Battle Controls
Actions
Movement: Left stick
Move the left stick to move your character in any direction
Jump: 
button
Press this button to execute a jump. You can also execute assorted attacks during your jump.
Sidestep: Move left stick with 
button held
Step in the direction you move the left stick.
Sidestepping will not protect you from a Heavy Guard Break.
Guard: 
button
Take a guard position and block enemy attack.
This will not defend you from a Guard Break, Heavy Guard Break, or throwing move.
Flash Guard: button just before an attack hits
Defend yourself to block opponent’s attack.
Flash Counter: Left stick up + 
button just before an attack hits
Use your Ability Gauge to perform a counterattack.
Attacks
Normal Attack: button
Press repeatedly to execute a combo attack.
You can guard or sidestep to dodge these attacks.
Ranged Attack: Left stick down + button
This can be executed during a combo attack as well. You can guard against it, but sidestepping will not work.
* Consult the Move List in the Pause Menu for more details about each character’s moves.
Special Attacks
Character Unique Action: 
button (or left stick down + button)
Execute an attack unique to your current character.
Some characters have a second unique action. To access it, press the 
button in the air, or press it while holding the left stick downward.
Guard Break: button + button
This lets you damage enemies who are guarding (or unleashing their Ability). You can execute this during a combo as well. It cannot be guarded against, but you can sidestep to avoid it.
Heavy Guard Break: button + button
This lets you damage enemies who are guarding (or unleashing their Ability). Neither guarding nor sidestepping will block this.
* Guard Breaks and Heavy Guard Breaks can be deflected with a normal attack.
* Consult the Move List in the Pause Menu for more details about each character’s moves.
Special attack 1: 
+ 
button
Special attack 2: + button
Special attack 3: + button
Execute powerful moves unique to each character.
Some characters have special attacks they can only execute in the air.
Unleash Abilities
Unleash Abilities: Hold down 
Unleash the latent Ability of a character, or bring them into Haki mode if they’re a Haki user. Logia users, for example, can press this to pull off a Logia Guard, while Haki users can execute Haki attacks. While this is active, your Ability Gauge will gradually go down; when it hits zero, your Ability will turn off. The Ability Gauge gradually refills itself over time. If your character is neither a Devil Fruit nor a Haki user, press this button to temporarily power up their stats.
Special Movement: button with Abilities unleashed
Execute a special move skill unique to each character. The effect turns itself off once your Ability Gauge hits zero.
Awakening and Ultimate Attacks
Awaken: Press 
(when Burning Gauge is at max)
Puts your character in Burst mode for a period of time. This may transform them, make them grow larger, or boost their abilities.
Ultimate Attack: Press (in Burst mode)
Execute an extremely powerful attack.
Grand Impact: Press (WHEN DEALING THE FINAL BLOW TO AN ENEMY IN BURST MODE)
When your foe’s HP is low and you’re ready to strike the final blow, press this to execute a powerful Grand Impact.
Crash Down: Strike a blow that brings your foe’s HP to zero or below
Each character has Crash Down moves that trigger when you win a battle using certain attacks.
They may even send foes through buildings and other scenery.
Swapping
If you have a partner, press 
or 
to swap places with them. If one of your characters runs out of HP before time expires, your partner will automatically swap in.
Swap: 
or 
Press the button next to the partner’s icon to switch places with that partner. You cannot swap in partners if they are out of HP.
to swap with partner 1
to swap with partner 2
Unity Moves
Swap in with your partner at certain times, and you’ll use the Burning Gauge to pull off special Unity moves. If your Burning Gauge is empty or unavailable, these moves will not be triggered.
Unity Chain: Requires 2 Burning Gauge segments; triggered when you swap partners after executing certain moves
Your partner executes a follow-up attack.
Unity Assist: Requires 3 Burning Gauge segments; triggered with or
Swap with your partner even if you’re being attacked by the enemy.
Unity Clash: Requires 3 Burning Gauge segments; triggered with or
Lets you cancel your opponent’s Unity Assist.
* Consult the Move List in the Pause Menu for more details about each character’s moves.
Swapping with Spectators
If your friend has a wireless controller configured to be player two’s, you can switch battle control to that player without physically handing your controller over. During battle, press or on player two’s controller to switch control over to the other controller.
You can do this outside of 2P Play mode as well.
* The other controller must be configured as player two’s controller.
* This cannot be done if controller swapping is not available (such as when there’s no one to swap control to).
* Any new save data or Achievements will be awarded to the original player, not the one using player two’s controller.
* Consult the Move List in the Pause Menu for more details about each character’s moves.
Support Characters
If you have a support character, they will perform assorted support moves for you.
(Characters with automatically-triggered support)
These characters will perform a support move when the battle situation calls for it.
Ex.: Monkey D. Dragon
Dragon will refill your Burning Gauge to max if the enemy’s HP drops below 30%.
(Characters with timing-controlled support)
Press D-pad up, left, or right to trigger these characters’ support moves.
You can call upon a support move only a certain number of times. Once you exhaust the number of uses, the character’s icon will be darkened.
