Tabuu

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

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Tabuu in his standard form.

Tabuu is the final boss in the Subspace Emissary mode of Super Smash Bros. Brawl and resembles a human, however appears transparent and has a strange object inside of him. He was born in a very foreign area and is the creator and ruler of the land of Subspace and its' army. A demonic spirit seeking for pure power and control, Tabuu is the true villain behind all the events that took place in the Subspace Emissary plot.

Biography

Tabuu resided in the Subspace dimension, a dimension of his own creation where he controlled every aspect of it. Not content with simply ruling the Subspace dimension, Tabuu began searching for ripe new worlds to conquer so that he may extend his own. It is unknown how many other worlds were attacked by Tabuu, but he eventually set his sights on the Smash World. Tabuu made plans to take control of the entire world and combine it with Subspace to create a world of his own with him controlling the heroes and their battles. Tabuu kept careful watch over the Smash World and all the fighters so that he would know what to expect and accurately make his plans.

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Tabuu, the real leader of Subspace.

Seeing Master Hand as the creator and controller of the world, he decides to use him and his high status of repsect and authority as his pawn and slave. Before doing so, Tabuu realized that his plans required technology, which would only be found on the Island of the Ancients. The Ancients were created to become the rulers of the world and resided in a paradise on the island. Tabuu attacked the floating island of the ancients, destroying their paradise and murdering all but one ancient minister. The minister and the R.O.B.s were forced to surrender their island and free will to Tabuu. Tabuu enslaved the R.O.Bs, including the ancient minister.

Tabuu took complete control of the island and converted it into a base of operations. The R.O.B.s were forced to become slaves under the threat of annihilation and became bitter at the world. Tabuu made use of the R.O.B.s technologically advanced capabilities and forced them to create weapons of mass destruction. Tabuu's main goal however was to seize complete control over the entire Smash World and use it for his own means. The floating island then became the site for the construction of a base of operations and bomb factory. The base would become the place where the villain’s affairs were directed from while the bomb factory would be where hundreds of subspace bombs were manufactured. Tabuu had infused the bombs with Subspace so that the dimension would appear when they are detonated. The Subspace Bomb was designed to pull an area of the Smash World into Subspace so Tabuu may use it to build up his Great Maze and increase his own power. Along with the Subspace bomb, the Subspace Cannon was also created in the factory. These devices were made to turn others into trophies.

Eventually, Tabuu learned that Mr. Game and Watch was comprised of shadow bugs and captured him to harness this power for his own nefarious desires. Taking control of Game and Watch, Tabuu used the shadow bugs to form the subspace army, made up of odd and frightening creatures never before seen. Mr. Game and Watch was cloned to make four more copies of him. They all served Tabuu and since they had no concpet of good and evil, were unaware of the effect they had on the fate of the Smash World. Tabuu could not leave the subspace dimension and so had to find another to lead the army from the outside. He somehow defeated the Master Hand and with strings of light managed to control the godly being as a literal puppet. He would be used to direct others to control the army while he remains in subspace taking commands from Tabuu.

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Tabuu controlling Master Hand rather torturously.

Through the guise of Master Hand, Tabuu gained servants in the form of Ganondorf, Bowser, Wario, and several other Nintendo villains and used them to attack the Smash World and perform his will. The villains all served Master Hand out of respect, a thirst for power, and a taste of revenge against their respective enemies. However it is mentioned that Ganondorf was planning on usurping power from Master Hand the whole time. While Ganondorf was feigning loyalty and the trio didn't seem to particularly get along, they formed a deadly and effective team, completing most of the tasks given to them.

Tabuu gave the three villains subspace cannons and planned to have them capture all the heroes that might serve as a problem for his plans so that he may control their powers and battles when the Smash World is conquered and combined with Subspace. Tabuu preyed upon the depression of theAncient Minister and blackmailed him by holding his people hostage to lead the Subspace Army and be the dispatcher of the subspace bombs. The Ancient Minister agreed, half because he was angry and bitter at the world and half because he was threatened. The Minister then donned himself a pair of robs to hide his shame and depression.

Tabuu had Pikachu captured and placed in a torture device in order to harness his electrical energy to power the base. At the possible suggestion of Ridley, the main villain in the Metroid series, the army also stole Samus's suit and used it in cloning experiments at the base to not only expand the army, but also destroy a possible enemy to the army. Ridley was left at the base to destroy Samus in the event she comes for her suit, which is what Ridley was hoping for. The army was also able to rebuild Meta Ridley who also served for Tabuu's plans. With his people held hostage, the Ancient Minister was forced to plant Subspace Bombs across the Smash World which would cost the lives of two R.O.B.s, a sacrifice required to set the bomb off. He was also being used as a scapegoat to distract the heroes from Tabuu and the rest of the villain's true plans.

Tabuu next set his sights on a means of transportation for the army. He then decided to take the Halberd and use it to transport the army. Leading the invasion, The Ancient Minister attacked the Smash World and took over the Halberd from Meta Knight and rigged it with subspace bugs. In the insuring chaos, King Dedede engaged Meta Knight, distracting him from his stolen ship. It is here where the king learns of Tabuu's special attack that could turn all fighters into trophies (this was all shown in a deleted scene).Knowing that the world would be destroyed if all fighters were turned into trophies, he developed special brooches to turn fighters back into their original states after a specific amount of time. Once he found out that Bowser and Wario were minions of the subspace army and collecting trophies, Dedede decided to start his own collection to use as a failsafe against Tabuu should the worst happen.

Left in the control of numerous Mr. Game and Watches, the Halberd would turn the skies it traveled bloodshot and would be used as the forefront of the invasion force. Ganondorf was left to lead the operations in the floating island base and bomb factory, gave orders to Bowser and Wario, and took orders from Master Hand and ultimately Tabuu. Bowser and Wario were given Dark Cannons to capture the heroes so that their power may become Tabuus'. Construction had also begun on the subspace Gunship, a flying fortress rigged with a giant Dark Cannon capable of trapping entire areas in Subspace. The plans of the ship were outlined using R.O.B. technology, but was under construction by the subspace army in Subspace. This was known as the ultimate weapon of the army and it was Tabuu's main goal to transport it to the Smash World. Once it is completed, Tabuu needed for a humongous portal to be opened in order to transport the vessel from Subspace and into the Smash World. Mass production had begun on many, but Tabuu wanted to test one out to make sure they were all ready. When they are all completed, they would go through all the portals opened by the subspace bombs and conquer the remaining pieces of the land.

The Smash World Invasion

The invasion started at the Midair stadium where Mario and Kirby were fighting with Peach and Zelda watching along with many fans. The Halberd appeared after their battle, turning the sky blood red and unleashed the shadow bugs, which combined to form the army. After Mario and crew defeated them all, the Ancient Minister dispatched a subspace bomb, Mario is shot into the sky, and Petey Piranha put Peach and Zelda into cages. Though Kirby destroyed Petey and released the princesses, Wario appeared under orders to capture them. Wario turned one of the princesses into a trophy and escaped as the stadium was sucked into subspace, making it the first location to be destroyed.

The subspace army continued to spread across the world as more and more areas fell victim to the subspace. Bowser in the meantime was given orders to embark on a scheme to capture the Kongs. Armed with a cannon, Bowser ordered his army to take over the jungle and steal Donkey Kong's banana hold in order to draw the Kongs out. The plan worked well and Donkey Kong was turned into a trophy and captured. Bowser had DK chained to a subspace transport vehicle to be taken to the base. Bowser attempted to do the same to Diddy Kong and Star Fox, even employing a clone of himself to aid, but they both managed to escape.

Bowser continued to perform Ganondorf's will and captured either Peach or Zelda, turned her into a trophy, and even made an evil clone of her to aid the army. Wario in the meantime captured Ness in a ruined zoo, one of the many areas devastated by the subspace army, with the help of Porky. Eventually though, Wario lost two of his trophies to King Dedede. Tabuu ordered Ganondorf to track down the stolen trophies and throw the location that they are found in into subspace. Ganondorf and Bowser did as they were told, turned King Dedede into a trophy, recaptured the princess's trophy, and threw King Dedede's castle into subspace. The princess was taken to the Halberd where she was locked up in a cage along with the other princess to be cloned.

The army continued their plans and threw numerous other locations into subspace, even forming tanks to self-destruct to form subspace and throw the heroes off guard. As the story progressed, the Ancient Minister felt increasingly bad about what was happening as more and more of his friends were being killed for Tabuu's warped ambitions. Knowing what fate awaited him and the remainder of his people if they refused to cooperate, the minister had no choice but to serve those who ruined his life. While many complications rose in Tabuu's plans with King Debede interfering along with the heroes, his main objective was going exactly as planned. The construction of the Gunship was almost complete and Tabuu's success seemed assured at its' completion.

The heroes however were quickly showing their true potential and skills as Wario was defeated and turned into a trophy, Samus regained her suit and defeated Ridley, the Halberd was regained control of, Game and Watch converted sides, and all those who had be turned into trophies were returned to their original states with the exception of Wario, Luigi, Ness, and King Dedede. The villains saw all this as a minor annoyance as much of the world was already under their control and once the Gunship was prepared, the world would be at their mercy. Once the Gunship was prepared, Tabuu in the guise of Master Hand ordered Ganondorf to command all the remaining R.O.B.s to detonate all the subspace bombs and blow up the island in order to form a big enough portal for the Gunship to travel through.

As Donkey Kong, Diddy, Samus, and others confronted the Ancient Minister, Ganondorf appeared as a hologram. He ordered for the R.O.B.s to detonate all the remaining bombs. The Minister, realizing he has nothing left to lose, attempted to stop them. They seemed willing to listen at first, but Ganondorf used a control to override their programs and follow his orders. The robots then started detonating the bombs, but the minister continued to fight them off. Ganondorf then ordered for them to attack him, which they did and set him on fire. All the bombs were set into motion as Ganondorf became drunk on laughter. He ordered for the army to destroy the heroes, but the minister is revealed to be another R.O.B. and fought off the robots. He joined the heroes and escaped from the island as it was destroyed and sent into subspace, destroying Meta Ridley in the process. This created a humongous portal, which all the heroes saw as they finally all joined together to form one big team.

The Gunship entered into the Smash World through the newly formed portal and immediately fired the cannon and sent an area into subspace. Ganondorf and Bowser were controlling the vessel and were pleased that the Gunship functioned properly. Just as they prepared to send more areas into subspace, Ganondorf spotted the Halberd. Realizing that the heroes have taken it back from them, Ganondorf ordered the Gunship to destroy it. The Gunship continously fired at the Halberd until it finally exploded. The heroes were able to survive however and charged at the Gunship. The heroes dodged the Gunship's attacks as Kirby flew his vehicle straight through the ship's cannon. The explosion at the cannon base started a chain reaction that destroyed the whole ship. Ganondorf and Bowser were angered, but calmly walked back into Subspace, escaping the heroes once more. All the heroes followed them and prepared for the final showdown in the dimension that started it all, Subspace.

Final Showdown and Destruction

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Tabuu using his Off Waves.

Suffering a humiliating defeat, Ganondorf and Bowser enter Subspace to seek out the Master Hand whom they have been trying to please. In an attempt to steal all of Master Hand's praise and mercy, Ganondorf betrays Bowser and turns him into a trophy before approaching the Master Hand and bowing before him. Tabuu then reveals himself and the Chains of Light he had been using to control the Master Hand. Ganondorf, enraged, tries to free Master Hand and defeat Tabuu. Tabuu easily overwhelms Ganondorf and turns him into a trophy with a single attack and Ganondorf falls back on Master Hand and severs Tabuu's strings of light thus freeing Master Hand. Master Hand, in a weakend state, then attempts to attack Tabuu. However, Tabuu reflected his attack and Master Hand flew back and hit the ground. As Master Hand is not a trophy he simply layed there, mangled and most likely dead.

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Tabuu and his chains of light.

The heroes arrive and they turn to see Tabuu who spreads his etheral wings and releases a pulse of energy which instantly returns every fighter to their trophy form. Tabuu then uses the energy of all the lands sent to Subspace to create his own world known as The Great Maze. Luigi, King Dedede and Ness soon arrive in Subspace and, along with Kirby who is revived by one of Dedede's badges, return all the heroes back to life. Luigi, Ness, and the King then collect all the other trophies spread out by Tabuu and return them back to life. The characters, heroes and villains, are forced to travel through Tabuu's maze in order to reach him for a rematch. As they traveled, they learned that Tabuu has ressureccted all the previous monsters fought and even created dark clones of the heroes and villains alike in order to slow their porgress. They manage to destroy them all and make their way into Tabuu's residence for the final showdown.

As they all arrive Tabuu once again spreads his wings and is ready to attack the heroes when Sonic the Hedgehog appears from seemingly nowhere and attacks Tabuu, shattering his wings. All the characters, now including Sonic the Hedgehog, face Tabuu for the Final Battle. Tabuu proves to be no match for the collective might of all the fighters and is destroyed. He screams a painful shriek as his grip on the worlds taken into subspace is lost and are returned to the Smash World along with all the characters. Tabuu, Subspace, and its army are sealed off from existence forever, ending Tabuu's plans and threat. Heroes and villains as allies now watch the setting sun, reveling in their accomplishment as the Tabuu cast on their world is corrected.

Powers and Abilities

Off Waves - During this attack, Tabuu appears in the background and opens up his wings which proceeds to release three red shock waves which can KO a character with 1 hit. To avoid the shock waves, a character must either roll or dodge with accurate timing. If playing as Pokémon Trainer, or Zelda/Sheik using Down B the instant Tabuu extends his wings also works. You can Perfect Shield, which is much harder to pull off. If present use a metal box (because the metal box will help resist this attack , in which the character is slighty pushed).

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Side Spear.

Dragon Laser - Tabuu appears on a side of the stage and takes out a gun in the shape of a dragon's head which fires a powerful laser dodgeable only by jumping up.

Side Spear - Tabuu transforms into a wide spear and attacks sideways with one swipe.

Chain of Light - Tabuu takes out a yellow chain and grabs the character, before swinging the character around and slamming him/her onto the ground for high knockback. This move is also the move Tabuu used on Master Hand.

Dual Eye Lasers - Tabuu transforms into a giant version of himself and appears on either side of the stage before unleashing dual red lasers from his eyes. They mostly work the same way as Master Hand's lasers, including leaving their user vulerable to attacks, but Tabuu's lasers are more powerful and only take effect at point of contact with the stage. Avoided by running to the edge of the stage where Tabuu is at and standing there. Easily achieved by sidestepping to the edge until you're at the limit and attacking upwards or waiting.

Energy Blade - Tabuu appears mid-air on one side of the map and attacks the stage with a curved swipe with a red energy sword. Avoided by jumping.

Teleport - Tabuu teleports around the area and appears at a set spawn which is randomly decided from the large amount of spawns available. He also sometimes teleports behind the character and attacks with one of the available attacks.

Teleport Explosion - Tabuu teleports around, leaving a red explosion every where he teleports.

Electrical Shield - Tabuu teleports to a random area and uses the object inside him to circle around and attack.

Rapid Claw - Tabuu teleports behind the character and rapidly slashes the area near the character. The attack has less range than the visible shockwaves would indicate.

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The Golden Brackets.

Golden Bracket - Tabuu transforms into two brackets and flies across the stage, grabbing the character if not dodged and slamming him/her onto the stage.

Pinpoint Explosion - Tabuu points at five locations which will blink. Those locations will explode after a second. Avoided by staying away from the red spots before they explode.

Bullet Rain - Tabuu appears in a random area in the air and fires a series of small bullets. Tabuu fires a large explosion after his Bullet Rain. Avoided by staying behind him.

Shuriken Boomerang - Tabuu appears on one side of the stage and throws a round boomerang which crosses the stage twice before he catches it. Avoided by jumping and using Up-B (depending on character) to avoid the second swing.

Self Projection - Tabuu pauses in midair and sends out copies of himself in all directions. Characters will take damage if they make contact with a projection.

Character Depiction

While his presence is not known until the end of the game, Tabuu's actions were responsible for all the chaos sweeping in the Smash World. While next to nothing is known about his past, Tabuu is shown to be an infinite and demonic spirit who cares for nothing but power. Hiding within the dark realms of Subspace, Tabuu manipulated numerous villains in his pursuit of power. Master Hand, Ganondorf, Bowser, Wario, Game and Watch, and Ancient Minister are just some examples of the beings he has manipulated through various means for his goals. Tabuu however has no concern or regard for them in the slightest, only using them until their usefulness has run its course. Ganondorf and Master Hand, who may have even been killed, were both dispatched when their use was over.

Seeing the world as pathetic and unacceptable by his standards, Tabuu plans to merge it with his own dimension to create a brand new world under his complete control. As previously mentioned, Tabuu has manipulated others for his goals and will even resort to mass murder, as evident with the Ancient Ministers, to insure his own benefit and success. He is also shown to manipulate the depression of others to control the beings themselves. The Ancient Minister is a perfect example of such a manipulation, having many of his friends and family murdered by Tabuu and the rest held hostage to be used as collateral to insure the minister will cooperate. This hints that Tabuu has no true emotions, sees them as weaknesses, and will use it against his victims.

Tabuu has shown to be extremely intelligent, making complicated plans and able to manipulate others while never making his presence known until the appropriate moment. He seems to also be very technologically advanced, having created doomsday devices such as the Subspace Gunship, bomb, and cannon as well as creating a bomb factory and base. His trophy also states that he is a master of operations and has great leadership skills, shown by the mass amounts of villains he was able to rally for his cause. Other than what is shown in the story and in the trophy information, Tabuu is a complete mystery. His past is shrouded in darkness and his very species, other than a spirit of sorts, is unknown as well.

Trophy Information

Tabuu

The ruler of Subspace and master of operations. Tabuu controls Master Hand with chains of light to excise this world and build up his great maze. He used Shadow Bugs to form Subspace and manipulates the servants of Master Hand to his heart's content. Born in a vastly foreign realm, he also possesses great leadership powers. Tabuu... No name is more suitable.

Tabuu (Wings)

Tabuu with wings extended. The dreadful energy surges cast from these wings instantly turn all fighters back into trophies. Knowing this, King Dedede assembles all able-bodied troops and sets a timed device on each of them. This device is a brooch that, after the designated time runs out, revives all fighters wiped out by Tabuu.

Trivia

• Tabuu has strangley similar attacks to a Kirby series enemy Marx.