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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Sonic (SSBU)

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This article is about Sonic's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For the character in other contexts, see Sonic the Hedgehog.
Sonic
in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Sonic SSBU.png
SonicSymbol.svg
Universe Sonic the Hedgehog
Other playable appearances in Brawl
in SSB4

Availability Unlockable
Final Smash Super Sonic
Sonic (SSBU)
“ This speedy fighter has a lot of rush-type attacks. His final smash, Super Sonic, lets him fly around the stage at an incredible speed! ”
—Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site

Sonic (ソニック, Sonic) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was confirmed as a playable character on June 12th, 2018. Sonic is classified as fighter #38.

Roger Craig Smith's portrayal of Sonic from various Sonic games and Jun'ichi Kanemaru’s portrayal of Sonic from Brawl were repurposed for the English and Japanese versions of Ultimate. Alexandre Gillet, Jonathan López, Marc Stachel and Renato Novara's portrayals of Sonic from various Sonic games used in Smash 4 were also repurposed for the French, Spanish, German, and Italian versions respectively.

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

  • Play VS. matches, with Sonic being the 17th character to be unlocked.
  • Clear Classic Mode with Mario or anyone in his unlock tree, being the 1st character unlocked.
  • Have Sonic join the player's party in World of Light.

With the exception of the third method, Sonic must then be defeated on Green Hill Zone.

Attributes

Sonic is a lightweight who, staying true to his home series, has very fast mobility. He possesses the fastest dash speed in the game by default (surpassed only by Hero under the effects of Acceleratle), the 7th fastest walk speed, the 12th fastest air speed (tied with Mario, Donkey Kong, Little Mac and Inkling), and the highest traction. Combined with his above-average falling speed, Sonic can move across the stage at blinding speeds despite his slow air acceleration. In addition, he can wall jump.

Sonic's special moves are quite useful. Spin Dash and Spin Charge allow him to not only move across stages at varying speeds, but also do damage on contact, and both can follow up into an aerial attack or uncharged Homing Attack. Despite their very similar looking appearances in functions, they both have different strengths and uses for various different situations.

Spin Dash allows Sonic to jump around the stage while charging or holding the charge of the move, and can be released in the air, and the hop at the start of the move allows Sonic to "spinshot" on ground as well as in the air, with it being the side special making it more ideal for aiming the spin shot to recover. The initial jump can also help Sonic avoid certain things like projectiles by hopping over them, it however loses this initial hop if fully charged. Spin Dash also has a moment of intangibility on startup. Due to the amount of branching options Sonic has when starting Spin Dash, it is his most reliable attack in neutral and one of his best approach options overall. From jumping into cancellation, charging it to alter its timing, switching directions after releasing, and utilizing the spin shot, Spin Dash plays an extremely important role when attempting to play mind games versus Sonic's opponent.

While Spin Dash is a one-hit move that mostly knocks opponents into the air, Spin Charge on the other hand hits multiple times, carrying the opponent, and moves a little faster, making it a good alternative for dashing. Jumping out of Spin Charge also has Sonic hop while spinning, making him a jumping hitbox. Also, due to charging up by pushing the Special Move button repeatedly, it can be charged up to full power faster than Spin Dash. Spin Charge can also perform a "spinshot", although it can only be done while airborne.

Both give Sonic additional protection when recovering and combo into other moves. The mobility of both in tandem with Sonic's already impressive speed make him capable of quickly adding on damage to unprepared opponents from anywhere on the stage, and they can clank and cancel out the effects of certain moves, such as Snake's C4 or Yoshi's Egg Roll. Both moves can be blocked by shield, making them a bit unsafe and committal or predictable, as Spin Dash can only be canceled with a jump and Spin Charge can only be canceled by jumping or stopping pressing the Special Move button. However, they can bypass shields if fully-charged.

Homing Attack deals a varying amount of damage, homes in on the nearest opponent and is good for punishing laggy moves and edge-guard breaking. Its uncharged state also has potential to combo and its charged state has K.O. potential at higher percents. Spring Jump is a useful recovery that grants intangibility at the start, goes very high, and is one of few recovery moves that do not cause a helpless state, enabling Sonic to attack and dodge during his descent and even extend his recovery with a directional air dodge. The spring that is dropped can be useful both on-stage and off-stage by allowing him to pressure and gimp opponents, respectively.

Sonic also has a powerful air game. Neutral aerial is a great combo starter when SHFF'd, as a result of its long-lasting hitbox, low landing lag, and launching angle. Forward aerial is useful for edge-guarding and, in certain instances, can combo into itself on-stage at low percentages, thanks to its auto-canceling window and Sonic's fast air speed. Up aerial possesses KO potential near the upper blast line and is great for combos, while its auto-canceling window makes it deceptively safe. Back aerial's clean hitbox is powerful, making it one of his few reliable KOing options like his up aerial, and coupled with its strength within Sonic's kit, also makes it his best aerial finisher. Lastly, down aerial is a stall-then-fall; although it is Sonic's least effective aerial, it has noticeably less ending lag compared to other stall-then-falls, and its initial hitbox meteor smashes aerial opponents.

Sonic's neutral attack, tilts, and throws have decent damage outputs and good speed, making them hard to punish. His grab game is decent overall: While none of Sonic's grabs excel in speed and each of them have average ranges, they are still fairly easy to land thanks to his outstanding speed. Sonic's pummel is also quick and has an average damage output, allowing him to rack up a fair amount of damage before throwing an opponent. Down throw is a semi-spike that has high base knockback, which makes it excellent for setting up edge-guards and tech-chases. Back throw also has high base knockback and KOs much earlier than his other throws, especially if it is used while near the edge. It also moves Sonic backward, which makes it useful for setting up an immediate edge-guard attempt. Up tilt can be reversed on startup, and hit opponents through platforms above Sonic, and his Forward Smash has a bit of a deceptively large range due to him stepping forward during the punch.

Up throw is a reliable combo starter, having decently damaging combos beginning at 0%, as well as Spring Jump-assisted aerial combos beginning at medium percentages. It also has KO potential, although it only KOs reliably at very high percentages when used on high platforms, such as Battlefield's top platform, as well as stages with low upper blast zones. Lastly, forward throw is his least useful throw, as its primary utility is for forcing the opponent away from him. Like up throw, it can also function as a KOing option, albeit only when used on the edge at very high percentages.

Mastering Sonic's running game is crucial to Sonic's ability to perform at higher levels, and is one of the factors that makes him so difficult to play competitively. Sonic users take advantage of a variety of dash or dash-related techniques that are seldom used by other characters. Dash-dancing can be extremely useful for mind games in Sonic's gameplay, such as by running in one direction and then quickly turning the other way around to bait an opponent or catch them off-guard. It is often regarded by Sonic players that it is better to run away from the opponent and run back than to use roll-dodges to avoid opponents. This allows the player to avoid damage, not be as easily punished, have more control over their actions, and be able to punish their opponent's attacks. Dash-dance pivots (consisting of fox-trotting away from the opponent, then quickly dash-dancing backwards) are particularly effective for this, as they can cause almost immediate turnarounds and then grabs can then be used to punish opponents. In general, Sonic has the easiest time winning neutral exchanges due to his unmatched speed and maneuverability on-stage, and attacks that not only come out fast but can also be used to approach with.

Sonic has some weaknesses however, the most noticeable of which is his KO potential. His KO potential is held back by his most reliable KOing options (smash attacks, and clean back aerial) requiring good positioning and having noticeable start-up and ending lag. His forward and up smashes are also burdened with low base knockback, which forces them to be used for KO attempts later instead of earlier and down smash, while having decent start up, has high ending lag, making it easy to punish if missed. While his damage-racking potential is formidable, his actual ability to close out a stock is one of the worst in the game, often resulting in his opponents surviving beyond 150% and even 200%. Despite his outstanding mobility, Sonic may struggle to land due to his very slow air acceleration, leaving him susceptible to juggling.

Sonic can also have difficulty dealing with camping, since any ground-level projectile can severely limit his movement options. While Homing Attack and Spin Dash are his best options in getting through said projectiles, they can be reacted to and even predicted. Some of his attacks are also very punishable should they miss, and thus allow openings for opponents to punish him. His recovery is also predictable with Spring Jump as his only vertical recovery option, as its linearity makes him susceptible to gimps even at relatively low percentages. Finally, Sonic can be susceptible to early KOs due to his light weight.

Much like in Brawl, Sonic's matchups are difficult to define, as they vary greatly from player to player, possibly moreso than for any other character. Depending on the play-style of the Sonic, he can have a decent matchup against almost any character in the game, even at competitive levels. Because of his prowess for mindgaming and switching up tactics, as well as the inherent strengths and weaknesses to each style of play, some Sonic mains argue that Sonic has no truly disadvantageous matchups as a character, and that his matchups are much more heavily influenced by playstyle than his actual attributes.

In all, Sonic has a great offensive play, has a strong neutral game, a good off-stage presence, and can very rapidly damage his opponents, but like other characters of his archetype, has some trouble KOing.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Like most other top tier characters, Sonic was often regarded as one of the most potent characters in SSB4, which was reflected in its latest tier list (tied with Fox for 7th out of 55th). His phenomenal ground movement and Spin Dash not only granted him a powerful neutral game, but also encouraged a borderline oppressive hit-and-run playstyle, to a point where Sonic players would often utilize time outs after having a stock/percentage lead to win games. Likely as a result of this, Sonic was given a mix of buffs and nerfs in his transition to Ultimate, but has been nerfed overall.

Several of Sonic's key strengths and moves from SSB4 have been toned down considerably. Arguably his biggest nerf was towards his Spin Dash: The move can no longer be shield canceled and can no longer go through shields unless it is fully charged; this noticeably hinders Sonic's infamous camping ability and mind games from SSB4, and now requires Sonic to rely more on his pure speed to play defensively. Up aerial, known for its status as a strong KO option off of moves like Spring Jump and Spin Dash, has received angle and knockback adjustments to the first hit that worsen its ability to connect into the second hit as reliably, no longer managing to follow Sonic's momentum when he jumps and hindering its effectiveness and consistency for combos. This is further compounded by up throw's nerf; known for being a potential finisher due to it's ability to combo into Spring Jump-assisted setups, it now has increased endlag, effectively removing most of Sonic's Spring Jump-assisted combos off of it. Lastly, Spring Jump's spring now sends opponents at a more horizontal angle, toning down its once powerful edge guarding potency, and has much less intangibility frames, making it easier to intercept Sonic during his recovery. His much lighter weight and increased falling speed also noticeably worsen his endurance.

However, Sonic has been granted notable buffs as well, particularly towards his less impressive attacks. Homing Attack has been significantly buffed, now having less start-up lag, less endlag upon hitting an opponent, better homing capabilities, and increased damage output; this has lead to the move becoming a much more viable combo tool as well as a potential option to break neutral. Down tilt now launches opponents at a higher angle, granting the move combo potential, down smash and up smash have increased KO potential, giving Sonic a slightly easier time KOing with them. Additionally, some of Sonic's already stronger moves have been buffed in various ways: Despite having been worsened overall, Spin Dash now has the ability to be jump canceled, granting Sonic some potential mix-up options, albeit less effective ones than previously. Spring Jump now grants Sonic slightly more distance and due to Ultimate's mechanic changes regarding air dodges, allows Sonic to directionally air dodge out of it to gain a little extra height, buffing his already impressive recovery. Lastly, several of Sonic multi-hitting attacks now link into each other more reliably, including Spin Charge, up smash, forward aerial, and forward tilt.

Lastly, Sonic has received improvements as a result of Ultimate's universal mechanic changes. Known for having high landing lag on his attacks in SSB4, Sonic now possesses much less landing lag on all of his aerials, although still above average relative to the cast; this grants neutral aerial increased combo potential, improves back aerial's safety as a spacing option, and makes down aerials a slightly safer (albeit still unsafe) landing option. Sonic's already unmatchable ground mobility has been improved even further, with his initial dash now being among the fastest in the game, heightening his camping abilities via running. Lastly, the ability to run cancel allows Sonic to take advantage of his phenomenal ground movement far more than any other character in Ultimate, granting him powerful mix-up options he didn't have access to in SSB4.

Overall, while Sonic still retains his powerful attributes and combo game, several of Sonic's most powerful tools from SSB4 have either been worsened or have been removed altogether. As a result, Sonic must take advantage of Ultimate's reworked mechanics and gear towards a more offensive playstyle than in the previous game. This has lead to a generally less effective character between games, as Sonic is forced to make greater use of his below average moveset compared to his previous incarnation, who mainly relied on Spin Dash to compensate for his generally underwhelming attacks.

Due to these nerfs, worse tournament results, and lower representation as a result of previous SSB4 Sonic players (including Jakal, kuma, and Seagull Joe) either relegating him to a secondary or dropping him altogether, Sonic's overall perception has been mixed, but mostly relatively positive: While some players such as Mew2King and Leffen view him as an upper mid tier character or even a high tier in the case of ZeRo, Samsora, Tweek and Dabuz, other players such as ESAM and VoiD claim that he is lower mid tier character. Despite this, Sonic has achieved strong results competitively given the efforts of players including Wrath, Sonix, Sonido, and especially KEN, the latter of which has made several notable placements and has wins over many high-level players. As a result, Sonic's true viability currently remains up for debate.

Aesthetics

  •   As with all veterans returning from Smash 4, Sonic's model features a more subdued color scheme. His fur is now lightly detailed similar to other furry characters.
  •   Sonic is much more expressive than in Smash 4, as he now has a sly grin while dashing and now frowns when using his up tilt, forward smash, forward throw, and when shielding. His eyes are also slightly more emotive.
  •   Sonic's head quills bounce and move around more, resembling how their movement was in Brawl.
  •   Sonic now grins during his running victory pose instead of smirking, like in Brawl.
  •   Sonic's Chaos Emerald victory animation now has him running up to the Emerald before grabbing it.

Attributes

  •   Like all characters, Sonic's jumpsquat animation now takes 3 frames to complete (down from 5).
  •   Sonic walks faster (1.375 → 1.444).
  •   Sonic runs faster (3.5 → 3.85).
    •   Sonic's initial dash is significantly faster (1.5 → 2.31) now being the 3rd fastest.
  •   Sonic's traction has been massively increased (0.06 → 0.138), now being the highest in the entire game. This makes it much easier for him to punish out of shield.
  •   Sonic's air speed is faster (1.15 → 1.208).
  •   Sonic falls faster (1.45 → 1.65).
  •   Sonic's fast-fall is faster (2.32 → 2.64). This improves his air mobility and makes him less susceptible to juggles.
  •   Sonic is considerably lighter (94 → 86), now making him a lightweight instead of a middleweight, weighing slightly more than Zelda and being lighter than Little Mac, worsening his endurance. While this change would make him less susceptible to combos, this is prevented by his faster fall speed.
  •   Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-15 → 4-14) and has more ending lag (FAF 28 → 29).
  •   Back roll has more ending lag (FAF 28 → 34).
  •   Spot dodge has more startup (frame 2 → 3).
  •   Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 2-25 → 2-26).
  •   Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 31 → 51).
  •   The reintroduction of directional air dodges improves Sonic's recovery more than other characters', as due to Spring Jump not causing helplessness, he can get additional distance with a directional air dodge after using it.
  •   Sonic now takes a slight amount of damage per second when swimming. He shares this trait with Charizard, Inkling, and Incineroar.
    •   His swimming animation is also changed, showing him constantly in a panicked state (as opposed to only being in one when drowning).

Ground attacks

  • Neutral attack:
    •   The first and second hits have different angles to keep opponents closer to Sonic (hit 1: 92°/60°/361° → 361°/180°, hit 2: 80°/60°/48° → 361°), akin to other neutral attacks, and deal less knockback (18 set/100 scaling → 20 base/20/15 scaling (hit 1), 20/15 base/20 scaling (hit 2)), but inflict additional frames of hitstun (0 → 8 (hit 1), 4 (hit 2)). This allows them to connect more reliably, and the second hit to lock opponents.
    •   Consecutive uses of the first hit are faster (13 → 10 frames).
    •   The first hit transitions faster into the second hit (frame 9 → 7), which transitions faster into the third hit (frame 8 → 6).
    •   The third hit launches at a lower angle (50° → 361°), allowing it to force opponents offstage more effectively and set up tech-chases.
    •   All hits have a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.6× (hit 1), 1.2× (hit 2), 2× (hit 3)), giving opponents more time to SDI each hit and DI the last hit.
    •   The first hit has had its three large hitboxes replaced with four smaller ones (3u/3.5u/4u → 1.4u/1.4u/1.6u/1.6u). The second and third hits have smaller hitboxes as well (4u/3.4u/3u → 2.3u/2.3u/2.8u (hit 2), 3u/3.5u/5u → 2.6u/2.6u/3.6u (hit 3)).
    •   The second hit deals less damage (2% → 1.5%).
    •   The third hit has a shorter hitbox duration (frames 4-6 → 4-5).
    •   The third hit has a slightly different animation.
  • Forward tilt:
    •   The first hit has drastically reduced knockback scaling, but increased base knockback (60 (base)/70 (scaling) → 80/3) and has been moved farther from Sonic (Z offset: -1.6u → -0.7), allowing it to connect into the second hit more reliably.
    •   The second hit's outermost hitbox has been moved further outwards (X offset: 4.9 → 6) improving its range.
  • Up tilt
    •   Both hits of up tilt have less startup lag (frame 7 → 6 (hit 1), frame 18 → 13 (hit 2)).
      •   However, its total duration remains unchanged, giving it more ending lag. This completely removes its combo potential.
    •   The first hit's late portion no longer uses the autolink angle (365° → 95°).
    •   The first active hitbox is slightly smaller (5.5u → 5.2u).
  • Down tilt:
    •   Down tilt launches at a more upward angle (361° → 73°) and deals much more knockback (30 base/80 scaling → 40/100), improving its combo potential.
    •   It returns Sonic to his original position after kicking, rather than moving him forward, making it safer to use for spacing.
  • Dash attack:
    •   Dash attack has been changed to only consist of a lunge kick, with the Spin Attack portion beforehand being removed. As a result, it no longer hits multiple times, although its total damage remains intact (1% (hits 1-3), 3% (hit 4) → 6% (clean)). It also has less knockback to compensate for the single hit's greater damage relative to the previous version's final hit (80 base/125 scaling → 88/80 (clean), 93/80 (late)).
    •   It has much less ending lag (FAF 62 → 50).
    •   The late hit has gained a shieldstun multiplier of 1.57×. Combined with its reduced ending lag and the increased shieldstun for ground attacks, this makes it safer on shield.
    •   It launches at a lower angle (70° → 60°), hindering its KO potential.
  • Forward smash:
    •   Sonic's arm stretches out further during the punch, improving its range.
  • Up smash:
    •   Up smash has less startup lag (frame 19 → 18).
      •   However, its total duration remains unchanged, giving it more ending lag.
    •   Up smash's looping hits are larger (4u/4u/4u/4u → 4.2u/4.2u/4u/4u), slightly improving its range.
    •   The first hit launches opponents towards Sonic (90° → 95°), while the looping hits have a lower SDI multiplier (0.6× → 0.5×), and both use weight-independent knockback, allowing them to connect more reliably.
    •   The last hit has increased knockback scaling (165 → 170), improving its KO potential.
  • Down smash:
    •   Down smash's front hit deals much more knockback (55 base/63 scaling → 50/80), matching the strength of the back hit.

Aerial attacks

  •   All aerials have less landing lag (16 frames → 10 (neutral), 26 → 16 (forward), 30 → 15 (back), 21 → 13 (up), 38 → 21 (down)).
  • Forward aerial:
    •   Forward aerial's multi-hits consist of one large hitbox instead of four smaller ones (2u → 5.5u), which uses the autolink angle (130°/60°/200°/340° → 367°) and has more set knockback (30 → 40), allowing them to connect more reliably. They also have a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.7×), making them harder to SDI out of.
  • Back aerial:
    •   Back aerial's late hit has much less knockback scaling (100 → 76), significantly hindering its KO potential.
  • Up aerial:
    •   Up aerial's first hit has much less knockback scaling (100 → 50) and launches at different angles (100°/118° → 110°/123°). As a result, its knockback fails to follow Sonic's vertical momentum when used in a jump, worsening its linking ability into the second hit.
    •   The second hit deals more damage (6% → 8%), with knockback scaling compensated (82 → 68).
  • Down aerial:
    •   Down aerial only possesses a clean hit and late hit, with the early hit being removed (frames 17-18/19-22/23-32 → 17-19/20-32).
      •   Its meteor smash hitbox is slightly larger (3.5u → 3.6u).
      •   This allows for the aerial meteor smash to be landed much more easily.
      •   However, this reduces the clean hit's duration against grounded opponents.
    •   The late hit deals more knockback (80 base/70 scaling → 75/80).
    •   The late hit has gained a sourspot that deals less damage (7% → 5%) without compensation on knockback.

Throws and other attacks

  • Grabs:
    •   All grabs have more ending lag (FAF 31 → 38 (standing), 38 → 48 (dash), 37 → 40 (pivot)).
    •   Standing and pivot grab have slightly more startup lag (frame 6 → 7 (standing), frame 10 → 11 (pivot)).
    •   Standing and dash grab have less range (Z2 offset: 9.7u → 8.7u (standing), 11.1u → 10.4u (dash)).
  • Pummel:
    •   It deals less damage (2% → 1.3%).
    •   It deals more hitlag (4 frames → 14), but has much less startup (frame 4 → 1) and ending lag (FAF 16 → 7).
    •   It has a slightly different animation.
  • Forward throw:
    •   Forward throw sends opponents at a more horizontal angle that is desirable for edgeguarding (70° → 45°).
    •   It releases opponents faster (frame 12 → 11), but with its total duration unchanged, increasing its ending lag.
    •   It has significantly less knockback scaling (100 → 75), no longer KOing at high percents.
  • Up throw:
    •   Up throw releases opponents faster (frame 28 → 23), but with its total duration unchanged, increasing its ending lag. This reduces its combo potential, despite Sonic's faster jumpsquat and jump speed, and in combination with the faster knockback physics, it severely worsens Spring Jump-assisted followups, no longer being guaranteed.
  • Down throw:
    •   Down throw's release deals more damage (4% → 5%), with its base knockback compensated (80 → 75).
  • Edge attack:
    •   Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).

Special moves

  • Homing Attack:
    •   Homing Attack can be charged for much longer, with Sonic ascending much higher during the charge (frames 22-34 → frames 15-82).
      •   It has less startup when uncharged (frame 22 → 15), allowing it to be comboed into from other moves.
    •   It deals more damage especially when charged (5%-12% → 7%-20%), with knockback not fully compensated (45 base/90 scaling → 55/65), improving its KO potential at high charge levels.
    •   It launches Sonic at a straighter trajectory towards opponents, improving its accuracy.
    •   It incurs less ending lag upon hitting an opponent (FAF 32 → 27), allowing it to combo into other moves at certain percentages.
    •   It has larger hitboxes (3.5u/3.5u → 5u/5u).
    •   It has gained a shieldstun multiplier of 0.5×, thus dealing less shieldstun than in Smash 4, despite it being increased for moves other than smash attacks and aerials. This makes it relatively less safe on shield.
    •   It launches at a slightly lower angle (55° → 53°).
    •   The move shows a reticle on the opponent right before Sonic is about to strike, as in games from Sonic and the Secret Rings onward. The reticle most closely resembles its design in Sonic Colors.
  • Spin Dash:
    •   A grounded charged Spin Dash can be released in the air while keeping its charge.
    •   The first jump hit deals slightly more damage (4% → 5%) and has a bigger hitbox (2u → 3u).
    •   Its charge can no longer be canceled by shielding, removing its usefulness for faking out approaches.
    •   It can no longer be held indefinitely, instead being unleashed automatically if charged for more than two seconds. However, this can be somewhat circumvented by starting the move on the ground, then jumping out of it and charging it in the air, in which case the automatic release does not happen until Sonic lands.
    •   The move stops upon hitting an opponent's shield, and cannot cross up unless it is charged enough, reducing its safety.
    •   The trail changes from purple to yellow when fully charged.
    •   Sonic does not hop if the move is released at full charge.
    •   Sonic no longer loses his double jump after landing with an aerial Spin Dash or Spin Charge.
  • Spring Jump:
    •   Sonic gains slightly more vertical height from Spring Jump, matching the move's vertical height from Brawl.
    •   The aerial version's Spring launches opponents at a higher angle (361° → 48°), hindering its edgeguarding ability.
    •   It grants significantly less intangibility (frames 5-13 → 5-7), leaving Sonic more vulnerable to edgeguards.
    •   Using the move incurs 10 frames of landing lag.
    •   Grabbing onto a ladder no longer causes Sonic to become helpless whenever he lets go or falls after climbing to the top.
  • Spin Charge:
    •   Spin Charge's hits launch at a more horizontal angle (60° → 9°), and have more base knockback (40 → 70), but drastically less knockback scaling (60 → 15), as well as lower hitlag and SDI multipliers (1× → 0.5×). This allows them to connect much more reliably.
    •   It can no longer be held indefinitely, instead being unleashed automatically if charged for more than three seconds.
    •   Like Spin Dash, it stops upon hitting an opponent's shield, and cannot cross up unless it is charged enough, reducing its safety.
    •   It changes the color of the trail to indicate charge strength, going from blue, to cyan, to yellow.
  • Super Sonic:
    •   Super Sonic's functionality has been changed. Instead of being fully controllable, he moves automatically across the horizontal axis at a drastically increased speed, and only his vertical position can be controlled.
    •   When reverting from Super Sonic, Sonic deals damage and knockback if he makes contact with opponents while flying back to his starting point.
    •   Super Sonic's damage output is significantly weaker than its previous iterations, and it lasts for a much shorter time period. The more limited controls also make it less possible for him to secure an early KO.

Update history

Sonic has been buffed via game updates.

  1.1.0

  •   The animation for crouching when holding an item has been adjusted.
  •   The animation for swinging with a battering weapon has been adjusted.

  2.0.0

  •   Forward tilt's first hit connects more reliably in the second (60 (base knockback)/70 (scaling) → 80/3).
  •   Forward aerial's firt 5 hits have less hitlag, making the hits connect faster (1× → 0.7×).
  •   Back aerial has less landing lag (18 frames → 15).
  •   Super Sonic has a higher knockback multipler when used via FS meter (x0.62 → x0.71).
  •   The instant KO glitch involving Ridley has been fixed.

  3.0.0

  •   Sonic no longer loses his double jump after performing Spin Dash or Spin Charge on a platform.
  •   Super Sonic has more range and deals more knockback if used via FS Meter (0.71× → 1×).
  •   Climbing a ladder after using Spring Jump no longer causes Sonic to become helpless once he lets go or climbs to the top.

  4.0.0

  •   Down aerial no longer has its downward movement disabled when used out from of hitstun.
  •   A glitch created where upon recovering with Spring Jump then landing, the landing lag animation would play more slowly.

Moveset

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

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

  Name Damage Description
Neutral attack   2% The Punch + Punch + Kick combo from Sonic the Fighters. Its first and second hit are capable of jab locking. Holding the attack button will have Sonic perform the first hit repeatedly.
1.5%
4%
Forward tilt   4% (hit 1), 7% (hit 2 feet), 5% (hit 2 legs) The Horse Kick from Sonic the Fighters. It hits twice, has minimal start-up lag, and can be angled. Altogether, these traits make it useful for spacing, starting tech-chases, or as an out of shield option.
Up tilt   2% (hit 1), 6% (hit 2) A 540 kick, similar to Captain Falcon's up smash. Its decent vertical range makes it a fairly useful anti-air attack, although it has poor horizontal range. It resembles the Skip Kick from Sonic the Fighters.
Down tilt rowspan="1" 6% A legsweep. Its diagonal angle can lead to combos at lower percents. It resembles the Leg Throw from Sonic the Fighters.
Dash attack 6% (clean), 4% (late) A flying kick similar to Fox's. It is a reliable follow-up from a down throw. While its very minimal start-up lag can allow it to pressure unwary opponents, it is very punishable because of its considerable ending lag.
Forward smash   14% The Wind-Up Punch from Sonic the Fighters. It has high knockback growth, deceptive range, and can be angled, all of which make it one of Sonic's most viable KOing options. However, its very low base knockback makes it better suited for KO attempts later instead of earlier. It also has noticeable start-up and ending lag, making it risky if used unwisely.
Up smash   5% (hit 1), 1% (hits 2-7), 3% (hit 8) A jumping Spin Dash. It hits multiple times, with its last hit having extremely high knockback growth. However, its last hit has average base knockback, which makes it better suited for KO attempts later instead of earlier.
Down smash   12% A split kick, similar to Fox and Falco's down smashes. It has the lowest amount of start-up lag out of Sonic's smash attacks and hits on both sides, which make it useful for punishing rolls. It is also a semi-spike, which makes it very useful for edge-guarding. However, it lasts for only 1 frame, and has considerable ending lag.
Neutral aerial   12% (clean), 8% (late), 5% (latest) Curls up into a ball and spins while slightly undulating up and down. In addition to being a reliable follow-up from Spin Dash, Spin Charge, and Spring Jump-assisted combos, its launching angle makes its clean and late hitboxes into useful combo starters at low to medium percentages when SHFF'd. It resembles the Air Spin from Sonic the Fighters and the Insta-Shield, an attack that debuted in Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
Forward aerial   0.8% (hits 1-5), 3% (hit 6) A corkscrew battering ram, similar to Pikachu's forward aerial. It is tied with up aerial for the lowest amount of start-up lag out of Sonic's aerials. When coupled with its last hit's very high knockback growth, it is useful for spacing and edge-guarding. It can also combo into itself in certain instances, thanks to Sonic's fast air speed and its fairly large auto-canceling window. It resembles the Emerald Dive from Sonic the Fighters.
Back aerial   14% (clean), 10% (late) A hook kick. Its clean hitbox's impressive damage output and high knockback growth make it one of Sonic's most viable KOing options, especially when used for edge-guarding. However, it has moderate start-up.
Up aerial   3% (hit 1), 8% (hit 2) A scissor kick. Its very large auto-cancel window makes it deceptively safe and easy to avoid even its fairly low landing lag. In addition to being a reliable follow-up from Spin Dash, Spin Charge, and Spring Jump-assisted combos, it is a viable KOing option near the upper blast line, especially as a follow-up from Spring Jump. Both hits don't always connect very reliably however.
Down aerial Shooting Star Kick 8% (clean), 7%/5% (late) A diagonal flying kick. It is a stall-then-fall, but unlike the majority of other stall-then-falls, it is relatively safe to use off-stage thanks to it having noticeably less ending lag in comparison. Its clean hit also meteor smashes aerial opponents at the beginning of the attack, but not grounded opponents. It resembles the Stomp Dive from Sonic the Fighters and the Sonic Rocket from Sonic Battle.
Grab — Clinches the opponent.
Pummel 1.3% A knee strike. A fairly fast pummel.
Forward throw 1% (hit 1), 6% (throw) A stretch kick. Due to its average damage output, very high base knockback, and average knockback growth, it is mainly used to force the opponent off-stage. It also has KO potential, albeit only on edges and at very high percents. It resembles the Top Kick from Sonic Battle.
Back throw 7% Quickly backflips repeatedly with the opponent in tow before performing the tomoe nage[1] (a Judo throw). It is Sonic's only throw with consistent KO potential.
Up throw 1% (hit 1), 5% (throw) Heaves the opponent upward and sharpens his quills to stab them. It can be followed up with a neutral aerial, up aerial and inputted Homing Attack at low percentages. Like forward throw, it has KO potential, albeit only on with stages with highly positioned platforms, such as Battlefield's top platform.
Down throw 1% (hits 1-3), 5% (throw) Pins the opponent to the ground and then Spin Dashes onto them. Due to being a semi-spike, it is reliable for tech-chasing and setting up edge-guards. It resembles the Double Spin from Sonic the Fighters.
Forward roll
Back roll
Spot dodge
Air dodge 		— —
Techs — —
Floor attack (front)
Floor getups (front) 		6% Spin Dashes around in a circular motion while getting up.
Floor attack (back)
Floor getups (back) 		7% Performs a legsweep while getting up.
Floor attack (trip)
Floor getups (trip) 		5% Performs a legsweep while getting up.
Edge attack
Edge getups 		9% Spin Dashes forward while climbing up. It resembles the Cliffhanger Flip from Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball.
Neutral special Homing Attack 7%-20% Curls up into a ball while briefly ascending, homes onto the nearest opponent, and then rams into them. Pressing the special button will execute the move earlier, albeit dealing less damage. It can be comboed into from various moves if executed early.
Side special Spin Dash 7%-10.9% (dash), 5% (initial jump), 3% (jump) Curls up into a ball, performs a short jump, and then starts rolling toward the opponent at a fast speed. Holding the special button charges it up and increases its speed. In addition to granting intangibility at the start, it boasts impressive combo potential, thanks to its ability to be followed up with any aerial attack. However, if uncharged, it stops when it hits a shield, making it very unsafe if shielded. It also boasts horizontal recovery potential when it is jump-canceled immediately upon releasing the special button; this turns the dash into a "Spin Shot", a quick, long-ranged short hop that can be performed either on the ground or in the air.
Up special Spring Jump — (jump), 4% (spring) Sonic is sent upwards by a spring. When used on the ground, it remains in place for a few seconds, allowing Sonic and any other character to keep bouncing off of it until it vanishes. Although this move is primarily used for recovering, it is also useful for partaking in combos. It grants intangibility at the start, while the spring itself can also be used to gimp recovering opponents underneath Sonic.
Down special Spin Charge 1.5%-2.3% (loop), 4% (last hit), 6% (jump) A Spin Dash that hits multiple times and has more momentum. It also has slightly different aesthetics, and requires button mashing in order to charge. However, it lacks the short jump at the beginning, cannot be canceled in any way, and it can only become a "Spin Shot" when used in the air.
Final Smash Super Sonic 12% (Chaos Emeralds), 6% (each ram), 10% (detransformation) Summons the Chaos Emeralds and uses them to attain his Super Transformation from the Sonic the Hedgehog games. When activated while very close to an opponent, the Chaos Emeralds will damage the opponent. Upon being activated, Sonic is invincible during its duration, and flies around rapidly horizontally and can change his horizontal position. Any opponents that are near Sonic when he returns to normal will be damaged.

On-screen appearance

File:Sonic on-screen appearance.gif
Sonic's on-screen appearance.
  • Sonic Spin Dashes onto the stage from the foreground and strikes a pose.

Taunts

  • Up taunt: Somersaults and then crosses his arms with his index finger pointing out, one of his signature poses, while making three tsking sounds.
  • Side taunt: Performs the Super Peel Out, a technique that debuted in Sonic the Hedgehog CD, while saying "Sonic Speed!" (遅すぎだぜ！, You're too slow!).
  • Down taunt: Performs the windmill, a breakdancing move, while saying "C'mon!" both in English and Japanese.

  • Sonic's up taunt.

  • Sonic's side taunt.

  • Sonic's down taunt.

Idle poses

  • Looks at the camera for a moment while tapping his foot impatiently. It is his idle animation from the Sonic the Hedgehog games for the Sega Genesis.
  • Turns towards the player and waves his finger in a patronizing manner while smiling. It resembles an animation he performs after clearing an Act or defeating a boss in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic Mania.

  • Sonic's first idle pose

  • Sonic's second idle pose

Victory poses

  • Left: Sprints off-screen and then sprints back on-screen before giving a thumbs up and saying "That was almost too easy!" ("モタモタしてると置いてくぜ!", Leaving behind to be dawdling!).
  • Up: Runs up and collects the blue Chaos Emerald and then poses with it before saying "Piece of cake!" ("A piece of cake! 楽勝だぜ!", A piece of cake! An easy win!).
  • Right: Performs the pike, a breakdancing move, and then strikes a pose while saying "Let's do that again sometime!" ("Hey guys! また遊んでやるぜ!", Hey guys! I'll play again next time!), which he would also say after a boss is beaten in Sonic Adventure.
Ripped directly from Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), which itself is an orchestrated remix of the tune that plays when a character has passed an Act in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, although the ending is slightly abridged.

In competitive play

Upon Ultimate's release, Sonic has been seen as not as viable as in Smash 4 due Spin Dash no longer being able to be shield canceled and no longer crossing up shield, up air failing to connect at times and Spin Charge's inconsistent ability to knock opponents upward with the jump, with the former being arguably his worst change. This has led to a mixed reception of him and was seen as a mid tier in general.

While Sonic overall continues to be seen as a mid tier, he retained his superb mobility, long distanced recovery and combo game has gotten notable placements in tournaments courtesy of Sonido, Wrath and especially KEN. Despite these results, his viability is still up for debate, although the general opinion on him is on a rise overall.

Notable players

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

Active

Inactive

Classic Mode: At the Speed of Sound

 
Sonic's congratulations screen.

Sonic's opponents are a mix between the game's fastest characters as well as references to characters in other Sonic titles. The references to his games in Sonic's Classic Mode go in chronological order from each console generation starting from the 4th (Sega Genesis) to the 8th (Wii U).

Round Opponent Stage Music Notes
1 Fox   Green Hill Zone Green Hill Zone Fox represents Sonic’s sidekick, Miles "Tails" Prower.
2 Captain Falcon   Figure-8 Circuit Super Sonic Racing The stage, music, and opponent all reference Sonic R, a racing game.
3 Giant Metal Sonic   Fourside (Ω form) Open Your Heart The music and city setting, as well as its chronological placement, likely reference the battle against Perfect Chaos at the end of Sonic Adventure; the stage and opponent could also reference the Metal Sonic boss fight at the end of Stardust Speedway Zone in Sonic CD.
4 Kirby (x3)     Halberd Sonic Heroes The Kirbys represent the three character types from Sonic Heroes: Speed (Blue), Flight (Yellow), and Power (Red). The stage choice likely references Final Fortress, the final level of said game.
5 Sheik   Mushroomy Kingdom Seven Rings in Hand The stage, music, and opponent all reference Sonic and the Secret Rings, which has an Arabian setting.
6 Giant Incineroar   Windy Hill Zone Wonder World Incineroar represents Zavok, the leader of The Deadly Six from Sonic Lost World.
Bonus Stage
Final Master Hand Final Destination Master Hand (Less than 7.0 intensity)
Master Hand / Crazy Hand (Intensity 7.0 or higher)		 On intensity 7.0 and higher, Crazy Hand fights alongside Master Hand.

Note: Every stage other than the final round plays a track from the Sonic universe, no matter what universe the stage originated from.

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Sonic has Live & Learn accompany the credits.

Role in World of Light

 
Finding Sonic in World of Light

Sonic was among the fighters summoned to the cliffside to assist in defeating an army of Master Hands.

During the opening cutscene, Sonic was present on the cliffside when Galeem unleashed his beams of light. While attempting to run away, Sonic noticed Pikachu doing the same and reached his hand towards Pikachu in an attempt to save it. However, he and Pikachu were vaporized and placed under Galeem's imprisonment.

Sonic was one of the many fighters that fell under Dharkon's control upon Galeem's first defeat. He appears in the Sacred Land sub-area as one of the fighters that block the Master Sword, making him one of the obligatory unlocks. His location could potentially be a reference to Sonic & the Black Knight and/or the Zelda-themed level in Sonic Lost World.

He is later seen standing next to Mario, as the heroes prepare their last stand against Galeem and Dharkon.

Fighter Battle

No. Image Name Type Power Stage Music
38
 
 Sonic Attack 9,800 Green Hill Zone (Ω form) Green Hill Zone

Template:-

Spirits

Sonic's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Sonic in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a Fighter Spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Each Fighter Spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate.

Additionally, Sonic makes an appearance in a few Primary Spirits in other forms.

  • 775. Sonic the Hedgehog

  • 778. Super Sonic

  • 796. Sonic the Werehog

In Spirit battles

As the main opponent

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
778
 
 Super Sonic Sonic the Hedgehog series •Gold Sonic  
 
 13,700 Windy Hill Zone •Sudden Final Smash •The enemy will suddenly have a Final Smash Live & Learn
780
 
 Metal Sonic Sonic the Hedgehog series •Metal Sonic  
 
 4,600 Windy Hill Zone N/A •Timed Stamina battle
•The enemy is metal
•The enemy starts the battle with a Rocket Belt 		Sonic Heroes
782
File:Chaotix Spirit.png
 Chaotix Sonic the Hedgehog series •Sonic  
•Pichu  
•King K. Rool  
 
 1,600 Windy Hill Zone •Invisibility •The enemy is invisible Sonic Heroes Espio the Chameleon
788
 
 Shadow the Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog series •Sonic  
 
 9,100 New Pork City (Battlefield form) •Assist Trophy Enemies (Shadow)
•Item: Timer 		•The enemy's dash attacks have increased power
•Hostile assist trophies will appear
•The enemy is easily distracted by items 		Live & Learn
795
 
 Silver the Hedgehog Sonic the Hedgehog series •Sonic  
 
 3,600 Green Hill Zone •Item: Throwing Types •The enemy starts the battle with a Black Hole
•The enemy is easily distracted by items 		Rooftop Run
797
File:Infinite Spirit.png
 Infinite Sonic the Hedgehog series •Metal Sonic  
 
 4,400 Big Blue •Hazard: Screen Flip •The screen will suddenly flip after a little while
•Stamina battle
•The enemy is metal 		Fist Bump
848
File:Ablesisters.png
 Able Sisters Animal Crossing series •Sonic (x3) (   )
 
 9,100 Town and City N/A •The enemy starts the battle with a Drill Outdoors at 7 p.m. (Sunny) / Main Street - Animal Crossing: New Leaf Labelle, Mabel and Sabel
1,262
File:Dillon.png
 Dillon Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers •Sonic  
 
 9,800 Midgar (Battlefield form) •Assist Trophy Enemies (Dillon) •The enemy's special moves have increased power
•Hostile assist trophies will appear
•The enemy favors special moves 		Frontier Battle
1,285
 
 Rayman Rayman series •Sonic  
 
 9,100 The Great Cave Offensive (Battlefield form) •Assist Trophy Enemies (Sukapon) •The enemy's physical attacks have increased power
•Stamina battle
•Hostile assist trophies will appear 		Sunset Heights

As a minion

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
776
File:Eggman Spirit.png
 Dr. Eggman Sonic the Hedgehog series •Roy  
•Metal Sonic  
 
 13,200 Green Hill Zone •Bob-omb Festival
•Item: Shooting Types 		•Bob-ombs will rain from the sky after a little while
•The enemy's shooting items have increased power
•Items will be pulled toward the enemy 		Green Hill Zone Metal Sonic
1,087
 
 Nico Fire StreetPass Mii Plaza series •Ness  
•Fox  
•Sonic  
 
 1,500 Big Blue •Uncontrollable Speed •All fighters move faster and can't stop quickly Wii Sports Resort Streetpass Cats

Alternate Costumes

 
               

Gallery

Character Showcase Video

Trivia

  • One of the in-game tips for Sonic states that using his down aerial after a jump and Spring Jump in succession can allow for "no landing delay". However, this is incorrect, as Spring Jump actually incurs 10 frames of landing lag, which persist even if Sonic auto-cancels his down aerial by using it from high enough as stated by the tip.
    • This tip is recycled from Smash 4, where it is correct, as Spring Jump in said game does not incur additional landing lag.
  • Sonic's stock icon in Ultimate bears a striking resemblance to several logos and icons in the Sonic series, namely:
  • Sonic is the only third-party character in Ultimate with more than one home stage representing his series.
  • Unlike other installments in the Super Smash Bros. series, Sonic slowly takes damage if he falls in any body of water, which is a nod to his inability to swim in his own series.
  • While Sonic has appeared in three installments, Ultimate marked the first time Sonic was the first third-party character announced, as Snake was announced before him in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, while Mega Man was announced before him in Super Smash Bros. 4.
  • Sonic is one of only two characters to face a metal opponent in Classic Mode. The other is Bowser who faces Metal Mario upon normal Mario's defeat in the final round.
  • Sonic is the only character who travels to Green Hill Zone and Figure-8 Circuit in Classic Mode.
  • Prior to version 2.0.0, there was a glitch that allowed Ridley to instantly KO Sonic. On 2D stages, if Ridley grabbed Sonic with his Space Pirate Rush while Sonic is recovering from a Homing Attack near the ledge, Sonic would be instantly sent into the horizontal blast line.[1]
  • As is the case with Smash 4, Sonic's snoring and surfacing voice clips are taken directly from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, in which he was voiced by Jason Griffith, despite otherwise being voiced by Roger Craig Smith.
    • Also, like in Smash 4, Jason Griffith is uncredited in the credits.
  • With the exception of his Japanese voice and the aforementioned Brawl voice clips, Sonic is among the few voiced fighters in Ultimate whose voice clips are sourced from their own games rather than specifically recorded for a Smash game. He shares this trait with Inkling, Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings, Daisy, Rosalina & Luma, Yoshi, Banjo & Kazooie, Young Link and Toon Link.
  • Sonic is the only third-party veteran to have his victory theme changed in some way, being slightly sped up and abridged at the end.
    • So far, Sonic and Joker are the only 2 characters to have their victory themes ripped directly from their respective games.
    • Both of these characters are also Sega representatives.
  • Ultimate is the first game since Brawl that features Sonic in a CG cutscene.
  • The Chaos Emerald that appears in Sonic's victory pose is oddly more solid and less crystalline than the models used for his Final Smash and the Shadow Assist Trophy.

Notes

1.^ translates to "Circle Throw"

References

  1. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyylKx0Jgg8


Fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Veterans Bayonetta · Bowser · Bowser Jr. · Captain Falcon · Cloud · Corrin · Dark Pit · Diddy Kong · Donkey Kong · Dr. Mario · Duck Hunt · Falco · Fox · Ganondorf · Greninja · Ice Climbers · Ike · Jigglypuff · King Dedede · Kirby · Link · Little Mac · Lucario · Lucas · Lucina · Luigi · Mario · Marth · Mega Man · Meta Knight · Mewtwo · Mii Fighter (Mii Brawler · Mii Gunner · Mii Swordfighter) · Mr. Game & Watch · Ness · Olimar · Pac-Man · Palutena · Peach · Pichu · Pikachu · Pit · Pokémon Trainer (Charizard · Ivysaur · Squirtle) · R.O.B. · Robin · Rosalina & Luma · Roy · Ryu · Samus · Sheik · Shulk · Snake · Sonic · Toon Link · Villager · Wario · Wii Fit Trainer · Wolf · Yoshi · Young Link · Zelda · Zero Suit Samus
Newcomers Banjo & Kazooie · Byleth · Chrom · Daisy · Dark Samus · Hero · Incineroar · Inkling · Isabelle · Joker · Kazuya · Ken · King K. Rool · Min Min · Piranha Plant · Pyra / Mythra  · Richter · Ridley · Sephiroth · Simon · Sora · Steve · Terry
  Sonic the Hedgehog universe
Fighter Sonic (SSBB · SSB4 · SSBU)
Assist Trophies Shadow · Knuckles
Stages Green Hill Zone · Windy Hill Zone
Enemy Eggrobo
Other Characters Tails
Trophies, Stickers and Spirits Trophies (SSBB · SSB4) · Stickers · Spirits
Music Brawl · SSB4 · Ultimate

Navigation

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