Charizard Arsenal

Grounded Attacks

Neutral Attacks

Neutral Attacks

Charizard swings away with a bruising three-hit combo. The first neutral attack is the fastest move in this Pokémon’s arsenal, faster than any Ivysaur move and equal to Squirtle’s down tilt. The full neutral attack combo is great for retaliating right after successfully blocking someone’s attack. One or two can be used when dancing around enemies looking for hits and trying to dodge attacks; if they get claw-swiped too many times moving aggressively or carelessly, opponents may respond by being more defensive, which opens them up to Charizard’s grabs.

Dash Attack

Charizard lunges forward with a serious dropkick. It does the most damage right on activation, but any hit sends enemies sailing away.

Defensive Attacks

Tilts

Side Tilt

Charizard lashes forward with a long flaming tail tip. The attack can be angled a little bit up or down. The damage and knockback power are highest right at the tip, and less closer in. With the reach and strength, this poke is like a miniature smash attack.

Up Tilt

Charizard springs up on its tail with both wings extended. There are flat hitboxes along both wings, and a larger one around Charizard’s body. Charizard’s riff on the hopping up tilts of Squirtle and Ivysaur also dominates against anyone airborne, but lacks lateral coverage.

Down Tilt

The fastest tilt attack the Pokémon has is a low, far-reaching head bash. For a reliable lateral poke that isn’t simply a neutral attack, this beats out most moves except the first hit of uncharged up smash. It hits at the same angle as, but has a lot less commitment than, dashing attacks and side smashes.

Smashes

Side Smash

This devastating attack gives Charizard brief intangibility just before the hitting period begins, which helps compensate for the slow speed. Anyone in the way of the fierce sideswiping headbutt takes heavy damage and huge knockback, especially with a charged side smash. Even if they block the attack, they’re likely in danger of having their shield broken.

Up Smash

The Pokémon lurches back slightly to get momentum for a forward wing smash. Charizard’s quick shuffle at the start is a close-range attack, its second-fastest after a neutral attack! This starting hit launches victims directly in the way of the follow-up wing slap. Otherwise, the wing slap can function as an attack on its own, when used against fliers and tumbling combo candidates.

Down Smash

Charizard stomps with teeth-shattering force, shaking the area to both sides. The hit area to both sides of Charizard is enormous, like an enhanced version of Ivysaur’s (already quite big) down smash, with the same speed. All Pokémon Trainer’s down smashes hit both sides at the same time, boosting these creatures’ odds in party battles.

Grabs

Grabs

Charizard’s grab is right in line with normal heavyweights, not exceptionally slow or fast. Neutral attack and close-range up smash are attacks faster than Charizard’s grab, needed (alongside low-altitude air moves) to bully foes to get them to sit still long enough to get grabbed in the first place.

Charizard’s front and back throws have great power and knockback. Up throw feels like a special-move throw, flying high to slam enemies off the ground, in perfect position for immediate midair hits. As the Pokémon falls with its prey, anyone underneath takes damage from the impact. Charizard is airborne right after bouncing them off the turf. At low percentages, you can combo with forward air right away. At higher percentages, you have to double-jump right away, then slash with forward air to nail them. You can even try double-jumping, then firing with Flare Blitz! Down throw also affords combo chances. Charizard holds foes down and spews flames on them for a second, then bounces them up in front a short distance.

Aerial Attacks

Aerials

Neutral Air Attack

Charizard spins forward, hitting around most of its body with the curved tail. The tail’s tip is the strongest point and starts its travel aimed up-back, before curling over the top to down-forward.

With the tail wrapped around Charizard, neutral air attack’s coverage is great; it’s just the speed that’s below par. If short-hopping toward foes with neutral air attack, think of it like aiming a somewhat slow uncharged smash attack.

Forward Air Attack

This frontal claw swipe is Charizard’s fastest air attack. It’s strong enough to knock foes off their feet even at low percentages. Forward air attack is a great general-use air attack if you’re facing the right way, and the only one that’s remotely speedy.

Back Air Attack

Charizard lashes backward with a tail strike, reaching far and hitting hard. The reach is fantastic, if you have time for the windup.

Up Air Attack

Charizard swipes upward with its horned head front-to-back. This fills the usual role of most up tilts, swinging across an arc upward to juggle helpless enemies or knock down jumping ones. Charizard’s head is intangible here, helping up air attack win out against whatever anyone above tries out.

Down Air Attack

While airborne, the Pokémon stomps with one leg. When falling toward a target or jockeying for higher position with an opponent offstage, this is your option for aiming straight down and maybe spiking them. It’s slow to hit and the hitbox is relatively small compared to other air moves, so it can be difficult to use.

Special Moves

Specials

Neutral Special: Flamethrower

Charizard begins emitting a ferocious spew of flames. The torrent is very powerful at first, but quickly dwindles as Charizard’s bellows deplete. Nothing’s stopping you from continuing to hold the input when all force is gone from the fiery gust, but the attack will barely make it out of the Pokémon’s mouth at a certain point. When the fire is temporarily gutted, you have to lay off of using Flamethrower for a while.

With a down-forward trajectory covering a wide close-range swath, what with all the fire, this is very good edge-guarding against someone coming in from below at a 45-degree angle, or to unleash on groups preoccupied fighting each other. There are also circumstances where it can be used to juggle foes, like after down throw’s low bounce.

Side Special: Flare Blitz

Charizard hunches for a moment, building tension, then rockets forward an astonishing distance, flames and smoke trailing in its wake. This attack is so forceful that Charizard takes damage with every use—5% for a whiff, and 10% for a hit (whether foe or wall). If anything gets in the way, Charizard slams into it with an extremely powerful blow, bouncing off rather than continuing on the usual lengthy path. If used standing on solid ground, Flare Blitz doesn’t send Charizard plowing off a stage edge; the attack stops at the cliff. But if used in midair, all bets are off: it’s up to the player to aim prudently with Flare Blitz while jumping. When Flare Blitz ends low to a surface, Charizard has considerable landing lag lying down. Being so potentially predictable and punishable comes with the territory for something so fast and strong. If performed high enough in the air, so the attack doesn’t end right above a potential landing pad, the air recovery isn’t too bad. Recovery is possible after a missed high-altitude Flare Blitz, or even a Flare Blitz back in the direction you came from.

With the incredible lateral travel, Flare Blitz is naturally good for recovery from way offstage. Basically anything higher than the stage’s floor is recoverable, if Charizard’s damage isn’t so high that getting punted offstage is an outright KO. The only catch is Charizard might hit something early and bounce off, ultimately falling short of the stage. It’s also possible to fly into a vertical surface, like a cliff, making Charizard rebound.

Up Special: Fly

Charizard rockets almost straight upward with a scary launcher. The initial hit at ground level is generous at close range, popping up anyone vulnerable to get carried upward with further hits. As the Pokémon rises, several more hits are delivered. Charizard can be steered a bit left or right while rising with Fly, though not too much. The vertical gain is good, at least. Afterward, Charizard is helpless while falling, able only to drift in the desired direction. Overall lateral travel for recovery purposes for such a move is kind of weak, despite the hangtime. Flare Blitz early may be a better option than Fly late, depending on the recovery situation. Keep in mind that Charizard is one of few brawlers capable of triple-jumping, which aids offstage survival.