Photo courtesy: Teddy Seybold Facebook
Teddy “Bladewise” Seybold is unassuming. Taken at face value, Bladewise is a normal, modest guy. There’s that old saying about not judging a book by its cover. Behind the run-of-the-mill exterior awaits a fierce and determined competitor and one of the best “Super Smash Bros. Melee” players in the world.
"Super Smash Bros. Melee" is a party/fighting game made by Nintendo and released in 2001 for the GameCube. Melee was never intended to be played competitively, but do to the fast and interesting mechanics of the game, a competitive scene developed around it nonetheless.
Bladewise is the second best Melee player in Washington, and a top 100 player in the world. His main character is Peach, and he has been sponsored by 62-bit Gaming since 2014. If you ever encounter him in tournament, good luck. You're gonna need it.
While he’s amazing at the game now, Bladewise started at the ground floor and had to work his way up.
“I started going to tournaments just over 10 years ago,” said Bladewise. “I had repeatedly watched many videos of top players at the time (Ken, Isai, Captain Jack, etc.) and wanted to play like them. That first tournament was a great experience, and I haven’t stopped attending them since.”
Bladewise is widely regarded as the third best Peach player in the world, behind Adam “Armada” Lindgren and McCain “MacD” LaVelle. He played all the characters early in his Smash career, but eventually settled on Peach.
“I was very competitive with my friend at school at the time. Beating him was a big motivator for me to improve,” said Bladewise. “At our scrubby level, Peach was quite easy to win with. I enjoyed beating my friend, so I ended up playing quite a bit of Peach.”
For those that don't know, Peach is a character from the Super Mario Bros. game franchise. She is considered to be the sixth best character in Melee. While she is not as high up on the tier list as other characters, such as Fox and Marth, she is still viable in tournament. Players like Armada and Bladewise are proof of that.
Steven “Fat Goku” Callopy, who is currently ranked first in Oregon in Melee, admits that he was intimidated by Bladewise.
“I’ve known who Bladewise was ever since I started playing Smash competitively,” said Fat Goku. “It made me a bit nervous to talk to him because he is so good. It probably took me two years of playing to deem myself worthy to talk to him.”
It’s the way he’s able to read his opponents mind that makes Bladewise such a threat in tournament.
“I think his best quality as a player is his ability to read minds,” said Fat Goku. “If you’re going to do something risky, he knows you’re going to do it. If you’re going to panic in a situation, he’ll punish that option before you even press the button to do it. He makes me feel so stupid when I play him.”
Bladewise made $1,200 at the recent Oregon tournament Fight or Flight 6.
On top of his success in the Pacific Northwest, Bladewise has been ranked as a top 100 player in the world the last three years in a row (34th in 2013, 33rd in 2014, and 39th in 2015). He enjoys the recognition, but it’s not a primary source of motivation.
“I do enjoy the recognition it provides me, as well as the semi-celebrity status at tournaments,” said Bladewise. “It isn’t a main source of inspiration though. The drive to improve was already there before these lists existed, and that won’t change regardless of how I’m ranked.”
In addition to his proficiency in singles, Bladewise is also a superb doubles player. Zach “FoosJr.” Barnett, who is currently ranked third in Oregon, has known Bladewise for 10 years and has teamed with him in the past.
“I’ve teamed with him a few times. He’s pretty good about communication in doubles, which I feel is really important,” said FoosJr. “Aside from that, he’s just one of the most solid players ever...so yeah that helps.”
Even though Bladewise has gained a lot of skill and praise over the last 10 years, there is one person he has yet to overcome: Otto “Silent Wolf” Bisno, the current number one player in Washington.
“I usually lose to Otto,” said Bladewise. “Sometimes I lose so often to him that I start to doubt my ability and potential. It can be quite disheartening because I want to believe I can win, yet the continued losses shake my resolve.”
Despite his shortcomings, there have been a few occasions where Bladewise clutches the win over Silent Wolf.
“When I do manage to win, it’s an excellent feeling,” said Bladewise. “It’s incredibly relieving to know that the hard work pays off and that I’m capable of overcoming this challenge.”
Regardless of who wins or loses, there’s no animosity between the two players.
“We’re good friends,” said Bladewise. “In a way, we need each other to improve in order to continue improving ourselves. In major tournaments, I root for him over all others.”
Bladewise wants people to know that there is no better time than now to get involved in competitive Smash.
“For any person who is interested in playing Melee, now is an excellent time to join the community. There is an absurd abundance of resources available to players right now. Video guides, character tutorials, tournament footage, social media groups, and more are easy to find,” said Bladewise. “This community is accessible to all, no matter how secluded you may feel. Whether you live in Peru, Estonia, or Australia, there's a way to join, participate, and compete.”
At a Glance
- Bladewise is currently ranked second on the Washington Melee Player Rankings and 39th on the Melee It On Me Top 100
- He studied Psychology at Highline Community College in Des Moines, Wash.
- He's engaged to Vivian Kwan.
- He loves the movie "Frozen" nearly as much as he loves Melee.
- Here's a link to Bladewise's Facebook page if you want to contact him.
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