Lucario (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)

''This article is about Lucario's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. For other uses, see Lucario.''

Lucario (, Rukario) is a character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It is said to have replaced Mewtwo, though their fighting styles are different.

While primarily a Fighting/Steel-type Pokémon, most of Lucario's moves are augmented with its innate ability to use "Aura", in a style very similar to Mewtwo's Psychic augmented fighting style, but with different techniques similar to martial arts. Like Mewtwo, its voice acting attributed to its telepathic abilities demonstrated in the movie Lucario and the Mystery of Mew, except it seems to speak more than Mewtwo did, especially when announcing its Final Smash, and during its victory poses. Lucario is unique among the fighters in that its attacks that rely on Aura become more powerful as it takes damage, capping at 167%. Its power also increases slightly if it is behind in a match, effectively meaning that it is more powerful if fighting at a "disadvantage".

The current tier ranks Lucario 10/11th, tied with Olimar, in the list due to its Aura properties with long ranged, long lasting attacks and the ability to build up damage through various combos and juggling as well as good balance in power and speed.

How to Unlock
Complete one of the following:
 * Play 100 matches in Brawl, then defeat Lucario.
 * Complete the Target Test on all difficulty levels with one character (this can be done on 1 or 2 player mode), then defeat Lucario.
 * Get Lucario to join your party in The Subspace Emissary.

Attributes
Lucario in general is well balanced in both power and speed. However, due to its "high risk, high return" property, it is very difficult to pull off a good KO and is too reliant on Directional influence and kills near the Blast lines, as most of Lucario's aura based attacks will do low knockback and damage when Lucario has taken low percent damage. Also, it has no attack with the ability to spike opponents. Regardless, Lucario is very useful when it comes to initiating combos in order to rack up damage. In fact, most of Lucario offensive power involves juggling and initiating combos

One of the most popular combo starters is the use of neutral attack combo or dash attack and one could follow the combo up with strong up attack, which has good juggling capacities and can be spammed easily. His counterattack, Double Team is the strongest counterattack in the game and serves as a good combo starter. Two of its aerials, the forward aerial and up aerial, can combo and juggle themselves respectfully (In addition, the forward aerial can used as a pseudo-Wall of Pain technique). Its trademark ability, the Aura Sphere, is a very powerful projectile with decent knockback and damage when fully charged, but cannot KO unless Lucario is at high percentages; it can also damage opponents while it is charging, but the opponents have to be very close to Lucario to do this. Lucario's side special, Force Palm has a good Wavebounce and can serve as excellent Chain grab against in low percentage damage. However, if Wavebounce is used in a small distance, Lucario uses it as a distance type attack. Lucario currently has the highest Wall jump in the game and the longest Wall cling as well as a very low crawl. Its up special, ExtremeSpeed, serves as a powerful recovery move and can "bend" and even cling into walls, although it deals no damage, unlike Pikachu's Quick Attack (which is ironic, considering that in the Pokémon games, ExtremeSpeed has very high priority and deals twice as much damage as Quick Attack).

Lucario's down aerial, can serve as a good killing move, catch jugglers by surprise, and even can aid recovery because it stops all momentum for Lucario. Another killing move, its down smash, uses aura and can serve as a good horizontal killer when Lucario has taken medium to high damage (which covers both sides simultaneously). Two of Lucario's smash attacks, his forward and up smash, leaves a large aura residue that can catch approaching opponents by surprise.

Lucario is a character that, rather simply, relies on building and maintaining momentum throughout the match until it can safely kill the opponent. It has all the right tools and tricks for the job, but falling behind can prove problematic for the Lucario player. Floatiness and middleweight also means it can't live very long against characters with strong vertical KO moves.

Aura
Lucario is unique among the fighters in that its attacks that rely on Aura become more powerful as it takes damage, capping at 182% (when attacks are twice as strong). Its power also increases if it is behind in a match (and decreases once it pulls ahead), effectively meaning that it is more powerful if fighting at a "disadvantage." However, Lucario's power stops increasing after it falls back by three stocks and stops decreasing after it pulls ahead by three stocks. Also, when there are more than two players, Lucario becomes stronger when a single player has pulled far ahead of everyone else than if it were far behind everybody. On the other side though, Lucario is weaker when it is far ahead of everbody else than if a single player were to fall far behind. With this, a Lucario at 170% and behind by three stocks is one of the most powerful characters in the game while a 0% Lucario that's ahead by three stocks is one of the weakest. If a player is skilled enough, they can survive to over 170% while churning out deadly Aura-based attacks, using hit-and-run tactics to win. Conversely, a Lucario fighting with 0% damage and a stock advantage has practically no kill power, so it is always wise to play defensively with Lucario.

As a general idea, Lucario's power is increased by about 1% (from the base damage) for every 2% on its damage meter, up to 178%. It also gets an additional multiplier based on its current stock standing in stock matches (80% at a 2-stock advantage, 90% if ahead by 1 stock, 115% if behind by 1 stock, and 130% if at a 2-stock disadvantage).

Moveset
Note: Lucario's Aura-powered attacks gain power and knockback at higher damages.

Normal

 * Neutral attack - Lucario slashes forwards, does a palm thrust, and then kicks high. Each hit has blue aura accompanying it and moves Lucario a fair bit forward. A good combo starter before the third hit. Initial damage: 1st hit is 2%, 2nd is 1%, 3rd hit is 4%. Total damage is 7%.
 * Dash attack - Lucario slides one leg forward on the ground, hitting low. Aura is not involved in this attack. 10% damage at outset, with useful pop-up behind him should the move land towards its end.  Like most dash attacks, very vulnerable to shieldgrabs.
 * Strong Down - Sweeps one leg out along the ground. Paws flare with aura when it does this. Hits in front and in back.  Has a small amount of IASA frames.
 * Strong Side - Puts its paws together in front of itself with two small blasts of blue aura. Quicker and shorter ranged than its Forward smash. Can be aimed up or down a bit. Small amount of IASA frames allow it to cancel into itself effectively.
 * Strong Up - Swings its leg in an arc over its head. Quick and can juggle. Hitting with only the Aura-powered foot gives the move a sweet-spot for higher damage/knockback. Similar to DK's up-tilt.

Smash

 * Side Smash - Lucario places its paws together in front of itself and shoots a blast of blue aura energy, with great range and a good amount of active frames. Attack is strongest when only Aura blast connects. Move has IASA frames very quickly after active frames finish, making it unusually difficult to punish for such a strong move.  When Lucario is at high percentages it is one of the strongest side smashes in the game, otherwise below average knockback. Initial damage is 10%.
 * Down Smash - Lucario brings its paws down to either side of it in a downwards slapping motion, similar in appearance to Sheik's Up Smash, except with blue aura around the hands. Horizontal knockback.  Noticeable starting and ending lag, coupled with only decent range, make this his most difficult Smash to land.  Even so, attack speed is pretty fast.
 * Up Smash - Lucario holds its paw above its head, with a large burst of blue aura from it, and spins in place. Damages enemies in front and behind of Lucario, with the attack having an exceptional amount of active frames (lasting until nearly the end of the move). Good anti-air move with a deceptive amount of priority.

Other
Ledge Attack - Lucario quickly gets back on the stage, attacking with a burst of Aura. Excellent range and a disjointed hitbox make this a very good ledge attack.

Over 100% Ledge Attack - Lucario slowly brings its feet over its head (a semi-flip) and kicks, releasing aura.

Floor attack - Spins around while getting up, kicking on one side, and punching on the other.

Trip attack - Lucario kicks forwards, then backwards.

Aerial Attacks

 * Neutral Aerial - Lucario extends both of its hands with blue energy, and spins. The end effect is similar to Mewtwo's Neutral aerial, except with blue aura bursts instead of psychic sparks and much more knockback. Large amount of ending lag in the air, but minimal landing lag.
 * Forward Aerial - Lucario kicks forward with a slight upwards tilt. The end has a small burst of blue aura energy, like most of Lucario's moves. It can also hit twice in one short hop and can always hit another time if an enemy is hit with the first one. This is a good combo move. Initial damage is 3%.
 * Up Aerial - Lucario kicks similarly to its forward aerial, but higher, hitting in front of its head. Entire body is a hitbox, but sweet spot is the Aura burst near the foot.
 * Down Aerial - Lucario pauses in the air, thrusts its feet together downwards, and lets out a fairly large burst of aura energy. Fairly long duration, and has unique properties that make it an incredibly powerful move. When it starts the move, all of its momentum is immediately canceled. This allows it to be used as an aid for recovery (stopping horizontal or vertical knockback to keep from going off the edge). It can also be used to perform a "pseudo-SHFFL": if used immediately after jumping, Lucario will cease to jump and immediately use the attack, making it one of the lowest possible attacking aerial moves. There is also no landing lag when doing this, as the entirety of the move is performed stationary in midair. Initial damage of first hit is 5%, 2nd hit is 6%.  All together is 11%.  Excellent knockback on 2nd hit.
 * Back Aerial - Lucario slams one paw backwards, similar in appearance to Ganondorf's Back aerial. Accompanied by standard little burst of blue aura. Significant start-up time and landing lag, making it a poor choice near the ground, but a lasting hitbox makes it powerful for edge-guarding. Great knockback.

Grabs and Throws

 * Pummel: Sends an instant pulse of Aura into its opponent with little lag (if any). Very low damage at low Aura percents makes up for speed, being the only pummel in the game capable of doing no damage on a hit.  Great for counteracting Stale-Move Negation on other attacks.  1% alternately, losing speed but gaining power as Aura increases, to a max of 2% each pummel.
 * Forward Throw: Uses Aura to blast opponent forward after twirling them once. Initial damage is 7%.  Great horizontal knockback with higher Aura percents.
 * Down Throw: Slams opponent straight into the ground in front of Lucario. Aura is not used in this attack. 10% damage.  Decent setup attack at middle percents.
 * Back Throw: Turns and slams the opponent behind itself. Aura is not used in this attack. 10% damage. An excellent kill-throw at high percents when near the edge due to great horizontal knockback, similar to Snake's forward throw.
 * Up Throw: Uses aura to hit the opponent upwards with its paw. Initial damage is 4%.  Extremely low knockback and knockback increase (even with Aura) make this an excellent combo move at practically any realistic combat percent.

Taunts
Up: Rises into the air, yells, and blue aura is emitted from its body.

Side: Moves its paws and puts one forward, and blue aura is emitted from that paw.

Down: Takes a martial arts stance similar to Link's taunt from the original.

Use In Training Mode
Since charging Aura Sphere causes enemies that touch the charging spere to be hit, it is possible to create a stage that bounces a large character, in Training Mode, back to the sphere, creating the ability to get extortionate combos which unlock the required trophies.

Role in The Subspace Emissary
Meta Knight is making his way up a snowy mountain with the Ice Climbers in pursuit. Meta Knight is trying to catch the Halberd which has flown overhead. At the top, he encounters Lucario in a meditative stance on the peak of the mountain. Lucario challenges Meta Knight and the two fight, as the Ice Climbers nervously watch on. After the battle, the victor revives the other from his trophy state. The pair deem each other worthy and shake hands, making an alliance. Suddenly the Halberd slams the Great Fox into the mountain, and Lucario and Meta Knight board it whilst Ice climbers are knocked off the mountain into the valley below. After managing to get onto the Halberd, the two pass by Snake, who is hidden in his box. Lucario, being the only one who notices something suspicious about the box, uses its aura to peer into it. Seeing Snake huddled inside, Lucario removes it, and Snake realizes that his cover is blown. Meta Knight draws his sword, but just as he and Snake prepare to fight, Lucario steps in, having sensed a mass of Primids approaching, and the three team up to fight through. Not long after, the trio meets up with Zelda and Peach as their trophies are cloned by the Shadow Bugs. Once the clones are taken care of, Snake, Lucario and Meta Knight discover that the Halberd bridge is being piloted by a group of Mr. Game & Watches. They knock all of the Mr. Game & Watches out of the window, and they all land near Peach, Sheik, and Fox who have gathered on the deck of the ship. The Mr.G&Ws then revert into Shadow Bugs, which fuse into Duon. Lucario and Snake leap from the bridge to the aid of the trio already there, and they are joined by Falco, skydiving from his Arwing. They battle and defeat the monster, who collapses into wrecked metal, Shadow Bugs and Mr. Game & Watch's trophy. Peach revives him so he can join your party. Meta Knight, with the Halberd once again in his control, steers his vessel into brighter skies.

Lucario is later selectable in the Entrance to Subspace level, and is present when Tabuu turns all characters back into trophies. You must find its trophy in one of the Subspace levels, then you may choose it as part of your team for the Great Maze and for the fight against Tabuu himself.

Exclusive Stickers
The following stickers can either only be used by Lucario, or can only be used by a select few, including Lucario:
 * Charizard: [Arm, Leg] Attack +10
 * Deoxys: [Slash] Attack +10
 * Entei: [Flame] Attack +20
 * Goldeen: [Leg] Attack + 4
 * Gulpin:[Electric] Attack +16
 * Jigglypuff: [Body, Spin] Attack +31
 * Jirachi: [Arm, Leg] Attack + 7
 * Meowth: [Slash] Attack + 5
 * Metagross: Launch Resistance +23
 * Mew: [Body, Spin] Attack + 4
 * Moltres: [Flame] Attack +20
 * Pokémon Trainer: [Arm, Leg] Attack +13
 * Staryu: [Specials: Direct] Attack + 3
 * Togepi: [Body, Spin] Attack +11
 * Torchic: [Flame] Attack + 8
 * Box Boxer: [Aura] Attack +26
 * Chikorita: [Aura] Attack +13
 * Chozo Statue: [Aura] Attack +25
 * Dry Bones: [Aura] Attack +17
 * Lakitu: [Aura] Attack + 6
 * Lucario: [Aura] Attack +41
 * Munchlax : [Aura] Attack +13
 * Rachel: [Aura] Attack +11
 * Rayquaza: [Aura] Attack +24
 * Starman: [Aura] Attack + 6

Trivia

 * Lucario is the second playable Pokemon to speak human language via telepathy (the first being Mewtwo, although this feature was only in the Japanese release of Melee and thus technically making Lucario being the first in North American, European, and Australian releases of the Super Smash bros. series).  He is also one of the three playable Pokemon characters in Brawl that is a dual type Pokemon (the others being Ivysaur and Charizard being Grass/Poison and Fire/Flying respectively) and being the first primary Fighting-type Pokemon.
 * In the Pokémon series, an ordinary Lucario cannot use Aura to communicate with humans. This ability was unique to the Lucario in Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew. The Lucario from the movie never had a Poké Ball either, being from a time when they didn't exist. Lucario is the only Pokémon in Brawl not to use the standard Pokémon On-Screen Appearance of emerging from a Poké Ball, suggesting that the Lucario in Brawl is the same one from the film.
 * Lucario, like all Pokémon in Brawl, has no specified gender and is primarily referred to as "it". However, there are two instances in Brawl in which Lucario is (likely mistakenly) referred to as "he" (Snake's Codec Message and the description for Event 25: The Aura is with Me). All other text in the game refer to Lucario as "it" . This also suggests that Lucario in Brawl is the same in the movie, as that Lucario was referred as a "he." However, Lucario have a higher chance of being male than female, and this particular Lucario's voice is very deep, so it might be a he.
 * Although implied to just be communicating with a form of telepathy, Lucario's mouth moves in sync with its victory quotes.
 * Many have jokingly made analogies between Lucario and the main protagonist of the hit anime Dragon Ball Z, Goku mainly because of the similarities between Lucario's Final Smash and Goku's Kamehameha wave; and the fact that the English voice actor of Lucario in the movie and the game, Sean Schemmel, also voices Goku in the anime and many games.
 * With its first appearance in 2007, Lucario is the "youngest" fighter in Brawl. However, if this Lucario is indeed the same one as in the film it should be one of the oldest characters by literal means.
 * If Lucario uses Double Team with a Pikmin attached to it and attacking, the Pikmin will "vanish" with Lucario.
 * Reversal, a move Lucario can learn, is very weak, but increases in power the less healthy it is. The Aura property may come from this.
 * Lucario's Pummel actually takes two hits to do 1% damage when it has low damage, However his pummel is the fastest in the game.
 * If Lucario has a fully charged Aura Sphere and fires it at close range to a larger foe (ex. King Dedede, Bowser), while they are shielding, the Aura Sphere will have no effect, but will hover close to the ground for a few seconds before disappearing.
 * Lucario currently has the highest wall jump in the game. The wall jump is so high that Lucario can wall jump between two pillars in the Shadow Moses Island stage once without ever having to touch the ground nor to use ExtremeSpeed to wall cling (and possibly the only character to do so).  Bear in note that doing so will bring Lucario above the upper blast line for a moment while wall jumping and should he get hit, it will result in a Star KO.