Palutena (SSBU)

Palutena in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Kid Icarus
Other playable appearance	in SSB4
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Black Hole Laser

“	With her wings and staff, this goddess's attacks cover a wide range. With her up smash, neutral special, and side special, she can create a ranged attack in almost every direction except for directly beneath her! Keep the pressure on your opponents from a distance with ranged attacks!	”
—Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site

Palutena (パルテナ, Palutena) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, officially confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Palutena is classified as fighter #54.

Brandy Kopp and Aya Hisakawa reprise their role as the voice of Palutena in the English and Japanese speaking versions of the game respectively, through reused voice clips from Super Smash Bros. 4, although they recorded new voice lines for Palutena's Guidance for new fighters in SSBU, and fighters absent from SSB4, as well as those who were previously DLC in that game.

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

• Play VS. matches, with Palutena being the last character to be unlocked.
• Clear Classic Mode with Kirby, being the last character in his unlock tree.
• Have Palutena join the player's party in World of Light.

With the exception of the third method, Palutena must then be defeated on Palutena's Temple.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Due to being last place for mid tier in Super Smash Bros. 4, Palutena has been drastically buffed in her transition to Ultimate. In addition to receiving universal mobility buffs to compensate for losing access to Lightweight, most of Palutena's grounded moves have drastically reduced lag in general. Her tilts and smash attacks come out faster, end quicker, have more reliable hitbox placements, and have more kill power. Her zoning game has improved with Autoreticle coming out faster, and her new side special Explosive Flame allowing her to ledge trap opponents, read landing options, snipe opponents at a safe distance, and KO at reasonable percents. Warp has one more frame of invulnerability and is unique in that it provides Palutena with a landing mix-up option (because of the change to the air dodge mechanic). Finally, her down special is less laggy and now functions both as a counterattack and a reflector. All of these buffs provides Palutena with multiple landing options, a safer neutral, and better zoning tools. She now has a defined strength of long ranged attacks that have excellent utility.

Nevertheless, Palutena did receive some nerfs. Like all other characters, all variations of her grab have more startup and endlag, which noticeably affects her more than most of the cast due to her grab and throw games being her main tool for starting combos. Reflect Barrier can no longer be activated by command, and it has less active frames, making it easier for projectile users to bait her into using her riskier new down special. Finally, her back aerial's invincibility starts comes later, making it less safe to use in the neutral game. She also still suffers from a poor approach on the ground, a poor frame data overall and a lack of reliable out of shield options.

As a result of her buffs, Palutena has consistently been a very high-placing character at all levels of competitive play thanks to players such as Nairo, Gen, and Zinoto, all who have helped make Palutena a top-tier threat in Ultimate.

Aesthetics

• As with all veterans returning from Super Smash Bros. 4, Palutena's model has a more subdued color scheme. Her chiton and armor feature simple detailing, and her face appears more realistic and expressive.
• Palutena's sidestep now causes a visible warping effect when she disappears.
• Palutena's skirt now has independent physics.

Attributes

• Like all characters, Palutena's jumpsquat animation now takes three frames to complete (down from 5).
• Palutena walks slightly faster (1.21 → 1.271).
• Palutena dashes much faster (1.888 → 2.077).
• Palutena's air speed is slightly faster (0.91 → 1).
• Palutena's max additional air acceleration is higher (0.1 → 0.105).
• Palutena's falling speed and fast falling speed are higher (1.4 → 1.55) and (2.24 → 2.48) respectively.
• Palutena's gravity is higher (0.105 → 0.12). When combined with her higher fall speed, this worsens her vertical endurance and makes her more susceptible to combos.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • It can now lock opponents and the multi hits connect more reliably.
  • The first hit of neutral attack has a shorter duration (frames 8-10 → 8-9). Additionally, it no longer launches opponents vertically (80° → 361°/180°) which when combined with the removal of jab canceling hinders its overall utility.
• Forward tilt and up tilt have fewer startup frames (frame 17 → 14 (forward), frame 10 → 8 (up) and less ending lag (FAF 68 (both) → 60 (forward), 56 (up)).
• Forward tilt and up tilt have flashier motion effects.
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt's second hit deals slightly more damage (6%/4% → 7%) and significantly more knockback (43 (base), 100 (scaling) → 78/80), now being a situational KO option (now reliably KOing at around 150% near the ledge), much like her up tilt, down tilt, and dash attack. The first hit also no longer has a weaker sourspot. The two hits also connect significantly more reliably.
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt deals slightly less damage (9.7% → 9%) as it only has 6 hits instead of 7 despite its multi-hits dealing more damage (1.2% → 1.3%).
  • Up tilt has reduced hitlag, allowing the move to execute faster.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt has a longer duration (frames 14-24 → 14-27).
  • Down tilt sends grounded opponents at a lower angle (361° → 35°), improving its KOing and edgeguarding potential (especially when combined with its longer hitbox duration).
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack has significantly less ending lag (FAF 52 → 38).
  • Dash attack deals more damage (9%/5% → 11%/7%) although its knockback compensated (70 (base), 90 (scaling) → 71/76).
  • Dash attack travels a shorter distance and gains invincibility later (frame 4 → 5). However, the invincibility now lasts until frame 16 meaning the amount of invincibility remains the same.
  • Dash attack now causes Palutena's shield to glow, indicating its hitbox.
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash has less ending lag (FAF 67 → 64) and a the clean hit has a longer duration (frame 18-19 → 18-20). It also higher knockback scaling (97 (clean)/96 (late) → 100/102), now KOing at around 90% (sweetspot) and 110% (sourspot) from center stage.
• Up smash:
  • Up smash has less ending lag (FAF 68 → 64).
  • Up smash has a longer duration (frames 18-26 → 18-35), now lasting twice as long as before (although the move now has a weaker late hit between frames 31-35). This allows it to punish rolls, sidesteps, and air dodge landings much more efficiently.
  • Up smash's mid and high hits deal more knockback (55 (base), 85 (scaling) → 58/89 (mid), 55/87 → 62/92 (high)).
• Down smash:
• Clean down smash has less startup lag with a longer duration (frames 18-19 → 17-19). It also has less ending lag (FAF 72 → 69).

Aerial Attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag (20 frames → 12 (neutral), 12 frames → 7 (forward), 16 frames → 10 (back), 24 frames → 14 (up), 18 frames → 11 (down).
• Forward aerial (9% → 10%) and down aerial (9% → 11%) both deal more damage with no compensation on their knockback, making them stronger overall.
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial's final hit comes out faster (frame 31 → 29). It also deals slightly more damage (5% → 5.1%). [1]
  • Neutral aerial has reduced hitlag, allowing it to execute faster.
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial's invincibility starts later (frame 3 → 7).
  • Back aerial has higher knockback scaling (92 → 95) and no longer has a sourspot.
  • Back aerial now causes Palutena's shield to glow, indicating its hitbox.
• Up aerial:
  • It auto-cancels earlier (frame 64 → 42) now doing so in a full hop.
  • Up aerial now hits 6 times instead of 5, causing it to deal more damage (9% → 10%). It also has reduced hitlag.
  • Up aerial has more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 8-23 → 10-22).
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial has a longer duration (frame 10 → 10-11).
  • Down aerial is slightly more risky to use off-stage due to Palutena's falling speed being increased.

Grabs and throws

• Palutena now pummels the opponent by holding her staff vertically instead of horizontally.
• Dash and pivot grabs are slower (frame 9 → 10 (dash), frame 10 → 11 (pivot)).
• All grabs have more ending lag (FAF 32 → 40 (standing), 40 → 48 (dash), 40 → 43 (pivot)).
• Back throw deals significantly more knockback now KOing around 115% while near the edge.
• Down throw is a better combo starter at lower percents due to Palutena's lower jumpsquat.

Special Moves

• Autoreticle:
  • Autoreticle's reticle is now red instead of green. Additionally, she now illuminates her staff's orb with a blue light instead of yellow
  • Autoreticle's animation is overall faster, with the projectiles being fired sooner (frame 29/35/41 → 25/31/37).
  • Autoreticle deals more damage per hit.
• Explosive Flame:
  • Explosive Flame, previously one of her alternate neutral specials, is now her side special. Since Reflect Barrier has been merged into her down special, she has effectively gained an additional move. This provides Palutena with another long-ranged attack option.
  • Explosive Flame deals more damage.
  • Explosive Flame's distance can be controlled depending on smash input.
  • Explosive Flame is now reflectable and absorbable.
• Warp:
  • Warp has a more stylish appearance.
  • Warp has one extra frame of invincibility (frames 16-31 → 16-32). It can also grab ledges more easily.
• Counter and Reflect Barrier:
  • Palutena now closes her eyes instead of showing a angry look upon activation of the move. Additionally, she no longer shouts "Counter" until she successfully counters a melee attack. Counter also now glows blue instead of yellow
  • Down special now functions as both Counter and Reflect Barrier. If she's hit by a melee attack, Counter activates; if she's hit by a projectile, Reflect Barrier activates. This allows her to respond to a larger variety of attacks using only one move while also freeing up her side special for an additional move.
  • Both Reflect Barrier and Counter have fewer startup frames and a longer duration (frames 10-31 → 7-34). They also have less end lag (frame 75 → 71).
  • Counter deals less base knockback, but has much higher scaling being able to KO at any given percentage depending on strength.
  • The sourspot of Counter has been removed.
  • Its reduced base knockback combined with effective DI, can no longer OHKO any character at the center of the stage, even when countering with max damage.
  • Reflect Barrier has fewer active frames.
  • Reflect Barrier has a higher projectile multiplier.
  • Palutena can no longer directly access Reflect Barrier. As a result, she can no longer use its windbox on command to gimp opponents, or use the move early to deter projectile use.
• Black Hole Laser
  • Palutena's Final Smash, Black Hole Laser, produces a larger black hole and a wider laser, making the attack harder to avoid.

Update history

Palutena has received a mixture of buffs and nerfs, but has been buffed overall. Since the 2.0.0 update, Palutena can can recover more safely using Warp, and her neutral aerial has less hitlag, making it harder to SDI. In the 3.0.0 update she has been affected the universal nerfs of her projectiles dealing less shield damage, and as a result their utility has been somewhat impacted due to being less effective for shield pressure. Overall, Palutena is mostly unchanged from the game's launch, and remains a highly viable character.

2.0.0

• Neutral aerial's looping hits have a lower hitlag multiplier. This makes them more difficult to SDI out of.
• Warp's edge grabbox is larger.

3.0.0

• Autoreticle deals less shield damage.
• Explosive Flame deals less shield damage.
• The Super Warp Glitch has been removed.

Moveset

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

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			3%	Thrusts her staff forward, emitting a blast of light from its orb. While holding her staff out, she then proceeds to attack with repeated light bursts, followed by a final burst from an upward swipe. The first hit can lock. The final hit does decent knockback allowing it to function as a situational KO move. However, it is slow for a neutral attack, coming out on frame 8.
			0.6% (loop) 3.5%
Forward tilt			6% (hit 1), 7% (hit 2)	Telekinetically twirls her staff in front of herself, inwards. This move can hits twice altogether if the tail of the staff hits the opponent. Its long duration and range allows it to punish sidesteps and backward rolls. The second hit has slightly more range than that of the first. However it comes out on frame 14, and its long duration and high lag makes it punishable if missed.
Up tilt			1.3% (hits 1 - 5), 2.5% (hit 6)	Kneels down and telekinetically twirls her staff overhead. Unlike her forward and down tilts, it has KO potential due to the high knockback scaling on the last hit. It is also her fastest tilt, coming out on frame 8.
Down tilt			8.5% (clean), 5% (late)	Kneels down and telekinetically twirls her staff along the ground in front of herself. A good edgeguarding and spacing tool, and can even punish sidesteps. Slow startup on frame 14 but a low 12 frames of end lag and has a long 14 frames duration. It is one of the few moves in the game that has a longer duration than ending lag.
Dash attack			11%	Rams into the opponent with her shield. Its clean hitbox grants partial invincibility to Palutena's body and arm (frames 5 and 6 on her upper body; 7-16 on her arm). Her shield emits a shine, which indicates the duration of its hitbox. Fast startup on frame 6. KOs around 160%.
Forward smash			13% (tip), 16% (middle)	Conjures a pair of ethereal wings and flaps them forward. Great range. This move has a huge windbox near the tips of the wings that can push away opponents and potentially gimp recoveries. The tip of the wings is weaker compared to the inner part. Has quite a bit startup lag at frame 18, tied with up smash, and very high ending lag with 43 frames, making this move very punishable. Occasionally, Palutena utters "Goddess Wings!" when using this move.
Up smash			16% (base), 12% (middle), 9% (tip, early), 7% (tip, late)	Raises her staff skyward, conjuring a cyan beam of light that erupts from the ground in front of herself. Has the second highest vertical range of any up smash in the game, surpassed only by Snake's. The beam has three hitboxes: one at the base, one at the middle, and one at the top. It has a long-lasting 18-frame duration, and unlike her other smash attacks, has a moderate 28 frames of ending lag, making it her most reliable smash attack. However the long duration and moderate ending lag still makes it very punishable if missed or dodged and it has almost no horizontal range in front of Palutena and without covering her from directly above and behind.
Down smash			13% (tip), 15% (middle)	Conjures a pair of ethereal wings and flaps them downward on both sides. It has very long range. Its clean hitbox has the highest knockback scaling out of her smash attacks. Much like her forward smash, huge windboxes appear near the tips of her wings and has a sourspot at the tip. Occasionally, Palutena utters "Goddess Wings!" when using this move. Due to coming out on frame 17 and having extreme ending lag (49 frames), it is very easy to punish.
Neutral aerial			1.3% (hits 1–6), 5% (hit 7)	Telekinetically spins her staff around herself. Has the lowest amount of startup lag in her moveset, coming out on frame 5. Notorious for its ability to effectively combo into itself and into other aerials, and especially its importance to Palutena's gameplan thanks to its low ending and landing lag. It also can easily set up an edgeguard when fast falled. Autocancels in a full hop.
Forward aerial			10%	A flying kick with long range. It has a generous autocancel window, doing so in a short hop fast fall. It can set up edgeguards at high percents. However, it has high ending lag and a short hitbox duration.
Back aerial			12%	Rotates her body to slam her shield behind her. Much like her dash attack, the clean hitbox grants invincibility around her upper body, and the duration of its hitbox is indicated by a shine. Its invincibility is brief, which is just before the hitbox first comes out (frame 7). Like her fair,it autocancels from a short hop fast fall.
Up aerial			1% (hits 1–5), 5% (hit 6)	Twirls while emitting her halo above her. Comes out on frame 10, and is tied with down aerial for being Palutena's slowest aerial move. It has several hitboxes that grant great coverage above Palutena. It has good power and can KO reliably. Autocancels in a full hop.
Down aerial		Purging Kick	11%	A downward roundhouse kick. Unlike most meteor smashes, it will always meteor smash midair opponents, thanks to its consistent hitbox. It is also fairly fast for a meteor smash. Conversely, it will obliquely launch grounded opponents (grounded opponents in front of Palutena are launched behind her, and vice versa), which allows it to be used as a punishment option from out of shield when SHFF'd. However it is unarguably Palutena's worst aerial for a number of reasons. Due to it hitting on frame 10, it is tied with her up aerial for her slowest aerial. It also has the shortest range, duration, and worst autocancel window of her aerials(only autocanceling in a double jump), while its knockback is only average for a meteor smash at best. It also has immense ending lag (47 frames) which is among the laggiest aerials in the game. Additionally, it only lasts 2 frames and combined with its lack of vertical reach make it very hard to use effectively. This makes it among the hardest to land aerials in the game and as such, makes it a very high risk, but only moderate reward move with characters like Pit, Luigi and Cloud having noticeable better meteor smashes at a similar or even faster speed.
Grab			—	Telekinetically clinches the opponent. Palutena's overall grab range is above-average: her standing grab is the fourth-longest ranged non-tether grab in the game, while her pivot grab also has impressive range. However, her dash grab has a moderate amount of ending lag.
Pummel			1.3%	Emits a burst of light from her staff.
Forward throw			9%	Slightly curls herself and then telekinetically pushes the opponent forward while throwing out her arms. It is Palutena's second-most damaging throw, but only has utility as an edge-guard set-up.
Back throw			10%	Telekinetically lifts the opponent and then performs an inverted version of the Arabesque (a ballet position) to fling the opponent backward. It is Palutena's most damaging throw, and her only throw that KOs at reasonable percentages. It is also useful for setting up an edgeguard.
Up throw			8%	Telekinetically raises the opponent upward with her left arm, and heaves them upward by thrusting her staff upward. Despite having high base knockback, its average damage output and below-average knockback scaling make it unreliable at KOing without the use of a highly elevated platform, while its ending lag makes it unfavorable as a combo starter. As a result, it is better suited for setting up aerial pressure.
Down throw			5%	Telekinetically lifts the opponent, then slams them onto the ground. It is Palutena's most useful throw, thanks to its high base knockback, very low knockback growth, and diagonal launching angle. Depending on the opponent's DI, it can combo into any of her aerials.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Swings her staff behind herself and then in front of herself before getting up.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Same as her frontal floor attack.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Swings her staff in front of herself and then behind herself before getting up.
Edge attack Edge getups			9%	Performs a legsweep while climbing up.
Neutral special		Autoreticle	3.5% (per shot)	Illuminates her staff's orb to aim a reticle over the opponent, and then fires three energy blasts at that location. It will only fire the blasts if nothing blocks her target, and if the opponent is within range and not intangible. The shots can lock, although due to the changes on locking, it has even less use to initiate combos. It can be used as a way for stopping direct approaches and to force an approach. It is also able to hit opponents behind Palutena, such as if she is moving when it fires and if the opponent is at the maximum horizontal range toward her. Although situational, it also has very minor recovery potential, thanks to it briefly stalling her descent. However, it has high ending lag, regardless of whether or not it targets anything.
Side special		Explosive Flame	1.5% (hits 1 - 6), 5.5% (hit 7)	Creates a multi-hitting explosion approximately 4 character lengths away from herself. If inputted like a smash attack, the explosion hits approximately 7.5 spaces away. The ability to change its range makes it a decent spacing and zoning tool, as well as an edge-guarding option. This move has good KO potential, thanks to its loop hits reliably trapping the opponent, and its last hit having impressive knock back. However it is very punishable if missed and can be shielded.
Up special		Warp	0%	Disappears and then reappears in a chosen direction. It quickly covers both a respectable amount of vertical distance and a decent horizontal distance while rendering Palutena invisible (frames 16-32). It can also be edge-canceled, which grants it defensive and re-positioning potentials. However, it renders Palutena helpless after she reappears, unless it is edge-canceled.
Down special		Counter/Reflect Barrier	1.3× countered attack/1.4× reflected projectile	Palutena uses her shield to catch an opponent's attack. If a physical attack connects, Palutena will forcefully thrust her staff out, creating a blast of light. If a projectile attack connects, she raises her shield to emit a rectangular barrier that reflects the projectile.
Final Smash		Black Hole Laser	40.8% (maximum damage)	Illuminates her staff's orb and twirls around repeatedly before firing a Black Hole from her staff's orb, after which she quickly retreats off-stage in order to fire a Mega Laser into the Black Hole. The Black Hole does not deal damage, but pulls the opponent into itself and places them in a tumbling state. Conversely, the Mega Laser hits multiple times before concluding with a final blast that launches the opponent and dissipates the Black Hole.

On-screen appearance

• Walks out of a golden door that is decorated with her halo's design and emits a bright, shining light.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Raises her arms overhead and then brings them down while producing ethereal wings, emitting her halo, and saying "You shall be purified." (浄化してあげましょう, You will be purified.)
• Side taunt: Laughs while using her staff to perform a twirling, inverted version of the Arabesque.
• Down taunt: Lets go of her staff and telekinetically holds it next to herself, then brushes her hair aside while emitting her halo and saying "Ready when you are." (いつでもどうぞ？, Feel free whenever.) before grabbing her staff.

• 

  Palutena's up taunt.

• 

  Palutena's side taunt.

• 

  Palutena's down taunt.

Idle poses

• Taps the ground with the tail of her staff and shield in front of herself, during which she briefly emits her halo.
• Looks away while crossing her staff and shield in front of herself, during which she briefly emits her halo.

• 

  Palutena's first idle pose

• 

  Palutena's second idle pose

Victory poses

• Left: Twirls with her staff held out, hovering off the ground. She then raises it in an arc and points it in front of her, saying "No one can hide from the light." ("さ、回収しましょうか？", So, shall we recover?).
  • If Pit is present in the match, there is a chance she will instead say "Oh, so sorry about that, Pit." ("やられちゃいましたね？", Were you hurt?).
• Up: Enters from the side of the screen hovering. She then briefly spins her staff in front of herself telekinetically, catches it, and stands with it pointed outwards. During the pose, she says "Too bad for you." ("ちょっと大人げなかったかしら？", Was that a bit immature??).
  • If Dark Pit was present in the match, there is a chance she will instead say "Poor little Pittoo." ("いつまでも意地っ張りですね～", Forever a nuisance...!).
• Right: Uses her staff to briefly perform the Backwards Showgirl (a pole dancing move) before assuming a seated stance while floating and laughs. In the Japanese version, she says ("本気出しても良いんですよ。", It's all right to fight seriously.).

A flourished remix of a small excerpt of the title screen theme of Kid Icarus, with an original ending.

• 
• 
• 

In competitive play

Notable players

Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the Spring 2019 PGRU, which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from February 1st, 2019 to July 7th, 2019.

•  Abadango (#40) - Co-mains Palutena with Inkling and is considered the best Palutena player in Japan. Placed 1st at Just Roll With It! 11, 5th at The Kid, the Goat, and the Mang0, 7th at 2GG: Grand Tour - South Carolina, and 13th at both Umebura Japan Major 2019 and Sumabato SP 4 with wins over Kie and OCEAN.
•  BestNess - Co-mains Ness with Palutena. Placed 2nd at Smashpoint, Ascension V, Ascension VI, and 4th at Crown with both Ness and Palutena.
•  Chag - Co-mains Palutena and Inkling and is considered the best Palutena player in Mexico. Placed 3rd at BIT MASTER MTY 5, 13th at Smash Factor 8, and 33rd at EVO 2019.
•  Dabuz (#7) - Has a strong Palutena secondary and is considered one of the best Palutena players in the world. Placed 2nd at both Smash at The Paramount and Let's Make Moves, 4th at both GENESIS 6 and CEO 2019, and 9th at MomoCon 2019 using Palutena as one of his characters.
•  Frozen (#46) - One of the best Palutena mains in the world. Placed 3rd at Collision 2019, 49th at Frostbite 2019, and 13th at Smash at The Paramount. Has wins over Cosmos, Light, and Tweek.
•  Gen (#51) - One of the best Palutena players in the world. Placed 5th at Overclocked Ultimate, 49th at Frostbite 2019, and 33rd at Smash 'N' Splash 5. Has wins over Suarez, ZD, and Zinoto.
•  Kie - Has a strong Palutena secondary. Placed 2nd at Sumabato SP 3 and 3rd at Sumabato SP 4 with a win over Raito.
•  Light - The best Palutena player in Germany. Placed 3rd at Valhalla II, 7th at Calyptus Cup Inkstrike, and 33rd at Frostbite 2019.
•  Nairo (#8) - The best Palutena player in the world. Placed 2nd at Glitch 6, 4th at Let's Make Moves, and 17th at GENESIS 6.
•  Phantom - The best Palutena main in New England. Placed 4th at Overclocked Ultimate II and 13th at Pound 2019 with wins over Mr.R and Ryuga.
•  Prince Ramen - The best Palutena main in Florida. Placed 9th at Overlords of Orlando: Ultimate Edition and 17th at Smash Conference United.
•  Scr7 - The best Palutena main in the United Kingdom. Placed 4th at Albion 4 and 13th at Regen 2019 with wins over MVD and Mr.R.
•  Skilly - Placed 9th at Paradigm Shift 2019, 33rd at both Frostbite 2019 and EVO 2019.
•  The Great Gonzales (#43) - One of the best Palutena mains in the world. Placed 3rd at The Scarlet Classic V, 13th at Smash 'N' Splash 5, and 25th at Collision 2019. Has wins over ScAtt, Suarez, and Tweek.
•  TLTC - The best solo Palutena player in SoCal. Placed 9th at SoCal Chronicles, 17th at Ultimate Nimbus, and 49th at GENESIS 6.
•  Trevonte - Placed 4th at Super Splat Bros and 65th at GENESIS 6.
•  UtopianRay - One of the best Palutena mains in the United States. Placed 7th at Glitch 6, 17th at Frostbite 2019, and 17th at Pound 2019.
•  Pussy Eater - Co-mains Bowser with Palutena and is considered the best Palutena player in North East England.

Classic Mode: A Little Divine Intervention

Palutena's congratulations screen.

Referring to being a goddess herself, Palutena's opponents all come from series where religion and mythology play a key role, such as the Belmonts being devoted Christians with holy equipment or the Zelda series having multiple deities who often require or grant assistance to the players. The title is the same as a phrase she says in her debut character trailer for Super Smash Bros. 4.

Round	Opponent	Stage	Music	Notes
1	Link and Zelda	Great Plateau Tower	Overworld
2	Cloud	Midgar	Magnus's Theme
3	Simon and Richter	Dracula's Castle	Destroyed Skyworld
4	Shulk	Gaur Plain	Thunder Cloud Temple
5	Bayonetta	Umbra Clock Tower	Riders Of The Light
6	Pit (x3) and Dark Pit (x3)	Palutena's Temple	Underworld	Horde Battle
Bonus Stage
Final	Master Hand	Final Destination	Master Hand (Less than 7.0 intensity) Master Hand / Crazy Hand (Intensity 7.0 or higher)	On intensity 7.0 and higher, Crazy Hand fights alongside Master Hand.

Note: Most stages play a track from the Kid Icarus universe, no matter what universe the stage originated from, with the only exception being Umbra Clock Tower.

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Palutena has Destroyed Skyworld accompany the credits.

Role in World of Light

Finding Palutena in World of Light

Palutena was among the fighters that were summoned to fight the army of Master Hands.

During the opening cutscene, Palutena was present when Galeem unleashed his beams of light. She attempted to block a beam with Reflect Barrier, which the beam completely pierced, disintegrating her. Her defeat causes Pit and Dark Pit to lose their Power of Flight, making the duo fall victim to the beams as well. They were all placed under Galeem's imprisonment alongside the rest of the fighters, excluding Kirby. A puppet fighter cloned from her is later seen alongside ones cloned from Greninja, King Dedede, Pokémon Trainer and other fighters.

Presumably, Palutena fell temporarily under Dharkon's control after Galeem was first defeated, the narration of Dharkon's introduction being vague on how many fighters he stole from Galeem.

Palutena is the last fighter to be found to be imprisoned by Galeem. In The Final Battle, she is called by Galeem as part of reinforcements after Dark Samus is awakened and Crazy Hand is beaten. She is an obligatory unlock for the true ending, as awaking her leads to a battle with Master Hand that frees him from Galeem's control (both of whom's defeats greatly shifts the balance of power in Dharkon's favor).

Fighter Battle

No.	Image	Name	Type	Power	Stage	Music
54		Palutena	Attack	12,500	Palutena's Temple (Ω form)	Destroyed Skyworld

Spirits

Palutena's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Palutena 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.

• 

  705. Palutena

In Spirit battles

As the main opponent

Spirit				Battle parameters
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music
118		Wanda	Super Mario series	•Tiny Palutena •Yoshi •Peach •Mario		1,500	Green Greens (Battlefield form)	N/A	•Defeat the main fighter to win •Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd	Mario Paint Medley
381	File:Elline Spirit.png	Elline	Kirby series	•Tiny Palutena		3,800	Rainbow Cruise	•Item: Balls	•Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle	Butter Building (Brawl)
445	File:AlolanExeggutorSpirit.png	Alolan Exeggutor	Pokémon series	•Giant Palutena		4,300	Tortimer Island	N/A	•Timed Stamina battle •The enemy favors up smash attacks •Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Alolan Exeggutor)	Battle! (Wild Pokémon) - Pokémon Sun / Pokémon Moon
632		Nyna	Fire Emblem series	•Palutena •Ganondorf		4,200	Temple	N/A	•Defeat the main fighter to win •The enemy tends to avoid conflict •The enemy heals over time	Shadow Dragon Medley
640	File:Deirdre Spirit.png	Deirdre	Fire Emblem series	•Palutena		3,700	Temple	•Attack Power ↓	•You have reduced attack power	Edge of Adversity
644		Lilina	Fire Emblem series	•Palutena •Roy		3,500	Gaur Plain (Battlefield form)	N/A	•The enemy's explosion and fire attacks have increased power •The enemy favors side specials •Reinforcements will appear during the battle	Beyond Distant Skies - Roy's Departure
650		Ninian	Fire Emblem series	•Palutena •Roy		3,400	Castle Siege (Battlefield form)	N/A	•Defeat the main fighter to win •The enemy can use their Final Smash twice in a row •The enemy's FS Meter charges quickly	Winning Road - Roy's Hope
661	File:Elincia Spirit.png	Elincia	Fire Emblem series	•Palutena		3,600	Skyworld	•Health Recovery •Attack Power ↑	•The enemy has increased attack power when the enemy's at high damage •The enemy is healed when the enemy's at high damage •The enemy has increased move speed	Victory Is Near
710		Medusa	Kid Icarus series	•Giant Palutena		4,600	Find Mii (Ω form)	•Hazard: High Gravity	•The enemy has super armor but moves slower •Stamina battle •Your jumping power decreases after a little while	Boss Fight 1 - Kid Icarus: Uprising
722		Pseudo-Palutena	Kid Icarus series	•Palutena		1,900	Dracula's Castle	N/A	•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Ditto)	Destroyed Skyworld
843		Katrina	Animal Crossing series	•Palutena		3,700	Smashville	•Sudden Damage	•All fighters take serious damage •The enemy favors dash attacks •The enemy has increased move speed	Plaza / Title Theme - Animal Crossing: City Folk / Animal Crossing: Wild World
859		Serena	Animal Crossing series	•Palutena		1,900	Fountain of Dreams	•Item: Hammer	•The enemy is easily distracted by items	The Roost - Animal Crossing: Wild World
957		Melia	Xenoblade Chronicles series	•Palutena •Shulk		4,200	Gaur Plain (Battlefield form)	•Hazard: Poison Floor	•The floor is poisonous •The enemy's magic attacks have increased power	Time to Fight! - Xenoblade Chronicles
1,172		Mia	Golden Sun series	•Palutena		2,200	Delfino Plaza (Large Island)	N/A	•Timed battle •The enemy shields often •The enemy can heal by shielding attacks	Battle Scene / Final Boss - Golden Sun
1,253	File:Elena Spirit.png	Elena	Pandora's Tower	•Palutena		3,600	Great Plateau Tower	•Item Tidal Wave	•The enemy becomes temporarily invincible after eating •The enemy starts with damage but has increased defense •Certain items will appear in large numbers after a little while	Midna's Lament
1,269	File:Culdra.png	Culdra	Culdcept series	•Palutena		9,200	Temple	•Magic and PSI Unleashed	•All fighters' magic and PSI attacks have increased power	Culdcept

As a minion

Spirit				Battle parameters							Inspiration
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music	Character
972		Mòrag	Xenoblade Chronicles series	•Lucina •Palutena		2,400	Gaur Plain (Battlefield form)	•Hazard: Lava Floor	•Defeat the main fighter to win •The floor is lava	Battle!! - Xenoblade Chronicles 2	Brighid
1,052		Trevor C. Belmont	Castlevania series	•Simon •Palutena •Sheik		13,000	Dracula's Castle	•Assist Trophy Enemies (Alucard)	•Hostile assist trophies will appear when the enemy's at high damage •Reinforcements will appear during the battle	Beginning	Sypha Belnades
1,168	File:Isaac Spirit.png	Isaac	Golden Sun series	•Mii Swordfighter (Moveset 1222, Isaac Wig, Isaac's Outfit, High Voice Type 1) •Palutena •Robin •Roy		8,900	Wuhu Island (Swaying Bridge)	•Assist Trophy Enemies (Isaac)	•The enemy's magic attacks have increased power •Hostile assist trophies will appear •Reinforcements will appear during the battle	Battle Scene / Final Boss - Golden Sun	Mia

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

  Palutena's fighter card.

• 

  Idling on Coliseum.

• 

  Palutena summoning Explosive Flame on Skyloft.

• 

  Palutena reflecting Samus's Charge Shot on Temple.

• 

  Palutena on Lylat Cruise.

• 

  Palutena using her down tilt near an aerial Villager on Gaur Plain.

• 

  Palutena in her cyan alternate costume on Prism Tower.

• 

  Palutena catching Mario in the Black Hole item on Gaur Plain.

• 

  Getting launched by Lunala's Moongeist Beam along with Fox and Samus on Summit.

• 

  With Pit and Dark Pit on Skyworld.

• 

  Palutena, Samus, Villager, and Shovel Knight fighting on Find Mii Ω with the Moon about to crash into the stage.

Trivia

• Palutena is the only character to have two previously separate moves merge into one, being Counter and Reflect Barrier.
• Palutena's artwork was one of three to have been updated on the official site, alongside Falco and Shulk. Compared to her original artwork, her halo was added, her chiton now covers up more of her thigh, her lips shrank, and her eyes grew.
• Due to age rating issues, the slit in her chiton was changed to cover up more of her thigh beginning in the 1.0.6. update for Japanese releases of SSB4. This change was retained in Ultimate, including all international versions.
  • While her official artwork depicts the top of the chiton's slit as fused together, it appears to be stitched together on her in-game model.
  • As Palutena's Fighter Spirit artwork uses an unaltered illustration from Kid Icarus: Uprising, it depicts her chiton still revealing most of her thigh. This is probably an oversight, as the Spirits for Camilla from Fire Emblem: Fates and Mythra from Xenoblade Chronicles 2 had modified artwork to be less provocative.
    • This oversight appears to be shared with the Fighter Spirits for Bayonetta and female Corrin, who likewise use unaltered artwork from their games of origin, but have had censorship applied to them in their playable forms.
• Palutena is one of the last characters to unlock no matter which method is chosen. She's the last unlockable character in Kirby's Classic Mode column, she is the final opponent in the timed encounters, and in World of Light, she is in the Final Battle map.
• An interview with Masahiro Sakurai revealed that Palutena and Bayonetta were under consideration to survive Galeem's attack in the World of Light opening. They were turned down in favor of Kirby, due to both women being very complex characters to use for beginners and that other characters of their series were also turned into spirits, stating that Palutena couldn't do anything to escape as all other Kid Icarus deities like Hades were also turned into spirits.
  • Both Palutena and Bayonetta are in the Final Battle map, appearing as the last of all fighters. This implies that Galeem (and eventually Dharkon) knew how big of a threat Palutena and Bayonetta were (Palutena being a Goddess, and Bayonetta's slaughter of two gods) to his plans, so he kept them as a last resort.
  • Despite this claim, the Hades spirit does not appear in World of Light at all.
• Palutena's unique voice clip when winning against Pit ("Oh, so sorry about that, Pit.") is missing from the Sound Test, despite all her other voice clips used on the victory screen being present.
• Palutena is the only Kid Icarus character to not fight alongside a CPU ally in the final round of her Classic route.