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“ | The Master Hand awaits anyone who survives the long difficult road to the Final Destination. This symbolic link between the real world and the imaginary battlefields of Super Smash Bros. Melee is quite a handful in battle, and just because he wears a white glove doesn't mean he fights clean. Be ready to get poked, punched, flicked, and swatted like crazy! | „ |
~ Master Hand's trophy description in Super Smash Bros. Melee. |
Master Hand (in Japanese: マスターハンド, Master Hand), also known as "The Hand", is the main antagonist of the Super Smash Bros. franchise.
He is a mysterious entity who created the Smash Bros. universe, who makes his home in the Final Destination and seeks to beat all who challenge him. He also appears as the final boss of Classic Mode in every game in the series.
He was voiced by Jeff Manning in Super Smash Bros., Dean Harrington in Super Smash Bros. Melee, Pat Cashman in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and Xander Mobus in Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, all of whom also voice the announcer in their respective games.
Biography[]
Super Smash Bros.[]
Master Hand first appears in the opening cutscene of the game, where he takes out plush dolls of two random characters from a toy box and places them on a table. After setting up the objects around them, he counts to three and snaps his fingers, changing the table into the Peach's Castle stage and bringing the dolls to life.
Master Hand later appears as the final boss of the 1P Game. He attacks the player with slaps, punches, and flicks, and must be defeated by depleting his 300 hit points that must be depleted. Once all of his hit points have been depleted, he explodes while floating away into the background, along with the screen fading to white then fade to pitch black.
Afterwards, the player's character returns to their plush doll form. As the camera zooms out, the screen suddenly transitions to black, and the sound of a closing door plays.
Super Smash Bros. Melee[]
Master Hand once again serves as the final boss of Classic Mode. He has a few more moves than he had in the original, and his hit points depend on the difficulty. On normal difficulty or higher, once Master Hand's health is reduced by half, Crazy Hand joins in. In the event matches, both Master Hand and Crazy Hand are the enemies of "Event 50: Final Destination Match". He can also be a playable character as a glitch which only works for the player in the third slot.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[]
In the Subspace Emissary of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Master Hand appeared to be the main antagonist for most of the story and commanded two of the main villains, Bowser and Ganondorf the latter of whom planned to betray him and take over the Subspace Army while also possibly giving Wario orders as well. However, it was revealed that he was being controlled by Tabuu. When Tabuu turned Ganondorf into a trophy, Master Hand's chains were broken and he attacked Tabuu, who easily defeated Master Hand. It is unknown if he was killed or simply injured as he is not seen following Tabuu's defeat and subsequently subspace ceases to exist, however as he appeared in later games he presumably survived or was revived.
Super Smash Bros. 4[]
In Classic Mode of Super Smash Bros. 4, the player can choose to confront either Master Hand, or Master Hand partnering with Crazy Hand on Intensity 3.0 and higher. In Intensity 5.1 and higher, when they lose a good portion of their health, Crazy Hand disappears, and Master Hand bursts open to reveal Master Core.
In the Wii U version of the game, he and Crazy Hand run their own mode called "Special Orders", in which they award the player if they successfully complete an Order without being KO'd. In Master Orders, Master Hand grants the player a reward based on their success on a single order. In Crazy Orders, if the player completes twenty orders or more, they will face off against Master Hand partnering with Crazy Hand. If the player wins, they will keep all of the rewards.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[]
Master Hand returns one of the bosses that the player may encounter at the end of Classic Mode. He appears solo in some fighter campaigns while in others, he may be paired up with Crazy Hand. In total, Master Hand appears at the end of 50 fighters' campaigns.
In the new adventure mode "World of Light", a swarm of Master Hands are the minions of Galeem. In the opening cinematic, the Master Hands break open to reveal balls of light, which are absorbed by Galeem to create lasers that destroy all of the fighters except Kirby. Master Hands also appear in the mode's overworld map, creating hazards that block off pathways. One is also fought before the player can fight Galeem. However, these Master Hands are replicas of the original Master Hand whom Galeem brought under his control, much like what happened to the fighters. He and Crazy Hand are found in the final map if the balance of light and dark are not overwhelming each other. Only by freeing him and Crazy Hand from Galeem and Dharkon's control will they assist the fighters in the final battle, with Master Hand fighting off a horde of Galeem and Dharkon's fighter clones.
After defeating the true Master Hand in "World of Light", he becomes an ace neutral primary spirit.
Kirby[]
After his first appearance in Super Smash Bros., Master Hand appears in some of the Kirby games, such as Kirby and the Amazing Mirror, where he and Crazy Hand are the bosses of Level 9, "Candy Constellation". He also appears solo through the game as a mini-boss, giving the Smash ability when inhaled.
Related Quotes[]
“ | A being tied to the link between this world, where trophies fight, and the world beyond. The meaning of his existence is unknown, as are his goals, but he seems to have obtained (and kept hidden) a power that borders on absolute. He also seems to feel a certain joy in challenging chosen warriors who've claimed many victories. He waits even now in Final Destination. | „ |
~ Master Hand's trophy description in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. |
“ | The mysterious Master Hand is the source of creation in the Smash Bros. universe. He appears in Final Destination when all other rivals are defeated. He fights with a diverse move set and only grows stronger if you make him angry. If you know when to fight and when to dodge, you'll take him down! | „ |
~ Master Hand's trophy description in Super Smash Bros. 4. |
Audio Samples[]
Laughter (Super Smash Bros.)[]
Laughter (Super Smash Bros. Melee)[]
Laughter (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)[]
Laughter (Super Smash Bros. For 3DS, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)[]
Trivia[]
- Master Hand stars in the original Super Smash Bros. opening, as he sets up the stage and characters, and he is the first Smash character ever seen. This has been a part of the game's controversy over the fighters being "toys", either being brought to life by a child's imagination, or that Master Hand had brought them to life with his "Create" powers.
- Since the Announcer never speaks when the player fights Master Hand, it is speculated that Master Hand is, in fact, the Announcer.
- This is supported by the fact the voice actor of the Announcer, regardless of which Smash game, also voices Master Hand, as well as Crazy Hand since Super Smash Bros. Melee.
- The Chains of Light leave bloody wounds on Master Hand, suggesting that he may contain organic material. Interestingly, he seems to have glowing blue blood, even though his wounds are red. The revealing of blood could be a factor in the reasons why Super Smash Bros. Brawl was rated "T for Teen" by the ESRB and rated "PEGI 12" by PEGI. However, the concept of the blue stuff being blood is gamer speculation.
- Many gamers like to assume Master Hand "died" in Subspace Emissary, but this is highly unlikely as Master Hand has appeared in every Super Smash Bros. game and will most likely continue to appear in the series. It is more likely Master Hand passed out from the burns.
- While Classic Modes don't seem to have mainstream continuity like the Subspace Emissary, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate did have a Story Mode in which Master Hand is now being controlled by Galeem. It is unclear whether the Subspace Emissary and the World of Light are in the same continuity, however.
- If Master Hand (or Crazy Hand, for that matter) is KO'd on Brinstar in Super Smash Bros. Melee via Debug Menu, he bounces endlessly on the acid. Using the developed mode camera, he can be seen bouncing away even once he leaves the stage and is in the black void behind the stage. It's interesting to note that the acid programming goes out this far. Since the vertical position of a portion of the acid does not depend on its horizontal position, however, it is possible that only the current height of the acid is used to calculate player damage, in which case the acid programming would go out infinitely far horizontally speaking.
- In Super Smash Bros. Melee, if either Master Hand or Crazy Hand gets a transformation item (i.e. Super Mushroom, Starman, etc.), there is a chance the game freezes.
- Master Hand and Crazy Hand may have originated from certain bosses in Super Mario 64, Star Fox 64, Kirby's Nightmare in Dream Land, Kirby Super Star, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as attacks used by Master Hand and Crazy Hand are similar to the attacks used by Eyerok, Wham Bam Rock, Andross, and Bongo Bongo.
- In Super Smash Bros., Master Hand was much more glove-like in shape, but from Melee onward, he looks more like an arm which fades on the wrist.
- Master Hand and Crazy Hand are the only characters in the Super Smash Bros. series to debut in a game from that series, but also appear in another series. They also appeared in Kirby & the Amazing Mirror, both of them being bosses.
- Master Hand appears in the commercial for Kirby Tilt 'n' Tumble (2000 in Japan, 2001 in North America), where he is holding the Game Boy Color, controlling the game.
- Interestingly, the announcer has an announcement for Master Hand like he does for all other characters, although this is never used in-game. He does not, however, have narration for Crazy Hand, although he does for Giga Bowser.
- These are presumably for if either character were to be displayed in the VS. screen, much like in Smash Bros. 64.
- He does announce Master Hand and Crazy Hand in Super Smash Bros. 4.
- In Super Smash Bros. 4, it is unknown if Tabuu, the entity that was original in control of Master Hand, still is controlling the hand during these events. This is most unlikely, as Tabuu was destroyed, and Subspace Emissary seems to be a separate continuity from Classic Modes (which seem to have very little continuity themselves).
- It is possible for Master Hand and Crazy Hand to fight each other in a match. However, this will cause the game to freeze after the battle ends.
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate marks the first time Master Hand is playable in the series apart from glitches and hacks.
- He is speculated to represent the right hand of the creator of the Super Smash Bros. games.
- If that is the case, then that would mean Crazy Hand represents the creator's left hand.
External Links[]
- Master Hand on the Heroes Wiki