Mii Swordfighter (SSB4)

Mii Swordfighter in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Super Smash Bros.
Shares character slot with	Mii Brawler Mii Gunner
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Final Edge
Tier	F (57)

“

Swordfighters are weapon masters. They stay cool and calm as they chase down opponents.

”

A Mii Swordfighter (剣術タイプ, Fencing Type), or Mii Sword Fighter in the PAL version, is one of the three different types of Mii Fighters that appear in Super Smash Bros. 4, along with Mii Brawlers and Mii Gunners.

Mii Swordfighter is ranked 57th out of 58th on the current tier list, placing them in bottom tier and making them the lowest ranked newcomer and Mii Fighter. The Mii Swordfighter has several noteworthy strengths, such as solid range compared to most non-swordsmen, respectable combo ability, and one of the game's fastest grabs. When granted access to their custom moves, they also enjoy a slew of unique and flexible tools that make them an adaptable fighter, including access to three useful disrupting projectiles, along with being the only swordsman with access to a reflector in Reversal Slash.

However, this versatility is made null by the banning of custom moves, and they are forced to contend with unimpressive mobility, surprisingly low KO power, and a laggy, unsafe moveset with a very poor approach. This fact is further pressed due to the Mii Swordfighter being outclassed by all other swordsmen in the game; they have less range than all others (especially Shulk and Cloud), below average ground movement (tied with Ike if using a default Mii), and less power than most. Because of this, the Mii Swordfighter is notoriously one of, if not the least popular character on the entire roster, with virtually no tournament results or dedicated mains to its credit, barring the few tournaments that allow customs. As such, some top players believe that the Mii Swordfighter is the worst character in the game.

Attributes

The Mii Swordfighter has overall average mobility. Of the three Mii types, the Mii Swordfighter has the median dash, the fastest walking speed, and the lowest jumps, as well as being the only Mii type that is incapable of wall jumping. Their attacks are also weaker yet slower than the Mii Brawler's, as well as lacking the dominant range of the Mii Gunner's, though the Mii Swordfighter outreaches the former and outspeeds the latter. Compared to a Mii of average height and weight, a larger Mii improves their range, weight, and damage while giving up speed in their attacks, while a smaller Mii does the opposite - becoming faster on the ground and the air, jumping higher, having less endlag and attacking faster, at the cost of weight and range.

Although they possess the ability to keep opponents at a distance with their disjointed hitboxes, the Mii Swordfighter is particularly hampered by their previously mentioned mobility, along with unusually weak and punishable KO moves compared to other sword-wielding characters. Of all their attacks, their most reliable finishers are their forward and down smashes, forward tilt, up and back aerials, along with Blade Flurry, Power Thrust, and Hero's Spin. Many of these moves have high ending lag, making them highly punishable if missed. Because of their low mobility and laggy attacks, the Mii Swordfighter's moveset, especially on the ground, can be quite easy to punish, especially by quick, powerful characters like Little Mac. The Mii Swordfighter is more at home in the air, thanks to their quicker aerial moves that can either be used for low-percentage combos or gimping, notably their neutral and forward aerial, two of their fastest moves, their surprisingly powerful up and back aerials which can KO at a respectable percentage, and their down aerial which can meteor smash. The Swordfighter also possesses the fastest grab out of any sword character, and one of the fastest in the game. They possess a decent combo game thanks to their moderately fast aerial attacks, throws, and down tilt, notably their down throw to up aerial or down tilt to neutral or forward air, although they lose viability once the opponent is above a certain percentage and require bad DI on the opponent's part when above these percentages.

Regardless, to make up for the lack of mobility and power of the other Miis, the Mii Swordfighter comes packed with versatility in their special moves. The Mii Swordfighter is one of the few sword-wielding characters with access to projectiles, and is the only one to bear a reflector. With three projectiles in its custom arsenal, the Swordfighter can be played as a solely camping character with their push-inducing and projectile-eating Gale Strike, damage-over-distance Shuriken of Light, or approach-hampering Chakram, allowing them to pester opponents from a distance or force opponents into a bad position (especially with a small Mii, allowing them to quickly position themselves once needed). This defensive playstyle can be coupled with Power Thrust, which allows the Mii Swordfighter to quickly move around the stage and punish mistimed rolls or air dodges. Blade Flurry and Hero's Spin grant the Mii Swordfighter a few more finishing options that aid in their ability to efficiently and flexibly take off stocks, and they boast a counterattack in Blade Counter and a reverser in Reversal Slash allows them to deter excessive use of melee attacks and projectiles alike. Their recovery can be improved with Hero's Spin, their overall most reliable recovery option, Airborne Assault, which grants tremendous horizontal distance, and Skyward Slash Dash, which has more trajectory control than any of their other recovery options. However, most of these moves have flaws of their own: Shuriken of Light fails to cause knockback at point blank range, and many of their projectiles are naturally dangerous to use up close. Outside of Airborne Assault's incredible horizontal recovery, the Mii Swordfigher's other horizontal recoveries, Slash Launcher and Skyward Slash Dash, give mediocre distance. Stone Scabbard gives high vertical distance, but presents too great a risk of self-destructing to properly compensate for its poor horizontal distance.

Overall, the Mii Swordfighter is a flexible fighter and can complement different playstyles depending on the custom moves employed. However, they are held back by their lack of KO setups and generally risky finishing options, along with a lack of competitive representation, although few dedicated players such as Trela have brought some degree of tournament success and continue to develop the character's metagame.

Update history

The Mii Swordfighter has received a wealth of buffs in various updates (and has not received any nerfs whatsoever). The lag on its moveset has been reduced, its damage output has been increased and the range of its attacks is also slightly higher. The Mii Swordfighter also seems to benefit from the changes on shield mechanics more than the other types of Miis, due to it making its forward smash safer on shield and the Blade Flurry's and Chakram's multi-hit nature being notably benefited, although this is not enough for the Mii swordfighter to increase in viability as well as the lack of improvements since update 1.1.0 and onwards led them to be noticeably underbalanced compared to the rest of the cast.

1.0.4

• Certain hitbox properties have been adjusted.

1.0.6

• Down tilt damage increased by 2%: 6% → 8%
• Neutral aerial damage increased by 3%: 5% → 8%
• Hero's Spin (grounded) damage increased: 12-16% → 14-19%

1.0.8

• Jab improved. It has 2 less frames of startup, transitions faster, and link all hits more reliably. It additionally has less ending lag.
• Forward tilt has less ending lag.
• Dash attack's hitboxes are larger.
• Down smash has less ending lag.
• Neutral aerial has 2 less frames of ending lag.
• Forward aerial has larger hitboxes, in addition to reduced landing lag.
• Back aerial deals 2% more damage: 12% → 14%, with the increased knockback making it a more reliable KO move.
• Airborne Assault launches at a lower trajectory.

1.1.0

• Up smash hitbox timings changed.
• Power Thrust's repeated hits have increased weight-based knockback (10 → 22), and the final hitbox is bigger size (4.5u → 5.1u).
• Grounded Slash Launcher attack lasts for 2 more frames.
• Chakram has 10 frames less of ending lag: 62 → 52 frames.
• Shuriken of Light deals increased damage: 1.2%/3.2%/4.8%/8.8% → 2%/4%/6.6%/10%.
• Reversal Slash ending lag reduced by 2: 40 → 38.
• Slash Launcher start-up reduced by 4: 17 → 13 frames.
• Skyward Slash Dash now gives the Swordfighter some momentum at the end of the move, increasing its distance.

Moveset

All damage listed in this table assumes a default Mii of perfectly average height and weight.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			4%	Slashes downward twice, then upward once. The first hit is interruptible very early, especially with crouching. One of the most highly-damaging non-rapid jabs in the game.
			3%
			5%
Forward tilt			12%	Swipes the blade once in a wide arc in front of himself/herself.
Up tilt			7%	Performs a single slash in an arc above their head. Covers the Mii Swordfighter's entire upper body. A solid all-purpose move, able to combo and juggle at low percentages and KO at high percentages.
Down tilt			8%	Stabs along the ground, similar to Marth's down tilt. Decently fast and can combo into a jab or an up, neutral, forward, down aerial, forward, or up tilt.
Dash attack			10% (early), 6% (late)	Stops running and thrusts with the sword. Has high knockback and range, but is easily punished if used improperly.
Forward smash			14% (hilt), 15% (blade), 16% (tip)	Holds the sword with two hands, then steps forward and swings it downwards and inwards similar to Roy's forward smash. Deals good knockback and has surprisingly high range, but suffers from high lag on both ends.
Up smash			4% (hit 1), 3% (hits 2 and 3), 7% (last hit)	Jumps and performs a series of three corkscrewing slashes over their head before touching the ground, launching the enemy on the last hit, similar to Pit's up smash. Has trouble hitting opponents behind the Mii Swordfighter, requiring foes to be in almost direct contact with them.
Down smash			12% (hit 1), 15% (hit 2)	Crouches and slashes low to the ground, first in front and then behind. Has considerable ending lag, but launches enemies at a very dangerous semi-spike angle that makes the move deadly on the edge.
Neutral aerial			8%	Slashes in a circle while doing a corkscrew in the air. A good spacing and approach move that can be used similarly to Shulk's neutral aerial, although with much less range.
Forward aerial			3% (hits 1 and 2), 5% (hit 3)	Stabs forward three times, each stab at a slightly higher angle than the last. The first two hits trap opponents into the final hit, which deals good knockback. Spammable when short hopped, although the Mii Swordfighter must be careful not to land too early or the opponent will end up right beside them. This can, however, be used to set up other moves.
Back aerial			14%	Spins to perform an extremely fast backwards slash. One of the Mii Swordfighter's more reliable finishers, especially in the air.
Up aerial			16% (clean), 10% (late)	Points the sword above his/her head and spins. Very high knockback, particularly when hit clean, being one of the Mii Swordfighter's best finishing moves, especially since it stays out for a long time.
Down aerial			1% (hits 1-5), 5% (landing hit)	Flips upside-down and rapidly spins to drill with their sword. The attack hits multiple times before ending with a strong final hit. Weakly meteor smashes opponents with set knockback on the final hit, and lasts for a decently long time. Uniquely, the aerial hits of the move are intended to lead into the landing hit, which causes a shockwave that knocks others away with high knockback. Due to a programming error (the attack autocancels starting at frame 80 while being interruptible at frame 51), it cannot autocancel.
Grab			—	Grabs the foe with their free hand.
Pummel			3.25%	Pounds the opponent with the hilt of their sword. The slowest pummel in the game, with opponents often able to break free of the grab even if only one pummel is performed. To compensate, it is tied with Mario, Pac-Man, and the Mii Brawler for the second strongest pummel in the game.
Forward throw			3% (kick), 3% (throw)	Front kicks the enemy away. Above-average knockback for a throw.
Back throw			3% (kick), 3% (throw)	Hits the enemy away with a back kick. Like forward throw, it has above-average knockback. It's the Mii Swordfighter's strongest throw, but it doesn't start KOing until very high percentages.
Up throw			2% (slash), 3% (throw)	Tosses the enemy up and then performs a midair spinning slash to knock them away. Can set up a chain of up tilts at low percentages.
Down throw			2% (stomp), 2% (throw)	Slams the enemy to the ground and stomps on them. Can follow into an up air until KO percentages, depending on the opponent's weight and DI.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Swings the sword around while getting back up.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Swings the sword in a back-to-front circle while getting back up.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Swings the sword front to back before standing back up.
Edge attack Edge getups			7%	Climbs onto the stage and stabs forward.
Neutral special	Default	Gale Strike	3.7%, 2.9%, or 2% per hit	Creates a small tornado and sends it forwards. The damage that it deals decreases the farther it travels and it can push opponents during the end. Aesthetically, this move resembles Link's Gale Boomerang, and functions similarly to a toned-down version of the Ore Club's smash attack tornadoes. Excellent for nullifying physical-based projectile camping.
	Custom 1	Shuriken of Light	2%, 4%, 6.6%, or 10% depending on distance	Throws a bright, translucent shuriken forwards. The shuriken gains more damaging power as it travels, unable to flinch opponents at point-blank range but doing more knockback at maximum range. Useful for camping.
	Custom 2	Blurring Blade	9.9-23.75% if all hits connect	Charges briefly before stabbing with the sword forward multiple times and finishing in a high-knockback stab. It is able to heavily damage a shield, especially if fully charged.
Side special	Default	Airborne Assault	7.2-16%	Charges up, then launches at the enemy, somersaulting with the blade. Travels in a light arc, and the Mii Swordfighter bounces off opponents on contact, making it function similarly to a long-range Bouncing Fish, or Raptor Boost to a lesser extent. Gains extreme horizontal distance when recovering, but leaves the Mii Swordfighter helpless and is thus very dangerous to use.
	Custom 1	Slash Launcher	6-10.2%	Dashes forwards with a sword strike, slicing through multiple opponents. Can be charged to increase the distance travelled.
	Custom 2	Chakram	7% if all hits connect (slow chakram), 6.5% (fast chakram)	Throws a chakram as a projectile that can be angled and sent upwards, downwards, or straight forward. If inputted like a smash attack, it will fly faster with increased range and damage. Otherwise, it will fly in front of the Mii Swordfighter and stall in mid-air, hitting multiple times. The chakram can be lodged into the floor and walls, but cannot be picked up.
Up special	Default	Stone Scabbard	5% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2), 5% (hit 3), 6% (sword when going through platforms)	Slashes upwards while jumping and then stabs downwards while falling. The second hit is a powerful meteor smash. The Mii Swordfighter will not stop until it hits ground as soon as the second portion of the attack begins, making it easy to self-destruct off-stage with the move if not aimed carefully.
	Custom 1	Skyward Slash Dash	12% if all hits connect	Performs a series of sword strikes while dashing in a straight line, which can be aimed in any direction using the control stick.
	Custom 2	Hero's Spin	14-19% (ground), 14% in the air if all hits connect	Spins with the sword; if used in the air, the Mii will rise, doing multiple hits. On the ground, it is capable of KO'ing Fox as early as 35%, at the ledge of any tourney-legal stage.
Down special	Default	Blade Counter	1.25x the damage of countered attacks, 8% minimum	Holds their sword in a reverse grip behind them, and strikes with a retaliatory slash when hit. A basic counterattack.
	Custom 1	Reversal Slash	6% to opponents. Reflected projectiles deal 1.5x damage	Performs a rainbow-coloured slash that reflects projectiles and turns around characters hit by it. Gives the Mii Swordfighter a slight air boost when used in the air.
	Custom 2	Power Thrust	10%/8% (grounded sourspot hit); 13%/11%/8% (grounded and aerial sweetspot hit); 10%/8%/5.5% (aerial sourspot hit); 7% (landing hit)	Shoots forward quickly, stabbing with the sword. When used in the air, the Mii Swordfighter launches at a downwards diagonal direction. The tip of the sword deals more damage.
Final Smash		Final Edge	8% (wave, close), 6% (wave, far)	Displays their sword and fires waves of energy off of it. Functions similarly to Wii Fit. In the 3DS version, the energy waves are all aimed horizontally, while in the Wii U version, this move appears to send out energy waves in more directions, thus having more range; this makes it the only move of any character that differs between versions of the game.

On-screen appearance

• Appears from a whirlwind, then unsheathes their sword.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Throws their sword in the air, spins, and catches it, then takes a stance, brandishing the sword behind them.
• Side taunt: Twirls their sword rapidly, transitioning it to reverse grip and holding it behind themselves.
• Down taunt: Performs a pose with the sword extended upwards and outwards, similar to one of Link's taunts. Also sets them back a little.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt
File:MiiSwordfighterUpTauntSSB4.jpg	File:MiiSwordfighterSideTauntSSB4.jpg	File:MiiSwordfighterDownTauntSSB4.jpg

Idle poses

• Points their sword up to the sky.
• Looks around cautiously.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Mii!	Mii! Mii! Mii-Mii-Mii!
Pitch	Group chant	Group chant

Victory poses

A short version of the menu theme.

• Drops from the sky, spins, and poses with their sword held at an upwards angle.
• Throws their sword up while spinning, then grabs it and points it forward.
• Stabs multiple times, then spins and poses, facing the screen.

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Mii Swordfighter	2131	2111	2132	2112	2133
	2113	2231	2211	2232	2212
	2233	2213	1332	1312	1132
	1112		1232	3231	1212

Notable players

Active

•  Chompy
•  Nyani

Inactive

•  Trela

Tier placement and history

Despite the great expectations surrounding the Miis before SSB4's release, upon the game's release, all the three kinds of Mii were quickly looked down upon. While at first the Mii's choice for custom movesets was up to a tournament director's discretion, when custom special movesets began to be discussed, the Mii's tier placements once again began to rise in the eyes of many players, though in the case of the Mii Swordfighter, many considered it to be a low-tier character, mainly because of its similarities with fellow swordfighter Link. After the universal ban of custom movesets post-EVO 2015, however, expectations of the Mii plummeted once again, and they would go on to be widely viewed as some of the worst characters in the game. In the case of the Mii Swordfighter, it would at first rank at 53nd on the first 4BR tier list, then see a drop to 57rd on both the second and the third (and current) tier list, with all placings ranking it as the worst kind of default Mii. However, due to its better placements than the Mii Brawler, some people such as ZeRo do not think the Swordfighter should be ranked as the worst kind of Mii, due to its strengths being decent enough compared to the Brawler, as well as having better representation in tournaments than the former Mii.

Trophies

Mii Swordfighter / Mii Sword Fighter

This fighter is based on a player's Mii and favors a sword in battle. Enjoy the extra reach the sword offers, but remember that it takes a bit longer for strikes to reach your opponent as a result. Customize your Mii with chargeable moves, counters, or projectile attacks.

A fighter based on your Mii! The main draw of Sword Fighters is the extra reach that they get thanks to their swords. On top of that, they have a lot of varied moves to choose from. Unfortunately, a lot of sword attacks have a bit of delay between pressing the button and landing the attack, so you'll need to be very careful not to leave yourself open!

: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Mii Swordfighter (Alt.) / Mii Sword Fighter (Alt.)

One of the Mii Swordfighter side specials actually uses a throwing disc called a chakram! How quickly you press your desired direction controls how fast and far the chakram flies and how much damage it does. Several other moves, like Skyward Slash Dash, also work in this manner.

One of the Mii Sword Fighter side specials actually uses a throwing disc called a chakram! How quickly you choose a direction controls how far and fast the chakram flies, as well as the kind of damage it does. This kind of quick-aiming action also applies to other special moves, like Super Slash Dash.

: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Final Edge

The Mii Swordfighter will rise its sword, firing multiple shock waves forward in its Final Smash. The waves will expand outward and push foes off the screen. Walls and the ground can't stop this display of power, so this Final Smash is exceptional at taking out several rivals at the same time.

With sword held high, Mii Sword Fighter unleashes a barrage of shock waves. They spread out in a fan pattern, dealing multiple blows to foes they touch, while also pushing them towards the edge of the screen. This Final Smash can even hit through walls and floors, making it easy to attack lots of opponents at once!

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• 

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Final Edge

Alternate costumes

Base game

Cybernetic Suit

Ninja Outfit

Standard Outfit

Pirate Outfit

Plate Armor

Samurai Armor

Neon Suit

• The color of the costume depends on the Mii's original color from the Mii Maker.

Downloadable content

SSB T-Shirt	Link Outfit	Dunban Outfit	Monkey Suit
Zero's Armor	Hoodie	Chrom Outfit	Black Knight Outfit
Lloyd Outfit	Business Suit	Viridi Outfit	Hunter's Mail
Rathalos Mail	Ashley Outfit	Takamaru Outfit	Gil Outfit

Gallery

• 

  Mii Fighting Team Swordfighter

• 

  Mii Swordfighter's amiibo.

• 

  Posing with a Mii Brawler and Mii Gunner.

• 

  A Swordfighter attacking Little Mac.

• 

  A pair of Mii Swordfighters fighting a pair of Mii Gunners.

• 

  With Villager, Mii Gunner, and Mii Brawler.

• 

  All three Mii fighters with differing heights.

• 

  All three Mii fighters with different costumes.

• 

  Mii Swordfighters using Gale Strike, Shuriken of Light, and Chakram.

• 

  Mii Swordfighter vs Meta Knight.

• 

  Mii Swordfighter with a Captain Falcon helmet.

Trivia

• The design of the default Mii Swordfighter used in promotional material and in-game renders is based on a slightly edited version of Guest B, one of the pre-loaded Miis available for use in titles with Mii support. Of the three, the Mii Swordfighter has the least drastic change in design; simply changing the design of his hair and widening the eye placement a bit.
• The Mii Swordfighter's sword trail varies with the outfit they are currently wearing: most outfits use Link's afterimage-heavy sword trail, while the Neon and Cybernetic Suits give the Mii's sword Marth's glowing tipper (although this is only aesthetic).
• Due to the Mii Swordfighter's model being right-handed, two Mii outfits based on other characters do not follow the original character's dominant hand.
  • In Xenoblade Chronicles, Dunban is unable to use his right arm from overexposure of the Monado's power. Because of this, he holds his weapon with his left hand, while a cape-like fabric that is part of his costume covers his right arm. The Smash 4 Mii costume reverses this, making the Swordfighter use the arm draped under the cape instead.
  • Link is depicted as left-handed in The Legend of Zelda series, with it being one of the staples of his character. The Smash 4 costume follows the right-handed style featured in Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword and Breath Of The Wild, which was done due to the reliance on the more common right-handed motion controls and control scheme, respectively.
• There seems to be an oddity if the Mii Swordfighter equips the Chrom outfit. When using Blade Counter, during the swing, they will hold the crossguard of the sword instead of the handle.
• All of the Mii Swordfighter's chargeable special moves share the same charging sound.
• The default Mii Swordfighter has a slightly larger nose in his trophies than in his promotional art and the Mii Fighter character select art.
• When editing a Mii Swordfighter with the Viridi costume, the staff appears to be much larger and longer, however it reverts to normal size in a match.