The Story of Axe: Melee's Greatest Pikachu

[@hyperssr]

Tfw Walt releases a 50 minute documentary when I’m about to take my finals

[@1ceolation]

lol, same, except i just finished my mid-term, anyways gl bro!

[@Faulheit]

same

[@mpdrago1730]

I start finals tommorow so I got time

[@dsquarehead0175]

@@mpdrago1730 I got finals on Friday we should study

[@andybabcock5189]

yeah im really over here about to have a breakdown bcus of this lmao

[@aidanwestfall8177]

This channel feels like Summoning Salt for Melee...... Summoning Walt

[@aidanwestfall8177]

@Angelic I believe it does, yes

[@E-Brightvoid]

@Angelic “hello you absolute legends”

[@personalsheep1850]

jessie what the hell are you talking about

[@TheManster22]

@@personalsheep1850 he's telling us to respect the silence that serves as a foundation of creativity

[@firebal6129]

Needs more “HOME: we’re finally landing”

[@MattMcConaha]

I straight up thought that at 2:00 he was gonna say "This is Jeffrey Williamson, but many if you know him as Walgreens Drake."

[@_Ebare1347]

Walts got me crying in the club

[@Pslamist]

"They don't know that Pikachu's tech animation is different than the rest of the cast in melee..."

[@Gender_Ascender]

36:23 Hungrybox went out of his way to notice that Axe hadn't stood up, was clearly upset, and Hbox chose to encourage the crowd to cheer on the absolutely insane loser's bracket run that Axe had put on. Gestures, clapping, man. It also hurts seeing Axe looking so defeated, so I'm really happy that Juan did it. Say what you want about him, but Hbox is a sportsman and has a lot of respect for people... Unless they talk mad shit lmao

[@luigi64gamer19]

No he is not

[@LeetTron5000]

@@luigi64gamer19 dude fuck off, he without a doubt respects this as a sport. Showing countless times he respects the game and the skill of its players. He is a healthy part of this community, you clearly are not.

[@TetraBui]

@@luigi64gamer19 ? How so?

[@TetraBui]

Oh I just saw your chat history Yea ok just keep your mouth shut little kid

[@Franmmmmm]

​@@TetraBui just another Hbox hater, he is the never ever of melee, like Axe.

[@LiteralmenteFadul]

I think its hilarious that Axe is such a wild card that he is actually Zain's biggest demon rn. ZAIN

[@pippincovington1348]

Axe still has not lost to Marth. He will always be Zains biggest demon

[@Brennanrr]

I haven’t seen him In a while what’s up with him? Last thing I saw him at was low tide coty

[@ColinGLogan]

@@Brennanrr He's just struggling a lot, people have got way better against Pika and he's maybe #25 in the world now. Still never lost to a Marth though, it's the other matchups that are a problem, and Zain is probably terrified of getting him early in bracket

[@yankees2864]

@@ColinGLogan oof

[@relaxn3918]

@@yankees2864 Even more oof. It's both Zain and KoDoRiN now.

[@cyfer115]

Showing the Evo 2014 set from someone’s camera in the audience was so cool and I’ve never seen that perspective before for that 4 stock. This video is amazing! 😊

[@sharsasuke01]

Yea, I didn't even know they had the characters on separate screens.

[@JtCoronaOnTheMic]

I appreciated it as both a get idea and a way to avoid [redacted]

[@cyfer115]

@@JtCoronaOnTheMic I know why Walt did that, but even if that wasn’t a thing I still feel like the camera in the crowd was a great choice for that game. As a viewer, it helped to capture what the venue and moment was like for those who witnessed it live 😊

[@ep_darkstar]

@@sharsasuke01 And they were the Brawl renders lmao

[@yawg691]

Hearing the crowd do the iconic game PIKACHU PIKACHU PIKACHU was so damn cool

[@JtCoronaOnTheMic]

Axe: “that was the best moment of my life :)” Homer Simpson: “the best moment of your life so far ;)”

[@angelodegiule1753]

I got that reference

[@exceptionalish614]

35:25 "Oh my goodness gracious, they're both at 69%. And they're both loving it." Nice.

[@TyBarros_]

bro I genuinely teared up at the end when his friends were hugging him

[@TyBarros_]

Bro you a baby

[@zLucci.]

Did you respond to yourself?

[@TyBarros_]

@@zLucci. shhhhh you nothing....

[@augustblom2825]

me too bro

[@DesTr069]

>sees a notification from Walt “ok, this should be good” >it’s about Axe winning summit 8, one of my favourites moments in the entirety of the game “oh shit” >it’s 50 minutes long “let’s fucking do this”

[@calvinstaropoli4448]

samox: *doesn't mention axe in metagame* walt: hold my beer

[@CallMeAGansterOfLove]

I thought so much about this last weekend. How so few players - not even axe / plup/ s2j - get named. at least i dont think any of them get named. But was axe in some of the footage?

[@dyb368]

Way way more footage of chillin than axe lmfao

[@marcosfernandes5182]

@@CallMeAGansterOfLove they absolutely get named, dont have screen time but Im sure Ive heard Plup, Axe and I dont know about S2J

[@Pslamist]

@@CallMeAGansterOfLove - Yeah, he was in a handful of shots and stills in the background.

[@imESAM]

I appreciate that you used a crowd shot of the 4 stock instead of the commentary. nice choice

[@miisan8320]

@@glowtype that’s comment brightened my day up more than you can imagine

[@JazzTheDumDum]

Hey Eric (thats esam btw)

[@DannyMeasho999]

why

[@ericmoreira670]

@@DannyMeasho999 The set was narrated by D1, which was involved in the July/2020 scandals so it's best to disassociate him with some major Melee historical events

[@chickenm.2890]

@@DannyMeasho999 yea and it was like, really bad stuff

[@T.Miller1234]

I’ve already seen the whole thing. Trust me it’s really good

[@lolfelixlol]

I remember bawling my eyes out after watching that final. Axe emodies everything I love about smash. Thank you so much for making this video, I'll be back watching it again tomorrow 🙂

[@CallMeAGansterOfLove]

I hold onto that moment like a deeply personal achievement lmao

[@impossibleguru]

I fucking cried when I saw him win when it was streaming. And I'm crying again watching this.

[@tupatshakurtis5195]

Glad I’m not the only one.

[@loue9376]

Damn I’ve gotta get my shit together , wasn’t expecting to cry but fuck it , I’ll sort my life out for Axe hold strong to all of you out there facing your “ wall “

[@davidbenz5787]

Axe is such a legend everybody loves this guy

[@amee4231]

I remember the first time I saw Axe play, it was Genesis crews, East Vs West coast. He came in against Hax$. Waffles on commentary said "this guy is recommended by Taj, reccomendated by Forward" I remember thinking "a Pikachu? He must be damn good". Little did we know the career he would go on to have.

[@herolink17]

Axe going down the summit stairs is like the ending of titanic lmao

[@ForeverAbroad]

Axe is my favorite player, and i didn't know a lot of this stuff. He not only is my favorite player, he is one of my favorite people alive. Axe is fucking sick, melee is sick.

[@v0nman]

Thank you for introducing that crowd version of the 4 stock to me, and also the rest of the community. Such a thoughtful decision, the care, effort, and clear hours of work resulted in a fantastic doc for the nicest melee player I've ever met, love it.

[@mrpinguimninja]

Axe's and M2k's wins at Summit have some of the most wholesome overall reactions from everybody, even their opponents, that I have ever seen in a FGC win. M2K is so astonished with his own victory as everybody applauds and celebrates him, and the same goes for Axe. Wizzy's hug is so heartfelt, you can really tell these people are universally loved in their community and there wasn't a single soul that didn't feel they deserve those moments. The only other moment that gives a similar feeling (but for different reasons) is Tokido's speech after winning EVO. Fighting games really are something so great.

[@firstlast446]

"Now a moment in history" Ok secret base. Nice Mega rewinder

[@PunkThrashMetal]

Imagine if Jon Bois made a video about esports.

[@t3m3n61]

I fucking need a job noise video about melee

[@treeprophet4812]

@@PunkThrashMetal i want a Fumble Dimension about modded melee. Make a rest's hitbox take up the whole stage. Give peach a 50% chance of pulling a starman instead of a turnip. Just fuck it up.

[@telon_y]

Axe is literally Red atop Mt. Silver

[@sheridan5175]

Or Ash finally winning a pokemon league that same year

[@pearshapedbrain]

the algorithm didnt pick this one up, didnt even see this vid until a day after it was released, which is odd considering ive been binging smash docs and mini docs the last couple of days. what a shame

[@jarroddobben]

I love how the community came together after axe's win, they all recognized the significance

[@denglish5275]

I always shed a tear when I see vectorman hugging axe after the summit win. Really feels like the character arc "we made it" moment.

[@MAASamador]

Im so glad walt made a doc about this! Watching Axe win summit is a serious tear jerker.

[@kittyratrawr]

this was absolutely amazing. i really love axe, he's representing what smash, fighting games, hell esports as a whole have kind of drowned out. it's a game, we're all just dudes playing games for fun, to make friends. he'll always be my number 1 favorite player.

[@PocketNachos]

walt is goated as a content creator in this scene. he's just so creative and his passion for video editing and story telling is evident in his content.

[@sliceofpi2768]

Always a good day when walt uploads

[@lanaalways]

Axe has always been my favorite player, and this win was the most emotional I've felt as a melee fan. I definitely cried

[@homeboy3770]

Hey Walt, I just wanted to say I really appreciate the effort that you put into all of these videos. This is the content that I love.

[@Probasaur]

Incredible. I teared up at the end just as I had the night Axe won Summit8. Truly inspirational

[@Faulheit]

amazing how you managed to get around the evo 4stock commentary

[@jim-mf3dv]

YOU CANT CONSENT YOU CANT CONSENT DESTRUCTIOOOOOOOONNNN

[@qq4094]

@@AustinDDishes it may not be important to you. But you don't have a say in its importance to others. You can more easily "just get over it" than the victims and others who were irrevocably harmed by them and the like.

[@Faulheit]

@@AustinDDishes are u dumb

[@lukerose4166]

@@AustinDDishes And plenty of people would be better off not being reminded every time an iconic clip is posted. There’s always that looming fact. It’s not erasure. We just don’t wanna give it attention.

[@TheRandomThings23]

@@lukerose4166 This is the most stupidest justification I've seen yet. The only reason why people are reminded is because people like you keep bringing it up every time, thus contradicting what you're saying by giving it attention. Many new players would never bother with learning about D1 if you guys hadn't kept saying "REDACTED" every time he's on the mic. Even if you edit around it, anybody who is interested in the set/history behind the four stock can look it up and they'll question "why wasn't this person's voice in the original video. this is hype!" and bring even more unwanted attention. If you put in extra effort to try and erase history, you're going to get a result that goes against what you're trying to achieve.

[@meleemythos]

Axe is easily my favorite player. Thanks for doing him justice with this doc!!!

[@Lunarnova6]

Every time I see this video come up, I have to stop what I'm doing and watch it. It's such an incredibly well made documentary about such an incredible story. True perfection in film, this one is.

[@turndownforwalt]

Very glad you think so! Thank you!

[@CheesewedgeFTW]

I’ve broken my thumb so many times hitting the refresh button on my subscriptions hoping to see a new Walt video.

[@carlosmartinez-jd5gp]

You guys made me cry, watching that young man grow as a player and person has been an honour. Axe, if you see this, I’m proud of you.

[@thegoodgeneral]

A schmoovin' Mario player AND an excellent essayist-storyteller hybrid? You're going places in life, Walt.

[@WarrickAuthor]

Playing Tanaka's rising theme from Season 4 Haikyuu before Axe wins, was a fantastic choice. Excellent documentary. Axe seems like a genuinely good guy, and I'm glad he won.

[@imsammy1343]

Definitely the brightest face and the kindest heart in Melee

[@omlett6482]

I'm really hoping Axe is gonna see and react to this. also how is such high production value even possible, damn Edit: That ending actually had me in tears, all i can say is: This piece of Art needs to be put into a museum

[@lorunzo9761]

I love the haikyuu references!

[@VentusOfficiall]

Mario looks different at 5:06

[@wiredman11]

Oh my god I didn't even notice haha

[@anvi7572]

What's the inside joke here?

[@wiredman11]

@@anvi7572 It's just Walt being silly. Click on the timestamp and look in the top left.

[@anvi7572]

@@wiredman11 I mean, I thought it might've been some inside joke in the melee community regarding a mario player or something. I'm not from the states, so I don't know the ins and outs of it.

[@wiredman11]

@@anvi7572 If it is an inside joke, it went over my head as well.

[@SingularMechanicalCitrusFruit]

34:40 it's hard to believe that there was a period in time where Zain wasn't making top 8, and this time was less than 2 years ago

[@javiermedrano7807]

Always have to come back to this.. thank u for making it😔

[@steviebuilds1715]

Melee has the best content creators period.

[@BestSomebodyNA]

Just found this today. God damn is this some Secret Base Rewinder-Levels of storytelling. Thanks for this video.

[@coocoo568]

I remember going to my first major and there a few top player just hanging out and taking some photos. I went by myself and I didn't know how to approach anyone and ask, but Axe saw me and asked if I wanted to take a photo. That's my GOAT

[@Sifeus]

Haven't touched melee in a decade but I'm very happy for this young man

[@rezbro7743]

Walt, this is absolutely incredible. Thank you, and I'm sure we would all love to see more. Innovation like this is what keeps the scene alive!

[@JOJO_A_GO_GO]

I remember crying as Axe won this grand finals set. Axe has been my idol ever since I got into the competitive smash scene, though I play Ultimate.. lol. His story and this win keeps me going with the belief that just about anyone can go the distance with just enough skill, dedication and motivation. This video, this win, and Axe himself, motivates me to keep playing with a positive outlook on things, always taking something away from every match I play. Wonderful guy right here.

[@MA-ym8pl]

epilogue almost made me shed a tear. thank you for always making videos like this

[@akinrapt0r]

Axe is the absolute homie dude. He came and watched my match on the TOs stream and I could not have felt more honored.

[@Etienne3333]

I see axe I click he's by far the most interesting melee player

[@PapiGordo5360]

Your production value is unreasonable for your subscriber count. Thank you for the fantastic video.

[@groovygreenhat3119]

Damn fine stuff, and bonus points for the Zane clips. My one Axe story is from 2010 (2011?) at Don't Go Down There Jeff in Norcal, which was probably the second or third tourney I'd ever been to. I'm sitting at a setup playing friendlies, and I notice that someone left their water bottle next to the crt. Right as pools are about to start, I hear someone ask "Hey, could you pass me that water?" I grab the water bottle and pass it along, with a confident "sure thing dude". The water's proud own gives me a genuine and heartfelt "thanks!", and goes on to play his pool. That man was Axe.

[@ChaserGuyrton]

that was such a great documentary... you got me tearing up

[@NotaSkeleton]

Seeing Axe take Summit and watching his reaction was a tearjerker for sure, but it's when V3ctorman came in and gave him the hug that I really broke. Axe is Melee's treasure, man.

[@milesgeiger9028]

Felt like this was the perfect time to release this, love axe :)

[@Blarbonko]

Honestly man I tear up every time I think of this video. It’s gotta be the most inspirational video I’ve ever watched. I can just see the word summit and my motivation for everything I do peaks. Thank you, Axe, and everyone in this story that made this possible.

[@banddgames]

What a beautiful and well-made video. Thank you for making this

[@Mage_Nichlas_]

Walt, this is beautiful. I'm in tears at how emotional all this is. Your stuff is always so good. I'm trying to come up with words and I can't. The only thing I'll say is thank you for the work that you put into this and the work you do for the Melee community.

[@dodosilent]

The player everyone love. It seems impossible to dislike this guy ❤️

[@DerpySuX]

It takes a lot of persistence to overcome a plateau. Axe is such an inspiration. Amazing video. ❤️

[@Deadgye]

I love how Silent Wolf couldn't hold back the smile after the 4stock. I think Melee is one of the few games where you can get bodied and walk away happy and/or satisfied.

[@BackwardsGod]

Genius selection of videos, when to cut certain things, amazing cinematography. Good job Walt, you make such great content dude

[@ricardoludwig4787]

Axe to me is the proof that, eventually, everything will come together. Sometimes you're just unlucky, sometimes you're not good enough, but if you keep pushing, grinding, improving, life can turn your way, and the impossible will become possible

[@justaadhdgamerwesley6244]

I love that you are the summoning salt for smash :)

[@gangganggang2219]

I love these videos so much. Great script and production quality every time

[@Heartkiller999]

Now this is how a documentary should be done. Absolutely fantastic work as always, Walt! Phenomenal showcase of an amazing guy and player.

[@adambombdiggidy]

"Welcome to a moment in History." I see my guy watches SB Nation videos. Good stuff man! Love the player docs!

[@Gender_Ascender]

Son of a gun, Walt... You really put so much love into these, and it shows so well as some of the best content Smash can offer. "Axe *is* Melee" made me chuckle, smile and damn near cry as a summary. You tie everything together, you bring it all in to this beautiful message and history lesson all wrapped in clean editing and excellent timing. Thank you for continuing to put in all this time and effort despite being criminally underrated.

[@ssbwin]

Just made it through the intro and I'm already popping off. Iove your videos and I hope you're doing well. I'm super stocked for this video that I didn't know existed an hour ago..

[@lousourboo9000]

Man is still making some of the best videos on this platform. Extremely underrated. This felt like an episode from the documentary dude. This video is great.

[@doma3554]

It's amazing to me, I'm already like 5 years out of touch with this game, and the skill ceiling still hasn't been reached in this game. I had played since 2001, so it's just like, wow.

[@femdomsHMU]

I honestly don’t think we will ever reach the ceiling, I think it doesn’t exist. Melee is so sick.

[@AustinDDishes]

This was a beautiful piece of melee history immortalized in a doc. Thanks tdfw.

[@HELLYEAHJOHN]

Damn this got me almost tearing up... And I only knew Axe as the 'Pikachu guy' (not really that into melee scene so yeah) before this video. Hope Axe finds a lot more success in the future because he deserves a lot more than just 1 major tournament win. Phenomenal video! always looking forward for more :)

[@Royal264]

This video is fucking beautiful man, it almost made me cry. I always knew how much Axe loved melee, but seeing this video really taught me how much he truly loves the game. He's such a wholesome and likeable guy that you just want to see him succeed, so seeing him finally win was a beautiful moment.

[@alexwalker1759]

This is the content KZbin was meant for. Amazing video man. Seriously, top class. Thank you.

[@markellis4699]

Great video! I've been a big fan of Axe ever since I got into the scene and watching him win Summit 8 is my favourite moment in smash history. Thanks for giving Axe the love he deserves!

[@RookieDX]

I don’t think I’ve enjoyed crying to a video more than this one. I just finished my 4th time watching this and the finals still get me emotional today. I didn’t know much of Axe before but I resonate with him and his hard work and passion. Thank you Walt for an amazing documentary. I’m sure I’ll be back at some point to when I need a good cry again 😅❤

[@Trakinasnove]

This was beautiful! Axe is one of my all time favorite smash players and I always get emotional when anyone talks about his Summit win. Great work as always Walt! :)

[@VolanWark]

A mash up of my favorite player and ideas from one of my favorite anime. This was such a treat to watch.

[@GodLandon]

Just saying your work with the sound in this video was flawless, hard to do so I appreciate it

[@_Rndom]

This video is one of the most inspirational videos I have ever seen from one of the nicest people in a competitive setting. I love Axe for everything he's done and archived and I respect him. Great video Walt you have outdone yourself yet again

[@pickrahn91]

I remember watching this tournament. I popped off harder than Hbox ever did. So much love for Axe. Great video.

[@darthmoduh]

this type of doc is so much better than the main stream docs. its more intimate and shows some of the "smaller" stories of melee

[@atsnacks9122]

This video, even after multiple watches, will always make me tear up. One of the greatest melee stories of all time.

[@ManuelPersona24]

Axe has just turned into my favorite Melee player who is currently active

[@Metroyeti17]

Walt, you KILLED THIS. I truly dont understand how you got me saying "This is your best work yet" with EVERY SINGLE VIDEO. It would be so hype if you could do a doc like this for Leffen, maybe picking up after Apex 2015 and carrying through to GOML 2016. Your production value and knack for showing players' hearts would really add to the story Metagame told.

[@rakaikt]

Axe is my favorite player and to watch him win Summit 8 was so surreal. To finally learn of how he got to where he is now is also really inspiring. He is overall a great and wholesome individual which makes him such a fun person to watch and be around. Let's fucking go Axe!

[@Diembee]

This gave me some serious Emplemon Hungrybox doc vibes. Glad to see this masterpiece of a doc release after a while of waiting, well done!

[@playerdreamer181]

one hour long melee video about axe, my favorite smash player thank you for the christmas gift

[@jarroddobben]

I love the longer scope of this doc, less focus on the minutiae of high level gameplay and more on the community and culture

[@HELLO-mx6pt]

Damn Walt, honestly your work is just amazing. You are one of the few people that can take any story and turn it into a piece of art. Thank you for this, it was really touching and I feel a certain warmth within me now. Keep up with the great work and I hope the best for you and your channel this 2021

[@Spartan2444]

Damn can we get this Doc on Netflix or something? Amazing job Walt

[@timothyshapka1309]

You nailed this video man. I was literally just thinking that Axe deserved his own doc and here it is!

[@ThisIsWEB]

Yooo I'm shocked to see footage I shot included here, in such a fine video Let's go walt