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 (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, Charizard is classified as Fighter #35.
Shin'ichirō Miki reprises his voiced role as Charizard in all regions, providing new clips.
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 KOd, Charizard will always appear on the next revival platform.
Charizard deviates from the other super heavyweight characters in mobility. Its ground game provides extensive utility courtesy of its high initial dash and run speed. Also, its normals such as forward tilt and neutral attack are supplemented by skid canceling. Its high traction and quick out-of-shield options like neutral attack 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 at 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. It is also a makeshift 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. 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 percents as well. Down throw fills the combo starter role 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. Up throw works as a last-resort KO option at 150% and above, or 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 hard-punish 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 the most advantaged 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.
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. Thus, its moveset requires 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 moveset is built to cover 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 in this application.
All in all, Charizard is a well-rounded super heavyweight but has the weakest auto-pilot of the three Pokémon in the Pokémon Trainer's party. It must rely on sheer mobility and player interaction and must work around the glaring problems its moveset contains. 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 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. 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 that 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.
Previously the standalone character in Smash 4 representing the trio of Pokémon in Brawl, Charizard now returns as part of the Pokémon Trainer's crew. As expected, it has kept many of its changes from Smash 4, and has also retained 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 to whether it was buffed or nerfed since both buffs and nerfs were equally notable, game updates have provided Charizard with useful buffs that have improved its options and fixed inconsistencies with its moveset. Because of this, Charizard has been 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 Smash 4, 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, and down throw had its combo potential mitigated due to receiving more ending lag; both latter changes also worsen Charizard's combo game. Notably, 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. Charizard's most notable nerf, however, is that forward aerial no longer autocancels in a short hop due to its faster falling speed and has reduced range on its furthest hitbox, which cripples one of Charizard's former most notable tools in the neutral game. Finally, while its higher fall speed has slightly improved Charizard's neutral game and landing issues, said change has also made it easier to combo.
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 out of shield game (despite options such as up smash and Fly), and when combined with down throw's lost combo potential, Charizard's grab game has been worsened overall (though it still remains flexible). The universal reductions to landing lag have overall hindered Charizard, as they allow characters to space their moves on shield more easily, though while they have significantly improved its landing options (most notably its neutral, up and down aerials), some of Charizard's aerials still remain highly punishable; this change also 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, both Charizard's strengths and weaknesses have been further defined. While it has much better mobility and power, both points are now counterbalanced by new flaws from 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. As such, while Charizard fares slightly better than he did in its solo appearance in SSB4 based on its direct changes, it is debatable how much Charizard has improved compared relative to the cast. However, given Pokémon Trainer's widely accepted top-tier standing, Charizard is particularly more useful as part of the aggregate Pokémon Trainer because it allows them to adapt to situations where its recovery, endurance and/or KO power are needed, and may now replace itself with Squirtle or Ivysaur in cases where Charizard's weaknesses can be exploited and Squirtle's or Ivysaur's cannot. This is especially true after patch 4.0.0, which nerfed some of the more notorious tools in Ivysaur's kit while buffing Charizard in return.
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 down throw.
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 the ledge 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.
Its initial dash speed is exponentially higher (1 → 2.28), going from the slowest in the game to the 4th 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.
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 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 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.
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'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).
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.
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).
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.
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.
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'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.
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.
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 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.
Since Charizard has returned to Pokémon Trainer's team, Rock Smash has been replaced with Pokémon Change.
This allows it to change places with Squirtle and Ivysaur to adapt to difficult situations and matchups.
The removal of Rock Smash reduces Charizard's own defensive capabilities, hinders its landing options and eliminates one of its finishers.
Pokémon Change executes much faster, and no longer requires the game to load the next Pokémon with every switch. This significantly increases its safety, and allows it to potentially string into another Pokémon's moves.
It can now be used in the air. This allows the player to mix up their recovery between different Pokémon, and to utilize its intangibility frames as an alternative air dodge, with the notable advantage of coming out on frame 1. As a result, it poses much less of a risk than in Brawl as a defensive option.
It has a cooldown of around two seconds after the Pokémon switch is executed. However, it can be skipped by using another special move.
It no longer resets stale-move negation, effectively weakening Squirtle when Charizard switches.
Charizard has been buffed in updates. The changes Charizard has received improve its damage output and ability to KO. In addition, Flare Blitz is able to grab the ledge substantially earlier, and neutral aerial is safer on shield and can combo into other moves more reliably out of fast fall.
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)).
Neutral aerial has a slightly longer hitbox duration (frames 8-19 → 8-20) and less landing lag (13 frames → 10).
Forward throw deals more knockback (60 base/65 scaling → 63/70).
Flare Blitz can snap to the ledge earlier (frame 54 → frame 45).
The outermost hitbox of up smash's first hit uses set angles instead of the 368° autolink angle.
The first hit has a different hitbox during its last active frame that uses the 368° angle, but deals no damage (5% → 0%), effectively providing no benefit over landing only the second hit.
Flare Blitz's first hit uses the autolink angle (60° → 366°), and has a higher hitlag multiplier if used in the air (0.1× → 0.7×), allowing it to connect more reliably into the explosion.
Fly's first hit has different angles (80°/98°/80°), deals less set knockback (140/140/130 → 120/80/115), and launches opponents in the direction Charizard is facing, while the looping hits use the autolink angle (72°/92°/82°/82° → 367°), allowing the move to connect more reliably.
Charizard continuously receives damage while swimming. It shares this trait with Incineroar, Sonic, and Inkling. This is a reference to Charizard being susceptible to water due to being a Fire-type Pokémon.
Swings its tail forward. The move has a sweetspot at the flaming tip of Charizard's tail. When sweetspotted, it has high knockback for a tilt attack, KOing middleweights at around 140% from the center of Final Destination. Having long-range and angling capabilities, forward tilt is an essential tool in the neutral game for spacing and approaching.
Jumps with its wings widespread, hitting with them from below. While it has decent vertical range, it is not an effective anti-air attack because the hurtboxes of its wings are vertically extended. In addition, it has very low priority, since it almost always clanks with weak attacks and loses against strong attacks. Lastly, it doesn't hit grounded opponents or ducking characters as easily.
Headbutts low to the ground. It has long-range and launches at a semi-spike angle, which makes it useful for edgeguarding and tech chasing. However, it is unsuited for combos or KOing at conventional damage ranges. If it is blocked, even when unspaced, it cannot be shieldgrabbed by the majority of the cast, including Palutena and Bowser.
Kicks forward. Dash attack has very high base knockback, and its power and long duration allow it to effectively punish cooldown and break zoning. The move KOs at high percents near the ledge.
Performs a lunging headbutt. Very strong, with its sweetspot KOing middleweights under 70% from the center of Final Destination. It also renders Charizard intangible throughout its duration. However, it is extremely unsafe, hitting on frame 22 and suffering 45 frames of ending lag.
Swings its wings upward in a fan motion. This is the fastest of Charizard's smash attacks and one of the fastest smash attacks in the game, hitting grounded opponents on frame 6 and aerial opponents on frame 7. The move has long-range and disjoint, and because up smashes cancel shield dropping, it is very useful not only as an anti-air attack but also out of shield. The move KOs in the 100%-120% range against most characters.
Strongly stomps the ground, creating a shock wave. It hits on both sides of Charizard and launches at a semi-spike angle, making it potent for edgeguarding. However, it has slow startup and extremely high ending lag.
Somersaults forward, striking with its tail. Its sweetspot is at the flaming tip of Charizard's tail. It can auto-cancel in a short hop and quickly hits all around Charizard. Has strong combo potential (especially when used while landing) and gimping potential. It is also a satisfactory landing option. At its fastest, neutral air hits behind Charizard and is thus best used out of a reverse aerial rush.
A downward arcing slash with its claws. Its high power, speed (frame 8) and semi-spike angle make it reliable as an edgeguarding and KOing option. However, it has high landing lag and cannot auto-cancel in a short hop, limiting its usefulness in neutral.
Swings its long tail behind it. It has slow startup, ending lag, and landing lag. However, the sweetspot at the tip of Charizard's tail is incredibly disjointed, deals high damage, and KOs middleweights under 90%, making it Charizard's strongest KO option and one of the strongest of it kind. The diagonal arc the move covers allows it to overpower opponents above Charizard.
An upward headbutt. The move's damage output and particularly high knockback allow it to KO middleweights under 100% near the upper blast line. It renders Charizard's head intangible and serves as a makeshift combo starter into itself, up smash, or other aerial attacks when landing.
Kicks straight down. The clean hit is a meteor smash, with a sourspot on Charizard's body that deals high sideways knockback. Down aerial has the highest overall lag of Charizard's aerials, but can function as a niche combo starter against grounded opponents, allowing for a potential KO setup into up aerial at higher percents.
Quickly flings the opponent forward. It is Charizard's strongest kill throw as well as one of the strongest forward throws in the game, KOing middleweights near the edge of Final Destination at around 105% without rage. It can also be used for a DI trap, as the optimal DI up throw (down and out) is poor for forward throw.
Flings the opponent backward. It deals respectable damage and can be used to set up an edgeguard. Back throw is Charizard's central combo starter, leading into dash attack, neutral aerial, and up smash at very low percents, and forward aerial or back aerial up to mid percents. It can also follow up into Flare Blitz, but this is not a true combo. The throw itself can KO middleweights at around 130% at the edge of Final Destination.
Jumps up before doing a powerful suplex, akin to Kirby and Meta Knight's up throws. It is one of the strongest throws in the game without DI, but its mostly vertical, yet more horizontal angle than other up throws allows for the victim to apply both optimal DI and LSI against the move. This weakens it to an extent where middleweights can survive it up to around 160% without rage. The throw's poor knockback for its archetype can be alleviated by being used under a high platform. Resembles the Pokémon move Seismic Toss.
Pins the opponent to the ground and hovers, expelling embers from its mouth on them. Down throw's moderate ending lag allows it to function as a niche combo starter, leading into up smash out of dash at low percents and neutral or forward aerial until mid percents.
Performs a battering ram while climbing up from the ledge. This comes out on frame 24, compared to Squirtle's slow frame 28 and Ivysaur's quicker frame 21. It is one of the longest edge attacks in the game.
Expels a stream of flames from its mouth, almost identically to Fire Breath. The move can be angled, which makes it useful for gimping low recoveries and ledgetrapping. Compared to Fire Breath, Flamethrower is inferior at damage racking, but its farthest hitboxes still cause flinching. It has considerable startup and ending lag, and its power and range gradually decrease over time. Charizard must stop using Flamethrower for a short while for it to regain full power.
A flaming corkscrew tackle that also hurts Charizard. It is very powerful, KOing middleweights under 80% from the center of Final Destination. Flare Blitz covers an impressive amount of horizontal distance and grants heavy armor on frames 23-53 that sustains 15% (18% in 1v1)[1], enabling it to extend Charizard's recovery and power through opposing attacks. However, it deals 5% of recoil damage and an additional 5% upon hitting an opponent. It is very risky to use outside of punishes, having extreme amounts of cooldown. When used carelessly near the edge, its impressive horizontal distance can also result in an inadvertent self-destruct.
Flies upward while corkscrewing. Fly covers an average amount of vertical distance. Due to its hitting on frame 9, it has the lowest amount of startup out of Charizard's special move. It also grants super armor during frames 4-15, allowing it to break combos and work out of shield. It deals respectable damage when all of its hits connect, and can KO reliably at high percents.
5% (Fire Blast, first four), 12.5% (Fire Blast, final), ~50% total
The Pokémon Trainer sends out both Squirtle and Ivysaur, and all three Pokémon perform a synchronized combo attack with long horizontal range. Charizard dishes out five Fire Blasts in a row for massive damage, with the last one having the highest power.
During Charizard's victory poses, the Pokémon Trainer will say one of two lines at random. The male Trainer will say either "You all did great!" (みんな、よくがんばったな！, Everyone, you did great!) or "You did it, Charizard!" (やったぞ、リザードン！, You did it, Charizard!). The female Trainer will say either "Everyone did great!" (みんな、最高だね！, Everyone, you're the best!) or "You're amazing, Charizard!" (すごいね、リザードン！, Amazing, Charizard!).
Left: Stomps and rears its head back to roar upward, then strikes a pose.
Up: Uses Flare Blitz downwards to descend from the sky and crash into the ground, bounces out of it and lands on its feet, then strikes a pose.
Right: Pokémon Trainer pets its head and neck.
A small excerpt of the title theme of Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green Versions, a track which would go on to become the Pokémon main theme and the title theme for the entire series.
Pokémon Trainer's route refers to the player's goal of becoming the Pokémon Champion in the Pokémon games. Like in Pikachu's route, the opponents are all Pokémon and all rounds are on Pokémon stages. Each round will start with the Pokémon chosen on the character select screen regardless of which one was active at the end of the previous round.
Completing Classic Mode as Pokémon Trainer has Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Brawl) accompanying the credits that roll every time the player finishes a Classic route, with the selected Pokémon playable during the credits minigame rather than the actual Trainer.
Charizard and the male Pokémon Trainer were among the fighters that were summoned to fight against the army of Master Hands.
While Charizard is seen standing separately from its Trainer in the establishing shot, it reunited with him, Squirtle and Ivysaur, shortly before Galeem unleashed his beams of light. Under Pokémon Trainer's command, Charizard used Flamethrower in an attempt to fight the beams of light, but this attempt failed. Pokémon Trainer, Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard were all vaporized and placed under Galeem's imprisonment along with the other fighters, excluding Kirby.
Pokémon Trainer can be found at the southeast near the maze that resembles Pac-Maze. Defeating him allows access to all three Pokémon.
Charizard's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Charizard in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Each fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate.
One of the in-game tips for Charizard states that its wings "won't take damage" during its up tilt. However, this is incorrect, as the hurtboxes on Charizard's wings extend upward without gaining intangibility or invincibility, making it easier to hit. The player can see this by turning on the invincibility option in training mode.
This tip is recycled from Smash 4, where Charizard's wings do not possess hurtboxes.
Charizard is the only character in the series to have been part of a composite character in one game, separated into a standalone character, and then returned to a composite.
The official Pokémon website claims that this was due to a stint of disobedience, similarly to Ash's Charizard. [2] This is hinted at via its new taunts and victory poses, where it behaves in a less feral way and acts slightly more tame than it did in SSB4.
Charizard and Lucario are the only characters to have had their Final Smash get a new one in one installment, but revert back to their original Final Smash in the next. Charizard is part of Triple Finish in Brawl, uses Mega Charizard X as a standalone character in Smash 4, then reverts to Triple Finish in Ultimate with the Pokémon Trainer's return. In Ultimate, Lucario reverts to Aura Storm from Brawl, though it still transforms into Mega Lucario while performing it.
Both characters are also Pokémon.
Charizard is the only playable Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution that does not Mega Evolve for their Final Smash. Mega Charizard X appears as a spirit.
Charizard uses Fire Blast five times during Triple Finish, matching the move's base PP in the Pokémon games.
Charizard is the only veteran from Smash 4 whose announcer voice clip is not reused in Ultimate. Pokémon Trainer's name is used instead.
Since the announcer does not call out Squirtle or Ivysaur either, this makes all three of Pokémon Trainer's Pokémon the only fighters not to have their own announcer clips in the game.
With the female option for Pokémon Trainer, Ultimate marks the first time outside of the main series Pokémon games where Leaf or one of her counterparts is depicted with a member of Charizard's evolutionary line.
Charizard's model features a more subdued color scheme, more closely resembling its appearance in recent mainline 
Like all characters, Charizard's jumpsquat animation lasts 3 frames (down from 7).
Charizard 
The landing animation no longer causes Charizard's tongue to clip through its head.
