False Character
This article's title is conjectural for a part of its content. If an official name is found for the currently unnamed portion of content, it may need to be split into a new article.
A False Character is an enemy in the video game Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It is a doppelgänger copied from a fallen character's trophy. False Characters are formed when Shadow Bugs "consume" a fallen character's trophy. They are differentiated from the originals by a dark purple skin and clothing tone, yellow eyes, and an aura of darkness.
False Characters in the Subspace Emissary
False Bowser
- Not to be confused with Fake Bowser.
False Bowser is the Shadow Bug version of Bowser. False Bowser makes its first appearance without warning at The Lake almost seemingly at random. After Fox McCloud and Diddy Kong defeat it, it dissolves. It is seen several more times throughout the game.
False Peach
False Peach is the Shadow Bug version of Peach. After the Shadow Bugs cover Peach's trophy, they create False Peach if the player saves Peach in the beginning of the game when fighting Petey Piranha. While Mario and Pit are running, False Peach attempts to shoot them. However, right before it is able to, Link destroys the Dark Cannon. False Peach angrily looks at Link and his partner Yoshi, and they fight. Link and Yoshi win the battle, and after that, the fake trophy turns into shadow bugs. Mario saw this, however, and thinking Link is the enemy because he attacked Peach, Mario tries to attack Link. Link quickly moves out of the way. Upon defeating Mario and Pit, Link sees Zelda's trophy being taken away by King Dedede.
Later on in the story, Peach and Zelda's trophies are taken aboard the Halberd locked up in cages. When Solid Snake, Meta Knight, and Lucario enter the room where their trophies are, Shadow Bugs come in and create False Peach and False Zelda. The three battle and soon the true princesses are released from their cages.
False Zelda
False Zelda is the Shadow Bug version of Zelda. Its role is identical to that of False Peach. However, False Zelda can only be seen in the story mode by saving Zelda from Petey Piranha. It tries to shoot Link and Yoshi in place of Mario and Pit. Also, Mario and Pit fight False Zelda instead of Link and Yoshi fighting False Peach. Like Zelda, Peach's trophy is taken on the Halberd, and Snake, Meta Knight, and Lucario also fight False Zelda as well as False Peach.
False Diddy Kong
False Diddy Kong is the Shadow Bug version of Diddy Kong. When Fox and Diddy walk by The Swamp, they are ambushed by Bowser, and Diddy is shot by Bowser with the Dark Cannon, turning Diddy into a trophy. Bowser then orders Shadow Bugs to "consume" Diddy's trophy. Once this happens, False Diddy is made. Falco then flies down in an Arwing. Falco swoops out of the Arwing and destroys Bowser's Dark Cannon. Bowser leaves, and the group looks back at the False Diddy, which is gathering more Shadow Bugs. False Diddy then grows to an enormous size. Fox touches Diddy's trophy, bringing him back to life, and the three defeat False Diddy. Once defeated, False Diddy's trophy disintegrates into the original Shadow Bugs.
False Samus
False Samus is the Shadow Bug version of Samus Aran. During the cutscene of Research Facility Part 2, Zero Suit Samus and Pikachu go to a room with Samus's Power Suit in a glass container. Before Samus can get her Power Suit, two False Samuses start walking towards the duo. The two prepare to fight, and so do the False Samuses. This leads to a battle against the False Samuses. After the False Samuses are defeated, they are no longer seen in the Subspace Emissary.
False Mr. Game & Watches
The False Mr. Game & Watches are the Shadow Bug versions of Mr. Game & Watch. They are different from most false characters in that they don't emit any kind of dark aura from their bodies, despite the fact that they're created from Shadow Bugs. During a cutscene for the Battleship Halberd Bridge, Meta Knight, Lucario, and Solid Snake spot them controlling the Halberd and send them flying onto the bridge. Upon landing on the bridge, the False Mr. Game & Watches change into Shadow Bugs, which then become Duon. During that time, Fox, Peach, Zelda, Lucario, Solid Snake, and Falco take out the menace.
Upon defeating Duon, the Shadow Bugs retreat, leaving behind the real Mr. Game & Watch. Players never fight against the False Mr. Game & Watches, since they are exclusive to the cutscenes.
In The Great Maze
The Great Maze is populated by dark clones of the fighters. There are clones for almost every character in the game. They must all be defeated, along with every one of the Subspace Emissary's bosses, in order to unlock the door leading to Tabuu.
The following characters do not have clones in the Great Maze:
- Zero Suit Samus (as Samus has regained her Power Suit)
- Squirtle
- Ivysaur
- Sheik
- Sonic (appears only for the final boss battle)
- Wolf (found after completion of the game)
- Jigglypuff (found after completion of the game)
- Toon Link (found after completion of the game)
These False Characters were created by Tabuu and the Subspace Army based on "detailed analysis" of the fighters and their past battles; these copies were placed in the Great Maze to guard Tabuu's creation. They are visually different from other False Characters, being more of a shadowy palette swap of their counterpart with a greenish sheen. These characters are also slightly larger than their original counterparts.[1]
