This is a guide to using Pac-Man in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Pac-Man's bread and butter combos, how to unlock, frame data, alt costumes and skins, as well as Pac-Man's matchups, counters, and tier list placement can all be found here.

Pac-Man Tier and Overview

Stats and General Info

Pac-Man
Game Series	Pac-Man
Smash Bros. Debut	Super Smash Bros. for WiiU/3DS
Fighter Number	55
Unlock Order	49
Number of Jumps	2
Weight	95 Units (44/87)
Dash Speed	1.672 (48/87)
Air Speed	1.092 (39/87)
Fast Fall Speed	2.16 (71/87)
Special Attributes	Crouch Walk, Wall Jump

Tier List Placement

Tier

A tricky character with several unique projectiles

Smash Ultimate Pac-Man has the unique characteristic of being able to choose from a variety of projectiles in his neutral B. Each of these has its own effects and uses, but the 7th item that appears, the Bell, will stun the opponent, making it very good for a heavy follow-up attack. His fire hydrant is also used as a way of putting a layer of separation between Pac-Man and the opponent, and can be launched forward after it takes enough damage. Pac-Man's main gameplan relies on using these tricky projectiles to create mind games with the opponent, limiting their movement and punishing a bad option.

Pac-Man's grab is very slow and punishable, meaning that it is mainly only good for a hard read. His range is rather below average, and combined with the fact that very few of his moves have good knockback, it means that Pac-Man can sometimes struggle to kill until getting an opponent to a pretty high percent. Pac-Man is a tricky character, and players will need to learn the ins and outs of his unique special attacks to get the most out of him.

See Our Tier List Here!

Pac-Man's Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths	・Great at limiting opponent's movement with a variety of projectiles ・Very powerful recovery ・Very good follow-ups from item tosses
Weaknesses	・Very poor grab ・Recovery is somewhat predictable ・Easily comboed ・Struggles to kill early on

Pac-Man Matchup Chart

Matchup Chart

-2
-1
0
+1
+2

Notes About Matchup Chart

1. -2 = Disadvantage. -1 = Slight Disadvantage or Even. 0 = Even. +1 = Slight Advantage or Even. +2 = Advantage.
2. The matchup chart was based around both the opinions of professional players of each character, as well as our own experience through playing Pac-Man.
3. Characters within each tier are unordered
4. Pokemon Trainer's individual Pokemon (Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard) as well as Echo fighters with no significant difference than their regular counterpart are not shown.
5. For other characters who are not shown here, we are still investigating the matchup.

Pac-Man Combos

Beginner Combos
Up Throw→Short Hop→Up Air
Nair→Jab
Dair→Fair→Fair
Advanced Combos
Neutral Special (Bell)→ Down Special→Throw Bell Into Hydrant→Up Smash
Neutral Special (Galaxian)→Fair→Grab Galaxian→Throw Galaxian

Pac-Man Beginner Combos

Pac-Man Advanced Combos

Pac-Man Frame Data and Moveset

Best Out of Shield Options

Move	Frames
Up B	4 Frames
Neutral Air	6 Frames
Item Throw (Forward)	8 Frames
Forward Air	8 Frames
Item Throw (Back)	11 Frames
Up Smash	11 Frames

Pac-Man has access to some very good out of shield options. His fastest out of shield option is his up special, which is decent, but has a small hitbox, so it is mostly only used for a quick escape option. However, his neutral air is typically a much better option, since it can be used from frame 6, and will allow him to combo the opponent. With an item in hand, chucking it at the opponent is also a fast and low commitment option that can lead into follow-ups, and can punish opponents from a distance. While his grab has good range, it is very slow out of shield (16 frames), and will usually not be fast enough to punish an opponent.

Jab (Neutral Attack)

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Jab 1 (A)	2.4	4
Jab 2	2.4	4
Jab 3	4.8	4

Jab

After throwing out all of Pac-Man's jabs, there is little end lag, making it a good get-off-me tool.

Dash Attack / Tilts

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Dash Attack (Hits 1-3) (Dash ＋ A)	2.4	10
Dash Attack (Hit 4)	4.8	37
Forward Tilt (← or → + A)	9.6	5
Up Tilt (↑ + A)	7.8	7
Down Tilt (↓ + A)	7.2	7

Dash Attack

Pac-Man's dash attack lasts a long time and has almost no end lag. It is used as an approach tool, and for catching opponents' landings. It can also cross-up shields, making it very hard for an opponent to punish.

Forward Tilt

Pac-Man's forward tilt will slighlty lift your opponent up. When your opponent is pressuring you at close range, use this attack to create some space. Forward tilt has decent range, but it is not a safe option on shield.

Up Tilt

Pac-Man's up tilt gives his fist intangibility, but has a small hitbox which makes it hard to use. This attack is best used only for opponents that are directly above you, and can be also used as a combo starter.

Down Tilt

Pac-Man's down tilt comes out fast and has great range, and since Pac-Man returns to his original position after using it, it is a good move for poking your opponent.

Smash Attacks

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Forward Smash (Smash ← or → + A）	26.8	16
Forward Smash (Weak Hit)	25.2	16
Forward Smash (Late Hit)	15.1	19
Up Smash (Hit 1) (Smash ↑ + A)	5.4	11
Up Smash (Hit 2)	23.1	15
Up Smash (Late Hit 2)	13.4	18
Down Smash (Smash ↓ + A)	21.8	15
Down Smash 1 (Late Hit)	11.7	18

Forward Smash

Pac-Man's forward smash has very strong knockback. Its startup is slow and can be hard to land, so pair it with the hydrant's water blast to increase your range while sliding in.

Up Smash

Pac-Man's up smash has a large hitbox. Before up smash begins, a hitbox comes out on the side of Pac-Man, making it easy to land this attack while sliding across the stage from the hydrant's water.

Down Smash

Pac-Man's Down smash has strong horizontal knockback. It hits on both sides, so use this attack to call out an opponent's roll.

Aerials

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Neutral Air (A + no direction while airborne)	12	3
Neutral Air (Late Hit 1)	10.2	6
Neutral Air (Late Hit 2)	7.2	10
Forward Air (Hold ← or → in the direction you are facing + A while airborne)	9.18	5
Back Air (← or → Opposite of the direction you are facing + A while airborne)	14.16	9
Back Air (Late Hit)	8.4	12
Up Air 1 (↑ + A While Airborne)	12	9
Down Air (Hits 1-3) (↓ + A While Airborne)	2.4	6/13/20
Down Air (Hit 4) (↓ + A While Airborne)	8.4	27

Neutral Air

Pac-Man's neutral air comes out fast and has a lingering hitbox. Pac-Man's entire body becomes a hitbox, making it great as a get-off-me attack. It's also super safe on shield (-3/-4), and is one of Pac-Man's main combo tools.

Forward Air

Pac-Man's forward air comes out fast and has little end lag. The move can be used twice on an opponent in one jump, so it is great for carrying an opponent off stage. It is also safe on shield (-6), and is another combo tool.

Back Air

Pac-Man's back air is a powerful move with fast startup, high damage, and high knockback. It can be used to edgeguard opponents offstage, or used on the fire hydrant to send it flying at an opponent.

Up Air

Pac-Man's up air has quick startup and a lingering hitbox. Use it when your oppoenent is directly above you to rack up damage.

Down Air

Pac-Man's down has sends opponents at an angle that is great for KOing offstage, as well as comboing on stage at lower percents. Great for edgeguarding, and Pac-Man's strongest aerial move when all 4 hits land.

Specials

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Neutral Special (Cherry) (B)	3.96	19
Neutral Special (Strawberry)	6.0	19
Neutral Special (Orange)	7.8	19
Neutral Special (Apple)	10.2	19
Neutral Special (Melon)	13.2	19
Neutral Special (Galaga)	9.6	19
Neutral Special (Bell)	7.8	19
Neutral Special (Key)	18	19
Side Special (Weak Hit) (← or → + B)	5	24
Side Special (After eating Power Pellet)	7.6	24
Side Special (Fully Charged)	14.4	42
Up Special (↑ + B)	6.0	4
Up Special (Late Hit 1)	7.2	12
Up Special (Late Hit 2)	8.4	17
Down Special (Falling Hydrant) (↓ + B)	10.8	9
Down Special (Tumbling Hydrant )	15.6	-

Neutral Special (Bonus Fruit)

Pac-Man's neutral special summons various items that can be thrown. Memorizing how each item moves and its special perks is key to playing Pac-Man. Only one item can be used at a time, but if you recatch a thrown item, pressing B will allow you to continue cycling through. Items can be re-caught once, and doing so willl allow you to use it out of shield, or as a combo tool.

Neutral Special Item List

	Item Name	Movement
1	Cherry	Short distance while bouncing 3 times Bounces once when it lands
2	Strawberry	Flies somewhat far while bouncing Bounces twice when it lands
3	Orange	Flies straight forward Fast and easy to hit your opponent
4	Apple	Thrown diagonally Bounces twice
5	Melon	Very slow movements High damage
6	Galaga	Goes forward before spinning around once It can hit twice, making it useful for combos
7	Bell	Thrown diagonally, falls straight down It will paralyze the opponent
8	Key	Flies forward at high speed Highest damage

Side Special (Power Pellet)

Pac-Man's side special lets you control his direction with the control stick, making it fantastic for recovery. This attack will be canceled if he does not eat the power pellet at the end, so be careful that your opponent does not attack it when you are using the move. When offstage, it's a good idea to mix this move in with your double jump before usng up special to make it back to the ledge.

Up Special (Pac-Jump)

Pac-Man's up special will place a trampoline below him, allowing him to land on it jump high for three times in a row. Each time the jump gets higher. However, on the 4th hit, the trampoline will disappear and you will fall below, so make sure to recover before then. It is quick and can be used out of shield since it has a hurtbox, though it is primarily used for recovering.

Down Special (Fire Hydrant)

Pac-Man's down special lays down a fire hydrant.The water dispersed from the hydrant will push enemies and items away. The hydrant can be knocked away if it takes around 13% damage. The speed and tragectory of the hydrant will depend on the attack it receives, but the damage will remain constant. It works well as a ranged attack and can KO at the ledge at later percents. Hiding behind the hydrant is also useful for playing defensively, but be careful that the opponent doesn't hit it toward you, as Pac-Man can also be damaged by it.

Grab / Throws

	1v1 Damage (%)	Startup Frames
Pummel	1.62	1
Grab (Normal)	-	12
Dash Grab	-	14
Pivot Grab	-	15
Forward Throw (Hitbox) (← or → While Grabbing)	9.6	13
Back Throw (Hitbox) (← or → While Grabbing)	13.2	25
Up Throw (Hitbox) (↑ While Grabbing)	6	18
Down Throw (Hitbox) (↓ While Grabbing)	1.8	16/24/32
Down Throw (Throw)	8.4	34

Forward Throw

Pac-Man's forward through cannot be used to connect combos. Use it to throw your opponent off stage and then work to prevent their recovery with tools like the fire hydrant.

Back Throw

Pac-Man's most powerful throw is his back throw. Back throw can kill at the ledge at high percents (~140%).

Up Throw

Up throw can combo into up airs due to low knockback power. At lower percents, this is Pac-Man's go-to throw.

Down Throw

Down throw will lightly bounce your opponent upward, but unfortunately does not combo due to its long end lag.

Final Smash

Attack	How to Use	Effect
Super Pac-Man	Press B after obtaining the Smash Ball	A giant Pac-Man dashes forward on the screen, eating opponents he runs into and sending them to the blast zone where they will take damage.

Pac-Man Balance Changes

Version 8.0.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Basic Movements	The vulnerability for breaking falls on the ground now aligns with other fighters.

Version 7.0.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Other	Increased shield size.

Version 4.0.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Neutral Special	Will no longer drop the Bonus Fruit while charging the neutral special even if flipped left or right with attacks like Mario’s side special.

Version 3.1.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Up Smash Attack	Made it easier to hit multiple times.

Version 3.0.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Down Special	Increased the downward attack range of the fire hydrant while its falling. Reduced the power against shields.
Neutral Special	Reduced the power against shields.

Version 2.0.0 Balance Patch

	Change
Forward Air Attack	Shortened the landing time and the amount of time you cannot grab edges after using the move.
Down Air Attack	Shortened the landing time after using the move.
Neutral Special	Extended the time that Bonus Fruit stays around after it hits.

How to Unlock Pac-Man

Unlocking Via Smash Mode
49th Fighter Unlocked After unlocking Olimar, let 10 minutes pass OR play another battle in smash after soft-resetting OR return to the menu from World of Light
Unlocking via Classic Mode
Clear Classing Mode 3 times using Kirby.
Unlocking via World of Light
Mushroom Platforms

There are three ways to unlock Pac-Man. Completing any of these, then defeating Pac-Man when they appear in the “a New Challenger Appears” screen will allow you to use them afterward.

How to Unlock Characters Fast

Pac-Man Alt Costumes and Skins

Pac-Man Reveal Trailer

Smash Ultimate Character Guides

List of Fighters
Tier List	Unlocking Fighters

Character Stat Lists

Character Stats
Weights of All Characters	Run Speeds of All Characters
Air Speeds of All Characters	Fast Fall Speeds of All Characters