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. It is in the High Tier and holds 12th position overall, making it much closer to its original Top Tier status in Super Smash Bros. (#1) as opposed to its Low Tier status in Melee (#16).

Attributes
Pikachu's most salient feature, as with its appearances in previous Smash Brothers games, is its speed. Pikachu also has good specials, excellent smash attacks and tilts, good aerials, and moderate grabs.

Pikachu's best game is played on the ground, at a medium range, where its smash attacks can be used to the fullest. Pikachu's up-smash is one of the strongest in the game and is excellent for KO's while its down-smash holds for multiple hits and has a high priority, functioning as a panic button of sorts for close encounters. The side smash is a good tool for edgeguarding and KO's off the side.

As for specials, Skull Bash and Quick Attack are both good recovery techniques, although Skull Bash is easily punishable by edgeguarders. Quick Attack also opens options for mindgames, by confusing opponents about Pikachu's actions. Thunder is Pikachu's most well known move, but don't write it off. Opponents will expect it of you, but the move is still Pikachu's best, killing reliably at 100%. Thunder Jolt is Pikachu's last Special, and is a useful move to keep opponents at bay as well as forcing them in the air.

Pikachu's aerials are good, and when forward-aerial or neutral-aerial are used in combination with a short hop. Up-aerial can be used as a semi-spike while down-aerial can be used to attack players juggling Pikachu. Rear-aerial is literally the one move Pikachu players shouldn't use, as its lag is rarely worth it compared to the small amount of damage it does over Pikachu's neutral-aerial.

Pikachu's grabs are possible to chain-grab with, in certain situations. Down and Forward throws are mostly used for this, while Rear throws easily set up to an edgeguarding chance. Up throws can be used to combo into a Thunder or an Up-smash.

Other tips for Pikachu are to maintain good DI and Tech skills, as well as good dodging skills. Pikachu's speed makes it imperative to keep moving and to always seek the high ground on stages with platforms. Since Pikachu's shield is so small and Pikachu so light, all of these skills are necessary to avoid being hit and racking up damage.

If these techniques and advice are taken, it's possible to defeat any character in Brawl. By no means accept this strategy completely, as Pikachu plays best with an improvised strategy, rather than set plans, as players can usually predict these.

Normal

 * 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

Smash Attacks

 * Side Smash - Often known as "Thunderbolt". Does 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.

Other

 * Ledge attack-Does a somersault that hurts opponents. 8% damage.
 * Over 100% ledge attack-Kicks up then whacks opponents with its tail.10% damage
 * Floor attack-Does a sweeper kick. 10% damage
 * Trip attack-does a sweeper kick with its tail. 5%

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 electrocutes 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

Taunts
Up:Pikachu creates rings of electricity around him, saying "Piiiiiii"

Side:Waves each paw and says "Pika,Pika!"

Down:Pikachu rolls on its back saying "Pikaaaaa"

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 remaining Subspace Bombs and attack the Ancient Minister. Together with the Ancient Minister, who is revealed 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.

Trivia

 * Pikachu's Wall Jump and Goggle costume were features of Pichu in Melee. In addition, Pikachu in the Pokemon universe can only know Volt Tackle if they learned the move as a Pichu. These coincidences have led to theories that the Pikachu in Brawl is the evolved Pichu from Melee.
 * Pikachu is the only character in Brawl to have just four costumes where other characters usually have five or six.
 * Since there is no dent in its tail (as female Pikachu have), This confirms unofficially that the Pikachu in Brawl is male, despite being referred to as "it".
 * Pikachu holds the world record for Co-op Target Smash!! Level 3 with Fox (completed in 4.58 seconds), and Level 4 with Yoshi (completed in 4.81 seconds).
 * When Pikachu gets a Dragoon or a Warpstar, Pikachu rides it as if it were surfing. This comes from certain Pikachus given away at events and/or for finishing certain Pokémon games, knowing the usually-unlearnable move Surf; in the 3D Pokemon games, Pikachu rides a surfboard to use the move. (This in turn may come from the Pokemon anime.)
 * When Pikachu's Thunder is used in mid-air, it won't go through a falling block, yet when used on the ground it will.
 * Interestingly, in the games, Pokémon were only allowed Four Special moves, but in Brawl, Pikachu, Jigglypuff, and Lucario all have five special moves (including Final Smashes), thus breaking the limit of special moves, despite Jigglypuff's and Lucario's Final Smashes not being actual moves from the game.