Luigi

Luigi is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Battle Royale. This is the first time that Luigi does not need to be unlocked in a Smash Bros. game.

Luigi plummeted on Tier List 3: He went from 6th of 13 to 14th of 22. He lacks a reliable approach option: His fireball really never cut it, and he's lost that. He's not really a rushdown character, either: Luigi likes to get in and get out, which he has a hard time doing. His damage output is really good, though: The best damage dealer in terms of mid-weights. He may see a huge rise on Tier List 4 if the cards are played right for him.

In The Battle Arena, Luigi finds Mario and Peach when they didn't show up. After being assaulted at night, Luigi doesn't do much for the heroes.

Taunts

 * Utaunt: Luigi performs a variety of poses. First, he puts one hand on his waist, while the other has a "two finger" pose (otherwise known as "peace sign") with a smug look on his face. Next, Luigi turns around and points his hands in that direction. Then, Luigi places his hand below his mustache, in a "thinking" pose. Afterwards, Luigi turns away from the screen and crouches down, as if he's sad. Finally, Luigi turns back towards the camera, with a surprised look on his face, similar to that of his face on the boxart of Luigi's Mansion. While using this taunt, if you're over 200% in damage, Luigi will slowly heal himself about 3-5% during the taunt.


 * Dtaunt: Luigi holds his hands behind his back, and kicks forward. Similar to Melee (as well as the original, this taunt deals damage. Similar to Brawl, this acts as a meteor smash if your opponent is in the air or on a ledge. The hitbox is a bit better, and the attack (taunt, rather) deals 1%.


 * Ltaunt: Luigi stands up straight with his hands on his hips, and then flops (stiff) onto the floor, saying, "Pow pow". While Luigi is standing up straight, it's harder to hit him on the ground (it's easier to hit him in the air, however). When Luigi flops, it's the exact opposite, making for quite the funny taunt in competitive play.


 * Rtaunt: Luigi frantically shakes his head back and forth. He looks behind him, and then downwards; he suddenly becomes terrified. If the opponent lands next to Luigi (or is behind Luigi during this taunt), he will run away. Otherwise, he will sigh a sigh of relief.

Ground Game

 * Jab: Luigi quickly punches forward. The then does it again, and then attacks the opponent with his butt. Much more of a serious move than it sounds... sort of. It's a very good move overall, as it works wonders for short Luigi combo's and quick, solid damage. This can also set up a Jab Lock. While Luigi has better moves, his Jab should not be overlooked. The first punch deals 3%, the second punch 2%, and the butt slap deals 7%.


 * Dash Attack: Luigi swings his arms six times, and ends with one final push. The attack is, for the most part, the same as it was in Brawl. It's still safe on block (to an extent), the multiple hits are still there, and the final hit knocks the opponent away a short distance. The move is more of a combo ender now, since it can actually be put into combo's and has bad enough ending lag that Luigi can't combo out of it. A good move, albeit a bit more useless with the added hit stun from Brawl. The six arm swings deal 1% each, and the final hit deals 3% for a total of 9%.


 * Utilt: Luigi performs an upward "kitten swipe". This move has surpsisingly nasty knockback, although it can juggle at low %s. While it can't necessarily combo at low %s, it can at least juggle. The range on the move is pretty good, and it's Luigi's only reliable anti-air. It's fast, strong, and has decent priority. It doesn't break through armor, but you can't win everything. The attack deals 9%.


 * Dtilt: Luigi smacks the ground with his hand. It's far better than Mario's Dtilt, and is a bit better than his old Dtilt. The range isn't as good, but about every other aspect is slightly better. It can combo into a few moves, although the potential of landing an aerial attack (aside from the Dair, possibly the Fair depending on location) is highly unlikely. It's also a lot less punishable; you can even juggle with this move at low %s, which is odd for a Dtilt. The attack deals 8%.


 * Ftilt: Luigi performs a roundhouse kick. A very simple attack, not to mention the only one that hasn't been Luigi-fied from Mario. It has the same good range, decent knockback, hard to punish, shield poking stunts that Mario's has. Of course, this is Luigi's, so the uses are varied. It isn't a very good approach option, but it's still one of Luigi's better approaches. The attack deals 9%.


 * Fsmash: Luigi thrusts a quick spearhand at the opponent. This move has been slightly nerfed from Brawl, although it's still a fantastic attack that Luigi should rely on to end combo's, start loops (on some stages), and punish opponents at high %s. The knockback and damage have been slightly nerfed, and it's a bit slower on startup. However, even with the minor downgrades, it can still easily be put into combo's. It KO's at around 100% fresh (and outside of a combo) against Mario, so take advantage of your opponents mistakes; you can KO them extremely early if you use this move properly. It still isn't that punishable, so for the most part, you should be good using this move. Just don't spam it due to Stale Move Negotiation. The attack deals 14% uncharged and 21% charged; you can also tilt this move, although the upward attack doesn't have IASA Frames anymore.


 * Usmash: Luigi performs an upward headbutt. This move is ironically good as an attack to land on grounded opponents, yet works bad as an anti-air. The damage is better on the ground, it deals more shield damage, it's harder to dodge, and easier to combo into when your opponent is on the ground. It isn't a horrible anti-air, but it certainly isn't a good one. It's odd, but hey, it's Luigi. The attack deals 12% uncharged and 21% charged when the opponent is in the air. When you're both on the ground, the attack deals 16% uncharged and 23% charged.


 * Dsmash: Luigi does a twisting breakdance, like he always has. The move has a few different elements than it did in Brawl, though. For one, the attack now deals complete horizontal knockback instead of complete vertical knockback. Most other changes are very minor; Luigi does the breakdance on two hands instead of one, Luigi looks dizzy while doing it, etc. It also deals a very small amount more of damage: Uncharged, the attack deals 17%, and charged, it deals 23%.

Aerial Game

 * Nair: Luigi kicks in front of him. The range is pretty short due to Luigi's short leg, but it's better than Mario's. There aren't any sex kick properties to it anymore, which is very strange (but then again, this is Luigi). If you land while using this move, you can use almost every single one of Luigi's moves to follow. There isn't much ending lag on this move. The attack deals 10%.


 * Fair: Luigi "karate chops" his opponent. The range and knockback on this move are stellar, and it's a pretty quick move. Stale-Move Negotiation harms this move a bit, but damage scaling doesn't. The move has a slight amount of startup (although it's still surprisingly quick), so you can trick your opponent in some situations. It's also great for combo's. The attack deals 11%.


 * Bair: Luigi performs a quick, backward kick. Despite the similar appearence, it's very different from Mario's Bair. This move is wonderful for combo's, surprisingly similar to Mario's old Bair (as well as Luigi's). In terms of knockback, it's pretty bad. For combo potential and Wall of Pain shenanigans, however, Luigi's Bair is fantastic. Unless you're trying to KO your opponent, the Bair is a great move that all Luigi players should put into their combo's. The attack deals 9%.


 * Uair: Luigi swings his head upward. This move makes for a decent juggling tool, and it thankfully retains the quickness of his other aerials. Unfortunately, it doesn't make for a very good anti-air, which Luigi needs. The hitbox on Luigi's head increases when he uses this move, so it isn't a safe move, per se, although the ending lag is very short. Overall, it's a decent move that can be used for a Star KO, to say the very least. The attack deals 8%.


 * Dair: Luigi performs a quick, downward spin kick. The priority is very good, meaning it can counter a lot of anti-airs (although it obviously struggles against some Smash attack anti-airs). If the move is used at a specific point (if Luigi is very close to the opponent), this move will act as a meteor smash. The move only hits once, so damage scaling doesn't have much of an effect on it. Overall, it's a pretty good move for Luigi, being an attack that deals 10%.

Throws

 * Grab: Luigi grabs the opponent, similar to Mario. Decent range; the dash grab is bad due to the punishment, but the pivot grab is really good.


 * Pummel: Luigi slowly headbutts the opponent. You'll likely only get 2 pummels off from this. Each hit deals 2-3%.


 * Fthrow: Luigi quickly takes out the Poltergust 3000 and sucks the opponent toward it. Luigi then sends the opponent soaring forward. Good as a KO Throw, but not good for combo's due to the knockback. The throw deals 8-9%.


 * Bthrow: Luigi spins around in a circle, similar to Mario's Bthrow. However, instead of throwing the opponent away when he's supposed to, he drops them before his final throw. A goofy throw; you can actually combo out of it with a move like Dtilt or Dsmash due to the awful knockback. The throw deals 5%.


 * Uthrow: Luigi quickly throws the opponent upwards. A very good throw for KO's and mix-ups, but the uses are mostly restrainted to that. The throw deals 10%.


 * Dthrow: Luigi headbutts the opponent, who falls onto the ground. Luigi then quickly steps on the opponent. You can combo out of this throw since Luigi's kick has no knockback, but your choices are limited. The throw deals 9%.

Specials

 * Special: Polter Gust. Luigi takes out the Poltergust 3000 (seen in his throws) from Luigi's Mansion. He then turns it on and begins to absorb anything in sight. While this move is being used, Luigi will constantly run around, so whichever direction he's facing, he will run in that direction. By pressing Special a second time, Luigi will put the Poltergust away. If you don't put the Poltergust away in 5 seconds, it will explode, leaving Luigi in a short stun (3 seconds).

If the Poltergust sucks up an item, nothing happens. An interesting note is that this move can suck up a Smash Ball; the Smash Ball will go right through it, but the Smash Ball will still be hit. If you actually manage to suck up your opponent, you can do a few things. You can either press the attack button (A on a Gamecube controller), you will shoot them out; this attack can hit opponents. The opponent who is shot out will be hurt 7%, while the opponent who is shot at will be hurt 5%. Pressing grab will result in Luigi using his Fthrow, which does not hit opponents. Jumping will allow Luigi to fire the opponent out in any direction (hold the control stick in whatever direction you want and press the attack button). Pressing Special allows Luigi to hurl the Poltergust into the air; it will explode. This deals 15% to your opponent. No matter what, Luigi will always have a backup Poltergust... for some reason.

The Poltergust itself is sort of unblockable. If Luigi approaches you closely enough, this move counts as a grab, and therefore is unblockable. While shielding, you will not be absorbed by the Poltergust, however, and instead shall stand still. Another thing to note is that the Poltergust can still explode if the opponent is inside, whether or not Luigi hurled them into the air. The opponent can break out of it by pressing buttons, although the higher their %, the longer it takes to escape.

While it's a great move overall, it does hurt that Luigi's best method of approach (the fireball) is now gone. It wasn't a good approach to begin with, either, which tells you something about how Luigi approaches. Still, this move isn't bad and should be used by Luigi players often, but cleverly.


 * Side Special: Green Missile. Luigi crouches down and begins to charge. If the player holds Side Special, Luigi will continue to charge. The maximum charge for this move takes about a second and a half, but you can charge the move infinitely. When you release Side Special, Luigi will rocket forward. At the shortest distance, it travels about 1/5 of Final Destination. At max, it travels through the entire main platform of said stage. And, of course...

There is a 12.5% chance that the Green Missile will "misfire". No statistics change depending on charges; it's always 12.5%, no matter how long you charge. When this misfire happens, Luigi will quickly skyrocket across the stage, severely damaging whatever he comes in contact with. He goes through essentially everything that isn't a wall. Not to mention he deals much more damage. Sadly, there's only a 12.5% chance it will happen. The move is risky enough as it is.

Despite being risky, it really does help Luigi's horizontal recovery, which he lacks, for the most part. Despite being risky, it's quite a good reward when used right. When uncharged but not misfired, the attack deals 8%. When semi-charged (no misfire), the attack will deal 12%. When at full charge (no misfire), the attack will deal 16%. Finally, the misfire will always deal 20%. The misfire works as an amazing shield poke, breaking the shield on some characters at any point in the match (it will always break Pichu's).


 * Down Special: Luigi Cyclone. Luigi spins around several times, like a Cyclone. Luigi is invincible during this state if attacked from left, right, or below. If attacked from above, Luigi is not safe at all and should try to get away from his opponent. Luigi ends the cyclone by holding his arms out in triumph. If you mash the special button, you can gain some vertical distance on this move; if you hold right/left on the control stick while mashing, you can gain some horizontal distance, as well.

The Infinite Jumping trick has returned (if you even want to call it that), although it can only be done if Luigi touches the tip of the ground at any point during the Cyclone. This move can also meteor smash, similar to the Mario Tornado from Smash 64. Just like that one, the final hit has to be dealt when the opponent is below Luigi; however the location is much less strict. While it may seem like a good move at first...

The damage scaling. The attack itself deals about 8 hits (the first 7 dealing 1%, and the final hit dealing 5% for a total of 12%). That's if you land it fresh; with Stale-Move Negotiation, the damage does get nerfed. Thankfully, SMG (no, not that) doesn't affect this move too much. Still, if you plan on putting this into combo's, prepare for some nasty scaling. This move is used best for its tricks, which it has quite a lot of.


 * Up Special: Super Jump Punch. Luigi performs a completely vertical jump upward. The vertical distance on this is very good. The horizontal distance, however, is very bad. It's suggested to use this move after you've used the Luigi Cyclone to gain some vertical/horizontal distance (or Green Missile, depending on where you are). The move isn't stiff like it was in Melee, and essentially plays out like it did in Brawl. Now, however, Luigi doesn't flop on his head like he did in Brawl. He still falls on his head, but the ending lag is still much shorter than Melee.

And, of course, the nasty sweetspot is back once again. The regular Super Jump Punch (the sourspotted one) will still only deal 1%, and the opponent will barely flinch. If it is sweetspotted, however, it will become the Fire Jump Punch and deal a massive 25% with great knockback. If used in the air, the knockback will be the same, but it will only deal 20%. This is a great way to end combo's, and it's a decent recovery tool, as well. A very fun Special for Luigi to use.

Final Smashes

 * Final Smash: Boo Invasion. Luigi freezes in his tracks. He turns around and screams loudly. He rushes to one of three places: On a high platform, on the side of the stage, or underneath the stage. He clings on to wherever he is for dear life, looking terrified. When Luigi reaches safety, a swarm of Boo's come rushing in. They will swarm all over the stage... except for where Luigi is. The Boo's are incredibly hard to avoid, and each deal 1%. If used outside of a combo (this can only be combo'd into via Hit Stun), you're more than likely going to get at least 30% off of this Final Smash.

Which kinda sucks. After 10 seconds, the Boo's leave, and Luigi returns to the stage. The Final Smash isn't that bad, despite the poor damage you're likely going to get, but this Final Smash isn't used for damage. If it was, it'd be terrible. Luigi is essentially free from damage for 10 whole seconds. That may not seem like much, but it can really drag a match out if used properly. Heck, with enough meter, this Final Smash can drag a match on over a minute. That kind of tactic would likely be banned from competitive play, but you can at least get 2 or 3 uses off of this move in a row.


 * Battle Attack: Negative Zone. Luigi spins around in a few circles, seeming to perform a strange ritual. The world around him will turn Negative (or rather, a fairly large circle will turn Negative). After Luigi's ritual stops, he is free to do whatever he wants for the next 5-7 seconds the Negative Zone remains. While the Negative Zone is active, many strange things happen, such as:
 * Your opponents will take 1% worth of damage every half of a second.
 * Your opponents will randomly taunt.
 * Your opponents can trip by themselves; and they will often.
 * Your opponents will grow a flower on their head, which does damage after the Negative Zone dissapears.
 * Performing a Dtaunt (Luigi) will 0HKO your opponent.
 * Time will slow down for everyone but Luigi.

Despite the fact it could be renamed the Don't ask Zone, it's still a very good Battle Attack. Luigi can really deal some great damage to his opponents using this, and being able to 0HKO with a taunt is just embarrasing. Use it wisely, though, for the meter it uses and the short amount of time it lasts factor in to how well the effects of the Zone are.


 * Ultimate Smash: Luigi's Bravery. Performed by crouching for at least 5 seconds and pressing Special while crouching.

Luigi cowers in fear while crouching. If the opponent attacks Luigi, then he falls to the ground. He then bravely stands up, glares at the opponent, and yells "I'm-a ready!" at them. For the following 10 seconds, Luigi will have less lag on all of his move (start and ending). He will also be faster, as if to say, "I'm not as hesitant anymore!". After about 10 seconds, Luigi will stop dead in his tracks. He will see the opponent look angrily at him, and he will panic, returning to normal. It's a "transformation" of sorts, which is never a bad thing, although for a mere 10 seconds is a bit questionable in quality.

If the opponent does not hit Luigi, he will do something different. He will gulp, and run at the opponent. The opponent will punch Luigi, who quickly jumps up and performs a fast barrage of counter strikes. He then knocks the opponent down and grabs them. Instead of throwing them, he will grab hold of them with one hand, and use his Fire Jump Punch with the other. The opponent will be sent soaring, as Luigi celebrates at his bravery. This barrage of attacks deals a total of 110%. This is unavoidable unless you get the transformation, so utilize this Ultimate Smash while you can - you can only utilize the damage (or the transformation) once.

Means of Unlocking
Luigi has a few ways of being unlocked.


 * The first (and easiest) method of unlocking Luigi is by beating The Battle Arena. He comes in a pack along with 9 other characters after it is beat. He can be bought for 500 Battle Points at Shop Royale.
 * The second way of unlocking him is to beat Classic/Arcade Mode with Mario twice. The first time, do not get a Continue (you can lose stocks, however). The second time, go through with a Partner, and let the partner get ALL of the KO's. Then Mario will be challenged by Luigi. Win and Luigi is unlocked.
 * The third way of unlocking Luigi is to clear all Event Matches. He can be brought alone for 10 Battle Points.
 * The fourth (and final) way to unlock Luigi is by playing in 500 Battle Mode matches. He will then challenge the winner. Beat him and you unlock him.