SSBU Icon.png

Mewtwo (SSBU)

Revision as of 13:52, January 8, 2020 by LegendEH (talk | contribs) (Undid edit by 99.244.27.167: broken css in some places)
This article is about Mewtwo's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For the character in other contexts, see Mewtwo.
Mewtwo
in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Mewtwo SSBU.png
PokemonSymbol.svg
Universe Pokémon
Other playable appearances in Melee
in SSB4

Availability Unlockable
Final Smash Psystrike
MewtwoHeadSSBU.png
A Legendary Pokémon known for its technical moves. Use Confusion or Disable as a diversion, then land a Shadow Ball! For its Final Smash, Mewtwo transforms into Mega Mewtwo Y and fires a projectile that freezes and launches the opponent!
Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site

Mewtwo (ミュウツー, Mewtwo) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It was confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Like in Melee, Mewtwo is once again an unlockable character. Mewtwo is classified as fighter #24.

Keiji Fujiwara's portrayal of Mewtwo from Smash 4 was repurposed for Ultimate.

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

  • Play VS. matches, with Mewtwo being the 60th character to be unlocked.
  • Clear Classic Mode with Fox or any character in his unlock tree, being the last character unlocked.
  • Have Mewtwo join the player's party in World of Light.

With the exception of the third method, Mewtwo must then be defeated on Spear Pillar.

Attributes

Mewtwo is overall a very polarizing character. It does not fall under one specific character archetype; despite being relatively large with a slew of powerful moves, Mewtwo is a lightweight fighter. Its overall mobility is outstanding, and it boasts among the fastest walking, dashing, and air speeds in the game, along with average falling speed and gravity, all of which give it a good approach and a very potent neutral game.

First and foremost, Mewtwo has an excellent neutral game and surprisingly good combo ability for its overall powerful moveset. Its down tilt boasts very low ending lag and quick startup, while launching opponents at mostly vertical angles. This makes it function as a very safe and versatile combo starter, as it can be spammed relatively safely with low risk. It also has many potent followups, such as into its grab, up tilt, and forward aerial. The lattermost, named Shadow Scratch, is also overall extremely versatile; Its quick startup, relatively low ending lag, and low landing lag, along with its ability to autocancel in a short hop, makes it an excellent combo tool at low percentages, such as being able to combo into itself and down tilt upon landing. Its high knockback scaling also makes it a viable KO move at high percentages, especially offstage. Its neutral aerial has a long-lasting hitbox and can disrupt approaches due to Mewtwo containing full aerial momentum while in use. While it does not have KO potential, it makes up for its overall versatility in being able to interrupt approaches and punish air dodges. It even has some combo potential, as it can combo into forward aerial, back aerial and even down aerial depending on the last hit's launching direction. Additionally, it can drag opponents down for grounded followups, and in midair, it can gimp opponents with poor recoveries.

However, the centerpiece of Mewtwo's neutral game is its main projectile, Shadow Ball. No matter the percentage, it always has excellent versatility, as it can combo into virtually any of Mewtwo's quicker moves at any percentage depending on the charge of the projectile. However, its function is not limited to as a combo starter; when fully charged, it becomes one of the strongest projectiles in the game, as even some of the heaviest characters will be outright KO'd at around 100% near the ledge. It also deals decent shield damage as well, with half-health shields instantly breaking after a fully-charged Shadow Ball. In midair, it can even be used as a landing mixup as a fully charged variant pushes Mewtwo back a considerable distance.

Mewtwo's grab game is also very rewarding if it lands a grab, as its throws are among the best and most well-rounded out of the cast. Forward throw, when all of its hits connect, is one of the most damaging throws in the game, giving Mewtwo damage racking potential and the ability to conveniently refresh its stale moves. Its up and back throws are among the strongest of their kind; up throw is able to KO any character by 165%, and back throw KO's most opponents under 100% at the ledge. Lastly, its down throw is a useful mixup combo starter at higher percentages, and can also be used to read an opponent's reaction and capitalize on it. The main weaknesses in Mewtwo's grab game are its somewhat mediocre grab range, which can lead to whiffed grab attempts and subsequent counterattacks, and its lack of a true combo throw, which make its damage racking potential reliant on reading the opponent's options and punishing accordingly. Overall, though, both its air game and grab game give Mewtwo a variety of options to quickly rack up damage and score KOs on its opponents.

Due to Mewtwo's varied attributes and special moves, its recovery potential is among the best in the game. Its combination of a high air speed, a high double jump (the highest in the game), and average falling speed give it great offstage survivability. Teleport, its primary recovery move, covers a long distance and provides full intangibility and directional maneuverability, making Mewtwo exceedingly difficult to edgeguard. Furthermore, all three of its other special moves offer a form of assistance with recovery; Shadow Ball's recoil can push Mewtwo back far enough to be a viable horizontal recovery option if facing away from the ledge, Confusion temporarily stalls it in the air, and Disable temporarily slows Mewtwo's falling speed. With these options, Mewtwo has many ways to mix up its recovery and get safely back onstage, while being able to punish overzealous edgeguarders with its powerful and massive aerials without losing recovery distance.

Lastly, Mewtwo has surprisingly good range for a lightweight fighter. All of its smash attacks have favorable disjointed hitboxes that allow them to beat out attacks safely (especially up smash, as using it at the right time can prevent any stall-and-fall attack). Its tail attacks also offer excellent range, despite not being as disjointed. Its back aerial in particular offers very large coverage behind Mewtwo and can be used in decently quick succession, making it a useful approaching and walling tool. Its tilts all utilize Mewtwo's tail and have good range, and each have low ending lag, making them usually safe to throw out in the neutral game. Tying into this is its aforementioned mobility; Mewtwo's extremely fast horizontal movement speed grants it a very potent punishment game with its range, allowing it to bait approaches and easily punish them with its long-reaching moves.

Despite Mewtwo's strengths, it has some noticeable weaknesses, the most glaring of which is its infamously poor endurance. Mewtwo's very light weight makes it easy to KO, while its tall, awkward frame, average falling speed and average gravity make it easier to combo compared to other characters of its weight class. Furthermore, Mewtwo lacks an effective aerial move to disrupt combos, and an attempt to Teleport out of a combo can be punished due to its noticeable ending lag and momentum. While it has a multitude of KO options, it often has trouble landing them. Up and back throw can be risky to attempt because of Mewtwo's aforementioned average grab range. Forward and down smash have slow start-up lag, whereas up smash has minimal horizontal range below its blast of dark energy and high ending lag. Despite their speed and accuracy, Shadow Scratch's and Shadow Ball's KO potentials can be hindered via staleness because of their frequent usage in Mewtwo's combos and neutral game, respectively. Lastly, its frame data is slightly below-average, which makes its attacks even more prone to punishment if they are not spaced well. As a result, Mewtwo can pressure effectively, yet is also vulnerable to pressure.

Overall, Mewtwo is a non-traditional glass cannon who falls under the category of the bait-and-punish archetype; Mewtwo must play cautiously and aware so the opponent does not capitalize on its tall hurtbox and light weight. However, this does not mean Mewtwo is forced to rely on turtling, as its outstanding mobility, excellent air game, and overall powerful moveset make it a force to be reckoned with. As such, Mewtwo is a "high-risk, high-reward" character with a fairly high learning curve, as it has to capitalize on reads more often than not because of its frailty and susceptibility to pressure. As a result, while Mewtwo's moveset may not be as versatile as other glass cannons such as Wolf, it makes up for instead having immense power and damage output, granting it a huge strength that most lightweights do not have. As such, Mewtwo could potentially have the strength and range of an archetypal heavyweight character, but still retains the combo game of a lightweight character.

Mewtwo's competitive potential is up for debate. Players like ESAM and Armada believe that Mewtwo should be ranked in the higher tiers due to its excellent mobility and damage racking game, while ZeRo considered placing it in lower tiers due to its large hurtbox and light weight, as well as its potent neutral being toned down slightly. Mewtwo itself has a small playerbase, but the players who are dedicated to maining the character, like SDX have managed to get decent results. However, as SDX has recently dropped the character, its representation in tournaments have undergone a significant decline, with its playerbase still remaining minimal.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

During the release of Ultimate, Mewtwo was severely nerfed in its transition from Smash 4, but has also received significant buffs via patch updates. Overall, being considered a top tier in SSB4 (10th out of 55), Mewtwo has received a mix of buffs and nerfs, being noticeably nerfed overall in a similar vein to Cloud and Corrin.

Upon the initial release of Ultimate, Mewtwo's tail hurtbox size was bigger compared to in SSB4; this widened its hurtbox overall, especially in many animations that utilize the tail (like its tilts and its back and up aerials), while also worsening its spacing and defensive game. Considering that Mewtwo is one of the lightest characters in the game, it had to be much more cautious and made it riskier to use its tail attacks, as even a decently strong attack can KO Mewtwo rather easily at relatively low percentages. However, in a later update patch, Mewtwo's tail hurtbox was reduced to a more manageable size that while still longer and bigger than in SSB4, is much less problematic for the character.

Mewtwo has also received severe nerfs to its previously strong neutral game that hinder its offensive and defensive capabilities. Down tilt has more ending lag, hindering its combo potential (although it is still a very strong combo starter). Shadow Ball is slightly slower, and does less shield damage, making it less viable as a zoning and pressuring option from a distance. Other potent moves in its neutral, such as its neutral aerial and forward aerial, have been nerfed; the former has heavily increased ending lag and a shorter duration with less hits, making it less viable as a long-lasting punishment tool and an option to catch air dodges, while the latter has increased startup and ending lag. It also launches at a slightly lower angle; while this makes it a better edgeguarding tool, this worsens its combo ability, especially into itself.

The changes to air dodging in Ultimate hinder Mewtwo more than most other characters as well, because its own air dodge previously held the distinction of having the lowest ending lag out of the entire roster, and could be spammed rather safely to play mindgames on opponents. The fact that Mewtwo can now only use one air dodge before landing, combined with its air dodge being drastically slower, renders it even more susceptible to combos and juggles, given its large hurtbox for its weight class.

However, Mewtwo has received a multitude of buffs, although they do not completely compensate for the nerfs it has received. The first is its considerably better and more consistent KO potential overall; moves like its neutral attack, forward tilt and dash attack deal more damage and knockback, with all of them now gaining KO potential at high percentages. Other attacks like forward smash and up smash have noticeably increased range, allowing them to secure KOs more easily from a wider range. Mewtwo has also seen improvements to its survivability, thanks to its heavier weight and faster falling speed, although it remains rather easy to KO than most other characters. The universally increased mobility and traction across the cast also benefits Mewtwo significantly, as it can now punish more easily out of shield and get around much quicker.

Despite the improvements made to Mewtwo's mobility, survivability, kill power, aesthetics and the benefits it received from Ultimate's mechanics, Mewtwo's nerfs outweigh its buffs, and the character is considered to be less effective than its SSB4 iteration. As such, Mewtwo has not made a significant impact in Ultimate's early metagame as its playerbase is very small. Abadango, WaDi, and Rich Brown, notable Mewtwo mains from SSB4, have dropped it in favor of other characters. Although Mewtwo has initially received very favorable success from SDX in Ultimate's early metagame, he has since become inactive resulting in its results to have a significant decline. Due to this, many top players such as ZeRo believe that Mewtwo is low mid-tier at best, while others such as Pandarian believe that it is one of the worst characters in the game. Others, however, believe the character has untapped potential. Additionally, the game updates have offered Mewtwo a plentiful of useful buffs, which has caused some professionals to reassess their opinions on the character, some even saying he's viable. As such, its viability remains up for debate.

Aesthetics

  •   Mewtwo has a more subdued color scheme and its body appears to have a glossy sheen. The end of its tail is also slightly larger.
  •   All attacks that utilize darkness have more intense particle effects.
  •   Mewtwo's idle pose has been altered; it now keeps one of its arms lifted. However, it will revert to his idle animation from SSB4 while holding a small item.
  •   Mewtwo's falling animation has been altered; it does not keep its arms folded, only doing so when falling forward or backwards.
  •   Mewtwo now has a unique Palutena's Guidance conversation.
  •   Mewtwo's victory poses have been slightly altered:
    • The pose where Mewtwo laughs and floats has it float higher and look farther away from the screen.
    • The pose where Mewtwo thrusts its hand outward has an altered camera angle more towards its hand.
    • The pose where Mewtwo faces away from the screen has Mewtwo keep its eyes shut for slightly longer. [1]

Attributes

  •   Like all characters, Mewtwo's jumpsquat animation now takes 3 frames to complete (down from 5).
  •   Mewtwo runs faster (2.05 → 2.255).
    •   Mewtwo's initial dash is significantly faster (1.4 → 2.255).
  •   Mewtwo walks slightly faster (1.2 → 1.26).
  •   Mewtwo's traction is significantly higher (0.04 → 0.116), going from the second-worst in the game to being above-average. This makes it easier for Mewtwo to punish out of shield.
  •   Mewtwo's air speed is higher (1.25 → 1.313).
  •   Mewtwo performs its double jump more quickly, improving its recovery and combo game.
  •   Mewtwo's falling speed and fast falling speed are slightly faster (1.5 → 1.55) and (2.4 → 2.48) respectively. This improves its survivability, but makes it more susceptible to combos.
    •   As a result, its full hop is shorter (57 frames → 52 frames).
  •   Mewtwo is heavier (74 → 79), now weighing as much as Kirby. This now improves its survivability.
  •   Air dodge has more startup (2 frames → 3) and significantly increased ending lag, no longer being the fastest in the game (FAF 28 → 51). When combined with the removal of unlimited air dodging, this not only hinders Mewtwo's mixup potential but also renders it more susceptible to juggles.
  •   Air dodge grants more intangibility frames (frames 2-24 → 3-26).
  •   Backward roll has more ending lag (FAF 30 → 35).
  •   The size of Mewtwo's tail hurtbox has been slightly increased. This reduces the disjoints of Mewtwo's attacks involving its tail, and gives it a bigger hurtbox overall, worsening its spacing and defensive ability.

Ground Moves

  • Neutral attack:
    •   Jab 1 has an altered angle to keep opponents closer to Mewtwo (76°/70° → 361°/180°). This allows it to connect better with its infinite and jab lock, but removes its guaranteed jab cancel setups from SSB4.
    •   Rapid jab finisher deals slightly more damage (2% → 2.5%) with no knockback compensation, now being able to KO at very high percentages at the ledge.
    •   Rapid jab comes out faster (frame 9 → 5).
    •   Rapid jab's infinite hits have a reduced hitlag (1× → 0.5×) and SDI (1× → 0.4×) multiplier, making it harder to escape.
    •   Rapid jab's finisher has had its large hitbox replaced with three smaller ones (7u → 5.5u/5.5u/5.5u), slightly improving its range.
    •   Jab transitions into rapid jab slightly later (frame 11 → 12).
    •   Rapid finisher has more ending lag (FAF 36 → 41).
    •   Rapid jab's infinite hits have lost one of their hitboxes, with the other slightly increased to compensate (5.2u/5.2u → 5.6u).
    •   Jab 1 and rabid jab's finisher have increased hitlag multipliers (1× → 1.8× (jab 1), 1× → 2× (finisher)).
  • Forward tilt:
    •   Forward tilt has a new animation; Mewtwo spins horizontally to strike with its tail.
    •   Forward tilt always sends opponents in front of Mewtwo.
    •   Forward tilt deals more damage (10%/9%/8% → 11%/10%/9%) and knockback (20 base/100 scaling → 70/75), improving its safety on hit at lower percents while greatly improving its KO potential.
    •   Forward tilt has larger hitboxes (4.3u/3.7u/2.9u → 5.0u/4.6u/4.2u) and altered placements (0.0u/1.8u/0.0u → 1.5u/2.5u/2.0u (X-offset), 0.0u/-2.0u/0.0u → 0.0u/0.0u/0.0u (Z-offset)), improving its range.
  • Up tilt:
    •   Up tilt deals more damage (6%/5%/4.5% → 7%/6%/5.5% (early), 5%/4%/3% → 6%/5%/4% (late), with knockback compensated on all but the early ID 3 hitbox (114/80 scaling → 105/71).
    •   Up tilt's early ID 3 hitbox has increased knockback scaling (50 → 71), making it safer on hit at lower percents, but hindering its combo potential at higher percents.
    •   Up tilt's early tipper hitbox now launches at a vertical angle towards Mewtwo (361° → 110°), improving its combo potential.
    •   Up tilt has a slightly altered animation, having Mewtwo land on its feet immediately after the flip.
  • Down tilt:
    •   Down tilt has slightly more ending lag (FAF 21 → 24).
  • Dash attack:
    •   Dash attack has an altered animation; Mewtwo lunges forward with one hand.
    •   Dash attack launches at lower angles (60°/70°/80° → 54°/60°/70°). This hinders its combo potential depending on the hitbox, but grants it KO potential when combining the change below.
    •   Dash attack's clean sweetspot and late sourspot deal more damage (10%/4% → 12%/4.5%) with their knockback not compensated, granting the clean sweetspot KO potential at realistic percentages, especially at the ledge with its lower launch angle.
    •   It has a higher shieldstun multiplier (1x → 1.3x), improving its safety on shield.
    •   It has more hitlag (1x → 1.25x), making it easier to DI.
  • Forward smash:
    •   Forward smash can now be angled.
    •   Forward smash's sweetspot deals more damage (19% → 20%) and knockback (21 base/85 scaling → 30/90), significantly improving its KO potential.
    •   Forward smash's sweetspot is larger (5.6u → 6.3u), improving its range.
  • Up smash:
    •   Up smash's energy swirl is opaque and stylized, instead of being a translucent whirl of particles.
    •   Up smash hits 4 times instead of 7. However, its multi hits deal more damage (1% → 2%), making its total damage output unchanged.
    •   Up smash's initial hit sends at an autolink angle (100° → 368°), allowing it to connect better.
    •   Up smash's final hit has less startup lag (frame 35 → 23). However, the move's total duration remains unchanged; coupled with the move's reduced hits, the move has significantly more ending lag overall (34 → 46 frames) and is less effective as an anti-air, hindering its safety at low percentages..
  • Down smash:
    •   Down smash deals more damage (15% → 16%) with no knockback compensation, improving its KO potential.
    •   Down smash's hitboxes are larger (4u/8.7u → 7.5u/11u), improving its range.
    •   Down smash has altered hitbox placements (Y Offset: 3.5u/3.5u → 4.0u/4.0u), slightly improving its vertical range.
    •   Down smash has less ending lag (FAF 44 → 41).

Aerial Attacks

  •   All aerials have less landing lag (13 frames → 10 (neutral), 14 → 8 (forward), 17 → 10 (back), 13 → 8 (up), 18 → 11 (down)).
  • Neutral aerial:
    •   Neutral aerial has altered visuals; rather than emitting multicolored orbs, Mewtwo discharges electricity around itself while flashing with a blue overlay.
    •   Neutral aerial's feet hitboxes send at an autolink angle (110° → 367°), and all of the multi hit hitboxes deal more set knockback (22/46 → 30/60), slightly improving its ability to connect into itself.
    •   Neutral aerial's multi hit hitboxes are smaller (3.0u → 2.5u), reducing its range.
      •   However, the final hitbox is larger (10.9u → 13.5u).
    •   Neutral aerial's final hit comes out much sooner (frame 40 → 28); this, combined with the move's increased duration (FAF 46 → 50), results in the move having significantly more ending lag overall (6 → 22 frames), no longer allowing Mewtwo to act right after the hitboxes cease.
    •   Neutral aerial hits fewer times (9 hits → 6), but deals the same damage, improving its damage consistency, but reducing its hitbox duration.
  • Forward aerial:
    •   Forward aerial's arm hitbox is larger (3.9u → 4.5u), giving the move more range.
    •   Forward aerial has slightly more start-up (frame 6 → 7) and ending lag (FAF 38 → 40).
    •   Forward aerial auto-cancels later (frame 36 → 37).
    •   Forward aerial sends at a lower angle (50° → 47°), improving its KO potential but worsening its combo potential, especially into itself.
  • Back aerial:
    •   Back aerial's sweetspot has increased knockback scaling (90 → 97), improving its KO potential.
  • Up aerial:
    •   Up aerial has an altered animation; Mewtwo no longer faces the screen after finishing its tail sweep.
    •   Up aerial deals more damage (11%/10%/9% → 12%/11%/10%).
    •   Up aerial has less knockback scaling (97 → 86), dealing less knockback despite its increased damage output, which improves its combo potential but hinders its KO potential.
  • Down aerial:
    •   Down aerial's sweetspot's hitbox is positioned lower (-6.5u → -7.7u (Y-offset)), improving its vertical range.
    •   Down aerial has slightly more ending lag (FAF 46 → 48).

Throws/other attacks

  •   Dash grab and pivot grab have slightly increased start-up lag (frame 9 → 10 (dash), frame 10 → frame 11 (pivot)), and all grabs have increased end lag (FAF 36 → 40 (standing), FAF 43 → 48 (dash), FAF 40 → 42 (pivot)).
  •   Dash grab has less range (Z2 offset: 12.7u → 12u).
  •   Pivot grab has more range (Z2 Offset: -15.2u → -17.3u).
  •   Pummel has a darkness effect, instead of an electric effect.
  • Forward throw:
    •   Forward throw's Shadow Balls send at a lower launch angle (43° → 38°), making them connect more reliably.
    •   Forward throw is no longer weight dependant, making the shots connect less reliably against lightweights and more reliably against heavyweights.
    •   The increased hitlag makes the shots connect more reliably at lower percents, while the changes to knockback make the shots connect less reliably at higher percents.
  • Back throw
    •   Back throw has an altered animation; Mewtwo tosses the opponent over its shoulder nonchalantly.
    •   Back throw deals more damage (10% → 11%) and has higher knockback scaling (75 → 79), now being almost exactly as strong as it was in Melee.

Special Moves

  • Shadow Ball:
    •   Shadow Ball reaches its full charge more quickly (138 → 123 frames).
    •   Shadow Ball, when combined with Mewtwo's faster mobility, has proper combo potential at various percentages depending on its charge.
    •   Fully charged Shadow Ball has reduced start-up (frame 23 → 18).
    •   Fully charged Shadow Ball has more knockback scaling (67 → 71), improving its KO potential.
    •   Shadow Ball deals less shield damage (-0.6 uncharged, -4 charged).
  • Confusion:
    •   Confusion has larger hitboxes (6.4u/9.2u → 7.4u/10.2u), improving its range.
    •   Confusion now incapacitates opponents for very slightly longer as their percent increases in specific increments, notably enabling a near-inescapable followup in forward aerial when performed in the air at very high percentages.
    •   Confusion no longer corrects the opponent's position to the center of the ripple, which may leave them too far away to follow up with an attack. However, this may also leave the opponent far enough to be unable to punish Mewtwo with an aerial attack for using the move.
    •   Confusion halts Mewtwo's horizontal momentum in the air, hindering its utility as a recovery move and landing mixup.
  • Teleport:
    •   Teleport has a darker, more distinct visual effect when Mewtwo disappears and reappears.
    •   Teleport has reduced landing lag (52 → 44 frames).
    •   Teleport can grab on to ledges more easily, with the new ledge grab range being roughly twice its original size.
    •   Teleport grants slightly more intangibility frames (frames 9-17 → 9-19).
  • Disable:
    •   Disable briefly grants intangibility on startup (frames 10-16).
    •   Disable travels farther, improving its horizontal range.
    •   Disable's hitbox is lower down (Y offset: 0 → -1.7), and further out (Z offset: 0 → 2.5), improving its range against short opponents, and its horizontal range.
    •   Disable's ground only hitbox is slightly smaller (2.34u → 2.3u).
    •   Disable has more ending lag (FAF 47 → 52).
    •   Disable has an altered animation; Mewtwo spreads its arms out without leaning forwards. The particle effect has also been changed to become a green flash of light that travels outwards at eye level, making its hitbox clearer.
  • Psystrike:
    •   Mewtwo's Final Smash, Psystrike, has modified visual effects. The projectile is colored purple and white throughout the orb instead of purple at the edge and black/yellow/blue in the center. The center of the orb resembles a burst of energy instead of a vortex, and the move also causes more intense visual effects when it hits an opponent.
    •   Psystrike deals more damage (30% → 40%).
    •   It has altered knockback (50 base/80 scaling → 80/40), making it stronger on smaller stages but weaker on larger stages.

Update history

Mewtwo has received a mixture of buffs and nerfs, but has been noticeably buffed overall. In update 2.0.0, its recovery became safer as Teleport grabs edges more reliably, which also reduces the risk of a self-destruct when attempting to directly Teleport to the edge. In update 3.0.0, Mewtwo's endurance was improved due to its increased weight, and some of its moves deal more damage and gained more range. This same update also increased Shadow Ball's knockback, but made it significantly less of a threat on shield. In update 4.0.0, Mewtwo's tail hurtbox was shrunken slightly, which made spacing with its tail attacks more effective. Additionally, some of its primary KO moves were improved, while Confusion was given slightly less start-up. As a result, Mewtwo fares better compared to release.

  1.1.0

  •   Disable has more ending lag (FAF 47 → 52).

  2.0.0

  •   Dash attack has a lower shieldstun multiplier. (1.875x → 1.3x).
  •   Forward tilt now always sends opponents in front of Mewtwo.
  •   Teleport can grab on to ledges more easily, with the new ledge grab range being roughly twice its original size.

  3.0.0

  •   Mewtwo's weight was increased (77 → 79), slightly improving its endurance.
  •   Neutral attack has less start-up lag (frame 6 → 5) and ending lag (FAF 23 → 22).
  •   Forward tilt deals more damage (10%/9%/8% → 11%/10%/9%), with knockback scaling not fully compensated (80 → 75).
  •   Up tilt deals more damage (6%/5%/4.5% → 7%/6%/5.5% (early), 5%/4%/3% → 6%/5%/4% (late)), with knockback scaling not fully compensated (114/114/80/80 → 105/105/71/71 (clean), 114 → 105 (late)).
  •   Up tilt's tip hitbox's angle has been adjusted (361° → 110°). This improves its combo potential.
  •   Forward smash has more range (5.6u → 6.3u).
  •   Up aerial deals more damage (11%/10%/9% → 12%/11%/10%)
    •   Up aerial's knockback scaling was overcompensated (97 → 86), KOing later but improving its combo potential.
  •   Edge roll grants more intangibility (1-21 → 1-27).
  •   Edge attack has slightly more range (Z offset: 19u-5.5u → 19u-3.5u).
  •   Fully charged Shadow Ball has more knockback scaling (67 → 71).
  •   Shadow Ball deals less shield damage (0/3 (uncharged/fully charged) → -0.6/-4).

  4.0.0

  •   Mewtwo has a slightly shorter and thinner hurtbox on its tail.
  •   Up smash's last hit has more knockback scaling (107 → 111).
  •   Up smash's last hit has a longer hitbox duration (frames 22-23 → 22-25).
  •   Down smash has less ending lag (FAF 44 → 41).
  •   Back throw deals more damage (10% → 11%) with no compensation on knockback.
  •   Confusion has less startup lag (frame 12 → 10) with its total duration reduced as well (FAF 45 → 43).
  •   Confusion starts reflecting projectiles earlier (frame 12 → 10).

Moveset

  • Mewtwo possesses a special jump. When jumping in midair, Mewtwo will ascend in a floatier, curved trajectory. The upward momentum of Mewtwo's double jump can be affected through various actions if timed correctly. This trait is shared with Ness and Lucas.
  • Mewtwo can wall jump.

For a gallery of Mewtwo's hitboxes, see here.

Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the 1v1 multiplier.

  Name Damage Description
Neutral attack   4% Extends its arm to emit a pulse of dark energy. Repeatedly pressing the attack button causes Mewtwo to sway its arm up and down to emit multiple pulses of dark energy before finishing with a dark energy-infused upward swipe. The first hit can jab reset. The infinite's finisher also has decent knockback and can KO at very high percentages near the ledge.
1% (loop), 2% (last)
Forward tilt   11% (near), 10% (mid), 9% (far) Spins, then swings its tail forward. It is Mewtwo's strongest tilt attack, has good range and can be angled, all of which make it useful for spacing. It is also a decent KOing option at around 120% near the ledge.
Up tilt   7% (nearest), 6% (near), 5% (far), 4% (farthest), 5.5% (farthest hitbox to opponents in front of Mewtwo) Telekinetically backflips to swing its tail in an overhead arcing motion. Its hitboxes launch opponents at favorable angles for comboing into itself, an up smash, neutral aerial, back aerial, or up aerial at low percentages. It can also be used for juggling beginning at medium percentages. It covers a very wide range, hitting opponents near Mewtwo's back, making it a reliable move for catching landings.
Down tilt rowspan="1" 5% (near), 4.5% (mid), 4% (far) Crouches and spins around to swing its tail in front of itself. Due to it hitting on frame 6 and having low ending lag, it is Mewtwo's fastest tilt, which allows it to function as a good out of shield option. It is also among Mewtwo's best combo starters, being able to combo into an up tilt, up smash, neutral aerial, forward aerial, and up aerial.
Dash attack   12% (clean sweetspot), 9% (clean sourspot), 6% (late sweetspot), 4% (late sourspot) A lunging, dark energy-infused palm thrust. Its clean sweetspot deals above average knockback, which can KO at very high percentages. Depending on the hitbox it hits with and the opponent's damage, it can combo into neutral, forward, and up aerial. Its disjointed hitbox grants it impressive range for a dash attack, which makes it a decent punishment option at certain distances, and potentially difficult for the opponent to punish from a proper distance.
Forward smash rowspan="1" 20% (blast), 16% (arms) Quickly cups its hands to its side, and then thrusts them forward to perform a double palm thrust that emits a blast of dark energy. It is Mewtwo's most damaging smash attack, and is an incredibly powerful punish out of a shield break or Disable, KOing at around 65% near the ledge uncharged, and even its sourspot has respectable power. Due to it hitting on frame 19 and having 31 frames of ending lag, however, it is very punishable when whiffed, though it is relatively safe on shield when spaced. It can be angled. It resembles Mewtwo's special move animation from Pokemon Stadium.
Up smash 2% (hits 1-3), 10% (hit 4) Thrusts its arm upward to emit a swirling blast of dark energy. It functions very well as an anti-air attack due to the energy blast itself being a large disjoint that covers above Mewtwo's head, along with boasting multi-hit properties and having a long duration. Due to it hitting on frame 9, it is quite fast for a smash attack of its power, and has the lowest amount of start-up lag out of Mewtwo's smash attacks. However, it has the highest endlag out of Mewtwo's entire moveset at 46 frames, making it very punishable.
Down smash 16% Extends its arm at a diagonal angle toward the ground to emit a blast of dark energy from its fingertip. It is one of the few down smashes that does not hit on both sides, but it is powerful nonetheless, and has the highest knockback scaling out of Mewtwo's entire moveset. While it has noticeable startup at frame 21, its ending lag relative to its power and startup is extremely low, as Mewtwo can act out of it after 41 frames. As such, it is safe on shield, and potentially even on whiff. It can also 2-frame punish at the ledge if timed correctly. As a result, Mewtwo's down smash is overall a very versatile move in its kit as it provides immense safety and power, and serves as a great punishment out of a successful Disable or shield break.
Neutral aerial rowspan="1" 1.6% (hits 1-5), 4% (hit 6) Discharges electricity around itself with its limbs spread out. With only 7 frames of startup, it is tied with forward aerial for having the lowest startup lag out of Mewtwo's aerials. Its hitboxes are positioned at Mewtwo's hands and feet and keep the opponent trapped, whereas its last hitbox launches them. As a result, it is very useful for disrupting opponents, as Mewtwo has full control over its aerial movement during the attack. Its linking hits can also drag opponents down if fast-falling, which can lead to grounded follow-ups and even gimps.
Forward aerial Shadow Claw 13% A dark energy-infused swipe. Due to it hitting on frame 7, it is tied with neutral aerial for having the lowest amount of start-up lag out of Mewtwo's aerial attacks. When coupled with its respectable damage output and high knockback scaling, it is one of Mewtwo's most viable KOing options. It also boasts combo potential at low percentages, as it can also combo into itself, or be used as a follow-up from down tilt or neutral aerial. Due to its very fast speed, versatility at a wide range of percentages (boasting combo potential and KO potential at low and high percentages, respectively), and decent range, it is a staple in Mewtwo's neutral game and moveset, and it is not uncommon for it to be considered one of the best, if not the best forward aerial in the game.
Back aerial   13% (near), 11% (mid), 9% (far) Swings its tail behind itself in an upward arc. It covers a very wide area and deals relatively high knockback, making it very potent at edgeguarding, particularly against midair jumps, and allows it to easily wall out opposing approaches. However, it has the second highest amount of start-up lag out of Mewtwo's aerial attacks at frame 13.
Up aerial   12% (near), 11% (mid), 10% (far) Backflips to swing its tail in an overhead arcing motion, similarly to its up tilt. Its good knockback growth, large range and decent damage output makes it a viable juggling and KOing option. Despite its appearance, it is unable to hit opponents next to Mewtwo, unless if used during a fast-fall near the ground (which can start combos at low percentages).
Down aerial   14% (grounded opponents, aerial sourspot), 15% (aerial sweetspot) Backflips to perform a dark energy-infused stomp. It is Mewtwo's most damaging aerial attack. It is also a very powerful meteor smash when sweetspotted in the air. Due to it hitting on frame 15, however, it has the highest amount of start-up lag out of Mewtwo's aerials. Despite its aforementioned dark energy visuals appearing right where Mewtwo stomps, it does not have a darkness effect. Its sourspot boasts respectable power and can KO grounded opponents at around 140%. Its moderately low landing lag combined with its diagonal angle also allows it to function as a low-percentage combo starter.
Grab   Telekinetically holds an opponent. Mewtwo's grab range and speed are average.
Pummel   1.5% Releases a pulse of darkness into the opponent.
Forward throw Shadow Cannon 3% (hit 1), 2% (Shadow Balls) Telekinetically lifts the opponent diagonally in the air before firing five Shadow Balls at them. It is among the most damaging throws in the game when all hits connect, dealing 13%. However, the Shadow Balls can be reflected if the opponent wears a Franklin Badge, while other nearby opponents with reflectors and/or absorption moves can choose to intercept it, while opponents can also DI to avoid other incoming projectiles at higher percentages.
Back throw   11% Telekinetically throws the opponent backward. Its high damage and knockback makes it one of the strongest back throws in the game and one of Mewtwo's most viable KOing moves, KOing middleweights at around 95% near the ledge.
Up throw Psychic Whirlwind 12% Telekinetically whirls the opponent around itself before launching them upward above its head. This is the strongest up throw in the game, while being difficult to properly DI due to its purely vertical angle. As a result, it is extremely useful for KOing at high percentages if Mewtwo lands a grab, especially on stages with platforms. It KOs middleweights at around 131% from ground level, and at around 100% on Battlefield's top platform.
Down throw   4% (hit 1), 5% (throw) Telekinetically slams the opponent to the ground, and then somersaults in order to strike them with its tail. It has low knockback and somewhat high ending lag. As a result, it cannot properly combo into most of its moves until very high percentages, though it can be used to punish an opponent's reaction or create 50/50 setups.
Forward roll
Back roll
Spot dodge
Air dodge
Techs
Floor attack (front)
Floor getups (front)
  7% Telekinetically spins around to swing its tail before getting up.
Floor attack (back)
Floor getups (back)
  7% Telekinetically spins around to swing its tail before getting up.
Floor attack (trip)
Floor getups (trip)
  5% Performs a dark energy-infused swipe behind itself and then in front of itself while getting up.
Edge attack
Edge getups
  7% Swings its tail in front of itself while climbing up.
Neutral special Shadow Ball 2.5% (uncharged), 25% (fully charged) Cups its hands to its side and creates a large, blackish violet sphere of dark energy between its hands, then thrusts its hands forward to launch the sphere. It can be fired immediately, which, when coupled with its erratic movement pattern, allows it to function as a pressuring option like Fireball. Conversely, it can be charge-canceled. Although its charge time is quite long, it possesses great KO potential when fully charged. A fully charged Shadow Ball also deals above-average shield damage and possesses transcendent priority, being able to break shields at half health or less. A fully charged Shadow Ball also deals recoil upon being fired; as a result, using it in midair will propel Mewtwo a moderate distance backward, which can help or hinder its recovery depending on which way it faces. Shadow Ball can potentially act as a combo starter at various percentages depending on its charge, notably into moves like dash attack, dash grab, and forward aerial. It can be B-reversed.
Side special Confusion 1.15% (hits 1-7), 1% (throw), 1.4× (reflected projectiles) Swipes forward to emit a ripple of psychic energy from its hand. It has impressive utility, courtesy of it functioning as a reflector, a command grab, and even a potential recovery option. As a grab, the ripple spins opponents around and leaves them tumbling at a frame disadvantage dependent on their damage, being able to combo into down tilt and forward aerial at high percents, with the latter being a KO setup. As a recovery option, its first use in midair gives Mewtwo a slight vertical boost, although it halts most of its horizontal momentum.
Up special Teleport Teleports to a different location. It is completely invulnerable during the move. It has less ending lag if Mewtwo Teleports directly back onto the ground, and it grants Mewtwo some horizontal momentum if ended in midair. A great recovery move due to its aforementioned intangibility as well as travelling a long distance.
Down special Disable 1% Emits a minuscule spark of psychic energy from its eyes toward the opponent, stunning them. It only works if the opponent is facing Mewtwo and grounded. If the opponent is in the air, they are slightly launched backward with set knockback, instead of being stunned, which will likely put them into a tech situation and potentially allow another opportunity to land the move. Useful at high percentages to guarantee a KO, but difficult to land. Due to being a projectile, Disable can also be reflected. Disable grants intangibility from frames 10 to 16, allowing it to beat out grounded maneuvers when timed properly, such as dash grabs.
Final Smash Psystrike 40% Mega Evolves into Mega Mewtwo Y and performs Psystrike, its signature move in the Pokémon games. Psystrike is a powerful sphere of psychic energy that plows through both opponents and walls, and any opponent caught will be stunned before being launched by an intense, mind-shattering blow. Incredible power, KOing at around 50% from center stage.

On-screen appearance

  • Emerges from a large mass of dark energy and then descends onto the ground.

Taunts

  • Up Taunt: Folds its arms as it telekinetically spins around on the spot while laughing ominously. Resembles the animation Mewtwo performs while using a physical move in the Pokémon Stadium games.
  • Side Taunt: Surrounds itself in a flame-like aura of dark energy, similarly to Lucario's up taunt.
  • Down Taunt: After turning to face the screen, it waves its hand in a circular motion in front of itself. It then proceeds to thrust its opposite arm forward while emitting a small spark of dark energy from its palm.

Idle poses

  • Crosses its arms and then moves them outward.
  • Holds out one hand in front of itself.

Victory poses

  • Left: While radiating a dark aura, Mewtwo raises its left hand in front of itself while pulling back its right hand. Mewtwo then thrusts its right hand forward, emitting dark energy sparks from its palm. Mewtwo emits an ominous growl throughout the pose. In Japanese, it says "私は負けるわけにはいかない!", which translates to "I cannot afford to lose!"
  • Up: Mewtwo crosses its arms as it turns its back to the screen, and looks back over its shoulder, scoffing. In Japanese, it says "私はなぜ ここにいるのか…?", which translates to "Why am I here...?"
  • Right: Does a single spin while levitating, then poses with a dark aura bursting from its body as it laughs. In Japanese, it says "愚かな!", which translates to "Foolish!"
A small excerpt of the title theme of Pokémon Red, Blue, Yellow, and Green Versions, a track which would go on to become the Pokémon main theme and the title theme for the entire series.

In competitive play

As a result of his nerfs from Smash 4, Mewtwo has not made an impact in Ultimate's early metagame. Most of Mewtwo's playerbase from Smash 4 have dropped the character in favor of other characters, leaving it to have a below average representation. Although Mewtwo has initially received favorable success from SDX, he has since dropped the character.

Game updates slightly addressed some of Mewtwo's biggest flaws, allowing it to gain more attention in the eyes of some players. While Mewtwo is still widely considered to be a low-to-mid tier character, the buffs, as well as decent regional placements by players such as Zenkai, has led some people to believe that the character has untapped potential, and MKLeo began occasionally using Mewtwo in late 2019 to some success. However, this is currently debatable, because Mewtwo's playerbase and results remain small in spite of its perception.

Notable players

Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the Spring 2019 PGRU, which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from February 1st, 2019 to July 7th, 2019.

Active

Inactive

Classic Mode: Psychic Control

 
Mewtwo's congratulations screen.

Each round, Mewtwo is allied with previous opponents under the notion that its teammates are under its mental control; these teammates typically represent characters that have been brainwashed in their respective home series.

Round Opponent Stage Music Notes
1 Ness   and Lucas   Fourside Fourside (Melee)
2 Cloud   Midgar Snowman Lucas   is a CPU ally. His costume is based on his brother Claus when Claus was brainwashed into becoming the Masked Man in Mother 3.
3 Ryu   and Ken   Suzaku Castle Fight On! Cloud   is a CPU ally. Cloud's mind was briefly taken over by Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII.
4 Richter   Dracula's Castle Vega Stage Ken   is a CPU ally. Ken's outfit is based on Violent Ken, which was when he was brainwashed by M. Bison in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos and Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers.
5 Palutena   and Pit   Skyworld Lament of Innocence Richter   is a CPU ally. Richter was brainwashed by Shaft in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.
6 Pikachu  , Pichu  , Jigglypuff  , and Lucario   Kalos Pokémon League Destroyed Skyworld Pit   is a CPU ally. Pit lost control of his body to a corrupted Palutena in Kid Icarus: Uprising.
Bonus Stage
Final Master Hand and Crazy Hand Final Destination Battle! (Lorekeeper Zinnia) Pikachu   is a CPU ally.

Note: Each round uses a track taken from the series fought in the previous round.

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Mewtwo has Victory Road - Pokémon Ruby / Pokémon Sapphire accompany the credits.

Role in World of Light

 
Finding Mewtwo in World of Light

Mewtwo was among the fighters that were summoned to fight the army of Master Hands.

Mewtwo was present when Galeem unleashed his beams of light. Mewtwo and Zelda attempted to reflect the beams using Confusion and Nayru's Love respectively; this effort failed, with both being vaporized and placed under Galeem's imprisonment, along with the rest of the fighters (excluding Kirby).

Mewtwo was one of the many fighters that fell under Dharkon's control upon Galeem's first defeat. It can be found in the Mysterious Dimension sub-area, where its location will be accessed during the quiz segment asking which spirit cannot be inhaled by Kirby (the answer being Whispy Woods).

Fighter Battle

No. Image Name Type Power Stage Music
24 Mewtwo Grab 12,000 Spear Pillar (Ω form) Battle! (Dialga/Palkia) / Spear Pillar

Template:-

Spirits

Mewtwo's Fighter Spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Mewtwo in World of Light allows the player to preview the first spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a Fighter Spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. Each Fighter Spirit has an alternate version that replaces them with their artwork in Ultimate.

Additionally, one of Mewtwo's Mega Evolved forms appears as a Primary Spirit.

In Spirit battles

As the main opponent

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
204 ReDead The Legend of Zelda series Mewtwo Team   (×4) 2,100 Hyrule Castle (Battlefield form) N/A •The enemy has super armor but moves slower
Stamina battle
•The enemy favors down specials
Song of Storms
436 Abra Pokémon series Mewtwo   2,000 Saffron City N/A •Timed battle
•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Abra)
Battle! (Wild Pokémon) - Pokémon Sun / Pokémon Moon
464 Mega Mewtwo Y Pokémon series Mewtwo   9,500 Spear Pillar (hazards off) •Sudden Final Smash •The enemy will suddenly have a Final Smash Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue Medley
465 Mew Pokémon series Mewtwo   13,900 Kongo Jungle •Invisibility
•Hazard: Fog
•The stage is covered in fog
•Timed battle
•The enemy is invisible after a little while
Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue Medley
486 Celebi Pokémon series Mewtwo   13,600 Garden of Hope (Battlefield form) •Flowery
•Hazard: Fog
•The stage is covered in fog
•You constantly take minor damage
•The enemy heals over time
Pokémon Gold / Pokémon Silver Medley
491 Milotic Pokémon series Mewtwo   4,200 Kalos Pokémon League •Defense ↑ •Timed battle
•The enemy has increased defense
•The enemy shields often
Battle! (Wild Pokémon) - Pokémon Ruby / Pokémon Sapphire
502 Deoxys (Normal Forme) Pokémon series Mewtwo   13,300 Mario Galaxy (Battlefield form) •Attack Power ↑ •The enemy has increased attack power
•Only certain Pokémon will emerge from Poké Balls (Deoxys)
Battle! (Lorekeeper Zinnia)
508 Uxie, Mesprit, & Azelf Pokémon series •Tiny Mewtwo (×3) (   ) 9,000 Spear Pillar (Battlefield form) •Health Recovery •The enemy's special moves have increased power
•The enemy is healed when the enemy's at high damage
Battle! (Dialga/Palkia) / Spear Pillar Uxie (yellow costume), Mesprit (pink costume) and Azelf (blue costume)
510 Palkia Pokémon series Mewtwo   9,400 Spear Pillar •Hazard: Left Is Right, Right Is Left •Left and right controls will suddenly reverse after a little while Battle! (Dialga/Palkia) / Spear Pillar
560 Necrozma Pokémon series •Gold Mewtwo   9,400 Spear Pillar •Giant •The enemy is giant when the enemy's at high damage
•The enemy's special moves have increased power
Stamina battle
Battle! (Elite Four) / Battle! (Solgaleo/Lunala) Ultra Necrozma
737 Orbulon WarioWare series Mewtwo   3,700 Balloon Fight (Battlefield form) •Assist Trophy Enemies (Starman) •Hostile assist trophies will appear
•The enemy deals damage when falling
•The enemy has increased jump power
WarioWare, Inc.
1,022 Inspired Bayonetta series Mewtwo Team   (×4) 1,900 Umbra Clock Tower N/A •The enemy's physical attacks have increased power
•The enemy starts the battle with a Rocket Belt
One Of A Kind
1,281 Esna Ever Oasis Mewtwo   9,200 Mushroom Kingdom II •Flowery •You constantly take minor damage
•The enemy's FS Meter charges quickly
Dawn in the Desert

As a minion

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
1,068 Medusa Head Castlevania series Meta Knight  
•Tiny Mewtwo   (x5)
3,600 Dracula's Castle •Move Speed ↓ •You have reduced move speed after a little while
•The enemy falls slowly
•Defeat an army of fighters
Starker / Wicked Child Medusa Head's snakes
1,148 Satoru Trade & Battle: Card Hero series Shulk  
Mewtwo  
Ridley  
Bowser  
1,700 Pokémon Stadium 2 •Move Speed ↓ •Defeat the main fighter to win
•The enemy's melee weapons have increased power
•Reinforcements will appear during the battle
Worthy Rival Battle

Alternate costumes

 
               

Gallery

Character Showcase Video

Trivia

  • Mewtwo's artwork for Ultimate resembles its artwork for Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen, albeit with its hands and legs posed slightly differently.
  • Mewtwo was confirmed to be a playable character in Ultimate before Pikachu, making this the first time Pikachu was not the first Pokémon to be announced as part of the roster.
  • Mewtwo was the last non-DLC character added to the Super Smash Bros. Blog.
    • However, due to Mr. Game & Watch's blog page only being available on the Asian websites until December 7, Mr. Game & Watch was the last character added to the blog on non-Asian websites.
  • Mewtwo is the only character who has its victory grunts/laughter omitted from the English Sound Test.
  • Mewtwo is one of three characters whose Classic Mode route centers around protagonists and heroes for opponents. The other two who share this attribute are Dark Samus and Ganondorf. All three characters of which face heroes/protagonists from their own series.
    • Similar to Dark Samus, Mewtwo's teammates are based on being possessed to fight other opponents for its Classic Mode route, thus making Mewtwo's route an inverse of Joker's.
  • There's currently a positioning glitch when Mewtwo performs an air dodge when facing left. It will be facing away from the screen when disappearing and reappearing.
  • Mewtwo is the only character who can stun other fighters in Ultimate without the use of items or breaking shields.
  • Mewtwo, Cloud, and the Hero are the only three playable characters to speak in Japanese in at least one version of the game to never speak in English in any version of the game.
    • Out of those three, Mewtwo is the only one who is not a property of Square Enix and is a first-party character.