Editing Joker (SSBU)
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Despite all of these pros, Joker has some cons. One of his main weaknesses is that he sometimes struggles to take [[Stock|stocks]] at high percents when he does not have Arsène, making him reliant on edgeguards or raw KO moves. Joker also has mediocre [[out of shield]] options compared to much of the cast. This only limits him to using back aerial, [[grab]], and [[up smash]] if he wants to attack out of shield. While Arsène gives him many strengths, they also provide a few drawbacks. When Joker gets hit in this state, his meter depletes faster. Furthermore, while his [[recovery]] goes further with [[Grappling Hook / Wings of Rebellion|Wings of Rebellion]], it lacks a [[hitbox]] after the [[invincibility]] frames, allowing him to be [[2 frame punish|2 framed]] or edgeguarded. Joker is also quite a difficult character to master since he has to be precise with his combos and his edgeguarding while trying to compensate for these aforementioned weaknesses. | Despite all of these pros, Joker has some cons. One of his main weaknesses is that he sometimes struggles to take [[Stock|stocks]] at high percents when he does not have Arsène, making him reliant on edgeguards or raw KO moves. Joker also has mediocre [[out of shield]] options compared to much of the cast. This only limits him to using back aerial, [[grab]], and [[up smash]] if he wants to attack out of shield. While Arsène gives him many strengths, they also provide a few drawbacks. When Joker gets hit in this state, his meter depletes faster. Furthermore, while his [[recovery]] goes further with [[Grappling Hook / Wings of Rebellion|Wings of Rebellion]], it lacks a [[hitbox]] after the [[invincibility]] frames, allowing him to be [[2 frame punish|2 framed]] or edgeguarded. Joker is also quite a difficult character to master since he has to be precise with his combos and his edgeguarding while trying to compensate for these aforementioned weaknesses. | ||
Joker amassed impressive results before the [[COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on competitive Smash|COVID-19 pandemic]], most notably with {{Sm|MkLeo}} winning a number of [[Major|majors]] with him and {{Sm|Zackray}} also doing well with the character. When offline events returned in 2021 and 2022, Joker saw a slight drop in use due to MKLeo switching over to [[Byleth (SSBU)|Byleth]] and [[Aegis]] for the majority of tournaments while Zackray took a break to play {{s|bulbapedia|Pokémon UNITE}}. Joker still sees results from players, such as {{Sm|eMass}} and {{Sm|Tsubaki|p=Shizuoka}}, while MkLeo has since readded Joker into his lineup. | |||
==Attributes== | ==Attributes== | ||
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Since the Rebellion Gauge encourages a different kind of playstyle, Joker loses on some of his weaknesses without Arsène (such as a vulnerability to projectile camping), but this creates new weaknesses in return, meaning that if Joker gets Arsène at the wrong time or is unable to capitalize with him, he may either lose his advantage or be at a disadvantage. Wings of Rebellion, despite reliably covering more distance than Grappling Hook, is more exploitable, as the lack of hitbox and vulnerability at the end of the move makes it easy for opponents to intercept Joker before he reaches the ledge; in fact, Joker becomes notoriously prone to getting [[Edge#2 frame punish|2-framed]]. Eigaon, while incredibly powerful and versatile, suffers from 10 more frames of endlag, making it (at times) riskier to use than Eiha. Lastly, despite Arsène's incredible power and strengths, the Rebellion Gauge can be depleted faster if an opponent is able to attack Joker; combined with his aforementioned vulnerability to combos, this can cause Arsène to disappear much faster until the Rebellion Gauge is filled again, removing Joker's advantage as a result. | Since the Rebellion Gauge encourages a different kind of playstyle, Joker loses on some of his weaknesses without Arsène (such as a vulnerability to projectile camping), but this creates new weaknesses in return, meaning that if Joker gets Arsène at the wrong time or is unable to capitalize with him, he may either lose his advantage or be at a disadvantage. Wings of Rebellion, despite reliably covering more distance than Grappling Hook, is more exploitable, as the lack of hitbox and vulnerability at the end of the move makes it easy for opponents to intercept Joker before he reaches the ledge; in fact, Joker becomes notoriously prone to getting [[Edge#2 frame punish|2-framed]]. Eigaon, while incredibly powerful and versatile, suffers from 10 more frames of endlag, making it (at times) riskier to use than Eiha. Lastly, despite Arsène's incredible power and strengths, the Rebellion Gauge can be depleted faster if an opponent is able to attack Joker; combined with his aforementioned vulnerability to combos, this can cause Arsène to disappear much faster until the Rebellion Gauge is filled again, removing Joker's advantage as a result. | ||
Overall, Joker is a character whose playstyle is incredibly dynamic, but as with characters with many playstyles applicable, players should be expected to be able to smartly switch playstyles on the go. Without Arsène, Joker specializes in a hit-and-run, combo-oriented playstyle. Joker is particularly adept at conditioning the opponent to shield and has excellent grab frame data to take advantage of that, so players should be looking for opportunities to go for punishing grab combos whenever possible. He has notably short-range and low power overall on his standard attacks without Arsène available, and can struggle if he's a stock behind the opponent and unable to effectively make use of Arsène. His primary goal in each match is to rack up as much damage as possible through combos and gain an early stock in order to massively widen the gap between him and his opponent. Arsène greatly helps Joker in dealing damage or securing a stock whenever he is out, as he gains several powerful traits that allow him to play more rushdown-oriented when he gains the advantage, without forgoing his excellent mobility. Arsène is also notable for giving Joker an absurdly effective comeback factor, as Joker can quickly close the gap by dealing out extreme damage with Arsène out and can KO early when given the opportunity, such as with an Arsène boosted back air. By actively filling up the Rebellion Gauge by using Rebel's Guard to capitalize on reading an opponent's attack, this can be devastating for the opponent, as it gives Arsène more opportunity to be seen in-game. At the same time, Joker's vulnerability to combos means he will have to make use of his excellent mobility more often than not to avoid being put at a disadvantage. Ultimately, Joker is a character who encourages proactive play, and particularly shines when players are able to make the most of edgeguarding opportunities, maximize their damage through combos and effectively make use of Arsène. | Overall, Joker is a character whose playstyle is incredibly dynamic, but as with characters with many playstyles applicable, players should be expected to be able to smartly switch playstyles on the go. Without Arsène, Joker specializes in a hit-and-run, combo-oriented playstyle. Joker is particularly adept at conditioning the opponent to shield and has excellent grab frame data to take advantage of that, so players should be looking for opportunities to go for punishing grab combos whenever possible. He has notably short-range and low power overall on his standard attacks without Arsène available, and can struggle if he's a stock behind the opponent and unable to effectively make use of Arsène. His primary goal in each match is to rack up as much damage as possible through combos and gain an early stock in order to massively widen the gap between him and his opponent. Arsène greatly helps Joker in dealing damage or securing a stock whenever he is out, as he gains several powerful traits that allow him to play more rushdown-oriented when he gains the advantage, without forgoing his excellent mobility. Arsène is also notable for giving Joker an absurdly effective comeback factor, as Joker can quickly close the gap by dealing out extreme damage with Arsène out and can KO early when given the opportunity, such as with an Arsène boosted back air. By actively filling up the Rebellion Gauge by using Rebel's Guard to capitalize on reading an opponent's attack, this can be devastating for the opponent, as it gives Arsène more opportunity to be seen in-game. At the same time, Joker's vulnerability to combos means he will have to make use of his excellent mobility more often than not to avoid being put at a disadvantage. Ultimately, Joker is a character who encourages proactive play, and particularly shines when players are able to make the most of edgeguarding opportunities, maximize their damage through combos and effectively make use of Arsène. Joker's viability in the competitive scene has been excellent since his release, with many people citing him as a top tier character thanks to strong representation and results from smashers such as {{Sm|Eim}}, {{Sm|MkLeo}}, {{Sm|Tsubaki|p=Shizuoka}}, and {{Sm|Zackray}}. | ||
==Update history== | ==Update history== | ||
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''See also: [[:Category:Joker players (SSBU)]]'' | ''See also: [[:Category:Joker players (SSBU)]]'' | ||
*{{Sm|Eim|Japan}} - One of the best Joker player in Japan in the early metagame, ranking in the Area 51 on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]] | *{{Sm|Eim|Japan}} - One of the best Joker player in Japan in the early metagame, ranking in the Area 51 on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]] and placing 17th at the majors {{Trn|Umebura SP 5}} and {{Trn|Umebura SP 7}} with the character. He has since dropped Joker in favor of {{SSBU|Sheik}} | ||
*{{Sm|eMass|Saudi Arabia}} - | *{{Sm|eMass|Saudi Arabia}} - The best Joker player in Europe and the Middle East, with strong placements including winning the superregional {{Trn|WANTED S4 C3 - Saint Valentin Edition}} and placing 5th at the superregional {{Trn|Ultimate WANTED 3}} and 17th at the major {{Trn|COLOSSEL 2022}}. He is also the only Middle Eastern player to rank top 100 on a notable global ranking, with his highest placement being 74th on the [[OrionRank Mid-Year 2022]]. Since mid-2022, he has been mostly inactive, occasionally entering events using secondaries. | ||
*{{Sm| | *{{Sm|Lemmon|Canada}} - The best Joker player in Canada. Consistently places top 8 in his region has also placed 17th at the supermajor {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2019}} and 33rd at several majors and supermajors, including {{Trn|Mainstage}} and {{Trn|Port Priority 7}}. | ||
*{{Sm|MkLeo|Mexico}} - The best ''Ultimate'' player of all-time, | *{{Sm|MkLeo|Mexico}} - The best ''Ultimate'' and Joker player of all-time, having used him predominantly from May 2019 to March 2020. Following the return to offline play in late 2021, he used the character on-and-off until he added the character back to his core lineup in 2023. | ||
*{{Sm| | *{{Sm|naitosharp|USA}} - The best Joker player in the United States in 2021, having used Joker alongside {{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} to rank 64th on the [[OrionRank Ultimate: Eclipse]] and placing 9th at the supermajor {{Trn|Riptide}} and 13th at the major {{Trn|Glitch 8.5 - Konami Code}}. However he has yet to reach the consistency he saw in 2021, and has also been slowly shifting his attention away from Joker. | ||
*{{Sm|Tsubaki|Japan|p=Shizuoka}} - The best solo-Joker player in the world in 2023, having placed top 8 at several majors including 3rd at {{Trn|Seibugeki 14}} and 5th at | *{{Sm|Tsubaki|Japan|p=Shizuoka}} - The best solo-Joker player in the world in 2023, having placed top 8 at several majors including 3rd at {{Trn|Seibugeki 14}} and 5th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 14}}. He is ranked 46th on the [[LumiRank 2023]], the first new Joker player to be ranked in the top 50 on a notable global ranking since 2019. | ||
*{{Sm|Zackray|Japan}} - Used a variety of characters over the course of his career, with one of his most notable characters being Joker. He is considered the second-best Joker player of all-time, having used the character to help win several supermajors and majors including {{Trn|The Big House 9}}, {{Trn|Umebura SP 7}} and {{Trn|Kagaribi 6}}. | *{{Sm|Zackray|Japan}} - Used a variety of characters over the course of his career, with one of his most notable characters being Joker. He is considered the second-best Joker player of all-time, having used the character to help win several supermajors and majors including {{Trn|The Big House 9}}, {{Trn|Umebura SP 7}} and {{Trn|Kagaribi 6}}. | ||
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On the other hand, some argue that Joker's success largely relies on MkLeo's skill as a player, which allows him to push the character extremely far, as no players outside of Zackray have even come close to his achievements. This argument was tested following the online metagame, as MkLeo relegated the character to a rare counterpick while Zackray went on a hiatus at the start of 2022. Although there was a notable decline in Joker's representation at a top level, this decline was ultimately negligent as other players such as {{Sm|naitosharp}} and {{Sm|eMass}} continued to see strong placements with the character, which kept Joker's representation in or around the top 10. Due to this, as well as Zackray's return and MkLeo slowly bringing Joker back into his main line-up, opinions on the character remained strong, and Joker was ranked 3rd on the first tier list, where he ranks in the S+ tier alongside {{SSBU|Steve}} and [[Pyra (SSBU)|the]] [[Mythra (SSBU)|Aegis]]. | On the other hand, some argue that Joker's success largely relies on MkLeo's skill as a player, which allows him to push the character extremely far, as no players outside of Zackray have even come close to his achievements. This argument was tested following the online metagame, as MkLeo relegated the character to a rare counterpick while Zackray went on a hiatus at the start of 2022. Although there was a notable decline in Joker's representation at a top level, this decline was ultimately negligent as other players such as {{Sm|naitosharp}} and {{Sm|eMass}} continued to see strong placements with the character, which kept Joker's representation in or around the top 10. Due to this, as well as Zackray's return and MkLeo slowly bringing Joker back into his main line-up, opinions on the character remained strong, and Joker was ranked 3rd on the first tier list, where he ranks in the S+ tier alongside {{SSBU|Steve}} and [[Pyra (SSBU)|the]] [[Mythra (SSBU)|Aegis]]. | ||
Unfortunately, Joker's precise playstyle meant that the character was harder to maintain compared to many other top tier characters. As such 2023 marked a noticeable downturn for Joker at the top level: MkLeo's Joker performed worse than it did due to MkLeo's lower motivation and character crisis, while Zackray chose to play [[Pit (SSBU)|the]] [[Dark Pit (SSBU)|Pits]] over Joker. Although other Joker players such as {{Sm|omega}} and {{Sm|Tsubaki|p=Shizuoka}} were able to perform well during this time, their performances were unable to match MkLeo and Zackray's best results with the character. As such, opinions on Joker have since mellowed out, and he dropped on the following tier list to 10th, | Unfortunately, Joker's precise playstyle meant that the character was harder to maintain compared to many other top tier characters. As such 2023 marked a noticeable downturn for Joker at the top level: MkLeo's Joker performed worse than it did due to MkLeo's lower motivation and character crisis, while Zackray chose to play [[Pit (SSBU)|the]] [[Dark Pit (SSBU)|Pits]] over Joker. Although other Joker players such as {{Sm|omega}} and {{Sm|Tsubaki|p=Shizuoka}} were able to perform well during this time, their performances were unable to match MkLeo and Zackray's best results with the character. As such, opinions on Joker have since mellowed out, and he dropped on the following tier list to 10th, although he remains a top tier. | ||
=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Shadows== | =={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Shadows== |