Pikachu (SSB4)

Pikachu in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Pokémon
Other playable appearances	in SSB in Melee in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Volt Tackle

Pikachu (ピカチュウ, Pikachu) is a playable starter character in Super Smash Bros. 4. It was among the first wave of amiibo. Visually, Pikachu has a more brighter yellow appearance than Brawl.

Pikachu is once again voiced by its anime voice actor, Ikue Ohtani, using recycled voice clips from Brawl.

Changes from Brawl

It is debatable whether Pikachu was buffed or nerfed overall in the transition from Brawl to SSB4, as it has received a fair amount of both buffs and nerfs. Its powerful down throw and forward throw chain grabs were removed, which were a large part of Pikachu's previous success in Brawl, and it is less agile. In return, however, Pikachu's combo ability has been improved, its attacks can chain easier, some of its attacks have better range, and some of its attacks can KO more efficiently. Although Pikachu was a high tier character in Brawl, some consider it to be even better in SSB4.

Aesthetics

• Pikachu's appearance has been updated to match the latest Pokémon games, such as the Generation V and VI main series games and PokéPark Wii: Pikachu's Adventure and the most recent episodes in the Pokémon anime; its model has been altered, and continues the trend of being gradually less chubby with each additional appearance. Pikachu's coloration is also considerably brighter in comparison to its previous appearances.
• Pikachu has new electrical sound effects.
• Pikachu smiles more often when attacking.
• Pikachu is more bipedal and walks more slanted.
• Pikachu is now given grimacing expressions when grabbed or landed on the ground after being launched.

Attributes

• Pikachu runs faster.
• Pikachu jumps lower.
• Carries crates faster.

Ground attacks

• Forward tilt, forward smash, and down smash deals less damage.
• Neutral attack and forward tilt are faster.
• Neutral attack, down smash, down tilt, and forward tilt are weaker.
• Forward tilt has less ending lag.
• Up tilt has drastically less ending lag and much lower knockback scaling, making it more useful at lower percentages.
• Down tilt is slightly faster and has more chances of tripping due to lower knockback.
• Forward smash and down tilt has less range.
• Sweetspotted dash attack is much stronger, while sourspotted dash attack is more useful as a combo finisher.
• Dash attack and down smash have slightly slower start up.
• Forward smash deals 2 hits and has a larger hitbox, giving it more KO potential.
• Forward smash and down smash have more ending lag.
• Up smash is stronger. It can now KO under 90% when fully charged and sweetspotted.
• Up smash comes out one frame later, and deals much less knockback if sourspotted in the very last few frames, where it also has less hitstun and is near useless.
• Down smash and Forward smash are much harder to SDI out of.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial is faster.
• Neutral (sweetspotted), back, and up aerial deals less damage.
• Neutral aerial has less range.
• Forward aerial has reduced landing lag, is faster, easier to connect all hits, and the final hit is more powerful to the point where it has KO potential offstage.
• Back aerial has higher KO potential, as all hits now connect better.
• Up aerial has less ending lag, giving it more combo potential, and has now received a hitbox that hits with slightly less knockback and a lower angle, almost entirely reverting it to its Melee form.
• Up aerial deals slightly less shield damage.
• Down aerial's first hit has higher knockback growth, making landing both hits harder.
• Down aerial's second hit has a longer range, with slightly higher knockback growth, and deals slightly more shield damage.

Throws/other attacks

• Pikachu's grab and dash grab are faster.
• Pikachu's grabs have less range, though not as limited as in Melee.
• The global removal of chain grabbing harmed Pikachu drastically, making it lose one of its best strategies from Brawl as well as significantly harming its damage racking game.
• All throws (except forward) and pummel deals less damage.
• Pummel is faster and has a larger hitbox.
• Back throw has a more vertical angle.
• Up throw is stronger to where it can KO around 200%.
• Down throw appears to have higher knockback growth, for it to not chain grab.
• Down throw is more useful for aerial followups and combos.
• Front floor attack has less knockback.
• Back floor attack has more knockback to protect Pikachu overall. It also has more ground and less start-up time.

Special moves

• Skull Bash travels farther when charged.
• Skull Bash is weaker and has slightly more ending lag, making it more punishable.
• Quick Attack cannot be cancelled into the ground anymore, removing the possibility of the QAC technique. It also is slower, has more ending lag, and has less total distance.
• Quick Attack has a new technique called Quick Attack Ledge Cancel, which can be used on ledges, moving platforms and tilting stages. The second warp of Quick Attack deals slightly more knockback.
• Thunder falls faster and has more combo potential and meteor smashes, despite being very difficult to edgeguard and combo at high percentage. The meteor smash hitbox can set up into shockwave hitbox around Pikachu, allowing Pikachu to have KO set-ups.
• Thunder has shorter vertical range, and more difficult to land, which when combined with the new hitbox, makes thunderspike very difficult to pull off, significantly reducing its usefulness. The shockwave hitbox around Pikachu is less powerful.
• Volt Tackle lasts slightly longer.
• Volt Tackle is slower, deals less damage and less knockback.
• A smaller, purple ball of electricity appears at the "target point" of Volt Tackle, making it easier to understand and control.

Moveset

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			1.4% (tip), 1.2% (mid), 1% (base)	Does a very quick headbutt with negligible damage and knockback. Can be used rapidly if the A button is held, allowing it to deal more damage and potentially trip opponents.
Forward tilt	↗		10%	Plants itself on its upper paws and kicks its lower paws in front of its body. The move has increased knockback when angled up, but has a chance to trip when angled down.
	→		9%
	↘		8%
Up tilt			5%	Swings its tail above its body in an arc. A very fast attack with low base knockback and scaling, which can reliably set up into its aerials.
Down tilt			6%	Sweeps its tail in front of itself. Is very quick in terms of both startup and ending lag. Has a change of tripping opponents.
Dash attack			10% (clean), 6% (late)	Jumps forwards, headbutting. Very laggy and easily punished if whiffed, but has high knockback, allowing it to KO near the edge at very high percentages.
Forward smash			15% (early), 18% (clean), 12% (late)	Rears back, then ejects an attached jolt of electricity from its cheeks while leaning forwards. In terms of knockback, this move is far stronger when hit inside the jolt, and is weakest when hit with Pikachu's cheeks during startup.
Up smash			13% (clean tail), 14% (clean body), 11% (mid), 7% (late)	A quick backflip while using its tail to attack. This move is slightly stronger when hit close during startup.
Down smash			2% (hits 1-5), 3% (hit 6)	Spins around in place repeatedly whilst surrounded with electricity. A multi-hit move with decent power but punishable ending lag.
Neutral aerial			8.5% (clean), 5.5% (late)	Curls up in a ball and repeatedly somersaults. Extremely fast startup with good horizontal knockback, making it a good aerial finisher or a useful edgeguarding move. Can be auto-cancelled when performed alongside a non fast-fell short hop, otherwise high landing lag.
Forward aerial			1.7% (hits 1-4), 3% (hit 5)	Does a constant forward aileron roll while surrounded by electricity. The move consists of multiple hits, with the final one dealing decent horizontal knockback. The first few hits have little landing lag, which can potentially set up into a grounded move or grab.
Back aerial			0.8% (hits 1-7), 3% (hit 8), 4% (landing)	Spins in a manner similar to its down smash, but without electrical effects. The move consists of multiple hits, with the final one dealing decent knockback. Has high ending lag and very high landing lag if not used alongside a full hop.
Up aerial			5%/4% (clean), 4% (late)	Swiftly swings its tail above itself in an arc. Extremely quick with low knockback, this move can combo into itself or set up into a neutral aerial. Can be auto-cancelled when performed alongside a non fast-fell short hop, otherwise some landing lag.
Down aerial			12% (attack), 4% (landing)	Does a constant downwards aileron roll while surrounded by electricity. A lingering single hit with decent horizontal knockback, this move can be auto cancelled in a short hop. If Pikachu lands during the attack's duration it causes a small shockwave to appear around him, which deals little damage at the cost of high landing lag.
Grab			—	A quick, short-ranged grab.
Pummel			1.9%	Zaps the opponent. A quick pummel.
Forward throw			2% (hits 1-4), 2% (throw)	Places the opponent on its back and shocks them, sending them forward. A multi-hit move. Can set up running up smashes and neutral aerials at very low percentages.
Back throw			9%	Does backwards somersaults with the opponent, then flings them behind itself. Best used near the edge to put the opponent into an edgeguarding situation.
Up throw			1% (hit 1), 3% (throw)	Places the opponent on its head, then headbutts them upward. Does not have many followup options and does low damage, with a down throw usually being a better option.
Down throw			3% (hit 1), 5% (throw)	Places the opponent on the ground, then jumps on them. Consists of multiple hits. Can set up neutral and up aerials at very low percentages.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%
Edge attack Edge getups			7%
Neutral special	Default	Thunder Jolt	4.8% (ball), 6%/5% (wave clean), 5%/4% (wave mid), 4%/3% (wave late)	Fires a jolt of electricity forward. Pikachu's main projectile, and a very useful move for keeping onstage opponents at bay and threatening offstage recoveries. Travels forward whilst bouncing along the ground, and can also travel up walls, below the edge, and along ceilings. If used in the air, it will travel diagonally down instead. Disappears after about 3 seconds.
	Custom 1	Thunder Wave	3%/1% (ball), 3%/1% (wave clean), 2% (wave late)	Very similar to the basic version. It is weaker and it lacks range, but can paralyze grounded targets.
	Custom 2	Thunder Shock	3% (ball), 10% (explosion)	Fires a ball of electricity almost horizontally, which disappears upon hitting the ground and does not bounce.
Side special	Default	Skull Bash	6% (uncharged), 22% (fully charged)	Charges and, when the B button is released, fires itself forward like a missile. When fully charged or close to fully charged, it has KO power. Primarily used as a recovery move, as it gains a lot of horizontal distance (especially when charged) and does not leave Pikachu helpless. On the ground, it has high landing lag and is very punishable.
	Custom 1	Shocking Skull Bash	1.2% (loop), 3% (last)	Hits multiple times at it moves forwards, with the last hit launching the opponent.
	Custom 2	Heavy Skull Bash	15%/10%/5%/2% (uncharged), 32%/21%/10%/4% (fully-charged), 6%-0% (running)	Less travel distance but more damage near the start. If used (uncharged) to cancel reeling from an attack's knockback, the distance traveled nearly doubles, and Pikachu retains some forward momentum while falling after the move.
Up special	Default	Quick Attack	2% per warp	Moves at warp speed in two directions that can be selected via the control stick. Pikachu's main recovery move, and a quick, unpredictable move at that. The second warp is optional, but if used, the direction must be 45 degrees different than the first direction to work. Leaves Pikachu helpless when used in the air.
	Custom 1	Meteor Quick Attack	?%
	Custom 2	Quick Feet	?%
Down special	Default	Thunder	6% (bolt meteor), 8% (bolt non-meteor), 15% (blast)	Causes a large thunderbolt to come down on itself. The move is laggy in general, though the shockwave around Pikachu does very high damage and knockback. The bolt itself does moderate vertical knockback, allowing the Thunderspike technique, though this is very difficult to land. The move also has a meteor smash hitbox near the thundercloud that sends opponents straight down, allowing potential combos, though landing it in a favourable position for this is difficult.
	Custom 1	Thunder Burst	2% (early), 15%/12% (clean)	Creates an electrical blast around Pikachu as if the normal move had struck.
	Custom 2	Distant Thunder	13%/9%/5% (bolt), 6% (blast)	The thundercloud starts higher up and does more damage.
Final Smash		Volt Tackle	1% (collision), 8% (spark)

Victory Fanfare

A small excerpt of the music that would play on the title screen of Pokémon Red, Blue and Green Versions, a track which would go on to become the Pokémon Main Theme, which also appears as a standalone track in Brawl. It is shared with Charizard, Lucario, Jigglypuff, Greninja, and Mewtwo.

Update history

1.0.4

• Forward smash early hit knockback scaling: 65 → 73
• Forward smash late hit knockback scaling: 100 → 102
• Skull Bash (default) knockback scaling: 60 → 62
• Thunder (default) knockback scaling: 62 → 66
• Distant Thunder knockback scaling: 62 → 66

Trophies

Super Smash Bros. 4 trophy descriptions

Pikachu

Recognized the world over, Pikachu is an Electric-type Pokémon that stores energy in its cheeks for use in battle. In Smash Bros., Pikachu is a well-rounded fighter with speedy, powerful electric attacks. Quick Attack can be used twice in a row if two directions are input, one after another.

Pikachu (Alt.)

Pikachu's Thunder Jolt fires off a ball of electricity that bounces across the stage, getting weaker as it travels. It does more damage to enemies in the air. The default down special, Thunder, causes a lightning strike that both shocks opponents and turns Pikachu invincible for a split second.

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  Classic (3DS)

• PikachuAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

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  Classic (Wii U)

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  Alt. (Wii U)

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  Volt Tackle

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• All-Star Battle: Regulars: Pikachu is one of the opponents fought in this event. All opponents are starters from the original Super Smash Bros. game.
• Fire-Type Frenzy: Pikachu appears as one of the opponents that Charizard must defeat.
• Pokémon Battle: Pikachu appears as an opponent that Greninja must defeat.
• When Lightning Strikes: The player controls a small Pikachu, and must defeat 3 giant Pikachu.
• Yellow Devils: As Mega Man, the player must defeat a giant Pikachu and Pac-Man, along with the Yellow Devil.

Co-op Events

• Pokémon Multi Battle!: Pikachu is one of the players' Pokémon to use, as well as being one of the opponents'.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.

Alternate costumes

Trivia

• Just like Brawl when it was released, gender differences were already introduced in the Pokémon games. Female Pikachu have a heart-shaped indent on their tails, while the one in the Super Smash Bros. doesn't, enforcing the common assumption that the Pikachu in SSB is male.
• Pikachu is the only playable Pokémon in SSB4 not to have a weakness to the type of another playable Pokémon.
• PIkachu's official Smash 4 artwork greatly resembles its Smash 64 artwork, though this time around, it has much better posture, as it stands up straight and no longer slouches.

Gallery

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  Pikachu's appearance during the Smash Direct.

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  Pikachu's amiibo.

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  Pikachu's appearance during E3 2013.

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  Pikachu using Thunder Jolt.

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  Pikachu uses Skull Bash.

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  Pikachu uses Thunder.

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  Pikachu in the 3DS version of the game.

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  Mario, Pikachu, Bowser and Pit on a red plane in Wuhu Island.

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  Pikachu behind Mega Man.

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  Pikachu sitting.

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  Pikachu along with a Luma, and Starfy.

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  Pikachu with Toon Link and Kirby

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  Pikachu with Mega Man.

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  Footstooling Donkey Kong.

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  Behind Donkey Kong.

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  Pikachu using Thunder to meteor smash an aerial Bowser and follow up with an up smash.

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  Lucario, Charizard, Greninja, and Pikachu.