Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

User:Thegameandwatch/AFD 2020/Joker (SSBU)

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This article is about Joker's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For the character in other contexts, see Joker.
For smasher info, see Smasher:Joker.
Joker
in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
4sdpDmP.jpg
ZEZZgLN.png

PersonaSymbol.svg
Universe Persona
Availability Downloadable
Final Smash All-Out Attack
Joker (SSBU)
“ Why so serious?! ”
—Introduction Tagline
“ Byleth Recruits ...Byleth! ”
—Introduction Tagline for Female Byleth

Joker (ジョーカー, Joker) will be a fake and nonexistent playable character you won't see coming in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He wouldn’t be announced at The Game Awards 2018 on December 6th, 2018 as the second DLC character but was announced at First of April in 2029 and is the Last character for the Fighters Pass. He is planned for release before the end of December 3078. Joker is never going to be classified as a fighter but if he was he would be the #100 fighter.

Xander Mobus, who voices Joker in Persona 5 and the announcer, Master Hand, and Crazy Hand in Brawl, reprises his role as the character in the English version of the game, while Nobody voices him in Japanese.

Joker’sAttributes[edit]

Nothing

Update history[edit]

JOKER 🃏 has been buffed via game updates. Although update 2.0.0 granted inconsequential buffs to his neutral and up TILT, update 3.1.0 noticeably improved his Air game. forward air was heavily improved in three distinct ways. Its hits connect better thanks to improved ranges and, more notably, its first and second hits had their ending lag reduced to the point that it and Mr. Game & Watch's neutral attack are currently the only ones in Ultimate that are capable of Final Smash canceling reliably. Down air connects much better against airborne opponents, which was a notorious flaw that remained unaddressed throughout SSB4's lifespan. Back air's range was increased to the point that it is actually on par with Mii Swordfighter's and out-ranges Ike's, while the duration of up smash's L-canceling was increased.

Gun received a new hitbox that increased its vertical range, thus allowing its grounded version to hit opponents on Battlefield's low platforms. Rebellion Gauge, Rebel's Guard and uncharged Gun had their ending lag noticeably reduced by varying amounts. Lastly, Joker indirectly benefits from the update's changes to shield damage for projectiles, as they make it somewhat easier for him to handle camping.

However, update 4.0.0 removed Joker's most useful combo option. Update 3.1.0 introduced an unintentional mechanic that decreased the ending lag of neutral attack's third hit by 10 frames if it was inputted manually. This gave his neutral attack the ability to combo into itself (via L-canceling), forward smash, grab, or Rebellion Gauge at low to medium percents. The sheer effectiveness of this technique even saw Sol, a pioneer of Joker's metagame in Persona 5, christen it the "Dreamland Express" as proposed by his Twitch chat. Despite the loss of this option, it is not enough to eclipse the other buffs that update 3.1.0 granted Joker in the first place.

In update 7.0.0, Joker was among the numerous characters whose shields were enlarged, which decreased his vulnerability to shield stabbing.

Overall, Joker's buffs have improved his moveset's utility, granted him new potential set-ups, and slightly improved his defense. Sol has notably viewed the buffs as sufficient enough to render Joker better than he was in Persona 5,[1] although he made this statement before the Dreamland Express was removed. However, how these buffs will affect him the long run remains to be seen.

A comparison of the range of downward aerial bullets pre and post 7.0.0

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 8.20.0

  • Buff Neutral aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 25 → 16), matching the move's interruptibility.
    • Buff The amount of time Little Mac cannot grab the ledge after performing neutral aerial has been shortened (46 frames → 40).
  • Buff The amount of time Little Mac cannot grab the ledge after performing up aerial has been shortened (73 frames → 66).

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 9.0.0

  • Buff Neutral attack 1 has less ending lag (FAF 22 → 17) and connects into neutral attack 2 more reliably.
  • Buff Neutral attack 2 has less ending lag (FAF 22 → 17) and more range.
  • Buff Neutral attack 3 has more range(Y/Z offsets: 10u/3u → 8u/6u).
  • Buff Neutral attack 3 has less ending lag and a slightly different animation if inputted manually, allowing Mac to act 10 frames earlier.
  • Buff Forward tilt's hits connect more reliably against opponents in the air.
  • Buff Down tilt has more range.
  • Buff Up smash has more super armor (frames 8-11 → 8-13).
  • Nerf Up smash's hitbox duration is 1 frame shorter (frame 10-14 -> 10-13), making it harder to hit opponents above and behind Little Mac. This change appears to have been unintentional. [1]
  • Buff Straight Lunge has less ending lag when it is grounded and not fully charged (FAF 50 → 45).
  • Buff KO Uppercut has significantly less ending lag when it is grounded (FAF 97 → 77).
  • Buff Jolt Haymaker has a hitbox at the start of the attack, positioned above and in front of him, which extends the range above Little Mac.
  • Buff Slip Counter has less ending lag (FAF 63 → 57).

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 10000000000000000.0.0

  • Nerf Neutral Attack manual inputed hits can no longer reduce its ending lag, significantly reducing its combo potential.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Never.0.0

  • Buff Overall shield size has been increased.

Moveset[edit]

  • Joker has a Fighter ability called the Rebellion Gauge, which fills up over time. Joker can also charge it by being hit, or when Joker (or his teammates, if he is in a Team Battle) is behind in either score/stock. If Rebel's Guard is used while the opponent attacks, the Gauge fills up faster. When it is full, Joker automatically summons Arsene, who grants several changes:
    • If Joker is in an uninterruptible animation such as an attack, Arsene can be delayed for up to 31 frames. Arsene can also disappear in a similar fashion, although the delay is much shorter.
      • Curiously, if Arsene disappears during an attack, Awakened Joker's moves will deal increased knockback without Arsene's values being applied.
    • A dramatic screen effect consisting of Joker's eyes occurs (if the camera is close enough to the fighters, and the battle is either 1-on-1 or against CPU players only), where Joker removes either his masquerade mask or glasses (depending on his costume), which also alters his character icon in the HUD until the Gauge empties. If Joker is standing still during this, he gains intangibility during the animation.
    • Arsene will attack in tandem with Joker during all attacks except his pummel, throws, floor attacks and edge attack, enhancing his damage output and range. Many of his moves gain an additional blue slash effect while attacking. All of Arsene's attacks use the "heavy melee" hit sounds of heavyweights such as Ganondorf.
    • Joker's special moves change to "Gun Special", "Eigaon", "Wings of Rebellion", and "Tetrakarn/Makarakarn", all enhanced versions of his previous moves.
    • Joker announces "Arsene!" or "Persona!" upon summoning Arsene, and "Return!" or "Enough." upon using up his Gauge. He also announces "Endure!", "Not yet!" or "More..." when being attacked while performing Rebel's Guard.
      • On the first frame Joker would call out or recall Arsene, the animation can be skipped if Joker is already in an uninterruptible animation.
  • Upon summoning Arsene, the Rebellion Gauge will slowly drain, and a small amount of Gauge will be lost each time Joker is damaged.
  • Joker can wall jump.

For a gallery of Joker's hitboxes, see here.

For simplicity, damage values for Joker and Arsene's individual attacks are separated by a slash (/). With Arsene active, the total damage of a move is the sum of both listed values.

Up to date as of version 3.6.

Name Damage Description
Neutral attack 4% Wolf slashes with one arm, then the other, and bites on the third hit. Very low start-up and ending lag and decent knockback, while being good for starting up combos. The third hit moves Wolf a great distance forward.
2%
4%
Forward tilt 5% (hit 1), 6% (hit 2) Wolf leans forward with both arms together and swipes, separating his claws on impact. It is a two-hitting move with relatively low startup and endlag, decent range and knockback. This move can KO opponents at higher percentages and is good for setting up edgeguards.
Up tilt 10% (foot), 9% (leg), 8% (body) Wolf performs a jumping overhead splits kick. This move has great vertical range, but a poor horizontal range. Has decent knockback and can lead into combos.
Down tilt 8% Wolf sticks his foot out while crouching low. Has a decent horizontal range, but a poor vertical range. This move overall deals small knockback but is good for setting up combos and edgeguarding opponents.
Dash attack 9% Wolf takes a step forward and performs an upwards slash with his left claw. Has moderate knockback and is good for setting up combos.
Forward smash 5% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2) Wolf stretches his arms in front of his body and thrusts forward, then twists his claws. The first hit has set knockback, making it easier to link onto the second hit, which has greater knockback and is good for setting up combos.
Up smash 15%/12% (clean), 13%/11% (late) Wolf performs an upwards half-moon slash. This move overall has great knockback, being able to KO opponents at moderate percentages. At low percentages, it can lead into combos.
Down smash 15%/13% (front), 13%/11% (back) Wolf crouches low and swipes his claw across the floor, first in front then in back. This move has low low range, but immense knockback that can KO at lower to more moderate percentages.
Neutral aerial 4% (hit 1), 2% (hits 2-5 & landing) Wolf curls up and spins several times in the air, dealing multiple hits. The first hit will link into the other 4, all hits dealing set knockback. Has low startup lag with high ending lag, but is great move for setting up combos.
Forward aerial 15% (sweetspot), 11% (sourspot) Wolf swipes forward in a downwards arc with his left claw. Can be used setup combos or even KO an opponent.
Back aerial 14% (sweetspot), 11% (sourspot) Wolf jams his leg backwards with deceiving range. This move is mainly used as a combo finisher or a finishing attack, depending on the situation.
Up aerial 11% Wolf swipes in an arc above his head with his right arm. This move has great vertical range and can set up combos quite easily.
Down aerial 15% (grounded), 14% (aerial) Wolf plunges both his hands below himself. This move has great knockback and meteor smashes airborne opponent. Oddly, this attack spikes grounded opponents (300°).
Grab —
Pummel 3% Strikes the opponent with his right knee.
Forward throw 2% (hit 1), 2% (throw) Slash the opponent forward. This throw can be used to pseudo chain throw some characters, such as Fox, at very low percentages by buffering a dash forward.
Back throw 5% Slams the opponent down behind him. The opponent gets launched diagonally upwards, allowing it to combo into a forward smash.
Up throw 5% (hit 1), 2% (throw) Throws the opponent upward and slashes them with both claws.
Down throw 6% (hit 1), 3% (throw) Throws the opponent on the ground, does a small jump and claws them. It sends the opponent diagonally upward. At very low percentages, it be followed up by a f-tilt, or d-smash. At low to mid percentages, it can also be followed up by a f-smash, or a Blaster.
Floor attack (front) 6% Wolf gets up and does a kick in the front and in the back.
Floor attack (back) 6% Wolf gets up and punches forwards and kicks backwards.
Floor attack (trip) 5% Wolf spins around, kicking foes with who are close.
Edge attack (fast) 8% (legs), 6% (head) Quickly lunges at the opponent with a kick.
Edge attack (slow) 10% Slowly gets up and hammers the ground with a kick.
Neutral special Blaster 3% (gun), 3-5% (laser) Wolf fires a single shot from his blaster. The gun portion of Wolf's blaster causes low knockback, while the laser causes no knockback. A great attack for halting airborne opponents and gimping their recoveries.
Side special Wolf Flash 3% (sourspot), 16% (sweetspot) Wolf quickly propels himself diagonally upwards at a 35° angle. The sourspot of the move causes low knockback and sends opponents upwards, but the sweetspot deals strong knockback and does not cause Wolf to become helpless, allowing him to use another recovery move to get back on stage.
Up special Fire Wolf 2% (startup), 8% (dash) Wolf propels himself and kicks forward depending on which direction is held on the control stick. The move now deals only one hit, does not contain a finishing kick, and now has more horizontal movement whenever the move ends, making it a better recovery move. The kick deals great knockback, has good range, and can send opponents flying. It is also good for linking up into or finishing combos.
Down special Reflector 5% (startup), 1.5x damage for reflected projectiles Wolf activates his reflector around himself. Has very low start up and ending lag, and has decent knockback, sending the opponents diagonally upwards. It is great move for starting up combos, as Wolf can immediately jump after activation. It also slows down Wolf's air speed and can act as another recovery tool.
Final Smash Landmaster Varies Wolf summons his Landmaster. It's the most powerful and fastest out of all three Landmasters in the game. However, it lasts a shorter duration compared to Fox and Falco's Landmasters.

On-screen appearance[edit]

  • Drops from the top of the screen, similar to how the party begins most battles in Persona 5, then adjusts a glove just like in his up taunt.

Taunts[edit]

Morgana appears for each of Joker's taunts. If he is present, Arsene will also rear back and flourish with his left arm when Joker taunts, making a pose identical to his official artwork.

  • Up taunt: Smiles and tugs his glove while facing towards the camera, imitating the splash screen from the end of All-Out Attack. Morgana pumps his paw while saying "Looking cool, Joker!" before posing akimbo.
  • Side taunt: Poses with his gun pointed, gun arm over his dagger arm. Morgana poses akimbo and playfully laughs while showing starry eyes.
  • Down taunt: Faces his back towards the camera. Morgana goes "He-hey!" while bouncing on the spot, before crossing his arms.

If Joker is involved in a fight with more than four fighters, Morgana will not appear during his taunts.

  • Joker's up taunt.

    Joker's up taunt.

  • Joker's side taunt.

    Joker's side taunt.

  • Joker's down taunt.

    Joker's down taunt.

Idle poses[edit]

  • Twirls his knife towards his chest.
  • Twirls his gun before posing.
  • Joker's first idle pose

    Joker's first idle pose

  • Joker's second idle pose

    Joker's second idle pose

Victory poses[edit]

In all three of his victory poses, the transition to the victory screen will showcase a puff of cartoony smoke with star decals, and ending screen will always result in Joker moving continuously to the left with the results background being dimmed down, replicating the victory screen from Persona 5. Upon accessing the results screen, Joker will say "Begone," "Nice," or "Hah!" If there are three or more players, the color scheme will match the player's port (CPUs are always red). In Team Battles, the color will match the player's team color. If Joker wins on Mementos, the color of the victory screen will match the color of the stage, and the victory music will be replaced with the corresponding victory fanfare from the game Mementos' design is currently derived from.

  • Left: Morgana happily bounces around Joker. Joker gestures to Morgana before running towards the left.
  • Up: Joker scratches his head as Morgana, transformed as the Morganamobile, drives up next to Joker, picks him up, and drives towards the left.
  • Right: Morgana turns dramatically toward the screen, which ends up hitting him in the face. Joker gestures to Morgana before running towards the left.
  • Special: If Joker wins a Stock or Stamina match with All-Out Attack, the match will conclude on the splash screen without returning to gameplay, and this will persist into the victory screen, just like in Persona 5.
  • Team: If Joker is in a Team Battle and someone else poses in front, he will perform an exclusive animation where he tightens his glove and maintains a stance with his knife, although both of these are ported directly from his in-game up taunt and idle animation respectively. If he poses in front, none of the other fighters on his team will be seen.
Joker's default victory theme, ripped directly from the battle results screen of Persona 5, entitled "Triumph".
Joker's victory theme after winning in the Persona 4 version of Mementos, ripped directly from the battle results screen of Persona 4, entitled "Period".
Joker's victory theme after winning in the Persona 3 version of Mementos, ripped directly from the battle results screen of Persona 3, entitled "After The Battle".
  • SSBUJokerVictory3.gif
  • SSBUJokerVictory1.gif
  • SSBUJokerVictory2.gif
  • SSBUJokerVictory4.gif

When transitioning to the results screen, one of the Phantom Thieves will say one of the following quotes in place of the announcer's usual "[character] wins!"

Phantom Thief Quotes
Ryuji Sakamoto ...Hah! Losers!
Yeah-hah! Nice!
Ha-ha! Who's next?
Morgana Smash is as wild as ever, eh Joker?
A brilliant victory!
Alright! Victory!
Mm-mm! Good work!
Ann Takamaki Feels great, huh?
Aren't we the best?
Done and done!
Yusuke Kitagawa And the curtain... falls.
We've done it!
Well... Onto the next triumph!
Makoto Niijima No time to waste!
Don't forget this feeling!
Done and done!
Futaba Sakura Heh heh heh! They're done for!
Impressive!
Okay! Moving right along!
Haru Okumura That was graceful!
Onto the next battle!
So much for them!

In competitive play[edit]

From Ultimate, hopes were high on Joker when he was released, due to improvements to his notoriously awful Final Smash. However, the game’s mechanics proved to be detrimental some of his best tools, especially his aerial game, while his ground game, notoriously the worst in Persona 5, was made even worse. With this, his perception dropped significantly, with the general perception of him being not only a bottom tier but the worst character in the game.

Patch 8.20.0 granted Joker several useful buffs: his neutral aerial, down and forward tilts, and decreased lag from his Final Smashes revamped his aerial game to be more daunting than before. As such, his representation and results slowly improved over time thanks due to dedicated mains, Despite this, Joker's most critical weaknesses remain unaltered.

Patch 9.0.0, however, reverted Joker's biggest buff: as a result of the fixing of an unintentional mechanic, his manual Forward aerial no longer combos into itself or any KO moves, hindering his combo ability. This change, however, has gone relatively unnoticed by many pro players due to Joker’s lack of competitive presence and therefore has little effect on his already negative perception. His cons are considered too detrimental for him to be viable in the current metagame, and his multitude of buffs, which improve him at a quality-of-life level, have not made enough impact to shift Joker from being considered the worst character overall. Because of this, he is expected to remain ranked as a bottom-tier, especially if he doesn't receive further buffs from future patches. Despite his shortcomings, they haven't stopped Joker from gaining some impressive results.

Notable players[edit]

Active[edit]

Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the Fall 2019 PGRU, which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from July 13th, 2019 to December 15th, 2019.

Inactive[edit]

Classic Mode: A Heroic Legacy[edit]

Byleth's congratulations screen.

Byleth's Classic Mode route is themed around the Fire Emblem fighters and stages from across the Smash series, fought in order of release year. All battles are stamina battles and the player always starts with 100 HP.

Round Opponent Stage Music Notes
1 Marth Marth (SSBU) Temple Story 5 Meeting References how Marth used Temple as his de facto home stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee, due to the game not having a Fire Emblem stage. Marth starts with 100 HP.
2 Roy Roy (SSBU) Arena Ferox (Battlefield form) Winning Road - Roy's Hope Roy starts with 100 HP.
3 Ike (×2) Ike (SSBU) Ike (SSBU) Castle Siege Eternal Bond The Radiant Dawn Ike will appear once the Path of Radiance Ike is defeated. Both Ikes start with 100 HP.
4 Robin Robin (SSBU), Lucina Lucina (SSBU) and Chrom Chrom (SSBU) Arena Ferox Id (Purpose) (Remix) Team battle. Robin, Lucina, and Chrom start with 50 HP.
5 Corrin (×2) Corrin (SSBU)Corrin (SSBU) Coliseum Lost in Thoughts All Alone (for 3DS / Wii U) Team battle. The two Corrins wearing white and black is a reference to Birthright and Conquest and the conflict against the Hoshido and Nohr kingdoms. They start with 100 HP.
6 Byleth (×3) Byleth (SSBU) Byleth (SSBU) Byleth (SSBU) Garreg Mach Monastery Fódlan Winds Represent the house leaders in Fire Emblem: Three Houses. The red Byleth prefers down specials, the blue one prefers side specials, and the yellow one prefers neutral specials, referencing the primary weapons of Edelgard, Dimitri, and Claude respectively. The costumes will still be worn even when playing with one of them. They each start with 50 HP.
Bonus Stage
Final Master Hand and Crazy Hand Final Destination Code Name: F.E. The player has Marth Marth (SSBU), Roy Roy (SSBU), Ike Ike (SSBU), Robin Robin (SSBU) and Corrin Corrin (SSBU) as CPU allies with 30 HP.

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Byleth has Paths That Will Never Cross accompany the credits.

Role in World of Light[edit]

The message that shows Joker's availability in World of Light

Due to his status as downloadable content, Joker does not have a legitimate role in World of Light. Instead, he is unlocked for use in the mode after freeing 10 fighters from Galeem's control. If loading an existing save file that meets this condition prior to downloading Joker, he is immediately unlocked.

Spirits[edit]

Joker's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins, but only after Joker has been downloaded. Unlocking Joker in World of Light allows the player to preview the first 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 student outfit has a Fighter Spirit of its own, available through the shop. Each Fighter Spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate. Arsene also makes an appearance in Joker's Fighter Spirits, having a unique render when shown with Joker's Ultimate artwork. Because of this, Joker's Ultimate renders in his Fighter Spirits will show him without his mask/glasses on.

Additionally, he appears in the Phantom Thieves of Hearts Spirit.

  • 1,304. Joker (Phantom Thief)

    1,304. Joker (Phantom Thief)

  • 1,305. Joker (Student)

    1,305. Joker (Student)

  • 1,306. Phantom Thieves of Hearts

    1,306. Phantom Thieves of Hearts

In Spirit battles[edit]

As the main opponent[edit]

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
46
SSBU spirit Mouser.png
 Mouser Super Mario series •Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Grab
 2,000 Mushroom Kingdom II (Battlefield form) •Item: Bob-omb •The enemy is easily distracted by items
•The enemy starts the battle with a Bob-omb 		Boss Theme - Super Mario Bros. 2
73
SSBU spirit Honey Queen.png
 Honey Queen Super Mario series •Giant Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Neutral
 3,300 Mario Galaxy •Item: Beehive •Timed Stamina battle
•The enemy is giant 		Gusty Garden Galaxy
160
SSBU spirit Zinger.png
 Zinger Donkey Kong Country series •Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Shield
 1,800 The Great Cave Offensive (Ω form) •Item: Unira •The enemy's throwing-type items have increased power Stickerbush Symphony
308
from the game's files
 Little Mouser Yoshi series •Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Shield
 1,700 Yoshi's Island •Item: Throwing Types •The enemy's throwing-type items have increased power
•The enemy has increased move speed 		Flower Field
332
SSBU spirit Rick.png
 Rick Kirby series •Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
•Kirby Kirby (SSBU)
Grab
 4,100 Green Greens •Hazard: Ice Floor •The floor is frozen
•The enemy starts the battle with a Fire Flower
•The enemy has increased move speed 		Planet Popstar
349
SSBU spirit Moley.png
 Moley Kirby series •Giant Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Grab
 2,200 The Great Cave Offensive (Battlefield form) •Item: Pitfall •The enemy is giant Squeak Squad Theme
427
SSBU spirit Alolan Raichu.png
 Alolan Raichu Pokémon series •Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Attack
 4,100 Tortimer Island (Battlefield form) •Hazard: Zap Floor •The floor is electrified
•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Alolan Raichu) 		Battle! (Trainer) - Pokémon Sun / Pokémon Moon
555
SSBU spirit Mimikyu.png
 Mimikyu Pokémon series •Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Grab
 3,700 Luigi's Mansion •Sudden Damage •You take serious damage
•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Mimikyu) 		Main Theme - Luigi's Mansion (Brawl)
556
SSBU spirit Tapu Koko.png
 Tapu Koko Pokémon series •Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Shield
 9,600 Temple (Battlefield form) •Hazard: Zap Floor •The floor is electrified
•The enemy's electric attacks have increased power
•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Tapu Koko) 		Battle! (Island Kahuna)
562
SSBU spirit Detective Pikachu.png
 Detective Pikachu Pokémon series •Pikachu Team Pikachu (SSBU) (×4)
Neutral
 4,100 Gamer (Book stacks layout, hazards off) N/A •Defeat the main fighter to win
•Timed battle 		Shop
881
SSBU spirit Elec Man.png
 Elec Man Mega Man series •Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Grab
 4,400 Wily Castle (Battlefield form) •Hazard: Zap Floor •The floor is electrified
•The enemy's electric attacks have increased power
•Stamina battle 		Guts Man Stage
1,046
Great Zapfish
 Great Zapfish Splatoon series •Giant Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Shield
 9,800 Prism Tower (Ω form) •Hazard: Zap Floor •The floor is electrified
•The enemy's electric attacks have increased power
•The enemy is giant 		Splattack! (Remix)
1,198
wrestler
 Reporter & Wrestler Rhythm Heaven series •Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Shield
 4,100 Boxing Ring (Battlefield form) •Assist Trophy Enemies (Yuri Kozukata)
•Easy to Launch 		•You are easy to launch
•Hostile assist trophies will appear 		Title Theme - Punch-Out!! (Wii) Wrestler
1,298
SSBU spirit Partner Pikachu.png
 Partner Pikachu Pokémon series •Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
•Mii Brawler Mii Brawler (SSBU) (SSB T-shirt)
Attack
 6,000 Saffron City •Sudden Final Smash
•Item: Poké Ball 		•The enemy will suddenly have a Final Smash when the enemy's at high damage
•The enemy's electric attacks have increased power
•Stamina battle 		Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Melee)
1,309
SSBU spirit Morgana.png
 Morgana Persona series •Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
•Incineroar Incineroar (SSBU)
Grab
 11,500 Mementos •Hazard: Heavy Wind •Defeat the main fighter to win
•Dangerously high winds are in effect after a little while
•Reinforcements will appear during the battle 		Last Surprise
1,371
SSBU spirit Morpeko.png
 Morpeko Pokémon series •Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Grab
 2,000 Boxing Ring •Metal Shift
•Item: Food 		•The enemy will occasionally turn metal
•The enemy's electric attacks have increased power
•The enemy favors special moves 		Battle! (Wild Pokémon) - Pokémon Sun / Pokémon Moon

As a minion[edit]

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
295
SSBU spirit Gandrayda.png
 Gandrayda Metroid series •Dark Samus Dark Samus (SSBU)
•Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Attack
 1,800 Frigate Orpheon N/A •Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle Multiplayer - Metroid Prime 2: Echoes Gandrayda's electric powers
340
SSBU spirit Kracko.png
 Kracko Kirby series •King Dedede King Dedede (SSBU)
•Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU) (×2)
Grab
 3,500 Skyworld (clouds only) N/A •Defeat the main fighter to win Boss Theme Medley - Kirby Series Kracko's lightning attack, or various enemies summoned by Kracko (e.g. Waddle Doos)
482
SSBU spirit Raikou, Entei, & Suicune.png
 Raikou, Entei, & Suicune Pokémon series •Greninja Greninja (SSBU)
•Incineroar Incineroar (SSBU)
•Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Shield
 9,900 Suzaku Castle •Hazard: Lava Floor •The floor is lava Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue Medley Raikou
734
SSBU spirit Dribble & Spitz.png
 Dribble & Spitz WarioWare series •Wario Wario (SSBU)
•Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Grab
 4,000 Saffron City •Uncontrollable Speed •All fighters move faster and can't stop quickly after a little while
•The enemy favors side specials 		WarioWare, Inc. Spitz
1,306
SSBU spirit Phantom Thieves of Hearts.png
 Phantom Thieves of Hearts Persona series •Joker Joker (SSBU)
•Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
•Captain Falcon Captain Falcon (SSBU)
•Zero Suit Samus Zero Suit Samus (SSBU)
•Chrom Chrom (SSBU)
•Sheik Sheik (SSBU)
Grab
 13,300 Mementos •Sudden Final Smash
•Item: Daybreak Parts 		•The enemy will suddenly have a Final Smash when the enemy's at high damage
•Reinforcements will appear during the battle 		Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There Morgana
1,334
SSBU spirit Great Sabrecub.png
 Great Sabrecub DRAGON QUEST Series •Pichu Pichu (SSBU)
•Giant Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
Attack
 2,900 Gaur Plain (Ω form) •Item: Soccer Ball •Defeat the main fighter to win
•Stamina battle
•The enemy shields often 		Marching through the Fields Great Sabrecat
1,362
SSBU spirit Kyo Kusanagi.png
 Kyo Kusanagi THE KING OF FIGHTERS Series •Captain Falcon Captain Falcon (SSBU)
•Pikachu Pikachu (SSBU)
•Donkey Kong Donkey Kong (SSBU)
Attack
 9.500 King of Fighters Stadium N/A •The enemy's explosion and fire attacks have increased power
•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd
•All fighters have reduced jump power 		ESAKA!! - KOF 2002 UM Benimaru Nikaido

Alternate costumes[edit]

Alternate costume (SSBU)
Greninja (SSBU)|Greninja (SSBU)|Greninja (SSBU)|link=Greninja (SSBU)|Greninja (SSBU)|link=Greninja (SSBU)|Greninja (SSBU)|Greninja (SSBU)

Trailers[edit]

Introduction trailer[edit]

Trailer on the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate website.
Version that played at The Game Awards 2018.

Gameplay trailer[edit]

Proper gameplay reveal, titled "The Masked Rebel".

Gallery[edit]

Trivia[edit]

  • Joker's internal codename within the game files is "jack". It is probably a wordplay on "jack" and "joker" being both types of playing cards; additionally, it may reference Atlus' mascot, Jack Frost. The codename was reportedly discovered in November 2018 by data miners on a leaked retail copy. However, this discovery was only made public in January 2019, after Joker had already been officially revealed.
  • Joker is the only character who can air dodge multiple times without landing in Ultimate, due to Gun allowing him to dodge between shots.
  • Joker is the first selectable character in the series to share their voice actor with the announcer in the English version of the game, barring Master Hand's playable appearances, as Master Hand is not a normally selectable character outside of these circumstances.
  • Joker and Piranha Plant are the only DLC in the series to be announced before the game's release.
  • Joker and Inkling are the only newcomers in Ultimate to be announced without any gameplay footage in their first reveal trailer.
    • While Terry's reveal trailer doesn't feature gameplay footage, a brief showcase was showed by Masahiro Sakurai during the same Nintendo Direct.
  • Joker is one of two fighters who has two reveal trailers, he shares this distinction with Terry.
    • Joker's first reveal trailer has two variants. One which was played during The Game Awards 2018, and one which was officially posted online afterward with dialogue altered to remove references to the Game Awards.
    • Out of all the characters reveals in both Smash 4 and Ultimate, Joker is the only character to be revealed at/in a non-Nintendo event/video.
  • Joker is the first and so far only DLC character in Ultimate to not have a tagline in their first reveal trailer.
  • Joker, Bowser, Zero Suit Samus, Mega Man, Bowser Jr., Ridley, Incineroar, and Banjo & Kazooie are the only characters who make any sounds during their idle animations.
  • In Joker's reveal trailer, it is mentioned that he must have gone to The Game Awards 2018 to steal a treasure. According to Masahiro Sakurai in a Famitsu column, the treasure was an invitation to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.[2]
    • The invitation is depicted as being enclosed in an envelope with a wax seal in the shape of the Super Smash Bros. logo. This is a callback to previous character reveal trailers for Villager in Smash 4 and Isabelle in Ultimate, and was later re-used in the reveal trailer for Terry.
    • An instrumental arrangement of Life Will Change plays fittingly during the reveal, as the song plays while the Phantom Thieves are infiltrating a Palace to steal a treasure after sending out a calling card.
      • Interestingly, despite Life Will Change being featured, it is not available as a track in-game.
    • Coincidentally, the concept of Palaces in the Persona series is vaguely similar to the "world of imagination" concept used to justify the Super Smash Bros. games, where events and characters are imaginary and are affected by cognition in the "real world" (including toys, such as Joker's Gun, becoming real and functional similar to the fighters themselves). As such, Joker's announcement and inclusion in the Smash Bros. world, particularly with regards to the "treasure" being stolen, can be considered a variation of the Phantom Thieves infiltrating a Palace.
  • After Sonic and Bayonetta, Joker is the third guest fighter to represent Sega, as Atlus was acquired by Sega Sammy Holdings in 2013.
  • Joker is the second character to have his victory theme directly ripped from a non-Smash game, the first being Sonic.
    • He is also the second character whose victory theme plays continuously rather than playing the results theme afterward, with the first being Cloud.
  • Joker had his render leaked on March 31st, 2019, by Best Buy before his official render was revealed.
  • Joker is the only character so far whose character render changes under certain circumstances, as his mask (or glasses, in his alternate costume) will be removed when Arsene is present.
  • Joker is the only character so far who utilizes a knife in his standard moveset.
  • Joker is the only character with the distinction of having more than one victory theme in one game.
  • Joker's Classic Mode can be considered an antithesis of Mewtwo's. Both characters "recruit" the opponent they defeated on the previous round; however, Mewtwo's partners are turned into "corrupted" alternate costumes, while Joker's allies now have light alternate costumes to represent that they were "purified".
  • Joker is the only character in the series who:
    • has more than three victory poses, with the presence of his normal three, his All-Out Attack victory screen, and his exclusive Team Battle victory pose.
    • is not announced on the results screen, instead, there is a comment from one of the Phantom Thieves.
    • has a victory pose reserved for Team Battles.
    • can manually select a victory pose if he is the leading character of a winning team in a Team Battle.
  • Joker is one of the few characters to speak during a KO: his alternate KO line has him saying "What?!" ("済まない...", "I'm sorry...").
  • Excluding use of a Boss Galaga, Joker is one of the few fighters to spin differently in their Star KO: he spins forwards instead of away from the screen, similar to how Star KOs acted in Smash 4. He shares this trait with Cloud, Corrin, Incineroar, Inkling and Shulk.
  • When KO'd by reaching 0 HP in Stamina Mode with no stock remaining, Joker uses a unique knockout scream rather than his KO or high damage voice clips, although this can be difficult to hear under normal circumstances due to extremely low volume. Banjo & Kazooie also share this trait.
    • Additionally, Arsene laughs maniacally if Joker is KO'd in this way. However there is only an animation and no audio.
  • Prior to patch 4.0.0, a glitch can occur if Joker is defeated by a Star KO with a full Rebellion Gauge: Arsene will appear in the background, hovering where Joker was KO'd.
  • If Arsene is activated by a CPU Joker on the Online Training stage, although his model will unmask as normal, Joker's render will remain masked.
  • Joker is the only character who speaks when transitioning from the victory animation to the results, saying either "Begone," "Nice," or "Hah!"
  • Joker is the only character to not have the announcer talk and not have the crowd chant during his victory animation.
  • Joker is the only character in the Fighters Pass whose demonstration video is not hosted by Masahiro Sakurai. Instead, he had a Nintendo Direct-styled presentation.
    • Additionally, Joker is the second DLC character to not have his entire moveset demonstrated, following Piranha Plant, and is also the only challenger on the Fighters Pass with this distinction.
  • Joker is the only character who speaks when transitioning from the victory animation to the results, saying either "Begone," "Nice," or "Hah!"
  • Joker is the only character to not have the announcer talk and not have the crowd chant during his victory animation.
  • Joker is the only character in the Fighters Pass whose demonstration video is not hosted by Masahiro Sakurai. Instead, he had a Nintendo Direct-styled presentation.
    • Additionally, Joker is the second DLC character to not have his entire moveset demonstrated, following Piranha Plant, and is also the only challenger on the Fighters Pass with
  • The Joker goes to school.
    • He meets his match, the grisly ghoul.
  • He will not be in smash
  • Joker is not actually the Persona 5 Joker, but in fact, the Joker from DC Comics cosplaying as that Joker.
    • Masahiro Sakurai is also considering putting Batman in the game as well.
  • He is the first character to come out in the 3100 century
  • Joker also owns a chocolate factory, he rigs the contest so that Haru and Ryuji wins it so they could get married in it.
    • For those who lost the contest Joker would yell "YOU GET NOTHING, YOU LOSE, GOOD DAY SIR!"

References[edit]

  1. ^ https://twitter.com/Meshima_/status/1326706130333003776
  2. ^ https://nintendoeverything.com/sakurai-on-smash-bros-ultimate-jokers-reveal-getting-some-rest-and-more/
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