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Greninja

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Revision as of 12:59, March 3, 2016 by 2.98.18.62 (talk) (Smash 4 tier placement)
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Greninja
Greninja.png
PokemonSymbol.svg
Official artwork of Greninja from Pokémon X and Y.
Universe Pokémon
Debut Pokémon X and Y (2013)
Smash Bros. appearances SSB4
Ultimate
Most recent non-Smash appearance Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon (2015)
Console/platform of origin Nintendo 3DS
Species Greninja
Gender Varies
Place of origin Kalos
English voice actor Billy Bob Thompson
Japanese voice actor Yūji Ueda
French voice actor Frederic Clau
German voice actor Benedikt Gutjan
Article on Bulbapedia Greninja (Pokémon)
For fighter info, see Greninja (SSB4).

Greninja (ゲッコウガ, Gekkouga) is a fictional creature from the Pokémon series which debuted in the series' sixth generation. It appears as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4.

Creature description

Greninja is a dual-typed Water/Dark-type frog Pokémon which is themed after ninjas and also known as the "Ninja Pokémon", its species title. It was introduced to the Pokémon series in its sixth generation, in its flagship games Pokémon X and Y, and is the final evolved form of the starter Pokémon Froakie, evolving from its middle stage Frogadier at level 36. According to the Pokédex and based on its stats in the Pokémon games, Greninja is extremely fast (in fact, it has the highest raw Speed stat of any Water-type Pokémon or fully-evolved starter Pokémon) and relies on this speed in battle, confounding its prey with swift, ninja-like grace before striking with its unique Water Shuriken technique, said to be able to shear metal. In exchange, however, it is rather frail and has low defenses.

In the Pokémon games, Greninja has access to numerous unique abilities. In addition to the Water Shuriken move, which it uses in Super Smash Bros., it is also the only Pokémon able to learn the ninja-derived move Mat Block, where it flips a tatami mat in front of it to shield itself and its allies from incoming attacks. In addition to these two unique moves, it has access to a diverse range of offensive and status moves; it can even uniquely take advantage of them with its rare hidden ability Protean, which changes its type to match each move it uses and ensures it gets the maximum possible power out of every attack. Its prowess in Pokémon battles resulting from Protean has led to Greninja being considered an extremely powerful and useful Pokémon by the competitive Pokémon scene, and some major scene bodies even believe it to be an "Uber-tier" Pokémon in the same vein as Mewtwo.

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Greninja as he appears in Super Smash Bros. 4.
Greninja as it appears in Super Smash Bros. 4.
Main article: Greninja (SSB4)

Greninja debuts as a newcomer playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4, first revealed in the Super Smash Bros. Direct on April 8, 2014 alongside Charizard. Fitting with its ninja motif, Greninja is a quick, mobile and somewhat weak-hitting fighter, albeit not to the extent of Sheik, and possesses special moves that can catch opponents off guard, such as Shadow Sneak and Substitute.

Greninja sits at 25th out of 56 on the tier list, placing it within E tier. Greninja's strengths include quick overall mobility and great comboing potential, most notably with up and down tilts. Water Shuriken also grants it a decent projectile, which not only has fairly good travel distance, but is also capable of being thrown out for a fast attack, or charged up for greater power. Despite these positives, Greninja's flaws include unusually high endlag in its moveset, especially its smash attacks, a weak counterattack due to its low power, and a poor grab game due to its slowness and unreliability to start combos or even KO. Regardless of these issues, as well as being notably nerfed in update 1.0.4, Greninja is still viewed as a solid pick for competitive play, earning it some notable and dedicated players.

Trophies

Greninja

North America This Water/Dark-type Pokémon is the fully evolved form of Froakie. It's just as fast and dangerous as any other ninja, and the throwing stars it can make out of water can shear metal. In Smash Bros., as well as being a graceful, speedy fighter, it can also use moves like Hydro Pump that let it travel through the air and avoid falling.
Europe This Water- and Dark-type Pokémon is the fully evolved form of Froakie. It is just as fast and dangerous as its name suggests, and the throwing stars it can make out of water can shear metal. In this game, as well as being a graceful, speedy fighter, it can also use moves like Hydro Pump to let it move through the air and avoid falling.
Appears In
3DS: Pokémon X and Pokémon Y (10/2013)

Greninja (Alt.)

North America Greninja's Substitute down special lets you teleport to dodge attacks and then strike back, making it an effective and hard-to-predict way to counterattack. You can also control where you reappear by inputting directions. When you vanish, sometimes you'll be replaced by a log, other times by a cuddly toy.
Europe Greninja's Substitute down special lets you teleport to dodge attacks and then strike back, making it an effective and hard-to-predict way to counter-attack. You can also control where you reappear. When you vanish, sometimes you'll be replaced by a log, and other times by a Substitute doll.
Appears In
3DS: Pokémon X and Pokémon Y (10/2013)

Trivia

  • Masahiro Sakurai decided to add Greninja to Smash 4 long before the release of Pokémon X and Y, having initially reserved a space on the roster for a brand-new Pokémon. Sakurai's only source material for designing the character was concept drawings of Greninja.[1]
  • Not including DLC, Greninja is the most recently introduced playable character from first game appearance to first Smash appearance in the entire series, as Pokémon X and Y was released less than a year before Smash 4's release. This, however, excludes Roy, whose first game appearance was Melee.
  • Greninja is the third character in the series (the first two being Luigi and Snake) to have a taunt that inflicts damage.
  • Greninja is the only playable Pokémon in the entire Smash series that can neither evolve nor Mega Evolve.

References