Recovery
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A recovery is the attempt to return onstage after being knocked or falling off. Some tools to achieve this end are the midair jump and the "third jump" (usually an up special move). Some recovery moves only go nearly straight up, while others are for long horizontal differences.
For many characters, recovery can be augmented or replaced by moves other than the standard second jump plus up special. This page documents the maximum recovery potential of each character. In the case that a character has multiple recovery options for horizontal or vertical movement, both are listed.
List of recoveries
It is notable that in Super Smash Bros. Melee, an air dodge while tilting the control stick would allow some vertical and/or horizontal recovery, though it puts users in a helpless state. Note that if the recovery is the same in each game, it will not be mentioned. Due to increased floatiness and the fact that it's easier to grab a ledge, recoveries as a whole appear to be greater in Brawl and SSB4 than those in Melee and Smash 64.
| Character | Smash 64 | Melee | Brawl | Smash 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayonetta | N/A | N/A | N/A | Bayonetta's primary recovery is Witch Twist, which sends her a short distance upward. However, unlike most recoveries, she is not left helpless at the end of the move, allowing her to perform a double jump after it, followed by a second Witch Twist. She also can use After-Burner Kick, which goes at an upward angle and can be used again if she hits an opponent. Both of these attacks can be used to recover together, but the more attacks she uses while in the air, the longer she has to recover when she lands on the ground. Both attacks also have large distjointed hitboxes (especially Witch Twist), which can make it difficult to edgeguard her. |
| Bowser | N/A | Whirling Fortress is his primary recovery. It provides some vertical distance and decent horizontal distance. | He can use Flying Slam to augment his recovery if he hasn't used Whirling Fortress. Usually, Whirling Fortress gives more distance in mid-air. If Bowser lands after using Whirling Fortress, there will be an extra animation with increased landing lag, but it can be avoided if Bowser recovers low enough. | Though Bowser's air speed was toned down slightly, his double jump gives significantly higher height and Whirling Fortress travels significantly faster and further than it did in Brawl. However, Flying Slam no longer gives Bowser any forward momentum.
Alternate specials: Dash Slam propels Bowser a fair distance horizontally and does not put him into a special fall. Dash Slash propels Bowser a greater horizontal distance than Dash Slam. Flying Fortress grants Bowser much greater vertical distance while sacrificing a bit of horizontal distance. Sliding Fortress grants Bowser more horizontal distance and slightly less height. |
| Bowser Jr. | N/A | N/A | N/A | Bowser Jr. has both a poor air jump and fast falling speed, which both hinder his recovery. However, Abandon Ship! sends him a great vertical distance, and tilting the control stick can send him a decent distance horizontally at the apex of his launch. In addition, Abandon Ship! doesn't leave Bowser Jr. helpless (although he can only perform a basic hammer swing after ejecting) and has a large ledge sweetspot from below ledges. In addition to that, one can jump while using Clown Kart Dash to gain another midair jump, which aids his recovery further. A fully charged Clown Cannon can push Bowser Jr. with recoil, but this is very situational.
Alternate specials: Koopa Meteor hinders his recovery compared to Abandon Ship!; it gains less height, is a purely vertical jump, and sends Bowser Jr. flying downwards at high speed. Meteor Ejection moderately reduces the vertical height gained, hindering his recovery, although to a lesser extent. Koopa Drift gains more horizontal momentum when the spin is initiated. |
| Captain Falcon | Falcon Dive does not give much distance and is used for vertical recoveries, but it cannot grab foes hanging onto the ledge. If it makes contact in mid-air, it will give the opponent his or her midair jump(s), and Captain Falcon can use the move again. Falcon Punch can be used for some horizontal distance (as well as vertical distance if angled up). | Falcon Kick allows Captain Falcon to regain his 2nd jump in midair. Raptor Boost can be used for some horizontal distance, but it cannot auto sweet-spot a ledge and will put him into a helpless state. Falcon Dive gives more distance and can now grab ledges backwards and has a larger ledge sweetspot than it does normally while moving forwards. Unfortunately, it has a small ledge sweetspot (one of the smallest in the game along with Ganondorf) while moving forwards.
Because of Falcon Punch's longer lag time and Captain Falcon's raised falling speed, the move is useless for recovering. |
Raptor Boost now makes Captain Falcon bounce if it hits the opponent in mid air, but using Falcon Dive is still a better and safer option because Raptor Boost has a slow start-up and almost any move can hit through it. Falcon Kick no longer lets him recover his midair jump. Falcon Dive, like all types of grabs, no longer grants the opponent their midair jump again. It gives slightly more vertical distance but slightly less horizontal distance. It also has a large ledge sweetspot (one of the largest in the game). It can be used against edge-hoggers to stage spike them, though they can tech it. | Captain Falcon's Falcon Dive now travels less horizontal distance but more vertical distance than in Brawl, but no longer has grab armor. His air speed was also toned down.
Alternate specials: Falcon Dash Punch provides him with a horizontal boost, although this has limited usage due to the move's long startup and ending lag. Falcon Strike provides greater vertical distance and slightly more horizontal distance, though Falcon can only use it once due to lacking a grab. Explosive Falcon Dive gives less vertical distance, although it still has similar horizontal distance. |
| Charizard | N/A | N/A | Fly provides the most vertical distance out of all of its moves. Charizard has two midair jumps and can glide. | Charizard's new side special Flare Blitz provides excellent horizontal distance, although it bounces backwards slightly and takes some damage if the move hits an object. It somewhat compensates for the lack of gliding. Fly gives less armor than before.
Alternate specials: Dragon Rush isn't interrupted by hitting an enemy, and doesn't cause recoil damage, however it is slightly shorter and much weaker overall, though it is faster. Rising Cyclone significantly reduces the vertical distance granted, to the point where it hardly rises much at all, but it is almost impossible to edgeguard. Fly High grants slightly more vertical distance, but the lack of a hitbox leaves it open for an edgeguard. |
| Cloud | N/A | N/A | N/A | Cloud's recovery is incredibly lacking. Climhazzard only covers a mediocre vertical distance, and virtually no horizontal distance. Additionally, accidentally pressing the special button a second time cause him to plunge downward and not grab the ledge. Climhazzard specifically has code that prevents Cloud from teching a stage spike if hit while using it. Cloud can greatly boost the vertical and horizontal distance recovered with Climhazzard by using it with a full Limit Gauge; however, this is assuming he is in Limit state when offstage in the first place. On the other hand, he can also do a wall jump, and has good height on his double jump. |
| Corrin | N/A | N/A | N/A | Corrin's main recovery move is Draconic Ascent. The attack can be angled as well: angling it behind Corrin causes him to go straight up, providing as much vertical distance as a grounded jump + double jump, while angling it in front of him will reduce the vertical distance while giving it more horizontal distance. Corrin's back aerial will also propel him forward slightly, similarly to R.O.B.'s. Dragon Lunge may also be used to stick to a wall and stall. |
| Dark Pit | N/A | N/A | N/A | As a clone of Pit, Dark Pit has almost identical recovery: three aerial jumps, each smaller than the last, and Power of Flight allowing him to fly straight a great distance in any direction. Electroshock Arm provides some forward movement, but will cause him to reel briefly and is thus a poor choice for recovery.
Alternate specials: Striking Flight noticeably reduces the distance travelled, and reduces the range of angles for the move, hindering its recovery potential, but Dark Pit is now somewhat protected from edgeguards by a hitbox at the start. Breezy Flight significantly reduces the distance travelled, but it is much harder to edgeguard due to the move being executed more quickly, and the addition of a windbox which pushes away potential edgeguarders. |
| Diddy Kong | N/A | N/A | Rocketbarrel Boost provides the most vertical distance out of all of his moves. Monkey Flip can be used as a recovery as well and can be used in conjunction with his midair jump and Rocketbarrel Boost; however, if one presses the attack or special attack button during the move Diddy Kong can only use his midair jump afterwards. The blast from his charged Peanut Popgun can help him recover if the control stick or D-Pad is tilted opposite the ledge. [1] | Diddy Kong's recovery appears largely unchanged from Brawl, although he has much more control over the Rocketbarrel.
Alternate specials: Flying Monkey Flip provides Diddy Kong with more vertical height, and if the kick is executed at the right time, slightly more horizontal distance as well. Rocketbarrel Attack hinders Diddy Kong's recovery by slightly increasing the charge time, and reducing the overall distance and control at all charge levels. Rocketbarrel Kaboom charges much faster and can be steered more easily, but covers noticeably less distance and explodes more easily on contact with terrain. |
| Donkey Kong | Spinning Kong is his primary recovery. It provides a short vertical distance but a long horizontal distance. It also provides invincibility frames at the tip of his hands.Giant Punch can be used for a slight forwards boost. | Spinning Kong no longer has invincibility frames but gives slightly more distance. Headbutt slows down horizontal and vertical momentum. Due to Giant Punch now causing helplessness,the move is now useless for recovering. | Spinning Kong gains slightly more vertical distance. Like Bowser, there will be an extra animation if Donkey Kong lands from too high up after using Spinning Kong, but again, it can be avoided by recovering low. | Donkey Kong's recovery appears largely unchanged from Brawl, aside from Headbutt no longer stalling him in midair.
Alternate specials: Chopper Kong provides more vertical distance, but sacrifices horizontal distance and deals no damage whatsoever, leaving him open for edgeguards. Kong Cyclone has a shorter duration, marginally reducing the height gained and horizontal movement, but it is almost impossible to edgeguard, both due to the shorter duration and the function of the move, pulling opponents in and damaging them. It also appears to grant some degree of armor. |
| Dr. Mario | N/A | Dr. Mario can use the Super Sheet to propel himself forward a bit and slow his fall speed. Also, if the player rapidly presses the special button during the Dr. Tornado, he rises up in the air. Super Jump Punch provides the best vertical distance and can be used following either or both of these moves, and it has a large ledge sweetspot (one of the largest in the game), helping Dr. Mario's recovery even more. However, Dr. Tornado and Super Jump Punch both cover below average distance, which combined with his poor air jump gives him one of the shortest recoveries in the game. | N/A | Super Sheet no longer gives Dr. Mario any momentum. Dr. Tornado gains more height if mashed. Dr. Mario can now wall jump.
Alternate specials: Super Jump covers more vertical distance than Super Jump Punch but deals no damage, and moves slowly, leaving him open for an edgeguard. Ol' One-Two significantly reduces recovery but is very powerful. Soaring Tornado gains much more height but has no horizontal control. Clothesline Tornado grants less horizontal movement, and almost no vertical distance, hindering his recovery significantly. Both of his custom side specials grant some horizontal momentum. |
| Duck Hunt | N/A | N/A | N/A | Duck Jump is Duck Hunt's primary recovery move, providing a good amount of vertical distance but below average horizontal distance. Duck Hunt can be steered to the side as they rise, and Duck Jump can actually cover more horizontal distance than vertical when steered to one side for the duration.
Alternate specials: Duck Jump Snag provides less vertical and horizontal distance, hindering their recovery, however it has a hitbox which makes them harder to edgeguard. Super Duck Jump provides slightly more vertical distance, and has a windbox upon ascension which somewhat protects them from edgeguarding, but the potential horizontal distance is reduced. |
| Falco | N/A | Fire Bird is Falco's primary vertical recovery move. It has high start up lag however and does not provide a great amount of distance. Falco Phantasm provides the most horizontal distance. His Reflector can be used to slow down his fall speed. Falco can wall jump. | Fire Bird provides less distance now. Falco Phantasm provides greater horizontal distance. The Reflector can no longer be used to slow down fall speed. | Fire Bird's distance was reverted back to Melee. Falco Phantasm also no longer leaves Falco helpless.
Alternate specials: Fast Fire Bird doesn't send Falco as far, but charges almost instantly and Falco flies faster, making him harder to edgeguard. Distant Fire Bird sends Falco further, however it takes longer to charge, potentially making him easier to edgeguard, although this is somewhat mitigated by a more damaging and very large hitbox at the start of the flight, which therefore has good priority. Falco Phase provides slightly less distance, and cancels Falco's momentum at the end unlike the Phantasm. Falco Charge reduces this distance even further, and has slightly increased startup, leaving him open for an edgeguard. |
| Fox | Fire Fox is his primary recovery. It can be used in any direction but pulls him down a little. His Reflector slows down his fall speed. | Fire Fox now charges with a flame hitbox and travels farther. Fox Illusion provides great horizontal distance. Fox can now wall jump. | Hitting the jump button while sliding into his forward aerial will cause Fox to jump and perform a forward aerial at the same time, adding height to his jump while moving forward. He can also "shine stall" by spamming his shield - done by holding down aerial and mashing the special button. This will greatly reduce his fall speed. Fire Fox covers considerably less distance, but Fox Illusion covers much more. Fox now jumps higher. | Fire Fox's distance was reverted back to Melee. Fox Illusion also no longer leaves Fox helpless. However, his forward aerial has a lesser hover effect and he doesn't jump as high.
Alternate specials: Fox Burst travels a shorter distance, and has more ending lag, making it actually worsen Fox's recovery over using Fire Fox on its own. Wolf Flash travels the same distance, but at a raised angle, slightly reducing the horizontal distance, but effectively reducing the distance Fox falls during the ending lag of the move, aiding his vertical recovery. Flying Fox has no hitbox, potentially leaving him open for an edgeguard, but makes up for this by being much faster. Also the initial flight is shorter, but Fox gains a much bigger momentum boost at the end to compensate, giving it the same distance overall. Travels a shorter distance, but slides along walls instead of pushing into them, and is slightly harder to edgeguard due to the function and size of the hitboxes. |
| Ganondorf | N/A | Dark Dive is Ganondorf's primary recovery move, but gives poor distance and stage spikes it may cause can be teched. He may use Wizard's Foot to get his midair jump back, allowing for large horizontal recoveries. Gerudo Dragon may be used for some horizontal distance, although it's not very useful since it doesn't sweetspot the ledge, and leaves him helpless afterwards. | Dark Dive is one of the worst recoveries in the game, providing very limited horizontal and vertical movement, though it can now grab enemies hanging on ledges, but is much more easier to punish due to its lack of hitstun which allows many characters to hit him immediately once the move completes. There is now a hitbox at the move's apex that can score KOs at high percents,but it does not allow the move to be used again. Additionally, in Brawl the Landing lag glitch makes it hard for him to get-up from the ledge after recovering. His new side special, Flame Choke, can sweetspot the ledge unlike Gerudo Dragon,but it will make him perform a Sacrificial KO if it connects offstage,making it not always the best choice. He is forced to use either the Flame Choke for horizontal movement or the Dark Dive for vertical recovery, but they can't be used in the same jump. He has also lost the ability to restore the midair jump after using Wizard's Foot. Dark Dive has slightly better vertical recovery. | Ganondorf's recovery was worsened even further due to his lessened air speed and the removal of grab armor on Dark Dive and Flame Choke. Flame Choke can now meteor smash the opponent off the stage if he lands on the edge with them.
Alternate specials: Dark Vault provides a two-stage jump with higher vertical recovery than Dark Dive, but has no defensive measures during the middle of the move making it easier to edge-guard. Dark Fists is notably better than Dark Vault due to its slight increase to horizontal recovery and also provides armor during the start-up to help combat against edge-guarding. Wizard's Dropkick trades off vertical descent with a horizontal movement that is significantly faster and further than Flame Choke and also doesn't cause helplessness. Flame Wave travels less distance than Flame Choke, hindering his recovery. Flame Chain travels moderately further than Flame Choke, improving its recovery uses. Additionally, it is safer to use for recovery due to it not grabbing opponents and sending Ganondorf plummeting to his death. |
| Greninja | N/A | N/A | N/A | Greninja's overall recovery is formidable; an addition to its high aerial jump, both Shadow Sneak and Hydro Pump give it great distance in almost any direction (but not quite enough distance to recover from very far off the stage if uninterrupted). The former is a teleport, which can bypass enemies if charged enough, and Hydro Pump can be angled to perform two dashes in any combination of the eight directions.
Alternate specials: Shadow Dash allows Greninja to more quickly teleport a reasonable distance forward, potentially improving its recovery. High Capacity Pump provides Greninja with significantly more distance, but is slightly slower, potentially making it easier to edgeguard. Single-Shot Pump sends Greninja slightly further than both pumps of the default move combined, but the direction cannot be changed, making its recovery much more predictable. |
| Ice Climbers | N/A | Belay is an incredible recovery move when both Ice Climbers are present. Squall Hammer can also be used to recover, and with a solo Ice Climber it becomes the only viable move. Rapidly pressing the special button during Squall Hammer allows the Climber to gain some height. Ice Shot can be used for a short hop in the air. | Popo and Nana can now both grab the ledge, and even if one climber uses Belay, it will provide a small boost in the air, quite similar to Yoshi's Egg Toss. Belay additionally now functions as a tether if they are close enough to a ledge. | N/A |
| Ike | N/A | N/A | Ike is limited to either vertical recovery with Aether or horizontal recovery with Quick Draw. Both give good distances in their respective directions, but cannot be combined, limiting Ike's total recovery, which is generally poor and extremely predictable. However, Aether has armor right before he jumps up, giving him some resistance against edge-guarding. | Quick Draw now gives Ike a small window of time to act out of it before becoming helpless if he hits an opponent with it. Aether can no longer grab edges from behind.
Alternate specials: Close Combat provides a slightly longer dash than Quick Draw, and passes through enemies. Aether Drive sends Ike diagonally upwards, covering about as much distance as both Quick Draw and normal Aether, greatly improving his overall recovery. |
| Ivysaur | N/A | N/A | Ivysaur's up aerial and down aerial either propel it downward or upward respectively. However, its up aerial can be used to assist recovery via down air stall. Due to the small size of the upward boost, it is actually more helpful in getting more horizontal distance to set up its Vine Whip tether recovery; however, it is extremely vulnerable to edge-hoggers. | N/A |
| Jigglypuff | Jigglypuff recovery in this game is poor, being easily edgeguarded and having arguably the shortest vertical recovery in the game. While gifted with 5 midair jumps, each jump is half the size of the last, with the final two not giving Jigglypuff any vertical distance. Jigglypuff's horizontal recovery is better however, due to its great air speed and the fact that it can use Rising Pound to increase the recovery. | Jigglypuff's recovery is now vastly superior. All jumps give height now, giving Jigglypuff among the greatest recoveries in the game. Having great aerial mobility and multiple recovery options, Jigglypuff is among the most difficult characters to edgeguard. In addition, Jigglypuff's new neutral special, Rollout, gives it better horizontal recovery. However, this move puts it into helpless state and can cause an SD, making its usefulness questionable. | Jigglypuff's Rollout no longer puts it into a helpless state. | Pound grants far less momentum than previous games.
Alternate specials: Sideways Pound provides no distance whatsoever, making it useless for recovery. Pound Blitz covers more distance, improving its recovery potential, however It is slower than regular Pound, making it easier to punish. Relentless Rollout provides more distance at lower levels of charge, and does not cause Jigglypuff to fall to its death if it hits an opponent before reaching the stage, but the move's smaller hitbox and low damage output per hit drastically lowers its priority, making the move very easy to edgeguard. Raging Rollout takes over twice the amount of time to charge, making it unsuitable for recovery. |
| King Dedede | N/A | N/A | While his four midair jumps are the smallest of any character and he has the worst lateral air movement, he is still capable of huge recoveries due to the Super Dedede Jump. Note that this move does not auto-sweetspot the edge unless canceled close enough to the edge. Super Dedede Jump has super armor upon ascent and is a very powerful meteor smash upon descent, making it somewhat risky to edgeguard. | Dedede can now grab ledges during the rising portion of Super Dedede Jump as long as he's facing the stage, significantly improving his recovery's safety. Aside form that, Dedede's recovery appears largely unchanged from Brawl.
Alternate specials: Dash Jet Hammer will cause King Dedede to fly forward a small distance when released, but the move's lag time makes it questionable for recovering. Rising Dedede provides slightly more vertical distance, but automatically cancels itself, making it harder to land onstage with the move. Quick Dedede Jump is much faster, making it harder to edgeguard, however it provides less horizontal distance as a result, hindering his recovery. |
| Kirby | His recovery consists of five midair jumps and the Final Cutter for good vertical movement. However, if the player misses the ledge with Final Cutter, Kirby will plummet downwards with no chance of recovery. | Final Cutter gives less vertical distance and is much weaker. Kirby has lower air speed.
Through Inhale, he may use Rollout, Shadow Ball and Toad to aid his recovery. |
His recovery is improved from Melee, as he has improved air speed (though it is still slow), and gains more horizontal distance in Final Cutter. Additionally, Hammer can be used in the air to aid recovery, as it temporarily stops vertical momentum. Final Cutter puts Kirby into a helpless state if pushed off a platform during the move.
Through Inhale, he may use Mach Tornado, Rollout and Toad to aid his recovery. |
Kirby's recovery appears largely unchanged from Brawl, though it is slightly shorter due to slower air speed, and his new side special Hammer Flip not stalling him in the air.
Through Inhale, he may use Mach Tornado, Rollout, Toad, Monado Arts (jump mode), and could potentially Pocket a recovery-boosting item. Alternate specials: Jumping Inhale causes Kirby to jump up and forwards, although the move's lag will cause his net vertical height to be around the same after the move finishes. Hammer Bash stalls Kirby in midair. Upper Cutter covers more height but renders Kirby helpless. |
| Link | Link has a variety of techniques to augment Spin Attack. Link's bomb, if it explodes while he is holding it, can aid his recovery by giving him back his Spin Attack (see bomb recovery). However, his Spin Attack is arguably the worst recovery in SSB due to its short vertical and horizontal distance and poor range. This leaves Link vulnerable to spikes. | In Melee, the Hookshot grabs onto walls. This can be combined with an air dodge to increase the grabbing range. Link's Spin Attack covers more distance and now covers him from above. He can also throw a bomb upwards and Spin Attack into it to perform bomb recovery, rather than waiting for the bomb to explode. | Link's recovery is rather poor due to the limited range of Spin Attack, fast falling speed, poor midair jump, and slow air speed. Link's new grab,the Clawshot, functions as a tether. Bomb recovery is less useful. | Spin Attack has noticeably buffed horizontal and vertical distance. Bombs explode sooner making them better for recovering purposes.
Alternate specials: Shocking Spin provides noticeably less distance, both horizontally and vertically. Whirling Leap improves overall recovery, but deals no damage, making it easier to edgeguard. Meteor Bomb is useless for recovery, due to being a meteor smash, hindering Link's recovery potential. |
| Little Mac | N/A | N/A | N/A | Little Mac's fast falling speed and poor aerial jump work against him, and Rising Uppercut is a purely vertical jump with low height, giving Little Mac overall weak recovery. Jolt Haymaker can aid his horizontal recovery, although it too leaves him helpless, and both moves additionally give lower than average distance and have small ledge sweetspots that cannot let Little Mac grab onto ledges until the moves are complete, making him extremely easy to gimp or edgeguard. While Straight Lunge does send Mac forward a good distance when charged sufficiently, it is generally too slow to be of much use recovering, and uncharged versions give no distance in the air. Slip Counter can also augment his recovery, should his opponent attempt to attack him in mid-air, as the counter itself propels him forward without causing helplessness. Little Mac can also use his KO Punch to aid his recovery because of its windbox, although this is very situational. Little Mac's terrible recovery, both vertically and horizontally, leads to him having what is likely the worst recovery in the game, and by extent, the series.
Alternate specials: Both of Little Mac's alternate side specials are worse recovery options than Jolt Haymaker, as they both provide poorer horizontal distance. Flaming Straight Lunge can potentially be used for recovery, as it charges much faster than the regular version. Tornado Uppercut improves Mac's vertical recovery somewhat, although it still suffers from having a small ledge sweetspot. Rising Smash provides less height than Rising Uppercut. |
| Lucario | N/A | N/A | ExtremeSpeed is bendable, making it a versatile recovery move. Lucario also possesses a unique trait: the ability to wall cling after using its third jump. This only takes effect if Lucario reaches the wall before ExtremeSpeed ends and is very useful on stages with space to wall jump under the ledge, such as Final Destination. However, because ExtremeSpeed doesn't make opponents flinch, Lucario is extremely vulnerable to edge-hoggers. Lucario is able to wall-jump repeatedly up a single wall, unlike many other characters with wall-jumps. Aura Sphere can potentially offer a horizontal boost if Lucario is facing the opposite direction of the stage. | Extreme Speed now scales with Lucario's Aura power; at maximum power its range is nearly double its base range, so much that Lucario can actually risk a self-destruct if not careful. In addition, Lucario will perform a weak attack if he hits an opponent at the end of the dash.
Alternate specials: Ride the Wind gives Lucario more distance and control, improving its recovery potential, but it also moves slower, making it easier to edgeguard. Extreme Speed Attack slightly reduces the move's recovery distance, but adds a hitbox for the full duration of the move, making it harder to edgeguard. |
| Lucas | N/A | N/A | Lucas has multiple recovery options: the standard PK Thunder, his Rope Snake (which functions as a tether recovery), Zap Jump, Magnet Pull, and wave zap. He can also use his PSI Magnet to stall in the air. Additionally, if holding an item, he can gain a large vertical distance equal to a Zap Jump by throwing the item up and midair jumping at the same time. Using any aerial attack right after his midair jump will also propel him in the air. | Magnet Pull and Wave Zap were removed in the game, but PK Thunder 2's travelling distance has been increased and Rope Snake's range has also increased as a better tether recovery. |
| Lucina | N/A | N/A | N/A | Being a clone of Marth, Lucina's recovery is nearly identical. Just like Marth's version of Dancing Blade, it gives Lucina minimal horizontal distance. Shield Breaker can travel far further horizontally, but only if it is fully charged. Like Marth, Dolphin Slash is Lucina's primary method of recovering vertically, and while it does gain good height, the horizontal distance is minimal.
Alternate specials: Dolphin Jump is a higher leap than Dolphin Slash, but deals no damage. Crescent Slash provides slightly less height but sends Lucina forward a good distance. |
| Luigi | In this game, Luigi's recovery is technically greater than Mario's, as he has a greater double jump. However, Luigi Cyclone is very hard to use (compared to the Mario Tornado) because it requires very quick button-tapping, so this is hard to utilize. As with Mario,Super Jump Punch is his primary recovery. | Luigi has a very gimpable recovery that is difficult to master. He has the lowest air speed in the whole game. Super Jump Punch provides only vertical recovery (and its distance was shortened), and Green Missile provides only horizontal movement. The height gained from Luigi Cyclone was lowered, and the move requires more button-mashing for Luigi to gain height. Furthermore, Green Missile can misfire, propelling Luigi a great distance horizontally; this makes the move unpredictable and can either help or harm Luigi.
Green Missile has an enormous amount of ending lag if not edge cancelled. |
Green Missile and Luigi Cyclone can be combined for large horizontal recovery, and Luigi Cyclone requires less button mashing to be effective. These can also be used in combination with Super Jump Punch since neither puts Luigi into a helpless state, giving Luigi one of the greatest recoveries in the game, though he still may suffer from gimping. Super Jump Punch has significantly increased landing lag.
The misfired Green Missile covers a much shorter distance. |
Luigi Cyclone and Super Jump Punch grant much less vertical height, and the former requires more mashing to be effective. It can still allow him to maintain his current height. It also will only allow him to do so once and them become ineffective as a recovery aid. Green Missile also gives him slightly more horizontal distance, and his recovery remains one of the best. The chance for Luigi to misfire his Green Missile has been lowered to 1/10 from 1/8. Super Jump Punch has 5 more frames of landing lag.
Alternate specials: Quick Missile greatly improves horizontal distance over Green Missile, although it has very long landing lag and will cause him to slide a short distance if he hits the ground while in the animation. Burial Header provides much more vertical distance and has much less landing lag, but horizontal movement is mitigated due to significantly increased fall speed after he finishes rising. Mach Cyclone rises much higher but sacrifices horizontal movement. Fiery Jump Punch worsens the height Luigi gains, but allows for very slight control of the angle of the jump, and the larger sweetspot potentially makes the move safer from edgeguarders. Clothesline Cyclone is extremely situational due to very little momentum. |
| Mario | If the player rapidly presses the special button during the Mario Tornado, he rises up in the air. Super Jump Punch is the primary recovery move. | Mario can use the Cape to propel himself forward a bit. Super Jump Punch and Mario Tornado are still viable recovery moves, but both moves travel less distance. Super Jump Punch can be cancelled with a wall jump if it is used while hugging a wall and the Control Stick is tilted backwards at the apex of the jump. Mario Tornado requires much more button mashing to be effective. | Mario's new down special F.L.U.D.D. is much less effective than Mario Tornado for recovery,only being able to push Mario the opposite direction with recoil when fully charged. He has lost the ability to cancel Super Jump Punch into a wall jump, And Super Jump Punch has increased landing lag. However, F.L.U.D.D. does not require button mashing and Mario has more air speed. | Mario's air speed is much faster, and Super Jump Punch provides marginally more distance than it did in Brawl. Cape grants less lift in the air. Mario has a greater jump height.
Alternate specials: Gust Cape is a better recovery tool, and the windbox can push away potential edgeguarders. Super Jump grants Mario more distance and control over the jump's angle, but possesses no hitbox, making him easier to edgeguard. Explosive Punch reduces the move's distance and prevents control of the jump angle, but has larger and much stronger hitboxes, making the move very difficult to edgeguard. Shocking Cape worsens stalling potential but keeps Mario's horizontal momentum. High-Pressured F.L.U.D.D. grants much less horizontal momentum. |
| Marth | N/A | Marth's side special, Dancing Blade, slows his fall speed and propels him forward if only the first attack of the combo is used. This does not put him in a helpless state. Dolphin Slash provides large vertical recovery, but makes him helpless. | Shield Breaker can be used to propel Marth forward, but it leaves him open to attacks. His Dolphin Slash can be used for quick vertical recovery, but self stage spikes if hits lips under ledges. Dancing Blade gives much less horizontal recovery. Dolphin Slash gives him the landing lag glitch and covers more horizontal distance. | Shield Breaker and Dancing Blade now give Marth lesser horizontal distance, weakening their effectiveness as recovery tools.
Alternate specials: Dolphin Jump is a higher leap than Dolphin Slash, but deals no damage. Crescent Slash provides slightly less height but sends Marth forward a good distance. |
| Mega Man | N/A | N/A | N/A | Rush Coil is Mega Man's primary recovery move. If he bounces off of Rush a second time, the second jump will be higher; opponents can "steal" this second jump from him if they bounce off of Rush. Rush Coil does not leave Mega Man helpless.
Alternate specials: Tornado Hold provides slightly less height and horizontal mobility than Rush Coil, but will damage enemies below or very near Mega Man, making him harder to edgeguard. Beat carries Mega Man noticeably higher than Rush, and allows for more left and right movement and control, but takes a brief moment before Mega Man starts rising and is slower overall, making it easier to edgeguard. |
| Meta Knight | N/A | N/A | Meta Knight is gifted with multiple mid air jumps and the ability to glide. In addition, all of his special moves can be used as recovery moves, although all of them put him in helpless animation. The Shuttle Loop is notable in that it allows him to perform a second glide after using it (helpless animation begins after the glide is terminated).Drill Rush has decent horizontal distance and can be aimed to go vertically.Mach Tornado grants large horizontal distance and decent vertical distance,especially when mashed.Dimensional Cape can teleport in any direction and grants intangibility. Meta Knight's huge recovery distance, both horizontally and vertically, resistance to being edge-guarded, and variety of available recovery moves make Meta Knight's recovery arguably the best in the game (and to an extent, the entire series). | Meta Knight can no longer glide. Mach Tornado covers less distance both horizontally and vertically, and can't sweetspot the ledge. Dimensional Cape grants slightly less vertical distance. While Shuttle Loop no longer initiates a glide, it gives noticeably more vertical distance. Though his falling speed has been increased considerably, his air speed is also much faster.
Alternate specials: High-Speed Drill has greater horizontal distance than Drill Rush at the cost of control of the ability to change the angle. Shieldbreaker Drill doesn't travel as far. Blade Coaster provides Meta Knight with more horizontal distance, but at the cost of vertical height. Lazy Shuttle Loop grants more height than the default version, but the slow loop at the beginning makes the move easier to react to and potentially easier to edgeguard. Shield Piecer provides less distance. Stealth Smasher allows Meta Knight to travel a further distance, but is slower and does not grant intangibility. |
| Mewtwo | N/A | Mewtwo's large second jump, slow fall speed, and high air speed allow for long recoveries even before its up special, Teleport. The massive recoil of Shadow Ball can also help in recovery. Confusion can also help Mewtwo gain some distance once in the air. | N/A | Teleport sends Mewtwo fair distance vertically, and can also be directed to aid horizontal recovery. Shadow Ball sends Mewtwo horizontally opposite the direct it was shot at, with the distance varying depending on how much the move is charged. Confusion can be used to give Mewtwo additional distance. |
| Mii Brawler | N/A | N/A | N/A | Soaring Axe Kick move sends Brawler a fair distance vertically but virtually no horizontal distance at all. Helicopter Kick covers a fair amount of horizontal distance but has low vertical lift. Piston Punch covers only vertical distance, very similar to Little Mac's recovery.
Onslaught and Burning Drop Kick can also aid horizontal recovery. Beware Headache Maker, which causes Brawler to plummet unstoppably. Ultimate Uppercut will also leave Brawler helpless. |
| Mii Gunner | N/A | N/A | N/A | Lunar Launch sends Gunner upwards from an explosion and can be aimed at a slight angle. Cannon Uppercut blasts Gunner a short distance directly upwards with limited horizontal control, but can meteor smash edgeguarders. Arm Rocket propels Gunner a good distance in the direction the player aim. Absorbing Vortex slows fall speed as long as the button is held. |
| Mii Swordfighter | N/A | N/A | N/A | Stone Scabbard sends Swordfighter upwards a fair distance and forwards a short distance, but causes plummeting. Skyward Slash Dash propels him/her a moderate distance in the direction the player chooses while he/she slashes. Hero's Spin is identical to Link's Spin Attack.
Airborne Assault and Slash Launcher can aid horizontal recovery, although both leave Swordfighter helpless. Reversal Slash is identical to Mario's Cape. |
| Mr. Game & Watch | N/A | Mr. Game & Watch's recovery is limited to his jumps and Fire, though Fire does provide large vertical recovery. | Oil Panic can be used to stop downward momentum, and Fire does not put Mr. Game & Watch into a helpless state and instead lets him use a parachute, allowing him to travel long distances. | Mr. Game and Watch's recovery lost bucket braking, but gained the better recovering technique of Bucket Jumping, which can send him an incredible distance when paired with up b.
Alternate specials: Heavy Trampoline doesn't send Mr. Game & Watch as high as Fire. Trampoline Launch provides Mr. Game and Watch with an increased jump height, but he no longer opens his parachute at the end of the jump. |
| Ness | Ness' recovery is very easily edge-guarded, since he is limited to his jumps and the very slow PK Thunder. The lightning must be curved into Ness' body at an angle that will push him toward the stage. Simply moving the control stick in a circle is not enough; doing this will launch Ness directly upwards or even backwards in some cases. Because of this, it is often considered the worst recovery in the game. Nonetheless, his second jump is the second longest in the game, perhaps to make up for this. PSI Magnet can slow his fall speed. | The move is significantly more reliable than in the previous game because the circle that it has to move in is much smaller, although it does not push Ness as far as it did previously. The tail of the PK thunder head has been made slightly longer, giving Ness more protection during the attack. | PK Thunder has been buffed even more. Now, if the player simply curves the control stick in a complete circle, the move will launch him at an upward diagonal angle, fit for recovering. | Ness can now immediately re-use PK Thunder if he hits a wall while traveling with it.
Alternate specials: Lasting PK Thunder functions like Lucas' PK Thunder, sending Ness further, and not disappearing if it hits an opponent, significantly improving his recovery. Rolling PK Thunder reduces the distance Ness is sent. |
| Olimar | N/A | N/A | Olimar is limited to his jumps and Pikmin Chain. Pikmin Chain is a diagonal tether with range that varies with the number of Pikmin Olimar has with him, making it easily edge-hogged and almost useless if he has no Pikmin with him. Strangely, Pikmin Chain gives more vertical distance if Olimar has no Pikmin that if he has one or two Pikmin. | Pikmin Chain has been replaced with Winged Pikmin, which becomes more effective the fewer Pikmin Olimar is commanding. Even with a full three, the move still gives Olimar respectable horizontal distance and moderate vertical distance. With zero Pikmin, Winged Pikmin gives Olimar one of the best (in terms of distance) recoveries in the game, both horizontally and vertically.
Alternate specials:Winged Pikmin Jump is much faster,increases vertical distance and has a windbox upon startup but renders Olimar helpless and requires cooldown to gain maximum height. Mighty Winged Pikmin travels a set distance regardless of the amount of Pikmin being carried but the maximum distance is worsened. |
| Pac-Man | N/A | N/A | N/A | Pac-Man's main recovery tool is Pac-Jump, which must be landed on repeatedly to maximize its effects. This means his recovery can be gimped if one bounce isn't enough to get him back on stage safely. Power Pellet can augment his horizontal recovery and can be steered to go vertically, but has long ending lag and will leave Pac-Man vulnerable if it hits a wall. Fire Hydrant and its variants will give Pac-Man a small vertical hop if he doesn't already have a hydrant out, and Bonus Fruit can also be used to stall him in mid-air for a brief moment.
Alternate specials: Distant Power Pellet allows more control over the direction of the trail, although sends Pac-Man a similar distance overall. Enticing Power Pellet reduces the distance traveled and increases startup, hindering his recovery. Power Pac-Jump sends Pac-Man a height somewhere between the second and third jump on the spring, but due to doing this on the first usage, it makes it much less punishable. Meteor Trampoline worsens Pac-Man's recovery, as the second and third jumps have less height than the first, though it can meteor smash opponents. |
| Palutena | N/A | N/A | N/A | Palutena's main recovery tool is Warp, which can be angled in the eight directions. Because it is a teleport, it can bypass enemies or hazards if aimed correctly.
Alternate specials: Angelic Missile launches Palutena forward similar to Luigi's Green Missile. Jump Glide gives less vertical distance than Warp but allows Palutena to glide for a few seconds. Super Speed gives good horizontal recovery; jumping out of it propels a huge horizontal distance, so much that Palutena can potentially escape recovery pressure, if she recovers from above; it also gives descent vertical recovery. Lightweight increases her jump height and aerial speed, making her recovery more effective in general, although she becomes easier to launch. Rocket Jump provides less height than Warp and cannot be angled, however powefully meteor smashes foes if landed right. |
| Peach | N/A | Peach has the ability to float, allowing her to maintain the same vertical position while moving horizontally. She can stall by using Toad, as it allows her to hover for a brief time. In addition, her side special, Peach Bomber, can be used repeatedly to climb up walls. Both of these techniques can be followed by Peach Parasol. However, Peach Parasol does not give much distance. A Bob-omb from her down special can propel her great distances, but is extremely situational. | Peach's vertical recovery has been partially nerfed, as her midair jump now provides almost no vertical gain (the shortest in the game), but her Parasol provides more vertical recovery and more horizontal recovery. Her float is unchanged. Peach Bomber can no longer stall her indefinitely up a wall. There is a greater chance for Peach to pull a Bob-omb. | Peach's vertical recovery has been buffed, as her midair jump now provides greater vertical height. Peach Bomber's ending lag has been increased, but has less startup and now stalls Peach up a wall once more. Her Parasol is faster and covers more vertical height, but will automatically close after eight seconds of floating.
Alternate specials: Flying Peach Bomber sends Peach diagonally upward a good distance, but it causes her to descend when the animation is over with very high ending lag in the air and does not sweet spot the ledge. Flower Bomber travels much shorter distance than her regular Peach Bomber. Parasol High Jump gives more vertical distance than her regular Parasol. However, she never opens her parasol, leaving herself helpless afterwards. It additionally lacks a hitbox Light Parasol gives less initial jump. However, she gains additional vertical recovery every time she opens her parasol. This can be used up to four times while airborne. Grumpy Toad removes the default's stalling abilities. |
| Pichu | N/A | Pichu can use Skull Bash to travel great horizontal distances, and then follow it with Agility. Unfortunately, both these moves deal recoil damage, making him easier to be KOed. Pichu can also wall jump, which can aid its recovery in some stages such as Fountain of Dreams. | N/A | N/A |
| Pikachu | Pikachu's main recovery lies in its jumps and Quick Attack, but Quick Attack provides huge recovery and is hard to counter. If Thunder is timed properly, it will give Pikachu a small jump upwards, though this is difficult to utilize. | Skull Bash is now available as a recovery move. It grants very long horizontal distance but can risk SDs if not careful. Quick Attack covers less distance. | Pikachu is now able to wall jump, and Pikachu can quick attack cancel to prevent ending lag. Quick Attack can no longer be aimed twice in the same direction and doesn't travel as far. | Pikachu can now decrease Skull Bash's charge time by smashing the special button. Thunder now meteor smashes at the cloud.
Alternate specials: Meteor Quick Attack covers less distance than Quick Attack, and is slower but can meteor smash foes, making attempting to edgeguard it more risky. Quick Feet covers a great distance, but it only dashes once, although the single dash travels a similar distance to both dashes combined. Shocking Skull Bash doesn't send Pikachu as far, but will not be stopped if it hits an opponent. Both custom specials of Thunder prevent Pikachu from mixing up its recovery. |
| Pit | N/A | N/A | Pit has multiple mid-air jumps, the ability to glide, and his Wings of Icarus which give him the second largest vertical recovery in the game. However, if Pit is attacked while using Wings of Icarus, he cannot use the move again until he lands on solid ground. | Pit can no longer glide, and Wings of Icarus has been replaced with Power of Flight, which is a single long dash in any direction. Overall, his recovery is considerably worse than in Brawl. Upperdash Arm provides some forward movement, but will cause him to reel briefly and is thus a poor choice for recovery.
Alternate specials: Striking flight noticeably reduces the distance travelled, and reduces the range of angles for the move, hindering its recovery potential, but Pit is now somewhat protected from edgeguards by a hitbox at the start. Breezy Flight significantly reduces the distance travelled, but it is much harder to edgeguard due to the move being executed more quickly, and the addition of a windbox which pushes away potential edgeguarders. |
| R.O.B. | N/A | N/A | R.O.B. can use his up special, Robo Burner, multiple times in the air, and the move does not leave him helpless. The total time the jets can fire is the same regardless of whether it is used multiple times or for a single full-length burn. Using it multiple times increases vertical recovery distance. Robo Burner provides the largest vertical recovery in the game. His back aerial propels him forward, and his down aerial stops momentum. | R.O.B.'s recovery is largely unchanged from Brawl.
Alternate specials: Robo Rocket sends R.O.B. flying high upwards, but it can't be used multiple times. While it limits his horizontal distance, it also provides him a faster, and potentially less predictable recovery option. Additionally it does not need to refuel. High-Speed Burner improves R.O.B's mobility in the air, but reduces the maximum height achievable. |
| Robin | N/A | N/A | N/A | Robin's main recovery tool is Elwind, which gives Robin great vertical height but poor horizontal movement. Interestingly, Robin can gain more forward movement than backwards movement from Elwind. If Robin's Elwind tome breaks, his/her recovery becomes almost nonexistent.
Alternate specials: Soaring Elwind provides little height with the first jump, but great height with the second, although there is a greater delay between the two jumps compared to Elwind. Gliding Elwind's first jump send Robin diagonally forward a moderate distance, with similar overall height compared to Elwind. |
| Rosalina | N/A | N/A | N/A | Rosalina's high jumps and slow falling speed are already a boon to her recovery. Launch Star is a simple long dash that be angled in a roughly 90-degree arc between forward-slightly up and upwards-slightly behind. Gravitational Pull can potentially give Rosalina a recovery-boosting item.
Alternate specials: Launch Star Plus can't be aimed, but sends Rosalina upwards much faster than Launch Star, making it harder to edgeguard. Launch Star Attack reduces the distance travelled, but provides Rosalina with a hitbox to damage potential edgeguarders. |
| Roy | N/A | Roy's recovery is very similar to Marth's, but due to his faster falling speed, lowered forward motion on side special, and greater lag after side special, Roy's recovery is generally inferior. Blazer, however, unlike Marth's Dolphin Slash, can be aimed to go anywhere from diagonally upward to directly vertical to nearly completely horizontal, depending on where the control stick is tilted after the initial up special. | N/A | Due to the removal of movement with Double-Edge Dance, Roy's recovery is now limited to Blazer, which, while it can be angled, covers less distance than Marth and Lucina's Dolphin Slash. |
| Ryu | N/A | N/A | N/A | Ryu's Tatsumaki Senpukyaku can help him gain decent horizontal distance and also reduces Ryu's falling speed. Since this does not cause helplessness, this can be followed with an Shoryuken for vertical recovery. Both special moves can gain more distance if the special button is held longer. A cancelled Focus Attack can also propel Ryu forward for more horizontal recovery in case Tatsumaki Senpukyaku has already been used, and Hadoken will stall him if it is used in the air. |
| Samus | Samus's Bombs can be used to perform a bomb recovery and she can utilize her Screw Attack to gain vertical height. | She can now use her grab as a wall grapple and her bomb recovery is more useful. Screw Attack gives more distance. | Samus's recovery techniques have not changed from Melee, and her grab air is now a tether recovery, but her bomb recovery isn't as effective. | Samus's Screw Attack travels more vertical distance, and her Grapple Beam has longer range. Since her bombs don't stop falling speed as much as in Brawl, it is no longer a practical recovery method.
Alternate specials: Screw Rush deals more damage and provides a huge horizontal recovery boost, at the cost of vertical height. Apex Screw Attack is an almost purely vertical leap that only damages at the beginning and end. |
| Sheik | N/A | Sheik's recovery is generally limited to her jumps and Vanish (although both travel decent distances), but if a longer recovery is needed she can Transform into Zelda and take advantage of her lower fall speed to drift toward the stage, or use Farore's Wind. Sheik can also wall jump. | Due to increased Transformation time, it is usually no longer viable to transform into Zelda to recover. However, Sheik's chain can now be used as a tether and she can now wall cling. | Bouncing Fish sends Sheik forwards a good distance, and notably does not render her helpless. Thus, she can perform Bouncing Fish to make up a large horizontal distance (at the cost of some height) and then quickly perform Vanish (after an early kick, if necessary) to regain height or cover additional ground.
Alternate specials: Gale is faster and goes slightly faster, but has no hitbox or windbox for protection. Abyss is slower and reduces the distance travelled, in exchange for the ability to meteor smash opponents. Jellyfish has little utility for recovery, due to sending Sheik flying downwards at a high speed towards the end of the move. Pisces bounces forwards faster and at a lower angle, and if it hits an opponent, it causes her to jump forwards instead of backwards, potentially improving recovery. |
| Shulk | N/A | N/A | N/A | Shulk's main recovery tool is Air Slash, which gives him fair vertical distance but minimal horizontal distance. The first slash does not auto-sweetspot immediately unless the special button is pressed near the apex of the first slash, right when Shulk is level with a ledge. The move's second slash will give a slight momentum boost, especially is used late. Back Slash also gives slight horizontal distance, although he will be stuck in the move until he lands and cannot grab ledges, making it a poor recovery option. He can also use Monado Arts to alter how he recovers: Jump will give him tremendous height on both regular jumps and increases the height of Air Slash's first slash, while Speed can boost his horizontal movement slightly. Shield will lower his jumps and movement speed significantly, hindering his aerial movement.
Alternate specials: Advancing Air Slash's second slash boosts Shulk forward, giving him more horizontal recovery potential, but also forces Shulk downwards slightly and doesn't gain as much vertical height. The pause between each slash is also reduced. |
| Snake | N/A | N/A | If his up special, Cypher, fails to recover, Snake can use his C4 on himself in midair so he can use his up special again (see bomb recovery). Cypher covers a lot of distance, but if Snake is interrupted out of Cypher, he cannot use it again. The move is very easily edge-guarded as well, but the move does provide armor. | N/A |
| Sonic | N/A | N/A | Sonic's greatest vertical recovery is provided by his Spring Jump. His other special moves can provide more horizontal distance, but they cannot be used after his up special. Many players use his Spin Dash move for horizontal recovery and jump out of it for a bit of vertical recovery, use his Homing Attack for close-range recovery, and Spring Jump for desperate vertical recovery. Due to the ability to be used repeatedly, Homing Attack has the potential of being infinite. However, this is reliant on the position of Sonic's opponent, so it is not always the best option. | Sonic can now only use one Homing Attack before landing. Spring Jump grants less height.
Alternate specials:Double Spring lets Sonic to use his Spring Jump twice, allowing Sonic recovery mix-ups, however each spring bounces Sonic a much shorter distance. Stomp is useless for recovering due to sending Sonic downwards after the jump. Burying Spin Dash boosts Sonic's vertical recovery noticeably if immediately jumped out of. |
| Squirtle | N/A | N/A | Squirtle can use Withdraw to aid its horizontal recovery, although it continues to fall during this move. Waterfall can be used for decent vertical and horizontal recovery. A fully charged Water Gun can push Squirtle the opposite direction with recoil,though this is rather situational. Squirtle has the ability to wall cling. | N/A |
| Toon Link | N/A | N/A | Like Link, Toon Link can use a bomb recovery, a tether recovery, a Down air stall, or a Spin Attack. Toon Link's Spin Attack and midair jump give much greater distance than Link's. Unlike Link,Toon Link can wall jump. | Toon Link's recovery is largely unchanged from Brawl.
Alternate specials: Rising Slash provides extra vertical distance than Spin Attack, but has less horizontal distance. Hurricane Spin provides Toon Link amazing horizontal distance, but sacrifices great vertical distance. |
| Villager | N/A | N/A | N/A | Villager has the choice between Lloid Rocket and Balloon Trip for recovery. The former will give him no vertical height but excellent horizontal distance, and will not leave him helpless if he hits an opponent. The latter is an all-around solid recovery move, although it can easily be gimped if opponents pop one or both balloons.
Alternate specials: Liftoff Lloid can be used for a damage-capable vertical recovery, but won't go as high as Balloon Trip could. |
| Wario | N/A | N/A | Wario can use his Wario Bike to gain a third midair jump. Wario Waft can also send Wario rocketing upwards if it is charged. Since his Corkscrew leaves him helpless and gains minimal distance, it should only be used as a last resort. | Wario's recovery is largely unchanged from Brawl, aside from the fact that Wario Waft covers much less height.
Alternate specials:Corkscrew Leap goes noticeably higher but has much more startup and lacks a hitbox. Widescrew has more control than the default. |
| Wii Fit Trainer | N/A | N/A | N/A | Wii Fit Trainer's overall recovery is solid thanks to high normal jumps and moderate fall speed. Super Hoop provides only moderate distance in either direction, but Header can be used to provide a small extra hop. Super Hoop covers considerably more distance if mashed. WFT can wall jump.
Alternate specials:Jumbo Hoop covers no distance except when mashed, and it only rises slightly when mashed. Hoop Hurricane covers poor distance normally but rises marginally higher than default when mashed. |
| Wolf | N/A | N/A | Wolf is more limited in recovery options than Fox. His side special, Wolf Flash, covers much less ground than Fox's and Falco's, though it gives a fair amount of vertical recovery and can semi-spike or meteor smash at the end of the move. His up special Fire Wolf provides him fast directional recovery, but he falls almost straight down after using it, and it has the worst accuracy and smallest ledge sweetspot of the three, though it also has much less start-up lag; therefore, harder to edge-guard. It covers slightly less distance than Fox's but significantly more than Falco's. Wolf can wall jump to aid recovery. Unlike Fox, Wolf cannot use his Reflector to stall in midair. | N/A |
| Yoshi | Yoshi's recovery is hampered by the fact that he really only has his one mid air jump to use. However, his second jump is the highest in the game and gives him armor, and Yoshi has the fastest air speed. | Yoshi's Egg Roll can sometimes be used to recover, but this is uncommon and not particularly useful. The newly-added air dodge gives Yoshi a small boost to his recovery after his midair jump. | Yoshi's Egg Throw in Brawl gives him a slight hop in midair, but his air dodge recovery is no longer existent. Egg Roll grants less momentum. | Yoshi's recovery is largely unchanged from Brawl, but horizontal distance from an Egg Throw was improved.
Alternate specials:High Jump allows Yoshi to increase the vertical distance of his recovery, but it does not throw any eggs, favoring for a better third jump. The move can technically be used for recovery three times but the forced delay between usages makes him fall to the point where it won't be usable to increase vertical distance after the first time, only useful for horizontal recovering. Lick can augment Yoshi's recovery with an additional hop. |
| Young Link | N/A | Like Link, Young Link can use a bomb recovery, wall grapple, or a Spin Attack. The bomb recovery will help after the Spin Attack. However, he can't throw the bomb straight up and Spin Attack into it, unlike Link. Young Link can also wall jump, and his wall grapple is shorter than Link's grapple. His Spin Attack gives slightly more distance than Link's, but it is overall poor for a character of his weight class. | N/A | N/A |
| Zelda | N/A | Zelda's recovery comes mainly in the form of her long-ranged up special, Farore's Wind. Additionally, she can use Din's Fire to glide horizontally short distances, much like Peach's float. However, these moves cannot be combined as they each put Zelda into helpless animation. She can utilize Transform to take advantage of Sheik's wall jump,much higher midair jump and significantly faster air speed,though Sheik has faster fall speed,much shorter distanced up special,and lacks a side special recovery option. However, Farore's Wind is limited in direction because the number of different angles at which the move travels is low, making the move predictable. | Despite the far distance Farore's Wind gains, her recovery is considered unreliable; Zelda lacks any real alternate recovery move, and the angles at which Farore's Wind travels are very limited, while completely killing all of Zelda's momentum upon completion (she'll fall straight down after completion for a fair distance). As such, the move is very predictable, while requiring precision to grab the ledge with. The move also has very long start-up lag, making it easily edge-guarded. If Zelda lands directly on the stage after using Farore's Wind, she now suffers from long ending lag, making the move easily punishable.Transforming into Sheik takes much longer and is not as useful as a result despite Sheik's new Chain and wall cling recovery. Farore's Wind covers slightly less distance. Nayru's Love can now aid recovery. | Zelda drifts slightly upward if the player holds the left stick up while activating Farore's Wind. This increases the potential range of the move, but can also lead to angling the move incorrectly if the drift was unintentional. In addition, the move has significantly greater damage and launch potential than it did in Brawl, and gains even more distance if used shortly after a double jump. As Zelda and Sheik are now separate characters, Zelda can no longer take advantage of Sheik's less predictable recovery. Nayru's Love is less effective for recovery.
Alternate specials: |
| Zero Suit Samus | N/A | N/A | Zero Suit Samus has two tether recoveries. Plasma Whip can be used for horizontal recovery, and Plasma Wire can be used for vertical recovery. Flip Jump can also provide her with an extra boost to recover with. Flip Jump can help in offensive recovery in the sense that she can meteor smash an opponent by attacking during it and is useful if one is in a situation where a tether recovery will not work. However, if she uses either tether recovery 3 times without touching the ground, the tether recovery will not work on a fourth time. | The new Boost Kick is an controllable recovery move with real horizontal distance, and with added KO potential to boot. However it has less range and height than Plasma Wire. Flip Jump covers much more vertical distance and can now dunk opponents without pressing any buttons
Alternate specials: Plasma Dash grants Zero Suit Samus another horizontal recovery option, but it cannot grab ledges, making it situational to use when recovering. Lateral Kick covers more horizontal distance. |
Gallery
- SuperJumpPunchSsbb.jpg
Mario's Super Jump Punch recovery in Brawl.
Olimar's Pikmin Chain recovery in Brawl.
Peach's Peach Parasol recovery in Brawl.
Kirby recovering on Dream Land in Smash 64.
Mario using his various recovery options to recover onto the stage in Melee. (In order of: Midair jump, wall jump, Cape, Mario Tornado, Super Jump Punch.) This is a TAS clip from Perfect Control.
