Editing Stage hazard

[[File:SSBUWebsiteSonic4.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|{{SSBU|Sonic}} nearly colliding with a [[Shy Guy]] on [[Figure-8 Circuit]], an example of a stage hazard]]

A '''stage hazard''' is any aspect of a [[stage]] (that is, a [[stage element]]) which could pose a threat to players. Most stage hazards deal [[damage]] and [[knockback]], while the remainder includes a wide range of effects, such as sudden movements of the stage or a panning camera that can carry less agile [[character]]s into the [[blast line]]. A stage hazard should not be mistaken for any element which might aid or save the opponent, such as the Support Ghost in {{SSBB|Yoshi's Island}}, although the same element may play several roles.

How predictable a stage hazard is and how much influence it has over the match are factors usually considered when deciding stage [[tournament legal|legality]]. Stages with many or overwhelming hazards are typically banned in [[tournament]]s, as they tend to interfere with the outcomes of matches or because the competitors only value aspects of a match that they have to control without overcentralizing the match.

Some stage hazards may be extremely minute or subtle or only apply to certain characters. For example, the balloon in [[Smashville]] may unexpectedly collide with [[Ness]]'s [[PK Thunder]], making him temporarily vulnerable or leaving him in the [[helpless]] state if he is in the air.

In ''[[Super Smash Bros. for Wii U]]'', certain stage hazards, such as all of the magma-based obstacles in [[Norfair]], are disabled in [[8-Player Smash]]. In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'', stage hazards can be toggled on or off regardless of the number of players.

 

All stage hazards are paused during a [[Final Smash]]; however, their hitboxes [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRJOu-_qAH8 remain active while a non-cutscene Final Smash is in effect], making them exploitable to gain additional damage.

*'''Trapdoors''' are sections of the stage that can give way and reappear over a character, which usually makes returning to the stage difficult or impossible. For example, [[King Bulblin]] on the [[Bridge of Eldin]] can destroy the bridge, and players can be trapped below when the bridge is later reconstructed. Another example of a trapdoor hazard is the [[Drop Block]] in one of the default [[custom stage]]s in ''[[Brawl]]''. Trapdoors differ in terms of how they are triggered; some automatically open and close at timed intervals, some open based on proximity (with a delay before opening) and then automatically close sometime later; and still others have to be manually triggered (such as by taking damage) in order to open.

*'''Acid''' hazards, which do not specifically need to be the acid, rise or pour in while covering a blast line. Collision with the acid will result in damage and knockback. In high hitstun and low percentage environments, characters will sometimes bounce around in rising acid. The first stage to feature an acid hazard is [[Planet Zebes]]. [[Norfair]] features lava in the place of acid.

*'''Vehicles''' may occasionally speed through some stages, causing damage and knockback to characters that collide with them. A warning or environment cue that a vehicle is approaching is usually given, such as a flashing exclamation point on [[Onett]], or the vehicle can be seen from far away before arrival, such as the racers on {{SSBB|Mario Circuit}}. Vehicle collisions may also trigger explosions on certain items. Vehicles are similar to mobile static hazards in that both pose a threat by slamming into fighters; the main difference is that vehicles briefly pass through the playable area at various intervals, while static hazards are either always onstage or remain onstage for extended periods of time, and vehicles also usually move quickly and warn players before their appearance, while static hazards can appear abruptly and usually move slowly (if they move at all). Vehicle hazards are not necessarily actual vehicles; anything that periodically rushes through the stage and damages fighters in its path, without lingering onstage for more than a few seconds, fits this hazard archetype. A good example is the Peckish Aristocrab in the [[Garden of Hope]] stage, which does not fit any conventional definition of the word "vehicle", yet has all the properties of a vehicle-type stage hazard (dashes through stage periodically and inflicts damage and knockback to all fighters it collides with, has a clear warning of its imminent arrival before threatening fighters, does not remain on stage for a prolonged period of time).

*'''Panning cameras''' force characters to follow the camera, as [[blast line]]s will move with the camera. [[Icicle Mountain]] features a camera that pans up the stage at varying speeds, which can catch characters with the lower blast line if they have a poor jumping ability.

*'''Enemies''' generally appear as a species and can obstruct the player or cause knockback and damage. Enemies are similar to static hazards, but most enemies can be damaged and defeated or can be grabbed and thrown. One example of an enemy hazard is the [[Polar Bear]] in Icicle Mountain.

*Stage bosses are large enemies introduced in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''. They are much larger than regular enemies and can take a lot of damage before being defeated. They may also have other significant effects besides disrupting the battle, such as destroying portions of the stage or awarding a KO to the player who defeated them.

*'''Monsters''' are large enemy species that cannot be defeated and can KO a player when hit, grabbed or swallowed by. Some monsters include the [[Ultimate Chimera]] on [[New Pork City]] and the [[fish]] on [[Summit]]. While the [[Peckish Aristocrab]] on [[Garden of Hope]] exhibits characteristics of a vehicle hazard, as previously mentioned, it is also considered a monster by virtue of being a large, hostile living being that is immune to all attacks from the fighters.

| The ? Blocks are already empty, and brick blocks cannot be broken. Donut Blocks don't fall. Flipping platforms are already laid out. The rocks don't appear in the second phase. The skewers don't appear in the final phase.

| The fire enemies do not appear. Donkey Kong does not move forward, or release the springs on the stage. The elevators are stationary.

| [[Battlefield (SSBU)|Battlefield]] (including Battlefield forms)

| [[Big Battlefield (SSBU)|Small]] and [[Big Battlefield (SSBU)|Big Battlefield]]

| The stage lights do not fall, and cannot be attacked, although they will still shake when landing on them.

| Arwings do not appear, and the Great Fox's cannon does not fire lasers and cannot be attacked.

| [[Dream Land GB]]

| The stage does not transition past the first form, the randomly moving Manhole platforms, the treasure diver and the firemen do not appear.

| No karts are on the track, and the race map is not displayed on the jumbotron, and instead the animated background covers its entirety.

| [[Final Destination (SSBU)|Final Destination]] (including Omega forms)

| The stage does not flip, remaining only in the first area. Blackouts do not occur, and the platforms that move in from the left and right blast zones are gone. The platform on the right still moves up and down.

| The bridge, pots, sticks, Pikmin, [[Bulborb]], and [[Peckish Aristocrab]] do not appear. The lifts do not fall.

| Battle begins only in Cathedral. Notably, the moving platforms can still carry fighters offscreen.

| The bridge cannot be damaged or destroyed. [[Koume and Kotake]] do not appear.

| Tingle does not appear. The turtle never moves, though it still bobs in the water.

| Whispy Woods does not blow wind or drop apples, and there are no falling blocks or bombs.

| Klaptrap, the launch barrel, and the log platforms and crates that flow in the waterfall do not appear. The main raft platform is no longer moved when fighters stand on it.

| The stage does not tilt and only uses the Starry Space background without the space warp. As such, [[Smash Taunt]]s cannot be activated.

| The Blue Falcon is always the only vehicle onscreen. The moving platforms never move, and the Blue Falcon never goes over the ramp or into the pits. The track still damages players, however.

| The ? Blocks are already empty. The Brick Blocks cannot be attacked or broken.

| The moving platforms on some stops do not move. Pauline and the musicians never appear.

| The cars do not appear. The Drug Store sign and the awnings below it will not fall.  

| The fire hydrants don't shoot out water, and pushing them does not award the player with the giant status. The water geysers don't appear, the logs don't fall or rotate, the cloud platforms never move, and the springboard doesn't work. The Wing Shoes cannot be collected, and the balloons and Special Pac don't spawn.

| The spikes do not appear. The bridge cannot be destroyed, but can still be attacked. The moving platforms do not move. The top left mini-stage does not move, nor does the rising platform on the right. The springs do not appear. The spikes on the bottom of the stage no longer have a hitbox. Oddly, The disappearing ledge to the left of the stage still behaves normally.

| The stage does not change from the red biplane, and it does not tilt. The terrain doesn't damage players.

| Banzai Bills and switches never appear. Blocks never spawn. The platforms that would normally rise when stood on are now stationary.

| The main platform doesn't move, and thus does not transition to any other forms.

| The solid part of the stages are not destructible. The lower moving platform does not appear. The platform on the right doesn't move, or react to players landing on it.

| The soft platform does not move once it reaches center stage, which it does much more quickly. Balloons do not spawn.

| The fish does not appear. The ice platform cannot be destroyed. The icicles don't fall. The left platform never falls from standing on it. The ice block and cloud platforms never appear. The polar bear won't sink the platform further into the water. Notably, the entire stage cycle still occurs.

| [[Unova Pokémon League]]

| Arwings and Wolfens do not appear. The stage still tilts.

| The stage remains in its initial floating platform configuration, never stopping to land at any point. The platform moves slowly backwards around the island, rather than moving quickly forwards. It also never gets close enough to the water to deal damage to fighters.

| The Rotating Blocks cannot be damaged or broken.

| [[Randall]] the cloud and Shy Guys do not appear.

Additionally, several transforming stages stay locked in a certain stop in certain spirit battles.

 

[[Category:Stage hazards]]