Editing Pichu (SSBU)

{{Disambig2|Pichu's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''|the character in other contexts|Pichu}}

|image= {{tabber|title1=Normal|content1=[[File:Pichu SSBU.png|x250px]]|title2=Spiky-eared Pichu|content2=[[File:SSBU Spiky Pichu.png|x247px]]}}

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REMINDER: Our Manual of Style states that all Pokémon are to use gender-neutral pronouns.

'''Pichu''' ({{ja|ピチュー|Pichū}}, ''Pichu'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. It was confirmed alongside {{SSBU|Jigglypuff}} and the rest of the returning roster on June 12th, 2018 during E3 2018. While Pichu remains a close [[clone]] of {{SSBU|Pikachu}}, it is not classified as an Echo Fighter. As such, Pichu is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #19]].

 

{{s|wikipedia|Satomi Kōrogi}}, Pichu's voice actress from the ''Pokémon'' anime and ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'',  reprises her role with new voice clips. In addition, the 'spiky-eared' variant of Pichu (who appears as a playable character in ''Ultimate'' via Pichu's [[Alternate costume (SSBU)#Pichu|alternate costumes]]) is also voiced by Kōrogi rather than {{s|wikipedia|Shoko Nakagawa}}, who originally voiced the aforementioned 'spiky-eared' variant in the ''Pokémon'' anime's twelfth film, ''[[bulbapedia:M12|Pokémon: Arceus and the Jewel of Life]]''.

 

 

 

Pichu's representation in tournaments has changed throughout ''Ultimate''{{'}}s metagame. At launch, Pichu was often seen as a contender for the best character in the game thanks to the drastic buffs it received, such as greatly reduced recoil damage and a fast [[forward tilt]] that can KO opponents around 100%, which led to a large playerbase spearheaded by {{Sm|VoiD}} and {{Sm|Nietono}}. However, [[List of updates (SSBU)#3.1.0|update 3.1.0]] gave Pichu major nerfs, making it more of a high-risk, high-reward character and leading many to deem it inferior to Pikachu. Despite this, Pichu continues to see moderate success from dedicated mains, most notably {{Sm|NaetorU}} and {{Sm|Yone_pi}}.

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

With the exception of the third method, Pichu must then be defeated on [[Pokémon Stadium 2]]. In World of Light, it is fought on the [[Ω form]] of [[Prism Tower]].

==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.

 

The primary difference between Pichu and Pikachu is the former's [[recoil damage]] on its [[electric]]ity-based attacks. All of Pichu's attacks with an electric effect ([[forward tilt]], [[forward smash|forward]] and [[down smash]] attacks, [[forward aerial|forward]], [[back aerial|back]] and [[down aerial]]s, [[forward throw]], and all special moves except {{b|Thunder|Pokémon}} if the lightning bolt doesn't strike Pichu) deal recoil damage to itself, which makes it less feasible for Pichu to overuse these attacks. To compensate for this, many of Pichu's electric attacks have either increased damage, knockback (in some cases both), or versatility. This makes it less feasible for Pichu to overuse these attacks in situations that would require their use for best results, as it could put it in a spot where the opponent may even KO Pichu with a strong enough move. Conversely, it increases the reward Pichu would receive if it can land said moves, and due to these moves increasing Pichu's percentage, this means Pichu can make effective use of [[rage]] to KO an opponent with more ease, provided it can survive long enough.

Much like Pikachu, all of Pichu's moveset aspects are solid overall, possessing very fast frame data overall and great utility throughout its moveset. An example of this is its incredibly capable aerial game. [[Neutral aerial]] is Pichu's fastest [[out of shield]] option, on top of not having much ending or landing lag, making it a viable edgeguarding option. Forward aerial deals the highest damage of Pichu's aerials and has very strong combo potential, while only having decent recoil damage. Up aerial, while being Pichu's least damaging aerial, also retains very strong vertical combo capabilities. Down aerial is Pichu's main move to [[meteor smash]], and the late hit also lasts for a long while, making it another great edgeguarding tool, while also having only decent recoil damage. Finally, back aerial deals less damage than forward aerial, but is also Pichu's strongest aerial, a very good edgeguarding tool, only has decent recoil damage like its forward and down aerials, and plays a major component on Pichu's looping combos; by repeatedly performing a full jump while using a back aerial and comboing into a tilt attack (most notably up tilt) to repeat the process, Pichu can [[zero-to-death combo]] the opponent, though the timing for each move is very strict.

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.

Aside from its up and down tilts, in regards to its grounded game, it also has some interesting and useful options: forward tilt trips opponents at low percentages, can 2-frame, and has above average power at high percentages, making it a very useful set-up tool. Forward smash has the highest power of its standard moveset, lasts for a long while and, due to its multi-hit nature, can KO at an even lower percentage. [[Up smash]] is a decent anti-air that leaves Pichu's ears [[intangible]], though it lacks in power. On the other hand, Pichu's [[neutral attack]] is mainly used for locking opponents due to its very weak knockback, and [[dash attack]] is mostly used as a fast punish option and its low power can actually allow it to combo, though it can be risky. Its grab game is also decent - while its grabs are short-ranged, they are very fast and have the lowest ending lag in the game. As mentioned above, up and down throws have useful combo potential, with down throw usually reserved for horizontal combos, whereas up throw leads into vertical combos and can lead into Thunder as a KO set-up. Meanwhile, forward throw is Pichu's strongest throw, barely KOing at realistic percentages near the edge, which makes it a passable kill throw.

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.

In spite of these strengths, Pichu still has a myriad of critical flaws, some of which are shared with Pikachu, but much more pronounced; the most notable of these is its immense frailty. While its offstage survivability is incredible thanks to its recovery's long distance and unpredictability, it has an awful survivability overall due to its ludicrously low weight, resulting in it being very easily KO'd off of a stray hit as long as the move is decently strong, and the existence of rage further pronounces this issue. Its very fast falling speed and gravity also leave it pretty vulnerable to combos (although its neutral air can remedy this issue), meaning that Pichu can also be easily put in KO percentage from one or two combos. Adding insult to injury, the recoil damage Pichu suffers from using its electric attacks can rack up very quickly if it overuses said moves, which is a flaw no other character has at the level of Pichu (some characters have only one move that can deal recoil damage), and can potentially throw it into a much more devastating position if it happens. As a result of all these issues, in spite of its excellent recovery and great mobility, Pichu's disadvantage state is poor, and if Pichu isn't able to KO the opponent, they can easily turn the tables on it, which can easily and quickly lead to a lost stock just as Pichu can potentially and quickly end one.

Another of Pichu's most notable flaws is that while its very small size results in it being slippery, it also results it in having deceptively short range (much shorter than Pikachu), requiring it to be pretty close to the opponent in order to rack up damage, which can be risky. Pichu's mobility, very quick frame data and useful projectile in Thunder Jolt can help remedy this, but the prevalence of many characters with faster mobility and/or disjoints can still give it trouble at approaching, and Thunder Jolt's recoil damage makes it unfeasible for Pichu to keep the opponent away for too much, forcing it to approach and further exacerbating its range issues, despite its reliable moveset. Furthermore, despite its moveset's higher consistency in regards to power, Pichu's range issues mean it can often have difficulty landing its otherwise powerful KO moves and set-ups, as the former aren't disjointed (with the sole exception, forward smash, still having short range), and the latter are very limited, possessing only up throw to Thunder at mid-high and high percentages, and down tilt to down aerial near the edge at mid-percentages. Pichu's edgeguarding ability, while respectable, pales in comparison to Pikachu's due to its attributes resulting in Pichu not having as much air time as Pikachu can, though this is slightly mitigated by its moves' stronger knockback.

 

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.

 

Overall, like Pikachu, Pichu is best described as a quintessential glass cannon but sacrifices weight and attack range for more power and speed. While Pikachu can control the neutral game more aggressively and has more flexibility in its combos, Pichu is able to function in a variety of playstyles that range from a defensive, bait-and-punish oriented playstyle to a more aggressive, rushdown oriented one whenever it is needed. However, Pichu's atrocious endurance and recoil damage means that an aware opponent can dominate Pichu just as easily as it can also dominate the opponent. While both characters have similar playstyles, they differ significantly in execution, as Pichu's recoil damage requires the player to make very mindful use of their resources at hand. When mastered, however, a skilled Pichu can potentially end stocks in a fingersnap before they can end its own.

 

As in ''Melee'', the primary difference between Pichu and Pikachu is the former's [[electric]] attacks all inflict recoil damage. Many of Pichu's attributes, such as its mobility and significantly lighter [[weight]], differ from those of Pikachu. In addition, most of Pichu's attack and non-attack animations were 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. Almost all of Pichu's moves are also functionally different, such as [[down tilt]] or [[neutral aerial]], 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 fully unique moves it has are its forward tilt, [[up smash]], neutral aerial, and [[edge attack]].

 

 

Pichu is capable of killing more reliably than Pikachu at earlier percentages. 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 of Pikachu's attacks, like its [[dash attack]], [[up aerial]], and {{b|Thunder|Pokémon}}, are stronger than Pichu's. Regardless, this makes Pichu's KOing ability and damage-racking game superior to Pikachu's overall, despite the latter being shorter-lived compared to Pikachu'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 and down aerials autocancel in a short hop, whereas all of Pikachu's aerials can do so. Additionally, with the exception of 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.

 

Pikachu and Pichu's combo games are very different, with Pikachu's being much more diverse, but Pichu's being shorter lived in exchange for more damage. Pichu does not have access to Pikachu's neutral aerial, which is an incredible combo tool, and Pichu cannot chain four back aerials into each other at low percents to immediately start an edgeguard. Pichu's down throw has less advantage and stops being a combo tool earlier, and its forward aerial has less advantage and hits two times less, making it worse for dragdown combos. It also lacks Quick Attack as a combo starter and its up aerial does not have the weak hit that Pikachu's does, making it impossible to perform up aerial bridges that can carry opponents to the blast line with Pichu. Both Pikachu and Pichu have loops that use their neutral or back aerials respectively, but Pikachu's version works on more characters, is more resilient to SDI and is less situational, whereas the only advantage Pichu's version has is that it can rarely transition into a KO immediately. It also deals more damage per loop, but this is not very important as Pikachu can do more loops than Pichu in a row, making the total damage output roughly the same. However, there are some upsides to Pichu's combo game over Pikachu's: its up tilt and up aerial combo for longer, and it has more combos into Thunder to take stocks. Down tilt is also a significantly better combo starter due to its frame data and launch angle, but it has mediocre range, making it difficult to use.

 

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.

*{{change|Pichu's [[on-screen appearance]], [[idle animation]]s, [[taunt]]s and [[victory pose]]s are all different from Pikachu's.}}

*{{nerf|Pichu's ears have a larger hurtbox than Pikachu's, which means it is slightly easier to hit a standing Pichu than a standing Pikachu.}}

**{{nerf|It deals more knockback (12/18 base/20/30 scaling → 10/20/60/60), which causes it to hit less often before being pushed out of range or pushing the opponent off an edge.}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt deals more knockback (15 base/100 scaling → 5/130), KOing around 5% earlier than the upwards angled variant of Pikachu's version.}}

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

**{{nerf|It deals consistent and less damage (10% (angled up)/9% (unangled)/8% (angled down) → 8%).}}

**{{change|Down tilt has more base knockback (12 → 40), less knockback scaling (100 → 50) and sends at a vertical angle instead of using the [[Sakurai angle]] (361° → 80°/100°), which makes it a significantly better combo starter, but removes its edgeguarding and [[lock]]ing potential as well as its ability to [[trip]].}}

**{{buff|It has more range below Pichu, making it easier to 2-frame opponents with.}}

**{{buff|The clean hit sends at a more vertical angle (60° → 70°). This makes it better for combos.}}

**{{buff|It does not have an early or late hit, causing it to consistently deal the maximum possible knockback.}}

**{{buff|It has a longer hitbox duration (frames 15-29 → 16-33). The total duration is identical, effectively reducing its ending lag.}}

**{{change|Up smash is an upward arcing headbutt, similar to Mario's up smash, 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|It does not have a mid or late hit, causing it to consistently deal the maximum possible damage and knockback.}}

**{{buff|It has less startup lag (frame 10 → 9).}}

**{{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 deals less knockback (50 base/89 scaling → 40/15 base/85 scaling), making it KO nearly 20% later than Pikachu's sweetspot and about 10% later than the middle sourspot.}}

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

**{{buff|Pichu is intangible for 4 frames, starting 1 frame before the hitboxes come out.}}

**{{buff|It deals more damage if all hits connect (13% → 14%) and the last hit deals more damage (3% → 8%), increasing its KO potential despite having lower knockback values (51 base/192 scaling → 45/150).}}

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

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

**{{buff| Due to being a single hit, it deals more damage than the final hit of Pikachu's version (3.5% → 7%), and thus, it has more knockback.}}

**{{buff|Unlike Pikachu's neutral aerial, its hitbox is extended and moves along with Pichu, giving it more range and better coverage around it despite the hitbox being smaller (5.5u looping hits, 6.0u final hit → 4.0u).}}

**{{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).}}

**{{nerf|It does not [[auto-cancel]] in a short hop due to Pichu's higher gravity and faster fall speed.}}

**{{buff|It has two large hitboxes covering Pichu's entire body for all hits instead of four small hitboxes for the looping hits and a slightly disjointed large one on the head and a smaller one at the torso for the final hit.}}

**{{buff|The final hit has a lower hitlag multiplier (1.5x → 1x), making it harder to SDI/DI strategically.}}

**{{change|The last hit deals less damage (4.8% → 3.5%) with more base knockback but less knockback scaling, (40 base/154 scaling → 55/140), causing it to have overall less knockback and reducing its KO potential, but making it better for combos and racking up damage when combined with it higher damage output.}}

**{{nerf|It does not auto-cancel in a short hop due to Pichu's higher gravity and faster fall speed, reducing its combo potential and safety.}}

**{{change|It does not have a landing hitbox, hindering its safety, but making it easier to follow up when landing with the move.}}

**{{nerf|It does not auto-cancel in a short hop due to Pichu's higher gravity and faster fall speed, reducing its combo potential and safety.}}

**{{change|The last hit deals less damage (3.6% → 2.5%), but has significantly more base knockback (40 → 70) and launches at a lower angle (45° → 42°), which increases its KO potential, but reduces its combo potential at low to mid percentages.}}

**{{nerf|It has less range, due to only possessing 2 hitboxes instead of 3, and them being smaller (4u/5u/4u → 2.8u/3.6u).}}

**{{change|It sends at a more vertical angle (68° (clean), 55° (late) → 80°), making it easier to combo, especially into Thunder, but also removing the up air bridges Pikachu can do at mid percents.}}

**{{change|Pichu's ears are intangible during the first 4 frames down aerial is active, but are exposed for the remainder of the attack and point downwards rather than fold back like in its forward aerial, making them more vulnerable.}}

**{{buff|Its late hit has an additional hitbox on Pichu's torso instead of only having a hitbox on the head. The head hitbox is also bigger and more disjointed.}}

**{{buff|Pichu deals more damage per loop.}}

**{{nerf|SDI has a bigger effect on Pichu's back aerial than on Pikachu's neutral aerial, which makes it significantly 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.}}<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFsrqhXYFLQ</ref>

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

**{{nerf|Its hitbox is smaller (7.0u → 4.7u) and closer to Pichu (offset: X: 0/Y: 9/Z: 9 → 0/8.2/8.6), making it harder to hit bystanders.}}

**{{change|It knocks bystanders upwards instead of away (angle: 361 → 80)}}

**{{buff|Forward throw's final hit deals much more damage (2% → 6%) with base knockback not fully compensated (55 → 45), causing it to KO at high percents. The move also deals more total damage (10% → 12%).}}

**{{nerf|Forward throw's collateral hitbox is smaller (6.72u → 5.5u) and closer to Pichu (offset: X: 0/Y: 12/Z: 4.8 → 0/8.5/4.7), making it harder to hit bystanders with.}}

***{{buff|However, due to the hitbox being lower down, it is easier to hit short fighters at point blank range.}}

**{{nerf|Back throw has less base knockback (85 → 75), reducing its KO potential, to the point of being almost entirely absent.}}

**{{buff|The first hit deals more damage (3% → 5%), increasing its total damage (8% → 10%).}}

**{{nerf|The collateral hitbox is smaller (5.5u → 4.7u), making it harder to hit bystanders.}}

**{{nerf|It releases the opponent much earlier due to not inflicting hitlag (frame 38 → 26) and has comparatively more ending lag (FAF 52 → 47). This makes it harder to DI, but also noticeably reduces its combo potential.}}

**{{buff|It has more base knockback (18 → 25 (grounded), 35 → 50 (aerial)), improving its edgeguarding potential and allowing it to be used for tech-chasing if initiated in the air.}}

**{{nerf|It takes significantly longer to fully charge (80 frames → 150).}}

**{{nerf|It deals less damage when uncharged (6.2% → 4%) and when the smash input is used (10% → 7.87%).}}

**{{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.}}

**{{change|It travels a significantly longer distance. While this makes it better for recovery and allows it to hit opponents from further away, it also makes edgeguarding with it much riskier when coupled with its higher ending lag, as Pichu is more likely to self-destruct if it misses.}}

**{{buff|Agility travels a longer distance (55u (first)/49.5u (second) → 66.4u/59.76, total 104.5u → 126.16u).}}

**{{nerf|It 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. It also travels slower (speed: 11 → 8.3), further reducing its safety.}}

***{{change|The cloud appears closer to Pichu (y offset: 105 → 100).}}

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

***{{nerf|The bolt travels faster (speed: 4 → 4.9), making the spiking hitbox less likely to connect into the discharge due to not having its knockback compensated.}}

***{{nerf|It causes considerable recoil damage (3.5%).}}

**{{nerf|Volt Tackle causes massive recoil damage (0.45% (charge loop), 0.2% (attack loop), 3.5% (final), total 12.4%).}}

Since its absence from previous installments, Pichu was infamous for being by far the worst clone character in ''Melee'' due to its status as an intentional "joke character", largely due to its very low weight, recoil damage and vulnerability to chain grabbing, giving it very poor matchups and leading to its bottom-tier perception. Most likely as a result of this, Pichu has been significantly buffed in its transition from ''Melee'' to ''Ultimate''.

Pichu's mobility has overall improved; its [[walk]]ing, [[dash]]ing and [[air speed]]s, as well as its [[air acceleration]], have been increased, and it can now [[crawl]], enabling Pichu to approach more easily while being able to dodge certain projectiles. Pichu's combo game is noticeably more varied as a result of its improved mobility, many of its ground moves and some of its aerials dealing less knockback and/or sending at more desirable angles, and its multi-hit moves being significantly more consistent due to the weakening of [[SDI]]. Its weight was also increased, allowing it to survive for longer, though its endurance is still the overall worst in the game. [[Agility]] also travels a slightly longer distance, significantly improving its offstage survivability.

Despite the many buffs it received, Pichu also received a few nerfs. Some of its strongest kill options, such as its forward and up smashes, have been significantly weakened in terms of knockback, while its neutral aerial, previously considered by many to be its best move, has also been weakened in both its damage output and knockback. Its 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. Additionally, more of Pichu's attacks (examples being its forward tilt and back aerial) emit electricity, meaning that more of its moves cause recoil damage; while this allows Pichu to build up rage more easily in comparison to the other fighters, it allows Pichu to be knocked out even more quickly, which is further compounded by its atrocious weight and fast-falling speed making it vulnerable to combos, despite its small hurtbox.

Pichu's recoil damage has seen some noticeable changes. Some of its [[electric]] attacks deal reduced recoil damage ([[forward smash]], [[forward aerial]], [[pummel]], [[Thunder Jolt]] and Agility), making these moves less of a detriment to use; particularly, forward aerial is a less commital attack and its pummel is much more useful for racking up damage. Conversely, [[down aerial]], [[Skull Bash]] and [[Thunder]]'s shockwave hitbox deal more recoil damage (though down aerial's landing hit deals less damage to compensate), making them riskier to use. Additionally, more of Pichu's moves now have an electric effect, namely its [[forward tilt]], [[down smash]] and [[back aerial]]; as a result, both their KO power and risk have been generally increased. In bulk, Pichu's moves generally deal less recoil damage than in ''Melee'', allowing it to utilize them more frequently, with down aerial's newfound meteor smash hitbox compensating for its higher risk, and it has many more KO options as a result of them receiving an electric effect. However, its higher abundance of electric attacks and dearth of regular moves generally compensates for the lower recoil Pichu's other moves inflict; moreover, Thunder is a riskier KO option, and while a fully charged Skull Bash's extreme power compensates for its recoil, the uncharged version is now more polarizing as a recovery move.

Aside from the changes to SDI, the changes to the engine's mechanics are both benefitial and detrimental to Pichu, but were beneficial overall. The changes to [[stale-move negation]] make its multi-hit moves deal consistent damage as opposed to less damage, which makes its forward smash, forward aerial, back aerial and down smash (the latter two now being multi-hit moves) more reliable for racking up damage and KOing. The removal of [[edgehogging]] in favor of [[ledge trump|ledge trumping]] and the changes to [[air dodge]]s make Pichu much harder to edgeguard and thus improves its survivability, while Pichu can now use an air dodge to escape combos, sporting one of the fastest in the game; however, they also make it slightly harder for Pichu itself to edgeguard opponents, forcing it to KO them through raw power more often. The removal of [[chain grab|chain grabbing]] significantly improves Pichu's endurance at low percentages, no longer being as much of an easy victim to unavoidable damage into a KO, but it also means it can no longer chaingrab with its up throw, hindering its damage-racking potential against fast-fallers (though its improved combo game compensates for this). Finally, the implementation of [[rage]], coupled with its small stature, allows Pichu to make highly effective use of it thanks to its electric moves' high knockback, in addition to said attacks' recoil damage indirectly putting it out of range of KO setups it would've otherwise suffered from, but it also makes its endurance at higher percentages just as atrocious as in ''Melee'' should it fail to KO the opponent.

Overall, Pichu 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}}. It has a drastically stronger punish game, more varied KO options, many of its moves deal generally less recoil damage, and it retains its excellent frame data, but it also has less range on average and thus a more commital approach. Pichu's buffs additionally fail to completely alleviate its glaring weaknesses, with the biggest being its fragility, despite its higher weight and improved survivability. Game updates have also nerfed Pichu, and optimizations to several characters have resulted in it not performing as well as on release. Nevertheless, Pichu's buffs greatly outweigh its nerfs, and it has heavily improved compared to ''Melee'', being one of the most buffed characters in the transition to ''Ultimate''.

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

Possibly due to its dominating status in competitive play during the early metagame of ''Ultimate'', Pichu was greatly nerfed in game updates. Although its pummel was slightly buffed in update {{SSBU|2.0.0}}, it received several significant nerfs in update {{SSBU|3.1.0}}. Pichu's hurtbox is larger, forward smash has more ending lag, its infamously strong forward tilt has less knockback scaling, and almost all of its electric attacks deal more recoil damage, noticeably worsening its already abysmal endurance.

 

Update {{SSBU|11.0.0}} buffed Pichu by reversing some of the nerfs, reducing the amount of recoil damage Pichu receives with some of the electric attacks that were affected in 3.1.0. On top of that, its ear hurtboxes received intangibility during the strong hit of its neutral aerial, making it a slightly safer option in the air.

Overall, Pichu fares considerably worse than it did when ''Ultimate'' launched. While Pichu is still far stronger than its ''Melee'' iteration, the nerfs it received has led to its tournament representation and results to noticeably decline and Pichu is now generally considered to be a mid-tier character at best.

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/2.0.0|char=Pichu}}

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.0.0|char=Pichu}}

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.1.0|char=Pichu}}

 

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

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

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|10.1.0}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/10.1.0|char=Pichu}}

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|11.0.0}}'''

{{UpdateList_(SSBU)/11.0.0|char=Pichu}}

*Pichu can [[Crawling|crawl]] and [[wall jump]].

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

|neutralname=Headbutt ({{ja|ずつき|Zutsuki}})

|neutraldesc=[[bulbapedia:Headbutt (move)|Does a quick headbutt]]. Has similar properties as Pikachu's jab, though it can link a few more hits before pushing the opponent out of range. Also has less shieldstun.

|ftiltname=Double-Footed Sweep ({{ja|りょうあしばらい|Ryō Ashibarai}})

|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''.

|utiltname=Tail Attack ({{ja|しっぽアタック|Shippo Atakku}})

|dtiltname=Tail Sweep ({{ja|あしばらい|Shippo Barai}})

|dashname=Running Headbutt ({{ja|ジャンプずつき|Janpu Zutsuki}}, ''Jump Headbutt'')

|dashdesc=Jumps and headbutts forward. Less ending lag but less shieldstun compared to Pikachu's. It also has a hitbox on Pichu's torso.

|fsmashname=Thundershock ({{ja|ショートでんげき|Shōto Dengeki}}, ''Electrical Short'')

|fsmashdesc=Launches a short jolt of electricity from its cheeks. Comes out on frame 16 and is a multihit attack. Stronger than Pikachu's version, does not have sourspots and has less ending lag relative to the hitbox, but has much less range.

|usmashname=Headbutt ({{ja|ヘッドバット|Heddobatto}})

|usmashdesc=Does an upward headbutt. Pichu's ears become [[Intangibility|intangible]] on frames 9-11. Comes out on frame 9, making it quick for a smash attack. However, its knockback is rather poor for a smash attack.

|dsmashname=Electric Flower ({{ja|ねずみはなび|Nezumi Hanabi}}, ''Mouse Fireworks'')

|dsmashdesc=Discharges electricity while quickly spinning in place. Compared to Pikachu's, it has much less ending lag and it is overall stronger, but it's easier to DI and is worse for edgeguarding due to its angle. Pichu also gains invincibility at frames 7-10.

|nairname=Pichu Spin ({{ja|ピチュースピン|Pichū Supin}})

|nairdesc=An aerial cartwheel. It is a quick out of shield option and, when compared to Pikachu's, it is more effective for KOing and has more range and less ending lag. Autocancels in a full hop, but is slightly safer when not autocanceled, having 2 less frames of landing lag compared to Pikachu's.

|fairname=Electric Drill ({{ja|でんげきドリル|Dengeki Doriru}})

|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.

|bairname=Electric Glider ({{ja|でんげきグライダー|Dengeki Guraidā}})

|bairdesc=Does an electric spin similar to its down smash. Can combo at low percentages and edgeguard at higher percents, just like forward aerial. Decent knockback, making it an effective KO option.

|uairname=Tail Chop ({{ja|しっぽはたき|Shippo Hitaki}})

|uairdesc=Flicks its tail above itself. Good for combos, especially into Thunder. Autocancels in a short hop with less landing lag than Pikachu's version.

|dairname=Electric Screw ({{ja|でんげきスクリュー|Dengeki Sukuryū}})

|dairdesc=Does a downward barrel roll. Has the capability to meteor smash opponents during the clean hit, which has a generously long duration (four frames), and, although with strict timing, it can autocancel in a short hop. Pichu's ears become intangible for the entire duration of the clean hit(frames 14-17). The late hit has good coverage in Pichu's body.

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|pummelname=Grab Electric Shock ({{ja|つかみでんきショック|Tsukami Denki Shokku}})

|pummeldesc=Shocks the opponent. Average speed, while dealing marginally more damage than other similar pummels. It shares this distinction with {{SSBU|Piranha Plant}}. Compared to Pikachu, it is stronger while only being marginally slower.

|fthrowname=Electric Throw ({{ja|でんきなげ|Denki Nage}})

|fthrowdesc=Places the opponent on its back and shocks them, sending them forward. Pichu's strongest throw, it starts KOing middleweights at around 153% near the edge of [[Final Destination]].

|bthrowname=Submission ({{ja|じごくぐるま|Jigoku Gurama}}, ''Hell Wheel'')

|bthrowdesc=Does a backwards somersault with the opponent, then flings them behind itself. Pichu's second strongest throw, but it can only KO middleweights starting at around 181% at the edge of Final Destination.

|uthrowname=Heading ({{ja|ヘディング|Hedingu}})

|uthrowdesc=Tosses foe up and headbutts them. Can infamously combo into {{b|Thunder|Pokémon}} making it a reliable finisher between medium and high percents.

|dthrowname=Hip Press ({{ja|ヒッププレス|Hippu Puresu}})

|nsdmg=7% (short distance), 6% (medium distance), 5% (long distance), 10% (air), 0.7% recoil

|nsdesc=Pichu's main projectile. Fires a jolt of electricity forward. Compared to Pikachu's, it is faster, bigger and stronger. It also travels forward while bouncing along the ground, and can also travel up walls, below the edge, and along ceilings, making it a strong edgeguarding and 2 framing tool. If used in the air, it will travel diagonally down instead and will deal more damage. Disappears after around 3 seconds. Can be used to gimp certain recoveries. Deals less damage the farther it travels.

|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.

|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 that 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. The thunderbolt travels faster than Pikachu's version, giving it both positives and negatives: this makes it easier to land, but Pichu will be more vulnerable.

|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.}}

 

 

*Jumps out from a Poké Ball and waves both hands in the air with joy before landing, saying "Pichu!" in the process (the same voice clip used for its side taunt).

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

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

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

*Turns and looks at its tail, twitching it.

SSBUPichuIdle1.gif|Pichu's first idle pose.

SSBUPichuIdle2.gif|Pichu's second idle pose.

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->

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

*{{Sm|Blacktwins13|Canada}} - One of the best Pichu players in North America after Pichu's nerfs, although he often played other characters alongside Pichu such as {{SSBU|Roy}} and {{SSBU|Mario}}. During ths time, he most notably placing 2nd at {{Trn|Rising Stars at EGLX 2019}} defeating {{Sm|ESAM}} and 9th at {{Trn|Shine 2019}} defeating {{Sm|Goblin}}. Although he eventually picked up {{SSBU|Pyra}} and {{SSBU|Mythra}}, he remains one of the few players from the early metagame who still plays Pichu, placing 25th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2023}} with primarily Pichu and defeating {{Sm|Riddles}} with Pichu at {{Trn|Gourmet Bash 3}}.

*{{Sm|NaetorU|France}} - One of the best Pichu players in the post-online metagame who was the definitive best in 2023. He was first known for placing 7th at {{Trn|COLOSSEL 2022}} defeating {{Sm|Bloom4Eva}} along the way, and since then had some of of the best Pichu performances since the early metagame, including placing 13th at {{Trn|Ultimate Fighting Arena 2023}} defeating {{Sm|MkLeo}} and 17th at {{Trn|Tera}} defeating {{Sm|Cosmos}}, as well as wins over players such as {{Sm|Lea}} at {{Trn|Double Down 2022}} and {{Sm|Kola}} at {{Trn|GENESIS 9}}. He was ranked 89th on the [[UltRank 2022]], the first solo-Pichu player ranked globally during this period.

*{{Sm|NAKAT|USA}} - One of the best Pichu players in North America during the first half of 2019, ranking 26th on the [[Spring 2019 PGRU]]. His best run to date was at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}}, where he defeated {{Sm|Nairo}}, {{Sm|Mr.E}}, and {{Sm|Rivers}} to place 7th; he also notably placed 9th at {{Trn|Smash Factor 8}} and 13th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 3}}. He became less active in the fall and played a mix of Pichu and {{SSBU|Sora}} in the post-online metagame before going inactive in 2022.

*{{Sm|Nietono|Japan}} - One of the best Pichu players of all-time, ranking as high as 27th on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]]. He is the only Pichu player to win a major, doing so at {{Trn|Umebura SP 3}}, and has also placed 7th at both {{Trn|Umebura SP 6}} and {{Trn|Umebura SP 7}}. He continued to main Pichu in the post-online metagame, notably placing 3rd at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 8}}, but slowly began playing other characters until he dropped Pichu entirely by 2023.

*{{Sm|RFang|USA}} - One of the best Pichu players in the world in the second half of 2019, ranking 45th on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]] and notably performing well mostly as a solo-main in spite of Pichu's nerfs. He is best known for his run to 7th at {{Trn|The Big House 9}} defeating {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} and {{Sm|WaDi}}, and had also placing 3rd at {{Trn|2GG: Grand Tour - South Carolina}} defeating {{Sm|Kola}} and 4th at {{Trn|Tri-state Showdown: Fall 2019}} defeating {{Sm|Nairo}}. He stopped competing during the online metagame and has only made a few offline appearances since.

*{{Sm|VoiD|USA}} - Pichu's primary representative in the first few months of competitive play and one of the best Pichu players of all-time. He is the only Pichu player ever ranked in the top 10, ranking 9th on the [[Spring 2019 PGRU]] thanks to runs such as 2nd at {{Trn|GENESIS 6}} and 5th at both {{Trn|MomoCon 2019}} and {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}}. Following Pichu's nerfs, he began playing other characters instead and dropped the character in favor of {{SSBU|Sheik}} right before the pandemic.

*{{Sm|Yone_pi|Japan}} - One of the best Pichu players since 2024. Although he had been active earlier and had performed well regionally, 2024 marked his breakout year, with him placing 7th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 47}} defeating {{Sm|Miya|p=Honshu}}, the best Pichu performance since {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 8}}. He has since followed it up with several other strong major performances, most notably placing 7th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 52}} and 9th at both {{Trn|UltCore Third}} and {{Trn|Sumabato SP 50}}. He is ranked 57th on the [[LumiRank 2024.1]], the highest-ranking solo-Pichu player since the early metagame.

===Tier placement and history===

In contrast to its ''Melee'' counterpart, where it is considered one of the worst characters in the game, Pichu was commonly viewed as one of the best, if not the best, characters in the game in the early metagame. This was due to its small size and powerful KO moves, which included back air, {{b|Thunder|Pokémon}}, and its infamous forward tilt. These strengths made Pichu one of the most popular characters in the first few months of the competitive scene, ranking 7th for representation between January and June 2019, and Pichu saw a plethora of strong results from players such as {{Sm|NAKAT}}, {{Sm|Nietono}}, and {{Sm|VoiD}}, all of whom were ultimately ranked top 50 on the [[Spring 2019 PGRU]].  

 

However, update {{SSBU|3.1.0}} increased Pichu's size and nerfed the power of its forward tilt, while increasing the amount of recoil damage on nearly all of its electric attacks. The nerfs were significant enough to stagnate Pichu's playerbase, as many of its best players either began playing other characters (VoiD) or stopped attending events (NAKAT). Although this period still saw several notable Pichu results from Nietono and {{Sm|RFang}}, Pichu's playerbase began shrinking as other players started to consider Pichu as inferior to {{SSBU|Pikachu}}. In spite of some of the nerfs being reverted in update {{SSBU|11.0.0}}, this decline continued through the online and post-online metagames, with RFang becoming inactive and Nietono dropping the character entirely, and although this period also saw the rise of {{Sm|NaetorU}}, Pichu remained scarce in top-level play. As such, Pichu saw one of the harshest declines out of any character in ''Ultimate'', with the community reassessing it to be a mid-tier character at best. This was reflected in the first tier list, where Pichu was ranked 55th as an upper-mid tier character; although it moved up to 53rd on the second tier list, its overall score was lower than in the first tier list.

 

Despite this severe drop in perception, Pichu is still unanimously considered to be significantly more viable than its ''Melee'' iteration.

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

|1|| {{CharHead|Jigglypuff|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Pokémon Stadium 2]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Pokémon Center - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue}}''||

|2|| {{CharHead|Squirtle|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Peach's Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Road to Viridian City - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue}}''||Squirtle's {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}} is absent.

|3|| {{CharHead|Mr. Game & Watch|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Skyworld]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Underworld}}''||

|4|| {{CharHead|Olimar|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Pilotwings]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Light Plane (Remix)}}''||

|5|| {{CharHead|Kirby|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Meta Knight|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Skyloft]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kirby|Butter Building (for 3DS / Wii U)}}''||This battle is a free-for-all.

|6|| {{CharHead|Mewtwo|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Prism Tower]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue Medley}}''||

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

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

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

!Name

!Type

!Power

!Stage

!Music

|19

|[[File:Pichu SSBU.png|center|64x64px]]

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

|7,500

|[[Prism Tower]] ([[Ω form]])

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

{{clr}}

==[[Spirit]]==

Pichu's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}}. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Pichu has been unlocked. 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. Its Fighter Spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with its artwork in ''Ultimate''.

SSBU spirit Pichu.png|410. '''''Pichu'''''

==In Spirit Battles==

|{{SpiritTableName|Ampharos|size=64}}

|''Pokémon'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Rotom|size=64}}

|''Pokémon'' Series

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

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Dedenne|link=y|size=64}}

|''Pokémon'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

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

|{{SpiritTableName|Togedemaru|link=y|size=64}}

|''Pokémon'' Series

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

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

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

|{{SpiritTableName|Fronks|size=64}}

|''WarioWare'' Series

|•Tiny {{SSBU|Pichu}} Team {{Head|Pichu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}×4

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Yellow Pikmin|customname=[[Pikmin (species)|Yellow Pikmin]]|size=64}}

|''Pikmin'' Series

|•Tiny {{SSBU|Pichu}} Team {{Head|Pichu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}×12 (10 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Zapfish|size=64}}

|''Splatoon'' Series

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

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Great Sabrecub|customname=Great Sabrecub|size=64}}

|''DRAGON QUEST'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Pichu}} {{Head|Pichu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Spiky}} (60 HP)<br>•Giant {{SSBU|Pikachu}} {{Head|Pikachu|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Female}} (120 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|[[Gaur Plain]] ([[Ω form]])

|•Item: [[Soccer Ball]]

|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•The enemy shields often

|{{SpiritTableName|Chaotix|size=64}}

|''Sonic The Hedgehog'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

===Fighter 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.

*Pichu, {{SSBU|Dr. Mario}}, and Young Link are the only non-Echo Fighters who are full clones.

*One of the poses Pichu strikes in its new taunt resembles [[:File:PichuTrophy3DS.png|its trophy]] from {{for3ds}}.

**Pichu can also be seen with a similar pose in the [[:File:SSBU Panoramic.png|panoramic artwork]].

*Pichu is the only veteran absent from ''SSB4'' to be absent from the [[:File:SSBU Key Art.png|full group artwork version of the box cover]].

*As of ''Ultimate'', Pichu is the only character in any game who takes damage while using their Final Smash (excluding characters that can move around freely and be attacked during their Final Smash such as {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}} and {{SSBU|Inkling}}).

**Because of this, Pichu is the only character that can take damage from all of its special moves, in both ''Melee'' and ''Ultimate''.

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

*Despite fighting lightweight characters, {{SSBU|Fox}}, {{SSBU|Pikachu}}, {{SSBU|Sheik}} and {{SSBU|Zero Suit Samus}} do not appear in Pichu's Classic Mode route.

*Interestingly, Pichu's ''Ultimate'' artwork was used for the Junior tab on the now shut-down Pokémon TV app.