Final Cutter

Final Cutter
	; Final Cutter in Ultimate.
User	Kirby
Universe	Kirby
Article on WiKirby	Cutter

“	Soar into the sky, then dive down with this cutting move that unleashes a shock wave.	”
—Melee's instruction manual

“	Swoop up and down while attacking with a blade. On landing, the blade emits a wave that does additional damage.	”
—Brawl's instruction manual

“	Strike up and down. Sends out a shock wave.	”
—Smash for 3DS's foldout

“	Jumps high into the air, striking on the way up and on the way down. Creates a shock wave when landing.	”
—Ultimate's move list

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, jumps into the air a bit less than the height of Falco's full jump, and falls quickly, 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

Generally hits best on the way up, and at the very end of the attack. Although it lost much power and use in the transition from Super Smash Bros. to Super Smash Bros. Melee, it is still quite useful to skilled players. It should also be noted that the move as a whole can be moved much further horizontally when used on the ground as opposed to in the air. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Final Cutter is stronger than in Melee.

The descent of the move delivers a heavy Meteor Smash, which is easier to use over a pit. This can develop into a technique known as Cuttercide/Kutterkaze. When the opponent is trying to recover, Final Cutter can be used to intercept them and spike them downward, killing both the player and (most of the time) the opponent as well (beware that the player using Cuttercide passes the blast line first.)

In Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, players using this move lose all of their jumps if knocked out of it.

This move is also useful against edgeguarding if used high in the air at the top corners of stages, such as Final Destination or Battlefield. If Kirby performed the move at a good enough distance and an edgeguarder was in the air coming for it, Kirby could potentially catch the opponent on the sword's descent, sending them towards the lower blast line and finding itself grabbing the edge.

Unlike most other recovery moves, Final Cutter does not throw Kirby into helplessness; when the ascent is finished, Kirby falls quickly and retains the hitbox. However, if Kirby lands at the edge of a platform and is pushed off by wind, conveyor belts, Mario's F.L.U.D.D. or Squirtle's Water Gun while he is still in his ground-slam animation, Kirby will quickly slide off into his helpless form.

In The Subspace Emissary

In the story, Kirby uses the move to cut down King Dedede's transport 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

File:FinalCutterOrigin.jpg

Final Cutter in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror.

The Final Cutter first appeared as a special move in Kirby Super Star. 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 known as the Cleaving Cutter (an inward chop, then a turning inward-upward 180 slash akin to his "Cutter Dash" move), ending in the Final Cutter.

The Final Cutter move has more recently been used by Kirby's Sword ability in games such as Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. In Kirby & The Amazing Mirror and Kirby: Squeak Squad, coincidentally, the input for that move is Up+B.