Editing Pichu (SSBU)

{{disambig2|Pichu's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''|the character in other contexts|Pichu}}

|image = [[File:Pichu SSBU.png|250px]]

{{cquote|''Pichu is back after 17 years! Pichu's electric attacks have greater range and do more damage than its other attack types – but they also damage Pichu.''|cite=[https://www.smashbros.com/en_US/blog/ Super Smash Blog]|source=[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site]]}}

Pichu's voice actress from ''Melee'' and the ''Pokémon'' anime, {{s|wikipedia|Satomi Kōrogi}}, reprises her role with new voice clips.

*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Pikachu}} or any character in its unlock tree, being the seventh character unlocked after {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}}.

With the exception of the third method, Pichu must then be defeated on [[Pokémon Stadium 2]].

Despite not being an [[Echo Fighter]], Pichu is still a full clone moveset-wise of {{SSBU|Pikachu}}. As in ''Melee'', Pichu is significantly lighter than Pikachu, and all of its electric attacks inflict recoil damage. Many of Pichu's attributes, such as its run speed, air speed, fall speed, etc. are now different when compared to Pikachu. In addition, most of Pichu's animations have been given slight adjustments and overhauls in order to differentiate them from Pikachu's; for example, all of Pichu's smash attack charging animations are now completely different from Pikachu's. Many of Pichu's moves are now also functionally different, such as down tilt, making it even more unique. However, unlike previous clones, Pichu was not given many new unique moves to differentiate it from Pikachu, as the only unique moves it has are its forward tilt, up smash, neutral aerial, and edge attack.

These changes give Pichu some new strengths, but also a lot of weaknesses when compared to Pikachu. Overall, Pichu can kill more reliably than Pikachu and at earlier percentages, which is largely due to its forward tilt being extremely strong. Some of its attacks also deal more damage than Pikachu's, but the only ones with a significant difference are its back aerial and the aerial version of Thunder Jolt. Otherwise, the damage output between the two is largely the same or with only a 1–2% difference, while some some of Pikachu's attacks, like its dash attack, up aerial and Thunder, are stronger than Pichu's. Pichu's frame data is also better on average, with its biggest advantages being on its forward tilt, down smash and Thunder. However, there are some attacks like back aerial and Skull Bash where Pichu's frame data is worse and only Pichu's up aerial auto-cancels in a short hop, whereas all of Pikachu's aerials can auto-cancel in a short hop. Additionally, with the exception of its grab and neutral aerial, almost every other attack in Pichu's moveset has inferior range to Pikachu's equivalent attacks, including all of its tilts and smash attacks, its up aerial and Thunder.

Pichu is extremely light and has a high falling speed, which makes it easier to combo and KO. The recoil damage gimmick, while toned down compared to ''Melee'', still makes Pichu's already bad survivability even worse. Pichu is also forced to play very aggressively and cannot camp as well as Pikachu can due to its recoil damage. It also does not have access to Quick Attack either, removing a vital approach and burst option from its arsenal. Lastly, Pikachu and Pichu's combo games are very different, but are at roughly the same power level. For instance, Pichu does not have access to Pikachu's neutral aerial, which is a useful combo tool, and Pichu cannot chain four back aerials into each other at low percents, but its up tilt and up aerial combo for longer, and its down tilt is a better combo starter.

All in all, both characters have many up- and downsides compared to the other. There are a lot of arguments that point to either one of them being the better character, but they are definitely both good picks in the meta game and are capable of great results.

*{{change|Pichu's on-screen appearance, idle animations, taunts and victory poses are all different from Pikachu's.}}

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

**{{change|Other arbitrary animations (such as [[Home-Run Bat]] swing, sleeping, stunned, using shooting items, etc) are also different.}}

*{{nerf|Pichu's [[wall jump]] grants much less height than Pikachu's, going from 3rd best to 6th worst.}}

**{{nerf|The difference between Pichu's falling speed and fast falling speed is much lower than Pikachu's (increase: 60% → 31.579%), which makes it more predictable when landing and gives it less options in the air.}}

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

**{{nerf|However, because Pichu's ears have a larger hurtbox than Pikachu's, the vertical size of Pichu's hurtbox is larger than Pikachu's, making it slightly easier to hit a standing Pichu than a standing Pikachu.}} <ref>https://youtu.be/BsE0CctvqJs?t=60</ref>

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

**{{change|Neutral attack 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%).}}

**{{nerf|Neutral attack deals more knockback, which causes it to hit less often before being pushed out of range or pushing the opponent off an edge.}}

**{{nerf|Neutral attack has less range.}}

**{{change|Dash attack deals less knockback, which grants it combo potential at low percents, but also greatly reduces its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|Dash attack deals less damage (11% → 8%).}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt deals more knockback.}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt has less ending lag (FAF 30 → 25).}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt has a significantly longer duration (frames 6-8 → 5-12).}}

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

**{{nerf|Forward tilt cannot be angled, making it near impossible to hit enemies in the air.}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt deals less damage (10%/9%/8% → 8%).}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt causes recoil damage (0.7%).}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt has less range.}}

**{{buff|Up tilt deals less knockback, making it able to combo for longer.}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt has less horizontal and vertical range.}}

**{{buff|Down tilt deals vertical knockback, whereas Pikachu's deals horizontal knockback, which makes it a significantly better combo starter.}}

**{{buff|Down tilt has more range below Pichu, making it easier to hit enemies at the ledge.}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt cannot cause the opponent to trip.}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt has less horizontal range.}}

**{{change|Forward smash strikes multiple times instead of once.}}

**{{buff|Forward smash has less ending lag (FAF 54 → 50).}}

**{{buff|Forward smash does not have a sourspot.}}

**{{buff|Forward smash's final hit deals more knockback, killing about 10% earlier than the sweetspot of Pikachu's version.}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash has slightly more startup lag (frame 15 → 16).}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash causes recoil damage (1.5%).}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash has significantly less horizontal range.}}

**{{change|Up smash is an upward headbutt, whereas Pikachu's is a tail flip. This means that the hitbox starts behind Pichu and moves forwards, whereas Pikachu's starts in front and moves backwards.}}

**{{buff|Up smash does not have a sourspot.}}

**{{buff|Pichu's ears are intangible during the three frames its up smash is active.}}

**{{nerf|Up smash deals less knockback.}}

**{{nerf|Up smash has less range.}}

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

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

**{{change|Pichu's down smash has diagonal knockback, unlike Pikachu's horizontal knockback.}}

***{{change|This causes it to KO earlier from center stage and across the stage, but later from near the edge.}}

***{{nerf|The angle is less desirable for edgeguarding.}}

**{{buff|Down smash deals slightly more damage if all hits connect (13% → 14%) and the last hit deals slightly more knockback.}}

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

**{{buff|Pichu is invulnerable for 4 frames starting 1 frame before down smash becomes active.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash causes recoil damage (0.8%).}}

**{{nerf|Down smash hits one time less with the same duration, which means the rehit rate is slower.}}

***{{nerf|This makes it easier to escape the attack using [[DI]] to go down and [[tech]]ing on the ground.}} <ref>https://twitter.com/DuckySSB/status/1107817485359898624</ref>

**{{nerf|Down smash takes longer to hit enemies behind Pichu than those who are in front of it, whereas Pikachu has better range in both directions that is always completely covered.}}

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

**{{change|Neutral aerial is a somersault in the air, whereas Pikachu's is an electrical charge. It does not have an electric hitbox and only hits once.}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial deals more knockback.}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial has slightly more range.}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial has a longer duration (frames 3-22 → 3-9 (clean), 10-27 (late)).}}

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

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

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial has slightly more ending lag (FAF 39 → 40).}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial does not [[auto-cancel]] in a short hop, making it slightly less safe despite the lower landing lag (9 frames → 7).}}

**{{buff|Forward aerial deals more damage if all hits connect (11.8% → 14%).}}

***{{nerf|Forward aerial deals less damage if only the last hit connects (4.8% → 3.5%).}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial hits 2 times less with the same duration, which means the rehit rate is slower and dragging opponents down with it is harder.}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial causes recoil damage (1%).}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial's last hit deals less knockback, reducing its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial does not auto-cancel in a short hop, reducing its combo potential and safety.}}

**{{buff|Back aerial deals more damage if all hits connect (8.6% → 12.5%).}}

**{{buff|Back aerial can drag opponents down more easily for edgeguarding and combos.}}

**{{buff|Back aerial has a longer duration (frames 4-25 → 5-31).}}

***{{nerf|However, the attack hits as often as Pikachu's version, which means the rehit rate is slower. This makes escaping the attack easier.}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial has an electric hitbox and therefore causes recoil damage (1%).}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial has more startup (frame 4 → 5) and ending lag (FAF 44 → 55).}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial deals more hitlag, making it easier to [[SDI]] out of.}} <ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFsrqhXYFLQ</ref>

**{{nerf|Back aerial does not have a landing hitbox.}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial does not auto-cancel in a short hop or a full hop, reducing its combo potential and safety.}}

**{{change|Up aerial deals less knockback, which increases its combo potential, but reduces its KO potential.}}

**{{change|Up aerial sends at a more vertical angle, making it easier to combo into Thunder, but also removing the up air loops Pikachu can do at mid percents.}}

**{{nerf|Up aerial has less range.}}

**{{buff|Pichu's ears are intangible during the first 4 frames down aerial is active.}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial causes recoil damage (1.5%).}}

**{{buff|In rare situations, Pichu is able to immediately KO the opponent after ending the loops by moving next to the stage and using down aerial, whereas Pikachu's loops cannot lead into a KO directly. It also deals more damage per loop.}}

**{{nerf|Pichu's loops are more situational, because they can only be started in a full hop, whereas Pikachu can start them in a short hop and almost guarantee them after a grab or up tilt.}}

**{{nerf|SDI has a bigger effect on Pichu's back aerial than on Pikachu's neutral aerial, which makes it much easier to escape Pichu's loops than Pikachu's. This also means Pikachu can do more loops in a row than Pichu without the opponent falling out.}}

**{{buff|Standing grab has slightly more range.}}

**{{nerf|Pummel has more hitlag (12 frames → 14), increasing its duration.}}

**{{nerf|Pummel causes recoil damage (0.1%).}}

**{{buff|Forward throw deals more damage (10% → 12%) and knockback, causing it to KO at high percents.}}

**{{nerf|Forward throw, Pichu's throw with the highest knockback, kills later than Pikachu's throw with the highest knockback (up throw), unless Pichu is standing at the ledge.}}

**{{nerf|Forward throw causes recoil damage (0.5%).}}

**{{nerf|Back throw deals less knockback, reducing its KO potential while still not being a useful combo tool.}}

**{{change|Up throw has less knockback growth, allowing it to combo into Thunder at very high percents much better, but also removing its KO potential by itself.}}

**{{buff|Up throw deals more damage (8% → 10%).}}

**{{nerf|Up throw deals more base knockback, reducing its combo potential at low percents.}}

**{{nerf|Down throw releases the opponent much earlier (frame 38 → 26) and has comparatively more ending lag (FAF 52 → 47). This makes it harder to react to, but also noticeably reduces its combo potential.}}

***{{nerf|This means Pichu's version has slightly less vertical range.}}

**{{buff|Thunder Jolts deal more damage (Ground/Air: 6%/4.8% → 7%/10%).}}

**{{buff|Thunder Jolts travel slightly farther.}}

**{{buff|Aerial Thunder Jolts cause more hitstun.}}

**{{nerf|Thunder Jolts are smaller.}}

**{{nerf|Thunder Jolts cause recoil damage (0.4%).}}

**{{change|Aerial Thunder Jolts deal more knockback, which makes them better for edgeguarding, but reduces their combo potential.}}

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

**{{buff|Skull Bash travels a longer distance.}}

**{{nerf|Skull Bash needs to be charged for a significantly longer time for a full charge.}}

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

**{{nerf|Skull Bash deals less damage when uncharged (6.2% → 4%) and when the smash input is used (10% → 7.8%).}}

**{{nerf|Skull Bash causes recoil damage (1.5%).}}

**{{buff|Agility travels a longer distance.}}

**{{nerf|Agility does not have a hitbox and therefore inflicts neither damage nor knockback, removing a burst option and combo starter from Pichu's arsenal and making its recovery less safe.}}

**{{nerf|Agility causes recoil damage (2%).}}

***{{nerf|Thunder's lightning bolt deals less damage (8% → 4%) and knockback.}}

***{{nerf|Thunder's lightning bolt causes recoil damage if it hits Pichu (3%).}}

***{{change|Thunder's lightning bolt travels faster.}}

****{{buff|It is harder to react to the lightning bolt.}}

***{{nerf|Thunder's discharge deals slightly less damage (15% → 14%).}}

***{{nerf|Thunder's discharge has slightly less range in all directions. This also makes it harder to hit enemies at the ledge with it.}}

***{{change|Thunder's discharge has more base knockback, but lower knockback growth, which causes it to KO earlier from near the edge, but later from center stage and across the stage. Pikachu's Thunder starts dealing more knockback than Pichu's at 75%.}}

***{{change|Thunder's discharge always sends the opponent in the direction Pichu is facing. This makes it more reliable, but also means using DI correctly to survive longer against it is easier.}}

**{{buff|Volt Tackle deals more damage and knockback.}}

**{{nerf|Volt Tackle causes massive recoil damage.}}

Since its absence from previous installments, Pichu was infamous of being by far the worst (clone) character in ''Melee'' due to its having the worst matchups in the series and often having players label it a “joke character”, especially taking into consideration its bottom tier place. Possibly as a result of this, Pichu has been exponentially buffed in its transition to ''Ultimate''.  

Pichu benefits slightly from the implementation of rage, as its electrical attacks can now slowly increase its knockback with the recoil damage it receives from them, and can potentially allow it to escape certain kill confirms that would otherwise KO it. Pichu's recoil damage itself has been toned down from ''Melee'', making its electrical attacks less of a detriment to use. Its mobility has overall improved as well, as its walking, dashing and air speeds have increased, and its air acceleration has increased substantially. It can also crawl now, allowing Pichu to approach more easily while being able to dodge certain projectiles. Pichu also benefits from the weakening of [[SDI]], as its multi-hit attacks are much more reliable. On another note, while its endurance is still the worst in the game as it is lighter than even {{SSBU|Jigglypuff}}, its weight was nevertheless increased, allowing it to survive a little bit longer.

Despite the many buffs it received, Pichu also received a few nerfs. Some of Pichu's strongest kill options such as its forward smash and up smash have been significantly weakened in terms of knockback, while its neutral aerial has also been weakened in both its damage output and knockback. Pichu can also no longer chain grab with its up throw, greatly reducing its damage-racking potential against fast-fallers. Pichu's own falling speed has not changed since ''Melee'' while its gravity has been increased, making it a fast-faller. Pichu's grounded attacks are also less effective for edgeguarding, as its down tilt, down smash and dash attack now send opponents at a much higher angle. Lastly, more of Pichu's moves (most notably its forward tilt and back aerial) use electricity, meaning that more of its moves cause recoil damage. Additionally, unlike other characters, its jumpsquat animation remains the same, while all other characters are now on par with its jumpsquat animation time of 3 frames.

Overall, Pichu's buffs greatly outweigh its nerfs. It is no longer an intentional "joke character" like in ''Melee''; instead, it is now a very polarized glass cannon, akin to a min-maxed version of {{SSBU|Pikachu}} with a better punish and edgeguarding game, but significantly worse survivability, considerably less range on average, a less reliable recovery due to [[Skull Bash]] having more ending lag and [[Agility]] dealing no damage (thus rendering it completely useless as an attack unlike [[Quick Attack]], which also removes an approach and burst tool) and less non-committal options (due to most aerials not auto-canceling in a short hop and most grounded attacks having way less range). Although Pichu is easier to play than Pikachu, it still has a fairly high learning curve and has amassed good results in tournaments despite that, which will likely place it in either top or high in Ultimate in the long run.  

*{{change|Pichu's design and proportions now match the latest games in the ''Pokémon'' franchise. Its colors are more subdued than they were in ''Melee''.}}

*{{change|All of Pichu's non-attack animations are now unique to the character.}}

*{{change|Pichu is much more expressive. Like Pikachu, its eyes become swirls when [[dazed]], a detail derived from the ''Pokémon'' anime from when a Pokémon faints. It also looks angry when dashing. Pichu also now has squash and stretch in its animations, giving it a more bouncy feel than in ''Melee''.}}

*{{change|Pichu's stance is now mirrored as it faces more on the screen regardless of the direction it turns towards.}}

*{{change|Pichu has a new [[idle animation]] where it wobbles left to right, and an [[idle pose]] where it looks back to twitch its tail.}}

*{{change|Pichu now has an [[on-screen appearance]] and an up [[taunt]]. Its up taunt has it discharge electricity, emulating Pikachu's up taunt, and then humorously faint afterwards. Its side taunt loosely resembles its left-facing taunt from ''Melee'', and its right-facing taunt is now its down taunt.}}

*{{change|Pichu's goggles and ribbon alternate costumes no longer have a neck scarf. Pichu has also received five new alternate costumes.}}

*{{change|Pichu is much more vocal, with more voice lines during certain attacks, or when hurt.}}

*{{change|Pichu has a new air dodge animation where it twirls in the air at an angle, instead of scrunching up.}}

*{{change|Pichu no longer appears to sleep while [[crouching]], most likely due to its ability to crawl.}}

*{{change|Pichu has a new victory animation where it discharges electricity and briefly faints (similar to its new taunt), then gets up and winks at the camera; this replaces the animation from ''Melee'' where it jumps and claps with its feet. Its other two victory animations from ''Melee'' are updated with new expressions and ending poses, and Pichu now has voice clips for all of its victory animations.}}

*{{change|Pichu now has a [[Boxing Ring]] title, which is "Shockingly Adorable."}}

*{{buff|Pichu can [[crawl]], much like Pikachu. This allows for an easier approach while dodging projectiles.}}

*{{buff|Pichu [[dash]]es much faster (1.72 → 1.892) although relative to the cast, it has the 25th fastest dash speed out of 78 characters compared to the 5th fastest out of 26 characters.}}

*{{buff|Pichu's [[air speed]] is higher (0.85 → 1.029).}}

*{{buff|Pichu's [[air acceleration]] is much higher (0.05 → 0.1) going from being the 12th highest out of 26 characters to the 9th highest out of 78 characters.}}

*{{buff|Pichu is [[weight|heavier]] (55 → 62), which improves its survivability, though it still remains the lightest character in the game.}}

*{{nerf|Due to the introduction of the [[Knockback#Melee_onward|gravity penalty]] for knockback, Pichu's vertical endurance is weaker than it otherwise would be, especially since it has above average gravity.}}

*{{buff|Forward [[roll]] has less ending lag ([[FAF]] 32 → 29).}}

*{{nerf|Back roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-19 → 4-15) and has more ending lag (FAF 32 → 34).}}

*{{nerf|[[Spot dodge]] has more startup (frame 2 → 3) and ending lag (FAF 23 → 25).}}

*{{buff|[[Air dodge]] has less startup (frame 4 → 2), making it better for escaping combos. Due to its altered mechanics, it also no longer causes [[helplessness]], and allows Pichu to [[edge sweetspot|sweetspot edges]] with directional air dodges.}}

*{{nerf|Air dodge grants less intangibility (frames 4-29 → 2-26 (neutral), 2-19 (directional)), and due to the altered mechanics, directional air dodges have more landing lag (10 frames → 11-19) and are significantly less effective for [[wavedash]]ing.}}

*{{change|With the implementation of [[rage]], Pichu's self-inflicted damage can gradually increase its launching power, and also keep itself out of kill confirm percentages. Conversely, Pichu's status as the lightest character in the game means it will not be able to survive very well at percentages which allow it to take advantage of rage, and will also die sooner against an opponent who has high rage.}}

*{{buff|The removal of [[chain grab]]s immensely aids Pichu's endurance and longevity.}}

**{{nerf|However, this also removes some chain grabs Pichu was capable of performing on fast-fallers.}}

**{{buff|Neutral attack has less ending lag (FAF 22 → 17) and it can be looped by holding the attack button.}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt has less ending lag (FAF 30 → 25), increased range, can trip opponents, and significantly increased knockback, being able to KO at high percents.}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt has a shorter duration (frames 5-14 → 5-12) and it has an [[electric]] effect, thus dealing [[recoil damage]] to Pichu (0.7%).}}

**{{nerf|Down smash has an electric effect, dealing recoil damage to Pichu (0.8%). It also has more startup lag (frame 7 → 8) and its new angle hinders its edgeguarding potential.}}

===Aerial attacks===

*{{change|All aerials except [[back aerial]] have less landing lag (12 frames → 7 (neutral), 15 frames → 12 (forward), 18 frames → 11 (up), 26 frames → 22 (down)) however due to the removal of [[L-canceling]], their landing lag was not fully compensated.}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial deals less damage (12%/9% → 7%/5%) hindering its KO potential and has a slightly shorter duration (frames 3-28 → 3-27).}}

**{{change|Neutral aerial uses its head instead of its tail.}}

**{{buff|Forward aerial causes considerably less recoil damage (1% per hitbox → 1% total).}}

**{{buff|Forward aerial deals more damage (2% → 3.5%), connects much more reliably and the last hit deals more knockback, making it able to KO near the blastzones.}}

**{{nerf|The last hit of forward aerial has a shorter duration (frames 22-24 → 22-23).}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial has an electric effect, causing recoil damage to Pichu. It also has more startup lag (frame 4 → 5).}}

**{{buff|Back aerial is a multi-hit move with better combo potential and more knockback on its last hit, giving it slightly higher KO potential. It also has less ending lag (FAF 60 → 55).}}

**{{buff|Up aerial deals more knockback and has slightly less ending lag (FAF 28 → 27).}}

**{{buff|Down aerial has a sweetspot that deals more damage (12% → 13%) and meteor smashes opponents, the landing hit no longer has set knockback and Pichu's ears have intangibility during the strong hit. Down aerial can also [[auto-cancel]] in a short hop.}}

**{{nerf|Down aerial's late hit deals slightly lower knockback..}}

**{{buff|Grab range has been increased.}}<!--this bullet point used to say "seems to have been increased;" if it's wrong, remove it-->

**{{buff|Pichu's grabs are faster (frame 7 → 6 (standing), frame 11 → 8 (dash)). Dash grab also has slightly less ending lag (FAF 41 → 40).}}

**{{nerf|Standing grab has slightly more ending lag (FAF 31 → 32).}}

**{{change|When grabbing, Pichu swipes one hand sideways, instead of grabbing overhead like Pikachu. Pichu also no longer rolls over after performing a dash grab.}}

**{{buff|Pummel deals more [[hitlag]] (4 frames → 14), but has less startup (frame 3 → 1) and significantly less ending lag (FAF 25 → 6), shortening its duration. It also causes much less recoil damage (1% → 0.1%). This makes it vastly safer to use for damage racking.}}

*{{nerf|The removal of chain grabbing significantly hinders forward throw, up throw and down throw's damage racking potential.}}

*{{change|All throws except forward throw no longer have an electric effect.}}

**{{buff|Forward throw deals more damage (9% → 12%) and causes less recoil damage (1% → 0.5%).}}

**{{buff|It deals much less hitlag, executing faster as a result.}}

**{{nerf|Its first four hits are slower (frame 10, 14, 18, 22 → 11, 15, 19, 23), and it releases the opponent faster (frame 29 → 27) with its total duration unchanged. This slightly hinders its combo potential.}}

**{{nerf|Back throw releases the opponent faster (frame 30 → 26), with its total duration unchanged. This increases its ending lag and shortens the distance Pichu moves back before throwing, making it less effective for setting up edgeguards, while still giving the opponent enough time to [[DI]].}}

**{{change|It has a different animation.}}

**{{buff|Down throw releases the opponent faster (frame 20 → 19) and has less ending lag (FAF 48 → 40), improving its combo potential from low to mid percents.}}

**{{buff|Edge attack deals more damage (8% → 9%).}}

**{{buff|Thunder Jolt causes considerably less recoil damage to Pichu (1% → 0.4%) and has less ending lag (FAF 58 → 52).}}

**{{nerf|Pichu can no longer fast fall while using Thunder Jolt.}}

**{{buff|Skull Bash causes Pichu to bounce back when it hits an opponent, making it safer to use.}}

**{{nerf|Uncharged Skull Bash deals less damage (5% → 4%).}}

**{{nerf|Skull Bash deals more recoil damage (1% → 1.5%).}}

**{{nerf|Fully charged Skull Bash deals less damage (39% → 33%) and knockback.}}

**{{buff|Agility travels further and causes less recoil damage (1%/3% → 0.6%/1.4%). It also has less ending lag when used into the ground.}}

**{{change|Red arrows appear when using Agility to show the angle Pichu will travel in.}}

*{{b|Thunder|Pokémon}}:

**{{buff|{{b|Thunder|Pokémon}} [[meteor smash]]es targets hit high above Pichu and can drag them down into the launching hit.}}

**{{change|Thunder passes through the stage. While this lets Pichu use it as a close range attack under platforms and such, it also means Pichu can hurt itself doing so.}}

**{{buff|If Pichu uses Thunder, then jumps, and the Thunder hits Pichu, Pichu will rise a bit, which could help its recovery.}}

**{{change|The electricity discharged when the lightning strikes Pichu is yellow rather than blue and has Pichu flash with a dark tint, and does not cry if struck.}}

*{{change|Pichu has a [[Final Smash]], [[Volt Tackle]], which is nearly identical to Pikachu's: it has Pichu dash quickly around the stage at different angles while surrounded in a ball of electricity, then launching opponents with an electric blast at the end of the move as the ball disappears. It also causes massive recoil damage, unlike Pikachu's version of the move.}}

==Update History==

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

*{{buff|Pummel has less hitlag (15 frames → 14). This makes it faster and allows for an additional use at high percents before the opponent escapes.}}

|neutralname=&nbsp;

|neutraldesc=Does a quick headbutt.

|ftiltname=&nbsp;

|ftiltdmg=8%, 0.7% recoil

|ftiltdesc=Plants itself on its upper paws and kicks both its feet upward in front of itself quickly (comes out on frame 5). Can make opponents [[trip]] at low percents. Cannot be angled as it could in ''Melee''. One of Pichu's most reliable KO moves at higher percentages thanks to its speed, power, and ability to be spammed relatively safely.

|utiltname=&nbsp;

|dtiltname=

|dashname=&nbsp;

|dashdesc=Jumps and headbutts forward.

|fsmashname=&nbsp;

|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|2}} (hits 1-5), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|8}} (hit 6), 1.5% recoil

|fsmashdesc=Launches a short jolt of electricity from its cheeks.  

|usmashname=&nbsp;

|usmashdesc=Does an upward headbutt. Pichu's ears become [[Intangibility|intangible]] on frames 9-11.

|dsmashname=&nbsp;

|dsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|1.5}} (hits 1-4), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|8}} (hit 6), 0.8% recoil

|dsmashdesc=Discharges electricity while quickly spinning in place.

|nairname=&nbsp;

|nairdesc=Somersaults in the air. A quick out of shield option.

|fairname=&nbsp;

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

|fairdesc=Does a forward barrel roll. Can combo into itself at lower percents.

|bairname=&nbsp;

|bairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|2}} (hits 1-5), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|2.5}} (hit 6), 1.0% recoil

|bairdesc=Does an electric spin similar to its down smash.

|uairname=&nbsp;

|uairdesc=Flicks its tail above itself.

|dairname=&nbsp;

|dairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|13}}, {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|4}} (landing), 1% recoil after startup, 0.5% recoil landing (can land before startup)

|dairdesc=Does a downward barrel roll. Has the capability to meteor smash opponents. Pichu's ears become intangible for the entire duration (frames 14-17).

|grabname=&nbsp;

|grabdesc=Quickly leans forward and grabs with one arm. Has a range of approximately Pichu's body width.

|pummelname=&nbsp;

|pummeldesc=Shocks the opponent.

|fthrowname=&nbsp;

|fthrowdmg=1.5% (hits 1-4), 6% (throw), 0.5% recoil

|fthrowdesc=Places the opponent on its back and shocks them, sending them forward.  

|bthrowname=&nbsp;

|bthrowdesc=Does a backwards somersaults with the opponent, then flings them behind itself.

|uthrowname=&nbsp;

|uthrowdesc=Tosses foe up and headbutts them. Can infamously combo into [[Thunder (Pokémon)|Thunder]] making it a reliable finisher between medium and high percents.  

|dthrowname=&nbsp;

|nsdmg=7% (short distance), 6% (medium distance), 5% (long distance), 10% (ball), 0.4% recoil

|nsdesc=Pichu's main projectile. Fires a jolt of electricity forward. It travels forward while bouncing along the ground, and can also travel up walls, below the edge, and along ceilings. If used in the air, it will travel diagonally down instead. Disappears after around 3 seconds. Can be used to gimp certain recoveries. Deals less damage the farther it travels.

|ssdmg=4% (uncharged), 7.8% (uncharged smash input), 33% (fully charged), 1.5% recoil

|ssdesc=Charges and, when the B button is released, fires itself forward like a missile. When fully charged or close to fully charged, it has KO power. The move can also be used to extend Pichu's recovery, though it does have some lag. Compared to Pikachu's Skull Bash, Pichu's Skull Bash deals more damage and covers more distance when fully charged, but deals less damage when uncharged, takes longer to fully charge, causes recoil damage and has more endlag.  

|usdmg=0%, 0.6% recoil (warp 1), 1.4% recoil (warp 2)

|dsdmg=14% (shockwave), 4% (thunderbolt), 6% (thunderbolt meteor), 3% recoil

|dsdesc=Summons a thundercloud from which a lightning bolt comes down and strikes Pichu. The start of the bolt has a meteor effect and deals more damage than the rest of the bolt. When the bolt hits Pichu, a shockwave is generated than has the potential to KO. Pichu also gains intangibility for 10 frames if it connects, just like Pikachu. Compared to Pikachu's Thunder, Pichu's Thunder has less startup but deals less damage and knockback overall and causes recoil damage.

|fsdmg=0.3% (over 6 hits during startup), 1% (initial tackle hit), 1.6% (successive hits), 21% (final blast), 3.2% recoil (startup), 0.2% recoil (each hit), 3.5% recoil (final blast)

|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.

*Jumps out from a Poké Ball and waves both hands in the air with joy before landing.

===[[Taunts]]===

*'''Up Taunt''': Charges up with electricity, similar to Pikachu's up taunt, but falls back dazed at the end.

*'''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''.

===[[Idle poses]]===

*Turns and looks at its tail.

*Cheers twice (facing to the right first and the left second), jumps thrice while spinning, and poses with its left hand raised. During the jumping, it says "Pi-Pi-Pichu!"

*Jumps three times, with the third jump, which is done while spinning, being higher than the first two. While in midair, Pichu waves both of its arms. After landing, Pichu raises both of its arms and arches towards its left side. During the pose, Pichu says "Pichu Pichu!"

*Charges electricity, making itself dizzy, then stands up and winks.

==In competitive play==

===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.-->

*{{Sm|Captain L|Canada}} - Placed 5th at {{Trn|Don't Park on the Grass 2018}} and 33rd at {{Trn|GENESIS 6}}.

*{{Sm|Eon|USA}} - Placed 2nd at {{Trn|SoCal Chronicles}}, 13th at {{Trn|Heart of Battle}} and 49th at {{Trn|GENESIS 6}}.  

*{{Sm|Nietono|Japan}} - The best Pichu player in Japan and one of the best in the world. Placed 9th at [[Umebura SP 2]] and 49th at [[GENESIS 6]].

*{{Sm|VoiD|USA}} - The best Pichu player in the world. Got 9th at [[Let's Make Moves]], 1st at [[Super Splat Bros]], 1st at [[SoCal Chronicles]], and 2nd at [[GENESIS 6]] (where he also used Wolf in some matches).

*{{Sm|Yetey|Austria}} - The best Pichu player in Europe. Got 5th at [[Valhalla II]] and 1st at [[Schism 3]].

Pichu fights against opponents that are [[Weight|lightweight]]s like itself.

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

|1||{{SSBU|Jigglypuff}}||[[Pokémon Stadium 2]]||Pokémon Center - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue||

|2||{{SSBU|Squirtle}}||[[Peach's Castle]]||Road to Viridian City - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue||Squirtle's {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}} is absent.

|3||{{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}}||[[Skyworld]]||Underworld||

|4||{{SSBU|Olimar}}||[[Pilotwings]]||Light Plane||

|5||{{SSBU|Kirby}} and {{SSBU|Meta Knight}}||[[Skyloft]]||Butter Building (for 3DS / Wii U)||This battle is a free-for-all.

|6||{{SSBU|Mewtwo}}||[[Prism Tower]]||Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue Medley||

|colspan="5"|Bonus Stage

|Final||{{SSBU|Master Hand}}||{{SSBU|Final Destination}}||Master Hand||On intensity 7.0 and higher, {{SSBU|Crazy Hand}} fights alongside Master Hand, and the track ''Master Hand / Crazy Hand'' plays during the battle.

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

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

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

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

! Name

! Type

! Power

! Stage

! Music

| 19

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

| {{SSBU|Pichu}}

| {{color|#dc1029|Attack}}

| 7,500

| [[Prism Tower]] ([[Ω form]])

| ''{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue Medley}}''

{{-}}

==[[Spirit]]s==

Pichu's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing [[Classic Mode]]. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Pichu 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''.

Pichu Spirit.png|410. '''''Pichu'''''

==In Spirit battles==

! colspan=3|Spirit

|{{anchor|Ampharos}}Ampharos

|{{color|#dc1029|Attack}}

|{{anchor|Rotom}}Rotom

|•{{SSBU|Pichu}} {{Head|Pichu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}} (×2)

|{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}

|{{anchor|Dedenne}}[[Dedenne]]

|{{color|#dc1029|Attack}}

|•The floor is electrified<br>•The enemy favors neutral specials<br>•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls ([[Dedenne]])

|{{anchor|Togedemaru}}[[Togedemaru]]

|•{{SSBU|Pichu}} {{Head|Pichu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Spiky}} (×4)

|{{color|#18aef5|Shield}}

|•The enemy favors down specials<br>•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls ([[Togedemaru]])<br>•The enemy is easily distracted by items

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

|Fronks

|•Tiny {{SSBU|Pichu}} Team {{Head|Pichu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}} (x4)

|{{color|#18aef5|Shield}}

|{{anchor|Yellow Pikmin}}[[Pikmin (species)|Yellow Pikmin]]

|•Tiny {{SSBU|Pichu}} Team {{Head|Pichu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (×12)

|{{color|#dc1029|Attack}}

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

|Zapfish

|•{{SSBU|Pichu}} {{Head|Pichu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Spiky}} (×4)

|{{color|#18aef5|Shield}}

! colspan=3|Spirit

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

|Chaotix

|{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}

===Character Showcase Video===

*Pichu and {{SSBU|Young Link}} share the longest gap between playable appearances in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, with seventeen years between ''Melee'' and ''Ultimate''.

**This has been noted by both of their ''Super Smash Bros.'' blog's "Today's Fighter" descriptions.

*One of the poses Pichu strikes in its new taunt resembles its trophy from {{for3ds}}.

*Pichu is the only veteran absent from ''SSB4'' to not appear in the full group artwork version of the box cover.

*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 implied gender.

*As of ''Ultimate'', Pichu is the only character who takes damage while using their Final Smash.

**This also makes Pichu the only character so far that can take damage from all of its special moves.