The Subspace Army are the titular main antagonists of the Subspace Emissary mode in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as members, together with much enemies. Headed by the Ancient Minister and under the guidance of Tabuu, its aim is to expand Subspace using Subspace Bombs and to pull areas of this world into it. Most of the enemies the player faces in the Subspace Emissary are members of the Subspace Army.
Members[]
- Tabuu is the true leader of the Subspace Army. He uses Master Hand (bound by Chains of Light) as a puppet to give orders. Only the Ancient Minister knows about Tabuu.
- Master Hand is the fake ruler of the army, used by Tabuu as a puppet and decoy leader while he gives orders from the shadows
- Ganondorf is the second-in-command of the Army, having technology to override the R.O.B.s' programming and holding dominance over a majority of the forces. He was not loyal to the Master Hand and wanted to usurp his rule over the world.
- Bowser is the army's third-in-command, and only takes orders from Ganondorf and Master Hand himself. In contrast to Ganondorf's more administrative role, Bowser prefers catching Smashers, as well as using his personal force of Koopa Troopas to take on large assignments, such as assaulting King Dedede's castle. He was the only Smasher to be truly loyal to Master Hand, expressing sadness to see him defeated. On the other hand, he dislikes Ganondorf even more so when the latter betrayed him.
- The Ancient Minister has a (reluctant) leadership role, commanding the R.O.B. Squad. His main task is to deploy Subspace Bombs around the world. However, he is subject to Ganondorf, Bowser, and Tabuu. After being shot many times by R.O.B.s controlled by Ganondorf, his robe was burned, showing his true identity as R.O.B.
- Wario is a relatively low-ranking member, and has very little control over the army. He only does what he does (which is capturing various Smashers) because he feels like it. He did not care about the orders he received from Ganondorf or Master Hand, preferring to go his own way. He may have also been only a bounty hunter, with no real allegiance to Master Hand.
- Prior to the opening, King Dedede attacked the Halberd at the same time Tabuu's forces did, preventing Meta Knight from defending the ship. While there is no evidence Dedede worked for the Subspace Army at any time, it's possible he was tricked by them into attacking the Halberd as a diversion.
Forces[]
The Subspace Army consists of a number of enemies, the Primids chief among them. These enemies are created from Shadow Bugs, which are dropped from the Halberd. The Subspace Army also controls the floating Isle of Ancients and the Subspace Gunship.
The army's weapons, equipment, and troops are almost all stolen or copied. Mr. Game & Watch was used to create Shadow Bugs, which were then used to create a massive army as well as False Characters. Samus's Power Suit was apparently stolen, and Pikachu was used as a power supply. The Dark Cannon is the most powerful handheld weapon used by the Army, and these were distributed among its Smasher leaders.
Major members[]
The following were deployed in areas where they could do maximum damage, and were used in cases where Primids would not be enough.
- Petey Piranha
- Rayquaza
- Ridley/Meta Ridley
- Galleom
- Duon
- Porky Minch/King Statue
Primids[]
- Main article: Primids
Primids are the Subspace Army's standard troops formed from clumps of Shadow Bugs. Their modest strength is made up for by large numbers. Specialization is also present, as there are:
- Normal Primids
- Scope Primids (Primids with Super Scope)
- Sword Primids (Beam Sword-wielding Primids)
- Boom Primids (Primids armed with boomerangs)
- Metal Primids (Primids that are covered in heavy, reflective metal)
- Fire Primids (Primids that can breathe fire)
- Big Primids (Giant Primids composed of more Shadow Bugs and are three times as large as normal Primids)
R.O.B. Squad[]
In addition to their role as workers and bomb detonators, multiple types of R.O.B. defend the Isle of the Ancients:
- R.O.B. Sentry (Attacks with its arms)
- R.O.B. Launcher (Fires a beam from its eyes)
- R.O.B. Blaster (Shoots a missile from its eye)
- Giant R.O.B. (Only seen in a cutscene. It killed dozens of Pikmin, but was destroyed by Captain Falcon.)
Koopa Troop[]
Bowser commands a group of creatures from his own universe, composed of:
- Koopa Troopas (and Koopa Paratroopas)
- Goombas (and Giant Goombas)
- Bullet Bills
- Hammer Bros.
Other Forces[]
Other enemies found throughout the game (often limited to two or three areas) include:
- Armank: A green blob equipped in a tank. The tank is equipped with a large, retractable arm that lunges at the player. If the hand is damaged enough, the hand retracts and the tank opens to expose the blob.
- Armight: Blue flying creatures with pink tentacles as arms, a yellow mustache, and golden helmets. They swing swords at the player, and can quickly combo the player. They appear from the foreground, accompanied by a malevolent laugh.
- Auroros: White birds with rainbow-colored feathers on their wings and black eyes with red pupils. They attack from the sky and jab their beak into the ground. If the player dodges it, the Auroros gets stuck in the ground and can be picked up and thrown at other enemies.
- Autolance: Small tanks with a large lance attached to their fronts. Attacking its armor will expose its weakspot, a glowing emergency light.
- Bombed: Humanoids with bombs as heads. After lighting a fuse, they will throw their head at the player, which explodes. The body then flees to regrow a new head.
- Borboras: Skinny humanoids with a head resembling a trumpet. They don't attack, but instead blow wind from their heads to push the player and other enemies back. On higher difficulties, the wind blow becomes stronger. When not hostile, the Borboras will skip around.
- Bucculus: Leech-like plants with large lips covered in spikes. They start in the ground with their lips showing. If a player lands on it, the Bucculus attaches itself to the player and "kisses" them, rapidly increasing damage unless the player can shake them off.
- Buckot: Small robots with arms that hover in the air using propellors. They attack by dumping a bucket full of red-hot iron chunks. Sometimes they may also drop food or Maxim Tomatoes.
- Bytan: Spherical creatures with red eyes and a grin. They can multiply through their eyes. They tend to multiply faster in harder difficulties and attack more in lesser difficulties. There are also giant Bytans that have three times more health, but are less likely to multiply.
- Cymul: Spherical robots with four blade-like appendages. When approached, they spin to damage players and reflect projectiles.
- Feyesh: Creatures resembling goldfish with giant eyes as heads and five tentacles. They unleash electrical stings from their tentacles.
- Floow: Ghosts resembling 2D humanoids comprised of blocks and glowing red eyes. They attack by unleashing screeches that seriously damage players.
- Gamyga: Towering creatures featuring a metal mask on four-cylinder compartments. They can shoot beams from their eyes. The mask is the weakspot, but the player can also attack the compartments to make the mask fall closer to the ground. Destroying the mask automatically destroys the compartments as well.
- Glice: Metallic wheels with an eye in the center. It rolls around and if it hits a corner, it opens its body to unleash ice which freezes a player.
- Glire: Metallic wheels with an eye in the center. It rolls around and if it hits a corner, it opens its body to unleash fire.
- Glunder: Metallic wheels with an eye in the center. It rolls around and if it hits a corner, it opens its body to unleash electricity.
- Greap: Creatures resembling a black cauldron with wheels and a handlebar of a baby carriage. Their arms are massive sickles. They can be defeated by attacking the head.
- Mites: Tiny stickmen that come in red, yellow, or green variants. They can be easily defeated, but tend to come in large hordes.
- Mizzo: Blue sphere-shaped creatures with limbs and red eyes. Only one is found in the Battleship Halberd Exterior stage in the display room.
- Nagagog: Round creatures resembling sumo-wrestlers. They start out blue and weak, but as they take damage, they emit a laugh and grow larger and stronger. First to a medium size yellow, then to a massive red.
- Poppant: Creatures with presents and candies in their trousers. They will flee when spotting a player, releasing several objects that harm the player if they come into contact with them. It may also leave food or other items as it flees.
- Puppit: Humanoid puppets with large claws as fingers. They attack by swiping their claws, but if their eyes flash red, they fire a laser that can be dodged by jumping.
- Roader: Armored motorized unicycles that quickly ram into players. When defeated, they explode and their wheel flies away.
- Roturret: Large enemies comprising of a three-eyed skull on a pointed bar with two turret guns to their sides. It attacks by spinning towards the player and shooting six rounds of ammunition, showing the direction it's about to shoot towards with the point.
- Shaydas: Large shadowy figures with two heads, a red sphere at the center as a core, and two sharp blades as arms. They are much slower than other enemies, but can unleash extremely powerful slashes from their blades, some of which can combo.
- Shellpod: Creatures resembling large brown stag beetles that attack by stabbing with its horn. When they take enough damage, the shell breaks and exposes a weaker creature. The Shellpod's only attack without its armor is a mild headbutt.
- Spaak: Creatures resembling clouds with red eyes, baring teeth, and electrodes around its body with a battery on top. They emit electricity beams that slowly chase the player. When taken enough damage, their body turns black and can shoot out faster beams. Attacking the battery defeats it faster.
- Ticken: Creatures resembling chickens in armor. They attack by flying into the air and then slams into the ground, or by extending its spikes and rams at the player. When defeated, the armor breaks away to expose a small yellow bird which quickly flies away.
- Towtows: Creatures resembling rams with gray wool and large swirly horns. They are asleep at first but if awakened by the player getting too close or attacking them, their angelic faces turn demonic with their pale skin turning red, green eyes, and a mouth full of fangs. They attack by charging at the player while emitting electricity that does not hurt the player. If the player does not fight back or flees, the Towtow will eventually fall back asleep.
- Trowlon: Robotic creatures with a beak shaped head and a pink cloth for a back. If a player gets too close to one, the Trowlon flips them onto its back and flies upward to the top of the screen towards the upper blast line.
Traps[]
In addition to sending troops at their foes, the Subspace Army is more than willing to set up some devious devices in their bid to conquer the world:
- Amaranthine gas: In the Subspace Emissary, purple mist may be found. When a character enters the mist, they will take gradual damage. Several puzzles involve a nearby switch, which if activated, temporarily clears out the gas.
- Jyks: Spiked balls that cannot be destroyed. Three variations can be found; Flame Jyks that unleash fire, Zap Jyks that unleash electricity, and Hydro Jyks that unleash water.
- Quark Mines: Sphere-shaped mines with neon green linings on them. If a player gets too close, the mine explodes, dealing a lot of damage on the player and any nearby enemies. If another mine is right next to an exploding mine, it will explode as well.
- Generators: Dark purple portals that will spawn up to 23 enemies of a specific type until they are deactivated by striking them enough times.
- Spaceshifting Wormholes
- Ambushes
Gallery[]
