Pikachu (SSB)/Up smash

Overview

The hitbox of Pikachu's u-smash.

Pikachu does a quick back flip, hurting any opponent who is near it with its tail, doing 18% damage when fresh and powerful vertical knockback. This is similar to Captain Falcon's up smash but with more range, power, and lag. It is overall a versatile and excellent comboing move, as it can combo into itself when used against heavier characters as well as any of Pikachu's aerials. An effective strategy that Pikachu can use is that its up smash can follow with Thunder which can KO opponents once the up smash gets them near the upper line. This technique, known as "Thunderspiking", allows Pikachu to KO characters 20%-30% quicker. An easy but effective way to reach the up smash→Thunderspike combo is with a barrage of up tilts, which can be done as a 0-death combo. At lower percentages, the move can also lead into aerials on its own. The move also does some considerable shield stun and shield damage, and if used repeatedly, it has the ability to unreliably break shields. Additionally, hitting with the move when Pikachu isn't facing the opponent, or with the tip of Pikachu's tail when the opponent is directly above it, does weak knockback and about halved damage that can juggle and chain into itself at high percentages, as well as being able to combo into an aerial or the strong hitbox of the up smash.

Hitboxes

ID	Part	Damage	SD	Angle	BK	KS	FKV	Radius	Bone	Offset			Clang	Effect	G	A	Sound
Clean
0	0	18%	0		40	100	0	80	29	0	0	0					Kick
1	0	18%	0		40	100	0	155	29	115	180	-60					Kick
Late
0	0	9%	0		10	100	0	100	29	0	0	0					Kick
1	0	9%	0		10	100	0	155	29	115	180	-60					Kick

Timing

Clean hit	10-12
Late hit	13-18
Animation length	38

Legend (1 square = 1 frame)

Lag time

Hitbox

Hitbox change

Pikachu's moveset

Neutral attack · Forward tilt · Up tilt · Down tilt · Dash attack · Forward smash · Up smash · Down smash
Neutral aerial · Forward aerial · Back aerial · Up aerial · Down aerial
Grab · Forward throw · Back throw
Forward roll · Back roll · Techs
Floor attack (front) · Floor getups (front) · Floor attack (back) · Floor getups (back)
Edge attack (fast) · Edge getups (fast) · Edge attack (slow) · Edge getups (slow)
Neutral special · Up special · Down special