| Pit | |
|---|---|
 The original Pit artwork |
|
| Game series | Kid Icarus |
| First game | Kid Icarus (1986) |
| Voiced by (English) | Alessandro Juliani (TV) |
| Voiced by (Japanese) | Minami Takayama (Games)[1] (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) |
Pit (ピット Pitto?) is a video game character and protagonist from Nintendo's Kid Icarus series. He is Palutena's most loyal servant, the captain of her army and the leader of her royal bodyguard.
Contents |
Appearances
Kid Icarus series
In Kid Icarus, Pit began as a young angel trapped in the underworld. He had been tasked by Palutena, the imprisoned Goddess of Light, to defeat Medusa, the Goddess of Darkness. Already wielding the Three Sacred Treasures (the Pegasus Wings, Mirror Shield, and Light Arrows), Medusa commanded an army of terrible power, which threatened Angel Land and Palutena's Palace in the Sky. Gifted with a magical bow, Pit set out to reclaim the Three Sacred Treasures and restore peace. In Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, Pit is charged with training for the defense of Angel Land against an invasion of demons led by the evil Orcos. His training also involves uniting the Three Sacred Treasures, but due to a dire emergency Palutena entrusted them to the fortress guardians. Thus, in order to prevent Orcos's campaign, Pit goes forth in pursuit of Three Sacred Treasures.
Captain N: The Game Master
Pit is one of the main characters in the cartoon Captain N: The Game Master, and was voiced by Alessandro Juliani. In the series he is a member of the N-Team, a group that mostly comprises video game characters. Collectively they defend Videoland against the might of various villains such as the Mother Brain and the Eggplant Wizard. Similar to the Kid Icarus games, Pit is armed with a magical bow, yet is provided with the use of a quiver of special arrows that each possess unique properties (à la Green Arrow). He was also constantly airborne, something that could only occur ingame if he were in possession of the Wings of Pegasus. In the cartoon the character does not go by the name of Pit; he is instead referred to as "Kid Icarus." He also often adds "-icus" or similar suffixes to important words, though this is more for characterization than additional meaning. In terms of personality, he is not quite the seasoned warrior he appears to be in the games. Instead, he is essentially a child, and is naive and impressionable, but nonetheless brave. This version of Pit also appeared in the Captain N Valiant Comics book series.
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
After a long absence as a playable character (around sixteen years), it was announced at E3 2006 that Pit will return in Nintendo's 2008 fighting game, Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii. Pit's main weapon is his bow, called the "Sacred Bow of Palutena"[2]. This bow also acts as his symbol. In the first trailer for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Pit is seen shooting arrows of light from the bow, which can also be separated into two short blades for close-range combat (a feature of the bow previously unmentioned and absent from the Kid Icarus games). He is also seen flapping his wings to perform multiple jumps in the air, and the official Smash Bros. website states that his players can control the trajectory of his arrows. His Up-B move is called Wings of Icarus. Though little is said on its effects, it appears as though it gives Pit the ability to fly for a short distance. His Final Smash "Palutena's Army" sends many Centurions to attack his opponents, but each one attacks only once, then falls. Also stated on the Smash Bros. Brawl website, is that Pit and some other characters, for example, Meta Knight and Charizard, are able to glide for short distances. Pit is also seen in a short preview of Super Smash Bros Brawl's adventure mode, the Subspace Emissary. In it, he witnesses a Smash Bros arena being engulfed by Subspace (an enigmatic substance that seems to bear some similarities to antimatter). Palutena, apparently also aware of the destruction being caused, beckons him. She creates Pit's Bow out of a ball of light, and as Pit takes it, golden rings appear on his wrist, possibly a symbol of his service to Palutena. He exits, allowing himself to fall through a large set of double doors. As he falls, clouds pass him, and the sky is visible around him, revealing that his previous setting was somewhere in the heavens. He spreads his wings, and begins flying purposefully into the clouds, most likely to do battle with the forces behind Subspace. Another trailer shows Pit fighting against the Subspace Army in the sky and then rescuing and teaming up with Mario. Pit is also shown to have a speaking voice, besides grunts and yells. This is shown after he wins a match, as he says "Great Palutena, Victory is ours!" It is confirmed that Minami Takayama is voicing Pit in that game.
Cameo appearances
- Tetris (NES) - 1989 - Pit is playing a violin when the player completes Game B on Speed 9, Height 5.
- F-1 Race (Game Boy) - 1990 - Before Course 8, Pit appears to cheer the player on. He also appears during the ending sequence.
- Super Smash Bros. Melee (GameCube) - 2001 - Pit is one of the trophies that can be earned in the game.
- WarioWare: Twisted! (Game Boy Advance) - 2005 - In one of 9-volt's games, the player directs Pit left or right to dodge snakes and eggplants thrown at the player. Pit is also seen on the cover of the Kid Icarus record box. The theme for Kid Icarus is an unlockable record in the game. When the cursor is placed on it, the text describing it says, "This is the closest thing to a sequel you're gonna get! Har har!"
- WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Wii) - 2007 - In the conducting game, Pit is playing a cello. Also, the Kid Icarus theme is one of the songs that must be conducted.
Character design
Pit is loosely based on Icarus and Eros, figures from Greek mythology. The clothes that he wears and the fact that he is an angel resembles Perseus, Bellerophon, and Hercules, the last also being an archer. His character design has changed very little over the years, having always included elements associated with classical antiquity (such as the chiton and sandals). His primary weapon is the bow and arrow. In Of Myths and Monsters, Pit first received a crown of laurel, as well as revealing his eye color, blue. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Pit is seen garmented in an exomis. On the official Super Smash Bros. Brawl website, it is said that Pit is an angel that cannot normally fly. As part of the evolution of the character, the designers of Super Smash Bros. Brawl saw it fit to update his character design by combining parts of his old looks with new ideas. Pit now appears older than the child-age designs from prior games and now has a more anime/manga-like appearance. Nintendo has described the redesign as "a giant leap forward in his evolution". It is also stated on the Smash Bros. Dojo that one of Pit's color changes is black, and says "Fallen Angel colors", which is an obvious reference to Pierrot.
References
External links
- Pit's character biography at the official Super Smash Bros. Brawl website.
- The first Super Smash Bros. Brawl trailer, as seen at E3 2006, at the game's official website.
- Pit's descent from Angel Land on Super Smash Bros. Brawl official website
