Kirby's side special move, Hammer.
Samus' Super Missile is an example of a "smash" special move.

The side special move (also commonly called forward B, side B, smash B, or over B) is a special attack performed by pressing the special move button with the control stick held left or right.

Not counting Final Smashes, the side special is the only special attack to originate in a game other than the original Super Smash Bros. - namely, in Super Smash Bros. Melee. In the original, pressing the special button with the stick held sideways would result in a neutral special move. With the introduction of side specials in Melee, some characters' neutral specials were changed to be side specials, with a new neutral special taking their place.

Many side specials involve either significant sideways character movement or a projectile that has more horizontal range than the user's other projectiles. As a result, many can be utilized as approaches.

Smash special move

Some side special moves are different depending on whether or not the control stick (or pad) is tapped/"smashed" or simply tilted to the side. The side special moves affected by this are:

Reverse side special move

In Brawl, most side special moves can be reversed in the first few frames (except Bowser and Samus), although the usefulness is questionable, since any character can quickly turn around on the spot and immediately perform their side special move. The only true use for a reverse side special is while running; when running, the player cannot use their side special backwards without having to stop or turn around first. The reverse side special can be done while running and gives certain characters boosts when turning around, the most notable boosts being Donkey Kong's and Luigi's reverse side specials, where the former gets a quick boost backwards and has an unsurprising hit, and the latter will keep sliding forwards while being able to charge his move.

List of side special moves

Character Side Special Move Custom Special Moves  
Bayonetta Heel Slide N/A
Bowser Koopa Klaw   N/A
Flying Slam    Custom 1: Dash Slam
Custom 2: Dash Slash
Bowser Jr. Clown Kart Dash Custom 1: Koopa Drift
Custom 2: Grounding Dash
Captain Falcon Raptor Boost Custom 1: Heavy Raptor Boost
Custom 2: Wind-up Raptor Boost
Charizard Rock Smash   Click here.
Flare Blitz   Custom 1: Blast Burn
Custom 2: Dragon Rush
Cloud Cross Slash N/A
Corrin Dragon Lunge N/A
Dark Pit Electroshock Arm Custom 1: Electrocut Arm
Custom 2: Quickshock Arm
Diddy Kong Monkey Flip Custom 1: Back Flip
Custom 2: Flying Monkey Flip
Donkey Kong Headbutt Custom 1: Jumping Headbutt
Custom 2: Stubborn Headbutt
Dr. Mario Super Sheet Custom 1: Shocking Sheet
Custom 2: Breezy Sheet
Duck Hunt Clay Shooting Custom 1: Rising Clay
Custom 2: Clay Break
Falco Falco Phantasm Custom 1: Falco Phase
Custom 2: Falco Charge
Fox Fox Illusion Custom 1: Fox Burst
Custom 2: Wolf Flash
Ganondorf Gerudo Dragon   N/A
Flame Choke     Custom 1: Flame Wave
Custom 2: Flame Chain
Greninja Shadow Sneak Custom 1: Shadow Strike
Custom 2: Shadow Dash
Ice Climbers Squall Hammer N/A
Ike Quick Draw Custom 1: Close Combat
Custom 2: Unyielding Blade
Ivysaur Razor Leaf N/A
Jigglypuff Pound Custom 1: Sideways Pound
Custom 2: Pound Blitz
King Dedede Waddle Dee Toss   N/A
Gordo Throw   Custom 1: Topspin Gordo
Custom 2: Bouncing Gordo
Kirby Hammer     N/A
Hammer Flip   Custom 1: Hammer Bash
Custom 2: Giant Hammer
Link Boomerang   N/A
Gale Boomerang     Custom 1: Boomerang
Custom 2: Ripping Boomerang
Little Mac Jolt Haymaker Custom 1: Grounding Blow
Custom 2: Guard Breaker
Lucario Force Palm Custom 1: Advancing Force Palm
Custom 2: Long-Distance Force Palm
Lucas PK Fire N/A
Lucina Dancing Blade Custom 1: Effortless Blade
Custom 2: Heavy Blade
Luigi Green Missile Custom 1: Floating Missile
Custom 2: Quick Missile
Mario Cape Custom 1: Shocking Cape
Custom 2: Gust Cape
Marth Dancing Blade Custom 1: Effortless Blade
Custom 2: Heavy Blade
Mega Man Crash Bomber Custom 1: Ice Slasher
Custom 2: Danger Wrap
Meta Knight Drill Rush Custom 1: High-Speed Drill
Custom 2: Shieldbreaker Drill
Mewtwo Confusion N/A
Mii Brawler Onslaught Custom 2: Burning Dropkick
Custom 3: Headache Maker
Mii Gunner Flame Pillar Custom 2: Stealth Burst
Custom 3: Gunner Missile
Mii Swordfighter Airborne Assault Custom 2: Slash Launcher
Custom 3: Chakram
Mr. Game & Watch Judge (Judgement in Melee) Custom 1: Extreme Judge
Custom 2: Chain Judge
Ness PK Fire Custom 1: PK Bonfire
Custom 2: PK Fire Burst
Olimar Pikmin Throw Custom 1: Sticky Pikmin Throw
Custom 2: Tackle Pikmin Throw
Pac-Man Power Pellet Custom 1: Distant Power Pellet
Custom 2: Enticing Power Pellet
Palutena Reflect Barrier Custom 1: Angelic Missile
Custom 2: Super Speed
Peach Peach Bomber Custom 1: Flower Bomber
Custom 2: Flying Peach Bomber
Pichu Skull Bash N/A
Pikachu Custom 1: Shocking Skull Bash
Custom 2: Heavy Skull Bash
Pit Angel Ring   N/A
Upperdash Arm   Custom 1: Interception Arm
Custom 2: Quickdash Arm
R.O.B. Arm Rotor Custom 1: Reflector Arm
Custom 2: Backward Arm Rotor
Robin Arcfire Custom 1: Arcfire+
Custom 2: Fire Wall
Rosalina Star Bits Custom 1: Floaty Star Bit
Custom 2: Shooting Star Bit
Roy Double-Edge Dance N/A
Ryu Tatsumaki Senpukyaku N/A
Samus Missile Custom 1: Relentless Missile
Custom 2: Turbo Missile
Sheik Chain     N/A
Burst Grenade   Custom 1: Gravity Grenade
Custom 2: Skimming Grenade
Shulk Back Slash Custom 1: Back Slash Leap
Custom 2: Back Slash Charge
Snake Remote Missile N/A
Sonic Spin Dash Custom 1: Hammer Spin Dash
Custom 2: Burning Spin Dash
Squirtle Withdraw N/A
Toon Link Boomerang Custom 1: Floating Boomerang
Custom 2: High-Speed Boomerang
Villager Lloid Rocket Custom 1: Liftoff Lloid
Custom 2: Pushy Lloid
Wario Wario Bike Custom 1: Speeding Bike
Custom 2: Burying Bike
Wii Fit Trainer Header Custom 1: Huge Header
Custom 2: Weighted Header
Wolf Wolf Flash N/A
Yoshi Egg Roll Custom 1: Heavy Egg Roll
Custom 2: Light Egg Roll
Young Link Boomerang N/A
Zelda Din's Fire Custom 1: Din’s Flare
Custom 2: Din’s Blaze
Zero Suit Samus Plasma Whip Custom 1: Plasma Dash
Custom 2: Whip Lash