Main
- This article refers to a main character in terms of a player. It does not refer to the main character of a game (i.e. protagonist).
A player'smain character, usually shortened tomain, is thecharacter a person uses the most often, or is the only character they play competitively. For instance,Ken's main inSuper Smash Bros. Melee isMarth. "Main" also can be used as a verb, e.g., "IsaimainsCaptain Falcon andSheik". In contrast,secondary characters are used less often or in specific situations.
It is possible for a player to use more than one main character. Instead of having secondaries, some players use characters equivalently in conjunction with each other. In tournaments, multiple mains are more common with lowtier mainers as they usually require more than one character in order to face difficultmatchups. Players maining a single character solo main them, and players maining two characters dual main them.
One may also main different characters in different games, like howZeRo mainsFox inMelee,Meta Knight inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, andDiddy Kong inSuper Smash Bros. 4. This is common, as the way characters play and their competitive viability can vary significantly across games.
The sub-termcharacter loyalist orcharacter specialist refers to someone who mains specific characters throughout differentSmash games with a degree of devotion, regardless of viability. Notable examples includeHungrybox andLarry Lurr who respectively useJigglypuff andFox/Falco in every game. Many times, a loyalist may not play aSmash game for the sole reason of their main beingnerfed, unviable, or being absent entirely from a particular title in the series. Some players argue in favor of maining different characters in eachSmash game, believing that character and gameplay alterations in oneSmash title can carry over into a smasher's playstyle in another, negatively affecting their performance with the character in tournament.
The opposing terminology would be arandom character main, as in someone who mains no one and uses the entire cast, though this is predominantly a non-competitive ideology. On the other hand, someone who can play the majority of the cast and can demonstrate competent tournament play with versatility; (such asRyo), could play a random character in a serious setting even when they have a main (Ike in Ryo's case). Some jokingly say "maining the random button" when talking of such players.
The term was used officially in the E3 presentation forUltimate, whenMasahiro Sakurai's translator said of the removal of thePokémon Trainer'sstamina mechanic, "Feel free to choose a main."
