Editing Snake (SSBU)

'''Snake''' ({{ja|スネーク|Sunēku}}, ''Snake'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was officially confirmed on June 12th, 2018, with his appearance exclaiming "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YmIl3jA758 Everyone is Here!]" with the rest of the returning roster. Snake is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #31]].

{{s|wikipedia|David Hayter}} and {{s|wikipedia|Akio Ōtsuka}}'s respective English-language and Japanese-language portrayals of Snake from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' were repurposed for ''Ultimate''. The former actor confirmed he was willing to record new lines for the character, but it was decided to only use the voices from ''Brawl'' instead.<ref>https://twitter.com/DavidBHayter/status/1006580149540700160</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/DavidBHayter/status/1404490082753646596|title=David Hayter on Twitter|quote=I offered to record new lines. But they just used the old ones.|date=June 14, 2021|accessdate=May 12, 2022}}</ref> In the Chinese and Korean versions, Snake uses his English voice clips.

 

Snake currently ranks 4th out of 82 on the ''Ultimate'' [[tier list]], placing him in the middle of S tier. This is a marginal improvement from his placement in ''Brawl'', where he was ranked 6th out of 38. He is gifted with an exceptionally versatile moveset, having a wide variety of powerful tools at his disposal, including fast [[startup]] on the majority of his attacks, large, [[disjointed hitbox]]es on many of his moves, high damage and knockback output, one of the game's best burst options with his [[dash attack]], an excellent projectile and [[camping]] game with his many explosives, a great [[tech-chasing]] and setup move with his [[down throw]], a fast and highly damaging [[out of shield]] option with his [[down aerial]], and fantastic stage control, ledge trapping and [[edgeguard]]ing capabilities. His [[Hand Grenade|grenade]]s are one of the best projectiles in the game due to their frame 1 startup, making them excellent combo breakers and setup tools, and their ability to be shield dropped and subsequently picked up gives them vast utility for both offense and defense in battle. They can also be [[B-reverse]]d to help Snake mix up his landing, and his [[heavyweight]] status gives him strong endurance, while also allowing him to make use of [[rage]]. His [[up tilt]] remains an extremely lethal KO move due to its decently sized hitbox, as well as its sheer speed and power.

 

Snake inherits several flaws that were endemic to him in ''Brawl''. His main issue is his recovery; despite the high distance [[Cypher]] provides, it remains predictable and easy to intercept, which is now made worse by it being able to be destroyed, and his slow-acting air speed makes him susceptible to gimping, despite the benefits of the game's air dodge mechanics. While he has several tools like [[C4]] to refresh his recovery and grenades to break out of combos, he's often forced to self-inflict damage just to recover or reset into neutral, which combined with his susceptibility to combos, trouble landing, and the inability to tech at very high percentages, gives him a very poor disadvantage state. Although several of his attacks having fast startup, many of his moves have notable [[end lag]], which can leave him vulnerable on block. The removal of [[DACUS]], of which he was previously one of its most proficient users, has also limited his mobility options to an extent. Additionally, due to his explosives being able to be absorbed, this can give him trouble against characters with [[absorption]] based moves. Finally, Snake's KO options are all fairly predictable. Since many of his kill moves like smash attacks are slow acting, he's often times limited to attacks like up tilt that are easy to anticipate, since many of his KO setups are a lot more circumstantial.

 

Nonetheless, his pros greatly outweigh his cons. Since the release of the game, Snake has consistently been one of the most popular characters in competitive play, with many players representing him throughout the years, most notably {{Sm|Hurt}}, {{Sm|ApolloKage}}, and {{Sm|MVD}}.

*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Link}} or any character in his unlock tree, being the 5th character unlocked after {{SSBU|Meta Knight}}.

With the exception of the third method, Snake must then be defeated on [[Shadow Moses Island]]. In World of Light, he is fought on {{SSBU|Final Destination}}.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, Snake is a zoning and stage-trapping oriented character with versatile specials and projectiles for forcing the opponent to move into a disadvantageous position. However, this doesn't necessarily mean he is required to stay at a distance to be most effective. He possesses several fast and  strong melee attacks, which can easily rack up damage, and keep the opponent off of him. Throughout the first year of ''Ultimate'', Snake achieved impressive results from players such as {{Sm|Ally}} and {{Sm|MVD}}. However, after Ally was banned from events, Snake's results have gotten slightly worse, but he nonetheless has top level representatives such as {{Sm|Hurt}}, {{Sm|ApolloKage}}, {{Sm|MVD}} and {{Sm|DIO}}.

In ''Brawl'', Snake was considered among the best characters in the game (placed 6th out of 38 characters) thanks to his extreme damage output and knockback, huge disjointed hitboxes, excellent endurance due to a combination of very high weight and great momentum canceling, an excellent projectile and zoning game with his explosives, and a chain grab with his down throw which he could tech-chase. Possibly owing to his extreme success, Snake received a large mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition to ''Ultimate''; when it comes to direct changes, Snake has seen some significant nerfs to his power and  disproportionately large hitboxes, but he greatly benefits from the universal changes, along with having received buffs to his projectiles. All in all, it's difficult to determine whether Snake was buffed or nerfed overall.

Directly, Snake has suffered from several critical nerfs to his moveset. His damage output and KO power from ''Brawl'' have been largely toned down, as his [[neutral attack]], [[forward tilt|forward]] and [[down tilt]]s, [[dash attack]], [[forward smash]], and all of his [[aerial attack]]s deal less damage, knockback, or both; this substantially weakens his damage racking ability and KO potential, putting them more in-line with the rest of the cast despite remaining above average. While he still possesses large disjoints in his attacks, Snake's [[range]] has been significantly neutered, as the infamously large hitboxes on his attacks are now much smaller or have been completely removed; his infamous [[up tilt]], in particular, has had its range drastically reduced. All of his moves' explosions can now be [[absorb]]ed, worsening his matchups against characters with  absorption based moves such as {{SSBU|Ness}}, {{SSBU|Lucas}}, and {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}}. Most notably, Snake's [[down smash]] no longer involves him placing a landmine, removing one of his main tools for stage control (although it remains deceptively strong) in lieu of a more traditional punish tool. Snake's [[weight]] is also noticeably lighter, now being a heavyweight character instead of a super heavyweight, which is exasperated by the fact that most super heavyweight fighters have had their weight significantly increased from ''Brawl'', while his [[Cypher]] can now be destroyed by opponents if their attack is powerful enough.

Some of the indirect changes have also been very detrimental for Snake. The removal of [[chain grab|chain grabbing]] and [[dash attack canceled up smash|DACUS]] have altered Snake's playstyle: the former hinders his [[down throw]]'s damage racking and [[tech chase]] potential (further compounded by its reduced damage), while the latter eliminates one of his best approaching options. The removal of [[hitstun canceling]] now makes Snake much more susceptible to combos, which is especially gruesome considering most of the cast has access to them in one way or another. Lastly, the neutering of [[momentum canceling]], as well as Snake's reduced weight and Cypher's vulnerability to being destroyed, has dramatically watered down his survivability, which is further exacerbated by the changes to [[tech]]ing, as this hinders his bomb recovery by making techs impossible to perform at high enough percents. Altogether, the two latter changes make Snake's disadvantage widely inferior to his appearance in ''Brawl''.

However, Snake has also received some direct improvements to his toolkit. Most notably, his previously poor air game was drastically improved: his [[neutral aerial|neutral]] and [[down aerial]]s' multihits have reduced [[startup]] and better linking angles, significantly improving their consistency and potential as follow ups, while [[down aerial|down]] and [[back aerial]] can now [[autocancel]] in a short hop and full hop respectively. Due to the direct improvements it has received along with Snake's significantly faster jumpsquat, down aerial is much more effective and reliable as a fast and highly damaging [[out of shield]] option. For his grounded moves, down tilt has lower [[ending lag]] and increased damage, making it safer as a poking and shield pressuring tool; up tilt has slightly increased KO potential on both the clean and late hit and the clean hit has a longer duration, making it an even more fearsome KO option; [[dash attack]] has both increased knockback at low percentages and a lower angle and extended duration on the clean hit, allowing it to setup [[edgeguard]] opportunities and making it far more effective as a burst option, especially at lower percents. Furthermore, while down throw is less useful for tech chasing and deals less damage, it immobilizes opponents on the ground for a specific amount of time depending on their percent before the throw, giving Snake guaranteed KO setups at high percents including a KO confirm into up tilt once the opponent is at ~160%.

 

His smash attacks have also received notable buffs: [[forward smash]] has decreased ending lag, making it harder to punish and safer on shield when combined with the shield changes, and [[up smash]] has increased KO and ledgetrapping potential since its trejectory is much less randomized. Even his new down smash, despite its removed stage control potential, is much faster, making it more conventional for KOing, punishing rolls, and [[edge#2 frame punish|2-framing]]. His special moves have also been given improvements: [[Hand Grenade]]s have less lag when they are generated and explode faster (the latter can be both benefical and detrimental depending on the circumstance), while [[C4]] detonates faster and has less ending lag in all aspects. The most crucial upgrade however, was to [[Remote Missile]] — it is easier to control and much more maneuverable, reaches its top speed at a faster rate, and has less ending lag both when canceled and upon hitting the opponent, vastly improving its utility.  

In spite of the nerfs to his damage racking, neutral game and survivability, Snake immensely benefits from some of the universal changes to ''Ultimate''{{'}}s game engine. Similar to the returning veterans, Snake has faster mobility (although it is still below average) and decreased [[landing lag]] in all of his aerial attacks, giving him landing options. Most importantly however, Snake benefits the most from the universal 3-frame [[jumpsquat]] as his jumpsquat is no longer the slowest in the series, massively improving his ground to air transitioning as well as his [[out of shield]] game. Additionally, while the removal of chain grabbing hurts his down throw's tech chasing potential, it more importantly improves his endurance as he is no longer vulnerable to highly damaging chain grabs from certain characters, most notably {{SSBU|Pikachu}} and {{SSBU|King Dedede}}. The changes to [[air dodge]]s benefit Snake as well, as the reintroduction of directional air dodges improves his recovery by allowing him to get additional distance to the ledge after using Cypher, and Cypher's lingering hitbox can cover his air dodge, while the limit to one air dodge per air time (until the character lands or is hit) combine well with Remote Missile's buffs and grant Snake one of (''if'' not) the best edgeguarding tools in the game. While the changes to hitstun canceling impair Snake's disadvantage, they also allow him to utilize his projectiles as setup tools into his attacks much more effectively. Finally, the shield changes and increased [[shieldstun]] (especially for tilts) makes his moves safer on shield and harder to punish despite his lower damage.  

In the end, the changes Snake received has toned down almost all of his strongest traits that are deemed as overpowered, such as his impressive endurance, huge damage output, and disproportionately large hitboxes. However, while the direct nerfs Snake has received are of greater quantity than his buffs, the direct changes have also improved his strengths in specific areas, most notably his edgeguarding, while the changes to universal mechanics has nevertheless improved his most severe flaws in ''Brawl'', such as his aerial game and mobility (both of which were considered to be amongst the worst in ''Brawl''). Snake also retained most of his key traits from his ''Brawl'' incarnation; while most of them are much weaker in ''Ultimate'', none of the nerfs have outright removed said traits, remaining very respectable comparing to the majority of the cast, and optimizations to his playstyle in the metagame further cement his position. As a result, Snake performs similarly effective in ''Ultimate'' as in ''Brawl'', and he remains an incredibly successful character (if very difficult to play) in competitive play.

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

==Update history==

Snake received a mix of buffs, nerfs, and glitch fixes via game updates, but nerfed slightly overall. Update 2.0.0 buffed his already powerful up tilt by increasing the clean hit's hitbox length and reducing the late hit's hitbox. Update 3.0.0, however, was a mixed bag for Snake. His back aerial's knockback was increased, but his up smash gained slightly more ending lag. Hand Grenade and Remote Missile were also nerfed, with the former dealing less shield damage (though this change also buffs Snake, as it is much safer for him to block his own Hand Grenade) and the latter received a smaller hitbox during its descent. Update 3.1.0 improved his neutral attack's consistency, while update 4.0.0 made up throw's collateral hitbox blockable. Lastly, update 7.0.0 enlarged Snake's shield as part of a near-universal buff, and granted brief intangibility to his head when he activates his shield.

Overall, Snake fares mildly worse than he did at the launch of ''Ultimate'', although he remains a very dominating character in the metagame.

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/1.2.0|char=Snake}}

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

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

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

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|4.0.0}}'''

{{UpdateList (SSBU)/4.0.0|char=Snake}}

 

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|6.0.0}}'''

 

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

|neutralname=Jab ({{ja|ジャブ|Jabu}}) / Straight ({{ja|ストレート|Sutorēto}}) / Rolling Sobat ({{ja|ローリングソバット|Roringu Sobatto}})

|neutraldesc= The Punch + Punch + Kick combo from ''{{s|wikipedia|Metal Gear Solid}}'', ''{{s|wikipedia|Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes}}'' and ''{{s|wikipedia|Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty}}''. It comes out fast (frame 3) and is useful for mixups as well as a quick "get off me" option. At high percents, it can even [[jab cancel]]  into his forward tilt if connected with the hitbox on his fist, being one of the few jabs in the game to be able to jab cancel.

|ftiltname=Knee Kick ({{ja|膝蹴り|Hizageri}}) / Hammer Knuckle ({{ja|ハンマーナックル|Hanmā Nakkuru}})

|ftiltdmg=4%

|ftilt2dmg=9% (body), 10% (fists, aerial), 11% (fists, grounded)

|ftiltdesc=A forward knee-thrust. Pressing the attack button a second time will have Snake follow up with an overhead swing with both arms. The knee slightly launches opponents vertically, making it harder to connect the second hit at higher percents. The second hit uses a large hitbox that is somewhat disjointed, as it goes moderately far beyond Snake's arms. This move is seen during a cutscene in ''Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes'' when Snake fights [[Gray Fox]].

|utiltname=Upward Kick ({{ja|上蹴り|Uegeri}})

|utiltdesc=An upward scorpion kick. One of Snake's best KO options and one of the best up tilts in the game due to its fast startup, decent range, and high knockback. Starting at 160%, Snake has a true KO setup into up tilt from down throw, and can even KO earlier if the opponent's reaction is read after the down throw. It can also be setup into from the first hit of his neutral aerial against certain characters if Snake lands quickly enough. It is the fourth strongest up tilt in the game, only losing to {{SSBU|Sephiroth}} when tippered, {{SSBU|Mega Man}} on its sweet spot and {{SSBU|Ganondorf}}, capable of KOing middleweights starting as low as 100%, making it comparable to an up smash in terms of strength.

|dtiltname=Crawl Attack ({{ja|ホフク攻撃|Hōfuku Kōgeki}})

|dtiltdesc=A low spin kick while prone. Deals very high damage for a tilt of its speed, coming out on frame 6, and also possesses good disjointed range, with the outermost hitboxes reaching over his foot. It serves as one of Snake's best poking tools in the neutral.

|dashname=Forward Roll ({{ja|前転|Zenten}})

|dashdesc=Does a somersault forward. It propels Snake forward a considerable distance,  comes out on frame 5, making it one of the fastest dash attacks in the game, has intangibility on his arms for the entire hitbox duration (frames 5-12), and deals good knockback. This makes it one of the best dash attacks and burst options in the game. Has enough knockback to be able to KO at the ledge at high percentages, but not enough to make it a reliable KO move in the center of the stage. The somersault and subsequent transition to crouching are visually identical to those moves used by Snake in the ''Metal Gear Solid'' series.

|fsmashname=Rocket Launcher ({{ja|ロケットランチャー|Roketto Ranchā}})

|fsmashdesc= Snake takes out an {{s|wikipedia|RPG-7}} rocket launcher and aims it at the ground directly in front of himself, causing a huge explosion. It has an extremely slow startup (frame 41), but it is one of the strongest smash attacks in the game, being able to KO exceptionally early. It starts KOing Mario at the ledge as low as 40%, and under 70% from center stage uncharged. Additionally, it is generally safe on shield because it has surprisingly low ending lag for its power, and can 2-frame punish opponents reliably due to its massive hitbox that reaches below the stage. Interestingly, it can be absorbed by moves like [[PSI Magnet]] and [[Oil Panic]] which makes it one of the few non-projectile moves to have this property.

|usmashname=Mortar ({{ja|迫撃砲|Hakugekihō}})

|dsmashname=Double Low Kick ({{ja|ダブルローキック|Daburu Rō Kikku}})

|dsmashdesc=A double-sided kick. Launches opponents at horizontal [[semi-spike]] angles and deals considerable knockback, with the back hit being much stronger. It is Snake's fastest smash attack, with the front hit coming out on frame 8 and the back hit being moderately safe on shield (-14) for a smash attack. The move has impressive range, as both hits have a disjoint that reaches beyond Snake's feet, allowing the move to 2-frame opponents if timed correctly. The front and back hits KO Mario starting at 108% and 85%, respectively.

|nairname=Quadruple Kick ({{ja|4連キック|4 Ren Kikku}})

|nairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|3}} (hit 1-3), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|12}} (hit 4)

|nairdesc=Snake performs four kicks in quick succession. At low percents against heavy and fast-falling characters, a short-hopped neutral aerial can lead to a neutral attack, tilts, and a short-hop down aerial. The first three hits can also setup into other attacks if Snake manages to land quickly enough. The last hit is very powerful, KOing Mario at the ledge starting at 112%. Additionally, it deals extremely high damage, being the second most damaging neutral aerial in the game, dealing 21% unstaled and only losing to Bowser's.

|fairname=Heel Drop ({{ja|かかと落とし|Kakato Otoshi}})

|fairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|14}} (leg), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|15}} (foot)

|fairdesc=A midair axe kick. It has slow start-up and high ending lag and landing lag, but it is a very powerful [[meteor smash]] with great vertical and horizontal reach. Connection with the sourspot at the leg results in very powerful vertical knockback, KOing grounded opponents at around 129%.

|bairname=Double-Footed Kick ({{ja|両足蹴り|Ryōashi Geri}})

|bairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|14}} (clean, legs), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|16}} (clean, feet), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|9}} (late, legs), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|10}} (late, feet)

|bairdesc=Snake dropkicks behind himself, planking in the air. Has fast start-up (frame 7) along with very good range and disjointed hitboxes, just like Snake's other attacks, and deals high damage with excellent horizontal knockback when hit cleanly, especially when sweetspotted. It also has a high amount of active frames, making it useful for landings, although its high landing lag makes this tactic risky. Its high landing lag also make it very easy to punish if it misses. Has [[sex kick]] properties. Interestingly, the sweetspot has a weaker kick sound effect than the sourspot, which has a heavy kick sound effect. The sweetspot KOs Mario at 90% at the ledge, and at 126% from center-stage. Autocancels in a full hop.  

|uairname=Inverted Handstand Kick ({{ja|反転倒立蹴り|Hanten Tōritsu Geri}})

|uairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|14}} (clean), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|10}} (late)

|uairdesc=Snake dropkicks straight upwards, similar to his back aerial. It has fairly fast start-up with good vertical reach and powerful vertical knockback, and its hitbox acts as a large disjoint, as the final hitbox goes much higher compared to Snake's feet. It still has considerable ending lag, like the rest of Snake's aerials, although it can autocancel in a short hop, making it safer than his other aerials as a landing tool.

|dairname=Trampling Kick ({{ja|踏みつけ蹴り|Fumitsuke Geri}})

|dairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|4}} (hit 1), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|3}} (hits 2-3), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|10}} (hit 4)

|dairdesc=Snake launches four subsequent stomps below himself. A very fast and powerful damage-racking out-of-shield option, as it has the fastest startup of any down aerial in the series, coming out at frame 3, and like Snake's other aerials and several other attacks, the first three stomps are disjointed, with hitboxes that reach under his legs. The third and fourth kicks add vertical speed, allowing Snake to slow his fall and autocancel the move from a short hop. Oddly, shortly after the first kick, Snake is pushed downwards slightly.

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|grabdesc=Reaches in front of himself with both of his arms, grabbing and holding his opponent in a restraining chokehold. The grabbing position itself is unique to Snake. Has great range for a non-tether grab, although it is rather slow for one as a trade-off, starting on frame 8. However, since he kneels down and leans forward to grab the opponent, he can be hit by an attack that wouldn't hit him normally. Based on the maneuver available in every ''Metal Gear Solid'' title.

|pummelname=Strangle ({{ja|締め付け|Shimetsuke}})

|pummeldmg=1.3%

|pummeldesc=Tightens his chokehold. Average power and speed. Repeated pummeling is texturally similar to mashing the grab button to choke out or snap the neck of restrained opponents in multiple ''MGS'' games.

|fthrowname=Throw Down ({{ja|投げ倒し|Nage Taoshi}})

|fthrowdesc=Snake twists the opponent's arms behind their back then steps forward, and then forcefully shoves them into the ground in front of him. It deals decent knockback for a forward throw, KOing middleweights starting at 160%, and earlier with rage.

|bthrowname=Pull Down ({{ja|引き倒し|Hiki Taoshi}})

|bthrowdesc=Snake performs a sasae tsurikomi ashi,{{ref|a}} shifting the restrained opponent towards him, trips them with a sweep of his leg, and flips them over, slamming them on the ground behind him. It has very low ending lag, allowing it to combo into dash attack at low percentages, and into an attached C4 as a kill confirm at around 90%. It can also KO middleweights by itself at around 148%. Resembles his primary throw from ''Metal Gear Solid'' and ''Metal Gear Solid 2''.

|uthrowname=Body Drop ({{ja|体落とし|Tai Otoshi}})

|uthrowdmg=7% (hit 1), 4% (throw)

|uthrowdesc=Snake performs a [[wikipedia:tai otoshi|tai otoshi]] on his opponent, slamming them back-first. Can combo into his up tilt at low percents, and KO middleweights at around 180%.

|dthrowname=Silent Takedown ({{ja|拘束解放|Kōsoku Kaihō}}, ''Restrainment Release'')

|dthrowdesc=Lays the opponent flat on the floor, putting them in a downed status. How soon an opponent can act depends on their damage. At high percents, it gives Snake guaranteed follow-up options, with the most reliable one being up tilt starting at 160%. Resembles a similar maneuver from the series, where Snake can release neutralized enemies after dragging them around.

|floorfdesc=While getting up, he kicks on one side and punches on the other.

|nsdmg=0.9~4.25% (grenade), 8.6~10.75% (explosion)

|nsdesc=Snake pulls out a grenade and unpins it. The grenade will detonate after 2.5 seconds. Tapping the B button will have Snake throw the grenade right away while holding down the B button will have Snake to continue to hold on to the grenade until B is released. The distance Snake throws the grenade can be controlled by holding forwards or backward on the stick when the grenade is thrown. Pressing the shield button or taking damage will cause Snake to drop the grenade. It has an instantaneous startup, coming out on frame 1, and because of this, it can negate his otherwise poor disadvantage state, and this makes it one of his best tools overall and one of the best projectiles in the game. Dropped grenades can be picked up and thrown like ordinary items. Snake can have up to two grenades active at a time. Aesthetically, if Snake is standing too close to a grenade when it detonates, he will duck and cover his ears. {{SSBU|Kirby}} mimics this behavior when he uses Grenade as a [[Copy Ability]].

|usdesc=Grabs onto a flying reconnaissance camera and slowly hovers upwards. Snake gains slight armor while hanging on the camera. It does not put Snake into a helpless state, meaning he can continue to perform attacks once the move ends. However, he cannot use Cypher again until he lands on the ground, grabs onto a ledge, or takes knockback. One can cancel the move early by performing any aerial attack, pressing down on the stick, or air dodging. When the move ends, the Cypher will continue to fly upwards and damage enemies it comes into contact with. Activating Cypher will not cancel Snake's existing momentum, so if Snake is falling downwards, the Cypher will have to slowly decelerate him before starting to move him upwards.

|dsdesc=Snake bends down and plants a C4 on the ground where he is standing. When used in the air, he instead drops the C4 straight down. Snake can also stick the C4 towards a wall if he is standing near one, or attach it directly onto a nearby enemy. By using the move when a C4 has already been placed, Snake takes out a remote detonator and detonates the explosive. The C4 is one of Snake's most versatile tools; it can be used for KOs, stage control, mindgames, edgeguarding, and more. Snake can also use the C4 for recovery by dropping it in midair and detonating it, blasting him upwards and allowing him to use Cypher again without touching the ground or a ledge. The C4 automatically explodes after {{rollover|1600 frames|26.67 seconds|?}}.

|fsdesc=Snake will toss a flare grenade, exclaim "It's showtime!", crouch, and put his hand up to his ear, which will cause a crosshair to appear onscreen. At the upper left are two bars: one solid, and one made up of 5 segments. The solid bar indicates how much time until the missiles are launched, while the segmented bar underneath represents the missiles: missiles that have locked onto an opponent are shown as red segments, while those that have not been locked on an opponent are shown as grayed-out segments.

*Snake's stealth camouflage disengages to reveal himself to his opponent(s). Snake then says "Kept you waiting, huh?" upon appearing. Taken from the beginning of the Tanker chapter in ''Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty''.

*'''All taunts''': Puts a [[Cardboard Box|cardboard box]] over himself, which is removable. All three of his taunts are variations of this, though with slight differences in {{rollover|animation|the "Up" variation has Snake pull out the box from his left side; the "Side" variation has Snake sit down and pull the box over himself; the "Down" variation has Snake kneel down and pull over the box from in front of himself|?}} and cancelability. When he removes it, any nearby enemies will receive damage.  

**'''[[Smash Taunt]]''': Snake uses the [[Codec Conversations|codec]] to contact his support team - [[Colonel Roy Campbell|Colonel Campbell]], [[Otacon]] and [[Mei Ling]] (or [[Slippy Toad|Slippy]] when in a match against {{SSBU|Falco}}) - for information on his opponent; if there are multiple fighters, the game will randomly choose one. This is only possible on Snake's home stage, [[Shadow Moses Island]], and only applicable to characters playable in ''Brawl'', as it reuses the same voice lines, and thus also excludes {{SSBU|Ike}} when in his older ''Radiant Dawn'' costume. Snake will take a knee for a few seconds, then the codec will briefly dial and the call will begin. Snake can be hit during the call without interruption, but it will end if he is KO'd, which, in a nod to the ''Metal Gear Solid'' game over sequence, causes the character he was talking with to shout his name in dismay.

SSBUSnakeTaunt1.gif|Snake's up taunt.

SSBUSnakeTaunt2.gif|Snake's side taunt.

SSBUSnakeTaunt3.gif|Snake's down taunt.

*'''Left:''' Does a spin kick and sidekick, finishing in an open-hand battle stance, while saying "Not even close!" ("{{ja|まだまだだな。|Mada mada da na.}}", ''Not yet.''). The pose is a reference to when "Old" Snake fights Liquid Ocelot at the end of ''Metal Gear Solid 4'' using CQC, a fighting style only explicitly used by [[Big Boss]] in prior games.

*'''Up:''' Uses the codec in a crouching position, reporting "Colonel, mission accomplished." ("{{ja|大佐、任務完了だ。|Taisa, ninmu kanryōda.}}", ''Colonel, mission accomplished.'').

*'''Right:''' Crawls forward, then dive rolls into a crouch, saying into his codec "This is Snake. I'm done here." ("{{ja|こちらスネーク、これより帰還する。|Kochira Sunēku, kore yori kikan suru.}}", ''This is Snake, returning from here.'').

[[File:SnakeTheme.ogg|thumb|An excerpt from the main theme of ''Metal Gear Solid''. It is used twice in the original game: a climactic version during a Game Over, and a triumphant version when a VR Mission is completed.]]

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

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

 

*{{Sm|Ally|Canada}} - The best Snake player in the world during the early metagame and was the first Snake player to win a major, doing so at {{Trn|Pound 2019}}. However, following some controversy, he has been mostly inactive.

*{{Sm|AlanDiss|Mexico}} - One of the best Snake players in North America in the post-online metagame, and is also a top 10 player in Mexico during that period. He has placed top 24 at every post-online major he has attended, including 9th at both the supermajor {{Trn|Smash Factor X}} and the major {{Trn|Delfino Maza 2023}}.

*{{Sm|ApolloKage|USA}} - One of the best Snake players in the world in the post-online metagame, placing top 8 at several majors including 5th at the supermajors {{Trn|Let's Make Moves Miami}} and {{Trn|Mainstage 2022}}. His highest ranking is 20th on the [[UltRank 2022]].

*{{Sm|DIO|Japan}} - One of the best Snake players in the post-online metagame, placing top 8 at several majors including 4th at the supermajor {{Trn|Kagaribi 7}} and 7th at the supermajor {{Trn|Umebura SP 9}}. His highest ranking is 27th on the [[LumiRank Mid-Year 2023]].

*{{Sm|Hurt|Japan}} - Began seriously competing offline in 2023 and has since established himself as the best Snake player of all-time, being the only Snake player to win multiple majors and having placed in top 8 at multiple Premier tournaments, such as 2nd at {{Trn|Kagaribi 12}}, 4th at {{Trn|KOWLOON 9 with Sumabato}} and 5th at {{Trn|Supernova 2024}}. He is the highest ranked Snake ever, being 4th on the [[LumiRank 2024.1]].

*{{Sm|Mr.R|Netherlands}} - Although more known for his {{SSBU|Chrom}} in the early metagame, he was also considered the best Snake player in Europe at the time. He notably used Snake to defeat {{Sm|MkLeo}} and place 9th at the supermajor {{Trn|2GG: Prime Saga}}, and has also placed 5th at both the majors {{Trn|Albion 4}} and {{Trn|Smash Factor 8}} with Snake.

*{{Sm|MVD|USA}} - One of the most prominent Snake players in ''Ultimate'', and was considered the best Snake player in the world in 2021, ranking 20th on the [[OrionRank Ultimate: Eclipse]]. He has placed top 8 at several majors, including 4th at the major {{Trn|Super Smash Con: Fall Fest}} and 5th at the supermajor {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves}}.

*{{Sm|Salem|USA}} - He was known for playing a variety of characters, with his most prominent character being Snake. He was considered one of the best Snake players in the world in the early metagame, with his highest global ranking being 17th on the [[OrionRank 2019]], and notably defeated {{Sm|MkLeo}} at the supermajor {{Trn|Pound 2019}} to finish 5th. However, following controversies, he has since been banned from several tournaments, and has effectively retired.

*{{Sm|ScAtt|USA}} - Co-mains Snake with {{SSBU|Mega Man}}, ranking 40th on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]] with both characters. He used Snake to place 9th at the supermajors {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}} and {{Trn|The Big House 9}}. His activity has since declined, and he has mostly been participating in events in his region.

*{{Sm|Shogun|Japan}} - Although inconsistent throughout his career, he was the best Snake player in the world from mid-2019 until the start of the online metagame, placing 9th at the major {{Trn|Umebura SP 7}} and 17th at the supermajors {{Trn|EVO 2019}} and {{Trn|2GG: Kongo Saga}} during this time. He retired from competitive play in 2023.

 

In the early metagame, Snake was an incredibly popular character. The character's multiple strengths, including a frame 1 option to break combos, great edgeguarding tools, and guaranteed kill setups at higher percents, enabled mains to develop a vibrant metagame. These strengths gave the character one of the highest representations in the metagame: Snake placed 2nd in representation for the first half of 2019,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AJs-mj5TTdkmkl7nhj4twJymVPTLTUdT0MBToL1cxDs/edit#gid=0|title=OrionRank 2019 mid-year character score}}</ref> while Snake was one of the most common characters used by power ranked players in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/LoopBarnard/status/1252705963557208064|title={{Sm|Barnard's Loop}}'s PR data}}</ref> The high reception to the character was backed up by strong major results coming from players such as {{Sm|Ally}}, {{Sm|MVD}}, and {{Sm|Salem}}. This overwhelmingly positive reception led many players to consider Snake as one of the best characters in the game.

 

This high perception, however, wouldn't last as players began learning how to play around Snake's strengths while using Snake's lacking disadvantage state in their favor. Furthermore, Snake's top-level representation also began to suffer mid-2019 due to Ally's ban, MVD's decline in results, and Salem picking up other characters to use alongside Snake. Although Snake continued to have high representation going into, during, and out of the online metagame, players began wondering whether Snake was starting to fall out of the metagame.

 

Doubts on Snake, however, eventually faded as Snake's popularity remained. Old mains such as MVD, {{Sm|Shogun}}, and {{Sm|DIO}} continued to see strong, yet somewhat inconsistent, results on a major level, while new names, most notably {{Sm|ApolloKage}}, appeared on the national scene. This has allowed Snake to maintain his high representation in the metagame, and players in the current metagame still consider Snake to be a top tier, making him ranked 15th on the first tier list. Opinions on Snake only continued to improve as he remained one of the most popular characters in competitive play. In addition, the rise of {{Sm|Hurt}} in 2023 gave Snake yet another representative at the top level, while the metagame favoring a campier, more patient playstyle was beneficial to Snake. As such, Snake rose significantly on the second tier list to 4th, ranking as one of the best characters in the game.

Snake's opponents all use projectile weapons. Additionally, all the items that spawn are either projectile weapons or explosives, to go with the theme of the route. OSP stands for On-Site Procurement, which is the condition for many of Snake's missions in the series. The boss of his route, [[Galleom]], fits with the theme due to it using explosive projectile weapons.

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

|1||{{Head|Inkling|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Inkling|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} {{SSBU|Inkling}} (x2)||[[Moray Towers]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Metal Gear|Encounter}}''||A possible reference to [https://metalgear.fandom.com/wiki/Laughing_Octopus Laughing Octopus] from ''[https://metalgear.fandom.com/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_4:_Guns_of_the_Patriots Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots]''.

|2||{{CharHead|Diddy Kong|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Kongo Falls]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Metal Gear|Theme of Tara}}''||Based on the [https://metalgear.fandom.com/wiki/Snake_vs._Monkey Snake vs. Monkey] minigame from ''[https://metalgear.fandom.com/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_3:_Snake_Eater Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater]''.

|3||{{CharHead|Pit|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Shadow Moses Island]] ([[Battlefield form]])||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Metal Gear|Theme of Solid Snake}}''||

|4||{{CharHead|Link|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Jungle Japes]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Metal Gear|Snake Eater}}''||The opponent and stage choice reference the battle against [https://metalgear.fandom.com/wiki/The_Fear The Fear] in ''[https://metalgear.fandom.com/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_3:_Snake_Eater Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater]''.

|5||{{Head|Samus|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Samus|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} {{SSBU|Samus}} (x2) and {{Head|R.O.B.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Grey}}{{Head|R.O.B.|g=SSBU|s=20px}} {{SSBU|R.O.B.}} (x2)||[[Norfair]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Metal Gear|Main Theme - METAL GEAR SOLID PEACE WALKER}}''||Horde Battle (2 at a time)<br>The two Samuses are likely a reference to the [https://metalgear.fandom.com/wiki/Powered_suit powered suit] soldiers from ''[https://metalgear.fandom.com/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid_4:_Guns_of_the_Patriots Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots]''.

|6||{{CharHead|Snake|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Green}}||Shadow Moses Island||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Metal Gear|MGS4 ~Theme of Love~}}''||A possible reference to Les Enfants Terribles, a government project in the ''Metal Gear'' series that creates clones of Big Boss, including Solid Snake himself. The CPU will be the {{Head|Snake|g=SSBU|s=20px}} default Snake if the player chooses the green alternate costume.

|Final||[[Galleom]]||[[Base]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Boss Battle - Super Smash Bros. Brawl}}''||References to how Galleom resembles Metal Gear machines.

Note: All stages except for the final round will play a song from the ''Metal Gear'' series, no matter what universe the stage originates from.

During the opening cutscene Snake was present on the cliffside when [[Galeem]] absorbed the Master Hands and unleashed his beams of light. Unlike the other fighters who attempted to deflect or avoid the beams, Snake hid quietly in his [[cardboard box]]; this proved comically ineffective, as a beam of light vaporized him and his box, placing him under Galeem's imprisonment along with the rest of the fighters save for {{SSBU|Kirby}}.

Snake can be found in the [[Base]] sub-area reminiscent of his series, where [[Galleom]] is fought. Amusingly, a cardboard box from his home series (presumably the very same one he tried to hide from Galeem in) can also be found here in a treasure chest.

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

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

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

!Name

!Type

!Power

!Stage

!Music

|31

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

|{{SpiritType|Grab}} <center>{{color|#17ba17|Grab}}</center>

|9,000

|{{SSBU|Final Destination}}

|''{{SSBUMusicLink|Metal Gear|Encounter}}''

{{clr}}

Snake'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 Snake has been unlocked. Unlocking Snake 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. His fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with his artwork in ''Ultimate''.

SSBU spirit Solid Snake.png|749. '''''Solid Snake'''''

==In Spirit Battles==

|{{SpiritTableName|Adam Malkovich|size=64}}

|''Metroid'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Ness's Father|customname=[[wikibound:Ness's family|Ness's Father]]|size=40}}

|''EarthBound'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Flint|size=64}}

|''EarthBound'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Zoda|iw=fzerowiki|size=64}}

|''F-Zero'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Snake}} {{Head|Snake|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Liquid Snake|size=64}}

|''Metal Gear Solid'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Roy Campbell|link=y|size=64}}

|''Metal Gear Solid'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Solidus Snake|size=64}}

|''Metal Gear Solid'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Naked Snake|size=64}}

|''Metal Gear Solid'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Snake}} Team {{Head|Snake|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}×4

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Snake Man|size=64}}

|''Mega Man'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Snake}} {{Head|Snake|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}×2 (120 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Napalm Man|size=64}}

|''Mega Man'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Snake}} {{Head|Snake|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}×3 (50 HP)

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Lao|size=64}}

|''Xenoblade Chronicles'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Xenoblade Chronicles|Xenoblade Chronicles Medley}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Alessandro Inzaghi|size=64}}

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Filled with Hope}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Kyle Hyde|size=64}}

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|[[Fourside]] (hazards off)

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Swan Lesson}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Young Samus|size=64}}

|''Metroid'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Mei Ling|link=y|size=64}}

|''Metal Gear Solid'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|EVA|size=64}}

|''Metal Gear Solid'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Zero (Metal Gear Solid 3)|size=64}}

|''Metal Gear Solid'' Series

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Kazuhira Miller|size=64}}

|''Metal Gear Solid'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Ken}} {{Head|Ken|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}<br>•{{SSBU|Snake}} {{Head|Snake|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}×3

|{{SpiritType|Shield}}

|[[Midgar]] (hazards off)

|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•Timed battle (1:30)<br>•The enemy has increased attack power when the enemy's at high damage

|{{SpiritTableName|Tank & Infantry|link=y|size=64}}

|''Famicom Wars'' Series

|•Metal [[Bowser Jr. (SSBU)|Iggy]] {{Head|Bowser Jr.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Iggy}}<br>•{{SSBU|Snake}} {{Head|Snake|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}×2

|{{SpiritType|Attack}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Garage}}

|{{iw|warswiki|Infantry|unit}}

|{{SpiritTableName|Andy|size=64}}

|''Advance Wars'' Series

|•{{SSBU|Dr. Mario}} {{Head|Dr. Mario|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}<br>•Tiny {{SSBU|Snake}} {{Head|Snake|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}×8

|{{SpiritType|Grab}}

|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Filled with Hope}}

|{{iw|warswiki|Infantry|unit}}

SSBUWebsiteLuigi4.jpg|Getting hit by {{SSBU|Luigi}}'s neutral attack on Coliseum.

SSBUAnnouncerGo!.png|Snake and King K. Rool begin their battle at [[Kongo Falls]].

===Fighter Showcase Video===

*Snake was announced to return in ''Ultimate'' on June 12th, 2018, which was also the 10-year anniversary of ''Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots''.

*Snake is the only veteran third-party character to have his [[Final Smash]] completely changed, and also the only one who was not playable in ''Super Smash Bros. 4''

*Snake shares his Classic Mode unlock tree with {{SSBU|Simon}} and {{SSBU|Richter}}, who are also third-party characters from a [[Konami]] franchise.

*Snake is the only fighter in ''Ultimate'' that will emit a voice line when eating a [[food]] item, with phrases along the lines of ''"Mmhmmm!"'', ''"Good!"'' and ''"Tasty!"''. This is a clear reference to ''Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater'', where Naked Snake will elicit a reaction when eating.

**The only other fighter known to perform a similar action is {{SSBU|Steve}}, in which the burping sound effect from ''Minecraft'' will play after he consumes a food item.

*''Ultimate'' is the third time Snake, Simon, and [[Bomberman]] appeared in a video game together, the first two being ''{{s|wikipedia|DreamMix TV World Fighters}}'' and ''{{s|wikipedia|Super Bomberman R}}''.

*This is the second time where the ''Metal Gear'' franchise crosses over with the ''Monster Hunter'' franchise - the first of which was in ''Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker'' featuring [[Rathalos]], who is coincidentally a boss character and [[Assist Trophy]] in ''Ultimate''.

**He appears in {{SSBU|Wolf}}'s route in Round 6, {{SSBU|Pac-Man}}'s route in Round 5, and his own route in the penultimate round.

*Oddly enough, unlike other characters, holding the special move button while [[shield]]ing as Snake does not allow him to angle the shield without triggering dodges (or [[jump]]ing if [[tap jump]] is turned on); he can only do this by holding multiple shield buttons. While this also applies to {{SSBU|Inkling}} and {{SSBU|Steve}}, it is because of the special move input while shielding being designated for refilling their [[Ink Tank]] for the former and spawning a crafting table for the latter.

[[Category:Third-party characters]]