Final Cutter
| Final Cutter | |
|---|---|
 Final Cutter in Ultimate. | |
| User | Kirby |
| Universe | Kirby |
| Article on WiKirby | Cutter |
Final Cutter (ファイナルカッター, Final Cutter) is Kirby's up special move.
Overview
Kirby draws a silver blade similar to a scimitar (a blue cutter-styled blade in Smash 64), slashes upwards a bit less than the height of Falco's full jump, before slashing downwards, releasing a blue "wave" projectile forward if he lands on a solid surface, travelling the distance of a Falco Phantasm. This attack is somewhat similar to Ike's Aether. The move can be moved much further horizontally when used on the ground as opposed to in the air.
Due to its slow startup and relatively weak knockback in every game, Final Cutter is not effective as an out of shield option nor for KOing. However, it does have niche uses as a space-creating option thanks to its projectile, which allows Kirby to block approaches of slower characters, or even edgeguard certain recoveries that do not snap to the ledge.
The descent of the move delivers a heavy meteor smash. In Smash 64 and Melee, the meteor hitbox only begins when Kirby starts falling, although future games allow the downwards smash to meteor smash through its entire duration. This meteor smash allows the move to edgeguard opponents at the ledge; if Kirby hits an opponent with the downwards slash when their ledge invincibility ends, they will be meteor smashed and likely KO'd. It can also be used to perform a sacrificial KO when the opponent is trying to recover, at the cost of Kirby's stock. However, the meteor smash is significantly weaker than other similar moves such as Aether, which risks Kirby being KO'd first or failing to KO opponents with strong recoveries.
This is Kirby's sole recovery move without Copy Abilities. However, every iteration of the move is either unable to grab ledges before the downwards slash begins, or has a very specific ledge sweet spot (usually at the peak of the upward slash), making it very easy to interrupt. It is therefore a last-resort option when Kirby burns his multiple midair jumps.
Unlike most other recovery moves, Final Cutter does not send Kirby into helplessness, as the downwards slash will not end unless Kirby lands. However, if Kirby lands at the edge of a platform and is pushed off in any way while he is still in his ground-slam animation, Kirby will be forced into his helpless form.
In Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, players using this move lose all of their jumps if knocked out of it.
Bigger Kirby glitch
In Smash 64, Final Cutter can be used in the air to trigger a unusual bug known as the Bigger Kirby glitch. After performing his up special in the air, Kirby will become slightly bigger. This size increase is slightly more pronounced in the international versions than in the Japanese one, though the final size is the same in all versions, and lasts until Kirby is KO'd. This effect is not purely aesthetic but increases Kirby's range, notably allowing him to hit below platforms with certain attacks, at the cost of making him a bigger target, especially when crouching.
Instructional quote
 instruction booklet |
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Soar into the sky, then dive down with this cutting move that unleashes a shock wave. |
 instruction booklet |
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Swoop up and down while attacking with a blade. On landing, the blade emits a wave that does additional damage. |
 case foldout |
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Strike up and down. Sends out a shock wave. |
 Move List |
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Jumps high into the air, striking on the way up and on the way down. Creates a shock wave when landing. |
In The Subspace Emissary
In the story, Kirby uses the move to cut down King Dedede's stolen Cargo and secure a pair of trophies, either Mario and Pit's or Link and Yoshi's, depending on which princess Kirby rescued from Petey Piranha.
Customization
Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the variations:
| 1. Final Cutter | 2. Wave Cutter | 3. Upper Cutter |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
| "Jump high into the air, striking on the way up and down. Creates a shock wave when landing." | "Jump high into the air, and then slam down to the ground, sending rocks flying." | "Strike powerfully as you rise through the air. You can't attack on the way down." |
- Final Cutter: Default.
- Wave Cutter: The blade deals no damage, but upon landing creates a rock wave with more power and range than the normal shockwave. Has faster start-up. If used high enough in the air, the move will be weaker. The wave of rocks can be reflected.
- Upper Cutter: Comes out faster and does more damage while traveling (higher) up as well as no longer making Kirby plummet straight down, but loses both the meteor smash and shockwave and puts Kirby into his helpless state on the way down, although there is noticeable vertical momentum after the attack ends. Resembles the Sword Upper from the Sword ability.
Wave Cutter in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Upper Cutter in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Origin
The Final Cutter first appeared as a move of the Cutter ability (which itself debuted in Kirby's Adventure) in Kirby Super Star, appearing as the final hit animation of the move "Nonstop cutter attack", simply known as "Nonstop Cutter" in Kirby Super Star Ultra. When Kirby had the Cutter ability and was close enough to the enemy while attacking, the normally ranged Cutter technique would become a rapid slashing combo attack starting with the Cleaving Cutter (an inward chop, then a turning inward-upward 180 slash akin to his "Cutter Dash" move), ending in the Final Cutter.
In later games, such as Kirby & The Amazing Mirror and Kirby: Squeak Squad, a very similar move called "Final Sword" appears as part of the Sword ability's moveset, functioning exactly like how the Final Cutter works in Smash Bros. The Smash Bros. ability, which appears in Amazing Mirror, Kirby's Dream Collection, and Kirby: Planet Robobot, also includes Final Cutter with its Smash Bros. functionality, even featuring the same blade design.
Gallery
The Final Cutter's projectile in Super Smash Bros.
Kirby's Final Cutter in Smash 64.
Artwork of Final Cutter in the Super Smash Bros. 64 instruction manual.
Kirby's Final Cutter in Melee.
Another image of Kirby's Final Cutter in Melee.
Early photo of Kirby using Final Cutter in Brawl.
Kirby meteor smashing Pikachu with Final Cutter in Smash 64.
The projectile wave.
Prerelease shot of Final Cutter in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Final Cutter in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Final Cutter as shown by the Move List in Ultimate.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
 Japanese |
ファイナルカッター, Final Cutter |
 English |
Final Cutter |
 French |
Super tranche |
 German |
Final Cutter |
 Spanish |
Corte final |
 Italian |
Sciabolata |
 Chinese (Simplified) |
最终弯刀 |
 Chinese (Traditional) |
最終彎刀 |
 Korean |
파이널 커터, Final Cutter |
 Dutch |
Doorkliever |
 Russian |
Последный разрез |
 Portuguese |
Golpe Cortante |
Trivia
- This is Kirby's only way to become helpless by default, if he is pushed off an edge during the landing animation of Final Cutter. His helpless animation is based on the Dive Attack, an ability in the Kirby games that allows Kirby to land and safely deal damage on enemies after falling a sufficient distance.
- Unlike the games, Kirby cannot deal damage using this helpless animation.
- In prerelease versions of Smash 4, Kirby still had a neutral expression while using this move, like previous games.
