Lucario

Smash Attacks

SIDE SMASH

Lucario attacks directly in front of itself with an Aura blast.

DOWN SMASH

Lucario strikes out with both hands, sending an Aura blast in each direction.

UP SMASH

Lucario uses an Aura attack to lift your opponent directly in front of it.

Basic Attacks

Standing Attack

Lucario does a three-hit combo, ending with a kick that sends your opponent diagonally away.

Forward Tilt

Lucario steps forward and punches with an Aura blast at the end of its hand. This can be aimed up or down.

Up Tilt

Lucario swings its leg in a roundhouse kick that lands on the ground in front of it. Pops your opponent up and can combo into itself at low percentages.

Down Tilt

Lucario crouches and kicks out one leg to sweep the opponent, knocking that opponent away horizontally.

Dash Attack

A running jump kick attack from Lucario.

Edge Attack

Lucario hops back onto the stage and blasts the opponent with Aura.

Air Attacks

Neutral Air Attack

Lucario unleashes a spinning Aura attack in front of and behind itself that has surprisingly good range. This can hit multiple times.

Up Air Attack

Lucario gets vertical and kicks upward with one leg.

Down Air Attack

Lucario kicks downward twice.

Forward Air Attack

This high kick attack sends opponents diagonally upward.

Back Air Attack

Lucario turns midair and strikes backward with one arm.

Special Attacks

Aura Sphere (Neutral Special)

Charges a ball of energy that can cause damage even while it’s charging. Store your charge by hitting Left or Right to use your evasive roll. Press the button again to launch it. Store your charge while airborne by air dodging. The higher your Aura, the more damage it deals and the bigger the charged energy ball gets.

Force Palm (Side Special)

This punch uses Lucario’s Aura for its range and damage to knock your opponent back. If used up close, Lucario will grab the opponent before punching and knocking that opponent diagonally upward.

Extreme Speed (Up Special)

Lucario’s Aura is used to blast Lucario through the air in the direction of your choosing. The higher your Aura, the farther you fly. You also have some control over Lucario’s movement through the air. The move ends with a small kick attack upon landing.

Double Team (Down Special)

Lucario waves its hands around and prepares to counter your opponent’s next strike. If successful, Lucario counters with a side kick.

Final Smash

Mega Evolution

Lucario transforms into Mega Lucario. Mega Lucario has super armor so doesn’t flinch from being hit but still takes damage. In this form, Lucario’s Aura will be at maximum level, regardless of Lucario’s current damage. This means its Aura Sphere is larger and causes more damage. This also affects Lucario’s Force Palm’s range, damage, and knockback. Additionally, this give Lucario ridiculous recovery with Extreme Speed flying very far and very fast. Be careful with the Extreme Speed, though, because it can be a little hard to control.

Strategy

Lucario’s defining aspect is its Aura mechanic. The more damage Lucario takes or the more behind in a match it is, the larger its Aura will be. When its Aura is larger, Lucario will deal more damage and some of its Special attacks are also affected in strength, size, or range. As Lucario is average weight with average ground speed and good air mobility, Aura requires a lot of risk and reward management. The risk comes from Lucario having to be close to KO’d or losing a match before becoming super effective! Your reward is easier come-from-behind victories because of Lucario’s growing strength!

Aura Sphere is useful in multiple ways. First, use it completely uncharged to harass opponents. It’s fairly fast and wobbles up and down a little when it’s uncharged. When used in the air, it isn’t affected by gravity, which is useful in zoning your opponents to limit their approach options. As you charge it up, Aura Sphere can actually damage opponents around it or wear down their shield. It charges fairly fast, making it useful as an attack, and once it’s fully charged, it does a lot more damage and knockback. The higher your Aura, the larger the sphere gets and the more damage it does. Force Palm also extends Lucario’s range and does extra damage when used up close, as it becomes a grab. This grab can also damage other opponents around its impact area because Lucario hits the grabbed opponent with an Aura blast that sends that opponent flying up and away. With higher Aura, Force Palm’s range and damage increases, but the grab range up close remains the same. Lucario’s Extreme Speed sends it blasting through the air and can end with a kick attack at the end of its animation. The higher your Aura, the farther Lucario flies through the air! Double Team is a quick counter that stays active a good amount of time and can be useful against slower opponents.

Lucario’s air mobility is good, given its solid jump height and aerial attacks, but it lacks a true meteor smash. Down Air works well, especially for edge-guarding, but you might want to use the generic foot stool as well. Neutral Air has good range, Up Air is useful for vertical KOs, and Back Air is a good choice when going for horizontal KOs. Forward Air and Up Air are your popular choices for combos. On the ground, Lucario’s Smash attacks are all fairly slow, and you need to have Lucario’s Aura up before those attacks have any KO power. Use Lucario’s jab, Side Tilt, and Up Tilt if you’re forced to fight up close at low percentage. Lucario’s throw range is decent and useful when trying to rack up damage. While higher Aura is important, don’t let opponents damage you for free just to obtain a higher Aura level! Always deal damage, so when your Aura is higher, it’s even easier to get a KO!

Recovery

Lucario’s main recovery option is its Extreme Speed. With this attack, you can send Lucario blasting off both horizontally or vertically, but it will be in a fall state afterward. Additionally, once Lucario takes off, you can control it through the air, almost in a full circle. The more damage Lucario has taken, however, the further Lucario flies with this recovery. For instance, when you have Lucario’s Final Smash active, this is at max distance, and you can even blast yourself off the stage to self-destruct! When returning to a stage from high above, use his Double Team to slow Lucario’s fall while trying to counter. Also remember that Lucario is one of the few characters with both a wall cling and a wall jump. Use these to time your return to the stage better, especially when things are hectic above!