Pikachu (ピカチュウ, Pikachu) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It was confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Pikachu is classified as Fighter #08.
Pikachu is a small lightweight, tied with Kirby, Olimar, Sephiroth and Mewtwo for the seventh lightest fighter. It has overall good mobility, possessing fast walking and dashing speeds, high jumps, is tied for the ninth-highest air acceleration and has the fourth-highest traction, but slightly above average falling speed and gravity and below-average airspeed. Due to its fast mobility, a good projectile in Thunder Jolt, good frame data and some of the fastest defensive options, Pikachu has a good approach and great neutral game.
Pikachu has a decent grab and throw game despite its poor grab range. It has a fast pummel and its forward and back throws are good for setting up edgeguards. Its up throws can combo into thunder, and is able to KO at around 170% on average. Down throw is a fantastic combo starter, setting up "nair loops" which involves using dragdown nair and up tilt to rack up damage, whilst reacting to the DI of the opponent to continue the combo. It can also lead into various combos and kill confirms depending on the opponent's DI, including up air bridges which can take the opponent all the way offstage and kill with a forward air. Extending Pikachu's combo game revolves using its aerial attacks to drag the opponent down, extending the combo further. Thunder Jolt also compliments its advantage state nicely as it can combo, or can be used to pressure the opponent and make them hesitatntly pick options whilst under pressure.
Its recovery is also great, with Quick Attack being used to travel a long distance from many places offstage, and mix up how it recovers with its two jolts (note these must be executed to create a 30 degree angle, or the second jolt will not come out). Skull Bash can be used to recover from very far distances, although it leaves it vulnerable if the opponent can reach it, and Pikachu can reverse edgeguard opponents with aerials and thunder and still make it back to stage. This all makes Pikachu's recovery one of the best in the game, and allows it to go very deep offstage to secure stocks with edgeguards.
Pikachu's main strengths are its fast frame data and dominant edgeguarding game, with the latter being considered among the best of the cast: all of Pikachu's aerials can autocancel in a short hop and its neutral, forward, back and up aerials are fast, all of them except for the latter are multihits that can combo into each other, with their extremely low ending lag making them excellent for combos, edgeguarding, and potential zero-to-deaths, while down aerial can meteor smash or spike in its first two active frames and is fast for its category, while up aerial is good for juggling. Pikachu's down aerial also is its only aerial with over 20 frames of ending lag.
Pikachu is not without weaknesses, however: it has poor range outside of forward smash and down tilt, with most of its attacks being barely disjointed or not at all. Because of its lack of range, Pikachu tends to rely on using Thunder Jolt to help it approach the opponent. It tends to get KOed at earlier percents due to being light, and also bears inconsistent raw KO power itself: forward and up smash are burdened by several sourspots, with the former being stronger in the mid hit, while its forward tilt, forward and back aerials and its up and back throws are unfit for KOing until around 150% or above, and while Thunder is powerful, it's slow and has high ending lag. A very notable weakness in Pikachu's neutral is its inability to trade due to many of its aerials being multihits, and so in a trade Pikachu will deal about 1% whilst taking the full damage of the move it traded with, which is a big deal with how light the character is.
Overall, Pikachu's strengths outweigh its weaknesses and it is regularly considered a top-tier or even a contender for the best character in the game.
At the end of SSB4's metagame, Pikachu was considered a high tier character (ranked 15th out of 55 characters). In its transition to Ultimate, Pikachu has been heavily buffed. All of its moveset's aspects were greatly improved during its transition, in addition to its moveset benefitting noticeably from the changes to gameplay mechanics.
Pikachu's largest buffs arguably come from its improved speed: its already above-average mobility has been increased, many of its moves have less ending lag, and its aerials have drastically reduced landing lag; while the former and latter buffs are shared with the rest of the cast, they especially benefit Pikachu, the former due to its small size and the latter since its aerials had among the highest landing lag in SSB4. These buffs improve Pikachu's neutral game and overall comboing capabilities plus, due to its "pancaking" during many of their landing animations, allow it to avoid mistimed attacks with more ease and retaliate. To further complement this, its already great air game was enhanced as well: Pikachu has a new neutral aerial that acts similarly to Mewtwo's own and has much more combo potential; both forward and up aerials have increased KO power, alleviating one of Pikachu's biggest weaknesses in SSB4; back aerialauto-cancels from a short hop, now consistently launches opponents behind Pikachu, and has a faster animation, which gives it combo potential into itself several times at low percentages, to the point it's able to perform a pseudo-Wall of Pain with the move; and down aerial now has a clean hitbox that meteor smashes opponents, further improving Pikachu's aerial KOing ability.
Although not as buffed as its aerial game, Pikachu's other moves have also seen noteworthy improvements. In particular, dash attack has increased KO power and significantly increased shieldstun, to the point it is now unpunishable on shield. Forward smash has increased range, making it a more dangerous tool for trapping opponents on the edge; up smash's strong hit lasts longer, making it more reliable for KOing; and down smash will always send opponents in the direction Pikachu faces and at a lower angle, making it more useful, as well as gaining a KO confirm into it from Pikachu's new neutral aerial. Pikachu's standing grab extends farther; down throw now inflicts additional hit lag on the opponent on release, improving its combo ability; and up throw has increased knockback, allowing it to KO at high percentages. On top of this, some of its special moves were significantly buffed, as Thunder Jolt has less ending lag, which improves Pikachu's neutral game and grants it a trapping option if opponents shield it from far away; Skull Bash has drastically reduced ending lag on hit, making it much safer unless it is perfect shielded; and Thunder's cloud hitbox deals set knockback, allowing it to connect consistently into the discharge, which also inflicts much more knockback.
Finally, Pikachu notably benefits from the changes to game mechanics. The new limits to air dodges and smaller edge sweetspot sizes make Pikachu's already great edgeguarding prowess more dangerous, especially with down aerial's new meteor smash hitbox, its stronger aerial attacks all-around, and improved primary projectile in Thunder Jolt; they also don't impair its disadvantage state much thanks to its long-distanced and unpredictable recovery. The changes to air dodging also make its on-stage offense even more effective, which combined with its improved mobility, streamlined jumpsquat, and reintroduction of dash-dancing allow it to chase opponents, giving it an excellent combo game that has the potential of causing zero-to-death combos. The nerfs to rage also notably improves its poor endurance, while not nerfing its KOing ability due to its stronger moveset.
In spite of mostly receiving drastic buffs, Pikachu is not without a few nerfs. The most significant nerf Pikachu has received is the removal of Quick Attack canceling, which noticeably reduces its mobility and approach options, making it more predictable. The changes to neutral aerial, in lieu of an improved combo game, also remove its KO potential. The increased startup and ending lag on its grabs, and dash grab and pivot grab not reaching as far, limit the benefits its grab game has received. Lastly, up throw's altered knockback, while giving it KO potential, makes it more difficult for Pikachu to combo into Thunder. Outside of these nerfs, however, other nerfs Pikachu received have generally been minor, while a good amount of the buffs it received make up for said shortcomings, most notably its improved neutral game.
In the end, Pikachu's entire moveset has seen drastic improvements all-around, it benefits significantly from the new engine, and its limited KOing ability was mostly alleviated, causing its buffs to severely outweigh the nerfs it received. Although Pikachu still suffers from the same weaknesses that plagued it in SSB4, such as short-range, poor endurance, and still limited KOing ability, its improved strengths now more than compensate for its shortcomings, arguably cementing it as the most viable threat between its fellow "fragile speedster" brethren, alongside its clone Pichu. While Pikachu is not as common as some other top- or high-tier characters, it has still received strong results in competitive play, courtesy of players like ESAM and Captain L. This has led to a very strikingly positive reception of Pikachu, with many top players describing it as a top 5 character in the game (if not the single best character). Regardless, Pikachu is considered much better than in SSB4, and has fared significantly better overall than in previous games (bar its appearance in SSB64).
Due to the aesthetic used in Ultimate, Pikachu's model has a more subdued color scheme, more closely resembling its appearance in recent mainline Pokémon games.
Two new costumes featuring the female Pikachu design, which has a heart-shaped tail, have been added. These replace its goggles and Choice Band costumes from SSB4, partially due to reintroduction of Pichu as a playable character.
Pikachu faces the foreground at an angle, instead of facing directly forward. In addition, it always faces the screen regardless of which direction it turns, causing all of its animations to be mirrored.
Like other fighters, Pikachu is significantly more expressive. It appears much angrier during some animations, such as neutral air and shielding; it also frowns when attacking or hit, unlike in Smash 4 where it had a permanent smile.
Pikachu's cheeks flash white when it uses electric attacks.
Pikachu only waves once during its side taunt, shortening its duration. Down taunt is also faster.
For its side taunt, the voice clip duration of the second "Pika" has been shortened; cutting off prematurely.
All of Pikachu's tail-based attacks now use a slap SFX rather than a kick SFX.
It deals less knockback (10/9/8 base/45 scaling → 12/18 base/20/30 scaling). Combined with the increased traction across the cast, this allows Pikachu to connect more hits against opponents before they are pushed out of range.
The sweetspot and mid-strength hitboxes have been moved very slightly forward (Z offset: 7 (sweetspot)/9.5 (mid) → 7.2/9.6), marginally improving their range and thus the move's overall damage output, while the changes to jostle mechanics make up for the hitboxes not reaching in as far as a result.
Up tilt has an altered animation, with Pikachu scooting its backside up to hit with its tail. This causes it to have less range behind Pikachu, but more range in front of Pikachu.
Because of this, it can no longer hit opponents hanging at the ledge.
The middle hitbox is marginally smaller (3.84u → 3.8u).
Dash attack has significantly less ending lag (FAF 50 → 36).
It has gained a shieldstun multiplier of 1.8×. Combined with its reduced ending lag and the increased shieldstun for ground attacks, this makes it much safer on shield, with the clean hit being only barely punishable by a shield grab.
The clean hit deals more damage (10% → 11%) with knockback scaling not fully compensated (90 → 88), improving its KO potential.
Its hitboxes have a shorter duration (frames 6-9 (clean)/10-16 (late) → 6-8/9-12).
It has a higher hitlag multiplier (1.2× (clean), 1× (late) → 1.5×), making it much easier to DI.
All portions of forward smash have more horizontal range during their latest active frames (Z offset: 9.2 → 11.2 (early), 15.6 → 18.6 (clean), 23 → 25 (late)).
The early hit has a shorter duration, which causes the clean and late hits to be active earlier, and the late hit has a longer duration (frames 15-17 (early)/18-20 (clean)/21-22 (late) → 15-16/17-19/20-29).
Forward smash has more ending lag (FAF 49 → 54).
The clean hit and the late hit during its latest active frames have a smaller hitbox (4.1u → 3.6u (clean), 5.2u → 4u (late)).
The clean hit has less base knockback during its first frame (60 → 50), making its KO ability less consistent.
Up smash's early hit has a longer duration, with the late hit having a shorter duration instead (frames 10-11 (early)/12-13 (clean)/14-17 (late) → 10-12/13-14/15-17).
Down smash's looping hits have a lower SDI multiplier (0.8× → 0.5×) and launch opponents closer to Pikachu (170° → 178°), allowing them to connect more reliably.
The last hit always sends in the direction Pikachu is facing, and launches at a more horizontal angle (50° → 37°), improving its KO and edgeguarding potential.
The last hit has slightly less base knockback (55 → 51), but more knockback scaling (190 → 192).
Pikachu has a new neutral aerial: it discharges electricity around itself, hitting 4 times, similarly to Mewtwo's neutral aerial.
Neutral aerial has a longer duration (frames 3-5 (clean)/6-20 (late) → 3-6, 9-12, 15-18, 21-22) with its total duration is unchanged, reducing its ending lag.
The first three hits use the autolink angle (367°). This allows Pikachu to drag opponents down with the move and combo into many of its ground attacks, which is further complemented by its lower landing lag.
The last hit launches at a more vertical angle (361° → 60°). Combined with its multi-hit nature, this significantly improves its combo potential.
It deals slightly more damage if all hits connect (8.5% (clean), 5.5% (late) → 1.8% (hits 1-3), 3.5% (hit 4); 8.9% total).
Its hitboxes have altered size (7u (clean hit), 4.5u (late hit) → 5.5u (looping hits), 6u (last hit)), increasing its range compared to the previous late hit, but making the hitboxes smaller than the previous clean hit.
It auto-cancels slightly later (frame 35 → 37), although it can still auto-cancel in a short hop.
Due to it hitting multiple times, the launching hit deals less damage (8.5% → 3.5%) with knockback not fully compensated (30 base/104 scaling → 50/140), no longer KOing at realistic percentages.
Forward aerial hits six times instead of five, and deals more damage if all hits connect (1.7% (hits 1-4), 3% (hit 5) → 1.4% (hits 1-5), 4.8% (hit 6); total: 9.8% → 11.8%).
It has lower hitlag multipliers (0.7× → 0.5× (looping hits), 2.2× → 1.5× (last hit)), making it harder to SDI out of.
The looping hits have different angles (74°/280° → 35°/290°/60°/280°), allowing them to connect better.
The last hit deals less base knockback (50 → 40), but has more knockback scaling (150 → 154), which alongside its higher damage output improves its combo and KO potential.
It has slightly more startup lag (frame 10 → 11).
However, its total duration is unchanged, giving it one frame less ending lag.
The hits' timings have been altered (frames 10-12, 14-16, 18-20, 22-24, 26 → 11-25 (rehit rate: 3), 27).
Back aerial auto-cancels earlier (frame 48 → 38), allowing it to auto-cancel in a short hop.
The last hit always sends behind Pikachu, making it easier to combo and edgeguard with.
The looping hits have larger hitboxes (3.5u/3.5u → 4.2u/4.2u), allowing them to connect better.
The last hit has less knockback scaling (180 → 160), increasing its combo potential, but reducing its KO potential.
It hits six times instead of eight with its damage compensated (0.8% (hits 1-7), 3% (hit 8) → 1% (hits 1-5), 3.6% (hit 6)) and its animation has been sped up.
This drastically reduces its ending lag (FAF 59 → 44), significantly improving its combo potential to the point it can combo into itself several times at low percents.
However, this shortens the duration of its hitboxes (frames 4-33 → 4-25).
It has an altered ending animation, with Pikachu spreading out its limbs while in a more upright position, allowing it to duck under some attacks like certain rising aerials.
Down aerial has gained a clean hit during its first two active frames, which deals more damage (12% → 13%) and meteor smashes opponents (361° → 270°), with knockback not properly compensated (20 base/84 scaling → 16/86). This allows it to start combos onstage and improves Pikachu's edgeguarding ability.
Due to this clean hitbox being smaller (5.7u → 5.5u), the move's range on startup is reduced.
Standing grab has a larger hitbox (3.1u → 4u), slightly increasing its range despite extending slightly less far horizontally (Z2 offset: 8.1u → 7.9u).
All grabs have more startup (frame 6/8/9 (standing/dash/pivot) → 7/11/12) and ending lag (FAF 28/35/33 → 37/45/40).
Dash and pivot grab do not extend as far horizontally (Z2 offset: 9.8u → 9u (dash), 13.4u → 12.7u (pivot)), reducing their range.
Pikachu grabs the opponent with one hand instead of two.
Pummel deals more hitlag (3 frames → 12), but has less startup (frame 3 → 1) and significantly less ending lag (FAF 16 → 6), slightly shortening its duration.
It deals less damage (1.9% → 1%).
When pummeling, Pikachu headbutts the victim as well instead of just using electricity.
Back throw releases the opponent faster (frame 31 → 26), with its total duration unchanged. This increases its ending lag and shortens the distance Pikachu moves back before throwing, making it less effective for setting up edgeguards, while still giving the opponent enough time to DI.
Up throw deals more damage (1% → 3% (hit 1), 3% → 5% (throw), 4% → 8% total) with knockback scaling not fully compensated (150 → 129), granting it KO potential at around 170%.
The first hit deals knockback to bystanders, rather than simply damaging them, making the move safer to use in doubles play.
Its increased knockback reduces its combo potential, especially into Thunder.
Down throw inflicts 9 frames of hitlag on the opponent upon release. While making it easier to DI, this noticeably improves its combo potential despite its increased total duration (FAF 44 → 52).
The first hit is coded to disappear on the same frame it comes out. As a result, the throw deals less damage (8% → 5%) and no longer hits bystanders, but oddly enough, Pikachu and the thrown opponent still experience hitlag from the first hit.
It launches at a slightly more vertical angle (80° → 83°).
Skull Bash deals marginally more damage when uncharged (6.1714% → 6.2%) and has more knockback scaling at all charges (62 → 78).
It has less ending lag it if doesn't hit an opponent (FAF 81 → 75).
If the move hits an opponent, it causes Pikachu to bounce back in a recoil animation with much less ending lag (FAF 45 → 22), even if the opponent shields it, making it safer to use.
Pikachu's body no longer stretches as much during the move, which means opponents cannot hit Pikachu by attacking the space above it.
Quick Attack cancelling is no longer possible, hindering Pikachu's approach options, especially from the ledge.
It has an angle indicator to telegraph Pikachu's trajectory. This may help prevent missed directional inputs, but makes Pikachu's movement more predictable.
Thunder's discharge has more knockback scaling (66 → 77), improving its KO potential.
The meteor smash at the cloud deals set knockback (74 base/60 scaling → 55 base/125 set/60 scaling), allowing it to connect more consistently into the discharge.
When struck by the bolt, Pikachu glows a bright yellow while flashing a dark tint, much like its depiction in the Pokémon anime.
Volt Tackle involves Pikachu dashing forward quickly while surrounded by a ball of electricity. If this initial attack connects, Pikachu traps the opponent in place and speeds around the stage at different angles, racking up damage before launching opponents with an electric blast at the end of the move.
Volt Tackle is easier to control, requiring only a single button press rather than having to control Pikachu's slippery movement.
Pikachu can no longer chase down opponents if the initial attack misses, and may self-destruct if initiated too close to the edge.
Pikachu has been slightly buffed via game updates. Its grab game was slightly improved, thanks to a faster pummel and larger grabboxes. The only nerf it has received so far is Thunder Jolt's shield damage being slightly decreased as part of a near-universal nerf to projectiles.
Forward aerial's looping hits launch slightly more inward with their upper hitboxes (310°/290° → 290°/280°), causing it to connect more reliably if Pikachu is moving downward or relatively slowly, but less reliably if moving too fast upward and/or forward.
Quickly headbutts forward. While it has minimal startup lag by coming out on frame 2 and can jab lock, it cannot combo into itself easily due to opponents falling out of the move easily when spammed and being able to punish Pikachu for the move. Other moves such as down tilt or dash attack are better options since Pikachu does not have a finisher for its jab.
An electrified double kick performed from the baby freeze, a variation of the freeze breakdancing move. It deals more damage when angled upward, and the lower angles semi-spike. Deals moderate knockback; the unangled version KOs Mario around 155% at the edge of Final Destination.
An overhead tail swipe, starting from behind Pikachu. An excellent combo starter, comboing into itself at low percents and into Pikachu's aerials at low to mid percents. It's a great combo tool, but not such a good anti air.
Lays down and sweeps its tail in front of itself. It has good horizontal reach and very low ending lag, making it somewhat spammable. It can cause tripping at low percents and sets up for tech situations at mid-high percents.
A battering ram. The early hitbox deals solid damage and good knockback, allowing it to KO middleweights around 135% on Final Destination. It also has fairly low startup lag (frame 6), and the early hitbox lasts deceptively long. However, the late hitbox has no KO potential at any reasonable percent, and the high ending lag prevents either hit from comboing.
Rears its head back before leaning forward and releasing a large orb of electricity in front of it, leaving a trail of electricity. The early hit comes out on frame 15, the sweetspot on frame 17 and the late hit on frame 20. The center of the ball deals the most damage and knockback, having high horizontal KO potential. The trail does the second most damage and the least knockback, and the tip does the least damage and second most knockback. It has good range, with a hitbox close to the size of Pikachu. The uncharged sweetspot KOs Mario around 80% at the edge of Final Destination, although the early hit doesn't KO until 105% and the late hit until 100%, giving the attack several sourspots and making it very inconsistent. It also has a long duration and noticeable ending lag (25 frames, when counting the latest hit), making it very easy to punish if shielded or dodged. Pikachu can end a jab lock with forward smash, although it'll only sweetspot on various chararcters, and depends on whether they're facing up or down. Note that it'll always sweetspot Luigi, Sheik, Bayonetta, Steve and Pyra/ Mythra.
An overhead tail swipe. Unlike Pikachu's up tilt, it starts in front of it and has good vertical KO potential. The early hit comes out somewhat quickly (frame 10) and lasts until Pikachu's tail goes above it, after which the clean hit lasts until the tail goes behind it. The early hit's sweetspot is located on Pikachu's body and can be comboed into with falling nair. The early sweetspot KOs middleweights around 115% on Final Destination, while the early sourspot KOs around 125%. The late hit, however, does minimal damage and knockback.
Charges its tail with electricity before spinning it around, shocking opponents. It has the least damage potential out of all its smash attacks, dealing only 13%. It KOs middleweights around 95% at the edge of Final Destination with no DI, and deals good horizontal knockback. It also has the least startup out of all its smash attacks, coming out on frame 8, but its 42 frames of ending lag make it very punishable if used poorly. As well as up smash, neutral aerial can combo into this move to confirm a KO.
Poses while charging itself with electricity, shocking nearby opponents. It hits 4 times, with the final hit having weak knockback. It is one of Pikachu's most versatile tools; being useful for breaking out of combos due to its very fast startup (frame 3), and a generously low amount of ending lag (17 frames). It's notorious for its ability to be fastfalled to drag the opponent down and extend combos, and being a very quick out of shield option at frame 6. It can be fastfalled to combo into all of its tilts, grab, and both up and down smash due to its low ending lag. Like all of Pikachu's other aerials, it can autocancel in a short hop.
Spins forward with an electrically charged head, shocking opponents. Moderate startup lag at frame 11 and hits 6 times. Has low landing lag, and extremely low ending lag (15 frames), the lowest of Pikachu's aerials, making it an effective spacing option, but has two very small looping hitboxes, which are very close to Pikachu's head and don't use the auto-link angle and, unlike Pichu's version, the hits don't always connect properly because they don't launch at the auto-link angle. The multiple hits and long duration make it an effective short hop aerial to pressure the opponent's shield and possibly shield poke. Due to its lenient amount of ending lag, it is an excellent combo and edgeguarding option and can combo into grab sometimes, or connect into a dash attack to kill at high percents.
Spins around horizontally, hitting multiple times, with a pose at the end to launch foes. Very fast, coming out on frame 4 with a long active duration and very low ending lag (18 frames) and can hit all around Pikachu, but its below average knockback makes it unreliable for KOing until very high percentages and has poor range, only hitting opponents close to Pikachu. To compensate, it is a great combo starter and, at low percents, it can combo into itself multiple times. It can drag down opponents and has a landing hitbox.
An overhead tail swipe, starting from behind Pikachu. Extremely fast, coming out on frame 4, with very low ending lag (19 frames) as it autocancels and is interruptible at frame 27. It is useful for juggling or comboing into itself and other aerials at low-mid percents. The move has a strong hitbox behind and above Pikachu, which will send the opponent upwards, and a small weak hitbox in front of it which combos into itself and forward air.
Points down and spins its head downwards, launching opponents. The clean hit lasts for two frames and is a powerful meteor smash, while the late hit has good horizontal knockback. It has low ending lag with 22 frames of vulnerability, but it's the highest of Pikachu's aerials. Also has a landing hitbox.
Lays the opponent on its tail and shocks them. It's Pikachu's most damaging throw, but too weak to KO and not fit for combos either, thus having little utility outside its high damage output or throwing the opponent offstage.
Rolls backward before launching the opponent with a tomoe nage, a throw used in judo. Very good for setting up edgeguards, as it has high base knockback and the animation means opponents near the center will end up being launched near the edge, but it is unimpressive as a KOing option as it only starts KOing middleweights around 165% at the edge of Final Destination.
Heaves the opponent onto its head and headbutts it upwards. A good low percent combo throw. Has decent knockback growth, making it Pikachu's best KOing throw, as it KOs opponents at around 170%. However, its KO setup with Thunder is less consistent due to its higher knockback. Can combo into Thunder at high percents.
Lays the opponent on the ground and performs a senton. A good combo starter comboing into every aerial from low to mid percents, allowing Pikachu to start combos. The move has a hitbox that gets deleted on the same frame it's activated due to an oversight.
Shoots a ball of electricity. A very useful projectile, as it deals good damage and moves quickly, helping Pikachu to control the neutral game. When it hits the stage or a platform, it sticks to it, looping across it until its lifespan is over or it hits the bottom of a soft platform. This allows Pikachu to run alongside it to approach, to cover many grounded options, and to help it get out of the corner.
Charges up before launching forward at a high velocity. It can be charged to increased damage, knockback, and distance. Useful for horizontal recovery and can sweetspot the ledge, but leaves Pikachu vulnerable due to being fairly slow, and the hitbox being within its hurtbox. If inputted like a smash attack, it immediately starts with some charge.
Zips upward at high speeds, dealing damage to opponents on contact. It can be angled; if angled in a different direction after the first time it is used, Pikachu will use it again. It covers great distances and can be unpredictable if used well, but Pikachu goes into freefall after using it. It's also an approach option, but doesn't true combo into anything. Pikachu also cannot use the Quick Attack cancelling technique from Smash 4.
Calls down a bolt of lightning from the sky. If the bolt strikes Pikachu, it will create an electric explosion around itself, dealing massive knockback and granting Pikachu intangibility for 10 frames. If an opponent is struck near the top of the bolt or at the cloud, they're launched down into Pikachu and will get hit by the discharge as well; otherwise, they're launched upwards. Has high endlag if the bolt doesn't strike Pikachu. The thunderbolt becomes active on frame 13, but there is a long gap before the discharge, and thus, it's easy to attack Pikachu before the thunderbolt hits it and is very vulnerable to counters. The projectile comes out on frame 2, and can be used to break combos.
Left: Backflips and spins. This resembles its "character chosen" animation in Super Smash Bros..
Up: Ears perk, scratches its right ear.
Right: Sleeps while muttering "Piii...ka."
A small excerpt of the title theme of Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green Versions, a track which would go on to become the Pokémon main theme and the title theme for the entire series.
Even prior to the game's release, Pikachu's new neutral air, and changes overall influenced many players to rank it as a top tier character, with some (notably ESAM) claiming Pikachu was broken during the demo. Pikachu’s strong matchups across the vast majority of the cast enabled it to have a robust metagame, and could still do quite well against potentially troubling matchups such as Mr. Game and Watch, Ness and Mario. This perception became more evident with nerfs given in the game's early stages to Pichu, Wolf, Olimar, and Peach. Many top players such as MKLeo and Dabuz consider Pikachu to be either the best in the game or among one of the best characters overall.
Despite these claims and high reception from top players, Pikachu has a relatively small player base and lacks the placements in major tournaments compared to many other top-tiers, with ESAM being the only Pikachu player to have consistently high placements in national-level tournaments.
Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the Fall 2019 PGRU, which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from July 13th, 2019 to December 15th, 2019.
Kishiru - The best Pikachu player in Japan. Placed 17th at Umebura Japan Major 2019, 25th at Umebura SP 3, and consistently places top 16 or top 8 at Toryumon Kiwami tournaments.
Captain L - Considered the best Pikachu player in Canada and one of the best in the world. Placed 7th at Battle of BC 3 and 25th at MomoCon 2019 with mostly Pikachu and had wins over Fatality, Mr E, and WaDi. Has since switched to Sheik.
VoiD (#38) - Placed 25th at Super Smash Con 2019 and 49th at EVO 2019 with Pikachu as one of his fighters, as well as having wins over Cyro, k9sbruce, and Eon with Pikachu before dropping the character.
Pikachu fights against other Pokémon on various Pokémon stages, with Poké Balls as the only available item. Excluding Mewtwo, the opponents are ordered by their National Pokédex number. The title is a reference to Ash Ketchum's signature catchphrase in the Pokémon anime, which doubles as the title of the first episode and the 20th movie.
Each character can be unlocked by clearing Pikachu's Classic Mode, or the Classic Mode of any preceding character, if all preceding characters have been unlocked. Once all the above characters are unlocked, clearing Classic Mode with any of them will default to Mario's character unlock tree, starting with Sonic.
Pikachu was among the fighters summoned to the cliffside to fight an army of Master Hands.
During the opening cutscene, Pikachu was present on the cliffside when Galeem unleashed his beams of light. While attempting to run away, Pikachu was noticed by Sonic, who slowed down for Pikachu in an attempt to save it. However, both of them were vaporized and placed under Galeem's imprisonment along with the rest of the fighters, except for Kirby.
Pikachu can later be found stuck on an island that can only be accessed by falling into the current of a waterfall, then the player must confront the spirit of Esna before they can battle to awaken it.
Pikachu's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Pikachu in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Its Pikachu Libre outfit has a fighter spirit of its own, available through the shop. Each fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate.
Additionally, Pikachu makes an appearance in a few support spirits.
•The enemy has increased attack power when the enemy's at high damage •The enemy has increased defense when the enemy's at high damage •The enemy favors air attacks •Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd
This is the first time Pikachu was not the first Pokémon character to be explicitly announced for a new Smash title, with Mewtwo being confirmed before it.
Pikachu's pose in its official artwork resembles its front sprite in Generation III Pokémon games.
In the E3 demo of the game, Pikachu's portrait used its in-game model as opposed to its official artwork. This was also the case with Link, Mario and Villager.
Coincidentally, all four of these characters were playable in the Super Smash Bros. for 3DS demo.
Pikachu's alternate costume featuring goggles has been removed and returned to Pichu, who was the original owner of said palette swap in Melee.
Pikachu, in comparison to the other starters, has the least amount of characters in its unlock tree, having only seven characters as opposed to the standard eight.
Pikachu is the one of the few characters in the entire roster to have different facial expressions when attempting different types of grabs and missing them, being its standing grab (a scared expression) vs. its dash grab (a rather irritated expression) vs. its pivot grab (neutral expression).
Others include King Dedede (standing vs. dash & pivot) and Squirtle (standing & dash vs. pivot)
Due to its new Pikachu Libre costume and another one of its alternate costumes, Pikachu is now the only member of the Original 12 to change sex between costumes, as well as the first of the Original 12 to technically be a different character in one of its costumes.
It is possible that Pikachu's stock icon is a reference to the Pokémon's 20th Anniversary emblem, which features a simplified Pikachu face formed from the starter Pokémon, including Pikachu, from Generation I to Generation VI.
Due to the aesthetic used in Ultimate, Pikachu's model has a more subdued color scheme, more closely resembling its appearance in recent mainline 
Like all characters, Pikachu's 
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Quick Attack no longer has 
