An edge (also known as a ledge, coded internally as cliff) is any part of a stage from which one can hang or tether. Edges are often found at the far ends of a stage's main platform. When a character grabs an edge, they are invincible for about half a second. Some stages have edges in the middle of the stage, or none at all. On most neutral stages, however, there are two edges, one on each end of the stage (e.g. Final Destination). The edge, therefore, becomes an important factor in the battle between an edge-guarder and a recovering opponent. On certain stages (namely Norfair), there are passable platforms with edges. In the first two games, one can't grab the edge if one is facing the opposite direction, but this doesn't matter in Brawl. Edges cannot be grabbed if holding down on the control stick or D-pad.
In Brawl's Stage Builder, only normal blocks can be "grabbed", and only if they are at least two units above a floor surface. Ice, Drop Blocks, slopes, and other objects cannot be grabbed.
Climbing
When hanging on an edge, the player has 6 possible actions:
- Climbing
- Attacking
- Rolling
- Jumping
- Dropping
- Fast-falling
Fast versus slow edge actions
When a character's damage is lower than 100%, the character is considered "fresh", and is able to climb back onto the stage from the edge rather quickly. However, at percentages of 100% and above, the character can be considered "tired", and climbing becomes a harder task. As a result, all edge actions aside from letting go have two possible animations: one with the character performing the action in a fluent and fast manner, and another with the character in a messy and slow manner. The fast and slow animations are often noticably different in execution, such as a quick flip kick versus a slow trip kick, or a quick roll versus a slow crawl.
Hang time
Regardless of the character's physical strength, fighters can hold on to an edge for a determined amount of time. This amount cannot increase or decrease with usual methods. For instance, grabbing a edge repeatedly within a short interval would logically decrease the amount of time. This, however, is not true in the games. The duration is also not affected by Metal Boxes, the character's size (mega or tiny), or any items he or she is carrying.
However, after the character's damage reaches 100%, the amount of time allowed is noticeably reduced. The following is a short list with the hang duration for each game.
| SSB | SSBM | SSBB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 100% | 18 seconds | 11 seconds | 6 seconds |
| 100% or more | 8 seconds | 8 seconds | 5 seconds |