Isabelle doesn’t defeat characters using fighting moves, but fights them by “accident.” She plants gyroids, confiscates harmful projectiles, goes fishing, swings on balloons, cleans and pops party poppers, but not once does she try to actively hurt other fighters. Even her jab is just a toy hammer with 0 harmful potential. Her opponents lose by being in the way of her duties.

Compare that to Villager who straight up swings an axe at his opponents.