Flare Blitz

Flare Blitz (, Flare Drive) is Charizard's side special move in Super Smash Bros. 4 and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Overview
Flare Blitz is a move where Charizard cloaks itself in fire and tackles straight forward, hitting anyone in its path. Flare Blitz is a particularly strong attack with high knockback but has a very slow startup, making the move easy to punish. It has recoil damage both in the beginning and when Charizard hits something, like an opponent, a wall, or certain projectiles. Charizard takes 5% damage on frame 23 and gains heavy armor until frame 53 when the move ends or collision with an object or enemy, which then leads to 5% more damage taken. It then falls over (this cannot be teched), allowing the opponent to punish Charizard extremely hard if they blocked the attack.

The attack inflicts 4% to the opponent from the collision and another 15% from the explosion. Rarely, the explosion may miss the opponent, dealing only 4% and low knockback but causing Charizard to receive full recoil. This happens most often when the opponent is above Charizard. Knocking into an opponent or side of the stage will cause Charizard to be temporarily forced into its falling hurt animation, potentially self-destructing due to its lengthy animation. The significant-end lag on impact also makes Flare Blitz very punishable if shielded, and if Charizard ends up lying on the ground, it can even set up a free jab lock for the opponent. As such, the move must be used sparingly and carefully, primarily as a punishing option in its own right, but also as a movement option for mix-ups and to escape potential pressure from foes.

Flare Blitz can be used for horizontal recovery, as it travels the whole length of Final Destination and can snap the ledge before the animation completes. Furthermore, it grants damage-based armor on frames 23-53 that sustains 15% (effectively 18% in 1v1) granting a safer recovery to stage.

In Ultimate, Flare Blitz is even more powerful, and the recoil from the collision cannot be jab locked.

Interestingly, the explosion counts as a projectile, meaning it can be reflected and absorbed. As it deals most of the damage, this can render the attack largely impotent.

Customization
Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the variations:


 * 1) Flare Blitz: Default.
 * 2) Blast Burn : Charizard takes a little more time to charge up, and travels slowly for a short distance. Charizard is engulfed with more flames, and is more powerful, inflicting 32% damage, and the explosion upon impact causes high knockback. Charizard hurts itself significantly more, taking 6% by using the move and 10% more upon tackling an opponent. Unlike with Flare Blitz, Blast Burn's explosion cannot be reflected or absorbed.
 * 3) Dragon Rush (, Dragon Dive): Does not have a very long charge up time, and does not have any recoil. The move has no flame effect, and instead drills through opponents and traps them, dealing continuous damage for a max of 11%, with less knockback. As a recovery option, it is better than the standard variation, as Charizard will not stop the move when it hits an opponent. However, this move does not travel as far as Flare Blitz, but the reduced travel distance does help avoid accidental self-destructs when used near stage ledges. This variation is also used during its Final Smash, Mega Charizard X, as a basic attack.

Origin
Flare Blitz is a physical Fire-type attack introduced in Generation IV. It is a very powerful move, but the user takes a third of the damage dealt to the target as recoil. It does not however cause damage to the user if it misses unlike in Smash Bros.

is the Fire-type equivalent of. Unlike its Smash Bros. variation, it doesn't damage the user, nor is it a contact move, but it does leave them vulnerable for the next turn as they need to recharge.

, also introduced in Generation IV, is a physical Dragon-type attack that has a small chance of flinching the target.

Charizard learns Flare Blitz by leveling up in all games since the move's introduction. Charizard has been able to learn Blast Burn from a move tutor starting in  and in all games from Generation IV onwards. Finally, Charizard learns Dragon Rush as an as a Charmander.

Trivia

 * Although Charizard does have a vocal sound with this move, the move's own sound effects make it impossible to hear without adjusting the sound in Options.