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Duck Hunt (SSBU)

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This article is about Duck Hunt's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. For the characters in other contexts, see Duck Hunt.
Duck Hunt
in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Duck Hunt SSBU.png
DuckHuntSymbol.svg
Universe Duck Hunt
Other playable appearance in SSB4


Availability Unlockable
Final Smash NES Zapper Posse
DuckHuntHeadSSBU.png

Duck Hunt (ダックハント, Duckhunt), known in PAL versions as Duck Hunt Duo, is a playable fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. They were confirmed as playable on June 12, 2018 alongside the rest of the returning roster from Super Smash Bros. 4. Duck Hunt are classified as Fighter #59.

Duck Hunt retains the realistic dog and duck noises, using a combination of recycled voice clips from Smash 4 along with additional new ones.

How to unlock

Complete one of the following:

With the exception of the third method, Duck Hunt must then be defeated on Duck Hunt.

Attributes

An icon for denoting incomplete things.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. 4

Duck Hunt received a mix of buffs and nerfs in the transition to Ultimate, but have been noticeably buffed overall. Duck Hunt's notoriously inconsistent KO potential has been improved in many ways: their infamously unreliable smash attacks now connect much more reliably (though their final hits may still fail to connect in rare instances), while their forward tilt is now a situational KO option thanks to its much higher base knockback.

Trick Shot, which was already a powerful, versatile projectile, has been improved in many ways: it KOs earlier, travels further, has less endlag and can now be hit in air, all of which improve its utility. Clay Shooting has less endlag and forces opponents to stay in place if they get hit, which make it an excellent combo tool. In addition, it now explodes into shrapnel that deals damage in many directions, increasing its effective range. Duck Jump now allows the duo to act out of it after at least 50 frames; when coupled with the reintroduction of directional air dodges, these changes somewhat improve the safety and reliability of their once-risky recovery. Lastly, Wild Gunman has less endlag, higher damage outputs and knockback (to the point that the orange and sombrero gunmen boast KO potential at high percents), and the defeated gunmen each maintain a hurtbox that allow Duck Hunt to use them to block incoming attacks.

Duck Hunt also benefit from the universal changes of Ultimate. Their mobility has improved, particularly in regard to their dash/initial dash speeds and their aerials' reduced landing lag. These changes, when coupled with many of Duck Hunt's moves in general having less endlag, somewhat improves their combo game.

However, Duck Hunt have received some nerfs. Their lighter weight further worsens their already poor endurance. Some of their aerials have also been worsened: clean neutral aerial's noticeably lower knockback growth hinders its KO potential, forward aerial has a slightly shorter duration, and down aerial no longer auto-cancels with a short hop. Lastly, Trick Shot has lost some of its set-ups into Clay Shooting, while the latter is harder to destroy and its shrapnel can also damage Duck Hunt.

Overall, the changes to Duck Hunt greatly benefit them, as they are considered to be better than they were in SSB4. These buffs and nerfs, however, also change their playstyle somewhat. When coupled with Ultimate's faster engine, the combination of Duck Hunt's lighter weight, improved mobility and generally improved normal moves gives them more a more aggressive playstyle than in SSB4. Despite this, the large retention of their camping game also enables them to use it potently, despite the faster game engine favoring more offensive playstyles.

Initially, Duck Hunt were believed to be considerably worse than in SSB4, to the point that their playerbase was even smaller than it was in SSB4. Raito, the best Duck Hunt player in the world, most notably held this negative perception of them, and thus resorted to using secondaries, such as Inkling. However, as time went on, Raito started achieving very strong results competitively with them, such as placing 3rd at both Albion 4 and Umebura Japan Major 2019, placing 5th at EVO 2019, and taking sets off of notable players including Dabuz, Shuton, Cosmos, and Abadango.

These very potent results indicate that Duck Hunt have maintained their viability, but have also potentially become even more viable than in SSB4. Along with Raito, other Duck Hunt mains, such as Ozone and Vintendo, started achieving respectable results as of late. Although Duck Hunt's playerbase is still small, their impressive results, especially by Raito, indicate that they can be very potent when mastered.

Aesthetics

  • Change Duck Hunt's model is of a significantly higher visual quality. The dog's overall color scheme is more vibrant, better matching his sprite in Duck Hunt, and he now features detailing on his fur, collar, paws, and nose. The duck's color scheme is more subdue and features greater feather detailing.
  • Change Duck Hunt is significantly more vocal. They have more voice clips during gameplay beyond their taunts and Star KO, consisting of bitcrushed realistic dog noises and duck quacks. These voice clips are also now available in the Sound Test.
  • Change Similar to other cartoonish fighters, the duo are more expressive.
  • Change The duck no longer blinks during the duo's idle and crouching animation and on the results screen.
  • Change Duck Hunt's shielding animation is slightly altered. The duck now covers the dog with its feathers.

Attributes

  • Buff Like all characters, Duck Hunt's jumpsquat animation takes three frames to complete (down from 4).
  • Buff Duck Hunt dashes faster (1.63 → 1.793).
    • Buff Duck Hunt's initial dash is faster (1.55 → 1.76), although it is now one of the slower initial dashes relative to the cast.
  • Buff Duck Hunt walks faster (1.155 → 1.213).
  • Buff Duck Hunt's air speed is slightly faster (1.1 → 1.155).
  • Nerf Duck Hunt is lighter (91 → 86), now only slightly heavier than Zelda, which reduces their survivability.
  • Nerf Spot dodge has slightly more ending lag (FAF 24 → 25), no longer being the best in the game.
  • Nerf Forward roll has more ending lag (FAF 27 → 30).
  • Nerf Back roll has more startup (frames 4-15 → 5-16) and ending lag (FAF 27 → 35).
  • Nerf Neutral air dodge has more startup (frame 2 → 3) and significantly more ending lag (FAF 31 → 50).
  • Buff Neutral air dodge has less landing lag (22 frames → 10).
  • Buff Neutral air dodge has a slightly longer duration (frames 2-25 → 3-27).

Ground attacks

  • Neutral attack:
    • Buff Neutral attack's animation is faster and the rapid jab and rapid finisher have less startup lag, making them connect more reliably.
    • Buff Neutral attack 2's largest hitbox is bigger (4.2u → 5u).
    • Nerf Neutral attack 3 has a smaller hitbox (5.8u → 5u).
    • Nerf Neutral attack 1 and 2 and neutral infinite deal less damage (2% (first)/3% (second) → 1.5% each, 0.8% → 0.4% (infinite)).
    • Change Neutral attack 1 has its two larger hitboxes replaced with four smaller ones (3u/3u → 1.8u/1.8u/2u/2u).
    • Change The infinite has gained a shieldstun multiplier of 5×. This allows it to lock opponents into their shields between each hit, and thus pressure them more effectively, but also allows them to cancel shieldstun and punish Duck Hunt more easily if they shield 10 hits or more.
  • Forward tilt:
    • Buff Forward tilt deals more base knockback (15 → 35).
    • Change Its angle is different when angled (361° (both) → 48° (up)/30° (down)).
  • Up tilt:
    • Buff Up tilt has less startup (frame 7 → 6) and ending lag (FAF 34 → 28).
    • Nerf Up tilt is harder to connect on grounded opponents, since characters can no longer run through each other.
    • Nerf Up tilt's hitbox is smaller (7u → 5u), while its Y2 offset was compensating (13 → 15), the hitbox is narrower and has less range against grounded opponents.
    • Change Up tilt deals significantly more base knockback (35 → 95), but has much less knockback scaling (130 → 40), removing its KO potential, but increasing its combo potential.
  • Down tilt
    • Buff Down tilt has less ending lag (FAF 35 → 28).
    • Buff Down tilt sends at a slightly more horizontal angle that is more desirable for edgeguarding (30° → 25°).
  • Forward smash:
    • Buff If the first hit of forward smash connects, subsequent hits will be positioned to continue the chain into the final hit, rather than having their positions somewhat randomized.
    • Buff Forward smash's first and second hits launch at a higher angle (5° → 45°) and deal more set knockback (60 → 66 (hit 1), 60 → 69 (hit 2)), making them connect more reliably.
    • Buff It has larger hitboxes (3.8u → 4.7u (hit 1), 5.2u → 6.9u (hit 2), 7u → 7.8u (hit 3)).
  • Up smash:
    • Buff The first two hits no longer have set knockback (72/60 → 0), and use an autolink angle (140°/150° → 368° (hit 1), 115° → 368° (hit 2)), allowing them to connect more reliably.
    • Buff Up smash's first and second hit deal slightly more damage (2%/2.4% → 2.5% each).
    • Buff Up smash's final hit deals more knockback (40 base/112 scaling → 45/120).
  • Down smash:
    • Buff The first two hits no longer have set knockback (115 → 0), and use an autolink angle (165° → 368°), allowing them to connect more reliably.
    • Buff Down smash's final hit deals more base knockback (32 → 37).

Aerial attacks

  • Buff All aerials have less landing lag (17 frames → 10 (neutral), 15 → 9 (forward), 24 → 14 (back), 18 → 11 (up), 34 → 15 (down)).
  • Neutral aerial:
    • Change Neutral aerial's clean hit has less knockback scaling (100 → 86). This reduces its KO potential, but combined with the landing lag reduction grants it combo potential when landing.
  • Forward aerial:
    • Buff Forward aerial has marginally less ending lag (FAF 46 → 45).
    • Buff Its sweetspot comes out slightly earlier (frame 9 → 8).
    • Nerf It has a slightly shorter duration overall (frames 7-12 → 7-11).
  • Back aerial:
    • Buff Back aerial's sweetspot deals slightly more damage (12% → 12.5%) with no compensation on knockback, causing it to KO slightly earlier.
  • Up aerial:
    • Buff The first hit sends the opponent at a lower angle (145° → 95°), the second hit launches at an autolink angle (145° → 363°), both hits deal more set knockback (40 → 50) and have a reduced hitlag multiplier (1× → 0.5×), allowing them to connect more reliably overall.
    • Buff All hits have larger hitboxes (5.5u → 6u (hits 1-2), 8u → 8.5u (hit 3)) and the second hit and third hit's hitboxes have been moved upward (Y offset: 20u → 21.5u (hits 2), 21u → 22.5u (hit 3)), improving its range overall.
    • Nerf The first hit's hitbox has been moved lower (Y offset: 20u → 18.5u), slightly reducing its range overall.
  • Down aerial:
    • Buff Down aerial has considerably less ending lag (FAF 60 → 50).
    • Buff Both hits have a slightly longer duration (frames 14/20 → 14-15/20-21).
    • Nerf Down aerial auto-cancels later (frame 33 → 45), preventing it from doing so in a short hop.

Throws and other attacks

  • Buff Standing grab and dash grab have less startup lag (stand/dash: frame 8/10 → 6/9).
  • Nerf All grabs have more ending lag (stand/dash/pivot: FAF 29/36/34 → 36/43/38).
  • Nerf All grabs have less range (Z2 offset: 11.7u → 11.2u (standing), 13.9u → 12.9u (dash), -19.2u → -18.5u (pivot)).
  • Buff Back throw has less ending lag (FAF 44 → 40).

Special moves

  • Trick Shot:
    • Change Trick Shot's can is slower and more floaty, but starts further forward.
    • Change Trick Shot's can travels more distance every time it is shot. This increases its effective range, but also means it will fly over grounded opponents more often.
    • Change Trick Shot's explosion sends the opponent flying in the direction of the side of the can that hit them, instead of sending them the direction Duck Hunt is facing.
    • Change Trick Shot's can has bullet holes appear every time the special button is pressed.
    • Change Trick Shot's can auto explodes more quickly after the eighth shot (76 frames → 60).
    • Buff Trick Shot's can is able to be hit with an attack midair, allowing Duck Hunt to cover more options.
    • Buff Trick Shot's can and its explosion deal more damage (1.8%-2% → 1.6%-4.4% (contact), 8% → 10% (explosion)), without full compensation for knockback on the explosion (110 scaling → 100), improving its KO potential.
    • Buff Trick Shot's can can be shot even when it is about to explode, increasing the amount of time it can be maneuvered.
    • Buff Trick Shot has less ending lag (FAF 46 → 42).
    • Nerf Trick Shot has lost some setups in combination with Clay Shooting.
  • Clay Shooting:
    • Change Shooting Clay Shooting's pigeon with Special Move works differently. Instead of always getting destroyed immediately, it will only be shot once per input made. If it is moving too fast, it will not be destroyed, but it will always be destroyed in one shot if it is moving slowly enough.
    • Buff Clay Shooting has slightly less ending lag (FAF 66 → 64).
    • Buff Clay Shooting forces the opponent to stay in place if they get hit, making it a significantly better combo starter.
    • Buff When Clay Shooting's pigeon is destroyed, debris that deals damage flies in multiple directions. [1]
      • Nerf However, these particles will damage Duck Hunt if the pigeon is destroyed by the opponent.
      • Nerf This means a pigeon that missed and was thrown with the smash input takes longer to destroy, reducing its safety.
    • Change Clay Shooting faces the screen more.
  • Duck Jump:
    • Buff After 50 frames, Duck Jump can be cancelled with an attack or air dodge, though Duck Hunt will still be helpless afterwards.
    • Buff If Duck Hunt gets hit by a windbox or an attack that deals no knockback (like Fox's laser) after cancelling Duck Jump but before entering helpless state, Duck Jump can be used again. This can be repeated indefinitely. [2]
  • Wild Gunman:
    • Change The Wild Gunmen's eyes flash before they are about to shoot, instead of flashing immediately after spawning.
    • Buff Wild Gunman has less ending lag (FAF 45 → 42).
    • Buff Each Gunman fires three frames earlier.
    • Buff Each Gunman deals 4% more damage (4%-7% → 8%-11%) with no compensation on knockback, granting them KO potential at high percents, especially the Sombrero Gunman.
    • Nerf When a Gunman is defeated, it will take longer for him to disappear and for another Gunman to be spawned.
      • Buff However, the Gunman's defeated body has a tangible hurtbox, which allows Duck Hunt to use it as a shield from projectile attacks.
    • Change The Wild Gunmen have visual bullet tracers when shooting their guns, allowing players to see how far each gunman will shoot.
    • Change The Gunmen have a soft, CRT-like glow.
  • NES Zapper Posse:
    • Buff NES Zapper Posse has a larger hitbox.
    • Nerf It has altered knockback (60 base/180 scaling → 70/160), dealing less knockback overall and KOing later even at the ledge.

Update history

Duck Hunt have received a mix of buffs, fixes, and nerfs from game updates, and have been nerfed slightly overall.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 1.2.0

  • Duck Hunt have been affected, although the changes are currently unknown.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 2.0.0

  • Bug fix Fixed a game crash along with Mii Swordfighter where Wild Gunman and the Mii Swordfighter’s special moves were used at the same time.
  • Bug introduced Corrupt save data occurs along with Mii Swordfighter if they play Century Smash.
  • Buff Trick Shot has less endlag (FAF 46 → 42).
  • Nerf Clay Shooting has more endlag (FAF 61 → 64).
  • Nerf Clay Shooting causes less hitlag (1× → 0.5×/0.2× (hit 1/2-3)).

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 3.0.0

  • Nerf Trick Shot deals less shield damage (0 → -0.9/-1/-5 (reticle/impact/explosion).
    • Buff However, this also makes it safer for Duck Hunt to shield the can himself (after the opponent hits it back for example).
  • Nerf Clay Shooting deals less shield damage (0 → -1 (clay impact), -0.9 (reticle), -1.3/-1.5 (clay break, hits 1-2/3)).
  • Buff The shots from Wild Gunman will no longer sometimes go through opponents.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 3.1.0

  • Buff Up aerial's first hit connects more reliably into the second (angle: 80° → 95°; knockback: 25 fixed/80 scaling → 50/100).

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 7.0.0

  • Buff Overall shield size has been increased.
  • Buff Neutral infinite's hits inflict 2 additional frames of hitstun, preventing opponents from shielding before the finisher comes out.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 8.0.0

  • Nerf Standing and rolling techs have one frame more ending lag (FAF 26 → 27 (standing), 40 → 41 (rolling)), matching the rest of the cast.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 9.0.2

  • Bug fix Fixed an issue where Duck Hunt's momentum after using Wild Gunman in the air was different from what was intended.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 10.1.0

  • Buff Forward smash's first two hits have received various adjustments that allow the move to connect more reliably:
    • Buff Both hits have lower hitlag (1.0x (both) → 0.75x (hit 1)/0.5x (hit 2)).
    • Buff The second hit sends at a lower angle (45° → 30°) and has lower set knockback (70 → 60).

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate 11.0.0

  • Bug fix A bug that allowed the reticles on Duck Hunt's smash attacks to activate twice was removed.[3]

Moveset

For a gallery of Duck Hunt's hitboxes, see here.

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

  Name Damage Description
Neutral attack   1.5% The dog performs a paw swipe, followed by a headbutt, followed by a dropkick performed from the baby freeze (a variation of the freeze breakdancing move). If button mashed, the duck pecks repeatedly at alternating angles and then thrusts its wings and beak forward. The first two hits can lock.
1.5%
5%
0.4% (loop), 3% (final hit)
Forward tilt   8% The dog leans on his chest and forepaws in order to thrust his lower back forward and propel the duck, who performs a peck. It can be angled and is decent for spacing, while its horizontal angle allows it to propel Trick Shot's tin can a long-distance forward while it is in front of themselves.
Up tilt   7% The dog leans on his chest and forepaws in order to thrust his lower back upward and propel the duck, who performs an upward headbutt while thrusting its wings upward. It has a narrow horizontal hitbox, only hitting opponents directly next to the dog.
Down tilt   8% The dog swings his lower back forward to propel the duck, who performs a turning peck. It is the fastest of Duck Hunt's tilts at frame 6, and can send opponents into a tumble starting around 40%, which can create tech chase situations.
Dash attack   10% (clean), 7% (late) The dog slides forwards and propel the duck, who performs a peck. It covers a fair amount of distance and its very high base knockback makes it decent at warding off an opponent. However, it has noticeable ending lag. The late hit knocks the opponent over and behind Duck Hunt.
Forward smash Zapper 4% (hits 1 and 2), 9% (hit 3) The dog and duck look forward scared before the NES Zapper fires three shots in front of them while they comically flail around frightened. It is a semi-spike and the longer it is charged, the larger its range becomes. However, its first two hits are unreliable, as their angles and very high knockback growth can occasionally launch opponents too early, and thus allow them to evade its last hit. It is the slowest of Duck Hunt's smashes at frame 17. This move can be angled.
Up smash   2.5% (hits 1 and 2), 10% (hit 3) The dog and duck look upward scared before the NES Zapper fires three shots upward while they comically flail around frightened. Like forward smash, its range increases the longer it is charged. Although its first two hits are unreliable because of their angles and very high knockback growth, they are slightly more reliable compared to forward smash and down smash's first two hits.
Down smash   5% (hits 1 and 2), 6% (hit 3) The dog and duck look at the ground scared before the NES Zapper fires three shots around them while they comically flail around frightened. Its first and last hits are in front of the dog, while the second hit is behind him. Its last hit launches the opponent behind the dog, and as a result, Duck Hunt must face away from the edge when attempting to use this move in order to properly launch the opponent off-stage. Like forward and up smashes, its range increases the longer it is charged, but its first two hits are unreliable because of their angles and very high knockback growth.
Neutral aerial   11% (clean), 5% (late) The dog performs an aerial cartwheel, which functions like a sex kick. It is tied with up aerial for Duck Hunt's fastest aerial in terms of startup at frame 6, though the move's long ending lag can result in a self-destruct if used carelessly offstage.
Forward aerial   6.5% (duck), 10% (duck's beak, clean), 7.5% (duck's beak, late) The dog thrusts his lower back forward to propel the duck, who performs a corkscrew peck.
Back aerial   10% (duck), 12.5% (duck's beak) The dog thrusts his lower back backward to propel the duck, who performs a turning peck. The sweetspot on the duck's beak is Duck Hunt's strongest aerial, KO'ing Mario at 105% from the edge of Final Destination.
Up aerial Wild Duck 3% (hits 1 and 2), 6% (hit 3) The duck pecks upward three times while carrying the dog in tow. It is tied with neutral aerial for Duck Hunt's fastest aerial in terms of startup at frame 6. The last hit's respectable knockback makes this a viable KO option off the top blast line at higher percents.
Down aerial   5% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2) The dog somersaults to perform a headbutt, followed by the duck immediately performing a somersaulting peck. The second hit can meteor smash opponents, whether on the ground or in midair.
Grab   The dog bites the opponent and holds them with his mouth.
Pummel   1.2% The duck headbutts the opponent.
Forward throw 8% The dog rears his head back and sways it forward to throw the opponent. It is mainly useful for tossing the opponent into Trick Shot or setting up edgeguards, only KO'ing Mario around 190% from the edge of final destination.
Back throw 9% The dog spins around to throw the opponent. It is Duck Hunt's most damaging throw, but has lower knockback than forward throw, failing to KO Mario below 200% from the edge of Final Destination, and is mostly useful for setting up edgeguards or throwing opponents into Trick Shot.
Up throw 6% The dog performs a handstand kick. It has low knockback growth, KO'ing Mario from the top platform of Battlefield around 180%.
Down throw 5% The dog sways his head downward to slam the opponent onto the ground. It is Duck Hunt's least damaging throw, but can function as a set-up into any of his aerials at mid to high percents.
Floor attack (front)   7% The duck pecks on either side of the dog.
Floor attack (back)   7% The duck headbutts behind the dog and then in front of the dog.
Floor attack (trip)   5% The duck pecks behind the dog and then in front of the dog.
Edge attack   9% The dog climbs up and leans on his chest and forepaws in order to thrust his lower back forward to propel the duck, who performs a peck.
Neutral special Trick Shot 10% (explosion), 1.8% (shots), 1.8%-4.4% (contact) The dog kicks away a tin can from the Hogan's Alley game mode of the same name. The can is explosive and subsequent neutral special button presses alert the player with the Zapper to shoot the can forward. After 9 button presses, the can starts to emit smoke and will then explode. The can is also capable of being manipulated by the dog and duck's attacks, with its tilt attacks being especially useful in this regard. However, this also applies to the opponent's attacks. Overall, it is Duck Hunt's most versatile projectile and their most useful edge-guarding option. It is active starting on frame 1, making it useful for interrupting combos, though the explosion can also damage Duck Hunt. Although its explosion has very high knockback growth, it lacks KO potential out of edge-guarding because of its average damage output and low base knockback.
Side special Clay Shooting 2% (clay pigeon), 1.8% (shot 1), 2.5% (shots 2 - 4) 3% (shot 5) The dog throws a clay pigeon, based on the Clay Shooting sub-game (Game C) from Duck Hunt. It has two flight trajectories: a slow, higher arc and a faster, straight arc. Moving while performing the move initiates the former, whereas standing still and performing the move initiates the latter. Pressing the special button again causes the off-screen hunter to destroy it with 5 quick shots from the NES Zapper, making it a natural combo. It is useful for hindering approaches, but can also act as a set-up into a dash attack from 0% to medium percentages, or into a forward aerial at high percentages. Although somewhat situational, the clay pigeon can also act as a makeshift landmine by allowing it to land on the ground, and then destroying it to surprise an opponent. Alternatively, Duck Hunt can attack the pigeon, causing it to explode into fragments that will damage nearby opponents. However, opponents can attack the pigeon as well, which will damage Duck Hunt.
Up special Duck Jump The duck flies upward while carrying the dog before getting tired and falling to the ground. It is maneuverable and covers a decent amount of vertical and horizontal distance depending on how it is maneuvered. After a short while, Duck Hunt can interrupt the move with an attack or an air dodge, but doing so will put him in a helpless state.
Down special Wild Gunman 8-11% The dog summons an 8-bit version of one of the five gunmen from Wild Gunman. Each gunman will fire their gun after a set amount of time and then disappear in a puff of smoke. Each gunman's firing time, damage output, knockback growth, and launching angle varies. The gunmen can also block attacks, but if any of them receive at least 5%, they will fall and not fire their guns. Once a gunman falls, Duck Hunt must wait very briefly before they can summon another one.
Final Smash NES Zapper Posse 45% (entire move) The dog barks to call in a flock of 8-bit ducks. The flock tackles the opponent, launching them into a Wild West-styled field from Wild Gunman. The opponent is then repeatedly fired at by the gunmen, who are also shooting at the cardboard cutout gangsters and tin cans from Hogan's Alley.

On-screen appearance

  • The dog leaps into an 8-bit sprite of grass with the duck on his back before they both rise from the grass while the dog performs his signature laugh. The grass then disappears in a puff of smoke.

Taunts

  • Up taunt: The dog performs a frontal handstand, while the duck balances on one of the hind legs and quacks negatively in response.
  • Side taunt: The dog lays on his side and does his infamous laugh, while the duck flies next to him.
  • Down taunt: The dog stands on his back legs and does a dance.

Idle poses

  • The dog and the duck sniff the ground.
  • The dog scratches his ear.

Crowd cheer

Cheer (English) Cheer (Japanese/Chinese) Cheer (Italian) Cheer (Dutch) Cheer (French)
Cheer Custom combination of the flags of Canada, the USA, and Mexico.

Source, tweaked to fix rendering issues
Custom combination of the flags of Canada, the USA, and Mexico.

Source, tweaked to fix rendering issues
Description Duck - Hunt! Custom combination of the flags of Canada, the USA, and Mexico.
Duck - Hunt Duo! Source, tweaked to fix rendering issues
Duck Hun - to! Duo - Duck - Hunt! Duck! *clap* Hunt! *clap* Duck - Hunt! Custom combination of the flags of Canada, the USA, and Mexico.
Cheer (German) Cheer (Spanish) Cheer (Russian) Cheer (Korean)
Cheer
Custom combination of the flags of Canada, the USA, and Mexico.

Source, tweaked to fix rendering issues
Description Duck - Hunt - Duo! Duck - Hunt! Rah - Rah - Rah! Custom combination of the flags of Canada, the USA, and Mexico.
Duo - Duck - Hunt! Duo - Duck - Hunt! Source, tweaked to fix rendering issues

Victory poses

  • Left: The dog jumps into a patch of 8-bit grass. He then, along with the duck, pops up from the grass and proceeds to do his signature laugh.
  • Up: Runs on screen and turns around to kick away a can from Hogan's Alley. He then assumes a pose in which he stands on his left hind leg while raising his right and brings his front legs towards himself.
  • Right: Summons a Wild Gunman to shoot to the left, then another one to shoot to the right. He then continuously holds the pose used to summon them. The Wild Gunmen don't appear in Team Battles.
The jingle that plays before a new game starts in Duck Hunt, slightly sped up. It begins with the original 8-bit rendition, then transitions to a remixed version for the rest of the theme.

In competitive play

Duck Hunt’s true viability has remained unknown by many since the beginning of the metagame. The duo were initially thought to fare worse than they did in Smash 4, due to the changes to game mechanics which encourages more aggressive gameplay, which many players thought that it has significantly harmed Duck Hunt. While their campy gameplay were still agreed to be worse, many players later agreed that the character overall has considerably improved because of the amount of buffs received which allowed them to play more aggressively, whereas their camping gameplay from SSB4 remained as a viable strategy. So far, the duo has achieved great results thanks to players such as ASA, Wisdom, White Girl 6 9, and especially Raito. However, despite their strong success, Duck Hunt continued to suffer from mediocre representation, which has left their true viability unknown, although the general consensus is that they’re a mid tier.

Notable players

Any number following the Smasher name indicates placement on the Fall 2019 PGRU, which recognizes the official top 50 players in the world in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate from July 13th, 2019 to December 15th, 2019.

See also:Category:Duck Hunt professionals (SSBU)

Active

Classic Mode: Dog, Duck, Zapper

Duck Hunt's congratulations screen.

Duck Hunt's opponents are animals, or in the case of the Mii Fighters, humans wearing animal costumes. Due to this theme, Duck Hunt fights Rathalos as the final boss of their route instead of Master Hand.

Round Opponent Stage Music Notes
1 DonkeyKongHeadSSBU.png Donkey Kong and DiddyKongHeadSSBU.png Diddy Kong Kongo Jungle Swinger Flinger
2 SonicHeadSSBU.png Sonic Windy Hill Zone Wonder World
3 FoxHeadSSBU.png Fox, FalcoHeadSSBU.png Falco, and WolfHeadSSBU.png Wolf Garden of Hope Garden of Hope
4 Giant KingKRoolHeadSSBU.png King K. Rool Kongo Falls Snakey Chantey
5 MiiBrawlerHeadSSBU.png Mii Brawler (x2), MiiGunnerHeadSSBU.png Mii Gunner (x2), and MiiSwordfighterHeadSSBU.png Mii Swordfighter Green Greens Floral Fields Horde Battle.
6 DuckHuntHeadBlackSSBU.png DuckHuntHeadBlackSSBU.png DuckHuntHeadBlueSSBU.png DuckHuntHeadBrownSSBU.png DuckHuntHeadWhiteSSBU.png DuckHuntHeadTanSSBU.png Duck Hunt (x6) Living Room Duck Hunt Medley (for 3DS / Wii U) If any of these costumes are being used by the player, the DuckHuntHeadSSBU.png default Duck Hunt takes their place.
Bonus Stage
Final Rathalos Forest Hill Roar/Rathalos

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Duck Hunt has Duck Hunt Medley (for 3DS / Wii U) accompany the credits.

Role in World of Light

Duck Hunt's location in World of Light.
Finding Duck Hunt in World of Light

Duck Hunt were among the fighters that were summoned to fight the army of Master Hands.

During the opening cutscene, Duck Hunt were present on the cliffside when Galeem unleashed his beams of light. The duo was seen panicking alongside Villager and a composed Wii Fit Trainer, with the dog covering his eyes and the duck attempting to lift the dog off the ground with Duck Jump. The duo was then placed under Galeem's imprisonment alongside the rest of the fighters, excluding Kirby.

In the mode proper, Duck Hunt can be found inside a forest covered in fog to be challenged and recruited.

Fighter Battle

No. Image Name Type Power Stage Music
59
Duck Hunt SSBU.png
Duck Hunt
Grab
Grab
3,300 Duck Hunt (Ω form) Duck Hunt Medley

Template:-

Spirit

Duck Hunt's fighter spirit can be obtained by completing Classic Mode. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 500 coins. Unlocking Duck Hunt in World of Light allows the player to preview the 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.

In Spirit battles

As the main opponents

Spirit Battle parameters
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music
122
SSBU spirit Polterpup.png
Polterpup Luigi's Mansion Series •Clear Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadWhiteSSBU.png
Shield
3,600 Luigi's Mansion N/A •The enemy is invisible On the Hunt - Gloomy Manor Ver.- (Instrumental)
152
SSBU spirit Squawks.png
Squawks Donkey Kong Series Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadWhiteSSBU.png
Grab
4,400 The Great Cave Offensive •Hazard: Fog •The stage is covered in fog
•Timed battle (1:30)
Ice Cave Chant
322
Poochy
Yarn Poochy Yoshi Series Duck Hunt Team DuckHuntHeadBlueSSBU.pngDuckHuntHeadBrownSSBU.pngDuckHuntHeadWhiteSSBU.pngDuckHuntHeadTanSSBU.png
Shield
4,600 Yoshi's Island •Hazard: Lava Floor •The floor is lava
•The enemy can deal damage by dashing into you
Main Theme - Yoshi's Woolly World (Remix)
435
SSBU spirit Arcanine.png
Arcanine Pokémon Series •Giant Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadTanSSBU.png
Attack
4,600 Gaur Plain (Battlefield form) •Hazard: Lava Floor •The floor is lava
•The enemy is giant
•The enemy has increased move speed
Pokémon Red / Pokémon Blue Medley
583
SSBU spirit Boney.png
Boney EarthBound Series Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadBrownSSBU.png
Lucas LucasHeadGreenSSBU.png
Neutral
1,500 Onett N/A •Take your strongest team into this no-frills battle Mother 3 Love Theme
712
Artwork used for Twinbellow's Spirit. Ripped from Game Files
Twinbellows Kid Icarus Series •Giant Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadTanSSBU.png
Attack
4,100 Find Mii (Ω form) •Curry-Filled •The enemy breathes fire
•The enemy is giant
Boss Fight 1 - Kid Icarus: Uprising
831
SSBU spirit DJ K.K..png
DJ K.K. Animal Crossing Series Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadWhiteSSBU.png
Villager VillagerHeadYellowSSBU.pngVillagerHeadGreenSSBU.pngVillagerHeadPurpleSSBU.png
Neutral
3,900 Fourside •Assist Trophy Enemies (Squid Sisters)
•Temporary Invincibility
•Defeat the main fighter to win
•The enemy will occasionally be invincible after a little while
•Hostile assist trophies will appear after a little while
2:00 a.m. - Animal Crossing: Wild World
841
SSBU spirit Copper & Booker.png
Copper & Booker Animal Crossing Series Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadTanSSBU.png
Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadBlackSSBU.png
Neutral
2,600 Bridge of Eldin N/A •The enemy shields often
•The enemy's shield has extra durability
•The enemy has increased defense when badly damaged
Tour - Animal Crossing: New Leaf
975
SSBU spirit Wild Gunman.png
Wild Gunman Wild Gunman Duck Hunt Team DuckHuntHeadBrownSSBU.pngDuckHuntHeadRedSSBU.pngDuckHuntHeadYellowSSBU.pngDuckHuntHeadTanSSBU.pngDuckHuntHeadBlueSSBU.png
Attack
3,400 Gerudo Valley (Ω form) •Temporary Invincibility
•Item: Shooting Types
•Start with 300% damage
•All fighters will occasionally be invincible
•Reinforcements will appear after an enemy is KO'd
Dillon's Rolling Western: The Last Ranger
1,199
Baxter&co
Baxter & Forthington Rhythm Heaven Series North America
Rhythm Paradise Series PAL
Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadYellowSSBU.png
•Tiny Incineroar IncineroarHeadOrangeSSBU.png
Grab
1,500 Pilotwings •Item: Throwing Types •The enemy is easily distracted by items Monkey Watch
1,255
Bulldog_Nintendogs
French Bulldog Nintendogs Series Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadWhiteSSBU.png
Shield
3,400 Living Room •Assist Trophy Enemies (Nintendog) •Hostile assist trophies will appear Bathtime Theme
1,275
Spirit of Inuji Darumeshi from Rusty's Real Deal Baseball
Inuji Darumeshi Darumeshi Sports Store Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadWhiteSSBU.png
Grab
1,900 Saffron City (Battlefield form) •Item: Beastball •The enemy is easily distracted by items Title Theme - Nintendo Badge Arcade
1,276
RustySpirit
Rusty Slugger Rusty's Real Deal Baseball Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadYellowSSBU.png
Grab
1,900 Fourside (Battlefield form) •Item: Home-Run Bat •The enemy is easily distracted by items Title Theme - Nintendo Badge Arcade
1,443
SSBU spirit Red XIII.png
Red XIII FINAL FANTASY Series Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadSSBU.png
Attack
3,400 Gerudo Valley •Uncontrollable Speed •The enemy is very fast and can't stop quickly when the enemy's at high damage
•The enemy can deal damage by dashing into you
•The enemy has increased move speed and reduced weight
Cosmo Canyon
1,469
SSBU spirit Palamute.png
Palamute MONSTER HUNTER Series Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadBlackSSBU.png
Mii Swordfighter MiiSwordfighterHeadSSBU.png (Moveset 3133, Ninja Headband, Black Ninja Suit)
Grab
3,400 Gaur Plain (hazards off) •Move Speed ↑ •The enemy has increased move speed when the enemy's at high damage
•The enemy favors dash attacks
•The enemy starts the battle with a Killing Edge
Proof of a Hero ~ 4Version
Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadBlackSSBU.png
Mii Swordfighter MiiSwordfighterHeadSSBU.png (Moveset 3133, Hunter's Helm, Hunter's Mail)[SB 1]
  1. ^ This alternative occurs when the corresponding DLC has been purchased and downloaded.

As minions

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
525
SSBU spirit Cobalion, Terrakion, & Virizion.png
Cobalion, Terrakion, & Virizion Pokémon Series Lucario LucarioHeadGreenSSBU.png
Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadYellowSSBU.png
Yoshi YoshiHeadBlueSSBU.png
Neutral
9,000 Kalos Pokémon League N/A •The enemy's melee weapons have increased power
•The enemy can unleash powerful critical hits at random
•The enemy starts the battle with a Beam Sword
N's Castle Terrakion
866
SSBU spirit Bass.png
Bass Mega Man Series Mega Man MegaManHeadGreySSBU.png (120 HP)
•Metal Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadRedSSBU.png (60 HP)
Attack
9,100 Wily Castle (Battlefield form) N/A Stamina battle
•The enemy's shooting items have increased power
•The enemy is metal
We're Robots (Dr. Wily Stage 2) Treble
1,130
donbe hikari
Donbe & Hikari Famicom Mukashibanashi Series Young Link YoungLinkHeadCyanSSBU.png
Villager VillagerHeadPinkSSBU.png
Falco FalcoHeadOrangeSSBU.png
Diddy Kong DiddyKongHeadBlueSSBU.png
Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadTanSSBU.png
Neutral
3,500 Duck Hunt (hazards off) N/A •Defeat an army of fighters Shin Onigashima Medley Ringo
1,417
SSBU spirit Byte & Barq.png
Byte & Barq ARMS Mega Man MegaManHeadCyanSSBU.png
•Metal Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadWhiteSSBU.png
Neutral
1,600 Spring Stadium N/A •Defeat the main fighter to win
•The enemy is metal
Buster Beach Barq

As an ally

Spirit Battle parameters Inspiration
No. Image Name Series Enemy Fighter(s) Type Power Stage Rules Conditions Music Character
1,254
from the game's files
Toy Poodle Nintendogs Series Wolf WolfHeadOrangeSSBU.png×3
•Ally: Duck Hunt DuckHuntHeadBlackSSBU.png
Shield
3,900 Living Room •Assist Trophy Enemies (Nintendog) •Join forces with a CPU ally
•Hostile assist trophies will appear
•The enemy has increased move speed
Bathtime Theme Toy Poodle

Alternate costumes

Duck Hunt Palette (SSBU).png
DuckHuntHeadSSBU.png DuckHuntHeadBlackSSBU.png DuckHuntHeadBlueSSBU.png DuckHuntHeadBrownSSBU.png DuckHuntHeadWhiteSSBU.png DuckHuntHeadTanSSBU.png DuckHuntHeadYellowSSBU.png DuckHuntHeadRedSSBU.png

Gallery

Character Showcase Video

Trivia

  • Duck Hunt is the only character who travels to Living Room in Classic Mode.
  • If Duck Hunt is hit by Incineroar's Max Malicious Moonsault, the duck's wings will be spread out in a t-pose fashion.
    • This also happens if a directional air dodge is used or when caught by an attack with a special grabbing animation. This is also true with the latter in Smash 4.
  • When Duck Hunt is slowed down (only by a Timer, Dialga's temporal powers, the speed modifier in Training Mode, or by Special Smash's Slow setting), all of the shots from his smash attacks will hit twice. Additionally, the final hits of the smash attacks are twice as strong if the game is sped up. A similar situation occurred in Super Smash Bros. 4.
  • Duck Hunt is the only character who faces all three Star Fox characters in the same round in their route.
    • Duck Hunt is also the only character to face all Donkey Kong fighters in their route, albeit in different rounds.
  • There's a graphical error with Duck Hunt's on-screen appearance when done facing the left. The smoke effects appear behind the 8-bit grass rather than in front of it.
  • Despite not being present in Team Battles, the sounds of the Wild Gunman appearing and firing can still be heard if Duck Hunt is the leading character of a winning team.
  • Duck Hunt, Peach, Zelda, Falco, Olimar, and Dark Pit are the only fighters to appear as allies in spirit battles.
  • In European Spanish, European French, German, and Italian, the name tag and voice clip from the announcer on the victory screen is slightly different from the one used on the character select screen, instead featuring a noticeable translation of "the" (el Dúo Duck Hunt, le Duo Duck Hunt, das Duck Hunt Duo, il Duo Duck Hunt). This trait is shared with Wii Fit Trainer, Pokémon Trainer, Villager, Ice Climbers, Inkling, Hero, and the Mii Fighters. Additionally, Duck Hunt and King Dedede are only two fighters having this trait in the European versions, but not in the American version.
  • Duck Hunt, the Ice Climbers, Daisy, Ken, R.O.B. and Cloud are only non-DLC characters who don't appear in more than one spirit battles from their home series. Dr. Mario doesn't appear in any Mario spirit battles at all. This is not counting Olimar, who appears only in Mockiwi spirit battle as himself, but is fought in other spirit battles as Alph.
  • If the player is only using VS. matches to unlock characters, like in Smash 4, the Duck Hunt universe is the final universe with playable representation to be encountered. Duck Hunt is the penultimate character to unlock in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (with the final being Jigglypuff, who is part of the Pokémon franchise, which already has unlocked playable representation in Pikachu, Charizard, Lucario and Greninja), the final character in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and in Ultimate, all other characters that follow Duck Hunt in the timed encounters are from universes that have already been encountered.
  • Unlike in Smash 4, the duck does not blink in any animations that the dog does. This is similar to a situation in Smash 4 where R.O.B. lacks any emotes in Versus Mode on the Wii U version.
    • However, if Duck Hunt gets trapped in a bind pose, the duck can be seen blinking.
  • In almost all the spirit battles, Duck Hunt is just representing the dog characters. Squawks's battle is the only one where Duck Hunt represents a bird character.
  • Unlike other Sound Tests with multiple characters in them (such as Popo & Nana, Pikmin & Winged Pikmin, and Banjo & Kazooie), Duck Hunt's voice clips are not split between the dog and duck and are not specifically written which clip belongs to which. The Sound Test first lists the dog's four barking clips, followed by the duck's two quacking clips, which is followed by the dog's Star KO scream.

References