50-
Greninja

Jab1 (-15) & Jab2 (-15):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

Jab3 (-26):
FSmash (Frame 26)

Rapid Jab Finisher (-39):
FSmash (Frame 26)

FTilt (-14):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

UTilt (-18):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

DTilt (-12):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)
(Can be spaced)

Dash Attack (-13):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)
(Can cross up)

FSmash (-26):
FSmash (Frame 26)

USmash (-23):
USmash (Frame 10)
DSmash (Frame 20)

DSmash (-29):
FSmash (Frame 26)

Down Taunt (--):
--

NAir (-3):
Unpunishable
(Safe on shield)

FAir (-6):
Unpunishable
(Safe on shield, can be spaced out)

BAir (-7):
NAir (Frame 7)

UAir (-12):
GSA (Frame 9)
USmash (Frame 10)

DAir (-16):
Unpunishable
(Bounceback)

Water Shuriken (-18 to -13):
Unpunishable
(Projectile usage)

Shadow Sneak (-28):
FSmash (Frame 26)

Hydro Pump (--):
--

Substitute (-33):
FSmash (Frame 26)
(Can cross up. The multiple choices of angle also makes it more difficult to react to. Only included due to the possibility of countering projectiles)

• Neutral Moves: Aerials, Tilts, Jab, Water Shuriken, Grab.

• Kill Moves: FAir, Shadow Sneak, Bair, UAir, Smash Attacks, Substitute, Charged Water Shuriken.

• Kill Confirms: DTilt > FAir/USmash. NAir > FAir, Dash Attack > FAir (50/50).

• Because Greninja’s attributes add up to make him one of the most mobile characters in the game, he can access several situations from a single position. Essentially, with one movement he can force two states of neutral. This branch of options is like a “network” in which Greninja mixes up his input and output options to bait and punish the opponent. Greninja wants to force Young Link onto his feet and incite anticipation/conditioning.

• Greninja’s jump height is higher than average. His fast fall full hops are an integral part of his close quarters combat, with tools like his landing NAir and FAir.

• In neutral, this means Greninja can reliably go above Boomerang. Boomerang is better suited for catching landings.

• This jump height, along with his moveset, means Greninja has weak rising aerials. His aerials are most potent when landing.

• This jump height gives him variable approaches alongside his NAir, creating a “network” of situations, in which each situation he chooses creates another situation (cross up, shield pressure, footsies, dead zone, etc.).

• Greninja’s NAir, specifically his late hit, is strong at stuffing out other moves. This means Greninja landing with NAir/landing NAir on shield is hard to punish.

• No attack beats Greninja NAir in this situation, and Greninja can opt for the cross up. Options include shield, roll, spotdodge, Grab, dash in or away, Fire Arrow. Greninja's NAir has 7 frames of landing lag, so like Young Link, he can act out almost right away.

• Because of Greninja’s high fall speed, this option of full hop landing NAir is common in close quarters combat. This means he can mix up well with short hops, too, at this range. This is one of his best punishes against Young Link’s dashbacks.

• Greninja can rushdown on the ground and pressure effectively, with fast moves like his Jab and Dash Attack, and spaceable moves like DTilt and FTilt.

• Shadow Sneak is a strong, punishable on startup burst option for Greninja, but incontestable on hit. Watch for the shadow on the floor.

• Greninja’s Dash Attack is a fast burst option that can lead to setups. It’s a potent punish option, especially after avoiding a projectile. This option will be common at close range, and is punishable out of shield.

• Greninja’s FAir is slow at Frame 16, but is one of his strongest kill moves, in addition to being disjointed. FAir is his most reliable raw hit kill move, but full hop landing FAir is reactable. Keep this move in mind when spacing and dashing back. Greninja wants to use this move to punish the opponent with spacing.

• Water Shuriken allows Greninja to mix up approaches and force movement. Greninja WANTS the opponent to shield fully charged Water Shuriken. It’s a proper projectile approach, like Mario's Fireball or Pikachu's Thunder Jolt.

• Even with uncharged Water Shuriken, getting hit or shielding the move gives Greninja extra time to go for baits.

• NAir stuffs out a majority of Greninja’s moves (including uncharged Water Shuriken) consistently outside of NAir, FAir, and Smash Attacks.

• One of Greninja’s weaknesses in neutral is that his out of shield game is subpar. He doesn’t have any notable options besides BAir, meaning Greninja uses movement and intangibility out of shield more.

• Another weakness of Greninja is his lack of raw hit kill moves. His options here mainly consist of FAir, UThrow, BAir, and Smash Attacks. FAir and UThrow create a cycle of conditioning at kill %s, where going for one option encourages the other to be the answer. Smart shield play is valuable vs Greninja when at kill %s.

• Greninja’s DAir on shield bounces him up and either to the left or right. Reset to neutral instead of trying to push for advantage.

• Greninja can crouch under Fire Arrows, but Dash Attack barely doesn’t low profile it; Fire Arrows that are made landing often are low-profiled. Dashback Fire Arrows and other dashback projectiles are risky to use, due to Greninja having potent overshooting options.

• Options like full hop landing NAir and shield dashing + Dash Attack are already commonplace in Greninja’s gameplay, so most Greninja players will be able to adapt and overshoot it quickly. Exercise discipline with dashback and grounded projectiles.

• Bomb is a sunk cost in neutral that is often not worth the investment, due to the high-speed pace of interacting with Greninja. Holding a Bomb in close quarters combat vs Greninja still brings mix-ups, though; pull it as a punish on passive play.

Boxing

(How do I escape this situation?):

• Greninja has several options to pressure the opponent in the corner, utilizing his fast grounded options and fast air speed.

• Greninja’s rising BAir’s quick startup and multiple hits is effective for catching jumps out of the corner.

• FAir is a harder read due to slow startup, but if well spaced, the large disjoint will beat out most of our aggressive options.

• NAir will mostly be used aggressively on landing, but the timing can definitely be mixed up and it can be used to catch jumps.

• Greninja can also exert quick grounded pressure, or intercept movements through Dash Attack and Dash forward DTilt.

• Dash Attack, DTilt and NAir can combo at specific percentages, but they will mostly lead to 50/50 situations, where you can airdodge/DI out of a FAir/BAir/USmash followup. They can delay their attack to catch the airdodge, however. Mix up DI.

• Fire Arrows might be able to catch movement, but will be punished by most options Greninja will go for, and is risky to throw out when being boxed out.

• Water Shuriken is also a boxing tool that further limits your options when in the corner; it forces you to act. It is, however, a lengthy setup.

Platform Pressure

(What tools do they have? How can we escape this pressure?):

• Greninja’s USmash is a kill option through platforms, and is multi-hit. It has inconsistencies in connecting, though.

• Greninja’s NAir sets up for platform tech chases, alongside beating out aggressive options as mentioned before.

• Greninja can pressure platforms with UAir (and jumps away from platforms), and set up USmash tech chases from under the platform.

• Prompt shield pressure scenarios, jump away, or bait/whiff punish.

Landing

(How do they cover it? What are my best options?):

• Greninja’s UAir is a strong juggling tool, and his UAir can drag down into a Jablock/tech chase situations. Greninja’s speed allows him to reach Young Link before he can buffer DAir usually, so focus on evasive options.

• Although Greninja’s Grab is frame 10, his pivot Grab has a large amount of range. Alongside this, Greninja can hard punish aggressive landings with FSmash.

• Land away OR aggressively with NAir/DAir. Mix up options upon landing (shield, spotdodge, Jab, etc.).

Offstage

(How Do I Escape This Position And What Do I Look Out For?):

• DI out of moves like BAir and Dash Attack near ledge. Greninja will actively look for BAir offstage to edgeguard, which can beat NAir spaced properly.

• Substitute is a counter move Greninja has that not only beats ASA, but also Boomerang and Bomb. Prioritize smart drift, and use of double jump, alongside tether to get back to ledge.

• Don’t commit to ASA too early. Greninja can hit you with Hydro Pump. ASA when close to the ledge and mix up the timing slightly, so that it doesn’t get caught by Hydro Pump.

• Airdodging through Hydro Pump best avoids it when Greninja is already onstage and can not punish the airdodge. It is a matter of timing, though. Make use of Young Link’s magnet hands to grab ledge safely.

• Be wary of Greninja using Water Shuriken to eat double jump.

• Shadow Sneak is a high-risk high-reward option for edgeguarding. When farther from the ledge, be wary of this option’s usage. Avoid it by airdodging/fast falling.

Ledge:

• Greninja’s DTilt, DSmash, angled FTilt, Dash Attack, and charged Water Shuriken hit the ledge.

• Greninja can reliably cover ledge jump with BAir, beating out NAir/DAir.

• Focus on timing and option mix-ups to escape the corner.

Juggling/Boxing:

• Stage control is vital in this MU, because the less space Greninja has, the less established his “network” is. That being said, he will look for cross-ups to change this.

• Note that Boomerang angling in advantage for constricting airspace is slightly higher due to Greninja’s jump height, as he could jump over it. Boomerang can cover Greninja’s landings from afar well.

• Greninja’s high jump gives him more height to cross up the opponent while cornered. Crossing up allows Greninja to flip from disadvantage state to advantage state. Dashing in and jumping in can bait this option out from the opponent.

• As established in neutral, Greninja’s landing NAir is a common landing tool that beats out most attacks. Expect this to be used in disadvantage too.

• Water Shuriken allows Greninja to stall in the air and mix-up landing with B-Reverses.

• Stay low-to-the-ground and trap landings. Greninja has the network of situations he can create as previously shown, and committing to an aerial/risky jump gives Greninja the opportunity to punish it.

• Directly challenging Greninja rising in the corner is possible, but requires precision, as Young Link can’t quite reach Greninja’s jump height.

• Substitute allows for a reversal KO by angling the move up, as a counter on a projectile. This is one way Greninja can punish stray projectiles (like returning Boomerang) for high reward.

• Patient shield pressure plays a vital role in advantage vs Greninja. Since his out of shield game is lacking, he will look for cross-ups and jumps to access the network of neutral situations he can create. These options are conditioned as a result of shield pressure, so shield pressure can create a cycle of conditioning on Greninja, of shield pressure and calling out jump/roll out of shield.

Offstage:

• Hydro Pump is similar to Pikachu’s Quick Attack, in that it has near limitless mix-up potential. Going far offstage to edgeguard Greninja is inconsistent, so focus on punishing him at the end of the move. Greninja can mix up his recovery by crossing up the opponent standing near the ledge or landing on a platform.

• If Greninja has recover low, use NAir/BAir for edgeguarding.

• Shadow Sneak can be used as an aggressive recovery option. It can hit the opponent standing at ledge while Greninja is at ledge (although Shadow Sneak does not grab the ledge).

• Greninja can also use Water Shuriken to stall in the air.

• Greninja can double jump FAir or Shadow Sneak from the ledge.

• Greninja can use the Hydro Cancel tech, which is essentially warp cancel > aerial off of the edge of a nearby platform.

• Shadow Sneak does not grab the ledge.

• Hold stage control to ledgetrap, and look for shield pressure situations. Note how Greninja prefers to escape from the corner (jump might be a common option) and bait and punish.

Ledge Info:

XLR8’s Spreadsheet Young Link Ledge Info:

DTilt: Doesn’t Hit

DSmash: Specific

FTilt: Yes

Most Reliable Move: FTilt

Animation Info: N/A

Note: FTilt reaches farthest.

• FD DTilt > ASA used to fail on Greninja, but as of 10.1.0, it has been made so that Greninja cannot DI down and escape.

• FD FThrow Ledge %s: 167, 149

• FD Milkshake %s: 97-136, 87-116

• Greninja Kill Throws: UThrow

• DI Up and Away from DTilt.

• Bomb will always lose to charged Water Shuriken.

• Greninja’s BAir stuffs Bomb, and causes it to not explode.

• Greninja does not have a hurtbox on his tongue scarf. This means his UTilt is disjointed.

• Substitute has a 35 Frame punish window.

• Young Link's BAir combo routes are different, since Greninja is a hyper fast-faller.

• Greninja’s Dash Attack can cross up on shield.

• Battlefield:
  Bad. The platforms bring ups and downs, limiting some pressure, but forcing Young Link to ledge more often. The zone-to-ledge width makes recovering harder, and Young Link can get trapped on platforms.

• Final Destination:
  Terrible. Greninja can use his speed and high jumps to move around the stage, and quickly through the network. This stage is more reliant on close quarters combat, meaning Greninja’s full hop landing.

• Smashville:
  Good. Greninja can’t operate full hop landing aerial pressure with a large platform denying it. There are the downsides of lesser space and difficulty getting off the ledge, but the linearity offered by SV’s large platform makes up for it.

• Town & City:
  Indifferent. Basically the third FD, but the intermittent can help with recovery and playing around Greninja. The middle platform can mess with USmash/full hop landing aerial pressure. The platforms help with ledge disadvantage and neutral, which is what sets this stage apart from FD and Kalos.

• Lylat Cruise:
  Great. Similar reasoning as YS. Greninja’s full hop goes completely over the platforms, meaning using full hop landing late NAir reliably is a little more of a hassle. Fire Arrows also benefit from slants.

• Pokémon Stadium 2:
  Indifferent. Neutral stage for both characters, but watch for Greninja’s full hops at center stage in close quarters combat. He’ll use it to overshoot, cross up, shield pressure, etc.

• Kalos Pokémon League:
  Terrible. Similar reasons as FD; Greninja can better abuse the space provided, because his network of options is so strong already due to his high speed. He can cover ground and assume stage control quickly.

• Yoshi’s Story:
  Great. Messes with DTilt setups, limits Greninja’s movement, and slants mess with Water Shuriken. Greninja’s full hop is awkward near the center of the stage, because it slightly overshoots the general airspace there. This stage strengthens Young Link's close quarters combat and ledgetrapping in the MU.

• Hivesteel’s Young Link vs Greninja VOD Playlist: Greninja vs Young Link

• Hydro Cancel: HYDRO CANCELING Greninja Tech in Smash Ultimate!

The Images in the "Reference Images" section are from the following sets:

• MKLeo vs Skittles @ Flat Realm 6: Flat Realm #6 - T1 | MKLeo (Greninja) vs SKITTLES!!! (Young Link) Losers Semis

• Colinies vs MKLeo: am I really about to 3 stock mkleo in tournament???

• Donquavious vs Toast: SSF #29 - Donquavious (Greninja) vs Toast (Young Link) - Grand Finals