Aesthetics

  • Change Due to the aesthetic used in Ultimate, Yoshi's model features a more subdued color scheme, but unlike in Melee and Brawl, it retains its chartreuse color from the Mario and Yoshi series used in Smash 64 and SSB4. His irises appear larger while his shoes feature subtle detailing.
  • Change Yoshi has a new alternate costume based on his felted design in Yoshi's Crafted World. It replaces his Black Yoshi costume from SSB4.
  • Change Yoshi now always faces the screen regardless of the direction he turns. Because of this, both his stance and moveset are mirrored.
  • Change Yoshi is more expressive, he scowls when using his aerials and grabbing onto a ledge.
  • Change Idle pose, dashing, falling, and double jump animations have been updated to match Yoshi's upright posture.
    • Bug fix Yoshi no longer reverts to his posture and idle poses from Brawl while holding a small item.
  • Change All of Yoshi's victory poses were slightly altered:
    • Change His left-inputted victory pose now has him performing a Flutter Jump before spinning around once and striking a V sign.
    • Change His up-inputted victory pose now has him strike a new pose, where he stands on one leg while extending his arms out.
    • Change His right-inputted victory pose now has him punch the air twice and strike a pose with his right leg farther back.

Attributes

  • Buff Like all characters, Yoshi's jumpsquat animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 6).
  • Buff Yoshi runs faster (1.86 → 2.046).
    • Buff Yoshi's initial dash is significantly faster (1.33 → 1.98).
  • Buff Yoshi walks slightly faster (1.15 → 1.208).
  • Buff Yoshi's air speed has been increased, now being faster than he was in Brawl (1.28 → 1.344).
  • Buff Yoshi has significantly higher traction (0.0426 → 0.095), allowing him to punish out of shield much more easily.
  • Nerf Yoshi's jump height has been slightly reduced.
    • Buff However, the reduction to his short hop height noticeably improves his ability to utilize short hop aerials against grounded opponents.
  • Buff Forward roll has less ending lag (FAF 36 → 31).
  • Nerf Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-21 → 4-15).
  • Nerf Back roll has more startup and grants less intangibility (frames 4-21 → 5-16).
  • Buff Spot dodge has less ending lag (FAF 28 → 27).
  • Nerf Spot dodge grants less intangibility (frames 3-18 → 3-17).
  • Buff Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 3-28 → 3-30).
  • Nerf Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 34 → 59).
  • Buff The reintroduction of directional air dodges benefits Yoshi, as due to Egg Throw not causing helplessness, he can get additional distance with a directional air dodge after using it.
  • Buff The removal of shield platform dropping benefits Yoshi, as he was the only character unable to perform the technique in Smash 4. When combined with his unique shield rendering him immune to shield stabbing, this effectively gives him the best shield in the game.
  • Change Yoshi's double jump armor has been altered. The armor duration is significantly shorter, but like in Smash 64 and Melee, knockback taken is reduced if the armor is broken by an attack with sufficiently high knockback.

Ground attacks

  • Neutral attack:
    • Buff The first hit transitions into the second hit faster (frame 9 → 6).
    • Nerf Both hits have a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.5× (hit 1), 2× (hit 2)), giving opponents more time to SDI the first hit and DI the second hit.
    • Change The first hit has altered angles (60°/90°/50° → 361°/180°) and knockback (30 base/50 scaling → 40/35/10 base/30/28/20 scaling) to keep opponents close to Yoshi, akin to other neutral attacks. This allows it to connect better into the second hit and jab lock, but removes some of its guaranteed jab cancel setups.
      • Change Due to this change, and the second hit using the Sakurai angle, grounded opponents hit by the move are launched at a lower angle. This allows it to get them offstage more effectively, but makes followups harder.
      • Nerf At low percents, the outermost hitbox now doesn't have enough hitstun to prevent opponents from shielding the second hit.
  • Forward tilt:
    • Buff Forward tilt has significantly less ending lag (FAF 39 → 30).
    • Buff It launches opponents at higher angles (80°/65°/50° → 88°/85°), and has more base knockback (50 → 60), but less knockback scaling (80 → 75). Combined with the previous change, this turns it into a reliable combo starter, while also improving its KO ability.
    • Buff It deals more damage when not angled (7% → 8%).
    • Buff The outermost hitbox is slightly larger (2.8u → 3u).
    • Change Its animation has been altered, with Yoshi no longer performing a full spin when swinging his tail. Yoshi also has an angry expression.
  • Up tilt:
    • Nerf Up tilt's hitboxes start from a higher position, making them unable to hit short characters in front of Yoshi.
  • Down tilt:
    • Buff Down tilt has slightly more base knockback (65 → 67).
    • Change Down tilt's animation is reversed, with Yoshi spinning towards the screen rather than away from it.
  • Dash attack:
    • Buff Dash attack has less ending lag (FAF 50 → 41).
    • Buff It deals more damage (9% → 11% (clean), 6% → 8% (late)).
    • Nerf It has altered knockback scaling (52 → 45 (clean), 44 (late)). Overall, the clean hit deals less knockback, hindering its KO potential, while the late hit deals around the same knockback.
    • Nerf It no longer crosses up shields consistently, making it easier to punish.
    • Nerf The late hit has smaller hitboxes (5u/3.5u → 4u/2.5u).
  • Forward smash:
    • Buff Forward smash has two different hitboxes instead of three, with the sweetspot taking priority over the sourspot and being located closer to Yoshi. This effectively removes its weaker sourspot (that dealt 13%) and makes the sweetspot easier to land.
    • Buff It has a longer hitbox duration (frame 14 → 14-16) and grants more intangibility on Yoshi's head (frames 12-14 → 12-16).
    • Buff The sweetspot has more knockback scaling (98 → 102).
    • Change Yoshi now sports an angrier expression while headbutting, instead of closing his eyes like in previous games.
  • Up smash:
    • Buff Up smash deals more knockback (37 base/95 scaling → 38/99).
  • Down smash:
    • Buff Down smash launches at a lower angle (30° → 26°) and deals more knockback (hit 1:40/42 base/73/57 scaling → 51/46/75/63, hit 2: 40/42 base/81/75 scaling → 51/44/83/75), allowing it to KO around 150% with the first and 130% with the second hit from center stage.

Aerial attacks

  • Buff All aerials have less landing lag (11 frames → 7 (neutral), 17 → 12 (forward), 19 → 11 (back), 14 → 8 (up), 24 → 17 (down)).
  • Neutral aerial:
    • Buff The clean and mid hits have been moved further away from Yoshi (z offset: 5.5 (clean)/4 (mid) → 7.5/5), improving their range.
  • Forward aerial:
    • Buff The removal of teching for grounded meteor smashes improves forward aerial's combo potential onstage, compounded further by its reduced landing lag.
    • Buff The sourspot has been removed, with the sweetspot and meteor hitboxes being made bigger to compensate (2.4u (sweetspot)/3.5u (meteor) → 4.2u/4u).
    • Nerf Despite the auto-cancel window remaining unchanged, it no longer auto-cancels in a short hop due to Yoshi's lower short hop duration.
    • Change It has a different animation, with Yoshi no longer flipping after the headbutt.
  • Back aerial:
    • Buff Back aerial deals more damage (2.5% → 3.5% (hits 1-2), 5% → 5.5% (hit 3), total: 10% → 12.5%) with knockback not compensated on the third hit, increasing its KO potential.
    • Buff It has much lower hitlag multipliers (2× → 0.5× (hits 1-2), 1.5× (hit 3)), allowing it to execute faster and making the first two hits harder to SDI.
    • Buff The second and third hits have less startup lag (frame 17/25 → 14/18), causing them to connect more reliably.
      • Nerf However, the move's total duration remains unchanged, giving it more ending lag.
    • Buff The move's first two hits deal much less knockback (30/50 base/200/150 scaling → 20 base/100 scaling), and use the autolink angle against grounded opponents as well (361° → 367°) instead of only aerial ones. This allows them to connect more reliably, and combined with the move's lower landing lag, start combos at a wide range of percentages.
    • Change All hitboxes have been moved upwards (Y offset: 2u-4u → 3u-5u (hit 1 and 2), 3u → 5u (hit 3)), increasing the move's range above Yoshi, but reducing it below him.
    • Change Back aerial has a slightly altered animation, with Yoshi striking a new pose at the end of the move.
  • Up aerial:
    • Buff Up aerial has less ending lag (FAF 39 → 37).
    • Buff It auto-cancels earlier (frame 33 → 31).
    • Change It has a new animation where Yoshi raises his tail up from behind without flipping.
  • Down aerial:
    • Buff Down aerial's looping hits have a lower hitlag multiplier (1.1× → 0.6×), use the autolink angle (270°/260°/280° → 367°), and have consistent knockback scaling (100/80 → 100), allowing them to connect more reliably and making them harder to SDI, despite their higher SDI multiplier (1.5× → 1.8×).
    • Buff The landing hit deals more knockback that is no longer set (40 set/100 scaling → 65 base/100 scaling), causing opponents to tumble even at 0%. This allows it to set up edgeguards more effectively, and grants it followups at low percents if the opponent fails to tech.
    • Nerf The move's initial auto-cancel window has been removed.
    • Nerf It has smaller hitboxes (6u/4.5u → 5u/3.5u (looping hits), 7u/5u → 6.5u/4.5u (last hit)).
    • Nerf The looping hits deal less damage (3%/2% → 2.3%/1.8% (hits 1-6), 2.2%/1.5% → 1.9%/1.4% (hits 7-12)), reducing the move's maximum damage output (32.2% → 28%) despite the last hit dealing more damage (1% → 2.8%).
      • Buff The last hit's knockback has not been fully compensated for its higher damage output (60 base/200 scaling → 55/179), improving its KO potential.
    • Change The last hit has a higher hitlag multiplier (1.1× → 1.5×).

Throws and other attacks

  • Grabs:
    • Buff All grabs have noticeably less ending lag (FAF 56 → 49 (standing), 68 → 57 (dash), 65 → 52 (pivot)), especially compared to the rest of the cast, as all non-extended grabs have conversely had their ending lag increased.
    • Nerf Dash and pivot grab have more startup lag (frame 11 → 16 (dash), 10 → 17 (pivot)), no longer being faster than his standing grab. His pivot grab in particular has gone from among the fastest to one of the slowest.
    • Change Yoshi's pivot grab animation has been altered; Yoshi pauses for a bit before turning around on one foot.
    • Change Yoshi's grab animation has changed. After grabbing an opponent and holding them in his mouth, his cheeks become swollen and jiggle, as if the fighter inside is trying to break out. He also holds his mouth closed with his hands, and no longer crouches down to the ground.
  • Pummel:
    • Nerf Pummel deals less damage (2% → 1.3%).
    • Change It deals more hitlag (4 frames → 14), but has much less startup (frame 4 → 1) and ending lag (FAF 16 → 7).
    • Change It uses a unique, cartoony chomping sound effect, rather than a standard "kick" sound effect.
  • Change The speed of Yoshi's throws is no longer weight-dependent.
  • Forward throw:
    • Buff Forward throw deals more damage (7% → 9%) with no compensation on knockback.
  • Back throw:
    • Buff Back throw deals more damage (7% → 9%) with no compensation on knockback.
  • Up throw:
    • Buff Up throw has significantly more knockback scaling (43 → 90), allowing it to KO at around 230%, compared to being unable to KO under 500% without rage.
  • Down throw:
    • Buff Down throw releases opponents 3 frames later (frame 15 → 18), reducing its effective ending lag, and improving its combo potential.
  • Edge attack:
    • Buff Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).

Special moves

  • Egg Lay:
    • Buff Egg Lay has less startup lag (frame 21 → 19), with its total duration equally reduced (FAF 44 → 42).
    • Buff Opponents can no longer move left and right in the air while in an egg.
    • Nerf The aerial version's animation is longer (43 frames → 61), as is the laying animation (37 frames → 52). This increases the amount of time aerial mobility is locked, and Yoshi cannot grab the ledge, if the move is not interrupted.
    • Change Opponents in an egg can shift themselves left and right on the ground by mashing the respective direction and slightly jump if mashing diagonally upwards.
    • Change It has a slightly altered animation, inflating Yoshi's cheeks more as he swallows opponents, similar to his grab.
  • Egg Roll:
    • Buff Egg Roll deals drastically more damage (4%-≈9% → 10%-≈13.8%).
    • Buff Its base knockback and knockback scaling have been reversed (50/70 → 70/50), making it safer on hit at low percents, while still improving its KO potential due to its higher damage output.
    • Nerf Yoshi always bounces once when using Egg Roll on the ground. This makes the move's execution slower and more predictable.
    • Nerf Changing direction takes longer.
    • Change Yoshi strikes a new pose before using Egg Roll.
  • Egg Throw:
    • Buff Yoshi gains slightly more vertical distance on the first Egg Throw, particularly after a jump.
    • Buff Eggs have a higher hitlag multiplier (0.3× → 0.6×), giving Yoshi more time to follow up.
    • Buff Eggs can bounce on the ground and retain their horizontal momentum before they break, giving Yoshi a new option to stop approaches.
    • Buff Eggs deal a single hit to opponents instead of two, with the same total damage (1% (hit 1), 5% (hit 2) → 6%) and no compensation on knockback.
    • Nerf Egg Throw has more startup (frame 15 → 16) and ending lag (FAF 54 → 56).
    • Nerf Eggs have received negative shield damage (0 → -3), effectively dealing half their usual damage to shields.
    • Change Yoshi can use either his right arm or left arm to throw eggs, due to his mirrored stance.
  • Yoshi Bomb:
    • Buff Yoshi Bomb can sweetspot a ledge even if Yoshi is facing away from it.
    • Buff Both the grounded and aerial versions allow Yoshi to go through soft platforms if he is high enough above them and the control stick is held down.
      • Change If too close to them, he will always go through.
    • Change Yoshi once again vocalizes when using the grounded version, much like in previous games up until Brawl.
    • Change Yoshi falls more slowly (5 → 4.8).
  • Final Smash:
    • Change Yoshi has a new Final Smash called Stampede!. He headbutts in front of him and an army of multicolored Yoshis stampede over the trapped players, similar to his part of the Super Smash Bros. Melee opening.