Luigi (SSB4)

Luigi in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Mario
Other playable appearances	in SSB in Melee in Brawl in Ultimate
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Poltergust 5000
Tier	B (18)

Luigi (ルイージ, Luigi) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. His return to the series was announced during a Nintendo Direct on August 7th, 2013, which coincided with the announcement of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and commemorated the Year of Luigi.

Charles Martinet's portrayal of Luigi from Super Smash Bros. Brawl was repurposed for Smash 4.

Luigi is ranked 18th out of 55 in the tier list, placing him in the B tier. This is a significant improvement over his low tier placement in Brawl, where he was ranked 28th out of 38, and is Luigi's best proportional tier ranking in the series to date. Luigi's most notable strength is the utility of his moveset: his overall fast frame data makes him difficult to punish and supplements his very consistent and strong combo game; his very potent air game is supplemented by a number of his grounded moves having favorable launching angles, as well as his high jumps and the utility of his aerials: all his aerials can autocancel in a short hop with lenient autocancel windows, generally have low startup and ending lag, are good for combos and his sweetspotted back aerial and clean neutral aerial are strong KO potions; and Fireball is a fairly quick projectile with decent range.

Luigi's attributes have also improved. In addition to a much faster dashing speed, his air game and aerial mobility benefit from his much faster fast falling speed; higher gravity; lower short hop; and higher jump. Lastly, Luigi's recovery remains unpredictable and long-distanced, as Green Missile and Luigi Cyclone are both risky to intercept.

However, Luigi has retained his noticeable weaknesses from previous installments. Luigi's mobility is still slow and awkward in spite of its improvements: his faster dashing speed is slightly below-average at best, while his low traction and slow air speed still largely hinder his out of shield options, punishment ability, and the versatility of his recovery. Despite having Fireball, the majority of Luigi's range is still short, which prevents him from racking up damage from a safe distance, especially against characters that have projectiles and/or disjointed hitboxes.

Overall, Luigi tends to run hot-and-cold like in previous installments. He initially had a large playerbase and excellent results, the latter of which was demonstrated by J.Miller winning B.E.A.S.T 5 with him. Although update 1.1.1 nerfed Luigi's combo game to the point that his playerbase has decreased, he has nevertheless continued to achieve excellent results at local and regional tournaments, and respectable results at national tournaments. This has been most evident with Elegant, whose consistent success--his highest point being barely finishing runner-up to MkLeo in GameTyrant Expo 2017--has caused Luigi's current tier placement to become somewhat debatable.

Attributes

Luigi is a middleweight whose attributes differ noticeably from other characters of the same weight class. Although he has average walking speed, his dashing speed is slightly below-average and his traction is the lowest in the game. Luigi's aerial attributes are also very atypical for a middleweight: he has very slow falling and air speeds; low gravity; above-average air acceleration; the fourth highest jump; and the seventh highest double jump. As a result of these attributes, Luigi has overall slow mobility, and is one of the most floaty characters in the game.

Like his brother, Luigi can be very difficult to punish, thanks to all but two of his regular moves (forward smash and down aerial) hitting before frame 10. This, in turn, gives his frame data the distinction of being the fastest in the game in regard to startup lag and when excluding special moves. Luigi's excellent frame data is complemented by the impressive utility of his overall moveset. Neutral attack's damage output and range are decent, and it can be jab canceled reliably even at high percentages. Luigi's tilt attacks also have their own perks: forward tilt can be angled and, when angled downward, is capable of jab locking; up tilt has excellent combo and juggling potential; and down tilt can trip opponents or hinder their attempts at grabbing the edge.

Luigi's smash attacks are all among the fastest of their kind, have below-average ending lag, and possess enough knockback to be reliable finishers, allowing them to quickly and effectively punish opponents close to him, while being difficult to punish themselves on shield. Forward smash can be angled for higher power and deals extra shield damage, up smash is an effective anti-air attack due to rendering Luigi's head intangible while its hitboxes are active, and down smash is very useful for punishing rolls thanks to its minimal lag, respectable damage output and long range. Both up smash and down smash also have set-up potential at low percents if Luigi successfully covers the opponent's options afterward, and the latter is a reliable follow-up from down throw against heavyweights and fast fallers.

Luigi's aerial attacks are also very useful, due to their combination of fast startup, quick interruptibility (except for neutral and back aerials), and ability to auto-cancel in a short hop. Neutral aerial is a sex kick and, like in previous installments, the only one that launches opponents vertically, which benefits its clean and late hitboxes: the former is a great combo breaker and a situational KOing option near the upper blast line, whereas the latter is a very useful combo starter when SHFF'd. Forward aerial has the fastest duration of its kind and launches at the Sakurai angle; at low to medium percentages, these traits make it very reliable for approaching or down throw-initiated combos into itself, neutral aerial and up aerial, as well as a reliable edge-guarding option at high percentages. Back aerial has a very powerful clean hitbox and long range, which enable it to function as a safe and reliable KOing and edge-guarding option, or as an approach option via reverse aerial rush. Up aerial is useful for combos, since it can either extend them or, thanks to having the lowest amount of landing lag out his aerials, use its clean hitbox to start them at low percentages when SHFF'd. Lastly, down aerial has the third fastest duration of its kind, surpassed only by Meta Knight and Little Mac's, while its clean hitbox is a meteor smash.

Like Mario, Luigi's grab game is among the most effective in the game. His grabs are among the fastest in the game, while his pummel is tied with Mr. Game & Watch's as the fourth most damaging in the game. Down throw is not only Luigi's most useful throw, but also his most useful move. Although update 1.1.1 removed its ability to set up safe KOs, down throw's combos are still among the most versatile and consistent in the game, regardless of the opponent's weight, falling speed and gravity. In regard to middleweights, it can be followed up with forward smash at 0%-10%; up tilt, up smash, any aerial attack and Luigi Cyclone at low percentages; forward and reverse aerial rushed clean back aerials at medium percentages; and clean up aerial at medium to high percentages. Despite being weakened since Brawl, back throw is as strong as Lucas', and thus remains a reliable KOing option at high percentages. Lastly, forward and up throws have minimal utility, but are quick and deal respectable damage.

As a semi-clone of Mario, Luigi has two special moves that are derived from his older brother, yet his versions deviate in noticeable ways. Fireball is a projectile that is useful for pressuring, hindering an opponent's approach, or setting up an attack. Unlike Mario's Fireball, Luigi's is unaffected by gravity, which makes it somewhat less effective at hindering an opponent's recovery or edge-guard attempt. Super Jump Punch has very quick startup like Mario's, but propels him vertically instead of diagonally. By extension, it consists of a sweetspot and sourspot, instead of multiple hitboxes like Mario's. Its sweetspot boasts devastating power, which makes it a very potent punishment option, yet it is very risky because of its virtually useless sourspot and very high ending lag.

Aside from these, Luigi's other special moves are completely distinct from Mario's. Green Missile deals damage and covers horizontal distance, both of which can be increased thanks to its ability to be charged. However, it is also possible for Green Missile to misfire; in this case, it becomes even stronger than the fully charged version, and covers approximately 60% of Final Destination. Lastly, Luigi Cyclone can function as an approach option, a KOing option near the upper blast line and, with sufficient button mashing, a recovery option. With proper timing, it can even gimp recoveries as well.

However, Luigi has noticeable weaknesses, with the most significant one being his recovery. Green Missile is slow and can be stopped by opponents willing to endure its hitbox, and if fully charged or misfired towards a wall, Luigi will get stuck in it for a considerably long time, giving opponents ample time to punish him. Luigi Cyclone requires a considerable amount of button mashing (roughly 10 presses per second for maximum distance) to be effective without prior momentum. Lastly, Super Jump Punch is the least effective recovery option in his arsenal, owing to its lack of any sort of horizontal movement as Luigi ascends. When coupled with his very slow air speed, Luigi's recovery is similar to Yoshi's, in that he is overly reliant on his double jump to recover and is very susceptible to gimps.

As in previous installments, Luigi's mobility prevents him from approaching quickly, especially from the air. This makes it significantly difficult for him to keep up with faster opponents, such as Sheik, Zero Suit Samus and Sonic, which in turn hinders his otherwise excellent neutral game. As a result, Luigi is heavily reliant on using either short hopped neutral, forward and back aerials to approach, or Fireball to force approaches. However, there are a few methods that, at varying degrees, alleviate Luigi's problematic traction. Shield-stopping negates his dash's noticeable skid, which makes his approach safer.

Fox-trotting enables Luigi to dash while enduring only a very slight skid; although this makes it slightly risky, it allows him to go on the offensive more reliably, and even enables him to play mindgames. The last method is simply walking: although Luigi's walking speed is average, it is not as glaringly susceptible to his traction like his dash is. When coupled with proper usage of Fireball, this method can also enable him to maintain stage control. A notable user and proponent of the walking method is J.Miller.

Lastly, Luigi's moveset has noticeable weaknesses in spite of its impressive strengths. Due to most of his range being short and his lack of a reflection move, opponents with disjointed hitboxes and/or projectiles are very difficult for Luigi to fight against effectively. Luigi's unimpressive overall mobility also hinders his moveset. Down throw is an essential aspect of his playstyle, yet his dash grab and especially his shield grab are hindered by his slightly below-average dashing speed and very low traction, respectively. Similarly, forward and clean back aerials are reliable for edge-guarding, yet they are risky to use as such while far from the edge because of his very slow air speed.

The majority of Luigi's custom moves are useful, with his most notable ones being Floating Missile and Quick Missile. Floating Missile is much riskier to intercept because it propels Luigi in a perfectly straight line, charges much faster, and is only slightly weaker than Green Missile. Quick Missile travels much farther and moves much faster, similarly to how Green Missile functioned in Melee. However, it is slightly weaker, while its considerably higher ending lag and lack of traction upon landing on a stage or platform make it much more punishable.

Ice Ball has a slightly lower damage output, higher startup lag, shorter range, and travels slower. However, it momentarily freezes opponents beginning at 50%, while its slower speed enables Luigi to fire multiple Ice Balls in immediate succession. True to its name, Burial Header buries grounded opponents, but also covers much more vertical height; descends much faster; and has much less landing lag. However, it deals much less damage and lacks KO potential. Mach Cyclone covers almost no horizontal distance, and possesses a windbox and a concluding hitbox instead of multiple hitboxes. However, it covers a tremendous amount of vertical distance, while its lone hitbox is very powerful, making it very useful for edge-guarding. Aside from these, the rest of Luigi's custom moves are generally not worth using because of their advantages being situational at best.

Overall, Luigi can be a force to be reckoned with as long as his significant flaws are circumvented. Although his tournament representation has decreased following update 1.1.1's nerf to his down throw, Luigi has continued to achieve impressive results in tournaments regardless.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Luigi has been buffed significantly in the transition from Brawl to SSB4. Luigi drastically benefits from the changes to Smash 4's mechanics with the changes to hitstun canceling and DI greatly improving his combo potential collectively granting him one of the most potent and consistent combo games among the cast. Luigi's neutral game has also been buffed in numerous ways: Luigi's overall mobility has been improved especially on the ground; neutral attack has more range; late neutral aerial is much better at starting combos when SHFF'd due to the removal of hitstun canceling (despite the move being directly nerfed in multiple ways); forward aerial and Fireball have more range; and dash grab has much less lag. His grab game overall is much more effective not just because of his improved dash and pivot grabs but also because the changes to hitstun canceling and DI have made his down throw an extremely effective combo throw.

As with most returning veterans, Luigi's damage output has decreased, which contributes to his combo game, but in turn, it significantly worsens his KO power. Up tilt is the best example of this ambivalence: it has much better combo potential than in Brawl, but is no longer reliable even as a situational KOing option. His lower damage output is ultimately a mixed bag instead of a definitive nerf due to the fact that it improves his overall combo potential, as well as his damage racking potential as a whole.

However, Luigi also received some nerfs. His overall frame data is worse with a handful of his attacks having shorter durations, increased startup or ending lag and/or smaller hitboxes. Luigi's recovery has worsened because of Super Jump Punch and Luigi Cyclone each covering noticeably less distance, although he greatly benefits from the general changes to ledges, as the removal of edge hogging and the increased speed of his air dodge somewhat compensate for his worse recovery options. As mentioned earlier, Luigi also has reduced KO capability, which happened with many other returning characters. A few examples include his aforementioned up tilt, forward and up smashes, neutral aerial, down aerial, back throw and Super Jump Punch, all of which have reduced KO potential, and while a few of his moves have increased KO power, such as his dash attack, back aerial and the back hit of his down smash, as well as the introduction of rage and the removal of momentum canceling somewhat alleviating this, his KO power remains lower overall, especially when relative to the cast.

Despite the change's to the game's mechanics greatly benefiting Luigi, he has seen a few small nerfs from them, most notably the removal of DACUS and glide tossing. Luigi also received major changes in version 1.1.1 that ended up nerfing him. The changes to shield mechanics made his already poor out of shield game worse and his down throw's knockback was altered. In earlier versions, his down throw was identical to its Brawl counterpart, but it was far more effective due to the changes to hitstun canceling and DI, as it was an excellent combo throw at lower percents, and it even had KO setups at higher percents which worked at an extremely large percentage range. In 1.1.1, the throw had decreased base knockback, which improved its followup potential at lower percents, but it had significantly increased knockback scaling, which greatly hindered its followup potential at higher percents, and in turn it made his KO setups far more precise. This made the throw much worse at higher percents, which considerably hindered Luigi overall. Ironically, his post patch down throw would’ve been better in Brawl, as its lower base knockback would’ve given it guaranteed followups at very high percents, which it now lacks.

Overall, while Luigi's direct buffs don’t exactly greatly outweigh his nerfs, the changes to the game's mechanics were far more than enough to make him a much more effective character, and it has enabled him to attain consistent success in competitive play. All in all, he is one of the most buffed characters in Smash 4, alongside Mario, Captain Falcon, Bowser, Mewtwo, Sheik, Ness, Lucas, Link, and Sonic.

Aesthetics

• Due to the aesthetic used in SSB4, Luigi has a sleeker design, and his overall color scheme is more vibrant. His overalls' pant legs are also no longer rolled up around his ankles. Altogether, these changes make Luigi appear virtually identical to his appearance as of Super Mario 3D Land.
• Luigi's purple alternate costume has been slightly altered. The "L" on his cap is now purple instead of yellow. Luigi has also received two new alternate costumes, one of which is based on Mario's appearance on the Game & Watch boxart for Donkey Kong Jr..
• Luigi is significantly more expressive. He now smiles during his defeated/No Contest animation, sports a toothy grin during Fireball, the last hit of his neutral attack, and Luigi Cyclone, smiles nervously during his pivot grab, sports an oohing expression during Luigi Cyclone's loop hits, appears alarmed during his down aerial and screen KO, and winces depressingly during his back and up aerials, standing and dash grabs, back throw, and childish punching victory pose. Luigi also sports humorously quirky expressions during his sidestep and up taunt.
• Luigi's chest now always faces the screen, regardless of the direction he’s facing, mirroring his animations. For example, Luigi's up smash animation is reversed, with his head facing away from the screen rather than towards it.
• Crawl has updated sound effects. Luigi's footsteps now mimic the running sound effect from Mario Bros.
• Dash's animation has slightly changed. Luigi now has a slightly different stance upon skidding to a stop.
• Jump's animation has changed. Luigi now performs the Scuttle, one of his signature techniques that debuted in Super Mario Bros. 2.
• Luigi’s victory pose where he makes gun motions with his fingers has been tweaked. He now keeps both eyes open during it instead of winking each eye in sync with the direction he sways his hands.
• Luigi's previously unused damage yells from Brawl's Sound Test are now heard when taking high knockback.

Attributes

• Luigi dashes noticeably faster (1.34 → 1.5), going from the 6th slowest out of 39 characters to the 17th slowest out of 58.
• Luigi's air speed is marginally higher (0.7332 → 0.7341766) although it is still the second lowest (and now by a wider margin).
• Luigi's falling speed is slightly higher (1.22 → 1.25) although relative to the cast, it has gone from the 9th lowest out of 39 characters to the 6th lowest out of 58. This slightly improves his vertical endurance, but makes him slightly easier to combo.
• Luigi's fast falling speed is faster (1.708 → 2.0). This greatly improves his ground-to-air transitioning and leaves him less vulnerable to juggling although much like his regular falling speed, it is now lower relative to the cast.
• Luigi's gravity is higher (0.065 → 0.075). This, combined with his faster falling speed, allows him to land more safely. However, it also makes him more susceptible to combos when he is not put into tumble and it hinders his endurance when he is put into tumble.
• Luigi's short hop is lower due to his lower gravity. This makes it easier for Luigi to hit his opponents out of a short hop but hinders his aerial output while short hopping.
• Luigi's full hop and especially his double jump are higher, improving his air game and aerial mobility.
• Luigi's traction is marginally higher (0.022 → 0.024), although it is still the lowest by a wide margin.
• Much like his brother, the changes to hitstun canceling and Directional Influence drastically improves Luigi's combo ability, giving him a rather devastating combo game, similar to his appearances prior to Brawl.
• Air dodge has less startup (frame 4 → 3) and ending lag (FAF 50 → 33).
• Air dodge has a slightly shorter duration (frames 4-29 → 3-27).
• Spot dodge has a shorter duration (frames 2-20 → 2-17) and more ending lag (FAF 26 → 27).
• Rolls have less ending lag (FAF 32 → 31).
• Rolls have a shorter duration (frames 4-19 → 4-17).
• Luigi's new skidding animation (after dashing) is longer. When combined with the fact that the skid can no longer be cancelled with shield or grab, this means that it is now very risky for Luigi to stop dashing via skidding.
• The removal of glide tossing hinders Luigi's approach with items.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • Neutral attack's last hit has increased base knockback (50 → 65), and it has a slightly different animation where Luigi jumps forward instead of staying in place when he performs the hip thrust, increasing its range.
  • Neutral attack's last hit has increased startup lag (frame 5 → 6) and the first hit has more ending lag (FAF 16 → 19), hindering its jab cancel ability.
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt deals less damage (10% → 8%) and has a shorter duration (frames 5-10 → 5-7).
  • Down angled forward tilt no longer has set knockback. This improves its spacing potential and grants it a very small amount of KO potential, but significantly hinders its locking potential.
  • Forward tilt's lower damage allows the non angled and up angled variants to lock opponents for longer.
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt deals less damage (9% → 6%) and its knockback has been altered (30 (base), 127/125/123 (scaling) → 8/150). This significantly hinders its KO potential and makes it unsafe on hit at low percents.
  • Up tilt's lower knockback and the changes to hitstun canceling improve its combo potential beyond low percents.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt has less ending lag (FAF 35 → 27).
  • Down tilt deals less damage (9% → 8%), although its knockback was somewhat compensated (30 base/50 scaling → 20/65). Additionally, due to receiving a consistent angle across its hitboxes (361°/270° → 361°), it is no longer a meteor smash. Lastly, its chance of tripping has decreased (35% → 25%). Altogether, these changes significantly hinder its utility.
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack's loop hits' knockback (1 base/80 scaling → (26/60)/10) and angles have been altered (361° → 65°/10°), allowing them to connect properly into each other. The last hit also has increased knockback (50 base/100 scaling → 60/128).
  • Dash attack's last hit has a shorter duration (frames 48-50 → 48).
  • Dash attack's loop hits have a lower SDI multiplier (1.6× → 1×), while its last hit has a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 2.5x). However, due to the loop hits having no hitlag to allow for SDI, and the move still being unsafe on shield and easy to DI on reaction, these changes have no practical effect.
  • Dash attack's animation has slightly changed. While holding a battering item, Luigi now holds it with one hand instead of both. Dash attack's hits also use a different sound effect unique to them.
• Forward smash:
  • Non and down angled forward smash deal more damage (14% (non-angled)/13% (down) → 15% (both)), now matching the up angled version.
  • Non-angled forward smash launches opponents at a slightly lower angle (55° → 53°).
  • Forward smash now has a stab effect instead of a slash effect.
  • Forward smash has less knockback scaling (135 (all) → 121 (up)/116 (non-angled)/117 (down)), hindering its KO potential (especially the up/non-angled versions), despite the non and down angled versions' higher damage.
  • Forward smash has marginally smaller hitboxes (3.84u/4.32u/2.4u → 3.8u/4.3u) and the body hitbox has been removed.
  • The up angled version has significantly higher ending lag (FAF 29 → 42), now matching the other angles, like it did prior to Brawl.
• Up smash:
  • Up smash's sweetspot deals less damage (15% → 14%), slightly hindering its KO potential.
  • Luigi does not slide as far when charging up smash, hindering its approach potential. This is further compounded with the removal of DACUS.
• Down smash:
  • Down smash has more startup lag (frame 5 → 6).
  • The feet hitbox is smaller (4.8u → 4.5u), with the first hit's foot hitbox being positioned closer to Luigi (z offset: 12 → 11).
    • This combined with the first hit's higher startup has noticeably reduced its range, with the move no longer being significantly disjointed during its first active frame.
    • However, this makes the sweetspot easier to connect for the second hit.
  • Down smash deals less damage (17% (feet)/16% (body) → 15%/14%). The first hit did not see full compensation on its knockback scaling (80 → 85), hindering its KO potential.
  • The second hit launches opponents at a lower angle (70° → 60°), hindering its KO potential and making it more susceptible to DI.
  • The second hit has much higher knockback scaling (80 → 104), improving its KO potential despite its lower damage/lower launch angle.
  • The body hitbox is slightly larger (3.84u → 4u).

Aerial attacks

• Due to Luigi's lower short hop, neutral and back aerials can no longer be performed twice with a short hop. He can also no longer perform two up or down aerials with a short hop and still auto-cancel them. Lastly, he can no longer perform three aerials with a short hop.
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial has smaller hitboxes (4.5u/4.5u (both) → 4.5u/4u (clean), 3u/2.5u (late)). Clean neutral aerial also deals less damage (14% → 12%) with decreased knockback scaling (100 → 90), significantly hindering its KO potential, and it also has a shorter duration (frames 3-6 → 3-5), although the late hit's duration was compensated (frames 7-31 → 6-31). Late neutral aerial's angle has also been altered (90° → 80°) which, when combined with neutral aerial's higher landing lag, hinders its combo potential at lower percents.
  • The clean hit's lower knockback and the changes to hitstun canceling drastically improves neutral aerial's combo potential beyond low percents.
  • Neutral aerial has increased landing lag (10 frames → 14).
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial has a larger hitbox (4.8u → 5.6u), improving its effectiveness for approaching.
  • Forward aerial deals less damage (10% → 8%). This allows it to combo better, but hinders its effectiveness for edgeguarding.
• Back aerial:
  • Clean back aerial's feet hitbox deals more damage (12% → 14%) and its knockback wasn’t compensated, improving its KO potential.
  • Back aerial has increased ending lag (FAF 37 → 46), no longer being interruptible. Its clean hit also has a shorter duration (frames 6-10 → 6-7) reducing its overall duration (frames 6-16 → 6-13), and its leg hitbox is now a sourspot that deals less damage (12% → 8%), hindering the move’s reliability. Lastly, its late hit has smaller hitboxes (4.5u/5.76u → 4u/5u).
  • Back has increased landing lag (12 frames → 16).
• Up aerial:
  • Clean up aerial deals less damage (13% → 11%). This allows it to combo better, but hinders its KO potential.
• Down aerial:
  • Due to consisting of a clean hit and late hit (frames 10-14 → 10 (clean)/11-14 (late)), down aerial now meteor smashes opponents based on timing instead of positioning. Coupled with the removal of meteor canceling, this significantly improves its reliability.
  • Down aerial deals less damage (11% → 10% (clean)/8% (late)), and its clean hit has lower knockback scaling (100 → 80), drastically hindering the move's KO potential. Clean down aerial also has a single, smaller hitbox (5u → 2.5u), and it only works on aerial opponents.
  • Clean down aerial has a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 2×). This makes it safer on shield, but easier to DI.
  • Down aerial has increased landing lag (12 frames → 20).

Throws/other attacks

• All of Luigi's grabs have a new animation where he now reaches out with one hand instead of both his hands. He still uses both hands during his pummel, however.
  • All of Luigi's grabs have slightly increased range, particularly dash grab (z offset: 8.4 (standing)/9 (dash)/-14 (pivot) → z stretch: 8.7/10.6/14.7). Dash grab also has a larger grabbox (2.5u → 2.6u).
  • Standing grab has less ending lag (FAF 30 → 29).
  • Dash and pivot grabs have less startup lag (frame 12 → 8 (dash), frame 11 → 9 (pivot)), with their total durations subsequently reduced (FAF 40 (dash)/36 (pivot) → 36/34).
  • Standing and pivot grabs have slightly smaller grabboxes (3.36u (standing)/3.5u (pivot) → 3.3u (both)).
    • Additionally, pivot grab does not extend as far behind Luigi, due to now only consisting of one grabbox.
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals more damage (3% → 3.2%).
  • Pummel has a larger hitbox (4u → 4.5u).
  • Pummel has lost its near hitbox.
• Forward throw:
  • The removal of chain grabbing slightly hinders forward throw's damage racking potential.
• Back throw:
  • Back throw deals less damage (12% → 10%), hindering its KO potential.
  • The collateral hit now uses an extended hitbox, giving it more range despite its smaller hitbox (8.1u → 6u).
  • The collateral hit has much more startup lag with a shorter duration (frames 1-43 → 13-39).
  • The collateral hit deals less damage (8% → 6%) and it only saw an increase to its base knockback (20 → 30), hindering its KO potential.
• Up throw:
  • The changes to hitstun canceling and DI improves up throw's combo ability at lower percents, especially against fast falling lightweights.
• Down throw:
  • Down throw has a new animation, where Luigi Ground Pounds his opponent. This new animation is purely aesthetic.
  • Down throw has decreased base knockback (75 → 55), no longer putting opponents into tumble at very low percents. This improves its combo potential at very low percents, as the opponent cannot DI and they won't be affected by the gravity penalty.
  • Down throw has much higher knockback scaling (30 → 83), making it deal much more knockback at higher percents. This significantly hinders its combo potential at higher percents, while still being too weak to KO.
    • Despite this, the move still has much greater combo potential up until high percents due to the changes to hitstun canceling and DI, which make down throw a very powerful and reliable combo tool right up until high percents.
• Floor attacks:
  • Floor attacks have less ending lag (FAF 50 → 46).
  • Floor attacks deal more damage (6% → 7%) and shield damage (1 → 8) per hit, without full compensation on their knockback scaling (50 → 48).
  • Floor attacks' launch opponents at a higher angle (361° → 48°).
• Front floor attack:
  • Front floor attack has a new animation where Luigi now kicks instead of punching, differentiating the animation from Mario's. It also now hits in front of Luigi first.
  • The second hit has less startup lag (frame 25 → 24).
  • Front floor attack has more startup lag (frame 19 → 20).
  • Front floor attack has less intangibility (frames 1-26 → 1-25).
• Back floor attack:
  • Back floor attack has less startup lag (frame 20 → 19).
• Edge attack:
  • Luigi has a new edge attack, a double-footed legsweep.
    • This new animation keeps Luigi on the ground, which along with it now using one static extended hitbox, reduces edge attack's vertical range.
  • Edge attack has less startup lag (frame 24 → 20).
    • However, its total duration was unchanged, giving it more ending lag.
  • Edge attack no longer has set knockback (110 (set), 100 (scaling) → 90 (base)/20).
  • Edge attack now deals consistent damage due to now consisting of one hitbox (8% (legs)/6% (body) → 7%).
  • Edge attack has less intangibility (frames 1-20 → 1-17).
    • However, there is now a smaller gap between when Luigi is vulnerable and when the hitbox comes out (3 frames → 2).
  • Edge attack now always launches opponents in the direction Luigi is facing, removing its ability to set up edgeguards.
• Trip attack:
  • Trip attack deals more shield damage (1 → 8) per hit.
  • Trip attack has more startup lag (frame 19 → 20).
  • Trip attack has less intangibility (frames 1-8 → 1-7).
  • Trip attack now has one extended hitbox rather than three separate hitboxes, which covers less of Luigi's body.
• Down taunt:
  • Taunt's hitbox has been moved further forward (z offset: 4 → 5.5), improving its range.
  • The removal of meteor canceling improves down taunt's reliability, making it a guaranteed one-hit KO against characters who are off stage.
  • The removal of intangibility when re-grabbing a ledge off stage improves down taunt's utility, as it can now be used to reliably punish a ledge re-grab.

Special moves

• Fireball:
  • Fireball has increased range.
  • Due to consisting of a clean hitbox and a late hitbox instead of a consistent hitbox, Fireball no longer deals consistent damage (6% → 6% (clean)/5% (late)). However, its base knockback was compensated (5 → 7). It also has increased ending lag (FAF 41 → 44).
  • Fireball’s sound effect is lower pitched.
• Green Missile:
  • Uncharged Green Missile deals more damage (5% → 6%). A misfired Green Missile also now grants intangibility on startup.
  • Inputting the move like a smash attack gives it a slight charge, reducing the total amount to time to reach full charge, much like in Melee.
  • Fully charged Green Missile deals less damage (26% → 21%). It also no longer grants intangibility.
  • Green Missile's chance of misfiring has decreased (12.5% → 10%). While this slightly improves its safety while near edges, it hinders its reliability, as well as its offensive abilities and its recovery potential.
  • Holding a fully charged grounded Green Missile past a certain point in time will now cause it to stop entirely instead of holding the charge indefinitely. Upon being overcharged, Luigi will be vulnerable very briefly. This allows Luigi to keep himself from being stuck in a position that could potentially be punishable, but makes it impossible to use Green Missile to infinitely stall opponents and force them to go into Luigi's line of fire if they want to continue fighting.
  • Green Missile has updated sound effects.
• Super Jump Punch:
  • The 19% damage increase to shields and the increase to shieldstun significantly improve fully charged/misfired Green Missile and sweetspotted Super Jump Punch's shield pressuring ability, allowing them to break partially damaged shields.
  • Aerial Super Jump Punch has a slightly larger sweetspot (2.4u → 2.7u).
  • Sweetspotted Super Jump Punch has decreased knockback (70 base/73 scaling → 50/77 (grounded), 58/72 → 40/66 (aerial)), hindering its KO potential. The grounded version also has increased startup both on its hitbox and intangibility (frame 6 → 8) and a slightly smaller sweetspot (2.4u → 2.2u).
  • Super Jump Punch covers significantly less vertical distance, worsening Luigi's recovery. He can also no longer land on the ground before Super Jump Punch's animation ends and renders him helpless, which removes the ability to significantly decrease its ending lag via fast falling and/or usage of platforms.
  • Grounded sweetspotted Super Jump Punch's angle has been altered (90° → 88°).
• Luigi Cyclone:
  • Luigi Cyclone's loop hits' use the autolink angle (160°/20°/90° → 366°). When coupled with the weakening of SDI, this makes it significantly more difficult to escape from and significantly improves its edgeguarding potential. The move's last hit also has increased knockback (60 base/115 scaling → 80/(130 (grounded), 120 (aerial))), improving its KO potential despite its lower damage.
  • Luigi Cyclone has increased startup lag (frame 7 → 10) and deals less damage (2% → 1.5% (loop), 4% → 3% (last hit)). Aerial Luigi Cyclone also covers less vertical distance and requires significantly more button mashing in order to ascend without a jump, hindering its recovery potential.
  • Luigi Cyclone has increased hitlag multipliers (1× → 1.3× (loop, aerial)/2× (last hit)). This makes it safer on shield, but easier to DI. The last hit also no longer has consistent angles (90° → 70°/90° (grounded)/89° (aerial)).
• Final Smash:
  • Luigi has a new Final Smash, Poltergust 5000. Luigi equips the Poltergust 5000 and vacuums nearby opponents into it before powerfully ejecting them. Unlike Negative Zone, Poltergust 5000 traps nearby opponents, deals considerable damage, and has very high knockback, rather than affecting a very wide area and granting Luigi openings to deal damage and/or potentially score KOs.

Update history

Luigi has been nerfed via game updates. Although he received a number of buffs, most notably to down smash, down aerial and Super Jump Punch, the nerfs that he received overwhelmingly offset them. Update 1.0.6 made Fireball's damage output inconsistent by making it consist of a clean hitbox and a late hitbox like Mario's, which in turn hinders its zoning potential. Update 1.1.0 further nerfed Fireball by increasing its ending lag, and almost completely removed down tilt's combo ability by altering its angle and reducing its trip chance. Most notably, update 1.1.1 altered down throw's knockback to the point of removing Luigi's guaranteed KO set-ups.

Luigi was also indirectly nerfed by the updates. The changes to shield mechanics brought about by updates 1.1.0 and 1.1.1 make it even more difficult for him to punish from out of shield because of his very low traction. While this does also make his most damaging moves such as his smash attacks and sweetspotted back aerial safer on shield, while turning a fully charged or misfired Green Missile and sweetspotted Super Jump Punch into potent shield breaking moves, these benefits are comparatively smaller. Although these nerfs have resulted in Luigi becoming somewhat less effective than he was during the initial release of SSB4, his viability has remained largely intact.

1.0.4

• Forward smash damage: 14% → 15%
• Forward smash's side angle: 55° → 53°
• Down smash's second hit angle: 70° → 60°
• Down smash's second hit knockback scaling: 80 → 100
• Forward aerial's hand hitbox radius: 4.8 → 5.6
• Order of hitboxes of forward aerial reversed (no practical effect).
• Super Jump Punch (default) ground sweetspot radius: 1.6 → 1.7
• Super Jump Punch (default) ground sweetspot z-offset: 6.1 → 7.0
• Super Jump Punch (default) air sweetspot radius: 2.1 → 2.2
• Super Jump Punch (default) air sweetspot z-offset: 4.7 → 5.5

1.0.6

• Fireball deals 1% less damage the farther it goes: 6% → 5% (late).

1.1.0

• Forward aerial deals less damage (9% → 8%). While this slightly worsens its edgeguarding abilities, it also slightly improves its combo abilities.
• Fireball's ending lag is increased (total: 40 → 43 frames).
• Fiery Jump Punch (custom 2) knockback growth increased (40 → 50).
• Super Jump Punch's default grounded hitbox size increased (1.7u → 2.2u).
• Super Jump Punch's default aerial hitbox size increased (2.2u → 2.7u).
• Down tilt's angle altered from 74° to the Sakurai angle significantly hindering its function as a combo starter or set-up.
• Down tilt's knockback growth increased (54 → 65).
• Down tilt's ending lag is decreased (29 → 26).

1.1.1

• The changes to shield mechanics have been detrimental to Luigi, as the increase in shieldstun makes it much harder for him to punish from out of shield due to his already low traction. Additionally, only a very select few of his moves benefit from these changes, with the most notable example being a fully charged or misfired Green Missile.
• Down throw's knockback has been altered (75 base/30 growth → 55 base/83 growth). The new knockback scaling removes Luigi's most notable follow-ups (very few moves are now only semi-guaranteed KO set-ups), particularly outside of medium percents.
• Down aerial spike hitbox increased (1.8 → 2.5).
• Down smash knockback growth increased (80/100 → 82/104 first/second strikes)
• Fiery Jump Punch hitbox size increased (3.8 → 4.0).
• Fiery Jump Punch horizontal displacement (6.4 → 7.0).
• Luigi Cyclone initial hitbox hitlag increased (1.0 → 1.3).
• Luigi Cyclone angle 90° → 89°.
• Aerial Luigi Cyclone final hitbox growth decreased 130 → 120.
• Clothesline Tornado damage increased (8% → 10%/12% depending on the hitbox.)
  • The sweetspot hitbox is larger.
  • The sweetspot has more base knockback: 60 → 100.
  • The sweetspot has drastically decreased growth: 120 → 70.

Moveset

• Luigi can crawl.

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

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			3%	A one-two combo followed by a hip thrust. It hits on frame 2, its last hit slightly moves Luigi forward, and it has a decent overall damage output. These traits makes it a safe, yet reliable damage racking option. Its first hit can also be jab canceled into his tilt attacks, down smash, standing grab and Super Jump Punch, the latter of which is effective at high percents especially with rage. Its first two hits are based on the Punch + Punch + Kick combo from Super Mario 64, which Luigi himself used in Super Mario 64 DS.
			2%
			5%
Forward tilt			8%	A spinning hook kick. It can be angled and is useful for locking opponents. Due to its average damage output and almost nonexistent base knockback, however, it only becomes reliable for spacing beginning at 55%.
Up tilt			6%	An overhead swipe. Due to its almost nonexistent base knockback, very high knockback growth and minimal overall lag, it is very useful for combos and juggling, similarly to Mario's up tilt. Compared to Mario's, it has longer horizontal range and is more effective at setting up aerial combos. However, its ending lag is very slightly higher than Mario's, and because of its knockback values, opponents can punish Luigi after getting hit until around 30%.
Down tilt			8%	A crouching foot slide. It can potentially trip opponents at low percents, can lock them like forward tilt, and covers edges well. However, it is ineffective outside of these purposes due to its short range, poor knockback, and no longer meteor smashing like in Brawl.
Dash attack			1% (hits 1-6), 2% (hit 7)	A series of rapid, childish punches. Due to it hitting on frame 4, it is the third fastest dash attack in the game, surpassed only by Pac-Man and Little Mac's. However, it has a very punishable amount of ending lag, and its last hit cannot KO until very high percents.
Forward smash			15%	A knifehand thrust. In addition to being Luigi's most damaging smash attack, it has very high knockback growth and can be angled like his forward tilt. While near the edge of Final Destination, it KOs middleweights at 99%/91% (3DS/Wii U) when angled upward, and at 101%/92% (3DS/Wii U) when not angled or angled downward. However, it hits on frame 12, which is the highest amount of startup lag out of Luigi's smash attacks. It also has moderate ending lag and very short range, although the latter can be somewhat alleviated with pivoting, thanks to Luigi's pivot being tied with Little Mac's as the second longest in the game.
Up smash			14% (head), 12% (body)	An upwards arcing headbutt, similar to Mario's up smash. It hits on frame 9, which is quite fast for a smash attack, and launches opponents at a vertical angle towards Luigi. Like Mario and Dr. Mario's up smashes, it renders his head intangible throughout its duration. Unlike theirs, however, it consists of a sweetspot and a sourspot. It can also function well as a slide smash, thanks to Luigi's very low traction. Its sweetspot is located on Luigi's head and is strong enough to KO middleweights at 121%/112% (3DS/Wii U) from anywhere on Final Destination. However, its sourspot, which is located on his torso, is unreliable for KOing because of its much weaker power.
Down smash			14% (legs), 15% (body)	A breakdance kick. Due to it hitting on frame 6, it has the lowest amount of startup lag out of Luigi's smash attacks. It also hits on both sides, which makes it very useful for punishing rolls. Thanks to its back hit's high knockback growth, its legs' hitbox is strong enough to KO middleweights at 115%/109% (3DS/Wii U) while near the edge of Final Destination. Although its body hitbox KOs slightly earlier, it is difficult to hit with because of having lower priority than the leg hitbox. In addition, its front hit is much weaker because of its lower knockback growth.
Neutral aerial			12% (clean), 6% (late)	A flying kick, similar to Mario’s neutral aerial. Due to it hitting on frame 3, it has the lowest amount of startup lag out of Luigi's aerials and is a very useful anti-pressure option. It is also the only sex kick in the game that has a vertical launching angle. As a result, its clean hitbox KOs middleweights at 122%/118% (3DS/Wii U) while near Final Destination's upper blast line. In comparison, its late hitbox is a very useful combo starter and approach option when SHFF'd.
Forward aerial			8%	A downward karate chop. It is a reliable follow-up from down throw at low to medium percents, and is useful for edge-guarding or approaching. Its hitbox is positioned not only on Luigi's hand, but also slightly around his body.
Back aerial			14% (clean feet), 8% (clean legs, late)	A dropkick behind Luigi, similar to Mario’s back aerial. It hits on frame 6, while its clean feet's hitbox has both an impressive damage output and high knockback growth. Altogether, these traits make it one of Luigi's most reliable KOing options. While near the edge of Final Destination, its clean feet hitbox KOs middleweights at 119%/108% (3DS/Wii U). It is also useful for approaching when used as part of a reverse aerial rush. However, it has a high amount of ending lag and is one of the few back aerials that can launch opponents in the opposite direction Luigi is facing, which can be undesirable for KOing especially if the sourspot at Luigi's legs is landed.
Up aerial			11% (clean), 7% (late)	A bicycle kick, similar to Mario’s up aerial. It is useful for combos like Mario's up aerial, and is Luigi's only reliable follow-up from down throw at high percents. Thanks to it having the lowest amount of landing lag out of his aerials, its clean hitbox can start combos at low percents when SHFF'd. However, its launching angle is lower than Mario's, which makes it less effective at combos and juggling past low percents.
Down aerial			10% (clean), 8% (late)	A downwards diagonal corkscrew dropkick. Its clean hit is a meteor smash, though it only lasts for 1 frame and only affects aerial opponents. When coupled with down throw, it can extend combos, or even act as a KO combo while near the edge. Conversely, its late hitbox is less effective for extending combos, and despite having much higher knockback growth, it is less effective for edge-guarding because of its slightly lower damage output.
Grab			—	Reaches out. Luigi's standing grab has average range. However, each of his grabs have minimal lag, with his standing grab being particularly notable for being one of the fastest in the game. Thanks to his pivot being tied with Little Mac's as the second longest in the game, Luigi's pivot grab is also very effective.
Pummel			3.2%	A headbutt. Moderately slow, but tied with Mr. Game & Watch's as the fourth most damaging pummel in the game.
Forward throw			9%	Spins the opponent around once and throws them forward. Very fast and Luigi's second most damaging throw, but has very minimal utility outside of dealing damage and setting up edge-guards at high percents. Due to being a weight dependent throw, it can also combo into dash attack against most lightweights with momentum conserved from a dash grab, though this only works at very low percents and is less reliable than down throw combos.
Back throw			10% (throw), 6% (collateral)	A giant swing, a throw used in wrestling. Luigi spins the opponent around while holding them by their legs three times before throwing them backwards. It can hit other opponents while spinning, which deals minor damage and knockback. It is Luigi's most damaging throw and his only one with KO potential, as it KOs middleweights at 151%/145% (3DS/Wii U) while near the edge of Final Destination. Based on the throw Mario uses against Bowser in Super Mario 64, which Luigi himself used in Super Mario 64 DS.
Up throw			8%	Heaves the opponent directly overhead with both hands. Like his forward throw, it is fast, but has very minimal utility outside of dealing damage. Its only other benefits are setting up into a forward aerial, up aerial or Luigi Cyclone against lightweights and fast-fallers at low percents.
Down throw		Hip Drop	6%	Shoves the opponent under himself and Ground Pounds them. It is Luigi's most useful throw and one of the most effective combo starters in the game, thanks to its below-average base knockback, average knockback growth and mostly vertical angle. It can combo reliably against any opponent: in regard to middleweights, follow-ups include forward smash at 0%-10%; up tilt, up smash, any aerial attack and Luigi Cyclone at low percentages; forward and back aerial at medium percentages; and up aerial at medium to high percentages. Although its combo potential wanes past 100% and/or while Luigi is affected by a high level of rage, Luigi Cyclone can also function as a mix-up against an opponent's air dodge at high percentages, and can even KO if they are hit by it close enough to the upper blast line.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Performs a modified version of the Sweep Kick from Super Mario 64 before getting up.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Punches behind himself and then in front of himself while getting up.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Performs a wheel kick while getting up.
Edge attack Edge getups			7%	Performs a double-footed legsweep while climbing up.
Neutral special	Default	Fireball	6% (clean), 5% (late)	Throws a Green Fireball. It is fairly spammable, which enables it to pressure, zone, hinder approaches, and act as a set-up for a grab. Unlike in previous installments, it deals less damage the farther it goes, similarly to how Mario's version of Fireball functions. Due to being unaffected by gravity, it is less suitable at edgeguarding compared to Mario's version.
	Custom 1	Bouncing Fireball	6% (clean), 5% (mid), 4% (late)	Functions almost identically to Mario's Fireball, although its bouncing arc is more vertical compared to his. However, it has more ending lag, and it deals less damage each time it bounces.
	Custom 2	Ice Ball	4%	Throws an Ice Ball. It freezes opponents beginning at 50%, but deals slightly less damage and has slightly more startup lag and slightly shorter range. It also travels slower, but this allows Luigi to fire multiple Ice Balls in very quick succession.
Side special	Default	Green Missile	≈6.16% (uncharged), ≈21% (fully charged), 25% (misfired)	Crouches and then shoots himself forward to perform a flying battering ram. It takes 1.17 seconds (70 frames) to fully charge, but it deals impressive damage upon doing so; the move even jumps from 6% to 9% almost instantly when charging. Just like in Brawl, Luigi will briefly get his head stuck in a wall if he strikes one in midair with a charged Missile or a misfire. While near the edge of Final Destination, a fully charged Green Missile KOs middleweights at 91%/82% (3DS/Wii U). If charged on the ground for too long, the charge is canceled, which can allow for mindgames. It also has a 10% chance to misfire, which deals considerably more damage and has much higher knockback growth. While near the edge of Final Destination, a misfired Green Missile KOs middleweights at 50%/42% (3DS/Wii U). A misfired Green Missile also grants intangibility on frames 18-22, and always travels the same distance regardless of the charge. However, its considerable ending lag makes it punishable whether it is used for offense or recovering, which makes reads very important in order to use it effectively.
	Custom 1	Floating Missile	≈4.3% (uncharged), ≈18% (fully charged), 23% (misfired)	Flies directly straight, which improves its accuracy, and it also charges faster. Although it deals slightly less damage (as the in-game description points out), this is largely negligible, as it still almost immediately gains 6% more damage at the start of charging (even surpassing Green Missile slightly), and thus still strong enough to KO reliably, especially when fully charged or misfired. While near the edge of Final Destination, a fully charged Floating Missile KOs middleweights at 102%/100% (3DS/Wii U), respectively. In comparison, a misfired Floating Missile KOs them at 52%/50% (3DS/Wii U).
	Custom 2	Quick Missile	≈5.15% (uncharged), ≈20% (fully charged), 20% (misfired)	Flies much farther and faster, which makes it much better for recovering. However, it takes longer to charge, and it a misfired Quick Missile is much weaker than the misfired versions of Green Missile and Floating Missile. It is also much more punishable, thanks to having noticeably more ending lag, and Luigi sliding upon the ground after landing. Although it deals slightly less damage, it is still strong enough to KO reliably when fully charged or misfired. While near the edge of Final Destination, a fully charged Quick Missile KOs middleweights at 97%/87% (3DS/Wii U). In comparison, a misfired Quick Missile KOs them at 85%/63% (3DS/Wii U).
Up special	Default	Super Jump Punch	25% (grounded sweetspot), 20% (aerial sweetspot), 1% (sourspot)	A jumping uppercut. Its grounded sweetspot emits a ping sound upon hitting and boasts an excellent damage output; it KOs grounded middleweights at 64%/57% (3DS/Wii U) from anywhere on Final Destination. Its aerial sweetspot is larger, yet deals less damage, and does not emit a ping sound effect upon hitting. Despite its lower power, it is still extremely powerful regardless; it KOs middleweights at 99%/77% (3DS/Wii U) while near the upper blast line of Final Destination. Both sweetspots also grant intangibility on frames 8-10. However, it is very punishable because of its considerable landing lag, while its abysmally weak sourspot lacks KO potential. In addition, its vertical recovery potential is most effective when preceded by a double jump.
	Custom 1	Fiery Jump Punch	18% (grounded sweetspot), 15% (aerial sweetspot), 1% (sourspot)	Covers more horizontal distance, grants slightly more intangibility, and its sweetspots are easier to hit (sourspot is almost entirely removed). However, it covers less vertical distance and has noticeable ending lag, which make it less ideal for recovering. Its sweetspots also deal considerably less damage, but are powerful regardless; both of them KO middleweights at 109% from anywhere on Final Destination in the 3DS version. Unlike Super Jump Punch, it launches opponents at a slight angle, instead of directly upward. It is comparable to how Super Jump Punch functioned in Melee.
	Custom 2	Burial Header	8% (descent), 8% (landing), 1% (sourspot)	Covers significantly more vertical distance, to the point that it allows him to reach the top platform of Battlefield, and even more vertical distance when preceded by a double jump. Upon descending, Luigi buries grounded opponents and launches aerial ones diagonally. When coupled with its much lower ending lag, its burying hitbox allows for reliable follow-ups. However, it lacks KO potential because of its significantly lower damage output.
Down special	Default	Luigi Cyclone	1.5% (hits 1-5), 3% (hit 6)	Rapidly spins around, trapping the opponent and damaging them with a series of discus clotheslines and spinning backfists before assuming a spread-eagle position to launch them. Much like Dr. Mario’s Dr. Tornado, Luigi can move along the ground while performing this move, albeit a much greater distance and at a much faster speed, which makes make it decent as a surprise approach option. Button mashing enables Luigi to ascend during the move, which also carries his jump's momentum (once until landing) to enable an easier ascent, and can be used off-stage as an unconventional meteor smash by falling and then quickly ascending with the move. Although its last hit's damage output is very low, this is largely counterbalanced by its very high knockback growth, allowing it to KO near the upper blast line. While near the upper blast line of Final Destination, its last hit KOs middleweights at 135%/119% (3DS/Wii U).
	Custom 1	Mach Cyclone	6%	Covers significantly more vertical distance, especially when button mashed, and has slightly less startup lag. Unlike Luigi Cyclone, the first "hit" becomes an undamaging windbox, while the second hit sends Luigi up from the ground, while also dealing twice as much damage with significantly more knockback. Altogether, these traits make it more efficient at recovering and edge-guarding compared to Luigi Cyclone. It KOs middleweights at 75% while near the left/right blast lines of Final Destination in the 3DS version. However, it does not cover any horizontal distance on the ground, cannot punish rolls because of its windbox, and has more ending lag.
	Custom 2	Clothesline Cyclone	10% (hit 1), 12% (hit 2)	Deals more damage and has much higher knockback. Its first hit has deceptive range and is a semi-spike, which allows it to hinder approaches. Conversely, its last hit launches opponents vertically and is extremely powerful, as it KOs middleweights at 95% from anywhere on Final Destination in the 3DS version. However, its first hit does not KO middleweights until 168% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, whereas its second hit is very difficult to land because of its first hit's long duration. Additionally, it has significantly more startup and ending lag, which make it unusable for recovering or edge-guarding. It is comparable to how Luigi Cyclone functioned in SSB. It gains no vertical distance whatsoever.
Final Smash		Poltergust 5000	30% (maximum captured), 10% (ejection)	Wields the Poltergust 5000 to vacuum nearby opponents into it before powerfully ejecting them diagonally. Opponents will accumulate more damage the earlier they are vacuumed in. It has decent range, and is capable of vacuuming opponents from a variety of angles. It is also very strong: while near the edge of Final Destination, it KOs middleweights at 33% in the 3DS version.

On-screen appearance

• A green Warp Pipe appears and Luigi leaps out of it while hesitantly saying "Let's-a go!" and sporting a frightened expression that is very similar to his expression on the cover of Luigi's Mansion.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Strikes a variety of poses in the following order: he faces the screen with one hand on his waist while displaying the V sign with the other, referencing his animation from Luigi's Mansion when he would find a key. Then he turns to the right slightly, pointing his hands that direction while giving a frightened look on his face. Then, he places his left hand just below his nose, similarly to his pose in official artwork for Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. Then he turns away from the screen and crouches depressingly, similarly to his Bogey animation in Mario Golf. Finally, he faces the screen once more and places both hands on his face while sporting a frightened look that is very similar to his expression on the cover of Luigi's Mansion.
• Side taunt: Planks while saying "Pow! Pow!" Due to it moving Luigi forward into the z-axis and lowering his hurtbox, some attacks may actually miss him as a result.
• Down taunt: Bashfully kicks the ground while sighing. It deals 2% on contact, but also has drastically different effects depending on the opponent's position. If it hits an opponent that is hanging on an edge or is off-stage, it will powerfully meteor smash them. Conversely, if the opponent is on-stage, it weakly launches them vertically. It is similar to the animation Luigi performs when he loses a minigame in Mario Party 2.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Rubs the back of his head sheepishly.
• Pulls his nose, which stretches slightly and then recoils back into place.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Wee-gee!	Rui-ji!
Pitch	Group chant	Group chant

Victory poses

A flourished remix of the Course Clear Fanfare used in Super Mario Bros.

• Planks twice, similarly to his side taunt.
• Throws a series of rapid, childish punches, similarly to his dash attack, then exhaustively gasps afterward. It appears very similar to his "character chosen" animation in SSB.
• Turns around and then makes finger gun gestures with both hands while saying "Bang! Bang!"

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Luigi	1311	1211	3311	3211	3111
	1312	3312	3212	2311	3231

Notable players

Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the PGR 100, which recognizes the official top 100 players in Super Smash Bros. 4 of all time.

Active

•  ACNupp - The best Luigi player in Ohio. Formerly ranked 12th on the Ohio Smash Power Rankings. He has wins over Colinies, CrazyColorz5, and Karinole.
•  Blacktwins - Has taken two sets off Mistake.
•  Elegant (#27) - The best Luigi player in the world. Placed 2nd at GameTyrant Expo 2017; 5th at 2GG Championship and 7th at 2GGT: Abadango Saga and 2GGC: Nairo Saga. Ranked 4th on the SoCal Power Rankings and 18th on the Panda Global Rankings v5.
•  J.Miller - The best Luigi player in Europe. Placed 1st at B.E.A.S.T 5; 9th at Smashdown World and B.E.A.S.T 7; and 17th at Apex 2015. Ranked 8th on the United Kingdom Power Rankings.
•  Luck - The best Luigi player in Pennsylvania. Placed 25th at Royal Flush and 25th at KTAR XVII.
•  Luigi player - Placed 13th at B.E.A.S.T 6. Ranked 2nd on the Austria Power Rankings.
•  LOE1 - Placed 25th at The Big House 5, 17th at Showdown: Battle Royale, and 33rd at Frostbite 2017.
•  Mr. ConCon - The best Luigi player in the world prior to update 1.1.1., and still a top Luigi solo main. Placed 7th at 2GGT: EE Saga and IBP Masters Showdown; 9th at 2GGT: FOW Saga and 2GGT: Fresh Saga; 17th at Final Battle; and 25th at EVO 2015. Ranked 14th on the SoCal Power Rankings, and formerly ranked 36th on the Panda Global Rankings v1. He is the first person to win a set against ZeRo.
•  Poke - The best Luigi player in Canada. Placed 2nd at Get On My Level 2015; 3rd at Summit 2015; 7th at Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo and 13th at Canada Cup 2015. Ranked 6th on the Southern Ontario Power Rankings.
•  Ron (#57) - The best Luigi player in Japan. Placed 1st at Sumabato 18, and 2nd at Sumabato 12, Sumabato 17 and Sumabato 20. Ranked 17th on the JAPAN Power Rankings.
•  Scot! - The best Luigi main on the east coast. Placed 17th at Collision XV; 33rd at Get On My Level 2018; and 3rd at CT Gamercon 2. Ranked 3rd on the Connecticut Power Rankings and 6th on the New England Power Rankings.
•  Shoyo James (#54) - Placed 2nd at Midwest Mayhem 6: SoCal Invasion and 7th at Apex 2016, Super Smash Con 2017 and Smash 'N' Splash 4. Ranked 1st on the New Jersey Power Rankings and 42nd on the Panda Global Rankings v4.

Inactive

• Aki - The best Luigi player in Japan before switching to Sheik after update 1.1.1.
•  ANTi - Co-mained Luigi alongside Mario before switching exclusively to Mario after update 1.1.1.
•  Boss - Placed 1st at twenty-eight Smash @ Xanadu tournaments. Formerly ranked 19th on the MD/VA Power Rankings.
•  False - Co-mained Luigi alongside many other characters before switching to Marth and Sheik after update 1.1.1.
•  Larry Lurr - Used Luigi as a secondary prior to update 1.1.1.
•  Poltergust - Co-mained Luigi alongside Yoshi before switching exclusively to Yoshi after update 1.1.1.
•  Shel - Co-mained Luigi alongside Ryu before switching exclusively to Ryu after update 1.1.1.
•  ZD - Placed 25th at Glitch before switching to Fox.

Tier placement and history

Since SSB4's release, Luigi's placement was a topic of debate, as his buffs were quickly acknowledged in his transition from Brawl and saw him perceived as a mid-tier character. Positive opinions on Luigi, however, saw a sudden rise from early to mid-2015, as players recognized his down throw's outstanding combo potential. In addition, he was noted for having an even matchup against Diddy Kong, then considered the best character in the game, thanks to multiple high-profile cases of a Luigi player defeating a noteworthy Diddy Kong player in tournaments. The most notable instance of this was Mr. ConCon achieving a bracket reset against ZeRo. Thanks to these traits, Luigi was perceived by the community as both a viable main and a top-tier character, despite having fairly limited usage at high-level play.

However, Luigi's perception underwent a noticeable drop after update 1.1.1 altered his down throw's knockback to the point of heavily altering its guaranteed KO set-ups, and brought about changes to shield mechanics that made it harder for him to punish out of shield. Despite this, Luigi's down throw has shown to actually possess better combo potential at low to medium percentages, which was notably demonstrated by Poke and Boss. When coupled with his impressive performances up to update 1.1.1, Luigi was ranked 16th on the first tier list, his best ranking in the series at the time.

Although Luigi's combo potential remained largely intact, many players nevertheless dropped him because of his combo game's newfound flaws. This, in turn, was further compounded by the release of the DLC characters Corrin and Bayonetta, two matchups considered unfavorable for him at the time. As a result, Luigi was ranked 29th on the second tier list, which saw him go from being the third highest ranked mid-tier character to the middle of the mid-tier. Although respectable, this placement was nevertheless a considerable downturn, as Luigi's tier drop was tied with Wario's for the second largest between the first and second tier lists.

Thanks to his consistently strong results in some regions, Luigi was ranked 26th on the third tier list. Incidentally, this placement is roughly similar to where he was viewed as being in accordance to popular opinion during the very early months of SSB4's lifespan. Luigi's tier status would then improve even further, thanks to Elegant placing 2nd at GameTyrant Expo 2017 and 5th at 2GG Championship. In addition to these results, Luigi has managed to consistently achieve respectable results at the regional and national level, thanks to the efforts of Mr. ConCon, Scot! and Ron. To reflect his renewed tournament success, Luigi was ranked 18th on the fourth and current tier list, about equal to his rank before the down throw nerf, with some players arguing that Luigi should be ranked even higher.

Trophies

Luigi

Luigi recently celebrated his 30th anniversary with the Year of Luigi, but all that attention just made him even more shy and awkward. In Smash Bros., Luigi takes a lot of cues from his brother in fighting style, adding flair to moves like Super Jump Punch. His taunts, however, are truly unique.

Luigi recently celebrated his 30th anniversary with the Year of Luigi, but all that attention just made him even more shy and awkward. In Smash Bros. (as in life), Luigi tends to follow his brother's lead, but he adds his own flair to moves like Super Jump Punch. His taunts, however, are 100% Weegee.

With the Year of Luigi long gone now, it's up to you to prove to everyone that Mario's cowardly co-star is still awesome. He may share a lot of moves with his brother, but he still puts his own spin on things. When you Super Jump Punch a foe just right, for example, the noise he makes is epic. His taunts are pretty funny too. Try them!

Mario Bros. 1983

: Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon 03/2013

Luigi (Alt.)

Luigi may sulk when his down taunt is used, but his little dejected kick can actually hurt a nearby enemy fighter. It can even trigger a meteor smash! Notice an enemy leisurely hanging from the edge? Run over and pout on the edge—that foe will be the one with something to pout about!

Luigi might look a bit sulky when you use his down taunt, but when he does it next to another fighter, it can get in a little hit - well, a "little hit" that can also sometimes be a meteor smash! Say you spot a fighter hanging off the edge of the stage. Just give them a pout and a kick with this taunt, and they'll fall to their doom.

Mario Bros. 1983

: Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon 03/2013

Luigi (With Poltergust 3000)
Luigi (With Poltergust 5000)

A ghost-sucking vacuum cleaner created by Professor E. Gadd. In Luigi's ghostly adventures, it's the only thing standing between him and complete terror. In this game, it sucks in enemies, damages them, and then fires them diagonally upward. If it's used in an area with no ceilings, you might send them soaring right off the screen!

A ghost-sucking vacuum cleaner created by Professor E. Gadd. In Luigi's ghostly adventures, it's the only thing standing between him and abject terror. In this game, it sucks in enemies, damages them, then fires them diagonally upward. Use it in an area with no ceilings, and you might send them soaring right off the screen!

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  Classic (3DS)

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  Alt. (3DS)

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  Classic (Wii U)

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  Alt. (Wii U)

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  Poltergust 5000

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• All-Star Battle: Secret: Luigi is one of the opponents fought in this event. All of the opponents have been unlockable characters in previous Super Smash Bros. games.
• Family Ties: As Bowser Jr., the player and a giant Bowser must defeat Luigi and Mario.
• Oh Yeah, Luigi Time!: Luigi must defeat a giant Wario. After some time, a giant Mario will arrive to help the player.

Co-op Events

• A Lurking Menace: Luigi and Mario must defeat Bowser Jr. If they wait too long, a giant Bowser will arrive and the players must defeat him as well.
• Solidarity: Olimar and Rosalina & Luma must defeat Luigi and Mario. When they are defeated, Bowser and Bowser Jr. must be defeated as well.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.
• Wrecking Bros.: Luigi and Mario must destroy the entirety of Wrecking Crew while Wario and King Dedede try to interfere.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Luigi in the Nintendo Direct from April 8th, 2014.

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  Luigi's amiibo.

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  Using his neutral attack's last hit on Kirby.

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  Using his dash attack on Pit.

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  Using his neutral aerial alongside Mario's neutral aerial.

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  Using his forward smash on Mario.

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  Using Fireball against Mega Man's Metal Blade.

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  Using his side taunt alongside Wii Fit Trainer's down taunt.

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  Using his side taunt on Skyloft.

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  Up taunt's last animation alongside Donkey Kong and Bowser.

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  Up taunt's first animation.

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  Up taunt's last animation with Crash Bomb attached and Rush looking on.

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  Up taunt's second animation alongside a yellow Pikmin.

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  Up taunt's third animation, which was inspired by artwork from Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.

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  Luigi grabbing an edge on Skyloft.

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  Using his down taunt to meteor smash Kirby.

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  Luigi, Kirby, and Mario posing. While Mario and Kirby's poses are performed as part of their down taunts, Luigi's pose is performed immediately before he crouches to use Green Missile.

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  Throwing Metal Blade at Mega Man.

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  Luigi buried as Villager uses Pocket.

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  Jumping alongside Mario.

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  Jumping alongside Mario through a section of 3D Land.

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  Alongside Mario.

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  Using Green Missile alongside Kirby and a Smash Ball.

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  Using Poltergust 5000, his new Final Smash.

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  Luigi wearing a Screw Attack.

Trivia

• Traditionally, Luigi has always been an unlockable character revealed after an installment of Super Smash Bros. had been released. However, Super Smash Bros. 4 is the first (and currently the only) installment to break that tradition, as he was both revealed before release and is now a starter character, instead of an unlockable character.
  • He was also the first of the original four unlockable characters to be confirmed for Super Smash Bros. 4.
    • However he is the only one of the original four unlockable characters as well as the last "perfect-attendance crew" to be confirmed in 2013.
• Luigi's official artwork is based on his side taunt.
• Early in SSB4's development, Luigi could wall jump. However, this was scrapped in the final release.
• The trophy description for Luigi in the North American version of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U makes a reference to Weegee, a popular internet meme. However, it could also be a reference to a number of games where he excitedly refers to himself as "Weegee".
• Luigi's All-Star trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS resembles his Adventure Mode trophy from Super Smash Bros. Melee, albeit with a different costume. In comparison, his alt. trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U resembles his official artwork from Melee.
• In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, the "Luigi (With Poltergust 3000)" trophy is titled erroneously. The Poltergust that Luigi is wielding in that trophy is actually the Poltergust 5000 from Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, as shown by it having both a slightly different canister and the Strobulb equipped. This was fixed for the PAL region's version.
• Due to Luigi's head coming forward into the z-axis when he crouches, he can avoid certain projectiles that go behind his head.