In the sticker system used by Brawl, some attacks are coded as being Specials: Indirect. Generally this indicates that an attack is a projectile or is similarily long-ranged and not involving hand-to-hand contact; despite the name, they do not have to be part of a special move.
The main effect of indirect attacks is that most enemies in The Subspace Emissary resist them a small degree. It's presumed this is to encourage close-range combat as opposed to camping and turtling. The only enemies to not resist it are Shellpods (without the shell only), Master Hand, Crazy Hand, Porky, Meta Ridley, and Tabuu. Indirect attacks also affect certain items: Uniras are not moved or dislodged by indirect attacks, and Metal Boxes do not activate when struck by one.
List of Specials: Indirect attacks by characters
- Bowser - Fire Breath
- Captain Falcon - down smash (hit 1 interior)
- Charizard - forward air, Flamethrower, Rock Smash (fragments)
- Diddy Kong - Peanut Popgun (thrown), Rocketbarrel Boost (hit 1, loose barrels), Rocketbarrel Barrage (ram)
- Donkey Kong - Konga Beat
- Falco - neutral attack (infinite end wind), Blaster, Landmaster (shot)
- Fox - neutral attack (infinite end wind), Blaster, Landmaster (shot)
- Giga Bowser - Fire Breath
- Ice Climbers - Ice Shot, Blizzard
- Ivysaur - Bullet Seed, Razor Leaf
- King Dedede - Inhale (spit star), Waddle Dee Toss, Super Dedede Jump (stars), Waddle Dee Army (wind)
- Kirby - Inhale (spit star), Final Cutter (wave)
- Kirby can copy Aura Sphere, Blaster, Bullet Seed, Charge Shot, Chef, Chomp, Fire Breath, Fireball, Flamethrower, Hero's Bow, Ice Shot, Dedede's Inhale, Needle Storm, Palutena's Arrow, Paralyzer, Pikmin Pluck, PK Flash, PK Freeze, Robo Beam, Thunder Jolt, Toad, and Water Gun
- Link - Hero's Bow, Gale Boomerang, Bomb
- Lucario - neutral attack (tip), down smash (front interior), forward smash (tip), Aura Sphere (not charging), Aura Storm (main attack)
- Lucas - up smash, down smash, PK Freeze, PK Fire, PK Thunder, PSI Magnet (end), PK Starstorm
- Luigi - Fireball
- Mario - forward smash (fire), Fireball, F.L.U.D.D., Mario Finale
- Marth - up smash (sides)
- Mr. Game & Watch - neutral attack (end), Chef (food)
- Ness - PK Flash, PK Fire, PK Thunder, PSI Magnet (end wind), PK Starstorm
- Olimar - up smash, down smash, Pikmin Throw (Purple, SSE), forward smash
- Peach - Toad, Vegetable
- Pikachu - Thunder Jolt, Thunder (bolt)
- Pit - Palutena's Arrow, Palutena's Army
- Pokémon Trainer - Triple Finish
- R.O.B. - up smash, forward smash, neutral air, back air, down air, Robo Beam, Gyro, Diffusion Beam
- Samus - Charge Shot, Missile (both), Bomb, Zero Laser
- Sheik - neutral attack (infinite end wind), Needle Storm, Light Arrow (hit 1)
- Snake - up smash, down smash, forward smash, Grenade, Remote Missile, Cypher, C4, Grenade Launcher, taunt
- Sonic - Spring Jump (falling spring)
- Squirtle - up smash, Water Gun (charged)
- Toon Link - Hero's Bow, Boomerang, Bomb
- Wario - forward smash (front), Chomp (bite, explosion), Wario Bike (thrown, tires)
- Wario-Man - up smash (wind), forward smash (front), Chomp (bite, explosion), Wario Bike (thrown, tires)
- Wolf - Blaster, Wolf Flash (during), Landmaster (shot)
- Yoshi - Egg Throw, Yoshi Bomb (stars), Super Dragon (fire breath, fireball)
- Zelda - up air, Din's Fire, Light Arrow (hit 1)
- Zero Suit Samus - down smash, up smash (hit 1, whip hits 2-6), forward smash (whip), neutral air, Paralyzer, Plasma Whip (all but grounded hit 1), Plasma Wire, Power Suit Samus (all but final hit), armour pieces
List of Specials: Indirect attacks by items
All items, with the exception of battering items when swung and the Screw Attack, are Special: Indirect.