Ness (SSBU)

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Ness in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	EarthBound
Other playable appearances	in SSB in Melee in Brawl in SSB4
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	PK Starstorm

“	Ness has a variety of moves, from long-range attacks using psychic powers known as "PSI," to short-range attacks with his bat and yo-yo. Ness can also unleash PK Thunder, a guided attack that can launch him like a rocket or help him recover!	”
—Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site

Ness (ネス, Ness) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was revealed along with all other previous fighters on June 12, 2018. Makiko Ōmoto reprises her role as Ness through archived voice recordings.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

NOTE: SmashWiki is not speculative. Please refrain from adding detailed data values derived from pre-release gameplay footage, such as the E3 demo. Such data (damage values, launch trajectories, frame data, etc.) are subject to change before the official release.

Ness was buffed substantially for his appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Among his most notable buffs are his faster movement speed, increased damage output, stronger up smash, and his down smash's greater edge-guarding potential.

Aesthetics

• Ness' model features a more subdued color scheme. Similar to Brawl, some of the detailing on his clothes and weapons are more prominent, such as the vertical stitching of his socks.
• Ness faces the screen regardless of which direction he turns. This also causes his animations to be mirrored.
• The text on his yo-yo now reads "SUPER NINTENDO 2018 MOTHER". The yo-yo also produces trailing aftereffects when in motion.
• Many of his PSI moves now have their respective PSI graphics from EarthBound.
• Ness' eyes bulge and grow more circular when he is hit or frozen.
• Ness has a new idle animation where he bounces in place with his arms to the side, similar to Sonic.
• His air dodge now resembles its Melee iteration more closely.
• Ness' bat victory pose is altered. He swings his bat once instead of multiple times.
• The victory pose where Ness hops in place before nodding is modified so he is skipping into the victory area instead of hopping in place.
• He has a more astonished expression during his look-about victory pose.
• Ness' victory theme is now the ending of "Eight Melodies" from Mother. [1]

Attributes

• Like all characters, Ness's jumpsquat animation now takes three frames to complete.
• Ness jumps higher, dashes faster, and has faster air speed.

Ground Attacks

• Jab now connects more reliably.
• Jab deals slightly less damage.
• Forward tilt deals more damage and can trip opponents.
• Up smash and down smash have regained the charging hitboxes they had in games prior to SSB4. The yo-yo can also hang below the ledge, improving Ness's edge-guarding abilities.
• Up smash deals significantly more knockback.

Aerial Attacks

• Neutral aerial now has Ness emitting PSI from his hands with a magical sound effect, similar to Zelda's neutral aerial.
• Neutral aerial has more range.
• Back aerial deals more damage.
• Up aerial is a completely new move in which Ness waves his hand and emits PSI from his index finger, hitting 5 times.
• Up aerial deals more damage.
• Up aerial has less horizontal range.
• Down air has reduced end lag.

Throws/other attacks

• Ness now grabs and pummels his opponents using PSI, producing magical sound effects.
• Pummel deals slightly more damage.
• Pummel is noticeably slower.
• Down throw deals more knockback, reducing its combo potential at mid-percents.
• Down throw once again shares its visual effects with PK Fire.

Special moves

• PK Flash travels faster and lasts much longer. It can also move through soft and semi-soft platforms.
• PK Flash no longer causes Ness to become helpless in the air.
• PK Flash is now more of a blue-green color.
• PK Fire has slightly more startup lag.
• PK Fire has less end lag, giving Ness more time to attack his trapped opponent.
• PK Fire's hitbox is larger and the fire pillar engulfs the opponent more reliably. If Ness attacks the opponent while they are trapped, the opponent will stay caught in the fire, allowing him to rack up more damage.
• PK Fire pushes Ness back slightly when used on the ground, similar to Lucas.
• PK Fire has a new animation. Ness points with one hand in the direction of the attack, and a red spark appears on his shooting hand. Diamond-shaped PSI energy also rises up within the fire pillar.
• PK Thunder now has an angle indicator when the ball of lighting moves close to Ness, allowing the player to see the trajectory Ness will travel during PK Thunder 2.
• PK Thunder 2 travels further.
• PK Thunder 2 deals less knockback.
• PSI Magnet is larger and has a hitbox similar to Lucas's version of the move. It now deals damage to opponents who enter it, in addition to pushing them away.
• PSI Magnet no longer halts Ness' horizontal momentum in the air.
• PSI Magnet now has its on-screen effect from EarthBound and visible suction around the magnet.
• PK Starstorm is now similar to its Brawl iteration, firing slower meteors that spread out over the stage. Paula and Poo now accompany Ness during the move. PK Starstorm particle effects from EarthBound and the Eight Melodies' background pattern appear.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Ness idling on the Bridge of Eldin.

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  Performing his up smash on Kalos Pokémon League.

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  Performing PK Flash on Frigate Orpheon.

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  Throwing Fox on Tortimer Island.

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  Crouching next to Jeff in Onett.

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  Dashing in Smashville.

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  Dodging Bowser's Bowser Bomb with Ike on Gaur Plain.

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  Diddy Kong trying to steal Ness's banana on Moray Towers.

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  Ness crouching under a Bomber next to Ganondorf on Gaur Plain.

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  Ness striking Bowser Jr. with Death's Scythe on Yoshi's Story.

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  Expelled by a Super Launch Star on Yoshi's Island.

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  Frozen by Alolan Vulpix on Tortimer Island.

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  Taunting in Onett.

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  Ness being teleported away by Abra on Arena Ferox.

Character Showcase Video

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Trivia

• Ness is the only one of the four original unlockable characters from the first Smash game to be playable in the E3 demo.
  • Ness is also the only one to appear on the box art. However, Captain Falcon is also featured in the full group artwork.
• Ness's stock icon in Ultimate resembles his stock icons from Brawl and SSB4.
• Coincidentally, Ness's artwork resembles the supposedly leaked artwork of Ness from before SSB4's release.
• Ness's yo-yo reads "SUPER NINTENDO 2018" and "MOTHER", in reference to his console of origin, Ultimate's set year of release, and his home series.