Rosalina & Luma

Introduction

Rosalina & Luma is one of the more technical characters in the game. Understanding Luma and how to place it in battle will be central in using this character effectively. Despite being two characters, they are still one of the lightest in the game. Luckily, Luma makes a great shield—and can also attack! Learning to use Luma effectively will take some practice, but it will pay off in the long run.

Smash Attacks

SIDE SMASH

Rosalina leans forward and casts a galaxy in front of her. Luma surges forward horizontally. This can be aimed slightly up or down.

DOWN SMASH

Rosalina spins and casts galaxies at the ground in front of and then behind her. Luma strikes behind and then in front.

UP SMASH

Rosalina arches her back as she swings upward. Luma does an upward spinning attack.

Basic Attacks

Standing Attack

A multi-hitting attack in which Rosalina attacks with her wand while Luma swings. When doing rapid hits, Luma spins while Rosalina continues attacking with her wand.

Forward Tilt

Rosalina swings both legs around and Luma swings out horizontally in a wide arc.

Up Tilt

A halo emits upward out of Rosalina, and Luma swings upward.

Down Tilt

Rosalina trips far out in front of her, and Luma dives downward toward the opponent’s feet. When Luma is close, this is a 2-hit combo.

Dash Attack

Rosalina swoops forward and attacks with her wand while Luma swoops forward. The opponent is launched up and away.

Edge Attack

Rosalina pulls herself up and performs a trip attack similar to her Down Tilt.

Air Attacks

Neutral Air Attack

Rosalina performs a forward flip, attacking with her legs. Luma attacks forward and then behind.

Up Air Attack

Rosalina emits a ring upward and Luma flips.

Down Air Attack

Rosalina emits a ring from the bottom of her dress directly below her that hits multiple times while Luma kicks down.

Forward Air Attack

Rosalina backflips with a galaxy in front of her, while Luma swings forward. This multi-hitting backflip is best used when Luma is close in order to maximize damage.

Back Air Attack

Rosalina gets horizontal with a galaxy and kicks out directly behind her while Luma dashes in to kick in the same direction.

Special Attacks

Luma Shot (Neutral Special)

Use this to send Luma forward, ahead of Rosalina. The longer you hold the Special button, the farther Luma will go, dealing more damage to anything in its path. Press the button again to recall Luma.

Star Bits (Side Special)

Rosalina commands Luma to fire three Star Bits forward. They are fired in three directions.

Launch Star (Up Special)

Rosalina’s primary recovery tool, this launches her upward at an angle. You can control the angle a bit to the left or right.

Gravitational Pull (Down Special)

This Special draws in surrounding items and projectiles toward Rosalina. Note that this can cause damage to opponents as they come to Rosalina.

Final Smash

Power Star

Rosalina summons a Power Star, which shoots out multiple smaller stars across the stage. The Power Star grows larger and larger, damaging players in its vicinity. When it reaches its peak size, it lets out one more explosive burst with a lot of knockout potential. While the Power Star is growing and shooting out smaller stars, Rosalina & Luma are free to move around and attack. Try to hit opponents into the star to rack up damage. This works better on stages with platforms, as the Power Star always spawns above Rosalina. Placing it beside opponents who are close to an edge can force them out and over.

Strategy

The duo of Rosalina & Luma makes for one of the more interesting characters in the game, as you really have to manage them as a unit to maximize their potential. Damage that Luma takes will not be added to Rosalina’s percentage, making Luma an effective shield. Additionally, for some Final Smash attacks, if Luma gets hit but Rosalina doesn’t, Luma will take the damage, and Rosalina will be left unscathed. If Luma takes too much damage, however, Rosalina will have to fend for herself for a while, but Luma will respawn eventually. Note that Luma destructing does not cost Rosalina any stocks. So, use Luma as a shield as much as possible, but remember that Luma’s attacks do less damage than Rosalina’s do. If your opponents decide to focus on Luma, use that opportunity to go in with Rosalina! If they try to avoid Luma and make a beeline for Rosalina, recall Luma and be prepared with your Smash attacks!

Luma Shot is your primary way of setting Luma’s distance away from Rosalina, and it’s also a great long-range attack. After a short amount of time, Luma will slowly return to Rosalina, if you don’t decide to use Luma Shot again to recall Luma. If a lot of opponents are near you, be sure to keep Luma close. Against projectile-heavy characters, use Luma as a shield at a distance while still attacking! Don’t forget that against projectile characters, you can also use Gravitational Pull to draw in projectiles or other items. Star Bits should be your primary way of racking up damage on opponents while preferably keeping Rosalina at a safe distance. Rosalina’s Up Tilt and Forward Tilt are good tools to keep opponents out. Her Down Air and Back Air are her stronger options while her Forward Air is active the longest. Don’t underestimate her jab as well, since the wand extends this farther than expected. When going for KOs, try to use her Smash attacks instead of aerials, and use a charged-up Luma Shot for long-distance KOs.

One of the more advanced strategies for this character is to send Luma past your opponent, then sandwich that opponent between Rosalina and Luma. Dash attack behind Rosalina to make Luma attack forward at the opponent! Another interesting option to try is their Down Smash as they attack in opposite directions. As the game progresses, these sandwich strategies will undoubtedly separate average Rosalina players from great ones. Additionally, when guarding the edge, Luma can cause all sorts of problems for returning opponents. Lastly, note that Luma can attack even while Rosalina is sleeping or stunned. This can save you from many attacks in the game, even if you break your own shield!

Recovery

Rosalina’s only real tool for recovery is her Launch Star. This Special has fantastic range and can be used for both horizontal and vertical recovery. If you want to use it to go directly vertical, you can do so by hitting back after inputting the Launch Star. You’ll be in a fall state after Launch Star ends, so you’ll want to use it to grab onto an edge or to get as far from opponents as possible. This move can cover the Final Destination form horizontally, so be prepared for it. If you use Luma Shot to send Luma far out over the edge, Luma will only have three jumps to get back to the platform before falling. Be sure to recall Luma by hitting the Special button again to prevent Luma from self-destructing.