Lucario (PM)

Lucario is a playable character in the Brawl mod Project M. Its mechanics between Brawl and Project M have been nearly entirely reimagined. 
Lucario ranks 18th out of 41 on the official tier list, toward the top of the B tier. This is a considerable drop from their placement in Brawl, where it was 11th out of 38. In the Project+ , Lucario is ranked 12th near the top of the A tier, more in line with its placement in Brawl.
==Attributes==
In Brawl, Lucario's aura system increased the damage and knockback of its attacks as its own damage climbed. In Project M, however, this system has been discarded in favor of giving the Steel/Fighting-type Pokémon two mechanics similar to those found in traditional fighting games, while some of its moves were altered to be reminiscent of the shotoclone, a popular fighting game archetype.
Lucario's moves deal the damage and knockback of its Brawl counterpart when at only 88% damage, but thanks to their decreased, consistent knockback and Lucario's new magic series, they are much more suitable for extensive combos. The magic series gives Lucario limited control over order-based interruptibility, where each stage in the chain can be cancelled into anything further down. On the ground, this chain is neutral/dash attack → tilt → smash attack → special move, while in the air the chain is aerial → special move. While a stage cannot be cancelled into itself, Lucario's jab, tilts, and some of its aerials can reliably link into themselves. Additionally, some setups allow for the ground chain to be started again, such as up-smash into aerial side-special grab, which can set up a tech-chase and thus an opportunity to start the magic series over with a neutral or dash attack.
Similar to the "super meter" present in the vast majority of fighting games, Lucario can build up energy through successful hits and "spend" it on powerful attacks or combo setups. Every attack Lucario lands nets it a number of "aura points" equal to the amount of damage dealt on a successful hit or 70% of the damage a shielded hit would have dealt. After amassing fifty points, Lucario will gain an aura charge, signaled to the player through a blue flash of light. Players can also remind themselves of any aura charge by examining the energy glow and trails on Lucario's hands (compare the appearance of no charges, one charge, and two charges). Lucario can store up to one hundred aura points, or two charges, and retains whatever it has stored even if it loses a stock.
Aura charges are spent by pressing the standard attack button while executing the special move the player wishes to power up. Aura Sphere and Force Palm receive drastic power boosts; "Aura Bomb" is a massive, powerful, slow-moving Aura Sphere that can hit foes trying to recover through a ledge and lasts long enough for Lucario to easily throw enemies into it for a KO, while "Force Blast" becomes significantly more powerful and becomes a spike when foes are grabbed with it in the air. Meanwhile, spending an aura charge on ExtremeSpeed or Double Team will allow the player to cancel out of it using any attack other than itself, making powerful combo, chasing, recovery, or edgeguarding options possible.
Lucario has some reworked moves reminiscent of the shotoclone, a character archetype popularized by Ryu and Ken of . Its up-smash is now a multi-hitting Shoryuken, a leaping uppercut that can be reversed, comes out quickly, and can be cancelled into aerial grab Force Palm to set up a tech-chase. Force Palm, when used as a grab in the air, now meteor-smashes opponents powerfully in a spinning throw. Meanwhile, Lucario's ineffectual neutral-aerial from Brawl has been replaced with a powerful hurricane kick that can KO at reasonably low percentages despite its quick startup. Double Team, while a counterattack in Brawl, now functions as a command-dash that deals no damage and instead serves as a versatile movement option that provides Lucario with invincibility. Extremespeed now deals multiple weak hits while keeping foes close enough for more combos, especially when used horizontally across a stage. 
With these new techniques and mechanics, Lucario can deal massive amounts of damage over extended periods of time if it can get close enough to an opponent. However, Lucario has the same problems that would later befall its moveset inspiration ; Lucario is held back by average movement speed outside of its combos and struggles when approaching foes, as Aura Sphere is short-ranged and easily intercepted. Compared to Brawl Lucario, the comparative lack of power in its attacks also holds it back from getting KOs at regular percentages, forcing Lucario to rack up more damage than other characters would need to in order to secure a KO. In turn, these flaws force Lucario to keep close to the opponent so that it never misses a chance to punish and tack on damage, which is a problem against faster close-range fighters or ones like , who can use disjointed reach to keep Lucario from getting close enough.
PM Lucario Aura Bomb.gif|Lucario using Aura Bomb.
PM Lucario Force Palm Aerial.gif|Lucario using aerial Force Palm.
PM Lucario Extreme Speed cancel.gif|Lucario canceling ExtremeSpeed into neutral air.
PM Lucario Double Team.gif|Lucario using the updated Double Team.
==Changes from Brawl to PM==
Lucario has a revamped aura mechanic that allows it to strengthen its special moves rather than increasing its power the more it is hurt. In addition, Lucario's fighting style is more combo oriented. Many of Lucario's moves have less startup and its combo game is significantly more deadly. One downside to Lucario's new moveset however is that most of its moves have shorter durations.
===Attributes===
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===Ground Attacks===
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===Special Moves===
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==Revisions==
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===v2.6b===
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===v3.0===
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===v3.5===
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===v3.6===
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==Moveset==
Up to date as of version 3.6.
 	 	Name 	Damage 	Description
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	3% 	Lucario thrusts one hand forward, does a palm thrust, and then kicks high. Each hit has whitish blue aura accompanying it and moves Lucario a fair bit forward. The first hit can combine with other attacks well, especially grabs, and is part of the Magic Series. By using the first strike, Lucario can initiate a Force Palm grab, standard grab or tilt to start a combo.
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	2% 	Lucario thrusts one hand forward, does a palm thrust, and then kicks high. Each hit has whitish blue aura accompanying it and moves Lucario a fair bit forward. The first hit can combine with other attacks well, especially grabs, and is part of the Magic Series. By using the first strike, Lucario can initiate a Force Palm grab, standard grab or tilt to start a combo.
Neutral attack 	Neutral attack 	 	5% 	Lucario thrusts one hand forward, does a palm thrust, and then kicks high. Each hit has whitish blue aura accompanying it and moves Lucario a fair bit forward. The first hit can combine with other attacks well, especially grabs, and is part of the Magic Series. By using the first strike, Lucario can initiate a Force Palm grab, standard grab or tilt to start a combo.
Forward tilt 	Forward tilt 	 	10% 	Lucario spins around and performs a backhanded punch. This move can be part of a Magic Series, as all tilts are. Lucario's right arm is intangible when performing this attack.
Up tilt 	Up tilt 	 	7% 	Lucario kicks in an arc over its head. The move come out quick and can juggle.
Down tilt 	Down tilt 	 	6% (body), 8% (aura) 	Lucario thrusts one leg forward while crouching. The sweetspot is the burst of aura, which meteor smashes grounded opponents.
Crawl attack 	Crawl attack 	 	9% (body), 10% (aura) 	Lucario performs a low sweeping kick attack towards nearby opponents. Lucario's leg flares up while performing the attack.
Dash attack 	Dash attack 	 	10% (clean) 7% (late) 	Lucario does a kick attack, with the animation used from its previous version of Double Team. This attack is based off the medium and heavy kicks from the Street Fighter series.
Forward smash 	Forward smash 	 	(body), (aura) 	Lucario thrusts both its arms out and releases a small blast of aura forward. This move has great range and a good amount of active frames. The sweetspot is blast of aura, which can KO heavyweights at around 115% if hit near the edge.
Up smash 	Up smash 	 	(hit 1), (hits 2-4), (hit 5) 	Inspired by the Shoryuken uppercut attack from Capcom's Street Fighter series, Lucario performs a multi-hitting leaping uppercut, ending with a strong final hit. It deals up to damage, and can be jump-canceled on hit and turned around during the start-up. It has overall much more utility than its original up smash from Brawl.
Down smash 	Down smash 	 	 	Lucario crouches and then fires two bursts of aura to either side. It has rather slow start-up and noticeable ending lag for a down smash if the move misses.
Neutral aerial 	Neutral aerial 	 	15% (clean), 12% (mid), 9% (late) 	Lucario performs a one-legged spinning kick in midair. Based on the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku from the Street Fighter series. It's possible to hit the same opponent twice with this move, but requires good positioning.
Forward aerial 	Forward aerial 	 	11% (clean leg), 12% (clean foot), 8% (late) 	Lucario kicks one leg forward with a slight upwards tilt. Hitbox extends everywhere except above Lucario. The sweetspot is at the tip of the foot, which deals more damage, and is Lucario's fastest aerial at start-up.
Back aerial 	Back aerial 	 	14% (body), 15% (aura) 	Lucario thrusts one arm backwards, radiating a small burst of bluish white aura. It has good horizontal reach and the sweetspot is the burst of aura, which deals slightly more damage and stronger horizontal knockback. This move turns Lucario around in the air.
Up aerial 	Up aerial 	 	11% (body), 12% (aura) 	Lucario thrusts one leg upward, similar to its forward aerial but kicks higher, hitting in front of its head. This move has a sweetspot located at the aura burst near Lucario's foot, which deals more damage and knockback. Overall, this move has good defensive capabilities due to the hitbox covering Lucario's entire body.
Down aerial 	Down aerial 	 	8% (hits 1-2) 	Lucario pauses in the air and thrusts both feet downwards, letting out a fairly large burst of aura energy. When Lucario starts the move, all of its momentum is immediately canceled. It can be used to perform a "pseudo-SHFFL", and if used immediately after jumping, Lucario will cease to jump and immediately use the attack, making it one of the lowest possible attacking aerial moves. There is also no landing lag when performing this move, since Lucario's momentum is stopped, which preventing it from landing before the move is complete. Excellent knockback on second hit, which allows Lucario to stage spike with it. Often considered one of its best attacks due to having almost no start-up lag and being a great combo finisher.
Grab 	Grab 	 	— 	Grabs the enemy with both of its hands.
Pummel 	Pummel 	 	2% 	Sends an instant pulse of aura into the opponent.
Forward throw 	Forward throw 	 	10% 	Lucario uses aura to blast the opponent forward. Lucario's fastest throw.
Back throw 	Back throw 	 	10% 	Lucario turns and slams the opponent onto the ground. Has relatively fast speed.
Up throw 	Up throw 	 	1% (hit 1), 5% (throw) 	Lucario performs an uppercut, throwing the opponent upwards. Low knockback allows this to set up follow-up attacks and can chain throw heavyweights and fast fallers at very low percentages.
Down throw 	Down throw 	 	7% 	Lucario holds the foe over its head, then slam them to the ground. It can set up combos at low percentages quite effectively, but becomes less useful for at higher percentages. This move somewhat depends on the opponent's DI, but leaves them in a vulnerable position regardless of where they are sent flying.
Floor attack (front)	Floor attack (front)	 	6% 	Lucario spins around while getting up, kicking on one side, and punching on the other.
Floor attack (back) 	Floor attack (back) 	 	6% 	Lucario spins around while getting up, kicking on both sides.
Floor attack (trip) 	Floor attack (trip) 	 	5% 	Lucario gets up and kicks forwards, then backwards.
Edge attack (fast) 	Edge attack (fast) 	 	7% (body), 8% (aura) 	Lucario quickly climbs back on the stage, attacking with a burst of aura. Excellent range makes this a very good ledge attack.
Edge attack (slow) 	Edge attack (slow) 	 	10% 	Lucario slowly climbs onto the stage while bringing its feet over its head, and then kicks downward. Rather slow and not recommended unless as surprise attack.
Neutral special 	Neutral special 	Aura Sphere/Aura Bomb 	≈0.75% (charge hits), 6-15% (Aura Sphere), 25% (Aura Bomb)	Lucario charges a spherical aura blast. Pressing the special button again will cause Lucario to fire it. This move now has only five levels of charge, the final one being available for only two frames before full charge. The super version of this attack which can be activated by pressing both the A and B button is an extremely large Aura Bomb that moves even slower than the normal fully charged version and does much greater damage and knockback. The sphere also has hitboxes around Lucario's hands on startup, making it a viable close range option. Its monstrous size and low speed makes it a useful edgeguarding tool.
Side special 	Side special 	Force Palm/Force Blast	10%/8%/6% (aura close/mid/far), 13% (throw), 6% (escape) 	Fires a burst of aura in front of itself. If the opponent is close to Lucario, the move acts like a grab, with Lucario blasting the foe with aura at point-blank range. When grabbing an opponent in the air, Lucario will throw them downwards, acting as a meteor smash. The super version of the move which is activated using the side b input along with the A button and it increases the damage and knockback of the throw, and makes the aerial version a spike.
Up special 	Up special 	ExtremeSpeed 	1% (hits 1-9), 5% (hit 10), 2% (pelvic thrust) 	Lucario launches itself in a predetermined direction. The super version cancels the move with a pelvic thrust (the move's animation taken directly from Lucario's neutral aerial from Brawl) that deals slight knockback, which then can be canceled into any other attack except another ExtremeSpeed.
Down special 	Down special 	Double Team 	— 	Lucario dashes a short distance forward, gaining invincibility frames during the dash. When used in the air, Lucario will instead dash diagonally downwards. This move can be canceled into any normal attack at the cost of one aura charge.
Final Smash 	Final Smash 	Aura Storm 	6%/15% (start up), 2% (hits 1-31), 10% (hit 32) 	Lucario flies to the top of the screen in the center of the stage and then shoots a powerful beam attack. The beam can be angled left and right with the control stick.
==In competitive play==
===Most historically significant players===
See also: :Category:Lucario players (PM)
* - Co-mains with and is considered the best player in the world, notably winning the first major with at the unofficial Riptide 2022 side event, Undertow 2022. Ranked #6 on PMRank 2022.
* - "IPK" was widely considered to be the best during his active years. His highly optimized use of Aura Sphere Canceling (ASC) revolutionized 's punish game.
* - Ranked #20 on PMRank 2022 and ranked 1st on the Houston Project M Power Rankings, Fearless is known for his strong neutral game utilizing dash dancing.
* - Was formerly ranked #22 on PMRank 2019 and 1st on the European Project M Power Rankings prior to moving to Canada. Known for his unconventional use of ExtremeSpeed as a low-percent kill option.
* - Very strong Lucario Multi main alongside Meta Knight, Sonic, and Diddy Kong. Ranked #9 on PMRank 2022.
* - Lucario and Pit dual main ranked #42 on PMRank 2023.
* - Notable labber and creator of many guides and tech posts driving the development of 's metagame.
==Alternate costumes==
===Project M===
Lucario has more variety with its palettes, which stand out more in team battles. Lucario would later coincidently gain an almost identical black palette swap in Smash 4. 
3.5 included a costume inspired by the Black Belt class from the Pokémon franchise. It has the Fighting and Steel type emblems from the TCG on the back, an Expert Belt, and a Focus Band. This costume also has a black variation with a Choice Band and the Cobble Badge replacing the type emblems on the back.
					
					
					
===Project+===
In Project+, Lucario received an updated shiny costume, which most notably has accurate eyes to the actual shiny. The additional Black Belt costumes reference Dan, Ken, and Sean from the Street Fighter series. The headbands for these color are the Choice Scarf, Focus Sash, and Muscle Band respectively.
Secret costumes:
 
Z-Secret Costume (Mega Lucario): Lucario's Mega Evolutions introduced in Generation VI, being activated when it is holding Lucarionite and the player Mega Evolves it. This design is playable via its Final Smash in Super Smash Bros. 4.
R-Secret Costume (Sir Aaron Lucario): Based on an alternate costume from Pokémon Unite, where it wears the outfit worn by Sir Aaron, who, alongside his partner Lucario, were major characters in the 8th Pokémon film, Lucario and the Mystery of Mew.
==Trivia==
*Lucario's yellow palette swap, which resembles its coloration, has a minor cosmetic error in Project M that gives Lucario blue eyes instead of red. This cosmetic error has been fixed as of version 2.3 of Project+. 
**As a reference to the Pokémon series, in Project+, Lucario's shiny alternate costume emits sparkles during its entrance. This trait is shared with the rest of the playable Pokémon in the mod.
*Coincidentally, Street Fighter was formally represented beginning in Super Smash Bros. 4 by including as a playable fighter, and would gain more representation when he returned alongside newcomer in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. As mentioned before, many elements of Street Fighter inspired Lucario's changes in the mod: 
**Lucario's alternate costume loosely resembles the character's attire, despite it being meant to reference the Black Belt class from the Pokémon series. Project+ includes recolors for this costume that resemble characters related to Ryu and Ken, such as Dan Hibiki and Sean Matsuda, with the former two appearing in Ultimate.
**Lucario has attacks that match the 3 staple moves of the "shoto" characters from Street Fighter; its neutral special Aura Sphere resembles the Hadoken, its new up-smash is an uppercut reminiscent of the Shoryuken, and its neutral aerial is a spinning kick that resembles the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku. Ryu has used all of the aforementioned moves throughout the Street Fighter series.
==External links==
*Labbing Discord Tech Post
Category:Lucario
Category:Characters (PM)