Aesthetics
As with all veterans returning from SSB4, Robin's model features a more subdued color scheme. Both genders have hair that is more stylized, and eyes that appear sharper.- The player can now see how many uses Robin's Levin Sword and each Tome has, located above their icon on the damage meter, akin to Inkling's ink gauge and Hero's MP Gauge.
- Several of Robin's alternate costumes have different hair colors that no longer match the color of Robin's coat. For example, male Robin's green costume now has light brown hair and female Robin's red costume has blonde hair. These typically reference other Fire Emblem characters rather than just Robin's own customization options.
- Robin shares a new victory theme with Lucina and Chrom that is based off "Id (Purpose)" from Fire Emblem Awakening.
- Robin's victory poses have been altered:
- The left-inputted victory pose now causes flames to swirl from both hands.
- The up-inputted victory pose no longer generates a sword trail.
- The right-inputted victory pose has Chrom properly loop during the post-victory animation, although he no longer blinks and always keeps his eyes open.
- The Bronze Sword is no longer present in Robin's clapping animation.
- Palutena's Guidance conversation for Robin has been changed, presumably due to Chrom being upgraded to a playable character.
Attributes
Like all characters, Robin's jumpsquat animation takes three frames to complete (down from 7).- Robin runs faster (1.15 → 1.265) going from the slowest in SSB4 to the second-slowest in Ultimate.
- Robin's initial dash is much faster (1.5 → 1.815).
- Robin's air speed is slightly faster (1 → 1.05).
- Robin's traction is higher (0.055 → 0.105).
Robin no longer starts the match with the Levin Sword, and instead has to wait for it to appear. This only occurs on Robin's first stock, as subsequent stocks start with it.- The particle effect of Robin regaining tomes and the Levin Sword are more opaque, making it much easier to tell when the weapon in question has recharged.
- Discarded tomes deal significantly less damage (18% → 12.3%) and knockback when thrown.
- In turn, this improves their combo potential
Ground attacks
- Neutral attack:
- First two hits of neutral attack have altered animations and can lock.
- Neutral attack's fire finisher has a reduced cost, allowing for more uses before recharging (6 → 12).
- Neutral attack's fire finisher has less startup lag (frame 10 → 6).
- Neutral infinite has less startup lag (frame 9 → 4) and a faster rehit rate (frames between hits: 3 → 1).
- Neutral infinite's wind finisher has higher knockback scaling (160 → 186).
- Neutral infinite keeps opponents on the ground while hitting them. This allows it to connect much more reliably.
- Neutral attack deals less damage (3%/3%/5% → 2%/1.5%/5% (hits 1-3), 1% → 0.7% (infinite)).
- Neutral infinite has altered particles.
- The infinite has gained a shieldstun multiplier of 3×. This allows it to lock opponents into their shields between each hit, and thus pressure them more effectively, but also allows them to cancel shieldstun and punish Robin more easily if they shield 10 hits or more.
- Forward tilt:
- Forward tilt has more base knockback (50 → 62).
- Forward tilt's hitbox has been moved closer to Robin (Z-offset: 15u → 14u), slightly reducing its horizontal range.
- Up tilt:
- Up tilt has less ending lag (FAF 36 → 33).
- Up tilt starts from ground level, allowing it to hit enemies in front.
- Up tilt has a slighty longer duration (frames 6-13 → 6-14).
- Dash attack:
- Dash attack has significantly less ending lag (FAF 50 → 42).
- Smash attacks:
- Smash attacks while the Levin Sword is depleted grant a slightly larger recharge boost.
- Forward smash:
- The clean hit of Levin Sword's forward smash deals more knockback (50 base/87 scaling → 53/90).
- The late hit deals more damage with the Levin Sword (5% → 10%), and knockback scaling (70 → 80). This significantly improves its KO potential to the point that it can now kill below Sudden Death percents, KOing middleweights at around 165% from the center of Final Destination.
- Up smash:
- Up smash has an altered animation when holding the Levin Sword. Robin's sword levitates out of the right hand and does a twirl before raising upward. This increases its range, and the move is now capable of hitting opponents on the ground and from behind. It also can combo more reliably from down throw at 0%. [1]
- The clean hit of Levin Sword's up smash deals more knockback (45 base/84 scaling → 55/86).
- The late hit deals more damage with the Levin Sword (5% → 10%), and knockback scaling (70 → 80), significantly improving the late hits KO potential.
- Down smash:
- The clean sparks (Levin Sword only) travel outwards, increasing their range.
Aerial attacks
- All aerials have less landing lag (neutral: 18 → 11, forward: 18 → 11, back: 19 → 11, up: 18 → 11, down: 26 → 16).
- Neutral aerial:
- Neutral aerial has less startup (frame 9 → 7 (hit 1), 22 → 20 (hit 2)), with its total duration reduced as well (FAF 50 → 48).
- Robin can now use the Levin Sword for neutral aerial. Like other aerial attacks, this gives it more range, an electric effect and it deals more damage (7% → 11.5%).
- Neutral aerial with the Levin Sword uses durability as a result of the change, and Robin can no longer switch to the Bronze Sword while in midair if the Levin Sword is equipped.
- Neutral aerial with the Levin Sword cannot auto-cancel in a short hop.
- Neutral aerial deals marginally less damage with the Bronze Sword (7% → 6.9%).
- The player can hold both the special move and attack buttons at the same time to switch to the Levin Sword while using neutral aerial. While not mentioned in-game, this only works if the player has the A+B Smash Attack control option enabled.
Throws and other attacks
- Grab:
- A halo-like indicator appears during Robin's grab, visualizing its range. This halo also appears when successfully grabbing an opponent.
- The speed of Robin's throws are no longer weight-dependent.
- Dash grab and pivot grab have more startup lag (frame 8 → 10 (dash), 9 → 11 (pivot)).
- Dash grab and pivot grab have less ending lag (FAF 49 → 47 (dash), 46 → 42 (pivot)).
- All grabs have had their hitboxes moved farther from Robin (Z-offset 2: 8.7u → 9.2u (standing), 10.7u → 11u (dash), 14.7u → 15.7u (pivot)), improving their horizontal range overall.
- Forward throw:
- Forward throw deals more base knockback (82 → 95), allowing it to better set up for edgeguards.
- Down throw:
- Down throw deals more knockback (30 base/88 scaling → 50/108). Now it is capable of KOing below 200%, but it has less effective follow-up potential at mid percents and hinders the “checkmate” combo.
Special moves
- Thunder:
- Thunder charges appear as a shrinking circle, with each stage shrinking until resizing into the next stage with a different color. This makes it easier to tell what level Thunder is at.
- Thunder charges are denoted by different colors: aqua for Thunder, yellow for Elthunder, and purple for Arcthunder.
- The covers for Thunder's tomes change to denote the charge levels of the move.[1]
- Thunder charges much faster (Elthunder: frame 38 → 33, Arcthunder: frame 108 → 73, Thoron: frame 168 → 133).
- Thunder, Elthunder, and Arcthunder have less startup lag (frame 11 → 8).
- Thunder can be charge-canceled midair by jumping.
- Thunder deals more damage (4.5% → 5.5%).
- Elthunder has a bright yellow color.
- Elthunder deals more damage (10.5% → 11%) with knockback not compensated, KOing earlier.
- Elthunder travels faster (2.5 → 2.8).
- Elthunder has a lower duration (46 frames → 42).
- Arcthunder deals significantly more damage (10% → 23.6%).
- The final hit deals more drastically more damage (1% → 8%) with knockback not fully compensated (60 base/280 scaling → 85/85), improving its KO potential.
- Arcthunder is extended below and above the projectile, allowing it to hit shorter characters more easily (Y offset : 0 → -0.7—0.7).
- Arcthunder's projectile is active for longer (59 frames → 72).
- Arcthunder keeps opponents in place for a much shorter time. As a result, Robin can no longer act fast enough to follow up with the trapping hits, unless the move connects at a distance where Robin can run beside the projectile.
- Thoron deals much more knockback (50 base/230 scaling → 75/191) making it a powerful KO move at 105% or above.
- Thoron cannot be held to make the beam longer, instead being as long as the previous held version by default. This means the move has more endlag overall since it cannot be tapped for less (FAF 62-74 → 74).
- Thoron comes out slower (frame 20 → 23).
- Arcfire:
- Arcfire's initial fireball has a longer duration (frames 17-50 → 17-77), traveling much farther before expiring.
- Arcfire deals more damage if all hits connect (10% → 15.1%).
- Arcfire is much harder to escape.
- Arcfire's projectile is slightly bigger (1.6u → 1.8u).
- Arcfire's pillar no longer activates when hitting another hitbox.
- Elwind:
- Elwind projectiles are thicker and more opaque.
- Elwind's projectiles can be angled, letting Robin go twice in the same direction, improving horizontal recovery by making it less linear and less predictable. Additionally, the move has been sped up and can travel further horizontally.
- Elwind sends Robin much higher.
- Robin grabs ledges faster when using Elwind backwards (52 frames → 39).
- Elwind projectiles push opponents away when they hit the ground.
- Elwind recharges faster (6 seconds → 4).
- Elwind has fewer uses before needing to recharge (9 → 5).
- When using Elwind while depleted, Robin will gain a short upward boost upward, slightly improving the chance of a successful recovery.
- The short boost does not render him helpless, meaning Robin can follow up with a midair jump or directional air dodge.
- A sourspot was added to the first active frame of the first blade, making it harder to spike with.
- Nosferatu:
- Nosferatu is more opaque and has fewer particles, looking more like a dark whirlpool instead of a cloud of particles.
- Nosferatu has slightly more range.
- Nosferatu's hits have been sped up, allowing Robin to heal and deal damage at a faster rate than before.
- Nosferatu has less ending lag (FAF 56 → 50).
- Nosferatu has reduced uses (4 uses → 3).
- However, this allows Robin to expend its charges and use the book as a throwing item faster.
- Nosferatu recharges faster (40 seconds → 30).
- Pair Up:
- The final hit deals more damage (14% → 18%).
- The final hit has significantly lower knockback scaling (162 → 118), dealing slightly less knockback overall despite its increased damage.