Master Core

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Master Core
File:SmashBrosSymbol.png Official artwork of Master Core in Super Smash Bros. 4
A boss in	SSB4
Universe	Super Smash Bros.
Voice actor	Xander Mobus

Master Core is the true final boss of Super Smash Bros. 4. It appears at the end of Classic Mode, fought after weakening Master Hand and Crazy Hand on higher difficulties. Its appearance can be described as a black mass of particles that take on varying forms depending on the difficulty level and battle progression. According to its trophy, the black particles are known as the "Swarm".

Battle

Master Hand transforming into Master Core in in the 3DS version.

Master Core can only be battled if the Intensity is set to 5.1 or higher. On the 3DS version, Master Core will only appear if the player chooses to take the black path to fight both Master Hand and Crazy Hand at the end of Classic Mode; at Intensity 8.0 and above, there is no option except the black path. On the Wii U version, players will automatically encounter Master Core as long as they meet the Intensity requirement.

The battle between Master and Crazy Hand will begin as usual; however, once the Hands lose approximately 100 HP (150 HP in co-op mode), the camera will briefly freeze, while an animation plays where Crazy Hand disintegrates into dark flames, while Master Hand appears to 'rip open' and transforms into the Master Core entity. The music will also change and the background will change to a swirly multi-colored warp. Master Core has HP like other bosses, but it is never shown to the player; in the 3DS version, Master Core's character portrait on the bottom screen (or rather, its lack thereof) is concealed by a cloud of black particles similar to the ones that form its body, while in the Wii U version, the HP meter is simply not displayed to the player at all.

Forms

Master Core begins the fight in a certain form based on the difficulty setting. As it takes damage, black particles will spew out from the area it is last hit. Once a form is defeated, it progresses to the next one.

Master Giant

Master Giant in the Wii U version.

The Master Giant form is a large humanoid creature. It appears as Master Core's starting form at Intensity 7.5 and higher on the 3DS version, and Intensity 7.0 and higher on the Wii U version.

Attacks

Master Giant has the following attacks:

• Spawns two additional arms with glowing hands. These arms will sweep the stage, then merge back into its chest. If the player is grabbed by a glowing hand, they will be consumed by the 'head', taking damage and ending with a downwards launch.
• Moves its arm quickly across the screen horizontally. The movement itself does nothing, but a split second later a horizontal slash will appear across the stage, dealing damage. The slash can penetrate through shields.
• Creates six electric orbs that fly and wander around the top part of the screen. Master Giant will then briefly lift up the entire stage to the level of the orbs, before dropping it back down.
• Master Giant's head will split open, creating a vacuum effect around it. During this, large electric orbs will travel across the stage horizontally. If the player is caught by the head, it will be 'swallowed', taking damage then being launched downwards.
• Master Giant's head will transform, then attempts to headbutt the player. If this attack lands, the player will be buried. After the headbutt, 4 orbs are created in a random area, detonating after a delay, creating a cross-shaped explosion in the shape of the Smash logo.
• Master Giant will shout, creating a massive shockwave that pushes players away from the center of the stage, potentially knocking them off. However, it causes no damage unless the player is very close.

After defeating the Master Giant form, Master Core will transform into Master Beast.

Master Beast

Master Beast form in the Wii U version.

The Master Beast form appears first on Intensity 6.0 to 7.4 in the 3DS version and Intensity 6.0 to 6.9 in the Wii U version, or when the Master Giant form is defeated. It appears to be a large scorpion-like creature.

Attacks

Master Beast has the following attacks:

• Jumps into the background area, then bites the player, similarly to Master Hand's background punch and plane attacks. Like those attacks, it can be avoided by jumping, though the animation is much quicker.
• Leaps high off the screen, then comes back down with a body slam. It will land on either edge of the stage, causing the whole stage to briefly tilt downwards sharply. This attack is easy to avoid by staying in the center of the stage, but if the player is recovering on the opposite side at the time, the sudden tilting of the stage can cause the player to miss ledges.
• Spawns spikes on its back, then a trail of shadows will crawl across the ground. When its horizontal position matches the player's or if it reaches the corner, spikes will spawn at that location, dealing damage.
• Emanates lightning around itself. There is a brief start-up time, which shows it shrinking and being struck by lightning, similar to Pikachu's down special.

After defeating the Master Beast form, Master Core will transform into Master Edges.

Master Edges

Master Edges in the 3DS version.

Known as Master Sabres in PAL regions, this form can be encountered first on Intensity 5.1 to 5.9, or when the Master Beast form is defeated. It appears as a group of five swords, one larger than the others. Any of the swords can be damaged equivalently.

Attacks

Master Edges has the following attacks:

• Emits a brief flash of light, then performs a single large simultaneous slash with all 5 blades.
• Launches four projectiles, two at a time, which boomerang back to Master Edges. These projectiles can be absorbed with PSI Magnet and Oil Panic. They can also be reflected with moves such as Cape and Reflector.
• Similar to above, but launches two larger projectiles one at a time instead.
• The swords space themselves to surround the whole stage. The four smaller swords will slash across the stage in a set pattern, then the large sword will track the player and slam downward.
• All five swords 'ready' themselves and briefly follow the player, and then deal multiple circular slashes, ending with a very big slash that has a large vertical radius. The slashes themselves deal little damage, but the initial set serves to trap the player so that they cannot avoid the last slash, which is a semi-spike.

After defeating the Master Edges form, Master Core will transform into Master Shadow.

Master Shadow

File:MasterCoreSimulacrum.JPG

Master Shadow in the form of Little Mac.

In this form, Master Core appears as a copy of the player's character, including any equipment, custom movesets, or alternate costume the player's character might have. If the player is using an alternate form of a character, such as one of the Koopalings or male Wii Fit Trainer, these will be copied as well. At the start of the fight, Master Shadow is noticeably larger than the player's character, but will gradually shrink as its health drops. Unlike the previous forms, there is no difficulty level where this is the first form encountered, and it can be defeated by KOing it like any normal character as well as by depleting its HP like the other Master Core forms. In the Wii U version, if Classic Mode is played on Co-Op mode, Master Core will only copy the first player.

After defeating the Master Shadow form, the music will abruptly cut out. Master Core will then either transform a final time into Master Fortress (only on the Wii U version, at Intensity 8.0 or higher, and only on single-player mode) or finally reveal itself (on the 3DS version, or on the Wii U version if the prior conditions are not met).

Master Fortress

Entering Master Fortress's first wave; a few enemies and the first weak point are visible on the right

The Master Fortress form is exclusive to the Wii U version of the game, and only appears on Intensity 8.0 and up on single-player mode after Master Shadow's defeat. When this form appears, a different background music will play, the time limit will be automatically extended by 3 minutes, and a Heart Container will appear for the player to use, which resets the player's damage to 0% like in All-Star Mode. If the Heart Container is not used, it remains on the stage and can be picked up at any time by exiting the Fortress.

Master Fortress is effectively an entire stage that must be traversed, and the player must search for and destroy a total of 4 heart-like weak points to proceed. Throughout the stage, shadowy versions of enemies such as Stalfos, Geemers, Plasma Wisps, and Lethiniums will appear and attack the player.

Waves

Master Fortress appears in two waves, with the first wave containing the first two weak points and the second wave containing the last two. Only one weak point is accessible at the start of each wave; destroying it opens a path through the Fortress to the wave's second weak point. The second weak point in each wave has the ability to defend itself by summoning several enemies nearby the player when attacked. At the end of each wave, the background music will cut out.

The first weak point is reachable by a straightforward path with few enemies and no traps. All future weak points feature the presence of the Fortress's numerous Danger Zones, which take the form of either subtle yellow outlines on the walls or large pools of acid. If the player touches a Danger Zone when their damage is 100% or greater, they will be instantly KO'd; if their damage is lower than 100% they will instead take 25% damage with considerable knockback. At the same time, the enemies spawned in the Fortress can be knocked into the Danger Zones to defeat them more easily. Upon destroying the second weak point, defeating the first wave, the screen will fade and the player will be ejected from the Fortress (giving them an opportunity to use the Heart Container if they have left it behind earlier).

Entering the Fortress again will face the player with the second wave; the background music will also change once more. The second wave modifies the stage layout to include new paths as well as more enemies and Danger Zones. As before, the third weak point must be destroyed before a path opens to the final weak point. This final weak point is located in a cramped area virtually surrounded by Danger Zones, as well as containing moving platforms which can disorient the player. The limited space enables the enemies summoned by the final weak point to quickly knock the player into the multiple nearby Danger Zones to inflict very heavy damage. Destroying the fourth and final weak point will defeat Master Fortress.

After defeating the Master Fortress form, Master Core will finally reveal itself.

Master Core

Master Core in the 3DS version.

After all previous forms have been defeated, the black Swarm particles will completely cover the screen briefly, before abruptly dispersing to reveal the Core itself in the center of the stage. At this point, the timer will stop, and on the 3DS version, the black particles covering Master Core's HP on the bottom screen will also disperse, revealing a new character portrait for the boss and its damage percentage starting at 0%. On the Wii U version, the swirling background will turn blue. The player now has approximately 45 seconds to defeat the Core by knocking it off the stage. The Core appears as an object similar to a Smash Ball and will go flying upon being hit depending on how much damage it has taken; however, if it does not get knocked completely off the stage in one hit, it will return to the center. During this time, the Core has no attacks, and will gradually fade during the 45 seconds from a bright prismatic color to a deep red.

If the Core has not been defeated after 45 seconds, it will begin to spin rapidly and will rise to the center of the screen, then charge up and unleash five red waves, any one of which will inflict 50% damage and instantly KO the player (similar to Tabuu's Off Waves). Like the Off Waves, these waves can be avoided with precisely timed rolling or sidestep dodges. After all five waves (if the player still has lives left), the Core will self-destruct, causing the player to automatically win.

Gallery

• Master Core Sapien.png

  Master Giant in the 3DS version.

• Master Sapien low hp.jpeg

  Master Giant with low HP. Notice the missing neck and the Swarm evacuating from its head.

• Master Core Scorpion.png

  Master Beast in the 3DS version.

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  Master Beast tilting the stage while slamming down.

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  Master Beast with low HP. Notice the missing parts on the head and the Swarm evacuating from the top of its body.

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  Master Edges with low HP. Notice each sword getting thinner and the Swarm evacuating from them.

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  Master Shadow in the form of a Mii Gunner. Note how Master Core copies the Mii itself.

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  Master Core being defeated

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  Master Core's final attack if the player fails to finish it

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  Master Fortress's first wave after the first weak point has been destroyed; a new path has appeared (containing two visible Danger Zones) that leads downward to the second weak point

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  The second weak point in Master Fortress's first wave; note the presence of more enemies and more Danger Zones

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  Part of Master Fortress's second wave; note the similarities and differences from the previous image and the new path to the right

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  The final weak point, surrounded by numerous enemies and Danger Zones

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  Artwork of Master Fortress found on the Wii U disc.

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  Artwork of Master Giant found on the Wii U disc.

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  Artwork of Master Beast found on the Wii U disc.

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  Artwork of Master Edges found on the Wii U disc.

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  Artwork of Master Shadow found on the Wii U disc.

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  Artwork of Master Core found on the Wii U disc.

Trophy information

Master Core's Trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Master Core's Trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

This sinister being will appear from Master Hand. A bunch of black objects, called "Swarm", will gather and mimic a variety of shapes, changing its attack pattern with each new form. After taking enough damage, it will reveal even more forms. Defeat the Swarm's forms to reveal its true core.

Trivia

• The background music that plays during the Master Core battle contains a segment about two minutes in where the instruments cut out and a series of fast beeps play. These beeps are Morse code and spell out "MASTER CORE".
• Master Core's Master Shadow form is similar to the false characters from Brawl's The Subspace Emissary, in that both involve particles of darkness taking on the form of a character in the game; the Swarm that makes up Master Core's various appearances also have an appearance akin to the Shadow Bugs in the game.
• The way that Master Core is a black mass that changes shape has similarities to the final boss of The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, the Shadow Nightmares.
• The Swarm appear similar to the Chaos Kin when burned into ashes from Kid Icarus: Uprising, another game directed by Masahiro Sakurai.
• Master Core also bears resemblance to an enemy from Kirby: Squeak Squad known as Uja. Much like Master Core, Uja was composed of multiple black particles, and it could change into different forms.
• The stage layout of Master Fortress may vaguely resemble a digestive tract, including an initial linear path that leads to a downward drop into a room(s) filled with acid/Danger Zones.
• In Master Fortress, an audible heartbeat sound can be heard alongside the background music whenever the player nears a weak point.
• Master Core is the only major boss in the Smash Bros. series to not have any sort of health indicator directly visible to the player.
  • It is somewhat possible to tell how much remaining health each form has, as every 50 HP of damage dealt to each form will cause a hole to open in its model, as well a display of Swarm particles floating away. When each form becomes a more skeletal version of the original appearance, it is near defeat. This applies to all forms except Master Shadow.
• When fighting Master Core on Intensity 7.9 or lower, the camera can move freely when the game is paused. However if Master Core is fought on Intensity 8.0 or higher, the camera can only zoom in and out due to Master Fortress's large size and design.
• Master Core's true form bears a resemblance to the glowing orb that can be seen underneath Melee's and Brawl's respective versions of Battlefield.