Rayquaza (SSBB)

Rayquaza; in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
	;
Universe	Pokemon
Availability	Hacking
Final Smash
Tier	Banned

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This article is about Rayquaza's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For the character in other contexts, see Rayquaza.

File:RayquazaHeadSSBB.png

Rayquaza (レックウザ, Rayquaza), stylized as RAYQUAZA in European versions, is an unplayable character in Brawl and only playable in Boss Battles via hacking. It has no voice actor, instead being voiced with metallic screeches.

When playable, Rayquaza's power level scales with the difficulty setting chosen for Boss Battles. Being among the most durable bosses, thanks to having numerous elemental resistances and having only negligible weak points, Rayquaza can take a long time to bring down.

--need to load the boss and play some matches to properly write further--

Attributes

Rayquaza is one of the most durable Brawl bosses, giving it some ability to outlast opponents. It's also one of few to possess a projectile in Electric Ball and Ground Burst, though their slow nature can make them somewhat easy to avoid. Furthermore, it has a decently fast, easy-to-use repositioning move in Dash, something that other bosses have difficulty utilising. Finally, its Lightning Strike gives it a decent "get off me" tool that makes up for its occasional blindspots. --need to load the boss and play some matches with players to properly write further--

Health values

HP Values
Boss Battles	115.4	121	133.2	128	135	148.6	141.5	150	164	155	165	182.7	191	205	224.5
Multiplied by 0.6× when a second player is present.


Damage taken	×0.7	×0.7	×0.5	×1.0	×0.7	×0.5	×0.5	×0.7	×0.7	×0.7	×0.3
Unknown weak point	×1.0	×1.0	×0.7	×1.5	×1.0	×0.7	×0.7	×1.0	×1.0	×1.0	×0.8

Moveset

Like all bosses, Rayquaza's moves are inputted using a set of commands with a GameCube controller, chiefly with the D-Pad.

--damage values are tentative based on toomai's data--

Move	Input	Base Damage	Notes
Iron Tail		8% (start), 18% (front, close), 20% (front, far), 16% (back)	Rayquaza sweeps its tail across the ground. It actually hits twice, and it can break shields quite easily at higher difficulties.
Dig	+	22% (start), 16%, 15% (return)	Rayquaza flies up slowly, then crashes into the character while burrowing into the ground, then appears on the other side. The lightning bolt attack is the substitute for this at lower HP. If used while controlling Rayquaza, it doesn't track the opponent, only hitting the middle of the stage.
Dash	+	16%	Rayquaza ducks down and rushes to the other side of the stage. Its head can damage opponents when doing so.
Air Dash	+/	12% (start), 24% (attack)	Rayquaza flies up, and then dashes back and forth near the ground. At lower HP, Rayquaza does this two or three times. Small characters can evade this attack by ducking if they can fit between the "waves" of Rayquaza's wavy shape and the ground, but the move also produces a wind that can push characters around into a spot where they can be hit, making crawling an asset. If used while controlling Rayquaza, it will only use one air dash every time.
Diagonal Electric Ball		20% (head), 2% (loop), 12% (otherwise)	Rayquaza sends a ball of electricity in front of itself diagonally, which can be reflected by various reflecting attacks but not absorbed by PSI Magnet or Oil Panic.
Lightning Strike	+	2% (loop, end)	Rayquaza flies up in a tight circle and attacks with a multi-hit lightning bolt (it does not have knockback, however). It breaks shields down quickly. During the time Rayquaza rises, touching it will deal electric damage. It's one of the few attacks that are easier to dodge on higher difficulties due to its much shorter duration. Rayquaza only uses at lower HP. Similar to Pikachu's Thunder.
Ground Burst	+	10% (start), 25% (emergence), 18% (emergence, late)	Rayquaza burrows underground, then bursts out of the ground where the player was standing. At lower HP, Rayquaza does this three times. When its HP is low enough that it can be captured with a Trophy Stand, it will perform this attack four times. If used while controlling Rayquaza, it doesn't track the opponent, only hitting the middle of the stage.
Horizontal Electric Ball	+/	20% (head), 2% (loop), 12% (otherwise)	Rayquaza lowers its head and sends the lightning orb in front of itself, which travels across the stage unless it hits the ground, when it will explode. Like its diagonal counterpart, it can be reflected by various reflecting attacks but not absorbed by PSI Magnet or Oil Panic.
Blast		16% (head), 14% (explosion)	Rayquaza's eyes glow, and then it creates an explosion at the location where the character was at that time. While Rayquaza's eyes glow, fighters in contact with its head will be spiked to the ground, often a perfect setup for the explosion. If used while controlling Rayquaza, only one blast will occur.
Self-Destruct	Start	N/A	KOs Rayquaza.
Roar	Unusable	N/A	Rayquaza roars. During the first part of the roar, characters are pushed away from Rayquaza if they are close to it. This attack deals no damage and does not affect Rayquaza's attack cycle.

Codes

Like all Brawl bosses, Rayquaza can be accessed using an Action Replay code that enables debug mode controls for Player 3 in Boss Battles. It is encountered randomly without additional external modifications. The following codes are for the NTSC-U version of Brawl. Both codes must be on.

Enable Boss Control
4A000000	810F1F3C
D2000000	00000002
901F058C	5400843E
90020070	00000000
C277F780	00000010
7CDFF050	2C06414C
4082006C	2C1C0002
40810064	39820074
809E0038	A0EC0000
7C043800	41810050
A0EC0002	7C1C3800
41820044	3CC0804E
A0C6E4C0	A8EC0004
2C070000	41820030
A8EC0004	7C063800
4082000C	A38C0006
4800001C	2C07FFFF
4082000C	AB8C0006
4800000C	398C0004
4BFFFFD8	939E0038
60000000	00000000
4A000000	805A9320
14000078	00000000
E0000000	80008000

Rayquaza control for Player 3
4A000000	805A9320
30000070	00005C01
16000074	00000038
0008001E	1080001E
0180000B	0184000C
0182000D	0181000D
01880010	02880013
02840014	02800017
0282001A	0281001A
0480001D	FFFFFFFF
E0000000	80008000

In competitive play

Tier placement and history

Being a boss character only playable through hacking, Rayquaza is banned in all competitive Brawl tournaments. Because of how difficult it is to set bosses up — requiring constant cycling through Boss Battles without further external modifications, on top of necessitating difficulty setting rulings — Rayquaza, and all other Brawl bosses, have seen zero competitive experimentation.

In The Subspace Emissary

Rayquaza in The Subspace Emissary.

Rayquaza appears as a boss at The Lake in The Subspace Emissary, being the second boss of the game and fought by Fox and Diddy Kong. It later reappears in The Great Maze with reduced health.