Editing Ness (SSBU)

{{ArticleIcons|ultimate=y}}
{{disambig2|Ness' appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''|the character in other contexts|Ness}}
{{Infobox Character
|name = Ness
|image = [[File:Ness SSBU.png|250px]]
|game = SSBU
|ssbgame1 = SSB
|ssbgame2 = SSBM
|ssbgame3 = SSBB
|ssbgame4 = SSB4
|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]
|tier = B-
|ranking = 44
}}
'''Ness''' ({{ja|ネス|Nesu}}, ''Ness'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was revealed along with the fellow ''EarthBound'' fighter {{SSBU|Lucas}} and all other previous veterans on June 12, 2018. As in the original ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'', ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'', and {{for3ds}}, he is [[unlockable character|unlockable]], instead of being available from the [[starter character|start]]. Ness is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #10]].

{{s|wikipedia|Makiko Ōmoto}}'s portrayal of Ness from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' was repurposed for ''Ultimate''.

Ness is currently ranked 44th out of 82 characters on the ''Ultimate'' [[tier list]], placing him at the top of the B- tier, a slight drop from his 28th/29th place placement out of 54 in ''Smash 4'' (tied with {{SSB4|Lucas}}). Despite this drop in placement, Ness is generally regarded as being at his most viable in ''Ultimate'', owing to his fairly well-rounded design, including useful tools in most phases of the game. He is most notable for his fantastic air game: all of his aerials can autocancel in a short hop, have low landing lag, and are fast, powerful, disjointed, and useful for both racking up damage and KOing. His grab game is also among the best in the cast, as all of his throws have practical uses: His down throw is a viable combo starter, his forward and up throws force opponents in unfavourable situations where they can be juggled or edgeguarded, and his back throw is among the strongest KO throws in the game. Furthermore, Ness' specials all have flexible utility: [[PK Flash]], [[PSI Magnet]], and [[PK Fire]] can all start or extend combos, while the latter can quickly rack up damage and set up strong punishes. Ness's recovery has improved in ''Ultimate'' thanks to buffs to [[PK Thunder]] and PK Thunder 2 — and by virtue of having the longest directional air dodge distance in the game alongside {{SSBU|Lucas}}. 

However, Ness does have some exploitable weaknesses. He suffers from poor grounded mobility and a lack of [[range]] in his normal attacks. Altogether, characters with large and/or [[disjointed hitbox]]es can easily outrange Ness, forcing him to play defensively and leaving him with few options in neutral and at a disadvantage. Because of his slow mobility on the ground, his approach options are also limited, especially when combined with his aforementioned subpar range. Worst of all, despite the improvements to his recovery, it is still exploitable by many characters.

As a result of his strengths and weaknesses, Ness is viewed as a strong but volatile character in competitive play. Players such as {{Sm|Gackt}}, {{Sm|Scend}}, and {{Sm|Syrup}} have seen consistent success with Ness in tournaments.

==How to unlock==
Complete one of the following:
*Play [[VS. match]]es, with Ness being the 1st character to be unlocked.
*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Kirby}} or anyone in his unlock tree, being the 1st character unlocked.
*Have Ness join the player's party in [[World of Light]].
With the exception of the third method, Ness must then be defeated on [[Onett]].

==Attributes==
Ness is a versatile character with strong tools for a variety of situations. Although he has relatively poor ground movement — his [[walking speed]], [[initial dash]], and [[dash]] speed are below average, as well as his [[air speed]] — his aerial movement shines thanks to his excellent [[air acceleration]], above-average [[jump]] height, and unique [[double jump cancel]]ling ability. Further bolstering his aerial game, Ness's low [[gravity]] and low [[falling speed]] allow him to perform multiple aerials in one [[short hop]], and all of his aerial normals can be [[auto-canceling|auto-canceled]]. Ness has three projectiles with numerous applications, including [[juggling]], [[edgeguarding]], and even [[recovery]]. Despite his small stature, Ness is a middleweight, tied with {{SSBU|Lucas}}, {{SSBU|Mii Brawler}}, and {{SSBU|Inkling}}.

Ness's outstanding aerial movement is supported by one of the best sets of aerial normals in the entire game. His neutral aerial activates on frame 5 and functions well as a combo-breaker and out-of-shield option. It also sets up tech chase situations at middle percents and has decent knockback at high percents, making it a viable edgeguarding and KO option.  His forward aerial has a large disjoint and is quite active, making it excellent for starting combos, edgeguarding, and approaching. Ness's new multi-hit up aerial is strong and great for juggling, and its drag-down properties allow Ness to set up grabs, combos, and KOs. Ness's back aerial is fast and very strong when sweetspotted, and his down aerial is a slow-but-powerful meteor smash useful for edgeguarding or starting vertical combos.

Ness's grab and throw game is also outstanding and among the best in the cast. His grab is relatively fast, and all of his throws have useful applications. Ness' down throw is a solid combo starter that will often lead into multiple forward airs, and his forward throw has very high base knockback, allowing Ness to reliably set up edgeguarding situations. Ness's up throw, while not as practical, is a solid mix-up that can set up juggling with PK Thunder or PK Flash. Most notorious, however, is Ness's back throw, which remains the most consistent kill throw in the game.

Ness's ground game, while limited by his poor ground mobility, features some powerful attacks. His forward tilt and dash attack are fast and strong enough to KO at high percents, and the latter has improved range. His up tilt is a good combo tool at low percents and can even KO at higher percents. His down tilt, which is very fast and highly spammable, can be used to two-frame, jab lock, pressure shields, confirm into a grab, or deal immense damage if the opponent is trapped at the ledge. His forward smash (baseball bat) has high start-up and ending lag, but deals very high damage and knockback, especially when sweetspotted with the tip of the bat. The bat is also a [[reflection|reflector]] with a damage multiplier of 2.0 and a speed multiplier of 2.5, giving it the second-highest damage multiplier (after Kazuya's [[Left Splits Kick]]) and the single highest speed multiplier of any reflector in the game, excluding items. Ness's up and down smashes (yo-yo) have significantly improved knockback, deal damage while charging, and can hang below the stage, making them some of the best and easiest-to-use edgeguarding tools in the game.

Ness is perhaps best known for his special moves. His neutral special, [[PK Flash]], is a large projectile that travels in an arc from Ness' head, gaining strength and distance depending on how long the input is held for. Because it has low ending lag and freezes opponents briefly when successful, PK Flash has great utility as a combo starter and juggling tool. It also no longer sends Ness into [[helplessness]], making it useful for knocking opponents away from the ledge while Ness is offstage. Ness's side special, [[PK Fire]], is a tiny projectile that travels a short distance horizontally and bursts into a pillar of flames on contact with an opponent, dealing multiple hits. When used in the air, PK Fire has a diagonal trajectory and decreased landing lag, bolstering its safety in neutral, especially on platforms. The move is infamously spammable and can set up combos, condition opponents to jump, or simply rack up damage itself. Ness's up special, [[PK Thunder]], doubles as a versatile projectile and Ness's primary recovery option. The move sends a ball of electricity upward from Ness's head that can be guided with the control stick, costing Ness his mobility while active, but granting him the ability to pressure deep offstage, juggle opponents repeatedly, or, at times, KO an opponent into the upper blast zone. Ness can also send the lightning into himself at any angle, launching him in that direction for an extremely powerful [[PK Thunder 2]] attack, which also allows Ness to recover from deep offstage. Ness's down special, [[PSI Magnet]], creates a psychic field around Ness that absorbs energy-based attacks and heals Ness a proportionate percent. PSI Magnet also has newfound offensive utility in ''Ultimate'', as it now features an active hitbox with set knockback. The aerial hitbox can confirm into several of Ness's normal aerials, while the grounded hitbox places opponents in perfect range for a sweetspotted forward smash, making it practical in [[jab lock]] situations. PSI Magnet also alters the momentum of Ness's [[double jump]], a form of [[double jump cancel]]ling that makes for a unique aerial burst option and a stylish way to start or extend combos.

Ness's strengths are balanced by notable weaknesses. Grounded PK Fire does good damage, but is punishable on shield and easily escapable with good [[DI]], making it generally less useful than its aerial counterpart. While Ness's hitboxes are large and powerful, he can still be stuffed out by characters with even larger disjoints. Moreover, Ness's below-average run speed and average air speed, as well as his projectiles being rather slow or short-ranged, render him slightly vulnerable to [[camping]], especially against opponents with non-energy projectiles. Ness is also vulnerable to [[juggling]] given his floatiness and lack of reliable landing options, as well as the removal of multiple air dodges. However, Ness's most glaring weakness remains his recovery. Despite traveling a good distance, his PK Thunder 2 is quite exploitable: if the attack makes contact with an opponent or projectile mid-flight, its distance will be halved, often resulting in a gimp. Furthermore, opponents with good timing can hit Ness with a powerful attack or fall into PK Thunder 1 before he can launch himself. Because of its enormous knockback, PK Thunder 2 is also susceptible to many [[counterattack|counters]], and opponents who time their counter correctly will almost always kill Ness. Conversely, opponents who mistime an edgeguard against Ness will often die for it.

Overall, Ness is somewhat of a "glass cannon" character who excels in most offensive aspects of the game, but suffers in certain defensive situations, especially when put offstage or high above his opponent. He also struggles against characters who can outrange his disjoints, though this is less of a problem than in previous games.

==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==
Ness has been significantly buffed in his transition from ''SSB4'' to ''Ultimate''. Various changes to his previous options and the addition of new ones have positively impacted his playstyle, and the changes to the game's engine strengthen his kit.

Ness's ground game is better compared to previous iterations; [[forward tilt]] is now a viable KO option, [[dash attack]] has increased knockback and range, [[up tilt]] has decreased ending lag and is useful for starting combos, and [[down tilt]] racks up damage much more effectively, especially near the ledge. Among his most significant buffs are the changes to his yo-yo smash attacks ([[up smash]] and [[down smash]]), which not only regained their charging hitboxes, but now hang below the ledge to very easily set up edgeguards against most characters; up smash has also lost its early hit and has dramatically higher knockback, making it a viable KO option for the first time.

Many of Ness's other tools are more effective as well. All of his aerials, save for neutral aerial, deal more damage, and he has gained a new [[up aerial]] that hits multiple times, allowing for drag-down combos and set-ups while retaining most of its standalone KO power. [[Down aerial]] has more range, can once again be autocanceled from a short hop, and has a much stronger [[meteor smash]] effect. In terms of special moves, [[PK Flash]] charges much more quickly and no longer causes [[helpless]]ness; [[PK Fire]] has reduced lag (especially landing lag, making it far more useful when used in the air) that improves its combo and set-up potential, and [[PK Thunder]] deals more damage. His most notable buff, however, comes from a significantly improved [[PSI Magnet]]; the move now has a hitbox (similarly to {{SSBU|Lucas}}, although during the move rather than when canceling the move) that possesses a rehit rate, which gives it offensive use for the first time in the series, as it helps Ness extend combos and gives him newfound KO confirms at high percentages.

The universal changes in ''Ultimate'' have improved Ness as well, especially the new [[air dodge]] mechanics and general buffs to aerial attacks. The return of directional air dodges benefits Ness tremendously, as his own directional air dodge travels further than that of any character (aside from Lucas), providing a reliable [[recovery]] option aside from the notoriously exploitable PK Thunder 2. The removal of multiple air dodges also enables Ness to pressure opponents in the air with PK Thunder more consistently. Furthermore, Ness's already great aerial game is further compounded by the universal reductions to landing lag, improving their safety and combo potential.

However, Ness has also received a few nerfs. His new up aerial has less horizontal range, requires landing all hits (which start from behind and move in an arc above Ness) to deal considerable damage, and sends at a lower angle that hinders its KO potential, worsening Ness's ability to juggle opponents. His grab game has been toned down, as his slower, more standard [[pummel]] cannot rack up damage as effectively, [[back throw]] is very slightly worse for KOing (though it remains the strongest throw in the game), [[down throw]]'s higher ending lag hinders its combo potential past low to mid-percents, and the universal nerfs to grabs affects Ness just as much as the rest of the cast, as grabbing is a key component to his gameplan. Lastly, the power of his yo-yo smash attacks now only increases by half as much when charged, and PK Flash, in exchange for its much faster charge, is significantly weaker when fully charged.

Overall, the buffs to Ness's neutral game, punish game, edgeguarding, and recovery outweigh the few nerfs he received, and while his main weaknesses —such as lack of range and an exploitable recovery— are still present, they are generally to a lesser extent than in previous ''Smash'' games. Thus, despite his similar position among the roster, Ness performs better in ''Ultimate'' than in ''SSB4''.

{{SSB4 to SSBU changelist|char=Ness}}

==Update history==
Ness has received a mix of [[buff]]s and [[nerf]]s, but he was buffed overall. Update 2.0.0 increased autocancel frames for up aerial, matching the ending lag of the move, and his down aerial deals more damage while keeping the knockback the same. Update 3.0.0 nerfed yo-yo charging smash attacks, which were infamous for breaking shields easily. He also received buffs such as PK Flash, having a larger hitbox, and physics changes to the yo-yo that improved its potential as an edge guarding tool. Update 3.1.0 reverted the yo-yo physics back to its pre-patch state, and his neutral attack connects more reliably.

However, Ness has received a number of buffs in 9.0.0. Up tilt, dash attack, and up throw deal more damage, though with knockback adjusted for the former two. In addition, down aerial and PK Flash have less start-up lag. Overall, Ness remains a strong character who can compete well with the rest of the cast.

'''{{GameIcon|SSBU}} {{SSBU|2.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/2.0.0|char=Ness}}

'''{{GameIcon|SSBU}} {{SSBU|3.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.0.0|char=Ness}}

'''{{GameIcon|SSBU}} {{SSBU|3.1.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/3.1.0|char=Ness}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|9.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/9.0.0|char=Ness}}

==Moveset==
*Ness possesses a special jump. When jumping in midair, Ness will ascend in a floatier, curved trajectory. The upward momentum of Ness' double jump can be [[double jump cancel|canceled]] by inputting a special move or throwing an item. This trait is shared with {{SSBU|Mewtwo}}, {{SSBU|Lucas}}, {{SSBU|Kazuya}}, and {{SSBU|Sora}}.
''For a gallery of Ness' hitboxes, see [[Ness (SSBU)/Hitboxes|here]].''

{{MovesetTable
|game=SSBU
|neutralcount=3
|neutralname=Jab ({{ja|ジャブ|Jabu}})<br>Straight ({{ja|ストレート|Sutorēto}})<br>Middle Kick ({{ja|ミドルキック|Midoru Kikku}})
|neutral1dmg=2%
|neutral2dmg=1.5%
|neutral3dmg=4%
|neutraldesc=Two punches followed by a front kick. The first and second hits can [[lock]].
|ftiltname= Side Kick ({{ja|サイドキック|Saido Kikku}})
|ftiltdmg=10%
|ftiltdesc=A roundhouse kick that can be angled. Surprisingly good power, KOing at around 120% at the ledge.
|utiltname=PK Toss ({{ja|ＰＫトス|Pīkei Tosu}})
|utiltdmg=9% (spark), 7% (body)
|utiltdesc=Jumps and attacks with an upward double palm thrust that produces a PSI spark from his hands. Has a sourspot located on his body that deals 7%. A decent anti-air and juggling tool.
|dtiltname=Crouching Kick ({{ja|クラウチングキック|Kurauchingu Kikku}})
|dtiltdmg=4.5% (foot), 3% (toes)
|dtiltdesc=A swift shin kick. Extremely spammable and can be used to lock. Has a sourspot located on the tip of his foot.
|dashname=PK Hand Stamp ({{ja|ＰＫハンドスタンプ|Pīkei Hando Sutanpu}})
|dashdmg=4% (hit 1), 7% (hit 1 aerial), 2% (hit 2), 4% (hit 3)
|dashdesc= A double palm thrust that sends three PSI sparks out in front of him, with the third spark knocking the opponent up into the air. The first spark deals more damage to aerial targets. Good to set up juggles and pressuring from afar. Difficult to punish on shield if only the last hit connects. The disjointed hitboxes go very far, giving it impressive range for a dash attack. The first hit is more damaging to opponents in the air.
|fsmashname=Batter Up! ({{ja|バットスイング|Batto Suingu}}, ''Bat Swing'')
|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|18}} (low), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|20}} (mid), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|22}} (tip), 2× damage (reflected projectiles)
|fsmashdesc=Swings his {{s|wikibound|baseball bat}}. It can [[reflect]] incoming projectiles with a high multiplier and is one of the strongest forward smashes in the game, killing most characters around 50% by the ledge. However, its lag is considerable and makes it easy to punish up close.
|usmashname=Around the World ({{ja|シャトルループ|Shatoru Rūpu}}, ''Shuttle Loop'')
|usmashdmg=1% (charge), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|13|1.2}}
|usmashdesc=Sends his {{s|wikibound|yo-yo}} forward and performs an "around-the-world", hitting first in front then above and behind. It has a hitbox while charging and can hang from the ledge, but can only be held for an additional half of a second instead of two, and has a max charge damage multiplier of 1.2×.
|dsmashname=Walk the Dog ({{ja|ヨーヨーショット|Yōyō Shotto}}, ''Yo-Yo Shot'')
|dsmashdmg=1% (charge), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|10|1.2}}
|dsmashdesc=Sends his {{s|wikibound|yo-yo}} backward and performs the "walk-the-dog" with it, hitting first behind then in front. It has a hitbox while charging and can hang from the ledge, but can only be held for an additional half of a second instead of two, and has a max charge damage multiplier of 1.2×. Might have troubles linking correctly if the opponent is at the furthest point of the back hit.
|nairname=Ness Spin ({{ja|ネススピン|Nesu Supin}})
|nairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|11}} (clean), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|7}} (late)
|nairdesc=Spins diagonally in the air with his arms outstretched, emitting PSI from his hands. Quick, coming out on frame 5 and acts like a [[sex kick]]. Rather useful to break combos and as an out-of-shield option. Autocancels from a short hop. It has decent knockback, making it a good edgeguarding and KOing option.
|fairname=Aerial/Midair PK Hand Stamp ({{ja|空中ＰＫハンドスタンプ|Kūchū Pīkei Hando Sutanpu}}
|fairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|1.5}} (hit 1-3), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|5.5}} (hit 4)
|fairdesc= A double palm thrust that generates a stream of PSI sparks from his hands. Comes out on frame 8, making it tied with Up Aerial for the second fastest out of Ness' aerials. Decently safe on shield if Ness backs away during the attack, and it's useful to start and continue combos. Autocancels from a short hop. Can chain into itself multiple times at low percentages, making it a useful wall-of-pain tool.
|bairname=PK Drop Kick ({{ja|ＰＫドロップキック|Pīkei Doroppu Kikku}})
|bairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|15}} (clean), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|8}} (late)
|bairdesc=A dropkick that produces a PSI spark. Comes out on frame 10. The clean hit is very strong, being his strongest aerial overall. Autocancels from a short hop.
|uairname=PK Wiper ({{ja|ＰＫワイパー|Pīkei Waipā}})
|uairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|2.5}} (hits 1-4), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|5}} (hit 5)
|uairdesc=Waves his finger in an arc above his head while generating PSI sparkles, hitting up to 5 times. Autocancels from a short hop. A great combo tool, as its linking hits and last hit's vertical angle combine to make it a great combo extender. It can also KO well near the upper blast line at high percentages since the final hit has extremely high knockback scaling. Overall, great power.
|dairname=PK Meteor Kick ({{ja|ＰＫメテオキック|Pīkei Meteo Kikku}})
|dairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|14}} (clean), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|12}} (late)
|dairdesc=Twirls before kicking down into the air, producing a PSI spark. The clean hit can [[meteor smash]], and can be used to start combos on-stage fairly reliably if landed against grounded opponents. Autocancels from a short hop. Ness' slowest aerial, coming out on frame 18.
|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})
|grabdesc=Grabs with both hands. A fast grab with a slight amount of ending lag.
|pummelname=Grab PK Shock ({{ja|つかみＰＫショック|Tsukami Pīkei Shokku}})
|pummeldmg=1.3%
|pummeldesc=A point-blank blast of PSI energy. Average power and speed.
|fthrowname=PK Throw ({{ja|ＰＫスルー|Pīkei Surū}})
|fthrowdmg=11%
|fthrowdesc=Psychokinetically swings his opponent in a small circle in front of himself before sending them off forward. Very high base knockback, but incredibly low knockback scaling, which gives it little to no KO potential even after Sudden Death percentages. It is useful for setting up an edgeguard, however, or KO'ing an opponent early on if near the blastzone.
|bthrowname=Reverse PK Throw ({{ja|リバースＰＫスルー|Ribāsu Pīkei Surū}})
|bthrowdmg=11%
|bthrowdesc=Psychokinetically swings the opponent over his head before sending them off backward, in a diagonally upwards motion. It is the opposite of his forward throw, possessing very low base knockback but incredibly high knockback scaling, making it one of the strongest back throws in the game, and considered the most versatile KO throw overall, as it can KO much more reliably anywhere onstage at higher percentages than most other back throws at its level of strength like {{SSBU|Incineroar}}'s or {{SSBU|Dr. Mario}}'s, due to its much higher knockback scaling.
|uthrowname=Cowboy PK Throw ({{ja|カウボーイＰＫスルー|Kaubōi Pīkei Surū}})
|uthrowdmg=12%
|uthrowdesc=Psychokinetically spins the opponent above his head before sending them up. It leaves the opponent in an unfavorable position where they can be juggled, most commonly by PK Thunder.
|dthrowname=Rapid PK Fire ({{ja|ラピッドＰＫファイヤー|Rapiddo Pīkei Faiyā}})
|dthrowdmg=0.5% (hits 1-3), 1.5% (hit 4), 4% (throw)
|dthrowdesc=Throws the opponent onto the ground and scorches them with PK Fire. A strong combo starter, having guaranteed follow-ups into neutral aerial, forward aerial and up aerial.
|floorfname=&nbsp;
|floorfdmg=7%
|floorfdesc=Sweep kicks in front of and behind himself.
|floorbname=&nbsp;
|floorbdmg=7%
|floorbdesc=With one hand planted on the ground, he sweeps his leg behind and in front of himself.
|floortname=&nbsp;
|floortdmg=5%
|floortdesc=Kicks behind and in front of himself with both legs.
|edgename=&nbsp;
|edgedmg=9%
|edgedesc=Flips onto the stage and does a sweep kick.
|nsname=PK Flash
|nsdmg=11%-27%
|nsdesc=A light blue sphere of light appears above Ness and flies forward in an arc if charged. The arc it travels can be controlled, and the projectile is able to go through [[platform#Soft_platforms|soft]] and [[platform#Semisoft_platforms|semisoft platforms]] and will not dissipate upon contact with [[platform#Hard_platforms|hard platforms]].
The longer the special button is held, the stronger the explosion will be.
|ssname=PK Fire
|ssdmg=6% (bolt), 1% (fire)
|ssdesc=Fires a yellow lightning-bolt shaped projectile, pushing back Ness slightly.
If used on the ground, it travels in a slight downward angle until it vanishes by itself or touches the ground (disappearing into a puff of smoke) or an enemy, making it explode into a quick-hitting pillar of flames.

If used in the air, it fires at a downward 45° angle.
|usname=PK Thunder
|usdmg=11% (PK Thunder), 1% (Thunder's tail), 25% (PK Thunder 2 initial hitbox), 21% (PK Thunder 2 late hitbox)
|usdesc=Creates a fast-moving ball of thunder that can be aimed into opponents to deal damage and launch them in the direction they got hit from, or into Ness to turn him into a very powerful human projectile.
This is referred to as [[PK Thunder 2]]. The Rocket portion of the attack has invulnerability from frame 1 to 32 and is constituted of an early and late hit. Making contact with something during PKT2 will shorten the distance traveled, and slamming into a wall allows Ness to perform another PK Thunder if the player is sufficiently quick.

The tail of the thunder projectile can be used to disrupt opponents' recovery.
|dsname=PSI Magnet
|dsdmg=4% per hit
|dsdesc=Surrounds Ness with a purple energy field, allowing him to [[absorb]] energy-based projectiles (such as {{SSBU|Mario}}'s [[Fireball]], {{SSBU|Fox}}'s {{b|Blaster|Fox}} or {{SSBU|Samus}}'s  [[Charge Shot]] or explosions (including all of {{SSBU|Snake}}'s explosives) and heal for 1.6× the damage he would have taken, but only at a maximum of 30% damage per projectile.
It possesses a hitbox on startup if held, and will also slightly push back opponents on release. Upon absorption, the magnet can be canceled with a jump, roll, or spot dodge. Can also be used as a [[Fall Break]] to stall Ness' vertical momentum slightly in the air.
|fsname=PK Starstorm
|fsdmg=8% per hit
|fsdesc=[[Paula]] and [[Poo]] join Ness, assisting him in summoning [[wikibound:PK Starstorm|a shower of falling stars]] to attack his enemies. The comets will rain down over the stage and can be slightly aimed left and right.
}}

===Stats===

{{Attributes
| cast=89
| weight=94 | rweight=48-51
| dash=1.826 | rdash=59-61
| run=1.609 | rrun=58
| walk=0.907 | rwalk=70
| trac=0.131 | rtrac=5-8
| airfric=0.0225 | rairfric=4
| air=1.007 | rair=58
| baseaccel=0.01 | rbaseaccel=15-87
| addaccel=0.09 | raddaccel=7-10
| gravity=0.077 | rgravity=73
| fall=1.31 | rfall=79
| ff=2.096 | rff=79
| jumpsquat=3 | rjumpsquat=1-88
| jumpheight=34.48 | rjumpheight=26
| shorthop=16.65 | rshorthop=34
| djump=45.65 | rdjump=6
}}

===[[Announcer]] calls===
<gallery>
Ness English Announcer SSB4-SSBU.wav|English/Japanese/Chinese
Ness Dutch Announcer SSBU.wav|Dutch
Ness French Announcer SSBU.wav|French
Ness German Announcer SSBU.wav|German
Ness Italian Announcer SSBU.wav|Italian
Ness Russian Announcer SSBU.wav|Russian
Ness Spanish Announcer SSBU.wav|Spanish
</gallery>

===[[On-screen appearance]]===
*Ness teleports onto the stage with PSI Teleport, ending in an explosion leaving him covered in soot which he then shakes off his body.
<gallery>
NessOnScreenAppearanceSSBU.gif|Ness's on-screen appearance
</gallery>

===[[Taunt]]s===
*'''Up taunt''': Turns toward the screen and nods while saying "Okay." The pose is similar to that of his clay model from ''EarthBound''.
*'''Side taunt''': Swings his bat out in front of him and strikes a pose, similar to how baseball players use it to indicate they are hitting a home run.
*'''Down taunt''': Waves his hand in an S motion while emitting a stream of PSI from his finger.
<gallery>
SSBUNessTaunt1.gif|Ness' up taunt.
SSBUNessTaunt2.gif|Ness' side taunt.
SSBUNessTaunt3.gif|Ness' down taunt.
</gallery>

===[[Idle pose]]s===
*Look to his left, then to his right.
*Places his finger to his forehead before pointing it forward.
<gallery>
SSBUNessIdle1.gif|Ness' first idle pose.
SSBUNessIdle2.gif|Ness' second idle pose.
</gallery>

===[[Crowd cheer]]===
<div class="tabber">
<div class="tabbertab" title="English, Japanese/Chinese, Italian, Dutch, French">
{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"
|-
!{{{name|}}}
!Cheer (English)
!Cheer (Japanese/Chinese)
!Cheer (Italian)
!style="width: 20%" | Cheer (Dutch)
!Cheer (French)
|-
! scope="row"|Cheer
|[[File:Ness Cheer English SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ness Cheer Japanese SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ness Cheer Italian SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ness Cheer Dutch SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Ness Cheer French NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Ness Cheer French PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]
|-
! scope="row"|Description
|Su-per Ness! || Ness Ness Ness! || Forza Ness ole ole! || Ness Ness Ness! - Go - Ness Ness Ness! - Go - Ness Ness Ness! - Go - Ness Ness Ness! || Ness Ness Ness! Ohhhhh!
|}
</div>
<div class="tabbertab" title="German, Spanish, Russian, Korean">
{| class="wikitable" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1"
|-
!{{{name|}}}
!Cheer (German)
!Cheer (Spanish)
!Cheer (Russian)
!Cheer (Korean)
|-
! scope="row"|Cheer
|[[File:Ness Cheer German SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Ness Cheer Spanish NTSC SSB4 SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Ness Cheer Spanish PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ness Cheer Russian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Ness Cheer Korean SSBU.ogg|center]]
|-
! scope="row"|Description
|Ness Ness Ness! Yaaaaa! || Viva Ness! *claps 5 times* || Ness! Ness! Ness! || Ne - seu!
|}
</div>
</div>

===[[Victory pose]]s===
*'''Left:''' Walks in then looks around with a surprised expression, before rubbing the back of his head while smiling (his "character chosen" animation in ''Super Smash Bros.'', albeit much more subtle).
*'''Up:''' Skips into the victory screen, then nods slightly, holding a pose similar to his official clay model, up taunt, and official ''Brawl'' render.
*'''Right:''' Swings his bat once, then strikes a pose similar to his side taunt.
[[File:EarthboundSeriesVictoryThemeUltimate.ogg|thumb|A flourished combination of the final two out of the Eight Melodies in ''Mother / EarthBound Beginnings''.]]
<gallery>
NessVictoryPose1SSBU.gif
NessVictoryPose2SSBU.gif
NessVictoryPose3SSBU.gif
</gallery>

==In [[competitive play]]==
===Most historically significant players===
<!--This character has a ten player limit for this section. Before adding and/or removing a player, read these guidelines: https://www.ssbwiki.com/SmashWiki:Notability#%22Most_historically_significant_players%22_guidelines -->

''See also: [[:Category:Ness players (SSBU)]]''

*{{Sm|ATATA|USA}} - One of the best Ness players in North America, peaking at 91st on the [[UltRank 2022]]. He was first known for winning {{Trn|Midwest Arena 2: Doubles Masters}} after defeating {{Sm|MuteAce}}, and has since performed well at many other Midwest events, such as winning {{Trn|COMBO BREAKER 2025}}, defeating {{Sm|Riddles}} at {{Trn|Frosty Faustings XVII 2025}}, and placing 9th at {{Trn|Riptide 2023}}. Outside of his region, his best performances include placing 9th at {{Trn|Rise 'N Grind}} and 17th at both {{Trn|Get On My Level 2022}} and {{Trn|Supernova 2024}}, notably winning the Ness ditto against Scend at the former event and Gackt at the latter.
*{{Sm|Gackt|Japan}} - The greatest Ness player of all time, known for his frequent usage of [[PK Rocket]] outside of recovery. He was the first Ness player to place top 8 at more than one major and is the highest-placing solo-Ness player in any official ''Smash'' game, having placed 3rd at {{Trn|Kagaribi 7}}, {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 12}}, and {{Trn|S Factor 11}}. He has been ranked in the global top 50 and top 100 for longer than any other Ness player, with his best placement being 23rd on the [[LumiRank 2024.1]].
*{{Sm|PeW|France}} - The best Ness player in Europe in the post-pandemic metagame and one of the best in Europe in the early metagame. He has been ranked in the continent's top 50 since the early metagame and has placed highly at several European events, including winning {{Trn|Vulcan}} over {{Sm|Tarik}}, and placing 5th at both {{Trn|Kings of Fields 95}} and {{Trn|Glory 2.0}}, as well as 7th at {{Trn|WANTED S4 C3 - Saint Valentin Edition}}. He eventually switched to {{SSBU|Min Min}} in 2023, though he maintains Ness as a secondary.
*{{Sm|PkChris|USA}} - One of the best Ness players in North America since the early metagame, with his best performances taking place in the post-pandemic metagame. He is best known for his performance at {{Trn|Luminosity Makes BIG Moves 2025}}, where he defeated {{Sm|MkLeo}} and finished 9th overall. In addition, he had also placed 9th at {{Trn|Luminosity Makes Moves Miami 2025}} and 13th at {{Trn|Cavalier Clash 7}}, alongside having defeated {{Sm|Lima}} at {{Trn|Supernova 2024}}. He was ranked 107th on the [[LumiRank 2024.2]] and was the highest-ranking solo-Ness player on the list, becoming the first solo-Ness player to outrank Gackt.
*{{Sm|S1|Netherlands}} - The best Ness player in Europe in the early metagame and one of the overall best players in the continent. He has placed highly at many of Europe's largest events during this time, including 5th at {{Trn|Valhalla III}}, 7th at {{Trn|Albion 4}}, and 9th at {{Trn|Syndicate 2019}}, all the while defeating several of Europe's best players during this time including {{Sm|Space}} and {{Sm|Meru}}. As such, he was ranked 60th on the [[OrionRank 2019]]. He became inactive following this era, only appearing at a handful of events while playing other characters.
*{{Sm|Scend|USA}} - One of the best Ness players in the world in the early metagame and in the early years of the post-pandemic metagame, peaking at 37th on the [[OrionRank Ultimate: Eclipse]]. He is best known for placing 5th at both {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves 2022}} and {{Trn|Lost Tech City 2022}}, as well as 9th at both {{Trn|Low Tier City 7}} and {{Trn|MomoCon 2022}}, notably defeating {{Sm|ESAM}} at Lost Tech City and {{Sm|Light|p=Connecticut}} at Low Tier City 7. In addition, he was considered one of the best players in the online metagame, and notably won {{Trn|The Box}}, the largest ''Smash'' event of all time in terms of entrants.
*{{Sm|Syrup|USA}} - One of the greatest Ness players of all time, although he was only a Ness main in the online metagame and the early years of the post-pandemic metagame. During this time, he first broke out after placing 2nd at the online event {{Trn|SWT: NA Northeast Ultimate Online Qualifier}}, and has seen similar performances offline, including placing 5th at {{Trn|Get On My Level 2022}}, {{Trn|Shine 2022}}, and {{Trn|Apex 2022}}. Though he switched to {{SSBU|Steve}} in 2023, he maintains Ness as a counterpick and uses him in events that ban Steve, such as {{Trn|Patchwork 2025: All Patched Up!}}, where he finished 5th. Notably, he won {{Trn|Cavalier Clash 6}} using Ness to defeat {{Sm|Sparg0}}, marking one of the best Ness performances in ''Ultimate''.

===Tier placement and history===
Ness was received positively in the early metagame, as the numerous buffs he received during the transition from ''Smash 4'' and the addition of several new mechanics in ''Ultimate'' improved his neutral, advantage, recovery, and movement options. Ness' early results reflected these improvements: he saw strong performances at majors from players such as {{Sm|Gackt}} and {{Sm|Scend}}, and regionally, he was represented well by a multitude of players, including {{Sm|ATATA}}, {{Sm|Awestin}}, {{Sm|PeW}}, {{Sm|S1}}, and {{Sm|FOW}}. As such, Ness was widely considered a high-tier character in the early metagame of ''Ultimate''. This perception was solidified in online play, as the presence of increased [[Wi-Fi lag|input lag]] ostensibly makes his quick aerials even safer and his recovery more difficult to challenge, allowing players such as Scend and {{Sm|Syrup}} to flourish during the [[COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on competitive Smash|COVID-19 pandemic]], which temporarily relegated all large tournaments to an online format. This success was the most apparent with Scend being considered one of the best players in North America's online metagame, as well as his victory at {{Trn|The Box}}, the largest online tournament of all time.

In the post-pandemic metagame, Ness enjoyed great results in the early years of the metagame, especially from Gackt, who was a regular in the top 50 for some time and had several top 8 major performances under his belt. However, his results at the highest level of competitive play declined as the metagame progressed. Similar to previous ''Smash'' titles, Ness's limited attack range hindered his neutral against certain characters, particularly swordfighters such as {{SSBU|Lucina}} and {{SSBU|Shulk}}. He also struggled to recover without the use of his double jump, and his floatiness left him susceptible to juggling. Furthermore, the newer metagame featured the rise of many other characters that had superior range (such as the [[DLC]] character {{SSBU|Steve}}) or could exploit Ness' recovery (such as {{SSBU|Mr. Game & Watch}}), which made Ness' weaknesses even more apparent. As such, at this level of competitive play, Ness' best players faced inconsistency (e.g. Gackt placing top 3 at {{Trn|Kagaribi 7}}, then 49th at {{Trn|Maesuma TOP 8}} a month later) or picked up other characters that were better suited for the new metagame (e.g. Syrup becoming more successful after picking up Steve).

Despite the lower reputation, Ness remains popular at regional and superregional events, thanks to in-region performances from players such as ATATA, {{Sm|PkChris}}, and {{Sm|Sumaho}}. As such, Ness' overall representation has remained in or around the top 20 for most of the metagame. In addition, Ness players have continued to make notable runs and upsets at top-level play from time to time, such as Syrup's Ness counterpick taking a win over both {{Sm|Sparg0}} and {{Sm|Hurt}} in the [[UltRank 2025]] season and two Ness players &mdash; Gackt and PkChris &mdash; having defeated {{Sm|MkLeo}}. Though no longer considered a high-tier character, his tier list position has remained consistently in the middle of the cast, fluctuating between high to mid-40s on the first three tier lists. Notably, earlier tier lists had players from Japan rank Ness lower on their tier lists, while players in North America ranked Ness higher.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.start.gg/ultranks-first-official-ssbu-tier-list-4a35bf3dcfc3|title=First Official SSBU Tier List}}, data located in the "Regional Differences" section</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240215192133/https://luminosity.gg/news/smash-ultimates-2nd-official-tier-list|title=Smash Ultimate's 2nd Official Tier List}}, data located in the "Regional Differences" section</ref>

=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: Home to Onett!==
[[File:SSBU Congratulations Ness.png|thumb|Ness' [[congratulations screen]].]]
Ness fights opponents largely based on his journey in ''EarthBound'' in reverse from [[Magicant]] to [[Onett]].

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Round!!Opponent!!Stage!!Music!!Notes
|-
|1||{{CharHead|Ness|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Blue}}||[[Magicant]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Magicant (for 3DS / Wii U)}}''||The opponent has his blue alternate costume equipped, referencing Ness' younger self that he encounters in Magicant. If the player is using the blue alternate costume, {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px}} default Ness will appear as the enemy instead.
|-
|2||{{CharHead|Lucas|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[New Pork City]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|You Call This a Utopia?!}}''||
|-
|3||{{CharHead|R.O.B.|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Purple}} (x3)||[[Fourside]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Fourside}}''||A reference to the Sentry Robots fought in the {{s|wikibound|Monotoli Building}}.
|-
|4||{{CharHead|Sheik|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Gerudo Valley]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Bein' Friends}}''||A reference to {{s|wikibound|Dusty Dunes Desert}}.
|-
|5||{{CharHead|Toon Link|SSBU|hsize=20px|color=Black}} (x2)||[[Luigi's Mansion]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Unfounded Revenge / Smashing Song of Praise}}''||A reference to the zombies fought in {{s|wikibound|Threed}}. When used, the only Assist Trophy summoned will be [[Jeff]].
|-
|6||{{CharHead|Villager|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Isabelle|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Onett]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Onett Theme / Winters Theme}}''||A reference to the {{s|wikibound|Sharks}} and the dogs fought in Onett. When used, the only Assist Trophy summoned will be {{b|Starman|EarthBound}}.
|-
|colspan="5"|[[Bonus Stage]]
|-
|Final||{{SSBU|Master Hand}}||{{SSBU|Final Destination}}||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Master Hand}}'' <small>(Less than 7.0 intensity)</small><br>''{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Smash Bros.|Master Hand / Crazy Hand}}'' <small>(7.0 or higher intensity)</small>||{{SSBU|Crazy Hand}} teams up with Master Hand on Intensity 7.0 or higher.
|}
Note: Every stage plays a track from the {{uv|EarthBound}} universe, no matter what universe the stage originates from.

[[Credits]] roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Ness has ''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Smiles and Tears}}'' accompany the credits.

===Appearances in other Classic Mode routes===
Ness appears as an opponent in certain other fighters' Classic Mode routes, with them being listed below:
{|
|- valign=top
|
*{{SSBU|Donkey Kong}}
*{{SSBU|Jigglypuff}}
*{{SSBU|Mewtwo}}
*{{SSBU|Chrom}}
|
*{{SSBU|Lucas}}
*{{SSBU|Villager}}
*{{SSBU|Greninja}}
*{{SSBU|Inkling}}
|}
{{clr}}

==Role in [[World of Light]]==
[[File:WoL-10Ness.jpg|thumb|Finding Ness in World of Light|left]]
Although Ness has been absent from the World of Light opening cutscene, he was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (minus {{SSBU|Kirby}}) when [[Galeem]] unleashed his beams of light.

Ness can be found in a pink cloud area reminiscent of [[Magicant]], and to access him the player needs to defeat the [[Flying Man]] [[List of spirits (EarthBound series)|spirit]].
{{clrl}}

===Fighter Battle===
{|class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
!style="width:5%;"|No.
!style="width:5%;"|Image
!Name
!Type
!Power
!Stage
!Music
|-
|10
|[[File:Ness SSBU.png|center|64x64px]]
|Ness
|{{SpiritType|Attack}} <center>{{color|#dc1029|Attack}}</center>
|7,500
|[[Magicant]] ([[Ω form]])
|''{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Magicant (for 3DS / Wii U)}}''
|}
{{clr}}

==[[Spirit]]==
Ness' fighter spirit can be obtained by completing {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} as Ness. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Ness has been unlocked. Unlocking Ness 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. His fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with his artwork in ''Ultimate''.

<center>
<gallery>
SSBU spirit Ness.png|563. '''''Ness'''''
</gallery>
</center>

==In Spirit Battles==
===As the main opponent===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
! colspan=4|Spirit
! colspan=7|Battle parameters
! colspan=1|Inspiration
|-
! style="width:5%;"|No.
! style="width:5%;"|Image
! Name
! Series
! Enemy Fighter(s)
! style="width:5%;"|Type
! style="width:5%;"|Power
! Stage
! Rules
! Conditions
! Music
! Character
|-
|307
|{{SpiritTableName|Slugger & Green Glove|size=64}}
|''Yoshi'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}<br>•{{SSBU|Lucas}} {{Head|Lucas|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|1,500
|{{SSBB|Yoshi's Island}}
|•Item: [[Beastball]]
|•The enemy starts the battle with a [[Home-Run Bat]]
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Yoshi|Obstacle Course - Yoshi's Island}}
|Slugger
|-
|565
|{{SpiritTableName|Ninten|size=64}}
|''EarthBound'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ness}} Team {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}} (60 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|13,700
|[[Magicant]] (hazards off)
|N/A
|•The enemy's PSI attacks have increased power<br>•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•The enemy's FS Meter charges quickly
|{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Bein' Friends}}
|
|-
|571
|{{SpiritTableName|Starman|customname={{b|Starman|EarthBound}}|size=64}}
|''EarthBound'' Series
|•Metal {{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (140 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|4,200
|[[Lylat Cruise]]
|•Assist Trophy Enemies (Starman)<br>•Item: Stars
|•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•Hostile assist trophies will appear<br>•The enemy is metal
|{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Unfounded Revenge / Smashing Song of Praise}}
|
|-
|579
|{{SpiritTableName|Ramblin' Evil Mushroom|link=y|size=64}}
|''EarthBound'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|1,600
|[[Distant Planet]]
|•Item: Ramblin' Evil Mushroom
|•The enemy starts the battle with a Ramblin' Evil Mushroom
|{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Humoresque of a Little Dog}}
|
|-
|1,087
|{{SpiritTableName|Nico Fire|size=64}} {{Flag|North America}}<br>Nico Flame {{Flag|PAL}}
|''StreetPass Mii Plaza'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}<br>•{{SSBU|Fox}} {{Head|Fox|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}<br>•{{SSBU|Sonic}} {{Head|Sonic|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|1,500
|[[Big Blue]]
|•Uncontrollable Speed
|•All fighters move faster and can't stop quickly
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Wii Sports Resort}}
|
|-
|1,116
|{{SpiritTableName|Pitcher & Batter|size=64}}
|''Baseball''
|•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Lucas}} {{Head|Lucas|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}×2
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|1,700
|[[Pokémon Stadium 2]] (hazards off)
|•Item Tidal Wave<br>•Item: Sports
|•The enemy favors side smash attacks<br>•The enemy starts the battle with a [[Home-Run Bat]]<br>•Certain items will appear in large numbers
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Baseball (Training)}}
|Batter
|-
|rowspan="2"|1,466
|{{SpiritTableName|Sophia|size=64|dlcalt=y}}
|rowspan="2"|''Persona'' Series
|rowspan="2"|•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}<br>•Metal {{SSBU|R.O.B.}} {{Head|R.O.B.|g=SSBU|s=20px}}×3 (INT)/{{Head|R.O.B.|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Grey}}×3 (JP/CH/KR)
|rowspan="2"|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}
|rowspan="2"|9,500
|[[New Pork City]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|rowspan="2"|N/A
|rowspan="2"|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•The enemy is metal
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Light Plane (Vocal Mix) (for 3DS / Wii U)}}
|-
|{{bg|#EEE|#3C3C3C}}|[[Mementos]] ([[Battlefield form]])<ref group="SB" name="DLC"/>
|{{bg|#EEE|#3C3C3C}}|{{SSBUMusicLink|Persona|Last Surprise}}<ref group="SB" name="DLC"/>
|
|-
|1,519
|{{SpiritTableName|Power Pro-Kun, Aoi Hayakawa, & Mamoru Ikari|size=64}}
|''eBASEBALL: POWER PROS''
|•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}<br>•{{SSBU|Toon Link}} {{Head|Toon Link|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Villager}} {{Head|Villager|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|9,600
|[[Pokémon Stadium 2]] (hazards off)
|•Item: [[Beastball]]
|•The enemy starts the battle with a [[Home-Run Bat]]
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Baseball (Training)}}
|Power Pro-Kun
|}

===As a minion===
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
! colspan=4|Spirit
! colspan=7|Battle parameters
! colspan=1|Inspiration
|-
! style="width:5%;"|No.
! style="width:5%;"|Image
! Name
! Series
! Enemy Fighter(s)
! style="width:5%;"|Type
! style="width:5%;"|Power
! Stage
! Rules
! Conditions
! Music
! Character
|-
|566
|{{SpiritTableName|Ana|size=64}}
|''EarthBound'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Villager}} {{Head|Villager|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}} (100 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (80 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|9,200
|[[Magicant]] (hazards off)
|N/A
|•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•The enemy heals over time
|{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Pollyanna (I Believe in You)}}
|{{s|wikibound|Ninten}}
|-
|570
|{{SpiritTableName|Flying Man|link=y|size=64}}
|''EarthBound'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Mii Brawler}} Team {{Head|Mii Brawler|g=SSBU|s=20px}}×5 (50 HP) (Moveset [[Flashing Mach Punch|2]][[Onslaught|1]][[Helicopter Kick|2]][[Feint Jump|2]], Flying Man Hat, Flying Man Outfit)<br>•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}} (100 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|9,100
|[[Magicant]] (hazards off)
|N/A
|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•[[Stamina battle]]
|{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Magicant}}
|{{s|wikibound|Ness}}
|-
|572
|{{SpiritTableName|Paula|link=y|size=64}}
|''EarthBound'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Villager}} {{Head|Villager|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}} (120 HP)<br>•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (120 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|13,300
|[[Onett]]
|•Sudden Final Smash
|•The enemy will suddenly have a Final Smash<br>•The enemy's PSI attacks have increased power<br>•[[Stamina battle]]
|{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Smiles and Tears}}
|{{s|wikibound|Ness}}
|-
|576
|{{SpiritTableName|Ness's Father|customname=[[wikibound:Ness's family|Ness's Father]]|size=40}}
|''EarthBound'' Series
|•Clear {{SSBU|Snake}} {{Head|Snake|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Chartreuse}}<br>•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Black}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|13,500
|[[Onett]]
|N/A
|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•The enemy is invisible
|{{SSBUMusicLink|EarthBound|Humoresque of a Little Dog}}
|{{s|wikibound|Ness}}
|-
|1,156
|{{SpiritTableName|Girl from Hajimari no Mori|size=64}}
|''Hajimari no Mori''
|•{{SSBU|Villager}} {{Head|Villager|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}<br>•{{SSBU|Ness}} {{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|2,300
|{{b|Duck Hunt|stage}} ([[Battlefield form]])
|•Hazard: Fog
|•The stage is covered in fog<br>•The enemy favors down specials
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Yūyūki Medley}}
|Protagonist of ''Hajimari no Mori''
|}

<references group="SB">
<ref name="DLC">This alternative occurs when the corresponding DLC has been purchased and downloaded.</ref>
</references>

==[[Alternate costume (SSBU)#Ness|Alternate costumes]]==
{|style="margin:1em auto 1em auto;text-align:center"
|-
|colspan=8|[[File:Ness Palette (SSBU).png|link=Alternate costume (SSBU)#Ness|1000px]]
|-
|{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=50px}}
|{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=White}}
|{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Yellow}}
|{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Green}}
|{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Blue}}
|{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Black}}
|{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Cyan}}
|{{Head|Ness|g=SSBU|s=50px|cl=Purple}}
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
SSBU Ness Number.png|Ness's fighter card.
Ness unlock notice SSBU.jpg|Ness's unlock notice.
SSBUWebsiteNess1.jpg|Ness [[idling]] on the [[Bridge of Eldin]].
SSBUWebsiteNess2.jpg|Performing his [[up smash]] on [[Kalos Pokémon League]].
SSBUWebsiteNess3.jpg|Performing [[PK Flash]] on [[Frigate Orpheon]].
SSBUWebsiteNess4.jpg|[[Throw]]ing {{SSBU|Fox}} on [[Tortimer Island]].
SSBUWebsiteNess5.jpg|[[Crouching]] next to [[Jeff]] in [[Onett]].
SSBUWebsiteNess6.jpg|[[Dashing]] in [[Smashville]].
SSBUWebsiteBowser2.jpg|Dodging {{SSBU|Bowser}}'s [[Bowser Bomb]] with {{SSBU|Ike}} on [[Gaur Plain]].
SSBUWebsiteDiddyKong3.jpg|{{SSBU|Diddy Kong}} trying to steal Ness' [[Banana Gun|banana]] on [[Moray Towers]].
SSBUWebsiteGanondorf4.jpg|Ness crouching under a [[Bomber]] next to {{SSBU|Ganondorf}} on Gaur Plain.
SSBUWebsiteDeath'sScythe2.jpg|Ness striking {{SSBU|Bowser Jr.}} with [[Death's Scythe]] on [[Yoshi's Story]].
SSBUWebsiteLaunchStar.jpg|[[Launch|Expelled]] by a [[Super Launch Star]] on {{SSBB|Yoshi's Island}}.
SSBUWebsiteVulpix2.jpg|[[Frozen]] by [[Alolan Vulpix]] on Tortimer Island.
SSBUWebsite18.jpg|Using his side taunt in Onett.
SSBUWebsiteAbra2.png|Ness being teleported away by [[Abra]] on [[Arena Ferox]].
</gallery>

===Fighter Showcase Video===
{{#widget:YouTube|id=jtlUHmonMGQ}}

==Trivia==
*Ness was the only one of the four original [[unlockable character]]s from ''Super Smash Bros. 64'' to be playable in the E3 demo.
**Ness is also the only one to appear on the box art. However, {{SSBU|Captain Falcon}} is featured in the full group artwork.
*Although most characters from the original ''Super Smash Bros.'' are [[Fighter number|numbered]] by their debut game's original release date, Captain Falcon and Ness can be considered an exception; ''F-Zero'' was originally released in 1990, four years before ''EarthBound''. Additionally, in ''Super Smash Bros.'', Captain Falcon will always be fought first if the unlock conditions for both him and Ness are met simultaneously. However, it is also possible that Ness is numbered per the 1989 release of ''Mother'', which is also how he is ordered in ''Brawl''{{'}}s [[All-Star Mode#Super Smash Bros. Brawl|All-Star Mode]].
*''Ultimate'' marks the first time since ''[[Super Smash Bros. Melee]]'' where Ness' artwork depicts him holding his baseball bat.
*''Ultimate'' is the first ''Smash'' game in which Ness has a greater number of aerials that use PSI than Lucas, being 5 to 4 as opposed to 2 and 3 to 3 in ''Brawl'' and ''Smash 4'' respectively.
*Ness being unlocked by clearing Classic Mode as Kirby could be a reference to Ness being unlocked on {{SSB|Dream Land}} in the original ''Super Smash Bros.'', that both are voiced by Makiko Ōmoto, or that both are from games developed by [[HAL Laboratory, Inc.]]
*As of ''[[Ultimate]]''{{'}}s release, Ness has had more different victory themes than any other character, receiving new ones in ''[[Brawl]]'' and ''Ultimate'', in addition to his original one from the first two games.
*Ness is one of the only two unlockable characters in ''Ultimate'' who can be the first character unlocked in more than one way, as he is the first character to be unlocked through VS. Matches and the first unlock in {{SSBU|Kirby}}'s Classic Mode tree. The other character who shares this distinction is {{SSBU|Villager}}.
*Although Ness's [[PSI Magnet]] can absorb [[Bob-omb]] explosions, Ness cannot absorb explosions from the Bob-ombs that drop from the sky during [[Sudden Death]].

{{SSBUCharacters}}
{{EarthBound universe}}
[[Category:Ness (SSBU)| ]]
[[Category:Spirits]]
[[es:Ness (SSBU)]]
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