Belay is the Ice Climbers' up special move in the Super Smash Bros. series. Like most up special moves, Belay is the Ice Climbers' fundamental recovery, and thus is executed by pressing up-B. Once the combination is performed, Popo will toss Nana in the air while the duo are connected with a long string, and will ram into opponents with high knockback and damage, and the latter will pull the rope the launch Popo up as twice the distance Nana traveled. When Popo is alone, Belay will essentially become next to useless as it will cover negligible distance and the extra security provided by the partner is virtually absent.
The namesake term, "belay," is a mountaineering term referring to securing oneself with a safety rope. The Ice Climbers' usage of climbing ropes is unique to the Super Smash Bros. series, but it is potentially based on the Ice Climber's ability to "footstool jump" on each other in the cooperative two-player mode of Ice Climber. The animation is similar to when the duo jumped on each other's head while in midair in the original game. The aforementioned usage of ropes, however, is also inspired by real-life belay, a technique used in climbing for applied friction to a climbing rope in such a method as to limit the fall of a climber who has lost their support.
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When appropriately performed, the audience will gasp twice, first when Nana grabs the ledge using this move, and a second time when Popo joins her on the ledge.