If you were up against Luigi in a given bout, and he really, really liked you, then he was likely to go a little easy on you. And the keyword here is a little easy. He didn't want to go too soft on his opponents, because he wanted anyone and everyone watching to know that he was to be taken seriously. But maybe, just maybe, he try a bit harder to follow battlefield decorum and apply as little force as possible behind his blows. Some say that he'd swap out his white gloves for slightly softer ones which would cushion his attacks. But he'd still give it his all, he'd still break a sweat, and he'd still try to get you in a combo as much as possible.
Now, let's say you were Luigi's opponent and he really liked you. Not really, really—but just really. He would wear his usual gloves, but he'd still take care not to hurt you. Historically, he was kind and gentle and a bit of a pacifist, and he'd get physical only as a last resort. But you must remember that memories of past words and actions would burn in him as he battled you. You'd see it in his eyes and in his animated facial expression. He wouldn't hold back as much as against those in the "really, really liked" category, and his blows would be a smidge more forceful. The chances of you winding up in a down-throw combo would increase slightly.
If you were a person Luigi simply liked, and you were facing him on the battlefield, then maybe your friendship with him had its low points, and he was thinking about said low points as he engaged you. There would still be restraint, but not as much. And you were fair game for his limitless combo options. His eyes would flash more. His breathing was noticeably more aggressive compared to the "really liked" and "really, really liked" category. Maybe you were new to Smash, and he was still trying you out like new clothes. Or the two of you were fresh from an argument, in which he'd forgiven you but not really, and he was letting his fists say what his words couldn't. Whatever the reason, you'd feel his attacks after the match almost overnight, and he'd put some more emphasis on giving it his all.
If you were someone Luigi kinda liked, and the two of you were on the battlefield, then see the above paragraph, with some addendums. The two of you sorta hit it off, but you weren't quite friends yet. It would still be a while before you started to grow on him, or maybe you wouldn't grow on him at all. During a match, he'd watch to see how you'd respond to him—if you'd mock, jeer or laugh at him, if you'd get salty over his combos or if you'd rub a victory over him in his face. The restraint and force behind his blows would be almost half-and-half, but there would still be more restraint than force. That didn't mean that you wouldn't feel his blows—you'd feel his might well into the next morning.
If Luigi was pitted against a Smasher he neither liked nor disliked, there would be equal parts restraint and force behind his attacks. He'd be friends with this Smasher if not for one distinct quality in their personality which bugged, annoyed or outright agitated him, and this was the quality he'd ponder over in the heat of battle. Or, someone he felt neutrally toward would be his enemy if not for a key positive component of their personality, a quality which would make him exercise some restraint. Smashers on the "neutral" list more often than not found themselves chewed up and spit out by those rad combos, but they didn't get salty over it. Perhaps it was karmic retribution for the way they'd treated him in the past. Same as with the "liked", "really liked" and "really, really liked" group. These three groups considered it a rite of passage to be in one of Luigi's combos, especially newcomers to Smash who admired the man in green. You should hear them squealing to their parents and/or relatives about being caught in their first down-throw combo. Those in the "neutral" group also considered the man in green styling on them a great honor. He'd eye them with distinct determination and intensity from the word "Go" to the word "Game".
Here's where things get interesting.
Say Luigi was fighting someone he mildly disliked. He didn't hate them, but there was something about the opponent which he found unsettling. The opponent in question showed bad sportsmanship, perhaps? Or were they a bad teammate who expected the other teammate to do all the hard word and then lay the blame on said teammate if they lost? Maybe because of a disrespectful or bad attitude in general? The reason for this mild dislike wasn't personal, but he'd take this match as an opportunity to show them that he wasn't anyone for them to push around. If they worked hard enough, maybe they'd win him over as a friend. For some in the "disliked" category, this would be easy, and for others—not so much. The man in green would start to let his restraint slacken at this point—perhaps leave some bruises on the opponent, bruises which would fade the next day. He'd give it his all, and maybe more, to get his point across. I could name several instances in which an opponent who initially thought low of him saw the light after just one match, most notably a certain tireless wanderer in a white gi. But I digress.
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FanfictionIn September 2015, the fourth Super Smash Brothers tournament was in full swing. But all was far from quiet on the home front, as one Smashers faced fiery backlash from his down throw and the combos it engendered. According to many of his detracto...