Lucas (SSBB)

This article is about Lucas' appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For the character in other contexts, see Lucas.

Lucas in Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Universe	EarthBound
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	PK Starstorm
Tier	G (30)

Lucas (Japanese: リュカ, Ryuka) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. He is the first EarthBound newcomer since the original Super Smash Bros.. Lucas is the main character of Mother 3, the Japan-only sequel to EarthBound. Lucas' special moves are very similar to Ness', but his physical attacks are all completely different. Lucas relies on his PSI powers far more than Ness, using them for all but his forward smash, up aerial, down tilt, and standard combo attacks.

Lucas uses Duster's Rope Snake from Mother 3 to perform a tether recovery. The Rope Snake is also a taunt, where Lucas looks at the snake and argues with it. Lucas also utilizes Duster's Rope Snake for his grabs, giving him a ranged grab, much like Link, Toon Link, Samus, and Olimar. Like Ness, all of his special moves, as well as his Final Smash, derive from in-game attacks that are instead learned by another character, in his case, Kumatora, not Lucas himself.

Lucas currently ranks 30th on the tier list at the top of low tier. Lucas possesses above average speed and mobility, as well as powerful and effective finishers, a great and versatile recovery with several options, fast attacks, and multiple attacks that can setup additional blows effectively. However, Lucas possesses a subpar aerial game with mediocre aerial attacks, no reliable finisher outside his smash attacks (limiting his versatility in being able to finish off an opponent), and a rather poor grab and throw game, possessing a not so far reaching tether grab and lacking any effective setup throws. His most major flaw though, which is often cited as the reason for his low tier placement, is the 10 additional frames of lag he suffers when grab released, similar to his semi-clone, Ness. This makes him vulnerable to grab release followups from nearly every character, as well as infinite and zero death chain grab releases (most notoriously from Marth). As a result, Lucas has terrible matchups (including several hard counters), and poor tournament results.

Attributes

Lucas is a character with mostly slow but strong attacks that have large hitboxes, and average dash speed. It should be noted that Lucas's aerial range (like many of his moves) is quite low, his forward and backward aerials having very low range, and his down aerial having terrible horizontal range. On the upside, his aerials are generally quick, and his back and down aerials can meteor smash opponents. Note that both of his two aerial meteor smashes are hard to hit with in the fact that they can only meteor smash an enemy downwards with a certain "spot" of the attacks (Tip of his foot for the back aerial, 4th and final kick for his down aerial, which is the easier to land but much weaker of the two).

His smashes are very strong: His up smash can be charged for massive damage and vertical knockback, his forward smash is a decently strong and fairly quick smash attack that also reflects projectiles (like Ness' forward smash), and his down smash is very strong and can hit three times, but has a bit of startup lag. Two of his smash attacks (up smash and down smash) tend to have enough ending lag to be easily punished in many situations, leaving him using only his forward smash for easy on-stage kills, which becomes too predictable for KO use. However, his down-smash is among the highest damaging in the game, alongside Ice Climbers, but all three hits would only typically connect if the opponent has some form of knockback resistance, and if an opponent is vunerable, up smash makes a very easy and quick KO.

Two of his special moves can be “controlled”, PK Freeze and PK Thunder. This means that these attacks both leave Lucas very vulnerable because he can't move or attack when controlling these projectiles. PK Thunder is Lucas’ main recovery move. If it hits Lucas, it will shoot him in an angle depending on the part of Lucas's body which it hits, and will deal a large amount of damage if most or all its hits connect. It also deals high knockback, and acts as a good approach. PK Thunder normally goes through enemies and objects, but it can still be interrupted by certain attacks (hurting PK Thunder Recovery). PK Freeze can be controlled from side to side and can freeze opponents and do a good amount of damage if "charged", but the vertical nature of its knockback limits its use. His side special, PK Fire, is a single hit move that pushes Lucas back a little, making it great for Wavebouncing. It can also be used to Zap Jump, which gives Lucas’s recovery a substantial boost. His down special, PSI Magnet, can absorb energy based projectiles, such as Ray Gun bullets, Fire Breath and even Pikachu's Thunder, and if it used right after PK Fire, can push him back even further called the Magnet Pull, giving him a great horizontal recovery. His grab range is great and is far longer than Ness's range since it's a tether, but it is quite laggy if missed. His throws are also powerful with good KO potential. In addition, his second jump is the 3rd highest in the game, falling a little shy of Ness who is also exceeded by Yoshi. As stated above, the jump can be significantly lengthened by performing a PK Fire 1 frame after a midair jump has been inputted.

Overall, Lucas benefits from a high double-jump, powerful and quick side smash, high damaging and powerful up and down smashes, long range and strong grabs, brilliant pummel, a high damaging and knockback approach move in PK Thunder 2, which when used correctly, gives good recovery distance, and advanced techniques such as Magnet Pull and Zap Jump. However, being infinite-chaingrabbed by multiple characters is a major flaw in his game. He, like Ness, suffers from 10 additional frames of lag when he escapes from grabs, enough to be re-grabbed or open for certain attacks, his recovery can be prevented, he is fairly floaty, and some smash attacks are slow.

Moveset

Ground attacks

Normal

• Neutral attack - Kicks with his right leg twice, then does a spinkick with his left. Very fast, as the hitbox comes out on the second frame. Three hits doing 3%, 3%, then 4% for a max of 10%. All hits have surprising disjointed reach.
• Dash attack - Lucas slides forward, shooting PSI energy out of his hands. Has a bit of startup lag (17-22 frames), but decent range. 12% normally, 10% if hit at the tip.
• Forward tilt - Lucas does a back hand and creates a shock of PSI. Can be aimed up or down slightly. If aimed down, it can trip foes. Does 11% normally, 9% if the opponent is a bit behind Lucas. Has a few IASA frames. Hits on frame 6-10.
• Up tilt - Lucas does a one-handed stand flipkick charged with PSI. Can chain into itself at lower damage percentages. Two hits of 3%, then 8% for a max of 11%. Hits on frame 4-18.
• Down tilt - Lucas crouches and spins with his leg out. The tip of this attack trips. This can be used multiple times in a row, like Ness' Strong Down, then be chained into a fast attack. Is surprisingly disjointed, with the hitbox extending to half a character length past Lucas. Only the disjointed hitbox trips, with a high trip rate. It semi-spikes opponents, but due to its extremely low knockback, it is only noticeable at extremely high percentages. Does 6%. Start-up of 3-5 frames.

Smash

• Forward smash - Lucas swings his stick. Like Ness' Forward Smash, it is a reflector, but is faster (14-17 frames) yet weaker (though it still has good knockback). 15% uncharged, 21% fully charged.
• Up smash - Lucas releases a burst of PSI that erupts above his head, but also hits to the sides and damages any breakable floors Lucas may be standing on. It has a very slow start-up (hits on frame 28-53) and leaves horrid lag afterwards rendering it very easily punished. It is however compensated by its extremely large knockback and range, it is the second strongest up smash in the game (only Ivysaur's up smash is stronger). At the same time, its range is wide enough to hit two character lengths to the side of him, and able to hit foes on the very top platform of Battlefield from the bottom. Two hits of 2% (does not connect if opponent is far away), then 19% for a max of 21% uncharged, 27% for a max of 29% fully charged.
• Down smash - Lucas points at the ground in front of him, "shooting" three bursts of PSI energy at his feet. Though each hit is progressively weaker, their hitboxes gradually grow. It is unlikely that two of the hits will connect on the same enemy. Great for edgeguarding. The third hit has a chance of tripping foes at low %. Has minimal protection from behind, thus leaving Lucas very vulnerable. Three hits of 17%, 14%, then 11% uncharged, 23%, 20%, then 15% fully charged, for a total of 58%. If this move was used while he is on a destructible platform, the destruction of the platform would cause him to be in the air and the attack ends without lag. It is very possible to hit with more than one hit if Lucas is on a moving platform, like the one on Smashville or if the opponent has a slow motion effect on themself. First hit on frame 20-22, second hit on frame 29-31 and final hit on frame 33-35. Note that this down smash, along with Zero Suit Samus's, are the only ones in the game that only hit one side of the character.

Other

• Ledge attack - Lucas flips onto the stage, then does a sweep kick. 8%.
• 100% ledge attack - Lucas slowly climbs up with his fist drawn back, then delivers a powerful punch. 10%.
• Floor attack - Lucas gets up and spins on one hand while sticking a leg out. 6%.
• Trip attack - Lucas gets up on his hands and kicks backwards, then thrusts his legs between his arms in a kick forward. 5%.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial - Lucas spins in a gyro pattern with PSI energy around him with the last hit having decent knockback. Lucas' fastest aerial (start-up of 5 frames and very low cooldown). Seven hits of 2%, then a hit of 3% for a total of 17% damage.
• Forward aerial - Lucas kicks his foot forward with PSI. Hits on frame 9-16. Can be auto-canceled. Does 12% normally, 10% if the enemy is a bit behind Lucas, 8% if the enemy is hit with the final frames of the move.
• Back aerial - Lucas thrusts his feet behind him and hooks them downwards with a stream of small PSI. Knocks backwards, if one hits with the tip of his foot or the final hexagon during the attack's animation, it is a decent meteor smash. Regular, non-meteor smash, knockback is extremely low. 10% if sourspotted, 7% during last frames, 12% if sweetspotted. Hitbox out on frame 15 until frame 21.
• Up aerial - Moves upwards a little and does a headbutt, decent knockback. Has quite a bit of ending lag. 13% damage. Hits on frame 5-10.
• Down aerial - Lucas thrusts his feet downwards and creates several quick-flashing PSI energy. Multiple-hit attack. The fourth hit can meteor smash weakly and can also set up a lock. Up to 20% damage if all hits connect. Although it has the fastest start-up (4 frames) of his aerials, it possesses considerable ending lag. Also be careful when using the move off stage, if the player fastfalls with it, the long animation may make them lose a stock.
• Rope Snake - Lucas thrusts his Rope Snake forward. No damage; for recovery purposes only.

Grabs and throws

All of his throws can KO at high percent.

• Grab - Pulls out his Rope Snake which extends and grabs the opponent. Long range and less laggy than other tether grabs, especially his pivot grab.
• Pummel - Headbutts the foe. One of the fastest pummels in the game. When done in the correct rhythm, it deals 9% per second, considered the best pummel in the game. Does 3% each hit.
• Forward throw - Psychokinetically tosses opponent ahead. Can KO at high percent if used near the ledge. 10% damage.
• Back throw - Psychokinetically blasts opponent back. Very high KO potential. One of the strongest back throws in the game. 10% damage.
• Up throw - Psychokinetically tosses opponent straight up. Can KO at high percent. 10% damage.
• Down throw - Psychokinetically slams opponent down, and stomps on the opponent. 7% damage. High vertical knockback. This is Lucas' strongest throw and it is the strongest down throw in the game. Combines with Strong Up until 35% (average).

Taunts

• Up taunt - Lucas trips, shakes his head, and gets back up.
• Down taunt - Lucas creates PSI sparks with his fingers, moving his arms in a sideways motion.
• Side taunt - Duster's Rope Snake taps him on the shoulder and has a brief conversation with Lucas, as Lucas shrugs towards it.

Victory Poses

• Is found kneeling on the ground holding his stick, before turning to face the camera with a "hm?"
• Swishes PSI hexagons in the air with his finger.
• Pulls one of the Seven Needles out of the ground.

Idle Poses

• Tap the edge of both of his shoes' edge to the ground.
• Cowardly shaking his fist hand in front of his body.

Cheer

Lu cas!

Brawl Manual Description

A youth with pronounced psychic powers. His PK-based attacks hit hard.

Special moves

Lucas's special moves

Neutral special	PK Freeze
Side special	PK Fire
Up special	PK Thunder
Down special	PSI Magnet
Final Smash	PK Starstorm

In Competitive play

Matchups

Super Smash Bros. Brawl Character Matchups

Avg.

Role in Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary

Lucas in the Subspace Emissary

Lucas is seen walking alone in an abandoned zoo, until several Primids show up. Then, suddenly, the gigantic Porky Statue appears and chases after Lucas. Lucas runs from it, until he gets caught in a snag and is about to be crushed when Ness comes to his rescue by attacking the statue with a PK Thunder. Ness blows up the Porky Statue with his PK Flash, which reveals Porky Minch himself (based on his Mother 3 appearance). Ness and Lucas defeat him, but no sooner do they do so when Wario shows up and attempts to shoot Ness with his Dark Cannon. Ness dodges each time, so Wario eventually aims at Lucas and shoots. Ness pushes Lucas out of the way and gets turned into a trophy himself. Terrified, Lucas runs away as Wario cackles in the rain.

Later on, Lucas runs into the Pokémon Trainer as more Primids show up. After they are defeated, the Pokémon Trainer leaves, but Lucas decides to join him after remembering what happened to Ness. Lucas and the Trainer encounter and defeat Wario in the desert wastelands outside of an abandoned temple, but Lucas gets depressed when Ness is still nowhere to be seen. Along the way, the Pokémon Trainer catches Ivysaur and Charizard. After Charizard is caught, Galleom falls into the ruins, having been knocked down there by Marth, Meta Knight, and Ike. A battle ensues between Lucas, the Pokémon Trainer, and Galleom.

After the battle, Galleom grabs Lucas and the Pokémon Trainer, jumping high into the sky and out of the ruins. Galleom then attempts to detonate a Subspace Bomb as a last-ditch effort. Lucas, finally gaining his courage, uses PK Thunder to sever Galleom's arm, causing the two to plummet to the ground. Just before they hit the bottom, Meta Knight grabs the two and takes them to Marth and Ike. When there, Lucas shakes hands with the Trainer as a sign of their friendship.

Lucas and the other heroes confront the Subspace Gunship, and then journey into subspace to battle Tabuu. Lucas is defeated by Tabuu's Off Wave, but later revived by Ness and his companions. He accompanies the heroes into the Great Maze, and can be used to defeat Tabuu at the final battle.

Exclusive Stickers

Lucas can use any sticker that has a PK attack bonus, similar to Ness. He can also use ice, fire, and electric attack bonuses for his special moves, and body, leg, and head bonuses for his physical attacks.

Costumes

File:Alt-lucas.jpg

Lucas' various costume changes

Trivia

• Ironically, while Lucas' game (Mother 3) was released only in Japan, his in-game voice in Brawl speaks with an American accent, whereas Ness, whose game (EarthBound) was released in North America and takes place in a stand-in for America, speaks using a Japanese accent.
• Oddly, when the Rope Snake is used against a ledge at 1/4 speed, it jerks around while it clings to the ledge and while Lucas is being pulled up. At other speeds, it only jerks around while Lucas is being pulled up (it is unnoticeable at normal speed and 1.5 speed).
  • Also, when Lucas uses the Rope Snake when standing on a ramp or angled platform, Lucas's hair will flatten out.
• In the SSE, Lucas trips over a root, but his foot is seen under it.
• Lucas never uses his hands directly to attack, except for his ledge attack (if his damage is more than 100%).
• Lucas's second costume makes him look like Claus, his older twin brother.

External links

• Lucas' page at Smash Bros. DOJO!!
• Lucas' Advance Techniques
• List of Lucas' Advance Techniques
• Lucas' hitbox size of each of his moves