- For the technique referred to as "absorbing damage" by the Twinkle Toes bonus in Super Smash Bros. Melee, see tech.
Absorption is the process of using a particular special move to "catch" an opposing non-physical projectile, or a teammate's projectile if Team Attack is turned on. The assailant then provides some benefit to the character absorbing based on the attack power of the absorbed attack.
Only four characters in the Super Smash Bros. series have special moves that can absorb non-physical attacks, namely Ness, Lucas, Mii Gunner and Mr. Game & Watch. Ness and Lucas' absorbing special move is the PSI Magnet, Mr. Game & Watch's is Oil Panic, and the Mii Gunner's is Absorbing Vortex. PSI Magnet and Absorbing Vortex heal the user based on the absorbed attack's power, while Oil Panic stores the strength of up to three projectiles for unleashing a single attack.
As of version 1.1.3 in Super Smash Bros. 4, absorbed attack power from fellow teammates during Team Battles with Friendly Fire turned on is halved.
In The Subspace Emissary in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Floows are also capable of absorbing attacks, though they do not appear to do anything with the absorbed energy.
List of absorbable attacks
| User/Item | Move | Part of Move | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| By Characters | |||
| Bowser (Giga Bowser) | Fire Breath | Entire move |
|
| Charizard | Flamethrower | Entire move |
|
| Cloud | Blade Beam | Entire move |
|
| Corrin | Dragon Fang Shot | Entire move |
|
| Dark Pit | Silver Bow | Entire move |
|
| Diddy Kong | Rocketbarrel Boost | Free-roaming barrels |
|
| Dr. Mario | Megavitamin | Entire move |
|
| Duck Hunt | Trick Shot | Explosion |
|
| Falco | Blaster | Entire move |
|
| Fox | Blaster | Entire move |
|
| Ice Climbers | Blizzard | Entire move |
|
| Ice Shot | Entire move |
| |
| King Dedede | Super Dedede Jump | Stars |
|
| Waddle Dee Toss | Waddle Doo's beam attack |
| |
| Kirby | Copy Ability | Some neutral special moves |
|
| Final Cutter | Wave |
| |
| Link | Bomb | Explosion |
|
| Lucario | Aura Sphere | Entire move |
|
| Force Palm | Aura shot |
| |
| Lucas | PK Fire | Entire move |
|
| PK Freeze | Entire move |
| |
| PK Thunder | Entire move |
| |
| Luigi | Fireball | Entire move |
|
| Mario | Fireball | Entire move |
|
| Mega Man | Crash Bomber | Explosion |
|
| Forward Smash | Entire move |
| |
| Forward Tilt | Entire move |
| |
| Neutral attack | Entire move |
| |
| Neutral aerial | Entire move |
| |
| Mewtwo | Forward throw | Shots |
|
| Shadow Ball | Entire Move |
| |
| Mr. Game & Watch | Chef | Sausages |
|
| Ness | PK Fire | Entire move |
|
| PK Flash | Entire move |
| |
| PK Thunder | Entire move |
| |
| Palutena | Autoreticle | Shots |
|
| Peach | Toad | Spores |
|
| Pichu | Thunder | Bolt |
|
| Thunder Jolt | Entire move |
| |
| Pikachu | Thunder | Bolt |
|
| Thunder Jolt | Entire Move |
| |
| Pit | Palutena's Bow | Entire move |
|
| R.O.B. | Robo Beam | Entire move |
|
| Robin | Arcfire | Entire move |
|
| Elwind | Entire move |
| |
| Thunder | Entire move |
| |
| Rosalina | Floaty Star Bit | Entire move |
|
| Shooting Star Bit | Entire Move |
| |
| Ryu | Hadoken | Entire move |
|
| Samus | Bomb | Entire move |
|
| Charge Shot | Entire Move |
| |
| Sheik | Burst Grenade | Entire move |
|
| Vanish | Entire Move |
| |
| Toon Link | Bomb | Explosion |
|
| Villager | Lloid Rocket | Explosion |
|
| Wii Fit Trainer | Sun Salutation | Entire move |
|
| Wolf | Blaster | Shot |
|
| Yoshi | Yoshi Bomb | Stars |
|
| Zelda | Din's Fire | Entire Move |
|
| Zero Suit Samus | Down Smash | Entire move |
|
| Paralyzer | Entire move |
| |
| By Items | |||
| Blast Box | Explosion |
| |
| Bob-omb | Explosion |
| |
| Bombchu | Explosion |
| |
| Fire Flower | Flames |
| |
| Gooey Bomb | Explosion |
| |
| Lip's Stick | Spores |
| |
| Motion-Sensor Bomb | Explosion |
| |
| Ray Gun | Shots |
| |
| Star Rod | Stars |
| |
| Steel Diver | Shots |
| |
| Super Scope | Shots |
| |
| Superspicy Curry | Flames |
| |
| By Pokémon | |||
| Charizard | Flamethrower | Flames |
|
| Cyndaquil | Flamethrower | Flames |
|
| Electrode | Self-Destruct | Explosion |
|
| Genesect | Techno Blast | Beam |
|
| Meowth | Pay Day | Coins |
|
| Starmie | Swift | Stars |
|
| Staryu | Swift | Stars |
|
| By Stage Hazards | |||
| Corneria | Shots fired from Arwings, Wolfens, and the Great Fox |
| |
| Pyrosphere | FG-II Graham Unit shots |
| |
| Saffron City | Charmander | Flamethrower |
|
| Venusaur | Razor Leaf |
| |
| Sector Z | Shots fired from Arwings |
| |
| Venom | Shots fired from Arwings and Wolfens |
| |
| Wily Castle | Yellow Devil's shots |
| |
| By Enemies and Bosses | |||
| Armank | Energy Shot |
| |
| Chandelure | Fire Spin, Will-o-Wisp |
| |
| Duon | Scattershot |
| |
| Gamyga | Lasers |
| |
| Magikoopa | Spells |
| |
| Monoeye | Energy Shot |
| |
| Master Edges | Sword projectiles |
| |
| Master Hand | Finger bullets |
| |
| Puppit | Lasers |
| |
| R.O.B. Blaster | Beams |
| |
| Scope Primid | Shots |
| |
| Spaak | Electric ball |
| |
| Lightning bolt |
| ||
| Starman | PK Beam |
| |
Trivia
- Every Super Smash Bros. game debuts one character with an absorption move: Ness in Super Smash Bros., Mr. Game & Watch in Melee, Lucas in Brawl, and Mii Gunner in SSB4.