[Top 10] Smash Ultimate Best Aerials

Updated:

04 Sep 2020

Unlike most fighting games, Smash Ultimate gives characters the ability to double jump and even use up specials to recover off stage. It’s these mechanics that have distinguished smash from the traditional fighting genre. Smash, offers characters the ability to stay in the air longer, and with that ability comes the ability to fight in the air. You can combo enemies with aerials, edgeguard with midair specials, and attack from the sky rather than head-on.

This list details the top 10 air fighters in Smash Ultimate. My choices are based on speed, combos, and raw power. Special moves were taken into account when making this list, as they can significantly affect a character’s air game.

10. Ike

Leading off our list is Ike from fire emblem, using his trademark beefy sword he slashes and swings his way into the top 10. While Ike is a heavy character with limited air mobility, his power and combo ability is what lands him a spot on this list.

Why Ike is a Great Air Fighter

Ike’s neutral air is his absolute best tool in the air, it combos into his up air and forward air, making it a great set up for kills
Ike’s back air is his fastest aerial and can unleash a devastating kill blow if the enemy isn’t prepared
One of Ike’s best midair tools is his side special, it allows him to recover to the stage, but can also let him quickly fly in and damage his opponent

9. Mario

Mario has been an all arounder in every smash game, not excelling at anything, but also not lacking behind in anything. That all changes in Smash Ultimate. With Mario’s enhanced speed and faster aerials, he isn’t anyone to sleep on in this game.

Why Mario is a Great Air Fighter

Mario’s landing up air provides him with a great combo starter that is sure to allow him to rack up the damage
Mario also has his neutral air and back air, both of which are great for pushing your opponents horizontally towards the blast zone.
Want an early kill? Use Mario’s forward air, it sends opponents straight down and into the blast zone

8. Cloud

The Final Fantasy swordsman makes his return after making his debut in Smash 4. While he may not top the tier list as he did in his last game, he is still a threat to behold with his excellent rage and crushing limit break.

Why Cloud is a Great Air Fighter

Cloud’s neutral air provides him with a move that covers his entire body, keeping him safe from attacks on all sides
Both his forward air and down air spike opponents, allowing him to finish opponents early
With Cloud’s limit break, he has the ability to combo into his cross slash, dealing bonus damage

7. Peach/Daisy

Princess Peach is finally joined by Princess Daisy, and they are both an extreme threat in the air. With their float mechanic that allows them to hover in the air while moving horizontally, they can combo and edgeguard in ways no other characters can.

Why Peach and Daisy are Great Air Fighters

Their forward air packs a massive punch that can kill opponents at very low percents
With their neutral air having a weak and strong hit, it is good for both combos and kills
Their back air is quick and can sneak kills from opponents out of nowhere

6. Palutena

The goddess Palutena could have made it on this list with just one of her aerials. Palutena’s neutral air is infamous among the smash community for being fast, being able to combo into itself, and even kill. With all this, you almost forget that she has 4 other ariels to complement it.

Why Palutena is a Great Air Fighter

Plautena’s neutral air starts combos and can lead to kills even at mid percents
Plautena’s Back air and up air are great tools to finish out combos or kill opponents with good reads
Palutena can move quickly through the air with her teleport cancel on platforms, allowing her to move in and extend air combos

5. Inkling

When Smash Ultimate first came out, Inkling was hailed as the best character in the game. Time has proven this to be incorrect, but that doesn’t take away from Inkling’s excellent air game, that still shines in the game today.

Why Inkling is a Great Air Fighter

Inklings back air is great for keeping opponents away from you, along with netting some kills when off stage
Inklings up air is a great kill tool, and when your opponent is above you, they need to avoid it at all costs or risk death
Their down air is a deceptively quick spike that opponents don’t often see coming, if you save it for special situations you could easily take your opponents stock

4. Pit

Pit started as a lower-tier character in Ultimate, but as time has passed he has gotten more and more buffs, making him progressively stronger in the meta. His skill primarily comes from his ability to juggle opponents in the air and finish them with a forward or back air.

Why Pit is a Great Air Fighter

Pit’s down air sends opponents forwards slightly, putting them in the perfect spot to be launched with a forward air
Pit’s arrows keep opponents suspended in the air, allowing him to kill opponents with his back air or forward air
Pit’s up air keeps opponents suspended in the air, giving pit the ability to get as much free damage as possible

3.Joker

Joker was the first fighter in the DLC challenger pack, and he has been at the top of the food chain since. His speed and combos are almost unmatched in Ultimate, and when you pair that with Arsene, his persona, he seems almost unbeatable.

Why Joker is a Great Air Fighter

Joker’s up air is a great tool that allows him to drag his opponents down into a smash attack, usually getting him a kill
Joker also has his gun, which allows him to edgeguard opponents from a distance, stealing their jumps and even gimping them
With Arsene active, Joker’s back air becomes the fastest kill move in the game, giving opponents only one option; Run

2. Wario

Wario, the heavyset crusher is back in his third super smash brothers game, but this time he finds himself at nearly the very top of the tier list. One reason for this major jump is his ability to win air battles, something that he struggled with before.

Why Wairo is a Great Air Fighter

Wario’s up air combos into itself at low percents, and also combos into waft, making it a versatile tool to rack up damage and K.O. opponents
Wario’s neutral air and forward air allow him to reset opponents on the ground, forcing them to stand up into one of him strong smash attacks
With Wario’s airspeed, he can go deep for opponents and smash them with his back air before they even know what’s coming

1. Jigglypuff

Jigglypuff, while not a top tier like Wario or Joker, still earns her spot on this list for a wide array of reasons. All of these reasons gather around the fact that she has some of the best air mobility in the game, with 6 jumps and high airspeed, she isn’t someone you want to challenge in the sky.

Why Jigglypuff is a Great Air Fighter

Her forward air and back air can easily drag opponents off the stage and to the blast zone
With her side special pound, you can combo into rest, killing opponents early or just racking up a huge damage lead
Puffs jumps allow her to go as deep as she wants without fear of SDing, making her a frightening character to recover against.

With so many characters, it was hard to narrow it down to just 10. So what do you think, are these the best of the best at midair combat, or did I miss someone?

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