Neutral attack

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Roy's neutral attack in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

A neutral attack (弱攻撃), often referred to as a jab (and officially standard attack or weak attack before Super Smash Bros. Ultimate), is the most basic attack a character can perform. It is performed by pressing the attack button while standing on the ground, with no input from the control stick. Typically, neutral attacks are fast, short-ranged, weak attacks meant for easy close-range punishes or escaping pressure.

Almost all neutral attacks in the series are natural combos: a type of attack with multiple stages which lead directly into each other. Just after the first attack is thrown, pressing the attack button again – regardless of whether the first attack connected – will result in an immediate follow-up attack. Certain natural combos also have a third stage, with a few that have a fourth stage. Mario's iconic neutral attack, a simple punch-punch-kick combo, is a well-known example of a three-stage neutral attack.

From Brawl onwards, holding the attack button instead of pressing it for the first hit of certain neutral attacks will cause the character to continually perform the first attack at a very high speed until it hits an opponent. This property is known as consecutiveness, and can be a helpful way to ensure an opponent will be hit by one without requiring strict timing. Additionally, when a neutral attack connects, regardless of whether it possesses consecutiveness, the next stages can be activated by simply holding the button, rather than pressing it repeatedly like in the previous games.

Types of neutral attacks

Since generally all nonfinal stages of a natural combo have the simple purpose of leading into the final one, most neutral attacks are defined by the nature of their final stage. To this end, there are three types of enders:

Standard

Wolf's standard neutral combo in Brawl.

Characters like Mario, Sonic, Cloud Strife, and Ness have neutral attacks that end with a simple final hit, launching opponents away. Certain characters with one-hit neutral attacks that are not natural combos, such as Pikachu, Ganondorf, and Roy, fall into this category as well. Because this is by far the most common type of neutral attack, there is not a universally accepted term for it.

Infinite

The final hit of Fox's neutral infinite in Smash 4.

A neutral infinite (often called a rapid jab, and officially known as a flurry attack in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) is a constantly-looping flurry of incredibly fast and weak attacks that link into each other. Once this attack is launched, it can be indefinitely looped by pressing the attack button repeatedly in SSB and Melee, or by simply holding it from Brawl onward. Despite their indefinite nature, neutral infinites can be escaped relatively quickly with proper DI and SDI, especially prior to Smash 4. Later games mitigate this by speeding up their hit rate and lowering their SDI multipliers (as well as weakening SDI itself), as well as slightly pushing the attacker back each hit after landing a certain number of hits.

The neutral infinite ends once the attack button is released. Prior to Smash 4, this causes the character to simply stop attacking, which in consequence would leave the opponent close enough to potentially punish the user – however, from Smash 4 onwards, neutral infinites have a final hit known as a finisher that is designed to launch opponents away, and is used once the attack button is released. Since no new button input is made to activate this final hit, it is not its own stage of the natural combo. While most finishers are designed to simply create space between the user and victim, some infinites have KO potential, with notable ones including Bowser Jr. and Bayonetta.

Characters like Kirby, Fox, and Sheik and are known for possessing neutral infinites. Meta Knight is unique for having only a neutral infinite, and no standard neutral attack beforehand. Instead, his forward tilt is a three-part attack.

Choosables

Captain Falcon's Gentleman in Smash 4.

A choosable neutral attack is one that can end either in a neutral infinite or in a standard final hit (which, in the context of a choosable, may be referred to as a Gentleman). The infinite is chosen by repeatedly pressing the attack button during the nonfinal hits of the combo – once it is launched, it functions identically to the typical neutral infinite. Likewise, the Gentleman is chosen by pressing the attack button less frequently, or by simply holding it once the first hit connects with an opponent.

While choosables appear in every installment, they are much more common in Smash 4 and Ultimate. Characters like Captain Falcon, Young Link, Pit, Little Mac, and Corrin are known for possessing choosables.

List of neutral attacks

Consecutiveness only applies from Brawl onward, as the feature did not exist in previous games.

Character	Stages	Last stage	Cons.	Description
Banjo & Kazooie	3	Choosable		Banjo swipes his claws forward twice, then either uppercuts a third time or crouches while Kazooie does the Rat-a-tat Rap, where she jabs her beak repetitively.
Bayonetta	4	Unique		Performs three pistol whips, then leans forwards and rapidly thrusts her guns forwards before throwing a downwards gun-spinning punch for a final hit. Unlike most neutral infinites, it ends automatically after a set number of hits. Hits 1-3 and the infinite finisher can be extended with Bullet Arts, while holding attack button during the multi-hit as opposed to mashing will use Bullet Arts to deal more damage.
Bowser	2	Standard		Performs a left-handed claw swipe, followed by a second one with his right hand. Throws a left punch, followed by a right. Throws an open hand palm strike at the opponent and then follows up with a punch.
Bowser Jr.	3	Infinite		Deploys a pair of boxing gloves from the Koopa Clown Car, then uses them to throw a jab, a cross, and then a flurry of rapid punches ending in an uppercut.
Byleth	3	Choosable		A knife-hand strike, followed by a roundhouse kick, and finally either a side kick, or a flurry attack with the whip-sword.
Captain Falcon	4 3	Infinite Choosable		Jabs twice, strikes with his knee, and then performs a series of one-handed jabs. Jabs twice, then either strikes with his knee or performs a series of one-handed jabs ending in an uppercut.
Charizard	3	Standard		Throws alternating swipes with its claws, then slashes its wing upwards and inwards.
Chrom	1	Standard		Slashes upwards in front of himself.
Cloud	3	Standard		Throws two kicks, then slashes outwards with the Buster Sword.
Corrin	3	Choosable		Stabs forwards with a draconic spear arm, slashes with Omega Yato, and then either strikes forwards with Omega Yato again or leans forwards and performs a rapid series of bites with an arm-mounted draconic mouth.
Daisy	2	Standard		Slaps twice.
Dark Pit	3	Choosable		Slashes twice, then either uppercuts with one of his blades or repeatedly attacks with both of them.
Dark Samus	2	Standard		Jabs, then clubs downwards with her Arm Cannon.
Diddy Kong	4 3	Choosable Standard		Slaps twice, kicks forward and rapidly flicks his tail around in front of himself. Slaps twice, then either kicks forward or rapidly flicks his tail around in front of himself. Slaps twice, then throws a side kick.
Donkey Kong	2	Standard		Punches forwards, then uppercuts.
Dr. Mario	3	Standard		Throws two punches, then a straight kick.
Duck Hunt	3	Choosable		The dog performs a paw swipe, then a headbutt, and then either throws a two-footed kick or lays down while the duck rapidly pecks forwards.
Falco	3	Infinite		Throws two punches, then a series of kicks with incredible speed. Slashes inwards and then outwards with his wing, then leans forwards while spinning with both wings outstretched to perform a tornado-like series of rapid strikes before finishing with a final slash /heel kick .
Fox	3	Infinite		Throws two punches, then a series of kicks with incredible speed.
Ganondorf	1	Standard		Strikes straight forwards with his hand.
Greninja	3	Choosable		Performs two alternating palm strikes, then either explodes a burst of water from both of its palms or performs a rapid series of watery slashes.
Hero	3	Standard		Swings his sword straight upward, then straight downward, and then inward.
Ice Climbers	2	Standard		Swing their hammers outwards, then upwards and inwards.
Ike	3	Standard		Throws a jab, then a stepping-forwards kick, and then slams Ragnell downwards onto the ground.
Incineroar	3	Standard		Throws a straight spearhand, then a knee jab, and then a leaning-forwards elbow bash.
Inkling	3	Choosable		Performs a finger jab, a roundhouse kick, and then either a side kick or a series of close-ranged Splattershot blasts.
Isabelle	1	Standard		Swings a toy hammer downwards for a very fast and weak single hit.
Ivysaur	3	Infinite		Whips forwards with one vine, then another, and then performs a rapid storm of vine slaps forwards.
Jigglypuff	2	Standard		Throws two alternating punches.
Joker	3	Standard		Slashes inwards, stabs forwards in reverse grip, and then slashes outwards.
Kazuya	Flash Punch Combo: 3 10-Hit Combo: 10	Unique		Flash Punch Combo: Throws two punches, then a straight punch. 10-Hit Combo: Does a 10 hit combo, comboing with a series of punches and kicks, finishing with a bursting uppercut.
Ken	Tapped: 3 Held: 1	Standard		Tapped: Throws a straight jab, then a short-straight punch, and then a hook. Held (far): Swings his leg upwards and then brings it back down for a swift axe kick. Held (close): Throws an uppercut.
King Dedede	3	Infinite		Swipes inwards with his hammer, then upwards, and then thrusts it forward while spinning its head like a drill for several hits.
King K. Rool	3	Standard		Strikes forwards with his palm, slashes inwards with his claws, then kicks straight forwards.
Kirby	3	Infinite		Jabs twice, then throws a very fast series of punches.
Link	3	Choosable Standard		Slashes twice with the Master Sword, then either stabs forwards a single time or performs a very fast series of forwards stabs. Slashes twice with the Master Sword, then leans into a final forwards strike.
Little Mac	3	Choosable		Throws a jab, then a hook, and then either a leaning uppercut or a barrage of high-speed punches.
Lucario	3	Standard		Performs a downwards paw swing, a forward palm thrust, and then a high kick.
Lucas	3	Standard		Throws a quick combo of three kicks.
Lucina	2	Standard		Performs a pair of upwards swings with Parallel Falchion.
Luigi	3	Standard		Throws two punches, then a straight kick. Throws two punches, then performs a jumping hip check.
Mario	3	Standard		Throws two punches, then a straight kick.
Marth	2	Standard		Performs a pair of upwards swings with Falchion.
Mega Man	3	Standard		Fires the Mega Buster straight ahead up to three times in a row.
Meta Knight	1	Infinite		Unleashes a storm of slashes to cover his entire body. Performs several very fast slashes in front of himself before ending with a backflipping slash.
Mewtwo	2	Infinite		Performs a dark-powered palm thrust, then leans further forwards to release a stream of dark smoke from that same palm for rapid hits.
Mii Brawler	3	Infinite		Throws two jabs, then a barrage of quick punches ending in a swift back kick.
Mii Gunner	3	Standard		Performs a pair of bludgeons with the arm cannon, then thrusts it straight forwards accompanied by a near-immediate flame blast. Throws a jab, then a side kick, and then thrusts the arm cannon straight forwards accompanied by a near-immediate flame blast.
Mii Swordfighter	3	Standard		Slashes inwards, outwards, and then upwards.
Min Min	3	Choosable		Kicks forwards, then does a leg sweep, then a series of kicks with incredible speed, finishing off with a straight kick. Similar to Ryu and Ken, if the button is held rather than tapped, Min Min does a forward tilt instead of a neutral attack.
Mr. Game & Watch	2	Infinite		Pumps insecticide forwards, then begins to pump it much more rapidly.
Mythra	3	Choosable		Throws a knifehand strike followed by a sword slash then either a second upwards slash or repeated magic blasts.
Ness	3	Standard		Throws two jabs, then a side kick.
Olimar	2	Standard		Performs a pair of headbutts. Throws two leaning punches.
Pac-Man	3	Standard		Throws two jabs, then performs a backflipping kick.
Palutena	2	Infinite		Thrusts her staff forwards at hip level, then keeps it there while releasing a rapidly-hitting blast of light from it.
Peach	2	Standard		Slaps twice.
Pichu	1	Standard		Performs a very fast and weak headbutt.
Pikachu	1	Standard		Performs a very fast and weak headbutt.
Piranha Plant	3	Choosable		Throws a leaf jab, then a cross, and then either headbutts straight forwards or performs a furious storm of bites.
Pit	3	Choosable		Slashes twice, then either uppercuts with one of his blades or repeatedly attacks with both of them.
Pyra	3	Choosable		Throws a knifehand strike followed by a sword slash then either a second upwards slash or repeated fiery blasts.
R.O.B.	2	Standard		Throws two alternating hooks.
Richter	3	Infinite		Holds a short length of the Vampire Killer in his hands to strike twice with its tip, then rapidly swirls it around in front of himself for multiple hits.
Ridley	3	Choosable		Slashes inwards with both claws, then either bites in front of himself or performs a high-speed flurry of tail stabs.
Robin	3	Choosable		Slashes upwards, then downwards with a bronze sword, then either opens up a fire tome to cast an exploding fireball or rapidly flits through pages in a wind tome to create a whirling storm of magic wind slashes.
Rosalina & Luma	3	Choosable		Rosalina: Swings her wand forwards twice, then either casts a small burst of stardust from the wand or twirls it in a circle for several hits. Luma: Throws a jab, then kicks, and then either performs a backflipping kick or leans forwards while rapidly spinning for several hits, ending with a headbutt.
Roy	1	Standard		Slashes upwards in front of himself.
Ryu	Tapped: 3 Held: 1	Standard		Tapped: Throws a straight jab, then a short-straight punch, and then a hook. Held (far): Performs a strong, upwards-angled roundhouse kick. Held (close): Throws an uppercut. (only exists in )
Samus	2	Standard		Jabs, then clubs downwards with her Arm Cannon.
Sephiroth	3	Standard		A roundhouse kick, followed by a side kick and finally a hilt thrust.
Sheik	3	Infinite		Throws two knifehands, then a series of spearhand thrusts.
Shulk	3	Standard		Throws a jab and a side kick, then slashes upwards with the Monado.
Simon	3	Infinite		Holds a short length of the Vampire Killer in his hands to strike twice with its tip, then rapidly swirls it around in front of himself for multiple hits.
Snake	3	Standard		Throws two jabs and then performs a spinning roundhouse kick.
Sonic	3	Standard		Throws two jabs, then a kick.
Sora	3	Standard		A 3 hit combo consisting of a downward swing, a forward jab, and a rightward 360° swing.
Squirtle	3	Standard		Throws a jab, performs an inwards tail whip, and flips forwards for a downwards tail drop. Throws a jab, performs a jumping kick, and then spins its tail in a modified roundhouse.
Steve	1	Standard		A forward swipe of a sword.
Terry	3	Standard		A high jab, followed by a hit to the body, and ending with a high kick launcher.
Toon Link	3	Standard		Slashes twice, then stabs straight forwards.
Villager	2 3	Standard Infinite		Throw a pair of alternating hooks. Throws a pair of alternating hooks, then begins to throw a faster chain of hooks ending with a straight punch.
Wario	2	Standard		Throws a pair of alternating hooks.
Wii Fit Trainer	3	Standard		Throws a forwards spearhand while simultaneously striking backwards with a back kick, then performs a knee thrust, and finally lunges forwards with a stomp that can bury.
Wolf	3	Standard		Performs two claw slashes, then leans forwards for a final blow.
Yoshi	2	Standard		Throws two simple kicks.
Young Link	3	Choosable		Slashes twice with the Kokiri Sword, then either stabs forwards a single time or performs a very fast series of strikes.
Zelda	1 2	Standard Infinite		Releases three magic sparks from her outstretched palm. Releases two magic sparks from her palm, then braces herself slightly as she unleashes a larger surge of magic for several hits.
Zero Suit Samus	3	Standard		Throws a jab, strikes inwards with the Paralyzer, and then thrusts her elbow forwards.

Notable neutral attacks

Meta Knight's infinite in Brawl.

• The fastest neutral attacks come out on frame 1, making them some of the fastest moves in the game. The only two fighters who possess frame 1 neutral attacks are Zero Suit Samus and Little Mac, with Little Mac's neutral attack in Smash 4 also having anti-rebounding priority.
• Pikachu, Pichu, Isabelle and Steve all have incredibly fast neutral attacks that hit once and, from Brawl onwards, are consecutive. Each one is easily capable of chaining into itself, especially at low damage percentages. This may lead to the false conception that they are neutral infinites.
• Ganondorf, Roy and Chrom have the distinction of possessing single-hit neutral attacks that, unlike the characters mentioned above, are not designed to chain into themselves.
  • In Ganondorf's case, his neutral attack in Melee is based off the first hit of Captain Falcon's neutral attack, with it having a larger hitbox, an electric effect, and more base knockback and damage, but higher ending lag; its fast startup of frame 3 and decent knockback makes it commonly used to start combos. Starting from Brawl, it has been retooled into a strong palm strike with the ability to KO at high percents, at the cost of very slow startup (frame 7-8), which significantly weakens its ability as a defensive option, although it is typically one of Ganondorf's fastest attacks.
  • Roy's neutral attack in Melee is similarly based on his base character Marth, only dealing a single hit with adjusted knockback angles for the purposes of starting combos, although it is rather poor for this purpose. Hitbox and knockback changes to the move from Smash 4 onwards have improved its combo ability significantly, with the version in Ultimate commonly considered one of the best neutral attacks in the game thanks to its speed and ability to combo into almost any option, along with its hitbox being wide enough to hit ledge-hanging opponents. Chrom's version lacks a sweetspot or sourspot, although it is generally considered better due to its consistency and slightly higher horizontal range.
• Samus' neutral attack is infamous for being the only one where the first hit does not combo into the second at any reasonable percent, allowing an opponent to always shield the second hit, or even interrupt it with a neutral attack (or similarly fast attack) of their own. Unlike other attacks that have unintentional interactions due to coding or hitbox problems, her neutral attack is deliberately designed to be unreliable, as the ingame tips in Smash 4 and Ultimate mention that it is "safer to just hit with the first attack and then flee".
• Meta Knight is the only character with no "normal" neutral attacks before he begins the infinite. Even pressing the attack button once causes him to commit to at least one full cycle of the attack, leading an in-game tip to humorously state that Meta Knight "doesn't do 'standard attacks'." In Brawl, it is also one of only two neutral attacks in the series to hit all around the character instead of just in front of them.
• Olimar's neutral attack in Brawl consists of two headbutts that deal direct damage and knockback; however, the resultant flicks from his antenna have their own hitboxes which strike for extra damage, but deal no knockback. This makes it the only neutral attack in the series to have a damaging hitbox which does not make opponents flinch.
• Ike's neutral attack in Brawl is notable for its multiple strengths: it has high range (especially the second hit), has high knockback which can KO characters around 140%, and is well-known for being used for combos by jab canceling the first and second hits with a crouch, allowing it to combo into itself or other moves. These strengths make it considered one of the best neutral attacks in Brawl. While its range and KO potential were nerfed in future installments (with its jab cancel properties being outright removed), Update 13.0.1 of Ultimate restored its power back to its original state, once again making it a KO option.
• Mega Man's neutral attack fires three pellets from his Mega Buster; it is the only neutral attack that is a projectile. It also flows freely with his near-identical forward tilt and neutral aerial, effectively allowing Mega Man to fire his Mega Buster while walking and jumping without interruption.
• The first hit of Wii Fit Trainer's neutral attack combines a spear hand with a back kick for an attack that hits on both sides of their body, being one of three neutral attacks to do so—the others being Ness' in Melee and Meta Knight's in Brawl, though Meta Knight's doesn't hit both sides simultaneously. Also unique to Wii Fit Trainer's neutral attack is that the third hit, when sweetspotted at the foot, can bury opponents. It is the only neutral attack capable of burying or inflicting any movement-inhibiting effect for that matter.
• Both Robin's standard finisher and neutral infinite involve the use of tomes, and thereby have the unique ability both to affect their special moves and be affected by them. Arcfire and Robin's standard finisher ender draw from the same durability meter, as do Elwind and their infinite. The longer the infinite is held, the more durability will be sapped from Elwind. If a tome is broken, the relevant neutral attack part will not be usable until the tome respawns.
• Ryu has two different attacks which can be achieved through a neutral attack input; in Ultimate, he and his Echo Fighter Ken each have three, as a result of them being the only characters with proximity-based neutral attacks.
  • For both characters, quickly pressing the attack button instead of holding it results in a three-stage combo; however, the second and third stages can only be accessed upon a successful hit, as repeatedly tapping the button without connecting with anything will simply cause the first hit to be repeated. Both of these properties are unique to Ryu and Ken.
  • Holding the button results in a different attack altogether, which cannot be special-canceled. Ryu performs his standing heavy kick from Street Fighter II, which has good range and is a capable KO option, although its high hitbox means it can miss smaller opponents. Ken performs the Inazuma Kick, a two-hit axe kick which deals high damage and shield damage, but sometimes has trouble connecting both hits.
  • In Ultimate, holding the attack button while close to opponents results in them performing a proximity neutral attack: its animation is identical to their held up tilt, but with high damage and virtually no knockback. This can be special-canceled, which grants them an accessible KO combo into their special moves at any percent.
• Inkling's neutral infinite covers opponents in ink. If Inkling runs out of ink, it can still be used, but it will possess no hitboxes.
• If the attack button is held instead of pressed during Simon and Richter's neutral attack, they will hold the Vampire Killer forwards in front of themselves and remain stationary. Input from the control stick, while the button is being held, will cause them to rotate their whip, loosely flinging a short section of it in the held direction. This can destroy small projectiles, and its weak knockback can be used for unusual gimps, but its overall utility is rather limited. It is overall similar to Sheik's Chain in Melee and Brawl.
• In SSB4, Villager's neutral attack functions as a two-hit natural combo with a unique function: its second hit can be canceled back into the first hit, allowing for an endless volley of repeating punches. It is also a consecutive move that uniquely repeats both hits instead of just the first one. Both of these factors may lead players to the conclusion that it is an infinite, but this is inaccurate, as it lacks a finishing hit. Its nature as a repeating and consecutive natural combo also means the time between hits can be shortened by rapidly pressing the attack button instead of holding it, which cannot be done for any true neutral infinite. In Ultimate, a true infinite was added as a third stage of the natural combo, giving it a proper final hit, but its unique two-hit consecutiveness remains.
• Bowser Jr.'s neutral infinite finisher is notable for having the most knockback of any neutral attack and by far the most of any neutral infinite, able to KO at around 120% near the ledge. This is in addition to having a large disjoint, making it a relatively safe, reliable KO move.
  • In Ultimate, Bayonetta's neutral infinite finisher is similarly one of the strongest in the game as of Update 12.0.0, giving it potent KO potential near the ledge. This is hampered by it being one of the slowest neutral attacks in the game at frame 9, although it is still Bayonetta's fastest grounded KO option.
• Kazuya has one of the most unique neutral attacks in the series, with two variations depending if the third button press is delayed or not. If the button press is delayed, Kazuya performs the Flash Punch Combo, which functions as a standard three hits jab, but deals significantly more damage (15% base) and knockback than other moves of this kind. Otherwise, if the third press is not delayed, Kazuya transitions to the 10-Hit Combo, an unique series of 10 attacks that moves Kazuya forward. If all hits connect, the combo deals an impressive 38% base damage, and the last hit is unblockable. However, because of its high SDI multiplier, it's very difficult to connect the entire 10-Hit Combo without the opponent falling out. As such, Kazuya players usually prefer to use the Flash Punch Combo, while the 10-Hit Combo is used mostly as a mixup to push opponents off the edge and interrupting it early to capitalize on sloppy escape options.

Gallery

• 

  Mario's standard neutral combo in Melee.

• 

  The first hit of Mario's neutral attack in Brawl.

• 

  Bowser Jr.'s neutral attack in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

See also

• Jab cancel
• Jab lock