List of flaws in artificial intelligence (SSBU)

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The following is a list of flaws in the artificial intelligence of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, present up to the most recent version (8.1.0) unless otherwise stated.

Universal flaws

Category	Description	Characters	Latest version
Recovery
	CPUs will never recover high and directly onto the stage, always aiming for the ledge even if the opponent is covering it, allowing the opponent to easily gimp or repeatedly edgeguard them. Additionally, CPUs with damaging recoveries will always attempt to hit the opponent if they're at the ledge, making it very easy to repeatedly bait and punish their recovery.	All	8.1.0
Attack Patterns
	CPUs with projectiles will only use them at certain ranges, limiting their character's effectiveness.	All
	CPUs fail to recognize when opponents are completely vulnerable from suffering high ending or landing lag such as whiffing Rest, landing with a stall-and-fall, or even when helpless. Instead of capitalizing on such openings, they act cautious and often roll away from or behind the opponent.	All
	CPUs will always immediately attempt to edgeguard an opponent the moment they are offstage, even if they were fighting another opponent or if it proves risky and even fatal.	All
	CPUs will always target human players in matches where other CPUs are present.	All
	CPUs fail to recognize when team attack is on, using powerful moves when near allies and even using kill throws on them should they accidentally grab them.	All
	CPUs fail to recognize invincibility and super armor, aggressively challenging attacks rather than playing defensively.	All
Defensive Patterns
	CPUs fail to recognize slow and powerful attacks such as Ganondorf's and Bowser's forward smashes, running or jumping into them when they could've been easily reacted to and avoided.	All
	CPUs fail to SDI attacks such as PK Fire, allowing opponents to easily rack up their damage into KO percent.	All
	CPUs fail to recognize command grabs such as Alolan Whip and Flame Choke, being easily grabbed when they could've challenged or avoided the attack.	All
	CPUs will never use their directional air dodge to gain additional distance even if they were launched far away, being unable to make it back to the stage when they otherwise could have.	All
	CPUs fail to recognize the nature of multihit moves, only shielding the first hit of the attack and getting hit by the consecutive hit(s).	All
	CPUs fail to dodge lingering attacks such as PK Thunder, allowing themselves to be easily hit all the way into KO percent.	All
	CPUs fail to properly DI attacks such as Flying Slam, dying much sooner than normal due to DI'ing inwards instead of outwards.	All
	CPUs with reflectors will always perform their reflecting move whenever a thrown projectile is present in their general direction. This is especially evident when they are recovering.	All
	CPUs will unnecessarily use their up special while onstage in an attempt to evade the opponent, leaving most of the CPU-controlled characters punishable.	All
Movement
	CPUs always approach or land towards their opponent, leaving themselves easily hit repeatedly by lingering hitboxes or even charged smash attacks.	All
	Whenever an item is present, CPUs will always walk towards it.	All
	CPUs tend to chase their opponent above them from the ground until their opponent comes within their range, often performing an up smash.	All

Character-specific flaws

Characters	Description	Latest version
	Spams Bouncing Fish as an approach option onstage rather than using it for combos or edgeguarding, leaving herself easily punished very often. Never uses aerial Needles as an edgeguarding or combo tool. Uses Burst Grenade at inappropriate times onstage, becoming extremely vulnerable as she sometimes even holds the wire even if the opponent is near her. Never uses Burst Grenade to edgeguard opponents or deter them as she lands towards the ledge. Forgets that she can still extend her recovery with Bouncing Fish even without a double jump. Fails to utilize drag-down up aerial to extend combos or set up KOs. Fails to recognize her own grab range, often whiffing her standing and dash grab due to grabbing without getting close enough to the opponent. Fails to connect Bouncing Fish from a late back or neutral aerial for a KO confirm. Fails to follow up forward aerial with Bouncing Fish even at lower percents. Fails to follow up forward tilt with RAR back aerial at lower percents, and with up aerial or Vanish at high percents for a KO. Fails to follow up tipper down tilt with an up smash for a KO. Attempts to combo with up throw instead of down throw. Fails to follow up forward throw with Bouncing Fish. Fails to follow up back throw with back aerial or Bouncing Fish. Prefers using forward aerial over more effective attacks such as neutral or back aerial for edgeguarding. Uses Vanish at inappropriate times onstage instead of only at the ledge or in the air as a KO setup. Often retreats back to the ledge instead of fully finishing a combo (such as on stages like Town and City) or edgeguard even if she would have been able to recover anyway. Never combos neutral or forward aerial into a grab or tilt at low percents. Never chases opponents at low to mid percents to follow up with a tilt or aerial to extend combos. Uses up tilt on grounded opponents instead of aerial ones, also fails to combo into Bouncing Fish with it. Uses dash attack randomly as an approach option instead of as a combo finisher or coverage tool. Fails to 2-frame recoveries or punish ledge-stalling opponents with down tilt or down aerial. Fails to cover ledge get-up options with lingering moves such as neutral or back aerial.	8.1.0
	Fails to combo off of neutral attack beyond very low percents, using random tilts or smash attacks without getting close to the opponent. Fails to punish shield breaks with Flare Blade, instead using a randomly chosen smash attack and often allowing the opponent to survive what would have been a guaranteed KO. Uses up throw more often than down throw for combos, never uses up throw to kill and instead uses back throw when the opponent is at KO percent. Will always use an uncharged Flare Blade rather than the appropriate edgeguarding/KO move when the opponent is near the ledge, often failing to hit recovering/landing opponents and often getting punished afterwards. Fails to string consecutive neutral/forward aerials even when the opponent is at low percent. Struggles to perform short hop neutral aerials, more often than not uses rising full hop neutral aerials and becoming very vulnerable afterwards. Fails to buffer side special, often allowing the opponent to escape or get hit by the last swing's of Roy's sourspot; will also often use the last upward swing rather than forward swing even if the opponent is at KO percent, allowing them to survive what would've been a KO. Uses Blazer and down aerial at inappropriate times onstage, becoming very prone to punishment. Fails to use Counter to punish even the most predictable of recoveries and the slowest of charged smash attacks, often getting hit or KO'd by them. Fails to hit opponents with up tilt and up smash when they are above him (such as when they are on a platform), instead using forward tilt or forward smash repeatedly despite repeatedly whiffing and becoming very vulnerable to punishment. Fails to edgeguard opponents with forward aerial, back aerial, and down aerial even if the opponent is fully vulnerable; when Roy does attack offstage, they often whiffs a neutral aerial or saves the opponent with it or an up aerial. Fails to recognize his own grab range, often whiffing dash grab due to grabbing before getting close enough to the opponent.
	Will randomly use Mach Tornado and then drift offstage and SD with it.
	Never tries to angle and follow opponents with Guided Robo Beam at all, making it extremely easy to avoid.
	Will repeatedly attempt to summon a Wild Gunman even when one is already present.

Item-related

Item	Description	Latest version
Poké Ball	Sometimes, when Ditto is summoned, the player's clone might accidentally pick up Dragoon or Daybreak parts, preventing the real player from using them.	8.1.0

See also

• Flaws in artificial intelligence
• AI flaws (SSB)
• AI flaws (SSBM)
• AI flaws (SSBB)
• AI flaws (SSB4)