We have the Blue Blur, and we’re getting the Blue Bomber. Why not complete the trifecta and add the Blue Blob?
WOBBUFFET!
Wobbuffet first appeared in Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver---esteemed entries that many consider the pinnacle of the series. Wobbuffet was easily the most memorable of the Pokemon the games introduced and went on to become an overnight sensation. He has appeared as a major NPC in the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games and as both a platform and an item in the Super Smash Bros. series. Additionally, he’s one of the most famous running gags from the Pokemon anime, hamming screentime in hundreds of episodes. To put the icing on the cake, he has been one of competitive play’s finest Pokemon since his introduction. He was even the first non-legendary Pokemon ever to be banned by the competitive community at Smogon, the equivalent of our Boards for the Pokemon metagame.
Of course, Wobbuffet’s importance certainly doesn’t hurt his chances, but what really sells him as a character is his insane amount of moveset potential. Wobbuffet is the Patient Pokemon---instead of attacking directly, he enjoys turning the opponent’s moves back upon them. He's not known for his attack power, but rather his insane amount of health and endurance. Wobbuffet’s signature move, Counter, reflects double damage back on the attacker; it is not hard to see this being incorporated as one of his specials. Wobbuffet’s other defensive moves include Mirror Coat (reflects Projectiles) and Encore (forces the opponent to use the same move again). Additionally, Wobbuffet is known for his signature ability, Shadow Tag, which prevents opponents from switching Pokemon---such could prevent the opponent from transforming in Smash. Clearly, there is definitely potential for Wobbuffet to become an ultra-defensive, mindgames oriented character. If you don’t believe me, I’ve made a moveset for you all to understand the true glory of the blob:
[collapse=Specials]B- Counter. Wobbuffet instantly turns red and deals double damage back to anyone who physically damages him. Counter only lasts for a brief second and has limited knockback, but is great for punishing high-power attacks and racking up damage.Side B- Mirror Coat. After a brief pause, Wobbuffet turns purple and deflects any projectiles back the way they came at double speed, doing double damage if contact is made. The move lasts about as long as Counter, but the brief pause requires a different timing.
Up B- Destiny Bond. Wobbuffet lacks a traditional recovery move, instead possessing a true killer move. After a moderately lengthy pause, Wobbuffet glows black and remains this way very briefly; anyone who hits him during this time is dealt the same knockback they give Wobbuffet. This works regardless of current damage, and makes it very difficult to revenge-kill Wobbuffet.
Down B- Encore. This is Wobbuffet’s best, most unique move. After a fairly lengthy pause, Wobbuffet turns white and remains this way for a short while. Anyone who attacks him during this time is locked into whatever move they used to attack him for the next ~5 seconds---any attempt to use any other move still launches the move that they are locked into. This time allows Wobbuffet to go to town, but it requires someone of a great skill level to use.
Final Smash- Call for Family (TCG): Why? Wynaut! Wobbuffet’s pre-evolution swarms the stage in surprising numbers and run around the field causing havoc. They are moderately damaging on their own, and inflict major damage when attacked. This makes opponents seize attacking in fear of harming themselves, giving Wobbuffet considerable time to repair and regroup.
In addition to the aforementioned specials, Wobbuffet would play more like a normal Smasher. He is roughly as heavy as Snake, about as fast as Ganondorf, and has good, but not great, jumping. His lack of recovery would be a problem, but his shielding would not be; he would possess the best shield in the game, which corresponds to his powerful endurance in his series. Unfortunately, his specials and his shield both would both be helpless against opponent’s throws, which would be far and away the best way to defeat an enemy Wobbuffet. Wobbuffet’s standard attacks, aerials, and Smash attacks all consist of throwing his blobby body around; they would be fairly powerful, but also fairly laggy, which encourages the use of his specials. All in all, Wobbuffet is the expert player’s choice of character for Smash.[/collapse]
What does stand in Wobbuffet’s way of becoming the next Smash character? The most glaring counterpoint to Wobbuffet is his rapidly decreasing relevance. In Black and White, Wobbuffet lost a great deal of his importance: he lost his running gag on the anime, he lost his role in the Mystery Dungeon installments, he lost his pseudo-banned status in competitive play. Additionally, there is no indicator that he will receive any buffs in X and Y, unlike fellow Pokemon Mewtwo and Jigglypuff. Finally, Wobbuffet would probably be hard to create for Smash because of the very thing that would make him an amazing addition: his ultra defensive moveset.
Even so, there is still hope. Wobbuffet is no stranger to the Smash arena---he’s been here since Melee, albeit in unplayable form. Sakurai clearly sees him as an important Pokemon character. Additionally, he spent a solid decade as one of the most important Pokemon in existence---surely that can’t hurt his chances?
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. There's a built in safeguard that causes Destiny Bonds to cancel out if both Pokemon have them. In other words, both are free to switch.
