Master Hand
| |
| Master Hand in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. | |
| Master Hand | |
| Base | Final Destination |
| Voiced by | Jeff Manning (1999) Dean Harrington (2001) Pat Cashman (2008) Xander Mobus (2014-Present) |
| Debut | Super Smash Bros. |
Master Hand is the main antagonist featured in the Super Smash Bros. series. He is a giant floating gloved right hand.
Background[edit]
Master Hand's origins are shrouded in mystery. The openings to the first two games suggest that the characters in the Smash Bros. games are not the real characters but actually toys or trophies of them that are brought to life for combat, and Master Hand is suggested to be the hand of the person playing with them. This is supplemented by Master Hand's trophy descriptions in Melee and Brawl, referring to him as "the symbolic link between the real world and the imaginary battlefields of Super Smash Bros." and "the link between this world, where trophies fight, and the world beyond". He is described as the manifestation of the creative spirit, while the left Crazy Hand manifests the destructive spirit. Despite their differences, the two work together in battle. He is also described as literally the master of the world.
His Brawl trophy mentions that he has an absolute power that he keeps hidden, and that both the meaning of his existence and his goals are a mystery. However, he feels joy from battling seasoned warriors whom have proven their worth in many battles, waiting for them in the Final Destination stage. He is also known for his mad laughter whenever he enters the battlefield. As also shown in Brawl, the world's villains, such as Ganon and Bowser, serve Master Hand.
Master Hand originally appeared as the final boss in the single player mode in Super Smash Bros.. Traditionally, Master Hand returned as the final boss of Classic Mode in both Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, where Crazy Hand would appear to aid Master Hand under certain conditions after Master Hand had lost most of his health. In Melee, Master Hand and Crazy Hand are also featured in "Event Match 50: Final Destination Match", where the player must fight them both at the same time. In Brawl, Master Hand can also be fought in the Boss Battles mode.
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS/Wii U, Master Hand reprised his normal role as the final boss of Classic Mode. He was the default final boss on the lowest difficulty levels. From intensity level 3.0 upwards, the player can choose between two branching paths at the end of Classic Mode in order to pick whether to fight Master Hand alone or with Crazy Hand. Master Hand and Crazy Hand have some new moves in this version as well as a shared life meter. Additionally, from intensity levels 5.1 upwards, after taking a certain amount of damage in a battle involving Crazy Hand, Master Hand will be torn open, and Master Core emerges to take his place as the final boss.
In the Wii U version, Master Hand also hosts a Special Orders mode called Master Orders, wherein the player must complete one of three orders to earn a prize.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Master Hand can appear as the boss of Classic Mode, but it depends on the route taken by the player, as every character has an individualized Classic Mode route which could end in different bosses or a substitute for a boss level in general. In routes where Master Hand or Crazy Hand is the designated boss, both will appear together as the boss when on a difficulty level of 7.0 or higher.
Storyline Roles[edit]
In the story mode of Brawl, "The Subspace Emissary", Tabuu had used chains of light to manipulate Master Hand as if he were a puppet. He used Master Hand's position to send out Bowser and Ganondorf on missions to aid the Subspace Army. This caused Master Hand to become more a part of Subspace than he was of the Smash Bros. world. After Ganondorf met his true master, he attempted to attack Tabuu and though he failed and was turned back into trophy form, he shattered Master Hand's bonds at the same time. Freed, Master Hand then attempted to attack Tabuu, but was easily overpowered and defeated.
In the story mode of Ultimate, "World of Light", Master Hand appeared as a recurring boss and a temporarily playable character. This time, he was forced under the control of Galeem, who was shown to have an army of Master Hands under his control which he could convert into power. As the player navigated the Light Realm, Master Hand would appear periodically and use his powers to create obstacles for the player to deal with. Master Hand could be fought up to three times over the course of the mode: first, he had to be fought as the last obstacle standing between the player and Galeem in the Light Realm. Then, he could be fought twice in the dimension known only as The Final Battle.
After the second defeat, Master Hand was freed from Galeem's control. And if Crazy Hand was similarly freed from Dharkon's control successfully, then the two would work together to open up a rip through which the fighters could reach Galeem and Dharkon. At that point, Master Hand was temporarily playable in a battle where he had to destroy 50 light and dark copies of the fighters. After Galeem and Dharkon were both defeated, the Master Hand army was destroyed with them.
Other Appearances[edit]
Video Games[edit]
- Master Hand appears as a recurring enemy in Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. He first appears as a miniboss in the Radish Ruins, the Candy Constellation and Rainbow Route 2. Master Hand and Crazy Hand also appear together as the boss of the Candy Constellation.
Trivia[edit]
- He is the only character with a set amount of HP, although enemies in Brawl also have life meters.
- Master Hand has an unlockable trophy in Melee, Brawl and the 3DS/Wii U Smash. In Ultimate, he also has an unlockable Ace-rank Primary Spirit.