Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Pikachu can scramble mid-range and close range with its low profile, Thunder Jolt, Quick Attack, and fast aerials, so Dark Pit gets punished hard if he tries to swing first from directly in front.
However, Pikachu’s reach is still short and many of its kill moves carry real commitment, so once Silver Bow forces a jump, Dark Pit can keep control by placing spaced nair, fair, and bair over the landing path and carrying the exchange to the ledge.
The win condition is to avoid sitting in shield against Thunder Jolt, mix in walking and short hops, and punish only the clear openings after jab, forward tilt, up tilt, dash attack, back air, up air, down air, Neutral B, Up B, and Down B with up smash or OOS nair before converting into landing traps and ledge pressure.
For stocks, it is more reliable to stay onstage, tighten the ledge and recovery endpoint with arrows, bair, down tilt, and up smash, and pressure Pikachu’s light weight instead of chasing Quick Attack too far offstage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Dark Pit OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab | 2 | -12/-13 |
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| Forward Tilt | 6 | -14/-15/-13 |
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| Up Tilt | 7 | -13 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -4 |
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| Dash Attack | 6 | -11 |
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| Forward Smash | 15 | -29 |
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| Up Smash | 10 | -24 |
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| Down Smash | 8/11/14/17/20/23 | -39 |
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| Neutral Air | 3/9/15/21 | -7 |
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| Forward Air | 11… | -10/-9 |
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| Back Air | 4/8/12/16/20/24 | -12 |
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| Up Air | 4 | -11/-11 |
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| Down Air | 14 | -16 |
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| Neutral B | 19 | -20 |
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| Side B | 18/18 | -11 to -2 |
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| Up B | 15/29 | -33 |
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| Down B | 13/** | -26 |
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| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 12 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not freeze in shield against Thunder Jolt; force Pikachu upward with arrows first, then cover the fall path with nair, fair, and bair before the low-profile burst range starts.
- When jab, forward tilt, up tilt, dash attack, back air, up air, down air, Neutral B, Up B, or Down B hits shield, punish with up smash or OOS nair and prioritize stage carry over raw damage.
- Once Pikachu is at the ledge, keep center stage and rotate arrows, bair, down tilt, and up smash so Quick Attack recovery and ledge options are covered at the same time.
Actions to Avoid
- Staying in shield at mid-range against Thunder Jolt and giving Pikachu repeated chances to start forward movement and juggling pressure.
- Forcing shield punishes on situations like down tilt or Side B where the punish is not reliable, then getting whiff punished during Pikachu’s reset.
- Chasing Quick Attack too deep offstage for an early kill and giving away stage control before the edgeguard is actually secured.