Smash Ultimate’s newest patch, 11.0.0, was released. The patch came with a new character or characters in Pyra/Mythra. The Smash community has had two weeks with Pyra/Mythra, quickly determining that they are a top-tier contender. Many pro players claim Pyra/Mythra is the best character in the game. However, is this an overreaction? The only character in Smash consistently put in a tier of their own is Brawl’s iteration of Meta Knight, infamous for being incredibly overpowered. How do these two fighters stack up against one another, and will Pyra/Mythra break the Super Smash Brother Ultimate meta?
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Pyra/Mythra Breakdown
Pyra/Mythra are incredibly strong in Smash Ultimate. However, they are not good on their own. Their movesets complement one another exceptionally well, with Pyra being incredibly slow but strong and Mythra being fast with insane combos. Combining Pyra and Mythra’s moveset and their quick transformation makes them a deadly combination. The two together have strong combos with the inclusion of switching between the two, which adds a layer of unpredictability.
One example of this was found by Calvin “GimR” Lofton, involving Mythra’s dash attack followed up by a “jab lock.” Switching to Pyra, using her side B, followed up by a “footstool air dodge cancel” (hitting the jump button just above the opponent’s head then air dodging down) can set up for another “jab lock” this can be repeated multiple times. While Pyra/Mythra is incredibly strong, they are not without their weaknesses, that being they have a very linear recovery that is easily punished.
Brawl Meta Knight Breakdown
Now it is time to contrast SSBU Pyra/Mythra with Meta Knight from Brawl. For starters, Meta Knight has swift and strong attacks with little end lag. Meta Knight also has a great combo game being able to string attacks together quickly while being the best edge-guarder in the game. He can go extremely far off stage and making back on stage. His moves allow him to play extraordinarily aggressive or defensive on top of an insane recovery that lets him glide, which can go from one side of the blast zone to another without touching the ground. In Brawl there were no unfavorable matchups for Meta Knight. However, Meta Knight was not without weakness, he was a lightweight, so strong attacks could kill early, and his airspeed was relatively slow, allowing for easy grab punishes.
Pyra/Mythra’s Influence on Ultimate’s Meta
While these characters are considered to be in tiers of their own, one is more “overpowered” than the other. Pyra/Mythra are incredibly strong on stage. Their offstage game is weaker than most, having a predictable recovery. In comparison, Meta Knight in Brawl was a monster with an insane recovery. Since they are only a few weeks old, it is difficult to say how Pyra/Mythra will affect Smash Ultimate’s meta. Still, their flaws allow for a healthy top tier who can be deadly in the right hands. Still, an issue that “SS” tier characters can bring is completely shifting the meta as Meta Knight did in Brawl.
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