Item


 * For the CPU Mode, see ITEM.

An item is an object that appears during a match which can be picked up and used by characters. Many items can be wielded once picked up, while others apply an effect, and almost all can be thrown at opponents. Items are not to be confused with projectiles, as those cannot be picked up and sometimes can be caused by items. Items are a large part of the gameplay of the  series, particularly on a casual level where chaotic fun is prioritized over serious competition. However, items cause problems at a competitive level and, with some exceptions, are universally banned from tournaments.

Overview
There are several ways for items to appear during a game. The most iconic way is to randomly appear during a game. Items appear from stage-dependent designated locations at various times throughout a match, based on the frequency set in the Item Switch. Certain stages also automatically spawn specific items during stage events. Ultimate introduced the feature to turn stage hazards off, which for the most part included item spawning. Several characters can also summon specific items with their given moveset, most often a special move. These items mostly spawn consistently, though some spawn randomly.

Characters can pick up items by standing near one and pressing the attack button. Aside from heavy items and, they can also be grabbed in midair with the grab button starting in Melee. Brawl onward further ease item grabbing by allowing it during the start of air dodges, dash attacks, and aerial attacks, with a window of 5 frames for each, causing the user to obtain the item while proceeding with their action. In Ultimate, this is further expanded to tilt attacks, though with a shorter window of 2 frames. The player that picked up the item is considered the owner, meaning said player benefits from its positive effects and/or is immune to its negative effects barring a few items that affect all characters indiscriminately. Some items are designated as heavy. These items, when held, put the character in a special state where they appear to struggle to hold the item up. Characters move slower in this state and the throwing animation is longer than normal. The only exception is Donkey Kong who, while unable to dash, uses his cargo throw to walk at his normal speed.

Characters can only hold one item at a time (if 's Pocket ability is discounted). If an item is left alone, it will eventually disappear, flashing briefly beforehand (Pitfalls and Green Shells being exceptions). Items picked up by characters can be dropped or thrown with the grab button, and may be dropped if the character takes damage. The damage done by a thrown item depends on how fast it is moving. Most items can also be swallowed starting in Brawl, and starting in Smash 4, can even heal these characters when they do so, unless the item is explosive, which deal minor damage. If another player manages to acquire a thrown or dropped item before it activates, ownership changes to that player. A few items can also change ownership after activating if they are attacked by a player.

In Smash 64, items (except for Super Stars) have a small triangular indicator above them. This feature was dropped in Melee and reintroduced in Smash 4 (except for Food, Smash Balls, and a complete Daybreak). Starting in, Olimar can also use Pikmin Throw to have Pikmin bring most items to him.

Item drop chance
In all games, the chance of a character with a held item dropping it when hit by an attack depends on the damage dealt by said attack. In Smash 64 and Melee, the formula is, so for example, an attack that deals 6% damage has a 10% chance of causing the target to drop their held item, while 's fully charged Flare Blade in Melee (which deals 50% damage) has a 83.333% chance of doing so.

In Brawl, Smash 4, and Ultimate, this probability was decreased; normal items use the formula, with the base damage rounded up. In addition, a few items use non-standard formulas for their drop chance:
 * The chance of a character dropping a Smash Ball is, with the base damage rounded down. handicap changes depending on the user's stock difference relative to the target (or score in a time battle), being equal to 30 if the user has a stock deficit, -30 if they have a stock lead, and 0 if they are equal in stocks with the target. As a result, players at a disadvantage have a better chance to steal Final Smashes from opponents, while being less prone to dropping their own.
 * The chance of a character dropping a Dragoon or Daybreak part is  in Brawl, and   in Smash 4 and Ultimate, with the base damage rounded down. handicap works the same way as in the Smash Ball formula, but with a value of 15 instead of 30.
 * In Smash 4 and Ultimate, shooting items (such as the Ray Gun and Super Scope) that have run out of ammo have a nearly guaranteed drop chance, using the formula, in addition to always disappearing upon touching the ground if dropped. This causes them to be removed from play more easily after they have been used up.

Types of items
Items can be grouped into several categories based on their attributes and effects. Note that some items behave in ways that can fit into multiple categories.


 * Container items release other items once broken open, which can be done either by attacking them or by picking up and throwing them. In general, container items have a 12.5% (1 in 8) chance of exploding instead of releasing items.
 * Battering items are wielded by characters once picked up, turning their neutral attack, forward tilt, dash attack, and forward smash into an item swipe.
 * Shooting items fire projectiles when used, typically replacing the neutral attack and neutral aerial of the user. They all have limited ammunition and will merely shoot blanks once it runs out. In SSB4 and Ultimate, trying to shoot an empty item will instead simply throw it.
 * Throwing items can only be thrown at opponents. Holding a throwing item means that a character cannot use most of their attacks, as pressing the attack button will simply throw the item.
 * Explosive items cause an explosion when activated, then disappear from the field. Most explosive items are also throwing items, but there are exceptions.
 * Status items apply some sort of effect to the user, often beneficial but not necessarily. Some status items only need contact to be used (instead of needing to be grabbed). The ones that do need to be grabbed can be picked up even if the character is already holding an item; no such items exist in the original Super Smash Bros.
 * Recovery items decrease the damage of the user (or increase their HP in Stamina mode). Starting in Melee, recovery items can be picked up even when the character is already holding an item.
 * Summoning items release an ally that fights alongside whoever activates the item.
 * Collectible items do not affect the match but instead are added to the player's collection once picked up. They can be picked up even if the character is already holding an item. Computer players will not attempt to pick up collectible items, but if they do so accidentally they will not count.
 * Special items do not fit into the above categories.

In addition to the above, certain items are considered heavy, which limits those that pick them up into walking slowly (or not at all in SSB) and throwing. Only Donkey Kong can move quickly or jump while carrying a heavy item.

Regular items
These items are available in the item switch menu. Some items like containers are grouped together, but the player can toggle all of these items on or off and set the frequency in which they appear.

Produced by other items
These items can only be summoned through the use of other items. These items do not appear in the item switch list, and can only appear as frequently as its parent item (with the exception of banana peel, hammer and golden hammer).

Uncontrollable items
These items are still available in matches, but never have any feature to turn them on or off. If items are turned on, they all can appear in the games they're in regardless of fighters being used, the stage, or presence of other items. Additionally, they don't have an effect during the battle and/or help the fighter. Notably, these items have an above average chance of being gifted by Mew when summoned.

Produced by fighters
These items are only available to fighters as part of their moveset.

Only in particular stages or modes
These items are exculsive to certain stages and game modes, sometimes only under specific rules. Some of them may be impossible to obtain in normal matches without hacking, and require the player to play another gamemode to find them.

* Appears in Smash games but not as an item.

** Appears in Smash games but as a stage hazard.

Only appears in Super Smash Bros for Nintendo 3DS.

Only appears in Super Smash Bros for Wii U.

In competitive play
All items that can be turned off or avoided are banned in most tournament rulesets due to the randomness of spawning and the usually unfair advantage the item user receives. This is done by setting random item spawn to "Off" in the Item Switch menu. All items spawned by fighters are allowed as they are effectively a part of the fighter's moveset and cannot be avoided without banning the fighter outright. All stages that spawn unique items are currently banned, and said items are often a major factor for the ban. While the ability to toggle stage hazards in Ultimate removes most of these items, the stages remain banned due to other factors.

Trivia

 * If all recovery items are turned off in Super Smash Bros. Melee, the chance of naturally occurring items like the apples dropped by Whispy Woods on Green Greens and Chansey's eggs recovering health is eliminated; the apples will all be projectiles and the eggs will either be explosives or drop other items. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl the same is true regarding the apples (since Chansey does not appear). Additionally, the on Summit will not appear if food is turned off.
 * In Ultimate's Training Mode, if "Fixed Damage" is enabled, characters will never drop items when taking damage.
 * In Ultimate, there is a universal item limit where no more than 64 items can appear on a stage at once. This produces interesting results when the limit is reached:
 * Pac-Man's Bonus Fruit will charge, but without the fruits physically appearing, and the sound effects will be bugged. Additionally, the Power Pellet will not spawn in, but the move will still function as normal, with Pac-Man "eating" the non-existent pellet.
 * R.O.B. will charge up his Gyro as normal, but as soon as he attempts to fire it, its model will disappear, as the Gyro item cannot spawn.
 * Wario's Wario Bike will appear as normal, but when he attempts to dismount the bike, which turns the bike into an item, the game will crash.
 * Snake can hold his grenade holding animation forever due to no grenade spawning that will explode and interrupt the animation.
 * King K. Rool will lose his crown permanently if it touches the ground and he will be unable to perform Crownerang again.
 * Steve cannot place blocks, but will still use resources when attempting to do so.
 * Any move that starts as a projectile will behave normally, then disappear if it transitions into an item.
 * Several other characters will perform the normal animation for the moves that summon items, rather than the special animation when the move is on a cooldown, but no item will appear.