CHARACTER – Peter Pan

PETER PAN

You Can Fly

“Just think happy thoughts…”

***

~~~ A MAGICAL BOY…

Peter Pan flew away from home when he was a baby, when he heard his parents discussing what he was to be when he became a man. Horrified at the thought of ever growing up, Peter ran away to Neverland, a place where children never age and retain their youthful traits forever. Peter’s closest friend is Tinker Bell, a common fairy who is very protective of him and can be rather rude; Peter is the only one who can understand her. He’s also the leader of the Lost Boys, a group of young boys who have come to Neverland without any parents. Peter is the bravest of the Lost Boys and more than others in general due to his youthful ignorance.

Peter Pan’s most famous story came through his titular movie, in which Peter and the three Darling children—Wendy, John, and Michael—fly to Neverland and Wendy tries to be a mother to Peter and the Lost Boys. Eventually they are apprehended by his arch nemesis, Captain Hook, who kidnaps the Lost Boys and the Darlings and tries to bomb Peter. Tinker Bell is nearly killed by the explosion, leaving Peter to care for her. After saving Tinker Bell, Peter confronts Hook on his ship and defeats him once more, sending him into the waiting mouth of the croc. Peter, Wendy, Michael, and John all flew back to London, leaving the Darling children with their parents. He went back to Neverland, ready to have more magical adventures.

~~~ A MAGICAL BEARING…

Idle Stance
Peter impatiently looks about, tapping his foot if he begins standing still for too long. Occasionally Tinker Bell flies around his head and he follows her with his eyes.

Walk
Peter walks rather awkwardly, swinging his arms. Normal walk, nothing too special.

Run
Peter pumps his fists and begins to dash forward, hunched over slightly. He’s clearly trying to make himself go as fast as possible. It’s not a competition, Peter!

Crouch
Peter bends his knees outward, balancing on the balls of his feet. His arms rest on his knees, hands folded.

Dizzy
Peter clutches the top of his head and shakes his head, staggering about. Tink flies around him, poking and prodding the boy in an attempt to snap him out of it.

Asleep
Peter lies prone on the ground, arms and legs sprawled out lazily. He snores softly, and Tinker Bell rests peacefully on his chest.

Hover
Peter floats above the ground; one leg is slightly bent while the other is extended downwards. He normally keeps this pose throughout his movements, although he still has idle animations such as scratching his head or playing with Tink.

Flying
If slowly flying, Peter moves in a manner similar to Hover Mode. If flying forward at full speed (tap the control stick), Peter’s legs are extended straight back and together, and his arms are held back at an angle. If flying up, Peter’s hands are held by his sides as he shoots upward.

~~~ A MAGICAL FORM…

RECOVERY ~ 10
GROUND SPEED ~ 6
AIR SPEED ~ 7
RANGE ~ 4
POWER ~ 3
WEIGHT ~ 2
TRACTION ~ 2

Essentially, Peter is a typical lightweight fast-hitter. His attacks are weak, as most of them either involve his small dagger, or a fairy dust and/or stardust, which isn’t exactly powerful either. His speed on the ground is average due to him being an average boy, but his flight speed is what makes it easy for him to dance around opponents’ attacks and give him great maneuverability. Due to his small weapon and general lack of projectiles, Peter’s range is slightly subpar, forcing him to get close to opponents to do lots of damage.

Obviously, Peter’s recovery is one of the best in the game due to the fact it lasts indefinitely and he can easily recover from the bottom of the stage and even fly around it. Of course, get hit once and chances are you’re out of luck. Traction is also a problem for Peter, making him easily knocked around even while on the ground.

~~~ A MAGICAL MECHANIC…

Peter Pan is most famous for his renowned aerial abilities, and this shows in his moveset. In his fights, Peter actually spends more time in the air then on the ground. If you press the jump button, Peter enters Hover Mode, in which he moves horizontally above the ground (about a half of a stage builder block in height) with a steady pose, Tinker Bell floating behind him. In this state, Peter moves approximately 1.5x faster than normal running speed, and knockback taken is increased by 50%. His falling speed is also reduced by half. In addition, he cannot use his Down Tilt or Down Smash; if you do use these moves, he returns to the ground. His grab cannot be used due to Peter’s lack of strength and no ground to provide traction. If you wish to return to the ground without attacking, simply hold down on the control stick.

However, Hover Mode is merely (or usually) the transition stage. By pressing the jump button a second time, Tinker Bell releases pixie dust all over Peter and he is surrounded by a bright, momentary glow. A small bell chimes as this occurs, and Peter enters his signature Flying Mode! This state acts remarkably similar to Pit’s Icarus Wings move, in that Peter can move freely about the stage, only that he takes on more animate poses; for instance, actually faces the direction he’s going and alters his body pose depending on whether or not you’re zooming at full speed or just leisurely floating along.

♦ TIP!!! You can perform a fancy loop by quickly circling the control stick. This allows Peter to dodge attacks, although it can only move him forward—if you rotate the control stick backwards, Peter will flip backwards, but will not move in any direction.

Of course, this will obviously change the properties of Peter’s aerials—if his aerials existed. That’s right; all of Peter’s aerials are merely transplantations of Peter’s standard attacks, just…in the air. Peter can truly treat the air as if it were never there, making him possibly the most formidable aerial foe in the roster. This means his can use his Down Tilt and Smash, although they are slightly modified due to the fact that there is no ground. In addition, his Up Special does not grant him a recovery; this is to balance his already incredible aerial prowess. Similar to Hover Mode, Peter cannot use throws. If you try to grab, he merely spot dodges.

Now, with all these benefits Peter gets while flying, you may wonder, “Why would I ever want to stay on the ground?” It’s a common question when new players try to play Peter Pan; they get carried away with flying and don’t realize the disadvantages he has while airborne.

First off, knockback inflicted to Peter is increased almost threefold while in the air. Combined with his already light weight, Peter can sometimes be KO’ed before even reaching 100% damage! This means it is imperative that you not just rush the opponent mindlessly, but make sure you know when to retreat. Peter’s hamartia has always been pride, and don’t let it be yours, too.

Second, since Peter’s Up Special does not grant him extra recovery, you must make do with what you already have. If Peter is struck while in flying mode, he will begin freefalling; however, you can call upon Tinker Bell again and return to Flying Mode by holding the jump button. Unfortunately, the more damage you take, the more likely it is that Tinker Bell will be too weak to help you and Peter will plummet to his imminent doom.

Third, you can’t just stay airborne infinitely. If you Peter merely floats idly in the air for more than three seconds, he begins to sink towards the ground, as Tinker Bell can’t keep him flying unless he keeps moving. If you fly too high towards the top of the stage’s boundaries, Peter can usually only last about a second of staying still before falling; the same occurs if he goes too far towards the bottom of the stage’s boundaries. This prevents players from merely floating just out of reach of their opponent’s attacks and stalling until time runs out.

***

~~~ MAGICAL SPECIALS…

Neutral ~ Wayward Fairy
Peter doesn’t do anything for this move; instead, it’s Tinker Bell who does all the work. She flies out from behind Peter and quickly goes forward one stage builder block, sprinkling pixie dust along the way. Unfortunately for the opponent, the pixie dust Tink produces during this move is rather…volatile, shall we say. It grants opponents the ability to fly, but they have no means of controlling it.

Essentially, the opponents are sent flying back one stage builder block and up the height of its bottom platforms. The trajectory of this move is curved, and the opponent cannot move while flying. At first glance, this move may seem to be a wonderful KO move, but due to the fact that the knockback is always the same regardless of damage, it doesn’t actually serve much of a purpose other than keeping your opponents away from you. Please note that this move does not work on  bosses/summons.

Up ~ Pan Pipes
Peter Pan’s Pipes are drawn-in as Peter starts playing the recognizable melody from the song “Following the Leader.” The animation lasts up to four seconds depending on how long you hold this out, though it has some “meh” end lag if you exit this time. During this time musical notes appear around Peter, floating lazily in all directions the distance of one stage builder block. These notes come in two colors: red and blue. The red notes cause about 4% damage and stun the opponent slightly, as if they had been hit by Falco’s laser. The blue notes send opponents to sleep, the length of the sleep depending on the damage the opponent has.

This move is fun, but unfortunately, the notes move a little too slowly to be useful in any situation other than the middle of a combo. Also, please note that the sleeping effect is dispelled if a sleeping opponent is hit by a red note after falling sleep, as in all other sleeping-inducing moves. The notes disappear if the hit a solid object, like items or solid platforms.

Side ~ Shooting Star
When using this move, Peter is surrounded by a momentary flash of light (no doubt provided by Tink) and then shoots forward, spinning in a corkscrew like motion while glowing golden. The total distance traveled is about equal to half of Battlefield. While he flies forward, Peter lets loose a giddy laugh as he spins into opponents with his magically-amplified body. Of course, after the move is finished, he is left rather dizzy and takes a moment to regain his balance. The move scores multiple quick hits, causing about 10% damage total if all the hits connect. At the end, it sends opponents flying backward.

Although this move is one of Peter’s few KO options, it is also probably his most risky. The ending lag makes it easily punishable, and the fact that it cannot be curved makes it a horrible recovery choice—not to mention the fact that it puts Peter in helpless animation if he uses in while flying. Timing is essential with this move!

Down ~ Eye of the Storm
Peter’s main method of avoiding attacks, taken from his attack as a party member in Kingdom Hearts. Peter is instantly surrounded by a swirling wind vortex for 3 seconds, which goes up slightly above his head and below him (if hovering, this move will reach the ground). When an opponent touches this barrier, they are struck for 2% damage and no knockback or hitstun (allowing opponents to get away easily)… Seems like a rather poor way of racking up damage, don’t you think?

That’s because damaging isn’t this move’s purpose: reflection is. Any and all projectiles, regardless of size or state of matter, are deflected and sent flying back in the direction they came in with damage and speed increased by 50%. Since Peter can move while shielded, it may seem impenetrable. However, once this move’s duration is used up (once again, that’s 3 seconds), it can’t be used for 5 more seconds. Don’t use this move too recklessly.

~~~ A MAGICAL OFFENSIVE…

A ~ Sprightly Stab
Peter stabs forward with his dagger. The reach is terrible, and the damage is a measly 1%. Don’t try this as a single attack unless you’re just trying to interrupt opponents’ attacks, as this strike comes out very fast.

AA ~ Cross Slash
Peter’s follow-up attack, he speedily slashes across the opponent with his dagger. If you’ve already gone to the second stage of his attack, might as well keep going, right? This attack deals slightly more damage at 2%.

AAA ~ Journey’s End
The final stage in his three-part attack, Peter sweeps his knife upward, knocking opponents up into the air slightly and causing 3% damage. Even though this combo doesn’t do much damage, it’s amazingly fast and a solid interrupting attack.

Held A ~ Hummingbird
If you hold the A Button as though you were releasing an infinite jab, Peter lets loose his trademark crow and flies forward, darting near his opponents and raining countless blows upon them. All the hits of this attack land—it’s impossible for an opponent to get out of it. The total damage caused is about 8%, but it doesn’t cause good knockback. This makes this a rather situational attack, as Peter is usually left right in the opponent’s face. Unless you dodge fast enough, Peter’s probably going to get it. Nevertheless, the attack is quick and an all-around solid move.

Forward — Dizzy Slicer
Peter rears back and swings his dagger horizontally, twirling around once before stopping in the same position he was before. The range is just as short as usual, and the starting lag is actually rather slow for Peter’s standards. It’s also rather weak, dealing a measly 5% damage.

However, the main purpose of this move is its ending effect; if the opponent is hit by the knife, they are dragged along in the same pattern as Peter, spinning around, although they spin around several more times than you do. Therefore, it’s well worth it if this move connects; by the time you’ve recovered from the spin, you’ll have more than enough time to strike your opponents with a well-timed smash attack. When used in the air, the same effects still occur; Peter and the target simply freeze while the animations take place.

Up — Dust Bomb
Yay, pixie dust! Unfortunately, your opponent won’t have time for happy thoughts after you use this move. Peter makes an upward tossing motion with his hands, tossing up a handful of pixie dust that travels up and then begins to float down. However, this is special pixie dust Tink has specially prepared for Smash. If an opponent comes near this dust, it wraps around the opponent quickly, flying into their body and exploding, stunning them for approximately one second and dealing about 7% damage. This is especially useful to use in the air, as the dust does not disappear until it hits the ground.

This move cannot be spammed; if Peter uses it more than three times, it takes approximately ten seconds before he can use it again. Still, the idea of showering the opponent with explosive pixie dust is quite appealing, isn’t it?

Down — Croc Clock
An alarm clock is drawn into young Peter’s hands as he throws it to the ground—the same alarm clock that was swallowed by the infamous crocodile who follows Captain Hook. The clock remains stationary for three seconds, making the ominous ticking noise that announce the croc’s arrival. After three seconds, it suddenly explodes, dealing 12% and good knockback. If the clock wasn’t so slow and predictable, it would be a much more viable KO option. The clock can be picked up and thrown like any item; if it hits someone, it causes 3% and low knockback. In the air, this can be dropped down on grounded foes for a chance at potential aerial assaults.

~~~ MAGICAL SMASHES…

Forward ~ Swashbuckler
This is Peter’s only move in which he doesn’t use his dagger; instead, he draws a thin pirate sword, which is a bit longer than Toon Link’s sword. When this smash attack is released, Peter swings the sword diagonally across his body with a flick of his wrist, and then horizontally across with the same quick movement. The second strike is the only on that deals knockback, allowing opponents to be hit by each swing.

This has much better reach than the rest of Peter’s attacks, although if the first blow is dodged (which still isn’t difficult to do) Peter can easily be punished. This move deals 12% in total and gives good knockback making it possibly his most viable killing option. Also of note is the fact that this attack possesses the only disjointed hitbox in Peter Pan’s arsenal.

Up ~ Starlight
If he’s currently grounded, Peter will hop slightly off the ground to use this. As soon as the smash attack is released, Peter spreads his arms and legs out wide, a glowing yellow star appearing above him and bathing the young boy in an angelic glow. The main area of effect is the star itself, which is about the size of a Pokéball and deals 14% with good knockback. However, the rest of Peter’s body is its own hitbox, dealing 6% with low knockback.

Despite this attack’s high damage, it’s rather slow compared to the rest of Peter’s moves; however, it’s a good way to keep enemies off of you. However, its low speed makes it usefulness situational. Obviously it’s good for dealing with enemies above you—but with Peter’s aerial abilities, this shouldn’t happen often. The hitbox of the star is larger than its size would imply, though, so perhaps you can find other uses for it?

Down ~ Corkscrew
Peter flips upside down, facing the ground. As his body straightens out, he holds his dagger out and spins around several times. This attack only deals one hit, but it’s a pretty powerful one, striking for 10% damage and giving sideways knockback. While spinning, Peter does not fall. The longer this attack is charged, the longer Peter spins and the more knockback this attack gives.

~~~ MAGICAL GRAB…

Grab ~ Sky Launcher
Tink flies out and pushes the opponent towards Peter, who grabs them and holds them close. Slightly above average reach and no damage. This cannot be used if hovering or flying; but that’s okay, considering his throw isn’t exactly stellar. Pressing A during this move will make Peter swipe a dagger at his foe, dealing 1% damage. This move comes out very fast, allowing players to spam it if they so choose.

Throw ~ Flying Launcher
Peter speedily flies into the air with his foe, using his momentum to swing the opponent in the direction of choice and send them spiraling through the air; this causes a measly 5% damage. After this throw ends, Peter is in Flying Mode, which shows this move’s true purpose—not as a damage dealer or KO move, but a combo starter! After all, if the opponent doesn’t have enough time to recover and Peter starts flying as soon as the throw is completed, chances are you’ll be able to quickly apprehend your opponent and hit them with a well-time Smash! Fly, Peter, fly!

~~~ MAGICAL MAGIC METER…

MAGIC BLITZ ATTACK ~ FAITH, TRUST, PIXIE DUST

Tinkerbell begins pouring pixie dust upon Peter, increasing his flying ability even beyond that of his normal capacity as he gains a golden hue. Using this, Peter immediately flies offscreen at Sonic’s dash speed before flying back in at various points: Kat and Ana style. He makes 8 slashes across the screen aimed at opponents, all done while traveling across it at Sonic’s dash. Each slash deals 15% damage and high knockback, though can be spotdodged easily because Peter has no way of predicting/countering it. This will, however, most likely, hit something at least…

MAGIC BLAST ATTACK ~ SECOND STAR TO THE RIGHT

Peter flashes with golden light and flies into the air (if you’re already in the air when he activates this, then he freezes where he is). Lifting Tink up by her wings, Peter begins to shake the fairy, sending copious amounts of pixie dust raining all down over the field. Once an opponent touches this pixie dust, the true move begins; Peter slowly flies a distance roughly equal to the length of Battlefield before he Tink runs out of pixie dust. If the dust does not come into contact with anyone else, well…you’ve just wasted this. Way to go.

However, if some dust manages to land on an opponent, they have no way of escaping. The rest of the Final Smash is cinematic: Peter flies down to the opponents and says, “C’mon, just think happy thoughts!” as he grabs the targets’ hands and pulls them into the air (if there is a third opponent, then they hold onto the feet of another fighter). Peter lets them go as they float, clumped together, and he flies below them. Pointing to a nonspecific point in the sky, he says: “You take the second star to the right…”

After he says this, Peter rushes upward with blinding speed, slashing so quickly with his dagger it can only be seen as a blur. He makes multiple quick strikes, dealing 25% damage to his opponents. Peter finally rears back for a final attack before slamming his glowing knife into the opponents, sending them flying high into the sky with 5% more damage. As he delivers this blow, he says “And straight on ‘till morning!” While the opponents soar off the screen, Peter puts his hands on his hips proudly; Tink then flies in and quickly heals Peter for 15%.

The hardest part of this is connecting with the initial blow. The falling pixie retains the same slow, infinite properties as Peter’s Up Tilt—that is, the dust won’t disappear until it hits the opponent or another solid object. The closer you are to your opponent before activating the attack, the better chance you have of succeeding.

***

~~~ MAGICAL STYLE…
Peter Pan’s main advantage in battle is his awesome aerial game. Despite the fact that he has no aerials, he makes up for this by being able to use ALL of his other attacks in the air—even his Smashes! Therefore, approaching isn’t as much of an issue for Peter as it is for other characters. It’s rather simple to just fly into the air and descend upon your opponent with a corkscrew attack.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you can KO opponents that easily. Peter has an exceedingly difficult time killing his opponents due to the low damage most of his attacks give. Only a few of his moves have good knockback—his Forward and Up smashes come to mind, but the latter takes skill to land correctly. With Peter you need to be able to quickly rack up damage and pull off a smash before your opponent can realize what you’ve done.

Peter has no trouble comboing attacks. Start with a Throw and then follow up with a Dust Bomb; chances are you’ll be close enough for the dust to explode before it begins falling down. You can then take advantage of their stunned state to sweetspot Starlight. Boom, your opponent’s flying helplessly and you can probably follow up with almost any attack you’d like. Attacks like Hummingbird are great to use in the air due to their high priority, and his neutral poke is a great way of interrupting opponent attacks.

Peter’s also got a good amount of spacing moves—that is, attacks that keep him away from harm. Eye of the Storm is a solid projectile reflector, and some moves like Wayward Fairy are great for keeping opponents away from you. Don’t hesitate to use these attacks if you need to keep your opponents away; after all, that’s what they’re for. Not only that, but they allow Peter to be a useful hit-and-run character, if you are so inclined to play him that way.

You should really only play on the ground when you are forced too; being in the air generally is safer, even if you’re fighting against another aerial fighter; not even they come close to matching Peter in the sky. With that kind of mobility, you should be in the air all the time, especially for things such as edgeguarding and gimping—Peter’s quite excellent at that, as you could guess (that is, unless you are attacked by a recovery move).

The only thing you might want to be on the ground for is using hover mode – usually a good thing to be in, as it allows you to quickly switch between ground and sky.

Evasion is also a key point with Peter—well, it’s important for every character, but when you’re dealing with a lightweight and floaty target with above-average height, you need to be able to dodge at a moment’s notice. Luckily, Peter’s dodges are quick and take him back a long distance; he’s quite the speedster, after all. Even seemingly trivial things like his aerial flips make him that much quicker and harder to hit.

So, in conclusion, playing Peter Pan requires that you not get overly-excited with his aerial prowess. Making quick strikes and keeping opponents from hitting you are key areas of his playstyle. It’s also essential you learn when to descend to the ground for combo opportunities, and take to the skies when danger is imminent. He has two main styles: the high-risk, high-reward combo maker and a quick and flighty hit-and-runner…you must master them both to succeed.

***

~~~ A MAGICAL PERSONALITY…

Up Taunt
Peter cups his hands around his mouth and crows loudly.

Forward Taunt
Peter takes a handful of pixie dust and tosses it forward with a flourish. This pixie dust does nothing; it is merely a visual effect.

Down Taunt
Peter proudly puts his hands on his hips and declares loudly, “Ah, the cleverness of me!”

Victory Pose 1
Peter spins wildly while yelling, “Woo-hoo!” He floats up into the air while pixie dust flies off of him in showers. He finally stops and looks to the screen with a smile on his face and laughs before announcing, “That was fun!”

Victory Pose 2
Peter thoughtfully rests his hands on his fists and wonders, “Wow, you’re terrible. Maybe if you think happier thoughts, you could beat me!” He pauses, and then cruelly says, “Nah!”

Victory Pose 3
Tink flies out from behind Peter and whispers something in his ear. Peter laughs at it and looks at the screen, as if talking to his opponent: “Tink says you’re not worth our time.” He then shrugs and says, “I think she’s right.”

Victory Pose Vs. Captain Hook
Pan chuckles to himself. “Try again next time, codfish!”

Victory Pose Vs. Dumbo
Peter Pan turns to the flying elephant, hands on his hips. “You’re good, little guy…but not as good as me!”

Losing Pose
Peter sits Indian-style on the ground, angrily looking at the ground and refusing to clap. Tink flies around his head, making annoyed, high-pitched ringing sounds constantly.

Shield
Tinker Bell flies in front of Peter to project a bright yellow pixie dust shield for him.

~~~ A MAGICAL REPUTATION…

HADES/ Ever consider a change of wardrobe, kid? I mean, the whole tights thing doesn’t suit you. I mean, I ain’t no fashionista but I’m just saying…

~~~ A MAGICAL TALE…

Symbol
A feather, identical to the one that is placed in Peter Pan’s hat.

Entrance
Peter flies in from the background and lands on his feet, ready for battle. Tinker Bell follows close behind, ready to follow and aid him.

Selection Sound
“It’s off to Neverland!”

Music
You Can Fly, one of the cheeriest songs from the Peter Pan soundtrack.

***

“Now, think of the happiest things. It’s the same as having wings.”