Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Character Profiles: Ike

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the latest entry in Nintendo's ongoing premier platform fighter series. It's also slated to be the company's biggest release of the holiday season. After almost 20 years of battle between top characters of some of gaming's biggest franchises, Ultimate will bring together every single fighter from every Smash Bros. game to date (along with a few more) in one single game.

With so many characters to choose from, Shacknews is taking a look at each and every one of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters individually, leading up to the game's big release this Friday.

That's right, the game is out this Friday! Because many aspects of the game are subject to change, especially as people go hands-on with non-pirated copies of this game, these profiles should not be considered final and can be updated at any time. Any guide that has been updated will be clearly marked.

Here's what we have up so far:
#01 - Mario
#02 - Donkey Kong
#03 - Link
#06 - Kirby (Updated 9/8/18)
#07 - Fox
#08 - Pikachu
#15 - Ice Climbers
#17 - Zelda
#21 - Marth
#23 - Ganondorf
#31 - Snake
#33, #34, #35 - Pokemon Trainer
#38 - Sonic (Updated 9/3/18)
#46 - Mega Man
#49 - Little Mac
#61 - Cloud
#62 - Corrin
#64 - Inkling
#65 - Ridley

Today, we look at another Fire Emblem luminary. He fights for his friends.

Who is Ike?

Ike is a central character in the Fire Emblem series. He's the main character in Path of Radiance and is one of the frontmen in Radiant Dawn. Unlike the other Fire Emblem main characters, Ike is not born of nobility. He's the son of Grell, who takes leadership of the Grell Mercenaries after his father is killed by the Black Knight. In Path of Radiance, he wields the Divine Blade Ragnell in battle. Ike avenges his father's death by defeating the Black Knight and the Mad King Ashnard.

Ike returns in Radiant Dawn and once again defeats the Black Knight, this time ensuring he stays dead. He becomes blessed by Yune and becomes the Radiant Hero, ending the game by disappearing as a legend.

Ike's Moves and Fighter Overview

Ike is a powerful fighter, with Ragnell able to grant him above-average range. His specials contain some effective charge moves that deal heavy damage. He also has some of the most powerful Smash attacks in the game, along with a number of aerial moves that all have KO potential.

Here are Ike's special moves:

Eruption (Neutral B): Ike charges up Ragnell and slams it down in front of him to create an explosion. Fully charged, it's one of the most powerful neutral specials in the game, but while it delivers massive damage, it also deals moderate recoil damage. Even when it's uncharged, it's capable of taking out opponents with high percent damage. Eruption will also create flaming pillars as it's charged, which cause damage, as well.
Aether (Up B): Ike tosses up Ragnell and slices downward, delivering more damage on the landing. It's an effective vertical move, but doesn't get much horizontal recoery distance. Its speed in Ultimate has been increased by a significant margin.
Quick Draw (Side B): Ike can charge up and dash forward with a powerful slash. At full charge, this can KO opponents. It now charges faster than it did in Smash 4, but can no longer be charged infinitely. Be careful, because if it whiffs, Ike is left vulnerable. It's usable in mid-air, but can leave Ike in a helpless state if he does it over a cliff.
Counter (Down B): Like most Fire Emblem characters, Ike has a Counter. However, his takes a little while to get going, so plan accordingly.
Great Aether (Final Smash): If Ike catches his opponent with Ragnell, he takes them skyward and delivers a series of flame-engulfed blows. This will KO most opponents at high percentage.

Ike is significantly faster in Super Smash Bros Ultimate, with his Smash moves and tilt moves all moving faster than in the previous Smash game. His aerials are all noticeably improved, all with less landing lag. That gives Ike greater mobility to go along with his crushing Smash attacks.

Eruption was already a strong edgeguarding move, but the amplified fire pillars make it much stronger. This will be one of Ike's most critical moves, so if you're picking him up, learn to master it.

Esports Observations

It sometimes gets easy to confuse Ike and Cloud, because many of Cloud's moves feel inspired by Ike's design. Gonzalo "ZeRo" Barrios addresses this, but does make sure to note that Ike holds a slight advantage over the Final Fantasy swordsman. Ike's Up-tilt and Up-Smash, in particular, put him over the top, as both characters share a spot in the top tier.

ZeRo demonstrated his Ike proficiency at CEO 2018, keeping Nairoby "Nairo" Quezada's Snake at a distance. This is one of the early instances where Smash players started to take note of Ike's improved aerial game.

Eric "ESAM" Lew is another top Smash 4 pro that sees the great potential in Ike. ESAM points to Ike's refined Up-Air, which is a much better move overall. Even without a barrage of combos, Ike is an overpowering presence.

And James "VoiD" Makekau-Tyson is back with a full analysis of Ike's moves. And yes, he's sure to note the removal of Ike's landing lag and how it makes him a much stronger character.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is set to arrive this Friday, December 7 on Nintendo Switch. It should be obvious by now that we won't get to everyone before the big release date, but we'll continue our analyses well beyond the game's release date. Look for this to continue as a daily feature for the next couple of weeks. Otherwise, find more information concerning Nintendo's latest Switch brawler by checking out Shacknews' Super Smash Bros. Ultimate walkthrough and guide.