Marth's issues, making it slightly easier and more rewarding for him to land some of his tipper hitboxes and slightly improving his dash grab range, though these buffs did not raise his standing significantly. As a result, Marth performs worse in ''Ultimate'' compared to ''SSB4'', and is generally seen as inferior to his Echo Fighter and semi-clone, {{SSBU|Lucina}} and {{SSBU|Roy}}, who are widely regarded as more rewarding than him and thus superior as a result.

{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Marth}}

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/1.1.0|char=Marth}}

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.0.0|char=Marth}}

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|8.0.0}}'''

 

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/12.0.0|char=Marth}}

|neutralname=Slash ({{ja|スラッシュ|Surasshu}}) / Combination Slash ({{ja|コンビネーションスラッシュ|Konbinēshon Surasshu}})

|neutraldesc=Slashes Falchion twice in front of himself. The first hit's tipper pulls opponents toward Marth, ensuring that the second hit connects, although connecting it into the tippered second hit can be difficult. The first hit can also [[jab lock]].

|ftiltname=Hard Edge ({{ja|ハードエッジ|Hādo Ejji}})

|ftiltdesc=A fast upward swipe while leaning forward. It has a large arc that is useful for spacing and deals quite strong knockback when tippered, KOing middleweights at the edge around 100%. On the other hand, it deals much weaker knockback if untippered, being incapable of sending foes into a tumble until mid percents, making it very unsafe if spaced improperly. The tipper can hit opponents standing on top of some platforms. Based on Marth's attack from ''Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light''.

|utiltname=Anti-air Slash ({{ja|アンチエアスラッシュ|Anchi Ea Surasshu}})

|utiltdmg=6% (blade), 5% (body), 10% (tip)

|utiltdesc=Swings Falchion in a large arc above his head, with a large hitbox that can hit enemies behind him. Can combo into itself or aerials at low percentages and KO at high percents when tippered. Covers platforms very well and is useful for juggling, and as of update 12.0, when tippered it is the 6th strongest up tilt in the game, narrowly beating {{SSBU|Roy}}’s and only losing to {{SSBU|King Dedede}}’s.

|dtiltname=Low Thrust ({{ja|ロースラスト|Rō Surasuto}})

|dtiltdesc=A quick crouching sword poke. Has the lowest ending lag out of Marth's tilts, making it useful for interrupting grounded approaches and creating space. Deals [[semi-spike]] knockback, making it useful for edgeguarding. The tipper knocks opponents into a [[tumble]] around roughly 60%, with the blade hit starting to do so around roughly 120%, which can force opponents into a [[tech chase]] situation.

|dashname=Raid Chop ({{ja|レイドチョップ|Reido Choppu}})

|dashdmg=9% (body), 10% (blade), 13% (tip)

|dashdesc=A quick, running, upward-sweeping diagonal slash. It is rather slow for a dash attack but deals quite high knockback if tippered; This move sports impressively high base knockback but poor knockback growth, capable of KO'ing lightweights at around 80% at ledge and yet being incapable of KO'ing those same characters from center stage until around 130%. It has notable ending lag and very low hit lag if untippered, making it rather unsafe against shields, especially since the tipper is quite hard to connect with. The ability to use the faster, safer, and more consistent forward tilt out of dash makes this move's use rather niche. Resembles Marth's attack after sprinting toward an enemy in ''Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light''.

|fsmashname=Dragon Killer ({{ja|ドラゴンキラー|Doragon Kirā}})

|fsmashdesc=Rotates his body counterclockwise with a strong overarching one-handed swing from his head to the ground. Very fast startup at frame 10 (tied with several others for the fastest of any forward smash), but high ending lag. Although lackluster when hit with the blade, only beginning to KO starting from 115% at ledge and much later at center stage, the tipper of this attack has incredible knockback, being able to KO middleweights at 70% from the stage's center and as low as 40% near the edge. This makes it incredibly potent compared to other forward smashes with the same damage output, and when the speed difference versus forward smashes of similar KO potential is taken into account, it becomes one of the strongest forward smashes in the game. Due to its fast startup and the upwards angle of the initial hitbox, it can be combo'd into for a kill with his sourspot up aerial at certain percentages. The tipper is capable of 2-framing at the ledge, allowing for incredibly early KOs.  Similar to some of Marth's attacks with the Falchion in ''Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light''.

|usmashname=Justice Sword ({{ja|ジャスティスソード|Jasutisu Sōdo}})

|usmashdesc=A quick, upward thrust based on a pose Marth does many times in his games. The weak grounded hit can knock nearby opponents into the main attack. Good for aerial protection and chasing down landing opponents. If tippered, it deals extremely high knockback to the point where it becomes one of the strongest up smashes in the game, although this is difficult to do unless an opponent falls directly on top of Marth from a considerable height. However, to make up, it is one of Marth’s few untippered attacks that can reliably K.O. The grounded hit may occasionally fail to connect to the main attack if their percent is high enough.

|dsmashname=Whirlwind ({{ja|ワールウインド|Wāru'uindo}})

|dsmashdesc=Sweeps Falchion on the ground toward the front-outward then toward the back inward. The back hit has much stronger power, while the front hit is somewhat weak unless tippered, where it will do considerable knockback. It also has high ending lag.

|nairname=Double Slash ({{ja|ダブルスラッシュ|Daburu Surasshu}})

|nairdesc=Two horizontal slashes around himself via an inward slash followed into a full 360° outward spin. The second hit can hit on both sides of Marth and can be used to create space by short hopping then fast-falling immediately after using the move in the air. The first hit has very low knockback scaling, which, combined with [[fast fall]]ing and the move's low landing lag, allows it to combo into many of Marth's tilts, and even his forward smash, even up to around 175%. The second hit's tipper has strong knockback, KOing middleweights at the edge around 100%, making it one of the strongest neutral airs in the game.

|fairname=Flag Cut ({{ja|フラッグカット|Furaggu Katto}})

|fairdesc=Does a descending crescent slash in front of him with great coverage. This is Marth's best tool for air combat, and its reasonably low landing lag and strong tipper make it very safe when spaced properly. Its tipper is also decently strong, KOing middleweights at the edge around 130%. Around 21% with the tipper, or around 36% with the sour spot, it begins to knock opponents into a tumble, which can force a tech chase situation. Similar to the animation some units have when attacking in ''Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light''.

|bairname=About Face ({{ja|アッパースイング|Appā Suingu}}, ''Upper Swing'')

|bairdesc=An upward crescent slash behind him in an inward swipe. It has the interesting property of turning Marth around, changing the direction he is facing. Similar use to his forward aerial, although with more knockback and a smaller hitbox. It can be used a few frames before landing to catch opponents with a tipped blow, with correct spacing. Has a rather strong tipper given its speed, KOing middleweights at the edge around 100%.

|uairname=Luna Slash ({{ja|ルナスラッシュ|Runa Surasshu}})

|dairname=Halfmoon ({{ja|ハーフムーン|Hāfumūn}})

|dairdesc=A downward, wide crescent slash with large coverage. If the attack connects in the middle of the swinging arc (directly below Marth), it serves as a powerful meteor smash. However, the meteor smash window lasts only one frame (frame 11) and is weak compared to other meteor smashes with the same damage output, and even weaker than some with a lower damage output, like Mario’s forward aerial (which does 14%). However, its lack of power compared to others can make it great for kill setups, such as the grounded meteor smash combined with a tippered up smash or forward smash. It can also be useful against [[cross-up]]s and as an [[out of shield]] option as it starts behind Marth and covers a wide area below him.

|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 and speed.

|fthrowname=Elbowbutt ({{ja|エルボーバット|Erubōbatto}})

|fthrowdesc=An elbow strike with his sword arm. While it has little to no use onstage, its medium launch angle makes it great for setting up edgeguards.

|bthrowname=Leg Hooker ({{ja|レッグフッカー|Reggu Fukkā}})

|bthrowdesc=Tosses the opponent over his leg, sending them behind him. Its high base knockback allows him to set up edge guarding, but it cannot combo or KO reliably.

|uthrowname=Casting ({{ja|キャスティング|Kyasutingu}})

|dthrowname=Grab Drop ({{ja|グラブドロップ|Gurabu Doroppu}})

|floortdesc=Stabs behind him then slashes in front of himself before getting up.

|nsdmg=8%/9% (uncharged), 22%/24% (fully charged)

|nsdesc=Marth assumes a readying stance and charges Falchion at chest level before powerfully thrusting it forward. This attack deals massive [[shield damage]] even when uncharged, and will instantly break shields at full charge, although it can be safely [[perfect shield]]ed. The aerial version gives Marth a very slight horizontal boost, while a fully charged aerial version will thrust Marth in whatever direction he's facing, giving him a strong horizontal recovery option, albeit with a very high startup. Deals very high knockback when tippered, making it a powerful KOing option, (being one of the strongest neutral specials in the game) although it is still weaker than his tippered forward smash. It can be angled up or down, though this does not change the damage or knockback. The attack deals 1.15× regular damage if it hits the opponent's head.

|ssdesc=A sequence of sword slashes with several variations based on directional input. Four slashes total, with each capable of being altered in direction, allowing for eighteen total possible combinations. Standard strikes are trailed red, high strikes are trailed blue, and low strikes are trailed green (see table below for details and limits of the move). The first hitbox comes out on frame 9.

|usdesc=Marth performs a high-speed jumping uppercut slash that can be B-reversed. Has a powerful clean hit and grants very slight [[intangibility]] in the first few frames, which can easily cause stage-spikes under the right circumstances. Grants good vertical distance but is rather lacking in horizontal distance. It does not snap to the edge until after its hitbox is gone.

|dsdesc=Marth assumes a defensive stance and retaliates against incoming attacks. The power of the counterattack scales with the strength of the attack blocked. It starts up on frame 6 and lasts 22 frames. Ineffective against projectiles and attacks with a sufficiently long reach, such as many of {{SSBU|Shulk}}'s or {{SSBU|Simon}}'s tilts and smash attacks.

|fsdesc=Marth raises Falchion skyward, then lunges in one direction, attacking the first opponent he connects. Immense knockback, enough to [[one-hit KO]] any character on any roofless stage. This move is impossible to [[tech]] unless using Final Smash Meter or against Shulk's [[Monado Arts|Shield Monado Art]] at a very low percentage. Pressing the special button again will cause him to stop mid-dash.

| Second Hit (Up) || 2.5%/3% || An upwards lifting slash. It has greater vertical reach, but shorter horizontal reach than the first hit or the second neutral hit. Lifts opponents slightly off the ground, with the tipper hit pulling them in slightly. At high percents and when at a distance from the opponent, its shorter reach can be used to intentionally miss so that the last two hits can connect properly.

| Second Hit (Neutral) || 2.5%/3% || Does an inward slash. It has a slightly shorter hitbox than the first hit, which can lead to it sometimes missing if the first hit is landed from too far away. Deals very little knockback, even at extremely high percents. Can jab lock.

| Third Hit (Neutral) || 3%/4% || Takes a step forward and does a leaning outward slash. At close range, this can be used to combo into the neutral finisher's tipper by delaying it, although otherwise, this hit may push opponents too far away for the fourth hit to connect at all at high percents.

| Fourth Hit (Neutral) || 4%/6% || Turns counterclockwise, steps forward, and does very powerful vertical slash downward. This is the strongest finisher in regards to knockback. The tipper by itself will KO middleweights at the edge as low as 50%, but the hit is much weaker when not tippered, only beginning to KO around 130%. The tipper is notoriously small and hard to connect most of the time, as Marth needs to be in an exact position to land a tipper with the variant.

| Fourth Hit (Down) || 2% (hit 1-4), 4%/5% (hit 5) || Does a flurry of five lower stabs. Deals the most damage of the three finishers, wearing down shields well, and can shield poke low shields. Has the highest ending lag and the lowest knockback of the three finishers.

*'''Up taunt''': Hoists the Falchion into the air, emitting light from the tip while saying "This is it!" ({{ja|行くぞ！|Iku zo!}}, ''Let's go!'') Resembles his critical hit animation from ''[[Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light]]''.

*'''Side taunt''': Swings the Falchion once before resheathing it, saying "I won't lose!" ({{ja|僕は負けない！|Boku wa makenai!}}, ''I won't lose!'')

*'''Down taunt''': Swings the Falchion around and says "Keep your eyes open!" ({{ja|みんな、見ていてくれ！|Minna, miteite kure!}} ''Everyone, watch over me!'')

*'''Left:''' Performs Shield Breaker, then poses with Falchion at his right side, saying "The day is mine!" ("{{ja|今回は僕の勝ちだね。|Konkai wa boku no kachi da ne.}}", ''This time victory is mine.''). His ending pose mirrors his official artwork from '' Smash 4''.

*'''Up:''' Performs a flare with his sword before sheathing it, and while still gripping it, says "I live to fight again." ("{{ja|今日も生き延びることが出来た。|Kyō mo ikinobiru koto ga dekita.}}", ''I was able to survive again today.'').

*'''Right:''' Jumps in the air swinging his sword twice, then lands in a pose resembling his Counter animation, saying "I cannot afford to lose!" ("{{ja|僕は負ける訳には行かないんだ。|Boku wa makeru wake ni wa ikanainda.}}", ''I can't afford to lose.'').

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

 

 

*{{Sm|MkLeo|Mexico}} - Although uncommon, uses Marth from time and time as a counterpick and is considered one of the best Marth players in the world, notably ranking 1st on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]] with Marth. He notably won {{Trn|Ultimate Fighting Arena 2019}} using Marth in most of the sets and placed 4th at {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves 2023}} and 5th at {{Trn|Scuffed World Tour}}, notably using Marth to counterpick {{Sm|Riddles}}'s {{SSBU|Kazuya}} in the latter.

*{{Sm|Rizeasu|Japan}} - The best Marth player in the world. Notably won the superregional {{Trn|Sumabato SP 32}} and also placed 2nd at the major {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 14}} using Marth to win several crucial sets. He is also the only globally-ranked player who uses Marth as a main, with his highest being 49th on the [[LumiRank Mid-Year 2023]].

 

In stark contrast to pre-release ''Ultimate'', where it was speculated that Marth could be the best character in the game, Marth initially saw a near-nonexistent playerbase due to nerfs such as smaller tipper hitboxes and the removal of perfect pivoting to space tippers consistently. As a result of this, all of Marth's prominent players from ''Smash 4'' dropped him in favor of other characters, most notably his echo fighter {{SSBU|Lucina}}, who was widely considered to be more effective and easier than Marth as a character. Despite seeing brief usage from {{Sm|MkLeo}} in the second half of 2019, Marth was considered an "irrelevant" character in tournament play, with data collected from [[OrionRank]] co-founder {{Sm|Barnard's Loop}} showing that Marth had the third worst representation in the game in April 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/LoopBarnard/status/1252705963557208064|title=Barnard's Loop's stats}}</ref>

 

Subsequent patches buffed several of Marth's tipper hitboxes, making it easier to connect tippers reliably. Furthermore, since the end of the [[COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on competitive Smash|COVID-19 pandemic]], Marth's representation has steadily improved at locals and minor circuits, with success from players such as {{Sm|Kreeg}}, {{Sm|Ignaize}} and {{Sm|Rizeasu}}. Finally, MkLeo briefly brought the character back into his roster in late-2022 and early-2023, defeating players such as {{Sm|Riddles}} and {{Sm|Cosmos}}. As such, some players began arguing whether Marth was underrated in the metagame, due to the positive traits he shares with Lucina and other highly regarded sword-wielding characters, as well as the untapped potential from his tipper mechanic offering him high KO capabilities with safe disjoints. However, other players pointed to how his tipper hitboxes remained inconsistent despite the buffs and that his overall representation remained poor, often hovering around the bottom 10, with all of Marth's best players often using other characters alongside Marth. With little change in Marth's reputation in the post-online metagame, his placement has remained the same on the first two tier lists, ranking 54th on the first in B- tier, and dropping a spot to 55th on the second, although due to the restructuring of the tier list, he is now ranked in C+ tier.

Marth fights draconic opponents on various medieval-themed stages, referencing the prevalence of dragon enemies in all his games; moreover, his sword, [[Falchion]], was forged to slay dragons. The Mii Fighters sport dragon-themed costumes. As a reference to how Marth fights the dragon [[fireemblem:Medeus|Medeus]] as the final boss in his own games, he fights [[Rathalos]], a wyvern (clearly labeled as a dragon in the original Japanese), as the boss of his route. The name is also likely a reference to [[fireemblem:Dolhr|Dolhr]], a nation of [[fireemblem:Manakete|Manaketes]] (Dragon shapeshifters).

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

|1||Giant {{CharHead|Charizard|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Castle Siege]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Story 5 Meeting}}''||Giant Charizard's {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}} is absent.

|2||{{Head|Yoshi|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Yoshi|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}{{Head|Yoshi|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}{{Head|Yoshi|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}{{Head|Yoshi|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}} {{SSBU|Yoshi}} (×5)||[[Arena Ferox]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Under This Banner}}''||Horde Battle (3 at a time)

|3||Giant {{CharHead|King K. Rool|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Bridge of Eldin]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem Medley}}''||King K. Rool represents {{s|fireemblemwiki|Medeus}} in his {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Shadow Dragon|class}} form in ''Mystery of the Emblem''. Bridge of Eldin resembles the map {{s|fireemblemwiki|Light and Shadow}} where Marth fights Medeus.

|4||{{CharHead|Mii Gunner|SSBU|hsize=20px}} (×4), {{CharHead|Mii Brawler|SSBU|hsize=20px}}, and {{CharHead|Mii Swordfighter|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||Castle Siege||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Advance}}''||Horde Battle (3 at a time)<br>{{SSBU|Mii Fighter}} costume combinations:

*Dragon Helmet and Woolly Yoshi Outfit (Brawler)

*Dragon Helmet and White Dragon Armor (Gunner)

*Woolly Yoshi Hat and Red Dragon Armor (Gunner)

*Dragon Helmet and Black Knight Armor (Swordfighter)

|5||Giant {{CharHead|Ridley|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Gerudo Valley]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Lords-Showdown}}''||Giant Ridley references Medeus, the main antagonist of ''Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light''.

|6||{{Head|Corrin|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Corrin|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Female}} {{SSBU|Corrin}} (×2)||[[Coliseum]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Lost in Thoughts All Alone (Remix)|Lost in Thoughts All Alone (Remix)}}''||

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

|Final||[[Rathalos]]||[[Forest Hill]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Monster Hunter|Roar/Rathalos}}''||

During the opening cutscene, Marth took notice of the massive number of Master Hands, telling the other fighters that they would "need to take down about ten [Master Hands each]" ("{{ja|一人で十体ぐらい倒せばいけるか?|Hitori de jūtai gurai taoseba ikeru ka?}}", ''Maybe we can win this by taking about ten each?''), before being reassured by {{SSBU|Zelda}} and {{SSBU|Pit}}. He was present on the cliffside when [[Galeem]] unleashed his beams of light. He was vaporized offscreen and placed under Galeem's imprisonment along with the other fighters (excluding {{SSBU|Kirby}}).

{|class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"

!style="width:5%;"|No.

!style="width:5%;"|Image

!Name

!Type

!Power

!Stage

!Music

|21

|[[File:Marth SSBU.png|center|108x108px]]

|{{SpiritType|Attack}} <center>{{color|#dc1029|Attack}}</center>

|2,500

|{{SSBU|Final Destination}}

|''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Final Destination}}''

{{clr}}

==[[Spirit]]==

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

SSBU spirit Marth.png|610. '''''Marth '''''

==In Spirit Battles==

|{{SpiritTableName|Prince Peasley|iw=mariowiki|size=64}}

|''Mario & Luigi'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

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

|''Fire Emblem'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Marth}} {{Head|Marth|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}} (140 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

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

|''Fire Emblem'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|[[Spear Pillar]] (hazards off)

|•Assist Trophy Enemies (Tiki)

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

|''Fire Emblem'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

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

|''Fire Emblem'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Hugh Baldwin|size=64}}

|''Castlevania'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Felix|iw=goldensun|size=64}}

|''Golden Sun'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Battle Scene / Final Boss - Golden Sun}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Goro Akechi|size=64}}

|''Persona'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Marth}} {{Head|Marth|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}<br>•Giant {{SSBU|Pit}} {{Head|Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Persona|Rivers In the Desert}}

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

|''Fire Emblem'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

===Fighter Showcase Video===

*''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' is the first ''Smash Bros.'' game where Marth points his sword upwards rather than downwards in his official artwork.

*The images of Marth facing Ridley and Rathalos, as well as Marth's Classic Mode battle sequence, are likely a reference to the common trend of ''Fire Emblem'' games ending with a boss battle against a dragon, specifically Marth's battle with {{s|fireemblem|Medeus}}, the main antagonist of the first ''Fire Emblem'' game.

*Marth is the only character from the ''Fire Emblem'' series who can be unlocked in [[The Light Realm]] in World of Light.

**{{SSBU|Roy}} is also found in {{b|The Final Battle|World of Light}}, imprisoned by [[Galeem]]. This makes Marth and Roy the only ''Fire Emblem'' characters affiliated with Galeem.

**Coincidentally, both characters also mark their first ''Smash'' debut in ''Melee'' and have an Echo Fighter, being Lucina and Chrom, respectively.

*Marth, {{SSBU|Lucina}}, {{SSBU|Young Link}}, Roy, {{SSBU|Chrom}}, and {{SSBU|Wolf}} are the only characters that use their crouching animations from a previous ''Smash Bros.'' game when holding a small item (in Chrom's case, he uses Roy's previous crouching animation).

**This makes Marth, Lucina, and Wolf the only characters to have both updated idle and crouching animations, but transition to their previous animations when holding a small item.

*There are some minor oversights with some of Marth's sound effects:

**His side taunt still uses the sound effect of his old taunt, causing two sword-swinging sounds to play despite the animation being shortened to only one swing. This can also be seen in Marth's character showcase video.

**The back hit of Marth's up tilt where the attack will always play the tipper sound effect, regardless of whether the move is sweetspotted or not.

*Marth has the most combined clones of any character at three, being Roy, Lucina, and Chrom.

*Marth is the only ''Fire Emblem'' fighter who does not face [[Master Hand]] as their final boss.

*When KO'd by reaching 0 HP during his final stock in [[Stamina Mode]], Marth uses his alternate KO scream rather than the standard one. This also applies to {{SSBU|Ike}} using his ''Radiant Dawn'' outfit in international versions and his ''Path of Radiance'' outfit in the Japanese version.

**A possible offshoot of this, Sakurai directly references this line during the ''[[Mr. Sakurai Presents|Mr. Sakurai Presents "Sephiroth"]]'' showcase, when battling Master Hand and Crazy Hand in Sephiroth's Classic Mode route.