Master Ball
Master Ball Origin.png
Pokémon (universe)
Official artwork of the Master Ball.
Universe Pokémon
Appears in SSBB
SSB4
Ultimate
Item class Throwing/Summoning
Article on Bulbapedia Master Ball

The Master Ball (マスターボール, Master Ball) is an item from the Pokémon series which appears in Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Origin

 
The Master Ball in Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! & Let's Go, Eevee!.

In the Pokémon series, the Master Ball is one of the rarest Poké Ball variants, and the most powerful. Whereas all other Poké Ball variants may fail at capturing a wild Pokémon under certain circumstances, a Master Ball will catch any wild Pokémon without fail, regardless of their health and status. Legendary Pokémon are typically much more difficult to capture than most other Pokémon due to having very low catch rates, and are thus a prime target for a Master Ball.

Usually, only one Master Ball is obtained per save file, but they also appear as rare prizes from lottery minigames. The Master Ball is typically obtained from a character in the story at some point prior to encountering the game's main Legendary Pokémon.

Use

Like the Poké Ball, the Master Ball releases a Pokémon when thrown, but unlike the ordinary Poké Ball, it is almost guaranteed to release a Legendary or Mythical Pokémon. The only exceptions are the dud Pokémon Goldeen, which deals no damage, as well as Zoroark, who is not officially considered Legendary or Mythical, but was event-exclusive at the time of its release, much like most Mythical Pokémon. Legendary Pokémon can appear from both types of Poké Balls, but a Master Ball is far more likely to contain them. Similarly-functioning Poké Balls previously appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee in Event 37: Legendary Pokémon.

List of Master Ball Pokémon

Pokémon in this table are listed by their order in the National Pokédex.

Pokémon Games Relative frequency Move Description Maximum damage
Goldeen     20 Splash Goldeen flops around the stage until it disappears or falls off the edge of the stage. It is completely harmless and does not affect gameplay in any way. 0%
Moltres     32 Fly Moltres will fly up and off the stage, dealing heavy damage to opponents it comes into contact with. 40%
Mew     18 Fly Mew gracefully flies off the stage. In SSB4, it drops treasure as it goes. 0%
Entei     32 Fire Spin Entei produces a massive pillar of fire, trapping opponents within its vertical range. 72%
Suicune     32 Aurora Beam, Blizzard Suicune shoots a powerful horizontal beam, freezing anyone it hits. In Ultimate, it additionally uses Blizzard, creating an icy aura around itself. 35%
Lugia     35 Aeroblast Lugia flies into the background and fires powerful blasts of wind in random directions.
Latias & Latios     32 Steel Wing One of the two Eon Pokémon is summoned and flies off screen. It will then shoot across the stage in tandem with the Eon Pokémon that was not summoned, pushing away opponents that weren't hit by their attacks . 50%
Kyogre     32 Hydro Pump Kyogre slowly chases an opponent while shooting a constant stream of water that pushes them off the screen. 0%
Deoxys     32 Hyper Beam Deoxys appears in its Attack Forme. It ascends to the top of the stage, where it will proceed to unleash a vertical beam of energy. 38%
Palkia     40 Spacial Rend Palkia will use its signature move to flip the perception of the stage, similar to Skull Kid. Palkia itself also deals damage and weak knockback to opponents who make contact with it. It also appears on the Spear Pillar stage, and as such, cannot be summoned there in Ultimate. 10% per hit
Giratina     40 Dragon Breath Giratina will unleash powerful whirlwinds that can carry opponents off-screen. 2% per hit
Darkrai     40 Dark Void Darkrai throws vortexes of shadow at the nearest opponents, sucking them in and causing them to fall asleep. As they sleep, their damage percentage gradually increases as a result of Darkrai's Bad Dreams ability. 34%
Arceus     40 Gravity Arceus will stomp the ground three times, meteor smashing airborne opponents each time it does. If there is no ground below an opponent, they will be OHKOed. 0%
Victini     40 Victory Star In SSB4, Victini will boost the attack power and launch resistance of its summoner and their teammates. In Ultimate, it grants the summoner an instant Final Smash. 0%
Zoroark     40 Fury Swipes Zoroark will teleport after an opponent and attempt to slash them. If it hits, they will be trapped and slashed multiple times, like most trapping Final Smashes. 38%
Kyurem     40 Icy Wind Kyurem appears in its Neutral Forme. It will releases frigid gusts from its sides that will freeze opponents within its range. 12% per hit
Keldeo     40 Secret Sword Keldeo appears in its Resolute Forme. It chases after opponents and performs large slashes with its horn. 198%
Meloetta     25 Echoed Voice Meloetta attacks with sound waves that bounce across the stage. 12% per hit
Genesect     40 Techno Blast Genesect jumps around while shooting blasts from the cannon on its back. It can also stop and fire a large laser beam. The beam can penetrate walls. 124%
Xerneas     40 Geomancy Xerneas uses its signature move to boost the stats of every player in the battle. However, it will give a larger boost to its summoner than other players. 0%
Tapu Koko   Electroweb Tapu Koko lets out a large net of electricity to deal multiple hits to opponents. It also releases multiple electrical beams while attacking.
Solgaleo   Sunsteel Strike Using its signature move, Solgaleo teleports around the stage while unleashing a powerful beam of flame. 90%
Lunala   Moongeist Beam Lunala teleports to the background of the stage upon being summoned. It then uses its signature move to shoot out a large beam of light that drags towards the top of the screen. 108%
Marshadow   Spectral Thief Marshadow stuns opponents by disguising itself as a shadow, then appears next to them and throws a powerful punch. 117%

Trophy information

Master Ball
  These valuable, powerful balls can capture any wild Pokémon. In Smash Bros., hard- to-find Pokémon often pop out of them. You can easily identify a Master Ball by the distinct purple appearance and large M on the top. A Pokémon within a Master Ball may turn the tide of battle.
  A rare type of Poké Ball that never fails to catch a Pokémon. Throw one in this game, and the Mythical or Legendary Pokémon inside will come to your aid. Master Balls are easy to identify due to their purple colour and the large M on them. Use one to quickly turn the tide of any battle!
 : Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue (09/1998)
 : Pokémon X and Y (10/2013)

Gallery