Toad (move)
| Toad | |
|---|---|
 Peach using Toad in Ultimate. | |
| User | Peach Daisy |
| Universe | Mario |
| Article on Super Mario Wiki | Toad (move) |
| “ | Counter enemy attacks by blocking them with Toad. | ” |
| —Melee's instruction manual | ||
| “ | Automatically launch a counterattack if an enemy hits Toad. | ” |
| —Brawl's instruction manual | ||
Toad (キノピオガード, Toad Guard) is Peach and Daisy's neutral special move.
Overview
Peach pulls Toad out of hammerspace, and holds him out in front of her. Upon being hit, Toad will emit a damaging shower of spores. Unlike Roy or Ike's Counter which increases in damage when countering stronger attacks, Toad's spores do the same damage (3% each for a total of 18%) and knockback regardless of the power of the blocked attack. The spores themselves can be absorbed, and the move is in fact the only counterattack that fires projectiles when activated. When using this move in midair, Peach will float upwards upon the first use which can be used to surprise an opponent.
The move can be a bit difficult to use, as there is quite a bit of delay before Peach can block attacks, especially compared to other countering moves like Shulk's Vision or Marth's Counter.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the animation is altered, as Peach now cowers while letting Toad protect her. Daisy also uses a Toad as a part of her moveset, but he is blue rather than red. In this iteration, the move's startup is much faster, though it no longer stalls the princess in the air as long as it did in SSB4.
Customization
Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the variations:
| 1. Toad | 2. Sleepy Toad | 3. Grumpy Toad |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
| "Use Toad as an unwilling shield. If he gets hit, he spreads spores." | "A counter that puts opponents in front of you to sleep. Launches airborne opponents." | "Not a counterattack. Releases spores that deal minor damage." |
- Toad: Default.
- Sleepy Toad: The move has marginally increased startup lag, and noticeably increased ending lag. Additionally, while Toad appears to stay out for the same period of time, the actual counter-armour window is shorter. However the move puts grounded opponents to sleep, with the duration increasing with the opponents percent, and this potentially enables earlier KOs by setting Peach up for a smash attack. Deals 3% damage. Doesn't float upwards as high as the default version when used in midair.
- Grumpy Toad: Toad no longer needs to be hit to use the attack, and will instead fire it regardless, allowing it to be used as a more conventional attack. However, the spores deal much less total damage (18% -> 8%), and lack the ability to kill at any reasonable percent. Additionally, the move has noticeably increased startup. Peach will not float upwards at all when she uses this custom move in midair.
Origin
The move is unique to the Super Smash Bros. series, but the Toads are Peach's loyal servants in the Mario series, as well as the Mushroom Kingdom's dominant species. Toads dropping spores upon being hit was first seen in Mario Tennis upon completing a tournament with Toad.
Toads appear in a variety of colors, blue included. Blue Toad is playable in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, New Super Mario Bros. U, and New Super Luigi U, and a separate blue Toad only named Toad is playable in Super Mario 3D World. Toads do not have any known direct affiliation with Daisy outside of her close friendship with Peach, but Toads can be partnered with her in various spin-off games, as well as multiple Toads being seen cheering her on when playing as her in Super Mario Run's Toad Rally. Blue Toads were the color Toad that supported Daisy on her team in Mario Stikers Charged.
Gallery
Peach using Toad in Melee.
Peach uses Toad in Brawl.
Toad's counterattack in Brawl.
Peach using Toad against Bowser
Peach using Toad in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Peach using Toad in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
Peach using Toad in Ultimate.
Trivia
- Early screenshots of the move sparked rumors that Toad would appear as a playable character.
- Size changing, from Super Mushrooms, Poison Mushrooms and Special Smash all affect Toad's size, though Metal Boxes do not affect his coloring, due to the fact that Toad is a separate model from Peach. Starting with Smash 4, Toad is now metal if Peach is under the metal effect.
- This is the only counter move that is not a down special.
