Item

A Party Ball breaks open releasing various items in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

For the CPU Mode, see ITEM.

An item is an object, that either randomly appears on-stage during a match or is summoned by a character's special move, that can be picked up and used by characters. Many items can be wielded once picked up, while others apply an effect, and almost all can be thrown at opponents. Items are a large part of the gameplay of the Super Smash Bros. series, but problems with randomness and inconsistent risk/reward balance results in tournament rulesets universally requiring that random spawning of items be disabled using the Item Switch before starting the match.

If all recovery items are turned off in Super Smash Bros. Melee, the chance of naturally occurring items like the apples dropped by Whispy Woods on Green Greens and Chansey's eggs recovering health is eliminated; the apples will all be projectiles and the eggs will either be explosives or drop other items. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl the same is true regarding the apples (since Chansey does not appear). Additionally, the vegetables on Summit will not appear if food is turned off.

Overview

Items appear from stage-dependent designated locations at various times throughout a match based on the frequency set in the Item Switch. Characters can pick up items by standing near one and pressing the attack button; items can also be grabbed in midair starting in Melee with the grab button, or grabbed during dashes and aerial attacks in Brawl and SSB4. Characters can only hold one item at a time (if Villager's Pocket ability is discounted). If an item is left alone, it will eventually disappear, flashing briefly beforehand (Pitfalls, Green Shells and Ore Clubs being exceptions). Items that are picked up by characters can be dropped or thrown with the grab button, and they may be dropped if the character takes a hard hit. The damage done by a thrown item depends on how fast it's moving. Most items can also be swallowed in Brawl and SSB4, and in the latter, can even heal these characters when they do so, unless the item is an explosive.

Mechanics

In Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, the chance of a character dropping their held item when hit is (hitbox damage)/60. Thus, if a hit deals 6% damage, the chance of it causing an item drop on a given frame is 10%. Roy’s fully charged Flare Blade in Melee deals 50 damage, so it has a drop chance of 83.333%.

In Brawl and Smash 4 this probability was decreased; normal items now use the formula CEIL(hitbox damage)/70. In addition, certain non-standard items use different formulas. In Brawl, this includes Dragoon pieces and the Smash Ball, where the drop chance = INT(hitbox damage)/50. In Smash 4, the chance of dropping each Dragoon piece was decreased to INT(hitbox damage)/100. This formula also applies to the Daybreak. The Master Ball item also has a non-standard drop chance, but the formula is not known.

Types of items

Items can be grouped into several categories based on their effects.

• Container items release other items once broken open, which can be done either by attacking them or by picking up and throwing them. In general, container items have a 12.5% (1 in 8) chance of exploding instead of releasing items.
• Battering items are wielded by characters once picked up, turning their neutral attack, forward tilt, dash attack, and forward smash into an item swipe.
• Shooting items fire projectiles when used, typically replacing the neutral attack and neutral aerial of the user. They all have limited ammunition and will merely shoot blanks once it runs out. In SSB4, trying to shoot an empty item will instead simply throw it.
• Throwing items can only be thrown at opponents. Holding a throwing item means that a character cannot use most of their attacks, as pressing the attack button will simply throw the item.
• Status items apply some sort of effect to the user, often beneficial but not necessarily. Some status items only need contact to be used (instead of needing to be grabbed). The ones that do need to be grabbed can be picked up even if the character is already holding an item; no such items exist in the original Super Smash Bros.
• Recovery items decrease the damage of the user (or increase their HP in Stamina mode). Starting in Melee, recovery items can be picked up even when the character is already holding an item.
• Summoning items release an ally that fights along side you or your team when picked up.
• Collectible items do not affect the match but instead are added to the player's collection once picked up. Computer players will not attempt to pick up collectible items, but if they do so accidentally they will not count.
• Special items do not fit into the above categories.

In addition to the above, certain items can be heavy, which limits those that pick them up into walking slowly (or not at all in SSB) and throwing. Only Donkey Kong can move quickly or jump while carrying a heavy item.

List of items

Item						Type	Heavy	Notes	Universe
Apple					?	Throwing/Recovery		Produced by Whispy Woods on Green Greens. Each apple can be either a throwing item or a recovery item, and in rare cases may explode when thrown.	Kirby
Assist Trophy						Summoning		When picked up, after the character lands on the ground, they will perform a short animation and summon a random character to aid them in the fight.	Super Smash Bros.
Auroros					?	Throwing		Only appear in the Subspace Emissary. When Auroros dive and miss, they can be picked up and thrown at other enemies.	Super Smash Bros.
Back Shield					?	Status		Defends the wearer from attacks towards their back.	Kid Icarus
Banana Peel						Throwing		Once thrown, trips opponents that touch it. Diddy Kong can summon these by using his down special, the banana peel, leading into deadly mindgames and combo/KO setups.	Mario
Barrel						Container		Once thrown, struck, or lands on a hill, may roll across the stage and damage what it hits before breaking.	Super Smash Bros.
Barrel Cannon	***		*	*	?	Throwing		Once thrown or it lands on a hill, grabs and launches the first character it hits. Disappears very quickly.	Donkey Kong
Beam Sword						Battering		Starting in Melee, gets longer when swung depending on character. Peach has a rare chance of plucking one when using Vegetable.	Super Smash Bros.
Beehive						Throwing		Can be thrown at opponents. If attacked or thrown at a player, it summons bees that attack the player that attacked it or was hit by it.	Animal Crossing
Beetle						Throwing		Can be thrown towards an opponent, and the item will grab the opponent and fly off into the air with them. Can be reversed by hitting it.	The Legend of Zelda
Black Hole						Throwing		Creates a massive black hole, dragging all items and players nearby in. Throws the opposite side of user's orientation.	Super Smash Bros.
Blast Box					?	Throwing		Very poor throwing distance. Explodes upon taking 30% damage or a flame attack.	Super Smash Bros.
Bob-omb						Throwing		Very powerful explosive. If not grabbed within a few seconds of its appearance, it lights its own fuse and begins walking around, exploding on any character it meets. If it doesn't meet a character it will blow itself up after a while. Peach has a rare chance of plucking one when using Vegetable.	Mario
Bonsly					?	Throwing		Only appears from Poké Balls. Can be thrown to deal heavy damage and knockback.	Pokémon
Bomb (Link)						Throwing		A Bomb that can be thrown at opponents and explodes when hitting one or after a set time. Summoned by Link, Young Link, or Toon Link.	The Legend of Zelda
Bombchu						Throwing		Can move up walls and across floors and ceilings. Explodes on contact with opponent.	The Legend of Zelda
Bomber						Special		Explodes in the player's hand when used. Affects only ennemies.	Kirby
Bonus Fruit					?	Throwing		Produced by Pac-Man's neutral special move. Damage, knockback, and flight pattern when thrown vary based on the fruit used.	Pac-Man
Boomerang					?	Throwing		Can be thrown at and grabbed by opponents. Returns to the thrower unless intercepted. Gains power when caught.	Mario
Boss Galaga						Special		Carries foes upward to the top of the screen. Can be destroyed by attacking it.	Namco
Bullet Bill		*	*			Transformation		Transforms the user into a Bullet Bill and launches them in a specified direction, dealing big damage to anyone they hit along the way. After a set distance, the user returns to normal. Can be reflected.	Mario
Bumper						Throwing		Can be placed on the stage or (in Brawl) set in midair, where it will knock away characters that touch it. If two or more are present, they can be used to momentarily trap characters by bouncing them back and forth.	Super Smash Bros.
Bunny Hood						Status		Increases the user's movement speed, jump height, and falling speed.	The Legend of Zelda
Capsule						Container		Contains a single item. Has a chance of exploding.	Super Smash Bros.
Cardboard Box					?	Throwing		Produced by Snake's taunts. Automatically thrown once picked up, unless the user is Donkey Kong, who can move around and jump with the box.	Metal Gear
CD					?	Collectible		Unlocks a random piece of stage music when picked up. Disappears extremely quickly. Will stop appearing in game after all music is unlocked.	Super Smash Bros.
Cloaking Device					?	Status		Renders the user mostly invisible and makes them immune to damage (but not knockback).	Perfect Dark
Cracker Launcher					?	Shooting		Limits the user to walking and a single jump, and automatically dropped from any flinch.	Super Smash Bros.
Crate						Container		Contains many items. Has a chance of exploding when thrown, or hit.	Super Smash Bros.
Cucco						Throwing		Can be thrown at opponents. If attacked or thrown at a player, it summons various Cuccos that attack the player that attacked it or was hit by it.	The Legend of Zelda
Custom Part					?	Collectible		Adds customize-able parts for characters.	Super Smash Bros.
Daybreak					?	Special/Shooting		Appears in three pieces that must be collected all at once; characters can lose pieces from their possession when hit or KO'd. Once one character has all the pieces the weapon assembles in their hands, which they can then use at their discretion to fire a giant laser across the stage, almost guaranteed to KO anyone it hits.	Kid Icarus
Deku Nut					?	Throwing		When thrown, damaged, or after a short time (even if held), nearby characters are stunned (if grounded) or launched (if aerial).	The Legend of Zelda
Dragoon						Special		Appears in three pieces that must be collected all at once; characters can lose pieces from their possession when hit or KO'd. Once one character has all the pieces the Dragoon is assembled and flown into the stage for a one-hit KO ram attack.	Kirby
Drill Arm						Shooting		Allows the wearer to fire a large drill.	Super Smash Bros.
Egg					?	Container		Produced by Chansey, Birdo and Yoshi series stages. Essentially identical to Capsules.	Super Smash Bros.
Electrode	***					Throwing		Only appears from Poké Balls and can only be grabbed before it's about to detonate. Explosion deals extremely high knockback. Has a chance to be a dud.	Pokémon
Fairy Bottle						Throwing/Recovery		Recovers an excess of 100% damage, but only if the user's damage is 100% or more. Otherwise, can be thrown, but will heal anyone hit who meets the prior requirement.	The Legend of Zelda
Fake Smash Ball						Special		Flies around the stage, similar to the Smash Ball. Characters can break it in order to activate. Once broken, it will explode.	Super Smash Bros.
Fan					?	Battering		Fastest-swinging battering item. High shield damage.	Super Smash Bros.
Fire Bar					?	Battering		Causes fire damage. Grows shorter with each successful attack.	Mario
Fire Flower						Shooting		Produces a continuous stream of short-range fire.	Mario
Flipper				***	?	Throwing		Once thrown, halts in the air and bops characters that run into it.	Balloon Fight
Food						Recovery		Each type of food recovers a different amount of damage. Can be produced in large numbers by Peach Blossom.	Super Smash Bros.
Franklin Badge						Status		Temporarily makes the wearer immune to projectiles by automatically reflecting them. Can be knocked off.	EarthBound
Freezie					?	Throwing		Slides across the stage, freezing characters when struck by it. Can be destroyed before being picked up.	Mario
Grass					?	Special		When picked up, another item appears in its place.	Mario
Golden Hammer						Special		Acts the same as the regular Hammer, though faster, more powerful and with the ability to float. May be a dud Squeaky Hammer that deals no damage at all.	Mario
Gooey Bomb						Throwing		When thrown, attaches to characters and can transfer to other characters that pass by. Explodes after a certain time or if attacked when not on a character.	Super Smash Bros.
Green Shell						Throwing		When thrown, attacked, or landed on, slides across the stage and damages everything it hits. Can be stopped by jumping on it.	Mario
Gust Bellows					?	Shooting		Blows gusts of wind at other players to push them away.	The Legend of Zelda
Gyro					?	Throwing		Produced by R.O.B.'s down special move. Lingers on the ground and damages opponents who touch it while it spins.	R.O.B.
Hammer						Special		One of the most feared items in the game due to its range, damage, and knockback. However, it limits the user to walking and a single jump; the user cannot even choose to drop the item. May randomly lose its head and become useless.	Donkey Kong
Hammer Head					?	Throwing		The Hammer may sometimes lose its head; the head can be picked up and thrown for massive damage.	Donkey Kong
Hand Grenade						Throwing		Produced by Snake's neutral special move. Does not explode on contact. If Snake shields, anyone who is holding one of his grenades instantly drops it.	Metal Gear
Heart Container						Recovery		Strongest recovery item, recovering up to 100% damage.	The Legend of Zelda
Hocotate Bomb						Throwing		A bomb shaped like the Hocotate Ship that will fly off, and then crash down after a set time.	Pikmin
Home-Run Bat					?	Battering		An extremely powerful item. Its forward smash is among the most powerful attacks in all four games, being a one-hit KO in every one. As a throwing item, it maintains its high knockback and is a semi-spike. In Brawl, forward smash uses a unique animation. It becomes stronger when hit on the tip.	Super Smash Bros.
Hothead						Throwing		Follows the contours of the stage once thrown. Grows in size and damage but lasts for a shorter time when hit by flame or electric attacks.	Mario
Key					?	Throwing		Only appears in specific Subspace Emissary stages. Unlocks doors when thrown at them or the holding character touches them. Returns to original spot if it remains idle on the ground.	Super Smash Bros.
Killer Eye						Throwing		When placed, can fire energy beams in the direction it faces. Hitting it flips it around.	Kid Icarus
Launch Star						Throwing		Can be set in midair, where it will attract and launch any characters that get too close to it. The launch has the potential to KO fighters.	Mario
Lightning Bolt					?	Status		When touched, shrinks all opponents. Can backfire and shrink the user or enlarge all opponents.	Mario
Lip's Stick					?	Battering		Flowers opponents. Has a limited supply of short-range spore projectiles produced on f-tilt or f-smash.	Panel de Pon
Master Ball						Throwing/Summoning		Just like the Poké Ball, but it is guaranteed to release a rare or Legendary Pokémon.	Pokémon
Maxim Tomato						Recovery		The third most powerful recovery item, healing up to 50% damage.	Kirby
Mechakoopa					?	Throwing		Produced by Bowser Jr.'s down special move. Walks around briefly before exploding.	Mario
Metal Blade					?	Throwing		Can be thrown in 8 directions and pierces through enemies. If thrown into the ground it will be able to be grabbed and used by anyone including Mega Man.	Mega Man
Metal Box						Status		Increases the weight and falling speed of the user, while also reducing the chances of flinching. Can be activated by pickup or by direct attack; indirect attacks will either destroy it (in Melee) or do nothing (in Brawl).	Mario
Motion-Sensor Bomb						Throwing		Attaches to the stage once thrown; characters that approach it after a short time cause it to explode.	Super Smash Bros.
Mr. Saturn						Throwing		Walks around the stage and can be knocked about by attacks. Deals massive damage to shields when thrown, but only minor damage otherwise.	EarthBound
Ore Club						Battering		An extremely powerful club made of stone that produces tornadoes when swung. Grants super armor when used as a forward smash.	Kid Icarus
Parasol				*	?	Battering		Reduces the holder's falling speed, allowing them to glide slowly left and right, potentially improving recovery.	Kirby
Party Ball						Container		Once activated by being thrown or damaged, it floats into the air and opens, dropping its items.	Super Smash Bros.
Peanut				*	?	Throwing/Recovery		Produced by Diddy's Peanut Popgun and Rocketbarrel Barrage. Can be caught and re-thrown, or left to hit the stage and possibly drop a food-like item.	Donkey Kong
Pellet					?	Throwing		Produced by the Pellet Posies on Distant Planet. Can be thrown into stationary Onions to produce other items.	Pikmin
Pitfall					?	Throwing		Embeds itself into the ground once thrown; characters that approach it after a short time will be buried or Meteor Smashed. Can also be thrown at an opponent directly for the same effect.	Animal Crossing
Poison Mushroom						Status		Slides across the stage. When touched, shrinks the character.	Mario
Poké Ball						Throwing/Summoning		Once thrown and lands on the ground, unleashes a Pokémon to aid the user.	Pokémon
POW Block	***		***		?	Throwing		When thrown, it causes an earthquake, launching all characters (including the player) straight up if on the ground. Can be used three times.	Mario
Power Suit Piece					?	Throwing		Produced by the Zero Laser or by starting a match as Zero Suit Samus.	Metroid
Ray Gun						Shooting		Fires blasts of energy that have infinite horizontal range.	Super Smash Bros.
Red Shell			**	**	?	Throwing		When thrown, attacked, or landed on, slides across the stage and damages everything it hits. Aims for nearby characters and avoids sliding off edges. A red shell can be obtained in Adventure Mode from a red Koopa Paratroopa but behaves like a green shell while being able to deal flame damage.	Mario
Rocket Belt						Status		Can be equipped and used to increase upward momentum at will, similar to R.O.B.'s up-special.	Pilotwings
Rolling Crate					?	Container		When thrown, struck, or lands on a hill, will roll across the stage and damage what it hits without breaking. Can be stood on.	Super Smash Bros.
Sandbag		*			?	Special		When attacked, produces items.	Super Smash Bros.
Screw Attack						Throwing/Status		Turns the holder's jumps into Screw Attacks. In Melee, applies for as long as the holder keeps the item, and a forced Screw Attack will be applied to those the item is thrown at. In Brawl, applies until the item wears off and does not need to be held in-hand once picked up.	Metroid
Shellcreepers and Sidesteppers					?	Throwing		Creatures that appear on the Mario Bros. stage. Can only be picked up when on their back. Color determines knockback strength.	Mario
Smart Bomb						Throwing		Produces a large explosion when thrown or attacked. Has a chance to be a dud, though it can still explode if hit or thrown again.	Star Fox
Smash Ball						Special		Flies around the stage. Characters must break in order to obtain. Once broken, player presses their neutral special button to use their Final Smash. Will fly off-stage after a short period if not obtained and used.	Super Smash Bros.
Smash Coins and Bills					?	Collectible		Only appear in coin battles. Adds to player's coin count. Bills debut in Brawl.	Super Smash Bros.
Smoke Ball					?	Throwing		Once thrown, spews smoke around its immediate area. May stick to opponents.	Super Smash Bros.
Soccer Ball					?	Special		Cannot be picked up. When attacked, it careens in the knockback direction with high damage and knockback.	Mario
Special Flag					?	Special		Can be held above the user's head for a long period to gain either a KO point in a timed match or a stock in a stock match. Unlike other items, this one will always be dropped if the user is hit while holding it.	Namco
Spiny Shell						Throwing		Commonly known as the 'Blue Shell'. Hovers above a player before dropping onto them and exploding. Can be dodged, or it can hit someone other than its intended target on descent.	Mario
Spring					?	Throwing		When idle, repels characters when touched depending on whether it is upright or sideways.	Donkey Kong
Star Rod						Battering/Shooting		Has a limited supply of long-range star shots produced on f-tilt or f-smash.	Kirby
Stat Boost					?	Status		Boosts the status of the character. Only appears in Smash Run and Smash Tour.	Super Smash Bros.
Steel Diver					?	Shooting		A smaller gun-like version of the Steel Diver from the self-titled game for the Nintendo 3DS. Fires a torpedo which travels slowly at first. Deals no shield damage whatsoever.	Steel Diver
Sticker					?	Collectible		Adds to the player's sticker collection.	Super Smash Bros.
Stock Ball					?	Special		Only appears in specific Subspace Emissary stages at lower difficulties. Adds one stock to the player's total.	Super Smash Bros.
Super Leaf						Status		Gives the user raccoon ears and tail. Allows the user to float in mid-air using the jump button.	Mario
Super Mushroom						Status		Slides across the stage. When touched, enlarges the character.	Mario
Super Scope						Shooting		Can shoot a total of 48 small rapid-fire pulses of energy or charge 3 large blobs of energy.	Nintendo
Super Star					?	Status		Bounces across the stage, and makes whoever it touches invulnerable to all damage and knockback for a short time. Users can still be KO'd if they fall off the stage with it.	Mario
Superspicy Curry						Status/Shooting		Causes the user to constantly shoot short-range fireballs and be incapable of walking slowly.	Kirby
Team Healer					?	Throwing/Recovery		Heals teammates when thrown at them. When thrown at opponents, can heal or damage them at random. Only appears during team battles.	Super Smash Bros.
Timer						Status		Slows down all opponents. Can backfire and slow down the user, or slow down the entire game.	Super Smash Bros.
Tortimer Fruits						Throwing/Recovery		Produced fruits on Tortimer Island, each fruit can be either a throwing item or a recovery item, and in rare cases may explode when thrown, similar to apples from Green Greens.	Animal Crossing
Trophy					?	Collectible		Adds to the player's trophy collection.	Super Smash Bros.
Trophy Stand					?	Throwing		Only appears in the Subspace Emissary. Causes weak or low-health enemies to turn into trophies; merely damages strong and healthy enemies.	Super Smash Bros.
Unira					?	Throwing		Attaches to the stage once thrown or attacked and pokes opponents that come near. Can be set or reset with a direct attack; indirect ones do nothing.	Clu Clu Land
Vegetable					?	Throwing		Produced by Peach's down special move. Deals varying damage depending on its facial expression.	Mario
Wario Bike					?	Throwing		Produced by Wario's side special move. Must be destroyed before Wario can use the move without being nearby.	Wario
Wario Bike wheels					?	Throwing		Produced by destroying the Wario Bike.	Wario
Warp Star						Special		Once picked up, the user flies into the sky and then crashes down with an explosion. Can be steered slightly, and if there are platforms above, will land there instead of the starting point.	Kirby
Wood chip					?	Throwing		Occasionally produced by Villager's down special move, Timber. Disappears as soon as it hits a solid surface, after it's first picked up.	Animal Crossing
X Bomb						Throwing		Creates a cross-shaped explosion that spans most of the screen.	Kid Icarus
Yoshi's Egg	*		*	*	?	Throwing		Only appears in Event 13: Yoshi's Egg. The event ends in failure if it breaks.	Yoshi

* Appears in Smash games but not as an item.

** Appears in the Subspace Emissary and Smash Run respectively; by stomping on a red Koopa, but only functions like a green shell.

*** Appears in Smash games but as a stage hazard.

Only appears in Super Smash Bros for Wii U.

Only appears in Super Smash Bros for 3DS.