Editing Snake (SSBU)

{{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.

 

 

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}}.

Snake is a tall heavyweight character, being tied with {{SSBU|R.O.B.}} and {{SSBU|Banjo & Kazooie}} as the 18th heaviest character. Much like several other heavyweight zoners, Snake has poor overall mobility; while he has above-average [[traction]], [[falling speed]], and [[fast fall|fast falling speed]], his [[dashing speed]], [[initial dash]], [[walk speed]], [[air speed]], and [[gravity]] are all below-average, his [[jump]]s are among the lowest in the game, and he is also tied with {{SSBU|Simon}} and {{SSBU|Richter}} for the lowest [[air acceleration]] in the game. As a result of his mobility, Snake is highly reliant on zoning and trapping with his projectiles in the neutral.

One of Snake's biggest strengths is his moveset: similarly to a few other characters, such as {{SSBU|Young Link}}, the overall utility provided by Snake's moveset is so considerable that he lacks a single "bad" or "useless" move. An example of this would be his ground game. His [[neutral attack]] comes out quickly and is a good anti-pressure tool with good mixup potential. His [[forward tilt]] is a 2-hit attack with fast start-up (frame 4) and a decently sized hitbox. It also has high knockback, allowing it to KO at high percents. His [[up tilt]] is often considered one of the best in the game due to its deceptively fast start-up (frame 6), very strong KO power, and disjointed hitbox. It is also infamous for being able to be confirmed into by his down throw, which is a true combo at high percents (around 160%). His [[down tilt]] is one of his best poking tools, having fast speed (frame 6) and a great disjoint that goes beyond Snake's feet. It also puts Snake into his crouch position on the first frame of the move, making it a great way to evade certain attacks. Lastly, his [[dash attack]] comes out very quickly (frame 5) and is a useful approaching option due to its good knockback which even allows it KO at the ledge at very high percents, while it also crosses shields, grants Snake arm [[intangibility]], and has a reasonable amount of ending lag, giving him one of the game's best burst options and making it arguably the best dash attack in the game.

Snake's smash attacks offer a unique set of options. His [[up smash]] shoots a missile upwards and the height at which it travels can be increased by charging the move. This makes it great for [[edgeguard]]ing, ledgetrapping, and as an anti-air. The launcher also has a hitbox that comes out on frame 11. His [[forward smash]], while extremely slow, is incredibly strong and is decently safe on shield due to its relatively low endlag and large hitbox, making it great for hard reads or if the opponent rolls in Snake's direction. Its large hitbox also reaches beyond the ledge and allows it to [[2 frame punish]] opponents. His [[down smash]] is fast, has good KO power (especially with the back hit), possesses a disjointed hitbox on both hits that goes beyond Snake's feet and makes it a good tool for 2-framing and edgeguarding, and is relatively safe on shield if its back hit connects.

While Snake's air attributes are poor, his aerials by themselves have lots of utility. [[Neutral aerial]] is strong and deals very high damage, making it great for edgeguarding and as a follow up move out of Snake's explosives. Its first three hits can also setup into other moves if Snake lands as quickly as possible after connecting one of the hits. [[Forward aerial]] is a very powerful meteor smash with great horizontal and vertical range. [[Down aerial]] is often considered Snake's best aerial, as it comes out very quickly (frame 3), has decent range and knockback, and deals high damage, with all the hits combined dealing 20% in a short hop. The move also gives Snake a small vertical boost in the air and autocancels in a short hop. Due to its aforementioned speed, it is useful for racking up damage and is a very effective [[out of shield]] option. [[Up aerial]] is relatively quick, has strong vertical power, and a large disjointed hitbox that extends far beyond Snake's legs. Finally, [[back aerial]] is fast, deals high damage with powerful knockback, and has long disjointed range along with a high amount of active frames, making it a reliable landing option and a way to escape juggles as well as a potential KO move.  

Snake's grab game is also fairly versatile. His dash grab goes a surprisingly long distance thanks to him sliding forward during it. His throws, however, are where his grab game shines. [[Down throw]] is unique in that it has the [[down]] effect: while this makes it unsafe at low percents, as the opponent can react before he can, it gains enough hitstun at high percents to allow Snake to follow up reliably, with up tilt being renowned as a guaranteed KO confirm at 160%. It is also useful for [[tech chase|tech chasing]], as Snake can predict his opponent's tech option and potentially rack up more damage or possibly even KO the opponent if the player makes the correct read. His [[up throw]] can combo into his up tilt at low percents as a solid damage racker, and his [[back throw]] can combo into his dash attack at low percents as well as C4 at mid to high percents. Lastly, his [[forward throw|forward]] and back throws have decent knockback scaling, making them great for setting up edgeguards or, to a lesser degree, KOing at very high percents.

Finally, Snake's special moves allow for many fantastic options. His neutral special, [[Hand Grenade]], is arguably one of the best projectiles in the game for many reasons. It is infamous for starting on frame 1, which lets Snake instantly escape combos once he is out of hitstun and also makes it to where opponents must be cautious when trying to combo or juggle him in an effort to not get hit by his grenades. Grenades are also very useful for zoning and as defensive options, as Snake can shield while holding one to make pressuring his shield dangerous. They are also very useful for stage control, ledge trapping, setups, and as camping tools. His side special, [[Remote Missile]], is one of the greatest edgeguarding tools in the game, thanks to its controllable movement, strong knockback, and low commitment, as Snake can edgeguard opponents with ease without leaving the stage. His down special, [[C4]], is a remote activated bomb with strong power. It can also be difficult to see at times due to its small size and is among the best and most versatile trapping and stage-controlling tools in the game thanks to how it essentially puts certain parts of the stage "off-limits" and forces opponents to move in a different part of the stage where Snake can continually pressure them. Additionally, Snake can attach it to the opponent if he is close enough, which gives him an opportunity to deal high damage or potentially KO at high percents, especially if used as confirm out of his back throw. It can also be used to extend his recovery by placing one down in midair and detonating it immediately. Lastly, his up special, [[Cypher]], is his main recovery move and goes a considerable distance and doesn't leave him helpless. It also provides Snake with some damaged based armor, and a useful lingering hitbox that can cover his air dodge to the ledge.

In spite of his strengths, Snake still has noticeable weaknesses, one of which being his frame data. While he does have several moves with remarkably quick start-up (jab, down aerial, back aerial, Hand Grenade, down smash, and all of his tilts), the majority of his moveset has very high endlag, making them easy to punish if missed. While his aforementioned forward aerial and forward smash are quite strong, they have the highest startup lag of their types in the game. His reliance on explosive projectiles in the neutral can be a downside in matchups against characters with energy-absorbing moves, such as {{SSBU|Ness}}, {{SSBU|Lucas}}, or {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}}, or against characters that can use his explosives against him such as {{SSBU|Villager}} or {{SSBU|Isabelle}}.

His recovery can also be very vulnerable at times. Though the Cypher does have positive attributes, it can be rather slow and easy to catch. Many moves can hit right though the armor, and if it gets destroyed without Snake taking damage, he will become helpless. This situation can easily lead to a lost stock when recovering low. There is also a period of time after the Cypher is deployed in which it can not be acted out of. These issues lead to Snake favoring a very high recovery in most situations. Unfortunately, getting back to stage from so far up offers the opponent a large window of time to chase down his landing. To evade a good opponent, the Snake player must consistently mix-up his landing with different movement options and attacks. Mastery of Snake's explosives, falling aerials, air dodges and reverse specials is required for a safe and consistent return to the stage.

Snake also has a notoriously poor disadvantage state. As a heavy character he is still vulnerable to combo strings and juggling. Grenade somewhat mitigates this issue as it can be used as a frame one combo breaking tool. However, this tactic does have downsides. If the grenade activates, Snake will receive damage and knockback. At higher percents, he may end up at a greater disadvantage or possibly lose a stock. Some characters can also hit Snake without ever triggering the grenade. Carelessly thrown grenades can also be used by opponents, who will often have better follow-ups at their disposal than Snake. Despite the various uses of his C4, it automatically detonates after a certain period of time, which can damage Snake or even KO him if the player carelessly activates it or loses track of its detonation time frame. Finally, some of Snake's aerial moves can be punished due to their noticeable landing lag if they fail to hit an opponent.

Snake can also struggle to kill. His two most reliable killing options (up tilt and down throw) can be rather predictable at times. This is especially true for down throw. High level players know that reaching 159% means a 100% guaranteed death to Snake's next grab. Though Nikita missiles are strong for edgeguarding, many characters have a variety of options to deal with Nikita. This issue can be partially mitigated by shield canceling it after the missile gets hit to activate a secondary hitbox. However, this tactic significantly reduces the damage and knockback of the Missile.

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.

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.

|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)

|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}})

|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}})

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

|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}})

|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}})

|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}})

|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}})

|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}})

|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.

*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.

SSBUSnakeIdle1.gif|Snake's first idle pose.

SSBUSnakeIdle2.gif|Snake's second idle pose.

*'''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]]==

<!--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:Snake players (SSBU)]]''

 

*{{Sm|Ally|Canada}} - The best Snake player in the early metagame, spearheading Snake's metagame by winning {{Trn|Pound 2019}}, the only supermajor ever won by a Snake player, and placing 3rd at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}} and {{Trn|CEO 2019}}. He was banned from most events after the spring season due to his conduct, though he continued to compete in select tournament series in his region. His achievements remained unmatched until Hurt's rise in late 2023, and as such, he is considered one of the greatest Snake players of all-time in spite of his short tenure in the game and controversial legacy.

*{{Sm|AlanDiss|Mexico}} - One of the best Snake players in North America, although he has never competed outside of Mexico. Initially known for his performances in the online metagame, AlanDiss established himself as one of Mexico's strongest hidden bosses after achieving a string of strong performances, frequently placing in the top 3 at Mexican superregionals and defeating foreign invaders, including {{Sm|Glutonny}} at {{Trn|Delfino Maza RETA 2022}} and both {{Sm|Zomba}} and {{Sm|MuteAce}} at {{Trn|Smash Factor X}}, ultimately placing 9th at the latter event. He also regularly trades sets with {{Sm|Sparg0}} at ranked events, though their overall record remains in Sparg0's favor.

*{{Sm|ApolloKage|USA}} - One of the best Snake players in North America in the post-[[COVID-19 pandemic]] metagame, and the overall best Snake player in the world in 2022, known throughout the community for his positive attitude in competition. He was first known for placing 13th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con: Fall Fest}} after defeating {{Sm|ESAM}}, a player proficient in the Snake matchup due to his experience with MVD. ApolloKage has since placed top 8 at several majors, including 5th at {{Trn|Let's Make Moves Miami}} and {{Trn|Mainstage 2022}}, and has won several other large events, including {{Trn|DreamHack Atlanta 2022}} and the {{Trn|Watch The Throne}} qualifier {{Trn|GENESIS: BLACK at Guildhouse}}.

*{{Sm|DIO|Japan}} - The second-best Snake player in Japan, with several top 8 performances at majors from the early metagame to 2023, which includes finishing 4th at {{Trn|Kagaribi 7}} and 7th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 5}}. His performances in the first half of 2023 were especially noteworthy, as he placed 7th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 9}} and {{Trn|UltCore}}, in addition to a win over {{Sm|Riddles}} at {{Trn|Kagaribi 10}}. These performances placed him in contention for the best Snake player in the world during this time, although he eventually fell out of contention following Hurt's rise in the second half of the year.

*{{Sm|Hurt|Japan}} - Widely considered the greatest Snake player of all-time. Though active prior, he rose substantially throughout 2023, winning a slew of superregionals and placing 2nd at {{Trn|DELTA 5}}, before eventually becoming one of the best players in the world in first half of 2024 after winning {{Trn|Battle of BC 6}}, {{Trn|Sumabato SP 48}}, and {{Trn|UltCore Third}}, becoming the only Snake player with more than one major win. In addition to his meteoric rise, he is known for being one of {{Sm|acola}}'s toughest opponents.

*{{Sm|Mr.R|Netherlands}} - Although better known for being one of the greatest {{SSBU|Chrom}} players of all-time, he prominently used Snake  throughout the early metagame, and was considered the best Snake player from Europe. Whilst using Snake, he is best known for defeating {{Sm|MkLeo}} at {{Trn|Pound 2019}}, where he used Snake to win the final two games. In addition, he used Snake in several noteworthy sets to place 5th at both {{Trn|Albion 4}}, {{Trn|Smash Factor 8}}, and {{Trn|Ultimate Fighting Arena 2019}}. He eventually dropped Snake in the post-pandemic metagame.

*{{Sm|MVD|USA}} - One of the best Snake players from North America, being an active threat at the highest level since the beginning after winning {{Trn|Don't Park on the Grass 2018}}, the first large ''Ultimate'' event. He went on to place highly at several majors throughout the [[Spring 2019 PGRU]] season, including 5th at {{Trn|Albion 4}} and 7th at both {{Trn|Frostbite 2019}} and {{Trn|Pound 2019}}. Though he saw a decline in the rest of the early metagame, he saw a resurgence in 2021 by placing 4th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con: Fall Fest}} and 5th at {{Trn|CEO 2021}}, becoming the best Snake player in the world for that year. He was eventually dethroned by other Snake players, but has nevertheless seen many noteworthy performances since then, including placing 7th at {{Trn|Don't Park on the Grass 2024}}.

*{{Sm|Salem|USA}} - Known for playing a variety of characters in the early metagame, but by far used Snake the most, and was considered one of the best Snake players in the early metagame. He is best known for defeating {{Sm|MkLeo}} to finish 5th at {{Trn|Pound 2019}}, and has also notably placed 7th at {{Trn|MomoCon 2019}} and {{Trn|Mainstage}} with predominantly Snake. He eventually dropped Snake in the online metagame before being banned from competing online following controversy, and he has remained inactive since.

*{{Sm|ScAtt|USA}} - One of the best Snake players in North America in the early metagame, co-maining the character alongside {{SSBU|Mega Man}}. Though less active on a global scale compared to other Snake players during this time, he has seen several noteworthy performances, including placing 9th at {{Trn|Smash 'N' Splash 5}} and {{Trn|The Big House 9}}, using Snake more often in the latter event. His activity declined in the post-pandemic metagame, and he only appears in events in [[Georgia]], though he predominantly plays Snake at these events.

*{{Sm|Shogun|Japan}} - One of the best Snake players in the second half of the early metagame, countering inconsistent results with incredible peaks such as placing 9th at both {{Trn|Umebura SP 7}} and {{Trn|EGS Cup 3}}, as well as 17th at both {{Trn|EVO 2019}} and {{Trn|2GG: Kongo Saga}}, the latter two being some of the largest events of the entire early metagame, in addition to strong superregional performances such as 7th at both {{Trn|Sumabato SP 9}} and {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 1}}. He remained a notable Snake player in Japan for the rest of his tournament career, placing 9th at {{Trn|Wave 2}} and {{Trn|Seibugeki 13}}, and retired in 2023.

 

In the early metagame, Snake was an incredibly popular character. His 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 Snake one of the highest representations in the metagame: he 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 he 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 Snake 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, would not last, as players began learning how to play around Snake's strengths while using his 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 he was starting to fall out of the metagame.

Doubts on Snake, however, eventually faded as his 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 him 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, he 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.

|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]''.

|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.

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.

|{{SSBU|Final Destination}}

{{clr}}

==[[Spirit]]==

Snake's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} as Snake. 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''.

==In Spirit Battles==

| Grief

| Ralf Jones (red costume)<br>Clark Still (blue costume)

Snake amiibo.png|Snake's [[amiibo]].

Snake Ultimate artwork.png|Image of Snake as posted on the official Japanese Metal Gear Twitter account.

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 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.

*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.

*There's a glitch regarding the use of [[Cypher]] where if Snake gets fired out of [[Barrel Cannon]] or is hit by the tornado in [[Hyrule Castle]], any aerial action performed will leave him helpless. Additionally, if Snake performs a [[tech]], throws an item and lands, or gets knocked down and stands back up, the helplessness will be stored, causing him to lose access to the move while grounded and will become helpless once he leaves the ground by either jumping or falling off the stage. This glitch is a carryover from ''Brawl''.

*Despite also specializing in explosives and projectile weapons, {{SSBU|Mega Man}}, {{SSBU|Bowser Jr.}} and {{SSBU|Mii Gunner}} do not appear in Snake's Classic Mode route.

[[Category:Third-party characters]]