Greninja (SSBU)

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Greninja in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Pokémon
Other playable appearance	in SSB4
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Secret Ninja Attack

“	A ninja-like fighter that battles with moves like the Water Shuriken. Greninja can use a log for clever counterattacks, and this Pokémon can even stick to walls. During its Final Smash, it turns into Ash-Greninja...!?	”
—Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site

Greninja (ゲッコウガ, Gekkouga) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It was confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Greninja is classified as fighter #50.

Greninja is once again voiced by Billy Bob Thompson, through recycled voice clips from Smash 4.

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

• Play VS. matches, with Greninja being the 58th character to be unlocked.
• Clear Classic Mode with Donkey Kong or any character in his unlock tree, being the sixth character unlocked after Sheik.
• Have Greninja join the player's party in World of Light.

With the exception of the third method, Greninja must then be defeated on Kalos Pokémon League.

Attributes

As you'd expect, Greninja is a ninja-like fighter that moves very quickly to hit it's opponents. It has one of the fastest fall speeds in the game, allowing it to avoid being juggled. It also moves quite quickly on the ground, and it has a decent projectile that can keep the opponent at bay. Greninja also has one of the best recoveries in the game with its combined Shadow Sneak, Hydro Pump, and Substitute. Through its attributes, it fits into the hit-and-run archetype.

As with other ninja-like characters, Greninja has a large toolset to use. Its neutral special, Water Shuriken, is a decent projectile, dealing decent damage and having low endlag. Fully charged water shurikens have linking hits and can easily combo into a forward aerial if the opponent is at high percentages. Its side special, Shadow Sneak, sends a shadow along the ground that Greninja can teleport to, dealing medium damage and being a useful K.O. option when the opponent is at high percentages. Also, Shadow Sneak is a useful recovery option when it needs to move a large horizontal distance without being interrupted. Greninja's up special, Hydro Pump, moves it a long range and contains windboxes, which can be useful for gimping opponents. Its down special, Substitute, is special in the matter that it's the only multi-directional counter-attack in the game, allowing it to set up combos at certain percentages by going in different directions. Substitute can also be used as a recovery if getting edgegaurded.

Greninja's aerial game is also very useful, having multiple low landing lag aerials that can easily combo, and a strong f-air that can K.O. at high percents near the edge. All of its smash attacks can kill, and u-smash sweetspotted is a strength in anti-air defense and offense. Its tilts are useful for spacing, with d-tilt being a good combo starter.

Greninja's grab is notable as one of the farthest reach non-tether grabs. Its u-throw easily combos into an u-air at any percentage, and its f-throw can kill at very high percentages. D-throw also combos into f-air, and b-throw is hard to predict. Greninja also has a decent pummel, being average in speed and damage output.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Aesthetics

• Greninja's model features a slightly more subdued color scheme.
• Every move that once used water katanas now uses water kunai, similar to when Ash's Greninja uses Cut in the Pokémon anime.
• Greninja's tongue has less physics-based movement than the previous game.
• Greninja has altered animations for its sidestep, roll, and airdodge animations; it now disappears in a small whirlwind with leaves scattering, similarly to when Substitute is successful.

Attributes

• Like all characters, Greninja's jumpsquat animation now takes three frames to complete (down from 4).
• Greninja dashes faster (2.08 → 2.288).
• Greninja walks faster (1.43 → 1.502).
• Greninja has increased air speed (1.18 → 1.239).
• Greninja weighs less (94 → 88). This worsens its survivability but makes it less susceptible to combos.
• The ability to tech footstools hinders Greninja's combo options.
• Greninja's down taunt has lower knockback and much higher ending lag; unlike other taunts, it is not interruptible (unless it's used during Shadow Sneak). This prevents it from KOing and makes Greninja more vulnerable while using it. However, due to how incredibly situational down taunt is, this is negligible in normal play.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • Neutral attack's rapid jab is considerably faster.
  • Jab 3 deals less damage (3.5% → 3%), and thus less knockback.
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt is now a downward hand sweep.
  • Down tilt launches opponents at a more upward angle, improving its combo potential.
  • Down tilt has less ending lag (FAF 27 → 23).
  • Down tilt deals less damage (7% → 4%), and also deals more knockback, narrowing its combo range.
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack has an altered animation with Greninja stopping halfway through the spin.
  • Dash attack deals more damage (7% → 8%).
  • Dash attack has less ending lag (FAF 31 → 29).
• Forward smash deals more knockback.
• Down smash has much less startup lag (15 → 10), and thus a shorter duration (FAF 55 → 50).

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag (Neutral: 12 → 7, Forward: 15 → 11, Back: 13 → 10, Up: 15 → 14, Down: 32 → 30).
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial has considerably less ending lag (FAF 65 → 53).
  • Neutral aerial deals slightly more knockback.
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial deals more knockback.
• Back aerial
  • Back aerial has less ending lag (FAF 46 → 41).
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial has more endlag when it hits an opponent, hindering its combo potential and making it slightly less safe on shield.
  • Greninja no longer loses its double jump when it lands down aerial.
  • Greninja can act out of a missed down aerial sooner (FAF 57 → 52).
  • Late down aerial KOs vertically slightly sooner.

Throws/other attacks

• Grab:
  • Standing grab's startup is reduced by 1 frame. (11 → 10)
• Forward throw:
  • Forward throw deals more damage and knockback, now boasting KO potential.
• Back throw:
  • Back throw has a new animation. Greninja turns around and throws the opponent with both hands.
  • Back throw's animation is faster, making it harder to DI properly.
  • Back throw deals more knockback.

Special moves

• Water Shuriken:
  • Water Shuriken has slightly increased range.
  • Water Shuriken looks sharper.
  • Uncharged Water Shuriken has less knockback growth.
• Shadow Sneak:
  • Greninja now cloaks itself in a whirlwind before disappearing. It may also perform a forward kick to attack.
  • Shadow Sneak's attack has less startup.
  • Forward Shadow Sneak launches at a lower angle, improving its combo potential.
  • The shadow's eyes flash red just before release, making it easier to predict the attack.
• Substitute:
  • Substitute's counter window is longer.
  • Substitute's attack has less startup.
  • Substitute slows down the opponent when the attack activates, allowing the attack to land more consistently.
  • Substitute now grants Greninja invincibility during the attack.
  • Substitute has more vibrant particles effects.
• Hydro Pump:
  • Hydro Pump now has an arrow pointing in the direction of travel, similar to Pikachu's Quick Attack.
  • Hydro Pump can now be ledge-cancelled.
  • Greninja no longer loses its double jump if it is hit out of Hydro Pump.
• Secret Ninja Attack:
  • Greninja now turns into Ash-Greninja during its Final Smash.
  • Greninja and its opponents are no longer silhouetted during the attack.

Update history

1.2.0

• A visual glitch with Greninja's screen KO has been fixed.

Classic Mode: Your Turn, Greninja!

Greninja fights against characters that represent different types from the Pokémon games: for example, Charizard and Bowser represent Fire type, and Mewtwo, Ness, and Lucas represent Psychic type.

Round	Opponent	Stage	Music	Notes
1	Charizard and Bowser	Pokémon Stadium	Battle! (Elite Four) / Battle! (Solgaleo/Lunala)	Charizard's Pokémon Trainer is absent.
2	Pikachu, Pichu, and Zero Suit Samus	Pokémon Stadium 2	Battle! (Steven)
3	Lucario, Ryu, and Ken	Pokémon Stadium	Battle! (Reshiram/Zekrom)
4	Ivysaur	Pokémon Stadium	Battle! (Gladion)	Ivysaur's Pokémon Trainer is absent.
5	Mewtwo, Ness, and Lucas	Pokémon Stadium 2	Battle! (Dialga/Palkia) / Spear Pillar
6	Squirtle and Greninja	Kalos Pokémon League	Battle! (Champion) - Pokémon X / Pokémon Y	Squirtle's Pokémon Trainer is absent.
Bonus Stage
Final	Master Hand	Final Destination	Master Hand	On intensity 7.0 and higher, Crazy Hand fights alongside Master Hand, and the track Master Hand / Crazy Hand plays during the battle.

Role in World of Light

Greninja was among the fighters that were summoned to fight the army of Master Hands.

During the opening cutscene, Greninja was present on the cliffside when Galeem unleashed his beams of light. Greninja leaped into the air to avoid one of the beams, which hit Lucario instead. Greninja was hit shortly after and vaporized, getting imprisoned by Galeem afterward along with the other fighters, sans Kirby. A puppet fighter cloned from Greninja is later seen alongside ones cloned from Fox, Samus, Link and other fighters.

Greninja was one of the many fighters that fell under Dharkon's control upon Galeem's first defeat, and it can be found in the Realm of Darkness.

Greninja is later seen among several other fighters, making their last stand against Galeem and Dharkon. It also shows up in the bad ending where Galeem emerges victorious against Dharkon, witnessing Galeem engulf the world in light.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

  Artwork of all playable Pokémon characters and Poké Ball Pokémon, as posted by the official Pokémon Twitter account.

• 

  Greninja's fighter card.

• 

  Greninja coming to a halt on Kalos Pokémon League.

• 

  Charging Water Shuriken next to Ryu on Suzaku Castle.

• 

  Jumping on Battlefield.

• 

  Performing its neutral aerial with Leviathan on Midgar.

• 

  With its Substitute Doll on Wuhu Island after tripping.

• 

  Performing Shadow Sneak on Luigi's Mansion.

• 

  Struck by Lucario on Pokémon Stadium 2.

Character Showcase Video

<youtube>rMCn8NuATaE</youtube>

Trivia

• In the Pokémon series, Ash-Greninja is only obtainable as a male. The fact that Greninja transforms into Ash-Greninja for its Final Smash, Secret Ninja Attack, implies that Greninja is a male in Ultimate.
• Greninja's new character portrait resembles its air dodge animation.
• Coincidentally, Greninja's fighter number, 50, is the same as the number of its costume in Super Mario Maker.