Screwdriver

Lore & Background

In the sprawling multiverse of Smash Bros., the Screwdriver occupies a curious niche. It is not a legendary blade forged in a dragon's fire, nor a cosmic artifact wielded by gods. It is, by all accounts, a standard hardware-store screwdriver with a bright red plastic grip and a steel Phillips tip. Yet in the hands of a fighter from another dimension, it becomes a weapon just as legitimate as any others.

Fans often point to the Screwdriver as a symbol of the series' irreverent spirit. The Smash universe does not demand that every item be epic; a kitchen utensil, a garden tool, or a simple screwdriver can all take a swing at a rival. This democratic approach to weaponry is central to the franchise's charm, and the Screwdriver is its most literal embodiment.

Across the games, the item has maintained its identity: a small, red, single-tool weapon with no special properties, no elemental damage, and no transformation. It is what it is — a screwdriver — and that simplicity is part of its enduring appeal.

Reader's Guide

The Screwdriver is a basic-tier melee weapon. When a character picks it up, they gain a single quick jab attack — a short-range forward thrust that deals low damage and applies minimal knockback. The animation is fast, making it easy to spam, but the hitbox is small and the damage is among the weakest of any melee item in the series. It has no special properties, no elemental effect, and no secondary function.

In competitive and semi-competitive play, the Screwdriver is generally considered the least desirable weapon spawn. Players will often drop it immediately in favor of a stronger item, or simply wait for a more useful weapon to cycle in. It is rarely a game-changer.

For a new player, the Screwdriver is a good introduction to how melee weapons work: pick it up, swing forward, watch the small damage number pop. For a veteran, it is a reminder that not every item round is a moment of triumph — sometimes you just get a screwdriver, and you make the best of it.

Spawn conditions are identical to other basic weapons: it appears during random item rounds at the standard spawn rate, with no special conditions or stage-specific triggers.

Did You Know?

• The Screwdriver has appeared in every mainline Super Smash Bros. game, from the 1999 N64 original through Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
• It is consistently grouped in the lowest damage tier of melee weapons, alongside items like the frying pan and the baseball bat.
• Despite its low damage, its quick swing animation means it can technically land more hits per second than some slower, higher-damage weapons.
• The Screwdriver's design is a standard Phillips-head screwdriver with a red plastic grip, unchanged across every game it has appeared in.