Reflection
Reflection is a phenomenon wherein one fighter gains control of an opponent's projectile and uses it as their own attack. Most but not all projectiles reverse direction upon being reflected, sending them back to their original users.
Properties
To be reflected, a projectile must come into contact with an attack or object that reflects, such as the aptly-named Reflector, Ness's forward smash, or a character wearing a Franklin Badge. Most reflectors increase the damage done by projectiles, as well as the speed at which they travel back, and can also change their remaining active period (lifespan) to further adjust how much effective distance they can cover. Reflected projectiles also change ownership from the original user to the reflector, damaging the original user if they are hit. Projectiles can be reflected in any direction, and can be reflected multiple times to multiplicatively increase the damage dealt. A projectile can theoretically be reflected an infinite amount of times as long as it is active and will change ownership every time, though most reflecting attacks can only reflect projectiles up to a certain damage threshold before some kind of counter-measure activates.
In Super Smash Bros. and Super Smash Bros. Melee, if a projectile is too strong for a reflector, the reflector breaks as if it was a shield and stuns the user. From Super Smash Bros. Brawl onward, the projectile simply ignores the reflector and hits the user. In the case of Ness's or Lucas's forward smash, should the overpowered projectile collide with the move's hitbox without striking the user, they undergo a proportionally-substantial amount of lag due to being outprioritized.
Reflectors are generally very useful moves, as they help prevent projectile camping and spamming. As such, characters with reliable reflectors tend to have better matchups against characters that rely upon projectiles, such as Samus, than those who lack a reliable reflector.
In addition to the above, Villager and Isabelle are able to grab projectiles and items and store them for later use via their neutral special move, Pocket. While not strictly a reflector, retrieved projectiles have their damage increased by 1.9×, much like the damage multipliers used by reflectors.
In Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, projectiles can only be reflected up to 7 times before disappearing. Additionally, in Ultimate, a visual indicator in the form of a flashing blue hexagon (akin to Fox's Reflector) is displayed when a projectile is reflected.
In Spirit Battles, damage dealt by reflected projectiles is increased by the "Reflect-Damage Buffed" rule, often accompanied by the "All fighters' reflected projectiles have increased power" condition.
List of reflectors
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This article or section may require additional technical data. The editor who added this tag elaborates: Lifespan multipliers for some fields You can discuss this issue on the talk page or edit this page to improve it. |
Reflectors only available as custom moves are in italics.
| User | Move | Damage multiplier | Speed multiplier | Lifespan multiplier | Max damage reflectable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All characters | Powershield  [1] |
0.5 | 1 | 1 | _ |
Perfect Shield Reflect  [2] |
1.2 | 1.5 | 2 | _ | |
| Dark Pit | Electroshock Arm[3] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 50 |
| Electrocut Arm[3] | 1 | 1 | 50 | ||
| Quickshock Arm[3] | 1.3 | 1 | 50 | ||
| Guardian Orbitars | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 50 | |
| Amplifying Orbitars | 2 | 2 | 50 | ||
| Dr. Mario | Super Sheet | 1.5  , 1.6 |
1 | 0.75 | 50 |
| Breezy Sheet | 1.5 | ||||
| Falco | Reflector | 1.5  , 1.2 |
1 , 1.3 |
0.8 | 50 |
| Accele-Reflector | 1 | 2.1 | 50 | ||
| Reflector Void[4] | 0.7 | 0.6 | 999 | ||
| Fox | Reflector | 1.5  (JP), 1.8 (USA), 1.5 , 1.4 |
1 , 1.4 |
1 | 50 |
| Big Reflector | 1.2 | 1 | |||
| Amplifying Reflector | 2.1 | 1.8 | |||
| Hero | Bounce[5] | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 50 |
| Joker | Makarakarn[6] | 1.6 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 50 |
| Kazuya | Left Splits Kick | 2.4 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 80 |
| King Dedede | Inhale |
1.5 | 1.6 | — | |
| King K. Rool | Gut Check | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 50 |
| Lucas | Forward smash | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 50 |
| Mario | Cape | 1.5 | 1 | 0.75 | 50 |
| Gust Cape | 1.5 | 1 | 50 | ||
| Mega Man | Skull Barrier | 1.2 | 1.2 | 25 | |
| Mewtwo | Confusion[7] | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.25 | 50 |
| Mii Gunner | Echo Reflector | 1.4 , 1.5 |
1.1 , 1.9 |
1 | 50 |
| Mii Swordfighter | Reversal Slash | 1.5 , 1.8 |
1 , 1.5 |
0.75 , 1 |
50 |
| Min Min | Up smash | 1.8 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 80 |
| Mr. Game & Watch | Oil Panic[4] |
1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 50 |
| Ness | Forward smash | 1.5 (JP), 1.8 (US), 1.5 , 2 |
1 , 1.5 , 2.5 |
— , 50 , 80
| |
| Palutena | Reflect Barrier | 1.17 , 1.4 |
1.25 | 1 | 50 |
| Pit | Angel Ring | 1.5 | 1 | 50 | |
| Mirror Shield | 1.5 | 1.7 | 50 | ||
| Upperdash Arm[3] | 1 | 1 | 1 | 50 | |
| Interception Arm[3] | 1 | 1 | 50 | ||
| Quickdash Arm | 1.3 | 1 | 50 | ||
| Guardian Orbitars | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 50 | |
| Amplifying Orbitars | 2 | 2 | 50 | ||
| R.O.B. | Arm Rotor | 1.5 | 1 , 1.3 |
1 | 50 |
| Reflector Arm | 1.8 | 1.5 | 50 | ||
| Backward Arm Rotor | 1.5 | 1.3 | 50 | ||
| Sora | Counterattack[8] | 1.4 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 80 |
| Wolf | Reflector | 1.3 , 1.5 |
1.8 | 0.5 | 50 |
| Zelda | Nayru's Love | 1.5 , 1.2 , 1.25 |
1 , 1.2 , 1.4 |
0.75 | 50 |
| Nayru's Rejection | 1.25 | 1.2 | 50 | ||
| Home-Run Bat |
Forward smash | 2.0 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 80 |
| Franklin Badge | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 50 | |
| Gardevoir | 1.3 | 1.3 | 100 | ||
| Ghirahim | 1.0 | 1.3 | 30 | ||
| Gray Fox | 1.0 | 1.0 | 100 | ||
| Shovel Knight | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.15 | ? | |
- ^ Does not change the ownership of Poké Balls.
- ^ Available as a Skill in World of Light; can only reflect projectiles up to 3 times.
- ^ a b c d e Does not change the ownership of certain projectiles reflected.
- ^ a b Only reflects physical projectiles. Absorbs energy-based projectiles.
- ^ Selected randomly through Command Selection.
- ^ Only available while Arsene is active.
- ^ In Melee, simply reverses projectiles without changing their owner.
- ^ Does not reverse projectile direction.
List of reflectable attacks
These attacks can also be blocked by the passive shields worn by Link (from Melee onward), Young Link, Toon Link, and Hero.
By characters
By items
- All throwable items except for the Spiny Shell
- All projectiles from battering and shooting items (such as the Ray Gun's shots or the Star Rod's stars)
- Bob-ombs and Bombchus while moving along the ground
- Rolling Crates in motion
- Soccer Balls when launched
- Bumpers (Smash 64 only) and Uniras when set
- All explosions from Smash 4 onward, such as from a Blast Box or Motion-Sensor Bomb
- Players who have transformed into a Bullet Bill during flight
By Poké Ball Pokémon
| Pokémon | Move |
|---|---|
| Blastoise | Hydro Pump |
| Bonsly | Tackle when thrown as an item |
| Charizard | Flamethrower |
| Chespin | Seed Bomb |
| Chikorita | Razor Leaf |
| Clefairy | Some copied attacks with Metronome |
| Cyndaquil | Flamethrower |
| Darkrai | Dark Void balls |
| Ditto | Any reflectible moves it copies |
| Fennekin | Incinerate |
| Genesect | Techno Blast |
| Kyogre | Hydro Pump |
| Marill | Tackle |
| Meloetta | Echoed Voice |
| Meowth | Pay Day |
| Oshawott | Surf |
| Piplup | Surf |
| Snivy | Razor Leaf |
| Starmie | Swift |
| Staryu | Swift |
| Tapu Koko | Electroweb beams |
| Vulpix | Incinerate, Blizzard |
By Assist Trophies
| Assist Trophy | Move |
|---|---|
| Chef Kawasaki | Plates |
| Color TV-Game 15 | Pong ball |
| Dark Samus | Homing shots |
| Dr. Wily | Projectiles |
| Elec Man | Thunder Beam |
| Excitebikes | Collision |
| Ghirahim | Knives |
| Guile | Sonic Boom |
| Hammer Bros. | Hammers |
| Infantry and Tanks | Shots |
| Jeff | Multi-Bottle Rockets |
| Knuckle Joe | Smash Punch |
| Krystal | Ice Blast |
| Mother Brain | Rinkas |
| Phosphora | All attacks |
| Rathalos | Fireballs |
| Ray MK III | Lasers |
| Saki Amamiya | Shots |
| Sheriff | Shots ( only)
|
| Shovel Knight | Dirt |
| Starman | PK Beam, PK Beam γ |
| Sukapon | Tondeker |
| Takamaru | Thrown Knives |
| Zero | Genmu Zero |
By stage hazards
| Stage | Hazard |
|---|---|
| Corneria | Shots fired from Arwings, Wolfens, and the Great Fox |
| Green Greens | Apples |
| Mario Bros. | Shellcreepers and Sidesteppers |
| Sector Z | Shots fired from Arwings |
| Venom | Shots fired from Arwings and Wolfens |
| Wily Castle | Yellow Devil's energy blasts |
By enemies and bosses
| Enemy/Boss | Move |
|---|---|
| Armank | Energy shot |
| Autolance | Launched lance |
| Bombed | Thrown head |
| Boom Primid | Thrown boomerang |
| Bullet Bill | Collision |
| Crazy Hand | Bombs[6] |
| Duon | Scattershot, missiles |
| Fire Primid | Fireball |
| Galeem | Tri-Eye Attack |
| Gamyga | Lasers |
| Hammer Bro. | Hammers |
| Master Edges | Sword projectiles |
| Master Hand | Finger bullets, fireball rain ( only)
|
| Meta Ridley | Small and medium fireballs |
| Poppant | Tossed gifts |
| Puppit | Lasers |
| Rayquaza | Energy ball |
| R.O.B. Blaster | Lasers |
| R.O.B. Launcher | Missiles |
| Roturret | Bullets |
| Scope Primid | Shots |
| Spaak | Electric ball, lightning bolt |
- ^ When fully charged, cannot be pocketed or inhaled
- ^ a b c Does not change trajectory nor damages the user when reflected, instead act as if they were shielded.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Does not change trajectory when reflected.
- ^ When reflected, Waddle Dees and Waddle Doos will not switch ownership.
- ^ In Brawl, Water Gun is only reflectible when at least partially charged.
- ^ Only the bombs themselves, not their explosions, can be reflected.
Trivia
- Of all reflections in the Smash series:
- Left Splits Kick has the highest damage multiplier at 2.4x
- Ness' forward smash and home run bat are tied for highest speed multiplier at 2.5x
- Not counting Melee's powershield, since Zelda's Nayru's Love and King Dedede's Inhale in Ultimate are neutral special moves that can reflect projectiles, they can also be used by Kirby via his Copy Ability.
- Pit is the only character to have different reflectors between games.
- Prior to version 1.0.8 of Smash 4, all but the final hit of Zoroark's Fury Swipes could be reflected. By wearing a Franklin Badge, a character trapped by Zoroark would only take damage from the final hit of the attack.
- Ness, Lucas, Min Min, and Kazuya are the only fighters whose reflection moves are not special moves. Out of these, Ness' is the only one to be present in all Smash games.
- Hero has the most reflectable attacks out of any playable fighter in the entire Super Smash Bros. series, with a total of 14.
