Editing Palutena (SSBU)

|tier = A

|ranking = 16

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.

Despite these many strengths, Palutena is not without her flaws. While she wields an excellent air game, her ground game is below average for a top tier, having slow and unsafe tilts alongside committal smash attacks. She also has trouble securing stocks at high percents due to her KO moves being fairly predictable (Explosive Flame) or easily staled due to overuse (back aerial). Palutena's main combo starters are also unsafe on shield and thus forces her to mix up her gameplan and neutral. Finally, her recovery is completely reliant on Warp, which has no active hitbox and can be consistently [[two frame|two frame punished]].

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}}.

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.

Likely due to her dominant status during the early metagame, Palutena was nerfed overall via game updates.

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.

 

 

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.

|grabdesc=Telekinetically clinches the opponent. Standing grab's range is average, while her pivot grab also has impressive range. However, dash grab has very short range relative to its animation, and all grabs have noticeable ending lag.

|pummeldesc=A point-blank burst of light. Average power and speed.

SSBUPalutenaIdle1.gif|Palutena's first idle pose.

SSBUPalutenaIdle2.gif|Palutena's second idle pose.

|[[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]]

|[[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]]

*{{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|Chag|Mexico}} - One of the best Palutena players in the world in the early years of the post-pandemic metagame and one of Mexico's best players during this time. He is most known for placing 5th at {{Trn|Glitch 8.5 - Konami Code}} defeating {{Sm|Maister}} and at {{Trn|Mainstage 2021}} defeating {{Sm|Sparg0}} and {{Sm|Glutonny}}, as well as defeating {{Sm|Tweek}} at {{Trn|Smash Ultimate Summit 4}}.  

*{{Sm|Chase|USA}} - Although active in the early metagame, he is best known for his performances in the post-online metagame and is one of the best Palutena players in North America since 2023, most notably placing 7th at {{Trn|MAJOR UPSET}} defeating {{Sm|Ouch!?}} and at {{Trn|Crown the Third}} defeating {{Sm|Tea}} and {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}}.  

*{{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|Jagaimo|Japan}} - The best solo-Palutena player in Japan, initially known in-region for strong placements such as 9th at {{Trn|EVO Japan 2020}} and 13th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 7}} in the early metagame. He gained further recognition in 2023, becoming one of the best Palutena players during this time thanks to placements such as 5th at {{Trn|DELTA 4}} defeating {{Sm|Asimo}} and at {{Trn|DELTA 5}} defeating {{Sm|Shuton}}, as well as defeating {{Sm|Miya|p=Honshu}} at {{Trn|Kagaribi 9}}.

*{{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.

|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).

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''.

|

**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.