Charizard (SSB4): Difference between revisions

Charizard is currently ranked 45th out of 58 on the current [[tier list]], placing it in the middle of E tier and making it the third highest ranked super heavyweight. This is a slight improvement from {{SSBB|Pokémon Trainer}}'s standing in ''Brawl'', where he had been ranked 29th out of 38. Now an individual character, Charizard no longer has to contend with [[stamina]] reducing its power and has a more consistent moveset, but is unable to switch out with other Pokémon in order to cover its significant weaknesses. Charizard is a fast character for its weight class: its boasts a decent walking speed, one of the fastest dashing speeds, and several moves with reasonable speed and combo potential.

In the early metagame, Charizard endured very poor tournament representation and results, to the point of being considered the single worst character among the cast. However, thanks to consistently receiving very useful buffs via game updates over the game's lifespan, Charizard's tournament success (particularly in regional tournaments and the international scene) has seen considerable improvement, albeit very gradually. As a result, it has managed to rise from initially being at the middle of the bottom-tier to currently being in the upper portion of the low-tier, which reflects the general consensus on its success even prior to its tier reassessment.

Unlike the other playable Pokémon, who are either lightweights or middleweights, Charizard is a super [[Weight|heavyweight]]. As such, its moveset and playstyle can be compared to {{SSB4|Bowser}}'s in numerous ways: both possess a number of moves with similar uses, heavily rely on throw-initiated combos, and possess near-identical projectile options. Charizard fittingly possesses impressive power and survivability, yet deviates from its weight class' archetype in a few ways. Its most atypical attributes are its grounded mobility and versatile recovery: Charizard boasts very good grounded mobility, with its [[walking]] speed being tied with {{SSB4|Mewtwo}}'s for the fifteenth fastest in the game, and its [[dash]]ing speed being the ninth fastest in the game, whereas its recovery covers good distance and possesses [[armor]]. Charizard's frame data is also decently fast, making it arguably the fastest of the super heavyweights and thus results in it fitting the "lightning bruiser" archetype. Despite its impressive grounded mobility, Charizard is burdened with low [[traction]], which is tied with Mewtwo's as the second lowest in the game. Lastly, Charizard is one of the only two heavyweights that has [[Jump#Multiple double jumps|multiple double jumps]], with the other being {{SSB4|King Dedede}}.

Charizard's special moves are all useful for its general playstyle. [[Flamethrower]] is a short-ranged [[projectile]] that can rack up damage, intercept projectiles, interrupt approaches, and gimp recoveries. Compared to {{SSB4|Bowser}}'s [[Fire Breath]], it boasts better versatility due to having less ending lag and causing flinching more easily. [[Rock Smash]] is an essential move due to its offensive and defensive capabilities. In addition to dealing high damage and knockback, it provides Charizard with high amounts of armor, which allows it to avoid being launched or juggled by all but the fastest moves and functions as a somewhat safe landing option.

Overall, Charizard is well-rounded for a super heavyweight: it has a potent grab game, yet is less reliant on grappling compared than {{SSB4|Bowser}} and {{SSB4|Donkey Kong}}, while it is not burdened with polarized attributes like {{SSB4|Ganondorf}} and {{SSB4|King Dedede}}. As a result, its strengths are on par with its weaknesses; whether one outweighs the other depends on the opponent it is facing and the player's style. Charizard can be considered a variation of Bowser that exchanges [[out of shield]] options, balanced aerial mobility and raw power for fast grounded mobility, usable defensive tools, better frame data and better recovery. As such, Charizard's playstyle is similar to Bowser's: it requires patience, yet deviates from Bowser by also requiring an appropriate balance offensive and defensive tactics, instead of mainly defensive tactics. Purely offensive play exposes Charizard to harsh punishment, whereas purely defensive play fails to exploit Charizard's main advantages (namely its frame data and grounded mobility) over its fellow super heavyweights. Like its fellow super heavyweights, Charizard should not be afraid to exchange blows with the opponent, as a few strong hits from it can give it the advantage in many cases. [[Read]]s and [[mindgame]]s can be pivotal for Charizard's best punishment options, such as Flare Blitz and its smash attacks, although it is not as singularly dependent on them like Ganondorf and {{SSB4|Jigglypuff}} are thanks to its other assets.

From a competitive standpoint, Charizard is ranked in the E tier on the current tier list, placing it in upper portion of the low-tier. While Charizard had been previously regarded as a bottom-tier character and even the worst character in the game prior to version [[1.0.6]], it consistently received substantial buffs, which lead it to be widely regarded as a potential low-tier or mid-tier character even before its improvement in results and official tier reassessment. Despite being well-rounded for a super heavyweight, many players cite Charizard as one of the more complex heavyweights to utilize, which has been reflected in its generally below average tournament representation in North America. Nevertheless, Charizard has managed to achieve sparse, but notably successful results in tournaments outside of North America, including placing first in some regional tournaments.

*{{nerf|Back aerial has increased ending (41 frames → 46) and landing lag (22 frames → 24). It also lost its ability to auto-cancel from a short hop.}}

Upon the initial release of ''SSB4'', Charizard was poorly perceived by the majority of players due to its very sluggish moveset, predictable and exploitable recovery, very slow air speed and susceptibility to combos. Its negative perception led some players to view it as being heavily nerfed since ''Brawl'' even when not including {{SSBB|Squirtle}} and {{SSBB|Ivysaur}}, and many considered it to be the single worst character in the game up until update [[1.0.6]], with its representation throughout most of ''SSB4''{{'}}s lifespan being notoriously poor in spite of its consistent popularity within its home series. However, Charizard began to receive a consistent amount of substantial buffs in game updates starting with update [[1.0.8]], which noticeably improved its KO potential, combo game, frame data, and mobility. While some players argued that Charizard had become somewhat viable, it was still widely attested that these buffs were not sufficient enough to significantly improve its representation and results. As a result, Charizard was ranked 49th on the first ''4BR'' [[tier list]], perpetuating its perception as a bottom-tier character.  

Despite its low rankings, Charizard's viability had been heavily contested ever since update [[1.1.5]] due to its sporadic results and overall strengths as a character. Numerous professionals, including {{Sm|ZeRo}} and {{Sm|ESAM}}, believed Charizard to be somewhat viable and labeled it as a potential low-tier to mid-tier character. While this perception persisted into the second tier list, where it was ranked at 51st place (as the highest-ranked bottom-tier character), many smashers would keep arguing in its favor. {{Sm|MKLeo}}, in particular, has even claimed that Charizard can fare well against top-tier characters such as {{SSB4|Cloud}}, and Charizard's tournament results began to slowly but notably improve, with dedicated players such as {{sm|Chuck Nasty}}, {{sm|Sharpy}} and {{sm|Hitomoshi}} even winning regional tournaments while exclusively using Charizard.  

This is reflected in Charizard's current tier status, as it is now ranked 45th on the third and current tier list, a rise notable in two ways: Charizard became the only character to rise out of the lowest tier in the transition, and it is also no longer within the bottom 10 on the tier list, in a similar vein to {{SSB4|Samus}}' and {{SSB4|Palutena}}'s placements over time. While Charizard's results in North America continue to be sparse, it also fares better in the international scene; aside from the aforementioned smashers above, players such as {{Sm|Tosshi}}, {{Sm|Fire}} and {{Sm|SilentDoom}} have achieved significant wins and results while using Charizard.