Charizard (SSBU)

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This article is about Charizard's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For other uses, see Charizard. Also, for information about Charizard in regards to Pokémon Trainer, see Pokémon Trainer (SSBU), Squirtle (SSBU), and Ivysaur (SSBU).

Charizard in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Pokémon
Shares character slot with	Pokémon Trainer Ivysaur Squirtle
Other playable appearances	in Brawl in SSB4
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Triple Finish

Charizard is a character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate under Pokémon Trainer. It was confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Along with the Pokémon Trainer, Charizard is classified as fighter #35.

Shin'ichirō Miki reprises his role as the Pokémon, providing new clips once again.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Previously the standalone character in Smash 4 representing the trio of Pokémon in Brawl, Charizard now returns as part of the Pokémon Trainer's crew. As expected, it keeps many of its changes and buffs from Smash 4, retaining its function as the strongest member of the Trainer's party while also gaining significant improvements to its mobility. It has received a mix of buffs and nerfs, but the former are more prominent as they address its more critical flaws in the previous game. Its overall mobility has been substantially improved; its previously abysmal initial dash speed is now one of the fastest in the game, its second midair jump covers more height, and its air speed is now substantially faster compared to in Smash 4. Its falling speed and fast falling speed are much higher, making it easier for it to land while making its neutral game more effective, and the universal frame 3 jumpsquat significantly helps its buffed aerials (which are now faster). Up tilt's hitbox covers more horizontal range, up smash can now hit grounded opponents, and Flare Blitz and Fly have had their power and hitboxes buffed respectively, making Charizard's moveset more reliable. Neutral air's endlag has been drastically reduced and its animation has been made faster, repurposing it into an effective air-to-air option and combo extender.

Charizard's nerfs include a weakening of its former most effective tools, including its neutral attack's reliability, down throw's mitigated combo ability from its higher ending lag, and forward aerial no longer autocanceling in a short hop. Its higher fall speed also makes it easier to combo. However, Charizard's most notable loss comes from the removal of Rock Smash to make way for Pokémon Change, eliminating a niche landing option and shield-pressuring tool from its moveset.

Overall, aside from its reintroduction as part of Pokémon Trainer, Charizard is much more fundamentally sound as an individual character with both substantial ground and air mobility to complement its high-reward moveset. In terms of execution, it functions differently from in Smash 4 because of the overall changes to its moveset and different engine, but it generally serves the same purpose as a lightning bruiser.

Aesthetics

• Charizard's model features a more subdued color scheme, resembling its appearance in recent mainline Pokémon games. Additionally, its legs and arms are more prominently muscular, the flame on its tail is also more vibrant.
• During normal matches, Charizard uses the Pokémon Trainer's stock icon and name call instead of having its own. However, its own stock icon has been seen in the Spirits mode.
• Charizard's moves in a wave-like motion during its dash animation, similar to Lugia on the title screen for Pokémon SoulSilver. [1]
• Charizard now hangs onto the ledge with one hand instead of two.
• Charizard has two new taunts:
  • It stands upright for its down taunt, similar to Ridley's taunt.
  • It does a quick aerial flip and roars during its side taunt.

Attributes

• Charizard is once again a part of Pokémon Trainer, allowing it to switch to Squirtle and Ivysaur.
• Like all characters, Charizard's jumpsquat animation now takes three frames to complete (down from 7).
• Charizard walks slightly slower (1.2 → 1.187).
• Charizard's initial dash speed is exponentially higher (1 → 2.28), going from the slowest in the game to the 4th fastest.
• Charizard dashes slightly faster (2 → 2.2).
• Charizard's air speed is much faster (0.92 → 1.103).
• Charizard moves its head to a less vulnerable position during forward air, down smash, standing grab, and when hanging on the ledge.
• Charizard's second midair jump now gives as much height as its first, improving its air game and recovery.
• Charizard's falling speed and fast falling speed are much faster (1.4 → 1.52) and (2.24 → 2.432) respectively. This makes it more prone to combos but improves its tomahawk and overall neutral game.
• Charizard takes small amounts of damage while swimming. It shares this attribute with Sonic, Inkling, and Incineroar.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack's hits do not link as reliably.
• Up tilt has an altered animation with Charizard jumping higher and its wings spreading out more to the side. As a result, the move has more horizontal coverage at the expense of vertical range.
• Up tilt can no longer KO, but its combo utility has been substantially improved.
• Up smash has more horizontal range, and both hits connect more consistently. It is now capable of landing both hits even on small characters standing behind Charizard.

Aerial attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag.
• Neutral aerial's animation has been sped up, and its end lag has been significantly reduced.
• Neutral aerial's autocancel window is unchanged despite the animation being sped up, effectively increasing its end lag before it can autocancel.
• Forward aerial deals more knockback.
• Forward aerial no longer autocancels out of a shorthop because of a slight decrease in Charizard's shorthop duration.
• Back aerial has increased vertical range. This enables it to punish opponents recovering from above more reliably.

Throws/other attacks

• Down throw has an altered animation where Charizard hovers slightly while breathing fire onto the opponent.
• Down throw has slightly more end lag.

Special Moves

• Flare Blitz:
  • Flare Blitz deals more damage, knockback, and shield damage.
  • Flare Blitz causes Charizard to emit orange flames on startup instead of a glowing blue. Its flame effects are much more intense.
  • Charizard's voice is now louder when using Flare Blitz, allowing players to hear it without adjusting the Sound settings.
• Fly:
  • Fly's hitboxes are larger, and its hits connect more reliably.
  • Fly deals less knockback.
• Pokémon Change:
  • As a result of rejoining the Pokémon Trainer's team, Rock Smash has been replaced with Pokémon Change. While this reduces Charizard's own defensive capabilities, it allows it to instead change places with Squirtle to adapt to different situations.
  • Pokémon Change is much faster due to no longer having to load the next Pokémon during every switch, and it can now be used in the air. Like in Brawl, it also offers brief invincibility upon switching out, though the quicker switch time allows it to potentially combo into another Pokémon's moves, or function somewhat as an alternative "air dodge". It also allows the user to choose the recovery that suits a situation best.
  • Spamming Pokémon Change will grant no invincibility frames for a period of time, and has a cooldown of around 2 seconds. This cooldown can be skipped if a special move is used.
  • Pokémon Change will refresh ledge invincibility if used in the air. This even works if the move is spammed, as the new Pokémon is considered a different character grabbing the ledge. This gives Pokémon Trainer a unique stall option.
• Final Smash:
  • Charizard's previous Final Smash, Mega Charizard X, has been reverted to Triple Finish.
  • Triple Finish has an updated animation, and its textbox closely resembles the texboxes in the Generation VII Pokémon games.
  • Charizard now fires five Fire Blasts in a row.

Role in World of Light

Pokémon Trainer was among the fighters that were summoned to fight against the army of Master Hands, and he brought his three Pokémon with him.

During the opening cutscene, Charizard was sent out by Pokémon Trainer, along with Squirtle and Ivysaur, shortly before Galeem unleashed his beams of light. Under Pokémon Trainer's command, Charizard used Flamethrower in an attempt to fight the beams of light, but this attempt failed. Pokémon Trainer, Squirtle, Ivysaur and Charizard were all vaporized and placed under Galeem's imprisonment along with the other fighters, excluding Kirby.

Pokémon Trainer can be found at the southeast near the maze that resembles Pac-Maze. Defeating him allows access to all of their Pokémon.

Gallery

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  Artwork of all playable Pokémon characters and Poké Ball Pokémon, as posted by the official Pokémon Twitter account.

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  Charizard in Pokémon Trainer's fighter card.

• 

  Charizard performing Flare Blitz on Prism Tower.

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  With Squirtle, Ivysaur, and a Burrowing Snagret on The Great Cave Offensive.

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  Taunting with Squirtle and Ivysaur on Skyworld.

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  With Lucina on Skyworld.

Trivia

• Charizard is the only character in Smash Bros. to have been part of a transformation character in one game, separated into a standalone character, and then reverted back to a transformation character.
• Charizard and Lucario are the only characters to have had their Final Smash change between games only to have it revert back to the previous Final Smash. In Charizard's case, it had Triple Finish in Brawl, changed to Mega Charizard X in Smash 4, and then reverted back to Triple Finish in Ultimate.
  • Both are also Pokémon.
• Charizard is the only playable Pokémon capable of Mega Evolution that does not Mega Evolve for their Final Smash; however, Mega Charizard X reappears in Spirit form.
• Unlike in Brawl, the number of Fire Blasts fired by Charizard during Triple Finish matches the amount of PP that Fire Blast has in the mainline Pokémon games.
• Charizard's amiibo scans as Pokémon Trainer, with Charizard as the Trainer's active Pokémon. On the amiibo customization screen, both the Trainer and their Charizard are seen.