Editing Dark Samus (SSBU)

'''Dark Samus''' ({{ja|ダークサムス|Dāku Samusu}}, ''Dark Samus'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. She was announced as a [[newcomer]] during the August 8th, 2018 [[Nintendo Direct|Super Smash Bros. Direct]] alongside {{SSBU|Simon}}, {{SSBU|Richter}}, {{SSBU|Chrom}} and {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}. Dark Samus is {{SSBU|Samus}}' [[Echo Fighter]] and is therefore classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #04^ε]].

The sound effects used for Samus in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' were repurposed for Dark Samus in ''Ultimate''.

 

 

Dark Samus shares the same positives as Samus, such as strong zoning capabilities and a heavy [[weight]]. However, she also shares Samus' weaknesses, such as poor grounded options against up-close opponents and unreliable smash attacks. Overall, she like Samus achieves strong results in tournaments from players like {{Sm|Sisqui}} and {{Sm|Yaura}}.

Similarly to Samus, Dark Samus' moveset consists of playing defensively, as she uses her projectiles to space, rack up damage from a distance and pressure shields. [[Charge Shot]] is her most consistent KOing option out of her special moves when fully charged, due to its speed and power. [[Missile]] is mostly used for spacing, due to both its Homing and Super variants being extremely inefficient at KOing, while {{b|Bomb|Samus}} grants Dark Samus various mix-ups and can aid her recovery. However, Missile and Bomb also possess valuable utility, in that they can guarantee a shield break when used in conjunction with a sufficiently charged Charge Shot or a sweetspotted back aerial. Lastly, {{b|Screw Attack|move}} is a decent out of shield option, a KOing option near the upper blast line and a viable combo finisher from aerial combo strings.

In addition, Dark Samus has a strong air game. The changes to air dodges have benefitted her overall, as they notably improve her ability to edgeguard (especially with moves such as forward aerial or her renowned Charge Shot), while she isn't hindered as much due to her fast air speed, the ability to stall mid-air using her Bombs, and her Grapple Beam tether recovery's long range. All of Dark Samus' aerials have no more than 20 frames of landing lag, and her back aerial is one of her best moves courtesy of its power, damage output, speed and range. Her down aerial can be a powerful meteor smash, forward aerial is a good pressuring tool due to its long duration, and up aerial is an excellent combo option. Lastly, her neutral aerial is a viable KOing option. When coupled with her high jumps, Dark Samus' air game is also potent while she is off-stage, as she can recover from nearly anywhere on the stage, stay in position for longer periods of time due to her floatiness, or bait the opponent by stalling in the air and punishing edge-guard attempts.

Dark Samus' grab game is also useful: her [[Grapple Beam]] has impressive range, doubles as a [[tether recovery]], and has very little landing lag when used as a [[grab aerial]]. Down throw is very useful for starting combos that deal respectable damage and can be used with her neutral, forward and up aerials at varying percentages. Many of her combos can rack up more than 30% and when using platforms to her advantage, or string together multiple times and then be finished with Screw Attack, leading to a KO or dealing 40%-50% at the very least. Up throw is Dark Samus' strongest throw and is a fairly reliable KO option, especially on platforms. Although forward throw and back throw have decent damage outputs, their only utility is creating space and setting up edgeguards, and both are mediocre at best in doing so.

As with certain other [[Echo Fighter]]s, Dark Samus is nearly identical gameplay-wise to Samus, with largely aesthetic differences. However, she has many basic animations that are different from Samus: a more standard roll which does not involve using her {{iw|metroidwiki|Morph Ball}}, {{iw|metroidwiki|Phazon}}-based attacks appearing as neon blue, [[electric]]al explosions instead of orange, [[Flame|flaming]] explosions, and more organic looking models for her Homing [[Missile]], Super Missile and {{b|Bomb|Samus}}.

 

However, Dark Samus' small advantages over Samus (such as her slightly faster roll) are considered to be less situational than Samus' small advantages over Dark Samus (such as the ability to detonate enemy [[bomb]]s with her [[flame]] properties, larger shield size, or a smaller hurtbox after rolling). The gameplay differences between the two are so marginal that it is ultimately up to the player's preference over which character to choose from.

*{{change|Dark Samus has a different [[victory theme]], which is shared with {{SSBU|Ridley}}.}}

*{{change|Dark Samus' [[No Contest]] animation is slightly different.}}

*{{change|Dark Samus' [[on-screen appearance]] has her warp onto the stage from a wormhole.}}

*{{change|Dark Samus hovers in midair during several of her animations, similarly to {{SSBU|Mewtwo}}, {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}} and {{SSBU|Bowser Jr.}}}}

**{{change|Dark Samus' idle stance and periodic idle poses are different. Many of her animations, such as her crouch transition, have been changed to seamlessly transition into this stance.}}  

**{{change|Dark Samus has an animation for transitioning into her own idle stance from Samus' idle stance, which is used only for animations that she shares with Samus. She shares this trait with {{SSBU|Chrom}} and {{SSBU|Mythra}}.}}

**{{change|Dark Samus' turning, [[walk]]ing, initial [[dash]], initial dash turnaround, running, turnaround, and braking animations are completely different, with sound effect changes to appropriately match the animations.}}

**{{change|Dark Samus' [[jump]]ing, [[double jump]]ing, edge jumping, and landing animations are different, with a different sound effect for her double jump. However, her falling animation is the same.}}  

**{{change|Dark Samus has altered animations for walking while firing shooting items, as well as for walking while holding the [[Daybreak]] item. However, the walking sound effects have not been changed to better match the altered animations.}}  

*{{change|Dark Samus' [[perfect shield]] animation is different. She performs a pose similar to the one in her artwork for ''{{iw|metroidwiki|Metroid Prime 3: Corruption}}''.}}

*{{change|Dark Samus' {{iw|metroidwiki|Arm Cannon}} splits into a segmented appearance and grows {{iw|metroidwiki|Phazon}} tendrils for some attacks, such as her grab, Missile, forward smash, and [[Phazon Laser]]. The color of the tendrils is dependent on her costume.}}

*{{buff|Dark Samus' stance allows her to evade certain low-reaching attacks while walking or dashing, such as {{SSBU|Mario}}'s dash attack or {{SSBU|Hero}}'s down tilt.}}

*{{change|As a reference to her Phazon-based attacks in the {{uv|Metroid}} series, any small explosions emitted by Dark Samus' Arm Cannon-based attacks are neon blue instead of orange.}}

**{{change|Aside from [[Missile]] and {{b|Bomb|Samus}}, Dark Samus' Phazon-based attacks also possess the [[electric]] effect instead of the [[flame]] effect of Samus' equivalent attacks. This changes how their respective attacks interact with others, such as Dark Samus being unable to immediately detonate other characters' [[bomb]]s with her equivalent attacks, and being able to hurt {{SSBU|Olimar}}'s Red {{b|Pikmin|species}} with them but not his Yellow Pikmin. Dark Samus' Phazon-based attacks also have a lower hitlag multiplier compared to Samus' equivalent attacks in order to maintain consistency with Samus' moveset.}}

***{{nerf|Because of the passive 1.5x hitlag multiplier on all moves with electric effect, Dark Samus' Phazon-based attacks suffer more [[rebound]] lag when clanking with other moves, making them more punishable in situations where she will trade with her electric moves.}}

****{{buff|However, Dark Samus is able to launch opponents farther than Samus with her electric moves when a [[Finish Zoom]] is triggered since there is an extra frame of hitstun during the effect.}}

*{{nerf|Dark Samus' shield is slightly smaller (12.5 → 12) and she stands in a more upright stance, with the shield centered slightly higher. This makes her easier to shield poke, especially with low reaching attacks.}}

**{{buff|However, Dark Samus' right arm is briefly intangible when activating and deactivating her shield.}}

*{{buff|Both of Dark Samus' [[roll]]s have less ending lag than Samus's ([[FAF]] 35 → 32 (forward), 40 → 37 (back)).}}

**{{nerf|Due to her larger hurtboxes while rolling, however, Dark Samus is more vulnerable during her rolls' ending lag.}}

*{{nerf|Dark Samus does not use her {{iw|metroidwiki|Morph Ball}} when rolling, and she does not somersault while double jumping or jumping backward. This makes her easier to hit during those animations, especially during a roll.}}

*{{buff|Dark Samus' initial dash turnaround animation starts 1 frame faster than Samus' does (3 frames → 2), making her retreat slightly faster. Notably, she is the only fighter with this attribute.}}

*{{nerf|Dark Samus has a longer duration in transitioning into her dashing animation when performing a turnaround initial dash (12 frames → 15). This increases the lag of her turnaround initial dash before it can be canceled into a shield.}}

*{{change|The visual trail on Dark Samus' foot during her forward tilt starts 1 frame later than Samus' version, no longer overtaking her foot's position in the kick.}}

*{{buff|Due to her hovering in midair, Dark Samus' dash attack has an altered animation. This animation makes her dash attack slightly more disjointed.}}

*{{change|All of Dark Samus' smash attacks have altered animations.}}

**{{change|This slightly influences the horizontal range of all versions of forward smash, with the unangled version having marginally less horizontal range, while the up and down angled versions have marginally increased horizontal range.}}

***{{nerf|However, Dark Samus does not move back as quickly during forward smash's ending lag. This makes it slightly less safe than Samus' version.}}

**{{change|This allows up smash to hit shorter opponents more reliably than Samus' version at the cost of KOing grounded opponents slightly later.}}

*{{buff|Due to Dark Samus' body being able to go past edges during her throw animation, her forward throw can KO slightly earlier than Samus' version at the very edge of a platform or stage.}}

**{{change|Charge Shot has an altered animation, in which Dark Samus performs the move one-handed. This results in the projectile being fired at a slightly lower elevation, but her hurtbox is taller during the animation compared to Samus' version, making her easier to hit. The change in animation is reflected when {{SSBU|Kirby}} copies this move, but his version of Dark Samus' Charge Shot is actually fired at a slightly higher elevation compared to his version of Samus' Charge Shot.}}

***{{buff|This allows Charge Shot to hit low-profiling opponents more easily, such as a crouching {{SSBU|Pichu}} or {{SSBU|Pikachu}} hanging from the edge.}}

**{{change|Charge Shot is mostly black and navy blue, with tendrils extending from the edges.}}

**{{change|Dark Samus' animations for firing a Homing and Super Missile are different.}}

***{{nerf|She does not hunch over as much as Samus does when firing a Homing Missile, making her hurtbox taller and easier to hit.}}

***{{nerf|Her animation for firing a Super Missile in the air is much longer than Samus' version (61 frames → 82). This results in Dark Samus taking longer to grab an edge afterward unless the Super Missile is [[interrupt]]ed.}}

**{{change|Homing Missile and Super Missile have an organic appearance.}}

**{{buff|Dark Samus' landing lag animation is different, as she twirls while still curled up and hovers slightly above the ground. This makes her hurtbox smaller and harder to hit, while also potentially allowing her to dodge some attacks with low-reaching hitboxes.}}

**{{change|The visual shockwave effect does not occur when Dark Samus activates Screw Attack in the air.}}

**{{change|Bomb has an organic appearance.}}

**{{change|It is mostly black and navy blue instead of white and neon blue.}}

**{{change|Dark Samus' Arm Cannon splits into a segmented appearance instead of using a large cannon ring.}}

**{{change|Due to Dark Samus' {{iw|metroidwiki|Phazon Suit}} lacking thrusters compared to Samus' {{iw|metroidwiki|Power Suit}}, Phazon Laser lacks hitboxes on her back compared to [[Zero Laser (Samus)|Samus' Zero Laser]]. This reduces the move's ability to damage opponents behind Dark Samus, but conversely the lack of thruster hitboxes makes the move less likely to push opponents away from its stronger main hitboxes, meaning that opponents are more likely to walk into or be knocked into the main beam and get KOed from behind.}}

*{{change|Dark Samus has a different pose when trapped inside of a [[Minecart]].}}

Like {{SSBU|Samus}}, Dark Samus has received a mix of buffs, nerfs and glitch fixes, but was buffed overall via game updates. Update 2.0.0 fixed Homing [[Missile]]'s inconsistency at following {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}}'s Pokémon any time they were switched via [[Pokémon Change]] after the Missile was fired. Missile's range was also increased while {{b|Bomb|Samus}}'s ending lag was decreased. However, update 3.0.0 decreased [[Charge Shot]]'s [[shield damage]] output as part of a near-universal nerf to projectiles. As a result, its utility for shield break combos was worsened significantly, with the same applying to Samus' version. Following this, update 3.1.0 improved the consistency of up smash's linking hits.  

However, Dark Samus received her most noteworthy buffs in update 7.0.0. Like Samus, her shield was enlarged as part of a near-universal buff; unlike Samus, however, Dark Samus' right arm now gains brief [[intangibility]] upon activating and deactivating her shield. Up smash, down smash and up throw each gained considerable increases to their knockback, which noticeably improved their KO potentials. On a similar note, early dash attack deals 3% more damage: this makes it functionally identical to the clean hit, and thus improved dash attack's consistency as a situational, yet viable KO option. Aerial [[Grapple Beam]] gained slight increases to its damage output and active frames, which improved its spacing prowess. Lastly, update 9.0.2 fixed a glitch introduced in update 9.0.0 that made [[Screw Attack]] unable to propel Dark Samus as high as it used to.

Overall, Dark Samus fares better than she did at the launch of ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''.

|neutraldesc=A left-handed jab followed by a [[wikipedia:Professional wrestling attacks#Forearm club|forearm club]] with the {{iw|metroidwiki|Arm Cannon}}. Despite dealing above-average damage for a neutral attack, it is poor overall, as opponents can usually act out before the second hit connects by shielding or using a fast attack, while the second hit may not even connect at high percentages. Depending on the opponent's weight, it is safe and a true combo at high percentages, but only if the first hit connects relatively close to the arm and not at the fist. The second hit does have KO potential at very high percentages, however.

|ftiltdesc=A wheel kick. Deals more damage and knockback at her foot, while her leg deals less damage and knockback. Can be [[angle]]d, which causes it to deal more damage, but may cause it to miss shorter characters on the ground if angled up. The foot sweetspot deals rather potent knockback for a tilt attack, which can KO at the edge at around 125%. At varying percentages, depending on which part of the move is landed, it can lead into a guaranteed [[Charge Shot]] since, regardless of [[tech]]ing, Charge Shot can catch the opponent's option in time if they are knocked down.

|utiltdesc=An axe kick. It is almost identical to {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}}'s up tilt in both appearance and functionality. Like Falcon's, it [[meteor smash]]es grounded opponents, but unlike his, it launches aerial opponents at a horizontal angle. This allows it to set up combos against grounded opponents at a wide range of percentages, while still being a reliable edgeguard tool, due to its wide coverage and powerful enough knockback to KO aerial opponents at around 95% at the edge. At high percentages, the grounded meteor can also set up KO confirms into a fully charged Charge Shot. However, the move has noticeable startup, due to coming out on frame 15, making it Dark Samus' slowest normal attack on the ground.

|dtiltdesc=Kneels and quickly thrusts her Arm Cannon downward to fire a small blast of {{iw|metroidwiki|Phazon}}. It is very fast, due to coming out on frame 6, and deals respectable damage and knockback for a tilt attack, KOing at around 160% off the top blast line. It is useful as a close range anti-pressure option on opponents in front of Dark Samus, or as a punishment option. However, its very high ending lag leaves it easy to punish if shielded or missed.

|dashdesc=A shoulder tackle. Deals more damage and knockback at the start and near the middle of the attack, KOing opponents at around 150% from the center of {{SSBU|Final Destination}}, and earlier while near edges. However, the late hit is noticeably weaker, and the move lacks combo potential. It resembles the {{iw|metroidwiki|Shinespark}}, one of [[Samus Aran]]'s special techniques that debuted ''{{iw|metroidwiki|Super Metroid}}''.

|fsmashdesc=Quickly thrusts her Arm Cannon forward to fire a small blast of Phazon. Functions similarly to {{SSBU|Mario}}'s forward smash, with the blast being the most powerful part of the move. It is one of the fastest forward smashes in the game, coming out on frame 10, while the blast has enough knockback to KO at around 100% from center stage. However, it is rather weak otherwise, with the Arm Cannon KOing at around 135%. It can be angled like her forward tilt, with the upward angle dealing more damage and knockback, though it can typically miss as a result; conversely, the downward angle can hit edge hanging opponents, but deals slightly less damage and knockback. Compared to Samus' version of the move, it has slightly less range.

|usmashname=Cover Fire ({{ja|ヘルファイア|Herufaia}}, ''Hellfire'')

|usmashdesc=Fires five small blasts of Phazon in an overhead arcing motion. This move works best as an anti-air attack, as its multiple hits give a good amount of aerial protection. Conversely, it is unable to hit grounded opponents unless they are close enough to Dark Samus. Compared to Samus' version of the move, however, Dark Samus can catch opponents at a lower height. It is also her most damaging smash attack, dealing 18% total uncharged. However, due to its hits being spread above Dark Samus, it can fail to fully connect if the opponent is hit from too far.

|fairname=Aerial Fire ({{ja|エアリアルヘルファイア|Eariaru Herufaia}}, ''Aerial Hellfire'')

|fairdesc=Fires five blasts of Phazon in a slow, downward arcing motion. The first four hits drag opponents into the rest of the move using the [[autolink angle]], with the last hit carrying the entire attack's knockback. Dark Samus' main aerial move for both combos and protection. Extremely useful as an edge get-up option or against air dodges due to its multiple hits, and using the move immediately after a short hop can hit opponents with the last hit before Dark Samus lands again.

|uairdesc=A diagonal corkscrew flying kick. It hits multiple times and is her fastest aerial, due to it coming out on frame 5. Grounded opponents can be hit by the last hitbox if Dark Samus lands while starting the move in the air, although it is difficult to do so, and risky due to the move's high landing lag. It can be used as a follow-up after a dash attack, grounded up tilt, down aerial, or down throw, all of which can be followed up with another up aerial and/or can be finished off with a [[Screw Attack]]. On stages with platforms, it even has potential for a [[zero-to-death]] when using a platform to extend the combo.

|zairname=Aerial [[Grapple Beam]] ({{ja|空中グラップリングビーム|Kūchū Gurappuringu Bīmu}}, ''Aerial Grappling Beam'')

|zairdesc=Fires the {{iw|metroidwiki|Grapple Beam}}. Due to having only 8 frames of landing lag, it is a useful spacing option and can reliably set up combos at close range upon landing. It autocancels from a full hop and has impressive range, being the longest grab aerial in game. Unlike in previous games, however, hitting an opponent causes the Grapple Beam to retract earlier, while not reducing the move's ending lag.

|grabname=Grapple Beam ({{ja|グラップリングビーム|Gurappuringu Bīmu}}, ''Grappling Beam'')

|grabdesc=Fires the Grapple Beam. It has impressive range and is tied with Samus' grab as the longest tether grab in the game. However, it is one of the slowest grabs in terms of ending lag, making it very punishable if missed.

|pummeldesc=Chops the opponent with her left hand. Average power and speed.

|fthrowdesc=Twirls the opponent overhead then flings them forward. Although its knockback has been increased, it remains too weak for KOing at realistic percentages, unless Dark Samus has [[rage]] and is at the edge of the stage.

|uthrowdesc=Puts the opponent above herself and blasts them upward with her Arm Cannon. Dark Samus' most damaging and strongest throw, possessing enough knockback to KO middleweights under 150% from ground level and without rage. At low percentages, it can also combo into an up aerial against large characters, as well as Screw Attack against most characters. However, the latter will only connect its hits reliably on a few characters.

|dthrowdesc=Swings the opponent high above her head, then slams them onto the ground. A reliable combo starter, with its follow-ups including a dash attack or dashing up smash at low percentages, a neutral, back or up aerial up to mid percentages, and a forward aerial up to high percentages.

|nsdesc=[[metroidwiki:Charge Beam|Charges a ball of Phazon and fires it]]. Boasts excellent KO potential when fully charged, and is a useful intercepting move at a low charge. KOs at 70%-110% depending on rage and the opponent's weight and DI. Can be used to break shields if used in conjunction with her neutral attack, up or down tilts, aerials, Bomb and Super Missile. When using her forward tilt to launch the opponent into [[tumbling]], it can set up a guaranteed combo into Charge Shot regardless of the opponent's tech option, as Charge Shot will always catch their tech direction. A non-fully charged Charge Shot has way less ending lag than its fully charged counterpart, allowing for follow-ups and combos at various percentages at the cost of less power.

|ssdesc=Fires a {{iw|metroidwiki|Missile}}, which homes in on the opponent. If the special button is tapped like a smash attack, Dark Samus will instead fire a {{iw|metroidwiki|Super Missile}}, which stays in place very briefly before traveling quickly in a straight line, and deals more damage and knockback. Both variations deal low knockback, but can be used to break a shield if used in conjunction with a fully charged Charge Shot. Both Missile variations can also be used as set-ups by opening up an opportunity for a grab aerial, or Charge Shot, while the Super variation sets up better for a true combo into a forward jumping Charge Shot at high percentages. The Homing variation is also useful for catching recoveries and forcing air dodges, which can open up punishment opportunities.

|usdesc=[[metroidwiki:Screw Attack|Leaps upward to perform a high-speed somersault while discharging energy]]. Shoots upward if initiated from the ground, while it gains distance slower if started in the air. A useful out of shield option, due to it coming out on frame 4 on the ground, and deals enough knockback to KO around 100% while near the upper blast line.

|dsdesc=Rolls into a {{iw|metroidwiki|Morph Ball}} and drops a {{iw|metroidwiki|Bomb}}, which explodes after a set time. Useful to force an opponent to shield and for edgeguarding, being capable of [[2 frame punish]]es if timed correctly. It can also break shields depending on their health if used along with her up tilt, down tilt, or a fully charged Charge Shot.

|fsdesc=Fires an enormous beam of Phazon. The beam can be angled up and/or down throughout its duration. However, since Dark Samus' {{iw|metroidwiki|Phazon Suit}} lacks thrusters unlike {{SSBU|Samus}}' {{iw|metroidwiki|Power Suit}}, she cannot hit any opponents behind her. It resembles one of Dark Samus' attacks used during her final battle against Samus Aran in ''{{iw|metroidwiki|Metroid Prime 2: Echoes}}''.

 

Dark Samus' gravity and falling speed are set to 0.078288 and 1.8, respectively, during [[hitstun]] when launched at angles between 70°-110°.

 

|ff        = 2.128

*Warps onto the stage from a wormhole, similar to the ones used by {{iw|metroidwiki|Leviathan}}s to travel through outer space in ''{{iw|metroidwiki|Metroid Prime 3: Corruption}}''.

*'''Up taunt''': Hovers up slightly while emitting small embers of Phazon.

*'''Side taunt''': Spins around while emitting small embers of Phazon.

*'''Down taunt''': Crouches down while holding her Arm Cannon upright. It slightly resembles Samus' taunt in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'', and Samus' pose on the box art of both ''{{iw|metroidwiki|Metroid II: Return of Samus}}'' and ''{{iw|metroidwiki|Metroid: Samus Returns}}''.

SSBUDarkSamusTaunt1.gif|Dark Samus' up taunt.

SSBUDarkSamusTaunt2.gif|Dark Samus' side taunt.

SSBUDarkSamusTaunt3.gif|Dark Samus' down taunt.

SSBUDarkSamusIdle1.gif|Dark Samus' first idle pose.

SSBUDarkSamusIdle2.gif|Dark Samus' second idle pose.

|[[File:Dark Samus Cheer English SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Dark Samus Cheer Japanese SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Dark Samus Cheer Italian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Dark Samus Cheer Dutch SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Dark Samus Cheer French NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Dark Samus Cheer French PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]

*'''Left:''' Raises her arm and lowers it in a fist pump pose. It is based on a pose she assumes during the introduction to her battle in ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption''. It also somewhat resembles her arm's pose shown in the secret 100% ending of ''{{iw|metroidwiki|Metroid Prime}}''.

*'''Up:''' Splits from a {{iw|metroidwiki|Dark Echo}} by performing a cartwheel. They then levitate in a circle around an axis before recombining together. Dark Samus then poses with her free hand on her Arm Cannon, which is pointed upward. The Dark Echo's initial movement is based on the introduction to her battle in ''Metroid Prime 3: Corruption''. The final pose resembles Samus' render from ''{{iw|metroidwiki|Metroid: Other M}}'', and by extension, her official artwork in ''Ultimate''.

*'''Right:''' Turns toward the camera while emitting small embers of Phazon, then the camera dramatically zooms in to her face, at which point two of her eyes flash briefly through her {{iw|metroidwiki|visor}}. It is similar to the {{iw|metroidwiki|SA-X}}'s [[metroidwiki::File:SA-X mf Screenshot 1.png|introduction]] in ''{{iw|metroidwiki|Metroid Fusion}}''.

[[File:RidleyDarkSamusVictoryThemeUltimate.ogg|thumb|A sinister remix of the theme that plays when [[Samus Aran]] obtains a power-up for her {{iw|metroidwiki|Power Suit}}.]]

==In [[competitive play]]==

Dark Samus' route features her fighting against protagonists while she is allied with fighters who, at some point in their respective home series, were corrupted in some way. The exemptions to this are Rounds 4 and 6: the former Round features {{SSBU|Ivysaur}} as a partner due to its partial [[bulbapedia:Poison (type)|Poison typing]] instead of outright corruption, and the latter Round is a free-for-all against {{SSBU|Samus}} and {{SSBU|Ridley}}. Dark Samus having teammates is a reference her ability to [[metroidwiki:Phazon Corruption|corrupt beings via Phazon]], while the name of her route is also a direct reference to {{iw|metroidwiki|Phazon}} being referred to as the "Great Poison" in {{iw|metroidwiki|Chozo Lore}}.

|1||{{CharHead|Link|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Hyrule Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Hyrule Castle (Outside)}}''||{{CharHead|Zelda|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Black}} is a CPU ally. Zelda has fought against Link when [[zeldawiki:Possessed Zelda|she was possessed]] by [[Ganondorf]] and {{iw|zeldawiki|Malladus}} in ''{{iw|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess}}'' and ''{{iw|zeldawiki|The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks}}'', respectively.

|2||{{CharHead|Chrom|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Lucina|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Arena Ferox]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Power-Hungry Fool}}''||{{CharHead|Robin|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=White}} is a CPU ally. The future Robin was possessed by {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Grima|character}} and fought Chrom and Lucina in ''{{iw|fireemblem|Fire Emblem Awakening}}''.

|3||{{CharHead|Ryu|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Suzaku Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|M. Bison Stage Type B}}''||{{CharHead|Ken|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Black}} is a CPU ally. In ''SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos'' and ''Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers'', Ken was brainwashed by [https://streetfighter.fandom.com/wiki/M._Bison M. Bison] and became [https://streetfighter.fandom.com/wiki/Violent_Ken Violent Ken] as a result.

|4||{{CharHead|Squirtle|SSBU|hsize=20px}}, {{CharHead|Charizard|SSBU|hsize=20px}}, and {{CharHead|Pikachu|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Saffron City]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Battle! (Team Galactic)}}''|| {{CharHead|Ivysaur|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Green}} is a CPU ally. Although Ivysaur is Dark Samus' only teammate to not be corrupted in its home series, its partial [[bulbapedia:Poison (type)|Poison typing]] can reference {{iw|metroidwiki|Phazon}}'s extreme toxicity. The respective {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}}s of the enemies and ally are absent.

|5||{{CharHead|Mario|SSBU|hsize=20px}}, {{CharHead|Peach|SSBU|hsize=20px}}, and {{CharHead|Daisy|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Princess Peach's Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Main Theme - Luigi's Mansion (Brawl)}}''||{{CharHead|Luigi|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Purple}} is a CPU ally. The CPU ally may refer to ''{{iw|mariowiki|Super Paper Mario}}'', where he was brainwashed by {{iw|mariowiki|Nastasia}} and became {{s|mariowiki|Mr. L}}, or ''{{iw|mariowiki|Mario Tennis Aces}}'', where Luigi is brainwashed by the tennis racket {{iw|mariowiki|Lucien}}.

{{clr}}

Dark Samus's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} as Dark Samus. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Dark Samus has been unlocked. Unlocking Dark Samus in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Her fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with her artwork in ''Ultimate''.

==In Spirit Battles==

Dark Samus Joins the Battle.png|Dark Samus' splash art.

Dark Samus amiibo.png|Dark Samus' [[amiibo]].

SSBU Dark Samus Number.png|Dark Samus' fighter card.

Dark Samus unlock notice SSBU.jpg|Dark Samus' unlock notice.

SSBUWebsiteDarkSamus1.jpg|Charging her [[forward smash]] on the [[Great Plateau Tower]].

SSBUWebsiteDarkSamus6.jpg|Dark Samus' purple [[Alternate costume|costume]] on [[Lylat Cruise]].

Dark Samus Morph Ball Smash.png|Dark Samus' {{iw|metroidwiki|Morph Ball}}.

DarkSamusAndBomb.jpg|Dark Samus crouching next to her {{b|Bomb|Samus}} on [[Bridge of Eldin]].

Dark Samus Minecraft stage.jpg|Dark Samus on [[Minecraft World]].

*Dark Samus, {{SSBU|Little Mac}} and {{SSBU|Isabelle}} initially appeared as [[Assist Trophy|Assist Trophies]] in previous installments prior to becoming fighters.

**Unlike them, Dark Samus is the only one to be an [[Echo Fighter]].

*Dark Samus is the second fighter revealed to have been cloned from a female fighter (in her case, {{SSBU|Samus}}), with the first being {{SSBU|Daisy}}.

*Much like Daisy's base fighter, {{SSBU|Peach}}, having a [[Daisy]]-based alternate costume in all of her previous appearances, Dark Samus' base fighter, Samus, has a [[Dark Samus]]-based alternate costume in ''Super Smash Bros. 4''. This costume was removed in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', likely to make it easier to distinguish between Samus and Dark Samus. This scenario is similar to {{SSBU|Ike}}'s loss of his [[Chrom]]-inspired alternate costume following {{SSBU|Chrom}}'s inclusion as a fighter in ''Ultimate''.

**Incidentally, Dark Samus, Daisy, and Chrom are Echo Fighters.

*Dark Samus is the only Echo Fighter who can wall jump.

*Dark Samus is the second non-Japanese character to be playable in ''Super Smash Bros.'', with the first being [[Diddy Kong]]. She is also the first fighter in the series that was created by an American developer ({{iw|wikipedia|Retro Studios}}).

*Just like her fellow {{uv|Metroid}} newcomer {{SSBU|Ridley}}, ''Ultimate'' marks Dark Samus' first playable appearance.

**On an extended note, Dark Samus is the first {{b|Metroid|creature}} to be playable in any capacity.

*According to [[Masahiro Sakurai]]'s weekly Famitsu column, Dark Samus was added due to her popularity overseas, while Chrom was added due to his popularity in Japan.

*Dark Samus is the second playable female villain, with the first being [[Koopalings|Wendy O. Koopa]].

**She is also the only Echo Fighter who is a villain, as the rest of the Echo Fighters are either heroes or, in [[Dark Pit]]'s case, an anti-hero.

*While Dark Samus normally has a different idle stance from Samus, she will assume Samus' idle stance briefly after using an animation directly borrowed from Samus (such as any attack excluding her dash attack, smash attacks, special moves, Final Smash, or flinching in any way). This is similar to other Echo Fighters, though unlike the other examples (save for {{SSBU|Simon}} and {{SSBU|Richter}}), Dark Samus does not revert to her base fighter's idle stance while holding a small item.

**On a similar note, Dark Samus dashes on her feet while carrying heavy items (such as a [[crate]]) despite floating by default in order to move around. This is possibly an animation carryover from Samus. She also uses Samus' animations when walking/dashing off a platform.

*All of Dark Samus' Arm Cannon-based moves (except for down tilt, up smash, and forward aerial) alter the Arm Cannon to match the color of her {{iw|metroidwiki|Phazon Suit}}'s {{iw|metroidwiki|visor}} and highlights.

*Dark Samus is one of two characters in ''Ultimate'' who shares another character's star KO voice clip (in her case, Samus'), with the other being {{SSBU|Dr. Mario}} (who has {{SSBU|Mario}}'s star KO voice clip).

*Dark Samus, Samus, {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}} and {{SSBU|Pac-Man}} are the only fighters who do not emit flashing red eyes in the spirit battle preview screens in World of Light.

*In French and German, the name tag and voice clip from the announcer on the victory screen is different from the one used on the character select screen. In the former, the announcer pronounces her name in a more sinister way (akin to the English and Dutch versions), while the latter features a noticeable translation of "the" ('''die''' Dunkle Samus).