Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

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|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]
|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]
|tier = A-
|tier = B+
|ranking = 28
|ranking = 33
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'''Olimar''' ({{ja|ピクミン&オリマー|Pikumin & Orimā}}, ''Pikmin & Olimar'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was officially revealed on June 12th, 2018 alongside {{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} and the rest of the returning roster. In addition, '''[[Alph]]''' ({{ja|ピクミン&アルフ|Pikumin & Arufu}}, ''Pikmin & Alph'') makes a reappearance as an alternate character alongside Olimar. Olimar is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #40]]. As in his home series, {{b|Pikmin|species}} assists him in attacking his opponents, with a core playstyle revolving around managing and using his various combinations of Pikmin to his advantage.
'''Olimar''' ({{ja|ピクミン&オリマー|Pikumin & Orimā}}, ''Pikmin & Olimar'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was officially revealed on June 12th, 2018 alongside {{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} and the rest of the returning roster. In addition, '''[[Alph]]''' ({{ja|ピクミン&アルフ|Pikumin & Arufu}}, ''Pikmin & Alph'') returns as an alternate character alongside Olimar. Olimar is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #40]]. Olimar uses {{b|Pikmin|species}} to assist him in attacking his foes, with a core playstyle revolving around managing and using his various Pikmin combinations to his advantage.


As in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', Hajime Wakai's portrayals of the Pikmin from ''{{iw|pikipedia|Pikmin|game}}'' and ''{{iw|pikipedia|Pikmin 2}}'', and Atsuko Asahi's portrayals of the Winged Pikmin from ''{{iw|pikipedia|Pikmin 3}}'', were repurposed for ''Ultimate''.
As in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' and ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', Hajime Wakai's portrayals of the Pikmin from ''{{iw|pikipedia|Pikmin|game}}'' and ''{{iw|pikipedia|Pikmin 2}}'', as well as Atsuko Asahi's portrayals of the Winged Pikmin from ''{{iw|pikipedia|Pikmin 3}}'', were repurposed for ''Ultimate'', while both Olimar and Alph remain fully unvoiced.


Olimar is ranked 28th out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing him in the A- tier. This is a slight improvement to his ''SSB4'' incarnation, where he was ranked 21st out of 54.
Olimar is ranked 33rd out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing him in the B+ tier. This is a slight drop to his placement in ''SSB4'', where he was ranked 21st out of 54, and it is his lowest placement in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series to date.


==How to unlock==
==How to unlock==
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==Attributes==
==Attributes==
Olimar is a small, floaty, [[weight|lightweight]] character with overall slow mobility. He has the 33rd slowest [[dash]]ing speed, the 30th slowest [[walk]]ing speed (tied with {{SSBU|Bayonetta}}), 8th slowest [[air speed]], 32nd highest [[air acceleration]] (tied with {{SSBU|Duck Hunt}} and {{SSBU|Inkling}}, among others), very low [[gravity]] (the 4th lowest), low [[traction]] (tied with {{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} for the 10th lowest), below-average [[falling speed]], and above-average [[jump]]ing height. Due to these attributes, Olimar is susceptible to getting superseded by speed demons, especially in the air despite his minuscule size and light weight.
Olimar is a small, floaty, [[Weight|lightweight]] character. He has the 33rd slowest [[dash]]ing speed, 8th slowest [[air speed]], 32nd highest air acceleration (tied with {{SSBU|Duck Hunt}} and {{SSBU|Inkling}}, among others), very low [[gravity]], low [[traction]] (tied with {{SSBU|Diddy Kong}}), below-average [[falling speed]], and above-average [[jump]] height. Due to these attributes, Olimar has below-average mobility for the most part.


What differs Olimar from a majority of the cast is that his stronger attacks do not involve Olimar himself. Instead, [[Pikmin]] assist in Olimar's offensive prowess to perform attacks with [[disjointed hitbox]]es and/or function as [[projectile]]s to attack opponents from a distance during his [[smash attack]]s, most of his aerials, and [[side special move]]. Olimar begins the match with 3 Pikmin at the beginning of each battle, and can have up to 3 at all given points. Each Pikmin possess their own [[hit points]], and will die if sustaining too much damage or fall into the blast zone. Pikmin are obtained in a specific order: Red, Yellow, Blue, White and Purple, then back to Red. {{iw|pikipedia|Winged Pikmin}} also make an appearance via Olimar's [[up special move]], although Winged Pikmin lack hurtboxes and hit points like the other Pikmin.
What sets Olimar apart from a majority of the cast is that his stronger attacks do not come from him. Instead, he utilizes Pikmin to perform [[disjoint]]ed attacks and function as projectiles to attack opponents from a distance during his smash attacks, most of his aerial attacks, and his side special move. Olimar starts off with 3 Pikmin at the start of each battle, and can have up to 3 at any given point. Each Pikmin has their own [[hit points]], and will die if they receive too much damage or fall into a blast zone. Pikmin are obtained in a specific order: [[pikipedia:Red Pikmin|Red]], [[pikipedia:Yellow Pikmin|Yellow]], [[pikipedia:Blue Pikmin|Blue]], [[pikipedia:White Pikmin|White]] and [[pikipedia:Purple Pikmin|Purple]], then back to Red. {{iw|pikipedia|Winged Pikmin}} also appear via Olimar's up special move, although they lack hurtboxes and hit points like the other Pikmin.


[[Pikmin Pluck]], Olimar's [[neutral special move]], enables him to gain Pikmin when performed on a solid surface in the event he has less than 3 Pikmin available. It is burdened with considerable lag when performed in air, but is somewhat quick on the ground and is best versatile if spaced out. [[Pikmin Order]], Olimar's [[down special move]], can be perform to quickly lure all Pikmin back to Olimar's range. It is an extremely quick and efficient cycling tool for obtaining to a desired Pikmin that has previously been plucked. It also grants [[super armor]] during its first few frames, although this can be risky for usage as a strictly defense measure due to the super armor's minimal amount of frames. It will function as a combo-breaking move in dangerous situations as well.
[[Pikmin Pluck]], Olimar's neutral special move, enables him to gain Pikmin when used on any solid surface in the event he has less than 3 Pikmin available. It is very laggy when used in air, but is somewhat quick on the ground and is best used if spaced out. [[Pikmin Order]], Olimar's down special move, can be used to quickly call all Pikmin back. It is a very quick and efficient cycling tool for getting to a desired Pikmin that has already been plucked. It also grants [[super armor]] during its first few frames, although this can be risky to use as a strictly defense measure due to the super armor's minimal amount of frames. It will function as a combo breaking move in dangerous situations as well.


[[Winged Pikmin]], Olimar's [[up special move]], is a very flexible [[recovering]] tool with excellent maneuverability. The Winged Pikmin can be traversed freely and reliably around the air, and their traveling duration can be canceled with an aerial attack. However, canceling the Winged Pikmin will immediately render Olimar [[helpless]]. Additionally, consecutive usage of the Winged Pikmin will tire them out, which results in their travel distance and maneuverability both deteriorating, similar to {{SSBU|Yoshi}}'s [[Egg Throw]]. Although sporadic usage of the Winged Pikmin will prevent them from tiring out, their travel distance and will still deteriorate depending on Olimar's lineup of Pikmin: Purple Pikmin are the heaviest, whereas White Pikmin are the lightest.
[[Winged Pikmin]], Olimar's up special move, is a very flexible recovery option. The Winged Pikmin can be moved freely around the air, and their travel can be canceled with an aerial attack. However, canceling the Winged Pikmin will render Olimar helpless. Additionally, consecutive usage of the Winged Pikmin will tire them out, which results in their travel distance and maneuverability both worsening. Although sporadic usage of the Winged Pikmin will prevent them from tiring out, their travel distance and maneuverability will still worsen depending on Olimar's lineup of Pikmin: Purple Pikmin are the heaviest, whereas White Pikmin are the lightest.


His primary damage-racking move and an excellent move of utility revolves from his side special, [[Pikmin Throw]]. Olimar tosses his Pikmin forward. The thrown Pikmin, excluding Purple Pikmin, cling to an opponent and deal elemental damage overtime by latching onto them. Purple Pikmin do not cling to opponents and instead deal a single strong hit while traveling through the air. If they don't land on a target, they become miniature, independent hurtboxes that run back toward Olimar. When clinging to the opponent, they can be nullified or damaged by certain moves, such as a down smash with wide coverage. However, this can be useful to an advantage, as the Pikmin can be useful for blocking certain incoming attacks and/or projectiles, such as [[Charge Shot]], even when clinging to {{SSBU|Samus}}. Pikmin Throw can also be useful for removing unnecessary or less useful Pikmin to obtained to a desired one if a different one requires to be plucked.  
Olimar's side special move, [[Pikmin Throw]], boasts excellent utility and is his primary damage-racking option. Olimar throws his Pikmin forward. The thrown Pikmin, except for Purple, cling to the target and deal elemental damage over time. Purple Pikmin don't cling to opponents and instead deal a single strong hit as they are in the air. If they don't land on a target, they become miniature, independent hurtboxes that run back toward Olimar. When clinging to the opponent, they can be killed or damaged by certain moves, such as a down smash that covers the user in a hitbox. However, this can be used to an advantage, as the Pikmin can be used to block certain moves such as [[Charge Shot]], even when clinging to {{SSBU|Samus}}. Pikmin Throw can also be used to get rid of unneeded or less useful Pikmin to get to a desired one if a different one needs to be plucked.  


Each Pikmin has different properties that both affect how they interact with moves and Olimar's inputs. Red Pikmin have average projectile-based range, deal the second-highest damage, have the [[flame]] effect, reduce knockback for throws, and are immune to fire-based attacks. Yellow Pikmin have an arcing path with slightly lower range, have the [[electric]] effect, have a larger hitbox (≈50% larger compared to the other Pikmin), and are immune to electric-based attacks. Blue Pikmin have average projectile-based range, increased power and damage for throws, have the [[water]] effect, and are immune to water-based attacks. White Pikmin have the longest projectile-based range, deal the least direct damage and knockback in exchange for the most clinging damage, and have the [[darkness]] effect. Purple Pikmin have the shortest projectile-based range, but deal the most damage and knockback and do not cling to opponents, instead functioning as a standard projectile with knockback instead.
Each Pikmin has different properties that both affect how they interact with moves and Olimar's inputs. Red Pikmin have average projectile range, deal the second-highest damage, have the [[fire]] effect, reduce throw knockback, and are immune to fire attacks. Yellow Pikmin have an arcing path with slightly lower range, have the [[electric]] effect, have a larger hitbox (≈50% larger compared to the other Pikmin), and are immune to electric attacks. Blue Pikmin have average projectile range, higher throw power and damage, have the [[water]] effect, and are immune to water attacks. White Pikmin have the longest projectile range, deal the least direct damage in exchange for the most cling damage, and have the [[darkness]] effect. Purple Pikmin have the shortest projectile range, but deal the most damage and knockback and do not cling to opponents but act as a standard projectile with knockback instead.


[[Neutral attack]] is a {{iw|wikipedia|one-two combo}} that is quick overall, and is best suited for set-ups into down tilt, a grab, and Pikmin Throw at low percentages or if performed for [[jab lock]]ing. [[Forward tilt]] is a wind-up punch that is laggy overall and his slowest tilt attack. However, it possesses respectable power that makes it useful for creating space and, more notably, it is his only non-Pikmin attack that can KO at reasonable percents. [[Up tilt]] is a simple spinning hop that is best suited as an anti-air move, yet can also set be followed up with an up aerial at low percents if the opponent fails to DI properly. [[Down tilt]] is Olimar's most useful tilt attack: it is a lunging tackle that can start combos at varying percents, 2-frame, function as a pseudo-crawl, and is his best [[spacing]] option in most scenarios thanks to its quick start-up.
Neutral attack is a {{iw|wikipedia|one-two combo}} that is quick overall, and is best suited for low percent set-ups into down tilt, a grab, and Pikmin Throw or if used for [[jab lock]]ing. Forward tilt is a wind-up punch that is laggy overall and his slowest tilt attack. However, it possesses respectable power that makes it useful for creating space and, more notably, it is his only non-Pikmin attack that can KO at reasonable percents. Up tilt is a simple spinning hop that is best suited as an anti-air move, yet can also set be followed up with an up aerial at low percents if the opponent fails to DI properly. Down tilt is Olimar's most useful tilt attack: it is a lunging tackle that can start combos at varying percents, [[2 frame punish]] reliably, function as a pseudo-crawl, and is his best spacing option in most scenarios thanks to its quick start-up.


Olimar's aerials have great utility despite his poor aerial mobility. His [[forward aerial|forward]] and [[back aerial]]s are great for edgeguarding thanks to their wide arc. His [[up aerial]] is effective for juggling and combos into itself and low to medium percents, whereas his [[down aerial]] can [[meteor smash]] in its earlier frames while still possessing a weaker lingering hitbox in its later frames, thus making it a solid tool for declining juggles. Furthermore, using Olimar's Pikmin-based aerials cycles through his Pikmin, which can be either a blessing or curse depending on the situation. Olimar's [[neutral aerial]] is his only aerial that does not involve Pikmin, and thus has much less range in comparison. However, it still has some utility as a niche combo tool and landing option.  
Olimar's aerials have great utility despite his mediocre air speed. His forward and back aerials are great for edgeguarding thanks to their wide arc. His up aerial is effective for juggling and combos into itself and low to medium percents, whereas his down aerial can meteor smash in its earlier frames while still possessing a weaker lingering hitbox in its later frames, thus making it a solid tool for denying juggles. Furthermore, using Olimar's Pikmin-based aerials cycles through his Pikmin, which can be either a blessing or curse depending on the situation. Olimar's neutral aerial is his only aerial that does not utilize Pikmin, and thus has much less range in comparison. However, it still has some utility as a niche combo tool and landing option.  


Olimar's throws are disproportionately powerful for a character of his size, specifically while using Blue Pikmin. [[Up throw]] is a reliable KO option above approximately 130% with Blue Pikmin (possessing incredible base knockback) and can potentially set up juggling scenarios, while [[down throw]] reliably combos into forward aerial at low to medium percents and Pikmin Throw at higher percents, meaning that he can receive considerable amounts of damage off of a grab. Both [[forward throw|forward]] and [[back throw]]s can kill at ledge at about 130%, and also can set up edgeguards and ledge-traps. Blue Pikmin, of note, drastically increase the knockback and damage of throws. White Pikmin increase the range of the grab itself, while Purple Pikmin lower grabbing range. Red Pikmin cause throws to deal reduced knockback, making them more useful for combos starting from a grab.
Olimar's throws are disproportionately powerful for a character of his size, specifically while using blue Pikmin. Up throw is a reliable KO move above approximately 130% with blue Pikmin (having very high base knockback) and can potentially set up juggling scenarios, while down throw reliably combos into forward aerial at low to medium percents and Pikmin Throw at higher percents, meaning that he can get very large amounts of damage off of a grab. Both forward and back throws can kill at ledge at about 130%, and also can set up edgeguards and ledgetraps. (Note: Blue Pikmin drastically increase the knockback and damage of throws. White Pikmin increase the range of the grab itself, while Purple Pikmin lower grab range. Red Pikmin make throws deal decreased knockback, making them more useful for combos starting from a grab.)


Possessing relatively long range for a character of his size also makes Olimar great at camping out and approaching hand-to-hand combatants, such as {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}} or {{SSBU|Wario}}, and further accentuate his strong punishment game. All of Olimar's aforementioned qualities give him a strong damage-racking capability to complement his zoning focused playstyle.
Having relatively long range for a character of his size also makes Olimar great at camping out and approaching hand-to-hand combatants, such as {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}} or {{SSBU|Wario}}, and further accentuate his strong punishment game. All of Olimar's aforementioned qualities give him a strong damage racking capability to complement his zoning focused playstyle.


However, Olimar does have some noticeable weaknesses to counterbalance his strengths. Arguably the most exploitable one includes his defenselessness without [[Pikmin]]. Although Pikmin can be [[Pikmin Pluck|plucked]] rather immediately, Pikmin can exclusively be plucked when Olimar remains on the ground and the opponent still has the advantage to punish Olimar if he fails to secure his space before obtaining more Pikmin. In addition, without Pikmin in his lineup, Olimar's [[smash attack]]s, [[aerial]]s (excluding neutral aerial), [[grab]]s and side special will have no effects, which drastically impairs his [[neutral game]] because of them being his most effective attacks. This also leaves Olimar with a total of six physical moves that deal damage: his neutral attack; tilt attacks; dash attack; and neutral aerial. Those moves themselves also provide niche/situational utility compared to his Pikmin-based attacks and have considerably less range. This, in turn, is further compounded by his forward tilt being the only move out of these that has KO potential, although the move itself is burdened with noticeable lag. Therefore, he is at his greatest disadvantage if the opponent manages to retain him airborne and within his space due to the minimal range and limited scope of his physical attacks. As a result, it is crucial that Olimar has at least one Pikmin with him at all times. Conversely, the effectiveness of Olimar's [[recovery]] becomes noticeably worse when he does have Pikmin in his lineup; as a result, he potentially has to resort to casting them aside if it improves his chances of recovering safely, and thus sacrificing himself of major defenses.
However, Olimar does have some noticeable weaknesses to counterbalance his strengths. One of his most noteworthy issues is his defenselessness without his Pikmin. Although they can be plucked rather quickly, he can only do so when on the ground and there is still enough time to punish Olimar if he doesn't secure his space before gaining more Pikmin. His physical attacks themselves also provide niche/situational utility compared to his Pikmin moves and have significantly less range. Therefore, he is at his greatest disadvantage if the opponent manages to keep him airborne and within his space due to the very short range and limited scope of his physical attacks. On the flipside, his recovery becomes noticeably worsened when he does have Pikmin; as a result, he may have to resort to casting them aside if it improves his chances of recovering safely, and thus ridding himself of major defenses.


Olimar's poor mobility is an additional burden, which hinders his ability to chase down/flee from opponents, create space to pluck Pikmin and allow speed demons, such as {{SSBU|Sonic}} and {{SSBU|Fox}}, to outpace him easily. This, in turn, is further compounded by his aforementioned difficulty at escaping disadvantage without the presence of Pikmin. Finally, Olimar's zoning capabilities are drastically hindered by characters with a reflector, as Olimar's side special is both a projectile and his primary damage-racking move. On top of that, all of Olimar's smash attacks inflict damage solely through the usage of Pikmin as projectiles, making a reflected smash attack potentially deadly, even at lower percents. In addition, the latter is also pronounced by another glaring flaw: Olimar's light [[weight]] also hinders his endurance, which makes him vulnerable to early KOs, that is further burdened by the existence of [[rage]], since damaged opponents can land hits on Olimar with more power to send him flying even farther and earlier, and because of Olimar's poor endurance, Olimar himself cannot endure long enough to benefit from his own rage, especially without the sparing usage of [[Pikmin Order]]'s super armor.
Olimar's below-average dashing and air speeds also make him susceptible to rushdown-oriented fighters overwhelming him while he's in a disadvantage state. This, in turn, is further compounded by his aforementioned difficulty at escaping a disadvantage state without Pikmin. Finally, Olimar's zoning capabilities are severely hindered by characters with a reflector, as Olimar's side special is both a projectile and his primary damage-racking move. On top of that, all of Olimar's smash attacks do damage solely through the use of Pikmin as projectiles, making a reflected smash attack potentially deadly, even at low percents.


Lastly, some of Olimar's useful Pikmin-based attacks have certain drawbacks: his KOing options have very minimal KO potential while using White Pikmin; each of his grabs have noticeably shorter ranges while using Purple Pikmin; up throw has KO potential exclusively while using Blue Pikmin; down throw's combo potential is exclusively consistent at high percents while using Red Pikmin; and Winged Pikmin's recovering potential deteriorates upon consecutive usage and/or depending on the amount of Pikmin that Olimar carries, with Purple Pikmin being the heaviest.
Overall, Olimar is a versatile zoner who has an unorthodox manner of fighting involving the management of his Pikmin. Due to his poor disadvantage and his need for careful cycling and management of his Pikmin, he generally cannot afford to be reckless in his play.
 
Overall, Olimar is a versatile zoner who has an unorthodox manner of fighting involving the management of Pikmin. Due to his poor disadvantage and his requirement for careful cycling and management of his Pikmin, he generally cannot afford to be reckless in his play. Although the micromanagement of Pikmin and a playstyle reminiscent of {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}} also offer Olimar a high learning curve, Olimar is proven to be a threat that should not be underestimated when the management of his Pikmin is fully mastered.


==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==
==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==
Olimar was buffed significantly overall in his transition from ''SSB4'' to ''Ultimate'', with many aspects of his core playstyle being buffed and further improved by general gameplay mechanic changes.
Olimar was buffed overall in his transition from ''SSB4'' to ''Ultimate'', with several aspects of his core playstyle being buffed and further improved by ''Ultimate''{{'}}s universally adjusted mechanics.


Each Pikmin's various attributes have been improved. Red and Purple Pikmin deal more damage on average, Blue Pikmin's throw strength has been drastically improved, White Pikmin deals even more damage when latched to an opponent via [[Pikmin Throw]], and all aerial attacks that use Pikmin have more range, especially Yellow Pikmin, which improves their usage on spacing. These changes further strengthen Olimar's already respectable damage output and zoning abilities. Adding to this, all of Olimar's Pikmin-based aerials now have transcendent priority, which allows Olimar to trade moves much more safely than in ''SSB4'', fixing one of his biggest flaws from that game.
Each Pikmin's various attributes have been improved. Red and Purple Pikmin deal more damage on average, Blue Pikmin's throw strength has been drastically improved, White Pikmin deals even more damage when latched to an opponent via [[Pikmin Throw]], and all aerial attacks that involve Pikmin have more range, especially Yellow Pikmin, which improves their usage on spacing. These changes further strengthen Olimar's already respectable damage output and zoning abilities. In addition to this, all of Olimar's Pikmin-based aerials now have [[transcendent priority]], which allows Olimar to trade moves much more safely than in ''SSB4'', which eliminates one of his most ultimate flaws from that game.


Olimar's grab game has been noticeably buffed as well. His grab has much more range, which can now be extended depending on the amount of Pikmin he has with him, and all of his throws deal more damage on average. As mentioned before, Blue Pikmin's increased throw strength means Olimar now possesses some of the most dangerous KO throws in the game, with up throw in particular having the potential to become even stronger than the likes of {{SSBU|Mewtwo}}, {{SSBU|Charizard}} or {{SSBU|Incineroar}}. Other notable buffs includde to [[up smash]], which has less ending lag to the point it has gained combo potential at low percents, (heightening Olimar's [[out of shield]] game), and [[Pikmin Pluck]], which is faster overall. Finally, in terms of universal changes, Olimar's mobility, while still below-average, has been improved via faster [[dash]]ing and [[air speed]]s.
Olimar's grab game has been noticeably buffed as well. His grab has much more range, which can now be extended depending on the amount of Pikmin he has with him, and all of his throws deal more damage on average. As mentioned before, Blue Pikmin's increased throw strength means Olimar now possesses some of the most dangerous KO throws in the game, with up throw in particular having the potential to become even stronger than the likes of {{SSBU|Mewtwo}}, {{SSBU|Charizard}} or {{SSBU|Incineroar}}. Other notable buffs includde to [[up smash]], which has less ending lag to the point it has gained combo potential at low percents, (heightening Olimar's [[out of shield]] game), and [[Pikmin Pluck]], which is faster overall. Finally, in terms of universal changes, Olimar's mobility, while still below-average, has been improved via faster [[dash]]ing and [[air speed]]s.


However, Olimar received some slight nerfs. At the cost of their stronger attributes, Pikmin are even easier to kill in general; they have slightly lower HP, are now left vulnerable to attacks if Olimar gets hit with a move with enough high knockback move, they can be hit by moves that Olimar already shielded or perfect shielded, and dead Pikmin temporarily becomes the active Pikmin in Olimar's squad upon their death. The former two changes make it harder for Olimar to keep his Pikmin alive, forcing to replenish them more often, while the latter two changes worsen Olimar's consistency for punishing opponents.
However, Olimar received some slight nerfs. At the cost of their stronger attributes, Pikmin are even easier to KO in general; they have slightly lower HP, are now left vulnerable to attacks if Olimar gets hit with a move with enough high knockback move, they can be hit by moves that Olimar already shielded or perfect shielded, and dead Pikmin temporarily becomes the active Pikmin in Olimar's squad upon their death. The former two changes make it harder for Olimar to keep his Pikmin alive, forcing to replenish them more often, while the latter two changes worsen Olimar's consistency for punishing opponents.


Olimar's [[down throw]] launches opponents at a more horizontal angle, making follow-ups less reliable. In exchange for longer range, Olimar's grabs tend to have more ending lag, making them riskier to throw out. His recovery also became less abusable as a result of the travel distance of his up special, [[Winged Pikmin]], being further reduced with consecutive use, as well as its regeneration time being slower. Despite his faster mobility, Olimar now possesses one of the slowest [[initial dash]]es in the game, due to other fighters' initial dashes getting far more substantial buffs than his. Finally, his hurtbox is larger vertically, making it easier to hit Olimar.
Olimar's [[down throw]] launches opponents at a more horizontal angle, making follow-ups less reliable. In exchange for longer range, Olimar's grabs tend to have more ending lag, making them riskier to throw out. His recovery also became less abusable as a result of the travel distance of his up special, [[Winged Pikmin]], being further reduced with consecutive use, as well as its regeneration time being slower. Despite his faster mobility, Olimar now possesses one of the slowest [[initial dash]]es in the game, due to other fighters' initial dashes getting far more substantial buffs than his. Finally, Olimar's hurtbox is larger vertically, making it easier to hit him.


Overall, Olimar's oppressive damage output and camping abilities have been improved further, though this comes in exchange for Pikmin being even frailer than before and Olimar himself being more susceptible to punishment. He has also seen some noticeable nerfs in game updates, which have somewhat affected his viability. Regardless, these nerfs are not enough to outweigh his buffs, and Olimar is considered to be better than he was in ''SSB4''.  
Overall, Olimar's oppressive damage output and camping abilities have been improved further, though this comes in exchange for Pikmin's fragility becoming even more pronounced than before and Olimar himself being more susceptible to punishment. He has also received some noticeable nerfs in game updates, which have notably affected his viability. While these nerfs aren't enough to outweigh his buffs, and Olimar is considered to be improved in comparison to in ''SSB4'', he performs similarly effective in relation to the returning cast.


{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Olimar}}
{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Olimar}}


==Update history==
==Update history==
Olimar received a mix of buffs, nerfs and glitch fixes via game updates, but was nerfed overall. Update {{SSBU|2.0.0}} fixed an infamous glitch which allowed Pikmin to double the strength of the spirit multiplier, causing attacks with his Pikmin to deal massive amounts of damage under the right circumstances. However, he received a glitch in this same update that caused all of his smash attacks to no longer increase in damage while being charged. While this glitch was fixed in update {{SSBU|3.0.0}}, this update also introduced another glitch that causes reflected Pikmin to inflict damage onto himself after they've returned to him, leading to the possibility of unintentional self-destructs caused by Olimar using moves that boast a great amount of KO power. The changes made to the shield mechanics in this same update also harmed him by making his smash attacks less safe on perfect shield. In addition, like with many other projectiles, his forward smash and Pikmin throw now deal less shield damage, although the amount of shieldstun went unchanged.
Olimar received a mix of buffs, nerfs and glitch fixes via game updates, but was noticeably nerfed overall. Update {{SSBU|2.0.0}} fixed an infamous glitch which allowed Pikmin to double the strength of the spirit multiplier, causing attacks with his Pikmin to deal massive amounts of damage under the right circumstances. However, he received a glitch in this same update that caused all of his smash attacks to no longer increase in damage while being charged. While this glitch was fixed in update {{SSBU|3.0.0}}, this update also introduced another glitch that causes reflected Pikmin to inflict damage onto himself after they've returned to him, leading to the possibility of unintentional self-destructs caused by Olimar using moves that boast a great amount of KO power. The changes made to the shield mechanics in this same update also harmed him by making his smash attacks less safe on perfect shield. In addition, like with many other projectiles, his forward smash and Pikmin throw now deal less shield damage, although the amount of shieldstun went unchanged.


Update {{SSBU|3.1.0}} was, by far, the update that nerfed Olimar the most. The size of Olimar's hurtbox has been enlarged, making him easier to hit even while shielding. His forward and up smashes had their ending lag increased, with the former smash attack also having its clean hitbox harder to land due to its duration being shortened. This same updated also noticeably reduced the [[Winged Pikmin]]'s overall travel distance when they are used consecutively, hampering his recovery. However, update {{SSBU|4.0.0}} undid update 3.1.0.'s nerf to his clean forward smash's duration.
Update {{SSBU|3.1.0}} was, by far, the update that nerfed Olimar the most. The size of Olimar's hurtbox has been enlarged, making him easier to hit even while shielding. His forward and up smashes had their ending lag increased, with the former smash attack also having its clean hitbox harder to land due to its duration being shortened. This same update also noticeably reduced the [[Winged Pikmin]]'s overall travel distance when they are used consecutively, hampering his recovery. However, update {{SSBU|4.0.0}} undid update 3.1.0.'s nerf to his clean forward smash's duration.


Like many other characters, Olimar's shield was enlarged in update {{SSBU|7.0.0}}, which compensated his larger hurtbox by both fully covering him and making him less vulnerable to [[shield stab]]bing. Update {{SSBU|8.0.0}} buffed [[End of Day]]'s KO potential and range. Prior to update 10.0.0, if Olimar tried to use an aerial attack out of Winged Pikmin after using forward smash or Pikmin Throw, the move would act as if there were no Pikmin. This bug had plagued Olimar since ''SSB4'' and was finally fixed in 10.0.0, indirectly buffing Olimar.
Like many other characters, Olimar's shield was enlarged in update {{SSBU|7.0.0}}, which compensated his larger hurtbox by both fully covering him and making him less vulnerable to [[shield stab]]bing. Update {{SSBU|8.0.0}} buffed [[End of Day]]'s KO potential and range. Prior to update 10.0.0, if Olimar tried to use an aerial attack out of Winged Pikmin after using forward smash or Pikmin Throw, the move would act as if there were no Pikmin. This bug had plagued Olimar since ''SSB4'' and was finally fixed in 10.0.0, indirectly buffing Olimar.


Due to Olimar's strongest traits being toned down, he is considered to be significantly worse than he was at the launch of ''Ultimate''. Though {{Sm|Dabuz}} initially claimed he would drop Olimar, he eventually went back on this and continues to use him in bracket with excellent results. {{Sm|Shuton}} has also continued to dominate the Japanese scene with Olimar, but {{Sm|Myran}} has seen a notable drop off in results after the patch. Overall, Dabuz and Shuton's continued success with the character indicates that Olimar remains a viable character in the right hands, even in spite of his nerfs.
Due to Olimar's strongest traits being toned down, he is considered to be significantly worse than he was at the launch of ''Ultimate''.  


'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|1.2.0}}'''
'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|1.2.0}}'''
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|utiltname=Tornado Jump ({{ja|竜巻ジャンプ|Tatsumaki Janpu}})
|utiltname=Tornado Jump ({{ja|竜巻ジャンプ|Tatsumaki Janpu}})
|utiltdmg=0.6% (hits 1-5), 4% (hit 6){{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
|utiltdmg=0.6% (hits 1-5), 4% (hit 6){{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
|utiltdesc=A jumping twirl. Hits multiple times, with its last hit having very high knockback growth. Altogether, these traits make it a decent anti-air attack.
|utiltdesc=A jumping twirl. Hits multiple times, with its last hit having a deceptively large disjoint. Altogether, these traits make it a decent anti-air attack.
|dtiltname=Low Headbutt ({{ja|低空頭突き|Teikū Zutsuki}})
|dtiltname=Low Headbutt ({{ja|低空頭突き|Teikū Zutsuki}})
|dtiltdmg=6%{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
|dtiltdmg=6%{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
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|fairname=Pikmin Sweep ({{ja|ピクミンはたき|Pikumin Hataki}})
|fairname=Pikmin Sweep ({{ja|ピクミンはたき|Pikumin Hataki}})
|fairdmg=—{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|11.9}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|8.5}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|8.5}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|6.8}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|13.6}}
|fairdmg=—{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|11.9}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|8.5}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|8.5}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|6.8}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|13.6}}
|fairdesc=Grabs a Pikmin by its stem and swings it downward in front of himself. Due to its range, and speed, it is one of Olimar's best moves for walling and aerial combat as the Pikmin used acts as a sword for the duration of this move, giving this move great range relative to Olimar's size. Due to its low landing lag, it is also very good for combos at lower percents, as well as being safe on shield if spaced well. In addition, it can also KO if used with Red or Purple Pikmin. Lastly, it is a very reliable follow-up from down throw, and is useful for edgeguarding.
|fairdesc=Grabs a Pikmin by its stem and swings it downward in front of himself. Due to its range, and speed, it is one of Olimar's best moves for walling and aerial combat as the Pikmin used acts as a sword for the duration of this move, giving this move great range relative to Olimar's size. Due to its low landing lag, it is also very good for combos at low percents, as well as being safe on shield if spaced well. In addition, it can also KO if used with Red or Purple Pikmin. Lastly, it is a very reliable follow-up from down throw, and is useful for edgeguarding.
|bairname=Pikmin Shake Off ({{ja|ピクミンふりはらい|Pikumin Furiharai}})
|bairname=Pikmin Shake Off ({{ja|ピクミンふりはらい|Pikumin Furiharai}})
|bairdmg=—{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|15.12}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|10.8}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|10.8}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|8.64}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|17.28}}
|bairdmg=—{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|15.12}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|10.8}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|10.8}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|8.64}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|17.28}}
|bairdesc=Grabs a Pikmin by its stem and swings it upward behind himself. It is Olimar's most damaging aerial. Due to its low landing lag, it is also very good for combos at lower percents, as well as being safe on shield if spaced well. This move has great range for a character of Olimar's size, due to the Pikmin used acting similarly to a disjointed hitbox for the duration of this move. It can also KO at reasonable percents if any non-White Pikmin are used. However, it has the highest start-up lag out of Olimar's aerials, though the startup is still reasonable compared to most other back aerials of its kind.
|bairdesc=Grabs a Pikmin by its stem and swings it upward behind himself. It is Olimar's most damaging aerial. Due to its low landing lag, it is also very good for combos at lower percents, as well as being safe on shield if spaced well. This move has great range for a character of Olimar's size, due to the Pikmin used acting similarly to a disjointed hitbox for the duration of this move. It can also KO at reasonable percents if any non-White Pikmin are used. However, it has the highest start-up lag out of Olimar's aerials, though the start-up is still reasonable compared to most other back aerials of its kind.
|uairname=Pikmin Tornado ({{ja|ピクミントルネード|Pikumin Torunēdo}})
|uairname=Pikmin Tornado ({{ja|ピクミントルネード|Pikumin Torunēdo}})
|uairdmg=—{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|12.6}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|9}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|9}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|7.2}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|14.4}}
|uairdmg=—{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|12.6}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|9}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|9}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|7.2}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|14.4}}
|uairdesc=Grabs a Pikmin by its stem and twirls it upward. The move comes out decently fast and lasts for a very long time, as well as the move having transcendent priority, making it very hard to out-space this move making it very good for juggling and combos, at lower percents it can chain into itself or other aerials bar down aerial.  It is tied with down aerial as his second most damaging aerial, and is a viable KOing option with any non-White Pikmin. However, it has a noticeable amount of landing lag.
|uairdesc=Grabs a Pikmin by its stem and twirls it upward. The move comes out decently fast and lasts for a very long time, as well as the move having transcendent priority, making it very hard to out-space this move making it very good for juggling and combos, at low percents it can chain into itself or other aerials bar down aerial.  It is tied with down aerial as his second most damaging aerial, and is a viable KOing option with any non-White Pikmin. However, it has a noticeable amount of landing lag.
|dairname=Pikmin Meteor ({{ja|ピクミンメテオ|Pikumin Meteo}})
|dairname=Pikmin Meteor ({{ja|ピクミンメテオ|Pikumin Meteo}})
|dairdmg=—{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|12.6}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|9}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|9}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|7.2}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|14.4}}
|dairdmg=—{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|12.6}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|9}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|9}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|7.2}}{{!!}}{{ShortHopDmgSSBU|14.4}}
|dairdesc=Grabs a Pikmin by its stem and swings it downward. It is tied with up aerial as his second most damaging aerial. This move gives Olimar a very good way to escape juggling due to the long lasting hitbox and the amount of downwards range that it gives Olimar, the Pikmin act as a pseudo disjoint in this move as well as all of Olimar's other Pikmin involved aerials, making it very hard to challenge the move during its active hitbox frames. The move can also KO at higher percents if used with Red or Purple Pikmin. It is also a [[meteor smash]], but only against aerial opponents and during its first frame. In addition, the move's very long lasting hitbox can also two frame punish at edges. However, it has a noticeable amount of landing lag.
|dairdesc=Grabs a Pikmin by its stem and swings it downward. It is tied with up aerial as his second most damaging aerial. This move gives Olimar a very good way to escape juggling due to the long lasting hitbox and the amount of downward range that it gives Olimar, the Pikmin act as a pseudo disjoint in this move as well as all of Olimar's other Pikmin involved aerials, making it very hard to challenge the move during its active hitbox frames. The move can also KO at higher percents if used with Red or Purple Pikmin. It is also a [[meteor smash]], but only against aerial opponents and during its first frame. In addition, the move's very long lasting hitbox can also two frame punish at edges. However, it has a noticeable amount of landing lag.
|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})
|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})
|grabdmg=—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
|grabdmg=—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
|grabdesc=Points forward to command the lead Pikmin to grab the opponent, with the other Pikmin following. The Pikmin function as [[Grab#Tether grabs|disjointed grabs]], and overall grab range varies depending on both the number of Pikmin present, and the lead Pikmin. White Pikmin have the longest range, followed by Red, Yellow and Blue (which are all tied for 2nd), and Purple (with the shortest range). With 3 Pikmin present, and the lead being a White Pikmin, this grab has the longest range in the game. Decently fast for its range. It resembles the group move from the ''Pikmin'' series.
|grabdesc=Points forward to command the lead Pikmin to grab the opponent, with the other Pikmin following. The Pikmin function as [[Grab#Tether grabs|disjointed grabs]], and overall grab range varies depending on both the number of Pikmin present, and the lead Pikmin. White Pikmin have the longest range, followed by Red, Yellow and Blue (which are all tied for 2nd), and Purple (with the shortest range). With 3 Pikmin present, and the lead being a White Pikmin, this grab has the longest range in the game. However, the more Pikmin used to perform the grab, the more ending lag it has. It resembles the group move from the ''Pikmin'' series.
|pummelname=Grab Olimar Thrust ({{ja|つかみオリマー突き|Tsukami Orimā Tsuki}})
|pummelname=Grab Olimar Thrust ({{ja|つかみオリマー突き|Tsukami Orimā Tsuki}})
|pummeldmg=1%{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
|pummeldmg=1%{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
|pummeldesc=A [[wikipedia:Knifehand strike|knifehand thrust]]. Faster, but weaker than his previous pummel.
|pummeldesc=A [[wikipedia:Knifehand strike|knifehand thrust]]. Fast but weak.
|fthrowname=Pikmin Front Throw ({{ja|ピクミン前投げ|Pikumin Zen Nage}})
|fthrowname=Pikmin Front Throw ({{ja|ピクミン前投げ|Pikumin Zen Nage}})
|fthrowdmg=—{{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|5.6}}{{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|7}}{{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|11.9}}{{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|7}}{{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|7}}
|fthrowdmg=—{{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|5.6}}{{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|7}}{{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|11.9}}{{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|7}}{{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|7}}
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|dthrowdmg=—{{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|1}} (hit 1), {{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|5.6}} (throw){{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|1}} (hit 1), {{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|7}} (throw){{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|1}} (hit 1), {{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|11.9}} (throw){{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|0.8}} (hit 1), {{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|7}} (throw){{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|1.6}} (hit 1), {{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|7}} (throw)
|dthrowdmg=—{{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|1}} (hit 1), {{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|5.6}} (throw){{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|1}} (hit 1), {{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|7}} (throw){{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|1}} (hit 1), {{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|11.9}} (throw){{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|0.8}} (hit 1), {{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|7}} (throw){{!!}}{{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|1.6}} (hit 1), {{PikminThrowDmgSSBU|7}} (throw)
|dthrowdesc=The Pikmin perform a [[wikipedia:Piledriver (professional wrestling)#Jumping piledriver|jumping piledriver]].
|dthrowdesc=The Pikmin perform a [[wikipedia:Piledriver (professional wrestling)#Jumping piledriver|jumping piledriver]].
|dodgedesc=—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}
|techdesc=—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}
|floorfname= 
|floorfname= 
|floorfdmg=7%{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
|floorfdmg=7%{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
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|usname=Winged Pikmin
|usname=Winged Pikmin
|usdmg=—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
|usdmg=—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
|usdesc=Two {{iw|pikipedia|Winged Pikmin}} carry the user around. Winged Pikmin's effectiveness is dependent on both the amount of Pikmin that are alive and close, and the frequency of its usage. In regard to frequency, it takes ≈3 seconds (180 frames) for Winged Pikmin to be able to travel the same distance again after the conclusion of the initial usage. Aerial attacks can also be used while being carried, similarly to [[Robo Burner]]. However, doing so will render him [[helpless]] immediately after the conclusion of the attack.
|usdesc=Two {{iw|pikipedia|Winged Pikmin}} carry Olimar around. The Winged Pikmin's effectiveness is dependent on the frequency of their usage, as well as the amount of Pikmin that are alive and close. In regard to frequency, it takes ≈3 seconds (180 frames) for Winged Pikmin to be able to travel the same distance again after the conclusion of the initial usage. Aerial attacks can also be used while being carried, similarly to [[Robo Burner]]. However, doing so will render Olimar [[helpless]] immediately after the conclusion of the attack.
|dsname=Pikmin Order
|dsname=Pikmin Order
|dsdmg=—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
|dsdmg=—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—{{!!}}—
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===[[On-screen appearance]]===
===[[On-screen appearance]]===
*Exits the Hocotate Ship and then plucks three Pikmin, after which the Hocotate Ship disappears in a puff of smoke.
*Exits the Hocotate Ship and then plucks a trio of Pikmin, after which the Hocotate Ship disappears in a puff of smoke.
<gallery>
<gallery>
OlimarOnScreenAppearanceSSBU.gif|Olimar's on-screen appearance
OlimarOnScreenAppearanceSSBU.gif|Olimar's on-screen appearance
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===[[Victory pose]]s===
===[[Victory pose]]s===
*'''Left:''' Performs a toe touching exercise while a {{s|pikipedia|Yellow Pikmin}} rests on the ground and a {{s|pikipedia|Red Pikmin}} looks around, waving its arms, and occasionally jumping.
*'''Left:''' Performs a toe touching exercise while a {{iw|pikipedia|Yellow Pikmin}} rests on the ground and a {{iw|pikipedia|Red Pikmin}} looks around, waving its arms, and occasionally jumping.
*'''Up:''' Plucks a [[pikipedia:White Pikmin|White]], [[pikipedia:Blue Pikmin|Blue]], and {{s|pikipedia|Purple Pikmin}}. The White Pikmin and Blue Pikmin bounce off Olimar's head, whereas the Purple Pikmin squashes him onto the ground. Olimar's eyes will comically bulge outward upon being squashed before his expression returns to normal, whereas [[Alph]] will comically wince upon being squashed before his expression returns to normal.
*'''Up:''' Plucks a [[pikipedia:White Pikmin|White]], [[pikipedia:Blue Pikmin|Blue]], and {{s|pikipedia|Purple Pikmin}}. The White Pikmin and Blue Pikmin bounce off Olimar's head, whereas the Purple Pikmin squashes him onto the ground. Olimar's eyes will comically bulge outward upon being squashed before his expression returns to normal, whereas [[Alph]] will comically wince upon being squashed before his expression returns to normal.
*'''Right:''' Sways in place while a Red, Yellow, and Blue Pikmin walk around him in a circle.
*'''Right:''' Sways in place while a Red, Yellow, and Blue Pikmin walk around him in a circle.
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==In [[competitive play]]==
==In [[competitive play]]==
===Tier placement and history===
In the early metagame, Olimar was widely considered a contender for the best character in ''Ultimate'', alongside others like {{SSBU|Peach}} and {{SSBU|Pichu}}. Olimar boasted several strengths, including stronger throws, a quick [[Pikmin Pluck]], and less lag on his smash attacks, especially his up smash. This, along with Olimar's increased speed, made him a rather campy character, overwhelming the opponent with his Pikmin and recover them quickly when they are killed. As a result of these strengths, players such as {{Sm|Dabuz}}, {{Sm|Shuton}}, and {{Sm|Myran}} performed spectacularly with Olimar and consistently placed in top 8 at several tournaments.
Subsequent updates, however, impaired Olimar, both directly and indirectly. Patches 3.0.0 and 3.1.0 nerfed Olimar's smash attacks and made them less safe on shield, while [[Pikmin Throw]] dealt less shield damage. The nerfs saw a decline in Olimar's results, with Myran seeing a dip in results and Dabuz picking up {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}} as a co-main. Despite these nerfs, the three notable Olimar players continued to see strong and respectable placements up to and throughout the pandemic period, however ,the additions of DLC characters served to harm Olimar, as DLC characters with positive matchups against Olimar, such as {{SSBU|Min Min}} and {{SSBU|Pyra}}/{{SSBU|Mythra}}, became somewhat popular in the metagame. This led to Dabuz and Shuton picking up Min Min and the Aegis, respectively, to complement their Olimars. As it stands, Olimar is still considered a viable character and in high-tier with him being ranked 28th on the first and current tier list, however opinions on the character have noticeably declined since the early metagame.
===Most historically significant players===
===Most historically significant players===
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<!--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 -->
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''See also: [[:Category:Olimar players (SSBU)]]''
''See also: [[:Category:Olimar players (SSBU)]]''


*{{Sm|ArmyOli|USA}} - Placed 1st at {{Trn|River Rumble}}, 3rd at {{Trn|Super Bit Wars 7}}, 4th at {{Trn|DreamHack Dallas 2019}}, 9th at {{Trn|Ultimatum 2}}, and 25th at {{Trn|Low Tier City 7}} with wins over players like {{Sm|Fatality}}, {{Sm|Larry Lurr}}, and {{Sm|MuteAce}}. Previously ranked 5th on the [[Texas Power Rankings]].
*{{Sm|Candle|USA}} - The best solo-Olimar in the world in 2024. Aside from several high placements and victories at Midwest regionals, they have also placed highly at several majors despite infrequent appearances outside of their region, including 17th at {{Trn|Get On My Level X}} and 25th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2023}}. In addition, they are known for their proficiency in the {{SSBU|Steve}} matchup, having a positive record over {{Sm|Onin}} and defeating {{Sm|acola}} at the {{Trn|SMFN Invitational}}.
*{{Sm|Dabuz|USA}} - Co-mains {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}} with Olimar and is one of the two best Olimar players in the world. Placed 1st at {{Trn|Thunder Smash}} and 2nd at {{Trn|The Big House 9}}, {{Trn|Low Tide City 2021}}, {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves}}, and {{Trn|Smash Factor 9}}. Ranked 7th on the [[PGRU v3 NA]].
*{{Sm|Dabuz|USA}} - The second-best Olimar player of all-time, playing the character as either a co-main or secondary for his {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}}, and was a top 10 player from 2019 to mid-2022. He came close to winning many majors while using Olimar, including {{Trn|Albion 4}}, {{Trn|Low Tide City 2021}}, and {{Trn|Crown 2}}.
*{{Sm|Klaatu|USA}} - One of the best Olimar players in the United States. Placed 7th at {{Trn|Super Splat Bros}}, 25th at {{Trn|2GG: Kongo Saga}}, 33rd at {{Trn|GENESIS 6}}, and 49th at both {{Trn|2GG: Prime Saga}} and {{Trn|Mainstage}} with wins over players like {{Sm|Abadango}}, {{Sm|Raito}}, and {{Sm|Lui$}}. Ranked as high as 2nd on the [[NorCal Power Rankings#Super Smash Bros. Ultimate|NorCal Ultimate Power Rankings]].
*{{Sm|Myran|USA}} - One of the best Olimar players in the early metagame, ranking 13th on the [[Spring 2019 PGRU]] thanks to high major placements such as 2nd at {{Trn|Pound 2019}} and 3rd at {{Trn|Frostbite 2019}}. His performance has since declined following Olimar's nerfs in update 3.1.0, although he has still seen some strong runs on occasion, including 5th at {{Trn|GENESIS 8}} and 7th at {{Trn|CEO 2021}}.
*{{Sm|Myran|USA}} - One of the best Olimar players in the world during the early metagame. Placed 2nd at {{Trn|Pound 2019}}, 3rd at {{Trn|Frostbite 2019}}, 5th at {{Trn|GENESIS 8}}, and 9th at both {{Trn|GENESIS 6}} and {{Trn|Get On My Level 2019}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}}, {{Sm|Marss}}, and {{Sm|Shuton}}. Ranked 15th on the [[PGRU v3 NA]].
*{{Sm|Noi|Japan}} - The second-best Olimar player in Japan who came to prominence in the post-online metagame, playing the character alongside {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}}. He regularly places highly at Japanese events, notably 9th at {{Trn|Kagaribi 4}}, {{Trn|DELTA 4}}, and {{Trn|DELTA 5}}. Internationally, he made his debut by placing 13th at {{Trn|Super Smash Con 2023}}. His beat placement was ranking 74th on the [[OrionRank 2022]].
*{{Sm|Noi|Japan}} - One of the best Olimar players in Japan. Placed 9th at both {{Trn|Kagaribi 4}} and {{Trn|Wave 2}} as well as 13th at {{Trn|Seibugeki 9}}, {{Trn|Kagaribi 6}} and {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 10}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|Raito}}, {{Sm|Sigma}}, and {{Sm|Umeki}}.
*{{Sm|Shuton|Japan}} - The best Olimar player of all-time, playing the character alongside {{SSBU|Pyra}} and {{SSBU|Mythra}} and has been a consistent top 10 player since 2019. He is the only Olimar player with majors wins, most notably winning {{Trn|2GG: Prime Saga}} and {{Trn|EVO Japan 2020}} with solo-Olimar.
*{{Sm|Shuton|Japan}} - Co-mains Olimar alongside {{SSBU|Pyra}} and {{SSBU|Mythra}} and is the best Olimar player in the world. Placed 1st at {{Trn|2GG: Prime Saga}}, {{Trn|Sumabato SP 4}}, {{Trn|Sumabato SP 5}}, {{Trn|Umebura SP 5}}, and {{Trn|EVO Japan 2020}}. Ranked 13th on the [[Fall 2019 PGRU]].
*{{Sm|Tsubotsubo|Japan}} - One of the best Olimar players in Japan in 2021 and 2022, playing the character alongside {{SSBU|Joker}}. He first came to prominence in late-2021, with strong placements such as 7th at {{Trn|Wave 2}}, 13th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 8}}, and 17th at {{Trn|Pound 2022}}, ultimately ranking 91st on the [[OrionRank Mid-Year 2022]]. However, his performance had always been inconsistent and he has yet to be ranked globally since.
*{{Sm|Tsubotsubo|Japan}} - One of the best Olimar players in Japan. Placed 1st at {{Trn|HST SP Extend 2021}}, 13th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 5}}, 17th at {{Trn|Sumabato SP 25}}, 25th at {{Trn|Kagaribi 6}}, and 33rd at {{Trn|Umebura Japan Major 2019}} with wins over players like Shuton, {{Sm|Kuro}}, and {{Sm|Abadango}}.
*{{Sm|uame|Japan}} - The best solo-Olimar player in Japan since 2023. He is best known for winning {{Trn|DELTA 7.5}} and {{Trn|Yokohama BaySmash Big 1}}, defeating {{Sm|Toriguri}} in the former event. Although less consistent at majors, he still notably placed 13th at {{Trn|Seibugeki 17}} and 17th at both {{Trn|Kagaribi 11}} and {{Trn|Seibugeki 15}}.
 
===Tier placement and history===
In the early metagame, Olimar was widely considered a contender for the best character in ''Ultimate'', alongside others like {{SSBU|Peach}} and {{SSBU|Pichu}}. Olimar received several improvements to his moveset compared to his ''SSB4'' iteration, including stronger throws, a quick [[Pikmin Pluck]], and less lag on his smash attacks—especially his up smash. This, along with Olimar's increased speed, made him a more potent character both offensively and defensively. As a result of these strengths, players such as {{Sm|Dabuz}}, {{Sm|Shuton}}, and {{Sm|Myran}} achieved solid results with Olimar and consistently placed in top 8 at several tournaments.
 
Subsequent updates, especially 3.0.0 and 3.1.0, impaired Olimar both directly and indirectly. These updates nerfed Olimar's smash attacks and made them less safe on shield, while [[Pikmin Throw]] dealt less shield damage. The nerfs led to a decline in Olimar's playerbase, with Myran's success waning and Dabuz reintroducing {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}} as a secondary. Although Shuton continued to perform well with Olimar as his sole main up and into the online metagame, he nevertheless adopted {{SSBU|Pyra}} and {{SSBU|Mythra}} as co-mains alongside Olimar, due to the introduction of several DLC characters who became more prominent in the metagame and boasted tools to deal with Olimar. All of these events led to the perception of Olimar's viability undergoing a significant downturn, which was reflected in his placement on the first tier list; although he was ranked 28th and thus posited as a high tier, it was nevertheless a far cry from his initial, widely viewed top-tier position in the early metagame.
 
The post-online metagame saw the rise of several new Olimar players, most notably {{Sm|Noi}} and {{Sm|Tsubotsubo}} in Japan. However, these Olimar players often had co-mains or secondaries that they also used, in this case {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}} and {{SSBU|Joker}}, respectively. In addition, the new solo Olimar players, most notably {{Sm|MFA}} and {{Sm|Candle}}, were either less consistent or had a smaller presence on a national scale. When coupled with the rise of other characters initially ranked below Olimar, the second tier list saw him slide down to 33rd, now ranking in the B+ tier as an upper mid-tier character.


=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Planetary Explorer==
=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Planetary Explorer==
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|2||{{CharHead|Wolf|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Lylat Cruise]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Star Fox|Star Wolf's Theme / Sector Z (for 3DS / Wii U)}}''||
|2||{{CharHead|Wolf|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Lylat Cruise]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Star Fox|Star Wolf's Theme / Sector Z (for 3DS / Wii U)}}''||
|-
|-
|3||{{CharHead|Kirby|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|King Dedede|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||{{SSB|Dream Land}}||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kirby|Planet Popstar}}''||This battle is a free-for-all, and Kirby and King Dedede will primarily target each other.
|3||{{CharHead|Kirby|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|King Dedede|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Dream Land]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kirby|Planet Popstar}}''||This battle is a free-for-all, and Kirby and King Dedede will primarily target each other.
|-
|-
|4||{{CharHead|Zero Suit Samus|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Brinstar]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Metroid|Brinstar (Melee)}}''||
|4||{{CharHead|Zero Suit Samus|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Brinstar]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Metroid|Brinstar (Melee)}}''||
Line 608: Line 610:
*During the [https://www.smashbros.com official ''Ultimate'' website]'s launch on June 12th, 2018, Olimar's name was [[mariowiki:File:Smash Ultimate Olimer.png|erroneously labeled]] as "OLIM'''E'''R" in English variants of his fighter page. The typo was later corrected.
*During the [https://www.smashbros.com official ''Ultimate'' website]'s launch on June 12th, 2018, Olimar's name was [[mariowiki:File:Smash Ultimate Olimer.png|erroneously labeled]] as "OLIM'''E'''R" in English variants of his fighter page. The typo was later corrected.
*The part of Olimar's showcase trailer where Alph crouches next to a prone Olimar is a reference to a scene in ''Pikmin 3'' after Alph initially rescues Olimar from the {{IW|pikipedia|Mysterious Life Form}}.
*The part of Olimar's showcase trailer where Alph crouches next to a prone Olimar is a reference to a scene in ''Pikmin 3'' after Alph initially rescues Olimar from the {{IW|pikipedia|Mysterious Life Form}}.
*Olimar's (and Alph's) official artwork resembles {{s|pikipedia|Brittany}}'s pose in her ''Pikmin 3'' artwork (the same one used for her spirit), albeit flipped.
*Olimar's (and Alph's) official artwork resembles {{iw|pikipedia|Brittany}}'s pose in her ''Pikmin 3'' artwork (the same one used for her spirit), albeit flipped.
*In [[World of Light]], Olimar and the {{SSBU|Mii Fighter}}s will never be spawned as a [[false character]] in battles with [[Galeem]] and [[Dharkon]]. While {{SSBU|Kirby}} will also not appear, he was never initially imprisoned in the first place, unlike the other fighters.
*In [[World of Light]], Olimar and the {{SSBU|Mii Fighter}}s will never be spawned as a [[false character]] in battles with [[Galeem]] and [[Dharkon]]. While {{SSBU|Kirby}} will also not appear, he was never initially imprisoned in the first place, unlike the other fighters.
*Olimar is the only fighter to have an alternate costume of a different character beyond a gender swap in the same pose as his default costume, excluding the Mii Fighters.
**Similarly Olimar isn't in a single spirit battle in World of Light because Alph is used instead.
*Olimar's helmet can be detached from his head under certain circumstances. This is particularly noticeable during {{SSBU|Kazuya}}'s Gates of Hell throw if the game is slowed down.
*Excluding the Mii Fighters, Olimar and {{SSBU|Steve}} are the only fighter to have an alternate costume of a different character beyond a gender swap in the same pose as his default costume.
*Since update 2.0.0, if Olimar's Pikmin latch onto something and it changes size with them still latched on, they will change their size too. This is most noticeable with the Mother Brain, though Super and Poison Mushrooms will also do this, as long as they are applied by the character the Pikmin are latched onto.
*Olimar's helmet can be detached under certain circumstances. This is particularly noticeable during [[Gates of Hell]]'s animation if the game is slowed down.
*Excluding DLC fighters, Olimar is the playable character featured in the least amount of spirit battles, only appearing in 5.
*As of update 2.0.0, if Olimar's Pikmin latch onto something and it changes size with them still latched on, they will change their size too. This is most noticeable with Mother Brain, though Super and Poison Mushrooms will also do this as long as they are applied by the character the Pikmin are latched onto.
*Excluding DLC fighters, Olimar is tied with {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} as the fighter featured in the least amount of spirit battles, with both only appearing in 5.


{{SSBUCharacters}}
{{SSBUCharacters}}

Latest revision as of 05:33, October 18, 2024

This article is about Olimar's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For the character in other contexts, see Captain Olimar.
Olimar
in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Olimar SSBU.png
Olimar-Alt4 SSBU.png

PikminSymbol.svg
Universe Pikmin
Other playable appearances in Brawl
in SSB4

Availability Unlockable
Final Smash End of Day
Tier B+ (33)
Olimar (SSBU)

Olimar (ピクミン&オリマー, Pikmin & Olimar) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was officially revealed on June 12th, 2018 alongside Diddy Kong and the rest of the returning roster. In addition, Alph (ピクミン&アルフ, Pikmin & Alph) returns as an alternate character alongside Olimar. Olimar is classified as Fighter #40. Olimar uses Pikmin to assist him in attacking his foes, with a core playstyle revolving around managing and using his various Pikmin combinations to his advantage.

As in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. 4, Hajime Wakai's portrayals of the Pikmin from Pikmin and Pikmin 2, as well as Atsuko Asahi's portrayals of the Winged Pikmin from Pikmin 3, were repurposed for Ultimate, while both Olimar and Alph remain fully unvoiced.

Olimar is ranked 33rd out of 82 on the current tier list, placing him in the B+ tier. This is a slight drop to his placement in SSB4, where he was ranked 21st out of 54, and it is his lowest placement in the Super Smash Bros. series to date.

How to unlock[edit]

Complete one of the following:

Olimar must then be defeated on Distant Planet (the Ω form is used in World of Light).

Attributes[edit]

Olimar is a small, floaty, lightweight character. He has the 33rd slowest dashing speed, 8th slowest air speed, 32nd highest air acceleration (tied with Duck Hunt and Inkling, among others), very low gravity, low traction (tied with Diddy Kong), below-average falling speed, and above-average jump height. Due to these attributes, Olimar has below-average mobility for the most part.

What sets Olimar apart from a majority of the cast is that his stronger attacks do not come from him. Instead, he utilizes Pikmin to perform disjointed attacks and function as projectiles to attack opponents from a distance during his smash attacks, most of his aerial attacks, and his side special move. Olimar starts off with 3 Pikmin at the start of each battle, and can have up to 3 at any given point. Each Pikmin has their own hit points, and will die if they receive too much damage or fall into a blast zone. Pikmin are obtained in a specific order: Red, Yellow, Blue, White and Purple, then back to Red. Winged Pikmin also appear via Olimar's up special move, although they lack hurtboxes and hit points like the other Pikmin.

Pikmin Pluck, Olimar's neutral special move, enables him to gain Pikmin when used on any solid surface in the event he has less than 3 Pikmin available. It is very laggy when used in air, but is somewhat quick on the ground and is best used if spaced out. Pikmin Order, Olimar's down special move, can be used to quickly call all Pikmin back. It is a very quick and efficient cycling tool for getting to a desired Pikmin that has already been plucked. It also grants super armor during its first few frames, although this can be risky to use as a strictly defense measure due to the super armor's minimal amount of frames. It will function as a combo breaking move in dangerous situations as well.

Winged Pikmin, Olimar's up special move, is a very flexible recovery option. The Winged Pikmin can be moved freely around the air, and their travel can be canceled with an aerial attack. However, canceling the Winged Pikmin will render Olimar helpless. Additionally, consecutive usage of the Winged Pikmin will tire them out, which results in their travel distance and maneuverability both worsening. Although sporadic usage of the Winged Pikmin will prevent them from tiring out, their travel distance and maneuverability will still worsen depending on Olimar's lineup of Pikmin: Purple Pikmin are the heaviest, whereas White Pikmin are the lightest.

Olimar's side special move, Pikmin Throw, boasts excellent utility and is his primary damage-racking option. Olimar throws his Pikmin forward. The thrown Pikmin, except for Purple, cling to the target and deal elemental damage over time. Purple Pikmin don't cling to opponents and instead deal a single strong hit as they are in the air. If they don't land on a target, they become miniature, independent hurtboxes that run back toward Olimar. When clinging to the opponent, they can be killed or damaged by certain moves, such as a down smash that covers the user in a hitbox. However, this can be used to an advantage, as the Pikmin can be used to block certain moves such as Charge Shot, even when clinging to Samus. Pikmin Throw can also be used to get rid of unneeded or less useful Pikmin to get to a desired one if a different one needs to be plucked.

Each Pikmin has different properties that both affect how they interact with moves and Olimar's inputs. Red Pikmin have average projectile range, deal the second-highest damage, have the fire effect, reduce throw knockback, and are immune to fire attacks. Yellow Pikmin have an arcing path with slightly lower range, have the electric effect, have a larger hitbox (≈50% larger compared to the other Pikmin), and are immune to electric attacks. Blue Pikmin have average projectile range, higher throw power and damage, have the water effect, and are immune to water attacks. White Pikmin have the longest projectile range, deal the least direct damage in exchange for the most cling damage, and have the darkness effect. Purple Pikmin have the shortest projectile range, but deal the most damage and knockback and do not cling to opponents but act as a standard projectile with knockback instead.

Neutral attack is a one-two combo that is quick overall, and is best suited for low percent set-ups into down tilt, a grab, and Pikmin Throw or if used for jab locking. Forward tilt is a wind-up punch that is laggy overall and his slowest tilt attack. However, it possesses respectable power that makes it useful for creating space and, more notably, it is his only non-Pikmin attack that can KO at reasonable percents. Up tilt is a simple spinning hop that is best suited as an anti-air move, yet can also set be followed up with an up aerial at low percents if the opponent fails to DI properly. Down tilt is Olimar's most useful tilt attack: it is a lunging tackle that can start combos at varying percents, 2 frame punish reliably, function as a pseudo-crawl, and is his best spacing option in most scenarios thanks to its quick start-up.

Olimar's aerials have great utility despite his mediocre air speed. His forward and back aerials are great for edgeguarding thanks to their wide arc. His up aerial is effective for juggling and combos into itself and low to medium percents, whereas his down aerial can meteor smash in its earlier frames while still possessing a weaker lingering hitbox in its later frames, thus making it a solid tool for denying juggles. Furthermore, using Olimar's Pikmin-based aerials cycles through his Pikmin, which can be either a blessing or curse depending on the situation. Olimar's neutral aerial is his only aerial that does not utilize Pikmin, and thus has much less range in comparison. However, it still has some utility as a niche combo tool and landing option.

Olimar's throws are disproportionately powerful for a character of his size, specifically while using blue Pikmin. Up throw is a reliable KO move above approximately 130% with blue Pikmin (having very high base knockback) and can potentially set up juggling scenarios, while down throw reliably combos into forward aerial at low to medium percents and Pikmin Throw at higher percents, meaning that he can get very large amounts of damage off of a grab. Both forward and back throws can kill at ledge at about 130%, and also can set up edgeguards and ledgetraps. (Note: Blue Pikmin drastically increase the knockback and damage of throws. White Pikmin increase the range of the grab itself, while Purple Pikmin lower grab range. Red Pikmin make throws deal decreased knockback, making them more useful for combos starting from a grab.)

Having relatively long range for a character of his size also makes Olimar great at camping out and approaching hand-to-hand combatants, such as Captain Falcon or Wario, and further accentuate his strong punishment game. All of Olimar's aforementioned qualities give him a strong damage racking capability to complement his zoning focused playstyle.

However, Olimar does have some noticeable weaknesses to counterbalance his strengths. One of his most noteworthy issues is his defenselessness without his Pikmin. Although they can be plucked rather quickly, he can only do so when on the ground and there is still enough time to punish Olimar if he doesn't secure his space before gaining more Pikmin. His physical attacks themselves also provide niche/situational utility compared to his Pikmin moves and have significantly less range. Therefore, he is at his greatest disadvantage if the opponent manages to keep him airborne and within his space due to the very short range and limited scope of his physical attacks. On the flipside, his recovery becomes noticeably worsened when he does have Pikmin; as a result, he may have to resort to casting them aside if it improves his chances of recovering safely, and thus ridding himself of major defenses.

Olimar's below-average dashing and air speeds also make him susceptible to rushdown-oriented fighters overwhelming him while he's in a disadvantage state. This, in turn, is further compounded by his aforementioned difficulty at escaping a disadvantage state without Pikmin. Finally, Olimar's zoning capabilities are severely hindered by characters with a reflector, as Olimar's side special is both a projectile and his primary damage-racking move. On top of that, all of Olimar's smash attacks do damage solely through the use of Pikmin as projectiles, making a reflected smash attack potentially deadly, even at low percents.

Overall, Olimar is a versatile zoner who has an unorthodox manner of fighting involving the management of his Pikmin. Due to his poor disadvantage and his need for careful cycling and management of his Pikmin, he generally cannot afford to be reckless in his play.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4[edit]

Olimar was buffed overall in his transition from SSB4 to Ultimate, with several aspects of his core playstyle being buffed and further improved by Ultimate's universally adjusted mechanics.

Each Pikmin's various attributes have been improved. Red and Purple Pikmin deal more damage on average, Blue Pikmin's throw strength has been drastically improved, White Pikmin deals even more damage when latched to an opponent via Pikmin Throw, and all aerial attacks that involve Pikmin have more range, especially Yellow Pikmin, which improves their usage on spacing. These changes further strengthen Olimar's already respectable damage output and zoning abilities. In addition to this, all of Olimar's Pikmin-based aerials now have transcendent priority, which allows Olimar to trade moves much more safely than in SSB4, which eliminates one of his most ultimate flaws from that game.

Olimar's grab game has been noticeably buffed as well. His grab has much more range, which can now be extended depending on the amount of Pikmin he has with him, and all of his throws deal more damage on average. As mentioned before, Blue Pikmin's increased throw strength means Olimar now possesses some of the most dangerous KO throws in the game, with up throw in particular having the potential to become even stronger than the likes of Mewtwo, Charizard or Incineroar. Other notable buffs includde to up smash, which has less ending lag to the point it has gained combo potential at low percents, (heightening Olimar's out of shield game), and Pikmin Pluck, which is faster overall. Finally, in terms of universal changes, Olimar's mobility, while still below-average, has been improved via faster dashing and air speeds.

However, Olimar received some slight nerfs. At the cost of their stronger attributes, Pikmin are even easier to KO in general; they have slightly lower HP, are now left vulnerable to attacks if Olimar gets hit with a move with enough high knockback move, they can be hit by moves that Olimar already shielded or perfect shielded, and dead Pikmin temporarily becomes the active Pikmin in Olimar's squad upon their death. The former two changes make it harder for Olimar to keep his Pikmin alive, forcing to replenish them more often, while the latter two changes worsen Olimar's consistency for punishing opponents.

Olimar's down throw launches opponents at a more horizontal angle, making follow-ups less reliable. In exchange for longer range, Olimar's grabs tend to have more ending lag, making them riskier to throw out. His recovery also became less abusable as a result of the travel distance of his up special, Winged Pikmin, being further reduced with consecutive use, as well as its regeneration time being slower. Despite his faster mobility, Olimar now possesses one of the slowest initial dashes in the game, due to other fighters' initial dashes getting far more substantial buffs than his. Finally, Olimar's hurtbox is larger vertically, making it easier to hit him.

Overall, Olimar's oppressive damage output and camping abilities have been improved further, though this comes in exchange for Pikmin's fragility becoming even more pronounced than before and Olimar himself being more susceptible to punishment. He has also received some noticeable nerfs in game updates, which have notably affected his viability. While these nerfs aren't enough to outweigh his buffs, and Olimar is considered to be improved in comparison to in SSB4, he performs similarly effective in relation to the returning cast.

Aesthetics[edit]

  • Change Due to the aesthetic used in Ultimate, Olimar's model features a more vibrant color scheme. His proportions have been adjusted; he has a slightly smaller nose and eyes, and his skin tone is paler. His spacesuit and life-support systems have more subtle detailing, and his helmet has a more glossy sheen. The new detailing is also expressed by Alph.
  • Change Olimar's antenna has less independent physics, allowing it to move more naturally.
  • Change Olimar's helmet cracks after taking a certain amount of damage, but will quickly be repaired. It also appears cracked when he is Screen KO'd.
  • Change Olimar now only jumps twice during his up taunt, shortening its duration.
  • Change Sidestep and ledge-hanging's animations have changed.
  • Change Pikmin now always face the screen regardless of which direction they turn.
  • Change Pikmin now have trails that match their colors when attacking, like in the Pikmin games.

Attributes[edit]

  • Olimar:
    • Buff Like all characters, Olimar's jumpsquat animation takes three frames to complete (down from 5).
    • Buff Olimar walks slightly faster (0.9 → 0.945).
    • Buff Olimar dashes faster (1.47 → 1.617).
    • Buff Olimar's air speed is slightly faster (0.82 → 0.861).
    • Nerf Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-16 → 4-15).
    • Nerf Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frames 4-16 → 5-16) and more ending lag (FAF 29 → 34).
    • Buff Spot dodge has less ending lag (FAF 26 → 25).
    • Buff Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 3-27 → 3-29).
    • Nerf Air dodge has drastically more ending lag (FAF 32 → 57).
    • Buff Olimar's hurtbox is modeled around his body instead of being a giant orb around him. This effectively gives him a smaller hurtbox around some parts of his body, making him harder to hit.
      • Nerf However, Olimar has a larger hurtbox vertically.
  • Pikmin:
    • Nerf All Pikmin have less HP.
      • Nerf Red, Yellow: 8 → 6.
      • Nerf Blue: 11 → 8.
      • Nerf White: 7 → 5.
      • Nerf Purple: 13 → 11.
    • Nerf Pikmin can be swallowed.
    • Nerf Pikmin can get stuck on platforms if they were plucked beneath them, making it impossible to use them for attacks for a while.
    • Nerf Pikmin in Olimar's squad are no longer intangible directly after Olimar gets hit with a high knockback move, making it possible to kill the Pikmin and send Olimar offstage without any Pikmin.
    • Nerf Pikmin can die from hitboxes that Olimar already shielded or perfect shielded, making it very hard to punish the attack.
    • Nerf When a Pikmin dies, it becomes the active Pikmin in Olimar's squad, making it impossible to use Pikmin for attacks for a short while.

Ground attacks[edit]

  • Neutral attack:
    • Buff Hit 1 has less ending lag (FAF 30 → 20).
      • Change Its angles have been altered (361°/80° → 361°/180°) making it a more consistent jab locking tool but hindering its jab canceling potential.
    • Nerf The second hit hitboxes have been moved inwards (Z offset: 7/13 → 6/10), reducing its range. Oddly, the animation has not been properly altered, and so suggests the move has more range than it actually does.
    • Nerf Hit 2's sweetspot is closer to the sourspot, and the sourspot is bigger (2.5u → 2.8u). Due to it taking priority over the sweetspot this makes the sweetspot much harder to land.
  • Dash attack:
    • Buff Dash attack has a bigger hitbox (3.5u (clean)/3.5u (late) → 5u/4.5u).
  • Up tilt:
    • Buff Up tilt has less ending lag (FAF 45 → 39).
  • All smash attacks:
    • Buff The damage multipliers when using smash attacks with red or purple Pikmin have been increased (Red: 1.2× → 1.4×, Purple: 1.4× → 1.6×).
  • Forward smash:
    • Buff Forward smash deals more damage when using Red or Purple Pikmin.
      • Buff Red: 17.4% (clean)/12% (mid)/7.2% (late) → 20.3%/14%/8.4%
      • Buff Purple: 20.3% (clean)/14% (mid)/8.4% (late) → 23.2%/16%/9.6%
    • Nerf Forward smash has more ending lag (FAF 40 → 43).
    • Nerf Forward smash's clean hit has a shorter duration, with the mid and late hits having a longer duration instead (frames 11-14 (clean)/15-20 (mid)/21-29 (late) → 11-12/13-19/20-29).
  • Up smash:
    • Buff Up smash deals more damage when using Red or Purple Pikmin with knockback scaling compensated.
      • Buff Red: 15.6% (clean)/12% (weak)/13.2% (late) → 18.2%/14%/15.4%, knockback scaling: 83/74/78 → 72/64/68
      • Buff Purple: 18.2% (clean)/14% (weak)/15.4% (late) → 20.8%/16%/17.6%, knockback scaling: 81/72/78 → 72/64/68
    • Buff Up smash has significantly less ending lag (FAF 56 → 40), increasing its safety and giving it combo potential.
  • Down smash:
    • Buff Down smash deals more damage when using Red or Purple Pikmin.
      • Buff Red: 13.2% (clean)/10.8% (late) → 15.4%/12.6%
      • Buff Purple: 15.4% (clean)/12.6% (late) → 17.6%/14.4%

Aerial attacks[edit]

  • Buff All aerials have less landing lag (15 frames → 13 (neutral), 15 → 9 (forward/back), 30 → 18 (up/down)).
  • Buff All aerials involving Pikmin have transcendent priority.
  • Buff All aerials that involve Pikmin have more range.
  • Buff The damage multipliers when using aerials with red or purple Pikmin have been increased (Red: 1.2× → 1.4×, Purple: 1.4× → 1.6×).
  • Neutral aerial:
    • Nerf Neutral aerial's hitboxes are smaller (loop: 3.5u/2.5u/2.5u/3.5u → 3u/2u/2u/3u, last: 5u/4u/4u/5u → 4u/3u/3u/4u).
  • Forward aerial:
    • Buff Forward aerial deals more damage when using Red or Purple Pikmin.
      • Buff Red: 10.2% → 11.9%
      • Buff Purple: 11.9% → 13.6%
  • Back aerial:
    • Buff Back aerial deals more damage when using Red or Purple Pikmin.
      • Buff Red: 12.9% → 15.1%
      • Buff Purple: 15.1% → 17.2%
  • Up aerial and down aerial:
    • Buff Up aerial and down aerial deal more damage when using Red or Purple Pikmin.
      • Buff Red: 10.8% → 12.6%
      • Buff Purple: 12.6% → 14.4%
    • Nerf They auto-cancel one frame later (frame 30 → 31).

Throws and other attacks[edit]

  • Grabs:
    • Buff All Pikmin in Olimar's squad will be used at once for his grab, significantly improving its potential range. The more Pikmin he has, the greater the range.
    • Nerf All grabs have slightly more startup lag (frame 10 → 12).
    • Nerf Attempting to grab near a ledge using Pikmin that were plucked just before that will cause the grab to have no hitbox.
    • Change All grabs' ending lag is changed and depends on the amount of Pikmin in Olimar's squad.
      • Change Standing: FAF 50 → 42/48/57 (1/2/3 Pikmin).
      • Nerf Dash: FAF 53 → 50/58/69 (1/2/3 Pikmin).
      • Nerf Pivot: FAF 36 → 45/52/61 (1/2/3 Pikmin).
  • Pummel:
    • Change Pummel is a quick knifehand thrust from Olimar himself.
      • Buff Pummel has much less startup (frame 11 → 1) and ending lag (FAF 21 → 7) and deals more hitlag (5 (Red, Blue, Purple)/6 (White)/8 (Yellow) → 10)
      • Nerf It deals less damage (4% (White)/2% (others) → 1%).
        • Nerf As such, Olimar can no longer benefit from the damaging pummel of White Pikmin.
  • Forward throw:
    • Buff Forward throw deals more damage when using Blue Pikmin and when Olimar has multiple Pikmin in his squad.
      • Buff Red: 5.6% → 5.6%/6.1%/6.7% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
      • Buff Yellow, White, Purple: 7% → 7%/7.7%/8.4% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
      • Buff Blue: 11.2% → 11.8%/13%/14.2% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
  • Back throw:
    • Buff Back throw deals more damage when using Blue Pikmin and when Olimar has multiple Pikmin in his squad.
      • Buff Red: 7.2% → 7.2%/7.9%/8.6% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
      • Buff Yellow, White, Purple: 9% → 9%/9.9%/10.8% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
      • Buff Blue: 14.4% → 15.3%/16.8%/18.3% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
    • Buff Back throw deals significantly more knockback when using Blue Pikmin.
  • Up throw:
    • Buff Up throw deals more damage when using Blue Pikmin and when Olimar has multiple Pikmin in his squad.
      • Buff Red: 6.4% → 6.4%/7%/7.6% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
      • Buff Yellow, White, Purple: 8% → 8%/8.8%/9.6% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
      • Buff Blue: 12.8% → 13.5%/14.8%/16.2% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
    • Buff Up throw deals significantly more knockback when using Blue Pikmin, being the strongest up throw in the game.
    • Change Up throw has a more exaggerated animation.
  • Down throw:
    • Buff Down throw deals more damage when using Blue Pikmin and when Olimar has multiple Pikmin in his squad.
      • Buff Red: 6.6% → 6.6%/7.2%/7.9% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
      • Buff Yellow: 8% → 8%/8.8%/9.6% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
      • Buff White: 7.8% → 8%/8.8%/9.6% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
      • Buff Purple: 8.4% → 8%/8.8%/9.6% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
      • Buff Blue: 12.2% → 12.8%/14.1%/15.4% (1/2/3 Pikmin).
    • Nerf Down throw sends opponents at a more horizontal angle (90° → 60°), reducing its combo potential.

Special moves[edit]

  • Pikmin Throw:
    • Buff Pikmin that latch onto opponents deal more damage (1.1% → 2% (Red, Yellow, Blue), 3.7% → 4.7% (White)).
    • Nerf Pikmin take fall damage when thrown and landing on the ground.
    • Bug fix The removal of multiple player slot glitch and changes to jostle mechanics no longer crashes the game with Pikmin Throw.
    • Change Opponents make a discomforted facial expression (the same expression used by poisoned fighters) when a Pikmin is latched onto them.
  • Winged Pikmin:
    • Nerf Winged Pikmin travels a significantly shorter distance with consecutive uses.
    • Nerf If Pikmin are in certain animations while using Winged Pikmin, attempting to use them for aerials will cause the attack to have no hitbox.
  • Pikmin Order:
    • Buff Olimar orders his Pikmin much sooner (frame 12 → 2).
    • Buff Pikmin Order has less ending lag (FAF 21 → 18).
    • Buff Olimar gains super armor sooner (frame 6 → 2), much like in Brawl. This improves its use as a defensive tool and as a combo breaker.
      • Nerf However, it also has a shorter duration (frames 6-12 → 2-7). This effectively increases the move's ending lag despite its reduced total duration.
    • Buff Pikmin Order's whistling animation is less exaggerated. This new animation is shorter (39 frames → 33), decreasing the amount of time Olimar cannot grab the ledge after performing the move in the air.
  • End of Day
    • Change End of Day has been drastically sped up, with the Hocotate Ship crashing onto the stage almost immediately after the move's cutscene.
      • Buff This gives the opponent less time to avoid the explosion, especially those who are buried.
    • Nerf The explosion has less knockback scaling (140 (sweetspot)/125 (sourspot) → 120/105).

Update history[edit]

Olimar received a mix of buffs, nerfs and glitch fixes via game updates, but was noticeably nerfed overall. Update 2.0.0 fixed an infamous glitch which allowed Pikmin to double the strength of the spirit multiplier, causing attacks with his Pikmin to deal massive amounts of damage under the right circumstances. However, he received a glitch in this same update that caused all of his smash attacks to no longer increase in damage while being charged. While this glitch was fixed in update 3.0.0, this update also introduced another glitch that causes reflected Pikmin to inflict damage onto himself after they've returned to him, leading to the possibility of unintentional self-destructs caused by Olimar using moves that boast a great amount of KO power. The changes made to the shield mechanics in this same update also harmed him by making his smash attacks less safe on perfect shield. In addition, like with many other projectiles, his forward smash and Pikmin throw now deal less shield damage, although the amount of shieldstun went unchanged.

Update 3.1.0 was, by far, the update that nerfed Olimar the most. The size of Olimar's hurtbox has been enlarged, making him easier to hit even while shielding. His forward and up smashes had their ending lag increased, with the former smash attack also having its clean hitbox harder to land due to its duration being shortened. This same update also noticeably reduced the Winged Pikmin's overall travel distance when they are used consecutively, hampering his recovery. However, update 4.0.0 undid update 3.1.0.'s nerf to his clean forward smash's duration.

Like many other characters, Olimar's shield was enlarged in update 7.0.0, which compensated his larger hurtbox by both fully covering him and making him less vulnerable to shield stabbing. Update 8.0.0 buffed End of Day's KO potential and range. Prior to update 10.0.0, if Olimar tried to use an aerial attack out of Winged Pikmin after using forward smash or Pikmin Throw, the move would act as if there were no Pikmin. This bug had plagued Olimar since SSB4 and was finally fixed in 10.0.0, indirectly buffing Olimar.

Due to Olimar's strongest traits being toned down, he is considered to be significantly worse than he was at the launch of Ultimate.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 1.2.0

  • Olimar has been affected, although the changes are currently unknown.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 2.0.0

  • Bug fix Fixed a glitch where Pikmin would apply attack multipliers twice when using spirits.
  • Bug introduced Created a glitch where smash attacks would not have their damage outputs scale when charged.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 3.0.0

  • Nerf Forward smash deals less shield damage (0 → -10/-7/-4.2 (Red), -7.2/-5/-3 (Yellow & Blue), -5.3/-4/-2.4 (White), -11.6/-8/-4.8 (Purple)).
  • Bug fix Olimar's smash attacks now properly have their damage scale when charged.
  • Nerf Pikmin Throw deals less shield damage (1 → -2.5 (thrown, Purple), 0 → -1/-2.3 (latched, non-White/White), -4.5/-3.2/-3.2/-2.6/-2.5 (thrown, Red/Yellow/Blue/White), -5.2 (Pocketed Purple)).
  • Bug introduced Introduced a self-inflicting Pikmin glitch where a reflected Pikmin causes Olimar to self-inflict damage with any move.
  • Bug fix End of Day no longer causes Olimar to go through the stage in Saffron City and self-destruct.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 3.1.0

  • Nerf Olimar has a larger hurtbox. His shield size was not compensated, making it noticeably easier to shield poke him.
  • Nerf Forward smash's clean hit has a shorter duration, with the mid and late hits having a longer duration instead (non-Purple: frames 11-14 (clean)/15-20 (mid)/21-29 (late) → 11-12/13-19/20-29); Purple: 11-14/15-19/20-24 → 11-12/13-18/19-24).
  • Nerf Forward smash has more ending lag (FAF 40 → 43).
  • Nerf Up smash has more ending lag (FAF 37 → 40).
  • Bug fix Due to aforementioned changes made to forward and up smashes, it is no longer possible for Olimar to self-inflict with his own reflected Pikmin using any move.
  • Nerf Winged Pikmin takes twice as long to regenerate its flight time after each use.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 4.0.0

  • Buff Forward smash's range has been increased when using Purple Pikmin, reverting to its pre-3.1.0 behavior.
  • Bug fix A glitch where pummeling the opponents would sometimes make fall out of the grab immediately has been fixed.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 7.0.0

  • Buff Overall shield size has been increased, now fully covering Olimar's body again.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 8.0.0

  • End of Day:
    • Buff The explosion deals more damage (12%/10% → 14%/12%) with no compensation on knockback, improving its KO potential.
    • Buff The explosion's sweetspot consists of one extended hitbox rather than two standard ones, which is much larger (25u → 35u), although with its vertical stretch mostly compensated (Y offset: -15u/15u → -10u—10u).

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 10.0.0

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 12.0.0

  • Buff Forward smash's clean hit has a longer duration (frames 11-12 → 11-13). The mid hit was made shorter to compensate.
  • Change Forward throw releases opponents one frame later (frame 17 → 18), effectively reducing its ending lag, but giving the opponent more time to DI.

Moveset[edit]

Blue, Yellow, Red, Purple and White Pikmin, as shown by the Move List.
  • All Pikmin-based moves and grabs use the next Pikmin in the line to perform the given attack. Upon performing a move, that Pikmin goes to the back of the line. In general:
    • Red Pikmin deal more damage for attacks, but less for throws.
    • Yellow Pikmin have larger hitboxes.
    • Blue Pikmin have more damaging throws.
    • White Pikmin are very weak in attacks, but have significantly longer grab and toss range and deal more latch damage.
    • Purple Pikmin are very strong in damage and knockback, but have very poor range and can't latch.

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

Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the 1v1 multiplier.

  Name Damage Description
Olimar Red Yellow Blue White Purple
Neutral attack Olimar Punch (オリマーパンチ) / Olimar Follow-up Punch (オリマー連続パンチ) 3% (arm), 4% (fist) The Rocket Fist's one-two combo. It has very minimal start-up and ending lag, average knockback growth, and its second hit launches at 45°. It can jab lock and, at low percents, it can combo into down tilt, a grab, and Pikmin Throw.
3% (arm), 4% (fist)
Forward tilt Olimar Thrust (オリマー突き) 11% The Rocket Fist's wind-up punch. It is powerful for a tilt attack, thanks to its decent damage output and high knockback growth, and is Olimar's only reliable KO option when he lacks any Pikmin. However, it is also laggy overall, especially for a tilt attack.
Up tilt Tornado Jump (竜巻ジャンプ) 0.6% (hits 1-5), 4% (hit 6) A jumping twirl. Hits multiple times, with its last hit having a deceptively large disjoint. Altogether, these traits make it a decent anti-air attack.
Down tilt Low Headbutt (低空頭突き) 6% A lunging tackle. It hits on frame 6, and has very low base knockback, very high knockback growth, and minimal ending lag. Altogether, these traits make it a reliable combo starter at low to medium percents. It can combo into itself (especially on fast-fallers), up tilt, smash attacks, and aerial attacks, depending on the opponent's DI. It can also interfere with an opponent's edge grab attempt, thanks to its hitbox being capable of going below the edge. Like neutral attack, performing it repeatedly will move Olimar slightly forward.
Dash attack Cartwheel Kick (側転キック) 7% (hit 1), 4% (hit 2) A cartwheel. It can function as a mix-up, as it is able to combo into up aerial at 0%-10%. However, its second hit's very low damage output, high base knockback, and low knockback growth collectively make it unable to combo past very low percents, or KO at reasonable percents. Although sporadic, it is also possible for the first hit to fail at connecting into the second hit.
Forward smash Pikmin Rocket (ピクミンロケット) 20.3% (clean), 14% (mid), 8.4% (late) 14.5% (clean), 10% (mid), 6% (late) 14.5% (clean), 10% (mid), 6% (late) 11.6% (clean), 8% (mid), 4.8% (late) 23.2% (clean), 16% (mid), 9.6% (late) Points forward to command a Pikmin to leap forward and perform a corkscrew tackle. The leaping Pikmin can be reflected.
Up smash Pikmin Jump (ピクミンジャンプ) 18.2% (clean near), 14% (clean far), 15.4% (late) 13% (clean near), 10% (clean far), 11% (late) 13% (clean near), 10% (clean far), 11% (late) 10.4% (clean near), 8% (clean far), 8.8% (late) 20.8% (clean near), 16% (clean far), 17.6% (late) Points upward to command a Pikmin to jump and perform a cartwheeling tackle. The leaping Pikmin can be reflected. This move has uses in starting combos at low to mid percents; depending on the opponent's character, any aerial can be used out of an up smash. Notably, an up air chain out from an up smash, leading to an extremely damaging combo. Its short endlag and high shieldstun make the move tricky to punish on whiff and on block. Up smash is also a good out of shield option due to its deceptively good horizontal range and great vertical range and duration, making it useful for punishing landings and occasionally juggling opponents. Up smash is also a strong KOing move, KOing at or below 150% with all Pikmin except White. However, it can easily be beaten due to its projectile attributes, making them lose out to any other active hitbox.
Down smash Pikmin Left/Right Dash (ピクミン左右ダッシュ) 15.4% (clean), 12.6% (late) 11% (clean), 9% (late) 11% (clean), 9% (late) 8.8% (clean), 7.2% (late) 17.6% (clean), 14.4% (late) Squats slightly and points to both of his sides to command two Pikmin (the lead Pikmin, and the Pikmin next in line) perform dashing tackles. Either Pikmin on each side can be reflected. If only one Pikmin is in play, Olimar will only send a Pikmin forward.
Neutral aerial Tornado Attack (竜巻アタック) 1.5% (hits 1-4), 2% (hit 5) A jumping twirl, resembling his up tilt. It is Olimar's only aerial that does not use Pikmin or have transcendent priority. However, it lacks KO potential like his other aerials.
Forward aerial Pikmin Sweep (ピクミンはたき) 11.9% 8.5% 8.5% 6.8% 13.6% Grabs a Pikmin by its stem and swings it downward in front of himself. Due to its range, and speed, it is one of Olimar's best moves for walling and aerial combat as the Pikmin used acts as a sword for the duration of this move, giving this move great range relative to Olimar's size. Due to its low landing lag, it is also very good for combos at low percents, as well as being safe on shield if spaced well. In addition, it can also KO if used with Red or Purple Pikmin. Lastly, it is a very reliable follow-up from down throw, and is useful for edgeguarding.
Back aerial Pikmin Shake Off (ピクミンふりはらい) 15.12% 10.8% 10.8% 8.64% 17.28% Grabs a Pikmin by its stem and swings it upward behind himself. It is Olimar's most damaging aerial. Due to its low landing lag, it is also very good for combos at lower percents, as well as being safe on shield if spaced well. This move has great range for a character of Olimar's size, due to the Pikmin used acting similarly to a disjointed hitbox for the duration of this move. It can also KO at reasonable percents if any non-White Pikmin are used. However, it has the highest start-up lag out of Olimar's aerials, though the start-up is still reasonable compared to most other back aerials of its kind.
Up aerial Pikmin Tornado (ピクミントルネード) 12.6% 9% 9% 7.2% 14.4% Grabs a Pikmin by its stem and twirls it upward. The move comes out decently fast and lasts for a very long time, as well as the move having transcendent priority, making it very hard to out-space this move making it very good for juggling and combos, at low percents it can chain into itself or other aerials bar down aerial. It is tied with down aerial as his second most damaging aerial, and is a viable KOing option with any non-White Pikmin. However, it has a noticeable amount of landing lag.
Down aerial Pikmin Meteor (ピクミンメテオ) 12.6% 9% 9% 7.2% 14.4% Grabs a Pikmin by its stem and swings it downward. It is tied with up aerial as his second most damaging aerial. This move gives Olimar a very good way to escape juggling due to the long lasting hitbox and the amount of downward range that it gives Olimar, the Pikmin act as a pseudo disjoint in this move as well as all of Olimar's other Pikmin involved aerials, making it very hard to challenge the move during its active hitbox frames. The move can also KO at higher percents if used with Red or Purple Pikmin. It is also a meteor smash, but only against aerial opponents and during its first frame. In addition, the move's very long lasting hitbox can also two frame punish at edges. However, it has a noticeable amount of landing lag.
Grab Grab (つかみ) Points forward to command the lead Pikmin to grab the opponent, with the other Pikmin following. The Pikmin function as disjointed grabs, and overall grab range varies depending on both the number of Pikmin present, and the lead Pikmin. White Pikmin have the longest range, followed by Red, Yellow and Blue (which are all tied for 2nd), and Purple (with the shortest range). With 3 Pikmin present, and the lead being a White Pikmin, this grab has the longest range in the game. However, the more Pikmin used to perform the grab, the more ending lag it has. It resembles the group move from the Pikmin series.
Pummel Grab Olimar Thrust (つかみオリマー突き) 1% A knifehand thrust. Fast but weak.
Forward throw Pikmin Front Throw (ピクミン前投げ) 5.6% 7% 11.9% 7% 7% The Pikmin leap forward, body slamming the opponent on the ground. If used with 3 Pikmin and the lead is Blue, it becomes a strong throw that can KO middleweights at around 125% at the edge of Final Destination. However, it usually gets overshadowed by up throw due to it being able to KO more consistently.
Back throw Pikmin Back Throw (ピクミン後投げ) 7.2% 9% 15.3% 9% 9% Same as the forward throw, but the Pikmin leap backwards instead. It is Olimar's most damaging throw, and if used with 2 or 3 Pikmin and the lead is Blue, it is the most damaging throw in the game and can KO middleweights at around 130% at the edge of Final Destination.
Up throw Pikmin Up Throw (ピクミン上投げ) 1% (hit 1), 5.4% (throw) 1% (hit 1), 7% (throw) 1% (hit 1), 12.5% (throw) 1% (hit 1), 7% (throw) 1% (hit 1), 7% (throw) The Pikmin toss the opponent upward, then leap up and headbutt them further upward. Oddly, the Red Pikmin's version does less damage than it should (5.6%) based on the multiplier used (0.8×) for its other throws. If used with 3 Pikmin and the lead is Blue, it becomes the strongest up throw in the game and can KO middleweights at around 124% on Final Destination.
Down throw Pikmin Down Throw (ピクミン下投げ) 1% (hit 1), 5.6% (throw) 1% (hit 1), 7% (throw) 1% (hit 1), 11.9% (throw) 0.8% (hit 1), 7% (throw) 1.6% (hit 1), 7% (throw) The Pikmin perform a jumping piledriver.
Forward roll
Back roll
Spot dodge
Air dodge
Techs
Floor attack (front)
Floor getups (front)
  7% Headbutts in front and then behind himself.
Floor attack (back)
Floor getups (back)
  7% Punches in front of himself and then spins around to punch behind him.
Floor attack (trip)
Floor getups (trip)
  7% Punches in front of himself and then spins around to punch behind him.
Edge attack
Edge getups
  9% Throws a punch while climbing up.
Neutral special Pikmin Pluck Plucks a Pikmin. It cannot be used in midair, and has noticeable ending lag if it is attempted in midair, or if no more Pikmin can be plucked.
Side special Pikmin Throw 9.1% (thrown), 2% (latched) 6.5% (thrown), 2% (latched) 6.5% (thrown), 2% (latched) 5.2% (thrown), 4.7% (latched) 6% (thrown), 10.4% (unpocketed) Throws a Pikmin, which latches onto opponents and damages them before falling off either because of flinching, the opponent's damage, or being killed. In regard to the opponent's damage, a Pikmin's latch duration decreases when the opponent's damage increases, even when undisturbed. Purple Pikmin are unable to latch onto anything, and will instead deal damage and knockback on contact. When thrown out of Pocket, Pikmin do not latch, but instead deal their thrown damage and die upon landing. In addition, Purple Pikmin thrown via Pocket specifically deal more damage in addition to the move's multiplier.
Up special Winged Pikmin Two Winged Pikmin carry Olimar around. The Winged Pikmin's effectiveness is dependent on the frequency of their usage, as well as the amount of Pikmin that are alive and close. In regard to frequency, it takes ≈3 seconds (180 frames) for Winged Pikmin to be able to travel the same distance again after the conclusion of the initial usage. Aerial attacks can also be used while being carried, similarly to Robo Burner. However, doing so will render Olimar helpless immediately after the conclusion of the attack.
Down special Pikmin Order Blows his whistle to recall Pikmin and/or sort out their order in the line. It grants super armor, which lasts from startup to before Olimar's antenna emits the blue lights. It has a very low amount of ending lag, and can even be canceled (just before the lights turn from yellow to red).
Final Smash End of Day 10% (launch), 10% (ascent), 0.1875% (Red Bulborbs), 10% (descent), 12%/10% (explosion) Jumps into the Hocotate Ship and launches into outer space, which buries any nearby opponents. While the ship has left the stage, Red Bulborbs attack opponents to steadily inflict damage; they deal damage every frame for 81 frames (1.35 seconds), dealing up to 15.1875%. The Hocotate Ship then descends from outer space, and explodes upon crash landing onto the stage. The duration of the whole Final Smash is faster than in SSB4.

Stats[edit]

Stats Weight Dash speed Walk speed Traction Air friction Air speed Air acceleration Gravity Falling speed Jumpsquat Jump height Double jump height
Value 79 1.606 – Initial dash
1.617 – Run
0.945 0.093 0.015 0.861 0.01 – Base
0.07 – Additional
0.068 1.35 – Base
2.16Fast-fall
3 33.5 - Base
16.19 - Short hop
33.5

Announcer calls[edit]

The announcer also calls the Pikmin in the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean versions.

Olimar[edit]

Alph[edit]

On-screen appearance[edit]

  • Exits the Hocotate Ship and then plucks a trio of Pikmin, after which the Hocotate Ship disappears in a puff of smoke.

Taunts[edit]

  • Up taunt: Joyfully jumps in place twice.
  • Side taunt: Lies down on the ground, rolls around as if basking in nature, and then gets up.
  • Down taunt: Swings his hips twice.

Idle poses[edit]

  • Rubs his helmet with both hands.
  • Moves his arms back and forward in a basic limber exercise.

Crowd cheer[edit]

Olimar[edit]

Cheer (English) Cheer (Japanese/Chinese) Cheer (Italian) Cheer (Dutch) Cheer (French)
Cheer
NTSC

PAL
Description Olimar! Olimar! Olimar! Pik - min! Oli - mar! Pik - min! Oli - mar! Oli - mar! Pik - min! Pik - min! Oli - mar!
Cheer (German) Cheer (Spanish) Cheer (Russian) Cheer (Korean)
Cheer
NTSC

PAL
Description Pik - min! Oli - mar! Pik - min! Oli - mar! Pi - k - min! O - li - mar! Pikmin! Olimar!

Alph[edit]

Cheer (English) Cheer (Japanese/Chinese) Cheer (Italian) Cheer (Dutch) Cheer (French)
Cheer
NTSC

PAL
Description Alph! Alph! Alph! Pik - min! Al - ph! Pik - min! *claps 2 times* Alph! Alph! Alph! Pik - min! Alph! Alph! Pik - min! Alph!
Cheer (German) Cheer (Spanish) Cheer (Russian) Cheer (Korean)
Cheer
NTSC

PAL
Description Pik - min! Alph! Pik - min! Alph! Pik - min - Pik! Alph! Alph! Alph! Piki - min! Alph!

Victory poses[edit]

  • Left: Performs a toe touching exercise while a Yellow Pikmin rests on the ground and a Red Pikmin looks around, waving its arms, and occasionally jumping.
  • Up: Plucks a White, Blue, and Purple Pikmin. The White Pikmin and Blue Pikmin bounce off Olimar's head, whereas the Purple Pikmin squashes him onto the ground. Olimar's eyes will comically bulge outward upon being squashed before his expression returns to normal, whereas Alph will comically wince upon being squashed before his expression returns to normal.
  • Right: Sways in place while a Red, Yellow, and Blue Pikmin walk around him in a circle.
A flourished remix of a small excerpt of the title theme of Pikmin.

In competitive play[edit]

Most historically significant players[edit]

See also: Category:Olimar players (SSBU)

  • USA Candle - The best solo-Olimar in the world in 2024. Aside from several high placements and victories at Midwest regionals, they have also placed highly at several majors despite infrequent appearances outside of their region, including 17th at Get On My Level X and 25th at Super Smash Con 2023. In addition, they are known for their proficiency in the Steve matchup, having a positive record over Onin and defeating acola at the SMFN Invitational.
  • USA Dabuz - The second-best Olimar player of all-time, playing the character as either a co-main or secondary for his Rosalina & Luma, and was a top 10 player from 2019 to mid-2022. He came close to winning many majors while using Olimar, including Albion 4, Low Tide City 2021, and Crown 2.
  • USA Myran - One of the best Olimar players in the early metagame, ranking 13th on the Spring 2019 PGRU thanks to high major placements such as 2nd at Pound 2019 and 3rd at Frostbite 2019. His performance has since declined following Olimar's nerfs in update 3.1.0, although he has still seen some strong runs on occasion, including 5th at GENESIS 8 and 7th at CEO 2021.
  • Japan Noi - The second-best Olimar player in Japan who came to prominence in the post-online metagame, playing the character alongside Pokémon Trainer. He regularly places highly at Japanese events, notably 9th at Kagaribi 4, DELTA 4, and DELTA 5. Internationally, he made his debut by placing 13th at Super Smash Con 2023. His beat placement was ranking 74th on the OrionRank 2022.
  • Japan Shuton - The best Olimar player of all-time, playing the character alongside Pyra and Mythra and has been a consistent top 10 player since 2019. He is the only Olimar player with majors wins, most notably winning 2GG: Prime Saga and EVO Japan 2020 with solo-Olimar.
  • Japan Tsubotsubo - One of the best Olimar players in Japan in 2021 and 2022, playing the character alongside Joker. He first came to prominence in late-2021, with strong placements such as 7th at Wave 2, 13th at Maesuma TOP 8, and 17th at Pound 2022, ultimately ranking 91st on the OrionRank Mid-Year 2022. However, his performance had always been inconsistent and he has yet to be ranked globally since.
  • Japan uame - The best solo-Olimar player in Japan since 2023. He is best known for winning DELTA 7.5 and Yokohama BaySmash Big 1, defeating Toriguri in the former event. Although less consistent at majors, he still notably placed 13th at Seibugeki 17 and 17th at both Kagaribi 11 and Seibugeki 15.

Tier placement and history[edit]

In the early metagame, Olimar was widely considered a contender for the best character in Ultimate, alongside others like Peach and Pichu. Olimar received several improvements to his moveset compared to his SSB4 iteration, including stronger throws, a quick Pikmin Pluck, and less lag on his smash attacks—especially his up smash. This, along with Olimar's increased speed, made him a more potent character both offensively and defensively. As a result of these strengths, players such as Dabuz, Shuton, and Myran achieved solid results with Olimar and consistently placed in top 8 at several tournaments.

Subsequent updates, especially 3.0.0 and 3.1.0, impaired Olimar both directly and indirectly. These updates nerfed Olimar's smash attacks and made them less safe on shield, while Pikmin Throw dealt less shield damage. The nerfs led to a decline in Olimar's playerbase, with Myran's success waning and Dabuz reintroducing Rosalina & Luma as a secondary. Although Shuton continued to perform well with Olimar as his sole main up and into the online metagame, he nevertheless adopted Pyra and Mythra as co-mains alongside Olimar, due to the introduction of several DLC characters who became more prominent in the metagame and boasted tools to deal with Olimar. All of these events led to the perception of Olimar's viability undergoing a significant downturn, which was reflected in his placement on the first tier list; although he was ranked 28th and thus posited as a high tier, it was nevertheless a far cry from his initial, widely viewed top-tier position in the early metagame.

The post-online metagame saw the rise of several new Olimar players, most notably Noi and Tsubotsubo in Japan. However, these Olimar players often had co-mains or secondaries that they also used, in this case Pokémon Trainer and Joker, respectively. In addition, the new solo Olimar players, most notably MFA and Candle, were either less consistent or had a smaller presence on a national scale. When coupled with the rise of other characters initially ranked below Olimar, the second tier list saw him slide down to 33rd, now ranking in the B+ tier as an upper mid-tier character.

Classic Mode: Planetary Explorer[edit]

Olimar's congratulations screen.

Olimar faces off against characters who are space travelers in their respective series.

Round Opponent Stage Music Notes
1 Mario (SSBU) Mario and Rosalina & Luma (SSBU) Rosalina & Luma Mario Galaxy Super Mario Galaxy
2 Wolf (SSBU) Wolf Lylat Cruise Star Wolf's Theme / Sector Z (for 3DS / Wii U)
3 Kirby (SSBU) Kirby and King Dedede (SSBU) King Dedede Dream Land Planet Popstar This battle is a free-for-all, and Kirby and King Dedede will primarily target each other.
4 Zero Suit Samus (SSBU) Zero Suit Samus Brinstar Brinstar (Melee)
5 Fox (SSBU) Fox and Falco (SSBU) Falco Corneria Corneria - Star Fox
6 Olimar (SSBU) Alph Distant Planet Garden of Hope (Remix) If playing as Alph, the opponent will be Olimar (SSBU) Olimar.
Bonus Stage
Final Master Hand Final Destination Master Hand (Less than 7.0 intensity)
Master Hand / Crazy Hand (Intensity 7.0 or higher)
On intensity 7.0 and higher, Crazy Hand fights alongside Master Hand.

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Olimar has Stage Clear / Title Theme - Pikmin accompany the credits.

Role in World of Light[edit]

Finding Olimar in World of Light

While Olimar and Alph are both absent from the World of Light opening cutscene, they were vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (except Kirby) when Galeem unleashed his beams of light.

Olimar can be found in the mode by choosing to save Marth instead of Sheik or Villager. The spirit of a magician is needed in order to enlarge some mushrooms to reach him.

As a side note, once Olimar has been rescued, Alph (due to his status as an alternate character of Olimar) will have been 'rescued' as well, resulting in him also being available as a playable character within the story.

Fighter Battle[edit]

No. Image Name Type Power Stage Music
40
Olimar SSBU.png
Olimar
Grab
Grab
3,300 Distant Planet (Ω form) Main Theme - Pikmin

Spirits[edit]

Olimar's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Olimar has been unlocked. Unlocking Olimar 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. Alph has a fighter spirit of his own, available through the shop. Each fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate.

Each type of Pikmin that Olimar utilizes in his moveset also possess a spirit of their own, as either primary or support spirits.

In Spirit Battles[edit]

As the main opponent[edit]

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
801
SSBU spirit Charlie.png
Charlie Pikmin Series Alph Olimar (SSBU)Olimar (SSBU)Olimar (SSBU)
Neutral
1,200 Garden of Hope (Battlefield form) •Slippery Stage •Reinforcements will appear during the battle
•The stage's platforms are very slippery
•The enemy starts the battle with a Drill
Mission Mode - Pikmin 3 Captain Charlie (Green Alph)
Brittany (Pink Alph)
Alph (Default Alph)
802
SSBU spirit Brittany.png
Brittany Pikmin Series Alph Olimar (SSBU)
Shield
9,600 Garden of Hope (Battlefield form) •Item Tidal Wave
•Item: Food
•Timed battle (2:00)
•The enemy becomes more powerful after eating
•Items will be pulled toward the enemy
Garden of Hope (Remix)
1,188
from the game's files
Li'l Blue Nonono Puzzle Chalien Alph Olimar (SSBU)
Shield
1,600 Hanenbow •Hazard: Low Gravity •Gravity is reduced Electroplankton (Remix)

As a minion[edit]

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
1,517
SSBU spirit Oatchi.png
Oatchi Pikmin Series •Giant Kirby Kirby (SSBU)
Alph Olimar (SSBU)
Shield
8,800 Distant Planet (Ω form) •Item: Hocotate Bomb •The enemy favors dash attacks
•The enemy can deal damage by dashing into you
Garden of Hope (Original) Pikmin 4 player character

As an ally[edit]

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
821
SSBU spirit Mockiwi.png
Mockiwi Pikmin Series •Giant Pac-Man Pac-Man (SSBU) (100 HP)
•Ally: Olimar Olimar (SSBU) (50 HP)
Shield
1,500 Garden of Hope N/A •Join forces with a CPU ally
Stamina battle
•The enemy is giant
Over Wintry Mountains Captain Olimar

Alternate costumes[edit]

Palette swap (SSBU)
Olimar (SSBU) Olimar (SSBU) Olimar (SSBU) Olimar (SSBU) Olimar (SSBU) Olimar (SSBU) Olimar (SSBU) Olimar (SSBU)

Gallery[edit]

Fighter Showcase Video[edit]

Trivia[edit]

  • During the official Ultimate website's launch on June 12th, 2018, Olimar's name was erroneously labeled as "OLIMER" in English variants of his fighter page. The typo was later corrected.
  • The part of Olimar's showcase trailer where Alph crouches next to a prone Olimar is a reference to a scene in Pikmin 3 after Alph initially rescues Olimar from the Mysterious Life Form.
  • Olimar's (and Alph's) official artwork resembles Brittany's pose in her Pikmin 3 artwork (the same one used for her spirit), albeit flipped.
  • In World of Light, Olimar and the Mii Fighters will never be spawned as a false character in battles with Galeem and Dharkon. While Kirby will also not appear, he was never initially imprisoned in the first place, unlike the other fighters.
    • Similarly Olimar isn't in a single spirit battle in World of Light because Alph is used instead.
  • Excluding the Mii Fighters, Olimar and Steve are the only fighter to have an alternate costume of a different character beyond a gender swap in the same pose as his default costume.
  • Olimar's helmet can be detached under certain circumstances. This is particularly noticeable during Gates of Hell's animation if the game is slowed down.
  • As of update 2.0.0, if Olimar's Pikmin latch onto something and it changes size with them still latched on, they will change their size too. This is most noticeable with Mother Brain, though Super and Poison Mushrooms will also do this as long as they are applied by the character the Pikmin are latched onto.
  • Excluding DLC fighters, Olimar is tied with Dark Pit as the fighter featured in the least amount of spirit battles, with both only appearing in 5.