Playing as Piranha Plant: An overview of the newest 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate' fighter

by David Kurzendoerfer The opinions and views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the opinion of Byte or Byte's editorial board. Piranha Plant has finally been released for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and fans couldn’t be more excited. First teased during a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Nintendo Direct on November 1^st, fans were split on whether or not Piranha Plant would fit in with the rest of the cast. Now that it is finally here, however, it is widely accepted as a welcome addition to the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster.

Piranha Plant first appeared in World 1-2 of the original Super Mario Bros. for the Nintendo Entertainment System all the way back in 1985 as a normal enemy for Mario to avoid or defeat on his way to save Princess Toadstool. Since then, the Piranha Plant has been in most other Mario games in some form or another, but its appearance in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate marks its first game as a playable character. So far, competitive players are unsure of how good Piranha Plant will be in the meta. From what they can tell, Piranha Plant lacks many vital features of a well-rounded character, such as mobility, reliable combos, and a cohesive moveset. This doesn’t mean Piranha Plant isn’t fun, it just means a Piranha Plant player might have to work a little harder on perfecting their character than most other players Its moveset consists mostly of completely original moves for its normal attacks, most of which are physical attacks with its head or pot. Its flurry attack, up tilt, up smash, forward smash, up aerial, and all of its throws are attacks with its head. Its down smash, forward aerial, downward aerial, and dash attack are all attacks with the pot. The rest of its normal attacks involve its leaves, such as its neutral aerial, 1-2 jab, and down tilt. The only attack that does not use its head, pot, or leaves is its back aerial, where the Piranha Plant spits a small explosion behind it. This is likely a reference to the many fire-breathing Piranha Plants that appear in the Super Mario series.

Its special attacks originate mostly from abilities it has had in various Super Mario games. Its neutral special, Ptooie, comes from a special attack it could do in Super Mario Bros. 3, where the plant blows a spiked ball into the air and hurls it at Mario. Its side special, Poison Breath, comes from an attack used by a Putrid Piranha in the oft-overlooked Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Its down special, Long-Stem Strike, is likely based on its first appearance in Super Mario Bros., where it would take Mario by surprise by attacking him from within a seemingly harmless pipe. Finally, its up special, Piranhacopter, is based on a Piranha Plant enemy in Super Mario World for the SNES, where a Piranha Plant would completely leave its pipe to attack Mario from far below him. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, however, the plant spins its leaves and carries it upwards, pot and all. Many fans are still disappointed that a character slot was given to a basic Super Mario enemy instead of a character like Shadow the Hedgehog or Isaac from Golden Sun. While this may be true, it does prove that Masahiro Sakurai, the creator of the Super Smash Bros. series and the director of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, is limited by nothing when it comes to what characters he can add. In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, you can play as an old NES peripheral called R.O.B., whose only attacks back in the day were moving extremely slowly and stacking objects. You can play as Mr. Game & Watch, a character playable on small LCD screens with no face or discernable features. You can even play as a non-unique potted plant with more personality than Corrin. Piranha Plant’s inclusion should get fans excited for the nearly limitless possibilities of future DLC fighters for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Piranha Plant proves that nobody and nothing is off the table for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

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