Jab Locking Moves for Every Smash 4 Character

Jab locks are crazy and fun way for you to rack up serious amounts of damage with a string of unescapable moves. So what are jab locks? Basically, when an opponent is tumbling in the air and they land, you have certain number of frames to hit the opponent with up to 3 low-knockback, low-angle moves to "lock" them into the spot and punish them when they are forced to do a normal get up no matter what. The channel MySmashCorner does explains this in a more concise way in this video:

One way to identify a move which can jab lock is to go onto the website kuroganehammer and look into the frame data. Any move which has a knockback angle of 361° or 0° with a base knockback (BKB) that's less than 30. Moves that launch at angle 270° - 300° are also common locking moves due to their spiking capabilities. There are three "types" of jab locking moves to consider, normal jab locking moves, platform locking moves, and "fun locks". Below is the 3 different lists of jab locking moves. Enjoy!

Unless you main Corrin, in which case there are no jab locks for you :)

Jab Locks:

These would be normal Jab Locks and the ones that you would tend to go for in a usual match as they can just be done with both opponents grounded on the same level.

Bayonetta: Bullet Arts (must be up close and held for a bit of time), B-air, U-Special (theoretically possible with if they are near ledge and you snap to ledge.)

Bowser Jr: Jab 1, F-tilt (stops working at 7%), Sour B-air, N-air, D-air (hit less than 3 of the initial hits and not the landing hit)

Bowser: D-tilt (Hit 1 Stops working at ~7%, Hit 2 still works at 15-ish% but very hard to time and space)

Captain Falcon: F-tilt, Sour F-air, B-air (Both. Sweet works to >10%) D-air (sweet, only low percents),

Charizard: Jab 1 (very specific situations), U-Smash (1st hit only), N-air, D-air (Both. Sweet stops working at low percents)

Cloud: F-tilt (low percents), B-air (~10% on heavies)

Corrin: Nothing

Dark Pit: F-Tilt, Last hit of F-air, D-air

Diddy Kong: F-tilt, D-air, sour F-air, B-air (stops working at ~10& on heavies)

Donkey Kong: Jab 1, F-tilt, D-tilt, N-air (Both. Strong stops working ~15%), Spiking F-air (Stops working ~10%), D-air (Stops working ~15%), S-special (gets up immediately after), uncharged N-special, Aerial U-Special (Any hits except for the use initial hitbox)

Dr. Mario: F-tilt, N-air, B-air (Both. Sweet stops working at ~20%), N-Special

Duck Hunt: F-tilt, sour N-air, D-Air Hit 1

Falco: Downward F-tlit (stops working ~30%), weak F-Smash (stops working ~7%), N-air (1st 3 hits only), B-air (stops working ~15%), weak D-air, N-special, U-Special (any 3 hits except the last one), D-Special (Thanks to /u/McDareth)

Fox: F-tilt, Sour F-Smash (early %s), reverse U-Smash on large characters (early %s), N-air

Game & Watch: Sour F-air, S-Special (on 2)

Ganondorf: Jab (stops work on heavies at ~10%), weak 2nd hit of N-air, sour U-air, D-air (stops work on heavies at ~10%)

Greninja: F-tilt, first 2 hits of B-air, D-air

Ike: D-air (Must be tip of sword), N-Special (Incredibly difficult, only the tip of the blade may touch, if they touch the explosion, they're too close, easiest when in the air)

Jigglypuff: F-tilt (stops working ~31%), F-smash (stops working 2% on Jigglypuff and 9% on Bowser), D-Smash, Dash attack (Sweet stops working ~14%, sour stops working ~39%), F-air (Sweet stops working ~7%, Sour stops ~37%), D-air (Any 3 of the 1st 8 hits, you need to hit with the top of Jigglypuff's legs and inside her body.)(Thanks to /u/Kojipuff)

King Dedede: Hilt of Jab 1 (inconsistent, works best with smaller/skinnier characters), F-air, weak D-air (edges and tip of the hammer only), U-Special (Burying hitbox, gets up immediately)

Kirby: F-tilt, D-tilt, weak B-air, D-air ("middle" hits only) , D-Special (“quake” hitbox), Some Copy Abilities (Fireball, Arrow, etc.)

Link: Jab 1 (reverse hitbox, best on big bodied characters), N-air, N-special, Last hit of U-Special

Little Mac: D-air

Lucas: F-tilt (Both. Sweet stops working ~7%), D-Smash (Hit 2 or 3 only. Hit 2 Basically 0%. Hit 3 stops working ~15%), Edge of D-Tilt, N-air (link >3/5 of the initial hits), F-air (sour) B-air, Last hit of D-Air, D-Air (Any 3 of the initial hits)

Lucario: N-air, B-air (Stops working at 7%), uncharged N-Special

Lucina: D-air (low percents), U-Special ("flying hitbox")

Luigi: F-tilt, D-tilt, B-air (Both. Sweet at low %s), D-air, N-special, uncharged S-special

Mario: Jab 1 & 2(2 stops working sooner, center of the gloves, tip doesn't work), F-tilt, sour N-air, Sweet F-air (early %s), B-air (Both. Strong stops working at ~20% on heavies), N-special, S-Special

Marth: F-Tilt (no tip, stops working ~15%), sour Dash Attack(no tip, extra close), D-air (Tip), uncharged N-Special (no tip, stops working ~10%), U-Special ("flying hitbox")

Megaman: Jab, F-tilt, N-air (These are all the same thing >.>), uncharged F-Smash (stops working ~5%), sour F-air, B-air without the last hit, Sweet D-air, D-Special ("rotating" hitboxes)

Metaknight: D-tilt, F-air (low percents)

Mewtwo: F-tilt, N-Air (Relatively inconsistent, allow only 3 of the non-launching hits to land), B-air (Stops working at early %s), N-Special

Mii Brawler: F-Tilt, Sour N-Air, B-air, Sour D-air, D-Special Head-On Assault (Both hits)

Mii Gunner: weak F-tilt (low percents), B-air (stops working at 10%), weak D-air (stops working at 10%), N-Special Charge Shot uncharged, S-Special Gunner Missile (Homing Missiles Only)

Mii Swordfighter: F-Tilt, S-Special Chakram (multi-hit version, hit less than 3 times), U-Special sour last hit of grounded Hero's Spin

Ness: Jab 1, F-tilt, D-tilt (Gets up immediately), N-air, B-air (Both. Sweet stops working early-mid %s), sweet D-air

Olimar: (Use Blue, White or Yellow Pikmin for best effect), Jab 1 (stops working at 10%), F-Smash, weak D-Smash (Purple Only), F-air

Pacman: Jab 1 (arm hitbox only, sort of inconsistent, best on skinnier characters), F-tilt, sour F-Smash, N-air, F-air, B-air

Palutena: N-special

Peach: Jab 2 (early %s), N-air(Both. Sweet only at low %s), weak B-air, Mr. Saturn

Pikachu: Jab, F-tilt, D-tilt, D-air without landing, N-special, uncharged S-special (Smashed stops working ~5%)

Pit: Last hit of F-air, D-air

ROB: D-tilt, F-tilt, F-air, D-air ("Tip" Hitbox only), Gyro (active, spinning on ground)

Robin: Thrown Broken Tomes and Levin Sword, Up-B (First spiking hit only)

Rosalina: Last hit of N-air, D-air

Roy: sour F-Smash, sour D-Smash, sour B-air

Ryu: N-air (Both. Strong, only early percents), B-air (stops working around 15%), N-Special (Shakunetsu also works but it's inconsistent)

Samus: Jab (Both. Jab 2 stops working ~7%), F-tilt, sour F-Smash, B-air, D-air, N-special, S-Special (Homing Missile only), D-special

Sheik: late Dash Attack, N-air (Both), sour B-air, Thrown Grenade

Shulk: Sour N-air, D-air (First hit) (2nd hit only in Speed, Buster, or Jump), in Buster —> F-tilt, F-Smash, D-Smash, F-air, B-air (only the tip)

Sonic: Jab 1 (Must be the center of the glove, edges don't work), F-Tilt (Hit 2 only), D-Tilt (Early %s), Dash Attack (any 3 hits except the final hit), B-air (Stops working ~5%), U-Special (Stops working ~17%)

Toon Link: F-tilt, N-special, D-tilt (low percent), D-air (falling hitboxes and not the landing hitbox)

Villager: F-tilt (stops working ~10% on heavies), D-Smash (both hits, gets up immediately), N-air, sour F-air, sour B-air, Sweet D-air (3 turnips), Late S-Special (Best way to know, when the Rocket stops releasing "exhaust", stops working ~40%)

Wario: F-tilt, F-air, B-air (Stops working at ~7%), sour Dash attack (sends them behind you), Thrown Bike

Wii Fit Trainer: Jab 1 (Foot hitbox) & 3, F-air (Foot hitbox), B-air, sour D-air, S-Special (no soccer ball, gets up immediately)

Yoshi: Tip of F-Smash(Hit them with Yoshi's eyes, early %s) , strong F-air (only at early percents), D-air (any three hits excluding the final hit), sour N-air

Zelda: Last hitbox of Jab (Very hard to space correctly), F-air (Both. Sweet stops working at 5%), B-air (Both. Sweet stops working at 5%), D-air (Both. sweet, only low percents)

Zero Suit Samus: F-tilt, N-special

Platform Locks:

There are also slightly more difficult jab locks, ones which can only be perform with the use of a platform. The opponents must be lying on the platform so you can use the low knockback from certain multi-hit moves. The user can only perform a a jab lock by either falling through the platform while perform a move, or jump cancelling an up-smash so that the users slides under the opponent.

A prime example of this would be Pit's use of U-Air in this video (@0:44):

These are all the platform locks:

Bayonetta: N-Special (three hits only, while the opponent is on a platform, Bayonetta must be shooting from a distance if she wants to hit them)

Charizard: U-Smash (Jump Cancel so only the 1st hit lands)

Cloud: Top of the 1st hit of normal Cross Slash

Dark Pit: 2nd Hit of U-Tilt (Must be offset to avoid getting the last hit), First hit of U-Smash (Jump Cancel under platform), U-air (falling through a platform, land any 3 except the last hit)

Donkey Kong: Grounded U-Special (Incredibly Inconsistent but theoretically possible. Performed under a platform, may drag in tumble off platform or hit 4 times.), Aerial U-Special (Any hits except for the use initial hitbox)

Falco: Tip of U-tilt Hit 1

Fox: Sour U-Smash (Allows this lock to be used on smaller characters), D-air (falling through, land any 3 the hits except for the last one)

Mewtwo: U-Smash (Jump cancel and hit any 3 of the non-launching hits), N-Air (Works better than if you just do it normally)

Mii Swordfighter: F-Air (First 2 hits only), D-Air (Land any 3 of the initial hits as you fall through a platfrom)

Olimar: N-air (fast fall underneath a platform, only landing 3 of the non-launching hits)

Pikachu: F-air (The top of the 1st hit only so you get the drag down hitbox)

Pit: 2nd Hit of U-Tilt (Must be offset to avoid getting the last hit), First hit of U-Smash (Jump Cancel under platform), U-air (falling through a platform, land any 3 of the non-launching hits)

ROB: U-Air (Less than >3/4 initial hits), S-Special (STRONGLY NOT RECOMMENDED. Theoretically possible with platform, but incredible unreliable)

Roy: U-Smash (Jump Cancel to ensure only the initial hits land and not the final launching hit)

Sheik: U-tilt Hit 1(Try to reverse it so only the 1st hit lands), D-Air (Space so that only the initial spiking hitbox connects)

Sonic: U-Smash (Jump Cancel, land any 3 of the non-launching hits), F-air (Falling through the platform, land any only the first hit)

Toon Link: D-Air (Space so that only the initial spiking hitbox connects)

Zero Suit Samus: U-Smash (Jump Cancel, land any 3 of the non-launching hits, S-Special (Initial hits only)

Fun Locks:

These are effectively the most useless jab locking moves, because they will only work at 0%, usually only on heavies as well. It could be possible if they were attempted at 0% locks in a doubles setting, however it would be recommended to just use more conventional jab locks. Here they are in a separate list so the actually useful ones aren't mixed up:

Bowser: sour F-Smash (The hitbox on his feet when he slides on the ground)

Captain Falcon: N-Special (All versions except reversed grounded)

Dr. Mario: F-Smash (All versions)

Duck Hunt: late B-air

Ike: F-air

Jigglypuff: Sweet N-air

Luigi: F-air

Mario: sour F-Smash (palm hitbox)

Marth: F-air (no tipper), F-tilt (no tipper)

Metaknight: F-Smash, last hit of B-air

Palutena: B-air

Peach: strong B-air

Pikachu: N-air

Roy: F-Tilt

Sheik: D-Special

Zero Suit Samus: F-Smash hitbox 2

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