Ganondorf

Smash Attacks

SIDE SMASH

Ganondorf steps forward with a big-damaging elbow strike. This can be aimed slightly up or down.

DOWN SMASH

Ganondorf kicks forward and then backward. The first kick can combo into the second kick. The second kick launches opponents away.

UP SMASH

Ganondorf kicks vertically, punting his opponents into the sky.

Basic Attacks

Standing Attack

A single strong jab that has a sweet spot at the tip. This jab has a lot of knockback as well.

Forward Tilt

Ganondorf delivers a strong kick forward. Good range and damage but slow.

Up Tilt

Ganondorf lifts his leg and charges up before unleashing a downward kick. Though it has ridiculously long startup and charging times, this attack also has ridiculous KO potential!

Down Tilt

A slow low kick that deals decent damage and knocks opponents into the air.

Dash Attack

Ganondorf tucks his head and shoulder-charges anyone in his path, popping them into the air.

Edge Attack

Ganondorf hops back to the stage and sweeps opponents upward with a swing of his arm.

Air Attacks

Neutral Air Attack

A spinning double-kick attack.

Up Air Attack

Ganondorf does a quick flipkick attack.

Down Air Attack

Ganondorf stomps downward with both legs. Ganondorf tucks his body a bit before attacking, so it’s actually easier to hit with this, even when enemies aren’t entirely below you. Meteor smashes and ground bounces as well.

Forward Air Attack

An overhead downward punch strike that deals good damage.

Back Air Attack

Ganondorf turns midair and swings his arm behind him for decent damage and knockback.

Special Attacks

Warlock Punch (Neutral Special)

Charges up with dark energy before unleashing a devastating punch. You can turn Ganondorf to face the opposite direction by hitting in that direction during the startup of the move. This move is difficult to interrupt, as it has some Super Armor.

Flame Choke (Side Special)

Dash forward to choke your opponent before dropping that opponent to the ground. When used in the air, Ganondorf grabs the opponent before slamming that opponent to the ground. This move has a meteor effect when used in the air.

Dark Dive - Up Special)

A jumping swing to grab an opponent before shocking and exploding off of that opponent. On a successful hit in the air, you can repeat this attack before reaching the ground.

Wizard’s Foot (Down Special)

When used on the ground, this is a horizontal flying kick attack. In the air, this is a kick that goes diagonally downward. The airborne version has a meteor effect at the start of the attack.

Final Smash

Beast Ganon

Ganondorf transforms into Beast Ganon and charges forward with this directional Final Smash across the length of the stage. Beast Ganon always charges in the direction Ganondorf is facing when the Final Smash is activated. After this move ends, Ganondorf reappears in the spot where he activated the Final Smash, and if he was in the air then he performs an additional jump. Beast Ganon has a decent vertical size and is not be affected by platforms. Anyone caught in the area where Ganondorf transforms will be buried and stomped on, taking an additional 20% damage.

Strategy

Along with Bowser, Ganondorf is tied for being the heaviest character in the game. Naturally, this means it’s harder for other characters to knock him off the stage, so to balance this, Ganondorf has below-average mobility, recovery, and attack speed. The flip side of this, however, is that pretty much any attack Ganondorf lands is going to hurt—a lot! To land these attacks requires patience and good defense. Using your shield, spot dodges, and air dodges effectively will help immensely. To assist with Ganondorf’s mobility, use Flame Choke and the grounded version of Wizard’s Foot. Also be aware that Dark Dive does not leave Ganondorf in a fall state when it hits the opponent! This can come in handy when battling off-stage!

Warlock Punch deals insane damage, especially if you turn it around before it strikes. Additionally, starting it while Ganondorf is high in the air will yield even more damage! So, for maximum damage, start it in the air, and turn it around! With Flame Choke, Ganondorf has some Super Armor once you grab an opponent, so don’t be scared to use this as an approach tool against opponents with high damage. Flame Choke also does a bit more damage in the air than it does on the ground. With Dark Dive, you can actually control it a bit to the left or right to improve your chance of hitting. Don’t forget you can repeat it when it successfully lands in the air. Finally, Wizard’s Foot is Ganondorf’s fastest long-range grounded option. Keep this in mind in case you see opponents make a mistake at a distance!

For aerial attacks, your fastest options are Ganondorf’s Neutral Air and Up Air attacks. If you can land it, Down Air has a very strong meteor smash. Forward Air and Back Air deal good damage but are a little harder to land. If you use Wizard’s Foot from the air, it has a meteor effect and lets out a shockwave when Ganondorf lands, pushing opponents away and dealing some damage. It should be noted that Flame Choke in the air can be useful for a suicide KO. Ganondorf has ridiculous power in his grounded strikes, but your best bets to KO opponents are Side Tilt and all of Ganondorf’s Smash attacks. If you want to get a little crazy, go for his Up Tilt! It takes a long time to come out, but when it hits perfectly, it is Ganondorf’s most damaging attack!

Recovery

Ganondorf’s recovery tools are fairly limited. For horizontal recovery, he has Flame Choke, but it doesn’t cover much distance and puts him into a fall state after use. For vertical recovery, he only has Dark Dive. You can angle Dark Dive slightly during the input of the attack by hitting more of a diagonal direction than directly up. This will help you get to the edge as soon as possible. Dark Dive also goes into a fall state afterward, so you can only choose one of these options. If Ganondorf is returning to the stage from above, use Wizard’s Foot to attack on the way down, but it’s fairly steep and if you miss the edge, you will self-destruct.