Aesthetics
As with other previous downloadable fighters in SSB4, Lucas' appearance is largely unchanged, although his model features a more subdued color scheme due to the aesthetic used in Ultimate. Details on his clothes and weapons are more prominent, such as the stitching on his socks. Additionally, his hair is more defined, and his skin tone is slightly tanned.
- The Rope Snake's scales are more pronounced.
- Lucas faces the foreground at an angle, instead of facing directly forward. In addition, he always faces the screen regardless of which direction he turns, causing all of his animations to be mirrored while altering some. However, he reverts to Ness' previous idle animation while holding a small item.
- Lucas has a new idle pose where he points to his forehead with his eyes closed with his leading hand then waves it in front of him. It replaces the animation of Lucas waving his fists in front of him.
- Lucas is more expressive. His eyes are now more prominent when using his attacks, as well as his new facial features when hit.
- Lucas' PSI graphic effects have been changed: they are now dominantly light blue instead of magenta, closely resembling the colors of PK Love in Mother 3.
- Lucas' left-inputted victory pose now has light glow from where the Needle is pulled, as well as glittery particle effects coming from its trail. Lucas also strikes a different pose.
- Lucas has a new victory theme; it is an arrangement of the last two out of the Eight Melodies from EarthBound Beginnings.
- As with all previous downloadable fighters in SSB4, Lucas now has a unique Palutena's Guidance conversation.
Attributes
Like all characters, Lucas's jumpsquat animation takes three frames to complete (down from 5).- Lucas dashes faster (1.5 → 1.65).
- Lucas's initial dash is much faster (1.3→1.815).
- Lucas walks slightly faster (0.85 → 0.893).
- Lucas' air speed is slightly faster (1.1 → 1.155).
- Lucas jumps higher.
Because footstools can now be teched, Lucas's d-throw/up-air into Footstool combo game has been removed.
Ground attacks
- Neutral attack:
- All three hits of Lucas's neutral attack have more hitlag (1.0/1.0/1.0 → 1.7/1.8/2.0).
- Neutral attack's second hit can be interrupted sooner, improving its potential for mix-ups.
- Hits 2 and 3 deal slightly less damage (2.0% (hit 2)/4.0% (hit 3) → 1.5%/3.5%) with base knockback compensated on hit 3 (60 → 64).
- All hits have a lower duration (2-4 (hit 1)/3-5 (hit 2)/6-8 (hit 3) → 2/3/6-7).
- Hits 1 and 2 have significantly smaller hitboxes, greatly reducing their range (Jab 1 : 2.8u/2.8u/3.5u → 1.4u/1.6u/1.8u/1.6u/1.8u, Jab 2 : 3.2u/3.2u/4.2u → 2.0u/2.2u/3.0u.
- The third hit has altered hitboxes sizes and one less hitbox (3.0u/3.0u/5.0u → 4.0u/5.0u). The hitboxes are now placed independently from Lucas's body. Overall, this reduces its range.
- The third hit launches at a lower angle (48 → 361) and the two first hits now use the sakurai angle alongside a 180 tipper on the first hit, allowing both to lock.
- Dash attack:
- Dash attack has less startup (frame 15 → 13), less ending lag (FAF 39 → 38) and a longer hitbox duration (frames 13-15 → 13-17).
- Dash attack has increased knockback scaling (70 → 81), increasing its KO power.
- Forward tilt:
- Sweetspot forward tilt deals more base knockback (30 → 55) and knockback scaling (75 → 80), increasing its KO power.
- The sweetspot also has a bigger hitbox during the first 2 active frames (4.7u → 5.6u).
- Up tilt:
- Up tilt has less ending lag (FAF 37 → 34).
- Up tilt now uses the electric effect.
- Down tilt:
- Down tilt deals more damage (3% → 5%).
- Down tilt's close hit has more vertical angle (76 → 84), allowing more consistent follow-ups.
- Down tilt has increased base knockback (18/8 → 20/10) and combined with its higher damage, makes it easier to combo at lower percent.
- Down tilt has an altered animation and its far hit was removed, lowering its vertical range.
- Forward smash:
- Forward smash has slightly less ending lag (FAF 47 → 46).
- Sweetspotted forward smash has higher knockback growth (88 → 91).
- The reflector activates later with a shorter duration (frame 10-19 → 11-19).
- Up smash:
- Up smash's hitboxes are handled differently. The new hitbox positions jitter a bit more without affecting the total reach of the move.
- All up smash's second hit hitboxes deal 2% more damage (19/18/16/14/12% → 21/20/18/16/14%) without their knockback compensated, increasing their KO power.
- The hitboxes in the second hit are all smaller (12u/11u/10u/8u/6.5u → 11u/10u/9u/6u).
- Up smash has more active frames (frames 30-53 → frames 30-55) due to having an additional hitbox.
- Up smash has more invulnerability during startup (frames 1-4 → 1-7).
- Down smash:
- Lucas now bends his elbow after each shot of down smash, and his fingers are more pronounced throughout.
- All hits of down smash have increased active frames (2 → 3 frames).
- The three hits of Lucas's down smash now reset between hits, allowing it to hit opponents or shields multiple times.
- The individual hits of down smash deal significantly less shield damage to compensate (0/0/0 → -10/-8/-6).
Aerial attacks
- All aerials except grab aerial have less landing lag (13 frames → 12 (neutral), 12 → 7 (forward), 15 → 9 (back), 12 → 7 (up), 24 → 16 (down)).
- Neutral aerial:
- Neutral aerial has much larger hitboxes (5.3u (loop)/8u (last) → 6.9u/10.2u).
- Neutral aerial is harder to SDI out of, despite retaining its 2x modifier, as its hitlag has been reduced (1 → 0.44).
- The looping hitbox has fewer active frames (frames 7-23 → 7-21), consequently reduces the maximum number of hits to 4, reducing its total damage (12% → 10%).
- Neutral aerial now sends opponents behind or in front of Lucas depending on which part of the hitbox hits the last hit. This makes it more difficult to guarantee combos with.
- Although this grants it followups with back aerial which it didn't have before.
- Lucas appears furious during the ending hitbox rather than looking scared.
- Forward aerial:
- Forward aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 38 → 34), re-enabling it to auto-cancel out of a short hop.
- Forward aerial's sweetspot deals more damage (11.5% → 12.5%), launches at lower angle (46° → 42°), and has increased knockback scaling (97 → 103), significantly improving its KO potential.
- Back aerial:
- Back aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 39 → 34), enabling it to auto-cancel out of a short hop.
- Back aerial has more active frames (frames 15-20 → 15-22), giving it additional vertical range below Lucas and allowing it to hit small targets.
- The sweetspot for aerial opponents has a shorter duration (15-20 → 15-19).
- Back aerial can now spike grounded opponents. While this benefits from opponents' inability to tech grounded spikes, this hinders its ability to send grounded opponents offstage from behind him.
- Up aerial:
- Up aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 38 → 34), re-enabling it to auto-cancel out of a short hop.
- Up aerial's hitbox is now attached to Lucas's head. This removes its blindspot and increases its range.
- The main hitbox is now extended and an extra hitbox is added behind him on frames 8-10, giving the move a noticeable disjoint behind Lucas.
- A motion trail has been added above Lucas's head to indicate the hitbox's new pattern.
- Up aerial has much less ending lag (FAF 46 → 32).
- Up aerial has increased active frames (frames 7-9 → 7-10), giving it additional horizontal range, and improving its juggling potential.
- Up aerial deals less damage (13% → 11%) without full compensation on its base knockback (10 → 20), giving it less KO power.
- However, its higher base knockback combined with its lower ending lag makes it safer on hit at low percents.
- Down aerial:
- Down aerial’s first three hits connect more reliably due to altering angle (90° → 363°)
- Down aerial now pushes grounded opponents away from its hitboxes, rather than picking them up from the ground as in Smash 4.
- Down aerial’s hitboxes at Lucas’ feet are smaller (5u → 4.2u (Hits 1-3)/6.9u → 5.5u (Final hit)) and has an altered hitbox placement (Y offset: -5 → -4), decreasing its range below Lucas.
- Grab aerial:
- Grab aerial has less range.
- Grab aerial has more active frames (9-19 → 9-21).
- Grab aerial deals slightly more damage (4% (clean)/2.8% (late) → 5% (snake head)/3% (arm and snake body)).
- Grab aerial has less ending lag (FAF 60 → 52).
- Grab aerial can be double jump canceled, allowing Lucas to use it very close to the ground to start combos and approach.
Throws and other attacks
- Grab:
- The endings of Lucas's grabs now feature interruptible animations during which the Rope Snake doubles back to return to Lucas.
- Lucas's animation when holding a grabbed opponent has been altered; he now holds Rope Snake in one hand and uses the other to hold the opponent in place with telekinesis.
- Lucas now looks angry during his grab animation.
- Lucas's grabs all have less active frames (8 frames → 6 frames).
- Lucas's standard grab has one frame more ending lag (FAF 46 → 47).
- Lucas's dash grab has one frame less ending lag (FAF 56 → 55).
- Pummel:
- Lucas's pummel animation now has him attack the grabbed opponent with PSI.
- Forward throw:
- Lucas has a new forward throw animation, where he throws the opponent with one hand instead of two.
- Forward throw has increased knockback scaling (65 → 69).
- Back throw:
- Lucas has a new back throw: a telekinetic underhand throw backwards.
- Up throw:
- Up throw has increased knockback (78 base/69 scaling → 77/73).
- Down throw:
- Down throw has a new animation: Lucas lifts the opponent in the air using telekinesis, then forcefully slams them into the ground. It retains its aesthetic bury effect before the opponent is released.
- It deals noticeably more damage (6.5% → 11%), making it one of the most damaging down throws.
- It has more ending lag (FAF 50 → 58), altered knockback (78 base/51 scaling → 100/32), and no longer inflicts 6 frames of hitlag on the opponent upon releasing them. Altogether, these changes significantly hinder its combo potential, no longer having guaranteed followups past mid percents, and more importantly removing its KO confirm into up aerial at high percentages, which was one of his most reliable finishers in Smash 4.
- It launches at a slightly more horizontal angle (80° → 74°).
Special moves
- PK Freeze:
- Lucas's animations during the move have been tweaked; Lucas himself now completely faces the screen, and the particle effects of the explosion now feature the PK Freeze graphic effects from Mother 3.
- PK Freeze deals 1% more damage on all charges (9%-22% → 10%-23%).
- PK Freeze deals more knockback (80 (base)/21 (growth) → 35/60).
- The projectile travels faster.
- The projectile can now travel through soft and semisoft platforms.
- PK Freeze no longer dissipates upon making contact with hard platforms and can instead be held at the ground until the move is fully-charged.
- The projectile now launches opponents at a horizontal angle (80° → 34°) away from Lucas (no matter which direction he faces), making it significantly better for edgeguarding and KO'ing.
- Lucas no longer becomes helpless when firing PK Freeze in the air.
- It has more active frames (1 → 4).
- The changes to freeze duration make the move freeze for much less time when charged, especially at low percents, which combined with the knockback changes removes the move's followup potential, and effectively reduces its damage output overall.
- Fully charged PK Freeze has more startup (89 → 92) with its total duration compensated (115 → 118).
- PK Fire:
- Lucas's hands now feature a red spark until PK Fire is fired, similarly to his finger in his down smash animation. The same spark appears when PK Fire successfully connects. PK Fire graphics from Mother 3 now appear when Lucas fires it and when it bursts.
- PK Fire has slightly increased damage (9% → 10%).
- PK Fire has increased knockback growth (97 → 110) and launches at slightly lower angle (45° → 42°).
- PK Fire's projectile travels faster (speed: 2.5 (ground)/2.8 (air) → 2.8/3.1), but doesn't last as long (19 frames → 18). Overall, the projectile travels slightly further, but is less obstructive.
- The flame pillar doesn't last as long (30 frames → 20).
- PK Thunder:
- Lucas's PK Thunder's graphic effects have been changed; rather than maintaining its magenta coloration from Smash 4, PK Thunder has been changed to be varying hues of blue. The move has also gained particle effects which resemble its respective PSI graphics from Mother 3.
- PK Thunder's electric ball travels faster.
- Grounded PK Thunder has less ending lag.
- It has an angle indicator when the ball of lighting moves close to Lucas. While this allows for the player to more accurately determine the trajectory Lucas will travel during PK Thunder 2, it also makes it more predictable to opponents.
- PK Thunder 2:
- Lucas's momentum at the end of PK Thunder 2 is lower, slightly shortening its recovery distance.
- PK Thunder 2 has less landing lag.
- PK Thunder 2 deals less damage when all hits connect. (35.5% → 32.5%)
- PK Thunder 2 last hit now triggers Special Zoom.
- The window for using PK Thunder again after bouncing against a wall is much bigger.
- PSI Magnet:
- PSI Magnet now features its PSI graphics from Mother 3 upon use. Lucas' back is angled lower in the end of his animation, similar to the beginning of his run animation in Mother 3.
- PSI Magnet's launching hitbox is now extended (Z offset: 12 → 7-9), however isn't as far out, reducing its maximum reach but making it more consistent at hitting opponents close to Lucas.
- PSI Magnet now features a Windbox on frame 6 which drags opponents closer to the PSI Magnet's hitbox.
- This windbox doesn't scale with the opponents % when Lucas is on the ground, but it does in the air
- PSI Magnet no longer halts Lucas's momentum in the air. This prevents Lucas from being able to use it to mix up his landing as effectively.
- PSI Magnet heals noticeably less (heal multiplier: 2.5x → 2x).
- PSI Magnet begins absorbing sooner (10 → 7 frames) and has less ending lag (36 → 28 frames).
- PK Starstorm:
- PK Starstorm is now similar to its Brawl iteration, firing meteors inwards towards the center of the stage, but at a slower rate and with slower meteors. His pose during the move no longer reuses Ness's Final Smash animation and is instead replaced with one reminiscent of his animation in Brawl. Lucas is also assisted by Kumatora and Boney. Like his other PSI moves, the move features graphics from PK Starstorm's animation in Mother 3, including the background from the Final Boss.
- However, the trajectory of the meteors can still be angled.