Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
Bowser Jr. clutters the lane with Mechakoopa, cannon shots, and Cart Dash, then turns forward air, back air, and up smash into long corner pressure once he gets a hit. If Pichu keeps forcing direct entries with Thunder Jolt and rushdown at the same timing, recoil plus extreme light weight make every lost exchange much more expensive.
The steadier version of this matchup is to avoid challenging the setup head-on, use Pichu’s tiny body to slip under higher aerials and grounded swings, and touch the body with nair, bair, or grab once Jr. actually whiffs. Hitting only the clown car is a worse trade than it looks, so Pichu wants more side and above entries on the body instead of repeated frontal scraps.
The frame table shows that jab 1-2, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, every smash attack, forward air, back air, down air, and Cannonball are all punishable with OOS Nair (6f), OOS Uair (7f), OOS Bair (8f), Up Smash (9f), and Grab (10f). Just making Cannonball and fair stop being free already cuts down a major part of Bowser Jr.’s setup flow.
Neutral air, up air, Side B, and Up B are the harder spots to punish immediately, and forcing the shield punish there often walks Pichu into Cart follow-ups or post-Clown Car landing traps. Kills are more stable at the ledge with Thunder Jolt, back air, up smash, and Thunder catching the body exposure after Up B rather than chasing too deep offstage.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Pichu OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 4 | -12 |
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| Jab 2 | 4 | -22 |
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| Rapid Jab | 4/7/10… | — | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 6 | -32 |
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| Forward Tilt | 7 | -18/-16 |
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| Up Tilt | 7 | -19 |
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| Down Tilt | 4/12/23 | -11 |
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| Dash Attack | 8/11/14/17/20/25 | -17 |
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| Forward Smash | 18/21/24/27/30/35 | -12 |
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| Up Smash | 7/9/12/15/18/22 | -26 |
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| Down Smash | 12 | -32 |
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| Neutral Air | 7 | -6/-7/-7/-5/-6/-6 |
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| Forward Air | 10 | -11 |
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| Back Air | 12 | -9/-10 |
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| Up Air | 6 | -5 |
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| Down Air | 15… | -11 |
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| Neutral B | 37-97 | -23 to -17 |
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| Side B | 23 | — | ||
| Up B | 17/56 | — | ||
| Down B | — | — | ||
| Grab | 11 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 14 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 15 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not run straight into setup tools and Cart. Use Pichu’s size to make the higher aerials and grounded swings miss, then touch the body.
- After blocking jab 1-2, forward tilt, up tilt, down tilt, dash attack, any smash attack, forward air, back air, down air, or Cannonball, punish every time with OOS Nair (6f), OOS Uair (7f), OOS Bair (8f), Up Smash (9f), or Grab (10f).
- Avoid repeated frontal trades into the clown car. Prefer grabs and side or above entries that hit the body directly.
- After blocking neutral air, up air, Side B, or Up B, do not mash immediately. Read the follow-up path, landing, or body exposure and take the second touch instead.
- Prioritize ledge kills with Thunder Jolt, back air, up smash, and Thunder so you can cash out on Bowser Jr.’s exposed body after Up B.
Actions to Avoid
- Layering Thunder Jolt and forward movement carelessly until recoil damage and one setup hit put Pichu into kill percent.
- Trading into the clown car from the front over and over and accepting the reduced-damage exchange.
- Mashing after every blocked neutral air, up air, Side B, or Up B and getting clipped by Cart follow-ups or landing traps.
- Chasing too deep offstage and letting the exposed body or hammer swing after Up B reverse the stock immediately.