Super Smash Bros. series
This article's title is unofficial.

Absorption

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Ness absorbing Charizard's Flamethrower in Brawl.
Mr. Game & Watch absorbing Bowser's Fire Breath and counter-attacking in Brawl.
"Energy-based attack" redirects here. For the attack type, see Energy.
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 only applies 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 Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, 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[edit]

User Move Absorption multiplier Max absorbable damage
Lucas PSI Magnet 2.5 Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. 4 30
2 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Mii Gunner Absorbing Vortex 1.2 Super Smash Bros. 4 30
1.4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Mr. Game & Watch Oil Panic 1.5 (+5) Super Smash Bros. Melee 500 Super Smash Bros. Melee
2.8 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 60 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4
2 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 48 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Efficient Panic 2 24
Panic Overload 2.5 45
Ness PSI Magnet 2 Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee
1.6 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 30 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Forward PSI Magnet 1.2

List of absorbable attacks[edit]

By fighters[edit]

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)
Banjo & Kazooie Rear Egg Explosion

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Bowser (Giga Bowser) Fire Breath Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Byleth Failnaught Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Charizard Flamethrower Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Flare Blitz Explosion[1]

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Cloud Blade Beam Entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Corrin Dragon Fang Shot Energy Shot

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Daisy Toad Spores

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Dark Pit Silver Bow Entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Dark Samus Bomb Explosion

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Charge Shot Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Diddy Kong Rocketbarrel Boost Explosion[2]

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Dr. Mario Megavitamin Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Duck Hunt Trick Shot Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Clay Shooting Explosion (from reticle shots)

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Falco Blaster Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Fox Blaster Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Hero Frizz/Frizzle/Kafrizz Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Command Selection Sizz, Sizzle, Bang, Kaboom, Snooze, Whack, Thwack, and Hocus Pocus (when using before mentioned moves)

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Ice Climbers Blizzard Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Ice Shot Ice block

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Inkling Splattershot Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Splat Bomb Explosion

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Jigglypuff Wakie Wakie Entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4

Joker Eiha / Eigaon Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Ken Hadoken Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

King Dedede Super Dedede Jump Stars

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Waddle Dee Toss Waddle Doo's beam attack

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Kirby Copy Ability Some neutral special moves[3]

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Final Cutter Wave

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Link Bomb Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4

Remote Bomb Explosion

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Forward smash Sword Beam

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Lucario Aura Sphere Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Force Palm Aura burst

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Lucas PK Fire Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

PK Freeze Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

PK Thunder Projectile only

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Luigi Fireball Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Mario Fireball Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Mega Man Crash Bomber Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Hyper Bomb Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4

Danger Wrap Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4

Forward smash Entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Forward tilt Entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Neutral attack Shots

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Neutral aerial Shots

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Mewtwo Forward throw Shots

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Shadow Ball Entire Move

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Mii Gunner Forward aerial Entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Charge Blast Entire Move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Laser Blaze Entire Move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Grenade Launch Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Flame Pillar Entire Move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Stealth Burst Entire Move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Lunar Launch Entire Move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Bomb Drop Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Mr. Game & Watch Chef Sausages

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Forward aerial Bomb

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Mythra Ray of Punishment / Chroma Dust Projectile

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Ness PK Fire Bolt only (SSB and Melee), entire move (Brawl onwards)

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

PK Flash Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

PK Thunder Projectile only

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Pac-Man Dire Hydrant Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4

Palutena Autoreticle Shots

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Explosive Flame Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Peach Toad Spores

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Pichu Thunder Bolt

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Thunder Jolt Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Pikachu Thunder Bolt

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Thunder Jolt Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Pit Palutena's Bow Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

R.O.B. Robo Beam Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Richter Holy Water Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Ridley Plasma Breath Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Robin Arcfire Entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Elwind Entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Thunder Entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Rosalina Floaty Star Bit Entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4

Shooting Star Bit Entire Move

Super Smash Bros. 4

Ryu Hadoken Entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Samus Bomb Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Charge Shot Entire Move

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Sephiroth Flare / Megaflare / Gigaflare Projectile

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Shadow Flare Balls exploding

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Sheik Burst Grenade Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Vanish Entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Simon Holy Water Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Snake Hand Grenade Explosion

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Remote Missile Missile

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

C4 Explosion

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Forward smash Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Up smash Shell

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Sora Magic Projectile

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Steve Down tilt Fire

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

TNT Explosion

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Down smash Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Terry Power Wave Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Toon Link Bomb Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Villager Lloid Rocket Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Wii Fit Trainer Sun Salutation While charging; entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Volatile Breathing Entire move

Super Smash Bros. 4

Wolf Blaster Shot

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Yoshi Yoshi Bomb Stars

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Young Link Bomb Explosion

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Zelda Din's Fire Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Zero Suit Samus Down smash Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Paralyzer Entire move

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

  1. ^ Must strike the stage or a different opponent first. An active hitbox will connect otherwise.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ Kirby's version of Chef in Brawl can be absorbed while the original version cannot.

By items[edit]

Item Part Game(s)
Blast Box Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Bob-omb Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Bombchu Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Fire Flower Flames

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Gooey Bomb Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Lip's Stick Spores

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Motion-Sensor Bomb Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Rage Blaster Shots

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Ray Gun Shots

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Staff Shots

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Star Rod Stars

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Steel Diver Shots

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Super Scope Shots

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Superspicy Curry Flames

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

By Assist Trophies[edit]

Assist Trophy Move Game(s)
Guile Sonic Boom

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Krystal Ice Blast

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Mother Brain Rinkas

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Phosphora All attacks

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Starman PK Beam

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Zero Genmu Zero

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

By Pokémon[edit]

Pokémon Move Part of move Game(s)
Charizard Flamethrower Flames

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee

Cyndaquil Flamethrower Flames

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Electrode Explosion Explosion

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Fennekin Incinerate Non-grounded fireball

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Genesect Techno Blast Beam

Super Smash Bros. 4

Meowth Pay Day Coins

Super Smash Bros.

Starmie Swift Stars

Super Smash Bros.

Staryu Swift Stars

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Vulpix Ember Fireball

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

By stage hazards[edit]

Stage Stage Hazard Game(s)
Corneria Shots fired from Arwings and Wolfens

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Shots fired from Great Fox

Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Pyrosphere FG-II Graham Unit shots

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Saffron City Electrode's Self-Destruct

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Charmander's Flamethrower

Super Smash Bros.

Venusaur's Razor Leaf

Super Smash Bros.

Sector Z Shots fired from Arwings

Super Smash Bros.

Venom Shots fired from Arwings and Wolfens

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Wily Castle Yellow Devil's shots

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

By enemies and bosses[edit]

Enemy/Boss Move Game(s)
Armank Energy Shot

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Chandelure Fire Spin, Will-o-Wisp

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Dracula Hellfire, Magic Orbs (Red)

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Duon Scattershot

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Galeem Fireballs from Tri-Eye Attack

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Gamyga Lasers

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Magikoopa Spells

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Marx Ice Ball

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Master Edges Sword projectiles

Super Smash Bros. 4

Master Hand Finger bullets

Super Smash Bros. Super Smash Bros. Melee Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Monoeye Energy Shot

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS

Puppit Lasers

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

R.O.B. Blaster Beams

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Scope Primid Shots

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Spaak Electric ball

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Lightning bolt

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Starman PK Beam

Super Smash Bros. 4 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Gallery[edit]

Trivia[edit]

  • 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 Super Smash Bros. series, with a total of 10.

See also[edit]