Aesthetics
As with other previous downloadable fighters in SSB4, Mewtwo's appearance is largely unchanged, though its model features a more subdued color scheme. Its body appears to have a glossy sheen, and the end of its tail is also slightly larger.- Mewtwo's idle pose has been altered; it now keeps one of its arms lifted and stands more upright, similar to its stance in Pokémon Stadium. However, it will revert to its idle animation from SSB4 while holding a small item.
- Mewtwo's falling animation has been altered; it does not keep its arms folded, only doing so when falling forward or backward.
- Side taunt now has it slightly levitate over the ground.
- Mewtwo's victory poses have been slightly altered:
- The pose where Mewtwo laughs and floats has it float higher and look farther away from the screen.
- The pose where Mewtwo thrusts its hand outward has an altered camera angle more towards its hand.
- The pose where Mewtwo faces away from the screen has Mewtwo keep its eyes shut for slightly longer.
- As with all previous downloadable fighters in SSB4, Mewtwo now has a unique Palutena's Guidance conversation.
Attributes
Like all characters, Mewtwo's jumpsquat takes 3 frames to complete (down from 5).- Mewtwo is heavier (74 → 79), weighing as much as Kirby. This improves its survivability.
- Mewtwo runs faster (2.05 → 2.255).
- Mewtwo's initial dash is significantly faster (1.4 → 2.255).
- Mewtwo walks slightly faster (1.2 → 1.26).
- Mewtwo's traction is significantly higher (0.04 → 0.116), going from the second-worst in the game to above-average. This makes it easier for Mewtwo to punish out of shield.
- Mewtwo's air speed is higher (1.25 → 1.313).
- Mewtwo performs its double jump more quickly, improving its recovery and combo game.
- Mewtwo's falling speed is faster (1.5 → 1.55). This improves its vertical survivability, but makes it more susceptible to combos.
- Mewtwo's fast falling speed is faster (2.4 → 2.48).
- Both rolls grant more intangibility (frames 4-13 → 4-15 (forward), 5-16 (back)).
Back roll has more startup (frame 4 → 5) and ending lag (FAF 30 → 35).- Spot dodge grants more intangibility (frames 2-14 → 3-17).
- Spot dodge has more startup (frame 2 → 3), with its total duration increased as well (FAF 25 → 26).
- Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 2-24 → 3-26).
- Air dodge has more startup (frame 2 → 3) and significantly increased ending lag (FAF 29 → 52), no longer being the fastest in the game. In combination with the removal of unlimited air dodging, this greatly hinders Mewtwo's approach and defensive options.
- Mewtwo has an additional hurtbox in its tail that extends to near the tip. This reduces the disjoints of Mewtwo's attacks involving its tail, and gives it a bigger hurtbox overall.
Ground attacks
- Neutral attack:
- The first hit has a longer hitbox duration (frame 5 → frames 5-6) and less ending lag (FAF 25 → 22).
- The first hit transitions into the infinite faster (frame 10 → 7).
- The first hit has altered angles to keep opponents closer to Mewtwo (76°/70° → 361°/180°), and a hitstun modifier of 6, allowing it to lock opponents and connect better into the infinite.
- The infinite has received several changes to allow it to connect much more effectively and rack up more damage overall, despite dealing slightly less damage per hit (1% → 0.8%):
- It has less startup (frame 8 → 5), a shorter gap between hits (6 frames → 3), and a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.5×) and SDI multiplier (1× → 0.4×), making it harder to escape.
- It has a different launch angle to keep grounded opponents closer to Mewtwo (70°/89° → 361°).
- It deals less knockback (14 base/30 scaling → 8/10) and each hit has a hitstun modifier of 3.
- It has a larger hitbox (5.2u → 5.6u).
- The infinite's finisher has a longer hitbox duration (frame 6 → frames 6-7).
- The finisher deals slightly more damage (2% → 2.5%) with no compensation on knockback, allowing it to KO under 200% near the edge.
- The first hit deals less damage (4% → 3%) and knockback (50/20 base/20/60 scaling → 25/20 base/15 scaling), removing its guaranteed jab cancel setups from Smash 4, despite its lower ending lag and hitstun modifier.
- Like other neutral attacks, the first hit can transition into the infinite by simply holding the attack button or pressing it once more if it hits an opponent, rather than only by pressing it multiple times. This makes it harder to jab cancel, as the window to input other attacks instead of triggering the infinite is effectively shortened.
- The finisher has more ending lag (FAF 36 → 41).
- The first hit and the finisher have higher hitlag multipliers (1× → 1.8× (hit 1), 2× (finisher)).
- The infinite has gained a shieldstun multiplier of 4×. 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 Mewtwo more easily if they shield 10 hits or more.
- Forward tilt:
- Forward tilt deals more damage (10%/9%/8% → 11%/10%/9%) and knockback (20 base/100 scaling → 70/75), increasing its safety on hit at low percents and greatly improving its KO potential.
- However, this removes its ability to lock opponents at low percents.
- It has larger hitboxes (4.3u/3.7u/2.9u → 5u/4.6u/4.2u) with altered placements (X offset: 0u/1.8u/0u → 1.5u/2.5u/2u, Z offset: 0u/-2u/0u → 0u/0u/0u (Z-offset)), improving its range.
- It has an altered animation: Mewtwo spins its full body around before swinging its tail.
- Up tilt:
- Up tilt deals more damage (6%/5%/4.5%/4.5% → 7%/6%/5.5%/5.5% (clean), 5%/4%/3% → 6%/5%/4% (late)), with knockback mostly compensated on all but the clean fourth hitbox (114/80/55 → 105/71). This slightly improves the move's KO potential, without worsening its combo ability due to Mewtwo's faster jumpsquat.
- The clean fourth hitbox has more knockback scaling (50 → 71). This makes it safer on hit at lower percents, but hinders its combo potential at higher percents, removing guaranteed KO setups into up smash.
- The clean tipper hitbox launches towards Mewtwo like the rest of the hitboxes (361° → 110°), improving the move's consistency.
- The move has a slightly altered animation, with Mewtwo beginning its tail swipe lower to the ground and landing on its feet immediately after the flip. This improves its overall reach on both sides, but makes landing the clean fourth hitbox noticeably harder due to being outprioritized by the other hitboxes.
- Down tilt:
- Down tilt has slightly more ending lag (FAF 21 → 24), hindering its combo potential.
- It has an altered animation: Mewtwo sweeps its tail inward instead of outward.
- Dash attack:
- Dash attack's clean sweetspot and late sourspot deal more damage (10%/4% → 12%/4.5%) with no compensation on knockback, granting the clean sweetspot KO potential at realistic percentages.
- It has gained a shieldstun multiplier of 1.3×. In combination with its higher damage and the increased shieldstun for ground attacks, this makes it safer on shield.
- Due to the changes to jostle mechanics, it can no longer cross-up shields unless done at point-blank on smaller characters, allowing it to be punished more easily despite its increased shieldstun.
- It has a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.25×), making it easier to DI.
- It launches at lower angles (60°/70°/80° → 54°/60°/70°), further improving the clean hit's KO potential, but hindering the late hit's combo potential.
- Forward smash:
- Forward smash can be angled.
- It has a longer hitbox duration (frames 19-21 → 19-22).
- The sweetspot deals more damage (19% → 20%) and knockback (21 base/85 scaling → 30/90), significantly improving its KO potential (allowing it to KO under 90% from the center of Final Destination, compared to previously not KOing until around 110% under the same circumstances).
- The sweetspot is larger (5.6u → 6.3u), improving its range.
- Up smash:
- Up smash's first hit sends at an autolink angle (100° → 368°), allowing it to connect better into the subsequent hits.
- The last hit has a longer duration (frames 34-35 → 22-25).
- The last hit has more knockback scaling (107 → 111), improving its KO potential.
- The move hits four times instead of seven. However, the first three hits deal more damage (1% → 2%), leaving its total damage output unchanged.
- The last hit has less startup to accommodate for this change (frame 34 → 22). This significantly shortens the move's hitbox duration, while its total duration remains unchanged, greatly increasing its ending lag as well. As a result, the move is much less effective as an anti-air, and easier to punish if it misses or is shielded.
- Due to the changes to jostle mechanics, the first hit is notably more difficult to land, sometimes missing opponents even at point blank range due to Mewtwo's character model pushing them away. As a result, the move is much less consistent at hitting opponents than in Smash 4, especially as an out-of-shield punish.
- The energy swirl is opaque and stylized, instead of a translucent whirl of particles.
- Down smash:
- Down smash has less ending lag (FAF 44 → 41).
- It deals more damage (15% → 16%) with no knockback compensation, improving its KO potential. Alongside its reduced ending lag, this also makes it safer on shield.
- It deals additional shield damage (0 → 8 (close)/4 (far)), allowing it to better wear down shields, even with the potential of breaking them depending on charge.
- It has a longer hitbox duration (frames 21-22 → 21-23).
- It has much larger hitboxes (4u/8.7u → 7.5u/11u) that are placed higher (Y offset: 3.5u/3.5u → 4u/4u), improving its range. In combination with its longer hitbox duration, this makes it more effective for 2 frame punishes.
- It has a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.3×), making it easier to DI.
Aerial attacks
- All aerials have less landing lag (13 frames → 10 (neutral), 14 → 8 (forward), 17 → 10 (back), 13 → 8 (up), 18 → 11 (down)).
- Neutral aerial:
- The looping hits' deal more set knockback (22/46 → 30/60), and their feet hitboxes send at an autolink angle (110° → 367°), allowing them to connect more reliably.
- The move takes longer to interrupt (FAF 46 → 50).
- The looping hits have smaller hitboxes (3u → 2.5u), reducing the move's range for most of its duration.
- However, the last hit has a larger hitbox (10.9u → 13.5u).
- The move hits six times instead of nine. However, the first five hits deal more damage (1% → 1.6%), leaving its total damage output unchanged.
- The last hit has less startup to accommodate for this change (frame 39 → 27), This considerably shortens the move's hitbox duration, and significantly increases its ending lag in combination with its slower interruptibility, no longer allowing Mewtwo to act only five frames after the hitboxes cease.
- Due to the change to the Sakurai angle against aerial opponents (45.2637° → 38°), the move has improved edgeguarding potential, but coupled with its increased ending lag, it has almost entirely lost its combo potential into other aerials without landing.
- The last hit has a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.2×), making it easier to DI, but giving Mewtwo more time to react to the direction the opponent is sent into.
- The move has altered visuals: rather than emitting multicolored orbs, Mewtwo discharges electricity around itself while flashing with a blue overlay.
- Forward aerial:
- Forward aerial's arm hitbox is larger (3.9u → 4.5u).
- It sends at a lower angle (50° → 47°), slightly improving its KO potential near the edge.
- It has more startup (frame 6 → 7) and ending lag (FAF 38 → 40). In combination with the new knockback speed up effect decreasing hitstun for higher knockback values, this removes its combo potential into itself.
- It auto-cancels later (frame 36 → 37).
- Back aerial:
- Back aerial's sweetspot has increased knockback scaling (90 → 101) while its middlespot and sourspot deal more damage (11%/9% → 12%/11%), improving its KO potential.
- Up aerial:
- Up aerial deals more damage (11%/10%/9% → 12%/11%/10%) and has increased knockback scaling on the sweetspot, with its middlespot and sourspot mostly compensated (97 → 98/92/92), notably improving its KO potential.
- Its increased knockback hinders its combo potential at higher percents, especially out of an immediate double jump.
- It has an altered animation: Mewtwo no longer faces the screen after finishing its tail sweep.
- Down aerial:
- Down aerial's sweetspot is placed lower (Y offset: -6.5u → -7.7u), improving its vertical range.
- It has more ending lag (FAF 46 → 48).
- The sourspot has a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.2×), making it easier to DI.
- It now uses a darkness effect.
Throws and other attacks
- Grabs:
- All grabs have more ending lag (FAF 36 → 40 (standing), 43 → 48 (dash), 41 → 43 (pivot)).
- Dash and pivot grab have more startup (frame 9 → 10 (dash), 10 → 11 (pivot)).
- Dash grab has less range (Z2 offset: 12.7u → 12u).
- Pivot grab has more range (Z2 offset: -15.2u → -17.3u).
- Pummel:
- Pummel deals more hitlag (7 frames → 14), but has less startup (frame 4 → 1) and significantly less ending lag (FAF 19 → 7), shortening its duration.
- It deals less damage (2% → 1.3%).
- It has a new animation where it clenches its hand to attack. Additionally, Mewtwo no longer leans into the opponent when performed.
- It now attacks with dark energy rather than electricity, accompanied by the attack having a darkness effect instead of an electric one.
- Forward throw:
- Forward throw's Shadow Balls launch at a lower angle (43° → 38°), slightly improving its ability to set up edgeguards.
- The Shadow Balls have a lower SDI multiplier (1× → 0.8×), making them harder to escape.
- The speed of the throw is no longer weight dependent, causing the shots to connect less reliably against lightweights, but more reliably against heavyweights.
- The universally increased hitlag causes the shots to connect more reliably at lower percents, while the knockback speed-up effect causes them to connect less reliably at higher percents.
- However, the new mechanic of hitlag being reduced as the number of players in a match increases worsens the shots' ability to connect in battles with more than two players.
- The throw has more set knockback (30 → 35).
- Back throw:
- Back throw deals more damage (10% → 11%) with no compensation on knockback, improving its KO potential.
- It has an altered animation: Mewtwo tosses the opponent over its shoulder nonchalantly.
- Down throw:
- Down throw has less ending lag (FAF 46 → 42), granting the move combo potential; most notably, it now has a KO setup into forward aerial at high percentages.
- Edge attack:
- Edge attack deals more damage (7% → 9%).
Special moves
- Shadow Ball:
- Like other charge-cancelable moves, Mewtwo can cancel Shadow Ball by spot dodging or jumping.
- It has less startup (frame 23 → 18) and ending lag (FAF 49 → 40).
- It reaches its full charge more quickly (138 → 123 frames).
- Uncharged Shadow Ball deals more damage (2.5% → 4%).
- Fully charged Shadow Ball has more knockback scaling (67 → 71), improving its KO potential.
- The changes to Shadow Ball in combination with the universally increased hitlag and Mewtwo's faster mobility allow it to combo into other attacks at various percentages depending on charge and positioning, such as dash attack and forward aerial.
- The move can no longer be charge-canceled immediately, instead incurring 4 frames of lag beforehand.
- Rather than gaining additional shield damage when charged that increases alongside the charge level, it has negative shield damage even when uncharged, which further decreases as it is charged (0 (minimum), 3 (maximum) → -0.6, -4). This worsens fully charged Shadow Balls' ability to break shields.
- Confusion:
- Confusion has less startup and reflects projectiles faster (frame 12 → 10), with its total duration reduced as well (FAF 45 → 43).
- It has larger hitboxes (6.4u/9.2u → 7.4u/10.2u), improving its range.
- It incapacitates opponents for a certain amount of time after they are swirled around, which increases alongside their percent. Mewtwo has an advantage of one frame over the opponent starting at 15%, which increases by one frame for each additional 25%, until capping at six frames with a percentage of 140%. This grants the move followup potential, notably enabling a near-inescapable KO setup into forward aerial when performed in the air with the opponent at 140% or higher.
- It halts Mewtwo's horizontal momentum in the air, hindering its utility as a recovery move and landing mixup.
- It no longer corrects the opponent's position to the center of the ripple, which may leave them too far away to follow up with an attack, but far enough to be unable to punish Mewtwo with an aerial attack after using the move.
- Teleport:
- Teleport has less ending lag on the ground (FAF 53 → 45).
- It has less landing lag (30 frames → 20).
- It can grab onto ledges more easily, with the new ledge grab range being roughly twice its original size.
- It grants slightly more intangibility frames (frames 9-17 → 9-19).
- It retains less horizontal momentum on the ground due to Mewtwo's increased traction, making ledge-canceling notably harder to perform.
- It has a darker, more distinct visual effect when Mewtwo disappears and reappears.
- Disable:
- Disable grants full intangibility during frames 10-16.
- The hitboxes are placed lower (Y offset: 0u → -1.7u) and further out (Z offset: 0u → 2.5u), improving the move's range against short opponents, as well as horizontally alongside the previous change.
- It has an altered animation: Mewtwo spreads its arms out without leaning forwards, which resembles its official artwork. The particle effect has also been changed to become a green flash of light that travels outwards at eye level, making its hitbox clearer.
- It has more ending lag (FAF 48 → 53).
- The ground-only hitbox is slightly smaller (2.34u → 2.3u).
- Psystrike:
- Psystrike deals more damage (30% → 40%).
- It has altered knockback (50 base/80 scaling → 80/40), making it stronger on smaller stages but weaker on larger stages.
- It has modified visual effects. The projectile is colored purple and white throughout the orb instead of purple at the edge and black/yellow/blue in the center. The center of the orb resembles a burst of energy instead of a vortex, and the move causes more intense visual effects when it hits an opponent.