Editing Palutena (SSBU)

'''Palutena''' ({{ja|パルテナ|Parutena}}, ''Palutena'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. She was officially revealed on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L93H7YC-83o June 12th, 2018] alongside fellow {{uv|Kid Icarus}} representatives {{SSBU|Pit}} and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}}, as well as the rest of the [[veteran]]s. Palutena is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #54]].

Brandy Kopp and {{s|wikipedia|Aya Hisakawa}} reprise their roles as the voice of Palutena in the English and Japanese versions of the game. In addition to their portrayals being re-purposed from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', they also provide new [[Palutena's Guidance]] conversations for every veteran not present in ''SSB4'', [[Downloadable content (SSB4)#Fighters|the downloadable fighters of ''SSB4'']], the base roster newcomers of ''Ultimate'', and {{SSBU|Piranha Plant}}.

 

Palutena is ranked 16th out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing her in the A tier. This is a huge improvement over her 44th out of 54 placement in ''SSB4''. Palutena is one of the most improved veterans from the transition to ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'' due to the engine of ''Ultimate'' complementing her unique strengths. Her aerials are a core part of her neutral due to her high aerial mobility and their effective traits: they both start and extend combos, most notably with her neutral aerial, which is commonly considered one of the best moves in the game due to its overall utility for starting combos, comboing into itself, high active frames and KOing at very high percents. Her back air is great for retreating and mid-range combat due to the invincibility of the shield and priority, while up air is an amazing disjointed multi-hit that functions as a juggle tool and KO option. Her grab game is also impressive due to its above-average reach and her decent set of throws. Overall, this results in her having one of the best advantage states in the game. Her specials also have seen noteworthy improvements: [[Autoreticle]] is useful for interrupting midrange approaches or recoveries, [[Explosive Flame]] is effective for general zoning and for halting approaches, [[Warp]] makes her difficult to edgeguard consistently, and her [[Reflect Barrier]] functions as a simultaneous [[counterattack]] and [[reflection|reflector]] that enhances her already strong defense.

 

 

Overall, Palutena is a simple but effective character at all levels of play, with well-rounded abilities and few overwhelming weaknesses. She has often been considered a top-tier contender since the release of the game, and has been one of the most popular characters in competitive play, with results spearheaded by {{Sm|Nairo}} in the early metagame and a multitude of other Palutena players since, including {{Sm|Jagaimo}}, {{Sm|Lui$}}, and {{Sm|Raflow}}.

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

Palutena must then be defeated on [[Palutena's Temple]] (the [[Ω form]] is used in World of Light).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Despite this, Palutena is generally considered at worst a high tier character due to her versatility, well-roundedness and relatively easy combo game. Her lack of overwhelming weaknesses means that there are few opponents she struggles against.

Palutena was previously a lower-tiered character in ''SSB4'' due to a myriad of factors, such as terrible frame data in relation to power and weight (which also resulted in a deficient grounded game), a predictable offensive game with few reliable options, general trouble at KOing, poor disadvantage state, and an infamously dysergic [[special moves]]et. Being designed with [[character customization]] in mind, custom special moves were able to vastly improve her strengths, but they required for character customization to be turned on to be able to use them unlike the [[Mii|Mii Fighters]], resulting in the inability to use them in regular gameplay and limiting her to her default special moveset. Most likely owing to the removal of custom moves and her previous poorly regarded status, Palutena has been rebalanced significantly to work without custom moves in her transition from ''SSB4'' to ''Ultimate''; though while initially considered to be dramatically buffed during the game's release, game updates have given her some noticeable nerfs that have reduced her viability. Regardless, Palutena is still considered to be significantly buffed overall.

 

Palutena's most notable improvements are indirect, as she benefits from the gameplay changes to the engine to a far greater degree than most of the cast. The universal increases to mobility have not only improved her already high [[dash|run speed]], but particularly give her much faster [[air speed|air]] and [[falling speed]]s compared to ''SSB4'' (though the former is still below-average), improving her air-to-ground transitioning. The reduced [[landing lag]] in all aerials further improves her already impressive aerial game, heightening their spacing and combo potential. The increased [[shieldstun]] on attacks makes Palutena's own moves much safer on shield, while the changes to [[perfect shield]]ing now allow Palutena to more easily retailate against opposing attacks, while not reducing her own moves safety on shield due to the aforementioned higher shieldstun and her moves' multi-hit nature making them risky to perfect shield. The weakening of [[rage]] improves Palutena's endurance, and now allows her to take advantage of it much easier. The changes to [[air dodge]]s have significantly improved her juggling and edgeguarding potential combined with her respectable aerial moves, and the reintroduction of directional air dodging now let her use one to escape pressure or slightly extend her recovery. Finally, the changes to the [[Sakurai angle]] to be lower, while being a buff shared widely around the cast, have turned her [[back throw]] into a highly effective KO throw.

 

In terms of direct changes, Palutena has also received several notable improvements. Some of her standard moves have seen hitbox increases, which increases her melee range and makes attacks using her staff much more reliable at connecting. Her sluggish ground moves have been sped up, with her [[forward tilt|forward]] and [[up tilt]]s having faster startup, and almost all of her moves (aside from up and [[down tilt]]s) receiving less ending lag. Down tilt, particularly, has much better [[edge|2 framing]] potential thanks to its longer range and duration, and sends at a more favorable angle for combos when hitting aerial opponents. Her [[smash attacks]] have had their utility further increased; [[up smash]] lasts significantly longer, while [[forward smash|forward]] and [[down smash]] possess increased power as well as stronger, more reliable windboxes, which combined with their lower ending lag makes them harder to punish at long range.

 

Her already capable aerial moveset was also improved. [[Neutral aerial]] now always sends at the direction Palutena is facing and deals less knockback; in combination with the reductions to landing lag, this turns the move into a fearsome combo starter and general all-purpose attack. [[Forward aerial|Forward]], [[up aerial|up]] and [[down aerial]]s deal more damage, with both the former and latter, as well as [[back aerial]], dealing more knockback. Down aerial also lasts for an additional frame, no longer being one of worst meteor smashes in the game.

 

Palutena's special moveset has also seen various drastic enhancements that have put it in-line with the rest of the cast. [[Autoreticle]]'s detection lasts significantly longer, and each projectile has faster startup, deals more damage and travels faster. {{b|Counter|Palutena}} and [[Reflect Barrier]] have been merged into one move; the former activates when blocking a physical attack, while the latter activates to reflect projectiles. As a whole, the move has faster startup, lasts longer and has less ending lag in all aspects; individually, Counter has slightly more knockback (though it remains the weakest counterattack knockback-wise), while Reflect Barrier activates immediately and has a much higher damage multiplier, no longer being the weakest reflector in the game. In place of Reflect Barrier, Palutena's side special is now [[Explosive Flame]]; in addition to giving Palutena an additional move, the move has less ending lag, deals more damage and knockback, and can be summoned at two distances, increasing its versatility.

 

However, while receiving far more buffs, Palutena has also seen some notable nerfs that have changed her playstyle, most notably to her [[neutral attack]] and grabs. The former can no longer [[jab cancel]] due to its angle being homogenized to connect into the infinite, removing many of its guaranteed set-ups into other moves such as dash attack, grab and some of her aerials. For the latter, despite pivot grab's longer range, both standing and dash grab possess less range (especially the former) and all grabs share the same increased startup and ending lag as with the rest of the cast. Her down throw is also less advantageous due to the changes to hitlag on it and has slightly more knockback, reducing its advantage and combo potential beyond low percents despite its reduced ending lag and more favourable angle. The universal slowdown of shield grabs only exacerbate this, further weakening Palutena's [[out of shield]] and grab games, the former of which was the crux of her defense in ''SSB4''. Moreover, her dash attack and back aerial's invincibility frames no longer cover her entire body after startup, instead only covering her arm, making both attacks less effective at contesting approaches.

 

While she has seen mostly benefits from the revamped game physics, a few changes have also hurt Palutena. Aside from the universal nerfs to grabs, the introduction of [[dash-canceling]] is overall detrimental to her, as it allows many characters to pressure her more effectively, while her grounded moves are still slow compared to her aerial moves. The smaller [[edge#edge sweet spot|edge sweetspots]] render [[Warp]] much easier to intercept and 2-frame, which combined with her less floaty air physics and the changes to air dodges, makes her easier to edgeguard. Most egregiously, however, the removal of custom moves means she is no longer able to utilize them to her advantage to improve her special moveset.

 

In the end, Palutena's buffs have exponentially improved her predictable, inconsistent offense, and her improved aerial mobility and the revamped gameplay mechanics allow her to take advantage of her streamlined moveset while compensating for most of her nerfs. She now possesses reliable options for most kinds of situations, allowing her to adapt to many kinds of playstyles depending on the opponent. However, her weaker grabs have neutered her defense, and her survivability is slightly worse, which forces her to adapt to the opponents' options through a more offensive playstyle. She also retains some of her weaknesses from ''SSB4'', such as slow grounded attacks, trouble at KOing the opponent, predictable out of shield game, somewhat linear approach, and a mediocre disadvantage state, especially offstage. Game updates have also handed Palutena some impactful nerfs, including the aforementioned nerf to her grab; combined with various characters gaining buffs through said updates, the introduction of DLC characters, and general metagame optimizations, her overall viability is slightly worse than at launch. All in all, however, Palutena is drastically better in ''Ultimate'' than she was in ''SSB4'', being one of the most buffed characters among the returning cast, and a fairly strong choice in competitive play.

 

 

 

Update {{SSBU|2.0.0}} made Warp safer to recover with, and reduced neutral aerial's hitlag, making it harder to SDI. In {{SSBU|3.0.0}}, she received an universal nerf to her projectiles' shield damage, on par with the rest of the cast, which made [[Autoreticle]] and [[Explosive Flame]] are less effective for shield pressure when used in conjunction.

 

Update {{SSBU|7.0.0}} granted Palutena a mix of buffs and nerfs, but nerfed her overall; her neutral aerial saw the most nerfs, with its looping hits altered to make them much less effective for drag-down setups and removing its infinite combo on itself on platforms against large characters, and its weaker knockback makes it a much less effective option at high percentages; the latter change did, however, make the move slightly more effective for combos at low to mid percentages. Down throw's increased knockback worsened its combo potential, notably neutering her KO confirm into back aerial. Despite this, her down smash and up tilt's last hit were made stronger.

 

Update {{SSBU|8.0.0}} nerfed her Final Smash by making it easier to avoid due to its slowdown period and range being shortened. {{SSBU|11.0.0}}, however, brought more significant nerfs to her standard moveset; her dash attack and forward aerial were made less safe by increasing their ending lag and landing lag, respectively. Most notably, however, her standing grab's infamous range was shortened considerably; this noticeably worsened her already mediocre out of shield game, and even makes some mispaced attacks harder to punish.

 

Overall, these changes have affected Palutena's viability, as she fares worse than she did at ''Ultimate''{{'}}s launch. However, she still remains a very viable character.

 

 

 

 

 

''For a gallery of Palutena's hitboxes, see [[Palutena (SSBU)/Hitboxes|here]].''

 

|neutral2dmg=0.6% (loop),<br/>3.5% (last)

|neutraldesc=Thrusts her staff forward to emit a blast of light from its orb. While holding her staff out, she then proceeds to attack with repeated bursts of light, followed swinging her staff upward to emit a final burst of light. The first hit can lock. The final hit does decent knockback, allowing it to function as a situational KO move. However, it is slow for a neutral attack, due to coming out on frame 8.

|ftiltdesc=Telekinetically spins her staff in front of herself. This move can hits twice altogether if the tail of the staff hits the opponent. Its long duration and range allows it to punish sidesteps and backward rolls. The second hit has slightly more range than that of the first. However it comes out on frame 14, and its long duration and high lag makes it very punishable if missed.

|utiltdmg=1.4% (hits 1-5), 2.5% (hit 6)

|utiltdesc=Kneels and telekinetically spins her staff overhead. Unlike her forward and down tilts, it has KO potential due to the high knockback scaling on the last hit. It also has the lowest startup lag of her tilts, coming out on frame 8. However, its long duration and noticeable ending lag make it punishable. It also has a blind spot that makes it almost impossible to hit small or crouching characters like {{SSBU|Kirby}}.

|dtiltdesc=Kneels and telekinetically spins her staff along the ground in front of her. A good spacing tool, and can even punish sidesteps. Slow startup on frame 14 but a low 12 frames of ending lag and has a long 14 frames duration. If the opponent is hit in the air it will be launched vertically, and it is a semi-spike if it hits opponents on the ground. It is one of the few moves in the game that has a longer duration than ending lag, and because of these attributes combined, it is one of the best moves for edge-guarding and [[2 frame punish]]ing opponents. It also has the lowest ending lag of a move in her movest, even less than the first hit of her neutral attack.

|dashdesc=Charges forward with her shield. Its clean hitbox grants partial [[invincibility]] to Palutena's body and arm (frames 5 and 6 on her upper body, and frames 7-16 on her arm). Her shield also shines briefly, which indicates the duration of its hitbox. Fast start-up on frame 6, although it is unsafe on shield. The clean hit has decent knockback and KOs around 160%.

|fsmashdesc=Conjures a pair of ethereal wings and flaps them forward. It has excellent range, including a huge windbox near the tips of the wings that can [[push]] away opponents and potentially [[gimp]] recoveries. The tips of the wings are weaker compared to the inner portions. Has quite a bit startup lag at frame 18 (tied with up smash) and very high ending lag with 43 frames, making this move very punishable. Occasionally, Palutena utters "Goddess Wings!" when using this move. Based on the move of the same name used by Palutena in her boss fight in ''{{iw|icaruspedia|Kid Icarus: Uprising}}'' while she is under the control of the {{iw|icaruspedia|Chaos Kin}}.

|usmashname=Pillar of Light ({{ja|光の柱|Hikari no Hashira}})

|usmashdesc=Raises her staff skyward to generate a cyan beam of light that erupts from the ground in front of herself. Has the second highest vertical range of any up smash in the game, surpassed only by {{SSBU|Snake}}'s. The beam has a trio of hitboxes: one at the base, one at the middle, and one at the top. It has a long-lasting 18 frame duration, and unlike her other smash attacks, has a moderate 28 frames of ending lag, making it her most reliable smash attack. However, its long duration and moderate ending lag still make it very punishable if missed or dodged. It also has almost no horizontal range in front of Palutena and without covering her from directly above and behind. It resembles the Palutena Pressure ({{ja|パルテナプレッシャー|Parutena Puresshā}}), an attack in ''Kid Icarus: Uprising'' used by the Chaos Kin-controlled Palutena, and later on by her doppleganger {{iw|icaruspedia|Pseudo-Palutena}}.

|nairdesc=Telekinetically spins her staff while it is adjacent to her right arm. Has the lowest amount of startup lag in her moveset, coming out on frame 5. Notorious for its ability to effectively combo into itself and into other aerials, being capable of comboing into itself at low percentages until four times, and especially for its importance to Palutena's gameplan thanks to its low ending and landing lag, making it very spammable. It also can easily set up an edge-guard when fast fallen, and due to its high knockback scaling, it has enough knockback to KO middleweights at around 150% on the edge of Final Destination. All of these traits combined make it one of her best moves and is arguably one of the best moves in the game due to its effectiveness. Auto-cancels in a full hop.

|bairdesc=A backfist with her shield-equipped arm. Much like her dash attack, the clean hitbox grants invincibility around her upper body, and the duration of its hitbox is indicated by a shine. Its invincibility is brief, which is just before the hitbox first comes out (frame 7). Like her forward aerial, it has a generous auto-cancel window, allowing it to autocancel in a short hop fast fall. It has a large hitbox, but is unable to cover Palutena at point-blank range. It also has 40 frames of ending lag, making it very punishable if it is not used close to the ground.

|uairdesc=Twirls briefly and then emits her halo above herself. Comes out on frame 10, tying it with down aerial for having the slowest start-up of Palutena's aerials. However, it has several hitboxes that grant great coverage above Palutena, and its last hit's respectable power enables it to KO reliably around 110%. Auto-cancels in a full hop.

|dairdesc=A downward roundhouse kick. Unlike most meteor smashes, it will always meteor smash midair opponents, thanks to its consistent hitbox. It is also fairly fast for a meteor smash, coming out on frame 10. Conversely, it will obliquely launch grounded opponents (grounded opponents in front of Palutena are launched behind her, and vice versa), which allows it to be used as a punishment option from [[out of shield]] when SHFF'd. However, it is unarguably Palutena's worst aerial for a number of reasons. Due to it hitting on frame 10, it is tied with her up aerial for her slowest aerial. It also has the shortest range, duration, and worst auto-cancel window of her aerials (auto-canceling late in a full hop), while its knockback is only average at best for a meteor smash. It also has immense ending lag (47 frames), which is among the laggiest aerials in the game. These traits make it a highly risky, yet only moderately rewarding move, with characters such as {{SSBU|Ivysaur}}, {{SSBU|Luigi}} and {{SSBU|Cloud}} having noticeably better meteor smashes that are similar or even faster in comparison.

|dthrowdesc=Telekinetically lifts the opponent and slams them onto the ground. It is Palutena's most useful throw, thanks to its high base knockback, very low knockback growth, and diagonal launching angle. These traits make it a potent combo starter at a wide range of percentages, being able to set up neutral aerial strings at low to mid percentages (or just combo into any of her aerials), and can even set up for KO confirms into back aerial at high percentages. As of update 7.0.0, however, the latter combo is noticeably more difficult to perform.

|nsdesc=Illuminates her staff's orb to aim [[icaruspedia:Autoreticle|a reticle over the opponent, and then fires three energy blasts at that location]]. It will only fire the blasts if nothing blocks her target, and if the opponent is within range and not [[intangible]]. The shots can [[lock]], although due to the changes on locking, it has even less use to initiate combos. It can be used as a way for stopping direct approaches and to force an approach. It is also able to hit opponents behind Palutena, such as if she is moving when it fires and if the opponent is at the maximum horizontal range toward her. Although situational, it also has very minor recovery potential, thanks to it briefly stalling her descent. However, it has high ending lag, regardless of whether or not it targets anything. Its very minor knockback also makes it poor for spacing.

|ssdesc=Creates [[icaruspedia:Explosive Flame|a multi-hitting explosion]] approximately 4 character lengths away from herself. If inputted like a smash attack, the explosion hits approximately 7.5 units away. The ability to change its range makes it a decent spacing and zoning tool, as well as an edge-guarding option. This move has good KO potential, thanks to its loop hits reliably trapping the opponent, and its last hit having impressive knockback. However it is very punishable if missed. However, it is safe on shield due to its minimal ending lag.

|usdesc=[[icaruspedia:Warp|Disappears and then reappears]] in a chosen direction. It quickly covers both a respectable amount of vertical distance and a decent horizontal distance while rendering Palutena invisible (frames 16-32). It can also be [[Ledge-canceling|edge-canceled]], which grants it defensive and re-positioning potentials. However, it renders Palutena [[helpless]] after she reappears (unless it is edge-canceled) and lacks a hitbox to protect her. She also falls faster in this state.

|dsdesc=Palutena uses her shield to retaliate against an opponent's attack. If a physical attack connects, Palutena will [[icaruspedia:Counter|forcefully thrust her staff forward]], creating a blast of light. If a projectile attack connects, she raises her shield to emit [[icaruspedia:Reflect Barrier|a rectangular barrier that reflects]] the projectile.

|fsdesc=Illuminates her staff's orb and twirls around repeatedly before firing a {{iw|icaruspedia|Black Hole}} from her staff's orb, after which she quickly retreats off-stage in order to fire a {{iw|icaruspedia|Mega Laser}} into the Black Hole. The Black Hole does not deal damage, but [[pull]]s opponents within a 45 unit radius (about 0.5u smaller than the distance between the platforms of [[Small Battlefield]]) into itself and places them in a [[tumbling]] state. Conversely, the Mega Laser hits multiple times before concluding with a final hit that launches the opponent and dissipates the Black Hole.

| cast=89

| weight=91 | rweight=59-60

| dash=2.035 | rdash=25-27

| run=2.077 | rrun=17

| walk=1.271 | rwalk=17

| trac=0.106 | rtrac=50-54

| gravity=0.12 | rgravity=15-20

}}

===[[Announcer]] call===

{{audio|Needs announcer calls from other languages.}}

Palutena English Announcer SSB4-SSBU.wav|English/Japanese/Chinese

===[[On-screen appearance]]===

*Walks out of a set of golden doors that are decorated with her halo's design and emit a bright, shining light.

PalutenaOnScreenAppearanceSSBU.gif|Palutena's on-screen appearance.

===[[Taunt]]s===

*'''Up taunt''': Raises her arms overhead and then brings them down while producing ethereal wings, emitting her halo, and saying "You shall be purified." ({{ja|浄化してあげましょう|Jōka shite agemashou}}, ''You will be purified.'')

*'''Side taunt''': Laughs while using her staff to perform a twirling, inverted version of the Arabesque.

*'''Down taunt''': Lets go of her staff and telekinetically holds it next to herself, then brushes her hair aside while emitting her halo and saying "Ready when you are." ({{ja|いつでもどうぞ？|Itsudemo dōzo?}}, ''Feel free whenever.'') before grabbing her staff.

SSBUPalutenaTaunt1.gif|Palutena's up taunt.

SSBUPalutenaTaunt2.gif|Palutena's side taunt.

SSBUPalutenaTaunt3.gif|Palutena's down taunt.

===[[Idle pose]]s===

*Taps the ground with the tail of her staff and shield in front of herself, during which she briefly emits her halo.

*Looks away while crossing her staff and shield in front of herself, during which she briefly emits her halo.

===[[Crowd cheer]]===

<div class="tabbertab" title="English, Japanese/Chinese, Italian, Dutch, French">

{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"

!{{{name|}}}

|[[File:Palutena Cheer English SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Palutena Cheer Japanese SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Palutena Cheer Italian SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Palutena Cheer Dutch SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Palutena Cheer French NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Palutena Cheer French PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]

|Pa - lu - te - na! || Pa - lu - tena! || Pa - lu - te - na! || Pa - lu - te - na! *claps 2 times* || Pa - lu - te - na!

|}

{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"

|-

!{{{name|}}}

!Cheer (German)

!Cheer (Spanish)

!Cheer (Korean)

|-

|[[File:Palutena Cheer German SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Palutena Cheer Spanish NTSC SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Palutena Cheer Spanish PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Palutena Cheer Russian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Palutena Cheer Korean SSBU.ogg|center]]

|}

*'''Left:''' Twirls with her staff held out, hovering off the ground. She then raises it in an arc and points it in front of her, saying "No one can hide from the light." ("{{ja|さ、回収しましょうか？|Sa, kaishū shimashou ka?}}", ''So, shall we recover?'').

**''If Pit is present in the match, there is a chance she will instead say "Oh, so sorry about that, Pit."'' ("{{ja|やられちゃいましたね？|Yararecha imashita ne?}}", ''Were you hurt?''). ''If this quote plays in the Japanese version, Palutena does not look at the camera.''

*'''Up:''' Enters from the side of the screen hovering. She then briefly spins her staff in front of herself telekinetically, catches it, and stands with it pointed outwards. During the pose, she says "Too bad for you." ("{{ja|ちょっと大人げなかったかしら？|Chotto otonagenakatta kashira?}}", ''Was that a bit immature??'').

**''If Dark Pit was present in the match, there is a chance she will instead say "Poor little Pittoo."'' ("{{ja|いつまでも意地っ張りですね～|Itsu made mo ijippari desu ne~}}", ''Forever a nuisance...!'').

*'''Right:''' Uses her staff to briefly perform the Backwards Showgirl (a pole dancing move) before assuming a seated stance while floating and laughs. In the Japanese version, she says ("{{ja|本気出しても良いんですよ。|Honki dashite mo īdesu yo.}}", ''It's all right to fight seriously.'').

==In [[competitive play]]==

 

''See also: [[:Category:Palutena players (SSBU)]]''

 

*{{Sm|Abadango|Japan}} - Played Palutena alongside a variety of other characters throughout his tournament career, most notably using her in the early metagame. He was considered the best Palutena player in Japan when she was one of his primary characters, as he used solo-Palutena to place 2nd at {{Trn|EGS Cup 3}} and primarily Palutena to place 3rd at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 8}} and 7th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 2}}. He has since relegated Palutena to a secondary/counterpick character.

*{{Sm|Gen|USA}} - The second-best Palutena player in North America's early metagame, most notably placing 4th at {{Trn|Defend the North 2019}} defeating {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} and 9th at {{Trn|Glitch 7 - Minus World}} defeating {{Sm|Salem}}. He continued to place well in the post-online metagame, including 9th at {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves 2023}} and 9th at {{Trn|Let's Make Moves Miami}}, but has attended less majors than before.

*{{Sm|Lui$|USA}} - Picked up Palutena in the online metagame and became one of the best Palutena players in the post-pandemic metagame, particularly in the metagame's early years after placing 5th at both {{Trn|Port Priority 6}} and {{Trn|Low Tide City 2022}} and 7th at both {{Trn|Riptide}} and {{Trn|Mainstage 2022}}. Although less consistent since then, he continues to see noteworthy performances from time-to-time, such as winning {{Trn|Gateway Legends 2023}} and placing 3rd at {{Trn|Don't Park on the Grass 2024}}.

*{{Sm|Nairo|USA}} - The best Palutena player of all-time and the only Palutena player to win a major, having won {{Trn|Suplex City Smash}}, {{Trn|Mainstage}}, and {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves}}. He is also the only Palutena player ever ranked in the top 10, ranking 4th on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]]. He has since retired following controversies surrounding his conduct.

*{{Sm|Raflow|France}} - One of the best Palutena players in the world in the post-online metagame who was first known for being the first player to eliminate Glutonny's {{SSBU|Wario}} at a European tournament, doing so at [https://www.start.gg/tournament/d-jo-7/details Dōjo #7]. He has since established himself as one of the best European players in the post-pandemic metagame, having placed 3rd at both {{Trn|Ultimate Fighting Arena 2023}} and {{Trn|King Con}} defeating {{Sm|MkLeo}} in the latter event, 5th at {{Trn|Tera}}, and 17th at {{Trn|GENESIS X}} defeating {{Sm|Miya|p=Honshu}}.

 

Since the beginning of ''Ultimate,'' Palutena has always had a very positive reception among the ''Smash'' community, as many top players noticed her significant buffs from ''SSB4'' early on and was agreed on as a high tier for much of 2019. However, after {{Sm|Nairo}} won {{Trn|Mainstage}} and {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves}}, her already strong reception and results have further increased, with strengths such as her notorious neutral aerial, KO confirms from her down throw, and her relatively low learning curve becoming even more apparent, while her few weaknesses are relatively minor. This has to led to nearly all top players to believe she is a top tier, with many claiming she is among the best in the game, alongside other characters such as {{SSBU|Pikachu}}, {{SSBU|Joker}}, and {{SSBU|Peach}}.

 

Although she remained a strong character after her nerfs in updates 7.0.0 and 11.0.0, during the online era her representation briefly stagnated due to her strongest players either dropping the character, performing worse, becoming inactive, or in Nairo's case, retiring; this led some players to question whether Palutena was starting to fall off in a similar vein to {{SSBU|Inkling}}. This opinion, however, did not last long, as following the return of offline competitive play, other Palutena players such as {{Sm|Lui$}}, {{Sm|Chag}}, and {{Sm|Raflow}} picked up steam and saw several notable placements at a national level, completely nullifying the stagnation during the pandemic. As a result, opinions on Palutena had remained largely the same. However, players still believe her nerfs and the adapting meta have noticeably pushed Palutena back a few placements, with most players now just viewing her as a solid top tier and not among the best characters in the game, making her ranked 17th on the first tier list, near the bottom of S- tier. She would rise up a spot on the second and current tier list to 16th place, although due to the restructuring of the tier list, she is now ranked in A tier.

Referring to being a goddess herself, Palutena's opponents all come from series where religion and mythology play a key role. The title is the same as a phrase she says in her debut character trailer for ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''.

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

|1||{{CharHead|Link|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Zelda|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Great Plateau Tower]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Overworld}}''||

|2||{{CharHead|Cloud|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Midgar]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Magnus's Theme}}''||The track used and Cloud as an opponent serve as an allusion to [[Magnus]], who also wields a sword which has almost the same size as its user.

|3||{{CharHead|Simon|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Richter|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Dracula's Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Destroyed Skyworld}}''||

|4||{{CharHead|Shulk|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Gaur Plain]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Thunder Cloud Temple}}''||

|5||{{CharHead|Bayonetta|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Umbra Clock Tower]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Bayonetta|Riders Of The Light}}''||

|6||{{Head|Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}{{Head|Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}} {{SSBU|Pit}} (x3) and {{Head|Dark Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Dark Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}{{Head|Dark Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Brown}} {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} (x3)||[[Palutena's Temple]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Underworld}}''||Horde Battle (3 at a time).

|colspan="5"|[[Bonus Stage]]

|Final||{{SSBU|Master Hand}}||{{SSBU|Final Destination}}||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Master Hand}}'' <small>(Less than 7.0 intensity)</small><br>''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Master Hand / Crazy Hand}}'' <small>(Intensity 7.0 or higher)</small>||On intensity 7.0 and higher, {{SSBU|Crazy Hand}} fights alongside Master Hand.

Note: Most stages play a track from the {{uv|Kid Icarus}} universe, no matter what universe the stage originates from, with the only exception being Umbra Clock Tower.

 

During the opening cutscene, Palutena was present on the cliffside when [[Galeem]] unleashed his beams of light. She attempted to block a beam with [[Reflect Barrier]], which the beam completely pierced, disintegrating her. Her defeat causes {{SSBU|Pit}} and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} to lose their [[Power of Flight]], making the duo fall victim to the beams as well. They were all placed under Galeem's imprisonment alongside the rest of the fighters, excluding {{SSBU|Kirby}}. A puppet fighter cloned from her is later seen alongside ones cloned from {{SSBU|Greninja}}, {{SSBU|King Dedede}}, {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}} and other fighters.

Palutena is the last fighter to be found to be imprisoned by Galeem. In {{b|The Final Battle|World of Light}}, she is called by Galeem as part of reinforcements after {{SSBU|Dark Samus}} is awakened and {{SSBU|Crazy Hand}} is beaten. She is an obligatory unlock for the true ending, as awaking her leads to a battle with Master Hand that frees him from Galeem's control (both of whom's defeats greatly shifts the balance of power in Dharkon's favor).

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

|{{SpiritType|Attack}} <center>{{color|#dc1029|Attack}}</center>

|12,500

|[[Palutena's Temple]] ([[Ω form]])

|''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Destroyed Skyworld}}''

==[[Spirit]]==

Palutena's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} as Palutena. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Palutena has been unlocked. Unlocking Palutena 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. Her fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with her artwork in ''Ultimate''.

SSBU spirit Palutena.png|705. '''''Palutena'''''

===Fighter Showcase Video===

==Trivia==

*Palutena is the only character to have two previously separate special moves ([[Counter (Palutena)|Counter]] and [[Reflect Barrier]]) consolidated into a single special move slot.

*Palutena's artwork was one of three to have been updated on the official site, alongside {{SSBU|Falco}} and {{SSBU|Shulk}}. Compared to [[:File:Palutena_SSBU_No_Halo.png|her original artwork]], her halo was added, her chiton now covers up more of her thigh, her hair became a brighter green, her lips were shrunk, and her eyes were enlarged. Overall, these changes make it more consistent with the official artwork from both [[:File:Palutena Uprising.png|''Kid Icarus: Uprising'']] and [[:File:Palutena SSB4.png|''Super Smash Bros. 4'']] (especially the latter), as well as her in-game model.

*Due to age rating issues, the slit in her chiton was changed to cover up more of her thigh beginning in update 1.0.6. for the Japanese version of ''SSB4''. This change was retained in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', including all international versions.

**As Palutena's Fighter Spirit artwork uses an unaltered illustration from ''Kid Icarus: Uprising'', it depicts her chiton still revealing most of her thigh. This is probably an oversight, as the spirits for {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Camilla}} from ''{{iw|fireemblemwiki|Fire Emblem Fates}}'' and {{SSBU|Mythra}} from ''Xenoblade Chronicles 2'' had modified artwork to be less provocative.

***This oversight appears to be shared with the Fighter Spirits for {{SSBU|Bayonetta}}, female {{SSBU|Corrin}}, and {{SSBU|Pyra}}, who likewise use unaltered artwork from their games of origin, but have had censorship applied to them in their playable forms.

*Palutena is one of the last characters to unlock. She's the last unlockable character in {{SSBU|Kirby}}'s Classic Mode column, she is the final opponent in the timed encounters, and in World of Light, she is in the Final Battle map.

*An interview with [[Masahiro Sakurai]] revealed that Palutena and Bayonetta were under consideration to survive Galeem's attack in the World of Light opening, but were ultimately turned down in favor of {{SSBU|Kirby}}. Sakurai stated that this was due to Palutena and Bayonetta's playstyles being very complex for beginners, as well as how other characters from their respective universes were also turned into spirits, stating that Palutena couldn't do anything to escape as all other ''Kid Icarus'' deities like Hades were also turned into spirits.

**Both Palutena and Bayonetta are on the Final Battle map, appearing as the final pair of fighters to be encountered. This implies that Galeem (and eventually Dharkon) knew how threatening Palutena and Bayonetta were (Palutena being a goddess and Bayonetta's slaughter of two gods) to his plans, and thus kept them as a last resort.