Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Lucario starts weaker but becomes much more dangerous as Aura grows, especially through Aura Sphere, Force Palm, back air, and smash attacks. If Banjo & Kazooie try to play a pure keep-away game for too long, they risk feeding the exact comeback window Lucario wants.
The steadier version of this matchup is to use Egg Firing and Rear Egg to interrupt forward movement, then keep center once you are ahead so Lucario has to rush into your space. Lucario’s close defense is not airtight, so the plan is less about endless zoning and more about forcing a jump or shield first, then taking the body to the ledge with back air, up smash, or grab.
The frame table shows that jab 1-3, up tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, Aura Sphere, Force Palm, and grounded Extreme Speed landings are all punishable enough for Up Smash (9f), Grab (10f), OOS Uair (10f), and OOS Bair (11f). By contrast, forward tilt, down tilt, neutral air, forward air, back air, up air, and down air are harder to stop on the spot, so do not force a shield mash after every block. Read the landing or pullback instead and take the second touch.
Kills are more reliable when Banjo keeps ledge control, litters the return lane with eggs, and catches Lucario’s Extreme Speed landing or jump with back air, up smash, or Wonderwing before Aura gets too heavy. Wonderwing is a strong answer to obvious Aura Sphere or kill attempts because of the invulnerability, but burning all the feathers too early makes the late game much worse.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Banjo & Kazooie OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 5 | -16 | -15 | -14 |
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| Jab 2 | 5 | -18 | -18 | -17 |
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| Jab 3 | 9 | -23 | -22 | -21 |
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| Forward Tilt | 12/15 | -12 | -11 | -8 |
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| Up Tilt | 6 | -22/-21 | -20/-20 | -18/-17 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -9 | -7 | -5 |
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| Dash Attack | 7 | -28/-27 | -26/-24 | -22/-20 |
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| Forward Smash | 19 | -27/-25 | -24/-26 | -19/-21 |
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| Up Smash | 15/19 | -37/-38 | -34/-36 | -30/-31 |
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| Down Smash | 16 | -28 | -25 | -21 |
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| Neutral Air | 10/18 | -2/-2 | -1/-2 | 0/-1 |
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| Forward Air | 7 | -6 | -6 | -5 |
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| Back Air | 13 | -10/-10 | -9/-9 | -7/-7 |
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| Up Air | 10 | -10/-10 | -9/-10 | -7/-9 |
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| Down Air | 4/11 | -10/-9 | -9/-9 | -8/-8 |
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| Neutral B | 9 (+8) | -26 | -25 | -23 |
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| Side B | (9)24 | -24/-30 | -19/-27 | -10/-24 |
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| Up B | 46 | -23/-31 | -22/-31 | -19/-29 |
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| Down B | 5 (Start of Counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not try to win only by stalling with eggs. Once ahead, keep center so Lucario has to force the next approach into your space.
- After blocking jab 1-3, up tilt, dash attack, any smash attack, Aura Sphere, Force Palm, or grounded Extreme Speed landing, punish with Up Smash (9f), Grab (10f), OOS Uair (10f), or OOS Bair (11f).
- After blocking forward tilt, down tilt, or the aerials, do not mash immediately. Read the landing and drift first, then take the second touch that sends Lucario to the ledge.
- Prioritize ledge kills by layering Egg Firing and Rear Egg onto Extreme Speed routes, then cash out with back air, up smash, or Wonderwing.
- Save Wonderwing for clear Aura Sphere calls or high-Aura kill swings so the late game still has a real answer.
Actions to Avoid
- Drifting backward only with eggs and giving Lucario all the time needed for Aura to become the real win condition.
- Forcing shield punishes on forward tilt, down tilt, or shallow aerials that are not actually there and getting clipped by the pullback.
- Spending Wonderwing carelessly before high-Aura situations and losing one of Banjo’s best emergency answers.
- Chasing too far offstage and letting Extreme Speed or back air reversals erase an early lead.