Mario's faithful ride from Yoshi's Island is back, now with a more upright posture. Yoshi is a balanced well-rounded character that leans slightly toward the strong, heavyweight side of the spectrum. He has a varied melee moveset that boasts good speed and range, a fairly wide choice of KO moves when he needs to finish foes off, and an excellent projectile for playing keepaway and harassing his opponents. While none of his stats are very stellar, his solid attacks and all-around strengths make him a confident contender against foes with more specialized strengths. The only significant weakness Yoshi really has is the lack of a good recovery move, which can still be overcome partially with his great double jump. Yoshi's odd movement may make him one of the harder characters to pick up, but he is definitely a solid character to stick with.
Yoshi belongs in the humanoid middle-heavyweight weight class, weighing about the same as Link and Mega Man. He is pretty quick on his feet, having a dash speed that can rival Pikachu's. However, Yoshi really shines in the air, boasting the highest lateral air speed in the game, and is one of the floatiest characters on the roster. Yoshi is capable of crawling on the ground.
One notable trait about Yoshi is his midair flutter jump. Yoshi's double jump goes much higher than most characters to compensate for his lack of a traditional recovery move, and he gets heavy armor during the jump to boot. This means that he will not be knocked out of the jump by all but the strongest attacks, giving him added protection. Watch out for footstools though, as they can cut your jump short!
Another neat feature of Yoshi is his egg shield. Yoshi's shield doesn't decrease in size, but it still decays over time as indicated by its color, letting Yoshi withstand shield pressure better than other characters. A big change over his past iterations is the ability to jump out of shield like other characters, giving Yoshi the ability to respond to shield pressure as well. Also notable is Yoshi's rolls, which is one of the slower roll dodges in the game.
Yoshi kicks twice, once with each foot. This move is an average Standard Attack. It is really fast to come out and quick to execute, so it is a good defensive or poke option. Both hits combo into each other fairly well, and Yoshi can jab cancel the first hit into stronger attacks. At low percents, you can chase your opponent to get some potential follow-ups after the second hit.
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Tail Roundhouse
Yoshi swings his tail in front of him. This attack can be angled by tilting the control stick. This move is a decent spacing tool due to its range and ability to angle. It is Yoshi's fastest Strong Attack, so it is good for quickly poking at foes or stopping careless approaches. The move has decent knockback, enough to send foes to a safe position if hit during close quarters.
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Tail Upper
Yoshi swings his tail upward. This attack is somewhat slow, but works well enough for a Strong Up Attack. It can juggle heavier or fast falling foes at low percents, but its speed generally restricts the length of these chains. It is often used to launch foes into the air, after which you can follow-up with your air attacks. It also has nice reach to serve as an anti-air, but its horizontal range is a bit iffy.
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Sweeping Tail
Yoshi sweeps his tail low across the ground. This move's main strength lies in its horizontal knockback trajectory. If you hit your opponent around the center of your tail, you will send them at a very low angle that is tricky to recover from. It is pretty spammable, so it can be used as a poke or a zoning tool. When spaced right, you might even be able to hit recovering foes below the ledge with the tip of your tail, giving it a use in edgeguarding.
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Lunging Dinosaur
Yoshi performs a flying kick forward. This move is a standard Dash Attack, but it does send Yoshi pretty far forward after using the move. Being a Dash Attack, it is most used for quick punishes for whiffed attacks, predicted airdodges and sloppy landings. It sends foes pretty far as well, so you'll be safe from retaliation if hit and can get potential early edgeguards if you knock your enemies offstage. Like any Dash Attack, it is pretty punishable if the attack is shielded, so don't use this move too recklessly.
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Yoshi climbs up and swipes.
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Smash Attacks
Control
Attack
Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Nintendo 3DS
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Head Bash
Yoshi swings his head forward. This move is Yoshi's strongest smash attack, but as powerful attacks tend to be, it is also his slowest. It is doubtlessly your best smash attack in terms of sheer strength, but landing it is the hardest part. The attack can be shielded or dodged on reaction, after which you'll leave yourself vulnerable to retaliation, so the best opportunity to land this move is as a raw punish. Yoshi's head cannot be hit during the move, so you can even use it as a risky pseudo-counter to stuff an enemy attack.
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Dino Flip
Yoshi performs a flip kick. This move is slightly weaker than Side Smash, but it is still a very usable KO move. It has decent coverage above Yoshi and makes his legs invulnerable during the attack, so it can function as a powerful anti-air. While it's not the fastest smash attack to come out, it is Yoshi's fastest smash attack to end, meaning that he is less vulnerable to punishment if he misses. The ability to use this move out of a dash is another plus, making it a better move to punish landings.
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Double Tail Strike
Yoshi swings his tail in front of him, then behind him. This move is Yoshi's fastest smash attack, and as a result his weakest. Despite this, it is still a commonly-used KO move due to its speed, range and knockback angle. Even though the back hit of the move is slightly stronger, you should almost always strike with the front hit due to how fast it comes out. The attack is low enough to hit foes hanging from the ledge. It also launches foes at a very low angle, making it a deadly onstage edgeguard.
Smash +
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Air Attacks
Control
Attack
Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Nintendo 3DS
Yoshi Drop
Yoshi performs a drop kick. This attack can be categorized as a sex kick, which is a kick that is quick to start, has strong knockback which decays over time, and minimal landing lag. Neutral Air is arguably Yoshi's best aerial attack. It comes out extremely quickly and has great knockback, making it an extremely safe move in just about any situation. It can even be used to edgeguard due to its hitbox position and fast speed. If you're ever overwhelmed and need some space, Neutral Air can often get you out of your sticky situation.
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Head Dunk
Yoshi swings his head downward. This move meteor smashes if you strike precisely with Yoshi's head. This move is best saved as an offstage finisher. If you land the meteor smash, your opponent is as good as dead. Even if you fail to sweetspot it, you'll still be launching enemies further from the ledge. However, a major flaw of this attack is its long startup before Yoshi actually swings his head. Experienced foes can easily airdodge through the move on reaction, but you might catch some with the attack if they airdodge too early.
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Tail Waggle
Yoshi faces backward and wiggles his tail repeatedly. This attack is another one of Yoshi's aerial KO moves. It consists of three hits that combo into each other, with the final hit dealing heavy knockback. It is fairly slow for an air attack though, as opponents can shield and punish during the interval between hits. Nevertheless, its good range makes it one of Yoshi's more reliable KO moves. Lastly, its moderately long duration can catch airdodging foes with its later hits.
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Tail Lash
Yoshi swings his tail upward. This attack is yet another of Yoshi's KO moves, but is also often used as a combo follow-up. Yoshi's tail gives it good range and disjoint, so it can function as an excellent anti-air and juggling move. Furthermore, it is Yoshi's second fastest air attack, second only to his amazing Neutral Air, which makes it hard to evade.
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Flutter Kick
Yoshi quickly kicks many times below him. This move is one of the most damaging moves in the game, provided that all hits connect. Its long duration also lets it nab foes out of airdodges, and its trapping hits let you drag foes down when edgeguarding. As good as this is at damage racking, its major weakness is its speed. It is even slower than Forward Air among Yoshi's air attacks, and has the most landing lag if you land during the move.
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Throws
Control
Attack
Info
Wii U GamePad / Pro Controller
Wii Remote + Nunchuk
Wii Remote (sideways)
Wii Classic Controller
GameCube Controller
Nintendo 3DS
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Prehensile Tongue
Yoshi grabs foes with his tongue and drags them into his mouth, giving him a longer grab range than most characters. His grab is also faster than most tether grabs, but it is still slower than average, so you should still use it sparingly.
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Dino Chomp
Yoshi bites the grabbed opponent in his mouth. This move has low damage for a grab attack, but it's pretty fast. Yoshi doesn't get a lot of grabs due to his slower than usual grab, so using this move once or twice is a good way to get some extra damage out of a successful grab.
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after grab
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Front Spit
Yoshi spits the grabbed opponent forward. This is a standard sideways throw usually used to send foes away and sometimes set up edgeguards if your front is close to the stage. It is Yoshi's most damaging throw, so you can also use it to rack up damage when early percent throw combos won't work.
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after grab
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Back Spit
Yoshi spits the grabbed opponent backward. This move is simply Yoshi's Back Throw in the opposite direction. Therefore, it's applications are mostly the same. You'll still use it for damage racking and sending foes offstage when your back is nearer to the ledge.
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after grab
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High Spit
Yoshi spits the grabbed opponent upward. Like many Up Throws, this move suffers from too much knockback for combos, and not nearly enough knockback for KOs. None of Yoshi's throws lend themselves well to combos, but Down Throw is a better choice for reliable follow-ups. You can still use it to set up Up Air juggles if your opponent has trouble landing from the air.
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after grab
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Ground Spit
Yoshi spits the grabbed opponent into the ground, bouncing them off the floor. This move is Yoshi's combo throw. Its weak knockback and nearly vertical trajectory sets up Yoshi's Up Air attack pretty reliably, letting you rack up early damage. Granted, it is harder to get grabs as Yoshi than with characters with normal grabs, but this throw is usually your best option when you land the grab.
Yoshi extends his tongue out. If he catches a foe, they will be swallowed and pop out from Yoshi's behind in an egg. While they are trapped they cannot move or attack, but they can break out faster by mashing. A trapped foe only takes half the damage from attacks and no knockback. This move is effectively an alternate grab, which is especially valuable since you can perform it in the air. It is much slower than your regular grab and only has a short duration, so it's pretty difficult to land often. If you manage to swallow and trap a foe, you can tack on some free damage while they are still in the egg, or prepare a strong attack to finish them off when they pop out. If you're close to the edge, you may even be able to doom characters at high percents by dropping the egg over the edge and into the abyss.
Lick
Yoshi uses his tongue to stab foes instead of grabbing them, dealing moderate knockback. While it doesn't grant as much utility as a special grab like Egg Lay, this attack is surprisingly good. It still has the range of Yoshi's tongue and shifts Yoshi forward, letting you surprise and strike distant opponents. It also consistently launches enemies at a 45 degree angle forward, which can often leave them offstage. It is even strong enough to be a backup KO move. Lastly, the forward boost you get when using the move helps Yoshi recover, although his naturally high lateral air speed is usually sufficient.
Egg Launch
Opponents quickly break out of the egg after being swallowed, but they are launched far behind Yoshi. This Egg Lay variant is built to combat characters with poor recoveries. Your opponents can easily break out from the egg, so you can't get as much damage or set up KO moves like you could with Egg Lay. Instead, it launches enemies a significant distance behind you, which often means way off the ledge. Against characters with weaker recoveries like Little Mac and Marth, this can be damning. Even if your victim can recover from that distance, it still sets up an advantageous edgeguard scenario for you.
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Egg Roll
Yoshi encases himself in an egg and rolls forward to run into enemies. He can speed up, slow down or change directions and even jump while rolling, but he can't strike foes while airborne. When colliding with an enemy, the strength of the move is determined by his current speed. Press the special button again to end the move early. This is Yoshi's worst special move. It is just slow enough to be shielded or avoided on reaction and gives Yoshi absolutely no protection when rolling, so foes can easily intercept your attack with a shield grab or a ranged move. It travels faster than Yoshi's dash for sure, but exiting the egg takes too long and prevents you from using this move for mobility and approach. Overall, the only time you'll be using this attack is on accident.
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Heavy Egg Roll
Yoshi rolls very slowly, but hits hard when he collides with an enemy. Yoshi also gains super armor while rolling. Heavy Egg Roll solves the problem of insufficient protection that plagues the default Egg Roll, but is burdened with pathetic speed. Your opponents will have no trouble avoiding Heavy Egg Roll from afar, and you have tons of better options up close. Even with the super armor, you are still vulnerable to getting shield grabbed, which your enemies can easily do with how slow you'd be moving.
Light Egg Roll
The egg bounces high and far, but Yoshi can only bounce twice before the egg breaks. This variant is best used as a surprise attack. It launches Yoshi forward at blinding speed, so it can catch a distant foe offguard. It also springs Yoshi up a bit instead of staying on the ground like other Egg Rolls, giving it utility as an anti-air as well. Furthermore, Yoshi can cancel the move mid-bounce and retain the forward momentum, although the window to do so is a bit late. Unfortunately, the move's selling point is also its major flaw, in that the forward bounce can often send you flying offstage if you use it by accident. If you don't find yourself using Egg Roll at all, the default would be the safest option. However, if you want to make use of Yoshi's Side Special slot, Light Egg Roll may just come in handy.
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Egg Throw
Yoshi throws an egg that flies in an arc and explode on impact with enemies or terrain. It also gives Yoshi a minor height boost that decreases with consecutive use if he doesn't land. The tilt of your control stick determines its angle, while the time the button is held determines its range. This special is absolutely integral to Yoshi's playstyle, so it is vital for any dedicated Yoshi player to master it. Egg Throw gives you an extremely versatile projectile for long-range harassment, stopping approaches and edgeguarding. Its arcing trajectory and the ability to control its arc makes it very difficult to evade. It even has a small blast radius making it even harder to dodge. Last but not least, the tiny height boost even assists with Yoshi's recovery, though not to the degree of other character's Up Specials. Note that most Yoshi players prefer to turn the Tap Jump setting off, as it lets them use Egg Throw without accidentally using up their double jump.
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High Jump
Yoshi doesn't throw an egg, but leaps a short distance upward. This move can also be used multiple times, with the height diminishing until Yoshi lands. High Jump is not a bad move, but it takes away what is arguably Yoshi's most important attack: his eggs. Without Egg Throw, Yoshi is constantly forced to fight enemies up close, and loses an option to deal with projectile zoners or pressure recovering opponents. If for some reason you do choose to use High Jump, try to make risky plays offstage whenever you can to make use of your improved recovery.
Timed Egg Throw
Yoshi's eggs are stronger and explosive, but they only explode after enough time passes, not on contact. This is a trickier, but not necessarily better variant of the default Egg Throw. It does great damage, but since it doesn't explode on contact, it is much easier to evade the eggs. However, you can use the timed feature of the eggs to set up traps, such as to punish opponents that airdodge early. The eggs can be especially deadly when used while edgeguarding, as your enemies will move in a more predictable matter and the explosion is potentially deadly when close to the blastzones.
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Yoshi Bomb
Yoshi ground pounds butt first, sending out two stars on either side when he lands. If he initiates the move on the ground, he will jump diagonally upward before falling, striking foes mid-jump. This attack is primarily used as a surprise KO move. While it initiates really quickly, Yoshi falls slow enough that opponents can shield or dodge the landing on reaction, and most players will know to avoid the stars. However, when using it from the ground, it is possible to combo the first leap attack into the butt stomp, which has moderate KO potential. The range to do this combo is admittedly small, but the grounded version of the move is fast enough to catch foes offguard often.
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Star Bomb
Yoshi's ground pound is weaker, but the stars produced are huge. This attack has an interesting deviation from Yoshi Bomb's default usage. It causes Yoshi to lose one of his KO moves, but gives him a neat ranged attack that covers either side of him low to the ground, something Egg Throw can't do effectively. The stars are quite weak, but they shine when used near the ledge, as they can hit recovering opponents further from the ledge while keeping Yoshi safe. This variant is a bit too situational to justify its use over the default, but is a decent attack on its own.
Crushing Bomb
Yoshi takes longer to ground pound and doesn't produce stars, but the ground pound itself is very powerful. Crushing Bomb is the obvious stronger but slower version of Yoshi Bomb. Unfortunately, since Yoshi Bomb is usually used as a KO move and only because of its quick initiation, it's easy to see how Crushing Bomb is useless. The loss of the stars are practically negligible, since opponents could easily avoid the stars from the default. The loss of speed is the big problem, as the combo is not as reliable to land, and the initial hit itself is slower to come out as well. While Crushing Bomb is more than strong enough to KO, the default Yoshi Bomb is much more practical to use and has all the power you need.
Yoshi gains the power of a flashing shell and temporarily transforms into the Super Dragon! Sporting wings, Yoshi can fly freely around the stage, harming any opponents that he collides with. He will also breath a constant stream of fire, but can also launch powerful fireballs by pressing either attack button. The fireballs are strongest at close range, and they can pass through multiple enemies. Super Dragon's main strength lies in its long transformation time. While Yoshi's newly-gained abilities aren't extremely powerful, he can make use of the move's extended duration to wreak havoc in the match. Use your fire breath to deal damage, then follow up with a fireball to get KOs. Both ramming into foes and using your fireballs are also excellent edgeguard tactics, especially since you are safe from falling due to your constant flight.
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