Sora (SSBU): Difference between revisions

'''Sora''' ({{ja|ソラ|Sora}}, ''Sora'') is a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''. He was officially announced during ''[[Mr. Sakurai Presents#Battling with Sora|The Final Mr. Sakurai Presents]]'' on October 5th, 2021 as the sixth and final [[Downloadable content (SSBU)|downloadable character]] from {{h2|Downloadable content (SSBU)|Fighters Pass Vol. 2}} and was released on October 18th, 2021 (October 19th in time zones east of the Americas) as part of Challenger Pack 11. [[Masahiro Sakurai]] confirmed in the direct that Sora was the actual winner of the [[Smash Bros. Fighter Ballot]], aligning with the statement that {{SSB4|Bayonetta}} was the winner among "realizable and negotiable characters."<ref name=SakuraiPresents/> Sora is the fourth fighter from a [[Square Enix]] published/developed series (after {{SSBU|Cloud}}, {{SSBU|Hero}}, and {{SSBU|Sephiroth}}), as well as the first and only fighter from [[Disney]]. Sora is classified as [[Fighter number|Fighter #82]], the last fighter number of the [[newcomer]]s and the overall roster.

{{iw|wikipedia|Haley Joel Osment}} and {{iw|wikipedia|Miyu Irino}}, Sora's main English and Japanese voice actors since the first ''Kingdom Hearts'' game, reprise their roles in the English and Japanese releases of ''Ultimate'' respectively, with their portrayals re-purposed from ''{{iw|khwiki|Kingdom Hearts Re:coded}}'' and ''{{iw|khwiki|Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance}}''.

Sora is currently ranked 31st out of 82 on the ''Ultimate'' [[tier list]], placing him in the upper end of the A- tier. True to his original games, Sora possesses a highly dominant aerial game. This is characterized by an extremely long-distanced double jump that allows him to chase opponents above him, and a number of aerial attacks that sport great power and [[hitbox]] coverage. Most distinct among Sora's combat prowess is his possession of an array of [[natural combo|natural combos]], which when used in conjunction with his unique [[double jump]] allow Sora to perform extensive damage loops through [[instant double jump]] and [[SHFF]] techniques. Sora can initiate these damage loops reliably thanks to a host of great combo starters both in the air and on the ground, and many of them also have routes that lead into KOs. A prevalent trait among Sora's attacks is his high number of active frames across his attacks, which gives him a large amount of lenience in precision while throwing out attacks in advantage situations, and also allows him to tech chase and cover ledge options with relative ease. Sora's specials also grant him a lot of utility; [[Magic]] cycles through multiple projectiles that offer him pressure tools in neutral, {{b|Counterattack|Sora}} allows Sora to interrupt any melee attack, and [[Aerial Sweep]] functions as another great KO move. He sports an immaculate recovery that complements his off-stage presence, and can mix up his approaches through the use of [[Sonic Blade]]. He also has a great grab game, being one of the few swordsmen on the roster blessed with both combo throws and a KO throw.

However, Sora is not without flaws. His biggest weakness is his range; while swordsmen are typically characterized by sacrificing frame data in favor of having more range, Sora possesses one of the shortest effective ranges for a swordsman in the roster while still maintaining typical swordsman flaws, which makes spacing much harder for him than other characters of his archetype. This is compounded by his suboptimal air speed, making it challenging for him to weave in and out of enemy threat range while throwing out attacks, as well as escaping disadvantage. He is also a [[Weight|lightweight]] character, meaning he is liable to get KO'd at early percentages by stronger characters. His special attacks also have a few inconvenient quirks that have to be played around, such as [[Magic]] cycling through spells rather than being able to be used freely, {{b|Counterattack|Sora}} not reflecting projectiles or being able to detect attacks behind Sora, and [[Sonic Blade]] losing range when shielded.

While early representation of the character was spotty, Sora saw a rise in results courtesy of significant placements by top players such as {{Sm|Kameme}}. He is considered a respectable fighter at a competitive level who must exercise care in his defensive play to reap the rewards of his high damage output and KO capacity.

Sora is a swordsman whose mobility attributes reference his movement in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' series. Although he is a [[Weight|lightweight]] that weighs the same as {{SSBU|Zelda}}, his aerial mobility is notable, due to having below-average [[fall speed]]s, extremely low [[gravity]] on par with {{SSBU|Kirby}}, a very poor initial [[jump]], but a very high, yet delayed [[double jump]]. Sora's [[air speed]] is lackluster due to it being the 24th slowest, but he has the 15th highest [[air acceleration]]. Comparatively, Sora's grounded mobility is poor: he has the 10th slowest [[walk]]ing speed, the 24th slowest [[dash]]ing speed, and the 11th lowest [[traction]].

Thanks to these aerial attributes, Sora can stay in the air for a long time to inflict damage but has trouble closing in or escaping ground pressure through his mobility alone. Conversely, Sora has among the longest [[recoveries]] in the game thanks to his aforementioned double jump, [[Sonic Blade]] (his side special move) granting up to three additional bursts of movement, and [[Aerial Sweep]] (his up special move) granting both extra vertical height and the ability to transition into Sonic Blade. Overall, especially compared to his fellow swordfighters, Sora struggles to apply and escape pressure on the ground given his lackluster mobility and laggy attacks, but fares much better in the air, where the combination of his floatiness and his attacks' lingering hitboxes allows him to perform combos and create havoc while staying airborne.

The centerpiece of Sora's game plan is his aerial game, in large part due to his aforementioned jumping abilities. Neutral and forward aerials are natural combos, similar to {{SSBU|Bayonetta}}'s forward aerial. Holding or repeatedly tapping the attack button for each move completes the full combo, whereas tapping the button once initiates only one hit. However, of note is that the first hit of his forward aerial during a fast fall negates his upward momentum, allowing for KO confirms upon landing well past mid percentages. Back aerial is strong enough to KO reliably, and it even has relatively low landing lag (at 11 frames), which makes it relatively safe on shield. Sora's down aerial, Hurricane Blast, works well as an edgeguarding tool due to its long duration, low ending lag, and Sora's aforementioned double jump. However, where Sora's air game shines is his up aerial: its respectable power enables it to carry opponents closer to the upper blast line or even KO them outright, while its lengthy active frames and decent landing lag (at 10 frames) make it a potent combo tool in the air or when [[SHFF]]'d.

Sora has several tools that make for a respectable ground game. Neutral attack and forward tilt are similar to his neutral aerial in that they are natural combos that either initiate only one hit on a single button press, or the full combo if the attack button is held or repeatedly tapped. In particular, his neutral attack comes out on frame 5, making it a good tool for close-range pressure, and its high vertical hitbox gives it minor anti air properties. His forward tilt has a slow startup, but compensates with more versatility than his other moves; when single tapped, it has enough power to KO reliably on ledge despite dealing very low damage, and when held or repeatedly tapped, it deals much more damage while sacrificing some of its KO power. Up tilt functions much like {{SSBU|Palutena}}'s equivalent move, as it is a useful anti-air attack that hits multiple times and has overall decent range. Unlike hers, however, Sora's is also useful for setting up combos at low percentages. Down tilt is one of Sora's go-to combo starters, being able to combo into his aerial moves at low to medium percentages. In particular, its combo into up aerial combo can KO quite early if the opponent does not react correctly. Lastly, dash attack's very large area of effect makes it useful as both a burst option and a [[2 frame punish]]. Although situational, its clean hitbox is nevertheless capable of KOing at very high percentages while near the edge.

Sora's smash attacks are serviceable in their own right. Forward smash is the least reliable of his smash attacks due to its startup and ending lag leaving him vulnerable, but it is also the most powerful and can even negate other projectiles. Up smash has deceptively good range in front of him, and likewise has strong KO power, being one of the strongest up smashes in the game. Lastly, down smash functions like {{SSBU|Ridley}}, {{SSBU|King K. Rool}} and {{SSBU|Incineroar}}'s equivalent moves, as it involves him hopping before striking the ground. In doing so, he can vault over low profiling attacks, but unlike other moves, the move is also well suited for two-framing since the move's hitbox goes well below him.

While swordsmen traditionally languish in having an effective grab game, Sora's is notably strong for his archetype. His standing grab is among the fastest in the game with only 7 frames of startup and his throws have good utility. Forward throw is unable to KO at realistic percentages, even near ledges, and thus it is mainly used for launching foes offstage and setting up ledgetrap situations. Up throw is also decently powerful and can set opponents up for juggles if they do not DI or react correctly but does not KO until over 180% for middleweights. In comparison, Sora's back and down throws are much more useful. Back throw is a useful KO option, thanks to it being able to KO middleweights at around 120% near the edge. Down throw is a useful combo starter due to neutral, forward and up aerials being reliable follow-ups, and it can position opponents for juggles and other aerial situations like up throw.

Sora's side special, [[Sonic Blade]], functions similarly to [[Quick Attack]]: when it is initiated near an opponent, Sora faces them and performs a dashing thrust; otherwise, he continues to move in the direction the Control Stick is held in. If the special attack button is tapped, Sora dashes forward once, but if directions are continuously inputted, Sora strikes up to three times instead. Pressing the special attack button during the input phase will cause Sora to automatically aim at the nearest opponent. While lacking in KO power, the lock-on version of the attack sports decently strong knockback and can set up an advantage situation if connected. His up special, Aerial Sweep, functions very similarly to [[Spin Attack]], and is a multi-hitting attack with strong KO power and decently fast startup (frame 9), giving Sora a decent [[out of shield]] option. A key difference with the aforementioned Spin Attack is that Aerial Sweep propels Sora upward, regardless of whether it is used on the ground or in the air. It can also transition into Sonic Blade if the move input is performed near the jump's apex, which grants Sora a noticeably long-distanced recovery in the process.

Sora's down special, {{b|Counterattack|Sora}}, works as both a [[counterattack]] and a [[reflector]], similarly to [[Counter/Reflect Barrier|Counter / Reflect Barrier]], [[Gut Check]], and [[Rebel's Guard / Tetrakarn / Makarakarn]]. Uniquely among said moves is that projectiles get reflected behind Sora rather than in front of him. While this makes the move ineffective as a direct reflector, it grants him some defense against characters with both reflectors and projectiles (such as {{SSBU|Mario}}, {{SSBU|Mewtwo}}, and {{SSBU|Hero}}). Unlike other counterattacks in the game, Sora's counterattack interrupts any direct attack of the opponent by putting them in a [[rebound]] state, which gives it the ability to prevent even invincible attacks like [[Wonderwing]], however one downside with the counter is that it will only register attacks from the front. Although Sora's counter special has fewer active frames and slightly more startup than other swordfighters like {{SSBU|Marth}}, Sora can interrupt the endlag at frame 52, much quicker than most other counters, making it less punishable.

One of Sora's most defining traits across his moveset are the presence of lingering hitboxes. Almost all of Sora's grounded moves and aerials, as well as select specials like Blizzaga, feature an extensive number of active frames, granting Sora a fair degree of safety when it comes to throwing out attacks and intercepting opponents. Many of these attacks also cover a plethora of angles, though these are perhaps most notable in his aerials as a result of Sora's aforementioned ability to negate his upward momentum through fast falling. Because of this, Sora has a deadly [[juggling]] game and can keep opponents above him trapped in disadvantage for extended periods of time. When combining the fixed knockback of several of his single hit natural combo strings with the unique traits of his jump, this opens up deadly damage loops through the usage of [[instant double jump]] tech, allowing Sora the ability to cancel his attacks and hit confirm into longer combos, stronger attacks, and even KOs. As a result of these factors, Sora has a number of ways to cover tech chases, air dodges, and multiple committal ground and aerial recovery options when he is pushing advantage, in particular sporting a strong ledgetrapping game, and in many cases they may be the difference maker between an opponent's survival and them being KO'd.

Sora's range is arguably his biggest weakness. Despite being a swordsman, the {{iw|khwiki|Kingdom Key}}'s range is among the shortest of any weapon in ''Ultimate''. This leaves Sora at a disadvantage against other fighters who sport disjointed ranges, such as {{SSBU|Shulk}} and {{SSBU|Sephiroth}} (especially given their respective sword attacks). When combined with his aforementioned frame data, he is unable to keep maximum distance from other characters as effectively as other spacing-oriented characters (such as {{SSBU|Marth}} and {{SSBU|Simon}}) and can result in opponents being able to chase him down more easily. Despite his grab being quick, it also suffers from abysmal range like many other swordfighters, but to an even larger extent, being tied with Pikachu for one of the worst grab ranges in the entire cast. This means Sora needs to rely on a lot of defensive play to convert into his advantage state, spacing aerial attacks and using Magic attacks like Firaga as neutral coverage. His stubby range and mobility also limits his disadvantage somewhat, forcing him to rely on certain momentum-stalling moves like magic attacks and down air to maneuver his way back into neutral.

Lastly, Sora's special moves all have certain unique flaws that force him to maintain a patient playstyle. Magic cannot freely swap between spells (unlike other multi-weapon attacks, such as {{SSBU|Peach}}'s forward smash), forcing him to repeatedly use his spells to cycle through the most optimal one for a given situation. Transitioning also leaves Sora vulnerable since he cannot move on the ground until his current spell concludes, making him whiff punishable unless the player mitigates it through aerial usage. Since all three spells are projectiles they can also be reflected, though this is suboptimal against Thundaga. Sonic Blade slows down slightly upon hitting a shield (although given the short amount of time it takes to transition between hits, punishing the move can prove to be difficult), while Sora cannot input any actions if the move concludes in the air, making him very vulnerable. Aerial Sweep does not hit behind Sora on startup, and Sora is vulnerable to meteor smashes since the move does not hit directly above him. Counterattack's aforementioned ineffectiveness against projectiles makes it infeasible for reflected projectiles to KO opponents. Like [[Scintilla]] and Gut Check, it also leaves the area directly behind Sora unprotected.

Overall, Sora's playstyle is reminiscent of {{SSBU|Jigglypuff}} where his light weight and somewhat lackluster direct range force him to play very patiently in order to get the most out of his combos and strong air game. His ability to reliably edgeguard the majority of the cast alongside his wide array of combo routes give him the potential to KO at very early percentages. However, he must be very careful to not overextend or whiff too much as he has the potential to be KO'd at very early percentages.

|neutraldesc=A lunging downward strike, followed by a forward thrust, followed by a spinning outward strike. Unlike other neutral attacks, holding the attack button will automatically transition into the second and third hits. It has slight startup, as the first hit comes out at frame 5. It also has a hitbox that extends so high above Sora that it can even hit opponents on the lower platforms of {{SSBU|Battlefield}}. This perk also makes it useful for catching jumps. Although it deals respectable damage, the third hit is weak, and the move's overall frame data is rather lacking. It resembles the standard attack combo as it appears in [[khwiki:Kingdom Hearts (game)|the original ''Kingdom Hearts'']].

|nairdesc=A somersaulting strike. Part of a 3-hit combo: if tapped or held, he then performs an upward strike and a downward strike. Each hit causes him to float slightly, similarly to {{SSBU|Bayonetta}}'s forward aerial. The first hitbox has a wide, lasting hitbox, allowing it to be used out of a short hop to initiate aerial combos. While the first hit reaches all the way behind Sora, the back hit (after the Keyblade is directly under Sora) does not chain properly into the second and third hits, as it has an altered angle that knocks opponents away. Falling during either the first or second hit allows Sora to extend his combo using other moves, including forward smash for a KO combo at around 100%. Hitting all three hits usually requires Sora to stay in place, as the opponent may fall out if he drifts forward. Repeatedly using the first two hits can let Sora constantly juggle an opponent offstage, and thus exhaust their recovery options. Its first hit resembles the {{iw|khwiki|Air Spiral}}.

|dairdesc=[[khwiki:Hurricane Winder|Backflips rapidly and repeatedly while holding the Kingdom Key horizontally in front of himself in order to perform a buzzsaw-like series of strikes]]. Upon landing, Sora poses with the Kingdom Key against his shoulder. It is a [[stall-then-fall]] and has a long-lasting hitbox. Sora can recover if he uses the move offstage, so long as he does not initiate it at the edge. As a result, the move is an effective yet risky edgeguarding option, since Sora can go extremely deep offstage with it and then use his double jump, Aerial Sweep, and/or Sonic Blade in order to recover. KOs Mario at 154% while at ground level.

|fthrowdesc=Swings the Kingdom Key downward teeth-first. Due to its mediocre power making it unsuitable for KOing, it is best suited for creating space and setting up edgeguards.

|nsdesc=Casts 1 of 3 different magic spells ({{iw|khwiki|Firaga}}, {{iw|khwiki|Thundaga}} and {{iw|khwiki|Blizzaga}}), with each use cycling through the spells in the list according to the command icon above his [[damage meter]]. The spell list does not reset upon Sora being KO'd, and each first midair use of each spell causes Sora to stall his descent, allowing for a maximum of 3 stalls before landing. Firaga is a fireball that travels horizontally and, when tapped, can be launched continuously. Firaga acts as a conventional projectile and is capable of [[lock]]ing, though it does not have high knockback and does not travel very far. Firaga also has high hitstun and relatively low ending lag, allowing it to be used as part of combos. Thundaga generates 3 thunderbolts that descend in front of Sora in a subsequent order, which can result in them comboing into each other. The thunderbolts cover less distance in the air, but are very effective for edgeguarding or coverage in front of Sora due to their vertical range and proximity to one another. The final bolt KOs Mario at the edge at 155%, though it can potentially KO significantly earlier offstage if the opponent is hit by the upper half of the first two bolts. Blizzaga fires a short-ranged,  conical stream of ice crystals; like [[Blizzard]], it has a very high chance of freezing opponents and granting an opening, even if only 1 segment of Blizzaga connects. Blizzaga can also combo into Aerial Sweep and KO at around 120%. All 3 moves are counted as energy [[projectile]]s, and can thus be [[absorb]]ed, [[reflect]]ed and [[Pocket]]ed. However, the Pocketed versions are unwieldy to use, since they are either weak or possess vertical hitboxes.

SoraOnScreenAppearanceSSBU.gif|Sora's on-screen appearance

Initial perceptions towards Sora were rather positive, with many top players pointing out his combo potential from his neutral and forward aerials, as well as his versatile recovery. Initial results matched these perceptions thanks to the efforts of {{Sm|Zackray}}, who notably won {{Trn|Kagaribi 5}} two weeks after the character was released. As a result, many players were confident that Sora had the potential to be a high-tier fighter.