Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
The matchup becomes dangerous when Dark Pit respects Pyra’s long fair, bair, Forward Smash, and Up Smash so much that he gives up stage and gets walked to the ledge. Pyra only needs a few clean hits to threaten a stock, so careless close-range scrapping can make Dark Pit’s lighter weight and more readable recovery routes look much worse than they should.
Even so, Pyra is slower both in startup and movement, and many of her big commits stay punishable on block. The frame table shows that Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Rapid Jab Finisher, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Neutral Air, Neutral B, and Up B all give Dark Pit strong answers with Up Smash (6f), OOS Nair (7f), or Grab (10f). Forward Tilt, Down Tilt, Forward Air, Back Air, and Down Air are much thinner unless she lands too close, and Up Air is mostly a reset point rather than a shield punish spot.
The stable win condition is to use arrows to interrupt Pyra’s setup, force an early shield or jump, and then meet that choice with nair, fair, or bair while circling around the landing. Pyra’s defense above her head and during recovery is not especially strong, so once Dark Pit launches her, he should keep juggling with uair, Up Smash, and offstage chases instead of letting her reset into sword-tip spacing again.
Stocks are more reliable through offstage fair, bair, Electroshock Arm, and ledge Up Smash than through forcing a raw center-stage read. Pyra’s recovery is linear enough that Dark Pit gets more value by escorting her outward and closing the route carefully than by playing repeated grounded power checks in the middle of the stage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Dark Pit OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 3 | -14 |
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| Jab 2 | 5 | -23 |
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| Jab 3 | 5 | -24 |
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| Rapid Jab | 9/13/17… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 6 | -25 |
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| Forward Tilt | 12 | -10/-9 |
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| Up Tilt | 11 | -19 |
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| Down Tilt | 9 | -11/-9 |
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| Dash Attack | 17 | -18 |
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| Forward Smash | 20 | -34 |
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| Up Smash | 15/17 | -47/-40 |
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| Down Smash | 12/18 | -26/-28/-20/-22 |
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| Neutral Air | 11 | -11/-11 |
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| Forward Air | 11 | -9 |
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| Back Air | 16 | -9 |
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| Up Air | 13 | -4 |
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| Down Air | 17 | -9/-9 |
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| Neutral B | 13/27/33—56/68/78/87/94 | -18 — -11 |
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| Side B | 14/16…74 | ** | ||
| Up B | 13/41 | -48 |
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| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 12 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 13 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Use arrows to stop Pyra’s advance and setup timing, then hit the forced shield or jump with nair, fair, or bair before her sword spacing is established.
- After blocking the jab string, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Neutral Air, Neutral B, or Up B, always cash out with Up Smash, OOS Nair, or Grab.
- Treat Forward Tilt, Down Tilt, Forward Air, Back Air, Down Air, and Up Air as spacing-dependent spots, and chase the landing instead of forcing unsafe shield retaliation.
- Once Pyra is above you, keep the juggle going with uair, Up Smash, and offstage pressure so she cannot reset to long grounded swings.
- Finish stocks with offstage fair, bair, Electroshock Arm, and ledge Up Smash rather than overcommitting to center-stage brawling.
Actions to Avoid
- Backing up in a straight line until the ledge and letting Pyra run repeated sword-tip pressure without first making her stop.
- Swinging OOS after every blocked Forward Tilt, Forward Air, Back Air, or Down Air and creating your own close-range disadvantage.
- Drifting away after the first hit and giving Pyra time to rebuild the exact spacing she wants.
- Passing on recovery edgeguard chances and letting Pyra’s linear route return for free.
- Fishing for a hard kill in center stage and taking Pyra’s raw power trade when the matchup gives cleaner ledge and offstage finishes.