Luigi (SSB4)

Luigi in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Mario
Other playable appearances	in SSB in Melee in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Poltergust 5000
Tier	C (26)

Luigi (ルイージ, Luigi) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. 4. His return to the series was announced during a Nintendo Direct on August 7th, 2013, which coincided with the announcement of Mario & Luigi: Dream Team and commemorated the Year of Luigi. Charles Martinet reprises his role as Luigi's voice actor, albeit via voice clips recycled from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Luigi is currently ranked 26th out of 58 in the tier list, placing him in the C tier. This is a considerable improvement over his placement in Brawl, where he was ranked 28th out of 38, and is his best proportional placement in the series. Luigi's most notable strength is the utility of his moveset: his overall fast frame data makes him difficult to punish, his very potent air game is supplemented by several of his grounded moves' favorable launching angles, he has a number of moves that boast outstanding combo potential, and his Fireball is a useful projectile. Luigi's attributes have also been improved: he dashes much faster, while his air game and aerial mobility benefit from his much faster fast falling speed, higher gravity, lower short hop, and higher jump. Lastly, Luigi's recovery remains unpredictable and long-distanced, as Green Missile and Luigi Cyclone are both risky to intercept.

However, Luigi has retained his noticeable weaknesses from previous installments. Luigi's mobility is still slow and awkward in spite of its improvements: his faster dashing speed is slightly below average at best compared to the rest of the cast, while his low traction and slow air speed still largely offset his out of shield options, potent punishment ability, and the variability of his recovery. Despite having Fireball, Luigi's overall range is still short, which prevents him from racking up damage from a safe distance, especially against characters that have disjointed hitboxes and/or projectiles.

Overall, Luigi tends to run hot-and-cold like in previous installments. He initially had a large playerbase and excellent results, such as J.Miller winning B.E.A.S.T 5 with him. Although update 1.1.1 nerfed Luigi's combo game to the point that his results and playerbase decreased, he has continued to achieve excellent results at local and regional tournaments, and respectable results at national tournaments.

Attributes

Luigi is a middleweight whose attributes differ noticeably from other characters of the same weight class. Although he has average walking speed, he has slightly below average dashing speed, and the lowest traction in the game. Luigi's aerial attributes are also very atypical for a middleweight: he has very slow falling and air speeds, low gravity, above average air acceleration, the fourth highest jump, and the seventh highest double jump. As a result of these attributes, Luigi has overall slow mobility and is floaty.

Like his older brother, Luigi can be very difficult to punish: all but two of his regular moves (forward smash and down aerial) hit before frame 10, which results in his frame data being the fastest in the game in regard to start-up lag and when excluding special moves. This, in turn, is supplemented by the immense utility of his overall moveset. Luigi's neutral attack deals respectable damage, has decent range, and can be jab canceled reliably even at high percentages. His tilt attacks also have their own perks: forward tilt can be angled, has decent range and is useful for spacing beginning at 55%, up tilt has excellent combo potential up to high percentages and can KO at very high percentages, and down tilt can hinder aerial opponents that attempt to grab the edge. Luigi's smash attacks are strong enough to KO at reasonable percentages, but his up smash and down smash also have some utility. Up smash has set-up potential from 0%-5% and is a very reliable follow-up from down throw from 0%-10%. Down smash is largely similar in comparison: it is a reliable follow-up from down throw at 0%, albeit only against heavyweights and fast-fallers, and its front hit has set-up potential from 0%-5%. However, it is also useful for punishing rolls and damage racking, thanks to its speed, damage output, and range.

Luigi's aerial attacks are also very useful, as each of them can be auto-canceled with a short hop, and possess specific perks. Neutral aerial is a sex kick and, like in previous installments, the only sex kick that launches opponents vertically, which benefits its clean and late hitboxes: the former is a great combo breaker and a situational KOing option near the upper blast line, whereas the latter is a very useful combo starter when SHFF'd. Forward aerial is the fastest aerial of its kind and is very useful for approaching, edge-guarding, and combos. Back aerial has long range and a very powerful clean hitbox, which enable it to function as a safe and reliable KOing option, or as an approach option when used as part of a reverse aerial rush. Up aerial is useful for combos, and has the lowest amount of landing lag out of his aerial attacks. Lastly, down aerial is the third fastest of its kind, surpassed only by Meta Knight and Little Mac's respectively, and is able to meteor smash.

Luigi's grab game is among the best in the game. His grabs are among the fastest in the game, while his pummel is tied with Mr. Game & Watch's as the fourth most damaging in the game. Luigi's down throw is by far his most useful throw. Although update 1.1.1 altered its knockback to the point of considerably nerfing its combo potential, it remains one of the most versatile throws in the game. At low percentages, it can be followed up by forward tilt, up tilt and any smash attack, while it can then be followed up with any aerial attack, Luigi Cyclone and Super Jump Punch up to medium percentages. Even at medium to high percentages, it can reliably set up an up aerial. These combos vary between floaty characters and fast-fallers, but his versatile aerial attacks can still rack up large amounts of damage regardless. Although Luigi's back throw has weakened since Brawl, it is just as strong as Lucas', and is therefore a reliable KOing option at high percentages. Lastly, his forward and up throws have minimal utility, but are quick and deal respectable damage, with the former also being a capable edge-guard set-up.

As a semi-clone of Mario, Luigi has two special moves that are derived from his older brother, yet his versions deviate in noticeable ways. Fireball is a projectile that is useful for pressuring, hindering an opponent's approach, or acting as a set-up option. Unlike Mario's Fireball, Luigi's is unaffected by gravity, which makes it somewhat less effective at hindering an opponent's recovery or edge-guard attempt. Super Jump Punch has very quick start-up like Mario's, but consists of a sweetspot and sourspot unlike his, which makes it function much differently in comparison: the sweetspot boasts devastating power, which makes it a very potent punishment option, yet it is very risky because of its extremely weak sourspot and very high ending lag. Aside from these, Luigi's other special moves are completely distinct from Mario's. Green Missile deals damage and covers horizontal distance, both of which can be increased thanks to its ability to be charged. However, it is also possible for Green Missile to misfire; in this case, it becomes even stronger than the fully charged version and covers approximately 60% of Final Destination. Lastly, Luigi Cyclone can function as an approach option, a KOing option near the upper blast line and, with enough button mashing, a vertical recovery option. While difficult to perform, it can even gimp recoveries as well.

However, Luigi has noticeable weaknesses, with the most significant one being his recovery. Green Missile is slow and can be stopped by opponents willing to endure its hitbox, while Luigi Cyclone requires an extreme amount of button mashing to be effective without prior momentum. Lastly, Super Jump Punch is the least effective recovery option in his arsenal, due to it lacking any sort of horizontal movement as Luigi ascends. This means he is overly reliant on his double jump to recover, as his slow air speed will make it very difficult to return to the stage, making his long-distanced recovery slow and easily gimped. Most of Luigi's attacks and all of his grabs have very short ranges, making it very difficult for him to fight opponents with disjointed hitboxes, especially in the air. His plentiful and effective out of shield options are also usable only sporadically, since he gets pushed back very far when shielding due to his very low traction, while his lack of a reflecting move leaves him vulnerable to camping.

As in previous installments, Luigi's mobility prevents him from approaching quickly, especially from the air. This results in him having significant trouble keeping up with faster opponents, such as Sheik, Zero Suit Samus, and Sonic, which in turn hinders his otherwise excellent neutral game. As a result, Luigi is must either use short hopped neutral, forward and back aerials to approach, or use Fireball to force approaches. However, there are a few methods that, at varying degrees, alleviate Luigi's problematic traction. Shield-stopping negates his dash's noticeable skid, improving his approach's safety. Fox-trotting enables Luigi to dash while only enduring a slight slide rather than the skid, making it slightly risky, yet allowing him to go on the offensive more reliably and even enabling him to play mindgames, particularly baiting. The last method is simply walking: although Luigi's walking speed is average like his dashing speed, it is not as glaringly susceptible to his slippery traction like his dash is. When coupled with proper usage of Fireball, this method can also enable him to maintain stage control. A notable user and proponent of the walking method is J.Miller.

Luigi has a number of useful custom moves, with his most notable ones being Floating Missile and Quick Missile. Floating Missile is much riskier to intercept because it propels Luigi in a perfectly straight line, charges much faster, and is only slightly weaker than Green Missile. Quick Missile travels much farther and moves much faster, similarly to how Green Missile functioned in Melee. However, it is slightly weaker, while its considerably higher ending lag and lack of traction upon landing on a stage or platform make it much more punishable. Luigi also has a few other custom moves that are rather useful. Ice Ball has a slightly lower damage output, slightly higher start-up lag, slightly shorter range, and travels slower. However, it momentarily freezes opponents beginning at 50%, while its slower speed enables Luigi to fire multiple Ice Balls in immediate succession. True to its name, Burial Header buries grounded opponents, but also covers significantly more vertical height, descends much faster, and has much less landing lag. However, it deals significantly less damage and lacks KO potential. Mach Cyclone covers almost no horizontal distance, and possesses a windbox and a concluding hitbox instead of multiple hitboxes. However, it covers a tremendous amount of vertical distance, while its lone hitbox is very powerful, making it very useful for edge-guarding. Aside from these, the rest of Luigi's custom moves have advantages that are situational at best, which makes them generally not worth using.

Overall, Luigi can be a force to be reckoned with as long as his significant flaws are circumvented. Although his representation in the competitive scene has lowered somewhat since update 1.1.1 because of said update considerably nerfing his down throw's combo potential, he has achieved great results in tournaments regardless.

Changes from Brawl

Luigi has been buffed significantly in the transition from Brawl to SSB4. His neutral and combo games have improved, with the latter being among the most effective in the entire game. Luigi's overall mobility, particularly his dashing speed, has also improved, which in turn supplements his neutral and combo games. However, Luigi did receive a number of nerfs. His recovery was moderately worsened, some of his moves (including all of his KOing options) had their power weakened, and most of his moves have lower damage outputs. Despite these nerfs, he has still been established as one of the most successful characters in tournament play.

Aesthetics

• Due to the aesthetic used in SSB4, Luigi has a sleeker design, and his overall color scheme is more vibrant. His overalls' pant legs are also no longer rolled up around his ankles. Altogether, these changes make Luigi appear virtually identical to his appearance as of Super Mario 3D Land.
• Luigi is significantly more expressive. He now smiles during his defeated/No Contest animation, sports a toothy grin during Fireball and the last hits of his neutral attack and Luigi Cyclone, smiles nervously during his pivot grab, sports an oohing expression during Luigi Cyclone's loop hits, appears alarmed during his down aerial and screen KO, and winces depressingly during his back aerial, up aerial, standing grab, dash grab, back throw, and childish punching victory pose. Luigi also now sports humorously quirky expressions during his sidestep and up taunt.

Attributes

• Luigi dashes faster (1.34 → 1.5).
• Luigi's traction is higher (0.022 → 0.024), although it is still the lowest in the game.
• Luigi's air speed is faster (0.7332 → 0.7341766).
• Luigi's falls faster (1.22 → 1.25). This slightly improves his vertical endurance, but makes him slightly more susceptible to combos.
• Luigi's fast falling speed is faster (1.708 → 2.0), making him less susceptible to juggling.
• Luigi's gravity is higher (0.065 → 0.075). This improves his aerial mobility and somewhat alleviates the drawbacks of his floatiness.
• Short hop is lower and jump is higher, improving his air game and aerial maneuverability.
• Dash's animation has slightly changed. Luigi now has a slightly different stance upon skidding to a stop.
• Jump's animation has changed. Luigi now performs the Scuttle, one of his signature techniques that debuted in Super Mario Bros. 2 and has appeared in a number of other Mario games.
• Crawl has updated sound effects. Luigi's footsteps now emit the running sound effect from Mario Bros.
• Victory pose's animation has slightly changed. Luigi now keeps both eyes open during his finger gun victory pose, instead of winking each eye in sync with the direction he sways his hands towards.

Ground attacks

• Neutral attack's last hit has increased base knockback (30 → 65), improving its spacing potential.
• Neutral attack's last hit's animation has slightly changed. Luigi now moves slightly farther forward to perform the hip thrust. This new animation increases its range, but increases its start-up lag (frame 5 → 6).
• All tilt attacks deal less damage (10% → 8% (forward), 9% → 6% (up), 9% → 8% (down)).
• Forward tilt has a shorter duration (frames 5-10 → 5-7).
• Up tilt has altered knockback (30 (base)/127 (growth) → 8/150), significantly improving its combo and juggling potential.
• Down tilt has altered knockback (30 (base)/50 (growth) → 20/65).
• Due to its angle being altered (270° → 361°), down tilt no longer meteor smashes. Its chance of tripping has also decreased (35% → 25%).
• Dash attack's loop hits have altered knockback (1 (base)/80 (growth) → 26/10) and their angles have been altered (361° → 65°/10°). Its last hit also has increased knockback (50 (base)/100 (growth) → 60/128). Altogether, these changes significantly improve its reliability.
• Forward smash now deals consistent damage (15% (upward)/14% (non-angled)/13% (downward) → 15% (all angles)).
• Forward smash has decreased knockback growth (135 (all angles) → 121 (upward)/116 (non-angled)/117 (downward)), hindering its KO potential. Forward smash angled up also has more ending lag (29 frames → 42 frames).
• Forward smash now has a stab effect, instead of a slash effect.
• Sweetspotted up smash deals 1% less damage (15% → 14%), slightly hindering its KO potential.
• Down smash deals less damage (16% (legs)/17% (body) → 14%/15%), hindering its KO potential. It also has increased start-up lag (frame 3 → 6 (front), frame 12 → 14 (back)).
• Down smash has increased knockback growth (80 (both) → 85 (front)/104 (back)), improving its spacing potential.

Aerial attacks

• Clean neutral aerial deals 2% less damage (14% → 12%), has decreased knockback growth (100 → 90), and a shorter duration (frames 3-6 → 3-5). Neutral aerial also has smaller hitboxes (4.5u/4.5u (clean/late) → 4.5u/4u (clean), 3u/2.5u (late)).
• Late neutral aerial's angle has been altered (90° → 80°), improving its combo potential.
• Neutral, back, and down aerials have increased landing lag (10 frames → 14 (neutral), 12 frames → 16 (back), 12 frames → 20 (down)).
• Due to Luigi's lower short hop, neutral and back aerials can no longer be performed twice with a short hop.
• Forward and up aerials deal less damage (10% → 8% (forward), 13% → 11% (up)).
• Forward aerial has increased range, improving its approach and edge-guarding potential.
• Clean back aerial deals more damage (12% → 14%), improving its KO potential.
• Clean back aerial has a shorter duration (frames 6-10 → 6-7) and its legs sweetspot is now a sourspot that deals 4% less damage (12% → 8%), hindering its reliability. Additionally, late back aerial has smaller hitboxes (4.5u/5.76u → 4u/5u). Lastly, back aerial has increased ending lag (frame 37 → 46).
• Down aerial deals less damage (11% → 10% (clean)/8% (late)). Clean down aerial also has less knockback growth (100 → 80) and a smaller hitbox (5u → 2.5u) compared to the previous hitboxes.
• Due to consisting of a clean hitbox and late hitbox instead of consistent hitboxes, down aerial now meteor smashes opponents based on timing, instead of positioning. This significantly improves its reliability.

Throws/other attacks

• Dash grab has decreased start-up (frame 12 → 8) and ending lag (frame 39 → 36).
• All grabs' animations have changed. Luigi now reaches out with one hand, instead of using both to clinch the opponent.
• Pummel deals 0.2% more damage (3% → 3.2%).
• Back throw deals 2% less damage (12% → 10%), hindering its KO potential.
• Luigi has a new down throw, a Ground Pound. Compared to the previous down throw, it has altered knockback (75 (base)/30 (growth) → 55/83). When coupled with the changes to hitstun canceling, this makes it significantly better for combos at low to high percentages.
• Floor attacks deal 1% more damage (6% → 7%).
• Luigi has a new edge attack, a double-footed legsweep.

Special moves

• Due to consisting of a clean hitbox and a late hitbox instead of a consistent hitbox, Fireball no longer deals consistent damage (6% → 6% (clean)/5% (late)).
• Fireball has increased range.
• Fireball is lower pitched.
• Uncharged Green Missile deals ≈1% more damage (5% → ≈6%). Green Missile's hitbox has also been re-positioned to cover Luigi's entire head instead of only his neck.
• Fully charged Green Missile deals ≈5% less damage (26% → ≈21%).
• Holding a fully charged grounded Green Missile past a certain point will now cancel it, instead of holding the charge indefinitely. Upon being overcharged, Luigi will be vulnerable very briefly. This allows Luigi to no longer be stuck in a position that could potentially be punishable, but makes it impossible to use Green Missile to stall opponents and thus force them to go into Luigi's line of fire if they want to continue fighting.
• Green Missile's chance of misfiring has decreased (12.5% → 10%). This improves its safety while near edges, but hinders its offensive and recovery potentials.
• Green Missile has updated sound effects.
• Grounded sweetspotted Super Jump Punch has increased knockback growth (73 → 77), improving its KO potential. Grounded Super Jump Punch also covers less vertical distance, slightly improving its safety.
• Aerial Super Jump Punch has increased start-up (frame 6 → 8) and landing lag (35 frames → 40). It also covers less horizontal distance after ascending and significantly less vertical distance, hindering its recovery potential.
• Grounded sweetspotted Super Jump Punch's angle has been altered (90° → 88°).
• Due to consisting of six hits instead of eight, Luigi Cyclone deals 3% less damage (12% → 9%). It also has increased start-up lag (frame 7 → 10).
• Due to their angles being altered (160°/20°/90° → 366°), Luigi Cyclone's loop hits connect together better. Its last hit also has increased knockback (60 (base)/115 (growth) → 80/130 (grounded)/120 (aerial)), improving its KO potential near the upper blast line.
• Aerial Luigi Cyclone covers significantly less vertical distance, is extremely difficult to ascend with without a jump, and requires significantly more button mashing in order to ascend. Altogether, these changes hinder its recovery potential.
• The weakening of SDI makes Luigi Cyclone significantly more difficult to escape from.
• Luigi has a new Final Smash, Poltergust 5000. Unlike Negative Zone, Poltergust 5000 traps nearby opponents, deals considerable damage, and has very high knockback, instead of affecting a very wide area and granting Luigi easy openings to deal more damage and/or possibly score KOs.

Update history

Luigi has received a mix of buffs and nerfs via game updates, though his buffs outweighed his nerfs until update 1.1.1. While said update brought about only two nerfs, the nerf to his down throw was considerable enough to counter the numerous buffs that the updates gave him. The changes to shield mechanics also indirectly nerf Luigi, as it is even harder for him to punish out of shield and his best moves do not have noticeable hitlag. As a result, Luigi has become a slightly less effective character than he was during the initial release of SSB4, although he is still viable in spite of his most notable strengths (his combo game and punishment ability) being toned down.

1.0.4

• Forward smash damage: 14% → 15%
• Forward smash's side angle: 55° → 53°
• Down smash's second hit angle: 70° → 60°
• Down smash's second hit knockback scaling: 80 → 100
• Forward aerial's hand hitbox radius: 4.8 → 5.6
• Order of hitboxes of forward aerial reversed (no practical effect).
• Super Jump Punch (default) ground sweetspot radius: 1.6 → 1.7
• Super Jump Punch (default) ground sweetspot z-offset: 6.1 → 7.0
• Super Jump Punch (default) air sweetspot radius: 2.1 → 2.2
• Super Jump Punch (default) air sweetspot z-offset: 4.7 → 5.5

1.0.6

• Fireball deals 1% less damage the farther it goes: 6% → 5% (late).

1.1.0

• Forward aerial deals less damage (9% → 8%). While this slightly worsens its edgeguarding abilities, it also slightly improves its combo abilities.
• Fireball's ending lag is increased (total: 40 → 43 frames).
• Fiery Jump Punch (custom 2) knockback growth increased (40 → 50).
• Super Jump Punch's default grounded hitbox size increased (1.7u → 2.2u).
• Super Jump Punch's default aerial hitbox size increased (2.2u → 2.7u).
• Down tilt's angle altered from 74° to the Sakurai angle significantly hindering its function as a combo starter or set-up.
• Down tilt's knockback growth increased (54 → 65).
• Down tilt's ending lag is decreased (29 → 26).

1.1.1

• The changes to shield mechanics have been detrimental to Luigi, as the increase in shieldstun makes it much harder for him to punish from out of shield due to his already low traction. Additionally, only a very select few of his moves benefit from these changes, with the most notable example being a fully charged or misfired Green Missile.
• Down throw's knockback has been altered (75 base/30 growth → 55 base/83 growth). The new knockback scaling removes Luigi's most notable follow-ups (very few moves are now only semi-guaranteed KO set-ups), particularly outside of medium percents.
• Down aerial spike hitbox increased (1.8 → 2.5).
• Down smash knockback growth increased (80/100 → 82/104 first/second strikes)
• Fiery Jump Punch hitbox size increased (3.8 → 4.0).
• Fiery Jump Punch horizontal displacement (6.4 → 7.0).
• Luigi Cyclone initial hitbox hitlag increased (1.0 → 1.3).
• Luigi Cyclone angle 90° → 89°.
• Aerial Luigi Cyclone final hitbox growth decreased 130 → 120.
• Clothesline Tornado damage increased (8% → 10%/12% depending on the hitbox.)
  • The sweetspot hitbox is larger.
  • The sweetspot has more base knockback: 60 → 100.
  • The sweetspot has drastically decreased growth: 120 → 70.

Moveset

• Luigi can crawl.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			3%	A one-two combo followed by a hip thrust. It hits on frame 2, its last hit slightly moves Luigi forward, and it has a decent overall damage output. These traits makes it a safe, yet reliable damage racking option. However, its first hit is also reliable for jab canceled combos, with follow-ups including tilt attacks, down smash, standing grab, and Super Jump Punch, the latter of which is effective even at high percentages. Its first two hits are based on the Punch + Punch + Kick combo from Super Mario 64.
			2%
			5%
Forward tilt			8%	A wheel kick. It can be angled and is decent for spacing beginning at 55%.
Up tilt			6%	An overhead swipe. It has almost nonexistent base knockback, yet very high knockback growth, which make it very useful for initiating combos and juggles.
Down tilt			8%	A low-angle back kick. It can potentially trip opponents at low percentages, and is able to hit opponents that are trying to grab the edge.
Dash attack			1% (hits 1-6), 2% (hit 7)	A series of rapid, childish punches. Due to it hitting on frame 4, it is the third fastest dash attack in the game, surpassed only by Pac-Man and Little Mac's. It hits multiple times, while its last hit's very high knockback growth makes it decent at spacing. However, it has a very punishable amount of ending lag.
Forward smash			15%	A knifehand thrust. In addition to being Luigi's most damaging smash attack, it has very high knockback growth and can be angled like his forward tilt. While near the edge of Final Destination in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, it KOs middleweights at 99% when angled upward, and at 101% when not angled or angled downward. In comparison, it KOs middleweights at 91% when angled upward, and at 92% when not angled or angled downward in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. However, it hits on frame 12, which is the highest amount of start-up lag out of Luigi's smash attacks. It also has noticeable ending lag and very short range, although the latter can be somewhat alleviated with pivoting, thanks to Luigi's pivot being tied with Little Mac's as the second best in the game.
Up smash			14% (head), 12% (body)	An upward headbutt. It hits on frame 9, which is quite fast for a smash attack. Its sweetspot is located on Luigi's head and is strong enough to KO middleweights at 121% from anywhere on Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 112% in the Wii U version. Like Mario and Dr. Mario's up smashes, it renders his head intangible throughout its duration. It can also function well as a slide smash, thanks to Luigi's very low traction. However, its sourspot is much weaker because of its lower damage output, which also makes it very unreliable for KOing. The angle at which opponents are launched changes depending on when they were hit during its animation: opponents will be launched forward when they are behind Luigi, whereas they will be launched backward when they are in front of him.
Down smash			14% (legs), 15% (body)	A legsweep performed from a flare, an acrobatic technique used in breakdancing and gymnastics. Due to it hitting on frame 6, it has the lowest amount of start-up lag out of Luigi's smash attacks. It also hits on both sides, which makes it very useful for punishing rolls. Its back hit's very high knockback growth enables its legs' hitbox to KO middleweights at 115% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 109% in the Wii U version. Although its body hitbox KOs slightly earlier, it is difficult to hit with. In addition, its front hit is much weaker because of its average knockback growth. It is based on the Sweep Kick from Super Mario 64.
Neutral aerial			12% (clean), 6% (late)	A flying kick. Due to it hitting on frame 3, it has the lowest amount of start-up lag out of Luigi's aerials, and makes it a very useful anti-pressure option. It is also a sex kick, and the only one in the game that launches opponents vertically. As a result, its clean hitbox KOs middleweights at 122% while near Final Destination's upper blast line in the 3DS version, and at 118% in the Wii U version. In comparison, its late hitbox is a very useful combo starter and approach option when SHFF'd.
Forward aerial			8%	A downward knifehand strike. It is a reliable follow-up from down throw at low to medium percentages, and is also useful for edge-guarding or approaching. Its hitbox is positioned not only on Luigi's hand, but also slightly around on his, and has the quirk of launching opponents in the opposite direction.
Back aerial			14% (clean feet), 8% (clean legs, late)	A dropkick. It hits on frame 6, while its clean feet's hitbox has both an impressive damage output and very high knockback growth. These traits make it one of Luigi's most viable KOing options, as its clean feet hitbox KOs middleweights at 119% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 108% in the Wii U version. It is also useful for approaching when used as part of a reverse aerial rush. Like forward aerial, its clean legs and late hitboxes are positioned slightly around Luigi's body up to his front side, and have the same quirk of launching the opponent in the opposite direction if the body portion of their hitboxes hits them.
Up aerial			11% (clean), 7% (late)	A bicycle kick. It is useful for combos like Mario's and is Luigi's only reliable follow-up from down throw at high percentages. Unlike Mario's, however, it loses combo potential into itself beginning at 40% because of its launching angle being lower than his.
Down aerial			10% (clean), 8% (late)	A diagonal corkscrew dropkick. Its sweetspot is a meteor smash, though it only lasts for 1 frame. Unlike in previous games, its sweetspot is now based on timing instead of positioning, making it much easier to land. When coupled with down throw, its meteor smash can extend combos, or even act as a KO combo while near the edge. Conversely, its late hitbox has much higher knockback growth, but is less reliable for edge-guarding because of its slightly lower damage output.
Grab			—	Reaches out. While Luigi's grab ranges are relatively short, they have minimal lag. His standing grab is the fastest in the game, while his pivot grab is also very effective, thanks to his pivot being tied with Little Mac's as the second best in the game.
Pummel			3.2%	A headbutt. Moderately slow, but tied with Mr. Game & Watch's as the fourth most damaging pummel in the game.
Forward throw			9%	Spins the opponent around once and throws them forward. Very fast and Luigi's second most damaging throw, but has very minimal utility outside of dealing damage. Its only other benefits are acting either as an edge-guard set-up at high percentages, or as a set-up into dash attack. However, this combo is only effective against lightweights and middleweights at 0%, and against heavyweights until low percentages, depending on the latter's DI.
Back throw			10% (throw), 6% (collateral)	Spins the opponent by their legs three times before throws them backward. It also can hit other opponents while spinning, which deals minor damage and knockback. Due to its damage output lowering since Brawl, its KO potential has been toned down. However, it is still a reliable KOing option, as it KOs middleweights at 151% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 145% in the Wii U version. It is based on the throw that Mario used against Bowser in their battles in Super Mario 64.
Up throw			8%	Heaves the opponent directly overhead with both hands. Like his forward throw, it is fast, but has very minimal utility outside of dealing damage. Its only other benefit is acting as a set-up into a short hopped Luigi Cyclone, a combo that is only effective on middleweights, heavyweights, and fast-fallers at 0%.
Down throw			6%	Shoves the opponent under himself and Ground Pounds them. An excellent combo starter, it can combo into up tilt and any smash attack at 0%, into any aerial, Super Jump Punch, and Luigi Cyclone at low percentages, into forward aerial at medium percentages, and into up aerial at high percentages. Although its combo potential wanes past 100%, Luigi Cyclone can function as a mix-up against an opponent's air dodge as long as Luigi is not affected by rage.
Floor attack (front)			7%	Gets up and kicks behind himself and then in front of himself.
Floor attack (back)			7%	Gets up and punches behind himself and then in front of himself.
Floor attack (trip)			5%	Gets up and kicks behind himself and then in front of himself.
Edge attack			7%	Performs a double-footed legsweep while climbing up.
Neutral special	Default	Fireball	6% (clean), 5% (late)	Throws a Green Fireball. It is fairly spammable, which enables it to pressure, zone, hinder approaches, or even act as a set-up for a grab. Unlike in previous installments, it now deals less damage as it covers more distance, similarly to Mario's Fireball. Due to being unaffected by gravity, it is less suitable at edge-guarding compared to Mario's.
	Custom 1	Bouncing Fireball	6% (clean), 5% (mid), 4% (late)	Functions almost identically to Mario's Fireball, although its bouncing arc is more vertical compared to his. However, it has more ending lag, and its late hit deals slightly less damage.
	Custom 2	Ice Ball	4%	Throws an Ice Ball. It freezes opponents beginning at 50%, but deals slightly less damage and has slightly more start-up lag and slightly shorter range. It also travels slower, but this allows Luigi to fire multiple Ice Balls in immediate succession.
Side special	Default	Green Missile	≈6% (uncharged), ≈21% (fully charged), 25% (misfired)	Crouches and then shoots himself forward to perform a flying battering ram. It takes 1.17 seconds (70 frames) to fully charge, but deals impressive damage when fully charged, to the point that it KOs middleweights at 91% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 82% in the Wii U version. If charged on the ground for too long, the charge is canceled, which can allow for mindgames. It also has a 10% chance to misfire, which deals considerably more damage and has much higher knockback growth, to the point that it KOs middleweights at 50% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 42% in the Wii U version. A misfired Green Missile also grants intangibility on frames 18-22, and always travels the same distance regardless of the charge. However, its considerable ending lag makes it punishable whether it is used for offense or recovering, which makes reads very important in order to use it effectively.
	Custom 1	Floating Missile	≈4.3% (uncharged), ≈18% (fully charged), 23% (misfired)	Flies directly straight, which improves its accuracy, and charges faster. Although it deals slightly less damage, this is largely negligible, as it is still strong enough to KO reliably when fully charged or misfired. When fully charged, it KOs middleweights at 102% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 100% in the Wii U version. In comparison, a misfired Floating Missile KOs them at 52% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 50% in the Wii U version.
	Custom 2	Quick Missile	≈5.15% (uncharged), ≈20% (fully charged), 20% (misfired)	Flies much farther and faster, which make it much better for recovering. However, it takes longer to charge, and it a misfired Quick Missile is much weaker than the misfired versions of Green Missile and Floating Missile. It is also much more punishable, thanks to having noticeably more ending lag, and Luigi sliding upon the ground after landing. Although it deals slightly less damage, it is still strong enough to KO reliably when fully charged or misfired. When fully charged, it KOs middleweights at 97% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 87% in the Wii U version. In comparison, a misfired Quick Missile KOs them at 85% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 63% in the Wii U version.
Up special	Default	Super Jump Punch	25% (grounded sweetspot), 20% (aerial sweetspot), 1% (sourspot)	A jumping uppercut. Its grounded sweetspot emits a ping sound effect upon hitting, whereas its aerial sweetspot does not. Its grounded sweetspot's outstanding damage output makes it capable of KOing grounded middleweights at 64% from anywhere on Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 57% in the Wii U version. Its aerial sweetspot is larger, yet weaker, and does not emit a ping sound effect upon hitting. Despite its lower damage output, it is nevertheless strong enough to KO middleweights at 99% while near the upper blast line of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 77% in the Wii U version. Both sweetspots also grant intangibility on frames 8-10. However, it is very punishable because of its considerable ending lag and abysmally weak sourspot. In addition, its vertical recovery potential is most effective when preceded by a double jump.
	Custom 1	Fiery Jump Punch	18% (grounded sweetspot), 15% (aerial sweetspot), 1% (sourspot)	Covers more horizontal distance, grants slightly more intangibility, and its sweetspots are easier to hit. However, it covers less vertical distance and has noticeable ending lag, which make it less ideal for recovering. Its sweetspots also deal considerably less damage, but are powerful regardless, as both of them KO middleweights at 109% from anywhere on Final Destination in the 3DS version. Unlike Super Jump Punch, it launches opponents at a slight angle, instead of directly upward. It is comparable to how Luigi's Super Jump Punch functioned in Melee.
	Custom 2	Burial Header	8% (descent), 8% (landing), 1% (sourspot)	Covers significantly more vertical distance, to the point that it allows him to reach the top platform on Battlefield, and even more vertical distance when preceded by a double jump. Upon descending, Luigi buries grounded opponents, and diagonally launches aerial ones. When coupled with its much lower ending lag, its burying hitbox allows for reliable follow-ups. However, it lacks KO potential because of its significantly lower damage outputs.
Down special	Default	Luigi Cyclone	1.5% (hits 1-5), 3% (hit 6)	Rapidly spins around, trapping the opponent and damaging them with a series of discus clotheslines and spinning backfists before assuming a spread-eagle position to launch them. Like Dr. Tornado, it enables Luigi to move along the ground, albeit at a much faster speed, which makes make it decent as a surprise approach option. While in the air, button mashing grants it two special quirks: it will enable Luigi to ascend after his first jump, which also carries his double jump's momentum to enable an easier ascent, or it can act as a pseudo-spike, though the latter technique is quite difficult to perform. Outside of these two quirks, its last hit's very knockback growth enables it to KO middleweights at 135% while near the upper blast line of Final Destination in the 3DS version, and at 119% in the Wii U version. It appears to be based on the Spin Jump.
	Custom 1	Mach Cyclone	6%	Covers significantly more vertical distance, especially when button mashed, and has slightly less start-up lag. Unlike Luigi Cyclone, it consists of a windbox and a hitbox, the latter of which deals twice as much damage and has significantly more knockback than Luigi Cyclone's last hit. Altogether, these traits make it more efficient at recovering and edge-guarding compared to Luigi Cyclone, as it KOs middleweights at 75% while near the left/right blast lines of Final Destination in the 3DS version. However, it does not cover any horizontal distance, cannot punish rolls because of its windbox, and has more ending lag.
	Custom 2	Clothesline Cyclone	10% (first), 12% (last)	Deals significantly more damage and has much higher knockback. Its first hit has deceptive range and is a semi-spike, which allows it hinder approaches. Conversely, its last hit launches opponents vertically and is extremely powerful, as it KOs middleweights at 95% from anywhere on Final Destination in the 3DS version. However, its first hit does not KO middleweights until 168% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version, whereas its second hit is very difficult to land because of its first hit's long duration. Additionally, it has significantly more start-up and ending lag, which make it unusable for recovering or edge-guarding. It is comparable to how Luigi Cyclone functioned in SSB.
Final Smash		Poltergust 5000	30% (max captured), 10% (ejection)	Equips the Poltergust 5000 and then vacuums nearby opponents into it before powerfully ejecting them diagonally. It has decent range and is very strong, as it KOs middleweights at 33% while near the edge of Final Destination in the 3DS version. Opponents will also accumulate more damage the earlier they are vacuumed in.

On-screen appearance

• A green Warp Pipe appears and Luigi leaps out of it while hesitantly saying "Let's-a go!" and sporting a frightened expression that appears very similar to the one he has on the cover of Luigi's Mansion.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Strikes a variety of poses in the following order: he faces the screen with one hand on his waist while displaying the V sign with the other, referencing his animation from Luigi's Mansion when he would find a key. Then he turns to the right slightly, pointing his hands that direction while giving a frightened look on his face. Then, he places his left hand just below his nose, similar to his artwork for Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. Then he turns away from the screen, crouching as if he is sad, just like his Bogey animation in Mario Golf. Finally, he faces the screen once more, with both hands on his face, giving a frightened look that appears very similar to the one he sports on the cover of Luigi's Mansion.
• Side taunt: Planks while saying "Pow! Pow!" Due to it moving Luigi forward into the z-axis and lowering his hurtbox, some attacks may actually miss him as a result.
• Down taunt: Bashfully kicks the ground while sighing. It deals 2% on contact, but also has wildly different effects depending on the opponent's position. If it hits an opponent that that is hanging on an edge or is off-stage, it will powerfully meteor smash them. Conversely, if the opponent is on-stage, it weakly launches them vertically. It is similar to the animation Luigi performs when he loses a minigame in Mario Party 2.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Idle poses

• Rubs the back of his head sheepishly.
• Pulls on his nose, which stretches slightly and then snaps back into place.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Wee-gee!	Rui-ji!
Pitch	Group chant	Group chant

Victory poses

A flourished remix of the Course Clear Fanfare used in Super Mario Bros.

• Planks twice, similarly to his side taunt.
• Throws a series of rapid, childish punches, similarly to his dash attack, then exhaustively gasps afterward. It appears very similar to his "character chosen" animation in SSB.
• Turns around and then makes finger gun gestures with both hands while saying "Bang! Bang!"

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Luigi	1311	1211	3311	3211	3111
	1312	3312	3212	2311	3231

Notable players

Active

•  Boss - Formerly ranked 19th on the MD/VA Power Rankings.
•  Elegant - The best Luigi player the world. Placed 13th at 2GGT: Fresh Saga and 2GGT: KTAR Saga, 7th at 2GGT: Abadango Saga, 13th at GENESIS 4 and 2GGC: Greninja Saga, 7th at 2GGC: Nairo Saga, and 17th at EVO 2017. Ranked 25th on the Panda Global Rankings v3, and 4th on the SoCal Power Rankings.
•  J.Miller - The best Luigi player in Europe. Placed 1st at B.E.A.S.T 5, 17th at Apex 2015, and 9th at Smashdown World and B.E.A.S.T 7. Ranked 4th on the United Kingdom Power Rankings.
•  LOE1 - Placed 25th at The Big House 5, 3rd at Kingslayer 2, and 33rd at Frostbite 2017. Ranked 4th on the Michigan Power Rankings.
•  Scot! - The best Luigi player in New England. Placed 9th at GUMS 11 and 5th at GUMS 16. Ranked 6th on the Connecticut Power Rankings.
•  Luigi player - The second best Luigi player in Europe. Placed 13th at B.E.A.S.T 6. Ranked 1st on the Austria Power Rankings.
•  Mr. ConCon - The second best Luigi player in the United States, and the best Luigi player in the world prior to update 1.1.1. Placed 7th at 2GGT: EE Saga, 9th at 2GGT: FOW Saga and 2GGT: Fresh Saga, 17th at Final Battle, and 25th at EVO 2015 and GENESIS 3. Ranked 19th on the SoCal Power Rankings. He is the first person to win a set against ZeRo.
•  Poke - The best Luigi player in Canada, and one of the best Luigi players in the world prior to update 1.1.1. Placed 2nd at Get On My Level 2015, 3rd at Summit 2015, 7th at Enthusiast Gaming Live Expo, 13th at Canada Cup 2015, and 25th at Super Smash Con 2015. Ranked 6th on the Southern Ontario Power Rankings.
•  Ron - The best Luigi player in Japan. Placed 1st at Hirosuma 2 and 2nd at both Sumabato 12 and Sumabato 17. Ranked 17th on the JAPAN Power Rankings.
•  Shoyo James - Placed 2nd at Midwest Mayhem 6: SoCal Invasion and 7th at Super Smash Con 2017. Ranked 2nd on the New Jersey Power Rankings.

Inactive

• Aki - The best Luigi player in Japan before switching to Sheik after update 1.1.1.
•  ANTi - Co-mained Luigi alongside Mario before switching exclusively to Mario after update 1.1.1.
•  False - Co-mained Luigi alongside many other characters before switching to Marth and Sheik after update 1.1.1.
•  Larry Lurr - Used Luigi as a secondary prior to update 1.1.1.
•  Poltergust - Co-mained Luigi alongside Yoshi before switching exclusively to Yoshi after update 1.1.1.
•  Shel - Co-mained Luigi alongside Ryu before switching exclusively to Ryu after update 1.1.1.
•  ZD - The best Luigi player in MD/VA before switching to Fox.

Tier placement and history

Since SSB4's release, Luigi's placement was a topic of debate, as his buffs were quickly acknowledged in his transition from Brawl and saw him perceived as a mid-tier character. Players took into account his combination of a strong combo game, good projectile, and quick frame data, yet noticed the retention of his poor mobility and predictable recovery. Positive opinions on Luigi, however, saw a sudden rise from early to mid-2015, as players recognized the potency of his combos and KO set-ups from his down throw. Additionally, he was noted for having an even matchup against Diddy Kong, who was then considered the best character in the game, due to multiple high-profile cases of a Luigi player defeating a noteworthy Diddy Kong player in tournaments. The most notable instance of this was Mr. ConCon achieving a bracket reset against ZeRo. These traits resulted in Luigi achieving niche status as a strong main and counterpick, and even a position as a top-tier character in the eyes of the community. Despite having fairly limited usage at high-level play, he was quite common at low-level and mid-level play, and many of the players who dropped Diddy Kong following his nerfs in updates 1.0.6 and 1.0.8 moved on to Luigi.

However, Luigi's perception underwent a noticeable drop after update 1.1.1 brought about changes to shield mechanics that made it harder for him to punish out of shield, and nerfed his down throw to the point of heavily altering his powerful guaranteed follow-ups and removing his down throw's guaranteed KO set-ups. Despite this, Luigi's down throw retained its ability to perform combos even up to high percentages. When coupled with his impressive performances up to update 1.1.1, he was ranked 16th on the first tier list, his best ranking in the series at the time.

Although Luigi's combo remained largely potent, many players who mained him dropped him in favor of other characters because of the intensity of his nerfs from update 1.1.1. This, in turn, was further compounded by the release of the DLC characters Corrin and Bayonetta, two matchups considered unfavorable for him. By the time of the second tier list, Luigi was ranked 29th, resulting in him going from being the third highest ranked mid-tier character to the middle of the mid-tier, and being roughly tied with his placement in Melee. While respectable, Luigi's placement was nevertheless a considerable downturn, as his drop was tied with Wario's for the second largest between the first and second tier lists.

However, Luigi's consistently strong results in some regions resulted in him rising to 26th on the third and current tier list. Incidentally, this placement is roughly similar to where he was viewed as being in accordance to popular opinion during the very early months of SSB4's lifespan.

Trophies

Luigi

Luigi recently celebrated his 30th anniversary with the Year of Luigi, but all that attention just made him even more shy and awkward. In Smash Bros., Luigi takes a lot of cues from his brother in fighting style, adding flair to moves like Super Jump Punch. His taunts, however, are truly unique.

Luigi recently celebrated his 30th anniversary with the Year of Luigi, but all that attention just made him even more shy and awkward. In Smash Bros. (as in life), Luigi tends to follow his brother's lead, but he adds his own flair to moves like Super Jump Punch. His taunts, however, are 100% Weegee.

With the Year of Luigi long gone now, it's up to you to prove to everyone that Mario's cowardly co-star is still awesome. He may share a lot of moves with his brother, but he still puts his own spin on things. When you Super Jump Punch a foe just right, for example, the noise he makes is epic. His taunts are pretty funny too. Try them!

Mario Bros. 1983

: Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon 03/2013

Luigi (Alt.)

Luigi may sulk when his down taunt is used, but his little dejected kick can actually hurt a nearby enemy fighter. It can even trigger a meteor smash! Notice an enemy leisurely hanging from the edge? Run over and pout on the edge—that foe will be the one with something to pout about!

Luigi might look a bit sulky when you use his down taunt, but when he does it next to another fighter, it can get in a little hit - well, a "little hit" that can also sometimes be a meteor smash! Say you spot a fighter hanging off the edge of the stage. Just give them a pout and a kick with this taunt, and they'll fall to their doom.

Mario Bros. 1983

: Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon 03/2013

Poltergust 5000

A ghost-sucking vacuum cleaner created by Professor E. Gadd. In Luigi's ghostly adventures, it's the only thing standing between him and complete terror. In this game, it sucks in enemies, damages them, and then fires them diagonally upward. If it's used in an area with no ceilings, you might send them soaring right off the screen!

A ghost-sucking vacuum cleaner created by Professor E. Gadd. In Luigi's ghostly adventures, it's the only thing standing between him and abject terror. In this game, it sucks in enemies, damages them, then fires them diagonally upward. Use it in an area with no ceilings, and you might send them soaring right off the screen!

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• LuigiAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

• 

  Classic (Wii U)

• LuigiAllStarTrophyWiiU.png

  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Poltergust 5000

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• All-Star Battle: Secret: Luigi is one of the opponents fought in this event. All of the opponents have been unlockable characters in previous Super Smash Bros. games.
• Family Ties: As Bowser Jr., the player and a giant Bowser must defeat Luigi and Mario.
• Oh Yeah, Luigi Time!: Luigi must defeat a giant Wario. After some time, a giant Mario will arrive to help the player.

Co-op Events

• A Lurking Menace: Luigi and Mario must defeat Bowser Jr. If they wait too long, a giant Bowser will arrive and the players must defeat him as well.
• Solidarity: Olimar and Rosalina & Luma must defeat Luigi and Mario. When they are defeated, Bowser and Bowser Jr. must be defeated as well.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.
• Wrecking Bros.: Luigi and Mario must destroy the entirety of Wrecking Crew while Wario and King Dedede try to interfere.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

  Luigi in the Nintendo Direct from April 8th, 2014.

• 

  Luigi's amiibo.

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  Using his neutral attack's last hit on Kirby.

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  Using his dash attack on Pit.

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  Using his neutral aerial alongside Mario's neutral aerial.

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  Using his forward smash on Mario.

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  Using Fireball against Mega Man's Metal Blade.

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  Using his side taunt alongside Wii Fit Trainer's down taunt.

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  Using his side taunt on Skyloft.

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  Up taunt's last animation alongside Donkey Kong and Bowser.

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  Up taunt's first animation.

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  Up taunt's last animation with Crash Bomb attached and Rush looking on.

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  Up taunt's second animation alongside a yellow Pikmin.

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  Up taunt's third animation, which was inspired by artwork from Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time.

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  Luigi grabbing an edge on Skyloft.

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  Using his down taunt to meteor smash Kirby.

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  Luigi, Kirby, and Mario posing. While Mario and Kirby's poses are performed as part of their down taunts, Luigi's pose is performed immediately before he crouches to use Green Missile.

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  Throwing Metal Blade at Mega Man.

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  Luigi buried as Villager uses Pocket.

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  Jumping alongside Mario.

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  Jumping alongside Mario through a section of 3D Land.

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  Alongside Mario.

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  Using Green Missile alongside Kirby and a Smash Ball.

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  Using Poltergust 5000, his new Final Smash.

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  Luigi wearing a Screw Attack.

Trivia

• Traditionally, Luigi has always been an unlockable character revealed after an installment of Super Smash Bros. had been released. However, SSB4 is the first installment to break that tradition, as he was both revealed before release and is now a starter character instead of an unlockable character.
• Luigi's official artwork is based on his side taunt.
• Early in development, Luigi could wall jump, although this was scrapped in the final release.
• The trophy description for Luigi in the North American version of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U makes a reference to Weegee, a popular internet meme. However, it could also be a reference to a number of games where he excitedly refers to himself "Weegee".
• Luigi's All-Star trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS resembles his Adventure Mode trophy from Melee, albeit with a different costume.
  • In addition, Luigi's alt. trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U resembles his official artwork from Melee.
• Luigi was the first of the original four unlockable characters to be confirmed for SSB4.
• In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, the "Luigi (With Poltergust 3000)" trophy is titled erroneously. The Poltergust that Luigi is wearing in that trophy is actually the Poltergust 5000 from Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, as evident by the Strobulb located on its back.
• Due to the fact that Luigi's head comes forward into the z-axis when he crouches, he can avoid certain projectiles that go behind his head.