Piranha Plant Combos & Moves Guide for Smash Ultimate

piranha plant combos

Nintendo

Piranha Plant has been added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with the 2.0.0 update. The controversial fighter is a surprisingly effective combatant, with strong options for both close and long range offense despite the initially lacking launch power.

If you’re looking to main Piranha Plant, whether it’s because it’s a good fit for your fighting style or to spite those who objected to the plant’s inclusion in the game, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s a guide to Piranha Plant’s combos and moves in Smash Ultimate.

Before we begin, here are some quick notes. Most of Piranha Plant’s attacks do more damage at the tip of the attack. If an opponent steps on Piranha Plant while it is crouching, it will automatically bite the opponent.

Here’s how each of Piranha Plant’s attacks work in Smash Ultimate.


Piranha Plant Moves Explanation

Neutral Attack – Piranha Plant will go from jabs to a flurry of bites. The rapid jabs does push the opponent away gradually giving them an opportunity to escape, but you can get in at least 15 to 17 percent damage if you stop pressing buttons and land the final hit.

F-Tilt – This attack actually hits twice if you press the attack button twice, just like with Link’s F-Smash. It does 14.4 percent damage and can launch opponents a bit. It’s a good combo finisher. The second bite attack can be delayed to catch opponents off guard.

U-Tilt – This attack hits above Piranha Plant and a little bit to the sides. It’s very effective at juggling opponents.

D-Tilt – This attack is pretty fast and launches opponents a little bit diagonally. You’ll be starting a lot of combos with this, especially from a Short Hop.

Dash Attack – This attack does 12 percent damage and launches opponents. It also comes out pretty quick but leaves you open to counterattack afterwards if you miss. It’s an effective kill move and a good way of starting or continuing combos. Since Piranha Plant is so quick, you can Dash Attack an opponent multiple times in succession.

F-Smash – There’s a slight delay before the hit connects but it still comes out relatively quickly. It can leave you open if you miss. Unfortunately, while it does a solid 19 percent damage it doesn’t have a ton of launch power until you get to around 70 percent damage (or you charge it up a bit) so save it for then.

D-Smash – Pretty much the same as F-Smash but it leaves you slightly less open after the attack, covers a wide area around you and launches horizontally. This is great for catching people trying to roll back onto the stage from the edge.

U-Smash – Like the U-Tilt, it can hit in front of you but you have to be very close. This is a great kill move after launching opponents vertically with something like an U-Tilt or a D-Air.

N-Air – This attack comes out quickly and does decent damage as it hits the opponent multiple times. This is a great way to start combos from the air.

F-Air – A relatively quick attack that does around 10 percent damage and can launch opponents a bit. It’s a good way to continue combos after launching the opponent diagonally from something like a D-Tilt or a D-Throw.

B-Air – A slower but stronger attack that can kill opponents and does 18 percent damage. However it has short range.

U-Air – A quick attack that can juggle opponents in the air.

D-Air – A strong and relatively quick attack that can Meteor Smash opponents or launch them vertically from the ground at which point you can continue a combo with N-Special or U-Tilt.

D-Throw – This throw is similar to the D-Tilt in damage output and launch power, making it just as effective at starting combos.

F-Throw – A good way to launch opponents a fair distance away. However it doesn’t launch far enough to KO opponents.

B-Throw – An even stronger version of the F-Throw, but still doesn’t launch far enough to KO opponents.

U-Throw – This move can actually KO opponents very effectively if they’re at least at 100 damage and you throw from the top platform of the stage. At lower percents, it can be used to combo into a U-Tilt, U-Smash, D-Special or N-Special.

N-Special – This attack makes a spike ball float above Piranha Plant. It hits a good distance above Piranha Plant and can launch opponents pretty far at higher percentages, but it can be tossed to the side with the control stick for even more damage and launch power. If you float the ball long enough so that it’s close to Piranha Plant’s head and then toss it, it will fly farther horizontally. Try not to use it a close range as it will just soar over the opponents head. That being said, the trajectory of the ball makes it a good anti-air move if you can hit the opponent. Keep in mind that you can only have one ball out at a time, so you can’t use the move again after launching the ball until after it disappears. Also, the ball gets less powerful as it hits the stage or fighters. It won’t deal damage if it loses enough speed and hits the ground.

S-Special – Piranha Plant spits a poison cloud that moves slowly does multi-hit damage and can be charged to increase the size, duration and damage. A fully charged poison cloud can rack up over 50 percent damage. Even sending out a smaller cloud by tapping the special move button twice to cancel charging will do over 30 percent damage. Similar to Samus and Donkey Kong’s N-Special, the charging of Piranha Plant’s S-Special can be cancelled with Shield or Dodge and then continued later. If fully charged, Piranha Plant will retain the charge until S-Special is imputed again. However, it doesn’t make the opponent flinch so they can escape it pretty easily. This attack is best done at the beginning of a combo to rack up damage while the opponent is trapped in the cloud. The cloud can also mask you from view allowing you to make your next move less predictable. You can also try catching opponents in the cloud as they try to climb back onto the stage. A fully charged cloud can also break shields. The center of the cloud deals the most damage. Keep in mind that the cloud can be countered or absorbed and its duration becomes shorter as the number of fighters increases.

U-Special – This is essentially King K. Rool’s Up-Special but even more mobile. It has insane recovery allowing you to be more risky with air attacks. You can also carry opponents up with you and to the top of the blast zone. Just be careful not to overshoot and fly off the stage.

D-Special – Piranha Plant retracts into itself and charges up a long lunge. Piranha Plant gains super armor while charging the move and loses it as soon as it stops charging, so it can take hits before attacking. Tilting the control stick from the bottom to the sides will make its pot turn and change the direction of the attack (though it can’t get back up again). A D-Special with no charge can hit pretty far away but a fully charged one can reach almost halfway across Battlefield. A fully charged D-Special that hits from the very tip of the attack can deal 30 percent damage. It can also be used in the air and turned even farther around. You can do things like edge guard by hitting the opponent from the side and then using U-Special to recover. Piranha Plant will automatically bit opponents if it hits them while extending but you can make Piranha Plant bite early before it fully extends by hitting the special move button again.

Final Smash – Piranha Plant summons Petey Piranha as it appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It can trap up to two opponents in his cages and then launch them at the end of its attack. Piranha Plant can still be controlled as normal, but you can make Petey Piranha move left or right and even jump along with Piranha Plant. Try to activate the Final Smash close to the opponent so you can trap them in the cage right away.

Now that you know how Piranha Plant’s move work, here’s a list of basic and advanced combos. Consult the videos by LordDramane and Burlingtone TV for a visual aid.

Note: Combos don’t take into account weight or Directional Influence.


Piranha Plant Combos

N-Air – F-Tilt
N-Air – Neutral Attack

B-Air – F-Tilt

N-Special – U-Tilt – F-Tilt
N-Special – Short Hop – D-Air
N-Special – F-Tilt
N-Special – Neutral Attack

S-Special – U-Special
S-Special – F-Smash

D-Throw – Short Hop – U-Air, F-Air or B-Air
D-Throw – U-Air – U-Air
D-Throw – F-Smash

U-Throw – N-Special
U-Throw – U-Tilt or U-Smash

D-Tilt – F-Tilt
D-Tilt – Dash Attack
D-Tilt – F-Air

N-Air – D-Throw – F-Air

D-Air – U-Smash

F-Air – Dash Attack

Dash Attack – F-Tilt

Short Hop – U-Air – U-Special
U-Air – Neutral Attack

U-Air – D-Air or B-Air


Advanced Combos

D-Throw – F-Air – S-Special – N-Air
U-Air – N-Air – Grab – Pummel – Throw
N-Air – D-Tilt – F-Air
Dash Attack – F-Air – F-Smash
B-Air – U-Tilt – U-Tilt
Dash Attack – S-Special – F-Smash
D-Throw – S-Special – Dash Attack – F-Air
D-Tilt – Dash Attack – F-Tilt

For Super Smash Bros. Ultimate guides and more, check out Heavy.

See also: