Marth (SSB4)

Marth 1 in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	none
Other playable appearances	in Melee in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Final Smash
Tier	G (41)

File:Marth1HeadSSB4-U.png

Marth (マルス, Marth) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. He was announced on the official website on November 7th, 2013; years before, four Fire Emblem games were released within a similar timeframe; Fire Emblem on November 3rd, 2002 in North America, The Sacred Stones and Path of Radiance on November 4th, 2005 in Europe, and Radiant Dawn on November 11th, 2007 in North America. He was among the first wave of amiibo figures that are compatible with SSB4 and is voiced once again by Hikaru Midorikawa in the international release, using recycled voice clips from Brawl.

Marth currently ranks 41st on the SSB4 tier list, in the upper G tier, a heavy fall from his 5th place position out of 38 characters in Brawl. Marth's upsides include good overall mobility and disjointed range on many attacks. All of his sword-based attacks in particular are quite rewarding if they land only at the tip of his sword, often dealing absurdly high knockback despite their quick startup, most notably his forward smash. However, the drop on Marth's tier placement is largely due to his initial transition into the game and receiving a myriad of nerfs in the process. The transition hindered his reach relative to the cast, created smaller sweetspots, and increased the ending lag on many attacks, making his moveset less safe as a whole. His forward aerial, which was a staple move in his approaching and combo games, is laggier and less versatile than before. His throws are now ineffective for comboing while still unreliable for KOing, worsening his punish game. Marth's linear recovery is still susceptible to edgeguarding even with the new ledge mechanics, and he is vulnerable to combos, juggling, and projectile camping due to his lack of safe methods to relieve pressure. With such heavy nerfs and exiguous and insufficient buffs for compensation, Marth currently holds the distinction of having undergone the single largest drop in the tier list between Brawl and Smash 4. While he has a notable player base, his tournament results are poor and, in an almost identical manner to Falco, Marth's most recent iteration is heavily overshadowed by his top-tier placements in Melee and Brawl. However, his current position remains debatable, as later in patch 1.1.4 Marth would receive buffs in range, interruptibility and damage for many of his attacks, while the current tier list placements reflect the 1.1.3 metagame.

Everything above here is just sugarcoating the facts; he's terrible.

Attributes

Marth is a boring sword character, making use of only his tiny sword. He sports the fastest walking speed (tied with his full clone Lucina who is the exact same character), but this is useless because no one ever walks. This other attributes are equally as useless and aren't worth mentioning.

Marth's playstyle remains fundamentally intact; in other words, he swings his sword around. His attacks deal more damage and knockback if struck with the tip of the sword, but this is meaningless as his sword his so tiny, he won't be able to hit anyone with it. However, to give Marth something interesting, they slapped disjointed hitboxes onto his moveset. This means that he can sometimes land a hit if the player knocks the opponents controller out of their hand.

Marth's special moveset has at least some usability. His neutral special, Shield Breaker, as implied by its name, is designed to break shields, but despite this, it can't even break a full shield. Like half of the cast, Marth possesses a Counter. This "original" and "unique" attack requires no skill whatsoever as Marth can use this move to KO an opponent that deals more than 6% damage. His other specials have no practical use whatsoever.

Since he can't rely on landing hits on players and causing any damage, Marth needs to rely on edgeguarding if he even wants to think about netting a KO. Marth can swing his sword fast to do this.

However, Marth also exhibits glaring flaws, largely as a result of his initial transition into Smash 4 which means that he has no viability. As a result of his heavier reliance on cheap hits tippers and spacing ability, he has a poor and unreliable ground game, giving him a hard time against the entire cast. Though his attacks have quick startup, many of them have higher ending lag than the amount of sword attacks Marth posseses. Since he carries around his sword, it's impossible for him to have any diversity in his movest, including a projectile.

Since he has a sword in his hand, Marth can't properly grab and throw opponents. While he could drop his sword while performing these moves, that would make too much sense. Besides, he wouldn't get to use his sword he sleeps with.

While Marth can dish out cheap edge guarding tactics, he cries when they're used against him. Dolphin Slash is his only reliable vertical recovery option, but its path is linear and its distance is fixed, making his recovery as predictable as the mechanics of a Fire Emblem game.

His customs are still sword swingings and are impossible to tell apart. No one has been able to distinguish one custom move from another.

Overall, Marth is universally seen as the worst character in the game with weak moves and a complete lack of versatility in his attacks. His playstyle is so overly centered on waggling his sword that nobody ever uses him. As a result of his issues, he is seen as a pointless addition with little to no strengths.

Changes from Brawl

The smash developers wanted to make Marth more in line with the quality of his home series. This is why they nerfed the crap out of him in his transition from Brawl to SSB4.

Aesthetics

• Marth's design takes elements from his attire seen in Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem, Heroes of Light and Shadow and Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, as opposed to his design from Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, which was used in Melee and Brawl. His eyes are also smaller and less anime-esque. His sword has also been updated and is now the Exalted Falchion instead of the Falchion he had used in Melee and Brawl.
• Marth's sword trails are much brighter at the tip; this makes the sweetspot of his attacks more visible than in previous games.
• Marth's sound effects for his sword slashes are less pronounced than in Brawl, overall being quieter. His Dolphin Slash in particular now produces a soft, short slashing sound, compared to the loud and prolonged noise it produced in Brawl.

Attributes

• Marth is slightly heavier than in Brawl (87 → 90), improving his endurance but making him easier to combo in the new physics.
• Almost all of Marth's attacks have slightly increased range compared to Brawl (apart from forward smash and Shield Breaker), ranging from a 0.25 increase to a 3.5 increase (2.5 before 1.1.4, as certain moves were increased further in said patch).
• Marth dashes faster (1.7 → 1.785).
• Marth's air speed is slower (1.034 → 1.02).
• Marth falls faster (1.5 → 1.58).

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack now transitions faster and the second hit deals more knockback. The first hit also sends opponents at a higher trajectory (Sakurai angle → 78°/65°/90°) and has less ending lag (IASA frame 29 → 25), allowing for follow-ups and mix-ups.
• Neutral attack now comes out one frame later on both hits (4/2 → 5/3).
• Forward tilt is stronger (40 base/80 growth → 55 base/85 growth) and has less ending lag (39 frames → 33 frames). It also has slightly more vertical range.
• Forward tilt comes out one frame later (frame 7 → frame 8).
• Up tilt (8%/9%/12% → 5%/6%/9%), down tilt base (8%/9% → 7%), forward smash (14%/19% → 13%/18%) and up smash sourspots (4%/14% → 3/13%) all deal less damage, though with their knockback compensated.
• Up tilt has decreased ending lag (IASA frame 39 → frame 33). Additionally, all of its hitboxes now produce vertical knockback.
• Down tilt has increased ending lag (IASA frame 22 → frame 24), only lasts 2 frames instead of 3. It also no longer moves Marth forward, removing its ability to pseudo-crawl.
• Forward smash has noticeably less reach (10.5 units → 9.05 units) and increased ending lag (IASA frame 49 → frame 51).
• Up smash has a slightly larger hitbox radius overall.
• Up smash has slower startup (frame 12 → frame 13), shorter hitbox duration (6 frames → 5 frames), and increased ending lag (IASA frame 49 → frame 58).
• Down smash has significantly less ending lag (64 frames → 54 frames).
• Back hit of sweetspotted down smash has more growth (80 → 88) and deals slightly more damage (16% → 17%).
• Back hit of down smash deals 1% less damage (13% → 12%) and the front hit deals much less damage (14%/17% → 8%/12%), making it weaker despite its increased growth on both the sweet and sour spots (70/80 → 88). Hitbox duration of both hits is shorter (3 frames → 2 frames).

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial's first hit sourspotted deals 0.5% more damage: 3% → 3.5%.
• Neutral aerial's hitboxes are 2.5 units larger.
• Neutral aerial has 1 more frame of ending lag (FAF 49 → 50).
• Neutral aerial (6% (first hit, tippered), 9%/12% (second hit) → 5% (first hit, tippered), 7%/9.5% (second hit)), forward aerial (10%/13% → 8%/11.5%), back aerial (11%/14% → 9%/12.5%), and up aerial sourspot (10% → 9.5%) all deal less damage than in Brawl without much compensation on their knockback.
• Except for back aerial, all aerials have worse autocancel windows (neutral aerial: frame 25 → frame 47, forward aerial: frame 27 → frame 36, up aerial: frame 27 → frame 38, down aerial: frame 48 → frame 55). Neutral aerial no longer autocancels in a short-hop.
• Neutral aerial (9 frames → 12 frames), forward aerial (9 frames → 16 frames), and up aerial (9 frames → 14 frames) have increased landing lag.
• Forward aerial now possesses increased startup and reduced duration (frame 4-7 → frame 6-8). Marth can also no longer perform another aerial after a forward aerial in a single short hop due to increased ending lag (IASA frame 34 → frame 38). As such, it is no longer considered the best forward aerial in the game.
• Back aerial (21 frames → 17 frames) and down aerial (32 frames → 24 frames) have reduced landing lag.
• Sweetspotted up aerial has more knockback growth (80 → 84).
• Down aerial's meteor smash hitbox deals 1% more damage (14% → 15%).
• Down aerial has slightly more startup (frame 7 → frame 9). Its sweetspot only lasts 1 frame; it no longer meteor smashes unless the sword hits directly below him (which is the middle of the swing arc, frame 11), has less base knockback (40 → 20), and the hitboxes that used to meteor now send foes sideways with moderate knockback and 1% less damage than the meteor (15% → 14%). In addition, the move now starts from Marth's back instead of his front, essentially flipping its animation around from Melee and Brawl, taking longer to hit foes in front of him. Combined with its worse autocancel window, these changes hurt his ability to approach with his down air, and drastically worsen the move's overall utility.

Throws/other attacks

• Marth's grab comes out 1 frame later (frame 6 → frame 7), has 1 frame more ending lag, and less range.
• All of his setup throws have significantly higher base knockback, which removes most of his follow-up options after a grab, but all except up throw cannot KO reliably even at 250% due to still having low knockback growth.
• Due to the aforementioned change, Marth can no longer chaingrab or tech chase opponents with his forward throw.
• Up throw has more base knockback (60 → 70), allowing all characters except King Dedede to be KOed under 200%.
• Down throw sends foes at an upwards trajectory, which can give some new follow-up options at low percents, but it removes Marth's ability to tech-chase.

Special moves

• Shield Breaker deals less shield damage (42 → 25), but is heavily compensated with the removal of damage reduction on shields, allowing the move to break shields much more easily. It now gives Marth a horizontal boost when used in the air, regardless of whether it is charged or not, aiding Marth's recovery. It also has less ending lag (IASA frame 54 → frame 50).
• Marth no longer steps an extra distance forward when using Shield Breaker. Because of this, the move's range is shorter.
• The downward hits of Dancing Blade deal slightly more damage (down hit 3: 4%/5% → 4.5%/5.5%, down hit 4 final hit: 3%/5% → 4%/6%).
• The first hit of Dancing Blade has slightly more startup (4 → 6). Additionally, all the strikes have more slightly more ending lag, and the third hit downward no longer meteor smashes. It is also harder to connect each hit together compared to Brawl, due to the fact of each hit having slightly increased base knockback and less interruptibility (though it still connects far better than it did in comparison to Melee). Its hover effect in midair is also much weaker to the point it is almost negligible, hindering Marth's recovery.
• Dolphin Slash has significantly less landing lag (34 frames → 20 frames).
• Dolphin Slash deals less damage (13% → 11%), making it slightly weaker despite its increased knockback growth (68 → 74). A Reverse Dolphin Slash is also slightly harder to hit with.
• Counter has increased knockback growth (40 → 60) and reflects more damage (1.1x multiplier → 1.2x), being able to KO reliably off of strong countered attacks at very low percentages.
• Marth now grunts instead of talking when his Counter is triggered.

Update history

Marth has been buffed ever since update 1.0.6, with the multiple buffs giving him more follow-up options and drastically improved frame data on all of his aerials and some special moves. However, it is unclear whether the many changes to shield mechanics in 1.1.0 and 1.1.1 have affected Marth for the better or for the worse. While these changes to shield mechanics make Marth's tippered attacks a lot safer on shield, the same changes make his sourspotted attacks less safe than they already were, due to their lower hitlag, making them overall less safe than those of his moveset clone, Lucina. These changes make precise spacing of his attacks mandatory, as the decreased safety of his sourspotted moves can result in serious punishment, though when properly spaced, they are almost unpunishable. Shield Breaker also deals less shield damage, making it more difficult to wear down shields when partially charged. However, the small landing lag reduction on all of his aerials and ending lag on all of his standard ground attacks have helped mitigate his lag issues with most of his moves and improve his combo game, giving him a more offensive playstyle with fewer flaws in defending. The strengthening of up tilt and Dolphin Slash and the multiple buffs to Dancing Blade so its hits link better together have also noticeably improved three of his moves that were previously considered situational. Marth was significantly buffed 1.1.4, with increased damage slightly improving his previously poor damage racking, better frame data, and the increased tipper hitboxes not only address his worsened range, it also improved his aerial game and juggle abilities. Overall, Marth has been significantly buffed and is more viable since the original version, but he still remains rather nerfed compared to Brawl.

1.0.4

• Using Counter after being trumped from the ledge no longer changes momentum​.

1.0.6

• Jab 1 IASA: Frame 29 → Frame 26
• Forward tilt IASA: Frame 39 → Frame 35.
• Dancing Blade hit 1 IASA: Frame 45 → Frame 42.
• Dancing Blade combos more consistently.

1.0.8

• Jab improved. Both hits link more reliably as the transition is faster and the first hit now produces vertical-based knockback, while the second deals increased knockback. The first hit also now has follow-up potential outside of transitioning to the second hit.
  • Due to the angle change of Jab 1, the move can no longer jab lock.
• All hitboxes of jab 1 deal 1% less damage (4%/6% → 3%/5%).
• All hitboxes of up tilt now deal vertical knockback, with improved base knockback, making it a better KO move. It additionally has 3 less frames of ending lag.
• Neutral aerial has 3 less frames of landing lag.
• Dolphin Slash has slightly improved knockback growth.
• Dolphin Slash and Crescent Slash deal slightly more hitlag.

Technical changelist 1.0.8

Change	Old value	New value
Jab 1 damage	4%/6%	3%/5%
Jab 1 angle	Sakurai angle	78°/65°/90°
Jab 1 knockback growth	50/70	30
Jab 1 base knockback	20/30	55
Jab 1 hitlag	1	0.7
Transition from Jab 1 to Jab 2	frame 21	frame 17
Jab 1 ending frame increased	26	28
Jab 2 angle	Sakurai angle	100
Jab 2 initial base knockback	50	65
Jab 2 (late) base knockback	40	52
Up tilt angle	Sakurai angle/100°	100°
Up tilt base knockback	50/40	65/52
Up tilt endlag	42 frames	39 frames
Neutral air landing lag	15 frames	12 frames
Dolphin Slash knockback growth	68	74
Dolphin Slash/Crescent Slash hitlag multiplier	0.5	0.7

1.1.0

• All hits of neutral aerial deal 1% more damage.
• Up tilt's ending lag is reduced by 3 frames.
• Forward, up, and back aerials have 2 less frames of landing lag.
• Down aerial has 4 less frames of landing lag.
• All variations of Dolphin Slash have 3 less frames of landing lag.
• All variations of Shield Breaker have 2 less frames of ending lag.
• Dancing Blade's first, second and third strikes have 5 more frames of input window duration. This allows them to connect better, but makes the first hit harder to follow up with attacks other than another hit of Dancing Blade.

Technical changelist 1.1.0

Change	Old value	New value
Up tilt ending lag	39 frames	36 frames
Neutral aerial damage (1st hit)	2%/3%	3%/4%
Neutral aerial damage (2nd hit)	6%/8%	7%/9%
Forward aerial landing lag	18 frames	16 frames
Up aerial landing lag	16 frames	14 frames
Back aerial landing lag	19 frames	17 frames
Down aerial landing lag	28 frames	24 frames
All variations of Shield Breaker ending lag	52 frames	50 frames
All variations of Dolphin Slash landing lag	23 frames	20 frames

1.1.1

• Partially charged Shield Breaker's shield damage decreased. (30 → 25).

1.1.3

• Dancing/Effortless Blade improved. They have recieved multiple changes to their knockback, hitbox sizes, and damage, which makes them link better.

Technical changelist 1.1.3

Change	Old value	New value
Dancing Blade/Effortless Blade hit 2 forward knockback growth (hitboxes 0/2)	70	30
Dancing Blade/Effortless Blade hit 2 forward knockback growth (hitbox 1)	50	30
Dancing Blade/Effortless Blade hit 2 forward base knockback (all 3 hitboxes)	28	30
Dancing Blade hit 3 down damage (hitbox 0)	3%	4.5%
Dancing Blade hit 3 down damage (hitbox 1)	4%	5.5%
Dancing Blade hit 3 down knockback growth (hitbox 0)	60	28
Dancing Blade hit 3 down knockback growth (hitbox 1)	40	28
Dancing Blade hit 3 down angle (both hitboxes)	20°	44°
Dancing Blade hit 3 down base knockback (both hitboxes)	30	50
Dancing Blade hit 3 down size (hitbox 1)	4.3	4.6

1.1.4

• Neutral attack's first hit has less ending lag: (28 frames → 25) and both hits have larger hitboxes: (6.5u → 7u.)
• Forward and up tilt have less ending lag: 36 frames → 33.
• Forward tilt has a larger sour x and tipper hitbox: (2u (sour)/6.7u (tipper) → 2.5u/7.7u.
• Down tilt has a larger tipper and sour x hitbox: 6.7u (tipper)/15.2u (sour x) → 8.2u/16.7.
• Down tilt's sour y hitbox is smaller: 3.2u → 2.7u.
• Down smash has significantly decreased ending lag: 64 frames → 54.
• All aerials deal slightly more damage: 3%/4% (neutral, first hit), 9% (neutral, back hit), 7%/10% (forward), 12% (back), 9%/12% (up), 11%/13%/14% (down) → 3.5%/5%, 9.5%, 8%/11.5%, 12.5%, 9.5%/13%, 12%/14%/15%.
• The tipper hitboxes on neutral, forward, and back aerial are larger: 6.7 (neutral, first hit)/6.5 (neutral, back hit), 6.7 (forward and back) → 7.7/7.5, 7.7.
• Back aerial's sour x hitbox is slightly bigger: 2 → 2.5.
• Dancing Blade improved. The first hit has less startup (7 → 6) and has one frame less of ending lag both on the ground and in the air (IASA: 42/32→ 41/31.)

Moveset

For simplicity, if, for example, Marth's blade does 4% damage while the tip does 6%, and the attack has no other hitboxes, it is written as 4%/6%.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			3%/5%	Slashes the Exalted Falchion twice in front of himself. If spaced and timed correctly, this move has many follow-up capabilities as it can link into any of his smash attacks or tilts that can link into his other moves. (Some of this will only work if the opponent is very close to the player). As of the 1.1.4 patch, this attack is significantly faster and easier to perform mix-ups with if untippered.
			4%/6%
Forward tilt			9%/12%	A fast upward swipe while leaning forward. Has a large arc that is useful for spacing, and deals moderately strong knockback when tippered, making it a go-to spacing and KO option. Deals much weaker knockback if untippered.
Up tilt			6% (blade), 5% (body), 9% (tip)	Swings the blade in a large arc above his head, with a large hitbox that can hit enemies behind him. As of the 1.1.4 update, this move is considerably faster, allowing it to true combo into itself at low percentages.
Down tilt			7%/10%	A quick crouching Falchion poke. Marth's fastest tilt, which is useful for creating space. Can link into a grab, dash attack, or running Dancing Blade if the move is un-tippered. As of 1.1.4, the tipper hitbox can now hit opponents on/below the ledge much easier. Deals semi-spike knockback when tippered.
Dash attack			10% (blade), 9% (body), 12% (tip)	A quick, running, upward-sweeping diagonal slash. Low knockback, but deals decent semi-spike knockback if tipped. Moderate ending lag and very low hitlag if untipped, making it very unsafe against shields.
Forward smash			13%/18%	Rotates his body counter-clockwise with a strong overarcing one-handed swing from his head to the ground. Moderately fast startup, but high ending lag. Although lackluster when sourspotted, this move has surprisingly potent knockback when tipped, being able to KO opponents near the edge at as low as 37%. In fact, when tipped it has the third highest knockback of any forward smash in the game, being tied with Ganondorf. Despite this, the move's low range compared to Marth's previous incarnations makes landing a tipper somewhat difficult.
Up smash		Justice Sword	3% (ground), 13% (blade), 17% (tip)	A quick, direct upward thrust. The weak grounded hit can knock nearby opponents into the main attack. Good for aerial protection and chasing down landing opponents.
Down smash			8%/12% (hit 1), 12%/17% (hit 2)	Sweeps the blade on the ground toward the front outward then toward the back inward. The back hit has much stronger knockback scaling, while the front hit is weak unless tippered, where it will do moderate knockback. High ending lag, but as of the 1.1.4 patch this move has much less ending lag than before, making it harder to punish.
Neutral aerial			3.5%/5% (hit 1), 7%/9.5% (hit 2)	Two horizontal slashes around himself via an inward slash followed into a full 360 degree 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 tipper of the second hit is very strong, being the most powerful neutral aerial in the game, KOing near the edge at around 100%.
Forward aerial			8%/11.5%	Does a descending crescent slash in front of him with great coverage. This is Marth's best tool for air combat but is very risky to use in neutral unless used immediately out of a short hop, due to relatively high landing lag, weak damage if untippered, low hitbox duration and an extremely strict autocancel window, only cancelling if used in a few specific frames immediately after a short hop. However, very powerful when tipped for how quickly the move comes out; can KO near the edge at around 110%.
Back aerial			9%/12.5%	An upward crescent slash behind him in an inward swipe. Has the interesting property of turning Marth around, changing facing direction. Similar use to his forward air, although with slightly more knockback and a smaller hitbox. Can be used a few frames before landing to catch opponents with a tipped blow, with correct spacing. Another very powerful move (when tippered) considering its speed; can KO near the edge at around 90%.
Up aerial			9.5%/13%	An overhead crescent slash with good coverage, ending in a delayed somersault. Decent juggling tool at low percents thanks to its large arc, making it a good anti-air as well. Weak knockback unless tipped. Due to its angle and low ending lag during the first few frames, it can be used for a somewhat reliable KO confirm of a landing up aerial to down aerial meteor smash at around 55-60% near the edge. And as of 1.1.4, its tipper damage was increased, in turn dealing more knockback from before, allowing for down throw to tippered up air kill-confirms on a handful of the cast.
Down aerial			12% (blade), 14% (non-meteor tip), 15% (meteor)	A downward, wide crescent slash with large coverage. If the Exalted Falchion hits 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). Other hitboxes when tippered result in moderate knockback. Has high ending and landing lag.
Grab			—	Grabs the enemy with his left hand. Has good range.
Pummel			2%	Knees the enemy. A fast pummel.
Forward throw			4%	Grabs and pushes forward, tripping them with his leg. Can be used to set up a tippered forward air until around 20%, or a Crescent Slash from low to mid-high percentages. Can also be followed up with a neutral or forward aerial at very low percents against heavier characters.
Back throw			4%	Turns around and pulls the enemy over his outstretched leg, tripping them. Its high base knockback allows him to set up edgeguarding, but cannot combo effectively.
Up throw			4%	A powerful upward throw with one arm. Marth's KO throw, which can KO at around 170% and earlier with rage.
Down throw			5%	Throws opponent to the ground with one arm, bouncing them upwards. His primary throw for follow-ups, as it can follow up with an up or back aerial at low to mid percents, where after it starts losing combo potential. However, as of 1.1.4, the tipper of this move deals more damage and knockback, allowing a down throw to tipper up aerial to KO a handful of characters.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Swings the Exalted Falchion behind, then in front of him before getting up.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Spins around gracefully and slashes the Exalted Falchion in a circle.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Similar to his other floor getups.
Edge attack Edge getups			7%	Backflips onto the stage and slashes.
Neutral special	Default	Shield Breaker	8%/9% (uncharged), 22%/24% (fully charged)	Marth assumes a readying stance and charges the Exalted Falchion at chest level before powerfully thrusting it forward. This attack deals high amounts of shield damage. If fully charged and used in the air, this move will thrust Marth in whatever direction he's facing, giving him a strong horizontal recovery with very high startup. Deals very high knockback when tippered, making it a powerful KOing option, especially against dazed opponents.
	Custom 1	Storm Thrust	4% (uncharged), 11% (fully charged)	The stab produces a gust of wind from the tip, with pushing strength dependent on the charge level. In exchange, the attack is much weaker than normal.
	Custom 2	Dashing Assault	6%/5%/3% (ground uncharged early/mid/late), 7%/6%/4% (air uncharged early/mid/late), 16%/13%/9% (ground fully charged early/mid/late), 17%/14%/10% (air fully charged early/mid/late)	Marth performs a lunging thrust with the blade. Deals less damage and slightly less shield damage, but propels Marth forward, even when used on the ground.
Side special	Default	Dancing Blade	Varies (see table below).	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 hit comes out on frame 6 and is arguably Marth's best tool for catching and punishing rolls, airdodges, and landings.
	Custom 1	Effortless Blade	2%/3% (parts 1-3), 4%/5% (part 4)	Makes the hits easier to link, but can only use the standard variation. Since Marth swings with less vigor, the attack is also weaker.
	Custom 2	Heavy Blade	7%/9% (part 1), 9%/11% (part 2), 10%/12% (part 3), 13%/15% (part 4 up), 14%/16% (part 4 side), 2.2% (part 4 down hits 1-4), 11%/13% (part 4 down hit 5)	Marth slashes with more force, but the controller input time is stricter and the hits are harder to link. Each slash also has more startup and ending lag.
Up special	Default	Dolphin Slash	11% (clean), 7% (late blade), 6% (late body)	Marth performs a high-speed jumping slash that can be reversed. Has a powerful sweetspot located in the first few frames, which can easily cause stage-spikes under the right circumstances.
	Custom 1	Crescent Slash	7% (clean), 12% (late blade), 6% (late body)	Marth uses a lower Dolphin Slash that gains more horizontal distance. It gives Marth an access to his only true follow-up from forward throw and grab release combo against some characters. However, it has less vertical distance. Most damage at midpoint, and high landing lag.
	Custom 2	Dolphin Jump	0%	The jump is purely vertical and gains more height. Lots of landing lag and deals no damage.
Down special	Default	Counter	1.2x (min 8%)	Marth assumes a defensive stance and retaliates against incoming attacks. The power of the counterattack scales with the strength of the attack blocked. Starts up on the 6th frame and lasts 22 frames. Ineffective against projectiles and attacks with sufficiently long reach, such as many of Shulk's tilts and smash attacks.
	Custom 1	Easy Counter	0.7x (min 4%)	Marth holds his stance longer and strikes with less power. Has decreased damage growth, but has a wider trigger window. Starts up on the 6th frame and lasts 29 frames.
	Custom 2	Iai Counter	1.3x (min 6%)	Marth strikes the opponent while moving behind them at lightning speed. Inflicts more damage, knocks foes behind him, and is much quicker, but the trigger window is stricter. Deals electric damage. Starts up on the 3rd frame and lasts 14 frames.
Final Smash		Critical Hit	60%	Marth raises the Exalted 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. Press the button again to stop.

Dancing Blade

Hit	Damage	Description
First Hit (Neutral)	3%/4%	A downwards slash towards the left while stepping forwards. At very high percents, this hit launches opponents too far away for the second slash variants to connect, but is generally fine until just under 90%.
Second Hit (Up)	3%/4%	Does an upwards lifting slash. Has a larger hitbox than the standard second slash, meaning it can catch opponents in it when the latter would otherwise fail to at high percents.
Second Hit (Neutral)	3%/4%	Does a right to left swiping stab angled slightly downwards. Can sometimes fail to hit at higher percents on certain floaty characters.
Third Hit (Up)	4%/5%	Turns his body and swings upwards. If used after the second upwards hit at high percents, this slash can often miss, although a second neutral hit can lead into this move.
Third Hit (Neutral)	4%/5%	Does an upwards swing while stepping forward. May miss if done too fast after any second hit.
Third Hit (Down)	4.5%/5.5%	Steps forward and does a backhanded stab towards the ground before twirling. Deals slightly more damage than the other hits before, but has a small hitbox and usually fails to link after the second hit at high percents.
Fourth Hit (Up)	6%/8%	Performs a twirling overhead half-moon slash, with good KOing potential if tippered (KOs Mario at 130% on Final Destination), although it has a rather small horizontal hitbox which can make it miss quite easily as high percentages. On fast fallers at low percents, this move can whiff, as the opponents will land before the strike and avoid the hit.
Fourth Hit (Neutral)	5%/7%	Twirls counterclockwise and produces a strong downward swing that has good knockback if tippered. Can KO early near the edge if tippered although at extremely high percents the first three hits may knock opponents out before the final hit.
Fourth Hit (Down)	2% (hit 1-4), 4%/6% (hit 5)	Steps forward, bends close to the ground, and does a flurry of five stabs. The last hit launches opponents away. The weakest finisher in terms of KO power, but deals the most damage and wear down shields. The first four hits may be DI'd out of if an opponent is caught right at the tip of each blow and are at a high percentage.

On-screen appearance

• Warps onto the stage using a warp circle with a twirl and unsheathes the Exalted Falchion.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Points the Exalted Falchion upwards with a spark of light emitting at the tip. This is similar to his stance before he performed his Critical Hit animation in the Fire Emblem series and identical to his stance while performing his Lodestar technique.
• Side taunt: Swings the blade twice before resheathing it.
• Down taunt: Swings the blade around and says: みんな、見ていてくれ！ ("Everyone, please watch over me!")

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

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Idle poses

• Holds his hand to his chest, closes his eyes, and silently takes a breath.
• Brushes his hair out of his face.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Marth! Marth! Marth!	Mar-u-su!
Pitch	Group chant	Group chant

Victory poses

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.

• Turns with pride, spins the Exalted Falchion then poses with it pointed to the ground, and says "今回は僕の勝ちだね。", which translates to "This time it's my victory, isn't it?"
• Poses with the blade sheathed and his right hand over his face before dramatically moving his arm away from his head while saying "僕は負ける訳には行かないんだ。", which translates to "There's no way I can lose!" Marth keeps a stern expression before smiling once the victory pose is over on the 3DS version, while he smiles for the entire pose on the Wii U version.
• Sheaths the blade and stands facing the camera, while saying "今日も生き延びることが出来た。", which translates to "Today I have survived."

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Marth	3113	3123	1123	3133	1133
	3121	1121	3111	1131	3131

Notable players

Active

•  AirVault
•  Ally
•  Chrom
•  False
•  Mr.E
•  Pugwest

Inactive

•  Nicko

Trophies

Marth

The first hero from the Fire Emblem series, Marth is the prince of Altea and descendant of the hero Anri. In Smash Bros., he's known as an exceptional swordfighter, swinging his blade with grace. Striking with the tip will maximize the damage dealt. Teach aggressive foes a lesson with his strong Counter move.

Marth, the prince of Altea, is the hero of the first ever Fire Emblem game and its remake, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. In this game, his graceful sword skills are what set him apart. Strike with the tip of his blade to deal extra damage, and use his Counter skill to defend yourself, no matter which directions you're being attacked from.

: Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (JP)

: Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem (JP)

Marth (Alt.)

Marth's side special Dancing Blade is a four-stage attack. Aim and time your strikes carefully! The tip of his sword does the most damage. For his up smash, Justice Sword, he thrusts his blade into the air. You can use it to block attacks from above and launch nearby foes.

Marth's side special, Dancing Blade, is a four-stage attack. Aim and time your strikes carefully! As usual, the tip of his sword does the most damage. For his up smash, Justice Sword, he thrusts his blade into the air. You can use it to block attacks from above, and even to launch nearby enemies off the ground."

: Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light (JP)

: Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem (JP)

Critical Hit (Marth)

Marth raises his Exalted Falchion to the sky and then rushes forward to deal an incredibly powerful blow, almost certainly KO'ing anyone and everyone who gets hit! When it's used in the air, he'll fly forward a certain distance. On the ground, however, he'll only dash to the edge of the platform he's standing on.

Marth raises his Exalted Falchion to the sky, then rushes forwards to deal an incredibly powerful blow, almost certainly KOing anyone and everyone who gets hit! When used in the air, he'll fly forwards a set distance, but on the ground, he'll only dash up to the edge of the platform he's standing on.

• MarthTrophy3DS1.png

  Classic (3DS)

• MarthTrophy3DS2.png

  Alt. (3DS)

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  Classic (Wii U)

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  Alt. (Wii U)

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  Critical Hit

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• All-Star Battle: Melee: Marth is one of the opponents fought in this event. All opponents featured had debuted in Melee.
• In the Name of the Hero-King: Marth must defeat Lucina in a stamina battle.
• The Ultimate Swordsman: Marth is one of the seven opponents Ike must defeat.
• Unwavering Chivalry: Meta Knight must defeat Marth without KOing Peach or Zelda.

Co-op Events

• A Royal Errand: Marth and Robin must work together to collect 500G from Wario and Bowser in a coin battle before the stage reaches the Bazaar.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players must select their characters and defeat the entire roster (prior to DLC).

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Marth in the Nintendo Direct from April 8th, 2014.

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  Marth's amiibo.

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  The pic of the day shown during Marth's reveal.

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  Front and Back shots of Marth's new design.

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  Marth's appearance in the 3DS version.

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  Posing with the Falchion.

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  Battling with Link.

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  Using down smash on Wii Fit Trainer.

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  Holding the Falchion out.

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  Attacking around himself with the Falchion; appears to be his neutral aerial.

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  Using Counter against Fox's dash attack.

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  Using Dolphin Slash on Mega Man.

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  Dancing Blade.

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  Posing with Peach.

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  Marth and Link performing their, respectively, forward tilt and neutral jab.

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  Marth lying down after being knocked onto the ground.

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  Close-up image of Marth and Luigi's faces.

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  Marth and Samus near a Steel Diver.

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  The results of Marth using Shield Breaker on Mega Man.

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  In battle with Zelda.

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  Landing with Ike.

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  Marth on the cover of the 3DS version.

Trivia

• Despite now only grunting instead of talking when doing his Counter, the voice clips of him speaking are still in his Sound Test. Interestingly, Marth can be heard talking while countering in Roy's reveal trailer.
• Dashing Assault makes a "woosh" sound when used, but in Corrin's reveal trailer, it makes the "shing" sound when executed, like when Marth performs a standard Shield Breaker.
• Marth, Roy and Cloud are the only characters to speak Japanese in every regional release of Super Smash Bros. 4.
• Marth's sword, the Exalted Falchion, and its sheath are not present in his artwork for the cover of Super Smash Bros. for 3DS.