Down special move

Stone, Kirby's down special move in all Super Smash Bros. games.

The down special move (commonly referred to as down B) is a special move performed by pressing the special move button while holding the control stick downwards.

Down specials are the most varied of special moves and are often of the character's more "gimmicky" attacks - the majority of reflectors, absorbers, counterattacks, item-creating moves, mid-match character transformations, difficult recoveries and chargeable attacks are down specials. They tend to involve minimal character movement.

Certain down specials do not function in the air at all, such as Peach's Vegetable and Donkey Kong's Hand Slap prior to SSB4. Others will display unique animations in the air but still fail to activate, like the first part of Villager's Timber and Isabelle's Lloid Trap.

Reverse down special

In Brawl, Smash 4 and Ultimate, some characters' down special moves can be reversed by pushing the control stick in the opposite direction a few frames after inputting the move. There is no animation for reversing a down special. Unlike other reverse specials, a reverse down special has a limited number of characters that can do it and fewer who will gain an advantage from it. The characters who can perform it are: Bowser, Yoshi, Pit, Ice Climbers, R.O.B., Pikachu, Marth, Ike, Ness, Lucas, Fox, Wolf, and Mr. Game and Watch. Since only Bowser, R.O.B., and Yoshi have a use for a reverse down special on the ground, some characters can use it in the air to gain a boost in the opposite direction and surprise opponents like Marth, Ike and Pikachu. The boost is most likely caused from a reverse down special having no animation and swaps the momentum around with the character.

List of down special moves

Character	Move	Description
Banjo & Kazooie	N/A	N/A
Bayonetta	Witch Time	Works like a counterattack, but instead of responding back with an attack of her own, Bayonetta slows down time for the affected attacker. Opponents with higher accumulated damage are slowed down for longer. If the timing on Witch Time's activation is off, a secondary effect called Bat Within activates, where Bayonetta takes half damage but no knockback from the incoming attack. and the attacker is not slowed.
Bowser	Bowser Bomb	A stall-then-fall ground pound attack. Starting in Smash 4, the grounded version has a small initial hit on the way up meant to place opponents in the path of the stronger descending portion of the move.
Bowser Jr.	Mechakoopa	Bowser Jr. releases a Mechakoopa which begins to walk around the stage of its own accord. The Mechakoopa will explode upon reaching a certain proximity to an opponent, or after its timer expires. It can also be picked up and thrown like an item, and will explode on contact.
Captain Falcon	Falcon Kick	Captain Falcon rushes forward with a flaming kick along the ground. When used in the air, it travels diagonally downward. In Melee, using Falcon Kick in midair causes Captain Falcon to regain his double jump.
Charizard	Pokémon Change	Recalls Charizard and sends out Squirtle. In Ultimate, Pokémon Change is much faster and can be used in midair.
	Rock Smash	Charizard produces a boulder and smashes it with its head.
Chrom	Counter	Functions similarly to Roy's Counter, but it lacks flame properties.
Cloud	Limit Charge / Finishing Touch	Using Limit Charge slowly increases Cloud's Limit Gauge. When the gauge is full, Cloud's down special becomes Finishing Touch until the Limit Break is spent. Finishing Touch is a wide sweeping attack with low damage but strong KO ability.
Corrin	Counter Surge	A counterattack which, when activated, causes Corrin to transform fully into a dragon and smash the ground, causing a surge of water that launches opponents.
Daisy	Vegetable	Identical to Peach's Vegetables.
Dark Pit	Guardian Orbitars	Identical to Pit's Guardian Orbitars.
Dark Samus	Bomb	Identical to Samus's Bomb.
Diddy Kong	Banana Peel	Diddy Kong produces a Banana Peel item and throws it on the ground. In Brawl, Diddy Kong can produce a maximum of two bananas at once. In Smash 4, the limit was changed to one banana peel, and the peel will disappear after being thrown once.
Donkey Kong	Hand Slap	Donkey Kong slaps the ground with his hands as the attack button is pressed repeatedly, creating a wide shock wave that can only hit grounded opponents. In Melee and Brawl, this move cannot be used in the air. Starting in Smash 4, it has an aerial version where Donkey Kong awkwardly slaps with each hand once, potentially meteor smashing airborne opponents.
Dr. Mario	Dr. Tornado	Functions similarly to Mario's Mario Tornado.
Duck Hunt	Wild Gunman	Duck Hunt summons one of five 8-bit gunmen, who will stand still for a moment before drawing their pistol and firing a single projectile, then disappearing. Each gunman has a different delay before firing and a different damage value. The gunman can be hit by opponents before or after it fires.
Falco	Reflector	In Melee, it functions similarly to Fox's Reflector, but sends opponents upwards. Starting in Brawl, Falco instead kicks his reflector outward and pulls it back, dealing minor knockback and damage.
Fox	Reflector	Fox puts up a reflector which, for a moment upon activation, has a hitbox at very close range which sends opponents down and away. Starting in Brawl, using it midair will stall Fox's descent; in Ultimate, only one use will cause a stall until Fox touches the ground again.
Ganondorf	Wizard's Foot	Functions similarly to Captain Falcon's Falcon Kick, but it uses the darkness effect, and the aerial version meteor smashes opponents during its startup.
Greninja	Substitute	A counterattack which, when activated, causes a Substitute Doll or a log to appear in Greninja's place while Greninja counters the attacker with a flying kick.
Hero	Command Selection	When this move is inputted, the Hero will assume a thinking position, and the player will be given a random selection of four spells to choose from. These spells are chosen each time the move is inputted, so the player can simply shield to cancel the move and input the move again to get another selection.
Ice Climbers	Blizzard	Each Ice Climber releases a blast of snowy air with short range in front of them. It hits multiple times and can briefly freeze opponents.
Ike	Counter	Functions similarly to Marth's Counter, albeit with a different stance. Ike's counterattack is also stronger.
Incineroar	Revenge	Behaves similarly to a counterattack, but Incineroar does not strike back when attack. Instead, a small burst of flames interrupts the attacker, and Incineroar's body begins to glow, indicating it has stored energy. Incineroar's next successful attack after Revenge's activation will be more powerful, and then the effect wears off.
Inkling	Splat Bomb	Inkling lobs a Splat Bomb forward, which explodes shortly after touching the ground.
Isabelle	Lloid Trap	Isabelle plants Lloid in the ground, acting like a landmine. If an opponent walks over the trap, Lloid will shoot directly upwards, dragging the opponent with him and hitting multiple times before finally exploding. Pressing the attack button while Lloid is planted will also activate the attack. If Lloid is not activated for a period of time, he will disappear.
Ivysaur	Pokémon Change	Recalls Ivysaur and sends out Charizard. In Ultimate, Pokémon Change is much faster and can be used in midair.
Jigglypuff	Rest	Jigglypuff falls asleep. While apparently useless, the move has a small but powerful hitbox at extremely close range for a moment upon activation.
Joker	Rebel's Guard	Joker will go into a defensive pose, in which all attacks that hit him will do half damage as well as help fill up his Rebellion Gauge. Once released, he'll perform a backhand, hitting nearby opponents away. When Arsene is summoned, this move becomes Tetrakarn/Makarakarn, depending on the attack that hits him. The first activates when a physical attack hits him, making him counter the opponent. The latter reflects projectiles instead.
Ken	Focus Attack	Functions similarly to Ryu's Focus Attack, though he performs a kick instead of a punch. The move has less range, and is weaker as well.
King Dedede	Jet Hammer	King Dedede begins charging up his jet-powered hammer, then unleashes a wide, spinning swing. While the move is charging, King Dedede can move side to side and jump. The charge can be held for as long as desired, but King Dedede takes recoil damage when the move is held at maximum charge.
King K. Rool	Gut Check	A counterattack where King K. Rool puffs out his stomach and counters attacks that directly hit it. He can also reflect projectiles with the move.
Kirby	Stone	Kirby transforms into a rock (or other heavy objects) and plummets downward. Kirby returns to normal a few second after landing, or if the move is used again while in Stone form. While sitting on the ground in Stone form, Kirby is impervious to damage, but a strong enough attack can force him to transform back.
Link	Bomb	Link pulls out a Bomb and holds onto it like an item. It will explode after a few seconds or on contact.
	Remote Bomb	Link pulls out and throws a Remote Bomb. After it is thrown, it can be picked up and thrown like an item. Unlike Link's Bombs in other games, the Remote Bombs must be manually detonated by Link with another use of the down special move. They have a larger explosion radius.
Little Mac	Slip Counter	A counterattack where Little Mac responds to incoming attacks with a dashing punch. When activated in midair, the punch causes Little Mac to travel significant horizontal distance.
Lucario	Double Team	A counterattack where Lucario responds to incoming attacks with a flying kick.
Lucas	PSI Magnet	Functions similarly to Ness's PSI Magnet, but Lucas holds the vortex in front of him instead of surrounding himself with it.
Lucina	Counter	Functions similarly to Marth's Counter, albiet with a different stance.
Luigi	Luigi Cyclone	Functions similarly to Mario's Mario Tornado.
Mario	Mario Tornado	Mario spins around rapidly, striking foes multiple times with his fists. When used in midair, the user can gain height via button mashing.
	F.L.U.D.D.	Mario charges up F.L.U.D.D., which can be activated to spray water at opponents, pushing then back but not dealing damage. The more the move is charged, the more forceful the steam of water.
Marth	Counter	A counterattack where Marth responds to an incoming attack with a sword slash that is stronger than the countered attack.
Mega Man	Leaf Shield	Mega Man summons a rotating circle of leafs which move with him, dealing minor damage to opponents and blocking projectiles. The Leaf Shield disappears after a while, or it can be launched forward with another use of the down special move.
Meta Knight	Dimensional Cape	Meta Knight swirls his cape and vanishes from sight, then reappears a short distance away, in a direction of the user's choosing. If the attack button is held as Meta Knight reappears, he delivers a strong sword slash.
Mewtwo	Disable	Mewtwo's eyes flash and a spark appears in front of it, stunning opponents who are nearby and facing towards Mewtwo.
Mii Brawler	Head-On Assault (default)	Mii Brawler leaps diagonally upwards into the air, flips upside down and heads straight to the ground, landing on its head. The grounded version has an initial hitbox that leads into the main hit. In midair, it is a stall-then-fall attack. It can bury grounded opponents.
Mii Gunner	Echo Reflector (default)	Behaves similarly to Fox's Reflector.
Mii Swordfighter	Blade Counter (default)	Behaves similarly to Marth's Counter.
Mr. Game & Watch	Oil Panic	Mr. Game & Watch holds out a bucket. Any incoming projectile is absorbed and converted into a "bar" which fills the bucket, up to three bars. When the bucket is full, using the down special move will pour out a splash of oil, which has power proportional to the strength of the three projectiles which were absorbed. In Ultimate, the bucket can reflect non-absorbable projectiles.
Ness	PSI Magnet	Ness surrounds himself in a vortex of energy which absorbs incoming projectiles and heals Ness in proportion to the amount of damage the projectile deals.
Olimar	Pikmin Order	Olimar blows a whistle, causing any stray Pikmin to quickly jump back to him and fall in line. The move has super armor for a moment upon activation.
Pac-Man	Fire Hydrant	Pac-Man places a fire hydrant on the ground or, if the move is used in midair, launches the fire hydrant downwards as a projectile. When the hydrant is on the ground, it will periodically spurt water to each side, pushing fighters (including Pac-Man). If the hydrant receives enough damage, it will go tumbling away, becoming a projectile once again. It disappears after a while even if it is not attacked.
Palutena	Counter (default)	Behaves similarly to Marth's Counter.
	Counter / Reflect Barrier	When countering a melee attack, this move behaves the same way as in the previous game. When a projectile is countered, however, Palutena's Reflect Barrier is summoned instead, eschewing the counterattack and reflecting the projectile instead.
Peach	Vegetable	Peach's plucks a turnip from the ground and holds it like an item. Turnips with different faces deal different amounts of damage, and the more powerful ones have less chance to appear. If items are enabled, Peach also has a small chance to pluck a Mr. Saturn, Beam Sword (only in Melee and Brawl), or Bob-omb.
Pichu	Thunder	Behaves similarly to Pikachu's Thunder.
Pikachu	Thunder	Pikachu calls down a lightning bolt from above, which travels straight down and can pass through some platforms. If the lightning bolt reaches Pikachu, it strikes it and causes a large electrical burst. Starting in Smash 4, parts of the bolt have a meteor smash effect on airborne opponents, potentially dragging them down to Pikachu to be hit by the stronger burst hitbox.
Pit	Mirror Shield	Pit crouches and holds up a large shield in front of him, reflecting incoming projectiles.
	Guardian Orbitars	Pit summons the Guardian Orbitars, two ethereal shields that surround him and reflect incoming projectiles. The shields will stay raised if the user holds the button, but will be put away automatically after a certain duration.
Richter	Holy Water	Functions similarly to Simon's Holy Water, but the flame pillar is blue, possessing the aura effect instead of flame.
Ridley	Skewer	Ridley violently stabs his tail out straight ahead. The move's sweetspot causes opponents to crumple to the ground.
R.O.B.	Gyro	R.O.B. begins charging his Gyro. The charging can be cancelled and the move will retain its charge until it is used. When the charge is released, the Gyro is released with damage and distance proportional to its charge level. After being released, it will spin on the ground, damage opponents who touch it, but any fighter can pick it up and throw it as an item.
Robin	Nosferatu	Robin summons tendrils of smoke in front of him that will ensnare a nearby opponent and deal continuous damage while healing Robin.
Rosalina	Gravitational Pull	Rosalina waves her hand, creating a gravitational wave which diverts and effectively destroys incoming projectile as well as pulling in nearby items. In Ultimate, Gravitational Pull will automatically equip any equippable items which it pulls in.
Roy	Counter	Functions similarly to Marth's Counter, but the counterattack is considerably stronger and has the flame effect.
Ryu	Focus Attack	Ryu enters a ready stance, preparing to deliver a powerful but short-ranged punch. Pressing the button again before the move charges fully will release a weaker punch. While in the ready stance, Ryu can be by one enemy attack without flinching. The strongest Focus Attack causes opponents to crumple to the ground. During the ready stance, or just after the charged move connects, Ryu can quickly cancel his stance by dash forward or backward, known as Focus Attack Dash Cancel (FADC).
Samus	Bomb	Samus enters Morph Ball form and drops a bomb which explodes moments later, damaging opponents but not Samus. If used in the air, Samus can use the explosions of the bombs to gain a small height boost.
Sheik	Transform	Sheik transforms into Zelda.
	Bouncing Fish	Sheik flips forward with an arcing kick. If the kick connects, Sheik bounces off the opponent and can quickly use the move again in the opposite direction. The horizontal distance traveled can be shortened or lengthened by the user's inputs.
Shulk	Vision	A counterattack where Shulk responds to incoming attacks with a dash and a sweeping sword strike. If the move is used but the counterattack is not activated, the counterattack window will begin to shrink with each failed usage. Shulk's current Monado Art affects the power of the strike.
Simon	Holy Water	Simon lobs a bottle of holy water a short distance away, which explodes into a pillar of flame on contact, dealing multiple hits.
Snake	C4	Snake plants a C4 explosive on the ground. It can be remotely detonated at any time by using the down special move again, or will detonate on its own after some time has passed. Snake can also stick C4 onto nearby fighters, which can then be transferred between fighters on contact.
Sonic	Spin Charge	Functions similarly to his Spin Dash, but he can repeatedly press the button to charge the move in place before dashing, and there is no hop when the dash is initiated.
Squirtle	Pokémon Change	Recalls Squirtle and sends out Ivysaur. In Ultimate, Pokémon Change is much faster and can be used in midair.
Toon Link	Bomb	Functions similarly to Link's Bomb. The explosion is larger, but deals less damage in return.
Villager	Timber	This move has three stages. When first used, Villager will plant a sapling in the ground (or, if airborne, do nothing). Once the sapling is planted, using the move will cause Villager to produce a watering can and sprinkle water on the ground. The water can be used to minimally push opponents, but the can's real use it to water the sapling, causing it to ground into a large tree which can separate the fighters and block attack. When the tree is on the field, using the down special move causes Villager to swing an axe, which is a powerful attack in its own right, and can be used to chop down the tree, which then becomes a slow and ranged but very strong projectile.
Wario	Wario Waft	Wario farts, with differing results based the move's level of charge. The move charges as long as Wario does not use it. The move charges passively while not in use, and its charge is even retained when Wario is KO'd. At minimal charge, the fart does not even launch opponents, but can trip them. At medium charge, the move causes Wario to lift off the ground, gaining an additional hitbox as he rises. At full charge, it is very powerful and sends Wario significantly high into the air.
Wii Fit Trainer	Deep Breathing	When the move is used, a colored circle appears around Wii Fit Trainer, and a ring appears around that. The ring will move inwards towards the circle, and the user must time their button press for when the ring has lined up with the red circle. A successful activation will cause Wii Fit Trainer to recover a small amount of damage and become temporarily powered up. If the move is used repeatedly in succession, the ring slows down dramatically, making it unlikely for the user to have enough time to activate it before the opponent attacks.
Wolf	Reflector	Functions similarly to Fox's Reflector, but the initial hitbox is larger, and it does not slow Wolf's midair descent. The reflector is also stronger, and reflected projectiles travel more quickly.
Yoshi	Yoshi Bomb	A stall-then-fall ground pound attack. In Ultimate, it can descend through soft platforms.
Young Link	Bomb	Functions similarly to Link's Bomb, though the bombs are smaller and hit multiple times instead of once while dealing more damage.
Zelda	Transform	Zelda transforms into Sheik.
	Phantom Slash	Zelda charges magic before summoning the Phantom, which rushes forward and delivers a sword swipe. The more the move is charged, the further the Phantom travels and the more powerful its attack. Phantoms will block incoming attacks. In Ultimate, releasing the move at partial charge causes a partially assembled Phantom to appear, doing a different attack based on the level of charge. When the move is fully charged in Ultimate, Zelda is able to act much more quickly as the Phantom is released, potentially following up its attack on the opponent with one of her own.
Zero Suit Samus	Flip Jump	Zero Suit Samus flips into the air in an arc, leaving afterimages behind. If the attack button is pressed again during the jump, Zero Suit Samus will deliver a powerful kick which can meteor smash opponents with its sweetspot. This move can be used to wall jump.

List of custom down special moves

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Character	Down Special Move	Custom Special Moves
Bayonetta	Witch Time	N/A
Bowser	Bowser Bomb	Custom 1: Turbulent Bomb
		Custom 2: Slip Bomb
Bowser Jr.	Mechakoopa	Custom 1: Impatient Mechakoopa
		Custom 2: Big Mechakoopa
Captain Falcon	Falcon Kick	Custom 1: Falcon Kick Fury
		Custom 2: Lightning Falcon Kick
Charizard	Rock Smash	Custom 1: Sinking Skull
		Custom 2: Rock Hurl
Cloud	Limit Charge / Finishing Touch	N/A
Corrin	Counter Surge	N/A
Dark Pit	Guardian Orbitars	Custom 1: Impact Orbitars
		Custom 2: Amplifying Orbitars
Diddy Kong	Banana Peel	Custom 1: Shocking Banana Peel
		Custom 2: Battering Banana Peel
Donkey Kong	Hand Slap	Custom 1: Focused Slap
		Custom 2: Hot Slap
Dr. Mario	Dr. Tornado	Custom 1: Soaring Tornado
		Custom 2: Clothesline Tornado
Duck Hunt	Wild Gunman	Custom 1: Quick Draw Aces
		Custom 2: Mega Gunman
Falco	Reflector	Custom 1: Accele-Reflector
		Custom 2: Reflector Void
Fox	Reflector	Custom 1: Big Reflector
		Custom 2: Amplifying Reflector
Ganondorf	Wizard's Foot	Custom 1: Wizard's Dropkick
		Custom 2: Wizard's Assault
Greninja	Substitute	Custom 1: Exploding Attack
		Custom 2: Substitute Ambush
Ike	Counter	Custom 1: Paralyzing Counter
		Custom 2: Smash Counter
Jigglypuff	Rest	Custom 1: Leaping Rest
		Custom 2: Wakie Wakie
King Dedede	Jet Hammer	Custom 1: Armored Jet Hammer
		Custom 2: Dash Jet Hammer
Kirby	Stone	Custom 1: Grounding Stone
		Custom 2: Meteor Stone
Link	Bomb	Custom 1: Giant Bomb
		Custom 2: Meteor Bomb
Little Mac	Slip Counter	Custom 1: Compact Counter
		Custom 2: Dash Counter
Lucario	Double Team	Custom 1: Glancing Double Team
		Custom 2: Stunning Double Team
Lucas	PSI Magnet	N/A
Lucina	Counter	Custom 1: Easy Counter
		Custom 2: Iai Counter
Luigi	Luigi Cyclone	Custom 1: Mach Cyclone
		Custom 2: Clothesline Cyclone
Mario	F.L.U.D.D.	Custom 1: Scalding F.L.U.D.D.
		Custom 2: High-Pressure F.L.U.D.D.
Marth	Counter	Custom 1: Easy Counter
		Custom 2: Iai Counter
Mega Man	Leaf Shield	Custom 1: Skull Barrier
		Custom 2: Plant Barrier
Meta Knight	Dimensional Cape	Custom 1: Shield Piercer
		Custom 2: Stealth Smasher
Mewtwo	Disable	N/A
Mii Brawler	Head-On Assault	Custom 2: Feint Jump
		Custom 3: Foot Flurry
Mii Gunner	Echo Reflector	Custom 2: Bomb Drop
		Custom 3: Absorbing Vortex
Mii Swordfighter	Blade Counter	Custom 2: Reversal Slash
		Custom 3: Power Thrust
Mr. Game & Watch	Oil Panic	Custom 1: Efficient Panic
		Custom 2: Panic Overload
Ness	PSI Magnet	Custom 1: PSI Vacuum
		Custom 2: Forward PSI Magnet
Olimar	Pikmin Order	Custom 1: Order Tackle
		Custom 2: Dizzy Whistle
Pac-Man	Fire Hydrant	Custom 1: On-Fire Hydrant
		Custom 2: Dire Hydrant
Palutena	Counter	Custom 1: Lightweight
		Custom 2: Celestial Firework
Peach	Vegetable	Custom 1: Light Veggie
		Custom 2: Heavy Veggie
Pikachu	Thunder	Custom 1: Thunder Burst
		Custom 2: Distant Thunder
Pit	Guardian Orbitars	Custom 1: Impact Orbitars
		Custom 2: Amplifying Orbitars
R.O.B.	Gyro	Custom 1: Fire Gyro
		Custom 2: Slip Gyro
Robin	Nosferatu	Custom 1: Distant Nosferatu
		Custom 2: Goetia
Rosalina	Gravitational Pull	Custom 1: Catch & Release
		Custom 2: Guardian Luma
Roy	Counter	N/A
Ryu	Focus Attack	N/A
Samus	Bomb	Custom 1: Slip Bomb
		Custom 2: Mega Bomb
Sheik	Bouncing Fish	Custom 1: Jellyfish
		Custom 2: Pisces
Shulk	Vision	Custom 1: Dash Vision
		Custom 2: Power Vision
Sonic	Spin Charge	Custom 1: Auto-Spin Charge
		Custom 2: Gravitational Charge
Toon Link	Bomb	Custom 1: Time Bomb
		Custom 2: Short-Fuse Bomb
Villager	Timber	Custom 1: Timber Counter
		Custom 2: Super Timber
Wario	Wario Waft	Custom 1: Rose-Scented Waft
		Custom 2: Quick Waft
Wii Fit Trainer	Deep Breathing	Custom 1: Volatile Breathing
		Custom 2: Steady Breathing
Yoshi	Yoshi Bomb	Custom 1: Star Bomb
		Custom 2: Crushing Bomb
Zelda	Phantom Slash	Custom 1: Phantom Breaker
		Custom 2: Phantom Strike
Zero Suit Samus	Flip Jump	Custom 1: Shooting Star Flip Kick
		Custom 2: Low Flip

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Character	Default Special Move	Custom Special Moves
Mii Brawler	Head-On Assault	Custom 2: Feint Jump
		Custom 3: Counter Throw
Mii Gunner	Echo Reflector	Custom 2: Bomb Drop
		Custom 3: Absorbing Vortex
Mii Swordfighter	Blade Counter	Custom 2: Reversal Slash
		Custom 3: Power Thrust