Pit (SSB4)

Pit in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Kid Icarus
Other playable appearance	in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Three Sacred Treasures
Tier	D (32/33)

Pit (ピット, Pit) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. His return to the series was announced during the E3 Nintendo Direct on June 11th, 2013. Rather than retaining Lani Minella as his voice actor from the English version of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Pit is now voiced by Antony Del Rio, who reprises his role from the English version of Kid Icarus: Uprising. Minami Takayama, who voiced Pit in the Japanese versions of Brawl and Uprising, also reprises her role.

Pit is currently ranked 32nd/33rd out of 55 on the tier list, placing him in the D tier and tying him with his clone, Dark Pit. This is a moderate drop from his placement in Brawl, where he was ranked 17th out of 38. Pit's frame data is deceptively fast, as almost the entirety of his moveset has less than 10 frames of start-up lag. On a related note, all of his aerial attacks are capable of auto-canceling with a short hop. When these traits are coupled with his disjointed range and projectile, Palutena Bow, Pit boasts a very effective neutral game.

Pit is also among the handful of characters who possesses multiple double jumps, which not only assists his recovery, but also makes him very capable at edge-guarding. Lastly, Pit's grab game has improved considerably: his forward throw now possesses KO potential, and the changes to hitstun canceling have made his down throw into a very reliable combo starter.

However, Pit's KO potential is unimpressive: aside from his forward smash and edge-guarding, his other KOing options are only effective when sweetspotted (forward tilt and back aerial), or at very high percentages (forward throw and Upperdash Arm). Changes to game mechanics have also nerfed Pit in certain ways: the removal of gliding hinders his recovery, while edge trumping hinders his edge-guarding potential.

Although Pit has a small playerbase, he has nevertheless managed to achieve a decent level of success, thanks to the likes of Earth, Kuro and KiraFlax. Earth, in particular, has demonstrated Pit's viability: he has won a number of regional tournaments; achieved a number of above-average placings at the regional and national levels in both singles and doubles play; and was ranked 35th on Panda Global Rankings' v3 list.

Attributes

Pit is a middleweight who has above-average walking and dashing speeds; slightly below-average traction; average air acceleration and falling speed; and below-average air speed and gravity. Pit's jump and double jump are both low, although this flaw is largely offset by his three double jumps. These attributes collectively render Pit's overall mobility as average, yet make him adept at adapting to most situations. Unlike most of his fellow middleweights, Pit also has above-average height.

As a beginner-friendly character, Pit has a low learning curve, yet is quite rewarding when played wisely. His ease of use is probably best exemplified by his frame data: aside from six moves (forward tilt, forward smash, and forward, back, up and down aerials), the rest of Pit's normal moveset has less than 10 frames of start-up lag. Pit's neutral special, Palutena Bow, reinforces his ease of use: its ability to be charged and easily maneuvered makes it very useful for zoning, edge-guarding, and even mindgames. When these traits are coupled with his Palutena Bow's disjointed range, Pit's neutral game is among the most effective in SSB4 when utilized properly.

Much like his attributes, Pit's moveset is balanced, so much so that it seemingly has no glaring strengths of weaknesses. When coupled with his great neutral game, Pit's edge-guarding potential, punishment ability, and conversions are all balanced compared to the rest of the cast. Pit's ground game overall possesses a decent level of utility. Neutral attack, down tilt, dash attack and down smash are useful spacing options, thanks to their quick start-up and knockback values. However, they also have particular strengths: neutral attack can be jab canceled easily; down tilt and dash attack can start combos at low percentages; and down smash's back hit is a semi-spike. Up tilt and especially up smash are useful anti-air moves, while the latter also boasts enough power to score KOs. Lastly, forward smash is Pit's primary KOing option, thanks to it being both his longest ranged ground attack and overall strongest attack.

Unlike in Brawl, Pit now possesses a respectable grab game. His grabs' ranges have increased, while his dash grab's decreased start-up and ending lag make it much safer. However, his forward and down throws underwent the most noticeable improvements. Forward throw's increased base knockback enables it to KO at high percentages while near the edge, whereas the changes to hitstun canceling have made down throw into a very reliable combo starter. Although Pit's up and back throws have significantly less utility in comparison, they have decent damage outputs and launch opponents into unfavorable positions. These traits make them useful at keeping his forward throw fresh for a later KO attempt, as well as alleviating the staleness of his other moves.

Pit's air game is also useful, thanks to his aerial attacks' ability to auto-cancel and their particular strengths. Neutral aerial has the lowest amount of start-up lag out of his entire moveset, a long duration, and an excellent auto-cancel window. Altogether, these traits make it useful for edge-guarding, approaching and, when SHFF'd, starting combos. Forward and up aerials are reliable follow-ups from down throw; in addition, the former is useful for approaching and edge-guarding, whereas the latter is excellent for juggling. Back aerial is Pit's strongest aerial attack when sweetspotted, making it ideal for spacing as part of a reverse aerial rush or KOing outright. Lastly, down aerial is useful for edge-guarding, thanks to it being a meteor smash during its first frame. However, its fairly large range also makes it decent for approaching.

In the transition to SSB4, almost the entirety of Pit's special moveset underwent numerous changes in reference to Kid Icarus: Uprising. His new side and down specials use weapons that debuted in Uprising; his new up special references Palutena's ability to grant him the Power of Flight; and his new Final Smash uses the Three Sacred Treasures. Upperdash Arm functions very similarly to Raptor Boost: it propels Pit forward and, upon making contact with something, results in him throwing an uppercut that has a decent damage output and very high base knockback. As a result, it boasts KO potential unlike Angel Ring, but lacks damage racking potential. Upperdash Arm also has utility outside of offense: it grants super armor, can deflect projectiles, and can function as a horizontal recovery option. However, it is very punishable because of its dash's noticeable start-up lag and extreme amount of ending lag, especially when it misses. Upperdash Arm's deflection property is also fairly inconsequential, since it deflects projectiles at an upward diagonal angle instead of directly back at the opponent.

Power of Flight covers an impressive amount of distance, and be angled to propel Pit either vertically, diagonally, or almost horizontally. It also offers better protection compared to Wings of Icarus: Pit can immediately reuse it upon being hit, and it grants intangibility that lasts slightly longer than Wings of Icarus' invincibility. However, Power of Flight's linearity results in it lacking the unpredictability and impressive versatility that Wings of Icarus possesses. Lastly, Guardian Orbitars protect Pit on his left and right sides with energy shields that reflect projectiles. They are also capable of pushing opponents back, which makes them capable of edge-guarding. While these traits make them seem like a direct upgrade of Mirror Shield, the Orbitars are not indestructible like the Shield: should they end up being destroyed, they cannot be used again for 10 seconds.

Despite his strengths, Pit does have some weaknesses. Like Mario, most characters are able to outperform him in various areas: Mario himself and Luigi have more versatile combo games; Mewtwo has better mobility; Link and Toon Link are better at camping; Cloud has greater range; and Charizard is overall much stronger. Pit's KO potential, however, is his most noticeable weakness. Despite possessing a serviceable amount of KOing options, only his forward smash is consistently effective. In comparison, his other KOing options are only effective when sweetspotted (forward tilt and back aerial), or at very high percentages (forward throw and Upperdash Arm). This, in turn, is further compounded by his lack of guaranteed KO set-ups. Although rage alleviates Pit's KO potential, his average endurance means that he cannot utilize it as consistently or effectively as heavier characters can. However, rage also hinders Pit's combo game, which can be a noticeable issue is he has failed to properly use his combos while having minimal damage. As a result, Pit will typically spend a comparatively longer time racking up damage before attempting to score a KO.

Although it is still long-distanced, Pit's recovery has nevertheless worsened since Brawl. Once renowned for its versatility, Pit's recovery is now linear and predictable: his double jumps are lower, gliding has been removed, and Power of Flight is largely inferior to Wings of Icarus because of it functioning like a traditional recovery move. Additionally, while Upperdash Arm can aid Pit's horizontal recovery, it has an extreme amount of ending lag when performed in the air, making it extremely risky when improperly used as a recovery option. Lastly, Pit's grab game is slightly offset by his slightly below-average traction, which can make shield grabs slightly difficult to use when blocking powerful attacks.

Pit possesses some decent custom moves. Guiding Bow grants even more control over the arrow's curvature, albeit at the cost of a lower damage output. Interception Arm functions similarly to a counterattack and boasts better KO potential, thanks to its higher damage output and knockback. However, it lacks any recovery potential because of it moving Pit very slightly backward upon being used. Breezy Flight makes Pit more difficult to gimp at its start, but at the cost of weakening his long-distanced recovery. Lastly, Amplifying Orbitars are significantly stronger reflectors, making them a better choice against projectile-reliant characters. However, they lack pushboxes and have less durability.

All in all, Pit's strengths are on par with his weaknesses. His great neutral game synchronizes well with his impressive damage racking potential, while his multiple jumps and Power of Flight's excellent travel distance make him very effective at edge-guarding and fairly difficult to KO while off-stage. However, Pit's unimpressive KO potential makes him largely reliant on his forward smash and impressive edge-guarding potential in order to reliably score KOs.

Despite being a very balanced character, players may overlook Pit in favor of his fellow all-rounder Mario, due to the latter having better frame data and consistent KO potential. This has also been reflected in his tournament representation, which is minimal outside of Japan, much like in Brawl. However, Pit has nevertheless managed to achieve a decent level of success in the competitive scene: Earth has won a number of regional tournaments, while he, Chompy, Kuro and KiraFlax have collectively achieved a number of above-average tournament results at the regional and national levels in both singles and doubles play.

Changes from Brawl

Pit received some of the most noticeable changes of any returning veteran, similarly to Bowser, Dr. Mario, Roy, King Dedede and Charizard. Most of his moves have been heavily altered, with his special moves being the most noticeably changed in order to reference Kid Icarus: Uprising. As a result, Pit received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition from Brawl to SSB4, with the latter outweighing the former.

Due to Pit's special moveset being changed to reflect Kid Icarus: Uprising, it has received a mix of both buffs and nerfs. Pit's new side special, Upperdash Arm, provides the most utility out of the three: it possesses KO potential and super armor; can be used for horizontal recovery; and can deflect projectiles. His new down special, Guardian Orbitars, provide protection on both sides, but have limited durability. Lastly, Pit's new up special, Power of Flight, can be immediately reused even if he is hit during its usage, though it has vastly less versatility because of its strictly linear path.

Pit's previously poor grab game has been improved: the changes to hitstun canceling make his down throw into a very useful combo starter, while his forward throw has KO potential at very high percentages. The removal of meteor canceling benefits Pit overall, as he is no longer as vulnerable to meteor smashes relative to the cast. On a related note, his down aerial has also become capable of meteor smashing, which slightly improves his edge-guarding potential. Pit's grounded mobility has improved, which allows him to extend his combos and apply more grounded pressure to his opponents.

However, Pit has received some significant nerfs, most notably to his recovery: it is now hindered by lower and less floaty double jumps, the removal of gliding, and Power of Flight's aforementioned lack of versatility. Many of Pit's attacks also have lower damage outputs, shorter hitbox durations, and increased start-up and ending lag. This is notably obvious with Palutena Bow and his back aerial, which were one of the most reliable projectiles in Brawl and one of Pit's most reliable KOing options, respectively.

In addition to the removal of gliding, other game mechanic changes within SSB4 have indirectly nerfed Pit. Phantom footstool jumping hinders his combo game, as it allows his opponents to alleviate pressure that he can apply when edge-guarding or in the neutral game. Additionally, the removal of edge-hogging in favor of edge trumping nerfs Pit's edge-guarding potential, which is further compounded by the majority of the cast having improved recoveries. Lastly, rage is a mixed bag for Pit: while it alleviates his unimpressive KO potential, his merely average endurance results in him being unable to utilize it as consistently or effectively as other characters.

Overall, Pit's strengths from Brawl did not carry over well to SSB4, and his buffs do not fully compensate for his nerfs. As a result of these changes, Pit's position relative to the cast is debatable, considering the fact that most of his fellow veterans, particularly those that were once low-tier or bottom-tier, have also been buffed to varying degrees.

Aesthetics

• Pit's design has changed. His eyes are now slightly larger; his nose is now slightly smaller; and his hair is now slightly longer and maple brown, instead of auburn. Additionally, Pit's ornaments are now metallic gold, instead of aureolin; his leg ring is now ornate, instead of plain; his leotard now has a matte finish, instead of a satin finish; his plate fibula has a thinner plate and a larger gem; his bracers and buskins are thicker; and his buskins have larger buckles. Lastly, the aesthetic used in SSB4 has resulted in his bracers being sleeker; his bracers, buskins, and gauntlet being slightly more vibrant; and his buskers' fur trim being of a significantly higher visual quality than in Brawl. Altogether, these changes make Pit appear virtually identical to his appearance in Palutena's Revolting Dinner.
• Pit's eye color is now slightly subdued. He also now wears archery gloves on both hands, instead of only wearing one on his left hand. These changes are original to SSB4.
• Pit is significantly more expressive. He now scowls with his mouth open during certain attacks; appears alarmed upon tripping; blushes while being grabbed; his irises shrink while teetering and upon being screen KO'd; and he sports a toothy smirk during his new victory pose. Each of these new expressions are largely based on Pit's expressions used during his conversations in Kid Icarus: Uprising.
• Pit has a new victory pose. He now rears his right arm back before thrusting it forward to strike the V sign and saying "Victory!" It is based on the pose he strikes upon defeating Hades at the end of Uprising.
• Pit now has a Smash Taunt that can be used on Palutena's Temple. It is based on his conversations with Palutena in Uprising.
• Pit now says "Come on!" during his up taunt, "That all you got?" during his side taunt, and occasionally "I'm finished!" upon being KO'd. These are alternate translations of his respective quotes in Japanese, which are unchanged. Down taunt is also lower pitched.
• Palutena Bow is thicker, slightly longer, and its blades' edges and fullers are now metallic gold and cerulean respectively, instead of aureolin and ultramarine, respectively. Additionally, its trail is now whitish gold with cerulean accents, instead of whitish amber. Lastly, its bow and blade swings' sound clips are lower pitched.
• Palutena Bow no longer emits a sound effect upon being split apart during Pit's idle pose.

Attributes

• Pit is heavier (94 → 96). This improves his endurance, but makes him more susceptible to combos.
• Pit walks faster (1.18 → 1.199).
• Pit dashes faster (1.583 → 1.66215).
• Pit's air speed is slower (0.893 → 0.89).
• Pit falls faster (1.42 → 1.48). This improves his vertical endurance, but makes him more susceptible to combos.
• Double jumps are lower and less floaty.
• Dash's animation has changed. It is now based on Pit's running animation in Kid Icarus: Uprising.
• Rolls, sidestep and air dodge have updated sound effects. They now emit the same sound effect as Pit's dodge from Uprising.
• The removal of gliding hinders Pit's recovery.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack's first and second hits deal 1% less damage (3% → 2%), although their knockback was compensated (10 (base)/28 (scaling) → 38/30 (hit 1), 0 (base)/28 (scaling) → 30/30 (hit 2)). This improves their jab canceling potentials, but hinders their damage racking potentials.
• Neutral infinite deals less damage (1% (near)/2% (far) → 0.8%).
• Neutral attack's last hit has increased knockback (32 (base)/46 (scaling) → 60/100) and decreased start-up lag (frame 4 → 3). Neutral infinite has also received a finisher, a lunging outward slash. These changes improve their spacing potentials.
• Neutral attack's last hit has a shorter duration (frames 4-10 → 3-4).
• Pit has a new forward tilt, a scissoring slash while arcing his body. Compared to the previous forward tilt, it deals less damage (12% → 7% (base)/10% (tip)).
• Forward tilt has more knockback (12 (base)/95 (scaling) → 40/100) compared to the previous forward tilt, making it better for KOing and spacing in spite of its lower damage output.
• Forward tilt has less start-up (frame 14 → 10) and ending lag (frame 41 → 40), a longer duration (frames 14-16 → 10-14), and a more vertically expansive hitbox compared to the previous forward tilt.
• Pit has a new up tilt, a bicycle kick followed by a stretch kick. Compared to the previous up tilt, it deals less damage (3% (hit 1)/6% (hit 2)/7% (hit 3) → 2%/3%/5%), its first hit has more start-up lag (frame 2 → 6), and its last hit has less knockback scaling (60 → 50), more ending lag (frame 36 → 43) and a shorter duration (frames 15-18 → 15-16).
• Down tilt deals 5% less damage (11% → 6%), although its knockback was compensated (50 (base)/32 (scaling) → 70/50). These changes grant it combo potential at low percentages.
• Due to its body hitbox being removed, down tilt is no longer a meteor smash. This hinders its edge-guarding potential. It also has a shorter duration (frames 6-8 → 6-7).
• Down tilt's animation has slightly changed. Pit now leans farther inward to perform the kneeling slash. This new animation increases its ending lag (frame 30 → 32).
• Pit has a new dash attack, a spinning inward slash. Unlike the previous dash attack, it deals consistent damage (11% (body)/12% (arm)/9% (blade) → 11%).
• Dash attack has different knockback (14 (base)/64 (scaling) → 80/50) and less ending lag (frame 45 → 39) compared to the previous dash attack, making it better at spacing and capable of starting combos at low percentages.
• Forward smash deals less damage (7% (hit 1)/12% (hit 2) → 5%/10%), although its knockback was compensated. It also has a shorter duration (frames 6-8 → 10 (hit 1), 18-20 → 21 (hit 2)).
• Forward smash's animation has changed. Pit now always splits his Palutena Bow in order to perform a downward slash before quickly reassembling it in order to perform a spinning outward slash. This new animation increases its range, but increases its start-up (frame 6 → 10 (hit 1), frame 18 → 21 (hit 2)) and ending lag (frame 48 → 59).
• Due to receiving a late hitbox, up smash's first hit has a longer duration (frame 6 → 6-7). Additionally, its second hit has decreased start-up lag (frame 11 → 10). Lastly, its last hit is stronger, improving its KO potential.
• Up smash's animation has slightly changed. Pit now slightly leans backward while slashing upward. This new animation increases its vertical range, but increases its ending lag (frame 47 → 52) and slightly decreases its horizontal range.
• Down smash no longer deals consistent damage (13% (body)/12% (base)/10% (tip) (front), 10% (body)/9% (base)/8% (tip) → 12% (body/base)/10% (tip) (both)), although its knockback scaling was compensated (90 → 93).
• Due to its angle being altered (75° → 30°), down smash's back hit is now a semi-spike. This significantly improves its edge-guarding potential.
• Down smash's animation has slightly changed. Pit now leans farther inward to perform each slash. This new animation increases its range.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial's loop hits deal 0.3% less damage (1% → 0.7%), which decreases its overall damage output by 2.1% (11% → 8.9%). It also has increased ending lag (frame 52 → 55).
• Neutral, up and down aerials have decreased landing lag (30 frames → 24).
• Neutral aerial's animation has slightly changed. Pit now swings his Palutena Bow slightly behind himself for its last hit.
• The weakening of SDI makes neutral and up aerials significantly more difficult to escape from.
• Pit has a new forward aerial, a buzzsaw-like series of slashes. Compared to the previous forward aerial, it deals less damage (15% (body)/14% (hilt)/13% (blades) → 1.5% (hits 1-2)/4% (hit 3)) and has more ending (frame 39 → 47) and landing lag (15 frames → 20).
• Forward aerial has less start-up lag (frame 12 → 11) compared to the previous forward aerial. Unlike the previous forward aerial, it can auto-cancel with a short hop, making it better at approaching.
• Forward aerial is weaker than the previous forward aerial. This makes it better for combos, but worse at edge-guarding.
• Sweetspotted back aerial deals 3% less damage (15% → 12%), hindering its KO potential. Additionally, back aerial has increased start-up (frame 9 → 10), ending (frame 40 → 41), and landing lag (15 frames → 20). Lastly, due to its shorter duration (frames 9-25 → 10-12), it lacks sex kick properties.
• Sourspotted back aerial deals 1% more damage (7% → 8%).
• Back aerial's animation has slightly changed. Pit now leans farther backward while performing the double reverse gripped thrust. This new animation flattens Pit's hurtbox and makes its sweetspot more apparent, but horizontally expands his hurtbox and decreases its range.
• Due to consisting of five hits instead of six, up aerial deals 2% less damage (12% → 10%). It also has increased start-up (frame 9 → 12) and ending lag (frame 45 → 50).
• Up aerial's last hit is stronger, improving its juggling potential.
• Down aerial deals 2% less damage (12% → 10%).
• Down aerial has received a sweetspot that is a meteor smash. When coupled with the removal of meteor canceling, this significantly improves down aerial's reliability.

Throws/other attacks

• All grabs have increased ranges.
• Dash grab has decreased start-up (frame 10 → 8) and ending lag (frame 40 → 37).
• Forward throw has increased base knockback (30 → 50), improving its KO potential.
• The removal of chain grabbing hinders forward throw's combo potential.
• Up throw has altered knockback (30 (base)/100 (scaling) → 70/72) and its angle has been altered (80° → 90°), significantly hindering its combo potential.
• On some stages, down throw's first hit will not hit Peach.
• The changes to hitstun canceling significantly improve down throw's combo potential at low to medium percentages.

Special moves

• Palutena Bow deals less damage (5% (uncharged)/11% (fully charged) → 3.27%/8.6%) and has decreased knockback. Palutena Bow also covers less distance, significantly hindering its advanced technical options and mindgame potential.
• Uncharged grounded Palutena Bow has increased ending lag (frame 44 → 59).
• Uncharged aerial Palutena Bow has increased start-up lag (frame 20 → 22).
• Palutena Bow's visual effects have slightly changed. Its arrow's outline is now sky blue, instead of blue.
• Palutena Bow's animation has slightly changed. Pit now uses it while leaning slightly forward and having his legs and wings spread-eagle, instead of using it while in a kneeling position. It also has updated sound effects.
• Pit has a new side special, Upperdash Arm. Pit equips the Upperdash Arm in order to perform a dashing uppercut. Unlike Angel Ring, Upperdash Arm consists of a regular hitbox and an inert hitbox instead of loop hitboxes (1%/2% → 11% (grounded)/9% (aerial)), and has a set duration (frames 16-35 (grounded dash)/frames 19-35 (aerial dash), frames 2-4 (grounded uppercut)/frames 2-5 (aerial uppercut)) instead of a potentially infinite one. This makes it capable of KOing, but makes it significantly worse at pressuring shields, and unusable for damage racking or disrupting an opponent's edge recovery.
• Compared to Angel Ring, Upperdash Arm has less ending lag if it hits (frame 64 → 50 (grounded)/58 (aerial)), and it propels Pit much farther in the air, making it better for recovery. Like Angel Ring, it can reflect projectiles. Unlike Angel Ring, it grants super armor.
• Compared to Angel Ring, Upperdash Arm's dash has more start-up lag (frame 12 → frame 16 (grounded)/19 (aerial)), more ending lag if it misses (frame 64 → 83 (grounded)/121 (aerial)), and its reflection damage multiplier is lower (1.5× → 1×).
• Pit has a new up special, Power of Flight. Pit quickly flies in a given direction by using the Power of Flight. Unlike Wings of Icarus, Power of Flight functions like a traditional recovery move because of its linear trajectory, and thus does not allow Pit to attack while using it or perform wing dashing. Compared to Wings of Icarus, it has a shorter maximum duration (195 frames → 145.2).
• Unlike Wings of Icarus, Power of Flight can be reused immediately after Pit is hit while using it.
• Power of Flight grants intangibility regardless of whether or not Pit is on the ground, whereas Wings of Icarus grants invincibility only if he is on the ground. Compared to Wings of Icarus, its intangibility lasts longer than Wings of Icarus' invincibility (frames 1-4 → 9-19 (grounded)/15-19 (aerial)).
• Unlike Wings of Icarus, Power of Flight lacks a windbox.
• Pit has a new down special, Guardian Orbitars. Pit wields the Guardian Orbitars near his arms in order to protect himself. Like Mirror Shield, Guardian Orbitars block both melee attacks and projectiles, while reflecting the latter with 1.5× the damage and 1.7× the speed that they originally had.
• Unlike Mirror Shield, Guardian Orbitars are breakable, as they will be destroyed upon blocking any attack that deals at least 50% and will regenerate after 10 seconds. Compared to Mirror Shield, they have more start-up lag (frame 6 → 9) and lack super armor on start-up.
• Guardian Orbitars have a push effect, whereas Mirror Shield has a reverse effect.
• Pit has a new Final Smash, Three Sacred Treasures. Pit wields the Three Sacred Treasures (the Arrow of Light, the Mirror Shield, and the Wings of Pegasus) in order to fire a barrage of ethereal arrows, energy blasts, and energy pillars. Compared to Palutena's Army, Three Sacred Treasures' projectiles travel faster than the Centurions, making them better at damage racking and pressuring. Like Palutena's Army, they do not have set accuracy. Unlike Palutena's Army, they render Pit invincible, yet completely immobile, throughout their duration.

Update history

Like Mario, Pit has received a very small number of minor changes from game updates. His only noteworthy buff was brought about by update 1.1.0, which decreased the ending lag for Palutena Bow and its custom variations. The changes to shield mechanics brought about by updates 1.1.0 and 1.1.1 also indirectly buffed Pit to a very small degree, as they make Upperdash Arm's decent damage output and very high base knockback, as well as a number of his moves having multiple hits.

1.0.6

• Fixed a glitch where Pit would clip through sloped terrain while using his edge attack as another character grabbed the edge.

1.1.0

• Neutral infinite's finisher's hitbox size increased: 5u → 6u.
• Neutral infinite's finisher's z-axis displacement decreased: 9u → 8.5u.
• All variations of Palutena Bow have had their ending lag decreased by 3 frames.

Moveset

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			2%	A reverse gripped downward slash, followed by a reverse gripped inward slash, followed by an upward slash. If button mashed, Pit will spin the Palutena Bow repeatedly to perform an undulating, buzzsaw-like series of slashes, which concludes with a lunging outward slash. Its first and second hits can also be jab canceled reliably, with their most notable follow-ups being down tilt, down smash, dash grab, and neutral aerial.
			2%
			5%
			0.8% (loop), 2% (last)
Forward tilt			7% (base), 10% (tip)	Arcs his body forward to perform a scissoring slash. It is decent for spacing and powerful for a tilt attack when sweetspotted. Its sweetspot is located at the tips of the blades, and is strong enough to KO middleweights at 134% while near the edge of Final Destination in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, and at 122% in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Due to it hitting on frame 10, however, it is Pit's slowest tilt attack. Despite having the same knockback values as its tip, its base's lower damage output makes it unsuited for KOing.
Up tilt			2% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2), 5% (hit 3)	A bicycle kick followed by a stretch kick. Compared to up smash, its lower ending lag makes it safer at harassing an opponent on a platform directly above Pit. It can also combo into a neutral or up aerial at low percentages, although these combos are heavily dependent on the opponent's DI. Although its last hit has very high knockback scaling, it lacks KO potential because of said hit's low damage output.
Down tilt			6%	A kneeling outward slash. Its minimal start-up and ending lag make it Pit's best grounded spacing option. When coupled with its average base knockback and low knockback scaling, it is capable of starting combos into a dash attack at low percentages. It also has a low chance of tripping the opponent. However, its body hitbox has been removed since Brawl, which removes its ability to meteor smash opponents in the air or hanging on the edge.
Dash attack			11%	A spinning inward slash. It has low knockback scaling and launches at 60°, which allow it to combo into a dashing up smash at low percentages, depending on the opponent's DI. Its long range also makes it decent at punishing landings. However, its moderate ending lag makes it punishable on shield.
Forward smash			5% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2)	Performs a reverse gripped inward slash with a blade, then quickly reassembles the Palutena Bow in order to perform an outward slash with the Palutena Bow. Its first hit has low weight-based knockback, which allows it to connect reliably into its second hit. Its second hit KOs middleweights at 107% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 92% in the Wii U version.
Up smash			3% (hit 1), 2% (hit 2), 8% (hit 3)	Jumps to perform three upward slashes. It hits on frame 6, which is very fast for a smash attack, and its long vertical range makes it a useful anti-air attack. Its last hit's very high knockback scaling enables it to KO middleweights at 130% from anywhere on Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 119% in the Wii U version. However, its very minimal horizontal range results in it hitting grounded opponents only if they are at point-blank range in front of Pit.
Down smash			12% (base), 10% (tip)	A downward angled reverse gripped thrust with one blade in front of himself, followed by a downward angled reverse gripped thrust behind himself with the other blade. It hits on frame 5, which ties it with Dark Pit, Mario, Dr. Mario, Zelda and Ryu's down smashes as the second fastest smash attack of any kind in the game, being surpassed only by Meta Knight's buffered down smash. It is very useful for punishing rolls and both hits have equal knockback scaling, although its front hit has higher base knockback. Despite this, its front hit KOs much later than its back hit base because of the latter being a semi-spike. Its back hit's base KOs middleweights at 125% while near the edge of Final Destination in the in the 3DS version, and at 116% in the Wii U version. In comparison, its front hit's base KOs them at 155% in the 3DS version, and at 144% in the Wii U version.
Neutral aerial			0.7% (hits 1-7), 4% (hit 8)	A buzzsaw-like series of slashes in front of himself. It hits multiple times, with its last hit having high knockback scaling, though it has a smaller hitbox behind Pit that connects less reliably. It has the ability to nullify weak projectiles and its last hit has very high knockback scaling, which make it ideal approaching or edge-guarding. Due to its ability to auto-cancel, it is also a decent set-up option when SHFF'd.
Forward aerial			1.5% (hits 1-2), 4% (hit 3)	Lunges forward to perform a buzzsaw-like series of slashes. It hits multiple times, with its last hit having the second highest knockback scaling out of his entire moveset. Despite this, it is best suited for edge-guarding, spacing, or approaching because of its last hit's low damage output. It can also auto-cancel, but has a very short duration and minimal vertical range.
Back aerial			8% (base), 12% (tip)	A double reverse gripped thrust. It is Pit's longest ranged aerial and can auto-cancel, which make it a fairly useful spacing option, especially when used as part of a reverse aerial rush. When sweetspotted, it is also Pit's most damaging aerial. Its tip KOs middleweights at 137% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 125% in the Wii U version. While its base is largely ineffective, it nonetheless has very minimal follow-up potential at certain percentages. However, it has noticeable landing lag and a very small hitbox, the latter of which can make it difficult to land its sweetspot.
Up aerial			2% (hits 1-5)	An overhead, buzzsaw-like series of slashes. It hits multiple times, with its last hit launching at 68° and having the highest knockback scaling out of his entire moveset. These traits make it a useful juggling option. Even though it KOs middleweights beginning at 153% while near the upper blast line, it only does so if all of hits connect because of its last hit's very low damage output. It can also auto-cancel.
Down aerial			10%	A downward arcing reverse gripped slash. Its sweetspot is a meteor smash that is active on start-up, while its fairly large range allows it to function as an approach option. However, it has noticeable landing lag and while it can auto-cancel near its final frames, it cannot do so with a short hop.
Grab			—	Reaches out with his free hand.
Pummel			2%	A knee strike. A fairly fast pummel.
Forward throw			6% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	An upward slash. Due to having the highest knockback scaling out of his throws, it is Pit's only throw with KO potential. It KOs middleweights at 163% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 148% in the Wii U version. Although it is best suited for KOing, it also has minimal combo potential: it can combo into a dash attack at 0%, or into Palutena Bow at low percentages.
Back throw			8%	Grabs the opponent by their head, spins around with them in tow, and them slams them onto the ground headfirst. It is best suited for spacing, but it can also combo into a dash attack at low percentages, or act as a set-up into Palutena Bow at medium to high percentages.
Up throw			4% (hit 1), 7% (throw)	A handstand kick, similar to Sheik's up throw. It is Pit's most damaging throw, but its throw hitbox's average base knockback and knockback scaling make it unsuited for KOing or combos. As a result, its only utility is dealing damage and initiating aerial pressure alongside Palutena Bow.
Down throw			2% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	Pins the opponent to the ground and then slashes their back. It is Pit's best combo starter, as it can combo into a dashing up smash at 0%-10%, and into a neutral, forward and up aerial at low to medium percentages.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Slashes on either side of himself while getting up.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Slashes in front of himself, then thrusts behind himself while getting up.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Spins the Palutena Bow behind himself and then in front of himself before getting up.
Edge attack Edge getups			7%	Performs a hook kick while climbing up.
Neutral special	Default	Palutena Bow	3.27% (uncharged), 8.6% (fully charged)	Shoots a whitish sky blue, ethereal arrow from his Palutena Bow. The arrow can be aimed left, right, or directly upward while charging, and the arrow itself can be curved in any direction in mid-flight, which make it very useful for edge-guarding and gimping.
	Custom 1	Piercing Bow	5.1% (uncharged), 11.7% (fully charged)	Shoots a larger and much stronger arrow. However, it takes longer to charge, travels slower, has less range, and lacks the ability to be curved.
	Custom 2	Guiding Bow	2.1% (uncharged), 6% (fully charged)	Shoots an arrow that stays on-screen longer, has longer range, and can be curved to the point of forming two complete circles. However, its damage output and knockback are both lower.
Side special	Default	Upperdash Arm	11% (grounded), 9% (aerial), 1× (reflected projectiles)	Wields the Upperdash Arm to perform a dashing uppercut. Despite having below-average knockback scaling, its decent damage output and very high base knockback enable its grounded version to KOs middleweights at 142% from anywhere on Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 130% in the Wii U version. Upperdash Arm also grants super armor during the dash, and reflects projectiles at roughly 45°. Its aerial version deals slightly less damage and has less knockback scaling, but is still strong enough to KO middleweights at 148% while near the upper blast line of Final Destination in 3DS version, and at 132% in the Wii U version. However, Upperdash Arm is an overall laggy attack, regardless of whether it is used on the ground or in the air. This is especially evident in regard to its aerial version, as missing it results in Pit enduring a lengthy ending animation that can easily cause a self-destruct if it is used unwisely.
	Custom 1	Interception Arm	13% (grounded), 11% (aerial)	Functions similarly to a counterattack, with Pit assuming a defensive stance and retaliating against any opponent who attacks him. Uniquely, the counterattack will still activate so long as the opponent is simply in very close proximity. In addition, the uppercut itself is overall stronger; its grounded version KOs middleweights at 119% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, whereas its aerial version KOs them at 136% while near the upper blast line of Final Destination in the 3DS version. Like Upperdash Arm, it grants super armor. However, it completely lacks recovery potential, as Pit will only move very slightly backward after using it before tumbling downward with the move's usual aerial ending lag. There is also a slight delay until Pit throws the uppercut, which can allow opponents to shield it.
	Custom 2	Quickdash Arm	9% (grounded), 7% (aerial)	The dash is faster, which makes it better suited for horizontal recovery. Pit also plows through opponents after hitting the uppercut, whereas the uppercut itself launches the opponent diagonally like Electroshock Arm. As a result, Pit can either chase after an opponent for a potential follow-up, or avoid being punished by a shielding opponent. However, there is a slight delay until Pit performs the dash, while the uppercut's slightly lower damage output and significantly lower knockback make it unsuited for KOing.
Up special	Default	Power of Flight	—	Soars through the air by using the Power of Flight. It covers a significant amount of distance, and the flight's direction can be angled in any way except downward, making it capable of being a purely vertical and nearly horizontal recovery option. With a maximum duration of 2.42 seconds (145.2 frames), Power of Flight also lasts much longer than the majority of other recovery moves. It also grants intangibility on frames 9-19 when used on the ground, and on frames 15-19 when used in the air.
	Custom 1	Striking Flight	9% (clean), 6% (late)	Deals damage, which makes it safer against edge-guards. However, it has more start-up and covers very minimal horizontal distance.
	Custom 2	Breezy Flight	—	The flight is faster and Pit emits a tornado upon start-up that pushes away opponents in the opposite direction of his ascent. However, it covers less distance.
Down special	Default	Guardian Orbitars	1.5× (reflected projectiles)	Wields the Guardian Orbitars to create twin energy shields that protect his left and right sides. They reflect projectiles with 50% more power and 70% more speed than they originally had, and can block melee attacks. However, they will break if they block a total of at least 50% while active, after which they require 10 seconds to regenerate. Guardian Orbitars also push away opponents who are near Pit when he wields them, which makes them capable of edge-guarding. In the air, Pit can also strafe while using them, even if they are broken. Guardian Orbitars have a minimum duration of 0.3 seconds (20 frames) and a maximum duration of 1.3 seconds (80 frames), and have moderate ending lag when deactivated. However, they leave Pit open to attacks above and below him, and have moderate ending lag unless they are broken; in the latter case, ending lag is significantly reduced and allows Pit to react almost immediately.
	Custom 1	Impact Orbitars	5%	Offensive variations that generate two semi-spike hitboxes on each side of Pit. They also grant super armor. However, they have a much shorter duration, and are unable to reflect projectiles or block melee attacks.
	Custom 2	Amplifying Orbitars	2× (reflected projectiles)	Variations that have an increased reflection multiplier for both damage and speed. They also have less start-up lag, a minimum duration of 0.27 seconds (16 frames), and a maximum duration of 2.5 seconds (150 frames). However, they are more fragile and cannot push opponents.
Final Smash		Three Sacred Treasures	2% (small arrows, energy blasts), 12% (large arrows), 15% (energy pillars)	Wields the Three Sacred Treasures to perform an automatic assault by using the Arrow of Light and the Mirror Shield interchangeably for combat, while the Wings of Pegasus are used for hovering in midair. Pit initially fires three types of projectiles: numerous small, whitish orange arrows are fired rapidly in a fanning motion; large, whitish yellow arrows that home in on opponents are fired one at a time; and a quartet of whitish green energy blasts home onto the opponent's location (similarly to Autoreticle) are fired in an intersecting pattern. The barrage concludes with Pit firing a quartet of whitish sky blue arrows into the sky, which cause energy pillars to rain down in random locations, similarly to PK Starstorm in Brawl. Its small arrows can easily rack up damage, but only its large arrows and energy pillars have KO potential.

On-screen appearance

• Slowly descends onto the stage while surrounded by rays of sparkling light that shine down from the sky.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Separates the Palutena Bow and crouches down, then twirls its blades before standing up, crossing them over his head and saying "Come on!" (勝負だ！, Let's battle!)
• Side taunt: Separates the Palutena Bow and then slashes with its blades before striking a pose while saying "That all you got?" (まだまだ！, Not just yet!) It is similar to Pit's animation during the end of Skyworld's first cutscene in The Subspace Emissary.
• Down taunt: Holds the Palutena Bow/its blades in one hand/each hand and then spreads out his arms and wings, during which a few feathers are loosed from his wings.
• Smash taunt: Activates Palutena's Guidance. Kneels down before contacting Palutena, Viridi, Dark Pit (when fighting against him) and even Chrom (when fighting against Robin). Pit then receives information on one of his opponents; this goes for every character in the game, including himself, with altered conversations for the Koopalings and the male Wii Fit Trainer. There is a specific conversation reserved for the downloadable characters, but the dialogue remains the same regardless of which DLC character Pit is fighting. Palutena's Guidance can be used only on Palutena's Temple, and is performed by rapidly pressing the button which activates Pit's down taunt. Pit will hold a pose for a few seconds prior to the conversation starting. Paluena's Guidance can only be done once per match, and if Pit gets hit while holding his pose before the conversation starts, it will be canceled. If Pit is KO'd, the conversation will end. Lastly, if there is more than one opponent on-screen when the conversation begins, one of the opponents will be randomly chosen to be discussed.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Briefly fiddles with his Palutena Bow. Pit will split it into its blades if it is in its bow form.
• Taps the tips of his buskins on the ground and then impatiently hops in place.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Pit! Pit! This is it!	Pit-to!
Pitch	Group chant	Female

Victory poses

An orchestral excerpt of Kid Icarus' title screen theme.

• Descends from the sky and slashes his blades while saying "It's game over for you!" In Japanese, he yells "撃破ー!" (Struck down-!). It is very similar to his side taunt.
• Slightly turns to his right side while rearing his right arm back, then thrusts it forward to strike the V sign while saying "Victory!" and sporting either a neutral expression, or a toothy smirk. In Japanese, he yells "ピース!" (Peace!) It is very similar to the pose he strikes after defeating Hades in Kid Icarus: Uprising.
• Slowly spins the Palutena Bow in front of himself, then strikes a pose while saying "That was easy!" or "What's up now?!" In Japanese, he says "楽勝楽勝!" (Easy win easy win!/Easy peasy!). It is very similar to his pose in his official artwork for Brawl.

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Pit	3111	3112	1113	2113	3113
	2111	2112	1112	3311	3121

Notable players

Active

•  Chompy - He has wins over players such as JJROCKETS and Hoenn.
•  Earth - The best Pit player in the world. Ranked 35th on the Panda Global Rankings v3.
•  KiraFlax
•  Len

Inactive

•  Kuro
•  Nairo
•  Paseriman
•  Pink Fresh

Tier placement and history

Pit has been perceived as a mid-tier character since SSB4's release. While players pointed out the nerfs to his defense, they also pointed out the buffs to his offense. Despite his playerbase and tournament results being among the most sparse in competitive play, players such as Chompy, Earth, KiraFlax, Kuro and Plastic Poptart spearheaded his metagame and proved he is still a rather viable character in competitive play. This consensus also applied to his clone, Dark Pit, because of their very minor gameplay differences. Earth's efforts in competitive play, most notably his 13th placing at GENESIS 3, further cemented Pit's viability, and resulted in him being ranked 18th on the first tier list, which placed him one spot below Dark Pit.

Although Pit's tournament results had been impressive up to this point, they have never been as consistent as other mid-tier characters. Despite Earth's better placing of 9th at EVO 2016, Pit's tier placement would drop on the second tier list, where he was ranked 24th and placed three spots above Dark Pit. While Earth had another strong showing at GENESIS 4 by placing 25th, the combination of Pit's consistently sparse results and very small playerbase saw him ranked 30th/31st on the third tier list. In addition to tying him with his clone, Pit's tier drop was tied with Yoshi and Kirby's for the second largest between the second and third lists. Pit then endured another tier drop upon being ranked 32nd/33rd on the fourth and current tier list. However, tier restructuring rendered him and Dark Pit as the third highest ranking mid-tier characters, which lessened the severity of his latest tier drop.

Currently, Pit and Dark Pit's placings are debatable as some smashers like Dabuz claim that Pit and Dark Pit are too honest to be viable as they lack anything "game breaking" like some other characters that are in the tiers higher do and that they should be ranked even lower on the tier list, while others disagree and agree with the tier placement for the two characters.

Trophies

Pit

Pit is the captain of Palutena's royal guard. Despite the wings on his back, Pit needs the Power of Flight from Palutena in order to truly fly. In Smash Bros., he can still get more air than most, with four jumps and a special move that boosts him higher. He has a new reflect move—it protects both sides!

Despite being an angel with wings and all that jazz, Pit can't fly without a little bit of help from his favourite goddess, Palutena. In this game, he's good at both close and ranged combat, and can even deflect projectiles. On top of that, with a high-flying up special and the ability to jump four times in mid-air. He's also got great recovery skills.

: Kid Icarus (08/1987)

: Kid Icarus: Uprising (03/2012)

Pit (Alt.)

Pit's side special Upperdash Arm delivers an uppercut so strong, it can send foes flying for a KO. If you miss and fall off the stage, Pit's up special can bring him soaring back. Another of Pit's specials is Palutena Bow, which fires arrows Pit can aim even after they've left the bow.

Pit's Upperdash Arm special launches him forwards to strike with an uppercut. It's so powerful, it can deliver an instant KO! If you accidentally dash off the stage with it, one of his up special will get you back on easily. His Palutena Bow special can be charged up, shot straight up into the air, and you can even guide the arrows mid-flight!

: Kid Icarus (08/1987)

: Kid Icarus: Uprising (03/2012)

Three Sacred Treasures

The Arrow of Light, the Wings of Pegasus and the Mirror Shield-three legendary artifacts that Pit once used to defeat the evil Medusa. When you activate Pit's Final Smash, he can use them in this game, too! After firing a barrage of different bow attacks, his final shot will cause powerful light pillars to rain down on the battlefield.

The Arrow of Light, the Wings of Pegasus and the Mirror Shield - three legendary artifacts that Pit once used to defeat the evil Medusa. And when you activate his Final Smash, he can use them in this game too! After firing a medley of different bow attacks, his final shot makes powerful light pillars rain down on the battlefield.

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• PitAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• 

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Three Sacred Treasures

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• All-Star Battle: Brawl: Pit is one of the opponents fought in this event. All of the opponents debuted in Brawl.
• Doppelgänger Duel: As Dark Pit, the player must defeat Pit in a Stamina Battle.
• The Break of Day: Pit must defeat three Dark Pits using the Daybreak.

Co-op Events

• An Offering of Coins: Pit and Dark Pit must collect 1000G from a shadow Pit and a shadow Dark Pit in a Coin Battle.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

  Pit in the Nintendo Direct from April 8th, 2014.

• 

  Pit's amiibo.

• 

  Pit's appearance during E3 2013.

• 

  Pit as he appears in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

• 

  Pit as he appears in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

• 

  Alongside Wii Fit Trainer.

• 

  Using Palutena Bow.

• 

  Using Palutena Bow while Mega Man uses his down tilt.

• 

  Using Guardian Orbitars, his new down special.

• 

  Using Palutena Bow on Villager, who is throwing a previously grabbed arrow at him.

• 

  Using his down taunt.

• 

  Using Upperdash Arm, his new side special, against Pikachu's Thunder Jolt.

• 

  Using his neutral attack's first hit against Samus' Missile.

• 

  Mario, Pikachu, Bowser, and Pit fighting on Pilotwings.

• 

  Pit's Palutena Bow and Link's Hero's Bow colliding.

• 

  Rolling away from Toon Link's forward tilt.

• 

  Jumping while Wii Fit Trainer uses Header.

• 

  Using Upperdash Arm on Fox in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

• 

  Using Upperdash Arm in the air in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

• 

  Using Palutena Bow in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

• 

  Using Power of Flight, his new up special.

• 

  Using his forward smash on Donkey Kong.

• 

  Alongside Villager on Wily Castle.

• 

  Sonic hitting Pit with the Ore Club.

• 

  Using Upperdash Arm on Link.

• 

  Using Three Sacred Treasures, his new Final Smash.

• 

  Zero Suit Samus preparing to use her forward aerial on Pit while a Metroid is attacking him.

• 

  Using his up taunt alongside Greninja and Little Mac.

Trivia

• Pit was the first Brawl newcomer confirmed to reappear in SSB4.
• Of all the characters who made the transition from Brawl to SSB4, Pit underwent the most changes to his special moves, with his previous side special, up special, down special and Final Smash being replaced.
  • Despite this, Mirror Shield has technically remained a part of his moveset, albeit now as a part of his new Final Smash.
• Pit and Dark Pit are the only characters with two reflectors in their default movesets.
• In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Pit and Dark Pit's wings will not be outlined if outlines are turned on.
• Both Pit and Dark Pit, akin to the former in Brawl, have some of their moves not applying to their respective bows being in their bow forms or being split into blades. The moves that fit this are their down tilts, dash attacks, up specials, down taunts (despite both of them being different), rolls and sidesteps (only if the latter two are done at the frame before their shielding animation properly occurs).