A jump is an action that moves a character from the ground into the air. All characters can also jump a second time in midair, providing they are not attacking, air dodging, helpless, in hitstun, or have used it already. It is performed by pressing up on the control stick (D-pad on a horizontal Wii Remote), or by pressing a certain button, which is by default:

A few characters can jump more than once in the air:

There is a short delay between the jump button being pressed and the on-screen character actually jumping, during which the onscreen character will enter a crouching portion of their jumping animation. If the control stick or jump button is released during this time, then the character short hops. If the control stick is tilted backwards during this time, the character will jump backwards with a different animation than a regular jump. If the standard attack button is pressed during this time, then the character uses their up smash (but only if the jump was executed with the Control Stick). Because characters can jump while shielding (excluding Yoshi in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, due to his unique shield), this allows usage of up smashes (and up special moves as well) without having to drop the shield. This also makes it difficult for a player using the Wii Remote-only control scheme to perform up tilts. Inputting an aerial on the first frame that a character is airborne will cause the jump to be slightly lower, because gravity applies to the first frame of an aerial but not to the first frame of a jump.

Brawl added a jumping mechanic known as footstools. This allows characters to jump off the heads of other characters. This can be done even when all midair jumps have already been used.

In Ultimate, a character will emit a subtle wispy trail if they have no extra jumps available.

Types of jumps

All characters can perform several different types of jumps. The most basic type is a standing jump, which is a jump without any other inputs. There are also more complicated jumps that involve other inputs. One of these is the walk jump, which involves jumping while walking or dashing. Another one is the backward jump, which involves the player turning around, but jumping before the fighter can. All jumps have 2 performable variants. The first and most common type is the full hop, which involves the player holding the jump command so the fighter can jump to maximum height. The second type is the short hop, which involves the player quickly tapping the jump command so the fighter will only perform a slight jump. There are also 2 different methods of performing these jumps. The first way is by pressing the jump button. The second way is to press up on the control stick/D-pad. This totals to 12 different ways to jump, with all possible combinations of each having different heights.

Softhop

Softhopping is a technique introduced in Brawl in which a character can perform their grounded full hop within a few frames of running off any platform's edges. With this, the initial jump squat frames of a jump can be bypassed by inputting a jump within 4 frames of running off of an edge.

In Brawl and Smash 4, aside from removing the additional lag from a jump squat, softhops have no special properties when compared to full hops, however they allow the player to initiate the jump from slightly beyond the platform. The potential benefits of performing the technique depends on the fighter, as prior to Ultimate the duration of jump squats vary depending on the fighter.

In Ultimate, softhopping has an additional effect on full hops. Ultimate introduced a mechanic in which the first few frames of a fighter's full hop are sped up, causing them to reach their maximum jump height sooner. Performing a softhop disables this mechanic, causing full hops to behave the same way as midair jumps and full hops prior to Ultimate. This results in fighters taking longer to reach their maximum jump height, but allows them to cover more horizontal distance before beginning to fall, and potentially allows aerials to hit which the user would have otherwise been too high up to connect with by the time the first hitbox comes out, similarly to instant double jumping. Forcing the user to perform a full hop when performing the technique also removes the risk of accidentally performing a short hop, guaranteeing the full damage output of aerials rather than the reduced 0.85× damage from short hops.

Jump squat

A jump squat or windup refers to the length of time between the input of the jump and the moment the character leaves the ground. Each character has a different window of time where they crouch before they jump. Characters with faster jump squats will leave the ground earlier, and can transition between their air and ground games easier; however, depending on the control scheme, the player may find it more technically demanding to perform short hops or up smashes. In Melee, characters with faster jump squats can also perform faster wavedashes, but the window of timing is also reduced, requiring more precise inputs from the player.

Jump squats in Super Smash Bros.

Rank Character Frames
1-7   Fox 3
  Kirby
  Luigi
  Mario
  Ness
  Pikachu
  Samus
8   Captain Falcon 4
9   Yoshi 5
10-11   Donkey Kong 6
  Jigglypuff
12   Link 7
N/A   Giant Donkey Kong 8
  Metal Mario

Jump squats in Super Smash Bros. Melee

Rank Character Frames
1-7   Fox 3
  Ice Climbers
  Kirby
  Pichu
  Pikachu
  Samus
  Sheik
8-15   Captain Falcon 4
  Dr. Mario
  Luigi
  Mario
  Marth
  Mr. Game & Watch
  Ness
  Young Link
16-22   Donkey Kong 5
  Falco
  Jigglypuff
  Mewtwo
  Peach
  Roy
  Yoshi
23-25   Ganondorf 6
  Link
  Zelda
N/A   Giga Bowser 6
  Fighting Wire Frames 7
26   Bowser 8

Jump squats in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

The below values apply only to regular brawls; in The Subspace Emissary, all characters jump two frames faster.

Rank Character Frames
1-10   Diddy Kong 4
  Fox
  Ice Climbers
  Kirby
  Meta Knight
  Pikachu
  Samus
  Sheik
  Squirtle
  Zero Suit Samus
11-26   Captain Falcon 5
  Ivysaur
  Lucario
  Lucas
  Luigi
  Mario
  Marth
  Mr. Game & Watch
  Ness
  Olimar
  Peach
  Pit
  R.O.B.
  Sonic
  Toon Link
  Wolf
N/A Fighting Alloys 5
27-35   Charizard 6
  Donkey Kong
  Falco
  Ike
  Jigglypuff
  King Dedede
  Wario
  Yoshi
  Zelda
N/A Wario-Man 6
36-37   Ganondorf 7
  Link
N/A Giga Bowser 7
38   Bowser 8
39   Snake 9

Jump squats in Super Smash Bros. 4

Rank Character Frames
1-13   Bayonetta 4
  Cloud
  Diddy Kong
  Duck Hunt
  Fox
  Greninja
  Kirby
  Mega Man
  Meta Knight
  Pikachu
  Samus
  Sheik
  Zero Suit Samus
14-41   Captain Falcon 5
  Dark Pit
  Dr. Mario
  Little Mac
  Lucario
  Lucas
  Lucina
  Luigi
  Mario
  Marth
  Mewtwo
  Mii Brawler
  Mr. Game & Watch
  Ness
  Olimar
  Pac-Man
  Palutena
  Peach
  Pit
  R.O.B.
  Rosalina & Luma
  Roy
  Ryu
  Shulk
  Sonic
  Toon Link
  Villager
  Wii Fit Trainer
N/A Giga Mac 5
Mega Lucario
42-51   Bowser Jr. 6
  Corrin
  Donkey Kong
  Falco
  Jigglypuff
  King Dedede
  Mii Gunner
  Wario
  Yoshi
  Zelda
N/A Wario-Man 6
52-57   Charizard 7*
  Robin
  Ganondorf 7
  Ike
  Link
  Mii Swordfighter
N/A Giga Bowser 7
58   Bowser 8

*These characters' jumpsquat values are defined as 6 in fighter_param.bin, though they actually end up being 7.

Jump squats in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Every character has a 3-frame jump squat, with the exception of Kazuya (who has a 7-frame jump squat, though the value is defined as 6 in fighter_param.prc) and Giga Bowser (who has a 15-frame jump squat).

Jump height ranking

Below are characters ranked by the height of their first jump. Jump force is measured in units per frame.

Note that there are two methods to determine jump height, depending on the game.

  • In Smash 64, Melee, and Brawl, the game uses jump force, or the speed at which the character leaves the ground. In Smash 64, jump force is calculated at the time of the jump. In Melee and Brawl it is encoded. The resulting jump height is dependent on the character's gravity.
  • In Smash 4 and Ultimate, the game encodes jump height, and works backwards using gravity to figure out the correct force to use. This allows more natural behaviour to modifications of jump height from equipment or special moves such as Monado Arts.
    • However, for multiple aerial jumps, the game encodes jump force (except for Charizard and Sephiroth).
  • In Ultimate, the game also encodes jump initial height, or the height that a character will reach in the first 4 frames of a full hop. After the first 4 frames, the normal method for Smash 4 will be used with the height being reduced by the initial height. This results in characters moving significantly faster during the beginning of their jump and reaching their peak a few frames sooner. This has no affect on short hops or aerial jumps.

Super Smash Bros.

The jump physics of Smash 64 are significantly different compared to later games. A jump depends on 3 values: the control stick's vertical position (v), the jump multiplier (m), and the jump base (b). The control stick's vertical position is a value between 53-80 (53 is the minimum amount required for a jump and the stick can reach 127, though it is capped at 80). Unlike later games, a character's gravity (g) is also applied on the same frame as a grounded jump. The resulting jump force formula is (v×m)+b-g.

When using the C buttons to jump, the control stick's horizontal position h is used instead of the vertical position. The equivalent vertical position follows the formula v = floor(sqrt(80^2 - h^2)) and "v" has a minimum value 63 and a maximum of 77. The resulting value takes priority over the control stick's actual vertical position.

JPN
Rank Character Jump multiplier Jump base Min height Max height
1   Luigi 0.7 30 1038.5 1718
2   Captain Falcon 1 25 855.8 1569
3   Samus 0.5 36 996.8 1482
4   Jigglypuff 0.7 20 786.8 1406
5   Donkey Kong 0.47 55 1024.66 1383
6   Mario 0.7 26 798.2 1360
7   Pikachu 0.67 37 840.24 1323
8   Link 0.7 36 798.6 1276.8
9   Fox 1 23 684 1275
10   Yoshi 0.7 27.5 740.6 1249.5
11   Kirby 0.6 30 765 1228.8
12   Ness 0.7 26 706.1 1204.5
NA/PAL/AUS
Rank Character Jump multiplier Jump base Min height Max height
1   Luigi 0.7 30 1038.5 1718
2   Captain Falcon 1 24 833.8 1539
3   Samus 0.5 36 996.8 1482
4   Jigglypuff 0.7 20 786.8 1406
5   Donkey Kong 0.47 55 1024.66 1383
6   Mario 0.7 26 798.2 1360
7   Pikachu 0.67 37 840.24 1323
8   Fox 1 23 684 1275
9   Kirby 0.6 30 765 1228.8
10   Ness 0.7 26 706.1 1204.5
11   Yoshi 0.7 27.5 713 1203.5
12   Link 0.7 36 749.7 1198.8

Super Smash Bros. Melee

In Melee, jump height has been drastically decreased across the cast, with even the third highest full hop height value being lower than the lowest full hop height value in Smash 64.

Jump
Rank Character Jump force Jump height
1   Falco 4.1 51.5
2   Luigi 2.4 46.546
3   Captain Falcon 3.1 38.52
4   Donkey Kong 2.7 37.8
N/A   Giga Bowser 4.2 37.4
5   Ness 2.5 35.98
N/A   Male Wire Frame 2.5 35.98
6   Ice Climbers 2.6 35.1
7   Marth 2.4 35.09
8   Yoshi 2.5 34.857
9   Samus 2.1 34.464
10   Sheik 2.8 34.08
11   Mewtwo 2.3 33.408
12   Young Link 2.62 32.52
13-14   Pichu 2.6 32.04
  Pikachu
15   Bowser 2.8 31.57
16   Peach 2.2 31.36
17   Fox 3.68 31.28
18   Zelda 2.1 31.262
N/A   Female Wire Frame 2.1 31.262
19   Roy 2.6 30.958
20   Link 2.5 29.67
21-23   Dr. Mario 2.3 29
  Mario
  Mr. Game & Watch
24   Ganondorf 2.6 27.3
25   Kirby 2.0 26
26   Jigglypuff 1.6 20.8
Shorthop
Rank Character Jump force Jump height Difference
1   Samus 1.7 22.75 66.01%
2   Sheik 2.14 20.16 59.15%
N/A   Male Wire Frame 1.8 18.9 52.53%
3   Zelda 1.6 18.337 58.66%
N/A   Female Wire Frame 1.6 18.337 58.66%
4   Yoshi 1.8 18.33 52.59%
5   Peach 1.6 16.8 53.57%
6   Ganondorf 2.0 16.4 60.07%
7   Luigi 1.4 14.91 32.03%
8   Captain Falcon 1.9 14.85 38.55%
9   Kirby 1.5 14.82 57.00%
10-11   Pichu 1.7 14 43.70%
  Pikachu
12   Marth 1.5 13.995 39.88%
13   Donkey Kong 1.6 13.6 35.98%
14   Ness 1.5 13.26 36.85%
15   Mewtwo 1.4 12.654 37.88%
16   Falco 1.9 11.58 22.49%
17-19   Dr. Mario 1.4 11.025 38.02%
  Mario
  Mr. Game & Watch
20-21   Young Link 1.5 10.99 33.79%
  Link 37.04%
22   Bowser 1.6 10.66 33.77%
23   Fox 2.1 10.65 34.05%
24   Roy 1.5 10.626 34.32%
25   Ice Climbers 1.4 10.5 29.91%
26   Jigglypuff 1.05 9.146 43.97%
N/A   Giga Bowser 1.6 5.95 15.91%

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Rank Character Jump force Jump height
N/A Giga Bowser 5.5 73.85696598
N/A Wario Man 3.5 66.31680556
1   Falco 3.42 50.52007143
2   Zero Suit Samus 2.84 44.2109595
3   Luigi 2.35 41.31389423
4   Diddy Kong 2.8 41.22019565
5   Sheik 3.37 38.63389
6   R.O.B. 2.25 37.82543269
7   Lucario 2.2 37.6278125
8   Captain Falcon 2.82 37.31948794
9   Yoshi 2.34 36.10337322
10   Donkey Kong 2.45 35.83759414
11   Squirtle 2.8 35.35185671
12   Samus 2.05 35.21069828
13   Ice Climbers 2.35 34.69501461
14   Ness 2.25 34.48515332
15   Fox 3.55 34.25401786
16   Pikachu 2.48 34.11800144
17   Sonic 2.45 34.09444853
18   Marth 2.16 33.66852778
19   Olimar 2.04 33.6675
20   Toon Link 2.2 33.48017857
21   King Dedede 2.4 33.21906465
22   Bowser 2.65 32.87722406
23   Ivysaur 2.16 32.25446429
24   Wolf 2.95 32.01240385
25   Mario 2.22 31.755375
26   Zelda 2.09 31.56113619
27   Pit 2.17 30.31704167
28   Wario 2.3 30.27382666
29   Peach 1.98 30.03372278
30   Lucas 2.35 29.51680556
31   Ike 2.26 29.39181256
32   Meta Knight 2.4 28.93747301
33   Charizard 2.22 27.89121324
34   Link 2.26 27.57550702
35   Mr. Game & Watch 2.07 27.52134994
36   Ganondorf 2.34 25.50106535
37   Kirby 1.79 25.37573975
38   Snake 1.9 21.6225
39   Jigglypuff 1.44 19.79264911

Notes

  • The Fighting Alloys all share Mario's jump force value of 2.22, just as they share his gravity and jump height.

Super Smash Bros. 4

Rank Character Full Hop Short Hop Air Jump Combined Jump Height
1   Falco 50.506073 17.34 50.506073 101.012146
2   Greninja 46 22.114738 46 92
3   Zero Suit Samus 44.5 21.354742 44.199909 88.699909
4   Luigi 44 19.984556 41.305771 85.305771
5   Diddy Kong 41.208694 19.897078 41.208694 82.417388
6   Rosalina & Luma 40 19.370632 40 80
7-8   Bayonetta 39 21.354742 42 81
  Sheik 18.752533 40 79
9   R.O.B. 38 18.378603 38 76
10   Lucario 37.619999 18.193617 37.619999 75.239998
11   Captain Falcon 37.306652 17.980684 37.306652 74.613304
12   Samus 37 18 37 74
13   Mario 36.331814 17.539339 36.331814 72.663628
14   Yoshi 36.094189 17.434723 51.560001 87.65419
15   Palutena 35.900002 17.303881 35.900002 71.800004
16   Wii Fit Trainer 35.599998 17.179214 35.599998 71.199996
17   Pikachu 35.5 17.123371 35.5 71
18-20   Fox 35 16.403395 37 72
  Mii Brawler 17 35.5 70.5
  Sonic 16.887465 35 70
21   Shulk 34.799999 16.887465 34.799999 69.599998
22   Ness 34.476265 16.652296 34.476265 68.95253
23   Bowser Jr. 34.400002 16.592869 34.400002 68.800004
24   Pac-Man 34.099998 16.477137 34.099998 68.199996
25-26   Donkey Kong 34 17.297209 35.5 69.5
  Duck Hunt 16.477137 33.799999 67.799999
27   Toon Link 33.799999 16.320242 33.799999 67.599998
28-29   Lucina 33.660133 16.263107 33.660133 67.320266
  Marth
30   Olimar 33.5 16.191645 33.5 67
31   Robin 33.208813 16.018034 33.208813 66.417626
32-33   Bowser 33 15.699792 32.611839 65.611839
  Corrin 16 31 64
34   King Dedede 32.849998 16.019524 21.76799763 105.6356959
35   Mega Man 32.799999 11.492068 32.799999 65.599998
36-37   Cloud 32.5 17 32 64.5
  Villager 15.689452
38-40   Meta Knight 32 13.915902 20.91375 117.3169318
  Charizard 15.42625 28 78
  Mii Gunner 17.539339 33.500343 65.500343
41   Zelda 31.552761 15.239396 31.552761 63.105522
42   Mewtwo 31.110001 17.5 58.542999 89.653
43-44   Dark Pit 31 14.955608 23.70148302 88.82420216
  Pit
45   Roy 30.969999 13 28 58.969999
46   Wario 30.5 14.699989 30.5 61
47   Peach 30.025824 14.501237 30.025824 60.051648
48   Ike 29.9 16 31 60.9
49   Lucas 29.41 13 34.48 63.89
50   Dr. Mario 29.356105712 14.171785912 29.356105712 58.712211424
51   Mii Swordfighter 28.299999 15 28.299999 56.599998
52   Link 27.799999 13.380496 29 56.799999
53   Mr. Game & Watch 27.511969 13.261467 27.511969 55.023938
54   Little Mac 26 12.526741 26 52
55   Ryu 26 15 29.5 55.5
56   Ganondorf 25.488228 12.244264 26 51.488228
57   Kirby 25.368114 12.241816 21.04669712 104.9938427
58   Jigglypuff 19.786329 11.260982 24.82302388 118.0996838

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The mechanic of "jump initial height" was introduced in Ultimate. This value is the height that a character will reach within the first 4 frames of their full hop (doesn't affect short hops or air jumps). It results in characters being able gain more height in less time compared to Smash 4, often having 1.5-3× the starting speed and reaching the same heights a few frames faster. For most characters the initial height is 0.55× their full hop height, the exceptions being the Ice Climbers at 0.35×, Simon and Richter at 0.4×, and Pyra and Mythra at 0.56×.

Rank Character Full Hop Initial Height Short Hop Air Jump Combined Jump Height
1   Falco 50.51 27.7805 17.34 50.51 101.02
2   Greninja 46 25.3 22.11 46 92
3   Zero Suit Samus 44.5 24.475 21.35 44.2 88.7
4   Luigi 44 24.2 19.98 41.31 85.31
5   Diddy Kong 41.21 22.6655 19.9 41.21 82.42
6   Rosalina & Luma 40 22 19.37 40 80
7-8   Bayonetta 39 21.45 21.35 42 81
  Sheik 18.75 40 79
9   R.O.B. 38 20.9 18.38 38 76
10   Lucario 37.62 20.691 18.19 37.62 75.24
11   Piranha Plant 37.4 20.57 17.5 38.52 75.92
12   Captain Falcon 37.31 20.5205 17.98 37.31 74.62
13-14   Samus 37 20.35 18 37 74
  Dark Samus
15   Pichu 36.75 20.2125 17.43 36.02 72.77
16   Mario 36.33 19.9815 17.54 36.33 72.66
17   Yoshi 36.09 19.8495 14.43 51.56 87.65
18   Palutena 35.9 19.745 17.3 35.9 71.8
19   Wii Fit Trainer 35.6 19.58 17.18 35.6 71.2
20   Pikachu 35.5 19.525 17.12 35.5 71
21   Squirtle 35.35 19.4425 17.03 35.35 70.7
22-24   Fox 35 19.25 16.4 37 72
  Mii Brawler 17 35.5 70.5
  Sonic 16.89 35 70
25   Ice Climbers 34.69 12.1415 16.75 34.69 69.38
26   Ness 34.48 18.964 16.65 45.65 80.13
27   Bowser Jr. 34.4 18.92 16.59 34.4 68.8
28   Pac-Man 34.1 18.755 16.48 34.1 68.2
29-31   Ridley 34 18.7 14.2 25.80013889 78.91694444
  Donkey Kong 17.3 35.5 69.5
  Duck Hunt 16.48 33.8 67.8
32   Toon Link 33.8 18.59 16.32 33.8 67.6
33-35   Marth 33.66 18.513 16.26 33.66 67.32
  Lucina
  Young Link
36-37   Shulk 33.5 18.425 16.8 33.5 67
  Olimar 16.19
38   Robin 33.21 18.2655 16.02 33.21 66.42
39-42   Inkling 33 18.15 17.54 36.33 69.33
  Bowser 15.7 32.61 65.61
  King K. Rool 13.5
  Corrin 16 31 64
43   King Dedede 32.85 18.0675 16.02 28.50284665 107.2471598
44   Mega Man 32.8 18.04 11.49 32.8 65.6
45-48   Joker 32.5 17.875 14.2 34 66.5
  Cloud 17 32.5 65
  Villager 15.69
  Isabelle
49   Ivysaur 32.25 17.7375 15.58 32.25 64.5
50   Wolf 32.02 17.611 15.38 30.71 62.73
51-52   Meta Knight 32 17.6 13.92 20.91375 117.3169318
  Charizard 15.43 28 78
53   Incineroar 31.6 17.38 14.4 32.8 64.4
54   Zelda 31.55 17.3525 15.24 31.55 63.1
55   Mewtwo 31.11 17.1105 17.5 57.35 88.46
56-57   Pit 31 17.05 14.96 23.70148302 88.82420216
  Dark Pit
58-59   Roy 30.97 17.0335 13 28 58.97
  Chrom
60   Mii Gunner 30.9 16.995 14.6 32.3 63.2
61   Dr. Mario 30.8805 16.9843 13.414592 27.785184 58.665684
62   Mythra 30.8 17.248 15.6 33 63.8
63   Min Min 30.7 16.885 16 29 59.7
64-65   Sephiroth 30.5 16.775 10 34 64.5
  Wario 14.7 30.5 61
66-67   Peach 30.03 16.5165 14.5 30.03 60.06
  Daisy
68-70   Sora 30 16.5 17.2 40 70
  Simon 12 18 29 59
  Richter
71   Ike 29.9 16.445 16 31 60.9
72   Banjo & Kazooie 29.8 16.39 17.8 20.52556818 69.70840909
73   Lucas 29.41 16.1755 13 44.13 73.54
74   Hero 29 15.95 15.5 31 60
75   Mii Swordfighter 28.3 15.565 12.3 28.3 56.6
76   Link 27.8 15.29 13.38 29 56.8
77   Mr. Game & Watch 27.51 15.1305 13.26 27.51 55.02
78   Terry 27 14.85 15.2 29 56
79   Byleth 26.5 14.575 14 28.5 55
80   Pyra 26.3 14.728 15.2 29 55.3
81-83   Ryu 26 14.3 15 29.5 55.5
  Ken
  Little Mac 12.53 26 52
84   Ganondorf 25.49 14.0195 12.24 26 51.49
85   Kirby 25.37 13.9535 12.24 21.06378125 105.0616094
86   Snake 21.62 11.891 13.69 34.07 55.69
87   Jigglypuff 19.79 10.8845 11.26 24.865587 118.232559
88   Kazuya 18 9.9 12 49 67
89   Steve 16.5 9.075 10 22.5 39

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U digital manual description

"Jump by tapping   up or by pressing   or  . You can then jump while in midair by tapping   up or tapping   or   again."

Gallery

References

See also