Projectile
A projectile is any hitbox able to leave the user's damagable collision bubbles and move by itself, and most of them can be reflected. Ness' yoyo is an exception, as it is not classified as a projectile despite its glitch. All non-item projectile attacks in Melee are special attacks and throws, usually neutral B. Common examples of projectiles include: Falco's laser (neutral B), Samus' missiles (forward B) and Young Link's bombs (down B). An example of a throw projectile is Mewtwo's forward throw, which launches multiple tiny Shadow Balls which can damage any character.
A majority of characters in Melee have at least one projectile attack; the characters that don't are Captain Falcon, Donkey Kong, Ganondorf, Jigglypuff, Marth, and Roy. It is considered a disadvantage to not have a projectile, because projectiles are very useful in setting up an approach.
All projectile attacks will not create hit lag for the user. Most projectiles can be easily identified by attacking a metal box: if the character becomes metal, then the move is not a projectile.
Number of Projectiles per Character
This table includes all non-Final Smash projectiles for every character, as well as some important properties of each, such as whether it is a physical or energy projectile. Generally, energy-based projectiles are not affected by gravity and can be absorbed, while physical projectiles follow gravity and cannot be absorbed.
Character | Projectiles | Energy/Physical | Unique/Special Properties |
---|---|---|---|
Bowser | Fire Breath | Energy | Can be tilted up and down (In Brawl). Can be held forever (the fire length decreases). Can be reflected/absorbed. |
Captain Falcon | None. | ||
Diddy Kong | Peanut Popgun | Physical | Can be charged to change the angle a firing speed (charging too much makes the move to fail). Can be grabbed in midair. Can be reflected. |
Banana Peel | Physical | Produces a banana peel. Can be reflected. | |
Rocketbarrel Boost (when the barrels come off) | Physical | Has a random trajectory. Cannot be reflected, but reflectors will prevent the user from being hit. | |
Donkey Kong | None. | ||
Dr. Mario | Megavitamins | Physical | Affected by gravity, bounces on the ground. Can be reflected. |
Falco | Blaster | Energy | Follows straight trajectory. Can be reflected/absorbed. |
Fox | Blaster | Energy | Follows straight trajectory. Does not cause flinching (except SSB). Can be reflected/absorbed. |
Ganondorf | None. | ||
Ice Climbers | Ice Shot | Physical | Can be "reflected" by shielding. Hugs the ground, following straight trajectory. Can freeze opponents. Can be reflected. |
Blizzard | Energy | Can freeze opponents. Can be held (for limited time). Can be reflected/absorbed. | |
Ike | None. | ||
Jigglypuff | None. | ||
King Dedede | Inhale (spit-out character) | Physical | Spits in straight trajectory. Cannot be reflected. |
Waddle Dee Toss | Physical | Affected by gravity, can be angled up and down, shortened or lengthened. Can randomly produce Waddle Doo's, Gordos, and Capsule item. Cannot be reflected (except for Waddle Doo's Beam Whip, Gordo and Capsule). | |
Super Dedede Jump (stars produced) | physical | Very poor range. Stars come from both sides of Dedede. | |
Kirby | Inhale (spit-out character) | Physical | Spits in straight trajectory. Cannot be reflected. |
Final Cutter's shock wave | Energy | Produces a wave after Kirby touches the ground, hugging it and following straight trajectory. Can be reflected/absorbed. | |
May copy another character's projectile. | |||
Link | Boomerang/Gale Boomerang | Physical | Tries to return to Link. Can be angled. Produces a vacuum (only in Brawl). Can be reflected. |
Bomb | Physical | Produces a bomb item. Explode after some seconds. Can damage the user. Can be reflected. | |
Bow/Hero's Bow | Physical | Can be charged forever (the charge affects the firing speed and distance). Can be reflected. | |
Lucas | PK Freeze | Energy | Affected by gravity and can be tilted forward and backwards. Freezes opponents. Can be reflected/absorbed. |
PK Fire | Energy | Large recoil. Can be reflected/absorbed. | |
PK Thunder | Energy | Controllable. Can be reflected/absorbed. | |
Lucario | Aura Sphere | Energy | Waves up and down slightly. Can be charged forever (damages foes who touch the Aura). Can be refleted/absorbed. |
Force Palm's aura | Energy | In very close distance, acts as a throw. Cannot be reflected, so reflectors negate its damage. | |
Luigi | Fireball | Energy | Follows straight trajectory. Can be reflected/absorbed. |
Mario | Fireball | Energy | Affected by gravity, bounces on the ground. Can be reflected/absorbed. |
F.L.U.D.D. | Energy | When charged, pushes opponents and does no damage. Can be tilted up and down. Cannot be reflected. | |
Marth | None. | ||
Meta Knight | None. | ||
Mewtwo | Shadow Ball | Energy | Huge recoil when used fully charged. Waves up and down slightly. Can be charged forever (damages foes who touch the Aura). Can be refleted/absorbed. |
Mr. Game & Watch | Chef | Physical | Random trajectory. Can be reflected. |
Oil Panic (once absorbed three attacks, can dump oil on his opponents) | Physical | Cannot be reflected. | |
Ness | PK Flash | Energy | Affected by gravity and can be tilted forward and backwards. Can be reflected/absored. |
PK Fire | Energy | Creates gravity-affected fire pillar on impact, trajectory changes in midair. Can be reflected/absorbed. | |
PK Thunder | Energy | Controllable. Can be reflected/absorbed. | |
Olimar | Pikmin Throw | Physical | Pikmin latch onto target. Can be reflected. |
Side smash | Physical | Cannot be reflected. | |
Up smash | Physical | Cannot be reflected. | |
Peach | Vegetable | Physical | Produces a vegetable item, and rarely Bob-ombs, Mr. Saturns, or Beam Swords. Items can be picked and be reflected. |
Pichu | Thunder Jolt | Energy | Damage self. Hugs the stage. Bounces on the stage. Can be reflected/absorbed. |
Thunder | Energy | Damage self. Can be reflected/absorbed. | |
Pikachu | Thunder Jolt | Energy | Hugs the stage. Has diagonal trajectory in the air. Bounces on the stage. Can be reflected/absorbed. |
Thunder | Energy | Can be reflected/absorbed, Hits the top of the ceiling (Only SSB and Brawl). | |
Pit | Palutena's Arrow | Energy | Controllable. Can be charged forever. Can be reflected. |
Pokémon Trainer | Flamethrower (Charizard) | Energy | Can be tilted up and down. Can be held forever (the fire length decreases). Can be reflected/absorbed. |
Rock Smash fragments (Charizard) | Physical | Cannot be reflected (?). | |
Bullet Seed (Ivysaur) | Physical | Can be held for limited time. Can be reflected. | |
Razor Leaf (Ivysaur) | Physical | Can be tilted up and down and lengthened, but trajectory is fairly random. Can be reflected. | |
Water Gun (Squirtle) | Energy | When charged, pushes opponents and does no damage unless uncharged. Can be tilted up and down. Cannot be reflected. (?) | |
R.O.B. | Robo Beam | Energy | Can reflect off surfaces at certain angles, can be tilted up and down. Charges automatically. Can be reflected/absorbed. |
Gyro | Physical | Produces a Gyro item. Can be picked by up and be reflected. | |
Roy | None. | ||
Samus | Charge Shot | Energy | Follows straight trajectory. Can be reflected/absorbed. |
Missile | Physical | Can fire a homing missile or super missile. Can be reflected. | |
Bomb | Physical | Detonates either instantly (Melee/SSB64) or after a set period of time (Brawl). Can be reflected. | |
Sheik | Needle Storm | Physical | Can be tilted up and down. Can be charged forever. Can be reflected. |
Snake | Hand Grenade | Physical | Can be picked up, grenade itself does not cause flinching and can be tilted forward and backwards (when tilted backwards it will fall next to Snake). Also can injure the user if it explodes on them. Detonates after few seconds. Can be reflected. |
C4 (when used in the air) | Physical | Can be reflected (explosion) (?). | |
Remote Missile | Physical | Controllable. Shielding against it makes the user lose control of its trajectory. Can be reflected. | |
Cypher (once let go) | Physical | Can be reflected. | |
Up smash | Physical | Cannot be reflected. (?) | |
Taunt | Physical | Affected by gravity. Can be picked by opponents (while Snake is still inside it). | |
Sonic | Spring Jump (aerial usage) | Physical | Can also be used as a recovery. Cannot be reflected (?). |
Toon Link | Bow | Physical | Can be charged forever (the charge affects the firing speed and distance). Can be reflected. |
Boomerang | Physical | Tries to return to Toon Link. Can be angled. Can be reflected. | |
Bomb | Physical | Produces a bomb item. Explode after some seconds. Can damage the user. Can be reflected. | |
Wario | Wario Bike (once dismounted, can be thrown) | Physical | Can de destroyed (resulting in two tires that can be picked and throw). Can be reflected (when throw). |
Wolf | Blaster | Energy | Follows straight trajectory. Causes melee damage if the oponents is hit by the blade on the tip of the Blaster. Can be reflected/absorbed (shot). |
Yoshi | Egg Toss | Physical | Can be tilted forward, backwards, up and down (when tilted backwards the egg will go next to Yoshi). Can be reflected. |
Young Link | Bow | Physical | Can be charged forever (the charge affects the firing speed and distance). Can be reflected. |
Boomerang | Physical | Tries to return to Young Link. Can be reflected. | |
Bomb | Physical | Produces a bomb item. Explode after some seconds. Can damage the user. Can be reflected. | |
Zelda | Din's Fire | Energy | Cannot be reflected, but reflectors will prevent the user from being hit. Can be absorbed. |
Zero Suit Samus | Paralyzer | Energy | Stuns opponent in place. Can be reflected/absorbed. |