The madness over the “Merth” amiibo was, quite possibly, the funniest—and most frustrating—chapter of the early months of Nintendo’s toys-to-life era.
For collectors just now joining the fascinating world of amiibo, allow me to explain why.
First, the rarest amiibo to obtain from the initial Super Smash Bros. wave were Marth, Villager, and Wii Fit Trainer—a trio that came to be known as “The Holy Trinity.”
It is a term that still sends shivers of nostalgia (and, in some cases, even a bit of post-traumatic stress) to those who spent late 2014 stalking store shelves across the United States.
On top of its rarity, Marth was one of the most coveted figures due to its in-game functionality; at the time, it was the only way to unlock special content in Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. and Fire Emblem Fates.
Curiously, however, the Marth amiibo became even more famous for the poor-quality control of its first run.
Many figures arrived with “derp eyes” (crossed or deformed), a bent “noodle sword” (the Falchion), and, in some cases, even gaps in the hair that made it look as though Marth were wearing a poorly fitted wig.
This led the community to affectionately—and mockingly—nickname these defective figures “Merth.”
In 2014, finding a Marth with a straight sword, proper eyes, and well-fixed hair was like finding a unicorn.
What turned this into “madness” was the collector’s paradox: everyone wanted Marth because he was rare and hard to find, but everyone feared their expensive purchase would turn out to be a “Merth”—especially considering many people were paying over $100 for the figure back then.
In an amusing twist, “Merth” became a universal term for any amiibo that looked worse than its box art. It paved the way for other nicknames, like “Lungi” for a particularly bad Luigi, or “Pooch” for first-wave Peach figures with strange faces.
The Merth era finally came to an end when the Japanese giant restocked Marth in May 2015, redesigning the face and reinforcing the sword.
Today, the 2014 Merth versions are considered by some collectors to be rare “misprints,” also identifiable by bronze-colored boot buckles.
From a collecting standpoint, it was the perfect storm: a high-status, rare item that, ironically, had surprisingly poor manufacturing quality.
In the end, this is a collector’s tale that could very well be titled The “Merth” Amiibo and the Sword.
As always, I invite you to immerse yourself in the Amiibo Price Guide experience. Visit our blog to find fascinating facts about the world of amiibo and beyond.
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Javier Serrano