Shulk (SSBU): Difference between revisions

'''Shulk''' ({{ja|シュルク|Shuruku}}, ''Shulk'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Shulk is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #57]].

Shulk is ranked 25th out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing him in the A- tier. This is a significant improvement from his 34th out of 54 placement in ''SSB4''. One of Shulk's greatest strengths is his enormous disjointed range, courtesy of the Monado. This allows him to outrange almost every fighter in the game, which gives Shulk one of the most effective spacing capabilities relative to the rest of the cast. Shulk can further enhance his strengths through the usage of [[Monado Arts]]. They allow him to change his stats on command, depending on the Art selected. To name a few, Speed Art allows him to run faster and improve his approach and Buster Art gives him increased damage output in exchange for less knockback, allowing for high-damaging combos. Shield Art, in particular, is notorious for breaking out of combos due to decrease knockback taken.  

Despite his strengths, Shulk is not flawless. He still retains his sluggish frame data and startup on majority of his moves, making him prone to getting parry punished or overwhelmed by faster moves. His recovery is also fairly exploitable due to [[Air Slash]] being his only main recovery option, and his recovery mixups are dependent on having his double jump even if he has the Jump Art active. Despite his Monado Arts giving Shulk upgrades, they also grant multiples downsides. For example, while the Smash Art significantly improves his KO potential, it also greatly reduces his damage output and gives him the lowest endurance of the roster while it is active. Finally, Shulk is one of the most difficult characters to master since he has many advanced techniques, and properly using Monado Arts mid-match has to account for fast decision-making to determine which Art is best suited for each situation.

Shulk is a [[weight|middleweight]] swordsman who sports average [[walk]]ing speed, [[dash]]ing speed, [[falling speed]], and [[gravity]]. When coupled with his above-average [[air speed]] and his below-average [[air acceleration]], Shulk's overall mobility is average to the point of lacking any obvious advantages or disadvantages.

Much like in his [[Xenoblade Chronicles (universe)|home game]], Shulk is a character who revolves around adapting to different situations with his attribute-enhancing [[Monado Arts]]. Each Art tweaks his attributes considerably for a certain amount of time (10 seconds for Buster, 8 seconds for Speed and Smash, and 6 seconds for Jump and Shield) and can be manually canceled at any time, even immediately after hitstun ends or during landing lag. With this freedom, Shulk can activate an Art to open up options for virtually any situation while still being able to switch or cancel them if he is in a challenging position. Jump grants him significant aerial mobility by making his jumps the highest in the game while improving both his air speed and Air Slash's height. This grants him an incredible [[recovery]], allowing him to recover from almost anywhere off-stage, edge-guard more aggressively and even perform several KO combos, such as a [[wall of pain]] leading to a [[sacrificial KO|sacrificial]] Air Slash at medium percentages.

Overall, Shulk's optimal playstyle consists of warding off pressure and having extensive knowledge of his opponent. His range, unique toolkit, and versatile tech grant him powerful abilities when mastered, with some being inaccessible to any other character in the roster, however players must have reliable spacing skill as whiffing one of his moves can leave him wide open and vulnerable to heavy damage. While his weaknesses are exploitable when fighting head-on, his adaptability allows him to excel when played patiently and while exploiting openings. Regardless, Shulk has an extremely high learning curve because of a combination of sluggish attacks and very demanding techniques, as extensive knowledge of Monado Arts, proper spacing, reads and patient play are each required for him to thrive.

*{{Sm|jaredisking1|USA}} - The best Shulk player in North America since 2022. In addition to regularly placing top 8 at [[Pacific Northwest]] events, he is also the third Shulk player to top 8 a major, placing 5th at {{Trn|Rise 'N Grind}}, and has also placed 13th at {{Trn|Port Priority 7}}; these two performances mark some of the best Shulk performances in North America during this time.  

*{{Sm|Kome|Japan}} - The best Shulk player of all-time who has regularly ranked in the top 50 since 2019. Although infamously inconsistent, he is the only Shulk player who had placed top 8 at multiple majors, including 2nd at {{Trn|EVO Japan 2020}}, the closest a Shulk player was to win a major, and 3rd at {{Trn|2GG: SwitchFest 2019}}, {{Trn|Kagaribi 5}}, and {{Trn|Wave 4}}.  

*{{Sm|Nicko|USA}} - The best Shulk player in North America in 2019 and the second-best Shulk player in the world during this time. He is best known for winning {{Trn|Play With Heart}} and placing 2nd at {{Trn|Port Priority 5}} defeating {{Sm|Dabuz}} twice, and has also done well at majors, including placing 13th at {{Trn|2GG: Prime Saga}} and {{Trn|Mainstage}}. Although less active since 2019, he still manages to place well when he attends, such as placing 2nd at {{Trn|Wavedash 2022}}.

*{{Sm|Tru4|Germany}} - The best Shulk player in Europe in 2019 who was ranked 91st on the [[OrionRank 2019]]. He is best known for winning {{Trn|DoKomi 2019}} and placing 7th at {{Trn|Ultimate Fighting Arena 2019}}, only the second Shulk player to place top 8 at a major. He was less active in the subsequent years and eventually stopped competing, but remains a prominent community member in Germany.

Throughout ''Ultimate''{{'}}s lifespan, many players placed Shulk as a high tier or even top tier character in their own tier lists; this is due to the buffs he received such as reduced landing lag and the ability to utilize his Monado Arts faster. However, due to a high learning curve and reliance of advanced techniques like [[Monado Arts#Dial storage|dial storage]], Shulk's playerbase has remained rather small compared to other top and high tier characters; his representation has hovered around the top 30 for most of the game's competitive lifespan. Despite his small playerbase, his best players have historically performed well with the character. Shulk was represented in the early metagame by {{Sm|Kome}} and {{Sm|Nicko}}, both of whom were ultimately ranked on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]]. Although Nicko became less active after the online metagame, Kome continued to see strong, albeit inconsistent, results at majors, while {{Sm|jaredisking1}} also achieved some good placements in the United States. As such, despite sparse tournament representation, his strong performances from dedicated mains led to him being ranked 19th on the first tier list, at the end of the top tier.  

However, many players contested Shulk's placement on the first tier list, in part due to Shulk's top-level representation remaining small for a top-tier. Further hurting Shulk's reputation was a noticeable hit in representation after the release of the first tier list, as his best players became less consistent and active, leading Shulk's representation to slip below the top 40 by the end of 2023. This inconsistency was most apparent with Kome, who despite always being somewhat inconsistent before 2023, became even more volatile: he would have strong peaks such as placing 3rd at {{Trn|Wave 4}}, but would also have some poor lows, including placing 65th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 12}}. As such, Shulk slipped six spots to 25th on the second tier list, now ranking in the A- tier.

*Shulk's pose in his official render resembles the pose he assumes when selecting Monado Arts from the move's menu.

*Shulk's artwork was one of the three that have been updated on the official site, alongside {{SSBU|Falco}} and {{SSBU|Palutena}}. In his case, the lighting on his hair and face have been modified, making his features appear less flat.