Rayquaza
Rayquaza | |
---|---|
![]() Rayquaza's artwork from Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire. | |
A boss in | Brawl |
Universe | Pokémon |
Location | The Lake |
Voice actor | Katsuyuki Konishi (Brawl) |
Article on Bulbapedia | Rayquaza |
Rayquaza (レックウザ, Rayquaza), stylized as RAYQUAZA in European versions of Brawl, is a draconic creature from the Pokémon media franchise.
Origin[edit]
Rayquaza is a dual Dragon/Flying-type legendary Pokémon that debuted in the third generation of Pokémon games, serving as the version mascot for Pokémon Emerald, the solitary third version of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire and fifth main series game in Generation III overall. It is categorized within the Pokédex at #384 as the "Sky High Pokémon". A green, serpentine creature, it is part of a trio of legendary Pokémon commonly referred to as the Super-ancient Pokémon along with Groudon and Kyogre, and in its games is able to mediate the fights between those two. Symbolising this, it has the ability Air Lock, which neutralises weather effects. It is considered very territorial and usually flies around in the ozone layer, often having battles with Deoxys.
Rayquaza first appeared in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire as a legendary Pokémon residing in Sky Pillar. However, it did not have a significant story role, with little even implying its existence. In Pokémon Emerald, however, Rayquaza is the mascot and served a much bigger role, becoming the one who stops the fight between Kyogre and Groudon. It also stays in Sky Pillar once the conflict is finished and can be obtained much earlier. Rayquaza later returned in the remakes, Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, playing a major role in the post-game's "Delta Episode", where it was shown to be capable of Mega Evolution. Uniquely, Mega Rayquaza is the only Mega Evolution accessible without the use of a Mega Stone, instead simply by having the move Dragon Ascent.
Rayquaza's distinctive metallic roars heard in Brawl are re-purposed from the Pokémon anime film, Destiny Deoxys, where it was voiced by Katsuyuki Konishi.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
Role in The Subspace Emissary[edit]
Rayquaza is the second boss in Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary. In the mode, Rayquaza first appears at The Lake after Diddy Kong goes to investigate Fox's crashed Arwing. Seeing the duo as intruders of its territory, Rayquaza bursts out of the water, sets Fox's Arwing ablaze with a ball of energy from its mouth and then seizes Diddy. Before the Pokémon can harm him, Fox ejects from his ruined Arwing and attacks Rayquaza using Fox Illusion, causing it to lose its grip on Diddy Kong. The beast attacks Fox with the energy ball attack again, but Fox reflects the attack back at Rayquaza using his Reflector, sending it tumbling back into the water. Both Diddy and Fox then face off against it.
Even though it was not working for the Subspace Army, Tabuu recreates Rayquaza to slow down the heroes in The Great Maze.
Additionally, when Rayquaza is defeated, it twitches at the last second, suggesting it is now only unconscious (a possible nod to the Pokémon series, where a Pokémon that is defeated in battle is said to have fainted).
It can also be battled at any given time in Boss Battles mode.
As a playable character[edit]
- Main article: Rayquaza (SSBB)
Like all bosses, Rayquaza can be controlled in Boss Battles mode by hacking. The start button will, like all bosses, self-destruct it.
Moveset[edit]
Move | Input | Description | Move Number |
---|---|---|---|
Iron Tail | Rayquaza sweeps its tail across the ground. It actually hits twice, and it can break shields quite easily at higher difficulties. | 1 | |
Dig | Rayquaza flies up slowly, then crashes into the character while burrowing into the ground, then appears on the other side. The lightning bolt attack is the substitute for this at lower HP. | 3 | |
Dash | Rayquaza ducks down and rushes to the other side of the stage. | 1 | |
Air Dash | Rayquaza flies up, and then dashes back and forth near the ground. At lower HP, Rayquaza does this two or three times. Small characters can evade this attack by ducking if they can fit between the "waves" of Rayquaza's wavy shape and the ground, but the move also produces a wind that can push characters around into a spot where they can be hit, making crawling an asset. | 3 | |
Diagonal Electric Ball | Rayquaza sends a ball of electricity in front of itself diagonally, which can be reflected by various reflecting attacks but not absorbed by PSI Magnet or Oil Panic. | 2 | |
Lightning Strike | Rayquaza flies up in a tight circle and attacks with a multi-hit lightning bolt (it does not have knockback, however). It breaks shields down quickly. During the time Rayquaza rises, touching it will deal electric damage. It's one of the few attacks that are easier to dodge on higher difficulties due to its much shorter duration. Rayquaza only uses at lower HP. Similar to Pikachu's Thunder | 3 | |
Ground Burst | Rayquaza burrows underground, then bursts out of the ground where the player was standing. At lower HP, Rayquaza does this three times. When its HP is low enough that it can be captured with a Trophy Stand, it will perform this attack four times. | 2 | |
Horizontal Electric Ball | Rayquaza lowers its head and sends the lightning orb in front of itself, which travels across the stage unless it hits the ground, when it will explode. Like its diagonal counterpart, it can be reflected by various reflecting attacks but not absorbed by PSI Magnet or Oil Panic. | 2 | |
Blast | Rayquaza's eyes glow, and then it creates an explosion at the location where the character was at that time. While Rayquaza's eyes glow, fighters in contact with its head will be spiked to the ground, often a perfect setup for the explosion. | 3 | |
Roar | Unusable | Rayquaza roars. During the first part of the roar, characters are pushed away from Rayquaza if they are close to it. This attack deals no damage and does not affect Rayquaza's attack cycle. | Random |
Gallery[edit]
Rayquaza Self-Destructing via debug mode.
HP and damage taken[edit]
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Damage taken | ×0.7 | ×0.7 | ×0.5 | ×1.0 | ×0.7 | ×0.5 | ×0.5 | ×0.7 | ×0.7 | ×0.7 | ×0.3 |
Unknown weak point | ×1.0 | ×1.0 | ×0.7 | ×1.5 | ×1.0 | ×0.7 | ×0.7 | ×1.0 | ×1.0 | ×1.0 | ×0.8 |
While Rayquaza technically has less health than later bosses, its massive battery of resistances practically gives it a very large amount of health. In fact, the only moves which it does not resist are those with freezing hitboxes, which is a nod to the Pokémon games, where Rayquaza's typing makes it weakest to Ice-type moves. However with there being only a few moves in the game with hitboxes of the freezing type, only possessed by the Ice Climbers, Lucas, and Mr. Game & Watch, this lone relative weakness can rarely be exploited. Even then, most of those few freezing moves are projectiles, meaning Rayquaza will still resist them, while also being low-damaging and laggy moves that would make them ineffective for using against bosses. With this inability to use moves that Rayquaza does not possess an at least x0.7 resistance to, it is effectively about as or even more durable than Duon, the most durable boss outside of Tabuu.
None of Rayquaza's hurtboxes are programmed to be a weak point, though it notably has weak point numbers programmed in that are not the default ×2.0 like they are for other enemies that lack a weak point. This may indicate that Rayquaza originally had a weak point to counterbalance its massive resistances, which was scrapped late in development.
Like all bosses in Brawl, Rayquaza gains an additional ×0.6 damage resistance modifier when fought in co-op mode, effectively gaining 67% more health. This modifier is applied whenever the second player is in-game, and is no longer applied if the second player loses all their stocks.
Trophy[edit]
Rayquaza's trophy must be obtained by using a Trophy Stand on it during its Subspace Emissary fight.
![](https://ssb.wiki.gallery/images/thumb/5/5c/Rayquaza_-_Brawl_Trophy.png/100px-Rayquaza_-_Brawl_Trophy.png)
- Rayquaza
- A Sky High Pokémon. It normally resides high up in the ozone layer where it flies endlessly, so it is rarely seen. However, when Groudon and Kyogre began to fight, it appeared to calm them down. It has the ability Air Lock, which blocks all weather-condition effects. It has exceedingly strong abilities, and its attack power is especially remarkable.
: Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire
: Pokémon Emerald
Sticker[edit]
Name | Game | Effect | Fighter(s) |
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Rayquaza | Pokémon series | ![]() |
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![]() Rayquaza (Pokémon series) |
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
As a stage element[edit]
Rayquaza appears in the Kalos Pokémon League stage as a stage element. Appearing rarely in the Dragonmark Chamber, it performs its Air Dash move from The Subspace Emissary by flying across the stage at various angles, dealing damage to fighters. Its path is shown briefly by lightning before it appears, giving players time to avoid it.
Trophy[edit]
Rayquaza's trophy is exclusive to Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, where it is part of the Legend of Pokémon Ruby & Pokémon Sapphire Trophy Box.
![](https://ssb.wiki.gallery/images/thumb/c/c2/RayquazaTrophyWiiU.png/100px-RayquazaTrophyWiiU.png)
- Rayquaza
This Dragon/Flying-type Pokémon usually dwells high in the ozone layer, so it can't be seen from the ground. In the Kalos Pokémon League stage, it occasionally flies at great speed through the Elite Four's Dragon-type chamber, where any fighters in its path will be damaged and launched with great force.
: Pokémon Ruby & Pokémon Sapphire (03/2003)
: Pokémon HeartGold & Pokémon SoulSilver (03/2010)
This Dragon- and Flying-type Pokémon usually dwells high in the ozone layer, so it can't be seen from the ground. In the Kalos Pokémon League stage, it occasionally flies at great speed through the Elite Four's Dragon-type chamber, where any fighters in its path will be damaged and launched with great force.
: Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire (07/2003)
: Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver (03/2010)
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
As a stage element[edit]
Rayquaza returns in its role on Kalos Pokémon League.
Spirit[edit]
Rayquaza appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as an Ace-class primary spirit.
Rayquaza's Spirit Battle uses a Ridley puppet fighter and is fought on the Kalos Pokémon League stage's Dragonmark Chamber, which features Rayquaza as a stage element. During the battle, heavy winds are immediately in effect, referencing Mega Rayquaza's ability, Delta Stream, which creates strong winds.
No. | Image | Name | Type | Class | Slots | Base ![]() |
Max ![]() |
Base ![]() |
Max ![]() |
Base ![]() |
Max ![]() |
Ability | Series |
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500 | Rayquaza | ![]() |
★★★ | 3 | 2920 | 8760 | 1653 | 4959 | 1102 | 3306 | Jump ↑ | Pokémon Series |
Names in other languages[edit]
Language | Name |
---|---|
レックウザ, Rayquaza | |
Rayquaza | |
Rayquaza | |
Rayquaza | |
Rayquaza | |
Rayquaza | |
烈空坐 | |
레쿠쟈, Rayquaza | |
Rayquaza | |
Райкваза |
Trivia[edit]
- Despite being the "Sky High" Pokémon which lives high in the ozone layer, this iteration of Rayquaza seems to be able to live at The Lake (although in the games, it is capable of learning the move Dive) and attacks by burrowing underground (it cannot learn Dig in the games). The Pokédex says that Rayquaza never touches the ground, however, unless Groudon and Kyogre were to fight.
- A glitch can happen when facing Rayquaza. It is unknown how this happens, but it can leave some of the playable character's model stuck frozen in the immediate foreground, moving with the camera. Any attack Rayquaza performs that targets the player's location go offscreen, failing to hit the almost-KO'ed player. This glitch lasts until the player quits the battle.[1]
- Rayquaza is the only boss fought at the beginning of a stage whose fight is not the entire stage.
- Rayquaza is the only boss in The Subspace Emissary known to have a specific voice actor (Katsuyuki Konishi), with said voice actor having voiced the Pokémon in Pokémon: Destiny Deoxys, as well as several other Pokémon throughout the anime as well.
- Aside from freezing attacks being the most effective, many of Rayquaza's weaknesses and resistances do not match its properties in the Pokémon games: it resists electric, grass, water and dark attacks more than flame attacks, whereas its Pokémon typing dictates it takes regular damage from electric, ghost and dark, half damage from fire and water and quarter damage from grass.
References[edit]
Bosses | |
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Super Smash Bros. | Master Hand · Metal Mario · Giant Donkey Kong · Fighting Polygon Team |
Melee | Master Hand · Crazy Hand · Giga Bowser · Fighting Wire Frames (Male · Female) |
Brawl | Master Hand · Crazy Hand · Petey Piranha · Rayquaza · Porky · Galleom · Ridley · Duon · Meta Ridley · Tabuu · Fighting Alloy Team (Red · Blue · Yellow · Green) · False characters |
Smash 4 | Master Hand · Crazy Hand · Master Core · Fighting Mii Team |
Ultimate | Master Hand · Crazy Hand · Rathalos · Galleom · Giga Bowser · Galeem · Dharkon · Dracula · Ganon · Marx · Fighting Mii Team · False characters |
Non-playable Pokémon in Super Smash Bros. Brawl | |
---|---|
Poké Ball | Bellossom · Bonsly · Celebi · Chikorita · Deoxys · Electrode · Entei · Gardevoir · Goldeen · Groudon · Gulpin · Ho-Oh · Jirachi · Kyogre · Latias and Latios · Lugia · Manaphy · Meowth · Metagross · Mew · Moltres · Munchlax · Piplup · Snorlax · Staryu · Suicune · Togepi · Torchic · Weavile · Wobbuffet |
Stage elements | Pokémon Stadium 2: Cubone · Drifloon · Dugtrio · Electivire · Hoppip · Magnezone · Skarmory · Snorunt · Snover Spear Pillar: Azelf · Cresselia · Dialga · Mesprit · Palkia · Uxie |
Trophy-only | Blaziken · Bulbasaur · Buneary · Charmander · Chimchar · Cyndaquil · Darkrai · Glaceon & Leafeon · Gyarados · Mewtwo · Mudkip · Pichu · Plusle & Minun · Riolu · Starly · Totodile · Treecko · Turtwig |
Bosses | Rayquaza |