Indirect
In the sticker system used by Super Smash Bros. Brawl, some attacks are coded as being indirect (stickers display them as Specials: Indirect in NTSC and Indirect in PAL). Generally this indicates that an attack is a projectile or is similarly long-ranged and not involving hand-to-hand contact; despite the name, they do not have to be part of a special move.
The main effect of indirect attacks is that most enemies in The Subspace Emissary resist them to a small degree. This is presumed to encourage close-range combat as opposed to camping and turtling to defeat enemies in the mode. The only enemies to not resist them are Floows and the bosses Master Hand, Crazy Hand, Porky, Meta Ridley, and Tabuu. Indirect attacks also affect certain items: Uniras are not moved or dislodged by indirect attacks, and Metal Boxes do not activate when struck by one.
List of indirect attacks by characters[edit]
Character | Attack | Notes |
---|---|---|
Banjo & Kazooie | Egg Firing / Breegull Blaster | |
Shock Spring Jump | aerial version, falling pad | |
Rear Egg | ||
Bayonetta | Bullet Arts | |
Bullet Climax | ||
forward smash | ||
up smash | ||
down smash | ||
Bowser | Fire Breath | |
Bowser Jr. | Clown Cannon | |
Abandon Ship! | clown car, explosion | |
Mechakoopa | ||
Shadow Mario Paint | ||
Byleth | neutral aerial | landing |
Failnaught | ||
Aymr | shockwave | |
Captain Falcon | down smash | hit 1 interior |
Charizard | forward aerial | |
Flamethrower | ||
Rock Smash | fragments | |
Mega Charizard X | Dragon Rush and Fire Blast | |
Chrom | Awakening Aether | |
Cloud | Blade Beam | |
Omnislash | for the normal version, every hit except the final aerial slash and landing; for Ver. 5, only the dash and initial hit | |
Corrin | Dragon Fang Shot | water ball |
Dragon Ascent | surrounding water when initiating the move | |
Daisy | Vegetable | |
Dark Pit | Silver Bow | |
Guardian Orbitars | ||
Dark Pit Staff | ||
Dark Samus | Charge Shot | |
Missile | both types | |
Bomb | ||
Phazon Laser | except arm cannon at start | |
Diddy Kong | Peanut Popgun | peanut, thrown |
Rocketbarrel Boost | hit 1, loose barrels | |
Rocketbarrel Barrage | ram | |
Banana Peel | ||
Hyper Rocketbarrel | ||
Donkey Kong | Hand Slap | only the grounded version |
Konga Beat | ||
Dr. Mario | forward smash | electricity |
Megavitamins | ||
Doctor Finale | ||
Duck Hunt | Trick Shot | |
Clay Shooting | ||
Wild Gunman | ||
Falco | neutral attack | infinite end wind |
Blaster | ||
Phantasm | ||
Landmaster | shot | |
Fox | neutral attack | infinite end wind |
Blaster | ||
Illusion | ||
Landmaster | shot | |
Giga Bowser | Fire Breath | |
Greninja | Water Shuriken | |
Hydro Pump | ||
Secret Ninja Attack | mat | |
Hero | Frizz / Frizzle / Kafrizz | |
Zap / Zapple / Kazap | for Zap, with sufficient mp only: every hit except last, lightning pillar; for Zapple: every hit except last, lightning pillar; for Kazap: bolt projectile, initial shock, shockwave | |
Woosh / Swoosh / Kaswoosh | ||
Command Selection | Sizz, Sizzle, Bang, Kaboom, Whack, Thwack, Magic Burst, Kamikazee | |
Ice Climbers | Ice Shot | |
Blizzard | ||
Inkling | Splattershot | |
Super Jump | start, landing | |
Splat Bomb | ||
Killer Wail | ||
Isabelle | dash attack | |
forward aerial | ||
back aerial | ||
Lloid Trap | ||
Ivysaur | Bullet Seed | seeds |
Razor Leaf | ||
Joker | Gun / Gun Special | |
Eiha / Eigaon | ||
Kazuya | Devil Blaster | |
Final Blaster | ||
Ken | Hadoken | |
Shippu Jinraikyaku / Shinryuken | only the Shippu Jinraikyaku version, first six kicks | |
King Dedede | Inhale | spit star |
Waddle Dee Toss | ||
Super Dedede Jump | stars | |
Waddle Dee Army | wind | |
Gordo Throw | bouncing gordo | |
Dedede Burst | ||
King K. Rool | Blunderbuss | |
Crownerang | ||
Kirby | Inhale | spit star |
Final Cutter | wave | |
Ultra Sword | ||
copy abilities | any neutral special that is indirect | |
Link | Hero's Bow | |
Gale Boomerang | ||
Bomb | ||
Triforce Slash | ||
forward smash | sword beam | |
Bow and Arrows | ||
Boomerang | ||
Remote Bomb | ||
Ancient Bow and Arrow | ||
Hookshot | ||
Little Mac | Giga Mac Rush | |
Lucario | neutral attack | tip |
down smash | front interior | |
forward smash | tip | |
Aura Sphere | not charging | |
Aura Storm | beam | |
Lucas | up smash | |
down smash | ||
PK Freeze | ||
PK Fire | ||
PK Thunder | thunder projectile | |
PSI Magnet | end | |
PK Starstorm | ||
Lucina | up smash | sides |
Luigi | Fireball | |
grab aerial | ||
Mario | forward smash | fire |
Fireball | ||
F.L.U.D.D. | ||
Mario Finale | ||
Marth | up smash | sides |
Mega Man | neutral attack | pellets |
forward tilt | ||
forward smash | ||
neutral aerial | pellets | |
up aerial | ||
down aerial | ||
Metal Blade | ||
Crash Bomber | ||
Leaf Shield | ||
Mega Legends | black hole bomb explosion | |
Mewtwo | forward smash | tipper |
up smash | ||
down smash | ||
Shadow Ball | ||
Disable | Disable cannot actually hit items in Melee, so it's indirectness is irrelevant | |
Mii Brawler | Shot Put | |
Mii Gunner | forward aerial | |
back aerial | ||
up aerial | ||
Charge Blast | ||
Flame Pillar | ||
Lunar Launch | ||
Laser Blaze | ||
Stealth Burst | ||
Bomb Drop | ||
Grenade Launch | ||
Gunner Missile | ||
Absorbing Vortex | ||
Full Blast | ||
Mii Swordfighter | Gale Strike | |
Shuriken of Light | ||
Chakram | ||
Min Min | forward smash | dragon laser |
forward aerial | smash version, dragon laser | |
back aerial | smash version, dragon laser | |
Punch (neutral special) | grounded Ramram (ring) | |
Punch (side special) | Ramram (ring, both tilt and smash versions) and Dragon (laser) | |
Mr. Game & Watch | neutral attack | end |
Chef | food | |
forward aerial | bomb | |
up aerial | ||
Mythra | Ray of Punishment / Chroma Dust | light projectiles |
Sacred Arrow | falling arrows and beam | |
Ness | dash attack | every hitbox except largest one, ID2 of first hit |
PK Flash | ||
PK Fire | ||
PK Thunder | thunder projectile | |
PSI Magnet | end wind | |
PK Starstorm | ||
Olimar | up smash | |
down smash | ||
Pikmin Throw | Purple, SSE | |
forward smash | ||
Pac-Man | Bonus Fruit | |
Fire Hydrant | ||
Palutena | forward smash | outer windbox |
down smash | outer windboxes | |
up smash | ||
Autoreticle | ||
Explosive Flame | ||
Black Hole Laser | ||
Peach | Toad | |
Vegetable | ||
Pichu | Thunder Jolt | |
Thunder | bolt | |
Pikachu | Thunder Jolt | |
Thunder | bolt | |
Piranha Plant | Ptooie | |
Poison Breath | poison cloud | |
Pit | Palutena's Arrow | |
Palutena's Army | ||
Palutena Bow | ||
Guardian Orbitars | ||
Three Sacred Treasures | ||
Pokémon Trainer | Triple Finish | |
Pyra | Blazing End | spinning aegis sword |
Prominence Revolt | flame pillar | |
Burning Sword | flame pillar | |
R.O.B. | up smash | |
forward smash | ||
neutral aerial | ||
back aerial | ||
down aerial | ||
Robo Beam | ||
Gyro | ||
Diffusion Beam | ||
Super Diffusion Beam | ||
Guided Robo Beam | ||
Richter | Axe | |
Cross | ||
Holy Water | ||
Ridley | Plasma Breath | |
Robin | up smash | with levin sword, sides |
down smash | with levin sword, shockwave | |
Thunder | ||
Arcfire | ||
Elwind | ||
Nosferatu | when it catches an opponent | |
discarded levin sword and tomes | ||
Rosalina & Luma | Star Bits | |
Power Star | ||
Grand Star | ||
Roy | Critical Hit | |
Ryu | Hadoken | also applies to Shakunetsu Hadoken |
Shin Shoryuken / Shinku Hadoken | for Shin Shoryuken, only the first hit | |
Samus | Charge Shot | |
Missile | both types | |
Bomb | ||
Zero Laser | except arm cannon at start | |
Grapple Beam | ||
Sephiroth | Flare / Megaflare / Gigaflare | |
Shadow Flare | ||
Scintilla | ||
Sheik | neutral attack | infinite end wind |
Needle Storm | ||
Light Arrow | hit 1 | |
Burst Grenade | ||
Sheikah Dance | dash | |
Simon | Axe | |
Cross | ||
Holy Water | ||
Snake | up smash | only mortar shot when not exploding |
down smash | ||
forward smash | ||
Hand Grenade | ||
Remote Missile | ||
Cypher | ||
C4 | ||
Grenade Launcher | ||
taunt | ||
Sonic | Spring Jump | falling spring |
Sora | up tilt | low first hit |
up smash | low first hit | |
Magic | all three spells | |
Sealing the Keyhole | ||
Squirtle | up smash | |
Water Gun | charged only | |
Steve | down tilt | |
up smash | ||
down smash | ||
down aerial | ||
Minecart | ||
TNT | ||
Terry | Power Wave | both ground and aerial versions |
Triple Wolf | ||
Power Geyser | ||
Toon Link | Hero's Bow | |
Boomerang | ||
Bomb | ||
Triforce Slash | ||
Villager | dash attack | |
forward smash | ||
up smash | firework | |
forward aerial | ||
back aerial | ||
Lloid Rocket | ||
Timber | watering can, tree, woodchip | |
Wario | forward smash | front |
Chomp | bite, explosion | |
Wario Bike | thrown, tires | |
Wario-Man | up smash | wind |
forward smash | front | |
Chomp | bite, explosion | |
Wario Bike | thrown, tires | |
Wii Fit Trainer | Sun Salutation | |
Header | soccer ball | |
Wii Fit | ||
Wolf | Blaster | laser |
Wolf Flash | during | |
Landmaster | shot | |
Yoshi | Egg Throw | |
Yoshi Bomb | stars | |
Super Dragon | fire breath, fireball | |
Young Link | Fire Arrow | |
Boomerang | ||
Bomb | ||
Triforce Slash | ||
Hookshot | ||
Zelda | up aerial | |
Din's Fire | ||
Light Arrow | hit 1 | |
Phantom Slash | only the dash | |
Zero Suit Samus | down smash | |
up smash | hit 1, whip hits 2-6 | |
forward smash | whip | |
neutral aerial | ||
Paralyzer | ||
Plasma Whip | all but grounded hit 1 | |
Plasma Wire | ||
Power Suit Samus | all but final hit | |
armour pieces | ||
Gunship | ||
Zero Laser | every hit except the final blast |
List of indirect attacks by items[edit]
All items, with the exception of battering items when swung and the Screw Attack, are indirect.