Pikachu (SSB4)

Pikachu in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Pokémon
Other playable appearances	in SSB in Melee in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Volt Tackle

Pikachu (ピカチュウ, Pikachu) is a playable starter character in Super Smash Bros. 4. It was confirmed on June 11th, 2013 during E3 2013 and was among the first wave of amiibo. Visually, Pikachu has a brighter coloration overall than in Brawl.

Ikue Ohtani, who voices Pikachu's spoken voice, voices Pikachu once again with recycled voice clips from Brawl and Melee.

Attributes

Pikachu is a character of many strengths. It is generally an agile character than can cover ground very easily and possesses a very effective combo game. It also has arguably the best recovery in the game due to Quick Attack, which covers large distances at high speeds, allowing it to move Pikachu in almost any direction twice, and its ability to ledge cancel; if mastered, the move can also place Pikachu in nearly any position desired relative to the opponent, allowing for great flexibility in using combos and mindgames. With good control, Pikachu can also be very hard to edge-guard. It also can act as a situational method of granting horizontal recovery with significant power by using Skull Bash, though it is usually inferior to Quick Attack and it could be predictable unless Pikachu attempts to recover from above and far away from the ledge. Its dash is also an excellent approach option due to its speed and it allowing Pikachu to duck under many attacks. It also has the ability to crawl, allowing it to dodge some projectiles. Its light weight and below average falling speed combined with its height makes it one of the hardest characters to combo. Arguably, Pikachu's greatest strength is its ability to camp and edge-guard many characters due to Thunder Jolt's speed, spammability, and range.

However, Pikachu is not without flaws. Despite having good aerial attacks overall, they have either significant ending and/or landing lag (back and down aerials), unreliable offensive use (down aerial), or they all have long durations. One of its notable weaknesses is having rather poor KOing potential; its smash attacks also have trouble KOing even at high percents. Despite Quick Attack and Thunder Jolt allowing it to cover considerable distances and space opponents respectively, Pikachu nonetheless suffers from having poor range due to most of its attacks only hitting close to its body. It also has very poor endurance due to its aforementioned light weight and floatiness. Despite this, Pikachu's strengths significantly outweigh its flaws, and it is one of the most dominant characters in the game due to these advantages. However, it has a much higher learning curve and skill floor than most other high-tier characters, and as a result, is difficult to use to its full potential by beginners and non-dedicated Pikachu players; if the player hasn't yet mastered Pikachu's specific advanced techniques (with Quick Attack alone being difficult to fully learn), many of its advantages will still prevail, but its poor range and overall weak attacks can be exploited by characters with better range, such as sword wielders.

Despite Pikachu receiving little benefit from customs, they still have their uses. Thunder Wave paralyzes grounded opponents, opening up opportunities for follow-ups at the cost of having much less range. Heavy Skull Bash moves and charges faster, and has immense power if used at point-blank range. Meteor Quick Attack reduces distance travelled, but as the name implies, the entire move is a meteor smash, with much higher knockback at the start of each warp. Quick Feet increases distance travelled and has more power as well, but it loses its unpredictability, as it only moves once. While Distant Thunder has more start-up and a much weaker discharge around Pikachu, it has more vertical range, much more power near the thundercloud, and cannot meteor smash. This allows for easier Thunderspiking, which restores most of its usefulness from Super Smash Bros..

Changes from Brawl

Pikachu was considerably buffed overall in the transition from Brawl to SSB4, although it received nerfs to some of its attacks and abilities. Its powerful down throw and forward throw chain grabs, which were a large part of Pikachu's previous success in Brawl, were removed. In return, Pikachu's combo game has been improved, its attacks can chain easier, some of its attacks have better range, and some of its attacks can KO more efficiently. Although Pikachu was a high-tier character in Brawl, many consider it to be even better in SSB4. Despite having a rather small playerbase in competitive play due to its very high learning curve and degree of technical skill required, Pikachu is still considered a dominant force in the metagame thanks to players such as ESAM.

Aesthetics

• Pikachu's appearance has been updated to match the latest Pokémon games, such as the Generation V and VI main series games and PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure and the most recent episodes in the Pokémon anime; its model has been altered, and continues the trend of being gradually less chubby with each additional appearance. Pikachu's coloration is also considerably brighter in comparison to its previous appearances.
• Pikachu smiles more often when attacking.
• Pikachu is more bipedal and walks more slanted.
• Pikachu is now given grimacing expressions when grabbed or landed on the ground after being launched.

Attributes

• Pikachu dashes faster (1.765 → 1.85325).
• Pikachu jumps lower.
• Pikachu carries crates faster.
• Pikachu falls faster (1.5 → 1.55).

Ground attacks

• Up tilt, forward smash, and down smash all deal less damage.
• Neutral attack and forward tilt are faster.
• Neutral attack, down smash, down tilt, and forward tilt are weaker.
• Forward tilt has less ending lag.
• Up tilt has drastically less ending lag and much lower knockback scaling, making it more useful at lower percents.
• Down tilt is slightly faster and has more chances of tripping due to lower knockback.
• Forward smash and down tilt have less range.
• Forward smash's charging and attacking animation is slightly altered, where Pikachu stands on one of its hind legs while using the attack.
• Sweetspotted dash attack is much stronger, while sourspotted dash attack is more useful as a combo finisher.
• Dash attack and down smash have slightly slower start-up.
• Forward smash hits twice hits and its late hit has a larger hitbox, giving it more KOing potential.
• Forward smash and down smash have more ending lag.
• Up smash is stronger. When fully charged, it deals 7% more damage (19.6% → 26.6%) and can now KO under 90% when sweetspotted. It is also capable of combos, punishing rolls and its late hit has slightly higher knockback.
• Up smash comes out one frame later, and deals much less knockback if sourspotted in the very last few frames, where it also has less hitstun and is nearly useless.
• Down smash and Forward smash are much harder to SDI out of.
• Down smash's animation is slightly altered. Pikachu now spins around several times before clumsily ending on its rear while using the move.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial is faster and less ending lag.
• Up, back, and sweetspotted neutral aerials deals less damage.
• Neutral aerial has less range.
• Forward aerial has reduced landing lag, is faster, easier to connect all hits, and the final hit is more powerful to the point where it has KOing potential off-stage.
• Back aerial has higher KOing potential, as all hits now connect better.
• Up aerial has less ending lag, giving it more combo potential, and has now received a hitbox that hits with slightly less knockback and a lower angle, almost entirely reverting it to its Melee form.
• Up aerial deals slightly less shield damage.
• Down aerial's first hit has higher knockback growth, making it harder to land both hits.
• Down aerial's second hit has a longer range, with slightly higher knockback growth, and deals slightly more shield damage.
• Up aerial is stronger, to where it can now almost KO at 170%.

Throws/other attacks

• Pikachu's grab and dash grab are faster.
• Pikachu's grabs have less range, though not as limited as in Melee.
• The global removal of chain grabbing harmed Pikachu drastically, making it lose one of its best strategies from Brawl as well as significantly harming its damage racking game.
• All throws (except forward) and pummel deals less damage.
• Pummel is faster and has a larger hitbox.
• Back throw has a more vertical launch angle, hindering its edge-guarding potential.
• Up throw is stronger, to where it can KO around 200%.
• Down throw appears to have higher knockback growth, for it to not chain grab.
• Down throw is more useful for aerial follow-ups and combos.
• Front floor attack has less knockback.
• Back floor attack has more knockback to protect Pikachu overall. It also has more ground and less start-up.

Special moves

• Skull Bash travels farther when charged and can be charged like a smash attack.
• Skull Bash has a different charging position.
• Skull Bash is weaker and has slightly more ending lag, making it more punishable.
• Quick Attack cannot be cancelled into the ground anymore, removing the possibility of the QAC technique. It also is slower, has more ending lag, and has less total distance.
• Quick Attack has a new technique called Quick Attack Ledge Cancel, which can be used on ledges, moving platforms and tilting stages. The second warp of Quick Attack deals slightly more knockback.
• Thunder falls faster and has more combo potential and meteor smashes, despite being very difficult to edgeguard and combo at high percentage. The meteor smash hitbox can set up into shockwave hitbox around Pikachu, allowing Pikachu to have KO set-ups.
• Thunder has shorter vertical range, and more difficult to land, which when combined with the new hitbox, makes Thunderspiking very difficult to pull off, significantly reducing its usefulness. The shockwave hitbox around Pikachu is less powerful.
• Volt Tackle lasts slightly longer.
• Volt Tackle is slower, deals less damage and less knockback.
• A smaller, purple ball of electricity appears as a "cursor" of Volt Tackle, making it easier to understand and control.

Update history

Pikachu received a mix of buffs and nerfs in updates, but its few nerfs counter its somehwat plentiful buffs, ultimately nerfing it overall. While update 1.0.4 buffed some of Pikachu's KOing options by increasing their power, it then received only nerfs afterwards. Update 1.0.6 standardized Pikachu's ledge grab animation, making it slower and effectively weakening its ledge-trumping ability, while update 1.1.0 removed Thunder Wave's ability to lock and thus its ability to zero-death as a result. However, the changes on shield mechanics have greatly buffed electric attacks, making Pikachu one of the most significant benefactors. Overall, Pikachu's potency in the metagame has not been reduced.

1.0.4

• Forward smash's knockback scaling increased: 65 → 73 (early), 100 → 102 (late).
• Skull Bash's knockback scaling increased: 60 → 62.
• Thunder and Distant Thunder's knockback scalings increased: 62 → 66.

1.0.6

• Ledge grab animation has been standardized, becoming slower as a result.

1.1.0

• Thunder Jolt and Thunder Wave's projectile hitbox angles have been altered to 0°.
• The angle change removes Thunder Wave's ability to lock.

Moveset

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			1.4% (tip), 1.2% (mid), 1% (base)	A very quick headbutt with negligible damage and knockback. Can be used rapidly if the A button is held, allowing it to deal more damage and potentially trip opponents.
Forward tilt	↗		10%	Plants itself on its paws and kicks its hind legs in front of its body. The move deals increased damage when angled up, but has a chance to trip when angled down.
	→		9%
	↘		8%
Up tilt			5%	Swings its tail above its body in an arc. A fast attack with low base knockback and scaling, which can reliably set up into its aerials.
Down tilt			6%	Sweeps its tail in front of itself. It is very quick in terms of both start-up and ending lag and has a chance of tripping opponents.
Dash attack			10% (clean), 6% (late)	A forward leaping headbutt. Very laggy and easily punished if whiffed, but has high knockback, allowing it to KO near the edge at very high percents.
Forward smash			15% (early), 18% (clean), 12% (late)	Rears back and then ejects an attached jolt of electricity from its cheeks while leaning forwards. In terms of knockback, this move is far stronger when hit inside the jolt, and is weakest when hit with Pikachu's cheeks during start-up.
Up smash			13% (clean tail), 14% (clean body), 11% (mid), 7% (late)	A quick backflip while using its tail to attack. This move is slightly stronger when hit close during startup.
Down smash			2% (hits 1-5), 3% (hit 6)	Spins around in place repeatedly whilst surrounded with electricity. A multi-hit move with decent power but punishable ending lag.
Neutral aerial			8.5% (clean), 5.5% (late)	Curls up in a ball and performs a somersaulting tackle. Extremely fast start-up with good horizontal knockback, making it a good aerial finisher or a useful edge-guarding move. Can be auto-cancelled when performed alongside a non-fast-fallen short hop, though it has high landing lag otherwise.
Forward aerial			1.7% (hits 1-4), 3% (hit 5)	Spins in a horizontal corkscrew while surrounded by electricity. The move consists of multiple hits, with the final one dealing decent horizontal knockback. The move has little landing lag, which can potentially set up into a grounded move or grab.
Back aerial			0.8% (hits 1-7), 3% (hit 8), 4% (landing)	Spins in a manner similar to its down smash, but without electrical effects, hits on both sides of Pikachu. The move consists of multiple hits, with the final one dealing decent knockback. Has high ending lag and very high landing lag if not used alongside a full hop.
Up aerial			5%/4% (clean), 4% (late)	Swiftly swings its tail above itself in an arc. Extremely quick with low knockback, this move can combo into itself or set up into a neutral aerial. Can be auto-cancelled when performed alongside a fast-fallen short hop, though it has high landing lag otherwise.
Down aerial			12% (attack), 4% (landing)	Spins in a downward corkscrew while surrounded by electricity. A lingering single hit with decent horizontal knockback, this move can be auto-cancelled from a short hop. If Pikachu lands during the attack's duration it causes a small shockwave to appear around him, which deals little damage at the cost of very high landing lag.
Grab			—	A quick, short-ranged grab.
Pummel			1.9%	Zaps the opponent. A quick pummel.
Forward throw			2% (hits 1-4), 2% (throw)	Places the opponent on its back and shocks them, sending them forward. A multi-hit move. Can set up running up smashes and neutral aerials at very low percents.
Back throw			9%	Performs a high-speed version of the Tomoe nage, a Judo throw. Best used near the edge to put the opponent into an edge-guarding situation.
Up throw			1% (hit 1), 3% (throw)	Places the opponent on its head, then headbutts them upward. While it does not have many follow-up options, it can combo reliably into Thunder at high percentages, allowing for potential KOs, particularly near the edge.
Down throw			3% (hit 1), 5% (throw)	Places the opponent on the ground, then jumps on them. Consists of multiple hits. Can be followed up with any aerial at lower percentages.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%
Edge attack Edge getups			7%
Neutral special	Default	Thunder Jolt	4.8% (ball), 6%/5% (wave clean), 5%/4% (wave mid), 4%/3% (wave late)	Fires a jolt of electricity forward. Pikachu's main projectile, and a very useful move for keeping on-stage opponents at bay and threatening off-stage recoveries. Travels forward whilst bouncing along the ground, and can also travel up walls, below the edge, and along ceilings. If used in the air, it will travel diagonally down instead. Disappears after about 3 seconds.
	Custom 1	Thunder Wave	3%/1% (ball), 3%/1% (wave clean), 2% (wave late)	Very similar to the basic version. It is weaker and it lacks range, but can paralyze grounded targets.
	Custom 2	Thunder Shock	3% (ball), 10% (explosion)	Fires a ball of electricity almost horizontally, which disappears upon hitting the ground and does not bounce.
Side special	Default	Skull Bash	6% (uncharged), 22% (fully charged)	Charges and, when the B button is released, fires itself forward like a missile. When fully charged or close to fully charged, it has KO power. Primarily used as a recovery move, as it gains a lot of horizontal distance (especially when charged) and does not leave Pikachu helpless. On the ground, it has high landing lag and is very punishable.
	Custom 1	Shocking Skull Bash	1.2% (loop), 3% (last)	Hits multiple times as it moves forwards, with the last hit launching the opponent.
	Custom 2	Heavy Skull Bash	15%/10%/5%/2% (uncharged), 32%/21%/10%/4% (fully-charged), 6%-0% (running)	Less travel distance but more damage near the start. If used (uncharged) to cancel reeling from an attack's knockback, the distance traveled nearly doubles, and Pikachu retains some forward momentum while falling after the move.
Up special	Default	Quick Attack	2% per warp	Moves at warp speed in two directions that can be selected via the control stick. Pikachu's main recovery move and a quick, unpredictable move at that. The second warp is optional, but if used, the direction must be at least 45° different than the first direction to work. Leaves Pikachu helpless when used in the air.
	Custom 1	Meteor Quick Attack	?%	Each warp travels less distance, but has a meteor effect on foes in the air.
	Custom 2	Quick Feet	5%	Goes further than Quick Attack, but can only warp once.
Down special	Default	Thunder	6% (thunderbolt meteor), 8% (thunderbolt non-meteor), 15% (blast)	Causes a large thunderbolt to come down on itself. The move is laggy in general, though the shockwave around Pikachu does very high damage and knockback. The bolt itself does moderate vertical knockback, allowing the Thunderspiking technique, though this is very difficult to land. The move also has a meteor smash hitbox near the thundercloud that sends opponents straight down, allowing potential combos, though landing it in a favorable position for this is difficult.
	Custom 1	Thunder Burst	2% (early), 15%/12% (clean)	Creates an electrical blast around Pikachu as if the normal move had struck.
	Custom 2	Distant Thunder	13%/9%/5% (thunderbolt), 6% (blast)	The thundercloud starts higher up and does more damage.
Final Smash		Volt Tackle	1% (collision), 8% (spark)	Pikachu transforms into a big blue ball of lightning and flies around the stage, charging through opponents. Pressing the attack button will cause the ball to spark out, causing significantly more damage and knockback. This Final Smash now has a "cursor" in the form of a smaller, purple ball allowing for easier control and aim.

Taunts

• PikachuTaunt1Smash4.jpg
• PikachuTaunt2Smash4.jpg
• PikachuTaunt3Smash4.jpg

• Up Taunt: Huddles down and surrounds itself in electricity as if charging up, saying "Piiiiii!"
• Side Taunt: Faces the player and waves twice with its left paw, then its right, saying "Pika Pika!"
• Down Taunt: Rolls on its back, saying "Pikaaaahh!"

On-Screen Appearance

Emerges from a Poké Ball, then briefly surrounds itself in electric sparks.

Idle Poses

• Scratches its right ear.
• Stands up straight, then looks right, and then left, twitching its ears.

Victory Poses

• PikachuPose1WiiU.png
• PikachuPose2WiiU.png
• PikachuPose3WiiU.png

• Twitches its ears, then scratches its right ear.
• Jumps up and somersaults, then spins around once before happily facing the camera.
• Lies sideways on the ground, sleeping.

Victory Fanfare

A small excerpt of the music that would play on the title screen of Pokémon Red, Blue and Green Versions, a track which would go on to become the Pokémon Main Theme, which also appears as a standalone track in Brawl. It is shared with Charizard, Lucario, Jigglypuff, Greninja, and Mewtwo.

In Competitive Play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Pikachu	1311	2311	2312	1312	1313
	1331	2313	2331	3311	1321

Notable players

•  ESAM
•  Kenny
•  Mook
•  Nakat
•  Z

Trophies

Pikachu

Recognized the world over, Pikachu is an Electric-type Pokémon that stores energy in its cheeks for use in battle. In Smash Bros., Pikachu is a well-rounded fighter with speedy, powerful electric attacks. Quick Attack can be used twice in a row if two directions are input, one after another.

Pikachu is famous worldwide as the face of the Pokémon series. There's a lot of electricity stored in those rosy cheeks, and in this game, that allows for some devastating attacks, like Thunder Jolt. Tip: Input another direction after using Quick Attack to get a second burst. It's top-notch for recoveries!

: Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue (09/1998)

: Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition (10/1999)

Pikachu (Alt.)

Pikachu's Thunder Jolt fires off a ball of electricity that bounces across the stage, getting weaker as it travels. It does more damage to enemies in the air. The default down special, Thunder, causes a lightning strike that both shocks opponents and turns Pikachu invincible for a split second.

Pikachu's Thunder Jolt fires off a ball of electricity that bounces across the stage, getting weaker as it travels. Airborne enemies will take extra damage from it and get launched further. The default down special, Thunder, causes a lightning strike that both shocks opponents and turns Pikachu invincible for a split second.

: Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue (09/1998)

: Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition (10/1999)

Volt Tackle

Pikachu's Final Smash turns its whole body into a powerful ball of electricity that darts around at high speed, tackling opponents. While Pikachu is charging around, press the attack button to unleash powerful sparks. There's also a little ball of light that flies ahead of Pikachu itself. Use that as a guide if Pikachu seems out of control!

For Pikachu's Final Smash, it surrounds itself with a ball of electricity and darts around at high speed, tackling opponents. While it's charging around, press the attack button to unleash powerful sparks. You can also use little ball of light that flies ahead of Pikachu as a guide if it seems out of control!

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  Classic (3DS)

• PikachuAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

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  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Volt Tackle

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• All-Star Battle: Regulars: Pikachu is one of the opponents fought in this event. All opponents are starters from the original Super Smash Bros. game.
• Fire-Type Frenzy: Pikachu appears as one of the opponents that Charizard must defeat.
• Pokémon Battle: Pikachu appears as an opponent that Greninja must defeat.
• When Lightning Strikes: The player controls a small Pikachu, and must defeat 3 giant Pikachu.
• Yellow Devils: As Mega Man, the player must defeat a giant Pikachu and Pac-Man, along with the Yellow Devil.

Co-op Events

• Pokémon Multi Battle!: Pikachu is one of the players' Pokémon to use, as well as being one of the opponents'.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Pikachu's appearance during the Smash Direct.

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  Pikachu's amiibo.

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  Pikachu's appearance during E3 2013.

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  Pikachu using Thunder Jolt.

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  Pikachu uses Skull Bash.

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  Pikachu uses Thunder.

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  Pikachu in the 3DS version of the game.

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  Mario, Pikachu, Bowser and Pit on a red plane in Wuhu Island.

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  Pikachu behind Mega Man.

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  Pikachu sitting.

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  Pikachu along with a Luma, and Starfy.

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  Pikachu with Toon Link and Kirby

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  Pikachu with Mega Man.

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  Footstooling Donkey Kong.

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  Behind Donkey Kong.

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  Pikachu using Thunder to meteor smash an aerial Bowser and follow up into its shock wave hitbox.

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  Lucario, Charizard, Greninja, and Pikachu.

Trivia

• Pikachu is the only playable Pokémon in Super Smash Bros. 4 to not have a weakness to the type of another playable Pokémon.
• This is the first game in the series where Pikachu's teeth are visible. They can be seen when Pikachu is being grabbed by an opponent.
• When Pikachu is stunned in SSB4, its eyes turn into swirls, much like when a Pokémon in the anime is knocked out.