Editing Palutena (SSBU)

{{ArticleIcons|ultimate=y}}
{{disambig2|Palutena's appearance in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''|the character in other contexts|Palutena}}
{{Infobox Character
|name = Palutena
|image = [[File:Palutena SSBU.png|250px]]
|game = SSBU
|ssbgame1 = SSB4
|availability = [[Unlockable character|Unlockable]]
|tier = S-
|ranking = 17
}}
'''Palutena''' ({{ja|パルテナ|Parutena}}, ''Palutena'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. She was officially revealed on [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L93H7YC-83o June 12th, 2018] alongside fellow {{uv|Kid Icarus}} representatives {{SSBU|Pit}} and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}}, as well as the rest of the [[veteran]]s. Palutena is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #54]].

Brandy Kopp and {{s|wikipedia|Aya Hisakawa}} reprise their roles as the voice of Palutena in the English and Japanese versions of the game. In addition to their portrayals being re-purposed from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', they also provide new [[Palutena's Guidance]] conversations for every veteran not present in ''SSB4'', [[Downloadable content (SSB4)#Fighters|the downloadable fighters of ''SSB4'']], the base roster newcomers of ''Ultimate'', and {{SSBU|Piranha Plant}}.

Palutena is ranked 17th out of 82 on the current [[tier list]], placing her in the S- tier. This is a drastic improvement over her 44th out of 54 placement in ''SSB4''. Palutena is one of the most improved veterans from the transition to ''Smash 4'' and ''Ultimate'' due to the engine of ''Ultimate'' complementing her unique strengths. Her aerials are a core part of her neutral due to her high aerial mobility and their effective traits: they both start and extend combos, most notably with her neutral aerial, which is commonly considered one of the best moves in the game due to its overall utility for starting combos, comboing into itself, high active frames and KOing at very high percents. Her back air is great for retreating and mid-range combat due to the invincibility of the shield and priority, while up air is an amazing disjointed multi-hit that functions as a juggle tool and KO option. Her grab game is also impressive due to its above-average reach and her decent set of throws. Overall, this results in her having one of the best advantage states in the game. Her specials also have seen noteworthy improvements: [[Autoreticle]] is useful for interrupting midrange approaches or recoveries, [[Explosive Flame]] is effective for general zoning and for halting approaches, [[Warp]] makes her difficult to edgeguard consistently, and her [[Reflect Barrier]] functions as a simultaneous [[counterattack]] and [[reflection|reflector]] that enhances her already strong defense.

Despite these many strengths, Palutena is not without her flaws. Despite her excellent air game, her ground game is below average for a top tier, having slow and unsafe tilts and committal smash attacks. She also has trouble securing stocks at high percents due to her KO moves being fairly predictable (like Explosive Flame) or easily staled due to overuse (back aerial). Palutena's main combo starters are also unsafe on shield and thus forces her to mix up her gameplan and neutral. Finally, her recovery is completely reliant on Warp, which has no active hitbox and can be consistently [[two frame|two frame punished]].

Overall, Palutena is a simple but effective character at all levels of play, with well-rounded abilities and few overwhelming weaknesses. She has often been considered a top-tier contender since the release of the game, and has been one of the most popular characters in competitive play, with results spearheaded by {{Sm|Nairo}} in the early metagame and a multitude of other Palutena players since, including {{Sm|Chag}}, {{Sm|Jagaimo}}, and {{Sm|Lui$}}.

==How to unlock==
Complete one of the following:
*Play [[VS. match]]es, with Palutena being the last character to be unlocked.
*Clear {{SSBU|Classic Mode}} with {{SSBU|Kirby}} or any character in his unlock tree, being the last character unlocked after {{SSBU|Lucas}}.
*Have Palutena join the player's party in [[World of Light]].
Palutena must then be defeated on [[Palutena's Temple]] (the [[Ω form]] is used in World of Light).

==Attributes==
Palutena is a tall [[Weight|middleweight]]. Her [[walk]]ing speed, [[dash]]ing speed, [[air acceleration]] and [[gravity]] are above-average; her air acceleration, in particular, is the 5th highest in the game. Palutena also has relatively high [[jump]]s, although her [[traction]] and [[falling speed]] are both merely average, while her [[air speed]] is below-average. Thanks to her attributes, Palutena's overall mobility is excellent, even in spite of her aerial mobility being a bit slower compared to her grounded mobility.

Palutena has a dynamic, well-rounded moveset. She has both excellent combo potential and good zoning tools, which allow her to be effective when fighting offensively or defensively. Her staff counts as a [[Hitbox|disjointed hitbox]] and she has two [[projectile]]s in her moveset as part of her special moves, meaning she can apply safe pressure from a distance and force approaching opponents off her. Her projectiles are unique by the fact that they are completely unconventional. Her aerial-based moveset, speed and versatility means she can easily overwhelm opponents and quickly rack up damage.

Palutena's [[ground attack]]s are generally the weakest part of her moveset, but they can be useful. Her [[neutral attack]] possesses decent range, whereas her [[neutral infinite]] is a reliable damage racking option that can also function as a situational KO option at very high percentages while near the edge. Palutena's [[dash attack]] is very fast, grants her partial [[invincibility]], and its clean hitbox enables it to function as a situational KO option at very high percentages. Her [[tilt attack]]s are somewhat situational due to their lagginess, but have their own individual perks. Forward tilt has long-lasting hitboxes that enable it to intercept approaches and [[Floor recovery|floor recoveries]], while its second hit is strong enough to KO at very high percentages while near the edge. Down tilt is a useful [[2 frame punish]] that [[semi-spike]]s grounded opponents and launches aerial opponents vertically, thus enabling Palutena to edgeguard reliably afterward. Lastly, up tilt has the fastest startup among her tilts, it can initiate aerial pressure, and it is even a serviceable KO option at very high percentages.

Palutena's grounded offense is further supplemented by her strong [[grab]] game: her grabs are quick and have respectable ranges, while each of her throws vary from being decent to useful. Palutena's down throw is a reliable combo starter, since it can combo into each of her aerials, and even has KO confirms at high percentages. Her back throw is her strongest throw, being capable of KOing at around 130% while near the edge. Palutena's forward and up throws are much less useful in comparison, but have their own perks regardless. Forward throw has a KO confirm into [[Explosive Flame]] at high percentages, whereas up throw is decent for launching opponents into the air in order to initiate aerial pressure safely.

Palutena's [[smash attack]]s are very strong KO options thanks to their considerable power and very long ranges. Up smash has a very long-lasting hitbox and covers a lot of vertical range directly in front of Palutena; it can be used to KO opponents in the air and even intercept air dodges due to how long the hitbox lasts. Her forward and down smashes are similar, both in their damage output and the fact that they have a wind effect to move opponents away from Palutena if they are just outside of the move’s hitbox.

The strongest part of Palutena's moveset, however, is her air game. Her [[aerial attack]]s are each useful in regard to comboing or KOing; despite each of her aerials having rather high ending lag, they compensate for this by having very low landing lag and generous autocancel windows, making them very safe on shield. Her neutral aerial is a very fast and safe move, being Palutena's best combo tool by far as it combos into her other aerial attacks (including itself) until fairly high percentages, while also having KO potential at very high percentages. Her up aerial is an extremely good juggling tool capable of KOing while near top blast zone at around 100% (even on heavyweights), with its fairly large, long-lasting hitbox making it difficult to avoid. Her back aerial, like her dash attack, grants invincibility on Palutena's shield. It has the strongest knockback of any of her aerials, making it one of Palutena's best KO options, especially when used as a [[reverse aerial  rush]]ed follow up from down throw. Her forward aerial, while not quite as strong, is a good combo finisher that is also useful for edgeguarding, and is even capable of KOing at very high percentages while near the horizontal blast zones. Although down aerial is generally considered to be Palutena's least useful aerial, it is a guaranteed [[meteor smash]] against airborne opponents.

Additionally, Palutena's [[special move]]s each have utility, most prominently for zoning. [[Explosive Flame]], formerly one of her [[custom move]]s in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'', is her side special attack and is useful at forcing opponents into the air, as well as for securing KOs while near the upper blast zone at higher percentages. Palutena's neutral special attack, [[Autoreticle]], is not quite as useful as Explosive Flame, yet it is another projectile that can apply long-ranged pressure safely and rack up damage. Her up special move, [[Warp]], is useful for achieving a more favorable stage position; when coupled with its invincibility frames and Palutena's high jumps, Warp is an extremely useful recovery tool. Palutena's down special move, unlike in ''SSB4'', consists of 2 moves: [[Counter (Palutena)|Counter]] activates against melee attacks, whereas [[Reflect Barrier]] activates against [[reflect]]able [[projectile]]s at either close range or from a distance. Lastly, several of Palutena's moves, such as her tilt attacks and aerial attacks, inflict additional [[shield damage]]; as a result, Palutena can pressure opponents consistently and reliably, especially since her forward and back aerials can autocancel with a short hop fast fall.

Despite having considerable strengths, Palutena also has a number of noticeable weaknesses. Her most glaring problem is her mediocre ground game: barring her dash attack, the remainder of her grounded attacks come out on frame 8 or later, and almost all of her moves either have high startup (smash attacks and down tilt), punishable ending lag (forward, back and down aerials and smash attacks), long durations (her tilt attacks), or all three (forward tilt and special moves). Although Palutena's overall frame data is quite faster than it was in ''SSB4'', she can still be rendered very vulnerable if her attacks miss or if the opponent evades and/or blocks them.

Although a number of Palutena's moves have the potential to KO at reasonable percentages, she can still struggle to score KOs due to her options being either somewhat risky or situational. Her smash attacks are very punishable due to their significantly high amounts of overall lag to offsetting their impressive power. Explosive Flame and, to a lesser extent, back aerial are also easily punishable if whiffed due to their ending lag. Up aerial relies on Palutena being underneath her opponent. Furthermore, while Palutena's recovery is decent in its distance, Warp leaves her helpless and lacks a hitbox to protect her; when combined with the fact that Palutena is a tall character, her recovery can be exploited easily by opponents who know how to intercept Warp.

Despite this, Palutena is generally considered at worst a high tier character due to her versatility, well-roundedness and relatively easy combo game. Her lack of overwhelming weaknesses means that there are few opponents she struggles against.

==Changes from ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==
Palutena was previously a lower-tiered character in ''SSB4'' due to a myriad of factors, such as terrible frame data in relation to power and weight (which also resulted in a deficient grounded game), a predictable offensive game with few reliable options, general trouble at KOing, deficient disadvantage state, and an infamously dysergic [[special moves]]et. Being designed with [[character customization]] in mind, custom special moves were able to vastly improve her strengths, but they required for character customization to be turned on to be able to use them unlike the [[Mii|Mii Fighters]], resulting in the inability to use them in regular gameplay and limiting her to her default special moveset. Most likely owing to the removal of custom moves and her previous poorly regarded status, Palutena has been rebalanced significantly to work without custom moves in her transition from ''SSB4'' to ''Ultimate''; though while initially considered to be dramatically buffed during the game's release, game updates have given her some noticeable nerfs that have reduced her viability. Regardless, Palutena is still considered to be significantly buffed overall.

Palutena's most notable improvements are indirect, as she benefits from the gameplay changes to the engine to a far greater degree than most of the cast. The universal increases to mobility have not only improved her already high [[dash|run speed]], but particularly give her much faster [[air speed|air]] and [[falling speed]]s compared to ''SSB4'' (though the former is still below-average), improving her air-to-ground transitioning. The reduced [[landing lag]] in all aerials further improves her already impressive aerial game, heightening their spacing and combo potential. The increased [[shieldstun]] on attacks makes Palutena's own moves much safer on shield, while the changes to [[perfect shield]]ing now allow Palutena to more easily retailate against opposing attacks, while not reducing her own moves safety on shield due to the aforementioned higher shieldstun and her moves' multi-hit nature making them risky to perfect shield. The weakening of [[rage]] improves Palutena's endurance, and now allows her to take advantage of it much easier. The changes to [[air dodge]]s have significantly improved her juggling and edgeguarding potential combined with her respectable aerial moves, and the reintroduction of directional air dodging now let her use one to escape pressure or slightly extend her recovery. Finally, the changes to the [[Sakurai angle]] to be lower, while being a buff shared widely around the cast, have turned her [[back throw]] into a highly effective KO throw.

In terms of direct changes, Palutena has also received several notable improvements. Some of her standard moves have seen hitbox increases, which increases her melee range and makes attacks using her staff much more reliable at connecting. Her sluggish ground moves have been sped up, with her [[forward tilt|forward]] and [[up tilt]]s having faster startup, and almost all of her moves (aside from up and [[down tilt]]s) receiving less ending lag. Down tilt, particularly, has much better [[edge|2 framing]] potential thanks to its longer range and duration, and sends at a more favorable angle for combos. Her [[smash attacks]] have had their utility further increased; [[up smash]] lasts significantly longer, while [[forward smash|forward]] and [[down smash]] possess increased power as well as stronger, more reliable windboxes, which combined with their lower ending lag makes them harder to punish at long range.

Her already capable aerial moveset was also improved. [[Neutral aerial]] now always sends at the direction Palutena is facing and deals less knockback; in combination with the reductions to landing lag, this turns the move into a fearsome combo starter and general all-purpose attack. [[Forward aerial|Forward]], [[up aerial|up]] and [[down aerial]]s deal more damage, with both the former and latter, as well as [[back aerial]], dealing more knockback. Down aerial also lasts for an additional frame, no longer being one of worst meteor smashes in the game.

Palutena's special moveset has also seen various drastic enhancements that have put it in-line with the rest of the cast. [[Autoreticle]]'s detection lasts significantly longer, and each projectile has faster startup, deals more damage and travels faster. {{b|Counter|Palutena}} and [[Reflect Barrier]] have been merged into one move; the former activates when blocking a physical attack, while the latter activates to reflect projectiles. As a whole, the move has faster startup, lasts longer and has less ending lag in all aspects; individually, Counter has slightly more knockback (though it remains the weakest counterattack knockback-wise), while Reflect Barrier activates immediately and has a much higher damage multiplier, no longer being the weakest reflector in the game. In place of Reflect Barrier, Palutena's side special is now [[Explosive Flame]]; in addition to giving Palutena an additional move, the move has less ending lag, deals more damage and knockback, and can be summoned at two distances, increasing its versatility.

However, while receiving far more buffs, Palutena has also seen some notable nerfs that have changed her playstyle, most notably to her [[neutral attack]] and grabs. The former can no longer [[jab cancel]] due to its angle being homogenized to connect into the infinite, removing many of its guaranteed set-ups into other moves such as dash attack, grab and some of her aerials. For the latter, despite pivot grab's longer range, both standing and dash grab possess less range (especially the former), and all grabs share the same increased startup and ending lag as with the rest of the cast. Moreover, her dash attack and back aerial's invincibility frames no longer cover her entire body after startup, instead only covering her arm, making both attacks less effective at contesting approaches.

While she has seen mostly benefits from the revamped game physics, a few changes have also hurt Palutena. Most egregiously, the removal of custom moves means she is no longer able to utilize them to her advantage to improve her special moveset. The slowdown of shield grabs, combined with the universal nerfs to grabs, further weaken Palutena's [[out of shield]] and grab games, the former of which was the crux of her defense in ''SSB4''. The introduction of [[dash-canceling]] is overall detrimental to her, as it allows many characters to pressure her more effectively, while her grounded moves are still slow compared to her aerial moves. Lastly, the smaller [[edge#edge sweet spot|edge sweetspots]] render [[Warp]] much easier to intercept and 2-frame, which combined with her less floaty air physics and the changes to air dodges, makes her easier to edgeguard. Despite her improvements, Palutena also retains some of her weaknesses from ''SSB4'', such as slow grounded attacks despite their improved speed and duration, trouble at KOing the opponent, a somewhat linear approach and out of shield games, and a mediocre disadvantage state.

In the end, Palutena's buffs have exponentially improved her predictable, inconsistent offense, and her improved aerial mobility and the revamped gameplay mechanics allow her to take advantage of her streamlined moveset while compensating for most of her nerfs. She now possesses reliable options for most kinds of situations, allowing her to adapt to many kinds of playstyles depending on the opponent. However, her weaker grabs have neutered her defense, and her survivability is slightly worse, which forces her to adapt to the opponents' options through a more offensive playstyle. Game updates have also handed her some impactful nerfs, including the aforementioned nerf to her grab; combined with various characters gaining buffs through said updates, the introduction of DLC characters, and general metagame optimizations, her overall viability is slightly worse than at launch. All in all, however, Palutena is drastically better in ''Ultimate'' than she was in ''SSB4'', being one of the most buffed characters among the returning cast, and a fairly strong choice in competitive play.

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

==Update history==
Likely due to her dominant status during the early metagame, Palutena was nerfed overall via game updates.

Update {{SSBU|2.0.0}} made Warp safer to recover with, and reduced neutral aerial's hitlag, making it harder to SDI. In {{SSBU|3.0.0}}, she received an universal nerf to her projectiles' shield damage, on par with the rest of the cast, which made [[Autoreticle]] and [[Explosive Flame]] are less effective for shield pressure when used in conjunction.

Update {{SSBU|7.0.0}} granted Palutena a mix of buffs and nerfs, but nerfed her overall; her neutral aerial saw the most nerfs, with its looping hits altered to make them much less effective for drag-down setups and removing its infinite combo on itself on platforms against large characters, and its weaker knockback makes it a much less effective option at high percentages; the latter change did, however, make the move slightly more effective for combos at low to mid percentages. Down throw's increased knockback worsened its combo potential, notably neutering her KO confirm into back aerial. Despite this, her down smash and up tilt's last hit were made stronger.

Update {{SSBU|8.0.0}} nerfed her Final Smash by making it easier to avoid due to its slowdown period and range being shortened. {{SSBU|11.0.0}}, however, brought more significant nerfs to her standard moveset; her dash attack and forward aerial were made less safe by increasing their ending lag and landing lag, respectively. Most notably, however, her standing grab's infamous range was shortened considerably; this noticeably worsened her already mediocre out of shield game, and even makes some mispaced attacks harder to punish.

Overall, these changes have affected Palutena's viability, as she fares worse than she did at ''Ultimate''{{'}}s launch. However, she still remains a very viable character.

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

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

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|7.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/7.0.0|char=Palutena}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|8.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/8.0.0|char=Palutena}}

'''{{GameIcon|ssbu}} {{SSBU|11.0.0}}'''
{{UpdateList (SSBU)/11.0.0|char=Palutena}}

==Moveset==
''For a gallery of Palutena's hitboxes, see [[Palutena (SSBU)/Hitboxes|here]].''

{{MovesetTable
|game=SSBU
|neutralcount=2
|neutralname=Radiance ({{ja|輝き|Kagayaki}}) / Glimmer ({{ja|煌めき|Kirameki}}) / Glimmer Finish ({{ja|煌めきフィニッシュ|Kirameki Finisshu}})
|neutral1dmg=3%
|neutral2dmg=0.6% (loop),<br/>3.5% (last)
|neutraldesc=Thrusts her staff forward to emit a blast of light from its orb. While holding her staff out, she then proceeds to attack with repeated bursts of light, followed swinging her staff upward to emit a final burst of light. The first hit can lock. The final hit does decent knockback, allowing it to function as a situational KO move. However, it is slow for a neutral attack, due to coming out on frame 8.
|ftiltname=Circle of Protection ({{ja|守りの環|Mori no Wa}})
|ftiltdmg=6% (hit 1), 7% (hit 2)
|ftiltdesc=Telekinetically spins her staff in front of herself. This move can hits twice altogether if the tail of the staff hits the opponent. Its long duration and range allows it to punish sidesteps and backward rolls. The second hit has slightly more range than that of the first. However it comes out on frame 14, and its long duration and high lag makes it very punishable if missed.
|utiltname=Circle of Heaven ({{ja|天の環|Ten no Wa}})
|utiltdmg=1.4% (hits 1-5), 2.5% (hit 6)
|utiltdesc=Kneels and telekinetically spins her staff overhead. Unlike her forward and down tilts, it has KO potential due to the high knockback scaling on the last hit. It also has the lowest startup lag of her tilts, coming out on frame 8. However, its long duration and noticeable ending lag make it punishable. It also has a blind spot that makes it almost impossible to hit small or crouching characters like {{SSBU|Kirby}}.
|dtiltname=Circle of Earth ({{ja|地の環|Chi no Wa}})
|dtiltdmg=8.5% (grounded opponents), 5% (aerial opponents)
|dtiltdesc=Kneels and telekinetically spins her staff along the ground in front of her. A good spacing tool, and can even punish sidesteps. Slow startup on frame 14 but a low 12 frames of ending lag and has a long 14 frames duration. If the opponent is hit in the air it will be launched vertically, and it is a semi-spike if it hits opponents on the ground. It is one of the few moves in the game that has a longer duration than ending lag, and because of these attributes combined, it is one of the best moves for edge-guarding and [[2 frame punish]]ing opponents. It also has the lowest ending lag of a move in her movest, even less than the first hit of her neutral attack.
|dashname=Palutena Shield ({{ja|パルテナシールド|Parutena Shīrudo}})
|dashdmg=11% (clean), 7% (late)
|dashdesc=Charges forward with her shield. Its clean hitbox grants partial [[invincibility]] to Palutena's body and arm (frames 5 and 6 on her upper body, and frames 7-16 on her arm). Her shield also shines briefly, which indicates the duration of its hitbox. Fast start-up on frame 6, although it is unsafe on shield. The clean hit has decent knockback and KOs around 160%.
|fsmashname=Palutena God Wing ({{ja|パルテナゴッドウィング|Parutena Goddo Uingu}})
|fsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|16}} (base), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|13}} (tip)
|fsmashdesc=Conjures a pair of ethereal wings and flaps them forward. It has excellent range, including a huge windbox near the tips of the wings that can [[push]] away opponents and potentially [[gimp]] recoveries. The tips of the wings are weaker compared to the inner portions. Has quite a bit startup lag at frame 18 (tied with up smash) and very high ending lag with 43 frames, making this move very punishable. Occasionally, Palutena utters "Goddess Wings!" when using this move. Based on the move of the same name used by Palutena in her boss fight in ''{{iw|icaruspedia|Kid Icarus: Uprising}}'' while she is under the control of the {{iw|icaruspedia|Chaos Kin}}.
|usmashname=Pillar of Light ({{ja|光の柱|Hikari no Hashira}})
|usmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|16}}/{{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|12}}/{{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|9}} (clean, base/middle/tip), {{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|13}}/{{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|9}}/{{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|7}} (late)
|usmashdesc=Raises her staff skyward to generate a cyan beam of light that erupts from the ground in front of herself. Has the second highest vertical range of any up smash in the game, surpassed only by {{SSBU|Snake}}'s. The beam has a trio of hitboxes: one at the base, one at the middle, and one at the top. It has a long-lasting 18 frame duration, and unlike her other smash attacks, has a moderate 28 frames of ending lag, making it her most reliable smash attack. However, its long duration and moderate ending lag still make it very punishable if missed or dodged. It also has almost no horizontal range in front of Palutena and without covering her from directly above and behind. It resembles the Palutena Pressure ({{ja|パルテナプレッシャー|Parutena Puresshā}}), an attack in ''Kid Icarus: Uprising'' used by the Chaos Kin-controlled Palutena, and later on by her doppleganger {{iw|icaruspedia|Pseudo-Palutena}}.
|dsmashname=Squat God Wing ({{ja|スクワットゴッドウィング|Sukuwatto Goddo Uingu}})
|dsmashdmg={{ChargedSmashDmgSSBU|15}} (clean), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|13}} (late)
|dsmashdesc=Conjures a pair of ethereal wings and flaps them downward on both sides. It has very long range. Its clean hitbox has the highest knockback scaling out of her smash attacks. Much like her forward smash, huge windboxes appear near the tips of her wings and has a sourspot at the tip. Much like her forward smash, Palutena occasionally utters "Goddess Wings!" when using this move. Due to coming out on frame 17 and having extreme ending lag (49 frames), it is very easy to punish.
|nairname=Omnidirectional Circle ({{ja|四方の環|Yomo no Wa}})
|nairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|1.4}} (hits 1-6), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|5.1}} (hit 7)
|nairdesc=Telekinetically spins her staff while it is adjacent to her right arm. Has the lowest amount of startup lag in her moveset, coming out on frame 5. Notorious for its ability to effectively combo into itself and into other aerials, being capable of comboing into itself at low percentages until four times, and especially for its importance to Palutena's gameplan thanks to its low ending and landing lag, making it very spammable. It also can easily set up an edge-guard when fast fallen, and due to its high knockback scaling, it has enough knockback to KO middleweights at around 150% on the edge of Final Destination. All of these traits combined make it one of her best moves and is arguably one of the best moves in the game due to its effectiveness. Auto-cancels in a full hop.
|fairname=Palutena Kick ({{ja|パルテナキック|Parutena Kikku}})
|fairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|10}}
|fairdesc=A flying kick. It has long disjointed range and is somewhat disjointed, as the hitbox extends beyond Palutena's leg. It has a generous auto-cancel window, doing so in a short hop fast fall, and its decent knockback allows it to edge-guard reliably at high percentages. Comes out on frame 9, but it has high ending lag and a short hitbox duration.
|bairname=Shield Bash ({{ja|シールドバッシュ|Shīrudo Basshu}})
|bairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|12}}
|bairdesc=A backfist with her shield-equipped arm. Much like her dash attack, the clean hitbox grants invincibility around her upper body, and the duration of its hitbox is indicated by a shine. Its invincibility is brief, which is just before the hitbox first comes out (frame 7). Like her forward aerial, it has a generous auto-cancel window, allowing it to autocancel in a short hop fast fall. It has a large hitbox, but is unable to cover Palutena at point-blank range. It also has 40 frames of ending lag, making it very punishable if it is not used close to the ground.
|uairname=Halo ({{ja|後光|Gokō}})
|uairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|1}} (hits 1-5), {{ShortHopDmgSSBU|5}} (hit 6)
|uairdesc=Twirls briefly and then emits her halo above herself. Comes out on frame 10, tying it with down aerial for having the slowest start-up of Palutena's aerials. However, it has several hitboxes that grant great coverage above Palutena, and its last hit's respectable power enables it to KO reliably around 110%. Auto-cancels in a full hop.
|dairname=Purging Kick ({{ja|追放キック|Tsuihō Kikku}})
|dairdmg={{ShortHopDmgSSBU|11}}
|dairdesc=A downward roundhouse kick. Unlike most meteor smashes, it will always meteor smash midair opponents, thanks to its consistent hitbox. It is also fairly fast for a meteor smash, coming out on frame 10. Conversely, it will obliquely launch grounded opponents (grounded opponents in front of Palutena are launched behind her, and vice versa), which allows it to be used as a punishment option from [[out of shield]] when SHFF'd. However, it is unarguably Palutena's worst aerial for a number of reasons. Due to it hitting on frame 10, it is tied with her up aerial for her slowest aerial. It also has the shortest range, duration, and worst auto-cancel window of her aerials (auto-canceling late in a full hop), while its knockback is only average at best for a meteor smash. It also has immense ending lag (47 frames), which is among the laggiest aerials in the game. These traits make it a highly risky, yet only moderately rewarding move, with characters such as {{SSBU|Ivysaur}}, {{SSBU|Luigi}} and {{SSBU|Cloud}} having noticeably better meteor smashes that are similar or even faster in comparison.
|grabname=Grab ({{ja|つかみ|Tsukami}})
|grabdesc=Telekinetically clinches the opponent. Palutena's standing grab range is above-average, while her pivot grab also has impressive range. However, her grab has a noticeable amount of ending lag.
|pummelname=Grab Petit Shock ({{ja|つかみプチショック|Tsukami Puchi Shokku}})
|pummeldmg=1.3%
|pummeldesc=Emits a small burst of light.
|fthrowname=Zero-Contact Throw ({{ja|触れない投げ|Sawarenai Nage}})
|fthrowdmg=9%
|fthrowdesc=Curls herself slightly and then telekinetically tosses the opponent forward while throwing out her arms. It is Palutena's second-most damaging throw, but its only utility is as an edge-guard set-up.
|bthrowname=Zero-Contact Reverse Throw ({{ja|触れない逆投げ|Sawarenai Sakanage}})
|bthrowdmg=10%
|bthrowdesc=Telekinetically lifts the opponent and then performs an inverted version of the {{iw|wikipedia|Arabesque|ballet position}} (a ballet position) to fling the opponent backward. It is Palutena's most damaging throw, and her only throw that KOs at reasonable percentages, doing so at around 130% on middleweights on the edge of Final Destination. It is also useful for setting up an edge-guard.
|uthrowname=Launch ({{ja|打ち上げ|Uchiage}})
|uthrowdmg=8%
|uthrowdesc=Telekinetically raises the opponent upward with her left arm, and heaves them upward by thrusting her staff upward. Despite having high base knockback, its average damage output and below-average knockback scaling make it unreliable at KOing without the use of a highly elevated [[platform]], while its ending lag makes it unfavorable as a combo starter. As a result, it is better suited for setting up aerial pressure.
|dthrowname=Knock Down ({{ja|叩き落とし|Tataki Otoshi}})
|dthrowdmg=5%
|dthrowdesc=Telekinetically lifts the opponent and slams them onto the ground. It is Palutena's most useful throw, thanks to its high base knockback, very low knockback growth, and diagonal launching angle. These traits make it a potent combo starter at a wide range of percentages, being able to set up neutral aerial strings at low to mid percentages (or just combo into any of her aerials), and can even set up for KO confirms into back aerial at high percentages. As of update 7.0.0, however, the latter combo is noticeably more difficult to perform.
|floorfname= 
|floorfdmg=7%
|floorfdesc=Swings her staff behind herself and then in front of herself before getting up.
|floorbname= 
|floorbdmg=7%
|floorbdesc=Swings her staff behind herself and then in front of herself before getting up.
|floortname= 
|floortdmg=5%
|floortdesc=Swings her staff in front of herself and then behind herself before getting up.
|edgename= 
|edgedmg=9%
|edgedesc=Performs a legsweep while climbing up.
|nsname=Autoreticle
|nsdmg=3.5% (per shot)
|nsdesc=Illuminates her staff's orb to aim [[icaruspedia:Autoreticle|a reticle over the opponent, and then fires three energy blasts at that location]]. It will only fire the blasts if nothing blocks her target, and if the opponent is within range and not [[intangible]]. The shots can [[lock]], although due to the changes on locking, it has even less use to initiate combos. It can be used as a way for stopping direct approaches and to force an approach. It is also able to hit opponents behind Palutena, such as if she is moving when it fires and if the opponent is at the maximum horizontal range toward her. Although situational, it also has very minor recovery potential, thanks to it briefly stalling her descent. However, it has high ending lag, regardless of whether or not it targets anything. Its very minor knockback also makes it poor for spacing.
|ssname=Explosive Flame
|ssdmg=1.5% (hits 1-6), 5.5% (hit 7)
|ssdesc=Creates [[icaruspedia:Explosive Flame|a multi-hitting explosion]] approximately 4 character lengths away from herself. If inputted like a smash attack, the explosion hits approximately 7.5 units away. The ability to change its range makes it a decent spacing and zoning tool, as well as an edge-guarding option. This move has good KO potential, thanks to its loop hits reliably trapping the opponent, and its last hit having impressive knockback. However it is very punishable if missed. However, it is safe on shield due to its minimal ending lag.
|usname=Warp
|usdmg=—
|usdesc=[[icaruspedia:Warp|Disappears and then reappears]] in a chosen direction. It quickly covers both a respectable amount of vertical distance and a decent horizontal distance while rendering Palutena invisible (frames 16-32). It can also be [[Ledge-canceling|edge-canceled]], which grants it defensive and re-positioning potentials. However, it renders Palutena [[helpless]] after she reappears (unless it is edge-canceled) and lacks a hitbox to protect her. She also falls faster in this state.
|dsname=Counter/Reflect Barrier
|dsdmg=1.3× (countered attack)/1.4× (reflected projectile)
|dsdesc=Palutena uses her shield to retaliate against an opponent's attack. If a physical attack connects, Palutena will [[icaruspedia:Counter|forcefully thrust her staff forward]], creating a blast of light. If a projectile attack connects, she raises her shield to emit [[icaruspedia:Reflect Barrier|a rectangular barrier that reflects]] the projectile.
|fsname=Black Hole Laser
|fsdmg=2.4% (hits 1-12), 12% (final)
|fsdesc=Illuminates her staff's orb and twirls around repeatedly before firing a {{iw|icaruspedia|Black Hole}} from her staff's orb, after which she quickly retreats off-stage in order to fire a {{iw|icaruspedia|Mega Laser}} into the Black Hole. The Black Hole does not deal damage, but [[pull]]s opponents within a 45 unit radius (about 0.5u smaller than the distance between the platforms of [[Small Battlefield]]) into itself and places them in a [[tumbling]] state. Conversely, the Mega Laser hits multiple times before concluding with a final hit that launches the opponent and dissipates the Black Hole.
}}

===[[Announcer]] call===
{{audio|Needs announcer calls from other languages.}}
<gallery>
Palutena English Announcer SSB4-SSBU.wav|English/Japanese/Chinese
</gallery>

===[[On-screen appearance]]===
*Walks out of a set of golden doors that are decorated with her halo's design and emit a bright, shining light.
<gallery>
PalutenaOnScreenAppearanceSSBU.gif|Palutena's on-screen appearance.
</gallery>

===[[Taunt]]s===
*'''Up taunt''': Raises her arms overhead and then brings them down while producing ethereal wings, emitting her halo, and saying "You shall be purified." ({{ja|浄化してあげましょう|Jōka shite agemashou}}, ''You will be purified.'')
*'''Side taunt''': Laughs while using her staff to perform a twirling, inverted version of the Arabesque.
*'''Down taunt''': Lets go of her staff and telekinetically holds it next to herself, then brushes her hair aside while emitting her halo and saying "Ready when you are." ({{ja|いつでもどうぞ？|Itsudemo dōzo?}}, ''Feel free whenever.'') before grabbing her staff.
<gallery>
SSBUPalutenaTaunt1.gif|Palutena's up taunt.
SSBUPalutenaTaunt2.gif|Palutena's side taunt.
SSBUPalutenaTaunt3.gif|Palutena's down taunt.
</gallery>

===[[Idle pose]]s===
*Taps the ground with the tail of her staff and shield in front of herself, during which she briefly emits her halo.
*Looks away while crossing her staff and shield in front of herself, during which she briefly emits her halo.
<gallery>
SSBUPalutenaIdle1.gif|Palutena's first idle pose.
SSBUPalutenaIdle2.gif|Palutena's 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)
!Cheer (Dutch)
!Cheer (French)
|-
! scope="row"|Cheer
|[[File:Palutena Cheer English SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Palutena Cheer Japanese SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Palutena Cheer Italian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Palutena Cheer Dutch SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Palutena Cheer French NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Palutena Cheer French PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]
|-
! scope="row"|Description
|Pa - lu - te - na! || Pa - lu - tena! || Pa - lu - te - na! || Pa - lu - te - na! *claps 2 times* || Pa - lu - te - na!
|}
</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:Palutena Cheer German SSBU.ogg|center]]||{{NTSC}} [[File:Palutena Cheer Spanish NTSC SSBU.ogg|center]] <br> {{PAL}} [[File:Palutena Cheer Spanish PAL SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Palutena Cheer Russian SSBU.ogg|center]]||[[File:Palutena Cheer Korean SSBU.ogg|center]]
|-
! scope="row"|Description
|Paaaaalu - te - na! *claps 6 times* || Paaaaalu - te - na! *claps 5 times* || Paaaaalu - tena! || Palu - tena!
|}
</div>
</div>

===[[Victory pose]]s===
*'''Left:''' Twirls with her staff held out, hovering off the ground. She then raises it in an arc and points it in front of her, saying "No one can hide from the light." ("{{ja|さ、回収しましょうか？|Sa, kaishū shimashou ka?}}", ''So, shall we recover?'').
**''If Pit is present in the match, there is a chance she will instead say "Oh, so sorry about that, Pit."'' ("{{ja|やられちゃいましたね？|Yararecha imashita ne?}}", ''Were you hurt?''). ''If this quote plays in the Japanese version, Palutena does not look at the camera.''
*'''Up:''' Enters from the side of the screen hovering. She then briefly spins her staff in front of herself telekinetically, catches it, and stands with it pointed outwards. During the pose, she says "Too bad for you." ("{{ja|ちょっと大人げなかったかしら？|Chotto otonagenakatta kashira?}}", ''Was that a bit immature??'').
**''If Dark Pit was present in the match, there is a chance she will instead say "Poor little Pittoo."'' ("{{ja|いつまでも意地っ張りですね～|Itsu made mo ijippari desu ne~}}", ''Forever a nuisance...!'').
*'''Right:''' Uses her staff to briefly perform the Backwards Showgirl (a pole dancing move) before assuming a seated stance while floating and laughs. In the Japanese version, she says ("{{ja|本気出しても良いんですよ。|Honki dashite mo īdesu yo.}}", ''It's all right to fight seriously.'').
[[File:PitTheme.ogg|thumb|A flourished remix of a small excerpt of the title screen theme of ''Kid Icarus'', with an original ending.]]
<gallery>
PalutenaVictoryPose1SSBU.gif
PalutenaVictoryPose2SSBU.gif
PalutenaVictoryPose3SSBU.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:Palutena players (SSBU)]]''

*{{Sm|Abadango|Japan}} - Plays a variety of characters including Palutena, and was one of the best Palutena players in Japan in the early metagame. He won the major {{Trn|Umebura SP 4}} using Palutena for a set, and has also placed 2nd at the major {{Trn|EGS Cup 3}} using solo-Palutena. He has since dropped the character.
*{{Sm|Chag|Mexico}} - One of the best Palutena players in the world in 2021 and 2022, ranking as high as 19th on the [[OrionRank Mid-Year 2022]] and with several top 8s at majors, including 3rd at the supermajor {{Trn|COLOSSEL 2022}} and 5th at the supermajor {{Trn|Mainstage 2021}}.
*{{Sm|Chase|USA}} - One of the two best Palutena players in the world in 2023, ranking 43rd on the [[LumiRank Mid-Year 2023]]. He placed 7th at the major {{Trn|MAJOR UPSET}} and the supermajor {{Trn|Crown the Third}}.
*{{Sm|Gen|USA}} - One of the best Palutena players in the United States for most of the game's lifespan, ranking as high as 33rd on the [[OrionRank Ultimate: Six Months In]] with several strong runs including 7th at {{Trn|Let's Make Moves}} and 9th at the supermajors {{Trn|Glitch 7 - Minus World}} and {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves 2023}}.
*{{Sm|Jagaimo|Japan}} - Has been a top Palutena player for most of the game's lifespan and is considered one of the best Palutena players in the world in 2023, ranking 35th on the [[LumiRank Mid-Year 2023]] and seeing high placements such as 5th at the supermajor {{Trn|DELTA 4}} and 9th at the major {{Trn|Umebura SP 5}}.
*{{Sm|Lui$|USA}} - One of the best Palutena players in the world in 2021 and 2022, ranking as high as 17th on the [[OrionRank Ultimate: Eclipse]] with several top 8 placements at majors including 5th at the majors {{Trn|Port Priority 6}} and {{Trn|Low Tide City 2022}}.
*{{Sm|Nairo|USA}} - The best Palutena player of all-time and the only player who has won majors using primarily Palutena, doing so at the supermajors {{Trn|Mainstage 2021}} and {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves}}. However he has since retired following controversies surrounding his conduct.
*{{Sm|Raflow|France}} - The best Palutena player in Europe and one of the best players in Europe, ranking as high as 28th on the [[OrionRank Mid-Year 2022]]. He was the first player to eliminate Glutonny's {{SSBU|Wario}} at a European tournament and has also placed highly at majors, including 5th at the supermajor {{Trn|Tera}} and 7th at the supermajor {{Trn|Temple: Hermès Edition}}.

===Tier placement and history===
Since the beginning of ''Ultimate,'' Palutena has always had a very positive reception among the ''Smash'' community, as many top players noticed her significant buffs from ''SSB4'' early on and was agreed on as a high tier for much of 2019. However, after {{Sm|Nairo}} won {{Trn|Mainstage}} and {{Trn|Let's Make Big Moves}}, her already strong reception and results have further increased, with strengths such as her notorious neutral aerial, KO confirms from her down throw, and her relatively low learning curve becoming even more apparent, while her few weaknesses are relatively minor. This has to led to nearly all top players to believe she is a top tier, with many claiming she is among the best in the game, alongside other characters such as {{SSBU|Pikachu}}, {{SSBU|Joker}}, and {{SSBU|Peach}}.

Although she remained a strong character after her nerfs in updates 7.0.0 and 11.0.0, during the online era her representation briefly stagnated due to her strongest players either dropping the character, performing worse, becoming inactive, or in Nairo's case, retiring; this led some players to question whether Palutena was starting to fall off in a similar vein to {{SSBU|Inkling}}. This opinion, however, did not last long, as following the return of offline competitive play, other Palutena players such as {{Sm|Lui$}}, {{Sm|Chag}}, and {{Sm|Raflow}} picked up steam and saw several notable placements at a national level, completely nullifying the stagnation during the pandemic. As a result, opinions on Palutena had remained largely the same. However, players still believe her nerfs and the adapting meta have noticeably pushed Palutena back a few placements, with most players now just viewing her as a solid top tier and not among the best characters in the game, making her ranked 17th on the first and current tier list, near the bottom of the top tier.

=={{SSBU|Classic Mode}}: A Little Divine Intervention==
[[File:SSBU Congratulations Palutena.png|thumb|Palutena's congratulations screen.]]
Referring to being a goddess herself, Palutena's opponents all come from series where religion and mythology play a key role. The title is the same as a phrase she says in her debut character trailer for ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''.

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Round!!Opponent!!Stage!!Music!!Notes
|-
|1||{{CharHead|Link|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Zelda|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Great Plateau Tower]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Overworld}}''||
|-
|2||{{CharHead|Cloud|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Midgar]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Magnus's Theme}}''||The track used and Cloud as an opponent serve as an allusion to [[Magnus]], who also wields a sword which has almost the same size as its user.
|-
|3||{{CharHead|Simon|SSBU|hsize=20px}} and {{CharHead|Richter|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Dracula's Castle]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Destroyed Skyworld}}''||
|-
|4||{{CharHead|Shulk|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Gaur Plain]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Thunder Cloud Temple}}''||
|-
|5||{{CharHead|Bayonetta|SSBU|hsize=20px}}||[[Umbra Clock Tower]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Bayonetta|Riders Of The Light}}''||
|-
|6||{{Head|Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}{{Head|Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}} {{SSBU|Pit}} (x3) and {{Head|Dark Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px}}{{Head|Dark Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}{{Head|Dark Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Brown}} {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} (x3)||[[Palutena's Temple]]||''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Underworld}}''||Horde Battle.
|-
|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>(Intensity 7.0 or higher)</small>||On intensity 7.0 and higher, {{SSBU|Crazy Hand}} fights alongside Master Hand.
|}

Note: Most stages play a track from the {{uv|Kid Icarus}} universe, no matter what universe the stage originates from, with the only exception being Umbra Clock Tower.

[[Credits]] roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Palutena has ''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Destroyed Skyworld}}'' accompany the credits.
{{clr}}

==Role in [[World of Light]]==
[[File:WoL-54Palutena.jpg|thumb|Finding Palutena in World of Light|left]]
Palutena was among the fighters that were summoned to fight the army of [[Master Hand]]s.

During the opening cutscene, Palutena was present on the cliffside when [[Galeem]] unleashed his beams of light. She attempted to block a beam with [[Reflect Barrier]], which the beam completely pierced, disintegrating her. Her defeat causes {{SSBU|Pit}} and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} to lose their [[Power of Flight]], making the duo fall victim to the beams as well. They were all placed under Galeem's imprisonment alongside the rest of the fighters, excluding {{SSBU|Kirby}}. A puppet fighter cloned from her is later seen alongside ones cloned from {{SSBU|Greninja}}, {{SSBU|King Dedede}}, {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}} and other fighters.

Palutena is the last fighter to be found to be imprisoned by Galeem. In {{b|The Final Battle|World of Light}}, she is called by Galeem as part of reinforcements after {{SSBU|Dark Samus}} is awakened and {{SSBU|Crazy Hand}} is beaten. She is an obligatory unlock for the true ending, as awaking her leads to a battle with Master Hand that frees him from Galeem's control (both of whom's defeats greatly shifts the balance of power in Dharkon's favor).
{{clrl}}

===Fighter Battle===
{|class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|-
!style="width:5%;"|No.
!style="width:5%;"|Image
!Name
!Type
!Power
!Stage
!Music
|-
|54
|[[File:Palutena SSBU.png|center|108x108px]]
|Palutena
|{{SpiritType|Attack}} <center>{{color|#dc1029|Attack}}</center>
|12,500
|[[Palutena's Temple]] ([[Ω form]])
|''{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Destroyed Skyworld}}''
|}
{{clr}}

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

<center>
<gallery>
SSBU spirit Palutena.png|705. '''''Palutena'''''
</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
|-
|118
|{{SpiritTableName|Wanda|iw=mariowiki|size=64}}
|''Super Mario'' Series
|•Tiny {{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}<br>•{{SSBU|Yoshi}} {{Head|Yoshi|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}<br>•{{SSBU|Peach}} {{Head|Peach|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}<br>•{{SSBU|Mario}} {{Head|Mario|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|1,500
|[[Green Greens]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|N/A
|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Super Mario Bros.|Mario Paint Medley}}
|
|-
|381
|{{SpiritTableName|Elline|size=64}}
|''Kirby'' Series
|•Tiny {{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|3,800
|[[Rainbow Cruise]]
|•Item: Balls
|•Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Kirby|Butter Building (Brawl)}}
|
|-
|445
|{{SpiritTableName|Alolan Exeggutor|link=y|size=64}}
|''Pokémon'' Series
|•Giant {{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}} (140 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|4,300
|[[Tortimer Island]] (hazards off)
|N/A
|•Timed [[stamina battle]] (1:00)<br>•The enemy favors up smash attacks<br>•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Alolan Exeggutor)
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Pokémon|Battle! (Wild Pokémon) - Pokémon Sun / Pokémon Moon}}
|
|-
|632
|{{SpiritTableName|Nyna|iw=fireemblem|size=64}}
|''Fire Emblem'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}<br>•{{SSBU|Ganondorf}} {{Head|Ganondorf|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Grey}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|4,200
|[[Temple]]
|N/A
|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•The enemy tends to avoid conflict<br>•The enemy heals over time
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Shadow Dragon Medley}}
|
|-
|640
|{{SpiritTableName|Deirdre|iw=fireemblem|size=64}}
|''Fire Emblem'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|3,700
|[[Temple]]
|•Attack Power ↓
|•You have reduced attack power
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Edge of Adversity}}
|
|-
|644
|{{SpiritTableName|Lilina|iw=fireemblem|size=64}}
|''Fire Emblem'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}<br>•{{SSBU|Roy}} {{Head|Roy|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|3,500
|[[Gaur Plain]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|N/A
|•The enemy's explosion and fire attacks have increased power<br>•The enemy favors side specials<br>•Reinforcements will appear during the battle
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Beyond Distant Skies - Roy's Departure}}
|
|-
|650
|{{SpiritTableName|Ninian|iw=fireemblem|size=64}}
|''Fire Emblem'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}<br>•{{SSBU|Roy}} {{Head|Roy|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|3,400
|[[Castle Siege]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|N/A
|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•The enemy can use their Final Smash twice in a row<br>•The enemy's FS Meter charges quickly
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Winning Road - Roy's Hope}}
|
|-
|661
|{{SpiritTableName|Elincia|iw=fireemblem|size=64}}
|''Fire Emblem'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|3,600
|[[Skyworld]]
|•Health Recovery<br>•Attack Power ↑
|•The enemy has increased attack power when the enemy's at high damage<br>•The enemy is healed when the enemy's at high damage<br>•The enemy has increased move speed
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|Victory Is Near}}
|
|-
|710
|{{SpiritTableName|Medusa|size=64}}
|''Kid Icarus'' Series
|•Giant {{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}} (140 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|4,600
|[[Find Mii]] ([[Ω form]])
|•Hazard: High Gravity
|•The enemy has super armor but moves slower<br>•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•Your jumping power decreases after a little while
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Boss Fight 1 - Kid Icarus: Uprising}}
|
|-
|722
|{{SpiritTableName|Pseudo-Palutena|size=64}}
|''Kid Icarus'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|1,900
|[[Dracula's Castle]]
|N/A
|•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls ([[Ditto]])
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Kid Icarus|Destroyed Skyworld}}
|
|-
|843
|{{SpiritTableName|Katrina|size=64}}
|''Animal Crossing'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Purple}}
|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|3,700
|[[Smashville]]
|•Sudden Damage
|•All fighters take serious damage<br>•The enemy favors dash attacks<br>•The enemy has increased move speed
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Animal Crossing|Plaza / Title Theme - Animal Crossing: City Folk / Animal Crossing: Wild World}}
|
|-
|859
|{{SpiritTableName|Serena|size=64}}
|''Animal Crossing'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|1,900
|[[Fountain of Dreams]]
|•Item: {{b|Hammer|item}}
|•The enemy is easily distracted by items
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Animal Crossing|The Roost - Animal Crossing: Wild World}}
|{{iw|nookipedia|Serena}}
|-
|957
|{{SpiritTableName|Melia|size=64}}
|''Xenoblade Chronicles'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Shulk}} {{Head|Shulk|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Lavender}}
|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}
|4,200
|[[Gaur Plain]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|•Hazard: Poison Floor
|•The floor is poisonous<br>•The enemy's magic attacks have increased power
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Xenoblade Chronicles|Time to Fight! - Xenoblade Chronicles}}
|
|-
|1,172
|{{SpiritTableName|Mia|size=64}}
|''Golden Sun'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|2,200
|[[Delfino Plaza]] (Large Island)
|N/A
|•Timed battle (1:00)<br>•The enemy shields often<br>•The enemy can heal by shielding attacks
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Battle Scene / Final Boss - Golden Sun}}
|
|-
|1,253
|{{SpiritTableName|Elena|size=64}}
|''Pandora's Tower''
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|3,600
|[[Great Plateau Tower]]
|•Item Tidal Wave
|•The enemy becomes temporarily invincible after eating<br>•The enemy starts with damage but has increased defense<br>•Certain items will appear in large numbers after a little while
|{{SSBUMusicLink|The Legend of Zelda|Midna's Lament}}
|
|-
|1,269
|{{SpiritTableName|Culdra|size=64}}
|''Culdcept'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Pink}}
|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}
|9,200
|[[Temple]]
|•Magic and PSI Unleashed
|•All fighters' magic and PSI attacks have increased power
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Culdcept}}
|
|-
|1,366
|{{SpiritTableName|Athena Asamiya|customname=[https://snk.fandom.com/wiki/Athena_Asamiya Athena Asamiya]|size=64}}
|''Psycho Soldier''
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Richter}} {{Head|Richter|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}
|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}
|9,400
|[[Mushroomy Kingdom]] (hazards off)
|N/A
|•The enemy favors special moves<br>•Reinforcements will appear during the battle
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Fatal Fury|Psycho Soldier Theme (Overseas Version)}}
|
|-
|1,389
|{{SpiritTableName|Rhea|iw=fireemblem|size=64}}
|''Fire Emblem'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px}} (80 HP)<br>•Giant {{SSBU|Charizard}} {{Head|Charizard|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}} (120 HP)
|{{SpiritType|Neutral}}
|10,300
|[[Bridge of Eldin]] (hazards off)
|N/A
|•[[Stamina battle]]<br>•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd<br>•The enemy is giant
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Fire Emblem|The Apex of the World}}
|
|-
|1,423
|{{SpiritTableName|H'aanit & Ophilia|size=64}}
|''OCTOPATH TRAVELER''
|•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px}}<br>•{{SSBU|Wolf}} {{Head|Wolf|g=SSBU|s=20px}}<br>•{{SSBU|Pit}} {{Head|Pit|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=White}}
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|9,200
|[[Summit]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|•Health Recovery
|•The enemy's ranged weapons have increased power<br>•The enemy can unleash powerful critical hits at random<br>•The enemy is healed significantly when the enemy's at high damage
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Battle Start - Fossil Fighters: Frontier}}
|Ophilia
|}

===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
|-
|rowspan="2"|972
|{{SpiritTableName|Mòrag|size=64|dlcalt=y}}
|rowspan="2"|''Xenoblade Chronicles'' Series
|rowspan="2"|•{{SSBU|Lucina}} {{Head|Lucina|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Navy}}<br>•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}
|rowspan="2"|{{SpiritType|Attack}}
|rowspan="2"| 2,400
|rowspan="2"|[[Gaur Plain]] ([[Battlefield form]])
|rowspan="2"|•Hazard: Lava Floor
|rowspan="2"|•Defeat the main fighter to win<br>•The floor is lava
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Xenoblade Chronicles|Battle!! - Xenoblade Chronicles 2}}
|rowspan="2"|[https://www.xenoserieswiki.org/wiki/Brighid Brighid]
|-
|style="background-color:#EEE;"|{{SSBUMusicLink|Xenoblade Chronicles|Mor Ardain - Roaming the Wastes -}}<ref group="SB" name="DLC"/>
|-
|1,052
|{{SpiritTableName|Trevor C. Belmont|size=64}}
|''Castlevania'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Simon}} {{Head|Simon|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Indigo}}<br>•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Blue}}<br>•{{SSBU|Sheik}} {{Head|Sheik|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Red}}
|{{SpiritType|Shield}}
|13,000
|[[Dracula's Castle]]
|•Assist Trophy Enemies ([[Alucard]])
|•Hostile assist trophies will appear when the enemy's at high damage<br>•Reinforcements will appear during the battle
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Castlevania|Beginning}}
|[https://castlevania.fandom.com/wiki/Sypha_Belnades Sypha Belnades]
|-
|1,168
|{{SpiritTableName|Isaac|link=y|size=64}}
|''Golden Sun'' Series
|•{{SSBU|Mii Swordfighter}} {{Head|Mii Swordfighter|g=SSBU|s=20px}} (Moveset [[Gale Strike|1]][[Gale Stab|2]][[Skyward Slash Dash|2]][[Reversal Slash|2]], Isaac Wig, Isaac's Outfit, High Voice Type 1)<br>•{{SSBU|Palutena}} {{Head|Palutena|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Cyan}}<br>•{{SSBU|Robin}} {{Head|Robin|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Green}}<br>•{{SSBU|Roy}} {{Head|Roy|g=SSBU|s=20px|cl=Yellow}}
|{{SpiritType|Grab}}
|8,900
|[[Wuhu Island]] (Swaying Bridge)
|•Assist Trophy Enemies (Isaac)
|•The enemy's magic attacks have increased power<br>•Hostile assist trophies will appear<br>•Reinforcements will appear during the battle
|{{SSBUMusicLink|Other|Battle Scene / Final Boss - Golden Sun}}
|{{s|goldensun|Mia}}
|}
<references group="SB">
<ref name="DLC">This alternative occurs when the corresponding DLC has been purchased and downloaded.</ref>
</references>

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

==Gallery==
<gallery>
SSBU Palutena Number.png|Palutena's fighter card.
Palutena unlock notice SSBU.jpg|Palutena's unlock notice.
Palutena SSBU No Halo.png|Palutena's first official artwork for ''Ultimate'', shown in E3 2018.
SSBUWebsitePalutena1.jpg|Idling on [[Coliseum]].
SSBUWebsitePalutena2.jpg|Palutena summoning [[Explosive Flame]] on [[Skyloft]].
SSBUWebsitePalutena3.jpg|Palutena [[Reflect Barrier|reflecting]] {{SSBU|Samus}}'s [[Charge Shot]] on [[Temple]].
SSBUWebsitePalutena4.jpg|Palutena on [[Lylat Cruise]].
SSBUWebsitePalutena5.jpg|Palutena using her down tilt near an aerial {{SSBU|Villager}} on [[Gaur Plain]].
SSBUWebsitePalutena6.jpg|Palutena in her cyan alternate costume on [[Prism Tower]].
SSBUWebsiteBlackHole1.jpg|Palutena catching {{SSBU|Mario}} in the [[Black Hole]] item on Gaur Plain.
SSBUWebsiteLunala3.jpg|Getting launched by [[Lunala]]'s Moongeist Beam along with {{SSBU|Fox}} and {{SSBU|Samus}} on [[Summit]].
SSBUKidIcarusJPTwitter1.jpg|With {{SSBU|Pit}} and {{SSBU|Dark Pit}} on [[Skyworld]].
SSBUWebsiteMoon1.png|Palutena, {{SSBU|Samus}}, {{SSBU|Villager}}, and [[Shovel Knight]] fighting on [[Find Mii]] [[Ω form|Ω]] with the [[Moon]] about to crash into the stage.
</gallery>

===Fighter Showcase Video===
{{#widget:YouTube|id=0yD_B4ZkdME}}

==Trivia==
*Palutena is the only character to have two previously separate special moves ([[Counter (Palutena)|Counter]] and [[Reflect Barrier]]) consolidated into a single special move slot.
*Palutena's artwork was one of three to have been updated on the official site, alongside {{SSBU|Falco}} and {{SSBU|Shulk}}. Compared to [[:File:Palutena_SSBU_No_Halo.png|her original artwork]], her halo was added, her chiton now covers up more of her thigh, her hair became a brighter green, her lips were shrunk, and her eyes were enlarged. Overall, these changes make it more consistent with the official artwork from both [[:File:Palutena Uprising.png|''Kid Icarus: Uprising'']] and [[:File:Palutena SSB4.png|''Super Smash Bros. 4'']] (especially the latter), as well as her in-game model.
*Due to age rating issues, the slit in her chiton was changed to cover up more of her thigh beginning in update 1.0.6. for the Japanese version of ''SSB4''. This change was retained in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', including all international versions.
**While her official artwork depicts the top of the chiton's slit as fused together, it appears to be stitched together on her in-game model.
**As Palutena's Fighter Spirit artwork uses an unaltered illustration from ''Kid Icarus: Uprising'', it depicts her chiton still revealing most of her thigh. This is probably an oversight, as the spirits for {{iw|fireemblemwiki|Camilla}} from ''{{iw|fireemblemwiki|Fire Emblem Fates}}'' and [[Mythra]] had modified artwork to be less provocative.
***This oversight appears to be shared with the Fighter Spirits for {{SSBU|Bayonetta}}, female {{SSBU|Corrin}}, and {{SSBU|Pyra}}, who likewise use unaltered artwork from their games of origin, but have had censorship applied to them in their playable forms.
*Palutena is one of the last characters to unlock. She's the last unlockable character in {{SSBU|Kirby}}'s Classic Mode column, she is the final opponent in the timed encounters, and in World of Light, she is in the Final Battle map.
*An interview with [[Masahiro Sakurai]] revealed that Palutena and Bayonetta were under consideration to survive Galeem's attack in the World of Light opening, but were ultimately turned down in favor of {{SSBU|Kirby}}. Sakurai stated that this was due to Palutena and Bayonetta's playstyles being very complex for beginners, as well as how other characters from their respective universes were also turned into spirits, stating that Palutena couldn't do anything to escape as all other ''Kid Icarus'' deities like Hades were also turned into spirits.
**Both Palutena and Bayonetta are on the Final Battle map, appearing as the final pair of fighters to be encountered. This implies that Galeem (and eventually Dharkon) knew how threatening Palutena and Bayonetta were (Palutena being a goddess and Bayonetta's slaughter of two gods) to his plans, and thus kept them as a last resort.
**Despite using Hades as an example, his spirit does not appear in World of Light at all.
*Prior to update 8.0.0, Palutena's unique voice clip when winning against Pit ("Oh, so sorry about that, Pit.") was missing in the [[Sound Test]]. She shares this distinction with {{SSBU|Fox}}, {{SSBU|Wolf}}, {{SSBU|Simon}}, and {{SSBU|Lucina}}.
*Palutena is the only ''Kid Icarus'' character to not fight alongside a CPU ally in the final round of her route.
*Oddly, Palutena does not vanish when performing a directional [[air dodge]] despite the sound effects playing. She shares this oddity with {{SSBU|Rosalina & Luma}} and {{SSBU|Greninja}}.
*Oddly, Palutena's internal files of voice clips for her smash attacks use the same 3-number codes (e.g. "003" in the case of "Goddess wings!" voice clip) used for special moves, Final Smashes, and [[on-screen appearance]]s of characters whose voice clips are ported from ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]'' (including partial ones like {{SSBU|Sonic}}), as well as few other characters such as Kirby, {{SSBU|Ness}}, {{SSBU|King Dedede}}, {{SSBU|Lucario}}, {{SSBU|Robin}}, and Rosalina & Luma, instead of using the "attack" descriptor that smash attacks usually share with neutral attack, tilt attacks, dash attack, aerial attacks, and floor attacks. This was also present in ''SSB4''. {{SSBU|Daisy}} shares a similar, albeit not entirely the same oddity with her on-screen appearance and [[Daisy Bomber]].
**In King Dedede's case, this does not apply to voice clips for [[Dede-Rush]]; and in Robin's case, this only applies to the voice clip used when his tomes are broken.

{{SSBUCharacters}}
{{Kid Icarus universe}}
[[Category:Palutena (SSBU)| ]]
[[Category:Spirits]]
[[es:Palutena (SSBU)]]
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