Rayman (SSF2)

Rayman is a new starter character in Super Smash Flash 2. He was revealed during the Day 3 livestream at Super Smash Con 2018, but wasn't added to the game until Beta 1.2 released in early 2020. His sprites are entirely custom and are based on his appearance in Rayman Origins, while his moveset is a compilation of attacks used throughout the various games in his series.

Rayman is currently ranked 38th on the tier list for Version 1.3 of the game. He has long reach on many of his attacks due to his tendency to launch his body parts at foes. With his high air speed and slow falling speed, he boasts an amazing air game, possessing fast aerial attacks that work well for walling out opponents or edgeguarding them. He can further use his floatiness to his advantage by breaking out of juggles, making him harder to combo. His recovery is easily the best in the game because his Plum provides a platform that can be juggled with attacks, effectively giving him infinite range with it. Plum can also be used in creative ways on-stage to further boost his combo game and engage in quirky shenanigans. His LockJaw and Vortex attacks work very well in neutral as fast entrapment options that can start combos or setup KO confirms. His hurtboxes are very unique due to his body type, allowing him to dodge attacks in weird ways that sometimes make it appear as if attacks go right through him.

However, Rayman's floatiness coupled with his low weight makes him vulnerable to ceiling KOs. His long range is not disjointed, causing many of his attacks to trade while drastically increasing his likelihood of getting hit. He's restricted to one Plum on the stage at any given time and suffers from a long cooldown period if it falls offstage. If Rayman gets knocked offstage without his Plum, he's as good as dead, as his main recovery move, Helicopter, gains virtually zero vertical distance, making him pitifully easy to edgeguard in such a state. He also lacks reliable KO options outside of his smash attacks and down air, making him somewhat more predictable against opponents at higher percents.

Rayman's flaws are crippling, but his strengths are not to be underestimated. Despite appearing as a low tier, Rayman has defied the tier list time and time again, showing that he has more to offer than people may think.