Nightmare Fuel / Smash King

"I shall linger...until your life...is flashed."

• Matrix manipulation. As the matrix of a trophy is essentially what keeps them alive, having it tampered with is nothing short of a cruel, painful death. Though lessened by the fact that Fox returns in Brawl after dying in Melee, the return of Mewtwo and Dr. Mario in the Fourth World and the return of Pichu in 2Decades, the fact that it could be so easily exploited in the past is unnerving.
  • Think that's bad enough? This also happened to Bowser's best friend Pichu in Melee, who was practically a child. Ganondorf murdered a child so he could manipulate Bowser.
• Bowser when Ganondorf hijacks his mind. He becomes Giga Bowser, and proceeds to try and devour his friends and allies. And nothing is able to stop him.
• Pretty much every major antagonist qualifies.
  • Link: while in the World of Melee he was a nice guy, the pressure of being the "Hero of Time" destined to defeat Ganondorf (and subsequently being defeated by Ganon) eventually drove him Ax-Crazy. Now he is one of Ganon's dragons, having gone a bit insane from being a villain. And that's not even covering his Ascent Mode...
    • Dark Link. When Link activates his Ascent Mode, he transforms into a form that perfectly reflects his inner madness. All of his abilities are amplified as a result, to the point where he can physically damage trophies and draw blood. Since Link is one of the two known trophies who can do this, this arguably makes him more dangerous than Ganon, and is only held back by his loyalty to him.
  • Ganondorf: as one would expect, he retains all of his abilities (including his One-Winged Angel form in Ganon) and personality traits from the Zelda series. In addition, he has the power to destroy a trophy's matrix, making him more threatening than ever before.
  • Ridley: Though little is known about him, what is known about Ridley is that he is one sadistic Smasher, reveling in watching his enemies suffer. Ganondorf also infused him with DNA from Bowser, Lucario and Link, meaning he inherits Bowser's strength and durability, Lucario's ability to deal more damage with the more pain he receives and Link's ability to dismantle and rip trophies apart. These abilities make him an almost unstoppable force to be reckoned with. And to think that's only Meta Ridley: his offshoot counterparts, dubbed "Zero Ridleys," are just as dangerous.
    • What's worse? With Ganondorf's help, Ridley conquers New Pork City. These two conquered what is essentially the heart of the World of Brawl, and use it as leverage to ward off Samus and her crew, as well as the BS Society. And it was all made possible because Samus had to infuse Bowser with the Creator's power.
    • As if all the above weren't bad enough, it gets even worse. Ridley is a member of the Tetra Cardinals, a group of boss trophies with powers and abilities that rival—perhaps even exceed—that of the Creator's Triune. As far as we know, Ridley was the only one sealed away until his resurrection. Who knows if the other Tetra Cardinals have also undergone a similar experience?
• Episode 19 finally gives Ridley some action, and what's the first thing he does? Swallow Samus whole. This one act not only demonstrates Ridley's cruelty, but also sets a tone for the remainder of the series that, yes, Anyone Can Die.
• Midna possessing Sheik's body. While Mewtwo did take control of Lucario for a greater good, Midna's intentions are nothing short of malicious.
• Though the Halloween special is mainly a lighthearted filler episode, some of Bowser's Halloween decorations are pretty creepy. Especially the Koopa animatronic with a Jigglypuff for its head.
• Episode 21 gives us Zero Ridley's first battle in the Emeraudefest Battle Royal, completely establishing dominance by completely overwhelming Link, even when he activates his ascent mode, instilling fear among many of the remaining participants. The Aftermath of this battle is set to Mephiles' Whisper as he speaks with Sky King Rayquaza, telling the audience the Tetracardinals are trophies not to be messed with.