Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary

"The Subspace Emissary" redirects here. For the titular character, see R.O.B.

The logo for the mode

The Subspace Emissary, sometimes called Super Smash Bros. Brawl: The Subspace Emissary, or Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary, is the adventure mode campaign of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It takes place in the World of Trophies, and the player's goal is to stop the Subspace Army from using Subspace Bombs to pull the entire world into Subspace. Rather than being based around one-on-one or group fights, players move through side scrolling platformer-like arrangements of obstacles while fighting enemies using Super Smash Bros. Brawl's control scheme. This combination results in a game resembling a beat 'em up, though it is usually described as an "action game". Portions of stages are divided by using doors, with each portion being called a "step". Some steps instead have combat against fighters using normal Super Smash Bros. Brawl gameplay, and others have boss fights where the boss uses a health bar instead of being launched like fighters are. Between stages, there is a map screen where the player selects the next stage or returns to prior stages. Playing stages rewards the player with coins, trophies, stickers and CDs, with the latter three being items collected within the stages. There are five difficulty settings: Easy, Medium, Hard, Very Hard, and Intense, with the player selecting a default difficulty for a save file when creating it but being able to select a difficulty before each starting each stage. Higher difficulties grant more coins and make rarer stickers more common. The player can create a maximum of 50 save files. Overall, The Subspace Emissary is more advanced than its equivalent mode from Super Smash Bros. Melee.

The map screen, with the second stage Skyworld unlocked. The first stage, Midair Stadium, is taken into Subspace by a Subspace Bomb upon its completion, which is why it is not visible and is also why the stage cannot be accessed.

When the player selects a stage, they also have to choose the fighters to use for each of their stocks and the order those stocks come in, with the options for fighters increasing and decreasing based on the storyline's progress. Stocks are the Super Smash Bros. series equivalent of lives, and this system works such that being defeated means switching to that stock's character when they respawn. It is possible for a stock to not be assoicated with a character, and in such instances the player does not switch characters when respawning. Fighters are unlocked in The Subspace Emissary separately from the rest of the game. When playing most stages for the first time, the player's options consist of certain characters featured in cutscenes preceding each step, with the final shot of the cutscene also serving as the menu for fighter selection. This further means the player may have to change the fighters they are using during a stage, should a cutscene playing between steps prompt it. For certain stages, and when replaying any stage, the player can choose any characters unlocked in the mode who are on the same team. The characters form several teams over the course of the mode, but toward the end of the story all of the different teams combine into one team. Each stage has a specified stock count. Cutscenes between steps restore all of the player's stocks. When the player loses every stock, such that they do not have a stock to respawn using, they are sent to a Game Over screen where they can choose to "Get Up" and return to the start of the most recently entered step, or return to the map screen. Choosing to get up makes the player lose half of the stickers and trophies they collected in the stage, and completing the stage will be worth slightly fewer coins. Returning to the map screen has similar drawbacks, but while the player does not lose the trophies they collected, the number of coins the stage rewards is harshly reduced.

The Subspace Emissary is a means of obtaining all of the unlockable fighters in the game, as every fighter in the game is unlockable in this mode and unlocking fighters in this mode also unlocks them in the main game. The majority of the game's playable characters are unlocked as they join one of the teams through story progression, but three fighters are not unlocked this way. These fighters are only available in The Subspace Emissary by first competing the mode, finding a door leading to a battle against that fighter, and winning the battle.

On the map screen, the player can enter a menu where they can apply stickers to each character's trophy base in order to grant that character effects such as stat boosts or increasing their resistance to certain kinds of attacks. The player can use any sticker they have obtained, even those from other The Subspace Emissary save files and those collected from outside the mode. However, trophy bases are circular and stickers are not allowed to overlap, which when combined with the trend that larger stickers provide larger boosts can force the player to make tough decisions about what stickers to use. If two stickers provide the same kind of boost, the game only uses the boost from the sticker which is the most powerful. Some stickers can only be applied to the bases of certain characters. While the player can move stickers that have been placed previously, removing stickers from trophy bases permanently deletes the sticker from the player's collection. To help the player find stickers, they can search or sort their collection or have the game select and apply random stickers. Applied stickers do not affect modes outside of The Subspace Emissary.

The Subspace Emissary's mechanics are very story-centric. The aforementioned team formations and how cutscene based character selection are examples. The map screen changes not just for unlocking new stages but also for the detonation of Subspace Bombs. Like in the cutscenes, each explosion leaves a purple sphere on the map screen. Stages that get pulled into Subspace are inaccessible until the game is completed, at which point the purple spheres related to this mechanic are removed from the map screen. There are a three story branches based on which fighters the player selects or for certain in game actions, accompanied by differing cutscenes. One of them, a choice to rescue Peach or Zelda from Petey Piranha at the start of the game, affects the story for a long time past that decision. Two cutscenes only occur if the player collects certain items in the game.

The Subspace Emissary can be played in single-player or with two players, with a second player being able to enter the game even during a stage by pressing the button as long as there is at least one stock left. If a second player is present for character selection, that player only picks their own character, with the first player making all other decisions. The character the second player picked is essentially the second stock for the stage, The first player is the primary player: the camera always follows them and the game ends if they are KO'd and there are no stocks left for that player to respawn with. The state of the second player does not matter; if they cannot respawn the game continues. If the second player is left off screen due to scrolling, and not through being launched off the screen, they teleport to the first player's position with a move called the space jump. The second player can space jump manually by using the or buttons but is unable to do so during boss battles.

Plot

SmashWiki article: Plot summary of The Subspace Emissary

Mario, Kirby, Peach, and Zelda prepare to fight off the Subspace Army.

The story begins with the Subspace Army arriving on the Halberd and interrupting a fight between Mario and Kirby. The Ancient Minister deploys a Subspace Bomb controlled by two R.O.B.s, and while Mario tries to intercept it, he is knocked away by Petey Piranha, who has both Peach and Zelda each trapped in a cage. Kirby does manage to defeat Petey Piranha, rescuing only one of the princesses, while Wario arrives to steal the other. The Subspace Bomb eventually detonates, consuming the arena into Subspace.

Peach turned into a trophy by Wario

Meanwhile, in the jungle, Diddy is separated from Donkey Kong by Bowser, though Diddy would soon team up with Fox, who had been struck down into the jungle with his Arwing. The characters are joined by Falco, as well as Captain Falcon and Olimar, all of whom manage to rescue Donkey Kong from the Subspace Army. Fox and Falco leave the group to continue battling the Halberd, now with assistance from the Great Fox.

Elsewhere, King Dedede turns Luigi into a trophy then uses him to distract Wario as King Dedede steals his cargo and its contained trophies. Lucas and the Pokémon Trainer later defeat Wario in retaliation for capturing Ness earlier. After the Pokémon Trainer catches Charizard, he and Lucas meet up with Marth, Meta Knight, and Ike. The fighters watch as the Halberd battles the Great Fox, prompting Meta Knight to scale the cliffs to try and reclaim the Halberd. On the way up, Meta Knight is joined by the Ice Climbers, then later Lucario after battling him on the summit. After the Ice Climbers fall as a result of the Halberd smashing the tethered Great Fox against the mountain, Meta Knight and Lucario take the opportunity to board the ship.

Mario, Yoshi, Kirby, Link, and Pit escape from a Subspace Bomb.

Mario is later revived by Pit, while Link and Yoshi team up in the forest. When Kirby leaves, Bowser makes an evil clone of the captured princess: If the clone is of Peach, it attacks and is defeated by Link, who is met with retaliation from Mario; if the clone is of Zelda, it is defeated by Mario, who is met with resistance from Link instead. Either way, the conflict between Mario and Link ends when King Dedede arrives with the other princess statue, and both Mario and Link team up against him. The characters follow King Dedede back to his castle, though they are not able to prevent Bowser from crashing in and taking the princess, leaving behind a badge that King Dedede had put on his three stolen statues. The heroes soon team up with the Ice Climbers, Lucas, Pokémon Trainer, Marth, and Ike.

The Ancient Minister reflects on his actions.

Meanwhile, Zero Suit Samus infiltrates the Subspace Army's base on the Isle of the Ancients, rescues Pikachu, recovers her Power Suit, and battles Ridley. She and Pikachu head over to the Subspace Bomb depot. Diddy, Donkey Kong, Captain Falcon, and Olimar all arrive too, having ridden an enemy barge to the island. The Ancient Minister confronts the fighters at first, but loses morale after so many R.O.B.s had been sacrificed to detonate Subspace Bombs. The Ancient Minister's robes are burned away by the R.O.B.s, whom Ganondorf has taken control of, revealing the Ancient Minister to be the main R.O.B. As more Subspace Bombs are being activated, the protagonists leave on the Falcon Flyer, being unable to stop them.

Back on the Halberd, Meta Knight and Lucario team up with Snake, free the captured princesses and kick a crew of Mr. Game & Watch clones out of the cockpit. Peach and Sheik (Zelda's disguised form) make their way onto the deck as Fox and Falco attack in their Arwings. Snake, Lucario, and Falco defeat Duon, who had formed from the Mr. Game & Watch clones, freeing the real Mr. Game & Watch. Meta Knight takes the helm of the Halberd and flies it to shore right as the Falcon Flyer lands, uniting all three groups of fighters.

Bowser and Ganondorf attack the heroes before going into Subspace.

From the massive sphere of Subspace that had engulfed the Island of the Ancients, Bowser and Ganondorf emerge with the Subspace Gunship and use it to fire larger Subspace blasts. Though the Halberd is destroyed from the attack, this was a diversion allowing the fighters to enter Subspace using smaller aircraft. The gunship is destroyed when Kirby uses the Dragoon to drive into its cannon. During the two villains' retreat, Bowser is betrayed by Ganondorf, who transforms him into a trophy as he visits Master Hand before realizing Tabuu had been controlling Master Hand all along. Master Hand is defeated by Tabuu, who then transforms every protagonist into a trophy, Ganondorf included. The only exceptions are Ness, Luigi, and Kirby, since each of them had been revived by King Dedede's badges. Throughout Subspace, the three characters rescue every ally and former enemy alike. All of the fighters finally enter The Great Maze and defeat every boss and their shadowy counterparts. When the fighters make it over to Tabuu, Sonic arrives unexpectedly and destroys Tabuu's wings, saving the fighters from transforming back into trophies. The story concludes with the fighters defeating Tabuu and finally restoring the World of Trophies.

Major characters

Major characters
Character	Series	Role	Level debut
Fighters: Heroes
Zelda and Peach	The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario	Zelda and Peach are the two princesses who spectate the match between Mario and Kirby, they are later taken hostage by Petey Piranha. Kirby is only able to save one, and the other is trophified by Wario and taken away, later being taken by King Dedede and then Bowser. Kirby and the saved princess travel together, but the latter gets trophified by Bowser. Later, both are found together and restored by Snake. Peach later manages to befriend both Fox and Mr. Game & Watch.	Midair Stadium
Mario	Super Mario	Mario is one of the main fighters in the mode, first appearing battling Kirby. After being launched away by Petey Piranha, he is joined by Pit and later joins up with Link and Yoshi on their mission to rescue the princesses, later joining up with the other fighters.	Midair Stadium
Kirby	Kirby	Kirby is the other of the main fighters in the mode, first appearing battling Mario. Later he saves one of the princesses from Petey Piranha and goes off to rescue the other with her. He ends separated from the first in the process, but joins up with Mario and Link's teams. He is one of the ones to be revived by King Dedede's badges due to inhaling one.	Midair Stadium
Pit	Kid Icarus	Pit is a youthful angel who spectates Mario and Kirby's match from his home in Skyworld. Later, at the blessing of Palutena, he assists Mario in his quest to rescue the princesses and stays as his companion throughout the story.	Midair Stadium (cutscene) Skyworld (playable)
Donkey Kong	Donkey Kong	Donkey Kong is a large gorilla who first appears when his banana hoard is stolen by Bowser's Minions. After getting them back, he is promptly trophified by Bowser. He is only rescued at the ancient ruins much later in the game.	The Jungle
Diddy Kong	Donkey Kong	Diddy Kong is Donkey Kong's little buddy who helps him get his bananas back. After Donkey Kong is turned into a trophy, Diddy Kong seeks help from Fox and later Falco to save him.	The Jungle
Fox	Star Fox	Fox is a vulpine starfighter who gets shot down by the Halberd, then is made to join Diddy Kong after saving him from Rayquaza. He later returns to fight the Halberd and gets into a duel with Sheik, only for the battle to be called off by Peach.	The Lake
Lucas	EarthBound	Lucas is a timid psychic boy who goes on a quest to rescue Ness from Wario, joining up with the Pokémon Trainer.	The Ruined Zoo
Ness	EarthBound	Ness is a more seasoned psychic boy who saves Lucas from the Porky Statue, but then gets trophified by Wario and taken by King Dedede. He is revived by one of King Dedede's badges near the end of the game.	The Ruined Zoo
Pokémon Trainer	Pokémon	The Pokémon Trainer is a collector of Pokémon who joins up with Lucas while on his own quest to catch more Pokémon. He starts out with Squirtle, then later obtains Ivysaur and Charizard.	The Ruined Zoo (Pokémon Trainer and Squirtle) Path to the Ruins (Ivysaur and Charizard (both cutscenes)) The Ruins (Ivysaur (playable)) The Ruined Hall (Charizard (playable))
Marth	Fire Emblem	Marth is a swordsman who battles against the invading Subspace Army, joining up with Meta Knight and Ike.	The Battlefield Fortress
Meta Knight	Kirby	Meta Knight is a swordfighter of the same species as Kirby, he joins with Marth and Ike to take back his battleship, Halberd, which has been commandeered by the Subspace Army.	The Battlefield Fortress
Ike	Fire Emblem	Ike is another swordsman who joins Marth and Meta Knight to battle the Subspace Army.	The Battlefield Fortress
Luigi	Super Mario	Luigi is Mario's more timid brother, first seen being frightened of King Dedede's Waddle Dee minions before King Dedede trophifies him. He is later revived by one of King Dedede's badges.	The Battlefield Fortress (cutscene) Subspace (Part 1) (playable)
King Dedede	Kirby	King Dedede is Kirby's primary rival who appears to be a villain at first, taking the trophies of Luigi, Ness, and the princess Kirby did not save. However, near the end, it is revealed he has created badges that can undo the effects of trophification in order to prevent it from happening to everyone.	The Battlefield Fortress (cutscene) Subspace (Part 1) (playable)
Link	The Legend of Zelda	Link is a swordsman who is joined by Yoshi before running afoul of the Subspace Army. Later he joins Mario and Pit on their journey to save the princesses.	The Forest
Yoshi	Yoshi	Yoshi is a dinosaur who accompanies Link after meeting him in the forest.	The Forest
Zero Suit Samus	Metroid	Zero Suit Samus is a bounty hunter who is missing her usual armor. She infiltrates the Subspace Army's lab and joins up with Pikachu before she finds her Power Suit. After she does, this version remains selectable by choosing her and pressing the switch form button.	The Research Facility (Part I)
Pikachu	Pokémon	Pikachu is a mouse-like Pokémon with electrical abilities, it is saved by Samus from being used as a battery for the Subspace Army, and then joins her.	The Research Facility (Part I)
Falco	Star Fox	Falco is a hotshot pheasant teammate of Fox. He destroys Bowser's Dark Cannon and helps defeat the giant evil Diddy Kong copy Bowser created with it. He then is made to join Diddy Kong in the same manner Fox was, later leaving to fight the Halberd with Fox.	The Swamp
Samus	Metroid	Samus after recovering her Power Suit from the Subspace Army. She battles her nemesis Ridley and infiltrates the Subspace Bomb factory.	The Research Facility (Part II)
Olimar	Pikmin	Olimar is a space freighter and biologist who is accompanied by Pikmin, he attempts to take down the R.O.B.s at the ruins only to be interrupted and joined by Captain Falcon.	Outside the Ancient Ruins
Captain Falcon	F-Zero	Captain Falcon is a racing superhero who fights the Subspace Army, joining up with Olimar at the ancient ruins after accidentally killing a platoon of his Pikmin.	Outside the Ancient Ruins
Ice Climbers	Ice Climber	The Ice Climbers are twin mountaineers who take Meta Knight's swift ascent up the mountain to reach the Halberd as a challenge, then join with Marth on the ground.	The Glacial Peak
Lucario	Pokémon	Lucario is a mysterious warrior Pokémon who challenges Meta Knight at the top of the mountain, then joins them in retaking the Halberd.	The Glacial Peak
Snake	Metal Gear	Snake is a special forces agent who stowed away on the Halberd, eventually emerging to battle the Subspace Army. He saves the princesses and joins up with Meta Knight to retake the ship.	The Forest (cutscene, in box) Battleship Halberd Interior (playable)
Sheik	The Legend of Zelda	Sheik is a ninja alter-ego of Zelda, she takes Peach to battle the Subspace Army on the Halberd after they are rescued by Snake, then ends up in a short fight with Fox.	Midair Stadium (playable via transform ability) Battleship Halberd Exterior (cutscene/playable via selection)
Sonic	Sonic the Hedgehog	Sonic is a speedy blue hedgehog who appears just in time for the final battle, crippling Tabuu's Off Waves attack to give the heroes a fighting chance.	The Great Maze
Fighters: The Subspace Army
Wario	Wario	Wario is a recurring antagonist throughout the game. With his Dark Cannon, he trophifies the princess Kirby fails to rescue as well as Ness. After his cargo is stolen by King Dedede, he is quickly defeated by Lucas, only reviving near the end of the game to join with the heroes in Subspace.	Midair Stadium (cutscene) The Great Maze (playable)
Bowser	Super Mario	Bowser is a monstrous king who appears as a high-ranking member of the Subspace Army, commanding his own minions. He trophifies Donkey Kong and whichever princess Kirby previously rescued, as well as takes the non-rescued one's trophy from King Dedede after storming his fortress. He is later betrayed and trophified by Ganondorf, but restored with the others at the end.	The Jungle (cutscene) The Great Maze (playable)
Ganondorf	The Legend of Zelda	Ganondorf is a treacherous king of evil who holds a high rank in the Subspace Army. He briefs Bowser and the Ancient Minister at different points in the game, later betraying both and seemingly planning on betraying Master Hand as well. However, he is defeated and trophified by Tabuu. He is revived by Link and Zelda.	The Lake Shore (cutscene) The Great Maze (playable)
Mr. Game & Watch	Game & Watch	Mr. Game & Watch is a primitive being resembling an LCD graphic. He is used by the Subspace Army to produce Shadow Bugs to create their minions. However, he is not malevolent whatsoever.	Battleship Halberd Bridge
R.O.B.	Robotic Operating Buddy	This R.O.B. is the leader of the R.O.B. series who is forced to work for the Subspace Army as the Ancient Minister. When he finally refuses, Ganondorf takes control of them to make them turn on him.	The Subspace Bomb Factory (Part II)
Miscellaneous: The Subspace Army
Ancient Minister	Super Smash Bros.	The Ancient Minister is a major antagonist throughout the game and the titular Subspace Emissary, responsible for the deployment of the various Subspace Bombs that consume the World of Trophies, as well as the R.O.B. series robots that activate them. It is eventually revealed that he is being forced to work for the Subspace Army against his will, and Ganondorf takes control of the R.O.B. units from him. After he is attacked, it is revealed he is the main R.O.B. himself.	Midair Stadium (cutscene)
Master Hand	Super Smash Bros.	Master Hand is the seeming leader of the Subspace Army who briefs Ganondorf. He is actually under the control of Tabuu. The strings binding him are broken by the defeated Ganondorf crashing into him, but his own attempt at defeating Tabuu fails.	The Cave (cutscene)
Tabuu	Super Smash Bros.	Tabuu is the true mastermind of the Subspace Army. Tabuu plans on making the entire world be consumed by the Subspace dimension. He uses his Off Waves attack to turn anyone who opposes him into a trophy instantly. Once he is defeated, all the Subspace that consumed the world collapses on itself, restoring the world to normal.	Entrance to Subspace (cutscene)
Fighters: Post-game
Jigglypuff	Pokémon	Jigglypuff is a playful balloon Pokémon who is found rolling around on Pokémon Stadium 2.	The Swamp
Toon Link	The Legend of Zelda	Toon Link is a stylized, pint-sized version of Link who is found sailing on the Pirate Ship.	The Forest