Incineroar (SSBU)

Incineroar in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Pokémon
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Max Malicious Moonsault

“	Incineroar Enters the Ring!	”
—Introduction tagline

Incineroar (ガオガエン, Gaogaen) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It was confirmed as a playable character alongside Ken and Piranha Plant on November 1st, 2018, and was the final newcomer revealed for the base roster. Incineroar is classified as Fighter #69.

Tyler Bunch (credited as "H.D. Quinn"), who voiced Ash's Incineroar and Professor Kukui's Incineroar in the Sun and Moon anime, reprises his role as the Pokémon in English. In Japanese, it is voiced by Unshō Ishizuka, who passed away 2 months and 19 days before Incineroar's reveal. Incineroar also has different voice actors for the French and German versions due to its name being different in those languages, being voiced by Frédéric Clou in French and an unidentified voice actor in German.

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

• Play VS. matches, with Incineroar being the 46th character to be unlocked.
• Clear Classic Mode with Samus or any character in her unlock tree, being the 4th character unlocked after Pit.
• Have Incineroar join the player's party in World of Light.

With the exception of the third method, Incineroar must then be defeated on Boxing Ring. In World of Light, it is fought on the Ω form of Spear Pillar.

Attributes

Incineroar draws many comparisons to some of the slowest, hardest-hitting fighters in Super Smash Bros. history: it is a tall super heavyweight (being tied with Charizard as the 6th heaviest character) who has the 19th fastest falling speed, the 11th highest gravity, and average air acceleration. However, Incineroar is the overall slowest character in the game, with the slowest walking and dashing speeds in the game, and the 8th slowest initial dash and air speed.

As a character that pays homage to professional wrestling, Incineroar's moveset boasts an abundance of single-hit attacks and throws, and its attacks have respectably large hitboxes for a close-range fighter of its mobility. Contrary to its sluggish movement and high weight, Incineroar's frame data is surprisingly above average, with fast to decent startup and respectable ending lag in spite of their damage. Unlike most other hard hitters, Incineroar's weaker attacks are semi-reliable combo starters that work at a wide percent range, giving its moveset an excellent amount of utility. Meanwhile, some of its stronger moves are greatly damaging and, in some cases, capable of KOing early. As with most other heavyweights, rage helps Incineroar KO easier, and it is able to take advantage of it easily thanks to its status as a super heavyweight.

Unsurprisingly for a professional wrestling-inspired fighter, Incineroar's greatest asset is its excellent grab game. While Incineroar's grab range is average, its grabs are decently quick, last longer than average (though its dash grab and pivot grab are slow), and it has one of the best sets of throws among the entire cast, all of which deal respectable damage. Its forward, back and up throws are all strong (with forward throw being the strongest of its kind in the game), whereas down throw is the core of its combo game. The latter can lead into various aerials (including down aerial, though due to its slow speed, this makes it a mix-up), forward and dashing up smash at very low percentages, and Darkest Lariat. It can also potentially lead to a risky sacrificial KO with Cross Chop, which will always result in the opponent being KO'd first. Forward throw has high knockback even at low percentages, making it an acceptable throw to set up an edgeguard at percentages where down throw won't combo anymore, and to KO at high percentages near the edge. Back throw, when performed at the edge, can potentially rival Ness' own back throw as the strongest throw in the game, and can KO light characters exceptionally early; however, due to its launch angle, lack of damage during the actual throw (as it consists of a hit before the opponent is thrown), and lackluster resistance to DI, it can be survived if done mid-stage and technically can be considered inferior to Ness'. Finally, up throw is Incineroar's most reliable KO throw due to being one the strongest of its kind (only surpassed by Olimar's up throw), and easily KOs earlier with the assistance of platforms and/or a low-hanging upper blast line. Overall, Incineroar has KO throws for any given situation, while also having a reliable combo starter.

Similarly to some of its fellow super heavyweights, Incineroar also possesses a unique grab; in this case, a command grab that functions as its side special, Alolan Whip. Upon execution, the player must press the attack or special button again after the throw initiates, and depending on timing, it has three outcomes: performing it early will result in a back body drop that has high vertical knockback that scales slowly, performing it too late will result in the opponent harmlessly bouncing back while damaging Incineroar, and performing it cleanly (as the opponent is about to collide with Incineroar) results in a lariat that is one of Incineroar's strongest moves, thanks to its very high horizontal knockback and low launching angle. Even the early and failure versions of the move have their uses, with the back body drop KOing earlier while near the upper blast line, and the collision being usable to set up a reversal.

Incineroar's grounded moveset is a good example of its fast frame data for its high damage and power. Neutral attack is tied for the second fastest attack in Incineroar's moveset, and it is tied with King K. Rool's neutral attack for the third most damaging non-infinite neutral attack in the entire game, being surpassed only by Kazuya and Terry's neutral attacks. Forward tilt is the strongest of its kind in the game when sweetspotted, and is Incineroar's quickest KO option on the ground due to its high knockback and semi-spike angle. Up tilt and down tilt serve similar purposes, being combo starters that can set up into Incineroar's other moves; whereas up tilt can link into itself at low percentages and into aerials at low-mid to mid ones, and serves as an anti-air due to invincibility on Incineroar's head, down tilt has longer range, lowers Incineroar's hurtbox, and has excellent combo potential throughout all percentages, allowing combos into up tilt or up smash at low percentages or aerials at high percentages, including KO confirms into back aerial, up aerial or Darkest Lariat. Dash attack is one of the strongest in the game, but is mainly useful as a burst KO option when fresh, as Incineroar's slow speed can make it quite predictable. Finally, Incineroar's smash attacks have their own unique perks. Forward smash comes out surprisingly quickly, KOs extremely early when sweetspotted at the foot (being the 4th strongest when sweetspotted), and deals good shield damage. Up smash has a wide, consistently strong hitbox and grants intangibility, which make it useful for both anti-air tactics and KOing outright. Finally, down smash momentarily shifts Incineroar's hurtbox upwards, allowing it to dodge grabs, attacks, and even projectiles to act as a hard punish.

A few of Incineroar's aerial moves are also useful. Neutral aerial is also tied for its second fastest attack and has a large hitbox all-around. When sweetspotted, it can be used to KO offstage; if not, it can still function as a powerful combo starter, especially for an out of shield option. Up aerial is Incineroar's go-to aerial juggle option due to its wide hitbox and its capability of comboing from up and down tilts. Down aerial is a powerful meteor smash that can still KO even if the sourspot hits, and at lower percentages, sets the opponent up for a combo. Forward and back aerials are Incineroar's main way to KO opponents in the air, aside from Alolan Whip, thanks to their faster startup. Due to its aerials' power and decent enough recovery, Incineroar's edgeguarding game is respectable.

Finally, Incineroar's other special moves complete its moveset with a few versatile tools. Darkest Lariat is Incineroar's get-off-me option, possessing fast startup (being tied for neutral attack and neutral aerial as its second fastest attack), a long duration, transcendent priority throughout its hitboxes, invincibility on its arms, and a very strong early hit. Though its power gradually weakens over time, its perks allow it to outprioritize many moves (even weak projectiles) while hitting hard. It can also be used Cross Chop is Incineroar's main recovery move; it can contest against other attacks due to its super armor during the start, and the descending hit deals high knockback. It is also a powerful combo finisher or sacrificial KO, as the initial descent's high base knockback allows it to gimp any character at 0% should the descending hit connect. Finally, Revenge is a unique counterattack that retaliates with a weak hit, but stores a stackable power increase that affects Incineroar's next move; with a sufficiently strong buff, it grants exorbitantly powerful punishes, with moves such as forward smash, Darkest Lariat, Alolan Whip, and most infamously back throw turning into some of the strongest attacks in the game. While the buff lasts for one landed move, it is not lost should the attack hit an opponent's shield. This can also result in the opponent's shield being broken if they keep shielding, leading to their doom.

However, Incineroar's powerful abilities come at a severe cost. Its biggest issue comes from its poor neutral game. As mentioned before, Incineroar possesses abysmal mobility; when combined with a lack of a projectile, this makes it very easy to zone out and gives it a terrible approach. While the hitboxes on its moves are large, Incineroar's overall range remains somewhat short, so any sufficiently long-ranged projectile or disjointed range can be enough to keep Incineroar at bay. This is especially troublesome considering the cast is also full of characters with either greater mobility (like Sonic or Zero Suit Samus), superior melee range (like Lucina or Donkey Kong), good zoning games (like Villager or Min Min), or in some cases, all three points (like Pikachu or Palutena). Further adding to this is Incineroar's poor air game: although moves like neutral aerial offer good utility, and forward and back aerials have the range to outspace opponents, none of Incineroar's aerials can autocancel from a short hop aside from up aerial (with forward aerial not autocanceling even from a full hop). This significantly limits their use in the neutral game, as their poor autocancel windows make them unable for approaching reliably. In bulk, this gives Incineroar one of the most lackluster neutral games of any character, being one of the characters with the most trouble at getting close to opponents to begin with, and forces it to heavily rely on bait-and-punish tactics in order to get in.

Another prominent issue is Incineroar's recovery. Cross Chop turns into an inevitable self-destruct if Incineroar is not directly below the edge or above stage level, while Alolan Whip grants mediocre distance and has somewhat high ending lag. Incineroar's slow air speed and quick falling speed and high gravity further compound its recovery issues. That said, Alolan Whip can intercept edgeguard attempts thanks to its non-inputted collision, allowing Incineroar to reverse the situation. Furthermore, neither Cross Chop's descent nor Alolan Whip render Incineroar helpless, so Incineroar does have the ability to mix its recovery up when used in tandem with a directional air dodge and its midair jump, especially if it recovers from a high altitude, which adds to its impressive endurance. However, in a similar manner to Marth, if it doesn't have its double jump, Incineroar is very vulnerable to being edgeguarded. Any semi-spike or meteor smash of sufficient strength will almost certainly result in Incineroar being KO'd, and any combo that drags it offstage is usually fatal if it is not at a high enough altitude to recover.

Although its frame data gives it less of an issue breaking out of combos and rushdown tactics, its only reliable options to break through such tactics are neutral aerial, Darkest Lariat and Revenge; the lattermost can also be easily predicted. If it is unable to break through combos, its slow mobility can leave it very vulnerable to consistent rushdowns, in addition to being vulnerable to zoning and spacing. Its poor neutral game further contributes to this, as it can make it very difficult for Incineroar to even get back to a position where it can try to exploit the opponent's offense or defense. Despite its fast falling speed, Incineroar's slow air speed also leaves it vulnerable to juggling. Altogether, all these flaws collectively result in Incineroar having a poor disadvantage state.

Finally, although its moveset has greatly damaging options, Incineroar has surprisingly inconsistent KO potential compared to many of its fellow super heavyweights. While its throws are all strong and some of its other moves possess high knockback at low percentages as a result of their high base knockback, their knockback doesn't grow quickly due to their low knockback scaling. Notable examples of this are neutral and back aerials, back throw, Darkest Lariat and Alolan Whip's back body drop. Notably, some of Incineroar's moves require landing a sweetspot in order to attain their maximum knockback; notable cases include forward tilt (despite the sweetspot being the strongest in the game), forward smash, and both forward and back aerials. Finally, disregarding its up throw, Incineroar has among the worst vertical KO potential of the super heavyweights. Up tilt, up aerial and Alolan Whip's back body drop all have lackluster power, while its up smash, despite being decently strong, is relatively slow for an out of shield option. Revenge can alleviate this issue to a degree, but this requires Incineroar to read the opponent's attack in the first place. In addition, the buff is lost once it has successfully landed an attack, meaning that if Incineroar is forced to attack with one of its weaker moves, it is possible to waste the buff entirely. The buff can also be gradually lost by attacking Incineroar, by waiting after approximately 60 seconds (which is possible due to Incineroar's susceptibility to being outranged or camped), or outright wasted by throwing Incineroar via a regular grab or a command grab, further adding to its inconsistency.

In the end, Incineroar falls within the "grappler" playstyle archetype, which notoriously requires a very specific playstyle to be effective. Incineroar excels at taking advantage of close-range openings, where it can land powerful blows or start consistent combos that rack up damage quickly in only a few hits, all while being difficult for an opponent to punish due to its staying power, relative safety on shield and heavy punish abilities, making Incineroar very formidable once it wins the neutral game and gets in close. However, while it has an incredible overall damage output, it suffers inconsistent KO potential that is mostly reliant on its throws and side special, making it predictable when it comes to scoring a KO. Additionally, Incineroar suffers from issues similar to Ganondorf, where its poor mobility, middling range, and lack of both a projectile and reliable approach options collectively make it very susceptible to being kept in check and paying a costly price for any wide openings on its end despite having better options to break pressure at close quarters. Because of this, Incineroar is a "high risk, high reward" type of character, and benefits from a patient, largely bait-and-punish oriented playstyle in order to achieve the same momentum its fellow super heavyweights can.

Like Ganondorf, Incineroar is widely considered a low tier character, yet is nevertheless a popular choice at the low- and mid-levels of play because of its attributes and moveset resulting in ludicrous and extravagant punishes that can easily KO an unaware player. By extension, Incineroar usually performs poorly at the highest levels of play, though it has a few notable tournament results thanks to a few notable smashers like brandon, Kusari Katabira, Magister, Sharpy and Skyjay. As of recent, Skyjay in particular has made significant contributions to Incineroar's metagame, although it is uncertain how Incineroar will fare in the long run.

Update history

Incineroar has received a mix of buffs, nerfs and glitch fixes via game updates, but has been buffed overall. Update 2.0.0 strengthened up smash and up throw, and made down aerial auto-cancel properly. The most notable buff, however, was Cross Chop's increased overall travel distance, which improved Incineroar's notoriously weak recovery at certain angles and especially its vertical recovery (although lower angles that are not directly below the edge are still almost impossible to recover from). As part of a near-universal buff to multi-hit attacks, update 3.1.0 buffed neutral attack by adjusting its hits in order for them to connect more reliably.

Update 6.0.0 further buffed Incineroar in a number of ways. Neutral attack's third hit was strengthened noticeably, thus improving neutral attack's reliability in regard to warding off opponents. Forward aerial gained a late hitbox, which makes the move function similarly to Diddy Kong's forward aerial. Down aerial's meteor smashing hitbox is now significantly easier to land, thanks to it out-prioritizing the sourspot. Lastly, Darkest Lariat's clean hit has increased power and range, while Revenge became safer via increases to its active frames and knockback alongside decreased ending lag. Following this, update 7.0.0 adjusted the collateral knockback of Alolan Whip's back body drop and lariat: this made them safer on hit against at low percentages when used on bystanders, yet noticeably weakened the lariat's KO potential against bystanders.

Update 8.0.0 provided Incineroar with a number of helpful buffs, the most notable of which were to Alolan Whip and Revenge. Alolan Whip's start-up and ending lag were decreased by 2 frames apiece, and its already powerful lariat was strengthened even further. Revenge's damage multiplier was increased significantly, thus making it much more rewarding. Its ending lag from a missed counter attempt was also decreased yet again, which improved its safety.

In addition to these buffs, up smash's already respectable KO potential was improved even further via its knockback being increased overall. Incineroar's grab game was also improved: each of its grabs received 1 frame decreases to their start-up and ending lag, while forward throw was strengthened slightly, making it the strongest forward throw in the game. Lastly, update 13.0.0 buffed Incineroar by slightly increasing the damage outputs of down smash, up aerial and Cross Chop at the cost of slight knockback compensation for each move.

Overall, Incineroar fares better than it did at the launch of Ultimate.

2.0.0

• Up smash has more knockback.
• Incineroar can grab edges earlier after using up aerial (frame 58 → 56).
• Down aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 59 → 45), matching the move's interruptibility.
• Up throw has more knockback.
• Cross Chop travels farther vertically and horizontally (Height multiplier: 0.81× → 1×). While this hinders its potential as a KO confirm follow-up from down throw, this more prominently improves its recovery potential.

3.0.0

• The glitch that allowed the opponent to lose 2 stocks using Alolan Whip collision glitch with Fishing Rod in Stamina matches has been fixed.

3.1.0

• Neutral attack's hits connect more reliably.
• A glitch involving Alolan Whip and Mii Brawler's Counter Throw putting a fighter in a state where the game will crash if they are KO'd has been fixed.

6.0.0

• Neutral attack's third hit deals more damage (4.7% → 6.7%) and knockback (75 base/50 scaling → 80/60).
• Forward aerial has gained a late hit on frames 11-14 that deals less damage (12%/13% → 9%/9.6%), increasing the move's duration and allowing it to lock more effectively.
• Down aerial's sweetspot takes priority over the sourspot, making the meteor smash easier to land.
• Darkest Lariat:
  • Darkest Lariat's clean first hit deals more damage (16%/12% → 17%/13%) with no compensation on knockback.
  • The clean first hit's hitboxes on Incineroar's arms are larger (4.6u/4.2u → 5.8u/5.4u) and placed higher (Y offset: 10u → 11u), increasing its range.
  • The late first hit's arm hitboxes are placed higher (Y offset: 10u → 11u). While this better matches the move's animation, it more prominently makes it slightly worse at hitting small characters.
• Revenge:
  • Revenge's counter window lasts longer (frames 3-22 → 3-27), and the move has reduced ending lag both when missed (FAF 59 → 54) and successful (FAF 29 → 26).
  • The counterattack launches at a marginally lower angle (52°/56° → 51°/54°) with slightly more knockback (36/34 base/38/36 set → 40/38/40/38), and uses weight-independent knockback, making it consistent across the cast.

7.0.0

• Alolan Whip's hitboxes have altered knockback against bystanders (80 base/50 scaling → 128/34 (back body drop), 20/76 → 88/38 (lariat)), making them safe on hit at low percents.
  • However, this also severely weakens the lariat collateral's KO potential.

8.0.0

• Up smash has altered knockback (94 base/53 scaling → 89/61), increasing it overall.
• All grabs have one frame faster startup (frame 8 → 7 (standing), 12 → 11 (dash), 13 → 12 (pivot)), with their total duration reduced as well (FAF 39/47/45 → 38/46/44).
• Forward throw has more knockback scaling (52 → 58).
• Alolan Whip:
  • The move has faster startup (frame 18 → 16), with its total duration reduced as well (FAF 60 → 58).
  • The lariat attack has more knockback scaling on both grabbed opponents (440 → 454) and bystanders (38 → 40).
• Revenge:
  • The move has less ending lag if it misses (FAF 54 → 50).
  • It applies a larger damage multiplier to the next attack (1 + (0.25 + 0.075 * damage) → 1 + (0.5 + 0.075 * damage)).

13.0.0

• Down smash deals more damage (16% → 17%), with only a slight decrease to its base knockback (75 → 73), improving its KO potential.
• Up aerial deals more damage (8% → 9%), with its knockback compensated (65 base/87 scaling → 66/79).
• Cross Chop:
  • The non-spiking descending hit of Cross Chop deals more damage (11% → 13%), with its knockback scaling compensated (54 → 48).
  • The explosion deals more damage (9% → 10.8%), with its knockback compensated (88 base/83 scaling → 89/72).

Moveset

• Incineroar will display various animations after using certain attacks, such as striking a boastful pose if it hits, or expressing frustration if it misses. Aside from neutral attack's third hit, all of these animations are interruptible. All pose-inducing attacks (excluding neutral attack's third hit) also result in a crowd (separate from the standard crowd) cheering in response.
• Incineroar continuously receives damage while swimming. This trait is shared with Charizard, Sonic, and Inkling. This is a reference to Incineroar being susceptible to water due to being a Fire-type Pokémon.

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

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

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2.5%	A knifehand strike, followed by a knee lift, followed by the sok ngat, an uppercut-style elbow strike used in Muay Thai. If the third hit lands, Incineroar will taunt by pointing its finger towards the ground. Unlike many neutral attacks, holding the attack button only causes Incineroar to do a single attack unless it connects. The first hit can jab reset. As of update 6.0.0, it is tied with King K. Rool's neutral attack for the third most damaging non-infinite neutral attack in the entire game, and is surpassed only by Kazuya and Terry's neutral attacks.
			2.8%
			6.7%
Forward tilt			13% (hand), 12% (arm)	A knifehand thrust. It is a semi-spike and deals high damage for a tilt attack of its speed. It is the strongest forward tilt in the game in terms of KO power, KOing at 80% from the edge of Final Destination and 116% from the center. It appears almost identical to the Pokémon anime's depiction of Throat Chop. Can be angled upward or downward.
Up tilt			9%	A hopping, upward arcing headbutt. Has a wide hitbox above Incineroar and grants Incineroar's head intangibility (frames 6-11), allowing it to fend off aerial approaches. Combos into itself at 0%, or a neutral aerial or up aerial from 25%-75%. The move has blind spots directly beside Incineroar's legs, meaning it can miss short or prone enemies due to its very minimal horizontal range.
Down tilt			9%	A legsweep. Has impressive combo potential, allowing follow-ups into neutral attack or grab at 0%, up tilt from 18%-90%, up smash from 50%-69%, forward aerial from 30%-145%, back aerial from 40%-170%, and up aerial at percentages as high as 210%. Despite only using one leg for the attack, both of Incineroar's legs gain intangibility during the move (the attacking leg lasts on frames 8-11, while the other leg lasts on frames 9-11).
Dash attack			13% (clean), 9% (late)	A knee strike. The clean hit KOs at 102% from the edge of Final Destination, whereas the late hit has underwhelming power. If it lands, Incineroar will kneel on one knee, and point its thumb towards itself while gloating.
Forward smash			16% (leg), 20% (foot)	An enzuigiri. If it lands, Incineroar will gloat with its arms spread out, similarly to its down taunt, and it will fold its arms and clench its fists in dismay if it misses, though this animation is rarely seen due to the attack being interruptible before it plays. It has decent range and has a sweetspot on Incineroar's foot, which does high shield damage. Extremely powerful, the sweetspot KOs at 39% from the edge of Final Destination. It is also fairly fast in spite of its power, thanks to it coming out on frame 16. However, it has rather high ending lag, making it easy to punish. Despite having a respectable damage output, the sourspot's power is underwhelming in comparison and, although it is small, it takes priority over the sweetspot.
Up smash			17%	An upward double axe handle. If it lands, Incineroar will look to the sky and point upward, and it will clench its fists in dismay if it misses. It starts at ground level and has a rather big hitbox that covers the front of Incineroar and even reaches slightly behind it, all while gaining intangibility on its arms and hands (frames 13-18). Keeps consistent power throughout the move, but its knockback is only moderate for an up smash despite its high damage output, KOing at 116% on Final Destination.
Down smash			17%	A jumping splash. If it lands, Incineroar will point its finger upwards while on the floor, and it will pound its fist on the ground angrily if it misses. As Incineroar leaves the ground while using the move, it can dodge ground attacks and act as a hard punish. Deals moderately high shield damage and, like forward smash, it is incredibly powerful, KOing at 62% from the edge of Final Destination. However, it has considerable start-up and ending lag.
Neutral aerial			13% (clean), 7% (late)	A splash. Very fast start-up and acts as a sex kick. Useful for breaking out of combos. Auto-cancels with a jump.
Forward aerial			12% (clean legs), 13% (clean feet), 9% (late legs), 9.6% (late feet)	A dropkick. Deals more damage and knockback if the feet hitbox lands. It starts fast enough to hit opponents if buffered from a short hop. Auto-cancels if Incineroar lands before the hitbox comes out, allowing it to cancel tumbling. It can KO at 110% from the edge of Final Destination.
Back aerial			11% (leg), 13% (foot)	A hook kick. Like forward aerial, it deals more damage and knockback if the foot hitbox lands. It starts fast enough to hit opponents if buffered from a short hop. KOs at 89% from the edge of Final Destination, and auto-cancels with a jump.
Up aerial			9%	A crescent kick. It has a wide arc covering above Incineroar, but cannot hit opponents directly next to it. Auto-cancels from a short hop. A very useful juggling option that can even juggle into itself, although opponents can react out of it. It is also generally useful for combo chains.
Down aerial			15% (clean feet), 14% (clean legs), 9% (late feet), 8% (late legs)	A double foot stomp. It has rather slow start-up, but it is a powerful meteor smash if the feet hitbox lands. The body hitbox launches opponents diagonally.
Grab			—	Reaches out with both arms to clinch the opponent. It has noticeable ending lag, while its dash and pivot grabs come out somewhat slow on frame 11 and 12, respectively.
Pummel			1.6%	A headbutt. Powerful, but slow.
Forward throw			12% (throw), 4% (early), 6% (mid), 8% (late), 10% (latest)	A giant swing. Deals collateral damage to bystanders, which grows in power as Incineroar gains speed. Sends too far for any follow-ups apart from a dash attack at 0% if the opponent misses a tech. As of update 8.0.0, it is the strongest forward throw in the game, and is able to KO middleweights at 103% from the edge of Final Destination.
Back throw			14% (hitbox), — (throw)	A German suplex. When used right at the edge, it is potentially even stronger than Ness' back throw, as it is capable of KOing at 90% from the edge of Final Destination. It can even OHKO the lightest characters at the edge of stages while boosted by Revenge. While further away from the edge, however, Incineroar's back throw is considerably weaker than Ness', and is actually outclassed by Zelda, Dr. Mario, and Isabelle's back throws in addition to Ness'. Incineroar has higher knockback until about 120% thereafter, Ness' back throw becomes stronger due to higher damage. It can also hit bystanders, as it launches them at a lower angle and KOs them even earlier (at 75%).
Up throw			12%	An Argentine backbreaker rack drop. Incineroar poses with its arms raised and fists clenched upon completion. It has too much ending lag to combo reliably but can follow up into an up aerial or Cross Chop if the opponent does not react in a sufficient amount of time. Like forward and back throws, it is extremely powerful, KOing at 139% on Final Destination, and KOs significantly earlier when used on a platform.
Down throw			9%	A chokeslam. Incineroar pumps its fist upon completion. Unlike Incineroar's other throws, it is a combo starter instead of a KOing option. It has forward smash or dashing up smash as true follow-ups at 0%. It can also combo reliably into Darkest Lariat and neutral aerial at low percents, and forward and up aerials at low to medium percents. Due to Incineroar's overall slow speed, however, it loses its combo potential past medium percents or if Incineroar has rage. Prior to update 2.0.0, down throw could KO confirm into Cross Chop as a sacrificial KO, though with the increased vertical distance of Cross Chop after said update, it now usually only works as a mix-up if the opponent reacts poorly.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Swipes around itself.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Swipes around itself.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Swipes behind itself then punches forward.
Edge attack Edge getups			10%	Swipes forward.
Neutral special		Darkest Lariat	17%/13% (clean hit 1), 12%/10% (late hit 1, hit 2), 11%/9% (hits 3-4), 10%/8% (hits 5-6), 8%/6% (hits 7-8)	Spins rapidly to perform a series of discus lariats. It hits multiple times, with each hit becoming progressively weaker, but they launch opponents away instead of linking into each other. Incineroar gains invincibility during the move (frames 5 and 6 on its whole body, frame 7 on its head and arms, and frames 8-57 on its arms). It has extremely minimal start-up, and the entire move possesses transcendent priority, allowing it to break through opposing attacks (and weaker projectiles) apart from moves with sufficient range. Incineroar can slowly move left or right by holding a direction, and the move also slows its descent, though its slow speed means it is not suitable for recovery. The early hit KOs at 108% from the edge of Final Destination.
Side special		Alolan Whip	20% (lariat), 12% (back body drop), 4% (collision)	A command grab involving Incineroar lunging a short distance forward to grab opponents. Victims are thrown against wrestling ropes that appear after the grab connects. Depending on when the special or attack button is pressed after grabbing an opponent, Incineroar will perform one of three different moves: a lariat that launches the opponent the direction Incineroar is facing (input just as the opponent touches Incineroar); a back body drop that launches the opponent vertically (input any time after the opponent rebounds); or a failed attempt that causes the victim to collide against Incineroar's head, dealing 4% to both (too late/no input). Upon executing the lariat, Incineroar poses with its arms in the air and performs "devil horn" signs with both its paws, while tilting its head upwards. The lariat deals 20% and can KO at 72% from the edge of Final Destination. The back body drop deals 12% and can KO at 159% (or earlier with a low ceiling). Although the collision cannot KO at all, it can be used to simultaneously help Incineroar recover and gimp the opponent. During the throw, Incineroar gains 11.99% heavy armor, and if the opponent is hit out of the move, Incineroar will shrug towards the screen. It does not cause helplessness, which allows Incineroar to use it to extend its recovery.
Up special		Cross Chop	2.5%/3%/4%/5% (ascent), 3.5% (descent), 13% (Cross Chop), 10.8% (close explosion), 5.5% (far explosion)	Leaps upward while engulfed in flames before descending diagonally to perform a cross chop. Incineroar gains damage-based armor a few frames after its initial ascent (frames 4-15), and Incineroar can change its direction right after starting the move. It causes a large explosion if Incineroar lands while the descending hitbox is still active. The rising and descending hits have set knockback, with the descending hit having extremely high base knockback; this is capable of gimping opponents even at 0% for a sacrificial KO, with Incineroar always being KO'd after its opponent. Incineroar's descending body hitbox is similarly powerful, KOing at 75% from the edge of Final Destination, with the explosion being almost as powerful. However, the move has a high ending lag. Unlike most up specials, Cross Chop does not render Incineroar helpless (unless Incineroar lands during its descent and does not touch the solid ground), though its awkward angle requires it to be used extremely high for the recovery, as it is a self-destruct any other way.
Down special		Revenge	2.4% (counterattack)	Points its chest outward, retaliating against incoming attacks or projectiles. Functions as a counterattack, albeit much differently: Incineroar retaliates with a weak burst of flame after receiving significantly reduced damage from the retaliated attack, and its next move is powered up. As a visual indicator, Incineroar's body radiates an orange glow. This buff can stack depending on the number of countered moves and damage resisted. The buff lasts for a very long time (approximately 60 seconds), though its duration is reduced slightly each time Incineroar gets hit and lost entirely if Incineroar is grabbed and thrown. Once a powered up move lands, the buff is removed. If a smash attack, Cross Chop, or Alolan Whip's lariat connects while Revenge is active, the camera will perform the Special Zoom. With maximum stacks, Incineroar is able to do about 70% with just a single smash attack, giving it some of the strongest possible attacks in standard matches. The flame attack also grants intangibility (frames 1-19).
Final Smash		Max Malicious Moonsault	3% (start-up), 2% (initial grab), 7% (hit 1-4)	Activates its Incinium Z and lunges forward. Upon grabbing the first victim it comes in contact with, the victim is thrown against the ropes of a wrestling ring. Incineroar then uppercuts the victim upward, dropkicks them even further upward, uppercuts them again, and then finishes with a diving battering ram that sends it and the victim crashing into the ring to generate an explosion within the ring as a boxing bell chimes. The victim is sent flying alongside any bystanders. Can KO as early as 20%. If Incineroar misses on the ground, it slaps its knee in frustration.

On-screen appearance

• Emerges from a Poké Ball and struts while smirking.

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  Incineroar's on-screen appearance

Taunts

• Up taunt: Points to the sky as its flame belt ignites.
• Side taunt: Pounds its chest then raises its fist triumphantly while facing forward.
• Down taunt: Kneels and poses with its arms out, as if calling to the crowd.

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  Incineroar's up taunt.

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  Incineroar's side taunt.

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  Incineroar's down taunt.

Idle poses

• Flexes its muscles in the "crab pose", a variant of the "Most Muscular" bodybuilder pose.
• Wiggles the fingers of one of its paws, a common taunt used to initiate a wristlock-based test of strength.

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  Incineroar's first idle pose

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  Incineroar's second idle pose

Crowd cheer

	Cheer (English)	Cheer (Japanese/Chinese)	Cheer (Italian)	Cheer (Dutch)	Cheer (French)
Cheer
Description	In - cine - ROAR!	Gao - gae - n!	In - ciner - roar!	In - cine - roar!	Félin - ferno - Félin - fer - no!

	Cheer (German)	Cheer (Spanish)	Cheer (Russian)	Cheer (Korean)
Cheer
Description	Fu - e - gro, huh!	In - cine - roar! *claps 5 times*	In - cine - roar!	Eoheung - yeom!

Victory poses

• Left: Roars as its flame belt ignites, then throws a punch towards the camera while grinning.
• Up: Laughs while triumphantly raising a championship belt above its head, then makes a beckoning gesture while grinning.
• Right: Swings both its arms left and right, before kneeling and roaring.

A small excerpt of the title theme of Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green Versions, a track which would go on to become the Pokémon main theme and the title theme for the entire series.

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In competitive play

At the start of Ultimate, Incineroar was considered a mid-tier by most professionals, with access to moves that have the potential to deal high knockback and damage thanks to Revenge, a powerful back throw that can potentially KO earlier than Ness', and a suicide KOing option in the form of Cross Chop, which can be performed out of a down throw. It also had a decent amount of success from players, especially Magister, who placed well at both regional and national tournaments.

Despite this, as the metagame progressed, Incineroar's representation has been noticeably limited overall, with below-average results at major tournaments. Magister also started attending less tournaments while placing worse at the tournaments that he did attend. Although Incineroar has received buffs in its combo potential and power balancing in its poor recovery, it continues to have poor representation and few notable results, and most professionals currently consider it a low tier or bottom tier character.

Most historically significant players

See also: Category:Incineroar professionals (SSBU)

•  Magister - Formerly the best Incineroar player in the world and is currently inactive. Placed 1st FanimeCon 2019, 5th at Kawaii Kon 2019, 25th at GENESIS 6, 33rd at Glitch 8 - Missingno, and 49th at GENESIS 7 with wins over players such as MVD, Stroder, and Sonido.
•  Nanon - One of the best Incineroar players in the world. Placed 5th at both BIT MASTER MTY 7 and WeTecThose X, 9th at BIT MASTER MTY 8, 13th at Guerras Regias!, and 33rd at Smash Factor 8 with wins over players like Rox, Nery, and Wonf. Currently ranked 22nd on the Mexican Power Rankings.
•  Puya - One of the best Incineroar players in Europe. Placed 5th at Calyptus Cup Begone! and 9th at Unismash 7: Ultimate Birthday. Has wins over Hirschulat and Yikarur.
•  Skyjay - Currently the best Incineroar player in the world. Placed 5th at ChillHouse, 9th at Mexican Gaming Championship, 13th at Port Priority 6, 17th at Mainstage 2021 and 33rd at Smash Factor 8, Glitch 8.5 - Konami Code, and Low Tide City 2021 with wins over players such as Elegant, Myran, Ned, Jakal, Chag, and MuteAce. Currently ranked 27th on the Mexican Power Rankings. Online, placed 5th at both Maruchan Gaming Series and Frame Perfect Series 4: ONLINE. Currently ranked 30th on the Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v7.

Classic Mode: Burning Pro Wrestling Spirit!

Incineroar's congratulations screen.

Incineroar's opponents are all heavy characters and are stylized in a way as if it was similar to a Championship Tournament. Additionally, all rounds aside from the final round take place on Boxing Ring.

Round	Opponent	Stage	Music	Notes
1	Bowser	Boxing Ring	The Grand Finale
2	Ganondorf	Boxing Ring	Molgera
3	Morton and Ludwig	Boxing Ring (Battlefield form)	Fortress Boss - Super Mario World	Greninja is a CPU ally. Based on a general wrestling tag-team match.
4	King K. Rool	Boxing Ring (Battlefield form)	Gang-Plank Galleon	Resembles the boss battle against King K. Rool in Donkey Kong 64.
5	Donkey Kong	Boxing Ring (Ω form)	Boss 2 - DK: Jungle Climber	Resembles the boss battle against Donkey Kong in Punch Out (Wii).
6	Incineroar	Boxing Ring (Ω form)	Battle! (Lorekeeper Zinnia)	If using the purple alternate costume, the opponent will be the default Incineroar.
Bonus Stage
Final	Master Hand and Crazy Hand	Final Destination	Master Hand / Crazy Hand	Greninja is a CPU ally.

Note: Incineroar teams up with Greninja in the third and final round.

Note 2: Each round uses a track taken from the series the characters are fought in their respective round.

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Incineroar has The Battle at the Summit! accompany the credits.

Role in World of Light

Finding Incineroar in World of Light

Although Incineroar does not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene, it was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (except Kirby) when Galeem unleashed his beams of light.

Incineroar was one of the many fighters that fell under Dharkon's control upon Galeem's first defeat. It can be found on the southwest path of The Dark Realm, where the spirit of Caeda must be beaten to access it.

Fighter Battle

No.	Image	Name	Type	Power	Stage	Music
69		Incineroar	Attack	12,500	Spear Pillar (Ω form)	The Battle at the Summit!

Spirit

Incineroar's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Incineroar has been unlocked. Unlocking Incineroar in World of Light allows the player to preview the spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Its fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with its artwork in Ultimate.

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  419. Incineroar

In Spirit battles

As the main opponent

Spirit				Battle parameters							Inspiration
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music	Character
520		Victini	Pokémon Series	•Incineroar		13,400	Prism Tower (Battlefield form)	•Easy to Launch	•You are easy to launch •Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Victini)	N's Castle
557		Solgaleo	Pokémon Series	•Gold Incineroar (160 HP)		9,400	Spear Pillar (hazards off)	N/A	•Stamina battle •The enemy favors special moves •Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Solgaleo)	Battle! (Elite Four) / Battle! (Solgaleo/Lunala)
733		9-Volt & 18-Volt	WarioWare Series	•Incineroar •Villager		9,000	Gamer (Battlefield form)	•Assist Trophy Enemies (Sheriff) •Item: Boss Galaga	•Hostile assist trophies will appear •The enemy is easily distracted by items	WarioWare, Inc.	18-Volt
783		Big the Cat	Sonic The Hedgehog Series	•Giant Incineroar		2,600	Windy Hill Zone (Battlefield form)	•Hazard: Slumber Floor	•The floor is sleep-inducing •The enemy is giant	Open Your Heart
803		Red Pikmin	Pikmin Series	•Tiny Incineroar Team ×12 (10 HP)		3,900	Garden of Hope (Battlefield form)	•Hazard: Lava Floor	•The floor is lava •The enemy's explosion and fire attacks have increased power •Stamina battle	Main Theme - Pikmin (Original)
828		Tom Nook	Animal Crossing Series	•Tail Incineroar		3,600	Smashville	•Sudden Final Smash •Item: Food	•The enemy will suddenly have a Final Smash •The enemy's FS Meter charges quickly •The enemy's melee blows will heal them when they hit	Town Hall and Tom Nook's Store - Animal Crossing: Wild World
939		Great Tiger	Punch-Out!! Series	•Incineroar (140 HP) ×2 (100 HP)		3,400	Boxing Ring	N/A	•Defeat the main fighter to win •Stamina battle •Reinforcements will appear during the battle	Minor Circuit (Original)	Great Tiger's illusionary clones (Grey Costume)
983		Zangief	Street Fighter Series	•Incineroar (140 HP)		9,100	Boxing Ring	•Jump Power ↓	•The enemy's throws have increased power •The enemy's physical attacks have increased power •Stamina battle	Zangief Stage Type A
993		T. Hawk	Street Fighter Series	•Incineroar (120 HP)		1,800	New Donk City Hall (hazards off)	•Jump Power ↓	•The enemy's up special has increased power •The enemy's throws have increased power •Stamina battle	T. Hawk Stage Type B
1,358		Joe Higashi	Fatal Fury Series	•Incineroar (160 HP)		2,000	Kongo Falls (Ω form)	•Jump Power ↓	•Stamina battle •All fighters have reduced jump power •The enemy starts the battle with an Ore Club	A New Poem That the South Thailand Wants to Tell - FATAL FURY 2
1,405		Dragaux	Ring Fit Adventure	•Incineroar (200 HP)		9,500	Find Mii (Ω form)	•Metal Shift •Giant •Item: Food	•The enemy is giant when the enemy's at high damage •The enemy will occasionally turn metal when the enemy's at high damage •Stamina battle	Battle Start - Fossil Fighters: Frontier
1,412		Kevin & Charlotte	Mana Series	•Incineroar •Tiny Robin		9,100	Hyrule Castle (hazards off)	•Health Recovery •Attack Power ↑	•The enemy has increased attack power when the enemy's at high damage •The enemy is healed significantly when the enemy's at high damage	Preparing to Advance	Kevin
1,481		King & Armor King	Tekken Series	•Incineroar (130 HP) •Incineroar (130 HP)		3,800	Boxing Ring	•Attack Power ↑	•Stamina battle •The enemy has increased attack power after a little while	Ethno Evening	King (orange costume) Armor King (gray costume)

As a minion

Spirit				Battle parameters							Inspiration
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music	Character
482		Raikou, Entei, & Suicune	Pokémon Series	•Greninja •Incineroar •Pikachu		9,900	Suzaku Castle	•Hazard: Lava Floor	•The floor is lava	Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue Medley	Entei
696		Lion	Game & Watch Series	•Mr. Game & Watch •Incineroar		3,600	Flat Zone X (Lion)	N/A	•Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle	Flat Zone 2	Lion
969		Nia	Xenoblade Chronicles Series	•Mii Brawler (90 HP) (Moveset 2122, Nia Wig, Nia Outfit, High Voice Type 2) •Incineroar (90 HP)		9,100	Gaur Plain (hazards off)	N/A	•Stamina battle •The enemy heals over time	Battle!! - Xenoblade Chronicles 2	Dromarch
										Gormott
1,053		Maria Renard	Castlevania Series	•Zelda •Falco •Charizard •Incineroar		3,700	Reset Bomb Forest (hazards off)	N/A	•The enemy starts the battle with a Cucco	Slash	Cat
1,199		Baxter & Forthington	Rhythm Heaven Series Rhythm Paradise Series	•Duck Hunt •Tiny Incineroar		1,500	Pilotwings	•Item: Throwing Types	•The enemy is easily distracted by items	Monkey Watch	Forthington
1,309		Morgana	Persona Series	•Pikachu •Giant Incineroar		11,500	Mementos (hazards off)	•Hazard: Heavy Wind	•Defeat the main fighter to win •Dangerously high winds are in effect after a little while •Reinforcements will appear during the battle	Last Surprise	Zorro
1,369		Grookey, Scorbunny, & Sobble	Pokémon Series	•Diddy Kong •Bunny Incineroar •Squirtle		9,600	Onett (Battlefield form)	N/A	•The enemy has increased attack power when badly damaged •Reinforcements will appear during the battle •The enemy starts the battle with a Lip's Stick	Road to Viridian City - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue	Scorbunny

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Incineroar's splash art.

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  Artwork of all playable Pokémon characters and Poké Ball Pokémon, as posted by the official Pokémon Twitter account.

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  Incineroar's amiibo.

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  Incineroar's fighter card.

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  Incineroar's unlock notice.

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  Incineroar on Kongo Falls.

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  Using its dash attack on Little Mac on Big Blue.

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  Using Alolan Whip on Falco on Pirate Ship.

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  Using its down taunt alongside multiple Pikachu and Pichu on Paper Mario.

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  Rolling next to a Smoke Ball on Wii Fit Studio.

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  Using Revenge on Mushroom Kingdom U.

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  Being hit by Luminary's up aerial on Coliseum.

Trivia

• Masahiro Sakurai references Red Cyclone, the nickname of Street Fighter wrestling character Zangief, when explaining Incineroar's neutral special, Darkest Lariat.
  • Additionally, Zangief's spirit is placed within an Incineroar puppet fighter for his spirit battle.
• Prior to the addition of DLC, Incineroar was the fighter with the most recent games of origin, Pokémon Sun and Moon, which were released on November 18, 2016 for the Nintendo 3DS. Incidentally, Greninja also held this title in Smash 4. Both are part Dark types who are the final evolutions of starter Pokémon, they were the only Pokémon debutants in their Smash debut and they appear slightly tilted in their damage meter compared to their character artwork.
  • With the addition of DLC, Incineroar's placement as the most recent character of origin (Pokemon Sun & Moon released in November 2016) has been beaten with Byleth (Fire Emblem: Three Houses released in July 2019), similarly to how Greninja's placement as the most recent character of origin in Smash 4 was beaten by Corrin.
• Leaked artwork of Alola's fully evolved starter Pokémon depicts Incineroar using a giant swing and an Argentine backbreaker rack drop. In Ultimate, it uses these moves as its forward and up throws, respectively.
• Unshō Ishizuka provided the Japanese voice for Incineroar in Ultimate before his unexpected passing on August 13, 2018. Ishizuka recorded all of his voice clips for the game before his death.
  • Incineroar's Japanese voice clips are much more muffled and lower in quality than other languages, especially given how they appear to be in a much higher quality in the Japanese version of its reveal trailer. This is likely because Ishizuka was not able to return for ADR before his passing, resulting in them having to use the voice clips in the way they originally were.
• Incineroar's double jump fall animation notably has it lower down in the air than in its regular falling animation. This can result in it hitting the lower blast zone slightly earlier if it attempts to recover low on certain stages.
• Incineroar is the only playable Pokémon that does not have a special move based on a Pokémon move of its primary type.
  • It is also the only playable Pokémon to not have a special move that originated from Generation I.
• Incineroar and Ken are the first pair of characters from different series who share a reveal trailer.
• Incineroar is the only first-party newcomer in the base game for Ultimate who was not represented in any way in previous Super Smash Bros. installments, due to not existing at the time.
• Incineroar is the only Pokémon who is not fought in any of its series' home stages when being unlocked. It is instead fought on Boxing Ring, Little Mac's home stage, as a reference to its reveal trailer and wrestling influences.
• Incineroar travels to the lowest number of stages in its Classic Mode route of all characters, traveling only to Boxing Ring (in all three forms).
• Incineroar, Wario and King K. Rool all have Classic Mode routes themed around super-heavyweight fighters.
  • Morton and Ludwig are only characters in Incineroar's Classic Mode route that aren't super-heavyweights, instead being normal heavyweights. However, this could be a reference to how they (along with Roy Koopa) are portrayed heavier than the rest of the Koopalings in the Mario series.
• Incineroar is one of the few characters who makes any sounds during their idle animations.
• Due to an error on the American official site blog, Incineroar does not have its own fighter tag on its blog entry, and is thus not listed when sorting the "By Fighter" category. This also applies to Falco.
• Incineroar is the only playable character in the base game of Ultimate who was not in the game's original project plan when it was drafted in December 2015. When choosing characters, Sakurai wanted to pick a character from a newer game, and with the upcoming release of Pokémon Sun and Moon, a Pokémon spot was reserved to be determined later. Although Sakurai did consider Decidueye, he ended up choosing Incineroar, mostly because he had never designed a wrestling-oriented fighter before.
• Incineroar is the second fighter to brandish a championship belt in their victory pose, the first being Little Mac. However, the designs of the belts are very different.
• Excluding touching a red trampoline from Pac-Jump, Incineroar cannot render itself helpless apart from a very specific condition, this being landing with a Cross Chop and failing to touch solid ground during the initial rebound. It shares this trait with Kirby, who can only experience helplessness if he slides off an edge during Final Cutter (or with certain Copy Abilities).
• Excluding use of a Boss Galaga, Incineroar is one of the few fighters to spin differently in their star KO: it spins forwards instead of away from the screen, similarly to how star KOs acted in SSB4. It shares this trait with Cloud, Corrin, Shulk, Inkling, and Joker.
• There is a visual glitch with Incineroar's eyes in spirit battles where it gains multiple irises when hit.
• Zooming in around Incineroar's neck during its reverse knockback animation reveals a gap between its neck and body.
• Incineroar's base costume in Ultimate features a white-to-dark color gradation for its fur around its torso, which is inconsistent with any of its official appearances in Pokémon.
• Incineroar's feet are briefly shown to have claws on the ends of them during its forward smash, back aerial, and the dropkick during Max Malicious Moonsault. Incineroar's model in Pokémon Sun and Moon also has these feet claws, though no animations seem to make them appear, rendering them unused.
• Despite Incineroar having separate voice actors for French and German, its trailer in those languages uses its English voice clips instead.
• Incineroar added no new Pokémon types to Ultimate, with Dark already being represented by Greninja, and Charizard already having the Fire type.