Pikachu (Super Smash Bros.)

Pikachu is a playable character in the Super Smash Bros. series, in which it is a default playable character in every installment. Along with Mario, Link, and Kirby, Pikachu is one of the mascots associated with the series.
==Appearances==
===Super Smash Bros.===
Pikachu is one of the eight starter playable characters in Super Smash Bros. It is one of the game's faster characters in both running and walking speed, but is also among the lightest, meaning that while it can move quickly it can also be KO'd earlier than other characters. Its standard special move is Thunder Jolt, which sends out a ball of electricity that travels along the ground and causes opponents to flinch. Its up special move is Quick Attack, which allows it to move with up to two sudden bursts of speed, giving it good recovery distance. Its down special move is Thunder, which sends down a bolt of lightning from the top of the stage to strike opponents.
Pikachu, however, is very light and can be launched easily. That said, many professional smash players consider Pikachu to be the best character in the game.
===Super Smash Bros. Melee===
Pikachu returns in Super Smash Bros. Melee, yet again as a default player,. Here, Pikachu was given a side special move, Skull Bash, allowing it to launch itself across the screen and headbutt opponents. Aside from this, Pikachu has received a few minor changes to its moveset, and its range has been nerfed from its original appearance in Super Smash Bros.. Pikachu's Thunder now appears from a cloud instead of the top of the screen. Its down smash is now a multi-hitting, electrical spin; additionally, Pikachu's back throw from the previous game has been moved to its forward throw, although it was significantly weakened. Pikachu's Quick Attack now has a hit box, and its Thunder Jolt can now move underneath surfaces.
Pikachu's pre-evolution Pichu also appears as a playable character in this game, with a moveset similar to Pikachu's. In addition, one of Pikachu's alternate costumes in this game is the hat of Red as he appears in the original Pokémon Red and Blue Versions.
===Super Smash Bros. Brawl===
Pikachu was one of the first characters revealed for Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Once again, Pikachu is a character available from the start, and it has the same special moves as in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Visually, Pikachu has received little difference from its Super Smash Bros. Melee design, having only being touched up slightly as well as having the Generation I fat design removed.
It has been buffed slightly; it gains new advanced techniques such as cancelling Quick Attack's end lag using a soft platform to approach better and 2 chain grabs, but its knockback has been nerfed. Pikachu also gains the Final Smash Volt Tackle, which causes it to become giant ball of electricity around itself that can be controlled by the player in order to slam into and/or shock any opponents, damaging them.
While Pikachu retains most of its alternate costumes, its blue alternate costume, the party hat, has been replaced with a pair of goggles, similar to the ones worn by Pichu as one of its alternate costumes. Pikachu has different designs for hats, including Red's hat from Pokémon Red and Blue Versions.
====Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary====
In Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary, Pikachu is first seen within the The Research Facility stage, where it is trapped within a strange device that harnesses its electrical energy to provide power to the complex. Zero Suit Samus, infiltrating the complex in search of her Power Suit, sees that the device causes Pikachu pain, so she decides to break it. The two then face a group of R.O.B. Sentries. In thanks for being rescued, Pikachu helps Samus continue through the lab in search of her Power Suit.
Eventually, the pair come across Samus's Power Suit within a tank. After dispatching two Samus's clones, Samus and Pikachu are then confronted by Samus' nemesis, Ridley, who grabs Samus and begins dragging her across the walls. Pikachu then returns the favor from earlier by electrocuting Ridley with a powerful Thunder attack to free Samus.
After escaping from the complex, Pikachu and Samus infiltrate the Subspace Bomb Factory and encounter the Ancient Minister. Despite Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Captain Falcon, and Captain Olimar coming in soon after, the Ancient Minister does not fight back, and tries to stop the other R.O.B.s from obeying Ganondorf. Ganondorf gets the R.O.B.s to set up multiple Subspace Bombs, and the Ancient Minister, with the R.O.B.s no longer under his control, reveals himself to be the head R.O.B. of the island and helps Pikachu and the others defeat the Subspace Army and escape the island in the Falcon Flyer before it is consumed by Subspace.
After defeating Meta Ridley, Pikachu and the rest of its team join the remaining heroes in their last stand against Subspace, only to be defeated by Tabuu. Fortunately, King Dedede had planned this in advance and created badges that revived fighters from being trophies. Using these, he is able to form a team consisting of himself, Luigi, and Ness. Dedede and his group then revived most of the others, including Pikachu, before everyone has rejoined and proceeded to face Tabuu in a final battle.
===Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U===
Pikachu is once again a playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, its moveset once again unchanged from its previous appearances. Pikachu's Thunder move, which still summons a cloud, now acts as a meteor smash, which can do further damage to opponents.
In addition to its alternate costumes in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, two of its new alternate costumes are the hats of Ethan and Calem, the male trainers in Pokémon Gold and Silver Versions and Pokémon X and Y, respectively.
Pikachu received some nerfs, such as its powerful down throw and forward throw chain grabs (which were a large part of Pikachu's prior success in Brawl) being removed, and lower damage outputs on some moves. In return, Pikachu benefits from the changes to hitstun canceling (the ability to cancel hitstun (specifically when in tumble) early with an airdodge or an aerial attack), which improve its combo game by enabling its attacks to chain together easier. Some of its attacks' ranges and their KO potential were also improved. However, Pikachu suffers from poor endurance (i.e. it gets launched easily) and has a general lack of reliable KO options. Despite having a small player base in the competitive scene, Pikachu still gained a bit of success in the Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U meta-game from a few players.
===Super Smash Bros. Ultimate===
Pikachu returns as a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Aside from some alterations to its moveset, Pikachu was given two alternate costumes, one that swaps it out for the female Pikachu Libre and another in which it wears Selene's cap from Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon.
Pikachu has various alterations to its moves and now appears angry during many attacks. Pikachu's Final Smash has it travel across the screen at a much faster speed than before, though the move needs to connect with another fighter in order to continue, and missing can lead to a self-destruct. Pikachu received several changes and buffs, including a new neutral aerial that acts similarly to Mewtwo's. Some of Pikachu's standard attacks receive names: its standard attack is Headbutt, its dash attack is Running Headbutt, its down smash is Electric Flower, its back aerial is Glider, and its down aerial is Electric Skew.
====Classic Mode====
Pikachu's Classic Mode route is called I Choose You!, drawing reference to Ash Ketchum's catchphrase, and in turn, the first episode of the anime, "Pokémon - I Choose You!" and the similarly named 20th movie I Choose You!.
Its opponents, save for Master Hand (and Crazy Hand if the player reaches the fight at intensity 7.0 or higher), are all Pokémon. The player is allowed to heal with a Maxim Tomato between the Mewtwo and Hand fights.
By completing Pikachu's Classic Mode route, it is possible to unlock Villager, Shulk, R.O.B., Mega Man, Isabelle, Mr. Game & Watch, or Pichu. Pikachu's Classic Mode route has it facing off against other Pokémon.
I Choose You!	I Choose You! 	I Choose You!	I Choose You! 	I Choose You!
Round 	Opponent(s) 	Rule 	Stage 	Song
1 	Pokémon Trainer 	 	Saffron City 	Pokémon Gym/Evolution - Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue
2 	Jigglypuff ×6 	Horde Battle 	Pokémon Stadium 2 	Road to Viridian City - Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue
3 	Pichu (2×) 	 	Prism Tower 	Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver Medley
4 	Lucario 	 	Spear Pillar 	Battle! (Dialga/Palkia) and Spear Pillar
5 	Greninja 	 	Kalos Pokémon League	Battle! (Wild Pokémon) - Pokémon X and Pokémon Y
6 	Incineroar 	 	Pokémon Stadium 	The Battle at the Summit!
Final 	MewtwoMaster Hand	 	Final Destination 	Pokémon Red and Pokémon Blue MedleyMaster Hand
====World of Light====
Pikachu was among the fighters summoned to the cliffside to fight an army of Master Hands.
During the opening cutscene, Pikachu was present on the cliffside when Galeem unleashed his beams of light. While attempting to run away, Pikachu was noticed by Sonic, who slowed down for Pikachu in an attempt to save it. However, both of them were vaporized and placed under Galeem's imprisonment, along with the rest of the fighters, except for Kirby.
Pikachu can later be found stuck on an island that can only be accessed by falling into the current of a waterfall, then the player must confront the spirit of Esna before they can battle to awaken it.
====Spirits====
Pikachu's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Pikachu in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Its Pikachu Libre outfit has a fighter spirit of its own, available through the shop. Each fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate.
Additionally, Pikachu makes an appearance in the Detective Pikachu and Partner Pikachu spirits.
==Profiles==
===Super Smash Bros. Characters profile===
PikachuMouse PKMNHeight  1'04"Weight  13lbsWhen several of these Pokémon gather, their electricity could cause lightning storms.(Pokédex excerpt)
===Smash taunts===
====Codec conversation (Snake)====
When you play as Snake and use the down taunt for exactly one frame, Snake will contact someone with his codec earpiece that triggers a one time conversation about said character he faces off against. The following conversation is heard when Pikachu is said character:
*Mei Ling: (overjoyed) Ooh, how cuute!
*Snake: What? The yellow thing?
*Mei Ling: That's Pikachu. It's a Pokémon. They're popular all over the world, you know. And it may look cute, but be careful, It can store up large amounts of electricity in those adorable little cheeks. It'll try to pepper you with electric shocks.
*Snake: Couldn't be much worse than Ocelot's old torture device...
*Mei Ling: Oh, and, Snake?
*Snake: What?
*Mei Ling: I was wondering, could you maybe try and catch Pikachu for me? Pleeeeease?
*Snake: Give me a break! What do I look like, a Pokémon Trainer?
*Mei Ling: Fine... Sorry I asked.
Note: Solid Snake's comment about Ocelot's old torture device is a reference to the torture scene in Metal Gear Solid in which Revolver Ocelot runs high voltage through Snake's body after the former was captured. A recurring plot element in the series involves the main character getting captured and sometimes getting tortured.
Mei Ling's comment about capturing Pikachu may parody the several codec requests that Naked Snake (the playable character of Metal Gear Solid 3, more commonly known as Big Boss, or Snake's father) receives from his radio team, asking him to capture some type of flora or fauna. However, it is more likely that Mei Ling is imitating a Lass; one Lass in Pokémon Red and Blue begs her father for a Pikachu early on in the game.
====Palutena's Guidance (Pit)====
Like with Snake, Pit must use his down taunt for one frame on Palutena's temple to trigger this conversation regarding Pikachu:
*Viridi: Aw, look at that cute little guy.
*Pit: It's a Pokémon!
*Palutena: And not just any Pokémon!
*Viridi: Actually, that Pokémon is called a Pikachu. Pikachu evolves from Pichu. And when a Pikachu is fully evolved, it becomes a Raichu.
*Palutena: It's quite rare for a Pokémon to be more famous in its middle stage than its final evolution.
*Viridi: True, but Pikachu is a special case. I mean, it's the most famous of all the Pokémon.
*Pit: Uh, excuse me! Hello?
*Palutena: What is it, Pit?
*Pit: I hate to interrupt your musings on Pokémon, but I could really use some Smash Bros. help right about now!
*Palutena: Oh, right. I forgot where we were. OK, here's a tip: dodge Pikachu's Thunder, and then counterattack.
*Viridi: You can also zap Pikachu by reflecting its Thunder back at itself! And nothing is more satisfying than that!
===amiibo===
*Pikachu has charmed fans and given a jolt to opponents for nearly 20 years—whether in the Pokémon TV series, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, or Pokémon video games, Pikachu has always been there as a stalwart companion for any Pokémon Trainer willing to take on the challenge of becoming the very best.
===Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Super Smash Blog bio===
"This fierce fighter uses electric moves like Thunder Jolt and Thunder. Pikachu Libre is one of the alternate costumes and you can tell she's female by the shape of her tail."
==Moves used==
In addition to these moves, Pikachu can use Thunder Jolt, a TCG exclusive move.
==Gallery==
Pikachu (Super Smash Bros. Artwork).png|Pikachu's artwork from Super Smash Bros.
Pikachu SSBM artwork.jpg|Pikachu's artwork from Super Smash Bros. Melee
0025Pikachu Brawl.png|Pikachu's artwork from Super Smash Bros. Brawl
0025Pikachu SSB4.png|Pikachu's artwork from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U
Pikachu trophy SSBM.png
Pikachu (Smash) trophy SSBM.png
Pikachu (Smash 2) trophy SSBM.png
Pikachu trophy SSBB.png
Volt Tackle trophy SSBB.png
Pikachu trophy SSBWU.png
Pikachu (Alt.) trophy SSBWU.png
Volt Tackle trophy SSBWU.png
Pikachu costumes SSBB.png|Super Smash Bros. Brawl screenshot of Pikachu's alternate costumes
Pikachu SSBU.png
==Trivia==
===General===
*Pikachu, along with Jigglypuff and Ivysaur, is the only middle evolution to be playable, though this was only the case after Melee.
*The voice clip played when Pikachu uses Thunder Jolt in Super Smash Bros. is taken directly from TB024.
*Pikachu and Jigglypuff are the most recently introduced fighters in the original Super Smash Bros, having debuted in 1996 while everyone else debuted in the mid 80s-early 90s.
*Due to being the sole starter in Pokémon Yellow, Pikachu is the first playable starter Pokémon, followed by Pokémon Trainer's Kanto First partners, Greninja and Incineroar.
*Pikachu and Charizard are the only playable Pokémon that are game mascots.
*Pikachu is the only playable Pokémon in the Super Smash Bros. series to have a gender difference. Female Pikachu have a heart-shaped dent at the end of their tail, while the Pikachu in the Super Smash Bros. series does not except in its two new palette swaps in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which may indicate that the Pikachu in the Super Smash Bros. series is male. However, this distinction was first apparent in the Generation IV Pokémon games.
**Given this, and the fact that its alternate costumes include hats worn by male characters, the Pikachu in the Super Smash Bros. series is commonly perceived as male. In addition, Ultimate gave it two distinctly female variants via alternate costumes. Despite this, Pikachu is not listed under a specific gender, as Nintendo and its affiliates primarily use gender-neutral pronouns for all Pokémon, regardless of a species' appearance/gender ratio or lack thereof.
*Pikachu is the only character in the entire Super Smash Bros. series to have only four alternate costumes in the first three Super Smash Bros. games. 
**However, it has eight alternate costumes in SSB4, just like every other character aside from Little Mac and the Mii Fighters.
*As of the current tier lists for each installment of the series, Pikachu and Fox McCloud are the only characters who have never been ranked lower than the upper portion of the mid-tier.
**Both characters have incidentally also been at the top of a tier list before.
*Pikachu is the only Pokémon to be a starter character in every Super Smash Bros. game.
*Pikachu's poses for its Classic trophy in Melee and its official artwork for SSB4 are based on the sprite of Red's Pikachu from Pokémon Yellow.
*Pikachu was designed by Atsuko Nishida, making it the only one of the "original 8" to have been designed by a woman.
===Super Smash Bros.===
*Pikachu is one of the two only characters in the game to lack a meteor smash, along with Link.
**Every other character's down aerial, Mario/DK/Yoshi/Kirby's forward aerial and Mario's down special have this effect.
*Most of Pikachu's static and electric effects (e.g. from Thunder Jolt) are rendered in 2D due to technical limitations.
*In the Japanese version, Pikachu is the only character ranked first in the tier list to have a disadvantageous matchup (which is similar to type matchups) specifically against F-Zero's Captain Falcon.
*Pikachu, along with Jigglypuff, are technically the first two playable characters in Smash to actually have a neutral alignment rather than being either heroes or villains.
**This is most likely due to the fact that unlike the human characters in Pokémon, the Pokémon themselves do not have any sense of morality, and therefore do not belong in either alignment, instead willingly choosing to side with whatever alignment said humans are on.
===Super Smash Bros. Melee===
*Melee is the only game with wall jumps where Pikachu isn't execute to perform one.
*Pikachu, Mario, Peach, Yoshi, Young Link, Kirby, and Falco are the only characters whose portraits on the character select screen match their official artwork.
===Super Smash Bros. Brawl===
*Some of Pikachu's new attributes, such as wall-jumping and its goggle costume were previously held by Pichu in Melee. 
**Additionally, prior to Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon (which was unreleased at the time). Pikachu could only learn Volt Tackle if it evolved from a Pichu who had Volt Tackle as an egg move.
** The Smash community has noted these similarities, and a common fan theory states that the Pikachu in Brawl actually evolved from Melee's Pichu.
*Despite having a unused victory cry made for the reference, it's unknown if Pikachu in this game and later Smash games is Ash's.
*By the time Brawl was released, gender differences were introduced in the Pokémon games. Female Pikachu have a heart-shaped indent on their tails, while the one in Brawl doesn't, supporting the common assumption that the Pikachu in Brawl is male. The gender of all Pokémon in Smash, however, have never been explicitly revealed.
**Ironically enough, Pikachu gained female palette swaps in Ultimate.
*Pikachu has the least amount of palette swaps in Brawl, only having four instead of six like most characters.
*Pikachu, Samus, Fox, Diddy Kong, and Lucas are the only characters in the Subspace Emissary that can fight more than 2 bosses (excluding boss re-creations in the Great Maze). 
**This is because Pikachu can be chosen to fight Ridley at The Research Facility Part II, Meta Ridley at The Subspace Bomb Factory (Part II), and as well as Final Boss Tabuu in the final battle at Tabuu's Residence if is rescued by the player in Subspace (Part I).
*Pikachu's AI has a reputation of being a candidate for the best AI of any character in the game, on par with Luigi's. 
**While the common consensus is that CPU Luigi has the superior AI, it has been observed that level nine Pikachu will almost always win against most level nine CPUs under tournament rulesets, and will win more often than not against every other level nine CPU, including level nine Luigi.
*Pikachu, Zelda, and Snake are the only characters in the game where all three of their taunts temporarily make a held item disappear.
*Brawl is the only game where Pikachu's blue party hat is not one of its alternative costumes.
*As Dr. Mario and Mewtwo did not return from Melee, Pikachu is the only character who gained the ability to wall jump in Brawl after being unable to wall jump in Melee.
===Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U===
*Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U is the first installment where Pikachu's teeth are visible. 
**They can be seen when Pikachu is being grabbed by an opponent, or when it is hanging on an edge facing left.
*When Pikachu is stunned, its eyes appear as swirls. This is a reference to the Pokémon anime, in which Pokémon typically display the same expression after fainting.
**It is also the second character to have this unique detail, with Kirby having a similar reaction in Super Smash bros. before it was replaced by the pink puffball looking dazed
*When Pikachu is put to sleep, its mouth can be seen animating with its snore.
*Pikachu knows six official Pokémon moves in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, all of which it can learn legally in the Pokémon core series. In addition to Skull Bash, Quick Attack, Thunder and Volt Tackle, it can also use Thunder Wave and Thunder Shock as custom moves.
*That said, one of its custom moves, Quick Feet, has the same name of an ability instead of a move, similarly to Victini's Poké Ball effect. However, Pikachu cannot legitimately have Quick Feet as an Ability.
*Pikachu's official art for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U is almost identical to its official art for the original Super Smash Bros. The only difference is that it is standing erect in its SSB4 art instead of slightly slouching to the side.
===Super Smash Bros. Ultimate===
*This is the first game Pikachu was not the first Pokémon character to be explicitly announced for, with Mewtwo being confirmed before it.
*Pikachu's pose in its official artwork resembles its front sprite in Generation III Pokémon games.
*In the E3 demo of the game, Pikachu's portrait used its in-game model as opposed to its official artwork. This was also the case with Link, Mario and Villager.
**Coincidentally, all four of these characters were playable in the demo of the previous game(albeit the 3Ds version only).
*Pikachu's alternate costume featuring a Swimmer's goggles has been removed and returned to Pichu, who was the original owner of said palette swap in Melee.
*Pikachu, in comparison to the other starters, has the least amount of characters in its unlock tree, having only seven characters as opposed to the standard eight.
**These are(in order): Villager, Shulk, R.O.B, Mega Man, Isabelle, Mr. Game and Watch, Pichu.
*Pikachu is the one of the few characters in the entire roster to have two different facial expressions when attempting different types of grabs and missing them, being a normal grab (a scared expression) and its dash & pivot grabs (a rather irritated expression)
**Others include King Dedede and Squirtle.
*Due to its new Pikachu Libre costume and another one of its alternate costumes, Pikachu is now the only member of the Original 12 to change gender between costumes, as well as the first of the Original 12 to technically become a different character in one of its costumes.
*It is possible that Pikachu's stock icon is a reference to the Pokémon's 20th Anniversary emblem, which features a simplified Pikachu face formed from the 18 First partner Pokémon at the time, as well as Pikachu, from Generation I to Generation VI.
Category:Super Smash Bros.
Category:Playable characters