Recovery

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A diagram of Mario's recovery in Super Smash Bros.

A recovery is the attempt to return back to the stage after being launched or falling off. Some tools to achieve this end are the midair jump and the recovery move (usually an up special move), also known as a "third jump." Some recovery moves only go nearly straight up, while others are travel greater horizontal distances. Due to slower average falling speeds and increased ease of edge sweet spotting, recoveries are generally more powerful in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and later games than they are in Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee.

For many characters, recovery can be augmented by moves other than the standard second jump and up special, such as other special moves that provide boosts to momentum, or a tether recovery. This page documents the maximum recovery potential of each character. In the case that a character has multiple recovery options for maximizing horizontal or vertical movement, both are listed.

List of recoveries in Super Smash Bros.

Character	Description
Captain Falcon	Falcon Dive does not give much distance and cannot grab foes hanging onto the ledge. If it makes contact in mid-air, it will restore the opponent's midair jump, and Captain Falcon can use the move again. Falcon Punch can be used for some horizontal distance, as well as vertical distance if angled up.
Donkey Kong	Spinning Kong is his primary recovery. It provides a short vertical distance but a long horizontal distance. It also provides invincibility frames at the tip of his hands. Giant Punch can be used for a slight forwards boost.
Fox	Fire Fox is his primary recovery. It can be used in any direction, but pulls him down a little while charging. His Reflector slows down his fall speed.
Jigglypuff	Jigglypuff's recovery in this game is poor, being easily edgeguarded and having arguably the shortest vertical recovery in the game. While possessing five midair jumps, each jump is half the size of the last, and the final two grant minimal vertical distance. However, Jigglypuff's horizontal recovery is the furthest-reaching in the game, due to its fast air speed, slow falling speed, and the fact that it can use Rising Pound to greatly increase its recovery.
Kirby	His recovery consists of five midair jumps and the Final Cutter for good vertical movement. However, if the player misses the ledge with Final Cutter, Kirby will plummet downwards with no chance of recovery. He can use Inhale to utilize Jigglypuff's Pound recovery.
Link	Link has a variety of techniques to augment Spin Attack. Link's bomb, if it explodes while he is holding it, can aid his recovery by giving him back his Spin Attack (see bomb recovery). However, his Spin Attack covers only a short vertical and horizontal distance, with poor range, leaving Link vulnerable to spikes.
Luigi	In this game, Luigi's recovery is technically greater than Mario's, as he has a higher double jump. However, Luigi has a slower air speed, and Luigi Cyclone is harder to use compared to the Mario Tornado because it requires very quick button-tapping. As with Mario, Super Jump Punch is his primary recovery.
Mario	If the player rapidly presses the special button during the Mario Tornado, he rises up in the air. Super Jump Punch is the primary recovery move, and covers a large vertical and horizontal distance.
Ness	Ness' recovery is very easily edgeguarded, since he is limited to his jumps and the very slow PK Thunder. The lightning must be curved into Ness' body at an angle that will push him toward the stage. Simply moving the control stick in a circle is not enough; doing this will launch Ness directly upwards or even backwards in some cases. Furthermore, the PK Thunder projectile vanishes upon striking an opponent or a surface, immediately making Ness helpless while providing no recovery whatsoever. Because of this, it is often considered the worst recovery in the game. Nonetheless, his second jump is the second-highest in the game, and PSI Magnet can slow his fall speed.
Pikachu	Pikachu's main recovery lies in its jumps and Quick Attack, which provides huge recovery and is hard to counter. If Thunder is timed properly, it will give Pikachu a small jump upwards, though this is difficult to utilize.
Samus	Samus's Bombs can be used to perform a bomb recovery and she can utilize her Screw Attack to gain vertical height.
Yoshi	Yoshi's recovery is hampered by the fact that his midair jump is his only means of recovery. However, his second jump is the highest in the game and gives him armor, and Yoshi also has the fastest air speed.

List of recoveries in Super Smash Bros. Melee

In Melee, the presence of directional air dodging slightly improves the recovery potential of every character, but causes helplessness.

Character	Description
Bowser	Whirling Fortress is his primary recovery. It provides little vertical distance but long horizontal distance.
Captain Falcon	Falcon Kick allows Captain Falcon to regain his second jump in midair. Raptor Boost can be used for some horizontal distance, but it cannot auto sweet-spot a ledge and will put him into a helpless state. Falcon Dive gives more distance and can now grab ledges backwards and has a larger ledge sweetspot than it does normally while moving forwards. However, it has a very small ledge sweetspot while moving forwards, meaning Captain Falcon can be gimped when attempted to recover with Falcon Dive. Because of Falcon Punch's longer lag time and Captain Falcon's raised falling speed, the move can no longer be used for recovery.
Donkey Kong	Spinning Kong no longer has invincibility frames but gives slightly more distance. Headbutt slows down horizontal and vertical momentum. Due to Giant Punch now causing helplessness, the move no longer assists in recovery.
Dr. Mario	Dr. Mario can use the Super Sheet to propel himself forward a bit and slow his fall speed. Also, if the player rapidly presses the special button during the Dr. Tornado, he rises up in the air. Super Jump Punch can be used following either or both of these moves, and it has a large ledge sweetspot, one of the largest in the game, helping Dr. Mario's recovery even more. However, Dr. Tornado and Super Jump Punch both cover below average distance, which, combined with his poor air jump, gives him one of the shortest recoveries in the game.
Falco	Fire Bird is Falco's primary vertical recovery move. However, it has high start-up lag and does not provide a great amount of distance. Falco Phantasm provides the most horizontal distance. His Reflector can be used to slow down his fall speed. Falco can also wall jump.
Fox	Fire Fox now charges with a flame hitbox and travels farther. Fox Illusion provides great horizontal distance. Fox can now wall jump.
Ganondorf	Dark Dive is Ganondorf's primary recovery move, but does not cover much distance and stage spikes it may cause can be teched. He may use Wizard's Foot to get his midair jump back, allowing for large horizontal recoveries. Gerudo Dragon may be used for some horizontal distance, although it cannot sweetspot the ledge, and leaves him helpless afterwards.
Ice Climbers	Belay covers a vast distance when both Ice Climbers are present. Squall Hammer can also be used to recover, and with a solo Ice Climber, it becomes the only viable move, and only grants horizontal distance if used this way. Ice Shot can be used for a short hop in the air.
Jigglypuff	Jigglypuff's recovery has been further augmented. All jumps grant more vertical height now, giving Jigglypuff among the most versatile recoveries in the game. Having great aerial mobility and multiple recovery options, Jigglypuff is among the most difficult characters to edgeguard despite having poor overall protection on its recovery. In addition, Jigglypuff's new neutral special, Rollout, gives horizontal recovery, but this move puts it into helpless state and can cause an SD, making it situational for recovery. Rising Pound is easier to perform, and Sing now provides a vertical boost if jumped and can sweetspot ledges.
Kirby	Final Cutter gives less vertical distance and is much weaker, but can now grab ledges from behind. Kirby also has lower air speed, but all of his jumps now give height. Through Inhale, he may use Rollout, Shadow Ball (recoil), and Toad to aid his recovery.
Link	In Melee, the Hookshot grabs onto walls. This can be combined with an air dodge to increase the grabbing range. Link's Spin Attack covers more distance, covers him from above, and no longer loses height during the move's duration. He can also throw a bomb upwards and Spin Attack into it to perform bomb recovery, rather than waiting for the bomb to explode.
Luigi	Luigi has a very gimpable recovery that is difficult to master. He still has the lowest air speed in the game. Super Jump Punch provides only vertical recovery and its distance has been shortened, while Green Missile provides only horizontal movement. The height gained from Luigi Cyclone was lowered, and the move requires much more button-mashing for Luigi to gain height. Furthermore, Green Missile can misfire, propelling Luigi a great distance horizontally; this makes the move unpredictable and can either help or harm Luigi. Green Missile has an enormous amount of ending lag if not edge cancelled.
Mario	Mario can use the Cape to propel himself forward a bit. Super Jump Punch and Mario Tornado are still viable recovery moves, but both moves travel less distance. Super Jump Punch can be cancelled with a wall jump if it is used while hugging a wall and the Control Stick is tilted backwards at the apex of the jump. Mario Tornado requires much more button mashing to be effective, and Mario has less air speed.
Marth	Marth's side special, Dancing Blade, slows his fall speed and propels him forward if only the first attack of the combo is used. This does not put him in a helpless state. Dolphin Slash provides decent vertical recovery, but short horizontal recovery.
Mewtwo	Mewtwo's huge second jump, the highest in the game, slow fall speed, and high air speed allow for long recoveries even before its up special, Teleport. The massive recoil of Shadow Ball can also help in recovery. Confusion can also help Mewtwo gain some distance once in the air.
Mr. Game & Watch	Mr. Game & Watch's recovery is limited to his jumps and Fire, though Fire does provide large vertical recovery.
Ness	PK Thunder is significantly more reliable than in the previous game because the circle that it has to move in is much smaller, although it does not push Ness as far as it did previously. The tail of the PK Thunder head has been made slightly longer, giving Ness more protection during the attack. Using PK Flash in midair gives Ness no height and just makes him helpless.
Peach	Peach has the ability to float, allowing her to maintain the same vertical position while moving horizontally. She can stall by using Toad, as it allows her to hover for a brief time. In addition, her side special, Peach Bomber, can be used repeatedly to climb up walls. Both of these techniques can be followed by Peach Parasol. However, Peach Parasol does not give much distance. A Bob-omb from her down special can propel her great distances, but is extremely situational.
Pichu	Pichu can use Skull Bash to travel great horizontal distances, and then follow it with Agility. Unfortunately, both of these moves deal recoil damage, making it easier to KO. Pichu can also wall jump, which can aid its recovery in some stages, such as Fountain of Dreams.
Pikachu	Skull Bash is now available as a recovery move. It grants very long horizontal distance but can risk SDs if not careful. Quick Attack covers less distance.
Roy	Roy's recovery is very similar to Marth's, but due to his faster falling speed, lowered forward motion on side special, and greater lag after side special, Roy's recovery is generally inferior. Blazer, however, unlike Marth's Dolphin Slash, can be aimed to go anywhere from diagonally upward to directly vertical to nearly completely horizontal, depending on where the control stick is tilted after the initial up special.
Samus	She can now use her grab as a wall grapple and her bomb recovery is more useful. Screw Attack gives more distance.
Sheik	Sheik's recovery is generally limited to her jumps and Vanish, although both travel decent distances, and if a longer recovery is needed, she can Transform into Zelda and take advantage of her lower fall speed to drift toward the stage, or use Farore's Wind. Sheik can also wall jump.
Yoshi	Yoshi's Egg Roll can sometimes be used to recover, but this is uncommon and not particularly useful. The newly-added air dodge gives Yoshi a small boost to his recovery after his midair jump.
Young Link	Like Link, Young Link can use a bomb recovery, wall grapple, or a Spin Attack. The bomb recovery will help after the Spin Attack. However, he can't throw the bomb straight up and Spin Attack into it, unlike Link. Young Link can also wall jump, and his wall grapple is shorter than Link's grapple. His Spin Attack gives slightly more distance than Link's, but it is overall poor for a character of his weight class.
Zelda	Zelda's recovery comes mainly in the form of her long-ranged up special, Farore's Wind. Additionally, she can use Din's Fire to glide horizontally short distances, much like Peach's float. However, these moves cannot be combined, as they each put Zelda into a helpless state. She can utilize Transform to take advantage of Sheik's wall jump, much higher midair jump, and significantly faster air speed, though Sheik has faster fall speed, much shorter distance on her up special, and lacks a side special recovery option. However, Farore's Wind is limited in direction because the number of different angles at which the move travels is low, making the move predictable.

List of recoveries in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Character	Description
Bowser	He can use Flying Slam to augment his recovery if he hasn't used Whirling Fortress. If Bowser lands after using Whirling Fortress, there will be an extra animation with increased landing lag, but it can be avoided if Bowser recovers low enough.
Captain Falcon	Raptor Boost now makes Captain Falcon bounce if it hits the opponent in mid air, but using Falcon Dive is still a better and safer option because Raptor Boost has a slow start-up and almost any move can hit through it. Falcon Kick no longer lets him recover his midair jump. Falcon Dive, like all types of grabs, no longer grants the opponent their midair jump again. It gives slightly more vertical distance but slightly less horizontal distance. It also has a large ledge sweetspot (one of the largest in the game). It can be used against edge-hoggers to stage spike them, though they can tech it.
Charizard	Fly provides decent vertical distance and super armor throughout its duration. Charizard has two midair jumps and can glide.
Diddy Kong	Rocketbarrel Boost provides the most vertical distance out of all of his moves, but must be charged beforehand to maximize its lift, during which Diddy continues to fall. Monkey Flip can be used as a recovery as well and can be used in conjunction with his midair jump and Rocketbarrel Boost; however, if one presses the attack or special attack button during the move, Diddy Kong can only use his midair jump afterwards.
Donkey Kong	Spinning Kong gains slightly more vertical distance. Like Bowser, there will be an extra animation if Donkey Kong lands from too high up after using Spinning Kong, but again, it can be avoided by recovering low.
Falco	Fire Bird provides much less distance, but Falco Phantasm provides significantly greater distance. The Reflector can no longer be used to slow down fall speed.
Fox	Hitting the jump button while sliding into his forward aerial will cause Fox to jump and perform a forward aerial at the same time, adding height to his jump while moving forward. He can also "shine stall" by spamming his shield - done by holding down aerial and mashing the special button. This will greatly reduce his fall speed. Fire Fox covers considerably less distance, but Fox Illusion covers much more. Fox now jumps higher.
Ganondorf	There is now a hitbox at Dark Dive's apex that deals more knockback, but it does not allow the move to be used again. Additionally, the Landing lag glitch makes it hard for him to get-up from the ledge after recovering. His new side special, Flame Choke, can sweetspot the ledge, unlike Gerudo Dragon, but it will make him perform a Sacrificial KO if it connects offstage, making it not always the best choice. He is forced to use either the Flame Choke for horizontal movement or the Dark Dive for vertical recovery, but they can't be used in the same jump. He has also lost the ability to restore his midair jump after using Wizard's Foot. Dark Dive has slightly better vertical recovery. Ganondorf also has a higher air speed.
Ice Climbers	Popo and Nana can now both grab the ledge, and even if one climber uses Belay, it will provide a small boost in the air, quite similar to Yoshi's Egg Toss. Belay additionally now functions as a tether if they are close enough to a ledge. The Ice Climbers can now utilize down aerial stall. Squall Hammer is no longer usable for vertical recovery with a lone Ice Climber, though.
Ike	Ike is limited to either vertical recovery with Aether or horizontal recovery with Quick Draw. Both give good distances in their respective directions, but cannot be combined, limiting Ike's total recovery, which is generally poor and extremely predictable. However, Aether has armor right before he jumps up, giving him some resistance against edgeguarding.
Ivysaur	Ivysaur's up aerial and down aerial either propel it downward or upward, respectively. However, its up aerial can be used to assist recovery via down air stall. Due to the small size of the upward boost, it is actually more helpful in getting more horizontal distance to set up its Vine Whip tether recovery; however, Vine Whip is extremely vulnerable to edge-hoggers.
Jigglypuff	Jigglypuff's Rollout no longer puts it into a helpless state.
King Dedede	While his four midair jumps are the smallest of any character and he has the worst air speed in the game, he is still capable of huge recoveries due to the Super Dedede Jump. Note that this move does not auto-sweetspot the edge unless canceled close enough to the edge; however, it has super armor upon ascent and is a very powerful meteor smash upon descent, making it very risky to edgeguard.
Kirby	His recovery is improved from Melee, as he has increased air speed (though it is still slow), and gains more horizontal distance in Final Cutter. Additionally, Hammer can be used in the air to aid recovery, as it temporarily stops vertical momentum. Final Cutter now puts Kirby into a helpless state if pushed off a platform during the move. Through Inhale, he may use Mach Tornado, Rollout, and Toad to aid his recovery.
Link	Link's recovery is rather poor due to the limited range of Spin Attack, fast falling speed, poor midair jump, and slow air speed. Link's new grab, the Clawshot, functions as a tether. Bomb recovery is less useful.
Lucario	ExtremeSpeed is bendable, making it a versatile recovery move. Lucario also possesses a unique trait: the ability to wall cling after using its third jump. This only takes effect if Lucario reaches the wall before ExtremeSpeed ends and is very useful on stages with space to wall jump under the ledge, such as Final Destination. However, because ExtremeSpeed doesn't deal hitstun, Lucario is extremely vulnerable to edge-hoggers. Double Team propels Lucario forward if it successfully counters an attack, but it's long animation combined with Lucario's fast falling speed make it risky.
Lucas	Lucas has multiple recovery options: the standard PK Thunder, his Rope Snake (which functions as a tether recovery), Zap Jump, Magnet Pull, and wave zap. He can also use his PSI Magnet to stall in the air. Additionally, if holding an item, he can gain a large vertical distance equal to a Zap Jump by throwing the item up and midair jumping at the same time. Using any aerial attack right after his midair jump will also propel him in the air.
Luigi	Green Missile and Luigi Cyclone can be combined for large horizontal recovery, and Luigi Cyclone requires less button mashing to be effective. These can also be used in combination with Super Jump Punch since neither puts Luigi into a helpless state, giving Luigi one of the greatest recoveries in the game, though he still may suffer from gimping. Super Jump Punch has significantly increased landing lag. The misfired Green Missile covers a much shorter distance.
Mario	Mario's new down special, F.L.U.D.D., is much less effective than Mario Tornado for recovery, only being able to push Mario the opposite direction with recoil when fully charged. He has lost the ability to cancel Super Jump Punch into a wall jump, and Super Jump Punch has increased landing lag. However, F.L.U.D.D. does not require button mashing and Mario has more air speed. Additionally, he has gained the ability to stall indefinitely at the ledge with Cape, improving its safety.
Marth	Shield Breaker can be used to propel Marth forward, but it leaves him open to attacks. Dancing Blade gives much less horizontal recovery. Dolphin Slash gives him the landing lag glitch and covers more horizontal distance.
Meta Knight	Meta Knight is gifted with multiple midair jumps and the ability to glide, granting him amazing horizontal recovery potential despite his poor air speed. In addition, all of his special moves can be used as recovery moves, although all of them put him in a helpless state. The Shuttle Loop is notable in that it allows him to perform a second glide after using it (helpless animation begins after the glide is terminated). Drill Rush has decent horizontal distance and can be aimed to go vertically. Mach Tornado grants large horizontal distance and decent vertical distance, especially when mashed. Dimensional Cape can teleport in any direction and grants intangibility. Meta Knight's huge recovery distance, both horizontally and vertically, resistance to being edgeguarded, and variety of available recovery moves make Meta Knight's recovery arguably the best in the game (and to an extent, the entire series).
Mr. Game & Watch	Oil Panic can be used to stop downward momentum, and Fire does not put Mr. Game & Watch into a helpless state and instead lets him use a parachute, allowing him to travel long distances.
Ness	PK Thunder has been buffed even more. Now, if the player simply curves the control stick in a complete circle, the move will launch him at an upward diagonal angle, fit for recovering.
Olimar	Olimar is limited to his jumps and Pikmin Chain. Pikmin Chain is a diagonal tether with range that varies with the number of Pikmin Olimar has with him, making it easily edge-hogged and almost useless if he has no Pikmin with him. Strangely, Pikmin Chain gives more vertical distance if Olimar has no Pikmin than if he has one or two Pikmin.
Peach	Peach's vertical recovery has been partially nerfed, as her midair jump now provides almost no vertical gain (the shortest in the game), but her Parasol provides more vertical recovery and more horizontal recovery. Her float is unchanged. Peach Bomber can no longer stall her indefinitely up a wall. There is a greater chance for Peach to pull a Bob-omb.
Pikachu	Pikachu is now able to wall jump, and Pikachu can quick attack cancel to prevent ending lag. Quick Attack can no longer be aimed twice in the same direction and doesn't travel as far.
Pit	Pit has multiple mid-air jumps, the ability to glide, and his Wings of Icarus, which give him the second-largest vertical recovery in the game. However, if Pit is attacked while using Wings of Icarus, he cannot use the move again until he lands on solid ground.
R.O.B.	R.O.B. can use his up special, Robo Burner, multiple times in the air, and the move does not leave him helpless. The total time the jets can fire is the same regardless of whether it is used multiple times or for a single full-length burn. Using it multiple times increases vertical recovery distance. Robo Burner provides the largest vertical recovery in the game. His back aerial propels him forward, and his down aerial stops momentum.
Samus	Samus's recovery techniques have not changed from Melee, and her grab air is now a tether recovery, but her bomb recovery isn't as effective.
Sheik	Due to increased Transformation time, it is usually no longer viable to transform into Zelda to recover. However, Sheik's chain can now be used as a tether and she can now wall cling.
Snake	If his up special, Cypher, fails to recover, Snake can use his C4 on himself in midair so he can use his up special again (see bomb recovery). Cypher covers a lot of distance, but if Snake is interrupted out of Cypher, he cannot use it again. The move is very easily edgeguarded as well, but the move does provide armor.
Sonic	Sonic's greatest vertical recovery is provided by his Spring Jump. His other special moves can provide more horizontal distance, but they cannot be used after his up special. Many players use his Spin Dash move for horizontal recovery and jump out of it for a bit of vertical recovery, use his Homing Attack for close-range recovery, and Spring Jump for desperate vertical recovery. Due to the ability to be used repeatedly, Homing Attack has the potential of being infinite. However, this is reliant on the position of Sonic's opponent, so it is not always the best option.
Squirtle	Squirtle can use Withdraw to aid its horizontal recovery, although it is highly situational. Waterfall can be used for a bit of vertical and horizontal recovery. A fully charged Water Gun can push Squirtle the opposite direction with recoil, though this is rather situational. Squirtle has the ability to wall cling.
Toon Link	Like Link, Toon Link can use a bomb recovery, a tether recovery, or a Spin Attack. Toon Link's Spin Attack and midair jump give much greater distance than Link's. Unlike Link, Toon Link can wall jump and utilize a down air stall.
Wario	Wario can use his Wario Bike to gain a third midair jump. Wario Waft can also send Wario rocketing upwards if it is charged. Since his Corkscrew leaves him helpless and gains minimal distance, it should only be used as a last resort.
Wolf	Wolf is more limited in recovery options than Fox. His side special, Wolf Flash, covers less ground than Fox's and Falco's, though it gives a fair amount of vertical recovery and can semi-spike or meteor smash at the end of the move. His up special, Fire Wolf, provides him fast directional recovery, but he falls almost straight down after using it, and it has the worst accuracy and smallest ledge sweetspot of the three, though it also has much less start-up lag; therefore, it is harder to edgeguard. It covers slightly less distance than Fox's but significantly more than Falco's. Wolf can wall jump to aid recovery. Unlike Fox, Wolf cannot use his Reflector to stall in midair.
Yoshi	Yoshi's Egg Throw in Brawl gives him a slight hop in midair, but his air dodge recovery is no longer existent. Egg Roll grants less momentum.
Zelda	Despite the far distance Farore's Wind gains, her recovery is considered unreliable; Zelda lacks any real alternate recovery move, and the angles at which Farore's Wind travels are very limited, while completely killing all of Zelda's momentum upon completion (she'll fall straight down after completion for a fair distance). As such, the move is very predictable, while requiring precision to grab the ledge with. The move also has very long start-up lag, making it easily edgeguarded. If Zelda lands directly on the stage after using Farore's Wind, she now suffers from long ending lag, making the move easily punishable. Transforming into Sheik takes much longer and is not as useful as a result, despite Sheik's new Chain and wall cling recovery. Farore's Wind covers slightly less distance. Nayru's Love can now aid recovery.
Zero Suit Samus	Zero Suit Samus has two tether recoveries. Plasma Whip can be used for horizontal recovery, and Plasma Wire can be used for vertical recovery. Flip Jump can also provide her with an extra boost to recover with. Flip Jump can help in offensive recovery in the sense that she can meteor smash an opponent by attacking during it and is useful if one is in a situation where a tether recovery will not work. However, if she uses either tether recovery 3 times without touching the ground, the tether recovery will not work on a fourth time.

List of recoveries in Super Smash Bros. 4

Character	Description
Bayonetta	Bayonetta's primary recovery is Witch Twist, which sends her a short distance upward. However, unlike most recoveries, she is not left helpless at the end of the move, allowing her to perform a double jump after it, followed by a second Witch Twist. She also can use After-Burner Kick, which goes at an upward angle and can be used again if she hits an opponent. Both of these attacks can be used to recover together, but the more attacks she uses while in the air, the longer she has to recover when she lands on the ground. Both attacks also have large distjointed hitboxes (especially Witch Twist), which can make it difficult to edgeguard her.
Bowser	Though Bowser's air speed was toned down slightly, his double jump gives significantly higher height and Whirling Fortress travels significantly faster and further than it did in Brawl. However, Flying Slam no longer gives Bowser any forward momentum, rendering it unusable for recovery. Custom specials: Dash Slam propels Bowser a fair distance horizontally and does not put him into a special fall. Dash Slash propels Bowser a greater horizontal distance than Dash Slam. Flying Fortress grants Bowser much greater vertical distance while sacrificing a bit of horizontal distance. Sliding Fortress grants Bowser more horizontal distance but slightly less height.
Bowser Jr.	Bowser Jr. has both a poor air jump and fast falling speed, which both hinder his recovery. However, Abandon Ship! sends him a great vertical distance, and tilting the control stick can send him a decent distance horizontally at the apex of his launch. In addition, Abandon Ship! doesn't leave Bowser Jr. helpless (although he can only perform a basic hammer swing and air dodge after ejecting) and has a large ledge sweetspot from below ledges. In addition to that, one can jump while using Clown Kart Dash to gain another midair jump, which aids his recovery further. However, if Bowser Jr. is hit with a weak enough hitbox, he will be unable to use Abandon Ship! again. Custom specials: Koopa Meteor hinders his recovery compared to Abandon Ship!; it gains less height, is a purely vertical jump, and sends Bowser Jr. flying downwards at high speed. Meteor Ejection moderately reduces the vertical height gained, hindering his recovery, although to a lesser extent. Koopa Drift gains more horizontal momentum when the spin is initiated. Air Cannon pushes Bowser Jr. back a little ways with recoil.
Captain Falcon	Captain Falcon's Falcon Dive now travels less horizontal distance but more vertical distance than in Brawl, but no longer has grab armor. His air speed was also toned down. Custom specials: Falcon Dash Punch provides him with a horizontal boost, although this has limited usage due to the move's long startup and ending lag. Falcon Strike provides greater vertical distance and slightly more horizontal distance, though Falcon can only use it once due to lacking a grab. Explosive Falcon Dive gives less vertical distance, although it still has similar horizontal distance and is very powerful.
Charizard	Charizard's new side special, Flare Blitz, provides excellent horizontal distance, although it damages Charizard on use, and it bounces backwards slightly and deals some additional self-damage if the move hits an object or character. It somewhat compensates for the lack of gliding. Fly gives less armor than before, but travels more vertical distance. Custom specials: Dragon Rush isn't interrupted by hitting an enemy, and doesn't cause recoil damage; however, it is weaker and travels less distance, though it is faster. Rising Cyclone significantly reduces the vertical distance granted, to the point where it hardly rises much at all, but it is almost impossible to edgeguard. Fly High grants more vertical distance, but the lack of a hitbox leaves it open for an edgeguard.
Cloud	Cloud's recovery is incredibly lacking. Climhazzard only covers a mediocre vertical distance, and virtually no horizontal distance. Additionally, accidentally pressing the special button a second time causes him to plunge downward and not grab the ledge. Climhazzard specifically has code that prevents Cloud from teching a stage spike if hit while using it. Cloud can greatly boost the vertical and horizontal distance recovered with Climhazzard by using it with a full Limit Gauge; however, this is assuming he is in Limit state when offstage in the first place. On the other hand, he can also do a wall jump, and has good height on his double jump.
Corrin	Corrin's main recovery move is Draconic Ascent. The attack can be angled as well: angling it behind Corrin causes him to go straight up, providing as much vertical distance as a grounded jump + double jump, while angling it in front of him will reduce the vertical distance while giving it more horizontal distance. Corrin's back aerial will also propel him forward slightly, similarly to R.O.B.'s. Dragon Lunge may also be used to stick to a wall and stall. It can be jumped out of for additional height, and if left or right are input, Corrin swings around and flings his or herself in that direction; it can cover some distance, but there are few occasions where it can actually be used to recover.
Dark Pit	As a clone of Pit, Dark Pit has almost identical recovery: three aerial jumps, each smaller than the last, and Power of Flight allowing him to fly straight a great distance in any direction. Electroshock Arm provides some forward movement, but will cause him to reel briefly and is thus a poor choice for recovery. Custom specials: Striking Flight noticeably reduces the distance travelled, and reduces the range of angles for the move, hindering its recovery potential, but Dark Pit is now somewhat protected from edgeguards by a hitbox at the start. Breezy Flight significantly reduces the distance travelled, but it is much harder to edgeguard due to the move being executed more quickly, and the addition of a windbox which pushes away potential edgeguarders.
Diddy Kong	Diddy Kong's recovery appears largely unchanged from Brawl, although he has much more control over the Rocketbarrel and his Monkey Flip has slightly more range. Custom specials: Flying Monkey Flip provides Diddy Kong with some vertical distance, and if the kick is executed at the right time, slightly more horizontal distance as well. Rocketbarrel Attack hinders Diddy Kong's recovery by slightly increasing the charge time, and reducing the overall distance and control at all charge levels, though it is much riskier to edgeguard. Rocketbarrel Kaboom charges much faster and can be steered more easily, but covers noticeably less distance and explodes more easily on contact with terrain.
Donkey Kong	Donkey Kong's recovery appears largely unchanged from Brawl, aside from Headbutt no longer stalling him in midair. Custom specials: Chopper Kong provides more vertical distance, but sacrifices horizontal distance (covering as much distance as Mario's unangled Super Jump Punch) and deals no damage whatsoever, leaving him open for edgeguards. Kong Cyclone has a shorter duration, marginally reducing the height gained and horizontal movement, but it is almost impossible to edgeguard, both due to the shorter duration and the function of the move, pulling opponents in and damaging them. It also appears to grant some degree of armor.
Dr. Mario	Super Sheet no longer gives Dr. Mario any momentum. Dr. Tornado gains significantly less height, but can be moved horizontally and is easier to mash. Dr. Mario can now wall jump, and his jump and air speed are both higher, while his falling speed is lower.
Duck Hunt	Duck Jump is Duck Hunt's primary recovery move, providing a good amount of vertical distance but below average horizontal distance. Duck Hunt can be steered to the side as they rise, and Duck Jump can actually cover more horizontal distance than vertical when steered to one side for the duration. The lack of vertical control or hitbox makes it very easy to edgeguard against. Custom specials: Duck Jump Snag provides less vertical and horizontal distance, hindering their recovery; however, it has a hitbox, which makes them harder to edgeguard. Super Duck Jump provides more vertical distance, and has a windbox upon ascension which somewhat protects them from edgeguarding, but the potential horizontal distance is reduced.
Falco	Fire Bird's distance was reverted back to Melee. Falco Phantasm also no longer leaves Falco helpless. Custom specials: Fast Fire Bird doesn't send Falco as far, but charges almost instantly and Falco flies faster, making him harder to edgeguard. Distant Fire Bird sends Falco further; however, it takes longer to charge, potentially making him easier to edgeguard, although this is somewhat mitigated by a more damaging and very large hitbox at the start of the flight, which has good priority. Falco Phase provides slightly less distance, and cancels Falco's momentum at the end, unlike the Phantasm. It also cannot hit opponents, but Falco gains invincibility throughout the move. Falco Charge reduces this distance even further, and has slightly increased startup, leaving him open for an edgeguard, but it is much stronger.
Fox	Fire Fox's distance was reverted back to Melee. Fox Illusion also no longer leaves Fox helpless. However, his forward aerial has less of a hover effect, making it less effective for horizontal recovery, and he doesn't jump as high. Custom specials: Fox Burst travels a shorter distance, and has more ending lag, making it actually worsen Fox's recovery over using Fire Fox on its own. Wolf Flash travels the same distance, but at a raised angle, slightly reducing the horizontal distance, but effectively reducing the distance Fox falls during the ending lag of the move, aiding his vertical recovery. Flying Fox has no hitbox, potentially leaving him open for an edgeguard, but makes up for this by being much faster. Also the initial flight is shorter, but Fox gains a much bigger momentum boost at the end to compensate, giving it the same distance overall. Twisting Fox slides along walls instead of pushing into them, and is slightly harder to edgeguard due to the function and size of the hitboxes, but also covers slightly less distance.
Ganondorf	Ganondorf's recovery was worsened even further due to his lessened air speed and the removal of grab armor on Dark Dive and Flame Choke. Flame Choke can now meteor smash the opponent off the stage if he lands on the edge with them. Custom specials: Dark Vault provides a two-stage jump with higher vertical recovery than Dark Dive, but has no defensive measures during the middle of the move, making it much easier to edgeguard. Dark Fists is moderately better than Dark Vault due to its slight increase to horizontal recovery and also provides armor during the start-up to help combat against edgeguarding. Wizard's Dropkick trades off vertical descent with a horizontal movement that is significantly faster and further than Flame Choke and also doesn't cause helplessness. Flame Wave travels less distance than Flame Choke, hindering his recovery. Flame Chain travels moderately further than Flame Choke, improving its recovery usage. Additionally, it is safer to use for recovery due to it not grabbing opponents and sending Ganondorf plummeting to his death.
Greninja	Greninja's overall recovery is formidable; an addition to its high aerial jump, both Shadow Sneak and Hydro Pump give it great distance in almost any direction (but not quite enough distance to recover from very far off the stage if uninterrupted). The former is a teleport, which can bypass enemies if charged enough, and Hydro Pump can be angled to perform two dashes in any combination of the eight directions. Unfortunately, Shadow Sneak slows Greninja's air speed while charging, and has considerable end lag, and if Greninja hits a wall during Hydro Pump, it will bounce off and be unable to use it or any remaining jumps until landing. However, Greninja can still wall cling in this state, and thus wall jump. As a situational recovery option, Greninja's down air gives it a great boost by jumping off of opponents - this should be used carefully, as it can often lead to SDs and removes Greninja's air jump if it connects. Custom specials: Shadow Dash allows Greninja to more quickly teleport a reasonable distance forward, potentially improving its recovery. High Capacity Pump provides Greninja with significantly more distance, but is slightly slower, potentially making it easier to edgeguard. Single-Shot Pump sends Greninja slightly further than both pumps of the default move combined, but the direction cannot be changed, making its recovery much more predictable.
Ike	Quick Draw now gives Ike a small window of time to act out of it before becoming helpless if he hits an opponent with it. Aether can no longer grab edges from behind, significantly hindering its safety against moves like Cape. Custom specials: Close Combat provides a slightly longer dash than Quick Draw, and passes through enemies, though this means it is guaranteed to render Ike helpless. Aether Drive sends Ike diagonally upwards, covering about as much distance as both Quick Draw and normal Aether, greatly improving his overall horizontal recovery, but considerably hindering his vertical recovery.
Jigglypuff	Pound and Rollout grant far less momentum than in previous games. Custom specials: Sideways Pound provides no distance whatsoever, making it useless for recovery. Pound Blitz covers more distance, improving its recovery potential; however, it is slower than regular Pound, making it easier to punish. Relentless Rollout provides more distance at lower levels of charge, and does not cause Jigglypuff to fall to its death if it hits an opponent before reaching the stage, but the move's smaller hitbox and low damage output per hit drastically lowers its priority, making the move very easy to edgeguard. Raging Rollout takes over twice the amount of time to charge, making it unsuitable for recovery.
King Dedede	Dedede can now grab ledges during the rising portion of Super Dedede Jump as long as he's facing the stage, significantly improving his recovery's safety. Aside from that, Dedede's recovery appears largely unchanged from Brawl. Custom specials: Dash Jet Hammer will cause King Dedede to fly forward a long distance when released, but the move's lag time makes it questionable for recovering. Rising Dedede provides slightly more vertical distance, but automatically cancels itself, hindering its safety. Quick Dedede Jump is much faster, making it harder to edgeguard; however, it provides less distance and power, hindering his recovery.
Kirby	Kirby's recovery appears largely unchanged from Brawl, though it is slightly shorter due to slower air speed, and his new side special, Hammer Flip, not stalling him in the air. Through Inhale, he may use Mach Tornado, Rollout, Toad, Monado Arts (jump mode), Shadow Ball (recoil), and could potentially Pocket a recovery-boosting item. Custom specials: Jumping Inhale causes Kirby to jump up and forwards, although the move's long animation will cause his height to be around the same after the move finishes. Hammer Bash stalls Kirby in midair. Upper Cutter covers more height but renders Kirby helpless instead of having him rapidly plunge down with a hitbox.
Link	Spin Attack has noticeably improved distance. Bombs explode sooner, making them better for recovering purposes. Custom specials: Shocking Spin provides noticeably less distance, both horizontally and vertically, but is much stronger, but similar to Link's Spin Attack from Brawl. Giant Bombs may help the recovery due to the damage and knockback. Whirling Leap improves overall recovery, but deals no damage, making it easier to edgeguard. Meteor Bomb is useless for recovery, due to being a meteor smash, hindering Link's recovery potential.
Little Mac	Little Mac's fast falling speed and poor aerial jump work against him, and Rising Uppercut is a purely vertical jump with low height, giving Little Mac overall weak recovery. Jolt Haymaker can aid his horizontal recovery, although it too leaves him helpless, and both moves additionally give lower than average distance and have small ledge sweetspots that cannot let Little Mac grab onto ledges until the moves are complete, making him extremely easy to gimp or edgeguard. While Straight Lunge does send Mac forward a good distance when charged sufficiently, it is generally too slow to be of much use recovering, and uncharged versions give little to no distance in the air. Slip Counter can also augment his recovery, should his opponent attempt to attack him in mid-air, as the counter itself propels him forward without causing helplessness. Little Mac can also use his KO Uppercut to aid his recovery because of its windbox, although this is very situational. Little Mac's terrible recovery, both vertically and horizontally, leads to him having what is likely the worst recovery in the game, and by extent, the series. Custom specials: Both of Little Mac's custom side specials are worse recovery options than Jolt Haymaker, as they both provide poorer horizontal distance. Flaming Straight Lunge can potentially be used for recovery, as it charges much faster than the regular version. Tornado Uppercut improves Mac's vertical recovery somewhat, although it still suffers from having a small ledge sweetspot and is weaker. Rising Smash provides less height than Rising Uppercut but is very powerful.
Lucario	Extreme Speed now gains more distance as Lucario's Aura power goes up; at maximum power, its range is nearly double its base range, so much that Lucario can actually risk a self-destruct if not careful. In addition, Lucario will perform a weak attack if he hits an opponent at the end of the dash. Custom specials: Ride the Wind gives Lucario even more distance and control, improving its recovery potential, but it also moves slower, making it easier to edgeguard. Extreme Speed Attack slightly reduces the move's recovery distance, but adds a hitbox for the full duration of the move, making it harder to edgeguard.
Lucas	Magnet Pull and Wave Zap were removed in this game, but PK Thunder 2's travelling distance has been increased and Rope Snake's range has also increased as a better tether recovery; it also now has a hitbox, making it less punishable if it misses.
Lucina	Being a clone of Marth, Lucina's recovery is nearly identical. Just like Marth's version of Dancing Blade, it gives Lucina minimal horizontal distance. Shield Breaker can travel far further horizontally, but only if it is fully charged. Like Marth, Dolphin Slash is Lucina's primary method of recovering vertically, and while it does gain good height, the horizontal distance is minimal. Custom specials: Dolphin Jump is a higher leap than Dolphin Slash, but deals no damage. Crescent Slash provides less height but sends Lucina forward a good distance.
Luigi	Luigi Cyclone and Super Jump Punch grant much less height, and the former requires more mashing to be effective. It can still allow him to maintain his current height, but will only allow him to do so once and them become ineffective as a recovery aid. Green Missile also gives him slightly more horizontal distance. The chance for Luigi to misfire his Green Missile has been lowered to 1/10 from 1/8. Super Jump Punch has 5 more frames of landing lag. Custom specials: Quick Missile greatly improves horizontal distance over Green Missile, although it has very long landing lag and will cause him to slide a short distance if he hits the ground while in the animation. Burial Header provides much more vertical distance and has much less landing lag, but horizontal movement is mitigated due to significantly increased fall speed after he finishes rising. Mach Cyclone rises much higher but sacrifices horizontal movement. Fiery Jump Punch worsens the height Luigi gains, but allows for very slight control of the angle of the jump, and the larger sweetspot potentially makes the move safer from edgeguarders. Clothesline Cyclone is extremely situational due to very little momentum
Mario	Mario's air speed is much faster, and Super Jump Punch provides marginally more vertical distance than it did in Brawl. Cape grants less lift in the air, but Mario has a greater jump height. F.L.U.D.D. is less viable for recovery due to Mario's greater air speed, but it can still be useful. Custom specials: Gust Cape is a better recovery tool, and the windbox can push away potential edgeguarders. Super Jump grants Mario more distance and control over the jump's angle, but possesses no hitbox and is slower, making him easier to edgeguard. Explosive Punch reduces the move's distance and prevents control of the jump angle, but has larger and much stronger hitboxes, making the move very difficult to edgeguard. Shocking Cape worsens stalling potential but keeps Mario's horizontal momentum. High-Pressured F.L.U.D.D. grants slightly greater horizontal momentum, but Scalding F.L.U.D.D. grants less.
Marth	Shield Breaker and Dancing Blade now give Marth lesser horizontal distance, weakening their effectiveness as recovery tools. Custom specials: Dolphin Jump is a higher leap than Dolphin Slash, but deals no damage. Crescent Slash provides less height but sends Marth forward a good distance.
Mega Man	In addition to a wall jump, Mega Man can summon Rush Coil for a big vertical boost, giving good height quickly and without leaving Mega Man helpless. If Mega Man lands on the same Rush again, the height he gains is much greater, though the only way to do this is to use it above ground, meaning it cannot ordinarily be used for recovery. However, if Mega Man is spiked just after using Rush Coil, he will collide with it and get the second jump. In Team Battles, Rush can be dropped off-stage to catch falling team mates, as they will automatically be sprung upwards in a similar manner upon contact. Crash Bomb can be used to bomb-recover if Mega Man manages to both stick it to a wall and be near it three seconds later when it explodes. If Mega Man sticks it to a fighter attempting to gimp him, he may be able to have it rub off onto him, making it easier to be hit by the explosion. Custom specials: Tornado Hold provides less distance than Rush Coil, but will damage enemies below or very near Mega Man, making him harder to edgeguard. Beat carries Mega Man noticeably higher than Rush, and allows for more left and right movement and control, but takes a brief moment before Mega Man starts rising and is slower overall, making it easier to edgeguard.
Meta Knight	Meta Knight can no longer glide. Mach Tornado covers less distance and can no longer sweetspot the ledge. Dimensional Cape also grants slightly less vertical distance. While Shuttle Loop no longer initiates a glide, it gives noticeably more vertical distance. Though his falling speed has been increased considerably, his air speed is also much faster. Custom specials: High-Speed Drill has greater horizontal distance than Drill Rush at the cost of the ability to change the angle. Shieldbreaker Drill doesn't travel as far. Blade Coaster provides Meta Knight with more horizontal distance, but at the cost of vertical height. Lazy Shuttle Loop grants more height than the default version, but the slow loop at the beginning makes the move easier to react to and potentially easier to edgeguard. Shield Piecer provides less distance. Stealth Smasher allows Meta Knight to travel a further distance, but is slower and does not grant intangibility.
Mewtwo	Shadow Ball still sends Mewtwo horizontally opposite the direction it was shot at, with the distance now varying depending on how much the move is charged.
Mii Brawler	Soaring Axe Kick sends Brawler a fair distance vertically but gives virtually no horizontal distance at all. Helicopter Kick covers a fair amount of horizontal distance but has low vertical lift. Piston Punch covers only vertical distance, very similar to Little Mac's recovery. Onslaught and Burning Drop Kick can also aid horizontal recovery. Beware Headache Maker, which causes Brawler to plummet unstoppably. Ultimate Uppercut will also leave Brawler helpless.
Mii Gunner	Lunar Launch sends Gunner upwards from an explosion and can be aimed at a slight angle. Cannon Uppercut blasts Gunner a short distance directly upwards with limited horizontal control, but can meteor smash edgeguarders. Arm Rocket propels Gunner a good distance in the direction the player aims. Absorbing Vortex slows fall speed as long as the button is held.
Mii Swordfighter	Stone Scabbard sends Swordfighter upwards a fair distance and forwards a short distance, but causes plummeting. Skyward Slash Dash propels him/her a moderate distance in the direction the player chooses while he/she slashes. Hero's Spin is identical to Link's Spin Attack. Airborne Assault and Slash Launcher can aid horizontal recovery, although both leave the Swordfighter helpless. Reversal Slash is identical to Mario's Cape.
Mr. Game & Watch	Mr. Game and Watch's recovery lost bucket braking, but gained the better recovering technique of Bucket Jumping, which can send him an incredible distance when paired with Fire. Fire also covers more vertical distance, and Mr. Game and Watch has greater air speed. Custom specials: Heavy Trampoline doesn't send Mr. Game & Watch as high as Fire, but is stronger. Trampoline Launch provides Mr. Game and Watch with an increased jump height, but he no longer opens his parachute at the end of the jump.
Ness	Ness can now immediately re-use PK Thunder if he hits a wall while traveling with it. In action Custom specials: Lasting PK Thunder functions like Lucas' PK Thunder, sending Ness further, and not disappearing if it hits an opponent, significantly improving his recovery. Rolling PK Thunder reduces the distance Ness is sent.
Olimar	Pikmin Chain has been replaced with Winged Pikmin, which becomes more effective the fewer Pikmin Olimar is commanding. Even with a full three, the move still gives Olimar respectable horizontal distance and moderate vertical distance. With zero Pikmin, Winged Pikmin gives Olimar one of the best (in terms of distance) recoveries in the game, both horizontally and vertically. It can be acted out of with an air dodge or neutral air, or with at least one Pikmin, any of the other aerials (they can be used without Pikmin, but will not produce a hitbox). Custom specials: Winged Pikmin Jump is much faster, increases vertical distance, and has a windbox upon startup, but renders Olimar helpless and requires cooldown to gain maximum height. Mighty Winged Pikmin travels a set distance regardless of the amount of Pikmin being carried, but the maximum distance is worsened.
Pac-Man	Pac-Man's main recovery tool is Pac-Jump, which must be landed on repeatedly to maximize its effects. This means his recovery can be gimped if one bounce isn't enough to get him back on stage safely. Power Pellet can augment his horizontal recovery and can be steered to go vertically, but has long ending lag and will leave Pac-Man vulnerable if it hits a wall. Fire Hydrant and its variants will give Pac-Man a small vertical hop if he doesn't already have a hydrant out, and Bonus Fruit can also be used to stall him in mid-air for a brief moment. Custom specials: Distant Power Pellet allows more control over the direction of the trail, although it sends Pac-Man a similar distance overall. Enticing Power Pellet reduces the distance traveled and increases startup, hindering his recovery. Power Pac-Jump sends Pac-Man a height somewhere between the second and third jump on the spring, but due to doing this on the first usage, it makes it much less punishable. Meteor Trampoline worsens Pac-Man's recovery, as the second and third jumps have less height than the first, though it can meteor smash opponents.
Palutena	Palutena's main recovery tool is Warp, which can be angled in the eight directions. Because it is a teleport, it can bypass enemies or hazards if aimed correctly. Custom specials: Angelic Missile launches Palutena forward, similar to Luigi's Green Missile. Jump Glide gives less vertical distance than Warp but allows Palutena to glide for a few seconds, improving horizontal recovery but being somewhat more easily edgeguarded. Super Speed gives good horizontal recovery, as jumping out of it propels a huge horizontal distance, so much that Palutena can potentially escape recovery pressure, if she recovers from above; it also gives decent vertical recovery. Lightweight increases her jump height and aerial speed, making her recovery more effective in general, although she becomes easier to launch. Rocket Jump also provides less height than Warp and cannot be angled; however, it powefully meteor smashes foes if landed right.
Peach	Peach's vertical recovery has been buffed, as her midair jump now provides greater vertical height. Peach Bomber's ending lag has been increased, but has less startup and now stalls Peach up a wall once more. Her Parasol is faster and covers more vertical height, but will automatically close after eight seconds of floating. Custom specials: Flying Peach Bomber sends Peach diagonally upward a good distance, but it causes her to descend when the animation is over with very high ending lag in the air and does not sweet spot the ledge. Flower Bomber travels a much shorter distance than her regular Peach Bomber. Parasol High Jump gives more vertical distance than her regular Parasol. However, she never opens her parasol, leaving herself helpless afterwards. It additionally lacks a hitbox. Light Parasol gives a lower initial jump. However, she gains additional vertical recovery every time she opens her parasol. This can be used up to four times while airborne. Grumpy Toad removes the default's stalling abilities.
Pikachu	Pikachu can now decrease Skull Bash's charge time by smashing the special button. Thunder now meteor smashes at the cloud. Custom specials: Meteor Quick Attack covers less distance than Quick Attack, and is slower but can meteor smash foes, making attempting to edgeguard it more risky. Quick Feet covers a great distance, but it only dashes once, although the single dash travels a similar distance to both dashes combined. Shocking Skull Bash doesn't send Pikachu as far, but will not be stopped if it hits an opponent. Both custom specials of Thunder prevent Pikachu from mixing up its recovery.
Pit	Pit can no longer glide, and Wings of Icarus has been replaced with Power of Flight, which is a single long dash in any direction, which has less distance and control in exchange for safety and speed. Overall, his recovery is considerably worse than in Brawl. Upperdash Arm provides some forward movement, but will cause him to reel briefly and is thus a poor choice for recovery. Custom specials: Striking Flight noticeably reduces the distance travelled, and reduces the range of angles for the move, hindering its recovery potential, but Pit is now somewhat protected from edgeguards by a hitbox at the start. Breezy Flight significantly reduces the distance travelled, but it is much harder to edgeguard due to the move being executed more quickly, and the addition of a windbox which pushes away potential edgeguarders.
R.O.B.	R.O.B.'s recovery is largely unchanged from Brawl. Custom specials: Robo Rocket sends R.O.B. flying high upwards, but it can't be used multiple times. While it limits his horizontal distance, it also provides him a faster and potentially less predictable recovery option. Additionally, it does not need to refuel. High-Speed Burner improves R.O.B's mobility in the air, but reduces the maximum height achievable.
Robin	Robin's main recovery tool is Elwind, which gives Robin great vertical height but poor horizontal movement. Interestingly, Robin can gain more forward movement than backwards movement from Elwind. If Robin's Elwind tome breaks, his/her recovery becomes almost nonexistent. Charging Thunder grants some momentum, albeit not very useful due to the move's lag. Custom specials: Soaring Elwind provides little height with the first jump, but great height with the second, although there is a greater delay between the two jumps compared to Elwind. Gliding Elwind's first jump sends Robin diagonally forward a moderate distance, with similar overall height compared to Elwind.
Rosalina & Luma	Rosalina's high jumps and slow falling speed are already a boon to her recovery. Launch Star is a simple long dash that can be angled in a roughly 90-degree arc between forward-slightly up and upwards-slightly behind. Gravitational Pull can potentially give Rosalina a recovery-boosting item and stalls her momentum if used right after a jump, although this effect is so minor that it is mostly ineffective for recovery unless jumped. Custom specials: Launch Star Plus can't be aimed, but sends Rosalina upwards much faster than Launch Star, making it harder to edgeguard. Launch Star Attack reduces the distance travelled, but provides Rosalina with a hitbox to damage potential edgeguarders.
Roy	Due to the removal of movement with Double-Edge Dance, Roy's recovery is now limited to Blazer, which, while it can be angled, covers less distance than Marth and Lucina's Dolphin Slash.
Ryu	Ryu's Tatsumaki Senpukyaku can help him gain decent horizontal distance and also reduces Ryu's falling speed. Since this does not cause helplessness, this can be followed with a Shoryuken for vertical recovery. Both special moves can gain more distance if the special button is held longer. A cancelled Focus Attack can also propel Ryu forward for more horizontal recovery in case Tatsumaki Senpukyaku has already been used, and Hadoken will stall him if it is used in the air.
Samus	Samus's Screw Attack travels more vertical distance, and her Grapple Beam has longer range. Since her bombs don't stop falling speed as much as in Brawl, it is no longer a practical recovery method. Custom specials: Screw Rush deals more damage and provides a huge horizontal recovery boost, at the cost of vertical height. Apex Screw Attack is an almost purely vertical leap that only damages at the beginning and end.
Sheik	Bouncing Fish sends Sheik forwards a good distance, and notably does not render her helpless. Thus, she can perform Bouncing Fish to make up a large horizontal distance, at the cost of some height and then quickly perform Vanish to regain height or cover additional ground. Custom specials: Gale is faster and goes slightly farther, but has no hitbox or windbox for protection. Abyss is slower and reduces the distance travelled, in exchange for the ability to meteor smash opponents. Jellyfish has little utility for recovery, due to sending Sheik flying downwards at a high speed towards the end of the move. Pisces bounces forwards faster and at a lower angle, and if it hits an opponent, it causes her to jump forwards instead of backwards, potentially improving recovery.
Shulk	Shulk's main recovery tool is Air Slash, which gives him fair vertical distance but minimal horizontal distance. The first slash does not auto-sweetspot immediately unless the special button is pressed near the apex of the first slash, right when Shulk is level with a ledge. The move's second slash will give a slight momentum boost, especially if used as late as possible. Back Slash also gives slight horizontal distance, although he will be stuck in the move until he lands and cannot grab ledges, making it a poor recovery option. He can also use Monado Arts to alter how he recovers: Jump will give him tremendous height on both regular jumps and increases the height of Air Slash's first slash, while Speed can boost his horizontal movement slightly. Shield will lower his jumps and movement speed significantly, hindering his aerial movement. Custom specials: Advancing Air Slash's second slash boosts Shulk forward, giving him more horizontal recovery potential, but also forces Shulk downwards slightly and doesn't gain as much height. The pause between each slash is also reduced.
Sonic	Sonic can now only use one Homing Attack before landing. Spring Jump grants less height. Custom specials: Double Spring allows Sonic to use his Spring Jump twice, allowing Sonic to perform recovery mix-ups; however each spring bounces Sonic a much shorter distance. Stomp is useless for recovering due to sending Sonic downwards after the jump. Burying Spin Dash boosts Sonic's vertical recovery noticeably if immediately jumped out of.
Toon Link	Toon Link's recovery is largely unchanged from Brawl. Custom specials: Rising Slash provides extra vertical distance than Spin Attack, but has less horizontal distance. Hurricane Spin provides Toon Link amazing horizontal distance, but sacrifices great vertical distance.
Villager	Villager has the choice between Lloid Rocket and Balloon Trip for recovery. The former will give him no vertical height but excellent horizontal distance, and will not leave him helpless if he hits an opponent. The latter is an all-around solid recovery move, although it can easily be gimped if opponents pop one or both balloons and lacks a hitbox. Custom specials: Liftoff Lloid can be used for a damage-capable vertical recovery, but won't go as high as Balloon Trip could. Extreme Balloon Trip doesn't travel as fast or as far as Balloon Trip, but has hitboxes on the exploding balloons.
Wario	Wario Waft covers much less height. However, Corkscrew covers more and now auto-sweetspots ledges. Custom specials: Corkscrew Leap goes noticeably higher, but has much more startup and lacks a hitbox. Widescrew has more control than the default, but has less distance. Burying Bike does not give Wario any momentum in the air.
Wii Fit Trainer	Wii Fit Trainer's overall recovery is solid thanks to high normal jumps and moderate fall speed. Super Hoop provides only moderate distance in either direction, but Header can be used to provide a small extra hop. Super Hoop covers considerably more distance if mashed. WFT can also wall jump. Custom specials: Jumbo Hoop covers no distance except when mashed, and it only rises slightly when mashed. Hoop Hurricane covers poor distance normally, but rises marginally higher than default when mashed.
Yoshi	Yoshi's recovery is largely unchanged from Brawl, but horizontal distance from an Egg Throw was improved, but at the cost of vertical distance. Custom specials: High Jump allows Yoshi to increase the vertical distance of his recovery, but it does not throw any eggs, favoring for a better third jump. The move can technically be used for recovery three times, but the forced delay between usages makes him fall to the point where it won't be usable to increase vertical distance after the first time, only useful for horizontal recovering. Lick can augment Yoshi's recovery with an additional hop.
Zelda	Zelda drifts slightly upward if the player holds the left stick up while activating Farore's Wind. This increases the potential range of the move, but can also lead to angling the move incorrectly if the drift was unintentional. In addition, the move has significantly greater damage and launch potential than it did in Brawl, and gains even more distance if used shortly after a double jump. As Zelda and Sheik are now separate characters, Zelda can no longer take advantage of Sheik's less predictable recovery. Nayru's Love is less effective for recovery. Custom specials: Farore's Squall is a slower teleport that deals no damage, but has greater range and a windbox that pushes enemies away at the start and end, making edgeguarding more difficult. Farore's Windfall can only teleport straight up, removing what little versatility could be achieved from the other two versions, though it is faster and the emerging hitbox is a meteor smash, albeit with weak knockback.
Zero Suit Samus	The new Boost Kick is a controllable recovery move with real horizontal distance, and with added KO potential to boot. However, it has less range and height than Plasma Wire and renders ZSS helpless. Flip Jump covers much more vertical distance and can now dunk opponents without pressing any buttons. Custom specials: Plasma Dash grants Zero Suit Samus another horizontal recovery option, but it cannot grab ledges, making it situational to use when recovering. Lateral Kick covers much more horizontal distance.

Gallery

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  Mario's Super Jump Punch recovery in Brawl.

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  Olimar's Pikmin Chain recovery in Brawl.

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  Peach's Peach Parasol recovery in Brawl.

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  Kirby recovering on Dream Land in Smash 64.

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  Mario using his various recovery options to recover onto the stage in Melee. (In order of: Midair jump, wall jump, Cape, Mario Tornado, Super Jump Punch.) This is a TAS clip from Perfect Control.