Psystrike
Mewtwo Final Smash SSBU.gif
Psystrike in Ultimate
User Mewtwo
Article on Bulbapedia Psystrike (move)

Psystrike (サイコブレイク, Psycho Break) is Mewtwo's Final Smash.

Overview

Mewtwo Mega Evolves into Mega Mewtwo Y and throws forward a large energy sphere which can trap multiple opponents. Those hit by the sphere are held still and receive a psychic blast, which deals 40% damage (or 29.4% via the Final Smash Meter) and massive knockback. It can KO middleweights from the center of Final Destination at around 50%. Aside from the Super Star, Psystrike ignores any form of invincibility.

Time is slowed down before Psystrike is fired and right before opponents get launched. This is one of the few ways to see screen KOs slowed down.

Instructional quotes

  Move List   Mewtwo Mega Evolves into Mega Mewtwo Y and fires a projectile that freezes and launches every foe it hits. This move travels through landscapes and opponents, making it easy to hit multiple opponents.

Trophy description

 
Psystrike trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Psystrike

Mewtwo's Final Smash starts as Mewtwo Mega Evolves into Mega Mewtwo Y. It then fires a huge psychic projectile that penetrates enemies and obstacles. This projectile doesn't do any damage, but it freezes every foe it hits in place. They can even be frozen midjump! Afterward, every foe hit with the projectile will take a powerful psychic hit to the head.

Origin

 
Mewtwo Mega Evolving into Mega Mewtwo Y in Pokémon X and Y.
 
Psystrike in Pokémon Black 2

Mega Mewtwo Y is one of Mewtwo's two possible Mega Evolutions, which is achievable when it is holding a Mewtwonite Y. Unlike most Mega Evolutions (including Mega Mewtwo X), Mega Mewtwo Y is smaller than its normal form instead of being on-par or larger than its normal form. Although this is reflected in Mega Mewtwo Y's Defense statistic noticeably decreasing, the remainder of its stats gain tremendous increases. Mega Mewtwo Y was the first revealed Mega Evolution in the franchise.

Although the Mewtwo in the Super Smash Bros. series is primarily based on the Mewtwo from the first Pokémon movie, Mega Mewtwo Y debuted as an alternate form for a different Mewtwo from the sixteenth movie. The Mewtwo from the first movie has never been depicted using Psystrike in any media.

Psystrike is Mewtwo's signature move and among the strongest Psychic-Type moves; it debuted in Generation V, and can be learned at level 100 or via Move Relearner. Due to essentially being a more powerful version of Psyshock, Psystrike uses the target's physical Defense stat when calculating damage in spite of being a special category move. Psystrike's depiction has changed since Generation V, originally attacking the foe with particles before using a large sphere; the depiction in Smash uses the latter. Since its inception, other older legendary Pokémon such as Groudon and Kyogre have received new signature moves, in this case for Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.

Gallery

Names in other languages

Language Name
  Japanese サイコブレイク, Psycho Break
  English Psystrike
  French Frappe Psy
  German Psychostoß
  Spanish Onda Mental
  Italian Psicobotta
  Chinese (Simplified) 精神击破
  Chinese (Traditional) 精神擊破
  Korean 사이코브레이크, Psycho Break
  Dutch Psychoslag
  Russian Психоналёт

Trivia

  • Even though it's Mewtwo's signature move, Psystrike was introduced in Generation V, in which Mewtwo could not be obtained except by trade, Poké Transfer, or Nintendo events.
  • Excluding Triple Finish's usage of three canonical moves and Max Malicious Moonsault taking most of its name from the Z-Move Malicious Moonsault, Psystrike and Volt Tackle are the only Final Smashes from the Pokémon series that have the names of actual moves from the series.
  • Mewtwo unleashes a barely audible cry that is obscured by the sound the Final Smash makes. The cry can be heard clearer if sound effects are set to mute from the options menu or from Mewtwo's sound test.
  • Although it is depicted in the Super Smash Bros. series as an energy sphere that targets the opponent's mind, Psystrike was originally depicted in the Pokémon series as a plethora of shards made out of energy that targeted the opponent's body. As of Generation VII, Psystrike's depiction in the Pokémon series heavily resembles its depiction in the Super Smash Bros. series, albeit with the energy sphere exploding on contact with the opponent's body, instead of targeting their mind.