Super Smash Bros. series

Victory theme

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A victory theme, sometimes referred to as a flourish, or a fanfare in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, is a short, recognizable melody that plays at the Results screen after a character wins a Vs. match or other similar events such as a Tourney. For instance, at the Results screen after Mario wins a match, an orchestral cover of the fanfare played at the end of each level in Super Mario Bros. plays.

Characters from the same universe usually share victory themes, though starting in Brawl some universes have different themes for different characters. Meta Knight was the first character to have a different victory theme from the rest of his universe, having his own theme starting with his debut in Brawl. SSB4 introduced unique themes for newcomers Rosalina & Luma, Dark Pit, and Mario villains (shared by veteran Bowser and newcomer Bowser Jr., and later Piranha Plant in Ultimate). Ultimate introduced distinct victory themes for newcomer King K. Rool, veteran Corrin, Metroid villains (shared by newcomers Ridley and Dark Samus), and Fire Emblem Awakening characters (shared by veterans Robin and Lucina and, after changing themes in version 3.0.0, newcomer Chrom).

Super Mario Bros. Victory Theme

Super Mario Bros. Victory Theme
Track title Super Mario Bros. Victory Theme
Universe Mario
Debut game Super Mario Bros.
Characters accompanied Mario
Luigi
Peach
Daisy
Bowser (Melee, Brawl)
Dr. Mario

Origin

This flourish is a cover of the small sound clip that would play whenever Mario or Luigi grabbed a Flagpole in Super Mario Bros., a track that went on to become a recurring theme. In Ultimate, its tempo is slightly faster and the ending is slightly abridged.

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Mario Villains Victory Theme

Mario Villains Victory Theme
Track title Mario Villains Victory Theme
Universe Mario
Debut game Super Mario Bros.
Characters accompanied Bowser (SSB4, Ultimate)
Bowser Jr.
Piranha Plant

Origin

A music piece based on the same melody as the Mario victory theme, but instead of a standard orchestral arrangement, the piece is played with slightly distorted electric guitars. It also sounds similar to the level clear theme of Bowser's sidequests in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. This flourish also makes Bowser the only character to change victory themes from Brawl to Smash 4.

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Rosalina & Luma Victory Theme

Rosalina & Luma Victory Theme
Track title Rosalina & Luma Victory Theme
Universe Mario
Debut game Super Mario Galaxy
Characters accompanied Rosalina & Luma

Origin

This flourish is a remix of the title screen track for Super Mario Galaxy, as well as the theme played when Mario or Luigi obtains a Power Star in that game.

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Donkey Kong Victory Theme

Donkey Kong Victory Theme
Track title Donkey Kong Victory Theme
Universe Donkey Kong
Debut game Donkey Kong Country
Characters accompanied Donkey Kong
Diddy Kong

Origin

This flourish is a cover of the short track that plays in Donkey Kong Country and subsequent games whenever a playable Kong defeated a boss or completed a bonus game.

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King K. Rool Victory Theme

King K. Rool Victory Theme
Track title King K. Rool Victory Theme
Universe Donkey Kong
Debut game Donkey Kong Country
Characters accompanied King K. Rool

Origin

This flourish is a small excerpt of Gangplank Galleon from Donkey Kong Country.

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The Legend of Zelda Victory Theme

The Legend of Zelda Victory Theme
Track title The Legend of Zelda Victory Theme
Universe The Legend of Zelda
Debut game The Legend of Zelda
Characters accompanied Link
Sheik
Zelda
Young Link
Ganondorf
Toon Link

SSB, Melee Origin

The flourish for The Legend of Zelda series in Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee was an excerpt of the overworld theme in The Legend of Zelda, a track which went on to become the main theme of the series. The excerpt is also followed by the theme that plays when Link obtains certain items.

Brawl, SSB4, Ultimate Origin

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the Zelda series got a new flourish, now a cover of the music that would play when Link obtained a Triforce Piece in The Legend of Zelda for the NES. This song is also the basis for the Ultimate flourish; however, the theme is rearranged to be significantly shorter.

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Metroid Victory Theme

Metroid Victory Theme
Track title Metroid Victory Theme
Universe Metroid
Debut game Metroid
Characters accompanied Samus
Zero Suit Samus

Origin

In Metroid for the NES, this flourish would originally play when Samus Aran obtained a new power-up or addition to her Power Suit. It would also play when Samus defeated Ridley or Kraid.

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Metroid Villains Victory Theme

Metroid Villains Victory Theme
Track title Metroid Villains Victory Theme
Universe Metroid
Debut game Metroid
Characters accompanied Ridley
Dark Samus

Origin

Dark Samus and Ridley's victory theme is an intense and sinister variation of the Metroid victory theme.

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Yoshi Victory Theme

Yoshi Victory Theme
Track title Yoshi Victory Theme
Universe Yoshi
Debut game Yoshi's Story
Characters accompanied Yoshi

Origin

This flourish is a combination of two small music excerpts from Yoshi's Story. The first is a sped-up, orchestrated cover of the title music of Yoshi's Story, while the other is the short flourish that plays when Yoshi collects all thirty necessary fruits and completes a level. In Ultimate, the theme is slightly sped up and removes the fruit jingle of the flourish.

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Kirby Victory Theme

Kirby Victory Theme
Track title Kirby Victory Theme
Universe Kirby
Debut game Kirby's Dream Land
Characters accompanied Kirby
King Dedede

Origin

The victory theme of the Kirby universe is a cover of the short recurring theme that plays when Kirby completes a stage or defeats a boss, debuting in Kirby's Dream Land (though the shortened version that this track is based on debuted in Kirby's Adventure). The Melee version of this flourish is considerably slower in pace in relation to the original track, though its other versions more closely match its original tempo.

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Meta Knight Victory Theme

Meta Knight Victory Theme
Track title Meta Knight Victory Theme
Universe Kirby
Debut game Kirby's Dream Land
Characters accompanied Meta Knight

Origin

The Meta Knight Victory Theme is based on the same melody as the Kirby Victory Theme, but is performed with electric guitars in quadruple meter, as opposed to the more symphonic instrumentation and triple meter of the Kirby Victory Theme.

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Star Fox Victory Theme

Star Fox Victory Theme
Track title Star Fox Victory Theme
Universe Star Fox
Debut game Star Fox 64
Characters accompanied Fox
Falco
Wolf

Origin

This victory theme is based upon the main theme of Star Fox 64, most specifically the title screen theme. It also shares similarities with the music that would play in that game when Fox completed a level, as that track was also based on the main theme.

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Pokémon Victory Theme

Pokémon Victory Theme
Track title Pokémon Victory Theme
Universe Pokémon
Debut game Pokémon Red and Green Versions
Characters accompanied Pikachu
Jigglypuff
Pichu
Mewtwo
Pokémon Trainer
Charizard
Lucario
Greninja
Incineroar

Origin

This victory theme is a small excerpt of the title theme for the first generation of Pokémon, a track which would go on to become the Pokémon main theme for the entire series. In Ultimate, the theme is abridged.

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EarthBound (Mother) Victory Theme

EarthBound (Mother) Victory Theme
Track title EarthBound (Mother) Victory Theme
Universe EarthBound
Debut game EarthBound (SSB, Melee)
Mother (Brawl, SSB4)
(Ultimate)
Characters accompanied Ness
Lucas

SSB, Melee Origin

In EarthBound, a major objective is for Ness to collect the Eight Melodies. This victory theme comes from the final four melodies of the eight.

Brawl, SSB4 Origin

This victory theme is a highly sped-up remix of Mother Earth, the title theme of the original NES Mother / EarthBound Beginnings.

Ultimate Origin

This victory theme flourish is a combination of the final two out of the Eight Melodies in Mother / EarthBound Beginnings.

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F-Zero Victory Theme

F-Zero Victory Theme
Track title F-Zero Victory Theme
Universe F-Zero
Debut game F-Zero X (SSB, Melee),
F-Zero GX (Brawl, SSB4, Ultimate)
Characters accompanied Captain Falcon

SSB, Melee Origin

This victory theme is an electric guitar-based cover of the short track that would play when a character finished a race in F-Zero X.

Brawl, SSB4 and Ultimate Origin

This victory theme is an electric guitar-based cover of the short track that would play when a character finished a race in F-Zero GX.

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Ice Climber Victory Theme

Ice Climber Victory Theme
Track title Ice Climber Victory Theme
Universe Ice Climber
Debut game Ice Climber
Characters accompanied Ice Climbers

Origin

In Ice Climber, when Popo or Nana grabbed the feet of the Condor at the end of a bonus stage, this track would play. The Ultimate version cuts out the first half of the theme.

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Fire Emblem Victory Theme

Fire Emblem Victory Theme
Track title Fire Emblem Victory Theme
Universe Fire Emblem
Debut game Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
Characters accompanied Marth
Lucina (SSB4)
Roy
Chrom (Ultimate, prior to version 3.0.0)
Ike
Robin (SSB4)
Corrin (SSB4)

Origin

This victory theme is an orchestral cover of several bars of the Fire Emblem Theme, the title theme for the original Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, which has since become the main theme of the series and appeared in every game. In Ultimate, the tempo is slightly faster and the ending is slightly abridged.

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Awakening Victory Theme

Awakening Victory Theme
Track title Awakening Victory Theme
Universe Fire Emblem
Debut game Fire Emblem Awakening
Characters accompanied Lucina (Ultimate)
Chrom (Ultimate, 3.0.0 onward)
Robin (Ultimate)

Origin

This victory theme is a short orchestral cover of "Id (Purpose)" from Fire Emblem Awakening

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Corrin Victory Theme

Corrin Victory Theme
Track title Corrin Victory Theme
Universe Fire Emblem
Debut game Fire Emblem Fates
Characters accompanied Corrin (Ultimate)

Origin

This flourish is a small excerpt of Lost in Thoughts All Alone from Fire Emblem Fates.

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Game & Watch Victory Theme

Game & Watch Victory Theme
Track title Game & Watch Victory Theme
Universe Game & Watch
Debut game Super Smash Bros. Melee (Melee version)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Brawl, SSB4 and Ultimate version)
Characters accompanied Mr. Game & Watch

Origin

The Game & Watch flourish in Melee is an original melody in a minor key, based upon the typical bleeping noises that characters or other objects in a Game & Watch would make. It also shares some similarities with the Flat Zone theme. The flourish introduced in Brawl features a different melody that follows a more energetic tempo, though it still draws from an identical origin.

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Kid Icarus Victory Theme

Kid Icarus Victory Theme
Track title Kid Icarus Victory Theme
Universe Kid Icarus
Debut game Kid Icarus
Characters accompanied Pit
Palutena

Origin

This victory theme is a small excerpt of the title screen theme of Kid Icarus, with an original ending. After the release of Brawl, the track was remade for Kid Icarus: Uprising, used whenever a match in Together Mode is completed.

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Dark Pit Victory Theme

Dark Pit Victory Theme
Track title Dark Pit Victory Theme
Universe Kid Icarus
Debut game Kid Icarus: Uprising
Characters accompanied Dark Pit

Origin

This victory theme is a small excerpt of Dark Pit's theme from Kid Icarus: Uprising.

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Wario Victory Theme

Wario Victory Theme
Track title Wario Victory Theme
Universe Wario
Debut game Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Characters accompanied Wario

Origin

This flourish is an original tune created for Brawl. However, it later became the basis for the Stonecarving City theme in Wario Land: Shake It!, which was released after Brawl.[1] The Ultimate version is sped up compared to the Brawl version.

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Pikmin Victory Theme

Pikmin Victory Theme
Track title Pikmin Victory Theme
Universe Pikmin
Debut game Pikmin
Characters accompanied Olimar

Origin

This flourish is a small excerpt of the title theme of Pikmin.

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R.O.B. Victory Theme

R.O.B. Victory Theme
Track title R.O.B. Victory Theme
Universe R.O.B.
Debut game Stack-Up
Characters accompanied R.O.B.

Origin

In the NES game Stack-Up, the first game that the R.O.B. accessory was compatible with, this track would play before starting memory mode. In this remix, a short intro is added, and the first part is played twice.

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Animal Crossing Victory Theme

Animal Crossing Victory Theme
Track title Animal Crossing Victory Theme
Universe Animal Crossing
Debut game Animal Forest
Characters accompanied Villager
Isabelle

Origin

A remix of the title theme for Animal Crossing on the Nintendo 64 and GameCube. The Ultimate version is very slightly sped up.

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Wii Fit Victory Theme

Wii Fit Victory Theme
Track title Wii Fit Victory Theme
Universe Wii Fit
Debut game Wii Fit
Characters accompanied Wii Fit Trainer

Origin

This victory theme is a remix of the main theme of Wii Fit, specifically resembling the tune that plays after a save file is selected.

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Punch-Out!! Victory Theme

Punch-Out Victory Theme
Track title Punch-Out Victory Theme
Universe Punch-Out!!
Debut game Punch-Out!! (NES)
Characters accompanied Little Mac

Origin

An orchestral remix of the theme that plays when the player defeats an opponent in the NES and Wii Punch-Out!! games.

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Xenoblade Victory Theme

Xenoblade Victory Theme
Track title Xenoblade Victory Theme
Universe Xenoblade
Debut game Xenoblade Chronicles
Characters accompanied Shulk

Origin

The second half of the riff of You Will Know Our Names, the battle theme used in Xenoblade Chronicles when fighting a unique monster. The Ultimate version is faster than the SSB4 version.

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Duck Hunt Victory Theme

Duck Hunt Victory Theme
Track title Duck Hunt Victory Theme
Universe Duck Hunt
Debut game Duck Hunt
Characters accompanied Duck Hunt

Origin

The jingle that plays before a new game starts in Duck Hunt. It begins with the original 8-bit rendition, then transitions to a remixed version for the rest of the theme. In Ultimate, it's the same melody as in SSB4, except that the tempo is faster.

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Splatoon Victory Theme

Splatoon Victory Theme
Track title Splatoon Victory Theme
Universe Splatoon
Debut game Splatoon
Characters accompanied Inkling

Origin

A remix of the Online victory jingle introduced in Splatoon.

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Mii Victory Theme

Mii Victory Theme
Track title Mii Victory Theme
Universe Super Smash Bros.
Debut game Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U (SSB4 version)
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (Ultimate version)
Characters accompanied Mii Brawler
Mii Swordfighter
Mii Gunner

SSB4 Origin

A portion of the main theme of Super Smash Bros. 4.

Ultimate Origin

A portion of Lifelight, the main theme of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

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Metal Gear Victory Theme

Metal Gear Victory Theme
Track title Metal Gear Victory Theme
Universe Metal Gear
Debut game Metal Gear Solid
Characters accompanied Snake

Origin

A small excerpt of the main theme of Metal Gear Solid. In the game, this excerpt is used twice: when VR Training is completed, and when Solid Snake is caught and the player earns a Game Over.

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Sonic the Hedgehog Victory Theme

Sonic the Hedgehog Victory Theme
Track title Sonic the Hedgehog Victory Theme
Universe Sonic
Debut game Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Original Tune)
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) (Direct Source)
Characters accompanied Sonic

Origin

This flourish is ripped directly from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), which itself is an orchestrated remix of the tune that plays when a character has passed an Act in Sonic the Hedgehog 3. It is the first flourish in the series to be directly ported from a non-Smash game. In Ultimate, the tempo is slightly faster and the ending is slightly abridged.

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Mega Man Victory Theme

Mega Man Victory Theme
Track title Mega Man Victory Theme
Universe Mega Man
Debut game Mega Man 2
Characters accompanied Mega Man

Origin

A short remix of the beginning of the title screen music from Mega Man 2.

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Pac-Man Victory Theme

Pac-Man Victory Theme
Track title Pac-Man Victory Theme
Universe Pac-Man
Debut game Pac-Man
Characters accompanied Pac-Man

Origin

A remix of the jingle that plays when starting a new game in Pac-Man, as well as completing levels in Pac-Man World 2.

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Street Fighter Victory Theme

Street Fighter Victory Theme
Track title Street Fighter Victory Theme
Universe Street Fighter
Debut game Street Fighter II
Characters accompanied Ryu
Ken

Origin

A remix of the victory theme from Street Fighter II.

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Final Fantasy Victory Theme

Final Fantasy Victory Theme
Track title Final Fantasy Victory Theme
Universe Final Fantasy
Debut game Final Fantasy VII
Characters accompanied Cloud

Origin

A remix of the victory theme heard in Final Fantasy VII, which is itself a variant of the victory theme heard throughout the Final Fantasy series. Unlike other themes, it continuously plays, replacing the results theme, being the first victory theme to do so. In Smash 4 only, if the player wins in a tournament, a non-looped version of the theme will play.

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Bayonetta Victory Theme

Bayonetta Victory Theme
Track title Bayonetta Victory Theme
Universe Bayonetta
Debut game Bayonetta
Characters accompanied Bayonetta

Origin

The first few notes of "Time For The Climax!", followed by the jingle that plays upon completing a verse in Bayonetta. Both tracks are ported directly from the original game, though the arrangement of them together is unique to Smash.

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Castlevania Victory Theme

Castlevania Victory Theme
Track title Castlevania Victory Theme
Universe Castlevania
Debut game Castlevania
Characters accompanied Simon
Richter

Origin

A remix of the "Stage Clear" theme from the original Castlevania.

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Persona Victory Themes

Persona Victory Themes
Track title Persona Victory Themes
Universe Persona
Debut game Persona 5
Persona 4
Persona 3
Characters accompanied Joker

Origin

Joker's primary victory theme is directly ported from the after-battle results screen from Persona 5. Much like Cloud, this theme loops indefinitely and replaces the normal results screen music. When Joker wins a match in Mementos while music from Persona 3 or Persona 4 is playing, the victory music from the corresponding game is used instead. This is the second instance of victory themes being ported directly from other games, and the first instance of a character having more than one victory theme in the same game.

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Dragon Quest Victory Theme

Dragon Quest Victory Theme
Track title Dragon Quest Victory Theme
Universe Dragon Quest
Debut game Dragon Quest
Characters accompanied Hero

Origin

An arrangement of the ending phrase of "Overture", the main Dragon Quest theme. It is a slightly altered excerpt from the Theatrhythm Dragon Quest version of "Overture X".

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Trivia

  • Sonic, Bayonetta, Joker, and Hero are the only characters whose victory themes are taken directly from other games. Notably, all are third-party characters, and aside from Hero, all of them are from Sega franchises.
    • In Ultimate, Joker's is the only one to not be edited in any way, as Sonic's was abridged, and both Bayonetta's and Hero's are slightly edited from the original sources.
  • In Super Smash Bros. Melee, Captain Falcon's and Mr. Game & Watch's victory themes are the only ones that are not orchestral music.
  • Rosalina is the first character with a distinct victory theme from her universe who is neither a villain nor an anti-hero. This distinction would later be shared with Lucina, Chrom, Robin, and Corrin in Ultimate.
  • Super Smash Bros. 4 was the first game where victory themes are not accessible in the Sound Test.
  • Various victory themes from Super Smash Bros. Brawl could be heard during the opening ceremony of the 2015 FIRST Championship.
  • The Final Fantasy, Bayonetta, and Castlevania victory themes can be heard in Cloud's, Bayonetta's, and Simon and Richter's reveal trailers. Similarly, the Metal Gear victory theme can be heard in the debut trailer for Super Smash Bros. Brawl after Snake is revealed.
    • The Castlevania victory theme heard in Simon and Richter's trailer, however, lacked the electric guitar heard in the final version.
  • Ridley had a different victory theme in the E3 2018 demo of Ultimate. It was also a sinister variation of the standard victory theme, but ending with a harp arpeggio resembling the Unknown Item jingle from Metroid: Zero Mission.
  • As of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Ganondorf, King Dedede, and Wolf are the only antagonists that do not possess distinct victory themes from their respective universes.
  • Mario, Fire Emblem and Persona are the only three universes to have more than two victory themes, with them having a total of 3 each.
    • However, if one were to count sub-universes (Donkey Kong, Wario and Yoshi), then Mario would have the most victory themes across the Smash Bros. series, with a total of 7.
    • This would make the Mario universe the only one to have more than one victory theme in every single game
  • Bayonetta's victory theme is the only one to have English vocals, as the word "forever" can be heard near the end. Lucina, Robin, Chrom, and Corrin's victory themes in Ultimate include non-English vocals.
    • It is also the only Sega victory theme that isn't ported from another game, though the individual sections of the theme are taken directly from the originals.
  • Joker is the first fighter to have his victory poses and victory theme change depending on the stage; if the match was played on Mementos, it will match the music and aesthetic of the stage.
    • This makes Joker the only character to have multiple possible victory themes in the same version of the same game. While Chrom's victory theme changed and fixed from the standard Fire Emblem victory theme (shared with Marth, Roy, and Ike) to the Awakening victory theme (shared with Robin and Lucina) in the 3.0.0 update of Ultimate, he only ever had one theme at a time.
  • Joker and Cloud are the only characters with victory themes that loop.

References

  1. ^ Tomoya Tomita (interviewed by Anthony Palone, translated by Masked Man) (2017-03-17). An Interview with Game Composer Tomoya Tomita. Hey Poor Player. Retrieved on 2019-03-29. “In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wario’s victory theme was an arrangement of the Stonecarving City theme from Shake It!, which hadn’t yet come out. Were you involved in this special cameo? "No, that was another piece I received from Nintendo. I didn’t do anything for Brawl."”

See also