Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Joker's Full Moveset | Specials, Final Smash & Arsene's Rebellion Gauge

Joker has appeared in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Nintendo Switch — he’s the first cross-over DLC character, and he’s already proving himself in the online arena. The Joker character add-on is included in the Fighters Pass for $24.99 — Joker himself comes with a new stage and 11 music tracks from Persona 5, so you’ll get the full experience. To give you a good idea of his abilities, we’re breaking down all of Joker’s specials and unique abilities below.

Joker is the codename for the protagonist of Persona 5, an RPG where ‘phantom thieves’ explore strange otherworldly palaces created by the delusions of evil people in the real world. The heroes are full of rebellious spirit — and that spirit appears in the form of a spectral Persona, or a mythical creature tethered to the hero with special powers of its own.

Let’s dig into the details. Here’s everything you need to know about Joker.

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Joker’s Full Moveset | Specials, Final Smash & Rebellion Gauge

Joker is a Phantom Thief that utilizes gadgets and weaponry in his specials. He also has a special Rebellion Gauge that fills up in combat. When the Rebellion Gauge is full, Joker will summon his Persona, Arsene.

Arsene appears behind Joker as a spectral helper — while active, all of Joker’s special moves will be enhanced. Each of Joker’s four specials has an alternate attack while Joker is unleashed.

Neutral Special [Gun]

Normal: Joker fires his gun while standing still. You can hold down the button or tap to continuously fire — while firing, you can dodge-roll to the side. You can also dodge-roll while mid-air.

Arsene: With Arsene, the gun fires in three-shot bursts, tripling the normal attack power. Otherwise, it’s exactly the same.

Up Special [Grapple / Flight]

Normal: Joker throws a grappling hook up at a slight angle. Very useful for escaping drops — can be used to latch onto ledges, or grapple onto opponents and pull them down.

Arsene: With Arsene, the grappling hook is swapped out for wings. You’ll gain a burst of flight, launching you up / forward. While in flight, you’ll gain invincibility.

Side Special [Eiha / Eigaon]

Normal: Joker snaps his fingers and shoots a burst of fire. It isn’t too strong, but you can hold it for more damage — and inflicts damage-over-time.

Arsene: An enhanced version that launches a larger blast. It’ll do more damage-over-time compared to the standard attack.

Down Special [Rebel Guard / Counter]

Normal: Joker will shield himself from attacks. This special guard, when absorbing hits, causes his Rebellion Gauge to recharge faster.

Arsene: With Arsene, the guard becomes a special counter. Both melee attacks and projectiles can be countered with this souped-up ability.

Final Smash

Joker swiftly glides forward, unleashing ‘All-Out Attack’ on anyone caught in the attack. Unlike other Final Smashes, Joker gets a second try — if it misses, you’ll be able to swing back the opposite direction for another attempt.

Arsene won’t effect Joker’s final smash. The Rebellion Gauge also doesn’t seem to change the final smash, so don’t worry about saving your meter.

Mementos

Joker’s stage is Mementos — a strange, colorful underground pit patterned after the lengthy dungeon in Persona 5. Mementos is a place created by the unconscious will of society — and it kind of looks like an endless subway station.

The area changes, with dangerous trains whipping through as Stage Hazard. The area will also change color depending on the music playing. There are 11 tracks total, with some remixes (and originals) from the Persona 5 soundtrack.

And that’s everything you need to know about Joker! He’s a surprising first character, and a great choice from Nintendo. Here’s hoping the next Super Smash Bros. characters are just as awesome.

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