Part 35

Learn how to unlock Ness in Brawl Stars by playing 5 brawls, having Ness join your party, and reflecting 10 projectiles. Includes Ness's moveset.

• Play 5 brawls.
• Have Ness join your party in The Subspace Emissary.
• Reflect 10 projectiles in brawls.

Ness is a character in Brawl Stars with a dedicated fanbase, often compared to Lucas but playing differently by focusing on damage racking and aerial control. While seemingly average, Ness possesses unique tools that allow him to compete effectively.

Ness's ground game primarily serves as an initiation for his aerial attacks. His up tilt is quick and effective for launching opponents into the air, and his sweeping up smash can achieve a similar result. The down smash is a less effective clearing move around Ness's feet, overshadowed by the up smash, but both share a unique property: the yoyos can hit opponents while Ness is charging the smash. The up smash starts in front of Ness, and the down smash starts behind him, allowing Ness to create a barrier by cleverly charging either. Ness's running attack is excellent for accumulating damage and launching opponents, making it a frequent choice, but requires caution against shield grabs. His forward smash, a powerful baseball bat, reflects projectiles upon impact, boasts surprisingly large range, and has a sweet spot at its tip. This move is ideal for securing KOs but is slow and punishable, demanding careful use. Ness's down tilt is weak but incredibly fast, enabling rapid damage accumulation, though Ness must stop before being punished, which is a matter of player timing. His forward tilt is surprisingly powerful and quick, useful for KOing high-percentage foes or as a safe option to push enemies away. Ness's jab is standard, but he has a trick: if an opponent misses a tech, Ness can repeatedly jab, step forward, and repeat, creating an inescapable combo if timed perfectly, ending only when Ness has pushed the opponent off the stage.

Ness's true strength lies in his aerial capabilities, making him one of the most dangerous characters in the air. His primary finisher, both in the air and overall, is his incredibly powerful back aerial. This attack hits Ness's entire body but deals weak damage if the opponent is not level with Ness's feet. Ness also has a great damage-dealing forward aerial that creates sparkles in front of him, often trapping opponents, racking up damage, and then pushing them back just far enough to prevent retaliation. This move effectively controls the space in front of Ness and can approach grounded opponents due to its multiple hits, which can penetrate shields. Be cautious, as hitting with the edge of this move's range will only result in a weak hit.