- This article is about Charizard's appearance in Super Smash Bros. (Wii U and 3DS). For other uses, see Charizard.
Charizard is a Generation I Fire-Type Pokémon. It first appeared in Super Smash Bros. and Melee as a Poké Ball Pokémon, and then made its first playable appearance in Brawl as one of the Pokémon Trainer's Pokémon. Charizard returns in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, but now is a standalone playable character. It is the only one of the Pokémon Trainer's Pokémon to return.
Charizard currently ranks 43rd out of 55 on the tier list.This is very similar to its previous ranking in Brawl, where it is ranked 29th out of 38th. Its heavy weight gives it good survivability and it possesses a multitude of powerful attacks, most of which have Super Armor; Charizard is held back by poor vertical recovery, considerable lag on some attacks, and a poor combo game.
Attributes[]
Strengths[]
- Heavy character, having high launch resistance.
- Considerable speed for its size in both ground and air.
- Huge knockback on most moves.
- Super armor frames on some attacks.
- Good horizontal recovery.
Weaknesses[]
- Large character, having big hurtboxes.
- High lag on some attacks.
Summary[]
Charizard is among the most potent powerhouses in the game. It can dish out damage quite fast and KO opponents at mid percentages easily.
It is faster but less potent than Bowser, as a result it can rush more efficiently but cannot KO as early. While it doesn't have as many attacks with super armor frames, the few ones it has are its most powerful, such as Rock Smash and Flare Blitz.
Charizard's ground game is relatively strong; he has some powerful kill moves and spacing tools. Charizard's jab is a good combo finisher. Charizard's forward tilt is good for spacing, and if spaced correctly so that the flame on his tail hits the opponent, it will deal more damage. The up tilt is great for deterring enemy aerial approaches and can combo into up smash; because it has disjointed hitboxes, it has high priority. Charizard's down tilt, though slow, has great range to it and can keep an opponent out if they are making a frontal approach. Charizard's dash attack can combo into his forward aerial and neutral aerial.
Forward smash is a good kill move but has high ending lag, so a player should only use it if it is a guaranteed hit. Up smash can cover Charizard from above pretty well, combos out of up tilt and down throw, and is a kill move. Charizard's down smash can cover rolls nicely and can break shields. It is also a good edge guarding tool, as it is able to hit vertically recovering characters before they grab the edge, and also has a Meteor Smash.
Charizard's aerials are all quite slow, but powerful. Neutral aerial deals more damage when the flame on the tail hits and it combos out of down throw. Forward aerial combos out of down throw and is a good edge-guarding tool. Back aerial deals more damage when the flame on the tail hits but is not a very good combo move. Down aerial is a powerful meteor smash and combo finisher. Up aerial is good for juggling and killing off of the ceiling, and it combos out of up throw.
Charizard's throws only have a small number of moves they can combo into. Forward and back throw are only good for getting opponents off-stage. Up throw can combo into Flare Blitz, up aerial, and up special. Down throw can combo into up smash, neutral aerial, and forward aerial.
Now for Charizard's special moves.
Flamethrower is a good tool for spacing and edge-guarding; using it on the edge can prevent opponents from recovering and grabbing the edge and can cause them to fall and die.
Flare Blitz is a move that requires some patience; though fast and heavy in damage, an opponent with good reaction time can easily dodge this move; the recoil damage of the move will put Charizard at high percentages quickly if used too much. Flare Blitz can combo out of up throw at low percentages if the opponent doesn't DI, air dodge, or jump out of it. Flare Blitz is good for horizontal recovery and as a kill move, but a player will need to wait for a golden opportunity before they use this move to hit an opponent. The move also possesses Super Armor.
Fly is an average recovery, but is better as a combo finisher and kill move. Since it has Super Armor it is not easily gimped or interrupted when used to kill an opponent off the ceiling.
Rock Smash is great on shields and as an escape tool; use it while an enemy is using a combo on Charizard and the Super Armor on the move will prevent Charizard from being launched, end their combo, and possibly attack them with a high-damaging move.
One of Charizard's flaws is its size, being an easy target for combos due its weight. It also has high lag on many moves, being easy to retaliate. Truth be told Charizard just isn't a combo-heavy character. He has high ending lag on most of his moves which makes it very hard to combo much. Charizard is a character that focuses on getting up close, dealing some big damage with two or three attacks, and then blocking the enemy attacks or retreating and then repeating the process until they are at the right percentage to be hit with a good kill move.
Differences from Brawl[]
As transformations aside Final Smashes were removed, Charizard is now a standalone character. It also received plenty buffs and cosmetic changes in its animations, such as flapping its wings during its dash and having different winning poses as it is no longer accompanied by Pokémon Trainer.
Appearance-wise, it looks virtually the same as in Brawl, however its claws are slightly larger and its tail is a bit longer.
Attributes[]
- Slightly heavier than in Brawl.
- Faster walking speed. Additionally, it now flaps its wings while dashing.
- Slightly lower base jump and third jump.
- Charizard no longer receives increased damage from water attacks as Type Effectiveness has been removed.
- Is no longer affected by stamina since the mechanic has been removed and it is no longer part of the Pokémon Trainer.
- Can no longer glide as the mechanic has been removed.
Ground Attacks[]
- Neutral Attack first and second hits have slightly more range, while the third hit has much higher knockback.
- Forward and Down Tilts are slightly weakers in terms of damage and knockback.
- Up Tilt animation is slightly different, with Charizard now attacking with its entire wings, covering more of its upper area. It also has a hitbox that hits enemies by its side.
- Down Tilt has slightly more range, but more end lag.
- Forward Smash has a different animation, with Charizard swinging its head from the side as opposed to upwards. It is faster and stronger, but covers slightly less vertical range and does less damage.
- Down Smash has a different animation, where Charizard stomps with a single foot rather than using both. It covers slightly more range to the sides and causes horizontal knockback.
- Dash Attack has more range and slightly less ending lag. It also causes more knockback.
Aerial Attacks[]
- Neutral Aerial has slightly more range and causes slightly more knockback.
- Forward Aerial has a new animation, looking similar to Bowser's Forward Aerial, rather than being a wing flap while breathing fire. It is now single hit, has no sourspot, causes more knockback. However, it inflicts less damage and no longer has fire properties.
- Back Aerial has a slightly different animation, with Charizard's tail covering more area. It is now a single hit, and causes more knockback.
- Up Aerial has a different animation, where Charizard headbutts in an arc, as opposed to its upward bite from Brawl. It has much higher knockback and covers more horizontal range.
- Down Aerial has a different animation, where Charizard kicks with a single foot, similar to Donkey Kong's Down Aerial in the previous games. It is faster, stronger and has more range, but now has a sourspot that deals less damage and knockback, but still is a Meteor Smash.
Grabs and Throws[]
- Forward Throw is stronger and with a larger hitbox, allowing Charizard to hit other enemies with the held opponent more efficiently. It also can hit opponents behind Charizard at the start of the attack, as it swings its opponents more forcefully.
- Back Throw is faster and with less ending lag.
- Up Throw has a new animation with different mechanic: it causes Charizard to bounce its enemy on the ground in a fashion similar to Kirby and Meta Knight's Up Throw. It also has KO potential.
- Down Throw no longer allows Charizard to hit nearby enemies as the flames it shoots don't spread.
Special Attacks[]
- Flamethrower covers slightly more range and the flames last longer.
- New Side Special, Flare Blitz, now replaces Rock Smash (which is now its Down Special). When used, Charizard is engulfed by flames and charges forward as a giant fireball. It inflicts heavy damage and knockback, and covers very high range, however Charizard will become helpless if hits an airborne enemy.
- Fly now has pure vertical range, covering slightly higher distance. It also faster and has slightly less ending lag.
- Rock Smash is now its Down Special, replacing Pokémon Change. It grants powerful super armor frames during most of the attack.
- New Final Smash, Mega Charizard X, replaces its old one Triple Finish, which it attacked in conjunction with Squirtle and Ivysaur (where it used Fire Blast). It is now a transformation Final Smash, functioning similar to Yoshi's Final Smash, Super Dragon. Charizard will fly for the entire duration of the Final Smash, and can use two attacks: one where it spins forcefully in the direction the player is tilting (looks similar to Flare Blitz, but without the fire attribute), and another where it shoots a Fire Blast.
Moveset[]
Ground Attacks[]
Jab[]
◾Jab – Swipes with its right hand, then its left hand, followed by its right wing. 3%, 3%, 4%
Tilts[]
◾Up Tilt – Jumps a little as its wings pop out into the air. 8%
◾Down Tilt – Holds its head low and does a headbutt. 10%
◾Forward Tilt – Sweeps with its tail. 7%, 11% if the flame on the end of the tail hits.
Smash Attacks[]
◾Up Smash – Both its wings swoop upwards in different directions. 16-22%
◾Forward Smash – Lashes out with its head, headbutting the enemy. 17-23%
◾Down Smash – Stomps on the ground, generating a shockwave around it. 16-22%
Other Attacks[]
◾Dash Attack – Kicks out with its left leg. 11%
◾Ledge Attack – Pulls itself up and head-butts forwards. 8%
◾Get-Up Attack – Slaps its tail to each side. 7%
Aerial Attacks[]
◾Up Aerial – Swipes its head upwards. 13%
◾Down Aerial – Stomps ferociously the air under it with one of its feet. It is a meteor smash at almost all of its foot. 14%
◾Neutral Aerial – Flips over, hitting with its tail. 7%, 10% if the flame on the end of the tail hits.
◾Forward Aerial – Swipes its claw. 11%
◾Back Aerial – Swipes with its tail. 13%, 15% if the flame on the end of the tail hits.
Grabs and Throws[]
◾Pummel – Bites the opponent. 2% each hit
◾Forward Throw – Grabs opponent in its mouth, rotates its head, and hurls them forward. 10%
◾Back Throw – Grabs opponent in its mouth and hurls them behind it. 10%
◾Down Throw – Holds opponent on the ground with its foot and breathes fire on their face. 6%
◾Up Throw – Flies upward with opponent in tow and slams into the ground. Similar to the move Seismic Toss. 11%
Special Moves[]
| Charizard's Special Moves | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Brawl | 3DS/Wii U | Ultimate | |
| Standard Special | Flamethrower | ||
| Side Special | Rock Smash | Flare Blitz | |
| Up Special | Fly | ||
| Down Special | (Pokémon Change) | Rock Smash | (Pokémon Change) |
| Final Smash | Fire Blast (of Triple Finish) | Mega Evolution | Fire Blast (of Triple Finish) |
On-Screen Appearance []
- Emerges from a Poké Ball, then stomps once.
Charizard entering battle
Taunts[]
- Up Taunt: Roars.
- Side Taunt: Displays its size and gives a smaller roar.
- Down Taunt: Stomps on the ground.
Idle pose[]
- Leans back and then stomps once.
- Turns its head to the side and quickly spits an ember onto the ground.
Victory pose[]
- Roars and then strikes a pose.
- Stomps forward before rearing its head back to roar upward while expelling flames from its mouth, and then strikes a pose.
- Uses Flare Blitz to descend from the sky and crash into the ground before striking a pose.
In Competitive Play[]
Due to its sluggish moveset; predictable and exploitable recovery; very slow air speed; susceptibility to combos; and newfound lack of teammates, Charizard initially garnered a very poor reputation by the majority of players during SSB4's early metagame. Update 1.0.8, however, began a trend in which game updates consistently granted Charizard buffs that were substantial at best and decent at worst. The buffs from this particular update noticeably improved Charizard's KO potential, combo game and frame data to the point that it lost its candidacy for the worst character in the game. Although some players even argued in favor of Charizard now becoming somewhat viable, it was still widely attested that these buffs were not sufficient enough to significantly improve its representation and results. As a result, Charizard was ranked 49th on the first tier list, confirming its status as a bottom-tier character.
Despite this placement, Charizard's viability became heavily contested ever since update 1.1.5, thanks to its sporadic instances of success and strengths as a character. Numerous professionals, including ZeRo and ESAM, believed Charizard to be somewhat viable and labeled it as a potential low-tier or even mid-tier character. This perception persisted into the second tier list, but was not reinforced by the second tier list itself, as Charizard was ranked 51st and thus placed at the top of the bottom-tier.
Despite this placement, many players kept arguing in favor of Charizard's viability. Notably, MkLeo has claimed that Charizard can fare well against top-tier characters, thanks to it having some niche matchups against some of them, such as Cloud. Arguments in favor of Charizard's viability were further supplemented by its tournament results slowly, but noticeably, improving; dedicated players like Chuck Nasty, Sharpy and Serge would go on to actually win regional tournaments while exclusively using Charizard.
Thanks to its newfound success, Charizard was ranked 45th on the third tier list, which reassessed it as a low-tier character. International players like Tosshi, Fire and SilentDoom would also achieve significant wins and results while using Charizard, such as the latter placing 25th at B.E.A.S.T 7 while using both Charizard and Cloud. Although Charizard's results in North America have been more sparse than other regions, they eventually improved in a similar manner. Notable examples include Bloodcross and Sharpy placing 17th and 33rd, respectively, at CEO Dreamland, and Chuck Nasty placing 13th at Low Tier City 5. Thanks to this steady amount of tournament success, Charizard has been ranked 43rd on the fourth and current tier list, which has reassessed it as a mid-tier character.
Trophy Description[]
Charizard[]
The iconic Fire/Flying-type Pokemon. Charizard's scorching breath can melt anything in its path. It soars through the air seeking only worthy foes to test itself against. In Smash Bros., Charizard unleashes the destructive Flare Blitz special move--a move so strong, it even injures the user!
- Game Boy - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (09/1998)
- 3DS - Pokémon X & Pokémon Y (10/2013)
Charizard (Alt)[]
Charizard's Flamethrower attack can be sustained by holding the button. The flames will gradually die, but a short break will recharge them. Charizard's down special Rock Smash crushes a rock and hits foes with the pieces. Charizard won't flinch while crushing, but others can break the rock...
- Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (09/1998)
- Pokémon X & Pokémon Y (10/2013)
Other Features[]
To Be Added
Palette Swaps[]
Gallery[]
.png "SSB4 Wii U Charizard Stock Icon (Alt 1).png (5 KB)"){kind=icon}
Trivia[]
- Charizard is now a separate character, alongside Sheik and Zero Suit Samus, since Sakurai stated characters can no longer change during matches in any form.
- Charizard knows eight official Pokémon moves in SSB4, all of which it can learn legally in the Pokémon core series. In addition to Flamethrower, Flare Blitz, Fly and Rock Smash, it can use Fire Fang and Blast Burn as custom moves, Fire Blast as part of its Final Smash, and Dragon Rush either as a custom move or as part of its Final Smash.
- As Squirtle did not return from Brawl, Charizard is also the only playable Pokémon in SSB4 to know moves that were HMs prior to generation VII (Fly and Rock Smash).
- Charizard, alongside Sonic the Hedgehog, Lucas, Captain Falcon, Mewtwo, and Roy are the only veteran characters to have their own release trailers.
- However, Charizard's trailer features both it and Greninja.
- And Captain Falcon was featured in Lucina & Robin's trailer.
- Charizard's purple-with-green-wings palette swap is a reference to its original Shiny form from Gold, Silver, and Crystal. Some players like to joke about it resembling Ridley.
- Charizard can no longer glide. The same goes for Pit and Meta Knight.
Gallery[]
External links[]
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