Ganondorf

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Smash Attacks

SIDE SMASH DAMAGE 24%

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

DOWN SMASH DAMAGE 6~15% MAX DAMAGE 21% : 2 Hits

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

UP SMASH DAMAGE 21~24%

Ganondorf kicks vertically, punting his opponents into the sky.

Basic Attacks

Standing Attack DAMAGE 4~8%

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

Side Tilt DAMAGE 12~13%

Ganondorf delivers a strong kick forward. Good range and damge.

Up Tilt DAMAGE 18~28%

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! While Ganondorf’s leg is up, it pulls in nearby opponents.

Down Tilt DAMAGE 13%

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

Dash Attack DAMAGE 10~14%

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 DAMAGE 5~12% MAX DAMAGE 21% : 2 Hits

A spinning double-kick attack.

Up Air Attack DAMAGE 6~13%

Ganondorf does a quick flipkick attack.

Down Air Attack DAMAGE 17~19%

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 DAMAGE 16~17%

An overhead downward punch strike that deals good DAMAGE.

Back Air Attack DAMAGE 16~17%

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

Special Attacks

Warlock Punch (Neutral Special) ON LAND 30% TURN AROUND 37% IN AIR 38% TURN AROUND 40%

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. When used on the ground, this move is difficult to interrupt, as it has some Super Armor.

Warlock Blade ON LAND 15~22% TURN AROUND 17~24% IN AIR 17~24% TURN AROUND 19~26%

Ganondorf charges his sword with dark energy before thrusting it forward. The range of the attack is fairly good, and the tip of the sword deals the most DAMAGE. This attack is very good at breaking down shields. You can break weaker shields in a single hit with the tip of the sword.

Warlock Thrust ON LAND 9~16% TURN AROUND 12~19% IN AIR 9~16% TURN AROUND 12~19%

This is a faster Warlock Punch that has an explosion at the end of it. The center of the punch is the sweet spot for DAMAGE. The DAMAGE is the same regardless of whether it was started from the ground or the air. This version has no super armor.

Dark Dive (Up Special) DAMAGE 1~7% MAX DAMAGE 11% : 5 Hits

A jumping swing to grab an opponent before shocking and exploding off of that opponent. On a successful hit in the air, you can use any attack as you descend, including this attack.. If you don’t grab anyone, Ganondorf swings with a punch attack at the peak of his jump.

Dark Fists DAMAGE 6~11% MAX DAMAGE 17% : 2 Hits

Ganondorf punches opponents into the air then hits them again to send them higher. Opponents won’t be grabbed in this version. Ganondorf has some super armor during this attack as well.

Dark Vault DAMAGE 1~3% MAX DAMAGE 4% : 2 Hits

Ganondorf jumps much higher than usual, but he only grabs opponents at the beginning or end of this jump. You have a little control over Ganondorf’s horizontal motion, and on a successful grab, you ascend a little higher than usual. If you don’t connect with the grab, there is no separate attack afterward.

Wizard’s Foot (Down Special) ON LAND 10~12% IN AIR 8~15%

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

Wizard’s Dropkick ON LAND 7~9% IN AIR 6~11%

Ganondorf jumps low into the air before doing the flying kick. When used from the ground, Ganondorf’s feet have some invincibility, and there are no meteor effects.

Wizard’s Assault ON LAND 7~10% IN AIR 6~14%

This is a faster flying kick that can go through groups of opponents. Attack power decreases the farther Ganondorf travels. When used in the air, the tip of Ganondorf’s feet deliver a meteor smash.

Flame Choke (Side Special) ON LAND 12% IN AIR 15%

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. Ganondorf has super armor while grabbing opponents if this was started from the ground.

Flame Wave ON LAND 8~10% MAX DAMAGE 18% : 2 Hits IN AIR 10% MAX DAMAGE 20% : 2 Hits

Ganondorf dashes forward to grab opponents then blasts them upward. Opponents near the blast take DAMAGE as well. The dash distance is shorter than usual.

Flame Chain ON LAND 1.2~5% MAX DAMAGE 15.8% : 10 Hits IN AIR 1.2~5% MAX DAMAGE 12.2% : 7 Hits

In this variation, Ganondorf strikes opponents repeatedly while dashing forward. You can hit multiple opponents, but Ganondorf does not have any super armor. This also differs from the regular version in that you can use it on land, and it won’t send you over an edge.

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. 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.