Pac-Man inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate
Universe	Pac-Man
Other playable appearance	inSSB4
Availability	Unlockable
Final Smash	Super Pac-Man
Tier	A- (35)

Pac-Man (パックマン), stylized in-game asPAC-MAN, is a playable character inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. He was confirmed alongside the rest of theveterans on June 12, 2018. Pac-Man is classified asFighter #55. Like inSuper Smash Bros. 4, Pac-Man reuses sound effects from variousPac-Man games andBandai Namco arcade games.

Pac-Man is currently ranked 35th out of 82 on the tier list, placing him around the middle of the A tier. This is a significant improvement to his placement inSmash 4, where he was ranked 45th out of 54. Pac-Man's greatest strengths lie in his zoning capabilities thanks to his barrage of projectiles inBonus Fruit andFire Hydrant. Bonus Fruit is notable for having different projectiles with distinguishing properties, with Bell being the most effective one as it confirms into KOs. His Hydrant is notorious for creating a barrier that a lot of characters can struggle to deal with up close, allowing Pac-Man to continue setting up shop behind it. His recovery is among one of, if not, the best recoveries in the game due to its outstanding travel distance ofPower Pellet and mixup potential andPac-Jump giving him a high vertical boost. This makes Pac-Man one of the hardest characters to edgeguard due to his amount of options. Pac-Man's normals are also amazing in their own right as most of them have amazing frame data and shield safety, which allows him to box out his opponents at ease. Finally, his grab, previously seen as one of the worst inSmash 4, has been buffed significantly to increase its hitbox detection, allowing it to even beat spotdodges.

Despite his abundance of strengths, Pac-Man has some flaws. Pac-Man has few reliable ways to KO his opponent, with his smash attacks and aerials being pretty predictable, so holding shield can be effective against him. His projectiles can also be used against him, with the Bonus Fruit being able to be caught when shielded and used freely against him, as well as his Hydrant being able to be hit back at him by a strong enough move. His recovery, while amazing, is relatively exploitable, as both moves can be interrupted: Power Pellet can be canceled if the pellet is hit before Pac-Man dashes, and while Pac-Jump allows up to three total uses, it can be used by opponents to recover themselves, or force Pac-Man into helplessness if the trampoline is used three times.

Overall, Pac-Man's strengths outweigh his nerfs, and he his representation has been above average for most of the game's competitive lifespan, with especially strong performances fromTea.

How to unlock[edit]

Complete one of the following:

• PlayVS. matches, with Pac-Man being the 49th character to be unlocked.
• ClearClassic Mode withKirby or any character in his unlock tree, being the 3rd character unlocked afterJigglypuff.
• Have Pac-Man join the player's party inWorld of Light.

Pac-Man must then be defeated onPac-Land (theΩ form is used in World of Light).

Attributes[edit]

Pac-Man is amiddleweight whose attributes deviate slightly from other fighters of his weight class. Although hisdashing speed is average, hisair speed is slightly above-average and histraction andair acceleration are above-average, Pac-Man'swalking speed is slightly below-average, hisfalling speed is below-average, and hisgravity is the 11th-lowest in the game. As a result, these traits make Pac-Man a rather floaty and relatively speedy character for a middleweight, albeit not to the degree ofRosalina & Luma andMario, respectively. Pac-Man is also able tocrawl andwall jump, although the former is generally impractical because of his crouch's tall height.

Pac-Man, likeDiddy Kong, is reliant on his item-producingspecial moves to control the flow of a battle and win in theneutral game. Two special moves,Bonus Fruit andFire Hydrant, grant him numerous mix-ups for almost any situation. The fruits and objects generated by Bonus Fruit each have different attributes; in addition to functioning as usefulspacing,combo, andedge-guarding options, some of them (primarily the apple, melon and key) notably boast respectable KO potential as a way to circumvent the sluggishness and short ranges of Pac-Man's smash attacks. As a result, Bonus Fruit allows Pac-Man to confuse and force movements from his opponents to put them in disadvantageous positions, especially off-stage.

When used in the air,Fire Hydrant functions similarly toStone, which makes it useful for covering landings or breaking combos. It is also Pac-Man's most powerful projectile when launched, which makes it a viable KO option from a distance. In addition to its offensive potential, Fire Hydrant has defensive potential, thanks to its bursts of water possessing apush effect. As a result, the water can be used to create space,gimp poor recoveries, and even force opponents into Pac-Man's attacks.

Aside from his projectiles, Pac-Man also possesses a slow, but potent KO option inPower Pellet. Power Pellet also functions both as a great recovery andmindgame option: it can be aimed prematurely and made to curve in creative angles using his Fire Hydrant's push effect, and can function as a KO confirm from Bonus Fruit's bell.Pac-Jump is an effective vertical recovery should all of its trampoline jumps be used, and makes it safe to edge-guard off-stage, as Pac-Man will likely make it back onto the stage. It is also difficult to gimp, especially from an overhead perspective, thanks to Pac-Man's jumps having unblockable hitboxes. Due to its quick start-up and aforementioned hitboxes, Pac-Jump also functions as a goodout of shield option when used properly.

Outside of his specials, Pac-Man has a good combo game. Though his ground attacks are weak with slight ending lag, Pac-Man'sneutral attack andtilt attacks are fast. His tilts, in particular, also give him slightly extended hitboxes (forward tilt andup tilt) or slide him forward (down tilt), letting him attack out of shield easily or poke opponents at a safe distance. Pac-Man'sdash attack is one of his best approach options, thanks to it hitting multiple times and having extremely minimal ending lag, the latter of which is very atypical for dash attacks. Pac-Man is also capable in the air; his aerial attacks are fast and can chain into themselves (especially hisforward andup aerials). In addition, hisneutral andback aerials are effective edge-guarding options; their clean hitboxes also make them useful from out of shield and for KOing, respectively.

Unlike inSSB4, Pac-Man has a respectablegrab game; he possesses a rather long ranged grab with long lasting hitboxes, giving him a good grab range. Histhrows have some utility:up throw has combo potential (primarily into neutral and up aerials) at low to medium percentages, whereasdown throw has a decent damage output and can set uptech-chases (most notably into Bonus Fruit's key, Power Pellet, dash attack, or a short hopped forward aerial into neutral aerial). Although the lattermost combo does not work on characters whose hurtboxes are low after missing atech, it is still beneficial, as Pac-Man can insteadlock the opponent with a short hopped forward aerial at low to medium percentages.Forward throw can be used for mix-ups due to its minimal ending lag and awkward launching angle, whereasback throw is a decent KO option.

Pac-Man has a few noticeable weakness, however; arguably his biggest one is his inability to KO early because of the overwhelming majority of his moves having low base knockback. Although his tilts and aerials are fast, only Pac-Man's down and clean back aerials can KO at reasonable percentages and especially while near the left or rightblast lines. Although Pac-Man's smash attacks can KO easily while near the edge thanks to their respectable damage outputs and knockback growth values, they are very punishable and predictable because of their considerable start-up and ending lag.

Although Bonus Fruit's key and a launched Fire Hydrant are viable KO options, the former needs to be charged in order to be accessible, whereas the latter can be easily used against Pac-Man just as he is about to launch it. Additionally, Pac-Man's average overall range and awkward hitboxes can make landing hits or spacing difficult against opponents with long range. His below-average overall mobility can also make it difficult to chase down opponents, create space and/or cycle through Bonus Fruit, especially against rushdown-oriented characters.

Pac-Man's grab game, while nowhere near as awful as it was inSSB4, is still flawed in some ways. His grabs, despite being much more consistent, are still somewhat risky due to retaining fairly high ending lag that tether grabs are known for. Although Pac-Man's up throw now has combo potential and his back throw remains a reasonably strong KO option, his forward and down throws leave a lot to be desired. The former throw's higher damage output and base knockback make it only mediocre at best for mix-ups, whereas the latter throw has all but lost its already minimal combo potential due to its ending lag being increased.

Despite their perks, all of Pac-Man's special moves can be used against him. Bonus Fruit's objects areitems that can only exist once at a time, hence opponents can grab them out of the air, nullifying one of Pac-Man's only projectiles so long as they hold onto it. So long as Bonus Fruit is nullified, Pac-Man is disadvantaged at spacing, KOing and mindgames, while a competent opponent can even use Bonus Fruit's items against him. Fire Hydrant can be turned against him as well; it can be knocked back or reflected by opponents, even in the first few frames when it is released, making it possible for Pac-Man to immediately be dealt noticeable damage. Its push effect also affects him, and can inadvertently cost Pac-Man if he is careless.

Despite being strong, Power Pellet is highly predictable and can be interrupted by any attack, which drops a healing Power Pellet that can be used by the opponent. Pac-Jump, despite propelling Pac-Man very high vertically, can also be used by opponents forgimping Pac-Man's own recovery. Due to these possibilities, a good Pac-Man player must keep watch of where his items are in order to inflict the highest knockback possible at a safer range, and avoid his items' abilities being turned against him.

Overall, Pac-Man excels at mindgames and damage racking, yet his moveset's overall low base knockback and average range make it difficult for him to KO opponents early. As a result, he is dependent on utilizing traps and zoning in order to continually deal damage and set up a KO, such as collectively using his air game, Bonus Fruit, and varied recovery to edge-guard. While Pac-Man's special moves grant him a uniquely versatile moveset, they can also hinder him in battle, as one careless move can ultimately decide the momentum of not only himself, but even the whole match itself.

Changes fromSuper Smash Bros. 4[edit]

Pac-Man was considered to be a low-tier character inSuper Smash Bros. 4 (where he is ranked 45th out of 54 on the final tier list), owing to a somewhat underwhelming normal moveset, over-reliance on his special moves, constant micromanagement of his resources, the potential of all his special moves being used against him, poor KO potential and an extremely infamousgrab that was burdened with huge lag and a tendency to miss due to its misleading and intermittent grabboxes. Potentially owing to his poorly regarded status, Pac-Man was dramatically buffed overall in his transition toUltimate.

One of Pac-Man's biggest buffs involves his previously infamous grab: it is now drastically quicker overall, functions as a single and continuous hitbox instead of separate and short-lasting ones, and is more in-line with the rest of the cast due to the universal increase to ending lag within grabs. When combined with hisup throw's newfound combo potential and hisback throw remaining a reasonably strong KO option, Pac-Man now possesses a much more useful grab game.

Bonus Fruit now cycles significantly faster and allows Pac-Man tocharge cancel by jumping, granting him more options in the process. If Pac-Man picks up one of Bonus Fruit's items he previously dropped, he can begin the cycle at the one he is currently holding. This technique, dubbed theFruit Recycle, allows Pac-Man to constantly pressure with his Bonus Fruit's items by allowing him to switch items and set up new combos after catching an item. Bonus Fruit's bell, in particular, can nowparalyze opponents if it is Z-dropped, granting him a new item set-up.

Aside from his grab and Bonus Fruit, many of Pac-Man's moves have seen miscellaneous improvements.Down tilt is less punishable due to the changes of the move's momentum and reduced ending lag,dash attack has an additional hit while possessing even less ending lag (relative to its final hit),down aerial's initial hits link together much better and inflict more damage, his newup tilt possesses greater frame data and increased vertical range to improve its utility as an anti-air, and some of his best aerial combo starters (such asneutral aerial andforward aerial) have altered knockback, allowing his attacks to flow better into each other. Hisrecovery reaches further, asPower Pellet is faster and less punishable, grants even more distance, suffers much less lag on a wall-collision, and no longer causestumbling when he runs into the ground, instead allowing him to move along the floor.

Pac-Man's mediocre KO potential, one of his biggest weaknesses fromSSB4, has also been improved considerably, as hissmash attacks have less start-up, Power Pellet's fully charged sweetspot and forward smash are much stronger, back aerial launches at a lower angle, down aerial's final hit is much stronger and launches at a much lower angle, and Bonus Fruit's aforementioned buffs allow Pac-Man earlier access to its key, which has strong KO potential on its own. All of these changes alleviate one of Pac-Man's biggest weaknesses fromSSB4. Finally, the universal alterations made to the mechanics inUltimate have been beneficial to Pac-Man overall. The universally faster mobility improves his previously mediocre mobility, thus benefitting his approach. The universal reduction tolanding lag further improves his respectable combo ability by allowing him access to his quick aerials, whiledash-canceling's expanded prevalence improves the utility of his tilts, thus granting him newfound approaching options by performing one of his tilt attacks out of a run.

However, Pac-Man received some noticeable nerfs, especially to his combo game. The mechanics of his Bonus Fruit's items have been altered drastically, heavily limiting the variety of item-based techniques he can perform: the time-window for catching the items is now very narrow, as most of the items disappear almost immediately after hitting an opponent, while the cherry and strawberry now have a set distance and no longer linger on the ground. Bonus Fruit's items also cannot be picked up again after being Z-dropped; when combined with the changes tofootstools andlocks, Pac-Man can no longer perform his notoriouszero-to-death footstool combos. While all these changes prevent the opponent from capitalizing on his own fruits, it also homogenizes his item play.Fire Hydrant's physics have also been changed, as it loses more momentum and height from each bounce, making it less effective for coverage and set-ups when it is launched. In addition, several moves are less useful for launching Hydrant, lessening the variety of coverage and pressure.

Pac-Man's aforementioned new up tilt is more situational than his previous up tilt inSSB4, as it can no longer hit opponents directly next to or behind him, and it is unable to launch Fire Hydrant backward. In addition, Pac-Man's neutral and forward aerials have lost their ability tolock (though this is compensated by their newfound combo potential). Lastly,Pac-Jump is even more exploitable than before, as opponents can now hit the trampoline to reduce its availability.

Overall, Pac-Man's moveset is more consistent for close-quarters combat, and his tools have been improved to catch up with the quick and aggressive pace ofUltimate. The changes overall make Pac-Man more formidable, although his playstyle has less of an emphasis over item-stalling and rewards item-positioning and setups more than before. However, he still retains several of his former issues fromSSB4, such as mediocre melee-oriented range, a slight dependence on setups to KO, the necessity for micromanagement, and the ease of his special moves potentially being turned against him. Nevertheless, despite the buffs to other characters and the introduction of powerful DLC characters in game updates, Pac-Man has immensely improved fromSSB4, and is considered one of the most buffed characters in the transition toUltimate and a highly effective character as opposed to non-viable.

Aesthetics[edit]

• As with allveterans returning fromSSB4, Pac-Man's model features a more subdued color scheme; the yellow of his body is now much lighter compared to the saturated shade used inSSB4, being more consistent with his appearances outside ofSmash. His boots now have well-defined soles on the bottom.
• Like most of the cast, Pac-Man is more expressive, no longer being limited to simply smiling and surprised expressions. He now shows an angry expression during his forward smash, down smash, back aerial, and the end of his dash attack. He will also look disappointed if his grab misses, and will appear panicked while drowning, and becomes stunned when falling underwater instead of maintaining his grin. His mouth also briefly opens when he stands up from acrouch.
• Pac-Man'son-screen appearance has been slightly altered, now doing a slow chomp in his classic 2D "wedge" form, before jumping into his modern form. InSmash 4, the chomp is quicker and stops once Pac-Man opens his mouth once.
• Pac-Man's taunts have been altered:
  • Namco Roulette's animation is faster. Its roster includes the exclusive characters from both the Wii U and 3DS versions. Additionally,Heihachi Mishima fromTekken and The Prince of All Cosmos fromKatamari Damacy have been added.
  • Side taunt has been altered to show Pac-Man alternating chomps left and right twice, instead of twice on one side before turning.
  • Pixelated fairies fromPac-Land appear during Pac-Man's down taunt in place of Blinky and Pinky.
• A fairy now appears in hisPac-Land-inspired victory animation.

Attributes[edit]

• Like all characters, Pac-Man'sjumpsquat animation takes three frames to complete (down from 5).
• Pac-Manwalks faster (1.045 → 1.097).
• Pac-Mandashes faster (1.52 → 1.672).
  • Pac-Man'sinitial dash is faster (1.6 → 1.87).
• Pac-Man'sair speed is slightly faster (1.04 → 1.092).
• Pac-Man has significantly moretraction (0.045 → 0.116), going from below-average inSmash 4 to above-average inUltimate.
• Spot dodge has slightly less ending lag (FAF 26 → 25).
• Forwardroll grants one frame lessintangibility (frames 4-16 → 4-15).
• Back roll has slightly more startup lag (frame 4 → 5), grants slightly less intangibility (frames 4-16 → 5-16), and more ending lag (FAF 30 → 35).
• Neutralair dodge grants more intangibility (frames 3-27 → 3-29).
• Neutral air dodge has less significantly less landing lag (22 frames → 10).
• Neutral air dodge has significantly more ending lag (FAF 33 → 56).

Ground attacks[edit]

• Neutral attack:
  • Neutral attack's first hit is now a hook rather than a jab.
  • Neutral attack transitions faster (frame 9 → 7).
  • Neutral attack's first and second hits no longer use set knockback, instead possessing minimal knockback scaling (22/16 (set) → 25/15 (base), 25/20 (scaling) (hit 1), 26/15 (set) → 30/35 (base), 30/35 (scaling) (hit 2)), and all but one of its hitboxes launch at a more consistent angle (80°/361° → 361°/361°/180°/361° (hit 1), 80°/361° → 361°/361°/361° (hit 2)), allowing both hits to connect into each other more reliably and jab lock.
  • Neutral attack's first hit deals slightly less damage (3% → 2%).
  • Neutral attack's first and second hits have increased hitlag multipliers (1× → 1.6× (hit 1), 1× → 1.2× (hit 2)), giving the opponent more time to SDI each hit.
  • Neutral attack's first and second hits have had their two larger hitboxes replaced with smaller ones (4.2u/3.5u → 1.5u/1.7u/2u/2u (hit 1), 4.2u/3.5u → 2.5u/2.8u/3u (hit 2)), giving them less range.
  • All hits of neutral attack have shorter durations (frames 4-6 → 4 (hits 1 and 2), 4-7 → 4-5 (hit 3)).
• Dash attack:
  • Dash attack hits four times instead of three.
    • All hits after the first one have less startup lag (frame 20/30 → 19/28/37) and the last hit has comparatively less ending lag (FAF 42 → 46).
    • Dash attack deals more damage if all hits connect (9% → 10%).
  • The looping hits have drastically less hitlag (2x → 0.6x), making them much harder to SDI out of.
  • The last hit deals less damage (5% → 4%) with knockback scaling partially compensated (60 → 65).
• Forward tilt:
  • Forward tilt has altered hitboxes (4u/4u/3u → 4.8u/3.6u/3u) with the outermost hitbox being larger and positioned further out (X offset: 6 → 7), improving its range overall despite the middle hitbox being smaller.
• Up tilt:
  • Pac-Man has a new up tilt: a quick upwards punch.
  • It has more vertical range.
  • It has much less ending lag (FAF 34 → 25), improving its combo potential.
  • It deals slightly less damage (7% → 6.5%) and much less knockback (50 base/100 scaling → 43/68), noticeably hindering its KO potential.
    • However, its reduced knockback further improves its combo potential.
  • Pac-Man's fist has one less frame ofintangibility (frame 6-10 → 7-10).
  • Its hitbox is located on Pac-Man's fist. As a result, it is generally smaller overall (6.5u → 5.5u/3.2u), and has much less horizontal reach, missing most characters on the ground even if they stand directly next to him. Due to the same factors, Pac-Man's new up tilt can no longer be used to knockFire Hydrant backwards.
  • It launches at a slightly higher angle (96° → 93°).
• Down tilt:
  • Down tilt has less ending lag (FAF 29 → 27).
  • Pac-Man returns to his original position after attacking, rather than moving forward, improving its safety, but worsening its utility for tech-chasing.
  • It has more base knockback and less knockback scaling (50 base/80 scaling → 65/50), making it safer on hit at lower percents, but hindering its KO potential.
• Forward smash:
  • Forward smash has less startup lag (frame 18 → 16) with its duration increased (frames 18-28 → 16-29, 11 frames → 14).
    • Its FAF remains unchanged, giving its strong hit more comparative ending lag and making it less safe on shield.
  • Forward smash's ghost has a bigger hitbox (4.8u → 5.4u (early), 4u → 4.3u (late)) and extends vertically (Y offset: 5 → 5.4-4.2), improving its range.
  • Forward smash's early hits deal noticeably more base knockback, greatly improving its KO potential despite having less knockback scaling (25 base/99 scaling → 40/97).
• Up smash:
  • Both hits of up smash have less startup lag (frame 13/16 → 11/15) with its duration increased on the second hit (16-26 → 15-28, 11 frames → 14).
    • Its FAF remains unchanged, giving its strong hit more comparative ending lag and making it less safe on shield.
  • Up smash's ghost has a larger hitbox (6u → 6.2u (clean), 4u → 4.5u (late)).
  • Up smash's first hit now uses set knockback (95 base/20 scaling → 125 set/100 scaling) and launches at a lower angle (115° → 135°). This improves its linking ability into the second hit and now allows it to be used to knock a Fire Hydrant backwards, but significantly worsens its reliability as a follow-up option off of Bonus Fruit's Bell.
• Down smash:
  • Down smash has less startup lag (frame 18 → 15) with its duration increased (18-28 → 15-28, 11 frames → 14).
    • Its FAF remains unchanged, giving its strong hit more comparative ending lag and making it less safe on shield.
  • Down smash's ghosts have larger hitboxes (6u → 6.2u (clean), 4u → 4.5u (late)) and extend vertically (Y offset: 6 → 5.3-5.8), improving its range.

Aerial attacks[edit]

• All aerials have less landing lag (12 frames (neutral) → 7, 16 (forward/up) → 10, 22 (back) → 13, 20 (down) → 12).
• Neutral aerial:
  • Neutral aerial deals less knockback (20 base/100 scaling → 45/70). Coupled with its lowered landing lag, it can combo consistently.
  • Its later hits deal more damage (6% → 8.5% (mid), 3% → 6% (late)).
  • Its angle on all hits was changed (361° → 50°). This increases its combo potential, but removes its ability tolock.
  • It has larger hitboxes (7.0u → 7.6u (clean), 5.0u → 7.0u (mid), 3.5u → 4.5u (late)).
  • Its lowered knockback removes one of Pac-Man's former KO options, as it can no longer KO until around 180%.
• Forward aerial:
  • Forward aerial deals more damage (5.3% → 7.65%).
  • It has much more base knockback, but much less knockback scaling (7 base/90 scaling → 70/29), increasing the percent range in which the move can combo, as well as making it unpunishable on hit at 0%.
    • Due to the changes to its knockback, forward aerial can no longer lock opponents.
• Back aerial:
  • The changes to theSakurai angle causes back aerial to launch opponents at a lower angle (40°/45° → 38°), improving its KO potential.
• Up aerial:
  • Up aerial has an altered ending animation.
  • It now pushes Pac-Man back down to where he would have been as the move ends. In order to use the floating effect to boost his recovery, the player must repeatedly interrupt the ending animation of the move with another up aerial.
• Down aerial:
  • Its hits transition faster, with 1 frame less lag between each one.
  • Its multi-hits are larger (5.5u → 6.2u) and have gained an additional hitbox against aerial opponents, improving its range overall.
  • It has much less ending lag (FAF 60 → 50).
  • Down aerial deals more damage (1.5% → 2% (hits 1-3), 6% → 7% (hit 4), 10.5% → 13% (maximum)) with knockback compensated on the final hit (90 scaling → 80).
  • Its multi-hits deal more set knockback (10 → 35 (grounded), 10 → 22 (aerial)), and launch aerial opponents at an altered angle (100° → 130°), improving its linking ability overall.
  • Its final hit sends at a more horizontal angle (65° → 45°), granting it edgeguarding and KO potential.
  • Its final hit always launches in the direction Pac-Man is facing, improving its combo potential while also making it more consistent for edgeguarding.

Throws and other attacks[edit]

• Grab:
  • Dash grab and pivot grab have more startup lag, no longer the same as his standing grab (frame 12 → 14 (dash), 12 → 15 (pivot)).
  • All grabs have significantly less ending lag (FAF 76 → 59 (standing), 76 → 67 (dash), 76 → 62 (pivot)).
  • Grab has two long-lasting hitboxes instead of multiple short hitboxes (frames 12-14, 22-24, 32-39 → 12-33 (standing)/14-35 (dash)/15-36 (pivot)).
  • One of grab's hitboxes extends alongside the tractor beam's animation, removing its notorious blindspots.
  • Grab's tractor beam has a smoother extending and receding animation.
  • If the grab misses, Pac-Man will look disappointed.
• Pummel:
  • Pummel deals morehitlag (5 frames → 14), but has much less startup (frame 16 → 1) and ending lag (FAF 25 → 7), shortening its duration.
  • Pummel deals much less damage (3.25% → 1.3%).
• All throws excluding down throw are nowweight-independent.
• Forward throw:
  • Forward throw deals more damage (6% → 8%) and has more base knockback (48 → 55), improving its edgeguarding potential.
• Back throw:
  • Back throw has a visible wind-effect while Pac-Man spins.
  • Back throw releases the opponent earlier (frame 28 → 25) and has significantly less ending lag (FAF 72 → 60).
• Up throw:
  • Up throw has less ending lag (FAF 45 → 38) and base knockback (60 → 55), granting it combo potential.
• Down throw:
  • Down throw's animation has been sped up significantly.
  • Down throw releases the opponent earlier (frame 39 → 34) with its duration unchanged, increasing its ending lag.

Special moves[edit]

• Bonus Fruit:
  • All Bonus Fruit except the second and third fruits cycle significantly faster (frame 54 → 52 (apple), 78 → 72 (melon), 102 → 92 (galaxian), 126 → 112 (bell), 150 → 132 (key)).
  • Bonus Fruit has a shorter charge cancel animation (8 frames → 4).
  • As with other charge specials, Bonus Fruit can be jumped orair dodged out of while charging.
  • Cherry
    • Cherries deals slightly more damage (4% → 4.3%).
    • They deal slightly less knockback overall (40 (base)/80 (scaling) → 41/71)
    • Their lifespan can no longer be extended by keeping them in the air for longer, and they will despawn after a set amount of time.
    • They deal less shield damage (0 → -2.1).
  • Strawberry
    • Strawberries deal slightly less knockback (40 (base)/80 (scaling) → 41/71)
    • Their lifespan can no longer be extended by keeping them in the air for longer, and they will despawn after a set amount of time.
    • Strawberries deal less shield damage (0 → -3).
  • Orange
    • Oranges deal slightly less damage (8% → 7.5%)
    • They have altered knockback values (50 (base)/76 (scaling) → 51/68), which, combined with the lower damage output, drastically weakens their KO potential.
    • Oranges deal less shield damage (0 → -3.2).
  • Apple
    • Apples deal slightly more damage (9% → 9.5%).
    • They have reduced knockback values (60 (base)/100 (Scaling) → 61/91), KOing slightly later despite the increased damage, and more favourable launch angle (75˚ → 80˚).
    • However, the higher launch angle makes it less susceptible toDI, and makesLSI impossible, improving the consistency of the Apple's KO potential.
    • Apples deal considerably less shield damage (0 → -4.7).
    • Apples have a shorter maximum duration (240 frames → 180).
  • Melon
    • Melons deal less knockback (40 (base)/100 (scaling) → 39/94), hindering their KO potential.
    • Melons launch at a slightly higher angle (55˚ → 60˚), slightly improving their vertical KO potential, while slightly worsening their horizontal KO potential.
    • Melons deal significantly less shield damage (0 → -6).
    • Melons move more slowly (initial speed: 1 → 0.85), and accelerate downward more quickly (gravity: 0.005 → 0.006).
  • Galaxian
    • Galaxians deal slightly less knockback (40 (base)/80 (scaling) → 41/72).
    • Galaxians deal considerably less shield damage (0 → -4.5).
  • Bell
    • Bells deal slightly less damage (8% → 7.5%).
    • Bells deal more knockback at low percents, and much less knockback at high percents (30 (base)/120 (scaling) → 70/54). This also means theyparalyze opponents for longer at lower percents, but the paralysis duration increases much more slowly.
    • As a result of the above changes, Bells are now incapable of KOing at realistic percents.
    • When Z-dropped, Bells can now still paralyze the opponent.
    • Bells deal slightly less shield damage (0 → -1.9).
  • Key
    • Keys deal more damage (15% → 16%).
    • Keys travel faster (speed: 3.6 → 3.8), and thus have more range.
    • Keys have altered knockback (40 (base)/90 (scaling) → 55/68), KOing later, despite the increased damage.
    • Keys launch at a lower angle (55˚ → 48˚).
    • Keys deal less shield damage (0 → -4).
  • If Pac-Man grabs a fruit he's previously thrown or dropped,Bonus Fruit is able to be recycled through the items again. This allows him to store his items in a similar manner toPocket, create possible setups from his Bell to his Key, reduce the opportunities for his opponents to use his fruits against him, and keep up pressure with his more powerful fruits for a longer period of time.
    • Bonus Fruit's new recycling mechanic allows fruits to be caught again if they are charged slightly before throwing, as they are considered a newly generated item.
  • Bonus Fruit's toss has less ending lag (FAF 45 → 42).
  • Bonus Fruit's items can only be Z-dropped once before being unable to be caught by anyone. This limits Pac-Man's combo potential and removes his zero-to-deaths, but makes it harder for other players to limit his usage of Bonus Fruit.
  • Dropped fruits (either from being thrown or if an opponent knocks it out of Pac-Man's charge process) will only bounce once before disappearing instead of lingering on the floor for around three seconds. This makes it difficult for anyone to take advantage of dropped fruits, and significantly limits fruit-catching methods.
  • Bonus Fruits that hit an enemy pop into air for a much shorter time. This makes it much harder to recatch fruits after they hit enemies, but it also makes it harder for the enemies to grab it in the air.
  • The sprites used during Bonus Fruit have been redrawn with thinner outlines. If Pac-Man tries generating a fruit while one is in play, a pixelated "pop" effect will display instead of a puff of smoke.
• Power Pellet:
  • All variants of Power Pellet travel further, with the fully-charged version traveling almost the full length ofFinal Destination.
  • Power Pellet has less ending lag when colliding with a wall, and no longer makes Pac-Man tumble onto the ground when the Pac-Dot trail is aimed at the floor. Instead, he will move along the ground in the last horizontal direction he moved in during the attack.
  • There is now a weak hit right at the start of the dash triggered by grabbing the Pellet, which deals just 1% damage and weak knockback.
  • Pac-Man's trajectory in the air after grabbing the Pellet now curves downwards, slightly weakening its recovery potential.
  • Pac-Man's afterimages when using Power Pellet go from yellow to orange and then red. Pac-Man also flashes white and red after eating the power pellet.
• Pac-Jump:
  • Pac-Jump's trampoline has a hurtbox.
    • This means Pac-Jump's trampoline can be used to block projectiles.
    • The trampoline can be attacked by other players, but not by Pac-Man. Based on the power of the attack, the trampoline's uses will be reduced, from as little to one use or all uses.
  • Pac-Jump has a longer duration (frames 4-17 → 4-21).
  • Pac-Jump's trampoline comes out on frame 10 rather than frame 1, so the move is no longerunblockable.
  • Pac-Jump's attack damage increases with time, similar to Dr. Mario's neutral air (Early: 7% → 5%, Middle: 6%, Late: 5% → 7%).
  • Pac-Man's afterimages when using Pac-Jump are more visible and go from yellow to white.
  • At the peak of each jump, the damage increases.
• Fire Hydrant:
  • Fire Hydrant has altered physics, acting heavier and losing more height and speed from each bounce.
  • Fire Hydrant's heavier physics makes it easier to hit grounded opponents.
  • Fire Hydrant's new physics significantly reduce its overall coverage and distance when bouncing.
  • Aerial Fire Hydrant has more startup lag, matching the grounded version's startup (frame 9 → 12).
    • Its total duration was unchanged, reducing its ending lag.
  • Fire Hydrant's fall attack has a reduced hitlag multiplier (1.5× → 1×).
  • Fire Hydrant's hitbox extends further downwards when falling (Y offset: 6 → 6-2).
  • The water shots from the hydrant travel slower (1.35 → 1.3) and have a shorter duration (40 frames → 34), reducing their range.
• Super Pac-Man:
  • Super Pac-Man has been changed. Pac-Man still transforms into a two-dimensional sprite to launch opponents, but automatically moves forward and loops around the screen, slowly building up speed. His trajectory can be adjusted by aiming him up or down. He will also eat items he runs into during the move. Aesthetically, the move resemblesPac-Man Championship Edition 2, featuring pulsating lights in the background and a rising pitch as the move progresses.

Update history[edit]

Pac-Man received a mix of buffs, nerfs and glitch fixes via game updates, but was buffed slightly overall. Update 1.2.0 introduced a universal nerf by removing the ability to Z-drop items out of hitstun. This nerf hurt Pac-Man more than any other fighter, as it removed the defensive strategy of opponents getting hit byBonus Fruit's item that Pac-Man is holding while attacking, allowing Pac-Man to run away and possibly punish the opponent. Update 2.0.0 then buffed Pac-Man's combo potential by making his forward and down aerials autocancel earlier and having Bonus Fruit's items last longer after making contact, widening the window to follow up and more easily keep opponents in hitstun.

Update 3.0.0's near-universal nerf to projectiles' shield damage outputs noticeably affected Bonus Fruit andFire Hydrant. Update 3.1.0 improved up smash's first hit ability to link into its second hit by adjusting its launching angle. Update 4.0.0 fixed a notorious flaw with Pac-Man being forced to drop charging Bonus Fruit while being reversed; this no longer makes Pac-Man vulnerable after being reversed and now possibly lets him punish the opponent. Update 7.0.0 enlarged Pac-Man's shield as part of a near-universal buff, while update 8.0.0 nerfed his rolls slightly by standardizing their lag with the rest of the cast's rolls.

Overall, Pac-Man fares mildly better than he did at the launch ofUltimate. Although his optimal game plan has changed from that of a zoner to more of a bait-and-punish style because of the universal item and projectile nerfs and his combo-oriented buffs, Pac-Man's competitive standing has not changed much and he remains among the most significantly buffed veterans in the game (similarly toPalutena,Roy andPichu).

1.2.0

• Bonus Fruit's Key will no longer be discarded when it is recycled.
• The universal change removing the ability to Z-drop items out of hitstun reduces Pac-Man's ability to get out of combos when holding a Bonus Fruit.
• Dash grab changes Pac-Man's facial expression like his other grabs.

2.0.0

• Forward aerialauto-cancels earlier (frame 43 → 26), which allows it autocancel out of a short hop fast fall.
• Down aerialauto-cancels earlier (frame 56 → 50), matching the move'sinterruptibility.
• Bonus Fruits take longer to disappear after hitting an opponent (30 frames → 32), giving him slightly more time to grab it again.
  • Cherry no longer disappears immediately after hitting an opponent.

3.0.0

• Bonus Fruit deals less shield damage (0 → -2.1/-3/-3.2/-4.7/-4.5/-6/-1.9/-4 (cherry/strawberry/orange/apple/melon/Galaxian/bell/key)).
• Fire Hydrant has more range below it when it is falling (Y offset: 6u → 6u-2u).
• Fire Hydrant deals less shield damage (0 → -2.3/-3.3 (falling/launched)).
• Several basic animations, such as idle and crouch animations, have been adjusted.

3.1.0

• Fixed an issue that resulted in Pac-Man facing the wrong way.
• Up smash's hits connect more reliably. (Hit 1 angle: 112° → 135°).

4.0.0

• Pac-Man will no longer drop hisBonus Fruit if he is hit with a move thatreverses while charging the attack.

7.0.0

• Overall shield size has been increased.

8.0.0

• Standing and rollingtechs have one frame more ending lag (FAF 26 → 27 (standing), 40 → 41 (rolling)), matching the rest of the cast.
• Fire Hydrant can no longer freeze characters holding an assist trophy item if they ledge roll into the hydrant.

Moveset[edit]

• Pac-Man cancrawl andwall jump.

For a gallery of Pac-Man's hitboxes, seehere.

Note: All numbers are listed as base damage, without the1v1 multiplier.

Stats[edit]

Announcer call[edit]

This article could use additional or higher-quality audio files. The editor who added this tag suggests:Needs announcer calls from other languages. If you have a good audio file for this article, upload ithere.

• English/Japanese/Chinese

On-screen appearance[edit]

• Assumes his Classic Form, chomps slowly, and then assumes his normal form.

• 

  Pac-Man's on-screen appearance

Taunts[edit]

• Up Taunt: Performs theNamco Roulette, which involves him summoning a sprite and associated sound effect from a classic Namco game.
• Side Taunt: Changes into his classic form and chomps from side to side while the ghost “siren” sound fromPac-Man plays.
• Down Taunt: Lays on the ground and kicks his legs as a pair of fairies fromPac-Land and a few music notes appear above his head. During this, a short arrangement of the "Coffee Break Music" fromPac-Man plays.

• 

  Pac-Man's up taunt, summoning the sprite ofGil.

• 

  Pac-Man's side taunt.

• 

  Pac-Man's down taunt.

Idle Poses[edit]

• Rubs his head.
• Looks at the screen and winks while giving a thumbs up, similarly to his official render fromSSB4.

• 

  Pac-Man's first idle pose.

• 

  Pac-Man's second idle pose.

Crowd cheer[edit]

	Cheer (English)	Cheer (Japanese/Chinese)	Cheer (Italian)	Cheer (Dutch)	Cheer (French)
Cheer
Description	Pac - Man!	Go! Go! Pac-Man!	Pac - Man! *claps 3 times*	Pac - Man! Pac Man!	Pac - Man! Pac Man!

	Cheer (German)	Cheer (Spanish)	Cheer (Russian)	Cheer (Korean)
Cheer
Description	Goooo - Pac-Man!	Pac - Man!	Pac - Man! *claps 3 times*	Pac - Man!

Victory poses[edit]

• Left: Appears in ball form, trips, and raises his fist.
• Up: Chases a vulnerable ghost in his large 2D form, then poses in 3D form. This is based upon the first "Coffee Break" cutscene inPac-Man.
• Right: Falls from the sky, spawning a sign reading "7650" once he lands, then winks and gives a thumbs-up while a pixelated fairy flies at his side. This is a recreation of the "Break Time" cutscene fromPac-Land. The sign and the fairy do not appear in Team Battles.

Incompetitive play[edit]

Most historically significant players[edit]

See also:Category:Pac-Man players (SSBU)

•  Beji - One of the best Pac-Man players in Japan who regularly places well at Kyushu events, including 5th atKOWLOON 2, 7th atKOWLOON 3, and 17th atKOWLOON 5. He notably upsetKaninabe in the latter event and has also defeatedAsimo andMr.R.
•  EKING - One of the best Pac-Man players in North America and is also one of the best players in the Caribbean, notably dominating the Puerto Rican scene. Outside of his region, he has also placed well at several events including 25th atLet's Make Moves Miami and 33rd atSmash Factor 9. His highest ranking was 129th on theOrionRank 2022.
•  JDV - One of the best Pac-Man players in North America, especially in the post-online metagame where his highest global ranking was 131st on theLumiRank 2023, the second-highest Pac-Man player on the list. He is a regular threat at PNW events and has placed highly at PNW majors, including 17th atBattle of BC 4,Port Priority 7, andBattle of BC 5.
•  MoDzai - The best Pac-Man player in Europe and the only European Pac-Man player ranked globally, at 124th on theOrionRank 2022. He most notably placed 7th atKing Of Fields 95 3 and 9th atVCA 2022.
•  Sinji - One of the best Pac-Man players in the world in 2019 thanks to strong major placements such as 7th at bothCollision 2019 andMomoCon 2019, leading him to be ranked 25th on theSpring 2019 PGRU. In the post-online metagame, he remains one of North America's best Pac-Man players who still sees some strong major results, including 9th atLuminosity Makes BIG Moves 2024 and 13th atCollision 2024.
•  Tea - The best Pac-Man player of all-time and the only Pac-Man player who has won major-level events, includingThunder Smash 3: Clash of the Pandas,Kagaribi 3, andTemple: Hermès Edition. He is one of six players who have won majors in all threeUltimate superregions.

Tier placement and history[edit]

At the start ofUltimate, Pac-Man saw a highly positive response thanks to buffs to his mobility,Bonus Fruit, and grab game, all of which improved his combo potential. As a result of these buffs, Pac-Man saw strong results from players, most notably fromSinji andTea. Tea in particular was able to win several majors and establish himself as a top 10 player by 2021. Due to Pac-Man's buffs and strong player base, he was widely considered a top tier character, which was reflected in his placement on the first tier list, where he was ranked 14th in S- tier.

As time went on however, Pac-Man's standing in the post-online metagame declined. The main reason for Pac-Man's decline was his perceived lower effectiveness as a zoner. Many players believed that Pac-Man was a high-effort, low-reward character who was gradually being outclassed by other characters in his archetype, and that Pac-Man's capabilities weren't explosive enough to keep up with the changing metagame. This was first highlighted by the introduction of DLC characters, as well as buffs or metagame developments to other base-game characters following the online metagame. Among the DLC characters introduced wasSteve, who in addition to being the best character in the game, was also considered to power creep Pac-Man due to having a similar yet more oppressive playstyle, while base-game characters such asSnake orR.O.B. were seen as having stronger boxing and zoning tools than Pac-Man. As a result, most players chose to play these characters over Pac-Man, as they demanded less effort while being significantly more rewarding. Pac-Man also suffered difficult matchups against other popular characters in the post-online metagame, such astheAegis,Cloud,Fox,Joker,Min Min, andPalutena, as they all had tools or methods to effectively deal with Pac-Man's projectiles and abuse his biggest weaknesses, or were fast enough to close the distance and force him to engage in unfavorable scrapping situations while making it harder for him to charge Bonus Fruit in neutral - a problem exacerbated by Pac-Man's reliance on Bell to score KOs. Finally, Tea's results throughout 2023 were more inconsistent than what he had in the early metagame, and even then Tea opted to co-main Pac-Man alongsideKazuya; the latter of whom would eventually become his primary character in the following year following continued declining results with Pac-Man.

These shifts, coupled with Pac-Man's high learning curve, led to a negative perception of Pac-Man. As such, Pac-Man dropped to 23rd in A tier on the second tier list, before suffering a 12 spot drop to 35th on the third tier list, one of the largest drops from the second list and a far cry from his former top tier status. Overall, while Pac-Man is still considered to be a viable character, the power creep gradually made Pac-Man less of an oppressive character, even with the new metagame favoring a more campier, patient playstyle.

Classic Mode: Ageless Classic[edit]

Pac-Man'scongratulations screen.

Pac-Man's opponents are fighters who debuted on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) or appeared in an NES game at least once. These fighters are listed in accordance with the dates of their debuts, similarly toAll-Star Mode inSuper Smash Bros. 4. The exceptions to this areDonkey Kong andYoung Link: the former uses his redalternate costume to referenceCranky Kong's color scheme during his time as the first Donkey Kong, whereas the latter is a substitute for theLink from the originalThe Legend of Zelda due to being the closest to his age compared toLink andToon Link. Theboss of this route,Dracula, also fits this theme due to the originalCastlevania (his game of origin) debuting on the NES.

Round	Opponent	Stage	Music
1	Mario,Luigi, andDonkey Kong	75m (Battlefield form)	PAC-MAN
2	Duck Hunt	Duck Hunt	No music
3	Ice Climbers andR.O.B.	Wrecking Crew (Battlefield form)	Power-Up Music - Wrecking Crew
4	Young Link,Samus,Simon, andPit	Hyrule Castle	Overworld Theme - The Legend of Zelda
5	Little Mac,Mega Man, andSnake	Boxing Ring	Mega Man Retro Medley
6	Marth,Dr. Mario, andKirby	Dream Land GB	Kirby Retro Medley
Bonus Stage
Final	Dracula	Dracula's Castle	Dwelling of Doom

Credits roll after completing Classic Mode. Completing it as Pac-Man hasPAC-MAN'S PARK / BLOCK TOWN accompany the credits.

Role inWorld of Light[edit]

Finding Pac-Man in World of Light

Although Pac-Man does not appear in the World of Light opening cutscene, he was vaporized and later imprisoned alongside the rest of the fighters (exceptKirby) whenGaleem unleashed his beams of light.

By takingMarth's route, the player can find Pac-Man near the mushroom area.

Fighter Battle[edit]

No.	Image	Name	Type	Power	Stage	Music
55		Pac-Man	Grab	3,300	Pac-Land (Ω form)	PAC-MAN

Spirit[edit]

Pac-Man's fighter spirit can be obtained by completingClassic Mode as Pac-Man. It is also available periodically for purchase in the shop for 300 Gold, but only after Pac-Man has been unlocked. Unlocking Pac-Man in World of Light allows the player to preview the spirit below in the Spirit List under the name "???". As a fighter spirit, it cannot be used in Spirit Battles and is purely aesthetic. His fighter spirit has an alternate version that replaces it with his artwork inUltimate.

In Spirit Battles[edit]

As the main opponent[edit]

Spirit				Battle parameters							Inspiration
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music	Character
51		Chain Chomp	Super Mario Series	•MetalPac-Man		4,000	Yoshi's Island (Battlefield form)	•Assist Trophy Enemies (Chain Chomp)	•Hostile assist trophies will appear •The enemy favors side specials •The enemy is metal	Main Theme - Super Mario 64
53		Nipper Plant	Super Mario Series	•TinyPac-Man Team×8		1,900	Super Mario Maker (Battlefield form)	N/A	•The enemy loves to jump •Defeat an army of fighters	Ground Theme - Super Mario Bros. 3 (Remix)
58		Hothead	Super Mario Series	•CurryPac-Man		2,000	Mushroom Kingdom U (Slide Lift Tower)	•Item: Hothead	•The enemy breathes fire •The enemy is easily distracted by items •The enemy starts the battle with aHothead	Castle / Boss Fortress - Super Mario World / SMB 3
108		Starlow	Mario & Luigi Series	•Pac-Man •Luigi •Mario		3,300	Brinstar (Battlefield form)	•Tiny •Giant	•The enemy is giant •The enemy is tiny after a little while	Tough Guy Alert!
109		Broque Monsieur	Mario & Luigi Series	•Pac-Man		1,800	Mario Bros. (Battlefield form)	•Defense ↑ •Item: Blocks	•The enemy has increased defense •The enemy shields often •The enemy's shield has extra durability	Tough Guy Alert!
305		Tap-Tap	Yoshi Series	•MetalPac-Man		2,200	Yoshi's Island	N/A	•The enemy is metal	Wildlands
311		Burt the Bashful	Yoshi Series	•GiantPac-Man		2,000	Super Happy Tree (Ω form)	N/A	•The enemy deals damage when falling •The enemy is giant •The enemy has increased defense	Fortress Boss - Super Mario World
378		Chef Kawasaki	Kirby Series	•Pac-Man		9,000	Green Greens	•Assist Trophy Enemies (Chef Kawasaki) •Item:Food	•Hostile assist trophies will appear •The enemy becomes more powerful after eating •The enemy is easily distracted by items	Gourmet Race (Brawl)
441		Magneton	Pokémon Series	•MetalPac-Man×3 (50 HP)		2,200	Pokémon Stadium 2 (Electric type)	N/A	•Stamina battle •The enemy is metal	Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Melee)
444		Electrode	Pokémon Series	•Pac-Man		3,600	Saffron City	•Bob-omb Festival •Item: Exploding Types	•Bob-ombs will rain from the sky after a little while •The enemy is easily distracted by items	Main Theme - Pokémon Red & Pokémon Blue (Brawl)
725		Lurchthorn	Kid Icarus Series	•Pac-Man Team×6		1,800	Reset Bomb Forest (forest)	•Item:Super Scope	•The enemy is easily distracted by items •The enemy starts the battle with a Super Scope •Defeat an army of fighters	Wrath of the Reset Bomb	Lurchthorn's segments
821		Mockiwi	Pikmin Series	•GiantPac-Man (100 HP) •Ally:Olimar (50 HP)		1,500	Garden of Hope	N/A	•Join forces with a CPU ally •Stamina battle •The enemy is giant	Over Wintry Mountains
875		Mettaur	Mega Man Series	•Pac-Man (120 HP)		1,800	Wrecking Crew	N/A	•Stamina battle •The enemy shields often •The enemy doesn't like to jump	Cut Man Stage
950		Bonus Fruit	PAC-MAN Series	•Pac-Man×2		2,100	Pac-Land (Ω form)	N/A	•Timed battle (0:20) •The enemy favors neutral specials	PAC-MAN	Pac-Man
1,039		Bisk	Splatoon Series	•Pac-Man		1,700	Saffron City	•Move Speed ↑	•The enemy's kicks and knee strikes have increased power •The enemy has increased move speed after a little while	Endolphin Surge
1,110		Bytans	Super Smash Bros. Series	•Pac-Man Team×4		1,800	Kongo Falls (Ω form)	•Item: Balls	•The enemy is easily distracted by items	Step: The Plain
1,121		Bubbles	Clu Clu Land Series	•Pac-Man		1,800	75m (Battlefield form)	•Item:Unira	•The enemy is easily distracted by items	Clu Clu Land
1,183		Moe	The Legendary Starfy Series	•Pac-Man		1,600	Tortimer Island	N/A	•The enemy shields often •The enemy's shield has extra durability	Tortimer Island Medley
1,208		Telly	Chibi-Robo! Series	•TinyPac-Man		3,700	Living Room	•Item: Throwing Types	•The enemy is easily distracted by items •The enemy falls slowly •The enemy starts the battle with aRocket Belt	Noisy Notebook
1,224		Kurikin	Kurikin Nano Island Story	•Pac-Man×4		1,400	Hanenbow	•Tiny •Item:Unira	•All fighters are tiny •The enemy is easily distracted by items	Electroplankton (Original)
1,249		Zip	FlingSmash	•Pac-Man		2,200	Golden Plains	•Assist Trophy Enemies (Chain Chomp) •Hazard: Low Gravity	•Gravity is reduced after a little while •Hostile assist trophies will appear	Mole Patrol
1,286		Clip & Snip	Snipperclips - Cut it out, together! Series	•Pac-Man •Kirby		3,600	PictoChat 2	N/A	•The enemy starts the battle with aKilling Edge	Noisy Notebook	Clip
1,292		Boss Galaga	Galaga Series	•TinyPac-Man Team×5		3,400	Lylat Cruise (Battlefield form)	•Item: Boss Galaga	•Items will be pulled toward the enemy •The enemy is easily distracted by items •Defeat an army of fighters	Galaga Medley	Galaga

As a minion[edit]

Spirit				Battle parameters							Inspiration
No.	Image	Name	Series	Enemy Fighter(s)	Type	Power	Stage	Rules	Conditions	Music	Character
690		Ball	Game & Watch Series	•Mr. Game & Watch •Pac-Man •Jigglypuff •Kirby		3,900	Flat Zone X (hazards off)	•Item: Balls	•The enemy favors grabs and throws •The enemy's throwing-type items have increased power	Flat Zone 2	Ball
948		Ghosts	PAC-MAN Series	•Kirby •Jigglypuff •Squirtle •Pac-Man		3,500	Pac-Land (Battlefield form)	•Assist Trophy Enemies (Ghosts)	•Hostile assist trophies will appear	PAC-MAN	Clyde
1,427		King Olly	Paper Mario Series	•Toon Link •Giant MetalPac-Man		9,700	Princess Peach's Castle (Ω form)	N/A	•Defeat the main fighter to win •The enemy favors air attacks •The enemy is metal	Attack and Run!	Stapler

Alternate costumes[edit]

Gallery[edit]

• 

  Pac-Man's fighter card.

• 

  Pac-Man's unlock notice.

• 

  Idling on3D Land.

• 

  UsingPower Pellet onWii Fit Trainer onSuper Mario Maker.

• 

  Throwing amelon onMushroomy Kingdom.

• 

  Using his down smash onYoshi onBig Blue.

• 

  DodgingMr. Game & Watch'sChef onTortimer Island.

• 

  Alongside a tinyOlimar onDistant Planet.

• 

  Getting hit byLink'sSpin Attack onSpirit Train.

• 

  Alongside Olimar,Mario, andSonic onGaur Plain.

• 

  Air dodging onGreen Greens.

• 

  Using hisforward smash onKalos Pokémon League.

Fighter Showcase Video[edit]

Trivia[edit]

• Pac-Man's pose in his official render resembles his artwork fromPac-Man Vs. onNamco Museum for the Nintendo Switch. The same pose is also used for his jumping animation.
• Pac-Man's stock icon, alongside that of the 3 differentMii Fighter types, is among the few ones that do not depict the fighter's head. Instead, it takes on the look of Pac-Man's original arcade sprite, which also served as a life counter in the originalPac-Man.
  • Instead of having recolored sections of his stock icon for hisalternate costumes, Pac-Man's alternate costumes are indicated by a colored tubular line underneath his stock icon. The line appears similar to the wall sections from the originalPac-Man.
• Pac-Man is unlockable inKirby's Classic Mode column, likely in reference to how they are spherical, easygoing protagonists who are notable primarily for eating enemies.
  • AlongsideJigglypuff andSquirtle, both fighters appear in the "Ghosts" spirit Battle; Kirby represents Blinky, Jigglypuff represents Pinky, Squirtle represents Inky, and Pac-Man himself represents Clyde.
  • In addition,Mr. Game & Watch is another fighter to appear in one of the spirit battles where it involves ghosts from thePac-Man series. In this case, Mr. Game & Watch (using his blue alternate costume) representsTURN-TO-BLUE.
  • Pac-Man is the only third-party character in Kirby's unlock column.
• In Pac-Man's showcase video, it shows thatFire Hydrant's bursts of water can be punched out of the air. However, this cannot be achieved in the released version ofUltimate.
  • On the same video, it also shows that attacking the trampoline fromPac-Jump would turn it green, and it would also put enemies into a helpless state when they jumped on it (regardless of the current level). These also cannot be achieved in the released version ofUltimate.
• Pac-Man is the only fighter whose Classic Mode route features a Round that does not play any music.
• The damage output of Pac-Man's forward aerial (7.65%) is a subtle Easter egg. The number 765 can be pronounced in Japanese as "na-mu-ko"; this particular number, known as agoroawase number, commonly appears in Namco games and is even referenced through Pac-Man's Final Smash and one of his victory poses.
• Pac-Man,Samus,Dark Samus, and Mr. Game & Watch are the only fighters who do not emit red-flashing eyes in the spirit battle previews in World of Light.
• Humorously, the 3D model used for Pac-Man's Classic Form is labeled internally as "pizzapacman".
• Pac-Man andRyu are the only third-party fighters in the base version ofUltimate that do not appear in any of the game's CGI trailers.
• Despite also debuting on the Nintendo Entertainment System or appearing at least once on the NES,Peach,Bowser,Zelda,Palutena,Wario,Ridley,Koopalings,Daisy,King Dedede andMeta Knight do not appear in Pac-Man's Classic Mode route.

References[edit]

v • d • e Pac-Man universe
Fighter	Pac-Man (SSB4 ·SSBU)
Assist Trophy	Ghosts
Stages	Pac-Maze ·Pac-Land
Trophies andSpirits	Trophies ·Spirits
Music	SSB4 ·Ultimate
Masterpiece	Pac-Man
Related universes	Galaxian ·Dig Dug ·Xevious ·Namco series
Related content	Gil ·Special Flag

• Characters (SSBU)
• Pac-Man universe
• Pac-Man (SSBU)
• Third-party characters
• Bandai Namco
• Spirits

• Articles in need of audio