Zero Suit Samus (SSB4)

Zero Suit Samus in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Metroid
Other playable appearance	in Brawl
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Gunship

“	Zero Suit Samus Zeroes In!	”
—Introduction Tagline

Zero Suit Samus (ゼロスーツサムス, Zero Suit Samus) is a playable character that appears in Super Smash Bros. 4. She was confirmed in the Super Smash Bros. Direct on April 8th, 2014, a decade to the same day Metroid: Zero Mission was released in Europe in 2004. Like Sheik and Zelda, Zero Suit Samus is now a completely separate character from Samus, meaning the two cannot transform under any circumstances.

She is once again voiced by Alesia Glidewell via reused voice clips from Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Attributes

This article or section is incomplete. You can help SmashWiki by expanding or finishing it. The editor who added this tag elaborates: Customs.

Zero Suit Samus is a character with polarising strengths. She overall has good mobility, having an above average walk, very fast dash, above average air speed, and floaty falling speed. She is rather decent at camping due to Paralyzer's utility from a distance. She has an excellent recovery that is very difficult to edgeguard. She also has a few strong KOing moves in her back air and Boost Kick. Her greatest strength is that she has one of the most highly punishing grabs in the game, as a down throw into a chain of up airs or forward airs leading into a Boost Kick KOs most characters below 50%.

However, Zero Suit Samus has many weaknesses. She is one of the easiest characters in the game to KO due to her relatively light weight and tall frame. She has a very poor neutral, due to her options in neutral being either slow or weak with little follow up capability. She also has significant trouble KOing outside of her aforementioned back air and Boost Kick. One of her greatest weaknesses is her very poor grab game outside of down throw. Her grab is one of the (if not the) laggiest in the game, and all of her throws outside of her down throw have very little followup or KOing capabilities. Despite this, her strengths overpower her flaws, and she has significant tournament success, particularly from Nairo.

Changes from Brawl

Despite being a high-tier character in Brawl, Zero Suit Samus has been heavily buffed in the transition from Brawl to SSB4. She has received a few more KO options, such as increased knockback on her new forward smash and her new up special, the Boost Kick, the latter of which is also a new potent out of shield option. She also gained more follow up options thanks to her faster down throw as well as improved spacing and recovery options thanks to her new grab aerial. Lastly, she significantly benefits from the removal of histun cancelling, which lets her combo opponents much more efficiently and set-up reliably many attacks and KOs.

However, Zero Suit Samus has also received some nerfs. The most notable of these was to her Plasma Whip, which has lost its reliable KOing potential. Out of combos, her aerial prowess is also slightly worse than in Brawl. Lastly, her emergency pistol was nerfed, as her down smash's stun time was decreased and thus makes it slightly more difficult to follow up on other attacks, while Paralyzer was slightly nerfed in update 1.0.4.

Overall, the nerfs that Zero Suit Samus received are extremely negligible and she has secured high tournament representation, as demonstrated by high level players such as Nairo. She is currently considered one of the very best characters in the game, which, like in Brawl, is ironic considering how she is considered a low-tier character while wearing her Power Suit.

Aesthetics

• Her aesthetic design, like her armored form, is mainly based on her appearance in Metroid: Other M, though she still retains her taller and more athletic/muscular build and blue eyes from Metroid: Zero Mission. She also retains her hairstyle from Zero Mission but with bangs from Other M. She is now equipped with Jet Boots and metal bracelets, and has two alternate costumes based on her attire from the endings of Zero Mission and Metroid Fusion.
• Zero Suit Samus has a wider range of facial expressions, such as a grimace with one eye closed when attacking and a dull, open-mouthed expression after tripping. Her mouth movements in general are also more clearly visible.
• Zero Suit Samus now speaks during her taunts instead of after.
• The Paralyzer has purple lights on the inside, most visible when using its whip function.

Attributes

• Unlike in Brawl, she is a completely separate character from Samus, and the two can no longer transform into each other in any circumstance.
• Since she is no longer connected to Samus, she cannot use Power Suit Pieces, removing her powerful early-game item play.
• Her new Jet Boots provide aesthetic changes to some attacks and practical changes to others.
• Zero Suit Samus jumps slightly lower, reducing vertical recovery.
• Zero Suit Samus dashes faster (1.93 → 2.1).
• Zero Suit Samus walks slightly faster. (1.33 → 1.4).
• Zero Suit Samus's air speed is higher (1.034 → 1.2).
• Zero Suit Samus falls faster (1.43 → 1.7).

Ground attacks

• Jab combo deals 1% less damage (7% → 6%).
• Third hit of jab combos better.
• Dash attack is now a dashing knee strike instead of a flying kick. It deals more damage (7% → 8%) but has less range and is laggier.
• Forward tilt damage values are different (6%/6%/9% → 8%/7%/8%).
• Up tilt deals 1% more damage (11% → 12%) and has slightly stronger growth (80 → 90).
• Down tilt has an added sweetspot hitbox that deals 8%.
• Zero Suit Samus has a new forward smash, which is now a double kick forward. Compared to the old forward smash it comes out faster (frame 20 → frame 16), the second hit has stronger knockback (35 base/100 growth → 28 base/109 growth), and it overall deals more damage (13 → 16%).
• New forward smash has decreased reach, and can no longer hit opponents standing directly behind her.
• Up smash deals 1% less damage (12% → 11%), albeit with its knockback compensated.
• Up smash is harder to SDI out of.
• Down smash deals less damage (11% → 8%/6%), weakening the powerful utility it had in Brawl, although its knockback was compensated.
• The increase in knockback allows Zero Suit Samus to set up into her KO moves early.

Aerial attacks

• Neutral aerial is now properly affected by stale-move negation.
• Neutral aerial comes out slower (frame 6 → frame 10).
• Forward air does much less damage (17% → 12%) without proper compensation on its knockback.
• Due to its reduced power, forward aerial is a better combo attack (most notably out of a down throw) and both hits can land easier.
• Back aerial deals less damage (13%/12%/12% → 12/10%), though with its knockback (mostly) compensated.
• Back aerial has more landing lag (9 frames → 11 frames).
• Up aerial deals less damage (10% → 8%) without proper compensation on its knockback.
• Up aerial's lower knockback makes it better for combos.
• Up aerial's start up is slower (frame 4 → frame 6).
• Down aerial has less landing lag (40 frames → 30 frames).
• Down aerial has slightly more base knockback (30 → 35), deals more damage (5%/4% → 6%/5%) and the landing hitbox has more growth (90 → 110).
• Zero Suit Samus now has a grab aerial, where she fires Plasma Whip forward. Like most grab aerials, it has long horizontal range and no landing lag, and can be used to tether edges.

Throws/other attacks

• Her grab has much less ending lag.
• Her grab has shorter range.
• All throws are stronger, which weakens Zero Suit Samus's follow-up options after a grab at higher percentages.
• Forward and back throws have less base knockback, which allow her to follow with a dash attack at lower percentages.
• Down throw is faster and leads into aerials more efficiently.

Special moves

• Zero Suit Samus fires Paralyzer in an altered pose.
• Plasma Whip deals much less damage (19% → 8%) and is no longer a reliable KO option outside of stage spikes and edge-guarding.
• Her new up special, Boost Kick, is a jet-propelled split-legged side kick that ends with an outside crescent kick. It has much more utility than Plasma Wire and is extremely powerful (KOing below 100% near the ledge). It can be used for punishing rolls, mindgames, and as a fatal combo finisher out of up aerial, down smash, Flip Jump (on grounded opponents at the end of move's arc), and down throw at high percentage. It is also a good out of shield option.
• Boost Kick lacks a meteor smash effect. It also doesn't reach quite as far vertically as Plasma Wire did, reducing Zero Suit Samus's recovery slightly.
• Flip Jump can now bury opponents. It also does more damage (12% → 14%).
• Flip Jump no longer has sex kick properties, now dealing the same damage regardless of when it hits.
• Flip Jump now produces an afterimage graphical effect. Zero Suit Samus also bounces off of her opponent once she connects.
• Zero Suit Samus has a new Final Smash involving her jumping into her Gunship and firing from the front of the screen, similar to Snake's Final Smash in Brawl.

Moveset

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			1.5%	A knifehand strike followed by a pistol-whip followed by an elbow strike. It is notable for being tied with Little Mac's jab as having the fastest start up of any jab in the game. It activates on frame 1, making it excellent for interrupting attacks and a very effective out of shield option.
			1.5%
			3%
Forward tilt	↗		8% (leg), 6.5% (body)	A mid-level roundhouse kick. Can be angled. When angled down at low percentages, it can trip opponents.
	→		7% (leg), 6% (body)
	↘		8% (leg), 6.5% (body)
Up tilt			5% (hit 1), 7% (hit 2)	A butterfly kick-styled scissors kick performed from a variation of the 2000, a breakdancing move. Has fairly high knockback at high percentages. Replaces her down smash as a semi-effective means of hitting opponents on both sides.
Down tilt			8% (leg), 6% (foot)	A legsweep. Knocks upwards from afar and diagonally at close range. Can combo into other moves well at low and high percentages alike, though this is situational.
Dash attack			8% (clean), 5% (late)	Does a dashing knee strike. Can lead into a successful cross-up as a counter to opponents who try to grab her after power shielding. Fast but not much range.
Forward smash			5% (hit 1), 11% (hit 2)	Does a mid-level side kick followed by another side kick at a slightly higher angle. The second kick has a visible sweetspot in the form of a small blast of fire at the tip of Samus' foot, which is stronger and deals flame damage. Her strongest smash attack and a reliable finisher when used after her down smash. KOs in the late 110s.
Up smash			4% (hit 1), 0.8% (hits 2-6), 3% (hit 7)	Spins in place, extending the Plasma Whip up above her head in a swirling motion. Hits multiple times, has long vertical disjointed range and decent horizontal range, and fast startup. Only the tip of the plasma whip does knockback.
Down smash			8% (near), 6% (far)	Aims down and shoots her emergency pistol at the ground in front of her. Only hits in the front. Deals low damage and delayed knockback, but paralyzes the target for a short time. It is a unique attack that can be followed up by a forward smash, a grab, Boost Kick, or another move. The shot is a projectile, and although it can't be reflected, it can still be absorbed.
Neutral aerial			10% (hit 1), 10% (hit 2)	Spins the Plasma Whip around herself. Fairly long range, but with below average knockback, though this lets her follow up with other aerials.
Forward aerial			5% (hit 1), 7% (hit 2)	Two flying kicks, with the second one being stronger and slightly faster than the first. It is difficult to hit with both kicks unless taking advantage of upward and forward momentum from a jump. Second kick can be landed without first kick, but it requires correct timing. Good when used out of a down throw if read the opponents' DI.
Back aerial			12% (foot), 10% (leg)	A spinning back kick. It has high knockback and KOs at 105% near the edge.
Up aerial			8%	A single-legged bicycle kick. Arguably her best aerial, it is excellent at juggling due to its fast startup, and even better at comboing due to its low base knockback and high scaling. It can combo into itself at low percents and, with enough rage, it can lead into Boost Kick after a second one has been landed, leading to a KO.
Down aerial			6% (aerial), 5% (grounded), 5.5% (landing)	A stall-then-fall. Zero Suit Samus stalls momentarily in midair, and then shoots down at a high speed into a diagonal flying kick similarly to Sonic and Sheik's down aerials. If it hits at the first frames of the move, it is a meteor smash. It is dangerous if she doesn't land onstage, as it will not stop until for some time, however, its extremely fast vertical descent speed makes it an effective way to counter juggling.
Grab aerial		Plasma Whip	3% (early), 6% (clean)	Fires her Plasma Whip forward.
Grab		Plasma Whip	—	Fires her Plasma Whip forward. Has long horizontal range.
Pummel			2%	Knee strikes the opponent. A fairly fast pummel.
Forward throw			2% (hit 1), 7% (throw)	Launches the opponent forward with a small, point blank blast of energy from her emergency pistol.
Back throw			2% (hit 1), 4% (throw)	Roundhouse kicks the opponent behind herself. It is infamous for leading into a Flip Kick near the edge for a potential spike.
Up throw			2% (hit 1), 8% (throw)	Backflip kicks the opponent. This is her most powerful throw when it comes to knockback. However, it has somewhat high ending lag, with the down throw being the preferred way to get opponents into the air for combos.
Down throw			2% (hit 1), 5% (throw)	Slams opponent on ground and then axe kicks them. Ideal for combos, it can combo into an up air, forward air/back air (if the opponent's DI is read properly), a running up smash or Boost Kick at high percents.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%
Edge attack Edge getups			7%
Neutral special	Default	Paralyzer	4% (uncharged), 6% (charged)	Samus pulls out her emergency pistol and fires a paralyzing blast of energy. Can be charged for a longer stun time, but at the cost lower speed.
	Custom 1	Blast Shot	2% (uncharged), 3.5% (charged)	Higher range and speed, but weaker damage output and no paralyzation.
	Custom 2	Electromagnetic Net	0.8% (uncharged most), 1% (uncharged end), 1% (charged most), 2% (charged end)	Shot has little range, but explodes in an ever-increasing range.
Side special	Default	Plasma Whip	2% (wire, near), 1% (wire, far), 6% (sweetspot)	Samus fires the plasma whip from her emergency pistol forwards a distance. The whip itself does repeated damage but the tip has a fiery sweetspot, which knocks foes away. It can grab edges as a tether recovery.
	Custom 1	Plasma Dash	2% (per hit)	Instead of using her plasma whip, Samus performs a dashing pistol-whip. As a result, it cannot grab ledges.
	Custom 2	Whip Lash	Wire 0%, End 6%.	Draws in the opponent instead of pushing them away. Only the tip does anything.
Up special	Default	Boost Kick	5% (first), 1.3% (loop), 4% (last)	A jet-propelled, split-legged side kick that ends with an outside crescent kick. Very powerful when the last kick connects, and is both one of her best KOing moves (as it can KO the majority of the cast at roughly 100%) and an excellent out of shield option.
	Custom 1	Impact Kick	6% (hit 1), 14% (hit 2)	The kicks are more powerful, but are performed only twice.
	Custom 2	Lateral Kick	5% (first), 1.3% (loop), 5% (last)	The move covers more horizontal distance than vertical distance.
Down special	Default	Flip Jump	8% (footstool), 14% (kick)	A quick leaping dodge that can also strike enemies on descent, burying them. Pressing the attack button makes Samus do a diagonal flying kick that has high KO potential. Full invincibility on startup, and partial on her head and lower body while flipping.
	Custom 1	Shooting Star Flip Kick	8% (footstool), 17% (clean kick), 14% (late kick)	The flip does nothing, but a high-damaged kick is used if the button is hit again.
	Custom 2	Low Kick	4% (footstool), 8% (clean kick), 6% (late kick)	No invincibility. Has very little vertical distance, but a considerable amount of horizontal distance. Jumping while flipping helps Samus land faster.
Final Smash		Gunship	0.8% (loop), 10% (last)	Samus summons her Gunship from the background and jumps into it as it flies into the foreground. While Samus is piloting her ship, a reticle appears on the screen, allowing her to fire a maximum of five double lasers at any spot she chooses. When 15 seconds have passed or she has fired five lasers, she will return to the stage from the sky, ending the Final Smash.

Taunts

• Up Taunt: Throws her emergency pistol into the air, spins, catches it behind her and says "Is that all?".
• Side Taunt: Activates her plasma whip, flicks it and says "Try me.".
• Down Taunt: Samus spins multiple times quickly on one foot, twirling her plasma whip around her like a rhythmic gymnast and says "You're mine!".

Idle poses

• Checks her Paralyzer.
• Stands up straight and looks around, holding her Paralyzer to her face.

On-screen appearance

Jumps out of her gunship and lands with her jet boots.

Victory Fanfare

A flourished remix directly from Brawl based on the sound clip that would play when Samus Aran obtained a new power-up or addition to her Power Suit. It would also play when Samus defeated Ridley and Kraid. It is shared with Samus.

Victory Poses

• ZeroSuitSamusPose1WiiU.png
• ZeroSuitSamusPose2WiiU.png
• ZeroSuitSamusPose3WiiU.png

• Backflips twice to the screen.
• Slashes with her energy whip and says "Be still."
• Does a side kick flex, making the Screw Attack symbol.

In Competitive Play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Zero Suit Samus	1311	1312	1112	2311	2111
	2312	2112	1211	1332	1132

Notable players

•  Choco
•  Dakpo
•  Leon
•  Marss
•  Nairo
•  Nick Riddle
•  Serudos
•  VaBengal
•  V115

Update history

1.0.4

• Air dodge landing lag standardized from 15 frames to 22.
• Uncharged Paralyzer has a few more recovery frames.
• Up smash startup: 8 frames → 10
• Up smash first hitbox length: 1 frame → 2
• Up smash timing: hits on 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 28-29 → hits on 10-11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 28-29
• Paralyzer (default), when fully charged, now has different effect on grounded versus aerial opponents.
  • Grounded opponent angle: 60 → 315

Alternate costumes

Trophies

Zero Suit Samus

Samus is far from helpless when her Power Suit is deactivated. Sure, she loses a lot of the moves and weapons she had access to before, but her Jet Boots pick up the slack! She also has the Paralyzer, a versatile weapon that can shock her rivals or change into a Plasma Whip to grab edges and enemies.

Without her Power Suit, Samus Aran may not have her usual strength, specials moves or over-powered arm cannon, but her Jet Boots definitely kick things up a notch in their own way. The Paralyzer, her gun, does just what you'd expect it to, but it can also turn into a whip for attacking and grabbing onto edges while falling.

: Metroid: Zero Mission (02/2004)

: Metroid: Other M (08/2010)

Zero Suit Samus (Alt.)

Zero Suit Samus's up special Boost Kick involves a series of fast kicks that end with a swift, sideways-launching one. A perfectly executed attack will hit eight times! Her down special Flip Jump can bury a grounded fighter in the dirt. She can kick midflip by pressing the special button.

Zero Suit Samus's Boost Kick up special finishes with a swift sideways kick. If you start the move close to an opponent, you can hit them up to eight times and launch them sideways! Her main down special, Flip Jump, buries opponents if you land on them at the end of it. Alternatively, press the button again mid-flip for a drop kick.

: Metroid: Zero Mission (02/2004)

: Metroid: Other M (08/2010)

Gunship (Zero Suit Samus)

Samus's Gunship is her way of travelling through space and her base of operations when exploring hostile planets. In Zero Suit Samus's Final Smash, she can use her Gunship to fire powerful beams at other fighters, hitting them multiple times, even if they're hiding off-screen! At least they can be thankful it doesn't go on forever.

Samus's spaceship carries her through space and serves as her base of operations during her missions. Zero Suit Samus will call down and board her Gunship with her Final Smash. Once she's in the pilot's seat, she has a short time to unleash up to five powerful shots from the ship's weapons. Foes aren't safe even hiding off-screen!

• 

  Classic (3DS)

• 

  Alt. (3DS)

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  Classic (Wii U)

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  Alt. (Wii U)

• 

  Gunship (Final Smash)

Gallery

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  Zero Suit Samus's splash art.

• 

  Zero Suit Samus's amiibo.

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  Holding her Paralyzer.

• 

  Firing her Paralyzer.

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  Firing an attack at Link.

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  An aerial attack.

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  Below a suited Samus.

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  Using jet boots in the air.

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  A handstand attack.

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  Wearing a Bunny Hood.

• SSB4 - ZSS Screen-9.jpg

  Her appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

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  Zero Suit Samus air-dodging.

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  Zero Suit Samus, with her power suit, showing off their rockets.

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  Zero Suit Samus about to kick Pit, who is trapped by a Metroid.

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  Flip Jump with Wii Fit Trainer.

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  Zero Suit Samus fighting Rosalina in the Boxing Ring.

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  Zero Suit Samus's black palette swap fighting Pac-Man

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  Zero Suit Samus's doing her new Boost Kick.

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  Zero Suit Samus's alternate costumes based on Metroid: Zero Mission and Metroid Fusion.

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  The alternate costumes as they appear in the 3DS version.

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  Zero Suit Samus alongside Ridley in the Pyrosphere.