Super Smash Bros Codexery

Cloud

A tiny puff of sky that rains gentle trouble on whoever stands below.

Cloud is a small, puffy, white throwable item that has been a staple of the Super Smash Bros. series since the very first game on the Nintendo 64. Picked up and hurled by any fighter, it drifts through the air in a gentle arc before settling onto the stage floor, where it begins to drizzle a steady column of rain onto whatever poor soul is standing beneath it. It is the gentlest of the throwable items—no explosions, no lightning, just a soft, persistent pitter-patter of water that chips away at opponents in small, annoying increments.

Despite its low damage, Cloud occupies a beloved niche in the item roster. It rewards patient positioning, creates awkward spacing problems for opponents who must dodge the rain column, and gives players a slow, methodical tool in contrast to the instant chaos of a Bob-omb or the sweeping beam of a Star Rod. Fans often reach for it in casual matches as a lighthearted, almost comical choice, and its visual charm—a tiny cartoon cloud trailing little raindrops—has made it an iconic piece of Smash Bros. iconography.

Quick Facts

Type
Throwable item
First appears
Super Smash Bros. (N64)
Damage class
Low (rain deals small chip damage per tick)
Primary effect
Lands on stage and produces a column of rain
Throw style
Arbitrary-angle projectile
Appears in
  • N64
  • Brawl
  • 3DS/Wii U
  • Ultimate

Lore & Background

In the sprawling, multiverse-tinged world of Super Smash Bros., items are drawn from a shared pool of game-world artifacts that have no single canonical origin. Cloud fits comfortably into that tradition: a small, sentient-looking puff of atmosphere that can be grabbed, aimed, and released like any other projectile. Its design is deliberately endearing—rounded, soft-edged, with a faint bluish underside and a few cartoon raindrops trailing behind it when it is in flight. It looks less like a weapon and more like a weather phenomenon that got shrunk down to fist-size.

Within the item ecosystem, Cloud sits at the bottom of the power spectrum alongside Poyo and the like. Where a Bob-omb detonates with a satisfying boom and a Star Rod carves a wide arc of lightning, Cloud simply… rains. The column of water it produces is narrow, persistent, and low-damage, making it more of a positional nuisance than a threat. This has led to a particular fan affection for Cloud as the "cute" item, the one you pick up when you want to be mischievous rather than destructive. In team-based or chaotic free-for-all matches, a well-placed Cloud near an edge can keep a recovering opponent hopping and sweating without ever dealing meaningful knockback.

The item's visual language—soft white fluff, gentle blue rain, a rounded and approachable shape—echoes the broader aesthetic of the Smash Bros. franchise, where even the most absurd objects are rendered with a warmth and playfulness that makes them feel like toys rather than weapons. Cloud is the item equivalent of a lighthearted joke: not the punchline, but the chuckle that keeps the mood light between the bigger hits.

Reader's Guide

Pick up Cloud and throw it in any direction using the standard item-throw inputs. It follows a gentle parabolic arc and, once it touches the stage surface, it stays in place and begins emitting a narrow column of rain. Each rain tick deals a small amount of damage—low enough that it will never produce meaningful knockback, but persistent enough to chip a recovering opponent or punish a player who is camping in one spot. The rain column is narrow, so positioning matters: a well-thrown Cloud near an edge or in front of a platform can create a small zone of discomfort that forces the opponent to reposition.

In competitive play, Cloud is rarely a primary tool. Its damage is too low to be a threat in a 1v1, and its rain column is easily avoided by a simple jump or dash. However, in team battles, free-for-alls, or any mode with multiple opponents, a Cloud dropped near a recovery path can add just enough pressure to make a risky back-attack feel safer. It also serves as a mind-game item: because it looks harmless, opponents may ignore it, and the slow, ticking rain can rattle a player's composure in a way a big hit cannot.

Spawn-wise, Cloud appears in the standard item pool and is not weighted heavily toward any particular mode. It is a low-priority spawn in most item tables, meaning you will not see it constantly, but it is a reliable presence in the rotation. New players should treat it as a fun, low-stakes tool; veterans will appreciate it as a subtle spacing and pressure device that rewards patience over power.

Did You Know?

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