Pichu (SSBU)

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Pichu in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Pokémon
Other playable appearance	in Melee
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Volt Tackle

“	Pichu is back after 17 years! Pichu's electric attacks have greater range and do more damage than its other attack types – but they also damage Pichu.	”
—Super Smash Blog, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Official Site

Pichu (ピチュー, Pichu) is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. It was confirmed on June 12th, 2018. Pichu is classified as fighter #19.

Pichu's voice actress from Melee and the Pokémon anime, Satomi Kōrogi, reprises her role with new voice clips.

Changes from Super Smash Bros. Melee

NOTE: SmashWiki is not speculative. Please refrain from adding detailed data values derived from pre-release gameplay footage, such as the E3 demo. Such data (damage values, launch trajectories, frame data, etc.) are subject to change before the official release.

Like in Melee, Pichu is significantly lighter than Pikachu, and damages itself when using electric attacks. However, it is not labeled as an Echo Fighter.

Aesthetics

• Pichu's design and proportions now match the latest games in the Pokémon franchise. Its colors are more subdued than they were in Melee.
• Pichu's voice clips were all replaced.
• Pichu is much more expressive. Like Pikachu, its eyes become swirls when dazed, a detail derived from the Pokémon anime from when a Pokémon faints. It also looks angry when dashing. Pichu also now has squash and stretch in its animations, giving it a more bouncy feel than in Melee.
• Pichu's stance is now mirrored as it faces more on the screen regardless of the direction it turns towards.
• Pichu now has an on screen entrance, coming out of a Poké Ball and letting out a cheer; "Pichu!"
• Pichu has a new idle animation where it wobbles left to right then looks back to twitch its tail.
• Pichu has a new taunt akin to Pikachu's up taunt, except it humorously becomes dizzy afterwards.
• Pichu has a taunt reminiscent to one of its Melee taunts where it jumps up happily but now only jumps once rather than four times. Pichu's other taunt now has it close its eyes.
• Pichu's goggles and ribbon alternate costumes no longer have a neck scarf. Pichu has also received five new alternate costumes.
• Pichu is much more vocal, with more voice lines during certain attacks, or when hurt.
• Pichu has a new air dodge animation where it twirls in the air at an angle, instead of scrunching up.
• Pichu has new victory animations. One involves Pichu jumping while spinning before striking a joyful pose, with its arms spread out.
• Pichu now has a Boxing Ring title, which is "Shockingly Adorable."

Attributes

• Pichu can now crawl. This allows for an easier approach while dodging projectiles.
• Pichu dashes much faster.
• With the implementation of rage, Pichu's self-inflicted damage can now gradually increase its launching power, and also keep itself out of kill confirm percentages.
• The removal of chain grabs immensely aids Pichu's endurance and longevity.
  • However, this also removes some chain grabs Pichu was capable of performing on fast-fallers.
• Pichu is heavier, which improves its survivability, though it remains the lightest character in the game.

Ground attacks

• Forward tilt has a different animation, is able to trip opponents, and also has more range.
• Forward tilt now has an electric effect, thus dealing recoil damage to Pichu.
• Up tilt now deals less damage.
  • Up tilt has better combo potential.
• Down tilt now deals less damage.
• Dash attack has noticeably less ending lag.
• Dash attack now deals slightly more damage.
• Forward smash's hits connect more reliably than in Melee, where it could be SDIed out of before the finishing hit.
• Forward smash deals less recoil damage to Pichu.
• Forward smash deals considerably more damage to opponents.
• Up smash deals less damage.
• Down smash has an electric effect, dealing recoil damage to Pichu.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial deals less damage.
• Forward aerial does considerably less recoil damage to Pichu.
• Forward aerial deals more damage.
• Back aerial now has an electric effect, causing recoil damage to Pichu.
• Back aerial appears to have better combo potential.
• Up aerial deals more knockback.
• Down aerial deals more damage.
• Down aerial is now capable of meteor smashing opponents.

Throws/other attacks

• When grabbing, Pichu swipes one hand sideways, instead of grabbing overhead like Pikachu.
• Grab range has been increased.
• Pummel deals more damage.
• Back throw deals slightly more damage.

Special Moves

• Thunder Jolt causes considerably less recoil damage to Pichu.
• Skull Bash causes Pichu to bounce back when it hits an opponent, making it safer to use.
• Skull Bash deals more damage.
• Skull Bash deals more recoil damage.
• Agility travels further and does less recoil damage.
• Thunder meteor smashes targets hit high above Pichu and can drag them down into the launching hit, as with Pikachu's version of the move.
• Like with Pikachu's Thunder, the electricity discharged when the lightning strikes Pichu is now yellow rather than blue and has Pichu flash with a dark tint, and does not cry if struck.
• Pichu now has a Final Smash, Volt Tackle, which is nearly identical to Pikachu's: it has Pichu dash quickly around the stage at different angles while surrounded in a ball of electricity, then launching opponents with an electric blast at the end of the move as the ball disappears. It also causes recoil damage, unlike Pikachu's version of the move.

Role in World of Light

Pichu was absent in the World of Light trailer, though it presumably became a spirit alongside the rest of the galaxy (sans Kirby) when Galeem unleashed its beams of light.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

• 

  Pichu's amiibo.

• 

  Pichu's fighter card.

• 

  Taunting in Great Bay.

• 

  Taunting on Green Greens.

• 

  Using its up smash next to Mewtwo on Spear Pillar.

• 

  Pichu using its up smash on Wario on Pilotwings.

• 

  Pichu using its Final Smash, Volt Tackle, on Mega Man on Pokémon Stadium.

• 

  Using a Rocket Belt with Pikachu in Mario Galaxy.

• 

  With multiple Pichu, Pikachu, and Incineroar on Paper Mario.

• 

  A dazed Pichu next to Rosalina in The Great Cave Offensive.

• 

  Pichu taunting at Ryu failing to perform a Hadoken.

• 

  Pichu sleeping next to Zelda on Tortimer Island.

• 

  With Pikachu and Alolan Raichu on Yoshi's Island.

Character Showcase Video

<youtube>9ZD89yfBCyE</youtube>

Trivia

• Pichu and Young Link share the longest gap between playable appearances in the Super Smash Bros. series, with seventeen years between Melee and Ultimate.
  • This has been noted by both of their Super Smash Bros. blog's "Today's Fighter" descriptions.
• One of the poses Pichu strikes in its new taunt resembles its trophy from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.
• Pichu is the only veteran absent from SSB4 to not appear in the full group artwork version of the box cover.
• Pichu is the only veteran who is unaffected by the new universal 3-frame jumpsquat; in Melee, its jumpsquat animation also took three frames to complete.
• One of Pichu's alternate costumes is the Spiky-eared Pichu from Arceus and the Jewel of Life and Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver. Being one of a kind, the Spiky-eared Pichu is female, making it the only one of Pichu's alts with a definitively known gender.
  • This means that Pichu's gender may differ per costume, similar to Pikachu and Robin.
• As of Ultimate, Pichu is the only character who takes damage while using their Final Smash.
  • This also makes Pichu the only character so far that can take damage from all of its special moves.