Editing Ice Climbers (SSBU)

 

The Ice Climbers are once again voiced by Sanae Kobayashi, with her portrayals from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' being repurposed for ''Ultimate''.

 

 

 

Overall, the Ice Climbers have many unique advantages possessed by no other character, with an extremely high skill ceiling, many advanced techniques and potentially high payout; however, the loss of their most abusable tricks from previous games and the technical skill required to perform optimally with them have led to very low usage rates and representation at top-level play. Nonetheless, they remain a viable character and have seen strong results thanks to the efforts of {{Sm|Big D}} and several players in Japan.

*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Link}} or any character in his unlock tree, being the 2nd character unlocked after {{SSBU|King K. Rool}}.

The Ice Climbers must then be defeated on [[Summit]] (the [[Ω form]] is used in World of Light).

==Attributes==

The Ice Climbers are a pair of [[weight|middleweight]]s (weighing 92 units, the same as {{SSBU|Lucario}}, {{SSBU|Wolf}}, {{SSBU|Villager}}, {{SSBU|Mythra}}, and {{SSBU|Steve}}), with small bodies, above average [[jump]]s, below average [[air speed]] and [[air acceleration]], low [[gravity]], and slow [[falling speed]]. Unique to a majority of the roster, they are the archetypical tag team fighters, though each Climber is a unique character in their own right. The partner (Nana by default) is controlled by a CPU and mimics what the leader (Popo by default) does with a six frame delay. As such, the player is essentially controlling two characters at the same time with slight tweaks; the partner has slightly higher mobility attributes, deals less damage, receives more damage, and is knocked back farther than the leader. When separated, the partner's AI takes control over their movement, and guides them back to the leader, ignoring most opponents in their path. While one Ice Climber deals underwhelming damage on their own, the two's power combined can make them very formidable.

 

Most of the Ice Climbers' grounded moveset is fairly quick and disjointed, allowing for versatile use. Their [[forward tilt]] has impressive knockback growth, and can 2-frame and KO fellow middleweights at about 135%. [[Up tilt]] is short ranged, but one of the Ice Climbers' most useful moves, hitting multiple times with low knockback and dealing excellent damage. It also allows for a direct chain into a series of [[up aerial]]s until about 115%, making it paramount in initiating combos and kill confirms. [[Down tilt]] is one of their quickest grounded moves, acting as a strong semi-spike at high percentages, and making follow-ups into tech-chases or edgeguards very easy. Dash attack sends opponents above the leader for quick transitions into aerials or desynced combos similarly to up tilt. However, it has very low knockback growth, making it only useful in starting combos.

 

Complementing their tilts, the Ice Climbers' [[smash attacks]] are also very useful and excellent KO options. [[Forward smash]] is the duo's strongest smash, dealing impressive damage despite its quick speed, and respectable knockback even at lower percentages, reliably KOing at about 70% at edge of the stage. [[Up smash]] is similarly powerful, but is slower in its start-up and ending. It hits in a wide area directly above the Ice Climbers, and can KO at about 120%. [[Down smash]] is the fastest but also the weakest of the duo's smash attacks. Each Climber swings in one direction, and can even catch large targets with both hits, but if only the leader is currently on stage, they become vulnerable to rolls due to the lack of a hitbox from behind.

 

The Ice Climbers' aerials are all strong options and are the basis of most of their combos. [[Neutral aerial]] has weak knockback, but is also quick to start, very safe, fairly damaging, and has a long-lasting hitbox, making it a threatening combo and [[gimp]]ing tool. [[Forward aerial]] is an overhead swing, which is slow and deceptively inactive, but deals immense damage and is the safest air attack in the game. The partner's version of the move has a sweetspot with a very strong spike that can net a KO impressively early offstage, and acts as the Ice Climbers' deadliest [[edgeguard]]ing tool. [[Back aerial]] is an exceedingly useful move for its high speed, incredible safety, and staggering power. Up aerial is one of their best moves for a variety of scenarios. The move has excellent combo and juggling capabilities at low percent, and KOs most opponents at around 110-125% when used out of a [[down throw]]. [[Down aerial]] is a [[stall-then-fall]] that while risky to use, has respectable payoff for landing both on or off the stage, and even offers some combo potential.

 

The Ice Climbers' [[special]]s all have versatile uses. [[Neutral special]] has the duo each create a slab of ice that slides across the stage, shrinking as they melt. Unlike most projectiles, the ice acts more like a [[container]] or [[soccer ball]] in that the incoming projectile is completely tangible, tanking opposing projectiles even as strong as a Shadow Ball or Charge Beam. This allows the Ice Climbers to counter some projectile spam playstyles more easily. It can also freeze opponents, but not within realistic percents. If attacked with a strong enough attack, the projectile's ownership may change, allowing it to harm the Ice Climbers if collided with. When desynced, the  duo can launch 1 Ice Shot at a time and in rapid successsion, making for a very dangerous edgeguard and even a frustrating zoning tool in certain matchups. Their [[side special]], [[Squall Hammer]], is a very respectable move for racking up damage and is relatively safe on shield due to the burst of movement during the final swing. With continued presses, the attack can also be used for recovery purposes, which puts them into a [[helpless]] state. It is also one of the easiest desync methods available to the player. [[Up special]], [[Belay]], covers an excellent distance, the partner Climber is completely intangible until pulling up the leader, and auto-grabs any ledges within range. They also have a situational, but strong hitbox on the way up, allowing for a risky combo finisher or anti-air, or a means to punish edgeguard attempts by opponents. Finally, down special, [[Blizzard]], is a long-lasting ledgetrap and combo extender that freezes opponents in their tracks and deals huge amounts of damage at point blank range. Using the attack while an enemy is already frozen increases the freeze time slightly and can allow the duo to make space between them and their opponent if need be, or tack on extra damage while frozen. Specifically, this move is very useful when near the ledge, as it can cover most ledge getup options and freezing an opponent near the edges of a stage can make it easy to nudge them off without any means to escape. It also has priority over some other projectiles and can cancel them if the two collide. Overall, the duo's specials are all useful in various situations and can help to create openings for additional combos or surprise KOs.

 

An important part of playing Ice Climbers is learning how to consistently perform a tech called [[desyncing]]. Desyncing is an advanced technique that allows a player to manipulate the partner Ice Climber into acting with different timing than usual. At its most basic form, anytime the partner Ice Climber is not within a specific range of the leader, the partner's AI will take manual control of the partner and return it to the leader. During this time, none of the leader's inputs are read by the partner and its AI inputs are prioritized until it has returned to the leader, and may act independently of the leader's current movements being performed. Using desyncs can allow for some remarkable combos and setups that are completely impossible with other fighters.

The removal of [[chain grab]]s (and by extension, [[wobbling]]) means that the duo's [[grab]] game has become more situational and in-line with the rest of the roster, limiting its effectiveness. However, while it is not as potent as it once was, the Ice Climbers' grab game is still respectable. The Ice Climbers' grab itself has been vastly changed. For starters, only the leader grabs opponents, while the partner cheers. This means that the duo can no longer grab more than one opponent at a time. Additionally, the Ice Climbers' grab has the shortest range of any grab in the game, making it difficult to grab an opponent in the first place. [[Forward throw]] is a basic throw that has moderately strong base knockback and causes [[tumble]] from 0%. But its knockback growth is far too low to KO at realistic percents. Back throw also has strong base knockback with little growth, with less damage and a higher launch angle. [[Up throw]] continues this trend to an extreme degree, with virtually nonexistent knockback scaling but very high base knockback—high enough to take stocks at very low percentages or from light and floaty characters if used on a high enough platform on a stage such as [[Palutena's Temple]]. [[Down throw]] is by far the duo's best throw. Its main use is to initiate aerial combos, desync combos, and juggles, all of which can be devastating. Most of the Ice Climbers' aerials can be used for combos out of down throw, and the opponent's placement in air can make it difficult for them to escape from a combo once it has been started, especially if desynced. While all of their throws (except down throw) are normally subpar at best, any of them can be used to hold an opponent in place for a free hit when desynced.

Barring their situational projectile from Ice Shot, the Ice Climbers have no reliable projectile and can be easily camped out or their projectiles turned against them. The range of their moves is not great—despite being disjointed, their hammers' range can still come up short and can make for some bad matchups, such as {{SSBU|Mythra}} or {{SSBU|Sephiroth}}. Arguably, the changes that hurt the Ice Climbers most are the changes to grab mechanics in ''Ultimate''. The added period of grab intangibility between grabs and the partner's lack of a grab makes the Ice Climbers' previously most potent tool, chain grabbing, nearly impossible. This significantly impedes their cheesing ability compared to ''Brawl'' or ''Melee'' and makes getting a stock off of a single grab much harder. Desyncing in itself can also have its own drawbacks. An accidental desync off of up tilt or down throw may make it more difficult to follow-up with the duo's combos, or can even cause the partner's attack to miss entirely, hindering the duo's damage-racking capabilities. Desyncing can also leave the partner Ice Climber vulnerable because of the inconsistent reaction time between the leader and the partner; abilities such as [[dodging]], and jumping can be significantly delayed, giving the opponent time to counterattack if properly read. They also retain most of the flaws that plagued them in ''Brawl'' and ''Melee'', such as the difficulty in keeping the partner alive, severe handicaps when the partner is gone, sluggish aerial mobility, and susceptibility to camping, with the former issue being further pronounced as well.

Overall, the Ice Climbers can be intimidating and difficult to understand for new players, and combined with their subpar mobility and severe handicaps when the partner is lost are also considerable barriers of entry. However, learning the quirks of the pair, especially desyncing, can open an incredibly potent and powerful game plan. This includes long and relatively free-form combos, many being zero-to-death options—some even being true—as well as other unique setups and mix-ups that very few characters have any proper answers for.

==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''==

The Ice Climbers were previously infamous for having some of (if not) the most powerful damage racking capabilities thanks to [[wobbling]] in ''Melee'' and handoffs in ''Brawl'', with these even allowing them to achieve a KO from them. Most likely owing to this, the Ice Climbers were drastically nerfed in the transition from ''Brawl'' to ''Ultimate''.

The Ice Climbers' grab game was impacted the most; the partner climber can no longer grab the opponent or act when the leader is grabbed or throwing someone (except when in the air). This dramatically changes the way their combo game works, as it removes the Climbers' extremely powerful chain grabs they were capable of, instead forcing them to rely on [[desynching]] or bread-and-butter strings in order to combo the opponent. Moreover, the leader's grabs have noticeably more startup and ending lag, and much less range, now being the shortest grabs in the game.

Outside of this, the base damage output on many of their moves has decreased and many of their attacks connect less reliably when they are together due to reduced [[hitlag]]. The partner climber is also launched much easier than the leader due to taking increased damage and knockback from attacks, and the [[AI]]'s intelligence has been reduced leading to more likely self-destructs, making it harder for each of them to stay together. The partner climber also no longer performs [[Blizzard]] behind the leader when used on the ground, and the move itself is less effective as a spacing tool due to its lack of knockback at max range. Finally, due to changes in [[Belay]]'s hitboxes, the move can gain significantly less height if the hitbox is out prioritized, and its overall size is smaller, making it harder to connect against grounded opponents.

However, the Ice Climbers have received some useful buffs. As with almost every other returning veteran, their mobility has been considerably increased and the partner climber is now faster than the leader, making it harder to separate them. Some of their moves, including forward smash, down smash, and forward aerial deal higher damage with proportional KO power. The Ice Climbers also have superior combo potential on their own due to the removal of [[hitstun canceling]], the weakening of [[SDI]], and [[desynching]] remaining mostly intact. Thanks to improved [[freezing]] properties, the Ice Climbers can also freeze opponents easier and longer, which can lead to high damage, KOs while edgeguarding, shield pressure, and follow-ups if performed correctly.

Overall, the Ice Climbers are significantly less effective than in ''Brawl''. Their learning curve has become much more steep, as the removal of chaingrabbing and weakening of miscellaneous moves forces them to rely on desynching to perform at full capacity. Even with the changes to game mechanics and late game updates giving them multiple benefits, the Ice Climbers perform worse than in ''Brawl'', and are by far the most nerfed characters in the transition from ''Brawl'' to ''Ultimate''.

{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Ice Climbers}}

The Ice Climbers received a mix of buffs, nerfs and glitch fixes via game updates, but have been buffed slightly overall. Update 2.0.0 improved the partner climber's AI in order to make them follow the leading climber more reliably, though at the cost of making [[desyncing]] harder to perform. Aside from this, [[Belay]]'s recovery potential was improved via its enlarged edge grabbox.

 

 

 

Overall, the Ice Climbers fare mildly better than they did at the launch of ''Ultimate''.

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/1.2.0|char=Ice Climbers}}

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/2.0.0|char=Ice Climbers}}

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.0.0|char=Ice Climbers}}

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.1.0|char=Ice Climbers}}

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/4.0.0|char=Ice Climbers}}

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/5.0.0|char=Ice Climbers}}

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} 6.1.0'''

 

 

 

 

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/13.0.1|char=Ice Climbers}}

*Although the Ice Climbers have among the lowest [[traction]] in the game, their traction is completely unaffected by slippery [[terrain]], such as ice.

|neutralname=Right Sweep ({{ja|右はらい|Migi Harai}}) / Left Sweep ({{ja|左はらい|Hidari Harai}})

|neutral2dmg=leader: 3.5%<br/>partner 2.625%

|neutraldesc=The Ice Climbers swing their hammers horizontally, and then vertically. A great "get off me" tool that does decent damage to boot.

|ftiltname=Side Strike ({{ja|横たたき|Yoko Tataki}})

|ftiltdmg=leader: 9%<br/>partner: 6.75%

|ftiltdesc=The Ice Climbers swing their hammers horizontally. Has high knockback growth, being able to KO at around 120%-130% at the ledge.

|utiltname=Hammer Spin ({{ja|くるくるハンマー|Kurukuru Hanmā}}, ''Spinning Hammer'')

|utiltdesc=The Ice Climbers twirl their hammers over their heads. This creates a lingering hitbox that hits multiple times. A useful combo starter that can begin a chain of up aerials.

|dtiltname=Shin Attack ({{ja|スネたたき|Sune Tataki}})

|dtiltdesc=The Ice Climbers sweep their hammers across the ground in front of themselves. A steep semi-spike that functions very well as both a poking option in neutral and edgeguarding option, thanks to its quick startup, decent range, and low endlag.

|dashname=Dash Strike ({{ja|ダッシュたたき|Dasshu Tataki}})

|dashdesc=The Ice Climbers leap forward, swinging their hammers in front of themselves. It deals mostly vertical knockback that can start combos, but has weak knockback growth and is ineffective for KOing.

|fsmashname=Stake Smash ({{ja|クイ打ち|Kui Uchi}})

|fsmashdesc=The Ice Climbers swing their hammers down in front of themselves similar to their original attack in ''Ice Climber''.

|usmashname=Icicle Crasher ({{ja|つらら割り|Tsurara Wari}})

|usmashdmg=leader: {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|11}} (hammer), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|9}} (body)<br/>partner: {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|8.25}} (hammer), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|6.25}} (body)

|usmashdesc=The Ice Climbers swing their hammers in an overhead arc. Useful for catching an opponent's landings.

|dsmashname=Hammer Sweep ({{ja|足もと打ち|Ashimoto Uchi}}, ''Leg Strike'')

|dsmashdmg=leader: {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|13}}<br/>partner: {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|9.75}}

|nairname=Climber Turn ({{ja|クライマーターン|Kuraimā Tān}})

|nairdmg=leader: {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|7}}<br/>partner: {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|5.25}}

|fairname=Hammer Slam ({{ja|ハンマードロップ|Hanmā Duroppu}}, ''Hammer Drop'')

|fairdesc=They perform a somersaulting overhead swing of their hammers in a manner similar to their forward smash. The partner's hammer has a [[sweetspot]] that can [[meteor smash]] opponents.

|bairname=Reverse Strike ({{ja|ふりむきたたき|Furimuki Tataki}})

|bairdesc=The Ice Climbers swing their hammers horizontally behind themselves. Both hits are extremely safe, being 0 on shield with both, and even -3 even with just 1 Climber.

|uairname=Overhead Sweep ({{ja|頭上はらい|Zujō Harai}})

|uairdmg=leader: {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|9}}<br/>partner: {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|6.75}}

|uairdesc=The Ice Climbers swing their hammers above themselves in an arc. An excellent juggle tool that can quickly rack up damage both synced and desynced, and can even function as a kill confirm from down throw at around 115% on most characters.

|dairname=Hammer Swoop ({{ja|急降下ハンマー|Kyūkōka Hanmā}})

|dairdesc=The Ice Climbers hold their hammers below themselves and fall downward. A [[stall-then-fall]], though with a slower traveling speed that is also unable to [[meteor smash]], unlike most attacks of its kind. The hitbox covers most of the Ice Climber's body, making it good for punishing opponents who attempt to juggle. As a result, it is usually used as a niche landing option.

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|grabdesc=The leader moves their mallet aside and reaches out with their dominant hand. Their grab range is the shortest in the game.

|pummelname=Grab Headbutt ({{ja|つかみ頭突き|Tsukami Zutsuki}})

|pummeldesc=A headbutt. Fast but weak. The partner takes no action at all.

|fthrowname=Hockey Shot ({{ja|ホッケーショット|Hokkē Shotto}})

|fthrowdesc=The leader knocks the opponent away with their hammer in a motion similar to a golf club.

|bthrowname=Snowy Mountain Throw ({{ja|雪山投げ|Yukiyama Nage}})

|bthrowdesc=The leader throws the opponent behind themselves.

|uthrowname=Grab Icicle Crasher ({{ja|つかみつらら割り|Tsukami Tsurara Wari}})

|dthrowname=Avalanche Crusher ({{ja|なだれつぶし|Nadare Tsubushi}})

|dthrowdesc=The leader lifts the opponent over their head with both hands and slams them on the ground. The Ice Climbers' only throw with even remotely noteworthy KO potential, it can KO middleweights at around 214% on Final Destination. It is also effective for starting combos, especially when desynced.

|floorfdmg=leader: 7%<br/>partner: 5.25%

|floorbdmg=leader: 7%<br/>partner: 5.25%

|floortdmg=leader: 5%<br/>partner: 3.75%

|nsdmg=3.5-2.2% (ice chunks), 3.5% (hammers)

|nsdesc=Each Ice Climber summons a small stalagmite of ice and hits it with their hammer, causing it to slide along the ground, gradually shrinking as it travels. It bounces off walls and shields. If attacked by an opponent, the ice rebounds and will hurt the Ice Climbers if they touch it. The ice can freeze opponents at extremely high percents. The first midair use will pop the Ice Climbers up slightly.

|ssdmg=both: 2.2% (loop), 4% (last)<br/>leader: 1.3% (loop), 2% (last)<br/>partner: 0.975% (loop), 1.5% (last)

|ssdesc=The Ice Climbers stand back-to-back while spinning around an axis with their hammers outstretched, hitting opponents multiple times. The attack is concluded with them swinging their hammers upward, which launches opponents away. By repeatedly tapping the special move button, the Ice Climbers will rise in the air, allowing them to recover. This, however, also renders them [[helpless]]. If only one Climber is present, the move deals less damage and knockback, and won't provide vertical gain. It's one of the easiest moves to use as a method to begin desyncs, and can trap opponents between each Ice Climber once a desync is achieved.

|usdesc=The leading Ice Climber throws the partner the air with a rope. The partner then pulls the leader upwards. If there is a nearby edge, the partner will target it, and then proceed to pull the leader to the ledge as well. While rising, the partner is invincible, allowing for a safe recovery for both Ice Climbers; additionally, the partner Ice Climber possesses a hitbox that deals powerful vertical knockback, though it is risky to use as an attack due to its narrow and mostly vertical reach. Without a partner, the move will grant next to no distance. Each Ice Climber becomes [[helpless]] after the move is used.

|dsdmg=both: 1% (far loop), 1.8% (close loop)

|dsdesc=The Ice Climbers blow a gust of cold air in front of themselves, potentially freezing opponents. If used on an already frozen opponent, they will remain frozen for slightly longer. With both Ice Climbers present, this move can deal a maximum of 31.5%, though it is also a risky move due to its duration.

|fsdesc=The Ice Climbers summon a rotating iceberg to rise up from the center of the stage. For the duration of the Final Smash, it can be moved left and right. The range of how far it can move is shown by the mist. The iceberg deals damage to opponents who touch it: the closer they are towards the top, the more damage they take. Towards the base of the iceberg is a Polar Bear, which has high launching power. A Condor also appears, flying above, which the Ice Climbers can grab onto. This allows the iceberg to be more easily controlled without worry of self destruction, although the partner will be at risk of potentially being pushed offstage if they fail to grab it. Upon ending, the iceberg will lower itself, and the Condor will fly off to the side of the stage, leaving behind any hitchhiking fighters.

*'''Side taunt''': They point their hammers diagonally upward and shout "Yup!", as the wind blows behind them.

*Popo looks backward curiously.

SSBUIceClimbersIdle1.gif|Ice Climbers' first idle pose.

SSBUIceClimbersIdle2.gif|Ice Climbers' second idle pose.

*'''Up:''' Both nod and high-five one another before facing the camera.

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->

''See also: [[:Category:Ice Climbers players (SSBU)]]''

*{{Sm|Big D|Canada}} - The best Ice Climbers player of all-time and the only Ice Climbers player ever ranked top 100 on a global ranking, ranking as high as 19th on the [[UltRank 2022]].

*{{Sm|Harasen|Japan}} - One of the best Ice Climber players in Japan since mid-2022, although he has lower activity and peaks than FNKA. He has placed well at several majors, including placing 13th at the supermajor {{Trn|Umebura SP 9}} and 25th at the supermajor {{Trn|DELTA 4}}.

*{{Sm|Futari no Kiwami Ah~!|Japan}} - One of the all-time best Ice Climbers players in Japan who uses a more synced playstyle. Although inconsistent, he has the highest peaks out of any other Japanese Ice Climbers player, placing 5th at the majors {{Trn|Kagaribi 8}} and {{Trn|Seibugeki 12}}.

*{{Sm|Kie|Japan}} - Co-mains Ice Climbers with {{SSBU|Peach}} and was considered the best Ice Climbers player in Japan during the early metagame. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 3}}, 3rd at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 4}}, 4th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 15}}, 7th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 2}}, and 25th at {{Trn|Umebura Japan Major 2019}}. Ranked 52nd on the [[Japan Player Rankings]].

 

 

Upon ''Ultimate''{{'}}s release, the Ice Climbers' competitive perception, which was estimated to be poor, dwindled even further, as their retained weakness were more detrimental than expected. The difficulty of maintaining both climbers in a single stock, their steep learning curve, unimpressive endurance, slow aerial mobility, vulnerability to [[camping]], on top of the removal of several quirky combos and zero-to-deaths from previous installments. As such, the Ice Climbers’ representation was minuscule, and all the players who mained the duo in ''Brawl''  completely dropped them in favor of other characters. As a result, they were widely perceived to be either low or bottom-tier.

 

But a few months after release, the duo's playerbase and competitive scene started to make surprising breakthroughs: with the few that stuck with them discovering new [[desynching]] setups and combos, as well as new zero-to-deaths off of desyncs. In turn, players such as {{Sm|Big D}}, {{Sm|Kie}}, {{Sm|murasat}}, {{Sm|Daiki}} and {{Sm|????}} have picked up the duo and garnered excellent results in tournaments using the duo. Big D, in particular, mastered the duo enough to the point that the Ice Climbers can beat almost every match-up across the board once their desynced zero-to-deaths have been pulled off. As a result, the Ice Climbers' improving results have gradually softened the community's perception on the duo, ranking 56th on the first tier list, and impressive performances from dedicated players led to them rising up to 51st on the second tier list, with the general consensus believing that the Ice Climbers are either upper mid-tier or high-tier at least, similar to their ''Melee'' selves, and a notable improvement compared to their initial low-tier status. Overall, the Ice Climbers remain as characters that should not be underestimated, even without the infamously strong powers of their previous iterations.

Referencing themselves being duos, Ice Climbers fight two characters from a given universe in each stage. To go with the duo theme, both {{SSBU|Master Hand}} and {{SSBU|Crazy Hand}} are fought regardless of the difficulty.

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|1||{{CharHead|Link|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Zelda|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Great Plateau Tower]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Main Theme - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild}}''

|2||{{CharHead|Ryu|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Ken|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Suzaku Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Street Fighter|Ryu Stage}}''

|3||{{CharHead|Villager|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Isabelle|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Smashville]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Animal Crossing|Title Theme - Animal Crossing: Wild World (Brawl)}}''

|4||{{CharHead|Donkey Kong|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Diddy Kong|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Jungle Japes]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Donkey Kong|Jungle Level (Melee)}}''

|5||{{CharHead|Palutena|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Pit|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Palutena's Temple]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Title Theme - Kid Icarus}}''

|6||{{CharHead|Mario|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Peach|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Princess Peach's Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Main Theme - New Super Mario Bros.}}''

Although the Ice Climbers are absent from the World of Light opening cutscene, they were vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (sans {{SSBU|Kirby}}) when [[Galeem]] unleashed his beams of light.

The Ice Climbers are unlocked in the southern portion of the snowy mountain area. Unlocking them eliminates the ice paths so they can be traversed in both directions, as well as opening a path to the hidden forest.

{|class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"

!style="width:5%;"|No.

!style="width:5%;"|Image

!Name

!Type

!Power

!Stage

!Music

|15

|[[File:Ice Climbers SSBU.png|center|64x64px]]

|{{SpiritType|Grab}} <center>{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}</center>

|7,500

|[[Summit]] ([[Ω form]])

|''{{SSBUMusicLink|Ice Climber|Ice Climber (Brawl)}}''

{{clr}}

==[[Spirit]]==

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

SSBU spirit Ice Climbers.png|606. '''''Ice Climbers'''''

==In Spirit Battles==

|{{SpiritTableName|Freezie|link=y|size=64}}

|''Mario Bros.'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|•Item: [[Freezie]]

|{{SpiritTableName|Mr. Frosty|size=64}}

|''Kirby'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Ice Climbers}} {{Head|Ice Climbers|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Indigo}} (80 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SSB|Dream Land}} ([[Battlefield form]])

|{{SpiritTableName|Lapras|link=y|size=64}}

|''Pokémon'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Kyurem|link=y|size=64}}

|''Pokémon'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|•The floor is frozen<br>•Timed battle (1:30)<br>•The enemy favors special moves

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Battle! (Reshiram / Zekrom)}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Cyrus & Reese|size=64}}

|''Animal Crossing'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Ice Man|size=64}}

|''Mega Man'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Ice Climbers}} {{Head|Ice Climbers|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (140 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|•The floor is frozen<br>•The enemy's ice and water attacks have increased power<br>•The enemy has super armor and is hard to launch or make flinch<br>•''[[Stamina battle]]''

|{{SpiritTableName|Duon|link=y|size=64}}

|''Super Smash Bros.'' Series

|•Giant {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}} {{Head|Ice Climbers|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}} (150 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Olaf|size=64}}

|''Advance Wars'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Filled with Hope}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Caroline & Justine|size=64}}

|''Persona'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|[[Kalos Pokémon League]] (hazards off)

|•You take serious damage after a little while<br>•Timed battle (1:00)

|{{SpiritTableName|Condor|link=y|size=64}}

|''Ice Climber'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Ridley}} {{Head|Ridley|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}} (80 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Ice Climbers}} {{Head|Ice Climbers|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (80 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•The floor is frozen<br>•Timed [[stamina battle]] (1:00)

Their 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th costumes swap Popo and Nana, making Nana controllable. The stock icons and character select portraits change to reflect this. Popo and Nana act separately in terms of their costume's color.

===Fighter Showcase Video===

*One of the Ice Climbers' preview pictures shows them using [[Blizzard]] against a {{b|Metroid|creature}}, referencing the species' weakness to cold in the ''Metroid'' series.

*When the lead climber is grabbing and pummeling an opponent, the partner's animation will lag for every pummel hit.

*Hitting the accompanying Ice Climber will not cause [[controller]]s to shake if the vibration setting is turned on. This applies to everything from normal attacks, [[throws]], or [[Final Smash]]es.

*If the partner is caught in a non-cutscene trapping [[Final Smash]] (such as [[Triforce Slash]], [[Great Aether]], or [[Omnislash]]) and the leader is KO'd, the partner will disappear, leaving the opponent attacking nothing. A similar situation occurs in ''[[Brawl]]''.

*When getting hit from behind, the Ice Climbers' back-hitting/wall bounce hitstun animation causes them to freeze for a brief moment before going into their tumbling animation. This is due to additional frames being added past the final point of the animation.

**The animation itself mimics how hitstun animations worked from ''Smash 64'' to ''Brawl''.

**The freeze itself is a reference to the duo's dying animation in ''Ice Climber'', in which they freeze for a brief moment after touching an enemy.

*When navigating the camera around the Ice Climbers during certain animations, such as their ledge hanging animations, the fur trim on the bottom of their coats and around their wrists seem to detach from their jacket, exposing multiple gaps.<ref>[https://imgur.com/a/GtDXylS]</ref> There are also gaps when looking at their face at certain angles between the fur trim.

**Additionally, zooming in on Popo's face reveals a gap between his hair and fur trim.

*In a Stock or Stamina battle, if the leading Ice Climber gets KO'd, the vanishing effects of the partner do not appear whenever the leader respawns.

*If one looks closely at one of the Ice Climber's non-leading feet during their tech wall jump animation, it twists the other way during the move. This can be more easily seen if the match is currently slowed down.

*While most other characters have the announcer say "(character) wins!" at the victory screen, the Ice Climbers have the announcer say "Ice Climbers win!" The "(character) win!" audio clip is usually reserved for the Japanese version, though it is most likely used with the Ice Climbers because of their two-in-one nature and name. {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}} and Banjo & Kazooie also share this distinction.

**In Spanish, French, German, and Italian, the name tag and voice clip from the announcer on the victory screen is slightly different from the one used on the character select screen, instead featuring a noticeable translation of "the" ('''los''', '''les''', '''die''', and '''gli''' Ice Climbers, respectively). This trait is shared with {{SSBU|Wii Fit Trainer}}, {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}}, {{SSBU|Villager}}, {{SSBU|Inkling}}, {{SSBU|Hero}}, [[Steve (SSBU)|Zombie, Enderman]], and the {{SSBU|Mii Fighter}}s.

*In the Ice Climbers' battle portrait, the partner Ice Climber is slightly lower than they are in their full artwork, in order to make their face fully visible. Banjo & Kazooie are the only other fighter with such an edit.