Editing Ness (SSBU)

'''Ness''' ({{ja|ネス|Nesu}}, ''Ness'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was revealed along with all other previous veterans on June 12, 2018 and is classified as Fighter #10.

Makiko Omoto's portrayal of Ness from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' was repurposed for ''Ultimate''. This makes ''Ultimate'' the only installment where Ness does not receive any new voice clips.

*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Kirby}} or any character in his unlock tree, being the 1st character unlocked.

Ness is a very peculiar character in that he doesn't fit in any single stereotype. Although Ness has low gravity, a below-average falling speed and air speed as well as average weight, he has above average jump height and his air acceleration is among one of the best in the game, which benefits his powerful aerial combos. His walk speed is quite slow, and his initial dash and dash speed are a bit below average.

 

Some of Ness's most useful tools are his PSI moves, [[PK Flash]], [[PK Fire]], [[PK Thunder]], and [[PSI Magnet]]. PK Flash is a relatively slow move that deals more damage the more it is charged. Since it no longer puts Ness into helplessness, PK Flash can be used to knock opponents away from edge guarding Ness or even combo into moves like up air. PK Fire is infamous for being a spammable move due to its relatively low landing lag, and the move itself is able to help set up combos, trap opponents for a grab, or simply rack up damage. [[PK Thunder]] is Ness's most useful special, as it can be used to gimp opponents off-stage or KO them from the upper blast zone. Ness can also send the tail into himself, causing him to fly forward; "PK Thunder 2" can be used to recover or to take an early stock from an unsuspecting opponent. Finally, PSI Magnet allows Ness to absorb energy projectiles to heal himself. It also has an active hitbox that deals weak knockback, allowing Ness to use it to extend combos or potentially leading into a Smash attack.

Ness has an amazing air game. His aerials are fast, have big hitboxes, can combo into each other, can KO opponents and all of them autocancel in a short hop. First, his neutral aerial comes out frame 4. It's useful for breaking combos and getting out-of-shield. It has decent knockback, making it a good edgeguarding and KOing option at higher percents. His forward aerial is good for combos, edgeguarding and approaching, his up aerial has good KO potential and is a multihit attack that deals very high  damage and is great for juggling, back aerial is one of the strongest in the game if it's sweetspotted and down aerial is a slow but powerful meteor smash that can assist in combos.

Ness's grab and throw game are outstanding and among the best of the cast, with a fast grab and throws that have a high damage output and can combo and KO. His back throw is the strongest in the game along with {{SSBU|Incineroar}}, {{SSBU|Shulk}} (with Smash [[Monado Art]]), {{SSBU|Dr. Mario}}, and {{SSBU|Zelda}}, and down throw is a very good combo starter, while forward throw is useful for edgeguarding and up throw is good for juggling and pressuring with PK Thunder.

Ness's ground game, while inferior to his aerials and throws, has some perks too. His forward tilt and dash attack are strong enough to KO at high percents and the latter has significant range, making it good for approaching. His up tilt is a good combo starter at low percents and can even KO at higher percents. His down tilt is fast and spammable. It's able to do good damage, trap opponents at the ledge, two-frame, and confirm into a grab. His forward smash, which uses his baseball bat, deals high damage and the sweetspot on the tip is among the strongest forward smashes, while his up and down smashes use his yo-yo and can deal damage during their charge, are excellent for edgeguarding and have KO potential. If Ness uses his yo-yo on shielding opponent at the ledge, he can possibly break their shield. Ness is very good at edgeguarding thanks to his yo-yo smash attacks, forward aerial and PK Thunder.

However, Ness isn't without his flaws. PK Fire does good damage, but it's very easy to [[SDI]] out of, laggy, and punishable on shield. While his attack hitboxes are big and powerful, they have very short range. As such, he can be heavily and easily outspaced by characters who have long disjoints, such as {{SSBU|Shulk}}, {{SSBU|Chrom}}, or {{SSBU|Lucina}}. Aside from his poor range, Ness's below-average run and air speed, as well as his lack of a quick, long-ranged projectile, renders him relatively prone to [[camping]]. This is especially true if the character utilizes many projectiles that are not energy-based, such as {{SSBU|Mega Man}} or {{SSBU|Simon}}. Another noticeable issue that Ness has is his ability to get [[juggling|juggled]] rather easily. Coupled with the removal of multiple air dodges and his low falling speed, Ness is very susceptible to being juggled by quick, powerful aerials such as {{SSBU|Palutena}}'s up aerial, or by wide, disjointed aerials such as {{SSBU|Ike}}'s up aerial. Arguably the most glaring weakness of Ness, however, is his recovery. His recovery, while traveling a good distance, is extraordinarily exploitable. If he is hit while in PK Thunder 2, the distance will drastically shorten, potentially ending in a gimp. Many characters with quick aerials can even hit Ness while he is in the startup lag of PK Thunder, before he even begins to launch himself. Furthermore, PK Thunder 2 is liable to many [[counterattack|counters]], and, if struck by one, will essentially guarantee Ness's death due to its immense power.

==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==

Ness has been significantly buffed in his transition to ''Ultimate''. Several of his moves are stronger and more useful in combos, with his [[forward tilt]] and [[dash attack]] becoming reliable KO options at high percents, his [[up tilt]] having increased combo potential, and his [[down tilt]] racking up damage much more effectively. One of his most significant buffs is his yo-yo smash attacks ([[up smash]] and [[down smash]]), not only have they regained their charging hitboxes, but can now also hang below edges, which is augmented by the ability to hold smash attacks for a longer time in ''Ultimate''. This noticeably improves his edge-guarding ability, especially due to his up smash having drastically increased KO ability at high percents. Ness's approach and zoning tools are more effective as well, with his [[down aerial]] having more range and regaining its ability to autocancel in a short hop, [[PK Flash]] charging much more quickly and no longer causing [[helplessness]], [[PK Fire]] having reduced lag, [[PK Thunder]] dealing more damage and knockback, and [[PSI Magnet]] gaining an offensive hitbox while maintaining his horizontal momentum.

On top of his direct buffs, Ness benefits significantly from the universal changes in ''Ultimate''. All of his aerial attacks have drastically less landing lag, especially compared to other characters, with his neutral and down aerials having less than half their previous amount of landing lag. Combined with all of his aerials except neutral and back aerial dealing more damage and down aerial regaining its ability to autocancel in a short hop, this allows him to approach, pressure, and combo opponents far more effectively, especially with his new [[up aerial]]'s ability to drag opponents down and his down aerial's stronger meteor smash, improving his already great air game. Additionally, he is one of the characters that benefits the most from the changes to [[air dodge]] mechanics. The ability to only air dodge once allows him to proficiently pressure and edgeguard opponents offstage with PK Thunder, and his directional air dodge grants him more distance than all other characters, an attribute he shares with {{SSBU|Lucas}}; it not only renders him less vulnerable to juggling, but it noticeably improves his [[recovery]] by granting him a reliable mixup in place of PK Thunder 2, making him less vulnerable to being edge-guarded, which was one of his biggest weaknesses in previous ''Smash'' games.

However, Ness did recieve some  nerfs, although minimal compared to his buffs. His new up aerial has less horizontal range and requires landing all hits (which start from behind and above Ness) to deal considerable damage, hindering Ness's ability to punish and juggle opponents when transitioning from air to ground; however, it may be used as a drag-down aerial as recompense. His grab game has also been moderately nerfed, with a slower, more standardized [[pummel]] that cannot rack up damage as effectively, and a [[down throw]] with more ending lag that worsens its combo potential past low percents. Lastly, his yo-yo smash attacks now only receive half as much of a power increase when charged, and PK Flash, in exchange for its much faster charge, is significantly weaker when fully charged.

Because his neutral game, punishes, edge-guarding, and recovery have become much stronger in the face of the few minute nerfs they received, Ness has become a far more dangerous fighter than he was in previous games in the series. His tournament representation in ''Ultimate''{{'}}s early metagame has been generally stronger than in ''Smash 4'', with several players such as {{Sm|FOW}}, {{Sm|BestNess}}, {{Sm|Gackt}}, and {{Sm|Awestin}} achieving strong results with the character.

*{{change|As with all [[veteran]]s returning from ''Smash 4'', Ness' model features a more subdued color scheme, and some of the detailing on his clothes and weapons are more prominent, such as the stitching on his socks.}}

*{{change|Ness always faces the screen regardless of which direction he turns, causing his animations to be mirrored.}}

*{{change|Ness, like many other characters, has been made much more expressive. He is much angrier in battle, and his eyes bulge and grow more circular when he is hit or frozen.}}

*{{change|Ness has a new idle, [[dashing]], and [[air dodge]] animation.}}

*{{change|Ness' [[victory pose]]s have been slightly altered:}}

**{{change|When Ness poses with his bat, he swings his bat only once instead of multiple times.}}

**{{change|Ness skips into the victory area instead of hopping in place.}}

**{{change|He has a more astonished expression during his look-about victory pose.}}

*{{buff|Like all characters, Ness's [[jumpsquat]] animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 5).}}

**{{buff|Ness's initial [[dash]] is much faster (1.3 → 1.826).}}

*{{buff|Ness's [[air speed]] is higher (0.9588 → 1.007).}}

*{{buff|Ness's [[traction]] has been significantly increased (0.0546 → 0.131), now being tied for the fifth highest traction in the game.}}

*{{buff|Ness [[jump]]s higher.}}

*{{nerf|Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frames 4-17 → 5-16), and more ending lag (FAF 31 → 35).}}

*{{buff|[[Air dodge]] grants more intangibility (frames 3-28 → 3-30).}}

*{{nerf|Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 34 → 60).}}

*{{buff|The reintroduction of directional air dodges benefits Ness more than the rest of the cast, as his directional air dodge grants more distance compared to other characters' (a trait he shares with {{SSBU|Lucas}}), and it provides him with a reliable recovery mixup to avoid leaving himself vulnerable by using [[PK Thunder]].}}

**{{buff|The first hit drags opponents towards Ness with the farthest hitboxes ([[361]]° → 180°), and the second hit uses a different angle throughout (70° → 361°). Both hits also have altered knockback (8 base/50 scaling → 30/20 base/25/15 scaling (hit 1), 30/20/25/20 (hit 2)). This allows for the full neutral attack to connect more reliably.}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt has drastically increased base knockback (12 → 35), turning it into a viable KO option starting at around 155% from the center of {{SSBU|Final Destination}}.}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt's hitboxes have been moved inwards (X offset: 0.7/2.9 → 0.6/2.7), slightly reducing its range.}}

**{{buff|Up tilt has less startup with a longer hitbox duration (frames 7-8 → 5-8), and less ending lag (FAF 32 → 29). This improves its combo potential and allows it to function more effectively as an anti-air.}}

**{{buff|It has more knockback scaling (126 → 140), improving its KO potential, without worsening its combo ability due to its decreased startup and ending lag.}}

**{{buff|It can be interrupted earlier by actions besides another down tilt (FAF 14 → 12).}}

**{{buff|Its base knockback and knockback scaling have been reversed (3/6 base/20 scaling → 20/3). This increases its safety on hit at low percents so that opponents in range can no longer [[shield]] in-between hits, improving its reliability for racking up damage.}}

**{{buff|The increased [[shieldstun]] for tilts allows down tilt to repeatedly hit and keep opponents locked into their shields until they get out of the move's range or are [[shield stab]]bed, improving its offensive utility.}}

**{{nerf|It no longer has a bonus [[trip]] chance, weakening its setup potential.}}

*[[Dash attack]]:

**{{buff|Dash attack's last hit has drastically increased knockback scaling (104 → 133), significantly improving its KO potential despite its lowered angle (80° → 70°).}}

**{{buff|Dash attack's second hit now extends backwards (Z offset: 16 → 13-16), improving its ability to hit opponents next to Ness.}}

**{{buff|Up smash and down smash once again have their charging hitboxes from ''Melee'' and ''Brawl'', hitting opponents repeatedly for 1% damage per hit. Unlike in those games, however, charging these moves still increases their damage, making the charging hitboxes far more useful. The yo-yo can also hang below the ledge, improving Ness's edgeguarding abilities significantly.}}

**{{nerf|They have a lower maximum damage multiplier (1.4× → 1.2×) and cannot be held as long as most other smash attacks.}}

**{{change|The text on the yo-yo now reads "SUPER NINTENDO 2018 MOTHER".}}

*[[Up smash]]:

**{{buff|It has considerably more knockback scaling (60 → 79), significantly improving its KO potential. }}

**{{nerf|It has more startup (frame 6 → 10), no longer hitting behind Ness during its first active frames.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash deals one hit less at both sides, increasing its startup (frame 10 → 12) and reducing its total damage (12% → 11%).}}

**{{buff|Forward aerial deals more damage (1% → 1.5% (hits 1-3), 4% → 5.5% (hit 4); 7% → 10% (total)), with knockback scaling not fully compensated on the last hit (150 → 128), improving its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|Back aerial's outer hitbox has been moved (X offset: 2.7 → 3.7, Y offset: 0 → 2), having being moved outwards and downwards, thus improving its reach and making its height better match the inner hitbox.}}

**{{change|Ness has a new up aerial: he waves his hand in an overhead arc while emitting PSI from his index finger. It is a multi-hit move, dealing up to five hits.}}

**{{buff|Up aerial has a longer hitbox duration (frames 8-11 → 8-14 (hits 1-4), 15-16 (hit 5)), and more disjointed vertical range above Ness.}}

**{{buff|It has less ending lag (FAF 42 → 34). Coupled with its longer duration and multi-hit nature (guaranteeing opponents are launched during the latest active frames), this allows it to combo into itself in the air from low to mid percents.}}

**{{buff|It deals more total damage (13% → 2.5% (hits 1-4), 5% (hit 5); 15% total), with knockback compensated on the last hit if the damage from the previous hits is added (13 base/109 scaling → 40/180). Combined with its increased combo potential, this overall drastically strengthens its damage racking ability.}}

**{{nerf|Up aerial has drastically decreased horizontal range, hindering its use for landing and approaching directly.}}

**{{nerf|It [[auto-cancel]]s later (frame 27 → 34), no longer doing so before it is interruptible.}}

**{{change|The last hit launches at a more horizontal angle (85° → 73°). This slightly hinders its KO potential, but allows it to combo better into other moves.}}

**{{buff|It deals more damage (12% → 14% (clean), 10% → 12% (late)) and knockback (20 base/70 scaling → 37/74 (clean), 70 scaling → 74 (late)), making it a significantly stronger [[meteor smash]].}}

**{{buff|It auto-cancels earlier (frame 50 → 41), allowing Ness to auto-cancel it in a [[short hop]] much like it could in earlier ''Smash'' titles.}}

**{{change|Down aerial uses a kick SFX instead of a magic SFX on hit.}}

**{{buff|Down throw's first three hits have a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.5×), allowing it to execute faster.}}

**{{nerf|It launches the opponent earlier (frame 30 → 28), and has a slightly longer duration (FAF 50 → 51), reducing its combo potential.}}

**{{buff|Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).}}

===Special moves===

**{{buff|It has less ending lag when uncharged (FAF 70 → 65), and significantly less startup (frame 150 → 121) and ending lag (FAF 176 → 142) when fully charged.}}

**{{buff|It can travel through [[platform#Soft_platforms|soft]] and [[platform#Semisoft_platforms|semisoft platforms]]. It also no longer dissipates immediately upon making contact with [[platform#Hard_platforms|hard platforms]], allowing its full charge to be unleashed on the ground by simply holding the button, much like in ''Melee''.}}

**{{buff|The explosion has a longer hitbox duration (1 → 4 frames) and is larger (size multiplier: 0.9× uncharged/1.43× fully charged → 1.05×/1.8×).}}

**{{buff|It no longer causes [[helplessness]] when used in the air, allowing Ness to hit opponents near edges from offstage without self-destructing.}}

**{{buff|It has much more base knockback (10 → 50), with knockback scaling barely compensated (70 → 65), strengthening it at lower charge levels.}}

**{{nerf|It deals significantly less damage when fully charged (37% → 27%), hindering its KO potential despite its increased knockback values.}}

**{{change|PK Flash has a more aquamarine color and emits its respective ''EarthBound'' graphic (specifically the "α" form) upon detonating.}}

**{{buff|It has significantly less landing lag (30 frames → 12).}}

**{{buff|Due to the universal nerfs to roll intangibility frames, PK Fire can catch rolls more effectively.}}

**{{change|The flame pillar has a faster rehit rate (11 → 7), but no longer has a hitbox that deals more damage (2%/1% → 1%). As a result, it cannot deal as much damage, but it is more consistent overall.}}

**{{change|Ness uses one hand to fire the projectile while emitting a red spark from his index finger. Diamond-shaped PSI energy also rises up within the fire pillar, resembling PK Fire γ's graphics from ''EarthBound''.}}

**{{buff|PK Thunder deals more damage (8% → 11%) and has increased knockback scaling (50 → 55), allowing it to KO near the top blast line at high percents.}}

**{{buff|The new air dodge mechanics significantly improve its edgeguarding ability, allowing Ness to [[mindgame]] opponents more reliably and force them to spend their air dodge, leaving them open to punishes.}}

**{{buff|PK Thunder 2 travels further.}}

**{{buff|In addition to its full intangibility during frames 1-9, it grants intangibility on Ness's head during frames 10-32, improving its safety for recovery.}}

**{{buff|The window for using PK Thunder again after bouncing against a wall is much bigger. In addition, Ness enters the rebound animation when bouncing against the ground, instead of being [[Floor recovery|knocked down]], allowing him to use PK Thunder a second time.}}

**{{buff|It no longer halts Ness's horizontal momentum in the air, now functioning as it did in ''Brawl'', improving Ness' movement options.}}

**{{buff|It has gained a hitbox close to Ness from frame 7 onward, which deals 4% damage with weak [[set knockback]], and can rehit opponents every 10 frames. This grants the move offensive utility, and alongside the changes above, allows it to be used in combos. The lingering hitbox can also destroy weak projectiles, improving its safety when used for absorption.}}

**{{change|PSI Magnet now emits pink diamond-shaped PSI from the center, more closely resembles its appearance in ''EarthBound''. It also features a visible suction effect around the magnet.}}

**{{change|[[PK Starstorm]] summons slower meteors that spread out over the stage, similar to its ''Brawl'' iteration, but can still be aimed horizontally like the ''Smash 4'' iteration. [[Paula]] and [[Poo]] now accompany Ness during the move. PK Starstorm particle effects from ''EarthBound'' accompany each meteor, and the Sound Stone's background pattern appears in the stage's background.}}

**{{buff|Ness no longer sinks downward while channeling PK Starstorm while airborne. In addition, if this Final Smash was initiated while in the air, Ness is propelled upward a moderate amount at the conclusion. This can assist in recovery.}}

Ness has recieved a mix of [[buff]]s and [[nerf]]s. Update 2.0.0, increased autocancel frames for up aerial matching the ending lag of the move and his down aerial deals more damage while keeping the knockback the same. Update 3.0.0, nerfed yo-yo charging smash attacks which was infamous for breaking shields easily. He also received buffs such as PK Flash having a larger hitbox, and physics changes to the yo-yo that improved its potential as an edge guarding tool. Update 3.1.0 reverted the yo-yo physics back to its pre-patch state, and his neutral attack connects more reliably.

*{{buff|Up air autocancels earlier (frame 40 → 34), matching the move's [[interruptibility]].}}

*{{buff|Down air deals more damage (12% → 14% (clean), 10% → 12% (late)), albeit with its knockback compensated.}}

*{{nerf|Up smash and down smash are automatically unleashed from charging state earlier and hit less often while charging (frames between hits: 3 → 5).}}

*{{buff|PK Flash has a larger hitbox.}}

*{{buff|The physics of Ness' yo-yo string are stiffer. This improves the consistency of up smash and down smash at the ledge.}}

*{{buff|Neutral attack 2 has more range and the hitbox is moved forward, causing it to connect into neutral attack 3 more reliably.}}

*{{nerf|The physics of Ness' yo-yo string have been reverted back to their pre-3.0.0 properties.}}

*Ness possesses a special jump. When jumping in midair, Ness will ascend in a floatier, curved trajectory. The upward momentum of Ness's double jump can be affected through various actions if timed correctly, such as aerial attacks, air dodges or special moves.

|neutralname= 

|ftiltname= 

|utiltname= 

|utiltdmg=7% (spark), 5% (body)

|utiltdesc=Jumps and attacks with an upward double palm thrust that produces a PSI spark from his hands. Has a sourspot located on his body that deals 5%. A decent anti-air and juggling tool.

|dtiltname= 

|dashname= 

|dashdesc= A double palm thrust that sends three PSI sparks out in front of him with the third spark knocking the opponent up into the air. The first spark deals more damage to aerial targets. Good to set up juggles and pressuring from afar. Difficult to punish on shield if only the last hit connects. The disjointed hitboxes go very far, giving it impressive range for a dash attack. The first hit is more damaging on opponents in the air.  

|fsmashname=Batter Up!

|fsmashdesc=Swings his bat. It can [[reflect]] incoming projectiles with a high multiplier and is one of the strongest forward smashes in the game, killing most characters around 50% by the ledge. However, its lag is considerable and makes it easy to punish up close.

|usmashname=Around the World

|usmashdesc=Sends his yo-yo forward and performs an "around-the-world", hitting first in front then above and behind. It has a hitbox while charging and can hang from the ledge, but can only be held for an additional half of a second instead of two, and has a max charge damage multiplier of 1.2×.

|dsmashname=Walk the Dog

|dsmashdesc=Sends his yo-yo backward and performs the "walk-the-dog" with it, hitting first behind then in front. It has a hitbox while charging and can hang from the ledge, but can only be held for an additional half of a second instead of two, and has a max charge damage multiplier of 1.2×. Might have troubles linking correctly if the opponent is at the furthest point of the back hit.

|nairname= 

|nairdesc=Spins diagonally in the air with his arms outstretched, emitting PSI from his hands. Quick, coming out on frame 4 and acts like a [[sex kick]]. Rather useful to break combos and as an out-of-shield option. Autocancels from a short hop. It has decent knockback, making it a good edgeguarding and KOing option.

|fairname= 

|fairdesc= A double palm thrust that generates a stream of PSI sparks from his hands. Comes out on frame 8,making it tied with up aerial for the second fastest out of Ness's aerials. Decently safe on shield if Ness backs away during the attack, and it's useful to start and continue combos. Autocancels from a short hop. Can chain into itself multiple times at low percentages, making it a useful wall-of-pain tool.

|bairname= 

|uairname= 

|uairdesc=Waves his finger in an arc above his head while generating PSI sparkles, hitting up to 5 times. Autocancels from a short hop. A great combo tool, as its linking hits and last hit's vertical angle combine to make it a great combo extender. It can also KO well near the upper blast line at high percentages since the final hit has extremely high knockback scaling. Overall great power.  

 

|dairname= 

|dairdesc=Twirls before kicking down into the air, producing a PSI spark. The clean hit can [[meteor smash]], and can be used to start combos on-stage fairly reliably if landed against grounded opponents. Autocancels from a short hop. Ness's slowest aerial, coming out on frame 20.

|grabname= 

|pummelname= 

|pummeldesc=Attacks the opponent with a discharge of PSI energy.

|fthrowname=PK Throw

|bthrowname=Reverse PK Throw

|uthrowname= 

|uthrowdmg=10%

|dthrowname= 

|nsdesc=A green sphere of light appears above Ness and flies forward in an arc if charged. The arc it travels can be controlled, and the projectile is able to go through [[platform#Soft_platforms|soft]] and [[platform#Semisoft_platforms|semisoft platforms]] and will not dissipate upon contact with [[platform#Hard_platforms|hard platforms]].

|dsdesc=Surrounds Ness with a purple energy field, allowing him to [[absorb]] energy-based projectiles (such as {{SSBU|Mario}}'s [[Fireball]], {{SSBU|Fox}}'s [[Blaster (Fox)|Blaster]] or {{SSBU|Samus}}'s [[Charge Shot]]) or explosions (including all of {{SSBU|Snake}}'s explosives) and heal for 1.6× the damage he would have taken, but only at a maximum of 30% damage per projectile.

It possesses a hitbox on startup and if held, and will also slightly push back opponents on release. Upon absorption, the magnet can be canceled with a jump, roll or spotdodge. Can also be used to stall Ness's vertical momentum slightly in the air.

Ness teleports onto the stage with PSI Teleport, ending in an explosion leaving him covered in soot which he then shakes off his body.

===[[Taunts]]===

*'''Side taunt''': Swings his bat out in front of him and strikes a pose.

SSBUNessTaunt1.gif|Ness's up taunt.

SSBUNessTaunt2.gif|Ness's side taunt.

SSBUNessTaunt3.gif|Ness's down taunt.

*Look to his right, then to his left.

SSBUNessIdle1.gif|Ness's first idle pose

SSBUNessIdle2.gif|Ness's second idle pose

==In competitive play==

Upon the release of ''Ultimate'', Ness was considered to be a low-high or upper mid tier character at best and that he was on par with his ''[[Smash 4]]'' counterpart. This was seen due to the game's most popular characters being swordfighters who have mostly been some of Ness's hardest matchups throughout the Smash series. On top of this, many players believed that the loss of him being able to airdodge multiple times and his up air having a smaller hitbox gave him a much harder time at landing and ultimately much worse than in ''Smash 4''.

However as the metagame began to develop, it was proven that Ness has become significantly better than he was in ''Smash 4''. The overall mechanics of ''Ultimate'' and the changes made to his aerials and specials have given Ness a significantly better neutral, advantage state, punish game, and approach options. On top of this, many of his hardest matchups from ''Smash 4'' (most notably {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}} and {{SSBU|Corrin}}) were nerfed and are considered to be less troublesome for Ness in general. Due to him having much more frightening and versatile options, Ness has obtained great results due to {{Sm|BestNess}} and {{Sm|Gackt}}, with many professional players such as {{Sm|ESAM}}, {{Sm|ZeRo}} and {{Sm|Dabuz}} consider him to be a high tier character.  

===Notable players===

<!--If you are planning to add a player you consider to be notable, please provide tournament results in some shape or form in the edit summary (be it a link to a results thread or bracket of placing high in a tournament of other notable players or a video of them beating a notable player). Winning tournaments without notable players present is generally not enough to warrant a spot.-->

''Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the [[Spring 2019 PGRU]], which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]] from February 1st, 2019 to July 7th, 2019.''

*{{Sm|ATATA|USA}} - A very strong Ness player from the Midwest. Placed 1st at {{Trn|Midwest Arena 2: Doubles Masters}}, 2nd at Second City Smash 3, and 5th at {{Trn|Midwest Arena}}. He has defeated {{Sm|MuteAce}}, {{Sm|8BitMan}}, {{Sm|Daybreak}}, and {{Sm|Ned}}. Ranked 2nd on the [[Chicago Power Rankings#Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|Chicago Ultimate Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Awestin|USA}} - One of the best Ultimate players in Texas, as well as one of the best Ness players in the world. Consistently places 1st in large tournaments in his region, especially the {{Trn|Shockwave}} series. Placed 1st at {{Trn|No Fun Allowed 3}} and 4th at {{Trn|Ultimatum}} and has wins over multiple top players such as {{Sm|BestNess}}, {{Sm|Dakpo}}, {{Sm|ESAM}}, {{Sm|Fatality}}, {{Sm|Lima}}, {{Sm|MVD}}, {{Sm|SDX}}, {{Sm|CaptainZack}}, {{Sm|tamim}}, {{Sm|Trela}}, and {{Sm|Magister}}.

*{{Sm|BestNess|USA}} - Considered the best Ness player in the world. Placed 9th at {{Trn|Low Tier City 7}}, 17th at {{Trn|Shine 2019}} and {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2019}}, 5th at {{Trn|Super Splat Bros}} (in conjunction with {{SSBU|Wii Fit Trainer}}) and 33rd at {{Trn|GENESIS 6}}. Has wins over {{Sm|Abadango}}, {{Sm|Captain L}}, {{Sm|Dark Wizzy}}, {{Sm|Elegant}}, {{Sm|Goblin}}, {{Sm|Larry Lurr}}, [[Smasher:Light (Connecticut)|Light]], {{Sm|Prodigy}}, {{Sm|Raito}}, and {{Sm|yeti}}.

*{{Sm|FOW|USA}} - One of the best Ness players in the world. Consistently places 1st in Las Vegas tournaments, placed 2nd at {{Trn|LVL Up Expo 2019}} and 25th at {{Trn|GENESIS 6}}. Ranked 1st on the [[Las Vegas Power Rankings]]. Has taken sets off of {{Sm|Mr.R}}, {{Sm|Tsu}}, yeti, BestNess, Dakpo, and {{Sm|K9sbruce}}.

*{{Sm|Gackt|Japan}} - The best Ness player in Japan, and one of the best Ness players in the world. Placed 3rd at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 2}} and 5th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 2}} and {{Trn|Umebura SP 4}} with wins over {{Sm|Abadango}}, {{Sm|Choco}}, {{Sm|Eim}}, {{Sm|kameme}}, {{Sm|Lea}}, {{Sm|ProtoBanham}}, {{Sm|Raito}}, {{Sm|T}}, {{Sm|Tea}}, {{Sm|Tsu}}, and {{Sm|Umeki}}.

*{{Sm|Lumbre|USA}} - The best Ness player in So-Cal. Ranked 6th on the Inland Empire. Placed 49th at {{Trn|2GG: SwitchFest 2019}} and {{Trn|2GG: Prime Saga}}. Has wins over {{Sm|Lui$}}, {{Sm|Nitro}}, {{Sm|Eim}}, {{Sm|KiraFlax}}, {{Sm|Jaredisking}}, {{Sm|falln}}, and {{Sm|MrConCon}}.

*{{Sm|PEW|France}} - One of the best Ness players in Europe. Placed 5th at both {{Trn|Elysium: Yggdrasil}} and {{Trn|Ultimate WANTED 1}}.

*{{Sm|PkChris|USA}} - The best Ness player in the tri-state area. Placed 17th at {{Trn|Smash at The Paramount}} and 33rd at both {{Trn|Pound 2019}} and {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2019}}. He has defeated players such as {{Sm|ZD}} and {{Sm|Wizzrobe}}.

*{{Sm|S1|Netherlands}} - One of the best Ness players in Europe. Placed 9th at {{Trn|Tech Republic IV}} 5th at {{Trn|Elysium: Yggdrasil}} and 7th at {{Trn|Albion 4}}.

*{{Sm|taranito|Japan}} - Placed 17th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 2}} and 17th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 5}}. Has wins over {{Sm|Songn}}, and {{Sm|Akasa}}.

*{{Sm|Jtails|USA}} - Placed 5th at {{Trn|Don't Park on the Grass 2018}} and 49th at {{Trn|MomoCon 2019}}. Retired from competitive smash.

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

|1||Ness {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}||[[Magicant]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Magicant (for 3DS / Wii U)}}''||The opponent has his 5th alternate costume equipped, referencing Ness' younger self that he encounters in Magicant. If the player is using the 5th alternate costume, default Ness {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px}} will appear as the enemy instead.

|2||{{SSBU|Lucas}} {{Head|Lucas|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[New Pork City]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|You Call This a Utopia?!}}''||

|3||{{SSBU|R.O.B.}} {{Head|R.O.B.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}} (x3)||[[Fourside]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Fourside}}''||A reference to the robots fought in the {{s|wikibound|Monotoli Building}}.

|4||{{SSBU|Sheik}} {{Head|Sheik|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Gerudo Valley]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Bein' Friends}}''||A reference to {{s|wikibound|Dusty Dunes Desert}}.

|5||{{SSBU|Toon Link}} {{Head|Toon Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}} (x2)||[[Luigi's Mansion]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Unfounded Revenge / Smashing Song of Praise}}''||A reference to the zombies fought in {{s|wikibound|Threed}}. When used, the only Assist Trophy summoned will be [[Jeff]].

|6||{{SSBU|Villager}} {{Head|Villager|g=SSBU|s=20px}} and {{SSBU|Isabelle}} {{Head|Isabelle|g=SSBU|s=20px}}||[[Onett]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Onett Theme / Winters Theme}}''||A reference to the {{s|wikibound|Sharks}} and the dogs fought in Onett. When used, the only Assist Trophy summoned will be [[Starman (EarthBound)|Starman]].

Although Ness does not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene, he was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (sans {{SSBU|Kirby}}) when Galeem unleashed his beams of light.

Ness can be found in a pink cloud area reminiscent of [[Magicant]].

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

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

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

! Name

! Type

! Power

! Stage

! Music

| 10

| [[File:Ness SSBU.png|center|108x108px]]

| {{SSBU|Ness}}

| {{color|#dc1029|Attack}}

| 7,500

| [[Magicant]] ([[Ω form]])

| ''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Magicant (for 3DS / Wii U)}}''

{{-}}

==[[Spirit]]s==

Ness's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing [[Classic Mode]]. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Ness 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. Each Fighter Spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in ''Ultimate''.

NessSpirit.png|563. '''''Ness'''''

==In Spirit battles==

|{{anchor|Slugger & Green Glove}}Slugger & Green Glove

|''Yoshi series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|[[File:Ninten Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|Ninten

|''Earthbound series''

|•{{SSBU|Ness}} Team (×4) ({{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}})

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|[[Magicant]]

|[[File:Starmen Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|{{b|Starman|EarthBound}}

|''Earthbound series''

|•Metal {{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|•Assist Trophy Enemies ([[Starman]])<br>•Item: Stars

|[[File:RamblinEvilMushroom.png|center|64x64px]]

|[[Ramblin' Evil Mushroom]]

|''Earthbound series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|{{anchor|Nico Fire}}[[File:Nico Fire Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|Nico Fire

|''StreetPass Mii Plaza series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|Wii Sports Resort}}

|{{anchor|Pitcher & Batter}}[[File:Pitcher Batter Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Lucas}} {{Head|Lucas|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}} (×2)

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|[[Pokémon Stadium 2]] ([[Ω form]])

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|Baseball (Training)}}

|[[File:Ana spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|Ana

|''Earthbound series''

|•{{SSBU|Villager}} {{Head|Villager|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}<br>•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeGrab.png|20px|center|Grab]]

|[[File:Flying Man Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|[[Flying Man]]

|''Earthbound series''

|•{{SSBU|Mii Brawler}} Team {{Head|Mii Brawler|g=SSBU|s=20px}} (Flying Man Hat, Flying Man Outfit) (×5)<br>•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeAttack.png|20px|center|Attack]]

|[[Magicant]]

|[[File:Paula Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|[[Paula]]

|''Earthbound series''

|•{{SSBU|Villager}} {{Head|Villager|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}<br>•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|[[File:Ness's Father.png|center|40x40px]]

|Ness's Father

|''Earthbound series''

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|[[File:Komurasaki Spirit.png|center|64x64px]]

|Girl from Hajimari no Mori

|''Hajimori no Mori''

|[[File:SpiritTypeShield.png|20px|center|Shield]]

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Nintendo|Yūyūki Medley}}

SSBU Ness Number.png|Ness' fighter card.

SSBUWebsiteNess1.jpg|Ness [[idling]] on the [[Bridge of Eldin]].  

===Character Showcase Video===

*Ness was the only one of the four original [[unlockable character]]s from ''Smash 64'' to be playable in the E3 demo.

*Although most characters from the original ''Super Smash Bros.'' are numbered by their debut game's original release date, Captain Falcon and Ness can be considered an exception; ''F-Zero'' was originally released in 1990, four years before ''EarthBound''. Additionally, in ''Super Smash Bros.'', Captain Falcon will always be fought first if the unlock conditions for both him and Ness are met simultaneously. However, it is also possible that Ness is numbered per the 1989 release date of ''EarthBound Beginnings'', which is also how he is ordered in ''Brawl''{{'}}s [[All-Star Mode#Super Smash Bros. Brawl|All-Star Mode]].

*''Ultimate'' is the first ''Smash'' game where Ness does not receive any new voice clips.

*Ness is one of the only two unlockable characters in ''Ultimate'' who can be the first character unlocked in more than one way. These being through the timed based challenges and through Kirby's Classic mode. The other character who shares this distinction is {{SSBU|Villager}}.