Introduction
Yoshi ranks 6th on SSB's current tier list due to having the most damaging move in the game (down aerial), a very unique double jump which allows him to get out of combos and/or reduce knockback of moves and to DJC, and a unique shield that allows Yoshi to egg parry. However, despite having a these properties, Yoshi has a terrible grab and bad out of shield moves which prevents Yoshi from properly dealing with characters with high pressure, namely Kirby, Fox, and Pikachu.
Normal Move Analysis
Ground Moves
Normal
- Neutral attack- Double Kicks, little horizontal knockback on second kick, 3, 5%
- Forward tilt Kicks suddenly forward, 13% damage. Can be angled. Below-average upward diagonal knockback. Useful for setting up his forward aerial spike due to its hitstun. Referred to as the best Forward Tilt in SSB due to its very fast speed and good power.
- Up tilt Upwards headbutt, 11% damage with set upwards knockback. Great for setting up combos, and a very powerful move if used correctly
- Down tilt Tail sweeps in front of him, 10%, with set horizontal knockback. Great for edgeguarding.
- Dash attack Headbutt tackle, 12%, punishable due to a small bit of ending lag. Resembles Pikachu's, but with less lag.
Smash attacks
- Side smash Rears his head back [which can often throw off players attacking Yoshi] and then thrusts his head forward. Short ending lag, and has above-average horizontal knockback, 18%
- Up smash Forceful headbutt. Has good horizontal knockback from behind to top, average upwards knockback when hit near the end. 18%
- Down smash Tail sweeps on both sides, 14% on both sides, weak horizontal knockback for a smash attack, and has some ending lag
Other attacks
- Ledge attack- Twirls up and whips his tail. Short range. 6% damage.
- 100% ledge attack- Steadily gets up, reels his head back, and headbutt forward. 6% damage.
- Floor attack- swirls around, tailed extended. 6% damage.
Aerial attacks
- Neutral aerial: Sex kick with below-average horizontal knockback. Yoshi's back heel has the highest priority of any Yoshi move and can be used to ledge guard. This move also is a great shield breaker when coupled with DJC, 9-14%.
- Forward aerial: Aerial spiking headbutt , great knockback for a spike of its speed, can KO at medium percentages and combos into other aerial attacks at lower percentages, 15-18%.
- Up aerial: Whips his tail upwards, does 12-15%, and very powerful in combos using DJC.
- Back aerial: Double Back Kick that has good horizontal knockback, does 12-14%
- Down aerial: Flutter Kick that is capable of spiking at high percentages, does 14 hits of 3-4%, a maximum of 56 %. Is the most powerful move (in terms of damage and combos) . It is a shield breaker when used fully on platforms and can combo out of and into other moves. Less useful due to being a drill. When double jump canceled, it can be a dangerous combo starter.
Grabs & throws
His grab consists of pulling his head back and then launching his tongue forward. Has long ending lag if missing, but has a good range.
- Forward throw, reels back with opponent in mouth and throws them forward, 9-12% of damage with good horizontal knockback
- Back throw turns around, and throws his opponent backwards, does 12-16% with better knockback than forward throw.
Special Move Analysis
Neutral Special
Egg Lay: He sticks his tongue out, pulling in and swallowing any enemy touched near by, turning them into an egg for a few seconds. The amount of time that the enemy remains in the egg is determined by how much damage they have. While trapped in an egg, one is open to attacks, although they cannot be knocked back, and only sustain half the damage from attacks while in an egg (similar to being frozen). Tilting the control stick rapidly back and forth will help the victim escape the egg more quickly.
It is important to note that Yoshi has a few launch resistance frames in this move - from the second his tongue latches onto another character to the moment the egg is laid, Yoshi gains 120% knockback resistance. This is useful for 4-player battles, as the attack itself only affects one opponent, so Yoshi would potentially be vulnerable - the resistance negates that vulnerability. Another important aspect of this move is that it acts as an aerial grab.
Egg Lay can be used in an attempt to put the opponent off-stage, but unlike suicide techniques, opponents can usually break out well before they make it below the stage, even at higher percents. However, despite the unique properties of the move, Egg Lay is generally considered to be mostly ineffective, and is thus rarely used.
Up Special
Yoshi launches an egg upwards in an arc, which can be angled along a variety of trajectories, hitting anywhere from far horizontally in front of Yoshi to slightly behind and above Yoshi. The egg explodes upon contact or after moving along for a set air-time. The trajectory of the egg can be controlled by where the control stick is tilted while Yoshi is in the throwing animation, and the distance can be controlled by how long the special button is held. Yoshi's up special is fairly unique in that it is not a triple jump, does not noticeably aid in recovery, and does not put Yoshi into a state of helplessness
Down Special
Ground Pound:He smashes straight downward into the ground when used, and releases a star on either side, providing minor protection against nearby enemies. If used on the ground, Yoshi will jump forward before dropping down. This move can be canceled by grabbing the ledge while dropping. This move deals 12% damage.
Basics
Advanced Strategy
Special Combos
- Up tilt with a down aerial to a finishing move. It should rack a large amount of damage and KO at a low percentage. This can be DI'd out of however due to it being a drill.
- Up tilt with a forward aerial towards the edge of a stage. Great knockout, great spike.
- Neutral special move (Egg Lay) to a down aerial. Racks up less damage than a regular down aerial due to the Yoshi Egg absorbing half of the damage.
- Spam up tilt and up aerial for juggling.
- Up tilt to an up smash to KO.
- Up tilt to DJC aerials
Recovery
Yoshi's lack of a third jump is a major hindrance for beginner players, who often steer clear of him. However, Yoshi arguably has one of the best recoveries in the game. This is due to the fact that Yoshi gains knockback resistance during his midair jump, and that it can be canceled. The method of recovery then goes as follows: Yoshi uses his second jump at the last possible moment and then does an aerial attack right when he's above the ground, minimizing the time in which he is vulnerable of being edgeguarded. It is also important to note that while Yoshi only gets a second jump, he can cover much more distance than many other characters.
Matchups
| Matchups | Pikachu | Fox | Kirby | C.Falcon | Mario | Yoshi | DK | Ness | Puff | Luigi | Link | Samus | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yoshi | 3.5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | - | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 53.5 | Yoshi |
| Pikachu | Fox | Kirby | C.Falcon | Mario | Yoshi | DK | Ness | Puff | Luigi | Link | Samus | Total |