Charizard (SSBU)

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This article is about Charizard's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For other uses, see Charizard. Also, for information about Charizard in regards to Pokémon Trainer, see Pokémon Trainer (SSBU), Squirtle (SSBU), and Ivysaur (SSBU).

Charizard in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Pokémon
Shares character slot with	Pokémon Trainer Ivysaur Squirtle
Other playable appearances	in Brawl in SSB4
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Triple Finish
Tier	B+ (36)

Charizard (リザードン, Lizardon) is a character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Unlike in Super Smash Bros. 4, Charizard is no longer a standalone character, and is back under the Pokémon Trainer’s control. It was confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Along with the Pokémon Trainer and his other Pokémon, Charizard is classified as Fighter #35. Shin'ichirō Miki reprises his voiced role as Charizard in all regions, providing new clips.

Charizard, alongside the rest of the Pokémon Trainer's team, is ranked 36th out of 82 on the official Ultimate tier list. This is a significant improvement over its placement as a standalone fighter in SSB4, where it was ranked 42nd out of 54, and its best placement in the series to date.

How to unlock

Unlocked as part of Pokémon Trainer alongside Squirtle and Ivysaur.

Attributes

Charizard is a super heavyweight fighter, and one of the characters made playable from Pokémon Trainer, alongside the likes of Squirtle and Ivysaur. While Squirtle will automatically be the first Pokémon on-screen if Pokémon Trainer is selected, pressing the Y button twice on the character select screen will toggle Charizard as first. In relation to Pokémon Change, the order is always Charizard-Squirtle-Ivysaur. If Ivysaur is KO'd, Charizard will always appear on the next revival platform.

Charizard deviates from the other super heavyweight characters in mobility, with high stats in its initial dash and run speed. This provides it excellent spacing capabilities in the ground, as attacks that would normally hit its head hurtbox can be avoided by simply turning around or dashing in the opposite direction. Charizard's normals, such as forward tilt and neutral attack, are supplemented by skid canceling. Its high traction and quick out-of-shield options like up special and up smash suit its close-quarters combat well. Up smash hits on frame 6, KOs at reliable percents, and functions as an effective juggling and anti-air tool alongside up tilt.

Charizard's neutral air is a multi-purpose tool that is useful for starting and extending combos, juggling, edge guarding opponents, and helping Charizard land. It is capable of stringing into itself, forward air, and back air, especially out of a fast fall. Its forward air is fast (frame 8) and has considerable power as a combo finisher and KO tool. Up air renders Charizard's head intangible and is one of the strongest in the game, making it a reliable juggling tool and finisher. Used out of a fast-fall, it is also an effective combo starter at low to middle percent ranges. Back air's power cannot be understated; it features extensive disjoint and a wide diagonal arc that overpowers opponents above and behind Charizard, especially those recovering high or otherwise attempting to return to center stage. Lastly, down air's sweet spot hitbox is large and powerful, allowing it to easily meteor smash opponents on the ledge and KO at low percents.

Charizard's grab game is highly flexible, being capable of setting up combos and positioning the opponent, as well as outright KOing them. Having minimal ending lag, back throw is a versatile combo tool that leads to the likes of forward air, back air, and reverse neutral air. It positions the opponent off-stage at higher percentages as well. Down throw is capable of initiating combos and mix-ups much like back throw, though it is much less effective. Forward throw has higher knockback than back throw, being able to set up edge guards and ledge traps earlier, as well as KO'ing at higher percents. Lastly, up throw works as a last-resort KO option at 150% and above, or even earlier on stages with platforms.

Of Charizard's special moves, Flamethrower sees the most utility, having a long range and being able to angle up or down. It pressures opponents to approach, counteracts weak projectiles, and is a useful ledge-trapping move. Fly has super armor at its startup, not only granting Charizard a safer recovery but also a reliable option out of parry against attacks with multiple hits. Flare Blitz is a strong attack that effectively tech chases opponents and inflicts significant damage and knockback.

Overall, Charizard's main benefits include its robust advantage state, damage-racking capabilities, and KO potential. It can build significant damage from just a few hits thanks to its high returns from its combos and strings, mainly out of its back throw. Charizard is at its most advantageous when it is below the opponent. Its neutral air, up tilt, up smash, and back air are disjointed and cover wide arcs against opponents above it. Charizard also comes with respectable edgeguarding and ledge-trapping abilities. Flamethrower covers many get-up options when adequately spaced, and the player can punish them on reaction with down smash, up smash, forward tilt, or neutral air. Forward tilt (angled downwards) and down smash are also capable of hitting characters at the ledge.

Additionally, Charizard's neutral game is considered mediocre. Flamethrower's decay prevents it from being usable for a long time, and its few safe-on-shield options, such as back air, neutral air, and forward tilt, require precise spacing and timing for the highest benefit. Its moveset contains several flaws that offset its strengths, including forward air not being able to autocancel out of a short hop. As a result, its playstyle requires patience and high commitment, resulting in heavy reliance on movement and reads to control the tempo of the game. While Charizard can maintain a strong advantage state, its combo and juggling tools consist entirely of single-hit attacks with short active durations and are built to target paths the opponent is taking instead of juggling them aggressively. Charizard’s biggest weakness is against characters that can rush it down with combos such as Squirtle, Mario, Palutena, Lucina, and Corrin, as its few combo-breaking moves are either too risky or too slow to be consistent for this purpose.

All in all, Charizard is a well-rounded super heavyweight but has the weakest autopilot of the three Pokémon in the Pokémon Trainer's party. It must take full advantage of its exceptional ground game and carefully play around the opponent's mistakes before committing to its strong punishment and KO capabilities. Charizard can function both offensively and defensively in the neutral, but it is up to the player to find the most advantageous position in this spectrum. Once it gains an advantage, it must capitalize on the opponent's mistakes to the greatest extent for the highest return. While Charizard is fully functional as an individual fighter like Squirtle and Ivysaur, it is the Pokémon of choice at 120% and above when playing with all three. Its high weight lets it survive blows that would otherwise be fatal to Squirtle and Ivysaur. Also, especially with rage, many of its attacks have the KO power required to swiftly finish an opponent already weakened by the other two Pokémon.

Charizard can be considered the best super heavyweight in the game, as its Trainer can call on it when its strength, endurance, and recovery are needed and remove it from situations that exploit the weaknesses it shares with fighters of its weight class. While Charizard requires more skill and prediction to use to its full potential than Squirtle and Ivysaur, Pokémon Trainers who have mastered the Flame Pokémon will be rewarded significantly with the options that it brings to the table.

If the player wishes to centralize their gameplan around Charizard, knowledge of Squirtle is recommended. It excels in areas where Charizard tends to be weak (combos, evasion, and frame data) and can be used most effectively in situations where Charizard would struggle, especially in racking up damage and avoiding enemy combos at low percents. Muscle memory with Squirtle can supplement Charizard's own combo game and movement as well.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Previously the standalone character in SSB4 representing the trio of Pokémon in Brawl, Charizard now returns as part of the Pokémon Trainer's crew. It has both kept many of its changes from SSB4 as well as its function as the fastest and hardest-hitting member of the Pokémon Trainer's party. In the transition to Ultimate, Charizard has received a mix of buffs and nerfs; while it was initially ambiguous whether it was buffed or nerfed, game updates have provided Charizard with some useful buffs that have improved its options and fixed inconsistencies with its moveset. Because of this, Charizard has been slightly buffed overall.

When it comes to its grounded moveset, most of Charizard's finishers have become much more reliable; forward tilt has a better hitbox placement and more knockback, forward smash deals more damage and knockback, some of up smash's hitboxes link more reliably and the second hit is faster and down smash no longer has sourspots. Charizard has also gained other finishers, with dash attack gaining more damage and knockback, and forward throw dealing more knockback. Up tilt's hitbox also covers more horizontal range, improving its already decent anti-air potential. On the other hand, in terms of its aerial moveset, Charizard's neutral aerial has much less ending lag and its animation is faster, making it a more effective air-to-air option and combo extender, and back aerial has better vertical range that overlaps, making the move's dangerous sweetspot easier to land. Its special moveset has also seen some improvements, with Flare Blitz's hitbox now linking much more reliably into the explosion, which is stronger, and Fly's ascending hits linking much more reliably, making both more reliable.

The revamped game mechanics have brought mostly positive changes to Charizard. While the increased mobility has benefitted most characters, Charizard is one of the biggest recipients relative to the cast; its previously abysmal initial dash speed is now one of the fastest in the game (which allows Charizard to also benefit from the ability to use any attack out of a run), its air speed is now substantially faster compared to SSB4, and its falling speed and fast falling speed are much higher, making it easier for Charizard to land while making its neutral game potentially more effective, and the universally faster jumpsquat significantly helps its buffed aerials. The changes to air dodges help Charizard overall, allowing it to use a directional air dodge to escape combos and juggling more easily, while not making it much more susceptible to edgeguarding due to its multiple jumps and faster air speed. Its increased mobility also allows Charizard to catch opponents that could abuse directional air dodging with more ease. Finally, the increased shieldstun has further improved Charizard's ground game, making its moves safer on shield when properly spaced, most notably its sweetspotted forward tilt and down tilt.

However, Charizard has also received equally notable nerfs, which particularly affect its former most effective tools. Neutral attack's third hit has shorter range and the first two hits can no longer jab cancel in exchange for their ability to lock, up tilt has lost most of its KO power and no longer renders Charizard's wings intangible, and down throw had its combo potential mitigated past very low percentages due to receiving more ending lag; both the former and latter changes have worsened Charizard's combo game. Its most notable nerf, however, was to forward aerial, as it no longer autocancels in a short hop due to Charizard's faster falling speed, and it has reduced range on its furthest hitbox, which cripples one of Charizard's former staple tools in the neutral game. While its higher fall speed has slightly improved Charizard's neutral game and landing issues, this change has also made it easier to combo. Finally, the removal of Rock Smash to make way for Pokémon Change has eliminated a previous landing option and shield-pressuring tool from its moveset; however, Pokémon Change can be considered a strength to Pokémon Trainer as an aggregate if the player wishes to eject Charizard from any given situation and take advantage of Squirtle's small size and combo game.

Some of the changes to game mechanics have also hindered Charizard. The increased startup on grabs out of shield after blocking an attack has worsened Charizard's own out of shield game (despite options such as up smash and Fly), and when combined with down throw's neutered combo potential, Charizard's grab game has been worsened overall (though it remains flexible in terms of power). The universal reductions to landing lag hinder Charizard overall, as they allow characters to space their moves on shield more easily; while they have significantly improved its landing options (most notably its neutral, up and down aerials), some of Charizard's aerials remain highly punishable compared to the cast, and this change further compounds the loss of forward aerial as an option in neutral, its slightly worsened out of shield game, and its vulnerability to combos. Lastly, while Charizard's faster initial dash is unquestionably beneficial, the changes to initial dash mechanics cause Charizard's microspacing abilities to be weakened, especially through the use of moves like forward tilt.

Overall, Charizard's strengths and weaknesses have been both further defined. While it has much better mobility and power, both points are now counterbalanced by new flaws in its moveset and changes to the game engine, such as a more polarized neutral game due to the streamlining of its previously most powerful tools and a higher vulnerability to combos. Game updates have buffed Charizard as a standalone character, though, alleviating a few of its issues. Collectively, Charizard's changes have retooled it to fit more in-line with the "heavyweight" character among its partners, letting Charizard adapt to situations where its recovery, speed, endurance and/or KO power are needed, and may now replace itself with Squirtle or Ivysaur in cases where its weaknesses can be exploited compared to its partners. Nevertheless, Charizard fares marginally better than it did in its solo appearance in SSB4.

Aesthetics

• Charizard's model features a more subdued color scheme, more closely resembling its appearance in recent mainline Pokémon games. Its legs and arms are more defined, and the flame on its tail is more vibrant.
• During normal matches, Charizard uses the Pokémon Trainer's stock icon, name call, and Boxing Ring title instead of having its own. However, it still has its own stock icon used in numerous situations, such as the Spirits mode, as a Classic Mode opponent, and during Mr. Game & Watch's throws.
• Charizard moves in a wave-like motion during its dash animation, similar to Lugia on the title screen for Pokémon SoulSilver. [1]
• Charizard now hangs onto ledges with one hand instead of two.
• Charizard has two new taunts: one where it stands upright for its up taunt (similar to Ridley's down taunt), and another where it does a quick aerial flip and roars during its side taunt. Its former up taunt is now its down taunt.
• While maintaining its Flare Blitz victory pose from Smash 4, Charizard regains its victory pose from Brawl where the Pokémon Trainer pets its neck, replacing the roaring victory pose from Smash 4.

Attributes

• Charizard is once again part of Pokémon Trainer, allowing it to switch to Squirtle and Ivysaur.
• Like all characters, Charizard's jumpsquat animation lasts 3 frames (down from 7).
• Charizard walks slightly slower (1.2 → 1.187).
• Charizard runs faster (2 → 2.2).
  • Its initial dash speed is significantly faster (1 → 2.28), going from the slowest in the game to the 5th fastest.
• Charizard's air speed is much higher (0.92 → 1.103).
• Charizard has significantly higher traction (0.04 → 0.11), no longer being tied with Mewtwo for having the second lowest traction in the game. This allows it to punish opponents out of shield much more easily.
• Charizard moves its head closer to itself during forward aerial, standing grab, and when hanging on the ledge, leaving it less vulnerable to attacks.
• Charizard's midair jumps' animations have been changed to be more distinguishable from each other.
• Charizard's falling speed and fast falling speed are much faster (1.4 → 1.52) and (2.24 → 2.432) respectively. This makes it more prone to combos, but improves its tomahawk and overall neutral game.
• Charizard once again possesses hurtboxes on its wings like in Brawl, making it easier to hit from above.
• Charizard takes small amounts of damage while swimming. It shares this attribute with Sonic, Inkling, and Incineroar.
• Forward roll grants less intangibility (frames 4-18 → 4-16).
• Back roll has more startup with less intangibility (frames 4-18 → 5-17), and more ending lag (FAF 33 → 38).
• Spot dodge has more ending lag (FAF 28 → 29).
• Air dodge grants more intangibility (frames 3-28 → 3-30).
• Air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 34 → 50).
• Air dodge's animation has been altered.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • The first hit transitions into the second hit faster (frame 10 → 7), which transitions into the third hit faster (frame 10 → 8), allowing the whole combo to connect more smoothly.
  • All hits have smaller hitboxes, with the third hit having one of them removed (4.5u/4u/3u → 2.4u/2.4u/2.6u (hit 1), 2.8u/2.8u/3.2u (hit 2), 6.5u/5.5u/5u/4u → 5u/4u/4u (hit 3)), reducing the attack range.
  • All hits have a higher hitlag multiplier (1× → 1.4× (hit 1), 1.2× (hit 2), 1.6× (hit 3)), giving opponents more time to SDI each hit and DI the last hit.
  • The first and second hits deal less damage (3% → 2.5% (hit 1), 4% → 2.5% (hit 2)).
  • The first hit no longer deals set knockback (26/22 set/100 scaling → 20/20/24/20 base/30/28/25/25 scaling), causing it to connect less reliably into the next hits at very high percents.
  • The third hit has a shorter hitbox duration (frames 7-9 → 7-8).
  • The first and second hits have altered angles to keep opponents close to Charizard (120°/361° → 361°/180° (hit 1), 80°/55°/30° → 361° (hit 2)) like other neutral attacks, and have gained a hitstun modifier of 2, with the second hit also dealing less knockback (25/40 base/50 scaling → 20 base/30/28/25 scaling). This allows them to connect and jab lock more consistently, but removes their jab cancel setups against grounded opponents.
  • The third hit launches at a consistent angle (70°/60°/50°/45° → 60°).
  • Charizard rears back in a more pronounced fashion during the ending lag of the third hit.
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt has a new sweetspot hitbox on frame 12 that is centered in front of Charizard's tail, with the original sweetspot remaining intact. This makes the sweetspot larger and prohibits issues with the z-axis.
  • It has less ending lag (FAF 43 → 38).
  • The sweetspot deals more knockback (40 base/100 scaling → 45/104).
  • It has more startup with a shorter hitbox duration (frames 11-13 → 12-13).
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt has an altered animation, with Charizard jumping higher and its wings spreading out more to its sides.
  • In addition to the hitbox above Charizard, it possesses new hitboxes covering its wings as they spread out. This increases the move's lateral range above Charizard, although due to the high placements of these hitboxes, it still cannot effectively hit grounded opponents at its sides.
  • It has a shorter hitbox duration (frames 9-13 → 9-12).
  • It launches opponents slightly away from Charizard instead of towards it (96° → 78°/84°), and deals much less knockback (40 base/130 scaling → 50 base/80/85 scaling). This collectively worsens both the move's combo and KO potential, stringing into itself less reliably at low percents, and still having too much ending lag to combo into other moves, despite Charizard's faster jumpsquat, while it is now unable to KO grounded opponents below 200% (compared to KOing below 140% under the same circumstances in Smash 4).
  • Due to Charizard once again possessing hurtboxes on its wings, the move is riskier to use as an anti-air option, as these hurtboxes now extend upward especially during the active frames, leaving Charizard more vulnerable to trades with aerial attacks.
  • The body hitbox uses a normal effect with punch SFX, instead of slash ones.
• Down tilt:
  • The changes to jostle mechanics allow down tilt to connect more consistently against opponents right next to Charizard.
  • The hitbox does not extend as far (Z offset: 7u-16u → 7u-13.5u), considerably reducing its range.
  • It no longer has a point-blank windbox to push opponents into the hitboxes; however, this is made negligible by the jostle changes.
  • The headbutt has a more pronounced animation.
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack deals more damage (11% → 13% (clean), 8% → 10% (late)) and launches at lower angles (50°/60° → 45°/55° (clean), 60°/75° → 55°/70° (late)), with knockback not fully compensated (100 base/45 scaling → 96/44 (clean), 100/30 → 98/27 (late)), improving its KO potential.
  • It has gained a shieldstun multiplier of 1.5×, increasing its safety on shield in combination with its higher damage.
• Forward smash:
  • Charizard no longer breathes fire during forward smash's animation.
  • Forward smash deals more damage (17% → 19% (clean, late body), 14% → 16.4% (late head)) with knockback scaling not fully compensated (94 → 91 (clean, late body), 86 (late head)), improving its KO potential.
  • It grants more intangibility (frames 22-25 → 20-24).
• Up smash:
  • Up smash's second hit is faster (frame 16 → 14), allowing it to connect better from the first hit. The move's total duration has been reduced as well (FAF 49 → 47).
  • The first hit's innermost hitboxes after frame 6 use the 368° autolink angle, while the outermost hitbox uses different angles (280° → 280° (frame 7), 320° (frame 8), 340° (frame 9)) with more set knockback (10 → 32, 42, 60), allowing it to link more consistently into the second hit.
  • Due to Charizard once again possessing hurtboxes on its wings, the move is riskier to use as an anti-air option, although to a much lesser extent compared to up tilt.
  • The first hit's late hit has smaller hitboxes (4.2u/5.5u/5u → 4.2u/5u/4.2u), with the outermost hitbox also being moved inward (X offset: 9u → 7u), reducing its range.
  • The first hit's animation has been sped up. This allows it to hit faster behind Charizard, but reduces its duration (frame 6-11 → 6-9).
• Down smash:
  • The knockback scaling and angles on the hitboxes close to Charizard have been homogenized with the outer hitboxes (KBS: 85 → 79; angle: 46° → 33°), increasing its consistency and overall improving its KO ability.
  • It no longer has a trip chance. However, due to the move having been unable to trip opponents regardless, this change is negligible.
  • Charizard faces towards the screen instead of downward, and sports an angrier expression.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag (20 frames → 10 (neutral), 22 → 19 (forward), 24 → 20 (back), 20 → 13 (up), 33 → 21 (down)).
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial has faster startup (frame 9 → 8) and significantly less ending lag (FAF 60 → 40), making it safer to use offstage.
  • Its animation has been sped up. This shortens the duration of its hitboxes (frames 9-25 → 8-20), but allows it to hit faster around Charizard.
    • The auto-cancel window is unchanged, increasing the move's ending lag before it can auto-cancel.
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial has one frame less ending lag (FAF 47 → 46).
  • It no longer auto-cancels in a short hop, as Charizard's faster falling speed causes its auto-cancel window to fall short by one frame. In combination with it now having the most landing lag of any forward aerial alongside Snake's, this considerably hinders its safety and utility for approaching.
  • The sweetspot has been moved inwards (X offset: 7.5u → 6u), reducing its range. The middle hitbox is also slightly smaller (4u → 3.8u).
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial's animation has been rotated slightly to prevent issues with the z-axis.
  • The first active frame has shorter range, and does not contain the 16% sweetspot.
  • The last active frame is aimed more behind Charizard instead of above it, reducing its vertical range, but allowing it to hit more consistently.
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial's lower landing lag alongside the removal of teching for grounded meteor smashes enable it to function as a potent combo starter onstage.
  • It has smaller hitboxes (6u/5u → 5u/5.5u (clean), 4.5u/5.5u (late)) that no longer extend horizontally from Charizard's leg, and the clean hit's inner hitbox is now a sourspot that does not meteor smash (270° → 361°). This reduces the move's range and makes it slightly harder to use for edgeguarding.
  • The late hit has a shorter duration (frames 21-26 → 22-25).
  • The move's animation has been lengthened by one frame during startup, leading to several small frame changes:
    • Its initial auto-cancel window has been lengthened (frames 1-4 → 1-5).
    • The clean hit has a longer duration (frames 18-20 → 18-21).
    • Its ending auto-cancel window is active later (frame 41 → 42).
  • The stomp has a more pronounced animation.
  • The landing animation no longer causes Charizard's tongue to clip through its head.

Throws and other attacks

• Grabs:
  • All grabs are active for one more frame (frames 8-9 → 8-10 (standing), 10-11 → 11-13 (dash), 11-12 → 12-14 (pivot)).
  • Standing grab has been moved forward (Z offset: 5u-13.6u → 7.5u-16u), while dash grab extends further (Z offset: 5u-12.3u → 5u-16.5u), increasing their range.
  • All grabs have more ending lag (FAF 34 → 40 (standing), 42 → 46 (dash), 40 → 43 (pivot)).
  • Dash and pivot grab have more startup (frame 10 → 11 (dash), 11 → 12 (pivot)).
  • Pivot grab doesn't extend as far (Z offset: 4u-17.6u → 4u-17.2u), reducing its range.
  • Standing and dash grab's animations have been altered, with Charizard lunging farther forward, matching their increased range.
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals less damage (2% → 1.6%).
  • It has much less ending lag (FAF 17 → 8), but deals considerably more hitlag (4 frames → 15), increasing its effective duration.
    • Relative to the rest of the cast, Charizard's pummel is among the slowest but most damaging, rather than average on both accounts.
• The speed of Charizard's forward and back throws is no longer weight-dependent.
• Forward throw:
  • Forward throw deals more knockback (60 base/65 scaling → 63/70), allowing it to KO around 20% earlier.
  • Charizard spreads its arms out more near the end of the animation.
• Back throw:
  • Back throw releases the opponent earlier (frame 29 → 26), though with its total duration unchanged. This makes it harder to DI, but gives it more ending lag.
    • Despite this change, it has increased combo ability due to Charizard's much faster initial dash speed and jumpsquat.
  • Due to the Sakurai angle being lower against aerial opponents in Ultimate (45° → 38°), it has improved edgeguarding and KO potential.
• Down throw:
  • Down throw's looping hits no longer inflict hitlag, allowing it to execute much faster, despite releasing the opponent later (frame 52 → 55).
  • The looping hits deal knockback to bystanders (0 base/0 scaling → 0/100), making the move safer in battles with multiple opponents.
  • It has more ending lag (FAF 71 → 77), and no longer inflicts 4 frames of hitlag on the opponent upon releasing them. This hinders its combo potential, with Charizard's faster jumpsquat failing to compensate.
  • It has an altered animation where Charizard hovers slightly while breathing fire onto the opponent, and lifts itself higher into the air with a more exaggerated breathing animation upon releasing them.
• Edge attack:
  • Edge attack deals more damage (8% → 10%).

Special moves

• Flamethrower:
  • Flamethrower's clean hit lasts longer (3 frames → 4), and it has gained a mid hit, which lasts 3 frames before the late hit and deals more damage (1% → 1.3%). This improves the move's damage racking ability overall.
  • The flames have a more vibrant coloration.
• Flare Blitz:
  • Flare Blitz deals drastically more damage (4% → 6% (hit 1), 15% → 18% (hit 2); 19% total → 24%)), with knockback scaling only minimally compensated (84 → 77), KOing middleweights under 80% from the center of Final Destination.
  • Charizard cannot be locked if it gets knocked down by the move's collision; attacks will instead cause it to get up as if hit beyond the lock limit. This leaves it less vulnerable to deadly punishes.
  • The first hit uses an autolink angle (60° → 366°) and set knockback (60 base/80 scaling → 60 base/46 set/78 scaling), allowing it to connect more reliably into the second hit.
  • In addition to the hitbox following Charizard's rotation, the first hit has a hitbox that consistently stays on its lower side. This gives the move more range below Charizard, allowing it to hit every character lying on the ground and a few hanging on the ledge.
  • The first hit has a lower hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.1×), allowing it to transition faster into the second hit.
  • The move is only able to grab the ledge starting on frame 45 (about two-thirds of the way).
  • It causes Charizard to emit orange flames on startup instead of glowing blue. Its flame effects are also much more intense.
  • Charizard's voice is louder when using the move, allowing players to hear it without adjusting the Sound settings.
  • The recoil damage from the second hit of the move is no longer applied all in one go, but is instead applied over the course of a few frames, with it being applied over the next 5 consecutive frames when hitting an opponent, or in intervals of 10 frames when hitting a wall.
• Fly:
  • Fly no longer suffers RCO lag.
  • The first hit has different angles (70°/95°/80° → 100°/70°/65°) and less set knockback (130/140/140 → 120/80/115), while the looping hits use an autolink angle (72°/90° → 367°). In combination with rage no longer affecting moves with set knockback, this allows it to connect much more reliably.
  • The looping hits's hitboxes are spread around Charizard instead of placed in front of it, while the last hit has one hitbox less, but one of its hitboxes has been moved much farther back. This allows the move to hit behind Charizard and further helps in its linking ability.
    • However, this reduces the looping hits' frontal range.