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Pikachu SSB4 (4)

Thunder, Pikachu's down special move in all Super Smash Bros. games.

Down Special (also commonly referred to as Down B) is a special move performed by pressing the special move button while holding down on the control stick (or control pad on the Wii Remote). These moves are often gimmick moves, like reflectors or absorbers, or moves with unique properties when used in different ways. For example, Falcon Kick sends Captain Falcon downwards when used in the air, or Meta Knight can teleport and choose to attack if he wishes. They also usually include minimal character movement horizontal or vertically.

List of Down Specials[]

Character Down Special Description Image
Banjo & Kazooie Rear Egg Kazooie releases a grenade out of the backpack which bounces and explodes after a while. Rear Egg
Bayonetta Witch Time/Bat Within When an opponent attacks her, she dodges the attack and slows them down for several seconds. If activated late, she uses Bat Within, where she dodges the strike. B6DE6B80-E3F6-493F-A7ED-9DD2E1605239AA38F476-8CAF-4E20-9161-6B7D9E28AC53
Bowser Bowser Bomb Leaps into the air and smashes into the ground with his bottom. Bowser Down B SSBU
Bowser Jr. Mechakoopa Releases a Mechakoopa which walks down the stage and explodes. It can be picked up and thrown, and can hurt Bowser Jr. Mechakoopa SSBWU
Byleth Aymr Swings their axe named Aymr downwards in front of themselves. Byleth Down B SSBU
Captain Falcon Falcon Kick Rushes forward with a flaming leg outstretched. Goes downward diagonally if used while airborne. CaptainFalconSSBWU3DS5
Charizard Rock Smash Smashes a rock with his head, dealing heavy damage to nearby opponents. Was formerly his Side Special Move until Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii U. Rock Smash SSBWU
Chrom Counter Adopts a stance and counterattacks with greater force than the received attack. Chrom Down B SSBU
Cloud
  • Limit Charge: Charges up a Limit bar. When the bar is full, Limit Break will be active, allowing him to use a powered-up Special Move.
  • Finishing Touch: When Limit Break is active, he spins his sword around in a whirlwind motion. Deals only 1% damage, but has high knockback.
Corrin Counter Surge Takes on a defensive stance. If attacked, turns into a dragon and slams into the ground, dealing heavy damage on both sides. 4BB647E8-E9A2-4CE2-9FB4-B2037A2C6646
Dark Pit Guardian Orbitars Projects shields on both sides of him, which reflect projectiles. Breaks after usage for a number of times. Dark Pit Guardian Orbitars
Diddy Kong Banana Peel Throws a banana peel backward, which causes opponents to trip. Can be picked up as an item. Banana Peel SSBWU
Donkey Kong Hand Slap Slaps the ground with his hands, creating shockwaves. Hand Slap SSBWU
Dr. Mario Dr. Tornado Spins around with fists outstretched. Stronger than Mario Tornado, and sends opponents flying in a random direction. Dr. Tornado SSBWU
Duck Hunt Wild Gunman Summons a gunman that fires a bullet. The gunman can take damage and be stopped. Duck Hunt Down B SSBU
Falco Reflector Kicks a Reflector forward, which electrifies and trips opponents, and reflects projectiles. Falco Reflector SSBWU
Fox Reflector Projects a stationary reflector around his body, reflecting projectiles and decreasing Fox's falling speed if used in the air. Fox & Samus SSB4
Ganondorf Wizard's Foot Rushes forward with his foot outstretched, exuding darkness. Slower and more powerful than Falcon Kick. Goes diagonally downward when airborne. Ganondorf-6
Greninja Substitute Takes on a defensive stance. If attacked, substitutes itself with a doll and appears nearby, rushing at the attacker and kicking them. Greninja-substitute
Hero Command Selection Opens a command window that you can choose a command from. You can cancel the window by jumping or shielding. Hero Down B SSBU
Ice Climbers Blizzard Shoot a stream of frigid air which can freeze opponents. Ice Climbers Blizzard Ground SSBB
Ike Counter Takes on a defensive stance. If attacked, retaliates with a slash dealing 1.2 times the damage of the original attack. Ike Down B SSBU
Incineroar Revenge Increases attack power by taking hits from opponents. The power is relative to the damage taken. IncineroarRevenge
Inkling Splat Bomb Throws a Splat Bomb, which explodes when it hits or after time passes. Holding the button tosses it farther. Splat Bomb
Isabelle Lloid Trap Buries Lloid in the ground. If touched by a foe, it rises up, dealing constant damage, and then explodes. LloidTrap
Jigglypuff Rest Falls asleep. If an opponent is caught during the initial frames, however, they will take heavy damage and a Lip's Stick will be put on their head. Jigglypuff Down B SSBU
Joker Rebel's Guard/Tetrakarn/Makarakarn Braces for an attack. If hit, charges the Rebellion Gauge. Press and hold to charge. While Arsene is active, counterattacks. TetrakarnMakarakarn
Kazuya Heaven's Door Grab the opponent in front of you and rise upward, then slam them to the ground. This attack ignores an opponent's shield. Heaven's Door SSBU
King Dedede Jet Hammer Charges his hammer with a jet engine and unleashes a powerful blow. However, if charged after a certain length of time, he will start taking damage. Jet4
King K. Rool Gut Check Counterattacks with his belly. Can reflect projectiles, but it doesn't protect from behind. StomachAttack
Kirby Stone Transforms into a stone and falls to the ground, dealing moderate damage in the fall. Cannot take damage while in stone form, but can be grabbed. Kirby Down B SSBU
Link Takes out a bomb and throws it. If held too long, the bomb will explode, damaging Link. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, this move was replaced with the Remote Bomb.
Little Mac Slip Counter Enters a defensive stance. If attacked, he will counter with a punch of his own. Little Mac SlipCounter
Lucario Double Team Enters a defensive stance. If attacked, he will teleport behind the attacker and kick them from behind. Lucario SSB4 (6)
Lucas PSI Magnet Creats a psychic field in front of him that absorbs energy attacks and decreases his damage. Lucas PSI Magnet SSBWU
Lucina Counter Enters a defensive stance. If attacked, will retaliate with attack that deals 1.1x the initial attack. Lucina Down B SSBU
Luigi Luigi Cyclone Spins around with fists outstretched. Can also rise up in the air if the special move button is mashed repeatedly. Luigi Cyclone SSBWU
Mario
  • F.L.U.D.D.: Charges up water in the eponymous pack and sprays it out at high pressure, which pushes opponents back but does not damage them.
  • Mario Tornado: Spins around with fists outstretched. Became his down aerial starting in Brawl.
Marth Counter Enters a defensive stance and will launch a counterattack if attacked, dealing 1.1 times the damage of the original attack. Marth Down B SSBU
Mega Man Leaf Shield Surrounds himself with the Leaf Shield, which can be thrown. Leaf Shield
Meta Knight Dimensional Cape Teleports a short distance away, slashing with his sword upon doing so. Scresen-3
Mewtwo Disable Fires a short blast which will briefly stun opponents. Mew2-6
Mii Brawler
  • Head-On Assault: Leaps into the air and slams headfirst into the ground, burying opponents.
  • Feint Jump: Does a backflip with invincibility frames. If the special move button is pressed again, they will kick diagonally toward the ground.
  • Foot Flurry: Rushes forward, kicking rapidly.
  • Counter Throw: Grabs opponents that strike with high attacks and then slams them down into the ground.

Head-On AssaultMii Brawler Down B 2 SSBUFoot FlurryMii Brawler Down B 3 SSBU

Mii Gunner
  • Echo Reflector: Surrounds themself in a field of energy that can reflect projectiles.
  • Bomb Drop: Shoots a small bomb from their arm cannon that explodes soon after.
  • Absorbing Vortex: Surrounds themself in a vortex which absorbs projectile attacks and decreases their damage.

Mii Gunner Down B SSBUBomb DropAbsorbing Vortex

Mii Swordfighter
  • Blade Counter: Enters a defensive stance and unleashes a counterattack if attacked.
  • Reveral Slash: Creates a rainbow with their slash that reflects projectiles.
  • Power Thrust: Rushes forward and thrusts their sword.

Blade CounterReversal SlashPower Thrust

Min Min ARMS Change Min Min changes her right extendable. She has three options:
  • The Ramram has the least endlag but is the weakest.
  • The Megawatt is the strongest albeit the slowest.
  • The Dragon is the middle ground.
Min Min Down B SSBU
Mr. Game & Watch Oil Panic Catches energy projectiles in a bucket, and can fire a powerful blast of oil afterwards after absorbing three projectiles. Oilpanic 1
Ness PSI Magnet Surrounds himself in an energy field that absorbs energy projectiles and heals him. Unlike Lucas', Ness' PSI Magnet surrounds his body. Ness PSI Magnet SSBWU
Olimar Pikmin Order Brings all his Pikmin back to him and reorders them. Gives Super Armor frames. Pikmin 080111k-l
Pac-Man Fire Hydrant Sets a fire hydrant on the ground, which fires blasts of water that can push opponents. Pac-ManWiiUscreen-6
Palutena
  • Counter: Enters a defensive stance and retaliates if attacked.
  • Reflect Barrier: Summons a large barrier in front of her which can reflect projectiles and push opponents back.

Palutena Down B SSBUPalutena's reflect

Peach/Daisy Vegetable Pulls out a vegetable which has varying effects depending on its face. Can occasionally pull out other items. Peach Turnip
Pichu Thunder Hits itself with a lightning bolt, damaging nearby enemies. However, this damages Pichu unless it uses the move under a platform. Pichu Thunder
Pikachu Thunder Hits itself with a lightning bolt. Meteor Smashes opponent in 3DS/Wii U and Ultimate. Pikachu SSB4 (4)
Piranha Plant Long-Stem Strike Withdraws into the pot and then pops out to bite opponents. The longer it's charged, the more range it has. D29DBF57-3FF7-412F-B0A0-E40548D5695E
Pit
  • Guardian Orbitars: Surrounds himself with two shields that reflect projectiles.
  • Mirror Shield: Crouches down and reflects projectiles in front of him with the shield.
Pokémon Trainer Pokémon Change Switches between his three Pokémon. Squirtle Down B SSBUIvysaur Down B SSBUCharizard Down B SSBU
Pyra/Mythra Swap to Pyra/Mythra
  • Swap to Mythra: Swap to Mythra in the middle of the battle. Mythra is faster but less powerful.
  • Swap to Pyra: Swap to Pyra in the middle of the battle. Pyra is slower but more powerful.
SwapSwap to PyraSwap to Mythra
Ridley Skewer Stabs forward with the sharp end of its tail. With the right positioning, this can be a debilitating blow. Ridley Down B SSBU
R.O.B. Gyro Charges a spinning Gyro and launches it forward, which does considerable damage. Can be picked up later. Gyro SSBWU
Robin Nosferatu Projects dark magic from his hand which damages any opponent caught in it while simultaneously healing Robin. Nosferatu
Rosalina & Luma Gravitational Pull Pulls all items in range to her. Can also be used to nullify all projectile attacks. Rosalina's down special
Roy Counter Enters a defensive stance and will retaliate if attacked, dealing 1.5 times the damage of the original attack. Roy Down B SSBU
Ryu/Ken Focus Attack Enters a charging state. When released or after a second, punches forward, causing the opponent to crumple if fully charged. Ryu Down B SSBUKen Down B SSBU
Samus/Dark Samus Bomb Spins into a ball and releases a small bomb that does minor damage. Samus' spinning can be used to halt downward momentum. Samus Bomb SSBWUBomb-Jump-Dark-Samus-SSBU
Sephiroth Scintilla Create a barrier of light in front of you. After some time passes or the barrier is struck, it will change into a Scintilla attack. Scintilla
Sheik
  • Bouncing Fish: Flips up into the air and attacks with her heels.
  • Transform: Transforms into Zelda. Is invincible during transformation period.
Shulk Vision Enters a defensive stance. As he is about to be attacked, Shulk foresees the attack before dodging it and launching a counterattack. Shulk-vision
Simon/Richter Holy Water Throws holy water at the ground, which engulfs opponents in fire. Holy-Water-SSBU
Snake C4 Plants a mine on the ground which will explode by pressing the B button again or after a certain amount of time. Can be attached to other opponents. C4 1
Sonic Spin Charge Spins across the stage. Unlike Spin Dash, Sonic does not jump at first and mashing the special move button during the move can make it more powerful. Sonic charge
Sora Counterattack Deflect direct attacks from opponents, briefly staggering them before launching a counterattack. Projectiles won't affect you if countered. Counterattack SSBU
Steve TNT Use several materials to create an explosive block. Hold the special-move button and left or right to use redstone and place a plate that can set off the block. TNT SSBU
Terry Power Dunk Knock opponents into the air with a knee strike, then follow up with a diagonal downward punch. Terry Down B SSBU
Toon Link Bomb Pulls out a bomb, which can be thrown. Has a bigger blast radius than Link's. Link & Toon Link SSB4
Villager Timber Plants a sapling, waters it until it grows into a tree, and cuts it down. The tree sprouting and falling deals massive damage. VillagerTimber
Wario Wario Waft Farts. Is initially harmless, but if not used for a long time, will grow in power. Wario5
Wii Fit Trainer Deep Breathing Heals a little damage and powers herself up for a time. If used in fast succession, the move will be much slower. Wii-fit-trainer-deep-breathing
Wolf Reflector Projects an energy field around himself which reflects projectiles, similar to Fox's. However, Wolf's Reflector is pink and has a countering effect. Reflector Wolf (2) SSBB
Yoshi Yoshi Bomb Leaps up and slams into the ground. Stars emerge from each side, dealing damage. Yoshi Down B SSBU
Young Link Bomb Pulls out a bomb similar to Link's. LinkBomb copy
Zelda
  • Phantom Slash: Charges and unleashes a phantom that slashes any opponent it encounters. Cannot be used for a certain amount of time if Phantom is damaged repeatedly.
  • Transform: Transforms into Sheik. Invincible during the duration.
Zero Suit Samus Flip Jump Flips up into the air and can follow up with a kick attack. Gains invincibility frames at the start, and Meteor Smashes if kick hits during the first frames. Buries grounded opponents in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. 800px-SSB4 - Acrobatics
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