Super Smash Bros. 4

Meta Knight (SSB4)/Back aerial

Hitbox visualization showing Meta Knight's back aerial.

OverviewEdit

Meta Knight slashes behind himself three times. A quick and strong move, it is Meta Knight's most reliable aerial finisher, KOing at about 90% offstage. On aerial opponents, this move has the autolink angle, leaving them exposed to attacks if Meta Knight lands. This can notably setup a jab reset with his down tilt, which can be extended into a chain of up aerials and finish with a high-altitude Shuttle Loop. As back aerial combos off of dash attack and down throw, the move has applications in zero-deathing opponents, particularly floatier characters.

While back aerial is already strong, the first two hits can be used to meteor smash recovering opponents. However, this is situational; the only reliable way to avoid landing the third hit (outside of the use mentioned above) is for the first or second hit to clash with an opposing hitbox. Furthermore, the meteor smash is relatively weak, and combined with the previous point, it is a viable tactic only against characters with poor vertical recoveries, such as Donkey Kong.

Update HistoryEdit

  1.0.4/  1.0.1

  •   Final hit knockback scaling (180 → 212).

HitboxesEdit

ID Part Rehit rate Damage SD Angle BK KS FKV Radius Bone Offset SDIx T% Clang Rebound Type Effect G A Sound Direct Hit bits Blockable Reflectable Absorbable Piercing Heedless No GFX Flinchless Stretch
Hits 1-2
0 0 0 1.5% 0   Backwards 0 100 90 4.2 0 0.0 4.5 -12.0 1.0x 1.0x 0%               Slash   63               N/A N/A N/A
1 0 0 1.5% 0   Backwards 0 100 90 4.2 0 0.0 2.5 -6.0 1.0x 1.0x 0%               Slash   63               0.0 6.5 -6.0
2 0 0 2.2% 0   Backwards 40 130 0 4.2 0 0.0 4.5 -12.0 1.0x 1.0x 0%               Slash   63               N/A N/A N/A
1 0 0 2.2% 0   Backwards 40 130 0 4.2 0 0.0 2.5 -6.0 1.0x 1.0x 0%               Slash   63               0.0 6.5 -6.0
Hit 3
0 0 0 4% 0   Backwards 30 212 0 5.2 0 0.0 7.0 -12.0 1.0x 2.0x 0%               Slash   63               N/A N/A N/A
0 0 0 4% 0   Backwards 30 212 0 5.0 0 0.0 2.5 -6.0 1.0x 2.0x 0%               Slash   63               0.0 6.5 6.0

TimingEdit

Initial autocancel 1-6
Hits 1-2 7-8, 13-14
Hit 3 20-21
Ending autocancel 40-
Interruptible 52
Animation length 59
                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                     

Landing lagEdit

Animation length 18
                                   
Legend (1 square = 1 frame)
 
Lag time
 
Hitbox
 
Autocancel
 
Interruptible