Palutena (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate)

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

“	With her wings and staff, this goddess's attacks cover a wide range. With her up smash, neutral special and side special, she can create a ranged attack in almost every direction except for directly beneath her! Keep the pressure on your opponents from a distance with ranged attacks!	”
—Description from the Super Smash Blog.

Palutena
Universe	Kid Icarus
Also appears in	SSBWU/3DS
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Black Hole Laser
Voice Actors
Voiced by (English)	Brandy Kopp

Palutena is a veteran fighter in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, first playable in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. Her return was confirmed at the E3 2018 Conference on June 12, 2018.

How to Unlock

• Play VS matches, with Palutena being the final character unlocked.
• Clear Classic Mode with Kirby or any character in his character tree, with Palutena being unlocked after Lucas.
• Have Palutena join the party in World of Light

In the first two methods, the player must fight and defeat Palutena on Palutena's Temple.

Attributes

Strengths

• Very powerful attacks that often have high range or affect a large radius, as well high priority, and hitting multiple times.

• Fast Aerial Attacks with little ending and landing lag.

• Fast dash and air speed.
• Has many attacks with disjointed hitboxes, ranging from Tilts to Smash Attacks.

• Has a counter attack.

• Can reflect projectiles with Reflect Barrier, which can also flip opponents when used in close range, much like Mario's Cape.

• Good zoning with her Neutral Special, Autoreticle.

• Dash Attack and Back Aerial can block some projectiles.
• Very strong pummel.
• Down Aerial can Meteor Smash. Additionally, it is one of the few Meteor Smashes with no sourspot, meaning it will always send opponents downwards.

• Forward and Down Smashes have windboxes, being able to push opponents, although it's not a strong effect.
• Up Smash has very high range, and has transcendent priority.

• Can edge-cancel her Warp, much like Zelda with Farore's Wind.

Weaknesses

• Lightweight, tall, and has a high gravity, being easy to juggle and KO.

• High lag on most attacks, mostly for ground attacks and Smash Attacks, leaving her vulnerable.

• Lack of range on many moves, requiring her to be very close in order to hit effectively.

• Up Smash's hitboxes fade after reaching maximum height, meaning the attack will not hit when the beam starts to disappear.

• Cannot take pressure from faster characters.

• Autoreticle will not fire if the enemy's not in range or something is blocking the way, such as a wall. It will also not fire if the enemy has invincibility.

• Counter has low range compared to other characters with counter attacks.

• Unlike Link, Young Link, Toon Link, and Hero, her shield does not protect her when standing idle.

Changes from SSBWU/3DS

Palutena was heavily buffed in the transition from SSBWU/3DS. In addition to the universal changes, the majority of Palutena's ground moves have less startup and end lag, more reliable hitboxes, and deal more damage. Her zoning game also significantly improved with Autoreticle's buffs and the addition of a new ranged option in Explosive Flame for ledge-traps, mixups, and other options. Her Down Special also combines her Counter and previous Side Special Reflect Barrier and received buffs to make them viable options in defensive play.

Aesthetically, Palutena has a subdued color scheme, with simpler detail in her armor and chiton, as well as more realistic and expressive facial expressions. Palutena's design also incorporates her chiton covering more of her thigh due to age restrictions, which was first present in the Japanese version of SSBWU/3DS following the 1.0.6 update.

Attributes

• Jumpsquat is faster.
• Walk and dash is faster
• Airspeed and acceleration are faster.
• Fast falling speed and falling speed is higher.
• Gravity is higher.

Ground Attacks

• First hit of Neutral Attack has less end lag, but shorter duration.
• Forward and Up Tilt have a faster startup, and less end lag
• Down Tilt lasts longer.
• Dash Attack has less end lag and deals more damage, but travels a shorter distance and later invincibility.
• Forward Smash has less end lag and deals more damage. Clean Forward Smash has a longer duration.
• Up Smash has less end lag. Clean Up Smash has a longer duration.
• Clean Down Smash has less startup with more active frames and less end lag.

Aerial Attacks

• All aerials have less landing lag.
• Neutral Aerial's final hit comes out faster.
• Forward Aerial deals more damage.
• Up Aerial deals more damage, hits six times, and its final hit has less startup lag, but has a shorter duration and longer startup.
• Back Aerial starts its invincibility frame later.
• Down Aerial deals more damage and a longer duration

Grabs and Throws

• All grabs have more end lag

• Dash and pivot grab is slower

Special Attacks

• Autoreticle starts up faster and deals more damage.

• Explosive Flame is her Side Special, giving Palutena an additional projectile.
• Warp possesses an additional frame of invincibility
• Counter and Reflect Barrier are combined into her Down Special, with either activating depending on the attack Palutena is intercepting.

Moveset

Ground Attacks

Normal

• Neutral Attack: Thrusts her staff forward. If it connects, traps opponents in a multi-hit burst before launching them with a stronger burst.
• Forward Tilt: Levitates her staff forward to spin in place, hitting opponents twice.
• Up Tilt: Levitate staff into the air and spins it, trapping opponents in a series of hits before launching them upwards
• Down Tilt: Levitates her staff parallel to the ground at ground level and spins it.
• Dash Attack: Rushes forward with shield outstretched

Smash Attacks

• Forward Smash: Slams her wings forward in front.
• Up Smash: Summon pillar of light in front of her
• Down Smash: Slams her wings on both sides of her.

Other attacks

• Floor Attack (Front):
• Floor Attack (Back):
• Floor Attack (Trip):
• Ledge Attack:

Aerial Attacks

• Neutral aerial: Spins her staff in place to trap opponents in multiple hits before launching them.
• Forward aerial: Kicks forward
• Back aerial: Slams her shield behind her.
• Up aerial: Raise staff to emit an aura of light that hits foes multiple times before launching them into the air.
• Down aerial: Downward light strike, very fast but only briefly active. Grounded foes are launches enemies behind her.

Grabs and Throws

• Grab: Long-reaching.
• Forward Throw:
• Back Throw:
• Up Throw:
• Down Throw:

Special Moves

Palutena's Special Moves
	3DS/Wii U	Ultimate
Standard Special	Autoreticle
Side Special	Reflect Barrier	Explosive Flame
Up Special	Warp
Down Special	Counter	Counter/Reflect Barrier
Final Smash	Black Hole Laser

Taunts

• Up Taunt: Emits her halo and summons her wings while saying "You shall be purified."
• Side Taunt: Laughs while twirling in place around her staff
• Down Taunt: Levitates her staff in the air and brushes her hair while saying "Ready when you are."

On-Screen Appearance

• Emerges from a golden door from the background

In competitive play

To be added

Palette Swaps

Gallery

Palutena using her Down Tilt against Villager on Gaur Plain

Palutena on Prism Tower

Palutena's Screen KO in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Palutena's old artwork.

Trivia

• Regardless of the option chosen, Palutena is one of the very last characters unlocked in the game.
• Palutena's artwork was one of the three updated alongside Falco and Shulk before Ultimate's release, in her case incorporating her halo and altering her chiton.
• Palutena is the only character who had one of her custom special moves become one of her default special moves in a later game.

External links

54 Palutena – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate