Zero Suit Samus (SSBU)

Zero Suit Samus in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Metroid
Other playable appearances	in Brawl in SSB4
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Zero Laser

“	Although not as powerful as Samus, her speed is exceptional! Her Paralyzer not only has the ability to stun opponents, but it can also turn into a whip. For her Final Smash, she dons her suit and fires a powerful laser!	”
—Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site

Zero Suit Samus (ゼロスーツサムス, Zero Suit Samus) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, officially confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Once again, Zero Suit Samus is unconnected to the standard playable Samus, although she temporarily transforms into the latter during her Final Smash. Zero Suit Samus is classified as fighter #29.

As in Smash 4, Alésia Glidewell's portrayal of Zero Suit Samus from Brawl was repurposed for Ultimate.

How to unlock

• Zero Suit Samus is the 19th character to be unlocked via Smash battles.
• Zero Suit Samus is the 2nd character in Fox's Classic Mode unlock tree, after Captain Falcon.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Aesthetics

• As with all veterans returning from SSB4, Zero Suit Samus's model mostly features a more subdued color scheme, though her eyes are a more vibrant green and less blue. Most of her suit is now a lighter shade of blue with a matte texture, which matches her in-game design in Metroid: Samus Returns.
• While Zero Suit Samus retains some design elements from SSB4, the material of her Zero Suit no longer looks homogeneous. Her physique has been altered as well, with her figure now being leaner and more muscular, as in Samus Returns concept art.
• Zero Suit Samus has a new idle animation. She now holds the Paralyzer up to her head similar to one of her idle poses and victory animation.
• Zero Suit Samus's Grab aerial now droops and lays on the ground during landing lag.

Attributes

• Like all characters, Zero Suit Samus's jumpsquat animation now takes three frames to complete (down from 4).
• Zero Suit Samus dashes significantly faster.

Ground attacks

• First hit of her neutral attack can now jab reset, at least on an incline.
• Up smash has less vertical range.
• Up smash is a more potent KO move.
• Down smash no longer treated as a projectile, meaning both characters experience freeze frame (or hitlag), instead of just the opponent.
• Down smash has significantly less knockback.
• Down smash's paralysis duration is affected more significantly by the opponent's percentage. It now stuns less at low percents.

Aerial Attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag except grab aerial, which remains the same.
• Back aerial now has a second, new sourspot hitbox that deals 8% damage and covers her thigh.
• Up aerial has more start up and less range, hindering its combo potential.
• Grab aerial now bounces off of the first thing it hits. Therefore it can only hit one thing before ZSS uses the move again.

Throws/other attacks

• Standing Grab has a new hitbox on the hand that appears earlier.
• The new mechanic that usually prevents passing through other fighters also usually prevents Dash Grab from whiffing due to being too close.
• All Grabs have less endlag.
• Zero Suit Samus has a new forward throw: she kicks the opponent on the chest.
• Forward throw deals slightly more damage.
• Back throw has more base knockback, greatly reducing combo potential.
• Down throw has more endlag, greatly reducing its combo potential.
• Down throw now deals more damage.

Special Moves

• Paralyzer can no longer lock.
• Plasma Whip's sweetspot does more damage and significantly more knockback.
• Plasma Whip sends the opponent up and towards her, giving an opportunity for followups, similar to one of her custom moves from Smash 4.
• Plasma Whip takes longer to tether to the ledge.
• Plasma Whip's tether range was reduced.
• Boost Kick connects much more reliably and the last hit has increased knockback.
• Boost Kick has more landing lag.
• The size of Boost Kick's first hitbox was reduced.
• Flip Jump travels slightly faster.
• The bounce from Flip Jump's footstool stomp is significantly shorter.
• Flip Jump's footstool stomp has less endlag.
• Flip Jump's kick has a smaller hitbox and can no longer be edge-cancelled. [1]
• Zero Suit Samus has a new Final Smash, Zero Laser, where she summons her gunship as before, but temporarily dons her Varia Suit (using the same model as the playable version) and fires a single, long-lasting laser from the top of the ship, similarly to Aura Storm. The players chooses where to aim the laser with a targeting reticle.

Role in World of Light

Although Zero Suit Samus does not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene (as Samus herself appears instead), she was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (sans Kirby) when Galeem unleashed his beams of light.

In gameplay, Zero Suit Samus is a separate Spirit from the original Samus, as with other Spirit versions of Samus such as the Fusion Suit and Gravity Suit; however, the story significance of this is unknown, as Samus and Zero Suit Samus never appear together in cutscenes, and are seen transforming into each other outside of World of Light.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Zero Suit Samus' fighter card.

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  Zero Suit Samus on Wrecking Crew.

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  Performing her down tilt on Coliseum.

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  Performing down smash on Frigate Orpheon.

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  With Samus on Gaur Plain.

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  Crawling with Snake on Shadow Moses Island.

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  Using her back aerial on Sheik on Luigi's Mansion.

Character Showcase Video

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Trivia

• Ridley's reveal trailer marks Zero Suit Samus' first appearance in a cinematic CGI Smash trailer since Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
• Despite no longer being linked by in-battle transformation, Zero Suit Samus temporarily dons the Varia Suit during her Final Smash.
  • This makes Zero Suit Samus the only playable alter-ego of a different character to make a limited appearance as said character during her Final Smash only.
• Zero Suit Samus is one of the few characters to have completely different Final Smashes in every game since the concept's introduction in Brawl, along with Pit, King Dedede and R.O.B..
• Zero Suit Samus is one of two characters that shares the name of a Final Smash with two other characters, but it functions differently from theirs, the other being Roy.