Shulk

"This is the Monado's power!"

- Shulk

Shulk (シュルク Shuruku) is the main protagonist of Xenoblade Chronicles. Originally an engineer from Colony 9 on the Bionis, Shulk's colony is attacked by the 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 29, 2014, during a Japanese Nintendo 3DS Direct that also revealed the New Nintendo 3DS port of his original game, Xenoblade Chronicles 3D. His English voice actor in this game is and in Japanese it is, both reprising their roles from Xenoblade Chronicles.

Shulk's moveset revolves around the Monado, which splits open to reveal a beam of light that gives his attacks added range, while the blade deals greater damage. Although his overall stats are mostly average, Shulk can use his neutral special, the 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 from behind; 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 his friends 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 on Expert Mode. 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!

amiibo

 * A handsome young man and a budding scientist, Shulk is the main protagonist in the Xenoblade Chronicles game. After his home colony is attacked by the Mechon, he and his friends set off to take them down. Shulk wields the Monado, a legendary blade imbued with a curious power that allows it to effortlessly slice through Mechon armor.

Trivia

 * Months before Shulk's official reveal as a playable character for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U, his English voice actor, Adam Howden, stated on Twitter that he was doing voice-over work for a game, but could not reveal what it was at the time.
 * Metal Face, the stage boss of Gaur Plain, utters special quotes if Shulk is among the fighters.