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Ridley (SSBU)

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This article is about Ridley's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For the character in other contexts, see Ridley.
Ridley
in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Ridley SSBU.png
Ridley-Alt1 SSBU.png

MetroidSymbol.svg
Universe Metroid
Availability Unlockable
Final Smash Plasma Scream
Tier C- (64)
RidleyHeadSSBU.png
Ridley Hits the Big Time!
—Introduction tagline

Ridley (リドリー, Ridley) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was revealed as a newcomer alongside Inkling and Daisy during Nintendo's 2018 E3 press conference on June 12th, 2018. Ridley is classified as Fighter #65.

Like in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and the Metroid series, Ridley's voice clips consist of computer-generated, realistic roars and screeches.

Ridley is ranked 64th out of 82 on the current tier list, placing him in the C- tier.

How to unlock[edit]

Complete one of the following:

With the exception of the third method, Ridley must then be defeated on Norfair. In World of Light, he is fought on the Ω form of Brinstar Depths.

Attributes[edit]

Ridley is a heavyweight character and the tallest fighter in the game, tied for the 13th heaviest character, and possesses the third lowest traction. Ridley has overall good mobility, especially compared to most heavyweights: with two midair jumps, slightly above average walk speed, tied with Charizard for the 10th fastest dashing speed, average air speed, air acceleration and gravity, and the 18th fastest falling speed. Ridley also boasts faster frame data than most heavyweights, further setting him apart from them. Ridley's most defining trait is his potent and varied punish game and aerial pressure. With remarkably long range, high power, and decent speed throughout his moveset, as well as a projectile, Ridley is a serious threat once he gets the advantage; with opponents often overwhelmed and/or find it difficult to get in.

His key strength is his strong air game. Boasting overall quick, powerful, long-ranged aerials, and decent air mobility give Ridley overall excellent air pressure potential. Thanks to his additional jump and relatively high fast fall speed, he has superb vertical flexibility, and can use additional jumps or surprise fastfalls to fake out and punish his opponents with his far-reaching aerials. His neutral aerial is arguably his most effective aerial, having low all-around lag, good range, and average knockback. It is a good combo, spacing, and edge-guarding tool, while also being fast enough to break out opposing pressure if positioned correctly, making it among his most commonly used moves. Forward aerial has the highest damage output of Ridley's aerials when all hits are sweetspotted, but it doesn't have the KO power of his other aerials, though this allows it to perform a wall of pain at low percentages. Back aerial is decently quick and has consistently high damage and knockback, making it a deadly KO move especially if used off-stage for edge-guarding. Up aerial is a decent juggling move with decent startup and good KO potential when sweetspotted, but requires opponents to be very close to or above Ridley to land and the hitboxes don't last long. Lastly, down aerial is a stall-and-fall that powerfully meteor smashes opponents when sweetspotted while still having good KO potential when sourspotted, though he is stuck falling for a while and has a lot of landing lag.

Ridley's grounded game is also noteworthy in terms of utility. His neutral attack is his fastest attack (with a 4 frame startup), leading into either a rapid jab with a finisher or a gentleman jab. His forward tilt has good range and low lag overall, while dealing high knockback if sweetspotted, with the low angled version being a reliable two-framing option. Meanwhile, his up and down tilts offer varied potential, with up tilt being a great anti-air that can chain into itself, most aerials, and even up smash, whereas down tilt allows Ridley to combo off from a safe distance and set up punishes or juggles. His dash attack is one of the few to lack a sourspot and has respectable power, however it is only active for 2 frames and has a lot of ending lag. Forward smash has below-average startup and is short ranged, but good damage and knockback and is fast enough to punish whiffs, landings, or be a more situational follow up like off a late hit of a landing neutral aerial. Down smash has slow start up and less raw power, but is disjointed, covers a very large area, hits both sides simultaneously, and physically moves Ridley upwards, making it very useful to punish rolls and slow ledge attacks or to avoid grabs and low-to-the-ground attacks. It is also a notoriously effective punishment option after a successful Skewer sweetspot as it can cover most get-up options. Up smash is Ridley's fastest and most reliable smash attack, being an effective KO move despite being the weakest of his smash attacks, and serves as a very effective anti-air as Ridley's foot is granted invulnerability.

Ridley's special moveset offers a variety options. Plasma Breath is Ridley's projectile: it fires a small, bouncing ball of fire, and can be charged to fire up to five, dealing substantial damage when fully charged and all fireballs connect. The fireballs can also fall when sent off-stage, making them an effective on-stage edgegaurding or gimping tool. However, landing a hit on Ridley's mouth during the move will cause it to deal damage to himself and stun him for a significant amount of time. Skewer is a "high risk, high reward" punishment move that, when sweetspotted, deals extremely high damage and crumples enemies; while situational due to the high difficulty on sweetspotting the move, it puts the opponent in a dangerous position where Ridley can read their reaction. Space Pirate Rush is a command grab with some unique perks: on land, Ridley drags the opponent on the ground, dealing damage in the process; in the air, it causes both Ridley and the opponent to quickly fall similar to Ganondorf's Flame Choke; it can be cancelled into a throw at any time that puts both Ridley and the opponent into the air; it can cancel itself into a throw upon reaching the edge of the platform; and the aerial version will transition into the grounded version if it reaches the ground. The grounded version has decent KO power at high percents, while the airborne version is weaker and is better suited to sending recovering opponents further from the stage without removing Ridley's own recovery options, or be used as a sacrificial KO like the aforementioned Flame Choke. Lastly, Wing Blitz is Ridley's primary recovery move. It can be aimed in four directions, with the forward input traveling at a slight downwards angle, the backward variant traveling at a slight upward one, and the down variant traveling at a slight diagonal angle in front of Ridley. All Wing Blitz variants have a large ledge sweetspot and have high knockback, with the down input having a meteor smash sweetspot; the down input is also unique in that it can be used at the edge of the stage and grab the ledge as long as the down direction is not inputted for longer, which can let Ridley potentially ledge trump an unsuspecting opponent or send them straight down, depending on their position.

Due to the variety of his kit, Ridley is a jack-of-all-trades. His disjoints are effective against characters with poor range or grab-centric playstyles; his command grab is effective against highly defensive characters; and his projectile is effective against characters lacking projectiles themselves or taking out characters with lackluster recoveries. He hangs very low from the ledge, letting him avoid attacks notable for hitting hanging characters, such as Marth and Lucina's forward smash. Despite so many unique attributes, he has several attributes that fight against him.

While Ridley has many strengths, he also has some critical and exploitable weaknesses. The most notable weakness is his size: Ridley has among the largest, most awkward hurtboxes out of the cast which, combined with his heavy weight and fast falling speed, makes him very easy to combo, juggle, and hit in general. This combined with his lower weight compared to similarly sized characters negatively affects his survivability, as he is often at a considerably higher risk of dying. Ridley's frame data, although good for a heavyweight, is still poor. He has below average startup and above average ending lag overall on his toolkit and lacks a tool fast enough to break combos effectively; this makes him one of the most affected characters by average combo strings and he is rather easy to KO. Ridley's options against projectile users and zoning are virtually nonexistent and he is unable to counter-zone as his own projectile is laggy, travels slowly, are useless against more powerful projectiles, and could even backfire and leave him open to punish if an opponent's projectile hits his mouth. Another major weakness his is recovery, which primarily consists of two, long-startup, predictable moves: Space Pirate Rush and Wing Blitz. The latter only has a couple useful angles and has active hitboxes while in motion, making it very easy to land an off-stage counterattack.

Another critical flaw to Ridley is how drastically his moves vary in quality, which can lead to Ridley becoming quite predictable. While he has plenty of moves offering varying amounts of utility, some of them still have significant flaws; these can range from slow startup (Plasma Breath and down smash), absurd blindspots (up tilt and up smash on some occasions), overly situational and/or strict (Skewer), to being downright unreliable (down aerial). On the other side of the spectrum, some of Ridley's moves like neutral aerial, up smash, down tilt, and Plasma Breath, depending on the match-up, is so favorable that it becomes easy to over-centralize on their use, a detriment to a character that finds the most success in being unpredictable. This, combined with his aforementioned trouble at dealing with fast and/or zoning characters, and with recovering under pressure, makes Ridley one of the most susceptible characters to pressure, as Ridley's disadvantage state makes him easy to overwhelm, and failure to overwhelm or control aggression could force him to take heavy damage or even be KOed outright. His grab game is also poor, with down throw serving as both a combo starter at low to mid percents to a KO through at higher percents. Forward and back throw lack reasonable kill power, even with ideal positioning, and up throw, while being his most damaging throw and a passable kill throw with low ceiling stages, sends opponents too high for any true conversions. Despite down throw being one of his better throws, it is easily affected by opponent's directional influence, further limiting his grab options.

Lastly, Ridley's advantage state, unarguably being very oppressive, is greatly held back by his middling airspeed. Despite possessing an additional mid-air jump and impressive aerials, Ridley has a surprisingly difficult time staying airborne. He generally needs to gain some distance while grounded to approach with his aerials, and while his dash speed is very impressive, it's restrictive regardless, and Ridley lacks the number of jumps that characters like King Dedede and Pit have to help circumvent their airspeed issues. Various combos are usually unable to extend in the air for long thanks to this, as his aerials may deal too much knockback to follow up after one or two attacks. This is further shown in his recovery, as Wing Blitz and Space Pirate Rush are usually options he must use to recover, even if Ridley isn't that far from the stage. While Ridley's airspeed is definitely better than most other fellow characters with multiple jumps, it's still merely average compared to the whole cast, which tones down his overall effectiveness in the air, and this is further exacerbated by him being a fast-faller.

Overall, Ridley is a character of extremes with a relatively high learning curve. Similarly to what Mewtwo is among lightweight characters, Ridley fills in the position of being a glass cannon heavyweight. He has excellent damage, pressure, and edge-guarding potential with a broad arsenal of powerful moves and tools to gain and sustain advantage, gradually poke and pressure from a fair distance away, and punish whiffs or what would normally be an inconsequential slip-up. This allows Ridley to easily make comebacks or greatly widen his lead with minimal set up should an opponent make a single error in considering Ridley's approach. However, despite possessing a powerful and highly versatile moveset, Ridley lacks strong options out of disadvantage and generally struggles to oppose pressure from opponents due to his size and the frame data on his aerials and grounded attacks. This makes top tier matchups like Snake and Palutena difficult for Ridley, as they are well-equipped to combat Ridley through oppressive walls of projectiles or strong aerial combos respectively. As such, mix-up heavy playstyles are heavily encouraged when playing Ridley to prevent opponents from capitalising on his own susceptibility as much as possible.

Update history[edit]

Ridley received a mix of buffs, nerfs and glitch fixes via game updates, but was buffed overall. Update 1.1.0 adjusted the mobility attributes of both Space Pirate Rush and Wing Blitz to varying degrees. However, the only remotely useful buffs among these changes were Ridley incurring less landing lag after jumping out of Space Pirate Rush, and his faster traveling speed during the beginning of Wing Blitz's forward and backward flights. Update 2.0.0 was also uneventful for Ridley, since it negligibly buffed neutral, forward and down aerials by slightly decreasing their edge lockout times. Update 3.0.0 marked Ridley's first nerf, in which Plasma Breath's shield damage output was decreased as part of a near-universal nerf to projectiles.

However, update 4.0.0 marked a noteworthy turnaround for Ridley. Most notably, Wing Blitz has less start-up lag, propels him faster, and covers more distance to the point that it now allows Ridley to recover from the magnifying glass range of the bottom blast line when it is angled upward. Ridley's inconsistent KO potential was also improved noticeably: up smash, back aerial and Space Pirate Rush's edge throw were strengthened, and up aerial's sweetspot became much easier to land thanks to it being enlarged and out-prioritizing the sourspot. Aside from these buffs, up smash became more reliable as an anti-air attack and out of shield option thanks to its additional active frame, and Ridley incurs less ending lag after jumping out of Space Pirate Rush.

Following this, update 7.0.0 adjusted Ridley's posture while he is shielding himself. On a related note, a portion of Ridley's wings now possess intangibility when he activates and deactivates his shield, while a portion of his tail also possesses intangibility when he deactivates his shield. While these buffs are minor compared to the ones Ridley received in update 4.0.0, they nevertheless benefit him quite noticeably; Ridley's status as the tallest character in Ultimate previously resulted in him being very susceptible to shield stabbing, even with a full shield.

Update 8.0.0 granted Skewer a buff and a nerf, although the former is outweighed significantly by the latter. Its sweetspot deals more damage, making it far more rewarding if successfully landed. However, if Skewer hits an opponent who has grab immunity, it inflicts minimal knockback instead of crumpling them. In addition to making it unsafe as a follow-up from down throw, this change removes Skewer's infamous infinite combo in doubles matches when paired with a character that has a burying throw.

Update 9.0.0 improved the consistency of Wing Blitz's downward angled landing hitbox and, as part of a near-universal buff, granted transcendent priority to neutral infinite and its finisher. Update 13.0.0 would then buff Space Pirate Rush by shortening the amount of time between its slamming and dragging animations and when a jump and be inputted. Lastly, update 13.0.1 improved dash attack's KO potential by increasing its damage output at the negligible cost of its knockback scaling being decreased slightly.

Overall, Ridley fares better than he did at the launch of Ultimate, thanks to his buffs improving his KO potential, recovery and, to a much lesser degree, his defense.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 1.1.0

  • Change Space Pirate Rush has three additional animations.
  • Buff Ridley has more horizontal speed after jumping out of Space Pirate Rush (3 → 4) and decelerates slower (0.145 → 0.135).
    • Change He also sustains more gravity (0.14 → 0.15).
  • Buff Ridley can land sooner after jumping out of Space Pirate Rush (19 frames → 17).
  • Buff Ridley and his opponent are KO'd sooner when passing the bottom blastline during Space Pirate Rush.
  • Change Ridley loses more speed after whiffing a Space Pirate Rush (Horizontal speed multiplier: 0.65× → 0.6×).
  • Wing Blitz
    • Buff Ridley travels faster at the start of the move when charging forward or backwards (3.6 → 4.6/4.2 (forward/backwards)).
    • Buff Ridley loses more speed after bumping into a wall (Horizontal speed multiplier: 0.3× → 0.25×).
    • Buff Ridley loses less speed during landing (Horizontal speed multiplier: 0.45× → 0.55×).
    • Change Ridley starts decelerating sooner (frame 6 → frame 2/4 (forward/backwards)).
    • Change Ridley decelerates more during the forward charge (0.125 → 0.138).
    • Change Ridley flies at a slightly higher angle during the forward charge (-7° → -5°).

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 2.0.0

  • Buff Ridley can grab the ledge earlier after using his neutral (65 frames → 64), forward (67 frames → 66), and down aerials (80 frames → 69).
  • Buff The Final Smash Meter version of Plasma Scream has a higher knockback multiplier (x0.62 → x0.71).
  • Bug fix The instant KOing glitch involving Sonic has been fixed.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 3.0.0

  • Nerf Plasma Breath deals less shield damage (-2 → -3).
  • Buff A successful Plasma Scream has less ending lag, allowing Ridley to act before opponents can.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 4.0.0

  • Buff Up smash has a longer hitbox duration (frames 12-16 → 12-17), increasing its range in front of Ridley.
  • Buff Up smash has more knockback scaling (76 → 78).
  • Buff Back aerial deals more damage (15% → 16%) with no compensation on knockback.
  • Buff Up aerial's sweetspot is bigger (4.5u → 5.5u) and takes priority over the sourspot.
  • Change Down aerial no longer has its downward movement disabled when used out of hitstun.
  • Buff Space Pirate Rush has less ending lag when jumping after grabbing an opponent (FAF 42 → 39).
  • Buff Space Pirate Rush has more knockback scaling when throwing the opponent at an edge (83 → 90).
  • Bug fix Fixed an issue that resulted in Space Pirate Rush launching floaty characters much higher when used in a Sacrificial KO.
  • Buff Wing Blitz has less startup lag (frame 37 → 34 (up), 39 → 36 (forward/back), 40 → 37 (down)), travels faster and covers more distance.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 7.0.0

  • Buff Ridley's posture was altered while shielding, reducing the possibility of him getting shield stabbed.
    • Buff A portion of Ridley's wings are intangible when activating and deactivating his shield. A portion of his tail is also briefly intangible when deactivating the shield.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 8.0.0

  • Skewer:
    • Buff The sweetspot hitbox deals more damage (40% → 45%).
    • Nerf The sweetspot no longer triggers a Special Zoom nor crumples opponents with grab immunity, effectively making the move a hit grab. This significantly worsens a hard read into the move from Ridley's down throw at low percents, which is now unsafe on hit, and removes the infamous Skewer bury infinite in doubles matches.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 9.0.0

  • Buff Rapid jab and its finisher have transcendent priority, preventing them from being canceled out by weak attacks.
  • Buff Wing Blitz's landing hitbox when angled down no longer affects aerial opponents. Although this removes occasional situations where the landing hitbox could hit aerial opponents if the main attack missed, it is overall a buff, as it prevents more common situations where the landing hitbox would override the main attack's knockback (thus ruining meteor smash attempts) if used too close to the edge.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 13.0.0

  • Buff Space Pirate Rush’s dragging animation has a lower hitlag multiplier on its hitbox (0.8x → 0.5x). This shortens the amount of time between the slamming/dragging animations and when another jump can be input.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 13.0.1

  • Buff Dash attack deals more damage (12% → 13.5%) with knockback scaling not fully compensated (70 → 67).

Moveset[edit]

For a gallery of Ridley's hitboxes, see here.

Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the 1v1 multiplier.

  Name Damage Description
Neutral attack Scratch (スクラッチ) / Counter Scratch (カウンタースクラッチ) / Bite Off (バイトオフ) / Thousand Needle (サウザンドニードル) / Tail Finish (テイルフィニッシュ) 2% An alternating pair of claw swipes followed by a bite. Alternatively, if the attack button is pressed quickly for each hit, the second hit transitions into a rapid-fire tail stab that ends with a swing. The first and second hits are particularly low-hitting jab locks, while the third hit is relatively strong for a neutral attack, KOing middleweights under 200% from the center of Final Destination. Conversely, the neutral infinite's finisher has high base knockback, but very low knockback scaling, being unable to KO under 500% from center stage.
1.5%
5%
0.7% (loop), 2% (end)
Forward tilt Tail Spear (テイルスピアー) 10% (tail), 13% (tip) Grabs his tail and thrusts it forward. Can be angled, and the tip of Ridley's tail acts as a sweetspot. The up-angled version can act as a low altitude anti-air with respectable horizontal reach, while the downward-angled version can act as a ledge pressuring tool, with the sweetspot reaching low enough to catch any opponent in a 2 frame punish, a ledge re-grab, or a missed ledge sweetspot. Has long range and moderately low ending lag, making it a powerful spacing tool. The sweetspot KOs at around 155% from center stage.
Up tilt Wing Slicer (ウイングスライサー) 7% (wing), 9% (tip) Swings one wing in an overhead arcing motion, starting from behind. Has its sweetspot along the upper edge and renders Ridley's wing intangible while the hitboxes are active, which along with its coverage allows it to function as an effective anti-air. Its moderate speed also allows it to combo into itself at low to mid percents, and into any aerial attack at mid to high percents. Has blind spots beside Ridley.
Down tilt Tail Bash (テイルバッシュ) 6% (tail), 9% (tip) Swings his tail across the ground. Has its sweetspot on the tip of the tail with slightly longer range than his forward tilt, and launches opponents upward, allowing it to combo into aerial attacks at a wide range of percents, as well as an up-angled forward tilt, dash attack, or up tilt (against larger characters) at low percents.
Dash attack Dash Bite (ダッシュバイト) 13.5% A lunging bite. A powerful dash attack especially near edges, KOing at around 100% at the edge of Final Destination, and at around 145% from the center. Resembles Meta Ridley's lunging attack in Metroid Prime.
Forward smash Bark Explosion (バークエクスプロージョン) 20% Rears back and then expels a fiery explosion from his mouth. Has slow startup and short range (covering less horizontal distance than his forward tilt), but deals very high damage and knockback, KOing under 80% from center stage.
Up smash Air Kick (エアキック) 17% An outside crescent kick. It covers Ridley entirely overhead and, unlike most up smashes of its kind, its hitbox starts from behind, making it more effective for covering Ridley's back if used out of shield. Has moderate startup and ending lag, but has a large overall hitbox and grants intangibility on Ridley's leg while the hitboxes are active, making it a powerful anti-air similarly to his up tilt. Has blind spots directly in front and behind Ridley, though it may hit taller characters directly on either side. Can KO at around 105% from ground level.
Down smash Wing Press (ウイングプレス) 16% Leaps and slams his open wings onto the ground. Hits Ridley's both sides simultaneously with large coverage, allowing it to punish tech rolls in certain instances. The leap during startup can allow him to dodge some ground attacks if timed right (especially floor attacks that may be used after hitting with Skewer, or ledge attacks), while the edges of the attack utilize the intangible half of Ridley's wings. However, it has the slowest startup out of Ridley's smash attacks, and deals the least damage, while being only slightly stronger than his up smash. Launches opponents upward, KOing at around 100%.
Neutral aerial Ridley Spin (リドリースピン) 9% (clean tail), 12% (clean tip), 5% (late) Backflips and swings his tail around himself, similarly to Charizard's neutral aerial albeit backwards instead of forwards. Has the lowest startup, ending lag and landing lag out of Ridley's aerials, as well as a long duration and a large hitbox, making it widely considered one of his most viable approach options. Upon landing, it can also combo into a jab, forward tilt, down tilt or grab at low percents, and another neutral aerial or a forward aerial at mid percents, especially if the sourspot is landed.
Forward aerial Triple Thrust (トリプルスラスト) 3% (hits 1-2, tail), 5% (hits 1-2, tip; hit 3, tail), 7% (hit 3, tip) Thrusts his tail forward three times in quick succession. Deals the most damage out of Ridley's aerials if all hits are sweetspotted (17% total); however, it is also his weakest aerial knockback-wise, while its hitboxes are small compared to his other moves. Has moderate landing lag, albeit the first hit can set up into a neutral attack.
Back aerial Sobat (ソバット) 16% A hook kick. Ridley's strongest aerial, KOing at around 130% from center stage. Its horizontal range and high damage also make it a relatively safe approach option, despite its moderate landing lag.
Up aerial Wing Stab (ウイングスタッブ) 12% (wings), 14% (tip) Thrusts his closed wings upward. Has a sweetspot at the tip of the wings, which can KO at around 120% in the air. Its moderate startup and landing lag alongside Ridley's speed make it effective for juggling. On landing, it can also combo into an up tilt or up smash at low percents, as well as any aerial (except down aerial) up to high percents, including a sweetspotted up aerial as a potential KO setup.
Down aerial Heel Dive (ヒールダイブ) 14% (clean feet), 12% (clean legs, late) A double foot stomp. A stall-then-fall with a sweetspot on its clean hit that meteor smashes opponents. Unlike most other moves of its kind, Ridley can also recover from it offstage if initiated at least at some height above the stage. However, it has very high landing lag, leaving it unsafe as a landing option and preventing any followups out of its meteor smash onstage. It resembles a move Meta Ridley uses in Metroid Prime.
Grab Grab (つかみ) Reaches out with his right hand.
Pummel Grab Tail Needle (つかみテイルニードル) 1.6% Stabs his opponent with his tail.
Forward throw Front Throw (フロントスルー) 9% Tosses the opponent forward with one arm. Has slight KO potential, being able to KO at around 181% near the ledge.
Back throw Strike Throw (ストライクスルー) 11% Turns around and performs an underhanded toss with one arm. Can KO at around 150% near the ledge.
Up throw Backbone Breaker (バックボーンブレイカー) 8% (hit 1), 4% (throw) Sets the opponent overhead and stabs them with his tail. Ridley's most damaging throw. Has slight KO potential, being able to KO at around 190% on Final Destination.
Down throw Head Fling (ヘッドフリング) 7% Slams the opponent onto the ground. Has low ending lag, allowing it to combo into an upward angled forward tilt or down tilt at low percents, and a neutral, forward, back aerial or run-canceled up tilt at low to mid percents. Surprisingly, this is also Ridley's strongest throw, being able to KO at around 179% at the edge of Battlefield.
Floor attack (front)   7% Performs a claw swipe around himself while getting up, starting from the front.
Floor attack (back)   7% Swings his tail forward, then backward while getting up.
Floor attack (trip)   5% Swipes an arm backward, then kicks forward.
Edge attack   10% Climbs up and performs a claw swipe.
Neutral special Plasma Breath 4.5%-5.6682692% (clean), 3.5%-4.4086542% (late) Expels a fireball from his mouth, which bounces forward along the ground. It can be charged to have Ridley launch a maximum of five fireballs, which also increase in size and damage, dealing up to 28.341346% if all of them connect. When charged, it is fairly effective for camping and edgeguarding due to its low ending lag and sheer amount of projectiles, and can rack up damage quickly if uninterrupted. However, it has rather high startup, and hitting Ridley's mouth while he is charging the move causes recoil damage to him depending on how much it had been charged. The recoil animation lasts 56 frames.
Side special Space Pirate Rush 4% (slam), 2% (drag loop), 7% (throw) Rushes forward to grab an opponent, functioning as a command grab. If successful, Ridley slams them onto the ground and drags them forward along it, dealing continuous damage, then throws them either upon reaching an edge or if the special move button is held. After frame 22 (just after Ridley starts sliding), he gains damage-based armor that withstand up to 8%. The move deals more damage the more distance the opponent is dragged along the ground, dealing 17% minimum when throwing manually, and can rack up a lot of damage in a short span of time. However, they can mash out of the move before Ridley throws them, with how fast they can escape depending on the difference between their percent and Ridley's. In midair, it doesn't incur helplessness, allowing it to extend Ridley's recovery, and grabbing an opponent causes him to fall down with them until landing or throwing them manually, allowing it to be used for a sacrificial KO. However, it has some startup lag, and the aerial version causes Ridley to drop downwards after its horizontal momentum ends, making it possible to mistime a recovery.
Up special Wing Blitz 18% (up), 16% (forward, backward), 15% (down), 5% (down, landing) Propels himself in any of four possible directions: straight up by default; forward and slightly down; backward and slightly up; and down and slightly forward. The move travels a long distance, does not lose power while traveling, has a wide ledge grabbing range throughout, and lets Ridley drift significantly when done. It is also noticeably powerful: the forward and upward tackles KO under 130% from center stage, whereas the diving stomp meteor smashes aerial targets while also allowing Ridley to save himself by grabbing an edge, making it potentially deadly for edgeguarding. However, the move has very slow startup, and its few angles limit the positions from which Ridley can safely recover with it. Hitting a wall or ceiling with any angle will cause Ridley to bump away foregoing helplessness.
Down special Skewer 5% (tail), 45% (tip, hit 1), 10% (tip, hit 2) Rears his tail back as it sparks briefly, then thrusts it forward powerfully. If hit near the tip of the tail, it causes Special Zoom and deals extremely high damage (55% total) and causes opponents to crumple if landed on the ground, akin to a fully charged Focus Attack; both the sweetspot and the sourspot deal minimal shield damage, however. It has a very slow startup of half a second (30 frames), and conversely deals low damage and knockback if any other part of Ridley's tail hits, making it significantly hard to land especially in one-on-one battles. Additionally, the sweetspotted attack only allows Ridley to move after the opponent gets up again, making followup attacks based on reading the opponent's getup option. If Skewer lands on an airborne opponent, they will instead be sent away with weak diagonal knockback.
Final Smash Plasma Scream 15% (dash), 40% (cutscene), 15% (ending) Roars and then dashes forward. Upon hitting an opponent, a cinematic sequence begins with Ridley headbutting them onto Samus' gunship; as the gunship flies off, he expels an energy beam from his mouth that engulfs both the ship and the target in an explosion. After the cutscene ends, the opponent is meteor smashed and the gunship can be seen crashing in the background of the stage. This Final Smash is an instant KO on opponents at 100% or higher before the cutscene ends.

Stats[edit]

Stats Weight Dash speed Walk speed Traction Air friction Air speed Air acceleration Gravity Falling speed Jumpsquat Jump Height Double jump Height
Value 107 1.8 – Initial dash
2.2 – Run
1.1 0.08 0.015 1.05 0.01 – Base
0.06 – Additional
0.09 1.78 – Base
2.848Fast-fall
3 34 - Base
14.2 - Short hop
32

Announcer call[edit]

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On-screen appearance[edit]

  • Swoops down at an angle before landing and then roars briefly.

Taunts[edit]

  • Up taunt: Roars and strikes a menacing pose, flapping his wings rapidly.
  • Side taunt: Spins in a circle, finishing in a celebrating pose similar to his official artwork.
  • Down taunt: Stands up straight while slightly smiling. His body emits a noticeable crackle as he stands upright.

Idle poses[edit]

  • Spreads his wings out and quivers slightly.
  • Caresses his chin with his claw and licks the edge of his mouth while audibly snarling.

Crowd cheer[edit]

Cheer (English) Cheer (Japanese/Chinese) Cheer (Italian) Cheer (Dutch) Cheer (French)
Cheer
Custom combination of the flags of Canada, the USA, and Mexico.

Source, tweaked to fix rendering issues
Description Go Ridley go! Ridori! *clap 3 times* Fooooorza Ridley! Riiiid - ley! Rid - ley! Rid - ley!
Cheer (German) Cheer (Spanish) Cheer (Russian) Cheer (Korean)
Cheer
Custom combination of the flags of Canada, the USA, and Mexico.

Source, tweaked to fix rendering issues
Description Rid - leeeey! Riiiid - ley! Rid - ley! Rid - ley! Ri - du - ley

Victory poses[edit]

  • Left: Flies into the scene, lands, and drifts to a stop.
  • Up: Flies in from the background then roars immediately before performing a somersaulting claw swipe as he lands.
  • Right: Claws at the ground repeatedly and bites once afterward. He then turns toward the camera and grins. The way the camera is angled makes it appear as if Ridley is supposedly ravaging a downed opponent, but in Team Battles, it clearly shows that he is scratching at the bare ground.
A sinister remix of the theme that plays when Samus Aran obtains a power-up for her Power Suit.

In competitive play[edit]

Most historically significant players[edit]

See also: Category:Ridley players (SSBU)

Tier placement and history[edit]

Being a widely requested character, there was a lot of hype when Ridley was first announced to be playable. However, initial opinions of Ridley's viability in the E3 demo build were very negative. Due to him having one of the largest hurtboxes in the game while not being a super heavyweight like similarly large characters, along with his attacks suffering from poor frame data, many people claimed that Ridley's disadvantage state was too risky for him to make a significant impact towards the meta. This perception remained in the early metagame, and Ridley was initially considered to be a low or even bottom tier character.

Despite the initial negative perception and below-average representation, dedicated mains have still seen sparks of success with the character. During the early metagame, Nair^ notably defeated Dark Wizzy at Mexican Gaming Championship and was ultimately ranked top 10 in Mexico. Even after the pandemic, Nair^ continued to garner solid results, including a win over Sparg0 at SWT: Central America Ultimate Regional Finals. Although Nair^ has since shifted towards Hero, the post-pandemic meta also saw the rise of other Ridley players such as Mezcaul and momon, both of whom have taken notable names in their respective regions such as Glutonny and acola, respectively. Furthermore, players began taking more note on Ridley's strengths, specifically his excellent advantage state, which allows Ridley to utilize his range, speed, and power to provide him with a strong and versatile neutral game. These positives has since improved Ridley's perception in the current metagame, and many players such as MkLeo and Light consider Ridley to be a mid-tier, and he ranks 64th on the current tier list.

Classic Mode: It Can't Be! Space Pirates![edit]

Ridley's congratulations screen.

Ridley fights characters who pilot their own spaceships.

Round Opponent Stage Music Notes
1 SamusHeadSSBU.png Samus Norfair Title Theme - Metroid
2 FoxHeadSSBU.png Fox and FalcoHeadSSBU.png Falco Venom Break: Through the Ice
3 OlimarHeadSSBU.png Olimar Distant Planet Fragment of Hope
4 Rosalina&LumaHeadSSBU.png Rosalina & Luma, MarioHeadSSBU.png Mario, and PeachHeadSSBU.png Peach Mario Galaxy Fated Battle
5 MetaKnightHeadSSBU.png Meta Knight Halberd Dangerous Dinner
6 ZeroSuitSamusHeadSSBU.png Zero Suit Samus Frigate Orpheon Vs. Ridley
Bonus Stage
Final Master Hand Final Destination Master Hand (Less than 7.0 intensity)
Master Hand / Crazy Hand (Intensity 7.0 or higher)
On intensity 7.0 and higher, Crazy Hand fights alongside Master Hand.

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Ridley has Nemesis Ridley accompany the credits.

Role in World of Light[edit]

Ridley's location in World of Light.
Finding Ridley in World of Light

Although Ridley does not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene, he was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (sans Kirby) when Galeem unleashed his beams of light.

Ridley was one of the many fighters that fell under Dharkon's control upon Galeem's first defeat. He is in the Dracula's Castle sub-area, appearing on the map in the subterranean section, once the player defeats The Creature & Flea Man spirit.

Fighter Battle[edit]

No. Image Name Type Power Stage Music
65
Ridley SSBU.png
Ridley
Attack
Attack
10,600 Brinstar Depths (Ω form) Vs. Ridley (Brawl)

Spirits[edit]

Ridley's default fighter spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Ridley has been unlocked. Unlocking Ridley 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. His Meta Ridley outfit has a fighter spirit of its own, available through the shop, or by completing a challenge (Smash: Use Ridley's down special, Skewer, for a critical hit on an opponent 4 times within a single battle). Each fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate.

Additionally, other forms of Ridley make an appearance in a few primary and support spirits.

In Spirit Battles[edit]

As the main opponent[edit]

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
255
SSBU spirit Vaati.png
Vaati The Legend of Zelda Series Ridley RidleyHeadPurpleSSBU.png
Grab
10,000 Hyrule Castle •Hazard: Heavy Wind •Dangerously high winds are in effect after a little while
•The enemy starts the battle with an Ore Club
Dark World (Brawl)
277
SSBU spirit Metroid.png
Metroid Metroid Series Ridley RidleyHeadGreenSSBU.png
Grab
9,700 Brinstar (Battlefield form) •Assist Trophy Enemies (Metroid)
•Hazard: Sticky Floor
•The floor is sticky
•Hostile assist trophies will appear
•The enemy's melee blows will heal them when they hit
Title Theme - Metroid
287
SSBU spirit Mecha Ridley.png
Mecha Ridley Metroid Series •Giant Ridley RidleyHeadGreySSBU.png (140 HP)
Shield
4,100 Norfair (Ω form) •Move Speed ↓ •The enemy's smash attacks have increased power
Stamina battle
•The enemy is giant
Vs. Meta Ridley
289
SSBU spirit Little Birdie.png
Little Birdie Metroid Series •Tiny Ridley RidleyHeadYellowSSBU.png
Shield
3,700 Distant Planet •Defense ↑
•Attack Power ↑
•Giant
•The enemy is giant after a little while
•The enemy has increased attack power after a little while
•The enemy has increased defense after a little while
Vs. Ridley
291
SSBU spirit Omega Ridley.png
Omega Ridley Metroid Prime Series •Metal Ridley RidleyHeadMetaSSBU.png (180 HP)
Attack
13,900 Norfair •Curry-Filled Stamina battle
•The enemy breathes fire
•The enemy is metal
Vs. Meta Ridley
292
SSBU spirit Parasite Queen.png
Parasite Queen Metroid Prime Series •Giant Ridley RidleyHeadBlueSSBU.png
Attack
4,000 Frigate Orpheon •Attack Power ↑ •The enemy has increased attack power
•The enemy shields often
•The enemy is giant
Vs. Parasite Queen
371
SSBU spirit Bugzzy.png
Bugzzy Kirby Series Ridley RidleyHeadPurpleSSBU.png
Grab
3,700 Green Greens •Item: Beetle •The enemy's side special has increased power
•The enemy has increased attack power
Forest/Nature Area
403
SSBU spirit Aparoid.png
Aparoid Star Fox Series •Metal Ridley RidleyHeadPurpleSSBU.png
Neutral
4,100 Venom •Hazard: High Gravity •Your jumping power decreases
•The enemy is metal
•The enemy has increased jump power
Space Battleground Aparoid Fortuna
426
SSBU spirit Arbok.png
Arbok Pokémon Series Ridley RidleyHeadPurpleSSBU.png
Attack
2,200 Yoshi's Island (Melee) •Attack Power ↓
•Hazard: Poison Floor
•The floor is poisonous
•You have reduced attack power
Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Brawl)
454
SSBU spirit Pinsir.png
Pinsir Pokémon Series Ridley RidleyHeadRedSSBU.png
Grab
3,700 Garden of Hope •Item: Beetle •The enemy's side special has increased power
•The enemy favors side specials
Road to Viridian City - Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue
456
SSBU spirit Gyarados.png
Gyarados Pokémon Series •Giant Ridley RidleyHeadBlueSSBU.png
Attack
4,100 Kongo Falls (Battlefield form) •Attack Power ↓ •You have reduced attack power
•The enemy is giant
Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Brawl)
471
SSBU spirit Sudowoodo.png
Sudowoodo Pokémon Series Ridley RidleyHeadGreenSSBU.pngRidleyHeadRedSSBU.png×2
Grab
1,400 Green Greens (hazards off) N/A •Defeat the main fighter to win
•The enemy is weak to water attacks
•The enemy favors smash attacks
The enemy has super armor when charging smash attacks
Pokémon Gold / Pokémon Silver Medley
475
SSBU spirit Steelix.png
Steelix Pokémon Series •Metal Ridley RidleyHeadGreySSBU.png (140 HP)
Shield
4,300 Kalos Pokémon League (Ironworks Chamber only) N/A Stamina battle
•The enemy is metal
Pokémon Gold / Pokémon Silver Medley
490
SSBU spirit Flygon.png
Flygon Pokémon Series Ridley RidleyHeadGreenSSBU.png
Grab
3,800 Gerudo Valley (Battlefield form) •Earthquake •Periodic earthquakes will shake the stage Victory Road - Pokémon Ruby / Pokémon Sapphire
500
SSBU spirit Rayquaza.png
Rayquaza Pokémon Series Ridley RidleyHeadGreenSSBU.png
Neutral
10,000 Kalos Pokémon League (Dragonmark Chamber (Legendary) only) •Hazard: Heavy Wind •Dangerously high winds are in effect after a little while Battle! (Lorekeeper Zinnia)
558
SSBU spirit Lunala.png
Lunala Pokémon Series •Gold Ridley RidleyHeadPurpleSSBU.png (160 HP)
Grab
9,400 Luigi's Mansion (Battlefield form) N/A Stamina battle
•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Lunala)
Battle! (Elite Four) / Battle! (Solgaleo/Lunala)
607
SSBU spirit Condor.png
Condor Ice Climber Series Ridley RidleyHeadRedSSBU.png (80 HP)
Ice Climbers IceClimbersHeadBlueSSBU.png (80 HP)
Neutral
4,500 Summit (Battlefield form) •Hazard: Ice Floor •Defeat the main fighter to win
•The floor is frozen
•Timed stamina battle (1:00)
Ice Climber (Brawl)
635
SSBU spirit Medeus.png
Medeus Fire Emblem Series Ridley RidleyHeadBlueSSBU.png (140 HP)
Attack
3,600 Castle Siege (Underground Cavern) •Giant •The enemy is giant after a little while
Stamina battle
Lords-Showdown Medeus (Shadow Dragon form)
713
Hewdraw
Hewdraw Kid Icarus Series Ridley RidleyHeadPurpleSSBU.pngRidleyHeadBlueSSBU.pngRidleyHeadRedSSBU.png
Shield
3,500 Skyworld N/A •The enemy favors neutral specials Boss Fight 1 - Kid Icarus: Uprising
820
SSBU spirit Peckish Aristocrab.png
Peckish Aristocrab Pikmin Series •Giant Ridley RidleyHeadPurpleSSBU.png (140 HP)
Shield
3,800 Garden of Hope N/A Stamina battle
•The enemy favors side specials
•The enemy is giant
Garden of Hope (Remix)
1,081
SSBU spirit Dark Emperor.png
Dark Emperor StreetPass Mii Plaza Series •Giant Ridley RidleyHeadGreenSSBU.png
Shield
13,600 Find Mii N/A •The enemy has super armor and is hard to launch or make flinch
•The enemy is giant
Dark Lord
1,102
SSBU spirit Master Beast.png
Master Beast Super Smash Bros. Series •Giant Ridley RidleyHeadGreySSBU.png (160 HP)
Shield
9,600 Final Destination •Assist Trophy Enemies (Chain Chomp) Stamina battle
•Hostile assist trophies will appear after a little while
•The enemy deals damage when falling
Master Core
1,118
Tamagon devil world
Tamagon Devil World •Tiny Ridley RidleyHeadGreenSSBU.png
•Clear Richter RichterHeadGreenSSBU.png
Grab
1,500 Mario Bros. •Item: Throwing Types •Defeat the main fighter to win
•The enemy favors neutral specials
•The enemy is invisible
Clu Clu Land
1,119
From game files.
Devil Devil World Ridley RidleyHeadGreenSSBU.png
Kirby KirbyHeadRedSSBU.png×2
Shield
3,900 75m (Battlefield form) •Assist Trophy Enemies (Devil) •Hostile assist trophies will appear 25m Theme Tamagon
1,345
SSBU spirit Buzzbomb.png
Buzzbomb Banjo-Kazooie Series Ridley RidleyHeadYellowSSBU.png×3 (50 HP)
Grab
2,000 Garden of Hope (hazards off) N/A Stamina battle
•The enemy favors up specials in the air
•The enemy falls slowly
Spiral Mountain
1,370
SSBU spirit Corviknight.png
Corviknight Pokémon Series Ridley RidleyHeadMetaSSBU.png
•Giant Ridley RidleyHeadMetaSSBU.png
Shield
3,800 Gaur Plain (Battlefield form) N/A •The enemy favors air attacks
•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd
•The enemy has increased jump power
Battle! (Wild Pokémon) - Pokémon Diamond / Pokémon Pearl Gigantamaxed Corviknight (Giant Ridley)
1,438
In-game rip [1]
Ender Dragon Minecraft Series Ridley RidleyHeadBlueSSBU.png (200 HP)
Enderman SteveHeadEndermanSSBU.png×2 (50 HP)
Neutral
12,700 Find Mii (hazards off) •Health Recovery •Defeat the main fighter to win
Stamina battle
•The enemy is healed significantly when the enemy's at high damage
The Arch-Illager
1,449
SSBU spirit Bahamut ZERO.png
Bahamut ZERO FINAL FANTASY Series •Giant Ridley RidleyHeadGreySSBU.png
Attack
13,500 Midgar (hazards off) •Sudden Final Smash •The enemy will suddenly have a Final Smash when the enemy's at high damage
•The enemy is giant
Those Who Fight Further (AC Version)

As a minion[edit]

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
656
SSBU spirit Lyon.png
Lyon Fire Emblem Series Robin RobinHeadWhiteSSBU.png
•Giant Ridley RidleyHeadPurpleSSBU.png
Grab
3,700 Unova Pokémon League (hazards off) N/A •Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd
•The enemy is giant
Preparing to Advance Fomortiis
739
SSBU spirit Ashley.png
Ashley WarioWare Series Mii Swordfighter MiiSwordfighterHeadSSBU.png (Moveset 1322, Ashley Wig, Ashley Outfit, High Voice Type 8)
•Tiny Ridley RidleyHeadRedSSBU.png
Neutral
13,700 WarioWare, Inc. •Assist Trophy Enemies (Ashley)
•Hazard: Left Is Right, Right Is Left
•Left and right controls will suddenly reverse
•Hostile assist trophies will appear
•Magic attacks aren't as effective against the enemy
Ashley's Song Red
1,063
SSBU spirit Hector (Castlevania).png
Hector (Castlevania) Castlevania Series Robin RobinHeadBlueSSBU.png
Ridley RidleyHeadBlueSSBU.png
Shield
3,700 The Great Cave Offensive (Battlefield form) •Item: Battering Types •Reinforcements will appear during the battle Lament of Innocence The End
1,148
Satoru
Satoru Trade & Battle: Card Hero Series Shulk ShulkHeadBlackSSBU.png
Mewtwo MewtwoHeadBrownSSBU.png
Ridley RidleyHeadMetaSSBU.png
Bowser BowserHeadBlackSSBU.png
Grab
1,700 Pokémon Stadium 2 •Move Speed ↓ •Defeat the main fighter to win
•The enemy's melee weapons have increased power
•Reinforcements will appear during the battle
Worthy Rival Battle Killer Bee
1,232
nibbles
Nibbles Fossil Fighters Series Yoshi YoshiHeadRedSSBU.png
Charizard CharizardHeadRedSSBU.png
Ridley RidleyHeadRedSSBU.png
Bowser BowserHeadRedSSBU.png
Attack
1,800 Arena Ferox •Item: Pitfall •Defeat the main fighter to win
•Reinforcements will appear during the battle
Battle Start - Fossil Fighters: Frontier Chompsaurus
1,271
Allenn
Allen Culdcept Series Shulk ShulkHeadBlackSSBU.png
King K. Rool KingKRoolHeadBlackSSBU.png
Ridley RidleyHeadRedSSBU.png
Neutral
3,500 Arena Ferox •Item: Assist Trophy •Defeat the main fighter to win
•Reinforcements will appear during the battle
Worthy Rival Battle Volcanic Dragon
1,307
SSBU spirit Igor.png
Igor Persona Series Robin RobinHeadSSBU.png
Ridley RidleyHeadBlueSSBU.png×3
Neutral
10,600 Kalos Pokémon League (hazards off) •Health Recovery
•Item: Assist Trophy
•Defeat the main fighter to win
•Start with 300% damage
•You are healed significantly after a little while
Aria of the Soul Inhabitants of the Velvet Room
1,350
SSBU spirit High Line (Guns Empress).png
High Line (Guns Empress) DAEMON X MACHINA •Tiny Zero Suit Samus ZeroSuitSamusHeadBlackSSBU.png
Ridley RidleyHeadGreySSBU.png
Attack
4,200 Halberd •Move Speed ↑
•Assist Trophy Enemies (Jeff)
•Item: Shooting Types
•Hostile assist trophies will appear
•The enemy has increased move speed after a little while
•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd
Metalopod High Line
1,359
SSBU spirit Kim Kaphwan.png
Kim Kaphwan Fatal Fury Series Ken KenHeadWhiteSSBU.png
•Giant King Dedede KingDededeHeadBlackSSBU.png
•Tiny Ridley RidleyHeadGreenSSBU.png
Attack
1,800 King of Fighters Stadium •Jump Power ↓ •The enemy's kicks and knee strikes have increased power
•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd
•All fighters have reduced jump power
Let's Go to Seoul! - FATAL FURY 2 Choi Bounge
1,464
SSBU spirit Malos.png
Malos Xenoblade Chronicles Series Richter RichterHeadBlackSSBU.png
•Giant Ridley RidleyHeadGreySSBU.pngx3
Neutral
13,600 Gaur Plain N/A •Defeat the main fighter to win
•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd
Incoming! Artifice Gargoyles
1,467
SSBU spirit Arthur.png
Arthur Ghosts 'n Goblins Series Mii Swordfighter MiiSwordfighterHeadSSBU.png (Moveset 2223, Black Knight Helm, Black Knight Armor)
Ridley RidleyHeadRedSSBU.png
Grab
9,500 Spear Pillar (Battlefield form) •Item: Throwing Types •Defeat the main fighter to win
•Reinforcements will appear during the battle
Attack - Soma Bringer Satan
Mii Swordfighter MiiSwordfighterHeadSSBU.png (Moveset 2223, Arthur's Helm, Arthur's Armor)[SB 1]
Ridley RidleyHeadRedSSBU.png
1,521
SSBU spirit Koraidon & Miraidon.png
Koraidon & Miraidon Pokémon Series Charizard CharizardHeadRedSSBU.png
Ridley RidleyHeadMetaSSBU.png
Attack
13,100 Final Destination •Attack Power ↑
•Hazard: Zap Floor
•The floor is electrified
•The enemy has increased attack power
•The enemy loves to jump
Battle! (Reshiram / Zekrom) Miraidon
  1. ^ This alternative occurs when the corresponding DLC has been purchased and downloaded.

Alternate costumes[edit]

Ridley's Costumes in SSBU.
RidleyHeadSSBU.png RidleyHeadMetaSSBU.png RidleyHeadRedSSBU.png RidleyHeadBlueSSBU.png RidleyHeadGreenSSBU.png RidleyHeadPurpleSSBU.png RidleyHeadYellowSSBU.png RidleyHeadGreySSBU.png

Ridley had two palettes in demo versions of Ultimate that are not available in the final game: a dark, charcoal colored one with orange wings, and a light gray one with green wings, claws, teeth and protrusions. Each corresponds with the colors of Meta Ridley and Mecha Ridley, respectively.

Ridley's cut palettes.


Reveal trailer[edit]

Gallery[edit]

Fighter Showcase Video[edit]

Trivia[edit]

  • Due to his debut in August 1986, Ridley is the oldest newcomer in the base version of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, beating out Simon by one month.
  • Ridley's model appears to be based on his Super Metroid sprite with additional details and embellishments, some of which loosely resemble his clone's design in Metroid: Other M. His size is significantly reduced to that of his appearance in the original Metroid for the NES, where his hunched posture is only slightly taller than Samus Aran.
    • Masahiro Sakurai was reported to have heavily based Ridley on his depiction in the original Metroid, specifically how his sprite appeared hunched over even while flying.[1]
  • Ridley's fighter tagline, "Ridley Hits the Big Time!", likely references his exclusion in previous games due to Sakurai's prior perception of him being too large to implement as a fighter.
    • Sakurai stated in a Nintendo Dream Magazine interview that Ridley was added because of his popularity on the Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot.[2]
  • Ultimate marks Ridley's debut as a playable character in any capacity.
  • Ridley's pose in his official artwork resembles Bowser's pose in his official art for Super Smash Bros. 4, albeit mirrored.
  • His animated reveal trailer is the first time since Ridley's role in the Metroid manga where Ridley has displayed a sense of humor, playfully twirling the hat of a defeated Mario when revealing himself to Samus while grinning.
    • The way Ridley twirls Mario's hat is a callback to Mario doing the same in the beginning of Super Mario Odyssey's reveal trailer.
    • The part where a Metroid attacks Ridley while he is near a stunned Pikachu resembles a pivotal point in his boss fight in Metroid: Samus Returns in which the Baby Metroid saves Samus from Ridley by leeching some of his energy. On an extended note, Pikachu and Samus teamed up to fight Ridley in The Subspace Emissary.
  • The moment Ridley appears in his introductory trailer resembles his appearance in Metroid: Zero Mission just before Samus fights him. This includes the way Samus looks at the screen, Ridley's reflection in her visor, his entrance animation, and the music's timing.
    • On a similar note, the zoom-in on Samus' eyes during this scene shows her irises jittering in a state of panic, indirectly referencing the scene where Samus ends up freezing up from PTSD at the sight of Ridley's clone at the end of Chapter 17 of Metroid: Other M, and to a lesser extent, a similar reaction from Samus regarding Ridley himself in the Magazine Z prequel manga to Metroid: Zero Mission.
  • Ridley (and by extension, Meta Ridley) is the second Super Smash Bros. boss character to become playable in the series after Giga Bowser, and the only boss character to be playable at all times, as Giga Bowser is limited to Bowser's Final Smash. He is also one of the only two stage hazards to become playable in the series, the other being Piranha Plant.
  • There was an error on Ridley's page on the Latin American and Canadian French versions of the Super Smash Bros. website. The reveal trailer videos were unavailable, with the Latin American version mistakenly linking to a Japanese Mario Tennis Aces video. This has since been corrected.
  • Ridley is the only playable character from the Metroid series whose animations are mirrored.
  • Masahiro Sakurai stated in an interview that Ridley's down taunt is among his favorite taunts in Ultimate.[3]
  • Due to his eyes being yellow by default, Ridley is the only character in Ultimate to not receive a significant eye color change after obtaining a Smash Ball or upon perfect shielding.
    • Although Meta Knight's default eye color is also yellow, his eyes turn red in these circumstances.
  • When zooming in behind Meta Ridley's wings, his right wing does not fully connect to his back.[4]
  • Ridley's damage meter portrait protrudes downward the most out of every fighter.
  • Strangely, Ridley has code for gliding, despite the mechanic not returning from Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Ridley himself not being playable or cloned from a playable character in Brawl.
    • Upon further inspection, the code is identical to Charizard's, which has been carried over since Brawl. This suggests that Charizard was used as a template for some aspects of Ridley's implementation as a fighter.
  • Ridley is the one of few characters who has only two knockback voice clips (with the others being the Ice Climbers and Duck Hunt) and one blast KO voice clip (with the others being Jigglypuff in the international versions, Mewtwo, Roy, the Mii Fighters, Bayonetta, and Sephiroth.
  • When Ridley receives damage, he may assume a pose similar to Neo-Ridley's flying pose.[5]
  • Ridley and Corrin appear in the most Legend-rank spirit battles as the main opponent, at a total of four.
    • Specifically, Ridley appears in the Omega Ridley, Dark Emperor, Ender Dragon, and Bahamut ZERO spirit battles.
    • When counting ally spirits, he appears in the most Legend-rank spirit battles, at a total of six.
  • Ridley and Daisy are the only newcomers who were not shown being added to the panoramic group artwork. This does not include Inkling, who was featured on the artwork when it debuted.
  • An unused spirit battle associated with the Meta Ridley fighter spirit implies that he originally was not planned to be an alternate costume. While all fighter spirits have battles associated with them, being either the World of Light unlock battles or also being unused, Meta Ridley's is the only one that is set to have the spirit displayed by the CPU's HUD, a trait that is otherwise only used for normal spirit battles.

References[edit]