Today during the Nintendo Direct many fans were eagerly waiting for, Byleth was announced as the newest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate challenger and will appear in the next Challenger Pack, releasing on January 28th for $5.99. Series director Masahiro Sakurai went into great detail about Fire Emblem and its origins during the Direct, calling the franchise a “pioneer” in the genre of tactical role-playing games.
Didn’t have a chance to watch this morning’s live stream? No worries: We break down everything for you, including Byleth, the new Garreg Mach Monastery Stage, and new music, right here.
Byleth
Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the 17th installment in the franchise, which introduces Byleth and many other enticing characters. In Japan, the male version of the name is Bereto, and the female version is Beresu, but in English they share the same name. The lovable professor leads one of the three academic houses during the game, and engages in combat when war strikes the lands. Byleth is available to play as both sexes and comes sporting a variety of alternate color options.
Attack Stats
It is important to note that Byleth has low mobility, only possibly topping Robin. Throws are not their strong point either, since their grab lacks range. You could call Byleth a “distance demon,” as their strongest attacks are done from afar.
Sword of the Creator
The Hero Relic that Byleth uses is determined by the direction of the stick. This weapon is Byleth’s default weapon used for flurry attacks, strong attacks, and dash attacks. For the up smash attack, they will whip their sword upwards to launch opponents in the air. The up air attack strikes enemies repeatedly as Byleth raises their sword above their head.
If you press up and B at the same time, you trigger the up special move that extends Byleth’s sword while reeling in opponents. While using this move, you’ll launch opponents upward until their damage reaches a certain percentage. You can also use this move to latch onto ledges.
Areadbhar
Named after the weapon from Celtic mythology, this weapon deals with the sideways inputs. The forward and back air attacks have a long reach, making the weapon a great choice for further combat. The side smash attack also has a long range, and can be angled either up or down. If an upper tilt is added, it will become an even stronger move. If an enemy is knocked down, you must lower your aim to hit them while they are on the ground. The tip of the lance is more powerful while the shaft is weaker, so it is not suited for close combat.
To use this weapon to its greatest potential, you must aim upward from afar to knock opponents back as far as possible. The side special move is an upward swing with extreme reach. You can even use the smash attack to charge forward, but it is easy to shield against. Areadbhar has a wide range of attack while used in midair.
Aymr
For the downward inputs, Byleth will use an axe called Aymr. The down air attack is a downward swing of the axe that packs quite a punch. It is also used for a meteor effect. The down smash attack will swing the axe left and right while dealing a great deal of launch power. For the down special, Byleth channels all their energy into a single devastating strike. When readying the move, it has a super armor effect which allows you to withstand an attack.
This move also allows you to breeze past platforms to reach a lower area. You can turn left or right while powering up the move, giving you the freedom to change directions in a split second. It can even launch opponents if you happen to miss them, due to the way the move causes the ground to shake.
Failnaught
This weapon is used as the neutral move. The bow appears in a neutral air attack where it spins, making it similar to Pit’s spinning move. If you press “B,” you will activate the bow and fire arrows, causing them to fire against your opponents. The biggest difference between Link’s bow and Byleth’s bow is that arrows can’t be released until the charge is complete.
You cannot release it part-way through the charge, but when it does fire, it does at a high speed, causing more damage. You can also change direction while in the stance. If you hold down the button, you release an arrow that shoots like a beam of light. Once you start charging this powerful attack, you can’t cancel out until the charge is complete, not even with the shield button. This means that charging your arrows leaves you quite vulnerable, so be sure to be careful!
Final Smash
Byleth’s Final Smash is called “Pregenitor God Ruptured Heaven,” during which they team up with Sothis to launch an attack together.
Color Variations
Byleth’s color variations are set up so that the default and odd numbers are male, while the even numbers are female. However the third, fourth, and fifth colors are reminiscent of the three different house leaders in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The sixth color is based on Sothis, and gives Byleth a green tint to their outfit. The seventh and eighth variations have a different hair color, referencing the transformation of Byleth later in the original game.
Garreg Mach Monastery
Byleth’s home stage is Garreg Mach Monastery, pulled straight from Fire Emblem: Three Houses. This stage takes players on a tour throughout the iconic setting of the 2019 Fire Emblem game, with various story characters popping up in the background.
The stage starts in a Marketplace area, with breakable vendors and booths that will expand the map left and right when destroyed. Next, players will be taken to the Reception Hall, where, if they aim high enough, they can knock down chandeliers and break tables. After the Reception Hall is the Bridge, which is pretty straight forward, as players can try and knock their enemies either to the far right or left side. Lastly is the Cathedral, which includes platforms that can be used to maneuver around the player’s surroundings.
Character Cameos
12 different Fire Emblem: Three Houses characters make cameo appearances throughout the stage, depending on the location. These characters are:
- Dedue (Marketplace)
- Dimitri (Marketplace)
- Ingrid (Marketplace)
- Dorothea (Reception Hall)
- Edelgard (Reception Hall)
- Petra (Reception Hall)
- Claude (Bridge)
- Hilda (Bridge)
- Lorenz (Bridge)
- Seteth (Cathedral)
- Flayn (Cathedral)
- Rhea (Cathedral)
Track Listing
Challenger Pack #5 includes 11 tracks worth of music from Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Check out the full list of music, including brand-new arrangements and original versions:
| Track Name | Arrangement Type |
|---|---|
| Fire Emblem: Three Houses Main Theme (JP) | New |
| Fire Emblem: Three Houses Main Theme | New |
| Fódlan Winds | Original |
| Blue Skies and a Battle | Original |
| Tearing Through Heaven | Original |
| Chasing Daybreak | Original |
| Between Heaven and Earth | Original |
| Paths That Will Never Cross | Original |
| The Apex of the World | Original |
| The Edge of Dawn (Seasons of Warfare) (JP) | Original |
| The Edge of Dawn (Seasons of Warfare) | Original |
Challenger Pack #5 will be available to download starting January 28th, 2020 along with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s version 7.0 update; those who already own the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Fighters Pass will be able to play as Byleth and use the Garreg Mach Monastery stage immediately.
Players who don’t own either can buy Challenger Pack #5 individually for $5.99 USD or the Fighters Pass for $24.99 USD on the Nintendo Switch eShop.
The Fighters Pass includes DLC fighters Joker, Hero, Banjo and Kazooie, Terry, and Byleth, along with associated stages for each.
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Written by Meghan Nigrelli
As a singer, voice actress, gamer, and writer, Meghan strives to blend all of her nerdy passions together to create exciting online content. When she’s not writing for Zelda Universe or Nintendo Wire, she is usually found voicing Tails and Amy Rose in Sonic animations at Sasso Studios.
