Ike (SSB4)

Ike in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Fire Emblem
Other playable appearance	in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Great Aether
Tier	E (26)

Ike (アイク, Ike) returns as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. He was announced on May 23rd, 2014, in a Director's Room Miiverse post, which was the same day that Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones was released in North America back in 2005. Ike is once again voiced by Michihiko Hagi in the Japanese version, and by Jason Adkins in non-Japanese versions, using the same voice clips from Brawl.

Ike is ranked 26th out of 56 on the tier list, a relative rise from his ranking of 23rd out of 38 in Brawl and the highest ranking Fire Emblem character. Ike largely retains his high power and impressive range, but now boasts improved speed in regards to mobility and frame data. He also now has an effective combo game, which aids his ability to space out his opponents. However, Ike retained his weaknesses in Brawl, albeit not as severely: his hurtbox size has increased, his mobility is only average despite its improvements due to his heavy weight, his lack of fast options on the ground give him a hard time against rushdown-oriented characters, combos, and projectile camping, while his recovery is still linear and easily predictable despite being long-distanced and benefiting from the new ledge mechanic. His attacks also have less range and deal less knockback then they did in Brawl, and he no longer has his jab cancel.

Despite this, Ike has seen above average tournament results, largely thanks to Ryo.

Attributes

Ike is no longer one of the slowest characters in the game, although much of his playstyle remains unchanged: a heavyweight with slow, but incredibly powerful attacks. Ike possesses average mobility. He has a slow walking speed, average dashing speed, above average air speed, low air acceleration, above average falling speed and gravity, and relatively low jumps. He is also tied for being the eighth heaviest character in the game.

For a heavyweight, Ike has a good approach. His sword, Ragnell, grants him a very long, disjointed reach, being surpassed only by Shulk's Monado and Cloud's Buster Sword. Ike's neutral, forward, and back aerials are good approach tools, as the former has low landing lag, and the latter two deal high shieldstun due to their damage and auto-cancel in a short hop, making them safe on block. His forward aerial stands out the most, for it has decently fast start-up, moderate landing lag if not auto-cancelled, and covers a huge area in front of Ike. It is his most reliable approach option thanks to these attributes, and when spaced properly, it can make him a surprisingly difficult character to punish. His aerials' speed and range grant him the ability to pressure his opponents, something that other heavyweights lack.

Also unusual for a character of his class, Ike has a strong combo game. His neutral aerial, down tilt, up throw, and down throw all send opponents into the air, leaving them vulnerable to his strong aerials, allowing him to perform short but damaging combos. Due to up throw's low knockback growth, it can lead into his forward or up aerials even at high percentages, providing him with a few invaluable KO set-ups. Forward aerial is also a good combo tool; if auto-cancelled properly, it can chain into itself up to three times at medium percents, racking up roughly 35%.

Ike's KO power is fearsome. His smash attacks are among the strongest of their kinds, and he boasts the fifth strongest forward smash in the game. Both forward and up smashes have long reach, having utility against both grounded and aerial opponents. Up smash covers a wide arc around Ike and has a large amount of active frames, making it a deadly option at the ledge and a good option for punishing rolls. While these moves suffer from large amounts of start-up and ending lag, Ike is not reliant on them to KO. His forward and back aerials are quick and strong, giving him safe KOing options in neutral, unlike other heavyweights, and he also has his aforementioned KO set-ups off of his up throw. Ike has an effective edge-guarding game, both due to his powerful forward and back aerials with their range and power, a powerful spike in down aerial, and his neutral special, Eruption, which is chargeable, powerful, and has a huge hitbox, making it very threatening against opponents aiming their recoveries to the ledge. Furthermore, with his excellent endurance, he can make great use of the rage mechanic, boosting his already strong power.

However, Ike is not without flaws. Though not particularly slow, Ike is still susceptible to rush-down characters, notably Sheik and Sonic. His size, weight, and falling speed leave him vulnerable to combos, and he lacks any moves that can reliably break them. As he is a melee-fighter, Ike has no projectile, putting him at a disadvantage against camping tactics. Aside from shield-grabbing, Ike has no effective out of shield options due to the start-up of his moves, and so he has difficulty relieving pressure at times. While Ike's aerials give him a decent approach in the air, his grounded approach is comparatively poor, as none of his grounded attacks are particularly fast, making his approach overall predictable. His aerials also require proper spacing and timing to be effective, as they can be punished if misused since they have noticeable ending lag.

Ike's recovery also poses an issue. Though long-distanced, it is highly predictable. Quick Draw must be charged to travel farther, making it highly telegraphed, as it is completely linear. Aether covers good vertical height, but very little horizontal distance, and because it is invariable suicide if Ike performs it too far from the ledge, it is also telegraphed. Unless Quick Draw hits an opponent, it leaves him helpless, and so by default, Ike cannot use his two recovery options in tandem. Since Ike completely lacks a diagonal recovery method, he is vulnerable to semi-spikes.

With custom moves on, Ike does gain some benefits. Furious Eruption and Tempest improve his already good edge-guarding ability. Furious Eruption is stronger, has more vertical distance and launches foes upwards, making it very good on stages with low ceilings. Tempest charges faster and generates a windbox that pushes opponents far and is able to gimp recoveries. Tempest also stalls Ike in the air which can aid Ike's recovery if used correctly. Close Combat has priority allowing it to ignore projectiles and shields which helps Ike when recovering. Aether Drive grants him a diagonal recovery that he previously lacked at the cost of losing his only means of vertical recovery. Paralyzing Counter allows Ike to stun the opponent allowing for a follow-up, at the cost of his counterattack being significantly weaker. Smash Counter is pretty much the opposite, having absurd knockback, OHKOing off of many strong moves; however, it's lag is enough that many moves with low lag end fast enogh for the victim to block.

Overall, Ike's strengths allow him to overcome his weaknesses. With range, power and effective combos, Ike is a viable character. While his predictable recovery and susceptibility to combos, juggles and camping are noticeable, these can be worked around with careful play, as shown by players such as Ryo.

Changes from Brawl

Ike received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition from Brawl to SSB4, but is considered to be heavily buffed after game updates. His attack speed is noticeably faster; in particular, his forward aerial has decreased start-up and auto-cancels from a short hop, and, combined with its range, gives Ike a very reliable approach option. Most of his aerials have significantly reduced landing lag as well. His mobility has been improved, with a quicker dash speed and considerably faster air speed. As such, Ike has a better neutral game than in Brawl. He also benefits from universal gameplay changes. The changes to hitstun cancelling gives him a more effective combo game, with his down tilt, up throw, and down throw easily combos into aerials at a variety of percents. The new ledge mechanics aid his recovery greatly, as Aether was very susceptible to edge-hogging in Brawl. Lastly, the introduction of rage boosts Ike's already high power, while his endurance allows him to make great use of this mechanic.

However, Ike has received a few notable nerfs. His incredible range has been toned down, though it remains among the longest in the game. To compensate for his increased attack speed, many of his moves deal less damage and weaker knockback. Ike has also lost his effective jab cancel, which he made extensive use of in Brawl. Aside from Counter, his specials have been nerfed, with Eruption being the most notable, as it deals less damage and knockback, and only gives super armor when fully charged. His aerials have lost their transcendent priority, and this is a double-edged sword: while Ike can clash and cancel out other moves, his aerials are less effective approach options, aside from forward aerial.

Though Ike's initial tournament representation was poor, it has improved over time as he received many buffs from game updates, though he still has a relatively small playerbase. With the efforts of dedicated mains like Ryo, Ike currently has average representation and above average results.

Aesthetics

• Ike's design is now based on Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance's sequel, Radiant Dawn, where he sports new attire, a taller, more muscular physique and smaller, less anime-esque, more stern eyes.
• Eruption and Great Aether have had their fire effects changed to be a blue color, which matches Ike's Japanese title as the "Hero of the Blue Flames" as well as his empowerment by the goddess Yune during the climax of Radiant Dawn.
• If Eruption is charged to the point where Ike takes recoil damage, he will remain silent during the attack.

Attributes

• Ike is heavier (105 → 107), which improves his endurance, but makes him easier to combo.
• Ike walks slower (0.88 → 0.869).
• Ike dashes faster (1.371 → 1.5).
• Ike's air speed is faster (0.9212 → 1.08).
• Ike double jumps higher.
• Ike's jumpsquat is 1 frame slower (6 frames → 7).
• The majority of Ike's attacks have less reach because of reduced hitbox sizes and altered placements.
• Ike is taller, increasing his hurtbox size.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack deals 5% less damage (16% → 11%) and its first two hits have increased cooldown (interruptibility frame 17 → 24 (hit 1), interruptibility frame 20 → 28 (hit 2)), the latter of which removes his effective jab cancel. The first hit also has increased start-up (frame 3 → 4), while the third hit has lost all of its KO potential.
• Neutral attack transitions into its second and third hits faster.
• Dash attack deals 6% more damage (8% → 14%), has decreased start-up (frame 18 → 15) and increased knockback growth (70 → 78). It also has a new late hitbox that deals 9%, lasts 3 extra frames and is strong enough to overtake the previous dash attack's knockback (70 (base)/70 (growth) → 60/100).
• Forward tilt deals 2.5% less damage (15% → 12.5%) and decreased knockback (38 (base)/100 (growth) → 30/97).
• Forward tilt has decreased start-up (frame 17 → 13) and cooldown (interruptibility frame 56 → 42).
• Up tilt deals 2% more damage (12% → 14%), has reduced start-up (frame 13 → 11) and slightly less cooldown (interruptibility fram 50 → 48).
• Up tilt has decreased base knockback (70 → 50), KOing 20% later. Its weak hit also has decreased active frames (14 frames → 8).
• Down tilt has decreased start-up (frame 16 → 7) and cooldown (interruptibility frame 55 → 29). All of its hitboxes launch opponents at 80°, making it a reliable combo starter from low to medium percents.
• Down tilt deals 6% less damage (14% → 8%) and can no longer meteor smash.
• Sourspotted forward smash deals 2% more damage (17% → 19%). Forward smash also has 1 more active frame, increasing its reliability against aerial opponents.
• Forward smash has decreased knockback (50 (base)/100 (growth) → 40/90), going from the second strongest forward smash in Brawl to the fifth strongest forward smash in SSB4. It also has increased cooldown (interruptibility frame 80 → 84).
• Down and up smashes no longer have transcendent priority. When combined with Ike's decreased range, they have become less useful overall.
• Up smash has increased knockback growth (85 → 86).
• Down smash deals 1% more damage (13%/16% → 14%/17%) and increased base knockback (30 → 40). It also launches opponents at a more horizontal angle.
• Down smash's late second hit has decreased active frames (9 frames → 3).

Aerial attacks

• All aerials no longer have transcendent priority. This allows them to cancel out non-transcendent projectiles, but hinders Ike's approach overall.
• Neutral aerial deals 1% more damage (9% → 10%) and launches at a more vertical trajectory for easier follow-ups (70° → 80°). It also has decreased start-up (frame 15 → 12) and cooldown in the air (interruptibility frame 76 → 60). This allows Ike to successfully recover if a player accidentally presses the attack button while being pushed off stage.
• Neutral aerial now has a sourspot at the end that deals 7%. It also has increased landing lag (13 frames → 14).
• Forward, back, up, and down aerials have decreased landing lag (22 frames → 18 (forward), 22 frames → 19 (back), 19 frames → 16 (up), 29 frames → 23 (down)).
• Forward aerial's animation has been slightly changed. The swing above Ike is more exaggerated, while the swing below is less exaggerated.
• Forward aerial has decreased start-up (frame 18 → 12) and aerial cooldown (interruptibility frame 60 → 55). It can now auto-cancel from a short hop and has greater KO potential due to an increase in base knockback (20 → 30).
• Up aerial deals 3% less damage (14% → 11%) and its knockback was not compensated enough (40 (base)/100 (growth) → 55/94), weakening its KO potential. However, it is still one of the strongest up aerials in SSB4.
• Up aerial has decreased start-up (frame 15 → 13).
• Down aerial deals 1% less damage (16% → 15%), decreased base knockback (40 → 30), has lost its lingering hitbox and now has a non-meteor smash sourspot.

Throws/other attacks

• All grabs have increased cooldown (30 frames → 32 (standing), 40 frames → 41 (dash), 36 frames → 39 (pivot)).
• Dash grab comes out 2 frames faster (12 → 10).
• Pivot grab comes out 2 frames slower (9 → 11).
• All throws deal 1% more damage (6% → 7%).
• Forward throw has increased knockback.
• Back throw has increased knockback, which no longer allows Ike to follow up with a dash attack at higher percents.
• Up throw has decreased cooldown, making it an effective combo starter.
• The changes to hitstun cancelling increases down throw and up throw's follow-up capabilities from 0% to medium percents.

Special moves

• Uncharged Eruption deals 1% more damage (9% → 10%). Ike is also able to release a fully charged Eruption without taking any recoil damage and Eruption reaches the fully charged stage faster.
• Fully charged Eruption deals 2% less damage (37% → 35%) at the bottom, while its first eight stages deal much less damage. Eruption also deals significantly less knockback overall, removing its ability to one-hit KO and now results in it KOing around 50%-100%. An uncharged Eruption has also lost its super armor frames.
• Quick Draw deals 3% less damage (9%/16% → 6%/13%) and its ending lag without hitting is significantly increased, no longer allowing Ike to follow up with an attack immediately after dashing.
• Quick Draw has decreased start-up and landing lag, increased base knockback (50 → 70), covers more distance and no longer leaves Ike helpless for a short amount of time when the attack is activated.
• Aether deals 5% less damage (25% → 20%) and has much less super armor frames (frames 18-38 → 18-21). It can now only meteor smash at the start of the descent and can no longer grab edges from behind.
• Aether no longer moves Ike forward without directional input.
• Counter is 2 frames faster (frame 11 → 9).
• Counter has new sound effects.
• Great Aether deals 18% less damage (78% → 60%).

Update history

Ike has been heavily buffed via game updates. The most notable buffs were brought about by update 1.0.8, which gave some of his ground attacks and aerial attacks reduced lag, and in some cases, more power. The increased shieldstun in update 1.1.1 also helps Ike's sluggish attacks by making them safer on shield, though this comes at the slight price of his out of shield options becoming slightly more situational.

1.0.4

• The third hit of neutral attack has less startup lag (frame 8 → 6), allowing it to connect more reliably.
  • However, its total duration was not fully compensated (FAF 40 → 39), giving it slightly more ending lag.
• Forward tilt has considerably lower ending lag (FAF 54 → 45).
• Down tilt has considerably lower ending lag (FAF 39 → 29).
• Down tilt deals more damage (7% → 8%).
• Down tilt has smaller hitboxes (4u → 3.8u/3u).
• Down tilt now launches opponents vertically (361° → 80°) and it has more base knockback but less knockback scaling (50 (base), 90 (scaling) → 70/70). When combined with its lower ending lag, this grants down tilt combo potential.
  • However, this also hinders its edgeguarding potential.
• Down smash has less ending lag (FAF 74 → 71).
• Down smash launches opponents at a lower angle (52° (hit 1/hit 2 (clean))/65° (hit 2, late) → 48°/61°.
• Forward aerial has less startup (frame 16 → 13) and ending lag (FAF 60 → 55).
• Forward aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 42 → 38), now being able to do so in a short hop.
• Forward aerial has a shorter duration (frames 16-20 → 13-16).
• Forward aerial has a shorter initial auto-cancel window (frames 1-5 → 1).
• Forward aerial has larger hitboxes (4.5u → 5u) although the far hitboxes have been moved closer to Ike to compensate for their horizontal range (y offsets: 9.5/6.5 → 9/6.2).
• Back aerial deals more damage (13% → 14%), improving its KO potential.
• Down aerial has larger hitboxes (4.8u/4.5u/5.3u → 6u/5.5u/6.3u).
• Great Aether's multi hits extend further away from Ike (z offset: 50/10/22/34/46 → 62/12/24/38/52), giving them more range.

1.0.6

• Fixed a glitch where Aether Drive behaved erratically when performed in slow motion.
• Counter's knockback growth increased: 74 → 100.

1.0.8

• Neutral attack has been improved. It transitions faster and the last hit now hits above Ike, matching its animation.
• Forward tilt's damage outputs altered due to now having one hitbox instead of three: 14% → 12.5% (sweetspot), 12% → 12.5% (sourspot).
• Forward tilt's start-up decreased: 15 frames → 12.
• Up tilt's hitbox duration and vertical reach increased.
• Dash attack has been improved. It deals 4% more damage: 10% (sweet)/7% (sour)/5% (late) → 14%/11%/9%, its start-up decreased: 18 frames → 15, its overall range and knockback are increased, and it launches opponents at a more horizontal angle, making it a reliable KOing option.
• Neutral, forward, up and down aerials' ending lag decreased: 16 frames → 14 (neutral), 20 frames → 18 (forward), 18 frames → 15 (up), 26 frames → 23 (down).
• Forward aerial's start-up decreased by 2 frames and it now hits better above and below Ike.
• All variations of Quick Draw have had their start-up decreased by 3 frames: 19 frames → 16.
• Aether's suction properties altered in some way.

1.1.0

• Up aerial's knockback altered: 40 (base)/100 (growth) → 55/94.
• Down throw's collateral hitbox moved forward: -7u → -5u. This makes it connect more consistently.

1.1.1

• Smash Counter's knockback altered: 48 (base)/100 (growth) → 90/70.
• Uncharged Tempest deals 4% more damage: 1% → 5%. Its hitboxes' duration increased by 2 frames and the move ends 4 frames faster.
• Charged and fully charged Tempest's initial windboxes' duration increased by 2 frames and are adjusted slightly backward. Later frames' durations increased by 3 frames and the move ends 4 and 2 frames faster, respectively.
• Furious Eruption's sweetspot size increased: 7u → 8.5u (uncharged), 8u → 10u (charged), 10u → 12.5u (fully charged). It has also been adjusted upward.
• Furious Eruption's other hitboxes' durations have been adjusted: 12 frames → 15 (uncharged second), 16 frames → 19 (charged second), 16 frames → 19 (fully charged second).
• Furious Eruption's first hitbox's duration decreased: 12 frames → 10 (uncharged), 16 frames → 14 (fully charged).
• Fully charged Furious Eruption's sourspot size increased: 15u → 16u. It has also been adjusted upward.
• Third victory animation has slightly changed. Ragnell's blade now glows briefly at the end of the animation.

1.1.4

• Sourspotted forward smash deals 2% more damage: 17% → 19%.
• Sourspotted forward smash's angle altered: 60° → 57°.
• Neutral aerial deals 1% more damage: 9% → 10% (clean), 6% → 7% (late).
• Neutral aerial's angle altered, improving its ability as a set-up.: 70° → 80°.
• Forward aerial deals 1% more damage and its range increased.: 12% → 13%
• Eruption's hitbox lasts 2 frames longer.
• Hard tripping now grants five frames of invincibility.

Moveset

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			3%	A jab followed by forward kick followed by an overhead slash. It has moderate knockback, but is unable to KO at reasonable percents. Ike's fastest attack, as it starts at frame 4, with the forward kick and overhead slash providing a surprising amount of range. A decent out of shield option.
			3%
			5%
Forward tilt			12.5%	Ike leans forward and swings Ragnell outward horizontally in a similar manner to his side special. It has impressive range, making it a good spacing tool. Moderately slow start-up and cool down but deals good knockback. Its power is incredible, and is a viable KO option. Can be angled.
Up tilt			14% (clean), 10% (late)	Ike holds Ragnell parallel to the ground and extends his arm upward as he before a short hopping motion. Although it has moderate cooldown, it has good vertical range, decent speed, and numerous active frames. Like his forward tilt, this tilt is a very powerful KOing option move, even more so for a tilt, as it usually KOs around 100%.
Down tilt			8%	An inward horizontal sweep across the ground with one hand. At frame 7, it is Ike's second fastest ground attack with good range and decent cooldown. One of Ike's best combo starters with its 80° trajectory. Moderate knockback growth hurts its combo ability above medium percents, but will never realistically KO either. Good for edge-guarding as it can hit opponents on the ledge.
Dash attack			14% (clean tip), 11% (clean blade), 9% (late)	Ike swings Ragnell upwards after charging forwards. One of the slower dash attacks in the game due to it coming out on frame 15, but it has very impressive range and deals high knockback capable of KOing around 110% when sweetspotted. It can be used to efficiently punish missed techs from a back throw or to cover poor landings, though it has a considerable amount of cooldown.
Forward smash			19% (early), 22% (clean blade), 19% (clean tip)	Ike slowly heaves Ragnell over his head before striking with a heavy downwards slash. It is the fifth strongest forward smash in SSB4, while it was previously the second strongest in Brawl. By far one of the slowest forward smashes in the game in both start-up and cooldown. While under the rage mechanic, it can KO nearly as its early as it did in Brawl. It has high knockback growth, making it almost guaranteed to score a KO if it lands. Although it works best when telegraphing the opponent, the move itself is easily telegraphed too, making it easy to dodge or punish after blocking it.
Up smash			17% (clean), 10% (late)	Ike holds Ragnell on his right hand before swinging it 180° over himself. Hits on both sides with very high knockback but slow start-up and cool down (though not as drastic as his forward smash). A reliable KOing option against aerial or rolling opponent, but extremely punishable after being blocked or whiffed. Better at punishing rolls than his down smash because of its much larger range.
Down smash			14% (hit 1), 17% (hit 2 clean), 8% (hit 2 late)	Ike does downward slash in front of himself and then behind himself. The first hit has powerful horizontal knockback, while the second hit deals more damage and knockback. Decent for hitting rolling opponents, though his up smash is better suited for this. Ike's fastest smash attack in start-up, although somewhat lacking compared to his other smashes in knockback if the front hit connects. The short range on the back swing also makes it hard to hit rolling opponents and suffers from punishable cooldown like his other smashes. A good KOing option near the edge.
Neutral aerial			10% (clean), 7% (late)	Starting from above and in-front, Ike swings Ragnell in an arcing motion around his body which ends behind him. Large amount of active frames and low landing lag makes this one of Ike's better spacing options despite its lower range. Its wide arc that covers almost 360 degrees, 80 degree knockback trajectory, low base knockback and low landing makes it great for combos into grabs, tilts and aerials depending on percent. Has moderate start-up at 12 frames with very high cool down in the air.
Forward aerial			13%	An overhead swing downwards that covers the entirety of Ike's front. Capable of hitting above and below, it has decently fast start-up for its high power. Has moderate landing lag but is capable of auto cancelling in a non fast fall short hop.
Back aerial			14%	Ike swings Ragnell horizontally behind him with incredible speed. This is Ike's fastest aerial at frame 7 and performs greatly with RAR due to its high KO potential. Impressive range but has a narrow hitbox with little active frames and has very long aerial cooldown. Has moderate landing lag at 19 frames, although it can be auto-cancelled from a short hop.
Up aerial			11%	Ike swings Ragnell in a helicopter motion above his head. Lots of active frames with good horizontal coverage, but a narrow vertical hitbox. High KOing potential, especially while under the rage mechanic because of its high base knockback. The hitbox starts behind Ike.
Down aerial			15%	Ike performs a downward slash between his legs. Ike's slowest aerial in regards to start-up, due to only having two active frames. It also has limited horizontal range, but impressive range below Ike. A very powerful meteor smash when hit with Ragnell's tip during the initial downward swing. Moderately high cooldown and moderately high landing lag.
Grab			—	An average grab.
Pummel			3%	Headbutts opponent. Despite its somewhat slow speed, it is one of the best pummels in the game due to its damage output.
Forward throw			3% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	Ike front kicks his opponent forward. It provides virtually no follow-ups unless a foe is thrown off-stage.
Back throw			3% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	Shoves the target behind him and reverse roundhouse kicks. At medium percents, if an opponent does not tech, the throw can combo into a dash attack. Launches the opponent at a semi-spike angle, making it reliable for an edge-guard at high percents.
Up throw			3% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	Ike shoves Ragnell into the ground and performs an upward double axe handle to launch the opponent into the air. Has moderate base knockback with low growth at a 87° trajectory. Has good combo potential and can set up into aerials, most notably forward aerial until high percents due to its large vertical hitbox and KOing potential.
Down throw			3% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	Ike throws the target to the ground and performs a double foot stomp onto them. Has moderate base knockback at an 80° trajectory with very high growth. Possesses decent combo potential at low percents and while its high growth makes it Ike's strongest throw, it will not realistically start to KO up until 160% while under the rage mechanic.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Ike does a rising, spinning slash.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Ike swings Ragnell around his body.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Ike does circular swing while getting up.
Edge attack Edge getups			8%
Neutral special	Default	Eruption	10% (uncharged), 35%/28%/26% (fully charged bottom/middle/top)	Ike charges Ragnell before thrusting it in the ground, creating a pillar of blue fire. If fully charged, Ike receives 10% recoil damage. The uncharged tip of the blade can meteor smash. High vertical range which increases as the move charges. Uncharged has a longer downward reach until fully charged. At fully charged the move gives super armor frames upon release. Good for edge-guarding. Has transcendent priority. When fully charged, it can KO as low as 45%.
	Custom 1	Tempest	5% (uncharged), 8% (ground fully charged), 14% (air fully charged)	Instead of fire, Ike generates a vortex of air around him, generating a windbox that pushes enemies away. Stalls if used in the air which can help recover if used correctly. Excellent for edge-guarding. Tempest also charges faster than the other variations of Eruption.
	Custom 2	Furious Eruption	7% (uncharged), 27%/20% (ground fully charged bottom/top), 32%/25% (air fully charged bottom/top)	The vertical hitbox of the pillar of fire is larger, especially when charged, but Ike takes 10% recoil damage when charged halfway, and 15% recoil damage when it's fully charged. The move stays out a few frames longer than standard Eruption. Fully charged, the move kills earlier than standard Eruption and knocks them up, vertically with great power. Has transcendent priority. When fully charged, it can KO as low as 30%.
Side special	Default	Quick Draw	6% uncharged, 13% charged	Ike charges himself and then rushes forward upon releasing the charge. If Ike comes into contact with another fighter, he slashes in a similar way to that of the forward tilt. The charge can be held indefinitely. If Ike does not hit, the move has long ending lag. Failing to hit while in midair causes Ike to become helpless.
	Custom 1	Close Combat	4% uncharged and fully charged, 7% fully charged (far)	Ike performs a shoulder tackle that dashes through opponents rather than slashing the first object he comes in contact with. Deals less damage and opponents are launched upwards. During the dash, Ike is given transcendent priority. Better for recovery than the default version.
	Custom 2	Unyielding Blade	7% uncharged, 19% fully charged	Deals more damage and Ike has super armor for the duration of the charge and the lunge, but both its range and the speed are decreased.
Up special	Default	Aether	6% (hit 1 clean), 4% (hit 1 late), 1% (hit 2), 3% (descent), 6% (landing)	Ike throws Ragnell upward, launching nearby fighters in the air. Ragnell spins in place, dealing several hits and trapping foes. Then Ike jumps up and grabs Ragnell, followed by a downward slash. Ike has four frames of super armor starting on frame 18 and ends on frame 21. It offers poor horizontal recovery, but respectable vertical distance and can spike foes if used correctly. All hitboxes except the initial one have trascendent priority, along with its custom specials.
	Custom 1	Aether Drive	9% (hit 1 clean), 6% (hit 1 late), 1% (hit 2), 5% (descent), 9% (landing)	Ike can throw Ragnell much farther out, but not as high. It offers much greater horizontal recovery at the cost of some vertical recovery.
	Custom 2	Aether Wave	6% (hit 1 clean), 4% (hit 1 late), 1% (hit 2), 3% (descent), 10%/8%/6%/4% (landing)	Ike releases a shockwave when he slams Ragnell into the ground, but the entire attack deals less damage overall. The entire attack animation is also significantly sped up, which results in little trapping potential.
Down special	Default	Counter	1.2x damage of countered attacks, 10% minimum	Ike holds up Ragnell in a reverse gripped parry position. If Ike is hit shortly after the move begins, he strikes back. Start-up: Frame 9. Duration: 26 frames.
	Custom 1	Paralyzing Counter	1% (base)	Ike's counter stuns the opponent, allowing for a follow-up attack. The stun duration is longer the higher the opponent's damage percent. However, it has a narrower hit window. Start-up: frame 11. Duration: 13 frames.
	Custom 2	Smash Counter	9% (base) Roughly 1.5x damage of countered attacks, 15% minimum	When the Counter is triggered, Ike will perform a counterattack after a delay rather than instantly, but the attack deals more damage and knockback and produces a larger hitbox. Due to the delay of this move, opponents can easily avoid it, especially if used in the air, so it is best used against moves that have a lot of endlag. Start-up: frame 11. Duration: 27 frames.
Final Smash		Great Aether	5% (hit 1), 2% (hits 2-14), 5% (hit 15), 4% (hit 16), 10% (hit 17)	Ike performs a fiery upward slash with Ragnell. If he catches anyone, Ike throws Ragnell into the air along with the opponent, jumps after them, catches Ragnell, and unleashes a devastating combo of slashes and kicks before driving them down to the ground. The impact creates a massive explosion which launches the victims and any bystanders towards the upper blast line.

On-screen appearance

• Warps onto the stage using warp magic with a grunt and slashes Ragnell for a brief moment.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Charges up Ragnell with wind blowing through his cape, growling loudly. It's startup is nearly similar to his side smash.
• Side taunt: Holds out Ragnell to his side and says "Prepare yourself!" (覚悟しろ。, Get prepared.)
• Down taunt: Slams Ragnell into the ground with a "Hmph", before removing it. Wind also blows through his cape.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Taps Ragnell on his shoulder.
• Rubs the edge of Ragnell.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	We Like Ike!	Ike-u!
Pitch	Group chant	Group chant

Victory poses

This article or section is incomplete. You can help SmashWiki by expanding or finishing it. The editor who added this tag elaborates: Japanese victory quotes with translations

This victory theme is a small orchestral cover from the title theme of the first Fire Emblem game, which has since become the main theme of the series.

• Forcefully plants Ragnell into the ground, then folds his arms, saying "You'll get no sympathy from me."
• Slashes Ragnell twice and puts it on his shoulder, saying "I fight for my friends." In the Japanese release, he says "守る べき もの の ため 戦う だけ だ".
• Performs Aether while facing the screen.

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Ike	2222	2122	2212	2232	3222
	3122	3212	3232	2111	3111

Notable Players

Active

•  Nojinko
•  Rango
•  Ryo
•  San
•  SM
•  Waldo

Inactive

•  Ryuga

Trophies

Ike

One of the main characters from the Fire Emblem series. Having fought in the Mad King's War, restored the fallen nation of Crimea, and taken on the Begnion Empire, Ike is rightly called a hero. He has the strength to back the title—one good swing of his blade can launch the heaviest of foes.

One of the main characters from the Fire Emblem series. Having fought in the Mad King's War, played a huge part in restoring the fallen nation of Crimea, and taken on the Begnion Emprire, Ike is rightly called a hero. And he has the strength to go with that title. One good swing of his blade can launch even the heaviest of fighters.

: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (10/2005)

: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (11/2007)

Ike (Alt.)

Ike's side smash is a powerful two-handed sword strike. It's one of the best launch attacks in the entire game, though it will leave you wide open when you use it. For Eruption, one of his specials, you stab the ground and unleash a pillar of fire. Charging for too long will hurt Ike, so be careful!

Ike's side smash is a powerful two-handed sword strike. It's one of the best launch attacks in the entire game, so even though it leaves you open, it's a real winner. For Eruption, one of his specials, you stab the ground and unleash a pillar of fire that hits anyone nearby. If you charge it too long, though, you'll hurt yourself, so be careful!

: Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (10/2005)

: Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (11/2007)

Great Aether

Ike's Aether up special is combined with a relentless barrage of sword blows in this powerful Final Smash. He knocks targets into the air with an upward swing, and then they're stuck there as he strikes over and over. Finally, he slams them down to the ground and launches them. Just make sure that first strike hits!

Ike's Aether up special is combined with a relentless barrage of sword blows in this powerful Final Smash. He knocks his target into the air with an upward swing, and then they're stuck there as he strikes again and again. Finally, he slams them down to the ground and launches them. Just make sure that first strike hits!

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• IkeAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Great Aether

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• All-Star Battle: Brawl: Ike is one of the opponents fought in this event. All opponents debut in Brawl, and reappear in Smash 4.
• The Ultimate Swordsman: Ike must defeat the other swordfighters, Link, Marth, Meta Knight, Toon Link, both male and female Robins, and Shulk in 8-Player Smash.

Co-op Events

• Mirror Magic: Ike and Lucina must defeat Ganondorf, who is aided by Giant Metal Dark Ike and Lucina.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

  Ike as revealed in the pic of the day.

• 

  Ike's amiibo.

• 

  Aether.

• 

  Using Counter against Little Mac's Straight Lunge.

• 

  Ike with a female Villager.

• 

  An idle Ike, wielding Ragnell.

• 

  Ike battling Samus.

• 

  Close-up.

• 

  Alongside fellow Fire Emblem representative Marth.

• 

  Another idle pose.

• 

  Aboard the Halberd.

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  In the 3DS version, launching Samus and Sheik.

• 

  On the Balloon Fight stage, attacked by the fish.

• 

  Ike using a Rocket Belt on the Find Mii stage.

• 

  Ike using Eruption at Mario. Oddly, the flames are red, in which in the final game they are blue.

• 

  Ike with a male Robin.

Trivia

• Prior to the release of the game, Ike's Eruption flames were colored orange as in Brawl before being changed to blue flames upon release, in order to fit his in-game title from his origin game, "Hero of Blue Flames".
• Ike is the only Fire Emblem character who does not possess an up air that makes him backflip, an up smash that is not an upwards stab, and a neutral air that is a multi-hit spin attack.