The back aerial attack (後空中攻撃, Rear/back midair attack; commonly abbreviated as bair or B-Air, and referred to as AttackAirB in Melee's Debug Menu and internal Brawl files) is an aerial attack that can be performed in midair by pressing the attack button and tilting the control stick or d-pad in the direction opposite to which the character is facing. Its official term varies between titles, where it is known as a back midair attack in Melee, and a back air attack in Brawl. The majority of these attacks are kicks, and tend to be considerably stronger and/or faster than a fighter's other aerial attacks; some are notable for being their fastest and most reliable KO moves, such as those of Zero Suit Samus and Mario, and can be used to approach or deny approaches with a technique known as a reverse aerial rush.
List of back aerials in Super Smash Bros.
In general, back aerial attacks in Super Smash Bros. are slow but with good range and good knockback. The average back aerial deals 16% with its knockback being 10 base and 100 scaling. All except Link's are one-hit moves having a clean hit and a late hit (with the exception of Captain Falcon):
Character | Description | Damage |
---|---|---|
Captain Falcon | Punches backward with one hand. More of an advanced comboing move compared to his other aerials, more difficult to use in combos due to its strength but overall better than up aerial against floaty characters. Has average knockback and lacks a weaker late hit. | 16% |
Donkey Kong | Kicks opponent with both feet. Too slow to be overly useful, but good for comboing against a wall. The clean hit has below average power. | 15% (clean), 10% (late) |
Fox | Kicks opponent with one foot. One of the weakest back aerials dealing low damage and knockback although it is also the fastest back aerial coming out on frame 4. A good aerial for Fox, as it is useful for edgeguarding Falcon's and Samus's recoveries, among others due to its low startup lag and long duration. | 12% (clean), 8% (late) |
Jigglypuff | Kicks opponent with one foot. An overall good move although it lacks range. Has low power making it virtually useless at low percents although it can combo into itself at mid-percents. | 13% (clean), 9% (late) |
Kirby | Kicks opponent with both feet. The best example of a wall of pain move of SSB, good damage + good for combos, great edgeguard tool. Has average knockback for a back aerial although the late hit is stronger than most. | 16% (clean), 12% (late) |
Link | Kicks feet behind him one at a time. It is the most damaging back aerial in the game but one of the weakest in terms of knockback. Very quick move usually used for combos as the kicks are weak and struggle to connect with each-other at higher percents. Good in almost all circumstances and overall Link's most useful aerial for comboing. | 10% (hits 1 & 2), 20% (total) |
Luigi | Performs an aerial reverse mule kick. Good range but slow, similar to Mario's but with more range. Has average knockback. | 16% (clean), 10% (late) |
Mario | Performs an aerial reverse mule kick. Good KOing move, similar to Luigi's but with less range. Has average knockback. | 16% (clean), 10% (late) |
Ness | Kicks opponent with both feet. Has short range and average knockback for a back aerial making it a good KO move (although it is rarely used in combos compared to his other aerials). | 16% (clean), 10% (late) |
Pikachu | Kicks the opponent behind it with a large disjointed hitbox. The move is usually used either to start or finish a combo or to edgeguard. Has high startup lag but is the second strongest back aerial in the game with the sweetspot having higher base knockback than most other back aerials while the late hit deals more damage than other back aerials. | 16% (clean), 14% (late) |
Samus | Raises her foot and then thrusts it behind her. One of Samus' overall best moves. Has low startup lag coming out on frame 5, has huge range and power being the strongest back aerial in the game due to its immense knockback scaling (which also applies to the late hit). These factors make it Samus' main KOing/spacing move. | 14% (clean), 10% (late) |
Yoshi | Kicks opponent with both feet. Yoshi's overall slowest DJC aerial, good after up tilts, leads into other DJC aerials. Has average knockback for a back aerial | 16% (clean), 10% (late) |
List of back aerials in Super Smash Bros. Melee
Character | Description | Damage |
---|---|---|
Bowser | Throws his back out, extending the spikes on his shell. Can semi-spike. A good bit of ending lag if not l-canceled. This attack may be used as an edge-guard, though risky. | 13% clean, 8% late. |
Captain Falcon | A backhand behind him. | 14% |
Donkey Kong | Does a back kick like Mario, except with one foot. | 13% clean, 9% late. |
Dr. Mario | A short-duration aerial reverse mule kick. Can semi-spike. | 7-8% |
Falco | A back kick, similar in appearance to Donkey Kong's. A sex kick. | 15% clean, 9% late. |
Fox | A back kick similar to Falco's. | 15% clean, 9% late. |
Ganondorf | A backwards punch similar to Captain Falcon's except it has consistent power throughout. | 16% |
Ice Climbers | Both climbers swing their hammers behind them. | 12% (leader), 10% (partner), 22% (total). |
Jigglypuff | A spinning back kick, similar to Samus. Can be used for Wall of Pain techniques. | 12% |
Kirby | A backwards kick. Can be used for Fence of Pain techniques. | 14% clean, 10% late. |
Link | Does a spinning double kick. | 13% if both kicks connect. |
Luigi | A short-duration aerial reverse mule kick that has consistent power throughout. | 6-11% |
Mario | An aerial reverse mule kick. | 10% |
Marth | A reverse aerial sword swipe. This move turns Marth around in the air. | 10% untipped, 13% tipped. |
Mewtwo | Lashes its tail behind it. | Up to 13%, depending on the distance from the opponent. |
Mr. Game & Watch | Holds out a turtle behind him, hitting several times. This attack cannot be L-canceled. | 18% if all hits connect. |
Ness | A back kick dealing electricity damage. The initial frames inflict powerful knockback, and later frames deal less damage and knockback. | 16% clean, 10% late. |
Peach | Swings out her hip for 14% damage at the start. Can be used as a KO move. | 14% clean, 5% late. |
Pichu | Spins with its entire body horizontal. Only one hit. | 9% |
Pikachu | Spins like a frisbee. Only one hit. Some landing lag if not L-canceled. | 12% |
Roy | Similar to Marth's, except weaker. This attack turns Roy around in midair. | 8% sourspotted, 9% at center of blade. |
Samus | Does a spinning back kick. If the attack lands at her foot, it has good power, otherwise, it deals less damage and knockback. | 14% at foot, 10% sourspotted. |
Sheik | A simple back kick. | Landing the foot hitbox deals 14%; closer to the body does 8-10%. |
Yoshi | Wags his tail several times behind him. | 20% if all hits connect. |
Young Link | Similar to Link's, where he does a double spin kick, though like Link's version it's also a weak air attack. | 13% if both kicks connect. |
Zelda | Does the powerful Lightning Kick behind her. Powerful knockback and damage when sweetspotted. | 20% sweetspotted, 10% sourspotted. |
List of back aerials in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Character | Description | Damage |
---|---|---|
Bowser | Thrusts out his shell behind himself. | 15% (clean), 7% (late) |
Captain Falcon | Does a quick backhand punch. | 14% (clean), 8% (late) |
Charizard | Quickly attacks behind itself with its wing, and tail. The wing can meteor smash, but it's weak and exists only to knock the opponent into the more-powerful tail swipe. | 5% (wing), 7% (tail), 9% (flame) |
Diddy Kong | Thrusts his foot behind himself and spins. | 9% |
Donkey Kong | A simple backwards kick. Very quick, moderately long duration, great range and powerful. | 13% (clean), 8% (late) |
Falco | Quickly kicks backwards. Has sex kick properties. | 13% (clean sweetspot), 9% (clean sourspot), 7% (late) |
Fox | Performs a slow back kick behind himself. The move's sweetspot is on his extended right leg with the sourspot being his left leg. The sweetspot will semi-spike opponents. | 15% (sweetspot), 9% (sourspot) |
Ganondorf | Performs a backhand punch, similar to Captain Falcon. One of Ganondorf's fastest aerials and also deals good knockback. | 16% |
Ice Climbers | Turns around and quickly swings their hammers in a horizontal arc. | 11% (leader), 8% (partner) |
Ike | Quickly swings Ragnell behind himself. This is Ike's fastest aerial and has good KO potential. | 14% |
Ivysaur | spins around vertically and hits behind itself with two vines. Deals low damage with very low knockback, but has good range. | 2% (hit 1), 3% (hit 2 tip), 2% (hit 2 base) |
Jigglypuff | Spins backwards and performs a quick horizontal kick. Used for both wall of pain and stage spiking. | 12% |
King Dedede | Sticks his foot out behind himself, kicking with it. Has very fast start-up with far horizontal reach and strong horizontal knockback. | 13% (clean), 9% (late) |
Kirby | Extends both his feet backwards. Used for Fence of Pain. Often considered the best move in Kirby's arsenal. | 12% (clean), 9% (late) |
Link | Does a two kick combo behind himself. Deals low damage and knockback, but can combo into other moves if Link lands immediately after landing the first hit. | 4% (hit 1), 7% (hit 2) |
Lucario | Thrusts its arm behind itself, releasing aura. Has good horizontal reach and also deals great horizontal knockback. One of the strongest back aerials in the game if Lucario is at full power. | 12% (clean), 9% (late) |
Lucas | Backflips and hooks his foot downward. Can meteor smash if the move connects at Lucas's foot. | 12% (meteor sweetspot), 10% (sweetspot), 9% (sourspot), 7% (tip) |
Luigi | Similar to Mario's, but has longer range. | 12% (clean), 8% (late) |
Mario | An aerial reverse mule kick. | 12% (clean), 7% (late) |
Marth | Swings his sword in an upwards swipe behind himself. This attack is notable because it turns Marth around in the air. | 11% (base), 14% (tip) |
Meta Knight | Slashes three times behind himself very quickly, being slightly slower but more powerful than his forward aerial. | 3% (hits 1-2), 4% (hit 3) |
Mr. Game & Watch | Takes out a turtle and attacks behind himself, hitting multiple times. Originates from Turtle Bridge. | 5% (hits 1-5) |
Ness | Kicks out backwards with both feet extended. The move's clean hit has an electric effect and extreme power. | 15% (clean), 8% (late) |
Olimar | Swings a Pikmin backwards. | R: 13% (head), 11% (body) Y: 12% (head), 9% (body) B&P: 13% (head), 10% (body) W: 5% (head), 4% (body) |
Peach | Bashes her hip backwards. One of Peach's good KO moves. | 13-14% (clean), 7% (late) |
Pikachu | Spins around in the air, dealing multiple hits. Has high ending lag if not autocanceled. | 1% (hits 1-7), 4% (hit 8), 4% (landing) |
Pit | Thrusts his bow backwards. Has good knockback, having the strongest out of all of Pit's aerials. | 15% (clean), 7% (late) |
R.O.B. | Aims his base behind himself and fires his boosters. Propels him forward and deals decent knockback. | 11% |
Samus | A backward kick. The sweetspot is on her foot, which deals slightly more knockback. | 12% (clean sweetspot), 11% (clean sourspot), 6% (late) |
Sheik | Quickly extends her leg backwards. Has sex kick properties with the sweetspot being on her foot. | 12% (clean sweetspot), 11% (clean sourspot), 6% (late) |
Snake | Kicks backward with both feet extended. Deals very high horizontal knockback if sweetspotted. Doesn't auto cancel in short hops, making it very punishable. | 15-16% (clean), 10% (late) |
Sonic | Spins around and performs a quick roundhouse kick. This is considered Sonic's best aerial finisher. | 13% (clean), 9% (late) |
Squirtle | Sticks its tail out behind itself. Has fast startup and a good edgeguarding move. | 12% (clean), 6% (late) |
Toon Link | Slashes backwards in an upward swipe with his sword. Can chain into itself at low percents and is a good KO move at higher percents. | 10% |
Wario | Throws his head backwards, hitting foes with it. Has more endlag and landing lag than his forward aerial. | 10% |
Wolf | Jams his leg backwards with deceiving range. Short duration, but very fast and powerful. | 13%/11% (right leg), 10%/9% (left leg) |
Yoshi | Rapidly flips his tail up and down, hitting multiple times. | 4% (hits 1), 3% (hits 2-3), 4% (hit 4) |
Zelda | Lightning Kick: Quickly kicks behind herself, dealing great damage and knockback if the opponent is hit at the beginning of the move at just the tip of her boot. Has less startup and ending lag than her forward aerial. | 20% (clean foot), 4% (clean leg, late) |
Zero Suit Samus | A backwards kick that deals high knockback. Can be used to bait at lower percentages and is a good KO move at higher percentages. | 13% (foot), 12% (leg) |
List of back aerials in Super Smash Bros. 4
Character | Description | Damage |
---|---|---|
Bayonetta | An extended kick behind her, similar to Zero Suit Samus' back aerial. High knockback and can KO starting at 110% near the ledge, along with low cooldown. The Bullet Art version fires one gun behind her at an upward angle. | 13% (heel), 10% (leg) |
Bowser | Performs a reverse dropkick. Very quick start-up. Extremely powerful, comparable to most other fighters' back aerials. | 19% |
Bowser Jr. | The Junior Clown Car swings a wrecking ball behind Bowser Jr. | 14% (clean tip), 8% (clean base, late) |
Captain Falcon | Does a quick backhand punch. | 14% (clean), 8% (late) |
Charizard | Swings its tail backwards. | 10% (body), 13% (tail), 15% (flame) |
Cloud | Similar to Ike's. Performs a spinning, two handed, outward slash behind him. | 13% |
Corrin | Sprouts wings from his/her back and thrusts them behind. Gives a slight boost forward similar to R.O.B.'s | 11% (clean), 9% (late) |
Dark Pit | Identical to Pit's. | 8% (base), 12% (tip) |
Diddy Kong | Thrusts his foot behind himself and spins. | 9% |
Donkey Kong | Quickly kicks backwards with one foot. Powerful, mostly being used for wall of pains. | 13% (clean), 8% (late) |
Dr. Mario | Identical to Mario's, though not as useful for chaining due to Doc's lower air speed. | 13.44% (clean), 7.84% (late) |
Duck Hunt | The dog swings the duck behind it, attacking with its beak. | 10% (sourspot), 12.5% (sweetspot) |
Falco | Does a backwards flying kick with one leg outstretched. Extremely fast and strong. | 13% (clean), 7% (late) |
Fox | Performs a slow back kick behind himself with one foot extended. A semi-spike. | 13% |
Ganondorf | Performs a backhand punch, similar to Captain Falcon. Very good knockback and speed makes it one of Ganon's more useful attacks. | 17% (fist), 16% (arm) |
Greninja | Performs three back kicks at a high angle, then a low angle, and then straight behind itself. | 3% (hit 1), 2.5% (hit 2), 4% (hit 3) |
Ike | Quickly swings Ragnell behind himself in a horizontal arc. One of Ike's fastest attacks, though it is a bit situational due to its short reach. | 14% |
Jigglypuff | Spins backwards and performs a quick horizontal kick. Powerful to the point of KOing reliably at 120%. | 13% |
King Dedede | Turns around and swings his hammer upwards. Can KO reliably below 130% and autocancels after a short hop. Very good range, and very effective against floaty opponents. | 16% |
Kirby | Extends both his feet backwards. Can KO at 131%. Useful for edgeguarding, and can also be used as a follow-up to back-throw at starting percentages. | 13% (clean), 8% (late) |
Link | Does a two kick combo behind himself. Deals low damage but has very little landing lag. | 3% (hit 1), 5% (hit 2) |
Little Mac | A swinging backhand punch behind himself. Has less startup than his forward aerial. | 6% (hand), 4% (arm) |
Lucario | Thrusts its arm behind itself, releasing aura. High horizontal knockback. It is the strongest back aerial and one of the strongest aerials in the game when Lucario is at full power, KOing opponents under 50%. | 15% |
Lucas | Backflips and hooks his foot downward. Can meteor smash if the move connects at Lucas's foot. | 12% (sweetspot), 9% (sourspot), 7% (late) |
Lucina | Identical to Marth's. | 9.975% |
Luigi | Performs a reverse mule kick. | 14% (clean feet), 8% (clean legs, late) |
Mario | Performs a reverse mule kick. | 10.5% (clean), 7% (late) |
Marth | Swings his sword in an upwards swipe behind himself. This attack is notable because it turns Marth around in the air. | 9% (base), 12% (tip) |
Mega Man | Slash Claw: Quickly turns around and swings his arm, generating two crescent-shaped energy trails behind him. It is based on Slash Man's weapon from Mega Man 7. Has decent knockback and can surprise opponents when edgeguarding. | 3% (hit 1), 4% (hit 2), 5% (hit 3) |
Meta Knight | Slashes three times behind himself very quickly. Slightly slower than his forward aerial but is slightly stronger. Very good for edgeguarding. | 2.2% (hits 1-2 for opponents on the ground), 1.5% (hits 1-2 for opponents in the air), 4% (hit 3) |
Mewtwo | Whips its tail behind itself. Does more damage closer to Mewtwo's body. | 13% (near), 11% (mid), 9% (far) |
Mii Brawler | Performs a single swinging back kick. | 10%* |
Mii Gunner | Releases a burst of flames from its arm cannon behind him/herself. | 12%* |
Mii Swordfighter | Quickly swipes his/her blade behind himself/herself. | 14%* |
Mr. Game & Watch | Takes out a turtle that attacks behind himself, hitting multiple times. Originates from Turtle Bridge. | 2% (hits 1-3), 3% (hit 4), 3% (landing) |
Ness | Kicks out backwards with both feet extended with a small electric pulse. Deals electric damage and strong knockback if the move is sweetspotted. | 15% (clean), 8% (late) |
Olimar | Swings a Pikmin behind himself. Very quick start-up. | R: 13% Y&B: 10.8% W: 8.6% P: 15.1% |
Pac-Man | Kicks the behind himself with both his feet extended. | 11.8% (clean), 7% (late) |
Palutena | Bashes her shield behind herself. The shield can block attacks due to the attack granting her invincibility frames (8 frames). Good for edgeguarding and can beat out most aerial attacks and certain projectiles. | 12% (shield), 9% (arm) |
Peach | Bashes her hip backwards. Has quick startup but as some ending lag. | 12% (clean), 7% (late) |
Pikachu | Spins around in the air, dealing multiple hits. Has high ending lag if not autocanceled. | 0.8% (hits 1-7), 3% (hit 8), 4% (landing) |
Pit | Thrusts both blades behind himself. Has the longest range and the strongest knockback of Pit's aerials. | 8% (base), 12% (tip) |
R.O.B. | Aims his base behind himself and fires his boosters. The move is notable for propelling R.O.B. forward during each use. | 12% (clean base), 10% (clean tip), 6% (late base), 4.5% (late tip) |
Robin | Thrusts his/her sword behind. Robin's strongest aerial attack, being able to KO as early as 100% with the Levin Sword. | Bronze: 9% Levin: 15% (clean), 5% (late) |
Rosalina & Luma | Rosalina: Kicks behind herself, creating a miniature galaxy at her feet. Luma: Kicks straight back. |
Rosalina: 11% Luma: 4% |
Roy | Turns with a hard pivot to the left into an upward vertical slash to the left. The move turns Roy around in the air. | 12% (base), 9% (tip) |
Ryu | Performs a reverse roundhouse kick behind himself. Based off on Ryu's neutral jumping heavy kick from Street Fighter IV. | 16% (leg), 13% (foot) |
Samus | Kicks backwards with one foot extended. Deals more damage and knockback if the move connects at the tip of Samus's foot. | 14% (clean foot), 12% (clean leg), 9% (late) |
Sheik | Quickly extends her leg backwards. Has sex kick properties with the sweetspot being on her foot. | 8% (clean sweetspot), 7% (clean sourspot), 5% (late) |
Shulk | Holds the Monado backwards and thrusts behind himself. Has slow startup and moderate landing lag, but good range. | 12% (clean), 8% (late) |
Sonic | Turns back and performs a quick roundhouse kick. Sonic's best aerial finisher. | 14% (clean), 10% (late) |
Toon Link | Slashes backwards in an upward swipe with his sword. Good as both a surprise attack and a finisher. | 11% |
Villager | Turns around and fires a pellet from a slingshot. Slightly slower compared to his/her forward aerial but deals more damage and knockback. | 9% (clean), 5% (mid), 3% (late) |
Wario | Thrusts his head backwards in mid-air. | 12% |
Wii Fit Trainer | Performs the Cobra pose and kicks behind her/himself. The sweetspot at Wii Fit Trainer's feet deals good damage and high knockback, but its small hitbox and only 1 active frame make it difficult to land. | 13.5% (clean feet), 11% (clean legs), 9% (clean body), |
Yoshi | Rapidly wags his tail, hitting three times. | 2.5% (hits 1-2), 5% (hit 3) |
Zelda | Lightning Kick: Kicks behind herself with an extremely powerful pulse from her extended foot with great knockback, yet a terrible sourspot. Has less startup than her forward aerial but has slightly more ending lag. | 20% (clean) 4% (late) |
Zero Suit Samus | A backwards kick that deals high knockback. | 12% (foot), 10% (leg) |
* This assumes the Mii is default height and weight.
List of back aerials in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Character | Description | Damage |
---|---|---|
Banjo & Kazooie | N/A | N/A |
Bayonetta | A strong kick behind herself. Strong knockback, though has a smaller hurtbox than in the previous game. | 10% (leg), 13% (foot) |
Bowser | Kicks with both feet behind him. It is Bowser’s strongest aerial, dealing devastating damage and knockback, comparable to a powerful forward smash. | 19% |
Bowser Jr. | Swings a wreaking ball behind him. Very strong at the tip of the ball. | 14% (clean tip), 8% (clean base, late) |
Captain Falcon | A fast and strong backward punch. A great combo move and edge-guarding option. | 13% (clean), 8% (late) |
Charizard | Swings it’s tail behind itself. Very powerful, especially when the flame connects, although is quite slow. | 16% (flame), 14% (tail), 11% (body) |
Chrom | A sword swing behind himself with an identical animation to Roy, but with consistent power. Has great knockback and range, making it great for edge-guarding. | 10.925% |
Cloud | Does a somewhat horizontal sword swing behind himself. Has a bit of startup but great range and knockback. | 13% |
Corrin | Grows wings and Thrusts then backward. Deals good knockback, and gives Corrin some forward momentum. | 11% (clean), 9% (late) |
Daisy | Identical to Peach’s. | 12% (clean), 10.2% (mid), 7% (late) |
Dark Pit | Identical to Pit’s. | 12% (tip), 8% (base) |
Dark Samus | Identical to Samus’s. | 14% (clean foot), 12% (clean leg), 9% (late) |
Diddy Kong | A quick kick behind him. It’s speed makes it a good edge-guarding move. | 9% |
Donkey Kong | A quick backward kick him. Has strong knockback and good range like the rest of his aerials. It’s an excellent edge-guarding tool thanks to this. | 13% (clean), 8% (late) |
Dr. Mario | Same animation as Mario’s, though more powerful. | 14.1% (clean), 8.2% (late) |
Duck Hunt | The duck thrusts it’s beak behind itself. Has some endlag, but good knockback. | 10% (duck), 12.5% (duck's beak) |
Falco | A quick backwards kick. Has surprisingly high knockback for it’s fast startup and simple nature. | 13% (clean), 7% (late) |
Fox | A kick behind him. It is a semi-spike with good knockback, and is one of his main kill options at very high percents. | 13% |
Ganondorf | Swings his fist backward. Immensely powerful overall with some endlag. | 18.5% (fist), 17% (arm) |
Greninja | Three quick kicks behind itself. A decent edge-guarding tool and dragdown option. | 3% (hit 1), 2.5% (hit 2), 6% (hit 3) |
Hero | N/A | N/A |
Ice Climbers | Swings hammer behind them. Great damage if they are together. | 10% (leader), 7.5% (partner) |
Ike | A horizontal sword swing behind him. Very strong with quick startup, though has some endlag. | 14% |
Incineroar | A backwards roundhouse kick. It is extremely powerful if Incineroar lands the attack on just the foot, like most of its kicks. | 13% (foot), 11% (heel) |
Inkling | Swings the Splattershot behind her/him. Decently fast. | 10% |
Isabelle | turns around and fires a slingshot. Similar to villager’s, but has greater vertical range. | 9% (clean), 5% (mid), 3% (late) |
Ivysaur | Swings two vines behind itself. Great speed and range, making an effective edge-guarding and anti-air option. | 3% (hit 1), 6% (hit 2) |
Jigglypuff | A roundhouse kick behind Jigglypuff. It has slow startup, but powerful knockback and it reverses Jigglypuff similarily to Marth and his derivatives. | 13% |
Joker | Swings his knife behind him. It is fairly quick and becomes significantly stronger with Arsene present. | 9% (Joker), 16% (Arsene) |
Ken | Identical to Ryu’s. | 16% (leg), 13% (foot) |
King Dedede | A slow but very powerful hammer swing behind him. Good for edge-guarding and helping Dedede land. | 16% |
King K. Rool | A powerful punch while wearing a boxing glove. Very strong knockback, though is prone to punishment if whiffed. | 19% (sweetspot), 14.5% (sourspot) |
Kirby | Kicks with both feet behind him. Kirby's fastest and strongest aerial. | 13% (clean), 8% (late) |
Link | Kicks behind him twice. Weak compared to most back aerials, being mainly for edge-guarding and combos. | 5% (hit 1), 7% (hit 2) |
Little Mac | A slow and weak punch behind him. It is a poor aerial overall like the rest of his aerials. | 6% |
Lucario | Strikes his palm behind him, unleashing aura. It’s Lucario’s strongest aerial, and like all of Lucario’s moveset, It’s power varies greatly based on his damage. | 14% (clean), 13% (late) |
Lucas | An overhead swinging kick with PSI. It meteor smashes when sweetspotted, and is great for combos and edge-guarding. | 12% (sweetspot), 9% (sourspot), 7% (late) |
Lucina | Identical to Marth’s, but with consistent power. | 11.875% |
Luigi | Similar to Mario's, though is considerably more powerful and has longer range due to Luigi being taller than Mario, though it has more startup and endlag to compensate. | 14% (clean), 8% (late) |
Mario | Performs an aerial reverse mule kick. A decently fast option that’s good for combos and edge-guarding. | 10.5% (clean), 7% (late) |
Marth | A wide sword swing behind him. Has great range and is powerful when tippered. A great edge guarding tool like most of his aerials and reverses him in the air. | 9% (blade), 12.5% (tip) |
Mega Man | Summons multiple slash claws from his arm behind him. Very fast and has strong knockback, making it threatening for edge-guarding and killing. | 3% (hit 1), 4% (hit 2), 5% (hit 3) |
Meta Knight | Three quick sword swings in behind him. Great for edge-guarding. | 1.5% (hits 1 and 2), 4% (hit 3) |
Mewtwo | A long ranged tail swing behind him. One of Mewtwo’s most viable edge-guarding options though leaves him somewhat vulnerable. | 13% (near), 11% (mid), 9% (far) |
Mii Brawler | A kick behind him/her. A very traditional Back air, having decent knockback. | 12% |
Mii Gunner | 13% | |
Mii Swordfighter | 14% | |
Mr. Game & Watch | 2% (hits 1 - 3), 3% (hit 4) | |
Ness | 15% (clean), 8% (late) | |
Olimar | ||
Pac-Man | 11.8% (clean), 7% (late) | |
Palutena | 12% | |
Peach | Sticks her rear out. It can horizonally launch oppponents. | 12% (clean), 10.2% (mid), 7% (late) |
Pichu | Similar to Pikachu's, but emits electricity. Causes recoil as a result of being a electrical move. | 2% (hits 1-5), 2.5% (hit 6), 1.0% recoil |
Pikachu | Spins itself around in a horizontal motion. Can be used as a edgeguarding option. | 1% (hits 1-5), 3.6% (hit 6), 4% (landing) |
Pit | 12% (tip), 8% (base) | |
Piranha Plant | 14.5% | |
Richter | Identical to Simon's. | 12% (spiked ball), 10% (chain), 2% (body) |
Ridley | 15% | |
R.O.B. | 15% (base), 13% (middle), 9% (late base/middle) | |
Robin | 9% (bronze), 15% (levin, clean), 5% (levin, late) | |
Rosalina & Luma | 11%, 6% (Luma) | |
Roy | 9% (blade), 12% (hilt) | |
Ryu | 16% (leg), 13% (foot) | |
Samus | 14% (clean foot), 12% (clean leg), 9% (late) | |
Sheik | 9.5% (clean sweetspot), 7.5% (clean sourspot), 6% (late) | |
Shulk | 12.5% (blade), 8.5% (beam) | |
Simon | Performs a backwards whip crack with his Vampire Killer. Long horizontal range but has a slim hitbox. The aerial also acts as a tether recovery, but will cancel out the attacking part of the move in the process. | 12% (spiked ball), 10% (chain), 2% (body) |
Snake | 16% (clean, feet), 14% (clean, legs), 10% (late, feet), 9% (late, legs) | |
Sonic | A backwards hook kick. Sonic's strongest aerial, making it his best aerial finisher and one of his most reliable KO options. | 14% (clean), 10% (late) |
Squirtle | 1% (rapid hits, up to 5), 6% (final hit) | |
Toon Link | 8% | |
Villager | 9% (clean), 5% (mid), 3% (late) | |
Wario | 12% | |
Wii Fit Trainer | Performs the Cobra pose and kicks behind her/himself. The sweetspot at Wii Fit Trainer's feet deals good damage and high knockback, but its small hitbox and only 1 active frame make it difficult to land. | 13.5% (clean feet), 11% (clean legs), 9% (clean body), 6% (late) |
Wolf | 11% (body), 13% (leg), 15% (foot) | |
Yoshi | Wags his tail seven times which can deal multiple hits. | 3.5% (hits 1-2), 5.5% (hit 3) |
Young Link | 5% (hit 1), 7% (hit 2) | |
Zelda | 20% (clean foot), 4% (clean leg, late) | |
Zero Suit Samus | 12% (foot), 10% (leg) |
Notable back aerials
- Jigglypuff's back aerial in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Brawl is used for the highly effective "wall of pain". In Smash 4, its knockback has been drastically increased, losing its wall of pain ability, but KOing reliably at 120%.
- R.O.B.'s and Corrin's back aerials propel them forward. R.O.B. covers more overall distance while Corrin travels faster.
- Peach's back aerial has almost no landing lag, even less than its standard midair ending lag.
- Kirby's back aerial in Melee, an attack similar to Jigglypuff's back aerial but instead has almost no start-up lag. The move is dubbed the "fence of pain".
- Marth, Lucina, Roy, Chrom, and Jigglypuff's back aerials turn them around while still in midair. These are the only aerials able to do so in the Super Smash Bros. series.
- Dr. Mario's back aerial is a semi-spike with high base knockback, making it effective for edgeguarding.
- Zelda's back aerial in Melee is the strongest in the game if sweetspoted. Likewise, Ness's back aerial is among the strongest in the game if landed during the initial frames.
- Ganondorf's back aerial in Super Smash Bros. Melee is known for its tremendous range, duration, and a knockback only bested by Zelda's Lightning Kick. Such attributes make it one of, if not, the best back aerial in Melee overall.
- Toon Link's quick back aerial, with minimal knockback in Brawl. The move is effective for positioning the opponent for an immediate down aerial.
- Fox's back aerial in Brawl is a powerful semi-spike when sweetspotted, and is very safe to use from a short hop due to its nearly immediate autocancel window after its hitboxes cease. In Smash 4, the move has consistent power across its hitboxes and all of them semi-spike, but it is considerably weaker than in Brawl.
- Pikachu's back aerial has extremely short range, but the hitbox surrounds Pikachu.
- Mr. Game & Watch's back aerial is the feared Turtle, a disjointed five-hit combo. Like his neutral and up airs, it cannot be L-Canceled due to a programming error in Melee
- Lucas's and King K. Rool's back aerials can meteor smash.
- Samus's back aerial in Melee, one of her combo moves, which, when sweetspotted, is a very powerful low-percent killer, and when not sweetspotted, is a wall of pain on some fast and medium fallers.
- Lucario's back aerial in Smash 4, when it is in full power and sweetspotted, is very powerful KO moves as it can KO opponents under 50%. It is the most powerful back aerial and one of the most powerful aerials in the game.
- Bowser's back aerial in Smash 4 is not only very quick, but also one of the most powerful aerial moves in the game (about as strong as Ganondorf's down aerial), on par with most fighters' forward smashes.
- Falco's back aerial in Smash 4 is notorious for being one of the strongest back aerials in the game, due to its extreme speed (frame 4), high knockback scaling (surpassing even Ness' back throw), and ability to autocancel from a short hop fast fall. However, it lacks range and hitbox duration.
- Palutena's back aerial is noted for its defensive capabilities, providing some intangibility and beating out certain projectiles.
- Villager's back aerial is the only back aerial that is a projectile.
- Shulk's back aerial, though slow, has exceptionally high disjointed range along with high power, making it a powerful finishing and spacing tool if spaced well. Its high landing lag makes it punishable, but it becomes very difficult to punish with Monado Art Landing Lag Canceling, and can even break full shields with Buster active if an Art-canceled back air to forward smash is landed.
Reverse Aerial Rush
The Reverse Aerial Rush, often abbreviated the RAR, is a technique in Brawl and Smash 4 that allows a character to use a back aerial in front of him or her. This is often used because the character has an inferior forward aerial or that a back air is simply more efficient than a normal attack at the time. It can also be used as an approach option. Many characters, such as King Dedede and Ness, can benefit from this technique.
Attacks in the Super Smash Bros. series | |
---|---|
Standard ground attacks | Neutral attack · Dash attack |
Tilt attacks | Forward tilt · Up tilt · Down tilt · Crouching attack |
Smash attacks | Forward smash · Up smash · Down smash |
Aerial attacks | Neutral aerial · Forward aerial · Back aerial · Up aerial · Down aerial · Grab aerial · Glide attack |
Throws | Grab · Pummel · Forward throw · Back throw · Up throw · Down throw |
Get-up attacks | Floor attack · Edge attack |
Special moves | Neutral special move · Side special move · Up special move · Down special move · Command-input move · Final Smash |