Pikachu (Super Smash Bros. Brawl)


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

Unveiled at E3 2006, Pikachu (, Pikachū) is a character in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Visually, Pikachu has barely changed at all from its Melee design, only being larger and touched up slightly. It has all of its moves from the first two games.

Event Matches

 * Event 8: Go! Triple Finish!- The player controls Pikachu in the Pokémon Stadium 2 stage, pitted against a Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard. No trainers are present, so no switching occurs.
 * Event 10: All-Star Battle Regulars- Choosing any character, the player takes on the "original eight" fighters, two at a time.
 * Event 12: Sleeping in the Eggs- The player controls Yoshi and has to use Egg Lay on Kirby and Pikachu simultaneously.

Co-Op Event Matches

 * Co-Op Event 2: Master the Pokémon Tag Battle- Pokémon Trainer and Pikachu vs. another Pokémon Trainer and Pikachu on Pokemon Stadium 2.
 * Co-Op Event 21: The True All-Star Battle- The player chooses any character and take on the entire roster on Battlefield.

Role In The Subspace Emissary
A Pikachu is trapped in a Subspace lab, having its electric powers drained by a machine. Luckily, Zero Suit Samus finds and rescues the Pokémon. From this point onward, Pikachu tags along with Samus throughout the base of the Subspace Army.

When Samus reaches the area with her Power Suit, she and Pikachu are ambushed by two Shadow Bug clones of her Power Suit. After defeating them, Samus regains her Power Suit, and the two continue traveling throughout the base.

Some time later, the duo are confronted by Ridley, who brutally damages Samus by dragging her across the wall. She is only saved by Pikachu's Thunder attack. The two must then fight Ridley. After defeating Ridley, Pikachu and Samus escape from the ruins and find a cave.

Later they are seen running in the Ancient Minister's base, eventually bumping into him and the R.O.B. Squad. They are about to fight him but suddenly notice the Ancient Minister looking down as if he's sad.

As they look at his sorrow, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Captain Falcon and Olimar find another entrance to the room they're in. Suddenly, a hologram of Ganondorf commands the R.O.B. Squad to use the remaning Subspace Bombs and attack the Ancient Minister. Together with the Ancient Minister, who is reveled to be a R.O.B. himself, the six heroes fight the Subspace Army, they escape on the Falcon Flyer and fight Meta-Ridley on it. Pikachu then aids the heroes throughout the rest of the adventure.

Changes From Melee to Brawl

 * Forward and Down Smash longer ranged.
 * Up Aerial deals more damage. However, the knockback has been reduced.
 * Body size is slightly bigger.
 * Thunder attack comes down from a higher point than before, and with almost no delay. The lightning can also can pass through platforms within the first half of its range from the top.
 * Pikachu can now wall-jump.
 * Attacks appear to have more damage and knockback
 * Back Air can hit multiple times.
 * Blue and Green costumes have changed (Blue is now goggles which was Pichu's blue costume in Melee, and Green is now a headband).
 * Quick Attack is faster, longer, and less delayed.
 * Up smash has been weakened significantly.

Pros:

 * Fast running speed.
 * Neutral air lasts a long time.
 * Tilts very quick.
 * Up Aerial can semi-spike.
 * Up Smash is one of the quickest in the game.
 * Down Smash sucks in and has multiple hits.
 * Forward Smash has long, disjointed hitbox, and increases in strength the closer the opponent is.
 * Can rack up damage and play mind games with an enemy using the "Quickstix" technique (see Quick Attack)
 * Decent, groundhugging Projectile.
 * Done straight out of a shorthop, most aerials have no landing lag.
 * Small target.
 * Decent combo ability with U-air and others.
 * Can Crawl.
 * Thunder is great for aiding off the top kills, comes out quickly and has little lag upon completion and can KO at relatively low percentages. It can kill basically anything above Pikachu. The first half of the attack can now travel through terrain, until it exits it. It also has good wavebounce.
 * Can Wall-jump.
 * Several options for approach include: short-hop N-air, Thunder Jolt, and Dash Attack.
 * Great edge-guarding ability due to Thunder's area effect and Thunder Jolt.
 * Can chain-throw many characters using down throws and forward throws.
 * Very good running grab.
 * Can Thunderflip (Up Smash -> Thunder)
 * If Down Smash is DI'd out of, then it will be a semi-spike.

Cons:

 * Most of his aerials on the weak side, and a little laggy in completing.
 * Very light and easily KO'd. (4th lightest, along with Meta Knight)
 * Low range on most of its attacks, including grabs.
 * Easily juggled.
 * Limited approach.
 * Shortest grab range in the game.
 * Smallest shield size in the game.
 * Thunder can be reflected or absorbed (Mario's Cape, Fox/Falco/Wolf's Reflector, Lucas/Ness's PSI Magnet, Zelda's Nayru's Love).

Ground Attacks
Normal Smash Attacks
 * Neutral Attack - Attacks with its head. 2% damage
 * Dash Attack - Tackles. Laggy in completion. 7% damage
 * Strong Side - Nicknamed "Mega Kick". Sticks both feet forward. 9% damage
 * Strong Up - Swings tail in an arc above itself. 7% damage
 * Strong Down - Does a quick tail swipe. Can attack twice first tripping and then knocking away if you press it fast enough. 7% damage
 * Side Smash- Releases a ball of electricity, connected to Pikachu by electrical wires. 20% uncharged but does 28% if charged
 * Up Smash - Flips very fast. 13% uncharged, 19% charged.
 * Down Smash - Spins on the floor and releases electricity. 15% uncharged, 21% charged.

Aerial Attacks

 * Neutral Air - Spins in a ball. Still has hitboxes while on the ground. 12% damage
 * Forward Air - An electric drill-like move forward. Lags on the ground. 8% if all 4 hits make contact.
 * Back Air - Spins like a disc and hits multiple times. Lags on the ground. 11% damage if all hits connect.
 * Up Air - Swings tail while flipping forward. Certain tail frames send opponent away at an angle. 6% damage
 * Down Air - An electric drill-like move downward. Has hitboxes while on the ground. 12% damage

Grabs & Throws

 * Pummel - Shocks opponent.
 * Back Throw - Tumbles with opponent back and throws them back.
 * Forward Throw - Places opponent on back and electricutes them forward. Can chain throw almost all characters
 * Up Throw - Headbutts opponent upward.
 * Down Throw - Slams on top of opponent. Can chain throw certain characters

Color Changes
Pikachu's color changes slightly change the tone of its fur, but most noticeably puts a colored object on its head.


 * Red (Wears a cap that resembles that of the playable trainer from the original GB Pokémon game
 * Green (Wears a bandanna resembling that of the male playable trainer from the Emerald version of Pokémon Advance)
 * Blue (Wears Gold's blue goggles)

Taunts
Up: Charge Crouches and emits electricity. May reset forward smash damage unconfirmed.

Side: Waves with one hand, then the other, saying "Pika, Pikaaa!" in each direction (same as in Melee and SSB).

Down: Lies on the floor, yawns a drawn out "Pi-kaaaa" while stretching and stands up.

On-Screen Appearance
Appears from a Poke Ball, and emits electricity from its cheeks.

Idle Stance

 * Scratches ear.
 * Stands up high and looks around while wiggling its ears, possibly in reference to what Ash's Pikachu does in the anime to sense things.

Victory Pose
Victory Theme: Pokemon Red/Blue Main Theme
 * Sleeps
 * Ears perk, scratches left ear
 * Backflip, aerial spin an inch off the ground, and says "Pika Pikaaaaaa!"

Wii Remote Choice
Says "Pikaaa!"

Credits Music

 * The Pokémon Center

Trivia

 * Pichu, in Melee, was able to jump off of walls. With Pichu's absence in Brawl, Pikachu can now perform the same feat. One of Pikachu's alternate costumes also features the goggles that were available for Pichu in Melee. In addition, Pikachu can only know Volt Tackle if they learned the move as a Pichu. These coincidences have led to joke theories that the Pikachu in Brawl is the evolved Pichu from Melee.
 * Also, Pikachu is the only character in Brawl to have four costumes, while other characters have five or six (or, in Wario's case, twelve).
 * In Brawl, Pikachu is heavier than Squirtle, but in the Pokémon universe, Squirtle is heavier.