Ichigo (Super Smash Flash 2)

Ichigo is a newcomer starter character in Super Smash Flash 2. He was one of the first four playable characters to be included in the demo, along with , , and .
Ichigo is currently ranked 5th on the tier list, placing him in the S tier. Ichigo has a disjointed hitbox, strong air game, and powerful finishers in his forward smash, up smash, up aerial, back aerial, neutral aerial, and down aerial. He has a good mobility option in his pseudo wavedash which gives him a good approach option. This, along with his small short hop and his fast falling speed allows him to perform SHFFL aerials to approach.
However, Ichigo's recovery is only mediocre at best. His side special move covers a long horizontal distance, but requires a long period of charging, during which Ichigo will continue to fall, which limits its use offstage. His up special move, while difficult to edgeguard on its own, covers very little horizontal and vertical range, making it one of the worst recovery moves in the game. As a result of his recovery problems and his high falling speed, he has no offstage game, and is vulnerable to meteor smash gimps even at 0%. His falling speed also makes him susceptible to chain grabs and combos. His finishers, though very powerful, are also very slow, which makes Ichigo over-reliant on hard reads and mindgames to finish characters off. He also has momentum issues, as it is very difficult for him to regain stage control once lost, especially against faster, camp-heavy characters.
Despite his placing, Ichigo has a strong player base and has solid representation in online tournaments, though his results are somewhat lackluster even in smaller events.
== Attributes ==
Ichigo can be described as a swordfighter who focuses on speed and power in his attacks. Most of his attacks, namely his forward smash, up smash, neutral aerial, back aerial, up aerial, and down aerial are powerful finishing moves, giving him a wide array of KO options. This is further supplemented by his sword attack's long reach, as his neutral aerial, forward tilt, and down tilt are excellent tools for spacing, while attacks like his up tilt can be used as combo starters. His aerial game is also quite impressive; all of his aerial attacks are very quick for their power, and Ichigo can easily use them for extending combos or finishing off opponents, and because or his high air speed, he boasts a formidable edgeguarding game as well.
His special moveset can also be very reliable in certain situations: Getsuga Tenshō, his neutral special and only projectile, can be used as a way to disrupt approaches, especially aggressive ones, allowing Ichigo to gain the upper hand if he is feeling pressured. His side special, Engetsuzan, is very quick, and as players cannot see Ichigo as he uses the move, it can function as a surprise attack. Gazan, his down special, can function as a dodge-and-punish move, as he can disrupt opponents who try to hit him with a powerful attack, or he can use it as a last-ditch effort to KO opponents offstage by way of a Sacrificial KO. Finally, his up special, Kōtei-ki Tōshin, is very quick, the grounded version has a windbox that pulls opponents into the hitbox, and it protects him from gimps as the hitbox is above him when he uses it in midair.
His grab and throw game is also very useful, as he possesses one of the longest reaching grabs in the game. With down throw, he can set up tech chases, perform chain grabs, start combos, and use it as a guaranteed set up into his finishers or a strong meteor smash off the stage. In fact, the throw itself can be used at the ledge for a very strong meteor smash after chaingrabbing. Up throw, at low percents, can followed up with an up air if the player is quick enough. However, it has little hitstun, allowing most opponents to escape it easily. Forward throw can be followed up with a forward air or a dash attack, depending on the opponents accelerated falling speed and directional influence, but the throw also has little hitstun. Back throw can be used to set up edge guards.
However, Ichigo's main issue is his relatively slow mobility; despite most of his ground attacks being very quick, Ichigo's ground mobility is average at best, allowing faster characters to escape his attacks easily. Additionally, his main grounded KO moves, namely his forward smash, suffers from high endlag and startup, forcing him to rely on reads and mindgames to land these moves, while any ground attack that uses Flash Step leaves Ichigo open if these attacks are whiffed. Adding on to this, Ichigo's below-average weight and his status as a high faller leave him very susceptible to combos and chaingrabs himself.
His neutral game is not as impressive either. Outside of Ichigo's aerials, his only approach options are his dash attack, Engetsuzan, down tilt and his pseudo wave dash in the form of his forward aerial. Dash attack and Engetsuzan cover good range while also being able to out-prioritize certain projectiles and attacks, which allows Ichigo to shut down other characters neutrals. However, the two options are not safe on shield, which can lead to him being punished if these moves are shielded, while higher priority attacks can knock Ichigo out of said moves entirely. This forces Ichigo to time his approach options accordingly to what the opponent is doing, as one misstep could very well end up costing him the battle.
His special moveset can also be rendered moot if used in the wrong situation; despite Getsuga being able to disrupt approaches, and has the ability to be charged, it moves slower and deals less knockback the higher its charge is, so it is very ineffective for KOing. Engestuzan, if charged for too long, can miss opponents, and due to its high endlag, it leaves Ichigo wide open for punishment. Additionally, while it covers a good horizontal distance, it has to be charged in order to achieve this distance, and it increases Ichigo's falling speed and leaves him helpless if it is charged and used in midair, making it risky to use for recovering. Gazan, if not used high in the air, is very weak on its own, making its only use when grounded as a combo starter. Finally, despite Kōtei-ki Tōshin protecting Ichigo from characters who try to gimp him, it covers very little vertical and horizontal distance, and combined with his falling speed, it is hard for him to recover offstage. Additionally, disjointed attacks are able to hit through the hitbox of the move, rendering the move's protection unreliable at best.
Overall, Ichigo is a fighter who focuses on attack power, though he suffers from below-average ground mobility and the predictability of his moveset being very high.
== Moveset ==
=== Ground attacks ===
Attack 	Description 	Damage
Neutral attack	Two front slashes followed by an overhead slash. 	
Forward tilt 	Slashes in front of him. Good for spacing and can also attack from behind. 	12%
Up tilt 	Slashes above his head in an arc. Very disjointed and can also be used as a combo starter. 	9%
Down tilt 	Uses Shunpō to move while stabbing forwards. 	9%
Dash attack 	Stops for a bit and then uses Shunpō to move and stab forward. 	10%
Forward smash 	Performs a two-handed, downward slash with Zangetsu. Very strong and launches at a semi-spike angle. 	
Up smash 	Slashes in an overhead arc with Zangetsu. Slow, but does strong knockback. 	
Down smash 	Uses Shunpō to jump up into air and then falls downward to stab Zangetsu into the ground, creating a shockwave of Reiatsu around him. The initial hit can meteor smash opponents. Only the final hit scales with charge time. Ichigo retains his horizontal momentum when performing this move, allowing him to slide off of platforms and potentially self-destruct.	
Down smash 	Uses Shunpō to jump up into air and then falls downward to stab Zangetsu into the ground, creating a shockwave of Reiatsu around him. The initial hit can meteor smash opponents. Only the final hit scales with charge time. Ichigo retains his horizontal momentum when performing this move, allowing him to slide off of platforms and potentially self-destruct.	
=== Aerial attacks ===
Attack 	Description 	Damage
Neutral aerial	Slashes underneath him at an angle horizontally. Does good knockback. 	11%
Forward aerial	Uses Shunpō followed by a slash, moving himself forward. Performing it close to the ground will result in a Pseudo wavedash.	8%
Back aerial 	Turns around and slashes horizontally behind himself. High knockback. 	14%
Up aerial 	Slashes upwards in an arc while flipping backward. Excellent juggling tool and anti-air due to its very disjointed hitbox. 	13%
Down aerial 	Slashes below himself in an arc. Decent meteor smash. 	
Down aerial 	Slashes below himself in an arc. Decent meteor smash. 	
=== Grab and throws ===
Attack 	Description 	Damage
Grab 	Reaches with his hand out to grab. Slower but further than average. 	
Pummel 	Hits the opponent with the hilt of Zangetsu. 	1%
Forward throw	Violently throws his opponent in front of him. 	8%
Back throw 	Slams opponent behind him and slashes them. 	
Back throw 	Slams opponent behind him and slashes them. 	
Up throw 	Throws his opponent in the air and uses Shunpō to slash his opponent with Zangetsu. Low hitstun. 	7%
Down throw 	Slams the opponent into the ground. It is a good aerial combo starter and can set up tech chases.	9%
=== Other attacks ===
Attack 	Description 	Damage
Floor attack	Slashes behind himself and then in front.	6%
Ledge attack	Rolls up and does a quick slash. 	8%
=== Special moves ===
Attack 	Name 	Description 	Damage
Neutral special move	Getsuga Tenshō 	Holds Zangetsu in the air and charges his Reiatsu on its tip, then slashes forward to release an arc-shaped projectile. Can be charged for high mutiple-hit damage, but slower speed and weaker knockback. 	
Neutral special move	Getsuga Tenshō 	Holds Zangetsu in the air and charges his Reiatsu on its tip, then slashes forward to release an arc-shaped projectile. Can be charged for high mutiple-hit damage, but slower speed and weaker knockback. 	
Side special move 	Engetsuzan 	Uses Shunpō to quickly teleport forward with a slash. Can be charged for more range and damage. A reliable horizontal recovery move. 	
Side special move 	Engetsuzan 	Uses Shunpō to quickly teleport forward with a slash. Can be charged for more range and damage. A reliable horizontal recovery move. 	
Up special move 	Kōtei-ki Tōshin	Spins Zangetsu above his head. On the ground it has a windbox that drags opponents in. In the air it is a recovery move which helps Ichigo gain a decent vertical and horizontal position, but will put him in a helpless state afterward.	
Up special move 	Kōtei-ki Tōshin	Spins Zangetsu above his head. On the ground it has a windbox that drags opponents in. In the air it is a recovery move which helps Ichigo gain a decent vertical and horizontal position, but will put him in a helpless state afterward.	
Down special move 	Gazan 	Uses Shunpō upwards and brings Zangetsu down on the opponents and meteor smashes them. The higher the distance, the more damage it deals capping at 50%. It puts Ichigo in a helpless state if used off stage. 	
Final Smash 	Mugetsu 	Becomes Getsuga and generates a blade of deep black Reiatsu in his hand, then swings it to create dark veils of Reiatsu on the ground that travels forward as it damages opponents. 	
Final Smash 	Mugetsu 	Becomes Getsuga and generates a blade of deep black Reiatsu in his hand, then swings it to create dark veils of Reiatsu on the ground that travels forward as it damages opponents. 	
=== Misc. ===
Misc. 	Description 	Description 	Description
On-screen appearance	Ichigo uses Shunpō, turns around and unsheathes Zangetsu. 	Ichigo uses Shunpō, turns around and unsheathes Zangetsu. 	Ichigo uses Shunpō, turns around and unsheathes Zangetsu.
Taunts 	Neutral 	Points with Zangetsu in front of him and says . 	
Taunts 	Side 	Swings Zangetsu to his side as it shines and says "". 	
Taunts 	Down/Up 	Puts on his Hollow mask, saying "". Afterwards, he takes the mask off.	
Idle pose 	Puts Zangetsu on his shoulder. 	Puts Zangetsu on his shoulder. 	Puts Zangetsu on his shoulder.
Victory theme 	A remix of "Number One", Ichigo's theme from the anime series, Bleach.	A remix of "Number One", Ichigo's theme from the anime series, Bleach.	A remix of "Number One", Ichigo's theme from the anime series, Bleach.
Victory pose 	Holds Zangetsu in the air then puts it on his shoulder. 	Holds Zangetsu in the air then puts it on his shoulder. 	Holds Zangetsu in the air then puts it on his shoulder.
== Changes from v0.9b ==
Ichigo has received buffs in that his mobility has improved, his attacks have a longer duration, and he can combo a lot better.
=== Aesthetics ===
*
=== Attributes ===
*
*
=== Ground attacks ===
*
*
*
=== Grab and throws ===
*
*
=== Special moves ===
*
**
*
== In competitive play ==
=== Match ups ===
=== Notable players ===
==== Active ====
* Godly
* ThrowOut
* Kiuro
* Pho
==== Inactive ====
* Nine
* Brann
* Roy Kuchiki
=== Tier placement history ===
The tier lists for demo v0.6; Ichigo was seen as a top tier character ranking 2nd of B tier for the first list of demo v0.6 and 3rd of A tier for the second list. In demo v0.7; Ichigo was seen as a high tier character because he was stuck as 7th on both lists. In demo v0.8b; Ichigo rose to 3rd of A tier where he was seen as a top tier character. However, in demo v0.9a; Ichigo tier position dropped to 20th of what can be considered C tier where he is seen as a mid-low tier character (This is Ichigo's first time being outside of A or B tier). In demo v0.9b, Ichigo returned to B tier where he is ranked 18th. On the second list of demo v0.9b, Ichigo dropped down by one to 19th place of B tier, where he is still seen as a mid tier character.
== Gallery ==
=== Costumes ===
=== Artworks ===
Ichigobig.gif|Ichigo first art in the DOJO!!!.
IchiPre0.9.png|Ichigo's first art, used from v0.5a to v0.8b.
Ichigo PA.png|Ichigo's second artwork, used from v0.9a to v0.9b.
Ichigo 1.0.png|Ichigo's third artwork, used from Beta 1.0.0 to Beta 1.1.0.1.
=== Screenshots ===
Ichigo 1.png|Ichigo using Kōtei-ki Tōshin in the air while is using Waddle Copter on Lunar Core.
Ichigo 2.png|Ichigo fighting against on Hueco Mundo.
Ichigo 3.png|Ichigo taunting as is about to use Mach Tornado on Dracula's Castle.
Ichigo 5.png|Ichigo taunting at , who has been stunned on Castle Siege.
Ichigo 4.png|Ichigo and Kirby with their Zangetsus on Hueco Mundo.
Ichigo 6.png|Two Ichigos clanking their forward tilts on Devil's Machine.
Ball - Ichigo.png|Ichigo's Ball version.
Flash Step.gif|Ichigo demonstrating his use of Flash Step across his moveset.
=== Early designs ===
Ichigopic1.png|Ichigo using his forward smash on .
Ichigopic2.png|Ichigo using his down smash on Hueco Mundo.
Ichigopic3.png|Ichigo attacking with his up smash on Hueco Mundo.
Ichigopic4.png|Ichigo fighting on .
Ichigo and Zangetsu on Victory.png|Ichigo's victory pose in demo v0.8. Zangetsu's Quincy spirit makes a cameo in this.
=== Designs ===
Ichigo's old design.png|Ichigo's early design used in demo v0.1a to v0.9a.
Ichigo's new design.png|Ichigo's current design used in v0.9b onward.
=== Misc. ===
SSF2 - Classic mode - Ichigo.png|Ichigo's congratulations screen on Classic mode.
SSF2 - All-Star mode - Ichigo.png|Ichigo's congratulations screen on All-Star mode.
== Trivia ==
*Ichigo was the very first character programmed for Super Smash Flash 2 prior the v0.6 development reboot, hence why he was the focus on the early How to Play videos created by Gregory Cleod9 McLeod.
*Ichigo was the last manga-originated character to have his sprites updated, with 's sprites being updated in a patch for demo v0.9a and 's sprites update were shown on the DOJO!!! for v0.9b. Ichigo's was not shown until a picture was posted on the McLeodGaming Facebook page.
**Ironically, Ichigo was put into the game before Naruto and Goku.
*Even though Ichigo's design in SSF2 is based on his Shikai form in Bleach, the Hollow mask in his down taunt is not. Instead, the mask is based on its appearance after Ichigo's Vasto Lorde Hollow transformation, with two red lines going down the sides of the mask vertically.
Category:Fourth-party characters
Category:Newcomer characters
Category:Starter characters
Category:Super Smash Flash 2
Category:Super Smash Flash series