Editing Pikachu (SSBB)

'''Pikachu''' ({{ja|ピカチュウ|Pikachū}}, ''Pikachu''), stylized as '''PIKACHU''' in the [[PAL]] version, is a returning veteran in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''. It was confirmed along with Mario, Link, and Kirby in the E3 2006 trailer. Ikue Ōtani reprises her role as Pikachu's voice actress in all regions of the game, using a combination of new voice clips and ones reused from ''Melee''.

It is currently in the B tier and holds 8th position, a very slight increase to its B+ tier status in ''Melee'', where it is ranked 9th place. Pikachu has decent KOing power (though it can rely on Thunder in some situations), quick overall speed, a very good [[recovery]] with many options as well as being unpredictable, a good [[edgeguarding]] game with a quick and powerful neutral aerial and tricks that allow it get to the [[edge]] quickly, and a good [[grab]] and [[throw]] game (having two [[chaingrab]]s). ''Brawl''{{'}}s new physics have also helped it a lot; Pikachu is harder to [[combo]], its grab range is no longer the shortest, its Thunder is not as laggy, and it gained various new tactics such as [[Quick Attack cancel]]ling. Pikachu also has strong [[momentum cancelling]] abilities, with its up aerial and [[Skull Bash]] being very useful in this particular aspect. In addition, Pikachu has a great defensive game, with its QACs being very useful for avoiding [[pressure]], escaping certain situations, and playing [[mindgame]]s. It also possess one of the best [[spot dodge]]s in the game along with {{SSBB|Link}}, {{SSBB|Falco}}, {{SSBB|Yoshi}}, and {{SSBB|Toon Link}}. It also has useful [[OoS]] moves such as up smash and neutral aerial.

However, it has a relatively weak air game, placing it at a disadvantage against characters with particularly powerful air games, such as {{SSBB|Marth}}. It also has subpar [[range]] in most of its attacks, with its best finishers having [[hitbox]]es close to its body, or in the case of its forward smash, the furthest hitbox is much weaker than the closest, making good [[spacing]] an all-around threat to Pikachu, as well as making it more difficult to land its better finishers. Regardless, Pikachu still has great matchups, including being the only character with an even matchup against {{SSBB|Meta Knight}} on the BBR's matchup chart (though this matchup is highly disputed, with most players believing Meta Knight to win the matchup, which is additionally better supported by results), and strong tournament results, although Pikachu's representation is small for a high-tier character. However, despite its high position in the American tier list, it is much lower in the [[Japanese tier list]], where it is placed 22nd.

Pikachu's best game is played on the ground, at a medium range. Its forward tilt has very low range, but its knockback is above average for a tilt. Its up tilt is very fast and launches opponents into the air, while the down tilt can trip them on the first hit. The ground is where Pikachu's smash attacks can be used to the fullest. Pikachu's up smash is one of the fastest in the game, with decent power to boot, and is excellent for KOs, while its down smash locks the opponent for multiple hits if not [[SDI]]'d, functioning as a panic button of sorts for close encounters. Both of these smashes produce powerful vertical knockback, and can be followed by {{b|Thunder|Pokémon}} for a Star KO (called [[Thunderspiking]]) - this is very useful against floaty characters, especially ones with bad air dodges, most notably {{SSBB|Peach}}. The down smash can also counter [[stale-move negation]] due to having multiple hits, but one drawback is that it can be SDI'd out of. The forward smash is a good tool for edgeguarding and KOs off the side. All of its smashes, however, have poor range like most of its other moves, with the forward smash having a very weak sourspot at the tip.

[[Thunder Jolt]] is Pikachu's neutral special move, and is a useful move to keep most opponents at bay, as well as forcing them in the air. Thunder Jolt is a ground-hugging projectile, meaning opponents can't escape it by ducking or crawling. If it is used in the air, it travels diagonally towards the ground. It can also travel up walls, along ceilings, and below the edge, meaning that it can knock [[edge-hogging|edgehoggers]] off the edge (this can also be done if Pikachu is high enough when recovering). [[Skull Bash]] and [[Quick Attack]] are both good recovery techniques, although Skull Bash is easily punishable by edgeguarders, able to be stopped by certain projectiles (such as [[Waddle Dee Throw]]), and requires charging time, but it can knock edgehoggers off the ledge. [[Edgeguarding]] Pikachu is difficult due to its recovery being unpredictable, as Quick Attack can be aimed in two different directions, giving Pikachu many ways of returning to the stage. Quick Attack also opens options for mindgames, by confusing opponents about Pikachu's actions. The most common form of this is QAC ([[Quick Attack cancel]]), allowing Pikachu use any special or aerial move after. On stages like [[Smashville]], if a platform is offstage, this can be done off the platform easily. However, QAC is mainly used for approaching, as it allows Pikachu to quickly dash towards the opponent while attacking. It is also possible to aim Quick Attack diagonally towards the edge, and grab it, if Pikachu is at the right distance. Pikachu's most well known move is {{b|Thunder|Pokémon}}, which is one of its best KO moves, KOing reliably at around 100% if the opponent is hit by Pikachu while the move is being used. The bolt itself can also Star KO with the aforementioned Thunderspiking technique. Pikachu can also use Thunder just off the ledge so it covers the area just to the side of the ledge offstage, which is very difficult for characters with linear recoveries to break through, but not very effective against characters with long, safe recoveries such as {{SSBB|Meta Knight}} and {{SSBB|Jigglypuff}}, while also being dangerous if done too low. Pikachu needs to watch out for anyone who has a reflector move, as if the bolt is reflected, the knockback is dealt to Pikachu. Additionally, if two or more characters reflect the Thunder, it will cause Pikachu to jump to 100-500%, KOing it instantly (however, in competitive play, this is obviously never seen in singles matches and is rarely ever seen in doubles matches due to the difficulty of pulling it off, meaning it is a negligible disadvantage).

Pikachu's aerials are its weakest area, despite having one reliable aerial KO move. Its forward aerial is weak in damage but can carry momentum through, whereas its neutral aerial is slightly stronger, but negates all momentum, and causes Pikachu to fall during the move; however, it is a reliable finisher, especially when offstage or out of a QAC, and can be used in combos. Its up aerial is extremely weak and has lost its [[semi-spike]] properties from ''Melee'', but can be used as a juggling tool, and is decent in short combos, such as following into a neutral air, either straight after or after a midair jump. Pikachu's down and back aerials are laggy when they hit the ground, but all of the down aerial's landing lag can be avoided if it is used at the start of a short hop, or [[Auto-canceling|autocanceled]]. The down aerial has two hits plus an extra hitbox if Pikachu hits the ground, and is a decent finisher, particularly offstage, but not as powerful as the neutral aerial.

Pikachu has two throws that are possible to chaingrab with - its forward and down throws. Its forward throw works as a running chaingrab that can rack up damage and counter [[stale-move negation]] due to having multiple hits, while the down throw is a standing chaingrab that works reliably against the majority of the cast, with the exception of floaty characters. It can also easily be followed with an up smash, which can lead into a Thunderspike - Pikachu can use the down throw chaingrab as a [[zero-to-death combo]] on the [[spacie]]s and {{SSBB|Captain Falcon}} by chaingrabbing until a high enough percentage, then using an up smash followed by a Thunderspike. Pikachu's back throw can easily set up to an edgeguarding chance, as it moves a considerable distance backward with the opponent while performing the throw. Its up throw is another move that launches opponents into the air - at higher percentages, it launches most characters high enough to follow up with a Thunder, but against characters that are floaty and/or have high air speed, this is easy to escape.

Pikachu was [[buff]]ed from ''Melee'' to ''Brawl'' despite already being a mid-high tier character, though it was considered a low tier character when ''Brawl'' was released. Pikachu's range has been improved on many attacks, and its multi-hit moves have been altered to make them work more reliably. Pikachu's [[Quick Attack]] has significantly more utility, mainly due to the introduction of [[Quick Attack Canceling]], but it also benefits from the changes to [[lock]]s, making it a powerful locking tool when used in conjunction with Quick Attack Canceling. Pikachu's strong recovery was improved even further, as it has greater aerial mobility and [[Skull Bash]] charges faster and travels further.

The general changes to ''Brawl''{{'}}s mechanics have benefited Pikachu in multiple ways. The universally decreased falling speeds helps Pikachu, as it makes [[thunderspiking]] more effective, and Pikachu's own lower falling speed improves its recovery and allows it to regain the ability to [[auto-cancel]] most of its aerials in a short hop. [[Thunder]] itself also has less ending lag, making it safer, and when combined with the reduction of Pikachu's falling speed, makes Thunder a stronger stalling option. The inclusion of [[footstool]]ing also benefits Pikachu more than most other veterans, as it has one of the most reliable methods to set up into it in the form of its up aerial, which can then lead into a QAC lock. Pikachu also has a more consistent [[chain grab]]bing game. While its up throw can no longer chain grab or combo due to the universally decreased falling speeds and the introduction of [[hitstun canceling]], the removal of [[DI]] with moves which do not put opponents into a tumble makes its forward throw a more consistent grab, and its down throw no longer puts opponents into a tumble, allowing it to also benefit from this change. The down throw can now consistently [[zero-death]] fast fallers because of this change. Pikachu's grabs are also faster and have more range. Pikachu can also make great use of [[momentum canceling]] due to its quick up aerial and Skull Bash being a strong tool to negate momentum, noticeably improving Pikachu's endurance despite its lower weight.

Pikachu did receive some nerfs, mainly to its power. While some moves have increased KO power (such as its neutral aerial), other attacks have either reduced damage, knockback, or both. The move which received the most severe nerf to its power was its up smash, which went from the strongest up smash in ''Melee'' to an up smash of below-average power in ''Brawl''. The move is also slower, further hindering its utility, although it is more reliable at setting up into thunderspikes. Pikachu's edgeguarding is also less effective, not only due to the general buffs to recoveries, but also because Pikachu's up aerial has much lower base knockback, significantly hindering its use as an edgeguarding tool.

Overall, Pikachu retains most of the strengths it had in ''Melee'', and the changes to ''Brawl''{{'}}s mechanics benefit Pikachu far more than many other returning veterans. As a result, Pikachu is one of the stronger characters in ''Brawl'' and has seen strong results, although it still struggles against a few characters such as {{SSBB|Ice Climbers}} and {{SSBB|Olimar}}. Nevertheless, Pikachu remains a threat to most of the cast, and it even has a very strong matchup against other high/top tiers such as {{SSBB|Snake}}, {{SSBB|Falco}}, and {{SSBB|Zero Suit Samus}}.

*{{change|Pikachu has new sound effects, which sound slightly "bouncy".}}

*{{buff|Pikachu has a noticeably better survivability, with its up aerial and [[Skull Bash]] being usable as [[momentum cancel]]ling moves as well.}}

*{{buff|Pikachu can now [[wall jump]] much like {{SSBM|Pichu}}, aiding its recovery. It can now also [[crawl]].}}

*{{nerf|Pikachu's traction is lower (0.09 → 0.0596), especially when comparing with the returning veterans, now going from the 5th highest in ''Melee'' to only the 17th highest. This makes it harder for it to punish out of shield while providing marginal benefits in comparison due to the removal of [[wavedashing]].}}

**{{buff|Neutral attack deals less knockback (7 (base), 50 (scaling) → 4/30) improving its ability to chain into itself. It also has a 10% [[trip]]ping chance, and Pikachu can now hold out the attack if the attack button is held, making it much easier to spam the attack.}}

**{{nerf|Up smash has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 8-17 → 9-16) and ending lag (FAF 41 → 44). It also deals less damage (17%-19% (clean), 13% (mid) → 14%/13%/11%) and has less knockback scaling (110 → 90), significantly reducing its KO potential. This makes it no longer the strongest up smash in the game, now being an up smash with below-average KO potential.}}

**{{buff|Down smash deals more damage (13% → 15%) due to changes to [[stale move negation]]; its final hit has a larger hitbox (10u → 12u) and has higher knockback scaling (170 → 190), giving it more KO power; and the first few hits have larger hitboxes (4.8u/2.4u → 5.76u/2.88u), making it harder to [[SDI]] out of (though still very easy). This significantly improves its utility. It also has less startup lag (frame 7 → 6).}}

**{{nerf|It has more ending lag (FAF 51 → 55), and the multi-hits have a higher SDI multiplier (1x → 1.2x).}}

**{{nerf|It has a shorter duration (frames 3-28 → 3-25) and more landing lag (15 frames → 25). This, combined with the loss of [[L-canceling]], makes the move much worse as a landing option. The late hit also deals less damage (9% → 6%), although its base knockback was compensated (0 → 20).}}

**{{buff|Forward aerial deals less knockback (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 40/20) and has lower hitlag (1x → 0.7x), allowing it to connect more reliably. It now has a final hit which knocks opponents away with higher damage (2% → 3%) and knockback (0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 70/90). This gives the move significantly more utility, as it deals more damage (7% → 11%), works more reliably, and is much more effective at edgeguarding. It also has less landing lag (20 frames → 15).}}

**{{buff|Back aerial has more hitboxes covering the whole of Pikachu, giving it more range despite having smaller hitboxes (3.6u/3.6u → 3u/3u/3u/3u) and making it easier to land.}}

**{{nerf|It deals less damage overall than its previous clean hit (12% → 11%), and the final hit's knockback was not fully compensated (20 (base), 100 (scaling) → 40/120).}}

**{{change|Up aerial has much less base knockback (100 → 40/30), and the [[semi-spike]] portion of the move has been removed. This weakens its edgeguarding potential, but improves its comboing and juggling potential. This is especially useful considering the introduction of [[hitstun canceling]], as it now has low enough knockback at lower percents for it to not put opponents into a [[tumble]] and therefore, prevent hitstun canceling.}}

**{{nerf|It has less knockback scaling (100 → 80), hindering its KO potential.}}

***{{buff|Dash grab's near hitboxes are also positioned closer to Pikachu (z offset: 4.3/1.56 → 3/-1), giving the move more range behind Pikachu.}}

*{{change|Back, up, and down throws no longer have an electric effect.}}

**{{buff|Pikachu releases opponents from forward throw one frame later (frame 29 → 30). While this does make the throw slightly easier to DI, it also gives the throw slightly less ending lag. When combined with the fact that the throw can no longer be DIed until it inflicts a [[tumble]], this significantly improves its chain grabbing potential at lower percents.}}

***{{nerf|However, despite this, the universally decreased fall speeds, the changes to air dodging, and the introduction of hitstun canceling have significantly hindered the move's combo potential, going from a powerful chain grab against fast fallers to now lacking any guaranteed followups, while also still being too weak to KO.}}

***{{buff|These changes, combined with the removal of DI against non-tumble knockback and the changes to stale move negation, significantly improve its followup potential, to the point where the throw can now lead into itself many times for an inescapable [[zero-death combo]] (sometimes in conjunction with forward throw) against fast fallers.}}

**{{buff|Skull Bash charges faster and travels farther, improving its approaching and recovery potential. It can now also be used for momentum canceling, greatly aiding Pikachu's horizontal endurance. It also deals more damage when not charged (4% → 7%) and knockback (15 (base), 90 (scaling) → 40/80).}}

**{{buff|Thunder has less ending lag if Pikachu whiffs it while in mid-air (FAF 115 → 88), and the shockwave has less ending lag (FAF 70 → 37), grants Pikachu with intangibility for its first 8 frames, and has a larger hitbox (12u → 14.4u). Additionally, the universally decreased falling speeds increase the thunderbolt's KO potential when used as a Thunderspike, and Pikachu's lower falling speed makes it a more viable recovery option. Thunder can now also be [[B reverse]]d, and can be used with [[Cape glide|Edge momentum shifting]], giving it more utility.}}

*{{Sm|Gunnermaniac|USA}} - The best Pikachu player after ''Brawl''{{'}}s decline. Placed 3rd at {{Trn|CEO Dreamland 2020}}, 7th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2018}}, and 9th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2019}}

Since the first tier list, Pikachu has always been a high tier character. The first tier list put it at 12th place, and since then, it has risen slightly, currently being at 8th place at the top of high tier. Pikachu's rise was mainly due to its huge number of techniques being discovered, with {{Sm|ESAM}} being credited for many of them, and its positive [[matchup]]s. Despite its high tier placing in the North American [[Smash Back Room]] tier list, Pikachu is uncommon in tournaments compared to other top/high tier characters, and it ranks significantly lower on the [[Japanese tier list]], with ESAM being the only Pikachu player who placed very high at national tournaments later in the game's active competitive life.

*Some of Pikachu's new attributes, such as wall-jumping and its goggle costume, were previously held by {{SSBM|Pichu}} in ''Melee''; additionally, prior to ''Sun'' and ''Moon'', Pikachu could only learn [[Volt Tackle]] if it evolved from a Pichu who had Volt Tackle as an egg move. The Smash community has noted these similarities, and a common fan theory states that the Pikachu in ''Brawl'' actually evolved from ''Melee''<nowiki/>'s Pichu.

*By the time ''Brawl'' was released, gender differences were introduced in the [[Pokémon (universe)|''Pokémon'' games]]. Female Pikachu have a heart-shaped indent on their tails, while the one in ''Brawl'' does not, supporting the common assumption that the Pikachu in ''Brawl'' is male. ''Ultimate'' would include new palette swaps that feature the heart-shaped indent on their tails.

*Pikachu, {{SSBB|Samus}}, {{SSBB|Fox}}, {{SSBB|Diddy Kong}}, and {{SSBB|Lucas}} are the only characters in The Subspace Emissary to fight more than 2 bosses (excluding boss re-creations in the Great Maze). Pikachu can be chosen to fight [[Ridley]] at [[The Research Facility Part II]], [[Meta Ridley]] at [[The Subspace Bomb Factory (Part II)]], and [[Tabuu]] in the final battle at Tabuu's Residence if it is rescued in [[Subspace (Part I)]].

*Pikachu's [[AI]] has a reputation of being a candidate for the best AI of any character in the game, on par with {{SSBB|Luigi}}'s. While the common consensus is that computer-controlled Luigi has the superior AI for fighting human players, it has been observed that level nine Pikachu will dominate most level nine computer players under tournament rules, and still win more often than not in its harder matchups, including against level nine Luigi.