Editing Pichu (SSBU)

{{ArticleIcons|ultimate=y}}

{{Infobox Character

|name = Pichu

|game = SSBU

|ssbgame1 = SSBM

|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]

}}

==How to unlock==

Complete one of the following:

*Play [[VS. match]]es, with Pichu being the 34th character to be unlocked.

*Have Pichu join the player's party in [[World of Light]].

==Attributes==

Pichu is a character of extremes. As a clone of Pikachu, many of its attributes are similar, such as its even smaller size and quick mobility, though with a few noticeable differences. Pichu is the [[weight|lightest]] character in the game, has fast [[walk]]ing and above average [[dash]]ing speeds with average [[traction]], above average [[jump]]ing force, average [[air speed]] but being tied for the ninth highest [[air acceleration]], and fast [[falling speed]] while being tied for the fifth highest [[gravity]]. However, it has the lowest [[fast fall]] multiplier in the game, causing its fast-falling speed to be average. Overall, these attributes give Pichu a slightly slower grounded approach than Pikachu, make its aerials not [[autocancel]] as easily and makes it more vulnerable to combos, but also gives it a much faster ground-to-air and air-to-ground approach, making its mobility as reliable as Pikachu's own.

Pichu's main (but not sole) ways to set up the opponent into its strong aerial game consist of its [[up tilt|up]] and [[down tilt]]s, and [[up throw|up]] and [[down throw]]s: both tilts are excellent combo starters, with down tilt even comboing into aerials at very high percentages, while up and down throw allow Pichu to pummel the opponent for more damage due to them being followed up from a grab; up throw is also infamous for comboing into Thunder for a reliable KO set-up. This gives Pichu a strong combo game, with many ways to start, extend or end combos much like Pikachu, though due to its moves' nature, Pichu's combo game is usually shorter-lived in exchange for raw damage.

Pichu's special moveset is also varied and versatile. [[Thunder Jolt]] is a useful projectile that can reliably pressure an opponent's shield, on top of dealing low knockback and high damage (especially if started in the air). Its low ending lag also allows it to set-up into Pichu's moves if it lands during its last frames of activity. Thunder is Pichu's other projectile, though the lightning bolt itself doesn't deal much damage. As such, its primary purpose is to use the cloud's meteor smash properties to combo opponents into the shockwave part of the move when the bolt strikes Pichu - this deals the most damage to Pichu out of all its moves if this happens, so it should be used sparingly. [[Skull Bash]] and [[Agility]] serve as Pichu's recovery moves, and give it an amazing, long-distanced and unpredictable recovery - of the two, Agility deals high recoil damage if both dashes are used, but nevertheless travels an incredibly long distance and is very unpredictable due to each dash being able to be inputted in multiple directions, potentially making Pichu very hard to properly edgeguard or 2-frame. Skull Bash, on the other hand, is mostly used to extend Pichu's recovery, but it also ties in as part of Pichu's "glass cannon" playstyle as it can be charged; unlike Pikachu's own version, Pichu's fully charged Skull Bash deals immense knockback when fully charged, this being Pichu's strongest option out of a shield break.

Thanks to Pichu's attributes, one of its key strengths is its playstyle versatility - depending on the situation, it can make use of its moveset to adapt and play accordingly. Pichu's great mobility, compact size and useful projectile give it an impressive neutral game and make it slippery, allowing it to play defensively, by virtue of using a bait-and-punish oriented playstyle that allows it to avoid the opponent's attacks and gradually poke at them or outright break through their offense. However, if the situation arises, Pichu can nevertheless play very aggressively, as it also has one of the best advantage states in the game by virtue of its raw damage, excellent frame data and impressive combo ability, allowing it to pressure the opponent into commiting and retaliating accordingly, and almost all of its aerials have some sort of edgeguarding potential, which can quickly lead into a lost stock.

Lastly, although its moveset is versatile, a few of Pichu's attacks still lack some notable kind of utility. Down smash, although covering on both sides of Pichu, has unremarkable range, deals recoil damage and unlike Pikachu, sends at a disappointing angle for KOing, with its higher power compared to Pikachu failing to compensate. Forward throw can have difficulty at KOing the opponent at realistic percentages due to the fact Pichu will usually find itself using it to set-up an edgeguard, whereas back throw's sole purpose is shared with forward throw.

==Differences from {{SSBU|Pikachu}}==

All of these differences give Pichu more pronounced strengths and weaknesses when compared to Pikachu.

Finally, Pichu is extremely light and is a fast-faller with high gravity, which notoriously makes it much easier to combo and KO. Its recoil damage, while slightly toned down compared to ''Melee'', further exacerbates Pichu's already bad survivability.

====Aesthetics====

*{{change|In general, almost all of Pichu's animations are either slightly or completely different than Pikachu's. This includes Pichu's attacking and non-attacking animations.}}

**{{change|Common animations such as air dodge, back roll, and backflip are all different.}}

*{{change|Pichu's [[gravity]] is much higher then Pikachu's (0.095 → 0.14).}}

*{{nerf|Pichu is significantly [[weight|lighter]] than Pikachu (79 → 62). Combined with its high falling speed and gravity, this notoriously makes Pichu much easier to combo and KO than Pikachu.}}

**{{nerf|Pichu is also taller than Pikachu when crouching and crawling. This means Pichu cannot crouch under some projectiles and attacks, like {{SSBU|Wolf}}'s Blaster, whereas Pikachu can.}}

*{{buff|Due to Pichu's higher falling speed and gravity, its [[air dodge]]s have less ending lag than Pikachu's (neutral: [[FAF]] 51 → 43; directional: FAF 85 → 71 (side), 110 → 89 (up), 70 → 60 (down)).}}

**{{change|It does not have a sweetspot or a sourspot, which means it deals less damage when close to the opponent, but more damage when farther away from the opponent (1.4%/1.2%/1% → 1.2%).}}

*[[Forward tilt]]:

**{{buff|It has less startup lag with a significantly longer duration (frames 6-8 → 5-12) and less ending lag (FAF 30 → 25).}}

**{{buff|It always causes the opponent to [[trip]] at low percents.}}

**{{nerf|Its middle hitbox is smaller, reducing its general range (hitbox sizes: 2.0u/3.8u/3.5u → 2.0u/2.8u/3.6u). This also means that a few characters, like {{SSBU|Kirby}}, can crouch under Pichu's version, but not under Pikachu's. <ref>https://twitter.com/DatDereKirby/status/1081040257397579777</ref>}}

*[[Down tilt]]:

**{{nerf|It has less horizontal range.}}

*[[Dash attack]]:

**{{buff|It does not have a mid or late hit, causing it to consistently deal the maximum possible damage and knockback.}}

**{{buff|Pichu's ears are intangible while the move's hitboxes are active.}}

**{{buff|It has a large hitbox on Pichu's head and a smaller one on its torso instead of three small hitboxes, giving it more range in front of Pichu.}}

**{{nerf|It has less range above and behind Pichu.}}

**{{nerf|It has a significantly shorter hitbox duration (frames 10-17 → 9-11), which also causes it to have two frames more ending lag despite the shorter total duration (FAF 45 → 41).}}

*[[Down smash]]:

**{{buff|Down smash has significantly less ending lag (FAF 66 → 51).}}

**{{nerf|It causes recoil damage (1.3%).}}

**{{nerf|It hits one time less with the same duration, which means the rehit rate is slower. This makes it easier to escape the attack by using [[DI]] to go down and [[tech]]ing on the ground.}} <ref>https://twitter.com/DuckySSB/status/1107817485359898624</ref>

**{{nerf|It has less range below Pichu, making it harder to hit enemies at the ledge, even with the final hit.}}

**{{change|Pichu moves slightly forward and then backward while using its whole body to attack, unlike Pikachu, who stays in place and uses its tail.}}

**{{change|The final hit sends at a more vertical angle (37° → 50°).}}

====Aerial attacks====

**{{buff|It has a longer hitbox duration (frames 3-22 → 3-9 (clean), 10-27 (late)), reducing its ending lag by four frames despite the longer total duration (FAF 39 → 40).}}

**{{buff|It has less landing lag (9 frames → 7).}}

**{{nerf|It cannot be used to perform the dragdown combos, loops and kill setups that Pikachu can do with its neutral aerial due to its single hit.}}

**{{nerf|It deals less damage (8.9% → 7% (clean), 5% (late)).}}

**{{nerf|It causes recoil damage (1.5% (aerial hitbox), 0.5% (landing), total: 2%).}}

*Comparison of Pichu's loops (with back aerial) and Pikachu's loops (with neutral aerial):

**{{nerf|Pichu's loops are more situational, because they can only be started in a full hop and are completely impossible near platforms, whereas Pikachu can start them in a short hop and guarantee them after a grab or up tilt, while still being able to do a few loops even with platforms nearby.}}

====Throws and other attacks====

**{{buff|Thunder Jolt deals more damage (6%/5%/4% → 7%/6%/5% (grounded), 4.8% → 10% (aerial)) and consistent damage to both grounded and aerial opponents.}}

***{{change|However, its negative shield damage is higher (-2.5/-2/-1.5 → -3/-2.5/-2 (grounded), -1.9 → -4.5 (aerial)), causing it to not deal more shield damage despite the increased damage.}}

**{{buff|Its projectiles are bigger (3.0u/1.8u → 4.0u/3.0u (grounded), 3.0u → 4.0u (aerial)).}}

**{{buff|It has one frame less startup lag (frame 19 → 18).}}

**{{change|Grounded Thunder Jolts travel faster, which makes them harder to avoid, but also makes it harder to follow behind them for added pressure.}}

**{{change|Grounded Thunder Jolts bounce closer to the ground, which makes it impossible to crouch beneath them, but also reduces their vertical range, which makes jumping above them less of a commitment.}}

*[[Skull Bash]]:

**{{buff|Skull Bash deals much more damage when fully charged (21.4% → 33%).}}

**{{buff|It has altered knockback (40 base/78 scaling → 15/90), improving its KO potential}}

**{{nerf|It has more ending lag in the air (FAF 75 → 87) and on hit (FAF 22 → 26).}}

**{{nerf|It causes recoil damage (1.8%).}}

**{{nerf|Pichu's ears stick out while flying, making it somewhat exposed.}}

**{{nerf|The move has a smaller hitbox (4u → 3.2u), reducing its range.}}

**{{nerf|Due to the hitbox using the electric effect, it deals more hitlag, making it easier to DI.}}

*[[Agility]]:

**{{nerf|It causes recoil damage (0.9% (first zip), 1.4% (second zip), total: 2.3%).}}

*{{b|Thunder|Pokémon}}:

***{{buff|Thunder's cloud has less startup lag (frame 13 → 9).}}

***{{buff|It has a bigger hitbox (6.0u → 7.0u).}}

***{{change|It uses [[weight-independent]] knockback.}}

**Lightning Bolt:

***{{buff|Thunder's lightning bolt has less startup lag (frame 13 → 9).}}

*[[Volt Tackle]]:

**{{buff|Volt Tackle deals more damage (1.5% → 1.6% (loop), 20% → 21% (final)) and knockback.}}

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

{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Pichu}}

==Update history==

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|2.0.0}}'''

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|7.0.0}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/7.0.0|char=Pichu}}

==Moveset==

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

{{MovesetTable

|game=SSBU

|neutralcount=1

|neutral1dmg=1.2%

|ftiltdmg=8%, 1% recoil

|ftiltdesc=Plants itself on its upper paws and kicks with one foot upward in front of itself, and then the other. Very fast (comes out on frame 5) and has very low ending lag, yet it has above average power and can KO at high percents. Can make opponents [[trip]] at low percents. The hitbox last surprisingly long, as Pichu kicks with one foot and then the other, and while the second hitbox is smaller, it doesn't count as a sourspot. Cannot be angled as it could in ''Melee''.

|utiltdmg=5%

|utiltdesc=Swipes its tail above its body in an arc. Can combo into itself at low percents, or into an aerial at mid to high percents.

|dtiltdmg=6%

|dtiltdesc=Swipes its tail in front of itself. Has very low knockback scaling, allowing it to combo into up tilt at low to mid percents, or an aerial even at very high percents.

|dashdmg=8% (clean), 6% (late)

|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|2}} (hits 1-5), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|8}} (hit 6), 2% recoil

|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|14}}

|dsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|1.5}} (hits 1-4), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|8}} (hit 6), 1.3% recoil

|nairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|7}} (clean), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|5}} (late)

|fairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|3.5}} (hits 1-4), 1.5% recoil

|fairdesc=Does a forward barrel roll. Unlike Pikachu's, it covers Pichu's whole body and uses the autolink angle, connecting better. It deals impressive damage (14% if all the hits connect) and combo into itself at low percents, while also being good for edgeguarding.

|bairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|2}} (hits 1-5), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|2.5}} (hit 6), 1.5% recoil

|uairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|4}}

|dairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|13}}, {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|4}} (landing), 1.5% recoil after startup, 0.5% recoil landing (can land before startup)

|grabdesc=Quickly leans forward and grabs with one arm. Has a range of approximately Pichu's body width, being somewhat short-ranged. Its grabs are the fastest in the game.

|pummeldmg=1.4%, 0.1% recoil

|fthrowdmg=1.5% (hits 1-4), 6% (throw), 0.8% recoil

|bthrowdmg=9%

|uthrowdmg=5% (hit 1), 5% (throw)

|dthrowdmg=4% (hit 1), 4% (throw)

|dthrowdesc=Places opponent on the ground, then jumps on them. Can combo into an aerial at low to mid percents.

|ssname=Skull Bash

|ssdmg=4% (uncharged), 7.8% (uncharged smash input), 33% (fully charged), 1.8% recoil

|usname=Agility

|usdmg=0%, 0.9% recoil (warp 1), 1.4% recoil (warp 2)

|dsname=Thunder (Pokémon){{!}}Thunder

|dsdmg=14% (shockwave), 4% (thunderbolt), 6% (thunderbolt meteor), 3.5% recoil

|fsname=Volt Tackle

|fsdmg=0.3% (6 hits during startup), 1% (initial hit), 1.6% (loop), 21% (launch), 3.2% recoil (startup), 0.2% recoil (loop), 3.5% recoil (launch)

|fsdesc=Pichu turns into a ball of electricity and dashes forward. Any opponents hit are knocked into the center of the screen where Pichu furiously tackles them from multiple directions then releases a powerful electric blast in the center. If the dash doesn't hit an opponent, the final smash is ended early. It causes a large amount of recoil damage, but is overall stronger than Pikachu's version.}}

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

*'''Side taunt''': Jumps up and waves at the camera, saying "Pichu!" This was its left-facing taunt in ''Melee''.

*'''Down taunt''': Squirms around on the ground, saying "Pichu!" This was its right-facing taunt in ''Melee''.

</gallery>

*Looks around itself excitedly.

<gallery>

</gallery>

===[[Victory pose]]s===

</gallery>

=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Lightweight Fracas==

Pichu fights against opponents that are [[Weight|lightweight]]s like itself, on stages that take place in the sky.

!Round!!Opponent!!Stage!!Music!!Notes

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

|-

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

===Fighter Battle===

|-

|-

|}

==[[Spirit]]==

<center>

<gallery>

</gallery>

</center>

===As the main opponent===

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

! colspan=4|Spirit

! colspan=7|Battle parameters

|-

|468

|•Giant {{SSBU|Pichu}} {{Head|Pichu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Band}}

|4,500

|[[Prism Tower]] ([[Battlefield form]])

|-

|507

|3,800

|[[PictoChat 2]] ([[Battlefield form]])

|-

|541

|•{{SSBU|Pichu}} {{Head|Pichu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}

|2,000

|[[Pokémon Stadium 2]] ([[Battlefield form]])

|•Hazard: Zap Floor

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Battle! (Wild Pokémon) - Pokémon X / Pokémon Y}}

|-

|554

|1,500

|[[Prism Tower]]

|•Item: [[Unira]]

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Battle! (Wild Pokémon) - Pokémon Sun / Pokémon Moon}}

|-

|744

|1,900

|[[WarioWare, Inc.]] (hazards off)

|-

|805

|4,100

|[[Garden of Hope]] ([[Battlefield form]])

|-

|1,045

|2,500

|[[Prism Tower]] ([[Battlefield form]])

|-

|1,334

|2,900

|[[Gaur Plain]] ([[Ω form]])

===As a minion===

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

! colspan=4|Spirit

! colspan=7|Battle parameters

|-

|782

|•{{SSBU|Sonic}} {{Head|Sonic|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}<br>•{{SSBU|Pichu}} {{Head|Pichu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}<br>•{{SSBU|King K. Rool}} {{Head|King K. Rool|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}

|1,600

|[[Windy Hill Zone]]

==Gallery==

<gallery>

Pichu amiibo.png|Pichu's [[amiibo]].

SSBU Pichu Number.png|Pichu's fighter card.

SSBUWebsitePichu1.jpg|Taunting in [[Great Bay]].

SSBUWebsitePichu2.jpg|Taunting on [[Green Greens]].

</gallery>

{{#widget:YouTube|id=9ZD89yfBCyE}}

==Trivia==

*Pichu is the only veteran who is unaffected by the new universal 3-frame [[jumpsquat]]; in ''Melee'', its jumpsquat animation also took three frames to complete.

*Pichu's [[fast fall]] provides the smallest change to its falling speed when compared to any other fighter. It increases its fall speed by only 31.579%, compared to the usual 60%.

*One of Pichu's [[Alternate costume (SSBU)#Pichu|alternate costumes]] is the {{s|bulbapedia|Spiky-eared Pichu}} from ''[[bulbapedia:M12|Arceus and the Jewel of Life]]'' and [[bulbapedia:Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver|''Pokémon HeartGold'' and ''SoulSilver'']]. Being one of a kind, the Spiky-eared Pichu is female, making it the only one of Pichu's alternate costumes with an implicit gender.

**''Ultimate'' also marks the first 3D appearance of Spiky-eared Pichu.

**In a Stamina match, Pichu cannot be KO'd by its Final Smash, as its HP will never go below 0.1 while the Final Smash is active.

*Spiky-eared Pichu's [[damage meter]] portrait protrudes to the right the most out of every fighter.

*Pichu is the only Pokémon character absent in {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}}'s Classic Mode route.

==References==