Side special move

Sheik's side special move, Chain in Melee.

Cloud's side special move, Cross Slash in Ultimate.

The side special move (also commonly called side B or forward B) is a special attack is a performed by holding the control stick horizontally and pressing the special move button.

Not counting Final Smashes, the side special is the only special attack to originate in a game other than the original Super Smash Bros. - namely, in Super Smash Bros. Melee. In the original, pressing the special button with the stick held sideways would result in a neutral special move. With the introduction of side specials in Melee, some characters' neutral specials were changed to be side specials, with a new neutral special taking their place.

Many side specials involve either significant sideways character movement or a projectile that has a better horizontal range than the user's other projectiles. As a result, many can be utilized as approaches, while those that grant a movement boost tend to be a fighter's horizontal recovery move.

Smash special move

Samus' Super Missile is an example of a "smash" special move in Brawl.

Some side special moves have different properties depending on how they are activated. The moves have "Smash inputs," which means that the control stick (or pad) is tapped/"smashed" at the same time the special move button is pressed. This will create a different outcome compared to simply tilting the stick to the side and then pressing the button. The differences are typically the move dealing more damage, having a longer range, and/or a faster startup, though some activate a different move entirely. Most moves are objectively better with a smash input, though some have specific drawbacks that would make the regular version better in certain situations.

List of side special moves with smash inputs

Character(s)	Move	Difference
Link Young Link Toon Link	Boomerang	Flies a further distance and at a faster speed, also dealing more damage. Gale Boomerang is also affected, but its damage is not increased.
Samus Dark Samus	Missile	Instead of the regular missile, a more powerful, faster, non-homing missile known as a Super Missile is fired.
Pikachu	Skull Bash	Immediately activates with a slight charge.
Luigi	Green Missile	Immediately activates with a slight charge.
Peach Daisy	Peach Bomber Daisy Bomber	Flies a further distance and travels at a faster speed.
Wario	Wario Bike	Moves faster and deals more damage.
Ivysaur	Razor Leaf	Travels at a faster rate and is more powerful, but its trajectory cannot be arced as effectively.
Diddy Kong	Monkey Flip	Flies faster and farther.
King Dedede	Gordo Throw	Gordos travel farther and faster.
Duck Hunt	Clay Shooting	Moves faster and does more damage on contact. In the case of Clay Break it will never break until the 3rd hit, while in the case of Rising Clay it scales in damage faster and arcs up lower and later.
Mii Brawler	Burning Dropkick	Immediately activates with a slight charge.
Mii Swordfighter	Airborne Assault	Immediately activates with a slight charge.
	Chakram	Flies much farther, dealing more damage.
Mii Gunner	Gunner Missile	Instead of the regular missile, a more powerful, faster, non-homing missile known as a Super Missile is fired.
Palutena	Explosive Flame	The distance of the explosion is increased.
Simon Richter	Cross	Travels farther and faster.
Isabelle	Fishing Rod	The line travels a further distance and at a faster speed.
Byleth	Areadbhar	Byleth travels farther forward during the swing.
Pyra	Blazing End	The thrown sword travels farther and hits one more time.

Reverse side special move

In Brawl, SSB4 and Ultimate, most side special moves can be reversed in the first few frames, although the usefulness is questionable since any character can quickly turn around on the spot and immediately perform their side special move. The only true use for a reverse side special is while running; when running, the player cannot use their side special backward without having to stop or turn around first. The reverse side special can be done while running and gives certain characters boosts when turning around, the most notable boosts being Donkey Kong's and Luigi's reverse side specials, where the former gets a quick boost backward and has an unsurprising hit, and the latter will keep sliding forward while being able to charge his move.

List of side special moves

Character	Move	Description
Banjo & Kazooie	Wonderwing	Banjo charges forward as Kazooie shields him with her wings. This move overrides almost any attack, although they are still open to grabs. It can only be used five times per stock, not allowed to be used again until he gets KOed
Bayonetta	Heel Slide / After Burner Kick	When used on the ground, Bayonetta attacks with Heel Slide, a sliding kick. When used in air, it becomes After Burner Kick, a diagonal diving kick that can be angled up or down.
Bowser	Koopa Klaw	A claw swipe that launches opponents near the edge of its range, and grabs opponents close by.
	Flying Slam	Bowser grabs opponents with a claw swipe, then pulls them into a flying body slam.
Bowser Jr.	Clown Kart Dash	The Koopa Clown Car gains wheels and accelerates forward at high speed. Can be stopped by turning around.
Byleth	Areadbhar	Byleth swings the lance forward in a large arc.
Captain Falcon	Raptor Boost	Captain Falcon lunges forward, and if an opponent is in his path, he delivers a powerful uppercut. In the air, this becomes an overhand punch with meteor smash properties.
Charizard	Rock Smash	Charizard produces a boulder and smashes it with its head.
	Flare Blitz	Charizard rushes forward while surrounded with flames. Deals recoil damage.
Chrom	Double-Edge Dance	Similar to Roy's version, but it lacks a sweetspot or sourspot on Chrom's blade, and all three final hits lack the flame effect, making it largely the same as Lucina's Dancing Blade instead.
Cloud	Cross Slash	Cloud slashes the air in front of him in a set pattern. The non-Limit version is performed one hit at a time with repeated button presses.
Corrin	Dragon Lunge	Corrin's arm transforms into a long lance that can pin grounded opponents in place.
Daisy	Daisy Bomber	Functions the same as Peach's Peach Bomber, but has a powerful floral explosion upon impact from her butt and has other floral effects and symbols in place of heart effects.
Dark Pit	Electroshock Arm	Almost the same as Pit's Upperdash Arm, but deals more damage and sends opponents at a significantly lower trajectory. It also has an electric effect.
Dark Samus	Missile	Identical to Samus's Missile.
Diddy Kong	Monkey Flip	Diddy Kong flips forward. It can cling onto opponents on contact, or the button can be pressed again to deliver a kick instead.
Donkey Kong	Headbutt	Donkey Kong headbutts forwards, burying grounded opponents and meteor smashing airborne ones.
Dr. Mario	Super Sheet	Similar to Mario's Cape, but Dr. Mario swings a sheet instead, having less horizontal range in exchange for more vertical range, and doesn't stall Dr. Mario in midair.
Duck Hunt	Clay Shooting	Duck Hunt throws a clay pigeon. Pressing the button again before the projectile disappears will hit it with Zapper shots.
Falco	Falco Phantasm	Functions similarly to Fox's Fox Illusion. However, it travels at a lesser distance (except in Brawl) and meteor smashes airborne opponents on impact.
Fox	Fox Illusion	Fox dashes forward from point to point at high speed, leaving afterimages in his wake.
Ganondorf	Gerudo Dragon	Functions similarly to Captain Falcon's Raptor Boost, but with the darkness effect; it also lacks the ability to meteor smash midair opponents.
	Flame Choke	Ganondorf lunges forward, grabbing an opponent in his path and launching them straight down into the ground.
Greninja	Shadow Sneak	Greninja's shadow begins to move along the ground when this move is activated. When the button is released, Greninja will appear at the shadow and deliver a quick kick. Greninja can still be controlled while the button is held.
Hero	Zap/Zapple/Kazap	The Hero uses lightning magic. A normal input is Zap, a short electric blast forward, but the move can be charged into Zapple, where the Hero shoots electricity forward and a lightning bolt strikes down, and Kazap, an attack where lightning strikes the Hero's sword before he slashes around himself.
Ice Climbers	Squall Hammer	The Ice Climbers begin spinning in tandem, dealing multiple hits with their hammers.
Ike	Quick Draw	Ike charges in place as long as the button is held, then rushes forward, striking with his sword if an opponent is in his path.
Incineroar	Alolan Whip	Incineroar tosses opponents at the ropes of a wrestling ring. When the opponent bounces back, pressing the button again with the right timing delivers a follow-up attack.
Inkling	Splat Roller	Inkling runs along the ground with the Splat Roller held out, burying grounded opponents.
Isabelle	Fishing Rod	Isabelle casts a fishing line, which can reel in and then throw opponents.
Ivysaur	Razor Leaf	Ivysaur throws a single large leaf projectile.
Jigglypuff	Pound	Jigglypuff slides forward with a single punch. The move can be angled in midair.
Joker	Eiha / Eigaon	Joker sends out a projectile aimed downwards. If it hits an opponent, it will do a small amount of damage, but leave a poison effect. When Arsène is summoned, this move becomes Eigaon. The projectile now hits multiple times and the poison effect lasts for longer.
Kazuya	Devil Fist	Kazuya turns into Devil Kazuya for a brief moment and performs a rushing straight lunge against the opponent, knocking them in the air. If he is close to them, they will crumble with added electric effect, dealing more damage. Has a short range.
Ken	Tatsumaki Senpukyaku	Functions similarly to Ryu's Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, but deals multiple hits instead of one strong one.
King Dedede	Waddle Dee Toss	King Dedede randomly throws a Waddle Dee, Waddle Doo, or Gordo.
	Gordo Throw	King Dedede throws a Gordo by launching it with his hammer.
King K. Rool	Crownerang	King K. Rool throws his crown forward, which then returns to him like a boomerang. If the crown is blocked, it can be picked up by opponents like an item.
Kirby	Hammer	Kirby swings his hammer horizontally. When used in midair, Kirby flips the hammer in a pinwheel motion instead.
	Hammer Flip	Same function as above, but gains the ability to be charged with a flame effect for increased power, but it can do recoil damage if charged for too long.
Link	Boomerang	Link throws his Boomerang forward. The projectile can be angled.
	Gale Boomerang	Link throws the Gale Boomerang, which has an additional windbox beyond its damaging hitbox.
Little Mac	Jolt Haymaker	Little Mac lunges forward, then delivers an arcing punch. Pressing the button during the lunge causes the punch to come out more quickly.
Lucario	Force Palm	Lucario produces a small burst of aura in front of it. Nearby opponents will be grabbed and then launched.
Lucas	PK Fire	Behaves differently from Ness's PK Fire, with the attack traveling horizontally midair and dealing a single strong hit instead of multiple weak hits. If used in the air, the attack will travel horizontally.
Lucina	Dancing Blade	Similar to Marth's Dancing Blade, but it lacks a sweetspot or sourspot.
Luigi	Green Missile	Luigi charges in place, then flies forward headfirst. It has a 1/10 (1/8 in Melee and Brawl) chance to "misfire," going much further and gaining in power.
Mario	Cape	Mario swings his cape, reversing opponents and reflecting projectiles.
Marth	Dancing Blade	Pressing the button repeatedly will deliver up to four sword strikes. Each one has a different pattern if angled up, forward, or down.
Mega Man	Crash Bomber	Mega Man launches a Crash Bomb forward, which will stick to opponents for a few seconds before exploding. The bomb can be transferred between fighters on contact.
Meta Knight	Drill Rush	Meta Knight rushes forward with a corkscrew motion, dealing multiple hits.
Mewtwo	Confusion	Mewtwo creates a psychic disturbance in front of it, reflecting projectiles and momentarily causing opponents to tumble in place.
Mii Brawler	Onslaught	Mii Brawler charges forward. If the rush connects, a flurry of kicks follows.
Mii Gunner	Flame Pillar	Mii Gunner fires a small flame projectile which bursts on contact with opponents or the ground.
Mii Swordfighter	Airborne Assault	Mii Swordfighter charges up then pinwheels forward with sword extended.
Min Min	Punch	Min Min punches forward with her right ARM. She can move and jump while using it.
Mr. Game & Watch	Judge	Mr. Game & Watch swings his hammer, producing a number between 1 and 9. Each number causes a different effect.
Mythra	Photon Edge	Charges forward while slashing six times in front of herself in quick succession, teleporting each time she slashes.
Ness	PK Fire	Ness throws a short-ranged fire projectile with multiple strikes. If airborne, the attack will angle towards the ground.
Olimar	Pikmin Throw	Olimar throws his current Pikmin ahead. All colors of Pikmin will latch onto the opponent and deal damage doing different damaging effects except Purple Pikmin, which deliver a single launching hit.
Pac-Man	Power Pellet	Pac-Man produces a Power Pellet, then turns into his iconic sprite form and rushes forward to chomp on it. The Power Pellet's path can be briefly controlled as it extends outward, which in turns controls Pac-Man's path when he moves toward it.
Palutena	Reflect Barrier	Palutena produces a rectangular barrier which reflects projectiles.
	Explosive Flame	Palutena summons a spherical explosion a set distance in front of her. The explosion expands briefly, trapping opponents and hitting multiple times.
Peach	Peach Bomber	Peach does a slight stationary twirl and lunges sideways creating heart effects and creates a powerful heart explosion on impact with her butt, bouncing off and launching any opponent hit by the explosion in the way.
Pichu	Skull Bash	Functions similarly to Pikachu's Skull Bash. However, it travels further and inflicts recoil damage.
Pikachu		Pikachu charges in place then flies forward headfirst.
Piranha Plant	Poison Breath	Piranha Plant charges up a cloud of poison, changes its color to yellow with red spots.
Pit	Angel Ring	Pit does a short dash forward, twirling his blades in a circle.
	Upperdash Arm	Pit lunges forward, delivering an uppercut if an opponent is in his path. Reflects projectiles and can armor through attacks.
Pyra	Blazing End	Telekinetically throws the Aegis Sword set ablaze in front of her, which spins, hitting multiple times before returning to her. The move can be smash inputted to increase the sword's travel distance, which also adds one more hit to the Aegis Sword.
Richter	Cross	Identical to Simon's Cross.
Ridley	Space Pirate Rush	Ridley grabs opponents and rushes forward, dragging them along the ground to inflict damage.
R.O.B.	Arm Rotor	R.O.B. rapidly spins his arms around his body like a top, dealing multiple hits and reflecting projectiles.
Robin	Arcfire	Robin shoots a fireball diagonally downwards over a short range. If it strikes the ground or an opponents, it bursts into a multi-hitting pillar of flame.
Rosalina	Star Bits	Luma shoots several Star Bits ahead over a short range.
Roy	Double-Edge Dance	Functions similarly to Marth's Dancing Blade, but the sweetspot and sourspot placements are reversed, and all three final hits have the flame effect.
Ryu	Tatsumaki Senpukyaku	Ryu flies forward a set distance with a spinning kick. It travels further if the attack button is held, and deals more damage if the original Street Fighter command inputs are used instead of the side special input.
Samus	Missile	Samus releases a homing Missile or, if the attack is "smashes", a stronger but non-homing Super Missile.
Sephiroth	Shadow Flare	Sephiroth snaps his fingers to summon a beam of light in front of him. If it connects, it summons spheres of energy that surround an opponent, eventually striking them and exploding.
Sheik	Chain	Sheik produces a chain which can be swung back and forth in any direction.
	Burst Grenade	Sheik produces a grenade on a wire which detonates soon after. It can be detonated early with another press of the button.
Shulk	Back Slash	Shulk does a jumping overhead sword slash. The attack is more powerful if it connects with an opponent from behind.
Simon	Cross	Simon throws a cross ahead as a projectile, which returns along the same path.
Snake	Remote Missile	Snake launches a remote-controlled missile and stays in place while directing it.
Sonic	Spin Dash	Sonic bounces briefly then rolls forward at high speed.
Sora	Sonic Blade	Sora Performs a high-speed thrusting attack. Holding different buttons lets Sora control his travel: If the directional keys are held, Sora aims towards that direction. If the special button is held, the move automatically locks onto the nearest enemy with a target and automatically tracks them, while slightly increasing the knockback of the final hit.
Squirtle	Withdraw	Squirtle retreats into its shell and begins to spin along the ground, aided by a stream of water. Squirtle can be made to change directions by incoming attacks, but it takes no damage while in its shell.
Steve	Minecart	Steve summons a minecart and rails for it to move on. Without enough resources for the rails, the cart comes to a stop. The cart can also trap opponents inside.
Terry	Burning Knuckle	Terry briefly poses, then dashes forward with a blazing punch. It travels further if the attack button is held, and deals more damage if the command inputs are used instead of the side special input. Terry will use this move if the side special is perform in the direction he's facing.
	Crack Shoot	Terry flips forward into a kick. It travels further if the attack button is held, and deals more damage if the command inputs are used instead of the side special input. Terry will use this move if the side special is perform in the opposite direction of where he's facing.
Toon Link	Boomerang	Functions similarly to Link's Boomerang.
Villager	Lloid Rocket	Villager produces Lloid as a projectile, who flies forward, exploding on contact. If the button is held, Villager will climb onto Lloid and ride him until he explodes.
Wario	Wario Bike	Wario jumps on his motorcycle and begins to ride it. The bike can be controlled somewhat and Wario can choose to dismount it at any time.
Wii Fit Trainer	Header	Wii Fit Trainer produces a green soccer ball and launches it diagonally downward with a header. This attack works as both a reliable projectile and a strong meteor smash at close range.
Wolf	Wolf Flash	Functions similarly to Fox's Fox Illusion, but Wolf travels diagonally upward instead of straight ahead, and the move has a strong sweetspot at its end.
Yoshi	Egg Roll	Yoshi curls up inside an egg and begins to roll around. The egg can be controlled to turn around.
Young Link	Boomerang	Functions similarly to Link and Toon Link's Boomerang. Doesn't travel as far but deals heavy damage when performed up close.
Zelda	Din's Fire	Zelda releases a small fireball which initially deals no damage, and whose trajectory can be influenced up or down. When the button is released, the fireball explodes.
Zero Suit Samus	Plasma Whip	Zero Suit Samus reaches out with her whip. The end of the whip is the strongest. This move can be used as a tether recovery.

List of custom side special moves

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Characters introduced into this game through post-launch downloadable content - Mewtwo, Lucas, Roy, Ryu, Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta - were not given custom special moves.

Character	Default Special Move	Custom Special Moves
Bowser	Flying Slam	Custom 1: Dash Slam
		Custom 2: Dash Slash
Bowser Jr.	Clown Kart Dash	Custom 1: Koopa Drift
		Custom 2: Grounding Dash
Captain Falcon	Raptor Boost	Custom 1: Heavy Raptor Boost
		Custom 2: Wind-up Raptor Boost
Charizard	Flare Blitz	Custom 1: Blast Burn
		Custom 2: Dragon Rush
Dark Pit	Electroshock Arm	Custom 1: Electrocut Arm
		Custom 2: Quickshock Arm
Diddy Kong	Monkey Flip	Custom 1: Back Flip
		Custom 2: Flying Monkey Flip
Donkey Kong	Headbutt	Custom 1: Jumping Headbutt
		Custom 2: Stubborn Headbutt
Dr. Mario	Super Sheet	Custom 1: Shocking Sheet
		Custom 2: Breezy Sheet
Duck Hunt	Clay Shooting	Custom 1: Rising Clay
		Custom 2: Clay Break
Falco	Falco Phantasm	Custom 1: Falco Phase
		Custom 2: Falco Charge
Fox	Fox Illusion	Custom 1: Fox Burst
		Custom 2: Wolf Flash
Ganondorf	Flame Choke	Custom 1: Flame Wave
		Custom 2: Flame Chain
Greninja	Shadow Sneak	Custom 1: Shadow Strike
		Custom 2: Shadow Dash
Ike	Quick Draw	Custom 1: Close Combat
		Custom 2: Unyielding Blade
Jigglypuff	Pound	Custom 1: Sideways Pound
		Custom 2: Pound Blitz
King Dedede	Gordo Throw	Custom 1: Topspin Gordo
		Custom 2: Bouncing Gordo
Kirby	Hammer Flip	Custom 1: Hammer Bash
		Custom 2: Giant Hammer
Link	Gale Boomerang	Custom 1: Boomerang
		Custom 2: Ripping Boomerang
Little Mac	Jolt Haymaker	Custom 1: Grounding Blow
		Custom 2: Guard Breaker
Lucario	Force Palm	Custom 1: Advancing Force Palm
		Custom 2: Long-Distance Force Palm
Lucina	Dancing Blade	Custom 1: Effortless Blade
		Custom 2: Heavy Blade
Luigi	Green Missile	Custom 1: Floating Missile
		Custom 2: Quick Missile
Mario	Cape	Custom 1: Shocking Cape
		Custom 2: Gust Cape
Marth	Dancing Blade	Custom 1: Effortless Blade
		Custom 2: Heavy Blade
Mega Man	Crash Bomber	Custom 1: Ice Slasher
		Custom 2: Danger Wrap
Meta Knight	Drill Rush	Custom 1: High-Speed Drill
		Custom 2: Shieldbreaker Drill
Mii Brawler	Onslaught	Custom 2: Burning Dropkick
		Custom 3: Headache Maker
Mii Gunner	Flame Pillar	Custom 2: Stealth Burst
		Custom 3: Gunner Missile
Mii Swordfighter	Airborne Assault	Custom 2: Slash Launcher
		Custom 3: Chakram
Mr. Game & Watch	Judge (Judgment in Melee)	Custom 1: Extreme Judge
		Custom 2: Chain Judge
Ness	PK Fire	Custom 1: PK Bonfire
		Custom 2: PK Fire Burst
Olimar	Pikmin Throw	Custom 1: Sticky Pikmin Throw
		Custom 2: Tackle Pikmin Throw
Pac-Man	Power Pellet	Custom 1: Distant Power Pellet
		Custom 2: Enticing Power Pellet
Palutena	Reflect Barrier	Custom 1: Angelic Missile
		Custom 2: Super Speed
Peach	Peach Bomber	Custom 1: Flower Bomber
		Custom 2: Flying Peach Bomber
Pikachu	Skull Bash	Custom 1: Shocking Skull Bash
		Custom 2: Heavy Skull Bash
Pit	Upperdash Arm	Custom 1: Interception Arm
		Custom 2: Quickdash Arm
R.O.B.	Arm Rotor	Custom 1: Reflector Arm
		Custom 2: Backward Arm Rotor
Robin	Arcfire	Custom 1: Arcfire+
		Custom 2: Fire Wall
Rosalina	Star Bits	Custom 1: Floaty Star Bit
		Custom 2: Shooting Star Bit
Samus	Missile	Custom 1: Relentless Missile
		Custom 2: Turbo Missile
Sheik	Burst Grenade	Custom 1: Gravity Grenade
		Custom 2: Skimming Grenade
Shulk	Back Slash	Custom 1: Back Slash Leap
		Custom 2: Back Slash Charge
Sonic	Spin Dash	Custom 1: Hammer Spin Dash
		Custom 2: Burning Spin Dash
Toon Link	Boomerang	Custom 1: Floating Boomerang
		Custom 2: High-Speed Boomerang
Villager	Lloid Rocket	Custom 1: Liftoff Lloid
		Custom 2: Pushy Lloid
Wario	Wario Bike	Custom 1: Speeding Bike
		Custom 2: Burying Bike
Wii Fit Trainer	Header	Custom 1: Huge Header
		Custom 2: Weighted Header
Yoshi	Egg Roll	Custom 1: Heavy Egg Roll
		Custom 2: Light Egg Roll
Zelda	Din's Fire	Custom 1: Din's Flare
		Custom 2: Din’s Blaze
Zero Suit Samus	Plasma Whip	Custom 1: Plasma Dash
		Custom 2: Whip Lash

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Character	Default Special Move	Custom Special Moves
Mii Brawler	Onslaught	Custom 2: Burning Dropkick
		Custom 3: Suplex
Mii Gunner	Flame Pillar	Custom 2: Stealth Burst
		Custom 3: Gunner Missile
Mii Swordfighter	Airborne Assault	Custom 2: Gale Stab
		Custom 3: Chakram

Gallery

• 

  Bowser’s side special in Brawl, Flying Slam.

• 

  Pit’s side special in Brawl, Angel Ring.

• 

  Villager’s side special, Lloid Rocket.

• 

  Joker’s side special, Eigaon.