Editing Zero Suit Samus (SSBU)

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

'''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. Ultimate]]''. She was officially revealed on June 12th, 2018 alongside {{SSBU|Wii Fit Trainer}} and the rest of the returning roster. Once again, Zero Suit Samus is unconnected to [[Samus (SSBU)|her Power Suit-equipped self]]; however, she temporarily equips her Power Suit during her [[Final Smash]]. As in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', {{iw|wikipedia|Alésia Glidewell}}'s portrayal of Zero Suit Samus from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' was repurposed for ''Ultimate''. Zero Suit Samus is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #29]].

Zero Suit Samus is currently ranked 30th out of 82 characters on the current ''Ultimate'' [[tier list]], placing her at the bottom of the A- tier. This is a significant drop from her top-tier position in ''SSB4'', where she was ranked 6th out of 54 characters, and is her worst placement in the series to date. Zero Suit Samus possesses fantastic movement that allows her to be fantastic as a hit-and-run character and even a time-out character, while also giving her a strong disadvantage state. Zero Suit Samus also possesses a long and fast recovery thanks to [[Flip Jump]], [[Boost Kick]], and her [[tether]]. She also possesses safe aerials and a projectile that complements her strong neutral game and grants her a strong aerial game.

 

However, Zero Suit Samus also has some notable weaknesses. Zero Suit Samus has issues closing out stocks consistently and her damage racking capabilities are unimpressive compared to other top-tier characters, making her ability to make comebacks rather poor. She also has poor endurance due to being a tall lightweight, making her susceptible to early KOs. Finally, Zero Suit Samus' out-of-shield options aren't as flexible as other melee-oriented characters, due to hers requiring more precision due their limited coverage.

 

Zero Suit Samus was initially considered to be among the best characters in the game and had strong representation thanks to {{Sm|Marss}} and many players in Japan, including {{Sm|Choco}} and {{Sm|Kuro}}. However, nerfs to her strengths, buffs to other characters, metagame shifts due to the addition of DLC characters, and a lack of activity from her best players led to a noticeable decline following the online era. Nonetheless, she remains a highly viable character.

With the exception of the third method, Zero Suit Samus must then be defeated on [[Brinstar]]. In World of Light, she is fought on the [[Ω form]] of [[Brinstar Depths]].

Zero Suit Samus is a tall, [[weight|lightweight]] character, similar to {{SSBU|Zelda}} and {{SSBU|Rosalina}}, which alongside her low weight (tied with {{SSBU|Meta Knight}} for the 7th lowest) gives her poor endurance. However, much like other rushdown-oriented characters, her mobility is among the best in the game: she possesses the 2nd fastest [[initial dash]], the 7th fastest [[dash]]ing speed, the 9th fastest [[air speed]], the 15th highest [[air acceleration]], and the 3rd highest [[jump]] height overall. Altogether, these attributes gives her an excellent hit-and-run playstyle.

One of Zero Suit Samus' biggest strengths is her outstanding air game, considered among the best in the cast. While her [[neutral aerial]] has noticeable start-up, it is decently [[disjoint]]ed and sends at an excellent angle for combos. This makes it one of her main tools in the [[neutral game|neutral]] and is notable for having several KO confirms into some of her finishing moves. Her [[forward aerial]] is also a great combo starter due to its low lag and can be useful for edgeguarding, while it also has some KO potential offstage. Her [[back aerial]] is fast, fairly strong, and can be combo'd into from a neutral aerial at high percents, making it one of her primary KO options. Her [[up aerial]] is exceptionally fast at frame 6 and can be combo'd into itself repeatedly, making it a great juggling tool that can sometimes KO confirm into [[Boost Kick]]. Her [[down aerial]] is a [[stall-then-fall]] aerial with a [[meteor smash]] hitbox; while it is her slowest aerial and easily her most unsafe, it can nonetheless be used as a situational KO move and landing option. Finally, she is one of the only characters in the game with a [[grab aerial]], which like most other grab aerials has long [[range]] and low lag overall, giving her a good approach against aerial foes as well as a niche recovery option.

While her ground game isn't as powerful as her aerials, it still has decent utility. Her [[neutral attack]] is notable for coming out instantly on frame 1, making it a reliable anti-pressure tool despite its poor damage output and range. Her [[forward tilt]] has good range, low lag, and can set up [[tech-chase]] situations and can [[trip]] at low percents when angled downwards, her [[up tilt]] is the fastest of its kind at 3 frames of startup and can be used as an anti-air, and her [[down tilt]] lowers her hurtbox and is useful as a ranged poking option while also being a decent combo starter. Her [[down smash]] has decently sized hitboxes with low ending lag and is an effective combo tool starting from lower percentages while at higher percentages, it can lead into KO moves such as Boost Kick or up smash; however, unlike most other down smashes, it only hits in front of her, limiting its utility for tech-chasing. Lastly, her [[up smash]] has impressive vertical range overall, deals high hitstun, has low enough ending lag for combos at low percentages, and has decent KO power, arguably making it one of the best up smashes in ''Ultimate''.

Zero Suit Samus also has a decent [[grab]] game, as her grab has a very long range, while all of her [[throw]]s deal at least 8%. Her [[forward throw]] can be used for tech chasing, while her [[back throw]] can force opponents into unfavorable offstage situations or even lead into her infamous Flip Jump meteor smash. Her [[up throw]] is a decent KO throw (which KOs starting around 170%), and while her [[down throw]] is ironically unsuitable for combos unlike other down throws, it can still follow up at low percentages if the opponent fails to act fast enough.

Finally, her special moveset has strong utility overall. [[Paralyzer]], her neutral special, has a very fast charge time compared to other chargeable projectiles, and starting at mid percentages, will stun opponents long enough for her to be able to follow up. [[Plasma Whip]], her side special, is a long-ranged attack with very strong utility: tapping the button will cause the move to become a multi-hitting KO option that KOs starting at 140% if fresh, while holding the button will cause the move to hit once and knock foes upward. While this version is less suited for offense and has more lag, it still has utility for setting up combos. [[Boost Kick]], her up special, travels merely average distance as a recovery, but compensates with having many options that follow up into it (such as neutral and up aerials, Paralyzer and [[Flip Jump]]'s burying sweetspot), while the last hit is strong enough to KO earlier than her forward smash and her strongest move overall. Finally, her down special, [[Flip Jump]], is a 45° acrobatic jump that does not render her helpless in the air, while its followup kick can meteor smash foes in the air or bury them on the ground, and is fast enough that it will often leave slower characters (such as {{SSBU|Ganondorf}}) in dangerous situations. It also grants [[intangibility]] on frames 3-12, making it an excellent tool for getting out of disadvantage.  

Zero Suit Samus is not without flaws, however. Perhaps her most infamous flaw lies in her defense: while her recovery is among the most effective in ''Ultimate'' due to her abundance of recovery options, fast air speed, and high jumps, her aforementioned weight and tall frame give her very poor endurance, while her recovery options (except for Flip Jump) are linear and fairly straightforward to edgeguard, which can make her recovery predictable. This flaw is further stressed with her fast falling speed, as it is easy for characters with sufficiently fast combo attacks (including {{SSBU|Mario}} and {{SSBU|Pichu}}) to perform combos on her (although her frame 2 air dodges can somewhat alleviate this issue).

Zero Suit Samus' ground game, despite its strengths, is also flawed. While her tilts have passable range, and her up and down smashes are good for follow ups and KO confirms, her forward smash has high end lag for an attack of its kind and is not strong or consistent enough to KO reliably, making it arguably her worst move. Her dash attack cannot reliably combo due to its high ending lag, and her down smash, despite its follow up potential, is unsafe on hit at low percentages due to its low hitlag and knockback, meaning that the paralyzed opponent(s) can generally act before she can follow up.

Zero Suit Samus' out-of-shield game can also be rather problematic. While Boost Kick is very fast at frame 6 and can KO very early at the ledge, it lacks sufficient range in front of her and has a very hard time punishing cross-ups out of shield. While the aerial version has more range, it also costs 3 extra frames to start up (due to her jumpsquat) and as such is less reliable. Her up smash acts as a solid out of shield option due to its decent horizontal range but is still merely frame 10; although that is fast startup for an up smash, it is only average startup for an out of shield option. Her rather high short hop also causes her aerials to be unviable out of shield outside of forward aerial on certain characters, and her grab by default is very slow. As such, ZSS's out of shield game suffers immensely if the opponent spaces against her shield well.

Finally, while her grab game has some utility, it is still notably flawed. As her throws only deal passable damage at best, while up throw is her only KO throw (and not a particularly potent one at that), they are only generally used to deal damage if other close-range moves are stale. Her grab in general is also very laggy in startup and end lag, meaning that despite its long range, it is easy to punish from any sufficiently fast attack if it misses. Lastly, the nerfs to her down throw, which was easily her best throw from ''SSB4'', make her grab game more suited for direct offense instead of damage racking strings, giving it limited utility overall.

In the end, Zero Suit Samus retains much of her playstyle from ''SSB4'', being a hit-and-run character with a strong punish game, while the transition from ''SSB4'' to ''Ultimate'' has improved her overall mobility and [[neutral]] tools at the cost of her potent ladder [[combo]]s and overall KO power.

Zero Suit Samus was previously considered a dominating top tier character throughout the lifetime of ''SSB4'' (6th out of 55 characters), with a combination of excellent mobility, impressive recovery and a highly deadly punish game that could easily turn the tables on a careless opponent. Likely as a result of this, Zero Suit Samus has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition to ''Ultimate'', but was nerfed overall.

 

Zero Suit Samus significantly benefits overall from the universal changes to gameplay mechanics. The faster movement speed further enhances her already excellent mobility, improving her approach and as such, her "hit and run" playstyle. The changes to [[air dodge]] mechanics improves her juggling capabilities, while not affecting her as much thanks to her great recovery and options to escape pressure. The universally reduced landing lag and more limited [[out of shield]] options allow her to retain some of her setups while improving on her mediocre neutral game, one of her most notable weaknesses in ''SSB4''.

 

She has also directly received some useful buffs. [[Down tilt]], arguably her worst move in ''SSB4'', has reduced ending lag that gives it combo potential at low percentages. Up smash has reduced base knockback and significantly increased knockback scaling, turning it into a reliable all-purpose attack with combo potential at low percentages and KO power at high percentages. Aside from her lost ability to string lengthy and devastating punishes off of a down throw, Zero Suit Samus' grab game has been improved as a whole: her grab, previously one of the laggiest in the game, has been sped up, making it less risky to use; her new [[forward throw]] sends opponents in a lower angle, granting it the ability to set up [[tech-chasing]]; and [[up throw]] has increased knockback, granting her an emergency KO move at high percentages.

 

Finally, her special moveset has seen many improvements, as [[Paralyzer]] charges and fires shots faster, while [[Plasma Whip]] has had some of its lost KO power from ''Brawl'' restored and has a new version where opponents can be sent towards her for new setups if the button is held. [[Flip Jump]] executes faster in the air, both the jump and footstool stomp have less ending lag, and the manual kick can be inputted faster, which allows her to combo into it from her neutral aerial much more consistently and take stocks at very early percentages.

 

However, despite these changes, Zero Suit Samus has received some significant nerfs that generally halt the buffs she received. The most notable direct nerfs were to her outstanding punish game, which while still potent, has been toned down as a whole: her [[down throw]] has more knockback and ending lag, losing almost all its combo potential past extremely low percentages; [[up aerial]] has more ending lag, and both her down smash and Flip Jump's bury hitbox (especially the former) have less hitstun and knockback, worsening several of her setup moves and making it more difficult to capitalize on them and on KO confirms. Furthermore, the changes to the knockback physics make it more difficult for her to string her moves into the other. As a result of this, her combo game is significantly less varied and effective, now requiring Zero Suit Samus to utilize her improved mobility in order to land hits.

Zero Suit Samus' recovery, previously one of the best in the game, was also nerfed, as Plasma Whip takes much longer to grab an edge and has reduced tether range. Her KO ability, one of her previous weaknesses, has also been further defined due to the nerfs to [[forward smash]]'s sourspots and forward aerial's power, back aerials and [[Boost Kick]]'s hitboxes, and Boost Kick's reduced knockback (unless started from the ground), making it much harder for her to score KOs. Finally, in terms of indirect changes, while the faster mobility is a boon to Zero Suit Samus, it also allows many other characters to keep up with her and thus catch her more easily than before, slightly weakening her already problematic disadvantage.

In the end, Zero Suit Samus' nerfs have made her "hit and run" gameplan shift completely from ''SSB4''. She plays less linear thanks to a wider array of options, as opposed to her more polarized kit in ''SSB4'', though while she retains many of her advantages from the previous game and still possesses devastating punishes, her watered down combo game makes her early punish game and advantage less oppressive than before, now requiring her to play a much more patient neutral game, using her mobility to weave in and out and more carefully punishing mistakes, lest she be put at a disadvantage. She has also received slight nerfs through game updates, though these haven't drastically affected her viability. However, this all culminates in Zero Suit Samus performing worse than in ''SSB4''.

Zero Suit Samus has received a mix of buffs and nerfs via game updates, but has been nerfed overall. Patch 2.0.0 nerfed her forward smash by adding a sourspot at close range while her Flip Jump has reduced base knockback, hindering her ability to KO aerial opponents at an early percentage from a back throw.

However, her buffs in patch 2.0.0 allow her to grab ledges earlier when using forward aerial and up aerial while patch 3.1.0 allows her Plasma Whip to connect more reliably. Her Flip Jump has been reverted to how it was before patch 3.0.0, improving her recovery. Patch 7.0.0 would then reduce Flip Jump's knockback scaling on the burying hit, nerfing its confirm into Boost Kick, to the point where sufficient mashing will result in it being very difficult to get the followup at high percents although still possible if the player acts fast enough. Patch 11.0.0 increased the landing lag of Neutral Aerial and increased the startup time for Boost Kick. This reduces her safety on shield, and it weakens Boost Kick as an out of shield option and makes ladder combo kills using the second hit of Boost Kick harder. The increased lag on both moves make her combos have a tighter window but are still doable and she remains a highly viable character.  

|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}})

|neutraldesc=A knifehand strike, followed by a [[wikipedia:Pistol-whipping|pistol-whip]] with her Paralyzer, followed by a {{iw|wikipedia|12-6 elbow}}. It is tied with {{SSBU|Little Mac}}'s neutral attack as the fastest of its kind, coming out instantly on frame 1. The first hit can [[lock]], but the height of the hitbox causes it to miss small or crouching opponents on non-slanted terrain. It also has a poor damage output, only doing a total of 6% if all three hits connect. Its main purpose is to disrupt grounded approaches or combos, as well as finish a combo on its own due to its instantaneous startup.

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

|ftiltdesc=A roundhouse kick. It can be angled, with the downward-angled version potentially [[tripping]] the opponent at low percentages. Its main usage is for spacing, due to its low overall lag and average knockback.

|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}})

|dtiltdesc=A legsweep. This lowers her hurtbox more than her crouch, allowing her to duck under most projectiles with proper timing. Unlike in ''SSB4'', it also works as a decent combo starter, as it can combo into forward aerial, up aerial, and dashing up smash at low percentages.

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

|dashdesc=Activates her Jet Boots to perform a jet-propelled knee strike. It functions very well as a burst option and a whiff punish, due to it coming out on frame 7. However, it does not have much of a function otherwise, due to it lacking KO potential or the ability to set up up combos.

|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; the only change is that it has slightly higher knockback scaling. Her side smash can be angled, but only the second kick changes in angle. It is often considered one of the worst forward smashes among the cast, because, despite its moderate startup, it is extremely weak, and it has very high ending lag despite this, making it a high-risk move with low reward.

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

|usmashdesc=Converts her {{iw|metroidwiki|Paralyzer}} into its Plasma Whip configuration and spins in place while twirling her Plasma Whip overhead. It possesses deceptively high hitstun with low ending lag, making it a solid combo starter at low to mid percentages, while still possessing decent KO power. It is also a very strong anti-air, as the attack has a huge disjoint above her head. All of these traits, combined with its long-lasting and disjointed hitboxes, have garnered it a reputation as one of the best up smashes in the game.

|dsmashname=Slant Paralyzer ({{ja|スラントパラライザー|Suranto Pararaizā}})

|dsmashdesc=Aims her Paralyzer downward in front of herself and fires a [[Paralyze|paralyzing]] energy blast at the ground. This move has poor KO potential, instead, it is used to initiate combos. The move has slow startup as it comes out on frame 20, but has very low ending lag with only 17 frames of cooldown which makes it excellent for leading into other moves such as Boost Kick for a potential KO at high percentages. Opponents are paralyzed much longer at higher percentages. It can [[2 frame punish]] opponents, giving her true followups if it is timed correctly. Based on the ability to shoot her Paralyzer downward in ''{{iw|metroidwiki|Metroid: Zero Mission}}''.

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

|nairdesc=Converts her Paralyzer into its Plasma Whip configuration and spins in midair, swinging her Plasma Whip laterally around herself. It is often considered her best aerial and one of the best neutral aerials in the game for a multitude of reasons, the most notable of which is its combo potential. It can combo into all of her aerials in a very wide range of percentages, starting at 0%, and at high percentages (around 80%), it has a KO confirm into back aerial. At lower percentages (around 40%-60%), it has a notorious KO setup into Flip Jump, although it is sometimes inconsistent because of the sweetspot's small hitbox. Another reason it is so versatile is that it is extremely difficult to punish when landing with the move; against shield, its [[electric]]al properties and disjointed range make it difficult to punish, even on whiff or out of a parry. On shield, it is -4 at best, making it safe against out-of-shield options that can even be as fast as frame 5. Altogether, these traits make Zero Suit Samus' neutral aerial one of her best moves overall.

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

|fairdesc=A hook kick followed by a roundhouse kick. At very high percentages, the first hit has trouble connecting into the second hit; however, this, in return, makes it a good combo starter on landing. At low percentages, it can combo into itself, up smash, and forward tilt. At high percentages, it has KO confirms into back aerial, Boost Kick and Flip Jump. The attack by itself is decently strong, KOing offstage at around 100% and potentially even earlier, due to Zero Suit Samus' excellent mobility enabling her to go very far offstage and still be able to recover.

|bairname=Sobat ({{ja|ソバット|Sobatto}})

|bairdesc=A spinning hook kick. Very high knockback for an attack of its type, being able to KO opponents earlier than each of her uncharged smash attacks. It works very well as a combo finisher and KO confirm, being able to combo out of her landing neutral aerial, the first hit of her forward aerial, and her up aerial.

|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, very high knockback scaling and low landing lag, it boasts excellent juggling potential.

|dairname=Slash Dive ({{ja|スラッシュダイブ|Surasshu Daibu}})

|dairdesc=A diagonal flying kick, similar to {{SSBU|Sonic}} and {{SSBU|Sheik}}'s down aerials, though unlike most moves of its kind, it [[meteor smash]]es throughout its entire duration. Has the slowest startup lag of all of her aerials. Due to this move being a [[stall-then-fall]], it is extremely risky to use off-stage, leading to a [[self-destruct]] in most cases, though its aforementioned properties make it effective as a quick and unexpected [[sacrificial KO]], as the opponent will be KO'd first if hit below the edge. Even when she lands on the ground, there is a high landing 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}})

|zairdesc=Converts her Paralyzer into its Plasma Whip configuration and performs a whip lash in front of herself. It shares most of the same combos and KO confirms that her neutral aerial has, such as into back aerial and Flip Jump at high percentages; however, due to its lower knockback, it has an additional KO setup into Boost Kick.

|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})

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

|pummeldesc=A knee strike. Average power and speed.

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

|fthrowdesc=A side kick. It is arguably her most useful throw, as it is essential to her excellent tech-chasing capabilities due to its very low launch angle. It can even combo into dash attack against some characters, although the window for it to be true is rather tight.

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

|bthrowdesc=A mid-level roundhouse kick. It can launch opponents offstage and, if the opponent's reaction is read, it can combo into Flip Kick. However, this combo is extremely risky, as Zero Suit Samus has a very good chance to self-destruct if Flip Kick misses due to its high ending lag.

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

|uthrowdesc=A backflip kick. The most damaging out of all of her throws, as well as her strongest throw; however, it doesn't KO middleweights until around 165%. To make up for this, however, its extremely fast startup makes it impossible to react to with DI.

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

|dthrowdesc=Pins the opponent on the ground and performs an axe kick. Unlike in ''SSB4'', it is a very poor combo starter due to having much higher ending lag; the only way it can combo into attacks is to read the opponent's reaction.

|floorbdesc=A modified butterfly kick performed from a b-boy move (a breakdancing move).

|nsdmg=4%-6%

|nsdesc=Assumes a {{iw|wikipedia|kneeling position}} to fire a paralyzing energy blast from her Paralyzer. 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.

|ssdesc=Converts her Paralyzer into its Plasma Whip configuration to perform a twirling whip lash in front of herself. The whip hits repeatedly, while its sweetspot, which is located at the whip's tip, launches opponents away, and can KO at high percentages. Alternatively, holding down the special move button will have the tip of the whip launch the opponent upward and toward her. While the held version deals less damage, it gives Zero Suit Samus an opportunity for followups.

|usdmg=5% (hit 1), 1.2% (hits 2-6), 4% (hit 7)

|usdesc=Activates her Jet Boots to perform a jet-propelled diagonal split-legged flying kick, followed by a spinning hook kick. One of her best KO moves against a midair opponent. It can also be angled forward or backward, which allows it to catch an opponent's air dodge, rolls, and edge get-up reactions. The move is also a great [[out of shield]] option as it is very fast at frame 6 and is a potential KO option at high percentages, although the hitbox is directly in front of Zero Suit Samus and is very small, limiting its utility as an OoS option to very close range as it will very likely lead to a punish if it is whiffed.  

|fsdmg=1.2%/1.6% (laser loop), 20%/25% (final burst)

|fsdesc=Zero Suit Samus leaps upward and, while offscreen, equips her {{iw|metroidwiki|Power Suit}} before landing atop her {{iw|metroidwiki|Gunship}} in the background. A player-controlled crosshair then appears, and after a short amount of time (or when the attack button is pressed), the now-Power Suit equipped Samus begins firing her Zero Laser with an area roughly equal to that of the crosshair. Like the [[Zero Laser|version]] used by her [[Samus (SSBU)|Power Suit-equipped self]], it hits multiple times. Opponents take more damage closer to the center of the crosshair. At the end of the move, there is a brief pause, then one final burst is fired with enough power to launch opponents. Once the move concludes, Samus reverts to her Zero Suit and returns to her previous position.

 

 

SSBUZeroSuitSamusTaunt1.gif|Zero Suit Samus' up taunt.

SSBUZeroSuitSamusTaunt2.gif|Zero Suit Samus' side taunt.

SSBUZeroSuitSamusTaunt3.gif|Zero Suit Samus' down taunt.

SSBUZeroSuitSamusIdle1.gif|Zero Suit Samus' first idle pose.

SSBUZeroSuitSamusIdle2.gif|Zero Suit Samus' second idle pose.

|Ze - ro - Suit! Sa - mus! || Saaaa - mus Ze - ro! || Sa - mus! nul'-kostyum! || Ze - ro Su - it Sa - mu - s!

*'''Left:''' Lashes the air twice with her Plasma Whip and says "Be still."

[[File:MetroidUniverseTheme.ogg|thumb|A flourished remix of the theme that would play when [[Samus Aran]] obtained a new power-up or addition to her {{iw|metroidwiki|Power Suit}}. It would also play when Samus defeated [[Ridley]] or [[Kraid]].]]

==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 (SSBU)]]''

*{{Sm|Es|Japan}} - Placed 7th at {{Trn|TSC 11}}, 17th at both {{Trn|Umebura SP 3}} and {{Trn|Umebura SP 6}}, and 49th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 5}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|shky}}, {{Sm|Songn}}, and {{Sm|Nanchan}}. Ranked 58th on the [[Japan Player Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Exodia|Canada}} - One of the best Zero Suit Samus players in Canada. Placed 1st at both {{Trn|Animethon 26}} and {{Trn|Salt Flats 2020}}, 2nd at {{Trn|Smash at The Comic Strip: Punching Up}}, 3rd at {{Trn|SKL: Prairie Pummel}}, and 5th at {{Trn|Battle of BC 3}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Big D}}, {{Sm|Ouch!?}}, and {{Sm|Alphicans}}. Ranked 18th on the [[Smash Canada Rankings Ultimate]].

*{{Sm|Marss|USA}} - The best Zero Suit Samus player in the world and one of the overall best players in the world prior to the pandemic. Placed 1st at {{Trn|GENESIS 7}}, 3rd at {{Trn|Pound 2019}}, {{Trn|MomoCon 2019}}, and {{Trn|Mainstage}}, and 4th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2019}}. Ranked as high as 3rd on the [[Spring 2019 PGRU]] and is currently ranked 24th on the [[LumiRank 2023]].

*{{Sm|Yamanyon|Japan}} - Placed 7th at {{Trn|EGS Cup}}, 17th at {{Trn|Umebura SP 3}}, and 25th at {{Trn|Umebura Japan Major 2019}}, {{Trn|Umebura SP 5}}, and {{Trn|Umebura SP 6}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Lea}}, {{Sm|Kuro}}, and {{Sm|Raito}}. Ranked 62nd on the [[Japan Player Rankings]].

===Tier placement and history===

However, the post-pandemic metagame saw a notable shift in Zero Suit Samus' reception. For one, she received nerfs to some of her best moves, hindering her combo game and KO potential; the nerfs were great enough to cause some players, including Marss and shky, to believe the character was no longer one of the best in the game. In addition, her best players slowly became less active or started to perform worse than before. In particular, Marss began shifting his focus towards content creation while Kuro and Choco began struggling to make it into the top 32 at majors. As a result, Zero Suit Samus' representation declined, from having top 10 representation in 2019 to not even breaking top 30 by 2022. The nerfs to Zero Suit Samus' strongest tools and decline in results and representation collectively mellowed out opinions on her, with most players no longer considering her to be a top-tier.

This opinion is reflected in Zero Suit Samus' placement on the first tier list, where she was ranked 26th in A+ tier while also dropping down to the bottom of A- tier at 30th on the second tier list. This also marks the first time that she was ever ranked below [[Samus (SSBU)|her Power Suit-equipped self]].

All but one of Zero Suit Samus' opponents are characters who use [[Tether grab|tether/extended grabs]] and/or [[Tether recovery|tether recoveries]]. The only exception to this theme is {{SSBU|Little Mac}}, who represents the theme of "wires" (as mentioned in the route's Japanese name) by using his wireframe outfit.  

|2||{{CharHead|Ivysaur|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Spear Pillar]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Pokémon Gym/Evolution - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue}}''||Ivysaur's {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}} is absent.

|6||{{Head|Little Mac|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Wire}} (×3) {{Head|Little Mac|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}} (×3) {{SSBU|Little Mac}}||[[75m]] ([[Battlefield form]])||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Tunnel Scene - X}}''||Horde Battle (3 at a time). Items do not appear.<br>The stage is also made of wires, and the music track references how the Game Boy game ''X'' has wireframe graphics.

{{clr}}

Zero Suit Samus' fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}}. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Zero Suit Samus has been unlocked. Unlocking Zero Suit Samus in World of Light allows the player to preview the spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Her fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with her artwork in ''Ultimate''.

 

While {{SSBU|Samus}} herself appears in a number of spirits, including an unarmored "Young Samus" spirit portrayed by a Zero Suit Samus puppet fighter, the {{iw|metroidwiki|Zero Suit}} itself only appears in Zero Suit Samus' fighter spirit.

==In Spirit Battles==

|{{SpiritTableName|Shantae|size=64|link=y}}

|Jade

===Fighter Showcase Video===

*For unknown reasons, Zero Suit Samus' taunt voice clips are not present in the Sound Test, making her the only character with this distinction.

*Zero Suit Samus' character showcase video, unlock battles, and Classic Mode credits use "Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior" from ''[[Super Metroid]]'', a game where the {{iw|metroidwiki|Zero Suit}} did not yet exist. This may be a reference to how Samus would appear in various states of undress during the game's ending sequence, as "Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior" serves as the end credits theme for that game.

*This is the first game where Zero Suit Samus' default head icon depicts her hair tie as its standard red coloration, as both previous depictions have matched the Zero Suit's cyan coloration. She shares this trait with {{SSBU|Peach}}.

*If Zero Suit Samus charges a smash attack while holding a [[Star Rod]], she will not vibrate in place during the animation. This also applies to {{SSBU|Byleth}} if he charges a smash attack while holding a [[Death's Scythe]].

*If Zero Suit Samus starts charging her forward smash, the flashing effects will be focused on her {{iw|metroidwiki|Paralyzer}} instead of her left leg. This is a carryover from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', where she uses her Paralyzer for her forward smash in that game. This visual effect quirk is also present in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''.

*Unusually, the angled variants of Zero Suit Samus' forward smash do not cause the flames effects on her boot to terminate after the second kick.

*On the [[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site]], Zero Suit Samus' blue casual attire is placed before the orange casual attire, whereas the order of the two costumes is swapped in-game.