Pikachu (SSB18)

**Pikachu** (ピカチュウ, *Pikachu*) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. OC 2018. It was the third out of the Original 8 to be in the game (only behind Mario and Link).

## Attributes

Pikachu is a small and agile lightweight character. Pikachu has fast walking and dashing speeds, moderate falling speed, above average gravity, below average air speed, and fast air acceleration. It is also tied for the sixth lightest weight. It sports a quick jumpsquat that lasts for 4 frames, average traction and a relatively long initial dash that lasts for 14 frames. These latter three traits grant Pikachu a moderately long perfect pivot, but also result in its dash dance and fox-trot being slow and extended.

Pikachu's arguably greatest strength is its flexible approach. Quick Attack is an excellent mobility option, and due to its two hit nature, it allows Pikachu to weave in and out of danger, and can be used to start combos. Quick Attack can also be edge-canceled, granting even faster movement with the aid of platforms. With this technique, Pikachu can chase opponents and keep up pressure without much risk to itself. Thunder Jolt is a useful projectile, and has good utility in zoning and forcing approaches. Pikachu can take advantage of its quick dashing and walking speeds, short hop, and pivot, with these traits further aiding its strong neutral game.

Another advantage Pikachu has is its frame data. Most of its attacks come out in 10 frames or less, including its up smash, which is its strongest move. When combined with their low power, this grants Pikachu a formidable combo game. Up aerial can combo into itself and any other aerial. Up tilt can repeatedly chain into itself at lower percents, and its low knockback growth allows it to combo into aerials at higher percents. Down tilt has a chance to trip opponents, leaving them open to a grab. Pikachu's grab game is also integral to its combo game. Its forward throw can lead into a dash attack or up smash, while down throw launches opponents into the air right above Pikachu, setting them up for aerial combos and juggles. At very high percents, both down and up throws are capable of chaining into Thunder, which can KO if the meteor hitbox connects.

Finally, Pikachu possesses a superb recovery. Like in Brawl, Pikachu is able to wall jump, while it has two special moves that round out its recovery. Skull Bash, although linear and telegraphed, is chargeable and deals high knockback while not rendering Pikachu helpless. Quick Attack can be angled in two consecutive directions and, along with its speed, is a very unpredictable and difficult move to intercept, as well as a favorable recovery option from virtually any position off-stage. This contributes to an effective edge-guarding game, as Pikachu has the luxury of going far off-stage and challenging recovering opponents while still being able to recover itself.

However, Pikachu has noticeable flaws, the most glaring of which is its survivability. Its small size, low weight, and average falling speed make it difficult to combo; however, along with its relatively high gravity, these attributes leave it susceptible to KOs. The rage mechanic further exacerbates this problem, since Pikachu's opponents commonly survive to very high damages, while it cannot reliably take advantage of the mechanic as a result of its endurance. While its impressive recovery somewhat mitigates its survivability issues, Quick Attack is a difficult move to master. When using it for fast movement, inexperienced players can often veer off-stage with it, or angle it the wrong way and miss the edge entirely when recovering, causing Pikachu to fall helplessly and self-destruct.

Pikachu also suffers from poor reach, as most of its attacks have hitboxes very close to its body. For a character of its speed, Pikachu's aerials have abnormally high landing lag, with its down aerial having 40 frames of landing lag, being tied for the highest of any aerial in the game. Combined with the previous point, Pikachu cannot efficiently use its aerials to approach and pressure (aside from forward aerial), leaving it susceptible to characters with capable aerial approaches, such as Mario, and this issue is made worse by its relatively slow air speed.
Additionally, Pikachu's overall damage output is poor despite its powerful combo game, which results in it commonly taking time for opponents to be brought within KOing range. This in turn is further compounded by another issue: Pikachu has significant trouble KOing. Its set-ups off of up and down throws into Thunder require reads and proper spacing and timing. Aside from these few situations, it has no reliable set-ups into its KO moves. Up smash has short reach and high ending lag, and is thus very punishable. While it has good range, forward smash has noticeable start-up, down smash is relatively weak, both have high ending lag, and the latter has short range. Pikachu's edge-guarding game has its flaws: its aerials are not very strong, and its neutral, forward, back and down aerials have long durations and small hitboxes.

## Moveset

### Taunts

* Up: Huddles down and discharges electricity around itself while saying "Piiiii!"
* Side: Faces the screen and waves its left paw twice and then its right paw twice while saying "Pika Pika!"
* Down: Rolls on its back while saying "Pikaaaaa!"

### Idle poses

* Scratches its right ear.
* Stands up straight, then looks right, and then left, twitching its ears.

### Victory poses

* Twitches its ears, then scratches its right ear.
* Jumps up and somersaults while saying "Pi!", then spins around once before happily facing the camera. It is almost identical to its "character chosen" animation in Super Smash Bros.
* Sleeps while laying sideways on the ground, while saying "Piiika" drowsily.