Over the course of nearly thirty years,Super Smash Bros.has had many awesome special moves, defining the play style and personalities of characters joining in to beat on each other for all of time.
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Special moves are likely the most memorable part of each character in the franchise, and some moves manage to be competitively viable while adding to the games' legacy and improving the entire experience. Below are some of the best special moves in all of Smash history.
10Ptooie - Piranha Plant
Keep Them Guessing
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
One special move took this low-tier character and made them, well, not competitive, but hey, they have a cool move. This simple enough special move has Piranha Plant spitting out a metal ball which floats in midair, but it’s the applications of this move that make it shine.
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Will the player spit it forward, keep it up, move out of its way so it goes straight down or spit it out over a ledge and into a recovering opponent? The power of the ball adds to its notoriety, as it’s hard to break through with high priority and good knockback. It feels great to use, and players who attack the plant will likely be hit by it if they do so, creating the perfect ‘sword of damocles’ situation.
9Giant Punch - Donkey Kong
Charge It Up and Let ‘Er Rip
Super Smash Bros
There is nothing like charging up that big punch to eventually time it just right and knock your opponent out of the stage. This move has been around since the first N64 game and has been menacing players with the just threat of a knuckle sandwich, as players find chances to wind it up while not being directly attacked.
It’s fun to use, great when it fully connects and adds another layer of strategy for the kongo bongo crusader that will always be part of his move set. Given the super armor Ultimate added to make it easier to pull off, this special move is so Donkey Kong and so awesome.
8Inhale - Kirby
The Single Most Expensive Special Move In Smash
No special list would be complete without the inclusion of Kirby’s signature move, giving game programmers extra homework for decades. This move has Kirby suck up opponents, spit them out to strategically space them somewhere, or swallow and copy any character’s likeness, so the pink pest can use their neutral B move himself.
While the competitive use of this move is up for some debate, having a mini-snake, mini-samus, mini-ridley and more running around is just such a funny and unique move that Smash Bros could not do without. Some players can even use the move to cheese opponents off the stage.
7PK Thunder - Ness
A Unique Interaction
While not the strongest move in the game anymore, fans of the original Super Smash Bros know the absolute devastation a player could do by surprising their cousin with a PK Thunder tackle. The unique interaction of having a smash character throw their projectile into themselves to make the move stronger is such an awesome idea, and the projectile itself is useful even without the not-very-secret interaction.
Many American players did not know who Ness was, and having this bat-wielding boy also have one of the most powerful moves in the game helped increase his popularity.
6Charge Shot - Samus
The Threat Of Samus’ Own Spirit Bomb
Much like DK’s punch, the Charge Shot has been around since the N64 days, giving resourceful players a great poking tool as well as a finishing move all in one, violent package. The advantage over DK’s punch for this special move is that it can reach far across the stage, so some opponents may find themselves recovering straight into an unavoidable hit and KO.
Where the Charge Shot does have some counter-play is that it can be reflected by several moves, creating an opening for Samus to have her already massive blast ricochet back at her for twice is much damage and three times as much embarrassment.
5Witch Time - Bayonetta
Witch Time To Lose
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Specifically,Super Smash Bros. for Wii Uwas a deeply broken character. One of the moves which made the combo queen so great was her special move Witch Time, which is a counter that slows the opponent the more damaged they are. Already, Bayonetta was combo and stomping around opponents,but then as an opponent tries to attack back, they are now in Witch Time, while Bayonetta charges up a smash attack unlike anything they’ve ever seen.
It was too strong, it was too easy to use, but for all the witch lovers out there, it was fun as heck to use, and will be looked back as one of the best special moves of all time.
4Mach Tornado - Meta Knight
The Special Move That Does It All
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
Tired of special moves that don’t do massive damage, don’t make you impossible to hit, don’t start up immediately and aren’t a good recovery option? Look no further than a special move that decides to do all of that and more.
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Meta Knightexisted in a tier of his own,with one of the contributing factors being a tornado of despair that could be used to harm, trap, KO or escape opponents. The move has been nerfed since this version of the game, but even with a less powerful effect, all players know the horror of a Meta Knight battlecry into a spin and fear this awesome technique.
3Rest - Jigglypuff
Sleeping Never Caused So Much Pain
This move is just so Smash Bros. It’s part of its DNA. Jigglypuff’s down B special has been used to style on opponents in tournaments for decades, as this confusingly powerful move KOs opponents while the pink singer catches a nap.
Why does a move from Pokémon that heals them do damage and not heal the player? Why does it make a weird screaming noise happen when it lands? Understanding thatthese questions don’t matteris part of the fun of Smash Bros, where a super soldier gets eviscerated by being too close to a Pokémon falling asleep.
2Reflector/Shine - Fox/Falco
The Undisputed Special Move Champion
Super Smash Bros. Melee
If this were a list based on competitive use alone, ‘Shine’ would be the undisputed first pick. This move alone brought a truly competitive edge to Super Smash Bros. Melee, launched an entire competitive scene and continues to live as a great example of players finding exploits in the game that grow far beyond the intended programming of the creators.
While the move was meant to protect players against projectiles, the true power of this special for veteran players is it starts quick, has guranteed knockback and combos so well into just about everything including spikes, which it also can do in the air. A special move only dwarfed by the most recognizable special move in all of Smash.
1Falcon Punch - Captain Falcon
The Move More Famous Than Smash Bros. Itself
This move is soingrained in meme and pop culturethat people might know it while not knowing Smash Bros. or who Captain Falcon is. It all started in the first Super Smash Bros., when Captain Falcon decided it wasn’t enough to land a powerful punch, he had to name it too.
Since then, players have been trying to land game-winning pauwnches in tourneys and friend’s basements, roaring with laughter after success or failure. The move has only improved over time, as now players can pull a reverse punch with directional input to fake out their opponents and keep making the Captain the oppressive presence he has always been in Smash Bros. and beyond.
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