Absorption

:For the technique referred to as "absorbing damage" by the Twinkle Toes bonus in Super Smash Bros. Melee, see tech.
Absorption is a property of certain moves that allows them to capture a certain kind of projectile (or just a general hitbox in rare cases), usually described as "energy-based". It then provides a benefit to the character absorbing it based on the damage output of the absorbed attack. The absorption property has currently only applied to down special moves, though it can theoretically apply to any attack. What constitutes an absorbable attack other than being labeled as energy-based is not consistent throughout the Smash series, and has no relation with move types or effects. Super Smash Bros. 4 allowed some, but not all explosive attacks to be absorbable when they were not in previous games.
Only four characters in the Super Smash Bros. series have moves that can absorb attacks, namely Ness, Lucas, Mii Gunner, and Mr. Game & Watch. Ness and Lucas' absorbing special move is PSI Magnet, Mr. Game & Watch's is Oil Panic, and the Mii Gunner's is Absorbing Vortex. PSI Magnet and Absorbing Vortex heal the user based on the absorbed attack's power, while Oil Panic stores the strength of up to three projectiles for unleashing a single attack later. Absorption is not to be confused with Villager and Isabelle's neutral special, Pocket, or any other form of collecting items.
In The Subspace Emissary in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Floows are also capable of absorbing attacks, though they do not appear to do anything with the absorbed energy. In Smash Run in , Chandelure appears to be capable of absorbing flame and darkness attacks to power up its own attacks, but absorbs all attacks with these effects, including non-projectile attacks.
In Super Smash Bros. 4 from version 1.1.3 onward, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, absorbed attacks from allies in team battles with team attack turned on have their damage reduced by half. For example, Ness' PSI Magnet, which increases the damage of absorbed projectiles by 1.6× in both games, decreases it instead by 0.8× for teammates' projectiles. This hinders the effectiveness of moves with absorption properties in doubles, as they were initially quite potent in earlier games/versions when combined with strong projectiles (such as Samus' fully charged Charge Shot, which could bring Oil Panic's attack close to one-hit KO potential).
==List of moves with absorption properties==
User 	Move 	Absorption multiplier	Max absorbable damage
Lucas 	PSI Magnet 	2.5 	30
Lucas 	PSI Magnet 	2 	30
Mii Gunner 	Absorbing Vortex 	1.2 	30
Mii Gunner 	Absorbing Vortex 	1.4 	30
Mr. Game & Watch	Oil Panic 	1.5 (+5) 	500
Mr. Game & Watch	Oil Panic 	2.8 	60
Mr. Game & Watch	Oil Panic 	2 	48
Mr. Game & Watch	Efficient Panic 	2 	24
Mr. Game & Watch	Panic Overload 	2.5 	45
Ness 	PSI Magnet 	2 	—
Ness 	PSI Magnet 	1.6 	30
Ness 	Forward PSI Magnet	1.2 	30
==List of absorbable attacks==
===By fighters===
For playable characters, if an attack has only one hitbox, the Part of the Move section is defined as the "Entire move" for this list. For example, in Smash 4, for certain bomb attacks the explosion is the only hitbox, so if the explosion is absorbable it is listed as "Entire move" for this list. If a move has multiple parts that are all able to be absorbed, it is noted as the entire move.
Fighter 	Move 	Part of move 	Game(s)
 	Rear Egg 	Explosion 	
Bowser (Giga Bowser)	Fire Breath 	Entire move 	
 	Failnaught 	 	
Charizard 	Flamethrower 	Entire move 	
Charizard 	Flare Blitz 	Explosion Must strike the stage or a different opponent first. An active hitbox will connect otherwise. 	
Cloud 	Blade Beam 	Entire move 	
Corrin 	Dragon Fang Shot 	Energy Shot 	
 	 	Spores 	
Dark Pit 	Silver Bow 	Entire move 	
 	 	Explosion 	
 	Charge Shot 	Entire move 	
Diddy Kong 	Rocketbarrel Boost 	Explosion Either when the barrels are free-roaming and crash into the stage, or if Diddy rams directly into the stage. The barrels have active hitboxes before it explodes.	
 	Megavitamin 	Entire move 	
Duck Hunt 	Trick Shot 	Explosion 	
Duck Hunt 	Clay Shooting 	Explosion (from reticle shots) 	
Falco 	 	 	
Fox 	 	 	
 	Frizz/Frizzle/Kafrizz 	 	
 	Command Selection 	Sizz, Sizzle, Bang, Kaboom, Snooze, Whack, Thwack, and Hocus Pocus (when using before mentioned moves) 	
Ice Climbers 	Blizzard 	Entire move 	
Ice Climbers 	Ice Shot 	Ice block 	
 	Splattershot 	Entire move 	
 	Splat Bomb 	Explosion 	
 	Wakie Wakie 	Entire move 	
 	Eiha / Eigaon 	Entire move 	
 	Hadoken 	Entire move 	
King Dedede 	Super Dedede Jump 	Stars 	
King Dedede 	Waddle Dee Toss 	Waddle Doo's beam attack 	
Kirby 	Copy Ability 	Some neutral special movesKirby's version of Chef in Brawl can be absorbed while the original version cannot. 	
Kirby 	Final Cutter 	Wave 	
Link 	 	Explosion 	
Link 	Remote Bomb 	Explosion 	
Link 	Forward smash 	Sword Beam 	
Lucario 	Aura Sphere 	Entire move 	
Lucario 	Force Palm 	Aura burst 	
Lucas 	PK Fire 	Entire move 	
Lucas 	PK Freeze 	Entire move 	
Lucas 	PK Thunder 	Projectile only 	
Luigi 	Fireball 	Entire move 	
Mario 	Fireball 	Entire move 	
Mega Man 	Crash Bomber 	Explosion 	
Mega Man 	Hyper Bomb 	Explosion 	
Mega Man 	Danger Wrap 	Explosion 	
Mega Man 	Forward smash 	Entire move 	
Mega Man 	Forward tilt 	Entire move 	
Mega Man 	Neutral attack 	Shots 	
Mega Man 	Neutral aerial 	Shots 	
Mewtwo 	Forward throw 	Shots 	
Mewtwo 	Shadow Ball 	Entire Move 	
Mii Gunner 	Forward aerial 	Entire move 	
Mii Gunner 	Charge Blast 	Entire Move 	
Mii Gunner 	Laser Blaze 	Entire Move 	
Mii Gunner 	Grenade Launch 	Explosion 	
Mii Gunner 	Flame Pillar 	Entire Move 	
Mii Gunner 	Stealth Burst 	Entire Move 	
Mii Gunner 	Lunar Launch 	Entire Move 	
Mii Gunner 	Bomb Drop 	Explosion 	
Mr. Game & Watch 	Chef 	Sausages 	
Mr. Game & Watch 	Forward aerial 	Bomb 	
Mythra 	Ray of Punishment / Chroma Dust	Projectile 	
Ness 	PK Fire 	Bolt only (SSB and Melee), entire move (Brawl onwards) 	
Ness 	PK Flash 	Entire move 	
Ness 	PK Thunder 	Projectile only 	
 	Dire Hydrant 	Explosion 	
Palutena 	Autoreticle 	Shots 	
Palutena 	Explosive Flame 	Entire move 	
Peach 	 	Spores 	
Pichu 	 	Bolt 	
Pichu 	Thunder Jolt 	Entire move 	
Pikachu 	 	Bolt 	
Pikachu 	Thunder Jolt 	Entire move 	
Pit 	Palutena's Bow 	Entire move 	
R.O.B. 	Robo Beam 	Entire move 	
 	Holy Water 	Entire move 	
 	Plasma Breath 	Entire move 	
Robin 	Arcfire 	Entire move 	
Robin 	Elwind 	Entire move 	
Robin 	 	 	
 	Floaty Star Bit 	Entire move 	
 	Shooting Star Bit 	Entire Move 	
Ryu 	Hadoken 	Entire move 	
Samus 	 	Explosion 	
Samus 	Charge Shot 	Entire Move 	
Sephiroth 	Flare / Megaflare / Gigaflare 	 	
Sephiroth 	Shadow Flare 	Balls exploding 	
Sheik 	Burst Grenade 	Explosion 	
Sheik 	Vanish 	Entire move 	
 	Holy Water 	Entire move 	
 	Hand Grenade 	Explosion 	
 	Remote Missile 	Missile 	
 	C4 	Explosion 	
 	Forward smash 	Entire move 	
 	Up smash 	Shell 	
 	Magic 	 	
Steve 	Down tilt 	Fire 	
Steve 	TNT 	Explosion 	
Steve 	Down smash 	Entire move 	
Terry 	Power Wave 	Entire move 	
Toon Link 	 	Explosion 	
Villager 	Lloid Rocket 	Explosion 	
Wii Fit Trainer 	Sun Salutation 	While charging; entire move 	
Wii Fit Trainer 	Volatile Breathing 	Entire move 	
Wolf 	 	Shot 	
Yoshi 	Yoshi Bomb 	Stars 	
 	 	Explosion 	
Zelda 	Din's Fire 	Entire move 	
Zero Suit Samus 	Down smash 	Entire move 	
Zero Suit Samus 	Paralyzer 	Entire move 	
===By items===
Item 	Part 	Game(s)
Blast Box 	Explosion	
Bob-omb 	Explosion	
Bombchu 	Explosion	
Fire Flower 	Flames 	
Gooey Bomb 	Explosion	
Lip's Stick 	Spores 	
Motion-Sensor Bomb	Explosion	
Rage Blaster 	Shots 	
Ray Gun 	Shots 	
Staff 	Shots 	
Star Rod 	Stars 	
Steel Diver 	Shots 	
Super Scope 	Shots 	
Superspicy Curry 	Flames 	
===By Assist Trophies===
Assist Trophy	Move 	Game(s)
Guile 	Sonic Boom 	
Krystal 	Ice Blast 	
Mother Brain 	Rinkas 	
Phosphora 	All attacks	
Starman 	PK Beam 	
 	Genmu Zero 	
===By Pokémon===
Pokémon 	Move 	Part of move 	Game(s)
Charizard	Flamethrower	Flames 	
Cyndaquil	Flamethrower	Flames 	
Electrode	Explosion 	Explosion 	
Fennekin 	Incinerate 	Non-grounded fireball	
Genesect 	Techno Blast	Beam 	
Meowth 	Pay Day 	Coins 	
Starmie 	Swift 	Stars 	
Staryu 	Swift 	Stars 	
Vulpix 	Ember 	Fireball 	
===By stage hazards===
Stage 	Stage Hazard 	Game(s)
Corneria 	Shots fired from Arwings and Wolfens	
Corneria 	Shots fired from Great Fox 	
Pyrosphere 	FG-II Graham Unit shots 	
Saffron City	Electrode's Self-Destruct 	
Saffron City	Charmander's Flamethrower 	
Saffron City	Venusaur's Razor Leaf 	
Sector Z 	Shots fired from Arwings 	
Venom 	Shots fired from Arwings and Wolfens	
Wily Castle 	Yellow Devil's shots 	
===By enemies and bosses===
Enemy/Boss 	Move 	Game(s)
Armank 	Energy Shot 	
Chandelure 	Fire Spin, Will-o-Wisp 	
Dracula 	Hellfire, Magic Orbs	(Red) 	
Duon 	Scattershot 	
Galeem 	Fireballs from Tri-Eye Attack	
Gamyga 	Lasers 	
Magikoopa 	Spells 	
Marx 	Ice Ball 	
Master Edges 	Sword projectiles 	
Master Hand 	Finger bullets 	
Monoeye 	Energy Shot 	
Puppit 	Lasers 	
R.O.B. Blaster	Beams 	
Scope Primid 	Shots 	
Spaak 	Electric ball 	
Spaak 	Lightning bolt 	
Starman 	PK Beam 	
==Gallery==
Filling OilPanic Melee.gif|Mr. Game & Watch absorbing a Charge Shot in Melee.
Lucas Down B SSBU.gif|PSI Magnet in Ultimate.
Mii Gunner Down B 3 SSBU.gif|Absorbing Vortex in Ultimate.
==Trivia==
*Every Super Smash Bros. game prior to Ultimate introduces one character with an absorption move: Ness in Super Smash Bros., Mr. Game & Watch in Melee, Lucas in Brawl, and Mii Gunner in Smash 4.
*If the Shadow Assist Trophy freezes a character performing an attack with an absorbing hitbox, said hitbox will remain active until being unfrozen and trigger if hit. This often creates an unintended side effect of the attack being able to absorb much more attacks than typical and for far longer.
*Hero has the most absorbable attacks out of any playable fighter in the entire series, with a total of 10.
==See also==
*Reflection
Category:Game physics