Lucas (SSB4): Difference between revisions

:{{cquote|''Lucas Comes Out of Nowhere!''|cite=Introduction Tagline}}

'''Lucas''' ({{ja|リュカ|Ryuka}}, ''Lucas'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. Initially absent as a playable character, Lucas's return to the series was announced during a [[Nintendo Direct]] on April 1st, 2015.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMedqo8mLaQ Nintendo Direct 4.1.2015]</ref> He was then made available as [[Downloadable content (SSB4)|downloadable content]] on June 14th, 2015, alongside {{SSB4|Roy}} and {{SSB4|Ryu}}.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWM-SCjIuNg Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U - New Content Approaching 6.14.15]</ref> Lani Minella reprises her role as Lucas' voice actor; however, she does so via recycled voice clips from ''Brawl'', some of which have been slightly sped up.

Lucas is ranked 28th/29th out of 54 on the [[tier list]], tied with {{SSB4|Ness}} at the bottom of the C tier. This is a significant improvement over Lucas' lower-mid tier placement in ''Brawl'', where he was ranked 30th out of 38 and is his best placement in the series. Lucas's greatest strengths is his grab game; [[Rope Snake]] has the lowest ending lag out of all tether grabs, while Lucas possesses several strong KO throws, with up throw and back throw being two of the best KO throws in the game. Complementing his throw game is his combo game, as his down throw can combo into a variety of aerials up until high percents, allowing Lucas to rack up damage rather easily. Finally, Lucas possesses a strong zoning game thanks to [[PK Fire]] and his grab aerial, while most of his moves have disjoints, granting him decent range.

However, Lucas also has several weaknesses. Lucas possesses slow ground mobility and average frame data, giving him a lackluster [[neutral game]], poor approach options, and a recovery that is occasionally susceptible to [[gimp]]s and [[edgeguarding]], making him especially vulnerable to fast, mobile characters that can overwhelm him. Lucas also lacks any great landing options, allows characters with disjointed ranges (such as {{SSB4|Marth}} and {{SSB4|Cloud}}) to give him a hard time landing. Finally, his best KO moves often have downsides, such as a blindspot (up air), slow startup (grab), or being easily punishable (his smash attacks). As such, despite a plethora of KO options, Lucas may have some trouble KOing on-stage.

Initially, Lucas was poorly regarded when he was first released, but the buffs he received from game updates have allowed him to achieve decent results. This has been most evident with the efforts of {{Sm|Taiheita}}, whose strong performances led many to question whether Lucas could be better than Ness. Although Lucas' results became stagnant after Taiheita's hiatus, most players still agree that Lucas is a viable character and much better than initially perceived.

Lucas' attributes remain largely unchanged since ''Brawl''. He is a [[Weight|middleweight]] who has a very slow [[walking]] speed, slightly below average [[dash]]ing speed, average [[gravity]], above average [[air speed]], and below average [[falling speed]]. However, his air and [[fast fall]]ing speeds have become faster since ''Brawl'', both of which somewhat improve his aerial mobility. While Lucas' mobility speed is rather unimpressive, his attack speed compensates for it; notable examples include his neutral attack, which comes out on frame 2, and his down tilt, which comes out on frame 3 and is tied with {{SSB4|Ness}}, {{SSB4|Little Mac}}, {{SSB4|R.O.B.}}, and {{SSB4|Meta Knight}}'s down tilts for being the fastest down tilt in the game. As a result, Lucas' attacks are useful for damage racking and initiating combos, while several of his ground attacks are safe in many situations due to their minimal ending lag.

Despite his short stature and lack of a weapon outside of his forward smash, Lucas possesses good range courtesy of [[disjointed]] [[hitbox]]es. All of his smash attacks, nearly all of his aerial attacks and some of his ground attacks are disjointed, which can be further supplemented by his projectiles. In addition to their disjointed hitboxes, Lucas' smash attacks are among the strongest in the game. Like in ''Brawl'', his up smash is among the strongest up smashes in the game while also possessing both a large disjointed hitbox and the ability to KO as low as 54% when fully charged (or 70% for heavyweights). The first hit of his down smash is also one of the strongest in the game and is an intimidating edgeguarding option, while his forward smash has decent speed, good KO potential and can even [[Reflection|reflect]] projectiles.

However, Lucas's greatest strength is his grab game. Despite having the shortest-ranged tether grab in the game, his [[Rope Snake]] has the lowest amount of ending lag among all tether grabs and respectable range, while he also possesses arguably the strongest set of throws in the game. Lucas' up and back throws are among the most powerful of their kind in the game, making them two of his best KOing options. His forward throw is tied with {{SSB4|Bowser}}'s for the strongest of its kind, although it is significantly weaker as a KOing option in comparison to his up and back throws. His down throw benefits significantly from both its considerably reduced knockback and the changes to hitstun canceling, both of which have re-purposed it into a reliable combo starter that can be followed up with his neutral and forward aerials from 0% up until high percents (even up to the early 90% range for neutral aerial), while its combo into up aerial is a confirmed KO set-up until 100%. While these changes have removed his down throw's KO potential, this is completely mitigated due to his up and back throws' aforementioned power. Lastly, his pummel is tied with Ness, {{SSB4|Kirby}} and {{SSB4|Fox}}'s as the third fastest in the game, which makes it ideal for quick damage racking before a throw.

Lucas also boasts a strong zoning game that is essential to his success. [[PK Fire]] and grab aerial are both powerful spacing tools with their own specific uses, the latter being able to lead into a grab or forward tilt. Lucas' combo game is also very strong. His down tilt is a good combo starter, as it can combo into itself, neutral attack, and most importantly, his grab. His neutral and forward aerials can combo into themselves at low percents, while the former can also do so into other aerials (except for his back aerial) at low percents.

Like Ness, Lucas' special moveset boasts versatility in the form of PSI-based attacks, three of which are projectiles. [[PK Freeze]] can [[Frozen|freeze]] his opponents, has very minimal ending lag and is viable, yet situational, as an edgeguarding option. While his PK Fire does not repeatedly hit opponents and potentially trap them like Ness' PK Fire, Lucas' deals decent knockback and can be used to give Lucas some space as it also provides a minimal amount of recoil, both on the ground and in the air. [[PK Thunder]] does not disappear like Ness' PK Thunder when it hits opponents, but instead hits them multiple times alongside boasting tighter control, while [[PK Thunder 2]], grants Lucas farther distance. Lastly, [[PSI Magnet]] allows Lucas to deal with camping opponents that carry powerful, absorbable projectiles. However, its defensive utility also extends to Lucas' recovery, thanks to its ability to stall his descent. Unlike Ness', it also has offensive utility, thanks to it dealing damage and being a [[semi-spike]].

However, Lucas does have his flaws. With his aforementioned sub-par mobility, fast characters such as {{SSB4|Zero Suit Samus}} and {{SSB4|Sonic}} can give Lucas a difficult time. Another problem is a predictable approach, reliance on his zoning tools (which can be overcome), and occasionally a lack of range in spite of his tether grab. Some of his moves require precision at times; his up aerial, whose hitbox is static and significantly smaller than it was in ''Brawl'', can miss large opponents like {{SSB4|Bowser}} due to its glaring blindspot driectly in front of him. Another prominent example is his down smash, whose three hits are all mutually exclusive and thus gives opponents a perfect opportunity to punish Lucas if they manage to shield it. Lucas can also have problems scoring KOs despite his smash attacks' impressive strengths, as they mainly require effective reading and should be used wisely as a result. He also has poor approach options, as his dash attack is slow, and as all his aerials except for back aerial have worse autocancel windows compared to ''Brawl'', none of them can autocancel in a short hop. Although Lucas has a reliable tether recovery, [[PK Thunder#PK Thunder 2|his other method of recovery]] is also gimpable because of it having much slower priority than Ness, and it can be still be reflected or absorbed, most infamously by {{SSB4|Rosalina & Luma}}. Like his fellow DLC characters, Lucas does not have any custom moves, which limits him in tournaments that allow [[character customization]].

Altogether, Lucas' pros slightly outweigh his cons. He has an excellent damage-racking game along with some good approach options, though his approach in general is predictable and can be faulty at times. He can also have a hard time KOing opponents outside of edgeguarding, and he is not as effective when his zoning tools can be nullified.  

In ''Super Smash Bros. Brawl'', Lucas was seen as a low mid tier character as while he had numerous fairly solid attacks, a solid recovery, strong and effective specials (including a strong projectile in [[PK Fire]] and a powerful and surprisingly versatile [[absorption]] move in [[PSI Magnet]]) and a whole bunch of useful advanced techniques, he suffered from having short range, an unspectacular grab, limited/difficult to land KO moves and he was very exploitable to [[grab release]] followups. His grounded grab release was 10 frames longer than almost every other character, making him vulnerable to inescapable [[chain grabs]] and KO setups, while his aerial grab release was also fairly exploitable. As a result, Lucas struggled with a majority of the cast (especially since numerous characters simply outclassed him) and he overall saw limited success within the singles meta, although he was much more effective in [[doubles]], as his grab release was less exploitable and when paired with the right teammate, his PSI Magnet became an incredibly powerful and abusable tool.

In ''Super Smash Bros. 4'', Lucas received a mix of [[buff]]s and [[nerf]]s and while he did receive more nerfs overall, he is considered to be buffed, due to the game's numerous universal changes significantly benefitting him, along with him receiving some very useful buffs as well.

One of the most notable improvements he received was the removal of the 10 extra frames that were a part of his grounded [[grab release]] animation, which was one of his most significant flaws. This is further supplemented by the removal of [[chaingrab]]bing which was a large part as to why his grab release was extremely exploitable. Lucas' recovery, outside of advanced techniques, has been improved, as both PK Thunder 2 and [[Rope Snake]] now cover more distance. Rope Snake has also received more utility as a zoning option due to it receiving a hitbox when used as a [[grab aerial]]. Lucas has also been indirectly buffed from the changes to ''Smash 4''{{'}}s mechanics not only due to the removal of chaingrabbing but also because of the changes to hitstun canceling combined with the weakening of [[DI]], which has giving him a very strong combo game which is most evident with the modifications to his down throw having resulted in it becoming one of his best combo starters. A few of his moves also have improved KO potential (most notably up aerial which also has greater juggling potential) and the introduction of [[rage]] only further improves his KO potential.

However, Lucas has seen a plethora of nerfs as well with his direct changes outside of his shorter grab release animation nerfing him overall. He can no longer use the [[Zap Jump]] or the [[Magnet Pull]] exploits, which were his two most pivotal techniques in ''Brawl'', although the aforementioned buffs to PK Thunder 2 and Rope Snake can somewhat compensate for this off stage, at least in terms of recovery. In addition, many of his attacks have seen their damage, knockback and range reduced, while some of them have had their startup/ending lag increased. This is most notably seen with his aerials: his neutral, forward and up aerials lost their ability to auto-cancel in a short hop (although the landing lag of both is minimal), his down aerial has increased start-up lag and is no longer able to reliably set up for the infamous down tilt [[lock]], and his up aerial has notably less range while also being slower and having static, all of which significantly hinders his already poor approach and landing options. He additionally has a slightly harder time KOing because of various of his previous KO moves including his forward and up smashes as well as his forward tilt and down throw having reduced knockback (although down throw has KO setups to compensate) alongside the loss of his advanced techniques. He is also slower on the ground relative to the cast as he is one of the only returning veterans whose dash (and walk) speed was not increased. His falling speed and gravity are also the same being lower relative to the cast although this has both positives and negatives.

Overall, Lucas has not significantly improved since ''Brawl'' as his moveset has seen many direct nerfs. However, he greatly benefits from ''Smash 4''{{'}}s mechanics and one of his main issues in ''Brawl'' was fixed resulting in him fairing better in ''Smash 4'' overall. He was initially worse when he was first released but as of update 1.1.3, he is considered to be moderately better than how he was when he was initially released in ''SSB4'', due to the buffs he received up to and including that update.  

*{{change|Lucas' design has changed. He is slightly taller and has a slightly larger head; slightly longer hair; a slightly smaller nose; a sharper jawline; and his eyes no longer have a blue tint. Additionally, Lucas' shoes are smaller, and each of his shirt's stripes are equally horizontal. Lastly, the aesthetic used in ''SSB4'' has resulted in Lucas having a sleeker design, and his overall color scheme being more vibrant.}}

*{{change|Lucas' previously unused damage yells from ''Brawl''{{'}}s [[Sound Test]] are now heard when taking high knockback.}}

*{{buff|Lucas' [[fast fall]]ing speed is faster (1.918 → 2.192) although relative to the cast, it has gone from the 19th lowest out of 38 characters to the 16th lowest out of 58.}}

*{{buff|Lucas' grounded [[grab release]] has less ending lag (FAF 41 → 30), now matching the rest of the cast. When combined with the removal of [[chain grab]]bing, this significantly improves his endurance, as he is no longer vulnerable to guaranteed followups or chain grabs after a grab release.}}

**{{buff|Much like the rest of the cast, Lucas' aerial grab releases also has less ending lag (FAF 51 → 40), making him much less susceptible to air release followups.}}

*{{nerf|Rolls have a shorter duration (frames 4-19 → 4-17).}}

*{{nerf|[[Spot dodge]] has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 2-20 → 3-18) and it has more ending lag (FAF 26 → 28).}}

**{{nerf|The sourspot deals less damage (9% → 7.5%) and has much lower knockback scaling (100 → 60), making it much weaker.}}

**{{nerf|The sourspot now takes priority over the sweetspot (ID# 2/3 → 0), making the move harder to sweetspot with.}}

**{{nerf|The sourspot now uses one small extended hitbox (3.5u/3.5u → 2.2u) and the body hitbox has been removed. This significantly reduces the move's range behind Lucas.}}

**{{change|The sweetspot now uses a static hitbox. This gives it more consistent range in front of Lucas, but hinders its ability to hit opponents who are far into the Z axis.}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash now only has one sweetspot hitbox (4u/4u → 4.7u), with the further away sweetspot being removed. This noticeably reduces the sweetspot's range.}}

***{{nerf|However, this also removes their ability to [[lock]], making Lucas' down tilt lock setups more precise, as he now has to lock with the far hitbox. This is further exacerbated by down tilt's reduced damage and the new three hit lock limit.}}

**{{buff|The near hit now always launches opponents in the direction Lucas is facing, allowing it to lead more reliably into followups.}}

***{{nerf|Altogether, these changes combined with the changes to shields (mainly the homogenisation of shield hitlag based on attack hitlag) noticeably hinder the move's safety on shield, with the move no longer being completely safe on shield.}}

**{{nerf|The far hit no longer has a extra [[trip]] chance (40% → 0%). This prevents the far hit from tripping opponents right up until beyond [[Sudden Death]] percents, greatly hindering its followup potential.}}

***{{buff|This improves its KO potential near the horizontal blastzone.}}

***{{nerf|However, this also hinders its overall KO potential, even from the centre of tournament legal stages.}}

**{{nerf|The sourspot now takes priority over the sweetspot (ID# 1 → 0), making the move harder to sweetspot with.}}

**{{buff|Forward smash's reflector has less startup lag with a longer duration (frames 12-18 → 10-19).}}

**{{change|Forward smash produces a bat crack sound effect when it connects rather than a kicking sound.}}

**{{nerf|The near hit deals less damage (15% → 14%) and has decreased base knockback (60/55 → 50), hindering its KO potential and turning it into a sourspot, with the hitbox at the tip having the lowest priority as well.}}

**{{nerf|Forward smash now uses two smaller extended hitboxes rather than four normal hitboxes (4.5u/4.5u/4.5u/4u → 3.7u/3.7u). This gives the move less range overall, both in front of and behind Lucas, and makes the hitbox narrower.}}

**{{change|Up smash's second hit's clean, early mid and mid hitboxes have been positioned higher (y offset: 10/16/23 → 14/19/25). This gives them more range above Lucas but less range below him.}}

**{{nerf|Down smash now has one hitbox which simply despawns and respawns with altered properties rather than having three separate hits. This means that the move can now only connect once, greatly reducing its maximum damage output (42% → 17%).}}

**{{nerf|Down smash no longer has an extra trip chance (40% → 0%), making the later hits trip opponents much less reliably.}}

**{{buff|Neutral aerial now always launches opponents in the direction Lucas is facing, making it more consistent. This noticeably benefits the move, as it is a multi hitting aerial.}}

**{{buff|The loop hits now use an [[autolink angle]] (105° → 367°), allowing them to connect more reliably.}}

**{{change|Neutral aerial now uses static hitboxes, and their position was not fully compensated (y offset: 0 → 5). This gives neutral aerial more range below and in front of Lucas, but less range above and behind him.}}

**{{change|The final hit has decreased base knockback (70 → 40) and launches opponents at a higher angle (361° → 60°) This grants its combo potential but hinders its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial has a new more exaggerated animation. This new animation is much longer (44 frames → 71), increasing the amount of time Lucas cannot grab ledges after performing the move.}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial [[auto-cancel]]s later (frame 28 → 37), no longer doing so in a short hop, let alone almost straight after the hitboxes are no longer active. This noticeably hinders neutral aerial's approach potential and safety.}}

**{{nerf|Neutral aerial now only has four loop hits instead of seven, considerably reducing its maximum damage (17% → 12%).}}

**{{nerf|The loop hits are smaller (6u → 5.3u).}}

**{{nerf|The loop hits have an increased hitlag (0.5x → 1x) and [[Smash directional influence|SDI]] multiplier (1× → 2×).}}

***{{buff|However despite this, neutral aerial is still more difficult to escape due to the loop hits now having an autolink angle.}}

**{{nerf|The final hit deals much more hitlag (0.5x → 1.5x). This makes neutral aerial much easier to DI and while this would make it noticeably benefit from the introduction of [[frame canceling]], neutral aerial cannot be frame cancelled, making the higher hitlag detrimental overall.}}

**{{buff|The sweetspot deals more knockback (10 (base), 100 (scaling) → 30/97).}}

**{{change|Forward aerial now always launches opponents in the direction Lucas is facing.}}

**{{nerf|Forward aerial deals less damage (12%/10% → 11.5%/9%). The sourspot's knockback was not compensated, hindering its KO potential.}}

**{{nerf|The sourspot now takes priority over the sweetspot (ID# 1/2 → 0), making the move harder to sweetspot with.}}

**{{buff|Back aerial's grounded sweetspot deals more damage (10% → 12%) improving its KO potential.}}

**{{buff|The removal of [[Meteor smash#Meteor canceling|meteor canceling]] significantly improves back aerials' reliability.}}

**{{change|Up aerial now uses a static hitbox, rather than being attached to Lucas' head. The hitbox is positioned higher to compensate (y offset: 4 → 14).}}

***{{nerf|However, this also greatly hinders its horizontal and downwards range, making it much harder to connect against grounded opponents and creating a glaring blindspot directly in front of Lucas.}}

**{{buff|The lower loop hit has decreased base knockback (50 → 43), allowing it to connect more reliably into the rest of the attack.}}

**{{buff|The changes to locks significantly improve down aerial's utility, as the final hit's lower hitbox can now lock opponents, greatly improving its followup potential in certain situations.}}

**{{nerf|The loop hits less damage (5% → 3.5%), noticeably reducing its maximum damage potential (20% → 15.5%).}}

**{{nerf|Grab aerial no longer auto-cancels on landing, instead having 8 frames of landing lag, making it more punishable.}}

**{{nerf|Pummel deals less damage (3% → 1.2%), hindering its damage racking potential despite its decreased ending lag.}}

**{{change|Lucas now aesthetically buries opponents headfirst upon performing his down throw.}}

**{{buff|Trip attack deals more shield damage (1 → 8) per hit.}}

**{{change|Trip attack now has transcendent priority.}}

**{{nerf|Trip attack now uses one extended hitbox rather than multiple normal hitboxes, which noticeably decreases the move's disjoint.}}

**{{buff|PK Freeze has increased base damage (4% → 5%) which charges at a faster rate (0.23 → 0.255), resulting in the fully charged version dealing more damage (19% → 22%).}}

**{{buff|Lucas' gravity is lower when using PK Freeze (0.02 → 0.012), making it safer to use in the air.}}

**{{nerf|Using PK Fire straight after a double jump no longer gives Lucas a huge vertical boost. This removes [[Zap Jump]]ing, significantly hinder PK Fire's vertical approach and recovery potential.}}

**{{nerf|PK Thunder can no longer be used with [[edge momentum shifting]], hindering its utility.}}

**{{buff|PK Thunder 2 no longer decelerates in the air (0.071 → 0). This makes it cover more distance, as Lucas retains his momentum for much longer, despite its lower initial speed (4 → 2.5), improving its recovery potential.}}

***{{nerf|However, PK Thunder 2 now decelerates after hitting an opponent (0 → 0.071) slightly reducing its distance after hitting an opponent.}}

**{{buff|PK Thunder 2 can now be reused immediately after Lucas bounces off of a wall, significantly improving its safety and recovery potential.}}

**{{buff|The loop hits now consistently use the autolink angle (365°/361° → 365°), making them connect more reliably.}}

**{{buff|The loop hits now always launch opponents in the direction Lucas is facing, making them more consistent.}}

**{{change|The final hit now always launches opponents in the direction Lucas is facing.}}

**{{nerf|When Lucas lands with PK Thunder 2 before entering free fall, he will now go into his full PK Thunder 1 ending animation, rather than a short version of his charging animation. This significantly increases PK Thunder 2's ending lag in this situation, and prevents Lucas from being able to auto-cancel the move with strong spacing.}}

**{{nerf|When Lucas performs PK Thunder 2 into the ground, he will now go into an untechable rebound, rather than continuing to use the move, hindering its approach potential when used from above.}}

***{{buff|However, this also prevents Lucas from potentially self destructing if he uses a downwards PK Thunder 2 close to an edge.}}

**{{change|[[PK Starstorm]] now functions identically to Ness' version. It deals 6% less damage per hit (14% → 8%), but the falling stars are now fired in a line that can be aimed in a fanning motion from the top-center of the stage. While this gives it blind spots, it results in a more consistent damage output when the stars do hit.}}

Lucas has been buffed via game updates. Update [[1.1.0]] saw all of his grabs' ending lag decreased and as well as subtle range improvements to his forward and down tilts, though they still do not match up to his range in ''Brawl''. The changes to shield mechanics in updates 1.1.0 and [[1.1.1]] have been a mixed bag for Lucas; the changes make his sourspotted moves less safe on shield, but his sweetspotted moves safer on shield. Lastly, update [[1.1.3]] gave Lucas a number of noticeable buffs: his standing grab, dash grab, and forward aerial all had their lag decreased, his neutral aerial's damage output was increased, and forward tilt's sweetspot had its size increased. As a result of these buffs, Lucas is considered better than he was when he was initially released.

|neutralname=Short Kick ({{ja|ショートキック|Shōto Kikku}}) / Reverse Kick ({{ja|リバースキック|Ribāsu Kikku}}) / Turning Kick ({{ja|ターニングキック|Tāningu Kikku}})

|neutraldesc=A right-legged roundhouse kick, followed by a right-legged hook kick, followed by a left-legged reverse roundhouse kick. The last hit has slightly more range. Hits first on frame 2 and can combo into a dash attack at low to medium percents.

|ftiltname=PK Slash ({{ja|ＰＫスラッシュ|Pīkei Surasshu}})

|ftiltdesc=A palm thrust that emits a small blast of PSI energy from his hand. It can be angled and has a [[Hitbox|disjointed hitbox]], although its sweetspot is located inside of the blast. This move's sourspot can [[lock]] opponents at low percents.

|utiltname=PK Reverse Kick ({{ja|ＰＫリバーサルキック|Pīkei Ribāsu Kikku}})

|utiltdesc=Telekinetically tilts himself upside down to perform a vertical thrust kick that emits a blast of PSI energy from his foot. It can combo into itself, a neutral aerial or an up aerial at low to medium percents.

|dtiltname=Spinning Leap Kick ({{ja|スピニングリープキック|Supiningu Rīpu Kikku}})

|dtiltdesc=A legsweep. Although weak, it is fast and reliable for either racking up damage or chaining into itself, a neutral attack or a grab. Hits on frame 3, making it tied with {{SSB4|Ness}}, {{SSB4|Little Mac}}, {{SSB4|R.O.B.}}, and {{SSB4|Meta Knight}}'s down tilts for being the fastest down tilt in the game. The edge of down tilt can [[lock]] opponents at low to medium percents.

|dashname=PK Palm Push ({{ja|ＰＫパームプッシュ|Pīkei Pāmu Pusshu}})

|dashdesc=A dashing palm thrust that emits a blast of PSI energy from his hand. Has noticeable start-up and deals more damage the farther the opponent is from Lucas.

|fsmashname=Stick ({{ja|ぼうっきれ|Bōkkire}})

|fsmashdesc=Swings a {{s|wikibound|stick}} in front of himself. The stick's tip deals slightly more damage and knockback, while the move overall functions very similarly to Ness' forward smash, including the ability to [[reflection|reflect]] projectiles. Compared to Ness' version, it has less start-up and ending lag, but deals less damage, knockback and has a lower damage multiplier when reflecting projectiles.

|usmashname=PK Smash Geyser ({{ja|ＰＫスマッシュゲイザー|Pīkei Sumasshu Geizā}})

|dsmashname=PK Blow ({{ja|ＰＫブロウ|Pīkei Burō}})

|dsmashdesc=Aims his arm diagonally downward and emits three consecutive blasts of PSI energy towards the ground while holding his hand in a finger gun gesture. With each blast, its range increases at the expense of damage and knockback. It is one of the strongest down smashes in the game when clean, as it is able to KO as low as 60% near the edge depending on the opponent's weight and DI. If it is timed well, it can also catch recovering opponents before they grab the edge. Has a bit of start-up lag, but low ending lag. Despite seemingly being composed of three distinct hits, it can only strike an opponent once due to how its single hitbox is coded, making it somewhat unsafe on shield.

|nairname=PK Flying Attack ({{ja|ＰＫフライングアタック|Pīkei Furaingu Atakku}})

|nairdesc=Tumbles while emitting blasts of PSI energy around his torso. Each hit has numerous [[freeze frame]]s and it has good combo potential, despite being susceptible to SDI.

|fairname=PK Air Front Kick ({{ja|ＰＫエアフロントキック|Pīkei Ea Furonto Kikku}})

|fairdesc=A flying kick that emits a blast of PSI energy from his foot. It is is fast and disjointed, making it a good off-stage option and one of Lucas' better spacing options. Its sweetspot deals the most knockback and can KO at high percents. This move's sourspot can [[lock]] opponents at early percents.

|bairname=PK Meteor Kick ({{ja|ＰＫメテオキック|Pīkei Meteo Kikku}})

|bairdesc=A backflip kick that emits a trail of PSI energy from his foot. It can [[meteor smash]] at the tip of his foot and has disjointed reach, with its weakest hitbox being at the tip. The last hitbox of this move can [[lock]] opponents at early percents.

|uairname=Jumping Headbutt ({{ja|ジャンピングヘッドバット|Janpingu Heddobatto}})

|uairdesc=An upward headbutt. Its hitbox has become smaller since ''Brawl'' and is now static and misleading, but it deals respectable high damage and knockback, which make it a viable KOing option near the upper blast line.

|dairname=PK Foot Stomp ({{ja|ＰＫフットスタンプ|Pīkei Futtu Sutanpu}})

|dairdesc=An alternating series of [[Stomp (archetype)|stomps]], with each stomp emitting a small blast of PSI energy from his feet. Like his back aerial, it is disjointed and has a meteor smash hitbox below himself on the fourth and last hit. The move itself is also difficult to fully land on smaller grounded opponents, such as {{SSB4|Pikachu}} and {{SSB4|Kirby}}. The last hitbox of this move can [[lock]] opponents at low percents.

|zairname=Midair [[Rope Snake]] ({{ja|空中ヒモヘビ|Kūchū Himohebi}})

|zairdesc=Unfurls {{s|wikibound|Duster}}'s {{s|wikibound|Rope Snake}} in front of himself. It can damage opponents and act as a [[tether recovery]].

|grabdesc=Unfurls Duster's Rope Snake in front of himself. His standing grab is deceptively fast, although his pivot grab is very slow.

|pummelname=Grab Headbutt ({{ja|つかみヘッドバット|Tsukami Heddobatto}})

|pummeldesc=A headbutt. Tied with Ness, Kirby and {{SSB4|Fox}}'s pummels as the third fastest pummel in the game. However, it is the least damaging pummel in the game.

|fthrowname=PK Throw ({{ja|ＰＫスルー|Pīkei Surū}})

|fthrowdesc=Telekinetically throws the opponent in front of himself. Among the strongest forward throws in the game, behind {{SSB4|Bowser}}'s and {{SSB4|Wario}}'s. It KOs around 100%-160% near the edge, depending on the opponent's weight and DI.

|bthrowname=Reverse PK Throw ({{ja|リバースＰＫスルー|Ribāsu Pīkei Surū}})

|bthrowdesc=Telekinetically throws the opponent behind himself. It is his strongest throw and the third strongest back throw in the game, being surpassed only by Ness and {{SSB4|Villager}}'s, respectively. It can KO even super heavyweights at 158% near the edge without [[rage]].

|uthrowname=PK Lifting ({{ja|ＰＫリフティング|Pīkei Rifutingu}})

|uthrowdesc=Telekinetically whirls the opponent around his head, then throws them directly overhead. The third strongest up throw in the game, being surpassed only by {{SSB4|Mewtwo}} and {{SSB4|Charizard}}'s, as it KOs around 120%-180% depending on the opponent's weight and DI.

|dthrowname=PK Pile Driver ({{ja|ＰＫパイルドライバー|Pīkei Pairu Doraibā}})

|dthrowdesc=Telekinetically slams the opponent into the ground head first. Lucas' primary combo starter, as it can lead into all of his aerials at a wide range of percentages, depending on DI. His up aerial specifically becomes a viable KO combo after this move. Although the opponent appears [[Bury|buried]], this is merely aesthetic.

|floorfdesc=Kicks around himself while getting up.

|floorbdesc=Kicks around himself while getting up.

|floortdesc=Kicks behind himself and then in front of himself while getting up.

|edgedesc=Performs a low-angle kick while climbing up.

|nsdesc=Emits a [[wikibound:PK Freeze|snowflake-shaped blast of PSI energy]] from his head that [[Frozen|freezes]] opponents. The direction of the blast's path can be controlled, it can be made stronger by holding the special button and it can be concluded at a deceptively fast speed. However, it renders Lucas [[helpless]] if used in the air.

|ssdesc=Thrusts both of his hands forward to release a [[wikibound:PK Fire|lightning bolt-shaped PSI projectile]] from his hands. Unlike Ness' PK Fire, Lucas' version results in a brief, fiery explosion of PSI energy that launches the opponent backward, rather than a long-lasting pillar of fiery PSI energy. It is further differentiated from Ness' version in that it flies straight ahead regardless of whether it is used on the ground or in the air, as well as causing a minimal amount of recoil both on the ground and in the air, making it more effective as a spacing tool than Ness' PK Fire.

|usdesc=Emits a [[wikibound:PK Thunder|streaming, electrical PSI projectile]] from his head. Like Ness' PK Thunder, it can be directed into Lucas to launch him at a high speed. Unlike Ness' version, it does not disappear after hitting an opponent and instead hits multiple times, giving it damage racking potential. This effect also applies PK Thunder 2, with Lucas hitting an opponent multiple times upon colliding with them.

|dsdesc=Thrusts his arm forward to emit a [[wikibound:PSI Magnet|glowing orb of PSI energy]] around his outstretched hand. Any energy-based projectiles it absorbs will heal him, although it no longer absorbs energy projectiles that are launched directly at his back as it did in ''Brawl''. Unlike Ness' PSI Magnet, Lucas' version can be used offensively, due to it dealing damage and [[semi-spike]] knockback to opponents inside of it when it dissipates.

|fsdesc=Summons [[wikibound:PK Starstorm|a shower of falling stars]] to repeatedly hit the opponent. The stars that descend in a column from the top-center of the stage and can be angled in a fanning motion throughout its duration.}}

|desc-up=Trips, shakes his head, and gets back up.

|desc-down=Positions his right hand up to his forehead and grunts while generating small bursts of PSI energy from his index and middle fingers, then swings his hand down to emit a trail of PSI energy.}}

|desc-2=Shakes his fists in front of his face in a cowardly motion.

!{{{name|}}}

|-

! scope="row"|Cheer

|[[File:Lucas Cheer English SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Lucas Cheer Japanese SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Lucas Cheer Spanish SSB4.ogg|center]]

|-

! scope="row"|Description

|Lu - cas! || Ryuuuu - ka! || Luuuuu - cas!

|-

|-

! scope="row"|Cheer

|-

! scope="row"|Description

|Lu - cas ! || Luuuuu - cas! || Lu - cas! *claps 3 times*

|}

|desc-1=With his back toward the screen, Lucas crouches while poking at something on the ground with a large stick. After the camera zooms in, he then turns his head around to face the screen and says "Huh?" while briefly sporting a surprised expression.

|desc-3=Bends down on one knee and waves his right arm in from himself while releasing blasts of PSI energy from his index and middle fingers.

During his release, Lucas was considered to have improved from ''Brawl'' due to the changes to the game physics benefiting him. However, it would very soon become clear Lucas had also lost many of his strengths from ''Brawl'', such as his advanced techniques. Following the buffs to his attacks, as well as decent tournament representation and results thanks to players such as {{Sm|Taiheita}}, he was ranked 36th in the first ''4BR''' [[tier list]], as a low-tier character.  

Dedicated mains eventually prove that Lucas' buffs did indeed benefit him a lot more than previously perceived, and that he was now a capable character with reliable combo potential and KO power. Taiheita's performances especially marked the best Lucas performances in all mainline ''Smash'' metagames, and, alongside strong performances from other Lucas players such as {{Sm|Mekos}}, led many to agree that Lucas was an effective and viable pick in competitive play despite having a comparably small playerbase. This led to Lucas' rise in subsequent tier lists, going from 33rd from the second to 32nd on the third, becoming a mid-tier character in the second list. Lucas's improving results also began leading some top players, especially {{Sm|ZeRo}} to believe that Lucas was a better character than Ness, especially following Ness's decline in the metagame around the same time. This eventually led Lucas to rise into the bottom of high tier on the fourth and final tier list, ranking 28th/29th and being tied with Ness.

Following the fourth tier list Lucas's metagame suddenly became stagnant following Taiheita's hiatus in early-2018. Although Lucas players continued to perform well at notable events, no Lucas player was ever able to match Taiheita's consistent success. On the other hand, Ness's results saw a resurgence thanks to improving results from Ness's best players, especially in Japan, where without Taiheita, Ness's results greatly outshone Lucas's results. This reversed opinions on Lucas, with many players believing that the "Lucas is better than Ness" argument was outdated, and by the end of competitive ''Smash 4'', most players agreed that Lucas should not be tied with Ness on the tier list and therefore should be ranked lower.

===[[All-Star Mode]]===

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

===[[Congratulations screen]]s===

SSB4-3DS Congratulations Classic Lucas.png|Classic Mode

SSB4-3DS Congratulations All-Star Lucas.png|All-Star Mode

SSB4-Wii U Congratulations Classic Lucas.png|Classic Mode

SSB4-Wii U Congratulations All-Star Lucas.png|All-Star Mode

Lucas's fighter trophy is obtained by clearing Classic Mode as Lucas. His alternate trophy is obtained by clearing All-Star Mode as Lucas in the 3DS version or booting up the game after downloading Lucas in the Wii U version. The PK Starstorm (Lucas) trophy is obtained only in the Wii U version by clearing All-Star Mode as Lucas. Lucas also has a non-fighter trophy as part of the base game that can be purchased in the Trophy Shop for 500G (or 10 Play Coins) in the 3DS version or 1500G in the Wii U version.

**He is also the only character to be initially unplayable in the next installment but then regained playable status due to DLC.

*As Lucas' down throw technically does not [[bury]] opponents and instead forces them into a unique position, if the character being thrown flinches lightly, they will snap back to their original position. In {{forwiiu}}, the skirts of {{SSB4|Peach}}'s, {{SSB4|Zelda}}'s and [[Rosalina & Luma (SSB4)|Rosalina]]'s dresses cannot keep up with the velocity change and will stay up. This technical oversight leads to [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIdHuVTJ7S4 odd results]. However, this oversight does not occur in {{for3ds}}.

*Lucas is the only veteran DLC character to have recycled voice clips.

**He is also the only veteran DLC character to not have his voice actress in the DLC credits. His voice actress, however, was in the original credits before his return, as [[Bowser Jr. (SSB4)|Larry, Morton, Wendy and Lemmy]], and [[Lyn]] use her portrayals from ''New Super Mario Bros. Wii'' and ''Brawl'' respectively.

**Additionally he has [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH1ggUXJaAs unused behavior] for his PK Thunder that functions just like Ness' PK Thunder.