Editing Samus (SSBM)

|tier        = B+

|ranking      = 11

'''Samus''' ({{ja|サムス|Samusu}}, ''Samus'') is a [[starter]] character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]''. Returning as a veteran from the previous game, Samus, similarly to {{SSBM|Link}}, reprises her role as a short-ranged fighter with numerous ranged options.

Samus is ranked 11th on the current tier list, placing her in the B+ tier, a significant improvement from her 8th (out of 12) position in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' This is mainly due to her effective projectiles, supplementing her KOing power and her approaches. She also has a good air game that is complemented by a versatile back aerial. Samus' recovery is among the best in the game; her bomb jumps, ability to wall jump, grappling beam, and heavy weight all contribute to making her among the toughest characters to KO horizontally. She also possesses techniques exclusive to her, such as the [[Super Wavedash]] and [[Samus's extended grapple|Extended Grapple]], that aid her approach on opponents. However, she is floaty, allowing her to be easily juggled and KO'd vertically. She is also highly susceptible to combos in general, due to being floaty, heavy, and tall in stature. Her primary combo starter, her grab, is also very laggy if it misses, though it can be extended in the NTSC version. Regardless, Samus has decent matchups all-around in the current metagame.

Samus is a unique character. Although a tall heavyweight, she is unusually floaty, uncharacteristic of characters in her weight class. Her high weight (only being lighter than {{SSBM|Bowser}} and {{SSBM|Donkey Kong}}) lets her have amazing horizontal survivability. Her slow falling speed (the second slowest in the game, tied with {{SSBM|Zelda}}) allows her recovery to travel more distance and gives her better potential combo game. However, it also makes her more susceptible to vertical KOs, even with her high weight, and it also gives her a poor SHFFL.

Arguably Samus's most valuable asset is her high range. While lacking a disjointed hitbox, Samus has a variety of long-reaching attacks and long-ranged projectiles that can assist with her ground-based approach. [[Charge Shot]] can quickly become one of her most powerful attacks, while her Missiles can act as both an approach option when non-tapped and as a powerful finisher when tapped. Samus's average traction and low falling speed also grant her a long wavedash that can mesh well with her long-ranged smash attacks, as well as her modestly-ranged tilts; assuming the player has particularly good timing, Samus also has access to the longest wavedash in the game, the [[Super Wavedash]], which can also potentially surprise enemies due to its speed. While laggy, Samus sports one of the longest [[grab]]s in the game, and a technique that is unique to the [[NTSC]] release of the game can allow her to extend its reach by three, in addition to allowing it to home in on enemies.

Samus's recovery is also among the longest and most flexible in all the game. While [[Screw Attack]] grants relatively little horizontal and vertical distance, its multiple hitboxes can potentially frustrate edgeguarders. Samus, however, owns arguably more options for her recovery than any other character in the game. Her average air speed and low falling speed aid her approach toward ledges, while her natural ability to [[wall-jump]] can aid her recovery on stages with walls underneath the ledge, such as [[Fountain of Dreams]] or {{SSB|Dream Land}}. Samus's down special, her [[Bomb (Samus)|bombs]], can allow her to bomb-jump onto the stage without the loss of jumps, and her grab air can allow her to enter "safe zones" underneath the stage, as well as acting another long recovery technique. Owing to these variety of options, edgeguarding against Samus can be extremely difficult, especially for characters with poor recoveries. For Samus herself, this long recovery also grants her a powerful edgeguarding game of her own, aided by her fast and powerful neutral and back aerial attacks.

Samus also has a very good defensive game; despite her shield leaving her legs exposed, which can leave her vulnerable to [[shield stab]]bing, and having a poor roll due to its low speed, she still has very strong defensive options. For one, she has one of the best [[Crouch cancel]]s in the game, due to her high weight, and having very good options out of it, such has her down smash and down tilt. Her screw attack also offers a quick and difficult-to-punish out of shield option, due to being invincible for the first couple frames of the move which helps her when getting pressured. It can also work as a combo breaker, but this can be risky if missed. Her nair is also a good combo breaking tool, due to being decently quick (frame 5) and being powerful. Her defensive game is also complimented by her amazing horizontal survivability and great recovery, which allow Samus to frequently live to very high percents against characters without strong vertical finishers (and sometimes characters with them).

Despite having a good approach on the ground, Samus's aerial approach suffers due to her strange variety of attributes. Her below average falling speed and high jumps give her a poor SHFFL, despite the presence of low ending lag for her aerials when L-canceled. Her low falling speed also can prevent her from quickly pursuing enemies that have been knocked into the ground; as such, Samus can have particular difficulty in comboing fast-fallers, even with her variety of throws. Tying into this, Samus's grab is extremely laggy and can easily be punished if she fails to grab an opponent with it.

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

Samus has been significantly [[buff]]ed from ''Smash 64'' to ''Melee'', as she was considered to fare poorly in Smash 64 due to her poor approach and lack of reliable combos. She is often considered the most buffed character from ''Smash 64'' to ''Melee'' along with {{SSBM|Jigglypuff}}. Most of her attacks have received significantly better frame data, such as a faster neutral attack and forward tilt.

*{{buff|Samus [[walk]]s faster (0.9067 (27.2) → 1).}}

*{{nerf|Samus [[dash]]es much slower (1.8 (54) → 1.4), going from the 4th fastest out of 12 characters to the 11th slowest out of 26.}}

*{{nerf|Samus' [[traction]] is slightly lower (0.0667 (2) → 0.06). Compared with the returning veterans, however, her traction is significantly lower, making it harder for her to punish [[out of shield]].}}

*{{change|Samus' [[air speed]] is slightly slower than her Japanese and North American ''Smash 64'' counterparts, but slightly faster than her Australian and European ''Smash 64'' counterparts (0.933 (28, JPN/NA) / 0.867 (26, AUS/EUR) → 0.89).}}

*{{nerf|Samus' [[air acceleration]] is significantly lower (0.1 (3) → 0.0325), making it the slowest.}}

**{{change|Samus's [[short hop]] is drastically lower (33.2267 (996.8) → 22.75). Compared with the returning veterans, however, her short hop is much higher, going from the 3rd highest out of 12 characters to the highest out of 26.}}

*{{change|Samus' [[gravity]] is slightly higher (0.0633 (1.9) → 0.066), going from the lowest to the second lowest.}}

*{{buff|Samus' [[fast fall]]ing speed is faster (2.233 (67) → 2.3). The difference between her falling speed and fast falling speed is higher (increase: 59.5% → 64.3%), which makes it less predictable when landing and gives her more options in the air.}}

*{{nerf|Samus is significantly [[weight|lighter]] (117.391304 (0.92) → 110), hindering her endurance.}}

*{{change|Samus is smaller (model size multiplier: 1x → 0.88x). This makes her harder to hit but reduces the range of her attacks.}}

*{{buff|[[Roll]]s have a longer duration (frames 4-23 → 4-30).}}

*{{buff|Rolls have less ending lag (FAF 46 → 45) although they are still the slowest rolls.}}

**{{buff|The first hit has less ending lag (FAF 22 → 18).}}

**{{nerf|The first hit has a new animation where Samus does not stretch her arm nearly as far. This noticeably reduces its range.}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt has less startup (frame 7 → 6) and ending lag (FAF 32 → 30).}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt now has a hitbox on Samus' back leg.}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt now only hits opponents when Samus drops her leg, increasing its startup lag and shortening its duration (frames 8-23 (early)/24-28 (late) → 14-17).}}

***{{nerf|This also means that the move can no longer hit opponents behind or directly above Samus.}}

***{{buff|However, the removal of the rising hit greatly improves the move's safety, with the move no longer being easily punishable on hit.}}

***{{buff|Additionally, the move has much less startup lag compared to the previous second hit (frame 25 → 14).}}

**{{buff|Up tilt has higher base knockback (5 → 40).}}

***{{nerf|However, this also hinders its KO and edgeguarding potential against grounded opponents.}}

**{{buff|Up tilt has slightly larger hitboxes (5u/5u → 5.0778u/5.0778u) and the foot hitbox has been moved further away from Samus (x offset: 6 → 6.2496).}}

**{{change|Samus has a new down tilt: a quick downwards cannon strike that fires a small explosion as opposed to a simple low sweep.}}

**{{buff|Down tilt has less startup lag (frame 8 → 6).}}

***{{nerf|However its total duration was unchanged, giving it more ending lag.}}

**{{buff|Down tilt has larger hitboxes (3.33u/3.33u → 3.1248u/3.5154u/5.859u), with the move having a similar amount of horizontal range despite its new animation.}}

**{{buff|Dash attack has larger hitboxes (3.66u → 5.0778u (clean)/4.3u (late)), which overall gives the move more range relative to Samus despite the hitbox being positioned closer to Samus (x offset: 0.533 → 0).}}

**{{change|Dash attack launches opponents at a higher angle (361° → 60°). This grants it vertical KO potential but hinders its horizontal KO potential as well as its edgeguarding potential.}}

***{{nerf|When combined with the changes to [[shieldstun]], these changes drastically hinder the move's safety on shield; going from leaving Samus at a frame advantage on shield to leaving her at a rather significant disadvantage.}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash has a new animation where Samus does not stretch her arm as far forward. This reduces the move's horizontal range despite its altered cannon hitbox; especially for the up angled version.}}

**{{buff|Up aerial has less startup (frame 6 → 5) and ending lag (FAF 40 → 39).}}

**{{buff|Samus has been given an [[pummel]], [[up throw|up]], and [[down throw]], giving her more options out of a grab. Her down throw in particular has strong combo potential.}}

**{{buff|Grabs have less startup lag (frame 20 → 18) and ending lag (FAF 100 → 95 (standing), 75 (dash)).}}

**{{buff|Standing grab has a longer duration (frames 20-38 → 18-20/21-37).}}

***{{nerf|However, Samus' new dash grab has a shorter duration (frames 20-38 → 18-20/21-33).}}

**{{buff|Samus now has an exploit known as the [[Extended grapple]] technique, which allows her to greatly increase the range of her Grapple Beam, as well as allowing her grab to home into opponents.}}

**{{buff|Samus' grabs have larger grabboxes during their first three active frames (3.5u/2.82u → 4.69u/4.69u).}}

*{{change|Samus' throws are now weight dependent.}}

*{{change|Samus' throws no longer have an electric effect.}}

**{{buff|Charge Shot has less startup lag, with its startup lag no longer scaling depending on the level of charge (frame 17 (uncharged)/21 (fully charged) → 15 (both)).}}

**{{buff|Charge Shot takes less time to fully charge (155 frames → 125).}}

***{{nerf|0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 20/50 (level 2).}}

***{{nerf|0 (base), 100 (scaling) → 50/72 (fully charged).}}

**{{change|Like all characters, Samus now has a side special. In her case, Missile. Holding the button releases a Homing Missile, which slowly follows the opponent for a short while and then explodes when it either makes contact or when it reaches it maximum duration. Tapping the button releases a Super Missile, which flies in a straight line and is much faster and stronger than the Homing Missile. The move auto-cancels on landing. As a result, Samus has an additional projectile, improving her camping potential.}}

==Version history==

|neutralname=Straight ({{ja|ストレート|Sutorēto}}) / Cannon Hammer ({{ja|ガンポッドハンマー|Ganpoddo Hanmā}}, ''Gunpod Hammer'')

|neutraldesc=A quick jab followed by an axe-like jab with her arm cannon. The second hit can be easily [[shield]]ed or [[shield grab]]bed, making it difficult to connect both hits.

|ftiltname=Spin Kick ({{ja|スピンキック|Supin Kikku}})

|utiltname=Heel Kick ({{ja|ヒールキック|Hīru Kikku}})

|dtiltname=Earth Blaster ({{ja|アースブラスター|Āsu Burasutā}})

|dashname=Shoulder Tackle ({{ja|ショルダータックル|Shorudā Takkuru}})

|fsmashname=Cannon Lunge ({{ja|ガンポッドナックル|Ganpoddo Nakkuru}}, ''Gunpod Knuckle'')

|usmashname=Cover Fire ({{ja|ヘルファイア|Herufaia}}, ''Hellfire'')

|usmashdesc=Fires five bursts in an arc above herself, with the final hit dealing below-average knockback. Beginning hits often don't combo into the final hit.

|dsmashname=Spinning Leg Sweep ({{ja|スピニングローキック|Supiningu Rō Kikku}}, ''Spinning Low Kick'')

|nairname=Chozo Kick ({{ja|サムスキック|Samusu Kikku}}, ''Samus Kick'')

|fairname=Aerial Fire ({{ja|エアリアルヘルファイア|Eariaru Herufaia}}, ''Aerial Hellfire'')

|bairname=Flying Back Kick ({{ja|ソバット|Sobatto}}, ''Sobat'')

|uairname=Drill Kick ({{ja|ドリルキック|Doriru Kikku}})

|dairname=Meteor Cannon ({{ja|メテオナックル|Meteo Nakkuru}}, ''Meteor Knuckle'')

|zairname=[[Grappling Beam]] ({{ja|グラップリングビーム|Gurappuringu Bīmu}})

|grabname=Grappling Beam ({{ja|グラップリングビーム|Gurappuringu Bīmu}})

|grabdesc=Sends out her Grapple Beam to catch the opponent. It is the longest grab in the game.

|pummelname=Chozo Chop ({{ja|つかみチョップ|Tsukami Choppu}}, ''Grab Chop'')

|fthrowname=Beam Throw ({{ja|グラップリングスルーフロント|Gurapuringu Surū Furonto}}, ''Grappling Throw Front'')

|bthrowname=Reverse Beam Throw ({{ja|グラップリングスルーバック|Gurapuringu Surū Bakku}}, ''Grappling Throw Back'')

|uthrowname=Beam Launch ({{ja|グラップリングスルーアップ|Gurapuringu Surū Appu}}, ''Grappling Throw Up'')

|dthrowname=Beam Slam ({{ja|グラップリングスルーダウン|Gurapuringu Surū Daun}}, ''Grappling Throw Down'')

|nsdesc=When the [[B button]] is pressed, Samus will start charging a ball of energy that gets larger, stronger, and faster the more charged it is. Pressing the B button during the charge will cancel the charge and fire the shot, while pressing the [[L]] or [[R button]] will cancel the charge and allow Samus to store her current charge. This can be resumed by pressing B again. When fully charged, it has KO potential. If used in the air, Samus will immediately fire the shot, regardless of its charge level and how long B is held for.

|usdesc=Shoots up into the air while spinning around rapidly via the "Screw Attack" ability from the ''Metroid'' series. It consists of multiple hits, though it does very little knockback, with its primary use being a [[recovery]] move, giving decent vertical distance. As with most multi-hit moves that operate similarly, it can be [[SDI]]'d out of rather easily. If Samus is hit during Screw Attack's animation, Her charge shot will be lost.

!{{{name|}}}

|-

! scope="row"|Cheer

|[[File:Samus Cheer International SSBM.ogg|center]]||[[File:Samus Cheer Japanese SSBM.ogg|center]]

|-

! scope="row"|Description

|Sa - mus! Sa - mus! || Sam - us!

|}

|desc-2=Shoots multiple shots while kneeling, and finishes with a pose.

|desc-3=Punches twice, then fires from her Arm Cannon.

==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:Samus players (SSBM)]]''

*{{Sm|Cyr|France}} - One of the best players in France, and was known as the best Samus in Europe prior to his inactivity, placing 3rd at {{Trn|Avalon IV}}, 5th at {{Trn|Epita Smash Arena 5}}, and 17th at {{Trn|Heir 3}}. He notably took {{Sm|Armada}}'s Peach to last stock.

*{{Sm|Darrell|USA}} - One of the best Samus players in the early 2010s. He was primarily active in his local area of NorCal and around the West Coast, peaking at 61st on the [[SSBMRank 2014]]. He is best known for placing 9th at {{Trn|Kings of Cali}} taking a set over {{Sm|Zhu}}, as well as his win over {{Sm|Hax$}} at {{Trn|Revival of Melee 7}}, where he ultimately placed 4th.

*{{Sm|Daydee|Sweden}} - The best Samus player in Europe following Cyr's inactivity, having been able to match Cyr's results at many events, placing 5th at {{Trn|Heir 5}} defeating {{Sm|Professor Pro}}, 13th at {{Trn|Syndicate 2017}}, and 17th at {{Trn|B.E.A.S.T 7}} defeating {{Sm|dizzkidboogie}}. At his peak, he was ranked among the [[Phoenix Blue Ranking|top 10 best players in Europe]].

*{{Sm|Duck|USA}} - One of the greatest Samus players of all time. He is best known for his performance at {{Trn|DreamHack Winter 2015}}, where he eliminated {{Sm|Leffen}}, among other top players, before ultimately placing 5th. He has since placed top 8 at many other majors, including placing 2nd at {{Trn|Full Bloom 3}}, becoming the closest Samus player to winning a major since the golden age of ''Melee'', and was a mainstay in the top 20 for several years, peaking at 14th on the [[MPGR 2018]]. He eventually dropped Samus for {{SSBM|Sheik}} in 2019, his absence leading to a decline in Samus' representation in top-level competitive ''Melee'' that lasted until the post-[[Project Slippi]] era.

*{{Sm|HugS|USA}} - One of the greatest Samus players of all time, and one of the most recognizable due to his long tenure in competitive play. He was first known for his performances during the golden age of ''Melee'', where he notably placed 2nd at {{Trn|EVO World 2007}}, the best placement from a Samus player and the closest one came to winning a supermajor. He remained one of the best Samus players past the Golden Age and into the era of the [[Five Gods]], placing 7th at {{Trn|GENESIS 5}} and 9th at {{Trn|EVO 2015}}, and peaking at 20th on the [[SSBMRank 2015]].

*{{Sm|Morsecode762|USA}} - Better known for playing {{PM|Samus}} in [[Project M]], but has also been active in ''Melee''. Though first ranked in 2018, he is better known for his performances in the post-Slippi era, particularly in 2023, when he defeated {{Sm|Cody Schwab}} at {{Trn|The Big House 11}}, one of the biggest bracket upsets of the year, and {{Sm|Jmook}} at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2023}} to place 9th. As such, he was ranked 18th on the [[SSBMRank 2023]], the best solo-Samus placement since Duck in 2018.

*{{Sm|Nanashi|Japan}} - The best Samus in Japan prior to his inactivity, previously ranked 8th on the [[Japan SSBM Rank 2018]]. In his country, he has notably taken sets over {{Sm|aMSa}}, won multiple locals, and placed 3rd at {{Trn|KSB 2016}}. Internationally, he has made top 32 at a few notable majors such as 17th at {{Trn|Kings of Cali 4}} and 25th at {{Trn|CEO 2014}}.

*{{Sm|Plup|USA}} - Though he is by far better known for his performances with {{SSBM|Sheik}} and {{SSBM|Fox}}, he was considered one of the best Samus players in the world when he actively played her. He primarily played Samus in his early years, placing 5th at both {{Trn|CEO 2014}} and {{Trn|Paragon Orlando 2015}}, before he switched to Sheik in early-2015. He has since returned to using Samus on a few occasions, notably placing 4th at {{Trn|Shine 2018}}, 5th at {{Trn|Shine 2017}}, and 9th at {{Trn|Supernova 2024}} using only or mostly Samus at all three events. Plup is also known for his set against {{Sm|Leffen}} at {{Trn|EVO 2015}}, which is considered one of the most iconic Samus sets in ''Melee'' history.

*{{Sm|TheSWOOPER|USA}} - Though active prior, he is considered one of the best Samus players in the post-Slippi era, and peaked at 33rd on the [[SSBMRank 2022]]. He holds some of the best wins with Samus in the post-Slippi era, having defeated {{Sm|Cody Schwab}} and {{Sm|SluG}} at {{Trn|The Nightclub VIP: iBDW}}, and several noteworthy placements at majors, including 9th at {{Trn|Pound 2022}}, the best Samus performance since {{Sm|Duck}} at {{Trn|GENESIS 6}}.

*{{Sm|Wes|USA}} - Considered the "Father of Samus", becoming the first notable Samus player and innovating her metagame. He was formerly the best Samus player alongside HugS in the Golden Age of ''Melee''; he still competes occasionally in New York. Some of his best results during his peak were 5th at {{Trn|Tournament Go 5}} and 7th at {{Trn|MLG DC 2005}}.

Samus’s large number of buffs from her transition from ''64'' to ''Melee'' was immediately noticed by players, and was reflected by her high rankings in initial tier lists, hovering around 6th and 9th. This was primarily due to her improved projectile game, additional combo options, and improved recovery. Although she has a smaller playerbase than most high-tier characters, her representation and performances from dedicated mains such as {{Sm|HugS}} allowed her to remain in the higher tiers for many years. Unfortunately, innovations in other characters' metagames have been discovered, and professionals have adapted to Samus's defensive fighting style that rendered her zoning game less effective. This has resulted Samus dropping in placements through recent ''Melee'' tier lists. In the current metagame, {{Sm|Plup}} rarely uses her in high-level tournaments, and {{sm|Duck}} has recently dropped her in favor of Sheik. As it stands, while her zoning game remains effective against the meta, her declining presence in tournaments and increasing competitive prospects towards other top-tiers has made her fare worse against the rest of the cast compared to the early metagame, and as a result, she currently sits at 11th place at the bottom of B+ tier.

==In 1-P Mode==

===[[Adventure Mode]]===

*'''[[Event 17: Bounty Hunters]]''': The player plays as Samus, “allied” with Captain Falcon and must defeat {{SSBM|Bowser}} before Captain Falcon does on [[Jungle Japes]]. The event results in failure if Captain Falcon delivers the finishing blow, if Bowser [[Self-destruct|self-destructs]], or if Samus dies.

===[[Congratulations_screen#Super_Smash_Bros._Melee|Congratulations Screens]]===

==[[Trophies]]==

In addition to the normal trophy about Samus as a character unlocked by completing {{SSBM|Classic Mode}} as Samus on any difficulty, there are two trophies about her as a fighter, unlocked by completing {{SSBM|Adventure Mode}} and [[All-Star Mode]] respectively as Samus on any difficulty. Each of the trophies can also be unlocked by playing 100, 200, and 300 versus matches respectively as Samus:

|name=Samus Aran

|image=Samus Trophy Melee.png

|desc=This intergalactic bounty hunter's full name is Samus Aran. Clad in a Power Suit made by the Chozo race and infused with their enhanced blood, she cleared the planet Zebes of a Metroid infestation. Samus is an orphan, the sole survivor of a Space Pirate raid that destroyed an Earth colony named K-2L.

|name=Samus Aran

|image=Samus Trophy (Smash).png

|desc=Samus has an abundance of projectile weapons, making her a long-distance attack specialist. The most powerful weapon in her arsenal is her Charge Shot, but be warned: it can be reflected. Her Missiles have homing capabilities, but when fired as Smash Attacks, they fly on a straight trajectory and have boosted power.

|gamelist=:B: Charge Shot

:Smash B: Missile

|name=Samus Aran

|image=Samus Trophy (Smash 2).png

|mode=All Star

|desc=While Samus's arsenal of missile weapons is indeed formidable, her enemies are in for a rude awakening if they guard against nothing else. Her Grappling Beam captures foes and latches on to walls, and the Screw Attack drags foes upward in a series of spins that doubles as a recovery move. Samus can also use her Bombs to perform Bomb Jumps.

|gamelist=:Up & B: Screw Attack

SSBM Samus HQ.jpg|Official artwork of Samus.