Shulk

Shulk (シュルク Shuruku) is the main protagonist of Xenoblade Chronicles. Originally a scientist from Colony 9 on the Bionis, Shulk's colony is attacked by Mechon, leading to him setting off on a quest to stop the Mechon once and for all. He wields the Monado, an ancient sword that gives him various special abilities, including being able to see visions of the future.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Shulk appears as a new playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U. He was officially confirmed on August 29th, 2014, during a Nintendo 3DS Direct. His English voice actor in this game is Adam Howden and in Japanese it is Shintarō Asanuma, both reprising their roles from Xenoblade Chronicles.

Shulk's moveset revolves around the Monado, which has a beam of light that extends from the center of the blade and gives his attacks added range. Although his overall stats are mostly average, Shulk can also use neutral special, Monado Arts to alter his abilities, giving him specific advantages and disadvantages. His other special moves include Back Slash, a leaping slash that deals extra damage if it hits an enemy's rear, Air Slash, which lets Shulk rise into the air as he slashes upward, and Vision, a counter that negates all damage and deals increased damage in return. His Final Smash is Chain Attack, where he calls on Riki and Dunban to help attack opponents that he has trapped.

Six of Shulk's seven alternate costumes are based upon the other six party members of Xenoblade Chronicles, while his seventh is Shulk's appearance when not equipped with any armor.

Super Mario Maker
Shulk is one of the Mystery Mushroom costumes that can be unlocked in Super Mario Maker, either by using the Shulk amiibo or as a random unlock by completing the 100 Mario Challenge. Pressing up on the d-pad causes Shulk to pose with the Monado, and the "course clear" fanfare is replaced with the fanfare that plays when finding a secret area in Xenoblade Chronicles. Shulk is unique in that his voice voice clips are all from the Japanese release of Xenoblade Chronicles regardless of region.

Trophies
Blue indicates exclusive to the Wii U version.

Palutena's Guidance

 * Pit: I don't think I've seen that guy around.
 * Palutena: That's Shulk. He's 18 years old and clocks in at 5 feet 6 inches.
 * Pit: That's a pretty fancy sword he's got.
 * Palutena: That's the Monado, the sword that defeated the Mechonis.
 * Pit: Makes us look like a buncha jokers.
 * Palutena: The Monado can change Shulk's strengths and weaknesses. For example, it might increase his jumping ability while decreasing his defense.
 * Pit: So for every strength he gains, he also gains a weakness.
 * Palutena: Yes, and Shulk can KO opponents easier when they've sustained more damage. But if you know his weakness, he's not too difficult to deal with.
 * Pit: Let's not lose our heads, though!

Trivia

 * Months before Shulk's official reveal, his English voice actor, Adam Howden, stated on Twitter that he was doing voiceover work for a game, but couldn't reveal what it was at the time.
 * Metal Face, the stage boss of Gaur Plain, will utter special quotes if Shulk is among the fighters.