Ivysaur (SSBU)

This article is about Ivysaur's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For other uses, see Ivysaur. Also, for information about Ivysaur in regards to Pokémon Trainer, see Pokémon Trainer (SSBU), Squirtle (SSBU), and Charizard (SSBU).

Ivysaur in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Pokémon
Shares character slot with	Pokémon Trainer Charizard Squirtle
Other playable appearance	in Brawl
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Triple Finish

Ivysaur is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It was confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Along with the Pokémon Trainer, Ivysaur is classified as fighter #34.

Justin Anselmi and Inuko Inuyama, its English and Japanese voice actors in Pokémon the Series: XY, reprise their roles in the game, replacing Craig Blair and Tomoko Kawakami's portrayals from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Ivysaur was previously considered the worst Pokémon in the Pokémon Trainer's party and one of the worst characters in Brawl (especially if judged as a standalone fighter), due to its large amount of significant weaknesses, namely poor damage outputs on its attacks, notable KO problems due to laggy finishers, poor aerial game, terrible recovery, and one of the worst special movesets in the game. In the transition to Ultimate, Ivysaur has been heavily buffed, and is by far the most buffed Pokémon in the Pokémon Trainer's party.

Ivysaur's biggest buffs come from the adjustments to the Pokémon Trainer's mechanics alongside universal gameplay changes. The type effectiveness mechanic, which previously gave Ivysaur a disproportionate weakness to the common flame-type attacks throughout the cast, has been removed, while the elimination of stamina allows Ivysaur to stay in the fight without weakening its moves. Ivysaur's air speed is also much higher, which alongside the universally decreased landing lag on aerials, and the removal of edgehogging in favor of ledge trumping, considerably improves two of its most glaring weaknesses: its poor aerial approach and its exploitable recovery. This is further helped by the ability to use Pokémon Change in the air, allowing Ivysaur to gain access to Charizard's better recovery.

A large part of Ivysaur's moveset has been modified and is significantly more useful overall. The addition of a finisher and the changes to neutral infinites makes its neutral attack more reliable for racking up damage, while down tilt consists of a single hit that semi-spikes. Some of Ivysaur's notoriously weak attacks, such as down smash and back aerial, have had their damage and knockback considerably increased, with down smash gaining a sweetspot that can KO at realistic percents. Ivysaur's entire aerial game has received several enhancements: it has a new, disjointed neutral aerial that performs much better than its old one, due to its autolink angle and the weakening of SDI from Brawl enabling it to connect much more reliably, and the changes to hitstun canceling allow Ivysaur to start and extend combos much more effectively with all its aerials. Up and down aerials' momentum changes are less extreme, and down aerial has been heavily buffed, as its small meteor smash sweetspot deals more damage and is slightly larger, and its large sourspot now meteor smashes as well, turning the move into a powerful edgeguarding tool. In addition, Ivysaur's throw game is vastly more useful; it now has a KO throw in the form of back throw, alongside reliable combos from up throw and down throw due to the changes to hitstun canceling, while it is also one of the characters to be the least affected by the universal nerfs to grabs, as only its pivot grab's lag was increased, and all grabs except its dash grab have more range. Lastly, its entire special moveset has been improved in several ways: Bullet Seed has gained a finisher, Razor Leaf is noticeably more useful as a campable projectile due to its previously unreliable trajectory being more consistent, and Vine Whip has faster startup, can be angled, and no longer causes helplessness, which grants Ivysaur a powerful combo finisher and more opportunities to recover. Altogether, these changes immensely improve Ivysaur's neutral game, damage racking, and zoning abilities, putting them more in line with the rest of the cast.

However, Ivysaur did receive a few notable nerfs from Brawl. Ivysaur's weight has been decreased, which combined with the removal of momentum canceling hinders its survivability. Although forward tilt connects much more reliably due to the weakening of SDI, it has noticeably more startup, while it retains high ending lag and a lack of KO power. Some of Ivysaur's KO options were toned down as well, such as dash attack, forward smash, forward aerial, and its notorious up aerial and up smash, with the latter no longer being the strongest in the game. Most importantly, however, Bullet Seed has slower startup with no intangibility, and racks up a significantly lower amount of damage due to its shortened duration, greatly reducing its utility despite the new finisher. As a result, Ivysaur is more reliant on racking up damage with its various buffed moves to KO effectively, which is exacerbated by all its aerials except neutral and down aerial launching at upward angles that are ineffective for edgeguarding, often compelling the player to switch to Charizard and utilize its greater KO potential once opponents are at high percents.

Overall, Ivysaur has become a drastically better character since its introduction in Brawl, especially relative to the rest of the cast, and is generally agreed upon to be the Pokémon Trainer's best Pokémon, as opposed to the worst like in Brawl. It now performs more effectively as a well-rounded middleweight character in the Pokémon Trainer's party, fulfilling the role of the "zoning" fighter with disjointed range on its attacks, a conventional projectile, and setups into its powerful bud-based moves, but lacking Squirtle's speedy attacks and Charizard's sheer power.

Aesthetics

• Ivysaur's design and proportions have changed. Its flower bud now has multiple layers of petals and a smoother texture. Its pupils and ears are slightly larger, and its toes are much less pronounced. Its patches have also been re-positioned. It is more vibrantly colored overall, with its skin being a lighter shade of blue and its flower bud being a lighter shade of pink with its leaves being a lighter shade of green. In addition, Ivysaur's teeth and toes are white instead of beige. Due to these changes, it now matches match its appearance in more recent Pokémon games.
• Ivysaur has received three new alternate costumes.
• Ivysaur is much more expressive than it was in Brawl.
• Ivysaur always faces the screen regardless of which direction it turns, causing all of its animations to be mirrored.
• Ivysaur has a new air dodge animation, where it no longer twirls horizontally.
• Opponents now grab Ivysaur by its body, instead of its flower bud.
• The grass type and effect of Ivysaur's moves have been removed and replaced with weapon or typeless and normal effects.
• Ivysaur has a new victory animation, where it performs Vine Whip in front of itself a couple of times. This replaces the victory pose where it walks in place a few times.
• The victory pose where Ivysaur backflips now has it land upright, as opposed to landing on its belly.
• Ivysaur now has an individual Sound Test section, rather than being grouped together with the other Pokémon as well as the Trainer.

Attributes

• Like all characters, Ivysaur's jumpsquat animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 5).
• Ivysaur walks faster (1.05 → 1.1103).
• Ivysaur runs faster (1.5 → 1.595). However, it is slower relative to the rest of the cast, going from average (17th fastest out of 39 characters) to below-average (59th fastest out of 82 characters).
  • Its initial dash is much faster (1.4 → 1.903).
• Ivysaur's air speed is much faster (0.752 → 0.998), going from the 3rd slowest in Brawl to the 58th fastest out of 81 characters in Ultimate.
• Ivysaur's crawling speed is slower.
• Ivysaur's fall speed is slightly higher (1.35 → 1.38).
  • Its fast falling speed is significantly higher (1.89 → 2.208), leaving it much less vulnerable to juggling.
• Ivysaur's gravity is higher (0.07 → 0.082).
• Ivysaur is lighter (100 → 96). Combined with the removal of momentum canceling, this reduces its survivability.
• The Stamina mechanic has been removed, eliminating the necessity of switching out Pokémon to restore their power.
• The removal of type effectiveness benefits Ivysaur significantly more than the rest of the Pokémon Trainer's party, as it previously had a disproportionate weakness to the common flame attacks of the cast. This also increases the power of its grass attacks against Charizard.
  • However, this also hinders Ivysaur's endurance against water based attacks (which are slightly more prevalent than in Brawl), and reduces the power of its grass attacks against Squirtle.
• The removal of edgehogging improves Ivysaur's tether-dependent recovery.
• The removal of meteor canceling both helps and hinders Ivysaur. While it improves the reliability of its buffed down aerial, it also leaves Ivysaur significantly more vulnerable to meteor smashes, as it had one of the most lenient meteor cancel windows in Brawl.
• Forward roll has less ending lag (FAF 33 → 31).
• Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-19 → 4-15).
• Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frames 4-19 → 5-16), and more ending lag (FAF 33 → 36).
• Spot dodge has more startup with less intangibility (frames 2-20 → 3-16), and more ending lag (FAF 26 → 27).
• Air dodge has less startup and grants more intangibility (frames 4-29 → 3-29).
• Air dodge has much more ending lag (FAF 40 → 57).

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • The first hit transitions into the second hit faster (frame 13 → 10 (hit), 16 → 13 (no hit)), which transitions into the neutral infinite faster (frame 15 → 8).
  • The first two hits have altered angles to keep opponents close to Ivysaur (30° (hit 1), 85° (hit 2) → 361°/180°), and the second hit has altered knockback (10 base/50 scaling → 25/20 base/25/20/15 scaling), allowing them to lock opponents and connect more reliably.
  • The second hit has less startup (frame 7 → 5), and can be used without triggering the neutral infinite. If it misses, it can also loop back into the first hit on frame 20 if the button is held, instead of transitioning into the infinite.
  • The infinite has a new animation: Ivysaur swings both vines much faster in front of itself, instead of alternatingly slamming them down at a moderate pace.
  • The infinite has less startup (frame 6 → 4), a much shorter gap between hits (10 frames → 3), a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.5×) and SDI multiplier (1× → 0.4×), keeps opponents on the ground (30° → 361°), and deals less knockback (20 base/20/0 scaling → 7/30). Combined with the weakening of SDI, this allows it to connect much more reliably. Additionally, like all neutral infinites since Smash 4, it has gained a finisher in the form of a double vine slap, making it significantly safer.
  • The first two hits have smaller hitboxes (3u/4u/4u/3u → 2.3u/2.3u/2.3u/2.8u (hit 1), 3u/3u/3u/3u (hit 2)).
  • The first two hits have a shorter hitbox duration (frames 7-9 → 7-8 (hit 1), 5-6 (hit 2)).
  • The first hit and the infinite deal less damage (3% → 2% (hit 1), 2%/1% → 0.5% (infinite)).
  • The first hit no longer uses set knockback (8 set/100 scaling → 25/20 base/25/20/15 scaling), causing it to connect less reliably at high percents.
  • The first hit has a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.3×); however, it remains harder to SDI than in Brawl due to the weakening of the mechanic.
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt's looping hits have a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.7×) and SDI multiplier (1.2× → 1×). Combined with the weakening of SDI, this allows them to connect more reliably.
  • The looping hits are placed farther horizontally (Z offset: 11u/5.3u/0u/15u → 11.5u/6u/1u/16u), increasing their range.
  • The last hit deals more knockback (40/30/20 base/100 scaling → 55/136).
  • Due to the changes to the jostle mechanics, Ivysaur can no longer cross-up opponents at point blank range and cause them to fall out of the move.
  • It has more startup (frame 6 → 10), with its total duration increased as well (FAF 42 → 46).
  • The last hit has a much higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 2.1×), making it easier to DI.
  • The looping hits deal consistent damage (2%/1% → 1.5%; 14%-8% total → 11%).
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt has less startup (frame 9 → 7), with its total duration reduced as well (FAF 35 → 33).
  • Due to the changes to the jostle mechanics, it is harder to connect against grounded opponents.
  • It has more base knockback (50/60 → 85), but much less knockback scaling (100/90 → 61), removing its KO potential at very high percents.
  • It has an altered animation, with Ivysaur looking more towards the screen and no longer performing a frontflip.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt hits once instead of twice.
  • It has less ending lag (FAF 38 → 32).
  • It keeps the angle of the previous first hit rather than the second hit's (361° → 30°), increasing its effectiveness for gimping and setting up edgeguards.
  • It deals less damage (2% (hit 1), 5% (hit 2) → 5.5%) and knockback (60 base/100 scaling → 50/65).
  • It has a longer duration than the previous first hit, but still a shorter overall duration due to the removal of the second hit (frames 4-5, 9-10 → 4-6).
• Dash attack:
  • The hitbox is placed farther horizontally (Z offset: 3u → 5.6u/6.4u/6.2u/6u/5.5u (clean), 1u → 3.6u/2.8u/2.5u/1.5u (late)), increasing its range.
  • The clean hit has less knockback scaling (70 → 57), greatly hindering its KO potential, despite launching at a slightly higher angle (70° → 74°).
  • The late hit launches at a slightly higher angle (70° → 73°).
  • It has an altered animation, with Ivysaur performing a tackle rather than a headbutt.
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash has a longer duration (frames 15-18 → 15-20), although with a late hit during the last two frames that deals less damage (16% → 14%) and has smaller hitboxes (6u/5u → 5u/4u).
  • The clean hit deals less knockback (20 base/99 scaling → 45/78), and can no longer lock or trip opponents at lower percents due to its higher base knockback.
  • It starts charging earlier (frame 14 → 10), no longer having immediate startup when released.
  • The sweetspot launches at a slightly higher angle when angled up (361° → 44°).
• Up smash:
  • The topmost hitbox is larger (11u → 13u) and placed farther vertically (Y offset: 15u → 17u), increasing its already impressive range.
  • It deals much less knockback (80 base/90 scaling → 78/78), no longer being the strongest in the game.
  • It no longer grants intangibility to the bottom of Ivysaur's bulb while the hitboxes are out.
  • It has an altered animation, with Ivysaur raising its front legs before unleashing the spores.
• Down smash:
  • Down smash has less startup (frame 16 → 13) and ending lag (FAF 54 → 46).
  • All hitboxes except the innermost one deal more damage (8% → 8%/10%/12%), giving the move a ranged middlespot and sweetspot.
  • The middlespot and sweetspot launch at lower angles (361° → 34°/30°) and deal more knockback (40 base/80 scaling → 45/50 base/84/77 scaling). Combined with their increased damage, this significantly improves the move's KO potential, no longer being the weakest down smash in the game.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials except neutral aerial have less landing lag (28 frames → 13 (forward), 10 → 7 (back), 22 → 11 (up), 28 → 13 (down)). In combination with the higher shieldstun for aerials compared to Brawl, this makes them much safer on shield.
• Neutral aerial:
  • Ivysaur has a new neutral aerial: it points its bud towards the screen and spins its leaves. It hits eight times, up from seven.
  • The looping hits are consistently active throughout and use a faster rehit rate, instead of possessing gaps between each hit (frames 4-5, 8-9, 12-13, 16-17, 20-21, 24-25 → 7-26; rehit rate: 3). They also have a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.7×), and aside from the innermost hitbox, they use the autolink angle (90°/270° → 361°/367°). In combination with the weakening of SDI, this allows them to connect much more reliably, despite having a higher SDI multiplier (0.2× → 1.2×).
  • The hitboxes are spread better around Ivysaur, more disjointed due to the new animation, and larger for the last hit (3u/6u/6u → 6.5u/6.5u/6.5u/6.5u), improving the move's range and coverage, despite the looping hits' smaller hitboxes overall (3u/6u/6u → 4.5u/4.5u/4.5u/4.5u).
  • The last hit has altered knockback (10 base/220 scaling → 30/200), increasing its safety on hit at low percents. In combination with the changes to hitstun canceling, this also allows it to combo into a forward or back aerial from low to mid percents if Ivysaur does not land during it.
  • It deals much less damage (2% (hits 1-7) → 1% (hits 1-7), 2% (hit 8); 14% total → 9%).
  • It has more startup (frame 4 → 7) and landing lag (11 frames → 16).
  • It auto-cancels later (frame 35 → 41), no longer doing so in a short hop.
  • The last hit launches at a different angle (361° → 43°), removing its ability to lock opponents.
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial deals consistent damage (12%/10% → 12%).
  • One of its hitboxes launches at a higher angle (80°/70°/60°/60° → 80°/70°/70°/60°), improving its consistency for KOing.
  • The changes to hitstun canceling coupled with its reduced landing lag allow it to start combos from low to mid percents.
  • It deals less knockback (35 base/103 scaling → 51/46/45 base/76/81/90 scaling), hindering its KO potential.
  • It has smaller hitboxes (4u/4u/4u/2.5u → 3.6u/3.2u/3u/2u), slightly reducing its range despite the hitboxes being placed a bit farther horizontally (Z offset: 3.7u/3u/2.8u/2.8u → X offset: 0u/2u/3.8u/4u).
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial deals much more damage (2% → 3% (hit 1), 3%/2% → 6% (hit 2); 5%/4% total → 9%), no longer being the least damaging back aerial in the game. The second hit's knockback was not fully compensated (10 base/160/170 scaling → 25 base/118 scaling), improving its utility for edgeguarding.
  • The first hit has more startup (frame 4 → 7).
    • However, the second hit's startup remains unchanged, thus reducing the gap between both hits. This allows the move to connect more reliably, despite the first hit's increased knockback (20 base/20 scaling → 30/27).
  • It can no longer auto-cancel in a short hop due to Ivysaur's higher gravity and faster falling speed.
  • It has higher hitlag multipliers (0.5× → 0.8× (hit 1), 1× → 1.2× (hit 2)), making it easier to DI.
  • Ivysaur does not extend its vines as far, reducing the move's range despite having slightly larger hitboxes (3u/4u/4u/2.5u → 4.2u/3.8u/3.4u/3u (hit 1), 4u/4u/4u/3u → 4.8u/4.4u/4u/3u (hit 2)).
  • The first hit launches at a slightly lower angle (80° → 76°).
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial no longer causes Ivysaur to fast fall, instead just giving it a moderate amount of downwards momentum, making it less risky to use offstage. Ivysaur can still fast fall manually when using up aerial, allowing it to mix up its positioning when using the move.
  • The hitboxes are placed higher (Y offset: 14u/9u → 20u/20u), improving its vertical range.
  • The removal of hitstun canceling coupled with its reduced landing lag allow it to start combos from low to mid percents.
  • It deals less damage (16% → 15%), and has altered knockback (32 base/97 scaling → 64/72). While this further aids in the move's combo potential at lower percents, it most significantly hinders its KO potential, despite launching at a higher angle (83° → 90°).
  • It no longer grants intangibility to the bottom of Ivysaur's bulb while the hitboxes are out.
  • The second hitbox is much larger (6u → 13u), matching the first hitbox, but due to its altered Y offset, both hitboxes now occupy the same space, the only difference being that the first one only affects grounded opponents and the second one only affects aerial opponents.
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial's sweetspot deals more damage (8% → 10%), dealing as much as the sourspot.
  • The sweetspot deals more knockback (20 base/80 scaling → 27/80 (grounded), 9/98 (aerial)).
  • The sweetspot is larger (2.2u → 4u) and placed lower (-9u → -13.5u), improving its range.
  • The sourspot meteor smashes opponents like the sweetspot (50° → 270°). This allows the move to lock opponents more reliably, and combined with the removal of meteor canceling, significantly improves its effectiveness for edgeguarding.
  • It halts Ivysaur's horizontal momentum for a significantly shorter time.
  • The changes to hitstun canceling coupled with its reduced landing lag allow it to start combos onstage even up to high percents.
  • The sourspot deals much less knockback (32 base/92 scaling → 17/62 (grounded), 8/62 (aerial)), significantly hindering its KO potential onstage.
  • The move gives Ivysaur a weaker vertical boost (0.8 → 0.3). Combined with Ivysaur's higher gravity and faster falling speed, this allows it to land faster after using the move, but makes it riskier to use offstage.

Throws and other attacks

• Grabs:
  • Standing and pivot grab have larger hitboxes against grounded opponents (3u → 3.3u).
  • Standing grab has less ending lag (FAF 50 → 43).
  • Dash grab has smaller hitboxes against grounded opponents (3u → 2.6u), and all grabs have smaller hitboxes against aerial opponents (3u → 1.65u (standing, pivot), 1.3 (dash)).
  • Pivot grab has more ending lag (FAF 36 → 45).
• Pummel:
  • Ivysaur has a new pummel: it headbutts the opponent, rather than squeezing them with its vines.
  • It deals more hitlag (5 frames → 14), but has less startup (frame 6 → 1) and much less ending lag (FAF 25 → 7), shortening its effective duration.
  • It deals much less damage (3% → 1.3%).
• The speed of Ivysaur's throws is no longer weight-dependent.
• Forward throw:
  • Ivysaur has a new forward throw: it tackles the opponent away, rather than tossing them with its vines.
  • It has gained a hitbox before the throw, allowing it to hit bystanders.
  • It deals more damage (8% → 5% (hit 1 and throw); 10% total).
  • It releases opponents later (frame 16 → 17) and has more ending lag (FAF 34 → 38).
  • The throw's knockback was not fully compensated for its reduced individual damage output (60 base/55 scaling → 80/60).
• Back throw:
  • Back throw deals more damage (10% → 12%) with no compensation on knockback. This greatly improves its KO potential, allowing it to KO at around 130% near the edge.
  • It releases opponents later (frame 18 → 20), with its total duration increased as well (FAF 34 → 36), making it easier to DI.
  • Ivysaur no longer spins around once before the throw, but it has a more pronounced animation.
• Up throw:
  • Up throw has a different animation, where Ivysaur jumps and bumps the opponent upward with its bud.
  • It has gained a hitbox before the throw, allowing it to hit bystanders.
  • It releases opponents later (frame 13 → 21) and has more ending lag (FAF 28 → 40).
  • The changes to hitstun canceling and Ivysaur's faster jumpsquat allow up throw to combo into a neutral or up aerial from low to mid percents, and Vine Whip even up to high percents, despite its increased ending lag.
  • It deals less damage (10% → 4% (hit 1), 5% (throw); 9% total), with knockback not fully compensated on the throw (70 base/72 scaling → 75/95). This greatly hinders its KO potential, no longer KOing at around 170% from ground level.
• Down throw:
  • Down throw deals less damage (10% → 7%).
  • It has altered knockback (83 base/50 scaling → 44/122). Combined with its lower damage and Ivysaur's faster jumpsquat, this turns it into an excellent combo starter until up to high percents, even gaining a KO setup into Vine Whip's sweetspot near the edge, while also granting it KO potential at very high percents.
• Floor attacks:
  • Floor attacks deal more damage (6% → 7%) and shield damage (1 → 8) per hit, with minimally compensated knockback scaling (50 → 48).
  • Their angles have been altered (361° → 48°).
• Edge attack:
  • Edge attack less startup (frame 24 → 21) and one more frame of intangibility (frames 1-22 → 1-23).
  • It deals more damage (8%/6% → 9%), and no longer uses set knockback (110 set/100 scaling → 90 base/20 scaling), making it stronger at higher percents.
  • It has less range (6u/6u/6u → 5u).

Special moves

• Bullet Seed:
  • Bullet Seed has less ending lag (FAF 86 → 80).
  • It fires a finishing seed when ended, which deals more damage (2% (clean), 1% (late) → 3%) with much more knockback (10 base/40 scaling → 100/46). Coupled with its reduced ending lag, this makes it less punishable.
  • The seeds have altered knockback (10 base/40 scaling → 15/30) and launch at slightly higher angles (86°/80° → 90°/88°), allowing them to connect more reliably at higher percents.
  • The seeds' late hits deal more damage (1% → 1.3%).
  • It has more startup lag (frame 4 → 7).
  • It no longer grants Ivysaur full intangibility on frames 1-3.
  • It has a significantly shorter maximum duration, with Ivysaur firing a much smaller amount of seeds (35 → 11), lasting only around one second instead of four.
  • The first hit and the seeds' clean hits deal less damage (4% → 3% (hit 1), 2% → 1.5% (clean seed)). Combined with the move's much shorter maximum duration, this significantly reduces its maximum damage (74% → 21%).
  • The seeds have smaller hitboxes (6.2u → 4.5u (clean), 5u → 3.5u (late)).
  • The seeds have a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.5× (near), 0.8× (far)), but a a higher SDI multiplier (0.1× (near), 0.28× (far) → 0.5×).
  • The finishing seed launches at a lower angle (86°/80° → 70°).
• Razor Leaf:
  • Razor Leaf has less ending lag on the ground (FAF 51 → 49).
  • Its random trajectory has been made significantly less variable, improving its consistency.
  • It deals more knockback (30/18/5 base/50/50/30 scaling → 54/38/30 base/50/40/32 scaling), allowing it to keep opponents away more effectively.
  • The universal increase to hitlag in Ultimate benefits Razor Leaf, as it uses the average hitlag multiplier of 1× unlike most other projectiles, increasing its advantage on hit.
  • It has more startup (frame 22 → 24).
  • It has more ending lag in the air (FAF 46 → 49).
  • It has received negative shield damage (0 → -4/-3/-2), effectively dealing half its usual damage to shields.
  • The mid and late hits have altered angles (70°/30° → 55°/40°).
• Vine Whip:
  • Vine Whip no longer causes helplessness in the air, allowing Ivysaur to use it much more safely offensively, and to reattempt a failed recovery by using the move again or a directional air dodge.
  • It can be angled upward and forward, increasing its versatility and making the sweetspot easier to land.
  • The grounded version's sourspots deal more and consistent damage (7%/8%/9%/10% → 11%), matching the aerial version.
  • It has less startup (frame 22 (grounded), 21 (aerial) → 15). In combination with its new ability to be angled, and the changes to hitstun canceling, this greatly improves its utility as a combo finisher.
  • It has a shorter hitbox duration (frames 22-24 (grounded), 21-25 (aerial) → 15-17), and its total duration was not compensated for its faster startup, increasing its ending lag.
  • The aerial version's sweetspot has less base knockback (80 → 70), no longer being stronger than the grounded version.
• Pokémon Change:
  • Pokémon Change executes much faster, and no longer requires the game to load the next Pokémon with every switch. This significantly increases its safety, and allows it to potentially string into another Pokémon's moves.
  • It can now be used in the air. This allows the player to mix up their recovery between different Pokémon, and to utilize its intangibility frames as an alternative air dodge, with the notable advantage of coming out on frame 1. As a result, it poses much less of a risk than in Brawl as a defensive option.
  • The intangibility is temporarily lost if the player spams Pokémon Change.
  • It has a cooldown of around two seconds after the Pokémon switch is executed. However, it can be skipped by using another special move.
  • It no longer resets stale-move negation, effectively weakening Charizard when Ivysaur switches.
  • It can no longer skip the ending lag of the switch if performed near the edge of a moving platform, although it still grants Ivysaur an extra midair jump.
• Triple Finish:
  • Triple Finish deals less total damage (58% → 44.3%).
  • It has a different text box, more closely resembling its appearance in the Generation VII games.

Update history

Ivysaur has been nerfed via game updates. Its biggest nerfs were to its infamously potent down aerial: in addition to its sweetspot becoming smaller, its sourspot's already low knockback was decreased even further.

3.0.0

• Razor Leaf deals less shield damage (0 → -4/-3/-2 (early/mid/late)).

3.1.0

• Bullet Seed's first hit connects more reliably (FKB: 110 → 100.

4.0.0

• Down aerial's sweetspot is significantly smaller (7u → 4u).
• Down aerial's sourspot deals less knockback against airborne opponents (9 base/68 scaling → 8/62), hindering its spiking capabilities.
• Razor Leaf has more startup lag (frame 22 → 24) with its total duration increased as well (FAF 47 → 49).
• Aerial Vine Whip's sweetspot has less base knockback (80 → 70), hindering its KO potential, especially as a follow-up from down throw.
• Fixed a rare glitch in which Vine Whip would not grab ledges properly.

Moveset

• Ivysaur can crawl.

For a gallery of Ivysaur's hitboxes, see here.

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

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2%	Ivysaur whips a vine, then another if the button is pressed again. If the button is pressed repeatedly or if the first two hits connects, it then begins a series of rapid vine slaps, with a finishing hit at the end. The first two hits can jab reset.
			2%
			0.5% (rapid hits), 2% (finisher)
Forward tilt			1.5% (hits 1-6), 2% (hit 7)	Ivysaur leans forward and spins the leaves around its bulb like a helicopter blade, hitting multiple times. Has decent range in front of Ivysaur, but contrary to its looks, the move cannot hit behind Ivysaur. Has a slight amount of startup. Hits 7 times, with the last hit dealing decent horizontal knockback, though with low knockback growth. Ivysaur's only tilt with KO potential, though it KOs very late, at around 185% from the edge of Final Destination.
Up tilt			7%	Ivysaur pushes its vines against the ground to propel itself upwards. Decent upwards knockback and good upwards range, but it lacks hitboxes beside Ivysaur, making it difficult to hit grounded opponents. Can lead into aerials at low percents. Due to it lifting Ivysaur's hurtbox upwards, it can dodge certain ground-level attacks.
Down tilt			5.5%	Ivysaur whips a vine quickly along the ground in front of it. Very fast, can hit opponents hanging on ledges, and deals semi-spike knockback of mild strength, but deals very low damage while lacking followup options due to its ending lag. Useful as a poking option, or as an approach option out of a dash.
Dash attack			12% (clean), 10% (late)	Ivysaur leaps forward in a sliding tackle. Fast startup with decent base knockback, which sends opponents diagonally upwards; however, it has significant difficulty KOing due to its angle and low knockback growth, only doing so around 185% from the edge of Final Destination. The late hit of the move deals much less knockback, but at the same angle.
Forward smash			16% (clean), 14% (late)	Ivysaur plants its vines on the ground and launches its body forward in a tackle before landing where it started. The move can be angled up or down, though its power does not change. Deals good knockback, is rather fast, and has deceptively good range, although it shifts Ivysaur's hurtbox forward and has noticeable ending lag. The earliest hit deals the most knockback and damage, and can KO at 85% from the edge of Final Destination.
Up smash		Exploding Flower	17%	Ivysaur looks upward and, after a brief pause, launches a burst of spores from its bulb above itself. A very powerful move that deals vertical knockback. It is Ivysaur's most damaging regular attack and one of the strongest up smashes in the game, but it has extremely high startup and ending lag, making it suited for hard punishes. Additionally, while it has a large hitbox, it lacks in horizontal range. KOs at 83% on Final Destination.
Down smash			12% (far), 10% (mid), 8% (near)	Ivysaur quickly whips two vines across the ground simultaneously, one in front of it and one behind. Ivysaur's fastest smash attack both in terms of startup and endlag and has amazing range, making it rather safe. However, it deals relatively low knockback and damage for an attack of its kind. The tips of Ivysaur's vines deal the most knockback and damage, and they can hit opponents hanging on ledges. The sweetspot KOs at 105% from the edge of Final Destination.
Neutral aerial			1% (hits 1-7), 2% (hit 8)	Ivysaur spins with its bud facing towards the screen, hitting with its leaves. The leaf hitboxes are disjointed. Hits 8 times, with the last hit dealing moderate knockback. Due to its speed, duration and coverage, it is a good move for aerial contesting or approaching. It has noticeable landing lag and cannot autocancel from a short hop, but has deceptively low ending lag, allowing Ivysaur to use another aerial before landing when done from a full hop.
Forward aerial			12%	Ivysaur slaps forward with a vine. Good overall coverage in front of Ivysaur, though it has some slight startup. Deals diagonal knockback and can true combo into angled Vine Whip at low percents. It can also combo into itself at low percents, though this is not guaranteed. At mid percents, it can potentially chain into an up aerial. Due to its upward angle, it has difficulty KOing offstage, but can KO earlier if the enemy is close to the top blast line. Ivysaur's only aerial that can autocancel in a short hop.
Back aerial			3% (hit 1), 6% (hit 2)	Ivysaur spins around vertically and hits behind itself with two vines, one after the other. The first hit is very weak and designed to combo into the second hit, which deals weak diagonal knockback. The first hit can start guaranteed combos once Ivysaur lands, though this may be difficult due to how fast the attack transitions. It has great horizontal range and low landing lag, making it well-suited for spacing. It can set up into itself and other moves, although this is not guaranteed. Additionally, it is very weak, and has significant difficulty KOing due to its angle.
Up aerial			15%	Ivysaur shoots a burst of spores upwards from its bulb, which causes Ivysaur to move downwards slightly. If done near the peak of a full hop, Ivysaur will not experience much downwards momentum. A damaging move with a large hitbox above Ivysaur alongside powerful vertical knockback and little startup lag; it is one of the strongest up aerials in the game in terms of damage and knockback. Ivysaur's strongest aerial. Autocancels from a full hop, and has low landing lag, allowing it to be used in a short hop fast fall to challenge opponents on platforms. Despite its power, it deals low damage to shields.
Down aerial			10%	Ivysaur turns upside-down and shoots a burst of spores downwards from its bulb, similarly to up aerial. Ivysaur's descent is stalled slightly when this move is used. Like up aerial, it is a powerful aerial, dealing decent knockback for a meteor smash, while having fast startup and an extremely large disjointed hitbox. The move has a sweetspot closer to the bulb that deals much more knockback, though the sourspot still meteor smashes. It is capable of hitting opponents easily out of a short hop, even from above platforms; at higher percents, it will cause grounded opponents to launch off the floor, allowing Ivysaur to punish missed techs and/or tech-chase with a multitude of moves, including any ground move or Bullet Seed. At even higher percents, up aerial will work as a KO combo at 130%, while up smash can act as a potent hard read from a wide range of percents. Its enormous hitbox allows it to hit most characters below the stage before they can even sweetspot the ledge. As a result, down aerial is one of Ivysaur's most useful aerial moves.
Grab			—	Ivysaur extends its vines forward to grab an opponent with them. Above average range, but has rather high ending lag for a standard grab.
Pummel			1.3%	Ivysaur headbutts the opponent while holding them with its vines.
Forward throw			5% (hit 1 and throw)	Ivysaur holds the opponent in front of itself with its vines and headbutts them forward. The headbutt can affect bystanders. Has too much base knockback for combos and too little knockback growth to KO, hence its only use is to send opponents offstage.
Back throw			12%	Ivysaur swings the opponent with its vines while turning around, tossing them backwards. This causes Ivysaur to turn to face the other direction when it is used. Deals good diagonal knockback, being Ivysaur's most powerful throw in terms of damage and knockback, and KOs rather early at 109% near the edge of Final Destination.
Up throw			4% (hit 1), 5% (throw)	Ivysaur holds the opponent above itself with its vines and hits them with its bud, sending them upwards. Has combo potential at low percents, allowing combos into Bullet Seed or up aerial at 0%, or up aerial or Vine whip at around 30%. After 45%, it loses combo potential due to its knockback growth.
Down throw			7%	Ivysaur holds the opponent above itself with its vines and slams them into the ground while doing a frontflip. Ivysaur's best combo throw, which can start combos into up aerial or dash canceled up tilt at 0%. At around 60%, it can lead into Vine Whip, which can KO at around 83% if the sweetspot lands. Surprisingly, this is also the strongest down throw in the game, being able to KO middleweights at around 161%.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Ivysaur gets up with a horizontal spin, kicking to each side.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Ivysaur whips both sides with its vines as it gets up.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Ivysaur stands up and hits both sides with its vines.
Edge attack Edge getups			9%	Ivysaur climbs up and swipes a vine in front of itself. This is the fastest edge attack of the three Pokémon, coming out on frame 21 (as compared to Squirtle's frame 28 and Charizard's frame 24).
Neutral special		Bullet Seed	3% (startup), 1.5% (seeds, clean), 1.2% (seeds, late), 2% (contact), 3% (final seed)	Ivysaur sends a barrage of seeds ascending from its bulb. Ivysaur will continue the move while the button is held, for up to 2 seconds. The seeds deal less damage the further they travel before hitting. There is a hitbox on Ivysaur's body and at its sides when the move is started, to launch opponents into the seeds, and there is also a hitbox on Ivysaur's body during the move, for the same purpose. The last seed Ivysaur fires deals greater knockback, to launch opponents away. The move has a maximum damage output of about 19.4%. Overall, the move is useful for deterring aerial approaches, or racking up damage through combos into it.
Side special		Razor Leaf	8% (clean), 6% (mid), 4% (late)	Ivysaur flings a single spinning leaf forward as a projectile, which can hit multiple opponents. The leaf has a random moderate curve to its trajectory, though this effect is significantly less noticeable than in Brawl. If the move is performed with a tap input, the leaf's distance and speed are increased. It deals low knockback, making it useful for setting up combos and even KO confirms with up aerial and Vine Whip.
Up special		Vine Whip	11% (vine), 13% (tip)	Ivysaur whips a vine diagonally upwards. The move functions as a tether recovery, and does not cause helplessness. The vine can be angled diagonally forward by holding the directional input forward, and will otherwise aim upwards. Ivysaur will gain a slight upwards boost when the move is used in the air, but only once until it grabs an edge or lands. As an attack, the vine has moderate knockback, but there is a sweetspot at the tip of the vine which deals powerful knockback. Some of Ivysaur's aerials and throws can lead into the sweetspot, allowing for strong combos.
Down special		Pokémon Change		The Pokémon Trainer calls Ivysaur back by throwing a Poké Ball at it, and then sends out Charizard.
Final Smash		Triple Finish	44.3% total	The Pokémon Trainer sends out both Squirtle and Charizard, and all three Pokémon perform a combination attack involving powerful trapping attacks with long horizontal range. For Ivysaur's contribution to the attack, it uses Solar Beam, a long beam of solar energy that traps opponents for repeated damage.

On-screen appearance

Pokémon Trainer releases Ivysaur from its Poké Ball while saying "Go!" or "Ivysaur!"

Taunts

• Up taunt: Shakes from side to side, spinning its bud and leaves.
• Side taunt: Stands on its front legs and walks around while saying "Ivy, Ivy, Ivy." Ivysaur briefly falls over before the taunt ends.
• Down taunt: Extends its vines into the air and spins around in a dance, while saying "Saur, Ivy, Ivy."

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  Ivysaur's up taunt.

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  Ivysaur's side taunt.

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  Ivysaur's down taunt.

Idle poses

• Steps from side to side.
• Looks around, then shakes its body.

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  Ivysaur's first idle pose

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  Ivysaur's second idle pose

Victory poses

During Ivysaur's victory poses, the Pokémon Trainer says randomly either "You all did great!" (male)/"Everyone did great!" (female) or "Way to go, Ivysaur!" (がんばったな、フシギソウ！, while the female Trainer can say がんばったね、フシギソウ！, You did great, Ivysaur!).

• Left: Runs forward, does a backflip, then strikes a pose.
• Up: Whips two vines forward, then poses with its vines extended.
• Right: Pokémon Trainer pets Ivysaur, and it jumps on him, but Pokémon Trainer puts it back down and continues to pet it.

A small excerpt of the title theme of Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green Versions, a track which would go on to become the Pokémon main theme and the title theme for the entire series.

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Role in World of Light

Finding Pokémon Trainer in World of Light

Pokémon Trainer was among the fighters that were summoned to fight against the army of Master Hands, and he brought his three Pokémon with him.

During the opening cutscene, Ivysaur was sent out by Pokémon Trainer, along with Squirtle and Charizard, shortly before Galeem unleashed his beams of light. Under Pokémon Trainer's command, Ivysaur used Solar Beam in an attempt to fight the beams of light, but this attempt failed. Pokémon Trainer, Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard were all vaporized and placed under Galeem's imprisonment along with the other fighters, excluding Kirby.

Pokémon Trainer can be found at the southeast near the maze that resembles Pac-Maze. Defeating him allows access to all of their Pokémon.

Fighter Battle

No.	Image	Name	Type	Power	Stage	Music
33-35		Pokémon Trainer	Attack	7,500	Battlefield (Ω form)	Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Brawl)

Spirits

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

• Ivysaur Spirit.png

  415. Ivysaur

In Spirit battles

As the main opponent

Spirit				Battle parameters
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music
125		Petey Piranha (Mario Strikers)	Super Mario Strikers series	•Giant Ivysaur		3,900	Wuhu Island (Swordplay Colosseum)	•Item: Soccer Ball	•The enemy is giant	Country Field: Away Team
181		Tektite	The Legend of Zelda series	•Ivysaur		1,600	Hyrule Castle (Battlefield form)	N/A	•The enemy loves to jump	Overworld Theme - The Legend of Zelda
275		Geemer	Metroid series	•Ivysaur		2,100	Brinstar (Battlefield form)	•Item: Unira •Hazard: Sticky Floor	•The floor is sticky •The enemy is easily distracted by items •The enemy has increased move speed	Brinstar (Melee)
420		Venusaur	Pokémon series	•Giant Ivysaur		4,500	Garden of Hope (Battlefield form)	•Hazard: Poison Floor	•The floor is poisonous •The enemy is giant	Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Brawl)
466	File:Chikorita Spirit.png	Chikorita	Pokémon series	•Ivysaur		2,200	Distant Planet (Battlefield form)	•Hazard: Slumber Floor	•The floor is sleep-inducing •The enemy can unleash powerful critical hits at random	Pokémon Gold / Pokémon Silver Medley
517		Shaymin (Land Forme)	Pokémon series	•Ivysaur		9,300	Yoshi's Island	•Flowery	•You constantly take minor damage	Route 209 - Pokémon Diamond / Pokémon Pearl
538	File:ChespinSpirit.png	Chespin	Pokémon series	•Ivysaur •Ivysaur (×2)		1,500	Kongo Jungle	N/A	•The enemy favors neutral specials •Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Chespin)	Battle! (Wild Pokémon) - Pokémon X / Pokémon Y
551		Rowlet	Pokémon series	•Tiny Ivysaur		1,600	Dream Land	•Hazard: Heavy Wind	•Dangerously high winds are in effect •The enemy favors side specials	Battle! (Trainer) - Pokémon Sun / Pokémon Moon

Gallery

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  Artwork of all playable Pokémon characters and Poké Ball Pokémon, as posted by the official Pokémon Twitter account.

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  Ivysaur in Pokémon Trainer's fighter card.

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  Ivysaur's amiibo.

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  Ivysaur taunting on Gaur Plain.

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  With Squirtle, Charizard, and a Burrowing Snagret on The Great Cave Offensive.

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  With Squirtle and Charizard on Skyworld.

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  Attacking a Leaf Shielding Mega Man on Tortimer Island.

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  With Squirtle and a giant golden Pikachu on Pokémon Stadium 2.

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  Taunting with Sheik on Tomodachi Life.

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  Taunting with Villager on 3D Land.

Trivia

• Ivysaur is the only playable character in Ultimate whose up special is solely a tether recovery. Zero Suit Samus and Olimar each received new up specials in Super Smash Bros. 4, the Ice Climbers' Belay can function without a tether, and Joker's up special is a completely different move when using Arsene.
  • Because this tether is Ivysaur's only recovery move (for example, Ice Climbers can get some horizontal recovery with their side special), Ivysaur is also the only character in Ultimate whose recovery solely consists of a tether with zero other recovery options.
• Pit, Dark Pit, Wii Fit Trainer, and Ivysaur are considered to be the most average weight fighters.
• With Vine Whip no longer causing it to experience helplessness, Ivysaur is now one of the few fighters in the game that is unable to put itself in a helpless state without touching a red trampoline from Pac-Jump.
• Ivysaur, Olimar, Greninja, Little Mac, Ryu, Cloud, and Ken are the only characters to never appear as minions in any Spirit battles.
• Ivysaur's Star KO voice clip seems to have an error at the beginning, as it starts with a noticeable pause. This trait is shared with Young Link.
• If Ivysaur is the fighter with the highest score/stock count at the end of a match in a team battle consisting of three or more fighters, it can still be heard despite not being present.