Zero Suit Samus (SSBU)

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

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

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

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

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

• Play VS. matches, with Zero Suit Samus being the 19th character to be unlocked.
• Clear Classic Mode with Fox or any character in his unlock tree, being the second character unlocked after Captain Falcon.
• Have Zero Suit Samus join the player's party in World of Light.

With the exception of the third method, Zero Suit Samus must then be defeated on Brinstar.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Having been considered a dominating top-tier character throughout the lifetime of SSB4, Zero Suit Samus has received a mixture of buffs and nerfs in the transition to Ultimate, being nerfed overall. Her most notable nerf is that her throw combo potential has been reduced in a similar manner to Mario. This consequently makes it more difficult to capitalize on her punish game. Furthermore, nerfs to her forward smash, and the reduction of forward aerial's knockback weaken her already poor KO potential. Nonetheless, many of her fundamentals have been rebalanced and buffed in many cases; her already excellent mobility has been enhanced further (now possessing the fastest initial dash in the game), while some attacks such as down tilt possibly lay the foundation for new combos. While she remains a high-risk, high-reward character, Zero Suit Samus' learning curve is higher than in SSB4, with her combos and punishes being more difficult to use and her reward being less fundamentally overpowering than in SSB4. Nonetheless, ZSS remains a successful character in tournaments, particularly in Japan under Choco; however, her representation in North America has been below average.

Aesthetics

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

Attributes

• Like all characters, Zero Suit Samus's jumpsquat animation now takes three frames to complete (down from 4).
• Zero Suit Samus runs significantly faster (2.1 → 2.31).
  • Zero Suit Samus's initial dash is significantly faster (1.7 → 2.42), now being the fastest in Ultimate.
• Zero Suit Samus walks slightly faster (1.4 → 1.47).
• Zero Suit Samus' air speed is slightly faster (1.2 → 1.26).

Ground attacks

• First hit of her neutral attack can now jab reset, at least on an incline.
• Neutral attack can no longer cross up shields.
• Down tilt has less ending lag (36 → 30) allowing her to set up combo potential.
• Down tilt has slightly more knockback
• Forward smash can now be angled, allowing her to hit smaller characters with downward angle forward smash.
• Forward smash has slightly less knockback and has more ending lag (FAF 62 → 65).
• While Up smash has less vertical range, the finisher is now closer to the ground making it easier to follow up on at low percent.
• Up smash has increased knockback, now making it able to KO at high percents.
• Down smash no longer treated as a projectile, meaning both characters experience freeze frame (or hitlag), instead of just the opponent.
• Down smash deals significantly less knockback. While this results in higher percents being needed for the same paralysis duration, it also allows the move to combo at higher percents.

Aerial Attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag except grab aerial, (10 → 6 (neutral air), 16 → 10 (forward air), 11 → 10 (back air), 9 → 5 (up air), 30 → 24 (down air)).
• Neutral aerial has decreased range.
• Neutral aerial has increased knockback.
• Forward aerial has an altered animation, allowing her to hit shorter characters when rising short hop.
• Forward aerial's hits transition further (intermediate lag: 9 → 6).
  • However the move's duration was not reduced, effectively increasing the move's ending lag, and thus diminishing the combo potential.
• Forward aerial has less knockback, however, the above change still renders the move incapable of comboing effectively.
• Back aerial now has a second, new sourspot hitbox that deals 8% damage and covers her thigh.
• Sweetspotted Back aerial has less range, now strict to the foot.
• Up aerial has less range and has slightly more ending lag (FAF 34 → 35).
• Grab aerial now deals consistent damage. It also has less aerial endlag, make it more useful to start combos without being used on landing.
• Grab aerial now bounces off of the first thing it hits. Therefore it can only hit one thing before ZSS uses the move again. It also has less tether range.

Throws/other attacks

• Standing Grab has a new hitbox on the hand that appears earlier.
• The new mechanic that usually prevents passing through other fighters also usually prevents Dash Grab from whiffing due to being too close.
• All Grabs have less endlag.
• Zero Suit Samus has a new forward throw: she kicks the opponent on the chest.
• Forward throw has less knockback, diminishing its KO potential at the ledge though it can set up more tech chase situations.
• Back throw has more base knockback, greatly reducing combo potential, though it improves edge guarding potential.
  • Back throw increased knockback allows it to KO much earlier at low percents off stage from a Flip Jump.
• Down throw has more endlag, and slightly more knockback, removing the ability to combo into aerials.
• Down throw now deals more damage.
• Up throw has much more knockback, now being able to KO under 170% without rage.

Special Moves

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

Classic Mode: Grapplers! Whips! Claws!

Zero Suit Samus's opponents are characters who use tether recoveries.

Round	Opponent	Stage	Music	Notes
1	Young Link and Toon Link	Skyloft	Dark World (for 3DS / Wii U)
2	Ivysaur	Spear Pillar	Pokémon Gym/Evolution - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue
3	Dark Samus	Brinstar Depths	Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior
4	Yoshi	Peach's Castle	Super Mario World Medley
5	Simon and Richter	Dracula's Castle	Simon Belmont Theme (The Arcade)
6	6 Little Macs	75m (Battlefield form)	Tunnel Scene - X
Bonus Stage
Final	Master Hand	Final Destination	Master Hand	On intensity 7.0 and higher, Crazy Hand fights alongside Master Hand, and the track Master Hand / Crazy Hand plays during the battle.

Role in World of Light

Although Zero Suit Samus does not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene, she was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (sans Kirby) when Galeem unleashed his beams of light. Zero Suit Samus' awakening battle is separate from that of Samus, who is vaporized in the opening cutscene.

Zero Suit Samus can be found and awakened in the upper-right volcanic area in the World of Light after defeating the Metroid spirit.

Spirits

Zero Suit Samus's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Zero Suit Samus in World of Light allows the player to preview the spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a Fighter Spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Each Fighter Spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate.

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  266. Zero Suit Samus

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Zero Suit Samus' fighter card.

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  Zero Suit Samus on Wrecking Crew.

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  Performing her down tilt on Coliseum.

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  Performing down smash on Frigate Orpheon.

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  With Samus on Gaur Plain.

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  Crawling with Snake on Shadow Moses Island.

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

Trivia

• Ridley's reveal trailer marks Zero Suit Samus' first appearance in a cinematic CGI Smash trailer since Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
• Despite no longer being linked by in-battle transformation, Zero Suit Samus temporarily dons the Varia Suit during her Final Smash.
  • This makes Zero Suit Samus the only playable alter-ego of a different character to make a limited appearance as said character during her Final Smash only.
• For unknown reasons, Zero Suit Samus' taunt voice clips aren't present in the Sound Test.
• Zero Suit Samus is one of four characters to have appeared since Brawl to have a different Final Smash across every installment; the other three are Pit, King Dedede, and R.O.B..
• In the Japanese version of Ultimate, characters' voice actors and actresses are credited by name. In the case of Zero Suit Samus, Alésia Glidewell's name is cut short, resulting in "Alesia Glidew".
• Zero Suit Samus' character showcase video, unlock battles and Classic Mode credits use "Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior" from Super Metroid, a game where the Zero Suit did not yet exist. This may be a reference to how Samus would appear in various states of undress during the game's ending sequence, as "Theme of Samus Aran, Space Warrior" serves as the end credits theme for that game.
• Zero Suit Samus being unlocked using/immediately after Captain Falcon may be a reference to how the two have been depicted as "rival" bounty hunters in Event Matches in Brawl and for Wii U (along with Samus' suited self in Melee).