Kid Icarus (universe)

Kid Icarus (universe)
Developer(s)	Nintendo Tose Project Sora Sora Ltd.
Publisher(s)	Nintendo
Genre(s)	Platformer Third-Person shooter Rail shooter
Console/platform of origin	Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom Disk System)
First installment	Kid Icarus (1986)
Latest installment	Kid Icarus: Uprising (2012)
Article on Icaruspedia	Kid Icarus (universe)

The Kid Icarus universe (パルテナの鏡, Mirror of Palutena) refers to the Smash Bros. series' collection of characters, stages, and properties that hail from Nintendo's Kid Icarus games, which were originally a pair of cult-classic action/platformer games for NES and Game Boy. A twenty-one-year hiatus for the series ensued, and it only ended once Masahiro Sakurai developed and released a third game for the 3DS after debuting a heavy stylistic redesign for the series and its star, the young angel knight Pit, in 2008's Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Franchise description

The first Kid Icarus series logo.

During the "golden age" of the Famicom/NES in the late 1980s, one of the original titles and IPs released alongside titles such as Metroid and The Legend of Zelda was Kid Icarus, an action platformer that aimed to blend several genres. The game's development process was stressed by time constraints, and the game was released on NES on July 1987 to mixed critical reception, which focused criticism on its frustratingly high difficulty and some odd design choices; despite all this, the game has long since been regarded as a cult classic for the console, and some of its characters had been featured on the American cartoon Captain N: The Game Master alongside other video game characters popularized by the NES. Following this, a sequel for the Game Boy, Kid Icarus: Of Myth and Monsters, was co-developed between Nintendo and Tose Co., Ltd. and released on November 1991. Reception was decidedly more favorable for the sequel, citing significant improvements to the gameplay all around, though the game never reached the level of public attention that the original had. In an odd twist, Of Myths and Monsters was, for literally two decades, one of few first-party Nintendo games that were not published in Japan.

For fifteen years following the 1991 release of the second game, the Kid Icarus "franchise" made no return appearances in any format, and the two-game series had seemed to have forever been left behind in a state where it would represent nothing more than a curious piece of history from the Nintendo timeline. But then, in 2006, Super Smash Bros. series director Masahiro Sakurai began an ambitious series revival for Kid Icarus, first by announcing through a trailer the inclusion of the main character, Pit, as a new playable fighter in his then-highly-anticipated Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii. Sakurai had previously brought another obscure NES title from the era, Ice Climber, back into the public limelight by including its player-characters as playable fighters in 2001's Super Smash Bros. Melee, but for Brawl, Sakurai debuted a radical, anime-style redesign for Pit, as well as a more detailed reimagining of Pit's in-game homeworld.

The modern, Uprising-era designs for Pit and Palutena are based on their appearances in Brawl, seen here in The Subspace Emissary.

As Sakurai later noted, the redesigned Pit's appearance in Brawl greatly influenced his decision to jump-start the series's revival with a new installment. Following Brawl's release in 2008, Sakurai was asked by then-Nintendo president Satoru Iwata to direct a new game for the then-unknown Nintendo 3DS system to show off its capabilities, giving him the choice to revitalize a dormant property for the title. He ultimately chose Kid Icarus for this series reboot, being inspired by Pit’s story of an angel that could not fly. Following this decision, he directed and wrote the scenario for Kid Icarus: Uprising, a high-budget title that features on-rails-shooter segments in the air that are separate from third-person-shooter segments on the ground.

Uprising’s overall presentation makes full use of the character designs introduced in Brawl, complete with fully voiced character dialogue and copious amounts of story-driven cutscenes, but also with a far more whimsical tone to the story and dialogue itself. The game was released on March 2012 to glowing reviews, however Sakurai has yet to confirm interest in a sequel. Nonetheless, the now-familiar modern design for Pit is considered standard for the franchise, and has made a return appearance in Brawl's sequel, Super Smash Bros. 4. Meanwhile, Of Myths and Monsters was released in Japan for the first time in the country's history on the 3DS Virtual Console, a month before the release of Uprising.

The Kid Icarus games themselves are set on a multi-plane Grecian fantasy world called Angel Land, where a plane hanging above the mortal Overworld is the light realm of Skyworld, ruled over by the Goddess of Light, Palutena. In the original game, the goddess of the hellish plane of the Underworld, Medusa, wages war against Palutena and the human world, and Palutena sends her loyal warrior, the young angel knight Pit (note that the name "Kid Icarus" is not the main character's name itself, but more of a comedic descriptor of how he is essentially a child equivalent to the Greek myth of the winged man Icarus), on a quest to defeat Medusa by gathering three sacred combat treasures. In Of Myths and Monsters, Pit similarly battles a demon named Orcos. Many years later in Uprising, Pit must battle Medusa and her minions again, but ends up thrust into a much stranger, multi-sided conflict involving a greatly-expanded cast of literally colorful allies and enemies, several of which are drawn from other figures and monsters in Greek mythology. Pit's fights take him through human cities under siege, temples and caverns in the Underworld, Palutena's residence in the Skyworld, and even outer space.

In Super Smash Bros. Melee

There are a large number of trophies in Super Smash Bros. Melee that depict classic Nintendo games from the past, and a trophy depicting a 3D rendition of the classic-style Pit is no exception. Other than that, however, there is no additional representation of the Kid Icarus franchise in the game.

Trophy

• Pit

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Kid Icarus is introduced as a primary universe in the Super Smash Bros. series in the third installment, Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Fighter

• 
  Pit (Starter): A young angel knight who serves the goddess Palutena and saves the kingdom of Angel Land from the evil of the Underworld goddess Medusa. The name "Kid Icarus" is technically a misnomer, and refers not to Pit as an alternative name, but more as to what kind of entity Pit is. The Greek myth of Icarus is centered around a man possessing wings; since Pit has wings, he can be considered a "kid Icarus" of sorts. For his appearance in Brawl as a fighter, Pit has undergone a major character redesign. He uses the Sacred Bow of Palutena in combat, both to fire arrows, as it always has, and also to demonstrate its previously unseen ability to split in half and be used as a pair of swords for close-quarters combat. Like Kirby, Jigglypuff, Meta Knight, and Charizard, Pit can jump multiple times in the air. His neutral special move is the Palutena's Arrow, which Pit uses in a similar style as Link, Young Link, and Toon Link; however, Pit's arrows travel much faster, unaffected by gravity, and their trajectory can be controlled (i.e. it can be made to curve upwards or downwards) by pressing a direction right after releasing the arrow. His up special move, titled Wings of Icarus, is a unique move giving him the ability of temporary free flight around the stage. His down special move, Mirror Shield, reflects projectile attacks and protects Pit from damage on one side. His side special move is the Angel Ring, a reflector move in which Pit spins the Palutena's Bow at a blinding speed in a full 360 circle, which does damage to his opponents.

On the final character select screen (after all characters are unlocked), Pit shares the fourth column with fellow Famicom/NES-originated characters Ice Climbers, R.O.B., and Samus.

Stage

• 
  Skyworld (Starter): This stage, set in the eponymous realm of the franchise's world, features several platforms that can actually be shattered by characters attacks, but they become replaced by clouds that substitute as platforms right after, although the clouds are pass-through.

Music

Original Tracks

• Underworld: A small medley consisting of a remixed version of the Underworld level theme and the Grim Reaper's theme. It is used on the Skyworld stage.
• Skyworld: This is a redone version of the Overworld level theme from the original Kid Icarus. It is not the Skyworld level theme as the name would suggest--the track is mislabeled in Brawl. It is the theme of the Skyworld stage.
• Title (Kid Icarus): A remix of the original Kid Icarus's title screen theme. It is used on the Skyworld stage. This track is also played during Pit's Classic Mode credits.

Source Track

• Kid Icarus Original Medley: A medley made up of numerous parts of several tracks taken directly from the original Kid Icarus, including the title theme, the fortress theme, and the Skyworld level theme, among many others. It is used on the Skyworld stage.

Victory Theme

• Victory! Pit: Derived from the original Kid Icarus's title screen theme, this fanfare was not actually heard in this form in the first two Kid Icarus titles, but an orchestrated remix of it was included as the victory fanfare for the multiplayer portion of Kid Icarus Uprising.

Masterpiece

• Kid Icarus

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Between Brawl and SSB4, Smash director Masahiro Sakurai revived the long dormant Kid Icarus franchise with Kid Icarus: Uprising. This 3DS title greatly expanded the Kid Icarus universe with a wealth of new characters, storylines, enemies, and weapons. A lot of the new material from Uprising was introduced into SSB4, such as music, stages, and trophies. In addition to the return of Pit, Skyworld, and most Kid Icarus content from Brawl, two new playable characters, five items, two Assist Trophies, two new stages, and a wealth of other new content is in SSB4.

Fighters

• 
  Pit (Starter): An angel and the captain of Palutena's army, he liberated Angel Land from the Underworld goddess Medusa. He was one of the few veterans revealed along with SSB4 on June 11, 2013, and the only one amongst them who debuted in Brawl. Pit had undergone notable changes to reflect his abilities and character in Kid Icarus: Uprising. Nearly all of his special moves were changed: he now pulls out his Upperdash Arm for his side special, protects himself with Guardian Orbitars for his down special, and soars with Power of Flight for his up special. With Palutena now a playable fighter, Pit instead utilizes the Three Sacred Treasures for his Final Smash. He has a smash taunt on Palutena's Temple where Palutena provides tips and insight on his opponents. Antony Del Rio, who portrayed Pit in Uprising, replaces Lani Minella as the English voice of Pit in overseas versions.
• 
  Palutena (Starter): The Goddess of Light and the ruler of Skyworld. In the original Kid Icarus, Palutena is usurped by Medusa as the ruler of Angel Land and serves as the damsel in distress. She cameos in Brawl as part of Pit's Final Smash and as one of the few supporting characters in the Subspace Emissary. Her presence and role were greatly expanded in Kid Icarus: Uprising as Pit's advisor and confidant. A powerful and omniscient figure, Palutena sends Pit as her attaché to rid the world of Underworld monsters, the Forces of Nature, extraterrestrials, and rival gods. Without her, Pit would not be able to fly or have access to such a wide arsenal of weapons. After months of rumors, potential leaks, and teases from Sakurai, Palutena was announced as a playable fighter during Nintendo's E3 Digital Event on June 10, 2014. She is a swift, magical character that utilizes her staff, halo, and shield in her attacks. Palutena has one of the most diverse selection of custom moves in the entire roster, all of which are derived from Powers she would grant Pit in Uprising.
• 
  Dark Pit (Unlockable): Pit's doppelgänger and rival from Kid Icarus: Uprising. He is an incomplete clone of Pit that came into being when Pit destroyed the Mirror of Truth in Chapter 5. A troubled, disgruntled angel, Dark Pit butts heads with Pit multiple times throughout the events of Uprising all the while avoiding Hades' Underworld Army. In SSB4, Dark Pit is a clone of Pit. While some weapons in his arsenal are different – such as the Silver Bow and Electroshock Arm – his animations are identical to Pit's and function similarly. The most substantial difference between Dark Pit and Pit is that they have different Final Smashes. Dark Pit shoots a powerful beam from his eponymous Dark Pit Staff, like Zelda's Light Arrow. Like fellow clones Lucina and Dr. Mario, Dark Pit was originally planned to be an alternate character skin for Pit like Alph is for Olimar, but Sakurai thought it would be out of character for him to use the Three Sacred Treasures in his Final Smash and decided to make him a separate fighter instead.

Stages

for Nintendo 3DS

• 
  Reset Bomb Forest (Starter): staged on castle ruins in a war-torn land from Kid Icarus: Uprising. It is based on the events of Chapter 11, where Hades has pitted mankind against each other so he could reap more souls. It is a transitional stage with two phases. The first phase is staged on stone ruins with multiple platforms, like Castle Siege. Humans wage war in the background. In response to the environmental destruction brought upon by war, Viridi tosses a Reset Bomb onto the soldiers. Its detonation causes the stage to transform into a dense forest with fragile platforms and a Lurchthorn at its base. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 3 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Pit and Palutena. Dark Pit is unlocked on this stage. Its Ω form is columnar. Reset Bomb Forest was one the first stages revealed for the 3DS version, appearing in the 1st Trailer at E3 2013, and is one of the few 3DS stages to represent a handheld-exclusive title.

for Wii U

• 
  Palutena's Temple (Starter): a massive arena staged on a palace in the sky from the original Kid Icarus and Kid Icarus: Uprising. It is based on the events of Chapter 20, during which the temple was usurped from Palutena by the Chaos Kin and has fallen to ruins. This is reflected in the fragmented platforms of Palutena's Temple. The stage is multifaceted, as it includes a cave, a waterfall, springs, ladders, breakable bridges, and a building with a statue in Palutena's visage. As the largest stage in all of Smash Bros., it is large enough to accommodate 8-Player Smash. Dark Pit is unlocked on this stage. Its Ω form is columnar and is staged before Palutena's statue.
• 
  Skyworld (Starter): an arena staged in the heavens of Angel Land from Kid Icarus, surrounded by clouds. A building resembling the Pantheon appears in the background. The hard, stone platforms of the stage can be destroyed, exposing the light cloud platforms that supported them. These can be phased through and enable better movement options for navigating the stage. However, breaking the stones removes the stage's grabbable ledges. It can support up to 6 players in 8-Player Smash, but the platforms are not breakable in this mode. It is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 1 of All-Star Mode as a home stage for Dark Pit. Its Ω form is a spacious floating platform like Final Destination.

Items

While there were no Kid Icarus items in Brawl, five are introduced in SSB4. Additionally, a new item called the Drill bears a strong resemblances to the Drill Arm from Kid Icarus: Uprising. However, it is considered part of the Super Smash Bros. universe in-game. Two Assist Trophies have also been added.

• Daybreak (combining/shooting): a powerful, golden gun from Uprising. It releases a powerful beam similar to the Zero Laser. Like the Dragoon, it is composed of three different pieces that must be collected to unleash its power.
• Ore Club (battering/shooting): a sentient weapon from Uprising forged from divine rocks. It is a slow but strong battering club. It releases a small whirlwind when swung at full charge.
• X Bomb (throwing): a spherical explosive from Uprising. When tossed, it detonates in a massive x-shaped blast. This attribute derives from the puzzle game Meteos, not Uprising.
• Killer Eye (throwing): a one-eyed turret from Uprising that shoots beams of energy when tossed. It fires these beams from its eyes, even when knocked on its sides.
• Back Shield (status): a golden, angelic shield from Uprising that protects the user's backside from most attacks. Its face has a different design in SSB4 than it does in Uprising.

Assist Trophies

• Magnus: a burly swordsman from Uprising similar to the Greek hero Heracles. He chases down the nearest opponent and strikes them with his massive sword. He can be attacked and defeated. He does not attack the summoner.
• Phosphora: one of Viridi's subordinates in Uprising; a warrior who can conjure lightning in her hands. She flies and teleports around the stage throwing balls and projectile spears of electricity at opponents. She does not attack the summoner.

Smash Tour items

• Ore Club (Red): a sentient weapon from Uprising forged from divine rocks. The user starts battle with an Ore Club in-hand.
• X Bomb (Red): a spherical explosive from Uprising. The user starts battle with an X Bomb in-hand.
• Back Shield (Red): an angelic shield from Uprising. The user starts battle with a Back Shield equipped.
• Magnus (Red): a burly swordsman from Uprising. All players the user KO'd during a match are launched across the board.
• Phosphora (Red): a warrior who can conjure lightning in her hands. The user can land instantly by tapping down during a match.

Enemies

Enemies that appear in both Smash Run in the 3DS version and Smash Tour in the Wii U version.

• Reaper: a cloaked, skeletal figure from the original Kid Icarus that wields a scythe. In Smash Run, it summons a swarm of Reapettes to attack opponents as it swings its long-raging scythe. In Smash Tour, it grants a Checkpoint Bonus to any players that pass it on the board with at least three fighters. Any less, and the player is launched.
• Souflee: a flying, pastry-like creature from Kid Icarus: Uprising. In Smash Run, it darts around erratically, making it difficult to hit. In Smash Tour, players who catchup to it on the board are granted a Checkpoint Bonus.

Smash Run enemies

Enemies exclusive to the 3DS version. They appear in Smash Run. More Smash Run enemies come from the Kid Icarus series than any other universe, with nineteen total.

• Monoeye: an octopus-like monster from Kid Icarus with one eye. It releases damage-dealing balls of energy from its eyes. It predates the similar-looking Feyesh enemy from Brawl's Subspace Emissary.
• Skuttler: a skeletal cyclops from Uprising with the body of a sea star. It whacks opponents with a bone-shaped club. It carries a skull-shaped shield, but it does not protect itself with it.
• Skuttler Cannoneer: a Skuttler from Uprising that carries a projectile-shooting arm cannon. The projectile's behavior depends on the cannon's color: the green cannon shoots cannonballs, the blue one shoots energy projectiles that phase through walls, and the red one fires homing missiles.
• Skuttler Mage: a witch doctor-like Skuttler from Uprising that wields a wand. It strikes opponents with a stat-reducing spell.
• Daphne: a floating, flower-like monster from Kid Icarus. It releases pollen-like explosives.
• Zuree: a cloaked, banshee-like monster from Kid Icarus with long claws. It conceals itself in a white vapor before striking opponents with a powerful swipe.
• Orne: a massive, demonic skull from Uprising shrouded in purple flames. Though slow, it is indestructible. Contact results in an instant KO.
• Clubberskull: a visceral, heart-shaped cyclops from Uprising with muscular forearms and skull-like fists. It initially is sealed within its skull-like fists but is freed with just one attack. When unleashed, a Clubberskull is an incredibly powerful enemy that does not flinch.
• Nutski: a flying, acorn-like cyclops from Uprising. The buzz about erratically and drop explosive seeds.
• Lurchthorn: a skeletal, oarfish-like creature from Uprising with a pair of eyes on each body segment. It flies slowly and shoots projectiles from its eyes. Each segment can be damaged, but it is only defeated once its head is destroyed. It also appears on the Reset Bomb Forest stage.
• Lethinium: a flower-like creature from Uprising. It fires a powerful beam from its stigma, leaving its backside vulnerable.
• Boom Stomper: an enormous, sentient boulder from Uprising. Though slow-moving, it attacks opponents from afar by stomping onto the earth. The seedling sprouting from its head is its weak point.
• Mahva: a white, vampire squid-like creature from Uprising. It protects itself and other enemies in a spherical barrier. The barrier can be destroyed.
• Bumpety Bomb: a masked bomb on wheels from Uprising. Like a Bob-omb, it idly rolls around. When it spots an opponent, it light’s its fuse and rolls after them.
• Megonta: an enormous woodlouse from Uprising. It curls into a ball and rolls into opponents with its indestructible shell. The weak point is its leggy underbelly.
• Flage: a floating, gelatinous cyclops from Uprising with blade-like hands. Like Zuree, it is invisible before slicing opponents with a flurry attack.
• Mimicutie: a treasure chest with legs from Uprising. It disguises itself as a chest. Opponents that approach it will be attacked by a flurry of kicks.

Mii Costume

Outfit

• Viridi Outfit (DLC): this outfit is based on Viridi, the goddess of nature from Kid Icarus: Uprising. She is a prominent figure in the game as the leader of the Forces of Nature. In the 3DS version of SSB4, she appears as a stage element on Reset Bomb Forest. In the Wii U version, she appears in most of the Palutena's Guidance conversations. The outfit was released with a corresponding blonde wig as downloadable content on September 30, 2015. The Mii wields Viridi's staff as a weapon. An official Mii based on Viridi's likeness can be downloaded via QR code on the official site.

Headgear

• Viridi Wig (DLC)

Music

Original Tracks

Arrangements and remixes unique to SSB4.

• In the Space-Pirate Ship: an arrangement of "Space-Pirate Ship" and "In the Space-Pirate Ship" from Kid Icarus: Uprising. It plays in Smash Run and on Palutena's Temple.
• Wrath of the Reset Bomb (Remix): an arrangement of "Viridi, Goddess of Nature", "Reset Bomb Forest", and "Wrath of the Reset Bomb" from Uprising. It plays on Reset Bomb Forest and Palutena's Temple. It is included on Disc 1 of A Smashing Soundtrack.
• Destroyed Skyworld: an arrangement of "Destroyed Skyworld" from Uprising. It plays on Palutena's Temple. It is included on Disc 2 of A Smashing Soundtrack and was featured in the trailer "Goddess of Light".
• Lightning Chariot Base: an arrangement of "Lightning Chariot Base" from Uprising. It plays on Palutena's Temple.

Returning Tracks

Arrangements and remixes from previous Smash titles.

• Title (Kid Icarus): an arrangement of "Title" from the original Kid Icarus. It plays on Skyworld.
• Underworld: an arrangement of "Underworld Theme" and "Reaper" from Kid Icarus. It plays on Skyworld.
• Overworld: an arrangement of "Overworld Theme" from Kid Icarus. It plays on Skyworld.

Source Tracks

Compositions and arrangements directly sourced from the Kid Icarus series with no alterations.

• Kid Icarus Retro Medley: a medley of the pieces from the Famicom version of Kid Icarus, including "Title", "Labyrinth", "Stage Clear", "Overworld Theme", "Skyworld Theme", "The Palace in the Sky", and "Game Over". It plays on Skyworld. In Brawl it was entitled the "Kid Icarus Original Medley".
• Boss Fight 1 (Kid Icarus: Uprising): it plays in Smash Run and on Palutena's Temple and was featured in the trailer "Goddess of Light".
• Magnus's Theme: sourced from Kid Icarus: Uprising. It plays on Palutena's Temple.
• Dark Pit's Theme: sourced from Uprising. It plays on Reset Bomb Forest and Palutena's Temple. It is included on Disc 1 of A Smashing Soundtrack.
• Hades's Infernal Theme: sourced from Uprising. It plays on Palutena's Temple.
• Wrath of the Reset Bomb (Original): sourced from Uprising. It plays on Smash Run.
• Thunder Cloud Temple: sourced from Uprising. It plays on Palutena's Temple.

Victory Themes

• Victory! Kid Icarus Series: an orchestration of the first few bars of "Title" from Kid Icarus.
• Victory! Dark Pit: the first few bars of the "Dark Pit's Theme".

Other

In Smash Run, "Death God Theme" from Kid Icarus plays when spotted be a Reaper and "Orne Theme" from Uprising plays when pursued by an Orne.

Masterpiece

• Kid Icarus

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The franchise returns mostly untouched and still based on their Kid Icarus: Uprising iterations.

Fighters

• 28.
  
  Pit (Unlockable): The captain of Palutena's army returns as an unlockable fighter after being a starter in Smash 4. He now calls upon the Lightning Chariot for his Final Smash.
• 54.
  
  Palutena (Unlockable): The Goddess of Light returns as an unlockable fighter after being a starter in Smash 4. She no longer has any custom special moves due to them being cut, but Reflect Barrier is now merged with her counter, Explosive Flame is now her side special, and she has received major mobility buffs to compensate for losing Lightweight.
• 28^ε.
  
  Dark Pit (Unlockable): The dark doppelgänger forged from the Mirror of Truth returns from Smash 4 as an unlockable fighter, functionally unchanged from his previous appearance. One difference is that he is now branded as an Echo Fighter of Pit.

Stages

All Kid Icarus stages from previous titles return.

• 
  
  Skyworld (Starter): Returning as a retro stage.
• 
  
  Reset Bomb Forest (Starter): Returning from Smash 3DS as a retro stage.
• 
  
  Palutena's Temple (Starter): Returns as a retro stage. Palutena's Guidance makes a return as well, with new dialogue for characters not present in Smash 4, as well as the DLC fighters and a few updated guidances.

Items

Bold italics denote a new item to the Smash Bros. series.

• Daybreak: a powerful, golden gun from Uprising. It releases a powerful beam similar to the Zero Laser. Like the Dragoon, it is composed of three different pieces that must be collected to unleash its power.
• Ore Club: a sentient weapon from Uprising forged from divine rocks. It is a slow but strong battering club. It releases a small whirlwind when swung at full charge.
• X Bomb (throwing): a spherical explosive from Uprising. When tossed, it detonates in a massive x-shaped blast. This attribute derives from the puzzle game Meteos, not Uprising.
• Killer Eye (throwing): a one-eyed turret from Uprising that shoots beams of energy when tossed. It fires these beams from its eyes, even when knocked on its sides.
• Back Shield (status): a golden, angelic shield from Uprising that protects the user's backside from most attacks. Its face has a different design in SSB4 than it does in Uprising.
• Staff: a laser staff from Uprising that fires a laser beam that deals more damage the further away the target is.

Assist Trophy

The Magnus Assist Trophy has been removed, with only Phosphora returning.

• Phosphora

Mii Costume

Outfit

• Viridi Outfit

Headgear

• Viridi Wig

Music

Returning Tracks

Arrangements and remixes from previous Smash games.

• Title Theme - Kid Icarus: A remix of the title theme from Kid Icarus. Returns from Brawl.
• Underworld: A medley of tracks from Kid Icarus, including the music that plays in the Underworld, "Reaper's Theme", and the Game Over theme. Returns from Brawl.
• Overworld: An orchestral remix of the music that plays in the Overworld levels from Kid Icarus. Returns from Brawl.
• In the Space-Pirate Ship: A remix of the music that plays in Chapter 8, "The Space-Pirate Ship" from Kid Icarus: Uprising. Returns from Smash 4.
• Wrath of the Reset Bomb: A more dramatic remix of "Wrath of the Reset Bomb", the music that plays during Chapter 12, "Wrath of the Reset Bomb", from Kid Icarus: Uprising. Returns from Smash 4.
• Lightning Chariot Base: A remix of the music that plays during Chapter 19, The Lightning Chariot in Kid Icarus: Uprising. Returns from Smash for Wii U.
• Destroyed Skyworld: A remix of the music that plays during Chapter 20, Palutena's Temple in Kid Icarus: Uprising. Returns from Smash for Wii U.

Source Tracks

Tracks directly sourced from the Kid Icarus games.

• Kid Icarus Retro Medley: A medley of tracks sourced from the Famicom version of Kid Icarus, including Title Screen theme, the Underworld theme, the Dungeon theme, the Stage Clear jingle, the Overworld theme, the Skyworld theme, the Palace in the Sky theme, and the Game Over jingle. Returns from Brawl.
• Boss Fight 1 - Kid Icarus: Uprising: The boss battle music, sourced from Kid Icarus: Uprising.
• Magnus's Theme: The theme of Magnus, sourced from Kid Icarus: Uprising.
• Dark Pit's Theme: The theme of Dark Pit, sourced from Kid Icarus: Uprising.
• Hades's Infernal Theme: The theme of Hades, sourced from Kid Icarus: Uprising.
• Thunder Cloud Temple: The ground battle theme from Chapter 14, Lightning Battle, sourced from Kid Icarus: Uprising.

Victory Themes

• Victory! Kid Icarus Series: A remix of a short excerpt from the title theme of Kid Icarus. Remains unchanged from Brawl and Smash 4.
• Victory! Dark Pit: A remix of a short excerpt of "Dark Pit's Theme" from Kid Icarus: Uprising. Remains unchanged from Smash 4.

Games with elements from or in the Super Smash Bros. series

Kid Icarus

• Playable Characters
  • Pit debuts in this game as the main playable character.
  • Several Centurions from this game make up Palutena’s Army.
  • The Three Sacred Treasures debut in this game.
  • Palutena debuts in this game as a damsel in distress that needs to be rescued.
• Stages
  • Skyworld debuts in this game as the third level.
  • Palutena's Temple originates from this game as the Palace in the Sky.
• Enemies
  • Reaper appears as an enemy.
  • Monoeye, Daphne and Zuree appear in Smash Run.
• Trophies
  • Pit, Palutena, Palutena’s Army, Monoeye, Daphne, Zuree, Twinbellows, Thanatos, Mik, Specknose, Centurions, and Pit (Eggplant) appear as trophies
• Stickers
  • Pit, Eggplant Wizard and Reaper & Reapette appear as stickers.
• Spirits
  • Pit, Palutena, Three Sacred Treasures, Medusa, Hewdraw, Pandora, Thanatos, Specknose, Centurion, Twinbellows, Reaper & Reapette and Eggplant Wizard appear as spirits.
• Music
  • Underworld - A small medley consisting of a remixed version of the Underworld level theme and the Grim Reaper's theme.
  • Skyworld - This is a redone version of the Overworld level theme from the original Kid Icarus. It is not the Skyworld level theme as the name would suggest--the track is mislabeled in Brawl. Was later renamed “Overworld.”
  • Title (Kid Icarus) - A remix of the original Kid Icarus's title screen theme. This track is also played during Pit's Classic Mode credits.
  • Kid Icarus Original Medley - A medley made up of numerous parts of several tracks taken directly from the original Kid Icarus, including the title theme, the fortress theme, and the Skyworld level theme, among many others.
  • "Death God Theme" The theme that plays when being spotted by a reaper.
  • Pit's victory theme - Derived from the original Kid Icarus's title screen theme, this fanfare was not actually heard in this form in the first two Kid Icarus titles, but an orchestrated remix of it was included as the victory fanfare for the multiplayer portion of Kid Icarus Uprising.

Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters

• Playable characters
  • Certain elements of Pit's modern design come from this game, such as his laurel crown.

• Stickers
  • Pit (Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters) uses artwork from this game.

Kid Icarus: Uprising

• Playable Characters
  • Lightning Chariot debuts in this game.
  • Dark Pit debuts in this game as an antagonist and an occasional playable character.
• Stages
  • Reset Bomb Forest debuts in this game as the main setting of Chapter 11.
  • The design of Palutena's Temple is taken from this game.
• Stage Elements
  • Viridi appears in the background of Reset Bomb Forest
• Items
  • Daybreak, Ore Club, X Bomb, Killer Eye, and Back Shield appear as items.
  • Ore Club, X Bomb, Back Shield, Magnus and Phosphora appear as items in Smash Tour
• Assist Trophies
  • Magnus and Phosphora appear as assist trophies.
• Mii Costume
  • Viridi appear as a Mii Costume
• Trophies
  • Dark Pit, Daybreak, Ore Club, X Bomb, Killer Eye, Back Shield, Magnus, Phosphora, Souflee, Dark Pit Staff, Palutena Bow, Guardian Orbitars, Upper Dash Arm, Skuttler, Skuttler Cannoneer, Skuttler Mage, Orne, Nutski, Lurchthorn, Lethinium, Boom Stomper, Mahva, Bumpety Bomb, Megonta, Flage, Mimicutie, Viridi, Fiends Cauldron, Great Reaper, Galactic Fiend Kraken, Hades, Reset Bomb, Cragalanche, Arlon, Pyrrhon, Chariot Master, Chaos Kin, Pseudo-Palutena, Space Pirate Ship, Dark Pit Staff and Black Hole Laser appear as trophies.
• Spirits
  • Pandora, Hades, Hades (Final Form), Lurchthorn, Magnus, Daybreak, Pseudo-Palutena, Viridi, Phosphora, Mimicutie, Dyntos, and Dark Pit appear as spirits. Pit, Palutena, Three Sacred Treasures, Medusa (Kid Icarus: Uprising) Hewdraw, Pandora, Amazon Pandora, Thanatos, Centurion, Twinbellows, Reaper & Reapette, and Eggplant Wizard use artwork from this game.
• Music
  • In the Space-Pirate Ship: an arrangement of "Space-Pirate Ship" and "In the Space-Pirate Ship" from Kid Icarus: Uprising.
  • Wrath of the Reset Bomb: an arrangement of "Viridi, Goddess of Nature", "Reset Bomb Forest", and "Wrath of the Reset Bomb" from Uprising. It is included on Disc 1 of A Smashing Soundtrack.
  • Destroyed Skyworld: an arrangement of "Destroyed Skyworld" from Uprising. It is included on Disc 2 of A Smashing Soundtrack and was featured in the trailer "Goddess of Light".
  • Lightning Chariot Base: an arrangement of "Lightning Chariot Base" from Uprising. It plays on Palutena's Temple.
  • Boss Fight 1 (Kid Icarus: Uprising): Main theme when fighting Twinbellows.
  • Magnus's Theme: Main theme of Magnus. Sourced from Kid Icarus: Uprising.
  • Dark Pit's Theme: sourced from Uprising. It is included on Disc 1 of A Smashing Soundtrack.
  • Hades's Infernal Theme: sourced from Uprising.
  • Wrath of the Reset Bomb: sourced from Uprising. Appears exclusively in Smash Run.
  • Thunder Cloud Temple: sourced from Uprising.
  • Victory! Dark Pit: the first few bars of the "Dark Pit's Theme".

Similarities to Super Smash Bros. in Kid Icarus: Uprising

In a similar way to how many fundamental gameplay elements in the Smash Bros. series are inspired by the Kirby series, there are several elements and references in Kid Icarus: Uprising that are clearly inspired by those in the Smash Bros. series. This is often attributed to Masahiro Sakurai being the lead designer for both games. Some examples include:

• When battling on foot, Pit can execute different, often stronger versions of attacks by quickly tapping the Circle Pad in a direction relative to the direction he is facing. The tapping motion is also used to dash and dodge attacks.
  • In one of Uprising's tutorial videos, Pit directly notes that the dashing technique is familiar. Palutena claims that it's from "Super Bash Sisters", Pit attempts to correct her, but she doesn't believe him.
• When knocked down, Pit can perform getup rolls or attacks, and can also press the attack button upon landing after being hit to execute a breakfall.
• Many of the enemies in Uprising appear to be influenced by Subspace Emissary enemies, in terms of design and function. For instance, the Stackjaw enemy operates similarly to the Gamyga. Additionally, several enemies from Uprising appear in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS's Smash Run mode, making up the majority of the enemies that appear at all.
• Various attacks have differing effects when they connect, including flame, electric, freezing, darkness, and light.
• The Powers system, which involves placing shaped objects on a grid to utilize extra abilities, is very similar to the Sticker system in Brawl, and nearly identical to the Powers system in Smash Run in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
• The Daybreak item in Together mode operates similarly to the Dragoon, involving a collection of three parts that then fire a one-hit KO attack.
• The menus and idol system are very similar to the menus and Trophy system from Brawl.
• The difficulty setting screen shown before playing over a chapter again is very similar to the ones in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U's and Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS's Classic Modes, with even the titles of the difficulty levels being the same (5.0, for example, is "Heatin' Up") and having near identical sound effects and visuals.

Trivia

• The Kid Icarus universe has by far the largest amount of enemies within SSB4's Smash Run mode, even surpassing bigger series such as Mario and The Legend of Zelda. Sakurai noted that this was because it was easy for his development team to simply port over assets from Uprising into Smash Bros., with both games being on the 3DS.
• Pit, Dark Pit, and Viridi's voices are not credited in SSB4. This is likely due to the fact that their respective voice actors, Antony Del Rio and Hynden Walch, are union-based voice actors working in a non-union project (Smash 4).
  • This is probably one of the reasons as to why Ali Hillis, Kari Wahlgren, and Fred Tatasciore could not respectively reprise Palutena, Phosphora, and Magnus as Kid Icarus: Uprising was a union-based project.
  • Hynden Walch was replaced by Dayci Brookshire in Ultimate as the voice of Viridi, with all of her old Palutena's Guidance lines being re-recorded.
• Each of the three playable Kid Icarus characters are unlocked in a different realm in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's Adventure Mode: World of Light, Pit is unlocked in the light realm, Dark Pit is unlocked in the Dark Realm, and Palutena is unlocked in the Final Battle.
• Kid Icarus, Fire Emblem, and Xenoblade Chronicles are the only universes to feature weapons as their icons.
• Kid Icarus, alongside Star Fox and EarthBound, are the only multi-character universes where every character representing it has access to both a projectile and a reflection move.
  • In this case, Angel Ring, Mirror Shield, Upperdash Arm, Electroshock Arm, Guardian Orbitars and Reflect Barrier all have reflection properties, while Palutena Bow, Silver Bow, Autoreticle, Explosive Flame, and Celestial Firework are all projectiles.
• Kid Icarus, along with Pikmin (and technically Wario), are the only series with minor representation in Melee to have a fighter in the following installment, Brawl.