Matchup Summary (Win Condition and Game Plan)
If Bayonetta gets even one clean Side B or Up B starter into her air string, Pikachu’s light weight can quickly turn that into a long carry and early kill range, but the neutral before that point favors Pikachu’s low profile, Thunder Jolt, and Quick Attack mobility. The goal is to be the one forcing the first launch instead of standing still in front of her.
The key is not trying to shield-punish every aerial. The full table shows that Neutral Air, Forward Air (3), Back Air, and Up Air are mostly not punishable on shield, and Up B is +0, so forcing a button there often means getting relaunched. By contrast, Jab 1-3, the Forward Tilt string, Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, all smashes, Down Air, Neutral B, and Side B are clearly punishable with OOS Nair (6f), OOS Uair/Bair (7f), Grab (10f), and Up Smash (10f).
That makes the real win condition pushing her into the air first with Thunder Jolt and low movement, then covering landing drift with Bair and Uair until she is carried to ledge. Bayonetta’s recovery goes far, but once Side B and Up B resources are committed, the remaining route becomes much easier to read, so trimming it in layers is more stable than blindly following her deep.
Kills are more reproducible through Bair, Uair extensions, edgeguards, and Quick Attack chases offstage than through hard fishing for Up Smash. Late in the stock, respecting Witch Time also matters so Pikachu does not create the comeback opening himself.
Full Move Frame Quick Reference
| Opponent Move | Startup | On Shield | Pikachu OOS Candidate Moves | Barely Missed Moves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jab 1 | 9 | -19 |
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| Jab 2 | 7 | -21 |
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| Jab 3 | 7 | -29 |
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| Rapid Jab | 6/10/14 | ** | ||
| Rapid Jab Finisher | 4/11 | -45 |
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| Forward Tilt (1) | 12 | -15 |
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| Forward Tilt (2) | 12 | -23 |
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| Forward Tilt (3) | 14 | -21 |
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| Up Tilt | 7/10/13 | -19/-10 |
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| Down Tilt | 7 | -15 |
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| Dash Attack | 15 | -17 |
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| Forward Smash | 17 | -38/-39 |
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| Up Smash | 18 | -35 |
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| Down Smash | 17/22 | -32 |
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| Neutral Air | 9 | -6/-7/-16 |
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| Forward Air (1) | 7 | -7 |
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| Forward Air (2) | 7 | -8 |
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| Forward Air (3) | 12 | -5 |
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| Back Air | 11 | -5/-6 |
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| Up Air | 9 | -5/-14 |
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| Down Air | 18 | -23 |
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| Neutral B (1) | 17… | -32 |
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| Neutral B (2) | 42/47/57/62… | -29 |
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| Side B | 15/51 | -25/-26/-15 |
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| Up B | 6/11… | +0 |
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| Down B | 8 (start of counter) | — | ||
| Grab | 7 | — | ||
| Dash Grab | 10 | — | ||
| Pivot Grab | 11 | — |
Win Condition Checklist
- Do not play passive in front of her grounded burst range. Use Thunder Jolt plus small ground movement to launch Bayonetta first and make her spend jump or Side B early.
- When you block Jab 1, Jab 2, Jab 3, Forward Tilt (1)-(3), Up Tilt, Down Tilt, Dash Attack, any smash, Down Air, Neutral B, or Side B, cash out with OOS Nair (6f) first and confirm whether Uair, Bair, Grab, or Up Smash is available.
- After shielding Neutral Air, Forward Air (3), Back Air, Up Air, or Up B, do not mash for a shield punish. Track the landing or the next horizontal drift instead and keep stage control.
- Once she is at ledge, use Bair, Uair, and Quick Attack to chase the route after Up B and the height drop after Side B is spent, aiming to finish the stock offstage.
- In kill percent, respect Witch Time and choose ledge pressure plus repeated advantage instead of forcing a single Up Smash read.
Actions to Avoid
- Letting the matchup become a shield-heavy waiting game directly in front of Bayonetta and accepting Side B or Up B starters for free.
- Forcing shield punishes on mostly safe moves like Neutral Air, Forward Air (3), Back Air, or Up Air and getting relaunched immediately.
- Dropping the clear punishes on her Jab string or Side B so her grounded commitments stay unanswered.
- Overfishing for Up Smash or Thunder at the end of the stock, running into Witch Time, and replacing a strong edgeguard position with a riskier guess.