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Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Wii U Meta Knight.png

The masked swordsman returns in Smash! Meta Knight, although lightweight, has six jumps, great air attacks, and fast speed. However, during his transition, Meta Knight has been greatly weakened because he is too powerful in Brawl. Nevertheless, he can still be a great sword warrior if properly learned.

Basic Attributes[edit]

Meta Knight is lightweight and gets launched farther than average, but he has five mid-air jumps. He has decent aerial agility and air attacks, making him useful at edge-guarding. Meta Knight is also fast and can get into moves quick. He has average roll length but short roll time and end lag. Also, take note that his attacks and special moves are weakened and have more starting and ending lag since he is too powerful in Brawl.


Moveset Analysis[edit]

Standard Attacks

Control Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller Wii Remote + Nunchuk Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller GameCube Controller Nintendo 3DS
A button(+A buttonA buttonA button) A button(+A buttonA buttonA button) 2 button(+2 button2 button2 button) Meta Knight's "neutral attack." Unlike most characters, Meta Knight's "neutral attack" is a rapid sword slash. It finishes with an upward sword swing. Since Meta Knight's "neutral attack" is a rapid sword slash, it is punishable when missed because of the end lag. It gives opponents 1-2% damage each hit.
A button(+A buttonA buttonA button) A button(+A buttonA buttonA button) A button(+A buttonA buttonA button)
(Left lstick or Right lstick)+A button (Left nunchuk or Right nunchuk)+A button (Left dpad or Right dpad)+2 button Meta Knight's forward tilt. Meta Knight does quick side slashes. You can press the attack button up to three times to do more slashes. The move has less end lag than Meta Knight's neutral attack, making it safer to use. The first two slashes do 2% damage, while the last one does 4% damage.
(Left lstick or Right lstick)+A button (Left control or Right control)+A button (Left cpad or Right cpad)+A button
Up lstick+A button Up nunchuk+A button Up dpad+2 button Meta Knight's up tilt. Meta Knight stabs his sword in the air, launching fighters. It can hit above or in front of him. This is one of Meta Knight's best combo starters. Try to chain it with more up tilts, up aerials, his neutral attack, Mach Tornado, or even Shuttle Loop. The move does 5-7% damage.
Up lstick+A button Up control+A button Up cpad+A button
Down lstick+A button Down nunchuk+A button Down dpad+2 button Meta Knight's down tilt. Meta Knight stabs his sword in the ground. The move has its range reduced, meaning that Meta Knight needs to be closer to the fighter. At early percentages, Meta Knight can use the attack multiple times to deal damage. The move sometimes trip opponents, which can lead to a grab. The down tilt only does 5% damage.
Down lstick+A button Down control+A button Down cpad+A button
A button while dashing A button while dashing 2 button while dashing Meta Knight's dash attack. Meta Knight runs and does a kick. The move thrusts him forward and ends quickly, making it useful. At low percentages, Meta Knight can combo it into multiple up tilts, his Shuttle Loop, or his up smash. The move deals 5-6% damage.
A button while dashing A button while dashing A button while dashing
A button while hanging A button while hanging 2 button while hanging Meta Knight's edge attack. Meta Knight crawls up and strikes with his sword. Despite being sluggish, it deals 7% damage.
A button while hanging A button while hanging A button while hanging

Smash Attacks

Control Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller Wii Remote + Nunchuk Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller GameCube Controller Nintendo 3DS
Smash (Left lstick or Right lstick)+A button Smash (Left nunchuk or Right nunchuk)+A button (Left dpad or Right dpad)+1 button+2 button Meta Knight's side smash. Meta Knight swings his sword forward, launching foes. This is one of Meta Knight's strongest moves. Despite having some starting lag, its ending lag is shorter than the other smash attacks. Also, take note that the closer you are to the opponent, the farther they go. The move does 16-22% damage depending on charge time. Depending on the foe's weight and your location, the side smash can KO at 80-120% uncharged and at 50-80% fully charged.
Smash (Left lstick or Right lstick)+A button Smash (Left control or Right control)+A button Smash (Left cpad or Right cpad)+A button
Smash Up lstick+A button Smash Up nunchuk+A button Up dpad+1 button+2 button Meta Knight's up smash. Meta Knight performs a series of strong slashes in the air. The strongest hit is the last strike. The move mostly hits when the foe is above Meta Knight, so use it for edge-guarding when the opponent tries to recover high. Meta Knight deals 5-12% damage depending on how many hits connect and the charge time. Depending on the character's weight, that up smash can KO at 90-125% uncharged and at 70-100% fully charged.
Smash Up lstick+A button Smash Up control+A button Smash Up cpad+A button
Smash Down lstick+A button Smash Down nunchuk+A button Down dpad+1 button+2 button Meta Knight's down smash. Meta Knight does one swing on the front and one swing on the back. Try to attack foes behind you because the strongest hit is in the back. The front swing does 7% damage uncharged and 9% damage fully charged, while the back swing does 10% damage uncharged and 14% damage fully charged.
Smash Down lstick+A button Smash Down control+A button Smash Down cpad+A button

Air Attacks

Control Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller Wii Remote + Nunchuk Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller GameCube Controller Nintendo 3DS
A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png 2 buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Meta Knight's neutral aerial. Meta Knight spins in a circle while swing his blade around. The move is quick and powerful, which makes it great for getting KOs when the opponent tries to recover. The neutral aerial causes 7-10% damage to foes.
A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png
Right lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Right nunchuk+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Right dpad+2 buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Meta Knight's forward aerial. Meta Knight does three quick slashes. This attack can be used for edge-guarding. The forward aerial does 2-7% damage.
Right lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Right control+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Right cpad+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png
Left lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Left nunchuk+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Left dpad+2 buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Meta Knight's back aerial. Like the forward aerial, Meta Knight does three fast sword swings. Although it is not as fast as the forward aerial, it is easier for Meta Knight to hit the opponent. It is also better at getting KOs from opponents trying to recover than the forward aerial. The attack deals 2-7% damage.
Left lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Left control+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Left cpad+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png
Up lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Up nunchuk+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Up dpad+2 buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Meta Knight's up aerial. Meta Knight swings his sword upwards. At early percentages, Meta Knight can combo it multiple times. Sometimes, he can finish it with his Shuttle Loop. The up aerial gives opponents 5% damage.
Up lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Up control+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Up cpad+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png
Down lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Down nunchuk+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Down dpad+2 buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Meta Knight's down aerial. Meta Knight swings his sword downwards. Unlike most down aerials, the attack can not meteor. However, it can do 6% damage.
Down lstick+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Down control+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png Down cpad+A buttonArcade-Modifier-Air.png

Throws

Control Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller Wii Remote + Nunchuk Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller GameCube Controller Nintendo 3DS
A button after grab A button after grab 2 button after grab Meta Knight's pummel. Meta Knight uses his wings to hit his opponents. At early percentages, the opponent can get out after 2-3 pummels. Each wing attack does 3% damage.
A button after grab A button after grab A button after grab
Right lstick after grab Right nunchuk after grab Right dpad after grab Meta Knight's forward throw. Meta Knight kicks his opponents away. The move, which deals 9% damage, can start combos.
Right lstick after grab Right control after grab Right cpad after grab
Left lstick after grab Left nunchuk after grab Left dpad after grab Meta Knight's back throw. Meta Knight sends his opponent behind him, teleports, and strikes them. At low percentages, Meta Knight can follow up with his dash attack. At high percentages near the edge, Meta Knight can send foes off the stage and follow up with his neutral air. The attack gives opponents 10% damage.
Left lstick after grab Left control after grab Left cpad after grab
Up lstick after grab Up nunchuk after grab Up dpad after grab Meta Knight's up throw. Like Kirby, Meta Knight flies upward and slams the opponent down. This is the worst throw to start combos, but it can rack up damage since it does 10% damage.
Up lstick after grab Up control after grab Up cpad after grab
Down lstick after grab Down nunchuk after grab Down dpad after grab Meta Knight's down throw. Like Kirby, Meta Knight stomps on the opponent multiple times. Despite doing only 7% damage, it is great at starting combos.
Down lstick after grab Down control after grab Down cpad after grab

Special Attacks[edit]

Control Attack Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller Wii Remote + Nunchuk Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller GameCube Controller Nintendo 3DS
B button B button 1 button Mach Tornado Meta Knight's standard special. Meta Knight does a series of slashes while swinging in a circle, like a tornado. Mashing the special attack button rises the tornado and does more damage to fighters. Do not spam the attack like what players did in Brawl because he suffers from being helpless in mid-air and more ending lag on the ground. Advanced players can use it at a certain height and not suffer from ending or landing lag. If all hits connect, the tornado deals 8-22% damage to foes.
B button B button B button
Entangling Tornado Meta Knight's tornado only hits once, but it launches foes sky high. This move is used to finish aerial combos. Since starting lag is increased, good spacing is crucial. Also, horizontal distance is reduced and starting lag gets increased. The move only deals 9% damage.
Dreadful Tornado
(Left lstick or Right lstick)+B button (Left nunchuk or Right nunchuk)+B button (Left dpad or Right dpad)+1 button Drill Rush Meta Knight's side special. Meta Knight dashes into opponents like a drill. The move travels over half the length of Final Destination, making it useful for recovery. It has significant starting and ending lag, so do not spam the move. Also, when foes try to counter, aim it to the ground to bounce back and not get punished. If all hits connect, it does 11% damage to foes.
(Left lstick or Right lstick)+B button (Left control or Right control)+B button (Left cpad or Right cpad)+B button
High-Speed Drill Meta Knight drills much quicker for a longer distance, but he can not change directions. It is great for fast punishes in free-for-alls or team battles. High-Speed Drill also allows Meta Knight to get back into the game after being launched. However, since it only goes one direction, it is vulnerable to counters. Do not use it towards the edge because Meta Knight will still end up being helpless. The move only does 7% damage.
Shieldbreaker Drill
Up lstick+B button Up nunchuk+B button Up dpad+1 button Shuttle Loop Meta Knight's up special. Meta Knight launches upward while using his sword to hit opponents twice. Shuttle Loop is a quick and powerful move, which makes it great for getting KOs in an air fight. However, keep in mind that Smash 4 removed gliding, so only use it when you are close to the edge. The first hit does 9% damage, while the second hit does 6% damage. Depending on the opponent's weight, it KOs at 85-125% damage when used on the ground.
Up lstick+B button Up control+B button Up cpad+B button
Blade Coaster Instead of aiming up, Meta Knight aims diagonally. The recovery move reduces vertical recovery for more horizontal recovery. Meta Knight can also use it near the side blast lines to get easy KOs. However, only use it on walk-off stages or at the last second because Meta Knight can not recover since he becomes helpless. Blade Coaster deals 8% damage during the first hit and 5% damage during the second hit.
Lazy Shuttle Loop
Down lstick+B button Down nunchuk+B button Down dpad+1 button Dimensional Cape Meta Knight's down special. Meta Knight teleports in the direction you input. Holding the special button makes Meta Knight do another attack with the cost of more ending lag. The extra attack only hits in front of Meta Knight. The move is also great to get away from attacks. Also, take note that Meta Knight becomes helpless when used in the air. The attack does 15% damage. Depending on the foe's weight, it can KO at 100-140% damage.
Down lstick+B button Down control+B button Down cpad+B button
Shield Piercer In this variant of Dimensional Cape, Meta Knight can easily destroy shields. However, the move only deals 9% damage. Also, keep in mind that Meta Knight has more starting lag.
Stealth Smasher

Taunts

Control Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller Wii Remote + Nunchuk Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller GameCube Controller Nintendo 3DS
Up dpad 1 button Up dpad+A button Meta Knight spins in his cape as if he is about to teleport.
Up dpad Up dpad Up dpad
(Left dpad or Right dpad) 1 button+2 button A button Meta Knight swings his sword several times while saying, "Fight me!"
(Left dpad or Right dpad) (Left dpad or Right dpad) (Left dpad or Right dpad)
Down dpad 2 button Down dpad+A button While flapping his wings, Meta Knight says, "Come!"
Down dpad Down dpad Down dpad

Final Smash - Galaxia Darkness[edit]

Meta Knight uses his cape to attempt to cover a foe. He also either says, "Know my power!" or says, "Behold!" If it works, Meta Knight does a huge slash. The one covered takes 40% damage, while everyone else gets 10% damage. Despite not covering a lot of range, it can KO between 25% and 45% damage depending on the opponent's weight.

References[edit]