Squigly is the last "surviving" member of the Contiello family, a long lineage of opera singers and among the Medicis' most valuable clients. Fourteen years ago, Squigly's mother Selene obtained the Skull Heart under strange circumstances, and as a result, Lorenzo Medici ordered an attack on the Contiello family. Fraught with despair, Selene became the Skullgirl and revived her family as an undead army. What spared Squigly from becoming a mindless minion was the intervention of the Parasite Leviathan, the Contiello family's friend and guardian.
The battle between the Skullgirl and Lorenzo threatened to spread across New Meridian if not for Squigly and the intervention of the ASG, resulting Selene's defeat. The power that animated Squigly faded, and hers were the only intact remains of the Contiellos found. Lorenzo generously paid for their funeral and has not had conflicts with the Medicis' other clients since.
Fourteen years later, the newest Skullgirl has revived this tragic songstress...
Overview
Squigly is a midrange character who capitalizes off her opponents mistakes. She has great pokes and possesses an arsenal of unique tools and tricks. Squigly can charge herself up and store two different kinds of charges, which can be used to give her specials powerful properties. On the downside, Squigly without a charge is very frail.
Charges and Stances: Holding the button on any ground special (except H Draugen Punch) will cause Squigly to enter her charge stance. She will charge up after a few seconds and execute a much stronger version of the move by releasing the button. The stance can also be canceled; this will store your current level of charge. Entering charge stance and exiting it right away is called Stance Canceling and allows you to greatly reduce the recovery on any normal. This frame advantage opens up new pressure strings, more time to back off defensively, or new reset paths and opportunities. On top of the added space control she receives from the availability of each charged special move, Squigly having charge quite literally changes the flow of the game in her favor.
Space control: Every fighting game character fights to control spacing, but Squigly's toolkit in particular is equipped to do this well. What she lacks in movement speed, she makes up for with small hurtboxes combined with deceptively large hitboxes that make it hard to challenge her buttons, such as her jLK and jHP. Her charged special moves such as Center Stage and Silver Chord counter opponents who commit to actions from fullscreen or fast actions in general, forcing opponents to play at her pace.
Movement: Both her dash and backdash are rather slow. However, while in charge stance, Squigly gets a fast walking speed. Jumping will be your main movement option, due to Squigly having a double jump, amazing air buttons, and small air hurtboxes. She also has divekicks to fastfall and alter her air momentum, either defensively or to add pressure.
Charged Sing aka Center Stage is the most unique special move in the game and the foundation of Squigly's gameplan. As the name suggests, it centers the screen on Squigly and reduces its size for few seconds. If your opponent isn't already close to Squigly, they will be pulled in and appear on the edge of the screen. The move will create temporary corners on both sides of the reduced screen which cause wallbounce. Most importantly, charged Sing causes superflash which forces hitstop on the opponent, effectively stopping time for a brief moment. Squigly is also able to cancel charged Sing into any of her supers. This allows you to punish any button the opponent presses from anywhere on the screen, making it Squigly's most threatening tool.
This superfreeze also keeps opponents stuck on the ground, making Daisy Pusher unjumpable (essentially, like a true 360).
The superfreeze makes opponents unable to react with a reversal to SBO, given the orb connects with the opponent before the hitstop runs out.
Charged Sing xx SBO catches dashing opponents, unless they were dashblocking before the superfreeze. Airdashing will always be caught since it's not possible to dashblock in the air.
The wallbounce is used for throw and assist conversions.
Moving your assist behind the opponent prior Charged Sing will push them into Daisy Pusher range, even from fullscreen. This can be easily done with Peacock's H Teleport assist, for example.
Playstyle
Squigly is a stance character that is able to build a unique resource and spend it to upgrade her specials.
Pros
Cons
Small Size: Thanks to her small hurtboxes Squigly is extremly evasive. Her 2LK allows her to low profile a variety of moves.
Great Normals: Squigly is able to keep her ground well with far reaching low pokes, disjoints and the before mentioned 2LK. Each of her grounded normals is safe on block thanks to her stancels. Her jLK is tied with Fukua's jLP for the best air to air in the game. jHP covers half of the screen and can lead into a full combo.
High Damage Potential: Stancels grant Squigly access to hurtful combos. Once she gains her charge the numbers skyrocket.
Charged Sing: Unique special move that freezes the screen and drags the opponent towards you. If Squigly spends a bar she can punish nearly every button from anywhere on the screen with this.
Charged DP: Arguably the best meterless reversal in the game. Multihits, autocorrects and can be made safe by spending meter.
Lockdown assist and safe DHC: There is no character that dislikes having Squigly in the back. Drag'n'Bite is a forward moving lockdown assist. 2HP assist is a disjointed multihit low. SBO is an amazing safe DHC and allows Squigly to get a free charge after.
Resource Reliant: Extremely meter-hungry playstyle. A lot conversions cost meter, and so does using Sing and her DP to an extent. She also needs to gain a charge to make good use of Sing and DP in the first place.
Charging: It can be hard to find a gap to gain a charge safely in some matchups. Assists can negate this issue though.
Poor Defense: Squigly doesn't have a reliable reversal outside of charged DP. Her supers are invulnerable on startup but can be countered in most situations. On top of that she lacks a dedicated anti air normal. Her metered anti air can be counter super'd by half of the cast.
Bad Approach: Due to her slow ground speed Squigly often relies on jump ins which makes her approach very linear. She struggles aganist pushblock and has a hard time getting offense started.
Terrible DHC Damage: SBO does little damage and scales the combo a lot. Daisy cannot be DHC'd into. Level 3 is decent but doesn't combo from some DHC's.
Setup assist. When Squigly sings as an assist, the point character can exploit her forced screen movement while taking other actions. Running forward while calling the assist instantly closes the distance against a fleeing opponent. Timing the assist during a combo allows a point character to use a wall bounce in a combo at the middle of the stage. Using Center Stage in concert with a command throw can grab an opponent at a seemingly unfair range.
A hitgrab that travels forward. Slow, but covers a large horizontal space on front of Squigly. Staggers on hit so it can be used for setups.
Move List
Character Mechanic: Stances & Charges
stance
stance
Squigly's ground specials all derive from her stances. Executing a grounded special and holding down the button will cause Squigly to enter her charge stance. Specials executed through any punch button put you in punch charge stance and kick specials in kick charge stance. Being in this state causes Squigly to charge up, a visual indicator tells you when the charge is ready. Releasing the button executes the special move, while pressing any other button will cancel the charge stance and store Squigly's current charge level.
In this stance Squigly is only able to walk forward and back. The walking speed is notably fast though.
You can only hold one punch charge and one kick charge at a time.
Since your charge level is stored after canceling charge stance, it is possible to charge in little chunks.
Squigly will keep charges when she is tagged out. If you select a special as her assist she will execute the charged version and use up her charge.
Squigly stores her current charge level when she is hit out of her charge stance. When she is hit out of the startup of her specials though, she will lose her charge.
It takes 41 frames to store a full charge.
Stance Canceling
Any grounded normal can be cancelled into charge stance. Charge stance can be cancelled immediately after entering it by perfoming 236PP/KK. This allows Squigly to recover from her normals much faster and gives all of her grounded normals advantage on block if cancelled correctly.
Stance cancelling is a fundamental part of her combo theory since it gives you the possibility to link a heavy into a light, a medium or even into another heavy normal.
It allows her to cancel her standing overhead into a low, which makes her mixups more threatening.
Having a stored charge shortens the recovery even further, which gives you more frame advantage and allows for medium and heavy links.
It also gives you access to a shortcut(PP/KK) which doesn't require you to input 236PP/KK. I would not recommend making use of this though, since you have to learn the manual input for uncharged cancels anyway, and does not work on block or whiff.
Frame advantage in brackets are the stance cancelled version of the move, assuming that immediately after the move connects the move is stance cancelled. The first value listed is the uncharged version, and the second value is with a stance charge, which have total recovery of 19f and 12f, respectively.
The first hit has shorter range and pulls the opponent towards Squigly while the second hit has the attack's full range.
The vacuum effect of the first hit alone can be used for crossunder resets in the corner. It can also be used for midscreen crossunders from combos using certain assists.
Squigly's most damaging medium normal, but mainly useful near the end of combos
When tagged out, a tombstone stays on screen and follows the point character. When tagging in, Squigly emerges from under he tombstone in a coffin, breaking it open for her tag in attack.
Does 3 hits in total: 2 in the front and 1 in the back. The third hit usually whiffs but can cross up in some situations. If the third hit is blocked the tag is -12, making it significantly safer.
Hitting an assist can make it hard to punish the tag, due to the assist wallbouncing.
Squigly poses with her back towards the screen, holding the pose and charging the stance as Leviathan's head glows with flame. During the stance specific walk, Squigly holds her arms out and does the signature "Jiang Shi" hop.
While walking in this stance, Squigly has a higher walk speed than she does from her normal walking, equivalent to a fast walk speed.
Squigly and Leviathan throw an explosive one inch punch. The attack has invulnerability to hits, but is difficult to use as a reversal; the minimum start up animation for the stance is always vulnerable. The attack is too slow to combo without a charge, but the Seria version has a shortened the start up that allows Squigly to combo out of her heavier normals.
The startup of the stance occurs before the startup of the move. The startup is omitted in the data, but can be seen in the graph.
It is possible to combo into the uncharged version of this move using the stagger from silver chord or by using assists. The sliding knockdown gives Squigly enough time to get one of her stances charged.
Squigly's signature singing special move, which forces the screen to center on her. The Seria version causes a mini-super flash, complete with a forced hit stop like a regular super flash. Canceling Center Stage to Daisy Pusher can use this effect to create an inescapable throw set up.
The startup of the stance occurs before the startup of the move. The startup is omitted in the data, but can be seen in the graph.
Leviathan pulls on Squigly like a disobedient dog on a leash, biting and chomping as he inches forward. Charging for the Seria version brings the attack adds hits, damage, and advantage on hit from the last bite.
The startup of the stance occurs before the startup of the move. The startup is omitted in the data, but can be seen in the graph.
The Seria version of this move can be linked after with a Light normal, allowing for some damaging combo routes.
Although this attack doesn't use a 236P command, it still puts Squigly into Dragon's Breath stance. The 623P input shares the same charge and can be cancelled the same way.
The HP version can't be held and will automaticially execute with the minimum stance start up (8f). Charged HP is also the only version with a fully invincible startup.
The uncharged version has 1 hit and knocks the opponent off the ground to recover in the air without a knockdown.
The charged version deals 3 hits and knocks down.
Both versions can be converted off with SBO. Additionally the charged version can be converted off with charged Chord or Sing xx SBO or with pretty much anything in the corner.
Squigly plants her feet firmly apart and starts spinning Leviathan's tail in a circle as she charges the stance. She uses the tail like a jump rope to skip forward or back during the stance specific walk.
While walking in this stance, Squigly has a higher walk speed than she does from her normal walking, equivalent to a fast walk speed.
Squigly tosses Leviathan's tail, which hooks the opponent and drags them in. The stagger gives Squigly a guaranteed Daisy Pusher or combo of her choice. The basic version reaches about half screen and the Seria version reaches nearly full screen. The charged version will also ignore assists and only grab enemy point characters. Like many other "Get over here!" style attacks, this is extremely unsafe on block and whiff.
The startup of the stance occurs before the startup of the move. The startup is omitted in the data, but can be seen in the graph.
The stagger of this move is once per combo. However, one can still combo off of the Seria version of the move even if stagger has already been used due to the generous hitstun.
Squigly drops down, allowing Leviathan to submerge his tail below the ground and attack from underneath the opponent. The multiple hits push the opponent back before the knockdown from the last hit, reaching half screen after 3 hits with no charge and ending at nearly full screen after 6 hits for the Seria version.
The startup of the stance occurs before the startup of the move. The startup is omitted in the data, but can be seen in the graph.
Has 1 frame of no super cancel period near the end, but only sometimes??? Not sure how to make it happen (pic)
Standard issue dive kick. It has a minimum height and additional start up for the move itself, making an instant dive kick comparable to a slower instant air dash attack. The LK version starts significantly faster than the other versions but does not cause enough hit stun to start a combo. The MK version is slower, can start a combo, and will always force an opponent to land standing when it hits air to air. The HK version is the slowest, actually hits high, and ends with a second hit that will launch the opponent for a knockdown once per combo.
The second frame data graph for the HK version shows the move on hit.
The frame data graph for the 2nd use of the HK version shows the move on hit.
Creates a multi hit, floating note projectile. Commands with LK+MK, MK+HK, and LK+HK all place the fireball at different fixed positions. The fireball pins itself to the screen position, allowing Squigly to push it around relative to the stage as the camera moves.
Hitstop will increase to 14 when used simultaneously with charged Center Stage.
Squigly opens a grave at her feet, buries the opponent, sprouts a randomly chosen flower on the mound, and poses for a moment before a casket crashes down from the top of the screen with the opponent inside again.
Hitstop increases to 13 when used simultaneously with charged Center Stage.
Leviathan projects a massive fireball at an up forward angle. After it leaves the screen, the fireball returns to chase the opponent around from behind. The fireball will not disappear until it makes contact with all 8 hits.
Hitstop increases to 11 when used simultaneously with charged Center Stage.
If Squigly is hit by a snap while the fireball is on screen, then the fireball will disappear.
"Arrogant fool..."
Toggle Hitboxes
Toggle Hitboxes
Rage of the Dragon Level 5
After Snake Charmer, with charged Dragon's Breath or Serpent's Tail, , , , ,
Squigly hovers across the ground and seeks an opponent. Upon contact, a scripted sequence occurs where Leviathan torches the opponent, inflicting heavily damage.
Hitstop increases to 9 when used simultaneously with charged Center Stage.
Using this super as a DHC requires Squigly to have both charges.
Taunt
"Give up yet?"
Snake Charmer
, , , ,
Guard
Properties
Damage
Meter
On Hit
On Block
On Pushblock
N/A
-
N/A
0%
N/A
N/A
Startup
Active
Recovery
Hit Stun
Block Stun
Hit Stop
Super Hit Stop
N/A
N/A
70
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Performing her taunt is one of the two requirements for Squigly to have access to her level 5. The other requirement is having either charge available.
You can taunt mid combo as solo Squigly by doing Chord > Taunt xx Daisy Pusher...if you want to style on your opponent.
"We will return."
Assist Taunt
Automatically done after an assist move
Guard
Properties
Damage
Meter
On Hit
On Block
On Pushblock
Mid
-
N/A
0%
N/A
N/A
Startup
Active
Recovery
Hit Stun
Block Stun
Hit Stop
Super Hit Stop
N/A
N/A
30
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Amount of time it takes for the character to turn invulnerable after they finish performing their assist action.
Longer recovery → more time to punish the assist.
Colors
Color 1 Default color palette.
Color 2 Original alternate color palette.
Color 3 Based on Lydia from the Bettelejuice animated series.
Squigly has 3 different intro poses that can be selected by holding a light, medium or heavy button during the loading screen before a match.
Intro pose 1: Hold OR Squigly and Leviathan take a bow. Are you ready? For over a decade! Shall we dance, milady? Let's.
Intro pose 2: Hold OR Squigly emerges from her grave. Hisss. Curse you! Hnnn. Plagues upon you!
Intro pose 3: Hold OR Squigly uses Leviathan like a swing. It's good to be out. I concur. ...Hello.
Players to Watch
Disclaimer: This list is derived from community input and is in no way comprehensive or a form of ranking of any kind. Our community criteria can be found here.
Squigly is a stance character that is able to build a unique resource and spend it to upgrade her specials.
or 
→ 
or 
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or 
Cremation / 
M-Train 
L Shot / 
M Item drop (hold) / 
H Beam / 
