List of armored attacks (SSBU)

Snake's Cypher being hit by Pichu's neutral aerial, but armoring through thanks to damage-based armor.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate distributed armor to a wide range of the cast, particularly damage-based armor, and mostly to heavyweights such as Bowser. It also introduced Belly Super Armor to King K. Rool, furthering its presence in the game. It was also made more varied and fleshed out, with more forms of armor reducing damage or having different functions.

Damage-based Armor

Characters under the effect of Damage Based Armor will suffer hitlag and damage when hit, but not flinch or take knockback unless the attack deals enough percentage to go over a defined threshold. These are non-cumulative by default, meaning multiple weaker hits will not add up to reach the threshold and break the armor; if an attack's armor is cumulative, it'll be specified.

Character	Move	Active Armor Frames	% Threshold	Notes
Bowser	Forward tilt	7-9	4%	All are active 3 frames before the first hitbox comes out, often leading to these being grouped under "tilt armor" by the Bowser playerbase. Lowest threshold in the game, often being difficult to utilize in many matchups.
	Up tilt	8-10
	Down tilt	7-9
	Forward smash	17-21	10%	Feet become invincible on Frame 20-26, starting just before the hitbox becomes active on frame 22. Thus, there is both armor and invincibility on frames 20 and 21, making the two frames before the early hit very well-protected.
	Up smash	11-15	8%	The charge hold is frame 10, so the armor comes out immediately upon release and disappears once the hitbox becomes active. Additionally, the shell becomes invincible from frames 14-27.
	Down smash	5-11		The charge hold is frame 5, but it's coded to hold back the armor should the smash attack be held, making it usable on reaction.
Bowser Jr.	Clown Kart Dash	20-	9%	Only for the Clown Kart hurtbox. Lasts until Bowser Jr. either jumps or swerves, making it have minor use as a counterattack should the player jump and use up aerial.
Byleth	Aymr	34-63	30%	Does not apply in the air unless Byleth touches the ground prior to Frame 34; the armor lingers into the first two frames of hitbox duration. Reversing Aymr while grounded maintains the armor. Highest threshold in the game.
Captain Falcon	Raptor Boost	1-4 (Attack)	10%	Proximity detection on Raptor Boost begins frame 10, in which the armor can begin from that point so long as an opponent triggers the attack. Because of the startup, duration, and proximity detection, this armor tends to lose to multi-hit hitboxes.
Charizard	Flare Blitz	23-53	15%	Deals 5% in recoil damage upon use, as well as an additional 5% on hit.
Dr. Mario	Dr. Tornado	2-9	10%	Active for 8 frames before the first hitbox is active. The armor will not start while Dr. Mario is airborne; it does so as soon as he touches the ground during the startup and stays active even while rising up and becoming airborne again.
Hero	Kazap	50-71	15%	Requires 42 MP. Armor disappears at the same time as the last hit, leaving Hero extremely vulnerable if whiffed, as the FAF is 127.
Incineroar	Alolan Whip	1-42 (Back Body Drop)	11.99%	Active until the end of the animation itself. Because it goes past the FAF, Incineroar can use the opportunity to counterattack.
		1-58 (Lariat)		Active past the FAF of 47, meaning that leaving the animation alone for a period of time can keep it active and allow Incineroar to counterattack.
		1-4 (Failure)		No practical use.
	Cross Chop	4-15		Given this can be used out of shield with no lockout, the armor allows Incineroar to "dodge" potential mixups involving weaker attacks.
Kazuya	Forward smash	7-24	10%	Applies upon charge release, allowing use on reaction.
	Up smash	7-11	6%
	Down smash	7-15	6%
	Heaven's Door	5-14	10%	Applies until the grab successfully executes.
Ken	Focus Attack	1-20 (Charge), 1-11 (On release)	7-14%	Armor ends a frame later for Ken than Ryu. Armor threshold increases by 0.12% per frame before capping out.
King Dedede	Jet Hammer	1-14	14%	Applies on release of Jet Hammer regardless of charge, grounded only. However, as it is tied to the animation, it can be used offstage through windboxes.
King K. Rool	Crownerang	6-63	12%	Lasts until the FAF. This armor is "cumulative", using the following equation to determine breakage: (Base Damage of prior hits) * 1.2 + (Base Damage of the last hit) > 12%. Was 6% prior to version 8.0.0. Not to be confused with Belly Super Armor.
Kirby	Stone	19-?	25%	Can be cancelled early.
Little Mac	Straight Lunge	1- (Charging)	8%	Only move with damage-based armor that can be cancelled with shield. Armor being frame 1 and usable in the air makes it a niche combo escape option. Cannot be charge storage cancelled.
		1- (Attack)	14%	Increased armor on release, ending at the same time as the hitbox. Also applies in the air.
Mii Brawler	Suplex	-	11.99%	Begins as soon as the opponent is grabbed; ends when the opponent is launched.
Piranha Plant	Long-Stem Strike	18-86	15% (Charging), 12% (Release, covers neck)	Known as "Pot Armor" by the Piranha Plant playerbase. Can be released at any point, with a proximity detector from Frame 19. Hitbox comes out from Frame 1-2 (with intangibility on the head) once an opponent comes into range, or if B is pushed early. 0.8× damage received while armor is active. Upon release, the armor reduces to 12%.
Ridley	Space Pirate Rush	22 (dragging)-release	9%	Begins on frame 22 of the dragging animation. If Ridley is hit by an hitbox he can armor during this time, the damage will be reduced by x0.75.
Ryu	Focus Attack	1-20 (Charge), 1-10 (On release)	7-14%	Armor lasts a frame shorter than Ken's overall. Armor threshold increases by 0.12% per frame before capping out.
Sephiroth	Forward smash	10-23	20%	Applies only when in Winged Form.
	Up smash	14-22
	Down smash	10-20
Snake	Cypher	7-94	8%	Cypher can also be destroyed in Ultimate, having 13 HP. If it isn't destroyed, Cypher gains a hitbox dealing 6% until it goes off-screen. Snake does not become helpless in either case, but does suffer hitstun.
Terry	Buster Wolf	1-15	8%	Only usable from 100%+, or 30% of HP in Stamina.
	Power Geyser	1-14	5%

Knockback-based Armor

These are attacks that have armor up to a certain knockback threshold. This means that armor can be more easily broken the more damaged the player is and is effectively non-existent against a strong enough attack.

Character	Move	Active Armor Frames	KB Threshold	Notes
Bowser	Tough Guy	Passive	19 KB	Classified as a fighter ability. Tough Guy remains active at all times, even during attacks.
Diddy Kong	Rocketbarrel Boost	8- (charging)	30 KB	Active all throughout the charge, which starts on frame 8 and last for 60 frames before the first hitbox is active upon release. Activates regardless of whether Diddy Kong is in the air or on the ground.
Donkey Kong	Kong Karry	1-	80 KB	Starts frame 1 after the transition to Cargo and lasts until the opponent's release or the start of a Cargo throw. This armor also applies when Donkey Kong is carrying a large item like a crate or a barrel.
Giga Bowser	Tough Guy	Passive	95 KB	Classified as a fighter ability. Tough Guy remains active at all times, even during attacks, just like Bowser's.
Kazuya	Tough Body	Passive	14 KB	Classified as a fighter ability. Tough Body remains active at all times, even during attacks.
Steve	Minecart	18-	60 KB	Activates as soon as Steve enters the minecart, and remains until he leaves. The minecart has 7 HP and is destroyed when it's depleted, like Snake's Cypher. However, the minecart will not be destroyed if its HP is lowered to 0 during the first 17 frames of the move; it will operate as usual once Steve sits in it on frame 18, effectively staying active with 0 HP until something hits and destroys it.
Wario	Wario Bike	1-	20 KB and 60 KB	Moves dealing 20 KB or less won't make Wario flinch, but moves dealing under 60 KB won't launch him away, instead putting him in a forced dismount animation that lasts for 25 frames. Wario doesn't take any knockback during this animation, instead dropping straight down from where he was hit. The bike itself has 18 HP (unaffected by the 1v1 multiplier) and can act as protection against attempts to contest it. The bike explodes when the HP is depleted; if Wario is still on the bike when that happens, he is dealt damage by the explosion, which is a throw dealing 6% (7.2% in 1v1), bypassing his armor.
Yoshi	Midair jump	1-44	120 KB	Classified as a fighter ability. This unique armor has been dubbed "Subtractive Armor" by the Yoshi playerbase, since the knockback applied to Yoshi after breaking through the armor is significantly lowered, as the armor subtracts the KB needed to break it before letting the rest go to Yoshi. Technically, the hit that breaks the armor sees its total knockback reduced by up to 120 when applied to Yoshi. The minimum knockback an attack that breaks the armor can do is 60 KB.

Super Armor

Characters under the effect of Super Armor will suffer hitlag and damage when hit, but not flinch nor take knockback. Super Armor, by default, does not break, no amount of percentage or launch force is enough to beat it.

Character	Move	Active Armor Frames	Notes
All characters	Home-Run Bat	41-56
	Ore Club	13~	Lasts during charge and attack; ceases when the hitbox ends.
Charizard	Fly	4-15	Activates quickly for 12 frames, covering part of the the startup and lasting until the second set of hitboxes is active.
Chrom	Soaring Slash	10-30	Active for 21 frames, starting as soon as the first hitbox is active and lasting until the start of the rise.
Dark Pit	Electroshock Arm (Dash)	11-26	The armor stops as soon as the move detects an opponent and transitions into the swing, which can happen starting frame 16 while grounded and 19 airborne, cutting the armor frames short, and leaving 1 frame of vulnerability before the swing's first active hitbox. Ergo, it loses to long-lasting active hitboxes if the armor doesn't absorb all the hits first.
Donkey Kong	Giant Punch (Fully Charged)	11-20 (Grounded), 17-20 (Aerial)	Active for 10 frames during both the startup and the active frames of the move. As of 3.1.0, landing during the startup of the move grants Donkey Kong the superior armor frames of the grounded version.
	Headbutt	5-14	Active for 10 frames during startup but then leaves a 5 frames gap with no armor before the first active frame, making it strictly used for armoring through single-hit attacks.
	Spinning Kong (Grounded)	5-17	Active for 13 frames during startup, but then leaves a 1 frame gap with no armor before the first active frame. The decent startup gives it niche use as an out of shield option, but the committal nature and small vulnerability window can be problematic. Grants arm intangibility on frames 19-24.
Ganondorf	Warlock Punch (Grounded)	11-67 (Default), 21-75 (Reverse)	By default, it is active for 57 frames during startup, but then leaves a 2 frames gap with no armor before the first active frame. Ergo, it can lose to long-lasting active hitboxes. When reversed, it is active for 55 frames during startup, but then leaves a 4 frames gap with no armor before the first active frame, worsening the issue. Landing during the startup of the move grants Ganondorf the armor frames of the grounded version, but landing on frame 11 (regular), 21 (reverse), or after will not; Ganondorf has to land before the armor frames for them to appear.
	Flame Choke (Grounded)	17-40 (successful grab)	Active for 24 frames, starting during the startup and stopping during the endlag, after the opponent's release.
Ike	Eruption (Medium Charge and Fully Charged)	6-10	Active for 5 frames before the first hitbox is active.
	Aether	5-35 (Grounded), 15-35 (Aerial)	The grounded version is active for 31 frames, it starts during the startup. The aerial version is active for 21 frames and starts as soon as the first hitbox is active. Both last until the start of the rise, giving a visual indicator for the armor's activity.
Incineroar	Revenge	3-27	Active for 25 frames in total. Damage reduction multiplier of 0.4×, meaning Incineroar will only be dealt 40% of a move's total damage while under the effect of that armor. Instead of having a "counterbox" like most other counters, this armor acts as hit detection, transitioning into the counter attack on hit. Full body intangibility on frames 1-14 of the counter attack, leaving no vulnerable frames between the armor window and the counter attack's animation.
Joker	Rebel's Guard	3-19, can be extended for 120 frames	Active all throughout the guard, which starts quickly on frame 3 and lasts until frames 19-79 depending on how long it is held. Damage reduction multiplier of 0.4×, meaning Joker will only be dealt 40% of a move's total damage while under the effect of that armor. Similar to Revenge, this armor acts as hit detection and allows transitioning into the counter attack on hit if Joker releases the input during or 20 frames after hitlag. If hit during the armor, the duration in which Joker can absorb attacks is extended. Full body intangibility on frames 1-14 of the counter attack, leaving no vulnerable frames between the armor window and the counter attack's animation.
Kazuya	Rage Drive	5-14	Only applies when grounded, otherwise Heaven's Door is used instead with its respective armor value. Can be inputted using a down special, grab, or its respective command input. A missed Rage Drive decreases the duration of Rage, and thus when it can be used.
King Dedede	Super Dedede Jump	22-34, 69-76	Active for 13 frames during the rise, and then for 7 frames during the fall, leaving a 34 frames gap with no armor between the 1st and 2nd armor windows. It also grants full body intangibility on frames 18-21, leaving no vulnerable frames between this and the first armor window, and intangibility on the feet starting frame 69 and lasting until landing.
Kirby	Hammer Flip (Fully charged grounded)	11-17	Landing during the startup of the move grants Kirby the armor frames of the grounded version, but landing on frame 11 or after will not, so the player has to land before the armor frames for it to function. Additionally, Kirby has full body intangibility on frames 2-10, leaving no vulnerable frames between the two windows and allowing use on reaction. Like the armor, these intangibility frames work if Kirby lands during the move.
Little Mac	Forward smash	8-15 (High/Mid angle), 9-15 (Low angle)	8 frames in total (7 for down angle), covers active hitbox. Unlike the other smashes, the Charge Hold is frame 4, making use on reaction difficult. Activate a Critical Zoom effect upon tanking a hit.
	Up smash	8-13	6 frames in total, covers active hitbox. Charge Hold is frame 6, allowing use on reaction. Activate a Critical Zoom effect upon tanking a hit.
	Down smash	7-10, 15-17	4 and 3 frames in total, only covers the first active frame of both hit. Charge Hold is frame 5, allowing use on reaction. Activate a Critical Zoom effect upon tanking a hit.
	KO Uppercut	8-9	Active for 2 frames, starting during startup and covering the first active frame of the move.
Mii Brawler	Exploding Side Kick	40-52 (Default), 34-46 (Reversed)	Active for 13 frames during both the startup and the active frames of the move. Unlike similar Falcon Punch-like moves that can only be reversed on a specific frame, Exploding Side Kick can be reversed at any point during frames 9-30. Doing so will begin the Reverse Exploding Side Kick animation, which has a fixed 43 frames of startup and armor on frames 34-46, regardless of how long Mii Brawler waited to reverse the move. What that means is the first active frame of Reversed Exploding Side Kick can be anywhere from frame 52 to 73, and the armor frames from 42-54 to 63-75.
Olimar	Pikmin Order	2-7	Lasts for 6 frames in total, making it useful as a defensive option thanks to its quick startup.
Pac-Man	Power Pellet	1-8	Frames 1-8 after eating his power pellet.
Pit	Upperdash Arm (Dash)	11-26	The armor stops as soon as the move detects an opponent and transitions into the swing, which can happen starting frame 16 while grounded and 19 while airborne. This cuts the armor frames short and leaves 1 frame of vulnerability before the swing's first active hitbox. Ergo, the move can lose to long-lasting active hitboxes if the armor doesn't absorb all the hits.
Roy	Blazer (Grounded)	4-10	Active for 6 frames total, covering part the the startup and lasting until the second set of hitboxes is active. Additionally, the move grants full body intangibility on frame 9 while the first hitbox is active, technically replacing the armor during that singular frame. This single frame of intangibility is also present in the aerial version of the move.
Wario	Wario Waft (Fully Charged)	4-13	Active for 10 frames during both the startup and the active frames of the first hit of the move. Because of its fast nature, it has niche use as an out of shield option.

See also

• Belly Super Armor - King K. Rool's fighter ability, granting him his own unique form of armor for specific attacks.