Down special move
The down special move (commonly referred to as down B) is a special move performed by pressing the special move button while holding the control stick downwards.
Down specials are the most varied of special moves and are often of the character's more "gimmicky" attacks - the majority of reflectors, absorbers, counterattacks, item-creating moves, mid-match character transformations, difficult recoveries, and chargeable attacks are down specials. They tend to involve minimal character movement.
Certain down specials do not function in the air at all, such as Peach's Vegetable and Donkey Kong's Hand Slap prior to SSB4. Others will display unique animations in the air due to failing to activate, like the first part of Villager's Timber and Isabelle's Lloid Trap.
Reverse down special
In Brawl, Smash 4, and Ultimate, some characters' down special moves can be reversed by pushing the control stick in the opposite direction a few frames after inputting the move. There is no animation for reversing a down special. Unlike other reverse specials, a reverse down special has a limited number of characters that can do it and fewer who will gain an advantage from it. The characters who can perform it are Bowser, Yoshi, Pit, Ice Climbers, R.O.B., Pikachu, Marth, Ike, Ness, Lucas, Fox, Wolf, and Mr. Game & Watch. Since only Bowser, R.O.B., and Yoshi have a use for a reverse down special on the ground, some characters can use it in the air to gain a boost in the opposite direction and surprise opponents like Marth, Ike, and Pikachu. The boost is most likely caused by a reverse down special having no animation and swaps the momentum around with the character.
List of down special moves
Character | Move | Description |
---|---|---|
Banjo & Kazooie | Rear Egg | Banjo crouches down and Kazooie shoots a Grenade Egg from her rear end. The Grenade Egg works as an explosive and item, able to be grabbed and tossed at opponents. |
Bayonetta | Witch Time | Works like a counterattack, but instead of responding back with an attack of her own, Bayonetta slows down time for the affected attacker. Opponents with higher accumulated damage are slowed down for longer. If the timing on Witch Time's activation is off, a secondary effect called Bat Within activates, where Bayonetta takes half damage but no knockback from the incoming attack and the attacker is not slowed. |
Bowser | Bowser Bomb | A stall-then-fall ground pound attack. Starting in Smash 4, the grounded version has a small initial hit on the way up meant to place opponents in the path of the stronger descending portion of the move. |
Bowser Jr. | Mechakoopa | Bowser Jr. releases a Mechakoopa which begins to walk around the stage of its own accord. The Mechakoopa will explode upon reaching a certain proximity to an opponent, or after its timer expires. It can also be picked up and thrown like an item, and will explode on contact. |
Byleth | Aymr | A slow but extremely powerful overhead axe swing. It has super armor during startup, can be reversed, and allows Byleth to drop through platforms while charging it. |
Captain Falcon | Falcon Kick | Captain Falcon rushes forward with a flaming kick along the ground. When used in the air, it travels diagonally downward. In Melee, using Falcon Kick in midair causes Captain Falcon to regain his double jump. |
Charizard | Pokémon Change | Recalls Charizard and sends out Squirtle. In Ultimate, Pokémon Change is much faster and can be used in midair. |
Rock Smash | Charizard produces a boulder and smashes it with its head. | |
Chrom | Counter | Functions similarly to Roy's Counter, but it lacks flame properties. |
Cloud | Limit Charge / Finishing Touch | Using Limit Charge slowly increases Cloud's Limit Gauge. When the gauge is full, Cloud's down special becomes Finishing Touch until the Limit Break is spent. Finishing Touch is a wide sweeping attack with low damage but strong KO ability. |
Corrin | Counter Surge | A counterattack which, when activated, causes Corrin to transform fully into a dragon and smash the ground, causing a surge of water that launches opponents. |
Daisy | Vegetable | Identical to Peach's Vegetables. |
Dark Pit | Guardian Orbitars | Identical to Pit's Guardian Orbitars. |
Dark Samus | Bomb | Identical to Samus's Bomb. |
Diddy Kong | Banana Peel | Diddy Kong produces a Banana Peel item and throws it on the ground. In Brawl, Diddy Kong can produce a maximum of two bananas at once. In Smash 4, the limit was changed to one banana peel, and the peel will disappear after being thrown once. In Ultimate, the peel will disappear after being thrown twice. |
Donkey Kong | Hand Slap | Donkey Kong slaps the ground with his hands as the attack button is pressed repeatedly, creating a wide shock wave that can only hit grounded opponents. In Melee and Brawl, this move cannot be used in the air. Starting in Smash 4, it has an aerial version where Donkey Kong awkwardly slaps with each hand once, potentially meteor smashing airborne opponents. |
Dr. Mario | Dr. Tornado | Functions similarly to Mario's Mario Tornado. |
Duck Hunt | Wild Gunman | Duck Hunt summons one of five 8-bit gunmen, who will stand still for a moment before drawing their pistol and firing a single projectile, then disappearing. Each gunman has a different delay before firing and a different damage value. The gunman can be hit by opponents before or after it fires. |
Falco | Reflector | In Melee, it functions similarly to Fox's Reflector, but sends opponents upwards. Starting in Brawl, Falco instead kicks his reflector outward and pulls it back, dealing minor knockback and damage. |
Fox | Reflector | Fox puts up a reflector which, for a moment upon activation, has a hitbox at very close range which sends opponents down and away. Starting in Brawl, using it midair will stall Fox's descent; in Ultimate, only one use will cause a stall until Fox touches the ground again. |
Ganondorf | Wizard's Foot | Functions similarly to Captain Falcon's Falcon Kick, but it uses the darkness effect, and the aerial version meteor smashes opponents during its startup. |
Greninja | Substitute | A counterattack which, when activated, causes a Substitute Doll or a log to appear in Greninja's place while Greninja counters the attacker with a flying kick. |
Hero | Command Selection | When this move is inputted, the Hero will assume a thinking position, and the player will be given a random selection of four spells to choose from. These spells are chosen each time the move is inputted, so the player can simply shield to cancel the move and input the move again to get another selection. |
Ice Climbers | Blizzard | Each Ice Climber releases a blast of snowy air with short range in front of them. It hits multiple times and can briefly freeze opponents. |
Ike | Counter | Functions similarly to Marth's Counter, albeit with a different stance. Ike's counterattack is also stronger. |
Incineroar | Revenge | Behaves similarly to a counterattack, but Incineroar does not strike back when attacked. Instead, a small burst of flames interrupts the attacker, and Incineroar's body begins to glow, indicating it has stored energy. Incineroar's next successful attack after Revenge's activation will be more powerful, and then the effect wears off. |
Inkling | Splat Bomb | Inkling lobs a Splat Bomb forward, which explodes shortly after touching the ground. |
Isabelle | Lloid Trap | Isabelle plants Lloid in the ground, acting like a landmine. If an opponent walks over the trap, Lloid will shoot directly upwards, dragging the opponent with him and hitting multiple times before finally exploding. Pressing the attack button while Lloid is planted will also activate the attack. If Lloid is not activated for a period of time, he will disappear. |
Ivysaur | Pokémon Change | Recalls Ivysaur and sends out Charizard. In Ultimate, Pokémon Change is much faster and can be used in midair. |
Jigglypuff | Rest | Jigglypuff falls asleep. While apparently useless, the move has a small but powerful hitbox at extremely close range for a moment upon activation. |
Joker | Rebel's Guard / Tetrakarn / Makarakarn | Joker will go into a defensive pose, in which all attacks that hit him will do half damage as well as help fill up his Rebellion Gauge. Once released, he'll perform a backhand, hitting nearby opponents away. When Arsene is summoned, this move becomes Tetrakarn/Makarakarn, depending on the attack that hits him. The first activates when a physical attack hits him, making him counter the opponent. The latter reflects projectiles instead. |
Kazuya | Heaven's Door | Kazuya does a short hopping uppercut. If he successfully grabbing the opponent, he will fly in his Devil Kazuya form and crashes down to the ground, dealing large damage. If the Rage mechanic is activated, it turn into Rage Drive, dealing more damage and causes a Special Zoom effect. The Rage Drive is also used for Dragon Uppercut and his grab. |
Ken | Focus Attack | Functions similarly to Ryu's Focus Attack, though he performs a kick instead of a punch. The move has less range, and is weaker as well. |
King Dedede | Jet Hammer | King Dedede begins charging up his jet-powered hammer, then unleashes a wide, spinning swing. While the move is charging, King Dedede can move side to side and jump. The charge can be held for as long as desired, but King Dedede takes recoil damage when the move is held at maximum charge. |
King K. Rool | Gut Check | A counterattack where King K. Rool puffs out his stomach and counters attacks that directly hit it. He can also reflect projectiles with the move. |
Kirby | Stone | Kirby transforms into a rock (or other heavy objects) and plummets downward. Kirby returns to normal a few second after landing, or if the move is used again while in Stone form. While sitting on the ground in Stone form, Kirby is impervious to damage, but a strong enough attack can force him to transform back. |
Link | Bomb | Link pulls out a Bomb and holds onto it like an item. It will explode after a few seconds or on contact. |
Remote Bomb | Link pulls out and throws a Remote Bomb. After it is thrown, it can be picked up and thrown like an item. Unlike Link's Bombs in other games, the Remote Bombs must be manually detonated by Link with another use of the down special move. They have a larger explosion radius. | |
Little Mac | Slip Counter | A counterattack where Little Mac responds to incoming attacks with a dashing punch. When activated in midair, the punch causes Little Mac to travel significant horizontal distance. |
Lucario | Double Team | A counterattack where Lucario responds to incoming attacks with a flying kick. |
Lucas | PSI Magnet | Functions similarly to Ness's PSI Magnet, but Lucas holds the vortex in front of him instead of surrounding himself with it. |
Lucina | Counter | Functions similarly to Marth's Counter, albiet with a different stance. |
Luigi | Luigi Cyclone | Functions similarly to Mario's Mario Tornado. |
Mario | Mario Tornado | Mario spins around rapidly, striking foes multiple times with his fists. When used in midair, the user can gain height via button mashing. |
F.L.U.D.D. | Mario charges up F.L.U.D.D., which can be activated to spray water at opponents, pushing then back but not dealing damage. The more the move is charged, the more forceful the stream of water. | |
Marth | Counter | A counterattack where Marth responds to an incoming attack with a sword slash that is stronger than the countered attack. |
Mega Man | Leaf Shield | Mega Man summons a rotating circle of leafs which move with him, dealing minor damage to opponents and blocking projectiles. The Leaf Shield disappears after a while, or it can be launched forward with another use of the down special move. |
Meta Knight | Dimensional Cape | Meta Knight swirls his cape and vanishes from sight, then reappears a short distance away, in a direction of the user's choosing. If the attack button is held as Meta Knight reappears, he delivers a strong sword slash. |
Mewtwo | Disable | Mewtwo's eyes flash and a spark appears in front of it, stunning opponents who are nearby and facing towards Mewtwo. |
Mii Brawler | Head-On Assault (default) | Mii Brawler leaps diagonally upwards into the air, flips upside down and heads straight to the ground, landing on its head. The grounded version has an initial hitbox that leads into the main hit. In midair, it is a stall-then-fall attack. It can bury grounded opponents. |
Mii Gunner | Echo Reflector (default) | Behaves similarly to Fox's Reflector. |
Mii Swordfighter | Blade Counter (default) | Behaves similarly to Marth's Counter. |
Min Min | ARMS Change | Min Min cycles through three ARMS to equip on her right arm: Ramram, Megawatt, and Dragon. Each has different properties. |
Mr. Game & Watch | Oil Panic | Mr. Game & Watch holds out a bucket. Any incoming projectile is absorbed and converted into a "bar" which fills the bucket, up to three bars. When the bucket is full, using the down special move will pour out a splash of oil, which has power proportional to the strength of the three projectiles which were absorbed. In Ultimate, the bucket can reflect non-absorbable projectiles. |
Mythra | Swap to Pyra | Mythra swaps to Pyra. |
Ness | PSI Magnet | Ness surrounds himself in a vortex of energy which absorbs incoming projectiles and heals Ness in proportion to the amount of damage the projectile deals. |
Olimar | Pikmin Order | Olimar blows a whistle, causing any stray Pikmin to quickly jump back to him and fall in line. The move has super armor for a moment upon activation. |
Pac-Man | Fire Hydrant | Pac-Man places a fire hydrant on the ground or, if the move is used in midair, launches the fire hydrant downwards as a projectile. When the hydrant is on the ground, it will periodically spurt water to each side, pushing fighters (including Pac-Man). If the hydrant receives enough damage, it will go tumbling away, becoming a projectile once again. It disappears after a while even if it is not attacked. |
Palutena | Counter (default) | Behaves similarly to Marth's Counter. |
Counter / Reflect Barrier | When countering a melee attack, this move behaves the same way as in the previous game. When a projectile is countered, however, Palutena's Reflect Barrier is summoned instead, eschewing the counterattack and reflecting the projectile instead. | |
Peach | Vegetable | Peach plucks a turnip from the ground and holds it like an item. Turnips with different faces deal different amounts of damage, and the more powerful ones have a lesser chance to appear. Peach also has a small chance to pluck a Mr. Saturn, Beam Sword (only in Melee and Brawl), or Bob-omb, even without items being on. |
Pichu | Thunder | Behaves similarly to Pikachu's Thunder. |
Pikachu | Thunder | Pikachu calls down a lightning bolt from above, which travels straight down and can pass through some platforms. If the lightning bolt reaches Pikachu, it strikes it and causes a large electrical burst. Starting in Smash 4, parts of the bolt have a meteor smash effect on airborne opponents, potentially dragging them down to Pikachu to be hit by the stronger burst hitbox. |
Piranha Plant | Long-Stem Strike | Pots retreats into its pot charging up a long distance biting attack, this attack can be aimed in multiple directions. |
Pit | Mirror Shield | Pit crouches and holds up a large shield in front of him, reflecting incoming projectiles. |
Guardian Orbitars | Pit summons the Guardian Orbitars, two ethereal shields that surround him and reflect incoming projectiles. The shields will stay raised if the user holds the button, but will be put away automatically after a certain duration. | |
Pyra | Swap to Mythra | Pyra swaps to Mythra. |
Richter | Holy Water | Functions similarly to Simon's Holy Water, but the flame pillar is blue, possessing the aura effect instead of flame. |
Ridley | Skewer | Ridley violently stabs his tail out straight ahead. The move's sweetspot causes opponents to crumple to the ground. |
R.O.B. | Gyro | R.O.B. begins charging his Gyro. The charging can be cancelled and the move will retain its charge until it is used. When the charge is released, the Gyro is released with damage and distance proportional to its charge level. After being released, it will spin on the ground, damage opponents who touch it, but any fighter can pick it up and throw it as an item. |
Robin | Nosferatu | Robin summons tendrils of smoke in front of him that will ensnare a nearby opponent and deal continuous damage while healing Robin. |
Rosalina | Gravitational Pull | Rosalina waves her hand, creating a gravitational wave which diverts and effectively destroys incoming projectiles as well as pulling in nearby items. In Ultimate, Gravitational Pull will automatically equip any equippable items which it pulls in. |
Roy | Counter | Functions similarly to Marth's Counter, but the counterattack is considerably stronger and has the flame effect. |
Ryu | Focus Attack | Ryu enters a ready stance, preparing to deliver a powerful but short-ranged punch. Pressing the button again before the move charges fully will release a weaker punch. While in the ready stance, Ryu can be by one enemy attack without flinching. The strongest Focus Attack causes opponents to crumple to the ground. During the ready stance, or just after the charged move connects, Ryu can quickly cancel his stance by dash forward or backward, known as Focus Attack Dash Cancel (FADC). |
Samus | Bomb | Samus enters Morph Ball form and drops a bomb which explodes moments later, damaging opponents but not Samus. If used in the air, Samus can use the explosions of the bombs to gain a small height boost. |
Sephiroth | Scintilla | Sephiroth summons a barrier in front of him that bursts into damaging sparkles when hit by an attack. Unlike a traditional counterattack, it triggers even if Sephiroth is not attacked, and it can be shattered by attacks that do significant damage. |
Sheik | Transform | Sheik transforms into Zelda. |
Bouncing Fish | Sheik flips forward with an arcing kick. If the kick connects, Sheik bounces off the opponent and can quickly use the move again in the opposite direction. The horizontal distance traveled can be shortened or lengthened by the user's inputs. | |
Shulk | Vision | A counterattack where Shulk responds to incoming attacks with a dash and a sweeping sword strike. If the move is used but the counterattack is not activated, the counterattack window will begin to shrink with each failed usage. Shulk's current Monado Art affects the power of the strike. |
Simon | Holy Water | Simon lobs a bottle of holy water a short distance away, which explodes into a pillar of flame on contact, dealing multiple hits. |
Snake | C4 | Snake plants a C4 explosive on the ground. It can be remotely detonated at any time by using the down special move again, or will detonate on its own after some time has passed. Snake can also stick C4 onto nearby fighters, which can then be transferred between fighters on contact. |
Sonic | Spin Charge | Functions similarly to his Spin Dash, but he can repeatedly press the button to charge the move in place before dashing, and there is no hop when the dash is initiated. |
Sora | Counterattack | A counterattack in which Sora retaliates with an upward swing. The opponent is momentarily thrown off balance before they are hit by the counterattack. He can also counter projectiles and reflect with a 1.4x damage multiplier; however, it is unique as it deflects projectiles behind him, making it function more like a "parry" in 1v1 situations. |
Squirtle | Pokémon Change | Recalls Squirtle and sends out Ivysaur. In Ultimate, Pokémon Change is much faster and can be used in midair. |
Steve | TNT | Steve drops a box of TNT, and can also create a fuse connected to a pressure plate to detonate it from afar. |
Terry | Power Dunk | Terry jumps up, then dives down with his fist at an angle. The move will carry the opponent up if it hits with the initial jump. If the command inputs are used instead of the down special input, the move becomes more powerful and gains invincibility frames on startup. |
Toon Link | Bomb | Functions similarly to Link's Bomb. The explosion is larger, but deals less damage in return. |
Villager | Timber | This move has three stages. When first used, Villager will plant a sapling in the ground (or, if airborne, do nothing). Once the sapling is planted, using the move will cause Villager to produce a watering can and sprinkle water on the ground. The water can be used to minimally push opponents, but the can's real use is to water the sapling, causing it to ground into a large tree which can separate the fighters and block attack. When the tree is on the field, using the down special move causes Villager to swing an axe, which is a powerful attack in its own right, and can be used to chop down the tree, which then becomes a slow and ranged but very strong projectile. |
Wario | Wario Waft | Wario farts, with differing results based the move's level of charge. The move charges as long as Wario does not use it. The move charges passively while not in use, and its charge is even retained when Wario is KO'd. At minimal charge, the fart does not even launch opponents, but can trip them. At medium charge, the move causes Wario to lift off the ground, gaining an additional hitbox as he rises. At full charge, it is very powerful and sends Wario significantly high into the air. |
Wii Fit Trainer | Deep Breathing | When the move is used, a colored circle appears around Wii Fit Trainer, and a ring appears around that. The ring will move inwards towards the circle, and the user must time their button press for when the ring has lined up with the red circle. A successful activation will cause Wii Fit Trainer to recover a small amount of damage and become temporarily powered up. If the move is used repeatedly in succession, the ring slows down dramatically, making it unlikely for the user to have enough time to activate it before the opponent attacks. |
Wolf | Reflector | Functions similarly to Fox's Reflector, but the initial hitbox is larger, and it does not slow Wolf's midair descent. The reflector is also stronger, and reflected projectiles travel more quickly. |
Yoshi | Yoshi Bomb | A stall-then-fall ground pound attack. In Ultimate, it can descend through soft platforms. |
Young Link | Bomb | Functions similarly to Link's Bomb, though the bombs are smaller and hit multiple times instead of once while dealing more damage. |
Zelda | Transform | Zelda transforms into Sheik. |
Phantom Slash | Zelda charges magic before summoning the Phantom, which rushes forward and delivers a sword swipe. The more the move is charged, the further the Phantom travels and the more powerful its attack. Phantoms will block incoming attacks. In Ultimate, releasing the move at partial charge causes a partially assembled Phantom to appear, doing a different attack based on the level of charge. When the move is fully charged in Ultimate, Zelda is able to act much more quickly as the Phantom is released, potentially following up its attack on the opponent with one of her own. | |
Zero Suit Samus | Flip Jump | Zero Suit Samus flips into the air in an arc, leaving afterimages behind. If the attack button is pressed again during the jump, Zero Suit Samus will deliver a powerful kick which can meteor smash opponents with its sweetspot. This move can be used to wall jump. |
List of custom down special moves
In Super Smash Bros. 4
Characters introduced into this game through post-launch downloadable content - Mewtwo, Lucas, Roy, Ryu, Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta - were not given custom special moves.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Character | Default Special Move | Custom Special Moves |
---|---|---|
Mii Brawler | Head-On Assault | Custom 2: Feint Jump |
Custom 3: Counter Throw | ||
Mii Gunner | Echo Reflector | Custom 2: Bomb Drop |
Custom 3: Absorbing Vortex | ||
Mii Swordfighter | Blade Counter | Custom 2: Reversal Slash |
Custom 3: Power Thrust |
Gallery
Marth’s down special, Counter.
Fox’s down special, Reflector.
Ness’s down special, PSI Magnet.
Zero Suit Samus’s down special, Flip Jump.
Pyra’s down special, Swap.
Attacks in the Super Smash Bros. series | |
---|---|
Standard ground attacks | Neutral attack · Dash attack |
Tilt attacks | Forward tilt · Up tilt · Down tilt · Crouching attack |
Smash attacks | Forward smash · Up smash · Down smash |
Aerial attacks | Neutral aerial · Forward aerial · Back aerial · Up aerial · Down aerial · Grab aerial · Glide attack |
Throws | Grab · Pummel · Forward throw · Back throw · Up throw · Down throw |
Get-up attacks | Floor attack · Edge attack |
Special moves | Neutral special move · Side special move · Up special move · Down special move · Command-input move · Final Smash |