Super Smash Bros. 4

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{{disambig2|Palutena's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. 4''|the character in other contexts|Palutena}}
{{disambig2|Palutena's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. 4''|the character in other contexts|Palutena}}
{{Infobox Character
{{Infobox Character
|name         = Palutena
|name = Palutena
|image       = [[Image:Palutena SSB4.png|250px|Palutena]]
|image = [[File:Palutena SSB4.png|250px]]
|game         = SSB4
|game = SSB4
|ssbgame1 = SSBU
|availability = [[Starter character|Starter]]
|availability = [[Starter character|Starter]]
|tier = E
|ranking = 44
}}
}}
:{{cquote|Palutena Alights!|cite=Introduction Tagline}}
:{{cquote|''Palutena Alights!''|cite=Introduction Tagline}}
'''Palutena''' ({{ja|パルテナ|Parutena}}, ''Palutena'') is a character from the ''{{uv|Kid Icarus}}'' series. She was confirmed as a playable fighter alongside the [[Mii Fighter (SSB4)|Mii Fighters]] and [[Pac-Man (SSB4)|Pac-Man]] in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' during E3 2014 on June 10th, 2014. As the Goddess of Light, she fights using powers she granted Pit (and other angels in the multiplayer) in ''Kid Icarus: Uprising''.
'''Palutena''' ({{ja|パルテナ|Parutena}}, ''Palutena'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. She was revealed on June 10th, 2014 during Nintendo's [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3]] Digital Event.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GisRY6h100U&ab_channel=Nintendo Play Nintendo - Nintendo E3 Digital Event]</ref>


She is voiced in Japanese by Aya Hisakawa (who reprises her role from ''Uprising'') and in English by Brandy Kopp, the latter replacing Ali Hillis due to availability conflicts.
Due to {{s|wikipedia|Ali Hillis}} being unavailable to reprise her role from ''{{s|icaruspedia|Kid Icarus: Uprising}}'', Palutena is instead voiced by Brandy Kopp in the English version.<ref>[https://twitter.com/missalihillis/status/482589658623143936 I loved working for @NintendoAmerica as #palutena on #kidicarus- I wasn't available for #SuperSmashBros BUT my BFF @brandykopp was!! #FF]</ref> However, the Japanese version features {{s|wikipedia|Aya Hisakawa}} reprising her role from ''Kid Icarus: Uprising''.
 
Palutena is ranked 44th out of 54 on the [[tier list]], placing her at the bottom the E tier. Palutena has good overall mobility, which is especially noticeable on the ground, thanks to her fast [[walk]]ing and [[dash]]ing speeds and high [[traction]]. She also boasts a potent air game, thanks to her aerial attacks' utility: neutral aerial is useful for pressuring and damage racking; forward aerial is very useful for starting combos when [[SHFF]]'d and for spacing; back aerial grants partial [[invincibility]] and its clean hitbox KOs reliably; up aerial hits multiple times and its last hit KOs rather early; and down aerial is a fairly quick [[meteor smash]].
 
Palutena's ground game also has some utility. Her grab game, in particular, is very effective: her overall grab range is long-ranged; her pummel deals impressive damage and has average speed; and her down throw is an excellent combo starter at low to high percentages. Outside of this, Palutena's neutral attack is very reliable for damage racking and [[jab cancel]]ing, while her smash attacks possess impressive ranges and considerable power.
 
However, Palutena's weaknesses are quite glaring. She has very sluggish frame data in relation to her power and weight, which is especially noticeable in regard to her grounded moves. As a result, her [[neutral game]] is predictable, and her grounded [[approach]] is abysmal. Palutena's KO potential is also inconsistent, since her smash attacks' ranges and power are offset by their awkward hitbox placements and extremely high amounts of overall lag.
 
Palutena's [[special move]]s also have poor synergy with the rest of her moveset and, in some cases, minimal utility. In addition, Palutena's tall height, below-average weight and high gravity collectively make her susceptible to [[combo]]s, [[juggle]]s and early KOs. Although her [[Character customization|custom moves]] significantly remedy the problems involving her approach and bolster her mobility, damage racking potential and combo game, the ban on custom movesets prevents Palutena from taking advantage of them in tournaments.
 
As a result of these factors, Palutena has a very small playerbase, which has been reflected in representation and top-level results being very sparse. Nevertheless, her playerbase has managed to achieve decent amounts of national and regional-level success thanks to the likes of {{Sm|TLTC}}, {{Sm|Iceninja}} and {{Sm|El Pitikla}} and {{Sm|Prince Ramen}}.


==Attributes==
==Attributes==
Palutena possesses a unique blend of archetypes: she has a tall frame, yet is tied with {{SSB4|Duck Hunt}} as the third lightest [[Weight|middleweight]]. Palutena also boasts fast [[walk]]ing and [[dash]]ing speeds; the seventh highest [[traction]]; a high [[jump]] and [[double jump]]; and is tied with Rosalina, {{SSB4|Peach}} and {{SSB4|Mega Man}} for the fastest [[air acceleration]] in the game. On the other hand, she has below-average [[falling speed]], slow [[air speed]] and high [[gravity]].
These attributes grant Palutena quick grounded movement, make her very capable at ground-to-air transitions, and allow her to quickly change direction in midair. However, they also make her susceptible to heavy pressure, and she can sometimes have difficulty at resetting the [[neutral game]] against some characters. Palutena's reliance on [[shield]]ing at close range can also result in her shield being whittled down often. This is further compounded by her poor out of shield options in spite of her high traction. Therefore, Palutena's attributes make her unreliable at air-to-ground transitions, and render her susceptible to [[juggling]], [[combo]]s and being KO'd early from strong vertical attacks.
Palutena's air game is impressive, thanks to her aerial moves' utility, minimal start-up lag and, aside from her neutral and up aerials, low landing lag. Neutral aerial has a large hitbox that uses the [[Autolink angle|auto-link angle]], which makes it a useful damage racking option. When coupled with its fairly long duration, it is also capable of pressuring the opponent while they are on a platform, or from out of their air dodge. Its last hit's extremely high knockback scaling also makes it decent for [[edge-guarding]], and even capable of setting up combos at low percentages. Forward aerial has the longest horizontal range of Palutena's aerial moves, the lowest amount of landing lag, and the ability to [[auto-cancel]] when [[SHFF]]'d. Altogether, these traits make it very useful for spacing and allow it to reliably start combos at low to medium percentages, with follow-ups including neutral attack, standing/dash grab, her tilts or her other aerials.
In comparison, back aerial grants partial [[invincibility]] around Palutena's body throughout its duration, while its shield hitbox is strong enough to reliably KO either on-stage or via edge-guarding. Up aerial has good vertical range, hits multiple times, and uses the auto-link angle, which make it ideal for juggling. Most notably, its final hit's extremely high knockback growth also makes it arguably her most viable KOing option. However, some of her aerial moves have rather high ending lag in proportion to their power, durations and ranges, which means that they must be spaced accordingly. Lastly, down aerial will always [[meteor smash]] aerial opponents thanks to its consistent hitbox, although it can also be used as to [[punish]] opponents from [[out of shield]] when it is SHFF'd.
Palutena's grounded moveset also has some interesting options. This is most notable with her grab game: Palutena's standing grab is the fourth longest ranged in the game despite not being a [[tether grab]], whereas her pivot grab also has impressive range. Her [[pummel]]'s average speed and high damage output make it one of the best pummels in the game. Like {{SSB4|Luigi}}, Palutena's down throw is the most essential aspect of her offense: its high base knockback, very low knockback scaling, and diagonal launching angle collectively grant it impressive combo potential into her neutral, up, forward, and back aerials, although latter requires the usage of a [[reverse aerial rush]]. By extension, its up aerial combo boasts KO potential on almost the entirety of the cast at high percentages, while its back aerial combo also has decent KO potential.
Outside of this, down throw can even combo into down aerial and up smash if the player correctly predicts the foe’s action. Forward and back throws are useful for launching the opponent off-stage to set up an edge-guard, although back throw also has KO potential at very high percentages. Up throw has the least amount of utility, although it can be used to pressure the opponent with aerial attacks at low percentages.
Neutral attack is a very reliable damage racking option and has excellent [[jab cancel]] potential, thanks to its very quick [[interruptibility]]. Like {{SSB4|Little Mac}}, Palutena's tilt attacks boast [[Priority#Moves that cannot rebound|anti-rebounding priority]], while up and down tilts also possess distinct strengths. Up tilt has the lowest amount of start-up lag out of her tilts; a very long duration; lowers her hurtbox even more than her [[crouch]] does; is a useful anti-air attack thanks to its deceptive vertical range; and is a situational KOing option thanks to its very strong final hit. In comparison, down tilt's very low ending lag makes it a good spacing option at long range, while its fairly long duration allows it to punish sidesteps rather easily. Dash attack is fast thanks to it hitting on frame 6 and, like her back aerial, it grants partial invincibility. Lastly, forward and especially up smashes possess excellent ranges and high power, the latter of which is among the strongest when sweetspotted.
Despite these advantages, Palutena's weaknesses are very noticeable. Her most glaring flaw is her awful frame data in relation to her power and weight class, which is overall the laggiest in the entire game. When coupled with below-average damage output on most of her attacks, Palutena's offense has major issues that are distinct from her fellow middleweights. This is most apparent with her grounded moveset, which is unfitting for a character with great grounded mobility. Aside from down tilt, Palutena's other grounded moves have disproportionately high ending lag. Neutral infinite's finisher has 21 frames of ending lag; dash attack, forward tilt and up tilt have more than 25 frames of ending lag; her smash attacks have more than 40 frames of ending lag; and her special moveset is fairly sluggish in regard to overall lag. These traits result in Palutena's missed attacks being very susceptible to punishment, even if the opponent is a fair distance away from her, and results in her having an almost nonexistent grounded [[approach]] by extension.


{{cleanup|Needs condensed.}}
In addition to considerable ending lag, Palutena's grounded KOing options are risky in other ways: her smash attacks have considerable start-up lag, whereas up tilt and clean dash attack are situational at best. As such, accuracy is crucial when using Palutena's grounded moves, and can often make a player instead rely solely on her safest grounded moves to set-up KO opportunities via edge-guarding or her down throw-initiated KO combos.


Palutena deviates from several character archetypes, being a tall yet [[weight|lightweight]] character with solid ground movement, having an above average [[Walking|walking]] and very fast [[Dash|dashing]] speed, and high traction <!--(with a decent perfect pivot, having a value of 3.5)-->. She also has above-average [[jumping]] height and the highest air acceleration in the game. However, she also has low [[air speed]], high gravity and below-average [[falling speed]]. Her slow attacks and tall frame also make her susceptible to knockback and punishment. In addition, her grounded and aerial movesets differ greatly: on the ground, she possesses many laggy yet long-ranged, disjointed moves that allow her to space and zone out opponents, while in the air, her attacks have faster startup but lower damage and range.
Palutena's abysmal frame data also extends beyond her moveset. Despite her [[item]] throws being fast, most of them have very high ending lag, which limits most follow-ups she might have if she is able to steal an item from an opponent. Palutena's safe edge grab is offset by all of her other options being very unsafe: her edge attack is slow and short-ranged; her edge roll grants minimal intangibility frames; and her normal get-up and edge jump are the slowest in the game. As a result, Palutena's [[edge recovery]] is problematic weakness unique to her, since her aerial attacks are unsafe on hit should she drop from an edge and then jump while attacking. The only remotely safe option she has is using [[Warp]] and aiming for the middle of the stage, although its lack of invulnerability can render her prone to being punished afterward. Despite her larger number of edge options compared to other characters, these flaws make Palutena quite easy to predict when she attempts to recover.


===Default moveset===
Although Palutena's air game is potent, it nevertheless has a few flaws. Down aerial, in particular, is her worst aerial: it lasts for only 1 frame, is short-ranged, and has very high ending/landing lag. Forward aerial also has a very short duration and high ending lag, whereas up aerial has minimal horizontal range, fairly high landing lag, and can only be interrupted before it can auto-cancel. By extension, down throw's KO set-ups can potentially fail if she is affected by [[rage]] and/or the opponent uses proper [[directional influence]].


With her default moveset, Palutena's primary strength consists of her erratic movement with use of [[Warp]], most notably on levels with platforms. It can be ledge-cancelled much more easily than other teleports, which allows her to act almost immediately out if it. This can be used as a strategy-planning technique, as it allows her to quickly move throughout the stage, allowing for stage control, positioning, retreating, movement and getting out of juggles. She is the only character in the game that possesses both a [[Reflect Barrier|reflector]] and a [[Counter (Palutena)|counter]] on her default moveset, allowing her to deal with both powerful and aggressive foes like {{SSB4|Ganondorf}}, and camping foes like {{SSB4|Villager}}. She has at her disposal one of the best  jabs, and it is possibly her best ground attack since it has long range for a jab and it has damage-racking capabilities, along with decent power. It can also be jab cancelled quite early, letting it combo into a grab, another jab, or a back air or up smash at very high percents, although it unfortunately has slow startup for a jab.
Palutena's default special moves are also infamously unimpressive because of their limited utility, poor synergy with her regular moves, and their aforementioned sluggishness. Warp is considered to be Palutena's best default special move: it is a quick and rather safe recovery move that improves her neutral game, allows for swift re-positioning, and can easily be [[Ledge-canceling|edge-canceled]]. However, it lacks hitboxes and does not grant invincibility or [[intangibility]], which can leave her open to attacks before and just after she uses it. Autoreticle can deter or force an approach; be used for [[mindgame]]s when [[B-reversing|B-reversed]]; and is reliable for [[lock]]ing. However, its projectiles move only toward the fixed reticle and have a slow start-up, with the first projectile coming out on frame 29.


Palutena's grab can be comboed from a jab or an auto-cancelled forward aerial at low percents, and her grab range is pretty large for a non-tether grab, and she also possesses one of the best pummels in the game as it does high damage while its speed is decent. Her back throw is her strongest throw as it can KO at high percents with enough rage, usually starting at 150%, while her down throw is her best throw as it sends opponents on a favorable angle for combos; it can combo into a forward aerial, neutral aerial or a RAR back aerial at low percents, an up smash or an up aerial at high percents, or a down aerial near the ledge. She also has a notably good comboing ability thanks to her aforementioned down throw, forward aerial and jab being able to start combos, and all aerials but down aerial being able to combo into the other if properly read the opponent's DI. Her punishing game is also fairly good thanks to her aforementioned combo game, her long-lasting tilts and her powerful smash attacks, which have disjointed hitboxes and relatively fast startup, and her forward and down smashes having windboxes at the tip. Finally, she has also got two moves with temporary invincibility, her dash attack and back aerial, which have invincibility frames that last as long as their hitboxes remain active.
[[Reflect Barrier]] has an [[unblockable]] hitbox, a weak [[push]] effect, a long duration, and can be reused immediately after breaking. However, it is still the weakest [[reflect]]or of its kind, neither covers her entirely or accompanies her in midair, and has noticeable start-up lag for a reflector. Lastly, {{b|Counter|Palutena}} has a high damage multiplier, but is the least effective counterattack in the game because of its overall low knockback, overall high lag, very short counter window, and dubious distinction of being one of the very few counterattacks to have a sourspot.


Without customs, however, Palutena is crippled entirely by a huge amount of drawbacks. While she has a decent spotdodge and a good air dodge, she posseses poor rolls. Her high gravity harms her overall as it makes her vulnerable to meteor smashes, it makes her easy to combo at low percents while being just as easy to KO vertically at high ones despite not being as light or floaty as other characters like {{SSB4|Zelda}}, and it hinders her recovery, especially when considering her low air speed, and despite her above-average jumping prowess. She is also prone to be juggled due to her below-average falling speed and her aforementioned high gravity as her anti-juggling options are downright bad outside Warp. Her default special moveset is infamous for being unarguably the worst of all the cast, with almost all her specials having very limited utility: her projectile in [[Autoreticle]] is one of the worst projectiles in the game as it is easily avoided, it has long startup lag after it locks on an opponent, long duration and high ending lag should it miss, and it can be outdone by many projectiles with enough priority. While [[Warp]] has good range, it can be gimped at the start/ending of the move as it does not have a hitbox nor gives invincibility/intangibility frames before and after execution making it the worst [[Teleport (disambiguation)|teleport]]. [[Reflect Barrier]] and [[Counter (Palutena)|Counter]] are both easily punishable and slow on both execution and ending, and they are pretty weak for their utility (with Counter even having a sourspot), making them the worst of their kind. She also has one of the laggiest movesets in the game despite not being a heavyweight: she lacks approach options with quick execution, meaning she must look for gaps in the opponent's strategy to press the offensive; she has many moves with long duration wich leave her wide open and in a punishable position; and she has high ending lag overall among her moveset (jab finisher, forward tilt, dash attack, all smashes, almost all of her aerial attacks, all grabs and all her specials except Warp). This makes her ironically the most punishable fighter in the game despite having a good punishing game, which is further exacerbated by her lightweight, tall frame and poor rolls, and it also gives her poor out of shield and neutral games. Her laggy moveset also carries along low damage output overall, as well as notable KO problems, with her smashes having long punishable ending lag, up aerial being avoidable and punishable, and having other attacks that aren't that powerful like her back throw and some that require proper [[spacing]], like her back aerial.
Her custom moves’ utility are rivaled only by the {{SSB4|Mii Fighter}}s' in regard to versatility, and they benefit her tremendously in comparison to the majority of her default special moves. [[Super Speed]] has immense utility: it allows Palutena to move faster than even an uncharged [[Spin Charge]], it can either be jump-canceled into any aerial move and an up smash, or perform a ramming attack, the latter of which can also lead into the aforementioned attacks, but only as long as it is not telegraphed or interrupted with a disjointed [[hitbox]]. The move can also be used for huge horizontal recovery if jump-cancelled. As a trade-off, Super Speed has a cooldown mechanic like [[Monado Arts]], with its cooldown duration lasting approximately 3 seconds.


Overall, Palutena, with her default moveset, is a frail, though defensive-minded character with a higher learning curve than other low tiered characters, who relies a very patient playstyle that consists of shielding attacks and [[turtling|turtle]] for a good portion of the match until an opening can be found, as long as she isn't left wide open as well, even with her good mobility. This is especially true when platforms aren't present. Most of her mains fail to place high with her in a default setting, with some of them either using her as a counterpick or dropping her in favor of another character as she sometimes gets outclassed by other characters, which gives her an extremely low representation in tournament play. This makes it doubtful whether or not she has a niche in tournament play without using a single custom move, with many smashers agreeing that, with customs turned off, she is one of the worst, and possibly, the worst character in the game.
[[Lightweight]] amplifies her movement speed and jump height to the point that she [[dash]]es faster than {{SSB4|Sonic}} and [[jump]]s higher than {{SSB4|Falco}}. This drastically improves Palutena's mobility and by extension her recovery, yet also makes her off-stage presence and already good combo game become among the best in the game; the latter of which is particularly notable, as it includes a guaranteed combo into her up or down aerials that both KO reliably after 80%. As a trade-off, it lasts for approximately 12.5 seconds, doubles the damage (but not knockback) she receives, and halves her default speed for approximately 5 seconds upon expiring while her damage vulnerability and jump height return to their original values. Regardless of their weaknesses, Super Speed and Lightweight are unarguably Palutena's most effective custom moves, as they improve her KO potential and grant her various mix-ups, set-ups, mindgames, combos and edge-guards that her default moveset otherwise does not possess.


===With [[Character customization|custom movesets]]===
Palutena's other custom moves also have noticeable advantages, but some of them are held back by their easily exploitable weaknesses. [[Explosive Flame]] is a pinpoint explosion that is just as slow as Autoreticle, although its limited range makes it even more difficult to land than Autoreticle, as well as being easily punishable if the opponent is in the middle of her and the explosion. [[Heavenly Light]] has very minimal use in singles play because of its inability to KO or even [[flinch]]. However, these traits also make it invaluable in [[Team Attack]]-based [[doubles]] play as a method to supplement {{SSB4|Ness}}, {{SSB4|Lucas}}, {{SSB4|Mr. Game & Watch}} and {{SSB4|Mii Gunner}}'s [[absorption]]-based moves, as well as capable of potentially stealing KOs, similarly to {{SSB4|Fox}}'s [[Blaster (Fox)|Blaster]]. [[Angelic Missile]] is a good recovery move and a potent edge-guarding option thanks to its respectable damage output and high base knockback, but it is easy to intercept because of its noticeable start-up lag, low knockback scaling and linear path.


Palutena is one the most customizable characters, with custom special moves that can be used for either long- or close-ranged combat, having many different options to choose from. These can give her a significant amount of approach, mix-ups, recovery, and follow-up options. [[Explosive Flame]] can be used to space out opponents in the neutral while refreshing her other moves, while [[Heavenly Light]] is a superb option when teamed up with {{SSB4|Ness}}, {{SSB4|Lucas}} or the [[Mii Gunner]], as they can absorb it with their [[PSI Magnet]]s and [[Absorbing Vortex]] moves. [[Angelic Missile]] can aid her recovery without leaving her helpless and also gives her another KO option when offstage, but [[Super Speed]] can be used as a mindgame, mix-ups, and mobility option as it allows her to damage opponents and set up an attack. In the air when canceled with a jump, its momentum is maintained with huge horizontal distance, allowing Palutena to approach with an aerial attack or escape pressures above. [[Jump Glide]] has great horizontal and decent vertical recovery. It can be used as an approach by acting out of it with an aerial attack. Although Palutena takes doubled damage (but not knockback) under [[Lightweight]] effect, her speed and jumping prowess are increased, improving her off stage game, and she can nearly guarantee landing her KO set ups from her down throw to up aerial at high percentage. It is also worth mentioning that with the proper use of Super Speed and Lightweight customs as a recovery, Palutena will have one of the best recoveries in the game when combined with Warp or Jump Glide.
[[Jump Glide]] covers an extreme amount of horizontal distance; grants Palutena a safe approaches with her aerial moveset; and can help her extend combos out of Super Speed or Lightweight. However, it has the same fatal flaw as [[Wings of Icarus]]: if for any reason Palutena flinches during the move, she cannot use Jump Glide again if she does not land on solid ground, which may lead to an inevitable KO. [[Rocket Jump]] has a meteor smash hitbox below Palutena in midair, as well as a strong hitbox that notably improves her out of shield game. However, it is inferior to both Warp and Jump Glide in every other way. Lastly, [[Celestial Firework]] grants intangibility during start-up; has impressive knockback; and can easily hit aerial opponents. Although it can potentially hit grounded opponents, this is difficult to do unless they are at point-blank range or enduring heavy lag.


Her custom moveset is not flawless, however. Explosive Flame has set range, meaning that it can be predicted and avoided quite easily, and Heavenly Light has no use outside of Doubles play. Super Speed can get predictable as she relies on it with customs turned on, while Angelic Missile is easily predicted as a KO move and is normally outclassed by Super Speed, despite its slightly better recovery prowess. Jump Glide must be used carefully when recovering as she can get gimped before it ends and as she cannot do anything until she hits the ground outside of grabbing the ledge if this happens, this may lead to a KO. While [[Celestial Firework]] can be used as an anti-air option, it is generally outclassed by her other options. [[Rocket Jump]] is unarguably her worst custom special as it doesn't have too much KO power, it cannot be easily landed in a neutral position, and it provides the least vertical distance of her recovery moves and little to no horizontal movement. Finally, none of her custom moves address her KO problems outside of her up aerial and possibly up smash (as it's possible to hit an opponent with the hitbox on Super Speed and follow up with her up smash), and she still has to work around the rest of her laggy moveset in general to refresh her special moves and avoid getting predictable.
Overall, Palutena is a frail, yet defensive character who has a surprisingly high learning curve in spite of her default moveset being rudimentary. Her optimal playstyle is similar to {{SSB4|Ike}}'s: her grab game and punishment options are potent, yet she must rely on spacing and shielding to circumvent her moveset's sluggishness and lack of reliable approach options. Although Palutena's default moveset ultimately renders her as a "high-risk, medium-reward" character, she can be fairly threatening when mastered. As such, Palutena is most rewarding for players with good fundamentals, as a single opening can allow her to quickly rack up damage with her most reliable moves, use her mobility and spacing options to evade and maintain a strong defense, or even KO early with her down throw-initiated KO combos.


Overall, with customs on, Palutena is a character that needs to be on the move while overwhelming her opponents with her high speed and combos, while spacing them out when needing to refresh her most important moves. This is drastically different to her patient, slow playstyle without customs. Generally speaking, she is in a much better position than in default, with her tournament placings with customs turned on being more favorable as demonstrated by smashers like {{Sm|AeroLink}}, and some professional smashers arguing that, with customs turned on, she does rank favorably, as a mid or mid-high tier character. Even so, there has been some debate in the community because Palutena's custom moves are all available by default, as to whether her custom moves should be allowed as a special case if disallowing customs becomes the norm.
Due to her flaws and learning curve, Palutena initially received a poor reception within the Western scene. However, thanks to buffs from game updates, the expansion of her metagame, and notable tournament results from the likes of {{Sm|TLTC}}, {{Sm|Iceninja}} and {{Sm|Prince Ramen}}, the competitive community's reception toward Palutena has improved over time, even in spite of her continually sparse representation.


==Update history==
==Update history==
Game updates have seen Palutena has received a slight mix of buffs and nerfs starting in update [[1.0.4]]. The range on her attacks and neutral game are slightly better than before, but the lag problems on her moveset still linger, she has lost some of the utility she had in her large pivot grab and some of the gimmicks on her custom moveset have been removed. However, the many changes on the shield mechanics also harm her more than doing good, as her attacks are less safe on shield due to their low [[hitlag]] and the fact hitlag modifiers also apply to sheilding characters, and the significant increase to [[shieldstun]] on attacks makes shielding less safe for her to find an opening, due her reliance on it. Overall, Palutena has been nerfed.
Palutena has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in game updates. The changes to game mechanics have worsened her defensive game, though she was also overall buffed directly, as most of her moves were changed, each in a different way, with the majority of them noticeably improving her previously mediocre offensive game.
 
Update [[1.0.4]] made up and down tilts faster, to the point that the latter is now one of her safest grounded attacks. However, it also fixed a useful glitch on Counter that effectively removed its mindgame potential, and shortened her pivot grab's range. Update [[1.0.6]] removed another beneficial glitch on Super Speed, where the momentum would be maintained after [[Jump-canceling|jump-canceled]] attacks. Update [[1.0.8]] further improved up tilt by increasing its damage output and improving its hitbox placements. Update [[1.1.0]] brought a mix of buffs and nerfs: it increased down tilt and neutral aerial's hitbox sizes, increased forward aerial's damage output, and decreased her grabs' ending lag, yet effectively significantly hindered forward tilt's damage racking potential by removing its re-hit rate.
 
However, update [[1.1.1]] brought an indirect, yet immense nerf: the changes to shield mechanics worsened Palutena's already poor [[out of shield]] potential even further, as they neutralized the crux of her defense and make it more difficult for her to shield and punish her opponent. While these changes also make spacing Palutena's aerial moves more of an option for her, it is also important to note that the disproportionate amount of ending lag compared to her damage output results in her remaining one of the easiest characters to punish out of shield. The same update also buffed Explosive Flame's damage output and hitbox sizes, but largely counterbalanced these buffs by making its last hit blockable. Another glitch was also removed, in which she could instantly renew Lightweight on [[platform]]s.
 
Lastly, update [[1.1.5]] brought some other useful buffs by increasing the damage outputs of her neutral attack, neutral aerial and forward aerial, which improved her damage racking potential and combo game. Ultimately, Palutena's abundant buffs are arguably counterbalanced by the few nerfs she received. As a result, her position relative to the cast is debatable, mostly because of other characters also receiving very useful buffs from game updates, such as {{SSB4|Samus}}, {{SSB4|Charizard}}, {{SSB4|Lucina}}, and {{SSB4|Mewtwo}}.


'''{{GameIcon|ssb4-3ds}} 1.0.4'''
'''{{GameIcon|ssb4-3ds}} [[1.0.4]]'''
*{{buff|Up tilt and down tilt have less endlag.}}
{{UpdateList/1.0.4|char=Palutena}}
*{{buff|Up Smash's hitbox lasts for three frames longer.}}
'''{{GameIcon|ssb4-3ds}} [[List of updates (SSB4-3DS)#1.0.5|1.0.5]]'''
*{{nerf|Pivot grab range reduced.}}
*{{change|Up aerial's visual effects improved.}}
'''{{GameIcon|ssb4-3ds}} 1.0.5'''
'''{{GameIcon|ssb4}} [[1.0.6]]'''
*{{change|Up air has improved visual effects. }}
*{{change|Due to concerns raised by {{s|wikipedia|CERO}}, Palutena's skirt and underwear were lengthened and slightly darkened in the Japanese version.<ref name="CERO">[http://sourcegaming.info/2015/09/18/cero-and-palutenas-censorship/ CERO and Palutena's Censorship]</ref>}}
'''{{GameIcon|ssb4}} 1.0.6'''
*{{bugfix|Fixed a glitch where [[Super Speed]]'s momentum could be maintained after [[Jump-canceling|jump-canceled]] attacks.}}
*{{bugfix|Fixed where Super Speed's momentum being maintained after jump canceled attacks.}}
'''{{GameIcon|ssb4}} [[1.0.8]]'''
'''{{GameIcon|ssb4}} 1.0.8'''
*{{buff|Up tilt's loop hits deal 0.2% more damage|1%|1.2%.}}
*{{buff|Up tilt hitboxes moved from bone 1000 to bone 0 (the hitboxes are now centered around her rather than her staff, meaning the loop hits link better into themselves).}}
*{{buff|Up tilt's hitbox placements adjusted|bone 1000|0. This re-positions its hitboxes around Palutena instead of her staff, which make its hits connect together better.}}
*{{buff|Up tilt (loop hits) damage increased|1%|1.2%}}
''' {{GameIcon|ssb4}} [[1.1.0]]'''
''' {{GameIcon|ssb4}} 1.1.0'''
*{{buff|Forward tilt's hitbox sizes increased|3.8u/2.5u|4.1u/2.8u; its first hit's angle altered: 361° → 48° and knockback scaling decreased: 100 → 65; and its second hit's angle altered: 48° → 361° and knockback scaling increased: 65 → 100. Altogether, these changes make its hits connect together better at low percentages, and improve its spacing potential.}}
*{{buff|Forward tilt has increased hitbox sizes|3.8/2.5|4.1/2.8|.}}
*{{nerf|Forward tilt's re-hit rate removed|10|0, significantly hindering its damage racking potential.}}
*{{change|Frames 17-24 and 25-39 of forward tilt have reversed properties (Angle in frames 17-24: Sakurai angle → 48° and its knockback growth: 100 → 65, while the angle in frames 25-39: 48° → Sakurai angle and its knockback growth: 65 → 100).}}
*{{buff|Down tilt's hitbox sizes increased|2.4u/1.9u|2.7u/2.1u.}}
*{{buff|Down tilt has increased hitbox sizes|2.4/1.9|2.7/2.1}}
*{{buff|Down tilt's ending lag decreased.}}
*{{buff|Down tilt has less ending lag.}}
*{{buff|Neutral aerial's hitbox sizes increased|3u|3.4u.}}
*{{buff|Neutral aerial has increased hitbox sizes|3.0|3.4}}
*{{buff|Forward aerial deals 1% more damage|7%|8%.}}
*{{buff|Forward aerial damage increased|7%|8%}}
*{{buff|All grabs' ending lag decreased: frame 34 → 32 (standing), frame 42 → 40 (dash/pivot).}}
*{{buff|All grabs have 2 less frames of ending lag.}}
'''{{GameIcon|ssb4}} [[1.1.1]]'''
'''{{GameIcon|ssb4}} 1.1.1'''
*{{buff|[[Explosive Flame]] deals 0.2% more damage|0.6% (loop)/4% (last)|0.8%|4.2%.}}
*{{bugfix|A glitch where Palutena could infinitely renew [[Lightweight]] on platforms has been fixed.}}
*{{buff|Explosive Flame's hitbox sizes increased|3.7u (loop)/4.8u (last)|14u/15.5u.}}
*{{buff|[[Explosive Flame]] inital looping hit size increased 3.7 → 4.8.}}
*{{nerf|Explosive Flame's last hit is no longer [[unblockable]].}}
*{{buff|Explosive Flame damage slightly increased 0.6% → 0.8%.}}
*{{bugfix|Fixed a glitch where Palutena could infinitely renew [[Lightweight]] on platforms.}}
*{{buff|Explosive Flame final hit size increased 14.0 → 15.5.}}
'''{{GameIcon|ssb4}} [[1.1.5]]'''
*{{buff|Explosive Flame final hit damage increased 4.0% → 4.2%.}}
{{UpdateList/1.1.5|char=Palutena}}
*{{nerf|The last hit of Explosive Flame is no longer [[unblockable]].}}


==Moveset==
==Moveset==
''For a gallery of Palutena's hitboxes, see [[Palutena (SSB4)/Hitboxes|here]].''
{{MovesetTable
{{MovesetTable
|game=SSB4
|game=SSB4
|neutralname=&nbsp;
|neutralname=Radiance ({{ja|輝き|Kagayaki}}) / Glimmer ({{ja|煌めき|Kirameki}}) / Glimmer Finish ({{ja|煌めきフィニッシュ|Kirameki Finisshu}})
|neutralcount=1
|neutralcount=1
|neutralinf=y
|neutralinf=y
|neutral1dmg=3%
|neutral1dmg=3%
|neutralinfdmg=1% (loop), 3% (last)
|neutralinfdmg=0.8% (loop), 3.5% (last)
|neutraldesc=Holds her staff out and releases a multi-hit flash from the orb before knocking the enemy away with an upwards swipe. Long range and Palutena's best ground attack. It is useful for spacing. When jab canceled, she can combo into grabs or another jab at low percent, and back aerial and up smash at very high percents. Finishing hit has decent power, but long ending lag, and the first hit has extremely slow startup for a jab due to it coming out on frame 8.
|neutraldesc=Thrusts her staff forward to emit a blast of light from its orb that hits multiple times, followed by an upward swipe. It is Palutena's best ground attack and arguably one of the best neutral attacks in the game, thanks to its spacing, damage racking and [[jab cancel]]ing potential. Jab cancel follow-ups include itself and standing/dash grabs at low to high percentages, and neutral aerial, back aerial, and smash attacks at very high percentages. Its neutral infinite's finisher is useful for spacing, thanks to its extremely high knockback scaling. Due to it hitting on frame 8, however, it is tied with {{SSB4|Wario}}'s neutral attack for the fourth slowest in the game. Its neutral infinite also has high ending lag.
|ftiltname=&nbsp;
|ftiltname=Circle of Protection ({{ja|守りの環|Mori no Wa}})
|ftiltdmg=6% (staff head), 4% (staff tail)
|ftiltdmg=6% (staff's head), 4% (staff's tail)
|ftiltdesc=Makes her staff spin in the air in front of her, hitting the enemy up to three times. Long duration, good range, and can be used to punish spot-dodges and rolls. However, it leaves her vulnerable to other attacks due to its long duration and high ending lag.
|ftiltdesc=Telekinetically twirls her staff in front of herself. Hitting with the staff's tail can make it hit twice altogether, while its long duration and good range can allow it to punish [[sidestep]]s and backward [[roll]]s. It has [[Priority#Moves that cannot rebound|anti-rebounding priority]], which means that it will not suffer ending lag if it collides with an attack that does not have [[transcendent priority]]. Due to it hitting on frame 17, however, it is her slowest tilt attack. When coupled with its high ending lag and long duration, it is very punishable.
|utiltname=&nbsp;
|utiltname=Circle of Heaven ({{ja|天の環|Ten no Wa}})
|utiltdmg=1.2% (loop hits), 2.5% (last hit staff head), 1.5% (last hit staff tail), 8.7%/9.7% if all hits connect
|utiltdmg=1.2% (hits 1-6), 2.5% (hit 7 staff's head), 1.5% (hit 7 staff's tail)
|utiltdesc=Kneels and makes her staff spin in the air above her, hitting the enemy up to seven times. Long duration and decent vertical range. When she performs this attack, Palutena's hitbox becomes very low, allowing her to stop most aerials above her, especially poorly executed stall-then-fall attacks like Bowser's [[Bowser Bomb]]. It also can be used for punishing the opponent's air dodge. However, like her forward tilt, it leaves her vulnerable to other attacks due to its long duration (though it comes out faster than her forward tilt). It also has little horizontal range. Good KO potential at very high percents, usually starting at 145%.
|utiltdesc=Kneels and telekinetically twirls her staff overhead. Unlike forward and down tilt, it has KO potential, thanks to its last hit's head hitbox having extremely high knockback scaling. Its last hit's head hitbox KOs middleweights at 154%/143% (''3DS''/''Wii U'') from anywhere on {{SSB4|Final Destination}}. Despite having a relatively low hitbox, it has deceptively decent vertical range, lowers Palutena's hurtbox even more than her [[crouch]] does, and has anti-rebounding priority. Due to it hitting on frame 10, it has the lowest start-up out of her tilt attacks. However, when this is coupled with its long duration, it is nevertheless punishable. In addition, its minimal horizontal range makes it unable to hit small, grounded characters like {{SSB4|Kirby}}.
|dtiltname=&nbsp;
|dtiltname=Circle of Earth ({{ja|地の環|Chi no Wa}})
|dtiltdmg=8.5% (staff head), 5% (staff tail)
|dtiltdmg=8.5% (grounded opponents, staff's head/tail on aerial opponents), 5% (staff's handle on aerial opponents)
|dtiltdesc=Makes her staff spin along the ground in front of her. It is her fastest tilt, and it can be interrupted noticeably earlier than her other tilts. Great spacing tool and can be used to catch spot dodgers and rolls. Good for ledgeguarding. It has less vertical range than her forward tilt.
|dtiltdesc=Kneels and telekinetically twirls her staff along the ground in front of herself. In addition to its anti-rebounding priority, it has the shortest duration and lowest ending lag out of her tilt attacks. It can be used for edge-guarding and spacing, or to punish sidesteps. However, its noticeable start-up lag makes it more situational than her neutral attack in regard to spacing.
|dashname=&nbsp;
|dashname=Palutena Shield ({{ja|パルテナシールド|Parutena Shīrudo}})
|dashdmg=9% (clean), 5% (late)
|dashdmg=9% (clean), 5% (late)
|dashdesc=Bashes the enemy with her shield. The shield can block attacks due to the attack having [[invincibility frame]]s (12 frames). Large hitbox. Can be used to catch landing opponents and combo into other moves if read the opponents reaction. However, it has long endlag. Has a decent KO potential at very high percentage, starting at 150%. Can reflect.
|dashdesc=Rams into the opponent with her shield. Due to it hitting on frame 6, it is one of the fastest dash attacks in the game. It also has deceptive range, thanks to it slightly boosting Palutena. Thanks to its clean hitbox's high knockback scaling, it can function as a situational KOing option; it KOs middleweights at 157%/145% (''3DS''/''Wii U'') while near the edge of Final Destination. Its clean hitbox also grants partial [[invincibility]] to Palutena's body on frames 4-15. However, its high ending lag makes it very punishable.
|fsmashname=&nbsp;
|fsmashname=Goddess Wings ({{ja|女神の翼|Megami no Tsubasa}})
|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|16}} (near), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|13}} (far)
|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|16}} (near), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|13}} (far), — (tip)
|fsmashdesc=Creates ethereal wings and swings them in front of herself. Comes out quickly and has has high knockback and long horizontal range, giving it great KO potential. Has a sourspot near the tip of the wings, which deals less knockback. It also has a windbox at the tip of the wings that can autospace this move if it fails, and to gimp some some recoveries. High ending lag (48 frames). Can KO at 100% when sweetspotted, KOs in the 120s range when sourspotted.
|fsmashdesc=Conjures ethereal wings and flaps them forward. It has impressive horizontal range, while its respectable damage output and high knockback scaling make it very strong. Its sweetspot covers the majority of the wings, whereas its sourspot is on their tips. Its sweetspot KOs middleweights at 84%/74% (''3DS''/''Wii U'') while near the edge of Final Destination. Conversely, its sourspot latter KOs them at 108%/97% (''3DS''/''Wii U'') while near the edge of Final Destination. It also has a windbox near the tips of the wings that can [[push]] away opponents and potentially [[gimp]] recoveries. Due to it hitting on frame 18 and having 47 frames of ending lag, however, it is very punishable and thus best suited as a punishment option. Occasionally, Palutena utters "Goddess Wings!" while using the move.
|usmashname=&nbsp;
|usmashname=Pillar of Light ({{ja|光の柱|Hikari no Hashira}})
|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|16}} (bottom), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|12}} (middle), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|9}} (top)
|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|16}} (base), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|12}} (middle), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|9}} (top)
|usmashdesc=Conjures a blue beam of light from the ground in front of her, firing it high up into the air. It has the highest range of any up smash in the game and it comes out quickly along with having great KO potential, making it one of the best up smashes. Excellent for edgeguarding, especially after a ledge trump. Can be used in a conjunction with a down throw by reading opponent's air dodge. However, it has thin horizontal range and high ending lag (though it is her smash attack with the least endlag at 43 frames). Can KO at 100% when sweetspotted.
|usmashdesc=Conjures a cyan beam of light that erupts from the ground. It has the highest vertical range of any up smash in the game, and the second highest vertical range of all up smashes in the series, surpassed only by {{SSBB|Snake}}'s. It has three hitboxes: one at the base of the beam, one at the middle, and one at the top. Its high vertical range and base hitbox's great KO potential make it very useful for edge-guarding. Its base hitbox KOs middleweights at 102%/94% (''3DS''/''Wii U'') from anywhere on Final Destination. Although its middle hitbox deals slightly less damage, it also KOs reliably; it KOs aerial middleweights at 117%/106% (''3DS''/''Wii U'') from anywhere on Final Destination. Due to it hitting on frame 18, and having both 42 frames of ending lag and very minimal horizontal range, it is best suited as a punishment option. In addition, its top hitbox KOs noticeably later because of its average damage output.
|dsmashname=&nbsp;
|dsmashname=Goddess Wings ({{ja|女神の翼|Megami no Tsubasa}})
|dsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|15}} (clean), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|13}} (late)
|dsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|15}} (near), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSB4|13}} (far), — (tip)
|dsmashdesc=Creates ethereal wings and flaps them down on either side of her. It also has a windbox at the tip of the wings that can autospace this move if it fails, and to gimp some some recoveries. High knockback. Can be used to catch rolls. However, it has very high ending lag (being her smash attack with the most endlag at 53 frames) making it less safe than her forward smash, and one of the worst down smashes in the game. It KOs at 114% and sends opponents vertically if clean, though it KOs at 145% and sends opponents at a semi-spike when late.
|dsmashdesc=Conjures ethereal wings and flaps them downward on both sides. Its clean hitbox has the highest knockback scaling out of her smash attacks. When coupled with its respectable damage output, it KOs middleweights at 110%/102% (''3DS''/''Wii U'') while near the edge of Final Destination. Although its late hitbox deals slightly less damage, it is also reliable thanks to being a [[semi-spike]] that is strong enough to KO middleweights at 115%/104% (''3DS''/''Wii U'') while near the edge of Final Destination. Like forward smash, it has a windbox near the tips of the wings. However, it hits on frame 17 and has 52 frames of ending lag; the latter of which is the highest amount of ending lag of all down smashes in the game, and the second highest ending lag of all smash attacks in the game. As a result, it is best used as a punishment option. Occasionally, Palutena utters "Goddess Wings!" while using the move.
|nairname=&nbsp;
|nairname=Omnidirectional Circle ({{ja|四方の環|Yomo no Wa}})
|nairdmg=1.5% (loop hits), 4% (last hit), 11.5% if all hits connect
|nairdmg=1.7% (loop), 5% (last)
|nairdesc=Spins her staff around her. The first five hits have the [[Autolink angle|auto-link angle]], which can potentially trap opponents in the rest of the attack. Good for pressuring opponents on platform above and catching out of air dodge. Can combo into aerial or ground attacks at low percentage.
|nairdesc=Telekinetically spins her staff around herself. Its loop hits have the [[Autolink angle|auto-link angle]], which makes it reliably trap opponents. When coupled with its long duration, it is a great pressuring and juggling option against opponents in the air or on platforms. Its last hit's extremely high knockback scaling also allows it to function as a decent edge-guarding option, and combo into grounded or other aerial attacks at low percentages.
|fairname=&nbsp;
|fairname=Palutena Kick ({{ja|パルテナキック|Parutena Kikku}})
|fairdmg=8%
|fairdmg=9%
|fairdesc=Dropkicks in front of herself. Long horizontal hitbox and low landing lag. Good spacing tool and can combo into grabs and other attacks. It can also be auto-cancelled from SHFF. It is less safe on shield since it delivers less shield stun. Not very much duration, and has relatively high ending lag.
|fairdesc=A flying kick. Its long range and low landing lag make it one of her most reliable spacing options. When coupled with its ability to be auto-canceled when [[SHFF]]'d, it also boasts good combo potential at low to medium percentages; follow-ups include itself, neutral attack, standing/dash grab, and dash attack. However, it has a very short duration and high ending lag.
|bairname=&nbsp;
|bairname=Shield Bash ({{ja|シールドバッシュ|Shīrudo Basshu}})
|bairdmg=12% (shield), 9% (arm)
|bairdmg=12% (shield), 9% (arm)
|bairdesc=Hits with her shield behind herself. The shield can block attacks due to the attack granting her invincibility frames (8 frames). Can beat out most aerial attacks and certain projectiles. Comes out one frame faster than her forward air, it has low landing lag and can be auto-cancelled from a short hop. However, it is easy to miss if the opponents is too close to Palutena since it does not have a hitbox around her, and it has very high ending lag for an aerial (41 frames).
|bairdesc=Rotates her body to slam her shield into the opponent. Due to it hitting on frame 8, it is tied with up aerial as her second fastest aerial. It also has the second lowest amount of landing lag out of her aerials, and can be auto-canceled from a short hop. When these traits are coupled with its shield hitbox's respectable damage and high knockback scaling, it is one of Palutena's most viable KOing options. Its shield hitbox KOs middleweights at 135%/123% (''3DS''/''Wii U'') while near the edge of Final Destination. Like dash attack's clean hitbox, it grants partial invincibility around her body, but does so for its entire duration instead of for several frames. However, it has very high ending lag and a very small sourspot on her arm that deals less damage. Due to having its hitboxes positioned only on her shielded arm, it can also potentially miss an opponent that is too close to her.
|uairname=&nbsp;
|uairname=Halo ({{ja|後光|Gokō}})
|uairdmg=1% (loop hits), 5% (last hit), 9% if all hits connect
|uairdmg=1% (hits 1-4), 5% (hit 5)
|uairdesc=Twirls and then lights up her halo, which hits up to five times. The first four hits have the -link angle, which can potentially trap opponents in the rest of the attack. Long duration and can be used to pressure aerial opponents above her. Has a great KO potential at high percentage. However, it has fairly high ending lag (24 frames). Interestingly enough, this attack has more interruptible frames than auto-canceling frames, as if she uses this attack in certain distance above the ground, even if she finished using this move, she'll suffer from high ending lag, meaning it cannot be auto-cancelled at all. This can, however, be avoided by using other attack with lower ending lag before she hits the ground, like her forward air. Has weak meteor properties when fast-falling, making it possible to combo into another grab at low percentages despite its ending lag.  
|uairdesc=Twirls while emitting her halo. Due to it hitting on frame 8, it is tied with back aerial as her second fastest aerial. Like neutral aerial, it has a long duration, hits multiple times and its last hit has extremely high knockback scaling. These traits allow it to reliably pressure aerial opponents above Palutena, and make it one of her most viable KOing options. Its last hit KOs middleweights at 104%/95% (''3DS''/''Wii U'') while near the upper blast line of Final Destination. However, it has a noticeable amount of ending lag. Due to having more interruptible frames than auto-canceling frames, it also cannot be auto-canceled at all, even a few frames after its animation ends. Despite this, its auto-cancel issue can be mitigated by using another attack with less ending lag, such as forward aerial, before Palutena lands on solid ground.
|dairname=&nbsp;
|dairname=Purging Kick ({{ja|追放キック|Tsuihō Kikku}})
|dairdmg=9%
|dairdmg=9%
|dairdesc=Performs an arcing kick below herself, meteor smashing anyone below her. This attack has no late hits, meaning it will always meteor smash. Can be used as an out of shield option. However, it lasts for only one frame and it has very low range, making it difficult to land, as well as having long ending lag, though it doesn't have high landing lag.
|dairdesc=A downward roundhouse kick. Unlike other meteor smashes, it will always meteor smash aerial opponents, thanks to its consistent hitbox. Conversely, it will obliquely launch grounded opponents, which allows it to be used as a punishment option from [[out of shield]] when SHFF'd. Due to it hitting on frame 10 and having the highest ending lag of any aerial attack in the game, it is her slowest aerial and thus very punishable. In addition, it only lasts for only 1 frame, has very minimal horizontal range, and cannot auto-cancel unless used from a jump. As a result of its flaws, it is unarguably Palutena's least effective aerial attack.
|grabname=&nbsp;
|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})
|grabdesc=Holds her staff vertically in front of herself, magically trapping the enemy. Fairly large grab range, though it has some ending lag.
|grabdesc=Telekinetically clinches the opponent. Palutena's overall grab range is above-average: her standing grab is the fourth longest ranged non-[[tether grab]] in the game, while her pivot grab also has impressive range. However, her dash grab has a slight amount of ending lag.
|pummelname=&nbsp;
|pummelname=Grab Petit Shock ({{ja|つかみプチショック|Tsukami Puchi Shokku}})
|pummeldmg=3.1%
|pummeldmg=3.1%
|pummeldesc=Blasts the enemy with light.
|pummeldesc=A small blast of light. Moderately slow, but tied with {{SSB4|Sheik}}'s for the sixth most damaging pummel in the game.
|fthrowname=&nbsp;
|fthrowname=Zero-Contact Throw ({{ja|触れない投げ|Sawarenai Nage}})
|fthrowdmg=9%
|fthrowdmg=9%
|fthrowdesc=Pushes the enemy away with her magic. It is Palutena's weakest throw in terms of knockback, though it can be used to throw opponents off the ledge for an edge-guard.
|fthrowdesc=Slightly curls herself and then telekinetically pushes the opponent forward. It is Palutena's second most damaging throw, but only has utility as an edge-guard set-up.
|bthrowname=&nbsp;
|bthrowname=Zero-Contact Reverse Throw ({{ja|触れない逆投げ|Sawarenai Sakanage}})
|bthrowdmg=10%
|bthrowdmg=10%
|bthrowdesc=Performs a ballet-inspired throw, which launches the enemy at a 180 degree angle behind herself. Launches at the [[Sakurai angle]]. It is her strongest throw, and it can KO at high percents depending on weight, rage, staleness and DI. However, due to the angle it launches opponents away, and its low scaling, it is easily DI'd to avoid getting KO'd.
|bthrowdesc=Telekinetically lifts the opponent and then performs an inverted version of the [[wikipedia:Arabesque (ballet position)|Arabesque]], a ballet position, to fling the opponent backward. It is Palutena's most damaging throw, and her only throw that KOs at reasonable percentages. It is also useful for setting up an edge-guard. It KOs middleweights at 156%/146% (''3DS''/''Wii U'') while near the edge of Final Destination.
|uthrowname=&nbsp;
|uthrowname=Launch ({{ja|打ち上げ|Uchiage}})
|uthrowdmg=8%
|uthrowdmg=8%
|uthrowdesc=Sends the enemy into the air with her staff. Can be used to pressure opponents in the air with aerial attacks or an up tilt.
|uthrowdesc=Telekinetically heaves the opponent upward. Despite having high base knockback, its average damage output and below-average knockback scaling make it unreliable at KOing without the use of a highly elevated [[platform]], such as {{SSB4|Battlefield}}'s top platform. As a result, it is better suited for setting up aerial pressure.
|dthrowname=&nbsp;
|dthrowname=Knock Down ({{ja|叩き落とし|Tataki Otoshi}})
|dthrowdmg=5%
|dthrowdmg=5%
|dthrowdesc=Magically shoves the enemy into the ground. Ideal for combos and KO set-up; depending on opponent's DI, it can combo into a neutral, forward, back or up aerial, and even an up smash by reading the opponent's air dodge. It can also combo into a down aerial near the ledge for a potential meteor smash.
|dthrowdesc=Telekinetically slams the opponent onto the ground. It is Palutena's most useful throw, thanks to its high base knockback, very low knockback growth, and diagonal launching angle. Depending on the opponent's DI, it can combo into any of her aerials, most notably up aerial. At high percentages, its up aerial combo is a reliable KO combo against almost the entirety of the cast, similarly to {{SSB4|Zelda}}'s own respective combo. Its back aerial combo also has decent KO potential, but must be used with a [[reverse aerial rush]]. In comparison, its down aerial combo requires both a successful read of the opponent's air dodge, and the opponent failing to DI properly. It can also combo into up smash, although it has the same requirements as the down aerial combo. However, down throw's combos are susceptible to DI, and it loses its effectiveness while Palutena has high [[rage]].
|floorfname=&nbsp;
|floorfname=&nbsp;
|floorfdmg=7%
|floorfdmg=7%
|floorfdesc=Swings her staff in front and behind her.
|floorfdesc=Swings her staff behind herself and then in front of herself before getting up.
|floorbname=&nbsp;
|floorbname=&nbsp;
|floorbdmg=7%
|floorbdmg=7%
|floorbdesc=Swings her staff 180 degrees along the ground.
|floorbdesc=Swings her staff behind herself and then in front of herself before getting up.
|floortname=&nbsp;
|floortname=&nbsp;
|floortdmg=5%
|floortdmg=5%
|floortdesc=Similar to her other floor attacks.
|floortdesc=Swings her staff in front of herself and then behind herself before getting up.
|edgename=&nbsp;
|edgename=&nbsp;
|edgedmg=7%
|edgedmg=7%
|edgedesc=Climbs up the stage and hits with a leg swipe.
|edgedesc=Performs a legsweep while climbing up.
|nsdefname=Autoreticle
|nsdefname=Autoreticle
|nsdefdmg=2.9% (per hit)
|nsdefdmg=2.9% (per hit, 3 hits)
|nsdefdesc=Takes aim with a charge-shot reticle from ''Kid Icarus Uprising'' which appears over the enemy, then fires three light shots at that location. Can be initiated only an enemy is within range, nothing is blocking her target, and said enemy doesn't have invincibility from [[tech|teching]], dodging, etc. Can be used as a way for stopping direct approaches. It is able to hit behind Palutena and be used for jab locks, though this can be tricky to do, depending on the opponents' position. It also stalls her mid-air, making it useful to stop opponents from gimping her.
|nsdefdesc=Illuminates her staff's orb to aim a {{s|wikipedia|reticle}} over an opponent within a large frontal cone radius, and then fires three energy blasts at that location. It will only fire the blasts if no surfaces block her target (including platforms), and if the opponent is within range and not [[Intangibility|intangible]]. It can be used as a way for stopping direct approaches and [[lock]]ing, as well as forcing an approach. However, it has high ending lag, regardless of whether or not it targets anything. Because the shots aren’t very fast and only go in one direction, they can be dodged with relative ease.
|nsc1name=[[Explosive Flame]]
|nsc1name=[[Explosive Flame]]
|nsc1dmg=0.6% (loop), 4% (last)
|nsc1dmg=0.8% (loop, 6 hits), 4.2% (last)
|nsc1desc=Creates a Smart Bomb-like explosion at approximately 3 character lengths away. Great spacing and zoning tool, but its slow startup and set distance can make it easily predictable.
|nsc1desc=Creates a [[Smart Bomb]]-like explosion approximately three character lengths away. It is a decent spacing and zoning tool like Autoreticle. Unlike Autoreticle, it actually has KO potential, thanks to its loop hits reliably trapping the opponent, and its last hit having impressive knockback in spite of its low damage output. Its last hit KOs middleweights at 170% from anywhere on Final Destination in {{for3ds}}. However, its noticeable start-up lag and set distance make it fairly predictable like Autoreticle.
|nsc2name=[[Heavenly Light]]
|nsc2name=[[Heavenly Light]]
|nsc2dmg=1% (per hit)
|nsc2dmg=1% (per hit, 36 hits)
|nsc2desc=Projects a huge rectangular field of supernal light above her and to the sides. It deals damage in the whole area without producing knockback or flinching, as well as repelling all enemies from the sides. Because of this, this move can be used to steal a KO from a fighter who launched another. Can be absorbed. Hold the button to extend the duration.
|nsc2desc=Emits a large, rectangular field of supernal light above herself. Its duration can be extended as long as the special button is held. It deals damage within its area, and has windboxes at its edges that push away opponents. However, it cannot KO outright because of its [[Knockback#No knockback|lack of knockback]]. As a result, it can be used to steal a KO from a character who launched another. When coupled with its ability to be [[Absorption|absorbed]], it can also function as a very useful way to supplement a teammate if they have a move to absorb it. Still, relatively high end lag makes Palutena even more vulnerable using this move.
|ssdefname=Reflect Barrier
|ssdefname=Reflect Barrier
|ssdefdmg=5%, 1.17x damage (reflected projectiles)
|ssdefdmg=5%, 1.17× (reflected projectiles)
|ssdefdesc=Raises her shield forward, casting a rectangular barrier which pushes opponents away and [[reflect]]s [[projectile]]s. Palutena's shield has a hitbox when it is being raised, allowing her to damage opponents with it. The hit is unblockable. If it reflects an attack that deals at least 50% damage, the reflector will break. However, it can be used immediately after it has broken, unlike other reflectors.
|ssdefdesc=Raises her shield to emit a rectangular barrier. The barrier [[reflect]]s [[projectile]]s and weakly [[push]]es opponents away, dealing damage to anyone within grabbing range. Palutena's shield also has an [[unblockable]] hitbox when it is being raised. If the barrier blocks or reflects an attack that deals at least 50%, it will break. However, unlike other reflectors, it can be used immediately after breaking. The barrier stays out for almost an entire second (58 frames).
|ssc1name=[[Angelic Missile]]
|ssc1name=[[Angelic Missile]]
|ssc1dmg=13%
|ssc1dmg=13%
|ssc1desc=Shoots herself forward to attack with her head, similar to [[Skull Bash]] and [[Green Missile]]. Can aid her recovery significantly without leaving her helpless. It is also a decent (albeit somewhat easy to dodge) KO move offstage.
|ssc1desc=Shoots herself forward to perform a corkscrew [[Wikipedia:Professional wrestling attacks|battering ram]], similarly to [[Skull Bash]]. Due to it covering almost half of Battlefield and not rendering her helpless, it is a very useful horizontal recovery option, though it has a moderate amount of end lag in mid-air. In addition, its respectable damage output and high base knockback allow it to KO middleweights at 108% while near the edge of Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version. However, it can be avoided somewhat easily because of its noticeable start-up lag, and can even be interrupted by very weak attacks because of its low knockback scaling. Unlike Skull Bash and [[Green Missile]], it also propels Palutena at a set distance because of its inability to be [[charge]]d.
|ssc2name=[[Super Speed]]
|ssc2name=[[Super Speed]]
|ssc2dmg=2.6%
|ssc2dmg=0%-7%
|ssc2desc=Performs a charging attack where she glides along the ground very quickly and for a long distance. She can damage enemies by ramming into them. While in the air, the move will send her diagonally downwards. It is considered her best side special move due to its speed and ability to retain its momentum after canceling the attack, which it gives Palutena plethora of options from her mix-ups, recovery, potential pressure, and mobility. Can be cancelled with her jump, up smash, grab, dash attack, and other attacks. Its downside however, is that it has a small cooldown duration.  
|ssc2desc=Glides along the ground very quickly while emitting her halo in order to ram into the opponent. It covers the entirety of Battlefield when used on the ground, and propels her diagonally downward when used in the air. Damage varies based on acceleration and timing; starting the move next to someone will knock them aside dealing no damage. In addition to damaging opponents on contact, it can be canceled with her jump, grab, dash attack, sidestep, or pressing the special button again. It has a cooldown period that lasts for slightly more than 3 seconds (184 frames), and a small ring of light will appear around Palutena's torso to indicate when it can be used again. It is considered her best side special move, thanks to its sheer speed and ability to retain its momentum after canceling collectively granting Palutena a plethora of options for mix-ups, recovery, pressure and mobility.
|usdefname=Warp
|usdefname=Warp
|usdefdmg=0%
|usdefdmg=
|usdefdesc=Disappears and then reappears in a chosen direction, much like [[Teleport]]. Can be ledge-cancelled, allowing for defensive and movement options.
|usdefdesc=Disappears and then reappears in a chosen direction. It quickly covers both a respectable amount of height and a decent horizontal distance while rendering Palutena [[Teleport (disambiguation)|invisible]]. It can also be [[Ledge-canceling|edge-canceled]], which grants it defensive and re-positioning potentials. However, it renders Palutena [[helpless]] after she reappears unless it is edge-canceled. Functions similar to [[Mewtwo]]’s [[Teleport]].
|usc1name=[[Jump Glide]]
|usc1name=[[Jump Glide]]
|usc1dmg=0%
|usc1dmg=
|usc1desc=Jumps a fair distance up, then glides similarly to [[Peach Parasol]]. Good for keeping vertical follow-ups, and it has higher horizontal recovery distance than Warp, however, it cannot be ledge-cancelled and, if gimped, she cannot do anything until she hits the ground, which may lead to an inevitable KO.
|usc1desc=Jumps a fair distance and then glides afterward, similarly to [[Peach Parasol]], before entering a helpless state at the end of the glide. It can be canceled into any aerial move, which makes it great at maintaining vertical follow-ups, and covers more horizontal distance than Warp. However, it cannot be edge-canceled, and canceling it into her aerials will render her helpless, similarly to [[Winged Pikmin]]. In addition, if Palutena flinches during the move, she cannot do anything until she lands on the ground aside from moving, similarly to [[Wings of Icarus]]. The move jumps much lower on the ground.
|usc2name=[[Rocket Jump]]
|usc2name=[[Rocket Jump]]
|usc2dmg=12% (ground), 10% (air)
|usc2dmg=12% (grounded), 10% (aerial)
|usc2desc=Creates an explosion that boosts Palutena upwards and damages nearby enemies. The explosion strongly meteor smashes airborne enemies below her. However, it gives her the least vertical distance of all her up specials and little to no horizontal movement.
|usc2desc=Detonates an explosion at her feet to propel herself upward. Its grounded explosion is strong enough to KO middleweights at 108% while near the edge of Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version. Its aerial explosion deals slightly less damage and KOs grounded opponents noticeably later, but powerfully meteor smashes aerial opponents directly below Palutena. However, the explosion has fairly minimal horizontal range. It also covers less height than Warp or Jump Glide, and little horizontal distance.
|dsdefname=Counter
|dsdefname=Counter
|dspage=Counter (Palutena)
|dspage=Counter (Palutena)
|dsdefdmg=1.3x damage of countered attacks, 10% minimum
|dsdefdmg=1.3× (minimum 10%)
|dsdefdesc=After hiding behind her shield, she performs a counterattack with her staff, similar to that of many of the {{uv|Fire Emblem}} characters. It has surprisingly high damage, though despite what one of the in-game's tips says, it has the lowest range and lowest power of all counters, and it also has very long punishable endlag should it miss. It also has a sourspot that deals even less knockback. Will [[One-hit KO]] anyone if she managed to counter an attack that deals at least 50% damage.
|dsdefdesc=Parries with her shield and then [[counterattack]]s any incoming attacks by thrusting her staff forward. Its damage multiplier is tied with [[Vision]] and [[Slip Counter]]'s for the second highest in the game. It is also one of the few counterattacks that consists of a sweetspot and a sourspot: the former is located at the staff's head, whereas the latter is located at the staff's handle. Despite its appearance, it has impressive horizontal range, as it can counterattack large/disjointed hitboxes like {{SSB4|Shulk}}'s forward smash. However, it is unarguably the worst counterattack in the game for a number of reasons. Due to it coming out on frame 10, it is tied with [[Toad (move)|Toad]] for the highest amount of start-up lag out of every counterattack in the game, and is further burdened with the highest ending lag of any counterattack in the game. It is also the second weakest counterattack in the game in regard to knockback, and has both a very short counter window and [https://zippy.gfycat.com/SlipperyUnsungBedbug.webm poor vertical range].
|dsc1name=[[Lightweight]]
|dsc1name=[[Lightweight]]
|dsc1dmg=0%
|dsc1dmg=
|dsc1desc=Increases her speed and jumping height. While in this effect, it significantly improves her off stage game and allows her to have more follow ups and an access to her near guaranteed KO set ups from down throw. However in exchange for this effect, she will only take an increased damage (knockback remains the same), while under this effect. Before it wears off, she will have an reverse effect of this move for a very short time.  
|dsc1desc=Nearly doubles her [[walk]]ing speed, [[dash]]ing speed and [[jump]] height, but slows her [[falling speed]], lowers her [[gravity]], and increases the damage received (although knockback remains unchanged) for slightly more than 12.5 seconds (755 frames). Upon concluding, her jump height and gravity return to normal, while her grounded movement becomes much slower for nearly 5 seconds (299 frames). It is considered Palutena's best down special move, thanks to it significantly improving her off-stage presence, and granting both an immense increase in follow-up options and access to down throw-initiated KO set-ups that are guaranteed on the entire cast.
|dsc2name=[[Celestial Firework]]
|dsc2name=[[Celestial Firework]]
|dsc2dmg=3.2% (toss), 1.2% (blast)
|dsc2dmg=3.2% (toss), 1.2% (explosion, 4 hits)
|dsc2desc=Shoots an [[explosive]] firework upwards in front of her. It has invinciblity frames before firing the firework.
|dsc2desc=Shoots an [[explosive]] firework almost directly above herself. Its explosion is strong enough to KO middleweights at 145% from anywhere on Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version. In addition to its power and good vertical range, it grants invincibility before the firework is launched. However, it is has a fairly long duration and extremely minimal horizontal range, to the point that it will only hit grounded opponents if they are at point-blank range.
|fsname=Black Hole Laser
|fsname=Black Hole Laser
|fsdmg=2.4% (loop), 12% (last)
|fsdmg=— (Black Hole), 2.4% (Mega Laser hits 1-12), 12% (Mega Laser hit 13)
|fsdesc=Attracts foes towards the center of the stage with Black Hole, putting them in a [[tumbling]] state, then fires the Mega Laser into the Black Hole to deal damage, concluding with a final hit to knock the victims away as Black Hole dissipates.
|fsdesc=Illuminates her staff's orb and twirls around repeatedly before firing a Black Hole from her staff's orb, after which she quickly retreats off-stage in order to fire a Mega Laser into the Black Hole. The Black Hole does not deal damage, but [[pull]]s the opponent into itself and places them in a [[tumbling]] state. Conversely, the Mega Laser hits multiple times before concluding with a final blast that launches the opponent and dissipates the Black Hole. It is strong enough to KOs middleweights at 35% while near the edge of Final Destination in the ''3DS'' version.
}}
}}


===Taunts===
===Stats===
* '''Up Taunt:''' Makes a sweeping gesture with her arms while producing her ethereal wings and halo, saying "''You shall be purified!''" ({{ja|浄化してあげましょう|Jōka Shite Agemashou}}, ''You will be purified.'')
{{Attributes
* '''Side Taunt:''' Spins around her staff, dancing with her foot in the air, laughing.
|cast = 58
* '''Down Taunt:''' Lets go of her staff, which floats while she brushes her hair aside as her halo shines, saying "''Ready when you are.''" ({{ja|いつでもどうぞ?|Itsudemo Dōzo?}}, ''Feel free whenever.'')
|weight = 91
|rweight = 39-40
|dash = 1.5
|rdash = 25-41
|run = 1.888
|rrun = 13
|walk = 1.21
|rwalk = 14
|trac = 0.068
|rtrac = 6-9
|airfric = 0.01
|rairfric = 24-32
|air = 0.91
|rair = 49
|baseaccel = 0.01
|rbaseaccel = 10-54
|addaccel = 0.1
|raddaccel = 1-4
|gravity = 0.105
|rgravity = 15-16
|fall = 1.4
|rfall = 40-41
|ff = 2.24
|rff = 39-41
|jumpsquat = 5
|rjumpsquat = 14-41
|jumpheight = 35.900002
|rjumpheight = 15
|shorthop = 17.303881
|rshorthop = 17
|djump = 35.900002
|rdjump = 17
}}


===Idle Poses===
===[[Announcer]] call===
*Touches the ground with the tail of her staff and shield in front of her, briefly making her halo shine.
{{audio|Needs announcer calls from other languages.}}
*Looks away while crossing her staff and shield in front of her, briefly making her halo shine.
<gallery>
Palutena English Announcer SSB4-SSBU.wav|English/Japanese/Chinese
</gallery>


===On-screen appearance===
===[[On-screen appearance]]===
*Walks out of a heavenly golden door surrounded by a glowing light.
{{appearance
|desc=Walks out of a golden door that is decorated with her halo's design and emits a bright, shining light.
|char=Palutena
|game=SSB4}}


===Victory fanfare===
===[[Taunt]]s===
*A small excerpt of the title screen theme of ''{{s|icaruspedia|Kid Icarus}}'', with an original ending. This is shared with [[Pit (SSB4)|Pit]].
{{Taunt/SSB4
|char=Palutena
|desc-up=Raises her arms overhead and then brings them down while producing ethereal wings, emitting her halo, and saying "You shall be purified!" ({{ja|浄化してあげましょう|Jōka shite agemashou}}, ''You will be purified.'')
|desc-side=Laughs while using her staff to perform a twirling, inverted version of the Arabesque.
|desc-down=Lets go of her staff and telekinetically holds it next to herself, then brushes her hair aside while emitting her halo and saying "Ready when you are." ({{ja|いつでもどうぞ?|Itsudemo dōzo?}}, ''Feel free whenever.'') before grabbing her staff.}}


===[[Idle pose]]s===
{{Idle
|desc-1=Taps the ground with the tail of her staff and shield in front of herself, during which she briefly emits her halo.
|desc-2=Looks away while crossing her staff and shield in front of herself, during which she briefly emits her halo.
|image-1=PalutenaIdlePose1WiiU.jpg
|image-2=PalutenaIdlePose2WiiU.jpg}}


<gallery>
===[[Crowd cheer]]===
PitTheme.ogg|
{{Crowd
</gallery>
|char=Palutena
|game=SSB4
|desc-us=Pa-lu-te-na!
|desc-jp=Pa-lu-tena!
|pitch-us=Group chant
|pitch-jp=Group chant}}


===Victory Poses===
===[[Victory pose]]s===
<gallery>
{{incomplete|Japanese victory quotes with translations}}
File:PalutenaPose1WiiU.png
{{Victory/SSB4
File:PalutenaPose2WiiU.png
|victory-theme=PitTheme.ogg
File:PalutenaPose3WiiU.png
|victory-desc=An orchestral excerpt of ''Kid Icarus''{{'}} title screen theme.
</gallery>
|desc-1=Laughs while using her staff to briefly perform the Backwards Showgirl, a pole dancing move, before assuming a seated stance while floating. In the Japanese version, she says "{{ja|本気出してもいいんですよ?|Honki dashite mo īdesu yo?}}" which translates to "It's alright to fight seriously."
*Spins around her staff, then sits in midair laughing.
|desc-2=Twirls while floating, then flourishes her staff and emits her halo while saying "No one can hide from the light."
*Twirls around while hovering, saying "No one can hide from the light."
**''If {{SSB4|Pit}} is present in the match, there is a chance she will instead say "Oh, so sorry about that, Pit."''
**''If she beats Pit, there is a chance she will instead say "Oh, so sorry about that, Pit."''
|desc-3=Telekinetically twirls her staff and then points it in front of herself while saying "Too bad for you."
*Twirls her staff and points it in front of her, saying "Too bad for you."
**''If {{SSB4|Dark Pit}} is present in the match, there is a chance she will instead say "Poor little Pittoo."''
**''If she beats Dark Pit, there is a chance she will instead say "Poor little Pittoo."''
|char=Palutena}}


==In [[Competitive play|Competitive Play]]==
==In [[competitive play]]==
===[[Official Custom Moveset Project]]===
===[[Official Custom Moveset Project]]===
{{OfficialCustomMoves
{{OfficialCustomMoves
Line 230: Line 316:
}}
}}


===Notable players===
===Most historically significant players===
*{{Sm|AeroLink|USA}}
<!--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 -->
*{{Sm|Iceninja|Canada}}
 
*{{Sm|Nicko|USA}}
''See also: [[:Category:Palutena players (SSB4)]]''
*{{Sm|TLTC|USA}}
 
*{{Sm|El Pitikla|Spain}} - Co-mained Palutena alongside {{SSB4|Fox}}. He is best known for winning {{Trn|Tech Republic 2}}, using Palutena to defeat several players in top 8, including {{Sm|Greward}} twice in grand finals; although he also used Fox in several sets, this nevertheless marks the largest tournament won by a Palutena player. Additionally, he made top 8 at some of the most notable Spanish/European regionals, placing 5th at {{Trn|Tech Republic}} and 7th at {{Trn|BEAST 7}}.
*{{Sm|Iceninja|Canada}} - One of the best North American Palutena players in the game's early years, placing highly at several of Canada's largest events during this time, including 5th at both {{Trn|Canada Cup 2015}} and {{Trn|Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo}} and 7th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2015}}. Although overshadowed by other Palutena players since, she remains the best Palutena player in Canada, notably placing 25th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2017}}.
*{{Sm|MM|Australia}} - The best Palutena player in Australia, known for placing highly at many of Australia's earliest events, including 2nd at {{Trn|DI Another Day}}, 7th at {{Trn|Southern Cross Championship 2K15}}, and 9th at {{Trn|Battle Arena Melbourne 8}}, the latter being the largest Australian ''Smash 4'' tournament to date. He eventually began playing other characters, but continued to play Palutena from time to time.
*{{Sm|Prince Ramen|USA}} - The first noteworthy non-customs Palutena player in competitive play, best known for his win over {{Sm|ZeRo}} at {{Trn|CEO 2016}}, where he also placed 33rd. He saw several other noteworthy results in his region, including placing 7th at {{Trn|Tampa Never Sleeps 6}} and {{Trn|CEO 2016 Prologue}}, but rarely attended events outside of Florida and stopped competing at the end of 2016.
*{{Sm|TLTC|USA}} - The best Palutena player of all-time, known for frequently performing well at [[Southern California]] events. His best performances were placing 17th at both {{Trn|2GGT: Abadango Saga}} and {{Trn|2GGC: Greninja Saga}}, upsetting {{Sm|Ranai}} at the latter event, both of which marked the best major performances for a Palutena player. In addition, he also has a win over {{Sm|Kirihara}}, defeating him to place 33rd at {{Trn|EVO 2016}}.
 
===Tier placement and history===
<!-- Since Palutena was originally built around custom special movesets, an explanation about them is valid.-->
In the early metagame, Palutena was notable for her smash attacks' impressive range and her distinction as the only character in the game with both a [[Reflection|reflector]] and a [[counterattack]] in their default moveset. However, opinions on her eventually dropped dramatically after her weaknesses began to emerge when custom moves were not accounted for, largely because of her sluggish frame data, flawed special moves, and her lack of offensive options outside of her grab game. As such, she was seen as one of the worst characters in competitive play when custom special moves were disabled. On the other hand, many players were more positive towards Palutena when custom special moves were discussed, believing the character was high tier at worst with them. However, the universal ban of custom movesets after {{Trn|EVO 2015}} reversed all positive opinions on Palutena, and the lack of buffs, plus the changes to shield mechanics in subsequent updates, cemented her status as a non-viable character. As such, she was ranked 50th on the first [[tier list]] as a bottom tier character.
 
Palutena's perception and representation began improving at the start of 2016, which not only saw her receive buffs in update [[1.1.5]], but also saw strong in-region results from players such as {{Sm|Prince Ramen}} and {{Sm|TLTC}}. In addition, as the non-custom metagame continued to develop, players also noticed how most of Palutena's matchups against the top- and high-tier characters were not as unfavorable as considered before. This positive development continued throughout the rest of 2016, which saw Prince Ramen score a major upset over {{Sm|ZeRo}} and TLTC place well at many {{Trn|2GGT}} events. Thanks to her buffs and improved results, players no longer considered Palutena as one of the worst characters in the game, and as such, she rose to 40th on the second tier list, being reassessed as a low-tier.
 
Prince Ramen eventually retired from competitive play, leaving TLTC as the sole Palutena player who was consistently successful at majors. With Palutena's overall results remaining sparse, she began to drop in subsequent tier lists, ranking 42nd on the third one and 44th on the fourth and current one; however, tier restructuring reassessed Palutena as a mid-tier character in the fourth tier list. This reassessment remained up for debate, as many players argued that Palutena should have remained a low-tier character due to her noticeable weaknesses and stagnant playerbase. Nevertheless, opinions on Palutena remained better than they were in the early metagame.
 
==In Solo Modes==
===[[All-Star Mode]]===
In All-Star Mode, Palutena is fought in Stage 3 in the 3DS version or Stage 5 in the Wii U version alongside {{SSB4|Yoshi}}, {{SSB4|Captain Falcon}}, {{SSB4|Dr. Mario}}, {{SSB4|Marth}}, {{SSB4|Pit}}, {{SSB4|Mega Man}}, and {{SSB4|Ryu}}.
 
==={{GameIcon|SSB4-U}}[[Event Match]]es===
====Solo Events====
* '''[[New Challengers 2]]''': Palutena is one of the seven opponents fought in this event alongside {{SSB4|Greninja}}, {{SSB4|Robin}}, {{SSB4|Shulk}}, {{SSB4|Dark Pit}}, {{SSB4|Mega Man}}, and {{SSB4|Pac-Man}}.
* '''[[The Demon King and the Goddess]]''': As {{SSB4|Ganondorf}}, the player must initially defeat {{SSB4|Link}} and {{SSB4|Zelda}}. After the two are defeated or some time has passed, a giant Palutena appears must be defeated her as well.
* '''[[The Destroyer Cometh]]''': Palutena must defeat a giant Ganondorf and two other Ganondorfs before they destroy all of [[Skyworld]]'s [[terrain]].
====Co-op Events====
* '''[[The Ultimate Battle]]''': Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.
* '''[[Unlikely Allies]]''': Palutena and Ganondorf must defeat sixteen {{SSB4|Mr. Game & Watch}}es.
 
===[[Congratulations screen]]s===
<center>
====3DS====
<gallery>
SSB4-3DS Congratulations Classic Palutena.png|Classic Mode
SSB4-3DS Congratulations All-Star Palutena.png|All-Star Mode
</gallery>
====Wii U====
<gallery>
SSB4-Wii U Congratulations Classic Palutena.png|Classic Mode
SSB4-Wii U Congratulations All-Star Palutena.png|All-Star Mode
</gallery>
</center>
 
==[[Trophies]]==
Palutena's default trophy is obtained by clearing Classic Mode as Palutena. Her alternate trophy is obtained by clearing All-Star Mode as Palutena in the 3DS version or purchasing it in the Trophy Shop for 1000G in the Wii U version. The Black Hole Laser trophy is obtained only in the Wii U version by clearing All-Star Mode as Palutena.
{{Trophy/Fighter
|name=Palutena
|image-3ds=PalutenaTrophy3DS.png
|image-wiiu=PalutenaTrophyWiiU.png
|mode=Classic
|desc-ntsc=In Kid Icarus: Uprising, the goddess of light uses telepathy to communicate and grants miracles to support Pit on his adventure. In Smash Bros., she has special moves like Warp and Heavenly Light at her disposal. She's very adaptable—you can customize her into a long- or close-range fighter!
|desc-pal=Said to be able to perform miracles, this goddess supports Pit in battle, using telepathy to communicate with him. She's no slouch on her own, either. She has a huge variety of moves you can customise and use to your advantage. Short or long range, the sky's the limit! Or maybe not. After all, she can teleport.
|gamelist-ntsc={{Trophy games|console1=NES|game1=Kid Icarus|release1=08/1987|console2=3DS|game2=Kid Icarus: Uprising|release2=03/2012}}
|gamelist-pal={{Trophy games|console1=NES|game1=Kid Icarus|release1=02/1987|console2=3DS|game2=Kid Icarus: Uprising|release2=03/2012}}
}}
{{clrl}}
 
{{Trophy/Fighter
|name=Palutena (Alt.)
|image-3ds=PalutenaAltTrophy3DS.png
|image-wiiu=PalutenaAltTrophyWiiU.png
|mode=Alt
|desc-3ds-ntsc=Palutena's Reflect Barrier side special deflects any attacks and projectiles that come at her from the front. Unlike other reflective moves, you can leave this barrier in place and it will keep reflecting. If you really want to ruin someone's day, you can push them over an edge using this move.
|desc-wiiu-ntsc=Palutena's Reflect Barrier side special deflects any attacks and projectiles that come at her from the front. Unlike others' reflective moves, she can move a bit while this barrier is active. If you really want to ruin someone's day, you can push him or her over an edge using this move.
|desc-pal=Palutena's Reflect Barrier special deflects any attacks and projectiles that come at her from the front. Unlike other fighters' reflective moves, you can deploy this barrier and then leave it to its own devices. You can also push opponents with it, so use it on someone who's teetering on the edge of the stage to push them off.
|gamelist-ntsc={{Trophy games|console1=NES|game1=Kid Icarus|release1=08/1987|console2=3DS|game2=Kid Icarus: Uprising|release2=03/2012}}
|gamelist-pal={{Trophy games|console1=NES|game1=Kid Icarus|release1=02/1987|console2=3DS|game2=Kid Icarus: Uprising|release2=03/2012}}
}}
{{clrl}}


==Reveal trailer==
{{Trophy/Fighter
<youtube>xqTW13AYniY</youtube>
|name=Black Hole Laser
|image=BlackHoleLaserTrophyWiiU.png
|desc-ntsc=Palutena's Final Smash. After doing a divine twirl, she creates a black hole in front of her, drawing in her opponents. When she's got 'em where she wants 'em, she follows up with a wide laser beam that reaches from one edge of the screen to the other. It even changes direction slightly, just in case someone managed to avoid the black hole.
|desc-pal=Palutena's Final Smash. After doing a divine twirl, she creates a black hole in front of her, drawing in her opponents. When she's got 'em where she wants 'em, the next step is a wide laser beam that reaches from one edge of the screen to the other. It even changes direction slightly, for that extra chance of taking out her foes.
|game=ssb4-wiiu
}}
{{clrl}}


==[[Alternate costume (SSB4)#Palutena|Alternate costumes]]==
==[[Alternate costume (SSB4)#Palutena|Alternate costumes]]==
Line 254: Line 413:
|}
|}


==Trophies==
==[[List of Super Smash Bros. 4 character trailers#Palutena|Reveal trailer]]==
 
{{#widget:YouTube|id=xqTW13AYniY}}
:'''Palutena'''
::{{flag|ntsc}} ''In Kid Icarus: Uprising, the goddess of light uses telepathy to communicate and grants miracles to support Pit on his adventure. In Smash Bros., she has special moves like Warp and Heavenly Light at her disposal. She's very adaptable—you can customize her into a long- or close-range fighter!''
 
::{{flag|pal}} ''Said to be able to perform miracles, this goddess supports Pit in battle, using telepathy to communicate with him. She's no slouch on her own, either. She has a huge variety of moves you can customise and use to your advantage. Short or long range, the sky's the limit! Or maybe not. After all, she can teleport.''
 
{{Trophy games|console1=NES|game1=Kid Icarus (08/1987)|console2=3DS|game2=Kid Icarus: Uprising (03/2012)}}
 
:'''Palutena (Alt.)'''
::{{flag|ntsc}} ''Palutena's Reflect Barrier side special deflects any attacks and projectiles that come at her from the front. Unlike other reflective moves, you can leave this barrier in place and it will keep reflecting. If you really want to ruin someone's day, you can push them over an edge using this move.''
 
::{{flag|pal}} ''Palutena's Reflect Barrier special deflects any attacks and projectiles that come at her from the front. Unlike other fighters' reflective moves, you can deploy this barrier and then leave it to its own devices. You can also push opponents with it, so use it on someone who's teetering on the edge of the stage to push them off.''
 
{{Trophy games|console1=NES|game1=Kid Icarus (08/1987)|console2=3DS|game2=Kid Icarus: Uprising (03/2012)}}
 
:'''Black Hole Laser'''
::{{flag|ntsc}} ''Palutena's Final Smash. After doing a divine twirl, she creates a black hole in front of her, drawing in her opponents. When she's got 'em where she wants 'em, she follows up with a wide laser beam that reaches from one edge of the screen to the other. It even changes direction slightly, just in case someone managed to avoid the black hole.''
 
::{{flag|pal}} ''Palutena's Final Smash. After doing a divine twirl, she creates a black hole in front of her, drawing in her opponents. When she's got 'em where she wants 'em, the next step is a wide laser beam that reaches from one edge of the screen to the other. It even changes direction slightly, for that extra chance of taking out her foes.''
 
<center>
<gallery>
File:PalutenaTrophy3DS.png|Classic (3DS)
File:PalutenaAllStarTrophy3DS.png|Alt. (3DS)
PalutenaTrophyWiiU.png|Classic (Wii U)
PalutenaAltTrophyWiiU.png|Alt. (Wii U)
BlackHoleLaserTrophyWiiU.png|[[Black Hole Laser]]
</gallery>
</center>
 
==In [[Event Match]]es==
===Solo Events===
* '''[[New Challengers 2]]''': Palutena is one of the seven opponents fought in this event alongside {{SSB4|Greninja}}, {{SSB4|Robin}}, {{SSB4|Shulk}}, {{SSB4|Dark Pit}}, {{SSB4|Mega Man}}, and {{SSB4|Pac-Man}}.
* '''[[The Demon King and the Goddess]]''': {{SSB4|Ganondorf}} must defeat a giant Palutena, who arrives after defeating {{SSB4|Link}} and {{SSB4|Zelda}}.
* '''[[The Destroyer Cometh]]''': Palutena must defeat a giant {{SSB4|Ganondorf}} and 2 other Ganondorfs before they destroy all the terrain on [[Skyworld]].
 
===Co-op Events===
* '''[[The Ultimate Battle]]''': Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.
* '''[[Unlikely Allies]]''': Palutena and {{SSB4|Ganondorf}} must defeat 16 {{SSB4|Mr. Game & Watch}}es.


==Gallery==
==Gallery==
<gallery>
<gallery>
Palutena Poster.jpg|Artwork of Palutena used on the website.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Palutena.png|Palutena's splash art.
SSB4 Newcomer Introduction Palutena.png|Palutena's splash art.
PotD_Palutena_comment.jpg|Reveal image from [[List of Director's Room Miiverse posts|the Director's Room]].
Palutena amiibo.png|Palutena's [[amiibo]].
Palutena amiibo.png|Palutena's [[amiibo]].
SSB4 Palutena Screen-1.jpg|In {{forwiiu}}.
Palutena Poster.jpg|Artwork of Palutena used on the website. In addition to featuring her, {{SSB4|Pit}} and {{SSB4|Link}}, {{SSB4|Dark Pit}} is visible in the background.
SSB4 Palutena Screen-2.jpg|Using Explosive Flame.
PotD Palutena comment.jpg|The Pic of the Day revealing Palutena's inclusion.
SSB4 Palutena Screen-3.jpg|With [[Phosphora]], who appears as an Assist Trophy.
SSB4 Palutena Screen-1.jpg|Palutena, as she appears in {{forwiiu}}.
SSB4 Palutena Screen-2.jpg|Using [[Explosive Flame]].
SSB4 Palutena Screen-3.jpg|Alongside [[Phosphora]].
SSB4 Palutena Screen-4.jpg|On [[Mario Galaxy]].
SSB4 Palutena Screen-4.jpg|On [[Mario Galaxy]].
SSB4 Palutena Screen-5.jpg|Fighting {{SSB4|Marth}}.
SSB4 Palutena Screen-5.jpg|Alongside {{SSB4|Marth}}.
SSB4 Palutena Screen-6.jpg|Taunting.
SSB4 Palutena Screen-6.jpg|Using her down taunt.
SSB4 Palutena Screen-7.jpg|With {{SSB4|Kirby}}, who [[Inhale (Kirby)|copied]] Palutena's ability.
SSB4 Palutena Screen-7.jpg|Alongside {{SSB4|Kirby}}, who [[Inhale (Kirby)|copied]] her.
SSB4 Palutena Screen-8.jpg|In {{SSB4|Battlefield}}.
SSB4 Palutena Screen-8.jpg|On {{SSB4|Battlefield}}.
SSB4 Palutena Screen-9.jpg|With {{SSB4|Mario}} in [[Arena Ferox]].
SSB4 Palutena Screen-9.jpg|Alongside {{SSB4|Mario}} on [[Arena Ferox]].
SSB4 Palutena Screen-10.jpg|In {{for3ds}}.
SSB4 Palutena Screen-10.jpg|Palutena, as she appears in {{for3ds}}.
SSB4 - Palutena Final Smash.png|Palutena's Final Smash, Black Hole Laser.
SSB4 - Palutena Final Smash.png|Using [[Black Hole Laser]], her [[Final Smash]].
SSB3DS Home Run Contest.jpg|Palutena taking part in the [[Home-Run Contest]] in the 3DS version of ''SSB4''.
SSB3DS Home Run Contest.jpg|Palutena taking part in the [[Home-Run Contest]] in {{for3ds}}.
SSB4 - Palutena Heavenly Light.jpg|One of Palutena's special moves, Heavenly Light.
SSB4 - Palutena Heavenly Light.jpg|Using [[Heavenly Light]].
SSB4 - Palutena Up Smash.jpg|Palutena's up smash attack.
SSB4 - Palutena Up Smash.jpg|Using her up smash.
</gallery>
</gallery>


==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*The anime portions of Palutena's reveal trailer were created by [[wikipedia:Shaft (company)|Studio Shaft]], who also worked on the ''Kid Icarus: Uprising'' animated short ''{{s|icaruspedia|Palutena's Revolting Dinner}}''. One member of Studio Shaft, Hideyuki Morioka, also drew [[:File:Palutena Poster.jpg|the illustration found on Palutena's page in the official ''Smash Bros.'' site]]; Morioka was credited as "Animation Character Designer" in said animated short.
*Palutena's artwork highly resembles her [[:File:Palutena Uprising.png|''Kid Icarus: Uprising'' artwork]].
*Palutena and the Mii Fighters are the only characters that have their customizable special moves unlocked from the start.
*Palutena's [[special move]]s have a few distinct traits associated with them:
*[http://orangerob.tumblr.com/post/100877071708/kirby-saying-the-english-versions-of-copy-moves Unused sound files] exist for {{SSB4|Kirby}} using all three of Palutena's neutral special moves, suggesting either that it was not until late in development that it was decided which would be the default, or that Kirby was originally able to copy any one of her neutral special moves.
**Her special moves, [[Character customization|custom special moves]] and [[Final Smash]] are based on some of the {{s|icaruspedia|Powers}} she can grant to [[Pit]] and {{s|icaruspedia|fighter}}s in ''{{s|icaruspedia|Kid Icarus: Uprising}}''.
*Palutena is the only character who can use both a [[Reflect Barrier|reflector]] and a [[Counter (Palutena)|counterattack]] without customs.
**She occasionally calls out the names of all but one of her special moves upon using them. The only exception is [[Reflect Barrier]], with which she simply says "Reflect!" instead of its full name.
*Palutena is the only character who was part of a Final Smash the previous game and a fighter the next game.
***Incidentally, she also does this when using her forward and down smash attacks. In their cases, Palutena will occasionally say "Goddess Wings" ({{ja|ゴッド ウイング|Goddo Uingu}}, "God Wing").
*Excluding {{SSBB|Snake}} with his [[up smash]] in ''Brawl'', Palutena has the highest vertical-ranged, non-projectile up smash with her pillar of light.
**She is the only character in the game, whose default moveset has both a [[Reflect Barrier|reflector]] and a [[Counter (Palutena)|counterattack]] as well as the first to do so in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series.
*Most character's landing animations have them simply land on their two feet. However, Palutena always twirls herself upon landing.
**She and the {{SSB4|Mii Fighter}}s are the only characters whose custom special moves are immediately available instead of being unlockable.
*Palutena is the only character (along with a [[Mii Gunner]] wearing the Proto Man Costume) in ''Smash 4'' with a visible shield that does not protect her while idle: {{SSB4|Link}} and {{SSB4|Toon Link}} have versions of the [[Shield_(Link)|Hylian Shield]] which are able to block projectiles while standing and walking, while Palutena's shield does not have this property. Her shield does give her dash attack and back aerial invincibility frames, however, meaning her shield isn't entirely aesthetic.
***They are also the only characters whose custom moves are completely different from one another, rather than being the same moves with different properties.
*Palutena's newcomer artwork is the only one to not depict any ''{{uv|Mario}}'' characters, as well as the one with the fewest number of characters at four (herself, {{SSB4|Pit}}, {{SSB4|Link}} and {{SSB4|Dark Pit}}).
**{{SSB4|Kirby}} has [http://orangerob.tumblr.com/post/100877071708/kirby-saying-the-english-versions-of-copy-moves unused sound files] that consist of him vocalizing all three of her neutral special moves. This suggests that either it was not until late in development that it was decided which would be Palutena's default neutral special move, or that Kirby was originally able to [[Inhale (Kirby)|copy]] any one of her neutral special moves.
*Due to concerns raised by {{s|wikipedia|CERO}}, Palutena’s undergarments were updated to be less revealing in the Japanese update 1.0.6.
*Palutena is one of the few characters who can occasionally say something upon being KO'd instead of typically grunting or yelling in pain. In her case, she says "Oh no!"
*Palutena is the first character to be part of a [[Final Smash]] in a previous installment of ''Super Smash Bros.'', and a playable character in a subsequent installment, the second would be [[Chrom]].
*Unlike most characters, Palutena twirls upon hard landing, instead of simply landing on her feet.
*Palutena is the first character since {{SSB|Link}} in ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'' to wield a shield at all times that does not protect her while idle.
**This trait is also applicable to {{SSB4|Mii Gunner}} and {{SSB4|Mii Swordfighter}}, but only while they are wearing the [[Proto Man]], [[Monster Hunter|Hunter, Rathalos]] and [[Gil]] costumes. Unlike the Miis wearing those costumes, however, Palutena's shield is not entirely aesthetic, thanks to it granting her partial [[invincibility]] during her dash attack and back aerial.
*Palutena's [[Results screen|defeated]]/[[Results screen#No Contest screen|No Contest]] animation depicts her wearing a brown sleeve on her left arm, a feature that is normally not present in her in-game model, instead of her left {{s|wikipedia|vambrace}}.
*{{for3ds}} marks the first ever game that Palutena is playable.
*Oddly, Palutena's internal files of voice clips for her smash attack uses the same three-number codes (e.g. "003" in case of "Goddess wings!" voice clip) used for special moves, Final Smashes, and [[on-screen appearance]]s of veteran characters as well as {{SSB4|Rosalina & Luma}}'s [[Launch Star]], instead of using the "attack" descriptor that smash attacks usually share with neutral attack, tilt attacks, dash attack, aerial attacks, and floor attacks.
*Palutena's idle animation while holding a small item has a visual bug where her shield appears to be detached from her arm.
**This visual bug was also present in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' until it was patched out in [[Palutena (SSBU)#Update history|version 7.0.0]]


==References==
==References==
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{{SSB4Characters}}
{{SSB4Characters}}
{{Kid Icarus universe}}
{{Kid Icarus universe}}
[[Category:Palutena (SSB4)]]
[[Category:Palutena (SSB4)| ]]
[[Category:Trophies (SSB4-3DS)]]
[[Category:Trophies (SSB4-3DS)]]
[[Category:Trophies (SSB4-Wii U)]]
[[es:Palutena (SSB4)]]

Latest revision as of 20:02, November 12, 2024

This article is about Palutena's appearance in Super Smash Bros. 4. For the character in other contexts, see Palutena.
Palutena
in Super Smash Bros. 4
Palutena SSB4.png
KidIcarusSymbol.svg
Universe Kid Icarus
Other playable appearance in Ultimate


Availability Starter
Final Smash Black Hole Laser
Tier E (44)
Palutena (SSB4)
Palutena Alights!
—Introduction Tagline

Palutena (パルテナ, Palutena) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. She was revealed on June 10th, 2014 during Nintendo's E3 Digital Event.[1]

Due to Ali Hillis being unavailable to reprise her role from Kid Icarus: Uprising, Palutena is instead voiced by Brandy Kopp in the English version.[2] However, the Japanese version features Aya Hisakawa reprising her role from Kid Icarus: Uprising.

Palutena is ranked 44th out of 54 on the tier list, placing her at the bottom the E tier. Palutena has good overall mobility, which is especially noticeable on the ground, thanks to her fast walking and dashing speeds and high traction. She also boasts a potent air game, thanks to her aerial attacks' utility: neutral aerial is useful for pressuring and damage racking; forward aerial is very useful for starting combos when SHFF'd and for spacing; back aerial grants partial invincibility and its clean hitbox KOs reliably; up aerial hits multiple times and its last hit KOs rather early; and down aerial is a fairly quick meteor smash.

Palutena's ground game also has some utility. Her grab game, in particular, is very effective: her overall grab range is long-ranged; her pummel deals impressive damage and has average speed; and her down throw is an excellent combo starter at low to high percentages. Outside of this, Palutena's neutral attack is very reliable for damage racking and jab canceling, while her smash attacks possess impressive ranges and considerable power.

However, Palutena's weaknesses are quite glaring. She has very sluggish frame data in relation to her power and weight, which is especially noticeable in regard to her grounded moves. As a result, her neutral game is predictable, and her grounded approach is abysmal. Palutena's KO potential is also inconsistent, since her smash attacks' ranges and power are offset by their awkward hitbox placements and extremely high amounts of overall lag.

Palutena's special moves also have poor synergy with the rest of her moveset and, in some cases, minimal utility. In addition, Palutena's tall height, below-average weight and high gravity collectively make her susceptible to combos, juggles and early KOs. Although her custom moves significantly remedy the problems involving her approach and bolster her mobility, damage racking potential and combo game, the ban on custom movesets prevents Palutena from taking advantage of them in tournaments.

As a result of these factors, Palutena has a very small playerbase, which has been reflected in representation and top-level results being very sparse. Nevertheless, her playerbase has managed to achieve decent amounts of national and regional-level success thanks to the likes of TLTC, Iceninja and El Pitikla and Prince Ramen.

Attributes[edit]

Palutena possesses a unique blend of archetypes: she has a tall frame, yet is tied with Duck Hunt as the third lightest middleweight. Palutena also boasts fast walking and dashing speeds; the seventh highest traction; a high jump and double jump; and is tied with Rosalina, Peach and Mega Man for the fastest air acceleration in the game. On the other hand, she has below-average falling speed, slow air speed and high gravity.

These attributes grant Palutena quick grounded movement, make her very capable at ground-to-air transitions, and allow her to quickly change direction in midair. However, they also make her susceptible to heavy pressure, and she can sometimes have difficulty at resetting the neutral game against some characters. Palutena's reliance on shielding at close range can also result in her shield being whittled down often. This is further compounded by her poor out of shield options in spite of her high traction. Therefore, Palutena's attributes make her unreliable at air-to-ground transitions, and render her susceptible to juggling, combos and being KO'd early from strong vertical attacks.

Palutena's air game is impressive, thanks to her aerial moves' utility, minimal start-up lag and, aside from her neutral and up aerials, low landing lag. Neutral aerial has a large hitbox that uses the auto-link angle, which makes it a useful damage racking option. When coupled with its fairly long duration, it is also capable of pressuring the opponent while they are on a platform, or from out of their air dodge. Its last hit's extremely high knockback scaling also makes it decent for edge-guarding, and even capable of setting up combos at low percentages. Forward aerial has the longest horizontal range of Palutena's aerial moves, the lowest amount of landing lag, and the ability to auto-cancel when SHFF'd. Altogether, these traits make it very useful for spacing and allow it to reliably start combos at low to medium percentages, with follow-ups including neutral attack, standing/dash grab, her tilts or her other aerials.

In comparison, back aerial grants partial invincibility around Palutena's body throughout its duration, while its shield hitbox is strong enough to reliably KO either on-stage or via edge-guarding. Up aerial has good vertical range, hits multiple times, and uses the auto-link angle, which make it ideal for juggling. Most notably, its final hit's extremely high knockback growth also makes it arguably her most viable KOing option. However, some of her aerial moves have rather high ending lag in proportion to their power, durations and ranges, which means that they must be spaced accordingly. Lastly, down aerial will always meteor smash aerial opponents thanks to its consistent hitbox, although it can also be used as to punish opponents from out of shield when it is SHFF'd.

Palutena's grounded moveset also has some interesting options. This is most notable with her grab game: Palutena's standing grab is the fourth longest ranged in the game despite not being a tether grab, whereas her pivot grab also has impressive range. Her pummel's average speed and high damage output make it one of the best pummels in the game. Like Luigi, Palutena's down throw is the most essential aspect of her offense: its high base knockback, very low knockback scaling, and diagonal launching angle collectively grant it impressive combo potential into her neutral, up, forward, and back aerials, although latter requires the usage of a reverse aerial rush. By extension, its up aerial combo boasts KO potential on almost the entirety of the cast at high percentages, while its back aerial combo also has decent KO potential.

Outside of this, down throw can even combo into down aerial and up smash if the player correctly predicts the foe’s action. Forward and back throws are useful for launching the opponent off-stage to set up an edge-guard, although back throw also has KO potential at very high percentages. Up throw has the least amount of utility, although it can be used to pressure the opponent with aerial attacks at low percentages.

Neutral attack is a very reliable damage racking option and has excellent jab cancel potential, thanks to its very quick interruptibility. Like Little Mac, Palutena's tilt attacks boast anti-rebounding priority, while up and down tilts also possess distinct strengths. Up tilt has the lowest amount of start-up lag out of her tilts; a very long duration; lowers her hurtbox even more than her crouch does; is a useful anti-air attack thanks to its deceptive vertical range; and is a situational KOing option thanks to its very strong final hit. In comparison, down tilt's very low ending lag makes it a good spacing option at long range, while its fairly long duration allows it to punish sidesteps rather easily. Dash attack is fast thanks to it hitting on frame 6 and, like her back aerial, it grants partial invincibility. Lastly, forward and especially up smashes possess excellent ranges and high power, the latter of which is among the strongest when sweetspotted.

Despite these advantages, Palutena's weaknesses are very noticeable. Her most glaring flaw is her awful frame data in relation to her power and weight class, which is overall the laggiest in the entire game. When coupled with below-average damage output on most of her attacks, Palutena's offense has major issues that are distinct from her fellow middleweights. This is most apparent with her grounded moveset, which is unfitting for a character with great grounded mobility. Aside from down tilt, Palutena's other grounded moves have disproportionately high ending lag. Neutral infinite's finisher has 21 frames of ending lag; dash attack, forward tilt and up tilt have more than 25 frames of ending lag; her smash attacks have more than 40 frames of ending lag; and her special moveset is fairly sluggish in regard to overall lag. These traits result in Palutena's missed attacks being very susceptible to punishment, even if the opponent is a fair distance away from her, and results in her having an almost nonexistent grounded approach by extension.

In addition to considerable ending lag, Palutena's grounded KOing options are risky in other ways: her smash attacks have considerable start-up lag, whereas up tilt and clean dash attack are situational at best. As such, accuracy is crucial when using Palutena's grounded moves, and can often make a player instead rely solely on her safest grounded moves to set-up KO opportunities via edge-guarding or her down throw-initiated KO combos.

Palutena's abysmal frame data also extends beyond her moveset. Despite her item throws being fast, most of them have very high ending lag, which limits most follow-ups she might have if she is able to steal an item from an opponent. Palutena's safe edge grab is offset by all of her other options being very unsafe: her edge attack is slow and short-ranged; her edge roll grants minimal intangibility frames; and her normal get-up and edge jump are the slowest in the game. As a result, Palutena's edge recovery is problematic weakness unique to her, since her aerial attacks are unsafe on hit should she drop from an edge and then jump while attacking. The only remotely safe option she has is using Warp and aiming for the middle of the stage, although its lack of invulnerability can render her prone to being punished afterward. Despite her larger number of edge options compared to other characters, these flaws make Palutena quite easy to predict when she attempts to recover.

Although Palutena's air game is potent, it nevertheless has a few flaws. Down aerial, in particular, is her worst aerial: it lasts for only 1 frame, is short-ranged, and has very high ending/landing lag. Forward aerial also has a very short duration and high ending lag, whereas up aerial has minimal horizontal range, fairly high landing lag, and can only be interrupted before it can auto-cancel. By extension, down throw's KO set-ups can potentially fail if she is affected by rage and/or the opponent uses proper directional influence.

Palutena's default special moves are also infamously unimpressive because of their limited utility, poor synergy with her regular moves, and their aforementioned sluggishness. Warp is considered to be Palutena's best default special move: it is a quick and rather safe recovery move that improves her neutral game, allows for swift re-positioning, and can easily be edge-canceled. However, it lacks hitboxes and does not grant invincibility or intangibility, which can leave her open to attacks before and just after she uses it. Autoreticle can deter or force an approach; be used for mindgames when B-reversed; and is reliable for locking. However, its projectiles move only toward the fixed reticle and have a slow start-up, with the first projectile coming out on frame 29.

Reflect Barrier has an unblockable hitbox, a weak push effect, a long duration, and can be reused immediately after breaking. However, it is still the weakest reflector of its kind, neither covers her entirely or accompanies her in midair, and has noticeable start-up lag for a reflector. Lastly, Counter has a high damage multiplier, but is the least effective counterattack in the game because of its overall low knockback, overall high lag, very short counter window, and dubious distinction of being one of the very few counterattacks to have a sourspot.

Her custom moves’ utility are rivaled only by the Mii Fighters' in regard to versatility, and they benefit her tremendously in comparison to the majority of her default special moves. Super Speed has immense utility: it allows Palutena to move faster than even an uncharged Spin Charge, it can either be jump-canceled into any aerial move and an up smash, or perform a ramming attack, the latter of which can also lead into the aforementioned attacks, but only as long as it is not telegraphed or interrupted with a disjointed hitbox. The move can also be used for huge horizontal recovery if jump-cancelled. As a trade-off, Super Speed has a cooldown mechanic like Monado Arts, with its cooldown duration lasting approximately 3 seconds.

Lightweight amplifies her movement speed and jump height to the point that she dashes faster than Sonic and jumps higher than Falco. This drastically improves Palutena's mobility and by extension her recovery, yet also makes her off-stage presence and already good combo game become among the best in the game; the latter of which is particularly notable, as it includes a guaranteed combo into her up or down aerials that both KO reliably after 80%. As a trade-off, it lasts for approximately 12.5 seconds, doubles the damage (but not knockback) she receives, and halves her default speed for approximately 5 seconds upon expiring while her damage vulnerability and jump height return to their original values. Regardless of their weaknesses, Super Speed and Lightweight are unarguably Palutena's most effective custom moves, as they improve her KO potential and grant her various mix-ups, set-ups, mindgames, combos and edge-guards that her default moveset otherwise does not possess.

Palutena's other custom moves also have noticeable advantages, but some of them are held back by their easily exploitable weaknesses. Explosive Flame is a pinpoint explosion that is just as slow as Autoreticle, although its limited range makes it even more difficult to land than Autoreticle, as well as being easily punishable if the opponent is in the middle of her and the explosion. Heavenly Light has very minimal use in singles play because of its inability to KO or even flinch. However, these traits also make it invaluable in Team Attack-based doubles play as a method to supplement Ness, Lucas, Mr. Game & Watch and Mii Gunner's absorption-based moves, as well as capable of potentially stealing KOs, similarly to Fox's Blaster. Angelic Missile is a good recovery move and a potent edge-guarding option thanks to its respectable damage output and high base knockback, but it is easy to intercept because of its noticeable start-up lag, low knockback scaling and linear path.

Jump Glide covers an extreme amount of horizontal distance; grants Palutena a safe approaches with her aerial moveset; and can help her extend combos out of Super Speed or Lightweight. However, it has the same fatal flaw as Wings of Icarus: if for any reason Palutena flinches during the move, she cannot use Jump Glide again if she does not land on solid ground, which may lead to an inevitable KO. Rocket Jump has a meteor smash hitbox below Palutena in midair, as well as a strong hitbox that notably improves her out of shield game. However, it is inferior to both Warp and Jump Glide in every other way. Lastly, Celestial Firework grants intangibility during start-up; has impressive knockback; and can easily hit aerial opponents. Although it can potentially hit grounded opponents, this is difficult to do unless they are at point-blank range or enduring heavy lag.

Overall, Palutena is a frail, yet defensive character who has a surprisingly high learning curve in spite of her default moveset being rudimentary. Her optimal playstyle is similar to Ike's: her grab game and punishment options are potent, yet she must rely on spacing and shielding to circumvent her moveset's sluggishness and lack of reliable approach options. Although Palutena's default moveset ultimately renders her as a "high-risk, medium-reward" character, she can be fairly threatening when mastered. As such, Palutena is most rewarding for players with good fundamentals, as a single opening can allow her to quickly rack up damage with her most reliable moves, use her mobility and spacing options to evade and maintain a strong defense, or even KO early with her down throw-initiated KO combos.

Due to her flaws and learning curve, Palutena initially received a poor reception within the Western scene. However, thanks to buffs from game updates, the expansion of her metagame, and notable tournament results from the likes of TLTC, Iceninja and Prince Ramen, the competitive community's reception toward Palutena has improved over time, even in spite of her continually sparse representation.

Update history[edit]

Palutena has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in game updates. The changes to game mechanics have worsened her defensive game, though she was also overall buffed directly, as most of her moves were changed, each in a different way, with the majority of them noticeably improving her previously mediocre offensive game.

Update 1.0.4 made up and down tilts faster, to the point that the latter is now one of her safest grounded attacks. However, it also fixed a useful glitch on Counter that effectively removed its mindgame potential, and shortened her pivot grab's range. Update 1.0.6 removed another beneficial glitch on Super Speed, where the momentum would be maintained after jump-canceled attacks. Update 1.0.8 further improved up tilt by increasing its damage output and improving its hitbox placements. Update 1.1.0 brought a mix of buffs and nerfs: it increased down tilt and neutral aerial's hitbox sizes, increased forward aerial's damage output, and decreased her grabs' ending lag, yet effectively significantly hindered forward tilt's damage racking potential by removing its re-hit rate.

However, update 1.1.1 brought an indirect, yet immense nerf: the changes to shield mechanics worsened Palutena's already poor out of shield potential even further, as they neutralized the crux of her defense and make it more difficult for her to shield and punish her opponent. While these changes also make spacing Palutena's aerial moves more of an option for her, it is also important to note that the disproportionate amount of ending lag compared to her damage output results in her remaining one of the easiest characters to punish out of shield. The same update also buffed Explosive Flame's damage output and hitbox sizes, but largely counterbalanced these buffs by making its last hit blockable. Another glitch was also removed, in which she could instantly renew Lightweight on platforms.

Lastly, update 1.1.5 brought some other useful buffs by increasing the damage outputs of her neutral attack, neutral aerial and forward aerial, which improved her damage racking potential and combo game. Ultimately, Palutena's abundant buffs are arguably counterbalanced by the few nerfs she received. As a result, her position relative to the cast is debatable, mostly because of other characters also receiving very useful buffs from game updates, such as Samus, Charizard, Lucina, and Mewtwo.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS 1.0.4

  • Buff Forward, back and up item tosses' ending lag decreased: frame 30 → 28 (grounded)/24 (aerial).
  • Buff Up tilt's ending lag decreased: frame 75 → 68.
  • Buff Down tilt's ending lag decreased: frame 45 → 42.
  • Buff Up smash's hitboxes last longer: frame 18-22 → 18-26
  • Nerf Pivot grab's range was slightly decreased (Z2 offset: 19.4 → 17.4).
  • Bug fix Fixed a glitch where using Counter at certain parts of a walk or run animation would propel Palutena forward a short distance.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS 1.0.5

  • Change Up aerial's visual effects improved.

Super Smash Bros. 4 1.0.6

  • Change Due to concerns raised by CERO, Palutena's skirt and underwear were lengthened and slightly darkened in the Japanese version.[3]
  • Bug fix Fixed a glitch where Super Speed's momentum could be maintained after jump-canceled attacks.

Super Smash Bros. 4 1.0.8

  • Buff Up tilt's loop hits deal 0.2% more damage: 1% → 1.2%.
  • Buff Up tilt's hitbox placements adjusted: bone 1000 → 0. This re-positions its hitboxes around Palutena instead of her staff, which make its hits connect together better.

Super Smash Bros. 4 1.1.0

  • Buff Forward tilt's hitbox sizes increased: 3.8u/2.5u → 4.1u/2.8u; its first hit's angle altered: 361° → 48° and knockback scaling decreased: 100 → 65; and its second hit's angle altered: 48° → 361° and knockback scaling increased: 65 → 100. Altogether, these changes make its hits connect together better at low percentages, and improve its spacing potential.
  • Nerf Forward tilt's re-hit rate removed: 10 → 0, significantly hindering its damage racking potential.
  • Buff Down tilt's hitbox sizes increased: 2.4u/1.9u → 2.7u/2.1u.
  • Buff Down tilt's ending lag decreased.
  • Buff Neutral aerial's hitbox sizes increased: 3u → 3.4u.
  • Buff Forward aerial deals 1% more damage: 7% → 8%.
  • Buff All grabs' ending lag decreased: frame 34 → 32 (standing), frame 42 → 40 (dash/pivot).

Super Smash Bros. 4 1.1.1

  • Buff Explosive Flame deals 0.2% more damage: 0.6% (loop)/4% (last) → 0.8%
  • Buff Explosive Flame's hitbox sizes increased: 3.7u (loop)/4.8u (last) → 14u/15.5u.
  • Nerf Explosive Flame's last hit is no longer unblockable.
  • Bug fix Fixed a glitch where Palutena could infinitely renew Lightweight on platforms.

Super Smash Bros. 4 1.1.5

  • Buff Neutral infinite finisher deals more damage: 3% → 3.5%.
  • Buff Neutral aerial deals more damage (1.5% → 1.7% (loop), 4% → 5% (last)).
  • Buff Forward aerial deals more damage: 8% → 9% with its knockback compensated.


Moveset[edit]

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

  Name Damage Description
Neutral attack Radiance (輝き) / Glimmer (煌めき) / Glimmer Finish (煌めきフィニッシュ) 3% Thrusts her staff forward to emit a blast of light from its orb that hits multiple times, followed by an upward swipe. It is Palutena's best ground attack and arguably one of the best neutral attacks in the game, thanks to its spacing, damage racking and jab canceling potential. Jab cancel follow-ups include itself and standing/dash grabs at low to high percentages, and neutral aerial, back aerial, and smash attacks at very high percentages. Its neutral infinite's finisher is useful for spacing, thanks to its extremely high knockback scaling. Due to it hitting on frame 8, however, it is tied with Wario's neutral attack for the fourth slowest in the game. Its neutral infinite also has high ending lag.
0.8% (loop), 3.5% (last)
Forward tilt Circle of Protection (守りの環) 6% (staff's head), 4% (staff's tail) Telekinetically twirls her staff in front of herself. Hitting with the staff's tail can make it hit twice altogether, while its long duration and good range can allow it to punish sidesteps and backward rolls. It has anti-rebounding priority, which means that it will not suffer ending lag if it collides with an attack that does not have transcendent priority. Due to it hitting on frame 17, however, it is her slowest tilt attack. When coupled with its high ending lag and long duration, it is very punishable.
Up tilt Circle of Heaven (天の環) 1.2% (hits 1-6), 2.5% (hit 7 staff's head), 1.5% (hit 7 staff's tail) Kneels and telekinetically twirls her staff overhead. Unlike forward and down tilt, it has KO potential, thanks to its last hit's head hitbox having extremely high knockback scaling. Its last hit's head hitbox KOs middleweights at 154%/143% (3DS/Wii U) from anywhere on Final Destination. Despite having a relatively low hitbox, it has deceptively decent vertical range, lowers Palutena's hurtbox even more than her crouch does, and has anti-rebounding priority. Due to it hitting on frame 10, it has the lowest start-up out of her tilt attacks. However, when this is coupled with its long duration, it is nevertheless punishable. In addition, its minimal horizontal range makes it unable to hit small, grounded characters like Kirby.
Down tilt Circle of Earth (地の環) 8.5% (grounded opponents, staff's head/tail on aerial opponents), 5% (staff's handle on aerial opponents) Kneels and telekinetically twirls her staff along the ground in front of herself. In addition to its anti-rebounding priority, it has the shortest duration and lowest ending lag out of her tilt attacks. It can be used for edge-guarding and spacing, or to punish sidesteps. However, its noticeable start-up lag makes it more situational than her neutral attack in regard to spacing.
Dash attack Palutena Shield (パルテナシールド) 9% (clean), 5% (late) Rams into the opponent with her shield. Due to it hitting on frame 6, it is one of the fastest dash attacks in the game. It also has deceptive range, thanks to it slightly boosting Palutena. Thanks to its clean hitbox's high knockback scaling, it can function as a situational KOing option; it KOs middleweights at 157%/145% (3DS/Wii U) while near the edge of Final Destination. Its clean hitbox also grants partial invincibility to Palutena's body on frames 4-15. However, its high ending lag makes it very punishable.
Forward smash Goddess Wings (女神の翼) 16% (near), 13% (far), — (tip) Conjures ethereal wings and flaps them forward. It has impressive horizontal range, while its respectable damage output and high knockback scaling make it very strong. Its sweetspot covers the majority of the wings, whereas its sourspot is on their tips. Its sweetspot KOs middleweights at 84%/74% (3DS/Wii U) while near the edge of Final Destination. Conversely, its sourspot latter KOs them at 108%/97% (3DS/Wii U) while near the edge of Final Destination. It also has a windbox near the tips of the wings that can push away opponents and potentially gimp recoveries. Due to it hitting on frame 18 and having 47 frames of ending lag, however, it is very punishable and thus best suited as a punishment option. Occasionally, Palutena utters "Goddess Wings!" while using the move.
Up smash Pillar of Light (光の柱) 16% (base), 12% (middle), 9% (top) Conjures a cyan beam of light that erupts from the ground. It has the highest vertical range of any up smash in the game, and the second highest vertical range of all up smashes in the series, surpassed only by Snake's. It has three hitboxes: one at the base of the beam, one at the middle, and one at the top. Its high vertical range and base hitbox's great KO potential make it very useful for edge-guarding. Its base hitbox KOs middleweights at 102%/94% (3DS/Wii U) from anywhere on Final Destination. Although its middle hitbox deals slightly less damage, it also KOs reliably; it KOs aerial middleweights at 117%/106% (3DS/Wii U) from anywhere on Final Destination. Due to it hitting on frame 18, and having both 42 frames of ending lag and very minimal horizontal range, it is best suited as a punishment option. In addition, its top hitbox KOs noticeably later because of its average damage output.
Down smash Goddess Wings (女神の翼) 15% (near), 13% (far), — (tip) Conjures ethereal wings and flaps them downward on both sides. Its clean hitbox has the highest knockback scaling out of her smash attacks. When coupled with its respectable damage output, it KOs middleweights at 110%/102% (3DS/Wii U) while near the edge of Final Destination. Although its late hitbox deals slightly less damage, it is also reliable thanks to being a semi-spike that is strong enough to KO middleweights at 115%/104% (3DS/Wii U) while near the edge of Final Destination. Like forward smash, it has a windbox near the tips of the wings. However, it hits on frame 17 and has 52 frames of ending lag; the latter of which is the highest amount of ending lag of all down smashes in the game, and the second highest ending lag of all smash attacks in the game. As a result, it is best used as a punishment option. Occasionally, Palutena utters "Goddess Wings!" while using the move.
Neutral aerial Omnidirectional Circle (四方の環) 1.7% (loop), 5% (last) Telekinetically spins her staff around herself. Its loop hits have the auto-link angle, which makes it reliably trap opponents. When coupled with its long duration, it is a great pressuring and juggling option against opponents in the air or on platforms. Its last hit's extremely high knockback scaling also allows it to function as a decent edge-guarding option, and combo into grounded or other aerial attacks at low percentages.
Forward aerial Palutena Kick (パルテナキック) 9% A flying kick. Its long range and low landing lag make it one of her most reliable spacing options. When coupled with its ability to be auto-canceled when SHFF'd, it also boasts good combo potential at low to medium percentages; follow-ups include itself, neutral attack, standing/dash grab, and dash attack. However, it has a very short duration and high ending lag.
Back aerial Shield Bash (シールドバッシュ) 12% (shield), 9% (arm) Rotates her body to slam her shield into the opponent. Due to it hitting on frame 8, it is tied with up aerial as her second fastest aerial. It also has the second lowest amount of landing lag out of her aerials, and can be auto-canceled from a short hop. When these traits are coupled with its shield hitbox's respectable damage and high knockback scaling, it is one of Palutena's most viable KOing options. Its shield hitbox KOs middleweights at 135%/123% (3DS/Wii U) while near the edge of Final Destination. Like dash attack's clean hitbox, it grants partial invincibility around her body, but does so for its entire duration instead of for several frames. However, it has very high ending lag and a very small sourspot on her arm that deals less damage. Due to having its hitboxes positioned only on her shielded arm, it can also potentially miss an opponent that is too close to her.
Up aerial Halo (後光) 1% (hits 1-4), 5% (hit 5) Twirls while emitting her halo. Due to it hitting on frame 8, it is tied with back aerial as her second fastest aerial. Like neutral aerial, it has a long duration, hits multiple times and its last hit has extremely high knockback scaling. These traits allow it to reliably pressure aerial opponents above Palutena, and make it one of her most viable KOing options. Its last hit KOs middleweights at 104%/95% (3DS/Wii U) while near the upper blast line of Final Destination. However, it has a noticeable amount of ending lag. Due to having more interruptible frames than auto-canceling frames, it also cannot be auto-canceled at all, even a few frames after its animation ends. Despite this, its auto-cancel issue can be mitigated by using another attack with less ending lag, such as forward aerial, before Palutena lands on solid ground.
Down aerial Purging Kick (追放キック) 9% A downward roundhouse kick. Unlike other meteor smashes, it will always meteor smash aerial opponents, thanks to its consistent hitbox. Conversely, it will obliquely launch grounded opponents, which allows it to be used as a punishment option from out of shield when SHFF'd. Due to it hitting on frame 10 and having the highest ending lag of any aerial attack in the game, it is her slowest aerial and thus very punishable. In addition, it only lasts for only 1 frame, has very minimal horizontal range, and cannot auto-cancel unless used from a jump. As a result of its flaws, it is unarguably Palutena's least effective aerial attack.
Grab Grab (つかみ) Telekinetically clinches the opponent. Palutena's overall grab range is above-average: her standing grab is the fourth longest ranged non-tether grab in the game, while her pivot grab also has impressive range. However, her dash grab has a slight amount of ending lag.
Pummel Grab Petit Shock (つかみプチショック) 3.1% A small blast of light. Moderately slow, but tied with Sheik's for the sixth most damaging pummel in the game.
Forward throw Zero-Contact Throw (触れない投げ) 9% Slightly curls herself and then telekinetically pushes the opponent forward. It is Palutena's second most damaging throw, but only has utility as an edge-guard set-up.
Back throw Zero-Contact Reverse Throw (触れない逆投げ) 10% Telekinetically lifts the opponent and then performs an inverted version of the Arabesque, a ballet position, to fling the opponent backward. It is Palutena's most damaging throw, and her only throw that KOs at reasonable percentages. It is also useful for setting up an edge-guard. It KOs middleweights at 156%/146% (3DS/Wii U) while near the edge of Final Destination.
Up throw Launch (打ち上げ) 8% Telekinetically heaves the opponent upward. Despite having high base knockback, its average damage output and below-average knockback scaling make it unreliable at KOing without the use of a highly elevated platform, such as Battlefield's top platform. As a result, it is better suited for setting up aerial pressure.
Down throw Knock Down (叩き落とし) 5% Telekinetically slams the opponent onto the ground. It is Palutena's most useful throw, thanks to its high base knockback, very low knockback growth, and diagonal launching angle. Depending on the opponent's DI, it can combo into any of her aerials, most notably up aerial. At high percentages, its up aerial combo is a reliable KO combo against almost the entirety of the cast, similarly to Zelda's own respective combo. Its back aerial combo also has decent KO potential, but must be used with a reverse aerial rush. In comparison, its down aerial combo requires both a successful read of the opponent's air dodge, and the opponent failing to DI properly. It can also combo into up smash, although it has the same requirements as the down aerial combo. However, down throw's combos are susceptible to DI, and it loses its effectiveness while Palutena has high rage.
Forward roll
Back roll
Spot dodge
Air dodge
Techs
Floor attack (front)
Floor getups (front)
  7% Swings her staff behind herself and then in front of herself before getting up.
Floor attack (back)
Floor getups (back)
  7% Swings her staff behind herself and then in front of herself before getting up.
Floor attack (trip)
Floor getups (trip)
  5% Swings her staff in front of herself and then behind herself before getting up.
Edge attack
Edge getups
  7% Performs a legsweep while climbing up.
Neutral special Default Autoreticle 2.9% (per hit, 3 hits) Illuminates her staff's orb to aim a reticle over an opponent within a large frontal cone radius, and then fires three energy blasts at that location. It will only fire the blasts if no surfaces block her target (including platforms), and if the opponent is within range and not intangible. It can be used as a way for stopping direct approaches and locking, as well as forcing an approach. However, it has high ending lag, regardless of whether or not it targets anything. Because the shots aren’t very fast and only go in one direction, they can be dodged with relative ease.
Custom 1 Explosive Flame 0.8% (loop, 6 hits), 4.2% (last) Creates a Smart Bomb-like explosion approximately three character lengths away. It is a decent spacing and zoning tool like Autoreticle. Unlike Autoreticle, it actually has KO potential, thanks to its loop hits reliably trapping the opponent, and its last hit having impressive knockback in spite of its low damage output. Its last hit KOs middleweights at 170% from anywhere on Final Destination in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. However, its noticeable start-up lag and set distance make it fairly predictable like Autoreticle.
Custom 2 Heavenly Light 1% (per hit, 36 hits) Emits a large, rectangular field of supernal light above herself. Its duration can be extended as long as the special button is held. It deals damage within its area, and has windboxes at its edges that push away opponents. However, it cannot KO outright because of its lack of knockback. As a result, it can be used to steal a KO from a character who launched another. When coupled with its ability to be absorbed, it can also function as a very useful way to supplement a teammate if they have a move to absorb it. Still, relatively high end lag makes Palutena even more vulnerable using this move.
Side special Default Reflect Barrier 5%, 1.17× (reflected projectiles) Raises her shield to emit a rectangular barrier. The barrier reflects projectiles and weakly pushes opponents away, dealing damage to anyone within grabbing range. Palutena's shield also has an unblockable hitbox when it is being raised. If the barrier blocks or reflects an attack that deals at least 50%, it will break. However, unlike other reflectors, it can be used immediately after breaking. The barrier stays out for almost an entire second (58 frames).
Custom 1 Angelic Missile 13% Shoots herself forward to perform a corkscrew battering ram, similarly to Skull Bash. Due to it covering almost half of Battlefield and not rendering her helpless, it is a very useful horizontal recovery option, though it has a moderate amount of end lag in mid-air. In addition, its respectable damage output and high base knockback allow it to KO middleweights at 108% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version. However, it can be avoided somewhat easily because of its noticeable start-up lag, and can even be interrupted by very weak attacks because of its low knockback scaling. Unlike Skull Bash and Green Missile, it also propels Palutena at a set distance because of its inability to be charged.
Custom 2 Super Speed 0%-7% Glides along the ground very quickly while emitting her halo in order to ram into the opponent. It covers the entirety of Battlefield when used on the ground, and propels her diagonally downward when used in the air. Damage varies based on acceleration and timing; starting the move next to someone will knock them aside dealing no damage. In addition to damaging opponents on contact, it can be canceled with her jump, grab, dash attack, sidestep, or pressing the special button again. It has a cooldown period that lasts for slightly more than 3 seconds (184 frames), and a small ring of light will appear around Palutena's torso to indicate when it can be used again. It is considered her best side special move, thanks to its sheer speed and ability to retain its momentum after canceling collectively granting Palutena a plethora of options for mix-ups, recovery, pressure and mobility.
Up special Default Warp Disappears and then reappears in a chosen direction. It quickly covers both a respectable amount of height and a decent horizontal distance while rendering Palutena invisible. It can also be edge-canceled, which grants it defensive and re-positioning potentials. However, it renders Palutena helpless after she reappears unless it is edge-canceled. Functions similar to Mewtwo’s Teleport.
Custom 1 Jump Glide Jumps a fair distance and then glides afterward, similarly to Peach Parasol, before entering a helpless state at the end of the glide. It can be canceled into any aerial move, which makes it great at maintaining vertical follow-ups, and covers more horizontal distance than Warp. However, it cannot be edge-canceled, and canceling it into her aerials will render her helpless, similarly to Winged Pikmin. In addition, if Palutena flinches during the move, she cannot do anything until she lands on the ground aside from moving, similarly to Wings of Icarus. The move jumps much lower on the ground.
Custom 2 Rocket Jump 12% (grounded), 10% (aerial) Detonates an explosion at her feet to propel herself upward. Its grounded explosion is strong enough to KO middleweights at 108% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version. Its aerial explosion deals slightly less damage and KOs grounded opponents noticeably later, but powerfully meteor smashes aerial opponents directly below Palutena. However, the explosion has fairly minimal horizontal range. It also covers less height than Warp or Jump Glide, and little horizontal distance.
Down special Default Counter 1.3× (minimum 10%) Parries with her shield and then counterattacks any incoming attacks by thrusting her staff forward. Its damage multiplier is tied with Vision and Slip Counter's for the second highest in the game. It is also one of the few counterattacks that consists of a sweetspot and a sourspot: the former is located at the staff's head, whereas the latter is located at the staff's handle. Despite its appearance, it has impressive horizontal range, as it can counterattack large/disjointed hitboxes like Shulk's forward smash. However, it is unarguably the worst counterattack in the game for a number of reasons. Due to it coming out on frame 10, it is tied with Toad for the highest amount of start-up lag out of every counterattack in the game, and is further burdened with the highest ending lag of any counterattack in the game. It is also the second weakest counterattack in the game in regard to knockback, and has both a very short counter window and poor vertical range.
Custom 1 Lightweight Nearly doubles her walking speed, dashing speed and jump height, but slows her falling speed, lowers her gravity, and increases the damage received (although knockback remains unchanged) for slightly more than 12.5 seconds (755 frames). Upon concluding, her jump height and gravity return to normal, while her grounded movement becomes much slower for nearly 5 seconds (299 frames). It is considered Palutena's best down special move, thanks to it significantly improving her off-stage presence, and granting both an immense increase in follow-up options and access to down throw-initiated KO set-ups that are guaranteed on the entire cast.
Custom 2 Celestial Firework 3.2% (toss), 1.2% (explosion, 4 hits) Shoots an explosive firework almost directly above herself. Its explosion is strong enough to KO middleweights at 145% from anywhere on Final Destination in the 3DS version. In addition to its power and good vertical range, it grants invincibility before the firework is launched. However, it is has a fairly long duration and extremely minimal horizontal range, to the point that it will only hit grounded opponents if they are at point-blank range.
Final Smash Black Hole Laser — (Black Hole), 2.4% (Mega Laser hits 1-12), 12% (Mega Laser hit 13) Illuminates her staff's orb and twirls around repeatedly before firing a Black Hole from her staff's orb, after which she quickly retreats off-stage in order to fire a Mega Laser into the Black Hole. The Black Hole does not deal damage, but pulls the opponent into itself and places them in a tumbling state. Conversely, the Mega Laser hits multiple times before concluding with a final blast that launches the opponent and dissipates the Black Hole. It is strong enough to KOs middleweights at 35% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version.

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 91 1.5 – Initial dash
1.888 – Run
1.21 0.068 0.01 0.91 0.01 – Base
0.1 – Additional
0.105 1.4 – Base
2.24Fast-fall
5 35.900002 - Base
17.303881 - Short hop
35.900002

Announcer call[edit]

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The editor who added this tag suggests: Needs announcer calls from other languages.
If you have a good audio file for this article, upload it here.

On-screen appearance[edit]

  • Walks out of a golden door that is decorated with her halo's design and emits a bright, shining light.
PalutenaOnScreenAppearanceSSB4.gif

Taunts[edit]

  • Up taunt: Raises her arms overhead and then brings them down while producing ethereal wings, emitting her halo, and saying "You shall be purified!" (浄化してあげましょう, You will be purified.)
  • Side taunt: Laughs while using her staff to perform a twirling, inverted version of the Arabesque.
  • Down taunt: Lets go of her staff and telekinetically holds it next to herself, then brushes her hair aside while emitting her halo and saying "Ready when you are." (いつでもどうぞ?, Feel free whenever.) before grabbing her staff.
Up taunt Side taunt Down taunt
PalutenaUpTauntSSB4.gif PalutenaSideTauntSSB4.gif PalutenaDownTauntSSB4.gif

Idle poses[edit]

  • Taps the ground with the tail of her staff and shield in front of herself, during which she briefly emits her halo.
  • Looks away while crossing her staff and shield in front of herself, during which she briefly emits her halo.
PalutenaIdlePose1WiiU.jpg PalutenaIdlePose2WiiU.jpg

Crowd cheer[edit]

English Japanese
Cheer
Description Pa-lu-te-na! Pa-lu-tena!
Pitch Group chant Group chant

Victory poses[edit]

An icon for denoting incomplete things.
An orchestral excerpt of Kid Icarus' title screen theme.
  • Laughs while using her staff to briefly perform the Backwards Showgirl, a pole dancing move, before assuming a seated stance while floating. In the Japanese version, she says "本気出してもいいんですよ?" which translates to "It's alright to fight seriously."
  • Twirls while floating, then flourishes her staff and emits her halo while saying "No one can hide from the light."
    • If Pit is present in the match, there is a chance she will instead say "Oh, so sorry about that, Pit."
  • Telekinetically twirls her staff and then points it in front of herself while saying "Too bad for you."
    • If Dark Pit is present in the match, there is a chance she will instead say "Poor little Pittoo."
PalutenaPose1WiiU.gif PalutenaPose2WiiU.gif PalutenaPose3WiiU.gif

In competitive play[edit]

Official Custom Moveset Project[edit]

Character Custom sets available
Palutena (SSB4) Palutena 2322 2312 1322 1312 2122
1122 2332 1332 2313 2323

Most historically significant players[edit]

See also: Category:Palutena players (SSB4)

  • Spain El Pitikla - Co-mained Palutena alongside Fox. He is best known for winning Tech Republic 2, using Palutena to defeat several players in top 8, including Greward twice in grand finals; although he also used Fox in several sets, this nevertheless marks the largest tournament won by a Palutena player. Additionally, he made top 8 at some of the most notable Spanish/European regionals, placing 5th at Tech Republic and 7th at BEAST 7.
  • Canada Iceninja - One of the best North American Palutena players in the game's early years, placing highly at several of Canada's largest events during this time, including 5th at both Canada Cup 2015 and Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo and 7th at Get On My Level 2015. Although overshadowed by other Palutena players since, she remains the best Palutena player in Canada, notably placing 25th at Get On My Level 2017.
  • Australia MM - The best Palutena player in Australia, known for placing highly at many of Australia's earliest events, including 2nd at DI Another Day, 7th at Southern Cross Championship 2K15, and 9th at Battle Arena Melbourne 8, the latter being the largest Australian Smash 4 tournament to date. He eventually began playing other characters, but continued to play Palutena from time to time.
  • USA Prince Ramen - The first noteworthy non-customs Palutena player in competitive play, best known for his win over ZeRo at CEO 2016, where he also placed 33rd. He saw several other noteworthy results in his region, including placing 7th at Tampa Never Sleeps 6 and CEO 2016 Prologue, but rarely attended events outside of Florida and stopped competing at the end of 2016.
  • USA TLTC - The best Palutena player of all-time, known for frequently performing well at Southern California events. His best performances were placing 17th at both 2GGT: Abadango Saga and 2GGC: Greninja Saga, upsetting Ranai at the latter event, both of which marked the best major performances for a Palutena player. In addition, he also has a win over Kirihara, defeating him to place 33rd at EVO 2016.

Tier placement and history[edit]

In the early metagame, Palutena was notable for her smash attacks' impressive range and her distinction as the only character in the game with both a reflector and a counterattack in their default moveset. However, opinions on her eventually dropped dramatically after her weaknesses began to emerge when custom moves were not accounted for, largely because of her sluggish frame data, flawed special moves, and her lack of offensive options outside of her grab game. As such, she was seen as one of the worst characters in competitive play when custom special moves were disabled. On the other hand, many players were more positive towards Palutena when custom special moves were discussed, believing the character was high tier at worst with them. However, the universal ban of custom movesets after EVO 2015 reversed all positive opinions on Palutena, and the lack of buffs, plus the changes to shield mechanics in subsequent updates, cemented her status as a non-viable character. As such, she was ranked 50th on the first tier list as a bottom tier character.

Palutena's perception and representation began improving at the start of 2016, which not only saw her receive buffs in update 1.1.5, but also saw strong in-region results from players such as Prince Ramen and TLTC. In addition, as the non-custom metagame continued to develop, players also noticed how most of Palutena's matchups against the top- and high-tier characters were not as unfavorable as considered before. This positive development continued throughout the rest of 2016, which saw Prince Ramen score a major upset over ZeRo and TLTC place well at many 2GGT events. Thanks to her buffs and improved results, players no longer considered Palutena as one of the worst characters in the game, and as such, she rose to 40th on the second tier list, being reassessed as a low-tier.

Prince Ramen eventually retired from competitive play, leaving TLTC as the sole Palutena player who was consistently successful at majors. With Palutena's overall results remaining sparse, she began to drop in subsequent tier lists, ranking 42nd on the third one and 44th on the fourth and current one; however, tier restructuring reassessed Palutena as a mid-tier character in the fourth tier list. This reassessment remained up for debate, as many players argued that Palutena should have remained a low-tier character due to her noticeable weaknesses and stagnant playerbase. Nevertheless, opinions on Palutena remained better than they were in the early metagame.

In Solo Modes[edit]

All-Star Mode[edit]

In All-Star Mode, Palutena is fought in Stage 3 in the 3DS version or Stage 5 in the Wii U version alongside Yoshi, Captain Falcon, Dr. Mario, Marth, Pit, Mega Man, and Ryu.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii UEvent Matches[edit]

Solo Events[edit]

Co-op Events[edit]

Congratulations screens[edit]

3DS[edit]

Wii U[edit]

Trophies[edit]

Palutena's default trophy is obtained by clearing Classic Mode as Palutena. Her alternate trophy is obtained by clearing All-Star Mode as Palutena in the 3DS version or purchasing it in the Trophy Shop for 1000G in the Wii U version. The Black Hole Laser trophy is obtained only in the Wii U version by clearing All-Star Mode as Palutena.

3DS Classic Mode trophy
Wii U Classic Mode trophy
Palutena
NTSC In Kid Icarus: Uprising, the goddess of light uses telepathy to communicate and grants miracles to support Pit on his adventure. In Smash Bros., she has special moves like Warp and Heavenly Light at her disposal. She's very adaptable—you can customize her into a long- or close-range fighter!
NES: Kid Icarus (08/1987)
3DS: Kid Icarus: Uprising (03/2012)
PAL Said to be able to perform miracles, this goddess supports Pit in battle, using telepathy to communicate with him. She's no slouch on her own, either. She has a huge variety of moves you can customise and use to your advantage. Short or long range, the sky's the limit! Or maybe not. After all, she can teleport.
NES: Kid Icarus (02/1987)
3DS: Kid Icarus: Uprising (03/2012)
3DS All-Star Mode trophy
Wii U alternate trophy
Palutena (Alt.)
NTSCSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Palutena's Reflect Barrier side special deflects any attacks and projectiles that come at her from the front. Unlike other reflective moves, you can leave this barrier in place and it will keep reflecting. If you really want to ruin someone's day, you can push them over an edge using this move.
NTSCSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U Palutena's Reflect Barrier side special deflects any attacks and projectiles that come at her from the front. Unlike others' reflective moves, she can move a bit while this barrier is active. If you really want to ruin someone's day, you can push him or her over an edge using this move.
NES: Kid Icarus (08/1987)
3DS: Kid Icarus: Uprising (03/2012)
PAL Palutena's Reflect Barrier special deflects any attacks and projectiles that come at her from the front. Unlike other fighters' reflective moves, you can deploy this barrier and then leave it to its own devices. You can also push opponents with it, so use it on someone who's teetering on the edge of the stage to push them off.
NES: Kid Icarus (02/1987)
3DS: Kid Icarus: Uprising (03/2012)
Black Hole Laser trophy
Black Hole Laser
NTSC Palutena's Final Smash. After doing a divine twirl, she creates a black hole in front of her, drawing in her opponents. When she's got 'em where she wants 'em, she follows up with a wide laser beam that reaches from one edge of the screen to the other. It even changes direction slightly, just in case someone managed to avoid the black hole.
PAL Palutena's Final Smash. After doing a divine twirl, she creates a black hole in front of her, drawing in her opponents. When she's got 'em where she wants 'em, the next step is a wide laser beam that reaches from one edge of the screen to the other. It even changes direction slightly, for that extra chance of taking out her foes.

Alternate costumes[edit]

Palutena Palette (SSB4).png
Palutena (SSB4) Palutena (SSB4) Palutena (SSB4) Palutena (SSB4) Palutena (SSB4) Palutena (SSB4) Palutena (SSB4) Palutena (SSB4)

Reveal trailer[edit]

Gallery[edit]

Trivia[edit]

  • Palutena's artwork highly resembles her Kid Icarus: Uprising artwork.
  • Palutena's special moves have a few distinct traits associated with them:
    • Her special moves, custom special moves and Final Smash are based on some of the Powers she can grant to Pit and fighters in Kid Icarus: Uprising.
    • She occasionally calls out the names of all but one of her special moves upon using them. The only exception is Reflect Barrier, with which she simply says "Reflect!" instead of its full name.
      • Incidentally, she also does this when using her forward and down smash attacks. In their cases, Palutena will occasionally say "Goddess Wings" (ゴッド ウイング, "God Wing").
    • She is the only character in the game, whose default moveset has both a reflector and a counterattack as well as the first to do so in the Super Smash Bros. series.
    • She and the Mii Fighters are the only characters whose custom special moves are immediately available instead of being unlockable.
      • They are also the only characters whose custom moves are completely different from one another, rather than being the same moves with different properties.
    • Kirby has unused sound files that consist of him vocalizing all three of her neutral special moves. This suggests that either it was not until late in development that it was decided which would be Palutena's default neutral special move, or that Kirby was originally able to copy any one of her neutral special moves.
  • Palutena is one of the few characters who can occasionally say something upon being KO'd instead of typically grunting or yelling in pain. In her case, she says "Oh no!"
  • Palutena is the first character to be part of a Final Smash in a previous installment of Super Smash Bros., and a playable character in a subsequent installment, the second would be Chrom.
  • Unlike most characters, Palutena twirls upon hard landing, instead of simply landing on her feet.
  • Palutena is the first character since Link in Super Smash Bros. to wield a shield at all times that does not protect her while idle.
  • Palutena's defeated/No Contest animation depicts her wearing a brown sleeve on her left arm, a feature that is normally not present in her in-game model, instead of her left vambrace.
  • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS marks the first ever game that Palutena is playable.
  • Oddly, Palutena's internal files of voice clips for her smash attack uses the same three-number codes (e.g. "003" in case of "Goddess wings!" voice clip) used for special moves, Final Smashes, and on-screen appearances of veteran characters as well as Rosalina & Luma's Launch Star, instead of using the "attack" descriptor that smash attacks usually share with neutral attack, tilt attacks, dash attack, aerial attacks, and floor attacks.
  • Palutena's idle animation while holding a small item has a visual bug where her shield appears to be detached from her arm.

References[edit]