- Game Versions
- Smash 3DS, Smash Wii U
Table of Contents
Introduction - Basic introduction to the guide.
Smash Character Information - Brief section with basic information about Luigi in Smash.
Moveset - An analysis of his moveset, divided into sections using spoiler tags. It details every move and its practical uses.
Combos - A list of practical combos.
Custom Special moves - This section is coming soon.
Playing Luigi - This section is coming soon.
Miscellaneous - Information about Luigi's taunts, Final Smash and alternate costumes.
Summary - A brief summary.
Study Videos - Some tournament videos of Luigi, featuring some of Boss.
Final Author Notes, Credits, Recommendations & Update Log
Introduction
Being the younger, less popular and more cowardly brother, Luigi can sometimes get overlooked when it comes to his usage as a character in games, like Smash. But there's a whole lot more to him than just his floatiness and seeming lack of range that might be all that's seen at first glance. Here's my guide on Luigi!
Smash Character Information
Luigi is a character that to many seems awkward to approach with, floaty to control, and has hits that are difficult to land. However, a main key to playing him is to be unpredictable - Luigi's moves can be easy to see coming so the way to play him is by surprising opponents.
He's got a very good aerial game, with lightning-fast aerial attacks that can quickly rack up damage. His down-throw is an incredible setup tool, allowing him to chain it into many of his attacks. He has the tools to punish laggy moves, with kill moves that come out quickly with extreme power. His Fireball is great for zoning and travels through the air, allowing him to intercept aerial approaches.
His main weaknesses are the lack of range on a lot of his attacks. Characters that can out-range him with their attacks can generally keep him away and rack up damage on him - his Fireball somewhat helps in these matchups, though. He also suffers from poor aerial mobility, making his amazing aerial attacks difficult to land for some, but this problem can actually help him as well by keeping him in the air, keeping lots of aerial pressure on the opponent.
Luigi's Pros and Cons
Pros
Great combo potential and setups
Damage output
Punishing tools
Ability to kill early
Amazing aerial game
Zoning option on some characters using Fireball
Can escape follow ups with things like n-air
Good (but interceptable) horizontal recovery
Cons
Attacks are a bit lacking in range
Somewhat poor recovery that can be intercepted
Poor aerial mobility
Floaty (may also be good)
Can occasionally have trouble landing KOs
Moveset
In this section, I detail the damage of each move and some of its practical applications. It's divided into the following sections: jab + dash attack, tilts, aerials, smash attacks, specials.
Jab + dash attack
Jab - 3% first hit, 2% second hit, 5% final hit; 10% total
Luigi's jab is a 3-hit-combo, performed by pressing the A button three times. First he does a punch, then another punch, and then hits the opponent away with his rear-end. This attack comes out very fast, so it's great for surprising opponents or using it after landing. Also because of its speed and that the last hit sends them away, it's a great move to get some breathing room and escape the opponent's pressure on you.
If you do all three hits in quick enough succesion, it's a true combo.
Dash attack - 1% for first six hits, 2% final hit; 8% total
Luigi flails his arms out in front of him while moving forward. This is a multi-hit move, with seven hits in the move total, and if the opponent gets hit by any of the hits it's likely they'll be hit by the rest of them. The final hit sends them away with knockback similar to that of his jab, which also gives you breathing room like the jab does. This move is very punishable if it's shielded or the opponent sees it coming, so it's best used to surprise opponents. A good tactic is to throw out a Fireball at your opponent and immediately follow-up with a dash attack, as many people drop their shield after the Fireball hits it (they don't focus on two attacks at once).
Tilts
Forward-tilt - 8%
Luigi's f-tilt is a kick which has relatively good range, decently low startup and end frames. This is another move that's useful for stopping pressure on you by the opponent, but can also work as a general attack for follow-ups, depending on the situation. This attack can also be angled up or down.
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Up-tilt - 6%
Luigi quickly whacks above his head with his hand. At lower percents it combos into itself multiple times, and the combo can be finished with an u-smash. The combo is somewhat escapable, but this is still a good damaging option.
Down-tilt - 8%
While crouching, Luigi kicks his foot out. This attack has a very teensy bit of startup and ending. It sends the opponent a bit upwards, setting up for quite a few moves potentially. It can also chain into itself three times if the opponent is close enough to Luigi at lower percents, and usually at least two times at most other percentages. Luigi sticks his foot out far enough to hit opponents who are near the edge - it's not going to gimp them, but it can be continued with a jab on the offstage opponent and can help you rack up damage a bit.
Aerials
Luigi's aerial game is one of his greatest strengths. All of his aerials are very quick to start, so he can throw aerials out whenever he wants. They feature low ending and landing lag and they're also excellent at building up damage, and even chain into other aerials.
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Neutral-air - 12% clean hit, 6% latest hit
Luigi sticks out his foot in a sex kick. It does less damage the longer it's out, so if you hit the opponent as you activate the move you will achieve the best knockback and damage. This move has quite decent vertical knockback, so one of its strengths is the ability to KO high damage opponents at the top blast line if you go and chase them up there. Because of how fast it comes out, it's also excellent at helping Luigi escape combos.
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Forward-air - 9%
Luigi does a very quick karate chop in front of him, with decent range. This is an excellent move, it's very good when chained together with more f-airs and can combo after a d-throw. It has range enough that you can throw it out to help stop an approaching opponent, and it is so quick that you can hardly even be punished for it. This is a very good move as an offstage attack.
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Back-air - 8% sourspot, 14% sweetspot
Luigi does a dropkick, with a sweetspot at his feet that deals very good knockback that can KO at high percents. This move stays out a little bit, and can be useful as a surprise move on the opponent. Like all of Luigi's aerials, this move is quick in startup and relatively quick to finish too.
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Up-air - 11%, 7% sourspot
Luigi does a somersault kick above him, which hits in front of, above, and a bit behind Luigi. It does 11% damage on most parts of the attack, however the last part of the kick that hits behind Luigi deals only 7%. This move is extremely quick and Luigi can easily use any aerial quickly after using it. It has a good upward range so it can help Luigi hit opponents trying to attack from above. It can be combo'd into by an u-throw or even a d-throw, and the u-air itself can combo into a b-air. The move isn't particularly powerful knockback wise, and the fact that it sends opponents upwards limits its uses in edge-guarding. However, it's quite good for combos because of its low knockback.
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Down-air - 8% sourspot, 10% sweetspot (meteor smash)
Luigi does a quick downwards kick. This move has a sweetspot that meteor smashes, located approximately at his feet as he starts the move. If not sweetspotted, it deals somewhat weak horizontal knockback - this horizontal knockback can still be useful if using a d-air on a recovering opponent, as it still sends them away from the stage.
Smash attacks
Luigi isn't lacking when it comes to smash attack power.
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Pictured above from left to right to bottom: Un-angled, angled down, angled up
Forward-smash - 15% uncharged, 21% fully charged
Luigi pokes his hand out directly in front of him. In my opinion this is amongst the best smash attacks in the game, in terms of its very good speed and unnatural power. It can optionally be angled up or down, and it is almost always better angled because the angles are very good - if the opponent is near center-stage and/or is relatively easy to KO, it is better angled up; if the opponent is closer to the edge, angling it down will result in more horizontal knockback, sending them towards the side blast line. This move can be somewhat combo'd into using d-tilt. Overall, this is a very powerful finisher.
This is Luigi's strongest smash attack.
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Up-smash - 14% uncharged, 19% fully charged; 12% uncharged sourspot, 16% fully charged sourspot
Luigi does a powerful headbutt. This is very good as an anti-air option, as it pretty much has a hitbox everywhere above Luigi and on anyone directly in front of and behind him. The move has a sourspot on anyone who is directly in front of Luigi (right near his face, practically touching it) that deals less knockback and damage - however, it's unlikely you'll land this sourspot typically, as they have to be pretty much in contact with Luigi's face. This move is actually very quick, so at the lowest percentages it can be combo'd into from a d-throw; it's also just good to throw out as a quick move, as you can initiate it while running.
This is Luigi's second strongest smash attack.
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Down-smash - 14% uncharged, 19% fully charged
Luigi does a breakdance kick, kicking in front of, then behind him, fairly quickly. Both kicks do the same damage, but the second kick has more knockback. This move sends the opponent diagonally upwards, in the same direction for both kicks. The move has good horizontal range along the ground and gives Luigi a chance to punish rollers.
This is Luigi's third strongest smash attack, and thus his weakest.
Grab + pummel + throws
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Grab
Luigi's grab isn't particularly long ranged, but is quite decent and will usually land. His dash-grab is also quite decent.
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Pummel - 3%
Luigi headbutts the opponent for 3% damage. Slower than some other pummels, but actually decently quick.
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Forward-throw - 9%
Luigi spins the opponent once and throws them forward. Has okay knockback, but not really enough to outright KO below really high percentages. At mid percentages, throwing the opponent off the edge with this throw can set up for edge-guarding.
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Back-throw - 10%
Luigi spins the opponent three times, and then throws them. It deals knockback that KOs when throwing opponents off of the edges at high percentages. This is usually only a viable kill move when throwing off the edge, directly towards the side blast line. If it doesn't KO and they're at a high percentage, it usually sends them far enough off the edge to force them to use their midair jump, making it all the easier to edgeguard and gimp.
This is Luigi's most powerful throw.
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Up-throw - 8%
Luigi throws the opponent up. At low to mid percentages, this can combo into an u-air and then potentially into a b-air, depending on DI and weight of the opponent. It can also go into a n-air. Good for aerial setups, but not as good for combos as his d-throw.
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Down-throw - 6%
Luigi ground-pounds on the opponent, popping them up into the air to be attacked. This throw goes straight into a f-air, u-air, b-air (if opponent DIs behind), u-smash (at the very bottom percentages), u-tilt combo, n-air, and even the legendary Fire Jump Punch once you master the technique. I have to say that I personally love this throw, it helps Luigi set up for anything, it's amazing. I recommend using this as your starter on combos whenever you land a grab.
This is Luigi's best comboing throw, and can set up into any of his aerials at almost any (reasonable) percentage. Highly recommended for racking up damage.
Specials
Luigi's special moves have great use to him, but they shouldn't be overused. Also note that this section doesn't contain custom special moves - they will be detailed in a later part of this guide.
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Fireball (neutral-special) - 6%
Luigi shoots a green Fireball from his hand that isn't affected by gravity and travels slower than a lot of other projectiles. The Fireball deals the same damage regardless of how far it has travelled. This is an excellent zoning tool, and helps Luigi very much with his otherwise lacking range. Throwing out a Fireball in the air is an excellent approach stopper, and they can also be used to bait airdodges.
I see a lot of Luigis that don't use this move enough, and I also see some that use it too much. You have to find the right balance, know when to throw out a Fireball. For example, you don't want to Fireball when the opponent is is grab range - obviously a grab would be a much better and more damaging option. But if you spam this from a distance, you can also be punished for it. You have to throw it out when the opponent isn't going to be able to defend themselves from it without getting assaulted by Luigi at the same time.
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Green Missile (side-special) - 9% uncharged, 21% fully charged; 6% sourspot; 25% misfire
Luigi charges up in place, and then flies horizontally like a human missile (hence the name). This move is extremely easy to see coming because at lower charge levels it travels not very fast and not very far, and at higher charge levels, it's easy to see Luigi charging it. This move's offensive uses are quite limited due to it's high ending lag and predictability. However, when charged enough, it can give Luigi some very good horizontal recovery, but is easy to see coming and can be intercepted by the opponent.
This move also has a 1 in 10 chance to 'misfire', causing Luigi to fly very fast very far, regardless of charge level, and deal a massive 25% damage and huge knockback (literally enough to KO at 50%) to anyone who is hit by him. While a misfire is very dangerous to the opponent, it's just as punishable as a normal Green Missile if they see it coming.
There is also a sourspot on uncharged Missiles at the end of the move (basically when Luigi has lost momentum).
Luigi also gains a vertical boost if this move is used immediately after a jump; I don't recommend using your mid-air jump before a Green Missile however, as this will leave you open to easy gimping. Recovering low is generally better.
(This move does not make Luigi helpless)
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Pictured above from left to right: Super Jump Punch, Fire Jump Punch (sweetspot)
Super Jump Punch (up-special) - 1% sourspot; 25% grounded sweetspot, 20% aerial sweetspot
Luigi does a simple jump up with his fist. This gives him some decent vertical distance (about the same as his mid-air jump) and no horizontal distance. If Luigi lands on the ground after, he will suffer a lot of landing lag while he gets up.
Most parts of the attack deal a measly 1% damage and no knockback (the opponent will merely flinch); however, there is a sweetspot at the very start of the move called the Fire Jump Punch, that does a massive 25% if Luigi is on the ground at the start or 20% if he is in the air, and huge knockback (less knockback on the aerial version). The FJP (Fire Jump Punch) is a very good kill move and it comes out very quickly, however Luigi must be aligned properly to his opponent or he will get the sourspot and be severely punished because of the huge ending and landing lag of the move. The sweetspot is located at about Luigi's face, and the best way to learn it is to practice it yourself. You can combo into an aerial FJP from a d-throw with practice, but it's quite risky because of the consequences of missing.
This move makes Luigi helpless after using it.
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Luigi Cyclone (down-special) - 1% first hit, 2% second hit, 1% third hit, 2% fourth hit, 3% final hit; 9% total
Luigi spins his arms out very fast, making himself a 'cyclone' for enemies to be hit by. This move hits five times, and you still move Luigi around horizontally while performing it. If an opponent gets trapped by one of the hits, it's likely they'll be hit by the rest of them. The final hit does knockback that sends the opponent up and away from Luigi, but not with incredible power. However, it can KO opponents if you chase them up to near the top blast line, and is very difficult for them to avoid, so it's a great finisher for opponents after sending them upwards.
When you perform this move, if you mash the special button really fast (about 12 times a second), Luigi will rise up, aiding his recovery. Because of the sheer amount of button-mashing required to rise, it's very difficult to do. However, it is easier to rise if Luigi initiates the Cyclone immediately after a jump. Overall not very plausible for recovery without using your jump because of how fast the button must be pressed, unless you're Boss with insane button-mashing skills. I recommend trying this move in Training in slow-motion to see how much easier it is to rise when the game's slowed down.
(This move does not make Luigi helpless)
Combos
Luigi in Smash 4 is often compared to Luigi in Brawl, and Brawl Luigi is better in damage, recovery and KO power. However, something that can't be forgotten is that Brawl had the ability to act out of hitstun, making combos pretty much gone. But Smash 4 has hitstun back, bringing back combos; combine this with Luigi's new down-throw and amazingly fast aerials, and he's a force to be reckoned with in Smash 4, having no trouble racking up damage.
Down-throw combos
Jab and tilt combos
Other throw combos
Custom Special moves
This section is under construction.
Playing Luigi
This section is under construction.
Miscellaneous
Taunts
Up taunt
Luigi strikes 5 different poses in quick succession.
Side taunt
Luigi falls on his belly, stiff as a plank of wood. Same as his official artwork and one of his victory poses.
Down taunt - 2%
Luigi kicks his foot sorrowly and sighs. This move meteor smashes airborne opponents (or those who are hanging on ledges) extremely powerfully. However, it's extremely difficult to land, making it highly impractical to use in general.
Poltergust 5000 (Final Smash) - 30% first part, 10% final launch; 40% total
Luigi gets out the Poltergust 5000 vacuum cleaner from Luigi's Mansion 2, and proceeds to suck up any nearby players in a decent radius. Then, he launches them off powerfully in the direction he was facing when he started the move. Like most Final Smashes, this KOs really early, especially off the side.
Alternate costumes
Summary
Luig is a character with a lot of combo potential, and has the ability to kill early. He can space with his Fireballs, and recover from far away. He is weak in his range, but a smart Luigi can get around this.
You can't learn everything from my guide, so get out there and play Luigi! You will get better, and then you can show everyone the true power of the green plumber!
Study Videos
Final Author Notes, Credits, Recommendations & Update Log
Final Author Notes
I wrote this guide to share my knowledge on Luigi. It can take a lot of effort, but it is good to help players and I think it's worth all the effort if it helps people. If you would like to write a review of the guide, feel free to do so, but keep in mind it is technically unfinished as of now. You can also post in this guide's thread (please post in there if you notice any errors with the guide), or if you have any questions for me feel free to PM me.
Credits
I'd first of all like to give a big, special thanks to Hayzie for giving me pictures for the guide. It's really kind and super helpful. I'd also like to thank the Luigi boards for support and having resources available.
Thanks to
Recommendations
I can recommend Luigi players to check out Drybones08's guide on Luigi here, as well as $Lil' Gerald Is In Dat Style$'s guide on Luigi here. Both are excellent guides and helped me with Luigi.
If you'd like to make images have transparent backgrounds, check out Hayzie's thread here. Hayzie gave me the pictures for my guide, and was very kind and helped me a lot!
Update Log
-v1.0 - Published guide
-v1.0.5 - Added images
Introduction - Basic introduction to the guide.
Smash Character Information - Brief section with basic information about Luigi in Smash.
Moveset - An analysis of his moveset, divided into sections using spoiler tags. It details every move and its practical uses.
Combos - A list of practical combos.
Custom Special moves - This section is coming soon.
Playing Luigi - This section is coming soon.
Miscellaneous - Information about Luigi's taunts, Final Smash and alternate costumes.
Summary - A brief summary.
Study Videos - Some tournament videos of Luigi, featuring some of Boss.
Final Author Notes, Credits, Recommendations & Update Log
Introduction
Being the younger, less popular and more cowardly brother, Luigi can sometimes get overlooked when it comes to his usage as a character in games, like Smash. But there's a whole lot more to him than just his floatiness and seeming lack of range that might be all that's seen at first glance. Here's my guide on Luigi!
Smash Character Information
Luigi is a character that to many seems awkward to approach with, floaty to control, and has hits that are difficult to land. However, a main key to playing him is to be unpredictable - Luigi's moves can be easy to see coming so the way to play him is by surprising opponents.
He's got a very good aerial game, with lightning-fast aerial attacks that can quickly rack up damage. His down-throw is an incredible setup tool, allowing him to chain it into many of his attacks. He has the tools to punish laggy moves, with kill moves that come out quickly with extreme power. His Fireball is great for zoning and travels through the air, allowing him to intercept aerial approaches.
His main weaknesses are the lack of range on a lot of his attacks. Characters that can out-range him with their attacks can generally keep him away and rack up damage on him - his Fireball somewhat helps in these matchups, though. He also suffers from poor aerial mobility, making his amazing aerial attacks difficult to land for some, but this problem can actually help him as well by keeping him in the air, keeping lots of aerial pressure on the opponent.
Luigi's Pros and Cons
Pros
Great combo potential and setups
Damage output
Punishing tools
Ability to kill early
Amazing aerial game
Zoning option on some characters using Fireball
Can escape follow ups with things like n-air
Good (but interceptable) horizontal recovery
Cons
Attacks are a bit lacking in range
Somewhat poor recovery that can be intercepted
Poor aerial mobility
Floaty (may also be good)
Can occasionally have trouble landing KOs
Moveset
In this section, I detail the damage of each move and some of its practical applications. It's divided into the following sections: jab + dash attack, tilts, aerials, smash attacks, specials.
Jab + dash attack
Jab - 3% first hit, 2% second hit, 5% final hit; 10% total
Luigi's jab is a 3-hit-combo, performed by pressing the A button three times. First he does a punch, then another punch, and then hits the opponent away with his rear-end. This attack comes out very fast, so it's great for surprising opponents or using it after landing. Also because of its speed and that the last hit sends them away, it's a great move to get some breathing room and escape the opponent's pressure on you.
If you do all three hits in quick enough succesion, it's a true combo.
Dash attack - 1% for first six hits, 2% final hit; 8% total
Luigi flails his arms out in front of him while moving forward. This is a multi-hit move, with seven hits in the move total, and if the opponent gets hit by any of the hits it's likely they'll be hit by the rest of them. The final hit sends them away with knockback similar to that of his jab, which also gives you breathing room like the jab does. This move is very punishable if it's shielded or the opponent sees it coming, so it's best used to surprise opponents. A good tactic is to throw out a Fireball at your opponent and immediately follow-up with a dash attack, as many people drop their shield after the Fireball hits it (they don't focus on two attacks at once).
Tilts
Forward-tilt - 8%
Luigi's f-tilt is a kick which has relatively good range, decently low startup and end frames. This is another move that's useful for stopping pressure on you by the opponent, but can also work as a general attack for follow-ups, depending on the situation. This attack can also be angled up or down.
Up-tilt - 6%
Luigi quickly whacks above his head with his hand. At lower percents it combos into itself multiple times, and the combo can be finished with an u-smash. The combo is somewhat escapable, but this is still a good damaging option.
Down-tilt - 8%
While crouching, Luigi kicks his foot out. This attack has a very teensy bit of startup and ending. It sends the opponent a bit upwards, setting up for quite a few moves potentially. It can also chain into itself three times if the opponent is close enough to Luigi at lower percents, and usually at least two times at most other percentages. Luigi sticks his foot out far enough to hit opponents who are near the edge - it's not going to gimp them, but it can be continued with a jab on the offstage opponent and can help you rack up damage a bit.
Aerials
Luigi's aerial game is one of his greatest strengths. All of his aerials are very quick to start, so he can throw aerials out whenever he wants. They feature low ending and landing lag and they're also excellent at building up damage, and even chain into other aerials.
Neutral-air - 12% clean hit, 6% latest hit
Luigi sticks out his foot in a sex kick. It does less damage the longer it's out, so if you hit the opponent as you activate the move you will achieve the best knockback and damage. This move has quite decent vertical knockback, so one of its strengths is the ability to KO high damage opponents at the top blast line if you go and chase them up there. Because of how fast it comes out, it's also excellent at helping Luigi escape combos.
Forward-air - 9%
Luigi does a very quick karate chop in front of him, with decent range. This is an excellent move, it's very good when chained together with more f-airs and can combo after a d-throw. It has range enough that you can throw it out to help stop an approaching opponent, and it is so quick that you can hardly even be punished for it. This is a very good move as an offstage attack.
Back-air - 8% sourspot, 14% sweetspot
Luigi does a dropkick, with a sweetspot at his feet that deals very good knockback that can KO at high percents. This move stays out a little bit, and can be useful as a surprise move on the opponent. Like all of Luigi's aerials, this move is quick in startup and relatively quick to finish too.
Up-air - 11%, 7% sourspot
Luigi does a somersault kick above him, which hits in front of, above, and a bit behind Luigi. It does 11% damage on most parts of the attack, however the last part of the kick that hits behind Luigi deals only 7%. This move is extremely quick and Luigi can easily use any aerial quickly after using it. It has a good upward range so it can help Luigi hit opponents trying to attack from above. It can be combo'd into by an u-throw or even a d-throw, and the u-air itself can combo into a b-air. The move isn't particularly powerful knockback wise, and the fact that it sends opponents upwards limits its uses in edge-guarding. However, it's quite good for combos because of its low knockback.
Down-air - 8% sourspot, 10% sweetspot (meteor smash)
Luigi does a quick downwards kick. This move has a sweetspot that meteor smashes, located approximately at his feet as he starts the move. If not sweetspotted, it deals somewhat weak horizontal knockback - this horizontal knockback can still be useful if using a d-air on a recovering opponent, as it still sends them away from the stage.
Smash attacks
Luigi isn't lacking when it comes to smash attack power.
Pictured above from left to right to bottom: Un-angled, angled down, angled up
Forward-smash - 15% uncharged, 21% fully charged
Luigi pokes his hand out directly in front of him. In my opinion this is amongst the best smash attacks in the game, in terms of its very good speed and unnatural power. It can optionally be angled up or down, and it is almost always better angled because the angles are very good - if the opponent is near center-stage and/or is relatively easy to KO, it is better angled up; if the opponent is closer to the edge, angling it down will result in more horizontal knockback, sending them towards the side blast line. This move can be somewhat combo'd into using d-tilt. Overall, this is a very powerful finisher.
This is Luigi's strongest smash attack.
Up-smash - 14% uncharged, 19% fully charged; 12% uncharged sourspot, 16% fully charged sourspot
Luigi does a powerful headbutt. This is very good as an anti-air option, as it pretty much has a hitbox everywhere above Luigi and on anyone directly in front of and behind him. The move has a sourspot on anyone who is directly in front of Luigi (right near his face, practically touching it) that deals less knockback and damage - however, it's unlikely you'll land this sourspot typically, as they have to be pretty much in contact with Luigi's face. This move is actually very quick, so at the lowest percentages it can be combo'd into from a d-throw; it's also just good to throw out as a quick move, as you can initiate it while running.
This is Luigi's second strongest smash attack.
Down-smash - 14% uncharged, 19% fully charged
Luigi does a breakdance kick, kicking in front of, then behind him, fairly quickly. Both kicks do the same damage, but the second kick has more knockback. This move sends the opponent diagonally upwards, in the same direction for both kicks. The move has good horizontal range along the ground and gives Luigi a chance to punish rollers.
This is Luigi's third strongest smash attack, and thus his weakest.
Grab + pummel + throws
Grab
Luigi's grab isn't particularly long ranged, but is quite decent and will usually land. His dash-grab is also quite decent.
Pummel - 3%
Luigi headbutts the opponent for 3% damage. Slower than some other pummels, but actually decently quick.
Forward-throw - 9%
Luigi spins the opponent once and throws them forward. Has okay knockback, but not really enough to outright KO below really high percentages. At mid percentages, throwing the opponent off the edge with this throw can set up for edge-guarding.
Back-throw - 10%
Luigi spins the opponent three times, and then throws them. It deals knockback that KOs when throwing opponents off of the edges at high percentages. This is usually only a viable kill move when throwing off the edge, directly towards the side blast line. If it doesn't KO and they're at a high percentage, it usually sends them far enough off the edge to force them to use their midair jump, making it all the easier to edgeguard and gimp.
This is Luigi's most powerful throw.
Up-throw - 8%
Luigi throws the opponent up. At low to mid percentages, this can combo into an u-air and then potentially into a b-air, depending on DI and weight of the opponent. It can also go into a n-air. Good for aerial setups, but not as good for combos as his d-throw.
Down-throw - 6%
Luigi ground-pounds on the opponent, popping them up into the air to be attacked. This throw goes straight into a f-air, u-air, b-air (if opponent DIs behind), u-smash (at the very bottom percentages), u-tilt combo, n-air, and even the legendary Fire Jump Punch once you master the technique. I have to say that I personally love this throw, it helps Luigi set up for anything, it's amazing. I recommend using this as your starter on combos whenever you land a grab.
This is Luigi's best comboing throw, and can set up into any of his aerials at almost any (reasonable) percentage. Highly recommended for racking up damage.
Specials
Luigi's special moves have great use to him, but they shouldn't be overused. Also note that this section doesn't contain custom special moves - they will be detailed in a later part of this guide.
Fireball (neutral-special) - 6%
Luigi shoots a green Fireball from his hand that isn't affected by gravity and travels slower than a lot of other projectiles. The Fireball deals the same damage regardless of how far it has travelled. This is an excellent zoning tool, and helps Luigi very much with his otherwise lacking range. Throwing out a Fireball in the air is an excellent approach stopper, and they can also be used to bait airdodges.
I see a lot of Luigis that don't use this move enough, and I also see some that use it too much. You have to find the right balance, know when to throw out a Fireball. For example, you don't want to Fireball when the opponent is is grab range - obviously a grab would be a much better and more damaging option. But if you spam this from a distance, you can also be punished for it. You have to throw it out when the opponent isn't going to be able to defend themselves from it without getting assaulted by Luigi at the same time.
Green Missile (side-special) - 9% uncharged, 21% fully charged; 6% sourspot; 25% misfire
Luigi charges up in place, and then flies horizontally like a human missile (hence the name). This move is extremely easy to see coming because at lower charge levels it travels not very fast and not very far, and at higher charge levels, it's easy to see Luigi charging it. This move's offensive uses are quite limited due to it's high ending lag and predictability. However, when charged enough, it can give Luigi some very good horizontal recovery, but is easy to see coming and can be intercepted by the opponent.
This move also has a 1 in 10 chance to 'misfire', causing Luigi to fly very fast very far, regardless of charge level, and deal a massive 25% damage and huge knockback (literally enough to KO at 50%) to anyone who is hit by him. While a misfire is very dangerous to the opponent, it's just as punishable as a normal Green Missile if they see it coming.
There is also a sourspot on uncharged Missiles at the end of the move (basically when Luigi has lost momentum).
Luigi also gains a vertical boost if this move is used immediately after a jump; I don't recommend using your mid-air jump before a Green Missile however, as this will leave you open to easy gimping. Recovering low is generally better.
(This move does not make Luigi helpless)
Pictured above from left to right: Super Jump Punch, Fire Jump Punch (sweetspot)
Super Jump Punch (up-special) - 1% sourspot; 25% grounded sweetspot, 20% aerial sweetspot
Luigi does a simple jump up with his fist. This gives him some decent vertical distance (about the same as his mid-air jump) and no horizontal distance. If Luigi lands on the ground after, he will suffer a lot of landing lag while he gets up.
Most parts of the attack deal a measly 1% damage and no knockback (the opponent will merely flinch); however, there is a sweetspot at the very start of the move called the Fire Jump Punch, that does a massive 25% if Luigi is on the ground at the start or 20% if he is in the air, and huge knockback (less knockback on the aerial version). The FJP (Fire Jump Punch) is a very good kill move and it comes out very quickly, however Luigi must be aligned properly to his opponent or he will get the sourspot and be severely punished because of the huge ending and landing lag of the move. The sweetspot is located at about Luigi's face, and the best way to learn it is to practice it yourself. You can combo into an aerial FJP from a d-throw with practice, but it's quite risky because of the consequences of missing.
This move makes Luigi helpless after using it.
Luigi Cyclone (down-special) - 1% first hit, 2% second hit, 1% third hit, 2% fourth hit, 3% final hit; 9% total
Luigi spins his arms out very fast, making himself a 'cyclone' for enemies to be hit by. This move hits five times, and you still move Luigi around horizontally while performing it. If an opponent gets trapped by one of the hits, it's likely they'll be hit by the rest of them. The final hit does knockback that sends the opponent up and away from Luigi, but not with incredible power. However, it can KO opponents if you chase them up to near the top blast line, and is very difficult for them to avoid, so it's a great finisher for opponents after sending them upwards.
When you perform this move, if you mash the special button really fast (about 12 times a second), Luigi will rise up, aiding his recovery. Because of the sheer amount of button-mashing required to rise, it's very difficult to do. However, it is easier to rise if Luigi initiates the Cyclone immediately after a jump. Overall not very plausible for recovery without using your jump because of how fast the button must be pressed, unless you're Boss with insane button-mashing skills. I recommend trying this move in Training in slow-motion to see how much easier it is to rise when the game's slowed down.
(This move does not make Luigi helpless)
Combos
Luigi in Smash 4 is often compared to Luigi in Brawl, and Brawl Luigi is better in damage, recovery and KO power. However, something that can't be forgotten is that Brawl had the ability to act out of hitstun, making combos pretty much gone. But Smash 4 has hitstun back, bringing back combos; combine this with Luigi's new down-throw and amazingly fast aerials, and he's a force to be reckoned with in Smash 4, having no trouble racking up damage.
Down-throw combos
D-throw>f-air - A very basic combo for some quick damage. I recommend knowing this one first, then learning to integrate more hits.
D-throw>f-air>f-air - This seems to be a good option that you should be able to pick up pretty quickly. May not get second f-air at higher percents.
D-throw>f-air>f-air>u-air - This combo is tricky and seems to be DI dependent. Might be hard to pull off.
D-throw>u-air
D-throw>n-air
D-throw>d-air (sweetspot)>d-air (sweetspot) - At mid percents, the d-air will send them bouncing off the ground straight up into another one. Tricky to pull off.
D-throw>d-air (sweetspot) - This is good to do if you start the d-throw near the edge facing towards the edge, as it will kill your opponent at mid percents (recovery dependent). Situational.
D-throw>down-b - This is good for kills at high percents.
D-throw>up-b (aerial, sweetspot) - This is the riskiest combo Luigi has. If you master it, you might be able to pull it off consistently. Can kill at about 90%-100% on most characters. Just be wary that if you miss it, you're probably in for a huge punish.
D-throw>u-smash - Only works at very low percents.
D-throw>b-air - DI dependent.
D-throw>f-air>fastfall n-air
D-throw>f-air>f-air - This seems to be a good option that you should be able to pick up pretty quickly. May not get second f-air at higher percents.
D-throw>f-air>f-air>u-air - This combo is tricky and seems to be DI dependent. Might be hard to pull off.
D-throw>u-air
D-throw>n-air
D-throw>d-air (sweetspot)>d-air (sweetspot) - At mid percents, the d-air will send them bouncing off the ground straight up into another one. Tricky to pull off.
D-throw>d-air (sweetspot) - This is good to do if you start the d-throw near the edge facing towards the edge, as it will kill your opponent at mid percents (recovery dependent). Situational.
D-throw>down-b - This is good for kills at high percents.
D-throw>up-b (aerial, sweetspot) - This is the riskiest combo Luigi has. If you master it, you might be able to pull it off consistently. Can kill at about 90%-100% on most characters. Just be wary that if you miss it, you're probably in for a huge punish.
D-throw>u-smash - Only works at very low percents.
D-throw>b-air - DI dependent.
D-throw>f-air>fastfall n-air
Jab and tilt combos
Jab>Jab>Jab
Jab>shield-grab - This combo will only work on opponents fairly close to Luigi. You do 1 or 2 of the jab hits, and then shield and grab. Needs to be a shield-grab to cancel jab.
U-tilt x8>u-smash
D-tilt>d-tilt>d-tilt
D-tilt>d-smash
D-tilt>f-smash
D-tilt>jab
Jab>shield-grab - This combo will only work on opponents fairly close to Luigi. You do 1 or 2 of the jab hits, and then shield and grab. Needs to be a shield-grab to cancel jab.
U-tilt x8>u-smash
D-tilt>d-tilt>d-tilt
D-tilt>d-smash
D-tilt>f-smash
D-tilt>jab
Other throw combos
F-throw>dash attack - Only works at lower percents, and may not be a true combo if the F-throw is fresh.
U-throw>u-air - Luigi's u-throw is also a combo move, but it's generally considered inferior to his d-throw for combos. This one only works at lower percents (usually below 50%).
U-throw>u-air - Luigi's u-throw is also a combo move, but it's generally considered inferior to his d-throw for combos. This one only works at lower percents (usually below 50%).
Custom Special moves
This section is under construction.
Playing Luigi
This section is under construction.
Miscellaneous
Taunts
Up taunt
Luigi strikes 5 different poses in quick succession.
Side taunt
Luigi falls on his belly, stiff as a plank of wood. Same as his official artwork and one of his victory poses.
Down taunt - 2%
Luigi kicks his foot sorrowly and sighs. This move meteor smashes airborne opponents (or those who are hanging on ledges) extremely powerfully. However, it's extremely difficult to land, making it highly impractical to use in general.
Poltergust 5000 (Final Smash) - 30% first part, 10% final launch; 40% total
Luigi gets out the Poltergust 5000 vacuum cleaner from Luigi's Mansion 2, and proceeds to suck up any nearby players in a decent radius. Then, he launches them off powerfully in the direction he was facing when he started the move. Like most Final Smashes, this KOs really early, especially off the side.
Alternate costumes
Summary
Luig is a character with a lot of combo potential, and has the ability to kill early. He can space with his Fireballs, and recover from far away. He is weak in his range, but a smart Luigi can get around this.
You can't learn everything from my guide, so get out there and play Luigi! You will get better, and then you can show everyone the true power of the green plumber!
Study Videos
Final Author Notes, Credits, Recommendations & Update Log
Final Author Notes
I wrote this guide to share my knowledge on Luigi. It can take a lot of effort, but it is good to help players and I think it's worth all the effort if it helps people. If you would like to write a review of the guide, feel free to do so, but keep in mind it is technically unfinished as of now. You can also post in this guide's thread (please post in there if you notice any errors with the guide), or if you have any questions for me feel free to PM me.
Credits
I'd first of all like to give a big, special thanks to Hayzie for giving me pictures for the guide. It's really kind and super helpful. I'd also like to thank the Luigi boards for support and having resources available.
Thanks to
Recommendations
I can recommend Luigi players to check out Drybones08's guide on Luigi here, as well as $Lil' Gerald Is In Dat Style$'s guide on Luigi here. Both are excellent guides and helped me with Luigi.
If you'd like to make images have transparent backgrounds, check out Hayzie's thread here. Hayzie gave me the pictures for my guide, and was very kind and helped me a lot!
Update Log
-v1.0 - Published guide
-v1.0.5 - Added images
