| Confusion | |
|---|---|
 Confusion in Melee. | |
| User | Mewtwo |
| Universe | Pokémon |
| Article on Bulbapedia | Confusion (move) |
Confusion (ねんりき, Mindpower) is Mewtwo's side special move. Mewtwo psychokinetically whirls the opponent in front of it around and lets the opponent land clumsily on the ground, doing some minor damage in the process.
Overview
Confusion's primary function is as a special grab. Upon using the move, Mewtwo will perform a swiping motion; if an opponent is in front of it, the opponent will be grabbed, twirled around a bit, take 10% damage, and begin tumbling downwards facing away from Mewtwo. As a grab, the move is unblockable.
Confusion's secondary function is as a reflector, though one that is unique in a bad way - reflected projectiles remain property of their original owner, so Mewtwo cannot actually damage opponents by reflecting their projectiles (unless the projectile can normally hurt its owner).
Using Confusion will halt Mewtwo's sideways momentum if it is grounded, and like Mario's Cape, will give it a small vertical hop the first time it's used in the air.
Unlike other aerial grabs, Confusion holds the opponent at a distance from Mewtwo as it falls downwards. As characters being thrown are not checked for terrain collision, this opens up a gimmick where Mewtwo can use Confusion to pull opponents down through solid thin platforms, most notably the sides of Battlefield. If done correctly, the opponent will be caught underneath the stage, which can cause them to panic, waste their double jump and/or triple jump, and be unable to recover. If the platform is too thick, the opponent will be pushed outside the stage and likely grab onto the edge.
Overall, while the "edge trick" is something that opponents must be wary of, Confusion is widely considered a poor and ineffective move. While its grab range is surprisingly large, it is outclassed by Mewtwo's normal throws (for damage, combos, and KOs) and powershielding (for reflection); even if the move connects, every character in the game can subsequently punish Mewtwo with a back aerial during its ending lag.
Confusion can be used to perform a glitch known as the Soul breaker, which causes characters to be indefinitely attached to Mewtwo until it is KO'ed.
Origins
Confusion is a special Psychic-type attack from the Pokémon series that was introduced in Generation I. It is often learned by Psychic-type Pokémon at low levels (typically below level 15). In battle, it is a somewhat weak attack, with a base power of 50 and 100% accuracy. The move also has a 10% chance of confusing the opponent.
In the anime, Confusion could be used to halt and throw a Pokémon or a projectile through telekinetic powers, resembling its effect in Melee.
Gallery
Mewtwo, redirecting one of Link's arrows back at him with Confusion
Confusion is a grab, meaning it is unblockable.
Although it reflects projectiles, the projectiles are still owned by the thrower.
Although the owner still owns it, secondary effects of reflected projectile still work.
Confusion can be used to pull enemies through thin platforms.
