Duck Hunt (SSBU)

Duck Hunt in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Duck Hunt
Other playable appearance	in SSB4
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	NES Zapper Posse
Tier	C- (67)

Duck Hunt (ダックハント, Duckhunt), known in PAL versions as Duck Hunt Duo, are playable fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. They were officially revealed on June 12th, 2018 alongside Dr. Mario, R.O.B., and the rest of the returning roster. Although they are a team, Duck Hunt are collectively classified as Fighter #59.

Duck Hunt retain their realistic dog barks and duck quacks, using a combination of recycled voice clips from Super Smash Bros. 4 along with additional new ones.

Duck Hunt is ranked 67th out of 82 on the current tier list, placing them in the C- tier. This is a slight drop from their 30th out of 54 placement in SSB4.

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

• Play VS. matches, with Duck Hunt being the 56th characters to be unlocked.
• Clear Classic Mode with Donkey Kong or any character in his unlock tree, being the last character unlocked after Diddy Kong.
• Have Duck Hunt join the player's party in World of Light.

Duck Hunt must then be defeated on Duck Hunt (the Ω form is used in World of Light).

Attributes

Duck Hunt are a duo that fight collectively as if they were a single character, much like Banjo & Kazooie. They are lightweights, and specifically weigh as much as Sonic, which places them among the bottom 20 in that category. Duck Hunt also have below-average height, above-average walking/dashing speeds (being the 25th and 36th fastest, respectively), a slow initial dash (tied for the 12th slowest with Incineroar, Snake, Bowser Jr., and Ryu), low traction (the 15th lowest), above-average air speed (tied for the 20th fastest with Bowser, Sheik, Lucas, and Mega Man), average air acceleration and falling speed, and low gravity (the 14th lowest). Duck Hunt can also crawl and wall jump. These traits make Duck Hunt a character who, while lacking strong burst movement on the ground due to their slow dash, does a good job at maintaining aerial presence with their air speed and fairly high jumps. Collectively speaking, their overall mobility is average.

Due to having three unique projectiles for special moves, Duck Hunt excel in zoning and stage control with an emphasis on setups. Trick Shot generates a tin can that explodes on contact, and the fact that it can be maneuvered by the player with a press of the special button makes it a key component of Duck Hunt's pressure, setups, and stage control. Additionally, the fact that the can is generated on frame 1 gives it utility as a combo breaker. Clay Shooting involves throwing a clay pigeon that can be detonated with a press of the special button. It not only has use as a zoning tool, but it also functions as Duck Hunt's most potent combo starter, as the fact that they can act out of the move before it detonates allows them to chain the move into itself, aerials, or a combination of the two. Wild Gunman summons a gunman that shoots from their respective gun after a delay. This further supplements their zoning and setup-centered playstyle, since they can act out of the move before the gunshot. In addition, the gunmen possess their own hurtboxes, giving it occasional use for blocking attacks.

Duck Hunt's air game also has decent utility courtesy of their good air speed. Back aerial is a fast and powerful finisher that comes out at frame 7 and KOs middleweights as early as 120% from the edge of Final Destination, making it even deadlier in the context of edgeguarding. Neutral aerial also compliments their edgeguarding abilities, as it comes out fast at frame 6 and has lingering hitboxes that make it useful for gimps while the strong hit also functions as a passable KO move, KOing middleweights at 135% from the edge of Final Destination. Finally, up air is a good vertical finisher that starts KOing middleweights at around 135% near the blast zone, plus it comes out fast at frame 6 and has a decent amount of active frames.

Unfortunately, Duck Hunt's main weakness is that, outside of some of their aerials, the aspects of their kit that don't revolve around their versatile projectiles are rather lackluster. For example, while their aerials are undeniably the best parts of their kit outside of their special moveset, some aren't without their flaws. Although forward aerial is fairly fast at frame 7 and has decent range, it has atrocious KO power; even with the sweetspot, the move doesn't start KOing middleweights until around 180% from the edge of Final Destination, and the fact that the move has sourspots adds a layer of inconsistency to its already poor KO power. In addition, down aerial has some inconsistencies of its own, as while it is a decent spike on paper, the two hits don't always connect into each other. Duck Hunt's endurance also leaves more to be desired due to their low weight and exploitable recovery; while Duck Jump covers good horizontal and vertical distance, its unremarkable speed and lack of protection make it prone to edge guards. While their recovery fares better than in SSB4 due to it being able to be canceled into attacks and air dodges, the fact that Duck Hunt can only cancel their recovery 50 frames later still makes it fairly exploitable.

However, the flaws of other aspects of Duck Hunt's kit are most apparent in their ground game, as their grounded normals are mediocre at best and well below average at worst. While their rapid jab is a good damage racking option, neither it nor the standard jab start KOing middleweights until 190%. Forward tilt, while being disjointed and having passable startup at frame 8, lacks range in comparison to other disjoints and doesn't start KOing middleweights until 150%. Up tilt, while in theory being a frame 7 combo starter into neutral and up aerial at low and mid percentages, isn't that consistent in practice due to the fact that its narrow hitbox struggles to hit grounded opponents even at point blank range. Even down tilt, which is among their best grounded moves due to being their fastest grounded poke (at frame 6) and being capable of starting tech chases, suffers from being an even worse disjoint than forward tilt in terms of both range and KO power.

While the aforementioned moves are simply mediocre, the same cannot be said for their dash attack, a move that is genuinely below average; it has slow startup at frame 10 while also having abysmal KO power, as it can't even KO middleweights past 200%. On top of having slow startup, Duck Hunt's poor initial dash further hinders its use as a burst option, a role that dash attacks are generally meant to fulfill. Duck Hunt's smash attacks don't do their ground game many favors either, as while they have good KO power and are disjointed for utilizing the NES Zapper, their startup is rather subpar and they have awkward hitboxes that prevent all the hits from connecting at times. Their grab game is also a contributor to their less than stellar strength on the ground; their standing and pivot grabs have deceptively good range, but the reward they get from a grab leaves more to be desired due to none of their throws leading to consistent combos or KOing at reasonable percentages.

Overall, Duck Hunt excel at controlling the neutral by simultaneously controlling both the duo and their assortment of projectiles in order to generate setups, frame traps, and pressure whether the opponent is onstage, at ledge, or offstage while their good air mobility and fair share of fast aerials also give them a slight emphasis on offstage edgeguards. In exchange for these strengths, they have a notable lack of flexibility in other aspects of their kit due to their overall average recovery and ground game, meaning they have to be more reliant on crafty use of their projectiles in order to get things going compared to other zoners.

Essentially, Duck Hunt are solid characters, yet other characters of a similar archetype simply have more flexibility in parts of their kits that don't revolve around their projectiles. For example, while Link is good at zoning and creating setups with Boomerang and Remote Bomb, he is considered to be a high tier character because he has notable strengths all across the board, such as a strong out of shield option in the form of Spin Attack, safe and potent aerials in the form of his neutral and forward aerials, and an overall better ground game than Duck Hunt due to the greater reach and power of his disjoints, as well as his more combo-friendly grab game. While it is not entirely certain whether Duck Hunt's strengths outweigh their flaws or vice versa, Duck Hunt are generally considered to be viable.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Duck Hunt received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition to Ultimate, but have been buffed significantly overall. Duck Hunt's notoriously inconsistent KO potential has been improved in many ways: their infamously unreliable smash attacks now connect much more reliably (though there are rare instances where their final hits may still fail to connect), while their forward tilt is now a situational KO option thanks to its much higher base knockback.

Trick Shot, which was already a powerful, versatile projectile, has been improved in many ways: it KOs earlier, travels further, has less endlag and can now be hit in air, all of which improve its utility. Clay Shooting has less ending lag and forces opponents to stay in place if they get hit, which make it an excellent combo tool. In addition, it now explodes into shrapnel that deals damage in many directions, increasing its effective range.

Duck Jump now allows the duo to act out of it after at least 50 frames; when coupled with the reintroduction of directional air dodges, these changes somewhat improve the safety and reliability of their once-risky recovery. Lastly, Wild Gunman has less ending lag, higher damage outputs and knockback (to the point that the orange and sombrero gunmen boast KO potential at high percents), and the defeated gunmen each maintain a hurtbox that allow Duck Hunt to use them to block incoming attacks.

Duck Hunt also benefit from the universal changes of Ultimate. Their mobility has improved, particularly in regard to their dash/initial dash speeds and their aerials' reduced landing lag. These changes, when coupled with many of Duck Hunt's moves in general having less endlag, somewhat improves their combo game.

However, Duck Hunt have received some nerfs. Their lighter weight further worsens their already poor endurance. Some of their aerials have also been worsened: clean neutral aerial's noticeably lower knockback growth hinders its KO potential, forward aerial has a slightly shorter duration, and down aerial no longer auto-cancels with a short hop. Lastly, Trick Shot has lost some of its set-ups into Clay Shooting, while the latter is harder to destroy and its shrapnel can also damage Duck Hunt.

Overall, the changes to Duck Hunt greatly benefit them, as they are considered to be better than they were in SSB4. These buffs and nerfs, however, also change their playstyle somewhat. When coupled with Ultimate's faster engine, the combination of Duck Hunt's lighter weight, improved mobility and generally improved normal moves gives them more a more aggressive playstyle than in SSB4. Despite this, the large retention of their camping game also enables them to use it potently, despite the faster game engine favoring more offensive playstyles.

Initially, Duck Hunt were believed to be considerably worse than in SSB4, to the point that their playerbase was even smaller than it was in SSB4. Raito, the best Duck Hunt player in the world, most notably held this negative perception of them, and thus resorted to using secondaries, such as Inkling. However, as time went on, Raito started achieving very strong results competitively with them, such as placing 3rd at both Albion 4 and Umebura Japan Major 2019, placing 5th at EVO 2019, and taking sets off of notable players including Dabuz, Shuton, Cosmos, and Abadango.

These commendable results indicate that Duck Hunt have maintained their viability, but have also potentially become even more viable than in SSB4. Along with Raito, other Duck Hunt mains, such as Ozone and Vintendo, started achieving respectable results as of late. Although Duck Hunt's playerbase is still small, their impressive results, especially by Raito, indicate that they can be very potent when mastered.

Aesthetics

• Duck Hunt's model is of a significantly higher visual quality. The dog's overall color scheme is more vibrant, better matching his sprite in Duck Hunt, and he now features detailing on his fur, collar, paws, and nose. The duck's color scheme is more subdue and features greater feather detailing.
• Duck Hunt is significantly more vocal. They have more voice clips during gameplay beyond their taunts and Star KO, consisting of bitcrushed realistic dog noises and duck quacks. These voice clips are also now available in the Sound Test.
• Similar to other cartoonish fighters, the duo are more expressive.
• The duck no longer blinks during the duo's idle and crouching animation and on the results screen.
• Duck Hunt's shielding animation is slightly altered. The duck now covers the dog with its feathers.

Attributes

• Like all characters, Duck Hunt's jumpsquat animation takes three frames to complete (down from 4).
• Duck Hunt dashes faster (1.63 → 1.793).
  • Duck Hunt's initial dash is faster (1.55 → 1.76), although it is now one of the slower initial dashes relative to the cast.
• Duck Hunt walks faster (1.155 → 1.213).
• Duck Hunt's air speed is slightly faster (1.1 → 1.155).
• Duck Hunt is lighter (91 → 86), now only slightly heavier than Zelda, which reduces their survivability.
• Spot dodge has slightly more ending lag (FAF 24 → 25), no longer being the best in the game.
• Forward roll has more ending lag (FAF 27 → 30).
• Back roll has more startup (frames 4-15 → 5-16) and ending lag (FAF 27 → 35).
• Neutral air dodge has more startup (frame 2 → 3) and significantly more ending lag (FAF 31 → 50).
• Neutral air dodge has less landing lag (22 frames → 10).
• Neutral air dodge has a slightly longer duration (frames 2-25 → 3-27).

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack:
  • Neutral attack's animation is faster and the rapid jab and rapid finisher have less startup lag, making them connect more reliably.
  • Neutral attack 2's largest hitbox is bigger (4.2u → 5u).
  • Neutral attack 3 has a smaller hitbox (5.8u → 5u).
  • Neutral attack 1 and 2 and neutral infinite deal less damage (2% (first)/3% (second) → 1.5% each, 0.8% → 0.4% (infinite)).
  • Neutral attack 1 has its two larger hitboxes replaced with four smaller ones (3u/3u → 1.8u/1.8u/2u/2u).
  • The infinite has gained a shieldstun multiplier of 5×. This allows it to lock opponents into their shields between each hit, and thus pressure them more effectively, but also allows them to cancel shieldstun and punish Duck Hunt more easily if they shield 10 hits or more.
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt deals more base knockback (15 → 35).
  • Its angle is different when angled (361° (both) → 48° (up)/30° (down)).
• Up tilt:
  • Up tilt has less startup (frame 7 → 6) and ending lag (FAF 34 → 28).
  • Up tilt is harder to connect on grounded opponents, since characters can no longer run through each other.
  • Up tilt's hitbox is smaller (7u → 5u), while its Y2 offset was compensating (13 → 15), the hitbox is narrower and has less range against grounded opponents.
  • Up tilt deals significantly more base knockback (35 → 95), but has much less knockback scaling (130 → 40), removing its KO potential, but increasing its combo potential.
• Down tilt
  • Down tilt has less ending lag (FAF 35 → 28).
  • Down tilt sends at a slightly more horizontal angle that is more desirable for edgeguarding (30° → 25°).
• Forward smash:
  • If the first hit of forward smash connects, subsequent hits will be positioned to continue the chain into the final hit, rather than having their positions somewhat randomized.
  • Forward smash's first and second hits launch at a higher angle (5° → 45°) and deal more set knockback (60 → 66 (hit 1), 60 → 69 (hit 2)), making them connect more reliably.
  • It has larger hitboxes (3.8u → 4.7u (hit 1), 5.2u → 6.9u (hit 2), 7u → 7.8u (hit 3)).
• Up smash:
  • The first two hits no longer have set knockback (72/60 → 0), and use an autolink angle (140°/150° → 368° (hit 1), 115° → 368° (hit 2)), allowing them to connect more reliably.
  • Up smash's first and second hit deal slightly more damage (2%/2.4% → 2.5% each).
  • Up smash's final hit deals more knockback (40 base/112 scaling → 45/120).
• Down smash:
  • The first two hits no longer have set knockback (115 → 0), and use an autolink angle (165° → 368°), allowing them to connect more reliably.
  • Down smash's final hit deals more base knockback (32 → 37).

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag (17 frames → 10 (neutral), 15 → 9 (forward), 24 → 14 (back), 18 → 11 (up), 34 → 15 (down)).
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial's clean hit has less knockback scaling (100 → 86). This reduces its KO potential, but combined with the landing lag reduction grants it combo potential when landing.
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial has marginally less ending lag (FAF 46 → 45).
  • Its sweetspot comes out slightly earlier (frame 9 → 8).
  • It has a slightly shorter duration overall (frames 7-12 → 7-11).
• Back aerial:
  • Back aerial's sweetspot deals slightly more damage (12% → 12.5%) with no compensation on knockback, causing it to KO slightly earlier.
• Up aerial:
  • The first hit sends the opponent at a lower angle (145° → 95°), the second hit launches at an autolink angle (145° → 363°), both hits deal more set knockback (40 → 50) and have a reduced hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.5×), allowing them to connect more reliably overall.
  • All hits have larger hitboxes (5.5u → 6u (hits 1-2), 8u → 8.5u (hit 3)) and the second hit and third hit's hitboxes have been moved upward (Y offset: 20u → 21.5u (hits 2), 21u → 22.5u (hit 3)), improving its range overall.
  • The first hit's hitbox has been moved lower (Y offset: 20u → 18.5u), slightly reducing its range overall.
• Down aerial:
  • Down aerial has considerably less ending lag (FAF 60 → 50).
  • Both hits have a slightly longer duration (frames 14/20 → 14-15/20-21).
  • Down aerial auto-cancels later (frame 33 → 45), preventing it from doing so in a short hop.

Throws and other attacks

• Standing grab and dash grab have less startup lag (stand/dash: frame 8/10 → 6/9).
• All grabs have more ending lag (stand/dash/pivot: FAF 29/36/34 → 36/43/38).
• All grabs have less range (Z2 offset: 11.7u → 11.2u (standing), 13.9u → 12.9u (dash), -19.2u → -18.5u (pivot)).
• Back throw has less ending lag (FAF 44 → 40).

Special moves

• Trick Shot:
  • Trick Shot's can is slower and more floaty, but starts further forward.
  • Trick Shot's can travels more distance every time it is shot. This increases its effective range, but also means it will fly over grounded opponents more often.
  • Trick Shot's explosion sends the opponent flying in the direction of the side of the can that hit them, instead of sending them the direction Duck Hunt is facing.
  • Trick Shot's can has bullet holes appear every time the special button is pressed.
  • Trick Shot's can auto explodes more quickly after the eighth shot (76 frames → 60).
  • Trick Shot's can is able to be hit with an attack midair, allowing Duck Hunt to cover more options.
  • Trick Shot's can and its explosion deal more damage (1.8%-2% → 1.6%-4.4% (contact), 8% → 10% (explosion)), without full compensation for knockback on the explosion (110 scaling → 100), improving its KO potential.
  • Trick Shot's can can be shot even when it is about to explode, increasing the amount of time it can be maneuvered.
  • Trick Shot has less ending lag (FAF 46 → 42).
  • Trick Shot has lost some setups in combination with Clay Shooting.
• Clay Shooting:
  • Shooting Clay Shooting's pigeon with Special Move works differently. Instead of always getting destroyed immediately, it will only be shot once per input made. If it is moving too fast, it will not be destroyed, but it will always be destroyed in one shot if it is moving slowly enough.
  • Clay Shooting has slightly less ending lag (FAF 66 → 64).
  • Clay Shooting forces the opponent to stay in place if they get hit, making it a significantly better combo starter.
  • When Clay Shooting's pigeon is destroyed, debris that deals damage flies in multiple directions.
    • However, these particles will damage Duck Hunt if the pigeon is destroyed by the opponent.
    • This means a pigeon that missed and was thrown with the smash input takes longer to destroy, reducing its safety.
  • Clay Shooting faces the screen more.
• Duck Jump:
  • After 50 frames, Duck Jump can be cancelled with an attack or air dodge, though Duck Hunt will still be helpless afterwards.
  • If Duck Hunt gets hit by a windbox or an attack that deals no knockback (like Fox's laser) after cancelling Duck Jump but before entering helpless state, Duck Jump can be used again. This can be repeated indefinitely.
• Wild Gunman:
  • The Wild Gunmen's eyes flash before they are about to shoot, instead of flashing immediately after spawning.
  • Wild Gunman has less ending lag (FAF 45 → 42).
  • Each Gunman fires three frames earlier.
  • Each Gunman deals 4% more damage (4%-7% → 8%-11%) with no compensation on knockback, granting them KO potential at high percents, especially the Sombrero Gunman.
  • When a Gunman is defeated, it will take longer for him to disappear and for another Gunman to be spawned.
    • However, the Gunman's defeated body has a tangible hurtbox, which allows Duck Hunt to use it as a shield from projectile attacks.
  • The Wild Gunmen have visual bullet tracers when shooting their guns, allowing players to see how far each gunman will shoot.
  • The Gunmen have a soft, CRT-like glow.
• NES Zapper Posse:
  • NES Zapper Posse has a larger hitbox.
  • It has altered knockback (60 base/180 scaling → 70/160), dealing less knockback overall and KOing later even at the ledge.

Update history

Aside from glitch fixes, Duck Hunt have received a mix of buffs and nerfs from game updates.

1.2.0

• Duck Hunt have been affected, although the changes are currently unknown.

2.0.0

• Fixed a game crash along with Mii Swordfighter where Wild Gunman and the Mii Swordfighter’s special moves were used at the same time.
• Corrupt save data occurs along with Mii Swordfighter if they play Century Smash.
• Trick Shot has less endlag (FAF 46 → 42).
• Clay Shooting has more endlag (FAF 61 → 64).
• Clay Shooting causes less hitlag (1× → 0.5×/0.2× (hit 1/2-3)).

3.0.0

• Trick Shot deals less shield damage (0 → -0.9/-1/-5 (reticle/impact/explosion).
  • However, this also makes it safer for Duck Hunt to shield the can himself (after the opponent hits it back for example).
• Clay Shooting deals less shield damage (0 → -1 (clay impact), -0.9 (reticle), -1.3/-1.5 (clay break, hits 1-2/3)).
• The shots from Wild Gunman will no longer sometimes go through opponents.

3.1.0

• Up aerial's first hit connects more reliably into the second (angle: 80° → 95°; knockback: 25 fixed/80 scaling → 50/100).

7.0.0

• Overall shield size has been increased.
• Neutral infinite's hits inflict 2 additional frames of hitstun, preventing opponents from shielding before the finisher comes out.

8.0.0

• Standing and rolling techs have one frame more ending lag (FAF 26 → 27 (standing), 40 → 41 (rolling)), matching the rest of the cast.

9.0.2

• Fixed an issue where Duck Hunt's momentum after using Wild Gunman in the air was different from what was intended.

10.1.0

• Forward smash's first two hits have received various adjustments that allow the move to connect more reliably:
  • Both hits have lower hitlag (1.0x (both) → 0.75x (hit 1)/0.5x (hit 2)).
  • The second hit sends at a lower angle (45° → 30°) and has lower set knockback (70 → 60).

11.0.0

• A bug that allowed the reticles on Duck Hunt's smash attacks to activate twice was removed.

Moveset

• Duck Hunt can crawl and wall jump.

For a gallery of Duck Hunt's hitboxes, see here.

Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the 1v1 multiplier.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack		Scratch (ひっかき) / Headbutt (頭突き) / Double-Footed Kick (両足蹴り) / Woodpecker Rush (キツツキラッシュ) / Duck Finish (ダックフィニッシュ)	1.5%	The dog performs a paw swipe, followed by a headbutt, followed by a dropkick performed from the baby freeze (a variation of the freeze breakdancing move). If button mashed, the duck pecks repeatedly at alternating angles and then thrusts its wings and beak forward. The first two hits can lock.
			1.5%
			5%
			0.4% (loop), 3% (last)
Forward tilt		Duck Attack (ダックアタック)	8%	The dog leans on his chest and forepaws in order to thrust his lower back forward and propel the duck, who performs a peck. It can be angled and is decent for spacing, while its horizontal angle allows it to propel Trick Shot's tin can a long-distance forward while it is in front of themselves.
Up tilt		Feather Attack (羽根アタック)	7%	The dog leans on his chest and forepaws in order to thrust his lower back upward and propel the duck, who performs an upward headbutt while thrusting its wings upward. It has a narrow horizontal hitbox, only hitting opponents directly next to the dog.
Down tilt		Duck Leg Sweep (ダック足ばらい)	8%	The dog swings his lower back forward to propel the duck, who performs a turning peck. It is the fastest of Duck Hunt's tilts at frame 6, and can send opponents into a tumble starting around 40%, which can create tech chase situations.
Dash attack		Dash Thrust (ダッシュ突き)	10% (clean), 7% (late)	The dog slides forwards and propel the duck, who performs a peck. It covers a fair amount of distance and its very high base knockback makes it decent at warding off an opponent. However, it has noticeable ending lag. The late hit knocks the opponent over and behind Duck Hunt.
Forward smash		Zapper (ザッパー)	4% (hits 1 and 2), 9% (hit 3)	The dog and duck look forward before the NES Zapper fires three shots in front of them while they comically flail around frightened. It is a semi-spike and the longer it is charged, the larger its range becomes. However, its first two hits are unreliable, as their angles and very high knockback growth can occasionally launch opponents too early, and thus allow them to evade its last hit. It is the slowest of Duck Hunt's smashes at frame 17. This move can be angled.
Up smash		Anti-Air Zapper (対空ザッパー)	2.5% (hits 1 and 2), 10% (hit 3)	The dog and duck look upward before the NES Zapper fires three shots above them while they comically dodge the shots frightened. Like forward smash, its range increases the longer it is charged. Although its first two hits are unreliable because of their angles and very high knockback growth, they are slightly more reliable compared to forward smash and down smash's first two hits.
Down smash		Defense Zapper (防衛ザッパー)	5% (hits 1 and 2), 6% (hit 3)	The dog and duck look at the ground before the NES Zapper fires three shots around them while they comically dodge the shots frightened. Its first and last hits are in front of the dog, while the second hit is behind him. Its last hit launches the opponent behind the dog, and as a result, Duck Hunt must face away from the edge when attempting to use this move in order to properly launch the opponent off-stage. Like forward and up smashes, its range increases the longer it is charged, but its first two hits are unreliable because of their angles and very high knockback growth.
Neutral aerial		Bow-Wow Wheel (ワンワン車輪)	11% (clean), 5% (late)	The dog performs an aerial cartwheel. It functions like a sex kick and is tied with up aerial for Duck Hunt's fastest aerial in terms of startup at frame 6, though the move's long ending lag can result in a self-destruct if used carelessly offstage.
Forward aerial		Duck Shoot (ダックシュート)	6.5% (duck), 10% (duck's beak, clean), 7.5% (duck's beak, late)	The dog thrusts his lower back forward to propel the duck, who performs a corkscrew peck. It is useful for spacing, edgeguarding, and combos. However, its sweetspot's average damage output and knockback growth make it unsuitable for KOing outright.
Back aerial		Rear Duck Shoot (後方ダックシュート)	10% (duck), 12.5% (duck's beak)	The dog thrusts his lower back backward to propel the duck, who performs a turning peck. The sweetspot on the duck's beak is Duck Hunt's strongest aerial, KOing Mario at 105% from the edge of Final Destination.
Up aerial		Wild Duck (暴れダック)	3% (hits 1 and 2), 6% (hit 3)	The duck pecks upward three times while carrying the dog in tow. It is tied with neutral aerial for Duck Hunt's fastest aerial in terms of startup at frame 6. The last hit's respectable knockback makes this a viable KO option off the top blast line at higher percents.
Down aerial		Cooperation Meteor (協力メテオ)	5% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2)	The dog somersaults to perform a headbutt, followed by the duck immediately performing a somersaulting peck. The second hit can meteor smash aerial opponents.
Grab		Grab (つかみ)	—	The dog bites the opponent and holds them with his mouth.
Pummel		Grab Duck Headbutt (つかみダック頭突き)	1.2%	The duck headbutts the opponent.
Forward throw		Bow-Wow Throw (ワンワン投げ)	8%	The dog rears his head back and sways it forward to throw the opponent. It is mainly useful for tossing the opponent into Trick Shot or setting up edgeguards, only KOing Mario around 190% from the edge of Final Destination.
Back throw		Back Bow-Wow Throw (後ろワンワン投げ)	9%	The dog spins around to throw the opponent. It is Duck Hunt's most damaging throw, but has lower knockback than forward throw, failing to KO Mario below 200% from the edge of Final Destination, and is mostly useful for setting up edgeguards or throwing opponents into Trick Shot.
Up throw		Double-Footed Bow-Wow Throw げ(両足ワンワン投)	6%	The dog performs a handstand kick. It has low knockback growth, KOing Mario from the top platform of Battlefield around 180%.
Down throw		Bow-Wow Slam (ワンワン叩きつけ)	5%	The dog sways his head downward to slam the opponent onto the ground. It is Duck Hunt's least damaging throw, but can function as a set-up into any of their aerials at mid to high percents.
Floor attack (front)			7%	The duck pecks on either side of the dog.
Floor attack (back)			7%	The duck headbutts behind the dog and then in front of the dog.
Floor attack (trip)			5%	The duck pecks behind the dog and then in front of the dog.
Edge attack			9%	The dog climbs up and leans on his chest and forepaws in order to thrust his lower back forward to propel the duck, who performs a peck.
Neutral special		Trick Shot	10% (explosion), 1.8% (shots), 1.8%-4.4% (contact)	The dog kicks away a tin can from the Hogan's Alley game mode of the same name. The can is explosive and subsequent neutral special button presses cause the NES Zapper to shoot the can forward. After 9 button presses, the can starts to emit smoke and will then explode. The can is also capable of being manipulated by the dog and duck's attacks, with its tilt attacks being especially useful in this regard. However, this also applies to the opponent's attacks. Overall, it is Duck Hunt's most versatile projectile, and their most useful edge-guarding option. It is active starting on frame 1, making it useful for interrupting combos, though the explosion can also damage Duck Hunt. Although its explosion has very high knockback growth, it lacks KO potential out of edge-guarding because of its average damage output and low base knockback.
Side special		Clay Shooting	2% (clay pigeon), 1.8% (shot 1), 2.5% (shots 2-4) 3% (shot 5)	The dog throws a clay pigeon, based on the Clay Shooting sub-game (Game C) from Duck Hunt. It has two flight trajectories: a slow, higher arc and a faster, straight arc. Moving while performing the move initiates the former, whereas standing still and performing the move initiates the latter. Pressing the special button again causes the NES Zapper to destroy it with 5 quick shots, making it a natural combo. It is useful for hindering approaches, but can also act as a set-up into a dash attack from 0% to medium percentages, or into a forward aerial at high percentages. Although somewhat situational, the clay pigeon can also act as a makeshift landmine by allowing it to land on the ground, and then destroying it to surprise an opponent. Alternatively, Duck Hunt can attack the pigeon, causing it to explode into fragments that will damage nearby opponents. However, opponents can attack the pigeon as well, which will damage Duck Hunt.
Up special		Duck Jump	—	The duck flies upward while carrying the dog before getting tired and falling to the ground. It is maneuverable and covers a decent amount of vertical and horizontal distance depending on how it is maneuvered. After a short while, Duck Hunt can interrupt the move with an attack or an air dodge, but doing so will render them helpless.
Down special		Wild Gunman	8%-11%	The dog summons an 8-bit version of one of the five gunmen from Wild Gunman. Each gunman will fire their gun after a set amount of time and then disappear in a puff of smoke. Each gunman's firing time, damage output, knockback growth, and launching angle varies. The gunmen can also block attacks, but if any of them receive at least 5%, they will fall and not fire their guns. Once a gunman falls, Duck Hunt must wait very briefly before they can summon another one.
Final Smash		NES Zapper Posse	5% (flock of ducks), 10% (gunmen's initial shots), 24% (gunmen's final shots), 6% (ending)	The dog barks to call in a flock of 8-bit ducks. The flock tackles the opponent, launching them into a Wild West-styled field from Wild Gunman. The opponent is then repeatedly fired at by the gunmen, who are also shooting at the cardboard cutout gangsters and tin cans from Hogan's Alley.

Announcer call

This article could use additional or higher-quality audio files. The editor who added this tag suggests: Needs announcer calls from other languages. If you have a good audio file for this article, upload it here.

In European versions, the announcer refers to Duck Hunt as a duo.

• North American/Japanese/Chinese

• European

• French

• French (PAL)

• Russian

On-screen appearance

• The dog leaps into an 8-bit sprite of grass with the duck on his back before they both rise from the grass while the dog performs his signature laugh. The grass then disappears in a puff of smoke.

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  Duck Hunt's on-screen appearance

Taunts

• Up taunt: The dog performs a frontal handstand, while the duck balances on one of the hind legs and quacks negatively in response.
• Side taunt: The dog lays on his side and does his infamous laugh, while the duck flies next to him.
• Down taunt: The dog stands on his back legs and does a dance.

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  Duck Hunt's up taunt.

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  Duck Hunt's side taunt.

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  Duck Hunt's down taunt.

Idle poses

• The dog and the duck sniff the ground.
• The dog scratches his ear.

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  Duck Hunt's first idle pose.

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  Duck Hunt's second idle pose.

Crowd cheer

	Cheer (English)	Cheer (Japanese/Chinese)	Cheer (Italian)	Cheer (Dutch)	Cheer (French)
Cheer
Description	Duck - Hunt! Duck - Hunt Duo!	Duck Hun - to!	Duo - Duck - Hunt!	Duck! *clap* Hunt! *clap*	Duck - Hunt!

	Cheer (German)	Cheer (Spanish)	Cheer (Russian)	Cheer (Korean)
Cheer
Description	Duck - Hunt - Duo!	Duck - Hunt! Rah - Rah - Rah! Duo - Duck - Hunt! Duo - Duck - Hunt!	Duet - Duck - Hunt!

Victory poses

• Left: The dog jumps into a patch of 8-bit grass. He then, along with the duck, pops up from the grass and proceeds to do his signature laugh.
• Up: Runs on screen and turns around to kick away a can from Hogan's Alley. He then assumes a pose in which he stands on his left hind leg while raising his right and brings his front legs towards himself.
• Right: Summons a Wild Gunman to shoot to the left, then another one to shoot to the right. He then continuously holds the pose used to summon them. The Wild Gunmen don't appear in Team Battles.

The jingle that plays before a new game starts in Duck Hunt, slightly sped up. It begins with the original 8-bit rendition, then transitions to a remixed version for the rest of the theme.

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In competitive play

Tier placement and history

In the early metagame, most players believed Duck Hunt were worse than they were in SSB4 due to Ultimate's game mechanics encouraging more aggressive gameplay, which contrasted Duck Hunt's more campy playstyle. Despite this, Duck Hunt's playerbase, most notably Raito, showed that their buffs from SSB4 ensured their viability. As a result, Duck Hunt's perception in the community improved, with most people believing that they were as viable as they were in SSB4.

However, Duck Hunt's results have since seen a slow decline, due to their playerbase stagnating and Raito's results declining. When coupled with Duck Hunt's worst flaws remaining mostly unaddressed, such as their mediocre KO potential and below-average ground game, the current consensus is that they are lower mid tier characters, ranking 67th on the first and current tier list.

Most historically significant players

See also:Category:Duck Hunt players (SSBU)

•  embo_z - One of the best Duck Hunt players in the United States. Placed 9th at Daddy’s Den X Supreme, 13th at MAJOR UPSET, and 13th at Back in Blood 5 with wins on the likes of Big D, BassMage, and JDV. Currently ranked 4th on the Washington Power Rankings.
•  fawn - One of the best Duck Hunt players in the United States. Placed 3rd at Xanadu Homecoming - Xanadu 500 Edition, 5th at Peabnut and the Cacophonous Clash with the Cantankerous Canines!, and 33rd at Collision 2023 with wins over the likes of quiK, Samsora, and skittles. Currently ranked 3rd on the New York City Power Rankings.
•  Ozone - One of the best Duck Hunt players in the United States when he was active. Placed 5th at Paradigm Shift, 7th at Guardian I, 9th at Midwest Arena, and 49th at Smash 'N' Splash 5 with wins over players such as Dark Wizzy, Myran, and Mr. E. Currently ranked 7th on the Michigan Ultimate Power Rankings.
•  Raito - The best Duck Hunt player in the world. Placed 3rd at Albion 4, Umebura Japan Major 2019 and Umebura SP 7, as well as 5th at both EVO 2019 and EVO Japan 2020 with wins over players such as Abadango, Dabuz, and Shuton. Ranked 17th on the Fall 2019 PGRU.
•  Sekai Doggo - The best Duck Hunt player in South America. Placed 1st at Ultra Hard, 4th at Royalty 3, 7th at Iwanna Torneo Nacional!, 9th at Smash Chile - Civil War, and 49th at Glitch 8 with wins over players such as ApolloKage, Keen and PeW. Currently ranked 10th on Chilean Power Rankings.
•  SkWiirrel - The best Duck Hunt player in Europe. Placed 25th at both Temple: Hermès Edition, VCA 2021 and Ultimate WANTED 3 and 33rd at Albion 4 and VCA 2019 with wins over players such as Elexiao, Jaka, and yetey. Currently ranked 3rd on the Austrian Power Rankings.
•  Wisdom - One of the best Duck Hunt players in the United States in the early metagame. Placed 5th at LEVELUP Arena 2, 7th at Standoff 2019, 9th at Smash Out 2019, 13th at Heartland Showdown 2020, and 33rd at Riptide with wins over players such as Dark Wizzy, Fatality, and SKITTLES!!.

Classic Mode: Dog, Duck, Zapper

Duck Hunt's congratulations screen.

Duck Hunt's opponents are animals, or in the case of the Mii Fighters, humans wearing animal costumes. All the stages are grass and nature-themed stages, except for round 6, which instead references Duck Hunt being a dog like the Nintendogs. Due to being an animal, Rathalos also fits this theme and is fought as the final boss of their route.

Round	Opponent	Stage	Music	Notes
1	Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong	Kongo Jungle	Swinger Flinger
2	Sonic	Windy Hill Zone	Wonder World
3	Fox, Falco, and Wolf	Garden of Hope	Garden of Hope (Remix)
4	Giant King K. Rool	Kongo Falls	Snakey Chantey
5	Mii Brawler (x2), Mii Gunner (x2), and Mii Swordfighter	Green Greens	Floral Fields	Horde Battle. Mii Brawler costume combinations: Cat Hat and Cat Suit (x2) Mii Gunner costumes: Bear Hat and Bear Suit (x2) Mii Swordfighter costumes: Monkey Hat and Monkey Suit
6	Duck Hunt (x6)	Living Room	Duck Hunt Medley (for 3DS / Wii U)	Horde Battle. If any of these costumes are being used by the player, the default Duck Hunt takes their place.
Bonus Stage
Final	Rathalos	Forest Hill	Roar/Rathalos

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Duck Hunt has Duck Hunt Medley (for 3DS / Wii U) accompany the credits.

Role in World of Light

Finding Duck Hunt in World of Light

Duck Hunt were among the fighters that were summoned to fight the army of Master Hands.

During the opening cutscene, Duck Hunt were present on the cliffside when Galeem unleashed his beams of light. The duo was seen panicking alongside Villager and a composed Wii Fit Trainer, with the dog covering his eyes and the duck attempting to lift the dog off the ground with Duck Jump. The duo was then placed under Galeem's imprisonment alongside the rest of the fighters, excluding Kirby.

In the mode proper, Duck Hunt can be found inside a forest covered in fog to be challenged and recruited.

Fighter Battle

No.	Image	Name	Type	Power	Stage	Music
59		Duck Hunt	Grab	3,300	Duck Hunt (Ω form)	Duck Hunt Medley

Spirit

Duck Hunt's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Duck Hunt has been unlocked. Unlocking Duck Hunt in World of Light allows the player to preview the spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Their fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with their artwork in Ultimate.

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  974. Duck Hunt

In Spirit Battles

As the main opponents

Spirit				Battle parameters							Inspiration
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music	Character
122		Polterpup	Luigi's Mansion Series	•Clear Duck Hunt		3,600	Luigi's Mansion	N/A	•The enemy is invisible	On the Hunt - Gloomy Manor Ver.- (Instrumental)
152		Squawks	Donkey Kong Series	•Duck Hunt		4,400	The Great Cave Offensive	•Hazard: Fog	•The stage is covered in fog •Timed battle (1:30)	Ice Cave Chant
322		Yarn Poochy	Yoshi Series	•Duck Hunt Team		4,600	Yoshi's Island	•Hazard: Lava Floor	•The floor is lava •The enemy can deal damage by dashing into you	Main Theme - Yoshi's Woolly World (Remix)	Yarn Poochy and Poochy Pups
435		Arcanine	Pokémon Series	•Giant Duck Hunt		4,600	Gaur Plain (Battlefield form)	•Hazard: Lava Floor	•The floor is lava •The enemy is giant •The enemy has increased move speed	Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue Medley
583		Boney	EarthBound Series	•Duck Hunt •Lucas		1,500	Onett	N/A	•Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle	Mother 3 Love Theme
712		Twinbellows	Kid Icarus Series	•Giant Duck Hunt		4,100	Find Mii (Ω form)	•Curry-Filled	•The enemy breathes fire •The enemy is giant	Boss Fight 1 - Kid Icarus: Uprising
831		DJ K.K.	Animal Crossing Series	•Duck Hunt •Villager		3,900	Fourside	•Assist Trophy Enemies (Squid Sisters) •Temporary Invincibility	•Defeat the main fighter to win •The enemy will occasionally be invincible after a little while •Hostile assist trophies will appear after a little while	2:00 a.m. - Animal Crossing: Wild World
841		Copper & Booker	Animal Crossing Series	•Duck Hunt •Duck Hunt		2,600	Bridge of Eldin	N/A	•The enemy shields often •The enemy's shield has extra durability •The enemy has increased defense when badly damaged	Tour - Animal Crossing: New Leaf	Copper (tan costume) Booker (black costume)
975		Wild Gunman	Wild Gunman	•Duck Hunt Team		3,400	Gerudo Valley (Ω form)	•Temporary Invincibility •Item: Shooting Types	•Start with 300% damage •All fighters will occasionally be invincible •Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd	Dillon's Rolling Western: The Last Ranger
1,199		Baxter & Forthington	Rhythm Heaven Series Rhythm Paradise Series	•Duck Hunt •Tiny Incineroar		1,500	Pilotwings	•Item: Throwing Types	•The enemy is easily distracted by items	Monkey Watch	Baxter
1,255		French Bulldog	Nintendogs Series	•Duck Hunt		3,400	Living Room	•Assist Trophy Enemies (Nintendog)	•Hostile assist trophies will appear	Bathtime Theme
1,275		Inuji Darumeshi	Darumeshi Sports Store	•Duck Hunt		1,900	Saffron City (Battlefield form)	•Item: Beastball	•The enemy is easily distracted by items	Title Theme - Nintendo Badge Arcade
1,276		Rusty Slugger	Rusty's Real Deal Baseball	•Duck Hunt		1,900	Fourside (Battlefield form)	•Item: Home-Run Bat	•The enemy is easily distracted by items	Title Theme - Nintendo Badge Arcade
1,443		Red XIII	FINAL FANTASY Series	•Duck Hunt		3,400	Gerudo Valley	•Uncontrollable Speed	•The enemy is very fast and can't stop quickly when the enemy's at high damage •The enemy can deal damage by dashing into you •The enemy has increased move speed and reduced weight	Cosmo Canyon
1,469		Palamute	MONSTER HUNTER Series	•Duck Hunt •Mii Swordfighter (Moveset 3133, Ninja Headband, Black Ninja Suit)		3,400	Gaur Plain (hazards off)	•Move Speed ↑	•The enemy has increased move speed when the enemy's at high damage •The enemy favors dash attacks •The enemy starts the battle with a Killing Edge	Proof of a Hero ~ 4Version
				•Duck Hunt •Mii Swordfighter (Moveset 3133, Hunter's Helm, Hunter's Mail)

As minions

Spirit				Battle parameters							Inspiration
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music	Character
525		Cobalion, Terrakion, & Virizion	Pokémon Series	•Lucario •Duck Hunt •Yoshi		9,000	Kalos Pokémon League	N/A	•The enemy's melee weapons have increased power •The enemy can unleash powerful critical hits at random •The enemy starts the battle with a Beam Sword	N's Castle	Terrakion
866		Bass	Mega Man Series	•Mega Man (120 HP) •Metal Duck Hunt (60 HP)		9,100	Wily Castle (Battlefield form)	N/A	•Stamina battle •The enemy's shooting items have increased power •The enemy is metal	We're Robots (Dr. Wily Stage 2)	Treble
1,130		Donbe & Hikari	Famicom Mukashibanashi Series	•Young Link •Villager •Falco •Diddy Kong •Duck Hunt		3,500	Duck Hunt (hazards off)	N/A	•Defeat an army of fighters	Shin Onigashima Medley	Ringo
1,417		Byte & Barq	ARMS	•Mega Man •Metal Duck Hunt		1,600	Spring Stadium	N/A	•Defeat the main fighter to win •The enemy is metal	Buster Beach	Barq

As allies

Spirit				Battle parameters							Inspiration
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music	Character
1,254		Toy Poodle	Nintendogs Series	•Wolf ×3 •Ally: Duck Hunt		3,900	Living Room	•Assist Trophy Enemies (Nintendog)	•Join forces with a CPU ally •Hostile assist trophies will appear •The enemy has increased move speed	Bathtime Theme	Toy Poodle

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Duck Hunt's fighter card.

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  Duck Hunt's unlock notice.

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  Taunting on their titular stage.

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  Dashing ahead of Ike and toward a Smart Bomb on Spirit Train.

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  Hitting Toon Link with their neutral infinite on The Great Cave Offensive.

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  Crouching alongside Falco on Tortimer Island.

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  Sidestepping on The Great Cave Offensive.

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  Several Duck Hunts on Mario Galaxy.

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  Taunting alongside the Nintendog on Dream Land.

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  Idling alongside Mr. Game & Watch on Tortimer Island.

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  Using Duck Jump alongside Villager's Balloon Trip on Mario Galaxy.

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  Alongside Chef Kawasaki on Mushroom Kingdom U.

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  Crouching alongside Banjo & Kazooie on Windy Hill Zone.

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  Alongside Sora on Battlefield.

Trivia

• Duck Hunt are the only fighters who travel to Living Room in Classic Mode.
• If Duck Hunt are hit by Max Malicious Moonsault, the duck's wings will be spread out in a t-pose fashion.
  • This also happens if a directional air dodge is used or when caught by an attack with a special grabbing animation. This is also true with the latter in SSB4.
• Duck Hunt are the only characters who face all of the Star Fox fighters in the same round in their route.
  • They are also the only characters to face all of the Donkey Kong fighters in their route, albeit in different Rounds.
• There's a graphical error with Duck Hunt's on-screen appearance when done facing the left. The smoke effects appear behind the 8-bit grass instead of in front of it.
• Duck Hunt's slowest walking speed animation has the dog walk close to the ground, and visibly sniff the ground. This is a reference to the animation that plays at the start of a round of Duck Hunt.
• Despite not being present in Team Battles, Wild Gunman's appearance and firing sound effects can still be heard if Duck Hunt are the leading fighters of a winning team.
• Duck Hunt, Peach, Zelda, Falco, Olimar, and Dark Pit are the only fighters to appear as allies in spirit battles.
• In European Spanish, European French, German, and Italian, the name tag and voice clip from the Announcer on the victory screen is slightly different from the one used on the character select screen. Instead, a noticeable translation of "the" is featured (el Dúo Duck Hunt, le Duo Duck Hunt, das Duck Hunt Duo, il Duo Duck Hunt). This trait is shared with Wii Fit Trainer, Pokémon Trainer, Villager, Ice Climbers, Inkling, Hero, and the Mii Fighters. Additionally, Duck Hunt and King Dedede are the only fighters to have this trait in the European versions, but not in the American version.
• Duck Hunt, the Ice Climbers, Daisy, Ken, R.O.B. and Cloud are only non-DLC characters who do not appear in more than one spirit battle from their respective home universes. Dr. Mario does not appear in any Mario universe spirit battles at all. This is not counting Olimar, who appears only in Mockiwi spirit battle as himself, but is fought in other spirit battles with Alph taking his place.
  • While the Mii Fighters technically represent the Super Smash Bros. universe, they appear in most of the Mii-related spirit battles.
• If the player is only using VS. matches to unlock characters, like in SSB4, the Duck Hunt universe is the final one with playable representation to appear. Duck Hunt are the penultimate characters to unlock in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (with the final being Jigglypuff, whose universe already has unlocked playable representation in Pikachu, Charizard, Lucario, and Greninja), the final characters to unlock in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and in Ultimate, all other characters that follow Duck Hunt in the timed encounters are from universes that have already appeared.
• Unlike in SSB4, the duck does not blink in any animations that the dog does. This is similar to a situation in SSB4 where R.O.B. does not emote in the Wii U version's Versus Mode.
  • However, if Duck Hunt are trapped in a bind pose, the duck can be seen blinking.
• In almost all of their spirit battles, Duck Hunt is solely representing dog characters. Squawks' battle is the only one where Duck Hunt represents a bird character.
• Unlike other Sound Tests with multiple characters in them (such as Popo & Nana, Pikmin & Winged Pikmin, and Banjo & Kazooie), Duck Hunt's voice clips are not split between the dog and duck, nor are their clips given specific designations. The Sound Test first lists the dog's four barking clips, followed by the duck's two quacking clips, followed by the dog's star KO voice clip.