Yoshi (SSBU)

Yoshi in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
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Universe	Yoshi
Other playable appearances	in SSB in Melee in Brawl in SSB4
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Stampede!

Yoshi (ヨッシー, Yoshi) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was revealed for the game along with the rest of the veterans on June 12th, 2018; he was the last veteran to be confirmed along with Luigi, appearing at the very end of the trailer. Yoshi is classified as Fighter #05.

As in all previous Smash Bros. games, Kazumi Totaka's portrayal of Yoshi from Yoshi's Story and various games of the Mario series was repurposed for Ultimate.

Attributes

Yoshi is a heavyweight fighter with above-average mobility, good frame data, and decent KO potential. He sports a unique shield in the form of a Yoshi Egg, which generally lasts longer than most shields and is larger in size; thus, it does a good job of protecting Yoshi from powerful attacks.

As stated previously, Yoshi sports excellent mobility: he has the 26th fastest walking speed, the 18th fastest dashing speed (with an above average initial dash as well), the single fastest air speed in the game, and the 14th highest air acceleration. Additionally, Yoshi sports among the highest jumping prowesses in the game; this can especially be owed to his double jump, which is the second highest in the game, only behind Mewtwo's. However, his traction and gravity are the 21st and 18th-16th lowest in the game respectively; further compounding this, his falling and fast-falling speeds are among the bottom 10 in the game (the 7th slowest to be specific). Thus, Yoshi is quite speedy overall, yet at the same time he is one of the floatiest characters in the game, which is highly unorthodox for a heavyweight.

Complementing his high mobility, Yoshi's moveset possesses very good utility. Both hits of neutral attack can connect into each other, and the first hit can also be used to jab lock; forward tilt serves as a reliable combo starter at low-mid percents, due to its moderate base knockback and vertical launch angle; up tilt is an effective combo starter with low knockback growth, and leads to KO confirms at higher percents; and down tilt is his fastest tilt, sporting good range and serving as a reliable tech chasing option. Lastly, dash attack has a long duration and good range; this, combined with its decent knockback, makes it good for KOing opponents at later percents and punishing rolls or techs. Yoshi's smash attacks are also useful in their own right: forward smash has a powerful sweetspot that out prioritizes its slightly weaker sourspot, allowing it to KO at reasonable percents It also has decent start-up, can be angled, and grants Yoshi intangibility for its duration; up smash has good horizontal and vertical range, reasonable start-up, and a powerful sweetspot, allowing it to KO at percents as low as 120% provided the sweetspot hits; lastly, down smash is extremely quick in both start-up and ending lag which, coupled with its good range, makes it an adept option for punishing rolling opponents.

Although his grounded moveset comes with potent attacks, it is Yoshi's aerial attacks that possess high usefulness and make up his fantastic air game. Neutral aerial is a very fast sex kick with low all-around lag, decent range, and good power, allowing it to either KO at surprisingly early percents, serve as an effective combo breaker, be a tech-chase set-up, and be his primary out of shield option. Forward aerial also possesses high range and reasonable all-around lag, and comes with impressive damage; its tipper hitbox meteor smashes opponents, allowing for offstage KOs to occur as early as 20%. Back aerial boasts high speed and high power, with its first two hits being effective combo starters and its final hit KOing below 130%. Up aerial possesses high vertical range and a hitbox that hits behind the opponent which, in tandem with its impressive damage output and low all-around lag, makes it an effective juggling option. Lastly, down aerial serves as the most damaging aerial in the game; its hits can easily link into each other, with its high vertical knockback allows it to KO at reasonable percentages near the upper blast zone. His grab game is also relatively decent: his grab release and throws grant invincibility during their animations, pummel is fast and deals average damage, forward and back throws are decent KO options by the ledge, up throw has combo potential into his up air at low percents, and down throw has little ending lag making it his most useful combo throw.

Yoshi's special moves are also very effective tools for the character. Egg Lay is a command grab which traps the opponent in an egg for a short amount of time, allowing it to work as a damage racker, and when B-reversed is an effective surprise trapping option. Egg Roll travels decently fast on the ground and deals effective damage when running into an opponent, Yoshi Bomb gives Yoshi an option to escape juggles if the situation allows for it, can go through soft platforms, does high damage in both the ground and air, and the grounded version deals high shield damage. However, his best special move is easily his Egg Throw, his only but incredibly effective projectile. The trajectory of the move can be changed depending on the angle of the joystick, can bounce on the ground, and allows Yoshi to have an option for zoning.

Although Yoshi's strengths allow him to be effective in many instances, he has some noticeable weaknesses; the main problem being that his recovery is very limited. His double jump and air speed make getting back onstage with him more plausible, but his double jump can only be used once and if his opponent has a move that breaks his super armor limit, then he'll likely be in a very bad situation for getting back onstage. His other recovery options outside of his double jump are very short-ranged and punishable, with Egg Throw only giving vertical distance upon its first three usages and directional air dodges having high ending lag. His reliance on his double jump to recover also impacts his disadvantage state - unlike most other fighters, who can use their midair jump to escape unfavorable positions when landing, the height it grants Yoshi can simply keep him landing for longer, and if he is knocked offstage after using it, then much of his recovery is limited. Because of this, Yoshi players must be especially careful in juggling scenarios, which can be exploited.

His approach can also be very punishable as his moves outside of tilts are noticeably slower, with every one of his aerial attacks outside of his neutral and up aerials having below-average speed, and most of his attacks have short-range that leaves him vulnerable to getting stuffed out by disjointed hitboxes. His grab is also very punishable when missed despite its invincibility and long-range, Egg Lay is very limited and has no usage if the opponent is far away, Egg Roll has a very predictable trajectory and is hard for Yoshi to get out of if the attack doesn't work well in his current situation, and Yoshi Bomb is also predictable if used unsafely and has high ending lag when Yoshi hits the ground. Finally, his shield, as useful as it is due to never shrinking when weakened, presents a double-edged sword situation: a weakened shield can still be hit easily, and as such can break more easily than a normal shield.

Overall, Yoshi is still a strong character despite his glaring weaknesses. With his fast speed and reliable attacks, he has the ability to combo, take out stocks, and play an effective neutral game. His tournament results have been very strong because of these attributes, with players such as Suarez, Ron, and Meme showing the potential that he has. Some players even consider him to be better than he was in Smash 64, although the latter is debatable.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Yoshi was greatly buffed in the transition to Ultimate. One of the biggest buffs was to his previously poor KO power for a heavyweight. His KO power has been noticeably improved, as has his ability to rack up damage at lower percents thanks to changes to moves like back air and forward tilt. All of his aerials have reduced landing lag, and the universal nerfs to air dodging make his edge guarding with both aerials and Egg Throw much more potent. His already excellent mobility was increased even more, as his walk and run speed are now faster, while Yoshi still has the fastest air speed in the game (which itself was increased).

Yoshi's recovery received both buffs and nerfs. His increased air speed allows him to better come back to the stage horizontally, while the reintroduction of directional air dodges allows him to mix up his recovery options; Egg Throw, Yoshi's up special, grants more diagonal distance during its first three uses. However, Yoshi's overall jump height - while still impressive - has nevertheless been lowered, hampering his vertical survivability offstage. Further compounding this, air dodges have more ending lag - making them considerably more punishable; thus, players have to cautiously use their air dodges in tandem with Yoshi's double jump and Egg Throw or face a guaranteed self-destruct.

Yoshi has received some minor nerfs. One nerf was to his up tilt, which has less range, no longer hitting opponents from up close. Another slight nerf is that while his dash attack was buffed overall, it is more punishable since it can't cross up shields. Lastly, Yoshi retains some significant flaws from SSB4, particularly his very underwhelming grab game and lack of effective recovery options other than his double jump, despite the buffs to Egg Throw.

Overall, Yoshi's buffs outweigh his nerfs, granting him a stronger competitive presence and lower learning curve. As such, Yoshi's buffs have resulted in a positive perception among the community. Most professionals consider him to be a high-tier character. As a result, Yoshi players such as Suarez, Meme, Ron, and Danbi have garnered strong results with Yoshi, with some even arguing that he is better than his Smash 64 iteration.

Aesthetics

• Due to the aesthetic used in Ultimate, Yoshi's model features a more subdued color scheme, but unlike in Melee and Brawl, it retains its chartreuse color from the Mario and Yoshi series used in Smash 64 and SSB4. His irises appear larger while his shoes feature subtle detailing.
• Yoshi has a new alternate costume based on his felted design in Yoshi's Crafted World. It replaces his Black Yoshi costume from SSB4.
• Yoshi now always faces the screen regardless of the direction he turns. Because of this, both his stance and moveset are mirrored.
• Yoshi is more expressive, he scowls when using his aerials and grabbing onto a ledge.
• Idle pose, dashing, falling, and double jump animations have been updated to match Yoshi's upright posture.
  • Yoshi no longer reverts to his posture and idle poses from Brawl while holding a small item.
• All of Yoshi's victory poses were slightly altered:
  • His left-inputted victory pose now has him performing a Flutter Jump before spinning around once and striking a V sign.
  • His up-inputted victory pose now has him strike a new pose, where he stands on one leg while extending his arms out.
  • His right-inputted victory pose now has him punch the air twice and strike a pose with his right leg farther back.

Attributes

• Like all characters, Yoshi's jumpsquat animation takes 3 frames to complete (down from 6).
• Yoshi runs faster (1.86 → 2.046).
  • Yoshi's initial dash is significantly faster (1.33 → 1.98).
• Yoshi walks slightly faster (1.15 → 1.208).
• Yoshi's air speed has been increased, now being faster than he was in Brawl (1.28 → 1.344).
• Yoshi has significantly higher traction (0.0426 → 0.095), allowing him to punish out of shield much more easily.
• Yoshi's jump height has been slightly reduced.
  • However, the reduction to his short hop height noticeably improves his ability to utilize short hop aerials against grounded opponents.
• Forward roll has less ending lag (FAF 36 → 31).
• Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-21 → 4-15).
• Back roll has more startup and grants less intangibility (frames 4-21 → 5-16).
• Spot dodge has less ending lag (FAF 28 → 27).
• Spot dodge grants less intangibility (frames 3-18 → 3-17).
• Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 3-28 → 3-30).
• Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 34 → 59).
• The reintroduction of directional air dodges benefits Yoshi, as due to Egg Throw not causing helplessness, he can get additional distance with a directional air dodge after using it.
• The removal of shield platform dropping benefits Yoshi, as he was the only character unable to perform the technique in Smash 4. When combined with his unique shield rendering him immune to shield stabbing, this effectively gives him the best shield in the game.
• Yoshi's double jump armor has been altered. The armor duration is significantly shorter, but like in Smash 64 and Melee, knockback taken is reduced if the armor is broken by an attack with sufficiently high knockback.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • The first hit transitions into the second hit faster (frame 9 → 6).
  • Both hits have a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.5× (hit 1), 2× (hit 2)), giving opponents more time to SDI the first hit and DI the second hit.
  • The first hit has altered angles (60°/90°/50° → 361°/180°) and knockback (30 base/50 scaling → 40/35/10 base/30/28/20 scaling) to keep opponents close to Yoshi, akin to other neutral attacks. This allows it to connect better into the second hit and jab lock, but removes some of its guaranteed jab cancel setups.
    • Due to this change, and the second hit using the Sakurai angle, grounded opponents hit by the move are launched at a lower angle. This allows it to get them offstage more effectively, but makes followups harder.
    • At low percents, the outermost hitbox now doesn't have enough hitstun to prevent opponents from shielding the second hit.
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt has significantly less ending lag (FAF 39 → 30).
  • It launches opponents at higher angles (80°/65°/50° → 88°/85°), and has more base knockback (50 → 60), but less knockback scaling (80 → 75). Combined with the previous change, this turns it into a reliable combo starter, while also improving its KO ability.
  • It deals more damage when not angled (7% → 8%).
  • The outermost hitbox is slightly larger (2.8u → 3u).
  • Its animation has been altered, with Yoshi no longer performing a full spin when swinging his tail. Yoshi also has an angry expression.
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt's hitboxes start from a higher position, making them unable to hit short characters in front of Yoshi.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt has slightly more base knockback (65 → 67).
  • Down tilt's animation is reversed, with Yoshi spinning towards the screen rather than away from it.
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack has less ending lag (FAF 50 → 41).
  • It deals more damage (9% → 11% (clean), 6% → 8% (late)).
  • It has altered knockback scaling (52 → 45 (clean), 44 (late)). Overall, the clean hit deals less knockback, hindering its KO potential, while the late hit deals around the same knockback.
  • The move has noticeably shorter travel distance, worsening its utility as a grounded burst option. It also no longer crosses up shields consistently, making it easier to punish despite its reduced ending lag and higher damage output.
  • The late hit has smaller hitboxes (5u/3.5u → 4u/2.5u).
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash has two different hitboxes instead of three, with the sweetspot taking priority over the sourspot and being located closer to Yoshi. This effectively removes its weaker sourspot (that dealt 13%) and makes the sweetspot easier to land.
  • It has a longer hitbox duration (frame 14 → 14-16) and grants more intangibility on Yoshi's head (frames 12-14 → 12-16).
  • The sweetspot has more knockback scaling (98 → 102).
  • Yoshi now sports an angrier expression while headbutting, instead of closing his eyes like in previous games.
• Up smash:
  • Up smash deals more knockback (37 base/95 scaling → 38/99).
• Down smash:
  • Down smash launches at a lower angle (30° → 26°) and deals more knockback (hit 1:40/42 base/73/57 scaling → 51/46/75/63, hit 2: 40/42 base/81/75 scaling → 51/44/83/75), allowing it to KO around 150% with the first and 130% with the second hit from center stage.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag (11 frames → 7 (neutral), 17 → 12 (forward), 19 → 11 (back), 14 → 8 (up), 24 → 17 (down)).
• Neutral aerial:
  • The clean and mid hits have been moved further away from Yoshi (z offset: 5.5 (clean)/4 (mid) → 7.5/5), improving their range.
• Forward aerial:
  • The removal of teching for grounded meteor smashes improves forward aerial's combo potential onstage, compounded further by its reduced landing lag.
  • The sourspot has been removed, with the sweetspot and meteor hitboxes being made bigger to compensate (2.4u (sweetspot)/3.5u (meteor) → 4.2u/4u).
  • Despite the auto-cancel window remaining unchanged, it no longer auto-cancels in a short hop due to Yoshi's lower short hop duration.
  • It has a different animation, with Yoshi no longer flipping after the headbutt.
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial deals more damage (2.5% → 3.5% (hits 1-2), 5% → 5.5% (hit 3), total: 10% → 12.5%) with knockback not compensated on the third hit, increasing its KO potential.
  • It has much lower hitlag multipliers (2× → 0.5× (hits 1-2), 1.5× (hit 3)), allowing it to execute faster and making the first two hits harder to SDI.
  • The second and third hits have less startup lag (frame 17/25 → 14/18), causing them to connect more reliably.
    • However, the move's total duration remains unchanged, giving it more ending lag.
  • The move's first two hits deal much less knockback (30/50 base/200/150 scaling → 20 base/100 scaling), and use the autolink angle against grounded opponents as well (361° → 367°) instead of only aerial ones. This allows them to connect more reliably, and combined with the move's lower landing lag, start combos at a wide range of percentages.
  • All hitboxes have been moved upwards (Y offset: 2u-4u → 3u-5u (hit 1 and 2), 3u → 5u (hit 3)), increasing the move's range above Yoshi, but reducing it below him.
  • Back aerial has a slightly altered animation, with Yoshi striking a new pose at the end of the move.
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial has less ending lag (FAF 39 → 37).
  • It auto-cancels earlier (frame 33 → 31).
  • It has a new animation where Yoshi raises his tail up from behind without flipping.
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial's looping hits have a lower hitlag multiplier (1.1× → 0.6×), use the autolink angle (270°/260°/280° → 367°), and have consistent knockback scaling (100/80 → 100), allowing them to connect more reliably and making them harder to SDI, despite their higher SDI multiplier (1.5× → 1.8×).
  • The landing hit deals more knockback that is no longer set (40 set/100 scaling → 65 base/100 scaling), causing opponents to tumble even at 0%. This allows it to set up edgeguards more effectively, and grants it followups at low percents if the opponent fails to tech.
  • The move's initial auto-cancel window has been removed.
  • It has smaller hitboxes (6u/4.5u → 5u/3.5u (looping hits), 7u/5u → 6.5u/4.5u (last hit)).
  • The looping hits deal less damage (3%/2% → 2.3%/1.8% (hits 1-6), 2.2%/1.5% → 1.9%/1.4% (hits 7-12)), reducing the move's maximum damage output (32.2% → 28%) despite the last hit dealing more damage (1% → 2.8%).
    • The last hit's knockback has not been fully compensated for its higher damage output (60 base/200 scaling → 55/179), improving its KO potential.
  • The last hit has a higher hitlag multiplier (1.1× → 1.5×).

Throws and other attacks

• Grabs:
  • All grabs have noticeably less ending lag (FAF 56 → 49 (standing), 68 → 57 (dash), 65 → 52 (pivot)), especially compared to the rest of the cast, as all non-extended grabs have conversely had their ending lag increased.
  • Dash and pivot grab have more startup lag (frame 11 → 16 (dash), 10 → 17 (pivot)), no longer being faster than his standing grab. His pivot grab in particular has gone from among the fastest to one of the slowest.
  • Yoshi's pivot grab animation has been altered; Yoshi pauses for a bit before turning around on one foot.
  • Yoshi's grab animation has changed. After grabbing an opponent and holding them in his mouth, his cheeks become swollen and jiggle, as if the fighter inside is trying to break out. He also holds his mouth closed with his hands, and no longer crouches down to the ground.
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals less damage (2% → 1.3%).
  • It deals more hitlag (4 frames → 14), but has much less startup (frame 4 → 1) and ending lag (FAF 16 → 7).
  • It uses a unique, cartoony chomping sound effect, rather than a standard "kick" sound effect.
• The speed of Yoshi's throws is no longer weight-dependent.
• Forward throw:
  • Forward throw deals more damage (7% → 9%) with no compensation on knockback.
• Back throw:
  • Back throw deals more damage (7% → 9%) with no compensation on knockback.
• Up throw:
  • Up throw has significantly more knockback scaling (43 → 90), allowing it to KO at around 230%, compared to being unable to KO under 500% without rage.
• Down throw:
  • Down throw releases opponents 3 frames later (frame 15 → 18), reducing its effective ending lag, and improving its combo potential.
• Edge attack:
  • Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).

Special moves

• Egg Lay:
  • Egg Lay has less startup lag (frame 21 → 19), with its total duration equally reduced (FAF 44 → 42).
  • Opponents can no longer move left and right in the air while in an egg.
  • The aerial version's animation is longer (43 frames → 61), as is the laying animation (37 frames → 52). This increases the amount of time aerial mobility is locked, and Yoshi cannot grab the ledge, if the move is not interrupted.
  • Opponents in an egg can shift themselves left and right on the ground by mashing the respective direction and slightly jump if mashing diagonally upwards.
  • It has a slightly altered animation, inflating Yoshi's cheeks more as he swallows opponents, similar to his grab.
• Egg Roll:
  • Egg Roll deals drastically more damage (4%-≈9% → 10%-≈13.8%).
  • Its base knockback and knockback scaling have been reversed (50/70 → 70/50), making it safer on hit at low percents, while still improving its KO potential due to its higher damage output.
  • Yoshi always bounces once when using Egg Roll on the ground. This makes the move's execution slower and more predictable.
  • Changing direction takes longer.
  • Yoshi strikes a new pose before using Egg Roll.
• Egg Throw:
  • Yoshi gains slightly more vertical distance on the first Egg Throw, particularly after a jump.
  • Eggs have a higher hitlag multiplier (0.3× → 0.6×), giving Yoshi more time to follow up.
  • Eggs can bounce on the ground and retain their horizontal momentum before they break, giving Yoshi a new option to stop approaches.
  • Eggs deal a single hit to opponents instead of two, with the same total damage (1% (hit 1), 5% (hit 2) → 6%) and no compensation on knockback.
  • Egg Throw has more startup (frame 15 → 16) and ending lag (FAF 54 → 56).
  • Eggs have received negative shield damage (0 → -3), effectively dealing half their usual damage to shields.
  • Yoshi can use either his right arm or left arm to throw eggs, due to his mirrored stance.
• Yoshi Bomb:
  • Yoshi Bomb can sweetspot a ledge even if Yoshi is facing away from it.
  • Both the grounded and aerial versions allow Yoshi to go through soft platforms if he is high enough above them and the control stick is held down.
    • If too close to them, he will always go through.
  • Yoshi once again vocalizes when using the grounded version, much like in previous games up until Brawl.
  • Yoshi falls more slowly (5 → 4.8).
• Final Smash:
  • Yoshi has a new Final Smash called Stampede!. He headbutts in front of him and an army of multicolored Yoshis stampede over the trapped players, similar to his part of the Super Smash Bros. Melee opening.

Update history

In addition to a single glitch being fixed, Yoshi has received a mix of minor buffs and nerfs via game updates.

2.0.0

• Shortened the amount of time the player is unable to grab a ledge after using forward aerial (71 frames → 68).
• Yoshi is now granted grab invincibility during his grab release and throw animations.

3.0.0

• Egg Throw deals less shield damage (0 → -3).

3.1.0

• Fixed a glitch where Egg Lay would cause trapped opponents to fast fall while caught during hitstun.

4.0.0

• Yoshi pushes opponents away less while charging his forward smash, no longer causing certain characters' grabs to be unable to reach him from the front.

5.0.0

• Yoshi can now buffer a grab after rolling or spotdodging.

7.0.0

• Yoshi's shield hitbox is bigger. Since it is impossible to shield stab Yoshi, this does not improve his shield's safety, instead making it easier to hit from a distance.
• Yoshi's head and legs are briefly intangible after activating his shield.

Moveset

• Yoshi can crawl.
• Yoshi uses a Yoshi Egg as his shield, rather than a bubble like the rest of the cast. Rather than shrinking, his shield grows darker as it weakens, rendering him immune to shield stabbing.
• Yoshi possesses a special type of armor during the entire duration of his double jump that subtracts 120 units of knockback, with Yoshi not flinching at all if the result is negative, or otherwise only receiving the knockback difference.

For a gallery of Yoshi's hitboxes, see here.

Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the 1v1 multiplier.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			3%	A front kick followed by a roundhouse kick. The two hits transition relatively fast (both hits being frame 3) and can connect into a jab lock.
			4%
Forward tilt			8%	Swings his tail in a forward direction. Due to the vertical launch angle, moderate base knockback, and drastically reduced ending lag, it can reliably start combos. It can follow into up smash, neutral and up aerial at low to mid percents.
Up tilt			7%	Brings his tail upwards, going from front to back. The front hitbox is now placed higher off the ground, making it unreliable in hitting grounded opponents. However, the back hit still hits close to the ground. Yoshi's most effective combo starter due to low knockback growth and can even reach the low platforms of Battlefield, it leads into devastating combo strings at around low to mid percents and KO confirms at higher percents.
Down tilt			5% (base), 4.5% (mid), 4% (tip)	Lays on all fours and spins his body around to attack with his tail. The attack does the least amount of damage out of all his tilts but has the lowest ending lag out of all of Yoshi's tilts. It can be useful for tech chasing and stage control.
Dash attack			11% (early), 8% (late)	A far-reaching sidekick. Its long-range and duration can create cross-ups and is capable of punishing rolls or techs. However, its high amount of ending lag can make it very punishable.
Forward smash			15.5% (sweet spot), 14% (sour spot)	Rears his head back to perform a headbutt. The sweet spot takes priority over the sour spot and can be made into a fast KO option. It can also be angled and his head is intangible during the attack. It has a high amount of ending lag, however, and makes it punishable because of it. Yoshi's head becomes intangible, starting from frame 12. It comes out on frame 14.
Up smash			14% (clean), 12% (late)	Performs a bicycle kick. The attack has a clean hitbox and can be a potential KO option. It can hit opponents who are behind Yoshi but has somewhat punishable ending lag.
Down smash			12% (close), 10% (tip)	Crouches and swings his tail forward, and then backward. Compared to his other smash attacks, it lacks any real versatility outside of reading ledge rolls or instances where forward and up smash are punishable.
Neutral aerial			10% (clean), 7% (mid), 5% (late)	A flying sex kick with very low startup (frame 3). Good power and one of Yoshi's most versatile moves. Its low landing lag allows it to lead reliably into follow-ups at low to mid percents, depending on which hitbox connects. A potent out-of-shield option, as well as a combo breaker. Effective at setting up tech chases.
Forward aerial		Noggin Dunk	15% (close), 14% (tip)	Rears his head back and then performs a downward headbutt. Possibly Yoshi's best edge guarding tool, with both hitboxes dealing an impressive amount of damage, knockback, and the tip is a meteor smash. But it has significant startup lag (16 frames) and can no longer autocancel in a short hop.
Back aerial			3.5% (hits 1-2), 5.5% (hit 3)	Hits three times with his tail. Moderate startup lag, with its first hit coming out at frame 11, but has a solid damage output and good knockback. Grounded opponents receive low vertical knockback from the first two hits, making them effective at starting combos. Autocancels in a full hop.
Up aerial			12%	Flicks his tail upwards. Yoshi's second-fastest aerial attack, having frame 5 startup. Autocancels in a short hop and has good knockback, making it a reliable KO option. It has a large vertical hitbox where the back can even hit grounded opponents, and due to being a very effective juggling option, it’s one of Yoshi’s most useful moves.
Down aerial		Flutter Kick	2.3% (hits 1-6), 1.9% (hits 7-12), 2.8% (last hit)	Yoshi performs a series of downwards kicks that closely resembles his Flutter Jump. Notorious for being the most damaging aerial move in every iteration of the game, it deals 28% base damage if all the hits connect. Hits link reliably into each other and the final hit has high base knockback, making the move a powerful vertical KO option when near the top blast zone.
Grab			—	Opens his mouth and lets out his tongue to pull the opponent into his mouth. Compared to other fighters, Yoshi’s grabs have a lot more range, but a considerable amount of startup and ending lag.
Pummel			1.3%	Chews the opponent. A relatively fast pummel that doesn't deal too much damage.
Forward throw			9%	Spits the opponent forward. It has slight KO potential near edges and is mainly used for stage control.
Back throw			9%	Turns around and spits out the opponent. Otherwise, extremely similar to forward throw.
Up throw			5%	Spits the opponent upwards. The throw has significantly increased knockback, allowing it to KO at around 230% compared to 500% in previous games. Otherwise, it has limited utility outside of tech chase setups on high platforms.
Down throw			4%	Spits the opponent down to the ground. Its combo potential is improved due to its lower ending lag and Yoshi’s increased jump speed.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Spins around and swings his tail around himself before getting up.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Performs a backspin, kicking outwards with his foot on each side before getting up with a handspring.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Spins around and swings his tail around himself before getting up.
Edge attack Edge getups			9%	Swings his tail inward while climbing up.
Neutral special		Egg Lay	7%	Yoshi swallows the opponent and traps them in a Yoshi Egg. When the opponent is trapped, they can escape by button mashing. They stay trapped longer the more damage they have. Upon escaping, opponents gain brief intangibility.
Side special		Egg Roll	10%-13.8%	Yoshi will encase himself in a large Yoshi Egg after a small hop then rolls around the stage. Damage dealt is proportional to momentum. Can jump once during the move. The attack has limited usage due to its predictable movement, slow startup and end lag, and lack of armor or disjoints. It does not deal damage until it first touches the ground. Can stall at the ledge if the control stick is not held towards it, but does no damage when stationary. It can be canceled earlier by hitting the special button. Can move through shields.
Up special		Egg Throw	6%	Throws a Yoshi Egg that travels on a controllable, parabolic arc. When used in midair, the first three throws cause Fall Breaks that grant Yoshi significant vertical distance based on his current vertical momentum, with the largest possible jump being nearly as high as his double jump. After three uses in midair, it no longer grants upward momentum, and Yoshi must land to recover this. A very effective projectile that can now bounce upon hitting the ground, which makes it a more versatile option. The rainbow trail surrounding the egg may be a reference to Yoshi's "Rainbow Swing" Star Swing and his "Rainbow Ball" Star Pitch in Mario Super Sluggers.
Down special		Yoshi Bomb	4% (hop), 15% (grounded Ground Pound), 12% (aerial Ground Pound), 4% (stars)	A Ground Pound that produces damaging stars upon landing. The attack deals a good amount of damage and has very little startup lag. It's been given more safety since it can now sweet spot ledges, now allowing it to act as a 2 frame punish option. Also can go through soft platforms if the player holds down or is close to the platform on startup. Has increased shield damage; the grounded version can break a full shield if it is not stale and all hits connect on shield.
Final Smash		Stampede!	6% (hit one), 46% (hits from other Yoshis)	Yoshi rushes forward and attacks the opponent with an upward headbutt. If the attack hits, it cuts to a cinematic cutscene that takes place in a rocky gorge. Suddenly, a stampede of multicolored Yoshis are seen rushing down the gorge, and they attack by trampling the opponent. It has a striking resemblance a shot seen in the Super Smash Bros. Melee opening movie, which features a similar stampede in a comparable rocky environment.

On-screen appearance

• Bursts out of a Yoshi Egg and strikes a pose.

• 

  Yoshi's on-screen appearance

Taunts

• Up taunt: Dances around in a circle, chanting "Yoshi!" as he finishes.
• Side taunt: Chases his tail in circles, then lifts up an arm as he finishes.
• Down taunt: Yoshi faces the screen and jumps up and down whilst chanting.

• 

  Yoshi's up taunt.

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  Yoshi's side taunt.

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  Yoshi's down taunt.

Idle poses

• Performs a short dance.
• Looks around.

• 

  Yoshi's first idle pose

• 

  Yoshi's second idle pose

Crowd cheer

	Cheer (English)	Cheer (Japanese/Chinese)	Cheer (Italian)	Cheer (Dutch)	Cheer (French)
Cheer
Description	Yo - shi!	Yo - shi! *claps 3 times*	Yoshiiiiii!	Yoshiiiiii!	Yo - shi!

	Cheer (German)	Cheer (Spanish)	Cheer (Russian)	Cheer (Korean)
Cheer
Description	Yo - shiiiiii!	Yo - shi!	Yo - shi! Yo - shi!	Yo - shi! *claps 3 times*

Victory poses

• Left: Does a flutter jump, spins once, and gives the V sign. Based on an animation from "Yoshi's Story" when a stage is completed.
• Up: Punches the air twice, spins, and poses while standing on one foot. (Based on his "character chosen" animation from Smash 64 but has been drastically altered.)
• Right: Angrily punches a few times, does a roundhouse kick, then turns his back on the screen facing right. A reference to Akuma's pose after the successful use of the Shun Goku Satsu.

A flourished, orchestrated remix of the title music of Yoshi's Story, significantly sped up.

• 
• 
• 

In competitive play

Yoshi was, for some reason, the only original eight-character to be excluded from the E3 demo build. It was difficult to find a pre-release consensus on Yoshi in Ultimate as those who did play the game early went to other characters first. When Yoshi eventually did release, however, numerous players of all skill levels took an interest; on top of his strengths, he was rather easy to play and learn the game with. Also helping his early representation was that he was an overall similar character to his SSB4 iteration, making the transition even easier. At the same time, however, this meant that methods on how to fight Yoshi didn't change either. Thus in the competitive scene, despite having the tournament popularity of a top-tier character, he was generally seen as a mid- to high-tier by most players.

In today's competitive scene, Yoshi remains very popular, mostly because of his ease of use. He has begun to fall off in the current meta as perceived higher tiers like Palutena are further optimized, but given his playstyle, he is one of the most popular characters to use below the top level. Even so, top Yoshis such as Suarez, Ron, Meme, and Yoshidora still get results at top levels of play, leading a continued advancement of Yoshi's metagame even as the character's initial hype has begun to cool off.

Most historically significant players

Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the Fall 2019 PGRU, which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from July 13th, 2019 to December 15th, 2019.

See also: Category:Yoshi professionals (SSBU)

•  Bluesky - The best Yoshi player in France. Placed 9th at both Stunfest 2019 and WANTED SAISON 4 - Episode 1, 13th at Le Colossel de M3R, 17th at 4 Seasons Tournament: Winter 2020, and 33rd at Ultimate Fighting Arena 2019 with wins over players such as PeW, Jeda, and Ogey.
•  JMafia - The best Yoshi player in Florida. Placed 3rd at both GatorLAN Spring 2020 and Fight For 95, 7th at Tampa Never Sleeps 8, 9th at InfinityCON Tally 2021, and 33rd at 2GG: Kongo Saga with wins over players such as ESAM, ScAtt, and Goblin. Online, placed 9th at The Box: Lunch Box 10 and 13th at Mazer Gaming Smash. Formerly ranked in the Area 51 position on the Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v6.
•  Meme - One of the best Yoshi players in the world. Placed 1st at BIT MASTER MTY 2nd STRIKE, 9th at Low Tier City 7, 17th at GENESIS 7, and 25th at Frostbite 2019 with wins over players such as Maister, Light, and Stroder. Currently ranked 4th on the Mexican Power Rankings.
•  Myles - The best Yoshi player in New England. Placed 7th at Overclocked Ultimate III with wins over players such as Raffi-X and Sinji. Currently ranked 9th on the New England Power Rankings. Online, placed 7th at The Cosmic Kerfuffle and 9th at both Collision Online and Rev It Up: 2020 Series. Currently ranked 49th on the Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v7.
•  Ron (#50) - One of the best Yoshi players in the world. Placed 3rd at both Sumabato SP 3 and Sumabato SP 6, 4th at Maesuma TOP 1, and 7th at Umebura SP 6 with wins over players such as T and Shuton.
•  Rotsuku - One of the best Yoshi players in Japan. Placed 13th at Umebura SP 5, 17th at both Umebura Japan Major 2019 and EGS Cup 3, and 25th at both EVO 2019 and Umebura SP 4 with wins over players such as Abadango, Tea, and VoiD.
•  Seth - Placed 5th at Spotlight, 7th at Full Bloom 5, 17th at Smash 'N' Splash 5, and 49th at EVO 2019 with wins over players such as Ned, yeti, and Ravenking.
•  Suarez - One of the best Yoshi players in the world. Placed 4th at Smash at The Paramount, 9th at Collision 2019, 17th at both Shine 2019 and Glitch 8 - Missingno, and 25th at DreamHack Atlanta 2019 with wins over players such as Cosmos, Light, and LeoN. Formerly ranked 49th on the Spring 2019 PGRU. Online, placed 5th at Frame Perfect Series 5: ONLINE, 13th at The Box: Lunch Box 9, and 25th at both Super Galaxy Gambit X Collision and SWT: NA Northeast Ultimate Online Qualifier. Currently ranked in the Area 51 position on the Wi-Fi Warrior Rank v7.
•  Yoshidora - One of the best Yoshi players in the world. Placed 1st at Sumabato SP 14, 2nd at Sumabato SP 17, 3rd at Sumabato SP 10, 4th at Maesuma TOP 2, and 5th at Kagaribi 4 with wins over players such as Tea, Shuton, and Atelier. Currently ranked 34th on the Japan Player Rankings.

Classic Mode: Jurassic Journey

Yoshi's congratulations screen.

Yoshi's adversaries consist of playable dinosaur-like reptiles. His boss, Rathalos, fits with this theme due to it being a classical draconic wyvern.

Round	Opponent	Stage	Music	Notes
1	Ivysaur	Distant Planet	World Map - Pikmin 2	Ivysaur's Pokémon Trainer is absent.
2	Giant Ridley	Great Bay	Yoshi's Tale
3	King K. Rool	Jungle Japes	Wildlands
4	Koopalings	Yoshi's Island	Flower Field	Horde Battle. The Koopalings are fought in the order Mario faces them in Super Mario World (Yoshi's debut game).
5	Charizard	Garden of Hope	Bandit Valley	Charizard's Pokémon Trainer is absent.
6	Giant Bowser	Mushroom Kingdom U	Melty Monster	Likely a reference to a recurring element in the Yoshi's Island series, in which Kamek transforms Bowser into a giant upon the latter's defeat.
Bonus Stage
Final	Rathalos	Forest Hill	Roar/Rathalos

Note: With the exceptions of Rounds 1 and 6, a song from the Yoshi universe is played regardless of the stage.

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Yoshi has Yoshi's Tale accompany the credits.

Character unlock tree

Yoshi's Classic Mode character unlock tree includes the following characters in order:

1. Lucario
2. Marth
3. Ryu
4. Ganondorf
5. Lucina
6. Ridley
7. Chrom
8. Ken

Each character can be unlocked by clearing Yoshi's Classic Mode, or the Classic Mode of any preceding character if all preceding characters have been unlocked. Once all the above characters are unlocked, clearing Classic Mode with any of them will default to Mario's character unlock tree, starting with Sonic.

Role in World of Light

Finding Yoshi in World of Light

Although Yoshi does not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene, he was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (sans Kirby) when Galeem unleashed his beams of light.

He can be found in a ribbon pathway to be awakened, which can be accessed in a short time after taking Sheik's route.

Fighter Battle

No.	Image	Name	Type	Power	Stage	Music
05		Yoshi	Grab	3,600	Super Happy Tree (Ω form)	Obstacle Course - Yoshi's Island

Spirits

Yoshi's default fighter spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold. Unlocking Yoshi in World of Light allows the player to preview the second spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. His Crafted World outfit has a fighter spirit of its own, available through the shop. Each fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate.

Additionally, Yoshi makes an appearance in various primary and support spirits.

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  75. Starship Mario

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  297. Yoshi

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  298. Yoshi (Yoshi's Crafted World)

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  319. Mega Eggdozer

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  321. Yarn Yoshi

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  1301. River Survival

In Spirit Battles

As the main opponent

Spirit				Battle parameters							Inspiration
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music	Character
38		Hammer Bro	Super Mario Series	•Yoshi		3,400	Golden Plains (Battlefield form)	•Assist Trophy Enemies (Hammer Bro)	•Hostile assist trophies will appear when the enemy's at high damage •The enemy favors up specials	Ground Theme - Super Mario Bros. 3 (Remix)
60		Wiggler	Super Mario Series	•Yoshi		1,600	Yoshi's Island (Melee)	•Attack Power ↑ •Item: Lip's Stick	•The enemy becomes powerful when badly damaged	Ground Theme - Super Mario World
77		Plessie	Super Mario Series	•Giant Yoshi		2,100	Great Bay	N/A	•The enemy is giant	Slide
156		Rattly	Donkey Kong Series	•Yoshi		3,400	Kongo Jungle	N/A	•The enemy loves to jump •The enemy has increased jump power	Snakey Chantey
167		Kip	Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast	•Tiny Yoshi Team ×4		1,800	Yoshi's Story	N/A	•The enemy starts the battle with a Rocket Belt	Boss 2 - DK: Jungle Climber
182		Like Like	The Legend of Zelda Series	•Yoshi		4,000	Great Bay (Battlefield form)	•Sudden Damage •Item: Food •Hazard: Sticky Floor	•The floor is sticky •You'll occasionally take sudden damage after a little while •The enemy favors grabs and throws	Overworld & Underworld - The Legend of Zelda (for 3DS / Wii U)
218		Dimitri (The Legend of Zelda)	The Legend of Zelda Series	•Yoshi •Young Link		1,700	Great Bay	N/A	•The enemy favors neutral specials	Tal Tal Heights
318		Spirit Who Loves Surprises	Yoshi Series	•Yoshi Team ×4		2,000	Super Happy Tree	•Hazard: Screen Flip	•The screen will suddenly flip after a little while	Yoshi's Story (64)
321		Yarn Yoshi	Yoshi Series	•Yoshi Team ×4		9,200	Super Happy Tree	•Easy to Launch	•All fighters are easy to launch	Main Theme - Yoshi's Woolly World (Remix)
395		Leon Powalski	Star Fox Series	•Yoshi •Wolf •Ally: Falco		3,700	Venom (Ω form)	N/A	•You lose if your CPU ally is KO'd	Star Wolf's Theme / Sector Z (for 3DS / Wii U)
405		Tricky	Star Fox Series	•Yoshi		1,600	Garden of Hope (Battlefield form)	•Earthquake	•Periodic earthquakes will shake the stage	Break: Through the Ice
424		Metapod	Pokémon Series	•Yoshi		2,500	Distant Planet (Ω form)	•Defense ↑ •Hazard: Sticky Floor	•The floor is sticky •Timed battle (1:30) •The enemy has increased defense after a little while	Road to Viridian City - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue
459		Eevee	Pokémon Series	•Yoshi		1,400	Yoshi's Island	N/A	•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Eevee) •Reinforcements will appear during the battle	Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Melee)	Vaporeon (blue costume) Jolteon (yellow costume) Flareon (red costume)
514		Cresselia	Pokémon Series	•Yoshi		9,200	Spear Pillar (Cresselia only)	•Defense ↑	•The enemy has increased defense after a little while	Battle! (Dialga/Palkia) / Spear Pillar
544		Zygarde (50% Forme)	Pokémon Series	•Giant Yoshi Team •Tiny Yoshi ×7		2,100	Frigate Orpheon	N/A	•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd •The enemy is giant •Defeat an army of fighters	Battle! (Team Flare)	Zygarde Cell (Tiny Yoshi)
743		Pyoro	WarioWare Series	•Yoshi		3,700	Balloon Fight (Battlefield form)	•Item: Deku Nut	•The enemy is easily distracted by items	WarioWare, Inc.
810		Bulborb	Pikmin Series	•Giant Yoshi (140 HP)		4,400	Distant Planet	•Attack Power ↑	•Timed stamina battle (1:30) •The enemy has increased attack power •The enemy favors neutral specials	Main Theme - Pikmin (Original)
837		Gracie	Animal Crossing Series	•Yoshi		4,100	Smashville (Battlefield form)	•Item: Transforming Types •Hazard: Slumber Floor	•The floor is sleep-inducing	Plaza / Title Theme - Animal Crossing: City Folk / Animal Crossing: Wild World
1,201		Pig	Cubivore: Survival of the Fittest	•Yoshi Team ×6		2,000	Duck Hunt	•Item Tidal Wave	•The enemy becomes more powerful after eating •Certain items will appear in large numbers after a little while •The enemy is easily distracted by items	Gourmet Race (Brawl)
1,231		T-Rex	Fossil Fighters Series	•Giant Yoshi		4,400	Coliseum (Battlefield form)	•Hazard: Lava Floor	•The floor is lava •The enemy is giant	Battle Start - Fossil Fighters: Frontier
1,232		Nibbles	Fossil Fighters Series	•Yoshi •Charizard •Ridley •Bowser		1,800	Arena Ferox	•Item: Pitfall	•Defeat the main fighter to win •Reinforcements will appear during the battle	Battle Start - Fossil Fighters: Frontier
1,409		Flick	Animal Crossing Series	•Yoshi		4,400	Tortimer Island (hazards off)	•Move Speed ↑ •Attack Power ↑	•The enemy has increased attack power when the enemy's at high damage •The enemy has increased move speed when the enemy's at high damage •The enemy is easily distracted by items	Tortimer Island Medley

As a minion

Spirit				Battle parameters							Inspiration
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music	Character
118		Wanda	Super Mario Series	•Tiny Palutena •Yoshi •Peach •Mario		1,500	Green Greens (Battlefield form)	N/A	•Defeat the main fighter to win •Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd	Mario Paint Medley	Yoshi
128		MC Ballyhoo & Big Top	Mario Party Series	•Mario •Yoshi •Peach •Luigi		1,600	Mario Circuit	•Item Tidal Wave	•Certain items will appear in large numbers after a little while	Pandemonium	Yoshi
299		Baby Mario	Yoshi Series	•Tiny Mario •Yoshi Team		8,800	Yoshi's Island	N/A	•Defeat the main fighter to win •The enemy shields often	Yoshi's Island (Brawl)	Yoshis
525		Cobalion, Terrakion, & Virizion	Pokémon Series	•Lucario •Duck Hunt •Yoshi		9,000	Kalos Pokémon League	N/A	•The enemy's melee weapons have increased power •The enemy can unleash powerful critical hits at random •The enemy starts the battle with a Beam Sword	N's Castle	Cobalion
1,301		River Survival	Super Mario Series	•Bowser •Kirby •Yoshi •Rosalina & Luma		5,500	Kongo Falls (Ω form)	•Bob-omb Festival •Item Tidal Wave •Item: Food	•Survive until the timer runs out (1:00) •Bob-ombs will rain from the sky after a little while	Slide	Yoshi

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Yoshi's fighter card.

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  Yoshi's unlock notice when obtaining him in World of Light.

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  Yoshi about to use his forward aerial attack on Tortimer Island.

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  Air dodging a shot from Zelda's Super Scope on Mario Galaxy.

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  Launching his tongue at a shrunken Kirby on Gaur Plain.

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  Chasing his tail on Coliseum.

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  Idling with Mr. Game & Watch in Skyloft.

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  Green and Yellow Yoshis in Skyworld.

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  Green, Yellow, Blue, and Red Yoshis on Green Greens.

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  Getting hit by Pac-Man's down smash on Big Blue.

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  Stuck in a Black Hole with Pit on Big Blue.

Trivia

• Yoshi is the only "Original 8" member:
  • Who was not playable in the E3 demo, and by extension, did not have their Final Smash revealed at E3.
  • Who did not appear before Ultimate's title was revealed.
  • To not appear in the World of Light trailer.
  • To face a boss (namely Rathalos) from a third-party franchise in their Classic Mode route.
• Yoshi has the most stages out of all playable sole series fighters in a single game, with four.
• Yoshi's stock icon in Ultimate bears a strong resemblance to his stock icon from Super Smash Bros. 4.
• Yoshi is the only character to have an alternate costume based on a game (namely Yoshi's Crafted World) after Ultimate was released.
  • As a result, this is the second time the Yoshi universe has had, in some way, representation from an upcoming game; Woolly World appeared as a stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U before Yoshi's Woolly World released.
• Alongside Mr. Game & Watch, R.O.B., and Bowser Jr., Yoshi is one of four characters with a Spirit Battle where all of their alternate costumes appear in a single Spirit Battle, due to the presence of the Baby Mario spirit.
• Prior to 4.0.0, when Yoshi charged his forward smash, he pushed opponents so far, it actually caused some moves to miss him entirely. [1]
• Yoshi's Crafted costume is the only one that does not appear during his Final Smash, although its texture was added to the palette of the Yoshis that appear. [2]
• Yoshi's reverse throwing animation with a heavy item will have him turn his back to the screen for a brief moment. This is due to the animation being a carryover from Smash 4.