Lucario (SSBU)/Back roll

Lucario's backward roll

Backward roll evasion

Backward roll evading Mewtwo's attacks after an aerial on-block

Canceling backward roll with a Roll Cancel Item Toss

Aura Sphere Charge canceled into Backward Roll

ASC → RCIT showcase! [Aura Sphere Charge into Roll Cancel Item Toss]

A variant from the ASC → RCIT. Aura Sphere Charge canceled into Roll Cancel Item Drop.

Overview

Leaning backward, Lucario brings its arms and paws close together while pushing off with the right foot to step back while evading an oncoming attack. Eventually, Lucario closes its eyes briefly as it regains its footing once again, opening its eyes and returning to its idle animation with its left paw and leg in front.

Like forward roll, back roll's merits are about the same, but less prominent. They include:

• safely disengaging away from an approach should the moment be deemed too risky
• successful reset to neutral game after pressuring shield
• potential technique usage in the form of Roll Canceled Item Toss

And just like forward roll to Lucario, back roll also benefits from a couple of things. While grounded, Lucario can roll backward to cancel Aura Sphere charging, but the roll itself cannot be canceled into anything except a RCIT in any desired direction. Otherwise, the other merit is using it after successful shield pressure with neutral air in case no further advantage is attainable. Neutral air already good even at low levels of aura, and since it's –2 on block even at just 0%, this means the higher aura grows only makes a neutral air into back roll sequence better and safer. Pressuring shield or simply witling a shield bit by bit promotes more backward roll usage.. as long as it's not overused and predictable of course. Pressuring with neutral air on block in front of the opponent especially leads to back roll being generally safe. As a result, Lucario can reset to neutral game more reliably, even when getting close enough to poke shield with neutral air, forward air, or from a cross-up like back air.

As already mentioned, back roll comes with innate benefits with a technique like RCIT. It's not possible to roll backward and RCG, or cancel the roll any other way from a dash.. regardless if it's normal or a turnaround. Still, it is possible with RCIT. Since Lucario has one of the best initial dash speeds in the game, this can be a mix-up that can be used if desired. So whether canceling Aura Sphere charging is preferred, or a back roll canceled on its own with RCIT, either way is possible. In just those few frames(2-3) after the roll, back roll into RCIT is surprisingly okay. Otherwise, RCIT isn't as noteworthy since it doesn't provide Lucario with much boost to its respective movement.

Timing

Staled x0, fresh use

Item toss window	2-3
Intangibility	5-16
Interruptible	35
Animation length	36

Staled x1

Item toss window	2-3
Intangibility	5-14
Interruptible	39
Animation length	40

Staled x2

Item toss window	2-3
Intangibility	6-14
Interruptible	42
Animation length	43

Staled x3

Item toss window	2-3
Intangibility	7-14
Interruptible	46
Animation length	47

Staled x4

Item toss window	2-3
Intangibility	8-14
Interruptible	49
Animation length	51

Staled x5, max staling

Item toss window	2-3
Intangibility	9-14
Interruptible	52
Animation length	54

Legend (1 square = 1 frame)

Vulnerable

Intangible

Continuable

Interruptible

Trivia

Back roll's hurtbox shifting with the back step

Lucario's backward roll with staling showcased

• Backward rolls were designed to be a tad worse than forward rolls. Even so, Lucario's back roll is still considered to be upper-mid compared to the cast (startup, intangibility, and ending lag.) In terms of distance, it's approximately 31.66 units, which is tied with Ivysaur ranked the 41-42nd best.
  • Compared to forward roll, Lucario very slightly travels less distance. However, the initial distance Lucario travels backward during the startup from frames 1-5 is significant enough that it can evade a move that bests spot dodge's intangibility. (E.g. Sora's meaty forward smash lasting five active frames.)
    • While both rolls don't stale in total distance traveled, and that both slower intangible startup with less intangibility is bad.. back roll's significant hurtbox shift from a back step becomes hindered more by staling, Lucario will step back less distance during the startup, which is already staled as late as frame 9 intangibility when max staled.
• Slightly different from a forward roll, Lucario can roll backward during either a forward-facing initial dash, or a turnaround dash. Instead of only being from frames 2-5, a back roll input can work during frames 2-6. Afterwards, Lucario can only make use of RCIT if an item is held.
  • With or without a dash, back roll can progress further with an advanced technique called Roll Cancel Item Toss, or RCIT for short. RCIT cancels the initial frames of back roll by throwing an item with very precise timing. Cancelation is only possible between frames 2-3.
  • Unfortunately, unlike forward roll, back roll cannot progress further with depth Roll Cancel Grab, or RCG for short. RCG cannot cancel back roll at all.

Lucario's moveset

Neutral attack (1 · 2 · 3) · Forward tilt · Up tilt · Down tilt · Dash attack · Forward smash · Up smash · Down smash
Neutral aerial · Forward aerial · Back aerial · Up aerial · Down aerial
Grab · Pummel · Forward throw · Back throw · Up throw · Down throw
Forward roll · Back roll · Spot dodge · Air dodge · Techs
Floor attack (front) · Floor getups (front) · Floor attack (back) · Floor getups (back) · Floor attack (trip) · Floor getups (trip)
Edge attack · Edge getups
Neutral special · Side special · Up special · Down special · Final Smash