Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
This matchup is decided by whether Pichu gets to begin his close-range game through Thunder Jolt, Neutral Air, Up Tilt, and throw starters before Greninja starts the juggle, or whether Greninja forces the first clean touch with mobility first. If Greninja keeps sitting in shield at midrange, the weak out-of-shield game and lighter weight both become real problems, and Pichu’s tiny hurtbox plus fast aerials make repeated re-entries much harder to stop.
The good news is that Pichu is extremely light and constantly carrying recoil damage, so Greninja does not need many clean openings to reach kill percent. The stable route is to use run speed, low profile movement, and Water Shuriken to interrupt jump Thunder Jolt and landing habits, then keep Pichu airborne with Dash Attack, Down Tilt, Back Air, and Up Air instead of letting center stage reset.
The frame table also shows that Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, every smash attack, Forward Air, Back Air, Up Air, Down Air, Neutral B, and Down B are all punishable through OOS Bair (8f), Grab (10f), OOS Uair (10f), or Up Smash (12f). By contrast, Down Tilt and Neutral Air are much harder to answer immediately in place, so Greninja gets more value by tracking the next landing or retreat instead of forcing a fake shield punish.
KOs are more repeatable through vertical carry and ledgetrapping than through deep edgeguards. Pichu’s small body can be slippery to finish off, but the combination of low weight and recoil makes every ledge cycle highly valuable, so Greninja should lock down jump and ledge getup with Back Air, Up Smash, and Water Shuriken instead of overextending offstage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Greninja OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab | 2 | -11 |
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| Forward Tilt | 5 | -11 |
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| Up Tilt | 7 | -10 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -4 |
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| Dash Attack | 6 | -20 |
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| Forward Smash | 16/19/22/25/28/31 | -16 |
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| Up Smash | 9 | -21 |
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| Down Smash | 8/11/15/19/23 | -21 |
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| Neutral Air | 3 | -4/-4 |
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| Forward Air | 10/14/18/22 | -10/-10 |
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| Back Air | 5/11/15/19/26/30 | -16/-16 |
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| Up Air | 4 | -8 |
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| Down Air | 14 | -16 |
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| Neutral B | 18 | -29/-30 |
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| Side B | 17 | -20 to +3 |
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| Up B | ** | — | ||
| Down B | 9 | -27 |
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| Grab | 6 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 8 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 9 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not keep shielding Thunder Jolt at midrange. Use run speed, low profile movement, and Water Shuriken to interrupt jump Thunder Jolt and force Pichu to commit first.
- After blocking Jab, Forward Tilt, Up Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash attack, Forward Air, Back Air, Up Air, Down Air, Neutral B, or Down B, take the listed punish with OOS Bair (8f), Grab (10f), OOS Uair (10f), or Up Smash (12f).
- After shielding Down Tilt or Neutral Air, do not mash an immediate punish. Track Pichu’s next landing or retreat route and take the second touch instead.
- Once Dash Attack, Down Tilt, Back Air, or Up Air launches Pichu, do not give center back. Keep the juggle and ledge carry going while Pichu’s light weight and recoil keep raising the reward.
- At kill percent, prioritize ledge control over deep offstage chases and finish jump or ledge getup with Back Air, Up Smash, and Water Shuriken.
Actions to Avoid
- Sitting in shield at midrange and letting Thunder Jolt approach repeatedly drag Greninja into Pichu’s preferred close-range scramble.
- Forcing moves onto Pichu’s tiny hurtbox, whiffing over or around him, and getting whiff-punished by Jab, Up Tilt, or Neutral Air.
- Swinging immediately after every blocked Down Tilt or Neutral Air and handing Pichu another close-range sequence when the punish does not actually reach.
- Chasing too deep offstage for the stock and giving away the safer ledgetrap to Thunder or Down Air reversal chances.