Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Character Profiles: Olimar

It's a brand new year. And with a brand new year comes Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, marking 20 years of Nintendo's platform fighting franchise. Everyone from every one of the previous Super Smash Bros. game is back for another battle, along with entirely new fighters to the series.

The game may be out in the wild, but with so many characters to choose from, Shacknews remains committed to taking a look at each and every one of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate characters individually. And we are continuing to do so beyond the game's arrival date.

The final version is in the consumer hands, but these profiles should still not be considered final and can be updated at any time. Any guide that has been updated will be clearly marked.

Here's what we have up so far:
#01 - Mario
#02 - Donkey Kong
#03 - Link
#04 - Samus
#06 - Kirby (Updated 9/8/18)
#07 - Fox
#08 - Pikachu
#09 - Luigi
#10 - Ness
#11 - Captain Falcon
#15 - Ice Climbers
#16 - Sheik
#17 - Zelda
#21 - Marth
#23 - Ganondorf
#24 - Mewtwo
#28 - Pit
#31 - Snake
#32 - Ike
#33, #34, #35 - Pokemon Trainer
#38 - Sonic (Updated 9/3/18)
#45 - Villager
#46 - Mega Man
#49 - Little Mac
#55 - Pac-Man
#61 - Cloud
#62 - Corrin
#63 - Bayonetta
#64 - Inkling (Updated 12/15/18)
#65 - Ridley
#67 - King K. Rool

Today, we look at a returning character from Super Smash Bros. Brawl, who may be hitting new heights as a combatant.

Who is Olimar?

Captain Olimar is the pilot of the S.S. Dolphin, which went severely off-course and stranded him on a mysterious planet. His life-support systems were on the brink of failure, leaving him only a limited time to escape. Aiding in his escape were a series of native lifeforms called Pikmin, each of which could had different abilities and could perform different tasks. Olimar eventually found his way, but has found himself back on the Pikmin homeworld on more than one occasion, recruiting the Pikmin's help for new adventures.

Olimar's unique relationship with the Pikmin makes him a wild card in the world of Super Smash Bros., as his effectiveness is entirely dependent on his Pikmin helpers. When they're on the same page, they're a dangerous combination, more so in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate than ever before.

Olimar's Moves and Fighter Overview

As noted, Olimar is only as good as the Pikmin he has backing him up. He can carry up to three at a time, with Olimar plucking Pikmin in a certain order every time: Red, Yellow, Blue, White, and Purple. Each of these Pikmin will serve different functions and also affect his special moves in various ways.

Here are Olimar's special moves:

Pikmin Pluck (Neutral B): Olimar plucks a Pikmin from the ground in the aforementioned order. Pikmin cannot be plucked from the air. If Olimar tries to pluck too many Pikmin, he'll momentarily stall.
Winged Pikmin (Up B): Two Winged Pikmin lift Olimar and carry him back to the stage. This causes no damage by itself, but Olimar can attack in the middle of this move. But be careful, because Olimar becomes helpless after his attempted attacks.
Pikmin Throw (Side B): Olimar will chuck Pikmin at his opponents, where they'll latch on until they deal damage or are killed. The Purple Pikmin will cause greater damage and bounce off, acting more like a blunt object.
Pikmin Order (Down B): Olimar blows his whistle to change his Pikmin's order. He'll briefly gain super armor during this move, but if danger is nearby, this move can be canceled.
End of Day (Final Smash): Olimar shoots off into space in the S.S. Dolphin, while any opponents on the ground get consumed by Red Bulborbs. If that's not enough, the ship will fall back to the stage and blow up upon landing, hitting any opponents for a likely KO.

Olimar's aerials are among the most improved in the game, all containing less ending lag and greater range. His up-tilt and up-smash are also quicker, both with reduced ending lag.

Olimar's grab is also much more dangerous, because he'll now use all of his available Pikmin. If he has three Pikmin, his grab gets much greater range than he ever had before. His back-throw is also a much more reliable move, especially when leading with the Blue Pikmin.

If Olimar's Pikmin meet their end in battle, it's much easier to get back in the fight. Pikmin Pluck goes much faster, as is Pikmin Order. While Olimar is weaker as a solo fighter, there's now almost no reason he should be fighting without his Pikmin.

Esports Observations

Samuel "Dabuz" Buzby mainly used Olimar as a backup in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS. But with Ultimate, Dabuz has made the switch to Olimar full-time. Dabuz goes through all of the major changes that Olimar has undergone, while also providing a helpful guide on how to pick up and play him.

With Olimar's increased popularity in Ultimate, more newcomers are likely to give him a shot. Robert "Myran" Herrin is one of the best Olimar players in the country and he's put together a solid beginners guide for picking up this character for the first time.

Lastly, there's something to be said about learning by watching the best in action. The best in this case is Shuto "Shuton" Moriya, Japanese player and top Olimar player in the world. Here he is, shortly after Ultimate's launch, showing that he's already got a great grasp on this character.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is out now on Nintendo Switch. We're still going through every single character, so be sure to check back in often for more profiles. For more on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, be sure to check out our Super Smash Bros. Ultimate walkthrough and guide.