Editing Zero Suit Samus (SSB4)

|name = Zero Suit Samus

|image = {{tabber|title1=Zero Suit|content1=[[File:Zero Suit Samus SSB4.png|250px]]|title2=Casual Outfit (Zero Mission)|content2=[[File:Zero Suit Samus-Alt6 SSB4.png|250px]]}}

|game = SSB4

|ssbgame1 = SSBB

|ssbgame2 = SSBU

|ranking = 6

:{{cquote|''Zero Suit Samus Zeroes In!''|cite=Introduction Tagline}}

'''Zero Suit Samus''' ({{ja|ゼロスーツサムス|Zero Sūtsu Samusu}}, ''Zero Suit Samus'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. Her return to the series was announced during a [[Nintendo Direct|''Super Smash Bros.'' Direct]] on April 8th, 2014,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xUWnQu2Grs Super Smash Bros. Direct 4.8.2014]</ref> which coincided with the 10th anniversary of the European release of ''{{s|metroidwiki|Metroid: Zero Mission}}''. Like {{SSB4|Sheik}}, Zero Suit Samus is now a standalone character, which means that she cannot activate or deactivate her [[Samus (SSB4)|Power Suit]] under any circumstances.

Rather than retaining Jessica Erin Martin and Ai Kobayashi, Samus' English and Japanese voice actors from ''Metroid: Other M'', {{s|wikipedia|Alésia Glidewell}} reprises her role as Zero Suit Samus' voice actor, albeit via recycled voice clips from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''.

Zero Suit Samus is currently ranked 6th out of 54 on the [[tier list]]. This is a slight improvement from her high-tier placement in ''Brawl'', where she was ranked 9th out of 38, and is her best placement in the series. Zero Suit Samus's greatest strength is her dominant air game: her neutral and back aerials are safe and reliable set-up and KOing options, respectively, whereas her up aerial is an incredibly effective juggling option and combo tool that also boasts KO potential. In addition, her [[punishment]] potential is also one of the greatest among the cast, courtesy of her fast and nimble mobility, a [[paralyze|paralyzing]] [[projectile]] in [[Paralyzer]], and a potent combo game that can quickly rack up damage or even KO outright. Finally, she possesses a long-distanced and varied recovery, thanks to having two [[Tether recovery|tether recoveries]], a third jump in Flip Jump, and her new up special, [[Boost Kick]]. This makes her recovery hard to intercept as it's unpredictable and can be very deadly. The latter two specials also complement her air game, as both possess enough power to KO rather early.

Although she has outstanding strengths, Zero Suit Samus also has some noticeable weaknesses. Her ground game is unimpressive compared to her air game, which is most evident with her grab game: her grabs' long ranges are offset by their extreme amounts of start-up and ending lag, while her forward, back and up throws have very minimal utility outside of dealing damage. In addition, her ground moves also lack KO potential: her only ground move that truly has KO potential is her forward smash, which is one of the weakest smash attacks in the game, while the rest of her ground moves require very high percents or rely on edgeguarding to score a KO. By extension, many of Zero Suit Samus' attacks contain hitboxes that are positioned high above the ground, which can make it very difficult for her to fight against small characters. Finally, none of her aerials are effective combo breakers, which is further compounded by her susceptibility to combos. Altogether, these traits give Zero Suit Samus a weak [[neutral game]].

Regardless of her flaws, Zero Suit Samus is widely considered to be a strong top tier in competitive play, with dedicated mains such as {{Sm|Choco}}, {{Sm|Marss}}, and {{Sm|Nairo}} proving her effectiveness in top-level competitive play.

Zero Suit Samus is a tall light[[weight]] who boasts overall excellent mobility, thanks to several of her attributes being among the top 10 of their respective categories. Her [[walk]]ing speed is tied with {{SSB4|Sheik}}'s for the fifth fastest, her [[dash]]ing speed is the fifth fastest, her [[air speed]] is tied with the default {{SSB4|Mii Brawler}}'s for the sixth fastest, her [[traction]] is tied with {{SSB4|Little Mac}} and {{SSB4|Wario}}'s for the third highest, her [[air acceleration]] is tied with {{SSB4|Lucas}} and {{SSB4|Bayonetta}}'s for the eighth fastest, and her [[jump]] is the third highest. Unlike most lightweights, Zero Suit Samus has very quick [[falling speed]] and high [[gravity]], and, like in her home series, is able to [[Crawling|crawl]] and [[wall jump]].

Zero Suit Samus' greatest asset is her superb air game. In addition to her excellent aerial attributes, her [[short hop]] is tied with Bayonetta's for the second highest in the game, which collectively supplement her useful aerial attacks. Her neutral aerial has long range and low landing lag, and launches at 55°, all of which make it very useful for follow-ups. Her forward aerial is quick and fairly powerful, making it useful as part of a combo at low percentages, and a dependable off-stage KOing option. Her back aerial has long range and high power, making it her most reliable aerial KOing option. Her up aerial is very quick, has very low base knockback and very high knockback scaling, and launches opponents vertically, all of which make it excellent at juggling and capable of KOing. Her down aerial is able to [[meteor smash]] and possesses a strong landing hitbox, though it is dangerous to use off-stage due to being a [[stall-then-fall]]. Unlike in ''Brawl'', she now has a [[grab aerial]], which can be used for [[spacing]], set-ups, or as a [[tether recovery]].

Zero Suit Samus' special moves also possess considerable versatility. [[Paralyzer]] is quick, has decent [[range]], and [[paralyze]]s the opponent, granting it excellent follow-up potential. [[Plasma Whip]] has long range and, like her grab aerial, can be used for spacing or as a tether recovery. [[Boost Kick]] is decent for recovery, but thanks to it hitting on frame 4 and boasting impressive power, it is actually one of Zero Suit Samus' most viable KOing options, especially from [[out of shield]]. Lastly, [[Flip Jump]] functions like a third jump, but also grants [[intangibility]] at its start and allows her to move unpredictably. As such, it can enable her to avoid attacks or mix up her recovery, the latter of which is supplemented by its ability to automatically wall jump upon making contact with a wall. Like Boost Kick, it also boasts impressive offensive potential: its inputted kick is strong enough to KO easily and can meteor smash aerial opponents, whereas its [[Footstool jump|footstool]] stomp is now capable of both [[bury]]ing grounded opponents and meteor smashing aerial ones.

Lastly, Zero Suit Samus possesses a few invaluable KO set-ups aside from Paralyzer. Her down smash is one of the few smash attacks of its kind that only hits in one direction, but it has low ending lag and paralyzes an opponent like Paralyzer, allowing her to follow it up with a forward smash, back aerial, a grab, Boost Kick or Flip Jump, with the last KOing at very low percentages. In addition, Zero Suit Samus's down throw itself has guaranteed follow-ups at any percentage below 160%. Depending on the opponent's [[Directional influence|DI]], it can combo into her forward or up aerial, and sometimes her back aerial and Boost Kick. This throw is also notorious for its ability to score very early KOs. Without proper DI, a series of up aerials leading into a Boost Kick can KO the majority of the cast at 50% while near the upper blast line. The latter's loop hits also have high base knockback and can KO if its last hit does not land due to [[Smash directional influence|SDI]], even with perfect DI. Even with proper DI, this combo can also KO earlier if the opponent is near an edge. Due to its speed, Zero Suit Samus's neutral attack's first hit can also function as a surprisingly effective set-up into Boost Kick at medium to high percentages. Altogether, these traits make Zero Suit Samus' [[punishment]] potential one of the most potent in the game.

However, Zero Suit Samus has some noticeable weaknesses. She can be KO'd fairly early because of her status as a lightweight, but unlike the majority of her fellow lightweights, she is also burdened with a susceptibility to combos because of her tall frame, very quick falling speed, and high gravity. Aside from her pummel's speed and her down throw's excellent combo potential, the rest of Zero Suit Samus' grab game is poor. Her grabs' long ranges are offset by their overall lag: they are tied with [[Grapple Beam]] for the highest amount of start-up lag in the game, and their ending lag is the third highest in the game, surpassed only by {{SSB4|Pac-Man}}'s grabs and her Power Suit's Grapple Beam. Despite having respectable damage outputs, her forward, back and up throws have no guaranteed follow-ups; although the back throw has some semblance of mix-up potential, its mix-ups are very situational and require hard reads.

By extension, the overwhelming majority of Zero Suit Samus' attacks have hitbox placements that are high above the ground, making it easy for short characters to avoid getting hit, especially while [[crouching]]. Despite Paralyzer's paralysis effect, its range is decent at best, and it does not stay out for very long. As a result, her approach against most defensive and zoning characters is limited to dodging their projectiles with her mobility, [[perfect shield]]ing, and either coming in from above with an aerial, or fast falling and then immediately grabbing. All of these drawbacks also make Zero Suit Samus susceptible to momentum shifts, which in turn gives her a weak [[neutral game]].

Overall, Zero Suit Samus' very potent air and punishment games allow her to reliably set-up combos and KOs like in ''Brawl'', while her KO potential has improved thanks to her newfound KOing options. However, she must nevertheless be wary of characters with strong [[neutral game]]s, due to the poor quality of her own neutral game.  

 

Despite being a high-tier character in ''Brawl'', Zero Suit Samus has been buffed in the transition to ''SSB4'', mostly due to ''Smash 4'''s altered mechanics, combined with the nerfs other ''Brawl'' veterans received. Her KO potential has improved, most notably thanks to her new forward smash and her new up special, [[Boost Kick]], the latter of which is especially potent from [[out of shield]]. Zero Suit Samus' combo game has also improved, mainly due to the changes to [[hitstun canceling]] combined with her altered down throw and up aerial. She also greatly benefits from the introduction of [[rage]], which can allow her combos to KO opponents at insanely low percents. Lastly, [[Plasma Whip]] tethers the ledge much sooner, improving her already strong recovery, and she now has a grab aerial, improving her spacing potential and giving her an additional recovery option.

However, Zero Suit Samus also received some nerfs. The most noticeable of these was that as she is no longer tied to {{SSB4|Samus}}, she no longer has access to her [[Power Suit Piece]]s, which significantly hinders her stage control and her item game combined with the removal of [[glide toss]]ing. Although Plasma Whip has improved recovery potential, it has more ending lag and is significantly weaker, making it much easier to punish and far less reliable for KOing, eliminating one of her most useful KO moves. Her aerial prowess has also slightly worsened. Her jumps are lower (especially since she no longer has [[Plasma Wire]]), and her aerials except for down aerial are all weaker. She is significantly more vulnerable to combos due to the removal of hitstun canceling combined with her increased falling speed. Lastly, some of her ground attacks have been nerfed as well: her down tilt has increased startup and much more ending lag along with a less favorable angle, removing all of its combo potential and making it arguably her worst move; her new dash attack has one more frame of startup along with much higher ending lag, making it much more punishable and removing its locking and follow-up potential; and her down smash is weaker, has smaller hitboxes, its stun duration was decreased, and it has increased ending lag, worsening its follow-up potential and making it less safe on shield.

Overall, Zero Suit Samus is an even larger threat in ''Smash 4'', with her tournament results and representation being even higher, although she is less effective than in earlier versions of the game, as update [[1.1.4]] added {{SSB4|Bayonetta}} and gave Zero Suit Samus some minor nerfs, while update [[1.1.5]] nerfed her further. Nevertheless, Zero Suit Samus remains one of the stronger characters in ''Smash 4''.

*{{change|Zero Suit Samus' design is now a combination of her appearance in ''{{s|metroidwiki|Metroid: Other M}}'', and her official artwork for ''{{s|metroidwiki|Metroid Fusion}}'' and ''{{s|metroidwiki|Metroid: Zero Mission}}''. Her bangs, beauty mark, shorter height, larger {{s|wikipedia|bust/waist/hip measurements}} and {{s|metroidwiki|Zero Suit}} are from ''Other M''. Additionally, her lean musculature is from ''Fusion'' and ''Zero Mission''; her facial structure and greenish blue eyes are from ''Zero Mission'';<ref name=ZM>[https://www.metroiddatabase.com/old_site/mzm/art/ZSSMZME.png Metroid: Zero Mission's Development Room Gallery 2]</ref> and her flaxen blonde hair is from ''Fusion''. Lastly, the aesthetic used in ''SSB4'' has resulted in Zero Suit Samus' hair being of a significantly higher visual quality than in ''Brawl''.}}

*{{change|Zero Suit Samus has received three new [[alternate costume]]s, two of which are based on her Casual Outfits seen in the endings of ''Fusion'' and ''Zero Mission''. One replaces her purple costume.}}

*{{change|The Zero Suit's segments are now navy blue instead of blue, and it is now equipped with a matching set of Jet Boots and metal bracelets. The Paralyzer also features magenta accents within its interior. These changes are unique to ''SSB4''.}}

*{{change|Zero Suit Samus is more expressive. She now winces with one eye closed when being hit or launched; winces with both eyes closed when [[screen KO]]'d; and frowns depressingly after [[tripping]] and being [[stun]]ned.}}

*{{nerf|Zero Suit Samus' [[air acceleration]] is lower (0.1 → 0.095).}}

*{{nerf|Zero Suit Samus falls faster (1.43 → 1.7). This makes her more susceptible to combos and while this would improve her vertical endurance, this is offset by her higher gravity, giving her slightly worse vertical endurance overall.}}

*{{buff|Zero Suit Samus' [[fast fall]]ing speed is faster (2.002 → 2.72), making her less susceptible to juggling.}}

*{{change|Zero Suit Samus' gravity is considerably higher (0.0884 → 0.12), going from the 13th highest out of 39 characters to the fifth highest out of 58. This improves her ability to land, but hinders her endurance, and increases her susceptibility to combos (the height of her jumps were compensated).}}

*{{nerf|Zero Suit Samus is slightly lighter (81 → 80), hindering her endurance. While this would also make her less susceptible to combos, her faster [[falling speed]], higher [[gravity]], and the changes to [[hitstun canceling]] and [[Directional Influence]] collectively result in her being more susceptible to combos.}}

*{{buff|Back [[roll]] has less ending lag (FAF 38 → 28) now matching her forward roll.}}

*{{buff|[[Spot dodge]] has less ending lag (FAF 26 → 25), now being one of the fastest spot dodges in the game.}}

*{{nerf|Air dodge has a shorter duration (frames 4-29 → 2-25).}}

*{{nerf|The removal of [[meteor cancel]]ing hinders Zero Suit Samus more than any other veteran as while it improves the reliability of her down aerial and [[Flip Jump]], it drastically hinders her endurance against meteor smashes as she previously had one of the most lenient meteor cancel windows in ''Brawl''.}}

*{{nerf|Due to the limitations of the [[Nintendo 3DS]]' processing power,<ref>[http://sourcegaming.info/2015/07/09/i-answer-some-questions-sakurai-famitsu-column-vol-461-464/ "I Answer Some Questions" Sakurai Famitsu column vol. 461-464, on Ice Climbers, clones, and Smash Run]</ref> Zero Suit Samus is no longer connected to {{SSB4|Samus}} via [[Final Smash]] or [[character selection screen]] input. As a result, she no longer has access to her [[Power Suit Piece]]s which significantly hinders her stage control at the beginning of a match.}}

*{{nerf|Zero Suit Samus' [[Item throw]] is weaker (1 → 0.9333333). Additionally, the removal of [[glide toss]]ing significantly hinders her approach with items.}}

**{{buff|Neutral attack's first and second hits have higher set knockback (10 (both) → 23/45 (hit 1), 34/50 (hit 2)). These changes make its hits connect together better, and decreases the possibility of opponents [[powershield]]ing the second and third hits. It also improves its [[jab cancel]]ing potential despite all three hits having higher ending lag. Its last hit also has more base knockback (45 → 60).}}

**{{nerf|Neutral attack's first two hits deal less damage (2% → 1.5%) and all three hits have more ending lag (FAF 18 → 21 (hit 1), FAF 21 → 26 (hit 2), FAF 23 → 32 (hit 3)). The first hit also has a shorter duration (frames 1-3 → 1) and less range (3.5u/3.8u/4.8u/3.4u → 3u/3.8u). Lastly, the higher knockback of the first two hits can allow the last hit to whiff against floaty characters.}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt has a new animation where Zero Suit Samus now takes a step forward before kicking, improving the move's range.}}

**{{buff|Forward tilt has higher base knockback (8 (up/non-angled)/12 (down) → 30), improving its KO potential (outside of the down angled version's nearest hitbox).}}

***{{nerf|However, this also hinders its locking potential, with the move no longer being able to reliably lock above 10%.}}

**{{nerf|Forward tilt has smaller hitboxes (4u/4.5u/4u/3.5u) → 3.8u/4.2u/3.8u) and the back leg hitbox has been removed.}}

***{{nerf|Additionally, the near leg hitbox is now attached to Zero Suit Samus knee, rather than her leg. The hitbox has not been moved back far enough to compensate (x offset: 0 → -5), giving it less range inside of Zero Suit Samus.}}

**{{nerf|The non and down angled versions no longer have an extra trip chance (20% (non angled)/60% (down) → 0% (both)). When combined with the move's higher base knockback, this significantly hinders its tripping ability, especially the down angled version.}}

**{{buff|The up angled version deals more damage (6% → 8% (far)/6.5% (near)).}}

**{{buff|The non angled version deals more damage on Zero Suit Samus' foot and leg (6% → 7%).}}

**{{nerf|The down angled version deals less damage (9% → 8% (far)/6.5% (near)), hindering the near hitbox's KO potential despite its higher base knockback.}}

**{{nerf|Zero Suit Samus does not bend her leg quite as low for the down angled version, giving it less range below her.}}

**{{buff|Up tilt now grants intangibility to Zero Suit Samus's lower legs from when the first hit becomes active, until the second hit ends. This make up tilt a safer anti-air.}}

**{{nerf|Up tilt has a higher [[Freeze frame|hitlag]] multiplier (1× → 1.2×), making it easier to DI.}}

**{{buff|The first hit launches opponents at different angles (120°/130°/80° → 150°/130°) and has lower knockback (55/80 (base), 70 (scaling) → (55/85)/(30/50)), making it connect more reliably into the second hit.}}

**{{buff|The first hit has been positioned higher against aerial opponents (z offset: 11 → 14), giving it more range above Zero Suit Samus.}}

**{{nerf|The first hit now has consistently sized hitboxes (3u/3u/4u/4u/3u → 3u/3u). As the larger hitboxes were positioned the furthest away from Zero Suit Samus, this gives the move less range against grounded opponents.}}

***{{nerf|Additionally, the move does not extend as far horizontally against aerial opponents (z offset: 10/-10 → 8/z stretch: -8), giving it less horizontal range against them.}}

**{{nerf|The second hit has more startup lag (frame 7 → 9).}}

***{{buff|However, its total duration was unchanged, giving the move less ending lag.}}

**{{buff|The second hit more damage (6% → 7%) and has higher knockback scaling (80 → 90), significantly improving its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|The second hit has larger hitboxes (6u/5u → 7u/6u).}}

*[[Down tilt]]:

**{{change|Down tilt has a new animation, where Zero Suit Samus now moves forward when performing the legsweep.}}

***{{buff|This new animation improves down tilt's range, as well as allowing it to be used as a pseudo-crawl.}}

***{{nerf|However, this also significantly hinders its safety, as Zero Suit Samus moves towards her opponent.}}

**{{buff|Down tilt deals more knockback (65 (base), 70 (scaling) → 60/85).}}

**{{buff|The far hitbox deals more damage (6% → 8%).}}

**{{change|Down tilt has a lower trip chance (40% → 20%), although it is still incapable of tripping under normal circumstances.}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt has more startup with a shorter duration (frame 5-7 → 8-9).}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt has more ending lag (FAF 26 → 36) and a much longer animation (36 frames → 69).}}

**{{nerf|Down tilt launches opponents at a lower angle (70°/90°/80° → 60°). When combined with the move's higher ending lag and knockback, this significantly hinders down tilt's followup potential, even with the changes to hitstun canceling and DI.}}

**{{nerf|The changes to shields significantly hinder down smash's safety on shield, as the move no longer deals hitlag to shielding opponents. When combined with its lower damage and higher ending lag, this makes down smash go from being completely safe on shield against almost the entire cast to now being fairly punishable if the opponent is in range.}}

**{{change|Neutral aerial now launches opponents at a consistent angle (55°/52°/50°/47° → 55°).}}

***{{buff|The near hitbox is larger (5u → 5.7u (front)/5.6u (back), and the move has more slightly range in front of Zero Suit Samus.}}

***{{nerf|However, the far hitbox is smaller (5u → 3u) and the move overall has less range above, below and behind Zero Suit Samus.}}

**{{change|Neutral aerial is now properly affected by [[stale-move negation]].}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial deals less damage (10% → 8%), although its knockback was compensated (40 (base), 80 (scaling) → 38/96).}}

**{{buff|Forward aerial has less ending lag (FAF 48 → 47).}}

**{{buff|Forward aerial has larger hitboxes (5.5u/4.8u/5u → 6.4u/5.5u).}}

**{{change|Forward aerial now always launches opponents in front of Zero Suit Samus.}}

***{{buff|This allows the first hit to connect more reliably into the second hit.}}

**{{change|Forward aerial has a new animation where Zero Suit Samus performs slightly higher kicks.}}

***{{nerf|This new animation is also longer (47 frames → 74), significantly increasing the time Zero Suit Samus cannot grab ledges after performing the move.}}

**{{nerf|The thigh hitbox has been removed on both hits.}}

**{{nerf|The first hit has a shorter duration (frames 6-9 → 6-7).}}

**{{change|The first hit has more base knockback but less knockback scaling (35 (base), 70 (scaling) → 50/50).}}

***{{nerf|However, this does also remove forward aerial's ability to lock and trip at lower percents.}}

**{{nerf|The second hit deals less damage compared to the previous clean hit (11%/10% (clean)/7% (late) → 7%), without full compensation on its knockback scaling (105 → 116), significantly hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial has a shorter duration (frames 8-10 → 8-9).}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial has more ending lag (FAF 38 → 40) and a longer animation (37 frames → 50).}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial has more landing lag (9 frames → 11).}}

**{{nerf|Back aerial deals less damage (13% (foot)/12% (leg) → 12/10%) without full compensation on its knockback (33 (base), 100 (scaling) → 42/98) hindering its KO potential, especially the sourspot.}}

**{{nerf|The leg hitbox is smaller (4.8u → 2.5u) and it has been moved further away from Zero Suit Samus (x offset: 0 → 1.5), while the thigh hitbox has been removed completely. This gives the move drastically less range inside of Zero Suit Samus, to the point where back aerial now has a blindspot on Zero Suit Samus' upper leg.}}

***{{nerf|However, this animation is much longer (35 frames → 73), significantly increasing the time Zero Suit Samus cannot grab ledges after performing the move.}}

**{{buff|Up aerial has a longer duration (frames 4-6 (clean)/7-8 (late) → 6-12), with the move no longer having a weaker late hit.}}

**{{buff|Up aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 34 → 25).}}

**{{change|Up aerial now has a normal effect, instead of a [[slash]] effect.}}

**{{nerf|Up aerial deals less damage (10% (clean)/7% (late) → 6.5%), without full compensation on its knockback compared to its previous clean hit (40 (base), 100 (scaling) → 30/125), hindering its KO potential.}}

***{{buff|However, these changes improve its juggling and combo potential at higher percents, especially when combined with the changes to hitstun canceling and DI.}}

***{{change|The move deals considerably higher knockback compared to the previous late hit (20 (base), 100 (scaling) → 30/125). This improves its KO potential but hinders its followup potential at higher percents.}}

**{{nerf|Up aerial has more startup lag (frame 4 → 6) which along with Zero Suit Samus' higher falling speed/gravity, prevents it from being able to be performed twice in a short hop.}}

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

**{{nerf|Up aerial overall has less maximum range above and behind Zero Suit Samus, with the move also having much less downwards range from behind.}}

*[[Down aerial]]:

**{{buff|Down aerial has less landing lag (40 frames → 30).}}

**{{buff|Down aerial deals more damage (5% (aerial)/4% (grounded) → 6%/5%), improving its KO potential.}}

***{{buff|When combined with the removal of meteor canceling, this improves down aerial's edgeguarding potential.}}

**{{buff|Down aerial has larger hitboxes (6u/5u → 6.3u/5.2u).}}

**{{change|Zero Suit Samus descends faster while performing down aerial (horizontal/vertical momentum: 0.8/-4.3 → 1/-5).}}

**{{change|Down aerial launches aerial opponents at a slightly more horizontal angle (275° → 278°), while grounded opponents are now launched vertically (361° → 80°).}}

**{{buff|Zero Suit Samus now has a [[grab aerial]], granting her a new combo, spacing and recovery tool.}}

**{{buff|All grabs have less ending lag (FAF 85 (all) → 69 (standing)/72 (dash)/80 (pivot)).}}

**{{nerf|All grabs have shorter durations, with pivot grab also having more startup lag (frames 16-29 → 16-25 (standing/dash)/17-25 (pivot)).}}

**{{buff|Grabs overall have slightly more range.}}

**{{nerf|The removal of [[chain grab]]bing hinders forward throw's and aerial [[grab release]]'s damage racking potential. The general changes to aerial grab releases also significantly hinders its followup potential.}}

**{{buff|Back throw deals more damage (4% (throw)/6% (total) → 8%), with its knockback compensated (70 (base), 60 (scaling) → 72/45).}}

**{{buff|The hitbox has a longer duration (frame 9 → 9-10).}}

**{{buff|Zero Suit Samus releases opponents slightly later from up throw (frame 4 → 5) and it has less ending lag (FAF 54 → 41).}}

**{{buff|The hitbox has a longer duration (frame 3 → 3-4).}}

**{{nerf|Down throw deals less damage (5% (throw)/7% (total) → 3%/5%) and it deals more knockback (100 (base), 25 (scaling) → 90/60), hindering its followup potential at higher percents while still not being a viable KO option.}}

**{{buff|Zero Suit Samus releases opponents from down throw slightly later (frame 27 → 28). When combined with the changes to hitstun canceling and DI, this transforms down throw from a solid mixup throw into an incredibly potent combo throw, even with its higher knockback.}}

*[[Floor attack]]s:

**{{buff|Floor attacks deal more damage (6% → 7%) and [[shield damage]] (1 → 8) per hit, with their knockback scaling (50 → 48) and angles (361° → 48°) compensated.}}

**{{nerf|Edge attack has less intangibility (frames 1-17 → 1-14) and deals less damage (8% → 7%).}}

*[[Paralyzer]]:

**{{change|The charged version's angle has been altered (361° → 65° (aerial)/315° (grounded)). It also now has a -100% trip chance against grounded opponents to prevent them from tripping despite its higher knockback.}}

**{{nerf|Paralyser has more ending lag (FAF 40 (uncharged)/60 (charged) → 49/71). This hinders the uncharged version's followup potential (unless Zero Suit Samus lands after shooting) despite its longer stun duration, as well as hindering the safety of both versions.}}

**{{nerf|Paralyzer has smaller hitboxes (1.9u (uncharged)/3u (charged) → 1.3u/2u).}}

*[[Plasma Whip]]:

**{{buff|Plasma Whip has less startup lag (frame 24 → 22).}}

**{{buff|Zero Suit Samus now tethers to the ledge almost immediately when using Plasma Whip (frame 22 → 2). When combined with the removal of [[edge-hog]]ging, this significantly improves its recovery potential.}}

***{{buff|This also gives the move a longer duration before the final hit (frames 24-25 → 22-23/24-25/26-27/28-29), as well as giving it gradually increasing range as each hit comes out.}}

**{{buff|The final hit has less startup lag (frame 33 → 32).}}

**{{nerf|The whip hitboxes deal less damage on their own (3% → 2% (hit 1 near)/1.2% (hit 1 far/hits 2-4).}}

***{{buff|However, the whip is now capable of dealing more damage due to it now consisting of four hits (3% → 5.6%).}}

**{{nerf|The final hit deals far less damage (16% → 7.5%) without full compensation on its knockback (60 (base), 75 (scaling) → 45/105), significantly hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|The tip of the whip has a much smaller hitbox (7.6u → 4.6u). This significantly reduces its vertical and horizontal range (although the hitbox is now extended backwards to compensate for its backwards range).}}

**{{change|Zero Suit Samus has a new up special, Boost Kick. It is a jet-propelled diagonal split-legged flying kick, followed by a spinning hook kick.}}

**{{buff|Compared to [[Plasma Wire]], Boost Kick deals overall more damage (4%-6% → 5% (hit 1)/1.3% (hits 2-7)/4% (hit 8)) and has different knockback (60 (base), 40 (scaling) → 50/209), making it significantly more effective at KOing. It also covers more horizontal distance than Plasma Wire. Like Plasma Wire, it has [[mindgame]] potential. Unlike Plasma Wire, it can punish rolls.}}

**{{nerf|Compared to Plasma Wire, Boost Kick covers much less vertical distance, weakening her vertical recovery. Unlike Plasma Wire, it cannot [[meteor smash]] opponents, and renders her [[helpless]]. It also has more ending lag compared with Plasma Wire (FAF 44 → 80) and it cannot be used in conjunction with her jumps to gain extra height.}}

**{{change|Flip Jump occurs much faster with Zero Suit Samus quickly descending after performing the flip.}}

***{{buff|This makes flip jump a superior movement option.}}

**{{change|Flip Jump now requires pressing the jump button upon contact with a wall in order to [[wall jump]], instead of doing so automatically.}}

**{{buff|Flip Jump's kick deals more damage (12% (clean)/9% (late) → 14%) and the grounded-only hitbox has slightly higher knockback scaling (100 → 102) improving its KO potential despite its less favorable angle (361° → 48°).}}

**{{buff|The kick has a longer duration compared to the previous clean hit (frames 9-11 → 9-14).}}

**{{change|The kick no longer consistently meteor smashes aerial opponents and its meteor smash angle has changed (270° → 290°/361°). This improves the sourspot's KO potential and the sweetspot's edgeguarding potential on stage but hinders the sweetspot's KO potential and the move's overall edgeguarding potential.}}

**{{buff|Flip Jump's footstool stomp has received a hitbox that deals 8%; [[Bury|buries]] grounded opponents; and meteor smashes aerial opponents. Altogether, these changes significantly improve its utility. In addition, the footstool no longer has to be inputted with the jump button.}}

**{{buff|Flip Jump has increased partial intangibility (frames 13-43 → 13-49).}}

**{{nerf|Flip Jump has decreased full body intangibility (frames 1-12 → 3-12) and the kick has significantly increased ending lag due to the removal of its late hit (10 frames → 45), making it easier to punish and rendering it less effective as a combo breaker.}}

**{{nerf|The kick no longer has a late hit, significantly reducing its active frames (9-11/12-50 → 9-14).}}

**{{nerf|The kick's aerial hit has less base knockback (60 → 30) hindering its KO and edge-guarding potential despite its higher damage.}}

**{{nerf|The kick no longer has transcendent priority.}}

**{{nerf|The footstool has more ending lag (FAF 81 → 85).}}

**{{buff|Due to now being character separate from Samus, Zero Suit Samus has a new [[Final Smash]], Gunship. She boards [[metroidwiki:Samus Aran's Gunship|her Gunship]] and fires energy blasts from its cannons toward the stage, similarly to [[Grenade Launcher]]. Compared to [[Power Suit Samus]], it has a significantly longer duration, which makes it significantly more effective at damage racking in spite of its overall lower damage output (25% (spin)/10% (discharge) → 0.8% (hits 1-9)/10% (hit 10)). Unlike Power Suit Samus, it can be used for stage control.}}

Zero Suit Samus was nerfed via game updates. Update [[1.0.4]] increased her air dodge's landing lag in order for it to match the rest of the cast's, while her up smash and [[Paralyzer]] had their start-up and ending lag increased, respectively. Not only was Paralyzer's ending lag increased, but the fully charged version's angle against grounded opponents was altered. Originally, the move lifted opponents off the ground. This made it easier to land aerial followups, but more notably, it allowed Zero Suit Samus to re-stun opponents with another fully charged Paralyzer if they landed back on the ground during the paralyzer's hitstun. This gave Zero Suit Samus an infinite against fast fallers, as she could jump closer to the opponent to continue the stun if they got too far away, and she could even swap sides to continue the stun. The move was adjusted so that it kept opponents on the ground, preventing it from re-stunning opponents and completely removing the infinite.

 

While Zero Suit Samus did receive notable direct nerfs in version 1.0.4, she did greatly benefit from the removal of [[LSI]] on moves with an angle between 65° to 115°, which indirectly buffed her overall (with the lower blast zones in the Wii U version further complimenting this). Zero Suit Samus has an array of effective vertical launching moves for comboing, primarily with her down throw, up aerial and Boost Kick, which she can use for powerful ladder combos. In early 3DS versions, however, those ladder combos were far less dangerous, as the opponent could utilise LSI on all of her main followups (down throw/up aerial/boost kick) to escape a ladder combo. LSI up was mainly effective, as it could get the opponent out of range of continuous up aerial followups or a Boost Kick ender, although LSI down could be more helpful at lower percents to fall out of the ladder combo, mainly for fast fallers. In version 1.0.4, however, it became impossible to LSI Zero Suit Samus's down throw, up aerial and Boost Kick, which made her ladder combos much more devastating. In earlier 3DS versions, ladder combos could be avoided consistently, and on flat ground especially, they should have never led to a KO against an experienced opponent, but from version 1.0.4, ladder combos could lead to guaranteed KOs at very low percents, and all the opponent could do was hope that the Zero Suit Samus player failed to follow their DI, or that they fall out of the Boost Kick ender and survive (although this could still lead to a KO depending on the scenario). Zero Suit Samus was by far one of the characters who benefitted the most from the altered LSI system, as it gave her a far more consistent and devastating combo game, making her a more effective character in version 1.0.4 despite her direct nerfs.

 

From updates [[1.0.6]] to [[1.1.3]], Zero Suit Samus remained largely unchanged. She did benefit from the changes to shields in updates [[1.1.0]] and [[1.1.1]], as they made her attacks considerably safer on shield (most notably, her aerials), and Zero Suit Samus still had an incredibly devastating frame 4 Out of Shield punish with Boost Kick, which stood out even more relative to the cast with the higher shieldstun and lower shield pushback. These changes did make her grab a less applicable guaranteed out of shield punish, although the reduced shield pushback did alleviate this to an extent.

 

Update [[1.1.4]], however, did bring a couple of nerfs to Zero Suit Samus. She became slightly lighter, but more notably, her Boost Kick's power was reduced, making it a worse KO option, especially near the upper blast zone, hindering her ladder combos. Her most substantial nerfs, however, came about in update [[1.1.5]]. Zero Suit Samus received various reductions to her damage output with her neutral aerial, up aerial and down throw all being affected. Her down throw in particular was nerfed the most significantly, as while its damage was reduced, its knockback was increased. This notably hindered Zero Suit Samus' ability to ladder combo at higher percents. She still had the ability to KO her opponents off of a grab at very low percents, but the window to do so was reduced due to the move's higher knockback, meaning that ZSS had to rely more on her other KO options at higher percents. Considering that Zero Suit Samus's down throw is a key part of her grab game, this change was fairly substantial. Grabs also had their active frames reduced, which made it harder for Zero Suit Samus to get the grab and start her down throw combos. While Zero Suit Samus did receive improvements to her back throw and Plasma Whip, these changes were far from enough to make up for the nerfs to her key tools for her main game plan.

Overall, while Zero Suit Samus greatly benefitted from the universal changes in update 1.0.4, she ultimately ended getting considerably nerfed by the end of the game's life. Version 1.0.4 gave Zero Suit Samus an incredibly effective combo game, but her nerfs noticeably reduced the effectiveness of her most devastating combo tools. Her down throw had its damage reduced and its knockback increased, her up aerial had its damage decreased, and Boost Kick had its knockback reduced, with Zero Suit Samus' main combo starter, extender and ender all being nerfed. Despite this, Zero Suit Samus still remained a highly effective character. While her ladder combos are not as devastating as they used to be, they can still be absolutely devastating, still being able to lead into a very early KO at low percents, especially with [[rage]]. Zero Suit Samus' main game plan was nerfed, but it was not removed, still making her a very strong character.

 

While Zero Suit Samus' tier placement in the vanilla version of the game is hard to determine due to its unoptimized nature and different mechanics, which significantly affected her, she was one of the absolute strongest characters in the game in earlier Wii U versions. Things were initially positive for Zero Suit Samus, with her staying the same while other top tiers were nerfed, being as high as a top 2 character at her peak. By update 1.1.4, however, Zero Suit Samus started to get nerfed, and new, powerful DLC characters were added, which did reduce her strength in the metagame. Update 1.1.5 was ultimately the final nail in the coffin, giving her more notable nerfs. By the end of the game's height of activity, Zero Suit Samus was typically seen as a character in the lower half of the top 10. While she still remained a very strong character, she was not as powerful as she used to be, and she had more competition at the top of the tier list.

|neutralname=Level Chop ({{ja|レベルチョップ|Reberu Choppu}}) / Gun Hook ({{ja|ガンフック|Gan Fukku}}) / Elbow Smash ({{ja|エルボースマッシュ|Erubõ Sumasshu}})

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

|ftiltdesc=A roundhouse kick. It is useful for spacing and can be angled, with its downward angle being capable of [[trip]]ping opponents at low percentages.

|utiltname=Headstand Kick ({{ja|ヘッドスタンドキック|Heddosutando Kikku}})

|dtiltname=Ground Sweep ({{ja|グラウンドスイープ|Guraundo Suīpu}})

|dashname=Jumping Kneebutt ({{ja|ジャンピングニーバット|Janpingu Nībatto}})

|fsmashname=Jet Boot Kick ({{ja|ジェットブーツキック|Jetto Būtsu Kikku}})

|fsmashdesc=A mid-level side kick, followed by a spinning side kick at a slightly higher angle. Due to it activating her Jet Boots, the second hit has a visible sweetspot in the form of a small, [[Flame|fiery]] blast at the tip of her foot. Unlike typical sweetspots, it has the same damage output as the sourspot and only very slightly higher knockback scaling, which makes either one reliable for KOing. As a result, it is her strongest smash attack and one of her most reliable KOing options. Its second hit KOs middleweights at 122% while near the edge of Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version, and at 110% in the ''Wii U'' version. An oddity with this move is that the hitboxes become active 1 frame after ZSS sticks her foot out for both kicks. This was fixed in ''Ultimate''.

|usmashname=Shocker String ({{ja|ショッカーストリング|Shokkā Sutoringu}})

|dsmashname=Slant Paralyzer<!--name from SSBU tips--> ({{ja|スラントパラライザー|Suranto Pararaizā}})

|dsmashdesc=Aims her {{s|metroidwiki|Paralyzer}} downward in front of herself and fires a [[Paralyze|paralyzing]] energy blast at the ground. When spaced correctly, it is safe on shield. It is a useful set-up option thanks to it briefly [[paralyze|paralyzing]] the opponent, with notable follow-ups including forward smash, a grab, or Boost Kick. With precise timing off-stage, it can also be used as a set-up into [[Flip Jump]] in order to meteor smash an opponent. At 60%-150%, two consecutive uncharged down smashes can lead into forward aerial, [[reverse aerial rush]]ed back aerial, up aerial, Flip Jump, and Boost Kick. However, these particular follow-ups require precise timing and for Zero Suit Samus to be very close to the opponent. It also lacks KO potential and, like {{SSB4|Mewtwo}} and {{SSB4|Ryu}}'s down smashes, only hits on one side. The blast can be [[absorb]]ed, but not [[reflect]]ed. Enemies knocked upward by down smash, cannot be paralyzed again by moves such as neutral special until they make contact with the stage again.

|nairname=Whip Guard ({{ja|ウィップガード|Wippu Gādo}})

|fairname=Twice Kick ({{ja|トワイスキック|Towaisu Kikku}})

|fairdesc=A hook kick followed by a roundhouse kick. Its first hit can function as a set-up when SHFF'd, thanks to it launching the opponent into their [[Tumbling#Reeling|reeling]] animation. In comparison, its second hit is slightly faster and has very high knockback scaling. Its second hit can also be used independently of its first hit, but requires precise timing to do so. It is a very useful follow-up from down throw if the opponent's DI has been read properly. Its second hit KOs middleweights at 115% while near the left/right [[blast line]] of Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version, and at 95% in the ''Wii U'' version. However, it is difficult to land both hits without taking advantage of upward and forward momentum from a jump.

|bairname=Sobat ({{ja|ソバット|Sobatto}})

|bairdesc=A spinning hook kick. It hits on frame 8 and has long range, high knockback scaling and a sweetspot located at her foot. Altogether, these traits make it one of Zero Suit Samus' most viable KOing options. Its sweetspot KOs middleweights at 112% while near the edge of Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version, and at 101% in the ''Wii U'' version. Although its sourspot KOs later because of its slightly lower damage output, it is still reliable for KOing regardless. It is also good for shield pressuring when well spaced.

|uairname=Air Kick ({{ja|エアキック|Ea Kikku}})

|uairdesc=A bicycle kick. Thanks to its minimal start-up and ending lag, very low base knockback and very high knockback scaling, it boasts excellent juggling potential. It can combo into itself at low percentages and, with sufficient [[rage]], it can combo into Boost Kick after a second one has been landed, leading to a KO. By extension, its very knockback scaling also grants it KO potential in spite of its low damage output. It KOs middleweights at 144% while near the upper [[blast line]] of Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version, and at 136% in the ''Wii U'' version. However, its very low base knockback makes it unsafe on hit against characters that have a fast aerial attack to counter with.

|dairname=Slash Dive<!--name from SSBU tips--> ({{ja|スラッシュダイブ|Surasshu Daibu}})

|dairdesc=A diagonal flying kick, similar to {{SSB4|Sonic}} and {{SSB4|Sheik}}'s down aerials. It is a [[meteor smash]] if her foot hits the opponent. However, it has the highest start-up lag out of her aerials. It is also a [[stall-then-fall]], which makes it extremely risky to use off-stage. Because of this, it is rarely used as a meteor smash and most of times, leads to a SD. Even when she lands on the ground, there is extremely high ending lag making it easy to punish Despite this, its extremely fast descent speed can enable it to counter a juggle if there is sufficient distance between Zero Suit Samus and the opponent.

|zairname=Aerial Plasma Whip ({{ja|空中プラズマウィップ|Kūchū Purazuma Wippu}})

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

|grabdesc=Performs a kneeling lunge to unfurl a whip of plasma. The tip has more vertical range, which makes it useful even against small characters, who can otherwise crouch under the rest of the whip. Thanks to its duration, it can even grab opponents out of their rolls and sidesteps when timed precisely. Although Zero Suit Samus' grabs have long horizontal ranges, they are tied with [[Grapple Beam]] for having the highest amount of start-up lag in the game, and have the third highest amount of ending lag in the game even though it's not as long ranged as Samus'.

|pummelname=Grab Kneebutt ({{ja|つかみニーバット|Tsukami Nībatto}})

|fthrowname=Short Kick ({{ja|ショートキック|Shōto Kikku}})

|bthrowname=Kick Throw ({{ja|キックスルー|Kikku Surū}})

|bthrowdesc=A mid-level roundhouse kick. At low percent, it can set up tech chase depending on opponent's DI and reaction. It is an infamous set-up for [[Flip Jump]] while near the edge because of Flip Jump's meteor smash hitbox. It can also be used as a set-up into back aerial until around 90%-110% as a DI mix-up against opponents attempting to DI away. However, these follow-ups are not guaranteed and require hard reads.

|uthrowname=Hold Somersault Kick ({{ja|ホールドサマーソルトキック|Hōrudo Samāsoruto Kikku}})

|dthrowname=Knee Stamp ({{ja|ニースタンプ|Nī Sutanpu}})

|dthrowdesc=Pins the opponent to the ground and then performs an axe kick. It is one of her best combo starters, with follow-ups including a dashing up smash, forward, back (if the opponent's DI is read properly) and up aerials, and Boost Kick, with the latter combo KOing at high percentages. At low percent depending on characters's weight and fall speed along with DI, she can set up an up smash or down smash against opponents attempting to air dodge. At high percentages and depending on rage, it can also set up a semi-guaranteed KO combo with up aerial against opponents attempting to jump out or air dodge, or Boost Kick, bair, or Flip Jump against opponents attempting to air dodge.

|nsdefdesc=Assumes a {{s|wikipedia|kneeling position}} to fire a paralyzing energy blast. It can be charged, which increases its damage output the duration of its paralysis, but at the cost of lowered speed. Targets hit by paralysis cannot be paralyzed again until making contact with the stage.

|ssc1desc=A dashing pistol-whip, similar to {{SSB4|Bayonetta}}'s dash attack. Due to not emitting a whip of plasma, it cannot be used as a tether recovery, although her grab aerial still functions the same.

|usdefdesc=Activates her Jet Boots to perform a jet-propelled diagonal split-legged flying kick, followed by a spinning hook kick. It is one of Zero Suit Samus' best KOing options, especially from [[out of shield]], thanks to it hitting multiple times and its last hit's extremely high knockback scaling. Its last hit KOs aerial middleweights at 111% while near the edge of Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version, and at 103% in the ''Wii U'' version. It can also be angled forward or backward, which allows it to catch an opponent's air dodge, rolls and edge get-up reactions.

|usc2desc=The last hit deals slightly more damage, is a [[semi-spike]] and grants significantly more horizontal distance. However, the first hit covers much less vertical distance.

|dsdefdesc=A 720° Ce Kong Fan, a jumping technique used in contemporary Wushu. It functions as a third jump and grants intangibility on frames 3-12. It can deal damage in two ways: upon contact at the end of the jump, or by pressing either the attack button or special button during the jump. Upon contact, Zero Suit Samus performs a [[Footstool jump|footstool]] stomp, which buries grounded opponents and meteor smashes aerial opponents. Zero Suit Samus will bounce off teammates with this move, even if [[Team Attack]] is off. Pressing the attack or special buttons makes her perform a diagonal flying kick, which is very powerful. The flying kick also has a sweetspot at her foot that can meteor smash aerial opponents, but has slightly less knockback against aerial opponents. Flip Jump's kick KOs middleweights at 98% while near the edge of Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version, and at 88% in the ''Wii U'' version. However, the move has high ending lag overall.

|dsc2name=Low Flip

{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"

!{{{name|}}}

|-

! scope="row"|Cheer

|[[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer NTSC SSB4.ogg|center]]||[[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer JP SSB4.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer Spanish NTSC SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Zero Suit Samus Cheer Spanish PAL SSB4.ogg|center]]

|-

! scope="row"|Description

|Ze - ro - Suit! || Zero Suit Samus! || Saaaa - mus Ze - ro!

!Cheer (French)

|-

! scope="row"|Cheer

|-

! scope="row"|Description

|Sa - mus sans combinaison ! {{NTSC}}<br>Sa - mus sans armure ! {{PAL}} || Ze - ro - Suit! Sa - mus! || Sa - mus Tu - ta Ze - ro!

|}

==In [[competitive play]]==

===Most historically significant players===

<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->

''See also: [[:Category:Zero Suit Samus players (SSB4)]]''

*{{Sm|ANTi|USA}} - Although better known for using {{SSB4|Mario}}, ANTi has also used Zero Suit Samus as a common secondary in tournaments, using her to win crucial sets to place 2nd at both {{Trn|Port Priority 3: Tristate Throwdown}} and {{Trn|The Big House 6}}, as well as 7th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2016}}. He was ultimately ranked 14th on the [[PGR 100]] with Zero Suit Samus as a secondary.

*{{Sm|Choco|Japan}} - One of the best Zero Suit Samus players of all-time, ranking 35th on the [[PGR 100]], and one of Japan's best players, known for being the runner-up at {{Trn|Umebura Niconico Qualifier}} and {{Trn|Umebura Smash 4 Final}}. Despite his achievements, he was notoriously underrated on the [[PGR]] for most of competitive ''Smash 4'' due to his performances being largely based in Japan, and wouldn't make a major impact internationally until his 7th-place run at {{Trn|EVO 2018}}.

*{{Sm|Luhtie|USA}} - First known for his run to 5th at {{Trn|Rise 2017}} defeating {{Sm|Elegant}} and {{Sm|Tyrant}}, but this was quickly overshadowed by his win over {{Sm|ZeRo}} at {{Trn|2GGC: Civil War}}, where he ultimately placed 33rd. He has since seen many other strong performances at events, including placing 25th at the {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2017}} and {{Trn|2GGC: SCR Saga}} defeating {{Sm|Abadango}} in the former and {{Sm|AC}} in the latter. His performances in the latter half of 2017 led him to be ranked in the Area 51 position on the [[PGR v4]].

*{{Sm|Marss|USA}} - The second-best Zero Suit Samus player of all-time, ranked 16th on the [[PGR 100]], having dominated [[New England]] competitive play. He notably won {{Trn|Midwest Mayhem 12}}, and has come close to winning several majors, having placed 2nd at {{Trn|The Big House 7}}, 3rd at {{Trn|Pound 2016}}, and 5th at {{Trn|2GGC: Civil War}}.

*{{Sm|Nairo|USA}} - The best Zero Suit Samus player of all-time, and one of the overall best ''Smash 4'' players of all-time, ranking no lower than 4th on any iteration of the [[PGR]] and ultimately ranking 2nd on the [[PGR 100]]. He is the only Zero Suit Samus player with major wins, with 10 major and supermajor victories including {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2016}} and {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2017}}. In addition, he is the first player to double-eliminate {{Sm|ZeRo}}, doing so at {{Trn|MLG World Finals 2015}}.

*{{Sm|quiK|Germany}} - The best Zero Suit Samus player in Europe and one of Europe's best players overall, ranking 6th on the [[European Smash 4 Power Rankings]] and regularly placing top 8 at Europe's largest events, including winning {{Trn|Albion 3}} and placing 3rd at {{Trn|Smash Valley}}, 5th at {{Trn|SALT}}, and 7th at {{Trn|Syndicate 2017}}. Outside of Europe, he notably placed 33rd at {{Trn|2GGC: Nairo Saga}} defeating {{Sm|Larry Lurr}}.

*{{Sm|shky|Japan}} - The second-best Zero Suit Samus player in Japan, breaking out onto the competitive scene in 2018 by placing 3rd at {{Trn|Umebura Tokaigi Qualifier 1}} and 7th at {{Trn|EVO Japan 2018}}, and remained a threat throughout the rest of competitive ''Smash 4'', placing 3rd at {{Trn|Sumabato 27}} and 7th at {{Trn|KVOxTSB 2018}}. He is the second Japanese player ranked on an iteration of the PGR without attending an international event, ranking 41st on the [[PGR v5]].

===Tier placement and history===

Among these dedicated professionals was {{Sm|Nairo}}, who quickly established himself as one of the best players in the world after regularly achieving top 8 placings at major tournaments, winning several of them, and becoming the first person to eliminate {{Sm|ZeRo}}, the undisputed best player in the world at the time, from a tournament. Several other Zero Suit Samus players also made strong impacts on the metagame, including {{Sm|Marss}} and {{Sm|NickRiddle}}. Thanks to these very strong tournament results, Zero Suit Samus was ranked 2nd on the first tier list.

However, Zero Suit Samus received nerfs from game updates, with update 1.1.5 providing her most significant ones by exacerbating her grab game's lag issues and somewhat toning down her immense strengths. These nerfs ultimately affected her results, with some of her main players eventually being outperformed by other characters, such as {{SSB4|Cloud}}, which in turn saw her playerbase slightly shrink. Zero Suit Samus' downturn was reflected in her next few tier placements, as she lost her top 3 status by being ranked 8th on the second tier list, and then lost her top 10 status by being ranked 11th on the third tier list.

However, this downturn of events was reversed following the release of the third tier list, as Zero Suit Samus saw a spike in results thanks to Nairo and Marss' continued success at majors and {{Sm|Choco}}'s strong performances in the Japanese scene. In addition, the nerfs did little to hinder her threatening ladder combos, which remained a core part of her playstyle. As such, many Smashers believed she had been severely underrated on the third tier list, especially when her results were more impressive than some characters ranked above her, including {{SSB4|Sheik}} and {{SSB4|Mario}}. Although a few top players remained adamant that Zero Suit Samus was not as strong as many perceived, she ultimately rose back into the top 10 on the fourth and final tier list, ranking 6th. This placement remained mostly agreed upon for the rest of competitive ''Smash 4'', especially with continued success from her best players and the rise of {{Sm|shky}} in the game's final year.

In All-Star Mode, Zero Suit Samus is fought in Stage 6 in the 3DS version or Stage 2 in the Wii U version alongside {{SSB4|Roy}}, {{SSB4|Ike}}, {{SSB4|Lucas}}, {{SSB4|Olimar}}, {{SSB4|Lucario}}, {{SSB4|Toon Link}}, {{SSB4|Villager}}, and {{SSB4|Bowser Jr.}}

* '''[[A Situation of some Gravity]]''': Zero Suit Samus must defeat {{SSB4|Rosalina & Luma}} while she is affected by high gravity.

* '''[[All-Star Battle: Brawl]]''': Zero Suit Samus is one of the opponents fought in this event. All of the opponents debuted in ''Brawl''.

* '''[[Bounty Hunter Clash]]''': As {{SSB4|Captain Falcon}}, the player must defeat Zero Suit Samus. After some time, two {{SSB4|Villager}}s will appear and must be defeated as well.

* '''[[Identity Crisis]]''': As {{SSB4|Zelda}} and {{SSB4|Sheik}}, the player must defeat Zero Suit Samus and {{SSB4|Samus}}.

* '''[[Peach in Peril]]''': {{SSB4|Bowser}} and {{SSB4|Bowser Jr.}} must defeat Zero Suit Samus, Rosalina & Luma, Zelda, {{SSB4|Wii Fit Trainer}} and female {{SSB4|Robin}}, but not {{SSB4|Peach}}. KOing Peach results into an instant failure.

* '''[[The Ultimate Battle]]''': Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.

SSB4-3DS Congratulations Classic Zero Suit Samus.png|Classic Mode

SSB4-3DS Congratulations All-Star Zero Suit Samus.png|All-Star Mode

====Wii U====

SSB4-Wii U Congratulations Classic Zero Suit Samus.png|Classic Mode

SSB4-Wii U Congratulations All-Star Zero Suit Samus.png|All-Star Mode

==[[Trophies]]==

Zero Suit Samus's default trophy is obtained by clearing Classic Mode as Zero Suit Samus. Her alternate trophy is obtained by clearing All-Star Mode as Zero Suit Samus in the 3DS version or purchasing it in the Trophy Shop for 1000G in the Wii U version (the latter can only appear after clearing Classic or All-Star as Zero Suit Samus). The Gunship (Zero Suit Samus) trophy is obtained only in the Wii U version by clearing All-Star Mode as Zero Suit Samus.

{{Trophy/Fighter

|name=Zero Suit Samus

|image-3ds=ZeroSuitSamusTrophy3DS.png

|image-wiiu=ZeroSuitSamusTrophyWiiU.png

|desc-ntsc=Samus is far from helpless when her Power Suit is deactivated. Sure, she loses a lot of the moves and weapons she had access to before, but her Jet Boots pick up the slack! She also has the Paralyzer, a versatile weapon that can shock her rivals or change into a Plasma Whip to grab edges and enemies.

|desc-pal=Without her Power Suit, Samus Aran may not have her usual strength, special moves or over-powered arm cannon, but her Jet Boots definitely kick things up a notch in their own way. The Paralyzer, her gun, does just what you'd expect it to, but it can also turn into a whip for attacking and grabbing onto edges while falling.

|gamelist-ntsc={{Trophy games|console1=GBA|game1=Metroid: Zero Mission|release1=02/2004|console2=Wii|game2=Metroid: Other M|release2=08/2010}}

|gamelist-pal={{Trophy games|console1=GBA|game1=Metroid: Zero Mission|release1=04/2004|console2=Wii|game2=Metroid: Other M|release2=09/2010}}

{{clrl}}

|name=Zero Suit Samus (Alt.)

|image-3ds=ZeroSuitSamusAltTrophy3DS.png

|image-wiiu=ZeroSuitSamusAltTrophyWiiU.png

|mode=Alt

|desc-3ds-ntsc=Zero Suit Samus's up special Boost Kick involves a series of fast kicks that end with a swift, sideways-launching one. A perfectly executed attack will hit eight times! Her down special Flip Jump can bury a grounded fighter in the dirt. She can kick midflip by pressing the special button.

|desc-wiiu-ntsc=Zero Suit Samus's up special Boost Kick involves a series of fast kicks that ends with a swift, sideways-launching one. A perfectly executed attack will hit eight times! Her down special Flip Jump can bury a grounded fighter in the dirt. She can kick midflip by pressing the special button.

|desc-pal=Zero Suit Samus's Boost Kick up special finishes with a swift sideways kick. If you start the move close to an opponent, you can hit them up to eight times and launch them sideways! Her main down special, Flip Jump, buries opponents if you land on them at the end of it. Alternatively, press the button again mid-flip for a drop kick.

|gamelist-ntsc={{Trophy games|console1=GBA|game1=Metroid: Zero Mission|release1=02/2004|console2=Wii|game2=Metroid: Other M|release2=08/2010}}

|gamelist-pal={{Trophy games|console1=GBA|game1=Metroid: Zero Mission|release1=04/2004|console2=Wii|game2=Metroid: Other M|release2=09/2010}}

{{clrl}}

 

|image=GunshipFinalSmashTrophyWiiU.png

|desc-ntsc=Samus's spaceship carries her through space and serves as her base of operations during her missions. Zero Suit Samus will call down and board her Gunship with her Final Smash. Once she's in the pilot's seat, she has a short time to unleash up to five powerful shots from the ship's weapons. Foes aren't safe even hiding off-screen!

|desc-pal=Samus's Gunship is her way of travelling through space and her base of operations when exploring hostile planets. In Zero Suit Samus's Final Smash, she can use her Gunship to fire powerful beams at other fighters, hitting them multiple times, even if they're hiding off-screen! At least they can be thankful it doesn't go on forever.

Zero Suit Samus SSB3DS.png|Zero Suit Samus in {{for3ds}}.

SSB4 - ZSS Screen-10.jpg|[[Jump]]ing in Super Smash Bros for 3DS.

*Zero Suit Samus is the only character who has more than one method of accessing their [[tether recovery]].

*Although {{SSB4|Zelda}} and {{SSB4|Sheik}} have [[alternate costume]]s that correspond to their costumes' respective orders, {{SSB4|Samus}} and Zero Suit Samus do not follow this trend. Zero Suit Samus lacks a purple alternate costume to match Samus' {{s|metroidwiki|Gravity Suit}}, while her last two alternate costumes consist of her Casual Outfits instead of variations of the {{s|metroidwiki|Zero Suit}}.

 

[[Category:Zero Suit Samus (SSB4)| ]]