Eddie, the shadow of the former head of the Assassin's Guild - Zato-1 - is an archetype-defining puppet character with a myriad of overwhelming offensive pressure. Eddie has unblockables, pressure for days, flight, and plenty of dual attacking options to deal with opponent's defensive options. Letting Eddie get the initiative is suicide and all of the pressure is placed on the opponent once Eddie gets in and runs his game.
On the flip side, Eddie is horribly weak defensively. When his shadow gauge is emptied, he must often run away, or contend with his overall subpar normals. He has the worst guts in the game with a bad defense modifier, a poor backdash, slower buttons, and no meterless reversal. His Dead Angle is barely passable and his reversal super is downright awful. Eddie is a character who wants to get in and stay on the absolute offensive, giving the opponent zero chance to breathe.
Eddie Eddie is an archetype-defining puppet character with a myriad of overwhelming offensive pressure.
- Best Mix-Up and Blockstring pressure in the cast: Suffocating offensive game with pressure and strong mix-up, that can be looped again with Exhaustion
- Excellent Setplay that loops into itself: Best Okizeme in the game with many reversal safe setups
- One of the best Anti-Air games in the cast:With 2H, 6P, j.D, and Nobiru to cover each other, the air is an extremely dangerous zone to be in against Eddie.
- Has a lot of checkmate scenarios: Practical unblockables with meter.
- High reward for everything he does: Decent damage both out of hits and his command throw and good meter build.
- Very unique and unorthodox:A lot of unique options such as flight, a unique controllable airdash, Drunkard shade, and Break The Law, that makes unprepared players easy prey.
- With shadow out, he always has a presence wherever he is: Long Range Lows and Anti Airs, Good mid-range pokes and high reward when up close, Eddie doesn't really have a position he doesn't want to be in with shadow.
- The worst defensive tool-kit in the game: Below average health and defense stats. Few (and bad) reversal options, including Dead Angle.
- Very poor mobility: Has a really slow walk and dash speed, and his flight can be more detrimental than having a double jump would be in some scenarios
- Has one of the highest skill floors in the game: Demands high execution and extensive labbing time to use effectively, neutral game requires a lot of knowledge and being able to fully control both characters
- Extremely easy to combo: Large, easy to hit hurtbox
- Very poor abare and prone to be counter hitted: Slow buttons with overall poor hurtboxes
- Needs to have shadow out to have a real presence: Without Shadow ready, Eddie is sorely limited
Unique Mechanics
The Eddie Gauge
- The shadow, Little Eddie, can only be used while the gauge is not depleted. Every shadow attack will drain some of this bar.
Controlling Little Eddie with Negative Edge
- Little Eddie, attacks only when corresponding buttons are released, not pressed.
With proper meter management and execution, Eddie is capable of attacking alongside the shadow for devastating simultaneous attacks. This gives Eddie his extensive offensive pressure game and allows tandem attacks to prevent escapes and multiple mixup opportunities per blockstring, with varying levels of punishment depending on how much meter is left. He can also spend 25% meter to extend his gauge further, and exclusive to +R, he can also perform a "Weiss" (or depending on who you ask, "Vice") summon, which gives the shadow a moveset closer to Eddie's XX and #R iteration, which also builds guard bar on block.
If it is emptied however, Eddie loses access to this shadow for several seconds, and cannot summon, leaving him susceptible to being stuck in a very bad defensive position. Proper control of this gauge is key.