Kirby (SSB4): Difference between revisions

Kirby is currently ranked 50th out of 55 on the [[tier list]], placing him in the F tier. This is a significant drop from his mid-tier placement in ''Brawl'', where he was ranked 20th out of 38. Kirby possesses a great combo game: his up tilt, forward throw and down aerial are very good combo starters, with the latter also boasting guaranteed KO set-ups that are effective even against floaty characters. In addition to complimenting his combo game, his forward and up aerials are also useful for partaking in a [[wall of pain]] and juggling, respectively. Despite his size, Kirby also has great KO potential, thanks to his smash attacks, back aerial, and up and back throws each boasting impressive power. The majority of his frame data is also respectably fast, while his [[crouch]] has become very useful, as it now allows him to avoid many moves from a variety of characters, such as projectiles that are not affected by gravity, or even grabs from taller characters.

However, Kirby retains many of his flaws from ''Brawl'', the most notable of which is his poor survivability due to both his very light weight and his floatiness, alongside the addition of [[rage]] in ''SSB4''. When this is coupled with his predictable [[recovery]], Kirby is left prone to either getting KO'd early either while near the blast zones or due to being [[edge-guard]]ed. His mobility is also poor overall, which leaves him prone to being zoned out by many characters with better ranges or with projectiles that are affected by gravity. Lastly, Kirby's range has been shortened due to his feet becoming smaller.

Kirby's greatest strength is the versatility of his moveset. The majority of Kirby's moveset is characterized by speed, while his slower moves instead boast very high power as a trade-off. Neutral attack and forward tilt are fast and have decent range, allowing Kirby to quickly fend off opponents. Up tilt is notorious for its combo potential, as its very quick speed allows it to consistently combo into itself or an aerial attack. Down tilt's very low power is compensated by its very fast speed and it launching opponents at the [[Sakurai angle]], which allow it to [[trip]] opponents even up to 270%. His smash attacks have good range and high power, yet are not particularly slow, making them excellent at scoring a KO. The usefulness of Kirby's ground game also extends to his grab game. His grabs are fast, while his pummel's meager damage output is counterbalanced by its very fast speed. His forward throw, notorious in ''Brawl'' for its highly damaging combo options at 0%, has been improved even further, as it now possesses follow-ups even up to medium percents, including a down aerial to re-grab. Back throw can be followed up by a back aerial at 0% on certain characters, [[tech-chase]] fast-fallers, and can now KO at high percents. Up throw is his strongest throw and is able to KO almost all characters around 170%, or even earlier if it lands on a platform. Lastly, down throw is reliable for damage racking when no other throw can yield better results.

Kirby's air game is also useful, due to his aerials boasting versatility and less than 18 frames of landing lag. Neutral aerial has a long duration, and its very low landing lag grants Kirby protection and allows him to take full advantage of [[buffer]]ing. Forward aerial is powerful, chains fluidly and can allow additional follow-ups at low percents. Up aerial has vertical knockback, low landing lag and has a good amount of [[auto-cancel]]ing frames, allowing for many potential follow-ups. Back aerial has slightly disjointed range, a decently long duration, and is Kirby's fastest and strongest aerial, making it a very good all-purpose aerial attack. Lastly, down aerial has considerable start-up, but drags opponents downward before [[meteor smash]]ing them, making it a deceptively powerful [[edge-guarding]] tool. In addition, it is an effective combo starter with guaranteed follow-ups on grounded opponents, even against floaty characters.

Kirby's special moveset has some interesting options. {{B|Inhale|Kirby}} allows him to either copy the [[neutral special move]] of any character he Inhales, or spit them out as a weight-dependent [[projectile]]. The latter can be used to [[Kirbycide]] or put the opponent below the stage, almost eliminating their chances of recovering. The former, depending on what character he Inhales, can give Kirby a move that provides some assistance ([[Falcon Punch]] and [[Homing Attack]]) or massive benefits ([[Monado Arts]] and [[Needle Storm]]). [[Hammer (move)|Hammer Flip]] is very powerful, especially when fully charged. Its slow speed, however, makes it very difficult to use outside of [[edge-guarding]] or after a [[shield break]]. [[Final Cutter]] is Kirby's primary move for [[recovery]] and is decent at that, granting good vertical distance and decent horizontal distance, as well as decent protection during his ascent and descent. It also emits a shockwave upon landing, making it difficult to [[punish]] if not at point-blank range. Lastly, [[Stone]] causes Kirby to plummet straight down and ignore damage by any move that deals less than 30%. It is also very strong and can be canceled at any time, making it useful for playing [[mindgames]].

However, Kirby has noticeable flaws. As mentioned, Kirby has poor mobility, giving him significant trouble [[approach]]ing and pressuring opponents. It also gives him trouble against fast characters like {{SSB4|Sonic}}, or those with [[disjointed hitbox]]es like {{SSB4|Marth}} and {{SSB4|Cloud}}. In addition, his very long-distanced recovery is very slow, making aggressive edge-guarding and [[gimp]]-oriented moves, such as [[F.L.U.D.D.]] or meteor smashes, detrimental to him. Kirby's range is also mediocre at best, and his strongest moves happen to be his slowest, making it difficult for him to KO opponents outside of edge-guarding or without a set-up. His most prominent weakness, however, is his endurance. Being light and floaty, Kirby cannot survive strong hits at high percents. He is also very vulnerable to [[juggling]], due to his aforementioned slow falling and air speeds. The introduction of [[rage]] further compounds these issues, as Kirby will be launched even earlier, while he will typically not endure long enough in order to take advantage of it.

Kirby benefits significantly from his [[Character customization|custom moves]]. Jumping Inhale propels Kirby forward, which often puts opponents in bad positions and can even allow it to function as a quick horizontal recovery option, though it is slower and lacks a [[Wind|vacuum]]. Ice Breath is a short-ranged projectile that can [[Frozen|freeze]] opponents for a time and function as a great edge-guarding option, but removes all of Inhale's benefits. Hammer Bash is almost identical to Hammer in ''Brawl'', as it is much faster and KOs earlier than the uncharged version of Hammer Flip. Giant Hammer is the most powerful custom move in the game without equipment and grants [[armor]], but is much slower than Hammer Flip. Wave Cutter is overall faster, its descending hitbox is more powerful, and the shockwave has more range and can pressure shields, although it does not allow Kirby to hit opponents while ascending. Upper Cutter is faster, stronger and grants much more vertical recovery and momentum, but immediately cancels at its ascent's apex, and lacks both a descending hitbox and shockwave. Grounding Stone [[Bury|buries]] grounded opponents and has much less ending lag, allowing for follow-ups, safer mindgames, and acts as a potential anti-juggling tool. However, it is unable to KO grounded opponents and has more start-up lag. Meteor Stone [[meteor smash]]es the opponent and can even be used as a suicide move, but takes longer to end.

Upon initial release of the game, Kirby had been nerfed very heavily from ''Brawl'', however repeated buffs from balance patches have helped to mitigate this somewhat, although he is still considered to have been nerfed overall. He has retained most of the issues he had in ''Brawl'', but he also suffers from new ones, such as having his range worsened due to his feet becoming slightly smaller, while his standing and dash grabs' ranges were decreased. However, some of his less reliable moves from ''Brawl'', particularly Inhale and his down aerial, have been buffed and now possess much more utility. The changes to [[hitstun]] canceling also help Kirby, as they enable him to chain combos together much better. His improved combo game is further supplemented by his newly buffed forward throw, which now possesses combo potential past low percents. His approach was also slightly improved due to his dashing speed becoming significantly faster.

*{{change|Dash attack's last hit has increased [[Freeze frames|hitlag]] (1× → 2×). This makes it safer on shield, but easier to DI.}}

*{{nerf|[[Down smash]] also now launches opponents vertically instead of [[Semi-spike|semi-spiking]] them, removing its edge-guarding potential.}}

*{{buff|[[Forward aerial]]'s first and second hits' angles have been altered (45° → 45°/80° (hit 1), 80° → [[Autolink angle|366°]] (hit 2). This enables them to connect together better with the last hit. Additionally, forward aerial's last hit also has increased knockback growth (138 → 148), improving its spacing and edge-guarding potentials. Lastly, forward aerial has decreased ending (FAF 50 → 48) and landing lag (15 frames → 13).}}

*{{buff|Clean [[back aerial]] deals 1% more damage (12% → 13%) and late back aerial has increased knockback growth (110 → 112), slightly improving their KO potentials.}}

*{{buff|[[Down aerial]]'s hits connect together better, its landing hitbox has decreased set knockback (60 → 40) and its angle has been altered (30° → 60°). Altogether, these changes improve its set-up potential, now boasting several potential KO confirms. Its meteor smash hitbox also has increased knockback growth (107 → 110) and a larger hitbox (6u → 6.2u). When coupled with the removal of [[Meteor smash#Meteor canceling|meteor canceling]], these changes significantly improve its reliability.}}

*{{buff|The weakening of SDI makes down aerial significantly more difficult to escape from.}}

*{{buff|[[Forward throw]] deals 3% less damage (8% → 5%), although its knockback growth was compensated (100 → 125). Its angle has also been altered (65° → 75°). When coupled with the changes to [[hitstun]] canceling, these changes grant it combo potential past low percents.}}

*{{buff|[[Back throw]] has altered knockback (80 (base)/50 (growth) → 30/120), improving its KO potential at high percents. It also has decreased ending lag, improving its mix-up and combo potential at low percents.}}

*{{nerf|Uncharged grounded Hammer Flip deals 4% less damage (23% → 19%). Uncharged grounded and aerial Hammer Flip also have decreased knockback, hindering their KO potentials to the point that they now KO 44% later and 45%-52% later, respectively.}}

*{{nerf|Aerial Hammer Flip has increased start-up lag regardless of its charge. It also no longer halts Kirby's momentum, hindering its safety and recovery potential, and aerial second hit is also no longer a semi-spike, limiting its edgeguarding potential.}}

Kirby has been noticeably buffed via game updates, addressing many flaws that he had in the initial release. Update [[1.0.6]] saw his KO potential improved, with his up and down smash attacks dealing more knockback and the latter being more effective if his down aerial is used to combo into it. [[Hammer Flip]] had its ending lag decreased, thus making it slightly less punishable as well. Update [[1.1.0]] brought about further buffs: Inhale's start-up lag was decreased, neutral attack's second hit now connects into his neutral infinite better and his neutral infinite's finisher comes out quicker, while his forward throw became effective for punishes and had its combo potential improved, which is very useful for Kirby due to his previous lack of a throw that he could combo into. He also benefits from the new shield mechanics brought about by updates 1.1.0 and [[1.1.1]], as they let him break shields easier thanks to his down aerial's multiple hits and [[Stone]]'s high damage output and [[hitlag]].

Update [[1.1.3]] brought about even more buffs: Kirby now [[dash]]es faster, all of his smash attacks, his forward and back aerials and all variations of Hammer Flip became slightly stronger, while his up throw became much stronger to the point of becoming a viable KOing option. Update [[1.1.4]] brought out another minor buff, as hard tripping now grants him 5 frames of invincibility. Lastly, update [[1.1.5]], buffed all of his smash attacks and all variations of Hammer Flip by slightly increasing their knockback. As a result, Kirby is noticeably better than he was during ''SSB4''{{'}}s initial release.

*{{buff|Inhale's start-up|frame 18|14 and ending lag decreased: FAF 78 → 73.}}

|desc-side=Spins repeatedly, then stops to balance on one leg and extend one arm and say "Eeu!" This is his "character selection" animation in ''SSB''.

*{{Sm|K.I.D.Goggles|USA}} - Placed 9th at [[Pound 2016]] and [[Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo]], and 25th at [[Get On My Level 2016]] and [[UGC Smash Open]]. Ranked 3rd on the [[New York Power Rankings|Upstate New York Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Komota|USA}} - Placed 33rd at [[Frostbite 2017]] and 25th at [[Midwest Mayhem 8: North American Tour]]. Ranked 11th on the [[Michigan Power Rankings]]. He has a win over {{Sm|Ally}}.

*{{Sm|MikeKirby|USA}} - One of the best Kirby players in the world. Placed 49th at [[Apex 2015]], 9th at [[KTAR XI]], 5th at [[KTAR XIV]], and 13th at [[Glitch (tournament)|Glitch]]. Formerly ranked 10th on the [[New York City Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|MrRyanNess|USA}} - The best Kirby player in New England. Placed 9th at [[GUMS 12]] and 65th at [[Shine 2017]]. Ranked 1st on the [[Maine Power Rankings]].  

*{{Sm|Poyo|USA}} - Placed 33rd at [[CEO Dreamland]] and [[The Big House 7]], and 49th at [[Shine 2017]]. He has also consistently achieved high placings at [[Smash @ Xanadu]] tournaments. Formerly ranked 7th on the [[Kansas Power Rankings]].

*{{Sm|Triple R|USA}} - Placed 33rd at [[The Big House 5]], 17th at [[Combo Breaker 2016]], and 65th at [[The Big House 6]]. Formerly ranked 9th on the Minnesota Power Rankings.  

*{{Sm|SmashG0D|USA}} - Placed 17th at [[Super Smash Con 2015]], 25th at Glitch, 49th at Pound 2016, and 13th at [[Olympus]] before switching to {{SSB4|Corrin}}.

*{{Sm|Picsou|Canada}} - Placed 49th at [[Get On My Level 2016]]. Formerly ranked 11th on the [[Quebec City Power Rankings]].

Due to the heavy nerfs he received in his transition from ''Brawl'', Kirby has always been considered a poor character within the ''SSB4'' metagame, despite his popularity within [[Kirby (universe)|his home series]]. Despite being considerably improved thanks to numerous buffs from game updates, Kirby's viability has been consistently perceived as low. This has been due to his only success occurring at local tournaments, whereas his results at regional and national tournaments have been very sparse. These aspects culminated with Kirby being placed at 33rd on the first ''4BR'' [[tier list]].

Kirby would then drop to 41st on the second tier list, and eventually to 47th on the third tier list, with the latter drop being tied with {{SSB4|Pit}} and {{SSB4|Yoshi}}'s for the second largest between the second and third tier lists. However, {{Sm|Komota}} later scored an upset by defeating {{Sm|Ally}} at [[Frostbite 2017]] and placing 33rd at said tournament. Due to this, his tier placement has been widely debated, with some players believing he should be placed slightly higher due to niche matchups against higher tiered characters such as {{SSB4|Zero Suit Samus}} and {{SSB4|Fox}}. After not achieving results after Frostbite 2017, however, Kirby has since then dropped to 50th in the fourth and current tier list, his lowest placing so far. Thus, Kirby remains as a poor character in the metagame due to how little impact he has made.