Charizard (SSB4)

Charizard in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Pokémon
Other playable appearance	in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Mega Evolution
Tier	I (49)

“	Charizard Fires It Up!	”
—Introduction Tagline

Charizard (リザードン, Lizardon) returns as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. 4. It was revealed with Greninja in a trailer during the April 8th, 2014 Super Smash Bros. Direct. Charizard is once again voiced by Shinichiro Miki, who provided new voice clips that are notably less bestial than in Brawl and resembling Charizard's voice in the anime.

Charizard is ranked 49th out of 56 characters on the tier list, in the I tier, a significant drop from the Pokémon Trainer's standing in Brawl, being ranked 29th out of 38 characters. Now an individual character, Charizard no longer has to contend with stamina reducing its power and has a more consistent moveset, but is unable to switch out with other Pokémon such as Squirtle that cover its significant weaknesses. Charizard is a character with above average speed, power and durability overall, boasting one of the fastest dash speeds and heaviest weights in the game, as well as several reasonably fast, combo-oriented moves, an array of high-power KO options, and a grab game that can either lead into further combos or kill setups. Particularly notable is its up throw, which is the strongest in the game, although it can be mitigated via directional influence and is therefore most effective on stages with platforms. Additionally, its special moveset is more consistent than in Brawl and is useful both for punishing and defensive purposes. However, Charizard suffers greatly from a horrendous out of shield game along with poor air speed and walk speed; furthermore, while fast and powerful overall, it lacks power compared to other super-heavyweights such as Bowser, and its frame data is poor compared to faster and more combo-oriented characters. Its recovery, heavily nerfed from Brawl, is merely average. Finally, Charizard suffers from a vulnerability to combos - a common problem among the super-heavyweights - with characters such as Ryu able to zero-to-death it outright, having no options to break out of faster combos (with even Rock Smash coming out too slowly for its launch resistance to activate if Charizard is already trapped in a combo). As a result, Charizard has very poor tournament representation, which is even worse than some lower-ranked characters such as Ganondorf and Samus. However, the relevancy of Charizard's current tier position is under debate; while widely viewed as a very poor character in the early SSB4 metagame, it received significant buffs to its combo potential, frame data and landing lag through balance patches, allowing some professionals to achieve modest results with it.

Attributes

Unlike the other playable Pokémon, which are almost all lightweights, Charizard fits the archetype of a powerful yet slow heavyweight with remarkable reach. However, like Ike and Bowser, Charizard has some deceptively fast options for a heavyweight - most notably its dashing speed and a useful combo game. One of Charizard's strengths is its KOing ability; it possesses numerous KOing options (Flare Blitz, Fly, Rock Smash, all of its smash attacks, its sweetspotted forward tilt, its up, back, and down aerials, and its post-update 1.0.8 up throw), all of which become even more lethal courtesy of the rage mechanic that SSB4 introduced. As already mentioned, Charizard also has some moves that combo rather well, such as its neutral attack and forward aerial.

Charizard's special moves are all very useful for its general playstyle. Flamethrower is a short-range projectile that can inflict massive damage, interrupt approaches, and gimp recoveries, and is overall more versatile than Bowser's Fire Breath because it has less ending lag and can cause opponents to flinch more easily. It is also decent at recovery, as Flare Blitz, though somewhat situational, covers a large amount of horizontal distance quickly while providing respectable damage and very high knockback. Flare Blitz is also devastating as a long-range and relatively fast punishing move, although it leaves Charizard in a very vulnerable state if it is shielded or otherwise avoided. As such, it is a high-risk, high-reward move that is easier to use and time than other punishing moves, such as Warlock Punch and most Smash attacks, although it cannot be used recklessly due to the risk involved (a common mistake by inexperienced players). Fly covers a decent amount of vertical distance while providing super armor and high base knockback. Finally, Rock Smash is an essential move as it provides Charizard with super armor while causing high damage and knockback itself, allowing Charizard to avoid being launched or juggled by all but the fastest moves while shifting momentum in its favor.

Another of Charizard's best assets is its grab game: its grab's reach is one of the longest for a non-tether grab in SSB4, its up throw can potentially KO below 95%, and its down throw is a good combo starter. Its very high dashing speed additionally allows it to land dash and pivot grabs more easily than other super-heavyweights, leading into its combo and KO setups.

However, Charizard has noticeable flaws. One flaw is its lack of a very useful projectile; despite Flamethrower's strengths, its sub-par range and moderately fast decay can prevent it from aiding Charizard significantly. Charizard also is easy to combo and generally hit due to its size and weight. Additionally, while Charizard is reasonably fast compared to other heavyweights, its frame data is still generally poor compared to most of the cast, and its mobility is lackluster in some aspects; despite its very fast dash, it has poor air speed (ironically for a Flying-type Pokémon) and walking speed, the former of which can hinder its recovery and combo game. Arguably, its biggest flaw is its out of shield game; despite having some of the best out of shield options available, like Fly and its up throw, they are hindered by Charizard's exceptionally poor traction, which is the second worst in the game after Luigi's.

Custom moves address some of Charizard's shortcomings. Dragon Rush is arguably its best custom, as it is a pressuring and rushdown option that has less lag, no recoil and cannot be blocked by opponents when recovering. Fly High slightly improves its vertical recovery, although it loses one of its fastest punishing moves in the process. The other up special alternative, Rising Cyclone, sacrifices some recovery height for very high launching power that can KO most characters towards the upper blast line around as low as 56%.

Charizard is generally poorly-regarded in the competitive scene. Despite the consistent buffs it received throughout the game's lifetime, it has poor tournament representation overall due to its laggy, punishable attacks, ironically poor aerial mobility, and poor vertical recovery, especially if customs are off. However, players such as Bloodcross, Trela and Mew2King have been able to show some dominance with Charizard even with customs off. As a result, Charizard is somewhat viable when its strengths are played to the fullest and it adopts a punishment-oriented playstyle, especially since its other assets (such as its grab game, combos and surprisingly fast dash) allow it to fare better than characters that rely more exclusively on punishes, such as Ganondorf and Jigglypuff. Because of this, its tier position is under debate; it is one of the few bottom-tiers (along with Lucina and Mii Swordfighter) to have been heavily buffed through balance patches, making its strengths roughly equal to its weaknesses. A minority of professionals, such as ZeRo, consider Charizard a fairly viable character, although it is unclear whether this is reflected in its early tier position.

Changes from Brawl

Charizard has received a mix of buffs and nerfs from Brawl, but has been nerfed overall, leaving it in a much worse position relative to the cast compared to Pokémon Trainer's team in Brawl; however, it is unclear how much better or worse Charizard has become as an individual character, as its playstyle has changed drastically and it was considered a poor character in Brawl on its own merits. Most notably, the removal of gliding has made Charizard's recovery much worse. Additionally, its new side special, Flare Blitz, is situational in regards to recovery, unlike gliding in Brawl. The rest of its moveset has been re-balanced in other ways: its faster attacks (such as neutral attack, neutral aerial and forward tilt) are slightly weaker, many of its KOing options are stronger at the cost of some speed, and its grab game is stronger both in terms of combos and KOing. As a heavyweight character, Charizard benefits greatly from the addition of the rage mechanic; in fact, the recoil from Flare Blitz can act as a positive due to it bringing Charizard closer to utilizing rage sooner. Additionally, many of its moves (most notably its special moves) grant it super armor. Its independence from Pokémon Trainer provides both a buff and a nerf; while Charizard does not have to contend with running out of stamina and its learning curve is much lower than that of Pokémon Trainer, it can no longer switch to other Pokémon better suited for specific match-ups. Charizard is said to work best as a punishing-type character, using its stronger yet slower attacks to take advantage of openings and flaws in the opponent's play.

Despite the large amount of buffs, they are not enough to compensate for the intensity of the few major nerfs received, as Charizard's overall damage output has decreased and some of its attacks are less reliable (such as down tilt and back aerial). While Charizard has not improved significantly from its changes in SSB4, its status as an individual character and corresponding changes in its moveset and attributes require it to be played differently from its Brawl persona.

Aesthetics

• Charizard's skin is a brighter shade of orange, its fangs are smaller, and its proportions are more in-line with its recent 3D appearances in the Pokémon franchise.
• Charizard's dash animation has slightly changed. It now flaps its wings while dashing.
• Charizard's victory poses have changed due to being separate from Pokémon Trainer.
• Charizard is now ambidextrous.

Attributes

• Charizard is heavier, improving its endurance but making it easier to combo (110 → 115).
• Charizard walks faster (0.7 → 1.2).
• Charizard dashes faster (1.8 → 2.0).
• Charizard's air speed is slower (0.987 → 0.87).
• Charizard's jumpsquat is 1 frame longer (frame 6 → 7)
• Charizard falls faster (1.35 → 1.4).
• Charizard's traction has decreased (0.055 → 0.04), giving it the second worst traction in the game after Luigi's.
• Charizard is no longer affected by stamina due to being separate from Pokémon Trainer.
• Type effectiveness has been removed, thus removing Charizard's water weakness and grass resistance.
• Charizard, along with Pit and Meta Knight, can no longer glide.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack deals 1% less damage (14% → 13%).
• Neutral attack is significantly faster.
• Sourspotted forward tilt deals 3% less damage (10% → 7%).
• Forward tilt is slightly faster and one of its previous sourspot hitboxes is now a sweetspot hitbox.
• Down tilt deals 2% less damage (12% → 10% (head), 8% → 6% (neck)), is slower and has lost its KO potential.
• Down tilt now has a windbox that pushes opponents away from Charizard.
• Forward smash deals 5% less damage (22% → 17%).
• Forward smash is now a single hit attack instead of a multiple hit attack that is stronger and has more horizontal range.
• Up smash no longer has Transcendent priority.
• Down smash is stronger and now launches opponents horizontally.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial deals 2% less damage (12% → 10% (flame), 9% → 7% (tail)) and knockback.
• Neutral aerial's damage output is now consistent throughout its duration and is significantly faster, to the point that it can now auto-cancel from a short hop.
• Forward aerial deals more damage (2%-4% → 11% (early, clean arm), 12% (clean tip)) and knockback.
• Forward aerial's animation has changed. Charizard now slashes with its right arm instead of breathing a cone of fire.
• Back aerial deals 1% more damage (9% → 10% (flame), 7% → 8% (tail), 5% → 6% (wing)), has greater reach and is significantly stronger, KOing earlier than some smash attacks.
• Back aerial has added start-up, no longer auto-cancels from a short hop and has more landing lag.
• Up aerial deals 3% more damage (10% → 13% (clean), 7% → 10% (late)), has an altered animation, provides partial intangibility, and is significantly stronger.
• Up aerial has added start-up and has lost its lingering hitbox.
• Down aerial has an added lingering sourspot that is significantly weaker with horizontal knockback. This gives Charizard a new edge-guarding option and a few more follow-up options when aerially fighting opponents, but makes it easier to punish at lower percents.

Throws/other attacks

• Up throw's animation has changed. Charizard now soars toward the upper blast line while clutching the opponent and dive-bombs them at a considerable speed, similarly to Kirby and Meta Knight's up throws, instead of holding the opponent above itself and slamming them down with its head.
• As of update 1.0.8, up throw's knockback has been significantly increased to the point that it is the strongest up throw in the game and one of the strongest throws overall in the game.
• As of update 1.0.8, down throw's knockback has been significantly decreased to the point that is a much better combo starter at the cost of losing its ability to reliably KO, although this was compensated for in the same update with the buff to up throw.

Special moves

• Charizard has a new side special, Flare Blitz. It is an extremely powerful but laggy attack that deals recoil damage regardless of whether or not Charizard hits an opponent. It also gives Charizard both a new horizontal recovery option and another KOing option.
• Rock Smash is now Charizard's down special instead of side special.
• Starting on frame 5, Rock Smash now grants Charizard 22 frames of launch resistance.
• Rock Smash deals less damage (18% → 14% (headbutt), 5% → 3% (fragments)) and knockback.
• Fly covers more vertical distance. The first few hits also connect better and the final hit is much stronger.
• Charizard has a new Final Smash, Mega Charizard X. Charizard undergoes Mega Evolution to become Mega Charizard X, which results in it being able to fly freely across the screen (instead of being forced into a stationary position like Triple Finish did), launch fiery attacks similarly to Yoshi's Super Dragon and gain resistance to both flinching and launching. In addition to Fire Blast, Mega Charizard X can also perform Dragon Rush instead of Flare Blitz, regardless of whether custom moves are on or off. However, Mega Charizard X's duration is not fixed like Triple Finish's, as Mega Charizard X will end earlier if Charizard takes damage while Mega Evolved.

Update history

Initially considered one of the worst characters in the game and arguably the worst among the cast, Charizard has been noticeably buffed via game updates, making it a faster and more combo-capable character overall. Most notably, update 1.0.8 drastically improved two of Charizard's most useful moves as well as its grab game. Its neutral attack connects more reliably and its neutral aerial is much faster, so much so that it can auto-cancel from a short hop, which greatly increases its utility in spacing. Its up throw now has far more knockback, making it the strongest up throw in the game and one of the strongest throws overall in the game. However, it is easier to mitigate with DI due to its launching trajectory. Additionally, its down throw has been re-purposed into becoming Charizard's best combo starter, which can occasionally lead into a KO when followed up with its up aerial. In spite of Charizard's horrendous out of shield game, changes to shield mechanics brought about by updates 1.1.0 and 1.1.1 also help it due to its moves' high hitlag and damage outputs.

1.0.4

• Five frames of intangibility have been added to Charizard's head in certain situations.
• Dragon Rush deals 4% less damage: 15% → 11%.
• Some properties of what appear to be the headbutt in Rock Hurl and Flamethrower have been adjusted.

1.0.6

• Up throw's damage increased: 6% (hit 1), 2% (throw) → 8% (hit 1), 3% (throw).
• Flare Blitz deals 1% more recoil damage: 4% (no collision), 9% (collision) → 5% (no collision), 10% (collision).
• Forward aerial's sweetspot and sourspot hitboxes switched.
• Fly's knockback increased.
• Down tilt's start-up and ending lag decreased.

1.0.8

• Neutral attack's hits connect better and the first hit has increased weight based knockback.
• Forward aerial's hitbox size and duration increased.
• Up throw's knockback increased, making it both the strongest up throw in the game and a viable KOing option.
• Down throw's knockback and ending lag decreased (80 → 72) , making it Charizard's best combo starter at low percents. Although it is less reliable as a KOing option, this is completely mitigated due to the same update's aforementioned buff of Charizard's up throw.

1.1.0

• Forward tilt's sweetspot deals 1% more damage: 10% → 11%.
• One of forward tilt's three sourspot hitboxes has become a sweetspot, which essentially makes its overall sweetspot larger.
• Down tilt has a windbox that pushes opponents inwards (pre-animation modifier frames 6-9), which allows it to connect better.
• Back aerial's landing lag decreased: 36 → 33.
• Down throw's ending lag decreased: 72 → 70.

1.1.1

• Sinking Skull's damage increased: 10% → 12% (ground), 9% → 10% (air).
• Sinking Skull's ending lag decreased by 5 frames.

1.1.3

• Dash attack's ending lag reduced: 44 → 39.
• Dash attack's hitbox 0 angle altered: 70° → 50°.
• Dash attack's hitbox 1 angle altered: 80° → 60°.
• Several minor tweaks have been made to up smash.
• Down smash's hitbox 0/1 knockback growth increased: 76 → 79.
• Down smash's hitbox 2/3 knockback growth increased: 82 → 85.

Moveset

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			3%	Slashes twice with its claws followed by striking with one of its wings. The last hit has high knockback and the inner part of the wing launches opponents vertically, while the tip launches opponents horizontally. Can be jab cancelled into a grab or Fly.
			4%
			5%
Forward tilt			11% (flame), 7% (tail)	Sweeps its tail forward. Sweetspot is at the tip of Charizard's tail, which has a flame effect. Useful for spacing. Can KO at 148% when sweetspotted.
Up tilt			8%	Thrusts both of its wings upward. Charizard's wings are intangible as long as the hitbox is active.
Down tilt			10%	Headbutts forward at the ground in front of it. Good horizontal knockback, though not as much as in Brawl.
Dash attack			11% (clean), 8% (late)	A running side kick. Can be used to catch landing opponents.
Forward smash			17% (clean, late body), 14% (late head)	Rears its head back and then performs a powerful headbutt. Charizard is invincible during the active frames of this attack, even when hitting explosive items. High ending lag. A clean hit can KO at 91%.
Up smash			5% (hit 1), 11% (hit 2)	Bats its wings upward, hitting twice. First hit does not connect very well with the second, requiring the attack to have initiated with the opponent in front of Charizard to reliably connect. It has the lowest ending lag of all of Charizard's smash attacks. Can KO at 115%.
Down smash			16%	Stomps the ground once with both feet, causing the ground to erupt from either side of it. As its hitboxes are mostly grounded, it can be difficult to hit an aerial opponent with it. It also has high ending lag. Can KO at 132%.
Neutral aerial			10% (flame), 7% (tail)	Spins its entire body in a somersault, hitting with its tail. Sweetspot is at the flaming tip of Charizard's tail, which has a flame effect. Can auto-cancel from a short hop.
Forward aerial			11% (early, clean arm), 12% (clean tip)	Slashes with its right arm. Good knockback and relatively quick, and also auto-cancels from a short hop, but has high landing lag.
Back aerial			10% (body), 13% (tail), 15% (flame)	Charizard swings its tail backward. Very strong, with similar power to King Dedede's dash attack, but has high landing lag.
Up aerial			13%	An upward headbutt. Very strong, though it has thin horizontal range. Charizard's head is intangible during its active frames.
Down aerial			14% (clean), 8% (late)	Charizard stomps with one of its feet. A very powerful meteor smash on the first three active frames, with its lingering hitbox launching opponents either vertically or at the Sakurai angle.
Grab			—	Grabs its opponent with its mouth. Good range.
Pummel			2%	Bites the opponent. A fairly fast pummel.
Forward throw			10%	Spins the opponent once with its mouth, then throws them forward. Fairly high knockback and can KO near the edge at 147%. Can be used as a mix-up while facing the edge with its up throw, if the opponent DIs away, it can potentially kill earlier than up throw.
Back throw			10%	Throws the opponent backwards with its mouth, launching opponents at the Sakurai angle. Does not have much ending lag, meaning that at low percents, Charizard can pursue a thrown opponent with a dash immediately after or even with a short hopped or jumping Flare Blitz in some cases. Like its forward throw, it has fairly high knockback, but due to its launching angle it KOs later than the former near the edge, at 155%.
Up throw			8% (hit 1), 3% (throw)	Soars to the upper blast line with the opponent in tow, then zooms back down and slams them against the floor. It appears identical to Kirby and Meta Knight's up throw and may have been inspired by the anime's depiction of Seismic Toss. As of update 1.0.8, its knockback has been drastically increased, making it the strongest up throw in the game, and the second strongest overall, only behind Ness's back throw. (though DI is more effective against it than Mewtwo's), reliably KOing at 134%. While its knockback is best suited for KOing, it can also act as a set-up for Flare Blitz, which deals 30% altogether. However, this combo can only be used on an opponent that is at 0% and can be air dodged by a particularly vigilant opponent.
Down throw			1% (flames, continuous), 1% (throw)	Pins the opponent on the floor and then breathes fire on them. Charizard's weakest throw in regards to damage output. Prior to update 1.0.8, it had high knockback and could KO enemies at high percents near the edge, starting at 125%. As of update 1.0.8, its knockback has been drastically decreased, which is not actually a nerf due to it now being re-purposed into a very good combo starter at low percents. Notable follow-ups include forward aerial, which can be performed on most characters until about 60%, and up aerial, which can score a KO around 80% when followed up with an up aerial and if the opponent DIs vertically.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Swings its tail backward, then headbutts forward.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Gets up and performs a semi-circular slash.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Similar to the back floor attack.
Edge attack Edge getups			8%	Gets up and headbutts.
Neutral special	Default	Flamethrower	2% (clean), 1% (late)	Expels a stream of flames from its mouth that gradually weakens if the attack is held, similarly to Bowser's Fire Breath. Unlike Fire Breath, Flamethrower's far-ranged hitboxes will still make the opponent flinch.
	Custom 1	Fire Fang	2% (flames), 8% (finish)	A short-range, fire-breathing attack that hits quickly. Releasing the button finishes the move with a small explosion.
	Custom 2	Fireball Cannon	3% (clean), 2% (late)	Expels fireballs that travel far and will only weaken slightly over time, though they deal less damage than Flamethrower. In addition to having more start-up, Charizard must fire three fireballs before the move can end.
Side special	Default	Flare Blitz	4% (collision), 15% (explosion)	Performs a corkscrewing tackle while engulfed in flames. Causes recoil damage at the beginning of the move and again on contact. Has heavy armor (14%).
	Custom 1	Blast Burn	4% (collision), 5% (explosion loop), 9% (explosion last)	A slower, short-ranged version of Flare Blitz that deals more damage to both Charizard and its opponent. Has heavy armor (14%).
	Custom 2	Dragon Rush	1.2% (per hit)	Does multiple hits with less power overall, but Charizard takes no recoil damage and will not stop moving if it hits an opponent, improving its recovery. Generally considered the most versatile of Charizard's side special variants, as it cannot be interrupted unlike Flare Blitz or Blast Burn, and is a good KOing option near the edge when used against opponents that have high recoveries.
Up special	Default	Fly	5% (hit 1), 2% (loop hits), 4% (last hit)	Flies upward while corkscrewing. The final hit has great knockback and can KO opponents at medium to high percents near the upper blast line. Grants super armor at the start of the move.
	Custom 1	Rising Cyclone	4% (hit 1), 2% (loop hits), 6% (last hit)	Recovery distance is reduced, but Charizard can suck in opponents and launch them. The final hit is also noticeably stronger. Like the default version, it grants super armor at the start of the move.
	Custom 2	Fly High	0%	Deals no damage, but covers more vertical distance. Like the default version, it grants super armor at the start of the move.
Down special	Default	Rock Smash	14% (headbutt), 3% (fragments)	Pulls out a boulder and headbutts it, breaking it into pieces. Grants Charizard super armor before breaking the boulder (on frames 5-22).
	Custom 1	Sinking Skull	10% (ground), 12%/9% (air)	Omitting the rock, Charizard headbutts the opponent. If landed, it causes them to get buried. It meteor smashes opponents below Charizard if it hits them with its head.
	Custom 2	Rock Hurl	8% (headbutt), 2% (fragments)	The boulder fragments fly farther, but deal less damage. Like the default version, it grants super armor.
Final Smash		Mega Charizard X	2% (charge loop), 10% (charge last hit), 5% (blast collision), 1% (blast loop), 5% (blast last hit)	Charizard Mega Evolves into Mega Charizard X from Pokémon X and Y. Mega Charizard X consistently hovers around the stage, similarly to Super Dragon. As Mega Charizard X, it has two attacks: Fire Blast, a powerful projectile, and Dragon Rush, a powerful corkscrewing tackle. Unlike the Dragon Rush custom move, Mega Charizard X's Dragon Rush can move in any given direction.

On-screen appearance

• Charizard is released from a Poké Ball, then stomps.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Stomps and roars to the sky while flapping its wings.
• Side taunt: Faces the camera and stomps and growls while flapping its wings once.
• Down taunt: Stomps violently while facing the camera.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Leans back and stomps the ground.
• Turns its head to the side and quickly spits an ember onto the ground.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Char-izard!	Liz-ar-don!
Pitch	Group chant	Group chant

Victory poses

A small excerpt of the music that would play on the title screen of Pokémon Red, Blue and Green Versions.

• Roars and does a pose.
• Stomps forward, then roars upwards with flames coming out of its mouth and then poses.
• Uses Flare Blitz into the ground and then poses.

In Competitive Play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Charizard	1311	1313	1331	1333	1113
	1211	1213	3311	2311	1321

Notable players

Active

•  Bloodcross
•  Chompy
•  Trela

Inactive

•  Mew2King

Trophies

Charizard

The iconic Fire/Flying-type Pokémon. Charizard's scorching breath can melt anything in its path. It soars through the air, seeking only worthy foes to test itself against. In Smash Bros., Charizard unleashes the destructive Flare Blitz special move— a move so strong, it even injures the user!

Charizard, a Fire- and Flying-type Pokémon, can burn through anything with the flames it breathes. It is constantly on the lookout for powerful opponents. And where better to find them than in this game? Its huge build and special moves mean it can inflict massive damage, and its Flare Blitz is so powerful, it even hurts Charizard itself!

: Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue (09/1998)

: Pokémon X and Pokémon Y (10/2013)

Charizard (Alt.)

Charizard's Flamethrower attack can be sustained by holding the button. The flames will gradually die, but a short break will recharge them. Charizard's down special Rock Smash crushes a rock and hits foes with the pieces. Charizard won't flinch while crushing, but others can break the rock...

When using Charizard's Flamethrower move, hold the button to keep breathing fire. The flames gradually die down, but you just need to rest for a bit before doing it again. If you get hit while you're using the down special Rock Smash, you won't flinch, but someone else can break the rock instead, making your attack fail.

: Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue (09/1998)

: Pokémon X and Pokémon Y (10/2013)

Mega Evolution (Charizard)

In this powerful Final Smash, Charizard Mega Evolves into Mega Charizard X and takes to the air. In this form, it can charge violently in any direction or shoot horizontal blasts of fire that launch foes. Mega Charizard X isn't invulnerable, though-in fact, taking damage will actually reduce the time you can stay transformed.

For this powerful Final Smash, Charizard Mega Evolves into Mega Charizard X and takes to the air. In this form, it can charge violently in any direction and shoot horizontal blasts of fire that launch foes. Mega Charizard X isn't invulnerable, though - taking attacks will reduce the length of time it stays transformed.

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  Classic (3DS)

• CharizardAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

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  Classic (Wii U)

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  Alt. (Wii U)

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  Mega Charizard X

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• All-Star Battle: Brawl: Charizard is one of the opponents fought in this event. All characters debut from Brawl and reappeared in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
• Fire-Type Frenzy: Charizard must defeat Greninja, Lucario, and Pikachu all appearing after another.
• Pokémon Battle: Greninja must defeat a team of Pikachu, Charizard, and Lucario in a 1 stock battle.
• The Falchion's Seal: Robin must defeat a giant Charizard using his Final Smash, Pair Up. Defeating it any other way causes it to respawn.

Co-Op Events

• Poisonous Planet: Olimar and Samus (under the flowering effect) must defeat a team of 2 Charizards in a 200HP battle before their health is depleted.
• Pokémon Multi Battle!: Pikachu and Charizard must defeat a team of Lucario and Greninja, then a team of Pikachu and Charizard each appearing after one opponent is defeated.
• Robots vs. Dragons: Mega Man and R.O.B. must defeat a team of giant Yoshi, giant Charizard and Ridley in a stamina battle.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select characters and must defeat the entire roster.

Reveal trailer

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Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Charizard's splash art.

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  Charizard's amiibo.

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  Charizard and Pikachu atop a cliff, overlooking various Pokémon.

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  Charizard using its new forward aerial against Mario.

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  Charizard using Flare Blitz, its new side special.

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  Back aerial's landing lag.

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  Defending against Mario's F.L.U.D.D..

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  Footstool jumping on Yoshi.

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  Sidestepping Little Mac's attack.

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  Being attacked by Greninja.

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  Striking a pose.

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  Charizard and Lucario under the sleep effects of Bellossom's Sleep Powder.

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  Glaring at Kirby after copying Charizard's Flamethrower.

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  In front of the Prism Tower in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

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  With Pikachu.

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  Mega Charizard X.

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  Lucario, Charizard, Greninja, and Pikachu.

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  Charizard using Flare Blitz, along with knockback recoil.

Trivia

• Charizard's idle pose of turning its head to spit out an ember is based on how Ash's Charizard would do the same, although Ash's did so in a nonchalant or cocky manner during its initially disrespectful phase.
• Charizard is the only Pokémon character to receive new voice clips while retaining its voice actor.
• Charizard knows eight official Pokémon attacks in SSB4, which is impossible in the Pokémon core series, where the maximum is four.
  • Apart from having Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Fly and Rock Smash as its standard special moves, it can also use Fire Fang and Blast Burn as custom moves, Fire Blast as part of its Final Smash and Dragon Rush as both a custom move and as part of its Final Smash.
• In the PAL version of Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, one of the tips about Rock Smash refers to Charizard using masculine pronouns: "Right before smashing a rock, Charizard gets super armor, meaning he won't even flinch if he's attacked!"
• All 5 of Charizard's air attacks only hit once. It is the only Pokémon with this behavior.
• Charizard is the only character to have one of its special move inputs changed between games outside of Smash 64.